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Note that using the forums for stories is now considered for experimental projects or for new authors who want some feedback from other authors before exposing their work to the reading community. Of course, anyone is welcome to continue to post their material here... but we hope authors will take advantage of the site features for displaying their stories to more than just the forums community.
Question Songs of the Compass Roses - One Wild Weekend
7 years 6 months ago - 6 years 5 months ago #1
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Wednesday April 18th, 2007
Dickinson Cottage
6:47 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Fresh from her morning shower Fatigue returned to our room to find me using my hover chair as a walker, granted that I was struggling with each step but making excellent progress- at least I considered it progress. All the while under the observation of Blinky the Ultharian cat, who was anxious to leave and check in on his master, (or was that servant?)- my good friend Mirabel.
"It's amazing the amount of progress that you've made over the last few days Bea, but don't you think that you should be taking it easy?" Fatigue asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "I mean it's not like you should be in a big rush or anything."
"Hey I've been waiting to see the world with my own eyes for long enough, if I'm going to do so it's going to be on my own two feet, not everyplace is wheelchair accessible after all." I laughed before almost losing my footing, but steadied myself to avoid taking a spill on the floor.
"Just don't be in too much of a rush," Mabel said with concern in her voice. "You don't want to hurt yourself; you need to remember this is something that steady progress is the most important thing, this is a marathon not a sprint."
"It still doesn't mean that I should just take it easy," I said as I tried to walk again step by step, my goal was a simple one, make it from one side of the room to the other upright without crutches. Granted I was still wearing leg braces, but those stayed on due to the doctor's orders, until Doctor Tenant told me otherwise I was stuck with them. I just wanted to do this before I set down to work on more of my essays for the coursework that Cytherea took, not that she did any of them herself so there was no risk of me simply spitting out a copy of what she turned into the professors.
At least she studied what she needed to know for exams so all that I had to do was- ugh what's the phrase oh yeah- hit the books to fill in any gaps I had in the material. I don't know how anyone else would handle this situation but Bea Carson is not going to be some lazy lay about, I want to do something with my life. Something at least beyond the still nebulous future that awaited me being the Maiden of the East, why wouldn't grandma or Greyback tell me what that meant. To be fair my fellow Maiden and friend Randi was just as much in the dark about what our duties were as I was, and she was being tutored by a Sidhe who supposedly knew everything about the Maidens- just what weren't they telling us.
Poe Cottage
6:53 AM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
When I came back from the showers Candace- who was first in line today (something she was beginning to make a habit of doing) was already dressed and brushing the snarls and tangles out of her tail. I guess that it only goes to show exemplar or not they still have to work at it to get their hair just right, and those of us with furry tails have twice the hair that other girls do...sometimes more than that.
"Did I miss Tempest's daily dose of venom for a TG girl living on the lezzie side of the dorm?" Candace asked trying to untangle this one snarl in her bushy appendage.
"Nope- today she was on a tirade against those who still had their original equipment," I said as I rolled my eyes. "So Vamp and Phase were the targets."
"She's probably just jealous that so many former guys, as well as those who still technically are guys, fill out their uniforms better than she does." My roommate guessed as she finally succeeded getting that one stubborn tangle to work itself out and make her tail look presentable.
"Who knows just why that girl is so unhappy," Jane chimed in from her perch as she shook her head. "It can be any number of things, but more than likely she is just unsatisfied with the way her life seems to be playing out."
"Nobody's lot in life is perfect Jane especially those who drew the mutant straw." I stated as I went to get dressed before putting my collar on. "All that hate and fear we get just for being alive sucks, but there's not much you can do about it but endure and roll with the punches."
"Nice to see you showing so much optimism so early in the morning Randi. given much of the atmosphere around Poe as of late." Jane stated as I could feel what she was about to say dangling above my head like a guillotine blade. "However you do remember what you have to do today correct?"
"Yeah, I have to report to Ito-soke over in Laird for the first day of my combat training evaluation." I groaned at the prospect, not only was I going to have to play catch-up for half a week in History (one of my favorite subjects) I was going to have my combat skills graded by the most sadistic martial-arts master alive for the rest of the week. At least Jane was going to be attending class for me so that I wouldn't miss out on the lecture, granted it wasn't the same as being there in person and taking notes for myself
"Yeah too bad they picked fourth period to have you show your stuff instead of fifth, then I would get to see you getting all hot and sweaty." Candace smiled from ear to ear while putting on her skirt.
"Well sorry to disappoint you Miss Reynard, but I'm doing this for school not for your personal enjoyment." I rolled my eyes at my roommate’s coy comments.
"Oh I wouldn't say that it wouldn't be doing it for me if I was there," Candace remarked in a singsong tone. "Speaking of which you still owe me a date, I was thinking maybe the two of us could put in for a ride to Boston this weekend, you know to go and paint the town red."
"Not a real good idea Candace, you know what they say about Freshman Posies and Boston this year." I grimaced as I approached her proposal with a critical eye. "Besides I may be able to cover up my features if I put a little effort into my glamour but you would be hard pressed to find something to hide that swiffer duster."
"Aw and you even have a pet name for it- how sweet, and come on do we look like Team Kimba," Candace pouted as she pulled out the sad puppy eyes. "Besides Arn's been working on this nice optical-camo net with the workshop to make things unnoticeable, Soph already field tested with her wings so my tail shouldn't be too much of an issue."
"Fine- we'll see about clearing the trip with the administration just remember it won't be the two of us on that bus, and keep the funny stuff in the down low." I admitted defeat, from what I knew of Quickvix there was no point in arguing with her for too long, it would just result in a headache."
"Good because there's this seafood place that I've heard about around campus from the other energizers in Boston that I've wanted to try, maybe for say an early dinner." Quickvix said as she already started making plans.
"Alright but let’s talk about this later," I said as I finished getting dressed. "The day's just beginning and I know that someone has a test in second period that I hope they've been studying for because she needs to pass to get out of Remedial Math."
"Party pooper," Candace shot back with a pout.
"Yeah that's me, a regular Buzz Killington." I said as I reapplied my collar making sure that my uniform was on straight. "What are you doing on your computer so early in the morning anyway?"
"One of my Parkour buddies from Illinois is having her birthday this week so I thought that I'd get back in touch." Candace said as she finished hammering out her email. "I got Mrs. H to go over my letter to censor anything I shouldn't say, and since I'm posting it using my pre-existing email account that I used back home so it can't be traced here."
"Weren't they all college students at Chicago U," I asking with an air of curiosity. "You'd think they would understand if you had to lay low after getting abducted by the MCO Gestapo."
"Not all of them Randi-dear," Candace said in a sing song tone before clicking send. "Chandra's still in Middle-school, she's hitting the ol' one-five, shame I won't be there we were a killer on the basketball court last year at South Middle School. I'm just glad that I picked something out for her before I left New York to come here, there's no way I could make it out to Berlin on a weekday. At least she has the rest of the team to hang out with and the rest of the Maniacs; most of her old homegirl's began giving her the cold shoulder when she started hanging out me."
"Ouch tell me her family will at least be there for her," I said knowing that the sad truth about the stereotype of inner-city family's had a dark ring of truth to it from helping out my dad.
"Her mother and grandmother might be, but her dad's been in the Middle-East since the War on Terror began." Candace said with a morose tone given how her mother was gone and she never even met her own father.
"Tell me that he isn't on patrol," I blanched given that those nasty roadside bombs were always in the news.
"No he's a cook he rarely leaves the outpost." Candace explained giving me a little relief. "And her mother became a live-in house keeper to a family in Arlington Heights a couple of years ago, thanks to a little help from my aunt putting her in touch with her new employers."
"It really is who you know isn't it," I smiled as I headed to Crystal Hall for breakfast- maybe if I got their soon enough I'd even hear Ayla foodgasm over the latest treat the chefs gave her.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:32 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Honestly some people say Mondays are the worst for me its Wednesday, it’s just there sitting in the middle of the week making you even more hungry for the weekend to follow. This week though the anticipation was worse than most, our basketball team had an away game on Saturday for the state semi-finals the same day as my birthday, and the Maroon Maniacs were going on a cross-campus run on Sunday; the weekend was going to be a blast and the anticipation was killing me.
Still there were downsides to all of this, I hadn't seen or heard from Candace since winter break; it really hurt she was one of my best friends and even given the fact that she was in high school now hadn't changed that we still talked during the week and hung out on the weekend. All I had heard was that over winter she became a mutant on her vacation to Philadelphia and was picked up by the MCO, I tried talking with her Aunt Pauline about what happened but the woman was as tight-lipped as a mobster.
Oh well- better to find comfort in the routine, I booted up the computer that mom got for free as a hand-me-down from her employers and our landlord's the Morrisons when they replaced their son Albert's old one, it wasn't top of the line but free is a good price for anyone and they are nice enough folks. Although it is a pain that their son is starting to notice girls now; I swear I've caught Albert trying to sneak into the part of the house the Morrisons set aside for their staff to peep on me.
When I opened up my mailbox, I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a letter from Candace- with attachments. I couldn't click it to open the letter fast enough.
Out of curiosity, I opened up to attachments and got a good look at my old friend's new look, "Damn Candace, I knew that you were a stone-cold fox before but this is ridiculous."
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
9:05 AM EDT
"Hello, New York Chapter House this the the concierge speaking, how may I direct your call?" Pierce Randall spoke in a manner that showed how many times he had done this over the years, yet still maintained his manners.
"Yo Pierce, this is Greygus calling from Sin City." The everyman operative of the Grand Hall said over the phone is his usually nonchalant manner. "How's it hanging over in the Big Apple? I heard that it was total pandemonium there around Yule.
"Yes it was rather... stressful," Pierce stated trying to maintain his decorum over the phone with the rather boisterous operative. "To what do I owe the honor of this phone call Greygus, I sincerely doubt that you called just to exchange pleasantries?"
"To the point as always Pierce, well I'll get down to brass tacks. As you're no doubt aware the Circle is alive, well and starting to move outside of the shadows again.
"Yes I've heard something to that effect, as well as Bishop Brimstone and Erzabet Scratch's inductions into their order." Randall stated demonstrating how he was still abreast on happenings within the Grand Hall as a whole rather than just his chapter house in particular.
Yup the grumpy Slav and Da Mystic Capochina have earned their place at the table, but the reason I'm calling is that since the others are moving around again they decided they need to drag a few things out of mothballs and put them where they'd have easier access to them. Greygus said finally getting to the point of his phone call. "You see we're going to need the contents of Black Vaults 1,4,6,7,9 and 14 ready to send to a new facility that Scratch has setup by the end of the week. So you have permission to open them in order to empty the contents, you should be able to find the instructions on how to do so properly in old Samuel Petrovik's journal.
"The Black Vaults," Randall's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Are you certain I heard that it takes a day to open them, that and the contents have not seen the light of day in almost half a century. Some haven't even been opened ever since Mister Domino first filled them."
"Trust me Pierce; these orders come from The Circle themselves." Greygus explained as seriously as Pierce had ever heard him. "Now remember to have everything ready by the time the weekend starts, the courier will be by at six-o'clock sharp and he's a real stached shirt if you know what I mean.
Pierce ever so carefully set the phone down in shock and for very good reason; his predecessor's tenure as manger of the New York Chapter House had come and gone without any of the Black Vaults ever being opened, no one other than the circle and their top operatives even knew their contents. What was inside the Black Vaults was the subject of rumor and intrigue throughout the Grand Hall; yet not even Lady Jettatura or Troll Bride were avaricious enough to try and circumvent the protection on those doors, the less that can been said about the gruesome fate of the last warlock to try and do so the better.
Still he had a job to do and as he was the New York Chapter House's concierge, it was his to do and his alone. So with more than a little trepidation Pierce Randall went to retrieve the journal of Samuel Petrovik, the first concierge of the New York Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom hoping that everything went swimmingly in this endeavor- or who knew what hell he would have to pay.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:24 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Okay I know this cave was supposed to keep me safe while giving me time to recover but the isolation and the monotony were giving me the worst case of cabin fever in history. Okay at least Kelsey helped by delivering letters from my friends and family to let them know how I was doing and vice-versa, still I miss seeing the sun and feeling the wind even if doing so now would make me wind up right bad in that damned cult's clutches.
At least this cave wasn't a small affair, granted I've never tried spelunking before but having this scaly hide with these nice thick claws helped out a lot; it was like the new me was built to exploit this type of terrain. I know that I've been here for weeks but I was already back in shape thanks to a better diet and the fact that this cave network was like a personal training ground meant to train me to use my body. Still I wish there was more to do, I blitzed through the books that Kelsey brought me in no time, and even trying to tutor myself in all of the school that I've missed was starting to look attractive.
School, who would have thought that I would miss high school, granted that I could do without all of those bitchy cheerleaders and drama queens like Sandra or Tammi but I still miss hanging out with my friends. I miss Mai Ngyuen and that razor wit and sense of humor that she had, I miss Hinageshi Yamada and the fact that she always seemed to have the right thing to say whenever anyone was feeling down in the dumps, and most of all I miss Hy Kim.
I miss being with my best friend. I miss hanging out. I miss not being there at the Temple for the New Year’s Festival (even helping out to clean the whole thing out the next week) and most of all I miss the fact that even when I got out of this cave in a few months it was likely that I would never see any of them ever again. We weren't going to graduate together or drive down Route 66 the summer before college like we planned when we were kids, we weren't going to be there for each other to help each other pick out colleges or even get ready for our Senior Prom- this blew.
Maybe I should get back to my makeshift forge get working on... well anything just keep myself occupied. Kelsey told me that there were already two other maidens out there, from what I gathered they were some fairy and mermaid who already knew each other, someone was supposed to be coming for me in a few months to take me to the school that they were at where I'd be safe. Yeah right like any school in the country would be safe for me to go to, those maniacs in the Cult of Blood-Red Gold worship wealth and the power that it brings them, they aren't going to let a simple thing like Kelsey turning their High Priest into a pile of bones and gold dust stop them. No as far as they cared, I was their property- they stole me fair and square and put their scared mark upon my life.
Life sucked and it was probably going to get worse when I left this mountain, seriously who out there could keep those monsters off my back for the rest of my life.
Beck Library
Whateley Academy
10:41 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
If there was one thing that I agreed with Cytherea on it was that the Research part of Research Papers was tedious. A book report that was fine you just had to read the book, and write down your opinions and the conclusions that you drew from the narrative of the story; it was simple it was neat and it didn't take all that long. Okay sometimes you could look up other people's views to back them up or discover a perspective that you weren't aware of before but it was still boring. In this case it was a trip down to the library to look for material to support how Lee Ann Harper's To Kill A Mocking Bird was an accurate depiction of Segregationist Era Southern Society and the social injustice found in the courts at the time.
That meant a few hours going through Whateley's Legal Library and dozens of reels of micro-fiché of old news clippings, hours stuck in a chair. After this one I had to do one for Charles Dicken's Great Expectation, then Sophocles’ Antigone, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I also had to do two research papers each for Freshman History and Sophomore History, at least my I tested up high enough to begin Trigonometry next Fall, still I should also have plenty of room for my electives.
Okay I could probably be a junior easily, but the fact is that I wanted the extra year to learn more about how to use my abilities, find something that I may be interested in doing around school; that and make a few more friends. As hard as it was to admit other than Randi and Meradee I didn't really know anyone on campus all that well, I also probably needed to make a few more friends closer to my age, or well- grade level. I still didn't feel right horning in on Faolan's friends, besides I heard that Radu didn't like anyone who wasn't from Europe, despite how much I remember of Ancient Cyprus, Greece and Rome- not to mention Cytherea growing up in England technically I was born here.
Oh well making friends might be nice but I still have work to do, hard to believe these Jim Crow laws were real, and some of these proposed laws were just as ridiculous. I mean separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, I wonder if that's why water fountains always come in pairs- at least the second line came in use later to install those lower fountains for little children and people in a wheel chairs. Okay segregating blood by the race of donor- what the heck. Wait this rule was put out by the FDA itself, honestly what were people thinking if it saves a life and is free of disease then blood is still blood.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:17 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Well- well- well if it isn't the sell out," the self-dubbed VT Sandos said as he strolled up to the table where I was sitting with the rest of the Lady's Basketball team. Excuse me if I was rolling my eyes but this buffoon really needs some new material.
"What is it this time Victor?" I asked with my usual tone of disinterest, really I had better things to do with my time.
"It's VT and what I wanna know is why a couple of fine honeys like yourselves are palling around with these crackers when you can be chillaxing with my crew?" Victor said with his usual street jive, "Especially when that lilywhite co-oper you used to hang with turned into some slime-dripping freak and got herself nabbed by the feds."
"Can the poser lingo Victor, you were born in this area and your father's the district manager for Goodkind Financial." I shot back finally fed up with this clown. "And for your information I got an email from Candace this morning with some pictures attached, if it wasn't for the tail you'd probably get whiplash from rubbernecking the moment she walked past you."
"A freak's still a freak and you know that," Victor shot back trying to regain his cool demeanor. "Now unless you wanna be stuck on that freak and all lonely this weekend my crew and I are throwing down at this nightclub in Chi-town if you wanna attend, that is unless you've gone total Uncle Tom on us."
"Victor if you paid any attention to the announcements then you'd know the team has a match Saturday against Woodrow Wilson Middle School over in Moline. And as for Sunday I'm meeting the Maroon Maniacs for a parkour run at U of C," I shook my head at VT and his crew's antics and how they tried to act like what they thought was Street. "And for your information I know what real playahs act like, I should know I see plenty whenever I visit my grandma.
"Whatever," Tucker T-Slam Libby said as he moved in-between VT and me. "If this little traitor don't wanna run with the real African experience to play wannabe with these crackers she's more than welcome."
After VT and his crew had wandered out of earshot my teammate, Nita Crosswell turned to me and asked, "What is Vern's problem? I mean he was nothing like this last year, it was like honor role this and science club that, just what the hell is going on?
"Typical teen identity crisis if you ask me," Marcy Bellomy said as she scooped up another spoonful of the peas from her lunch tray. "The media image is that if you're a teen African American and you do not act like one of those record company media clowns who say their "Real Gangsta Rappahs" then apparently you're a sellout."
"The crazy thing is that real street gangs don't act like that, only the wanna-be's do," I said as I rolled my eyes. "The real gangs know that if they act and dress like those Gangsta Rappahs they'd have the cops on them like ants on an unattended picnic. Course the wannabe's are also a lot more dangerous than the real gangbangers."
"So what do you think is going to happen to those posers if they try to get into a nightclub in down town Chicago?" Alice Coble said checking her homework to see what she needed to work on in study hall.
"Well if they can bribe their way past the bouncer I see them either getting laughed at trying to hit on older women, or beaten up by the men whose lady's they hit on." I said as I tried to lay out the likely scenarios aloud for the team. "That is of course if they’re going to a real club, if they're headed to a rave then if they're lucky the police will take them into custody."
"And if they aren't lucky." Alice asked with a touch of concern in her voice.
"From what I've heard about the underground raves in Chicago you don't want to know the answer to that question Alice." Deb Marchand said as she gave her two-cents. "Now what I want to know is do you have any pictures of our former team captain Chandra?"
"Yeah, Candace sent me some pictures of what she looks like now in an email this morning." I said as I passed the printouts I got off the hand-me-down computer that we got for free from the Morrisons, it was top of the line about four years ago so if was still decent for basic stuff that we needed to do. We were even working to set it up for chat sessions with dad from his base in Iraq.
"Whoa, a little unusual but Candace certainly wears fox fur well." Marcy observed a reclined shot that of Candace laying on her front in a bikini. "Not to mention if she has curves like that now imagine her by the time we graduate.
"Got that right," Deb observed her own glamor shot of Candace in a crop top and obviously modified Daisy-Dukes. "By then she'll likely have to keep the boys away with a chainsaw. Say do you think we'll ever see her again?"
"We should, her aunt's still her legal guardian she'll probably be spending the summer here maybe we'll even find out more about where she's going to school too, she seemed a little tight-lipped about it in her letter."
"Do you blame her; if this is a place where mutant kids can get a safe education and the knowledge was public the Humanity First hardliners would make it more dangerous than downtown Detroit." Marcy stated as she gave her own two-cents just before the bell rang to end the first lunch period.
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:24 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
There I was staring down Jobe as I steadied my breathing and took my measure of her with my eyes, this would not be easy. I knew that despite her build and devisor inclinations Jobe was a lethal combatant in the wrong circumstances, also unlike her I was not an Exemplar. While my werewolf and ravewolf forms granted me the same blessings, this match was innate powers only and no holdouts, and since Jobe's accidental needle stick, she didn't have to shift to be physically superior to me.
"Hajime!" I heard Ito the sadist shout and with it, Jobe launched at me, right now, my strategy was simple keep away and access her movements. I knew from the hubbub around Poe that Jobe had been receiving martial arts training for years in Kardonia, that meant that she knew how to take out people bigger and stronger than her even without turning them into goo with toxins and diseases.
That she was even newer to her body than I was should have given me an edge, but she also spars with other non exemplars on a regular basis, something that I needed to work on, still I was used to practicing with bigger and stronger opponents and those who had a lot more experience. Morrigan and Anu have both taught me a lot, specifically there is no shame in fighting dirty when your survival is on the line (in this case it wasn't, so nuts to that idea), and if your opponent was in the zone try to knock them off balance with a little psychological warfare.
Still I needed just the right moment to begin implementing that using what I know about Miss Wilkins, but she wasn't willing to let me have the opportunity as came at me hard intending to win by ring out rather than caging me. That was when I put a good strategy that I was taught about stronger opponents into play, use their built in weaknesses to make their attacks work for you, in this case joints. Exemplars might be tougher than the average person might but most of them were still built using the same blueprints.
I had been working my way backwards using brush blocks to deflect her punches and grabs and weaving to avoid being kicked, this lured Jobe into a pattern. Now it was time to switch things up, Jobe was knocked for a loop when I switched up the pattern with a left-hook to her extended shoulder-joint followed by an inward heel pivot right-elbow to her floating ribs, rear head-butt to her chin, and full heel-stomp to her big toe for good measure. While Jobe was dazed I ducked under her guard and made my way behind her, I still hadn't felt the time was right for the verbal jabs (especially given the scuttlebutt around Poe over her vindictive streak), but it was always a good time for a cheap-shot to the hammy's.
Unfortunately Jobe had more than enough time to recover (thanks to her regen) and grabbed my right leg in a scissor lock before trying to drag me to use it to drag me onto my side. As if Morrigan hadn't used this on me before, this may have been Aikido II but other martial arts could be used in open sparing as well and classic wrestling counted, I used my momentary advantage in leverage to get Jobe to fall forward and take the brunt of the fall. Once she was down naturally she tried to use her hands to push herself back-up while keeping my right-leg trapped with her thighs, I used the opportunity for to get her in a half-nelson with a full-hitch and for good measure used the anchoring arm to press in-between her shoulder blade and her spine. Now was the time to be careful I couldn't overdo this by over-flexing to reach an equilibrium, I needed to use just enough force and no more than that the key was to take the fight out of your opponent before you exhausted your own reserves.
"Yame!" I heard Ito-soke shout, and released my hold while Jobe released hers; I got up and backed up without taking my eyes off of her. "Otagai ni taishi," The two of us faced each other as commanded. "Otagai ni rei!" The two of us responded again bowing as was proper. "Soke ni taishi," Now the two of us turned to face Ito-soke, "Soke ni rei!"
Now that the match was over the two of us retired to the sidelines; although I made sure never to take my eyes off Jobe before we both sat down. "Ito-soke I have a question." A young girl who looked about like a normal girl said bringing attention to herself.
"Yes Aquerna," Ito said with a mild amount of irritation in his voice. "What is it?"
"Why did you stop the match, neither of them were in the cage or outside of the ring?" The girl who I recognized as Aquerna asked away.
"Because to my view if I had let the match continue there were only two probable outcomes, either Faolan's hold would have held until Jobe passed out or Jobe would have broken out breaking Faolan's leg in the process." Ito-soke said as he scrutinized my match. "It was an obvious draw, now for the next match Aquerna and Diamondback."
The girl slightly deflated as the snake-tailed girl slithered into the ring with her; this was going to be interesting.
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, TX
12:35 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"Hey Joan I heard through the rumor mill that your parents are going to be out of town this weekend," Elinore Jaffee from the cheerleading squad said as she came up to my table. "Everyone knows your folks have that nice big place, and it's such a shame for you to be there all alone this weekend."
"Elinore I swear you try to throw a party somewhere every weekend," My friend Erika Malveaux chuckled when she shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. "Are you trying to give the local cops another weekend workout?"
"Oh come on it's not like anyone ever gets in trouble they just come over to tell us to turn down the volume." Elinore laughed demurely at the suggestion. "Well to turn the volume down or that someone needs to get Frank off the roof again."
"It's not too bad of an idea besides Joan no one ever comes over to your place, and you've lived here forever." Mallory Trombly observed after looking up from her Salisbury Steak.
"Not a good idea, my dad has often has his work at home, and the last thing we need around the house are a bunch of rowdy guests who might break some irreplaceable prototype." I said trying to explain away why no one was ever invited over to my house.
"Why don't you just have a party at your place again Ellinore?" I asked desperate to get Miss party-crazy to hold her little Rock-The-Block elsewhere, since she was known for pestering anyone she targeted until they gave into her whims. "It's not like the police would ever bother the house of a city councilman, especially one whose family has been on the council since the town was founded."
"Oh believe me Joan I would love to but daddy's hosting some out-of-town VIP's this weekend to wine and dine them." Ellinore said as she went into her reasons for wanting to hold the party at my place, it was one of the rare times her dad put his foot down to quash his little princess's fun. "And I checked everyone else who has enough room won't have their folks out of the way, which are why it needs to be you."
As she Princess of Canyon Vista poured on the puppydog eyes I had to play my final card, "I'll have to ask my folks to see if we can guest-proof the house, I'm not going to do something that could get my dad fired over a party."
"Fine but I'll expect to hear back from you by Friday," Ellinore said as she sauntered off.
"You know that now you'll have to get your parents to say yes," Noreen Valla remarked while sipping her milk. "Ellinore might put on the sweetness and sunshine act for the public, but mark my words that girl has a vindictive streak three-miles-wide, if you say no to her she'll make your life hell until you leave for college."
"I know," I was doomed- I was totally and completely doomed and the sad thing was I couldn't even tell my closest friends the real reason why.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:21 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
It was almost lunchtime, something that I only knew because of the weird clock that Kelsey put up in the "living area" of this weird cave, and my host and current guardian still wasn't back yet. I know that she was trying to keep me safe but given that she was my only real company in this place was starting to wear on me- even more so than the fact I hadn't seen real sunlight for months other than the brief period after I was rescued and we were traveling here.
Kelsey left every once and a while to get supplies and she was also the only one of us who knew the way out of this place, I have been exploring this cave since we got here and I still haven't found the entrance since I came in through it two months ago. At least she brought me the local newspaper from Denver so that I could keep up with major events and mail from my friends and family but the fact is that things here were incredibly dull.
Still I was going through our supplies to make myself some lunch, nothing special just a stir-fry, granted it was a rather large portion but ever since I became what I am I needed to eat more than normal, even the large bowl of rice-gruel that the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn was barely adequate emergency rations. Not that it mattered to them if they were keeping me underfed since if I wasn't making gems for them I was imprisoned in a tiny cell made of reinforced concrete.
"Zhen-yu I'm home and I brought someone along that I think you'll be interested to meet." I got up from where I had been working on my 'home-school' geometry assignment to approach my host's voice, this was a huge surprise, and she had never brought anyone with her no matter how much I begged her to do so. She had told me that she couldn't bring my friends and family to meet me because then they would be in danger, even the letters that she brought back for me were from a PO Box in Shiprock, Arizona which I found out was hardly the closest town but relatively not that far away.
When I reached her I was more than a little put off by the sight of her guest, "You have got to be kidding me." Standing in front of my eyes matching the description that was given of him perfectly was Shâ Wùjìng the sand priest of the former juǎnlián dàjiàng (curtain-lifting general) and current arhat who accompanied Xuánzàng, Sûn Wùkông and Zhu Bajie during Xî Yóu Jì.
Now don't get me wrong, most people consider the story pure fiction, but I was Buddhist born and raised; most Chinese considered the story by Wu Cheng'en to be as real to our people as westerners saw the tale of King Arthur. It wasn't considered one of the four classical of Chinese literature for nothing, still the thought that I was in the presence of the Sand Priest himself was a bit hard to swallow. "I'm sorry sir if you will excuse me but I find this a little hard to believe."
"That is understandable child, after all even having become part dragon because you were baptized in the ashes of one, being in the presence of one from the Jade Heavens is likely unusual." Sha Wujing stated as he sat placed his yuèyáchǎn carefully against the wall before sitting down across the table from me.
"Bhante Sha," I said after I got up and bowed making sure to remember my manners. "If this child would be so bold as to inquire, to what does this unworthy child owe the honor of your visit to this distant foreign mountain."
"Child- the Maiden of the North is far from unworthy, and for the Jade Heavens the matter of distance is relative." Sha Wujing stated in a firm yet measured tone, "As for why I am here, it was felt that given your recent experiences it would be necessary for you to learn how to protect yourself. As my old acquaintance Sun Wukong is rather occupied at the moment with other matters, one of whom you will soon be acquainted with, I was asked to help train you for your pending journey."
"Let me get this strait," I said somewhat beside myself at the moment. "I am going to be receiving martial-arts training from one of the most legendary warriors of all time."
"That is not that far-fetched," Kelsey said as she was putting the supplies that she brought back with her away. "After all you need to learn how to defend yourself when you leave the mountain for your own Journey to the East, I doubt the death of the previous Xuè-jîn Mùshî will deter the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn. After all since when do those who let their souls be consumed by greed let logic get in the way of their ambitions?"
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:35 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I sat down with my lunch tray next to my best friend Walter Forrester, well one of my few remaining friends ever since I decided to come out of the closet, "So Walt plan on coming to the Rec Center today to train for next year?"
"You bet Paul," Walter smiled back, "Especially since its going to be our final year in the Silver Gloves. Next year if you want to keep up competing in the Sweet Science you have to step up and enter the Golden Gloves. Speaking of which are you still planning on trying out for the Wrestling Team when we get to
Boulder City High?"
"I plan on trying, of course that is if Coach Ruth will let me on the team." I said as I stared at my carton of milk. "After all I doubt that a lot of wrestling coaches would let me on their team."
"Maybe in the Deep South, but this is Clark County Nevada for crying out loud," Walt laughed as he tried his best to assuage my fears. "He's probably seen weirder."
"Ha- it figures the fruit would want to be in a position to have his hands all over other guys."
I groaned as Jeff Pruett the quarterback of our football team, came up to our table for his daily dose of trash talking flanked by two of his football buddies and his cheerleader girlfriend Joy Beattie.
"Then again why should I be surprised that a fake guy is interested in a fake sport?" He said as he continued to mouth off at us, I clenched my fists but continued to take the abuse, after all mom has a zero tolerance policy towards me causing trouble.
"Awe what's the matter fruit, am I hurting your feelings?" Jeff said as he continued to grate on my nerves. "You know if you really knew how to fight like you pretend to you wouldn't take this but why am I surprised, everyone knows boxing is as fake as wrestling."
"Why do you waste your time doing this everyday Jeff?" Walt commented while trying to keep his own temper in check. "Surely a couple of fakes like us aren't worth your time."
"Anything that makes sure that fakes like you don't start to feel that your fake sports make you athletes like me is worth my time." Jeff laughed as he and his entourage walked over to their table of honor.
"You shouldn't have bothered to say anything Walt it only encourages him." I observed with concern over Jeff's growing antagonism.
"I just don't know how you can take it every day without saying anything?" Walt said voicing his own concerns.
"Because my mother doesn't give me any slack when I get into trouble," I admitted with sad tone to my voice that I couldn't hide. "And because no one would give me any breaks if I did clobber the jerk, after all he's the guy they expect to lead the football team until he graduates high school; I'm just some gay bastard who boxes in his spare time."
"Paul come on give yourself a little more credit," Walt said trying to keep my spirits up, I wish that I could admit how I really felt about him but I didn't want to destroy our friendship. Sometimes it just felt like I was wrong to be who I was, like I was never meant to be born like I am, but who am I kidding I am who I was born as and that's it nothing is going to change that fact.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 1
Wednesday April 18th, 2007
Dickinson Cottage
6:47 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Fresh from her morning shower Fatigue returned to our room to find me using my hover chair as a walker, granted that I was struggling with each step but making excellent progress- at least I considered it progress. All the while under the observation of Blinky the Ultharian cat, who was anxious to leave and check in on his master, (or was that servant?)- my good friend Mirabel.
"It's amazing the amount of progress that you've made over the last few days Bea, but don't you think that you should be taking it easy?" Fatigue asked with a hint of concern in her voice. "I mean it's not like you should be in a big rush or anything."
"Hey I've been waiting to see the world with my own eyes for long enough, if I'm going to do so it's going to be on my own two feet, not everyplace is wheelchair accessible after all." I laughed before almost losing my footing, but steadied myself to avoid taking a spill on the floor.
"Just don't be in too much of a rush," Mabel said with concern in her voice. "You don't want to hurt yourself; you need to remember this is something that steady progress is the most important thing, this is a marathon not a sprint."
"It still doesn't mean that I should just take it easy," I said as I tried to walk again step by step, my goal was a simple one, make it from one side of the room to the other upright without crutches. Granted I was still wearing leg braces, but those stayed on due to the doctor's orders, until Doctor Tenant told me otherwise I was stuck with them. I just wanted to do this before I set down to work on more of my essays for the coursework that Cytherea took, not that she did any of them herself so there was no risk of me simply spitting out a copy of what she turned into the professors.
At least she studied what she needed to know for exams so all that I had to do was- ugh what's the phrase oh yeah- hit the books to fill in any gaps I had in the material. I don't know how anyone else would handle this situation but Bea Carson is not going to be some lazy lay about, I want to do something with my life. Something at least beyond the still nebulous future that awaited me being the Maiden of the East, why wouldn't grandma or Greyback tell me what that meant. To be fair my fellow Maiden and friend Randi was just as much in the dark about what our duties were as I was, and she was being tutored by a Sidhe who supposedly knew everything about the Maidens- just what weren't they telling us.
Poe Cottage
6:53 AM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
When I came back from the showers Candace- who was first in line today (something she was beginning to make a habit of doing) was already dressed and brushing the snarls and tangles out of her tail. I guess that it only goes to show exemplar or not they still have to work at it to get their hair just right, and those of us with furry tails have twice the hair that other girls do...sometimes more than that.
"Did I miss Tempest's daily dose of venom for a TG girl living on the lezzie side of the dorm?" Candace asked trying to untangle this one snarl in her bushy appendage.
"Nope- today she was on a tirade against those who still had their original equipment," I said as I rolled my eyes. "So Vamp and Phase were the targets."
"She's probably just jealous that so many former guys, as well as those who still technically are guys, fill out their uniforms better than she does." My roommate guessed as she finally succeeded getting that one stubborn tangle to work itself out and make her tail look presentable.
"Who knows just why that girl is so unhappy," Jane chimed in from her perch as she shook her head. "It can be any number of things, but more than likely she is just unsatisfied with the way her life seems to be playing out."
"Nobody's lot in life is perfect Jane especially those who drew the mutant straw." I stated as I went to get dressed before putting my collar on. "All that hate and fear we get just for being alive sucks, but there's not much you can do about it but endure and roll with the punches."
"Nice to see you showing so much optimism so early in the morning Randi. given much of the atmosphere around Poe as of late." Jane stated as I could feel what she was about to say dangling above my head like a guillotine blade. "However you do remember what you have to do today correct?"
"Yeah, I have to report to Ito-soke over in Laird for the first day of my combat training evaluation." I groaned at the prospect, not only was I going to have to play catch-up for half a week in History (one of my favorite subjects) I was going to have my combat skills graded by the most sadistic martial-arts master alive for the rest of the week. At least Jane was going to be attending class for me so that I wouldn't miss out on the lecture, granted it wasn't the same as being there in person and taking notes for myself
"Yeah too bad they picked fourth period to have you show your stuff instead of fifth, then I would get to see you getting all hot and sweaty." Candace smiled from ear to ear while putting on her skirt.
"Well sorry to disappoint you Miss Reynard, but I'm doing this for school not for your personal enjoyment." I rolled my eyes at my roommate’s coy comments.
"Oh I wouldn't say that it wouldn't be doing it for me if I was there," Candace remarked in a singsong tone. "Speaking of which you still owe me a date, I was thinking maybe the two of us could put in for a ride to Boston this weekend, you know to go and paint the town red."
"Not a real good idea Candace, you know what they say about Freshman Posies and Boston this year." I grimaced as I approached her proposal with a critical eye. "Besides I may be able to cover up my features if I put a little effort into my glamour but you would be hard pressed to find something to hide that swiffer duster."
"Aw and you even have a pet name for it- how sweet, and come on do we look like Team Kimba," Candace pouted as she pulled out the sad puppy eyes. "Besides Arn's been working on this nice optical-camo net with the workshop to make things unnoticeable, Soph already field tested with her wings so my tail shouldn't be too much of an issue."
"Fine- we'll see about clearing the trip with the administration just remember it won't be the two of us on that bus, and keep the funny stuff in the down low." I admitted defeat, from what I knew of Quickvix there was no point in arguing with her for too long, it would just result in a headache."
"Good because there's this seafood place that I've heard about around campus from the other energizers in Boston that I've wanted to try, maybe for say an early dinner." Quickvix said as she already started making plans.
"Alright but let’s talk about this later," I said as I finished getting dressed. "The day's just beginning and I know that someone has a test in second period that I hope they've been studying for because she needs to pass to get out of Remedial Math."
"Party pooper," Candace shot back with a pout.
"Yeah that's me, a regular Buzz Killington." I said as I reapplied my collar making sure that my uniform was on straight. "What are you doing on your computer so early in the morning anyway?"
"One of my Parkour buddies from Illinois is having her birthday this week so I thought that I'd get back in touch." Candace said as she finished hammering out her email. "I got Mrs. H to go over my letter to censor anything I shouldn't say, and since I'm posting it using my pre-existing email account that I used back home so it can't be traced here."
"Weren't they all college students at Chicago U," I asking with an air of curiosity. "You'd think they would understand if you had to lay low after getting abducted by the MCO Gestapo."
"Not all of them Randi-dear," Candace said in a sing song tone before clicking send. "Chandra's still in Middle-school, she's hitting the ol' one-five, shame I won't be there we were a killer on the basketball court last year at South Middle School. I'm just glad that I picked something out for her before I left New York to come here, there's no way I could make it out to Berlin on a weekday. At least she has the rest of the team to hang out with and the rest of the Maniacs; most of her old homegirl's began giving her the cold shoulder when she started hanging out me."
"Ouch tell me her family will at least be there for her," I said knowing that the sad truth about the stereotype of inner-city family's had a dark ring of truth to it from helping out my dad.
"Her mother and grandmother might be, but her dad's been in the Middle-East since the War on Terror began." Candace said with a morose tone given how her mother was gone and she never even met her own father.
"Tell me that he isn't on patrol," I blanched given that those nasty roadside bombs were always in the news.
"No he's a cook he rarely leaves the outpost." Candace explained giving me a little relief. "And her mother became a live-in house keeper to a family in Arlington Heights a couple of years ago, thanks to a little help from my aunt putting her in touch with her new employers."
"It really is who you know isn't it," I smiled as I headed to Crystal Hall for breakfast- maybe if I got their soon enough I'd even hear Ayla foodgasm over the latest treat the chefs gave her.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:32 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Honestly some people say Mondays are the worst for me its Wednesday, it’s just there sitting in the middle of the week making you even more hungry for the weekend to follow. This week though the anticipation was worse than most, our basketball team had an away game on Saturday for the state semi-finals the same day as my birthday, and the Maroon Maniacs were going on a cross-campus run on Sunday; the weekend was going to be a blast and the anticipation was killing me.
Still there were downsides to all of this, I hadn't seen or heard from Candace since winter break; it really hurt she was one of my best friends and even given the fact that she was in high school now hadn't changed that we still talked during the week and hung out on the weekend. All I had heard was that over winter she became a mutant on her vacation to Philadelphia and was picked up by the MCO, I tried talking with her Aunt Pauline about what happened but the woman was as tight-lipped as a mobster.
Oh well- better to find comfort in the routine, I booted up the computer that mom got for free as a hand-me-down from her employers and our landlord's the Morrisons when they replaced their son Albert's old one, it wasn't top of the line but free is a good price for anyone and they are nice enough folks. Although it is a pain that their son is starting to notice girls now; I swear I've caught Albert trying to sneak into the part of the house the Morrisons set aside for their staff to peep on me.
When I opened up my mailbox, I couldn't believe my eyes, it was a letter from Candace- with attachments. I couldn't click it to open the letter fast enough.
What's Up CD,
Sorry I've been out of touch for a while, but after escaping from MIB wannabe's with some of my old classmates from Mufresbro we've had to lay low. I will tell you being in their custody was scary, honestly there are laws in place to keep people like them from doing what they did to us, then again most of these modern-day Nazis don't see mutants as people- I'm sure that you know about these kinds of people a lot more than I did.
They kept us for weeks, I can't say just what they did to us publicly yet- the lawyers I've met with insist that we wait to give our testimony on the witness stand this summer. A super-villain of all things eventually rescued us, I know what you might be thinking but we're not in cahoots with her like you see on that stupid Tales of the MCO show the Goodkinds spoon-feed to couch potatoes. Evidently she's a mother herself so she healed the damage they did to us (at least most of it) and smuggled us back stateside.
For a while, we were in Dallas as guests of the Axcel Corporation, at least until an anti-mutant mob started breaking into homes in one of the nearby cities and flooded the area with H1 protesters after the mob thrown in jail. Fortunately Axcel snuck us out of the area and up to New York before anything happened; it's too bad really there was this wicked club in Dallas called Wyld Syde that I've got to take you to sometime.
Up in New York we were able to attend an award banquet for a couple of fellow mutant’s codenamed Faolan and Apparitia, funny thing because there was a Goodkind charity ball booked at the same hotel so the Knights of Purity were on security detail. While we were there a super-villain named Professor Id had his goons hold both parties hostage while sealing the ballrooms and turning a fair chunk of the guests there into monsters and had someone high-jack the Knights of Purity's power armor, I'm sure that you heard about that last part on the news.
Well right now, let’s just say that I'm at a safe place for kids like me to finish school and learn how to be a part of the real world after we graduate. I can't tell you too much since this place has to stay secret to avoid armed mobs of ordinary concerned citizens showing up. Anyway, if you are curious I've attached a few choice photos of the new me, I'll be seeing you again during summer vacation so take care and give them hell out on the Court.
Your Friend,
Candace
Out of curiosity, I opened up to attachments and got a good look at my old friend's new look, "Damn Candace, I knew that you were a stone-cold fox before but this is ridiculous."
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
9:05 AM EDT
"Hello, New York Chapter House this the the concierge speaking, how may I direct your call?" Pierce Randall spoke in a manner that showed how many times he had done this over the years, yet still maintained his manners.
"Yo Pierce, this is Greygus calling from Sin City." The everyman operative of the Grand Hall said over the phone is his usually nonchalant manner. "How's it hanging over in the Big Apple? I heard that it was total pandemonium there around Yule.
"Yes it was rather... stressful," Pierce stated trying to maintain his decorum over the phone with the rather boisterous operative. "To what do I owe the honor of this phone call Greygus, I sincerely doubt that you called just to exchange pleasantries?"
"To the point as always Pierce, well I'll get down to brass tacks. As you're no doubt aware the Circle is alive, well and starting to move outside of the shadows again.
"Yes I've heard something to that effect, as well as Bishop Brimstone and Erzabet Scratch's inductions into their order." Randall stated demonstrating how he was still abreast on happenings within the Grand Hall as a whole rather than just his chapter house in particular.
Yup the grumpy Slav and Da Mystic Capochina have earned their place at the table, but the reason I'm calling is that since the others are moving around again they decided they need to drag a few things out of mothballs and put them where they'd have easier access to them. Greygus said finally getting to the point of his phone call. "You see we're going to need the contents of Black Vaults 1,4,6,7,9 and 14 ready to send to a new facility that Scratch has setup by the end of the week. So you have permission to open them in order to empty the contents, you should be able to find the instructions on how to do so properly in old Samuel Petrovik's journal.
"The Black Vaults," Randall's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Are you certain I heard that it takes a day to open them, that and the contents have not seen the light of day in almost half a century. Some haven't even been opened ever since Mister Domino first filled them."
"Trust me Pierce; these orders come from The Circle themselves." Greygus explained as seriously as Pierce had ever heard him. "Now remember to have everything ready by the time the weekend starts, the courier will be by at six-o'clock sharp and he's a real stached shirt if you know what I mean.
Pierce ever so carefully set the phone down in shock and for very good reason; his predecessor's tenure as manger of the New York Chapter House had come and gone without any of the Black Vaults ever being opened, no one other than the circle and their top operatives even knew their contents. What was inside the Black Vaults was the subject of rumor and intrigue throughout the Grand Hall; yet not even Lady Jettatura or Troll Bride were avaricious enough to try and circumvent the protection on those doors, the less that can been said about the gruesome fate of the last warlock to try and do so the better.
Still he had a job to do and as he was the New York Chapter House's concierge, it was his to do and his alone. So with more than a little trepidation Pierce Randall went to retrieve the journal of Samuel Petrovik, the first concierge of the New York Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom hoping that everything went swimmingly in this endeavor- or who knew what hell he would have to pay.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:24 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Okay I know this cave was supposed to keep me safe while giving me time to recover but the isolation and the monotony were giving me the worst case of cabin fever in history. Okay at least Kelsey helped by delivering letters from my friends and family to let them know how I was doing and vice-versa, still I miss seeing the sun and feeling the wind even if doing so now would make me wind up right bad in that damned cult's clutches.
At least this cave wasn't a small affair, granted I've never tried spelunking before but having this scaly hide with these nice thick claws helped out a lot; it was like the new me was built to exploit this type of terrain. I know that I've been here for weeks but I was already back in shape thanks to a better diet and the fact that this cave network was like a personal training ground meant to train me to use my body. Still I wish there was more to do, I blitzed through the books that Kelsey brought me in no time, and even trying to tutor myself in all of the school that I've missed was starting to look attractive.
School, who would have thought that I would miss high school, granted that I could do without all of those bitchy cheerleaders and drama queens like Sandra or Tammi but I still miss hanging out with my friends. I miss Mai Ngyuen and that razor wit and sense of humor that she had, I miss Hinageshi Yamada and the fact that she always seemed to have the right thing to say whenever anyone was feeling down in the dumps, and most of all I miss Hy Kim.
I miss being with my best friend. I miss hanging out. I miss not being there at the Temple for the New Year’s Festival (even helping out to clean the whole thing out the next week) and most of all I miss the fact that even when I got out of this cave in a few months it was likely that I would never see any of them ever again. We weren't going to graduate together or drive down Route 66 the summer before college like we planned when we were kids, we weren't going to be there for each other to help each other pick out colleges or even get ready for our Senior Prom- this blew.
Maybe I should get back to my makeshift forge get working on... well anything just keep myself occupied. Kelsey told me that there were already two other maidens out there, from what I gathered they were some fairy and mermaid who already knew each other, someone was supposed to be coming for me in a few months to take me to the school that they were at where I'd be safe. Yeah right like any school in the country would be safe for me to go to, those maniacs in the Cult of Blood-Red Gold worship wealth and the power that it brings them, they aren't going to let a simple thing like Kelsey turning their High Priest into a pile of bones and gold dust stop them. No as far as they cared, I was their property- they stole me fair and square and put their scared mark upon my life.
Life sucked and it was probably going to get worse when I left this mountain, seriously who out there could keep those monsters off my back for the rest of my life.
Beck Library
Whateley Academy
10:41 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
If there was one thing that I agreed with Cytherea on it was that the Research part of Research Papers was tedious. A book report that was fine you just had to read the book, and write down your opinions and the conclusions that you drew from the narrative of the story; it was simple it was neat and it didn't take all that long. Okay sometimes you could look up other people's views to back them up or discover a perspective that you weren't aware of before but it was still boring. In this case it was a trip down to the library to look for material to support how Lee Ann Harper's To Kill A Mocking Bird was an accurate depiction of Segregationist Era Southern Society and the social injustice found in the courts at the time.
That meant a few hours going through Whateley's Legal Library and dozens of reels of micro-fiché of old news clippings, hours stuck in a chair. After this one I had to do one for Charles Dicken's Great Expectation, then Sophocles’ Antigone, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. I also had to do two research papers each for Freshman History and Sophomore History, at least my I tested up high enough to begin Trigonometry next Fall, still I should also have plenty of room for my electives.
Okay I could probably be a junior easily, but the fact is that I wanted the extra year to learn more about how to use my abilities, find something that I may be interested in doing around school; that and make a few more friends. As hard as it was to admit other than Randi and Meradee I didn't really know anyone on campus all that well, I also probably needed to make a few more friends closer to my age, or well- grade level. I still didn't feel right horning in on Faolan's friends, besides I heard that Radu didn't like anyone who wasn't from Europe, despite how much I remember of Ancient Cyprus, Greece and Rome- not to mention Cytherea growing up in England technically I was born here.
Oh well making friends might be nice but I still have work to do, hard to believe these Jim Crow laws were real, and some of these proposed laws were just as ridiculous. I mean separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, I wonder if that's why water fountains always come in pairs- at least the second line came in use later to install those lower fountains for little children and people in a wheel chairs. Okay segregating blood by the race of donor- what the heck. Wait this rule was put out by the FDA itself, honestly what were people thinking if it saves a life and is free of disease then blood is still blood.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:17 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Well- well- well if it isn't the sell out," the self-dubbed VT Sandos said as he strolled up to the table where I was sitting with the rest of the Lady's Basketball team. Excuse me if I was rolling my eyes but this buffoon really needs some new material.
"What is it this time Victor?" I asked with my usual tone of disinterest, really I had better things to do with my time.
"It's VT and what I wanna know is why a couple of fine honeys like yourselves are palling around with these crackers when you can be chillaxing with my crew?" Victor said with his usual street jive, "Especially when that lilywhite co-oper you used to hang with turned into some slime-dripping freak and got herself nabbed by the feds."
"Can the poser lingo Victor, you were born in this area and your father's the district manager for Goodkind Financial." I shot back finally fed up with this clown. "And for your information I got an email from Candace this morning with some pictures attached, if it wasn't for the tail you'd probably get whiplash from rubbernecking the moment she walked past you."
"A freak's still a freak and you know that," Victor shot back trying to regain his cool demeanor. "Now unless you wanna be stuck on that freak and all lonely this weekend my crew and I are throwing down at this nightclub in Chi-town if you wanna attend, that is unless you've gone total Uncle Tom on us."
"Victor if you paid any attention to the announcements then you'd know the team has a match Saturday against Woodrow Wilson Middle School over in Moline. And as for Sunday I'm meeting the Maroon Maniacs for a parkour run at U of C," I shook my head at VT and his crew's antics and how they tried to act like what they thought was Street. "And for your information I know what real playahs act like, I should know I see plenty whenever I visit my grandma.
"Whatever," Tucker T-Slam Libby said as he moved in-between VT and me. "If this little traitor don't wanna run with the real African experience to play wannabe with these crackers she's more than welcome."
After VT and his crew had wandered out of earshot my teammate, Nita Crosswell turned to me and asked, "What is Vern's problem? I mean he was nothing like this last year, it was like honor role this and science club that, just what the hell is going on?
"Typical teen identity crisis if you ask me," Marcy Bellomy said as she scooped up another spoonful of the peas from her lunch tray. "The media image is that if you're a teen African American and you do not act like one of those record company media clowns who say their "Real Gangsta Rappahs" then apparently you're a sellout."
"The crazy thing is that real street gangs don't act like that, only the wanna-be's do," I said as I rolled my eyes. "The real gangs know that if they act and dress like those Gangsta Rappahs they'd have the cops on them like ants on an unattended picnic. Course the wannabe's are also a lot more dangerous than the real gangbangers."
"So what do you think is going to happen to those posers if they try to get into a nightclub in down town Chicago?" Alice Coble said checking her homework to see what she needed to work on in study hall.
"Well if they can bribe their way past the bouncer I see them either getting laughed at trying to hit on older women, or beaten up by the men whose lady's they hit on." I said as I tried to lay out the likely scenarios aloud for the team. "That is of course if they’re going to a real club, if they're headed to a rave then if they're lucky the police will take them into custody."
"And if they aren't lucky." Alice asked with a touch of concern in her voice.
"From what I've heard about the underground raves in Chicago you don't want to know the answer to that question Alice." Deb Marchand said as she gave her two-cents. "Now what I want to know is do you have any pictures of our former team captain Chandra?"
"Yeah, Candace sent me some pictures of what she looks like now in an email this morning." I said as I passed the printouts I got off the hand-me-down computer that we got for free from the Morrisons, it was top of the line about four years ago so if was still decent for basic stuff that we needed to do. We were even working to set it up for chat sessions with dad from his base in Iraq.
"Whoa, a little unusual but Candace certainly wears fox fur well." Marcy observed a reclined shot that of Candace laying on her front in a bikini. "Not to mention if she has curves like that now imagine her by the time we graduate.
"Got that right," Deb observed her own glamor shot of Candace in a crop top and obviously modified Daisy-Dukes. "By then she'll likely have to keep the boys away with a chainsaw. Say do you think we'll ever see her again?"
"We should, her aunt's still her legal guardian she'll probably be spending the summer here maybe we'll even find out more about where she's going to school too, she seemed a little tight-lipped about it in her letter."
"Do you blame her; if this is a place where mutant kids can get a safe education and the knowledge was public the Humanity First hardliners would make it more dangerous than downtown Detroit." Marcy stated as she gave her own two-cents just before the bell rang to end the first lunch period.
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:24 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
There I was staring down Jobe as I steadied my breathing and took my measure of her with my eyes, this would not be easy. I knew that despite her build and devisor inclinations Jobe was a lethal combatant in the wrong circumstances, also unlike her I was not an Exemplar. While my werewolf and ravewolf forms granted me the same blessings, this match was innate powers only and no holdouts, and since Jobe's accidental needle stick, she didn't have to shift to be physically superior to me.
"Hajime!" I heard Ito the sadist shout and with it, Jobe launched at me, right now, my strategy was simple keep away and access her movements. I knew from the hubbub around Poe that Jobe had been receiving martial arts training for years in Kardonia, that meant that she knew how to take out people bigger and stronger than her even without turning them into goo with toxins and diseases.
That she was even newer to her body than I was should have given me an edge, but she also spars with other non exemplars on a regular basis, something that I needed to work on, still I was used to practicing with bigger and stronger opponents and those who had a lot more experience. Morrigan and Anu have both taught me a lot, specifically there is no shame in fighting dirty when your survival is on the line (in this case it wasn't, so nuts to that idea), and if your opponent was in the zone try to knock them off balance with a little psychological warfare.
Still I needed just the right moment to begin implementing that using what I know about Miss Wilkins, but she wasn't willing to let me have the opportunity as came at me hard intending to win by ring out rather than caging me. That was when I put a good strategy that I was taught about stronger opponents into play, use their built in weaknesses to make their attacks work for you, in this case joints. Exemplars might be tougher than the average person might but most of them were still built using the same blueprints.
I had been working my way backwards using brush blocks to deflect her punches and grabs and weaving to avoid being kicked, this lured Jobe into a pattern. Now it was time to switch things up, Jobe was knocked for a loop when I switched up the pattern with a left-hook to her extended shoulder-joint followed by an inward heel pivot right-elbow to her floating ribs, rear head-butt to her chin, and full heel-stomp to her big toe for good measure. While Jobe was dazed I ducked under her guard and made my way behind her, I still hadn't felt the time was right for the verbal jabs (especially given the scuttlebutt around Poe over her vindictive streak), but it was always a good time for a cheap-shot to the hammy's.
Unfortunately Jobe had more than enough time to recover (thanks to her regen) and grabbed my right leg in a scissor lock before trying to drag me to use it to drag me onto my side. As if Morrigan hadn't used this on me before, this may have been Aikido II but other martial arts could be used in open sparing as well and classic wrestling counted, I used my momentary advantage in leverage to get Jobe to fall forward and take the brunt of the fall. Once she was down naturally she tried to use her hands to push herself back-up while keeping my right-leg trapped with her thighs, I used the opportunity for to get her in a half-nelson with a full-hitch and for good measure used the anchoring arm to press in-between her shoulder blade and her spine. Now was the time to be careful I couldn't overdo this by over-flexing to reach an equilibrium, I needed to use just enough force and no more than that the key was to take the fight out of your opponent before you exhausted your own reserves.
"Yame!" I heard Ito-soke shout, and released my hold while Jobe released hers; I got up and backed up without taking my eyes off of her. "Otagai ni taishi," The two of us faced each other as commanded. "Otagai ni rei!" The two of us responded again bowing as was proper. "Soke ni taishi," Now the two of us turned to face Ito-soke, "Soke ni rei!"
Now that the match was over the two of us retired to the sidelines; although I made sure never to take my eyes off Jobe before we both sat down. "Ito-soke I have a question." A young girl who looked about like a normal girl said bringing attention to herself.
"Yes Aquerna," Ito said with a mild amount of irritation in his voice. "What is it?"
"Why did you stop the match, neither of them were in the cage or outside of the ring?" The girl who I recognized as Aquerna asked away.
"Because to my view if I had let the match continue there were only two probable outcomes, either Faolan's hold would have held until Jobe passed out or Jobe would have broken out breaking Faolan's leg in the process." Ito-soke said as he scrutinized my match. "It was an obvious draw, now for the next match Aquerna and Diamondback."
The girl slightly deflated as the snake-tailed girl slithered into the ring with her; this was going to be interesting.
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, TX
12:35 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"Hey Joan I heard through the rumor mill that your parents are going to be out of town this weekend," Elinore Jaffee from the cheerleading squad said as she came up to my table. "Everyone knows your folks have that nice big place, and it's such a shame for you to be there all alone this weekend."
"Elinore I swear you try to throw a party somewhere every weekend," My friend Erika Malveaux chuckled when she shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. "Are you trying to give the local cops another weekend workout?"
"Oh come on it's not like anyone ever gets in trouble they just come over to tell us to turn down the volume." Elinore laughed demurely at the suggestion. "Well to turn the volume down or that someone needs to get Frank off the roof again."
"It's not too bad of an idea besides Joan no one ever comes over to your place, and you've lived here forever." Mallory Trombly observed after looking up from her Salisbury Steak.
"Not a good idea, my dad has often has his work at home, and the last thing we need around the house are a bunch of rowdy guests who might break some irreplaceable prototype." I said trying to explain away why no one was ever invited over to my house.
"Why don't you just have a party at your place again Ellinore?" I asked desperate to get Miss party-crazy to hold her little Rock-The-Block elsewhere, since she was known for pestering anyone she targeted until they gave into her whims. "It's not like the police would ever bother the house of a city councilman, especially one whose family has been on the council since the town was founded."
"Oh believe me Joan I would love to but daddy's hosting some out-of-town VIP's this weekend to wine and dine them." Ellinore said as she went into her reasons for wanting to hold the party at my place, it was one of the rare times her dad put his foot down to quash his little princess's fun. "And I checked everyone else who has enough room won't have their folks out of the way, which are why it needs to be you."
As she Princess of Canyon Vista poured on the puppydog eyes I had to play my final card, "I'll have to ask my folks to see if we can guest-proof the house, I'm not going to do something that could get my dad fired over a party."
"Fine but I'll expect to hear back from you by Friday," Ellinore said as she sauntered off.
"You know that now you'll have to get your parents to say yes," Noreen Valla remarked while sipping her milk. "Ellinore might put on the sweetness and sunshine act for the public, but mark my words that girl has a vindictive streak three-miles-wide, if you say no to her she'll make your life hell until you leave for college."
"I know," I was doomed- I was totally and completely doomed and the sad thing was I couldn't even tell my closest friends the real reason why.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:21 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
It was almost lunchtime, something that I only knew because of the weird clock that Kelsey put up in the "living area" of this weird cave, and my host and current guardian still wasn't back yet. I know that she was trying to keep me safe but given that she was my only real company in this place was starting to wear on me- even more so than the fact I hadn't seen real sunlight for months other than the brief period after I was rescued and we were traveling here.
Kelsey left every once and a while to get supplies and she was also the only one of us who knew the way out of this place, I have been exploring this cave since we got here and I still haven't found the entrance since I came in through it two months ago. At least she brought me the local newspaper from Denver so that I could keep up with major events and mail from my friends and family but the fact is that things here were incredibly dull.
Still I was going through our supplies to make myself some lunch, nothing special just a stir-fry, granted it was a rather large portion but ever since I became what I am I needed to eat more than normal, even the large bowl of rice-gruel that the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn was barely adequate emergency rations. Not that it mattered to them if they were keeping me underfed since if I wasn't making gems for them I was imprisoned in a tiny cell made of reinforced concrete.
"Zhen-yu I'm home and I brought someone along that I think you'll be interested to meet." I got up from where I had been working on my 'home-school' geometry assignment to approach my host's voice, this was a huge surprise, and she had never brought anyone with her no matter how much I begged her to do so. She had told me that she couldn't bring my friends and family to meet me because then they would be in danger, even the letters that she brought back for me were from a PO Box in Shiprock, Arizona which I found out was hardly the closest town but relatively not that far away.
When I reached her I was more than a little put off by the sight of her guest, "You have got to be kidding me." Standing in front of my eyes matching the description that was given of him perfectly was Shâ Wùjìng the sand priest of the former juǎnlián dàjiàng (curtain-lifting general) and current arhat who accompanied Xuánzàng, Sûn Wùkông and Zhu Bajie during Xî Yóu Jì.
Now don't get me wrong, most people consider the story pure fiction, but I was Buddhist born and raised; most Chinese considered the story by Wu Cheng'en to be as real to our people as westerners saw the tale of King Arthur. It wasn't considered one of the four classical of Chinese literature for nothing, still the thought that I was in the presence of the Sand Priest himself was a bit hard to swallow. "I'm sorry sir if you will excuse me but I find this a little hard to believe."
"That is understandable child, after all even having become part dragon because you were baptized in the ashes of one, being in the presence of one from the Jade Heavens is likely unusual." Sha Wujing stated as he sat placed his yuèyáchǎn carefully against the wall before sitting down across the table from me.
"Bhante Sha," I said after I got up and bowed making sure to remember my manners. "If this child would be so bold as to inquire, to what does this unworthy child owe the honor of your visit to this distant foreign mountain."
"Child- the Maiden of the North is far from unworthy, and for the Jade Heavens the matter of distance is relative." Sha Wujing stated in a firm yet measured tone, "As for why I am here, it was felt that given your recent experiences it would be necessary for you to learn how to protect yourself. As my old acquaintance Sun Wukong is rather occupied at the moment with other matters, one of whom you will soon be acquainted with, I was asked to help train you for your pending journey."
"Let me get this strait," I said somewhat beside myself at the moment. "I am going to be receiving martial-arts training from one of the most legendary warriors of all time."
"That is not that far-fetched," Kelsey said as she was putting the supplies that she brought back with her away. "After all you need to learn how to defend yourself when you leave the mountain for your own Journey to the East, I doubt the death of the previous Xuè-jîn Mùshî will deter the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn. After all since when do those who let their souls be consumed by greed let logic get in the way of their ambitions?"
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:35 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I sat down with my lunch tray next to my best friend Walter Forrester, well one of my few remaining friends ever since I decided to come out of the closet, "So Walt plan on coming to the Rec Center today to train for next year?"
"You bet Paul," Walter smiled back, "Especially since its going to be our final year in the Silver Gloves. Next year if you want to keep up competing in the Sweet Science you have to step up and enter the Golden Gloves. Speaking of which are you still planning on trying out for the Wrestling Team when we get to
Boulder City High?"
"I plan on trying, of course that is if Coach Ruth will let me on the team." I said as I stared at my carton of milk. "After all I doubt that a lot of wrestling coaches would let me on their team."
"Maybe in the Deep South, but this is Clark County Nevada for crying out loud," Walt laughed as he tried his best to assuage my fears. "He's probably seen weirder."
"Ha- it figures the fruit would want to be in a position to have his hands all over other guys."
I groaned as Jeff Pruett the quarterback of our football team, came up to our table for his daily dose of trash talking flanked by two of his football buddies and his cheerleader girlfriend Joy Beattie.
"Then again why should I be surprised that a fake guy is interested in a fake sport?" He said as he continued to mouth off at us, I clenched my fists but continued to take the abuse, after all mom has a zero tolerance policy towards me causing trouble.
"Awe what's the matter fruit, am I hurting your feelings?" Jeff said as he continued to grate on my nerves. "You know if you really knew how to fight like you pretend to you wouldn't take this but why am I surprised, everyone knows boxing is as fake as wrestling."
"Why do you waste your time doing this everyday Jeff?" Walt commented while trying to keep his own temper in check. "Surely a couple of fakes like us aren't worth your time."
"Anything that makes sure that fakes like you don't start to feel that your fake sports make you athletes like me is worth my time." Jeff laughed as he and his entourage walked over to their table of honor.
"You shouldn't have bothered to say anything Walt it only encourages him." I observed with concern over Jeff's growing antagonism.
"I just don't know how you can take it every day without saying anything?" Walt said voicing his own concerns.
"Because my mother doesn't give me any slack when I get into trouble," I admitted with sad tone to my voice that I couldn't hide. "And because no one would give me any breaks if I did clobber the jerk, after all he's the guy they expect to lead the football team until he graduates high school; I'm just some gay bastard who boxes in his spare time."
"Paul come on give yourself a little more credit," Walt said trying to keep my spirits up, I wish that I could admit how I really felt about him but I didn't want to destroy our friendship. Sometimes it just felt like I was wrong to be who I was, like I was never meant to be born like I am, but who am I kidding I am who I was born as and that's it nothing is going to change that fact.
Last Edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Insane Hiker.
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Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
3:04 PM EDT
Quinn Mayer almost fumed at his boredom, it was like this every day here at the Storage Facility, day in and day out guard the vaults used by the top end magic users who hung their hats in the Big Apple. Still most of these vaults hadn't even been opened in years, some not even in his lifetime; the fact was that occupations like being a super-villain were dangerous enough but practicing the dark arts was often a one way ticket to oblivion.
Yeah most of the vaults that he guarded would likely remain locked for all time mainly because the practitioner who owned them was dead or worse. Still unlike other places that auctioned off the contents of abandoned storage containers like this, the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom didn't dare to disturb the contents of these things; you never knew when a warlock would find his way back from the great beyond after all.
Well that and who knew what kind of curses that Grand Hall warlocks set up as security; he had heard it through the grapevine that a kid who picked up a stack of mystic texts in an estate sale permanently had his gender-flipped by a hex Mad Sadie left on one of her grimoires. Yeah, that and he knew for a fact that there were folks in the history of the Grand Hall who could set up a lot worse things than a gender-inversion curse to hit anyone who dared to handle their things without permission. Just the stories alone were something that would likely turn the most driven neophyte sorcerer into a pious monk.
Still almost no one ever came here, and those that did preferred to open their own damned vaults, this was the main reason he had a skeleton staff here not like the folks who catered to the movers and shakers in the Chapter House proper. Here was also, where they stuck anyone without the proper decorum to work in the Chapter House proper, and without any real talent or ability to make it as even a low-level warlock or mystic operator.
But rarely visited or not they still had a job to do, when a psychopathic or sociopathic warlock might walk in at any given moment they had to have things ready to go for them or things could get messy. Just last month Lady Jettatura waltzed in and some poor kid sneezed while she had her drama queen moment going on, it took four days for them to find and dispose of all the pieces since a few pieces of bone had been lodged into the concrete.
Suddenly the phone rang, as only one person had this number and Quinn rushed to pick up since this would be his only heads up on any given situation which might lead to another incident "Yes Mister Randall sir, how may I assist you!"
"At ease Mister Mayer, I'm calling to tell you that I need the lower levels cleaned before tonight." The concierge in charge of the chapter house proper explained.
"Really sir but all that's in the lower levels are..." Quinn eyes shot wide open when the matter dawned on him, "The Black Vaults. You mean the rumors are true, The Circle is back, they are really back?"
"The order came from Greygus himself and as we all know he was Lord Ataxia's loyal right-hand man. Now please have the area cleaned and prepared by tonight, I need to have everything ready for the ceremony and to have your staff prepared to have the contents of Black Vaults 1,4,6,7,9 and 14 packed and loaded for when the courier arrives late Friday."
"Very well sir," Quinn stated before turning around to ask. "Um sir, any idea just who the courier is I want to have my staff prepared so that we can avoid a repeat of last month's unfortunate incident."
"I am unaware at present, all that I know is that the contents are being transferred to one of the chapter houses in Erzabet Scratch's domain; the courier could be any one of her operatives Dead-Zone, Reverent, a Sweeper Squad, even The Hangman is not outside the realm of possibility."
Quinn's blood turned to ice at the mention of that undead monstrosity, this was serious, that monster loved to kill- hell it needed to do so in order to exist. "Understood sir, the whole facility will be spotless!"
When Pierce hung up his end of the line, Quinn hit the PA on the phone. "All right everybody, report to the office on the double, I have an important announcement!"
Physical Therapy Room - Doyle Medical Center
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:47 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Alright Beatrice," Nurse Garrett said as she walked alongside me. "Take nice even steps; just remember to use the bars your legs still aren't used to supporting your full weight yet."
"Please call me Bea Miss Garrett," I said in as polite a tone as I could. "How would you like everyone to call you Catherine all the time instead of Cathy?"
"Alright Bea, I will. Now remember, just take it nice and easy." Nurse Garrett repeated herself as I walked forward along the padded path using the parallel guide-rails for support.
"Okay." I said as I followed her advice taking it one-step at a time. "Um, Nurse Garrett, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"As long as it isn't personal and you keep doing what you're doing then yes." Cathy said without leaving her side.
"Is the reason that I'm a probationary student just because of the papers that I need to do, or is there some other reason?" I asked trying my best to get this off my chest.
"Actually it probably has to do with your physical condition and the fact that you are still learning to use your abilities." Nurse Garrett explained as she kept her focus locked on me like a laser just in case I fell. "You do remember from your time with Cytherea how students are required to undergo a combat final at the end of the semester to show their progress in their combat or survival class; even if you had everything ready academically, you would be nowhere near where you need to be for your Combat Final this June. So until you can take one full semester of physical education, you are in effect on probation; at least that's my best guess from what I've heard."
It also confirmed what I've been suspecting, mom was probably doing her best to shelter me, I understood why after all of these years she was a mother again but missed out on some of the best parts. I also heard what happened to my older half-sister Shelley, I couldn't wait to meet her when she was ready to greet the world again.
I wonder if this would mean that she'd be getting another birthday as well, I know Randi joked about needing a new one to celebrate being reborn in her new body- even though I could tell that she was making light of a sore subject. I also still needed to talk with someone about what to do about Evania's birthday maybe I could talk with Sorcha about it tomorrow when she got here for my siren tutoring- hold on a minute.
"Miss Garrett, would you mind if I asked you a question?" I turned to Cathy.
"As long as it's nothing too personal dear," Nurse Garrett said without abandoning her post. "What's on your mind?"
"A friend of mine has a birthday coming up soon and I want to get her something nice," I said as I tried to lay out the situation. "Would you have any ideas?"
"Is it a student here on campus," Miss Garrett asked. "Because you said you were worried about making friends and I would be worried that you were trying to buy their friendship."
"No, it's the youngest of the six mermaid princesses that were visiting last week," I explained trying to supply a little more information. "She's about to turn thirteen and I want to get her something."
"That makes it somewhat problematic I guess," Nurse Garrett said as she tried to think for a moment while I resting after having walked the length of the path. "By the way considering the progress that you've made so far we want to start you on the aquatic-tred tomorrow. As for your friend given her age, maybe a nice barrette for her hair, you might find something in one of the nicer stores in Boston; try asking your fellow students."
"Yeah, I guess most clothing would be out considering her normal home is a few miles underwater." I said with a laugh until I caught a stray thought, Morrigan was trying to get her enrolled here as a student ambassador maybe getting her an appointment with Cecilia Rogers at the end of the Summer would be a nice bonus. "Also we might want to consider some alternative to an aquatic treadmill, my legs kind of reflexively turn into a tail when submerged."
"Hmm, interesting point," Nurse Garrett mulled over the matter, "I guess that I'll need to get in touch with the Teach workshop to see if they have something for partial gravity negation."
Outside Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
5:43 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Basketball practice had been long and rewarding as usual but we had to give it our all if we wanted to win state this year. Still as I got off the bus Victor weighed on my mind, there was a time only a few years ago I was dangerously close to being like him, only instead of being a gangsta' it would be joining an actual gang.
Still unlike Victor, I had actual peer pressure weighing on me back then, back in the old neighborhood. On the one side, I had my family who were always telling me to be proud of who I was and to try to be all I could, while on the other side there were my peers from the neighborhood. Those kids who looked up to the local gang leaders and power-players as symbols of authority in the face of a world that said they would never amount to anything, they claimed that by trying to aim high like I was I was nothing more than a sellout. That I was only betraying my heritage by selling out who I was to get ahead, that I was scooping out my identity piece by piece and replacing it with The Man's fake promises becoming an Oreo.
I knew it was stupid but hearing that constantly at that age wears away at you until it finally exposes a nerve, I almost did something extremely stupid and that was when I met Candace. Darisha Coleman, the leader to the Ally Vipers, marked her as my victim for a mug-n'-run; what neither of us knew was that Candace was trying out for Chicago U's amateur parkour team and they decided that I passed when I finally caught up to her. Not surprising Darisha and her crew bolted once I was surrounded by the rest of the Maroon Maniacs, figuring that I was stupid enough to get caught, only finding out later that I found a crew that didn't need me to break the law to join and a new friend my own age.
It was weird once I gotten to know her, a girl who never knew her father, whose mother was killed when she was so young it was beyond criminal, with all that she refused to let it take over her life. Here was a girl that had so much in common with the worst of my peers but rather than letting it weigh on her soul, she used it as fuel to drive her forward. Eventually our fast friendship led to her Aunt Pauline giving my mom the number of The Morrison's, some clients of hers who were in the market for a live-in housekeeper for their new home. Before the summer was up I moved to another city and meet a group of peers who let me be who I wanted to be well- me.
"Hey Chandra long day," Eliot Greer, the Morrison's gardener asked I was about to buzz in through the front gate. "I trust your team's going to tear up the court this weekend?"
"You know it Mister Greer!" I cried in confidence as I waved back from where he was pruning the trumpet vines on the gate to try to keep them under control. "So how was the meeting with your parole officer?"
"Same old same old," Eliot shrugged with his massive shoulders. "He's a lot grouchier than normal, his old lady has him on a heart healthy diet and he's suffering because he can't indulge his sweet tooth anymore."
"He's in his fifties right," I remarked trying to remember how old the man was from my previous conversations with Eliot. "At that age he really needs to be careful."
"Yeah but it doesn't mean that he has to like it," Eliot chucked as he kept up his pruning. "Still we all have to deal with the consequences of our actions, I should know better than anybody. By the way, what does the birthday girl have planned for the weekend?"
"Nothing major, just a game against Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Saturday followed by a cross campus fun with the Maroon Maniacs on Sunday." I replied in a matter of fact manner, "Maybe even a pseudo-family get-together with dad if these instructions Marcy gave me on how to setup that video chat work."
"I might swing by to watch your run; I'll be in Chitown anyway to pick up some new geraniums to replace the one's that died last winter. Also wish you luck kid in talking with your dad, he probably misses you something awful; no father should have to miss out on their kid's life growing up." Eliot waxed in a maudlin way as I nodded and headed to the servant's wing (I really wish someone would come up with a better name for that) to get started on my homework.
Part of me also wished Victor knew about the consequences of the life he idolized from those stupid videos; Eliot grew up in a bad neighborhood just as I did. He got a job as an auto mechanic during high school but later started stripping cars on the side for a chop shop; he was twenty-three when the police finally caught him and he lost twelve years of his life in prison. I also knew that he had a kid he hadn't seen since he was locked up, something about the mother denying him the right to visit; seemed a shame since he was always so nice, but that wasn't really any of my business.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:04 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
'Okay, Bea you can do this,' I told myself as I rolled along with my dinner tray in my lap towards my intended destination. As I rolled up to the group my words almost froze in my throat, 'No you need to do this, and there is no more putting it off.'
"E-e-ex-cuse me, d-do you mind i-if I sit with you," I somehow managed to squeak out.
"Sure," Anna Parsons replied with a warm smile. "Please have a seat."
My heart was doing somersaults, for the last few days ever since I became a student I sat alone on the periphery of the other students eating alone; as much as I knew about them from watching through Cytherea's eyes I didn't really know them personally. In fact the few students that I had any sort of personal connection with I could count on my fingers, Randi, Heather and Mirabel I knew from how much time we spent together during therapy before I was a student. Mabel I knew from the fact that she was my roommate but she preferred to keep to herself likely due to her powers.
"Wait aren't you the Headmistress's daughter?" One of the girl's at the table asked in shock, "Why would you want to sit with us?"
"Because you seem like a nice bunch of people," I said as honestly as I could. "And to be honest being new to- well pretty much everything I don't have too many friends."
"What about that wolfgirl over in Poe- what's her name?" One of the girl's at the table asked aloud.
"Faolan," I answered filling her blank for her. "And she's nice and all, but I want to see if I can meet people on my own."
"I can see much wisdom in her words," Rhiannon mused with a sagacious tone in her voice. "Still why would The Headmistress's daughter want to sit with the Underdogs, I heard you were a siren who can turn into a mermaid."
"Actually I'm half-mermaid and the siren talent is inerrant," I explained as maneuvered my hover-chair into a spot for a chair that was not there. "Other than the abilities that all mermaids have, all that I can really do that they cannot is heal people, and without that scepter that Mrs. Redstag gave me to boost my powers even that is kind of limited."
"You mean that video was real!" Lucille trembled with excitement, "That those were real mermaid princesses there."
"Yes, each one of them is the eldest daughter (granddaughter in Evania's case) of the monarch of one of the Mermaid Refugee Colonies." I explained with somewhat of a sad tone, "They are also some of the few merfolk that can leave those colonies without getting slowly turned into Deep Ones by The Traitor's Curse."
"Whoa hold the phone," One of the guys said around the table. "You mean that stuff that Englund says is true, there are really demons out there that turn folks into mindless freaks."
"If by demons you mean the Old Ones, then it's unfortunately true." I explained answering the boy's question. "Deep Ones, or as most call them Fish Men, are actually those with merfolk ancestry who are twisted by a blood curse a traitorous merman cultist that worshiped the Old Ones cast a long time ago; there is a way to lift it but it's complicated and dangerous and until that happens many people are doomed to become them."
"Wait- why are these refugee colonies safe?" Winnie asked with a tone of skepticism in her voice. "How come this curse hasn't reached them?"
"The Curse only affects Earth proper, the Colonies are in the portion of the Fairy Lands that Mrs. Redstag and her council govern and in what's left of the Northern Court what your friend Bladedancer calls the Jade Heavens. As for why those six and I weren't affected, well you see all of us are descendants of the Triton Kings. The Traitor arranged to have my grandfather murdered and used his blood to cast the curse and without something more powerful that those who are of strong Tritonic descent aren't affected by the curse."
"Is there any way we could meet some of these other mermaid's?" Anna asked with excitement and a glimmer of hope in her voice.
"Well- Princess Sorcha of the Golden Sea has arranged to visit every other week to tutor me in better harnessing my voice; I could ask her and to see if she'd stick around to talk. She and Mr. Redstag are in the middle of working with the Mystic Arts Department to convince the school board on beginning a course on spell-singing." I said before I remembered something that I overheard mom talking about the other day with Mrs. Redstag, "Oh and Mrs. Redstag is also trying to get the school board's approval for Princess Evania to become a student here next fall."
"What!" "No way!" "Really?" The other girl's at the table were almost brimming with excitement.
"Hmm, two mermaid hoties taking classes at here, and another one teaching." Miasma mulled over aloud.
"Yeah but she'd be coming in as an Underclassman," I said somewhat disappointed him for saying that but still he was a teenage guy so it was understandable. "Princess Evania is only twelve years old after all." Although her birthday was coming up, maybe I should ask mom if I can go and get her something. Hmm, just what do you get a mermaid princess?
7:12 PM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"I can't believe that you beat Jobe," Jamal commented with no small amount of astonishment to his voice. "I mean during winter he beat Counterpoint in a sparring match."
"I tied with Jobe I didn't beat him," I explained as firmly as I could. "Plus since it was a skills only match he couldn't poison me, and I couldn't turn into a werewolf and maul him or use practice weapons to keep my distance. Besides I beat Counterpoint too." (Granted I would have choked to death afterwards if Lifeline hadn't been there.)
"So you seem unaware of the fact that I was holding back, during our bout." The all too familiar voice of the faux-drow devisor said as she walked by our table with Belpheobe and Bova in tow. "How like a delusional-magic using brute."
"I knew that you were holding back Jobe, but did you consider for a moment that I was as well." I said as a predatory smile graced my face. "You aren't the only person on campus who doesn't want potential adversaries to know what you are truly capable of when they're really backed into a corner. Then again what do I expect from a bio-devisor who remains oblivious to the challenge of a lifetime sitting right under her nose."
"Just what do you mean?" Jobe shot back with a hostile tone on her soprano voice. "I am a genius; there isn't an opportunity on campus to let others know of my sheer genius that I would ever fail to catch my attention."
"Then why is Puppet still confined to her dorm room in Hawthorne," I stated with as even a tone as I could manage, from the look in her eyes Jobe began to fall for my bait. "If you were half the bio-engineering genius that you claim to be, you would easily be able to create a system of biologically compatible organs necessary to make Hazmat's external pump system obsolete during your first semester."
Jobe lit out of Crystal Hall like a match with Belpheobe in tow while Bova lingered behind. "Just what were you thinking unleashing Jobe on that poor girl?"
I answered the former humanoid cow and current faux-drow with an obvious response, "That if she succeeds and Headmistress Carson approves Puppet might have a chance at a semi-normal life outside of school, and that if Jobe fails it will give her a much needed taste of humility. Too much pride can be dangerous and in the case of someone like Jobe it could be dangerous for the world as a whole, we have too many things capable of destroying the world as is without adding another to the mix."
"I hope you're right," Kerry observed with concern in her eye. "Especially if it might make Jobe mad at you, rumor has it he's been trying to kill Carmilla."
"Jobe's mad at a lot of people, but all I did was point out a challenge that she overlooked; she might be proud but she's not petty enough to risk getting Carson po'ed at her." I explained trying to lay down my reasons, "Besides the folks that Jobe hurt or tried to hurt permanently in the past either attacked him like Counterpoint or destroyed his work like Carmilla."
"What? You mean that Carmilla ate the work of someone who makes bio-weapons." Renee goggled with her eyes wider than I thought possible, "Just what is she?"
"Trust me- you don't want to know the answer to that question." I shuddered with my memories of meeting her daddy in The Dreamlands, granted I had seen worse there but that place also filters a lot of the unreality for dreamers who can reach that place. "While it is true that what you don't know can hurt you in this case ignorance is bliss, unfortunately for me I'm already on the radar for such things and I can't afford not to know about them."
"And those that you count as friends would not be a target." Konrad scoffed, "Does the Texan think us fools."
"Not all things follow our brand of logic Konrad," I smiled at the argumentative Romanian. "Besides mankind has a hard enough time deciphering the mind of the opposite gender, how are they supposed to know what goes through the mind of something that is truly outside of their experiences."
"Yes and I'll bet that there are things out there that make a Vogon Poetry Jam a preferable experience." Froggy admitted drawing a curious look from the table. "What? I think that Douglas Adams was a humorous writer for his time."
Boulder City Recreation Center
Boulder City, Nevada
5:27 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"I keep telling you Danny, keep your guard up on your left when you throw an uppercut." Coach Kendrick barked over Danny as he lay flat on the mat after Walter laid him out flat with a right cross. "Remember this isn't the pro's, you’re wearing headgear for a reason, and at your age if you don't take care of your body you never will make it out of the amateurs. Yeah the ribs can take a little abuse but remember the floaters are made to flex, your opponent can use that against you in a bout to build up to a TKO. You're done for the day, Hopewell- Ledoux you're up! Show us what you've got!"
As Walter and Danny exited the practice ring I entered; this was my place nothing else mattered not Jeff's harassment at school, not mom's judgment at home, not even me being different- no this was my place; the ring was where I felt at home, where I felt truly alive. I looked across from me and there was Steve Hopewell, I had nothing against him, he honestly didn't care one way or another that I was what I was, all he cared about was giving his all for what he did.
I knew that this would be a tough match; it always was against Steve perhaps that's why Coach made sure to send us against each other as much as possible. The reason that this was a challenge was that I was a boxer by nature, for me technique was what was important; I wasn't the toughest guy in the gym, far from it but I knew what I could do with what I had.
Steve on the other hand was a slugger, he was built like a semi and hit like a hammer; this was the reason that he was also the devastating Outside Linebacker on our football team, it was his job to break through the line of scrimmage during the snap to take out the other team's Quarterback. Yep on the football team, it was Steve's job to keep the other team from starting a play and here it was to pass out the keys to the hurt locker.
The bell rang and it was on, I rushed Steve trying to get under his guard while keeping my distance; I needed to do this right concentrate on jabs and try to repeat on a few spots without making an obvious pattern while staying on the move. Steve was a slugger inside the ring, I knew that he was keeping his eye out- whoa I dodged to the side just as his glove grazed the side of my headgear; a second later I would have been down on the mat.
I kept jabbing and working my way through his guard; this was a contest of attrition, I needed to keep this up if I wanted the coach to call the fight in my favor. Steve on the other hand just needed one or two hits to down me, and Coach's rule about practice bouts (other than illegal blows weren't allowed) any part of you other than the soles of your boots touches the mat and you lost. Now ordinarily boxer was to slugger what paper was to rock, with swarmers being the scissors, but Steve could soak up hits like a sponge.
Soon enough I saw an opening that headgear or not would have Steve's ears ringing- unfortunately, I never got the chance as he sneaked in a right-cross to my shoulder that knocked me off-balance mid shuffle and caused me to land on my side.
The bell rang and Coach Kendrick shouted out, "Paul props for the footwork and looking for openings but you need to keep sight of your opponent while you’re doing it. Steve don't pat yourself on the back, one minute more and Ledoux would have had you on your keister. All right everyone- that's it for practice matches today, hit the showers and remember signups for the Summer training camp are in three weeks, anyone who wants to compete Silver or Golden Gloves at the end of the year must go to the camp or I won't endorse you- comprende!
No one had any arguments as we hit the rec center's showers, which fortunately for everyone were stalls unlike at school, which were prison style. No and it's not just the whole showering with gay guy thing, a lot of guys just don't like to shower in the open.
I had just got up and started to get dressed when I heard Danny call out after exiting his own stall. "Hey Paul, what're you doing this weekend? My bro hooked me up with some tickets to the fight this weekend, me and some of the other guys are going to bounce around the shows on The Strip before hand, you want to come with?"
"I don't know if I can." I explained with uncertainty, "There's that test on Monday and if I don't keep up my A-average my mom won't let me box or try out for wrestling next year, plus she doesn't want me going anywhere near Vegas."
"Geez, when is that woman going to cut the cord." Steve stated as he shook his head in disbelief before a dizzy spell from that earlier punch hit and sent him against the wall. "Whoa, Walt you got some real stuff I'm still feeling that last right you gave me."
"Yeah be careful going home on the bus Danny," Walt said with an ounce of concern. "Really though Paul, what is your mom's problem, I've known her forever and she's always been a hardass. What's weird is I know that she isn't married and no one's ever seen her go on a date, I just can't figure her out."
"That makes two of us, but I'll try asking her." I replied trying to hide my lie, I already knew her answer.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
6:12 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
There always was a feeling of reluctance whenever I returned home after going to the rec center or well- most places really, I could never understand just why- it just was there. I walked in to see that mom wasn't there, hardly unusual her secretarial work always had her coming home late during the week, just as well I wanted as much time as possible to wait before confronting her with this question, besides I could always use the time for studying and homework.
It was weird no matter if I was the only one here or if mom was home the house never really felt like a home, but for some reason I always came back even kids who loved their parents had at least tried to run away once when they were young but I never did. It was always odd as if something was keeping me here, don't get me wrong my mom might have been my mom, but we never really felt close- she was always chilly like she blamed me for ruining her youth.
Well- not as much as she blamed the father I never met, she always said that he was a bastard and a mistake and that the world was better off without him in it. I don't know if that meant that he was dead or not, but part of me always wondered if I would feel better if I was with him than with my mother. Feeling wound up like an antique clock I went up the stairs to my room and got to work at my desk, sparing a moment to glance at the poster of one of my childhood heroes that decorated my wall.
"I wonder how you would have handled this El Santo," I said with a sigh. Okay I know that it was ridiculous that man was a Luchadore and a star of a slew of B-movies but for some reason I liked to watch them when I was younger, some I still did. I picked the poster up for four bucks when I was ten at a local flea market and the thing had clearly seen better days, but part of me still liked the image that it displayed of the noble masked man- that and it covered this nasty crack in the wall that always gave me the creeps.
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
8:45 PM EDT
Greg Paulson was pushing his broom along the basement rooms when his cellphone started to vibrate, "Hold on a second guys, I don't feel so good, I think one of the security spells might be leaking."
Once he stepped into an empty stall in the restroom and activated a privacy charm Greg barked into his phone, "Make it fast Will, we're real busy here and I don't have much time."
"Greg is that anyway to talk to an old friend, especially a friend that you owe so much to, now remember our agreement." Will's sleazy voice came over the phone. "So have you come across anything that my employer would find worthwhile?"
"Now that you mention it we're opening a few of the Black Vaults tomorrow, word is that the Circle is alive and they want some of their stuff prepped for shipment to Scratch's turf." Greg said over the phone.
"Interesting," Will said in a tone that made you know that he was smiling at what he had heard. "The boss has some folks interested over what's inside Dark Vault 11, you do remember how to setup that reception ritual right?"
"Of course all the stuff is in my locker along with the concealment charm." Greg explained. "Although I doubt that's enough for your boss; what else do you want me to do."
"For starters get a pin," Will stated as he prepared the instructions.
"Wait a minute, won't this get The Circle pissed at me?" Greg asked purely out of concern for his own hide.
"Not a chance, they're fakes who work for Scratch; the real Circle is long dead." Will laughed over the phone. "Hell I remember watching the footage of Reverend Englund hacking Mister Domino to bits myself.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
6:48 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I collapsed to the floor heaving in exhaustion, if I were still able to do so I would probably be sweating by the bucket full as well.
"Child you still have much to learn in order to be an effective fighter," Sha Wujing stated in his usual calm tone as he reclined back against the wall of the cave that I had called home for the past month.
"Hey, I know that I'm no black belt but I've been taking lessons in the neighborhood since I was little." I shot back with a bite to my tone. "I know that I have a lot to go, but I'm no rookie."
"That makes this much more difficult," Sha Wujing sighed as he shook his head. "It is always more difficult to unlearn once you have learned, after all a pot half-filled with brackish water must be emptied and thoroughly scrubbed clean before it is used to brew proper tea."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" I asked as I tried to jump to my feet only to wince and fall back to the ground as the pain that I felt told me just what a back idea that was.
"What you know at this moment are techniques that are meant for the old you to perform, your body is not what it once was my young dragon." Sha Wujing explained as he began to pace around my prone body. "You no longer have human feet, indeed your dragon talons are almost as dexterous as your hands. Now that you possess a tail your center of balance is altered, moreover your tail itself can aid you in combat. You no longer have finger-nails, instead you now possess claws and you must keep this in mind while fighting."
"Okay- I get it- I'm not human anymore, I'm some kind of mutant who looks like a dragon!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as my tears began to flow, as much as I hated to admit this it was how I felt, as if I was no longer myself.
"No you are a human-mutant who is half Fucanglong," Sha Wujing corrected me as he headed back to where I thought the entrance to the cave was. "And when you are ready to hear more I will tell it to you."
"He will be back tomorrow to continue your lessons," Kelsey explained as she helped me to get back to my feet. "I also know that what he told you hurts but you need to accept it; you are not entirely human anymore, this is not a bad thing it is merely another faucet of yourself."
Kelsey focused on her staff for a moment, something of a habit that I've begun to suspect means she's using it to check on things that are going on elsewhere. "From what I gather you and the Western Maiden both have to learn how to accept this fact."
"And what about the other two, how are they different?" I asked as my curiosity about them was finally being revealed to me.
"The Maiden of the East was born as she is, she is merely learning about life," Kelsey explained as she made her way to the faux kitchenette that she set up to help begin dinner.
"And what about the Southern Maiden, you never said anything about her?" I asked wanting a straight answer.
"That is complicated, because at present she is unaware of a great deal." Kelsey said in an almost wistful tone. Ugh, I hate it when she does that, it means that she won't tell me anything else no matter what.
Private Practice Room - Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
9:01 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
I collapsed to the floor as my latest sparring partner returned to the jar of form, a problem of my own making. After about a week into my training, I complained to Morrigan that I was worried about my skills growing stale with only her as a sparring partner now at the tail end of every one of our compressed time sparing sessions she has me go toe to toe with a deceased warrior from a period in history. She summons their spirits with her own powers and abilities, uses the jar to grant them substance and armaments, then directs them to come at me in their chosen style.
Using this method I've spared against seasoned veterans from a dozens of tribes and civilizations throughout the modern age of man; note only the modern age Morrigan claims that until my skills in the mystic arts improve I am still too green to test my mettle against those who lived during the era of the Five Fold Court. Earlier I asked her if that included her given that, she was a general back then, she claimed that, "I really need to use the kiddie gloves with you short-stack." After that, she sicced a freaking Norse Berserker on me.
I looked over to where Jane was perched with her mother Badb and said in-between huffs as I tried to catch my breath, "Jane do me a favor if I ever think about telling Morrigan that she's going soft on me, give me a good jolt of static to remind me otherwise."
"If you wish it child I shall do so," Jane stated as she flew from her perch to the ground next to me. "But if I was to do so too often how would you learn from your errors?"
"Not all of my mistakes," I said as I tried to laugh before I winced in pain. "Just the mistakes I make concerning Morrigan and my combat training; specifically me saying something potentially hazardous to my health."
"Do you require a visit from Nightingale Randi?" Jane asked with a tone of concern in her voice.
"No I'll just sleep curled up on the floor tonight," I said as I shrugged off my rank and tattered gi and shifted into my wolf form almost moaning in the relief as my aches and pains were fading into distant memory.
"By the way Randi- Jane told me that you and Candace are planning on going to Boston this weekend." Morrigan said as she began to clean up while Badb in her human form helped me gather my garments into a trash bag.
"Yes- she called in a date that she talked me into promising her last month," I sighed. "Personally I wish that we could have picked a destination other than Boston with all the times the Kimbas have been attacked there this year the administration is starting to think it's too dangerous to let students go there anymore."
"I know, the school board is split right now," Morrigan admitted begrudgingly. "Half want to only allow students to go there in groups with a teacher escort, while the other half is starting to suggest Portland as an alternative given that it's well outside of The Children of the Night's area of operation and just as far away."
"I can't imagine either choice would be too popular with the student body, but considering all that's happened over the school year I can understand the administration's reasoning." I huffed as Badb's compressing my laundry bag before tying it out sent out a spray of rank odor that knocked me for a loop. "Ughhhh-" I shook my head to regain my senses, "Still at least they didn't suggest Manchester that would likely spark a student riot if it came to pass."
"That may be but they'd be in for a hell of a fight," Morrigan said with a smile as I maneuvered the sack of dirty laundry into the empty gem on my collar while Jane took up to using it as a perch. We made our way out of the building with Jane using her elemental nature to trigger the handicap switches on the doors as we went into the New England night air.
I still wasn't used to the temperature or the elevation yet after growing up in the mild plains of Texas, granted I was from the city but that was beside the point.
At least my new furry coat helped cut the chill out of the air. Even the fact that I had shed my winter coat with the help of the school's animal care service, they didn't even bat an eye at it, but I guess given that the Academy itself is built on the land of the theriathropes of the Medawihla Tribe you get used to such requests.
So Randi, any idea where Candace plans on going in Boston? Jane asked me over our link as we made our way along the path from Laird curving around Doyle to hook up to the branching southward path that connected Melville, Poe and Hawthorne to Crystal Hall and Shuster. As we got up to the door Jane sent out a static jolt to trip the circuit in the doorbell and let Mrs. H know we were out here.
After a few minutes she came to the door with a cross look on her face, probably thought it was a ding-dong-ditch, before she looked down and spotted the two of us. "Randi what are you doing? You could have just opened the door yourself you know."
"Not really, my normal form is one giant aching bruise right now," I chuckled as best I could.
"That and the young lady here is in desperate need of a shower," Jane remarked as she took flight inside to perch on old Edger.
"Not until I've at least had a few minutes to mend," I shot back verbally this time. "Plus the clothes I was wearing are in a laundry bag since they reek almost as bad as Miasma on chili day."
Bella nodded as I made for the stairs and my room to grab my kit and a towel, leaving my bathrobe behind this time. Candace didn't even look up since she was in the middle of cramming for the History test tomorrow in Fourth Period the two of us had in our only shared class, I wasn't too worried it was a subject I'd always done well in and I went over my notes and text daily.
After waiting a few minutes until I was sure that it wouldn't feel like I was being tortured, I transformed back to my humanesque form (wolf-tail and ears still included) and went into the stall. Okay I still hurt like hell but at least I could walk, I went to work cleaning myself up while keeping the spray on gentle. Once I was done, I wrapped the towel around myself and headed back for my room, and caught a wolf whistle along the way.
I turned to spy Riptide with a smirk on her face in the hallway, "Putting on a bit of a late night show R-dog?"
"No just taking a shower here instead of at Laird," I said with a wince. "Sparring was rather rough tonight, but next time I’ll think twice before saying anything stupid to Morrigan." That caught a grimace as I headed back to my room, some last minute studying and a much needed night’s rest on the floor; besides I needed to wake up early tomorrow to do the laundry.
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
9:27 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
After dinner, I headed downstairs to my dad’s workshop, no not the regular workshop in the basement that looked like something an IT geek would work in, dad’s real workshop in the secret sub-basement underneath the house.
I saw dad with his glamour charm off in the middle of his open work-space making some soldering connections into a circuit board to what looked like the leg off a suit of power armor. "That doesn’t look like one of the new Star Marshall line, working on the next iteration already?" I asked as I looked over his work.
"No this is a prototype for the Warlock suits that we’re working on for the Nines and the Tens in the Sweeper Squads," Dad said as he kept working on the connections. "We’re reverse-engineering designs that one of the Reverents swiped from a Goodkind International R&D facility and a few ideas that our people who aren’t Excel employees have come up with that we couldn’t employ in the Star Marshall line without arousing suspicion from those not in the loop. So my little grease monkey, what’s on your mind something was obviously bothering you at dinner. Usually you’re swooning when your mom makes her ratatouille."
"Elinore Jaffee heard through the Axcel grapevine that you and mom are going out of town on the weekend, she wants to commandeer the house for one of her weekend parties." I said laying out the problem, "If I tell her no she’s going to make my social life around school hell."
"Some parents just spoil their kids rotten," Dad muttered under his breath. "Why can’t she have it at that big mansion her family owns, it certainly has more than enough room?"
"Her dad’s got important people over there to kiss their butts for the city election next year; he might be trying to garner support for a mayoral run later this year." I said filling in the facts and connecting the dots.
"I don’t understand what you’re so worried about Joan, odds are you’re going to manifest soon and if that happens we’ll just ask Dame Scratch for her approval to send you to Whateley." Dad said as he set down the soldering iron, to look at me.
"Yeah but what if I don’t manifest and even then what if someone figures out who you and mom really are?" I asked desperately, "I like this house, I don’t want to have to move and we never have anyone over so that no one figures it out."
"That’s just when we’re here dear," Mom said as she came into the room with her usual evening glass of rosette. "We’ve always been worried that if you’re friends were overexposed to the glamour charms that we have to wear without the reinforcement that the Excel factory gives them would let them see through them and figure out we’re really Atropos and Gremlin, that or have try to have your father arrested considering I look like I’m your age. I tell you what you’ll be allowed to have your party while we’re out of town on our mission, if we have Nicole Snyder from work over to supervise and make sure that no one stumbles into something that they shouldn’t see."
"Isn’t that one of the Reverents?" I asked somewhat concerned given that they sometimes lacked discretion when it came to clean up.
"No she’s a demi-succubus," That moment I wouldn't be surprised if I was looking at mom like she'd grown a second head. "She’s in the middle of studying for her Master’s Degree over at UT and is interning for Axcel as part of her cover. She’ll make sure that nothing happens and everyone will just think of her as a hot college intern that your parents sweet-talked into doing this as a favor."
"Alright, thanks mom." I said as my anxiety began to die down, enough for me to notice something. "Mom, have you been raiding my closet again?"
"What can I say dear?" Mom smiled as she struck a pose showing off another of my outfits, "If you’ve got it flaunt it!"
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 2
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
3:04 PM EDT
Quinn Mayer almost fumed at his boredom, it was like this every day here at the Storage Facility, day in and day out guard the vaults used by the top end magic users who hung their hats in the Big Apple. Still most of these vaults hadn't even been opened in years, some not even in his lifetime; the fact was that occupations like being a super-villain were dangerous enough but practicing the dark arts was often a one way ticket to oblivion.
Yeah most of the vaults that he guarded would likely remain locked for all time mainly because the practitioner who owned them was dead or worse. Still unlike other places that auctioned off the contents of abandoned storage containers like this, the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom didn't dare to disturb the contents of these things; you never knew when a warlock would find his way back from the great beyond after all.
Well that and who knew what kind of curses that Grand Hall warlocks set up as security; he had heard it through the grapevine that a kid who picked up a stack of mystic texts in an estate sale permanently had his gender-flipped by a hex Mad Sadie left on one of her grimoires. Yeah, that and he knew for a fact that there were folks in the history of the Grand Hall who could set up a lot worse things than a gender-inversion curse to hit anyone who dared to handle their things without permission. Just the stories alone were something that would likely turn the most driven neophyte sorcerer into a pious monk.
Still almost no one ever came here, and those that did preferred to open their own damned vaults, this was the main reason he had a skeleton staff here not like the folks who catered to the movers and shakers in the Chapter House proper. Here was also, where they stuck anyone without the proper decorum to work in the Chapter House proper, and without any real talent or ability to make it as even a low-level warlock or mystic operator.
But rarely visited or not they still had a job to do, when a psychopathic or sociopathic warlock might walk in at any given moment they had to have things ready to go for them or things could get messy. Just last month Lady Jettatura waltzed in and some poor kid sneezed while she had her drama queen moment going on, it took four days for them to find and dispose of all the pieces since a few pieces of bone had been lodged into the concrete.
Suddenly the phone rang, as only one person had this number and Quinn rushed to pick up since this would be his only heads up on any given situation which might lead to another incident "Yes Mister Randall sir, how may I assist you!"
"At ease Mister Mayer, I'm calling to tell you that I need the lower levels cleaned before tonight." The concierge in charge of the chapter house proper explained.
"Really sir but all that's in the lower levels are..." Quinn eyes shot wide open when the matter dawned on him, "The Black Vaults. You mean the rumors are true, The Circle is back, they are really back?"
"The order came from Greygus himself and as we all know he was Lord Ataxia's loyal right-hand man. Now please have the area cleaned and prepared by tonight, I need to have everything ready for the ceremony and to have your staff prepared to have the contents of Black Vaults 1,4,6,7,9 and 14 packed and loaded for when the courier arrives late Friday."
"Very well sir," Quinn stated before turning around to ask. "Um sir, any idea just who the courier is I want to have my staff prepared so that we can avoid a repeat of last month's unfortunate incident."
"I am unaware at present, all that I know is that the contents are being transferred to one of the chapter houses in Erzabet Scratch's domain; the courier could be any one of her operatives Dead-Zone, Reverent, a Sweeper Squad, even The Hangman is not outside the realm of possibility."
Quinn's blood turned to ice at the mention of that undead monstrosity, this was serious, that monster loved to kill- hell it needed to do so in order to exist. "Understood sir, the whole facility will be spotless!"
When Pierce hung up his end of the line, Quinn hit the PA on the phone. "All right everybody, report to the office on the double, I have an important announcement!"
Physical Therapy Room - Doyle Medical Center
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:47 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Alright Beatrice," Nurse Garrett said as she walked alongside me. "Take nice even steps; just remember to use the bars your legs still aren't used to supporting your full weight yet."
"Please call me Bea Miss Garrett," I said in as polite a tone as I could. "How would you like everyone to call you Catherine all the time instead of Cathy?"
"Alright Bea, I will. Now remember, just take it nice and easy." Nurse Garrett repeated herself as I walked forward along the padded path using the parallel guide-rails for support.
"Okay." I said as I followed her advice taking it one-step at a time. "Um, Nurse Garrett, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
"As long as it isn't personal and you keep doing what you're doing then yes." Cathy said without leaving her side.
"Is the reason that I'm a probationary student just because of the papers that I need to do, or is there some other reason?" I asked trying my best to get this off my chest.
"Actually it probably has to do with your physical condition and the fact that you are still learning to use your abilities." Nurse Garrett explained as she kept her focus locked on me like a laser just in case I fell. "You do remember from your time with Cytherea how students are required to undergo a combat final at the end of the semester to show their progress in their combat or survival class; even if you had everything ready academically, you would be nowhere near where you need to be for your Combat Final this June. So until you can take one full semester of physical education, you are in effect on probation; at least that's my best guess from what I've heard."
It also confirmed what I've been suspecting, mom was probably doing her best to shelter me, I understood why after all of these years she was a mother again but missed out on some of the best parts. I also heard what happened to my older half-sister Shelley, I couldn't wait to meet her when she was ready to greet the world again.
I wonder if this would mean that she'd be getting another birthday as well, I know Randi joked about needing a new one to celebrate being reborn in her new body- even though I could tell that she was making light of a sore subject. I also still needed to talk with someone about what to do about Evania's birthday maybe I could talk with Sorcha about it tomorrow when she got here for my siren tutoring- hold on a minute.
"Miss Garrett, would you mind if I asked you a question?" I turned to Cathy.
"As long as it's nothing too personal dear," Nurse Garrett said without abandoning her post. "What's on your mind?"
"A friend of mine has a birthday coming up soon and I want to get her something nice," I said as I tried to lay out the situation. "Would you have any ideas?"
"Is it a student here on campus," Miss Garrett asked. "Because you said you were worried about making friends and I would be worried that you were trying to buy their friendship."
"No, it's the youngest of the six mermaid princesses that were visiting last week," I explained trying to supply a little more information. "She's about to turn thirteen and I want to get her something."
"That makes it somewhat problematic I guess," Nurse Garrett said as she tried to think for a moment while I resting after having walked the length of the path. "By the way considering the progress that you've made so far we want to start you on the aquatic-tred tomorrow. As for your friend given her age, maybe a nice barrette for her hair, you might find something in one of the nicer stores in Boston; try asking your fellow students."
"Yeah, I guess most clothing would be out considering her normal home is a few miles underwater." I said with a laugh until I caught a stray thought, Morrigan was trying to get her enrolled here as a student ambassador maybe getting her an appointment with Cecilia Rogers at the end of the Summer would be a nice bonus. "Also we might want to consider some alternative to an aquatic treadmill, my legs kind of reflexively turn into a tail when submerged."
"Hmm, interesting point," Nurse Garrett mulled over the matter, "I guess that I'll need to get in touch with the Teach workshop to see if they have something for partial gravity negation."
Outside Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
5:43 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Basketball practice had been long and rewarding as usual but we had to give it our all if we wanted to win state this year. Still as I got off the bus Victor weighed on my mind, there was a time only a few years ago I was dangerously close to being like him, only instead of being a gangsta' it would be joining an actual gang.
Still unlike Victor, I had actual peer pressure weighing on me back then, back in the old neighborhood. On the one side, I had my family who were always telling me to be proud of who I was and to try to be all I could, while on the other side there were my peers from the neighborhood. Those kids who looked up to the local gang leaders and power-players as symbols of authority in the face of a world that said they would never amount to anything, they claimed that by trying to aim high like I was I was nothing more than a sellout. That I was only betraying my heritage by selling out who I was to get ahead, that I was scooping out my identity piece by piece and replacing it with The Man's fake promises becoming an Oreo.
I knew it was stupid but hearing that constantly at that age wears away at you until it finally exposes a nerve, I almost did something extremely stupid and that was when I met Candace. Darisha Coleman, the leader to the Ally Vipers, marked her as my victim for a mug-n'-run; what neither of us knew was that Candace was trying out for Chicago U's amateur parkour team and they decided that I passed when I finally caught up to her. Not surprising Darisha and her crew bolted once I was surrounded by the rest of the Maroon Maniacs, figuring that I was stupid enough to get caught, only finding out later that I found a crew that didn't need me to break the law to join and a new friend my own age.
It was weird once I gotten to know her, a girl who never knew her father, whose mother was killed when she was so young it was beyond criminal, with all that she refused to let it take over her life. Here was a girl that had so much in common with the worst of my peers but rather than letting it weigh on her soul, she used it as fuel to drive her forward. Eventually our fast friendship led to her Aunt Pauline giving my mom the number of The Morrison's, some clients of hers who were in the market for a live-in housekeeper for their new home. Before the summer was up I moved to another city and meet a group of peers who let me be who I wanted to be well- me.
"Hey Chandra long day," Eliot Greer, the Morrison's gardener asked I was about to buzz in through the front gate. "I trust your team's going to tear up the court this weekend?"
"You know it Mister Greer!" I cried in confidence as I waved back from where he was pruning the trumpet vines on the gate to try to keep them under control. "So how was the meeting with your parole officer?"
"Same old same old," Eliot shrugged with his massive shoulders. "He's a lot grouchier than normal, his old lady has him on a heart healthy diet and he's suffering because he can't indulge his sweet tooth anymore."
"He's in his fifties right," I remarked trying to remember how old the man was from my previous conversations with Eliot. "At that age he really needs to be careful."
"Yeah but it doesn't mean that he has to like it," Eliot chucked as he kept up his pruning. "Still we all have to deal with the consequences of our actions, I should know better than anybody. By the way, what does the birthday girl have planned for the weekend?"
"Nothing major, just a game against Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Saturday followed by a cross campus fun with the Maroon Maniacs on Sunday." I replied in a matter of fact manner, "Maybe even a pseudo-family get-together with dad if these instructions Marcy gave me on how to setup that video chat work."
"I might swing by to watch your run; I'll be in Chitown anyway to pick up some new geraniums to replace the one's that died last winter. Also wish you luck kid in talking with your dad, he probably misses you something awful; no father should have to miss out on their kid's life growing up." Eliot waxed in a maudlin way as I nodded and headed to the servant's wing (I really wish someone would come up with a better name for that) to get started on my homework.
Part of me also wished Victor knew about the consequences of the life he idolized from those stupid videos; Eliot grew up in a bad neighborhood just as I did. He got a job as an auto mechanic during high school but later started stripping cars on the side for a chop shop; he was twenty-three when the police finally caught him and he lost twelve years of his life in prison. I also knew that he had a kid he hadn't seen since he was locked up, something about the mother denying him the right to visit; seemed a shame since he was always so nice, but that wasn't really any of my business.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:04 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
'Okay, Bea you can do this,' I told myself as I rolled along with my dinner tray in my lap towards my intended destination. As I rolled up to the group my words almost froze in my throat, 'No you need to do this, and there is no more putting it off.'
"E-e-ex-cuse me, d-do you mind i-if I sit with you," I somehow managed to squeak out.
"Sure," Anna Parsons replied with a warm smile. "Please have a seat."
My heart was doing somersaults, for the last few days ever since I became a student I sat alone on the periphery of the other students eating alone; as much as I knew about them from watching through Cytherea's eyes I didn't really know them personally. In fact the few students that I had any sort of personal connection with I could count on my fingers, Randi, Heather and Mirabel I knew from how much time we spent together during therapy before I was a student. Mabel I knew from the fact that she was my roommate but she preferred to keep to herself likely due to her powers.
"Wait aren't you the Headmistress's daughter?" One of the girl's at the table asked in shock, "Why would you want to sit with us?"
"Because you seem like a nice bunch of people," I said as honestly as I could. "And to be honest being new to- well pretty much everything I don't have too many friends."
"What about that wolfgirl over in Poe- what's her name?" One of the girl's at the table asked aloud.
"Faolan," I answered filling her blank for her. "And she's nice and all, but I want to see if I can meet people on my own."
"I can see much wisdom in her words," Rhiannon mused with a sagacious tone in her voice. "Still why would The Headmistress's daughter want to sit with the Underdogs, I heard you were a siren who can turn into a mermaid."
"Actually I'm half-mermaid and the siren talent is inerrant," I explained as maneuvered my hover-chair into a spot for a chair that was not there. "Other than the abilities that all mermaids have, all that I can really do that they cannot is heal people, and without that scepter that Mrs. Redstag gave me to boost my powers even that is kind of limited."
"You mean that video was real!" Lucille trembled with excitement, "That those were real mermaid princesses there."
"Yes, each one of them is the eldest daughter (granddaughter in Evania's case) of the monarch of one of the Mermaid Refugee Colonies." I explained with somewhat of a sad tone, "They are also some of the few merfolk that can leave those colonies without getting slowly turned into Deep Ones by The Traitor's Curse."
"Whoa hold the phone," One of the guys said around the table. "You mean that stuff that Englund says is true, there are really demons out there that turn folks into mindless freaks."
"If by demons you mean the Old Ones, then it's unfortunately true." I explained answering the boy's question. "Deep Ones, or as most call them Fish Men, are actually those with merfolk ancestry who are twisted by a blood curse a traitorous merman cultist that worshiped the Old Ones cast a long time ago; there is a way to lift it but it's complicated and dangerous and until that happens many people are doomed to become them."
"Wait- why are these refugee colonies safe?" Winnie asked with a tone of skepticism in her voice. "How come this curse hasn't reached them?"
"The Curse only affects Earth proper, the Colonies are in the portion of the Fairy Lands that Mrs. Redstag and her council govern and in what's left of the Northern Court what your friend Bladedancer calls the Jade Heavens. As for why those six and I weren't affected, well you see all of us are descendants of the Triton Kings. The Traitor arranged to have my grandfather murdered and used his blood to cast the curse and without something more powerful that those who are of strong Tritonic descent aren't affected by the curse."
"Is there any way we could meet some of these other mermaid's?" Anna asked with excitement and a glimmer of hope in her voice.
"Well- Princess Sorcha of the Golden Sea has arranged to visit every other week to tutor me in better harnessing my voice; I could ask her and to see if she'd stick around to talk. She and Mr. Redstag are in the middle of working with the Mystic Arts Department to convince the school board on beginning a course on spell-singing." I said before I remembered something that I overheard mom talking about the other day with Mrs. Redstag, "Oh and Mrs. Redstag is also trying to get the school board's approval for Princess Evania to become a student here next fall."
"What!" "No way!" "Really?" The other girl's at the table were almost brimming with excitement.
"Hmm, two mermaid hoties taking classes at here, and another one teaching." Miasma mulled over aloud.
"Yeah but she'd be coming in as an Underclassman," I said somewhat disappointed him for saying that but still he was a teenage guy so it was understandable. "Princess Evania is only twelve years old after all." Although her birthday was coming up, maybe I should ask mom if I can go and get her something. Hmm, just what do you get a mermaid princess?
7:12 PM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"I can't believe that you beat Jobe," Jamal commented with no small amount of astonishment to his voice. "I mean during winter he beat Counterpoint in a sparring match."
"I tied with Jobe I didn't beat him," I explained as firmly as I could. "Plus since it was a skills only match he couldn't poison me, and I couldn't turn into a werewolf and maul him or use practice weapons to keep my distance. Besides I beat Counterpoint too." (Granted I would have choked to death afterwards if Lifeline hadn't been there.)
"So you seem unaware of the fact that I was holding back, during our bout." The all too familiar voice of the faux-drow devisor said as she walked by our table with Belpheobe and Bova in tow. "How like a delusional-magic using brute."
"I knew that you were holding back Jobe, but did you consider for a moment that I was as well." I said as a predatory smile graced my face. "You aren't the only person on campus who doesn't want potential adversaries to know what you are truly capable of when they're really backed into a corner. Then again what do I expect from a bio-devisor who remains oblivious to the challenge of a lifetime sitting right under her nose."
"Just what do you mean?" Jobe shot back with a hostile tone on her soprano voice. "I am a genius; there isn't an opportunity on campus to let others know of my sheer genius that I would ever fail to catch my attention."
"Then why is Puppet still confined to her dorm room in Hawthorne," I stated with as even a tone as I could manage, from the look in her eyes Jobe began to fall for my bait. "If you were half the bio-engineering genius that you claim to be, you would easily be able to create a system of biologically compatible organs necessary to make Hazmat's external pump system obsolete during your first semester."
Jobe lit out of Crystal Hall like a match with Belpheobe in tow while Bova lingered behind. "Just what were you thinking unleashing Jobe on that poor girl?"
I answered the former humanoid cow and current faux-drow with an obvious response, "That if she succeeds and Headmistress Carson approves Puppet might have a chance at a semi-normal life outside of school, and that if Jobe fails it will give her a much needed taste of humility. Too much pride can be dangerous and in the case of someone like Jobe it could be dangerous for the world as a whole, we have too many things capable of destroying the world as is without adding another to the mix."
"I hope you're right," Kerry observed with concern in her eye. "Especially if it might make Jobe mad at you, rumor has it he's been trying to kill Carmilla."
"Jobe's mad at a lot of people, but all I did was point out a challenge that she overlooked; she might be proud but she's not petty enough to risk getting Carson po'ed at her." I explained trying to lay down my reasons, "Besides the folks that Jobe hurt or tried to hurt permanently in the past either attacked him like Counterpoint or destroyed his work like Carmilla."
"What? You mean that Carmilla ate the work of someone who makes bio-weapons." Renee goggled with her eyes wider than I thought possible, "Just what is she?"
"Trust me- you don't want to know the answer to that question." I shuddered with my memories of meeting her daddy in The Dreamlands, granted I had seen worse there but that place also filters a lot of the unreality for dreamers who can reach that place. "While it is true that what you don't know can hurt you in this case ignorance is bliss, unfortunately for me I'm already on the radar for such things and I can't afford not to know about them."
"And those that you count as friends would not be a target." Konrad scoffed, "Does the Texan think us fools."
"Not all things follow our brand of logic Konrad," I smiled at the argumentative Romanian. "Besides mankind has a hard enough time deciphering the mind of the opposite gender, how are they supposed to know what goes through the mind of something that is truly outside of their experiences."
"Yes and I'll bet that there are things out there that make a Vogon Poetry Jam a preferable experience." Froggy admitted drawing a curious look from the table. "What? I think that Douglas Adams was a humorous writer for his time."
Boulder City Recreation Center
Boulder City, Nevada
5:27 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"I keep telling you Danny, keep your guard up on your left when you throw an uppercut." Coach Kendrick barked over Danny as he lay flat on the mat after Walter laid him out flat with a right cross. "Remember this isn't the pro's, you’re wearing headgear for a reason, and at your age if you don't take care of your body you never will make it out of the amateurs. Yeah the ribs can take a little abuse but remember the floaters are made to flex, your opponent can use that against you in a bout to build up to a TKO. You're done for the day, Hopewell- Ledoux you're up! Show us what you've got!"
As Walter and Danny exited the practice ring I entered; this was my place nothing else mattered not Jeff's harassment at school, not mom's judgment at home, not even me being different- no this was my place; the ring was where I felt at home, where I felt truly alive. I looked across from me and there was Steve Hopewell, I had nothing against him, he honestly didn't care one way or another that I was what I was, all he cared about was giving his all for what he did.
I knew that this would be a tough match; it always was against Steve perhaps that's why Coach made sure to send us against each other as much as possible. The reason that this was a challenge was that I was a boxer by nature, for me technique was what was important; I wasn't the toughest guy in the gym, far from it but I knew what I could do with what I had.
Steve on the other hand was a slugger, he was built like a semi and hit like a hammer; this was the reason that he was also the devastating Outside Linebacker on our football team, it was his job to break through the line of scrimmage during the snap to take out the other team's Quarterback. Yep on the football team, it was Steve's job to keep the other team from starting a play and here it was to pass out the keys to the hurt locker.
The bell rang and it was on, I rushed Steve trying to get under his guard while keeping my distance; I needed to do this right concentrate on jabs and try to repeat on a few spots without making an obvious pattern while staying on the move. Steve was a slugger inside the ring, I knew that he was keeping his eye out- whoa I dodged to the side just as his glove grazed the side of my headgear; a second later I would have been down on the mat.
I kept jabbing and working my way through his guard; this was a contest of attrition, I needed to keep this up if I wanted the coach to call the fight in my favor. Steve on the other hand just needed one or two hits to down me, and Coach's rule about practice bouts (other than illegal blows weren't allowed) any part of you other than the soles of your boots touches the mat and you lost. Now ordinarily boxer was to slugger what paper was to rock, with swarmers being the scissors, but Steve could soak up hits like a sponge.
Soon enough I saw an opening that headgear or not would have Steve's ears ringing- unfortunately, I never got the chance as he sneaked in a right-cross to my shoulder that knocked me off-balance mid shuffle and caused me to land on my side.
The bell rang and Coach Kendrick shouted out, "Paul props for the footwork and looking for openings but you need to keep sight of your opponent while you’re doing it. Steve don't pat yourself on the back, one minute more and Ledoux would have had you on your keister. All right everyone- that's it for practice matches today, hit the showers and remember signups for the Summer training camp are in three weeks, anyone who wants to compete Silver or Golden Gloves at the end of the year must go to the camp or I won't endorse you- comprende!
No one had any arguments as we hit the rec center's showers, which fortunately for everyone were stalls unlike at school, which were prison style. No and it's not just the whole showering with gay guy thing, a lot of guys just don't like to shower in the open.
I had just got up and started to get dressed when I heard Danny call out after exiting his own stall. "Hey Paul, what're you doing this weekend? My bro hooked me up with some tickets to the fight this weekend, me and some of the other guys are going to bounce around the shows on The Strip before hand, you want to come with?"
"I don't know if I can." I explained with uncertainty, "There's that test on Monday and if I don't keep up my A-average my mom won't let me box or try out for wrestling next year, plus she doesn't want me going anywhere near Vegas."
"Geez, when is that woman going to cut the cord." Steve stated as he shook his head in disbelief before a dizzy spell from that earlier punch hit and sent him against the wall. "Whoa, Walt you got some real stuff I'm still feeling that last right you gave me."
"Yeah be careful going home on the bus Danny," Walt said with an ounce of concern. "Really though Paul, what is your mom's problem, I've known her forever and she's always been a hardass. What's weird is I know that she isn't married and no one's ever seen her go on a date, I just can't figure her out."
"That makes two of us, but I'll try asking her." I replied trying to hide my lie, I already knew her answer.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
6:12 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
There always was a feeling of reluctance whenever I returned home after going to the rec center or well- most places really, I could never understand just why- it just was there. I walked in to see that mom wasn't there, hardly unusual her secretarial work always had her coming home late during the week, just as well I wanted as much time as possible to wait before confronting her with this question, besides I could always use the time for studying and homework.
It was weird no matter if I was the only one here or if mom was home the house never really felt like a home, but for some reason I always came back even kids who loved their parents had at least tried to run away once when they were young but I never did. It was always odd as if something was keeping me here, don't get me wrong my mom might have been my mom, but we never really felt close- she was always chilly like she blamed me for ruining her youth.
Well- not as much as she blamed the father I never met, she always said that he was a bastard and a mistake and that the world was better off without him in it. I don't know if that meant that he was dead or not, but part of me always wondered if I would feel better if I was with him than with my mother. Feeling wound up like an antique clock I went up the stairs to my room and got to work at my desk, sparing a moment to glance at the poster of one of my childhood heroes that decorated my wall.
"I wonder how you would have handled this El Santo," I said with a sigh. Okay I know that it was ridiculous that man was a Luchadore and a star of a slew of B-movies but for some reason I liked to watch them when I was younger, some I still did. I picked the poster up for four bucks when I was ten at a local flea market and the thing had clearly seen better days, but part of me still liked the image that it displayed of the noble masked man- that and it covered this nasty crack in the wall that always gave me the creeps.
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
8:45 PM EDT
Greg Paulson was pushing his broom along the basement rooms when his cellphone started to vibrate, "Hold on a second guys, I don't feel so good, I think one of the security spells might be leaking."
Once he stepped into an empty stall in the restroom and activated a privacy charm Greg barked into his phone, "Make it fast Will, we're real busy here and I don't have much time."
"Greg is that anyway to talk to an old friend, especially a friend that you owe so much to, now remember our agreement." Will's sleazy voice came over the phone. "So have you come across anything that my employer would find worthwhile?"
"Now that you mention it we're opening a few of the Black Vaults tomorrow, word is that the Circle is alive and they want some of their stuff prepped for shipment to Scratch's turf." Greg said over the phone.
"Interesting," Will said in a tone that made you know that he was smiling at what he had heard. "The boss has some folks interested over what's inside Dark Vault 11, you do remember how to setup that reception ritual right?"
"Of course all the stuff is in my locker along with the concealment charm." Greg explained. "Although I doubt that's enough for your boss; what else do you want me to do."
"For starters get a pin," Will stated as he prepared the instructions.
"Wait a minute, won't this get The Circle pissed at me?" Greg asked purely out of concern for his own hide.
"Not a chance, they're fakes who work for Scratch; the real Circle is long dead." Will laughed over the phone. "Hell I remember watching the footage of Reverend Englund hacking Mister Domino to bits myself.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
6:48 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I collapsed to the floor heaving in exhaustion, if I were still able to do so I would probably be sweating by the bucket full as well.
"Child you still have much to learn in order to be an effective fighter," Sha Wujing stated in his usual calm tone as he reclined back against the wall of the cave that I had called home for the past month.
"Hey, I know that I'm no black belt but I've been taking lessons in the neighborhood since I was little." I shot back with a bite to my tone. "I know that I have a lot to go, but I'm no rookie."
"That makes this much more difficult," Sha Wujing sighed as he shook his head. "It is always more difficult to unlearn once you have learned, after all a pot half-filled with brackish water must be emptied and thoroughly scrubbed clean before it is used to brew proper tea."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" I asked as I tried to jump to my feet only to wince and fall back to the ground as the pain that I felt told me just what a back idea that was.
"What you know at this moment are techniques that are meant for the old you to perform, your body is not what it once was my young dragon." Sha Wujing explained as he began to pace around my prone body. "You no longer have human feet, indeed your dragon talons are almost as dexterous as your hands. Now that you possess a tail your center of balance is altered, moreover your tail itself can aid you in combat. You no longer have finger-nails, instead you now possess claws and you must keep this in mind while fighting."
"Okay- I get it- I'm not human anymore, I'm some kind of mutant who looks like a dragon!" I shouted at the top of my lungs as my tears began to flow, as much as I hated to admit this it was how I felt, as if I was no longer myself.
"No you are a human-mutant who is half Fucanglong," Sha Wujing corrected me as he headed back to where I thought the entrance to the cave was. "And when you are ready to hear more I will tell it to you."
"He will be back tomorrow to continue your lessons," Kelsey explained as she helped me to get back to my feet. "I also know that what he told you hurts but you need to accept it; you are not entirely human anymore, this is not a bad thing it is merely another faucet of yourself."
Kelsey focused on her staff for a moment, something of a habit that I've begun to suspect means she's using it to check on things that are going on elsewhere. "From what I gather you and the Western Maiden both have to learn how to accept this fact."
"And what about the other two, how are they different?" I asked as my curiosity about them was finally being revealed to me.
"The Maiden of the East was born as she is, she is merely learning about life," Kelsey explained as she made her way to the faux kitchenette that she set up to help begin dinner.
"And what about the Southern Maiden, you never said anything about her?" I asked wanting a straight answer.
"That is complicated, because at present she is unaware of a great deal." Kelsey said in an almost wistful tone. Ugh, I hate it when she does that, it means that she won't tell me anything else no matter what.
Private Practice Room - Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
9:01 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
I collapsed to the floor as my latest sparring partner returned to the jar of form, a problem of my own making. After about a week into my training, I complained to Morrigan that I was worried about my skills growing stale with only her as a sparring partner now at the tail end of every one of our compressed time sparing sessions she has me go toe to toe with a deceased warrior from a period in history. She summons their spirits with her own powers and abilities, uses the jar to grant them substance and armaments, then directs them to come at me in their chosen style.
Using this method I've spared against seasoned veterans from a dozens of tribes and civilizations throughout the modern age of man; note only the modern age Morrigan claims that until my skills in the mystic arts improve I am still too green to test my mettle against those who lived during the era of the Five Fold Court. Earlier I asked her if that included her given that, she was a general back then, she claimed that, "I really need to use the kiddie gloves with you short-stack." After that, she sicced a freaking Norse Berserker on me.
I looked over to where Jane was perched with her mother Badb and said in-between huffs as I tried to catch my breath, "Jane do me a favor if I ever think about telling Morrigan that she's going soft on me, give me a good jolt of static to remind me otherwise."
"If you wish it child I shall do so," Jane stated as she flew from her perch to the ground next to me. "But if I was to do so too often how would you learn from your errors?"
"Not all of my mistakes," I said as I tried to laugh before I winced in pain. "Just the mistakes I make concerning Morrigan and my combat training; specifically me saying something potentially hazardous to my health."
"Do you require a visit from Nightingale Randi?" Jane asked with a tone of concern in her voice.
"No I'll just sleep curled up on the floor tonight," I said as I shrugged off my rank and tattered gi and shifted into my wolf form almost moaning in the relief as my aches and pains were fading into distant memory.
"By the way Randi- Jane told me that you and Candace are planning on going to Boston this weekend." Morrigan said as she began to clean up while Badb in her human form helped me gather my garments into a trash bag.
"Yes- she called in a date that she talked me into promising her last month," I sighed. "Personally I wish that we could have picked a destination other than Boston with all the times the Kimbas have been attacked there this year the administration is starting to think it's too dangerous to let students go there anymore."
"I know, the school board is split right now," Morrigan admitted begrudgingly. "Half want to only allow students to go there in groups with a teacher escort, while the other half is starting to suggest Portland as an alternative given that it's well outside of The Children of the Night's area of operation and just as far away."
"I can't imagine either choice would be too popular with the student body, but considering all that's happened over the school year I can understand the administration's reasoning." I huffed as Badb's compressing my laundry bag before tying it out sent out a spray of rank odor that knocked me for a loop. "Ughhhh-" I shook my head to regain my senses, "Still at least they didn't suggest Manchester that would likely spark a student riot if it came to pass."
"That may be but they'd be in for a hell of a fight," Morrigan said with a smile as I maneuvered the sack of dirty laundry into the empty gem on my collar while Jane took up to using it as a perch. We made our way out of the building with Jane using her elemental nature to trigger the handicap switches on the doors as we went into the New England night air.
I still wasn't used to the temperature or the elevation yet after growing up in the mild plains of Texas, granted I was from the city but that was beside the point.
At least my new furry coat helped cut the chill out of the air. Even the fact that I had shed my winter coat with the help of the school's animal care service, they didn't even bat an eye at it, but I guess given that the Academy itself is built on the land of the theriathropes of the Medawihla Tribe you get used to such requests.
So Randi, any idea where Candace plans on going in Boston? Jane asked me over our link as we made our way along the path from Laird curving around Doyle to hook up to the branching southward path that connected Melville, Poe and Hawthorne to Crystal Hall and Shuster. As we got up to the door Jane sent out a static jolt to trip the circuit in the doorbell and let Mrs. H know we were out here.
After a few minutes she came to the door with a cross look on her face, probably thought it was a ding-dong-ditch, before she looked down and spotted the two of us. "Randi what are you doing? You could have just opened the door yourself you know."
"Not really, my normal form is one giant aching bruise right now," I chuckled as best I could.
"That and the young lady here is in desperate need of a shower," Jane remarked as she took flight inside to perch on old Edger.
"Not until I've at least had a few minutes to mend," I shot back verbally this time. "Plus the clothes I was wearing are in a laundry bag since they reek almost as bad as Miasma on chili day."
Bella nodded as I made for the stairs and my room to grab my kit and a towel, leaving my bathrobe behind this time. Candace didn't even look up since she was in the middle of cramming for the History test tomorrow in Fourth Period the two of us had in our only shared class, I wasn't too worried it was a subject I'd always done well in and I went over my notes and text daily.
After waiting a few minutes until I was sure that it wouldn't feel like I was being tortured, I transformed back to my humanesque form (wolf-tail and ears still included) and went into the stall. Okay I still hurt like hell but at least I could walk, I went to work cleaning myself up while keeping the spray on gentle. Once I was done, I wrapped the towel around myself and headed back for my room, and caught a wolf whistle along the way.
I turned to spy Riptide with a smirk on her face in the hallway, "Putting on a bit of a late night show R-dog?"
"No just taking a shower here instead of at Laird," I said with a wince. "Sparring was rather rough tonight, but next time I’ll think twice before saying anything stupid to Morrigan." That caught a grimace as I headed back to my room, some last minute studying and a much needed night’s rest on the floor; besides I needed to wake up early tomorrow to do the laundry.
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
9:27 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
After dinner, I headed downstairs to my dad’s workshop, no not the regular workshop in the basement that looked like something an IT geek would work in, dad’s real workshop in the secret sub-basement underneath the house.
I saw dad with his glamour charm off in the middle of his open work-space making some soldering connections into a circuit board to what looked like the leg off a suit of power armor. "That doesn’t look like one of the new Star Marshall line, working on the next iteration already?" I asked as I looked over his work.
"No this is a prototype for the Warlock suits that we’re working on for the Nines and the Tens in the Sweeper Squads," Dad said as he kept working on the connections. "We’re reverse-engineering designs that one of the Reverents swiped from a Goodkind International R&D facility and a few ideas that our people who aren’t Excel employees have come up with that we couldn’t employ in the Star Marshall line without arousing suspicion from those not in the loop. So my little grease monkey, what’s on your mind something was obviously bothering you at dinner. Usually you’re swooning when your mom makes her ratatouille."
"Elinore Jaffee heard through the Axcel grapevine that you and mom are going out of town on the weekend, she wants to commandeer the house for one of her weekend parties." I said laying out the problem, "If I tell her no she’s going to make my social life around school hell."
"Some parents just spoil their kids rotten," Dad muttered under his breath. "Why can’t she have it at that big mansion her family owns, it certainly has more than enough room?"
"Her dad’s got important people over there to kiss their butts for the city election next year; he might be trying to garner support for a mayoral run later this year." I said filling in the facts and connecting the dots.
"I don’t understand what you’re so worried about Joan, odds are you’re going to manifest soon and if that happens we’ll just ask Dame Scratch for her approval to send you to Whateley." Dad said as he set down the soldering iron, to look at me.
"Yeah but what if I don’t manifest and even then what if someone figures out who you and mom really are?" I asked desperately, "I like this house, I don’t want to have to move and we never have anyone over so that no one figures it out."
"That’s just when we’re here dear," Mom said as she came into the room with her usual evening glass of rosette. "We’ve always been worried that if you’re friends were overexposed to the glamour charms that we have to wear without the reinforcement that the Excel factory gives them would let them see through them and figure out we’re really Atropos and Gremlin, that or have try to have your father arrested considering I look like I’m your age. I tell you what you’ll be allowed to have your party while we’re out of town on our mission, if we have Nicole Snyder from work over to supervise and make sure that no one stumbles into something that they shouldn’t see."
"Isn’t that one of the Reverents?" I asked somewhat concerned given that they sometimes lacked discretion when it came to clean up.
"No she’s a demi-succubus," That moment I wouldn't be surprised if I was looking at mom like she'd grown a second head. "She’s in the middle of studying for her Master’s Degree over at UT and is interning for Axcel as part of her cover. She’ll make sure that nothing happens and everyone will just think of her as a hot college intern that your parents sweet-talked into doing this as a favor."
"Alright, thanks mom." I said as my anxiety began to die down, enough for me to notice something. "Mom, have you been raiding my closet again?"
"What can I say dear?" Mom smiled as she struck a pose showing off another of my outfits, "If you’ve got it flaunt it!"
Last Edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Insane Hiker.
7 years 5 months ago #3
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Reception Ritual
A ritual used to receive the effects of another nearby ritual. Conceived during the Age of Enlightenment as a method of preserving both time and rare/expensive spell ingredients a reception ritual can allow one practitioner to work cheaply and more efficiently by using one ritual to affect multiple targets.
Jar of Form
An artifact used to grant a solid form to an incorporeal spirit. Such Jars are crafted individually and their effects can vary. When a spirit granted physical form is banished the substance from the jar, which grants them form, returns to the Jar itself. *Warning* Always keep properly sealed and warded when not in use, possessive entities may use improperly sealed jars to obtain physical form.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 2 Notes
Reception Ritual
A ritual used to receive the effects of another nearby ritual. Conceived during the Age of Enlightenment as a method of preserving both time and rare/expensive spell ingredients a reception ritual can allow one practitioner to work cheaply and more efficiently by using one ritual to affect multiple targets.
Jar of Form
An artifact used to grant a solid form to an incorporeal spirit. Such Jars are crafted individually and their effects can vary. When a spirit granted physical form is banished the substance from the jar, which grants them form, returns to the Jar itself. *Warning* Always keep properly sealed and warded when not in use, possessive entities may use improperly sealed jars to obtain physical form.
7 years 5 months ago - 6 years 5 months ago #4
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Thursday April 19th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:00 AM EDT
Quinn Mayer looked on as Pierce Randall began to layout the necessary materials to begin the ritual for opening the Black Vaults, every one of the staff was anxious to see what lay inside of those mysterious doors- all of them except for Greg Paulson. No Greg was busy working under a concealment spell in front of Black Vault Eleven, quietly setting up the same type of reception ritual that Pierce had earlier near each of the vault doors that Greygus had asked them to get ready for transportation.
Once setup, the door would be open and no one would be the wiser for a day and a night, he had already checked an old-school fae-type changeling of himself into the hospital. By the time the fake expired, he'd be long-gone and the goods would be on the way to Will's employer; an employer who was obligated to make a generous contribution into a Cardonian Bank Account that Greg had under the new identity that he had setup for himself.
Now that he thought about it, the promised amount would likely go up if some of the contents of the other Vaults wound up headed to said employer as well. Greg knew that his skill as a mage was far under par, but his skills at forgery were definitely up there; he could fake Quinn's signature easily, which was how the goods were going to get to Will in the first place. All he needed was to use a non-perception charm to sneak some of the contents out of the crates Scratch's people were going to pick up and set them in another empty crate headed to Will's employer.
If said employer wanted to keep them, it would be more money, or if he wanted to sell them to another interested party, it would also mean more money just at a later date; either way this would be a win-win. Who cared if Scratch got po'ed, after all she was already po'ed at a lot of people outside of her sphere of influence and they were still fine; plus he would have the perfect alibi since everyone would think he was dead.
Greg looked on as Quinn began his ritual and all of the receivers began to flare, including his own. As no one noticed him or the extra reception ritual under the concealment charm Greg knew that his plan was flawless, he could almost taste the Mai Tai's he'd be enjoying in his new early retirement.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Tonight Greyback decided to show me a little more about the other half of my dual-heritage, and what better place to learn than the Hall of Echoes. Granted it took about six months for the two of us to travel overland to the endless and eternal City of Celephaïs from grandmother's palace in the City of Forgotten Dreams, but one night asleep on earth can equal up to a year of time spent in the Dreamlands and I still had six to go before I woke up.
For those who are unaware the Hall of Echoes is much like the Ancient Library of Alexandria, equal parts Library and Museum; in fact some would argue that Dinocrates himself actually visited Celephaïs once in his childhood and the subconscious memory was part of what inspired him when he was building Alexandria. Yes, the Hall of Past Echoes had recorded within its walls every civilization of every world in every era, granted that much of it was kept restricted by the Perceivers of Being; mysterious creatures who I thought resembled a human heart with tentacles for appendages.
I know given who I was related to I could have complained that it was unfair for them to restrict me, but such unrestricted access could grant one knowledge of the future and thus allow one to tamper with events that had yet to occur. Still I was out to learn of the past not the future, more specifically the past of the Eastern Court and the now lost Kingdom of the currently buried Mesopian Sea. If I was supposed to help reintroduce the merfolk to Earth, I wanted to know more about them, I mean I was half mermaid and had met a few full-blooded mermaid princesses who I considered possible friends but I still needed to know more about what this meant.
Even more so considering that along the way I would learn more about the other mother who I had never known Princess Thalatté, it was still strange when I thought about it using traditional definitions my mother Liz was technically my father given that a blood sample from her fertilized the egg I hatched from into the world. Then again, according to what Greyback told me about Randi she was actually living her second life, having lost the body of her original birth to a warlock's act of spite. Randi also told me that she found her old body had been revived and was being used by someone; she wouldn't tell me who mind you but I suppose that was nobody's business but her's.
Having already checked in at what could be considered the front desk Greyback guided me to a dais in front of a wall that had the vague outline of an arch on the wall.
"Select desired topic of knowledge!" An oddly ethereal voice came as the dais glowed with each word it spoke.
"The desired topics that we wish to peruse are: A General Overview of the Eastern Court of the Five-Fold Courts of Atlantis, Cultural Overview, General History from Foundation to Sundering, Culture and Daily Life of the Kingdom of the Coral Crown, History of the Mesopian Refuge, Merfolk of the Jade Heavens, and Merfolk of the Wild Court of Faerie for the young lady here with me. As for myself I would like Faerie of the Court of the Silent Willow, Daily Life of the Court of the Silent Willow, Daily Life of the Wild Court of Faerie, and Culture of the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil." Greyback stated before wall within the outline of the arch faded into non-existence. Greyback then stated, "Please seal the arch after the next two individuals enter, we wish for privacy."
"Very well, understand that for the sanity of guests a perception filter will shroud any images of higher-dimensional beings within desired archives within." The dias explained as Greyback and I entered the room that had just appeared before us.
After we were fully within the room, the wall reappeared behind us and Greyback turned to answer the question that was clearly on my mind. "As Queen Tiamat stated no being on the Dreamlands may harm you; however I would still wish for some measure of privacy while we are here. After all you are here to learn, I do not wish for something to take advantage of a receptive mind and even the will of The Outer Ones cannot penetrate the walls of the Hall of Echoes."
The room itself was a giant rotunda, after taking in the domed ceiling my eyes wandered to a collection of luminous blue spheres resting on various pedestals.
"Within each sphere rests knowledge on one of the topics I requested of the dais, all that you have to do is gaze into the depths of a sphere and your will shall guide you as you explore that which you wish to know." Greyback explained as he sat on his haunches took a moment to stretch before walking over to another selection of luminous green spheres. "If you need me I'll be doing a little research of my own."
"Yes sir," I said as I gazed into the sphere before me to learn more about the past of the Eastern Court. As more information poured into my eyes with a realistic context to go with it I realized that this would probably take a while to learn all Greyback had requested on my behalf, and that was accounting for the time that I could spend in the Dreamlands over a single night's sleep.
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:15 AM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
As my alarm sounded I woke up to notice something odd; although the feeling of waking up in my wolf-form and on a well-worn blanket on the floor was not a new one, I had become fairly used to doing so during the winter-semester when I was being trained by Anu (although not so much since Morrigan took over for her). This time I realized that a great many things were different as I left the comfort of the dream I’d been having, making my way parkour style through a forest that made Endor look like a joke with a team whose faces I couldn't recognize and entered the waking world. For one I had a small blanket that had been thrown over me, two there was a rather long pillow resting beneath my lupine head, and three someone rather naked and female was cuddling me from behind also resting using the aforementioned pillow and blanket.
I was too shocked to move, despite the fact that I was awake, I sniffed the air and could tell that said individual was my dorm-mate Candace even before she said, "Good morning!" behind my ear and briefly hugged me more firmly for a moment pressing her ample breasts into my back.
I wanted to ask just what she thought that she was doing but for some reason all that came out of my mouth was, "Gahaa..."
"I'm sorry," Candace said in subtle tone before loosening her grip. "But you were just so cute laying there that I couldn't help myself and your fur feels so nice."
Candace slipped her left-arm out from under my body as she got up to stretch in the buff, granted I had seen this sight often since she sleeps au-natural, but I still lay there staring at her with my eyes and mouth wide open as she put on her robe and grabbed her bathroom kit. I just laid there in shock before Jane jolted be back to reality, "Oh for heaven-sake's child, she just curled up next to you after you went to sleep; nothing happened and you need to get ready for classes you have a History examination after lunch and your power-based combat evaluation during sixth period, you need to get moving."
I shook myself, shifted back to normal and to a glance at the clock, it was already 6:35- I needed to get moving. I threw on my robe and headed out the door dodging the usual morning commotion in the hallways. As I made it to the showers, I noticed that there was no line and all of the stalls were unoccupied, well at least I saved myself a daily round of Tempest's venomous tirades on former (or current) three-leggers or lewd glances from Phase or Vamp in the mirror as they brushed their teeth for an extra-long period of time. When Jade finally stepped out of the left-most stall, I took her place determined to play catch up for today, and take care of that bag of extra-ripe workout clothes currently in my collar.
I really needed to get a new kempogi from the student store, this one was now on its last legs, and if it made it to the end of the year, I'd probably have to dispose of it as a biohazard. Note to self, find out the location of the thermonuclear blast furnace where Team Wondercute disposes of Jericho's most abominable fashion-disasters, and throw it in before Jobe tries to harvest it for samples. Well that or talk Badb into stashing it in Peeper's locker, she'd probably go for that in an instant.
Yes mother would, I heard Badb sigh in embarrassment over our link. however please don't encourage her.
Dickinson Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:41 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Just like yesterday, Fatigue returned from the showers to find me making my way across the room, this time without almost taking a spill onto the ground. "You're really making progress Bea," Mabel observed as she carefully walked into the room and went to get dressed for class. "At this rate you'll be saying good-bye to the chair before combat finals."
"I hope so," I said as I finally reached the other side of the room. Finally, next to the window, I steadied myself and turned the chair around to get back inside. "I have things I need to do this summer, and I want to do it on my own two feet."
"Oh, let me guess," Mabel said as she smiled while tucking her now buttoned blouse into her skirt. "Our cottage's resident mermaid is hitting the beach, maybe planning on working her siren song on a handsome sun-bronzed life-guard in a tight crimson speedo."
My face was probably doing a good impression of a cooked lobster with that comment. "M-m-maybe later in the s-summer," I stammered as my hand fumbled with the controls. It took me a minute to regain my composure as her words fed my imagination, granted I filed that image away for later, preferably when I was in private. "But I have something that I need to do this summer, something of a family matter."
"Yeah I forgot that Shelly should be saying hello to the world again in July," Mable mused while touching up her makeup in the closet's mirror. "I bet it will be neat meeting your big sister, well the one who hasn't made you an aunt already."
"Yeah and I'm excited about that too; although I hope that she doesn't dislike me because of how I look, I heard about the details over what happened to her from Anna over dinner last night." I said as she maneuvered this hovering pain over to the bed to get her toiletries for the shower. "But this has to do with my Uncle on the other side of my family; it's a little...problematic."
"Well I hope it works itself out," Mabel said in a chipper tone as she sat down to check her homework.
"So do I." I said with my fears leaking into my voice as I maneuvered the hover chair to the Freshman Bathroom, thankful that Dickinson had been updated to handicap access a long time ago with stools available for use in the showers.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
8:17 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I had just finished cleaning the dishes off from breakfast when the Sand Hermit returned, my martial arts may have a long way to go but at least my cooking skills were improving mainly out of necessity. I had noticed that I was starting to eat like a horse then again I doubt that was hardly surprising. I guess between the torture, the sleep deprivation and the confinement I never noticed just how much the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn was starving me. Well that or there was more protein in that bland gruel that they gave me than I thought, I swear if I ever see one more bowl of what they dared to call rice porridge again I'll scream right before barbacuing the waiter.
"Good morning Ms Chen," Sha Wujing said in his serious manner with a polite bow as I finished putting away the dishes. "Forgive me for arriving so early; however I thought it best that we get started early."
"Yes, I understand," I replied as I walked towards the celestial being. "I need to get used to my new body if I'm going to have to learn how to defend myself. So what will we be working on today, how to use my tail properly?"
"We shall work on combat later today Ms Chen, I did not agree to come here only to teach you the art of war. Sha Wujing explained as he sat down in a meditative stance. "No our first lesson today is not one of fighting, it is another vital skill that I have to teach you, one that will prove far more useful."
"Do you mean meditation?" I asked trying to discern what we were going to be up to this morning.
"No we shall be working on the art of transformation." The Sand Monk elaborated as he bade me to join him. "After I am done you will be able to resemble your old self should you so desire to move about without attracting unwarranted attention, as well as other forms that should prove useful to you in the future."
"I could look like me again, like how I used to be and not some pinup girl from a fantasy magazine?" I asked halfway embarrassed by my own question. "I can really do that?"
"If you succeed in learning these lessons, then yes you can indeed look like your old self." Sha confirmed my speculation without betraying a single emotion.
"Well then let's get started," I demanded ready to listen intently to every word while I waited for him to begin. "We're wasting daylight."
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
12:14 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Hey Randi are you worried any about that test in sixth period?" Jamal asked as he looked up from his history textbook while munching on his mac and cheese.
"Not really," I said while poking around my house salad. "History's always been my best subject, no to answer your question what I'm really worried about is my next two martial-arts evaluations; they have me scheduled to take my powers evaluation today and my tool-use evaluation in sixth period advanced aikido."
"Bah, of course it's easy." Konrad scoffed in his usual manner when he began his tirades. "American history is brief and self-serving; it only goes back six centuries at most unlike that of a country such as Romania; we are also not afraid to criticize our past mistakes, unlike some who sanitize their history. It also figures that a lazy American would be afraid of a little physical effort."
"Radu- Whateley is a private school not one run by the state or a local school board." Gina stated as she stabbed another meatball in her spaghetti. "The history in our texts is surprisingly unbiased, such as the one on the labor disputes in the 50's. Also I would be nervous too in Randi's shoes, sixth period advanced Aikido is what the martial-arts nuts take; folks like Chaka, Bladedancer and Nightbane."
"Not to mention Jericho," Kerry said with a slight smile on her face. "All he'd need to do to win would be to show someone the undershirt he'd be wearing under his gi."
"That might not work on me," I chuckled. "Fortunately like most natural canines, my wolf form is color blind; still I don't think it would save me from everything Bugs showed me that he tried out during the fall, I heard that he even has an undershirt that made a merc in power armor vomit inside of his helmet."
"Come on Randi, not even Jericho is that bad." Erze said as she rolled her eyes at me.
"Do you want to dare him to prove you wrong?" Froggy asked with a fang-full grin."
"No!" I joined everyone else at the table to reply to the Brit at our table, the only Brit at the moment given that Rob Rose was currently on his lunchtime attempt to woo Nacht.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:07 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Say Chandra," Nita said as she paused from her noodle casserole. "I've been thinking since your birthday's coming up what do you say to a little party while we're in Moline."
"Nita- I don't know if we should stick around," I said with an ounce of trepidation. "I don't want to feel the wrath of any sore losers if we sweep the other team."
"Oh come on C-dra this is a junior high lady's basketball game in Illinois not high school football in small town Texas; now if it was boy's basketball then we might be in trouble." Marcy stated as she nudged me in the side. "Alright, I've done a little digging and as it turns out theres this old-fashioned ice cream parlor there we can hit.
She had to bring up my not so secret weakness, I have always been a sucker for ice cream, and old-fashioned ice-cream parlor often meant they were also creameries who made their own in the back to up the quality. Okay, I admit that I was a little obsessed whenever someone brought up ice cream, mom always joked that if I wasn't into athletics that she'd have to roll me to school after summer vacation was over.
Candace knew about this and one of the things that she sent me during her trip to Phili (the day before the MCO disappeared her) were pictures from when she and her group visited a place called The Franklin Fountain, man was I jealous- at least I was until I heard what happened to her group. "Fine, but we leave the first sign of trouble."
"Hey oreo," my daily migraine said in his faux street lingo as his crew marched up to the table where I sat with the other girls from the Lady's Basketball team, "Last chance to come party with us as we skirt the club scene in Chi-town that is unless you want to hang out with those Co-Oppers at Snob-U."
"Does that mean that you and your crew of posers will stop bothering me from now on?" I asked hoping that he'd say yes. "Because if it does then all I have to say is something that you're likely to hear for many years in the future Victor; no means no!"
"Fo' the last time it's VT! You are really push'n the line girl," Victor said with his nostrils starting to flare. "Some day yo' 'tude will get you hurt."
"And read my lips Victor," I said as I stood up to glare at him eye to eye. "If you don't grow up and start living in the real world then one of these days you're likely to wind up being a very special friend to your roommate."
Victor and his crew walked off none of them even comprehending what I'd just said to him. As I sat back down Alice looked at me with a weird expression, "Did you just tell Victor that if he didn't straighten out then he'd be some guy's..."
"Yup, if Victor and his posy plan to start frequenting places that he shouldn't he might just wind up in a heap of trouble and I don't think that his dad will be able to bail him out. You never can tell when you might find yourself in a bad situation and if you're in the wrong place when it happens then a bad situation might turn into an even worse one." I said as I got back to lunch. "I mean look at what happened to Candace, you never can tell when something that changes everything will happen."
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, Texas
12:38 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"So Joan," Elinore Jaffee began as she approached my table with her usual hangers on from the cheerleading squad. "Do you have an answer about the party this weekend? Have they finally decided to let their little princess have a ball?"
It always amazed me how she could say what she did and no matter what it never felt demeaning coming from her mouth, I swear someone needed to examine her for abilities. "They said it was okay-"
"Alright then I'll begin spreading the word around, and give you instructions on how to get ready for a proper party." Elinore proclaimed as she interrupted me mid sentence.
"There is a catch though," I said as I began to lay out the few rules my parents gave me last night. "The Office, the Basement and their Bedroom are off limits to party-goers."
"That's pretty standard fare dear," Elinore replied while waving off my concerns like she knew that there was no one that would come to the party that would break them.
"Also one of the college interns from Axcel will be in The Study and coming out periodically to help keep an eye on things." I continued and after laying out the final proviso, Elinore was plainly disappointed.
"What? You mean your parent's want to leave us with a chaperone," Elinore said as if the word left a sour taste in her mouth.
"Just someone to keep an eye out to make sure that nobody sets the house on fire, like what happened over winter break." I said with a grin on my face as I reminded the head cheerleader of that incident.
"Like- that was a bonfire- of course we were supposed to set it," Elinore explained trying to override my point. "How were we supposed to know that it would spread like it did?"
"Maybe it would have helped if you cleared it with the Fire Marshall first," I explained before further stating. "Plus we hadn't had rain for a month and nobody cleared the undergrowth out first."
"At least it's a college kid," Elinore said as she mulled over the matter. "I'd hate to have some old grandpa telling us to keep the music down."
"Yeah somehow I doubt she's going to be free to micro-manage the party," I said explaining the situation a little further. "She's going to be working on term-papers while she's there, so you won't have to worry about her stealing the guy's attention away from you all the time."
"Darn, it had to be a girl," Elinore said before turning around. "I was almost hoping for some cool college guy! Oh well you can't have everything."
'That's all she was concerned about, shesh it must be nice to have so few real cares.' I thought as I got back to picking through my lunch, 'At least she doesn't have to worry about changing into who knows what in a year; then again I may wind up one of those super-model exemplars types.'
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:27 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Great here I was in the class of martial-arts nut jobs; the type of folks who ate, breathed and slept this stuff. Granted because of Morrigan's temporal compression spells I now got more training done in one night then they could get done in a week; my opponents in my training were still human, masters in their style with skill and discipline that defied belief but still human. Face facts Randi; this is the land of Dragons, Tigers and Kimbas; you're so hosed it isn't even funny.
I was currently watching Chaka and Nightbane go toe to toe on the mat, so chances are neither of them would be my opponent; neither were Gritty and Lancer who were now going all out as they got closer and closer to the capture cage. Finally one of the matches broke, Gritty fell for a feint and overextended a punch; Lancer took the opportunity to launch her into the open cage with a TK-shove and shut the door with a spinning roundhouse.
"Winner Lancer," Tolmon-sensei explained while before giving her assessment. "Gritty please work on your observational skills, you should have seen through that feint." As the two regular students left the mat, Tolman called out. "Alright, next up Faolan and Draco!"
As instructed, I got on the mat, thankful that I had the time this morning to launder my practice gi. While there were a dozen opponents in this class who would be worse to fight, I knew from New York what Draco was capable of in a fight. There was also the scuttlebutt around campus was that once his armor was summoned his stamina was unlimited until it went down; as for myself my werewolf and ravewolf forms worked on an metabolism like that of an energizer. Granted that I had a big lunch today and a tube of energizer foodpaste (to refuel later) in my bag, but I would still have to be careful; in all I knew that my best bet was the capture cage.
I took my position opposite of Draco on the mat and bowed, I was as tense as a compressed spring and from what I could read of him Draco was much the same. "Begin!"
At Tolman's command, we both took action, and that was to wait for each other to make the first move; I was still in my normal form and Draco was still unarmored. The two of us slowly stalked the other as we inched closer and closer to meeting in the center. When we neared four feet from each other I decided to make my move, while I was sidling I mis-stepped and lost-balance; Draco seized the opportunity and armored up.
He tried to hit me with a flying falcon strike while I was off-balance- too bad for him I didn't trip on accident; while off balance I transformed into a wolf, rolled using my new center of gravity and pounced while he was mid-air. Draco caught on quick and used his free-hand in a palm strike to my chest to push me back and give him time to land and recover his guard; unfortunately for him I landed first shifted to werewolf form and sprung back.
His strikes met my own as each of us tried to gain momentum and the upper-hand on the other with our bare claws. I tried not to get two caught up in the moment, I knew that we were getting close to the capture cage, and Draco had the reach advantage- for now.
The cage was within feet of us and I was the one being backed into it; this might be a martial-arts match but powers were allowed now and fortunately for me shifting wasn't all I could do, I needed to time this carefully I moved carefully while preparing my plan. I was three feet away from the cage, and I knew that it was now or never; I threw a desperate punch (and sloppy punch at Draco's face, that he stopped by grabbing my forearm.
Before he could take advantage of the situation I opened my hand and shouted Fuzzy Pickles! before the mana I'd been pooling transformed into a intense burst of light. Draco was blinded as his eye's hyper-dilated he instinctually let go of my arm to grab his face, free once more I shifted into my ravewolf form dove around him, and before Draco could recover I used my digigrate legs to donkey kick into the Capture cage before slamming the door shut and changing back.
"Winner Faolan," Sensei Tolman announced and rather than offering advice to Draco turn to me and said. "I hope that you know that won't work twice in a fight."
"I didn't work on that spell to use in a straight up fight," I began to explain. "It's just a quick and dirty spell that I worked on it to use on folks wearing night-vision gear or in the dark."
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:40 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"Hey Queermo!" I heard from behind me as I heard Jeff say as he approached as I lost my appetite. Honestly I don't get why he had to keep singling me out every day, I know for a fact that I wasn't the only gay guy in school, so why me every damned day?
"I heard that you're trying to drag our Linebacker to Vegas and turn him into a fag just like you!" Jeff stated in a tone that told me that this time it wasn't his usual taunts and slurs, he was pissed off at me.
"The guys at the gym are going to Vegas to watch the fight this Saturday because Danny's bro hooked him up with some sweet tickets," Walt explained as he stood up to look Jeff in the eye. "Speaking of which Paul you still haven't given us an answer, are you coming with us or not?"
"I don't know," I said as I admitted my fears. "You know what my mother is like, I was too scared to ask her, everything is my fault and heaven forbid I ever try to go to Vegas."
"Yeah right, like I believe a word of that!" Jeff said as he caught me by the scruff of my neck. "Everyone knows that Queermo here is a total mama's boy, but why would anyone ever invite him to Vegas. Maybe he wants to turn Steve into his bitch just like you."
"Walt's just my friend Jeff," I said as I tried to get my shirt out of Jeff's grip. "Nothing more, and there's no way anyone could do anything to Steve that he doesn't want to and you know it."
"Are you calling Steve a fag like you?" Jeff howled as he pinned me against the ground and started socking me in the jaw with his right fist. Don't get me wrong as a boxer I know how to take a punch in a normal fight, but when you're pinned to the ground with your head against the floor there is nothing you can do. Of course, at the time all that I could think about was the pain as Jeff kept nailing me in the face over and over again.
Suddenly the blows stopped, I could see Steve pulling Jeff off me with Mister Gallo's help. "That is enough out of you Pruett," Mister Gallo said as he restrained Jeff, "I hope you like ruining the season, because you're going to be in ISS for at least a week because of this debacle."
"Yeah right, the Principal's never going to suspend the Quarterback," Jeff called out, while he was being drug away. "There's no way the PTA will let him, and he doesn't have the grapes to cross them for a fagot!"
"Mister Forrester," Mister Gallo said as he called out to Walt who was now free from being kept from interfering in my pummeling by Sawyer Peck (our Team's Offensive Center and Jeff's wingman). "Please take Mister Ledoux to the Nurse's office."
Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:19 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I finally felt releaved having turned my papers for To Kill A Mockingbird and Great Expectations in to the English Department. Would have turned in more but I wanted to finish my term papers for Freshman History before I moved on to Sophomore English; I know I had to do a report on The Pearl but there was also the book reports from the Recommended Reading List- maybe Emma. I smiled to myself as I hovered down the hallway of the administrative wing; at this rate I would have all of my course work caught up in time to watch the combat finals. Still one real question remained, move on to Junior level or stay as a Sophomore, I was really going to have to give that one some real thought.
I was making my way towards Mrs. Shugendo's office when I heard a few angry shouts coming from an office to my right, suddenly the lights in the hall began to flicker and with a few sparks my hoverchair ceased to hover and dumped me right into the floor. As I was struggling to try to get off the floor, Overload stormed out of the office and right past my prone form, not even acknowledging the fact that I was trying to pull myself back into my now smoking chair.
Soon after Overload was out of sight, a girl with a fox's ears and tail and a boy with wings on his arms came out of Mrs. Shugendo's Office and spotted me. That was when my chair began to spark, and I did my best to crawl away from it. "Hold on miss," The boy with the feathered arms explained. "Let me have a look at this."
"Are you okay," The fox-like girl asked as she helped stand up against the wall. "What happened?"
"Thank you for your help," I said now that I was resting against the wall with my legs braced as best as I could keeping me upright.
"I was on my way to Mrs. Shudendo's Office to ask permission to go to Boston this weekend when I heard shouting out of that office over there," I pointed towards the door in question. "Just before the two of you showed up Overload came storming out, his powers must have short-circuited my chair."
"Yeah that sounds like him alright," the feathered boy grumbled while opening up my chair to inspect the damage. "Spark told me that he kept frying her boyfriend's stuff when they were roommates. Yeah, it looks like a few circuit relays were fried by the serge, I'll see if I can replace them."
"Still I wonder what he was doing in there that made him so upset?" I asked myself that made the fox girl take a look at the door.
"That's Mister Kennedy's office," the fox girl explained. "His classes are testing this week; Overload must have gotten his exam back and came to argue that the teacher made a mistake when it was graded. I'm Quickvix by the way and this is Strato."
"Thank you," I said streadying myself as I shook her offered hand. "I'm Aletheia, I was trying to set up a trip to Boston to get a birthday present for a friend but considering the condition of my chair that might not be an option."
"It looks worse than it really seems to be," Strato explained as he continued to work on the electronic insides of my chair. "In fact I almost got it- OW!" Strato jumped back as a spark of electricity hit his hand before my chair started hovering again.
"Arnold, are you okay?" Quickvix asked as she rushed to his side so fast that it was a blur. "Are you hurt badly?"
"I'll be fine Candace," Arnold explained as he examined his hand that looked scorched. "It's just a nasty electrical burn, I'll go over to Doyle and have it looked at right away."
"Come here," I offered to my two saviors. "Let me have a look at it, it's the least I can do."
Without a word, Candace and Arnold complied with my request, and I place my hands on Arnold's burn. They began to glow a gentle blue, and I could see from the look on Arnold's face that the pain was disappearing. When I finally removed my hands the black and charred burn was gone, all that remained behind was a layer of new and healthy bright pink skin in its place.
"Wow, it's good as new." Arnold said in astonishment as he inspected his newly healed hand while Candace helped me back into my hover chair.
"It's the least I can do for the hero who aided me in my time of need," I remarked before commanding the chair to elevate briefly to eye level. "Thank you." I then gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading back on my course to Mrs. Shugendo's Office.
When I left, Arnold was as red as a fire engine and Candace was smiling and ribbing him while ruffling his hair. Honestly I didn't see the big deal, I remember Cytherea doing the same thing several times when she thanked someone for doing something kind for her; note to self do more research on the social customs of modern day America before doing that again.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:16 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"So Randi I didn't hear anything about your eval today," Jamal said as he worked at his spaghetti and bolognaise. "How did your first day in the meat-grinder go?"
"I really lucked out," I admitted while working on my chicken tetrazzini. "I got called by Tolman and not Itou; she put me up against Draco, one of my roomie's friends. Granted it still was tough considering he doesn't wear out after he manifests his armor, but I managed to get him off guard and kick him into the cage."
"Yes, but I doubt you can get lucky twice." Kerry explained while slicing her eggplant parmesan. "If I remember right tomorrow is your weapon's evaluation and you're in sixth period again, you could be facing Bladedancer, Nightbane or heaven forbid Chaka!"
"Yeah and its school practice weapons only so the balance might be off," I admitted as I poked a piece of mushroom on my fork. "Besides what are the chances that they have a practice saber as well-balanced as Sydan?"
"Not good," Steve admitted as he shook his head. "So what are you doing this weekend?"
"I'm going to try to head to Boston for some sightseeing with my roommate." I said trying not to give away too many details that might have them guessing the cottage secret. "That is if it's okayed, Morrigan said that after all of the problems with the Kimba's this year that admin is considering banning trips to Boston and switching to Portland."
"Ugh! That's not good, not the worst choice mind you but still not good." Gina winced with a sour expression. "Granted if they were considering Manchester there might be a problem."
"No kidding," Buck remarked while tinkering with who knows what while nibbling at his dinner. "That city supposedly has a good shopping centers but that's it, at least Portland has some minor league sports teams that are feeders for the big leagues in Boston."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:04 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I couldn't believe my eyes, staring right back at me in a mirror was a face that I hadn't seen in half a year- mine. It had taken some doing, even with stopping my transformation practice for martial arts training, but I had finally succeeded I was able to look like my old self again or at least make my face should look like if I hadn't hatched into my new self. Not that my new self was bad looking either in a reptilian sort of way, but the idea of being able to walk around in public without people staring at me like I was a monster was a heady one.
"Hey Kelsey," I called out to my companion in isolation. "What do you say we go and take in the Denver nightlife after I perfect the change?"
"Zhen-yu you are only fifteen years old and I am not much older," Kelsey explained as she finished the dinner dishes. "Plus you have only begun to learn how to transform today, even when you learn how to complete the change it would take you a while to learn how to hold the form- no matter how familiar it is to you."
"Okay when I do learn how can we go catch a meal or maybe take in a movie?" I asked hoping to wear her down.
"I am sorry Zhen-yu," Kelsey replied back in a practiced tone as she put the rest of the dishes away. "You need to make this place your refuge until you are finished training with the Handmaiden of the Tao."
"Then when is she going to get here anyway," I asked as I reverted from my human form to my true form. "Aside from training with Sha Wujing when he's here, all that I have to do around here is climbing the walls- literally."
"I know that Zhen-yu but you and the Handmaiden need the natural energies of this location to begin unlocking your full abilities." Kelsey stated as she walked towards me, "And until that happens you are vulnerable to another abduction by the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn, people that consumed by greed will try to reacquire you at the earliest opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if they had contracted others to seek you for them."
"They try and I'll melt them." I said as I formed a 650° C fireball mid-air for emphasis.
"And what will you do if they take your friends and family hostage?" Kelsey asked which caused me to extinguish my fireball. "These people have no moral compass and will do anything to regain a resource as valuable as yourself; they will use anything they can to get you back. Also the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn is only interested in your ability to fabricate gemstones, remember this there are other groups interested in The Maidens of the Cardinal Directions for other reasons both for good and ill."
"So far the only ones interested in me were you, the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn, and Humanity First." I scoffed as my partial transformation wore off. "If there was anyone else interested in me why didn't they take me when the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn had me at their mercy?"
"What is more valuable a raw gem or one that has been cut and polished?" Kelsey asked in a low tone, the implications of that answer shocked me to the core.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
10:12 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I knew I was in trouble when the front door slammed, the school must have given mom a phone call. "Paul Ledoux you come down here this instant!"
Hearing mom shout, I walked down the stair as if I was heading for the gallows, which knowing my mother was an apt description of the situation that I was in at this very moment. "Yes mother." I answered in a voice as meek as I could manage which wasn't hard considering her glare bore into me like a power drill.
"I heard from your school while I was at work," Mom said in a tone that promised that I would regret this moment. "Granted from what they said you managed to connive them into thinking that it wasn't your fault; I warned you about fighting, I warned you what would happen if you did, just what do you have to say for yourself?"
"The quarterback of the football team thought that I was dragging his teammate to Vegas to turn him gay." I explained stating the facts hoping against common sense to resolve this situation before it went out of control. "What happened was Danny from the gym got some tickets to the fight this weekend and invited us along, I was going to turn him down because I knew that you wouldn't approve."
"Of course I wouldn't approve; Vegas is a city of slime and degenerates just like your father, and if you think for a minute that I would believe that you didn't intend to sneak out with those hooligans that you hang out with you are a bigger fool than I ever thought that you were." Mom shouted in my face again, then something odd happened she took one look at my face where Jeff hit me- I swear that I have never seen that look on her face before.
"This is the last straw young man," Mom began to shout once more. "You go to your room, tomorrow I am calling that thug you and your no good friends hang out with and telling him that you won't be coming back. Your days of boxing are over and you can forget wrestling, you obviously need some real discipline; I'm going to get in touch with your uncle in Idaho, you're going to spend the summer working on his farm. In fact if I have any say you'd be headed there right now, so get back up to your room, you are grounded until further notice."
I was shocked to say the least but I still did as she told me and headed back upstairs, still something seemed off to me for some reason. So once I was upstairs and out of sight I shut my door audibly but remained in the hallway to listen.
"Hello," I heard my mother talking on the phone maybe to my uncle. "Yes, it's me, this is important. We have a problem, need to step up the schedule. Yes I know how problematic that would be but if you want the plan to succeed you need to have someone get here for some maintenance."
"Yes, I understand, I'll get him to the rendezvous. Just remember to hold up your part of the deal."
I got back into my room as quietly as I could and tried to process what I had just heard, nothing made any sense but I knew one thing this house didn't feel like home. I needed to think, because something about this make my whole body hurt.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 3
Thursday April 19th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:00 AM EDT
Quinn Mayer looked on as Pierce Randall began to layout the necessary materials to begin the ritual for opening the Black Vaults, every one of the staff was anxious to see what lay inside of those mysterious doors- all of them except for Greg Paulson. No Greg was busy working under a concealment spell in front of Black Vault Eleven, quietly setting up the same type of reception ritual that Pierce had earlier near each of the vault doors that Greygus had asked them to get ready for transportation.
Once setup, the door would be open and no one would be the wiser for a day and a night, he had already checked an old-school fae-type changeling of himself into the hospital. By the time the fake expired, he'd be long-gone and the goods would be on the way to Will's employer; an employer who was obligated to make a generous contribution into a Cardonian Bank Account that Greg had under the new identity that he had setup for himself.
Now that he thought about it, the promised amount would likely go up if some of the contents of the other Vaults wound up headed to said employer as well. Greg knew that his skill as a mage was far under par, but his skills at forgery were definitely up there; he could fake Quinn's signature easily, which was how the goods were going to get to Will in the first place. All he needed was to use a non-perception charm to sneak some of the contents out of the crates Scratch's people were going to pick up and set them in another empty crate headed to Will's employer.
If said employer wanted to keep them, it would be more money, or if he wanted to sell them to another interested party, it would also mean more money just at a later date; either way this would be a win-win. Who cared if Scratch got po'ed, after all she was already po'ed at a lot of people outside of her sphere of influence and they were still fine; plus he would have the perfect alibi since everyone would think he was dead.
Greg looked on as Quinn began his ritual and all of the receivers began to flare, including his own. As no one noticed him or the extra reception ritual under the concealment charm Greg knew that his plan was flawless, he could almost taste the Mai Tai's he'd be enjoying in his new early retirement.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Tonight Greyback decided to show me a little more about the other half of my dual-heritage, and what better place to learn than the Hall of Echoes. Granted it took about six months for the two of us to travel overland to the endless and eternal City of Celephaïs from grandmother's palace in the City of Forgotten Dreams, but one night asleep on earth can equal up to a year of time spent in the Dreamlands and I still had six to go before I woke up.
For those who are unaware the Hall of Echoes is much like the Ancient Library of Alexandria, equal parts Library and Museum; in fact some would argue that Dinocrates himself actually visited Celephaïs once in his childhood and the subconscious memory was part of what inspired him when he was building Alexandria. Yes, the Hall of Past Echoes had recorded within its walls every civilization of every world in every era, granted that much of it was kept restricted by the Perceivers of Being; mysterious creatures who I thought resembled a human heart with tentacles for appendages.
I know given who I was related to I could have complained that it was unfair for them to restrict me, but such unrestricted access could grant one knowledge of the future and thus allow one to tamper with events that had yet to occur. Still I was out to learn of the past not the future, more specifically the past of the Eastern Court and the now lost Kingdom of the currently buried Mesopian Sea. If I was supposed to help reintroduce the merfolk to Earth, I wanted to know more about them, I mean I was half mermaid and had met a few full-blooded mermaid princesses who I considered possible friends but I still needed to know more about what this meant.
Even more so considering that along the way I would learn more about the other mother who I had never known Princess Thalatté, it was still strange when I thought about it using traditional definitions my mother Liz was technically my father given that a blood sample from her fertilized the egg I hatched from into the world. Then again, according to what Greyback told me about Randi she was actually living her second life, having lost the body of her original birth to a warlock's act of spite. Randi also told me that she found her old body had been revived and was being used by someone; she wouldn't tell me who mind you but I suppose that was nobody's business but her's.
Having already checked in at what could be considered the front desk Greyback guided me to a dais in front of a wall that had the vague outline of an arch on the wall.
"Select desired topic of knowledge!" An oddly ethereal voice came as the dais glowed with each word it spoke.
"The desired topics that we wish to peruse are: A General Overview of the Eastern Court of the Five-Fold Courts of Atlantis, Cultural Overview, General History from Foundation to Sundering, Culture and Daily Life of the Kingdom of the Coral Crown, History of the Mesopian Refuge, Merfolk of the Jade Heavens, and Merfolk of the Wild Court of Faerie for the young lady here with me. As for myself I would like Faerie of the Court of the Silent Willow, Daily Life of the Court of the Silent Willow, Daily Life of the Wild Court of Faerie, and Culture of the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil." Greyback stated before wall within the outline of the arch faded into non-existence. Greyback then stated, "Please seal the arch after the next two individuals enter, we wish for privacy."
"Very well, understand that for the sanity of guests a perception filter will shroud any images of higher-dimensional beings within desired archives within." The dias explained as Greyback and I entered the room that had just appeared before us.
After we were fully within the room, the wall reappeared behind us and Greyback turned to answer the question that was clearly on my mind. "As Queen Tiamat stated no being on the Dreamlands may harm you; however I would still wish for some measure of privacy while we are here. After all you are here to learn, I do not wish for something to take advantage of a receptive mind and even the will of The Outer Ones cannot penetrate the walls of the Hall of Echoes."
The room itself was a giant rotunda, after taking in the domed ceiling my eyes wandered to a collection of luminous blue spheres resting on various pedestals.
"Within each sphere rests knowledge on one of the topics I requested of the dais, all that you have to do is gaze into the depths of a sphere and your will shall guide you as you explore that which you wish to know." Greyback explained as he sat on his haunches took a moment to stretch before walking over to another selection of luminous green spheres. "If you need me I'll be doing a little research of my own."
"Yes sir," I said as I gazed into the sphere before me to learn more about the past of the Eastern Court. As more information poured into my eyes with a realistic context to go with it I realized that this would probably take a while to learn all Greyback had requested on my behalf, and that was accounting for the time that I could spend in the Dreamlands over a single night's sleep.
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:15 AM
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
As my alarm sounded I woke up to notice something odd; although the feeling of waking up in my wolf-form and on a well-worn blanket on the floor was not a new one, I had become fairly used to doing so during the winter-semester when I was being trained by Anu (although not so much since Morrigan took over for her). This time I realized that a great many things were different as I left the comfort of the dream I’d been having, making my way parkour style through a forest that made Endor look like a joke with a team whose faces I couldn't recognize and entered the waking world. For one I had a small blanket that had been thrown over me, two there was a rather long pillow resting beneath my lupine head, and three someone rather naked and female was cuddling me from behind also resting using the aforementioned pillow and blanket.
I was too shocked to move, despite the fact that I was awake, I sniffed the air and could tell that said individual was my dorm-mate Candace even before she said, "Good morning!" behind my ear and briefly hugged me more firmly for a moment pressing her ample breasts into my back.
I wanted to ask just what she thought that she was doing but for some reason all that came out of my mouth was, "Gahaa..."
"I'm sorry," Candace said in subtle tone before loosening her grip. "But you were just so cute laying there that I couldn't help myself and your fur feels so nice."
Candace slipped her left-arm out from under my body as she got up to stretch in the buff, granted I had seen this sight often since she sleeps au-natural, but I still lay there staring at her with my eyes and mouth wide open as she put on her robe and grabbed her bathroom kit. I just laid there in shock before Jane jolted be back to reality, "Oh for heaven-sake's child, she just curled up next to you after you went to sleep; nothing happened and you need to get ready for classes you have a History examination after lunch and your power-based combat evaluation during sixth period, you need to get moving."
I shook myself, shifted back to normal and to a glance at the clock, it was already 6:35- I needed to get moving. I threw on my robe and headed out the door dodging the usual morning commotion in the hallways. As I made it to the showers, I noticed that there was no line and all of the stalls were unoccupied, well at least I saved myself a daily round of Tempest's venomous tirades on former (or current) three-leggers or lewd glances from Phase or Vamp in the mirror as they brushed their teeth for an extra-long period of time. When Jade finally stepped out of the left-most stall, I took her place determined to play catch up for today, and take care of that bag of extra-ripe workout clothes currently in my collar.
I really needed to get a new kempogi from the student store, this one was now on its last legs, and if it made it to the end of the year, I'd probably have to dispose of it as a biohazard. Note to self, find out the location of the thermonuclear blast furnace where Team Wondercute disposes of Jericho's most abominable fashion-disasters, and throw it in before Jobe tries to harvest it for samples. Well that or talk Badb into stashing it in Peeper's locker, she'd probably go for that in an instant.
Yes mother would, I heard Badb sigh in embarrassment over our link. however please don't encourage her.
Dickinson Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:41 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Just like yesterday, Fatigue returned from the showers to find me making my way across the room, this time without almost taking a spill onto the ground. "You're really making progress Bea," Mabel observed as she carefully walked into the room and went to get dressed for class. "At this rate you'll be saying good-bye to the chair before combat finals."
"I hope so," I said as I finally reached the other side of the room. Finally, next to the window, I steadied myself and turned the chair around to get back inside. "I have things I need to do this summer, and I want to do it on my own two feet."
"Oh, let me guess," Mabel said as she smiled while tucking her now buttoned blouse into her skirt. "Our cottage's resident mermaid is hitting the beach, maybe planning on working her siren song on a handsome sun-bronzed life-guard in a tight crimson speedo."
My face was probably doing a good impression of a cooked lobster with that comment. "M-m-maybe later in the s-summer," I stammered as my hand fumbled with the controls. It took me a minute to regain my composure as her words fed my imagination, granted I filed that image away for later, preferably when I was in private. "But I have something that I need to do this summer, something of a family matter."
"Yeah I forgot that Shelly should be saying hello to the world again in July," Mable mused while touching up her makeup in the closet's mirror. "I bet it will be neat meeting your big sister, well the one who hasn't made you an aunt already."
"Yeah and I'm excited about that too; although I hope that she doesn't dislike me because of how I look, I heard about the details over what happened to her from Anna over dinner last night." I said as she maneuvered this hovering pain over to the bed to get her toiletries for the shower. "But this has to do with my Uncle on the other side of my family; it's a little...problematic."
"Well I hope it works itself out," Mabel said in a chipper tone as she sat down to check her homework.
"So do I." I said with my fears leaking into my voice as I maneuvered the hover chair to the Freshman Bathroom, thankful that Dickinson had been updated to handicap access a long time ago with stools available for use in the showers.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
8:17 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I had just finished cleaning the dishes off from breakfast when the Sand Hermit returned, my martial arts may have a long way to go but at least my cooking skills were improving mainly out of necessity. I had noticed that I was starting to eat like a horse then again I doubt that was hardly surprising. I guess between the torture, the sleep deprivation and the confinement I never noticed just how much the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn was starving me. Well that or there was more protein in that bland gruel that they gave me than I thought, I swear if I ever see one more bowl of what they dared to call rice porridge again I'll scream right before barbacuing the waiter.
"Good morning Ms Chen," Sha Wujing said in his serious manner with a polite bow as I finished putting away the dishes. "Forgive me for arriving so early; however I thought it best that we get started early."
"Yes, I understand," I replied as I walked towards the celestial being. "I need to get used to my new body if I'm going to have to learn how to defend myself. So what will we be working on today, how to use my tail properly?"
"We shall work on combat later today Ms Chen, I did not agree to come here only to teach you the art of war. Sha Wujing explained as he sat down in a meditative stance. "No our first lesson today is not one of fighting, it is another vital skill that I have to teach you, one that will prove far more useful."
"Do you mean meditation?" I asked trying to discern what we were going to be up to this morning.
"No we shall be working on the art of transformation." The Sand Monk elaborated as he bade me to join him. "After I am done you will be able to resemble your old self should you so desire to move about without attracting unwarranted attention, as well as other forms that should prove useful to you in the future."
"I could look like me again, like how I used to be and not some pinup girl from a fantasy magazine?" I asked halfway embarrassed by my own question. "I can really do that?"
"If you succeed in learning these lessons, then yes you can indeed look like your old self." Sha confirmed my speculation without betraying a single emotion.
"Well then let's get started," I demanded ready to listen intently to every word while I waited for him to begin. "We're wasting daylight."
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
12:14 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Hey Randi are you worried any about that test in sixth period?" Jamal asked as he looked up from his history textbook while munching on his mac and cheese.
"Not really," I said while poking around my house salad. "History's always been my best subject, no to answer your question what I'm really worried about is my next two martial-arts evaluations; they have me scheduled to take my powers evaluation today and my tool-use evaluation in sixth period advanced aikido."
"Bah, of course it's easy." Konrad scoffed in his usual manner when he began his tirades. "American history is brief and self-serving; it only goes back six centuries at most unlike that of a country such as Romania; we are also not afraid to criticize our past mistakes, unlike some who sanitize their history. It also figures that a lazy American would be afraid of a little physical effort."
"Radu- Whateley is a private school not one run by the state or a local school board." Gina stated as she stabbed another meatball in her spaghetti. "The history in our texts is surprisingly unbiased, such as the one on the labor disputes in the 50's. Also I would be nervous too in Randi's shoes, sixth period advanced Aikido is what the martial-arts nuts take; folks like Chaka, Bladedancer and Nightbane."
"Not to mention Jericho," Kerry said with a slight smile on her face. "All he'd need to do to win would be to show someone the undershirt he'd be wearing under his gi."
"That might not work on me," I chuckled. "Fortunately like most natural canines, my wolf form is color blind; still I don't think it would save me from everything Bugs showed me that he tried out during the fall, I heard that he even has an undershirt that made a merc in power armor vomit inside of his helmet."
"Come on Randi, not even Jericho is that bad." Erze said as she rolled her eyes at me.
"Do you want to dare him to prove you wrong?" Froggy asked with a fang-full grin."
"No!" I joined everyone else at the table to reply to the Brit at our table, the only Brit at the moment given that Rob Rose was currently on his lunchtime attempt to woo Nacht.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:07 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Say Chandra," Nita said as she paused from her noodle casserole. "I've been thinking since your birthday's coming up what do you say to a little party while we're in Moline."
"Nita- I don't know if we should stick around," I said with an ounce of trepidation. "I don't want to feel the wrath of any sore losers if we sweep the other team."
"Oh come on C-dra this is a junior high lady's basketball game in Illinois not high school football in small town Texas; now if it was boy's basketball then we might be in trouble." Marcy stated as she nudged me in the side. "Alright, I've done a little digging and as it turns out theres this old-fashioned ice cream parlor there we can hit.
She had to bring up my not so secret weakness, I have always been a sucker for ice cream, and old-fashioned ice-cream parlor often meant they were also creameries who made their own in the back to up the quality. Okay, I admit that I was a little obsessed whenever someone brought up ice cream, mom always joked that if I wasn't into athletics that she'd have to roll me to school after summer vacation was over.
Candace knew about this and one of the things that she sent me during her trip to Phili (the day before the MCO disappeared her) were pictures from when she and her group visited a place called The Franklin Fountain, man was I jealous- at least I was until I heard what happened to her group. "Fine, but we leave the first sign of trouble."
"Hey oreo," my daily migraine said in his faux street lingo as his crew marched up to the table where I sat with the other girls from the Lady's Basketball team, "Last chance to come party with us as we skirt the club scene in Chi-town that is unless you want to hang out with those Co-Oppers at Snob-U."
"Does that mean that you and your crew of posers will stop bothering me from now on?" I asked hoping that he'd say yes. "Because if it does then all I have to say is something that you're likely to hear for many years in the future Victor; no means no!"
"Fo' the last time it's VT! You are really push'n the line girl," Victor said with his nostrils starting to flare. "Some day yo' 'tude will get you hurt."
"And read my lips Victor," I said as I stood up to glare at him eye to eye. "If you don't grow up and start living in the real world then one of these days you're likely to wind up being a very special friend to your roommate."
Victor and his crew walked off none of them even comprehending what I'd just said to him. As I sat back down Alice looked at me with a weird expression, "Did you just tell Victor that if he didn't straighten out then he'd be some guy's..."
"Yup, if Victor and his posy plan to start frequenting places that he shouldn't he might just wind up in a heap of trouble and I don't think that his dad will be able to bail him out. You never can tell when you might find yourself in a bad situation and if you're in the wrong place when it happens then a bad situation might turn into an even worse one." I said as I got back to lunch. "I mean look at what happened to Candace, you never can tell when something that changes everything will happen."
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, Texas
12:38 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"So Joan," Elinore Jaffee began as she approached my table with her usual hangers on from the cheerleading squad. "Do you have an answer about the party this weekend? Have they finally decided to let their little princess have a ball?"
It always amazed me how she could say what she did and no matter what it never felt demeaning coming from her mouth, I swear someone needed to examine her for abilities. "They said it was okay-"
"Alright then I'll begin spreading the word around, and give you instructions on how to get ready for a proper party." Elinore proclaimed as she interrupted me mid sentence.
"There is a catch though," I said as I began to lay out the few rules my parents gave me last night. "The Office, the Basement and their Bedroom are off limits to party-goers."
"That's pretty standard fare dear," Elinore replied while waving off my concerns like she knew that there was no one that would come to the party that would break them.
"Also one of the college interns from Axcel will be in The Study and coming out periodically to help keep an eye on things." I continued and after laying out the final proviso, Elinore was plainly disappointed.
"What? You mean your parent's want to leave us with a chaperone," Elinore said as if the word left a sour taste in her mouth.
"Just someone to keep an eye out to make sure that nobody sets the house on fire, like what happened over winter break." I said with a grin on my face as I reminded the head cheerleader of that incident.
"Like- that was a bonfire- of course we were supposed to set it," Elinore explained trying to override my point. "How were we supposed to know that it would spread like it did?"
"Maybe it would have helped if you cleared it with the Fire Marshall first," I explained before further stating. "Plus we hadn't had rain for a month and nobody cleared the undergrowth out first."
"At least it's a college kid," Elinore said as she mulled over the matter. "I'd hate to have some old grandpa telling us to keep the music down."
"Yeah somehow I doubt she's going to be free to micro-manage the party," I said explaining the situation a little further. "She's going to be working on term-papers while she's there, so you won't have to worry about her stealing the guy's attention away from you all the time."
"Darn, it had to be a girl," Elinore said before turning around. "I was almost hoping for some cool college guy! Oh well you can't have everything."
'That's all she was concerned about, shesh it must be nice to have so few real cares.' I thought as I got back to picking through my lunch, 'At least she doesn't have to worry about changing into who knows what in a year; then again I may wind up one of those super-model exemplars types.'
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:27 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Great here I was in the class of martial-arts nut jobs; the type of folks who ate, breathed and slept this stuff. Granted because of Morrigan's temporal compression spells I now got more training done in one night then they could get done in a week; my opponents in my training were still human, masters in their style with skill and discipline that defied belief but still human. Face facts Randi; this is the land of Dragons, Tigers and Kimbas; you're so hosed it isn't even funny.
I was currently watching Chaka and Nightbane go toe to toe on the mat, so chances are neither of them would be my opponent; neither were Gritty and Lancer who were now going all out as they got closer and closer to the capture cage. Finally one of the matches broke, Gritty fell for a feint and overextended a punch; Lancer took the opportunity to launch her into the open cage with a TK-shove and shut the door with a spinning roundhouse.
"Winner Lancer," Tolmon-sensei explained while before giving her assessment. "Gritty please work on your observational skills, you should have seen through that feint." As the two regular students left the mat, Tolman called out. "Alright, next up Faolan and Draco!"
As instructed, I got on the mat, thankful that I had the time this morning to launder my practice gi. While there were a dozen opponents in this class who would be worse to fight, I knew from New York what Draco was capable of in a fight. There was also the scuttlebutt around campus was that once his armor was summoned his stamina was unlimited until it went down; as for myself my werewolf and ravewolf forms worked on an metabolism like that of an energizer. Granted that I had a big lunch today and a tube of energizer foodpaste (to refuel later) in my bag, but I would still have to be careful; in all I knew that my best bet was the capture cage.
I took my position opposite of Draco on the mat and bowed, I was as tense as a compressed spring and from what I could read of him Draco was much the same. "Begin!"
At Tolman's command, we both took action, and that was to wait for each other to make the first move; I was still in my normal form and Draco was still unarmored. The two of us slowly stalked the other as we inched closer and closer to meeting in the center. When we neared four feet from each other I decided to make my move, while I was sidling I mis-stepped and lost-balance; Draco seized the opportunity and armored up.
He tried to hit me with a flying falcon strike while I was off-balance- too bad for him I didn't trip on accident; while off balance I transformed into a wolf, rolled using my new center of gravity and pounced while he was mid-air. Draco caught on quick and used his free-hand in a palm strike to my chest to push me back and give him time to land and recover his guard; unfortunately for him I landed first shifted to werewolf form and sprung back.
His strikes met my own as each of us tried to gain momentum and the upper-hand on the other with our bare claws. I tried not to get two caught up in the moment, I knew that we were getting close to the capture cage, and Draco had the reach advantage- for now.
The cage was within feet of us and I was the one being backed into it; this might be a martial-arts match but powers were allowed now and fortunately for me shifting wasn't all I could do, I needed to time this carefully I moved carefully while preparing my plan. I was three feet away from the cage, and I knew that it was now or never; I threw a desperate punch (and sloppy punch at Draco's face, that he stopped by grabbing my forearm.
Before he could take advantage of the situation I opened my hand and shouted Fuzzy Pickles! before the mana I'd been pooling transformed into a intense burst of light. Draco was blinded as his eye's hyper-dilated he instinctually let go of my arm to grab his face, free once more I shifted into my ravewolf form dove around him, and before Draco could recover I used my digigrate legs to donkey kick into the Capture cage before slamming the door shut and changing back.
"Winner Faolan," Sensei Tolman announced and rather than offering advice to Draco turn to me and said. "I hope that you know that won't work twice in a fight."
"I didn't work on that spell to use in a straight up fight," I began to explain. "It's just a quick and dirty spell that I worked on it to use on folks wearing night-vision gear or in the dark."
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:40 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"Hey Queermo!" I heard from behind me as I heard Jeff say as he approached as I lost my appetite. Honestly I don't get why he had to keep singling me out every day, I know for a fact that I wasn't the only gay guy in school, so why me every damned day?
"I heard that you're trying to drag our Linebacker to Vegas and turn him into a fag just like you!" Jeff stated in a tone that told me that this time it wasn't his usual taunts and slurs, he was pissed off at me.
"The guys at the gym are going to Vegas to watch the fight this Saturday because Danny's bro hooked him up with some sweet tickets," Walt explained as he stood up to look Jeff in the eye. "Speaking of which Paul you still haven't given us an answer, are you coming with us or not?"
"I don't know," I said as I admitted my fears. "You know what my mother is like, I was too scared to ask her, everything is my fault and heaven forbid I ever try to go to Vegas."
"Yeah right, like I believe a word of that!" Jeff said as he caught me by the scruff of my neck. "Everyone knows that Queermo here is a total mama's boy, but why would anyone ever invite him to Vegas. Maybe he wants to turn Steve into his bitch just like you."
"Walt's just my friend Jeff," I said as I tried to get my shirt out of Jeff's grip. "Nothing more, and there's no way anyone could do anything to Steve that he doesn't want to and you know it."
"Are you calling Steve a fag like you?" Jeff howled as he pinned me against the ground and started socking me in the jaw with his right fist. Don't get me wrong as a boxer I know how to take a punch in a normal fight, but when you're pinned to the ground with your head against the floor there is nothing you can do. Of course, at the time all that I could think about was the pain as Jeff kept nailing me in the face over and over again.
Suddenly the blows stopped, I could see Steve pulling Jeff off me with Mister Gallo's help. "That is enough out of you Pruett," Mister Gallo said as he restrained Jeff, "I hope you like ruining the season, because you're going to be in ISS for at least a week because of this debacle."
"Yeah right, the Principal's never going to suspend the Quarterback," Jeff called out, while he was being drug away. "There's no way the PTA will let him, and he doesn't have the grapes to cross them for a fagot!"
"Mister Forrester," Mister Gallo said as he called out to Walt who was now free from being kept from interfering in my pummeling by Sawyer Peck (our Team's Offensive Center and Jeff's wingman). "Please take Mister Ledoux to the Nurse's office."
Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:19 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I finally felt releaved having turned my papers for To Kill A Mockingbird and Great Expectations in to the English Department. Would have turned in more but I wanted to finish my term papers for Freshman History before I moved on to Sophomore English; I know I had to do a report on The Pearl but there was also the book reports from the Recommended Reading List- maybe Emma. I smiled to myself as I hovered down the hallway of the administrative wing; at this rate I would have all of my course work caught up in time to watch the combat finals. Still one real question remained, move on to Junior level or stay as a Sophomore, I was really going to have to give that one some real thought.
I was making my way towards Mrs. Shugendo's office when I heard a few angry shouts coming from an office to my right, suddenly the lights in the hall began to flicker and with a few sparks my hoverchair ceased to hover and dumped me right into the floor. As I was struggling to try to get off the floor, Overload stormed out of the office and right past my prone form, not even acknowledging the fact that I was trying to pull myself back into my now smoking chair.
Soon after Overload was out of sight, a girl with a fox's ears and tail and a boy with wings on his arms came out of Mrs. Shugendo's Office and spotted me. That was when my chair began to spark, and I did my best to crawl away from it. "Hold on miss," The boy with the feathered arms explained. "Let me have a look at this."
"Are you okay," The fox-like girl asked as she helped stand up against the wall. "What happened?"
"Thank you for your help," I said now that I was resting against the wall with my legs braced as best as I could keeping me upright.
"I was on my way to Mrs. Shudendo's Office to ask permission to go to Boston this weekend when I heard shouting out of that office over there," I pointed towards the door in question. "Just before the two of you showed up Overload came storming out, his powers must have short-circuited my chair."
"Yeah that sounds like him alright," the feathered boy grumbled while opening up my chair to inspect the damage. "Spark told me that he kept frying her boyfriend's stuff when they were roommates. Yeah, it looks like a few circuit relays were fried by the serge, I'll see if I can replace them."
"Still I wonder what he was doing in there that made him so upset?" I asked myself that made the fox girl take a look at the door.
"That's Mister Kennedy's office," the fox girl explained. "His classes are testing this week; Overload must have gotten his exam back and came to argue that the teacher made a mistake when it was graded. I'm Quickvix by the way and this is Strato."
"Thank you," I said streadying myself as I shook her offered hand. "I'm Aletheia, I was trying to set up a trip to Boston to get a birthday present for a friend but considering the condition of my chair that might not be an option."
"It looks worse than it really seems to be," Strato explained as he continued to work on the electronic insides of my chair. "In fact I almost got it- OW!" Strato jumped back as a spark of electricity hit his hand before my chair started hovering again.
"Arnold, are you okay?" Quickvix asked as she rushed to his side so fast that it was a blur. "Are you hurt badly?"
"I'll be fine Candace," Arnold explained as he examined his hand that looked scorched. "It's just a nasty electrical burn, I'll go over to Doyle and have it looked at right away."
"Come here," I offered to my two saviors. "Let me have a look at it, it's the least I can do."
Without a word, Candace and Arnold complied with my request, and I place my hands on Arnold's burn. They began to glow a gentle blue, and I could see from the look on Arnold's face that the pain was disappearing. When I finally removed my hands the black and charred burn was gone, all that remained behind was a layer of new and healthy bright pink skin in its place.
"Wow, it's good as new." Arnold said in astonishment as he inspected his newly healed hand while Candace helped me back into my hover chair.
"It's the least I can do for the hero who aided me in my time of need," I remarked before commanding the chair to elevate briefly to eye level. "Thank you." I then gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading back on my course to Mrs. Shugendo's Office.
When I left, Arnold was as red as a fire engine and Candace was smiling and ribbing him while ruffling his hair. Honestly I didn't see the big deal, I remember Cytherea doing the same thing several times when she thanked someone for doing something kind for her; note to self do more research on the social customs of modern day America before doing that again.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:16 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"So Randi I didn't hear anything about your eval today," Jamal said as he worked at his spaghetti and bolognaise. "How did your first day in the meat-grinder go?"
"I really lucked out," I admitted while working on my chicken tetrazzini. "I got called by Tolman and not Itou; she put me up against Draco, one of my roomie's friends. Granted it still was tough considering he doesn't wear out after he manifests his armor, but I managed to get him off guard and kick him into the cage."
"Yes, but I doubt you can get lucky twice." Kerry explained while slicing her eggplant parmesan. "If I remember right tomorrow is your weapon's evaluation and you're in sixth period again, you could be facing Bladedancer, Nightbane or heaven forbid Chaka!"
"Yeah and its school practice weapons only so the balance might be off," I admitted as I poked a piece of mushroom on my fork. "Besides what are the chances that they have a practice saber as well-balanced as Sydan?"
"Not good," Steve admitted as he shook his head. "So what are you doing this weekend?"
"I'm going to try to head to Boston for some sightseeing with my roommate." I said trying not to give away too many details that might have them guessing the cottage secret. "That is if it's okayed, Morrigan said that after all of the problems with the Kimba's this year that admin is considering banning trips to Boston and switching to Portland."
"Ugh! That's not good, not the worst choice mind you but still not good." Gina winced with a sour expression. "Granted if they were considering Manchester there might be a problem."
"No kidding," Buck remarked while tinkering with who knows what while nibbling at his dinner. "That city supposedly has a good shopping centers but that's it, at least Portland has some minor league sports teams that are feeders for the big leagues in Boston."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:04 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I couldn't believe my eyes, staring right back at me in a mirror was a face that I hadn't seen in half a year- mine. It had taken some doing, even with stopping my transformation practice for martial arts training, but I had finally succeeded I was able to look like my old self again or at least make my face should look like if I hadn't hatched into my new self. Not that my new self was bad looking either in a reptilian sort of way, but the idea of being able to walk around in public without people staring at me like I was a monster was a heady one.
"Hey Kelsey," I called out to my companion in isolation. "What do you say we go and take in the Denver nightlife after I perfect the change?"
"Zhen-yu you are only fifteen years old and I am not much older," Kelsey explained as she finished the dinner dishes. "Plus you have only begun to learn how to transform today, even when you learn how to complete the change it would take you a while to learn how to hold the form- no matter how familiar it is to you."
"Okay when I do learn how can we go catch a meal or maybe take in a movie?" I asked hoping to wear her down.
"I am sorry Zhen-yu," Kelsey replied back in a practiced tone as she put the rest of the dishes away. "You need to make this place your refuge until you are finished training with the Handmaiden of the Tao."
"Then when is she going to get here anyway," I asked as I reverted from my human form to my true form. "Aside from training with Sha Wujing when he's here, all that I have to do around here is climbing the walls- literally."
"I know that Zhen-yu but you and the Handmaiden need the natural energies of this location to begin unlocking your full abilities." Kelsey stated as she walked towards me, "And until that happens you are vulnerable to another abduction by the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn, people that consumed by greed will try to reacquire you at the earliest opportunity, I wouldn't be surprised if they had contracted others to seek you for them."
"They try and I'll melt them." I said as I formed a 650° C fireball mid-air for emphasis.
"And what will you do if they take your friends and family hostage?" Kelsey asked which caused me to extinguish my fireball. "These people have no moral compass and will do anything to regain a resource as valuable as yourself; they will use anything they can to get you back. Also the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn is only interested in your ability to fabricate gemstones, remember this there are other groups interested in The Maidens of the Cardinal Directions for other reasons both for good and ill."
"So far the only ones interested in me were you, the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn, and Humanity First." I scoffed as my partial transformation wore off. "If there was anyone else interested in me why didn't they take me when the Zhâoshâng de Yôuhuàn had me at their mercy?"
"What is more valuable a raw gem or one that has been cut and polished?" Kelsey asked in a low tone, the implications of that answer shocked me to the core.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
10:12 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I knew I was in trouble when the front door slammed, the school must have given mom a phone call. "Paul Ledoux you come down here this instant!"
Hearing mom shout, I walked down the stair as if I was heading for the gallows, which knowing my mother was an apt description of the situation that I was in at this very moment. "Yes mother." I answered in a voice as meek as I could manage which wasn't hard considering her glare bore into me like a power drill.
"I heard from your school while I was at work," Mom said in a tone that promised that I would regret this moment. "Granted from what they said you managed to connive them into thinking that it wasn't your fault; I warned you about fighting, I warned you what would happen if you did, just what do you have to say for yourself?"
"The quarterback of the football team thought that I was dragging his teammate to Vegas to turn him gay." I explained stating the facts hoping against common sense to resolve this situation before it went out of control. "What happened was Danny from the gym got some tickets to the fight this weekend and invited us along, I was going to turn him down because I knew that you wouldn't approve."
"Of course I wouldn't approve; Vegas is a city of slime and degenerates just like your father, and if you think for a minute that I would believe that you didn't intend to sneak out with those hooligans that you hang out with you are a bigger fool than I ever thought that you were." Mom shouted in my face again, then something odd happened she took one look at my face where Jeff hit me- I swear that I have never seen that look on her face before.
"This is the last straw young man," Mom began to shout once more. "You go to your room, tomorrow I am calling that thug you and your no good friends hang out with and telling him that you won't be coming back. Your days of boxing are over and you can forget wrestling, you obviously need some real discipline; I'm going to get in touch with your uncle in Idaho, you're going to spend the summer working on his farm. In fact if I have any say you'd be headed there right now, so get back up to your room, you are grounded until further notice."
I was shocked to say the least but I still did as she told me and headed back upstairs, still something seemed off to me for some reason. So once I was upstairs and out of sight I shut my door audibly but remained in the hallway to listen.
"Hello," I heard my mother talking on the phone maybe to my uncle. "Yes, it's me, this is important. We have a problem, need to step up the schedule. Yes I know how problematic that would be but if you want the plan to succeed you need to have someone get here for some maintenance."
"Yes, I understand, I'll get him to the rendezvous. Just remember to hold up your part of the deal."
I got back into my room as quietly as I could and tried to process what I had just heard, nothing made any sense but I knew one thing this house didn't feel like home. I needed to think, because something about this make my whole body hurt.
Last Edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Insane Hiker.
7 years 5 months ago #5
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
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Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Crafted Changeling
Changeling usually refers to either a faerie child who is swapped for a mortal one by cradle snatchers or the snatched child; however, a Crafted Changeling refers to a fake body grown to resemble an individual, such creations only appear minimally alive for a short time before they die. This practice fell by the wayside when the end of serfdom began to make the thresholds of mortal dwellings more powerful revealing crafted changelings for the fraud they are almost instantly; however Crafted Changeling can still be used in public buildings with no thresholds such as Hospitals.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 3 Notes
Crafted Changeling
Changeling usually refers to either a faerie child who is swapped for a mortal one by cradle snatchers or the snatched child; however, a Crafted Changeling refers to a fake body grown to resemble an individual, such creations only appear minimally alive for a short time before they die. This practice fell by the wayside when the end of serfdom began to make the thresholds of mortal dwellings more powerful revealing crafted changelings for the fraud they are almost instantly; however Crafted Changeling can still be used in public buildings with no thresholds such as Hospitals.
7 years 4 months ago #6
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Friday April 20th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:01 AM EDT
Greg Paulson waited behind his concealment charm as the doors to the Black Vaults at last opened, he had until sunup to get this operation done after which the concealment charm would lift. Moreover by sundown the changeling would expire and he needed to be out of New York by then, if he wasn't he'd still be in range of the Grand Hall's Employee Tracking spells (which were currently tracking the changeling) would show everyone he was very much alive and on the move. Fortunately, he already had a plane ticket under a fake identity (which wasn't the one he was planning to retire under) from a flight headed from JFK International Airport to Logan International Airport to so that he could meet his patron then another later from Boston to Chile where he intended to spend hard earned retirement.
As he stepped inside Black Vault Eleven, he marveled at the size. Granted the vault itself was no dragon's lair, but it was still a warehouse the size of a city block. Under ordinary circumstances, it would take him a week working nonstop to clear this place out, and he had no idea what he was looking for since his patron simply told him to "bring him the contents of Vault Eleven."
Fortunately said patron had supplied him with something that would get this operation over and done within a few minutes, no matter how massive it was on the inside; a genuine Bug-out Bag from the goblin market. He heard the price for these things was one day taken from the end of the buyer's life, which might not seem like much when you're young but that's the point, at the end of your life every day is more precious than anything in the entire world.
Still this was going to be tricky, he had to setup a barrier charm without disrupting his concealment charm, if he didn't do so then the bag would try to suck in every nonliving thing that wasn't nailed down the moment it was activated and thus would clue everyone in the Storage Facility to on his plans.
It took Greg a good twenty minutes to get the barrier setup, satisfied that everything looked to be in order. "Here goes nothing!" Greg mumbled before he tried to push his way into the hallway- sure enough the barrier held. Satisfied at the results of his labor he activated the Bug-out Bag and hit the floor; a vast wind began which pulled wooden crates, old wardrobes, casks and other old antique containers of all sorts into the vortex it as the faerie crafted object pulled them all into its depths. After about seven minutes, the brutal decade's old steel shelves were empty giving the room an eerie skeletal feel and the bag with its job now done shut tight.
Satisfied his job was now done Greg dismantled the barrier charm and took the Bug-out Bag as he exited Black Vault Eleven. Once outside he saw the poor rubes that were his now former co-workers busily going about emptying the other open Vaults. Satisfied that he was safe within the concealment charm, he took out the non-perception charm and activated it, picked up the Bug-out Bag and left the circle his concealment charm created; just as his sponsor had promised no-one noticed him.
Still there was the matter of sweetening the pot as it were grabbing something from one of the other Black Vaults and putting it in with the shipment that was already going to his sponsor. It couldn't be something too big, given that larger quarry was likely to get noticed faster and might lead to him getting caught. That's when Taylor Brenson, one of his now former co-workers bum leg acted up and caused him to stumble with a crate; Greg had to move so that Taylor didn't collide with him, but Taylor did drop the crate he was carrying causing one of the corners to crack.
"Taylor, watch it!" Quinn shouted at the oaf. "This is The Circle's stuff its priceless, you don't want to know what they'd do to us if you break it, heck even I don't want to know what they'd do to you."
"Sorry boss," Taylor replied as he inspected the contents to make sure they were undamaged. This gave Greg a very good at the crates contents- namely a pair of ancient crowns. Given that despite being elaborate they were not, overly ornate these were obviously the real deal and meant to be worn on a daily basis; granted he couldn't tell where they were from (or even what they're made of) and that would probably mean his sponsor would likely be very interested.
Kane Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:21 AM EDT
Whateley Security Officer Metler took careful note of the clock, enough time had passed that the last officers of B-Shift were out of Kane Hall and headed home for the night. He smiled to himself, now was the time of the day that Squad 7 made their real money, by informing those who greased their palms in just the right way. Metler like most of the rest of those under the supervision of Simon Trout had several patrons contributing to their well-being and some of the info he had garnered today would pay off well.
As it so happened several persons of interest were going to be headed to Boston for the weekend and out from under the wing of Whateley protection. Now make no mistake as crooked as Metler was he had no intention of selling this info to those who were actively trying to kill their students, his job at Whateley might be lucrative but without it he was a liability to several dangerous people- a loose end that they'd just as soon tear off...before setting on fire. No as far as he knew no one in Squad 7 would sell info to the likes of The Necromancer or Death-List; no the individuals they contacted likely had interests in certain students outside of homicide- as far as they knew, all that remained was who to call first- well there was always the old fail-safe method.
"Eenie- meenie- minee- moe," Metler went over the traditional American selection ritual before his questing finger came to a stop- he looked at his choice and smiled. "Not my usual first choice but he does pay well."
Making sure to activate his bug blocker first, Metler dialed the number on his rat-out phone. It took a few minutes but the first of his clients this morning answered.
"Hello, it's me, I'm calling to inform you that those students that you're interest in will be in Boston tomorrow for a little outing-"
Thursday April 19th, 2007
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:37 PM PDT
"I see," Greygus observed as he talked into the landline. "Thank you for telling me, I was going to be over in The Big Apple this weekend anyway, I might as well swing round to Beantown to have a chat with them."
Pausing a moment to listen to the other end of the line Greygus responded, "No I'm not going to make them a job offer, there are just a few things that they need to know about themselves, and I think that given the reputation of some of the others in my circle that I'm just the person to do so."
The djinn who served as the second in command of Lord Khamsin paused to listen to his informant a little more, "Yes, of course your money will be wired to your offshore account, honestly are Benjermin's all that you think about?"
"All right, all right there's no need to get so belligerent." Greygus hung up the phone and went to Lord Khamsin's newly remodeled office. "Hey pops, just got off the horn with our resident stoolie from Whateley; the Maidens are going to be headed to Bean Town this weekend so I thought that I'd stop in to have a chat after I finish the inspection of the Black Vault items that we're removing from the New York Branch's storage warehouse."
"Honestly I wish that I could come along with you son." Lord Khamsin said as he looked up from the stack of papers he was working over, mostly of them material requests from the mystics who operated out of Vegas or requests from the local legitimate businessmen to look into grifters thought to be using luck related relics on the strip casinos. "The part of this arrangement that I always hated was the paperwork."
"Might have something to do with Miranda's mother coming into town," Greygus chuckled under his breath. "Boy would she be surprised to find out the kid's real nature."
"We're just lucky that she isn't mama bear enough to demand her grandchild's father march her little girl down the aisle," Lord Khamsin said with a huff. "Djinn law might allow for consorts (and legitimize the children they bare) but it frowns on bigamy, and Nephyris is too traditional to agree. Honestly I don't know how Ptah swung that arrangement let alone handles a situation like that and stays sane."
"Probably because Bast is the only one who can reign in her sister," Greygus said as he poured himself a drink from the honor bar. "You do remember what happened the last time that she lost control."
"How could I forget, the Egyptians blamed me for that mess." Lord Khamsin groaned. "That's where that stupid myth about me having an army of werebeasts at my command started."
"Well you were responsible for founding the tribe who became the royal guard." Greygus mused for a moment.
"Yeah, but the Medjai were not an army loyal to me, I simply taught them the school of martial arts that I created for our royal guard." Lord Khamsin explained as his soon walked out.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Bea had just emerged from another of the orbs detailing the now fallen Eastern Court, and was pausing to take a moment to process what she had absorbed. Even the orbs contents were just a general overview of the Eastern Court it still went into a fair deal of detail, it was wonderful to find that her ancestors valued culture and the arts so highly, though it was hardly surprising given that she already knew that their magic use came from singing. Still the part about the gender parity and its affect on family structure was another story, apparently, mermen were uncommon and only one child in twenty was male.
Sometimes this lead to group marriages like the one that the six princesses were going to enter into with her uncle, odd how that she met her future aunts before she ever did her uncle. The part that would really shake human culture about merfolk was that it was far more common for two or more mermaids to form a family with each other, request the use of a sire through a type of bureaucracy when they chose to have children, and then raise the half-siblings together without the father.
Apparently this arrangement was also more than cultural as well, it explained that mermaids were genetically bisexual because of the gender disparity. 'Well that explains some things,' I thought as I blushed realizing that some of the feelings that I'd had in the showers were apparently common for mermaids, 'It also means that a lot of women will be needing therapy when I lift Dagon's Curse.'
'Still I thought that there are supposed to be as many men as women suffering from Innsmouth Syndrome,' I said to myself as I chewed the matter over in my mind. 'Must be due to the fact that they're hybrids like me, the human lineage must make the gender ratio closer to one-one; I wonder if that means that they'll have ears like me too after the curse is lifted?'
"Do you have any questions young Aletheia?" Greyback said as he looked up from his own studies and padded over to me. "If you do I would be more than pleased to answer them."
"Not really Greyback, I think that I figured out the answer for myself, but I am a little concerned." I replied making sure to voice a matter that I knew I'd need to help address in the very near future in the waking world, "The women and girls who'll become mermaids when I help lift Dagon, they'll have to deal with the mentality that comes with the situation. I may not be all that familiar with human culture but I know that sexual inclinations other than those of the opposite gender are considered unwelcome deviations from the norm."
"What is simply is child," Greyback said as he padded over and placed a paw on my shoulder. "The fact of the matter is that a stable even gender ratio like that which modern man considers normal is common only to the races of the Center Court. The Faerie of the Western Court and the Eínains of the Eastern Court both were predominately female, that of course had an effect on their biology and cultures. The Tiānshén of the Northern Court and the Daimons of the Southern Court conversely are predominately male and both handle that differently. The Tiānshén handle it by the females being clutch egg layers who do so after engaging with multiple males, I remember it was a sight to behold. As for the Daimons the males possess the ability to temporarily transform females of other races into lesser variants of themselves, they also possess the potential to make that change permanent however that is a complex matter."
"I wonder how the men of the world will handle those little nuggets of information," I said as I prepared to dive into the sphere containing information on the Kingdom of the Coral Crown, the kingdom of the Eastern Court whose royal line I was descended from through my other mother Thalatté and grandfather King Apsu.
"Whether they can handle it or not it is the reality, the world is far larger than modern man knows and one day they will have to learn of that fact and begin to accept it as such." Greyback explained as he padded back to his earlier spot, "Besides you and your uncle Qingu will have to tell the world the truth when you break Dagons curse, which is if you want to save the new mermen and mermaids from the wrath of mankind's resulting panic."
That was the part I was afraid of, something major like this always had consequences, I guess the saying could be true that no good goes unpunished. With that thought in my mind I began to let my mind drift into the next orb.
Laird Hall
?
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
Finally the last of my training evaluations for the year, at least until I took my combat final in Arena 99. "Faolan," I stood as I heard Sensei Itou call out my name and walked out to the mat, for some odd reason I didn't hear the name of my opponent called out, still I was sure that I would be ready for what Itou would throw my way.
That was when I saw Chaka on the other side of the mat. 'Okay no problem, I know that she's supposed to be a martial arts prodigy but I am still supposed to give it all that I got.'
I drew my practice knives as I prepared to show Itou sensei what I had learned; suddenly Chaka's form began waver. Then suddenly my opponent began to multiply, before I knew it there were dozens of Chaka's flooding the mat each armed with a different type of weapon, while some actually sprouted extra arms.
I began to panic when I heard Itou-sensei shout in a demonic voice as he transformed into a giant red oni, "HAJIMEI!"
At that moment the mob of Chakas came at me like a wave of flesh and steel, some charged me while others came at me from over-head- there was nothing that I could do as time seemed to slow down while they got closer- and closer until...
Friday April 20th, 2007
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:07 AM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"AAAAHHHHHHH- OW!" I shot up out of bed so fast that I hit my head on the top bunk, my ears folded at the pain as I fell off my bed and onto the floor, fortunately I didn't land on my tail- believe me that would hurt for a solid day.
"Randi- what the heck?!?" Candace said as she woke up before there was some knocking at our door, my vulpin roommate slipped on a nightshirt as she went to answer the door.
Rip and Bugs were outside when she opened the door, Bugs peered in while she explained. "Sorry, we heard the scream and with all that's happened this year we thought better safe than sorry."
"Sorry to bother you," I said as I rubbed the sore spot on my head. "Just had a nightmare where the evil midget sicced Chaka on me and she turned into a small army before he began the match."
"Yeah, that would probably do it." Rip said as she tried to contain her snickering, everyone in Poe knew that she and Toni were in a relationship, granted said relationship that was a little shaky at the moment. This was mostly thanks to Chaka deciding to date Thunderbird from the Cape Squad as well. "Let me guess weapons proficiency test today?"
"Yeah, I got lucky yesterday when he picked Draco for my powers martial-arts test." I turned to Candace who had a bit of a cross look on her face, "But considering some of the others in that class I got lucky Tolman chose him, heck I was lucky that the match she was supervising ended before the one Itou was supervising ended, I heard the man is a sadist."
"Yeah, I'll give you that much," Candace said as she waved off the comment. "Max has had some interesting things to say about that class."
"Somebody tell that furball that if she wakes me up again I'll spay her!" Tempest said as she poked her head in the door before stomping off to the showers.
"Geez, I'll never figure out that lady's problem," I muttered as I sat down and powered up my laptop, no sense rushing into the shower line if I'd be behind the PMS Avenger.
"She acquired a major hatred of gender-flippers before you got here thanks to the Kimbas, especially Toni for some odd reason." Rip said shaking her head at the whole mess. "You're just guilty by association because of the fact that you used to be one of the three-legged ones, that and she hates the fact that you look better than her.
"Hey it's nothing that a little diet and exercise wouldn't cure," Candace stated as she reemerged from the closet in her shower-robe. "Now don't doddle Randi, I'd hate for to miss out on enjoying the show."
Bugs and Rip turned towards me the two of them both wearing smirks on their faces, but saying nothing as they left. I merely rolled my eyes switched from my pajamas to my robe, grabbed my shower kit and headed to the showers- what can I say I still had a pulse.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:37 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I stared at myself in the mirror I couldn't believe my eyes, I was me for the first time since I hatched out of that egg I turned into back in September, I was me again. Okay, I suppose that the real me is still a Chinese dragon girl, this transformation is not who I really was, but still I look like a normal human again- just like how I used to look.
"Just remember child this form is not your real self," Sha Wujing explained although I admit I was only half listening as I admired myself in the mirror. "It will take time to master the art of transformation; this form might be a familiar one which is why it comes to you so easily. While a familiar form such as this will allow you to pass among normal society learning a variety of other transformations can become useful as well; however you will also need to gain a great deal of discipline to maintain this form, if your concentration lapses for a single instant-"
Sha Wujing ceased his lecture right before I felt a light tap on my back. This startled me, and I suddenly lost my transformation reverting to my normal self. "Then you will return to the form that you naturally wear. Only with practice and proper discipline can you maintain a transformation such as that in the conditions presented outside in the world beyond this mountain cavern."
Again I was only half-hearing the lecture of the sand priest, I was too busy looked at the image in the mirror with a heavy heart. Whereas before there was Zhen-Yu Chen the human daughter of Fan-Shi and Ni-Gao Chen who had a happy life with her friends and family back in Seattle, now there was a half fucanglong who had not seen the warm rays of the sun in months. Instead of the girl who spent her life hanging out with her friends at Duk Li or cleaning the local Betsuin, now there was the mutant that felt a frost-tongued lash at her back as she was called Yáo Xīyì and forced to make gemstones day and night.
It wasn't fair! Why couldn't I be a normal girl? Why did I have to live this fate? My mind turned to the others who were intertwined with me in this prophecy, girls who I had never met. The mermaid and the fairy that were now enjoying the sun and society, they were probably laughing with their friends even now as I languished in this cave. They didn't have to see this scaly sight in the mirror, everyone knew how beautiful mermaids were supposed to be and fairies weren't far behind them everyone thinks fairies are cute, they probably had boys falling over themselves for the chance to be with them. As for me who would want to spend time with someone looking like I do? I thought for a moment but all that I could think of as an answer to that question was some sicko with a reptile fetish, but certainly no one who was normal.
Even the last one that would join our number was someone I was sure would have a more normal existence than myself, she was supposed to be a genie so all that meant was a girl with an odd skin tone who would look great in a belly dancing outfit- why did I have to suffer like this and they didn't?!?
"Child I would suggest that you try again, eventually maintaining a form such as that which you used just now will be instinct however such a result only comes with practice and concentration." Sha Wujing stated in his usual gruff tone, "That is unless you would rather focus on learning how to maintain such focus on an intuitive level, I know of several methods to achieve this."
"Whatever," I scoffed as my temper was already as hot as my fire. "Bring it on monk; there is nothing you can throw at me that I can't take!"
Headmistress's Office - Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
11:43 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Come in," Mom stated as the doors to her office opened thanks to the thankfully hidden motors. As soon as the wooden doors opened I was clear to roll rolled inside, I have to admit the technology around Whateley was advanced in all of the right ways. Unlike the many memories of modern buildings, that I had seen through Cytherea's eyes here the technology was like the gears of a cookoo clock carefully hidden inside so as not to spoil the ascetic of the surroundings, it created a sort of energy about it.
"You wanted to speak with me mom?" I asked as I maneuvered my chair into a position in front of her desk, she tried to hide it but I saw a brief smile on her face every time that I called her that and who am I to deny her the pleasure when I owed her so much already.
"Yes dear, I understand that you were wanting to go to Boston for a little shopping. You need to understand, after all that has happened this year to students who went there that the Whateley Board of Directors is- concerned about students going to Boston for any reason out of fear that they could be targeted." Mom began her lecture trying to keep it as impersonal as possible however; I didn't need to be an empath to hear the fear in her voice.
"I understand mom, the rumors are making their way around the other students now that you are considering banning travel to Boston." I said passing on what I'd heard last night from Renee. "I was just looking to buy a birthday present for Princess Evania, if you want me to go to Manchester instead I understand."
"Actually I asked a few choice students to act as your chaperones while in Boston;" Mom said cutting to the heart of the matter, while it hurt a little that I didn't feel she trusted me to do this on my terms I understood she was just thinking of my safety. Maybe it might actually work out for the best; I could always use some advice while I was shopping.
"Alright, I was just going to stick with the other students but if you think that they'll be able to help then I'm all for it." I said with a smile, if anything, it would also give me the excuse to get acquainted with a few more people; maybe even find me something to do once I am finally able to say goodbye to this chair.
Mom almost seemed to be relieved to hear me say that; it was almost as if she was expecting a fight, maybe I should ask someone about that later. "It's good to hear that, Gloriana from the FSA will be joining you on your trip and she readily agreed. Amelia also asked Poise if she wouldn't mind lending a hand to help restore the Alpha's reputation; however she has a photo shoot scheduled this Saturday, she did ask Heartbreaker from the Academy's Fashion Club if she would fill in for her. Ms Hilton agreed but still she wants to speak to you about it sometime this afternoon, apparently she wants to see if you can help her with something."
"I'll contact her and see if I can fulfill her request," I said as I maneuvered my chair to get ready to leave the room, "Oh and mom, one more thing."
"Yes," Mom said as she turned towards me in curiosity. "What is it?"
"Thank you for trusting me enough to let me visit Boston," I said with a smile. "I'll do my best to live up to the faith you are placing in me." As I hovered back out the door of her office, I knew without seeing it that she was smiling back.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:16 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Chandra reveled in the fact that for the first time in weeks Victor and his group of posers were leaving her alone during lunch, just as well they had important work to do. "Alright, I hope everyone is ready for tomorrow's game. Now understand we only have half of our normal practice today, we are going to be stuck in Ava's mother's van for at least three hours until we get to Moline for the game, if we over prepare we'll just psyche ourselves out.
"Got it Captain," Deb said with a mock salute, "I'll make sure to tell Marlina and Erica when I see them on the way back from lunch. The Soccer team is still pissed that you scouted our Mexican Jumping Bean before they could, I swear that sometimes I think that she's part cricket."
"Hey what am I chopped liver," Alice said with a pout preparing to bring on the dreaded puppy-dog eyes.
"Nope I'd say that you're more like tender loin." Nita chuckled as she ribbed Alice. "Better be careful that you don't bruise before it's time for the pit."
"Knock it off you two," I said trying to hide my smile as I shook my head, this was what it should be like in the week leading up to the game. Tomorrow our team would give it our all and then hit that ice-cream parlor Marcy mentioned, let Victor and his friends learn the consequences of their own actions the hard way.
"So Captain, do you have any advice for the game?" Marcy asked as she looked up from next period's homework.
"Yes actually," I said, as I knew that this was coming. "We need to work on feints and less on setting up for jump shots, remember the less routine we play the less likely the other team is to predict our strategy. Still above all else remember to have fun."
"Roger!" Everyone said imitating Deb's earlier mock salute as I rolled my eyes, Candace certainly left me with plenty of knuckle-heads to work with.
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, Texas
12:37 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"So Joan," Mallory said as she finished began to cut up her lunch. "Are you going to be seeing your parents off at the airport?"
"No they left for Austin-Bergstrom early this morning," I said as I began to divulge the official reason my parents were going to New York, granted that it was just as important to the organization as their mission with the Sweepers tomorrow. "My dad has to be there to set up his demo for tonight and mom wants to have plenty of time to look over the security measures. I can't tell you too much about it until tomorrow; just that it could mean a potential billion dollar defense contract from the Federal government alone."
"Sweet," Mallory said with a little wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Oh, I can only imagine what they're showing off to the military; a new smart missile, maybe a micro-attack drone, or a military grade version of their new armor."
"Come on Mallory," Erika said as she rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Axcel isn't in the business of military weapons manufacturing, at least not that I know of... Are they Joan?"
"Nope," I replied confident that I was telling the whole truth for once given that while they did make weapons, especially for internal operations for the Grand Hall portion of our operations, they didn't create weapons for military use. "And I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what it is until after the public press release either?"
"Want us to come over and keep you company after your house sitter comes over?" Erika asked out of both concern and curiosity, obviously wanting to see the inside of my home at last. "We could have a sleepover and then help you setup for the party tomorrow."
"I'll have to ask Miss Snyder when she gets here tonight, she is going to be in charge after all; just make sure to tell your folks it's conditional." And give me the time to double-check all the locks and concealment spells on the secret areas of the house, sometimes being the kid of a couple of super-villains is a pain in the neck.
Elinore was in clear sight as she came towards where we were sitting, her usual happy-go-lucky smile on her face; it must be nice not to have a real care in the world- not to worry that one day your parents were caught and thrown in some ultra-prison for the rest of their lives or killed by some super-powered psycho-vigilante.
"Okay Joan, since your ‘rents okayed the party I'll be over around three-ish with some friends to help set things up." Elinore said as usual grinning from ear to ear. "You don't have to worry about the necessities: tunes, food and refreshments will be provided by yours truly along with the DJ and the carpet cleaning service. I also hope that your parents have a sturdy lock on their liquor cabinet because I am not paying for major remodeling."
"The only booze that we have in the house is my parent's wine cooler and that's my pop's design- a quad-dead bolt linked to a thumb scanner with bullet proof glass." I explained right before I put my foot down on a few matters. "And just to be clear, there are four areas of the house that will be off limits to everyone. No one is allowed in my room without permission, I don't want some perv going through my dresser; the same goes for my parent's room. No one is to go into the study, aside from Miss Snyder our chaperon will be in there to work on her term paper, that's also where my mom's gun cabinet is and that has the same security as the wine cooler so she will know if anyone tried to get into it. Last but certainly not least, the basement is off-limits to anybody but me, my dad's workshop is down there and if anyone without the right clearance goes down there both my parents could lose their jobs."
"Okay Joan, no reason to have a cow," Elinore said waving off my concerns. "No one is going to do anything stupid like that."
She had better be right; I'd hate to have to spike the punch bowl with Lethe water, though it would likely be funny as hell. I took a quick glance at my watch, my folks would likely be in New York right now, and given that they were flying in civilian guise they'd be going through security right now.
JFK International Airport
New York City, New York
1:40 PM EDT
Greg was in the home stretch as he approached the JFK Terminal 8, the Bugout Bag with the entire contents of Black Vault Eleven was one of his carry-on's and a simple glamour would cause it to register being full of camera equipment. This went along perfectly with his stolen identity as Tyler Brooks a who was a minor freelance photographer; he even had a great cover story as being on the way to cover an AMC sponsored dog show that was going to be this weekend. The airport security wouldn't even give it a second look since photographers and photo-journalists raise a major stink about anyone rough-handling their equipment as being a violation of the freedom of the press, and the real Tyler Brooks was a minor photographer.
The two crowns while not in his carry-on's were hidden in a special smuggling crate in the cargo-hold that his unwitting former co-workers sent on the same flight, aiding in his theft and making them just as guilty without even knowing it. Before they were aware of what had gone on he'd be on his way to Chile and living in a modest amount of luxury under yet another identity he would acquire from his patron in Boston.
Greg sat in silence paying careful attention to the loud-speaker for his boarding call, after a scant minute and a half he heard the loudspeaker "Flight 17 bound for Boston, this is your call, please begin boarding at Gate 7!" He slipped on his headphones to take in a little music while he boarded. Halfway to his destination the loud speaker announced "Flight 56 now arriving from Austin at Gate 5!"
Indeed his fortune was lost on him as the first group began to exit at Gate 5, if he had known he would have been panicking as soon as the first passengers began to depart the plane one Jacob Prescott (alias Shuffle) would have instantly picked up on this and taken more than a cursory look, however his view was obscured by a businessman who began walking to his left. As Shuffle had memorized the faces of everyone working at the Storage Facility during his briefing, he would have recognized Greg Paulson instantly.
Instead, Greg boarded his flight with Shuffle only getting a slight glance at him, unaware of just how close he had really come to having his plans unravel in an instant. No- this fortunate turn of events was lost on him as he boarded his flight the only thing on his mind being his ill-gotten gains, because at this moment to Shuffle he was just one of many faces in the most crowded airport in the world.
Meanwhile at Gate 5, the rest of the Sweepers that Shuffle brought with him on this mission began to trickle out of the plane, Gremlin and Atropos were the first to follow Shuffle from out of first class their usual civilian glamour charms active. Gremlin could be said to be playing his role to a T obviously looking uncomfortable in the suit he had been forced into, if it wasn't for the fact that it was no act; it was no secret among the Face Cards of the still growing Sweepers that Gremlin hated formal attire like a root canal.
Atropos meanwhile was every part of the security agent that was her day job, she was a staunch professional in this area and her experience showed; more than once those working security at Axcel had hit her with the Mercy Graves comparison and darned if it didn't fit her like a glove. She was also currently busy calming down her husband, "Walter there is nothing to worry about, Joan's not a little girl anymore, it's time that we start to give her a little more room. Besides party or not Nicole will be there to look after her and make sure that nothing goes wrong, now relax you have enough to worry about with your presentation."
"How can you be so calm, our baby girl is thousands of miles away and going to be alone in the house with a bunch of strangers?" Walter stared at his wife Alice his face beaded in sweat. "What if one of those teenage boys tries to do something to her- or starts a fire- or manages to get into my lab? That's it I'm going back home my little girl needs me!"
Alice was quick to grab onto her husband and keep him from rushing back onto the plane, the nearby airport security guards and MCO agent came towards them Alice replied with a legitimately embarrassed look on her face. "Our daughter is at home and having some friends over, you know how it is teenagers and parties- as well as father's with teenage daughters."
The TSAs nodded as they went back to the gate while the MCO agent laughed under his breath and returned to his post. After Atropos began to drag her husband out of the airport- glad that she secretly packed him, an extra pair of dress shoes because this pair was going to be tremendously scuffed. The rest of the team began to filter out with the passengers from coach.
The scared bruiser Agony was the first of the group to depart from coach wearing a glamour making him appear to be a native of Samoa rather than betraying his usual Latin heritage (and numerous scars) and dressed like a tacky tourist who had just arrived from Texas. He stopped by the TSA and showed them his forged passport, which displayed that he had already been checked in at Las Angeles, Denver, and Austin fitting along perfectly that he was just a foreigner with a little money touring the US. They could also see that he had already booked a flight to Chicago a week from now on the next leg of his travels.
While Ernesto was busy playing semi-clueless tourist Adeline Jude aka Catalyst was already making her way out to catch the first the ride that Axcel arranged for her. She like the Druckers was here for the test demonstration of Axcel's Newest Project with the military at the Westerlo mortar range, but unlike the happily wedded couple she was headed to the range right now to get everything setup for the demonstration tonight.
After grabbing her luggage Adeline began making her way across the airport, as she did she finally exited the airport she spotted the Druckers getting into a taxi on their way to their hotel, Walter now no longer struggling to return to his daughter's side back in Round Rock. "Must be nice to be married," Adeline commented in a low tone as she stowed her luggage and equipment inside the trunk, somewhat more conscious of her still empty ring finger. With a wistful sigh, she climbed into the backseat, telling the driver, "Westerlo Mortar Range please."
"I know ma'am," The driver gruffed. "I got the destination from your boss."
After buckling her seat belt Adeline once again staring at her naked ring finger, and muttering in a low voice, "Cheer up Ady, maybe you'll meet some nice soldiers after you set up who can take you out for a drink."
Meanwhile back at the airport Perses in his civilian guise was desperately trying to wave down a taxi to take him to his own motel. It took a good ten minutes but finally he flagged one down, after storing his luggage in the trunk he climbed inside, knowing from experience to breathe through his mouth once he got inside.
"Where to mac?" The cabbie barked the moment Perses stepped inside.
"Red Roof Inn over in Queens," Perses said as he buckled up. "Need to stow my stuff and get some shut eye."
"You got it," the cabby said as he pulled away from the airport to make his way to Long Island while in the back Perses was ready to fall over from a mixture of hunger, and exhaustion. This being his third mission in a week having just returned from hunting for the last of Harrow's toadies, at least who were fortunate enough to be outside of Chicago when Erzabet took over the Chapter House. All that he wanted to do was drop off his bags, grab a bite and then conk out until ten o'clock.
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:32 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"It's official; I'm banned from boxing and quitting the gym." I said as I poked at my lunch while my friends stood by in shock. "My mother got the news about what happened yesterday and gave me the ultimatum, I'm through."
"What are you serious?" Danny said shocked, "Just like that, Paul what's wrong with you- couch says you're one of the best that he's ever seen."
"Really Paul," Steve spoke up in clear concern, "you almost placed top in state last year during the Silver Gloves, this year you could go all the way. Really your mother is over-reacting over nothing more than a tiny scratch."
"It's not just the scratch," I said as I absentmindedly stroked the weird scratch that I had received from yesterday's beating-"
?
?
?
I suddenly found myself in a strange place, I could see outlines that resembled people but blurry and indistinct, like I was watching everything through several pairs of fogged up glasses. No matter how hard I strained my ears I could barely make out what anyone was saying, such as the voice of a woman that was nearby one, "...o ...v... m... ...k ...y ...b... y... ...s!"
'That's weird,' I thought to myself. 'I know that I've heard that voice before but where was it?'
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:41 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
Just as suddenly as the vision had come to me it had faded away leaving me sitting in the lunchroom with my friends more than a little confused. What the hell was that about, and why did that lady sound so familiar just who was she?
As I came back to reality, Walt was pointing at me with a determined look in his eye, "Listen Paul I get it, your mother's all the family that you've got, but you can't let her run your life. You've worked too hard at this just to give it up over something that isn't even your fault
"Walt's right Paul, listen I may not be the smartest guy around, but I know when someone is making a bone-headed decision (mostly from experience)." Danny said backing Walt up. "I'll tell you what we'll be waiting around the corner from your neighborhood at six tomorrow morning, come see the fight with us this weekend maybe take in a couple of shows and give the old lady a chance to cool down. Just remember we'll only be sticking around until a quarter-past till we leave, remember you're a teenager now it's time that you remind your mom that you're cordless; sides from what my uncle told me a little rebellion at this age is healthy."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 4
Friday April 20th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:01 AM EDT
Greg Paulson waited behind his concealment charm as the doors to the Black Vaults at last opened, he had until sunup to get this operation done after which the concealment charm would lift. Moreover by sundown the changeling would expire and he needed to be out of New York by then, if he wasn't he'd still be in range of the Grand Hall's Employee Tracking spells (which were currently tracking the changeling) would show everyone he was very much alive and on the move. Fortunately, he already had a plane ticket under a fake identity (which wasn't the one he was planning to retire under) from a flight headed from JFK International Airport to Logan International Airport to so that he could meet his patron then another later from Boston to Chile where he intended to spend hard earned retirement.
As he stepped inside Black Vault Eleven, he marveled at the size. Granted the vault itself was no dragon's lair, but it was still a warehouse the size of a city block. Under ordinary circumstances, it would take him a week working nonstop to clear this place out, and he had no idea what he was looking for since his patron simply told him to "bring him the contents of Vault Eleven."
Fortunately said patron had supplied him with something that would get this operation over and done within a few minutes, no matter how massive it was on the inside; a genuine Bug-out Bag from the goblin market. He heard the price for these things was one day taken from the end of the buyer's life, which might not seem like much when you're young but that's the point, at the end of your life every day is more precious than anything in the entire world.
Still this was going to be tricky, he had to setup a barrier charm without disrupting his concealment charm, if he didn't do so then the bag would try to suck in every nonliving thing that wasn't nailed down the moment it was activated and thus would clue everyone in the Storage Facility to on his plans.
It took Greg a good twenty minutes to get the barrier setup, satisfied that everything looked to be in order. "Here goes nothing!" Greg mumbled before he tried to push his way into the hallway- sure enough the barrier held. Satisfied at the results of his labor he activated the Bug-out Bag and hit the floor; a vast wind began which pulled wooden crates, old wardrobes, casks and other old antique containers of all sorts into the vortex it as the faerie crafted object pulled them all into its depths. After about seven minutes, the brutal decade's old steel shelves were empty giving the room an eerie skeletal feel and the bag with its job now done shut tight.
Satisfied his job was now done Greg dismantled the barrier charm and took the Bug-out Bag as he exited Black Vault Eleven. Once outside he saw the poor rubes that were his now former co-workers busily going about emptying the other open Vaults. Satisfied that he was safe within the concealment charm, he took out the non-perception charm and activated it, picked up the Bug-out Bag and left the circle his concealment charm created; just as his sponsor had promised no-one noticed him.
Still there was the matter of sweetening the pot as it were grabbing something from one of the other Black Vaults and putting it in with the shipment that was already going to his sponsor. It couldn't be something too big, given that larger quarry was likely to get noticed faster and might lead to him getting caught. That's when Taylor Brenson, one of his now former co-workers bum leg acted up and caused him to stumble with a crate; Greg had to move so that Taylor didn't collide with him, but Taylor did drop the crate he was carrying causing one of the corners to crack.
"Taylor, watch it!" Quinn shouted at the oaf. "This is The Circle's stuff its priceless, you don't want to know what they'd do to us if you break it, heck even I don't want to know what they'd do to you."
"Sorry boss," Taylor replied as he inspected the contents to make sure they were undamaged. This gave Greg a very good at the crates contents- namely a pair of ancient crowns. Given that despite being elaborate they were not, overly ornate these were obviously the real deal and meant to be worn on a daily basis; granted he couldn't tell where they were from (or even what they're made of) and that would probably mean his sponsor would likely be very interested.
Kane Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:21 AM EDT
Whateley Security Officer Metler took careful note of the clock, enough time had passed that the last officers of B-Shift were out of Kane Hall and headed home for the night. He smiled to himself, now was the time of the day that Squad 7 made their real money, by informing those who greased their palms in just the right way. Metler like most of the rest of those under the supervision of Simon Trout had several patrons contributing to their well-being and some of the info he had garnered today would pay off well.
As it so happened several persons of interest were going to be headed to Boston for the weekend and out from under the wing of Whateley protection. Now make no mistake as crooked as Metler was he had no intention of selling this info to those who were actively trying to kill their students, his job at Whateley might be lucrative but without it he was a liability to several dangerous people- a loose end that they'd just as soon tear off...before setting on fire. No as far as he knew no one in Squad 7 would sell info to the likes of The Necromancer or Death-List; no the individuals they contacted likely had interests in certain students outside of homicide- as far as they knew, all that remained was who to call first- well there was always the old fail-safe method.
"Eenie- meenie- minee- moe," Metler went over the traditional American selection ritual before his questing finger came to a stop- he looked at his choice and smiled. "Not my usual first choice but he does pay well."
Making sure to activate his bug blocker first, Metler dialed the number on his rat-out phone. It took a few minutes but the first of his clients this morning answered.
"Hello, it's me, I'm calling to inform you that those students that you're interest in will be in Boston tomorrow for a little outing-"
Thursday April 19th, 2007
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:37 PM PDT
"I see," Greygus observed as he talked into the landline. "Thank you for telling me, I was going to be over in The Big Apple this weekend anyway, I might as well swing round to Beantown to have a chat with them."
Pausing a moment to listen to the other end of the line Greygus responded, "No I'm not going to make them a job offer, there are just a few things that they need to know about themselves, and I think that given the reputation of some of the others in my circle that I'm just the person to do so."
The djinn who served as the second in command of Lord Khamsin paused to listen to his informant a little more, "Yes, of course your money will be wired to your offshore account, honestly are Benjermin's all that you think about?"
"All right, all right there's no need to get so belligerent." Greygus hung up the phone and went to Lord Khamsin's newly remodeled office. "Hey pops, just got off the horn with our resident stoolie from Whateley; the Maidens are going to be headed to Bean Town this weekend so I thought that I'd stop in to have a chat after I finish the inspection of the Black Vault items that we're removing from the New York Branch's storage warehouse."
"Honestly I wish that I could come along with you son." Lord Khamsin said as he looked up from the stack of papers he was working over, mostly of them material requests from the mystics who operated out of Vegas or requests from the local legitimate businessmen to look into grifters thought to be using luck related relics on the strip casinos. "The part of this arrangement that I always hated was the paperwork."
"Might have something to do with Miranda's mother coming into town," Greygus chuckled under his breath. "Boy would she be surprised to find out the kid's real nature."
"We're just lucky that she isn't mama bear enough to demand her grandchild's father march her little girl down the aisle," Lord Khamsin said with a huff. "Djinn law might allow for consorts (and legitimize the children they bare) but it frowns on bigamy, and Nephyris is too traditional to agree. Honestly I don't know how Ptah swung that arrangement let alone handles a situation like that and stays sane."
"Probably because Bast is the only one who can reign in her sister," Greygus said as he poured himself a drink from the honor bar. "You do remember what happened the last time that she lost control."
"How could I forget, the Egyptians blamed me for that mess." Lord Khamsin groaned. "That's where that stupid myth about me having an army of werebeasts at my command started."
"Well you were responsible for founding the tribe who became the royal guard." Greygus mused for a moment.
"Yeah, but the Medjai were not an army loyal to me, I simply taught them the school of martial arts that I created for our royal guard." Lord Khamsin explained as his soon walked out.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Bea had just emerged from another of the orbs detailing the now fallen Eastern Court, and was pausing to take a moment to process what she had absorbed. Even the orbs contents were just a general overview of the Eastern Court it still went into a fair deal of detail, it was wonderful to find that her ancestors valued culture and the arts so highly, though it was hardly surprising given that she already knew that their magic use came from singing. Still the part about the gender parity and its affect on family structure was another story, apparently, mermen were uncommon and only one child in twenty was male.
Sometimes this lead to group marriages like the one that the six princesses were going to enter into with her uncle, odd how that she met her future aunts before she ever did her uncle. The part that would really shake human culture about merfolk was that it was far more common for two or more mermaids to form a family with each other, request the use of a sire through a type of bureaucracy when they chose to have children, and then raise the half-siblings together without the father.
Apparently this arrangement was also more than cultural as well, it explained that mermaids were genetically bisexual because of the gender disparity. 'Well that explains some things,' I thought as I blushed realizing that some of the feelings that I'd had in the showers were apparently common for mermaids, 'It also means that a lot of women will be needing therapy when I lift Dagon's Curse.'
'Still I thought that there are supposed to be as many men as women suffering from Innsmouth Syndrome,' I said to myself as I chewed the matter over in my mind. 'Must be due to the fact that they're hybrids like me, the human lineage must make the gender ratio closer to one-one; I wonder if that means that they'll have ears like me too after the curse is lifted?'
"Do you have any questions young Aletheia?" Greyback said as he looked up from his own studies and padded over to me. "If you do I would be more than pleased to answer them."
"Not really Greyback, I think that I figured out the answer for myself, but I am a little concerned." I replied making sure to voice a matter that I knew I'd need to help address in the very near future in the waking world, "The women and girls who'll become mermaids when I help lift Dagon, they'll have to deal with the mentality that comes with the situation. I may not be all that familiar with human culture but I know that sexual inclinations other than those of the opposite gender are considered unwelcome deviations from the norm."
"What is simply is child," Greyback said as he padded over and placed a paw on my shoulder. "The fact of the matter is that a stable even gender ratio like that which modern man considers normal is common only to the races of the Center Court. The Faerie of the Western Court and the Eínains of the Eastern Court both were predominately female, that of course had an effect on their biology and cultures. The Tiānshén of the Northern Court and the Daimons of the Southern Court conversely are predominately male and both handle that differently. The Tiānshén handle it by the females being clutch egg layers who do so after engaging with multiple males, I remember it was a sight to behold. As for the Daimons the males possess the ability to temporarily transform females of other races into lesser variants of themselves, they also possess the potential to make that change permanent however that is a complex matter."
"I wonder how the men of the world will handle those little nuggets of information," I said as I prepared to dive into the sphere containing information on the Kingdom of the Coral Crown, the kingdom of the Eastern Court whose royal line I was descended from through my other mother Thalatté and grandfather King Apsu.
"Whether they can handle it or not it is the reality, the world is far larger than modern man knows and one day they will have to learn of that fact and begin to accept it as such." Greyback explained as he padded back to his earlier spot, "Besides you and your uncle Qingu will have to tell the world the truth when you break Dagons curse, which is if you want to save the new mermen and mermaids from the wrath of mankind's resulting panic."
That was the part I was afraid of, something major like this always had consequences, I guess the saying could be true that no good goes unpunished. With that thought in my mind I began to let my mind drift into the next orb.
Laird Hall
?
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
Finally the last of my training evaluations for the year, at least until I took my combat final in Arena 99. "Faolan," I stood as I heard Sensei Itou call out my name and walked out to the mat, for some odd reason I didn't hear the name of my opponent called out, still I was sure that I would be ready for what Itou would throw my way.
That was when I saw Chaka on the other side of the mat. 'Okay no problem, I know that she's supposed to be a martial arts prodigy but I am still supposed to give it all that I got.'
I drew my practice knives as I prepared to show Itou sensei what I had learned; suddenly Chaka's form began waver. Then suddenly my opponent began to multiply, before I knew it there were dozens of Chaka's flooding the mat each armed with a different type of weapon, while some actually sprouted extra arms.
I began to panic when I heard Itou-sensei shout in a demonic voice as he transformed into a giant red oni, "HAJIMEI!"
At that moment the mob of Chakas came at me like a wave of flesh and steel, some charged me while others came at me from over-head- there was nothing that I could do as time seemed to slow down while they got closer- and closer until...
Friday April 20th, 2007
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:07 AM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"AAAAHHHHHHH- OW!" I shot up out of bed so fast that I hit my head on the top bunk, my ears folded at the pain as I fell off my bed and onto the floor, fortunately I didn't land on my tail- believe me that would hurt for a solid day.
"Randi- what the heck?!?" Candace said as she woke up before there was some knocking at our door, my vulpin roommate slipped on a nightshirt as she went to answer the door.
Rip and Bugs were outside when she opened the door, Bugs peered in while she explained. "Sorry, we heard the scream and with all that's happened this year we thought better safe than sorry."
"Sorry to bother you," I said as I rubbed the sore spot on my head. "Just had a nightmare where the evil midget sicced Chaka on me and she turned into a small army before he began the match."
"Yeah, that would probably do it." Rip said as she tried to contain her snickering, everyone in Poe knew that she and Toni were in a relationship, granted said relationship that was a little shaky at the moment. This was mostly thanks to Chaka deciding to date Thunderbird from the Cape Squad as well. "Let me guess weapons proficiency test today?"
"Yeah, I got lucky yesterday when he picked Draco for my powers martial-arts test." I turned to Candace who had a bit of a cross look on her face, "But considering some of the others in that class I got lucky Tolman chose him, heck I was lucky that the match she was supervising ended before the one Itou was supervising ended, I heard the man is a sadist."
"Yeah, I'll give you that much," Candace said as she waved off the comment. "Max has had some interesting things to say about that class."
"Somebody tell that furball that if she wakes me up again I'll spay her!" Tempest said as she poked her head in the door before stomping off to the showers.
"Geez, I'll never figure out that lady's problem," I muttered as I sat down and powered up my laptop, no sense rushing into the shower line if I'd be behind the PMS Avenger.
"She acquired a major hatred of gender-flippers before you got here thanks to the Kimbas, especially Toni for some odd reason." Rip said shaking her head at the whole mess. "You're just guilty by association because of the fact that you used to be one of the three-legged ones, that and she hates the fact that you look better than her.
"Hey it's nothing that a little diet and exercise wouldn't cure," Candace stated as she reemerged from the closet in her shower-robe. "Now don't doddle Randi, I'd hate for to miss out on enjoying the show."
Bugs and Rip turned towards me the two of them both wearing smirks on their faces, but saying nothing as they left. I merely rolled my eyes switched from my pajamas to my robe, grabbed my shower kit and headed to the showers- what can I say I still had a pulse.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:37 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I stared at myself in the mirror I couldn't believe my eyes, I was me for the first time since I hatched out of that egg I turned into back in September, I was me again. Okay, I suppose that the real me is still a Chinese dragon girl, this transformation is not who I really was, but still I look like a normal human again- just like how I used to look.
"Just remember child this form is not your real self," Sha Wujing explained although I admit I was only half listening as I admired myself in the mirror. "It will take time to master the art of transformation; this form might be a familiar one which is why it comes to you so easily. While a familiar form such as this will allow you to pass among normal society learning a variety of other transformations can become useful as well; however you will also need to gain a great deal of discipline to maintain this form, if your concentration lapses for a single instant-"
Sha Wujing ceased his lecture right before I felt a light tap on my back. This startled me, and I suddenly lost my transformation reverting to my normal self. "Then you will return to the form that you naturally wear. Only with practice and proper discipline can you maintain a transformation such as that in the conditions presented outside in the world beyond this mountain cavern."
Again I was only half-hearing the lecture of the sand priest, I was too busy looked at the image in the mirror with a heavy heart. Whereas before there was Zhen-Yu Chen the human daughter of Fan-Shi and Ni-Gao Chen who had a happy life with her friends and family back in Seattle, now there was a half fucanglong who had not seen the warm rays of the sun in months. Instead of the girl who spent her life hanging out with her friends at Duk Li or cleaning the local Betsuin, now there was the mutant that felt a frost-tongued lash at her back as she was called Yáo Xīyì and forced to make gemstones day and night.
It wasn't fair! Why couldn't I be a normal girl? Why did I have to live this fate? My mind turned to the others who were intertwined with me in this prophecy, girls who I had never met. The mermaid and the fairy that were now enjoying the sun and society, they were probably laughing with their friends even now as I languished in this cave. They didn't have to see this scaly sight in the mirror, everyone knew how beautiful mermaids were supposed to be and fairies weren't far behind them everyone thinks fairies are cute, they probably had boys falling over themselves for the chance to be with them. As for me who would want to spend time with someone looking like I do? I thought for a moment but all that I could think of as an answer to that question was some sicko with a reptile fetish, but certainly no one who was normal.
Even the last one that would join our number was someone I was sure would have a more normal existence than myself, she was supposed to be a genie so all that meant was a girl with an odd skin tone who would look great in a belly dancing outfit- why did I have to suffer like this and they didn't?!?
"Child I would suggest that you try again, eventually maintaining a form such as that which you used just now will be instinct however such a result only comes with practice and concentration." Sha Wujing stated in his usual gruff tone, "That is unless you would rather focus on learning how to maintain such focus on an intuitive level, I know of several methods to achieve this."
"Whatever," I scoffed as my temper was already as hot as my fire. "Bring it on monk; there is nothing you can throw at me that I can't take!"
Headmistress's Office - Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
11:43 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Come in," Mom stated as the doors to her office opened thanks to the thankfully hidden motors. As soon as the wooden doors opened I was clear to roll rolled inside, I have to admit the technology around Whateley was advanced in all of the right ways. Unlike the many memories of modern buildings, that I had seen through Cytherea's eyes here the technology was like the gears of a cookoo clock carefully hidden inside so as not to spoil the ascetic of the surroundings, it created a sort of energy about it.
"You wanted to speak with me mom?" I asked as I maneuvered my chair into a position in front of her desk, she tried to hide it but I saw a brief smile on her face every time that I called her that and who am I to deny her the pleasure when I owed her so much already.
"Yes dear, I understand that you were wanting to go to Boston for a little shopping. You need to understand, after all that has happened this year to students who went there that the Whateley Board of Directors is- concerned about students going to Boston for any reason out of fear that they could be targeted." Mom began her lecture trying to keep it as impersonal as possible however; I didn't need to be an empath to hear the fear in her voice.
"I understand mom, the rumors are making their way around the other students now that you are considering banning travel to Boston." I said passing on what I'd heard last night from Renee. "I was just looking to buy a birthday present for Princess Evania, if you want me to go to Manchester instead I understand."
"Actually I asked a few choice students to act as your chaperones while in Boston;" Mom said cutting to the heart of the matter, while it hurt a little that I didn't feel she trusted me to do this on my terms I understood she was just thinking of my safety. Maybe it might actually work out for the best; I could always use some advice while I was shopping.
"Alright, I was just going to stick with the other students but if you think that they'll be able to help then I'm all for it." I said with a smile, if anything, it would also give me the excuse to get acquainted with a few more people; maybe even find me something to do once I am finally able to say goodbye to this chair.
Mom almost seemed to be relieved to hear me say that; it was almost as if she was expecting a fight, maybe I should ask someone about that later. "It's good to hear that, Gloriana from the FSA will be joining you on your trip and she readily agreed. Amelia also asked Poise if she wouldn't mind lending a hand to help restore the Alpha's reputation; however she has a photo shoot scheduled this Saturday, she did ask Heartbreaker from the Academy's Fashion Club if she would fill in for her. Ms Hilton agreed but still she wants to speak to you about it sometime this afternoon, apparently she wants to see if you can help her with something."
"I'll contact her and see if I can fulfill her request," I said as I maneuvered my chair to get ready to leave the room, "Oh and mom, one more thing."
"Yes," Mom said as she turned towards me in curiosity. "What is it?"
"Thank you for trusting me enough to let me visit Boston," I said with a smile. "I'll do my best to live up to the faith you are placing in me." As I hovered back out the door of her office, I knew without seeing it that she was smiling back.
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:16 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Chandra reveled in the fact that for the first time in weeks Victor and his group of posers were leaving her alone during lunch, just as well they had important work to do. "Alright, I hope everyone is ready for tomorrow's game. Now understand we only have half of our normal practice today, we are going to be stuck in Ava's mother's van for at least three hours until we get to Moline for the game, if we over prepare we'll just psyche ourselves out.
"Got it Captain," Deb said with a mock salute, "I'll make sure to tell Marlina and Erica when I see them on the way back from lunch. The Soccer team is still pissed that you scouted our Mexican Jumping Bean before they could, I swear that sometimes I think that she's part cricket."
"Hey what am I chopped liver," Alice said with a pout preparing to bring on the dreaded puppy-dog eyes.
"Nope I'd say that you're more like tender loin." Nita chuckled as she ribbed Alice. "Better be careful that you don't bruise before it's time for the pit."
"Knock it off you two," I said trying to hide my smile as I shook my head, this was what it should be like in the week leading up to the game. Tomorrow our team would give it our all and then hit that ice-cream parlor Marcy mentioned, let Victor and his friends learn the consequences of their own actions the hard way.
"So Captain, do you have any advice for the game?" Marcy asked as she looked up from next period's homework.
"Yes actually," I said, as I knew that this was coming. "We need to work on feints and less on setting up for jump shots, remember the less routine we play the less likely the other team is to predict our strategy. Still above all else remember to have fun."
"Roger!" Everyone said imitating Deb's earlier mock salute as I rolled my eyes, Candace certainly left me with plenty of knuckle-heads to work with.
Canyon Vista Middle School - Lunch Room
Round Rock, Texas
12:37 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
"So Joan," Mallory said as she finished began to cut up her lunch. "Are you going to be seeing your parents off at the airport?"
"No they left for Austin-Bergstrom early this morning," I said as I began to divulge the official reason my parents were going to New York, granted that it was just as important to the organization as their mission with the Sweepers tomorrow. "My dad has to be there to set up his demo for tonight and mom wants to have plenty of time to look over the security measures. I can't tell you too much about it until tomorrow; just that it could mean a potential billion dollar defense contract from the Federal government alone."
"Sweet," Mallory said with a little wide-eyed enthusiasm. "Oh, I can only imagine what they're showing off to the military; a new smart missile, maybe a micro-attack drone, or a military grade version of their new armor."
"Come on Mallory," Erika said as she rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Axcel isn't in the business of military weapons manufacturing, at least not that I know of... Are they Joan?"
"Nope," I replied confident that I was telling the whole truth for once given that while they did make weapons, especially for internal operations for the Grand Hall portion of our operations, they didn't create weapons for military use. "And I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what it is until after the public press release either?"
"Want us to come over and keep you company after your house sitter comes over?" Erika asked out of both concern and curiosity, obviously wanting to see the inside of my home at last. "We could have a sleepover and then help you setup for the party tomorrow."
"I'll have to ask Miss Snyder when she gets here tonight, she is going to be in charge after all; just make sure to tell your folks it's conditional." And give me the time to double-check all the locks and concealment spells on the secret areas of the house, sometimes being the kid of a couple of super-villains is a pain in the neck.
Elinore was in clear sight as she came towards where we were sitting, her usual happy-go-lucky smile on her face; it must be nice not to have a real care in the world- not to worry that one day your parents were caught and thrown in some ultra-prison for the rest of their lives or killed by some super-powered psycho-vigilante.
"Okay Joan, since your ‘rents okayed the party I'll be over around three-ish with some friends to help set things up." Elinore said as usual grinning from ear to ear. "You don't have to worry about the necessities: tunes, food and refreshments will be provided by yours truly along with the DJ and the carpet cleaning service. I also hope that your parents have a sturdy lock on their liquor cabinet because I am not paying for major remodeling."
"The only booze that we have in the house is my parent's wine cooler and that's my pop's design- a quad-dead bolt linked to a thumb scanner with bullet proof glass." I explained right before I put my foot down on a few matters. "And just to be clear, there are four areas of the house that will be off limits to everyone. No one is allowed in my room without permission, I don't want some perv going through my dresser; the same goes for my parent's room. No one is to go into the study, aside from Miss Snyder our chaperon will be in there to work on her term paper, that's also where my mom's gun cabinet is and that has the same security as the wine cooler so she will know if anyone tried to get into it. Last but certainly not least, the basement is off-limits to anybody but me, my dad's workshop is down there and if anyone without the right clearance goes down there both my parents could lose their jobs."
"Okay Joan, no reason to have a cow," Elinore said waving off my concerns. "No one is going to do anything stupid like that."
She had better be right; I'd hate to have to spike the punch bowl with Lethe water, though it would likely be funny as hell. I took a quick glance at my watch, my folks would likely be in New York right now, and given that they were flying in civilian guise they'd be going through security right now.
JFK International Airport
New York City, New York
1:40 PM EDT
Greg was in the home stretch as he approached the JFK Terminal 8, the Bugout Bag with the entire contents of Black Vault Eleven was one of his carry-on's and a simple glamour would cause it to register being full of camera equipment. This went along perfectly with his stolen identity as Tyler Brooks a who was a minor freelance photographer; he even had a great cover story as being on the way to cover an AMC sponsored dog show that was going to be this weekend. The airport security wouldn't even give it a second look since photographers and photo-journalists raise a major stink about anyone rough-handling their equipment as being a violation of the freedom of the press, and the real Tyler Brooks was a minor photographer.
The two crowns while not in his carry-on's were hidden in a special smuggling crate in the cargo-hold that his unwitting former co-workers sent on the same flight, aiding in his theft and making them just as guilty without even knowing it. Before they were aware of what had gone on he'd be on his way to Chile and living in a modest amount of luxury under yet another identity he would acquire from his patron in Boston.
Greg sat in silence paying careful attention to the loud-speaker for his boarding call, after a scant minute and a half he heard the loudspeaker "Flight 17 bound for Boston, this is your call, please begin boarding at Gate 7!" He slipped on his headphones to take in a little music while he boarded. Halfway to his destination the loud speaker announced "Flight 56 now arriving from Austin at Gate 5!"
Indeed his fortune was lost on him as the first group began to exit at Gate 5, if he had known he would have been panicking as soon as the first passengers began to depart the plane one Jacob Prescott (alias Shuffle) would have instantly picked up on this and taken more than a cursory look, however his view was obscured by a businessman who began walking to his left. As Shuffle had memorized the faces of everyone working at the Storage Facility during his briefing, he would have recognized Greg Paulson instantly.
Instead, Greg boarded his flight with Shuffle only getting a slight glance at him, unaware of just how close he had really come to having his plans unravel in an instant. No- this fortunate turn of events was lost on him as he boarded his flight the only thing on his mind being his ill-gotten gains, because at this moment to Shuffle he was just one of many faces in the most crowded airport in the world.
Meanwhile at Gate 5, the rest of the Sweepers that Shuffle brought with him on this mission began to trickle out of the plane, Gremlin and Atropos were the first to follow Shuffle from out of first class their usual civilian glamour charms active. Gremlin could be said to be playing his role to a T obviously looking uncomfortable in the suit he had been forced into, if it wasn't for the fact that it was no act; it was no secret among the Face Cards of the still growing Sweepers that Gremlin hated formal attire like a root canal.
Atropos meanwhile was every part of the security agent that was her day job, she was a staunch professional in this area and her experience showed; more than once those working security at Axcel had hit her with the Mercy Graves comparison and darned if it didn't fit her like a glove. She was also currently busy calming down her husband, "Walter there is nothing to worry about, Joan's not a little girl anymore, it's time that we start to give her a little more room. Besides party or not Nicole will be there to look after her and make sure that nothing goes wrong, now relax you have enough to worry about with your presentation."
"How can you be so calm, our baby girl is thousands of miles away and going to be alone in the house with a bunch of strangers?" Walter stared at his wife Alice his face beaded in sweat. "What if one of those teenage boys tries to do something to her- or starts a fire- or manages to get into my lab? That's it I'm going back home my little girl needs me!"
Alice was quick to grab onto her husband and keep him from rushing back onto the plane, the nearby airport security guards and MCO agent came towards them Alice replied with a legitimately embarrassed look on her face. "Our daughter is at home and having some friends over, you know how it is teenagers and parties- as well as father's with teenage daughters."
The TSAs nodded as they went back to the gate while the MCO agent laughed under his breath and returned to his post. After Atropos began to drag her husband out of the airport- glad that she secretly packed him, an extra pair of dress shoes because this pair was going to be tremendously scuffed. The rest of the team began to filter out with the passengers from coach.
The scared bruiser Agony was the first of the group to depart from coach wearing a glamour making him appear to be a native of Samoa rather than betraying his usual Latin heritage (and numerous scars) and dressed like a tacky tourist who had just arrived from Texas. He stopped by the TSA and showed them his forged passport, which displayed that he had already been checked in at Las Angeles, Denver, and Austin fitting along perfectly that he was just a foreigner with a little money touring the US. They could also see that he had already booked a flight to Chicago a week from now on the next leg of his travels.
While Ernesto was busy playing semi-clueless tourist Adeline Jude aka Catalyst was already making her way out to catch the first the ride that Axcel arranged for her. She like the Druckers was here for the test demonstration of Axcel's Newest Project with the military at the Westerlo mortar range, but unlike the happily wedded couple she was headed to the range right now to get everything setup for the demonstration tonight.
After grabbing her luggage Adeline began making her way across the airport, as she did she finally exited the airport she spotted the Druckers getting into a taxi on their way to their hotel, Walter now no longer struggling to return to his daughter's side back in Round Rock. "Must be nice to be married," Adeline commented in a low tone as she stowed her luggage and equipment inside the trunk, somewhat more conscious of her still empty ring finger. With a wistful sigh, she climbed into the backseat, telling the driver, "Westerlo Mortar Range please."
"I know ma'am," The driver gruffed. "I got the destination from your boss."
After buckling her seat belt Adeline once again staring at her naked ring finger, and muttering in a low voice, "Cheer up Ady, maybe you'll meet some nice soldiers after you set up who can take you out for a drink."
Meanwhile back at the airport Perses in his civilian guise was desperately trying to wave down a taxi to take him to his own motel. It took a good ten minutes but finally he flagged one down, after storing his luggage in the trunk he climbed inside, knowing from experience to breathe through his mouth once he got inside.
"Where to mac?" The cabbie barked the moment Perses stepped inside.
"Red Roof Inn over in Queens," Perses said as he buckled up. "Need to stow my stuff and get some shut eye."
"You got it," the cabby said as he pulled away from the airport to make his way to Long Island while in the back Perses was ready to fall over from a mixture of hunger, and exhaustion. This being his third mission in a week having just returned from hunting for the last of Harrow's toadies, at least who were fortunate enough to be outside of Chicago when Erzabet took over the Chapter House. All that he wanted to do was drop off his bags, grab a bite and then conk out until ten o'clock.
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:32 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"It's official; I'm banned from boxing and quitting the gym." I said as I poked at my lunch while my friends stood by in shock. "My mother got the news about what happened yesterday and gave me the ultimatum, I'm through."
"What are you serious?" Danny said shocked, "Just like that, Paul what's wrong with you- couch says you're one of the best that he's ever seen."
"Really Paul," Steve spoke up in clear concern, "you almost placed top in state last year during the Silver Gloves, this year you could go all the way. Really your mother is over-reacting over nothing more than a tiny scratch."
"It's not just the scratch," I said as I absentmindedly stroked the weird scratch that I had received from yesterday's beating-"
?
?
?
I suddenly found myself in a strange place, I could see outlines that resembled people but blurry and indistinct, like I was watching everything through several pairs of fogged up glasses. No matter how hard I strained my ears I could barely make out what anyone was saying, such as the voice of a woman that was nearby one, "...o ...v... m... ...k ...y ...b... y... ...s!"
'That's weird,' I thought to myself. 'I know that I've heard that voice before but where was it?'
Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School - Lunch Room
Boulder City, Nevada
12:41 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
Just as suddenly as the vision had come to me it had faded away leaving me sitting in the lunchroom with my friends more than a little confused. What the hell was that about, and why did that lady sound so familiar just who was she?
As I came back to reality, Walt was pointing at me with a determined look in his eye, "Listen Paul I get it, your mother's all the family that you've got, but you can't let her run your life. You've worked too hard at this just to give it up over something that isn't even your fault
"Walt's right Paul, listen I may not be the smartest guy around, but I know when someone is making a bone-headed decision (mostly from experience)." Danny said backing Walt up. "I'll tell you what we'll be waiting around the corner from your neighborhood at six tomorrow morning, come see the fight with us this weekend maybe take in a couple of shows and give the old lady a chance to cool down. Just remember we'll only be sticking around until a quarter-past till we leave, remember you're a teenager now it's time that you remind your mom that you're cordless; sides from what my uncle told me a little rebellion at this age is healthy."
7 years 4 months ago #7
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Bug-Blocker
A gadget sold on the mercenary market to take care of surveillance equipment, rather than frying or destroying bugs, it leaves them intact while broadcasting digital counter audio thus making all said record as silence or white-noise.
Rat-out Phone
A cell phone that operate on microburst sub frequencies that cell towers broadcast but don't trace, they are also next to impossible to tap.
Eínains
The people of the Eastern court include naiads, mermaids, orithans, kelpies, merrows, sea serpents, etc. Eínains tend to dislike hot, dry climates, as many are vulnerable to heatstroke. Something of interest, not all Eínains are sea-dwelling creatures.
Daimons
The beings of the Southern Court including djinn, gremlins, salamanders, imps, shades, etc. Daimons prefer either natural environs or modern places as ruined structures weaken them.
Tiānshén
The beings of the Northern Court including dragons, rocs, phoenix, storm giants, etc. Tiānshén depend on Celestial energy and fall into torpor without it thus they like being around gold, which originates from supernovas often basking in its energy.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 4 Notes
Bug-Blocker
A gadget sold on the mercenary market to take care of surveillance equipment, rather than frying or destroying bugs, it leaves them intact while broadcasting digital counter audio thus making all said record as silence or white-noise.
Rat-out Phone
A cell phone that operate on microburst sub frequencies that cell towers broadcast but don't trace, they are also next to impossible to tap.
Eínains
The people of the Eastern court include naiads, mermaids, orithans, kelpies, merrows, sea serpents, etc. Eínains tend to dislike hot, dry climates, as many are vulnerable to heatstroke. Something of interest, not all Eínains are sea-dwelling creatures.
Daimons
The beings of the Southern Court including djinn, gremlins, salamanders, imps, shades, etc. Daimons prefer either natural environs or modern places as ruined structures weaken them.
Tiānshén
The beings of the Northern Court including dragons, rocs, phoenix, storm giants, etc. Tiānshén depend on Celestial energy and fall into torpor without it thus they like being around gold, which originates from supernovas often basking in its energy.
7 years 4 months ago #8
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
1:02 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
"Alright that is enough for the meditation drills today," Sha Wujing said aloud as he dispelled the barrier of freezing ice that had stood between the outside world and me.
As the ice vanished I fell backwards my arms still pointing over-head with my palms braced upwards, as I'd needed them to be constantly channeling volcanic heat to combat the deep chill of Antarctic winter that Sha was sending down the narrow ice chimney.
"You know it is perfectly alright to put your arms down now." Sha explained a mild tone of concern peppering his voice.
"I can't," I said with a weary tone. "I think they're stuck that way!"
"Ah, I think I have a solution for that," The Sand Priest said as he came closer. "Please roll over onto your back."
I wanted to argue with the monk but frankly, I was too tired and not sure that I would win either. It took a little effort and I wanted to take a nap, but I managed to comply with his request. Soon he had his hands on me, now I didn't want to admit it but my time as the guest of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn had given me a- mild aversion to the- um well- opposite gender.
Okay I'm not a lesbian or anything like that, it's just that my- handlers while I was being forced to create gemstones night and day were all middle-aged men. Any time someone hit me with that damned frost whip it was a man holding the lash's handle, anytime I had that thin rice gruel shoved in my face it was a man doing it. Of course there was also the fact that I was kidnapped at the orders of their now deceased Xuè-jīn Mùshī, who threatened to kill my parents if I wasn't fully obedient to him even after he stole my name; I still count the day that Kelsey reduced the avaricious infernal bastard to a pill of bones as a fond memory.
"You are tensing up even more child," Sha Wujing explained as he began to work over my back muscles with firm yet subtle manipulations of his hands. He must be a lot stronger than he looked because the last time that I needed to get a knot out of my back Kelsey had to use my hammer on me- scuffed the poor thing up something awful.
"I can't help it zūn zhě," I explained remembering my manners. Well that and the fact that if my mother ever heard that I addressed a divine arhat with anything less than the respect he deserved, then near impenetrable dragon hide or not she'd manage to tan it. "The circumstances of my incarceration by those who worshiped the Demon Lord Bloody Gold have left scars upon my soul; one's that I am afraid will never heal."
"Do not be so quick to make such an assessment child," the Sand Priest stated with a solemn expression on his face. "In time with the right kind of help the pain of such scars will go away, whether they are those inflicted upon us, or those we inflict upon ourselves."
"But they never go away completely, do they?" I asked morosely as I notice what he did not say to me.
"No child nor should they," Sha Wujing said with a heavy sigh. "Our experiences help shape who we are and how we perceive the world around us; however it is up to us to choose what that final shape will be for once you let someone else be the sculptor you begin to lose control over your life. Now let us put what you've learned into practice, try transforming again."
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:31 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I sat along the sidelines with butterflies desperately trying to flee my stomach, this was where I would put the skills that Morrigan and Anu both had been teaching me to their final test. My skill with knives or with a saber soon I was going to show off what I knew; other than the fact that I felt like I was going to hurl.
"First match Faolan, Nightbane, please approach the mat." Tolman-sensei called out I sighed in resignation, this was going to be a tough match, although by no means an impossible one. On the one hand, everyone around Poe knew that Nightbane was Reverend Englund's personal protégé a demon hunter in training to take on things that went bump in the night and the leader of his secret team of monster hunters here on campus. On the other hand said team of monster hunters kept their status hidden from most students on campus by surrounding themselves with members who made them look like a joke, this lead to them being dubbed the Goobers (after the first and some would say worst mimic that Hanna Barbera tried to make along the formula of their hit Scooby-Doo) by the other students.
To go along with this facade Nightbane put on an act like she was an just another bleach-bottle blonde air-headed Buffy-wannabe, the only reason that folks in Poe knew the truth was that Englund was obsessed with offing Carmilla and had actually been indirectly responsible for what had happened last Halloween as a result. At least those in Poe knew it but since almost everyone else on campus knew Poe was crazy town, then the cover story for the cabin's secret worked against us. This reputation for craziness meant that conspiracy theorists were part of the package deal; granted that I hadn't helped the situation sometimes talking to Jane aloud instead of in my head when she was half-way across campus and I was just getting the hang of our link.
But enough with the wandering thoughts, I was on the mat and so was my opponent trying to appear as vapid as she could holding a reinforced practice boken, as I held the saber equivalent that Tolman had given me for the day. "Bow," Sara and I faced each other and did so. "Ready," Nightbane and I both took our stances with our chosen practice weapons. "Begin!"
I kept my distance and began to circle; I knew some of Nightbane's style but not enough to be confident in making the first move. She was an Exemplar and I only had her level of strength when I shifted, while that wasn't forbidden in this match I wanted to save that card until I needed to play it- thankfully I had eaten a big lunch just in case since my costume was a no-no. Nightbane began to close in on me with a steady pace while keeping up a relaxed guard; although I could tell from my training with Morrigan that this was as big a lie as Nightbane's airhead bleach-bottle blonde persona. No, she was ready to put up just enough of a show to do the job- unfortunately for her this little wolf is more bite than bark.
Soon as she was within range Nightbane took a strong overhead swing at me, I blocked it using the flat of my blade and my right shoulder as a lever. She almost immediately she tried to use her strength to press me to my knees, and from her perspective it must have looked like it was working- at least until I pressed forward and nailed her in the nose with the butt of my practice sword.
On reflex Nightbane recoiled and grabbed her nose, were she not an exemplar this would be a TKO, it was time for me to press my attack. As fast as I could I took my distance again and began to hit my selected targets, her floating ribs, and joints; I tried to hit as many as I could before she recovered, but still recover she did. Nightbane blocked my swing at her shoulder and it was obvious that she was pissed- good I know from experience that a pissed fighter is a sloppy fighter.
She began to press me on the offensive striking hard with her blade; I used my own to intercept it out of apparent desperation, as if I was sloppily parrying it with my own. This made me move further and further back on the mat as her blows began to grow bolder and bolder eventually I reached my target. When she came at me with another over-head strike, I dodged to my left- spun on my heel and while she was temporarily off-balance nailed her across her scapula. This was risky because she had two courses of action, she could step outside of the mats in which case I win by ring out, or she'd fall to her knees and go on the defensive until she could regain the upper hand- she chose the latter option then while still crouched somehow spun to face me.
Crud she was starting to drop her airhead act, this meant that she'd step-up her game, in which case I had to get serious and bring out all the stops. I shifted into my werewolf form while Nightbane turned her tuck rolled to give what would have simulated a stab to the solarplex. That would end the match for me so I bunny-hopped backward, in that moment Nightbane used her other foot to roll further forward and connect with her previous attack.
"Match call," Tolman-sensei called out as Nightbane got to her feet. "The Winner is Nightbane."
Oh well I lost, no big deal at least I had shown what I knew, I bowed to Nightbane and then again to Tolman-sensei before I returned to the sidelines. My stress at these combat evaluations began to fade; now all I had left was the Combat Final at the end of the semester.
Feeling better already Randi, I heard Jane through our link as I settled in to observe the rest of the matches for the class as the clock on the wall ticked away towards the weekend. The minutes just seemed to tick away as I sat in observation of the classes regular students trying to get the gist of their styles, after all I had no idea just who I'd be facing in the combat finals.
Class was almost over when I heard Ito-sensei call out, "Faolan," I stood up slowly my only thought was that I was going to receive my cumulative evaluation on the last few days. That was when he called out, "Chaka." I froze as I turned to see Toni Chandler hop to her feet with as I could swear that I saw her smile like a shark as she did so.
Academy Grounds Southeast of The Quad
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:42 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Okay- I admit that I was more than a little nervous as I guided my wheelchair up to where the two Masterminds said they wanted to meet me. I admit that I knew that these two weren't really as bad as they made themselves out to be but I still needed to be on my guard the last thing that I wanted to be was used as some super villain hopeful's tool. My wheelchair briefly caught on a rock so I had to back up to maneuver around it, ugh I wish the that Doctor Tenant would give his approval for to use Lofstrand crutches already so that I could get out of this chair already; hover or wheelchair mode I don't care I just wanted some added mobility.
I briefly stared at the amber flag that waved in the late day breeze, not that it mattered although the armor that was part of my costume let me swim through the air in my mermaid form I was forbidden to do so outside until I passed the flight class. Still I would be glad when I was allowed to do so, I could almost imagine this coming fall swimming through the air amidst the late autumn breezes when I wasn't walking the grounds as another normal student.
Come to think of it Shelly's new body was going to be ready in June so we'd be student's together, I wonder what my sister was like. Would she like having me as a younger sister- gaah so many questions, focus Bea that will come up when it comes up for now you have a couple of aspiring super-villainesses to talk to, "Hello, the Headmistress said that you wished to speak with me about the trip to Boston tomorrow."
"Geez, listen to her The Headmistress said, why don't you just call her mom?" This girl who looked like she was made from that strawberry gelatin that they serve in Crystal Hall during lunch on Tuesday.
"I do," I admitted although I was just a little embarrassed that someone pointed it out. "Just not when it's school related, I don't want to get any special treatment."
"You have a member of Venus Inc. and one of the top members of the Cape Squad looking after you on a shopping trip and you don't want special treatment!" The gelatin girl said as she was so peeved that she began to lose cohesion.
"Jello calm down," Heartbreaker said to her friend while trying to maintain her own composure. "Remember we're here to try and negotiate a favor for a favor, there's no reason to get hot under the collar."
"Sorry Eve but you know how I feel about entitlement." Jello said as she began to cool down and collect herself. "I'm sorry for blowing my stack at you Miss Carson."
"No offense taken Miss Ruskin," I replied glad to avoid a fight. "I really just want people to see me for me not for being my mother's daughter. Besides this is birthday shopping for someone else, Evania, one of the mermaids who were here a few weeks ago, is turning thirteen next week and I wanted to get her a birthday present. Preferably something that she could use here since Mrs. Redstag is trying to arrange for her to become a student ambassador for the merfolk, the thing is I don't have too much experience shopping for another person so I need a little help to pick something out."
"What I thought that you saw and heard everything Cytherea did growing up?" Heartbreaker asked out of curiosity.
"That girl has never personally shopped for another person in her life!" I barked out as I shook in anger at yet another unpleasant memory of life according to Victoria Donovan. "Anytime that she needed to get a present for another person- the help were the ones picking things out while she tried things on."
"Ugh- figured as much," Heartbreaker remarked as she shook her head. "Am I grateful that she never tried out for Venus Inc, speaking of which Poise wanted me to extend an invitation to you whenever you get your land legs; she thinks that you have a sort of timeless beauty to you."
"Thanks I guess," I replied more than a little flattered that the school's fashion club decided to rush men. "I'll try to live up to your expectations, the truth is no one wants me to get out of this chair more than I do; still I will drop you a line to audition as soon as I am physically able to."
"Actually, what I want to know is if you'll try and use your healing abilities to help Jello here?" Heartbreaker came out and said as I was about to head to the Library to return a few books. "You see she's got a problem with her BIT and given that we've tried devises and hypnotism, I thought that a session with a healer might do some good, especially since you have a way to boost your abilities."
"No," I said with some difficulty.
"No, what do you mean no, it's not even that big of a request?" Jello said understandably upset.
"I mean that I won't attempt it right now, at least not until I have a better grip on my powers; I might even wind up doing more harm than good." I said detailing the reasons behind my refusal. "I promise that as soon as I feel more confident in my abilities that I will see what I can do, but until then it is better safe than sorry for me to avoid experimenting with my abilities like that- especially with another person involved."
"I understand but remember," Heartbreaker said satisfied with the reasons behind my refusal. "I expect you to honor your promise to help Jello."
"I will see what I can do when I've sufficiently tested my ability to the limits." I reinforced my earlier promise, I might not be bound by my promises as a faerie would be but I still hated the thought of breaking them.
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
5:04 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
I was just about to finish my homework when the doorbell rang, I looked at my alarm clock and noted. "Only a little after five, must be Miss Snyder."
I went downstairs to answer the front door, remotely activating the Passive Identity Verification Scanner (PIVS) on the front porch. It was one of my dad's inventions, it uses a passive low-energy scanner to verify the identity of anyone within sensor range, it then matches that data with the files that our faction of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom has gleaned from various sources for matches. That and thanks to a few arcano-tech upgrades in recent years it is even able to peek through glamours and shifting talents.
"Who is it?" I asked as a matter of formality as I checked the confirmed identity on our security panel.
"This is Nicole Snyder, your parents asked me to help you keep an eye on your house this weekend." I heard from the other side of the door, "May I come inside?"
I checked the screen on our security panel, sure enough it registered her as who she said she was; even verified her status as a demi-succubus. "Alright, I'm opening the door!" I placed my hand on the bio-metric palm scanner on the wall that undid the triple deadbolt on our reinforced faux-wood door.
I opened the door to see a young woman who looked like she used to be the girl next-door type. She had wavy shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair and a few freckles along her cheeks, a slim figure and was tastefully dressed; in all Nicole Snyder was obviously the type of girl who showed a mature beauty. She walked in and closed the door behind her then turned and offered me the hand that wasn't holding a suitcase, "Hello you must be Joan, I have to say you look so much like your mother it’s scary."
"I know she's always raiding my closet too." I said as I rolled my eyes, "I can't wait till I grow up a little more so that she can't do that anymore."
"When that happens I could imagine that you'd be one of the few girls in the world who'd be giving your mom your hand-me-downs." Nichole quickly quipped, "So your mom told me that you'd be having a lot of your first's this weekend, first slumber party and first house party."
"Yeah," I said as I shuffled my right foot. "I just wish the second was my idea; Elinore Jaffee heard about mom and dad going out of town this weekend and strong-armed me because she can't throw one at her family estate since her dads going to be courting campaign contributors."
"Why didn't you say no?" Nichole asked obviously curious about the entire set of circumstances.
"She's the queen bee of the school, its social suicide to do that!" I said as I tried to give the circumstances for the situation I was facing. "If I don't manifest and get sent to Whateley I need to leave my options open. You know, you really don't look like a succubus."
"Demi-succubus," Nichole smiled before her wings, horns and tail appeared; all of which were relatively small. "And to tell you the truth, unless we want to we don't have to transform into drop-dead gorgeous bombshells when we get turned; fortunately I was actually rather comfortable with what I looked like when I did. Well aside from slimming down a little, I look mostly like I used to be before I became what I now am. So when do your friends get here?"
"In a couple of hours," I said before asking. "Why?"
"Cause I'm ordering Chinese; can you call them an ask if they want anything?" Nichole explained as she withdrew her diabolic features and pulled out her cellphone.
"I thought that pizza was traditional for slumber parties?" I asked somewhat confused by her choice.
"Yeah but it's also one of the main staples for a teenage house party," She said with a hint of embarrassment that let me know that she was speaking from experience. "And trust me on this one you really don't want to gorge yourself on pizza two days in a row. Besides you don't want to fill up on pizza, your mom told me that she stocked up on supplies for chocolate fondue."
Ah, that explains it; I remembered having that from a wedding I attended not too long ago. We were going to have a sugar buzz keeping us going tonight; just one decision remained for the slumber party- romantic comedy or scary movie.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
3:37 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Sorry I missed out on practice yesterday Chandra," Marlina said as we walked up to the front gate.
"Hey we understand you grandmother was sick, and you wanted to look after her so that your parents didn't have to take time out from their jobs." I replied as I punched in the code to the security door next to the front gate. "Besides I think Erica was stoked to get in some more practice than usual."
"Is she still mad about me getting picked instead of her as the first alternate?" Marlina asked once again concerned with being the cause of friction among the team.
"Marlina I told you before," I said as I put my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "There is no shame in being good at what you do, when the two of you tried out for the team we gave both of you a fair chance; Erica was just expecting preferential treatment because her sister was the Captain when she was on the team."
I took my hands off her shoulders and we continued on the way to the house. "Of course, some of it may be Stephanie expecting Erica to maintain her legacy, don't get me wrong Stephanie was a good team captain but she had a major streak of narcissism; besides most of us will be at Rolling Meadows or Prospect this fall and then she won't be the alternate anymore."
"Yeah but then the two of us will be competing to see who’s going to be captain next year," Marlina complained as she kicked a stray twig off of the walkway.
"Yes, but remember that is going to be Marcy's decision to make and no one else's." I reminded her as we walked in the front door, "Just remember to do your best tomorrow, and whatever the future brings just handle it as it comes."
"I will captain," Marlina said with a salute as she headed to her bedroom while I did the same.
I sat down at the computer to get started on my homework, briefly turning to the poster of Jackie Joyner-Kersee that my dad sent me for my fourteenth birthday. Another year without seeing him in person, when was the army going to let him come home? "Well wish us luck tomorrow Jackie." I said just as I did the day before a every match since I got it, then set out to finish my homework so that I'd have one less thing on my mind.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:16 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"I can't believe that you passed out standing up in the middle of Laird," Erza could barely constrain her laughter while I tried to make myself as small as I possibly could out of reflex. "I thought that said you were prepared for your combat evaluation today?"
"I was prepared for a combat evaluation today," I grumbled in embarrassment. "I had already lost a match against Nightbane and was winding down for the weekend when I thought I heard that sadistic Miyagi-clone say that he wanted me to fight Chaka out of the blue. It would have been okay if I was prepared- and possibly didn't wake up this morning screaming from a nightmare about this."
"You had a dream about Chaka last night," Jamal said with a raised eyebrow. "Please don't spare the details-OW!"
"Jamal think with the head on your shoulders," Renee said after she smacked him. "She said nightmare not dream, so do us a favor and reign in your teenage hormones."
"Easier said than done Renee," Eddie said chuckling under his breath. "At this age controlling that is about as easy as controlling a caffeinated squirrel."
"Oh you heard about that incident," Buck chimed in looking up from- whatever the hell he was tinkering with at the lunch table. "Yeah funny story, one of Aquerna's fuzzy friends got into the coffee pot in the devisor lab today, it broke through three reinforced steel plates on his way out and no one has seen the little guy since then. Everyone in the workshop is taking bets on what happened; the two major contenders are he's either five states away by now or that he's gone quantum."
"I'd say that you're exaggerating Buck but I've heard stories about the rocket fuel that you people down in The Workshop call coffee," Kerry remarked while looking up from her lunch. "I wouldn't be surprised if the outside world classifies it as a controlled substance. Anyway, Randi what happened when you woke up?"
"Itou congratulated me for taking one of the best courses of action for a fight that he's seen in a while- avoiding it entirely, although I think that he might have been laughing at me behind my back." I grumbled while poking at my dinner.
"No Randi he wasn't," Jane explained as she emerging from her own dinner bowl. "But Tolman was having a good laugh at Itou's expense; especially since he was just calling you up to have Ms Chandler show you some new saber forms and have a look at your weapons."
"And that makes it better how?" I asked my familiar, as I looked the storm crow right in the eyes.
"Well think of the amount of teasing Ms Chandler will be enduring, here she is giving her fellow students nightmares, and making them faint over the thought of fighting her." Jane pointed out while looking back, "Although her friends are likely preoccupied planning for tonight's memorial service back at the cottage, the incident may come up though in idol chatter."
'That's all I need,' I sent her way over our link as I slumped even further into my seat. 'The Last True Queen of the Western Court's chosen heir thinking that the Western Maiden is so much of a coward that she passes out at the concept of fighting the Queen's roommate.'
Yes it sounds that you are truly distressed over this possibility, Jane quipped back. Mayhaps I should ask Candace to do something special during your date tomorrow to cheer you up- or maybe something special tonight to get your mind off Nicole Reilly.
"Jane!" I recoiled and was likely blushing beet red at the implications of what my familiar just suggested, the memory of waking up with my sky-clad roommate cuddling up against my lupine form yesterday still fresh on my mind.
"Care to share the conversation with the rest of us Randi," Renee said as she produced a dark chocolate mini-bar from her purse.
"Let's just say that she's her mother's daughter and leave it at that." I replied doing my best to end the conversation then and there.
Westerlo Mortar Range
Westerlo, New York
8:24 PM EDT
"Now ladies and gentlemen of the United States Military, as you know we at Axcel Incorporated are not a weapons manufacturer; however, what I have invited you here to demonstrate is not a weapon to take the life of enemy combatants." Alana Metzer proclaimed to the assembled military brass from her podium. "What I have brought you here for the demonstration of a tool to protect the lives of our soldiers and the civilians that they have come to defend."
"As everyone who has sent our brave men and women into hostile territory is aware the deadliest adversary that they must confront is not enemy soldiers, but an invention that has plagued the lives of countless souls since its debut during The Great War- unmanned explosives." The current civilian guise of Erzabet Scratch stated in a grim tone, for this invention was a strike against a monstrosity that dealt the blow that first shattered her life. While it was true that Scratch's mother was taken from due to the actions of a mob led by a religious zealot in what was now the city of Flower Mound; her father's life was claimed by a landmine during the closing days of World War I.
"While the Improvised Explosive Devices that are being employed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Insurgents in Iraq are of a far different beast than those of the landmines that are too often employed by actual governments; they are just as fatal to those trying to bring peace to those lands, sometimes more-so."
"This is where Axcel Incorporated’s current creation the Spoilsport comes into play," With that a remote-controlled drone shaped like a miniature flying saucer with a five-foot diameter began to hover off of the ground. "Just to be clear the name is not an acronym, the development team behind the project wanted to call it the Party-Pooper but Marketing turned shot that idea down, something about it being too scatological." That comment drew a few immature chuckled from some of the enlisted men doing security and one or two of the brass.
"Anyway, when the Spoilsport is deployed it can be guided remotely from a range of six-hundred yards away while hovering at five to seven feet off the ground." The drone in question began to hover forward at a rate of about ten miles-per-hour before slowing to about three miles-per-hour once it was three-hundred yards away. "The Spoilsport works using a passive geological sensor to survey the surface strata, once it encounters a large enough anomaly however it switches from passive to active scanning."
"Once it has found an anomaly large enough to conceal a form of UED or IED, it fires out a dart the size of a ballpoint pen. This carries a specially measured amount of a pair of chemicals we at Axcel have patented called Split-Nitro and a device slaved to the signal relay within the Spoilsport." Alana said was she held up a dart that was made purposefully transparent, "This is a demo-dart that operates on the same frequency as the ones the drone is currently deploying against the simulated UEDs and IEDs that your technicians buried hours ago. Do not worry just as those UED's out there are filled with flash powder, and all that this demo-dart contains is food-coloring."
Alana set the demo-dart in a penholder where it could easily be observed and walked away, "The Spoilsport has a twenty-five-dart capacity and can be reloaded in the field by an auto-feeder in the top-which can only be opened when the Spoilsport is not being deployed. Once all anomalies in range are darted or it runs out of darts, the Spoilsport returns to its deployment pad for docking; the control box on the deployment pad will indicate which with a simple LED indicator."
The Spoilsport soon returned to its deployment pad as indicated as its controller Walter Drucker checked the indicators. Once he was satisfied that all of the simulated-UEDs had been tagged he gave Alana Metzer a thumbs-up.
Seeing her agent and employee's confirmation on the go-ahead Alana continued her speech. "At which time the operator will send the detonation code to the darts." Which Walter did at that moment triggering a group of explosions that were more flash than bang further down the field while the demo-dart still in the penholder showed the blue and red dyes mix to get an ordinary purple, "Thus clearing the way for a convoy of vehicles to move safely along the road or a field to be safely planted. The Spoilsport itself has a five-hour operating capacity when active, and can be recharged by either plugging its dock into a base-camps generator or making use of the solar panels on top of the Spoilsport itself while in the field. Now if you have any further questions I'll take them in the tent where we have arranged for some refreshments while the cleanup is underway."
While Alana Metzer directed the VIPs to the tent, Walter gave began directing his field techs to store the Spoilsport test-type for transport back to the facility in Round Rock. Once he was satisfied that it was safely prepared for transport they saw him walk over to the security officer, who they knew as his wife Alice, obviously making plans for the evening since they were in the city that never sleeps. If only they knew that their plans included more than dinner and taking in a show, fortunately these field techs were unaware of the flip-side of Axcel and the company's true history.
First Floor Lounge - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
8:20 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
For the first time in weeks there would be no grueling evening training regimen with Mrs. Redstag no tonight I'd be facing an arduous ordeal of a different sort... Queen Aunghadhail's memorial service. It was still hard to believe that a witch like Hekate could actually whip up something lethal and vile enough to do away with the soul of an ancient Sidhe let alone the paramount Queen of the Sidhe whose soul survived The Sundering itself.
What was surprising was that Morrigan, Badb, Anu and even Dagda were all here waiting with me for the procession. The six of us (Jane included) were waiting for the procession to begin, and the silence was deafening, even the normally Chatty-Cathy Badb was respectfully silent. One by one the lounge of Poe Cotage began to fill with students, even those like Tempest were here- I guess that it just shows that despite her opinion of TG students like myself, the fact was that Aunghadhail was a part of our community.
No matter the anger or venom that she would lob our way even Sharisha had to admit that Aunghadhail was a part of the family of outcasts who called Poe Cottage home, she was one of us and she gave all that she had to help give two of our fellow students back theirs. Soon a virtual phalanx formed around Nikki consisting of her fellow Kimba along with her family and Bugs as the memorial procession began, the six of our group silently followed milled in with the rest of our members of Poe Cottage as we made our way to the sight of The Daughter of the Burning Oak's Memorial...The Grove.
Once we left Poe more and more students and faculty joined the memorial procession: Kodiak oddly enough dressed in armor of a style that I didn't quite recognize, The Outcasts (with Jerico dressed respectfully in traditional black), the Grunts in ROTC formal dress, my fellow fae students were also in tow (not just the Zephyr's entourage but Shadowdancer and Selkie as well), Poise and a group of Nikki's fellow members of Venus Inc. were here as well dressed tastefully for morning.
I saw Stalwart who was walking with Gateway and Rythax, although even I could pick up on the would-be knight's desire to rush to his lady's side; honestly, he had it bad for Nikki and I did not want to be there when he and Bugs finally butted heads over the future queen of the Western Court. Ms Grimes and Mister Lodgeman were also with us representing the faculty and soon we were joined by Kohenes, Curunir, Ualea and several faefolk who likely had either met Nikki and Aunghadhail over the year or called The Grove home. I also recognized several members of the Mediwhila Tribe joining the procession from my brief stay at their Lodge following my fight with the fomor mercenary Sgaothaich McEirnan, it figured that they would be here as Queen Aunghadhail literally created their therianthropic people.
Eventually I noticed that Tatanka had materialized next to Pejuta at about the size of a full-grown Saint Bernard, I then noticed Mrs. Carson near the back having a brief word with the avatar of the Lakota's White Buffalo Woman, I guess that she was feeling a little guilty given how I heard that she and Aunghadhail had a huge fight just days before the late Queen's final heroic act. One by one everyone who knew Queen Aunghadhail in one aspect or another said their peace, even Pejuta who manifested the White Buffalo Woman herself and hugged Nikki with the words, "We are at peace, we grieve with you."
As the speeches and eulogies went their course I turned to Morrigan, "To be honest I'm surprised that you aren't going to speak, you were there in the Western Court during her reign; plus, you having been serving as a regent in her stead."
"I was the commander of Queen Venraniel's special forces, I never really knew Queen Aunghadhail as well as I would have liked; The Kodiak knew her on a very personal level after he saved her life from the servants of the Invaders, Rythax and Ptesanwi both knew her as peers in one manner or another. I was the servant of one of her fellow Queens so I knew off her on a professional level but not enough to properly speak about her now- to be honest I wish that Nikki had reached out to me more so that I could have had the chance." The ancient sidhe sighed in deep regret, "Isn't that the way of things though- you are never able to make time to get to know someone and before you know it they are gone, I suppose that's the lot that I drew oh so long ago."
I looked at my mentor and former head-mate and knew that something about this went beyond simple grief; Morrigan had probably gone through this too many times, I guess that it goes to show the people who want to live forever don't really have a clue what kind of curse that really is- oh what fools we mortals be indeed.
Powers Testing Lab K - Whateley Tunnels
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
8:57 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I quieted my voice as the radio on the other side of the room began to smoke. "Well done Beatrice," Sorcha said as she walked up to me. "Your aim and control is improving more and more every day, eventually you'll be able dent metal with sustained note out of the water."
"Thanks Sorcha, and thanks again for helping me train." I replied as I smiled at the older mermaid princess.
"Think nothing of it Bea," Sorcha said as she ruffled my hair. "So where are these friends that you say wanted to meet me?"
"In the next room," I explained as I maneuvered my non-motorized wheelchair from Doyle out of the practice room and towards the observation room. "Anna couldn't be in here since her spirit boosts her sense of hearing."
"Yeah I could imagine that could be painful when you’re dealing with ultrasonic notes that you can hear." Sorcha winced as she followed me out.
"Are you sure that you don't mind doing this?" I asked not wanting to offend someone who was potentially going to be family.
"Why would I mind, its fun to meet new people; especially when they're not trying to impress my dad or impress my sisters." Sorcha said as she rolled her eyes.
"I thought that there wasn't that much competition for guys in the refuges?" I said remembering the gender disparity.
"Oh there's competition all right," Sorcha chuckled. "They compete to show that they would be better choice to father me, my sisters' and their companions' offspring. Personally I'm glad that I don't have to put up with that anymore, I swear if I hear one more traditional love sonnet I'm going to scream as hard as I can."
We entered the observation room as my friends stood, while Sorcha sat down and transformed into her natural form her tail displaying her burnt-orange tail and tangerine fins that complimented her coral skin. Following her lead I did the same showing my indigo tail, royal purple fins and periwinkle skin.
"Whoa," Ree said as she took everything in, while Anna just stared in silent wonder. "This is so cool, and you're really a princess?"
"Sometimes I wish that I wasn't but yes I am." Sorcha replied welcoming the fact that the attention was merely that of genuine curiosity and admiration rather than those of someone who wanted something of her.
"Why don't you like being a princess?" Anna asked as she finally found the courage to speak up.
"Because everyone wants me for my station and my birthright rather than of me as a person," Sorcha sighed, "Take it from me miss, being the real thing is a lot different than what you might read in a storybook; remember they call it Romanization for a reason- the reality is far different. I'd much rather settle for just being of royal lineage rather than the royal family, all the perks of protection from Dagon's Curse and none of the pain-in-the-dorsal protocol."
When she said it like that it made me wonder about how my uncle Qingu would feel about this when I rescued him; here I was being used to rope him into a political marriage with six princesses, one of whom was physically younger than I was- it was really something to think about for the future.
Unregistered RV
Outside Rachel, Nevada
9:37 PM PDT
The Syndicate agent looked at the door as the final two players in this affair entered the motor home, "It's about time, I thought by your reputation that you were usually more punctual."
"Do not begin to lecture me," Professor Id stated as he sat down causing the RV to rock as it settled to accommodate his bulk. "I am here because Dominus requested my expertise to create something for him and my associate Slither here to retrieve it."
"Yes," the Syndicate Agent explained as he turned over a series of folders to everyone present. "Now Slither you need to infiltrate the Groom Lake Military Facility and retrieve the items that are being studied there at 0900 hours. You will need to do this then and no later because they will be moved to a secure storage vault at that point until they are turned over to a representative of the Justice Battalion at 1900 hours."
"No sweat," Slither said with a stretch. "I've infiltrated that base before to acquire items and information for clients before."
"Good, now remember when you acquire the articles you are to substitute our forgeries and make your way undetected to the rendezvous with Slyde at the enclosed coordinates by 1100 hours. She is then to assemble the package with what Professor Id has provided us and then make her way with the now ready package to the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas; you are to look for a courier matching the description in your folder."
"Understood," the newest criminal to go by that moniker explained. "You can trust me do what you pay me for."
"Just remember you are not to put these on yourself," Professor Id explained as he opened the briefcase. "These bracers are made from a material that will molecularly bond with the skin and then seal shut; the only way to get them off afterwards will require surgery and skin grafts."
"Don't worry, there's no way I'm putting those things on." Slyde explained as she shut the briefcase and took it. "Having things like this in the long term only make you a target."
"You are a very wise woman Slyde," Professor Id stated as he got up. "Now if you would please wire the other half of my fee into my account."
The agent in question pressed a few keys on his laptop afterwards Id's phone rang. "Very good your payment has been received, now if you excuse me now that our business is concluded I need to go outside to dissolve this quick clone."
"Very well," The Syndicate Agent replied as Professor Id's quick clone left the RV, before staring at the objective of this operation. "In a week, the Captain Cosmos's Zodiac Gems will be sold to the highest bidder."
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
9:54 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"M-m-mom," I said as I struggled to get the words to get the words out, I knew that this wasn't going to end well but I still had to try. "Do I r-really have to give up boxing?"
She shot me a glare as she set down her glass of wine that made me feel like an insect. "Paul Jacob Ledoux," she snarled in a tone that I had never heard before, great my full name I was in for a world of trouble now. "Are you questioning your mother's good judgment?" Mother asked as she set down her glass of wine.
"Let me ask you, who decided to waste away her youth raising you when she could have just as easily let the state deal with you?" Mother asked as she got up for her seat at the kitchen's bar.
"Who took care of you all these years?" Mother began to slowly walk towards me.
"Who sacrificed her dreams to give you a decent home and see that you got into a nice school?" I backpedaled as she stepped closer.
"Who let you stay here when you decided to let the entire neighborhood of your deviant tendencies?" I tripped over the ottoman before I fell against the wall.
"And you dare to want to keep hanging out with those delinquents who encouraged this sort of behavior in the first place!" Mother stood over me with more hellfire in her eyes and brimstone in her voice than a southern evangelist.
"B-b-but I thought that it couldn’t hurt to ask." I tried to say as meekly as I could.
"That is your problem child," Mother said as she drew back her right hand. "Thinking is obviously not your strong suit." Then she slapped me as hard as she could across the face, I could feel as that wristwatch that she never seemed to take off connected with that weird new scratch on my fa-
?
?
?
Once again I was seeing what felt like the world through super-fogged lenses, and barely hearing just what was said aloud.
"N... ...m...r ...h... ...u a...v... ...n ...e ...k... t... ...r...e t... ...o...r ...i... ...n ...e...a," A male voice that I recognized as hearing somewhere before said to a figure in front of him, "...h... i... ...l...e ...n...h t... ...t... f...h... o...i... t... ...e...f... t... ...h...l l... ...n...g... ...o ...u...l ...u... n...d.... ...m...b... ...e... ...h... w...c... ...i... y... ...t ...l ...m...; ...t ...l... h... ...o... p...n... ...n ...e ...s... ...r... y...r ...o...g... s... ...n... l... ...r ...e...l... r...g...e ...u- ...o... ...o."
"...n...r...d ...r ...r...p," A woman, different from the one in the vision that I heard earlier today said in a professional tone. Wait a minute- I know that voice! "...s... r...e...r ...o... m... ...o...w ...h...g... w... ...u... e... ...f ...h... ...a...g...n."
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
10:07 PM MDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
Just like this afternoon the odd moment was over and I felt my cheek begin to sting as my mother was shaking with fury cradling her now sore wrist as she shouted, "Go to your room child, you are grounded until I say otherwise, you are not to leave this house unless I say so is that clear!"
"Yes mother," I responded on reflex as I went up to my room. Yet something about that moment stuck in my mind, while I knew that I had heard the man's voice before somewhere the other woman's voice in that conversation I knew without a doubt was my mothers.
Something was going on and my gut told me that she was involved in it, I took one look at the poster on my wall and for once decided that I was going to defy my mother for the first time ever. With my door shut, I unpacked my empty gym bag, and began to pack some changes of clothing as quietly as I could; okay Danny invite accepted, I guess that I'm going to Sin City after all.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 5
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
1:02 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
"Alright that is enough for the meditation drills today," Sha Wujing said aloud as he dispelled the barrier of freezing ice that had stood between the outside world and me.
As the ice vanished I fell backwards my arms still pointing over-head with my palms braced upwards, as I'd needed them to be constantly channeling volcanic heat to combat the deep chill of Antarctic winter that Sha was sending down the narrow ice chimney.
"You know it is perfectly alright to put your arms down now." Sha explained a mild tone of concern peppering his voice.
"I can't," I said with a weary tone. "I think they're stuck that way!"
"Ah, I think I have a solution for that," The Sand Priest said as he came closer. "Please roll over onto your back."
I wanted to argue with the monk but frankly, I was too tired and not sure that I would win either. It took a little effort and I wanted to take a nap, but I managed to comply with his request. Soon he had his hands on me, now I didn't want to admit it but my time as the guest of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn had given me a- mild aversion to the- um well- opposite gender.
Okay I'm not a lesbian or anything like that, it's just that my- handlers while I was being forced to create gemstones night and day were all middle-aged men. Any time someone hit me with that damned frost whip it was a man holding the lash's handle, anytime I had that thin rice gruel shoved in my face it was a man doing it. Of course there was also the fact that I was kidnapped at the orders of their now deceased Xuè-jīn Mùshī, who threatened to kill my parents if I wasn't fully obedient to him even after he stole my name; I still count the day that Kelsey reduced the avaricious infernal bastard to a pill of bones as a fond memory.
"You are tensing up even more child," Sha Wujing explained as he began to work over my back muscles with firm yet subtle manipulations of his hands. He must be a lot stronger than he looked because the last time that I needed to get a knot out of my back Kelsey had to use my hammer on me- scuffed the poor thing up something awful.
"I can't help it zūn zhě," I explained remembering my manners. Well that and the fact that if my mother ever heard that I addressed a divine arhat with anything less than the respect he deserved, then near impenetrable dragon hide or not she'd manage to tan it. "The circumstances of my incarceration by those who worshiped the Demon Lord Bloody Gold have left scars upon my soul; one's that I am afraid will never heal."
"Do not be so quick to make such an assessment child," the Sand Priest stated with a solemn expression on his face. "In time with the right kind of help the pain of such scars will go away, whether they are those inflicted upon us, or those we inflict upon ourselves."
"But they never go away completely, do they?" I asked morosely as I notice what he did not say to me.
"No child nor should they," Sha Wujing said with a heavy sigh. "Our experiences help shape who we are and how we perceive the world around us; however it is up to us to choose what that final shape will be for once you let someone else be the sculptor you begin to lose control over your life. Now let us put what you've learned into practice, try transforming again."
Laird Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:31 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I sat along the sidelines with butterflies desperately trying to flee my stomach, this was where I would put the skills that Morrigan and Anu both had been teaching me to their final test. My skill with knives or with a saber soon I was going to show off what I knew; other than the fact that I felt like I was going to hurl.
"First match Faolan, Nightbane, please approach the mat." Tolman-sensei called out I sighed in resignation, this was going to be a tough match, although by no means an impossible one. On the one hand, everyone around Poe knew that Nightbane was Reverend Englund's personal protégé a demon hunter in training to take on things that went bump in the night and the leader of his secret team of monster hunters here on campus. On the other hand said team of monster hunters kept their status hidden from most students on campus by surrounding themselves with members who made them look like a joke, this lead to them being dubbed the Goobers (after the first and some would say worst mimic that Hanna Barbera tried to make along the formula of their hit Scooby-Doo) by the other students.
To go along with this facade Nightbane put on an act like she was an just another bleach-bottle blonde air-headed Buffy-wannabe, the only reason that folks in Poe knew the truth was that Englund was obsessed with offing Carmilla and had actually been indirectly responsible for what had happened last Halloween as a result. At least those in Poe knew it but since almost everyone else on campus knew Poe was crazy town, then the cover story for the cabin's secret worked against us. This reputation for craziness meant that conspiracy theorists were part of the package deal; granted that I hadn't helped the situation sometimes talking to Jane aloud instead of in my head when she was half-way across campus and I was just getting the hang of our link.
But enough with the wandering thoughts, I was on the mat and so was my opponent trying to appear as vapid as she could holding a reinforced practice boken, as I held the saber equivalent that Tolman had given me for the day. "Bow," Sara and I faced each other and did so. "Ready," Nightbane and I both took our stances with our chosen practice weapons. "Begin!"
I kept my distance and began to circle; I knew some of Nightbane's style but not enough to be confident in making the first move. She was an Exemplar and I only had her level of strength when I shifted, while that wasn't forbidden in this match I wanted to save that card until I needed to play it- thankfully I had eaten a big lunch just in case since my costume was a no-no. Nightbane began to close in on me with a steady pace while keeping up a relaxed guard; although I could tell from my training with Morrigan that this was as big a lie as Nightbane's airhead bleach-bottle blonde persona. No, she was ready to put up just enough of a show to do the job- unfortunately for her this little wolf is more bite than bark.
Soon as she was within range Nightbane took a strong overhead swing at me, I blocked it using the flat of my blade and my right shoulder as a lever. She almost immediately she tried to use her strength to press me to my knees, and from her perspective it must have looked like it was working- at least until I pressed forward and nailed her in the nose with the butt of my practice sword.
On reflex Nightbane recoiled and grabbed her nose, were she not an exemplar this would be a TKO, it was time for me to press my attack. As fast as I could I took my distance again and began to hit my selected targets, her floating ribs, and joints; I tried to hit as many as I could before she recovered, but still recover she did. Nightbane blocked my swing at her shoulder and it was obvious that she was pissed- good I know from experience that a pissed fighter is a sloppy fighter.
She began to press me on the offensive striking hard with her blade; I used my own to intercept it out of apparent desperation, as if I was sloppily parrying it with my own. This made me move further and further back on the mat as her blows began to grow bolder and bolder eventually I reached my target. When she came at me with another over-head strike, I dodged to my left- spun on my heel and while she was temporarily off-balance nailed her across her scapula. This was risky because she had two courses of action, she could step outside of the mats in which case I win by ring out, or she'd fall to her knees and go on the defensive until she could regain the upper hand- she chose the latter option then while still crouched somehow spun to face me.
Crud she was starting to drop her airhead act, this meant that she'd step-up her game, in which case I had to get serious and bring out all the stops. I shifted into my werewolf form while Nightbane turned her tuck rolled to give what would have simulated a stab to the solarplex. That would end the match for me so I bunny-hopped backward, in that moment Nightbane used her other foot to roll further forward and connect with her previous attack.
"Match call," Tolman-sensei called out as Nightbane got to her feet. "The Winner is Nightbane."
Oh well I lost, no big deal at least I had shown what I knew, I bowed to Nightbane and then again to Tolman-sensei before I returned to the sidelines. My stress at these combat evaluations began to fade; now all I had left was the Combat Final at the end of the semester.
Feeling better already Randi, I heard Jane through our link as I settled in to observe the rest of the matches for the class as the clock on the wall ticked away towards the weekend. The minutes just seemed to tick away as I sat in observation of the classes regular students trying to get the gist of their styles, after all I had no idea just who I'd be facing in the combat finals.
Class was almost over when I heard Ito-sensei call out, "Faolan," I stood up slowly my only thought was that I was going to receive my cumulative evaluation on the last few days. That was when he called out, "Chaka." I froze as I turned to see Toni Chandler hop to her feet with as I could swear that I saw her smile like a shark as she did so.
Academy Grounds Southeast of The Quad
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
4:42 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Okay- I admit that I was more than a little nervous as I guided my wheelchair up to where the two Masterminds said they wanted to meet me. I admit that I knew that these two weren't really as bad as they made themselves out to be but I still needed to be on my guard the last thing that I wanted to be was used as some super villain hopeful's tool. My wheelchair briefly caught on a rock so I had to back up to maneuver around it, ugh I wish the that Doctor Tenant would give his approval for to use Lofstrand crutches already so that I could get out of this chair already; hover or wheelchair mode I don't care I just wanted some added mobility.
I briefly stared at the amber flag that waved in the late day breeze, not that it mattered although the armor that was part of my costume let me swim through the air in my mermaid form I was forbidden to do so outside until I passed the flight class. Still I would be glad when I was allowed to do so, I could almost imagine this coming fall swimming through the air amidst the late autumn breezes when I wasn't walking the grounds as another normal student.
Come to think of it Shelly's new body was going to be ready in June so we'd be student's together, I wonder what my sister was like. Would she like having me as a younger sister- gaah so many questions, focus Bea that will come up when it comes up for now you have a couple of aspiring super-villainesses to talk to, "Hello, the Headmistress said that you wished to speak with me about the trip to Boston tomorrow."
"Geez, listen to her The Headmistress said, why don't you just call her mom?" This girl who looked like she was made from that strawberry gelatin that they serve in Crystal Hall during lunch on Tuesday.
"I do," I admitted although I was just a little embarrassed that someone pointed it out. "Just not when it's school related, I don't want to get any special treatment."
"You have a member of Venus Inc. and one of the top members of the Cape Squad looking after you on a shopping trip and you don't want special treatment!" The gelatin girl said as she was so peeved that she began to lose cohesion.
"Jello calm down," Heartbreaker said to her friend while trying to maintain her own composure. "Remember we're here to try and negotiate a favor for a favor, there's no reason to get hot under the collar."
"Sorry Eve but you know how I feel about entitlement." Jello said as she began to cool down and collect herself. "I'm sorry for blowing my stack at you Miss Carson."
"No offense taken Miss Ruskin," I replied glad to avoid a fight. "I really just want people to see me for me not for being my mother's daughter. Besides this is birthday shopping for someone else, Evania, one of the mermaids who were here a few weeks ago, is turning thirteen next week and I wanted to get her a birthday present. Preferably something that she could use here since Mrs. Redstag is trying to arrange for her to become a student ambassador for the merfolk, the thing is I don't have too much experience shopping for another person so I need a little help to pick something out."
"What I thought that you saw and heard everything Cytherea did growing up?" Heartbreaker asked out of curiosity.
"That girl has never personally shopped for another person in her life!" I barked out as I shook in anger at yet another unpleasant memory of life according to Victoria Donovan. "Anytime that she needed to get a present for another person- the help were the ones picking things out while she tried things on."
"Ugh- figured as much," Heartbreaker remarked as she shook her head. "Am I grateful that she never tried out for Venus Inc, speaking of which Poise wanted me to extend an invitation to you whenever you get your land legs; she thinks that you have a sort of timeless beauty to you."
"Thanks I guess," I replied more than a little flattered that the school's fashion club decided to rush men. "I'll try to live up to your expectations, the truth is no one wants me to get out of this chair more than I do; still I will drop you a line to audition as soon as I am physically able to."
"Actually, what I want to know is if you'll try and use your healing abilities to help Jello here?" Heartbreaker came out and said as I was about to head to the Library to return a few books. "You see she's got a problem with her BIT and given that we've tried devises and hypnotism, I thought that a session with a healer might do some good, especially since you have a way to boost your abilities."
"No," I said with some difficulty.
"No, what do you mean no, it's not even that big of a request?" Jello said understandably upset.
"I mean that I won't attempt it right now, at least not until I have a better grip on my powers; I might even wind up doing more harm than good." I said detailing the reasons behind my refusal. "I promise that as soon as I feel more confident in my abilities that I will see what I can do, but until then it is better safe than sorry for me to avoid experimenting with my abilities like that- especially with another person involved."
"I understand but remember," Heartbreaker said satisfied with the reasons behind my refusal. "I expect you to honor your promise to help Jello."
"I will see what I can do when I've sufficiently tested my ability to the limits." I reinforced my earlier promise, I might not be bound by my promises as a faerie would be but I still hated the thought of breaking them.
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
5:04 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
I was just about to finish my homework when the doorbell rang, I looked at my alarm clock and noted. "Only a little after five, must be Miss Snyder."
I went downstairs to answer the front door, remotely activating the Passive Identity Verification Scanner (PIVS) on the front porch. It was one of my dad's inventions, it uses a passive low-energy scanner to verify the identity of anyone within sensor range, it then matches that data with the files that our faction of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom has gleaned from various sources for matches. That and thanks to a few arcano-tech upgrades in recent years it is even able to peek through glamours and shifting talents.
"Who is it?" I asked as a matter of formality as I checked the confirmed identity on our security panel.
"This is Nicole Snyder, your parents asked me to help you keep an eye on your house this weekend." I heard from the other side of the door, "May I come inside?"
I checked the screen on our security panel, sure enough it registered her as who she said she was; even verified her status as a demi-succubus. "Alright, I'm opening the door!" I placed my hand on the bio-metric palm scanner on the wall that undid the triple deadbolt on our reinforced faux-wood door.
I opened the door to see a young woman who looked like she used to be the girl next-door type. She had wavy shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair and a few freckles along her cheeks, a slim figure and was tastefully dressed; in all Nicole Snyder was obviously the type of girl who showed a mature beauty. She walked in and closed the door behind her then turned and offered me the hand that wasn't holding a suitcase, "Hello you must be Joan, I have to say you look so much like your mother it’s scary."
"I know she's always raiding my closet too." I said as I rolled my eyes, "I can't wait till I grow up a little more so that she can't do that anymore."
"When that happens I could imagine that you'd be one of the few girls in the world who'd be giving your mom your hand-me-downs." Nichole quickly quipped, "So your mom told me that you'd be having a lot of your first's this weekend, first slumber party and first house party."
"Yeah," I said as I shuffled my right foot. "I just wish the second was my idea; Elinore Jaffee heard about mom and dad going out of town this weekend and strong-armed me because she can't throw one at her family estate since her dads going to be courting campaign contributors."
"Why didn't you say no?" Nichole asked obviously curious about the entire set of circumstances.
"She's the queen bee of the school, its social suicide to do that!" I said as I tried to give the circumstances for the situation I was facing. "If I don't manifest and get sent to Whateley I need to leave my options open. You know, you really don't look like a succubus."
"Demi-succubus," Nichole smiled before her wings, horns and tail appeared; all of which were relatively small. "And to tell you the truth, unless we want to we don't have to transform into drop-dead gorgeous bombshells when we get turned; fortunately I was actually rather comfortable with what I looked like when I did. Well aside from slimming down a little, I look mostly like I used to be before I became what I now am. So when do your friends get here?"
"In a couple of hours," I said before asking. "Why?"
"Cause I'm ordering Chinese; can you call them an ask if they want anything?" Nichole explained as she withdrew her diabolic features and pulled out her cellphone.
"I thought that pizza was traditional for slumber parties?" I asked somewhat confused by her choice.
"Yeah but it's also one of the main staples for a teenage house party," She said with a hint of embarrassment that let me know that she was speaking from experience. "And trust me on this one you really don't want to gorge yourself on pizza two days in a row. Besides you don't want to fill up on pizza, your mom told me that she stocked up on supplies for chocolate fondue."
Ah, that explains it; I remembered having that from a wedding I attended not too long ago. We were going to have a sugar buzz keeping us going tonight; just one decision remained for the slumber party- romantic comedy or scary movie.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
3:37 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Sorry I missed out on practice yesterday Chandra," Marlina said as we walked up to the front gate.
"Hey we understand you grandmother was sick, and you wanted to look after her so that your parents didn't have to take time out from their jobs." I replied as I punched in the code to the security door next to the front gate. "Besides I think Erica was stoked to get in some more practice than usual."
"Is she still mad about me getting picked instead of her as the first alternate?" Marlina asked once again concerned with being the cause of friction among the team.
"Marlina I told you before," I said as I put my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "There is no shame in being good at what you do, when the two of you tried out for the team we gave both of you a fair chance; Erica was just expecting preferential treatment because her sister was the Captain when she was on the team."
I took my hands off her shoulders and we continued on the way to the house. "Of course, some of it may be Stephanie expecting Erica to maintain her legacy, don't get me wrong Stephanie was a good team captain but she had a major streak of narcissism; besides most of us will be at Rolling Meadows or Prospect this fall and then she won't be the alternate anymore."
"Yeah but then the two of us will be competing to see who’s going to be captain next year," Marlina complained as she kicked a stray twig off of the walkway.
"Yes, but remember that is going to be Marcy's decision to make and no one else's." I reminded her as we walked in the front door, "Just remember to do your best tomorrow, and whatever the future brings just handle it as it comes."
"I will captain," Marlina said with a salute as she headed to her bedroom while I did the same.
I sat down at the computer to get started on my homework, briefly turning to the poster of Jackie Joyner-Kersee that my dad sent me for my fourteenth birthday. Another year without seeing him in person, when was the army going to let him come home? "Well wish us luck tomorrow Jackie." I said just as I did the day before a every match since I got it, then set out to finish my homework so that I'd have one less thing on my mind.
Crystal Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
7:16 PM EDT
POV: Randi Brides, Rose of the West
"I can't believe that you passed out standing up in the middle of Laird," Erza could barely constrain her laughter while I tried to make myself as small as I possibly could out of reflex. "I thought that said you were prepared for your combat evaluation today?"
"I was prepared for a combat evaluation today," I grumbled in embarrassment. "I had already lost a match against Nightbane and was winding down for the weekend when I thought I heard that sadistic Miyagi-clone say that he wanted me to fight Chaka out of the blue. It would have been okay if I was prepared- and possibly didn't wake up this morning screaming from a nightmare about this."
"You had a dream about Chaka last night," Jamal said with a raised eyebrow. "Please don't spare the details-OW!"
"Jamal think with the head on your shoulders," Renee said after she smacked him. "She said nightmare not dream, so do us a favor and reign in your teenage hormones."
"Easier said than done Renee," Eddie said chuckling under his breath. "At this age controlling that is about as easy as controlling a caffeinated squirrel."
"Oh you heard about that incident," Buck chimed in looking up from- whatever the hell he was tinkering with at the lunch table. "Yeah funny story, one of Aquerna's fuzzy friends got into the coffee pot in the devisor lab today, it broke through three reinforced steel plates on his way out and no one has seen the little guy since then. Everyone in the workshop is taking bets on what happened; the two major contenders are he's either five states away by now or that he's gone quantum."
"I'd say that you're exaggerating Buck but I've heard stories about the rocket fuel that you people down in The Workshop call coffee," Kerry remarked while looking up from her lunch. "I wouldn't be surprised if the outside world classifies it as a controlled substance. Anyway, Randi what happened when you woke up?"
"Itou congratulated me for taking one of the best courses of action for a fight that he's seen in a while- avoiding it entirely, although I think that he might have been laughing at me behind my back." I grumbled while poking at my dinner.
"No Randi he wasn't," Jane explained as she emerging from her own dinner bowl. "But Tolman was having a good laugh at Itou's expense; especially since he was just calling you up to have Ms Chandler show you some new saber forms and have a look at your weapons."
"And that makes it better how?" I asked my familiar, as I looked the storm crow right in the eyes.
"Well think of the amount of teasing Ms Chandler will be enduring, here she is giving her fellow students nightmares, and making them faint over the thought of fighting her." Jane pointed out while looking back, "Although her friends are likely preoccupied planning for tonight's memorial service back at the cottage, the incident may come up though in idol chatter."
'That's all I need,' I sent her way over our link as I slumped even further into my seat. 'The Last True Queen of the Western Court's chosen heir thinking that the Western Maiden is so much of a coward that she passes out at the concept of fighting the Queen's roommate.'
Yes it sounds that you are truly distressed over this possibility, Jane quipped back. Mayhaps I should ask Candace to do something special during your date tomorrow to cheer you up- or maybe something special tonight to get your mind off Nicole Reilly.
"Jane!" I recoiled and was likely blushing beet red at the implications of what my familiar just suggested, the memory of waking up with my sky-clad roommate cuddling up against my lupine form yesterday still fresh on my mind.
"Care to share the conversation with the rest of us Randi," Renee said as she produced a dark chocolate mini-bar from her purse.
"Let's just say that she's her mother's daughter and leave it at that." I replied doing my best to end the conversation then and there.
Westerlo Mortar Range
Westerlo, New York
8:24 PM EDT
"Now ladies and gentlemen of the United States Military, as you know we at Axcel Incorporated are not a weapons manufacturer; however, what I have invited you here to demonstrate is not a weapon to take the life of enemy combatants." Alana Metzer proclaimed to the assembled military brass from her podium. "What I have brought you here for the demonstration of a tool to protect the lives of our soldiers and the civilians that they have come to defend."
"As everyone who has sent our brave men and women into hostile territory is aware the deadliest adversary that they must confront is not enemy soldiers, but an invention that has plagued the lives of countless souls since its debut during The Great War- unmanned explosives." The current civilian guise of Erzabet Scratch stated in a grim tone, for this invention was a strike against a monstrosity that dealt the blow that first shattered her life. While it was true that Scratch's mother was taken from due to the actions of a mob led by a religious zealot in what was now the city of Flower Mound; her father's life was claimed by a landmine during the closing days of World War I.
"While the Improvised Explosive Devices that are being employed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the Insurgents in Iraq are of a far different beast than those of the landmines that are too often employed by actual governments; they are just as fatal to those trying to bring peace to those lands, sometimes more-so."
"This is where Axcel Incorporated’s current creation the Spoilsport comes into play," With that a remote-controlled drone shaped like a miniature flying saucer with a five-foot diameter began to hover off of the ground. "Just to be clear the name is not an acronym, the development team behind the project wanted to call it the Party-Pooper but Marketing turned shot that idea down, something about it being too scatological." That comment drew a few immature chuckled from some of the enlisted men doing security and one or two of the brass.
"Anyway, when the Spoilsport is deployed it can be guided remotely from a range of six-hundred yards away while hovering at five to seven feet off the ground." The drone in question began to hover forward at a rate of about ten miles-per-hour before slowing to about three miles-per-hour once it was three-hundred yards away. "The Spoilsport works using a passive geological sensor to survey the surface strata, once it encounters a large enough anomaly however it switches from passive to active scanning."
"Once it has found an anomaly large enough to conceal a form of UED or IED, it fires out a dart the size of a ballpoint pen. This carries a specially measured amount of a pair of chemicals we at Axcel have patented called Split-Nitro and a device slaved to the signal relay within the Spoilsport." Alana said was she held up a dart that was made purposefully transparent, "This is a demo-dart that operates on the same frequency as the ones the drone is currently deploying against the simulated UEDs and IEDs that your technicians buried hours ago. Do not worry just as those UED's out there are filled with flash powder, and all that this demo-dart contains is food-coloring."
Alana set the demo-dart in a penholder where it could easily be observed and walked away, "The Spoilsport has a twenty-five-dart capacity and can be reloaded in the field by an auto-feeder in the top-which can only be opened when the Spoilsport is not being deployed. Once all anomalies in range are darted or it runs out of darts, the Spoilsport returns to its deployment pad for docking; the control box on the deployment pad will indicate which with a simple LED indicator."
The Spoilsport soon returned to its deployment pad as indicated as its controller Walter Drucker checked the indicators. Once he was satisfied that all of the simulated-UEDs had been tagged he gave Alana Metzer a thumbs-up.
Seeing her agent and employee's confirmation on the go-ahead Alana continued her speech. "At which time the operator will send the detonation code to the darts." Which Walter did at that moment triggering a group of explosions that were more flash than bang further down the field while the demo-dart still in the penholder showed the blue and red dyes mix to get an ordinary purple, "Thus clearing the way for a convoy of vehicles to move safely along the road or a field to be safely planted. The Spoilsport itself has a five-hour operating capacity when active, and can be recharged by either plugging its dock into a base-camps generator or making use of the solar panels on top of the Spoilsport itself while in the field. Now if you have any further questions I'll take them in the tent where we have arranged for some refreshments while the cleanup is underway."
While Alana Metzer directed the VIPs to the tent, Walter gave began directing his field techs to store the Spoilsport test-type for transport back to the facility in Round Rock. Once he was satisfied that it was safely prepared for transport they saw him walk over to the security officer, who they knew as his wife Alice, obviously making plans for the evening since they were in the city that never sleeps. If only they knew that their plans included more than dinner and taking in a show, fortunately these field techs were unaware of the flip-side of Axcel and the company's true history.
First Floor Lounge - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
8:20 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
For the first time in weeks there would be no grueling evening training regimen with Mrs. Redstag no tonight I'd be facing an arduous ordeal of a different sort... Queen Aunghadhail's memorial service. It was still hard to believe that a witch like Hekate could actually whip up something lethal and vile enough to do away with the soul of an ancient Sidhe let alone the paramount Queen of the Sidhe whose soul survived The Sundering itself.
What was surprising was that Morrigan, Badb, Anu and even Dagda were all here waiting with me for the procession. The six of us (Jane included) were waiting for the procession to begin, and the silence was deafening, even the normally Chatty-Cathy Badb was respectfully silent. One by one the lounge of Poe Cotage began to fill with students, even those like Tempest were here- I guess that it just shows that despite her opinion of TG students like myself, the fact was that Aunghadhail was a part of our community.
No matter the anger or venom that she would lob our way even Sharisha had to admit that Aunghadhail was a part of the family of outcasts who called Poe Cottage home, she was one of us and she gave all that she had to help give two of our fellow students back theirs. Soon a virtual phalanx formed around Nikki consisting of her fellow Kimba along with her family and Bugs as the memorial procession began, the six of our group silently followed milled in with the rest of our members of Poe Cottage as we made our way to the sight of The Daughter of the Burning Oak's Memorial...The Grove.
Once we left Poe more and more students and faculty joined the memorial procession: Kodiak oddly enough dressed in armor of a style that I didn't quite recognize, The Outcasts (with Jerico dressed respectfully in traditional black), the Grunts in ROTC formal dress, my fellow fae students were also in tow (not just the Zephyr's entourage but Shadowdancer and Selkie as well), Poise and a group of Nikki's fellow members of Venus Inc. were here as well dressed tastefully for morning.
I saw Stalwart who was walking with Gateway and Rythax, although even I could pick up on the would-be knight's desire to rush to his lady's side; honestly, he had it bad for Nikki and I did not want to be there when he and Bugs finally butted heads over the future queen of the Western Court. Ms Grimes and Mister Lodgeman were also with us representing the faculty and soon we were joined by Kohenes, Curunir, Ualea and several faefolk who likely had either met Nikki and Aunghadhail over the year or called The Grove home. I also recognized several members of the Mediwhila Tribe joining the procession from my brief stay at their Lodge following my fight with the fomor mercenary Sgaothaich McEirnan, it figured that they would be here as Queen Aunghadhail literally created their therianthropic people.
Eventually I noticed that Tatanka had materialized next to Pejuta at about the size of a full-grown Saint Bernard, I then noticed Mrs. Carson near the back having a brief word with the avatar of the Lakota's White Buffalo Woman, I guess that she was feeling a little guilty given how I heard that she and Aunghadhail had a huge fight just days before the late Queen's final heroic act. One by one everyone who knew Queen Aunghadhail in one aspect or another said their peace, even Pejuta who manifested the White Buffalo Woman herself and hugged Nikki with the words, "We are at peace, we grieve with you."
As the speeches and eulogies went their course I turned to Morrigan, "To be honest I'm surprised that you aren't going to speak, you were there in the Western Court during her reign; plus, you having been serving as a regent in her stead."
"I was the commander of Queen Venraniel's special forces, I never really knew Queen Aunghadhail as well as I would have liked; The Kodiak knew her on a very personal level after he saved her life from the servants of the Invaders, Rythax and Ptesanwi both knew her as peers in one manner or another. I was the servant of one of her fellow Queens so I knew off her on a professional level but not enough to properly speak about her now- to be honest I wish that Nikki had reached out to me more so that I could have had the chance." The ancient sidhe sighed in deep regret, "Isn't that the way of things though- you are never able to make time to get to know someone and before you know it they are gone, I suppose that's the lot that I drew oh so long ago."
I looked at my mentor and former head-mate and knew that something about this went beyond simple grief; Morrigan had probably gone through this too many times, I guess that it goes to show the people who want to live forever don't really have a clue what kind of curse that really is- oh what fools we mortals be indeed.
Powers Testing Lab K - Whateley Tunnels
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
8:57 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I quieted my voice as the radio on the other side of the room began to smoke. "Well done Beatrice," Sorcha said as she walked up to me. "Your aim and control is improving more and more every day, eventually you'll be able dent metal with sustained note out of the water."
"Thanks Sorcha, and thanks again for helping me train." I replied as I smiled at the older mermaid princess.
"Think nothing of it Bea," Sorcha said as she ruffled my hair. "So where are these friends that you say wanted to meet me?"
"In the next room," I explained as I maneuvered my non-motorized wheelchair from Doyle out of the practice room and towards the observation room. "Anna couldn't be in here since her spirit boosts her sense of hearing."
"Yeah I could imagine that could be painful when you’re dealing with ultrasonic notes that you can hear." Sorcha winced as she followed me out.
"Are you sure that you don't mind doing this?" I asked not wanting to offend someone who was potentially going to be family.
"Why would I mind, its fun to meet new people; especially when they're not trying to impress my dad or impress my sisters." Sorcha said as she rolled her eyes.
"I thought that there wasn't that much competition for guys in the refuges?" I said remembering the gender disparity.
"Oh there's competition all right," Sorcha chuckled. "They compete to show that they would be better choice to father me, my sisters' and their companions' offspring. Personally I'm glad that I don't have to put up with that anymore, I swear if I hear one more traditional love sonnet I'm going to scream as hard as I can."
We entered the observation room as my friends stood, while Sorcha sat down and transformed into her natural form her tail displaying her burnt-orange tail and tangerine fins that complimented her coral skin. Following her lead I did the same showing my indigo tail, royal purple fins and periwinkle skin.
"Whoa," Ree said as she took everything in, while Anna just stared in silent wonder. "This is so cool, and you're really a princess?"
"Sometimes I wish that I wasn't but yes I am." Sorcha replied welcoming the fact that the attention was merely that of genuine curiosity and admiration rather than those of someone who wanted something of her.
"Why don't you like being a princess?" Anna asked as she finally found the courage to speak up.
"Because everyone wants me for my station and my birthright rather than of me as a person," Sorcha sighed, "Take it from me miss, being the real thing is a lot different than what you might read in a storybook; remember they call it Romanization for a reason- the reality is far different. I'd much rather settle for just being of royal lineage rather than the royal family, all the perks of protection from Dagon's Curse and none of the pain-in-the-dorsal protocol."
When she said it like that it made me wonder about how my uncle Qingu would feel about this when I rescued him; here I was being used to rope him into a political marriage with six princesses, one of whom was physically younger than I was- it was really something to think about for the future.
Unregistered RV
Outside Rachel, Nevada
9:37 PM PDT
The Syndicate agent looked at the door as the final two players in this affair entered the motor home, "It's about time, I thought by your reputation that you were usually more punctual."
"Do not begin to lecture me," Professor Id stated as he sat down causing the RV to rock as it settled to accommodate his bulk. "I am here because Dominus requested my expertise to create something for him and my associate Slither here to retrieve it."
"Yes," the Syndicate Agent explained as he turned over a series of folders to everyone present. "Now Slither you need to infiltrate the Groom Lake Military Facility and retrieve the items that are being studied there at 0900 hours. You will need to do this then and no later because they will be moved to a secure storage vault at that point until they are turned over to a representative of the Justice Battalion at 1900 hours."
"No sweat," Slither said with a stretch. "I've infiltrated that base before to acquire items and information for clients before."
"Good, now remember when you acquire the articles you are to substitute our forgeries and make your way undetected to the rendezvous with Slyde at the enclosed coordinates by 1100 hours. She is then to assemble the package with what Professor Id has provided us and then make her way with the now ready package to the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas; you are to look for a courier matching the description in your folder."
"Understood," the newest criminal to go by that moniker explained. "You can trust me do what you pay me for."
"Just remember you are not to put these on yourself," Professor Id explained as he opened the briefcase. "These bracers are made from a material that will molecularly bond with the skin and then seal shut; the only way to get them off afterwards will require surgery and skin grafts."
"Don't worry, there's no way I'm putting those things on." Slyde explained as she shut the briefcase and took it. "Having things like this in the long term only make you a target."
"You are a very wise woman Slyde," Professor Id stated as he got up. "Now if you would please wire the other half of my fee into my account."
The agent in question pressed a few keys on his laptop afterwards Id's phone rang. "Very good your payment has been received, now if you excuse me now that our business is concluded I need to go outside to dissolve this quick clone."
"Very well," The Syndicate Agent replied as Professor Id's quick clone left the RV, before staring at the objective of this operation. "In a week, the Captain Cosmos's Zodiac Gems will be sold to the highest bidder."
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
9:54 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
"M-m-mom," I said as I struggled to get the words to get the words out, I knew that this wasn't going to end well but I still had to try. "Do I r-really have to give up boxing?"
She shot me a glare as she set down her glass of wine that made me feel like an insect. "Paul Jacob Ledoux," she snarled in a tone that I had never heard before, great my full name I was in for a world of trouble now. "Are you questioning your mother's good judgment?" Mother asked as she set down her glass of wine.
"Let me ask you, who decided to waste away her youth raising you when she could have just as easily let the state deal with you?" Mother asked as she got up for her seat at the kitchen's bar.
"Who took care of you all these years?" Mother began to slowly walk towards me.
"Who sacrificed her dreams to give you a decent home and see that you got into a nice school?" I backpedaled as she stepped closer.
"Who let you stay here when you decided to let the entire neighborhood of your deviant tendencies?" I tripped over the ottoman before I fell against the wall.
"And you dare to want to keep hanging out with those delinquents who encouraged this sort of behavior in the first place!" Mother stood over me with more hellfire in her eyes and brimstone in her voice than a southern evangelist.
"B-b-but I thought that it couldn’t hurt to ask." I tried to say as meekly as I could.
"That is your problem child," Mother said as she drew back her right hand. "Thinking is obviously not your strong suit." Then she slapped me as hard as she could across the face, I could feel as that wristwatch that she never seemed to take off connected with that weird new scratch on my fa-
?
?
?
Once again I was seeing what felt like the world through super-fogged lenses, and barely hearing just what was said aloud.
"N... ...m...r ...h... ...u a...v... ...n ...e ...k... t... ...r...e t... ...o...r ...i... ...n ...e...a," A male voice that I recognized as hearing somewhere before said to a figure in front of him, "...h... i... ...l...e ...n...h t... ...t... f...h... o...i... t... ...e...f... t... ...h...l l... ...n...g... ...o ...u...l ...u... n...d.... ...m...b... ...e... ...h... w...c... ...i... y... ...t ...l ...m...; ...t ...l... h... ...o... p...n... ...n ...e ...s... ...r... y...r ...o...g... s... ...n... l... ...r ...e...l... r...g...e ...u- ...o... ...o."
"...n...r...d ...r ...r...p," A woman, different from the one in the vision that I heard earlier today said in a professional tone. Wait a minute- I know that voice! "...s... r...e...r ...o... m... ...o...w ...h...g... w... ...u... e... ...f ...h... ...a...g...n."
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
10:07 PM MDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
Just like this afternoon the odd moment was over and I felt my cheek begin to sting as my mother was shaking with fury cradling her now sore wrist as she shouted, "Go to your room child, you are grounded until I say otherwise, you are not to leave this house unless I say so is that clear!"
"Yes mother," I responded on reflex as I went up to my room. Yet something about that moment stuck in my mind, while I knew that I had heard the man's voice before somewhere the other woman's voice in that conversation I knew without a doubt was my mothers.
Something was going on and my gut told me that she was involved in it, I took one look at the poster on my wall and for once decided that I was going to defy my mother for the first time ever. With my door shut, I unpacked my empty gym bag, and began to pack some changes of clothing as quietly as I could; okay Danny invite accepted, I guess that I'm going to Sin City after all.
7 years 4 months ago #9
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Zūn zhě - Chinese for "venerable one", the proper way to address a Buddhist monk.
UED - Unmanned Explosive Device basically any explosive that does not have to be manually triggered; includes land mines, naval mines and certain types of IEDs.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 5 Notes
Zūn zhě - Chinese for "venerable one", the proper way to address a Buddhist monk.
UED - Unmanned Explosive Device basically any explosive that does not have to be manually triggered; includes land mines, naval mines and certain types of IEDs.
7 years 3 months ago - 6 years 5 months ago #10
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Saturday April 21th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:47 AM EDT
Just an hour ago when Greygus arrived with his assistance Quinn Mayer sighed in relief, as it turned out Scratch had just sent a few select members of her Sweeper organization to assist in the move, which was being coordinated by Shuffle himself. Overall, it was one of the better case scenarios that Quinn could hope for, Greygus was well known as a fairly amicable agent who only resorted to violence when it was necessary and made it a point to avoid needless bloodshed like the plague. As for Shuffle while it was true that he was the leader of Erzabet Scratch's private army, he was also a strict professional; what mattered was finesse and the result, he wanted his squads to operate like a scalpel not a chainsaw.
Indeed Quinn's men were working like a well-oiled machine since they didn't have to worry for their lives, they began handing off the crates to Greygus who inspected the contents according to a manifest for that vault, which was full of drawings that were so realistic they looked like the works of Raphael himself- who knows they might have been. Which was good since all each sheet in the manifest had other than the drawings, were the names and a list of precautions to take with the items in question. One thing was for sure the Obsidian Circle did not want to risk anyone outside themselves in knowing what any of this stuff could do; of course that suited Quinn just fine, after all he felt that if he did know he'd never be able to sleep soundly again.
"What the heck are these things?" Taylor Brenson asked as he picked up a flat broach shaped like a bird with a man's head.
"Those are Bak-Ba and you had better hope that you never find out what they do." Greygus said in a nonchalant manner causing Taylor to carefully said the vaguely Egyptian piece of jewelry back in the box.
The better part of an hour passed as Greygus inspected each crate and Shuffle's team moved them into a box that was assumed to either be a wormhole to another dimension or to a portal to a warehouse owned by Erzabet Scratch. Either way that box was likely something that Quinn would never want to go near.
Everything was going along well until Greygus inspected one crate, "What the heck?" Quinn looked and recognized this as the crate that Taylor dropped yesterday; he knew that they were going to be in for hell if the doofus broke anything.
Instead of yelling at anyone, Greygus picked up one of the two crowns from the crate, pulled blunt knife from his belt that Quinn recognized as a disencanta and touched it to the crown. The crown instantly faded leaving behind a plain looking rounded stone; Greygus did this again to the other crown and yielded the same result.
"Is there a problem Greygus?" Shuffle asked as he approached the ancient operative of the Obsidian Circle.
"You bet there's a problem," Greygus said in obvious concern. "The two Royal Atlantian Diadems that Madam Eventide placed in Black Vault Four have been swiped."
"Are you sure that it's theft," Quinn said as he approached the two super-villains hoping to use Greygus's known laid back nature and Shuffle's professionalism to avert a very fatal encounter with The Obsidian Circle itself. "Maybe she just misplaced them."
"No, those are two things that Madam Eventide would never take any chances with," Greygus explained with absolute certainty. "There are only seven of Royal Atlantian Diadems in existence, and those two were the only crowns that the Obsidian Circle has in its possession that remain unclaimed."
"Mister Mayer," Shuffle said as he firmly assumed command of the situation. "Please bring all of your staff here, I wish to question them individually."
"Everyone is here if you want to talk to them, well everyone except Greg Paulson he was feeling really sick; heck our lookout called from Manhattan General a little while ago, they say that it doesn't look good." Quinn said as he explained the situation. "That is the problem with this place, so many of the practitioners insist on putting their own security spells up; and most of those who do never come by to perform maintenance. Last year one kid was moping near Troll Bride's vault and then was turned into a silhouette on the wall by a mystic discharge took us a week to scrub off the residue."
"Don't worry Erzabet Scratch, will see to his quick recovery so that he can join the rest of your men when I question them." Shuffle said as he got back to supervising the move.
"Whoa, there's no need for your boss to take the time out to come here all the way from Dallas on our account." Quinn said more than a little shocked at how the events were snowballing out of control.
"Mister Mayer I assure you that it will take no time at all for Erzabet Scratch to see to this matter," Shuffle began to explain. "She is already in New York itself to see to other matters."
That last statement made Quinn and all of his men very nervous, was Erzabet here to take over the New York Chapter House as she had the ones in New Orleans and Chicago? Even they had heard how messy that last one was. Several nervous hours went by for Quinn and his men as they continued their earlier work of shipping the contents of the opened Dark Vaults to their new location, wherever the hell that was.
The tension in the air finally came to a head when Erzabet Scratch herself floated in around two-thirty in the morning, Quinn had seen photos of her before but they failed to do justice how unnerving she was in person- or whatever the hell she was.
Her cloak draped over her in deceptively thin shifting layers gave the affect that she was shrouded in a mixture of smoke and darkness, nothing could be seen under her hood besides a pair of curling horns that jutted out of the hood and her own glowing crimson eyes. In one of her clawed hands, she clutched a bag made out of black sackcloth, which had a disturbingly familiar heft to it.
"I apologize for taking so long gentlemen," Scratch said in an eerie echoing yet melodic voice that chilled Quinn to the bone. "The amount of memory charms that I needed to cast at Manhattan General took me longer than anticipated, however I believe that I have an answer to our mystery."
Quinn and his men froze in horror as Erzabet Scratch removed the severed head of Greg Paulson from her bag clutching it in her firm grip, "Do not feel alarmed Mister Mayer, this is not your employee but rather a crafted changeling of him that was checked into Manhattan General in his stead. You can get the materials to create them cheap at any goblin market since the Faeire Courts rarely make use of them, and I will show you why."
"You see the reason that the Courts no longer use crafted changelings is a simple one, because a piece of the changeling's body can be used for spells as an adequate substitute for a piece of an ordinary person. Unfortunately since the process that grows them is magic in nature they are not viable enough to handle the entropic nature of curses; however other kinds of spells such as tracking spells work just fine."
Erzabet returned the conjured changeling's head to the sack and with a slight gesture made it disappear while producing a white Japanese paper lantern, with the kanji 毘沙門 on the front in red, in its place. "This is a Lantern of Bishamon I used a piece of the cultured changeling to make the candle inside, and once I light it will illuminate the most recent locations of his treachery."
WIth a subtle gesture of her left hand, the lantern was lit, and sure enough, the crate with the advanced illusion stones that Greygus had set aside earlier glowed an angry crimson. However, this was not the only place in the room that was showing red; the door to Black Vault Eleven and an all too familiar area in front of it were as well.
"Ooo, someone is obviously tired of breathing if they decided to steal out of that Vault." Greygus said as he looked up from his own work. "Erzabet can you be a dear and prepare a tharmatergical dousing spell, I'm sure that Quinn has a few maps that you could use to pinpoint our sticky-fingered Darwin Award Nominee."
"There is no need," Shuffle explained as he approached his employer. "I have a photographic memory, and recognize that face. The exact same time that I disembarked our flight from Austin this afternoon at JFK International Airport, I saw someone trying to hide amongst the throngs of passengers so I paid attention to the reflection in the window; sure enough I saw Greg Paulson was at Gate 7 boarding Flight 17 bound for Boston."
Erzabet Scratch's crimson eyes flared like blazing coals beneath her hood as she connected the dots on just what that information implied. "Greygus please finish your work here I need contact the others with what we know, while we have no firm proof at the moment we shall have to prepare for the most obvious scenario. It appears that The Necromancer and his Children of the Night have just issued a declaration of war against the Obsidian Circle, and if this proves to be true then Charles Darrow must be taught the consequences of his actions."
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I had just finished viewing the orb containing on the History of the Mesopian Refuge and it took me a little while to take it all in. While it was true that I knew most of the story already, what I knew was so- clinical, it was like there was a degree of detachment; these spheres of knowledge let whoever was learning from them delve far more closely into events. I was able to swim among the merfolk of the Refuge’s markets and take in the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of a part of my heritage that no longer existed.
I was able to watch as my grandparents met for the very first time in the waters where the Persian Gulf met the Indian Ocean. I already knew how beautiful Grandmother Tiamat was she had even showed me herself as a mermaid during one of my visits, however my grandfather the late Triton King Apsu was pretty gifted in the looks department himself. I had giggled at the time over how many of the available teachers at Whateley would likely be trying to gain his attention if he were still around, granted if he were still around he wouldn't be single.
Also while Apsu was handsome in his own right, my uncle Qingu was in another league entirely, somehow I didn’t think that all those mermaid princesses were merely resigning themselves to a political marriage and a chance to bear a Triton into their bloodline. I mean Qingu was a freaking Adonis, and trust me as a girl who saw everything that Aphrodite did during Ancient Greece; I knew both what Adonis looked like as well as what he was like as a person. There was a reason that Aphrodite and Persephone both desired that Cypriot's company, heck even Athena and Artemis were tempted to give up their vows of chastity to get him between the sheets.
I mean hell a part of me actually cursed myself for being Qingu's niece; still I was getting a cool aunt like Sorcha out of this- as well as Evania, which was a little disturbing then again given the lifespans of merfolk she was probably going to wait a few years before the ceremony. ‘Note to self, when you rescue Uncle Qingu do not keep photos of him at Dickenson, otherwise your dormmates will never leave you alone about meeting him in person.'
"Learning about your family young one?" Greyback asked as he padded over to me, it was weird now that I think about it but I don't even think that I have seen the old wolf take human form before. Come to think of it why does he even look so old in the first place, he's the same age as Mrs. Redstag and the two are both Sidhe?
"Yeah, I learned a lot about my grandparents and my uncle, not to mention the fact that one of the mermaids that Utu's djinn violated was my uncle's fiancé; no wonder Apsu had to handle the diplomacy himself." I said as that scenario left a gross taste in my mouth. "It didn't say what happened to her though, but something tells me that I need to hear it even though I won't like the answer."
"You are correct on that account child," Greyback said with a heavy sigh. "Do you remember what the mermaid's name was?"
"Yeah I found out that her name was Heda," I replied easy enough despite the fact that the orb did not cover the war between the Mesopian Refuge and Utu's own City of Brass.
"Child none of the denizens of the Mesopian Refuge made it to the safety of the refuges in the Faerie Lands or the Jade Heavens." Greyback said as he bowed his head at that sad truth, "The only inhabitants of the Mesopian Refuge that were unaffected when Dagon used Apsu's remains to cast his dark curse were your mother Thaletté and your uncle Qingu. As for your grandmother Queen Tiamat, the reason she was remained unaffected was not only because she was not truly a mermaid, but also because she was also well beyond the power of the curse."
"Heda as with all of the other merfolk of the refuge were twisted by the curse into the first Deep Ones, and to add insult to injury Dagon took the creature Heda became as his mate." Greyback took a moment to pause before he finished his explanation-
"Who is now known as Mother Hydra," I guessed although I wanted to throw up a little in my mouth at saying that. "Am I right?"
"Unfortunately, Dagon likely counts her as the trophy of his victory," Greyback said as he averted his eyes. "The sight of what Heda, the mermaid Qingu had intended to declare his first queen, had transformed into was what drove Qingu to attack the djinn early. By the time Tiamat had returned with the first wave of reinforcements from dragons of the Western Jade Heavens and the djinn of the House of the Blazing Disc Qingu had just fallen in battle, it shall be your task to save him from the results of his folly."
"And then the two of us break Dagon's curse and everything is fine." I said repeating what I knew so far."
"No child, you see any spell that has ever been successfully cast may cast again. Besides there is one more condition for the curse to be broken, the one who wields its power must also perish. In order for all of the merfolk of the Eastern court and those share their bloodlines to truly be free- Dagon must die, still I have seen that this will soon come to pass as others set a plan in motion ages ago. It is your duty to free Qingu and make certain that the two of you cast the counter-spell before another of the Anointed Deep Ones takes his place!"
"Anointed Deep Ones?" I asked already knowing that I wouldn't like the answer- no matter how it was phrased.
"Deep One's who were blessed indirectly by Dagon before they were fully changed, and thus maintain their sanity rather than just being a bestial thrall." Greyback elaborated on his statement. "They usually used to be the high priests in Dagon's cult, should Dagon die the anointed will battle each other to the death for the privilege in taking his place as the high priest of Cthulhu. If the curse remains intact when the final anointed takes Dagon's place, then this abomination will become the curse's new anchor, but enough about that for now child, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes Greyback, what is it?" I asked curious about what the old sidhe spirit wanted.
"Look in my bag over there for a small white box," Greyback stated, not having any reason to do otherwise, I did as he asked and got the box out. "Good now you'll find two decorative combs inside, give one pair to Faolan this evening and make sure that the two of you wear them firmly in your hair when you got to bed. Hold onto the box and it will travel with you into the waking world; oh and for good measure make sure that you do not let it leave your person- this is important."
"Alright," I said staring at the small box. "Just one question, why is it white, is it because wolves are colorblind?"
"No, it was just cheaper that way." Greyback said in a nonchalant manner that made me feel more than a little foolish for asking in the first place.
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:00 AM EST
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I got up to my alarm which was also causing Candace to stir in the top bunk, my week of combat evaluations by Itou and Tolman were over and I'd managed to pass. Granted I tied in my match against Jobe and lost against Nightbane but still I don't think that I did too badly. Okay I still had Morrigan's evening training but the only real problem I had during the rest my Freshman year (besides my Algebra grades) was the Combat Final in Arena 99 which could be against anyone in the school- well except the seniors or Tennyo.
At the very least I could enjoy the weekend, which was making me nervous for a different reason- it was going to be my first date- my first real date with a girl. Okay granted that it shouldn't be that scary anymore given that I was also a member of the fairer sex now and had been for months, but still it was my first real date and knew firsthand how hot Candace was given her habit of sleeping naked. I wish I knew why she was so focused on me though, heck, she started hitting on me the moment we met back in New York at the award banquet- granted I gave her a good scare when she met me out of costume for the first time.
Okay, so I'm not bad in the looks department either (at least outside of exemplar mega-babe territory) even before I got the faerie glamour (glad that I can turn that to mute), still maybe I could get the answer out of her about why she was so insistent on dating me ever since we met. I headed to the shower with my bathrobe and morning kit and noticed I had beaten the line and that there was still an unoccupied stall. I got in and let the shower work its magic, well without turning on the special settings that is the last time I did that it made my legs feel like they were made of pudding.
Still after making an extra-special effort to get myself ready I stepped out of the shower to find Ayla and Alex ogling via the vanity mirror as usual. I shook my head at the sight honestly I know that there were a lot of hot girls in here, and that most almost all of them like girls as well- but the novelty of seeing other girls naked had worn off after about a month.
What can I say between being able to see a good looking girl in the mirror anytime that I wanted and having a roommate who slept naked, the thrill was mostly neutralized- granted waking up to said roommate in the above condition cuddling with me got one hell of a reaction out of me. Okay I was a wolf at the time but I still like human girls even when I'm a lupa. (It's a legitimate term look it up, I refuse to refer to myself in canine form by the b-word.)
By the time I had returned to our room Candace was already getting dressed, "Geez Randi, took a little long in the shower today; were you trying out the special settings on the shower head?" Candace asked with a sly smile on her face.
"No," I blushed at the memory of the one time that I gave into that particular temptation. "I just wanted to do a good job with my hair for our date that's all."
"Well thank you for going to the extra effort on my account." Candace smiled as she sauntered over to me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll pick up breakfast from Crystal Hall so all you have to do is get ready and go to the bus stop in front of Shuster."
"I know where it is Candace," I said blushing red once again. "Just let me get ready." I put on my collar and hit the gem that I put casual clothing inside which given the school's dress code I hadn't used in a while. The magic in the jewel activated instantly as I changed into the outfit that I set place inside it earlier this week, nothing overly fancy just a nice forest-green blouse, a calf-length gray skirt, black leather shoes, and a charcoal beret to hide my ears. Now that I was fully dressed I applied something of my own invention, at first glance it looks like a couple of red beads connected by some elastic, however whenever its tied around something- like say my tail it creates an aura of unimportance making the object unperceivable that is unless you knew it was there.
After I finished preparing, I headed down to the bus, granted I knew that we likely weren't going to be the only ones headed to Boston today but at least none of the Kimbas were allowed there anymore- the last thing that anybody needed was a fourth Boston Brawl.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:00 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Today was the big day after all, I didn't want to psych myself out after all if Victor actually kept up he'd know that today wasn't just any Basketball game. No this was our half of the State Semi-Finals- this was when the last game our team had last year while Candace was team captain and I intended us to take state this time so that we could all show Candace the championship trophy when she came home for Summer Vacation.
"Are you really sure that you don't have any special advice for today Chandra?" Marlina asked obviously a little nervous today.
"Just give a hundred and ten percent like you've been doing and remember what we were working on during practice and you'll do fine." I said as I patted the seventh grader on the back. "Just remember this is a team effort, as long as everyone does their best and works together everything will be fine- and try not to focus on the ice cream."
"You and your ice cream captain." Marlina giggled while we climbed into the van so that her dad could drop us off at school, granted it was a little uncomfortable in the back what with the temporary seat and all.
"That is right the ice cream is my precious- gollum- gollum," I grunted with a weird look on my face causing her to laugh at the silliness of it, which was good- the worst thing possible for a player was to over think or dwell on a game before they got there. Still I had something else to be nervous about, this van was not meant to ferry or than two passengers.
Okay I knew from experience that the inside of this van was filthy it was normally used to haul gardening equipment after all. I was glad that I packed two changes of clothes for today and a couple of trash bags because I soon as I got home I was washing what I was wearing- twice. I hope I had time to clean up before the bus picked us up for Moline, because I did not want to show up for the game smelling like fertilizer and looking like I went five rounds with the flower bed.
Berlin Train Station
Berlin, New Hampshire
8:32 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
The train was about to arrive and Pendragon was busy laying down the ground rules for those of us who were here. As predicted, there were several students along on this trip. Granted this was hardly surprising given the rumors flying around school that this might be the last trip to Boston that any student from Whateley would ever be taking.
"Now remember on this trip we have several rules to try and keep from having another incident like the last Boston Brawl," Pendragon began to explain as he stood side-by-side with other juniors and seniors- many of them in the Cape Squad. "The first rule we will be traveling in groups using the buddy system, everyone is to travel in groups of at least two each at all times."
"Also every group will be accompanied by a junior or senior level student who will act as chaperones. If any student intentionally separates from their chaperone they will be subject to a week's detention, you must also clear where you are going with your chaperone beforehand; so no traveling on impulse. I know that this might seem unfair to the lot of you but understand that we are doing this to for your own safety, the Children of the Night have been targeting one group of student's in particular in Boston and they might try to take unrelated students hostage to gain access to them."
As he began to wrap up his speech the train to Boston pulled into the station, "Now everyone received an envelope this morning before we left the Academy, inside are the name of your buddy if you are not traveling in a prearranged group and your designated chaperone if you do not already know them."
All around everyone began to open their envelopes, fortunately I had already looked at mine and knew that I would be traveling with Heartbreaker and Gloriana today- I also knew what was about to happen next. One by one, the sheets that the others pulled from their envelopes went up in smoke thanks to a spell of Ms Grimes from the Mystic Arts Department- and the fact that it was printed on flash paper.
"Well, ready to go?" I asked Heartbreaker after I guided my chair over to her.
"As long as you remember to keep your promise," Heartbreaker conveyed as tough as she could although I could tell that underneath the facade that it was merely concern for her friend Jello.
"I plan on it," I explained as we made our way to Gloriana. "I only hope that my uncle can help me gain a better insight into my powers so that I can help her."
"I didn't know that Miss Carson had any brothers that were still around." Heartbreaker said with an ounce of curiosity.
"No, on the other side of my family," I explained a little more cautious with the details given Heartbreaker's career plans. "The more aquatic side, he's in a bit of a bad situation right now that he needs me to bail him out of."
"Not gonna tell me everything eh? Good- you're learning." She smiled as we got in line to board the train with our escort.
"Yes Eve," Glory stated as she turned to us with a knowing smile of her own. "She's learning that you're not really as much of a bad girl as you make yourself out to be."
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Candace and I boarded the train with Saladin, thankful that we were getting a fellow Posie as our escort who wouldn't spread around the fact that our day-trip together was an actual date. Still I looked around to take a few peeks at the other students, interesting Aries was escorting sis and her friends; at least Heather would be in good hands today. Solange was nowhere in sight- not surprising there was no way anyone in Admin would let the Little Witch trio within a hundred miles of Boston unless they were flying over it while bound for a different destination.
Hmm- Stonebear was escorting Crux and Strato, and Firecat was doing the same thing for Draco and Asklepian- honestly, if I didn't know it was her I wouldn't have seen through the illusion. Deuce and Palleon had Stormwolf with them looks like they wouldn't be up to anything, that guy didn't just have a stick up his butt- he had a freaking sequoia. Hmm, curious Astio and Drakaina were walking with Nephandus; I didn't know that Admin trusted Astio enough to be an escort given that he was a new student (not counting what I knew about him).
Finally, we were aboard the train, I took the moment to stretch out while Jane hopped from my shoulder to perch on the overhead rack. I wonder why trains aren't more popular these days, I mean you can use them to get around easy without being molested by the TSA and bring you own food aboard not to mention that you have a lot more room and there is less chance of being near a baby whose upset due to the change in air-pressure. It was a crying shame that the train station back home shuttered after The War because a lot of folks could have used it to relieve the congestion along I-20 and I-30 from the morning commute to Dallas or Fort Worth, granted with the fact that the man who modernized the city was in the automotive sales buisiness that was hardly surprising.
"So have you young ladies decided how you will be spending your day in Boston?" Saladin asked as well mannered as always, you had to admire the guy. It took guts to come out of the closet like he did- especially when it would earn him a death sentence in his homeland and eternal damnation in his religion (of which he was a devout follower).
"We'll be doing some window shopping in Downtown Crossing, you might be asked to carry a few things while we're in the area itself." Candace said with an impish grin on her face. "But don't worry Randi's purse will take over after we're out of the shopping district. Then we're going to see a movie over at the Boston Commons 19."
"Let me guess, is it In the Land of Women?" I said citing the name of a recently released romantic comedy, yet another part of being a young lady that I had yet to adjust to enjoying.
"Nope, Disturbia," Candace explained honestly surprising me. "I know how much you like Hitchcock movies Randi and I heard that it was someone trying to draw inspiration from Rear Window something I remember watching with my grandparents."
"Yeah it was one of his best films; almost every critic alive recognizes it as a masterpiece, and for once their right." I replied anxious to hear more about the day that she had planned for us.
"It's decent enough; I saw it last week with my boyfriend in Berlin." Saladin said to the two of us. "Disturbia that is I don't think that I have ever seen Rear Window."
"Remind us to loan it to you sometime," Candace said as she went back to itinerary. "After that we're going to have an early dinner before coming home- Saladin do you mind if I tell you I want to keep that destination a surprise for later."
"Certainly, you can tell me when we're out shopping while Randi is using a changing room." Saladin agreed as I stared out to window to enjoy the scenery.
"Say can we stop by the Holocaust Memorial on our way to Downtown Crossing?" I asked while taking in the New England scenery that I hadn't gotten to see too much of in my time up here.
"Randi, isn't that a little insensitive?" Candace asked while eying Saladin, "Sayyid is taking time out of his Saturday to help us, and you want to bring up a matter of Middle-Eastern tensions!"
"There were more groups persecuted then than just the Jewish people Candace," I said as I made eye contact with my date and roommate and whispered, "Including one group that all three of us have in common. Besides remember when we met Doctor Quasimodo in New York, his second wife died during the Kristallnacht riot and I want to pay my respects."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
6:12 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
It was finally time to make my move; I was finally going to get out of this damned cave for a while to be around ordinary people for a while. I had finally learn enough from Master Wujing's lessons to keep a human form going for a good long while, and with whatever clothes I planned on to boot. If only Kelsey knew that martial arts and transformations weren't the only thing that I had learned.
Part of my meditation training had been about opening up my perceptions, and in doing so I had discovered something that I had been completely unaware of before now, one of the walls of this cave was an illusion- nothing more than a trick of perception deceiving you into seeing something that wasn't really there at all. Man was Kelsey sneaky, the exit to this place had been staring me right in the face ever since I had arrived I had just been unable to see it.
I packed a few supplies in one of the bags that Kelsey had left laying around and transformed. After a minute I had assumed my old form dressed in weather-beaten clothing like I had been back-packing cross country, an important and necessary disguise that I would have to maintain for a few hours until I arrived at my intended destination. Once I had everything together I let go of my transformation, it was still early in the day and my normal form was better for handling rugged terrain, especially given the amount of walking that I'd need to do before I could hit the interstate and catch a ride.
I hoped that I had been discrete enough in asking about the surrounding area; at least I knew that Denver was out of my reach for the time being unless I learned how to fly given that it was on the other side of the Continental Divide. Still the city of Durango was close enough and anything that dared to call itself a city had to have something in the form of nightlife, especially when it was out in the boonies like this so that folks could let off a little steam; besides it had a college and where there is a college there are parties if you knew how to find them. I mean everyone back home knew that if you didn't at least provide for people to have a way to do that legally they'd find their own ways, there was a reason that Seattle had the reputation that it did.
Carefully I made my way southward, not directly south given that there was the rest of the La Plata mountain range in my way. I began to make my steady decent now that I was finally in the open air. I already knew that I was beginning to make my way west instead of south; however none of that would matter once I was out of the mountains and into the woods of San Juan National Forest I just had to start going south again until I hit Interstate 160. I knew that there was a dirt road that Kelsey and I had took on our way here that would shave several hours off of my trip, but once I hit the freeway it would be a lot smoother sailing.
Yeah, enough training for now and enough of that damned cave. I stopped and clenched my fist to the sky while I screamed at the top of my draconic lungs, "Mark my words world, 'Tonight I'm going into the city to party like an ordinary teenage girl and nothing is going to stop me from doing so and enjoying myself!'"
Man did it feel good to get that out of my system, seriously who needs mystic places of healing just getting outside to vent and work off my frustrations was enough. Okay I wish I was out partying with my friends back in Seattle, but that couldn't be helped I mean here I was climbing down a mountain about to go forty miles cross-country just to get to the nearest city in Colorado. They were back at home in Seattle over a thousand miles across three states in another time zone, plus they haven't even seen me in months, I had just turned into a pen pal from out of nowhere to people I had known my whole life.
I stopped again to shake those thoughts out of my head, "No you mustn't think that Zhen-yu, you will see them again; maybe not for a while but you will see them and when you see them you can share this whole experience with them while they tell you what the rest of the school year was like."
That hit another sore spot, the school year was almost over, and you had lost so much of it there was no way to play catch-up. Forget the graduation trip along Route 66, you're going to be held back playing catch up as a freshman while they've become sophomores. No, I need to put the future on the back burner for a while and take it as it comes, I need to live in the here and now. I did my best to stop dwelling on the past as I continued my trek toward the interstate and the city of Durango.
South Middle School - Front Lawn
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:45 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Cutting it a little close as usual Ms Defrank," Coach Mulhulland said as she stared at her watch from outside the full-sized passenger van that our team used to get to games. "I wish that our team captain would show a little more punctuality."
"Sorry Coach," I apologized as I boarded the van and headed to an empty seat in the back. "I just don't want to show up smelling like I got in a fight with the Home Depot's gardening department."
"Yeah Coach," Marlina chimed in with a hint of embarrassment. "Chandra can't help it the cargo seat in my dad's van is a rough ride, and the back often smells like fertilizer."
"Okay team," the Coach barked as she started the van, "Today's one for the record books, so I want to see everyone bring their A Game out there! So when you hit the court today I want to see you play to win, do you hear me ladies- to win. Let's put a trophy in that case that doesn't say third place state on it!"
"Yes ma'am!" We all shouted in unison as we hit the road, it was at least a three-hour drive between Arlington Heights and Moline.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
6:14 AM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I could hear my heart hammering inside of my chest as I worked my way around the house, granted mother had left five minutes ago but there always a chance that she could come back at any time. I believe that I set a world record for fastest complete shower, before I made a mad dash back to my bedroom. This would be cutting it close, I needed to get dressed and get out the door and around the corner before she came back. After I got my clothes on I grabbed the bag that I had thrown together the other night and put in my stuff from the bathroom, nothing big just my comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.
I took a deep breath and peeked my head out the front door, fortunately mom's car was nowhere in sight. It was now or never I locked the door on my way out- no reason to make her any more pissed at me than she already was and calmly made my way to the corner where Danny's bro and the guys would be waiting. I almost had a heart attack when I saw a Civic rounding the corner- however I was in luck it was a white not yellow like mom's car. I made my way further and further and could almost hear the Mission Impossible theme playing in my head as I did so, 'Cool it Paul- Ethan Hunt you are not!'
After what seemed like forever from my perspective, I rounded the corner to fin everyone waiting in Danny's brother Matt in his Hummer. "See bro," Danny laughed as I opened the back door. "I told you that Paul would show; now you have to own up."
"Forget it Danny," Matt shot back while I was buckling up in the back seat. "I'm not sneaking you into the Spearmint Rhino!"
"Ah come on," Danny all but whined. "Why not?"
"That’s because if the bouncers didn't kill me mom would!" Matt shot Danny a withering look. "Paul is your mom really okay with you going to Vegas for the day?"
"No- but something weird has been going on lately," I explained after tossing my tote-bag in the back. "She's been acting weirder than usual and I need to get out of the house to think."
"Alright, I understand." Matt gave in as he started up the Hummer. "We've all been there at one point or another, and as long as you're willing to deal with the consequences when you get back I'll let you tag along with us."
"Thanks," I said as we hit the road. I already knew that I was in hot water but what the hell- Las Vegas here we come. I mean you only live once right, I mean I was already in trouble with mother; how much more trouble can I really get into at this point?
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
8:37 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
Wearily I opened my eyes to find two things, Mallory drools in her sleep and late night Chinese gives Erika dragon breath. "Geez- I hope we have enough Scope," I muttered to myself as I got up not that General Tsou hadn't achieved victory over me last night as we were watching The Breakfast Club.
Speaking of breakfast, I thought to myself as I went into the kitchen to get started on mine and found Nicole drinking a very large cup of coffee with enough creamer in it to kick it into borderline-latte territory (without the steamed milk though). Out of curiosity, I took a peak at her laptop and saw that she was reading a few articles via EBSCOhost, probably for her report.
"Hey, looks like you girls had quite the party last night," Nicole smiled as she took another sip from her large steaming mug.
"Yeah, not that I haven't been to slumber parties before," I said as I went to pour myself a bowl of raisin bran, "Just none of them here." I opened the fridge and rooted around for a minute to find two things, we were out of strawberries and someone drank the last of the whole milk. What a wonderful start of the day, I resigned myself to mom's one-percent- thank goodness she wasn't buying skim *bleck* anymore, and filled my bowl.
As I sat down at the table, I turned to look at Nicole and asked, "Do you have any coffee left?"
"Not until after you're out of middle school sprout," Nichole said as she finished off her cup and went for a refill. "Too much caffeine when you're young stunts your growth; you don't want your mom to be stealing your clothes forever do you?"
"Not gonna happen," I said as I gave her as dark a look as I could through my bleary eyes. "Now gimme!"
"Sorry- last cup and the beans are going in the liquor cabinet." Nicole remarked as she swirled her cup in hand for emphasis. "Just go back to sleep when you finish breakfast, you're still young enough not to know what a luxury it is yet."
"Can't you just magic yourself a full night's sleep whenever you want to?" I asked resigned to the fact that once again the brewed bean of adulthood had eluded my grasp.
Nicole laughed and shook her head, "Nope, it doesn't work like that; now eat your breakfast and go back to sleep, you had a long night and you've likely got another one ahead of you tonight."
"Yeah don't remind me," I grumbled after swallowing another spoonful of cereal.
"Don't worry I'll help some with the prep work, just don't bother me afterwards; this paper is a third of my final grade." Nichole explained with a weighted emphasis while I kept chewing my bran flakes.
Throne of Sanguine Opulence
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
6:47 AM PDT
"Your eminence," a man said as he burst into the room and immediately dropped to his knees. "I bring you news of great importance!"
"As it must be for you to not only ignore protocol, but also interrupt my meditations when the sun has barely risen upon this land of barbarians and mongrels." A man in dark red robes trimmed with golden embroidery proclaimed as he glared at the man with a look of pure contempt. "Now tell me your news, and then I shall decide by its importance whether or not your impertinence has made your life forfeit."
"Yes great Xuè-jīn Mùshī," the nameless man said not moving an inch or raising his head. "The Yáo Xīyì that was stolen from us by the barbarian sorceress child who dares lay claim to the title of the Wayfarer has revealed herself; she is currently in Southern Colorado. Would I have your permission to contact mercenary's in the area to see to it that our property is returned to us?"
"We are the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn, what need have we of mercenary's when we can utilize our own assets!" The current Xuè-jīn Mùshī shouted in outrage as the room around he glowed red with his anger.
"We have no assets in Colorado my lord," the nameless man began to explain while simultaneously pleading for his life. "We cannot reach further east without drawing ourselves into conflict with Lord Khamsin who we have confirmed is a newly revitalized Lord Ataxia; furthermore it is too close to the territory of Erzabet Scratch."
"Yes I recall the condition of the last spy that my predecessor sent into her territory; Scratch returned him to us by way of FedEx, and the rather small package was sent cash on delivery." Xuè-jīn Mùshī recalled now far calmer as the truth of the situation was now evident. "Very well, put out a contract to all available mercenary's in the area but be discrete on the details otherwise they might be tempted to keep our property for themselves."
"At once your eminence," The nameless sycophant rapidly left the room leaving behind the Xuè-jīn Mùshī who smiled in the dimly lit room, confident that unlike his predecessor he could hold onto this source of wealth and power.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 6
Saturday April 21th, 2007
Storage Facility
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:47 AM EDT
Just an hour ago when Greygus arrived with his assistance Quinn Mayer sighed in relief, as it turned out Scratch had just sent a few select members of her Sweeper organization to assist in the move, which was being coordinated by Shuffle himself. Overall, it was one of the better case scenarios that Quinn could hope for, Greygus was well known as a fairly amicable agent who only resorted to violence when it was necessary and made it a point to avoid needless bloodshed like the plague. As for Shuffle while it was true that he was the leader of Erzabet Scratch's private army, he was also a strict professional; what mattered was finesse and the result, he wanted his squads to operate like a scalpel not a chainsaw.
Indeed Quinn's men were working like a well-oiled machine since they didn't have to worry for their lives, they began handing off the crates to Greygus who inspected the contents according to a manifest for that vault, which was full of drawings that were so realistic they looked like the works of Raphael himself- who knows they might have been. Which was good since all each sheet in the manifest had other than the drawings, were the names and a list of precautions to take with the items in question. One thing was for sure the Obsidian Circle did not want to risk anyone outside themselves in knowing what any of this stuff could do; of course that suited Quinn just fine, after all he felt that if he did know he'd never be able to sleep soundly again.
"What the heck are these things?" Taylor Brenson asked as he picked up a flat broach shaped like a bird with a man's head.
"Those are Bak-Ba and you had better hope that you never find out what they do." Greygus said in a nonchalant manner causing Taylor to carefully said the vaguely Egyptian piece of jewelry back in the box.
The better part of an hour passed as Greygus inspected each crate and Shuffle's team moved them into a box that was assumed to either be a wormhole to another dimension or to a portal to a warehouse owned by Erzabet Scratch. Either way that box was likely something that Quinn would never want to go near.
Everything was going along well until Greygus inspected one crate, "What the heck?" Quinn looked and recognized this as the crate that Taylor dropped yesterday; he knew that they were going to be in for hell if the doofus broke anything.
Instead of yelling at anyone, Greygus picked up one of the two crowns from the crate, pulled blunt knife from his belt that Quinn recognized as a disencanta and touched it to the crown. The crown instantly faded leaving behind a plain looking rounded stone; Greygus did this again to the other crown and yielded the same result.
"Is there a problem Greygus?" Shuffle asked as he approached the ancient operative of the Obsidian Circle.
"You bet there's a problem," Greygus said in obvious concern. "The two Royal Atlantian Diadems that Madam Eventide placed in Black Vault Four have been swiped."
"Are you sure that it's theft," Quinn said as he approached the two super-villains hoping to use Greygus's known laid back nature and Shuffle's professionalism to avert a very fatal encounter with The Obsidian Circle itself. "Maybe she just misplaced them."
"No, those are two things that Madam Eventide would never take any chances with," Greygus explained with absolute certainty. "There are only seven of Royal Atlantian Diadems in existence, and those two were the only crowns that the Obsidian Circle has in its possession that remain unclaimed."
"Mister Mayer," Shuffle said as he firmly assumed command of the situation. "Please bring all of your staff here, I wish to question them individually."
"Everyone is here if you want to talk to them, well everyone except Greg Paulson he was feeling really sick; heck our lookout called from Manhattan General a little while ago, they say that it doesn't look good." Quinn said as he explained the situation. "That is the problem with this place, so many of the practitioners insist on putting their own security spells up; and most of those who do never come by to perform maintenance. Last year one kid was moping near Troll Bride's vault and then was turned into a silhouette on the wall by a mystic discharge took us a week to scrub off the residue."
"Don't worry Erzabet Scratch, will see to his quick recovery so that he can join the rest of your men when I question them." Shuffle said as he got back to supervising the move.
"Whoa, there's no need for your boss to take the time out to come here all the way from Dallas on our account." Quinn said more than a little shocked at how the events were snowballing out of control.
"Mister Mayer I assure you that it will take no time at all for Erzabet Scratch to see to this matter," Shuffle began to explain. "She is already in New York itself to see to other matters."
That last statement made Quinn and all of his men very nervous, was Erzabet here to take over the New York Chapter House as she had the ones in New Orleans and Chicago? Even they had heard how messy that last one was. Several nervous hours went by for Quinn and his men as they continued their earlier work of shipping the contents of the opened Dark Vaults to their new location, wherever the hell that was.
The tension in the air finally came to a head when Erzabet Scratch herself floated in around two-thirty in the morning, Quinn had seen photos of her before but they failed to do justice how unnerving she was in person- or whatever the hell she was.
Her cloak draped over her in deceptively thin shifting layers gave the affect that she was shrouded in a mixture of smoke and darkness, nothing could be seen under her hood besides a pair of curling horns that jutted out of the hood and her own glowing crimson eyes. In one of her clawed hands, she clutched a bag made out of black sackcloth, which had a disturbingly familiar heft to it.
"I apologize for taking so long gentlemen," Scratch said in an eerie echoing yet melodic voice that chilled Quinn to the bone. "The amount of memory charms that I needed to cast at Manhattan General took me longer than anticipated, however I believe that I have an answer to our mystery."
Quinn and his men froze in horror as Erzabet Scratch removed the severed head of Greg Paulson from her bag clutching it in her firm grip, "Do not feel alarmed Mister Mayer, this is not your employee but rather a crafted changeling of him that was checked into Manhattan General in his stead. You can get the materials to create them cheap at any goblin market since the Faeire Courts rarely make use of them, and I will show you why."
"You see the reason that the Courts no longer use crafted changelings is a simple one, because a piece of the changeling's body can be used for spells as an adequate substitute for a piece of an ordinary person. Unfortunately since the process that grows them is magic in nature they are not viable enough to handle the entropic nature of curses; however other kinds of spells such as tracking spells work just fine."
Erzabet returned the conjured changeling's head to the sack and with a slight gesture made it disappear while producing a white Japanese paper lantern, with the kanji 毘沙門 on the front in red, in its place. "This is a Lantern of Bishamon I used a piece of the cultured changeling to make the candle inside, and once I light it will illuminate the most recent locations of his treachery."
WIth a subtle gesture of her left hand, the lantern was lit, and sure enough, the crate with the advanced illusion stones that Greygus had set aside earlier glowed an angry crimson. However, this was not the only place in the room that was showing red; the door to Black Vault Eleven and an all too familiar area in front of it were as well.
"Ooo, someone is obviously tired of breathing if they decided to steal out of that Vault." Greygus said as he looked up from his own work. "Erzabet can you be a dear and prepare a tharmatergical dousing spell, I'm sure that Quinn has a few maps that you could use to pinpoint our sticky-fingered Darwin Award Nominee."
"There is no need," Shuffle explained as he approached his employer. "I have a photographic memory, and recognize that face. The exact same time that I disembarked our flight from Austin this afternoon at JFK International Airport, I saw someone trying to hide amongst the throngs of passengers so I paid attention to the reflection in the window; sure enough I saw Greg Paulson was at Gate 7 boarding Flight 17 bound for Boston."
Erzabet Scratch's crimson eyes flared like blazing coals beneath her hood as she connected the dots on just what that information implied. "Greygus please finish your work here I need contact the others with what we know, while we have no firm proof at the moment we shall have to prepare for the most obvious scenario. It appears that The Necromancer and his Children of the Night have just issued a declaration of war against the Obsidian Circle, and if this proves to be true then Charles Darrow must be taught the consequences of his actions."
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I had just finished viewing the orb containing on the History of the Mesopian Refuge and it took me a little while to take it all in. While it was true that I knew most of the story already, what I knew was so- clinical, it was like there was a degree of detachment; these spheres of knowledge let whoever was learning from them delve far more closely into events. I was able to swim among the merfolk of the Refuge’s markets and take in the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of a part of my heritage that no longer existed.
I was able to watch as my grandparents met for the very first time in the waters where the Persian Gulf met the Indian Ocean. I already knew how beautiful Grandmother Tiamat was she had even showed me herself as a mermaid during one of my visits, however my grandfather the late Triton King Apsu was pretty gifted in the looks department himself. I had giggled at the time over how many of the available teachers at Whateley would likely be trying to gain his attention if he were still around, granted if he were still around he wouldn't be single.
Also while Apsu was handsome in his own right, my uncle Qingu was in another league entirely, somehow I didn’t think that all those mermaid princesses were merely resigning themselves to a political marriage and a chance to bear a Triton into their bloodline. I mean Qingu was a freaking Adonis, and trust me as a girl who saw everything that Aphrodite did during Ancient Greece; I knew both what Adonis looked like as well as what he was like as a person. There was a reason that Aphrodite and Persephone both desired that Cypriot's company, heck even Athena and Artemis were tempted to give up their vows of chastity to get him between the sheets.
I mean hell a part of me actually cursed myself for being Qingu's niece; still I was getting a cool aunt like Sorcha out of this- as well as Evania, which was a little disturbing then again given the lifespans of merfolk she was probably going to wait a few years before the ceremony. ‘Note to self, when you rescue Uncle Qingu do not keep photos of him at Dickenson, otherwise your dormmates will never leave you alone about meeting him in person.'
"Learning about your family young one?" Greyback asked as he padded over to me, it was weird now that I think about it but I don't even think that I have seen the old wolf take human form before. Come to think of it why does he even look so old in the first place, he's the same age as Mrs. Redstag and the two are both Sidhe?
"Yeah, I learned a lot about my grandparents and my uncle, not to mention the fact that one of the mermaids that Utu's djinn violated was my uncle's fiancé; no wonder Apsu had to handle the diplomacy himself." I said as that scenario left a gross taste in my mouth. "It didn't say what happened to her though, but something tells me that I need to hear it even though I won't like the answer."
"You are correct on that account child," Greyback said with a heavy sigh. "Do you remember what the mermaid's name was?"
"Yeah I found out that her name was Heda," I replied easy enough despite the fact that the orb did not cover the war between the Mesopian Refuge and Utu's own City of Brass.
"Child none of the denizens of the Mesopian Refuge made it to the safety of the refuges in the Faerie Lands or the Jade Heavens." Greyback said as he bowed his head at that sad truth, "The only inhabitants of the Mesopian Refuge that were unaffected when Dagon used Apsu's remains to cast his dark curse were your mother Thaletté and your uncle Qingu. As for your grandmother Queen Tiamat, the reason she was remained unaffected was not only because she was not truly a mermaid, but also because she was also well beyond the power of the curse."
"Heda as with all of the other merfolk of the refuge were twisted by the curse into the first Deep Ones, and to add insult to injury Dagon took the creature Heda became as his mate." Greyback took a moment to pause before he finished his explanation-
"Who is now known as Mother Hydra," I guessed although I wanted to throw up a little in my mouth at saying that. "Am I right?"
"Unfortunately, Dagon likely counts her as the trophy of his victory," Greyback said as he averted his eyes. "The sight of what Heda, the mermaid Qingu had intended to declare his first queen, had transformed into was what drove Qingu to attack the djinn early. By the time Tiamat had returned with the first wave of reinforcements from dragons of the Western Jade Heavens and the djinn of the House of the Blazing Disc Qingu had just fallen in battle, it shall be your task to save him from the results of his folly."
"And then the two of us break Dagon's curse and everything is fine." I said repeating what I knew so far."
"No child, you see any spell that has ever been successfully cast may cast again. Besides there is one more condition for the curse to be broken, the one who wields its power must also perish. In order for all of the merfolk of the Eastern court and those share their bloodlines to truly be free- Dagon must die, still I have seen that this will soon come to pass as others set a plan in motion ages ago. It is your duty to free Qingu and make certain that the two of you cast the counter-spell before another of the Anointed Deep Ones takes his place!"
"Anointed Deep Ones?" I asked already knowing that I wouldn't like the answer- no matter how it was phrased.
"Deep One's who were blessed indirectly by Dagon before they were fully changed, and thus maintain their sanity rather than just being a bestial thrall." Greyback elaborated on his statement. "They usually used to be the high priests in Dagon's cult, should Dagon die the anointed will battle each other to the death for the privilege in taking his place as the high priest of Cthulhu. If the curse remains intact when the final anointed takes Dagon's place, then this abomination will become the curse's new anchor, but enough about that for now child, I have a favor to ask of you."
"Yes Greyback, what is it?" I asked curious about what the old sidhe spirit wanted.
"Look in my bag over there for a small white box," Greyback stated, not having any reason to do otherwise, I did as he asked and got the box out. "Good now you'll find two decorative combs inside, give one pair to Faolan this evening and make sure that the two of you wear them firmly in your hair when you got to bed. Hold onto the box and it will travel with you into the waking world; oh and for good measure make sure that you do not let it leave your person- this is important."
"Alright," I said staring at the small box. "Just one question, why is it white, is it because wolves are colorblind?"
"No, it was just cheaper that way." Greyback said in a nonchalant manner that made me feel more than a little foolish for asking in the first place.
Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
6:00 AM EST
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I got up to my alarm which was also causing Candace to stir in the top bunk, my week of combat evaluations by Itou and Tolman were over and I'd managed to pass. Granted I tied in my match against Jobe and lost against Nightbane but still I don't think that I did too badly. Okay I still had Morrigan's evening training but the only real problem I had during the rest my Freshman year (besides my Algebra grades) was the Combat Final in Arena 99 which could be against anyone in the school- well except the seniors or Tennyo.
At the very least I could enjoy the weekend, which was making me nervous for a different reason- it was going to be my first date- my first real date with a girl. Okay granted that it shouldn't be that scary anymore given that I was also a member of the fairer sex now and had been for months, but still it was my first real date and knew firsthand how hot Candace was given her habit of sleeping naked. I wish I knew why she was so focused on me though, heck, she started hitting on me the moment we met back in New York at the award banquet- granted I gave her a good scare when she met me out of costume for the first time.
Okay, so I'm not bad in the looks department either (at least outside of exemplar mega-babe territory) even before I got the faerie glamour (glad that I can turn that to mute), still maybe I could get the answer out of her about why she was so insistent on dating me ever since we met. I headed to the shower with my bathrobe and morning kit and noticed I had beaten the line and that there was still an unoccupied stall. I got in and let the shower work its magic, well without turning on the special settings that is the last time I did that it made my legs feel like they were made of pudding.
Still after making an extra-special effort to get myself ready I stepped out of the shower to find Ayla and Alex ogling via the vanity mirror as usual. I shook my head at the sight honestly I know that there were a lot of hot girls in here, and that most almost all of them like girls as well- but the novelty of seeing other girls naked had worn off after about a month.
What can I say between being able to see a good looking girl in the mirror anytime that I wanted and having a roommate who slept naked, the thrill was mostly neutralized- granted waking up to said roommate in the above condition cuddling with me got one hell of a reaction out of me. Okay I was a wolf at the time but I still like human girls even when I'm a lupa. (It's a legitimate term look it up, I refuse to refer to myself in canine form by the b-word.)
By the time I had returned to our room Candace was already getting dressed, "Geez Randi, took a little long in the shower today; were you trying out the special settings on the shower head?" Candace asked with a sly smile on her face.
"No," I blushed at the memory of the one time that I gave into that particular temptation. "I just wanted to do a good job with my hair for our date that's all."
"Well thank you for going to the extra effort on my account." Candace smiled as she sauntered over to me and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll pick up breakfast from Crystal Hall so all you have to do is get ready and go to the bus stop in front of Shuster."
"I know where it is Candace," I said blushing red once again. "Just let me get ready." I put on my collar and hit the gem that I put casual clothing inside which given the school's dress code I hadn't used in a while. The magic in the jewel activated instantly as I changed into the outfit that I set place inside it earlier this week, nothing overly fancy just a nice forest-green blouse, a calf-length gray skirt, black leather shoes, and a charcoal beret to hide my ears. Now that I was fully dressed I applied something of my own invention, at first glance it looks like a couple of red beads connected by some elastic, however whenever its tied around something- like say my tail it creates an aura of unimportance making the object unperceivable that is unless you knew it was there.
After I finished preparing, I headed down to the bus, granted I knew that we likely weren't going to be the only ones headed to Boston today but at least none of the Kimbas were allowed there anymore- the last thing that anybody needed was a fourth Boston Brawl.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:00 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Today was the big day after all, I didn't want to psych myself out after all if Victor actually kept up he'd know that today wasn't just any Basketball game. No this was our half of the State Semi-Finals- this was when the last game our team had last year while Candace was team captain and I intended us to take state this time so that we could all show Candace the championship trophy when she came home for Summer Vacation.
"Are you really sure that you don't have any special advice for today Chandra?" Marlina asked obviously a little nervous today.
"Just give a hundred and ten percent like you've been doing and remember what we were working on during practice and you'll do fine." I said as I patted the seventh grader on the back. "Just remember this is a team effort, as long as everyone does their best and works together everything will be fine- and try not to focus on the ice cream."
"You and your ice cream captain." Marlina giggled while we climbed into the van so that her dad could drop us off at school, granted it was a little uncomfortable in the back what with the temporary seat and all.
"That is right the ice cream is my precious- gollum- gollum," I grunted with a weird look on my face causing her to laugh at the silliness of it, which was good- the worst thing possible for a player was to over think or dwell on a game before they got there. Still I had something else to be nervous about, this van was not meant to ferry or than two passengers.
Okay I knew from experience that the inside of this van was filthy it was normally used to haul gardening equipment after all. I was glad that I packed two changes of clothes for today and a couple of trash bags because I soon as I got home I was washing what I was wearing- twice. I hope I had time to clean up before the bus picked us up for Moline, because I did not want to show up for the game smelling like fertilizer and looking like I went five rounds with the flower bed.
Berlin Train Station
Berlin, New Hampshire
8:32 AM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
The train was about to arrive and Pendragon was busy laying down the ground rules for those of us who were here. As predicted, there were several students along on this trip. Granted this was hardly surprising given the rumors flying around school that this might be the last trip to Boston that any student from Whateley would ever be taking.
"Now remember on this trip we have several rules to try and keep from having another incident like the last Boston Brawl," Pendragon began to explain as he stood side-by-side with other juniors and seniors- many of them in the Cape Squad. "The first rule we will be traveling in groups using the buddy system, everyone is to travel in groups of at least two each at all times."
"Also every group will be accompanied by a junior or senior level student who will act as chaperones. If any student intentionally separates from their chaperone they will be subject to a week's detention, you must also clear where you are going with your chaperone beforehand; so no traveling on impulse. I know that this might seem unfair to the lot of you but understand that we are doing this to for your own safety, the Children of the Night have been targeting one group of student's in particular in Boston and they might try to take unrelated students hostage to gain access to them."
As he began to wrap up his speech the train to Boston pulled into the station, "Now everyone received an envelope this morning before we left the Academy, inside are the name of your buddy if you are not traveling in a prearranged group and your designated chaperone if you do not already know them."
All around everyone began to open their envelopes, fortunately I had already looked at mine and knew that I would be traveling with Heartbreaker and Gloriana today- I also knew what was about to happen next. One by one, the sheets that the others pulled from their envelopes went up in smoke thanks to a spell of Ms Grimes from the Mystic Arts Department- and the fact that it was printed on flash paper.
"Well, ready to go?" I asked Heartbreaker after I guided my chair over to her.
"As long as you remember to keep your promise," Heartbreaker conveyed as tough as she could although I could tell that underneath the facade that it was merely concern for her friend Jello.
"I plan on it," I explained as we made our way to Gloriana. "I only hope that my uncle can help me gain a better insight into my powers so that I can help her."
"I didn't know that Miss Carson had any brothers that were still around." Heartbreaker said with an ounce of curiosity.
"No, on the other side of my family," I explained a little more cautious with the details given Heartbreaker's career plans. "The more aquatic side, he's in a bit of a bad situation right now that he needs me to bail him out of."
"Not gonna tell me everything eh? Good- you're learning." She smiled as we got in line to board the train with our escort.
"Yes Eve," Glory stated as she turned to us with a knowing smile of her own. "She's learning that you're not really as much of a bad girl as you make yourself out to be."
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Candace and I boarded the train with Saladin, thankful that we were getting a fellow Posie as our escort who wouldn't spread around the fact that our day-trip together was an actual date. Still I looked around to take a few peeks at the other students, interesting Aries was escorting sis and her friends; at least Heather would be in good hands today. Solange was nowhere in sight- not surprising there was no way anyone in Admin would let the Little Witch trio within a hundred miles of Boston unless they were flying over it while bound for a different destination.
Hmm- Stonebear was escorting Crux and Strato, and Firecat was doing the same thing for Draco and Asklepian- honestly, if I didn't know it was her I wouldn't have seen through the illusion. Deuce and Palleon had Stormwolf with them looks like they wouldn't be up to anything, that guy didn't just have a stick up his butt- he had a freaking sequoia. Hmm, curious Astio and Drakaina were walking with Nephandus; I didn't know that Admin trusted Astio enough to be an escort given that he was a new student (not counting what I knew about him).
Finally, we were aboard the train, I took the moment to stretch out while Jane hopped from my shoulder to perch on the overhead rack. I wonder why trains aren't more popular these days, I mean you can use them to get around easy without being molested by the TSA and bring you own food aboard not to mention that you have a lot more room and there is less chance of being near a baby whose upset due to the change in air-pressure. It was a crying shame that the train station back home shuttered after The War because a lot of folks could have used it to relieve the congestion along I-20 and I-30 from the morning commute to Dallas or Fort Worth, granted with the fact that the man who modernized the city was in the automotive sales buisiness that was hardly surprising.
"So have you young ladies decided how you will be spending your day in Boston?" Saladin asked as well mannered as always, you had to admire the guy. It took guts to come out of the closet like he did- especially when it would earn him a death sentence in his homeland and eternal damnation in his religion (of which he was a devout follower).
"We'll be doing some window shopping in Downtown Crossing, you might be asked to carry a few things while we're in the area itself." Candace said with an impish grin on her face. "But don't worry Randi's purse will take over after we're out of the shopping district. Then we're going to see a movie over at the Boston Commons 19."
"Let me guess, is it In the Land of Women?" I said citing the name of a recently released romantic comedy, yet another part of being a young lady that I had yet to adjust to enjoying.
"Nope, Disturbia," Candace explained honestly surprising me. "I know how much you like Hitchcock movies Randi and I heard that it was someone trying to draw inspiration from Rear Window something I remember watching with my grandparents."
"Yeah it was one of his best films; almost every critic alive recognizes it as a masterpiece, and for once their right." I replied anxious to hear more about the day that she had planned for us.
"It's decent enough; I saw it last week with my boyfriend in Berlin." Saladin said to the two of us. "Disturbia that is I don't think that I have ever seen Rear Window."
"Remind us to loan it to you sometime," Candace said as she went back to itinerary. "After that we're going to have an early dinner before coming home- Saladin do you mind if I tell you I want to keep that destination a surprise for later."
"Certainly, you can tell me when we're out shopping while Randi is using a changing room." Saladin agreed as I stared out to window to enjoy the scenery.
"Say can we stop by the Holocaust Memorial on our way to Downtown Crossing?" I asked while taking in the New England scenery that I hadn't gotten to see too much of in my time up here.
"Randi, isn't that a little insensitive?" Candace asked while eying Saladin, "Sayyid is taking time out of his Saturday to help us, and you want to bring up a matter of Middle-Eastern tensions!"
"There were more groups persecuted then than just the Jewish people Candace," I said as I made eye contact with my date and roommate and whispered, "Including one group that all three of us have in common. Besides remember when we met Doctor Quasimodo in New York, his second wife died during the Kristallnacht riot and I want to pay my respects."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
6:12 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
It was finally time to make my move; I was finally going to get out of this damned cave for a while to be around ordinary people for a while. I had finally learn enough from Master Wujing's lessons to keep a human form going for a good long while, and with whatever clothes I planned on to boot. If only Kelsey knew that martial arts and transformations weren't the only thing that I had learned.
Part of my meditation training had been about opening up my perceptions, and in doing so I had discovered something that I had been completely unaware of before now, one of the walls of this cave was an illusion- nothing more than a trick of perception deceiving you into seeing something that wasn't really there at all. Man was Kelsey sneaky, the exit to this place had been staring me right in the face ever since I had arrived I had just been unable to see it.
I packed a few supplies in one of the bags that Kelsey had left laying around and transformed. After a minute I had assumed my old form dressed in weather-beaten clothing like I had been back-packing cross country, an important and necessary disguise that I would have to maintain for a few hours until I arrived at my intended destination. Once I had everything together I let go of my transformation, it was still early in the day and my normal form was better for handling rugged terrain, especially given the amount of walking that I'd need to do before I could hit the interstate and catch a ride.
I hoped that I had been discrete enough in asking about the surrounding area; at least I knew that Denver was out of my reach for the time being unless I learned how to fly given that it was on the other side of the Continental Divide. Still the city of Durango was close enough and anything that dared to call itself a city had to have something in the form of nightlife, especially when it was out in the boonies like this so that folks could let off a little steam; besides it had a college and where there is a college there are parties if you knew how to find them. I mean everyone back home knew that if you didn't at least provide for people to have a way to do that legally they'd find their own ways, there was a reason that Seattle had the reputation that it did.
Carefully I made my way southward, not directly south given that there was the rest of the La Plata mountain range in my way. I began to make my steady decent now that I was finally in the open air. I already knew that I was beginning to make my way west instead of south; however none of that would matter once I was out of the mountains and into the woods of San Juan National Forest I just had to start going south again until I hit Interstate 160. I knew that there was a dirt road that Kelsey and I had took on our way here that would shave several hours off of my trip, but once I hit the freeway it would be a lot smoother sailing.
Yeah, enough training for now and enough of that damned cave. I stopped and clenched my fist to the sky while I screamed at the top of my draconic lungs, "Mark my words world, 'Tonight I'm going into the city to party like an ordinary teenage girl and nothing is going to stop me from doing so and enjoying myself!'"
Man did it feel good to get that out of my system, seriously who needs mystic places of healing just getting outside to vent and work off my frustrations was enough. Okay I wish I was out partying with my friends back in Seattle, but that couldn't be helped I mean here I was climbing down a mountain about to go forty miles cross-country just to get to the nearest city in Colorado. They were back at home in Seattle over a thousand miles across three states in another time zone, plus they haven't even seen me in months, I had just turned into a pen pal from out of nowhere to people I had known my whole life.
I stopped again to shake those thoughts out of my head, "No you mustn't think that Zhen-yu, you will see them again; maybe not for a while but you will see them and when you see them you can share this whole experience with them while they tell you what the rest of the school year was like."
That hit another sore spot, the school year was almost over, and you had lost so much of it there was no way to play catch-up. Forget the graduation trip along Route 66, you're going to be held back playing catch up as a freshman while they've become sophomores. No, I need to put the future on the back burner for a while and take it as it comes, I need to live in the here and now. I did my best to stop dwelling on the past as I continued my trek toward the interstate and the city of Durango.
South Middle School - Front Lawn
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:45 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Cutting it a little close as usual Ms Defrank," Coach Mulhulland said as she stared at her watch from outside the full-sized passenger van that our team used to get to games. "I wish that our team captain would show a little more punctuality."
"Sorry Coach," I apologized as I boarded the van and headed to an empty seat in the back. "I just don't want to show up smelling like I got in a fight with the Home Depot's gardening department."
"Yeah Coach," Marlina chimed in with a hint of embarrassment. "Chandra can't help it the cargo seat in my dad's van is a rough ride, and the back often smells like fertilizer."
"Okay team," the Coach barked as she started the van, "Today's one for the record books, so I want to see everyone bring their A Game out there! So when you hit the court today I want to see you play to win, do you hear me ladies- to win. Let's put a trophy in that case that doesn't say third place state on it!"
"Yes ma'am!" We all shouted in unison as we hit the road, it was at least a three-hour drive between Arlington Heights and Moline.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
6:14 AM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I could hear my heart hammering inside of my chest as I worked my way around the house, granted mother had left five minutes ago but there always a chance that she could come back at any time. I believe that I set a world record for fastest complete shower, before I made a mad dash back to my bedroom. This would be cutting it close, I needed to get dressed and get out the door and around the corner before she came back. After I got my clothes on I grabbed the bag that I had thrown together the other night and put in my stuff from the bathroom, nothing big just my comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant.
I took a deep breath and peeked my head out the front door, fortunately mom's car was nowhere in sight. It was now or never I locked the door on my way out- no reason to make her any more pissed at me than she already was and calmly made my way to the corner where Danny's bro and the guys would be waiting. I almost had a heart attack when I saw a Civic rounding the corner- however I was in luck it was a white not yellow like mom's car. I made my way further and further and could almost hear the Mission Impossible theme playing in my head as I did so, 'Cool it Paul- Ethan Hunt you are not!'
After what seemed like forever from my perspective, I rounded the corner to fin everyone waiting in Danny's brother Matt in his Hummer. "See bro," Danny laughed as I opened the back door. "I told you that Paul would show; now you have to own up."
"Forget it Danny," Matt shot back while I was buckling up in the back seat. "I'm not sneaking you into the Spearmint Rhino!"
"Ah come on," Danny all but whined. "Why not?"
"That’s because if the bouncers didn't kill me mom would!" Matt shot Danny a withering look. "Paul is your mom really okay with you going to Vegas for the day?"
"No- but something weird has been going on lately," I explained after tossing my tote-bag in the back. "She's been acting weirder than usual and I need to get out of the house to think."
"Alright, I understand." Matt gave in as he started up the Hummer. "We've all been there at one point or another, and as long as you're willing to deal with the consequences when you get back I'll let you tag along with us."
"Thanks," I said as we hit the road. I already knew that I was in hot water but what the hell- Las Vegas here we come. I mean you only live once right, I mean I was already in trouble with mother; how much more trouble can I really get into at this point?
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
8:37 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
Wearily I opened my eyes to find two things, Mallory drools in her sleep and late night Chinese gives Erika dragon breath. "Geez- I hope we have enough Scope," I muttered to myself as I got up not that General Tsou hadn't achieved victory over me last night as we were watching The Breakfast Club.
Speaking of breakfast, I thought to myself as I went into the kitchen to get started on mine and found Nicole drinking a very large cup of coffee with enough creamer in it to kick it into borderline-latte territory (without the steamed milk though). Out of curiosity, I took a peak at her laptop and saw that she was reading a few articles via EBSCOhost, probably for her report.
"Hey, looks like you girls had quite the party last night," Nicole smiled as she took another sip from her large steaming mug.
"Yeah, not that I haven't been to slumber parties before," I said as I went to pour myself a bowl of raisin bran, "Just none of them here." I opened the fridge and rooted around for a minute to find two things, we were out of strawberries and someone drank the last of the whole milk. What a wonderful start of the day, I resigned myself to mom's one-percent- thank goodness she wasn't buying skim *bleck* anymore, and filled my bowl.
As I sat down at the table, I turned to look at Nicole and asked, "Do you have any coffee left?"
"Not until after you're out of middle school sprout," Nichole said as she finished off her cup and went for a refill. "Too much caffeine when you're young stunts your growth; you don't want your mom to be stealing your clothes forever do you?"
"Not gonna happen," I said as I gave her as dark a look as I could through my bleary eyes. "Now gimme!"
"Sorry- last cup and the beans are going in the liquor cabinet." Nicole remarked as she swirled her cup in hand for emphasis. "Just go back to sleep when you finish breakfast, you're still young enough not to know what a luxury it is yet."
"Can't you just magic yourself a full night's sleep whenever you want to?" I asked resigned to the fact that once again the brewed bean of adulthood had eluded my grasp.
Nicole laughed and shook her head, "Nope, it doesn't work like that; now eat your breakfast and go back to sleep, you had a long night and you've likely got another one ahead of you tonight."
"Yeah don't remind me," I grumbled after swallowing another spoonful of cereal.
"Don't worry I'll help some with the prep work, just don't bother me afterwards; this paper is a third of my final grade." Nichole explained with a weighted emphasis while I kept chewing my bran flakes.
Throne of Sanguine Opulence
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
6:47 AM PDT
"Your eminence," a man said as he burst into the room and immediately dropped to his knees. "I bring you news of great importance!"
"As it must be for you to not only ignore protocol, but also interrupt my meditations when the sun has barely risen upon this land of barbarians and mongrels." A man in dark red robes trimmed with golden embroidery proclaimed as he glared at the man with a look of pure contempt. "Now tell me your news, and then I shall decide by its importance whether or not your impertinence has made your life forfeit."
"Yes great Xuè-jīn Mùshī," the nameless man said not moving an inch or raising his head. "The Yáo Xīyì that was stolen from us by the barbarian sorceress child who dares lay claim to the title of the Wayfarer has revealed herself; she is currently in Southern Colorado. Would I have your permission to contact mercenary's in the area to see to it that our property is returned to us?"
"We are the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn, what need have we of mercenary's when we can utilize our own assets!" The current Xuè-jīn Mùshī shouted in outrage as the room around he glowed red with his anger.
"We have no assets in Colorado my lord," the nameless man began to explain while simultaneously pleading for his life. "We cannot reach further east without drawing ourselves into conflict with Lord Khamsin who we have confirmed is a newly revitalized Lord Ataxia; furthermore it is too close to the territory of Erzabet Scratch."
"Yes I recall the condition of the last spy that my predecessor sent into her territory; Scratch returned him to us by way of FedEx, and the rather small package was sent cash on delivery." Xuè-jīn Mùshī recalled now far calmer as the truth of the situation was now evident. "Very well, put out a contract to all available mercenary's in the area but be discrete on the details otherwise they might be tempted to keep our property for themselves."
"At once your eminence," The nameless sycophant rapidly left the room leaving behind the Xuè-jīn Mùshī who smiled in the dimly lit room, confident that unlike his predecessor he could hold onto this source of wealth and power.
Last Edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: spelling consistancy error
7 years 3 months ago - 7 years 3 months ago #11
by Insane Hiker
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Disencanta - a mystic device that causes timed enchantments to discharge prematurely.
Lantern of Bishamon - a Japanese paper lantern with the kanji 毘沙門 on the front. If you place a candle made using a piece of your target (such as a hair or fingernail), it illuminates the site of their most recent misdeeds.
Crafted Changeling (addendum)
Faefolk no longer use them for cradle snatching purposes since their use tend to draw the attention of seasoned practitioners of the mystic arts, many of whom are far less tolerant than they were in the old days- and more willing make use of iron. Also a sample taken from a crafted changeling can also be used to track the individual it was imitating using tharmaturgical tracking spells.
Rather than taking such a risk these days faerie swap out a the child to be taken with an one of their patron's offspring (who said patron deems expendable) and place the changeling under a strong glamour to appear as the kidnapped child.
Anointed Deep Ones
An anointed deep one refers to any of eastern court decent who receives the blessing of Cthulhu before they fully succumbs to the transformation into a deep one; this blessing means that they will complete the transformation without losing sentience the first of which was Dagon.
Xuè-jīn Mùshī - WIZ-5 equivalent (Imbued)
The Priest of Blood-Stained Gold is the title of the chief warlock of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn the group that founded the San Francisco chapter house of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom in the mid Fifties after the Los Angeles Chapter House fell apart figuratively with the 'disappearance' of its founder Lord Ataxia, and then literally when the Kern County Earthquake disrupted the spell that held it together.
The priest of their cult or Xuè-jīn Mùshī, is only chosen when after his predecessor is retired when he is no longer seen as useful. When a Xuè-jīn Mùshī is retired the Demon Lord takes his power back turning the old priest into a pile of bones and gold dust, the members of the cult then use his remains to perform a bone-reading to determine the identity of his replacement.
Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn
The Merchants of Suffering are a cult centering around the Demon Lord of the Hell of Blood-stained Gold, lead by their high-priest the Xuè-jīn Mùshī they seek to gain wealth harvested by the pain and suffering of mankind. Of course this means the racketeering, extortion, as well as the trafficking of weapons, narcotics and even people.
Although they make extensive use dark magic to maintain their dominance the Merchants of Suffering are not above using more mundane means and have deeply entrenched themselves in the Chinese Underworld as one of the corner stones of the Triad and the criminal underworld of Southeast Asia. Their influence has grown over the years and has infiltrated deeply into the Ruling Party in China and into several facets of the Underworld on the Western United States including the San Francisco chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom.
Situated in the ruins of Old San Francisco buried under China Town this site acts as the hub for most of the Dark Magic Activity on the Western Seaboard. It is also fairly inclusive in that unless one swears their eternal allegiance to their patron the Demon Lord of the Hell of Bloody Gold, they can only access the meager outer archives, however they are not above seeing to the needs of those who are not a part of their cult for the right price.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 6 Notes
Disencanta - a mystic device that causes timed enchantments to discharge prematurely.
Lantern of Bishamon - a Japanese paper lantern with the kanji 毘沙門 on the front. If you place a candle made using a piece of your target (such as a hair or fingernail), it illuminates the site of their most recent misdeeds.
Crafted Changeling (addendum)
Faefolk no longer use them for cradle snatching purposes since their use tend to draw the attention of seasoned practitioners of the mystic arts, many of whom are far less tolerant than they were in the old days- and more willing make use of iron. Also a sample taken from a crafted changeling can also be used to track the individual it was imitating using tharmaturgical tracking spells.
Rather than taking such a risk these days faerie swap out a the child to be taken with an one of their patron's offspring (who said patron deems expendable) and place the changeling under a strong glamour to appear as the kidnapped child.
Anointed Deep Ones
An anointed deep one refers to any of eastern court decent who receives the blessing of Cthulhu before they fully succumbs to the transformation into a deep one; this blessing means that they will complete the transformation without losing sentience the first of which was Dagon.
Xuè-jīn Mùshī - WIZ-5 equivalent (Imbued)
The Priest of Blood-Stained Gold is the title of the chief warlock of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn the group that founded the San Francisco chapter house of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom in the mid Fifties after the Los Angeles Chapter House fell apart figuratively with the 'disappearance' of its founder Lord Ataxia, and then literally when the Kern County Earthquake disrupted the spell that held it together.
The priest of their cult or Xuè-jīn Mùshī, is only chosen when after his predecessor is retired when he is no longer seen as useful. When a Xuè-jīn Mùshī is retired the Demon Lord takes his power back turning the old priest into a pile of bones and gold dust, the members of the cult then use his remains to perform a bone-reading to determine the identity of his replacement.
Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn
The Merchants of Suffering are a cult centering around the Demon Lord of the Hell of Blood-stained Gold, lead by their high-priest the Xuè-jīn Mùshī they seek to gain wealth harvested by the pain and suffering of mankind. Of course this means the racketeering, extortion, as well as the trafficking of weapons, narcotics and even people.
Although they make extensive use dark magic to maintain their dominance the Merchants of Suffering are not above using more mundane means and have deeply entrenched themselves in the Chinese Underworld as one of the corner stones of the Triad and the criminal underworld of Southeast Asia. Their influence has grown over the years and has infiltrated deeply into the Ruling Party in China and into several facets of the Underworld on the Western United States including the San Francisco chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom.
Situated in the ruins of Old San Francisco buried under China Town this site acts as the hub for most of the Dark Magic Activity on the Western Seaboard. It is also fairly inclusive in that unless one swears their eternal allegiance to their patron the Demon Lord of the Hell of Bloody Gold, they can only access the meager outer archives, however they are not above seeing to the needs of those who are not a part of their cult for the right price.
Last Edit: 7 years 3 months ago by Insane Hiker.
7 years 3 months ago #12
by Insane Hiker
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Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
7:27 AM MDT
"Lady Kelsey," Sha Wujing stated as he entered the strange cave hidden in the side of Hesperus Peak, "I am here for Lady Chen's training for the day." The adept of the Jade Heavens entered as usual, however he was surprised to find The Wayfarer dressed for travel with a rucksack over her shoulder.
"I am afraid that your training session will have to be postponed for today most venerable Adept," Kelsey explained as she headed towards him. "Young Zhen-yu, as usual for children of this day and age, has opted to break free of the safety of the nest to adventure in the unrestricted the world beyond. Honestly I'm surprised that it has taken her this long to decide to do so- I expected her to do this much earlier given what I know about her."
"Why do you act so calm about this?" Sha Wujing asked concerned about the draconic-maiden. "You are aware that the Zhaoshang de Youhuan could possess the means to track her the moment she left the safety of the cavern."
"Yes, I am certain that they have the means and have likely sent out a bounty request to the mercenary networks to offer a reward for her retrieval," the teenage girl known as The Wayfarer explained, "however such an act of defiance and rebellion on Zhen-yu's part only demonstrates how far along she has come in her healing. Indeed I am relieved that she had finally decided to do so, I was beginning to be concerned that she would never be ready for The Handmaiden of the Tao's arrival."
"The Handmaiden is coming here?" Sha asked expressing further concern than earlier, "Is Lady Chen disrupting the balance of The Tao in some way?"
"In a way she was, although not in the manner that you think." The Wayfarer explained as she pat the old warrior on the shoulder. "This is the matter of paying a debt that the Handmaiden of the Tao's office owes to Zhen-yu's ancestors and the Maiden of the Northern Court of the Sky will need to be prepared when the time comes to face her destiny. You see Sha Wujing the four chosen maidens of the kingdoms at each Cardinal Points must face a trial of growth to drive their spiritual awakening this summer. Each trial will be unique to them and each they must face these trials without aide of allies from their respective Court unless it is dictated by destiny, although they will likely come to make new ones along the way, and Zhen-Yu's trial happens to require the participation of the Handmaiden of the Tao."
"That is all well and good however the fact of the matter remains what to do concerning Zhen-yu." Sha Wujing stated beginning to grow more concerned by the minute for he knew that his pupil still had far to go in her training.
"I shall leave that matter to you Sha Wujing," Kelsey explained as she exitted the cave while the Sand Priest followed her into the open air. "Still if you feel that you need assistance in this matter may I suggest that you reach out to your own old acquaintances, I understand that senior most of your old fellowship frequents this continent and has taken an active interest in the current Handmaiden of the Tao- perhaps he might be willing to assist you."
"One moment please- just where are you headed?" Sha asked Kelsey who was now making her way down the slopes of Hesperus Peak.
"To where my future meets another's past!" Kelsey stated without either turning around or breaking stride as she continued walking.
Olson Household
Campo, Colorado
7:51 AM
"Ingrid have you seen my right boot?" Tobias Olson inquired out of desperation, "I've been looking for half-an-hour and I can't find it anywhere!"
"What boot is tha-?" Ingrid began to ask as she entered the room to find her brother partially changed into an all too familiar costume. "Really Toby, I thought that you gave this up after that last time, it was sheer luck that the Denver Gold didn't catch you after that botched jewelry store heist."
"Ingrid, I swear that I finally have it figured out," Tobias stated in half-crazed desperation as he clutched Ingrid's shoulders, "I know how to get our family back into the big time again."
"We've been over this again and again Toby," Ingrid shook her head with a long and drawn out sigh, "the Blizzard Wizard is a relic of the past, honestly that name has gone from credible threat to joke to just plain forgotten in less than a century- just let it go away. Honestly, everything the family legacy stood for went south when grandpa busted after he should have folded and cashed in his chips. Do you remember what happened instead, the jewel in our family's mystic staff- an heirloom that has been passed down in our family since before the Coronation of Constantine was shattered into pieces."
"That was just because his teammates didn't have his back in that fight with the Justice Brigade." Tobias shot back at Ingrid with a dirty look.
"Yes but that didn't stop him from surrendering, instead he had the brilliant idea to try and use his staff while its foci was broken and then what happened- oh yes, he transmuted himself completely into ice. Our grandfather Soren Olson, the last Blizzard Wizard to be seen as a credible threat, turned himself into a gaudy piece of art deco that would have melted into a puddle if the Justice Brigade didn't keep it in an arctic display case," Ingrid glared back at her brother.
"Dad also had the same attitude that you do about this, you probably don't know because you were too young to be in the field but I was there with him when his new tech based equipment malfunctioned after he picked a fight with Shuffle's Sweepers in Minneapolis," Ingrid continued to lecture Tobias, "and if they weren't generous enough to drop us off at the Emergency Room he would have died instead of just losing half of his right arm to frostbite. Have you just been ignoring how many years he struggled to get used to that prosthetic clamp he has instead of a left hand?"
"That's just it Ingrid, I found a way to get our family back to the big time," Toby replied. "The Merchants of Suffering lost a major asset of theirs a few months back and it just came back on the radar, it's only a few miles away."
"Toby, have you completely lost your mind?" Ingrid recoiled in shock. "The Merchants of Suffering are a cult of hardcore black marketeers, they're bigger monsters than the Children of the Night for crying out loud, and if you do their dirty work they might pay you with a hole in the head as a bonus after giving you the reward they promised to shut you up and get their money back."
"It isn't about the cash," Toby shot back as he finally uncovered his missing boot in the closet, "I'll explain my plan if you let me."
"Fine but explain it to me on the way, you need someone with their head screwed on straight to be there to watch your back." Ingrid sighed in defeat.
"Okay, just remember to bring your gear and costume for this one." Toby added as he finished suiting up.
"Fine," Ingrid huffed as she left the room, and then muttered under her breath- "I just hope that I can still pull it off- damned freshman fifteen."
"You should be able to," Toby replied struggling to get his recovered boot on, "dad's been working on our costumes and gear with me on his day's off work."
Spencer Gulch
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:16 AM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I had been making my way through the mountain's forests, taking great care to avoid any of the usual hiking routes, as my scaly talons allowed me a great deal of grip while I maneuvered among the scrub. True while my draconic body might not be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of most folk, I had to admit that it had more than its fair share of power and agility packed beneath its reptilian veneer.
While staying away from the roads and hiking trails was good to avoid detection, it made it more than a little difficult to navigate- that was why I was more than a little thankful for the nearby river and the presence of tree moss. Okay I admit that before I changed I had never been in a real forest in my life (I was a city girl from Seattle what do you expect), but I had still picked up the odd tidbit or two- such as how moss only grows on the north-side of trees.
I had needed to stop what seemed like every hundred feed to so to reorient myself as I made my way down from the mountains. Pausing again to locate the nearby stream I saw a large grizzly bear going for fish in the stream with a cub nearby, I took in the sight for a moment to make sure that he didn't see me before pressing on to my destination. Don't get me wrong I could take him easy, but I wanted to party not go claw to claw with a grizzly, plus there was a chance that I might spark a forest fire if I panicked and used my powers.
Before I knew what was happening I heard a rasping snarl as a large beast barreled into me and knocked me to the ground. It figures, I took the time to avoid pissing off a mama grizzly only to get pounced on by a mountain lion. I was doing my best to struggle with getting the feral cat off of me and while I might have had the strength the beast currently had the advantage of leverage on me as it slashed at my back with its claws trying to rip me open.
I guess that I can count myself lucky that my transformation almost a year ago granted me such a tough hide, that and the fact that I was on my chest so that I didn't have to test how soft the scutes of my underbelly were against the mountain lion's claws. It took me a minute to reorient my arms, beneath my body but now was the time to fight back.
I pushed myself up with my arms throwing the beast off of my back but not far as he soon reared back to pounce on me again as I spun around to face the attacking feline. I had to time this just right, so as the mountain lion leaped at me- claws out stretched and fanged maw open wide, I fell back on a lesson from my youth.
Grabbing the forelimbs of the large cat and using my knee to add proper leverage I fell to the ground and used the beast's own momentum to throw him (at least I was certain that it was a him), right to the bear who was busy minding her own business trying to catch fish in the stream.
Now once again I had no real experience in dealing with the forest on its own (I'm a city girl after all), but even I had heard the old adage never get between a mama bear and her cubs. The old saying proved to have a very real truth to it as soon as the mountain lion got it's bearings again, the cat found itself face to face with roughly three-hundred and fifty pounds of a hundred-and-ten-percent pissed-off and over-protective mama bear.
The massive mother reared onto its back legs standing about nine-feet tall, she let out a long, low roaring-growl a she swiped her forepaws at the intruder who reared back to get a better distance. While part of me was more than tempted to stay and watch the fight I had other places that I would rather be, so once again I set off leaving my attacker to what promised to be at least a very painful experience in learned to be more careful in picking it's next meal- provided it lived to learn that lesson.
Sunday April 22nd
Main Base of the Tiewan Triad
Sai Kung District, Hong Kong
12:30 AM HKT
Tonight went just like any other of Min Deng, working until the sun crested the sky and searching the back roads of the internet; not the local version that The Party allowed but the actual internet. While his job might not be as outright profitable as running a sweet shop, running a gambling den, or even smuggling it was vital to the triad- any triad. His job was looking for information on both the new and the old: new ventures for profit, old ventures that were about to dry up, new markets for goods, old markets that needed to be abandoned.
While the day to day operations of the triad's major faces looking to become the next dragon of the group were important- without a manager to see that things flowed smoothly it would all be for not and the moment they became too weak a rival syndicate would move into their territory. Granted right now they had an ace in the hole but that ace was only good so long as they kept it a secret, for the moment someone in The Party found out they would extend an invitation to that ace who would then become bound to the Chairman's Party as a servant.
Still lately Beijing had shown their hand one time too many, everyone in the underworld looked on with fear and surprise when they had the astonishing foolish gall to try extending such an invitation to the current Handmaiden of the Tao of all people. Honestly Min did not know if it was hubris or stupidity that prompted that decision but their ambassador was lucky to return home alive; the Handmaiden of the Tao was known as one of the deadliest assassins in history often making her kills look like deaths due to natural causes, indeed it could be argued that she was less an assassin and more of a force of nature.
Granted their own ace in the hole, Lady Zhi was no slouch at assassinations herself; even years before her ascension last fall she had earned the infamous title of Yu Dushe (The Jade Viper). Now a far more elegant being everyone in the Triad knew her as Furen Yilong (Lady Radiant Dragon), a title too appropriate to a creature who was as graceful as she was deadly.
Too bad that the ceremony that elevated her to such heights was incomplete; who would guess that some distant relation whose ancestors had left mother China for the barbarous west would stumble into a crude mockery of the same ceremony, while Lady Zhi was undergoing a ritual cleansing and stole her future as the Maiden of Fire from her. At least Lady Zhi Chen took some comfort in knowing that the foreign-born teenie-bopper from Seattle's ignorance led her right into the clutches of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan.
The last time anyone in the Tiewan heard of that grotesque parody had her name taken from her by the Xue-jin Mushi and was forced to work as a living gem furnace at the greedy cult's whims. Although most considered it a simple rumor Min knew for a fact that Vanguard Hao Fang, one of the most likely successors to Dragonhead Tuo-zhou Tan, was setting aside funds to purchase one of the lowly wretches gem-stones from the Zhaoshang de Youhuan; likely it would be a gift to secure the favor of Lady Zhi Chen in his bid to become the Dragonhead of the Triad.
Then again for all Min knew it may be a gift to Lady Zhi's father Master Gui Chen to arrange a potential match between Lady Zhi and Fang's own son Ka-fei. While checking the posts for mercenary contracts and bounties Min saw something that turned his blood to ice-water, the Zhaoshang de Youhuan had posted that their gem-making slave had escaped and they were offering a reward for her capture and return.
Min was torn, the elderly head of their Triad had already retired at home for the evening, but as this news concerned his top assassin he deserved to know right away. One thing was for certain though when Lady Zhi returned from delivering the message to the Luen in Hong Kong about the consequences of trying to expand, she was not going to be pleased with this information, especially at the revelation that she had likely missed out on the prospect of tracking down this pretender and dealing with her personally.
Saturday April 21st
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:49 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Much to my surprise by the time I spotted what had to be Route 160 I was hardly out of breath at all, I guess all that training that I've been doing was worth it, I was probably in better shape than I had ever been in before those- unholy sadistic bastards kidnapped me and stuck me in that hole.
No, don't think about... that, I was free of those monsters now. Don't think about the cell or the whip or the dark, today is about cutting loose and having fun. Still even at the rate that I was going I doubt that I'd be able to make it to Durango before dark. With no cars in sight I jumped down from my perch in the pine trees and scrambled to the opposite side of the Route, and after taking the time to move a small tree branch partially into the road, once again moved up into the treetops to keep an eye out for a ride into town
Once I was settled in the treetops my mind couldn't help but drift back to a time when i could go out and have fun and the event that I knew changed my entire life:
Flashback
Thursday September 28th, 2006
Fa-Hsing Buddhist Temple
Seattle, Washington
5:04 PM PDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
"Why did I let you talk me into doing this?" Mai Ngyuen asked as she continued to polish the pillar in front of her. "I mean I'm Catholic not Buddhist, my family doesn't even go to this place, besides you haven't helped out at my church in a while."
"This isn't about belief's Mai," Hinegeshi Yamada replied as she continued to inspect the walls for cracks that needed to be spackled, "The Temple is a point of community pride and we need to do our part to make sure that everything is cleaned up from the Mid-Autumn Festival in time for the Ages Festival."
"Yeah, and the last time we did that Born-again Betty- Mary Dinh spent the three hours that we were there trying to convert us Catholicism. Besides these events are great to bring in the tourists and that is always good for drumming up business for the neighborhood." I remarked as I took care with my own pillar.
"Zhen-yu what would your parents think if they heard you saying something like that in public?" Hinegeshi commented slightly taken aback by my tone.
"They might say that it is not a good idea to do in within earshot of the temple's high-priest." Hy Kim said in a sheepish tone as I looked behind me to see that Master Fong Wei-quo was indeed here and clearly disappointed in my words.
"Miss Chen, since you are so concerned with the ascetics of our temple rather than the traditions and history that we are trying to promote perhaps you should spend some time reflecting on that history in solitude while dusting our store house."
"Yes sir," I sighed as I set my cleaning supplies down.
"What was that young lady?" The priest inquired as he raised one of his brows at my words.
"Yes venerable one," I replied as I bowed to the old man before taking my cleaning supplies with me.
"Oh and Miss Chen make certain to empty the shelves before you dust them, and not simply dust around whatever is on the shelves," The evil old man pointed out as I was headed to the storage house, "the job is more thorough that way and it is far easier to dust their contents as well when they are on the ground."
"Yes oh venerable one," I responded again while heading to the store room in question.
Not wanting to get on the old man's bad side, yes Buddhists do have a way of doing that usually by trying to help you focus on your task at hand- by way of negative reinforcement.
Case in point, this storage house as he liked to call it was the size of a walk-in closet and lined with shelves on both sides with the sole exception being the back where they kept a ladder so people my size could reach the top shelves. Pretty much needed since this shack had ten shelves from floor to roof crammed full of junk. "Oh well no moaning about it now, I might as well get started." I groaned as I got to work.
First making sure that a tiny spot outside was cleared off, I eye-balled the priceless antiques of my homeland. Part of me was certain while most of this stuff was made in china, I was also certain that some of it might have once advertised that fact in the form of a label. Now don't get me wrong- it was probably just the question of somebody's ashes needing a new urn, the fact is most of these vessels were just containers.
Now authenticity of the antiques aside I still had to make a major decision to bottom of bottom to top, not wanting to stress myself out overthinking the matter I flipped a coin: heads top to bottom, tails bottom to top. One quick flip latter the coin gave its answer...heads. I fumed before settling down, there was no reason to get hot under the collar, it was just as well; if I started at the bottom any dust that I got off the top shelves would just be drifting downward anyways.
There was also the fact that there was no way in any of the hells that I was going to empty the entire store room out before getting started, that would take too long and in Seattle one never knew when the weather would take a turn for the worse. I got the ladder and locked the sides of the thing into place, granted the metal monstrosity was older than I was but thankfully these things are built to last. With the ladder steady I got to work unloading the top shelf of the left side of the shack, being careful to only remove one antique at a time and setting it down before going back for the next down the row.
In all my progress was fairly steady as I neared the back of the storage room, as I removed a wooden box near the back I found the next occupant of the shelf was a rat about as long as my arm. As I recoiled back in shock the rodent lunged at me, I failed my arms as best as I could to keep the vermin from gaining a purchase on me and lost my balance on the ladder as I banged my arms against the shelves as I fell.
Out of instinct I moved my arms behind my head to shield it from the fall; that was when the vindictive rodent struck biting me in the back, although to be fair it was probably because I landed on the vermin. I was somewhat dazed but still in pain as I sat up and pulled off my turtle-neck to inspect the wound, ugh- yup I'd need stitches not to mention treatment for rabies. That was when an urn on the top shelf of the right side that I had jostled towards the edge succumbed to gravity, and fell right on me, on the upside the ashes seemed to help clot the blood from my wound.
Unfortunately the porcelain urn opened a few new ones when it broke on my back, also clotting the blood with the ash. Grossed out by the fact that I had centuries old dead guy open wounds on my back I was oblivious to the fact that I now had guests looking at me from the open door namely the same priest from earlier
"Young lady," the same priest from earlier asked in both concern and curiosity, "what on earth happened?"
"Venerable one," I grimaced in pain while trying to mind my manners, "it appears that I disturbed the meditations of one of your tenants. May I trouble you for a trip to the hospital; I am worried that it may not have been in the best of health."
"Of course we'll take my van," the priest replied, "you need to have those wounds looked after before they turn serious." If he only knew at the time how true that was or the full story about that urn I might have been better prepared for everything that would follow- well almost everything.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:58 AM MDT
I was shaken out of my revelry by the screech of tires it was an SUV- it stopped briefly and moved around the branch by serving temporarily into the oncoming lane. This was obviously not my ride to Durango- just as well the thing had a sun roof and they'd have noticed me clinging to it on the way into town- chances are one of the vehicles occupants would have been armed too and I did not want to test my hide's resistance to bullets. It looked like I would be waiting a little longer.
The Bloody Bastard
Unincorporated Central Wyoming
12:04 PM
Sitting on a currently vacant farm in Wyoming was a badly repainted Syndicate drop ship that had obviously seen better days. The ship looked as rough as the buildings on the dirt farm that it now occupied- rough, peeling, and had been screaming for a new paint job for so long that it lost its voice and just gave up trying. The only hint of new paint on the ship was a name that had obviously been brushed on with a roller which identified the vessel as The Bloody Bastard.
It could be said that there are many types of mercenaries in the world, strict professionals like some are strict professionals, and others have codes of conduct or honor that they adhere to without fault. As for those who claimed The Bloody Bastard as their own and claimed squatters rights to this slice of nowhere, these inhabitants were beginning the day like any other when they were in-between contracts, sleeping until either the crack of dawn (or noon in one's case).
Suddenly a klaxon sounded as a program onboard the The Bloody Bastard spotted something on a hidden corner of the internet and triggered an alarm in the dilapidated farmhouse nearby. To a great deal of reluctance those within the farmhouse began to stir, whether it was sleeping off a hangover or grabbing a little sleep after a late night doing who knows what- for all intents and purposes the Masterson Brothers were now awake.
"Dammit Lloyd I thought I told you to do something about that f*cking alarm," a massive slab of muscle swore as he rolled out of a bed that was so overtaxed by his weight that you could imagine that the springs were weeping in relief as a few assorted liquor bottles broke on the floor as he got to his feet.
"Stuff it Bufford," Lloyd replied as he flipped his brother off, "if it wasn't for that alarm we'd never get you up before the crack of noon and would miss out on a big scores."
"Knock it off you two!" an even bigger slab of meat than Bufford shouted as he came into the room. "So Lloyd- what's the news?"
"Give me a minute, Rod I'm just waking up myself." Lloyd replied showing far more respect to his older brother than his younger one. He switched on an old cathode monitor in front of him as he watched the feed from The Bloody Bastard, then after a few minutes to read the screen Lloyd filled his brothers in on the situation. "That cult of chinks that run that house of smoke n' mirrors on the West Coast lost a slave of theirs a few months back, some mutant dragon lady. They're offering five mil and a tub full of gemstones as a reward to anybody who brings her back alive and intact.
"I don't like dealing with finger-waggling kooks but money is money." Rod stated as he sparked up a fat cigar. "Lloyd get that cult on the horn and get'em to cough up any info that they have on the target- Bufford take a damned shower you smell worse than a no-tell motel after a bachelor party. When you two ‘er done meet me in the ship- we've got us a lizard bitch to haul in!"
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
2:17 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Zhen-yu fumed from her perch, a few hours had passed and so far the only thing to drive by in the far-right lane of the Route were pick-ups and SUVs, both were way too risky she needed something she could hide in without anyone noticing ideally a car-hauler but she could sneak in the back of a semi just as well. Hell if it was one of those with an air-foil over the cab she could crawl into the gap between the cab and the roof of the foil and ride until Durango.
It sucked just waiting to see what would come along the road that she could use, but there were times that she had experienced waiting with far more apprehension than this. Still at least this time she could easily know the outcome, unlike that time:
Flashback
Friday September 29th, 2006
Chen Family Home
Seattle, Washington
7:13 AM PDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
Fresh from the shower after carefully patting my wounded back I went to put a new bandage on- okay I was stopping to stare at the wounds on my back, granted the rat bite would probably have stood out a lot less without the cuts from that antique urn. Talk about rotten luck, not only did a freaking rat bite me on the back but the one antique that I knocked off of the shelf and broke turned out to be a glazed ceramic urn dating back to the Shang Dynasty.
I had actually broken something that not only predated the unification of the three kingdoms; I had broken something that predated porcelain. Honestly if the head priest hadn't tried to calm my father down by telling him that it was an accident, I would have sworn that the paramedics would have had to have hauled in the Crash Cart for him while I was having Rabies Immune Globulin injecting directly into my now stitched shut rat wound while an attendant was retrieving my first of four rabies vaccinations.
Just to be fair though my dad grounded me until they were done, no not for getting bitten by a rat or breaking a vase but for taking five years off of his life by letting the priest tell him how much that urn was actually appraised for by the International-District's Historical Society- let's just say calling it a fat chunk of change would be a gross understatement. That and the fact that no one even knows for certain just who it was that was inside the urn yet. The head priest told me that one of their initiates was given the task to glue the urn back together again to see if they could shed a little light on that mystery.
All I have to save is whoever it was is giving me a rash, granted only the bite was stitched up and the cuts from the pottery itself were lighter but having dead guy in the wounds certainly didn't help matters any. Putting the fresh bandage on I wrapped a towel around myself then returned to my room. Now using my vanity, a hand-me-down from my cousin Mei, I saw that the skin around all of the wounds had this rough-looking red rash. Just to be on the safe side I rubbed some skin-cream from my dresser on the areas that I could see- better to treat it before it spread.
Washington Middle School - Girl's Locker Room
Seattle, Washington
11:04 AM
"Good lord Zhen-yu," Mary Dihn exclaimed as the recoiled in shock, "what happened to your back? Is it your father? Is he beating you? You know that no god-fe-"
Thankfully Hinegeshi was ready to end the tirade with the water spray-bottle that she kept in her locker, "Down Mary... down! She was dusting in the Temple's store house and a urn fell on her after she was attacked by a rat."
"Whoa Zhen," Amy Calvert recoiled both out of concern and likely the state of my back, "talk about a bad luck streak. Tell me that you went to the hospital because to tell you the truth it doesn't look too good."
"Yeah," I responded with a grimace, "three stitches for the bite, a bag of RIM and the first of four rabies vaccinations- I have to go in for number two this Sunday before coming back to school and number three after school a week from yesterday."
"Yuck," Sue Miller recoiled then did her best to change the subject; she never did like icky things, almost fainted last year when we had to slice open that pickled night crawler in science class. "So are you going to be at the Grease Pit this weekend? I hear that the Boned Snappers are going to be playing."
"Can't I'm grounded," I groaned at the unfairness, the Snappers were actually halfway decent for a garage band- not to mention a lot of girls were crushing on the drummer Steve Pitts (myself included).
"What but it was an accident," Hinegeshi shot back, "even the head priest said that nothing about it was your fault."
"One thing was," I sighed, "I let my dad ask how much that urn was appraised for, the nurse actually had to get the smelling salts."
"Still unfair, understandable but unfair," Amy commented before staring at my back again before I put on my gym shirt. "Still I would have that back look at by a dermatologist when you go in for your next shot- it doesn't look so good."
"I'll think about it," I replied mentally telling myself to stop by pharmacy on the way home for some Calamine lotion.
Sunday October 1, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital
2:21 PM
"And how long would you say that you've noticed this rash?" Doctor Sybil Libowitz inquired while she examined my back and shoulders.
"Since Friday morning I explained," as I patiently laid on my front while the doctor examined me on the table. "I was cleaning and redressing the wounds on my back when I first noticed the rash." I explained more than a little concerned about the increasingly angry red-pebbly ailment that was spreading over my back in random splotches and had reached my shoulders sometime over night.
"So do you have any idea what this is?" My mother Ni-Gao Chen asked clearly fearing the answer almost as much as I wanted to hear that they had a treatment to make it go away.
"As of this moment I don't have enough for a prognosis," Doctor Libowitz explained as she systematically probed the affected areas. "This almost resembles Shingles but given your age and the fact that you said that it isn't painful tells me this is not the case. Have you been exposed to anything exotic recently?"
"She was bitten by a rat a few days ago," mother blurted out almost going into histrionics, "Is it the plague? Oh please tell me that it's not the plague!"
"Misses Chen, please calm down," Doctor Libowitz begged my mother, "it's not the bubonic plague. First off that is spread by bites from infected black fleas not and your daughter was bitten by a common Norwegian roof rat, and secondly if the local rodent population did carry the plague our local outreach clinics to the homeless communities would have kept us well-informed."
"Now Miss Chen," the Doctor addressed me personally, "before we give you your second vaccination I'm going to take some skin and fluid samples from the affected areas to send to the lab for analysis. But if you know of anything else out of the ordinary that you were exposed to recently please let me know."
"The ashes," I blurted out, "it must have been the ashes."
"Ashes?" Doctor Libowitz inquired somewhat perplexed about my statement.
"Right after the rat bite me in the store room an antique urn fell on me." I explained somewhat hysterical myself now. "Whatever he died of must be getting ready to do me in too!"
"Miss Chen, please contain yourself!" Doctor Libowitz demanded, "It is unlikely that any ailment would survive cremation of the body and if that was the case someone else would have reported similar symptoms we are talking about particulates after all, but if it would console you I'll contact the Temple to ask them to send some ashes to our lab for analysis. In the meantime I'll prescribe a topical antibiotic in addition to the antibiotics that you are already taking and would suggest you to take an anti-histamine about every eight hours just to be on the safe side- also launder all of your bedding."
"We will doctor, I don't want this to get worse," I replied worried about what might happen if it did.
Thursday October 5, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital - Isolation Wing
3:41 PM
It had gotten worse, the ugly red rash had now spread to most of my body and I had started to swell up. I couldn't even bring myself to look in the mirror, just with my own eyes and from the looks of the orderlies I probably looked like something from a horror movie- maybe like that guy from The Fly, but certainly nothing like the pretty young lady of Chinese descent that I was last week.
Yesterday night the hospital insisted on admitting me for personal observation given that their test on all of the samples (including the ashes) came back inconclusive, my parents complied immediately, and I didn't blame them one bit. As what was effecting me was still unknown I was in the isolation ward more to prevent a panic then out of fear it would spread, I understood perfectly I would probably give some poor kid nightmares for life. Still I hadn't escaped my third rabies vaccination, one week till the last shot... if I made it that long.
As my bedside phone rang I picked it up somewhat dreading who it might be on the other end of the line. "Hello."
"Miss Chen I have several young ladies here to see you," the receptionist explained.
"No, please don't," I replied out of dread before finally adding, "but if you could please take to some place where they would use a speaker phone- please?"
"I believe that I can manage that."
I hung up the phone and waited- a few minutes passed and it rang again.
"Hello." I answered picking up the phone again.
"Zhen-yu what is the deal!" Hy Kim shouted from the other end,
First you stay home from school yesterday and refuse to let us visit, and now you're in the hospital tell the staff that you don't want us to see you, just what in the 999 hells is going on?"
"I don't know," I began to sob. "That rash is almost over my whole body now and starting to swell up; the doctors had to send my samples off to some lab on the other side of the country because nobody in Seattle could find out anything from the tests that they ran except the goop in my rash looked like stem cells. And I look like something out of a David Croninberg movie so if I don't make it I don't want you to remember me looking like this!"
I dropped the phone as I began to wail; no matter what I tried to do the tears just wouldn't stop.
"Hold in there Zhen-yu!" Mai pleaded through the phone, "No matter what you say we're here for you and we know that you'll pull through!"
As the others chimed in their support I continued to cry; no matter what they said at the moment I just didn't have their faith that I would make it, and I knew that if by some miracle that I did manage to pull through that I would never be the same again.
Saturday October 7, 2006
8:05 AM
I looked from my hospital bed at the flowers that my friends and classmates sent; touched that they cared I knew that it obviously hurt them how I refused to let them visit in person. The fact is that I couldn't move, the rash had swollen so much that my hair had fallen out and I barely even resembled a human being anymore, I was just a mostly misshapen figure whose hideously naked form was thankfully hidden by a sheet.
There was no disguising it- hell the orderly whose job it was to try and give me a sponge bath early ran out of the room after lifting up my sheet obviously needing to throw up from the sight of what I had turned into.
I was just tired of it all, I shut my eyes and despite the fact that my ears were mostly swollen shut and just listened wanting it all to just end- there was no going back to what I used to be and I knew it.
I just took in the sounds of the sterile hospital room as I waited for the inevitable. I could hear my cardiac monitor slowly beeping as it struggled to register my heartbeat through my bloated form. The respirator did it's best to push air into my throat but all it could manage were shallow breaths. The IV feeder gently hummed as it tried to force saline into my body given that I had stopped eating two days ago.
I tried to open my eyes again to see the flowers and cards one last time but they refused to do so, I swore that I could feel my distended skin beginning to expand further as the cardiac monitor's beeping began to slow and my body began to force both the respirator tube and the IV began out. As the monitor beep turned to a steady tone I knew that it was over, Zhen-yu Chen was soon to be no more. Still part of me wondered what was going to come next. I anticipated my chance to ride the Wheel of Samsara, wondering just what was going to come next.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:54 PM MDT
I was shaken from the memories of the end of my humanity by the shrieking of tires, finally a semi had fallen for my trap and as luck would have it this one had an airfoil over the cab. Rather than risk his load, which I could see from the side of his rig included Class-3 flammable materials; just his luck he was unwittingly about to gain another major fire hazard.
As the trucker go out to move the branch into the gully nearby I put my training wish Sha Wujing into practice, without making a sound I dropped to the branch below and used it as a springboard to leap from the tree to the back of the pickup and while staying low hoping to have the other drivers nearby ignore me scrambled along the trailer to the roof of the semi's cab where I settled in under the air foil. While this trek from here to Durango would have taken me hour on foot and more than likely have gotten my dragonic-self spotted a few dozen times over playing stowaway now was going to get me to town far faster and without getting caught.
Then after some partying I'd head back to the cave on foot under the cover of night and return so that the only ones to be the wiser would be Kelsey and Sha Wujing. Yep nothing was going to spoil my first chance to blow off some real steam since I became what I now am.
Basement Studio
Sublette, New Mexico
5:04 PM
Larry Smalls screamed as the drill not only pierced his skin but burrowed into his shoulder, part of him thanked God for small mercies when the tiny drill-bit broke off even if it did so embedded in bone.
"Oh bother," his sadistic captor replied as he went for a new tool to continue the torture. "Now I shall need to get a new one."
"Plea-please st-stop th-this, I'll confess to th-the cops, I'll tell them where to find the g-girls' bodies." Larry begged and pleaded in futility, "ju-ust sto-op th-his!"
"I'm sorry but no," his captor replied, once again denying him any mercy.
"But I'll confess, I'll admit to everything they put me away forever, maybe even give me the death penalty," Larry shot back isn't that what you want to bring me in and make me admit everything.
"Oh-ho-ho heavens no," his captor began to laugh from behind his mask, "You must be mistaking me for a vigilante or some contract killer- no you see I Xavar, am an artiste. One of the family's of your victims must have reached out and commissioned me, no you see your body is a canvas to me akin to a block of marble. It is my job- no, my calling to find the real you beneath this exterior and bring it forth for the world to see."
"Only after I am finished will I turn you over, that is after I have sealed your body beneath a preservative layer, what should I use this time- vinyl, lacquer, perhaps lucite."
The monster was dragged from his soliloquy by a ding from a nearby computer, Larry took comfort in the brief respite of another round of sadistic tortures and mutilation. His captor meanwhile was filled with fascination at the image on the screen.
"Yes such a rare form- such promise- such potential-" Xavar began to speak aloud, "YES! IT MUST BE FATE, SHE IS THE CANVAS THAT I HAVE BEEN LONGING FOR- SHE SHALL BECOME A TRUE MASTERPIECE- A TRUE WORK OF ART- NOT MERELY ANOTHER COMMISSION!"
With the mention of that word the psychopath turned to regard his captive held in place on a large metal X by several metal and leather straps. "If only I was free, but I have a commission to deliver on- such a quandry, I know- should you win this coin toss then I will let you keep my pet Muffin company while I go pick up some raw material for a solo work."
"Sure- sure go right ahead, chase your dream." Larry Small said looking at the image of the lizard-like mutant bitch who was going to be this freak's next target hoping that she'd kill him.
As Xavar went for a coin he briefly paused, "Oh there are two things I want you to keep in mind before you call the toss."
"Sure just get on with it," Larry shot back impatiently.
"I want you to think about which eye you like more." Xavar hummed as he polished the coin that he fished out of his pocket.
"And the other," Larry palled at that thought wondering what the second thing was and dreading it.
"Muffin is an alligator that my parents purchased for me when I was a child while on vacation in Florida," Xavar said in a low tone, "you'll be hanging over his pit to make sure that you don't even dare to escape while I'll be gone. Now heads or tails?"
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 7
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
7:27 AM MDT
"Lady Kelsey," Sha Wujing stated as he entered the strange cave hidden in the side of Hesperus Peak, "I am here for Lady Chen's training for the day." The adept of the Jade Heavens entered as usual, however he was surprised to find The Wayfarer dressed for travel with a rucksack over her shoulder.
"I am afraid that your training session will have to be postponed for today most venerable Adept," Kelsey explained as she headed towards him. "Young Zhen-yu, as usual for children of this day and age, has opted to break free of the safety of the nest to adventure in the unrestricted the world beyond. Honestly I'm surprised that it has taken her this long to decide to do so- I expected her to do this much earlier given what I know about her."
"Why do you act so calm about this?" Sha Wujing asked concerned about the draconic-maiden. "You are aware that the Zhaoshang de Youhuan could possess the means to track her the moment she left the safety of the cavern."
"Yes, I am certain that they have the means and have likely sent out a bounty request to the mercenary networks to offer a reward for her retrieval," the teenage girl known as The Wayfarer explained, "however such an act of defiance and rebellion on Zhen-yu's part only demonstrates how far along she has come in her healing. Indeed I am relieved that she had finally decided to do so, I was beginning to be concerned that she would never be ready for The Handmaiden of the Tao's arrival."
"The Handmaiden is coming here?" Sha asked expressing further concern than earlier, "Is Lady Chen disrupting the balance of The Tao in some way?"
"In a way she was, although not in the manner that you think." The Wayfarer explained as she pat the old warrior on the shoulder. "This is the matter of paying a debt that the Handmaiden of the Tao's office owes to Zhen-yu's ancestors and the Maiden of the Northern Court of the Sky will need to be prepared when the time comes to face her destiny. You see Sha Wujing the four chosen maidens of the kingdoms at each Cardinal Points must face a trial of growth to drive their spiritual awakening this summer. Each trial will be unique to them and each they must face these trials without aide of allies from their respective Court unless it is dictated by destiny, although they will likely come to make new ones along the way, and Zhen-Yu's trial happens to require the participation of the Handmaiden of the Tao."
"That is all well and good however the fact of the matter remains what to do concerning Zhen-yu." Sha Wujing stated beginning to grow more concerned by the minute for he knew that his pupil still had far to go in her training.
"I shall leave that matter to you Sha Wujing," Kelsey explained as she exitted the cave while the Sand Priest followed her into the open air. "Still if you feel that you need assistance in this matter may I suggest that you reach out to your own old acquaintances, I understand that senior most of your old fellowship frequents this continent and has taken an active interest in the current Handmaiden of the Tao- perhaps he might be willing to assist you."
"One moment please- just where are you headed?" Sha asked Kelsey who was now making her way down the slopes of Hesperus Peak.
"To where my future meets another's past!" Kelsey stated without either turning around or breaking stride as she continued walking.
Olson Household
Campo, Colorado
7:51 AM
"Ingrid have you seen my right boot?" Tobias Olson inquired out of desperation, "I've been looking for half-an-hour and I can't find it anywhere!"
"What boot is tha-?" Ingrid began to ask as she entered the room to find her brother partially changed into an all too familiar costume. "Really Toby, I thought that you gave this up after that last time, it was sheer luck that the Denver Gold didn't catch you after that botched jewelry store heist."
"Ingrid, I swear that I finally have it figured out," Tobias stated in half-crazed desperation as he clutched Ingrid's shoulders, "I know how to get our family back into the big time again."
"We've been over this again and again Toby," Ingrid shook her head with a long and drawn out sigh, "the Blizzard Wizard is a relic of the past, honestly that name has gone from credible threat to joke to just plain forgotten in less than a century- just let it go away. Honestly, everything the family legacy stood for went south when grandpa busted after he should have folded and cashed in his chips. Do you remember what happened instead, the jewel in our family's mystic staff- an heirloom that has been passed down in our family since before the Coronation of Constantine was shattered into pieces."
"That was just because his teammates didn't have his back in that fight with the Justice Brigade." Tobias shot back at Ingrid with a dirty look.
"Yes but that didn't stop him from surrendering, instead he had the brilliant idea to try and use his staff while its foci was broken and then what happened- oh yes, he transmuted himself completely into ice. Our grandfather Soren Olson, the last Blizzard Wizard to be seen as a credible threat, turned himself into a gaudy piece of art deco that would have melted into a puddle if the Justice Brigade didn't keep it in an arctic display case," Ingrid glared back at her brother.
"Dad also had the same attitude that you do about this, you probably don't know because you were too young to be in the field but I was there with him when his new tech based equipment malfunctioned after he picked a fight with Shuffle's Sweepers in Minneapolis," Ingrid continued to lecture Tobias, "and if they weren't generous enough to drop us off at the Emergency Room he would have died instead of just losing half of his right arm to frostbite. Have you just been ignoring how many years he struggled to get used to that prosthetic clamp he has instead of a left hand?"
"That's just it Ingrid, I found a way to get our family back to the big time," Toby replied. "The Merchants of Suffering lost a major asset of theirs a few months back and it just came back on the radar, it's only a few miles away."
"Toby, have you completely lost your mind?" Ingrid recoiled in shock. "The Merchants of Suffering are a cult of hardcore black marketeers, they're bigger monsters than the Children of the Night for crying out loud, and if you do their dirty work they might pay you with a hole in the head as a bonus after giving you the reward they promised to shut you up and get their money back."
"It isn't about the cash," Toby shot back as he finally uncovered his missing boot in the closet, "I'll explain my plan if you let me."
"Fine but explain it to me on the way, you need someone with their head screwed on straight to be there to watch your back." Ingrid sighed in defeat.
"Okay, just remember to bring your gear and costume for this one." Toby added as he finished suiting up.
"Fine," Ingrid huffed as she left the room, and then muttered under her breath- "I just hope that I can still pull it off- damned freshman fifteen."
"You should be able to," Toby replied struggling to get his recovered boot on, "dad's been working on our costumes and gear with me on his day's off work."
Spencer Gulch
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:16 AM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I had been making my way through the mountain's forests, taking great care to avoid any of the usual hiking routes, as my scaly talons allowed me a great deal of grip while I maneuvered among the scrub. True while my draconic body might not be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of most folk, I had to admit that it had more than its fair share of power and agility packed beneath its reptilian veneer.
While staying away from the roads and hiking trails was good to avoid detection, it made it more than a little difficult to navigate- that was why I was more than a little thankful for the nearby river and the presence of tree moss. Okay I admit that before I changed I had never been in a real forest in my life (I was a city girl from Seattle what do you expect), but I had still picked up the odd tidbit or two- such as how moss only grows on the north-side of trees.
I had needed to stop what seemed like every hundred feed to so to reorient myself as I made my way down from the mountains. Pausing again to locate the nearby stream I saw a large grizzly bear going for fish in the stream with a cub nearby, I took in the sight for a moment to make sure that he didn't see me before pressing on to my destination. Don't get me wrong I could take him easy, but I wanted to party not go claw to claw with a grizzly, plus there was a chance that I might spark a forest fire if I panicked and used my powers.
Before I knew what was happening I heard a rasping snarl as a large beast barreled into me and knocked me to the ground. It figures, I took the time to avoid pissing off a mama grizzly only to get pounced on by a mountain lion. I was doing my best to struggle with getting the feral cat off of me and while I might have had the strength the beast currently had the advantage of leverage on me as it slashed at my back with its claws trying to rip me open.
I guess that I can count myself lucky that my transformation almost a year ago granted me such a tough hide, that and the fact that I was on my chest so that I didn't have to test how soft the scutes of my underbelly were against the mountain lion's claws. It took me a minute to reorient my arms, beneath my body but now was the time to fight back.
I pushed myself up with my arms throwing the beast off of my back but not far as he soon reared back to pounce on me again as I spun around to face the attacking feline. I had to time this just right, so as the mountain lion leaped at me- claws out stretched and fanged maw open wide, I fell back on a lesson from my youth.
Grabbing the forelimbs of the large cat and using my knee to add proper leverage I fell to the ground and used the beast's own momentum to throw him (at least I was certain that it was a him), right to the bear who was busy minding her own business trying to catch fish in the stream.
Now once again I had no real experience in dealing with the forest on its own (I'm a city girl after all), but even I had heard the old adage never get between a mama bear and her cubs. The old saying proved to have a very real truth to it as soon as the mountain lion got it's bearings again, the cat found itself face to face with roughly three-hundred and fifty pounds of a hundred-and-ten-percent pissed-off and over-protective mama bear.
The massive mother reared onto its back legs standing about nine-feet tall, she let out a long, low roaring-growl a she swiped her forepaws at the intruder who reared back to get a better distance. While part of me was more than tempted to stay and watch the fight I had other places that I would rather be, so once again I set off leaving my attacker to what promised to be at least a very painful experience in learned to be more careful in picking it's next meal- provided it lived to learn that lesson.
Sunday April 22nd
Main Base of the Tiewan Triad
Sai Kung District, Hong Kong
12:30 AM HKT
Tonight went just like any other of Min Deng, working until the sun crested the sky and searching the back roads of the internet; not the local version that The Party allowed but the actual internet. While his job might not be as outright profitable as running a sweet shop, running a gambling den, or even smuggling it was vital to the triad- any triad. His job was looking for information on both the new and the old: new ventures for profit, old ventures that were about to dry up, new markets for goods, old markets that needed to be abandoned.
While the day to day operations of the triad's major faces looking to become the next dragon of the group were important- without a manager to see that things flowed smoothly it would all be for not and the moment they became too weak a rival syndicate would move into their territory. Granted right now they had an ace in the hole but that ace was only good so long as they kept it a secret, for the moment someone in The Party found out they would extend an invitation to that ace who would then become bound to the Chairman's Party as a servant.
Still lately Beijing had shown their hand one time too many, everyone in the underworld looked on with fear and surprise when they had the astonishing foolish gall to try extending such an invitation to the current Handmaiden of the Tao of all people. Honestly Min did not know if it was hubris or stupidity that prompted that decision but their ambassador was lucky to return home alive; the Handmaiden of the Tao was known as one of the deadliest assassins in history often making her kills look like deaths due to natural causes, indeed it could be argued that she was less an assassin and more of a force of nature.
Granted their own ace in the hole, Lady Zhi was no slouch at assassinations herself; even years before her ascension last fall she had earned the infamous title of Yu Dushe (The Jade Viper). Now a far more elegant being everyone in the Triad knew her as Furen Yilong (Lady Radiant Dragon), a title too appropriate to a creature who was as graceful as she was deadly.
Too bad that the ceremony that elevated her to such heights was incomplete; who would guess that some distant relation whose ancestors had left mother China for the barbarous west would stumble into a crude mockery of the same ceremony, while Lady Zhi was undergoing a ritual cleansing and stole her future as the Maiden of Fire from her. At least Lady Zhi Chen took some comfort in knowing that the foreign-born teenie-bopper from Seattle's ignorance led her right into the clutches of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan.
The last time anyone in the Tiewan heard of that grotesque parody had her name taken from her by the Xue-jin Mushi and was forced to work as a living gem furnace at the greedy cult's whims. Although most considered it a simple rumor Min knew for a fact that Vanguard Hao Fang, one of the most likely successors to Dragonhead Tuo-zhou Tan, was setting aside funds to purchase one of the lowly wretches gem-stones from the Zhaoshang de Youhuan; likely it would be a gift to secure the favor of Lady Zhi Chen in his bid to become the Dragonhead of the Triad.
Then again for all Min knew it may be a gift to Lady Zhi's father Master Gui Chen to arrange a potential match between Lady Zhi and Fang's own son Ka-fei. While checking the posts for mercenary contracts and bounties Min saw something that turned his blood to ice-water, the Zhaoshang de Youhuan had posted that their gem-making slave had escaped and they were offering a reward for her capture and return.
Min was torn, the elderly head of their Triad had already retired at home for the evening, but as this news concerned his top assassin he deserved to know right away. One thing was for certain though when Lady Zhi returned from delivering the message to the Luen in Hong Kong about the consequences of trying to expand, she was not going to be pleased with this information, especially at the revelation that she had likely missed out on the prospect of tracking down this pretender and dealing with her personally.
Saturday April 21st
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:49 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Much to my surprise by the time I spotted what had to be Route 160 I was hardly out of breath at all, I guess all that training that I've been doing was worth it, I was probably in better shape than I had ever been in before those- unholy sadistic bastards kidnapped me and stuck me in that hole.
No, don't think about... that, I was free of those monsters now. Don't think about the cell or the whip or the dark, today is about cutting loose and having fun. Still even at the rate that I was going I doubt that I'd be able to make it to Durango before dark. With no cars in sight I jumped down from my perch in the pine trees and scrambled to the opposite side of the Route, and after taking the time to move a small tree branch partially into the road, once again moved up into the treetops to keep an eye out for a ride into town
Once I was settled in the treetops my mind couldn't help but drift back to a time when i could go out and have fun and the event that I knew changed my entire life:
Flashback
Thursday September 28th, 2006
Fa-Hsing Buddhist Temple
Seattle, Washington
5:04 PM PDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
"Why did I let you talk me into doing this?" Mai Ngyuen asked as she continued to polish the pillar in front of her. "I mean I'm Catholic not Buddhist, my family doesn't even go to this place, besides you haven't helped out at my church in a while."
"This isn't about belief's Mai," Hinegeshi Yamada replied as she continued to inspect the walls for cracks that needed to be spackled, "The Temple is a point of community pride and we need to do our part to make sure that everything is cleaned up from the Mid-Autumn Festival in time for the Ages Festival."
"Yeah, and the last time we did that Born-again Betty- Mary Dinh spent the three hours that we were there trying to convert us Catholicism. Besides these events are great to bring in the tourists and that is always good for drumming up business for the neighborhood." I remarked as I took care with my own pillar.
"Zhen-yu what would your parents think if they heard you saying something like that in public?" Hinegeshi commented slightly taken aback by my tone.
"They might say that it is not a good idea to do in within earshot of the temple's high-priest." Hy Kim said in a sheepish tone as I looked behind me to see that Master Fong Wei-quo was indeed here and clearly disappointed in my words.
"Miss Chen, since you are so concerned with the ascetics of our temple rather than the traditions and history that we are trying to promote perhaps you should spend some time reflecting on that history in solitude while dusting our store house."
"Yes sir," I sighed as I set my cleaning supplies down.
"What was that young lady?" The priest inquired as he raised one of his brows at my words.
"Yes venerable one," I replied as I bowed to the old man before taking my cleaning supplies with me.
"Oh and Miss Chen make certain to empty the shelves before you dust them, and not simply dust around whatever is on the shelves," The evil old man pointed out as I was headed to the storage house, "the job is more thorough that way and it is far easier to dust their contents as well when they are on the ground."
"Yes oh venerable one," I responded again while heading to the store room in question.
Not wanting to get on the old man's bad side, yes Buddhists do have a way of doing that usually by trying to help you focus on your task at hand- by way of negative reinforcement.
Case in point, this storage house as he liked to call it was the size of a walk-in closet and lined with shelves on both sides with the sole exception being the back where they kept a ladder so people my size could reach the top shelves. Pretty much needed since this shack had ten shelves from floor to roof crammed full of junk. "Oh well no moaning about it now, I might as well get started." I groaned as I got to work.
First making sure that a tiny spot outside was cleared off, I eye-balled the priceless antiques of my homeland. Part of me was certain while most of this stuff was made in china, I was also certain that some of it might have once advertised that fact in the form of a label. Now don't get me wrong- it was probably just the question of somebody's ashes needing a new urn, the fact is most of these vessels were just containers.
Now authenticity of the antiques aside I still had to make a major decision to bottom of bottom to top, not wanting to stress myself out overthinking the matter I flipped a coin: heads top to bottom, tails bottom to top. One quick flip latter the coin gave its answer...heads. I fumed before settling down, there was no reason to get hot under the collar, it was just as well; if I started at the bottom any dust that I got off the top shelves would just be drifting downward anyways.
There was also the fact that there was no way in any of the hells that I was going to empty the entire store room out before getting started, that would take too long and in Seattle one never knew when the weather would take a turn for the worse. I got the ladder and locked the sides of the thing into place, granted the metal monstrosity was older than I was but thankfully these things are built to last. With the ladder steady I got to work unloading the top shelf of the left side of the shack, being careful to only remove one antique at a time and setting it down before going back for the next down the row.
In all my progress was fairly steady as I neared the back of the storage room, as I removed a wooden box near the back I found the next occupant of the shelf was a rat about as long as my arm. As I recoiled back in shock the rodent lunged at me, I failed my arms as best as I could to keep the vermin from gaining a purchase on me and lost my balance on the ladder as I banged my arms against the shelves as I fell.
Out of instinct I moved my arms behind my head to shield it from the fall; that was when the vindictive rodent struck biting me in the back, although to be fair it was probably because I landed on the vermin. I was somewhat dazed but still in pain as I sat up and pulled off my turtle-neck to inspect the wound, ugh- yup I'd need stitches not to mention treatment for rabies. That was when an urn on the top shelf of the right side that I had jostled towards the edge succumbed to gravity, and fell right on me, on the upside the ashes seemed to help clot the blood from my wound.
Unfortunately the porcelain urn opened a few new ones when it broke on my back, also clotting the blood with the ash. Grossed out by the fact that I had centuries old dead guy open wounds on my back I was oblivious to the fact that I now had guests looking at me from the open door namely the same priest from earlier
"Young lady," the same priest from earlier asked in both concern and curiosity, "what on earth happened?"
"Venerable one," I grimaced in pain while trying to mind my manners, "it appears that I disturbed the meditations of one of your tenants. May I trouble you for a trip to the hospital; I am worried that it may not have been in the best of health."
"Of course we'll take my van," the priest replied, "you need to have those wounds looked after before they turn serious." If he only knew at the time how true that was or the full story about that urn I might have been better prepared for everything that would follow- well almost everything.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
11:58 AM MDT
I was shaken out of my revelry by the screech of tires it was an SUV- it stopped briefly and moved around the branch by serving temporarily into the oncoming lane. This was obviously not my ride to Durango- just as well the thing had a sun roof and they'd have noticed me clinging to it on the way into town- chances are one of the vehicles occupants would have been armed too and I did not want to test my hide's resistance to bullets. It looked like I would be waiting a little longer.
The Bloody Bastard
Unincorporated Central Wyoming
12:04 PM
Sitting on a currently vacant farm in Wyoming was a badly repainted Syndicate drop ship that had obviously seen better days. The ship looked as rough as the buildings on the dirt farm that it now occupied- rough, peeling, and had been screaming for a new paint job for so long that it lost its voice and just gave up trying. The only hint of new paint on the ship was a name that had obviously been brushed on with a roller which identified the vessel as The Bloody Bastard.
It could be said that there are many types of mercenaries in the world, strict professionals like some are strict professionals, and others have codes of conduct or honor that they adhere to without fault. As for those who claimed The Bloody Bastard as their own and claimed squatters rights to this slice of nowhere, these inhabitants were beginning the day like any other when they were in-between contracts, sleeping until either the crack of dawn (or noon in one's case).
Suddenly a klaxon sounded as a program onboard the The Bloody Bastard spotted something on a hidden corner of the internet and triggered an alarm in the dilapidated farmhouse nearby. To a great deal of reluctance those within the farmhouse began to stir, whether it was sleeping off a hangover or grabbing a little sleep after a late night doing who knows what- for all intents and purposes the Masterson Brothers were now awake.
"Dammit Lloyd I thought I told you to do something about that f*cking alarm," a massive slab of muscle swore as he rolled out of a bed that was so overtaxed by his weight that you could imagine that the springs were weeping in relief as a few assorted liquor bottles broke on the floor as he got to his feet.
"Stuff it Bufford," Lloyd replied as he flipped his brother off, "if it wasn't for that alarm we'd never get you up before the crack of noon and would miss out on a big scores."
"Knock it off you two!" an even bigger slab of meat than Bufford shouted as he came into the room. "So Lloyd- what's the news?"
"Give me a minute, Rod I'm just waking up myself." Lloyd replied showing far more respect to his older brother than his younger one. He switched on an old cathode monitor in front of him as he watched the feed from The Bloody Bastard, then after a few minutes to read the screen Lloyd filled his brothers in on the situation. "That cult of chinks that run that house of smoke n' mirrors on the West Coast lost a slave of theirs a few months back, some mutant dragon lady. They're offering five mil and a tub full of gemstones as a reward to anybody who brings her back alive and intact.
"I don't like dealing with finger-waggling kooks but money is money." Rod stated as he sparked up a fat cigar. "Lloyd get that cult on the horn and get'em to cough up any info that they have on the target- Bufford take a damned shower you smell worse than a no-tell motel after a bachelor party. When you two ‘er done meet me in the ship- we've got us a lizard bitch to haul in!"
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
2:17 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Zhen-yu fumed from her perch, a few hours had passed and so far the only thing to drive by in the far-right lane of the Route were pick-ups and SUVs, both were way too risky she needed something she could hide in without anyone noticing ideally a car-hauler but she could sneak in the back of a semi just as well. Hell if it was one of those with an air-foil over the cab she could crawl into the gap between the cab and the roof of the foil and ride until Durango.
It sucked just waiting to see what would come along the road that she could use, but there were times that she had experienced waiting with far more apprehension than this. Still at least this time she could easily know the outcome, unlike that time:
Flashback
Friday September 29th, 2006
Chen Family Home
Seattle, Washington
7:13 AM PDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
Fresh from the shower after carefully patting my wounded back I went to put a new bandage on- okay I was stopping to stare at the wounds on my back, granted the rat bite would probably have stood out a lot less without the cuts from that antique urn. Talk about rotten luck, not only did a freaking rat bite me on the back but the one antique that I knocked off of the shelf and broke turned out to be a glazed ceramic urn dating back to the Shang Dynasty.
I had actually broken something that not only predated the unification of the three kingdoms; I had broken something that predated porcelain. Honestly if the head priest hadn't tried to calm my father down by telling him that it was an accident, I would have sworn that the paramedics would have had to have hauled in the Crash Cart for him while I was having Rabies Immune Globulin injecting directly into my now stitched shut rat wound while an attendant was retrieving my first of four rabies vaccinations.
Just to be fair though my dad grounded me until they were done, no not for getting bitten by a rat or breaking a vase but for taking five years off of his life by letting the priest tell him how much that urn was actually appraised for by the International-District's Historical Society- let's just say calling it a fat chunk of change would be a gross understatement. That and the fact that no one even knows for certain just who it was that was inside the urn yet. The head priest told me that one of their initiates was given the task to glue the urn back together again to see if they could shed a little light on that mystery.
All I have to save is whoever it was is giving me a rash, granted only the bite was stitched up and the cuts from the pottery itself were lighter but having dead guy in the wounds certainly didn't help matters any. Putting the fresh bandage on I wrapped a towel around myself then returned to my room. Now using my vanity, a hand-me-down from my cousin Mei, I saw that the skin around all of the wounds had this rough-looking red rash. Just to be on the safe side I rubbed some skin-cream from my dresser on the areas that I could see- better to treat it before it spread.
Washington Middle School - Girl's Locker Room
Seattle, Washington
11:04 AM
"Good lord Zhen-yu," Mary Dihn exclaimed as the recoiled in shock, "what happened to your back? Is it your father? Is he beating you? You know that no god-fe-"
Thankfully Hinegeshi was ready to end the tirade with the water spray-bottle that she kept in her locker, "Down Mary... down! She was dusting in the Temple's store house and a urn fell on her after she was attacked by a rat."
"Whoa Zhen," Amy Calvert recoiled both out of concern and likely the state of my back, "talk about a bad luck streak. Tell me that you went to the hospital because to tell you the truth it doesn't look too good."
"Yeah," I responded with a grimace, "three stitches for the bite, a bag of RIM and the first of four rabies vaccinations- I have to go in for number two this Sunday before coming back to school and number three after school a week from yesterday."
"Yuck," Sue Miller recoiled then did her best to change the subject; she never did like icky things, almost fainted last year when we had to slice open that pickled night crawler in science class. "So are you going to be at the Grease Pit this weekend? I hear that the Boned Snappers are going to be playing."
"Can't I'm grounded," I groaned at the unfairness, the Snappers were actually halfway decent for a garage band- not to mention a lot of girls were crushing on the drummer Steve Pitts (myself included).
"What but it was an accident," Hinegeshi shot back, "even the head priest said that nothing about it was your fault."
"One thing was," I sighed, "I let my dad ask how much that urn was appraised for, the nurse actually had to get the smelling salts."
"Still unfair, understandable but unfair," Amy commented before staring at my back again before I put on my gym shirt. "Still I would have that back look at by a dermatologist when you go in for your next shot- it doesn't look so good."
"I'll think about it," I replied mentally telling myself to stop by pharmacy on the way home for some Calamine lotion.
Sunday October 1, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital
2:21 PM
"And how long would you say that you've noticed this rash?" Doctor Sybil Libowitz inquired while she examined my back and shoulders.
"Since Friday morning I explained," as I patiently laid on my front while the doctor examined me on the table. "I was cleaning and redressing the wounds on my back when I first noticed the rash." I explained more than a little concerned about the increasingly angry red-pebbly ailment that was spreading over my back in random splotches and had reached my shoulders sometime over night.
"So do you have any idea what this is?" My mother Ni-Gao Chen asked clearly fearing the answer almost as much as I wanted to hear that they had a treatment to make it go away.
"As of this moment I don't have enough for a prognosis," Doctor Libowitz explained as she systematically probed the affected areas. "This almost resembles Shingles but given your age and the fact that you said that it isn't painful tells me this is not the case. Have you been exposed to anything exotic recently?"
"She was bitten by a rat a few days ago," mother blurted out almost going into histrionics, "Is it the plague? Oh please tell me that it's not the plague!"
"Misses Chen, please calm down," Doctor Libowitz begged my mother, "it's not the bubonic plague. First off that is spread by bites from infected black fleas not and your daughter was bitten by a common Norwegian roof rat, and secondly if the local rodent population did carry the plague our local outreach clinics to the homeless communities would have kept us well-informed."
"Now Miss Chen," the Doctor addressed me personally, "before we give you your second vaccination I'm going to take some skin and fluid samples from the affected areas to send to the lab for analysis. But if you know of anything else out of the ordinary that you were exposed to recently please let me know."
"The ashes," I blurted out, "it must have been the ashes."
"Ashes?" Doctor Libowitz inquired somewhat perplexed about my statement.
"Right after the rat bite me in the store room an antique urn fell on me." I explained somewhat hysterical myself now. "Whatever he died of must be getting ready to do me in too!"
"Miss Chen, please contain yourself!" Doctor Libowitz demanded, "It is unlikely that any ailment would survive cremation of the body and if that was the case someone else would have reported similar symptoms we are talking about particulates after all, but if it would console you I'll contact the Temple to ask them to send some ashes to our lab for analysis. In the meantime I'll prescribe a topical antibiotic in addition to the antibiotics that you are already taking and would suggest you to take an anti-histamine about every eight hours just to be on the safe side- also launder all of your bedding."
"We will doctor, I don't want this to get worse," I replied worried about what might happen if it did.
Thursday October 5, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital - Isolation Wing
3:41 PM
It had gotten worse, the ugly red rash had now spread to most of my body and I had started to swell up. I couldn't even bring myself to look in the mirror, just with my own eyes and from the looks of the orderlies I probably looked like something from a horror movie- maybe like that guy from The Fly, but certainly nothing like the pretty young lady of Chinese descent that I was last week.
Yesterday night the hospital insisted on admitting me for personal observation given that their test on all of the samples (including the ashes) came back inconclusive, my parents complied immediately, and I didn't blame them one bit. As what was effecting me was still unknown I was in the isolation ward more to prevent a panic then out of fear it would spread, I understood perfectly I would probably give some poor kid nightmares for life. Still I hadn't escaped my third rabies vaccination, one week till the last shot... if I made it that long.
As my bedside phone rang I picked it up somewhat dreading who it might be on the other end of the line. "Hello."
"Miss Chen I have several young ladies here to see you," the receptionist explained.
"No, please don't," I replied out of dread before finally adding, "but if you could please take to some place where they would use a speaker phone- please?"
"I believe that I can manage that."
I hung up the phone and waited- a few minutes passed and it rang again.
"Hello." I answered picking up the phone again.
"Zhen-yu what is the deal!" Hy Kim shouted from the other end,
First you stay home from school yesterday and refuse to let us visit, and now you're in the hospital tell the staff that you don't want us to see you, just what in the 999 hells is going on?"
"I don't know," I began to sob. "That rash is almost over my whole body now and starting to swell up; the doctors had to send my samples off to some lab on the other side of the country because nobody in Seattle could find out anything from the tests that they ran except the goop in my rash looked like stem cells. And I look like something out of a David Croninberg movie so if I don't make it I don't want you to remember me looking like this!"
I dropped the phone as I began to wail; no matter what I tried to do the tears just wouldn't stop.
"Hold in there Zhen-yu!" Mai pleaded through the phone, "No matter what you say we're here for you and we know that you'll pull through!"
As the others chimed in their support I continued to cry; no matter what they said at the moment I just didn't have their faith that I would make it, and I knew that if by some miracle that I did manage to pull through that I would never be the same again.
Saturday October 7, 2006
8:05 AM
I looked from my hospital bed at the flowers that my friends and classmates sent; touched that they cared I knew that it obviously hurt them how I refused to let them visit in person. The fact is that I couldn't move, the rash had swollen so much that my hair had fallen out and I barely even resembled a human being anymore, I was just a mostly misshapen figure whose hideously naked form was thankfully hidden by a sheet.
There was no disguising it- hell the orderly whose job it was to try and give me a sponge bath early ran out of the room after lifting up my sheet obviously needing to throw up from the sight of what I had turned into.
I was just tired of it all, I shut my eyes and despite the fact that my ears were mostly swollen shut and just listened wanting it all to just end- there was no going back to what I used to be and I knew it.
I just took in the sounds of the sterile hospital room as I waited for the inevitable. I could hear my cardiac monitor slowly beeping as it struggled to register my heartbeat through my bloated form. The respirator did it's best to push air into my throat but all it could manage were shallow breaths. The IV feeder gently hummed as it tried to force saline into my body given that I had stopped eating two days ago.
I tried to open my eyes again to see the flowers and cards one last time but they refused to do so, I swore that I could feel my distended skin beginning to expand further as the cardiac monitor's beeping began to slow and my body began to force both the respirator tube and the IV began out. As the monitor beep turned to a steady tone I knew that it was over, Zhen-yu Chen was soon to be no more. Still part of me wondered what was going to come next. I anticipated my chance to ride the Wheel of Samsara, wondering just what was going to come next.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:54 PM MDT
I was shaken from the memories of the end of my humanity by the shrieking of tires, finally a semi had fallen for my trap and as luck would have it this one had an airfoil over the cab. Rather than risk his load, which I could see from the side of his rig included Class-3 flammable materials; just his luck he was unwittingly about to gain another major fire hazard.
As the trucker go out to move the branch into the gully nearby I put my training wish Sha Wujing into practice, without making a sound I dropped to the branch below and used it as a springboard to leap from the tree to the back of the pickup and while staying low hoping to have the other drivers nearby ignore me scrambled along the trailer to the roof of the semi's cab where I settled in under the air foil. While this trek from here to Durango would have taken me hour on foot and more than likely have gotten my dragonic-self spotted a few dozen times over playing stowaway now was going to get me to town far faster and without getting caught.
Then after some partying I'd head back to the cave on foot under the cover of night and return so that the only ones to be the wiser would be Kelsey and Sha Wujing. Yep nothing was going to spoil my first chance to blow off some real steam since I became what I now am.
Basement Studio
Sublette, New Mexico
5:04 PM
Larry Smalls screamed as the drill not only pierced his skin but burrowed into his shoulder, part of him thanked God for small mercies when the tiny drill-bit broke off even if it did so embedded in bone.
"Oh bother," his sadistic captor replied as he went for a new tool to continue the torture. "Now I shall need to get a new one."
"Plea-please st-stop th-this, I'll confess to th-the cops, I'll tell them where to find the g-girls' bodies." Larry begged and pleaded in futility, "ju-ust sto-op th-his!"
"I'm sorry but no," his captor replied, once again denying him any mercy.
"But I'll confess, I'll admit to everything they put me away forever, maybe even give me the death penalty," Larry shot back isn't that what you want to bring me in and make me admit everything.
"Oh-ho-ho heavens no," his captor began to laugh from behind his mask, "You must be mistaking me for a vigilante or some contract killer- no you see I Xavar, am an artiste. One of the family's of your victims must have reached out and commissioned me, no you see your body is a canvas to me akin to a block of marble. It is my job- no, my calling to find the real you beneath this exterior and bring it forth for the world to see."
"Only after I am finished will I turn you over, that is after I have sealed your body beneath a preservative layer, what should I use this time- vinyl, lacquer, perhaps lucite."
The monster was dragged from his soliloquy by a ding from a nearby computer, Larry took comfort in the brief respite of another round of sadistic tortures and mutilation. His captor meanwhile was filled with fascination at the image on the screen.
"Yes such a rare form- such promise- such potential-" Xavar began to speak aloud, "YES! IT MUST BE FATE, SHE IS THE CANVAS THAT I HAVE BEEN LONGING FOR- SHE SHALL BECOME A TRUE MASTERPIECE- A TRUE WORK OF ART- NOT MERELY ANOTHER COMMISSION!"
With the mention of that word the psychopath turned to regard his captive held in place on a large metal X by several metal and leather straps. "If only I was free, but I have a commission to deliver on- such a quandry, I know- should you win this coin toss then I will let you keep my pet Muffin company while I go pick up some raw material for a solo work."
"Sure- sure go right ahead, chase your dream." Larry Small said looking at the image of the lizard-like mutant bitch who was going to be this freak's next target hoping that she'd kill him.
As Xavar went for a coin he briefly paused, "Oh there are two things I want you to keep in mind before you call the toss."
"Sure just get on with it," Larry shot back impatiently.
"I want you to think about which eye you like more." Xavar hummed as he polished the coin that he fished out of his pocket.
"And the other," Larry palled at that thought wondering what the second thing was and dreading it.
"Muffin is an alligator that my parents purchased for me when I was a child while on vacation in Florida," Xavar said in a low tone, "you'll be hanging over his pit to make sure that you don't even dare to escape while I'll be gone. Now heads or tails?"
7 years 3 months ago - 7 years 2 months ago #13
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
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Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Boston North Station
Boston, Massachusetts
9:50 AM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
By the time, our train pulled into Boston, Candace and I had hammered out our itinerary; we had agreed to make the Holocaust Memorial a stop on the way back to the train station- making it our final destination of the evening since we didn't have too much time to kill before the movie started. That meant our first stop would be shopping, granted this was for herself since Cadence said that she picked out a pendant for Chandra at Kameleon in Berlin a week and a half ago. She probably wanted to get something nice for her Aunt Pauline and her grandparents when they came to visit the Whateley Academy in May, given that they were all the family that she had left it made me glad to realize how nice I really have it with my own family.
Speaking of which I should probably look for a few nice things for my own folks, we didn't really do much other than see the sights when we were in New York, come to think of it maybe I should look for something nice for Vanessa as an apology for being such a jerk for all these years. The revelation of her condition last month came as a shock, to think that she's been living with the knowledge that she had the potential future of becoming a deep one hanging over her head had given me a new found respect for her. It also made me wonder where my dislike of her had come from in the first place; I guess that it might finally be time for me to make that long overdue appointment with Doctor Bellows.
At least you are finally starting to consider that matter my dear, I heard Jane relay over our link as I felt her presence from a perch onto of a nearby telephone pole, granted that you already gave her something that she had been lacking for years my dear, a hope for a happy future with your brother. Tell me how would it strike you to have a mermaid for a sister-in-law?
'I admit Jane it would make things interesting, especially considering that she'd have a lesbian faerie half-breed for a sister-in-law.' I mused back as our group began to leave North Station behind us and make our way down Canal Street.
You do remember Morrigan informing you that faerie are biologically bisexual by nature, maybe you just haven't met the right young man just yet; just give these matters time- you are still getting used to being a young lady after all. From what I have heard the young queen-to-be had nearly a year to come to terms with becoming a young lady before making her sojourn to the Whateley Academy. Meanwhile it has been scarcely five months since your own transition, while truly it has been an eventful period you need time to come to terms with yourself. Jane stated as she descended into lecture mode.
'Jane, remember I spent fifteen years growing up as a guy, I doubt that I'm really going to start taking an interest in men just because my plumbing's changed.' I thought back at her over our shared link.
And you shall spend far longer than that as a lady, you seem to forget that most faerie (even the more minor breeds) count their lives in decades (if not centuries) rather than years. Jane said reminding me of something that I'd have rather forgotten, the prospect at outliving almost everyone that I'd ever met.
Now you can imagine how Morrigan feels. Damn, Jane had evidently picked up on that stray thought. Remember Morrigan has been around since the Twilight of the Five-Fold Court and The Sundering and has been a mother before several times. She has outlived the Queen that she swore to serve and nearly every child that she has ever brought into this world, if she didn't have mother and Dagda- not to mention her duty to the Western Court- she would likely be a hollow shell of herself. As for yourself- aside from me you will likely have Beatrice, Greyback, Anu, Morrigan, Dagda, mother, Queen Tiamat, and of course her highness- and that is only who you know at the moment there are still the other two maidens out there.
'Thanks Jane,' I sent back as our group reached Market Street, 'I needed that!'
Anytime that you need my counsel Randi I will be here to lend a word and a wing. Jane explained warmly in her British tone.
"Would you care to let us in on the conversation Randi?" Candace asked with an impish smile from as she cocked her head the look made all the more adorable by the old-fashioned newsie cap that hid her ears.
"What conversation?" Saladin piqued ignorant of the matter, "I know that she isn't a telepath."
"She was talking with her familiar Jane, or you mean that you haven't noticed that crow that's been keeping a bird's-eye-view on us." Candace danced around the two of us now that we made our way along New Charton Street.
"Are you certain that it is wise to be talking about this out in the open like that?" Saladin asked out of obvious concern.
"It shouldn't be a problem- this gaudy bauble that you touched on the train was Morrigan's variation on Fey's privacy charm," I explained as Candace revealed the prism that she was wearing on a necklace to our caped escort. "As long as you don't go further than ten feet away from her we're golden, not even a lip-reader knows what we're really talking about in the open."
"Randi sometimes you are almost as bad as a techie," Saladin sighed as he shook his head. "You shouldn't rely so much on mystic relics and enchanted items, it can leave you vulnerable in the worst ways."
"Believe me Sayyid, I'm going to have an intervention of the worst way soon enough," I explained as we walked along. "Summer Vacation wandering the American Plains as a wild animal- no powers, tools or opposable thumbs, using only what a wolf has in its arsenal as a means of survival- it'll be beyond rough."
"Aw, does that mean that I won't get to see you in a swimsuit while I show off this bikini that I picked out in Berlin?" Candace asked giving me the puppy dog eyes with her lower lip all a quiver.
"Unfortunately no, if you think that Morrigan can be a taskmaster then count yourself lucky that you'll never meet Greyback in this lifetime." I shuddered at the memory, of our last special trip through the hidden paths of the Dreamlands- hidden because he's probably one of the few beings in existence that can take them and survive. "But how about I make it up to you, Granny Bridges owns a surfside Bar and Grill down in Corpus Christie. She's coming for Visitor's Day at the tail-end of May; she might let you spend the summer there if you want."
"Hmm, Summer in the Sparkling City by the Sea- eh," Candace, mused for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to have any ulterior motives for this would you?"
"Well I was going to chaperone Heather and her friends on their trip to see Grandpa Rob and Granny Eleanor for part of the summer, but because of my new responsibilities that was a no go." I sighed as I admitted my ulterior motives, "it was going to be their first summer together, and personally after what happened back home Heather and Sherrie need a little fun."
"I'll think about it Randi," Candace mused as we continued towards Downtown Crossing, "I'll thing about it."
Boston North Station
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Gloriana pushed my chair as we made our way down Causeway Street to make our way towards the Prudential Center I couldn't help but take in the sights, granted I had seen Boston before through Vicky's eyes (oh how she hated to be called that) it was another to see it with my own.
"Enjoying your first trip to Boston?" Eve asked as she walked alongside the two of us with a type of poise and grace that I couldn't help but feel a teensy bit jealous about.
"More like enjoying my first trip anywhere," I admitted, well maybe that wasn't particularly true, I had been plenty of places in the Dreamlands including the city of Celephaïs which was so large that it would take someone thousands of years to take in for its entirety. Not that I didn't have the time, given that a night in the Dreamlands could equal up to a year in the waking world. "This is the first time that I've ever been anywhere other than Whateley remember, personally I can't wait to get out of this chair and do it on my own two feet."
"Give it time," Gloriana reminded me as we made our way onto Staniford, "this kind of physical therapy takes time, and according to the doctors you are making incredible progress. What they're really astonished by was how fast you mastered using your hands why didn't that give you as much trouble?"
"Because I always have hands, legs are another matter entirely, not that I dislike my other form it's just not all that useful just yet. Maybe once my chore this summer is over I might be able to visit the refuges in the Wild Lands or the Jade Heavens, you know maybe experience the other half of my heritage."
"You know I always wanted to learn how to scuba dive." Eve mused as we approached Cambridge Street. "There are a number of people that would actually be envious of your other form, just think of all that you can see that most other people can never be able to with their own eyes. Just how deep can you go anyway?"
"I don't really know but Palacia Argentum where Evania lives is about thirty-five hundred meters below the surface of the Silver Sea," I explained as we finally got to Cambridge Street to take a short detour to Joy Street.
"I'm sorry American here, I'm not intimately accustomed with the metric system," Eve sheepishly admitted as she continued along, just what is that in the Standard System?"
"Over two miles," Gloriana explained which made our way to Joy Street, "don't even ask how many atmospheres of pressure that is either, still her people can probably live even further down since that isn't even the average depth of the ocean."
"Evania isn't that the girl we're helping you shop for, I think I remember seeing her on that unbirthday video that was put-up on the school's intranet." Eve mused for a few moments, "I still can't believe that shy slip of girl is a princess, so what are we going shopping for clothes, jewelry perhaps?"
"She's got more heirloom jewelry than she'd ever know what to do with, and what she really wants she'll be getting in a few months." I began to explain a few things. "You see Evania's the King of the Silver Sea's grand-daughter, not that he doesn't have others mind you. Her mother Lirtosia was the King's oldest daughter and with the way she died he took it rather hard- ever since then he's kept her rather sheltered, that party was really the first time that she's been in the human world and one of the handful that she's ever been away from home."
"Yikes talk about over protective," Gloriana said breaking her stoic veneer, "Let me guess her potential status as a member of the Whateley Student Body is that present?"
"Bingo, still she might run into an issue given that she's supposed to be a student ambassador." I began to state my line of thought, "You see she'd really have no problem with clothing, outside of her student uniform she's going to be expected to wear native articles of clothing for photo-ops on occasion. While there are a fair number merfolk designers who live along the Silver Sea's shoreline, they tend to focus on apparel only, in other words we're going to be shoe-shopping."
"Shoe-shopping for someone not even present can be a little tricky Bea," Eve said as she brought up a point. "As is matching looks, I really hope that you planned ahead."
"Sorcha gave me photos of the formal and evening-wear that she has along with moldings of her feet, from what she told me fashion-trends in the Wild Refuges operate on a three-year cycle, most of the changes during those trends are minor alterations and adjustments." I explained as we rolled along down Joy Street, "Still given that they don't wear them all of the time when they do wear shoes they usually stick to Grecian sandals, the Jade Refuges are much the same way traditional slippers or geta all the way."
"I guess that makes sense," Eve chewed over that tidbit in a way that as a member of Venus Inc left a sour taste in her mouth, "why fuss over something that you rarely need to wear. Wait wouldn't normal clothing be much the same way, I mean all that sea water ruins most fibers especially if it's wet all the time."
"Not for silk, also keep in mind that they're not wearing wool or cotton, and synthetics are non-existent in the Fair Lands because it makes faefolk break out in rashes." I began to explain what I've begun to learn from my perusal at the Hall of Echoes. "They also use types of sea plants native to their waters like breeze frond and shoal weed to make types of cloth called vyun and quofa, granted that magic is used in weaving the bolts and recycling the scraps, still what they make with them works in and out of water."
I took note of their current disbelief, along with the fact that we had stopped. "What did you think that everyone was nude or followed the fashion-sense of Walt Disney's Little Mermaid there or something?" Their silence spoke volumes; at least I got a good laugh out of it.
DomVolka
10:16 AM
Meanwhile the groups of students from the Whateley Academy were traversing Boston- some more cautious than others, unaware that events were now in motion that would affect them greatly. Within a townhouse on Grove Street his telephone's obnoxious ringing rudely awakened an individual still asleep in a bed that he was sharing with two young women.
Aas the device rang the rather large man rose from his slumber, clearly irritated that he was forced to awaken so early after such a long night. With an almost phantasmal grace, he climbed out of the king-size bed barley disturbing the two beautiful women who only moments ago had been curled alongside him.
Now with the cordless receiver in hand he pressed the answer button to voice his ire, "This had better be important, otherwise you're in the running for a Darwin Award."
"Someone is indeed a nominee for a Darwin Award Carcharoth, however I believe that particular honor has passed me by once again." An all too familiar woman's voice echoed across the line.
"Well- well- well, Erzebet Scatch to what do I owe the honor of hearing your lovely voice so early in the morning," Carcharoth stated in a sarcastic tone. "I heard your crew was in the Big Apple clearing some items for transport from some of our old vaults to that underground warehouse that you have in Kansas."
"I was however someone in the Warehouse's staff decided to pull a fast one yesterday," Erzebet began to explain the details.
"Evidently one Greg Paulson laid down an extra reception ritual behind a concealment charm, then used his duplicity to clean out Dark Vault Eleven." That detail woke Carcharoth up and shifted his gears from zero to majorly pissed-off in three-point-two seconds. "Unless I'm mistaken Dark Vault Eleven is yours from back when you went by Lycaon, or am I mistaken?"
"Nope your dead right, and when I find this piss-ant he's just going to be plain dead!" Carcharoth growled as he began to transform into his more bestial state.
"Simmer down my dear," Erzebet pleaded over the phone that was beginning to crack in his grip. "That wasn't all he stole from The Circle, on his way out he also made off with the two Royal Atlantian Diadems that Madam Eventide was having shipped to my facility. Unfortunately for Mister Paulson my faithful employee Shuffle spotted him boarding a plane bound for Boston, he likely was taking his spoils to his buyer and given the city it's likely to be a member of the Children of the Night- possibly even The Necromancer himself."
"Let me guess," Carcharoth said licking his fanged chops, "a Search and Destroy mission for The Circle; gladly that punk Darrow's had it coming for decades."
"No we need you to infiltrate, observe and gather intelligence first." Erzebet chided him leading the most dangerous wolf on the planet to groan, "Now I know from your record that you despise recon missions; however given what we know of your pack we believe you are uniquely qualified in infiltrating Darrow's nameless lackey's working for the Boston Chapter House. Make sure that they keep an eye out for the crowns, and the most important irreplaceable pieces of your own collection, they are to keep them from disappearing without blowing their own cover. Now if necessary you are to sacrifice trophies that only have sentimental value in order to ensure that the real valuables are recovered, or as Mister Domino puts it 'Trim the fat to save the choice cuts.' Is that understood?"
"Yeah, doesn't mean that I have to like it though," Carcharoth admitted as his two latest pack mates woke up displaying their lustrous coats and pleading eyes. "Still I suppose that it is time for my new pack to have their trial run, alright send me the details and I'll get started."
"Very well I shall have Baud Rate send over the details momentarily," Erzebet explained and a few moments latter a rather chubby hand reached out through the phone with a rather thick folder.
"Useful fellow that you have," Carcharoth mused as he began to thumb through the folder's contents. "Amelia Hartford would be pissed if she found out that you have a means of data transmission that she can never hack in a million years."
"Amelia has plenty of other bees in her bonnet, now unfortunately until the rest of the crates here in New York are securely transported to my Underground Warehouse in Kansas my agents and I shall be unable to join you until likely early evening at my best estimate." Erzebet regretfully explained to the ancient agent, "So please try to delay them without showing your hand until then, still help should be on the way soon."
"Understood," Carcharoth explained as a he sent a few mental messages to his pack mates elsewhere in the city before hanging up the phone.
"Is there anything we can do for you my Lord?" Sasha Patel a graduate student at Cambridge working on her Master's in Management asked earnestly.
"Yes my Lord," Naomi Whittington a research assistant at MIT specializing in robotics proclaimed, "We are ready and willing to serve you in any way possible!"
"I am afraid not my dears; you must understand that it is too early for blossoms as new as yourselves to be presented to the world, there is too much of a risk that you might get pruned by someone who lacks my fine taste. Please go back to your normal lives for today, let your old selves return to their routines, and I shall signal you if I have need of your assistance." Carcharoth commanded the two young ladies nodded as they headed for the shower downstairs with their clothes in hand, not minding the show they were giving their new master as they did so. "That's right there are others who are already in place, no reason to risk sending in a new face when a familiar one can achieve the goals while hidden in plain sight."
Irish Famine Memorial
10:27 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"It's hard to believe that many people could die from a lack of potatoes," Candace said with a numb voice. "One million people dead just from one crop failing."
"It was as much an act of genocide as the Holocaust, the Potato Blight hit all of Europe but only in Ireland could it be considered a famine. People were starving to death while locally raised meat and grain was being exported by the English as cash crops, and during the whole mess landlords were evicting people left and right when they couldn't pay their rent."
"Not that most of the English cared, at the time most of them saw the blight as a solution to the Irish Problem and treated the locals like they were vermin; there was a saying at the time, 'God might have sent The Blight but the English caused the Starvation.' Even the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had more sympathy towards the Irish than Queen Victoria, a number of the British even thought that the famine wouldn't even go far enough to solve their problems, is it any wonder that people in Ireland are still mad about it to this day?"
"It is always old hatreds that give rise to terrorism," Sayyid admitted with a bitter taste in his mouth as we left the memorial, "it is much the same way for a good number of the Palestinians who blame the Israelis for taking their homes."
"Unfortunately there is no easy answer to that question, they didn't want to stay and get caught in the crossfire of the war with Sino-Egyptian War." I shook my head. "The sad fact is that there's too much bad blood and religious dogma standing in the way for people to negotiate that matter with a clear head."
"Is there ever an easy answer when religion and politics are both involved at the same time like that?" Sayyid asked in an equally somber tone.
"Now there is no reason to stay so down in the dumps," Candace cried as we moved along Washington Street. "The past is in the past, just because we need to learn from it doesn't mean we need to live in it. Doing that is part of what feeds creates a cycle that changes people for the worse, if someone pays for debts or misdeeds like those it should be because they are genuinely sorry about doing them not because someone is being shamed into feeling that they are obligated to doing something, doing that only causes problems in the long run."
"You sound like you know this from experience?" I asked curious to learn more about my roommate including why she wanted to start dating me so soon after meeting me, though if I found out it was out of convenience I was going to be pissed.
"You could say that," Candace said eyeballing a jewelry store- Barmakian from the name on the door. "Hey Randi, want to do some browsing?"
"Alright but only to window shop," I explained as we walked in with Sayyid following close behind.
Boston Common
10:31 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As I rolled down the sidewalks with Gloriana pushing my chair I took in the sights, sounds and even the smells of the park around me. All around I could see family's and couples alike taking a moment out of their busy schedules to take in the beauty of the park itself. I suppose given how I have spent most of my comparatively short life at Whateley, which is relatively unspoiled in its place in the White Mountains I am a little sheltered from either how sterile or cold an urban environment can be. I guess that I'll have to take time to rectify that matter when I finally get a hang of walking.
The Frog Pond was a bit of a misnomer, I don't think that I saw a single frog making their way along the surface of it although I was certain that I spotted several ducks having made their way back on the return trip from wintering in sunnier climates down south only a few months before I was born. Come to think of it there's a lot of things that I've never seen with my own eyes before I was born, for example this was the first time that I've ever seen a public park along with several different kinds of birds.
As Gloria rolled me slowly along the park's sidewalk I spotted a family walking their dog, and as they did so it stopped to sniff me no doubt able smelling the mermaid in me and wondering just why I smelled different. The man stopped to apologize, "Sorry about that, Nelly is just always excited to meet new people."
"That's perfectly alright," I laughed as I stroked the sides of the dog's face giving her a brief scratch behind her right ear, "she's just being curious. Having a pleasant day at the park aren't you girl- who's a good girl?"
Nelly barked in reply as she licked me on my cheek and continued with her owner on her walk.
"I would have thought that would have bothered you more than it did?" Eve asked somewhat confused by my actions. "Most girls dislike something that would mess with their makeup."
"She was just being friendly, besides I can always touch it up later." I explained as we made our way along the park thankful that neither of them noticed me slip the mini-spiral out of my fanny-pack o'plenty and mark that item of my ever expanding to do list. "Besides that was the first time that I ever got up close with a dog, it was really interesting."
"Really, I thought that you were friends with that Bridges girl from Poe?" Eve asked out of curiosity. "What's her moniker- Foul-Lens?"
"Faolan and I am, but then she's not really a dog, she's a wolf." I began to explain, "Besides I've noticed that she has issues dealing with personal space."
"That's not really that surprising; you know that monster that pulped Counterpoint about a week before Belpheobe whammied his ability to mimic healing factors?" Gloria explained as we came to Charles Street. "I heard that thing was once possessing her."
"You mean like demonic possession," Eve grimaced as a look of concern etched across her face. "No wonder she had issues, I mean I knew that Mrs. Redstag used to be in her head but something that used Counterpoint like a chew toy did too, that would give anyone issues."
"If only it was for a short time too," I shook my head as we crossed the street thankful for the privacy charm hidden on my wheelchair, "According to Jane it was actually for several years, she didn't even remember having a real dream until Mrs. Redstag left either."
"Yikes," Eve proclaimed as she looked shocked at that little revelation, "you mean that she never had any growing up? That sucks!"
"Speaking of dreams Bea," Gloriana interjected shifting the conversation, "do you have any of your own. This is your first trip to Boston and you're more concerned about doing things for other people, just what do you want to do?"
"Too many things for one day," I sheepishly admitted as I retrieved my notepad from my bag, "and most of them are plans for after I'm ambulatory."
"A lot of people go through life in a wheelchair Bea," Eve stated jumping into the current conversation, "they don't let it limit them- why should you?"
"Those people don't have any other choice Eve, this is just a temporary measure for me," I explained before flipping through my notepad. "Besides I doubt that I'll be able to run a marathon sitting down."
"There are still a lot of things that you can do in the mean time," Eve protested desperate to defend her position. "Have you tried basketball?"
"Yes, and not too many people are in a rush to play a game of hoops with me." I droned as I took a sideways glance at couples going by in swan boats, a quick jotting with my pen added that one to my ever expanding list."
"How about you consider things that you can do in your mermaid form?" Eve asked as we made our way across the wooden bridge on the west side of the park. "I mean swimming the English Channel would be a breeze, heck you could probably be the first person alive to explore the depths of Lake Eerie."
"Lake Eerie might be interesting, but until a certain situation is dealt with the ocean is considered hostile territory." I explained without exposing those two to the truth about the Deep Ones, fact is that while I might trust my fellow Underdogs or Capes like Gloriana with that kind of info, declared super-villains to be like Heartbreaker were another story.
"Why would the ocean be hostile to a mermaid?" Eve asked her curiosity now stirring. "Does this have something to do with those Atlantian terrorists that are always making the news?"
"Let's just say that there are hostile groups out there that are kept out of the news for a number of reasons," I sheepishly worked my way around the truth, after all how would the world react to the fact that there was a small army of gradually mutating monsters living alongside them, they can barely handle living with mutants."
The Necromancer's Lair
10:54 AM
Within the hidden sanctum of the dark sorcerer Charles Darrow alias The Necromancer and current unwilling host of the former Queen of the Whateley Academy's Alphas clique heard a ringing coming from the entrance to his sanctum proper. It took him a while to make his way to the entrance, mainly having to deal with the wards that both kept his sanctuary hidden and his guest protected from the wrath of the would-be Sidhe Queen's curse.
When he finally reached the entryway, he enabled the monitor, much to his distaste he recognized the guest who intruded upon his efforts in adapting the inscribed mithril that he had recently acquired. "Funny I thought my payments were current, I doubt that my dues were delinquent enough to warrant a visit from the Order's High Priest himself or is my nephew just wanting to come and pay me a social visit."
"Darrow you will grant me entrance immediately, The Esoteric Order of Dagon demands your services!" The man in the obscene golden mask and dark robes on the receiver ordered.
"Now is that any way to talk to your uncle, also I owe the Order scant lip-service for I have moved to serving other masters that the High Priest of a High Priest of a High Priest." Darrow scoffed in disdain.
"Just because you made alliances afforded to you by our Order doesn't alleviate you of your obligation to those who you were born into, nor does it change the fact that the blessing of Our Lord which you postpone through your regimen of rituals will be bestowed upon you one day." The High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon berated Darrow from his place upon the sorcerer's own threshold. "You still owe The Order a great deal, and if you complete the assignment that you are about to receive then not only will you likely be owed a debt to one of the other cults of the Great Ones, it will likely lead to your own Anointment."
Naturally, this caught The Necromancer's interest immediately, Anointment meant that even should his rituals fail and he eventually succumb to his ultimate fate as a Deep One he would still maintain his own sanity. Indeed that had been one of his previous motivations towards attacking the Kellith, for if anything the elimination of the greatest threat to Greath Cthulhu's throne would earn him the Anointment- which given time would make him Dagon's equal maybe even his replacement.
"Alright I shall grant you entrance to my antechamber, but no further." Darrow activated the blasphemous series of mechanisms that worked upon his entryway opening it to another entrance in a small room behind the main door, forming the arcane equivalent of an airlock. Unfortunately it was his obscene amount of security that led to Hekate's Master leaving the insufferable brat in his care, how he wished she had been too slow to escape Aunghadheil's wrath to spare him from putting up with her.
As the outer entry fully closed, the inner entry opened allowing the High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon access to The Necromancer's chosen abode, "You are fortunate that we have need of your services Darrow, otherwise this insult to the Order would not stand."
"The Order stands much child, among the society's that seek the return of the Great Ones we are considered a joke," The Necromancer scoffed. "In many ways as is the Great Father himself, you and I both know that he was just an inhabitant of Eastern of the Five Fold Courts who survived The Sundering and then sold his soul to the Dead Cthulhu who lies Dreaming for power and the rest of his people in an act of treason."
"The truth is written by the winners, the Eastern Court's time in this world is past and those of its blood are bound in service to the Great Father, which is all the truth that the world needs. Still that does not stop foolish dreamers from trying to undo the deeds of beings that are far beyond them, including the Great Father's victory over the Eastern Court." The High Priest explained in a tone that underscored his annoyance at this fact.
"There are four beings that appear to be created specifically to meddle in ways the ways of the Great Old Ones; we have received word that two of them are in Boston at this very moment." The High Priest stated as he produced a folder. "Here is what we know, you are to find them and kill them, and unfortunately all we obtained access to was pictures of their aliases and their codenames. The Order would appreciate if you would draw out and eliminate them, the means is left up to you just make it permanent it shouldn't be too difficult both of them are far newer to their abilities than that Sidhe heir-apparent who has been vexing you lately."
The Necromancer opened the folder and read the two names that were listed withing: Aletheia and Faolan.
"Oh and while I'm here we appreciate the work that your minion Wilbur is doing for us, now if you don't mind I'll leave you to decide how to carry out this little errand." The High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon snidely remarked as he returned to the mystic airlock to exit The Necromancer's Hideout while Charles Darrow began reading the dossier that his nephew had left with him.
Tello's - Downtown Crossing
11:04 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Randi- Randi what's wrong," Candace called out in a panic as I heard her voice somewhat distantly. "Sayyid we need to get some help, Randi's gone totally blank!"
"No she did not Candace, you asked her if that dress your trying on made your butt look big, that is a fairly normal response for a guy- evidently she still has it ingrained into her." Sayyid laughed trying to keep it together from outside the dressing rooms.
"Really what's so scary about that question," Candace asked with her eyebrows raised in disbelief. "It's not as if I asked her does this dress make me look fat?"
"Gahhh!" Those words tore into me as I ran into the changing room and curled into the fetal position.
"Randi, come on- I didn't mean that," Candace said as she was shaking my shoulder trying to elicit a response, "I was only using that as an example, I mean I've spent most of my life with my aunt but even I know not to ask that question."
"Okay but never try and ask me that one again," I demanded as I uncurled and stood back up.
"Really though, I was serious, you see I kind of want to draw attention to my tail without making it look like I have a fat butt in the process." Candace said as she struck a model's pose trying to emphasize her backside- made all the more striking by the optical camo net over her tail, "Tell me is it me?"
"Well the style is but to be honest I think that you would look better in a deeper shade of red, maybe wine or burgundy- also you might want to wait till you're a little older before buying that kind of dress." I explained, as I looked her over, "That looks like something for junior or senior year at least, not something for a freshman soon to be sophomore."
"Geez- what's your deal Randi?" Candace asked as she struck another pose, this time emphasizing her chest. "I didn't think that you were so much of a prude."
"That's not it, it's just that your still growing into your BIT and it just seems like a waste to me to get something that nice if you'll grow out of it in a few months;" I admitted trying to cool down my hormones, "although yes it does look very good on you."
"Randi, why did you have to bring logic into a shopping trip?" My vulpinesque roommate pouted as she leaned forward, unconsciously emphasizing her chest even more- man there are times that I am glad that mister mind-of-his-own is gone. "One of the points is to fantasize a little- still thank you for the compliment." She added before giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Hey fairy tales aren't always as saccharine as people remember." I rolled my eyes as I took one of my own picks and made my way into the dressing room.
"Oh I don't know," Candace sang as she grabbed my fifth appendage and gave it a little scratch, "I happen to think that this faerie tail is pretty adorable."
I all but drooled as I could see my face blushing like a tomato in the mirror, "Gee- Candace easy in public- Cottage secret remember. Come to think of it, you never even explained to me why you took an interest in me in the first place- it had better not just be because I'm your roommate."
"No," Candace said as she averted her eyes and took a few steps back. "You see- well it's- complicated."
"So am I, so please tell me Candace," I said as I tried to look her in the eyes- while she tried to avoid doing so (which is normally my problem), "you've been avoiding this for a while but we need to talk about this. Tell me just why you want to have a relationship with me."
"Okay but you see it's a little embarrassing," Candace deflated with a sigh, "you see it stems back to when I first saw you in New York when you were receiving your award alongside your little sister. At first I was flirting with you because- well I thought that you were cute, then I saw you transform for the first time."
"So you have a thing for werewolves?" I asked with a little trepidation- oh lord please don't let this be Twilight thing- I despise that series!
"No," Candace said as she shook her head, "do you remember when I talked about how my mother died?"
"Yeah," A part of me softened as I remembered the experience that she had from that psychic attack less than a week after she arrived at school, "it must have been heartbreaking. I can't imagine what it would have been like losing my mom if I was that young, especially if it involved never knowing my dad either."
"It was the worst time of my life," Candace said as her voice sounded a little distant, "even being kidnapped and tortured by the MCO didn't come close. I was so close to just shutting myself off from the world that it was scary, if it wasn't for Gertrude I would have just withdrawn from reality."
"Just who is Gertrude," I asked knowing that it wasn't the name of one of her friends that she arrived at school with, "was she another one of your friends?"
"In a way she was my best friend," Candace admitted in a sheepish tone, "she was a mixed breed husky that my grandfather rescued from the pound when I was five. Gertrude was always there when I was upset growing up, and when I found out about mom she was curled up on my bed next to me right away- she barely left my side until I was ready to deal with the world again. The crazy thing is your wolf form looks just like her, if you don't believe me I could get my grandma to bring a few pictures with her. I know that it's stupid, but I always felt safe around her- that's part of why I curled up next to you that time you fell asleep in the floor you looked just like her."
"Candace- it's okay," I said as I patted her on the shoulder, "well I admit it is a little odd knowing that I remind you of your old dog- but I guess that I can deal with odd knowing my family."
"Yeah they seem pretty nice," Candace said as she leaned into me, "I was amazed at how your dad stuck by your mom when Professor Id's potion turned her into a monster- made me wonder what my dad would have been like."
"Candace- anyone who would refuse to get to know someone like you has no business even calling himself a dad." I said as I stared at her in the eyes.
"Thank you Randi," Candace said as to my surprise she hugged me and I returned the favor. It was odd used to I had a bit of a problem with other people touching me but I had to admit- it felt nice just sitting there holding onto each other. I knew that we couldn't do this forever- especially since the beast was beginning to demand its second offering of the day, but I guess that we could spare a few minutes just to enjoy the moment.
Bsiques - Newbury Street
11:10 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Okay Bea you're right on the color and style but to be honest a dress like that one in the picture calls for wedges not flats- although not necessarily platform wedges." Eve did her best to explain, "Still considering all of the time that you spent in Vicky's head you should know this by now."
"Um Eve- you're a bit off there, you see I was in her astral shadow not her head." I did my best to explain things for her, "I could see everything that she saw and hear everything that she heard but that was all I could do. I couldn't smell anything- I couldn't taste anything- I couldn't feel anything, and through all of that no matter what I did I couldn't communicate with anyone- it was sheer torture."
"Geez, after seventeen years of that, it's a miracle that you're not crazy." Glory said in exasperation.
"Well the thrill of finally being able to be a part of the world helped a lot." I began to admit sheepishly before deciding to drop a little bomb about Cytherea, "Also it wasn't seventeen years, you see I didn't fall into Vicky's astral shadow in this life, it in one of her past lives and I remember that one and every single one since."
Okay I know that my confinement wasn't her fault but the girl's attitude and callus nature had worn on me over the centuries, this would be my only payback for enduring that though.
"Okay now you're pulling my leg," Eve explained as she got out a pair of two-inch heels in the same shade of green as the earlier flats that I selected, "I mean I've heard of people claiming to have past lives but this is a little ridiculous."
"Oh but I'm telling you the truth and Victoria's personality has been the exact same in all of them, " I explained as a sour expression crossed my face. "I won't tell you who she was or anything like that, no that kind of secret is her responsibility to tell, not mine since she remembers too."
"Okay I guess that I can buy that," Eve mulled it over, "after all we go to school with a demon princess like Carmilla and some claim that Nikki is some kind of reincarnated Fairy Queen, not to mention that weirdness with Bladedancer- so I guess that the idea of past lives aren't that far-fetched."
"Yes and after a while I just accepted my existence and just tried to learn all that I could. By the time that she was Victoria Godwin I had long become used to everything, still I didn't like her very much or the way that she treated others or used people."
"Good," Gloriana stated as she came back from returning the discarded shoes, "if you ask me the best type of payback that you can give someone like Victoria is to turn out a better person than she'll ever be!"
"Way to ham it up drama queen," Eve rolled her eyes at the queen of the Cape Squad, "still you have a point. Bea as we were telling you earlier you need to focus more about learning how to be you, maybe next week you need to take a little time away from studying and papers and try to find a hobby? Take a look around campus check out the clubs and places that you've never been before who knows- you might find something that you're interested in trying out."
"I think that I will," I replied considering the matter a bit, I was already caught up with my various papers for my freshmen year courses, slowing down a little bit to finish my work towards my sophomore years standard courses couldn't hurt. "Besides I need something to fill my card next year when I become a full-fledged student, maybe joining a club could help do that."
The Long Dark Hall
?
In a space between spaces a figure walked down a tunnel etched with ancient quarried stone, he walked with purpose yet there was a weight upon him as he did so, almost like one could see that he was doing something that was necessary but distasteful.
After what seemed like forever, he exited a causeway that rapidly turned into a statue of an Ancient Egyptian Priest. After a minute or two it transformed back into a causeway again and three women wearing masks of a porcelain-like ceramic, a horned crown made of a dark metal, and garbed in leather- bustiers, gloves and riding boots with spike heels made their way out.
"Ekdikeo, Miseo, Skleeros- it has been a while since we were all on assignment together," Greygus stated with an almost weary tone, "I had hoped that the need for all of us to be working together wouldn't come anytime soon."
"As much as we enjoy your company Greygus I know what you mean," Ekdikeo replied as she shook her waterfall of dark earth-toned locks behind her she did so. "Is Erzebet going to be contributing anyone to this operation?"
"Not right away, The Hangman and Papa Houma would be a liability given that The Necromancer is likely involved, Dead-Zone works solo given that his powers would interfere with anyone else's, Shuffle is currently busy in New York, and Sureshot is overseeing the Number Cards although both he and Scratch should be joining us later." I explained giving the leader of The Furies the current heads-up. "Carcharoth is currently handling matters on the other end, and hopefully he uses digression this time."
"Speak for yourself," Skleeros almost seemed to shudder with anticipation of the potential battle to come, "I like my operations like my down-time hot, messy and preferably with a whole hell of a lot of screaming involved."
"I must apologize for our sister Greygus," Miseo stated taking the time to speak as her own bloody curls almost seemed to droop in embarrassment, "she never was one for digression despite the fact that this mission calls for a great deal of it."
"Believe me I remember from that escapade in Istanbul back in '43." Greygus sighed betraying his lack of enthusiasm for the task at hand. "Meanwhile we need some information, I hate going in blind."
Greygus lead the group through the passages of the Boston Chapterhouse of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom to his intended destination- the concierge.
"Greygus it's been a long time, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit," Stanly said in a jovial tone at least before he noticed the trio of women behind him, then his expression shifted to fear. "Wait a minute are those the Erinyes, holy smoke the rumors are true- the Circle's back! I have-"
Stanly's panic and lunge for the panic button was cut short when Greygus blurred grabbed the man's out-stretched arm, rolled up Stanly's right-sleeve and pressed his palm fist against it. All of the sudden the storm of panic on Stanly's face subsided to an eerie calm, when Greygus withdrew his fist two things could be seen Stanly had the tattoo of an oddly stylized bird on his forearm and Greygus was wearing a ring that was the mirror image of the tattoo with one exception- it had Stanly's face.
"Sorry about this Stanly, I hate using these things however we can't risk The Necromancer knowing that we're here and I need info. Look on the bright-side though this way the Erinyes don't have to torture you and your boss can't kill you for betraying us." Greygus remarked as he stepped back on the other side of the concierge counter confident that Ekdikeo's illusions made it appear that nothing was amiss.
"I understand sir." Stanly replied in an even tone of voice, "What do you require of me?"
"I need to know movements in and out of the warehouses that the Children of the Night make use of in Boston and to know if anything was sent or received lately." Greygus explained to the concierge whose self was currently in his thrall due to the Bak-Ba subsuming his Ba (self), a nasty method of doing business that Greygus thought were distasteful but sometimes necessary. "I also need you to tell me the current roster of The Children of the Night along with their current locations and assignments."
"Certainly sir, I will retrieve that information momentarily." Stanley replied as he got to work. "The current roster of the Children of the Night, consists of The Necromancer, Lycanthros, Arch-Fiend, Lady Darke, Jaberwock, and Arcane-Knight. At present they are preparing for an attack on two students from the Whateley Academy who are in two groups- here is the information on their targets."
Greygus looked over the information that Stanley had pulled up on his monitor and shook off his earlier melancholy; this suddenly became far more personal that it had earlier. "Ladies, it looks like a slight change in plans," Greygus said in a tone that you could almost hear him smiling from beneath his helmet. "It looks like we're going to get to play the part of the Calvary for a change."
Staff Lounge - Whateley Academy
Whateley, New Hampshire
11:17 AM
Morrigan looked at Headmistress Carson, as the woman walked by the staff buffet, despite looking as young as she always did there was the obvious sign of worry upon her face. Taking a wild guess as to the cause Mrs. Redstag resolved to talk to her.
"Let me guess," the regent of the Wyld Fae interjected as she caught the woman's attention, "worried about Beatrice being in Boston."
"Of course I'm worried," Carson shot back in a frosty tone, "my daughter is in the same city as a monster that has attacked my students three times this school year. Why shouldn't I be worried?
"I never said that you had no reason to worry," Morrigan stated as she set her tray down at Elizabeth's table, "you are a mother whose daughter is away from home and out of your sight for the first time, if you weren't worried I would call you naïve. I am just as worried about my protégé being there as well, I just hope that I've prepared her in case the worst happens."
"Just what is Faolan to you, and for that matter just what is this Destiny of the Maidens that I keep hearing about?" Elizabeth demanded as she looked at Morrigan with a mother's fury in her eyes, "I know that she needs to rescue her uncle this summer but there is more to it than that, or am I wrong?"
"Elizabeth, if I may be so bold as to use your first name," Morrigan spoke in a weary tone, "you know that full sidhe cannot volunteer such information for free like that. However given that you are her mother I will tell you what I can, but not here- meet me tonight at the Jolly Drayman in Berlin for a few drinks and I shall consider your company payment enough for an explanation."
"Alright Morrigan," Elizabeth eased up, "but I shall hold you to your word."
"Elizabeth," Morrigan stated as she shot the Headmistress a steely glare, "faerie might bend the truth, we might mislead or use wordplay, but we do not lie when we give our word."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 8
Boston North Station
Boston, Massachusetts
9:50 AM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
By the time, our train pulled into Boston, Candace and I had hammered out our itinerary; we had agreed to make the Holocaust Memorial a stop on the way back to the train station- making it our final destination of the evening since we didn't have too much time to kill before the movie started. That meant our first stop would be shopping, granted this was for herself since Cadence said that she picked out a pendant for Chandra at Kameleon in Berlin a week and a half ago. She probably wanted to get something nice for her Aunt Pauline and her grandparents when they came to visit the Whateley Academy in May, given that they were all the family that she had left it made me glad to realize how nice I really have it with my own family.
Speaking of which I should probably look for a few nice things for my own folks, we didn't really do much other than see the sights when we were in New York, come to think of it maybe I should look for something nice for Vanessa as an apology for being such a jerk for all these years. The revelation of her condition last month came as a shock, to think that she's been living with the knowledge that she had the potential future of becoming a deep one hanging over her head had given me a new found respect for her. It also made me wonder where my dislike of her had come from in the first place; I guess that it might finally be time for me to make that long overdue appointment with Doctor Bellows.
At least you are finally starting to consider that matter my dear, I heard Jane relay over our link as I felt her presence from a perch onto of a nearby telephone pole, granted that you already gave her something that she had been lacking for years my dear, a hope for a happy future with your brother. Tell me how would it strike you to have a mermaid for a sister-in-law?
'I admit Jane it would make things interesting, especially considering that she'd have a lesbian faerie half-breed for a sister-in-law.' I mused back as our group began to leave North Station behind us and make our way down Canal Street.
You do remember Morrigan informing you that faerie are biologically bisexual by nature, maybe you just haven't met the right young man just yet; just give these matters time- you are still getting used to being a young lady after all. From what I have heard the young queen-to-be had nearly a year to come to terms with becoming a young lady before making her sojourn to the Whateley Academy. Meanwhile it has been scarcely five months since your own transition, while truly it has been an eventful period you need time to come to terms with yourself. Jane stated as she descended into lecture mode.
'Jane, remember I spent fifteen years growing up as a guy, I doubt that I'm really going to start taking an interest in men just because my plumbing's changed.' I thought back at her over our shared link.
And you shall spend far longer than that as a lady, you seem to forget that most faerie (even the more minor breeds) count their lives in decades (if not centuries) rather than years. Jane said reminding me of something that I'd have rather forgotten, the prospect at outliving almost everyone that I'd ever met.
Now you can imagine how Morrigan feels. Damn, Jane had evidently picked up on that stray thought. Remember Morrigan has been around since the Twilight of the Five-Fold Court and The Sundering and has been a mother before several times. She has outlived the Queen that she swore to serve and nearly every child that she has ever brought into this world, if she didn't have mother and Dagda- not to mention her duty to the Western Court- she would likely be a hollow shell of herself. As for yourself- aside from me you will likely have Beatrice, Greyback, Anu, Morrigan, Dagda, mother, Queen Tiamat, and of course her highness- and that is only who you know at the moment there are still the other two maidens out there.
'Thanks Jane,' I sent back as our group reached Market Street, 'I needed that!'
Anytime that you need my counsel Randi I will be here to lend a word and a wing. Jane explained warmly in her British tone.
"Would you care to let us in on the conversation Randi?" Candace asked with an impish smile from as she cocked her head the look made all the more adorable by the old-fashioned newsie cap that hid her ears.
"What conversation?" Saladin piqued ignorant of the matter, "I know that she isn't a telepath."
"She was talking with her familiar Jane, or you mean that you haven't noticed that crow that's been keeping a bird's-eye-view on us." Candace danced around the two of us now that we made our way along New Charton Street.
"Are you certain that it is wise to be talking about this out in the open like that?" Saladin asked out of obvious concern.
"It shouldn't be a problem- this gaudy bauble that you touched on the train was Morrigan's variation on Fey's privacy charm," I explained as Candace revealed the prism that she was wearing on a necklace to our caped escort. "As long as you don't go further than ten feet away from her we're golden, not even a lip-reader knows what we're really talking about in the open."
"Randi sometimes you are almost as bad as a techie," Saladin sighed as he shook his head. "You shouldn't rely so much on mystic relics and enchanted items, it can leave you vulnerable in the worst ways."
"Believe me Sayyid, I'm going to have an intervention of the worst way soon enough," I explained as we walked along. "Summer Vacation wandering the American Plains as a wild animal- no powers, tools or opposable thumbs, using only what a wolf has in its arsenal as a means of survival- it'll be beyond rough."
"Aw, does that mean that I won't get to see you in a swimsuit while I show off this bikini that I picked out in Berlin?" Candace asked giving me the puppy dog eyes with her lower lip all a quiver.
"Unfortunately no, if you think that Morrigan can be a taskmaster then count yourself lucky that you'll never meet Greyback in this lifetime." I shuddered at the memory, of our last special trip through the hidden paths of the Dreamlands- hidden because he's probably one of the few beings in existence that can take them and survive. "But how about I make it up to you, Granny Bridges owns a surfside Bar and Grill down in Corpus Christie. She's coming for Visitor's Day at the tail-end of May; she might let you spend the summer there if you want."
"Hmm, Summer in the Sparkling City by the Sea- eh," Candace, mused for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to have any ulterior motives for this would you?"
"Well I was going to chaperone Heather and her friends on their trip to see Grandpa Rob and Granny Eleanor for part of the summer, but because of my new responsibilities that was a no go." I sighed as I admitted my ulterior motives, "it was going to be their first summer together, and personally after what happened back home Heather and Sherrie need a little fun."
"I'll think about it Randi," Candace mused as we continued towards Downtown Crossing, "I'll thing about it."
Boston North Station
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Gloriana pushed my chair as we made our way down Causeway Street to make our way towards the Prudential Center I couldn't help but take in the sights, granted I had seen Boston before through Vicky's eyes (oh how she hated to be called that) it was another to see it with my own.
"Enjoying your first trip to Boston?" Eve asked as she walked alongside the two of us with a type of poise and grace that I couldn't help but feel a teensy bit jealous about.
"More like enjoying my first trip anywhere," I admitted, well maybe that wasn't particularly true, I had been plenty of places in the Dreamlands including the city of Celephaïs which was so large that it would take someone thousands of years to take in for its entirety. Not that I didn't have the time, given that a night in the Dreamlands could equal up to a year in the waking world. "This is the first time that I've ever been anywhere other than Whateley remember, personally I can't wait to get out of this chair and do it on my own two feet."
"Give it time," Gloriana reminded me as we made our way onto Staniford, "this kind of physical therapy takes time, and according to the doctors you are making incredible progress. What they're really astonished by was how fast you mastered using your hands why didn't that give you as much trouble?"
"Because I always have hands, legs are another matter entirely, not that I dislike my other form it's just not all that useful just yet. Maybe once my chore this summer is over I might be able to visit the refuges in the Wild Lands or the Jade Heavens, you know maybe experience the other half of my heritage."
"You know I always wanted to learn how to scuba dive." Eve mused as we approached Cambridge Street. "There are a number of people that would actually be envious of your other form, just think of all that you can see that most other people can never be able to with their own eyes. Just how deep can you go anyway?"
"I don't really know but Palacia Argentum where Evania lives is about thirty-five hundred meters below the surface of the Silver Sea," I explained as we finally got to Cambridge Street to take a short detour to Joy Street.
"I'm sorry American here, I'm not intimately accustomed with the metric system," Eve sheepishly admitted as she continued along, just what is that in the Standard System?"
"Over two miles," Gloriana explained which made our way to Joy Street, "don't even ask how many atmospheres of pressure that is either, still her people can probably live even further down since that isn't even the average depth of the ocean."
"Evania isn't that the girl we're helping you shop for, I think I remember seeing her on that unbirthday video that was put-up on the school's intranet." Eve mused for a few moments, "I still can't believe that shy slip of girl is a princess, so what are we going shopping for clothes, jewelry perhaps?"
"She's got more heirloom jewelry than she'd ever know what to do with, and what she really wants she'll be getting in a few months." I began to explain a few things. "You see Evania's the King of the Silver Sea's grand-daughter, not that he doesn't have others mind you. Her mother Lirtosia was the King's oldest daughter and with the way she died he took it rather hard- ever since then he's kept her rather sheltered, that party was really the first time that she's been in the human world and one of the handful that she's ever been away from home."
"Yikes talk about over protective," Gloriana said breaking her stoic veneer, "Let me guess her potential status as a member of the Whateley Student Body is that present?"
"Bingo, still she might run into an issue given that she's supposed to be a student ambassador." I began to state my line of thought, "You see she'd really have no problem with clothing, outside of her student uniform she's going to be expected to wear native articles of clothing for photo-ops on occasion. While there are a fair number merfolk designers who live along the Silver Sea's shoreline, they tend to focus on apparel only, in other words we're going to be shoe-shopping."
"Shoe-shopping for someone not even present can be a little tricky Bea," Eve said as she brought up a point. "As is matching looks, I really hope that you planned ahead."
"Sorcha gave me photos of the formal and evening-wear that she has along with moldings of her feet, from what she told me fashion-trends in the Wild Refuges operate on a three-year cycle, most of the changes during those trends are minor alterations and adjustments." I explained as we rolled along down Joy Street, "Still given that they don't wear them all of the time when they do wear shoes they usually stick to Grecian sandals, the Jade Refuges are much the same way traditional slippers or geta all the way."
"I guess that makes sense," Eve chewed over that tidbit in a way that as a member of Venus Inc left a sour taste in her mouth, "why fuss over something that you rarely need to wear. Wait wouldn't normal clothing be much the same way, I mean all that sea water ruins most fibers especially if it's wet all the time."
"Not for silk, also keep in mind that they're not wearing wool or cotton, and synthetics are non-existent in the Fair Lands because it makes faefolk break out in rashes." I began to explain what I've begun to learn from my perusal at the Hall of Echoes. "They also use types of sea plants native to their waters like breeze frond and shoal weed to make types of cloth called vyun and quofa, granted that magic is used in weaving the bolts and recycling the scraps, still what they make with them works in and out of water."
I took note of their current disbelief, along with the fact that we had stopped. "What did you think that everyone was nude or followed the fashion-sense of Walt Disney's Little Mermaid there or something?" Their silence spoke volumes; at least I got a good laugh out of it.
DomVolka
10:16 AM
Meanwhile the groups of students from the Whateley Academy were traversing Boston- some more cautious than others, unaware that events were now in motion that would affect them greatly. Within a townhouse on Grove Street his telephone's obnoxious ringing rudely awakened an individual still asleep in a bed that he was sharing with two young women.
Aas the device rang the rather large man rose from his slumber, clearly irritated that he was forced to awaken so early after such a long night. With an almost phantasmal grace, he climbed out of the king-size bed barley disturbing the two beautiful women who only moments ago had been curled alongside him.
Now with the cordless receiver in hand he pressed the answer button to voice his ire, "This had better be important, otherwise you're in the running for a Darwin Award."
"Someone is indeed a nominee for a Darwin Award Carcharoth, however I believe that particular honor has passed me by once again." An all too familiar woman's voice echoed across the line.
"Well- well- well, Erzebet Scatch to what do I owe the honor of hearing your lovely voice so early in the morning," Carcharoth stated in a sarcastic tone. "I heard your crew was in the Big Apple clearing some items for transport from some of our old vaults to that underground warehouse that you have in Kansas."
"I was however someone in the Warehouse's staff decided to pull a fast one yesterday," Erzebet began to explain the details.
"Evidently one Greg Paulson laid down an extra reception ritual behind a concealment charm, then used his duplicity to clean out Dark Vault Eleven." That detail woke Carcharoth up and shifted his gears from zero to majorly pissed-off in three-point-two seconds. "Unless I'm mistaken Dark Vault Eleven is yours from back when you went by Lycaon, or am I mistaken?"
"Nope your dead right, and when I find this piss-ant he's just going to be plain dead!" Carcharoth growled as he began to transform into his more bestial state.
"Simmer down my dear," Erzebet pleaded over the phone that was beginning to crack in his grip. "That wasn't all he stole from The Circle, on his way out he also made off with the two Royal Atlantian Diadems that Madam Eventide was having shipped to my facility. Unfortunately for Mister Paulson my faithful employee Shuffle spotted him boarding a plane bound for Boston, he likely was taking his spoils to his buyer and given the city it's likely to be a member of the Children of the Night- possibly even The Necromancer himself."
"Let me guess," Carcharoth said licking his fanged chops, "a Search and Destroy mission for The Circle; gladly that punk Darrow's had it coming for decades."
"No we need you to infiltrate, observe and gather intelligence first." Erzebet chided him leading the most dangerous wolf on the planet to groan, "Now I know from your record that you despise recon missions; however given what we know of your pack we believe you are uniquely qualified in infiltrating Darrow's nameless lackey's working for the Boston Chapter House. Make sure that they keep an eye out for the crowns, and the most important irreplaceable pieces of your own collection, they are to keep them from disappearing without blowing their own cover. Now if necessary you are to sacrifice trophies that only have sentimental value in order to ensure that the real valuables are recovered, or as Mister Domino puts it 'Trim the fat to save the choice cuts.' Is that understood?"
"Yeah, doesn't mean that I have to like it though," Carcharoth admitted as his two latest pack mates woke up displaying their lustrous coats and pleading eyes. "Still I suppose that it is time for my new pack to have their trial run, alright send me the details and I'll get started."
"Very well I shall have Baud Rate send over the details momentarily," Erzebet explained and a few moments latter a rather chubby hand reached out through the phone with a rather thick folder.
"Useful fellow that you have," Carcharoth mused as he began to thumb through the folder's contents. "Amelia Hartford would be pissed if she found out that you have a means of data transmission that she can never hack in a million years."
"Amelia has plenty of other bees in her bonnet, now unfortunately until the rest of the crates here in New York are securely transported to my Underground Warehouse in Kansas my agents and I shall be unable to join you until likely early evening at my best estimate." Erzebet regretfully explained to the ancient agent, "So please try to delay them without showing your hand until then, still help should be on the way soon."
"Understood," Carcharoth explained as a he sent a few mental messages to his pack mates elsewhere in the city before hanging up the phone.
"Is there anything we can do for you my Lord?" Sasha Patel a graduate student at Cambridge working on her Master's in Management asked earnestly.
"Yes my Lord," Naomi Whittington a research assistant at MIT specializing in robotics proclaimed, "We are ready and willing to serve you in any way possible!"
"I am afraid not my dears; you must understand that it is too early for blossoms as new as yourselves to be presented to the world, there is too much of a risk that you might get pruned by someone who lacks my fine taste. Please go back to your normal lives for today, let your old selves return to their routines, and I shall signal you if I have need of your assistance." Carcharoth commanded the two young ladies nodded as they headed for the shower downstairs with their clothes in hand, not minding the show they were giving their new master as they did so. "That's right there are others who are already in place, no reason to risk sending in a new face when a familiar one can achieve the goals while hidden in plain sight."
Irish Famine Memorial
10:27 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"It's hard to believe that many people could die from a lack of potatoes," Candace said with a numb voice. "One million people dead just from one crop failing."
"It was as much an act of genocide as the Holocaust, the Potato Blight hit all of Europe but only in Ireland could it be considered a famine. People were starving to death while locally raised meat and grain was being exported by the English as cash crops, and during the whole mess landlords were evicting people left and right when they couldn't pay their rent."
"Not that most of the English cared, at the time most of them saw the blight as a solution to the Irish Problem and treated the locals like they were vermin; there was a saying at the time, 'God might have sent The Blight but the English caused the Starvation.' Even the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire had more sympathy towards the Irish than Queen Victoria, a number of the British even thought that the famine wouldn't even go far enough to solve their problems, is it any wonder that people in Ireland are still mad about it to this day?"
"It is always old hatreds that give rise to terrorism," Sayyid admitted with a bitter taste in his mouth as we left the memorial, "it is much the same way for a good number of the Palestinians who blame the Israelis for taking their homes."
"Unfortunately there is no easy answer to that question, they didn't want to stay and get caught in the crossfire of the war with Sino-Egyptian War." I shook my head. "The sad fact is that there's too much bad blood and religious dogma standing in the way for people to negotiate that matter with a clear head."
"Is there ever an easy answer when religion and politics are both involved at the same time like that?" Sayyid asked in an equally somber tone.
"Now there is no reason to stay so down in the dumps," Candace cried as we moved along Washington Street. "The past is in the past, just because we need to learn from it doesn't mean we need to live in it. Doing that is part of what feeds creates a cycle that changes people for the worse, if someone pays for debts or misdeeds like those it should be because they are genuinely sorry about doing them not because someone is being shamed into feeling that they are obligated to doing something, doing that only causes problems in the long run."
"You sound like you know this from experience?" I asked curious to learn more about my roommate including why she wanted to start dating me so soon after meeting me, though if I found out it was out of convenience I was going to be pissed.
"You could say that," Candace said eyeballing a jewelry store- Barmakian from the name on the door. "Hey Randi, want to do some browsing?"
"Alright but only to window shop," I explained as we walked in with Sayyid following close behind.
Boston Common
10:31 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As I rolled down the sidewalks with Gloriana pushing my chair I took in the sights, sounds and even the smells of the park around me. All around I could see family's and couples alike taking a moment out of their busy schedules to take in the beauty of the park itself. I suppose given how I have spent most of my comparatively short life at Whateley, which is relatively unspoiled in its place in the White Mountains I am a little sheltered from either how sterile or cold an urban environment can be. I guess that I'll have to take time to rectify that matter when I finally get a hang of walking.
The Frog Pond was a bit of a misnomer, I don't think that I saw a single frog making their way along the surface of it although I was certain that I spotted several ducks having made their way back on the return trip from wintering in sunnier climates down south only a few months before I was born. Come to think of it there's a lot of things that I've never seen with my own eyes before I was born, for example this was the first time that I've ever seen a public park along with several different kinds of birds.
As Gloria rolled me slowly along the park's sidewalk I spotted a family walking their dog, and as they did so it stopped to sniff me no doubt able smelling the mermaid in me and wondering just why I smelled different. The man stopped to apologize, "Sorry about that, Nelly is just always excited to meet new people."
"That's perfectly alright," I laughed as I stroked the sides of the dog's face giving her a brief scratch behind her right ear, "she's just being curious. Having a pleasant day at the park aren't you girl- who's a good girl?"
Nelly barked in reply as she licked me on my cheek and continued with her owner on her walk.
"I would have thought that would have bothered you more than it did?" Eve asked somewhat confused by my actions. "Most girls dislike something that would mess with their makeup."
"She was just being friendly, besides I can always touch it up later." I explained as we made our way along the park thankful that neither of them noticed me slip the mini-spiral out of my fanny-pack o'plenty and mark that item of my ever expanding to do list. "Besides that was the first time that I ever got up close with a dog, it was really interesting."
"Really, I thought that you were friends with that Bridges girl from Poe?" Eve asked out of curiosity. "What's her moniker- Foul-Lens?"
"Faolan and I am, but then she's not really a dog, she's a wolf." I began to explain, "Besides I've noticed that she has issues dealing with personal space."
"That's not really that surprising; you know that monster that pulped Counterpoint about a week before Belpheobe whammied his ability to mimic healing factors?" Gloria explained as we came to Charles Street. "I heard that thing was once possessing her."
"You mean like demonic possession," Eve grimaced as a look of concern etched across her face. "No wonder she had issues, I mean I knew that Mrs. Redstag used to be in her head but something that used Counterpoint like a chew toy did too, that would give anyone issues."
"If only it was for a short time too," I shook my head as we crossed the street thankful for the privacy charm hidden on my wheelchair, "According to Jane it was actually for several years, she didn't even remember having a real dream until Mrs. Redstag left either."
"Yikes," Eve proclaimed as she looked shocked at that little revelation, "you mean that she never had any growing up? That sucks!"
"Speaking of dreams Bea," Gloriana interjected shifting the conversation, "do you have any of your own. This is your first trip to Boston and you're more concerned about doing things for other people, just what do you want to do?"
"Too many things for one day," I sheepishly admitted as I retrieved my notepad from my bag, "and most of them are plans for after I'm ambulatory."
"A lot of people go through life in a wheelchair Bea," Eve stated jumping into the current conversation, "they don't let it limit them- why should you?"
"Those people don't have any other choice Eve, this is just a temporary measure for me," I explained before flipping through my notepad. "Besides I doubt that I'll be able to run a marathon sitting down."
"There are still a lot of things that you can do in the mean time," Eve protested desperate to defend her position. "Have you tried basketball?"
"Yes, and not too many people are in a rush to play a game of hoops with me." I droned as I took a sideways glance at couples going by in swan boats, a quick jotting with my pen added that one to my ever expanding list."
"How about you consider things that you can do in your mermaid form?" Eve asked as we made our way across the wooden bridge on the west side of the park. "I mean swimming the English Channel would be a breeze, heck you could probably be the first person alive to explore the depths of Lake Eerie."
"Lake Eerie might be interesting, but until a certain situation is dealt with the ocean is considered hostile territory." I explained without exposing those two to the truth about the Deep Ones, fact is that while I might trust my fellow Underdogs or Capes like Gloriana with that kind of info, declared super-villains to be like Heartbreaker were another story.
"Why would the ocean be hostile to a mermaid?" Eve asked her curiosity now stirring. "Does this have something to do with those Atlantian terrorists that are always making the news?"
"Let's just say that there are hostile groups out there that are kept out of the news for a number of reasons," I sheepishly worked my way around the truth, after all how would the world react to the fact that there was a small army of gradually mutating monsters living alongside them, they can barely handle living with mutants."
The Necromancer's Lair
10:54 AM
Within the hidden sanctum of the dark sorcerer Charles Darrow alias The Necromancer and current unwilling host of the former Queen of the Whateley Academy's Alphas clique heard a ringing coming from the entrance to his sanctum proper. It took him a while to make his way to the entrance, mainly having to deal with the wards that both kept his sanctuary hidden and his guest protected from the wrath of the would-be Sidhe Queen's curse.
When he finally reached the entryway, he enabled the monitor, much to his distaste he recognized the guest who intruded upon his efforts in adapting the inscribed mithril that he had recently acquired. "Funny I thought my payments were current, I doubt that my dues were delinquent enough to warrant a visit from the Order's High Priest himself or is my nephew just wanting to come and pay me a social visit."
"Darrow you will grant me entrance immediately, The Esoteric Order of Dagon demands your services!" The man in the obscene golden mask and dark robes on the receiver ordered.
"Now is that any way to talk to your uncle, also I owe the Order scant lip-service for I have moved to serving other masters that the High Priest of a High Priest of a High Priest." Darrow scoffed in disdain.
"Just because you made alliances afforded to you by our Order doesn't alleviate you of your obligation to those who you were born into, nor does it change the fact that the blessing of Our Lord which you postpone through your regimen of rituals will be bestowed upon you one day." The High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon berated Darrow from his place upon the sorcerer's own threshold. "You still owe The Order a great deal, and if you complete the assignment that you are about to receive then not only will you likely be owed a debt to one of the other cults of the Great Ones, it will likely lead to your own Anointment."
Naturally, this caught The Necromancer's interest immediately, Anointment meant that even should his rituals fail and he eventually succumb to his ultimate fate as a Deep One he would still maintain his own sanity. Indeed that had been one of his previous motivations towards attacking the Kellith, for if anything the elimination of the greatest threat to Greath Cthulhu's throne would earn him the Anointment- which given time would make him Dagon's equal maybe even his replacement.
"Alright I shall grant you entrance to my antechamber, but no further." Darrow activated the blasphemous series of mechanisms that worked upon his entryway opening it to another entrance in a small room behind the main door, forming the arcane equivalent of an airlock. Unfortunately it was his obscene amount of security that led to Hekate's Master leaving the insufferable brat in his care, how he wished she had been too slow to escape Aunghadheil's wrath to spare him from putting up with her.
As the outer entry fully closed, the inner entry opened allowing the High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon access to The Necromancer's chosen abode, "You are fortunate that we have need of your services Darrow, otherwise this insult to the Order would not stand."
"The Order stands much child, among the society's that seek the return of the Great Ones we are considered a joke," The Necromancer scoffed. "In many ways as is the Great Father himself, you and I both know that he was just an inhabitant of Eastern of the Five Fold Courts who survived The Sundering and then sold his soul to the Dead Cthulhu who lies Dreaming for power and the rest of his people in an act of treason."
"The truth is written by the winners, the Eastern Court's time in this world is past and those of its blood are bound in service to the Great Father, which is all the truth that the world needs. Still that does not stop foolish dreamers from trying to undo the deeds of beings that are far beyond them, including the Great Father's victory over the Eastern Court." The High Priest explained in a tone that underscored his annoyance at this fact.
"There are four beings that appear to be created specifically to meddle in ways the ways of the Great Old Ones; we have received word that two of them are in Boston at this very moment." The High Priest stated as he produced a folder. "Here is what we know, you are to find them and kill them, and unfortunately all we obtained access to was pictures of their aliases and their codenames. The Order would appreciate if you would draw out and eliminate them, the means is left up to you just make it permanent it shouldn't be too difficult both of them are far newer to their abilities than that Sidhe heir-apparent who has been vexing you lately."
The Necromancer opened the folder and read the two names that were listed withing: Aletheia and Faolan.
"Oh and while I'm here we appreciate the work that your minion Wilbur is doing for us, now if you don't mind I'll leave you to decide how to carry out this little errand." The High Priest of the Esoteric Order of Dagon snidely remarked as he returned to the mystic airlock to exit The Necromancer's Hideout while Charles Darrow began reading the dossier that his nephew had left with him.
Tello's - Downtown Crossing
11:04 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Randi- Randi what's wrong," Candace called out in a panic as I heard her voice somewhat distantly. "Sayyid we need to get some help, Randi's gone totally blank!"
"No she did not Candace, you asked her if that dress your trying on made your butt look big, that is a fairly normal response for a guy- evidently she still has it ingrained into her." Sayyid laughed trying to keep it together from outside the dressing rooms.
"Really what's so scary about that question," Candace asked with her eyebrows raised in disbelief. "It's not as if I asked her does this dress make me look fat?"
"Gahhh!" Those words tore into me as I ran into the changing room and curled into the fetal position.
"Randi, come on- I didn't mean that," Candace said as she was shaking my shoulder trying to elicit a response, "I was only using that as an example, I mean I've spent most of my life with my aunt but even I know not to ask that question."
"Okay but never try and ask me that one again," I demanded as I uncurled and stood back up.
"Really though, I was serious, you see I kind of want to draw attention to my tail without making it look like I have a fat butt in the process." Candace said as she struck a model's pose trying to emphasize her backside- made all the more striking by the optical camo net over her tail, "Tell me is it me?"
"Well the style is but to be honest I think that you would look better in a deeper shade of red, maybe wine or burgundy- also you might want to wait till you're a little older before buying that kind of dress." I explained, as I looked her over, "That looks like something for junior or senior year at least, not something for a freshman soon to be sophomore."
"Geez- what's your deal Randi?" Candace asked as she struck another pose, this time emphasizing her chest. "I didn't think that you were so much of a prude."
"That's not it, it's just that your still growing into your BIT and it just seems like a waste to me to get something that nice if you'll grow out of it in a few months;" I admitted trying to cool down my hormones, "although yes it does look very good on you."
"Randi, why did you have to bring logic into a shopping trip?" My vulpinesque roommate pouted as she leaned forward, unconsciously emphasizing her chest even more- man there are times that I am glad that mister mind-of-his-own is gone. "One of the points is to fantasize a little- still thank you for the compliment." She added before giving me a peck on the cheek.
"Hey fairy tales aren't always as saccharine as people remember." I rolled my eyes as I took one of my own picks and made my way into the dressing room.
"Oh I don't know," Candace sang as she grabbed my fifth appendage and gave it a little scratch, "I happen to think that this faerie tail is pretty adorable."
I all but drooled as I could see my face blushing like a tomato in the mirror, "Gee- Candace easy in public- Cottage secret remember. Come to think of it, you never even explained to me why you took an interest in me in the first place- it had better not just be because I'm your roommate."
"No," Candace said as she averted her eyes and took a few steps back. "You see- well it's- complicated."
"So am I, so please tell me Candace," I said as I tried to look her in the eyes- while she tried to avoid doing so (which is normally my problem), "you've been avoiding this for a while but we need to talk about this. Tell me just why you want to have a relationship with me."
"Okay but you see it's a little embarrassing," Candace deflated with a sigh, "you see it stems back to when I first saw you in New York when you were receiving your award alongside your little sister. At first I was flirting with you because- well I thought that you were cute, then I saw you transform for the first time."
"So you have a thing for werewolves?" I asked with a little trepidation- oh lord please don't let this be Twilight thing- I despise that series!
"No," Candace said as she shook her head, "do you remember when I talked about how my mother died?"
"Yeah," A part of me softened as I remembered the experience that she had from that psychic attack less than a week after she arrived at school, "it must have been heartbreaking. I can't imagine what it would have been like losing my mom if I was that young, especially if it involved never knowing my dad either."
"It was the worst time of my life," Candace said as her voice sounded a little distant, "even being kidnapped and tortured by the MCO didn't come close. I was so close to just shutting myself off from the world that it was scary, if it wasn't for Gertrude I would have just withdrawn from reality."
"Just who is Gertrude," I asked knowing that it wasn't the name of one of her friends that she arrived at school with, "was she another one of your friends?"
"In a way she was my best friend," Candace admitted in a sheepish tone, "she was a mixed breed husky that my grandfather rescued from the pound when I was five. Gertrude was always there when I was upset growing up, and when I found out about mom she was curled up on my bed next to me right away- she barely left my side until I was ready to deal with the world again. The crazy thing is your wolf form looks just like her, if you don't believe me I could get my grandma to bring a few pictures with her. I know that it's stupid, but I always felt safe around her- that's part of why I curled up next to you that time you fell asleep in the floor you looked just like her."
"Candace- it's okay," I said as I patted her on the shoulder, "well I admit it is a little odd knowing that I remind you of your old dog- but I guess that I can deal with odd knowing my family."
"Yeah they seem pretty nice," Candace said as she leaned into me, "I was amazed at how your dad stuck by your mom when Professor Id's potion turned her into a monster- made me wonder what my dad would have been like."
"Candace- anyone who would refuse to get to know someone like you has no business even calling himself a dad." I said as I stared at her in the eyes.
"Thank you Randi," Candace said as to my surprise she hugged me and I returned the favor. It was odd used to I had a bit of a problem with other people touching me but I had to admit- it felt nice just sitting there holding onto each other. I knew that we couldn't do this forever- especially since the beast was beginning to demand its second offering of the day, but I guess that we could spare a few minutes just to enjoy the moment.
Bsiques - Newbury Street
11:10 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Okay Bea you're right on the color and style but to be honest a dress like that one in the picture calls for wedges not flats- although not necessarily platform wedges." Eve did her best to explain, "Still considering all of the time that you spent in Vicky's head you should know this by now."
"Um Eve- you're a bit off there, you see I was in her astral shadow not her head." I did my best to explain things for her, "I could see everything that she saw and hear everything that she heard but that was all I could do. I couldn't smell anything- I couldn't taste anything- I couldn't feel anything, and through all of that no matter what I did I couldn't communicate with anyone- it was sheer torture."
"Geez, after seventeen years of that, it's a miracle that you're not crazy." Glory said in exasperation.
"Well the thrill of finally being able to be a part of the world helped a lot." I began to admit sheepishly before deciding to drop a little bomb about Cytherea, "Also it wasn't seventeen years, you see I didn't fall into Vicky's astral shadow in this life, it in one of her past lives and I remember that one and every single one since."
Okay I know that my confinement wasn't her fault but the girl's attitude and callus nature had worn on me over the centuries, this would be my only payback for enduring that though.
"Okay now you're pulling my leg," Eve explained as she got out a pair of two-inch heels in the same shade of green as the earlier flats that I selected, "I mean I've heard of people claiming to have past lives but this is a little ridiculous."
"Oh but I'm telling you the truth and Victoria's personality has been the exact same in all of them, " I explained as a sour expression crossed my face. "I won't tell you who she was or anything like that, no that kind of secret is her responsibility to tell, not mine since she remembers too."
"Okay I guess that I can buy that," Eve mulled it over, "after all we go to school with a demon princess like Carmilla and some claim that Nikki is some kind of reincarnated Fairy Queen, not to mention that weirdness with Bladedancer- so I guess that the idea of past lives aren't that far-fetched."
"Yes and after a while I just accepted my existence and just tried to learn all that I could. By the time that she was Victoria Godwin I had long become used to everything, still I didn't like her very much or the way that she treated others or used people."
"Good," Gloriana stated as she came back from returning the discarded shoes, "if you ask me the best type of payback that you can give someone like Victoria is to turn out a better person than she'll ever be!"
"Way to ham it up drama queen," Eve rolled her eyes at the queen of the Cape Squad, "still you have a point. Bea as we were telling you earlier you need to focus more about learning how to be you, maybe next week you need to take a little time away from studying and papers and try to find a hobby? Take a look around campus check out the clubs and places that you've never been before who knows- you might find something that you're interested in trying out."
"I think that I will," I replied considering the matter a bit, I was already caught up with my various papers for my freshmen year courses, slowing down a little bit to finish my work towards my sophomore years standard courses couldn't hurt. "Besides I need something to fill my card next year when I become a full-fledged student, maybe joining a club could help do that."
The Long Dark Hall
?
In a space between spaces a figure walked down a tunnel etched with ancient quarried stone, he walked with purpose yet there was a weight upon him as he did so, almost like one could see that he was doing something that was necessary but distasteful.
After what seemed like forever, he exited a causeway that rapidly turned into a statue of an Ancient Egyptian Priest. After a minute or two it transformed back into a causeway again and three women wearing masks of a porcelain-like ceramic, a horned crown made of a dark metal, and garbed in leather- bustiers, gloves and riding boots with spike heels made their way out.
"Ekdikeo, Miseo, Skleeros- it has been a while since we were all on assignment together," Greygus stated with an almost weary tone, "I had hoped that the need for all of us to be working together wouldn't come anytime soon."
"As much as we enjoy your company Greygus I know what you mean," Ekdikeo replied as she shook her waterfall of dark earth-toned locks behind her she did so. "Is Erzebet going to be contributing anyone to this operation?"
"Not right away, The Hangman and Papa Houma would be a liability given that The Necromancer is likely involved, Dead-Zone works solo given that his powers would interfere with anyone else's, Shuffle is currently busy in New York, and Sureshot is overseeing the Number Cards although both he and Scratch should be joining us later." I explained giving the leader of The Furies the current heads-up. "Carcharoth is currently handling matters on the other end, and hopefully he uses digression this time."
"Speak for yourself," Skleeros almost seemed to shudder with anticipation of the potential battle to come, "I like my operations like my down-time hot, messy and preferably with a whole hell of a lot of screaming involved."
"I must apologize for our sister Greygus," Miseo stated taking the time to speak as her own bloody curls almost seemed to droop in embarrassment, "she never was one for digression despite the fact that this mission calls for a great deal of it."
"Believe me I remember from that escapade in Istanbul back in '43." Greygus sighed betraying his lack of enthusiasm for the task at hand. "Meanwhile we need some information, I hate going in blind."
Greygus lead the group through the passages of the Boston Chapterhouse of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom to his intended destination- the concierge.
"Greygus it's been a long time, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit," Stanly said in a jovial tone at least before he noticed the trio of women behind him, then his expression shifted to fear. "Wait a minute are those the Erinyes, holy smoke the rumors are true- the Circle's back! I have-"
Stanly's panic and lunge for the panic button was cut short when Greygus blurred grabbed the man's out-stretched arm, rolled up Stanly's right-sleeve and pressed his palm fist against it. All of the sudden the storm of panic on Stanly's face subsided to an eerie calm, when Greygus withdrew his fist two things could be seen Stanly had the tattoo of an oddly stylized bird on his forearm and Greygus was wearing a ring that was the mirror image of the tattoo with one exception- it had Stanly's face.
"Sorry about this Stanly, I hate using these things however we can't risk The Necromancer knowing that we're here and I need info. Look on the bright-side though this way the Erinyes don't have to torture you and your boss can't kill you for betraying us." Greygus remarked as he stepped back on the other side of the concierge counter confident that Ekdikeo's illusions made it appear that nothing was amiss.
"I understand sir." Stanly replied in an even tone of voice, "What do you require of me?"
"I need to know movements in and out of the warehouses that the Children of the Night make use of in Boston and to know if anything was sent or received lately." Greygus explained to the concierge whose self was currently in his thrall due to the Bak-Ba subsuming his Ba (self), a nasty method of doing business that Greygus thought were distasteful but sometimes necessary. "I also need you to tell me the current roster of The Children of the Night along with their current locations and assignments."
"Certainly sir, I will retrieve that information momentarily." Stanley replied as he got to work. "The current roster of the Children of the Night, consists of The Necromancer, Lycanthros, Arch-Fiend, Lady Darke, Jaberwock, and Arcane-Knight. At present they are preparing for an attack on two students from the Whateley Academy who are in two groups- here is the information on their targets."
Greygus looked over the information that Stanley had pulled up on his monitor and shook off his earlier melancholy; this suddenly became far more personal that it had earlier. "Ladies, it looks like a slight change in plans," Greygus said in a tone that you could almost hear him smiling from beneath his helmet. "It looks like we're going to get to play the part of the Calvary for a change."
Staff Lounge - Whateley Academy
Whateley, New Hampshire
11:17 AM
Morrigan looked at Headmistress Carson, as the woman walked by the staff buffet, despite looking as young as she always did there was the obvious sign of worry upon her face. Taking a wild guess as to the cause Mrs. Redstag resolved to talk to her.
"Let me guess," the regent of the Wyld Fae interjected as she caught the woman's attention, "worried about Beatrice being in Boston."
"Of course I'm worried," Carson shot back in a frosty tone, "my daughter is in the same city as a monster that has attacked my students three times this school year. Why shouldn't I be worried?
"I never said that you had no reason to worry," Morrigan stated as she set her tray down at Elizabeth's table, "you are a mother whose daughter is away from home and out of your sight for the first time, if you weren't worried I would call you naïve. I am just as worried about my protégé being there as well, I just hope that I've prepared her in case the worst happens."
"Just what is Faolan to you, and for that matter just what is this Destiny of the Maidens that I keep hearing about?" Elizabeth demanded as she looked at Morrigan with a mother's fury in her eyes, "I know that she needs to rescue her uncle this summer but there is more to it than that, or am I wrong?"
"Elizabeth, if I may be so bold as to use your first name," Morrigan spoke in a weary tone, "you know that full sidhe cannot volunteer such information for free like that. However given that you are her mother I will tell you what I can, but not here- meet me tonight at the Jolly Drayman in Berlin for a few drinks and I shall consider your company payment enough for an explanation."
"Alright Morrigan," Elizabeth eased up, "but I shall hold you to your word."
"Elizabeth," Morrigan stated as she shot the Headmistress a steely glare, "faerie might bend the truth, we might mislead or use wordplay, but we do not lie when we give our word."
Last Edit: 7 years 2 months ago by Insane Hiker.
7 years 2 months ago #14
by Insane Hiker
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West Side
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:57 AM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I was brimming with both anticipation and trepidation; this was the first time that he had ever been to Vegas as well as the first time that I had ever disobeyed my mother. Okay she'd be beyond furious when I finally got home, but according to the guys this was the first sign that I was really starting to grow up or as Matt reminded me- "A little rebellion is perfectly normal in a teenager."
I took in the scenery of the West Side of Las Vegas as we drove along the freeway, not as majestic as the world famous Vegas Strip mind you but still impressive to a small town guy like myself. Then felt a sharp pain in my right arm, I looked down and sure enough, there was another crack-like mark just like the scratch I still had on my face from the fight the other day, I did my best to avoid looking at it especially touching it. Soon we exited the Oran K. Gragson Freeway via the cloverleaf that dumped us onto South Rainbow Boulevard, as continued to make our way into Vegas.
"See Paul- Rainbow Boulevard," Steve said with a light-hearted laugh. "Vegas is already trying to make you feel welcome!"
"Oh-ha-ha Steve," I said as I rolled my eyes. "What do you suggest I visit San Francisco next?"
"Heck no, Nevada may be hot but at least it's a dry heat." Steve remarked before saying. "Although if we do head to San Fran, maybe we could convince the folks at Alcatraz to take Danny off of our hands for a little while."
"Don't make promises that you don't intend to keep kid," Matt said with a smirk making Danny give us all the evil eye. "By the way I hope that nobody ate, a big breakfast, cause we're going to a place to get our nosh on that isn't a buffet."
"Good thing I was too nervous to eat when I was sneaking out," I said as the beast made his presence known once food had been mentioned.
"Hold on guys we're boxers," Walt said bringing up an important point. "We need to be careful so that we stay within our weight-classes."
"Walter after breakfast I'm parking this beast in one of the garages on The Strip." Matt explained as we made our way off South Rainbow Boulevard and onto West Sahara Avenue. "We're going to be hoofing it until we leave to head back home, all that we need to do is skip lunch- so just consider this Brunch instead of Breakfast."
"Alright but still nobody go too crazy," Walt cautioned as we pulled off of the street and into a parking lot.
"Gentlemen welcome to Hash House a Go Go." Matt said with a manic grin on his face.
I wondered what it was all about when a waitress named Kelly came in and lead us to our seats.
Groom Lake
Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada
7:12 AM
Cautiously Slither made his way around the commissary, as usual his disguise was flawless it had taken him days of surveillance to pick out the right member of the base's personnel to switch out with and it took no small amount of patience. Despite popular misconceptions to the contrary, even with the meticulous amount of discipline and professionalism at a top-secret facility like this one- there was still an amount of small talk.
Small wonder that men in the military armed with assault rifles and machine guns can still keep their pleasantries even when they kept to their duties. Then again, in a world with super-spies, infiltrators and shape-shifting mutants making sure that someone was acting like themselves was vital- because any abnormalities could clue you in to an infiltrator.
Still there were always your anti-social types, those who never really fit in anywhere, never talk to anyone and always keep their mouths shut. Find folks like that and you have your disguise for infiltrating a base- it had taken him a day or two but he found his in Rob Harris. The man was as dull as dishwater and blended into the background like old spit on the wall, it was perfect. He spent a day learning the ins and outs of his routines, and then when the day was over followed the chump back to his room, slipped in through the vents and tranquilized him without a struggle.
Slither had even had more than ample time to slip off base last night and make for the rendezvous point to pick up the final details of his part of the plan. At least then, he could leave and get a decent meal, the chef at this base should be taken out to shooting range and used for target practice- during a live fire drill.
"Morning Rob," One of the many personnel at the base said as he walked past Slither not even realizing the imposter for who he was, Slither followed with Rob's characteristic lack of acknowledgment thus reinforcing the illusion. He only had to buy time until it was time for his shift to be alone with the gems in less than three hours, then the plan would commence. It was hardly a flawless plan, there was no such thing, but as long as everyone was careful, they all stood a chance at pulling the caper off.
Hash House a Go Go
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:49 AM
POV: Paul Ledoux
"Whoa it's a good thing that I'm off the boxing team," I said as I stared down at my now empty plate. "Otherwise Coach would yell at me for breaking my diet, great grub though."
"You're not off the team yet and you're not the only one he's going to yell at because of today." Steve said before he tried to silence a belch that slipped past him. "At least you're not going to get it from Coach Kendrik from the gym and Coach Frost from the football team. He's already pissed at me for 'creating the situation' that got that D-Bag Jeff suspended so late in the season. At least our substitute quarterback Miguel was able to pull off a win yesterday; honestly I don't see why he's the sub and not Jeff, he's obviously a better player."
"I can give you the answer to that one Steve," Matt said as he climbed into the hummer's driver seat. "Coach Frost tries not to let anyone know it but he's a giant bigot; just look through the yearbooks and see how many people who aren't white make the team. You know about Drey Riggs our Defensive Lineman over at Boulder City High right?"
"You mean the guy everyone calls Hoover Dam Junior?" Walter inquired before digging a little more. "Why? What about him?"
"When we were in Middle School Coach Frost stuck him on the JV team," Matt all but growled at the memory. "Drey nailed it in try-outs but Frost never even gave him a chance, if he did maybe we could have nailed the State Championship and went onto regionals."
"Makes sense," Steve said with a sick expression on his face. "The only reason that he couldn't do the same to Miguel is because all of the folks other than Jeff that tried out were hopeless; you could tell a number of them were trying out to make their dads happy."
We got into the car and buckled our seatbelts as we headed for the MGM Grand Hotel. "Hey we're not guests, and won’t you need to pay to park?" Walter asked bringing up an important point.
"Nope, parking at their garage is totally free for everybody-" Matt began to explain the ins and outs of the system. "That is provided that you come in to get your parking validated at the front desk. They use that as an excuse to lure folks into the casino that aren't guests of the hotel itself fortunately you're all under eighteen so they won't dare try to do that, and since I know better I'm fine."
After a short drive back on Sahara Avenue we got onto the Las Vegas Freeway, soon enough we could see The Strip in the distance. With every minute on the Freeway, the strip itself began to loom closer and closer as we could make out the giant hotels, resorts and casinos in the distance- Sin City, the Home of Second Chances. Mother always claimed that it was cesspool of depraved individuals like my father, which thought made the crack along my face ache.
Now that I think about my father, it was weird how I never really considered looking for him; from what I had gathered through mother's condescending lectures over the years he lived in Vegas. Then again, what were the chances of me ever meeting him, I didn't know his name, or for that matter even what he looked like and Las Vegas is the largest city in the state and swarms with tourists every year- I'd have a better chance of finding a needle in a barn full of hay.
Eventually the Las Vegas Strip was no longer in the distance it was all around us, it was amazing I was actually here in one of the largest tourist Mecca's on the planet- mother would be beside herself if she knew. I guess that it's a good thing that even if she figured out that I left to go to Vegas with my friends that I never told her just where we were going. Wait where did that thought come from? I shook my head in confusion; I never thought of mother with anything but absolute respect in mind- it was weird. I suddenly winced as I felt a similar pain to earlier in my left leg, what the hell was going on with me?"
Eventually Los Vegas Freeway split, Matt took the left fork that had us heading east until it spat us out onto West Tropicana Avenue; I could already see the famous Excalibur to my right then a bit further down the street our destination- The MGM Grand. We curved to head north as we approached the parking garage, all once we entered the massive structure all doubts left my mind. Something told me that I needed to come to Vegas today- and why not, this would be my first time seeing an actual pro-boxing match live.
Area 51 Research Complex
Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada
8:58 AM
It was time, Slither still disguised as Private Rob Harris took his spot in the rotation entering the vault as fellow soldier Private Ed Waring left. The two passed by each other without saying a word as Ed left to go through the body scanner built into the tube. Still as high tech as what the military had in this black budget base there were still those who had tech that was beyond their concept of bleeding edge. Once Private Waring went into the body scanner the door to the vault then shut tight, it would not open again for another half an hour for the next shift.
That meant that Slither had thirty minutes to get the job done before leaving for the rendezvous with Slyde. This would be like taking candy from a baby, he already knew that there was no video surveillance inside this security vault only pressure sensors where the items in question were kept, that ensured that no video footage could be taken from the base. This also meant that if the weight were ever off from the pressure sensors in one way or another then an alarm would sound alerting the bases armed security personnel. There was also an audio sensor in the room, which would trigger if any sound ninety decibels would trigger it, which was one of the reasons the floor was made out of rubber tiles. It was fortunate that thanks to Professor Id- Slither was prepared, after all- the Professor was the person that the Zodiac Cartel came to after murdering Captain Cosmos to help them figure out and harness his Zodiac Gems.
He could easily provide Slither with near-perfect forgeries of the gems since he had a chance to thoroughly study the real things years ago, granted there was no way that he could sneak the fakes in through his pockets. Fortunately, Slither's physiology wasn't entirely human anymore, satisfied that he could now work away from prying eyes Slither distended his jaw and reached down into his stomach with his right hand. Soon he grasped his target, removed the plastic pouch containing the fake gems, and reconnected his mandible to his upper jaw.
After moving mouth from side to side in order to make sure that it was properly reconnected, Slither walked over to his target getting the fakes out and leaving the now open bag on the ground. Now it was time to concentrate- this would be the make it or break it time. Carefully he opened the case containing the gems, making sure to do it slowly so as not to set off the pressure- after a few agonizing minutes the altered agent had the case fully open.
Now was time for the hard part, one by one he exchanged the zodiac gems for the forgeries that Professor Id had manufactured for this occasion careful to make each switch near instantaneously. He was down to the final one- the Libra gem when he felt a sneeze coming on he did his best to hold it since the hundred-mile an hour gust could slightly rock the case and trigger the alarm long before he was prepared for it not to mention trigger the audio alarm as well. Desperately Slither held it in as he slowly made the exchange; the moment seemed to have finally passed. He quickly put the gems inside his case, Slither delicately shut it and swallowed the package once again- just as if he had last night after the meeting before he sneaked back onto the military instillation.
With the case once again safely secured, Slither his adjusted his uniform to maintain the illusion of military decorum as he heaved a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the sneeze that he had held back took that opportunity to slip out and tripped the audio sensor. Almost immediately, a group of armed personnel marched into the room weapons ready.
"What the hell just happened Private Harris?" Sargent Ingendorf said as a walked in past the other soldiers.
"Sorry sir, I sneezed sir, I tried to hold it in but it slipped by me sir." Slither responded flawlessly impersonated Private Harris as he did so.
"At ease private, you were near the end of your shift anyway." Sgt. Ingendorf observed. "Resume your post, Private Pierce will be in 0930 hours to relieve you."
Sgt. Ingendorf and the soldier filed out of the vault as the door sealed itself shut behind them. After they had left Slither already began to layout his plans, he'd make his to the rendezvous point with slide during the interim between the end of this shift and lunch, then return to fill out his other three guard shifts over the course of the day. Yes he'd wait until well after light-out to make his true escape then leave the real Private Harris to be discovered not long after not reporting in for duty tomorrow.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter House
Lord Khamsin's Office (Formerly Lord Ataxia's Tomb)
9:21 AM
Lord Khamsin of the Obsidian Circle sat in anticipation at his desk, he was almost done reviewing the requests from the legitimate businessmen who ran Vegas behind the scenes over matters that they felt his organization needed to look into for him. He smirked at the matter; most of these people were Mafia dons or lieutenants- the type of folks who were not used to asking for anything unless it was not really a voluntary request. However they also knew that times had changed from the old days, they needed someone like him in order to survive- more so than ever.
It was ironic, back when he went by the name Lord Ataxia he was the shadowy figure who fronted Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal the capital to invest into turning Las Vegas into the resort town that it was. He also invested a great deal in sending several billion in bullion to the United States government over the years to acquire territory in Nevada itself. Granted most of that territory was then leased back to the government for the rate of one cent per acre a year (on the public books it was still government land), but for beings like himself money was inconsequential next to dominion.
He had also helped the Vegas families restructure and reinvest in the eighties when the FBI came to sever their control on the casinos; a lot of people would be surprised to know that most of the entertainment and resort companies that publicly owned and operated the casinos and resorts today were actually partially owned by the cosa nostra. He had also convinced them that the rackets of old were actually bad business to have running in Vegas itself, after all why break the law to make a few quick bucks when you can have a steady stream of capital from legal operations that don't scare away the customers.
Indeed at this rate he'd be more than ready to host dinner this evening with Miranda and her mother this evening, things were indeed looking up.
Suddenly the phone at his desk rang, in what was becoming a casual reflex since taking a more public role in running the Chapter House Lord Khamsin answered. "Hello Las Vegas Chapter House this is Lord Khamsin, to whom am I speaking?"
"Lord Khamsin I have some bad news," Greygus's voice came through loud and clear along the phone line. Last night someone entered Dark Vault Eleven, they also made off with the two Atlantian Diadems that Mistress Nyx had stored in Vault 2. Erzebet Scratch's people have tracked the thief to Boston; we think that the Necromancer or someone connected to him are involved."
"I understand Greygus," Lord Khamsin said as he dismissed the illusion of humanity that to appear as himself once more then activating his armor. "I will be there as soon as I can."
"No you misunderstand sire," Greygus replied over the phone clearly desperate. "I'm just calling to report my status, not invite you to the party. I already contacted the others and most will be there, when I did, Brimstone gave me some of his usual clairvoyant BS. He warned that no matter what you should not join us in Boston, evidently something is going to happen in your neck of the woods and he claimed that if you miss it then you will regret it forever."
Bonanza Gift Shop
Las Vegas, Nevada
10:14 AM
"Geez whoever called this place the world's largest gift shop wasn't kidding," Steve said as he looked over the merchandise on the shelves. "Granted most of the stuff here is just junk that folks who come here bring home as cheap souvenirs to their friends.
"Yeah no kidding," Danny rolled his eyes as he flicked the noggin of a Dean Martin bobble head. "I mean who would want to buy Rat Pack bobble heads?"
"Someone who's a fan of them Danny," Walt commented while looking through the T-shirt racks. "Besides for Vegas history buffs the Rat Pack are a big deal. Hey a Joe Calzaghe t-shirt, who'd have thought they'd have this?"
"Who's Joe Calzaghe?" Matt commented busy filling a shopping basket with a few odds and ends, likely requested souvenirs for his friends in High School.
"He's the current WBO Super Middle Weight Champion, he used to be the IBF Super Middle Weight Champ as well but he had to relinquish that title because he opted to turn down a mandatory bout against a contender from Germany in order to defend his WBO title against Peter Manfredo. He's also currently undefeated," Walt explained while he continued to examine the t-shirt, "Just my size too."
"Man we're picking up a lot of junk," I said as I looked over the baskets. "Maybe we should pick up a tote-bag or two to keep it on us, this stuff would be too visible in Matt's hummer."
"Yeah you've got a point," Matt agreed with my assessment, after all there was only so much that the security on hand in the MGM Grand's Parking Garage could do.
So we walked over to the tote bags that were in the gift shop- all of which displayed the logos or marquise of famous casinos of the past and present. On impulse, I picked out one for the Luxor, while Walt picked up one for the Casino Royale. Danny got one for the Excalibur, and Steve picked out one with the Cesar's Palace logo; the only weird thing was that when Matt picked out one for the Aladdin (what's now Planet Hollywood) part of me winced. Really, it was weird, why would that affect me.
Just like earlier I felt a sudden sharp pain this time on my chest, I didn't even need to look I knew that there would be another crack-like mark on my body just like the last few times. What the hell was causing this, all of a sudden it looked like I was beginning to develop cracks along the surface if this kept up I'd look like I was a human equivalent to a crazed ceramic pot- that is unless I broke. 'Guess it's a good thing that mother was making me quite boxing,' I thought to myself yet a part of me wasn't so sure about that idea.
I mean I still had no idea just what that phone call she made the night after Paul attacked me was about, let alone just who she was talking to on the other end. Then there were those odd visions I'd been having- just what were those about? Both had happened when something touched the first scratch mark that appeared after Paul had tried to beat the pulp out of me, yet nothing happened when I had touched the one that appeared on my right arm on the drive to Vegas. I needed some answers, just what was going on?
10 miles North-Northeast of Groom Lake
Near - Extraterrestrial Highway, Nevada
10:59 AM
Slyde was waiting with a distinct lack of patience for her rendezvous with Slither, especially since there was a good reason for doing so given the fact that this operation had needed the assistance of a monster like Professor Id and his organization didn't sit well with her. Granted Slyde and the others baring the same moniker as her in the Slyde Procurement, Courier and Delivery Agency were mercenaries- they were also mercenaries with standards.
In all thirty-six years of the Slyde Service's operation they had never once killed or harmed another person directly in pursuit of their goals; the only offensive ability that their special suits even had were designed to subdue assailants. Professor Id was well known in the Underworld as a Lord of War and a Merchant of Death, he had been doing this for well over a hundred years and showed no sign that his actions would ever weigh on him. Indeed if this was his operation, The Dispatcher would have never approved of submitting her to this job.
However this was being conducted by The Syndicate or more specifically by Vendor and Star Broker, Vendor being an individual who acted as the Black Market auctioneer of unique items that Syndicate members would pick up during a job and wanted to fence for some capital. Normally Vendor worked alone during this after all it was often just a matter of finding the right parties that would be interested in the merchandise. However when the item in question could lead to the creation of a new mask, such as a suit of power armor, a mystic artifact, or a power gem; that was when Star Broker got involved.
Star Broker was Dominus's talent spotter, it was his job to find those with promise as super-villains and guide them toward what they needed to make the most of themselves...within the Syndicate of course. Mostly this involved setting those already with gifts or powers up with the right mentors in villainy, however sometimes it involved acquiring artifacts. That was why Slyde (or more accurately Sylde Courier 3) was waiting along the road for that slime-ball Slither, especially since she was so close to one of the American Government's most heavily guarded black budget military bases. If she was caught here, something told her that no one would ever find the body- still she was getting a three million dollar cut out of the five million that the Syndicate paid the Sylde Agency for this job.
Still she almost lit out of there like a rocket when she saw a soldier approach, but stopped when said soldier shifted into Slither. "Not only are you running late but you almost gave me a heart attack," Slyde said as she clutched her chest in emphasis. "Well, did you procure the items?"
"Yes, and the reason that I'm late is because there was a guard patrol that was too close to my exit route when I set off my diversion." Slither laid down his counter argument. "So do you have my employer's contribution and instructions?"
"Just what do you think is in that burlap sack over there?" Slyde said indicating the object in question. "I also have a pack of food scent to ensure that the native scavengers will tear it to shreds, the tote bag is in a bus locker in Vegas, I'll switch the package over to that for the drop once I get there- I don't want something as awkward as that to slow me down."
"Understood, I've got to get back undercover and return to base before I'm missed." Slither said before he shifted back into the form of Private Rob Harris and made his way back to Dreamland.
Now that he was gone, Slyde got to work assembling the bracers with the gems as per Professor Id's instructions. It was odd but each had to be placed in the bracers in a specific configuration, something about a feedback problem- evidently it was something that had taken the late Captain Cosmos years to figure out to properly arrange them in his original bracers. Naturally, this was something that Id figured out rather fast on his own, mainly from the bracers themselves and photographs of Captain Cosmos in action.
Slyde had to hand it to him, Professor Id might be a complete and total immoral sociopath but his skill as a scientist was nothing to sneeze at- even in a world with the likes of Gizmatic and Doctor Diabolik. It had taken Slyde half an hour to finish assembling both bracers but any job worth taking was worth doing correct the first time. Satisfied with her effort Slyde took the bracers and the instructions (which she glanced at out of curiosity- he obviously went to a lot of effort to idiot proof these things) and placed them all in her hard-shell back pack. It was a long way to Vegas and she had a schedule to keep if she was going to make in time for the exchange at the MGM Grand Casino.
Caesar's Palace Aquarium
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:09 PM
I look on as a demonic beast spreads its wings and shrieking as everything is consumed in fire, "Man- how much did they spend on these cheesy animatronics."
"Eh, it's something to keep little kids entertained, plus it's free." Matt said as we saw the end of "The Fall of Atlantis". Most of the other daytime attractions here cost money.
"Besides it's also a free aquarium, and who doesn't like looking at the fish and letting their thoughts drift." Steve said with a grin. "Come on, it'll be something just to set your mind at ease."
"Then I must be weird because I don't really find aquariums all that relaxing." I admitted with complete honesty, "I can't help but think that the only thing between us and several thousands of gallons of water is a couple of inches of Plexiglas. Just one imperfection, one tiny crack and the weight of all of that water will spread and before you know it you're pushed off your feet and drowning in the resulting tide."
"Did your mom not watch you properly in the bath tub when you were a baby or something?" Danny said as he stared at me with an odd expression.
"Who knows," Walt sighed. "No offense Paul but sometimes I wonder about your mother, is she just over protective of you or is it something else?"
"I wish I knew," I replied before feeling another one of those sharp pains- this one on my left arm. On impulse, I decided to give part of my motivation for coming along. "Something that was weird, the other day after Jeff attacked me; I heard her talking on the phone. There was something about stepping up a schedule, and maintenance; then they talked about getting me somewhere for a rendezvous. I only heard one half of the conversation and it just felt creepy to me."
Everyone was looking at me like they were shocked, it was probably a good idea not to tell them about the town hazy visions or the pains that I'd been having since coming here- then I winced as I felt another pain this one on my back. "I think I need to use the restroom- please excuse me." I said before I made my way away from the group to the men's room. Thankfully, one of the stalls was unoccupied.
Once inside and the door was shut I decided to fulfill bit of morbid curiosity, I took off my shirt and dropped my pants to try and have a look at the sources of pain that I had felt since coming into Vegas- I almost wish that I hadn't. "What the heck?"
While the mark on my face was just one straight scar-like crack, these new ones were not. These new cracks were like the spider-web cracks that you'd see on a damaged windshield, they were not long but each originated from its own point. Out of fear I touched the crack on my chest, surprisingly unlike the mark on my face it did nothing. Just what did it mean? Does this have something to do with that; maintenance mother was talking about over the phone?
I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts, now was not the time to be thinking about things at home- besides I'd cross that bridge when the time came even though I doubt that it would be a pleasant trip. I put my clothes back on and left the restroom, desperate to get my thoughts off of what had been going on at home that night- and just what my mother was up to.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
11:27 AM
With her thankfully short morning shift now over for the day, the woman known as Melanie Ledoux came back to her house. Now it was time to work on her real job and not just the one as a diner waitress that she kept up for the sake of public appearances. "Paul get a bag together, your uncle Felix is going to meet us at the airport!"
Surprisingly she didn't hear a reply to her demand so Melanie shouted again, "Paul grow up and face the consequences of your actions, you are going to your Uncle Felix's place in Illinois to learn some discipline and there is no talking your way out of this!"
Once again hearing only silence in response Melanie charged up to Paul's room and threw open the door, which she had long ago made sure to break the lock on- only to find the room empty. In desperation Melanie tore around the room looking for signs of habitation, when she noticed that the boy's bag was gone her mind drifted back to Paul's plea from the other day, one that she had shot down habitually and only half listened to when he made it. "Shit, that son of a bitch is going to ruin everything!"
Melanie raced down to the phone in the kitchen (which she had made certain long ago was the only landline in the house) and dialed the same number she had a few days ago. "Hello it's me the brat's gone, I think that him and the punks that he hangs out with left for Vegas!"
"Hey don't blame me for this one; you're the one who insisted that I keep him here until it was time." Melanie defended herself to the accusations on the other end of the phone line, "And I've been doing the same job that I always had, your cheap work has obviously worn off."
"No I don't know where he went and good luck finding someone in Las Vegas," Melanie responded to another set of inquiries coming through on the phone. "What about one of those tracking spells that I've always heard about, there's bound to be something that you can use to hone in on him?"
"Hey there's no need to take that tone with me. If you can't you can't." Melanie recoiled at the irate man's shouting coming through the receiver, "Yeah of course I've still got the equipment, so we're going ahead with Phase 3 already; fine just tell me when and where. And remember to bring me what you've promised me, because if you try to double-cross me I have a package containing everything about our deal set to be sent to the brat's father."
"Fine I'll acquire the target and then meet you at the airport terminal for delivery- yes I know it has to be where we did this last time give me some credit." Melanie then hung up the phone, went to her bedroom, and went to the back of her closet to a floor safe that was hidden behind her dress shirts. After dialing in the combination, she retrieved a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine- "It's finally time to get this job over with."
Luxor Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
12:17 PM
Together our group made our way through the King Tut's Tomb exhibit inside the Luxor, with Danny snapping pictures with a disposable camera. Granted that this wasn't a free attraction but ten bucks was a small price to pay to see the real artifacts before it went back to Egypt and replaced with display replicas for the permanent exhibit. "Can you believe this guy was in charge of a country when he was our age?" Danny said as he snapped a photo of the pharaoh's throne.
"Yeah became king when he was nine and died at eighteen," I said as I took in the exhibit. "Nine years of rule and still nobody knows what killed him, some people even claim it was a curse."
"Who knows," Matt said as he looked at a stone slab. "There are some capes running around that claim to use magic but there's no real evidence one way or another if that stuff is real."
"Yeah right Matt, if it's magic how would anybody use science to study it?" Steve asked with a laugh.
"Experiment and observation," Walt replied with a wry smile. "You know the scientific method, just because we can't explain all of the forces behind it yet doesn't mean that we never will."
"Yeah you may be right," Steve conceded to Walt's observation while I looked over the rest of the exhibit. There was one scene that was a reproduction of hieroglyphs from King Tutankhamen's tomb wall that caught my eye, given the people with animal heads it was likely one of their religious myths still one of the figures drew me- mainly because I couldn't figure out just what the animal that was represented was supposed to be.
That was the moment that the pain started back up again, this time it was several locations at once- mostly on my back and chest. Just what the hell was doing this to me, was this why mother wanted me to never go to Vegas? That though briefly scared the crap out of me, was I going to die. Was this going to keep on going on until my body was so riddled with cracks that it'd smash into tiny pieces?
"Hey Paul," Walt said as he looked at me out of concern. "Are you okay; you seem a little out of it today?"
"Yeah I'm good, just the thought of someone kicking off this young is kind of a little freaky." I said desperate to change the subject. "I mean this guy ruled a country at an age where most of us haven't even figured out what we want to do with our lives, it just kind of puts things in perspective."
"Yeah say, any reason that you're still in that button-up from this morning?" Walt asked noticing that I had begun to sweat a little from his earlier grilling. "You could just use the restroom to put on one of the T-shirts that you picked up earlier like I did."
"No I'm good," I said nervous that they might notice the crack marks on my body.
Bonanza Gift Shop
Las Vegas, Nevada
1:07 PM
"Pardon me might I speak with your manager?" A young man said to the clerk at the front desk, obviously rather upset.
"Sir there is no need for that, I can see if an item is in stock in our warehouse if you can't find it on our shelves." The clerk said desperate to avoid an incident with the obviously agitated customer.
"I don't think you understand," The customer said before flashing a Syndicate member card. "I need to see your manager- now!"
"Right away sir," The sales clerk said as he rushed to the back in a panic only to return a few minutes later with an equally distressed manager.
"Now sir what can I do for you this fine day?" The manager asked clearly sweating bullets.
"You can give me the Joe Calzaghe t-shirt that you were supposed to put out there at one o'clock sharp!" The Syndicate operative explained in a tone that was about as serious as a heart attack. "It's the key identifying mark for a very important pick up that I have to make from a courier today!"
"I'm sorry sir," The manager replied sweating bullets. "We only had the one that your employer gave us, and the note said to put it out at seven sharp, not one. I even have it on me, see."
The manager turned over the note to the operative who looked and cringed. "Geez that looks like both, looks like somebody's hand-writing's going to get them raked over the coals. I'm going to need a picture of the face of the buyer and anyone he was with pulled off of your security camera and faxed to this number- I trust that I have your cooperation on this matter."
The stunned into silence the manager took the card just before the operative left for the changing room and pulled out his cell phone. "Hey boss, I've got bad news and worse news; the bad news is that your secretary has lousy hand-writing, the worse news is that someone else has the shirt I was supposed to be wearing- you need to put out an alert because the couriers going to make the wrong switch in a couple of hours."
"Understood, I'm headed to the safe house to await further orders." The courier ended the call and walked out of the gift shop shaking his head, a couple of people were going to have a very bad day, one was the person who wrote that note- and the other was whoever was going to intercept their package without even knowing what they were in for. Either way it was no skin off his back.
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
3:27 PM
Our day was almost over and I was still getting these pains, thankfully, there was nothing noticeable on my hands or face yet but still I was worried. We had arrived back at the MGM Grand and were making our way to the arena for the undercard bout.
Walt almost fell and dropped his tote bag when this lady bumped into him and fell over herself. "I am so sorry sir," the lady said as she grabbed her own tote bag from the floor. "I am in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going please excuse me." The lady walked off in a hurry while Walt got up himself.
"Alright that was weird," Danny said as he stared at the retreating woman. "Nice legs though."
"Easy horn dog," Matt said as he nudged his little brother. "We need to get to the arena before it's too packed- otherwise it will be a nightmare getting to our seats."
Around the corner, the woman observed the group and sent off a text on her cell phone, ATTN DISPATCH: PACKAGE DELIVERED!
The Solstice Lounge - Owner's Office
Las Vegas, Nevada
4:03 PM
At the Solstice Lounge, a shady member's only nightclub of the beaten path of the Vegas Strip the owner known only as Miss Bliss was in the middle of pre-opening inventory. Admiringly this type of business wasn't very becoming for a woman of her lineage; however, life had not been kind to her. A twist of fate had cost her family their social standing, title and most of their wealth, indeed had it not been for her own foresight and preparation then Miss Bliss would have suffered her mother's fate.
Instead, Miss Bliss had taken those retainers whose loyalty she had gained and what little personal wealth that she could manage and create this club, which began as a hole in the wall and with her personal effort had grown into a proper business- especially with the side services that she, offered for the right price. Speaking of side services the phone that was ringing inside of her desk told Miss Bliss, that her other services would be requested this evening. "Hello, this is Miss Bliss to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"
"Oh Vendor, this is a rare honor, yes I'll have two of my best men on it; that is if you would be so kind as to provide me with any descriptions of the targets that you have in mind." Miss Bliss said, as her smile was growing wider. "Oh! That's even better! Now just remember I don't do favors- if I recover the items in question they are mine to do with until you come here pay me for my troubles and claim them."
As she hung up the phone, the pictures came in over the fax machine, after a few minutes Miss Bliss took the new stack out into the lounge. "Shakedown, Dirac, I have a job for you!"
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
5:37 PM
"Man Ferdinand might not be a belt contender yet but he sure is getting there." Danny said brimming with excitement as we made our way away from the arena now that the undercard bout was over- just to stretch our legs and maybe grab a quick nosh during the one-hour intermission before the main event.
"Whatever you say Danny but if you ask me he still has a ways to go," Walt stated as he shook his head in disbelief. "He had visible tells for every time that he was about to throw a hard left and if Gutierrez hadn't been so punch drunk he would have noticed the opening Ferdinand leaves after every three punch combo."
"Whatever you're just sore because you were rooting for Gutierrez." Danny said before he walked right into Steve's back. "Ow- why'd you stop?"
"Don't look now but we're being followed, two guys one big and ugly and the other rail thin and gnarly." Steve explained in a hushed tone, "Follow me and don't act like you notice them- something about this gives me a real bad feeling."
We made our way along the promenade in a lazy circle working with the flow of the traffic briefly I saw the individuals that Steve had indicated- they were definitely not here for the match. Eventually we made our way back inside the hallways of the arena that were mostly deserted. Until the big ugly bruiser from earlier found his way into our path.
"I believe that you have something that doesn't belong to you," he said in a gruff tone cracking his knuckles to emphasize his threat. "Turn over what's in the Casino Royale bag now before I work you over."
"I'd do what he says if I were you," Thin and gnarly behind us bared our retreat. "Shakedown is really impatient- put it to the test and you won't like the results."
Granted that the pair didn't have us completely fenced in but running didn't look like much of an option. Matt stepped away from the group cracking his own knuckles, "Danny something tells me that they wouldn't like us around to talk to the cops, take Paul and Walt and run. Steve can you give me a hand?"
"Don't even ask!" Steve said as he joined Matt as Danny took the two of us by the hand and pulled us into a run we had made it pretty far down the hallways before Walt dug in his heels.
"Walt! What the hell are we stopping for?" Danny said with fear etched across his face.
"They want something in my bag," Walt said before he threw down his tote bag. "I want to see just what that is." He unzipped the tote to see what was inside. Instead of his part of the cargo of our purchases from earlier, including a cute watch that he had planned to give to Angela Garcia a girl on the cheerleading squad that he said he had a crush on, there was two metallic arm-bands studded with a dozen gemstones between them and a print out.
"What the heck is this stuff?" Danny asked in amazement.
"Those two didn't look like normal criminals," Walt began to put two and two together. "These must be power-items off of some retired cape."
"And they even come with instructions." I said as I looked over the print out. As I was skimming over the list, Walt put them on- thankfully, there was an R and L inside to let him know which arm was which along with an arrow. Just as he had closed the left arm-band, the brute called Shakedown came around the corner holding dragging Steve and Matt along the ground.
"Kid you've just made your last mistake," Shakedown said as he threw his cargo to the side- neither our friend nor Danny brother looked too good at the moment all they could do was groan. "Now give up and we might let your friends live."
"Paul how do I use these things?" Walt asked in desperation.
"It says that you touch the gems to activate them, they're marked with zodiac signs." I said as I relayed what I had finished reading. "You can use one for an entire day or as many as three at a time but only for an hour; I suggest Taurus, Cancer and Leo."
Walt at the time to press two gems before Shakedown punched him into a wall. "Wait what does Leo look like?"
"Like a circle with a pony tail!" I shouted before Shakedown charged me and with a brutal backhand sent me flying into the wall with a vicious smack. As I slide down my vision began to blur, those cracks that I had felt earlier were all over and audible now. I could feel bit and pieces of me breaking off and falling away everywhere, after I felt it on my hands I shakily looked down they were smaller any covered in- was that blood.
I had scarcely had time to think when the unthinkable happened- my face fell into my shrunken bloody hands.
McCarran International Airport
Paradise, Nevada
5:42 PM
At one of the busiest airports in the world Miranda Salazar awaited the arrival of her mother from Mexico, naturally for a woman in her condition she was not alone, a couple of elder djinns named Tiwawet and Anubis (who was interesting enough her patron's son). Her mother's plane from Oaxaca after its brief layover in Mexico City had already arrived however; she was still dealing with customs while the airport checked the woman's passport. Thankfully Miranda's own worker's visa was current, she had still yet to decide whether or not to apply for citizenship it might be complicated by the fact she was a djinni now (even if that may not be a permanent state).
However for her daughter; well she was going to be born in this country if she had any say in the matter, given that the girl's father who had connections in high places was going to be taking care of her- she doubted that she'd have anything to worry about. That and she could always come and visit her ancestral home in Oaxaca and learn about her heritage that went all the way back to the Zapotecs. Miranda smiled her currently disguised face- that looked just like the one of her birth as she stroked her heavy stomach feeling the new life growing within her.
Suddenly Anubis stood with a stern expression on his face, "Lady Salazar I regret I must leave for the moment, I sense something that I feel I must investigate." He said with a bow before turning to our companion, "Lady Tiwaret will you please keep her safe?"
"Anubis you know better than to ask me if I'd keep a mother to be and her unborn safe-" Tiwaret's eyes drilled into Anubis while she laid on the sass. "I'll guard them with all that I've got."
"Understood," Anubis said before he vanished in a swirl of dust- that nobody around noticed thanks to a spell of occlusion that he had cast no one would notice us unless they were looking for us.
After he had left, the woman next to us dropped the crochet needle that she was using to knit what looked like a scarf. Minding her manners Tiwaret went to pick up the needle however the moment she touched the object- the rotund djinn fell to her knees in weariness.
That was when the woman took a pair of bronze shackles that she had been hiding in her bag and slapped them on Miranda, they made her feel as weak as Tiwaret must have now. With a steely look the woman met her eyes, "It's nothing personal dear; it's just business." Then a bag slipped over her head from behind- at first, she couldn't fight back now she was having to fight to stay awake- and losing.
?
?
?
I could see it this time, a woman with the head of some kind of canine was struggling against a number of hooded men as they took something away from her, "No! Give me back my baby girl you monsters!"
Wait a minute just what was this perspective, it wasn't the baby's, she was right over there- the kid also looks a lot like her mother- well maybe a little more human and horse-like rather than dog-like. I think that I've heard of this before what was it called again- oh well it's supposed to be some kind of a way of seeing the past by touching an object. Hold the phone she said baby girl, and I'm not touching an object I'm just touching my face- granted it had fallen off my head but that was beside the point.
One of the robed figures approached the screaming bundle that I was still a little uncertain was me, "Now we seal this half-breed under a shell of living mud. She will live within a golem made from the dust of ruins until it is time for her to offer her life unto our master before the setting of her sixteenth sun."
With that, this pool of mud began to rise in dozens of gooey clods. Soon the clump that I was seeing through and dozens of others swirled around whoever this girl was until the glob I was in went for her face-
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
5:59 PM
I came out of that vision to see Walt holding his own against Shakedown we might even get through this alive. Steve and Matt would even be okay the printout said that the Virgo gem could be used to heal; I assume that meant the self and others.
Still we should have remembered that Shakedown wasn't alone, just as Walt hammer-tossed the brute down the hallway thin and gnarly appeared. Suddenly thin and gnarly's shadow began to darken and spread until finally it was under Walt's feet -then he actually began to sink into the shadow.
"What the hell!" Walt struggled to work his way free of the shadow but it was no use, the shadows then began to leap up to grab him and pull him into their depths. I desperately tried to move but by the time, I could raise my now shrunken arms he had vanished into the depths.
"Shakedown, I'll deliver our guest to Miss Bliss," The shadow manipulator said as he began to sink into his own abyss without an ounce of panic. "Oh and please see to his friends in any way that you see fit."
"Got it Dirac," Shakedown said as he got to his feet. "I think I pick, no witnesses, and a quartet of missing person's cases." Shakedown said as he licked his chops and began to stalk towards me, "I'm hungry and this one's pre-tenderized."
As he got closer, I screamed a lot louder that I thought was normal- just thinking about how I wanted to keep him away from me. That's when a fierce gust of wind began to blow between the two of us pushing Shakedown back; he was actually struggling to walk against the gale.
Somehow, I was doing this I was making this wind happen, as the gales began to blow to dry the reddish mud from earlier (which I had earlier mistaken for blood) began to dry and flake away. Now that they had been blown, free of debris I noticed that although smaller my hands were shriveled- they looked feminine, like those of a girl. Unfortunately, my sudden interest in the condition of my non-existent manicure caused me to lose focus on keeping Shakedown away, causing the wind to die down.
This momentary lapse gave Shakedown enough time and traction to haul me to my feet by my neck and pin me against the wall. "Man you're a weird looking young lady, oh well- bon appétit!"
Shakedown opened his mouth to take a bite out of me with what looked like a mace nailed him across what I assume was his temple, this both staggered him and made him drop me. When he turned around to face his attacker that's when I saw my rescuer, he was dressed it what looked like armor with an Egyptian ascetic, with a helm like that of a black dog of some kind and was wielding a staff shaped like a shepherd's crook with a weighted ball at the butt.
"I suggest that you seek your meal elsewhere." The man stated, "The girl is under my protection."
"Like hell!" Shakedown screamed in rage as he tried charge the man only to have his foe nail him multiple times with the butt of his crook. Once Shakedown was visibly staggered my rescuer used the crook itself to pull Shakedown's left-leg out from under him causing the brute to fall over before nailing him in the head with an arced strike from the butt of the cane knocking the brute out cold.
"Just who are you?" I asked as I struggled to get my feet working again. "Why are you here?"
"Since we are in public child you may call Dirge," The helmed man explained. "As for why I am here, it is to escort you and I presume your friends to meet someone very important." Dirge struck the butt of his crook against the ground as dust began to swirl all around us while I could feel that we were being taken somewhere, and the only question on my mind was were we being dragged into an even bigger mess than the one we just got rescued from.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 9
West Side
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:57 AM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux
I was brimming with both anticipation and trepidation; this was the first time that he had ever been to Vegas as well as the first time that I had ever disobeyed my mother. Okay she'd be beyond furious when I finally got home, but according to the guys this was the first sign that I was really starting to grow up or as Matt reminded me- "A little rebellion is perfectly normal in a teenager."
I took in the scenery of the West Side of Las Vegas as we drove along the freeway, not as majestic as the world famous Vegas Strip mind you but still impressive to a small town guy like myself. Then felt a sharp pain in my right arm, I looked down and sure enough, there was another crack-like mark just like the scratch I still had on my face from the fight the other day, I did my best to avoid looking at it especially touching it. Soon we exited the Oran K. Gragson Freeway via the cloverleaf that dumped us onto South Rainbow Boulevard, as continued to make our way into Vegas.
"See Paul- Rainbow Boulevard," Steve said with a light-hearted laugh. "Vegas is already trying to make you feel welcome!"
"Oh-ha-ha Steve," I said as I rolled my eyes. "What do you suggest I visit San Francisco next?"
"Heck no, Nevada may be hot but at least it's a dry heat." Steve remarked before saying. "Although if we do head to San Fran, maybe we could convince the folks at Alcatraz to take Danny off of our hands for a little while."
"Don't make promises that you don't intend to keep kid," Matt said with a smirk making Danny give us all the evil eye. "By the way I hope that nobody ate, a big breakfast, cause we're going to a place to get our nosh on that isn't a buffet."
"Good thing I was too nervous to eat when I was sneaking out," I said as the beast made his presence known once food had been mentioned.
"Hold on guys we're boxers," Walt said bringing up an important point. "We need to be careful so that we stay within our weight-classes."
"Walter after breakfast I'm parking this beast in one of the garages on The Strip." Matt explained as we made our way off South Rainbow Boulevard and onto West Sahara Avenue. "We're going to be hoofing it until we leave to head back home, all that we need to do is skip lunch- so just consider this Brunch instead of Breakfast."
"Alright but still nobody go too crazy," Walt cautioned as we pulled off of the street and into a parking lot.
"Gentlemen welcome to Hash House a Go Go." Matt said with a manic grin on his face.
I wondered what it was all about when a waitress named Kelly came in and lead us to our seats.
Groom Lake
Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada
7:12 AM
Cautiously Slither made his way around the commissary, as usual his disguise was flawless it had taken him days of surveillance to pick out the right member of the base's personnel to switch out with and it took no small amount of patience. Despite popular misconceptions to the contrary, even with the meticulous amount of discipline and professionalism at a top-secret facility like this one- there was still an amount of small talk.
Small wonder that men in the military armed with assault rifles and machine guns can still keep their pleasantries even when they kept to their duties. Then again, in a world with super-spies, infiltrators and shape-shifting mutants making sure that someone was acting like themselves was vital- because any abnormalities could clue you in to an infiltrator.
Still there were always your anti-social types, those who never really fit in anywhere, never talk to anyone and always keep their mouths shut. Find folks like that and you have your disguise for infiltrating a base- it had taken him a day or two but he found his in Rob Harris. The man was as dull as dishwater and blended into the background like old spit on the wall, it was perfect. He spent a day learning the ins and outs of his routines, and then when the day was over followed the chump back to his room, slipped in through the vents and tranquilized him without a struggle.
Slither had even had more than ample time to slip off base last night and make for the rendezvous point to pick up the final details of his part of the plan. At least then, he could leave and get a decent meal, the chef at this base should be taken out to shooting range and used for target practice- during a live fire drill.
"Morning Rob," One of the many personnel at the base said as he walked past Slither not even realizing the imposter for who he was, Slither followed with Rob's characteristic lack of acknowledgment thus reinforcing the illusion. He only had to buy time until it was time for his shift to be alone with the gems in less than three hours, then the plan would commence. It was hardly a flawless plan, there was no such thing, but as long as everyone was careful, they all stood a chance at pulling the caper off.
Hash House a Go Go
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:49 AM
POV: Paul Ledoux
"Whoa it's a good thing that I'm off the boxing team," I said as I stared down at my now empty plate. "Otherwise Coach would yell at me for breaking my diet, great grub though."
"You're not off the team yet and you're not the only one he's going to yell at because of today." Steve said before he tried to silence a belch that slipped past him. "At least you're not going to get it from Coach Kendrik from the gym and Coach Frost from the football team. He's already pissed at me for 'creating the situation' that got that D-Bag Jeff suspended so late in the season. At least our substitute quarterback Miguel was able to pull off a win yesterday; honestly I don't see why he's the sub and not Jeff, he's obviously a better player."
"I can give you the answer to that one Steve," Matt said as he climbed into the hummer's driver seat. "Coach Frost tries not to let anyone know it but he's a giant bigot; just look through the yearbooks and see how many people who aren't white make the team. You know about Drey Riggs our Defensive Lineman over at Boulder City High right?"
"You mean the guy everyone calls Hoover Dam Junior?" Walter inquired before digging a little more. "Why? What about him?"
"When we were in Middle School Coach Frost stuck him on the JV team," Matt all but growled at the memory. "Drey nailed it in try-outs but Frost never even gave him a chance, if he did maybe we could have nailed the State Championship and went onto regionals."
"Makes sense," Steve said with a sick expression on his face. "The only reason that he couldn't do the same to Miguel is because all of the folks other than Jeff that tried out were hopeless; you could tell a number of them were trying out to make their dads happy."
We got into the car and buckled our seatbelts as we headed for the MGM Grand Hotel. "Hey we're not guests, and won’t you need to pay to park?" Walter asked bringing up an important point.
"Nope, parking at their garage is totally free for everybody-" Matt began to explain the ins and outs of the system. "That is provided that you come in to get your parking validated at the front desk. They use that as an excuse to lure folks into the casino that aren't guests of the hotel itself fortunately you're all under eighteen so they won't dare try to do that, and since I know better I'm fine."
After a short drive back on Sahara Avenue we got onto the Las Vegas Freeway, soon enough we could see The Strip in the distance. With every minute on the Freeway, the strip itself began to loom closer and closer as we could make out the giant hotels, resorts and casinos in the distance- Sin City, the Home of Second Chances. Mother always claimed that it was cesspool of depraved individuals like my father, which thought made the crack along my face ache.
Now that I think about my father, it was weird how I never really considered looking for him; from what I had gathered through mother's condescending lectures over the years he lived in Vegas. Then again, what were the chances of me ever meeting him, I didn't know his name, or for that matter even what he looked like and Las Vegas is the largest city in the state and swarms with tourists every year- I'd have a better chance of finding a needle in a barn full of hay.
Eventually the Las Vegas Strip was no longer in the distance it was all around us, it was amazing I was actually here in one of the largest tourist Mecca's on the planet- mother would be beside herself if she knew. I guess that it's a good thing that even if she figured out that I left to go to Vegas with my friends that I never told her just where we were going. Wait where did that thought come from? I shook my head in confusion; I never thought of mother with anything but absolute respect in mind- it was weird. I suddenly winced as I felt a similar pain to earlier in my left leg, what the hell was going on with me?"
Eventually Los Vegas Freeway split, Matt took the left fork that had us heading east until it spat us out onto West Tropicana Avenue; I could already see the famous Excalibur to my right then a bit further down the street our destination- The MGM Grand. We curved to head north as we approached the parking garage, all once we entered the massive structure all doubts left my mind. Something told me that I needed to come to Vegas today- and why not, this would be my first time seeing an actual pro-boxing match live.
Area 51 Research Complex
Nevada Test and Training Range, Nevada
8:58 AM
It was time, Slither still disguised as Private Rob Harris took his spot in the rotation entering the vault as fellow soldier Private Ed Waring left. The two passed by each other without saying a word as Ed left to go through the body scanner built into the tube. Still as high tech as what the military had in this black budget base there were still those who had tech that was beyond their concept of bleeding edge. Once Private Waring went into the body scanner the door to the vault then shut tight, it would not open again for another half an hour for the next shift.
That meant that Slither had thirty minutes to get the job done before leaving for the rendezvous with Slyde. This would be like taking candy from a baby, he already knew that there was no video surveillance inside this security vault only pressure sensors where the items in question were kept, that ensured that no video footage could be taken from the base. This also meant that if the weight were ever off from the pressure sensors in one way or another then an alarm would sound alerting the bases armed security personnel. There was also an audio sensor in the room, which would trigger if any sound ninety decibels would trigger it, which was one of the reasons the floor was made out of rubber tiles. It was fortunate that thanks to Professor Id- Slither was prepared, after all- the Professor was the person that the Zodiac Cartel came to after murdering Captain Cosmos to help them figure out and harness his Zodiac Gems.
He could easily provide Slither with near-perfect forgeries of the gems since he had a chance to thoroughly study the real things years ago, granted there was no way that he could sneak the fakes in through his pockets. Fortunately, Slither's physiology wasn't entirely human anymore, satisfied that he could now work away from prying eyes Slither distended his jaw and reached down into his stomach with his right hand. Soon he grasped his target, removed the plastic pouch containing the fake gems, and reconnected his mandible to his upper jaw.
After moving mouth from side to side in order to make sure that it was properly reconnected, Slither walked over to his target getting the fakes out and leaving the now open bag on the ground. Now it was time to concentrate- this would be the make it or break it time. Carefully he opened the case containing the gems, making sure to do it slowly so as not to set off the pressure- after a few agonizing minutes the altered agent had the case fully open.
Now was time for the hard part, one by one he exchanged the zodiac gems for the forgeries that Professor Id had manufactured for this occasion careful to make each switch near instantaneously. He was down to the final one- the Libra gem when he felt a sneeze coming on he did his best to hold it since the hundred-mile an hour gust could slightly rock the case and trigger the alarm long before he was prepared for it not to mention trigger the audio alarm as well. Desperately Slither held it in as he slowly made the exchange; the moment seemed to have finally passed. He quickly put the gems inside his case, Slither delicately shut it and swallowed the package once again- just as if he had last night after the meeting before he sneaked back onto the military instillation.
With the case once again safely secured, Slither his adjusted his uniform to maintain the illusion of military decorum as he heaved a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the sneeze that he had held back took that opportunity to slip out and tripped the audio sensor. Almost immediately, a group of armed personnel marched into the room weapons ready.
"What the hell just happened Private Harris?" Sargent Ingendorf said as a walked in past the other soldiers.
"Sorry sir, I sneezed sir, I tried to hold it in but it slipped by me sir." Slither responded flawlessly impersonated Private Harris as he did so.
"At ease private, you were near the end of your shift anyway." Sgt. Ingendorf observed. "Resume your post, Private Pierce will be in 0930 hours to relieve you."
Sgt. Ingendorf and the soldier filed out of the vault as the door sealed itself shut behind them. After they had left Slither already began to layout his plans, he'd make his to the rendezvous point with slide during the interim between the end of this shift and lunch, then return to fill out his other three guard shifts over the course of the day. Yes he'd wait until well after light-out to make his true escape then leave the real Private Harris to be discovered not long after not reporting in for duty tomorrow.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter House
Lord Khamsin's Office (Formerly Lord Ataxia's Tomb)
9:21 AM
Lord Khamsin of the Obsidian Circle sat in anticipation at his desk, he was almost done reviewing the requests from the legitimate businessmen who ran Vegas behind the scenes over matters that they felt his organization needed to look into for him. He smirked at the matter; most of these people were Mafia dons or lieutenants- the type of folks who were not used to asking for anything unless it was not really a voluntary request. However they also knew that times had changed from the old days, they needed someone like him in order to survive- more so than ever.
It was ironic, back when he went by the name Lord Ataxia he was the shadowy figure who fronted Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal the capital to invest into turning Las Vegas into the resort town that it was. He also invested a great deal in sending several billion in bullion to the United States government over the years to acquire territory in Nevada itself. Granted most of that territory was then leased back to the government for the rate of one cent per acre a year (on the public books it was still government land), but for beings like himself money was inconsequential next to dominion.
He had also helped the Vegas families restructure and reinvest in the eighties when the FBI came to sever their control on the casinos; a lot of people would be surprised to know that most of the entertainment and resort companies that publicly owned and operated the casinos and resorts today were actually partially owned by the cosa nostra. He had also convinced them that the rackets of old were actually bad business to have running in Vegas itself, after all why break the law to make a few quick bucks when you can have a steady stream of capital from legal operations that don't scare away the customers.
Indeed at this rate he'd be more than ready to host dinner this evening with Miranda and her mother this evening, things were indeed looking up.
Suddenly the phone at his desk rang, in what was becoming a casual reflex since taking a more public role in running the Chapter House Lord Khamsin answered. "Hello Las Vegas Chapter House this is Lord Khamsin, to whom am I speaking?"
"Lord Khamsin I have some bad news," Greygus's voice came through loud and clear along the phone line. Last night someone entered Dark Vault Eleven, they also made off with the two Atlantian Diadems that Mistress Nyx had stored in Vault 2. Erzebet Scratch's people have tracked the thief to Boston; we think that the Necromancer or someone connected to him are involved."
"I understand Greygus," Lord Khamsin said as he dismissed the illusion of humanity that to appear as himself once more then activating his armor. "I will be there as soon as I can."
"No you misunderstand sire," Greygus replied over the phone clearly desperate. "I'm just calling to report my status, not invite you to the party. I already contacted the others and most will be there, when I did, Brimstone gave me some of his usual clairvoyant BS. He warned that no matter what you should not join us in Boston, evidently something is going to happen in your neck of the woods and he claimed that if you miss it then you will regret it forever."
Bonanza Gift Shop
Las Vegas, Nevada
10:14 AM
"Geez whoever called this place the world's largest gift shop wasn't kidding," Steve said as he looked over the merchandise on the shelves. "Granted most of the stuff here is just junk that folks who come here bring home as cheap souvenirs to their friends.
"Yeah no kidding," Danny rolled his eyes as he flicked the noggin of a Dean Martin bobble head. "I mean who would want to buy Rat Pack bobble heads?"
"Someone who's a fan of them Danny," Walt commented while looking through the T-shirt racks. "Besides for Vegas history buffs the Rat Pack are a big deal. Hey a Joe Calzaghe t-shirt, who'd have thought they'd have this?"
"Who's Joe Calzaghe?" Matt commented busy filling a shopping basket with a few odds and ends, likely requested souvenirs for his friends in High School.
"He's the current WBO Super Middle Weight Champion, he used to be the IBF Super Middle Weight Champ as well but he had to relinquish that title because he opted to turn down a mandatory bout against a contender from Germany in order to defend his WBO title against Peter Manfredo. He's also currently undefeated," Walt explained while he continued to examine the t-shirt, "Just my size too."
"Man we're picking up a lot of junk," I said as I looked over the baskets. "Maybe we should pick up a tote-bag or two to keep it on us, this stuff would be too visible in Matt's hummer."
"Yeah you've got a point," Matt agreed with my assessment, after all there was only so much that the security on hand in the MGM Grand's Parking Garage could do.
So we walked over to the tote bags that were in the gift shop- all of which displayed the logos or marquise of famous casinos of the past and present. On impulse, I picked out one for the Luxor, while Walt picked up one for the Casino Royale. Danny got one for the Excalibur, and Steve picked out one with the Cesar's Palace logo; the only weird thing was that when Matt picked out one for the Aladdin (what's now Planet Hollywood) part of me winced. Really, it was weird, why would that affect me.
Just like earlier I felt a sudden sharp pain this time on my chest, I didn't even need to look I knew that there would be another crack-like mark on my body just like the last few times. What the hell was causing this, all of a sudden it looked like I was beginning to develop cracks along the surface if this kept up I'd look like I was a human equivalent to a crazed ceramic pot- that is unless I broke. 'Guess it's a good thing that mother was making me quite boxing,' I thought to myself yet a part of me wasn't so sure about that idea.
I mean I still had no idea just what that phone call she made the night after Paul attacked me was about, let alone just who she was talking to on the other end. Then there were those odd visions I'd been having- just what were those about? Both had happened when something touched the first scratch mark that appeared after Paul had tried to beat the pulp out of me, yet nothing happened when I had touched the one that appeared on my right arm on the drive to Vegas. I needed some answers, just what was going on?
10 miles North-Northeast of Groom Lake
Near - Extraterrestrial Highway, Nevada
10:59 AM
Slyde was waiting with a distinct lack of patience for her rendezvous with Slither, especially since there was a good reason for doing so given the fact that this operation had needed the assistance of a monster like Professor Id and his organization didn't sit well with her. Granted Slyde and the others baring the same moniker as her in the Slyde Procurement, Courier and Delivery Agency were mercenaries- they were also mercenaries with standards.
In all thirty-six years of the Slyde Service's operation they had never once killed or harmed another person directly in pursuit of their goals; the only offensive ability that their special suits even had were designed to subdue assailants. Professor Id was well known in the Underworld as a Lord of War and a Merchant of Death, he had been doing this for well over a hundred years and showed no sign that his actions would ever weigh on him. Indeed if this was his operation, The Dispatcher would have never approved of submitting her to this job.
However this was being conducted by The Syndicate or more specifically by Vendor and Star Broker, Vendor being an individual who acted as the Black Market auctioneer of unique items that Syndicate members would pick up during a job and wanted to fence for some capital. Normally Vendor worked alone during this after all it was often just a matter of finding the right parties that would be interested in the merchandise. However when the item in question could lead to the creation of a new mask, such as a suit of power armor, a mystic artifact, or a power gem; that was when Star Broker got involved.
Star Broker was Dominus's talent spotter, it was his job to find those with promise as super-villains and guide them toward what they needed to make the most of themselves...within the Syndicate of course. Mostly this involved setting those already with gifts or powers up with the right mentors in villainy, however sometimes it involved acquiring artifacts. That was why Slyde (or more accurately Sylde Courier 3) was waiting along the road for that slime-ball Slither, especially since she was so close to one of the American Government's most heavily guarded black budget military bases. If she was caught here, something told her that no one would ever find the body- still she was getting a three million dollar cut out of the five million that the Syndicate paid the Sylde Agency for this job.
Still she almost lit out of there like a rocket when she saw a soldier approach, but stopped when said soldier shifted into Slither. "Not only are you running late but you almost gave me a heart attack," Slyde said as she clutched her chest in emphasis. "Well, did you procure the items?"
"Yes, and the reason that I'm late is because there was a guard patrol that was too close to my exit route when I set off my diversion." Slither laid down his counter argument. "So do you have my employer's contribution and instructions?"
"Just what do you think is in that burlap sack over there?" Slyde said indicating the object in question. "I also have a pack of food scent to ensure that the native scavengers will tear it to shreds, the tote bag is in a bus locker in Vegas, I'll switch the package over to that for the drop once I get there- I don't want something as awkward as that to slow me down."
"Understood, I've got to get back undercover and return to base before I'm missed." Slither said before he shifted back into the form of Private Rob Harris and made his way back to Dreamland.
Now that he was gone, Slyde got to work assembling the bracers with the gems as per Professor Id's instructions. It was odd but each had to be placed in the bracers in a specific configuration, something about a feedback problem- evidently it was something that had taken the late Captain Cosmos years to figure out to properly arrange them in his original bracers. Naturally, this was something that Id figured out rather fast on his own, mainly from the bracers themselves and photographs of Captain Cosmos in action.
Slyde had to hand it to him, Professor Id might be a complete and total immoral sociopath but his skill as a scientist was nothing to sneeze at- even in a world with the likes of Gizmatic and Doctor Diabolik. It had taken Slyde half an hour to finish assembling both bracers but any job worth taking was worth doing correct the first time. Satisfied with her effort Slyde took the bracers and the instructions (which she glanced at out of curiosity- he obviously went to a lot of effort to idiot proof these things) and placed them all in her hard-shell back pack. It was a long way to Vegas and she had a schedule to keep if she was going to make in time for the exchange at the MGM Grand Casino.
Caesar's Palace Aquarium
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:09 PM
I look on as a demonic beast spreads its wings and shrieking as everything is consumed in fire, "Man- how much did they spend on these cheesy animatronics."
"Eh, it's something to keep little kids entertained, plus it's free." Matt said as we saw the end of "The Fall of Atlantis". Most of the other daytime attractions here cost money.
"Besides it's also a free aquarium, and who doesn't like looking at the fish and letting their thoughts drift." Steve said with a grin. "Come on, it'll be something just to set your mind at ease."
"Then I must be weird because I don't really find aquariums all that relaxing." I admitted with complete honesty, "I can't help but think that the only thing between us and several thousands of gallons of water is a couple of inches of Plexiglas. Just one imperfection, one tiny crack and the weight of all of that water will spread and before you know it you're pushed off your feet and drowning in the resulting tide."
"Did your mom not watch you properly in the bath tub when you were a baby or something?" Danny said as he stared at me with an odd expression.
"Who knows," Walt sighed. "No offense Paul but sometimes I wonder about your mother, is she just over protective of you or is it something else?"
"I wish I knew," I replied before feeling another one of those sharp pains- this one on my left arm. On impulse, I decided to give part of my motivation for coming along. "Something that was weird, the other day after Jeff attacked me; I heard her talking on the phone. There was something about stepping up a schedule, and maintenance; then they talked about getting me somewhere for a rendezvous. I only heard one half of the conversation and it just felt creepy to me."
Everyone was looking at me like they were shocked, it was probably a good idea not to tell them about the town hazy visions or the pains that I'd been having since coming here- then I winced as I felt another pain this one on my back. "I think I need to use the restroom- please excuse me." I said before I made my way away from the group to the men's room. Thankfully, one of the stalls was unoccupied.
Once inside and the door was shut I decided to fulfill bit of morbid curiosity, I took off my shirt and dropped my pants to try and have a look at the sources of pain that I had felt since coming into Vegas- I almost wish that I hadn't. "What the heck?"
While the mark on my face was just one straight scar-like crack, these new ones were not. These new cracks were like the spider-web cracks that you'd see on a damaged windshield, they were not long but each originated from its own point. Out of fear I touched the crack on my chest, surprisingly unlike the mark on my face it did nothing. Just what did it mean? Does this have something to do with that; maintenance mother was talking about over the phone?
I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts, now was not the time to be thinking about things at home- besides I'd cross that bridge when the time came even though I doubt that it would be a pleasant trip. I put my clothes back on and left the restroom, desperate to get my thoughts off of what had been going on at home that night- and just what my mother was up to.
Ledoux Residence
Boulder City, Nevada
11:27 AM
With her thankfully short morning shift now over for the day, the woman known as Melanie Ledoux came back to her house. Now it was time to work on her real job and not just the one as a diner waitress that she kept up for the sake of public appearances. "Paul get a bag together, your uncle Felix is going to meet us at the airport!"
Surprisingly she didn't hear a reply to her demand so Melanie shouted again, "Paul grow up and face the consequences of your actions, you are going to your Uncle Felix's place in Illinois to learn some discipline and there is no talking your way out of this!"
Once again hearing only silence in response Melanie charged up to Paul's room and threw open the door, which she had long ago made sure to break the lock on- only to find the room empty. In desperation Melanie tore around the room looking for signs of habitation, when she noticed that the boy's bag was gone her mind drifted back to Paul's plea from the other day, one that she had shot down habitually and only half listened to when he made it. "Shit, that son of a bitch is going to ruin everything!"
Melanie raced down to the phone in the kitchen (which she had made certain long ago was the only landline in the house) and dialed the same number she had a few days ago. "Hello it's me the brat's gone, I think that him and the punks that he hangs out with left for Vegas!"
"Hey don't blame me for this one; you're the one who insisted that I keep him here until it was time." Melanie defended herself to the accusations on the other end of the phone line, "And I've been doing the same job that I always had, your cheap work has obviously worn off."
"No I don't know where he went and good luck finding someone in Las Vegas," Melanie responded to another set of inquiries coming through on the phone. "What about one of those tracking spells that I've always heard about, there's bound to be something that you can use to hone in on him?"
"Hey there's no need to take that tone with me. If you can't you can't." Melanie recoiled at the irate man's shouting coming through the receiver, "Yeah of course I've still got the equipment, so we're going ahead with Phase 3 already; fine just tell me when and where. And remember to bring me what you've promised me, because if you try to double-cross me I have a package containing everything about our deal set to be sent to the brat's father."
"Fine I'll acquire the target and then meet you at the airport terminal for delivery- yes I know it has to be where we did this last time give me some credit." Melanie then hung up the phone, went to her bedroom, and went to the back of her closet to a floor safe that was hidden behind her dress shirts. After dialing in the combination, she retrieved a small parcel wrapped in brown paper and twine- "It's finally time to get this job over with."
Luxor Hotel-Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
12:17 PM
Together our group made our way through the King Tut's Tomb exhibit inside the Luxor, with Danny snapping pictures with a disposable camera. Granted that this wasn't a free attraction but ten bucks was a small price to pay to see the real artifacts before it went back to Egypt and replaced with display replicas for the permanent exhibit. "Can you believe this guy was in charge of a country when he was our age?" Danny said as he snapped a photo of the pharaoh's throne.
"Yeah became king when he was nine and died at eighteen," I said as I took in the exhibit. "Nine years of rule and still nobody knows what killed him, some people even claim it was a curse."
"Who knows," Matt said as he looked at a stone slab. "There are some capes running around that claim to use magic but there's no real evidence one way or another if that stuff is real."
"Yeah right Matt, if it's magic how would anybody use science to study it?" Steve asked with a laugh.
"Experiment and observation," Walt replied with a wry smile. "You know the scientific method, just because we can't explain all of the forces behind it yet doesn't mean that we never will."
"Yeah you may be right," Steve conceded to Walt's observation while I looked over the rest of the exhibit. There was one scene that was a reproduction of hieroglyphs from King Tutankhamen's tomb wall that caught my eye, given the people with animal heads it was likely one of their religious myths still one of the figures drew me- mainly because I couldn't figure out just what the animal that was represented was supposed to be.
That was the moment that the pain started back up again, this time it was several locations at once- mostly on my back and chest. Just what the hell was doing this to me, was this why mother wanted me to never go to Vegas? That though briefly scared the crap out of me, was I going to die. Was this going to keep on going on until my body was so riddled with cracks that it'd smash into tiny pieces?
"Hey Paul," Walt said as he looked at me out of concern. "Are you okay; you seem a little out of it today?"
"Yeah I'm good, just the thought of someone kicking off this young is kind of a little freaky." I said desperate to change the subject. "I mean this guy ruled a country at an age where most of us haven't even figured out what we want to do with our lives, it just kind of puts things in perspective."
"Yeah say, any reason that you're still in that button-up from this morning?" Walt asked noticing that I had begun to sweat a little from his earlier grilling. "You could just use the restroom to put on one of the T-shirts that you picked up earlier like I did."
"No I'm good," I said nervous that they might notice the crack marks on my body.
Bonanza Gift Shop
Las Vegas, Nevada
1:07 PM
"Pardon me might I speak with your manager?" A young man said to the clerk at the front desk, obviously rather upset.
"Sir there is no need for that, I can see if an item is in stock in our warehouse if you can't find it on our shelves." The clerk said desperate to avoid an incident with the obviously agitated customer.
"I don't think you understand," The customer said before flashing a Syndicate member card. "I need to see your manager- now!"
"Right away sir," The sales clerk said as he rushed to the back in a panic only to return a few minutes later with an equally distressed manager.
"Now sir what can I do for you this fine day?" The manager asked clearly sweating bullets.
"You can give me the Joe Calzaghe t-shirt that you were supposed to put out there at one o'clock sharp!" The Syndicate operative explained in a tone that was about as serious as a heart attack. "It's the key identifying mark for a very important pick up that I have to make from a courier today!"
"I'm sorry sir," The manager replied sweating bullets. "We only had the one that your employer gave us, and the note said to put it out at seven sharp, not one. I even have it on me, see."
The manager turned over the note to the operative who looked and cringed. "Geez that looks like both, looks like somebody's hand-writing's going to get them raked over the coals. I'm going to need a picture of the face of the buyer and anyone he was with pulled off of your security camera and faxed to this number- I trust that I have your cooperation on this matter."
The stunned into silence the manager took the card just before the operative left for the changing room and pulled out his cell phone. "Hey boss, I've got bad news and worse news; the bad news is that your secretary has lousy hand-writing, the worse news is that someone else has the shirt I was supposed to be wearing- you need to put out an alert because the couriers going to make the wrong switch in a couple of hours."
"Understood, I'm headed to the safe house to await further orders." The courier ended the call and walked out of the gift shop shaking his head, a couple of people were going to have a very bad day, one was the person who wrote that note- and the other was whoever was going to intercept their package without even knowing what they were in for. Either way it was no skin off his back.
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
3:27 PM
Our day was almost over and I was still getting these pains, thankfully, there was nothing noticeable on my hands or face yet but still I was worried. We had arrived back at the MGM Grand and were making our way to the arena for the undercard bout.
Walt almost fell and dropped his tote bag when this lady bumped into him and fell over herself. "I am so sorry sir," the lady said as she grabbed her own tote bag from the floor. "I am in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going please excuse me." The lady walked off in a hurry while Walt got up himself.
"Alright that was weird," Danny said as he stared at the retreating woman. "Nice legs though."
"Easy horn dog," Matt said as he nudged his little brother. "We need to get to the arena before it's too packed- otherwise it will be a nightmare getting to our seats."
Around the corner, the woman observed the group and sent off a text on her cell phone, ATTN DISPATCH: PACKAGE DELIVERED!
The Solstice Lounge - Owner's Office
Las Vegas, Nevada
4:03 PM
At the Solstice Lounge, a shady member's only nightclub of the beaten path of the Vegas Strip the owner known only as Miss Bliss was in the middle of pre-opening inventory. Admiringly this type of business wasn't very becoming for a woman of her lineage; however, life had not been kind to her. A twist of fate had cost her family their social standing, title and most of their wealth, indeed had it not been for her own foresight and preparation then Miss Bliss would have suffered her mother's fate.
Instead, Miss Bliss had taken those retainers whose loyalty she had gained and what little personal wealth that she could manage and create this club, which began as a hole in the wall and with her personal effort had grown into a proper business- especially with the side services that she, offered for the right price. Speaking of side services the phone that was ringing inside of her desk told Miss Bliss, that her other services would be requested this evening. "Hello, this is Miss Bliss to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?"
"Oh Vendor, this is a rare honor, yes I'll have two of my best men on it; that is if you would be so kind as to provide me with any descriptions of the targets that you have in mind." Miss Bliss said, as her smile was growing wider. "Oh! That's even better! Now just remember I don't do favors- if I recover the items in question they are mine to do with until you come here pay me for my troubles and claim them."
As she hung up the phone, the pictures came in over the fax machine, after a few minutes Miss Bliss took the new stack out into the lounge. "Shakedown, Dirac, I have a job for you!"
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
5:37 PM
"Man Ferdinand might not be a belt contender yet but he sure is getting there." Danny said brimming with excitement as we made our way away from the arena now that the undercard bout was over- just to stretch our legs and maybe grab a quick nosh during the one-hour intermission before the main event.
"Whatever you say Danny but if you ask me he still has a ways to go," Walt stated as he shook his head in disbelief. "He had visible tells for every time that he was about to throw a hard left and if Gutierrez hadn't been so punch drunk he would have noticed the opening Ferdinand leaves after every three punch combo."
"Whatever you're just sore because you were rooting for Gutierrez." Danny said before he walked right into Steve's back. "Ow- why'd you stop?"
"Don't look now but we're being followed, two guys one big and ugly and the other rail thin and gnarly." Steve explained in a hushed tone, "Follow me and don't act like you notice them- something about this gives me a real bad feeling."
We made our way along the promenade in a lazy circle working with the flow of the traffic briefly I saw the individuals that Steve had indicated- they were definitely not here for the match. Eventually we made our way back inside the hallways of the arena that were mostly deserted. Until the big ugly bruiser from earlier found his way into our path.
"I believe that you have something that doesn't belong to you," he said in a gruff tone cracking his knuckles to emphasize his threat. "Turn over what's in the Casino Royale bag now before I work you over."
"I'd do what he says if I were you," Thin and gnarly behind us bared our retreat. "Shakedown is really impatient- put it to the test and you won't like the results."
Granted that the pair didn't have us completely fenced in but running didn't look like much of an option. Matt stepped away from the group cracking his own knuckles, "Danny something tells me that they wouldn't like us around to talk to the cops, take Paul and Walt and run. Steve can you give me a hand?"
"Don't even ask!" Steve said as he joined Matt as Danny took the two of us by the hand and pulled us into a run we had made it pretty far down the hallways before Walt dug in his heels.
"Walt! What the hell are we stopping for?" Danny said with fear etched across his face.
"They want something in my bag," Walt said before he threw down his tote bag. "I want to see just what that is." He unzipped the tote to see what was inside. Instead of his part of the cargo of our purchases from earlier, including a cute watch that he had planned to give to Angela Garcia a girl on the cheerleading squad that he said he had a crush on, there was two metallic arm-bands studded with a dozen gemstones between them and a print out.
"What the heck is this stuff?" Danny asked in amazement.
"Those two didn't look like normal criminals," Walt began to put two and two together. "These must be power-items off of some retired cape."
"And they even come with instructions." I said as I looked over the print out. As I was skimming over the list, Walt put them on- thankfully, there was an R and L inside to let him know which arm was which along with an arrow. Just as he had closed the left arm-band, the brute called Shakedown came around the corner holding dragging Steve and Matt along the ground.
"Kid you've just made your last mistake," Shakedown said as he threw his cargo to the side- neither our friend nor Danny brother looked too good at the moment all they could do was groan. "Now give up and we might let your friends live."
"Paul how do I use these things?" Walt asked in desperation.
"It says that you touch the gems to activate them, they're marked with zodiac signs." I said as I relayed what I had finished reading. "You can use one for an entire day or as many as three at a time but only for an hour; I suggest Taurus, Cancer and Leo."
Walt at the time to press two gems before Shakedown punched him into a wall. "Wait what does Leo look like?"
"Like a circle with a pony tail!" I shouted before Shakedown charged me and with a brutal backhand sent me flying into the wall with a vicious smack. As I slide down my vision began to blur, those cracks that I had felt earlier were all over and audible now. I could feel bit and pieces of me breaking off and falling away everywhere, after I felt it on my hands I shakily looked down they were smaller any covered in- was that blood.
I had scarcely had time to think when the unthinkable happened- my face fell into my shrunken bloody hands.
McCarran International Airport
Paradise, Nevada
5:42 PM
At one of the busiest airports in the world Miranda Salazar awaited the arrival of her mother from Mexico, naturally for a woman in her condition she was not alone, a couple of elder djinns named Tiwawet and Anubis (who was interesting enough her patron's son). Her mother's plane from Oaxaca after its brief layover in Mexico City had already arrived however; she was still dealing with customs while the airport checked the woman's passport. Thankfully Miranda's own worker's visa was current, she had still yet to decide whether or not to apply for citizenship it might be complicated by the fact she was a djinni now (even if that may not be a permanent state).
However for her daughter; well she was going to be born in this country if she had any say in the matter, given that the girl's father who had connections in high places was going to be taking care of her- she doubted that she'd have anything to worry about. That and she could always come and visit her ancestral home in Oaxaca and learn about her heritage that went all the way back to the Zapotecs. Miranda smiled her currently disguised face- that looked just like the one of her birth as she stroked her heavy stomach feeling the new life growing within her.
Suddenly Anubis stood with a stern expression on his face, "Lady Salazar I regret I must leave for the moment, I sense something that I feel I must investigate." He said with a bow before turning to our companion, "Lady Tiwaret will you please keep her safe?"
"Anubis you know better than to ask me if I'd keep a mother to be and her unborn safe-" Tiwaret's eyes drilled into Anubis while she laid on the sass. "I'll guard them with all that I've got."
"Understood," Anubis said before he vanished in a swirl of dust- that nobody around noticed thanks to a spell of occlusion that he had cast no one would notice us unless they were looking for us.
After he had left, the woman next to us dropped the crochet needle that she was using to knit what looked like a scarf. Minding her manners Tiwaret went to pick up the needle however the moment she touched the object- the rotund djinn fell to her knees in weariness.
That was when the woman took a pair of bronze shackles that she had been hiding in her bag and slapped them on Miranda, they made her feel as weak as Tiwaret must have now. With a steely look the woman met her eyes, "It's nothing personal dear; it's just business." Then a bag slipped over her head from behind- at first, she couldn't fight back now she was having to fight to stay awake- and losing.
?
?
?
I could see it this time, a woman with the head of some kind of canine was struggling against a number of hooded men as they took something away from her, "No! Give me back my baby girl you monsters!"
Wait a minute just what was this perspective, it wasn't the baby's, she was right over there- the kid also looks a lot like her mother- well maybe a little more human and horse-like rather than dog-like. I think that I've heard of this before what was it called again- oh well it's supposed to be some kind of a way of seeing the past by touching an object. Hold the phone she said baby girl, and I'm not touching an object I'm just touching my face- granted it had fallen off my head but that was beside the point.
One of the robed figures approached the screaming bundle that I was still a little uncertain was me, "Now we seal this half-breed under a shell of living mud. She will live within a golem made from the dust of ruins until it is time for her to offer her life unto our master before the setting of her sixteenth sun."
With that, this pool of mud began to rise in dozens of gooey clods. Soon the clump that I was seeing through and dozens of others swirled around whoever this girl was until the glob I was in went for her face-
MGM Grand Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
5:59 PM
I came out of that vision to see Walt holding his own against Shakedown we might even get through this alive. Steve and Matt would even be okay the printout said that the Virgo gem could be used to heal; I assume that meant the self and others.
Still we should have remembered that Shakedown wasn't alone, just as Walt hammer-tossed the brute down the hallway thin and gnarly appeared. Suddenly thin and gnarly's shadow began to darken and spread until finally it was under Walt's feet -then he actually began to sink into the shadow.
"What the hell!" Walt struggled to work his way free of the shadow but it was no use, the shadows then began to leap up to grab him and pull him into their depths. I desperately tried to move but by the time, I could raise my now shrunken arms he had vanished into the depths.
"Shakedown, I'll deliver our guest to Miss Bliss," The shadow manipulator said as he began to sink into his own abyss without an ounce of panic. "Oh and please see to his friends in any way that you see fit."
"Got it Dirac," Shakedown said as he got to his feet. "I think I pick, no witnesses, and a quartet of missing person's cases." Shakedown said as he licked his chops and began to stalk towards me, "I'm hungry and this one's pre-tenderized."
As he got closer, I screamed a lot louder that I thought was normal- just thinking about how I wanted to keep him away from me. That's when a fierce gust of wind began to blow between the two of us pushing Shakedown back; he was actually struggling to walk against the gale.
Somehow, I was doing this I was making this wind happen, as the gales began to blow to dry the reddish mud from earlier (which I had earlier mistaken for blood) began to dry and flake away. Now that they had been blown, free of debris I noticed that although smaller my hands were shriveled- they looked feminine, like those of a girl. Unfortunately, my sudden interest in the condition of my non-existent manicure caused me to lose focus on keeping Shakedown away, causing the wind to die down.
This momentary lapse gave Shakedown enough time and traction to haul me to my feet by my neck and pin me against the wall. "Man you're a weird looking young lady, oh well- bon appétit!"
Shakedown opened his mouth to take a bite out of me with what looked like a mace nailed him across what I assume was his temple, this both staggered him and made him drop me. When he turned around to face his attacker that's when I saw my rescuer, he was dressed it what looked like armor with an Egyptian ascetic, with a helm like that of a black dog of some kind and was wielding a staff shaped like a shepherd's crook with a weighted ball at the butt.
"I suggest that you seek your meal elsewhere." The man stated, "The girl is under my protection."
"Like hell!" Shakedown screamed in rage as he tried charge the man only to have his foe nail him multiple times with the butt of his crook. Once Shakedown was visibly staggered my rescuer used the crook itself to pull Shakedown's left-leg out from under him causing the brute to fall over before nailing him in the head with an arced strike from the butt of the cane knocking the brute out cold.
"Just who are you?" I asked as I struggled to get my feet working again. "Why are you here?"
"Since we are in public child you may call Dirge," The helmed man explained. "As for why I am here, it is to escort you and I presume your friends to meet someone very important." Dirge struck the butt of his crook against the ground as dust began to swirl all around us while I could feel that we were being taken somewhere, and the only question on my mind was were we being dragged into an even bigger mess than the one we just got rescued from.
7 years 2 months ago #15
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
9:54 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
By the time, I had returned from my morning jog, which I usually did a lot earlier in the morning, Mallory and Erika were wide-awake and arguing over the remote.
"Come on- it's Saturday morning, what's wrong with watching cartoons on Saturday morning it’s a tradition." Mallory said while trying to snatch the remote from Erika.
"Cartoons rot your brain Mallory- everyone knows that," Erika shot back trying to keep one-step ahead of Mallory. "Besides they’re for kids, and I'm watching the Today Show."
"Cartoons are not just for kids Erika," Mallory said as she scrambled for the remote. "Besides the Season Finale of Ben 10 starts in four minutes and you can stand to miss out on Campbell Brown for one morning."
"Um, Mallory if you really want to watch cartoons the TV in my bedroom gets cable too." I said trying to play peacekeeper between the pair.
Not wanting to take the chance that she was going to miss the first few minutes of her show Mallory tore up the stairs towards my room that I showed to the two of them last night, while leaving Erika dumbstruck.
Finally satisfied that the remote was now hers Erika turned on the big screen and tuned in just as Campbell was about to begin the fashion corner.
"Trouble in paradise?" I asked as Erika was settling into watch the news programs summery of the events of the day.
"It's just a little frustrating with her sometimes," Erika sighed as she pulled her legs against her to rest her chin on her knees. "Here we are almost in high school and she's still acting like a little kid."
"Erika there are some adults that still act like kids," I said as I toweled off. "The important part isn't what you enjoy in your spare time, but how you handle responsibility in the real world."
"Think what you will Joan, however you have to wonder how her hobbies will reflect on her in the public eye as we go to high school." Erika shot back, I shook my head as I made for the bathroom- I wonder how she would react if she knew the full truth about my family. Oh well, a quick shower and then I would scope out what further security measures I needed to take before the other guests got here. Granted dad's security system and Dame Scratch's wards are top notch but they're just gadgets and spells- there are still ways past them if you have the right tools or knowledge.
At least we had one of the organization’s demi-succubi to help, because the last thing that I wanted to do was for one of our guests to find out the truth about mom and dad then blow our family's cover. I remember reading the stories on Arc-net kids of super-villains being raised under fake names bouncing from city to city, country-to-country all to give them a vague sense of a normal childhood.
Jan and Mal Diabolik were one of the more well-known cases, but their story was also an all too familiar one. It was almost formulaic: the hidden kids of a super-villain get the secret of their parentage drug out into the light, a crusading district attorney shows up to take them into protective custody as a political maneuver. Then an angry and often armed mob of past victims and Humanity First show up to enact vigilante justice by proxy- oblivious to the fact that kids never had anything to do with their parent's crimes. Then the super-villain parent shows up to take kids away to Kardonia; then a year later it is turned into a low-budget television movie.
As for me living in suburbia with my real parents and long-time normal friends whose parents aren't part of the dark-side of the spandex as well, I was very a-typical of being a super-villain's kid let alone for the kid of a married super-villain couple. Yeah, I hate to be a pessimist here, but I'm waiting for that other shoe to surrender to gravity.
"Just keep in mind that we're going to have to help party-proof the house in an hour before Elinore and her posse arrive, to set things up." I explained as Erika was taking note of the latest Health Guru being interviewed, honestly it was obscene how many fad diets were out there milking the public like dairy cattle.
Brown-Jaffe Family Estate
10:02 AM
While Joan and her friends were having a slow start to their day Elinore Jaffe, the girl who leaned on Joan for the use of her house for the pending party, was getting things together at her own home with the aid of the few servants who were not busy preparing the grounds for her father's guests.
"Madam Elinore, are you certain that you will be requiring the mix-table for tonight?" One of the maids asked in a professional tone.
"Of course, Elaine," Elinore said with a warm smile at the maid in question. "This will be Joan Drucker's first party at her own house; I want it to be something for her to remember."
"I am certain that her parents will make her remember it well enough once they get back into town." Said maid grumbled under her breath as she complied with her mistress's request.
Now that the maid had left the room Elinore's mother Leanne came into the room, "Elinore are you certain that this is a good idea, you know the truth about the Druckers are you certain that this is a good idea?"
"Of course, I am, and believe me I of all people am well aware about the Druckers." Elinore stated with a smile, "And believe me I am giving Joan exactly what she deserves, it's long overdue really."
Apple Creek Apartment 204
11:17 AM
While Elinore was preparing to give Joan what she deserved, in a sparsely furnished apartment on the other side of town a young man was engaged in a web-chat with the camera turned off.
"So you understand your mission Faux-05?"
"Yes, our current accumulated intelligence indicates that Walter Drucker is the most likely suspect for the information that we desire. I am to use the party to gain access to the Drucker home, enter Walter Drucker's home office during the party and retrieve any data and security codes that I am able to do so." The man known as Faux-05 whose face was barely visible in the low light, "If for some reason that I am unable to gain access to his office, then I am to look for Walter Drucker's home lab and after gaining access upload a copy of his hard-drive and then leave all obtained information at the current dead drop."
"Good, now remember Faux-05, whatever you do- do not get caught, the last thing that we need is for the organization's method's to be made public. If that happens you've blown the cover of every agent of ours on assignment. Should you be captured you know what to do."
"Understood," The man known as Faux-05 stated before adding. "The Grand Masquerade shall continue!"
"The Grand Masquerade shall continue!"
Upon closing the chat and powering down his laptop the hidden individual features began to shift until his appearance changed to that of a much younger man, someone that Joan and Elinore would have recognized from their school. Unbeknownst to them The Grand Masquerade had infiltrated their town and even their class, and their current target was one of the key researchers of Axcel Incorporated, Walter Drucker- Joan's father.
Drucker Residence
11:57 AM
POV: Joan Drucker
When the Today Show was done with and Mallory was done with watching cartoons (at least for now), we got to work cleaning up for tonight's party. Yeah, I know the place was going to be even worse than our slumber party had left it after the party was over but still it was the principal of the thing to have everything look good for the guests. Besides I admit I had indulged in a few of Elinore's house parties before; okay the fact is that they were a blast, honestly though; you had to wonder just where she got the energy for that and keeping up with her school work.
Most people wouldn't know it by looking at her but like me, party girl Elinore was on the honor roll- just how she managed to find the energy to do this and trough a house party what seemed like every other week was one of those mysteries that I'm sure man was not meant to know.
Just as I was almost finished, dusting the entertainment center the doorbell rang. Setting down my Swiffer I went for the door, only to find Elinore, a couple of Junior Varsity football players, and a few members of the school's AV club could be seen helping-out with the van in her drive-way while two more were pulling up alongside the curb. I could clearly see them getting out folding tables (probably for the food), better set those up in the backyard to make it easier on the carpet.
"Hello Joan," Elinore said as I opened the door. "Would you like to show us where we can set everything up?"
"Sure, follow me around to the back yard and I'll show where we can set up the refreshments on the back porch." I explained as I began to lead them around back to the gate.
"Pardon me," Larry Krum from our aforementioned Audiovisual Club asked as he brought out a pair of turntables. "Is it alright if I go inside to start setting up the sound equipment?"
"Sure, go right inside; just be careful if you need to move the furniture around in the den." I replied as I opened the door to help them since his hands were full, thankfully we didn't have anything too valuable in the den- well other than the TV.
After Larry walked into the house with the turntables, followed by another couple of junior varsity football players and a table, I guided Elinore and the rest of the group into the backyard to setup on the porch. As I did so, Evan Vickers was eyeballing our pool as he setup one of the tables.
"Yeah, my folks said that we can use it during the party," I smiled as I answered his unasked question. "We only have a few house rules about the pool: No glass bottles anywhere near the pool, no trash, and wait ten minutes after eating."
"Seems fair," He responded, meanwhile Reid Duram brought around a steel tub with Carlos Puckett's help.
"What is that for?" I asked curious about the steel trough.
"Caned drinks," Reid explained. "When we go to the store later we're going to pick up a few cases of assorted soda and a few bags of ice, then toss them in half an hour before the party starts. Elinore doesn't want to risk some idiot sneaking in a bottle of vodka and spiking the punch bowl again like Blake Russel did during last-year’s spring break bash."
"Oh yeah," I remarked before explaining, "I missed out on that one because I was home with the flu."
I laughed to myself at that memory; I was so delirious with fever that day that I could swear that my teddy bears were dancing. Later mom told me that one time that I was trying to convince her that Mister Fuzzles was trying to waltz with Fluffy while she was changing out my cold pack.
"Good thing that you did," Reid continued as he got out the garden hose to spray the inside of the tub while Carlos held it steady. "Three of our classmates drank themselves sick."
After the tables were arranged and the tub was set upside down in the grass to dry, Carlos helped me sweep the porch of any dirt and debris while Elinore helped Evan to begin stringing up some cheap paper lanterns, around the perimeter of the overhang. Meanwhile out in the yard Reid was staking down a few tiki torch holders, they were going to fill them with a normal lamp oil to draw the evening bugs away from the porch. Thankfully, it was still too early for mosquitoes to be a real problem- citronella oil stinks when it burns.
As we were about halfway done we heard some shouting coming from inside, I rushed in to see smoke coming from the sound equipment and Larry desperately wielding a fire extinguisher.
"What happened?" I asked in astonishment trying to hear over the sound of the smoke alarm going off, thankfully we didn't have one of those emergency service systems setup around the house.
"There was a short in the electrical system," Larry explained over another shot from the fire extinguisher. "It started in the mixing board and surged to the speakers, it looks like the sound system for the party is shot."
"Just be grateful that I unplugged it before it caught fire!" Erika exclaimed with a cross expression on her face, "I thought that you knew just what you were doing with this equipment!"
"I do!" Larry shouted back clearly insulted, "I've worked with this system a dozen times. It was likely problem in the circuitry from wear and tear that caused the short in the first place; there was nothing that I could have done to predict this happening short of opening up the board itself and taking a look inside!"
"I'm going to call the fire department and ask if they can send someone to check out the safety of this equipment," Erika stated which launched me into a panic. If the fire department were called, they'd have to file an incident report with the police department of the brief electrical fire. Incidents with the fire department meant that the police would likely send someone over when my parents got back home, something that we had always managed to avoid.
Sure, a lot of people make jokes about the police however, they are paid and trained to be observant, and there was always a risk that an officer would be observant enough to see past my parent's wards. All it would take was one cop sensitive enough and the delicate house of cards that were the illusion wards keeping the truth about our family hidden from prying eyes would be torn to shreds- along with the only home that I had ever known.
I don't know how it began but in that moment of total panic when all of the sudden everything clicked- "Hold the phone call Erika, I know what to do!"
I don't know how did but I did, my hands moved like a blur as my heart thundered in my chest as I unplugged all the connections on the mixing board and carried it down into my dad's lab in the basement, the one for his day job at Axcel not the hidden super-villain one in the sub-basement. I grabbed a pair of gloves from the tub and a tiny Philips-head screwdriver before I plugged in the soldering iron, in no time I had the casing off the mixing board and was ready to look at the guts of the equipment.
I knew from a glance that the mixing board was a mess, but it was far from unsalvageable. I went over to my dad's workstation and began to pull out the necessary components for the repairs- before a stray thought hit me. Going with my new insight, I grabbed an empty plastic tray and began to select a series of resistors and diodes from the trays that my dad used to keep everything organized then put on a mask and turned on the overhead vent.
Speedily I got to work replacing the burned-out resistors on the circuit board and then splicing the new resistors what were rated at a much higher capacity then the ones then I replaced them with. Then to follow I began to strip out the old diodes, transistors, inductors and capacitors; although most of them were perfectly fine, they were too weak for the modifications that I was making.
One by ones I carefully soldered in the new circuits on the board instinctively knowing just how much the board itself could take before it would break. It was weird I was moving without any wasted motion, every move of the hot soldering iron was made with perfect precision. I knew exactly what I needed to do without even needing to look up the original’s registered blueprints.
I just fell away from the world as I worked, I knew what I was doing and I was almost done. Sure enough, as the circuit board was repaired now better than new I moved it to the side and as I went for the first of the speakers. I carried the bulky thing back to the normal lab in the basement ignoring its size given that it didn't feel that heavy.
Like the mixing board, I open the thing up and got to work, once again my hands began their delicate complex dance as I improved the speaker before likewise moving it aside to work on its mate. I was a blur of details as I began my final improvement on the sound system even adding a slight coat of resin to the outside of the cup so the tonal quality would be a little deeper.
No wait there was still the turntables themselves, what point was there in improving the speakers and the mixing equipment when the source of the music itself was still the same. With the last speaker aside, I went back and picked up the turn tables marching them back downstairs to the basement lab despite Larry grabbing on and dragging his heels to keep me from taking then, a quick jab with a capacitor that I had pulled off of the mixing board persuaded him to turn loose of them.
Soon I had the turn tables disassembled as I began to work, it was quick work soldering the new wires in place then coating the now fused ends with a thin coat of liquid rubber. Then I began to work on the guts of the machine, before I knew it I had upgraded the turn table like I had the speaker. Finally, all the sound system was improved, there would be no need for Erika to call the fire department who would file a report that would call the police who might discover the truth about my family.
I tried to relax as I walked back into the living room but all around me I saw things that I knew that I could improve easily with what I had around the house, the microwave, the oven, the refrigerator, the coffee pot, the television, the lighting system, my dad's custom security system it never seemed to end. All I needed to do was for my eye to catch sight of something and automatically I knew what I needed to do to fix it, to improve it, to make it more efficient, to make it work even better than before.
What was going on? Why couldn't I stop seeing things this way? Oh no, I realized it I had begun to manifest in a house full of people with my parents over a thousand miles away in another time zone and the only person in the house who could help me was a demi-succubus who would have to risk blowing her own cover to help me. I began to shake as my panic and paranoia began to cloud out my previously clear insight, there was nothing that I could do my life was over. I began to shake and hyperventilate as Elinore and Mallory grabbed me, when I collapsed to the ground.
I couldn't hear a thing that they were saying above the sound of my own thundering heartbeat, but I could see the looks of fear on their faces as my vision began to blur. Soon that blur faded into darkness-
"What happened?" Erika asked out of clear concern, "What was all that about? How was Joan able to do what she did? Forget the fire department; do I need to call an ambulance?"
"I'm surprised that I don't need to," Larry grumbled while stroking his hand. "Just how was she able to drag me like that, not to mention pick all of that stuff up? It took two of us to bring in the mixing board and the speakers, granted that we're not the strongest folks around but she was able to carry them easily.
"Not unless you never want to see your friend again." Nicole said as she came down the stairs having been drug out of Walter's office half an hour ago by all of the commotion. "Unless I'm mistaken Joan, just manifested."
"Manifested, hold the phone, do you mean Joan's a mutant?" Mallory said as she looked at her friend in awe, "But she can't be a mutant, she looks the same as she always does?"
"Well if she just manifested it should take a while before any physical changes happen." Nicole began to explain to everyone present. "That is if she displays any physical changes at all, some mutants look just like everybody else, and I hope for her sake that this is the case."
"Well she's already violent enough," Larry grumbled. "She shocked me for no reason."
"Judging by what she was doing she might be a tech-focused mutant," Nicole did her best to explain. "From what I've seen from the ones at Axcel they usually get very into their work and they get about as territorial around it as a dog does over their food bowl while they're working."
"But will she be alright?" Erika said with her earlier panic only somewhat mollified, "And how do you know so much about mutants?"
"The boarding school that I went to when I grew up had a special course that they taught whenever someone manifested." Nicole calmly claimed telling the relative truth, "Ruby one of the girls in my grade manifested and her feet transformed into hand-feet like a monkey, you'd never know by looking at now when she's wearing shoes."
"Will she be alright though?" Elinore asked fixing Nicole with a look that said far more than she was telling as she brought a cold pack from the freezer for Joan.
"It's too soon to tell," Nicole admitted aloud, "why don't a couple of you fine gentlemen take her up to her room. Erika, you can help Mallory since you’re so interested and already know where it is you can keep an eye on her."
"Roger-roger," Mallory chirped as she led Carlos who had Joan's shoulders and Evan who had her feet up the stairs to Joan's bedroom.
"Erika, please check on her every once in a while with a thermometer." Nicole advised before explaining, "They also explained about a condition called Burnout, keep an eye on her temperature and for any physical abnormalities. I'll keep my cellphone on me at all times, if you notice anything outside of the norm please call me."
"Where will you be?" Erika asked curious where the adult supervision for all of this would be headed.
"At the Whole Foods store picking up some organic energy bars," Nicole confessed to the teenager. "Joan was going full tilt before she crashed that likely used up a lot of calories and she might need some more fuel on top of that, I'm not going to risk there being any chemical interactions while she's stabilizing. Elinore you're coming with me, you need to pick up some drinks for your party anyway right? We can make this one trip since your people's vans left after you were done unloading."
"We're still going to be having the party!?!" Erika exclaimed in disbelief.
"Maintaining the veneer of normality is also important, from what I learned at this point psychology can actually influence mutation to some degree." Nicole stated. "Joan was expecting this party to happen and the more normal that she feels when waking up the better."
"What about us," Larry and Welsey from the AV club said bringing attention to themselves. "What are we supposed to do?"
"That soldering that Joan did on your equipment must have set by now," Nicole stated. "You might want to setup your equipment and perform a sound-check, just do it quietly you don't want to wake up Joan before she's ready to do so herself. Also, unplug anything in there that she was working on so that it doesn't start another fire."
As they left Nicole looked at Reid who was still with everyone else, "Please see that they don't touch or take anything. Oh, and lock up that room after they have all of their equipment out, I can't imagine that Mister Drucker will be too pleased that anyone was using his workroom while he wasn't home to supervise; the last thing that I'd want to do is explain why anything is missing."
"I've also called Dr. Paola Abrams, she's one of Axcel's company physicians, she'll be here soon. She has a good deal of experience with mutants and will be able to tell everyone if Joan is any real danger." Nicole said giving everyone still in the room a little bit of relief. "Remember to let her in when she gets here and show her to Joan's room, and she's the only one that you’re to let in other than us understand!"
"I understand," Erika nodded as Nicole and Elinore left the house.
4:10 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
"-ck s_e's c_ming to!" I heard as I struggled to get my eyes open, only to find Mallory and a lady in a lab coat waiting for me once I did.
"Let me guess," I asked already knowing the answer, "I'm a mutant."
"I would say that it looks very likely," the lady said as she looked into my eyes with an Ophthalmoscope (okay I was curious and I looked up the name) to begin a standard checkup. "Your pupil response looks good," she said as she checked my right eye then my left, "Were your eyes always hazel?"
"Yeah!" I said as the aching started, "Did I grow antenna, a tail or anything?"
"Nope, it doesn't look like you show any signs of Gross Structural Dystrophy," the doctor said as she moved on to check my ears. "I'm Doctor Paola Abrams, the staff physician at Axcel for special needs employees."
"Oh, have you ever gotten to examine anybody with wings?" Mallory asked brimming with curiosity, after all this was the first time that she ever got to talk with a doctor who regularly examined mutants.
"Miss Trombly for the last time, even if I have, I wouldn't be able to tell you." Doctor Abrams replied while she finished examining my right ear canal. "If I told you that it would be a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality.
"Mallory's been trying to grill you for details has she?" I chuckled knowing my best friend all too well.
"Ever since I got here an hour and a half ago," Doctor Abrams dryly responded rolling her eyes before getting out a tongue depressor. "Now open your mouth and say ah!"
I did as she told me while she pressed down on my tongue with that disgusting piece of wood; honestly, I hated having these things in my mouth unless they had a popsicle wrapped around it- preferably strawberry.
"Tell me," Doctor Abrams asked as she examined the inside of my mouth. "Have you ever had your tonsils removed?"
"Yuh, wehn ah waf seben, wuy?" I said trying to talk with the stick pressing down on my tongue.
"Well they're back, and given that your friends told me earlier about your escapades I'd have to say that you're likely a combination of Exemplar and Gadgeteer." Doctor Abrams said as she threw the tongue depressor in the trash and made a few notes on her pad before getting out a probe thermometer. "Hold still."
"Wait I thought that Exemplars were what they call those hard body Mister Universe and Miss Olympia types." Mallory observed, "Joan doesn't look any different from before."
"Exemplars are a widely-varied group even across the same power rating Miss Malveaux, their looks are affected by what experts call a Body Image Template or BIT some look what you’re thinking of but Exemplars can vary widely some even looking as normal as Ms Drucker."
"Sorry to disappoint," I remarked just after the thermometer beeped.
Doctor Abrams took out the thermometer and read the results allowed, "Ninety-eight point six, so far everything looks normal but I still want you to keep an eye on yourself and ask your parents to schedule a follow-up with me. Now take off your shirt, I need to check your breathing."
I did as Doctor Abrams asked and pulled my shirt off right before she placed the cup of the stethoscope on my back at least this time the damned thing wasn't ice cold, "Breathe in... Breathe out." I could feel as the cup switched sides, "Breathe in… Breathe out."
"Good," the doctor said as she maneuvered around until she was in front of me, applied a blood pressure cuff, and then placed the stethoscope over my heart. "Now relax and breathe normally," I waited a few minutes as she inflated the cuff and counted my pulse.
After a few moments the deflated and removed the cuff and began to return her equipment to her bag, "You can put your shirt back on Ms Drucker. Now everything seems normal, although they seem to be a little too normal for someone in your current situation. You might be what the literature refers to as an Exemplar Two; you see although your vitals see to be perfectly normal at first glance, they just seem a little too good to be true for someone that should be under the amount of stress that you are. You might want to have your parents bring you in to come and see me for rudimentary powers testing, it might help you to learn a bit or about the brand new you- in the mean time I suggest that you enjoy your party."
"Alright Doc, thanks for the House Call on the Weekend," I said as I got up the aches now fading feeling more like I had gone through a five-hour workout then ten rounds with a steamroller.
"Thank the company health plan," Dr. Abrams said as she headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile Mallory stared at me like a puppy dog who someone had just asked if they wanted to go for a ride in the car.
"Can I help you Mallory?" I asked more than a little perturbed at the attention.
"I'm sorry- I just can't believe that I'm friends with a real live mutant," Mallory trying to keep herself from squealing like a fangirl. "Can I catch it?"
"It's a matter of genetics Mallory," I deadpanned, "it's not like I'm just a werewolf who can turn people by biting them."
"Oh, that's good; I don't think that I'd look good in fur." Mallory mused for a second, "I mean who’s ever heard of a ginger werewolf."
"Just tell me that we have something to eat," I groaned at her shtick.
"Yeah, Nicole picked up a of box of organic power-bars for you." Mallory said as she pulled a box labeled strawberry yogurt from under the bed, "I called her and told her what you'd prefer when she got to the grocery store."
"Never change Mallory," I said as I pulled her in for a hug, "never change."
"Aw if I don't then how would I ever get to fly?" Mallory asked with a pouty expression.
"Get a pilot's license after you turn eighteen." I dryly answered her as I dug into the box.
"Spoilsport," Mallory said as she stuck out her tongue at me. The more things change the more they stay the same.
6:07 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
It was weird I polished off an entire box of energy bars less than three hours ago, and I was already starting to get hungry again; manifestation must have really took it out of me. Well it was either that or I was getting the freaky metabolism that Energizers were known for- which I hope not the last thing that I needed was to act as if I had the munchies twenty-four seven. As I made my way down the stairs I noticed that everyone had finished setting up inside, Erika must have really helped party-proof the house; okay to be fair Elinore's experience at being a party animal was probably to blame.
In the den Larry and Wesley were busy arranging a portable rack of vinyl records and arguing over the playlist for the party. "No, I'm telling you that we need to kick things off with "Dare", The Gorrilaz are always good to kick things off." Wesley was doing his best to argue what was obviously his order of the playlist.
"I'm telling you Wes, The Gorrilaz aren't even popular anymore." Larry groaned, "Let's start off with Finger Elven's "Paralyzer"; it just came out so no one's tired of it yet."
"Um, Larry," I said as I approached the pair. "I'm sorry about earlier, with the capacitor and everything. Honestly I don't know what I was thinking!"
"It's alright," Larry said as he looked into my eyes. "Honestly, it's not just working as good as new, my equipment is better than it was new. I did a sound check earlier, I've never been able to drop the bass that deep before; whatever you did it wasn't just science it was art."
"Yeah and Larry here was stupid enough to interrupt an artist while she was working, I'm surprised that she didn't bite you." Wes chuckled as he tried to switch one album for another only to get his knuckles slapped.
"Anyway, if you feel the need to upgrade any of my equipment again feel free to do so." Larry said as he glared at Wesley.
"I'll keep that in mind," I chuckled as I headed around the bar and into the kitchen.
I had just started browsing through the fridge for last night's leftovers when Elinore came to catch my attention. "I wouldn't get too full if I were you, we've got catering going to set up in the back in a little bit. Given that we're celebrating your first time having guests over and toasting to your continued good health, I admit that I decided to go a bit overboard."
"Elinore during that party at your family estate for your last birthday, you decided to supplement the backyard barbeque that your parents threw with a luau complete with Kailua pig and traditional Polynesian dishes." I said with a raised eyebrow, "Then you everyone in the school and their families to attend on top of the guests that your parents insisted on inviting, I'm surprised that your dad wasn't beside himself with bigwigs that he was trying to impress with his little princess."
"Ugh don't remind me, I know when keep up that act for daddy's friend's to act the part of his darling angel for the press when he needs me too." Elinore seemed to groan over her familial obligations, "To be honest the reason that I organize these parties is to give myself a chance to be me around people that really matter, not the press or the good ol' boys that dad needs to impress so much. No I mean my real friends- the people that I spend so much time with at school laughing and having fun. Sometimes I envy everyone at school not having to go around all day wearing a mask if they don't want to- at least they don't have to live a lie."
"Everyone has their secrets Elinore, even at school people hide pieces of themselves from others. Besides doesn't your dad have your older brother to show off as well?" I asked still keeping my own secrets all too hidden although she did have a point my parents (secrets aside) with their glamour charms active got to be mostly themselves in public. Granted that they had to keep mom's love of combat and dad's habit of technical practical jokes toned down, as far as anyone knew my mom was just a grown-up tomboy who loved cheering for the local football team and dad was a inventor with a weird sense of humor.
"Oliver busy over on the East Coast attending a boarding school for blue bloods in Connecticut called the Chilton Preparatory Academy, he only comes home during the holidays when he's not busy hobnobbing with the Old Money Upper Crust of New England." Elinore said with a sigh, "Every time I see him it's like he's further transformed into a caricature of a normal human being, dad wanted to send me on the same regiment of school's as Oliver after Elementary School- fortunately mom backed me up when I put my foot down. Still in exchange for getting to stay myself I have to put on airs for a bunch of self-important blowhards and smile for the camera till my face hurts."
"Anyway, what I was talking about was that I splurged a bit on the spread for the party. It's going to be the basic party staples- wings, pizzas, and sandwich trays, only because of the special occasions I decided to go with local quality and made a few phone calls." Elinore smiled which made me more curious. "Mainly to DoubleDave's, Hoody's and Pluckers, though no Fire in the Hole from that last one; the last thing that we need is two meatheads goading each other into trying for the Wall of Flame."
"True, but still why go to all of this trouble- why single me out?" I asked wanting to hear her response. "Why did you choose my house?"
"I'm a lot more observant than most people give me credit for Joan," Elinore said as she looked me in the eye. "I could tell that you've been distancing yourself from your friends lately- not a lot but the signs were there if you knew what to look for- almost as if you were gradually preparing yourself to make a break from your old life. Let me guess- you knew that you had the mutant gene and were gradually distancing yourself from everyone so they wouldn't suspect when you cut them off weren't you?"
Ouch, I don't know what hurt more the accusation or the fact that she was right and I had been doing it without realizing it. "Let me guess, your silence means that I hit the nail on the head?" Elinore's penetrating glare turned into a side-ways glance.
"I just didn't want anyone to get hurt when the mobs of mutant haters began to come to town," I sighed in defeat.
"I thought so," Elinore shook her head, "well at least that was my working theory after you manifested. Anyway, just enjoy the party, have some fun, let off some steam and worry about the details when your parent's get home- after all that part is a family matter."
7:14 PM
The guests were now beginning to arrive and after coming in the door one at a time they were beginning to get a feel for the house that Joan Drucker and her family had called home for over a decade and a half. Still one guest was not there for the ambience or to have a good time relieving the growing pressure of the encroaching final exams and their soon to be status as freshmen, no if anyone who was familiar with police procedures made it a point to observe Joel Gibson they would have recognized that he was casing the house.
Sadly, the only ones who would have recognized this were occupied; Joan herself was concerned with maintaining an illusion of normality now that (like her parents) she was a mutant. While Nicole was busy working on a paper for her college courses, casually Joel observed the scene then after Matt Savage went in the hall bathroom he made his way to the DJ table, and caught Wesley attention.
"Excuse me the hall bathroom's occupied, is there one upstairs?" Joel asked trying to be candid.
"I think so," Wesley pondered while his cohort Larry was busy with the mixing board. "Should be free too, I don't think that I've seen anyone go up the stairs either."
"Thank you," Joel said as he made his way up the stairs, although he passed the bathroom and opened a door that looked far more professional only to find that to his surprise the room was occupied.
"Can I help you?" Nicole inquired as she looked up from her laptop and her paper while she glared at the intruder.
"Oh, I'm sorry I was looking for the rest room," Joel said using an act of teenage befuddlement to cover for his annoyance.
"You just passed it, this is Mister Drucker's home office and I am the adult that they asked to look after things while they were away," Nicole explained clearly annoyed at being disturbed, "now if you don't mind I have a paper that I need to complete."
"Okay- okay sorry," Joel said as he purposefully stumbled out of the door and made his way to the real second floor restroom to keep his cover. Once he was inside, he clenched his fists in annoyance before his face briefly shifted in a way that was unnatural, with a bit of concentration his face went back to normal. To maintain the veneer in case anyone might be listening Joel flushed the toilet and began to wash his hands off- it was time for Plan B.
7:27 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
The guests had arrived a little while ago and things had started off great, especially now that I had hit the spread on the table- Elinore wasn't kidding about splurging while none of the places the food was from was out of the price range of the average person for lunch, party trays were another story. After a little time watched two of the playa's trying to serve each other with their moves to Mink's "Glory of Life" and I decided to partake of the buffet on the porch. I made a few choice picks and grabbed a diet cola from out of the tub then went to sit down on a hay bale that Elinore's folks had supplied as improvised benches.
I had just policed off a slice of the veggie version of Dave's fave and was about to dig into some lemon pepper wings, when I heard someone say the M word. "I'm telling you if they only gave mutants just little more benefit of the doubt things would be a lot better." Mallory began explaining to one of the members of the student newspaper.
"They did then things like the Fool's Fight and madmen like Gizmatic and Deicide happened." Dillon Goddard one of the thankfully few real junior members of the local H1 branch at our school shot back.
"When you get right down to it mutants are people, just as good and just as bad, remember human history is full of nightmares and monsters. The Nazi Regime, Pol Pot, Torquemada, all of those were products of human nature at its worst, and if those monsters are two ancient for you Professor Id popped back up in New York a couple of months ago, and everyone knows that monster really is human." Erika responded trying to use reason on the matter. "People are always going to be afraid of things that are different, but we can't let it create more problems. Besides the more marginalized and isolated a group becomes the more it creates a climate for reactionaries to recruit from when the more moderate members have nowhere else to turn, for example just what would do you think happen if someone who grows up believing Humanity First rhetoric becomes a mutant?"
Dillon didn't have a response for that, "Yeah what's the reason for all this doom and gloom besides everyone seems to be enjoying the music and that wouldn't have happened if Joan didn't fix and juice the sound system."
"What would that have- to- do- with..." suddenly Dillon's eyes widened up as he came to the obvious conclusion, thanks a lot Mallory.
"Oh my god, I'm at a mutant's stronghold, and she's trying to brainwash us!" Dillon shouted as he slowly backed away. "Th-that's it I'm calling the cops the MCO will come and put you in prison where you belong."
"And tell them what, that a mutant is throwing a party at the home that she's lived in all her life, and trying to hypnotize her class mates with a store-bought copy of Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough." Elinore stated as she came out into the backyard, "Go right ahead, I'm sure that father's attorney would appreciate the workout when I volunteer him to help the one's Axcel Incorporated will likely appoint to defend her, besides according to their doctor who examined her she just manifested a few hours ago."
"Think about it every one- something like what Dillon is suggesting requires planning- not to mention a motive outside his blatantly bigoted paranoia." Elinore stated to everyone at the party, especially since the music from the inside had stopped. "Besides even if she has the skills to do what you suggest I doubt that she have the practice to employ them like you claim. Not to mention even less of a reason to so in the first place, I doubt she'd be stupid enough to do something where she'd be suspect number one."
"Just you wait freak," Dillon shouted as he stormed out the side gate of the backyard, "I'll see that the MCO locks you away in a hole where monsters like you belong!"
"The MCO have no power outside what the government gives them and their on thin-ice in Texas right now after that mess in Dallas last January." I stated my case as Goddard slammed the gate closed in rage. "You want a monster Goddard look in the mirror, because you're showing all the makings of one."
The entire party meanwhile was silent as a tomb then I heard a pair of hands clapping, another soon joined that and another until the sound filled the backyard and the house. "Okay folks I heard," Wesley say through the DJ mike on the stand the one piece of equipment of his that I didn't touch, "Now that the spitting cobra's gone, how about we shake-off the venom with some sweet jams."
As Nickelback's Savin' Me began to play the tension began to leave the party, while everyone seemed to let the recent development's go while they returned to enjoying themselves. Surprisingly no one had decided to avoid be as I stated to get back to my wings, I noticed a few of my classmates staring at me not out of fear- but curiosity. 'It's probably the first time they've ever known that they were in the vicinity of a real mutant.' I thought to myself, 'I'll probably get mobbed by questions before the party's over.'
7:36 PM
While everyone was focused on the verbal sparring between Dillon Goddard and Elinore Jaffee- Joel Gibson took the opportunity to make his way to the stairs to the basement. After circumventing the lock on the door with his student ID him down the stairs to the basement, the most likely location of Walter Drucker's lab (making certain that the door to the stairs themselves was shut first). Seeing the standard keypad lock in place he took out bag of white powder, common talc, threw a handful against the keypad then gently blew against it as he put on a pair of latex gloves.
Soon the numbers one, two, six, nine and zero showed prints, taking a cue from the number display above the keypad that this was a date he went through the intelligence that he memorized about the Drucker's themselves. Walter and Alice were both born in the seventies and the number seven had obviously not been pressed in a while, now Joan on the other hand. Confident in his first-choice Joel keyed in 06111992, immediately the door unlocked allowing him to slip inside the lab.
The inside of the lab was very organized, unusual for an inventor in Joel's experience, yet it still took him time to find the computer itself. Once he turned on the hard drive he found to his chagrin that it was password protected, nothing that he hadn't dealt with before he slipped a USB port devise out of his pocket and it began a password cracking program. It took a good several minutes for the device to complete its work but now the password was complete and the computer started up.
Satisfied at the way his work was going, Joel replaced the password cracker with a modified external hard drive that began to copy all non-system files on the computer itself, now all that he had to do was play the waiting game.
8:13 PM
A half hour after Joan was outed as a mutant her fellow students started to make their way to her obviously intent on learning a thing or two about mutants in the process from the horse's mouth, with the attention getting to her she excused herself to the upstairs bathroom. Meanwhile unbeknownst to everyone, while Dillon Goddard's little H1 drama in the backyard. While a number of their classmates seemed to be gathering the courage to ask Joan some very personal question, Mallory noticed that the side light was on and decided that it was ruining the atmosphere in the backyard, while she went down the hall to turn it off, that's when she noticed Joel Gibson coming out the door to the basement.
"Hey what were you don't down there?" Mallory asked, "That door was locked."
Joel tried to ignore her then when she grabbed and pulled him by the arm external hard drive slid out of his pocket, fortunately, he caught it before it hit the tile floor, unfortunately for him Mallory saw it as he caught the thing. "Wait is that a hard drive? Why would you have one of those at a party? Oh, my god you're a spy!"
That did it after replacing the hard drive in his pocket he pulled out its other occupant as he slipped behind Mallory, and grabbed her with his left hand as he held a glock to her temple in his right. "Now listen here, I wanted to do this quick and clean but you just complicated matted so you and I are going on a little trip. Just remember be a good little girl, and I'll turn you lose without needing to ventilate your skull."
8:18 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
I was making my way back down the stairs when I saw Mallory being inched towards the front door with a gun to her head, immediately that same feeling when I repaired the sound equipment kicked in and I flew into action. I raced into dad's office and ignoring Nicole's inquiries of what was going on uncovered the hidden emergency safe under the throw rug. After opening it with my palm print I took out an imperception charm, (that dad had gimmicked to look tech-based) and one his shock gloves, and put both on.
Now satisfied that I was ready I carefully made my way back down the stairs with the attention that Mallory's captor was drawing thankfully aiding the charm and carefully made my way behind him before he backed into the entry hall. The adrenalin must have begun to get to me because everything looked fuzzy, still I had my plan and Mallory and her kidnapper were almost in position as I slipped in the alcove that led to the dining room, thankful that there was no door.
As the kidnapper opened the front door and backed his way out of it I followed him and Mallory outside neither noticing me thanks to the charm, then once we were all outside struck. In a swift motion, I grabbed the gun and flipped on the safety, hit him with the zap from the glove, then as he spasmed pulled Mallory free, and threw her to safety under the bushes while forcing him to drop the weapon.
My adrenaline began to die down when I turned back to her would be kidnapper, onto to see that he had pulled out a second gun. I could only stare in shock as he pulled the trigger and I felt round after round punch into me, as I began to fall I must have been seeing things because I could almost swear that I saw Elinore and Nicole appear right behind him and Nicole was pulling a spaded tail from the man's back.
8:31 PM
Nicole knelt over Joan's fallen body as she assessed the girl's injuries, meanwhile Elinore glared own a Joel's fallen body knowing that he was paralyzed. 'How is she?' Nicole felt Elinore ask her mind to mind as to them the entire world seemed to slow down.
'Bad, one of the bullets punctured a lung, another nicked one of her arteries, while a third is lodged near her spine.' Nicole replied to Elinore's inquires. 'I'm using my telekinesis to keep her from bleeding out but that won't work forever, I don't suppose that you know any healing spells strong enough to handle this?'
'I don't even think that mother knows healing spells strong enough for this,' Elinore replied, as she knew what needed to be done. 'Joan, can you hear me, this is Elinore please don't pass out yet.'
8:31 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
'Waht s et?' I asked not with my mouth but oddly enough with my mind.
'Joan this is important, you're going to die at the rate that you'd be bleeding out, Nicole is doing what she can to keep you alive but she can't keep it up forever.' I felt Elinore tell me in my mind. 'There is only one thing that we can do to save your life, you know what that is but you have to give us permission to do that. Now one question, do you want to live or die?'
Even being in shock from the situation I knew just what Elinore was talking about granted that I had more than a few questions but there was no time for any of that. I wanted to live and I would accept the consequences as they came, 'Doo et!'
Elinore's leather wings unfurled and her horns and tail appeared revealing her nature as a succubus- not a demi-succubus like Nicole, but a fully-fledged succubus. She leaned in and kissed me on the lips and I felt a poke as her tail pieced my skin, 'It figures I find out that I can hodgepodge things together only to become a hodgepodge myself.' After that thought passed through my mind I felt Elinore's tail begin to pump something into my veins that burned like fire. Soon I would no longer be human by most definitions of the word, I thought that my climb to become a hero would be difficult before just being the child of super-villains- now I was about to become a demi-succubus- literally a Hell fiend.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 10
Drucker Residence
Round Rock, Texas
9:54 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker
By the time, I had returned from my morning jog, which I usually did a lot earlier in the morning, Mallory and Erika were wide-awake and arguing over the remote.
"Come on- it's Saturday morning, what's wrong with watching cartoons on Saturday morning it’s a tradition." Mallory said while trying to snatch the remote from Erika.
"Cartoons rot your brain Mallory- everyone knows that," Erika shot back trying to keep one-step ahead of Mallory. "Besides they’re for kids, and I'm watching the Today Show."
"Cartoons are not just for kids Erika," Mallory said as she scrambled for the remote. "Besides the Season Finale of Ben 10 starts in four minutes and you can stand to miss out on Campbell Brown for one morning."
"Um, Mallory if you really want to watch cartoons the TV in my bedroom gets cable too." I said trying to play peacekeeper between the pair.
Not wanting to take the chance that she was going to miss the first few minutes of her show Mallory tore up the stairs towards my room that I showed to the two of them last night, while leaving Erika dumbstruck.
Finally satisfied that the remote was now hers Erika turned on the big screen and tuned in just as Campbell was about to begin the fashion corner.
"Trouble in paradise?" I asked as Erika was settling into watch the news programs summery of the events of the day.
"It's just a little frustrating with her sometimes," Erika sighed as she pulled her legs against her to rest her chin on her knees. "Here we are almost in high school and she's still acting like a little kid."
"Erika there are some adults that still act like kids," I said as I toweled off. "The important part isn't what you enjoy in your spare time, but how you handle responsibility in the real world."
"Think what you will Joan, however you have to wonder how her hobbies will reflect on her in the public eye as we go to high school." Erika shot back, I shook my head as I made for the bathroom- I wonder how she would react if she knew the full truth about my family. Oh well, a quick shower and then I would scope out what further security measures I needed to take before the other guests got here. Granted dad's security system and Dame Scratch's wards are top notch but they're just gadgets and spells- there are still ways past them if you have the right tools or knowledge.
At least we had one of the organization’s demi-succubi to help, because the last thing that I wanted to do was for one of our guests to find out the truth about mom and dad then blow our family's cover. I remember reading the stories on Arc-net kids of super-villains being raised under fake names bouncing from city to city, country-to-country all to give them a vague sense of a normal childhood.
Jan and Mal Diabolik were one of the more well-known cases, but their story was also an all too familiar one. It was almost formulaic: the hidden kids of a super-villain get the secret of their parentage drug out into the light, a crusading district attorney shows up to take them into protective custody as a political maneuver. Then an angry and often armed mob of past victims and Humanity First show up to enact vigilante justice by proxy- oblivious to the fact that kids never had anything to do with their parent's crimes. Then the super-villain parent shows up to take kids away to Kardonia; then a year later it is turned into a low-budget television movie.
As for me living in suburbia with my real parents and long-time normal friends whose parents aren't part of the dark-side of the spandex as well, I was very a-typical of being a super-villain's kid let alone for the kid of a married super-villain couple. Yeah, I hate to be a pessimist here, but I'm waiting for that other shoe to surrender to gravity.
"Just keep in mind that we're going to have to help party-proof the house in an hour before Elinore and her posse arrive, to set things up." I explained as Erika was taking note of the latest Health Guru being interviewed, honestly it was obscene how many fad diets were out there milking the public like dairy cattle.
Brown-Jaffe Family Estate
10:02 AM
While Joan and her friends were having a slow start to their day Elinore Jaffe, the girl who leaned on Joan for the use of her house for the pending party, was getting things together at her own home with the aid of the few servants who were not busy preparing the grounds for her father's guests.
"Madam Elinore, are you certain that you will be requiring the mix-table for tonight?" One of the maids asked in a professional tone.
"Of course, Elaine," Elinore said with a warm smile at the maid in question. "This will be Joan Drucker's first party at her own house; I want it to be something for her to remember."
"I am certain that her parents will make her remember it well enough once they get back into town." Said maid grumbled under her breath as she complied with her mistress's request.
Now that the maid had left the room Elinore's mother Leanne came into the room, "Elinore are you certain that this is a good idea, you know the truth about the Druckers are you certain that this is a good idea?"
"Of course, I am, and believe me I of all people am well aware about the Druckers." Elinore stated with a smile, "And believe me I am giving Joan exactly what she deserves, it's long overdue really."
Apple Creek Apartment 204
11:17 AM
While Elinore was preparing to give Joan what she deserved, in a sparsely furnished apartment on the other side of town a young man was engaged in a web-chat with the camera turned off.
"So you understand your mission Faux-05?"
"Yes, our current accumulated intelligence indicates that Walter Drucker is the most likely suspect for the information that we desire. I am to use the party to gain access to the Drucker home, enter Walter Drucker's home office during the party and retrieve any data and security codes that I am able to do so." The man known as Faux-05 whose face was barely visible in the low light, "If for some reason that I am unable to gain access to his office, then I am to look for Walter Drucker's home lab and after gaining access upload a copy of his hard-drive and then leave all obtained information at the current dead drop."
"Good, now remember Faux-05, whatever you do- do not get caught, the last thing that we need is for the organization's method's to be made public. If that happens you've blown the cover of every agent of ours on assignment. Should you be captured you know what to do."
"Understood," The man known as Faux-05 stated before adding. "The Grand Masquerade shall continue!"
"The Grand Masquerade shall continue!"
Upon closing the chat and powering down his laptop the hidden individual features began to shift until his appearance changed to that of a much younger man, someone that Joan and Elinore would have recognized from their school. Unbeknownst to them The Grand Masquerade had infiltrated their town and even their class, and their current target was one of the key researchers of Axcel Incorporated, Walter Drucker- Joan's father.
Drucker Residence
11:57 AM
POV: Joan Drucker
When the Today Show was done with and Mallory was done with watching cartoons (at least for now), we got to work cleaning up for tonight's party. Yeah, I know the place was going to be even worse than our slumber party had left it after the party was over but still it was the principal of the thing to have everything look good for the guests. Besides I admit I had indulged in a few of Elinore's house parties before; okay the fact is that they were a blast, honestly though; you had to wonder just where she got the energy for that and keeping up with her school work.
Most people wouldn't know it by looking at her but like me, party girl Elinore was on the honor roll- just how she managed to find the energy to do this and trough a house party what seemed like every other week was one of those mysteries that I'm sure man was not meant to know.
Just as I was almost finished, dusting the entertainment center the doorbell rang. Setting down my Swiffer I went for the door, only to find Elinore, a couple of Junior Varsity football players, and a few members of the school's AV club could be seen helping-out with the van in her drive-way while two more were pulling up alongside the curb. I could clearly see them getting out folding tables (probably for the food), better set those up in the backyard to make it easier on the carpet.
"Hello Joan," Elinore said as I opened the door. "Would you like to show us where we can set everything up?"
"Sure, follow me around to the back yard and I'll show where we can set up the refreshments on the back porch." I explained as I began to lead them around back to the gate.
"Pardon me," Larry Krum from our aforementioned Audiovisual Club asked as he brought out a pair of turntables. "Is it alright if I go inside to start setting up the sound equipment?"
"Sure, go right inside; just be careful if you need to move the furniture around in the den." I replied as I opened the door to help them since his hands were full, thankfully we didn't have anything too valuable in the den- well other than the TV.
After Larry walked into the house with the turntables, followed by another couple of junior varsity football players and a table, I guided Elinore and the rest of the group into the backyard to setup on the porch. As I did so, Evan Vickers was eyeballing our pool as he setup one of the tables.
"Yeah, my folks said that we can use it during the party," I smiled as I answered his unasked question. "We only have a few house rules about the pool: No glass bottles anywhere near the pool, no trash, and wait ten minutes after eating."
"Seems fair," He responded, meanwhile Reid Duram brought around a steel tub with Carlos Puckett's help.
"What is that for?" I asked curious about the steel trough.
"Caned drinks," Reid explained. "When we go to the store later we're going to pick up a few cases of assorted soda and a few bags of ice, then toss them in half an hour before the party starts. Elinore doesn't want to risk some idiot sneaking in a bottle of vodka and spiking the punch bowl again like Blake Russel did during last-year’s spring break bash."
"Oh yeah," I remarked before explaining, "I missed out on that one because I was home with the flu."
I laughed to myself at that memory; I was so delirious with fever that day that I could swear that my teddy bears were dancing. Later mom told me that one time that I was trying to convince her that Mister Fuzzles was trying to waltz with Fluffy while she was changing out my cold pack.
"Good thing that you did," Reid continued as he got out the garden hose to spray the inside of the tub while Carlos held it steady. "Three of our classmates drank themselves sick."
After the tables were arranged and the tub was set upside down in the grass to dry, Carlos helped me sweep the porch of any dirt and debris while Elinore helped Evan to begin stringing up some cheap paper lanterns, around the perimeter of the overhang. Meanwhile out in the yard Reid was staking down a few tiki torch holders, they were going to fill them with a normal lamp oil to draw the evening bugs away from the porch. Thankfully, it was still too early for mosquitoes to be a real problem- citronella oil stinks when it burns.
As we were about halfway done we heard some shouting coming from inside, I rushed in to see smoke coming from the sound equipment and Larry desperately wielding a fire extinguisher.
"What happened?" I asked in astonishment trying to hear over the sound of the smoke alarm going off, thankfully we didn't have one of those emergency service systems setup around the house.
"There was a short in the electrical system," Larry explained over another shot from the fire extinguisher. "It started in the mixing board and surged to the speakers, it looks like the sound system for the party is shot."
"Just be grateful that I unplugged it before it caught fire!" Erika exclaimed with a cross expression on her face, "I thought that you knew just what you were doing with this equipment!"
"I do!" Larry shouted back clearly insulted, "I've worked with this system a dozen times. It was likely problem in the circuitry from wear and tear that caused the short in the first place; there was nothing that I could have done to predict this happening short of opening up the board itself and taking a look inside!"
"I'm going to call the fire department and ask if they can send someone to check out the safety of this equipment," Erika stated which launched me into a panic. If the fire department were called, they'd have to file an incident report with the police department of the brief electrical fire. Incidents with the fire department meant that the police would likely send someone over when my parents got back home, something that we had always managed to avoid.
Sure, a lot of people make jokes about the police however, they are paid and trained to be observant, and there was always a risk that an officer would be observant enough to see past my parent's wards. All it would take was one cop sensitive enough and the delicate house of cards that were the illusion wards keeping the truth about our family hidden from prying eyes would be torn to shreds- along with the only home that I had ever known.
I don't know how it began but in that moment of total panic when all of the sudden everything clicked- "Hold the phone call Erika, I know what to do!"
I don't know how did but I did, my hands moved like a blur as my heart thundered in my chest as I unplugged all the connections on the mixing board and carried it down into my dad's lab in the basement, the one for his day job at Axcel not the hidden super-villain one in the sub-basement. I grabbed a pair of gloves from the tub and a tiny Philips-head screwdriver before I plugged in the soldering iron, in no time I had the casing off the mixing board and was ready to look at the guts of the equipment.
I knew from a glance that the mixing board was a mess, but it was far from unsalvageable. I went over to my dad's workstation and began to pull out the necessary components for the repairs- before a stray thought hit me. Going with my new insight, I grabbed an empty plastic tray and began to select a series of resistors and diodes from the trays that my dad used to keep everything organized then put on a mask and turned on the overhead vent.
Speedily I got to work replacing the burned-out resistors on the circuit board and then splicing the new resistors what were rated at a much higher capacity then the ones then I replaced them with. Then to follow I began to strip out the old diodes, transistors, inductors and capacitors; although most of them were perfectly fine, they were too weak for the modifications that I was making.
One by ones I carefully soldered in the new circuits on the board instinctively knowing just how much the board itself could take before it would break. It was weird I was moving without any wasted motion, every move of the hot soldering iron was made with perfect precision. I knew exactly what I needed to do without even needing to look up the original’s registered blueprints.
I just fell away from the world as I worked, I knew what I was doing and I was almost done. Sure enough, as the circuit board was repaired now better than new I moved it to the side and as I went for the first of the speakers. I carried the bulky thing back to the normal lab in the basement ignoring its size given that it didn't feel that heavy.
Like the mixing board, I open the thing up and got to work, once again my hands began their delicate complex dance as I improved the speaker before likewise moving it aside to work on its mate. I was a blur of details as I began my final improvement on the sound system even adding a slight coat of resin to the outside of the cup so the tonal quality would be a little deeper.
No wait there was still the turntables themselves, what point was there in improving the speakers and the mixing equipment when the source of the music itself was still the same. With the last speaker aside, I went back and picked up the turn tables marching them back downstairs to the basement lab despite Larry grabbing on and dragging his heels to keep me from taking then, a quick jab with a capacitor that I had pulled off of the mixing board persuaded him to turn loose of them.
Soon I had the turn tables disassembled as I began to work, it was quick work soldering the new wires in place then coating the now fused ends with a thin coat of liquid rubber. Then I began to work on the guts of the machine, before I knew it I had upgraded the turn table like I had the speaker. Finally, all the sound system was improved, there would be no need for Erika to call the fire department who would file a report that would call the police who might discover the truth about my family.
I tried to relax as I walked back into the living room but all around me I saw things that I knew that I could improve easily with what I had around the house, the microwave, the oven, the refrigerator, the coffee pot, the television, the lighting system, my dad's custom security system it never seemed to end. All I needed to do was for my eye to catch sight of something and automatically I knew what I needed to do to fix it, to improve it, to make it more efficient, to make it work even better than before.
What was going on? Why couldn't I stop seeing things this way? Oh no, I realized it I had begun to manifest in a house full of people with my parents over a thousand miles away in another time zone and the only person in the house who could help me was a demi-succubus who would have to risk blowing her own cover to help me. I began to shake as my panic and paranoia began to cloud out my previously clear insight, there was nothing that I could do my life was over. I began to shake and hyperventilate as Elinore and Mallory grabbed me, when I collapsed to the ground.
I couldn't hear a thing that they were saying above the sound of my own thundering heartbeat, but I could see the looks of fear on their faces as my vision began to blur. Soon that blur faded into darkness-
"What happened?" Erika asked out of clear concern, "What was all that about? How was Joan able to do what she did? Forget the fire department; do I need to call an ambulance?"
"I'm surprised that I don't need to," Larry grumbled while stroking his hand. "Just how was she able to drag me like that, not to mention pick all of that stuff up? It took two of us to bring in the mixing board and the speakers, granted that we're not the strongest folks around but she was able to carry them easily.
"Not unless you never want to see your friend again." Nicole said as she came down the stairs having been drug out of Walter's office half an hour ago by all of the commotion. "Unless I'm mistaken Joan, just manifested."
"Manifested, hold the phone, do you mean Joan's a mutant?" Mallory said as she looked at her friend in awe, "But she can't be a mutant, she looks the same as she always does?"
"Well if she just manifested it should take a while before any physical changes happen." Nicole began to explain to everyone present. "That is if she displays any physical changes at all, some mutants look just like everybody else, and I hope for her sake that this is the case."
"Well she's already violent enough," Larry grumbled. "She shocked me for no reason."
"Judging by what she was doing she might be a tech-focused mutant," Nicole did her best to explain. "From what I've seen from the ones at Axcel they usually get very into their work and they get about as territorial around it as a dog does over their food bowl while they're working."
"But will she be alright?" Erika said with her earlier panic only somewhat mollified, "And how do you know so much about mutants?"
"The boarding school that I went to when I grew up had a special course that they taught whenever someone manifested." Nicole calmly claimed telling the relative truth, "Ruby one of the girls in my grade manifested and her feet transformed into hand-feet like a monkey, you'd never know by looking at now when she's wearing shoes."
"Will she be alright though?" Elinore asked fixing Nicole with a look that said far more than she was telling as she brought a cold pack from the freezer for Joan.
"It's too soon to tell," Nicole admitted aloud, "why don't a couple of you fine gentlemen take her up to her room. Erika, you can help Mallory since you’re so interested and already know where it is you can keep an eye on her."
"Roger-roger," Mallory chirped as she led Carlos who had Joan's shoulders and Evan who had her feet up the stairs to Joan's bedroom.
"Erika, please check on her every once in a while with a thermometer." Nicole advised before explaining, "They also explained about a condition called Burnout, keep an eye on her temperature and for any physical abnormalities. I'll keep my cellphone on me at all times, if you notice anything outside of the norm please call me."
"Where will you be?" Erika asked curious where the adult supervision for all of this would be headed.
"At the Whole Foods store picking up some organic energy bars," Nicole confessed to the teenager. "Joan was going full tilt before she crashed that likely used up a lot of calories and she might need some more fuel on top of that, I'm not going to risk there being any chemical interactions while she's stabilizing. Elinore you're coming with me, you need to pick up some drinks for your party anyway right? We can make this one trip since your people's vans left after you were done unloading."
"We're still going to be having the party!?!" Erika exclaimed in disbelief.
"Maintaining the veneer of normality is also important, from what I learned at this point psychology can actually influence mutation to some degree." Nicole stated. "Joan was expecting this party to happen and the more normal that she feels when waking up the better."
"What about us," Larry and Welsey from the AV club said bringing attention to themselves. "What are we supposed to do?"
"That soldering that Joan did on your equipment must have set by now," Nicole stated. "You might want to setup your equipment and perform a sound-check, just do it quietly you don't want to wake up Joan before she's ready to do so herself. Also, unplug anything in there that she was working on so that it doesn't start another fire."
As they left Nicole looked at Reid who was still with everyone else, "Please see that they don't touch or take anything. Oh, and lock up that room after they have all of their equipment out, I can't imagine that Mister Drucker will be too pleased that anyone was using his workroom while he wasn't home to supervise; the last thing that I'd want to do is explain why anything is missing."
"I've also called Dr. Paola Abrams, she's one of Axcel's company physicians, she'll be here soon. She has a good deal of experience with mutants and will be able to tell everyone if Joan is any real danger." Nicole said giving everyone still in the room a little bit of relief. "Remember to let her in when she gets here and show her to Joan's room, and she's the only one that you’re to let in other than us understand!"
"I understand," Erika nodded as Nicole and Elinore left the house.
4:10 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
"-ck s_e's c_ming to!" I heard as I struggled to get my eyes open, only to find Mallory and a lady in a lab coat waiting for me once I did.
"Let me guess," I asked already knowing the answer, "I'm a mutant."
"I would say that it looks very likely," the lady said as she looked into my eyes with an Ophthalmoscope (okay I was curious and I looked up the name) to begin a standard checkup. "Your pupil response looks good," she said as she checked my right eye then my left, "Were your eyes always hazel?"
"Yeah!" I said as the aching started, "Did I grow antenna, a tail or anything?"
"Nope, it doesn't look like you show any signs of Gross Structural Dystrophy," the doctor said as she moved on to check my ears. "I'm Doctor Paola Abrams, the staff physician at Axcel for special needs employees."
"Oh, have you ever gotten to examine anybody with wings?" Mallory asked brimming with curiosity, after all this was the first time that she ever got to talk with a doctor who regularly examined mutants.
"Miss Trombly for the last time, even if I have, I wouldn't be able to tell you." Doctor Abrams replied while she finished examining my right ear canal. "If I told you that it would be a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality.
"Mallory's been trying to grill you for details has she?" I chuckled knowing my best friend all too well.
"Ever since I got here an hour and a half ago," Doctor Abrams dryly responded rolling her eyes before getting out a tongue depressor. "Now open your mouth and say ah!"
I did as she told me while she pressed down on my tongue with that disgusting piece of wood; honestly, I hated having these things in my mouth unless they had a popsicle wrapped around it- preferably strawberry.
"Tell me," Doctor Abrams asked as she examined the inside of my mouth. "Have you ever had your tonsils removed?"
"Yuh, wehn ah waf seben, wuy?" I said trying to talk with the stick pressing down on my tongue.
"Well they're back, and given that your friends told me earlier about your escapades I'd have to say that you're likely a combination of Exemplar and Gadgeteer." Doctor Abrams said as she threw the tongue depressor in the trash and made a few notes on her pad before getting out a probe thermometer. "Hold still."
"Wait I thought that Exemplars were what they call those hard body Mister Universe and Miss Olympia types." Mallory observed, "Joan doesn't look any different from before."
"Exemplars are a widely-varied group even across the same power rating Miss Malveaux, their looks are affected by what experts call a Body Image Template or BIT some look what you’re thinking of but Exemplars can vary widely some even looking as normal as Ms Drucker."
"Sorry to disappoint," I remarked just after the thermometer beeped.
Doctor Abrams took out the thermometer and read the results allowed, "Ninety-eight point six, so far everything looks normal but I still want you to keep an eye on yourself and ask your parents to schedule a follow-up with me. Now take off your shirt, I need to check your breathing."
I did as Doctor Abrams asked and pulled my shirt off right before she placed the cup of the stethoscope on my back at least this time the damned thing wasn't ice cold, "Breathe in... Breathe out." I could feel as the cup switched sides, "Breathe in… Breathe out."
"Good," the doctor said as she maneuvered around until she was in front of me, applied a blood pressure cuff, and then placed the stethoscope over my heart. "Now relax and breathe normally," I waited a few minutes as she inflated the cuff and counted my pulse.
After a few moments the deflated and removed the cuff and began to return her equipment to her bag, "You can put your shirt back on Ms Drucker. Now everything seems normal, although they seem to be a little too normal for someone in your current situation. You might be what the literature refers to as an Exemplar Two; you see although your vitals see to be perfectly normal at first glance, they just seem a little too good to be true for someone that should be under the amount of stress that you are. You might want to have your parents bring you in to come and see me for rudimentary powers testing, it might help you to learn a bit or about the brand new you- in the mean time I suggest that you enjoy your party."
"Alright Doc, thanks for the House Call on the Weekend," I said as I got up the aches now fading feeling more like I had gone through a five-hour workout then ten rounds with a steamroller.
"Thank the company health plan," Dr. Abrams said as she headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile Mallory stared at me like a puppy dog who someone had just asked if they wanted to go for a ride in the car.
"Can I help you Mallory?" I asked more than a little perturbed at the attention.
"I'm sorry- I just can't believe that I'm friends with a real live mutant," Mallory trying to keep herself from squealing like a fangirl. "Can I catch it?"
"It's a matter of genetics Mallory," I deadpanned, "it's not like I'm just a werewolf who can turn people by biting them."
"Oh, that's good; I don't think that I'd look good in fur." Mallory mused for a second, "I mean who’s ever heard of a ginger werewolf."
"Just tell me that we have something to eat," I groaned at her shtick.
"Yeah, Nicole picked up a of box of organic power-bars for you." Mallory said as she pulled a box labeled strawberry yogurt from under the bed, "I called her and told her what you'd prefer when she got to the grocery store."
"Never change Mallory," I said as I pulled her in for a hug, "never change."
"Aw if I don't then how would I ever get to fly?" Mallory asked with a pouty expression.
"Get a pilot's license after you turn eighteen." I dryly answered her as I dug into the box.
"Spoilsport," Mallory said as she stuck out her tongue at me. The more things change the more they stay the same.
6:07 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
It was weird I polished off an entire box of energy bars less than three hours ago, and I was already starting to get hungry again; manifestation must have really took it out of me. Well it was either that or I was getting the freaky metabolism that Energizers were known for- which I hope not the last thing that I needed was to act as if I had the munchies twenty-four seven. As I made my way down the stairs I noticed that everyone had finished setting up inside, Erika must have really helped party-proof the house; okay to be fair Elinore's experience at being a party animal was probably to blame.
In the den Larry and Wesley were busy arranging a portable rack of vinyl records and arguing over the playlist for the party. "No, I'm telling you that we need to kick things off with "Dare", The Gorrilaz are always good to kick things off." Wesley was doing his best to argue what was obviously his order of the playlist.
"I'm telling you Wes, The Gorrilaz aren't even popular anymore." Larry groaned, "Let's start off with Finger Elven's "Paralyzer"; it just came out so no one's tired of it yet."
"Um, Larry," I said as I approached the pair. "I'm sorry about earlier, with the capacitor and everything. Honestly I don't know what I was thinking!"
"It's alright," Larry said as he looked into my eyes. "Honestly, it's not just working as good as new, my equipment is better than it was new. I did a sound check earlier, I've never been able to drop the bass that deep before; whatever you did it wasn't just science it was art."
"Yeah and Larry here was stupid enough to interrupt an artist while she was working, I'm surprised that she didn't bite you." Wes chuckled as he tried to switch one album for another only to get his knuckles slapped.
"Anyway, if you feel the need to upgrade any of my equipment again feel free to do so." Larry said as he glared at Wesley.
"I'll keep that in mind," I chuckled as I headed around the bar and into the kitchen.
I had just started browsing through the fridge for last night's leftovers when Elinore came to catch my attention. "I wouldn't get too full if I were you, we've got catering going to set up in the back in a little bit. Given that we're celebrating your first time having guests over and toasting to your continued good health, I admit that I decided to go a bit overboard."
"Elinore during that party at your family estate for your last birthday, you decided to supplement the backyard barbeque that your parents threw with a luau complete with Kailua pig and traditional Polynesian dishes." I said with a raised eyebrow, "Then you everyone in the school and their families to attend on top of the guests that your parents insisted on inviting, I'm surprised that your dad wasn't beside himself with bigwigs that he was trying to impress with his little princess."
"Ugh don't remind me, I know when keep up that act for daddy's friend's to act the part of his darling angel for the press when he needs me too." Elinore seemed to groan over her familial obligations, "To be honest the reason that I organize these parties is to give myself a chance to be me around people that really matter, not the press or the good ol' boys that dad needs to impress so much. No I mean my real friends- the people that I spend so much time with at school laughing and having fun. Sometimes I envy everyone at school not having to go around all day wearing a mask if they don't want to- at least they don't have to live a lie."
"Everyone has their secrets Elinore, even at school people hide pieces of themselves from others. Besides doesn't your dad have your older brother to show off as well?" I asked still keeping my own secrets all too hidden although she did have a point my parents (secrets aside) with their glamour charms active got to be mostly themselves in public. Granted that they had to keep mom's love of combat and dad's habit of technical practical jokes toned down, as far as anyone knew my mom was just a grown-up tomboy who loved cheering for the local football team and dad was a inventor with a weird sense of humor.
"Oliver busy over on the East Coast attending a boarding school for blue bloods in Connecticut called the Chilton Preparatory Academy, he only comes home during the holidays when he's not busy hobnobbing with the Old Money Upper Crust of New England." Elinore said with a sigh, "Every time I see him it's like he's further transformed into a caricature of a normal human being, dad wanted to send me on the same regiment of school's as Oliver after Elementary School- fortunately mom backed me up when I put my foot down. Still in exchange for getting to stay myself I have to put on airs for a bunch of self-important blowhards and smile for the camera till my face hurts."
"Anyway, what I was talking about was that I splurged a bit on the spread for the party. It's going to be the basic party staples- wings, pizzas, and sandwich trays, only because of the special occasions I decided to go with local quality and made a few phone calls." Elinore smiled which made me more curious. "Mainly to DoubleDave's, Hoody's and Pluckers, though no Fire in the Hole from that last one; the last thing that we need is two meatheads goading each other into trying for the Wall of Flame."
"True, but still why go to all of this trouble- why single me out?" I asked wanting to hear her response. "Why did you choose my house?"
"I'm a lot more observant than most people give me credit for Joan," Elinore said as she looked me in the eye. "I could tell that you've been distancing yourself from your friends lately- not a lot but the signs were there if you knew what to look for- almost as if you were gradually preparing yourself to make a break from your old life. Let me guess- you knew that you had the mutant gene and were gradually distancing yourself from everyone so they wouldn't suspect when you cut them off weren't you?"
Ouch, I don't know what hurt more the accusation or the fact that she was right and I had been doing it without realizing it. "Let me guess, your silence means that I hit the nail on the head?" Elinore's penetrating glare turned into a side-ways glance.
"I just didn't want anyone to get hurt when the mobs of mutant haters began to come to town," I sighed in defeat.
"I thought so," Elinore shook her head, "well at least that was my working theory after you manifested. Anyway, just enjoy the party, have some fun, let off some steam and worry about the details when your parent's get home- after all that part is a family matter."
7:14 PM
The guests were now beginning to arrive and after coming in the door one at a time they were beginning to get a feel for the house that Joan Drucker and her family had called home for over a decade and a half. Still one guest was not there for the ambience or to have a good time relieving the growing pressure of the encroaching final exams and their soon to be status as freshmen, no if anyone who was familiar with police procedures made it a point to observe Joel Gibson they would have recognized that he was casing the house.
Sadly, the only ones who would have recognized this were occupied; Joan herself was concerned with maintaining an illusion of normality now that (like her parents) she was a mutant. While Nicole was busy working on a paper for her college courses, casually Joel observed the scene then after Matt Savage went in the hall bathroom he made his way to the DJ table, and caught Wesley attention.
"Excuse me the hall bathroom's occupied, is there one upstairs?" Joel asked trying to be candid.
"I think so," Wesley pondered while his cohort Larry was busy with the mixing board. "Should be free too, I don't think that I've seen anyone go up the stairs either."
"Thank you," Joel said as he made his way up the stairs, although he passed the bathroom and opened a door that looked far more professional only to find that to his surprise the room was occupied.
"Can I help you?" Nicole inquired as she looked up from her laptop and her paper while she glared at the intruder.
"Oh, I'm sorry I was looking for the rest room," Joel said using an act of teenage befuddlement to cover for his annoyance.
"You just passed it, this is Mister Drucker's home office and I am the adult that they asked to look after things while they were away," Nicole explained clearly annoyed at being disturbed, "now if you don't mind I have a paper that I need to complete."
"Okay- okay sorry," Joel said as he purposefully stumbled out of the door and made his way to the real second floor restroom to keep his cover. Once he was inside, he clenched his fists in annoyance before his face briefly shifted in a way that was unnatural, with a bit of concentration his face went back to normal. To maintain the veneer in case anyone might be listening Joel flushed the toilet and began to wash his hands off- it was time for Plan B.
7:27 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
The guests had arrived a little while ago and things had started off great, especially now that I had hit the spread on the table- Elinore wasn't kidding about splurging while none of the places the food was from was out of the price range of the average person for lunch, party trays were another story. After a little time watched two of the playa's trying to serve each other with their moves to Mink's "Glory of Life" and I decided to partake of the buffet on the porch. I made a few choice picks and grabbed a diet cola from out of the tub then went to sit down on a hay bale that Elinore's folks had supplied as improvised benches.
I had just policed off a slice of the veggie version of Dave's fave and was about to dig into some lemon pepper wings, when I heard someone say the M word. "I'm telling you if they only gave mutants just little more benefit of the doubt things would be a lot better." Mallory began explaining to one of the members of the student newspaper.
"They did then things like the Fool's Fight and madmen like Gizmatic and Deicide happened." Dillon Goddard one of the thankfully few real junior members of the local H1 branch at our school shot back.
"When you get right down to it mutants are people, just as good and just as bad, remember human history is full of nightmares and monsters. The Nazi Regime, Pol Pot, Torquemada, all of those were products of human nature at its worst, and if those monsters are two ancient for you Professor Id popped back up in New York a couple of months ago, and everyone knows that monster really is human." Erika responded trying to use reason on the matter. "People are always going to be afraid of things that are different, but we can't let it create more problems. Besides the more marginalized and isolated a group becomes the more it creates a climate for reactionaries to recruit from when the more moderate members have nowhere else to turn, for example just what would do you think happen if someone who grows up believing Humanity First rhetoric becomes a mutant?"
Dillon didn't have a response for that, "Yeah what's the reason for all this doom and gloom besides everyone seems to be enjoying the music and that wouldn't have happened if Joan didn't fix and juice the sound system."
"What would that have- to- do- with..." suddenly Dillon's eyes widened up as he came to the obvious conclusion, thanks a lot Mallory.
"Oh my god, I'm at a mutant's stronghold, and she's trying to brainwash us!" Dillon shouted as he slowly backed away. "Th-that's it I'm calling the cops the MCO will come and put you in prison where you belong."
"And tell them what, that a mutant is throwing a party at the home that she's lived in all her life, and trying to hypnotize her class mates with a store-bought copy of Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough." Elinore stated as she came out into the backyard, "Go right ahead, I'm sure that father's attorney would appreciate the workout when I volunteer him to help the one's Axcel Incorporated will likely appoint to defend her, besides according to their doctor who examined her she just manifested a few hours ago."
"Think about it every one- something like what Dillon is suggesting requires planning- not to mention a motive outside his blatantly bigoted paranoia." Elinore stated to everyone at the party, especially since the music from the inside had stopped. "Besides even if she has the skills to do what you suggest I doubt that she have the practice to employ them like you claim. Not to mention even less of a reason to so in the first place, I doubt she'd be stupid enough to do something where she'd be suspect number one."
"Just you wait freak," Dillon shouted as he stormed out the side gate of the backyard, "I'll see that the MCO locks you away in a hole where monsters like you belong!"
"The MCO have no power outside what the government gives them and their on thin-ice in Texas right now after that mess in Dallas last January." I stated my case as Goddard slammed the gate closed in rage. "You want a monster Goddard look in the mirror, because you're showing all the makings of one."
The entire party meanwhile was silent as a tomb then I heard a pair of hands clapping, another soon joined that and another until the sound filled the backyard and the house. "Okay folks I heard," Wesley say through the DJ mike on the stand the one piece of equipment of his that I didn't touch, "Now that the spitting cobra's gone, how about we shake-off the venom with some sweet jams."
As Nickelback's Savin' Me began to play the tension began to leave the party, while everyone seemed to let the recent development's go while they returned to enjoying themselves. Surprisingly no one had decided to avoid be as I stated to get back to my wings, I noticed a few of my classmates staring at me not out of fear- but curiosity. 'It's probably the first time they've ever known that they were in the vicinity of a real mutant.' I thought to myself, 'I'll probably get mobbed by questions before the party's over.'
7:36 PM
While everyone was focused on the verbal sparring between Dillon Goddard and Elinore Jaffee- Joel Gibson took the opportunity to make his way to the stairs to the basement. After circumventing the lock on the door with his student ID him down the stairs to the basement, the most likely location of Walter Drucker's lab (making certain that the door to the stairs themselves was shut first). Seeing the standard keypad lock in place he took out bag of white powder, common talc, threw a handful against the keypad then gently blew against it as he put on a pair of latex gloves.
Soon the numbers one, two, six, nine and zero showed prints, taking a cue from the number display above the keypad that this was a date he went through the intelligence that he memorized about the Drucker's themselves. Walter and Alice were both born in the seventies and the number seven had obviously not been pressed in a while, now Joan on the other hand. Confident in his first-choice Joel keyed in 06111992, immediately the door unlocked allowing him to slip inside the lab.
The inside of the lab was very organized, unusual for an inventor in Joel's experience, yet it still took him time to find the computer itself. Once he turned on the hard drive he found to his chagrin that it was password protected, nothing that he hadn't dealt with before he slipped a USB port devise out of his pocket and it began a password cracking program. It took a good several minutes for the device to complete its work but now the password was complete and the computer started up.
Satisfied at the way his work was going, Joel replaced the password cracker with a modified external hard drive that began to copy all non-system files on the computer itself, now all that he had to do was play the waiting game.
8:13 PM
A half hour after Joan was outed as a mutant her fellow students started to make their way to her obviously intent on learning a thing or two about mutants in the process from the horse's mouth, with the attention getting to her she excused herself to the upstairs bathroom. Meanwhile unbeknownst to everyone, while Dillon Goddard's little H1 drama in the backyard. While a number of their classmates seemed to be gathering the courage to ask Joan some very personal question, Mallory noticed that the side light was on and decided that it was ruining the atmosphere in the backyard, while she went down the hall to turn it off, that's when she noticed Joel Gibson coming out the door to the basement.
"Hey what were you don't down there?" Mallory asked, "That door was locked."
Joel tried to ignore her then when she grabbed and pulled him by the arm external hard drive slid out of his pocket, fortunately, he caught it before it hit the tile floor, unfortunately for him Mallory saw it as he caught the thing. "Wait is that a hard drive? Why would you have one of those at a party? Oh, my god you're a spy!"
That did it after replacing the hard drive in his pocket he pulled out its other occupant as he slipped behind Mallory, and grabbed her with his left hand as he held a glock to her temple in his right. "Now listen here, I wanted to do this quick and clean but you just complicated matted so you and I are going on a little trip. Just remember be a good little girl, and I'll turn you lose without needing to ventilate your skull."
8:18 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
I was making my way back down the stairs when I saw Mallory being inched towards the front door with a gun to her head, immediately that same feeling when I repaired the sound equipment kicked in and I flew into action. I raced into dad's office and ignoring Nicole's inquiries of what was going on uncovered the hidden emergency safe under the throw rug. After opening it with my palm print I took out an imperception charm, (that dad had gimmicked to look tech-based) and one his shock gloves, and put both on.
Now satisfied that I was ready I carefully made my way back down the stairs with the attention that Mallory's captor was drawing thankfully aiding the charm and carefully made my way behind him before he backed into the entry hall. The adrenalin must have begun to get to me because everything looked fuzzy, still I had my plan and Mallory and her kidnapper were almost in position as I slipped in the alcove that led to the dining room, thankful that there was no door.
As the kidnapper opened the front door and backed his way out of it I followed him and Mallory outside neither noticing me thanks to the charm, then once we were all outside struck. In a swift motion, I grabbed the gun and flipped on the safety, hit him with the zap from the glove, then as he spasmed pulled Mallory free, and threw her to safety under the bushes while forcing him to drop the weapon.
My adrenaline began to die down when I turned back to her would be kidnapper, onto to see that he had pulled out a second gun. I could only stare in shock as he pulled the trigger and I felt round after round punch into me, as I began to fall I must have been seeing things because I could almost swear that I saw Elinore and Nicole appear right behind him and Nicole was pulling a spaded tail from the man's back.
8:31 PM
Nicole knelt over Joan's fallen body as she assessed the girl's injuries, meanwhile Elinore glared own a Joel's fallen body knowing that he was paralyzed. 'How is she?' Nicole felt Elinore ask her mind to mind as to them the entire world seemed to slow down.
'Bad, one of the bullets punctured a lung, another nicked one of her arteries, while a third is lodged near her spine.' Nicole replied to Elinore's inquires. 'I'm using my telekinesis to keep her from bleeding out but that won't work forever, I don't suppose that you know any healing spells strong enough to handle this?'
'I don't even think that mother knows healing spells strong enough for this,' Elinore replied, as she knew what needed to be done. 'Joan, can you hear me, this is Elinore please don't pass out yet.'
8:31 PM
POV: Joan Drucker
'Waht s et?' I asked not with my mouth but oddly enough with my mind.
'Joan this is important, you're going to die at the rate that you'd be bleeding out, Nicole is doing what she can to keep you alive but she can't keep it up forever.' I felt Elinore tell me in my mind. 'There is only one thing that we can do to save your life, you know what that is but you have to give us permission to do that. Now one question, do you want to live or die?'
Even being in shock from the situation I knew just what Elinore was talking about granted that I had more than a few questions but there was no time for any of that. I wanted to live and I would accept the consequences as they came, 'Doo et!'
Elinore's leather wings unfurled and her horns and tail appeared revealing her nature as a succubus- not a demi-succubus like Nicole, but a fully-fledged succubus. She leaned in and kissed me on the lips and I felt a poke as her tail pieced my skin, 'It figures I find out that I can hodgepodge things together only to become a hodgepodge myself.' After that thought passed through my mind I felt Elinore's tail begin to pump something into my veins that burned like fire. Soon I would no longer be human by most definitions of the word, I thought that my climb to become a hero would be difficult before just being the child of super-villains- now I was about to become a demi-succubus- literally a Hell fiend.
7 years 1 month ago #16
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Atlantic Ocean
Five Miles from Boston Harbor
11:17 AM EDT
The four students from Whateley looked on in awe at the gently breaching leviathans before them in the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean, "Whoa," Heather said in awe as she saw the Humpback in the water emerge to spout, "I wish that sis was here to see this!"
"Well you know what they say about high school girls on a shopping trip." Aries remarked as he snapped some more pictures from the camera that he borrowed from Loophole. "Still I know what you mean, when admin asked me to watch a groupof middle school girls this wasn't what I was thinking about, but wait till mom and dad get a hold of the pictures that I send them from this- talk about 'I wish you were here.'"
"Got that right," Sherrie said as she looked on, while part of her wished that one of the whales would get close enough for her to touch the gentle giant of the deep. "Say can you give me a few copies- I want to send some to my dad."
"Only your dad?" Arnold asked slightly curious, only to take in Sherrie's expression when he asked, "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know."
"No she's still around," Sherrie replied in a slightly morose tone as she looked on at the family of humpbacks in the distance swimming together in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic, "it's- just complicated."
"Hey you still have us Sherrie-bear," Mirabel sang as she hugged her friend's side with her left arm, "besides I heard from my folks that your mom's getting some much needed therapy right now. She just got help from the wrong kind of people after your brother's accident; remember you never know what tomorrow will bring."
"Yeah Sherrie," Heather said as she held her new friend's left hand, "please don't let that get you down, you never know what will happen in a few years."
"Thank's you two," Sherrie smiled as she snaked her left arm around Heather for a group hug, "I needed that!" At that moment, Arnold Harvey took the opportunity to snap a picture of the moment and capture something other than the Humpbacks on film.
Zara
Boston, Massachusetts
11:20 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Now miss, these moccasins would be ideal for the outfit in that picture would you like to try them on?" The sales clerk whose nametag said Mindy asked me.
"Actually the one that we're buying them for is the girl in the photo," I sheepishly admitted.
"I see," Mindy mulled over this information. "Do you have her shoe size?"
"Yes, she's a size 4.5 I also have something that should help the measurement," I explained while pulling out a little something that looked like a rubber mannequin’s foot with something blue on the middle. "Although this should help to see that they fit properly."
"What- is- that?" Mindy inquired with her in mild sense of shock painted with a touch of curiosity.
"It's a flexible rubber molding of her foot," I began to explain. "It's filled with gel and capped by a flexible latex bubble, let me demonstrate it."
I grabbed the shoe that the woman picked out and slid the molding inside the bubble at the top bulged albeit only slightly, "Good this pair should fit perfectly once the leather loosens up."
"Um- where did you get that?" The sales woman asked somewhat nervously, not surprising although the police of Boston were mostly accepting of mutants and metahumans the regular public was bound to have at least a little apprehension.
"It was from a girl that her mother used to tutor," I replied telling the complete truth after all Sorcha did give it to me along with the photos of Evania, Glory and Eve took in the explanation with a touch of amusement having watched me give it three times already including once to themselves. "She's just a few years older than me; I think that she's planning to apply to MIT next year."
"Well if she's clever enough to come up with something like this I'd say that she's a shoe-in," Mindy remarked as she flashed us a saleswoman's smile.
"Ugh," Eve recoiled as she heard Mindy's remark while Glory and I just winced. "Please no puns, that one was awful."
"Everyone's a critic." Mindy sniffed as she put the moccasin away and went to get out another pair based upon the next photograph.
"Just those with good taste," Glory shook her head before she turned to ask me. "Sorcha really came up with that?"
"Oh yes, she's really clever and loves to examine things to see if she can come up with new ideas for them." I explained, "She got this idea from one of those stress toys that the eyes bulge when you squeeze them."
"Maybe you should introduce her to some of the inventors at school," Glory remarked as she thought about the matter. "It might help inspire some of them to think outside the box that they're currently in for new applications."
"That might not be such a good idea," Eve said in a mildly panicked tone, "Imagine what would happen if she did that for someone like Delta-Spike."
"Ugh, good point," Glory shuttered before telling me, "On second thought forget I said anything!"
"Why, what's the problem with Delta-Spike?" I asked somewhat curious about the matter, I mean I know about her problem with electrical surges.
"You mean aside from a complete lack of common sense?" Eve said as she looked me in the eye, "The girl was the one who shut down the last Inventor's Fair."
"Heartbreaker something always happens at that thing," Glory rolled her eyes, "It's always something blowing up, catching fire, or going out of control that shuts the thing down, besides common sense is something that lot seems to train themselves to ignore."
"Not always," Eve retorted with a smile, "sometimes it's something going out of control and catching on fire right before blowing up! Honestly the inventors that we have at the Academy are crazy."
"I don't know," I replied aloud, "Arnold seems to be pretty nice."
"Arnold, I didn't know that she was friends with Aries?" Eve asked somewhat curious about my comment, the Mastermind in her starting to shine through. "Besides he's not an inventor...is he?"
"She might mean Arnold Fletcher; he's one of the Spring Transfer students that made it into the Motor-Heads." Glory began to explain, "Remember the last time Bannermann got detention? It was because he broke an engine block to one of the Academy's jeeps that Fletcher was transporting back to the motor pool to reinstall after repairing it, the dork thought that it was some valuable secret invention Fletcher he was stealing for nefarious purposes or something stupid like that."
"That's Bannermann for you," Eve giggled, "all bluster and bravado with no brains included."
"Here I am miss," Mindy said as she sauntered back in, "now madam for that next outfit may I suggest ballerina slippers." Mindy said bringing out a black leather shoe with a slight flat heel.
"Say, Bea it's getting close to lunch, what do say after we're done here that we go grab a bite?" Eve asked as I brought out the test foot again.
"Sure! How about we go for sushi?" I asked as I slid Sorcha's little innovation into the shoe causing the gel in the top to bulge considerably. "I'm sorry but this one is too tight, maybe we could try a different one."
"Certainly," Mindy said as she took the shoe and returned to the back.
"Well- what about it?" I inquired further as I looked at Glory and Eve who both stood as if they were shocked by my suggestion, "Was it something I said?"
UFood Grill
11:32 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I just find it weird that you two wanted to spend more time in Bath & Bodyworks than Expressions of Boston," Sayyid stated with a clear tone as the group waited on their food. "I always thought that American women enjoyed shoe shopping- or am I wrong and that is just a total stereotype?"
"Well some might Sayyid- but the fact is that I doubt you could call either Randi or myself normal." Candace explained as she rested her chin upon her interlaced fingers. "I actually prefer your more durable athletic shoes to something more fashionable, and Randi is more of a hiking shoes girl- so in that department the two of us are golden."
"Besides Candace and I both have at least twice the amount of hair as most other students at school so we tend to go through hair care supplies a lot faster." I explained somewhat embarrassed at the fact, that and considering that both of us train on the athletic side of things we also go through bodycare products rather fast.
"Among other things," Candace said as she stared at me, "no offense dear but I think that it's time that you picked up a new gi from the student store- and burn the old one while you’re at it."
"Candace- please, you know that it is against federal law to burn hazardous materials," I replied as I felt a smile on my face, "and after two months training with Anu and Morrigan I am fairly certain that thing qualifies. To tell you the truth I have a few scent jars in my bag with the smell of those things contained inside- if I get someone like Bloodwolf in the combat finals I'll have the perfect weapon to use against him."
"Randi that is cruel, sneaky and devious- you are becoming more of a proper young lady every day." Candace sniffed as she brushed off a shed tear of pride. "Still I just wish that some of the fragrances in that place weren't so strong, I mean my sense of smell hasn't increased that much but still yikes."
"I know what you mean Candace," I shuddered in memory of my last trip to the Parks Mall back home, "I hated going to the Mall before I changed, and afterwards I have to be on constant alert for those trigger-happy psychos armed with perfume bottles. Really some of those scents are too much, and it doesn't help that some women keep spraying it on until they can smell it- don't they realize that they build up a tolerance to strong smells if they're around them all the time?"
"No Randi, I don't think that they do," Candace sighed as she shook her head out of shame for a part of our now mutual gender, "though you'd think that they would notice the reactions of everyone around them."
"Well to be fair a lot of guys try not to let that show," I sheepishly explained. "It's mostly about it not being polite to point something like that out to a lady- mainly because it would embarrass them in public. And if my brother Chuck or I did that well- dad would tan our backsides."
"Well you don't have to worry about things like that anymore," Candace said with a coy smile on her face.
"Let me guess, because the tail would get in the way?" I asked somewhat wondering just where this conversation was headed.
"No because you have me to look after your backside," Candace stated in a singsong tone, "And I take a great deal pride in my work on protecting a precious work of art."
Once again I could feel that Candace had me impersonating a tomato, although I was embarrassed part of me was glad that I was with someone that not only felt something about me on a personal level but considered me to be attractive. I guess that deep down I still thought of myself as the geeky butterball that I used to be rather than young lady that I had become.
'Of course Randi.' I felt Jane explain over our link. 'such things take time; just remember that no matter how composed some of the girls around you appear to be- all of them also had an awkward stage too.'
Finally, the bus boy, whose nametag said Larry by the way, came with our orders. "Alright that's one Bison Burger," he said setting down my burger in front of Sayyid, "one Curry Chicken Marsala," he continued giving me Candace's rice bowl, "and one Spicy Falafel Flatbread," and finished up by giving Candace Sayyid's sandwich. "I apologize but your smoothies will be a few more minutes, and if you need anything else please don't be afraid to ask."
After the waiter had walked out of sight we swapped plates and started on lunch, I guess it just goes to show even if the food is good it can still be tainted by the service.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
11:50 AM
Deep within the building a number of individuals kept on retainer for the Boston Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom had been busy for the last hour. Greg Paulson, a mole that the Arch-Fiend had inside of the New York Chapter House, had arrived at the rendezvous from his motel with a bug-out bag filled with the contents of one of the belated Obsidian Circle's Black Vaults. Ever since everyone present had been busy waiting nearby while Lady Darke and the Children of the Night's client, a member of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, stood nearby watching.
The going was slow given that Greg Paulson had to pull the boxes out one at a time for the group's supervisors Hanna Ring and Carmen Boucher to open and examine the contents, catalog them and have someone move them off to the side. All of this while they waited for the object that the order wanted was a single object that would be in the loot, granted that none of them had a clue what the object was or did but knowing the type of things that dark magic types were interested in that was probably for the best.
"Hanna can I take a minute to make a couple of quick phone calls?" Trenton Haney asked drawing her attention as she handed him a box containing several jewelers boxes each containing intricate rings made of some black substance. "I have reservations at a restaurant with my girl friend and I need to cancel."
"Alright but make certain you're within earshot of everyone else and speak loud enough so that they can hear," Ms Ring replied harshley as she inspected another box this one containing a couple of dozen loose antique keys. "The last thing that we need is a security breech, especially working for The Necromancer."
"Understood, and careful with those old pine boxes, I'm wearing work gloves and I'm still getting scratched up like crazy- wonder if I'm going to need a tetnus shot." Trenton said as he took the box containing the rings away to place on an empty shelve before coming back to the group and taking out his cell phone. "Hey Zoe, its Trent I'm afraid that I can't make it tonight, they're making me pull overtime at work. No I can't take off, this is an important client my boss would terminate me if I did.
While Trent was busy pleading over the phone with his girlfriend, Hanna's eyes lost focus for a second as she used slight-of-hand to pocket an antique silver key from the box while she was inspecting it. As suddenly as this happened her eyes went back to normal, and she continued inspecting the keys as if nothing had happened, granted that she noticed there was only twenty-three keys in the box rather than twenty-four she waved the experience off, "Must have counted one of them twice by mistake."
"Wait a moment," The representative from the Esoteric Order of Dagon called out as he approached the group's ramshackle assembly line.
"Hanna seemed to glare at the man in hatred as her body tensed up slightly, almost as if she was waiting for something.
That faded once again as she cultist approached Carmen who was busy inspecting a long custom crate. The nameless young man reached in and withdrew an oddly designed yet ornate staff that looked like it was expertly crafted of a kind of salmon-hued coral and a type of black rock (possibly basalt) with the top adorned with a sickly yellowish pearl.
"This is what we were looking for," the man stated as he turned to Lady Darke who had joined him amidst the mess of the operation, "tell your master that he may use whatever else is found among the haul as he sees fit, I shall see to it that the Order rewards him appropriately for this artifact."
"I will inform him as soon as possible," Lady Darke said with a lady-like curtsey that the man ignored as he trod off with the box containing the staff. "Alright everyone, I need to talk with the Master, keep doing what you are doing and remember no one quits until that bag is empty and its contents are cataloged!"
"Yes Lady Darke!" everyone replied in unison as they got to work on her request failing to recognize that one of their own had already helped herself to a piece of the loot.
Samurai Boston
12:20 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"I still can't believe that you wanted to eat at a place that serves raw fish," Eve said in astonishment as I used my chopsticks to pick up another piece of tuna sashimi, as our conversation was far more candid now that our privacy charm was back on.
I gave Heartbreaker a sideways glare as I savored the expertly cut slice of sock-eye, after I swallowed and took a sip of the hot green tea I replied to her comment. "What? Do you think merfolk eat an all kelp diet?"
I sighed as I set my chopsticks down on the tray. "That story that Evania told us about her mother and the cowrie snails was just- that a story, Sorcha explained that Lirtosia was her tutor when she was younger, they enchanted those shells during one of her lessons back when she was Evania's age the cowrie shells were just the raw materials that they used. Keeping a hold of that little fairy tale is probably just another way that she uses to remember her mom."
"The fact of the matter is that our diet is rather protein-heavy; remember most warm-blooded sea animals eat several times their body weight every day. Thankfully I don't need to yet since I spend most of my time out of the water and in a wheelchair but still don't use fiction as a reference for us."
"Actually I'm more amazed that you can actually use these things," Glory said as she struggled to use her chopsticks properly.
"Well most of the refuges are in lands heavily influenced by oriental cultures," I began to giggle at the sight of the aspiring hero struggling to hold the utensils; "I thought that it would be a good idea to learn how to properly eat the local cuisine if I ever chose to visit that part of the world."
"If I were you I'd be careful over there," Eve stated up after swallowing a bit of udon, "the word around school is that when the ambassador from China met Bladedancer he gave her something with an enslavement spell on it. Apparently it's a possible reason for why a good number of American born Chinese preternaturals decide to visit their ancestral homeland and then never come back."
"I'll be careful besides there are ways to the access the four Jade Heaven refuges outside of mainland China," I explained as I poured a little soy sauce on my rice, "you just have to know where they are and how to access them."
"Um, Bea I'm sorry for all of the things that I've said so far it's just- well- that The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite movies growing up," Eve began to explain. "I guess part of it was the fact that Ariel was a bit of an outsider who wasn't concerned with how others felt about her. But don't either of you two ever tell anyone that I said that- ever!"
"My lips are sealed," I replied with a smile.
"I'll keep that little secret if you show me how to use these things." Glory said as she struggled again with her chopsticks right before breaking them, "Oh come on!"
"Here," Eve replied handing Glory another set of chopsticks and waited for her to break them apart, "now take the bottom stick and steady it between your thumb and middle fingers while keeping it against your index finger."
Eve waited for Glory to handle her instructions before she continued, "Now take the second stick and pinch it between your thumb and index finger, just make sure to keep them close to even."
"I think that I can take it from here!" Glory puffed as she tried to grab a piece of shrimp tempura only to have the fried sea bug twirl about in the bento box.
"You might want to practice a little pinching with them before you try to pick things up," I snickered as Glory blushed.
"Not a word about this to anyone at school!" Glory shot the two of us a steely-eyed glare. "Not one word!"
"Now Gloriana," Eve said in a sing-song tone, "everyone at Whateley knows what happens in Boston stays in Boston."
"I thought that was the Arena?" I asked somewhat confused.
"Same principal," Eve puffed out her chest while Glory rolled her eyes.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
12:24 PM
"Hey hurry up with that next box Paulson," Carmen barked out at Greg as he seemed to struggle with the mystic bag. "We are getting paid by the job not the hour here."
"Keep your panties on you nag," Greg grunted with both of his hand reaching far into the bag, "this next crate is fucking heavy- I think that we're starting to get to the big stuff."
"Hey Trent," Carmen called out to one of the grunts that she had working for her, "get something to speed this along from the tool cabinet!"
"The gloves or the bracelet," Trent replied back as he made his way over to the cheap metal cabinet by the side of the room.
"The bracelet, the gloves can go a little haywire inside of enchanted items," Carmen replied then paused for a moment. "On second thought bring both we can always use the gloves to put the stuff up."
"Good idea," Trent said as he grabbed what looked like an engraved bronze bracelet and a pair of high-tech gloves from the cabinet. "I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks."
"No they pay me the big bucks to take the job in the first place, people like The Necromancer tend to make an example of the middle-management if anything goes wrong." Carmen shouted back as she waited for Trent to walk back over.
"That is a fairly accurate assessment Ms Boucher," Lady Darke remarked as she looked up from the trashy romance novel that she had been reading Carmen could swear that she'd recognized its cover from the last time that she passed by the magazine rack at the super-market.
"Figures the skank would read bodice rippers." Carmen muttered under her breath as she shook her head.
A few minutes later after Trent gave Paulson the strength bracelet Greg set down a hefty wooden crate right in front of her. Fortunately, Carmen already had a crowbar standing by next to a claw hammer; once the lid was pried off she looked inside to see a nasty looking battle-axe. "Yikes," she said taking in the sight of the sadistic design of the weapon. While the main blade looked rather standard albeit it looked like the surface of the blade behind the edge had been knapped, the mounting balance resembled the blade on a guillotine and at the top of the mount was a triangular bladed mount. "Dammit, this thing is a war crime waiting to happen!"
"Makes sense," Paulson said as he began to return to work, "The place that I got this haul from used to be Lycaon's personal storage vault at the New York Chapter House."
Everyone of the crew working stopped and stared at Greg Paulson in horror, "What you mean you broke into the Dark Vaults and cleaned out the personal storage room of the single most homicidal operative that the Obsidian Circle has, are you crazy or just stupid?" Trent shouted in fear.
"What's the big deal?" Greg asked as he continued working, pulling out the next crate from the Bug Out Bag. "The Obsidian Circle is long gone- everyone knows that. Aside from Madam Eventide, Conte Enigma and a handful of operatives like the Erinyes and Greygus they're all dead or gone forever with no hope of return."
"No they're not you idiot, Mister Domino and Mistress Nyx were seen just a few months ago with Erzebet Scratch at the Dallas Chapter House, there's a good chance that she's a member now too." Treat shouted in hysteria.
"Yeah and the word is making the rounds that this Lord Khamsin who popped up recently is a newly revitalized Lord Ataxia, he was seen in Laos leaving the Mountain Temple of the Tong of the Black Madonna's with Baron Impie just before The Syndicate gave it a paint job." Carman shook in fear, "Apparently they killed several cultists and made an example of the high priestess."
"Just rumors," Greg scoffed of their concerned, "besides there is no way that Lycaon is still around, Doc Celsius blasted him to ash after Champion numero thres pinned him to a concrete wall with a steel girder like a freaking mounted butterfly. There is no way anyone can come back from that- it would be impossible!"
While everyone else was taking in the revelations of just whose stolen merchandise they were handling Hanna was staring at the axe that Carmen had just revealed- seeming to take in every detail of the axe and especially the crate- brushing past Hanna as she did so.
"Ouch," Hanna briefly recoiled in pain looking down at her hand and noticing a scratch, she shot Carmen a look. "Geez Carm, you might want to watch it with that ugly ring, where did you get that thing anyway."
"A date I was on a few months ago gave it to me as an appology gift, to be honest he was a ten in the looks department but his personality drove him down to a seven." Carmen explained as she shook her head, "At least I got something to remind me not to make that mistake again."
Suddenly Lady Darke's cell phone rang, and with a flick of her hand she flipped it open. "Hello?" She paused to listen, "I understand, sir I will be there at once!" She hung up the phone and glared at the people still working, "Finish up and don't take anything, or we will find out."
None of the workers took that threat lightly as they diligently kept up their work even after Lady Darke left.
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
12:36 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I have to say that place needs to refine their balance of spices a lot more," Sayyid huffed, "they are a long way from making falafel worthy of the price that we paid for it."
"I know what you mean," I said running my tongue through my teeth, "they overcooked that bison, some people need to know not to treat all red meat like beef. Heck even Bobby V's back home handles ostrich better than that place treats buffalo."
"Well at least my chicken marsala turned out alright, though that waiter could really use some better glasses." Candace explained as we lined up for our tickets, "Really though when did you have buffalo before?"
"My family went to Colorado during the summer back when I was twelve," I explained as I reminisced about the experience. "We went white water rafting on the Arkansas River and visited the Garden of the Gods, and while we were there ate at a place called the Buckhorn Exchange it was a game restaurant and I had the buffalo."
"It must be nice to go on a real family vacation," Candace said with a faraway look in her eye. "Oh! Sorry Sayyid!"
"Why I have been places with my family long ago," he explained, "a few years ago we made the Hadj together to Mecca, it was amazing to go there and just take in the history of where it all began."
"I know- I mean I know my family's from England," Candace began to elaborate. "My Aunt Pauline even told me that we're in the Domesday Book it says we're from Norfolk."
"All I know is that my family's from all over," I groaned getting into my mixed ancestry. "So I guess that you can say I'm as much of a mutt among the faefolk as I am in my heritage."
"Oh Randi," Candace said as she shook her head, "that joke was awful."
"Well they say that every masterpiece has it's flaws," I puffed up my chest as we headed inside the theater.
"Of course you're still very much a work in progress dear," Jane commented over our link.
'Oh very funny,' I rolled my eyes at the bird's remark.
"I know- I just wanted to check in and say that while you're in the movie I shall be busy keeping an eye on your friend Beatrice," Jane explained as I could see her aerial view of Bea's group.
'Keep an eye on them until afterwards too,' I replied, 'there's a lot of nastiness in this town and the last thing that I want is for her to get hurt.'
"Understood, I shall endeavor to do so. Jane replied as we took our seats. Somehow, I know that it was too much to hope for this trip to be uneventful, but right now, I just hoped that this movie wasn't going to suck.
Children of the Night's Safehouse
1:07 PM
Around the main hideout for the Children of the Night, there was only one occupant present to attend to duties around the loft- Arcane-Knight. The rest of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom actually didn't know all that much about the haunted suit of medieval-styled armor. Some actually thought the he was a medieval monstrosity like the legendary Black Knight of Arthurian Legend or a forgotten Thema-Agenta of the Third Reich that had recently been unearthed- rumors that Arcane-Knight took advantage of when he could to build a reputation across Europe as hired muscle.
Unfortunately, when he arrived stateside he ran into a snag in Boston, The Necromancer- as it turns out being a spirit possessing a suit of armor was a major disadvantage for Arcane-Knight when it came to Charles Darrow, mainly because he could be manipulated with necromancy. Darrow then proved to the Arcane-Knight that just because you lacked a body it did not make you immune to pain and torture. He soon learned the horrible truth that if you knew how you could inflict even greater torment upon a non-corporeal spirit than you could a living person, because if you pushed a living person too far they could die of shock.
"Hey Sir Buckethead," Lady Darke quipped as she came into the hide-out, "is the boss here yet? I was kind of busy supervising something for an important client of his."
"No he is not you pompous strumpet," Arcane Knight growled in reply as he maintained the vigil that Darrow had ordered him to since the day prior. Just because he had no biological needs did not mean that he could not get bored out of his skull or in this case his helm. "The only members of your legion of reprobates to arrive are the mongrel and Darrow's pet."
Sure enough, Lady Darke walked past the haunted suit of power armor (trying to trip him as she went out of pure spite) she found Lycanthros and Arch-Fiend waiting in the meeting room. Soon Arcane-Knight followed The Necromancer into the room and shut the door a split-second after Jaberwock popped into the room and his usual chair.
"Now I trust that everyone here received the information on our targets from the concierge?" Darrow stated as his gaze swept the room, noting the affirmations that the Children of the Night were giving him- Darrow continued his speech. "Good- now as you all know are targets are two young mutants that are currently in the Boston in civilian guise known as Faolan and Aletheia, they are to be located and terminated by any and every means necessary."
"Where can we hope to setup the ambush?" Lady Darke inquired eager to begin preparations for the operation.
"Therein lays the rub, Faolan and Aletheia despite being students at the same Academy as the whelps of Team Kimba that we have encountered appear to be far less- ostentatious. Our usual informant has provided us little information to go on in this affair. Faolan I have learned is a young lady that the Valkyrian has taken under her wing as a protégé, there is little information to go on concerning her however she encountered an operation of Professor Id's in New York not long after our last encounter with Team Kimba."
"Did that encounter yield any information?" The Arch-Fiend stated eager to learn of his targets de-jour.
"Unfortunately little, all that I have gleaned is that she is a spell-caster of a moderate amount of talent and ability," Darrow replied in a cross manner. "All that our informant has given me is that she supplements her abilities with weaponry, given that the Valkyrian is tutoring her we can make no assumptions- she could possess medieval or modern weapons and there is a good chance that such armaments could be enchanted."
"And what about our other target?" Arch-Fiend asked in a harsh tone, "Boston is a very large city and we need to know as much about our prey as possible to not only find them but terminate them."
"All that I have is that she is a healer of unmeasured ability, most other information about her is unknown," Darrow growled in frustration, "which is unfortunate given that between the two of them she takes priority. All we know is the likely routes that they will take to leave Boston are either Hanscom Field or Worchester if they are traveling by plane or the North Station if they are using the rail."
"Am I the only one who sees the obvious," Lycanthros laughed, "we don't have to find them we only have to draw them out into the open."
"Easier said than done snosage breath!" Lard Darke shot back with a hateful glare, "We know next to nothing about them and after our last fight with those Team Kimba kids, I doubt that two rookies like these would be bull-headed enough to rush into a fight with us."
"There is more than one way to trap a hero," the skin-walker wickedly smiled, "if you can't use their bravado to draw them in there is always their conscience. Hey Wilbur, have we refilled the stables since last October?"
"Not completely, the cops are monitoring our usual sources and our emergency sources are now being reconsecrated on a weekly basis," Arch-Fiend reported wondering where this was going. "At present we're only at sixty percent capacity."
"Well prepare to restock again," Lycanthros laughed darkly, "because I'm about to be brilliant."
Hillstone
1:17 PM
"Wow," Jay-Arm starred at the woman sharing a table with himself and Titus and Nicoletta, "Just wow!"
"Now, young Mister du Chantraine I would think that the son of Hexmaster and Troll Bride would be far more difficult to impress." The woman observed in a voice so rich that he almost seemed to slip on her words. "Or is my reputation impress you that much?"
"No- I mean yes, Miss Sera," Nephandus said almost tripping over his words, "I'm sorry it is just even in the circles that my parents run in the thought of meeting a legend of your caliber over lunch- is still more than a little overwhelming. Not to mention what you look like under those masks you wear, it's just that according to your order's reputation it's hard to imagine anyone with a human face under those masks."
"Understandable," Helena Sera (who was also secretly known as Madam Eventide) quipped before taking a casual sip of her wine, "Among my group there are several who cannot so easily do so as easily as I would."
"So what would one have to make the acquaintance of such a lovely vision more often, would I have to gain admission into your group?" Jean-Armand asked desperate to cut to the heart of the matter.
"Please child, I am a happily married woman," Helena replied- her voiced tinged with melodic laughter, "and as for the Circle itself, you would have to be nominated by one member who sees potential in you and then be chosen to perform a task by another. After that happens the entire Circle must vote on your admission, and quite frankly you are far too young and green to be perusing such a goal at your tender age."
"Hah, if one does not begin to pursue greatness when they are young they are more likely to fall short later on in life," Nephandus proclaimed with pride emanating from his being.
This only elicited a sigh of disappointment from Madam Eventide, "Child you are falling into a trap all too common for those who delve into the darker aspects of the mystic arts, power is a means not an end unto itself. If you pursue any path along the mystic arts, it should be with greater goals in mind then merely accumulating power in and of itself, doing this leads too often to folly and disaster. Just look at your own mother for the price of such folly."
"Poor Tilda tries to take on the Green Witch to gain access to the treasure trove of artifacts under her possession and what happens in return, it costs her the wedding rings that your father gave her to control her insatiable appetite." Madam Eventide remarked as she relayed knowledge about Nephandus's mother that was not well known. "Then far more recently she comes to your academy with forged documents seeking to enslave The Artificer after the being has already inscribed herself with her own mystic runes making that being her own master and in the process seeks to steal that Chaka girl's enchanted mithril knife. Instead she winds up banned from her son's school for damaging property, theft, fraud and assault not to mention coming dangerously close to violating the neutrality pact."
"Come now surely you can't hold my own mother's actions against me," Jay-Arm replied as he tried to turn on the charm.
"Child your own recent actions concerning the Angel of Hell's Kitchen more than illustrate the fact that you are far from ready for a place among the Obsidian Circle." Helena explained carefully laying down the facts, "Ours is not a place for short-sighted aspirations, we have far greater goals in mind than you can currently fathom. The sad fact is Mister du Chantraine is that you have yet to demonstrate the maturity that we look for holding a chair in The Circle."
Before Nephandus could object to this observation Madam Eventide dispelled the privacy spell around them as the waiter arrived with their orders. Jean-Armand was stunned- his first attempt to gain access to the Obsidian Circle and their ancient library of texts and already he found out that he was further from the starting gate than he dared imagine. At present, he only had two and a half more years to impress Don Astio with his abilities before the later graduated; he would need to plan carefully if he wanted to succeed.
Food Court - New England Aquarium
1:26 PM
"That was so cool," Heather squealed as the group sat down for lunch just off the boat from the whale-watching expedition.
"I know what you mean," Sherrie remarked before turning to Aries, "Hey Mister Harvey- can you send me some copies of your pictures so I can print them out for my scrapbook?"
"Sure, I'll send them to your email later; this is a digital camera after all." Arnold replied as he patted the device in question, "Still why do you girls only want to go to the Aquarium and not shopping or something?"
"What with how often that nut job and his goon squad have attacked our classmates in Boston this year, are you mental?" Mirabel asked as she looked at Arnold as if he had grown a second head. "No thank you- maybe we'll go to a couple of the memorials but I want to play it as safe as possible."
"Oh come on," Arnold said as he rolled his eyes at the girl's comment, "That's just the Kimbas everyone at school knows that he has it out for them for embarrassing him last October and getting one of his thugs caught."
"I don't know," Heather said a she set down her egg salad sandwich, "Reverend Haskins always says that the more irrational magic types won't hesitate to get revenge by proximity."
"That might be," Arnold stated before picking up another Reuben from the basket, "but how would he even find out about everyone being in town today." Arnold hated lying- he knew exactly how The Necromancer would find out about the Whateley student body's travel plans to Boston, but Sebastiano had no reason to sell out anyone that was on this little trip to that psycho- right?
"Fine-" Mirabel gave into the logic of the matter, "maybe a little shopping too after all we didn't get too much of that done in New York."
Ann Taylor - The Prudential Center
1:38 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Now miss these flats would hardly do anything for that outfit you are wearing," the saleswoman whose name tag read Melanie said as she flashed her eyelashes.
"I am certain that they would miss," I explained trying desperately to get my point across- for the seventh time, "but we are birthday shopping for another person."
"Oh come now- what is the fun of a shopping trip if you don't splurge on yourself a bit?" Melanie asked before presenting a set of heels to me, "Now wouldn't these heels look absolutely yummy on you?"
"Okay let me take this in; you are trying to sell high heels to a girl in a wheelchair..." Eve looked at the saleswoman like she had grown a second-head (granted that at a school attended by Jimmy Trauger wasn't that unheard of). "What wrong with you?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Melanie said as her long eyelashes flashed past her baby-blue eyes, "They would clearly look darling on her!"
Taking a quick glance at the label and price tag of the shoes in question I put two and two together as Eve exclaimed, "That's it we're out of here!"
Before Melanie could get in a word edgewise, Eve guided my wheelchair out of the store with Glory trailing behind. "What was that about?" The Cape asked clearly wondering what the big deal was.
"Really, you didn't notice anything wrong about that saleswoman?" Eve asked somewhat perplexed that the queen of the FSA hadn't caught onto the clues that
she herself had noticed.
"Well she seemed a little- soft in the head but otherwise no, why?" Glory shook her head as the three made their way around the interior of the Prudential Center.
"The feather-brain act that woman was putting on was just that- an act." Eve said zeroing in on the real problem. "Those were a eight-hundred dollar pair of Prada designer pumps that she was trying to sweet-talk Bea into buying, that woman wasn't ditzy she's on commission."
"Eight-hundred dollars for a pair of heels," Glory looked stunned as she recalled her prior trip to New York escorting the Bad Seeds. "Honestly do we look like we have that much money?"
"It might be my fault," Eve explained with a sheepish expression, "she might have recognized me from my modeling work with Venus Inc. and given that the two of you are beyond the norm in the looks department she probably thought that you were lesser-known models in the same agency."
"Really?" I asked Eve somewhat shocked, "Me- a model, are you serious?"
"Hey you have your mom's looks with a touch of the exotic Bea, once you get a hang of your land legs you'd be a shoe-in." Eve explained as she looked me in the eye, "Besides if merfolk plan to become more common-place the designers would definitely want to sign one up, maybe you could ask Pristine to help you look into it when she's not busy."
Holy cow, me a model, well I did want to travel when I grew up and if there was one thing that I knew models careers took them all over the world. Yes this was definitely something to look into- when I finally mastered my lower limbs.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
2:14 PM
"I think that we're finally at the end of this," Greg Paulson stated as he pulled out another box. "Ah I remember this one, snagged it's one of a pair on my way out from a different group, and thought that they looked valuable."
He brought the crate over to Hanna who opened it up to see an intricate crown, "I'm not sure who's Vault they are from but they looked valuable, so how much do you think I can get for them?"
"If you are lucky you will get a swift death!" Hanna replied as she stared at Greg with eyes that glowed a vicious crimson red.
Greg recoiled in fear as he turned around looking for help from the others working in the warehouse, but no matter who he looked at, they all had those same eyes. He eyeballed the entrance only to be grabbed by grabbed by Carmen Boucher.
"You are going nowhere until our master arrives," she explained her voice far different from her normal native Bostonian tone.
"Y-your m-m-master?" Greg stammered in fear as he found it impossible to tear himself away from the woman's iron grip.
"Yes our master," Trent growled his voice brimming with hate, "The one you stole from Lycaon or as he is now called-"
"Carcharoth!" The black-furred werewolf adorned in modern tactical armor with Grecian hoplite flair seemed to roar as he made his way into the warehouse. The monster was at least eight feet of crap-your-pants terror, with a rage that Greg had never seen in his life all around everyone transformed into a myriad of lupine forms as they sank to one knee in an obvious display of fealty.
The sole exception to this was Trent who was bringing over a box from the shelves that he had put away only a little while ago. Now as much of a werewolf as the rest of them Trent took the crate now cradled under his arms, "I believe that this is something that you are overjoyed to see again master!"
"Indeed young one," Carcharoth stated as he took up that nasty looking axe that everyone recoiled over earlier. Then strangly enough in his growling tone he almost seem to coo to the axe, "Ah Vrede- you are truly Surtr's masterwork, your blade looks a little dull after all of these decades but don't you worry we'll soon sharpen you in our favorite way."
"W-w-well I guess that you're going to kill me now," Greg stammered as he looked at the monster knowing that the inevitable was coming- still he had an ace up his sleave, "of course if you do that you'll never get the other crown back, you do know how Bug-Out Bags work after all."
"We can always turn you." Carmen explained as she flexed her right-hand causing a hidden micro-hypodermic needle to flip into place, she turned to look at Carcharoth like he was god and asked, "Please master allow me to do this, there is no need to let that scum's foul-taste be-foul your palate."
"No child- his fate is not ours to decide and this wretch's death would only sully Vrede's reputation." Carcaroth smiled with his fang-filled maw as he stooped down to look Greg right in the eye. "No whelp, your fate will be decided by the woman you embarrassed with this escapade, and you will find that Erzebet Scratch can be far more creative in inflicting her punishments than I. Still if you were wise you would turn over the other crown as well as cede the ownership of your Bug-Out Bag to Ms Boucher here, after all I only have to give you to Erzebet Scratch alive not intact- I doubt that she would mind too much if you were missing a limb or two after the stunt that you pulled. Meanwhile I have a call to make to Madam Eventide; I think that she deserves to know that her property in hand as is the thief who dared to take it. So ask yourself, is this touch of drama really worth an arm and a leg?"
Hillstone
2:21 PM
Helena had just finished with her desert when her cell phone rang with the tone of a gently strumming harp, curious as she had turned off the device when she entered the restaurant and knowing that it only turned itself back on when about one of a couple of dozen individuals called she took a look at the caller ID.
"Pardon me but I have to take this call, it's an important associate of mine." Madam Eventide gently laughed as she excused herself from the table, once she went around the corner, the reincarnated Greecian Goddess of Magic wove a effortless glamour of privacy around herself and called the number back.
"This had better be important Carcharoth I was enjoying a late lunch with my daughter and Don Astio while sizing up a potential minion," Madam Eventide snapped into the phone.
"I waited till you were done eating, the waiter's part of my pack. Anyway I just thought you might want to know that I have reacquired one of the two crowns of the Atlantian Princesses that were stolen from your Vault. While the other is in hand in a fasion- along with the poor bastard who stole from us and the almost all of my things." Carcharoth replied back with a hint of dissatisfaction in his deep voice.
"Almost?" Madam Eventide replied out of concern, "You mean that something went missing?"
"Unfortunately my pack-mate and the colleges that she turned with one of my new enthrallment rings, could not stop one of the Esoteric Order's priests from reacquiring the Staff of Dagon without prematurely blowing their cover to the thief, the Order, and Lady Darke in the process."
"Drat, that thing will make our operation this summer in the Middle East a pain in the neck." Madam Eventide said as she grit her teeth in frustration. "Please tell me that they didn't acquire the Trumpet of the East as well!"
"No, fortunately that was stored in Greygus's Vault." Carcaroth began to explain, Remember we were both on that particular mission, and both of us felt that it was too risky to keep them in the same Vault."
"Good because you know what would happen if that thing was blown prematurely," Madam Eventide stated with the underlying danger dripping from her voice.
"Hey even I'm not crazy enough to do that!" Carcaroth barked through the speaker, "Speaking of Greygus, he found out that Darrow's crew are going to try to bump off the fish lady and the mutt, we don't know the how yet but you and Astio might want to join me, Greygus and the Erinyes to crash hit party."
"Count me in! I shall go inform our youngest member," Madam Eventide explained as she hung up her phone dropped her glamour, rejoined the group at the table and reactivated their earlier privacy charm.
"I am sorry Astio however Carcharoth has just informed me that Darrow will be making an attempt on the lives of the maidens soon." Madam Eventide explained to her fellow member of the Circle.
Titus Bannon aka Michele Soranno turned to his girlfriend (secretly his fiancée) and explained, "I am sorry my dear- but business calls."
"There is no need," Nicoletta Sera replied in her rich Sicilian accent, "I understand just do me a favor beloved. Make Charles Darrow regret interrupting our date by daring to interfere in the affair of the Obsidian Circle!"
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
2:34 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Well that was interesting," Candace stated as we made our way out of the movies, "A serial killer instead of a case of covering up second degree murder."
"Yeah- I guess that doesn't have quite the same punch anymore and they had to make the neighbor a slasher villain," I said with a look of distaste in my mouth, "though I could have done without the pool in the basement, ugh."
"Really Miss Bridges, you should know that in this day and age you cannot do a suspense-horror movie without a gross-out factor." Sayyid said in reply.
"Well excuse me for being someone who enjoys the pre-slasher classics," I said with a huff. "Besides the cop being the cousin of the teacher was just too ham-fisted, I haven't even taken Police-Procedures yet and even I know that they wouldn't allow someone with a personal connection anywhere near a case like that since it would cloud the officer's judgment."
"Well you are right, at least in theory however things like that can happen in real life," Sayyid explained with an once of distaste in his voice. "Anyway where would you two young ladies like to go next?"
"Copley Place," Candace explained, "We're meeting Bea's group over there to help them with some shopping before we go to the memorial."
"Oh joy, more shopping with teenage American girls," Sayyid humorously groaned.
"Hey none of that mister or we'll make you hold onto our purses at the front of the stores," I threatened Sayyid while trying to keep a straight face.
"I'll be good," the middle-eastern cape squeaked out while trying to make himself seem small.
The Stable - Boston Sewers
2:36 PM
With clear purpose Darrow and Arch-Fiend stood above the gates that held their hidden army far below the streets of Boston. The pair stared down into the pens to see the hordes milling bellow while far less than they would like for an event such as this they knew that they knew that they would have to make due with what they had on hand.
"Well my Arch-Fiend- open the gates," Darrow bellowed as he smiled beneath his armor, "Let the people of Boston remember that some names are earned."
The Arch-Fiend complied with his masters orders, the heavy doors opened up and slowly the contents of the Stables walked out into the sewers- zombies that his master had created through his own methods made their way out of the pens. Possibly this time they would make it to the surface before heroes began to interfere.
"Yes my shambling hordes go forth and wreck havoc," The Necromancer proclaimed with wicked glee, "draw the Maidens of East and West out of hiding so that I may slay them and add them to your number!"
Room 214
Residence Inn - Back Bay
2:41 PM
"Master the sensors that you have set up tripped," A young lady said with exercised deference, "Well the motion-sensors have, the bio-sensors still show negative."
"Just as I have predicted child," The massive man said as he rose from the couch, "one of the locals has provided us with the distraction that we need. Now I suggest that you get ready- I am meeting with one of your long lost brethren after all."
"Yes master," the young lady responded with a barely visible look of hatred in her eyes as she arose from the top of the line portable monitoring equipment to enter the bathroom in their suite.
"And one by one the pieces fall into place," The man replied in a pleased tone as he stared out the balcony and into the Boston afternoon. "Although how this game turns out remains to be seen."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 11
Atlantic Ocean
Five Miles from Boston Harbor
11:17 AM EDT
The four students from Whateley looked on in awe at the gently breaching leviathans before them in the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean, "Whoa," Heather said in awe as she saw the Humpback in the water emerge to spout, "I wish that sis was here to see this!"
"Well you know what they say about high school girls on a shopping trip." Aries remarked as he snapped some more pictures from the camera that he borrowed from Loophole. "Still I know what you mean, when admin asked me to watch a groupof middle school girls this wasn't what I was thinking about, but wait till mom and dad get a hold of the pictures that I send them from this- talk about 'I wish you were here.'"
"Got that right," Sherrie said as she looked on, while part of her wished that one of the whales would get close enough for her to touch the gentle giant of the deep. "Say can you give me a few copies- I want to send some to my dad."
"Only your dad?" Arnold asked slightly curious, only to take in Sherrie's expression when he asked, "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know."
"No she's still around," Sherrie replied in a slightly morose tone as she looked on at the family of humpbacks in the distance swimming together in the chilly waters of the North Atlantic, "it's- just complicated."
"Hey you still have us Sherrie-bear," Mirabel sang as she hugged her friend's side with her left arm, "besides I heard from my folks that your mom's getting some much needed therapy right now. She just got help from the wrong kind of people after your brother's accident; remember you never know what tomorrow will bring."
"Yeah Sherrie," Heather said as she held her new friend's left hand, "please don't let that get you down, you never know what will happen in a few years."
"Thank's you two," Sherrie smiled as she snaked her left arm around Heather for a group hug, "I needed that!" At that moment, Arnold Harvey took the opportunity to snap a picture of the moment and capture something other than the Humpbacks on film.
Zara
Boston, Massachusetts
11:20 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Now miss, these moccasins would be ideal for the outfit in that picture would you like to try them on?" The sales clerk whose nametag said Mindy asked me.
"Actually the one that we're buying them for is the girl in the photo," I sheepishly admitted.
"I see," Mindy mulled over this information. "Do you have her shoe size?"
"Yes, she's a size 4.5 I also have something that should help the measurement," I explained while pulling out a little something that looked like a rubber mannequin’s foot with something blue on the middle. "Although this should help to see that they fit properly."
"What- is- that?" Mindy inquired with her in mild sense of shock painted with a touch of curiosity.
"It's a flexible rubber molding of her foot," I began to explain. "It's filled with gel and capped by a flexible latex bubble, let me demonstrate it."
I grabbed the shoe that the woman picked out and slid the molding inside the bubble at the top bulged albeit only slightly, "Good this pair should fit perfectly once the leather loosens up."
"Um- where did you get that?" The sales woman asked somewhat nervously, not surprising although the police of Boston were mostly accepting of mutants and metahumans the regular public was bound to have at least a little apprehension.
"It was from a girl that her mother used to tutor," I replied telling the complete truth after all Sorcha did give it to me along with the photos of Evania, Glory and Eve took in the explanation with a touch of amusement having watched me give it three times already including once to themselves. "She's just a few years older than me; I think that she's planning to apply to MIT next year."
"Well if she's clever enough to come up with something like this I'd say that she's a shoe-in," Mindy remarked as she flashed us a saleswoman's smile.
"Ugh," Eve recoiled as she heard Mindy's remark while Glory and I just winced. "Please no puns, that one was awful."
"Everyone's a critic." Mindy sniffed as she put the moccasin away and went to get out another pair based upon the next photograph.
"Just those with good taste," Glory shook her head before she turned to ask me. "Sorcha really came up with that?"
"Oh yes, she's really clever and loves to examine things to see if she can come up with new ideas for them." I explained, "She got this idea from one of those stress toys that the eyes bulge when you squeeze them."
"Maybe you should introduce her to some of the inventors at school," Glory remarked as she thought about the matter. "It might help inspire some of them to think outside the box that they're currently in for new applications."
"That might not be such a good idea," Eve said in a mildly panicked tone, "Imagine what would happen if she did that for someone like Delta-Spike."
"Ugh, good point," Glory shuttered before telling me, "On second thought forget I said anything!"
"Why, what's the problem with Delta-Spike?" I asked somewhat curious about the matter, I mean I know about her problem with electrical surges.
"You mean aside from a complete lack of common sense?" Eve said as she looked me in the eye, "The girl was the one who shut down the last Inventor's Fair."
"Heartbreaker something always happens at that thing," Glory rolled her eyes, "It's always something blowing up, catching fire, or going out of control that shuts the thing down, besides common sense is something that lot seems to train themselves to ignore."
"Not always," Eve retorted with a smile, "sometimes it's something going out of control and catching on fire right before blowing up! Honestly the inventors that we have at the Academy are crazy."
"I don't know," I replied aloud, "Arnold seems to be pretty nice."
"Arnold, I didn't know that she was friends with Aries?" Eve asked somewhat curious about my comment, the Mastermind in her starting to shine through. "Besides he's not an inventor...is he?"
"She might mean Arnold Fletcher; he's one of the Spring Transfer students that made it into the Motor-Heads." Glory began to explain, "Remember the last time Bannermann got detention? It was because he broke an engine block to one of the Academy's jeeps that Fletcher was transporting back to the motor pool to reinstall after repairing it, the dork thought that it was some valuable secret invention Fletcher he was stealing for nefarious purposes or something stupid like that."
"That's Bannermann for you," Eve giggled, "all bluster and bravado with no brains included."
"Here I am miss," Mindy said as she sauntered back in, "now madam for that next outfit may I suggest ballerina slippers." Mindy said bringing out a black leather shoe with a slight flat heel.
"Say, Bea it's getting close to lunch, what do say after we're done here that we go grab a bite?" Eve asked as I brought out the test foot again.
"Sure! How about we go for sushi?" I asked as I slid Sorcha's little innovation into the shoe causing the gel in the top to bulge considerably. "I'm sorry but this one is too tight, maybe we could try a different one."
"Certainly," Mindy said as she took the shoe and returned to the back.
"Well- what about it?" I inquired further as I looked at Glory and Eve who both stood as if they were shocked by my suggestion, "Was it something I said?"
UFood Grill
11:32 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I just find it weird that you two wanted to spend more time in Bath & Bodyworks than Expressions of Boston," Sayyid stated with a clear tone as the group waited on their food. "I always thought that American women enjoyed shoe shopping- or am I wrong and that is just a total stereotype?"
"Well some might Sayyid- but the fact is that I doubt you could call either Randi or myself normal." Candace explained as she rested her chin upon her interlaced fingers. "I actually prefer your more durable athletic shoes to something more fashionable, and Randi is more of a hiking shoes girl- so in that department the two of us are golden."
"Besides Candace and I both have at least twice the amount of hair as most other students at school so we tend to go through hair care supplies a lot faster." I explained somewhat embarrassed at the fact, that and considering that both of us train on the athletic side of things we also go through bodycare products rather fast.
"Among other things," Candace said as she stared at me, "no offense dear but I think that it's time that you picked up a new gi from the student store- and burn the old one while you’re at it."
"Candace- please, you know that it is against federal law to burn hazardous materials," I replied as I felt a smile on my face, "and after two months training with Anu and Morrigan I am fairly certain that thing qualifies. To tell you the truth I have a few scent jars in my bag with the smell of those things contained inside- if I get someone like Bloodwolf in the combat finals I'll have the perfect weapon to use against him."
"Randi that is cruel, sneaky and devious- you are becoming more of a proper young lady every day." Candace sniffed as she brushed off a shed tear of pride. "Still I just wish that some of the fragrances in that place weren't so strong, I mean my sense of smell hasn't increased that much but still yikes."
"I know what you mean Candace," I shuddered in memory of my last trip to the Parks Mall back home, "I hated going to the Mall before I changed, and afterwards I have to be on constant alert for those trigger-happy psychos armed with perfume bottles. Really some of those scents are too much, and it doesn't help that some women keep spraying it on until they can smell it- don't they realize that they build up a tolerance to strong smells if they're around them all the time?"
"No Randi, I don't think that they do," Candace sighed as she shook her head out of shame for a part of our now mutual gender, "though you'd think that they would notice the reactions of everyone around them."
"Well to be fair a lot of guys try not to let that show," I sheepishly explained. "It's mostly about it not being polite to point something like that out to a lady- mainly because it would embarrass them in public. And if my brother Chuck or I did that well- dad would tan our backsides."
"Well you don't have to worry about things like that anymore," Candace said with a coy smile on her face.
"Let me guess, because the tail would get in the way?" I asked somewhat wondering just where this conversation was headed.
"No because you have me to look after your backside," Candace stated in a singsong tone, "And I take a great deal pride in my work on protecting a precious work of art."
Once again I could feel that Candace had me impersonating a tomato, although I was embarrassed part of me was glad that I was with someone that not only felt something about me on a personal level but considered me to be attractive. I guess that deep down I still thought of myself as the geeky butterball that I used to be rather than young lady that I had become.
'Of course Randi.' I felt Jane explain over our link. 'such things take time; just remember that no matter how composed some of the girls around you appear to be- all of them also had an awkward stage too.'
Finally, the bus boy, whose nametag said Larry by the way, came with our orders. "Alright that's one Bison Burger," he said setting down my burger in front of Sayyid, "one Curry Chicken Marsala," he continued giving me Candace's rice bowl, "and one Spicy Falafel Flatbread," and finished up by giving Candace Sayyid's sandwich. "I apologize but your smoothies will be a few more minutes, and if you need anything else please don't be afraid to ask."
After the waiter had walked out of sight we swapped plates and started on lunch, I guess it just goes to show even if the food is good it can still be tainted by the service.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
11:50 AM
Deep within the building a number of individuals kept on retainer for the Boston Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom had been busy for the last hour. Greg Paulson, a mole that the Arch-Fiend had inside of the New York Chapter House, had arrived at the rendezvous from his motel with a bug-out bag filled with the contents of one of the belated Obsidian Circle's Black Vaults. Ever since everyone present had been busy waiting nearby while Lady Darke and the Children of the Night's client, a member of the Esoteric Order of Dagon, stood nearby watching.
The going was slow given that Greg Paulson had to pull the boxes out one at a time for the group's supervisors Hanna Ring and Carmen Boucher to open and examine the contents, catalog them and have someone move them off to the side. All of this while they waited for the object that the order wanted was a single object that would be in the loot, granted that none of them had a clue what the object was or did but knowing the type of things that dark magic types were interested in that was probably for the best.
"Hanna can I take a minute to make a couple of quick phone calls?" Trenton Haney asked drawing her attention as she handed him a box containing several jewelers boxes each containing intricate rings made of some black substance. "I have reservations at a restaurant with my girl friend and I need to cancel."
"Alright but make certain you're within earshot of everyone else and speak loud enough so that they can hear," Ms Ring replied harshley as she inspected another box this one containing a couple of dozen loose antique keys. "The last thing that we need is a security breech, especially working for The Necromancer."
"Understood, and careful with those old pine boxes, I'm wearing work gloves and I'm still getting scratched up like crazy- wonder if I'm going to need a tetnus shot." Trenton said as he took the box containing the rings away to place on an empty shelve before coming back to the group and taking out his cell phone. "Hey Zoe, its Trent I'm afraid that I can't make it tonight, they're making me pull overtime at work. No I can't take off, this is an important client my boss would terminate me if I did.
While Trent was busy pleading over the phone with his girlfriend, Hanna's eyes lost focus for a second as she used slight-of-hand to pocket an antique silver key from the box while she was inspecting it. As suddenly as this happened her eyes went back to normal, and she continued inspecting the keys as if nothing had happened, granted that she noticed there was only twenty-three keys in the box rather than twenty-four she waved the experience off, "Must have counted one of them twice by mistake."
"Wait a moment," The representative from the Esoteric Order of Dagon called out as he approached the group's ramshackle assembly line.
"Hanna seemed to glare at the man in hatred as her body tensed up slightly, almost as if she was waiting for something.
That faded once again as she cultist approached Carmen who was busy inspecting a long custom crate. The nameless young man reached in and withdrew an oddly designed yet ornate staff that looked like it was expertly crafted of a kind of salmon-hued coral and a type of black rock (possibly basalt) with the top adorned with a sickly yellowish pearl.
"This is what we were looking for," the man stated as he turned to Lady Darke who had joined him amidst the mess of the operation, "tell your master that he may use whatever else is found among the haul as he sees fit, I shall see to it that the Order rewards him appropriately for this artifact."
"I will inform him as soon as possible," Lady Darke said with a lady-like curtsey that the man ignored as he trod off with the box containing the staff. "Alright everyone, I need to talk with the Master, keep doing what you are doing and remember no one quits until that bag is empty and its contents are cataloged!"
"Yes Lady Darke!" everyone replied in unison as they got to work on her request failing to recognize that one of their own had already helped herself to a piece of the loot.
Samurai Boston
12:20 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"I still can't believe that you wanted to eat at a place that serves raw fish," Eve said in astonishment as I used my chopsticks to pick up another piece of tuna sashimi, as our conversation was far more candid now that our privacy charm was back on.
I gave Heartbreaker a sideways glare as I savored the expertly cut slice of sock-eye, after I swallowed and took a sip of the hot green tea I replied to her comment. "What? Do you think merfolk eat an all kelp diet?"
I sighed as I set my chopsticks down on the tray. "That story that Evania told us about her mother and the cowrie snails was just- that a story, Sorcha explained that Lirtosia was her tutor when she was younger, they enchanted those shells during one of her lessons back when she was Evania's age the cowrie shells were just the raw materials that they used. Keeping a hold of that little fairy tale is probably just another way that she uses to remember her mom."
"The fact of the matter is that our diet is rather protein-heavy; remember most warm-blooded sea animals eat several times their body weight every day. Thankfully I don't need to yet since I spend most of my time out of the water and in a wheelchair but still don't use fiction as a reference for us."
"Actually I'm more amazed that you can actually use these things," Glory said as she struggled to use her chopsticks properly.
"Well most of the refuges are in lands heavily influenced by oriental cultures," I began to giggle at the sight of the aspiring hero struggling to hold the utensils; "I thought that it would be a good idea to learn how to properly eat the local cuisine if I ever chose to visit that part of the world."
"If I were you I'd be careful over there," Eve stated up after swallowing a bit of udon, "the word around school is that when the ambassador from China met Bladedancer he gave her something with an enslavement spell on it. Apparently it's a possible reason for why a good number of American born Chinese preternaturals decide to visit their ancestral homeland and then never come back."
"I'll be careful besides there are ways to the access the four Jade Heaven refuges outside of mainland China," I explained as I poured a little soy sauce on my rice, "you just have to know where they are and how to access them."
"Um, Bea I'm sorry for all of the things that I've said so far it's just- well- that The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite movies growing up," Eve began to explain. "I guess part of it was the fact that Ariel was a bit of an outsider who wasn't concerned with how others felt about her. But don't either of you two ever tell anyone that I said that- ever!"
"My lips are sealed," I replied with a smile.
"I'll keep that little secret if you show me how to use these things." Glory said as she struggled again with her chopsticks right before breaking them, "Oh come on!"
"Here," Eve replied handing Glory another set of chopsticks and waited for her to break them apart, "now take the bottom stick and steady it between your thumb and middle fingers while keeping it against your index finger."
Eve waited for Glory to handle her instructions before she continued, "Now take the second stick and pinch it between your thumb and index finger, just make sure to keep them close to even."
"I think that I can take it from here!" Glory puffed as she tried to grab a piece of shrimp tempura only to have the fried sea bug twirl about in the bento box.
"You might want to practice a little pinching with them before you try to pick things up," I snickered as Glory blushed.
"Not a word about this to anyone at school!" Glory shot the two of us a steely-eyed glare. "Not one word!"
"Now Gloriana," Eve said in a sing-song tone, "everyone at Whateley knows what happens in Boston stays in Boston."
"I thought that was the Arena?" I asked somewhat confused.
"Same principal," Eve puffed out her chest while Glory rolled her eyes.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
12:24 PM
"Hey hurry up with that next box Paulson," Carmen barked out at Greg as he seemed to struggle with the mystic bag. "We are getting paid by the job not the hour here."
"Keep your panties on you nag," Greg grunted with both of his hand reaching far into the bag, "this next crate is fucking heavy- I think that we're starting to get to the big stuff."
"Hey Trent," Carmen called out to one of the grunts that she had working for her, "get something to speed this along from the tool cabinet!"
"The gloves or the bracelet," Trent replied back as he made his way over to the cheap metal cabinet by the side of the room.
"The bracelet, the gloves can go a little haywire inside of enchanted items," Carmen replied then paused for a moment. "On second thought bring both we can always use the gloves to put the stuff up."
"Good idea," Trent said as he grabbed what looked like an engraved bronze bracelet and a pair of high-tech gloves from the cabinet. "I guess that's why they pay you the big bucks."
"No they pay me the big bucks to take the job in the first place, people like The Necromancer tend to make an example of the middle-management if anything goes wrong." Carmen shouted back as she waited for Trent to walk back over.
"That is a fairly accurate assessment Ms Boucher," Lady Darke remarked as she looked up from the trashy romance novel that she had been reading Carmen could swear that she'd recognized its cover from the last time that she passed by the magazine rack at the super-market.
"Figures the skank would read bodice rippers." Carmen muttered under her breath as she shook her head.
A few minutes later after Trent gave Paulson the strength bracelet Greg set down a hefty wooden crate right in front of her. Fortunately, Carmen already had a crowbar standing by next to a claw hammer; once the lid was pried off she looked inside to see a nasty looking battle-axe. "Yikes," she said taking in the sight of the sadistic design of the weapon. While the main blade looked rather standard albeit it looked like the surface of the blade behind the edge had been knapped, the mounting balance resembled the blade on a guillotine and at the top of the mount was a triangular bladed mount. "Dammit, this thing is a war crime waiting to happen!"
"Makes sense," Paulson said as he began to return to work, "The place that I got this haul from used to be Lycaon's personal storage vault at the New York Chapter House."
Everyone of the crew working stopped and stared at Greg Paulson in horror, "What you mean you broke into the Dark Vaults and cleaned out the personal storage room of the single most homicidal operative that the Obsidian Circle has, are you crazy or just stupid?" Trent shouted in fear.
"What's the big deal?" Greg asked as he continued working, pulling out the next crate from the Bug Out Bag. "The Obsidian Circle is long gone- everyone knows that. Aside from Madam Eventide, Conte Enigma and a handful of operatives like the Erinyes and Greygus they're all dead or gone forever with no hope of return."
"No they're not you idiot, Mister Domino and Mistress Nyx were seen just a few months ago with Erzebet Scratch at the Dallas Chapter House, there's a good chance that she's a member now too." Treat shouted in hysteria.
"Yeah and the word is making the rounds that this Lord Khamsin who popped up recently is a newly revitalized Lord Ataxia, he was seen in Laos leaving the Mountain Temple of the Tong of the Black Madonna's with Baron Impie just before The Syndicate gave it a paint job." Carman shook in fear, "Apparently they killed several cultists and made an example of the high priestess."
"Just rumors," Greg scoffed of their concerned, "besides there is no way that Lycaon is still around, Doc Celsius blasted him to ash after Champion numero thres pinned him to a concrete wall with a steel girder like a freaking mounted butterfly. There is no way anyone can come back from that- it would be impossible!"
While everyone else was taking in the revelations of just whose stolen merchandise they were handling Hanna was staring at the axe that Carmen had just revealed- seeming to take in every detail of the axe and especially the crate- brushing past Hanna as she did so.
"Ouch," Hanna briefly recoiled in pain looking down at her hand and noticing a scratch, she shot Carmen a look. "Geez Carm, you might want to watch it with that ugly ring, where did you get that thing anyway."
"A date I was on a few months ago gave it to me as an appology gift, to be honest he was a ten in the looks department but his personality drove him down to a seven." Carmen explained as she shook her head, "At least I got something to remind me not to make that mistake again."
Suddenly Lady Darke's cell phone rang, and with a flick of her hand she flipped it open. "Hello?" She paused to listen, "I understand, sir I will be there at once!" She hung up the phone and glared at the people still working, "Finish up and don't take anything, or we will find out."
None of the workers took that threat lightly as they diligently kept up their work even after Lady Darke left.
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
12:36 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I have to say that place needs to refine their balance of spices a lot more," Sayyid huffed, "they are a long way from making falafel worthy of the price that we paid for it."
"I know what you mean," I said running my tongue through my teeth, "they overcooked that bison, some people need to know not to treat all red meat like beef. Heck even Bobby V's back home handles ostrich better than that place treats buffalo."
"Well at least my chicken marsala turned out alright, though that waiter could really use some better glasses." Candace explained as we lined up for our tickets, "Really though when did you have buffalo before?"
"My family went to Colorado during the summer back when I was twelve," I explained as I reminisced about the experience. "We went white water rafting on the Arkansas River and visited the Garden of the Gods, and while we were there ate at a place called the Buckhorn Exchange it was a game restaurant and I had the buffalo."
"It must be nice to go on a real family vacation," Candace said with a faraway look in her eye. "Oh! Sorry Sayyid!"
"Why I have been places with my family long ago," he explained, "a few years ago we made the Hadj together to Mecca, it was amazing to go there and just take in the history of where it all began."
"I know- I mean I know my family's from England," Candace began to elaborate. "My Aunt Pauline even told me that we're in the Domesday Book it says we're from Norfolk."
"All I know is that my family's from all over," I groaned getting into my mixed ancestry. "So I guess that you can say I'm as much of a mutt among the faefolk as I am in my heritage."
"Oh Randi," Candace said as she shook her head, "that joke was awful."
"Well they say that every masterpiece has it's flaws," I puffed up my chest as we headed inside the theater.
"Of course you're still very much a work in progress dear," Jane commented over our link.
'Oh very funny,' I rolled my eyes at the bird's remark.
"I know- I just wanted to check in and say that while you're in the movie I shall be busy keeping an eye on your friend Beatrice," Jane explained as I could see her aerial view of Bea's group.
'Keep an eye on them until afterwards too,' I replied, 'there's a lot of nastiness in this town and the last thing that I want is for her to get hurt.'
"Understood, I shall endeavor to do so. Jane replied as we took our seats. Somehow, I know that it was too much to hope for this trip to be uneventful, but right now, I just hoped that this movie wasn't going to suck.
Children of the Night's Safehouse
1:07 PM
Around the main hideout for the Children of the Night, there was only one occupant present to attend to duties around the loft- Arcane-Knight. The rest of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom actually didn't know all that much about the haunted suit of medieval-styled armor. Some actually thought the he was a medieval monstrosity like the legendary Black Knight of Arthurian Legend or a forgotten Thema-Agenta of the Third Reich that had recently been unearthed- rumors that Arcane-Knight took advantage of when he could to build a reputation across Europe as hired muscle.
Unfortunately, when he arrived stateside he ran into a snag in Boston, The Necromancer- as it turns out being a spirit possessing a suit of armor was a major disadvantage for Arcane-Knight when it came to Charles Darrow, mainly because he could be manipulated with necromancy. Darrow then proved to the Arcane-Knight that just because you lacked a body it did not make you immune to pain and torture. He soon learned the horrible truth that if you knew how you could inflict even greater torment upon a non-corporeal spirit than you could a living person, because if you pushed a living person too far they could die of shock.
"Hey Sir Buckethead," Lady Darke quipped as she came into the hide-out, "is the boss here yet? I was kind of busy supervising something for an important client of his."
"No he is not you pompous strumpet," Arcane Knight growled in reply as he maintained the vigil that Darrow had ordered him to since the day prior. Just because he had no biological needs did not mean that he could not get bored out of his skull or in this case his helm. "The only members of your legion of reprobates to arrive are the mongrel and Darrow's pet."
Sure enough, Lady Darke walked past the haunted suit of power armor (trying to trip him as she went out of pure spite) she found Lycanthros and Arch-Fiend waiting in the meeting room. Soon Arcane-Knight followed The Necromancer into the room and shut the door a split-second after Jaberwock popped into the room and his usual chair.
"Now I trust that everyone here received the information on our targets from the concierge?" Darrow stated as his gaze swept the room, noting the affirmations that the Children of the Night were giving him- Darrow continued his speech. "Good- now as you all know are targets are two young mutants that are currently in the Boston in civilian guise known as Faolan and Aletheia, they are to be located and terminated by any and every means necessary."
"Where can we hope to setup the ambush?" Lady Darke inquired eager to begin preparations for the operation.
"Therein lays the rub, Faolan and Aletheia despite being students at the same Academy as the whelps of Team Kimba that we have encountered appear to be far less- ostentatious. Our usual informant has provided us little information to go on in this affair. Faolan I have learned is a young lady that the Valkyrian has taken under her wing as a protégé, there is little information to go on concerning her however she encountered an operation of Professor Id's in New York not long after our last encounter with Team Kimba."
"Did that encounter yield any information?" The Arch-Fiend stated eager to learn of his targets de-jour.
"Unfortunately little, all that I have gleaned is that she is a spell-caster of a moderate amount of talent and ability," Darrow replied in a cross manner. "All that our informant has given me is that she supplements her abilities with weaponry, given that the Valkyrian is tutoring her we can make no assumptions- she could possess medieval or modern weapons and there is a good chance that such armaments could be enchanted."
"And what about our other target?" Arch-Fiend asked in a harsh tone, "Boston is a very large city and we need to know as much about our prey as possible to not only find them but terminate them."
"All that I have is that she is a healer of unmeasured ability, most other information about her is unknown," Darrow growled in frustration, "which is unfortunate given that between the two of them she takes priority. All we know is the likely routes that they will take to leave Boston are either Hanscom Field or Worchester if they are traveling by plane or the North Station if they are using the rail."
"Am I the only one who sees the obvious," Lycanthros laughed, "we don't have to find them we only have to draw them out into the open."
"Easier said than done snosage breath!" Lard Darke shot back with a hateful glare, "We know next to nothing about them and after our last fight with those Team Kimba kids, I doubt that two rookies like these would be bull-headed enough to rush into a fight with us."
"There is more than one way to trap a hero," the skin-walker wickedly smiled, "if you can't use their bravado to draw them in there is always their conscience. Hey Wilbur, have we refilled the stables since last October?"
"Not completely, the cops are monitoring our usual sources and our emergency sources are now being reconsecrated on a weekly basis," Arch-Fiend reported wondering where this was going. "At present we're only at sixty percent capacity."
"Well prepare to restock again," Lycanthros laughed darkly, "because I'm about to be brilliant."
Hillstone
1:17 PM
"Wow," Jay-Arm starred at the woman sharing a table with himself and Titus and Nicoletta, "Just wow!"
"Now, young Mister du Chantraine I would think that the son of Hexmaster and Troll Bride would be far more difficult to impress." The woman observed in a voice so rich that he almost seemed to slip on her words. "Or is my reputation impress you that much?"
"No- I mean yes, Miss Sera," Nephandus said almost tripping over his words, "I'm sorry it is just even in the circles that my parents run in the thought of meeting a legend of your caliber over lunch- is still more than a little overwhelming. Not to mention what you look like under those masks you wear, it's just that according to your order's reputation it's hard to imagine anyone with a human face under those masks."
"Understandable," Helena Sera (who was also secretly known as Madam Eventide) quipped before taking a casual sip of her wine, "Among my group there are several who cannot so easily do so as easily as I would."
"So what would one have to make the acquaintance of such a lovely vision more often, would I have to gain admission into your group?" Jean-Armand asked desperate to cut to the heart of the matter.
"Please child, I am a happily married woman," Helena replied- her voiced tinged with melodic laughter, "and as for the Circle itself, you would have to be nominated by one member who sees potential in you and then be chosen to perform a task by another. After that happens the entire Circle must vote on your admission, and quite frankly you are far too young and green to be perusing such a goal at your tender age."
"Hah, if one does not begin to pursue greatness when they are young they are more likely to fall short later on in life," Nephandus proclaimed with pride emanating from his being.
This only elicited a sigh of disappointment from Madam Eventide, "Child you are falling into a trap all too common for those who delve into the darker aspects of the mystic arts, power is a means not an end unto itself. If you pursue any path along the mystic arts, it should be with greater goals in mind then merely accumulating power in and of itself, doing this leads too often to folly and disaster. Just look at your own mother for the price of such folly."
"Poor Tilda tries to take on the Green Witch to gain access to the treasure trove of artifacts under her possession and what happens in return, it costs her the wedding rings that your father gave her to control her insatiable appetite." Madam Eventide remarked as she relayed knowledge about Nephandus's mother that was not well known. "Then far more recently she comes to your academy with forged documents seeking to enslave The Artificer after the being has already inscribed herself with her own mystic runes making that being her own master and in the process seeks to steal that Chaka girl's enchanted mithril knife. Instead she winds up banned from her son's school for damaging property, theft, fraud and assault not to mention coming dangerously close to violating the neutrality pact."
"Come now surely you can't hold my own mother's actions against me," Jay-Arm replied as he tried to turn on the charm.
"Child your own recent actions concerning the Angel of Hell's Kitchen more than illustrate the fact that you are far from ready for a place among the Obsidian Circle." Helena explained carefully laying down the facts, "Ours is not a place for short-sighted aspirations, we have far greater goals in mind than you can currently fathom. The sad fact is Mister du Chantraine is that you have yet to demonstrate the maturity that we look for holding a chair in The Circle."
Before Nephandus could object to this observation Madam Eventide dispelled the privacy spell around them as the waiter arrived with their orders. Jean-Armand was stunned- his first attempt to gain access to the Obsidian Circle and their ancient library of texts and already he found out that he was further from the starting gate than he dared imagine. At present, he only had two and a half more years to impress Don Astio with his abilities before the later graduated; he would need to plan carefully if he wanted to succeed.
Food Court - New England Aquarium
1:26 PM
"That was so cool," Heather squealed as the group sat down for lunch just off the boat from the whale-watching expedition.
"I know what you mean," Sherrie remarked before turning to Aries, "Hey Mister Harvey- can you send me some copies of your pictures so I can print them out for my scrapbook?"
"Sure, I'll send them to your email later; this is a digital camera after all." Arnold replied as he patted the device in question, "Still why do you girls only want to go to the Aquarium and not shopping or something?"
"What with how often that nut job and his goon squad have attacked our classmates in Boston this year, are you mental?" Mirabel asked as she looked at Arnold as if he had grown a second head. "No thank you- maybe we'll go to a couple of the memorials but I want to play it as safe as possible."
"Oh come on," Arnold said as he rolled his eyes at the girl's comment, "That's just the Kimbas everyone at school knows that he has it out for them for embarrassing him last October and getting one of his thugs caught."
"I don't know," Heather said a she set down her egg salad sandwich, "Reverend Haskins always says that the more irrational magic types won't hesitate to get revenge by proximity."
"That might be," Arnold stated before picking up another Reuben from the basket, "but how would he even find out about everyone being in town today." Arnold hated lying- he knew exactly how The Necromancer would find out about the Whateley student body's travel plans to Boston, but Sebastiano had no reason to sell out anyone that was on this little trip to that psycho- right?
"Fine-" Mirabel gave into the logic of the matter, "maybe a little shopping too after all we didn't get too much of that done in New York."
Ann Taylor - The Prudential Center
1:38 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Now miss these flats would hardly do anything for that outfit you are wearing," the saleswoman whose name tag read Melanie said as she flashed her eyelashes.
"I am certain that they would miss," I explained trying desperately to get my point across- for the seventh time, "but we are birthday shopping for another person."
"Oh come now- what is the fun of a shopping trip if you don't splurge on yourself a bit?" Melanie asked before presenting a set of heels to me, "Now wouldn't these heels look absolutely yummy on you?"
"Okay let me take this in; you are trying to sell high heels to a girl in a wheelchair..." Eve looked at the saleswoman like she had grown a second-head (granted that at a school attended by Jimmy Trauger wasn't that unheard of). "What wrong with you?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Melanie said as her long eyelashes flashed past her baby-blue eyes, "They would clearly look darling on her!"
Taking a quick glance at the label and price tag of the shoes in question I put two and two together as Eve exclaimed, "That's it we're out of here!"
Before Melanie could get in a word edgewise, Eve guided my wheelchair out of the store with Glory trailing behind. "What was that about?" The Cape asked clearly wondering what the big deal was.
"Really, you didn't notice anything wrong about that saleswoman?" Eve asked somewhat perplexed that the queen of the FSA hadn't caught onto the clues that
she herself had noticed.
"Well she seemed a little- soft in the head but otherwise no, why?" Glory shook her head as the three made their way around the interior of the Prudential Center.
"The feather-brain act that woman was putting on was just that- an act." Eve said zeroing in on the real problem. "Those were a eight-hundred dollar pair of Prada designer pumps that she was trying to sweet-talk Bea into buying, that woman wasn't ditzy she's on commission."
"Eight-hundred dollars for a pair of heels," Glory looked stunned as she recalled her prior trip to New York escorting the Bad Seeds. "Honestly do we look like we have that much money?"
"It might be my fault," Eve explained with a sheepish expression, "she might have recognized me from my modeling work with Venus Inc. and given that the two of you are beyond the norm in the looks department she probably thought that you were lesser-known models in the same agency."
"Really?" I asked Eve somewhat shocked, "Me- a model, are you serious?"
"Hey you have your mom's looks with a touch of the exotic Bea, once you get a hang of your land legs you'd be a shoe-in." Eve explained as she looked me in the eye, "Besides if merfolk plan to become more common-place the designers would definitely want to sign one up, maybe you could ask Pristine to help you look into it when she's not busy."
Holy cow, me a model, well I did want to travel when I grew up and if there was one thing that I knew models careers took them all over the world. Yes this was definitely something to look into- when I finally mastered my lower limbs.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
2:14 PM
"I think that we're finally at the end of this," Greg Paulson stated as he pulled out another box. "Ah I remember this one, snagged it's one of a pair on my way out from a different group, and thought that they looked valuable."
He brought the crate over to Hanna who opened it up to see an intricate crown, "I'm not sure who's Vault they are from but they looked valuable, so how much do you think I can get for them?"
"If you are lucky you will get a swift death!" Hanna replied as she stared at Greg with eyes that glowed a vicious crimson red.
Greg recoiled in fear as he turned around looking for help from the others working in the warehouse, but no matter who he looked at, they all had those same eyes. He eyeballed the entrance only to be grabbed by grabbed by Carmen Boucher.
"You are going nowhere until our master arrives," she explained her voice far different from her normal native Bostonian tone.
"Y-your m-m-master?" Greg stammered in fear as he found it impossible to tear himself away from the woman's iron grip.
"Yes our master," Trent growled his voice brimming with hate, "The one you stole from Lycaon or as he is now called-"
"Carcharoth!" The black-furred werewolf adorned in modern tactical armor with Grecian hoplite flair seemed to roar as he made his way into the warehouse. The monster was at least eight feet of crap-your-pants terror, with a rage that Greg had never seen in his life all around everyone transformed into a myriad of lupine forms as they sank to one knee in an obvious display of fealty.
The sole exception to this was Trent who was bringing over a box from the shelves that he had put away only a little while ago. Now as much of a werewolf as the rest of them Trent took the crate now cradled under his arms, "I believe that this is something that you are overjoyed to see again master!"
"Indeed young one," Carcharoth stated as he took up that nasty looking axe that everyone recoiled over earlier. Then strangly enough in his growling tone he almost seem to coo to the axe, "Ah Vrede- you are truly Surtr's masterwork, your blade looks a little dull after all of these decades but don't you worry we'll soon sharpen you in our favorite way."
"W-w-well I guess that you're going to kill me now," Greg stammered as he looked at the monster knowing that the inevitable was coming- still he had an ace up his sleave, "of course if you do that you'll never get the other crown back, you do know how Bug-Out Bags work after all."
"We can always turn you." Carmen explained as she flexed her right-hand causing a hidden micro-hypodermic needle to flip into place, she turned to look at Carcharoth like he was god and asked, "Please master allow me to do this, there is no need to let that scum's foul-taste be-foul your palate."
"No child- his fate is not ours to decide and this wretch's death would only sully Vrede's reputation." Carcaroth smiled with his fang-filled maw as he stooped down to look Greg right in the eye. "No whelp, your fate will be decided by the woman you embarrassed with this escapade, and you will find that Erzebet Scratch can be far more creative in inflicting her punishments than I. Still if you were wise you would turn over the other crown as well as cede the ownership of your Bug-Out Bag to Ms Boucher here, after all I only have to give you to Erzebet Scratch alive not intact- I doubt that she would mind too much if you were missing a limb or two after the stunt that you pulled. Meanwhile I have a call to make to Madam Eventide; I think that she deserves to know that her property in hand as is the thief who dared to take it. So ask yourself, is this touch of drama really worth an arm and a leg?"
Hillstone
2:21 PM
Helena had just finished with her desert when her cell phone rang with the tone of a gently strumming harp, curious as she had turned off the device when she entered the restaurant and knowing that it only turned itself back on when about one of a couple of dozen individuals called she took a look at the caller ID.
"Pardon me but I have to take this call, it's an important associate of mine." Madam Eventide gently laughed as she excused herself from the table, once she went around the corner, the reincarnated Greecian Goddess of Magic wove a effortless glamour of privacy around herself and called the number back.
"This had better be important Carcharoth I was enjoying a late lunch with my daughter and Don Astio while sizing up a potential minion," Madam Eventide snapped into the phone.
"I waited till you were done eating, the waiter's part of my pack. Anyway I just thought you might want to know that I have reacquired one of the two crowns of the Atlantian Princesses that were stolen from your Vault. While the other is in hand in a fasion- along with the poor bastard who stole from us and the almost all of my things." Carcharoth replied back with a hint of dissatisfaction in his deep voice.
"Almost?" Madam Eventide replied out of concern, "You mean that something went missing?"
"Unfortunately my pack-mate and the colleges that she turned with one of my new enthrallment rings, could not stop one of the Esoteric Order's priests from reacquiring the Staff of Dagon without prematurely blowing their cover to the thief, the Order, and Lady Darke in the process."
"Drat, that thing will make our operation this summer in the Middle East a pain in the neck." Madam Eventide said as she grit her teeth in frustration. "Please tell me that they didn't acquire the Trumpet of the East as well!"
"No, fortunately that was stored in Greygus's Vault." Carcaroth began to explain, Remember we were both on that particular mission, and both of us felt that it was too risky to keep them in the same Vault."
"Good because you know what would happen if that thing was blown prematurely," Madam Eventide stated with the underlying danger dripping from her voice.
"Hey even I'm not crazy enough to do that!" Carcaroth barked through the speaker, "Speaking of Greygus, he found out that Darrow's crew are going to try to bump off the fish lady and the mutt, we don't know the how yet but you and Astio might want to join me, Greygus and the Erinyes to crash hit party."
"Count me in! I shall go inform our youngest member," Madam Eventide explained as she hung up her phone dropped her glamour, rejoined the group at the table and reactivated their earlier privacy charm.
"I am sorry Astio however Carcharoth has just informed me that Darrow will be making an attempt on the lives of the maidens soon." Madam Eventide explained to her fellow member of the Circle.
Titus Bannon aka Michele Soranno turned to his girlfriend (secretly his fiancée) and explained, "I am sorry my dear- but business calls."
"There is no need," Nicoletta Sera replied in her rich Sicilian accent, "I understand just do me a favor beloved. Make Charles Darrow regret interrupting our date by daring to interfere in the affair of the Obsidian Circle!"
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
2:34 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Well that was interesting," Candace stated as we made our way out of the movies, "A serial killer instead of a case of covering up second degree murder."
"Yeah- I guess that doesn't have quite the same punch anymore and they had to make the neighbor a slasher villain," I said with a look of distaste in my mouth, "though I could have done without the pool in the basement, ugh."
"Really Miss Bridges, you should know that in this day and age you cannot do a suspense-horror movie without a gross-out factor." Sayyid said in reply.
"Well excuse me for being someone who enjoys the pre-slasher classics," I said with a huff. "Besides the cop being the cousin of the teacher was just too ham-fisted, I haven't even taken Police-Procedures yet and even I know that they wouldn't allow someone with a personal connection anywhere near a case like that since it would cloud the officer's judgment."
"Well you are right, at least in theory however things like that can happen in real life," Sayyid explained with an once of distaste in his voice. "Anyway where would you two young ladies like to go next?"
"Copley Place," Candace explained, "We're meeting Bea's group over there to help them with some shopping before we go to the memorial."
"Oh joy, more shopping with teenage American girls," Sayyid humorously groaned.
"Hey none of that mister or we'll make you hold onto our purses at the front of the stores," I threatened Sayyid while trying to keep a straight face.
"I'll be good," the middle-eastern cape squeaked out while trying to make himself seem small.
The Stable - Boston Sewers
2:36 PM
With clear purpose Darrow and Arch-Fiend stood above the gates that held their hidden army far below the streets of Boston. The pair stared down into the pens to see the hordes milling bellow while far less than they would like for an event such as this they knew that they knew that they would have to make due with what they had on hand.
"Well my Arch-Fiend- open the gates," Darrow bellowed as he smiled beneath his armor, "Let the people of Boston remember that some names are earned."
The Arch-Fiend complied with his masters orders, the heavy doors opened up and slowly the contents of the Stables walked out into the sewers- zombies that his master had created through his own methods made their way out of the pens. Possibly this time they would make it to the surface before heroes began to interfere.
"Yes my shambling hordes go forth and wreck havoc," The Necromancer proclaimed with wicked glee, "draw the Maidens of East and West out of hiding so that I may slay them and add them to your number!"
Room 214
Residence Inn - Back Bay
2:41 PM
"Master the sensors that you have set up tripped," A young lady said with exercised deference, "Well the motion-sensors have, the bio-sensors still show negative."
"Just as I have predicted child," The massive man said as he rose from the couch, "one of the locals has provided us with the distraction that we need. Now I suggest that you get ready- I am meeting with one of your long lost brethren after all."
"Yes master," the young lady responded with a barely visible look of hatred in her eyes as she arose from the top of the line portable monitoring equipment to enter the bathroom in their suite.
"And one by one the pieces fall into place," The man replied in a pleased tone as he stared out the balcony and into the Boston afternoon. "Although how this game turns out remains to be seen."
7 years 1 month ago #17
by Insane Hiker
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Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Parking Lot
Moline, Illinois
10:49 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
After almost three hours on the road the Van, driving non-stop ever since we left Arlington Heights we finally spotted our destination. It took a few minutes to get to for the van to into one of several empty parking spaces of Woodrow Wilson Middle School's parking lot. After waiting for Coach Mulholland to cut the engine we began to climb out of the van grateful to stretch our legs after the drive; granted this hadn't been our longest trip across the state, but it was definitely one of our longest without a stop along the way.
I took a minute to take in the neighborhood around the school, the homes nearby had obviously seen better days granted it wasn't nearly as bad as where I used to live in on the Westside of Chicago. No- this was more a small town that had given way to gentrification rather than the urban blight that I grew up seeing, just a bunch of homes that needed a little TLC that folks hadn't felt much of a need to get around to or maybe just hadn't been able to afford to do so.
"Alright Ladies," Coach Mulholland said as she blew her whistle at us. "Get to the locker room and get ready, the game starts at fifteen after, now remember it's not important whether you win or lose just that you give it your all, I won't ask any more of you and I won't accept any less. So, get out in there and get ready to give the crowd your best."
"RIGHT!" The team and I shouted as one as we left for the locker room to change into our game uniforms.
I admit it, it was a little difficult to find the locker room here without going into the gymnasium proper but we found it none the less. For the third time today I got dressed, as did everyone around me- and like usual I saw Deb trying to take sideways glances at everyone as we did so. I mentally rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of her trying to hide it, everyone else on the team already knew that she did it (even Maria and Erica); heck we had a pool going to guess when she'd finally come out of the closet- I was down for a week after she had her sweet sixteen party.
I admit some of the other girls were a little apprehensive at first when they figured it out (which for most of them happened last year), but that settled down when Candace told everyone on the team that she was bi and not really interested in anyone of them that way. Although that little confession helped assuage the anxieties of everyone else on the team; it also disappointed poor Deb who'd clearly been crushing on Candace. Fortunately, she got over that bit of drama after a week or two, after all we weren't even in high school yet there was no reason to think that anyone of us had found the one just yet; still it killed us in the semi-finals last year- I just hope that poor Deb didn't blame herself.
Now that everyone was ready we joined the home team in the gym, the game still wouldn't start for ten more minutes so we used the time we had for stretching and some light calisthenics to limber up. By the time we were in the middle of Iroquois Twists the referee blew the whistle, this was our cue to take our places on the court- our line up decided well in advance.
"Alright everyone, welcome to Woodrow Wilson Middle School in the great city of Moline, Illinois for the first half of the Illinois Middle School State Girls Basketball semi-finals; today we have \ last year's semi-finalists our own Moline Lady Wildcats up against last year's quarter finalists hailing from Arlington Heights- the Lady Cardinals." The announcer began to rattle off into his mike that was setup on a table courtside. "We are about to get underway as the referee begins the tip off-"
On cue the referee tossed up the ball, from what I had heard the Lady Wildcats had switched to their alternates a week back due to a hamstring injury two weeks ago and a sprained wrist last week. Given the unknowns I wanted to stick to the defense to get a taste of their second stringers, so I only half-heartedly leaped for the ball to let the other team captain gain possession; still I made certain to give the girls the signal- left arm higher so they knew to try and keep to defense until I gave the signal to go in for the kill- still they also knew to take the offense when the chance presented itself.
"And the Wildcats gain possession as the Cardinals go on defense as we begin the first period!"
I vaguely heard the announcer but for now my attention was focused on the court, not the commentators, not the audience- just my team and the opposition; specifically, Faith Sherwood the captain of the Lady Wildcats. Soon I drowned out all other sounds everything became white noise- everything except the echoing bounce of the ball as Faith dribbled down the court as my team began to dance, just because we had Iet her team have the ball at the tip-off didn't mean that I was just going to roll over like an over-fed housecat.
No, now was the time to taste the unknowns on the Wildcats team; because of Maya Stockton's hammy and Anna Gable's wrist we were stuck with their alternates Liz Ernst and Lola Felton. Deb and I spent a week going over the Lady Wildcats past games for the season, looking for each of the player's tells, those little habits that a seasoned baller could use to play circles around them on the court. Everybody has these tells, ourselves included, but a seasoned player can usually hide them for a quarter or two- no these signs usually popped up in the third quarter when fatigue and desperation started to show.
The problem was we only had seen one game with Liz Ernst on the court and that wasn't enough to get a measure of her, and we had nothing to get so much as a taste on Lola's style. I put my faith in my team to put the heat on to these second-stringers while I danced with Faith herself, and damn this girl was not making it easy. Then again, most teams had a problem taking us seriously, Marcy and I were the only players on the Lady Cardinals who fit the stereotype- most other teams probably thought like Victor did that Nita, Alice and Deb were just a bunch of wanna-bes.
This was a view that most players abandoned after the first quarter, our team might not fit the view of what most people would have for a basketball team (middle school or otherwise), but we took the sport seriously. Like Faith soon learned when her pass to her newish teammate Lola Felton was intercepted by my teammate Alice who drove it towards Wildcats end of the court, granted Sydney Hillmand and Nadia Sloan were on her like flies on spilt lemonade. Still they weren't on her enough to keep Alice from passing to Nita who a second later sent the ball right through the hoop to put us on the board with two points.
In the meantime, I hung back taking in the game while keeping an eye on the ball around the three-point line of our goal, but once I gave the word Nita and I would switch places and our Center would be back guarding our side of the court while I would use what I'd gathered of the other team to bring the hurt to the Lady Wildcats.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
11:13 AM
As Gertrude "Trudie" Defrank made her rounds in the modestly large home of the Morrison family, cleaning as she went she couldn't help but feel that something was... off. No matter how impossible it was- she felt like someone else was in the house and that was impossible; Elliot Greer was the only other person on the property and he was outside weeding the lawn, and knowing Elliot he wanted to get as much of the grunt work done as possible before it warmed up outside in the afternoon.
Trudie went through a mental checklist of all the residents of the estate, after all she considered it her job to keep mental tabs on everyone just in case either one of her employers needed to get in touch with anyone. Oscar Morrison was busy negotiating with some foreign investors at the Rolling Green Country Club, likely the negotiating was being done somewhere along the back nine rather than in the club house. Ruth Morrison was busy at her law firm, from what Gertrude could gather Mrs. Morrison's law firm was working on a major case to block a corporate merger- likely something anti-trust related.
Other than herself and Elliot the only other staff who lived on premises were the Sotos and near as Trudie knew both of them were out. Ramiro, the household's handyman was out picking up granite samples from a wholesaler over in Waukegan for a few remodeling projects that the Morrison's were planning- all Trudie knew was that part of it had to do with granite countertops for the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen Leticia was out doing the grocery shopping for the evening, as well as picking up the cake for Chandra's birthday (hopefully her little girl wouldn't fill up too much on ice-cream after the game).
Speaking her Chandra, she and Marlina (the Desoto's daughter) were going to be over in Moline for most of the day because of their game, it was hard to believe that her little girl was turning fourteen today- where had the time gone. Trudie teared up as part of her prayed that her dear Raymond would make it home to attend their girl's sweet-sixteen party next year.
Albert Morrison, the couple's one and only was playing over at his friend Wyatt Gorman's house with a few of their mutual friends, although more than likely this playing had more to do with watching the party Wyatt's elder sister Sienna and her friends were having in their backyard pool- that image just cause Trudie to shake her head, boys will be boys after all.
Still as much as logic told Gertrude that she was currently alone in the house, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was watching her- and no, she did not mean the nanny-cam near the liquor closet. Carefully she walked the halls of the houses three-wings, two-floors, basement and attic- eventually she had to admit to herself, "Get a grip Gertrude this house is less than twenty-years-old there's no way that its haunted, you're just imagining things now get a grip, finish cleaning and wait for your baby-girl's birthday."
After she had left a young lady in a tattered cloak materialized and stared in the direction that the woman departed. Shaking her head with a bemused smile across her face, "Poor woman, a house doesn't need human death to touch it for it to be haunted," the current Wayfarer known only as Kelsey commented as she noted wisps about her while she traveled to her intended destination. "Memories and attachments make their own phantoms in time, and every plank of wood is taken from the slain corpse of a tree whose life of decades was ended for lumber."
"Still that is neither here nor there," Kelsey continued as she entered Chandra's room. For a moment, the bearer of the Wayfarer's mantle took in the room idly wondering if the past that no longer existed had something similar for her, still that was just an idle fancy and the mystic had an important task to take care of. Kelsey rummaged around in her ruck-sack for a moment until her right-hand found the object that spoke to her more in a matter of intent then actual speech my place is here. Taking the insistent item, Kelsey laid it on the bed for a moment- letting the object in question (a intricate yet simple coronet) sample the presence of the one who lived here.
A solid minute passed as the item in question took on a new shape, a simple helmet, one designed much lighter and slimmer than one for a bike. Oddly enough the maroon helmet bore an outline across it similar to what it had just been- that of a crown.
Satisfied that what had been done was- Kelsey pointed her scepter of office, the Staff of Undertone, at the newly minted helmet. "Gift chosen to be given by fate not man, adorn yourself now in the garb of this occasion as only you can."
In a brief shimmer of prismatic light a wrapped box appeared around the helmet; then after taking something far more mundane from her rucksack (a fine-point marker) Kelsey wrote on the wrapping: From: A friend To: Chandra, on the name tag.
"Well that was that now to let fate take its proper course, certainly tomorrow shall prove memorable for this birthday girl as much as the furture to come." Kelsey took in her handiwork as she tossed the marker back in her rucksack before she faded from sight once more. Still as careful as Kelsey was that day while she made her way from the Morrison family home, Eliot couldn't help but wonder why the front-door opened and closed once more with no one entering or leaving.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
11:27 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
The first quarter was over and the Wildcats were twenty-seven to twenty-four, I had finally got enough of a feel on Liz Ernst to gauge her movements on the court and workout how to deal with her. Lola Felton though still managed to elude me; either she was just so new to the game that she was still working to develop her own style and rhythm, or she careful not to put her on the table so that another team could analyze her and dissect her skills- something told me it was the first one she just seemed too... green to have that level of cunning down in Junior High.
Whatever the case Lola was a tough-nut to crack, fortunately Alice and Marcy were able to skirt her enough to keep up; still I have to figure Lola out before half-time otherwise the second half could be brutal. At least we had control of the ball again, thanks in no small part to Nita's tight and borderline unpredictable changes of direction and Nita keeping between her and the Wildcats.
In no small amount of time Nita was just outside the three-point line and appearing to line-up a shot for a three-pointer, at least to the untrained eye. Having this strategy down pat I took my spot in front of the three-point line only a few steps from the court's boundary lines. As Lola lunged to steal the ball away from Nita, my snarky co-captain bounced the ball of the back-board where Deb was waiting though so was Sydney. Unfortunately for Miss Hillmand Deb wasn't there to take a shot, but to intercept the ball and ball it back to me- which she did. Soon as that ball was in my hand I took the shot that I had been lining up and once again the ball arced towards the hoop.
The ball hit the basket and circled the rim like used bath-water circled the drain, fortunately this time the ball followed the course of fate as it went through to play with the net briefly before making contact with the gym floor. Dimly I noted how the students manning the announcer table announced that we now had a six-point lead of thirty to twenty-four; that wasn't what was on my mind though, the most important thing to me was that I had caught a glimpse of Lola's tell- the sign that almost every early player makes when they are about to make a move.
The fact is I had less than a period to go until half-time to work out if what I saw was the real deal- if not we'd just have to play our hearts out and try to win without a complete strategy. Just because I didn't like it, didn't mean Plan-B was bad, just that it was a hassle. Of course, there was no reason that I couldn't get Plan-C ready for either case, as we returned to the bench I walked over to where Marlina and Erica were warming the bench. "Stop warming the bench ladies, I want you off on the sides doing warm-ups!"
"Does that mean we're playing the second half captain?" Erica piqued, her voice almost dripping with eagerness.
"It means that I want to keep that possibility open," I replied as I pointed of to the sides, "now get warmed up, we might need you." The two sixth graders got to work warming up while the five of us took the opportunity to rest for a moment- this game wasn't over just yet.
Camp Alpha - Mess Hall Kitchen
Outside Hillah, Iraq
8:40 PM ADT
"And as they go into half-time the South Middle School's Lady Cardinals lead the Woodrow Wilson's Lady Wildcats thirty to twenty-eight," a certain young man read off the latest scores for the game over the shortwave radio on the shelf, "the winner of this game will go on to face Springfield Calvary's Lady Saints in the State Finals.
All around the members of the most vital portion of any army, the mess hall staff, was hard at work cleaning the pots, pans and utensils from that night's dinner as a voice read the play by play on an odd-looking radio on a nearby shelf. Just as the announcer breaked for half-time Major Kepling made his presence known, "I still say that thing is a security hazard, I'll never understand why he lets you have it."
Sargent Ray Defrank responded to the Major's inquiry, "Because the techs inspected it last year after Sargent Caruthers son sent it to him for Father's Day; it's only a receiver that can pick-up shortwaves off of our antenna. All someone needs to broadcast to it is the frequency, a ham radio and a cellphone; besides we're only allowed to use it when three or more people are in the room."
"What the heck are you listening to anyway?" Major Kepling asked as he eyeballed the mess hall staff, "This better not be some attempt to cheat on the base sports pool!"
"It's a middle school basketball game sir," Corporal Wesley Cutler explained," Sarge's little girl is the captain of one of the teams and this is the Illinois state semi-finals."
"Yeah, a friend of a friend is broadcasting the game to us," Sergent DeFrank explained, "I really wish that we had this last year, granted my girl's team wound up losing."
Taking a long look at the device Major Kepling asked out of curiosity, "Just where does Caruther's boy go anyway MIT?"
"No sir, Berkley," Private Sorenson chimed into the conversation.
"Berkley?" the Major raised an eyebrow at the image that school typically conjures to the military. "Really?"
"I know sir, but it's still one of the top ten tech schools back state-side." Private Soreson elaborated, "In spite of its...reputation."
Sighing and shaking his head Major Kepling heaved an exasperated, "Very well but remember 2200 hours is still lights-out; any personnel caught with that thing on after then will be helping muck out the latrines- am I clear?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the men resounded despite knowing that meant they'd likely miss the most of the second half of the game.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
12:20 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Halftime had come and gone and the Lady Wildcats had rebounded with a vengeance, although I was now certain of Lola Felton's main tells in regards to how she thought on the court they didn't keep the rest of her team from mounting one hell of a comeback from the first half. Although we had managed to hold onto a two-point lead going into the half, the Wildcats came back with a vengeance; each member of their team had scored at least once in this period putting us nine-points behind them at thirty-five to forty-four.
It looks like while I was busy dissecting Lola Felton's playstyle the Lady Wildcat's team captain Faith Sherwood had done the same to us, she and her teammates had spent period dancing around us and the clock was ticking down. I had to face facts, unless we got the ball back from them fast and scored soon (preferably with a three-pointer we could be going into the final period with the Lady Wildcats having a double-digit lead on us.
I briefly closed my eyes and shook myself as I heard the noise of the gym echo through my head; the cries of the crowd in the bleachers, the movement of high-tops on the floor, and the all-important din as the ball rebounded against the laminated floor- echoing across the gym. This was no time to start doubting myself; I had to get it together and keep it that way, my team- no my friends depended on me. Candace had put her faith in me when she named me team captain before leaving for high school, and after everything she had gone through lately the last thing that I wanted to do was betray that trust.
As it turned out my team wasn't going to let me get psyched out either, while I was getting my cool back Nita had hatched her own scheme to get our mojo back. a moment or two after I had opened my eyes back up Nita had intercepted a pass between Sydney Hillmand and Nadia Sloan, immediately I saw it we were nearly in position for our fourth desperation play. Like all of our desperation plays this was a make or break attempt for a much needed basket if we made it , but we needed this to have a chance at eking out a win in the final period.
At first the play went as smooth as silk; Nita passed the ball to Alice who in turn dribbled it a few feet onto the Lady Wildcats side of the court before passing it to Deb. Unfortunately Marcy was the next in the chain and she was being guarded by Liz Ernst; this meant that we'd have to break our established rhythm and play it by ear.
By this point Nita was on our side of the court and I tried to flash a four while giving the impatient I'm open sign, Deb got the message and passed the ball to me narrowly missing an interception by Faith Sherwood in the process. I caught the ball and moved to dribble it inside the three-point line before stopping as if I was about to go for a basket; fortunately Nita obviously saw my message and she was in position in time. I passed the ball to Nita as the clock began ticking down its final minute in the third period; she caught my pass and made the shot just as the scorer blew the horn.
This buzzer-beater was going to make or break our game in the final period, I held my breath as it was in the air only to let it out as it entered the rim and passed through the net. The score was now thirty-eight to forty-four; we had narrowed the Lady Wildcats lead down to six points and I had a strategy for the next period. Once we left the court I made the call, "Alice, Deb- you two can call it a day," the two sat down without a word of complaint, they knew that now was the time to mix things up.
"Erica you are taking over for Alice, Marlina you are taking over for Deb." I explained as I laid down the roles for the last eight minutes of playtime. "They know our normal plays, so let's switch to our backups."
"Hold on a moment," Erica took that moment to speak up, and I inwardly groaned knowing what was about to happen, "why does Marlina get to sub as power-forward? I mean I'm as good a player as her."
I steeled myself before giving Erica the look to show that there would be no objections. "Because Marlina is lighter on her feet than you are, plus this is more experience for next year, remember win or lose in a few months you two will be part of the main roster, you need to learn to play to your strength's not your ego...Am I clear?!?"
"As ice captain," Erica replied as she backed down joining Marlina in limbering up while the rest of us rehydrated for the final period.
Wyatt Gorman's Room - Gorman Residence
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:24 PM
"What did I tell you," Wyatt grinned as he like his friends stared through binoculars into the backyard of a house in the next neighborhood two yards down, at a group of cheerleaders practicing their routines in unitards (rather than their usual uniforms), "a clear view of the Rolling Meadows Junior Varsity Cheerleaders."
True to his word the boys had a clear view of the JV Cheer squad as they were rehearsing new routines for the coming University Interscholastic League (known to most as UIL) tournaments, and apparently oblivious to the sixth grade middle school students ogling them from a corner second-floor bedroom three houses away.
Still all good things come to an end, and before their voyeurs knew it the Cheerleaders decided to call it a break and went back inside that house likely to cool off and get some drinks. "Well...now what?" Bryson Darden asked their host "Is the show over?"
"Naah, they are just taking a break," Wyatt tried to reassure Bryson as well as the other three guys in the room, "besides we have our own refreshments lined up." Their host pointed out the cooler in the corner.
"And in the meantime I have something we can look at," Albert Morrison spoke up as he pulled a folder out of his backpack, "does everyone remember Candace Reynard- the captain of the girl's basketball team last year?"
"Yeah, she disappeared over winter break," Clemont Rictor spoke up, "the rumor is that she began some freaky dangerous mutant and was snagged by the MCO. Damn shame too- that girl was hot in so many ways."
"Really gave you a boner didn't she Clem!" Finn Estes laughed at his friend's comments.
"Hey she did that to everybody," Wyatt stated, "heck from what I hear most of the seventh graders were drooling over her last year."
"Can you blame them," Albert commented trying to get everyone's attention again, "anyway the rumors were half-true, my house-keeper's daughter Chandra is good friends with Candace. Apparently, Candace and some of her friends were nabbed by those suits at the MCO in Phili but got away later. Anyway, when Candace got back in touch with Chandra she emailed over some photos and since it was on my old computer and since I still have admin access and I made some copies of my own."
After Albert was finished he handed out the printed pictures which astonished his friends.
"Well she did wind up freaky," Clemont remarked while staring intently at the pictures, "but as my gramps would say it's more the James Brown kind than the side-show kind."
"Yeah- no kidding," Finn replied as he looked at his own short stack like playing cards, "hope nobody calls PETA because she sure wears fur well."
"I do have one complaint though," Wyatt pointed out, "that tail would make it hard to admire her rear." The near pun was enough to earn him some thrown pillows for the effort.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
12:30 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
So far my strategy had paid dividends; the little change in our roster had given our chances a much needed shot in the arm. The fact was while Faith Sherwood knew about the tells of our main roster she didn't have enough intel on our second-stringers, and with there being only eight minutes of playtime left and an six-point lead to defend she didn't have the time to dissect Marlina and Erica's play-styles.
The uncertainty the Lady Wildcats had over our current tactics, and the fact that we had switched playbooks to accommodate our new players, who were also fresh and well-rested. This had given us enough of an edge to begin bridging the gap. Erica and Marlina had scored a basket each and Nita had just now taken a shot from outside the three-point line. I all but held my breath as the ball circled the rim before going inside and out the net, we were just one point behind (we would be in the lead though if Sydney Hillmand hadn't made a basket a couple of minutes ago).
Victory was almost so close that I could taste it, for the first time since I could remember we actually had a real chance of going to the state championship; something that we had slip through our fingers a year ago when a foul sprained Candace's wrist and ankle in the second half. Still we still had at least one more basket to obtain, a few minutes to do so, and the Lady Wildcats now had the ball- this was going to be a nail-biter.
Liz Ernst was heading down towards her team's side of the court dribbling the ball, I moved as fast as I could to block her advance as was Marcy. Apparently Liz saw that the two of us were nearly on her, she stopped and passed the ball off to Nadia Sloan, unfortunately for them Marlina intercepted the pass and was headed towards the basket. Still Lola Felton was there waiting and moved to block her, still she had chosen to do this just as Marlina was taking her shot at the basket- and Lola made contact with Marlina.
The referee saw this and the whistle was blown freezing the play-clock and the game. "Personal foul- Lady Wildcats Number 17. Two free-throws awarded to Lady Cardinals Number 41."
Less than a minute and a half was left in the game, and Marlina took her place on the foul line- clearly nervous. Before she took her shot I set my hand on her shoulder, "Relax, we still have time to make a basket- just have fun."
Marlina smiled back, "I will captain." Then with a smile on her face, she made her shot and it was nothing but net... we were now tied. Still with one shot to go Marlina made her second shot, it wasn't nearly as clean as her first but it still went in- we were now in the lead.
"Okay ladies, let's bring the heat!" I barked before the ref blew his whistle signaling for play to resume. Marlina had given us a one-point lead and we had seventy-six seconds to keep it, each of us picked a member of the Lady Wildcats and stuck making sure that Faith couldn't advance or pass. It was nerve-wracking but before we knew it the horn blew- we were going to the Illinois State Championships- if only Candace could be here cheering from the stands.
Camp Alpha - Mess Hall Kitchen
Outside Hillah, Iraq
9:36 PM ADT
"You have one heck of a kid back home Defrank," Major Kepling remarked as he exited the kitchen.
"Yeah sarge," Private Sorenson cheered as he hung tossed his apron into the laundry hamper for the camp wash, "one hell of a birthday girl you got back home as he left the mess headed to go clean up."
"Don't I know it, way to go CB," Sargent Ray Defrank smiled as he turned off the receiver. Part of him regretted that he'd missed out on so much of his own daughter's life, it had been over five and a half years since the War on Terror had begun and he had been stationed at Camp Darby outside Pisa at the beginning of his second tour of with the 405th Army Field Support Battalion. Granted he had just been a cook, but being in Italy had given him the rare opportunity to learn from the locals while serving.
Still once the mobilization order had been given Ray, along with half of his squad had been reassigned to Kandahar, Afganistan. He had spent three-tours there fueling helicopters and soldiers alike, right up until he had been transferred to Iraq, Camp Alpha. As he made his way over to the showers, likely to be running all-cold given that lights-out for his barracks was twenty minutes away. Still it wasn't like there would be a line for cold showers and given that he had opted to have the camp barber shave his head a while back for hygiene reasons a shower only took him two or three minutes.
True to form Ray was out of the shower and back to the barracks with minutes to spare, although once back he found a good number of the staff from the Mess Hall waiting for him Private Becker was the first to speak up, "Well Sarge, how did the game go?"
Ray steadied himself with a dour expression, while slipping into his fatigues then turned to the men and belted out, "My baby and her team are going to the State Championship!"
This prompted a round of applause and cheering in the barracks that went on right up until the base guard strolled by with a call for of, "Twenty-two hundred hours, lights out!"
After saying his prayers and climbing into his bunk; he stared at the ceiling of the structure, they had needed something a bit more sturdy thanks to occasional middle-eastern sandstorms (not to mention the reflective surface made it more difficult for insurgents to send a long range attack their way), after a few moments he smiled and whispered, "Happy birthday baby girl!"
Lagomarcino's Confectionery
Moline, Illinois
1:16 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"I mean I still can't believe the feeling of what happened captain," Marlina all but vibrated as the adrenaline from the game shot through her body as if on a cannonball run, although to be honest I was only paying her half as much attention as I should. I mean I know how rude it was but the sight on the of my order being made, I was transfixed like a moth before a flame.
It was weird but for as long as I remembered the sight of a barrister or barista at a ice-cream parlor made me transfixed, almost as if I was looking out at some half-forgotten memory. Of course, my Grandma Mertle blames my bizarre fascination with ice cream parlors on my dad taking me to Margie's Candies and splitting a sundae with me when I was three. Granted part of me wonders just how much weight that story has not that Granny Mertle has ever told an outright lie in her life, but she has been known to stretch the truth every now and again.
For example while her story of meeting my late grandfather during the civil rights movement was somewhat believable, the story about him being from a town in Texas that had been racially integrated since the Old West was really far-fetched- I mean that state had the largest Klan membership in the country. Don't get me wrong but as much as I loved her Granny Mertle was full of whoppers just as crazy as that one.
"Chandra your food is here," I was shaken back into reality suddenly aware that my team and the waitress were looking at me out of concern. Somewhat mortified I took my turkey sandwich and hot fudge banana split off of the tray while the waitress walked off with a somewhat bizarre look on her face.
"Geez Chandra a little early for a sugar crash," Nita chuckled you haven't even eaten it yet, "if that's how you crash from the sight please warn us when the real thing is about to happen so we can clear the blast radius."
"Geez," I responded as a deflated in the booth, "I'm not that bad am I?"
"Are you kidding," I heard someone call out from a booth on the other side of the restaurant, "you're worse than a teenage guy at a Ferrari dealership."
I turned to hear just who was calling out, that's when I spotted them- the entire Woodrow Wilson Girls' Basketball Team was in the restaurant...and we were on their home turf after whipping them on the court. My old days on the Westside of Chicago began to fill me with all sorts of morbid possibilities but I knew that I had to do something to diffuse the situation.
"Listen we aren't here to start anything," I did my best to explain, "I just thought that we'd enjoy one of your local establishments before heading back home."
"Hey chill out lady, it was just a basketball game." Faith Sherwood called out, "Besides there was no shame in losing when you were playing like that, I mean girl with moves like that I expect you to skip JV next year and go straight to Varsity."
"Long as you're not upset," Marlina mentioned never breaking eye-contact.
"Just at myself for not scouting more alternates before mid-season," Faith groaned as she shook her head, "still I can't blame you for stopping by some swear by Whitey's but there's nothing like finding a place with real history that's non-chain."
"I know just what you mean," I laughed back as the two of us settled back into our groups the brief moment of tension now forgotten while the local team migrated to a closer booth.'
"Still some of those plays were sick," Sydney Hillmand commented before spooning a scoop of something with strawberry syrup into her mouth. "It's a good thing that we won't have to face you next year."
"Yeah most of our team will be at Rolling Meadows next year," Marcy pointed out while staring at her shake. "It'll just be me, Marlina and Erica left to pull together another new team; I just hope that I'm up for the task."
"Oh you'll do just fine," Nita laughed back, "I mean Chandra was worried about the same thing when Candace left her in charge and look at us now- we're headed for the finals- even Candace was unable to get us this far last-year."
"Speaking of your ex-Team Captain- whatever happened to her," Anna Gable whose arm was in a sling, to further immobilize her sprained wrist. "I mean I heard that she was doing gang-busters early in the season at Rolling Meadows and then she drops off the face of the Earth over winter break, what's the big deal."
"The big deal is that she sprouted a tail during a visit to Philly and was snatched by the MCO." I stated with an admittedly dark tone to my voice, "She and a bunch of old friends from her old hometown were detained and probed by those ghouls until they were rescued. She's fine now but I understand they are currently in some kind of secure location on the East Coast, at least that's what she told me."
"So she's a mutant," Liz Ernst blurted out with a shocked look on her face, "doesn't that mean that your city school district had to pull her awards or something?"
"They debated it but decided against doing that," Deb retorted trying to keep a hold of her temper at anyone bad-mouthing Candace, "besides her changes were pretty physically pronounced so they doubt that she had any powers before winter-break."
"Now if you don't mind I want to finish this split before it becomes ice-cream soup." I stated as I started to dig back in trying not to demonstrate the fact that I had never gotten an brain-freeze even once in my life.
"Man if I had known you liked ice-cream this much I would have asked someone to serve soft-serve in the stands during the game to distract you." Faith commented with a smile on her face.
"You mean that you would have tried to use my love of ice-cream to help you win," I humorously glared at her knowing that it was a joke since no school would ever allow something that potentially messy in a school gym. "I had no idea that you planned on becoming an evil genius."
"Oh no, my plans are far more diabolical than that," Faith grinned like a shark, "I plan on attending legal school and becoming... an attorney!"
All of us including her own team recoiled in mock-terror at that proclamation, her co-captain Sydney Hillman was the first to speak up, "Gee captain I had no idea that you were that evil, I mean I planned on auditioning for your evil henchman, but I don't know if I want to put in the work to become a para-legal."
"And that my apprentice is why you fail," Faith retorted in a dire crackly tone right before both teams began to sing The Imperial March from the Star Wars movies, this went on for about a minute and a half before everyone in the restaurant began to crack-up- all in all not a bad way to start the festivities for my birthday.
VT's Crib - The Sandos Residence
Arlington Heights, Illinois
3:11 PM
"That oreo doesn't know what she's missing," VT barked out to thin are as he started filling a tote bag with stuff that he'd need for the trip; store-brand water bottles, cash, a junky leather jacket if the temperature fell too much, and a fully-loaded Heckler & Kochs P30S (just in case).
"Yeah laugh at me and my crew like we're a joke," the youth snarled as he looked out the window to see his bud T-Slam pull up in their low-rider with the rest of his crew (guess getting held-back twice in grade-school was worth something after all). Glad that his parents weren't home, his dad was still giving him grief about VT choosing to go street and hang with his homies; VT snuck down the stairs of his home sand to the low-rider waiting in front of his crib.
"So dawg, you ready to kick-it north-side style in Chi-Town?" T-Slam asked him as Shake-O (or as his parents called him Shawn Orwell) moved over from where he was reclining in the back-seat of the modded and custom painted '82 Chevy Impala.
"Sure thing homey," VT replied back gesturing as he did so. "First thing we'll cruise around the local hoods before busting some moves, you do have the gear right?"
"Sure do the box and the tape is in the hatch and Shake-O brought the jams." T-Slam replied as he gunned the engine.
"I got east-coast, west-coast and everything in between." Shake-O patted the retro-style beat-box at his feet, "and this bad boy is going to blow any of those locals away if our sick moves don't beat it to it. By the way what's the name of the jam factory we're crashing after we're down cruise'n the hoods?"
"Rust-tic," VT shot back, "on account of it's in the old steel town, don't know if the place used to be a warehouse or a factory but either way you know the sound in that place is going to be out of yo' mind."
"Yeah so what're we doing hanging around here in cracker town," Scoots (formerly known as Laurence Fishburn) blurted out from his post riding shot-gun, "lets burn rubber to where the real action is!"
"Heard that Scoots," VT replied as he gunned the engine before they took off, after all he and his boys felt there was no reason to go low and slow for a bunch of super-squares in the burbs.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 12
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Parking Lot
Moline, Illinois
10:49 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
After almost three hours on the road the Van, driving non-stop ever since we left Arlington Heights we finally spotted our destination. It took a few minutes to get to for the van to into one of several empty parking spaces of Woodrow Wilson Middle School's parking lot. After waiting for Coach Mulholland to cut the engine we began to climb out of the van grateful to stretch our legs after the drive; granted this hadn't been our longest trip across the state, but it was definitely one of our longest without a stop along the way.
I took a minute to take in the neighborhood around the school, the homes nearby had obviously seen better days granted it wasn't nearly as bad as where I used to live in on the Westside of Chicago. No- this was more a small town that had given way to gentrification rather than the urban blight that I grew up seeing, just a bunch of homes that needed a little TLC that folks hadn't felt much of a need to get around to or maybe just hadn't been able to afford to do so.
"Alright Ladies," Coach Mulholland said as she blew her whistle at us. "Get to the locker room and get ready, the game starts at fifteen after, now remember it's not important whether you win or lose just that you give it your all, I won't ask any more of you and I won't accept any less. So, get out in there and get ready to give the crowd your best."
"RIGHT!" The team and I shouted as one as we left for the locker room to change into our game uniforms.
I admit it, it was a little difficult to find the locker room here without going into the gymnasium proper but we found it none the less. For the third time today I got dressed, as did everyone around me- and like usual I saw Deb trying to take sideways glances at everyone as we did so. I mentally rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness of her trying to hide it, everyone else on the team already knew that she did it (even Maria and Erica); heck we had a pool going to guess when she'd finally come out of the closet- I was down for a week after she had her sweet sixteen party.
I admit some of the other girls were a little apprehensive at first when they figured it out (which for most of them happened last year), but that settled down when Candace told everyone on the team that she was bi and not really interested in anyone of them that way. Although that little confession helped assuage the anxieties of everyone else on the team; it also disappointed poor Deb who'd clearly been crushing on Candace. Fortunately, she got over that bit of drama after a week or two, after all we weren't even in high school yet there was no reason to think that anyone of us had found the one just yet; still it killed us in the semi-finals last year- I just hope that poor Deb didn't blame herself.
Now that everyone was ready we joined the home team in the gym, the game still wouldn't start for ten more minutes so we used the time we had for stretching and some light calisthenics to limber up. By the time we were in the middle of Iroquois Twists the referee blew the whistle, this was our cue to take our places on the court- our line up decided well in advance.
"Alright everyone, welcome to Woodrow Wilson Middle School in the great city of Moline, Illinois for the first half of the Illinois Middle School State Girls Basketball semi-finals; today we have \ last year's semi-finalists our own Moline Lady Wildcats up against last year's quarter finalists hailing from Arlington Heights- the Lady Cardinals." The announcer began to rattle off into his mike that was setup on a table courtside. "We are about to get underway as the referee begins the tip off-"
On cue the referee tossed up the ball, from what I had heard the Lady Wildcats had switched to their alternates a week back due to a hamstring injury two weeks ago and a sprained wrist last week. Given the unknowns I wanted to stick to the defense to get a taste of their second stringers, so I only half-heartedly leaped for the ball to let the other team captain gain possession; still I made certain to give the girls the signal- left arm higher so they knew to try and keep to defense until I gave the signal to go in for the kill- still they also knew to take the offense when the chance presented itself.
"And the Wildcats gain possession as the Cardinals go on defense as we begin the first period!"
I vaguely heard the announcer but for now my attention was focused on the court, not the commentators, not the audience- just my team and the opposition; specifically, Faith Sherwood the captain of the Lady Wildcats. Soon I drowned out all other sounds everything became white noise- everything except the echoing bounce of the ball as Faith dribbled down the court as my team began to dance, just because we had Iet her team have the ball at the tip-off didn't mean that I was just going to roll over like an over-fed housecat.
No, now was the time to taste the unknowns on the Wildcats team; because of Maya Stockton's hammy and Anna Gable's wrist we were stuck with their alternates Liz Ernst and Lola Felton. Deb and I spent a week going over the Lady Wildcats past games for the season, looking for each of the player's tells, those little habits that a seasoned baller could use to play circles around them on the court. Everybody has these tells, ourselves included, but a seasoned player can usually hide them for a quarter or two- no these signs usually popped up in the third quarter when fatigue and desperation started to show.
The problem was we only had seen one game with Liz Ernst on the court and that wasn't enough to get a measure of her, and we had nothing to get so much as a taste on Lola's style. I put my faith in my team to put the heat on to these second-stringers while I danced with Faith herself, and damn this girl was not making it easy. Then again, most teams had a problem taking us seriously, Marcy and I were the only players on the Lady Cardinals who fit the stereotype- most other teams probably thought like Victor did that Nita, Alice and Deb were just a bunch of wanna-bes.
This was a view that most players abandoned after the first quarter, our team might not fit the view of what most people would have for a basketball team (middle school or otherwise), but we took the sport seriously. Like Faith soon learned when her pass to her newish teammate Lola Felton was intercepted by my teammate Alice who drove it towards Wildcats end of the court, granted Sydney Hillmand and Nadia Sloan were on her like flies on spilt lemonade. Still they weren't on her enough to keep Alice from passing to Nita who a second later sent the ball right through the hoop to put us on the board with two points.
In the meantime, I hung back taking in the game while keeping an eye on the ball around the three-point line of our goal, but once I gave the word Nita and I would switch places and our Center would be back guarding our side of the court while I would use what I'd gathered of the other team to bring the hurt to the Lady Wildcats.
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
11:13 AM
As Gertrude "Trudie" Defrank made her rounds in the modestly large home of the Morrison family, cleaning as she went she couldn't help but feel that something was... off. No matter how impossible it was- she felt like someone else was in the house and that was impossible; Elliot Greer was the only other person on the property and he was outside weeding the lawn, and knowing Elliot he wanted to get as much of the grunt work done as possible before it warmed up outside in the afternoon.
Trudie went through a mental checklist of all the residents of the estate, after all she considered it her job to keep mental tabs on everyone just in case either one of her employers needed to get in touch with anyone. Oscar Morrison was busy negotiating with some foreign investors at the Rolling Green Country Club, likely the negotiating was being done somewhere along the back nine rather than in the club house. Ruth Morrison was busy at her law firm, from what Gertrude could gather Mrs. Morrison's law firm was working on a major case to block a corporate merger- likely something anti-trust related.
Other than herself and Elliot the only other staff who lived on premises were the Sotos and near as Trudie knew both of them were out. Ramiro, the household's handyman was out picking up granite samples from a wholesaler over in Waukegan for a few remodeling projects that the Morrison's were planning- all Trudie knew was that part of it had to do with granite countertops for the kitchen. Speaking of the kitchen Leticia was out doing the grocery shopping for the evening, as well as picking up the cake for Chandra's birthday (hopefully her little girl wouldn't fill up too much on ice-cream after the game).
Speaking her Chandra, she and Marlina (the Desoto's daughter) were going to be over in Moline for most of the day because of their game, it was hard to believe that her little girl was turning fourteen today- where had the time gone. Trudie teared up as part of her prayed that her dear Raymond would make it home to attend their girl's sweet-sixteen party next year.
Albert Morrison, the couple's one and only was playing over at his friend Wyatt Gorman's house with a few of their mutual friends, although more than likely this playing had more to do with watching the party Wyatt's elder sister Sienna and her friends were having in their backyard pool- that image just cause Trudie to shake her head, boys will be boys after all.
Still as much as logic told Gertrude that she was currently alone in the house, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone else was watching her- and no, she did not mean the nanny-cam near the liquor closet. Carefully she walked the halls of the houses three-wings, two-floors, basement and attic- eventually she had to admit to herself, "Get a grip Gertrude this house is less than twenty-years-old there's no way that its haunted, you're just imagining things now get a grip, finish cleaning and wait for your baby-girl's birthday."
After she had left a young lady in a tattered cloak materialized and stared in the direction that the woman departed. Shaking her head with a bemused smile across her face, "Poor woman, a house doesn't need human death to touch it for it to be haunted," the current Wayfarer known only as Kelsey commented as she noted wisps about her while she traveled to her intended destination. "Memories and attachments make their own phantoms in time, and every plank of wood is taken from the slain corpse of a tree whose life of decades was ended for lumber."
"Still that is neither here nor there," Kelsey continued as she entered Chandra's room. For a moment, the bearer of the Wayfarer's mantle took in the room idly wondering if the past that no longer existed had something similar for her, still that was just an idle fancy and the mystic had an important task to take care of. Kelsey rummaged around in her ruck-sack for a moment until her right-hand found the object that spoke to her more in a matter of intent then actual speech my place is here. Taking the insistent item, Kelsey laid it on the bed for a moment- letting the object in question (a intricate yet simple coronet) sample the presence of the one who lived here.
A solid minute passed as the item in question took on a new shape, a simple helmet, one designed much lighter and slimmer than one for a bike. Oddly enough the maroon helmet bore an outline across it similar to what it had just been- that of a crown.
Satisfied that what had been done was- Kelsey pointed her scepter of office, the Staff of Undertone, at the newly minted helmet. "Gift chosen to be given by fate not man, adorn yourself now in the garb of this occasion as only you can."
In a brief shimmer of prismatic light a wrapped box appeared around the helmet; then after taking something far more mundane from her rucksack (a fine-point marker) Kelsey wrote on the wrapping: From: A friend To: Chandra, on the name tag.
"Well that was that now to let fate take its proper course, certainly tomorrow shall prove memorable for this birthday girl as much as the furture to come." Kelsey took in her handiwork as she tossed the marker back in her rucksack before she faded from sight once more. Still as careful as Kelsey was that day while she made her way from the Morrison family home, Eliot couldn't help but wonder why the front-door opened and closed once more with no one entering or leaving.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
11:27 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
The first quarter was over and the Wildcats were twenty-seven to twenty-four, I had finally got enough of a feel on Liz Ernst to gauge her movements on the court and workout how to deal with her. Lola Felton though still managed to elude me; either she was just so new to the game that she was still working to develop her own style and rhythm, or she careful not to put her on the table so that another team could analyze her and dissect her skills- something told me it was the first one she just seemed too... green to have that level of cunning down in Junior High.
Whatever the case Lola was a tough-nut to crack, fortunately Alice and Marcy were able to skirt her enough to keep up; still I have to figure Lola out before half-time otherwise the second half could be brutal. At least we had control of the ball again, thanks in no small part to Nita's tight and borderline unpredictable changes of direction and Nita keeping between her and the Wildcats.
In no small amount of time Nita was just outside the three-point line and appearing to line-up a shot for a three-pointer, at least to the untrained eye. Having this strategy down pat I took my spot in front of the three-point line only a few steps from the court's boundary lines. As Lola lunged to steal the ball away from Nita, my snarky co-captain bounced the ball of the back-board where Deb was waiting though so was Sydney. Unfortunately for Miss Hillmand Deb wasn't there to take a shot, but to intercept the ball and ball it back to me- which she did. Soon as that ball was in my hand I took the shot that I had been lining up and once again the ball arced towards the hoop.
The ball hit the basket and circled the rim like used bath-water circled the drain, fortunately this time the ball followed the course of fate as it went through to play with the net briefly before making contact with the gym floor. Dimly I noted how the students manning the announcer table announced that we now had a six-point lead of thirty to twenty-four; that wasn't what was on my mind though, the most important thing to me was that I had caught a glimpse of Lola's tell- the sign that almost every early player makes when they are about to make a move.
The fact is I had less than a period to go until half-time to work out if what I saw was the real deal- if not we'd just have to play our hearts out and try to win without a complete strategy. Just because I didn't like it, didn't mean Plan-B was bad, just that it was a hassle. Of course, there was no reason that I couldn't get Plan-C ready for either case, as we returned to the bench I walked over to where Marlina and Erica were warming the bench. "Stop warming the bench ladies, I want you off on the sides doing warm-ups!"
"Does that mean we're playing the second half captain?" Erica piqued, her voice almost dripping with eagerness.
"It means that I want to keep that possibility open," I replied as I pointed of to the sides, "now get warmed up, we might need you." The two sixth graders got to work warming up while the five of us took the opportunity to rest for a moment- this game wasn't over just yet.
Camp Alpha - Mess Hall Kitchen
Outside Hillah, Iraq
8:40 PM ADT
"And as they go into half-time the South Middle School's Lady Cardinals lead the Woodrow Wilson's Lady Wildcats thirty to twenty-eight," a certain young man read off the latest scores for the game over the shortwave radio on the shelf, "the winner of this game will go on to face Springfield Calvary's Lady Saints in the State Finals.
All around the members of the most vital portion of any army, the mess hall staff, was hard at work cleaning the pots, pans and utensils from that night's dinner as a voice read the play by play on an odd-looking radio on a nearby shelf. Just as the announcer breaked for half-time Major Kepling made his presence known, "I still say that thing is a security hazard, I'll never understand why he lets you have it."
Sargent Ray Defrank responded to the Major's inquiry, "Because the techs inspected it last year after Sargent Caruthers son sent it to him for Father's Day; it's only a receiver that can pick-up shortwaves off of our antenna. All someone needs to broadcast to it is the frequency, a ham radio and a cellphone; besides we're only allowed to use it when three or more people are in the room."
"What the heck are you listening to anyway?" Major Kepling asked as he eyeballed the mess hall staff, "This better not be some attempt to cheat on the base sports pool!"
"It's a middle school basketball game sir," Corporal Wesley Cutler explained," Sarge's little girl is the captain of one of the teams and this is the Illinois state semi-finals."
"Yeah, a friend of a friend is broadcasting the game to us," Sergent DeFrank explained, "I really wish that we had this last year, granted my girl's team wound up losing."
Taking a long look at the device Major Kepling asked out of curiosity, "Just where does Caruther's boy go anyway MIT?"
"No sir, Berkley," Private Sorenson chimed into the conversation.
"Berkley?" the Major raised an eyebrow at the image that school typically conjures to the military. "Really?"
"I know sir, but it's still one of the top ten tech schools back state-side." Private Soreson elaborated, "In spite of its...reputation."
Sighing and shaking his head Major Kepling heaved an exasperated, "Very well but remember 2200 hours is still lights-out; any personnel caught with that thing on after then will be helping muck out the latrines- am I clear?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the men resounded despite knowing that meant they'd likely miss the most of the second half of the game.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
12:20 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Halftime had come and gone and the Lady Wildcats had rebounded with a vengeance, although I was now certain of Lola Felton's main tells in regards to how she thought on the court they didn't keep the rest of her team from mounting one hell of a comeback from the first half. Although we had managed to hold onto a two-point lead going into the half, the Wildcats came back with a vengeance; each member of their team had scored at least once in this period putting us nine-points behind them at thirty-five to forty-four.
It looks like while I was busy dissecting Lola Felton's playstyle the Lady Wildcat's team captain Faith Sherwood had done the same to us, she and her teammates had spent period dancing around us and the clock was ticking down. I had to face facts, unless we got the ball back from them fast and scored soon (preferably with a three-pointer we could be going into the final period with the Lady Wildcats having a double-digit lead on us.
I briefly closed my eyes and shook myself as I heard the noise of the gym echo through my head; the cries of the crowd in the bleachers, the movement of high-tops on the floor, and the all-important din as the ball rebounded against the laminated floor- echoing across the gym. This was no time to start doubting myself; I had to get it together and keep it that way, my team- no my friends depended on me. Candace had put her faith in me when she named me team captain before leaving for high school, and after everything she had gone through lately the last thing that I wanted to do was betray that trust.
As it turned out my team wasn't going to let me get psyched out either, while I was getting my cool back Nita had hatched her own scheme to get our mojo back. a moment or two after I had opened my eyes back up Nita had intercepted a pass between Sydney Hillmand and Nadia Sloan, immediately I saw it we were nearly in position for our fourth desperation play. Like all of our desperation plays this was a make or break attempt for a much needed basket if we made it , but we needed this to have a chance at eking out a win in the final period.
At first the play went as smooth as silk; Nita passed the ball to Alice who in turn dribbled it a few feet onto the Lady Wildcats side of the court before passing it to Deb. Unfortunately Marcy was the next in the chain and she was being guarded by Liz Ernst; this meant that we'd have to break our established rhythm and play it by ear.
By this point Nita was on our side of the court and I tried to flash a four while giving the impatient I'm open sign, Deb got the message and passed the ball to me narrowly missing an interception by Faith Sherwood in the process. I caught the ball and moved to dribble it inside the three-point line before stopping as if I was about to go for a basket; fortunately Nita obviously saw my message and she was in position in time. I passed the ball to Nita as the clock began ticking down its final minute in the third period; she caught my pass and made the shot just as the scorer blew the horn.
This buzzer-beater was going to make or break our game in the final period, I held my breath as it was in the air only to let it out as it entered the rim and passed through the net. The score was now thirty-eight to forty-four; we had narrowed the Lady Wildcats lead down to six points and I had a strategy for the next period. Once we left the court I made the call, "Alice, Deb- you two can call it a day," the two sat down without a word of complaint, they knew that now was the time to mix things up.
"Erica you are taking over for Alice, Marlina you are taking over for Deb." I explained as I laid down the roles for the last eight minutes of playtime. "They know our normal plays, so let's switch to our backups."
"Hold on a moment," Erica took that moment to speak up, and I inwardly groaned knowing what was about to happen, "why does Marlina get to sub as power-forward? I mean I'm as good a player as her."
I steeled myself before giving Erica the look to show that there would be no objections. "Because Marlina is lighter on her feet than you are, plus this is more experience for next year, remember win or lose in a few months you two will be part of the main roster, you need to learn to play to your strength's not your ego...Am I clear?!?"
"As ice captain," Erica replied as she backed down joining Marlina in limbering up while the rest of us rehydrated for the final period.
Wyatt Gorman's Room - Gorman Residence
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:24 PM
"What did I tell you," Wyatt grinned as he like his friends stared through binoculars into the backyard of a house in the next neighborhood two yards down, at a group of cheerleaders practicing their routines in unitards (rather than their usual uniforms), "a clear view of the Rolling Meadows Junior Varsity Cheerleaders."
True to his word the boys had a clear view of the JV Cheer squad as they were rehearsing new routines for the coming University Interscholastic League (known to most as UIL) tournaments, and apparently oblivious to the sixth grade middle school students ogling them from a corner second-floor bedroom three houses away.
Still all good things come to an end, and before their voyeurs knew it the Cheerleaders decided to call it a break and went back inside that house likely to cool off and get some drinks. "Well...now what?" Bryson Darden asked their host "Is the show over?"
"Naah, they are just taking a break," Wyatt tried to reassure Bryson as well as the other three guys in the room, "besides we have our own refreshments lined up." Their host pointed out the cooler in the corner.
"And in the meantime I have something we can look at," Albert Morrison spoke up as he pulled a folder out of his backpack, "does everyone remember Candace Reynard- the captain of the girl's basketball team last year?"
"Yeah, she disappeared over winter break," Clemont Rictor spoke up, "the rumor is that she began some freaky dangerous mutant and was snagged by the MCO. Damn shame too- that girl was hot in so many ways."
"Really gave you a boner didn't she Clem!" Finn Estes laughed at his friend's comments.
"Hey she did that to everybody," Wyatt stated, "heck from what I hear most of the seventh graders were drooling over her last year."
"Can you blame them," Albert commented trying to get everyone's attention again, "anyway the rumors were half-true, my house-keeper's daughter Chandra is good friends with Candace. Apparently, Candace and some of her friends were nabbed by those suits at the MCO in Phili but got away later. Anyway, when Candace got back in touch with Chandra she emailed over some photos and since it was on my old computer and since I still have admin access and I made some copies of my own."
After Albert was finished he handed out the printed pictures which astonished his friends.
"Well she did wind up freaky," Clemont remarked while staring intently at the pictures, "but as my gramps would say it's more the James Brown kind than the side-show kind."
"Yeah- no kidding," Finn replied as he looked at his own short stack like playing cards, "hope nobody calls PETA because she sure wears fur well."
"I do have one complaint though," Wyatt pointed out, "that tail would make it hard to admire her rear." The near pun was enough to earn him some thrown pillows for the effort.
Woodrow Wilson Middle School - Gymnasium
Moline, Illinois
12:30 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
So far my strategy had paid dividends; the little change in our roster had given our chances a much needed shot in the arm. The fact was while Faith Sherwood knew about the tells of our main roster she didn't have enough intel on our second-stringers, and with there being only eight minutes of playtime left and an six-point lead to defend she didn't have the time to dissect Marlina and Erica's play-styles.
The uncertainty the Lady Wildcats had over our current tactics, and the fact that we had switched playbooks to accommodate our new players, who were also fresh and well-rested. This had given us enough of an edge to begin bridging the gap. Erica and Marlina had scored a basket each and Nita had just now taken a shot from outside the three-point line. I all but held my breath as the ball circled the rim before going inside and out the net, we were just one point behind (we would be in the lead though if Sydney Hillmand hadn't made a basket a couple of minutes ago).
Victory was almost so close that I could taste it, for the first time since I could remember we actually had a real chance of going to the state championship; something that we had slip through our fingers a year ago when a foul sprained Candace's wrist and ankle in the second half. Still we still had at least one more basket to obtain, a few minutes to do so, and the Lady Wildcats now had the ball- this was going to be a nail-biter.
Liz Ernst was heading down towards her team's side of the court dribbling the ball, I moved as fast as I could to block her advance as was Marcy. Apparently Liz saw that the two of us were nearly on her, she stopped and passed the ball off to Nadia Sloan, unfortunately for them Marlina intercepted the pass and was headed towards the basket. Still Lola Felton was there waiting and moved to block her, still she had chosen to do this just as Marlina was taking her shot at the basket- and Lola made contact with Marlina.
The referee saw this and the whistle was blown freezing the play-clock and the game. "Personal foul- Lady Wildcats Number 17. Two free-throws awarded to Lady Cardinals Number 41."
Less than a minute and a half was left in the game, and Marlina took her place on the foul line- clearly nervous. Before she took her shot I set my hand on her shoulder, "Relax, we still have time to make a basket- just have fun."
Marlina smiled back, "I will captain." Then with a smile on her face, she made her shot and it was nothing but net... we were now tied. Still with one shot to go Marlina made her second shot, it wasn't nearly as clean as her first but it still went in- we were now in the lead.
"Okay ladies, let's bring the heat!" I barked before the ref blew his whistle signaling for play to resume. Marlina had given us a one-point lead and we had seventy-six seconds to keep it, each of us picked a member of the Lady Wildcats and stuck making sure that Faith couldn't advance or pass. It was nerve-wracking but before we knew it the horn blew- we were going to the Illinois State Championships- if only Candace could be here cheering from the stands.
Camp Alpha - Mess Hall Kitchen
Outside Hillah, Iraq
9:36 PM ADT
"You have one heck of a kid back home Defrank," Major Kepling remarked as he exited the kitchen.
"Yeah sarge," Private Sorenson cheered as he hung tossed his apron into the laundry hamper for the camp wash, "one hell of a birthday girl you got back home as he left the mess headed to go clean up."
"Don't I know it, way to go CB," Sargent Ray Defrank smiled as he turned off the receiver. Part of him regretted that he'd missed out on so much of his own daughter's life, it had been over five and a half years since the War on Terror had begun and he had been stationed at Camp Darby outside Pisa at the beginning of his second tour of with the 405th Army Field Support Battalion. Granted he had just been a cook, but being in Italy had given him the rare opportunity to learn from the locals while serving.
Still once the mobilization order had been given Ray, along with half of his squad had been reassigned to Kandahar, Afganistan. He had spent three-tours there fueling helicopters and soldiers alike, right up until he had been transferred to Iraq, Camp Alpha. As he made his way over to the showers, likely to be running all-cold given that lights-out for his barracks was twenty minutes away. Still it wasn't like there would be a line for cold showers and given that he had opted to have the camp barber shave his head a while back for hygiene reasons a shower only took him two or three minutes.
True to form Ray was out of the shower and back to the barracks with minutes to spare, although once back he found a good number of the staff from the Mess Hall waiting for him Private Becker was the first to speak up, "Well Sarge, how did the game go?"
Ray steadied himself with a dour expression, while slipping into his fatigues then turned to the men and belted out, "My baby and her team are going to the State Championship!"
This prompted a round of applause and cheering in the barracks that went on right up until the base guard strolled by with a call for of, "Twenty-two hundred hours, lights out!"
After saying his prayers and climbing into his bunk; he stared at the ceiling of the structure, they had needed something a bit more sturdy thanks to occasional middle-eastern sandstorms (not to mention the reflective surface made it more difficult for insurgents to send a long range attack their way), after a few moments he smiled and whispered, "Happy birthday baby girl!"
Lagomarcino's Confectionery
Moline, Illinois
1:16 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"I mean I still can't believe the feeling of what happened captain," Marlina all but vibrated as the adrenaline from the game shot through her body as if on a cannonball run, although to be honest I was only paying her half as much attention as I should. I mean I know how rude it was but the sight on the of my order being made, I was transfixed like a moth before a flame.
It was weird but for as long as I remembered the sight of a barrister or barista at a ice-cream parlor made me transfixed, almost as if I was looking out at some half-forgotten memory. Of course, my Grandma Mertle blames my bizarre fascination with ice cream parlors on my dad taking me to Margie's Candies and splitting a sundae with me when I was three. Granted part of me wonders just how much weight that story has not that Granny Mertle has ever told an outright lie in her life, but she has been known to stretch the truth every now and again.
For example while her story of meeting my late grandfather during the civil rights movement was somewhat believable, the story about him being from a town in Texas that had been racially integrated since the Old West was really far-fetched- I mean that state had the largest Klan membership in the country. Don't get me wrong but as much as I loved her Granny Mertle was full of whoppers just as crazy as that one.
"Chandra your food is here," I was shaken back into reality suddenly aware that my team and the waitress were looking at me out of concern. Somewhat mortified I took my turkey sandwich and hot fudge banana split off of the tray while the waitress walked off with a somewhat bizarre look on her face.
"Geez Chandra a little early for a sugar crash," Nita chuckled you haven't even eaten it yet, "if that's how you crash from the sight please warn us when the real thing is about to happen so we can clear the blast radius."
"Geez," I responded as a deflated in the booth, "I'm not that bad am I?"
"Are you kidding," I heard someone call out from a booth on the other side of the restaurant, "you're worse than a teenage guy at a Ferrari dealership."
I turned to hear just who was calling out, that's when I spotted them- the entire Woodrow Wilson Girls' Basketball Team was in the restaurant...and we were on their home turf after whipping them on the court. My old days on the Westside of Chicago began to fill me with all sorts of morbid possibilities but I knew that I had to do something to diffuse the situation.
"Listen we aren't here to start anything," I did my best to explain, "I just thought that we'd enjoy one of your local establishments before heading back home."
"Hey chill out lady, it was just a basketball game." Faith Sherwood called out, "Besides there was no shame in losing when you were playing like that, I mean girl with moves like that I expect you to skip JV next year and go straight to Varsity."
"Long as you're not upset," Marlina mentioned never breaking eye-contact.
"Just at myself for not scouting more alternates before mid-season," Faith groaned as she shook her head, "still I can't blame you for stopping by some swear by Whitey's but there's nothing like finding a place with real history that's non-chain."
"I know just what you mean," I laughed back as the two of us settled back into our groups the brief moment of tension now forgotten while the local team migrated to a closer booth.'
"Still some of those plays were sick," Sydney Hillmand commented before spooning a scoop of something with strawberry syrup into her mouth. "It's a good thing that we won't have to face you next year."
"Yeah most of our team will be at Rolling Meadows next year," Marcy pointed out while staring at her shake. "It'll just be me, Marlina and Erica left to pull together another new team; I just hope that I'm up for the task."
"Oh you'll do just fine," Nita laughed back, "I mean Chandra was worried about the same thing when Candace left her in charge and look at us now- we're headed for the finals- even Candace was unable to get us this far last-year."
"Speaking of your ex-Team Captain- whatever happened to her," Anna Gable whose arm was in a sling, to further immobilize her sprained wrist. "I mean I heard that she was doing gang-busters early in the season at Rolling Meadows and then she drops off the face of the Earth over winter break, what's the big deal."
"The big deal is that she sprouted a tail during a visit to Philly and was snatched by the MCO." I stated with an admittedly dark tone to my voice, "She and a bunch of old friends from her old hometown were detained and probed by those ghouls until they were rescued. She's fine now but I understand they are currently in some kind of secure location on the East Coast, at least that's what she told me."
"So she's a mutant," Liz Ernst blurted out with a shocked look on her face, "doesn't that mean that your city school district had to pull her awards or something?"
"They debated it but decided against doing that," Deb retorted trying to keep a hold of her temper at anyone bad-mouthing Candace, "besides her changes were pretty physically pronounced so they doubt that she had any powers before winter-break."
"Now if you don't mind I want to finish this split before it becomes ice-cream soup." I stated as I started to dig back in trying not to demonstrate the fact that I had never gotten an brain-freeze even once in my life.
"Man if I had known you liked ice-cream this much I would have asked someone to serve soft-serve in the stands during the game to distract you." Faith commented with a smile on her face.
"You mean that you would have tried to use my love of ice-cream to help you win," I humorously glared at her knowing that it was a joke since no school would ever allow something that potentially messy in a school gym. "I had no idea that you planned on becoming an evil genius."
"Oh no, my plans are far more diabolical than that," Faith grinned like a shark, "I plan on attending legal school and becoming... an attorney!"
All of us including her own team recoiled in mock-terror at that proclamation, her co-captain Sydney Hillman was the first to speak up, "Gee captain I had no idea that you were that evil, I mean I planned on auditioning for your evil henchman, but I don't know if I want to put in the work to become a para-legal."
"And that my apprentice is why you fail," Faith retorted in a dire crackly tone right before both teams began to sing The Imperial March from the Star Wars movies, this went on for about a minute and a half before everyone in the restaurant began to crack-up- all in all not a bad way to start the festivities for my birthday.
VT's Crib - The Sandos Residence
Arlington Heights, Illinois
3:11 PM
"That oreo doesn't know what she's missing," VT barked out to thin are as he started filling a tote bag with stuff that he'd need for the trip; store-brand water bottles, cash, a junky leather jacket if the temperature fell too much, and a fully-loaded Heckler & Kochs P30S (just in case).
"Yeah laugh at me and my crew like we're a joke," the youth snarled as he looked out the window to see his bud T-Slam pull up in their low-rider with the rest of his crew (guess getting held-back twice in grade-school was worth something after all). Glad that his parents weren't home, his dad was still giving him grief about VT choosing to go street and hang with his homies; VT snuck down the stairs of his home sand to the low-rider waiting in front of his crib.
"So dawg, you ready to kick-it north-side style in Chi-Town?" T-Slam asked him as Shake-O (or as his parents called him Shawn Orwell) moved over from where he was reclining in the back-seat of the modded and custom painted '82 Chevy Impala.
"Sure thing homey," VT replied back gesturing as he did so. "First thing we'll cruise around the local hoods before busting some moves, you do have the gear right?"
"Sure do the box and the tape is in the hatch and Shake-O brought the jams." T-Slam replied as he gunned the engine.
"I got east-coast, west-coast and everything in between." Shake-O patted the retro-style beat-box at his feet, "and this bad boy is going to blow any of those locals away if our sick moves don't beat it to it. By the way what's the name of the jam factory we're crashing after we're down cruise'n the hoods?"
"Rust-tic," VT shot back, "on account of it's in the old steel town, don't know if the place used to be a warehouse or a factory but either way you know the sound in that place is going to be out of yo' mind."
"Yeah so what're we doing hanging around here in cracker town," Scoots (formerly known as Laurence Fishburn) blurted out from his post riding shot-gun, "lets burn rubber to where the real action is!"
"Heard that Scoots," VT replied as he gunned the engine before they took off, after all he and his boys felt there was no reason to go low and slow for a bunch of super-squares in the burbs.
7 years 2 weeks ago #18
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
Boston, Massachusetts
2:45 PM EST
Greg waited in terror, no matter where he looked all around Carcharoth's minions were there to meet his gaze- if not the beast himself. No, Greg was under no illusions that monster could snuff out his with as much effort as he could snuff out a candle, still that might be kind compared to what Erzebet Scratch was going to do to him when she got here.
Greg was certain that without a shadow of a doubt that he was destined for The Hangman's noose, everyone in the Grand Hall knew that Scratch was the only one who could control that monster and the word through the grapevine was that she had dug him up again a few months ago- around the same time Plagiat disappeared. You didn't have to be too much of an insider among the Grand Hall staff to know that Plagiat had done something to royally piss off Scratch years ago and she never forgave him for it- evidently that something had been his undoing just like taking this job from the Children of the Night had become Greg's.
Suddenly- a movement among his captors caught Greg's eye, one of the wolves was clutching her stomach. "Ugh, I apologize master," Hanna said in distress as she hunched lower clearly in distress, "my foolish other half must have eaten something that is disagreeing with us."
"No need to suffer on my account my dear." Carcharoth huffed as he sat on a nearby crate. "This is Greygus's operation, until we hear back from him we have nothing but time on our hands."
As Hanna lowered the ectoplasmic shell to resume her human form, granted it was still controlled by the persona of Carcharoth's thrall she stepping out behind the warehouse to make use of one of the nearby row of port-a-johns.
A few moments later Carcharoth's cell began to ring, picking it up as fast as possible the Norse beast all but barked out. "Greygus it's about time, I need to know where and when we need to go in order to get into position for the attack."
"You and your pack can stay right where they are for now Carcharoth, your orders are to secure the stolen crates until Erzabet Scratch and her men arrive to transport them to the new warehouse."
"Are you daft," Carcharoth growled in response, "you're going to pass up the power my pack can bring to the field and go it solo."
"Power is the operant word Carcharoth, this side of the opperation require tact and finesse, areas in which your new pack are currently untested. Besides this is not a solo operation, the Erinyes are with me and we are standing by waiting to act; also Madam Eventide and Don Astio are both in the area should we require backup. Now remember you have your orders, stay put until Scratch or her people arrive- I don't want to have a repeat of that incident in Istanbul."
Before Carcharoth could object to this state of affairs Greygus ended the call leaving the lupine god furious, "Damned daddy's boy, he always has to bring up Istanbul, how was I supposed to know that herd of goats would stampede into a crowded market. What the hell are you staring at?" Carcharoth shouted right in Greg Paulson's face for staring at him during the call a situation that lead to the man soiled his pants in abject terror.
Halfway between the warehouse and the row of port-a-johns the thrall version of Hanna felt the presence of something and prepared to summon her shell to take care of this intruder when her eyes lost focus once again. This turn of events gave her watcher, a man wearing a cloak gave the appearance that it had been stitched together from a variety of forest leaves, ample time to bridge the distance between them with a flying leap.
However this action seemed to come a moment too late as Hanna's eyes refocused, and with a snarl she began to summon the ectoplasmic shell afforded to her as a thrall of Carcharoth. Unfortunately for Hanna it seemed that her earlier troubles chose that moment to rear their head as she doubled over and proceeded to regurgitate while at the same time a mysterious and viscous golden liquid seemed to bleed out of her nose to join the growing puddle of vomit
Hanna had heaved for well over a minute as the mysterious liquid meticulously separated itself from the puddle of bile and began to take shape. Meanwhile still shaky from her ordeal and the light-headedness of the simultaneous nosebleed, Hanna once again tried to transform when the cloaked figure took a handful of dust from a pouch at his belt and blew it in her still gasping face.
"I still have trouble believing how well this stuff works even after all these years." The man mused as he closed the pouch and shook the remainder of the dust from his hands.
"Say what you will about the Olympians dear," the puddle replied as it solidified into a woman dressed like she was more at home outside of civilization among the woods and trees, "but they certainly knew their artifacts. Those sands from Hypnos's cavern are enough to put almost anything to sleep."
"I hope riding around in another one of your Uncle's minions was not too uncomfortable Hedgewitch my dear." The man replied as the woman known as Hedgewitch began to rifle through Hanna's pockets.
"Think nothing of it Jaegarsman," Hedgewitch smiled as held out the same silver key that Hanna had pocketed earlier. "As unpleasant as my Limbic Puppeteer spell can be, it was more than worth it to get old Howard's key back from the Obsidian Circle, now we need to get this back to Fray as soon as possible."
"Such a shame," Jaegarsman sighed as he looked back at the unconscious body of Hanna Ring, "more people whose lives and beings have been enthralled to serve your wretched uncle's whims."
"Do not weep too hard for this woman and her comrade's my dear," Hedgewitch stated as she slipped the silver key into her robes while slipping Jaegarsman a brief yet tender peck on the cheek, "this is hardly another group of innocent isolated villagers. Still I wouldn't wish their fate on anyone- well almost anyone."
Their task now completed Jaegarsman and Hedgewitch seemed to melt into the
nearby shadows leaving Hanna slumped over asleep on the concrete.
Copley Place - Back Bay
2:54 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
It was almost Three O'clock by the time Randi and her group arrived, granted we were only waiting inside for about seven minutes but still it was obviously making Gloria antsy sitting by the waterfall while Eve and I talked shop about the various goings on around campus and Venus Inc. in general. Honestly no matter how she liked to play it Eve wasn't anywhere near the bad girl that she pretended to be, besides I knew had a feeling she was too more of an anti-hero in the making to be a real dyed-in-the-wool villain.
"Hey Randi," I called out waving my hand at the trio, "what was keeping you three- we've been waiting?"
"About two hours of Shia LeBouf butchering one of Hitchcock's classics." Randi remarked as her group came closer to mine.
"Not that he didn't look yummy while doing it." Candace said while grinning from ear to ear. It was odd, now that I think about it this was the first time that I've met Randi's roommate Candace but I couldn't help think that there was something... familiar about her. It was odd I usually remembered everything that I saw, a skill that I refined over the course of my earlier existence trapped in Aphrodite and later Victoria Godin's astral shadow. Never mind, maybe the answer will come to me eventually, I thought to myself as I filed that feeling away for another time.
"I'll just have to take your word for it Candace," Randi replied as she rolled her eyes while Candace touched the privacy charm that they had been carrying to ours (it was explained that this synched them to each other and doubled their range), "there is a lot more to acting than looks and LeBouf is still far from polished in those regards."
"Geez Bridges," Eve said with a brief stretch as she stood up, inadvertently causing both Randi and Candace to stare, "you really need to take the stick out- when was the last time you sat through a scary movie just to have fun."
"I don't know- how long has it since there was an original horror movie." Randi remarked with a smirk on her face.
"Likely before any of us were born," Eve snidely remarked as she stared at my fellow maiden, "you are a weird one Bridges."
"Of course I'm weird," Randi shot Heartbreaker a look, "why else do you think that they put me in Poe."
"She does have a point," Glorianna said as she wheeled me over to them, "Poe does seem to be the dorm for people with- issues. I mean we are starting to understand what your issues are Sayyid and well- there are Hippolyta and Jade."
"Hey don't go lumping us all into the same basket case," Candace said with a smirk, "each of us is our own brand of crazy and the asylum is our playground."
"I am fairly certain that Miss Horton would object to that statement." Sayyid replied
"Oh you know how House Mothers are, we just let them think that they're in charge. Poe is our Wonderland and we are all a little mad," Candace giggled gleefully with a goofy grin upon her face, "now shall we enjoy some tea while we throw ourselves an unbirthday party. So have you got the Evania's gifts all picked out or do you need a little help from yours truly?"
"Actually we are pretty much done on that front," I said as I searched my usually impeccable memory our earlier stops, "I might still keep an eye out though. Anyway we still have enough time in the day to enjoy ourselves."
"Hmm, in that case I have an idea for another project that we can work on." Eve mused as she seemed to be evaluating Randi with her eyes.
"This had better not have anything to do with your other group of friends Miss Hilton." Gloria said in a tone that conveyed her intent to keep the Mastermind from trying anything while she and Saladin were there.
"Oh no Glorianna my dear, nothing quite like that." Heartbreaker explained while grinning from ear to ear. "Besides my conspirator is here already, am I right Miss Reynard?"
"Um, Candace," Randi inquired in a bewildered tone as she turned to her roommate, "just what is this about?"
"I'm sorry Randi but this is something that your mentor Mrs. Redstag asked me to do for you." Candace said as she looked at me while matching Heartbreaker's expression as best she could with her lightly freckled face. "She told me that while the southern tomboy look is fine most of the time you really need to expand your wardrobe beyond those and our uniforms."
Up until now I had only heard the expression, 'Like a deer in the headlights,' now I think I saw the reality in Randi's eyes, she began to back up, almost as if she were about to run. I really couldn't understand the reason for this, it was only a shopping trip.
Boston Commons
2:59 PM
"Man look at her," Rich remarked as he took a swig from his bottle of coke, "I bet that she hits the gym till the treadmill cries uncle."
"She's still nothin' compared to Candace." Rex grumbled.
"Are you certain that this is what you wish to do with your trip to Boston?" Stormwolf inquired as he took a sip from his own canteen.
"Yup, what is the point in being alive if you can't enjoy the little moments of calm between the storms Adam." Rich smiled as he reclined against the bench. "I mean you took that Police Procedures class right? What we have here is an excellent chance to practice profiling, just take your pick of a subject and analyze them like you would a book in a literature course. See if you can read the story of their life, in the way they live."
"Interesting and this is the only reason that you do this," Adam Ironknife asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That and a futile attempt to get Rex here's mind on some girl other than Candace Reynard," Rich said as he shook his head with a forlorn sign, "poor shmuck's been mooning over her since grammar school completely oblivious to his permanent residency in the friend zone."
"I am not," Rex Holloway objected, "she just isn't ready yet for the type of person to have a serious long term relationship yet."
"Denial is more than a river in Egypt Rex," Rich sighed as he shook his head, "so Adam care to give it a whirl, who knows you might spot a threat as we play."
"Point taken, let me see?" Stormwolf mused as he began to scan the walkers by in the park.
As Stormwolf began to join in on Palleon's game Rex kept thinking of ways that he could go off on his own, he had an appointment to keep.
(Flashback)
Wednesday April 18th, 2007
Twain Cottage - Common Room
Whateley, New Hampshire
4:17 PM
The school day was now over and done with, it was officially break time for the rest of the day, granted most students used this break for club activities or working a job on campus to pay for their tuition. Still unlike other students Rex's parents were reasonably well of thanks to their positions at Ford, and as for interests...well- he had only one real interest that he was pursuing. Still he had plenty of time to do that now that Candace was attending the same school as him once again rather than living one state over and on the other side of Lake Michigan.
Right now Rex had the time to enjoy a room all to himself, Max was likely either busy with training in the Dragon's Dojo or else spending time with Sonia if she was taking a day off from her internship at Doyle. Although he would never say it Rex was jealous of his roommate; Max and Sonia had been head over heels for each other since before he had known them- and he couldn't help but wonder why Candace didn't feel the same way about him.
At least being alone in his room gave him time to think, as he passed the front desk Mister Filbert caught his attention, "Hallenbeck, you need to pick up your mail every day." The House Father stated as he gave him a thick stack of mail bound with a rubber band. "Remember this is your responsibility, I don't want to have to deal with a phone call from the school's post master again if you let your mail pile up again."
"Yeah- yeah," Rex rolled his eyes at the old man, "I'll remember to do that."
"You had better, the janitor needs an assistant to clean out the showers, Montana's shedding and his fur has been clogging the drains." Mister Filbert hinted as he leveled an even glare at Rex, "Remember, don't make me waste my time to tell you these things again or I'll find something that you can occupy your time with!"
"Understood sir!" Rex recoiled as he took the bundle of letters and all but limped off with his proverbial tail between his legs. A few minutes later after locking himself in his dorm room to be alone like he planned, eventually his mind turned to the stack. Sure enough some of it was inter-school junk mail, a few letters from relatives, an invitation to his cousin Annabeth's wedding in May (which he wouldn't be able to attend due to school), generic junk mail.
Eventually Rex stumbled across something odd, it was marked urgent but he didn't recognize the name on the envelope. "Who the heck is Eddie Black?" He asked aloud, well whoever had sent the envelope was local; the return address was a Post Office Box in Boston. After a moment of trying to figure out the mystery Rex opened the security envelope, oddly enough a business card with an odd logo on it came tumbling out; he ignored the card for the moment and focused on the letter.
Setting the letter aside for a moment, Rex picked up the card. On the front was his full name in a plain font and on the reverse was an odd logo, after a moment Rex's eyes shot wide open with fear.
(End Flashback)
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Boston Commons
3:07 PM
It was getting closer and closer to this Eddie Black's deadline, and Rex had to find some way to ditch Rich and Mister Straight and Narrow. Even if Rex decided to turned down what this guy was offering he had to be there to make sure he would keep quiet, Stygian might be able to give them a head's up about trouble coming their way from the New Olympians but there were plenty of wannabe heroes around campus who would love to have the reputation of Hercules who killed half of them during his labors.
Still just how would he give the two of them the slip, Rich had known him for years and after that mess in Philadelphia would be hard pressed to let Rex go anywhere alone. As for Stormwolf that stickler had his orders, he was going to stick to the pair like glue all afternoon, he would know right away when Rex tried to go off on his own. Yes this would be tricky but it had to be done- for the sake of his friends.
Copley Place - Back Bay
3:19 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I am not going to have these Baroque torture devices on my feet." I growled as glared at Heartbreaker.
"These aren't torture devices Randi," the Mastermind in question stated as she struggled to keep me still, "these are three inch heels, honestly I've seen you where cowgirl boots around campus before so what's the problem?"
"The heels have a lot more surface area, not to mention they're only half the height." I explained while shooting her a look. "Honestly why do ladies torture themselves wearing these things?"
"Perhaps the young Miss would like these better," a sales clerk whose name tag read Dominique said as she held out a pair of shoes with heels about half the height of the sadistic platforms that Eve had me try on for size. From the look of her she was in her early twenties, although I could tell from her accent that while she wasn't a Bostonian native, probably a college student from one of the nearby cities.
"Why are you all doing this to me anyway?" I turned as I asked my fellowclassmates schoolmates, granted I don't think that any of us actually are in any of the same classes together.
"Mrs. Redstag's orders remember," Eve explained as she craned her neck down so that she could look me in the eyes with a wry smile, "you really need some more formal attire for certain school functions, and that means women's shoes."
"And Eve told Nikki during one of their clubs photo shoots, asking her how to get involved, Nikki came to me with this so we could arrange this little get together." Candace further elaborated with that foxy grin on her face that made me feel torn between frenching her and running away as fast as I could- granted that because she was a speedster that would be a pointless waste of effort. "Besides consider it a valuable social experience, something tells me you're not the kind of girl that has really done this with other girls your own age."
"So let me guess, it's give Randi a makeover time." I grimaced in trepidation at what I saw coming.
"Only if we can find a groomer here in the mall," Bea remarked with a disarming smile. "Besides you have one advantage over all of us, your purse literally goes with anything."
Knowing that what was coming was more of the same, and hearing Jane laughter through our link, I decided to go ahead as I stood up wearing the new pair of shoes that the store clerk had brought me. Okay these weren't so bad, I admitted as I took a few steps, taking a look at the price on them told me that they weren't one of those ultra-expensive pairs- looks like Dominique would be getting at least one sale off of me. "I think I'll take this pair."
"Alright- if you don't mind I'll hold onto these at the register while you and your friends shop around a little more," Dominique explained while she took the shoes, that's when I noticed a slight awkwardness in her left arm- Bea saw it too right away.
"Miss- are you alright?" Bea inquired as she looked at the clerk in concern. "You look like you hurt yourself."
"Oh it's nothing, just a touch of tennis elbow from a match a few days ago." Dominique explained as she went to get another pair of shoes from a nearby display, a pair of wedges about the same heel height as the previous pair. "Now miss if you liked that pair these might fit your tastes as well."
As I took the pair from Dominique, Bea wheeled her chair around towards us. "Miss, while my friend tries those out do you mind if I have a look at your arm," Bea inquired with her usual pleasant tone, "I have kind of a gift with these things."
"Alright," Dominique accepted the unusual request, "I guess it can't hurt." As she bent down to offer Bea her left arm, Bea began to massage the appendage while subtly applying her healing power, so as not to make the results seem too obvious. It took only a minute or two but while they were busy I finished trying out the wedges, they were odd they gave my gait a touch of an arch, yet still felt like my usual flats.
By the time I was done so was Bea, "Whoa!" Dominique exclaimed in a mix or surprise and relief, "talk about having magic fingers."
"You're welcome," Bea smiled in reply although I could tell by something in the tone of her voice that something was troubling her.
Roof - Best Buy
Fenway–Kenmore, Massachusetts
3:21 PM
Jabberwock was almost tempted to take off his mask to wipe his brow off as he went about configuring the device in front of him. Granted the former contract mercenary had no idea what it was- only that it was another gift from Darrow's out of town friends, the implications of that gave Jabberwock almost as much of the creeps as the machine itself.
"Why did I wind up like this?" the merc grumbled as he kept up his work, okay he knew the answer to that question was two-fold. He owed Darrow a lot for springing him from Roxbury-C last month, and unlike Matterhorn his rep hadn't recovered from the blow of getting tossed in jail by a bunch of kids. Matterhorn might have been used like a club in that fight that they were captured in last year but at least he was seen getting payback for that earlier fiasco.
Right now he was between a rock and a hard place, Darrow was the only person that would hire him at the moment and also felt that Jabberwock owed him big time for breaking him out of lock up. Couple this to the fact that Nightgaunt was in police custody and Vamp had flown the coop and had probably taken Nightgaunt's power gems with her. This meant that the Children of the Night were hiring and Jabberwock had gotten the job whether he wanted it or not.
The next opening in group was filled when a merc from Europe came to Boston a week later trying to look for information about that Tennyo girl from Team Kimba. All Jabberwock knew about this Arcane-Knight was that we was a ghost haunting a suit of mech-armor and he had some connection to the Knights of the Eternal Presence. Since the word around the underworld was that she had blown that group up along with Man Bot straight to hell at NORAD-C last December he had likely come stateside looking for payback.
Well the joke was on him, Arcane-Knight was in Boston for less than a week hunting for intell when Darrow used his hocus-pocus to enslave the ghost in that overblown tin can into serving him. Speaking of which, "Hey tin man, I got my do-hickey setup here in Fenway, how much more work have you got to do in over in Upham's Corner?"
"I finished ten minutes ago you reprobate, I am currently enroot to the rendezvous site at Shamut now." Arcane-Knight shoot back at Jabberwock over their coms. "Let us get this farce over with, I want to get back to wishing that I had never encountered any of your foul lot."
"Yeah, yeah, we love you too," Jabberwock mockingly said and then after turned off the transmitter on his com added, "you overblown renaissance fair lawn jockey."
Copley Place - Back Bay
2:54 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Come on Bridges," Eve urged held out an outfit, "you know it's the only practical choice given your... condition."
"No way in hell Hilton," Randi stood her ground- clinging against the wall of the changing room."
"Be reasonable Randi-" Glorianna huffed as she tried to pry the demi-fae off the side of the stall and back onto the ground, "the Spring Cotillion is- *ugh* a few weeks- *ugh* away."
"Please Randi," I spoke up trying to reason with her, "you know that attendance for Freshmen and Sophomores is mandatory- the only way to avoid going is if you're bedridden or confined to your dorm room."
"Forget it," Randi all but barked, "there is no way I'll be seen anywhere on campus in this thing- I mean the back's so low it's beyond indecent."
"I realize the problem Bridges, but given your... furry friend in the back, we don't have too many options." Eve replied as she tried to reason with her.
"I don't see what's the big deal Randi," Candace replied as she strolled out of the next dressing room wearing a pinkish orange (what I later learned was tea rose) dress in a similar style with the back (with the exception of two ribbon-thin straps that crossed mid-back) likewise down to her tail (which she made visible once she closed changing room door). "I mean you'll likely look fierce in it once you get into it." Candace finished with a smile before pirouetting and letting the dress's low back draw attention to her exceedingly bushy vulpine tail.
I didn't need a few hundred years in Aphrodite's astral shadow to know that there were the beginnings of a relationship stirring between my fellow Maiden and her roommate. Granted I also knew from Victoria's present incarnation that Candace was also the reincarnation of the Cadmean Vixen, oh well that fox wasn't dangerous until Dionysis ordered it to steal and eat children
"Th-th-that's easy for you t-to say Candace," Randi stammered out while turning her head- as she tried and failed to disguise the fact that she was blushing as red as a radish, "you spend most of your time in our room naked as a jay bird."
That little revelation made the rest of us all look at Candace a little differently, I mean yeah I know mermaid- but really as I explained to Eve and Glorianna earlier merfolk are no strangers to the nudity taboo. Well it's not so much of a taboo- more of wanting to eliminate drag while we swim outside our aquatic cities.
"Um- Bea," Eve said somewhat shell-shocked, "Bridges is a faerie right."
"Yes- well- partially, about as much as I'm a mermaid." I replied curious about where this was going.
"Is it true that faeries can't lie?" Eve asked still somewhat dumbstruck.
"It's more like most of them fell that lying is beneath them." I sheepishly revealed, "Faeries are perfectly capable of lying, it's just that a good deal of them have this nasty massive superiority complex and consider lying an act of those who aren't clever enough to bend the truth to serve their needs. At least that's the way it goes for court faeries."
"Oh- Randi's telling the truth all right," Candace admitted with a smile, "I just like to sleep in the buff that's all. It's just hard for me to relax and go to sleep when I feel constrained like that- on the other hand maybe if I'm the one doing the constraining..."
That little comment caused Randi to hit the floor of the dressing room in a shocked heap, although thankfully she was uninjured.
Candace blew a breath across the tip of her right finger like it was a gun, "There you go- I got her down so you can get her to try on the dress. Still in my personal opinion, it's just not her style and the way the color clashes with her eyes something is atrocious."
Fray's Safehouse
3:13 PM
Fray didn't even bother to look up from his workbench, where once again he was working on his hand, as Jaegersman and Hedgewitch entered the room. "I assume that you two pulled off the operation without too much difficulty?" Fray inquired not even bothering to turn and face the two. "I don't smell the scent of battle on the two of you so I gather that the pup is none the wiser."
"His minion saw me but given that she was busy heaving while she did I doubt that she got a good look." Jaegarsman explained while Hedgewitch calmly set the key the two acquired earlier at a clean place on the bench. "Not exactly like that mutt ever chooses the best and brightest."
"Sorry Fray," Hedgewitch apologized while shooting her partner and husband an admonishing look, "I know how my uncle is a sore subject for you given the past the two of you share."
"I cannot help but wonder if things could have gone different if I had managed to convince the Aesir to leave the pup be, I mean of the three he was the only one who wasn't an open threat from the beginning." Fray mused as he closed up the panels on his hand. "I mean I know the Norns foretold he would eat Odin, but the circumstances and events surrounding that prophecy still left a lot open to interpretation. It could have been a reluctant act of mercy to bring an end to Ragnarok but no we had to make him our enemy."
"Come now Tyr, you have seen what that beast has done over the years- all the lives that he has ruined or ended- he even bit off and swallowed your hand for crying out loud, how can you defend him?" Jaegarsman all but shouted in response before Hedgewitch's gentle touch told him to back down.
"That was only after I tried to bind him twice, even I could tell that he was suspicious after those heavy chains almost held him. You know the saying right: 'Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.'" Tyr replied briefly staring at his cybernetic prosthesis before getting up from his bench. "At that point he knew that something was up, I would not have been allowed to bind him with Glepnir without sacrifice. Before he was bound he was guilty of nothing except being the object of a prophecy, he had made no packs or slain anything other than wild boar to sate his hunger."
"Even after Fenrir left to Vaniheim to roam the dark forests of Svarthelheim he would show no sign of hostility to the Vanir when they came to play with him, no Vali the act that made Fenrir into the monster that is Horfin was not the circumstances of his birth it was the naked betrayal of someone that he called friend... me."
"Anyway I noticed something else while Uncle and his pack were securing the goods that the Necromancer's spy stole from The Circle." Hedgewitch interjected trying to steer the conversation away from Vali and Tyr's usual argument concerning Fenrir. "I noticed that he was in communication with Madam Eventide, it appears that she is in Boston at the moment and that there is another operation about to begin soon- I think that Greygus was mentioned. Also The Necromancer's minion Lady Darke appeared to have somewhere to be in a hurry, she left as soon as she turned Dagon's Scepter over to the EOD member."
"This is not good," Tyr began to chew over the facts, "if Greygus and Eventide are in the city it could very well be to strike a blow against the Children of the Night for The Necromancer's transgression. But if the Children of the Night are already on the move that means they have their own operation about to go down today, I heard from Morrigan earlier that the Maidens of the East and West will be in Boston today for shopping and sight-seeing so this can't be a coincidence."
"The fact that The Necromancer has recently met with the Esoteric Order of Dagon only confirms this, the last thing that the Order wants is for the Maiden of the East to succeed this summer in Operation Flipper Liberation especially since it would immediately put all of the pieces in place for Operation Clean Tide." Tyr stated as he went over to his gear and began to suit up. "I am sorry to ask this of the two of you so soon but we have to protect those two girls, the future of the merfolk and the fae upon earth depends on the survival of the two of them."
"As if I would ever let anything take the Maiden of the West from this world," Hedgewitch shot back, "not after my father's sacrifice and everything that girl has already gone through! As for the Maiden of the East, the descendants of Apsu's people have been Dagon's slaves long enough, it is long past time for merfolk to return to Midgard's waters free of that traitor's arcane tyranny."
"Thank you Auda," Tyr smiled before raising the face-guard to his helmet, "Narfi would be proud of how his daughter turned out- were he here today I am certain he would be smiling with pride."
"I know," Hedgewitch responded while she and Jaegarsman awaited Fray's preparations to join them on the streets of Boston, "mom too, wherever they are now. And while you wait I'm going to make a phone call to an interested party."
Morrigan's 'Office' - Beneath Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:15 PM
Morrigan looked up as a very familiar right-hand held up a bottle of tea, she looked over her shoulder to see her husband's familiar face with a smirk on his face. "You know that you're not supposed to work on the Sabbath right?"
"Dear you and I both know that the original Sabbath wasn't Sunday," Morrigan replied as she took the bottle of ice tea briefly pressing it against her forehead, "that and I might be many things but a faithful Christian is not one of them."
"I know dear," Dagda chuckled, "I've seen you doing the sky clad commune with the Earth Mother enough times during our second honeymoon to know otherwise. So how do you like teaching again?"
"It's interesting, more than a few students are actually interesting in learning from a history teacher with first and second hand experience along with old fashioned research and degrees." Morrigan explained while looking over the papers that her students had sent her.
"How did you ever find the time to go to college?" Dagda asked out of curiosity, "I mean those missions with the Grey Barrow and all of the work that you do as the regent of the Western Court."
"Dear we were apart for centuries and most of my work for the Western Court was walking around with a target painted on my back," the Phantom Queen sighed. "I know that I didn't visit you but the fact is that Purgatory is not an easy place to visit unless you are either sent there or get there the hard way."
"I know it was just difficult," Dagda deflated in exasperation "all these years without you to be there."
"Why do you think that I made sure that the hotel we stayed at had handle bars on the ceiling and a bed with an Exemplar Four rating?" Morrigan asked with a hint of mirth in her voice, "Centuries of celibacy without even the gentle sound of your music or your poetic verses to keep me company was tough on me as well." Morrigan explained as she stroked her husband's face as if she were playing the strings of a dulcimer.
"All this time apart wasn't easy for me either," Morrigan sighed but at least I had my work to act as a distraction. "At least I had our son to keep me company."
"That is part of what I wanted to talk to you about," Dagda inquired out of concern, "How is Bodb Derg, he keeps making excuses whenever I try to talk with him."
"It's because he's ashamed," Morrigan explained, "he feels like he was a failure as a father and as a king. His daughters parted on bitter terms, Aebh died unable to recover after the giving birth to the twins, and he pressured her Aoife to take her place because he didn't want Lir to have too much influence over the grandchildren- which lead to the swan incident. By the time Aoife's curse lifted the Tuartha Dé Danann had agreed with the Nazareen to move Tir na Nog to the Wyldlands and they were stuck in the human world as mortals."
"Face it dear we cast a shadow that the boy, try as he might, never found his way out from under and into the sun. Even his line fell to the Famine, our only descendants are those of Brigid's son Cathasach from her second life's marriage," Morrigan admitted as she slumped in her chair, "at least there are plenty of them around. Speaking of children, I'm going to bar-hopping with Elizabeth tonight, she wants to know what being a maiden of the four courts implies, about Beatrice's future."
"She is not going to be happy when she finds out," Dagda explained as he glanced at a nearby map, "each of those four have difficult roads ahead of them, we can only hope that we can adequately equip and prepare them when the time comes for the task that lay ahead."
Just as he finished that sentence the phone on Morrigan's desk rang leading her husband to wait patiently as she fielded what was likely another call related to her new teaching position.
"Hello, this is Professor Redstag of the Whateley Academy History Department speaking; who may I ask is calling." Morrigan answered in her most professional tone after a few moments of listening her pleasant demeanor slipped into something that Dagda remembered all too well from the times when his people's cold war against the Fomorii turned hot, "No- I am afraid that I shall be unable to leave campus today, however I know someone that I think might be willing to assist you in this matter."
Morrigan looked at her husband with the fury that had led her to be known as the Phantom Queen emanating from her eyes and flowing across her face. "Dear would you be willing to run an errand to Boston real quick?" Morrigan asked with a very thin veneer of decorum to conceal her warrior's rage. "Charlie Darrow and his little gang of hooligans seem to have it in their pretty little heads to pick on Bea and Randi, would you be so kind as to give them a spanking with your stick?"
Dagda only smiled and shrugged, "I was just going to kick back with a keg and put on Masterpiece Theater, but this sounds like a far more entertaining evening. I'm going to go slap on some war paint, tell your friends that I'll be there in twenty."
Children of the Night's Safehouse
Boston, Massachusetts
3:50 PM
Charles Darrow smiled as he looked at the motion detectors ticking off the shambling horde's progress. Soon they would be to the transmission point, and he would earn liberation from the Sword of Damocles that he had been trying to shore up all his life. The fact is that this operation was both acting out the trial run of a system that he planned to use against the Sidhe Queen and her entourage in the future, if he had it ready back in January he would have succeeded in achieving a total victory rather than a partial one.
Still one of the real problems was that one of the most vital components to this system operating at peak capacity was thanks to Night Gaunt's incompetence, no longer available. As things stood Darrow he was relying on flawed copies of the Dark Force gems that he had made with a cultured dragon's pearl, if he was lucky these things would hold out a few hours, and then afterwards like his herd they too would have to be replaced. Still it was of little consequence, according to his contact at Whateley the Western Maiden was not a member of a team and only had a few weeks of informal combat training, while the Eastern Maiden had no combat training what-so-ever and required a wheelchair since she had yet to build up the strength to walk.
"This is Lycanthros reporting in, the broadcasters are setup and the substations are rigged, Darrow's loyal lieutenant reported over the com, "we are ready to begin whenever you give the word.
Darrow grabbed his helmet in one hand and the microphone in the other, "Then begin the operation, my ascension awaits!"
Copley Place - Back Bay
3:51 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Okay this one is more like it," I admitted to my classmates as I admired myself in the mirror. The dress in question was an earthy-green number that went down to my calves and the back only fell halfway down my own back, moreover the way the folds in... what did Eve call it- oh yeah the draping fabric worked so that I could take it to Cecilia in Dunwitch and get it altered for an easily concealed slit or fly for my tail.
It's been almost disturbing how much I've picked up on about women's fashion since I've changed, oh well since I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life I might as well adapt with the territory besides it's not like this new body has been without its benefits other than the obvious. For example if Candace really intended to wear that dress that she bought and showed off earlier at the Spring Cotillion, forget my earlier hesitation she'd probably talk me into a date without me giving it a second thought.
While I was giving the dress a few experimental swishes and turns to see how I moved in it the sales clerk, a young lady named Cassy, walked up behind me. "Would the young miss like to try on anything else, or would you like me to ring up the dress."
"I think that I will," I replied having appraised the merchandise- still I might need something, "on the other hand do you have any shoes that might go well with this dress."
"I think that we have a few pairs of low-heel open-toe wedges in the stock room." Cassy admitted before asking, "Would you happen to know your size?"
"Seven and a half," I admitted while I began to get undressed. I had the dress back on its hanger and had just picked up a blouse when I heard a scream. Fearing the worst I reached behind the ribbon on my neck and pressed the center gem on my collar to get my gear on (after throwing a quick illusion of myself at the camera in the dressing room- I hoped this was nothing but my gut told me otherwise.
From the blur that passed me Candace or rather Quickvix would be on it before me- considering that her combat training was limited to a few weeks of BMA and that incident with the fake Tiger Guards in New York I hoped that she was ready. As I rounded the corner to the stockroom a familiar smell hit my nose, I hope that I wasn't too late.
Copley Place - Back Bay
4:04 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I was sitting down, and leaning forward while Eve zipped up my dress when I heard a scream. Eve clearly didn't hear anything however before I could tell her anything we felt something zip past and by the time Eve opened the door to the dressing room and find out what was going on- Randi charged by in her full Faolan outfit.
By the time I had maneuvered myself back into my wheelchair, Gloria was already out of her own dressing room and in front of our own. "What happened?"
"I don't know we heard something, and then this blur went past followed by Randi in her business suit." I replied just as confused as Gloria was about the whole thing.
The three of us had left the dressing room when he heard Randi shouting from the stockroom, what we saw inside was shocking. Randi and someone that I took to be Candace were holding off what looked like the remains of a small group of zombies with a sword and a mace staff. Before the lot of us could do anything Candace knocked the last of them back with her staff followed by Randi slicing through its head.
"I-i-it t-tr-tried t-to eat me!" Cassy stammered in panic before Randi pulled a pouch from her purse and tossed a handful of dust in her face that caused her to fall asleep and partially vanish.
"Faolan, what is going on and what did you just do to that woman?" Glorianna demanded her FSA persona fully in command.
"Quickvix and I heard screaming coming from the stockroom and came to help, by the time that I got here Quickvix had already saved the sales clerk from becoming zombie chow and took out the shambler that tried to munch them with one of my knives." Randi or rather Faolan began to explain pointing out the severed zombie head pinned to the wall by a knife through its temple- smoke pouring out the end and more coming off the mithril blade after she pulled the now inanimate zombie head free.
"At that point more of them began to show up out of nowhere- literally." Quickvix pointed over to the corner of the stockroom where that was literally no way in or out. "At that point we did our best to take them out as they got here."
"As for the dust that's a potion of protective sleep," Randi stated as she took over for her roommate, "she'll be out and safe for the time being, the only reason that you even see her is because you already know that she's here."
Glorianna was about to continue her interrogation when Stormwolf's voice was raised over her Whately Security communicator. "Glorianna come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed active in area."
"Understood proceeding to retrograde packages for evac." Glorianna replied into her communicator before I snatched it away from her.
"That is a negative big dog, the packages will remain in area to assist." I proclaimed into the mike.
"That is a negative Aletheia," Stormwolf barked back, "you are not authorized to assist the police in dealing with cape level situation."
"Not to fight- to help evacuate the civilians to safety and assist the paramedics," I explained as adamant as I could. "I refuse to be lead to safety when there are still people in harm's way. Moreover The Necromancer unleashed mythos contaminated zombies and you are talking to one of the only three people in the city who can treat that should anyone get infected. Also stopping to render aide is the responsibility of every citizen not just police deputies like the Kimbas- we won't be fighting but we will be helping."
"Understood," Stormwolf answered admitting that for once someone other than Loophole out rule doctored him. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes send a speedster or teleporter to the Boston Rescue Mission," Faolan explained after I handed the communicator into her outstretched hand, "there is a large cauldron that you need to retrieve from there and bring to wherever the paramedics set up triage."
"Excuse me," Stormwolf replied in disbelief, "a cauldron from a soup kitchen?"
"Trust me it will come in very handy, just make sure it's clean," Randi replied back, "lives will depend on this."
Eve looked at me in the eyes while this was going on and asked, "Bea are you sure about this?"
"Eve," I explained from the bottom of my heart, "if I don't do this now I would be unable to forgive myself for the rest of my life."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 13
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
Boston, Massachusetts
2:45 PM EST
Greg waited in terror, no matter where he looked all around Carcharoth's minions were there to meet his gaze- if not the beast himself. No, Greg was under no illusions that monster could snuff out his with as much effort as he could snuff out a candle, still that might be kind compared to what Erzebet Scratch was going to do to him when she got here.
Greg was certain that without a shadow of a doubt that he was destined for The Hangman's noose, everyone in the Grand Hall knew that Scratch was the only one who could control that monster and the word through the grapevine was that she had dug him up again a few months ago- around the same time Plagiat disappeared. You didn't have to be too much of an insider among the Grand Hall staff to know that Plagiat had done something to royally piss off Scratch years ago and she never forgave him for it- evidently that something had been his undoing just like taking this job from the Children of the Night had become Greg's.
Suddenly- a movement among his captors caught Greg's eye, one of the wolves was clutching her stomach. "Ugh, I apologize master," Hanna said in distress as she hunched lower clearly in distress, "my foolish other half must have eaten something that is disagreeing with us."
"No need to suffer on my account my dear." Carcharoth huffed as he sat on a nearby crate. "This is Greygus's operation, until we hear back from him we have nothing but time on our hands."
As Hanna lowered the ectoplasmic shell to resume her human form, granted it was still controlled by the persona of Carcharoth's thrall she stepping out behind the warehouse to make use of one of the nearby row of port-a-johns.
A few moments later Carcharoth's cell began to ring, picking it up as fast as possible the Norse beast all but barked out. "Greygus it's about time, I need to know where and when we need to go in order to get into position for the attack."
"You and your pack can stay right where they are for now Carcharoth, your orders are to secure the stolen crates until Erzabet Scratch and her men arrive to transport them to the new warehouse."
"Are you daft," Carcharoth growled in response, "you're going to pass up the power my pack can bring to the field and go it solo."
"Power is the operant word Carcharoth, this side of the opperation require tact and finesse, areas in which your new pack are currently untested. Besides this is not a solo operation, the Erinyes are with me and we are standing by waiting to act; also Madam Eventide and Don Astio are both in the area should we require backup. Now remember you have your orders, stay put until Scratch or her people arrive- I don't want to have a repeat of that incident in Istanbul."
Before Carcharoth could object to this state of affairs Greygus ended the call leaving the lupine god furious, "Damned daddy's boy, he always has to bring up Istanbul, how was I supposed to know that herd of goats would stampede into a crowded market. What the hell are you staring at?" Carcharoth shouted right in Greg Paulson's face for staring at him during the call a situation that lead to the man soiled his pants in abject terror.
Halfway between the warehouse and the row of port-a-johns the thrall version of Hanna felt the presence of something and prepared to summon her shell to take care of this intruder when her eyes lost focus once again. This turn of events gave her watcher, a man wearing a cloak gave the appearance that it had been stitched together from a variety of forest leaves, ample time to bridge the distance between them with a flying leap.
However this action seemed to come a moment too late as Hanna's eyes refocused, and with a snarl she began to summon the ectoplasmic shell afforded to her as a thrall of Carcharoth. Unfortunately for Hanna it seemed that her earlier troubles chose that moment to rear their head as she doubled over and proceeded to regurgitate while at the same time a mysterious and viscous golden liquid seemed to bleed out of her nose to join the growing puddle of vomit
Hanna had heaved for well over a minute as the mysterious liquid meticulously separated itself from the puddle of bile and began to take shape. Meanwhile still shaky from her ordeal and the light-headedness of the simultaneous nosebleed, Hanna once again tried to transform when the cloaked figure took a handful of dust from a pouch at his belt and blew it in her still gasping face.
"I still have trouble believing how well this stuff works even after all these years." The man mused as he closed the pouch and shook the remainder of the dust from his hands.
"Say what you will about the Olympians dear," the puddle replied as it solidified into a woman dressed like she was more at home outside of civilization among the woods and trees, "but they certainly knew their artifacts. Those sands from Hypnos's cavern are enough to put almost anything to sleep."
"I hope riding around in another one of your Uncle's minions was not too uncomfortable Hedgewitch my dear." The man replied as the woman known as Hedgewitch began to rifle through Hanna's pockets.
"Think nothing of it Jaegarsman," Hedgewitch smiled as held out the same silver key that Hanna had pocketed earlier. "As unpleasant as my Limbic Puppeteer spell can be, it was more than worth it to get old Howard's key back from the Obsidian Circle, now we need to get this back to Fray as soon as possible."
"Such a shame," Jaegarsman sighed as he looked back at the unconscious body of Hanna Ring, "more people whose lives and beings have been enthralled to serve your wretched uncle's whims."
"Do not weep too hard for this woman and her comrade's my dear," Hedgewitch stated as she slipped the silver key into her robes while slipping Jaegarsman a brief yet tender peck on the cheek, "this is hardly another group of innocent isolated villagers. Still I wouldn't wish their fate on anyone- well almost anyone."
Their task now completed Jaegarsman and Hedgewitch seemed to melt into the
nearby shadows leaving Hanna slumped over asleep on the concrete.
Copley Place - Back Bay
2:54 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
It was almost Three O'clock by the time Randi and her group arrived, granted we were only waiting inside for about seven minutes but still it was obviously making Gloria antsy sitting by the waterfall while Eve and I talked shop about the various goings on around campus and Venus Inc. in general. Honestly no matter how she liked to play it Eve wasn't anywhere near the bad girl that she pretended to be, besides I knew had a feeling she was too more of an anti-hero in the making to be a real dyed-in-the-wool villain.
"Hey Randi," I called out waving my hand at the trio, "what was keeping you three- we've been waiting?"
"About two hours of Shia LeBouf butchering one of Hitchcock's classics." Randi remarked as her group came closer to mine.
"Not that he didn't look yummy while doing it." Candace said while grinning from ear to ear. It was odd, now that I think about it this was the first time that I've met Randi's roommate Candace but I couldn't help think that there was something... familiar about her. It was odd I usually remembered everything that I saw, a skill that I refined over the course of my earlier existence trapped in Aphrodite and later Victoria Godin's astral shadow. Never mind, maybe the answer will come to me eventually, I thought to myself as I filed that feeling away for another time.
"I'll just have to take your word for it Candace," Randi replied as she rolled her eyes while Candace touched the privacy charm that they had been carrying to ours (it was explained that this synched them to each other and doubled their range), "there is a lot more to acting than looks and LeBouf is still far from polished in those regards."
"Geez Bridges," Eve said with a brief stretch as she stood up, inadvertently causing both Randi and Candace to stare, "you really need to take the stick out- when was the last time you sat through a scary movie just to have fun."
"I don't know- how long has it since there was an original horror movie." Randi remarked with a smirk on her face.
"Likely before any of us were born," Eve snidely remarked as she stared at my fellow maiden, "you are a weird one Bridges."
"Of course I'm weird," Randi shot Heartbreaker a look, "why else do you think that they put me in Poe."
"She does have a point," Glorianna said as she wheeled me over to them, "Poe does seem to be the dorm for people with- issues. I mean we are starting to understand what your issues are Sayyid and well- there are Hippolyta and Jade."
"Hey don't go lumping us all into the same basket case," Candace said with a smirk, "each of us is our own brand of crazy and the asylum is our playground."
"I am fairly certain that Miss Horton would object to that statement." Sayyid replied
"Oh you know how House Mothers are, we just let them think that they're in charge. Poe is our Wonderland and we are all a little mad," Candace giggled gleefully with a goofy grin upon her face, "now shall we enjoy some tea while we throw ourselves an unbirthday party. So have you got the Evania's gifts all picked out or do you need a little help from yours truly?"
"Actually we are pretty much done on that front," I said as I searched my usually impeccable memory our earlier stops, "I might still keep an eye out though. Anyway we still have enough time in the day to enjoy ourselves."
"Hmm, in that case I have an idea for another project that we can work on." Eve mused as she seemed to be evaluating Randi with her eyes.
"This had better not have anything to do with your other group of friends Miss Hilton." Gloria said in a tone that conveyed her intent to keep the Mastermind from trying anything while she and Saladin were there.
"Oh no Glorianna my dear, nothing quite like that." Heartbreaker explained while grinning from ear to ear. "Besides my conspirator is here already, am I right Miss Reynard?"
"Um, Candace," Randi inquired in a bewildered tone as she turned to her roommate, "just what is this about?"
"I'm sorry Randi but this is something that your mentor Mrs. Redstag asked me to do for you." Candace said as she looked at me while matching Heartbreaker's expression as best she could with her lightly freckled face. "She told me that while the southern tomboy look is fine most of the time you really need to expand your wardrobe beyond those and our uniforms."
Up until now I had only heard the expression, 'Like a deer in the headlights,' now I think I saw the reality in Randi's eyes, she began to back up, almost as if she were about to run. I really couldn't understand the reason for this, it was only a shopping trip.
Boston Commons
2:59 PM
"Man look at her," Rich remarked as he took a swig from his bottle of coke, "I bet that she hits the gym till the treadmill cries uncle."
"She's still nothin' compared to Candace." Rex grumbled.
"Are you certain that this is what you wish to do with your trip to Boston?" Stormwolf inquired as he took a sip from his own canteen.
"Yup, what is the point in being alive if you can't enjoy the little moments of calm between the storms Adam." Rich smiled as he reclined against the bench. "I mean you took that Police Procedures class right? What we have here is an excellent chance to practice profiling, just take your pick of a subject and analyze them like you would a book in a literature course. See if you can read the story of their life, in the way they live."
"Interesting and this is the only reason that you do this," Adam Ironknife asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That and a futile attempt to get Rex here's mind on some girl other than Candace Reynard," Rich said as he shook his head with a forlorn sign, "poor shmuck's been mooning over her since grammar school completely oblivious to his permanent residency in the friend zone."
"I am not," Rex Holloway objected, "she just isn't ready yet for the type of person to have a serious long term relationship yet."
"Denial is more than a river in Egypt Rex," Rich sighed as he shook his head, "so Adam care to give it a whirl, who knows you might spot a threat as we play."
"Point taken, let me see?" Stormwolf mused as he began to scan the walkers by in the park.
As Stormwolf began to join in on Palleon's game Rex kept thinking of ways that he could go off on his own, he had an appointment to keep.
(Flashback)
Wednesday April 18th, 2007
Twain Cottage - Common Room
Whateley, New Hampshire
4:17 PM
The school day was now over and done with, it was officially break time for the rest of the day, granted most students used this break for club activities or working a job on campus to pay for their tuition. Still unlike other students Rex's parents were reasonably well of thanks to their positions at Ford, and as for interests...well- he had only one real interest that he was pursuing. Still he had plenty of time to do that now that Candace was attending the same school as him once again rather than living one state over and on the other side of Lake Michigan.
Right now Rex had the time to enjoy a room all to himself, Max was likely either busy with training in the Dragon's Dojo or else spending time with Sonia if she was taking a day off from her internship at Doyle. Although he would never say it Rex was jealous of his roommate; Max and Sonia had been head over heels for each other since before he had known them- and he couldn't help but wonder why Candace didn't feel the same way about him.
At least being alone in his room gave him time to think, as he passed the front desk Mister Filbert caught his attention, "Hallenbeck, you need to pick up your mail every day." The House Father stated as he gave him a thick stack of mail bound with a rubber band. "Remember this is your responsibility, I don't want to have to deal with a phone call from the school's post master again if you let your mail pile up again."
"Yeah- yeah," Rex rolled his eyes at the old man, "I'll remember to do that."
"You had better, the janitor needs an assistant to clean out the showers, Montana's shedding and his fur has been clogging the drains." Mister Filbert hinted as he leveled an even glare at Rex, "Remember, don't make me waste my time to tell you these things again or I'll find something that you can occupy your time with!"
"Understood sir!" Rex recoiled as he took the bundle of letters and all but limped off with his proverbial tail between his legs. A few minutes later after locking himself in his dorm room to be alone like he planned, eventually his mind turned to the stack. Sure enough some of it was inter-school junk mail, a few letters from relatives, an invitation to his cousin Annabeth's wedding in May (which he wouldn't be able to attend due to school), generic junk mail.
Eventually Rex stumbled across something odd, it was marked urgent but he didn't recognize the name on the envelope. "Who the heck is Eddie Black?" He asked aloud, well whoever had sent the envelope was local; the return address was a Post Office Box in Boston. After a moment of trying to figure out the mystery Rex opened the security envelope, oddly enough a business card with an odd logo on it came tumbling out; he ignored the card for the moment and focused on the letter.
Dear Rex Hallenbeck,
I am aware of a problem that you have and might have a proposition that you might find interesting. I have been around for a while and have a way that could help you gain either the heart of the one you seek or heal the one who seeks you. If either of these options sound appealing to you come meet me at the Union Oyster House at Five O'Clock in the Afternoon Saturday the 21st, show the card to the man at the door.
Ed Black
Setting the letter aside for a moment, Rex picked up the card. On the front was his full name in a plain font and on the reverse was an odd logo, after a moment Rex's eyes shot wide open with fear.
(End Flashback)
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Boston Commons
3:07 PM
It was getting closer and closer to this Eddie Black's deadline, and Rex had to find some way to ditch Rich and Mister Straight and Narrow. Even if Rex decided to turned down what this guy was offering he had to be there to make sure he would keep quiet, Stygian might be able to give them a head's up about trouble coming their way from the New Olympians but there were plenty of wannabe heroes around campus who would love to have the reputation of Hercules who killed half of them during his labors.
Still just how would he give the two of them the slip, Rich had known him for years and after that mess in Philadelphia would be hard pressed to let Rex go anywhere alone. As for Stormwolf that stickler had his orders, he was going to stick to the pair like glue all afternoon, he would know right away when Rex tried to go off on his own. Yes this would be tricky but it had to be done- for the sake of his friends.
Copley Place - Back Bay
3:19 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"I am not going to have these Baroque torture devices on my feet." I growled as glared at Heartbreaker.
"These aren't torture devices Randi," the Mastermind in question stated as she struggled to keep me still, "these are three inch heels, honestly I've seen you where cowgirl boots around campus before so what's the problem?"
"The heels have a lot more surface area, not to mention they're only half the height." I explained while shooting her a look. "Honestly why do ladies torture themselves wearing these things?"
"Perhaps the young Miss would like these better," a sales clerk whose name tag read Dominique said as she held out a pair of shoes with heels about half the height of the sadistic platforms that Eve had me try on for size. From the look of her she was in her early twenties, although I could tell from her accent that while she wasn't a Bostonian native, probably a college student from one of the nearby cities.
"Why are you all doing this to me anyway?" I turned as I asked my fellow
"Mrs. Redstag's orders remember," Eve explained as she craned her neck down so that she could look me in the eyes with a wry smile, "you really need some more formal attire for certain school functions, and that means women's shoes."
"And Eve told Nikki during one of their clubs photo shoots, asking her how to get involved, Nikki came to me with this so we could arrange this little get together." Candace further elaborated with that foxy grin on her face that made me feel torn between frenching her and running away as fast as I could- granted that because she was a speedster that would be a pointless waste of effort. "Besides consider it a valuable social experience, something tells me you're not the kind of girl that has really done this with other girls your own age."
"So let me guess, it's give Randi a makeover time." I grimaced in trepidation at what I saw coming.
"Only if we can find a groomer here in the mall," Bea remarked with a disarming smile. "Besides you have one advantage over all of us, your purse literally goes with anything."
Knowing that what was coming was more of the same, and hearing Jane laughter through our link, I decided to go ahead as I stood up wearing the new pair of shoes that the store clerk had brought me. Okay these weren't so bad, I admitted as I took a few steps, taking a look at the price on them told me that they weren't one of those ultra-expensive pairs- looks like Dominique would be getting at least one sale off of me. "I think I'll take this pair."
"Alright- if you don't mind I'll hold onto these at the register while you and your friends shop around a little more," Dominique explained while she took the shoes, that's when I noticed a slight awkwardness in her left arm- Bea saw it too right away.
"Miss- are you alright?" Bea inquired as she looked at the clerk in concern. "You look like you hurt yourself."
"Oh it's nothing, just a touch of tennis elbow from a match a few days ago." Dominique explained as she went to get another pair of shoes from a nearby display, a pair of wedges about the same heel height as the previous pair. "Now miss if you liked that pair these might fit your tastes as well."
As I took the pair from Dominique, Bea wheeled her chair around towards us. "Miss, while my friend tries those out do you mind if I have a look at your arm," Bea inquired with her usual pleasant tone, "I have kind of a gift with these things."
"Alright," Dominique accepted the unusual request, "I guess it can't hurt." As she bent down to offer Bea her left arm, Bea began to massage the appendage while subtly applying her healing power, so as not to make the results seem too obvious. It took only a minute or two but while they were busy I finished trying out the wedges, they were odd they gave my gait a touch of an arch, yet still felt like my usual flats.
By the time I was done so was Bea, "Whoa!" Dominique exclaimed in a mix or surprise and relief, "talk about having magic fingers."
"You're welcome," Bea smiled in reply although I could tell by something in the tone of her voice that something was troubling her.
Roof - Best Buy
Fenway–Kenmore, Massachusetts
3:21 PM
Jabberwock was almost tempted to take off his mask to wipe his brow off as he went about configuring the device in front of him. Granted the former contract mercenary had no idea what it was- only that it was another gift from Darrow's out of town friends, the implications of that gave Jabberwock almost as much of the creeps as the machine itself.
"Why did I wind up like this?" the merc grumbled as he kept up his work, okay he knew the answer to that question was two-fold. He owed Darrow a lot for springing him from Roxbury-C last month, and unlike Matterhorn his rep hadn't recovered from the blow of getting tossed in jail by a bunch of kids. Matterhorn might have been used like a club in that fight that they were captured in last year but at least he was seen getting payback for that earlier fiasco.
Right now he was between a rock and a hard place, Darrow was the only person that would hire him at the moment and also felt that Jabberwock owed him big time for breaking him out of lock up. Couple this to the fact that Nightgaunt was in police custody and Vamp had flown the coop and had probably taken Nightgaunt's power gems with her. This meant that the Children of the Night were hiring and Jabberwock had gotten the job whether he wanted it or not.
The next opening in group was filled when a merc from Europe came to Boston a week later trying to look for information about that Tennyo girl from Team Kimba. All Jabberwock knew about this Arcane-Knight was that we was a ghost haunting a suit of mech-armor and he had some connection to the Knights of the Eternal Presence. Since the word around the underworld was that she had blown that group up along with Man Bot straight to hell at NORAD-C last December he had likely come stateside looking for payback.
Well the joke was on him, Arcane-Knight was in Boston for less than a week hunting for intell when Darrow used his hocus-pocus to enslave the ghost in that overblown tin can into serving him. Speaking of which, "Hey tin man, I got my do-hickey setup here in Fenway, how much more work have you got to do in over in Upham's Corner?"
"I finished ten minutes ago you reprobate, I am currently enroot to the rendezvous site at Shamut now." Arcane-Knight shoot back at Jabberwock over their coms. "Let us get this farce over with, I want to get back to wishing that I had never encountered any of your foul lot."
"Yeah, yeah, we love you too," Jabberwock mockingly said and then after turned off the transmitter on his com added, "you overblown renaissance fair lawn jockey."
Copley Place - Back Bay
2:54 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
"Come on Bridges," Eve urged held out an outfit, "you know it's the only practical choice given your... condition."
"No way in hell Hilton," Randi stood her ground- clinging against the wall of the changing room."
"Be reasonable Randi-" Glorianna huffed as she tried to pry the demi-fae off the side of the stall and back onto the ground, "the Spring Cotillion is- *ugh* a few weeks- *ugh* away."
"Please Randi," I spoke up trying to reason with her, "you know that attendance for Freshmen and Sophomores is mandatory- the only way to avoid going is if you're bedridden or confined to your dorm room."
"Forget it," Randi all but barked, "there is no way I'll be seen anywhere on campus in this thing- I mean the back's so low it's beyond indecent."
"I realize the problem Bridges, but given your... furry friend in the back, we don't have too many options." Eve replied as she tried to reason with her.
"I don't see what's the big deal Randi," Candace replied as she strolled out of the next dressing room wearing a pinkish orange (what I later learned was tea rose) dress in a similar style with the back (with the exception of two ribbon-thin straps that crossed mid-back) likewise down to her tail (which she made visible once she closed changing room door). "I mean you'll likely look fierce in it once you get into it." Candace finished with a smile before pirouetting and letting the dress's low back draw attention to her exceedingly bushy vulpine tail.
I didn't need a few hundred years in Aphrodite's astral shadow to know that there were the beginnings of a relationship stirring between my fellow Maiden and her roommate. Granted I also knew from Victoria's present incarnation that Candace was also the reincarnation of the Cadmean Vixen, oh well that fox wasn't dangerous until Dionysis ordered it to steal and eat children
"Th-th-that's easy for you t-to say Candace," Randi stammered out while turning her head- as she tried and failed to disguise the fact that she was blushing as red as a radish, "you spend most of your time in our room naked as a jay bird."
That little revelation made the rest of us all look at Candace a little differently, I mean yeah I know mermaid- but really as I explained to Eve and Glorianna earlier merfolk are no strangers to the nudity taboo. Well it's not so much of a taboo- more of wanting to eliminate drag while we swim outside our aquatic cities.
"Um- Bea," Eve said somewhat shell-shocked, "Bridges is a faerie right."
"Yes- well- partially, about as much as I'm a mermaid." I replied curious about where this was going.
"Is it true that faeries can't lie?" Eve asked still somewhat dumbstruck.
"It's more like most of them fell that lying is beneath them." I sheepishly revealed, "Faeries are perfectly capable of lying, it's just that a good deal of them have this nasty massive superiority complex and consider lying an act of those who aren't clever enough to bend the truth to serve their needs. At least that's the way it goes for court faeries."
"Oh- Randi's telling the truth all right," Candace admitted with a smile, "I just like to sleep in the buff that's all. It's just hard for me to relax and go to sleep when I feel constrained like that- on the other hand maybe if I'm the one doing the constraining..."
That little comment caused Randi to hit the floor of the dressing room in a shocked heap, although thankfully she was uninjured.
Candace blew a breath across the tip of her right finger like it was a gun, "There you go- I got her down so you can get her to try on the dress. Still in my personal opinion, it's just not her style and the way the color clashes with her eyes something is atrocious."
Fray's Safehouse
3:13 PM
Fray didn't even bother to look up from his workbench, where once again he was working on his hand, as Jaegersman and Hedgewitch entered the room. "I assume that you two pulled off the operation without too much difficulty?" Fray inquired not even bothering to turn and face the two. "I don't smell the scent of battle on the two of you so I gather that the pup is none the wiser."
"His minion saw me but given that she was busy heaving while she did I doubt that she got a good look." Jaegarsman explained while Hedgewitch calmly set the key the two acquired earlier at a clean place on the bench. "Not exactly like that mutt ever chooses the best and brightest."
"Sorry Fray," Hedgewitch apologized while shooting her partner and husband an admonishing look, "I know how my uncle is a sore subject for you given the past the two of you share."
"I cannot help but wonder if things could have gone different if I had managed to convince the Aesir to leave the pup be, I mean of the three he was the only one who wasn't an open threat from the beginning." Fray mused as he closed up the panels on his hand. "I mean I know the Norns foretold he would eat Odin, but the circumstances and events surrounding that prophecy still left a lot open to interpretation. It could have been a reluctant act of mercy to bring an end to Ragnarok but no we had to make him our enemy."
"Come now Tyr, you have seen what that beast has done over the years- all the lives that he has ruined or ended- he even bit off and swallowed your hand for crying out loud, how can you defend him?" Jaegarsman all but shouted in response before Hedgewitch's gentle touch told him to back down.
"That was only after I tried to bind him twice, even I could tell that he was suspicious after those heavy chains almost held him. You know the saying right: 'Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.'" Tyr replied briefly staring at his cybernetic prosthesis before getting up from his bench. "At that point he knew that something was up, I would not have been allowed to bind him with Glepnir without sacrifice. Before he was bound he was guilty of nothing except being the object of a prophecy, he had made no packs or slain anything other than wild boar to sate his hunger."
"Even after Fenrir left to Vaniheim to roam the dark forests of Svarthelheim he would show no sign of hostility to the Vanir when they came to play with him, no Vali the act that made Fenrir into the monster that is Horfin was not the circumstances of his birth it was the naked betrayal of someone that he called friend... me."
"Anyway I noticed something else while Uncle and his pack were securing the goods that the Necromancer's spy stole from The Circle." Hedgewitch interjected trying to steer the conversation away from Vali and Tyr's usual argument concerning Fenrir. "I noticed that he was in communication with Madam Eventide, it appears that she is in Boston at the moment and that there is another operation about to begin soon- I think that Greygus was mentioned. Also The Necromancer's minion Lady Darke appeared to have somewhere to be in a hurry, she left as soon as she turned Dagon's Scepter over to the EOD member."
"This is not good," Tyr began to chew over the facts, "if Greygus and Eventide are in the city it could very well be to strike a blow against the Children of the Night for The Necromancer's transgression. But if the Children of the Night are already on the move that means they have their own operation about to go down today, I heard from Morrigan earlier that the Maidens of the East and West will be in Boston today for shopping and sight-seeing so this can't be a coincidence."
"The fact that The Necromancer has recently met with the Esoteric Order of Dagon only confirms this, the last thing that the Order wants is for the Maiden of the East to succeed this summer in Operation Flipper Liberation especially since it would immediately put all of the pieces in place for Operation Clean Tide." Tyr stated as he went over to his gear and began to suit up. "I am sorry to ask this of the two of you so soon but we have to protect those two girls, the future of the merfolk and the fae upon earth depends on the survival of the two of them."
"As if I would ever let anything take the Maiden of the West from this world," Hedgewitch shot back, "not after my father's sacrifice and everything that girl has already gone through! As for the Maiden of the East, the descendants of Apsu's people have been Dagon's slaves long enough, it is long past time for merfolk to return to Midgard's waters free of that traitor's arcane tyranny."
"Thank you Auda," Tyr smiled before raising the face-guard to his helmet, "Narfi would be proud of how his daughter turned out- were he here today I am certain he would be smiling with pride."
"I know," Hedgewitch responded while she and Jaegarsman awaited Fray's preparations to join them on the streets of Boston, "mom too, wherever they are now. And while you wait I'm going to make a phone call to an interested party."
Morrigan's 'Office' - Beneath Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
3:15 PM
Morrigan looked up as a very familiar right-hand held up a bottle of tea, she looked over her shoulder to see her husband's familiar face with a smirk on his face. "You know that you're not supposed to work on the Sabbath right?"
"Dear you and I both know that the original Sabbath wasn't Sunday," Morrigan replied as she took the bottle of ice tea briefly pressing it against her forehead, "that and I might be many things but a faithful Christian is not one of them."
"I know dear," Dagda chuckled, "I've seen you doing the sky clad commune with the Earth Mother enough times during our second honeymoon to know otherwise. So how do you like teaching again?"
"It's interesting, more than a few students are actually interesting in learning from a history teacher with first and second hand experience along with old fashioned research and degrees." Morrigan explained while looking over the papers that her students had sent her.
"How did you ever find the time to go to college?" Dagda asked out of curiosity, "I mean those missions with the Grey Barrow and all of the work that you do as the regent of the Western Court."
"Dear we were apart for centuries and most of my work for the Western Court was walking around with a target painted on my back," the Phantom Queen sighed. "I know that I didn't visit you but the fact is that Purgatory is not an easy place to visit unless you are either sent there or get there the hard way."
"I know it was just difficult," Dagda deflated in exasperation "all these years without you to be there."
"Why do you think that I made sure that the hotel we stayed at had handle bars on the ceiling and a bed with an Exemplar Four rating?" Morrigan asked with a hint of mirth in her voice, "Centuries of celibacy without even the gentle sound of your music or your poetic verses to keep me company was tough on me as well." Morrigan explained as she stroked her husband's face as if she were playing the strings of a dulcimer.
"All this time apart wasn't easy for me either," Morrigan sighed but at least I had my work to act as a distraction. "At least I had our son to keep me company."
"That is part of what I wanted to talk to you about," Dagda inquired out of concern, "How is Bodb Derg, he keeps making excuses whenever I try to talk with him."
"It's because he's ashamed," Morrigan explained, "he feels like he was a failure as a father and as a king. His daughters parted on bitter terms, Aebh died unable to recover after the giving birth to the twins, and he pressured her Aoife to take her place because he didn't want Lir to have too much influence over the grandchildren- which lead to the swan incident. By the time Aoife's curse lifted the Tuartha Dé Danann had agreed with the Nazareen to move Tir na Nog to the Wyldlands and they were stuck in the human world as mortals."
"Face it dear we cast a shadow that the boy, try as he might, never found his way out from under and into the sun. Even his line fell to the Famine, our only descendants are those of Brigid's son Cathasach from her second life's marriage," Morrigan admitted as she slumped in her chair, "at least there are plenty of them around. Speaking of children, I'm going to bar-hopping with Elizabeth tonight, she wants to know what being a maiden of the four courts implies, about Beatrice's future."
"She is not going to be happy when she finds out," Dagda explained as he glanced at a nearby map, "each of those four have difficult roads ahead of them, we can only hope that we can adequately equip and prepare them when the time comes for the task that lay ahead."
Just as he finished that sentence the phone on Morrigan's desk rang leading her husband to wait patiently as she fielded what was likely another call related to her new teaching position.
"Hello, this is Professor Redstag of the Whateley Academy History Department speaking; who may I ask is calling." Morrigan answered in her most professional tone after a few moments of listening her pleasant demeanor slipped into something that Dagda remembered all too well from the times when his people's cold war against the Fomorii turned hot, "No- I am afraid that I shall be unable to leave campus today, however I know someone that I think might be willing to assist you in this matter."
Morrigan looked at her husband with the fury that had led her to be known as the Phantom Queen emanating from her eyes and flowing across her face. "Dear would you be willing to run an errand to Boston real quick?" Morrigan asked with a very thin veneer of decorum to conceal her warrior's rage. "Charlie Darrow and his little gang of hooligans seem to have it in their pretty little heads to pick on Bea and Randi, would you be so kind as to give them a spanking with your stick?"
Dagda only smiled and shrugged, "I was just going to kick back with a keg and put on Masterpiece Theater, but this sounds like a far more entertaining evening. I'm going to go slap on some war paint, tell your friends that I'll be there in twenty."
Children of the Night's Safehouse
Boston, Massachusetts
3:50 PM
Charles Darrow smiled as he looked at the motion detectors ticking off the shambling horde's progress. Soon they would be to the transmission point, and he would earn liberation from the Sword of Damocles that he had been trying to shore up all his life. The fact is that this operation was both acting out the trial run of a system that he planned to use against the Sidhe Queen and her entourage in the future, if he had it ready back in January he would have succeeded in achieving a total victory rather than a partial one.
Still one of the real problems was that one of the most vital components to this system operating at peak capacity was thanks to Night Gaunt's incompetence, no longer available. As things stood Darrow he was relying on flawed copies of the Dark Force gems that he had made with a cultured dragon's pearl, if he was lucky these things would hold out a few hours, and then afterwards like his herd they too would have to be replaced. Still it was of little consequence, according to his contact at Whateley the Western Maiden was not a member of a team and only had a few weeks of informal combat training, while the Eastern Maiden had no combat training what-so-ever and required a wheelchair since she had yet to build up the strength to walk.
"This is Lycanthros reporting in, the broadcasters are setup and the substations are rigged, Darrow's loyal lieutenant reported over the com, "we are ready to begin whenever you give the word.
Darrow grabbed his helmet in one hand and the microphone in the other, "Then begin the operation, my ascension awaits!"
Copley Place - Back Bay
3:51 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
"Okay this one is more like it," I admitted to my classmates as I admired myself in the mirror. The dress in question was an earthy-green number that went down to my calves and the back only fell halfway down my own back, moreover the way the folds in... what did Eve call it- oh yeah the draping fabric worked so that I could take it to Cecilia in Dunwitch and get it altered for an easily concealed slit or fly for my tail.
It's been almost disturbing how much I've picked up on about women's fashion since I've changed, oh well since I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life I might as well adapt with the territory besides it's not like this new body has been without its benefits other than the obvious. For example if Candace really intended to wear that dress that she bought and showed off earlier at the Spring Cotillion, forget my earlier hesitation she'd probably talk me into a date without me giving it a second thought.
While I was giving the dress a few experimental swishes and turns to see how I moved in it the sales clerk, a young lady named Cassy, walked up behind me. "Would the young miss like to try on anything else, or would you like me to ring up the dress."
"I think that I will," I replied having appraised the merchandise- still I might need something, "on the other hand do you have any shoes that might go well with this dress."
"I think that we have a few pairs of low-heel open-toe wedges in the stock room." Cassy admitted before asking, "Would you happen to know your size?"
"Seven and a half," I admitted while I began to get undressed. I had the dress back on its hanger and had just picked up a blouse when I heard a scream. Fearing the worst I reached behind the ribbon on my neck and pressed the center gem on my collar to get my gear on (after throwing a quick illusion of myself at the camera in the dressing room- I hoped this was nothing but my gut told me otherwise.
From the blur that passed me Candace or rather Quickvix would be on it before me- considering that her combat training was limited to a few weeks of BMA and that incident with the fake Tiger Guards in New York I hoped that she was ready. As I rounded the corner to the stockroom a familiar smell hit my nose, I hope that I wasn't too late.
Copley Place - Back Bay
4:04 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I was sitting down, and leaning forward while Eve zipped up my dress when I heard a scream. Eve clearly didn't hear anything however before I could tell her anything we felt something zip past and by the time Eve opened the door to the dressing room and find out what was going on- Randi charged by in her full Faolan outfit.
By the time I had maneuvered myself back into my wheelchair, Gloria was already out of her own dressing room and in front of our own. "What happened?"
"I don't know we heard something, and then this blur went past followed by Randi in her business suit." I replied just as confused as Gloria was about the whole thing.
The three of us had left the dressing room when he heard Randi shouting from the stockroom, what we saw inside was shocking. Randi and someone that I took to be Candace were holding off what looked like the remains of a small group of zombies with a sword and a mace staff. Before the lot of us could do anything Candace knocked the last of them back with her staff followed by Randi slicing through its head.
"I-i-it t-tr-tried t-to eat me!" Cassy stammered in panic before Randi pulled a pouch from her purse and tossed a handful of dust in her face that caused her to fall asleep and partially vanish.
"Faolan, what is going on and what did you just do to that woman?" Glorianna demanded her FSA persona fully in command.
"Quickvix and I heard screaming coming from the stockroom and came to help, by the time that I got here Quickvix had already saved the sales clerk from becoming zombie chow and took out the shambler that tried to munch them with one of my knives." Randi or rather Faolan began to explain pointing out the severed zombie head pinned to the wall by a knife through its temple- smoke pouring out the end and more coming off the mithril blade after she pulled the now inanimate zombie head free.
"At that point more of them began to show up out of nowhere- literally." Quickvix pointed over to the corner of the stockroom where that was literally no way in or out. "At that point we did our best to take them out as they got here."
"As for the dust that's a potion of protective sleep," Randi stated as she took over for her roommate, "she'll be out and safe for the time being, the only reason that you even see her is because you already know that she's here."
Glorianna was about to continue her interrogation when Stormwolf's voice was raised over her Whately Security communicator. "Glorianna come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed active in area."
"Understood proceeding to retrograde packages for evac." Glorianna replied into her communicator before I snatched it away from her.
"That is a negative big dog, the packages will remain in area to assist." I proclaimed into the mike.
"That is a negative Aletheia," Stormwolf barked back, "you are not authorized to assist the police in dealing with cape level situation."
"Not to fight- to help evacuate the civilians to safety and assist the paramedics," I explained as adamant as I could. "I refuse to be lead to safety when there are still people in harm's way. Moreover The Necromancer unleashed mythos contaminated zombies and you are talking to one of the only three people in the city who can treat that should anyone get infected. Also stopping to render aide is the responsibility of every citizen not just police deputies like the Kimbas- we won't be fighting but we will be helping."
"Understood," Stormwolf answered admitting that for once someone other than Loophole out rule doctored him. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes send a speedster or teleporter to the Boston Rescue Mission," Faolan explained after I handed the communicator into her outstretched hand, "there is a large cauldron that you need to retrieve from there and bring to wherever the paramedics set up triage."
"Excuse me," Stormwolf replied in disbelief, "a cauldron from a soup kitchen?"
"Trust me it will come in very handy, just make sure it's clean," Randi replied back, "lives will depend on this."
Eve looked at me in the eyes while this was going on and asked, "Bea are you sure about this?"
"Eve," I explained from the bottom of my heart, "if I don't do this now I would be unable to forgive myself for the rest of my life."
7 years 5 days ago #19
by Insane Hiker
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Birthdate:
Unknown
Boston Commons
Boston, Massachusetts
3:51 PM EDT
"Alright," Adam Ironknife began as he eyed a blonde jogger going by, now actively participating with Richard Tanner's game. "Post-relationship, I can see the pin marks on her sweatshirt where a fraternity pin used to be. Not a sorority girl from the looks of it, so she's focused on a real career instead of partying on the weekends- from the haircut I wager law student."
"Yeah," Richard commented on Adam's assessment, "something about her just screams law school student- plus it's the right time for attendees from Boston U's Legal School to be between class and showing up for any internships at the local firms. See I knew that you'd be good at this once you took the stick out, you might want to leave it out too."
"I have to keep up appearances as an auxiliary for campus security Tanner, you know that," Ironknife retorted as the stern demeanor appeared once more. "A more relaxed approach might work for a public high school's safety patrol, but our academy is far from normal."
"Still you might want to loosen up every once in a while," Richard explained as he scanned the park for another target for their game. "You hold on to the ball too tightly it can mess up your game you know."
"You know Richard the entire world doesn't revolve around American Football," Rex commented as he received a horrified look from his roommate.
"You know there are places in this country where you can be burned at the stake for heresy for saying what you just did- right?" Richard Tanner shot back with a horrified look.
"Oh, yes the fabled small towns of the Midwest where the Lights of the Night of Frigg's Day are worshiped, and held in great reverence and those who bath in their glow are honored akin to gods amongst we mere mortals." Rex began to outlandishly mock the moment, "Until of course those honored gods in mortal trapping are cast aside by the skin of a sheep to descend into a life of mediocrity, and from that moment on those fallen warriors of the grid of iron constantly look back on that glorious peak of their lives so much so that they constantly try to relive it vicariously through their progeny."
"Come on," Richard defended himself to his roommate, "sports teach valuable skills for the real world if you pay attention. They emphasize teamwork, discipline, planning, dealing with unexpected situations..."
Their conversation was interrupted when the sky suddenly faded to black, "What the heck?" Was all that the former running back managed to get out before his attention was drawn by a nearby scream. A mother having taken her child out of a stroller to change a dirty diaper had fallen back in horror, desperately clutching her infant, as a clearly undead figure emerged from behind a nearby tree.
Stormwolf and Palleon initiated their respective costume changes, Stormwolf's via a tech-brace supplied to Wildpack by Thunderfox and Palleon's by a changeling bauble on the inside of his watchband that Quickvix had purchased from her roommate. Now disguised the pair acted with Stormwolf using a gust of wind to knock the zombie back while Palleon had raised his aura and took one of the concrete blocks lining the path and threw it right at the now prone shambler's head ending its threat.
"I'm going to note the damage to public property in my report Palleon." Stormwolf remarked as the pair went over to help the woman and her infant.
"The block should still be intact Stormwolf," Palleon replied as he helped the mother to her feet, Boston Parks and Recreation should be able to reinstall it for cheap after the folks at ARC sterilize it."
"Are you alright ma’am?" Palleon asked the shaking mother who was clearly still rattled from the experience as her infant was crying from the ordeal. Numb and still in shock the woman nodded in reply.
"Palleon keep her safe," Stormwolf ordered as he tapped the communicator on his helmet, "I'm going to radio the others and the police."
As Palleon helped the mother settle down to their bench Stormwolf connected with police dispatch, "Boston PD this is Stormwolf, we have had a zombie attack in Boston Commons please send a dispatch and a hazmat team to my location."
"We will respond ASAP Stormwolf," an officer with police dispatch replied over his receiver, "but you need to know that we have reports of zombie sightings all over town, and emergency crews are currently on route to multiple locations."
"Understood," Stormwolf responded as he began to contact the other chaperones one by one. "Gloriana come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed to be active in the area- I repeat Children of the Night are presumed to be active in the area- over."
"Understood proceeding to retrograde packages for evac- over." Glorianna replied over the communicator.
Unfortunately, this was followed a moment later by a voice Adam recognized all too clearly, Beatrice Carson "That is a negative big dog; the packages will remain in area to assist- over."
"That is a negative Aletheia," Stormwolf barked back through his communicator, "you are not authorized to assist the police in dealing with cape level situation. Proceed with Gloriana to the evac locations- over."
"Not to fight- to help evacuate the civilians to safety and assist the paramedics," Aletheia explained refusing to budge on the issue. "I refuse to be lead to safety when there are still people in harm's way. Moreover, The Necromancer unleashed mythos contaminated zombies and you are talking to one of the only three people in the city who can treat that should anyone get infected. Also, stopping to render aide is the responsibility of every citizen not just police deputies like the Kimbas- we won't be fighting but we will be helping- over."
"Understood," Stormwolf answered swearing that he needed to keep other students away from Loophole. "Is there anything else?- over."
"Yes send a speedster or teleporter to the Boston Rescue Mission," Faolan explained showing that the two of them were together with Glorianna, "there is a large cauldron that you need to retrieve from there and bring to wherever the paramedics set up triage- over."
"Excuse me," Stormwolf replied in disbelief, "a cauldron from a soup kitchen- over?"
"Trust me it will come in very handy, just make sure it's clean," Randi replied back, "lives will depend on this-over and out."
A few moments later Palleon returned alone, "I left the lady and her kid in the care of a meter maid, apparently, the Boston Police Department is stretched really thin right now; the lady actually told me to call in Team Kimba."
"Fortunately, that group is confined to Academy Grounds for the time being, unfortunately though it seems their spirit has infected others." Stormwolf huffed in frustration, "Aletheia refused to leave and Faolan wants me to send someone to pick-up a Cauldron at the Boston Rescue Mission."
The pair was so focused on their mission they neglected to see an odd look on Deuce's face.
Somerset Club - Roof
3:55 PM
Jabberwock secured his pack behind the Club's Marquis, waiting a moment for the visual cloak to take effect before taking out a pair of modified binoculars and searching the darkness that they'd blanketed the city with. Soon enough he spotted a zombie emerging from a nearby alleyway, as per orders he checked in with his current boss.
"Necromancer this is Jabberwock, come in Necromancer- over."
"This is Arcane Knight, the Necromancer is busy with other matters," the haunted suit of tech armor responded over the communicator, What is the situation- over?
"Latest package is secure and have spotted walkers on the surface," Jabberwock responded trying to sound professional despite his current indentured servitude to Darrow, "distribution system appears to be working- over."
"Roger- return to base to pick up the next package and proceed to the next location- over."
"Roger- be there soon- over and out." Jabberwock finished as he ended the communication, something about this part of the job was nagging at him but orders were orders.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Uniqlo
POV: Heather Bridges
3:57 PM
"Yeah Heather," Mirabel took in her friend's appearance, "that looks sharp on you, respectable yet youthful. It really is you."
"Thanks Mirabel," I smiled as I gave the vest and dress combo another spin, "I wanted to get a few outfit ideas for when my family visits in a few weeks."
Great open mouth, insert foot; nice one Heather maybe with some help you'll be ready to navigate a social minefield alive by the time you hit freshman year, today's explosive ordinance was Sherrie's parental situation, "Oh- Sherrie, I'm so sorry I forgot about-"
"It's okay Heather," Sherrie waved off my idiotic faux-pas, "you’re excited to see your family again. It's understandable since they originally wanted you to wait until High School to attend the Academy. Besides the school arranged for me to have teleconferences with my dad while an academic advisor is present starting Parent's Day- so I still get to see him, just not in person."
Arnold shook his head as he stood uncomfortably in the middle of the store, "I can never understand how ladies can spend so much time in a store trying on outfits and never buy anything."
The trio exchanged glances as if conferencing in some hidden code, while Heather returned the outfits that she and her friends tried on to the sales lady. With this latest bout of window-shopping out of the way, the trio of middle school girls all but pulled Arnold outside of the store, only pausing briefly as they took note at how dark it was outside despite it being the middle of the afternoon.
"I am about to tell you one of the biggest secrets of the opposite-sex Arnold, and if you ever breath a word of this to anyone I will hurt you in ways that even Solange can't conceive." Mirabel explained as she locked her gaze with the unwitting triple agent of Whateley Academy, "Ladies who like us, are not of means, shop like this to determine what looks good on us from the upper-end lines so that later we can go through the thrift stores and second-hand markets to recreate the look using our own creativity along with a little self-modification."
"I know how to mend and tailor so we don't need to see Cecelia," I sheepishly explained not wanting to mention that I learned those particular skills from a brownie named Coutah during my previous life as Plagiat's mystically-enslaved servant Fetch.
"So basically, the three of you are going to use your memories and go hunting through flea markets in Berlin next weekend to Frankenstein together outfits for the Spring Cotillion." Arnold deadpanned at the trio who were fast proving to be a lot more quick-witted than the Three Little Witches who were now the bane of Tansy Walcutt's existence yet somehow equally as aggravating.
Arnold Harvey was quickly jolted out of his train of thought by Stormwolf's voice coming in over his intercom, Aries come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed to be active in area."
"Affirmative," Arnold replied over his hidden Whateley Security Communicator to Stormwolf, "proceeding to take packages to the point of emergency extraction" extraction- over."
"Sorry ladies but Adam Killjoy just called and the parties over," Arnold responded to the trio we now have to file out to the emergency site that Campus Security told the chaperones about before the trip, no arguing."
"Why would we argue about this?" Sherrie asked in confusion.
"Um, some students wouldn't like their fun to get cut short," Arnold awkwardly responded somewhat unsure about the way the conversation was going.
"Hey, my family are capes going back two generations," Mirabel retorted, "I know a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot when I hear it, besides after what I've heard about the last three times it's smart not to be in Boston when whatever it is hits the fan."
"And I would like to avoid another encounter with the Grand Hall," I commented, 'for the rest of my life if possible.' Then again from the look of things my thoughts were showing on my face...again.
"O-kay," Arnold responded somewhat flustered by the duo but not willing to look the gift horse of a trio of middle school girls who were actually willing to follow orders in an emergency rather than trying to play hero.
"Aries this is Stormwolf," the head of the Wild Pack responded over the radio, "Change of plans, I need you to make a trip to the Boston Rescue Shelter and pick up a cauldron that was left there. We are going to be aiding the EMT's and the police with crowd control, and somehow this pot will help-over."
"Understood Stormwolf- over and out." Aries replied as he looked over his charges for the trip, "Listen you three need to-"
"Mister Harvey I think that I know what this is about," I decided to speak up, "The Undry, Dagda's Cauldron, Mister Redstag left it at the Boston Rescue Shelter to help them stretch out their food donations- I think I know what the plan for it is too. With your permission, I'd like for Sherrie and me to retrieve it, if we use our powers we can get it to the gathering point while you take Mirabel there with minimal risks involved."
Arnold weighed the consequences and made a quick decision, "Alright, I need to get Mirabel to the rally point; remember bring the target to Boston General not Schroeder Plaza we are assisting the EMTs as concerned citizens not the Boston Police Department as deputized capes."
"Understood," I responded with a salute as Sherrie and I changed into our costumes before I took Animalia's right-hand and brought her inside one of the thankfully empty changeling baubles that was embedded in her belt. Who would have thought that rhinestone gun mom found in Grandma Collins's attic would be so useful in creating a super-hero costume?
Now that our duo was down to one, I demonstrated my power as I jumped into my reflection in the storefront and once again entered a place all too familiar to me The Place of Smoke and Mirrors. Back when I was Gretchen Franks or Fetch it didn't bother me too much but now that I was Heather Bridges and Apparitia the sheer isolation of this never-ending series of corridors began to get to me at times, a place where I could hold back time as long as I shut out the outside world- a place where there was no when for as long as long as I didn't look through the looking glass.
Okay back on task, now Stormwolf and Aries know but there was a good reason why I knew about the Undry and where it was. What no one, Randi included, knew was that Morrigan paid me fifty bucks a day to keep an eye on the thing in my spare time, and given how I could pop over and back in a few seconds for as long as I was awake to do so it was money well-spent.
The reason for this wasn't theft, given the fact was Dagda would know the moment his cauldron was moved, but rather to make sure that the thing was only used for food. In the wrong hands, Dagda's cauldron could do a great deal of damage to the modern world.
It didn't take me long to find my usual vantage point, a ladle that hung in the Shelter's kitchen that I almost always used to keep an eye on the magic cauldron (as long as the ladle was clean)- only this time the view was less than hospitable. When I looked through I saw a shambling corpse- a nasty, rotting, putrid, festering zombie being held at bay by two volunteers with supplies from the cleaning closet namely a mop and a push broom.
I took my eyes off the scene for a moment and shut out the noise so that time wouldn’t pass within the room giving me time to make a plan; I went to my homemade utility belt and withdrew a mason jar filled with fluid and a rolled bundle. Briefly unrolling the bundle, and selecting two of the miniature throwing knives from the bundle before reversing the roll and strapping it to my right-thigh (just in case). With the two blades held between the fingers of my right-hand I unscrewed the lid of the mason jar and dipped them into the elixir that sis gave me in case of emergencies.
Taking a moment to screw the lid back on before returning the jar to my belt and switch one of the soaked blades to my left hand, I turned my eyes back to the couple defending themselves from the zombie, sending my right-arm through the ladle’s reflective surface I made use of my experience playing darts (one of the few pass-times that I had as Fetch) and threw the knife until it found its mark- inside of the attacking zombie’s neck.
Almost instantly the corpse spasmed and slumped over, seeing that the two mission workers were now safe, I exited the surface of the cooking implement asking, "Are you two alright?"
"Wh-who are you?" The woman asked with a push broom between me and herself, "Are you one of the Children of the Night?"
"Actually, I work for your benefactors," I responded while pocketing the remaining blade while taking out a plastic bag to seal up the one that I retrieved from the now still corpse. "They wanted someone to keep an eye on that cooking pot to make sure that its gifts weren't being abused, but right now it's needed to deal with the city's infestation of shamblers."
"How can a magic cooking pot help against a zombie invasion?" The man in the room all but shouted. "And what is with that knife.
"That is a piece of information that you really are better off not knowing," I explained as I pulled Animalia from her hiding spot on my belt, not wanting to explain to them how that pot could be used to whip up a lot more than their soup d'jour
"Is this the package?" Animalia asked her friend who gave a nod in reply, "Okay folks- don't worry we'll have it back when this is all over."
"But what will we do if any more zombies show up?" the lady volunteer demanded.
I didn't have the heart to leave them without a way to defend themselves, so I removed the mason jar of elixir from my belt once again and gave it over to the volunteers as Animalia tucked the cauldron into her own belt a little gift from me, "Dip a knife in this to take down any zombies that show up, and if anyone gets bit have them drink some. Just remember to turn over anything that you use against these shamblers to ARC later to be sterilized- they'll know what to do."
"I'm ready to go Apparitia!" Animalia replied as I helped my friend return to the empty jewel on my belt again before leaping back into the ladle- next stop Boston General.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
4:20 PM
"My deepest apologies Master Carcharoth," Hanna Ring explained to the ancient pseudo-werewolf as she lay prostrate on the warehouse floor before him, "they took me out faster than I could act. I don't even know what they took, I have failed you beyond measure please allow me to pay with my life before I fail you again."
"Hanna- Hanna- Hanna," the beast chided with a shake of his bestial head, "that would be a waste. The thing about life is that it offers so many opportunities, you may have failed me today but instead of letting your disappointment at this failure drive you to your end- harness it and temper it into rage. Use today's doubts and disappointments to hone your fangs and claws so that when you strike out at our foes in the future so that you will make their ends as- creative as possible."
"Gee- I hope whatever it was wasn't important." Greg Paulson remarked from his current spot between two of the enthralled workers. After he realized that he was wanted alive his cowering fear from earlier had waned, besides Erzebet Scratch had the reputation amongst the member of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom over actually having her head screwed on straight, even those who crossed her could still live- provided they didn't cross certain lines.
Greg Paulson was perfectly aware of those lines, concerning the safety and well-being of children; his only crime was being paid by one member to steal from another. Apart from the staff that his employer the Necromancer's clients in the Esoteric Order of Dagon were interested in he had everything here to be reclaimed- hell he could even say that he did them a favor by helping Carcharoth move his stuff from his old vault to Scratch's Warehouse.
Carcharoth's eyes all but flared at Greg Paulson's remarks, "You know just because Erzebet Scratch wants you alive doesn't mean that you need to be all in one piece." The monster stated as he stomped towards his prisoner while his two thralls held Greg Paulson firmly in place and at the beast's mercy. "I'm certain that a missing arm or leg wouldn't make any difference what-so-ever."
"Maybe but you had also told me that Erzebet Scratch would see to my punishment," Greg retorted as he struggled to avoid evacuating his bowels in terror- for a second time. "Wouldn't it be seen as an embarrassment to Mister Domino if his chief agent went against the will of the Obsidian Circle?"
It only took a moment to sink in but the demonic lupine was shaking with barely contained rage, his dark fur seemed to turn an even darker shade of black as it appeared to devour every stray photon of light that fell on it. With a dark glare that spoke of the beast's desire to tear the man apart like a ragdoll he proclaimed in a grave tone, "I hope that when The Hangman takes your soul that you have to wait centuries before he drains your soul dry and reduces you to nothing!"
After he stomped off in a frenzy Carcharoth put in another call to Greygus, "Greygus this is Carcharoth, tell me that you have a need for me in the field."
"Negative Carcharoth, the Erinyes and I are handling things just fine." The earth djinn replied over their secure line, "So far all we have on the streets are shamblers popping up out of no-where, no sign so far of the Children of the Night or their boss. We're doing what we can to herd the hoard away from the locals without announcing ourselves, we'll call you if we need the muscle but until Darrow pops out of his hole all you and yours will do is spook him into staying hidden. Remember the objective of this operation is three-fold: Step one- regain possession of the artifacts stolen from your vault. Step two; maintain stealth while reducing the number of enemy assets in the field. Step three, profit."
"That is not step three of the current plan Team Leader," Ekdikeo interrupted the line to deliver her usual dead-pan commentary.
"Killjoy," Greygus huffed back over the line, "anyway the current orders stand, wait until either Shuffle's Team arrives to relieve you from your post and take possession of objective alpha and beta, then you can join us in the field to keep objective gamma from taking action against delta and epsilon, but understand when you are removed from standby you are to follow my orders on when to engage."
"Fine but if the situation goes south then all bets are off." Carcharoth barked back growing even more impatient at being reduced to guard-dog.
"Fine but only to keep objective gamma and his assets from claiming or harming delta and epsilon," Greygus dropped his earlier facetious tone, "Over and out."
As the line went dead Carcharoth's ire only grew, Hanna took note of her Master's displeasure and smiled. Heaven help the Children of the Night when Shuffle arrived because when that happened she was certain that her Master would unleash his glorious wrath upon them.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Front Foyer
POV: Faolan: Rose of the West
4:27 PM
I made my way through the door of Boston General to find Storm Wolf waiting and looking very cross, not that I could tell- he always looked like something had crawled up his butt.
"Bridges what took you so long to get here?" the leader of the Wild Pack security auxiliaries inquired as he stared me down.
"Well..."
Flashback
Along Charles Street
4:12 PM
Kayla Gross stumbled back as the high-heel of her left-pump broke, struggled to get back to her feet she could only scream in terror as the festering cadaver shuffled towards her.
Only two feet from her she looked on in horror was the rotted monsters opened its gap-toothed mouth intent on a meal. Knowing that she was finished she closed her eyes rather than witness the inevitable.
What she didn't expect to hear was a was a series of oddly crystalline noises, when the end didn't come moments later she reluctantly opened her eyes, there only inches away was the formerly ambulatory corpse with frost coating his body.
"What happened?" Miss Gross asked baffled at the sight before her, the answer came in the form of a voice from above... literally.
"The problem with being a room temperature sack of muck, there's nothing to keep it from being frozen." A young lady standing on thin air and brandishing what looked like an antique rifle stated before she oddly enough hopped down from her perch of- nothing to the street below.
"Um- ah- thank you," Kayla stammered in confusion at the young lady who was clearly in her teens despite the odd mask obscuring her face.
"If you want to thank me you can help me escort those with me to Boston General," the mysterious young woman explained while gesturing at the small trail of other Bostonians who had caught up with her rescuer- some of whom seemed somewhat worse for wear.
"Ah-, okay," the woman replied somewhat embarrassed at how she missed something so obvious; although the fact that she had nearly become zombie chow was more than a worthy excuse. Taking note as the young lady stabbed the frozen zombie with a knife before the left for the hospital.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Front Foyer
POV: Faolan: Rose of the West
4:30 PM
A moment later a stream of civilians came pouring through the hospital doors some of whom were helping their fellow evacuees.
"I stopped along the way to help some civilians to safety," I remarked clearly displaying my prominent canine teeth as I gave Stormwolf a shit-eating grin (get that thought out of your heads right now you sickos- I only turn into a wolf). "Stopping to render aide is the act of a responsible citizen is it not? Plus, I don't think that hostile zombies have any legal rights-"
"I wouldn't joke about that," Quickvix explained as she helped a nurse load another patient onto a gurney, "before you know it there will be hearse-chasers arguing the rights of Necro-Americans."
"Can the comedy Quickvix!" Stormwolf barked out at my roommate, "Anyway Faolan, Aletheia explained that you knew of a way we could help stop the waves of the Necromancer's zombies. Apparitia explained that we couldn't do this without you when she and Animalia showed up with that antique pot."
Without a word, I walked over to where my little sister and her friend had setup Dagda's semi-legendary cooking pot with some rods to suspend barely off the ground, with an electric hotplate slid underneath and hooked up to an extension cord. "Waiting on you sis, did you bring the medicine?"
I smiled as I reached into my bag of holding and pulled out one of the mason jars that I'd filled with the Jar of Reality that Mrs. Redstag had left in my care- which was safely hidden in my dorm room back at the Whateley Academy. "I was coming to Crazy Town, like I wouldn't come prepared."
I poured the contents of the jar into the cauldron while sis turned on the hotplate underneath before closing the lid on the pot- now to wait about a minute for the magic to happen.
"Just what is this all about Faolan?" Stormwolf asked clearly growing impatient with the secrecy. "Just what are you and your group up to?"
"Well you see the potion that I just poured into the pot is an ancient elixir that was made long before the current age of civilization to deal with Mythos abominations," I began to explain to the head of the security auxiliaries. "When used on a normal person, whether they be human, mutant, fae, etc. the elixir acts as an antidote that neutralizes mythos elements in their system- it doesn't affect mythos based curses just physical elements and infections."
"However, when it comes to mythos beings or creatures animated by mythos elements; this elixir acts as a poison or neutralizing agent." I said with a smile, "In other words shoot a zombie with a dose of this stuff and it's just another non-reanimated corpse."
"She's not kidding," Apparitia explained while she stepped back from the now red hotplate, "I stuck a throwing knife covered in this stuff in the back of a zombie when Animalia and I were picking up the cauldron and it just keeled over without so much as twitching."
"Are you saying that you put yourself in harm's way?" Stormwolf asked to the point of accusing while he stared down my sister.
"Nope I threw it from inside a reflection." My sister did her best to explain, "Although it must have looked weird for those two volunteers to see an arm clutching a throwing knife sticking out the side of a soup ladle."
"That still doesn't explain why you needed to risk yourself by retrieving this thing in the first place."
"This thing as you call it is called the Undry, and has an enchantment that is very useful," I began to explain as Aletheia came over using her armor to hover in mid-air in her mermaid form of an accompanying doctor who was busy arguing with her, when they were close enough I took off the lid exposing a cauldron full of the ancient elixir. "It never runs empty so long as its contents are needed, usually this is used to feed the hungry but it can also be used to increase quantities of a completed potion."
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
4:47 PM
"So, this mixture will really help us with the injured?" Doctor Kuzinich asked as he eyed the current contents of Mister Redstag's cauldron, "We'll have there is no way that we can sterilize this stuff for injection, and there is no way that I will authorize it for use on my patients."
"There is no need," Faolan commented as she gave the doctor a harsh look, "This stuff as you call it has served as an oral vaccine against creatures like these zombies for centuries. I even used it to treat just this sort of infection before; heck I've used it to treat infections from things far worse than these stupid zombies."
"Now everybody just calm down," Stormwolf advised as I swam in place it is still weird swimming in air I really need to get the hang of my land legs, "we have used this substance in the past dealing with hostiles before. It's not harmful to people only infectious Class-X entity based toxins.
"Such as what the Necromancer uses to turn cadavers into infectious zombies;" I added in, "we also have the police on their way to load it into tranquilizer darts to neutralize the zombies, but at least this way we'll have more than enough to help anybody who needs it, and give the police what they need to fight back."
"The real problem is we don't know how the Necromancer is distributing his horde in the city." Faolan grumbled knowing; I knew that part of her wanted to help but knew that if she did blindly that she might wind up causing an even bigger problem- one didn't have to be a telepath to know how to read people after all.
"Doctor K," I spoke up trying to grab the doctor's attention, "is there anything else that we can do? I'm only asking because it seems that you seem too stretched rather thin at the moment."
"Yes, but I'm not allowed to allow healer-type mutants to use their powers due to constraints placed by the laws and rules of the American Medical Association." Doctor Kuzinich responded showing that really his hands were tied on the matter.
"Are individuals with proper emergency medical certification forbidden from helping out?" I replied hoping to counter his argument, "I know that Faolan is a fully certified lifeguard and her enhanced senses might help out with triage."
Everyone turned to regard my close friend with a look of disbelief, "My grandmother insists on it for every family member who wants to work at her place for the summer."
That was everyone's turn to regard Apparitia given about the validity of her older sister's statement, "It's true but I'm too young to officially take the test."
"It's usually SOP for capes to get a copy of their Emergency Certifications with their alias through the Red Cross with the aid of DPA retained attorney and a properly redacted set of documents," Stormwolf explained as he pulled out his First Responders card out of his combat wallet (an ugly piece of work sold at the campus store and that's made of reinforced nylon- and comes in the same colors as the markers in a highlighter set). "You can read the strips to make sure their legit with the Red Cross's database."
"Alright, since you’re here for the time being I might as well see if any of your masks can help out." The Chief Physician surrendered to my offer.
"I'll stay here and help the kids assist the police," when they arrive Aries volunteered.
"Speak for yourself!" Nightingale stepped towards Doctor Kuzinich as she pulled out her own combat wallet and presented her certification card, "It may not be much but I am trained in Emergency First-Aid, it's all I can get at my age and my parents insisted."
"Fine," Doctor Kuzinich threw up his hands in defeat, "anyone any kind of medical certification report to the desk for volunteer sign-in and have your certification ID's handy- one of the Registered Nurses will assign you to a medical team. Remember you will only be assisting so stay out of the way unless they need you."
"You heard the doctor!" Glorianna exclaimed as she took charge, "Everyone with the proper credentials to the desk, everyone else stay here to help out with distributing the elixir to the hospital personnel and help the Boston Police Department once they arrive with the tranq dart loading station from the precinct."
Union Oyster House
4:59 PM
Rex Hollenbeck stepped into the restaurant not knowing just what to expect, he had tried looking up this Eddie Black earlier in the week but the name was so generic that he might as well have been randomly pulling up pages on the internet. Still he promised that he could do something to bring him together with Candace and that was an offer that was just too tempting for him to turn down.
Still it was odd along the way he saw people panicking as zombies began to emerge into the streets, yet inside this restaurant it was as if nothing was going on outside- just what was going on here?
"Pardon me sir but do you have a reservation or would you rather wait to be seated?" the maître d' asked as he drew Rex's attention.
"Um- I was told that someone wanted to meet me here," Rex explained as he handed the man at the maître d's podium the card that came with his letter, "it said his name was Eddie Black."
"Yes, you must be Rex Hollenbeck," the nameless gentleman in the suit explained, "Mister Black is expecting you at table five."
The greater then marked Rex's name off the list of expected arrivals before escorting him inside the building. Without a word the member of the Neo Etnaian team followed the greeter further into the building to a booth that had to have been table five. The man that Rex presumed was Eddie Black was dressed in a suit that looked like it belonged in a movie set during the Victorian Period, yet given that it showed no signs of being vintage to that time period- meant that he could afford to have it custom made.
"Welcome Mister Hallenbeck," Eddie Black said as he took notice while pausing from the cup of tea that he had been drinking, "I have been expecting you. Sir you may leave us- I believe about three trays of the House Special should be sufficient."
"Very well sir," the maître d' stated before adding, "however if you change your minds, I shall leave the menu here and the waiter will be ready to take any additional orders."
"Of course," Mister Black waved off the greeter as Rex settled in across the booth from his host.
After the greeter left, Eddie Black set down his teacup and acknowledged Rex for the first time, "I see my invitation arrived on time, for your little sojourn into Boston. I take it that my promise piqued your interest."
"Yeah," Rex replied as he scrutinized his host, "a complete stranger learns where I am, how to get in touch with me, and knows enough about me to offer me exactly what I would want; of course, I'm going to come and see what this is all about."
"Now young Mister Hallenbeck, I am hardly a complete stranger; in fact, you and your friends came to my attention a few months ago." Mister Black began to explain further drawing Rex's attention.
"That is also how things remain so calm in here, I have an upgraded version of the device that I employed at the ballrooms of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York operating here," Mister Black stated as he smiled and laced his gloved fingers together. "Only rather than amplify panic here it is programmed to amplify calm, combined with a perception filter that I installed on the restaurant’s threshold. Panicking civilians and zombies will just walk right by; I even put a little something in here so the Necromancer's distribution system will bypass the restaurant; so, provided that you slipped away from your school mates we are free to talk."
Rex's eyes narrowed in fear, just an arm’s reach across the table from him was one of the biggest criminals in the world, he was in a restaurant in downtown Boston with Professor Id. One wrong move and Rex knew that he would be a dead man before he ever had the chance to truly become a man; he had no way out and because he had gone to the restaurant in secret leaving Ace behind in his place, then nobody was on the way to rescue him.
All Rex could do was hear the super-villain out because that was likely the only way that he'd ever get out of this alive. Still the million-dollar question remained, just what did Professor Id want with him?
Copley Place - Roof
5:07 PM
"Jabberwock here- Final package in place boss," Jabberwock stated as he took a lookout at the commotion at Massachusetts General, "still no signs of the targets though, or any capes aside from the local flavors- I even spotted the freaking Lamplighter over on Geneva but our targets are all no shows- over."
"Unfortunately Aletheia and Faolan appear to be cut from a different cloth than Team Kimba," Darrow grumbled over the radio, "Still I have a good idea where they are, radio chatter on the police band is talking about a number of known and unknown heroes assisting the doctors at Massachusetts General- chances are good that our targets are among them-over."
"Okay," the warper rolled his eyes at his current 'employer', "I'll pop-over to the hotel across the street and survey the situation- over and out."
As soon as Jabberwock had left the area a winged figure materialized and touched down on the roof.
Taking a moment to survey the area for anything unusual the masked woman, in what appeared to be armor inspired by the Ancient-Persian Anusyas, tapped her com.
"Ekdikeo here- Jabberwock appears to be on the move again, still no sign of the real Children of the Night- over."
"Roger- continue surveillance Ekdikeo," Greygus replied in her earpiece, "do not engage- we want Darrow's crew out of their holes and in the open when we strike- over.
"I hope they pop out soon then," Skleeros interjected, "Carcharoth is panting like a mutt watching the kitchen stove, when Shuffle's crew gets here orders or no orders he'll be on the front lines in this fight- over."
"Unfortunate but true," Greygus sighed over the com, "All that time on his last major assignment did nothing to smooth over his rough edges- all it did was make them more pronounced- over."
"Understood," the eldest of the Lilin replied as she took to the air once again, "proceeding to next destination- over and out."
Marriott-Execustay - Roof
5:11 PM
Now on the roof of the Marriott Hotel in downtown Boston Jabberwock pulled out a pair of binoculars and observed the hospital bellow, "This is Jabberwock, I'm observing Massachusetts General and am prepared to give my report- over."
"Very well Jabberwock," Darrow responded, "Tell me what you see from your perspective- over.
"At the moment, nothing more than a series of cop cars coming and going every few minutes, " Jabberwock stated as he looked through his binoculars, "they seem to be picking something up- over. "
"Yes, this seems to reflect what I’m hearing over the police band," the Necromancer mused for a moment, it appears that one of our targets or their associates have a potion that can neutralize my zombies; the would-be heroes are arming the police with tranquilizer rounds full of this potion."[/i]
"Well I guess that this plan is a total bust," Jabberwock laughed as he leaned back more than ready for the weekend to begin. "at least the Esoteric Order of Dagon got the staff they had our mole steel- right- over.”
"Not necessarily," Darrow replied with a dark laugh, "you see when a threat fails to lure a hero out of hiding then just play on their conscious. Now it’s time to show you what those packages were for."
Jabberwock heard a beep before a series of explosions rang out around Boston, "What did you just do?" the mercenary asked with a singing feeling in his gut.
"Plan B, I had you set a series of C4 incendiary-explosives around the city, way more than police and emergency services could deal with. Our targets and every mask in the city will be out trying to save anyone caught in the blasts and resulting fires; we already know that the mermaid is a healer- she will not be able to stay away from helping- over and out.
As the Necromancer hung up the line on his end Jabberwock felt numb, just what had he signed up for?
Boston Opera House - Roof
5:20 PM
Greygus shook in rage and despair as he listened to the cries of fear and panic; it was hard enough to stay out of this when it was just zombies involved, but trapped people. He gripped the brick before him so hard that it began to crack as he did his best to restrain himself. Darrow was going to pay for this; the Obsidian Circle’s blessing or not- the Necromancer needed to be brought to task for this atrocity.
"That's it," he barked out at the chaos unfolding in the streets of Boston, "mission be damned I have never let anyone die if I can help it!"
As Greygus was about to go into action a trio of winged figures descended on him from above and with a gesture bound the djinn with a weathered and rusted chain that had obviously seen better days. "Greygus I know that you hate things like this happening, but we cannot show our hand too soon. If Darrow and his servants know that we are in town they will go to ground, and we might miss our shot at him."
Greygus quaked in fury at the actions of the Erinyes, although he knew that their actions were the proper one to take in the situation; still a darker part of him that he hated to give attention to reminded him that he still had an ace up his sleeve.
Struggling for a moment Greygus tapped his communicator to the disbelief of his fellow operatives, a few moments later his ace answered, "Yeah Greygus, this is Carcharoth, any new developments?- over."
"Yes Carcharoth, a new mission," Greygus explained in an even tone, "as soon as your relief arrives, you are to hunt down the Necromancer and use him as a chew rag- over and out!"
The trio of lilin elders looked at Greygus in shock as he ended the communication; still the djinn knew that no matter what the outcome today would be a day that the Necromancer would never forget. The simple truth was that there were times the densest warlocks in the Grand Hall needed to learn that there were some lines and even beings that even they shouldn’t cross- and there was even a possibility that Darrow or at least that apprentice that he was safeguarding would live to learn this.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 14
Boston Commons
Boston, Massachusetts
3:51 PM EDT
"Alright," Adam Ironknife began as he eyed a blonde jogger going by, now actively participating with Richard Tanner's game. "Post-relationship, I can see the pin marks on her sweatshirt where a fraternity pin used to be. Not a sorority girl from the looks of it, so she's focused on a real career instead of partying on the weekends- from the haircut I wager law student."
"Yeah," Richard commented on Adam's assessment, "something about her just screams law school student- plus it's the right time for attendees from Boston U's Legal School to be between class and showing up for any internships at the local firms. See I knew that you'd be good at this once you took the stick out, you might want to leave it out too."
"I have to keep up appearances as an auxiliary for campus security Tanner, you know that," Ironknife retorted as the stern demeanor appeared once more. "A more relaxed approach might work for a public high school's safety patrol, but our academy is far from normal."
"Still you might want to loosen up every once in a while," Richard explained as he scanned the park for another target for their game. "You hold on to the ball too tightly it can mess up your game you know."
"You know Richard the entire world doesn't revolve around American Football," Rex commented as he received a horrified look from his roommate.
"You know there are places in this country where you can be burned at the stake for heresy for saying what you just did- right?" Richard Tanner shot back with a horrified look.
"Oh, yes the fabled small towns of the Midwest where the Lights of the Night of Frigg's Day are worshiped, and held in great reverence and those who bath in their glow are honored akin to gods amongst we mere mortals." Rex began to outlandishly mock the moment, "Until of course those honored gods in mortal trapping are cast aside by the skin of a sheep to descend into a life of mediocrity, and from that moment on those fallen warriors of the grid of iron constantly look back on that glorious peak of their lives so much so that they constantly try to relive it vicariously through their progeny."
"Come on," Richard defended himself to his roommate, "sports teach valuable skills for the real world if you pay attention. They emphasize teamwork, discipline, planning, dealing with unexpected situations..."
Their conversation was interrupted when the sky suddenly faded to black, "What the heck?" Was all that the former running back managed to get out before his attention was drawn by a nearby scream. A mother having taken her child out of a stroller to change a dirty diaper had fallen back in horror, desperately clutching her infant, as a clearly undead figure emerged from behind a nearby tree.
Stormwolf and Palleon initiated their respective costume changes, Stormwolf's via a tech-brace supplied to Wildpack by Thunderfox and Palleon's by a changeling bauble on the inside of his watchband that Quickvix had purchased from her roommate. Now disguised the pair acted with Stormwolf using a gust of wind to knock the zombie back while Palleon had raised his aura and took one of the concrete blocks lining the path and threw it right at the now prone shambler's head ending its threat.
"I'm going to note the damage to public property in my report Palleon." Stormwolf remarked as the pair went over to help the woman and her infant.
"The block should still be intact Stormwolf," Palleon replied as he helped the mother to her feet, Boston Parks and Recreation should be able to reinstall it for cheap after the folks at ARC sterilize it."
"Are you alright ma’am?" Palleon asked the shaking mother who was clearly still rattled from the experience as her infant was crying from the ordeal. Numb and still in shock the woman nodded in reply.
"Palleon keep her safe," Stormwolf ordered as he tapped the communicator on his helmet, "I'm going to radio the others and the police."
As Palleon helped the mother settle down to their bench Stormwolf connected with police dispatch, "Boston PD this is Stormwolf, we have had a zombie attack in Boston Commons please send a dispatch and a hazmat team to my location."
"We will respond ASAP Stormwolf," an officer with police dispatch replied over his receiver, "but you need to know that we have reports of zombie sightings all over town, and emergency crews are currently on route to multiple locations."
"Understood," Stormwolf responded as he began to contact the other chaperones one by one. "Gloriana come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed to be active in the area- I repeat Children of the Night are presumed to be active in the area- over."
"Understood proceeding to retrograde packages for evac- over." Glorianna replied over the communicator.
Unfortunately, this was followed a moment later by a voice Adam recognized all too clearly, Beatrice Carson "That is a negative big dog; the packages will remain in area to assist- over."
"That is a negative Aletheia," Stormwolf barked back through his communicator, "you are not authorized to assist the police in dealing with cape level situation. Proceed with Gloriana to the evac locations- over."
"Not to fight- to help evacuate the civilians to safety and assist the paramedics," Aletheia explained refusing to budge on the issue. "I refuse to be lead to safety when there are still people in harm's way. Moreover, The Necromancer unleashed mythos contaminated zombies and you are talking to one of the only three people in the city who can treat that should anyone get infected. Also, stopping to render aide is the responsibility of every citizen not just police deputies like the Kimbas- we won't be fighting but we will be helping- over."
"Understood," Stormwolf answered swearing that he needed to keep other students away from Loophole. "Is there anything else?- over."
"Yes send a speedster or teleporter to the Boston Rescue Mission," Faolan explained showing that the two of them were together with Glorianna, "there is a large cauldron that you need to retrieve from there and bring to wherever the paramedics set up triage- over."
"Excuse me," Stormwolf replied in disbelief, "a cauldron from a soup kitchen- over?"
"Trust me it will come in very handy, just make sure it's clean," Randi replied back, "lives will depend on this-over and out."
A few moments later Palleon returned alone, "I left the lady and her kid in the care of a meter maid, apparently, the Boston Police Department is stretched really thin right now; the lady actually told me to call in Team Kimba."
"Fortunately, that group is confined to Academy Grounds for the time being, unfortunately though it seems their spirit has infected others." Stormwolf huffed in frustration, "Aletheia refused to leave and Faolan wants me to send someone to pick-up a Cauldron at the Boston Rescue Mission."
The pair was so focused on their mission they neglected to see an odd look on Deuce's face.
Somerset Club - Roof
3:55 PM
Jabberwock secured his pack behind the Club's Marquis, waiting a moment for the visual cloak to take effect before taking out a pair of modified binoculars and searching the darkness that they'd blanketed the city with. Soon enough he spotted a zombie emerging from a nearby alleyway, as per orders he checked in with his current boss.
"Necromancer this is Jabberwock, come in Necromancer- over."
"This is Arcane Knight, the Necromancer is busy with other matters," the haunted suit of tech armor responded over the communicator, What is the situation- over?
"Latest package is secure and have spotted walkers on the surface," Jabberwock responded trying to sound professional despite his current indentured servitude to Darrow, "distribution system appears to be working- over."
"Roger- return to base to pick up the next package and proceed to the next location- over."
"Roger- be there soon- over and out." Jabberwock finished as he ended the communication, something about this part of the job was nagging at him but orders were orders.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Uniqlo
POV: Heather Bridges
3:57 PM
"Yeah Heather," Mirabel took in her friend's appearance, "that looks sharp on you, respectable yet youthful. It really is you."
"Thanks Mirabel," I smiled as I gave the vest and dress combo another spin, "I wanted to get a few outfit ideas for when my family visits in a few weeks."
Great open mouth, insert foot; nice one Heather maybe with some help you'll be ready to navigate a social minefield alive by the time you hit freshman year, today's explosive ordinance was Sherrie's parental situation, "Oh- Sherrie, I'm so sorry I forgot about-"
"It's okay Heather," Sherrie waved off my idiotic faux-pas, "you’re excited to see your family again. It's understandable since they originally wanted you to wait until High School to attend the Academy. Besides the school arranged for me to have teleconferences with my dad while an academic advisor is present starting Parent's Day- so I still get to see him, just not in person."
Arnold shook his head as he stood uncomfortably in the middle of the store, "I can never understand how ladies can spend so much time in a store trying on outfits and never buy anything."
The trio exchanged glances as if conferencing in some hidden code, while Heather returned the outfits that she and her friends tried on to the sales lady. With this latest bout of window-shopping out of the way, the trio of middle school girls all but pulled Arnold outside of the store, only pausing briefly as they took note at how dark it was outside despite it being the middle of the afternoon.
"I am about to tell you one of the biggest secrets of the opposite-sex Arnold, and if you ever breath a word of this to anyone I will hurt you in ways that even Solange can't conceive." Mirabel explained as she locked her gaze with the unwitting triple agent of Whateley Academy, "Ladies who like us, are not of means, shop like this to determine what looks good on us from the upper-end lines so that later we can go through the thrift stores and second-hand markets to recreate the look using our own creativity along with a little self-modification."
"I know how to mend and tailor so we don't need to see Cecelia," I sheepishly explained not wanting to mention that I learned those particular skills from a brownie named Coutah during my previous life as Plagiat's mystically-enslaved servant Fetch.
"So basically, the three of you are going to use your memories and go hunting through flea markets in Berlin next weekend to Frankenstein together outfits for the Spring Cotillion." Arnold deadpanned at the trio who were fast proving to be a lot more quick-witted than the Three Little Witches who were now the bane of Tansy Walcutt's existence yet somehow equally as aggravating.
Arnold Harvey was quickly jolted out of his train of thought by Stormwolf's voice coming in over his intercom, Aries come in, abort trip, I repeat abort trip- Code Yellow. Children of the Night presumed to be active in area."
"Affirmative," Arnold replied over his hidden Whateley Security Communicator to Stormwolf, "proceeding to take packages to the point of emergency extraction" extraction- over."
"Sorry ladies but Adam Killjoy just called and the parties over," Arnold responded to the trio we now have to file out to the emergency site that Campus Security told the chaperones about before the trip, no arguing."
"Why would we argue about this?" Sherrie asked in confusion.
"Um, some students wouldn't like their fun to get cut short," Arnold awkwardly responded somewhat unsure about the way the conversation was going.
"Hey, my family are capes going back two generations," Mirabel retorted, "I know a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot when I hear it, besides after what I've heard about the last three times it's smart not to be in Boston when whatever it is hits the fan."
"And I would like to avoid another encounter with the Grand Hall," I commented, 'for the rest of my life if possible.' Then again from the look of things my thoughts were showing on my face...again.
"O-kay," Arnold responded somewhat flustered by the duo but not willing to look the gift horse of a trio of middle school girls who were actually willing to follow orders in an emergency rather than trying to play hero.
"Aries this is Stormwolf," the head of the Wild Pack responded over the radio, "Change of plans, I need you to make a trip to the Boston Rescue Shelter and pick up a cauldron that was left there. We are going to be aiding the EMT's and the police with crowd control, and somehow this pot will help-over."
"Understood Stormwolf- over and out." Aries replied as he looked over his charges for the trip, "Listen you three need to-"
"Mister Harvey I think that I know what this is about," I decided to speak up, "The Undry, Dagda's Cauldron, Mister Redstag left it at the Boston Rescue Shelter to help them stretch out their food donations- I think I know what the plan for it is too. With your permission, I'd like for Sherrie and me to retrieve it, if we use our powers we can get it to the gathering point while you take Mirabel there with minimal risks involved."
Arnold weighed the consequences and made a quick decision, "Alright, I need to get Mirabel to the rally point; remember bring the target to Boston General not Schroeder Plaza we are assisting the EMTs as concerned citizens not the Boston Police Department as deputized capes."
"Understood," I responded with a salute as Sherrie and I changed into our costumes before I took Animalia's right-hand and brought her inside one of the thankfully empty changeling baubles that was embedded in her belt. Who would have thought that rhinestone gun mom found in Grandma Collins's attic would be so useful in creating a super-hero costume?
Now that our duo was down to one, I demonstrated my power as I jumped into my reflection in the storefront and once again entered a place all too familiar to me The Place of Smoke and Mirrors. Back when I was Gretchen Franks or Fetch it didn't bother me too much but now that I was Heather Bridges and Apparitia the sheer isolation of this never-ending series of corridors began to get to me at times, a place where I could hold back time as long as I shut out the outside world- a place where there was no when for as long as long as I didn't look through the looking glass.
Okay back on task, now Stormwolf and Aries know but there was a good reason why I knew about the Undry and where it was. What no one, Randi included, knew was that Morrigan paid me fifty bucks a day to keep an eye on the thing in my spare time, and given how I could pop over and back in a few seconds for as long as I was awake to do so it was money well-spent.
The reason for this wasn't theft, given the fact was Dagda would know the moment his cauldron was moved, but rather to make sure that the thing was only used for food. In the wrong hands, Dagda's cauldron could do a great deal of damage to the modern world.
It didn't take me long to find my usual vantage point, a ladle that hung in the Shelter's kitchen that I almost always used to keep an eye on the magic cauldron (as long as the ladle was clean)- only this time the view was less than hospitable. When I looked through I saw a shambling corpse- a nasty, rotting, putrid, festering zombie being held at bay by two volunteers with supplies from the cleaning closet namely a mop and a push broom.
I took my eyes off the scene for a moment and shut out the noise so that time wouldn’t pass within the room giving me time to make a plan; I went to my homemade utility belt and withdrew a mason jar filled with fluid and a rolled bundle. Briefly unrolling the bundle, and selecting two of the miniature throwing knives from the bundle before reversing the roll and strapping it to my right-thigh (just in case). With the two blades held between the fingers of my right-hand I unscrewed the lid of the mason jar and dipped them into the elixir that sis gave me in case of emergencies.
Taking a moment to screw the lid back on before returning the jar to my belt and switch one of the soaked blades to my left hand, I turned my eyes back to the couple defending themselves from the zombie, sending my right-arm through the ladle’s reflective surface I made use of my experience playing darts (one of the few pass-times that I had as Fetch) and threw the knife until it found its mark- inside of the attacking zombie’s neck.
Almost instantly the corpse spasmed and slumped over, seeing that the two mission workers were now safe, I exited the surface of the cooking implement asking, "Are you two alright?"
"Wh-who are you?" The woman asked with a push broom between me and herself, "Are you one of the Children of the Night?"
"Actually, I work for your benefactors," I responded while pocketing the remaining blade while taking out a plastic bag to seal up the one that I retrieved from the now still corpse. "They wanted someone to keep an eye on that cooking pot to make sure that its gifts weren't being abused, but right now it's needed to deal with the city's infestation of shamblers."
"How can a magic cooking pot help against a zombie invasion?" The man in the room all but shouted. "And what is with that knife.
"That is a piece of information that you really are better off not knowing," I explained as I pulled Animalia from her hiding spot on my belt, not wanting to explain to them how that pot could be used to whip up a lot more than their soup d'jour
"Is this the package?" Animalia asked her friend who gave a nod in reply, "Okay folks- don't worry we'll have it back when this is all over."
"But what will we do if any more zombies show up?" the lady volunteer demanded.
I didn't have the heart to leave them without a way to defend themselves, so I removed the mason jar of elixir from my belt once again and gave it over to the volunteers as Animalia tucked the cauldron into her own belt a little gift from me, "Dip a knife in this to take down any zombies that show up, and if anyone gets bit have them drink some. Just remember to turn over anything that you use against these shamblers to ARC later to be sterilized- they'll know what to do."
"I'm ready to go Apparitia!" Animalia replied as I helped my friend return to the empty jewel on my belt again before leaping back into the ladle- next stop Boston General.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
4:20 PM
"My deepest apologies Master Carcharoth," Hanna Ring explained to the ancient pseudo-werewolf as she lay prostrate on the warehouse floor before him, "they took me out faster than I could act. I don't even know what they took, I have failed you beyond measure please allow me to pay with my life before I fail you again."
"Hanna- Hanna- Hanna," the beast chided with a shake of his bestial head, "that would be a waste. The thing about life is that it offers so many opportunities, you may have failed me today but instead of letting your disappointment at this failure drive you to your end- harness it and temper it into rage. Use today's doubts and disappointments to hone your fangs and claws so that when you strike out at our foes in the future so that you will make their ends as- creative as possible."
"Gee- I hope whatever it was wasn't important." Greg Paulson remarked from his current spot between two of the enthralled workers. After he realized that he was wanted alive his cowering fear from earlier had waned, besides Erzebet Scratch had the reputation amongst the member of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom over actually having her head screwed on straight, even those who crossed her could still live- provided they didn't cross certain lines.
Greg Paulson was perfectly aware of those lines, concerning the safety and well-being of children; his only crime was being paid by one member to steal from another. Apart from the staff that his employer the Necromancer's clients in the Esoteric Order of Dagon were interested in he had everything here to be reclaimed- hell he could even say that he did them a favor by helping Carcharoth move his stuff from his old vault to Scratch's Warehouse.
Carcharoth's eyes all but flared at Greg Paulson's remarks, "You know just because Erzebet Scratch wants you alive doesn't mean that you need to be all in one piece." The monster stated as he stomped towards his prisoner while his two thralls held Greg Paulson firmly in place and at the beast's mercy. "I'm certain that a missing arm or leg wouldn't make any difference what-so-ever."
"Maybe but you had also told me that Erzebet Scratch would see to my punishment," Greg retorted as he struggled to avoid evacuating his bowels in terror- for a second time. "Wouldn't it be seen as an embarrassment to Mister Domino if his chief agent went against the will of the Obsidian Circle?"
It only took a moment to sink in but the demonic lupine was shaking with barely contained rage, his dark fur seemed to turn an even darker shade of black as it appeared to devour every stray photon of light that fell on it. With a dark glare that spoke of the beast's desire to tear the man apart like a ragdoll he proclaimed in a grave tone, "I hope that when The Hangman takes your soul that you have to wait centuries before he drains your soul dry and reduces you to nothing!"
After he stomped off in a frenzy Carcharoth put in another call to Greygus, "Greygus this is Carcharoth, tell me that you have a need for me in the field."
"Negative Carcharoth, the Erinyes and I are handling things just fine." The earth djinn replied over their secure line, "So far all we have on the streets are shamblers popping up out of no-where, no sign so far of the Children of the Night or their boss. We're doing what we can to herd the hoard away from the locals without announcing ourselves, we'll call you if we need the muscle but until Darrow pops out of his hole all you and yours will do is spook him into staying hidden. Remember the objective of this operation is three-fold: Step one- regain possession of the artifacts stolen from your vault. Step two; maintain stealth while reducing the number of enemy assets in the field. Step three, profit."
"That is not step three of the current plan Team Leader," Ekdikeo interrupted the line to deliver her usual dead-pan commentary.
"Killjoy," Greygus huffed back over the line, "anyway the current orders stand, wait until either Shuffle's Team arrives to relieve you from your post and take possession of objective alpha and beta, then you can join us in the field to keep objective gamma from taking action against delta and epsilon, but understand when you are removed from standby you are to follow my orders on when to engage."
"Fine but if the situation goes south then all bets are off." Carcharoth barked back growing even more impatient at being reduced to guard-dog.
"Fine but only to keep objective gamma and his assets from claiming or harming delta and epsilon," Greygus dropped his earlier facetious tone, "Over and out."
As the line went dead Carcharoth's ire only grew, Hanna took note of her Master's displeasure and smiled. Heaven help the Children of the Night when Shuffle arrived because when that happened she was certain that her Master would unleash his glorious wrath upon them.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Front Foyer
POV: Faolan: Rose of the West
4:27 PM
I made my way through the door of Boston General to find Storm Wolf waiting and looking very cross, not that I could tell- he always looked like something had crawled up his butt.
"Bridges what took you so long to get here?" the leader of the Wild Pack security auxiliaries inquired as he stared me down.
"Well..."
Flashback
Along Charles Street
4:12 PM
Kayla Gross stumbled back as the high-heel of her left-pump broke, struggled to get back to her feet she could only scream in terror as the festering cadaver shuffled towards her.
Only two feet from her she looked on in horror was the rotted monsters opened its gap-toothed mouth intent on a meal. Knowing that she was finished she closed her eyes rather than witness the inevitable.
What she didn't expect to hear was a was a series of oddly crystalline noises, when the end didn't come moments later she reluctantly opened her eyes, there only inches away was the formerly ambulatory corpse with frost coating his body.
"What happened?" Miss Gross asked baffled at the sight before her, the answer came in the form of a voice from above... literally.
"The problem with being a room temperature sack of muck, there's nothing to keep it from being frozen." A young lady standing on thin air and brandishing what looked like an antique rifle stated before she oddly enough hopped down from her perch of- nothing to the street below.
"Um- ah- thank you," Kayla stammered in confusion at the young lady who was clearly in her teens despite the odd mask obscuring her face.
"If you want to thank me you can help me escort those with me to Boston General," the mysterious young woman explained while gesturing at the small trail of other Bostonians who had caught up with her rescuer- some of whom seemed somewhat worse for wear.
"Ah-, okay," the woman replied somewhat embarrassed at how she missed something so obvious; although the fact that she had nearly become zombie chow was more than a worthy excuse. Taking note as the young lady stabbed the frozen zombie with a knife before the left for the hospital.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Front Foyer
POV: Faolan: Rose of the West
4:30 PM
A moment later a stream of civilians came pouring through the hospital doors some of whom were helping their fellow evacuees.
"I stopped along the way to help some civilians to safety," I remarked clearly displaying my prominent canine teeth as I gave Stormwolf a shit-eating grin (get that thought out of your heads right now you sickos- I only turn into a wolf). "Stopping to render aide is the act of a responsible citizen is it not? Plus, I don't think that hostile zombies have any legal rights-"
"I wouldn't joke about that," Quickvix explained as she helped a nurse load another patient onto a gurney, "before you know it there will be hearse-chasers arguing the rights of Necro-Americans."
"Can the comedy Quickvix!" Stormwolf barked out at my roommate, "Anyway Faolan, Aletheia explained that you knew of a way we could help stop the waves of the Necromancer's zombies. Apparitia explained that we couldn't do this without you when she and Animalia showed up with that antique pot."
Without a word, I walked over to where my little sister and her friend had setup Dagda's semi-legendary cooking pot with some rods to suspend barely off the ground, with an electric hotplate slid underneath and hooked up to an extension cord. "Waiting on you sis, did you bring the medicine?"
I smiled as I reached into my bag of holding and pulled out one of the mason jars that I'd filled with the Jar of Reality that Mrs. Redstag had left in my care- which was safely hidden in my dorm room back at the Whateley Academy. "I was coming to Crazy Town, like I wouldn't come prepared."
I poured the contents of the jar into the cauldron while sis turned on the hotplate underneath before closing the lid on the pot- now to wait about a minute for the magic to happen.
"Just what is this all about Faolan?" Stormwolf asked clearly growing impatient with the secrecy. "Just what are you and your group up to?"
"Well you see the potion that I just poured into the pot is an ancient elixir that was made long before the current age of civilization to deal with Mythos abominations," I began to explain to the head of the security auxiliaries. "When used on a normal person, whether they be human, mutant, fae, etc. the elixir acts as an antidote that neutralizes mythos elements in their system- it doesn't affect mythos based curses just physical elements and infections."
"However, when it comes to mythos beings or creatures animated by mythos elements; this elixir acts as a poison or neutralizing agent." I said with a smile, "In other words shoot a zombie with a dose of this stuff and it's just another non-reanimated corpse."
"She's not kidding," Apparitia explained while she stepped back from the now red hotplate, "I stuck a throwing knife covered in this stuff in the back of a zombie when Animalia and I were picking up the cauldron and it just keeled over without so much as twitching."
"Are you saying that you put yourself in harm's way?" Stormwolf asked to the point of accusing while he stared down my sister.
"Nope I threw it from inside a reflection." My sister did her best to explain, "Although it must have looked weird for those two volunteers to see an arm clutching a throwing knife sticking out the side of a soup ladle."
"That still doesn't explain why you needed to risk yourself by retrieving this thing in the first place."
"This thing as you call it is called the Undry, and has an enchantment that is very useful," I began to explain as Aletheia came over using her armor to hover in mid-air in her mermaid form of an accompanying doctor who was busy arguing with her, when they were close enough I took off the lid exposing a cauldron full of the ancient elixir. "It never runs empty so long as its contents are needed, usually this is used to feed the hungry but it can also be used to increase quantities of a completed potion."
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
4:47 PM
"So, this mixture will really help us with the injured?" Doctor Kuzinich asked as he eyed the current contents of Mister Redstag's cauldron, "We'll have there is no way that we can sterilize this stuff for injection, and there is no way that I will authorize it for use on my patients."
"There is no need," Faolan commented as she gave the doctor a harsh look, "This stuff as you call it has served as an oral vaccine against creatures like these zombies for centuries. I even used it to treat just this sort of infection before; heck I've used it to treat infections from things far worse than these stupid zombies."
"Now everybody just calm down," Stormwolf advised as I swam in place it is still weird swimming in air I really need to get the hang of my land legs, "we have used this substance in the past dealing with hostiles before. It's not harmful to people only infectious Class-X entity based toxins.
"Such as what the Necromancer uses to turn cadavers into infectious zombies;" I added in, "we also have the police on their way to load it into tranquilizer darts to neutralize the zombies, but at least this way we'll have more than enough to help anybody who needs it, and give the police what they need to fight back."
"The real problem is we don't know how the Necromancer is distributing his horde in the city." Faolan grumbled knowing; I knew that part of her wanted to help but knew that if she did blindly that she might wind up causing an even bigger problem- one didn't have to be a telepath to know how to read people after all.
"Doctor K," I spoke up trying to grab the doctor's attention, "is there anything else that we can do? I'm only asking because it seems that you seem too stretched rather thin at the moment."
"Yes, but I'm not allowed to allow healer-type mutants to use their powers due to constraints placed by the laws and rules of the American Medical Association." Doctor Kuzinich responded showing that really his hands were tied on the matter.
"Are individuals with proper emergency medical certification forbidden from helping out?" I replied hoping to counter his argument, "I know that Faolan is a fully certified lifeguard and her enhanced senses might help out with triage."
Everyone turned to regard my close friend with a look of disbelief, "My grandmother insists on it for every family member who wants to work at her place for the summer."
That was everyone's turn to regard Apparitia given about the validity of her older sister's statement, "It's true but I'm too young to officially take the test."
"It's usually SOP for capes to get a copy of their Emergency Certifications with their alias through the Red Cross with the aid of DPA retained attorney and a properly redacted set of documents," Stormwolf explained as he pulled out his First Responders card out of his combat wallet (an ugly piece of work sold at the campus store and that's made of reinforced nylon- and comes in the same colors as the markers in a highlighter set). "You can read the strips to make sure their legit with the Red Cross's database."
"Alright, since you’re here for the time being I might as well see if any of your masks can help out." The Chief Physician surrendered to my offer.
"I'll stay here and help the kids assist the police," when they arrive Aries volunteered.
"Speak for yourself!" Nightingale stepped towards Doctor Kuzinich as she pulled out her own combat wallet and presented her certification card, "It may not be much but I am trained in Emergency First-Aid, it's all I can get at my age and my parents insisted."
"Fine," Doctor Kuzinich threw up his hands in defeat, "anyone any kind of medical certification report to the desk for volunteer sign-in and have your certification ID's handy- one of the Registered Nurses will assign you to a medical team. Remember you will only be assisting so stay out of the way unless they need you."
"You heard the doctor!" Glorianna exclaimed as she took charge, "Everyone with the proper credentials to the desk, everyone else stay here to help out with distributing the elixir to the hospital personnel and help the Boston Police Department once they arrive with the tranq dart loading station from the precinct."
Union Oyster House
4:59 PM
Rex Hollenbeck stepped into the restaurant not knowing just what to expect, he had tried looking up this Eddie Black earlier in the week but the name was so generic that he might as well have been randomly pulling up pages on the internet. Still he promised that he could do something to bring him together with Candace and that was an offer that was just too tempting for him to turn down.
Still it was odd along the way he saw people panicking as zombies began to emerge into the streets, yet inside this restaurant it was as if nothing was going on outside- just what was going on here?
"Pardon me sir but do you have a reservation or would you rather wait to be seated?" the maître d' asked as he drew Rex's attention.
"Um- I was told that someone wanted to meet me here," Rex explained as he handed the man at the maître d's podium the card that came with his letter, "it said his name was Eddie Black."
"Yes, you must be Rex Hollenbeck," the nameless gentleman in the suit explained, "Mister Black is expecting you at table five."
The greater then marked Rex's name off the list of expected arrivals before escorting him inside the building. Without a word the member of the Neo Etnaian team followed the greeter further into the building to a booth that had to have been table five. The man that Rex presumed was Eddie Black was dressed in a suit that looked like it belonged in a movie set during the Victorian Period, yet given that it showed no signs of being vintage to that time period- meant that he could afford to have it custom made.
"Welcome Mister Hallenbeck," Eddie Black said as he took notice while pausing from the cup of tea that he had been drinking, "I have been expecting you. Sir you may leave us- I believe about three trays of the House Special should be sufficient."
"Very well sir," the maître d' stated before adding, "however if you change your minds, I shall leave the menu here and the waiter will be ready to take any additional orders."
"Of course," Mister Black waved off the greeter as Rex settled in across the booth from his host.
After the greeter left, Eddie Black set down his teacup and acknowledged Rex for the first time, "I see my invitation arrived on time, for your little sojourn into Boston. I take it that my promise piqued your interest."
"Yeah," Rex replied as he scrutinized his host, "a complete stranger learns where I am, how to get in touch with me, and knows enough about me to offer me exactly what I would want; of course, I'm going to come and see what this is all about."
"Now young Mister Hallenbeck, I am hardly a complete stranger; in fact, you and your friends came to my attention a few months ago." Mister Black began to explain further drawing Rex's attention.
"That is also how things remain so calm in here, I have an upgraded version of the device that I employed at the ballrooms of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York operating here," Mister Black stated as he smiled and laced his gloved fingers together. "Only rather than amplify panic here it is programmed to amplify calm, combined with a perception filter that I installed on the restaurant’s threshold. Panicking civilians and zombies will just walk right by; I even put a little something in here so the Necromancer's distribution system will bypass the restaurant; so, provided that you slipped away from your school mates we are free to talk."
Rex's eyes narrowed in fear, just an arm’s reach across the table from him was one of the biggest criminals in the world, he was in a restaurant in downtown Boston with Professor Id. One wrong move and Rex knew that he would be a dead man before he ever had the chance to truly become a man; he had no way out and because he had gone to the restaurant in secret leaving Ace behind in his place, then nobody was on the way to rescue him.
All Rex could do was hear the super-villain out because that was likely the only way that he'd ever get out of this alive. Still the million-dollar question remained, just what did Professor Id want with him?
Copley Place - Roof
5:07 PM
"Jabberwock here- Final package in place boss," Jabberwock stated as he took a lookout at the commotion at Massachusetts General, "still no signs of the targets though, or any capes aside from the local flavors- I even spotted the freaking Lamplighter over on Geneva but our targets are all no shows- over."
"Unfortunately Aletheia and Faolan appear to be cut from a different cloth than Team Kimba," Darrow grumbled over the radio, "Still I have a good idea where they are, radio chatter on the police band is talking about a number of known and unknown heroes assisting the doctors at Massachusetts General- chances are good that our targets are among them-over."
"Okay," the warper rolled his eyes at his current 'employer', "I'll pop-over to the hotel across the street and survey the situation- over and out."
As soon as Jabberwock had left the area a winged figure materialized and touched down on the roof.
Taking a moment to survey the area for anything unusual the masked woman, in what appeared to be armor inspired by the Ancient-Persian Anusyas, tapped her com.
"Ekdikeo here- Jabberwock appears to be on the move again, still no sign of the real Children of the Night- over."
"Roger- continue surveillance Ekdikeo," Greygus replied in her earpiece, "do not engage- we want Darrow's crew out of their holes and in the open when we strike- over.
"I hope they pop out soon then," Skleeros interjected, "Carcharoth is panting like a mutt watching the kitchen stove, when Shuffle's crew gets here orders or no orders he'll be on the front lines in this fight- over."
"Unfortunate but true," Greygus sighed over the com, "All that time on his last major assignment did nothing to smooth over his rough edges- all it did was make them more pronounced- over."
"Understood," the eldest of the Lilin replied as she took to the air once again, "proceeding to next destination- over and out."
Marriott-Execustay - Roof
5:11 PM
Now on the roof of the Marriott Hotel in downtown Boston Jabberwock pulled out a pair of binoculars and observed the hospital bellow, "This is Jabberwock, I'm observing Massachusetts General and am prepared to give my report- over."
"Very well Jabberwock," Darrow responded, "Tell me what you see from your perspective- over.
"At the moment, nothing more than a series of cop cars coming and going every few minutes, " Jabberwock stated as he looked through his binoculars, "they seem to be picking something up- over. "
"Yes, this seems to reflect what I’m hearing over the police band," the Necromancer mused for a moment, it appears that one of our targets or their associates have a potion that can neutralize my zombies; the would-be heroes are arming the police with tranquilizer rounds full of this potion."[/i]
"Well I guess that this plan is a total bust," Jabberwock laughed as he leaned back more than ready for the weekend to begin. "at least the Esoteric Order of Dagon got the staff they had our mole steel- right- over.”
"Not necessarily," Darrow replied with a dark laugh, "you see when a threat fails to lure a hero out of hiding then just play on their conscious. Now it’s time to show you what those packages were for."
Jabberwock heard a beep before a series of explosions rang out around Boston, "What did you just do?" the mercenary asked with a singing feeling in his gut.
"Plan B, I had you set a series of C4 incendiary-explosives around the city, way more than police and emergency services could deal with. Our targets and every mask in the city will be out trying to save anyone caught in the blasts and resulting fires; we already know that the mermaid is a healer- she will not be able to stay away from helping- over and out.
As the Necromancer hung up the line on his end Jabberwock felt numb, just what had he signed up for?
Boston Opera House - Roof
5:20 PM
Greygus shook in rage and despair as he listened to the cries of fear and panic; it was hard enough to stay out of this when it was just zombies involved, but trapped people. He gripped the brick before him so hard that it began to crack as he did his best to restrain himself. Darrow was going to pay for this; the Obsidian Circle’s blessing or not- the Necromancer needed to be brought to task for this atrocity.
"That's it," he barked out at the chaos unfolding in the streets of Boston, "mission be damned I have never let anyone die if I can help it!"
As Greygus was about to go into action a trio of winged figures descended on him from above and with a gesture bound the djinn with a weathered and rusted chain that had obviously seen better days. "Greygus I know that you hate things like this happening, but we cannot show our hand too soon. If Darrow and his servants know that we are in town they will go to ground, and we might miss our shot at him."
Greygus quaked in fury at the actions of the Erinyes, although he knew that their actions were the proper one to take in the situation; still a darker part of him that he hated to give attention to reminded him that he still had an ace up his sleeve.
Struggling for a moment Greygus tapped his communicator to the disbelief of his fellow operatives, a few moments later his ace answered, "Yeah Greygus, this is Carcharoth, any new developments?- over."
"Yes Carcharoth, a new mission," Greygus explained in an even tone, "as soon as your relief arrives, you are to hunt down the Necromancer and use him as a chew rag- over and out!"
The trio of lilin elders looked at Greygus in shock as he ended the communication; still the djinn knew that no matter what the outcome today would be a day that the Necromancer would never forget. The simple truth was that there were times the densest warlocks in the Grand Hall needed to learn that there were some lines and even beings that even they shouldn’t cross- and there was even a possibility that Darrow or at least that apprentice that he was safeguarding would live to learn this.
6 years 11 months ago #20
by Insane Hiker
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Massachusetts General Hospital - Emergency Triage
Boston, Massachusetts
5:05 PM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I took a few deep whiffs of the policeman before me, while he did have some injuries from scuffling with the Necromancer's shamblers it wasn't obvious to the nurse whether or not he'd been infected (well at least not seriously so)- believe me an enhanced sense of smell is both a blessing and a curse.
"No he's clean," I turned to Nurse Ingendorf who was still weirded out of someone wearing a cloak and face-mask helping her out. "I can't smell any active necrosis."
"Are you certain?" Nurse Ingendorf asked me as she stared over to a table full of cups of Reality Elixir. "Thanks to that antique cooking pot you brought we have plenty to go around."
I turned to the nurse and shook my head, "I'm certain, aggressive infection from these kind of things carries a distinct odor; although you should give everyone a dose before you discharge them just to be on the safe side- staff included, priority should go to the heavily infected and the anti-zombie darts. And before you ask no you don't want me to describe what the infection smells like- especially since you just ate."
"How do you know I just got back from lunch?" The nurse looked at me odd as we continued looking over the patients in our assigned rows.
"Turkey and provolone with yellow-mustard," I observed with a couple of whiffs, "can't tell what vegetables but it didn't have pickles, relish or onions. My sense of smell can trump most bloodhound's, it often comes in handy but it makes laundry day three circles of hell on earth- especially my workout clothes."
"So, you can really tell all of that from my breath?" The nurse asked as I stopped near one patient.
"This one," I eyed a man with several clear bite marks, "and you better give him a double dose, we don't want to risk him turning in here and risking contaminating the staff or any other patients."
As the nurse went to retrieve a dose of the elixir from the tray the patient did his best to retreat, crawling into a corner with a dangerous look in his eyes.
"Get back, I don't want another of you freaks to get your unholy witchcraft anywhere near me." The man shouted out in fear.
"Witchcraft?" The nurse looked at me out of curiosity, "I mean does this count, it was made in a cauldron?"
"Personally, I'm Methodist, and a cauldron's just the grandfather of both the Dutch Oven and the wash tube." I replied trying to defuse the situation with a little levity before turning to the patient, "Now sir, you are seriously infected by one of those monsters from outside, you need to take this medicine or chances are you'll become a danger to yourself and others."
"No way you witch, get back," as the patient swung at us I stepped in brush-blocking his swing with my right-arm and then after baring it with my left, moved in and snaked and immobilized his right-arm with a half-nelson before tripping him forward with a back strike to his knees with my right leg so that he couldn't use his height as an advantage on me.
As the rather difficult patient struggled I reiterated, "Sir you are taking your medicine one way or another!"
"Just what do you mean by that?" The man snarled back while struggling in futility against my hold.
"She means that we'll have to resort to this," Nurse Ingendorf explained at she reached down to the next level of the cart to retrieve a rectal bulb and a plastic syringe tube. "If you refuse to have the medicine administered orally we can always bypass the stomach and administer it directly to the intestines."
"No," the man tensed in panic and from the smell of it peed his pants a little, "you can't- I swear that I'll sue."
"Sir you have been exposed to a dangerous biohazardous substance with mutative properties that will make you a danger to yourself and others." Nurse Ingendorf explained trying to keep up her bedside manner but even I could tell that she was beginning to lose her patience with this particular patient. "This compound is a neutralizing agent to said substance, we have seen that it has no effect on healthy individuals but attacks and renders the contagion inert. Now keep in mind you have two choices here, but both of them involve you taking your medicine- so please decide, every moment you delay increases the chance of complications."
The difficult patient finally relaxed in my arms and responded with, "Fine, just get this psycho off of me."
I finally let go and let the ingrate get to his feet while muttering under my breath, "Attacks a nurse and has the nerve to call me a psycho- what a hypocrite."
The man took his medicine and followed the nurse’s instructions to: "Please go to the second waiting room for observation." Once the man was out of sight Nurse Ingendorf turned to me, "Nice moves back there, you didn't even let the freak comments get to you."
"Ever since I changed I've been getting used to it," I huffed, "I might as well start getting used to it now; I'm going to have to deal with worse for the rest of my life."
"Very mature attitude, judging by your voice you can't be any older than a teenager."
"Thanks I- agh!" My conversation was interrupted when I heard the distant sound of a series of explosions; with the Necromancer's shamblers roaming the streets I knew that this was no coincidence.
"Are you alright?" The Nurse asked as she helped me up, "I thought I heard a car backfiring."
"That wasn't a car..." I stated with as my concern bled into my voice, "if I'm right about what just happened things just got a whole lot worse."
Union Oyster House
5:17 PM
"You know eating an oyster should be considered something of a perverse and barbaric practice if you think about it," Eddie Black- who Rex Hallenbeck now knew to be none other than the infamous Professor Id commented as he took a freshly shucked oyster from his plate to gaze at the naked creature sitting inside of its own shell. "Here they are abducted by the thousands from their homes on the sea floor have, pried out of their shell by a knife, exposed to an environment that is completely alien to them all so hairless primates can devour them alive."
His brief moment of philosophy done, the enigmatic individual slurped up the oyster off of the shell before depositing the empty shell in the bucket at the end of the table. "Why are we sitting here eating?" Rex asked trying to cut to the truth of the matter, "I thought that you had something to discuss with me?"
"You colonials... always so impatient, always in a hurry to go nowhere as soon as possible even when all you do when you get there is wait impatiently." The guised Professor Id observed in a bemused tone, "It is hardly proper to discuss business during a meal- explaining a few particulars first is one thing, but it is quite rude to talk while eating. Besides the Necromancer's zombies are still roaming the streets and Darrow himself recently detonated a number of explosives all over town, provided your double does not reveal your ruse to your comrades and classmates no one will discover your absence for some time. Now enjoy the meal, I understand this is one of the finest establishments on the Eastern Coast to enjoy these fresh-shucked morsels, and given that you are my guest I am covering the meal."
"But why chose me?" Rex inquired desperate to learn at least something before his host was done dining. "There were a ton of others at that ceremony, why single me out."
"Because you are the only one of your group whom I would have anything to offer and would be open to an arrangement with me Orthus." Professor Id revealed to a shocked Rex. "Although given my understanding of your prior incarnation I thought that you would be more interested in the Chimera than the Cadmean Vixen; then again Hesiod never was one let miniscule details like clarity get in the way of his poetry."
"Still child there is no rush...unless that is that you wish to take part in the chaos that is going on outside, I am certain that it will not be long before the Children of the Night themselves make an appearance. I have also seen the signs of other parties being active in Boston today, and given that your classmates known as Team Kimba, are not in the city either I can only postulate what either group intends to do with the succulent morsels visiting this fine city."
As if to illustrate a point his host slurped another quivering naked oyster off the remaining half of the shell that it once called home. Nervously Rex took one of the oysters off of the tray and began to partake of the bivalve, he was starting to get a little hungry and something on his stomach might help ease the tension in the air- even if only slightly.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
5:36 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I was busy helping Animalia at the dart loading station when the nearby officers were coordinating with Captain Tilley of Boston's SWAT team (yes, I know that it sounds redundant to say that but from what I've learned the T stood for Tactics and not Team).
"We have at least seventeen confirmed blasts scattered around the city," Lieutenant Doyle explained to the Captain over a map of the city, "so far none of them appear to be any further west than Cutler Park or south than Readville. The problem is that because of the zombie situation we're spread thin as is and the fire engines are having trouble getting to the scenes because of the congestion and debris."
"That bastard really hit us with a one-two punch this time, good thing that the remaining prisoners from Roxbury C were relocated to Galveston Bay and Attica B, the last thing that we need in the middle of all of this is a repeat of January." Captain Tilley observed, "At least the power company did something about the brown-outs right away; these zombies appear to be coming from dark areas and now that we've got the street lights on that should limit where they're popping up, now what's the status of our local capes?"
"Dynaman's trapped in his armor," Lieutenant Fulton began to lay down the situation, "a few moments after he arrived on the scene someone tagged him with an EMP generator and nobody can get close enough to remove it since his area is swarming with zombies. Speed Queen is helping us with dart distribution, she should be back momentarily and I don't have a clue where Skyhawk is at the moment."
"And I was just informed that Team Kimba and their associates have been effectively barred from coming to Boston in the wake of what happened last January, "Lieutenant Grabber explained, so we can't expect any further caped help from our usual paranormal auxiliaries."
"And the DPA put a freeze on the city deputizing any further underage paranormals out of fear of escalation in regard to the Children of the Night," the Captain huffed, "the only upside is that while this is obviously their work we haven't seen any confirmed sign of The Necromancer's crew out in the middle of this mess."
"This might be another strike at the Kimba's," Lieutinant Gregory postulated while he chewed over the details. "He might have received a tip that a group of paranormals would be in town today and is doing this to provoke another confrontation."
"Possible but unlikely," Captain Tilley replied, "we had visitors from the same facility in-between the Arch-Fiend's Trial back in November and the Necromancer's multi-pronged attack back in January. No, I have a feeling that there is something else to this, he's obviously trying to lure out someone but who is the real question. Most of the masks and capes here had no direct connection with any of the three confrontations between Team Kimba and the Children of the Night."
"Meanwhile we're already short-handed and so are the paramedics," Lieutenant Doyle pointed out, "and given the pressure on the department we can't send any of the capes helping out here into a combat situation."
"Combat is one thing but emergencies are another," Captain Tilley mulled the situation over, "go around and give some of the masks emergency status to assist the Paramedics and the Fire-Fighters especially the healers and the heavies, right now we need every pair of hands we can get."
I couldn't help but hear everything that the Captain was saying- I know I can't even walk quite well yet but people out there needed help. There were friends and families who were desperate as their loved one's lives were on the line, I had seen it hundreds of times when adherents begged Victoria for her aide or mercy in both her identity as Aphrodite and later as Venus; some of whom she granted clemency but then again this was a woman who set in motion the long and bloody Trojan War all for her own petty reasons.
(Flashback)
Sunday April 15th, 2007
?
I stood alone shrouded in fog; I could hear something dimly crackling around me and a smell that made me want to gag. However, no matter where I turned or how far I walked the fog would not lift; this went on for no telling how long until my foot finally nudged something, as I looked down I saw him laying sprawled on the ground his robes torn and matted in blood.
While I was focusing on the body a sudden gust of wind dispelled the fog- I looked on in horror as I realized just where I was...Troy, the ancient walled city in Asia Minor that had been razed and ransacked after Odysseus gambit with the wooden horse finally allowed the armies of the united city-states of Ancient Greece access after years of conflict that cost the lives of many a soul on both sides of the conflict. A conflict that I bore silent witness to like so many others from the shadow of Aphrodite whose meddling had orchestrated the entire affair, what not many knew was that she had done it as an action to further draw the eyes of Ares; beginning her affair with the God of War while her husband Hephaestus toiled making weapons for who-so-ever beseeched his aid during that long series of battles.
All around I could see the victims of that long and futile conflict; a conflict that resulted from Paris judging Aphrodite the fairest of three goddesses of the Dodecantheon of Olympus (Artemis to her credit abstained from the contest as she was not interested in such matters). Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each offered Paris a bribe to find her fairest, but Aphrodite's promise to make the most beautiful woman in all of Greece fall in love with him was the bribe that he chose. That choice caused Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta to leave her husband, and sparked a ten-year conflict that cost Paris his life and destroyed his city.
All around I could see the casualties of that fateful day that the people of Troy met the naked wrath of Grecian iron dories; women- children- the elderly all dead and for what so Aphrodite could gloat about her beauty to her kin on Olympus and navigate Ares into her bed. While I was surveying the carnage with tearful eyes I felt something grab my leg- I looked down and it was the specter of the corpse at my feet.
All around I could see them, the restless specters of the dead lost souls who had by the Spartan King's orders never even been granted even the minor dignity of a battlefield pyre let alone burial. Instead they were left for the as carrion for beast and bird to scavenge and as for their beliefs unable to pay Charon they were denied the both the Ephesian Fields and the Plains of Asmodai, instead they became shades to torment the living. All around I could see the accusations in the hollow eyes of those shades; why didn't I do anything, I who was so close to the one who sowed the seeds of their suffering. Yet for spirits this angry there was no answer that would quench the phantom flames of their fury, I could do nothing as they swarmed me taking out the vengeance that they had so long been denied.
I woke up in my bed in Dickinson drenched in sweat from the nightmare, Blinky lapping at the salty drops as he tried to sooth me with his loving purr-filled nudges. Mable looked at me out of concern but my voice remained silent, there was nothing that I could say to explain this that she would truly understand.
(End Flashback)
Massachusetts General Hospital - Emergency Triage
Boston, Massachusetts
5:41 PM EDT
The sight of all those weeping children, mothers and wives as they cried in anguish still haunted my dreams, part of why I spent so much time in the Dreamlands. The rare occasions that I chose to dream instead of exploring my grandmother's domain had more than once saw me haunted by the specters of those who suffered for the amusement of Victoria's past incarnations, those pleading hollowed eyes demanding to know why I didn't even try to beg on their behalf all the while deaf to my explanations that I could only watch from the fickle goddesses’ shadow.
More than once I awoke dripping with sweat my voice frozen in a silent scream as Blinky lapped at my perspiration before trying to apply a little purr therapy of his own. Troy wasn't the only place that would haunt these nightmares, Aphrodite's crimes were many and I had the names and faces of all those occasions burned into my soul like a scar; I would carry that burden forever, I know that I was innocent of her indiscretions but I owed it to her victims to grant other's the mercy and aide that they were denied.
Finally, here was my first chance to do some real good in the world to replace those tears of helplessness with those of purest relief, I didn't care if it meant that I'd need to use my outfit to swim in the air as long as it allowed me to finally help others. Even if that tiny nagging voice in the back of my mind reminded me that after I got back home to Whateley that mom would likely ground me until I was thirty for taking this risk, I knew that it was one that I had to take- I refused to welcome anymore phantoms of guilt to haunt my conscious.
Morrigan's 'Office' - Beneath Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
5:57 PM
Morrigan continued through Thursday's homework assignments that her students had turned in yesterday; giving weight more towards content than mechanics (her subject was European History after all not English Grammar). Still part of her mind was on Randi, Heather and Beatrice and the chaos that was going on in Boston; she wished that she could rush to their aide but her responsibilities kept her here and even at the speed that her husband could travel it would still be two hours till he could arrive on his own.
She also owed it to Elizabeh Carson to explain about the duties of the Maidens of the Four Courts, she knew that there was no way to sugarcoat this matter and the Headmistress of Whateley was bound to be more than a little mad at her- part of her wished that she wasn't bound by her geas not only to the late queens of the Western Court but to the Five-Fold Court as a whole. Morrigan understood how important Randi and Beatrice's fated missions were (as were those of the other two she had yet to meet) but she just wished that there was a way to spare them the risks that they entailed.
As much as her thoughts strayed she was still able to fairly grade the assignments, multi-tasking was something that she had learned to do so long ago part of her wondered if she could boast to have invented the method. Still this split in her attention left her diverted enough that she noticed the door to her office open, and Nikki Reilly was peaking around the corner.
"Miss Reilly," Mrs. Redstag spoke up without glancing up from the current paper that she was grading, "I wondered when the future Queen would stop by- are you finally ready to take me up on my offer to help you better prepare for your accession to the throne?"
"I doubt that offer would still be open," Fey, the most powerful spell-caster of the student body spoke up, "although someone with your abilities would have likely known by now that Aunghadhail is gone. How could I be the future queen of the Faerie if the spirt of the late Paramount Queen, the Daughter of the Burning Oak that was in me is gone?"
"Yes, Miss Reilly I am well aware of what happened at ARC I attended her funeral in the Grove remember, and though it was unfortunate- the sad thing is that it was bound to happen sooner or later." Morrigan explained while continuing to markup the homework assignment in front of her.
"Excuse me!" Nikki all but roared as her glamour began to build radiating her anger. "Bound to happen, this was a part of me- Aunghadheil was important without her the last of the True Queens of the Fae and now she's gone forever and you say that it was bound to happen!"
As Nikki's fury continued to build akin to that of a bonfire, Morrigan looked up from her work and calmly set down the red papermate that she had been using on her desk. She briefly closed her eyes and then unleashed her own focused glamour, while Nikki's was one of heat and fury- Morrigan's was something that felt ancient, not merely old but ancient much like Aunghadheil. While Morrigan was no True Queen she was in truth one of the Oldest Sidhe on the planet; all light within the small room appeared to have been drained away into Morrigan who shinned with a glow that was both otherworldly and intense, it was obvious that while Morrigan may have been named the Queen of Phantoms as a cruel jest by the royalty of Summer and Winter- it was a name that was fitting in more ways than one.
The fight briefly taken out of her, Fey all but blanched at the experience. Now that Fey's fury had subsided, Morrigan saw fit to lower her own glamour back to its normal ambient level, "Well that happened, if you still wish to talk about this Miss Reilly please shut the door and have a seat."
The former host of the fourth Paramount Queen of the Sidhe did as she was asked and had a seat in front of Morrigan's desk, after taking a moment to straighten the stack of papers that she had been working on and setting a hand-carved wooden paperweight (a gift that her son Bodb Derg had given her a few months prior when he received news of her new position) on the stack. Taking a moment to take in the young Mutant Sidhe- Morrigan calmly observed, "As I stated earlier, you are clearly concerned about what the late Queen Aunghadhail's dissolution will mean to the future of the Faerie and yourself given that you have had so many tell you that you are the future Queen of the Fae- the Crow of Winter that the Kodiak bestowed upon you makes that clear."
"Alright- yes I am," Nikki explained steadying herself, "I mean I know that I am one of the most powerful spell-casters at Whateley even without Aunghadhail but with her I was on an entirely different level- even if...
"Even if making use of Queen Aunghadhail's powers in such a manner had their consequences such as the swath of forest that became blighted after your fight with Maelstrom." Morrigan guessed Nikki's line of thought, "I know that this might be hard for you to accept Miss Reilly, but Queen Aunghadhail's time by your side was never meant to last your entire life. Although Sidhe such as ourselves are long-lived we are by no means completely immortal; we are after all creatures of the kingdom of nature and death is as much a part of the natural world as life, Queen Aunghadhail knew this and endeavored to do her best to prepare you for the paths that laid ahead of you."
"So, what are you saying?" Nikki inquired quaking in a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
"What I am saying was that the true reign of Queen Aunghadhail ended with her death during The Sundering, but that's in no small part to the enduring will of her soul she was able to seek out others searching for what she needed to impart unto what remained of the Western Court- an heir-apparent to her throne." Morrigan revealed with a sly smile, "It was not Queen Aunghadhail's destiny nor her intent to completely return to this world- such an act would be a perversion of the Nature of both the World and the Western Court. She was preparing you to take her place- as the new Paramount Queen of the Western Court."
This revelation obviously left Nikki in shock, "Y-you mean!?!"
"Queen Aunghadhail's purpose wasn't to find a way to return," Morrigan explained in a solemn tone, "it was to find someone worthy of being her successor- the next Paramount Queen of the Western Court is you Nichole Susanne Reilly! At least you will be the next Queen after you complete the ancient Rite of Ascension, heir apparent or not there are rules in place for a reason."
"So, let me guess," Nikki spoke with a bitter-sweet smile, "are series of dangerous and deadly quests for the throne."
"Not really- at least not normally so, after the time for morning the late Queen was passed first her heir must come of age- fortunately you are already sixteen so that is a non-issue. Next you must meditate in a place of nature's power for your royal name and symbol of nature to reveal themselves unto you and your arbiter, Queen Aunghadhail did not always have that name nor was she always known as the Daughter of the Burning Oak; fortunately, the Heart of the Grove is more than adequate for this task."
"The final rite will take you into the Wildlands of the Fae-Realm on a day important to the cycle of nature (such as a solstice or equinox); you must be coronated in the presence of a World Tree in a ceremony consisting of key members of your court, which in this day and age would be the Council of Regency. I will handle the arrangements for this part when fell that you are ready to undertake the journey, you may even bring your friends; however, they must provide their own meal- I'm afraid that the stories about Faerie Cuisine may have a basis in reality."
"Somehow, I doubt that would be a problem," Nikki replied with a minor laugh, "if there is one thing that Ayla knows it's how to prepare food for a trip. Although I thought that there were no more World Trees; from what I heard they were all destroyed during The Sundering and the Heart of The Grove isn't even close to being one."
"Not all of them, just those in the lands of the Center Court, or as you know what remains of it- Modern Earth." Morrigan explained, "Yggdrasil is more than a myth just so that you are aware, as many of the stories of that tree had a great deal of truth to them."
Old Colony Apartments
Boston, Massachusetts
6:17 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
How was it that I knew that today would turn out like this? This was supposed to be a simple date in Boston with my roommate Candace...okay I knew that she weaseled the date out of me but come-on I who was I to say no to the second hottest freshman red-head in Poe. Still something always seems to hit the fan in Boston this year when freshmen Poesies try to have a pleasant day on the town, this time it was The Necromancer (a local Grand Hall middle-weight and recurring pain-in-the-neck for the school) blanketing the city in darkness and unleashing a swarm of mythos contaminated zombies on the city before detonating a series of bombs.
The nasty part- these bombs weren't simple blocks of plastique, from what others filled me in on these were incendiary explosives. So yeah, they blew stuff up and made a very big boom, but they also started fires when they did so. That meant while the police were over-whelmed with taking care of the walking undead and the paramedics were busy treating the injured and infected at the city's hospitals, the Boston Fire Department was struggling to combat fires while evacuating buildings and apartments all over town.
Still they were overwhelmed so the police sent a good number of the students who were helping out at the hospital to help the fire department. Fortunately, not everyone got stuck doing this, Candace and Aires were sent to help Speed Queen deliver the elixir darts to police all over the city to help deal with the shamblers and prevent any police or civilians from joining the ranks of The Necromancer's mythos zombies.
Healers, those with first-aid training or healing spells in their arsenal were pared with those who could take the heat or use their powers to search for survivors trapped by the explosions and the fires. Guess it was a good thing that my cloak was rated up to withstand heat at the level of surface magma and volcanic geysers so I could help Saladin clear any survivors as we alternated floors. Still it was awkward using Sydan while keeping my body fully concealed within my cloak, but I've been burned enough times growing up to know to keep my hand away from the stove.
I'm also just discovered that my dwarf-forged blade doesn't conduct heat past the hilt, guess that bearded smith packed this sword full of features that I've yet to discover. Still I filled that train of thought away for later, according to the headcount downstairs there are at least twenty people still left in the building and I had already rescued eleven of them, I hoped that they would still be alive when I got there. While my cloak protected me from the heat- the smoke was another matter entirely, while I did have an oxygen tank it was for scuba gear (Morrigan mentioned that next month would include aquatic combat training) not fire-fighting so the mix was slightly more oxygen rich to cut down on the bends.
Honestly, I don't know how Pero del Fuego does this all the time while keeping that cheery attitude; I'm not exactly the sunniest person to begin with and the idea of coming to the rescue only to find those you came to save burned to a crisp was heart-breaking. When my last stop lead to the discovery of a couple who had been killed when the ceiling above them collapsed sending an antique dresser on top of them I had almost lost it, I still collected them anyway- their relatives deserved not to be devastated by the loss of false hope.
Randi enough with the melancholy- I can see signs of three people two doors down, Jane thankfully messaged me pulling me out of the dumps, All three are alive but the balcony above them collapsed into their terrace they're trapped between a wall of rubble and fire.
'I wouldn't go in through the door anyway,' I replied back through my link to the stormcrow, 'that would just make a backdraft plus part of the floor fell and is blocking the door. Tell me is the terrace of the room to my right collapsed too?'
No, but how do you plan on getting them out?
'Trust me,' I replied to Jane, 'I should have just tackled this problem from the outside anyway.' Without another message- another thought, I cut through the lock into the apartment next to the room where the people trapped by the fire were and moved through the apartment to the balcony. After opening the balcony door, I went outside to survey the balcony next door, as Jane told me the balcony above collapse into the balcony bellow blocking the patio door. I knew Sydan would be sharp enough to cut through the concrete, steel and glass- it had to be- people's lives depended on it being sharp enough to do the job and I was damned certain that container with the fake pearl a few months ago was made of tougher stuff.
One quick peek in through the glass saw the family inside trying in vain to break the double-paned balcony window hoping that if they did that they could squeeze through the gaps still uncovered by the rubble. When the family saw me they didn't know what to make of me, thanks to Jane helping me to interoperate their faces, I saw hope fighting fear in their eyes. I motioned for them to move aside and after they complied Sydan cleaved through glass and concrete sending parts of the door and rubble into the apartment, I hoped there was enough room because I didn't want to risk shifting the weight of the debris in the ledge any more.
The family inside saw me through the window, but unfortunately from the look of things their perception of my arrival was not good. "Who are you? What do you want? Why did you do this?" The father shouted in panic while his wife was huddled in the corner protecting their son.
"My name is Faolan, I'm here aiding the fire department to evacuate the building." I calmly stated as I locked eyes with the father to convince him of my sincerity. "There's burning debris blocking your door so I need to get you out through the window- just try to move the rubble out of the way."
That was when I began to hear creaking coming from the balcony, crap clearing that debris must have shifted the weight to the front and as things stood any more shocks to the buildings structure might trigger another floor collapse. Crap, I couldn't risk more rubble being shifted and time was even more vital- I switched to Plan B and fished two unmodified changeling baubles out of my bag while telling Jane to 'warn everybody on the ground'. "Change of plans, this terrace is starting to give. We can't afford to waste time."
The couple immediately noticed the same problem I did the hole was too small for an adult, "So you can't save us, just our son."
"I'll save your boy but he'll be saving you first." I stated as I tossed the pair of changeling baubles through the opening I made, "Here use these, place them on the ground then I need your son to push one of your hands into the pendent- like he's trying to push you inside."
"What!?!" The father shouted at me as if I'd grown a second head, "Are you insane!"
"Sir this ledge isn't getting any more stable and when it goes it might take the floor with it, and those pendants are the same things that are in my bracers." I explained back as I returned my blade to its sheath to demonstrate this fact. "Now trust me, your balcony could go any time now."
Still keeping as low to the ground with her son as she could to avoid any smoke that might have come in from the hallway, the wife pleaded with her husband, "Dear- right now we don't have much of a choice besides trusting her." To demonstrate her point the woman took one of the pendants that I had tossed inside- held her son's hand too while she pressed her own to the jewel and following her instructions the boy pushed his mother inside.
The father seemed to hesitate for a moment- at least before the balcony began to creak again, this time so loud that the father and son both heard it above the crackling of the fire. Evidentially reality forced his hand, the father took the other pendant and told his son, "Go ahead Jeremy."
With a slight bit of hesitation showing on his trembling hands, Jeremy followed his father's instructions and pushed his father into the gem like his mother earlier before looping both pendants around his neck for safekeeping. Now it was young Jeremy's turn as he crawled over the ramp that my blade had made in the rubble to me, "They're safe right?" he asked pleading with his eyes through his soot stained face as I took the child in my arms.
"As long as you keep them that way," I replied doing my best to reassure the child with a nervous smile while I prepared to use my boots to run down to the ground, "now hold on tight and don't try to do this yourself." With Jeremy in my arms as he clung to me for dear life I jumped off the balcony and stopped in mid-air, Jeremy looked on in awe as we stood on thin air.
While I began to make my way back to the ground like I was running down a ramp carrying my wide-eyed passenger with me Jane gave me a message through our link, Randi we have a jumper on the north-side of the building and Saladin has a wall of flaming debris blocking his way!
'Crap, I'm on the south-side and I have a passenger, I'll get there as fast as I can.' I replied back, 'You also need to get everyone to clear away from the front of the building two balconies worth of rubble is about to go street level.'
Roger, I'll tell the fire crews over their radios. The stormcrow responded as I did my best to circle the building from the outside hoping that I could make it in time while informing my passenger, "Change of plans kid- one of your neighbors is trying to escape the fire the hard way. So, hang on things are about to get even freakier!"
Careful not to drop the passenger clinging to my front like a baby koala I moved my right arm to let my pinky select the green button on my hidden pump. Once I felt the subtle vibration of the gadget telling me that a stream of simple carbs was about to be injected into my blood-stream I shifted into my werewolf form and began to circumnavigate the building.
Outside Old Colony Apartments
6:42 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I was applying my ability to help a man vent the soot and ash from his lungs while his wife looked on with concern from where the paramedics were looking her over. A few moments later he expelled the ash-filled air from his lungs he caught her gaze, he was still shaky from her experience but they would hopefully enjoy a long life together.
I was about to move on to treat a patient with a cut in his forehead from a fallen ceiling tile when I heard Jane's voice over the radio of the fire engine. "Attention all ground personnel; get clear of the south-side, balcony collapses imminent! Also get the nets we have a top floor jumper on the north-side!
Acknowledging the warning, the firemen manning the hoses stepped away from the building, unfortunately they needed everyman that they had to fight the blaze. There was no time to wait for anyone else and there was a possibility that Faolan wouldn't make it in time. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and leave the triage area.
Wheeling away from my last patient I transformed into my mermaid form while engaging the air-swim ability of my armor to get air-borne. I knew that time was of the essence as every second counted while I swam at high-speed to circle the building to try and catch the jumper before they decided to entrust their survival to the tender mercies of gravity.
Unfortunately, a nearby tremor as the heat of the flame further weakened the building made the decision for the lady, I couldn't reach her in time and the enchantment on my armor wouldn't keep us airborne while protecting us from the fall, it didn't work by half-ways- one or the other. Fortunately, this mermaid is more than a one-trick pony; I went for my left-bracelet and drew out my trident. Time seemed to slow as I drew a bead on the woman (I know that it was just the adrenaline rush but it still felt that way), I hadn't had much training with this aspect of the weapon but there was no time to perfect this.
I activated the vortex ability while aimed at the plummeting Bostonian hoping that the whirlwind would work as an air-cushion because if it didn't she'd leave her mark on the city in a way no-one wanted. When I let-a-rip with the trident the woman's fall was briefly reverse by a pocket of air, but I knew this wouldn't last long. As the first aerial vortex began to dissipate I let loose another to take its place, although one far less powerful than the first and juggling the woman mid-air; I knew that Faolan was on her way and she'd have a far easier time than I would helping the woman make her way to the ground than I would. Plus, I only had enough experience to do this feat while stationary; as things stood I could only keep her aloft not slow her fall to a safe speed.
By about the twelfth burst of the trident Faolan finally arrived in her werewolf form clutching a boy with her left-arm that was hanging onto her for dear-life. I sent one more vortex of air to juggle the woman for one last time while Faolan charged with all she had to grab the woman around the waist with her right arm.
Adrenaline and panic still coursing through the rescued woman's mind she briefly tried to struggle with her canine rescuer, "Let me go you monster!"
"Stop-it lady, the mermaid and I are here to help." Faolan did her best to explain to the struggling rescuee without dropping her or the boy. "Now stop thrashing around so we can go and get you checked out by the paramedics!"
I could tell the woman didn't entirely by poor Randi's explanation but at least she seemed to be willing to play around until we got back to the ground. Faolan and I circled the building as we made our way back to the ground triage area, in time to see Saladin helping the paramedics look over some of the other rescuees. While I returned to my wheelchair and transformed back to my human form the woman dashed away from Faolan without so much as a thank you to either of us and headed for the doctors, however the child however calmly let go and lingered beside his rescuer.
He looked up at Randi still slightly in shock and asked Randi, "How do I get them out?"
Faolan hit one of the buttons on the inside of her right vambrace (likely the red one considering how fast she turned back to normal). Now back to her more human form Randi got down on one knee to look the child in the eyes and told him, "Exactly the way you put them inside, just make like you are pulling them out instead of pushing them inside the jewels."
At first I was confused by the conversation but I soon saw the pendants around the boy's neck and put two and two together. Evidently the boy caught on as fast to the instructions as I had at reading the situation; he set both pendants jewel side up on the ground reached down with each hand and pulled from both gems. Immediately a man and woman that each bore a resemblance to the child emerged from the changeling baubles.
The boy's parents huddled together around their son grateful that their family had gotten out of the building safe and sound, Faolan obviously was just as glad as I was at the sight- no-matter how she tried to hide the warm smile that just bloomed across her face. Still when she turned to go and join Saladin in talking to the firemen she was stopped when the boy grabbed her cloak, "Miss, you forgot these." In his right-hand the boy held out the two changeling baubles that he had just freed his parents from.
Faolan looked at the boy and shook her head, "You earned those tonight child, I'll try and get someone to stop by and see your parents later to tell you how they work."
"Thanks' nice lady," the boy said with a wide smile and as he went back to hugging his parents while I wheeled over to my fellow Cardinal Maiden (maybe Randi and I should think up a name after we finally meet the northern and southern maidens).
As we made our way back over to Saladin, I turned to Faolan, "I thought the price for one of those was a foolish act?!?"
Without meeting my eyes Faolan replied, "Jeremy trusted a strange woman in a mask who cut her way into his burning home with a sword that he could put his parents inside two pendants and then that he would be safe if she jumped off of a collapsing balcony with him."
"But those are signs of bravery not foolishness," I shot back rather disappointed with my friend.
"Those are two sides of the same coin Aletheia," Jane explained as she returned to her perch on Faolan's shoulder, "the only true difference is determined after the fact- just as I explained to my partner a moment ago through our link. Now we had best turn over the other survivors to the paramedics, Saladin just cleared the last of the people from out of the building."
"The paramedics and the morgue, I got as many out as I could living or not," Faolan explained as she steadied herself from trembling with a potent cocktail of anger and grief now we had a brief moment of calm. "Th-the families of those who didn't make it- they deserve to know as soon as they're ID'd. I-it should much easier for the cor-coroners to do that if they aren't- *SNIFF* if they aren't..."
I took Faolan's hand and looked into her eyes, "You did the right thing, no matter what anyone says later you did all you could and then some."
Faolan did her best to dry her eyes before she unloaded the survivors to receive help from the paramedics, and those who weren't so lucky to receive a bag to protect them on their way to the city morgue.
Old Colony Town Home - Roof
7:17 PM
Jabberwock looked through his binoculars at the scene across the street, after searching seven of the detonation sites he found one with both targets assisting. There was no mistake to be had: the one who was just running in mid-air fit the description of the secondary target way too closely, while the mermaid that he had just observed swimming alongside had to be the primary target.
"Jabberwock to base, both targets have been spotted at the old apartment complex at 25 James O'Neil Street," the currently indentured mercenary relayed over the radio, "Waiting for instructions- over."
"Good time to move onto Phase 3, shadow them en-route to their next location." Charles Darrow ordered over the radio, It's time to strike!- over and out!"
Jabberwock switched the radio over to active mode as he prepared to assume a more active role in the operation, unaware that he was under surveillance by another party with plans of their own as evident when Ekdikeo materialized and alerted her sisters over their shared link, Everyone on high alert, the Children of the Night are about to come out of hiding to pounce on the maidens. Prepare to begin counter-operations.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 15
Massachusetts General Hospital - Emergency Triage
Boston, Massachusetts
5:05 PM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I took a few deep whiffs of the policeman before me, while he did have some injuries from scuffling with the Necromancer's shamblers it wasn't obvious to the nurse whether or not he'd been infected (well at least not seriously so)- believe me an enhanced sense of smell is both a blessing and a curse.
"No he's clean," I turned to Nurse Ingendorf who was still weirded out of someone wearing a cloak and face-mask helping her out. "I can't smell any active necrosis."
"Are you certain?" Nurse Ingendorf asked me as she stared over to a table full of cups of Reality Elixir. "Thanks to that antique cooking pot you brought we have plenty to go around."
I turned to the nurse and shook my head, "I'm certain, aggressive infection from these kind of things carries a distinct odor; although you should give everyone a dose before you discharge them just to be on the safe side- staff included, priority should go to the heavily infected and the anti-zombie darts. And before you ask no you don't want me to describe what the infection smells like- especially since you just ate."
"How do you know I just got back from lunch?" The nurse looked at me odd as we continued looking over the patients in our assigned rows.
"Turkey and provolone with yellow-mustard," I observed with a couple of whiffs, "can't tell what vegetables but it didn't have pickles, relish or onions. My sense of smell can trump most bloodhound's, it often comes in handy but it makes laundry day three circles of hell on earth- especially my workout clothes."
"So, you can really tell all of that from my breath?" The nurse asked as I stopped near one patient.
"This one," I eyed a man with several clear bite marks, "and you better give him a double dose, we don't want to risk him turning in here and risking contaminating the staff or any other patients."
As the nurse went to retrieve a dose of the elixir from the tray the patient did his best to retreat, crawling into a corner with a dangerous look in his eyes.
"Get back, I don't want another of you freaks to get your unholy witchcraft anywhere near me." The man shouted out in fear.
"Witchcraft?" The nurse looked at me out of curiosity, "I mean does this count, it was made in a cauldron?"
"Personally, I'm Methodist, and a cauldron's just the grandfather of both the Dutch Oven and the wash tube." I replied trying to defuse the situation with a little levity before turning to the patient, "Now sir, you are seriously infected by one of those monsters from outside, you need to take this medicine or chances are you'll become a danger to yourself and others."
"No way you witch, get back," as the patient swung at us I stepped in brush-blocking his swing with my right-arm and then after baring it with my left, moved in and snaked and immobilized his right-arm with a half-nelson before tripping him forward with a back strike to his knees with my right leg so that he couldn't use his height as an advantage on me.
As the rather difficult patient struggled I reiterated, "Sir you are taking your medicine one way or another!"
"Just what do you mean by that?" The man snarled back while struggling in futility against my hold.
"She means that we'll have to resort to this," Nurse Ingendorf explained at she reached down to the next level of the cart to retrieve a rectal bulb and a plastic syringe tube. "If you refuse to have the medicine administered orally we can always bypass the stomach and administer it directly to the intestines."
"No," the man tensed in panic and from the smell of it peed his pants a little, "you can't- I swear that I'll sue."
"Sir you have been exposed to a dangerous biohazardous substance with mutative properties that will make you a danger to yourself and others." Nurse Ingendorf explained trying to keep up her bedside manner but even I could tell that she was beginning to lose her patience with this particular patient. "This compound is a neutralizing agent to said substance, we have seen that it has no effect on healthy individuals but attacks and renders the contagion inert. Now keep in mind you have two choices here, but both of them involve you taking your medicine- so please decide, every moment you delay increases the chance of complications."
The difficult patient finally relaxed in my arms and responded with, "Fine, just get this psycho off of me."
I finally let go and let the ingrate get to his feet while muttering under my breath, "Attacks a nurse and has the nerve to call me a psycho- what a hypocrite."
The man took his medicine and followed the nurse’s instructions to: "Please go to the second waiting room for observation." Once the man was out of sight Nurse Ingendorf turned to me, "Nice moves back there, you didn't even let the freak comments get to you."
"Ever since I changed I've been getting used to it," I huffed, "I might as well start getting used to it now; I'm going to have to deal with worse for the rest of my life."
"Very mature attitude, judging by your voice you can't be any older than a teenager."
"Thanks I- agh!" My conversation was interrupted when I heard the distant sound of a series of explosions; with the Necromancer's shamblers roaming the streets I knew that this was no coincidence.
"Are you alright?" The Nurse asked as she helped me up, "I thought I heard a car backfiring."
"That wasn't a car..." I stated with as my concern bled into my voice, "if I'm right about what just happened things just got a whole lot worse."
Union Oyster House
5:17 PM
"You know eating an oyster should be considered something of a perverse and barbaric practice if you think about it," Eddie Black- who Rex Hallenbeck now knew to be none other than the infamous Professor Id commented as he took a freshly shucked oyster from his plate to gaze at the naked creature sitting inside of its own shell. "Here they are abducted by the thousands from their homes on the sea floor have, pried out of their shell by a knife, exposed to an environment that is completely alien to them all so hairless primates can devour them alive."
His brief moment of philosophy done, the enigmatic individual slurped up the oyster off of the shell before depositing the empty shell in the bucket at the end of the table. "Why are we sitting here eating?" Rex asked trying to cut to the truth of the matter, "I thought that you had something to discuss with me?"
"You colonials... always so impatient, always in a hurry to go nowhere as soon as possible even when all you do when you get there is wait impatiently." The guised Professor Id observed in a bemused tone, "It is hardly proper to discuss business during a meal- explaining a few particulars first is one thing, but it is quite rude to talk while eating. Besides the Necromancer's zombies are still roaming the streets and Darrow himself recently detonated a number of explosives all over town, provided your double does not reveal your ruse to your comrades and classmates no one will discover your absence for some time. Now enjoy the meal, I understand this is one of the finest establishments on the Eastern Coast to enjoy these fresh-shucked morsels, and given that you are my guest I am covering the meal."
"But why chose me?" Rex inquired desperate to learn at least something before his host was done dining. "There were a ton of others at that ceremony, why single me out."
"Because you are the only one of your group whom I would have anything to offer and would be open to an arrangement with me Orthus." Professor Id revealed to a shocked Rex. "Although given my understanding of your prior incarnation I thought that you would be more interested in the Chimera than the Cadmean Vixen; then again Hesiod never was one let miniscule details like clarity get in the way of his poetry."
"Still child there is no rush...unless that is that you wish to take part in the chaos that is going on outside, I am certain that it will not be long before the Children of the Night themselves make an appearance. I have also seen the signs of other parties being active in Boston today, and given that your classmates known as Team Kimba, are not in the city either I can only postulate what either group intends to do with the succulent morsels visiting this fine city."
As if to illustrate a point his host slurped another quivering naked oyster off the remaining half of the shell that it once called home. Nervously Rex took one of the oysters off of the tray and began to partake of the bivalve, he was starting to get a little hungry and something on his stomach might help ease the tension in the air- even if only slightly.
Massachusetts General Hospital - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
5:36 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I was busy helping Animalia at the dart loading station when the nearby officers were coordinating with Captain Tilley of Boston's SWAT team (yes, I know that it sounds redundant to say that but from what I've learned the T stood for Tactics and not Team).
"We have at least seventeen confirmed blasts scattered around the city," Lieutenant Doyle explained to the Captain over a map of the city, "so far none of them appear to be any further west than Cutler Park or south than Readville. The problem is that because of the zombie situation we're spread thin as is and the fire engines are having trouble getting to the scenes because of the congestion and debris."
"That bastard really hit us with a one-two punch this time, good thing that the remaining prisoners from Roxbury C were relocated to Galveston Bay and Attica B, the last thing that we need in the middle of all of this is a repeat of January." Captain Tilley observed, "At least the power company did something about the brown-outs right away; these zombies appear to be coming from dark areas and now that we've got the street lights on that should limit where they're popping up, now what's the status of our local capes?"
"Dynaman's trapped in his armor," Lieutenant Fulton began to lay down the situation, "a few moments after he arrived on the scene someone tagged him with an EMP generator and nobody can get close enough to remove it since his area is swarming with zombies. Speed Queen is helping us with dart distribution, she should be back momentarily and I don't have a clue where Skyhawk is at the moment."
"And I was just informed that Team Kimba and their associates have been effectively barred from coming to Boston in the wake of what happened last January, "Lieutenant Grabber explained, so we can't expect any further caped help from our usual paranormal auxiliaries."
"And the DPA put a freeze on the city deputizing any further underage paranormals out of fear of escalation in regard to the Children of the Night," the Captain huffed, "the only upside is that while this is obviously their work we haven't seen any confirmed sign of The Necromancer's crew out in the middle of this mess."
"This might be another strike at the Kimba's," Lieutinant Gregory postulated while he chewed over the details. "He might have received a tip that a group of paranormals would be in town today and is doing this to provoke another confrontation."
"Possible but unlikely," Captain Tilley replied, "we had visitors from the same facility in-between the Arch-Fiend's Trial back in November and the Necromancer's multi-pronged attack back in January. No, I have a feeling that there is something else to this, he's obviously trying to lure out someone but who is the real question. Most of the masks and capes here had no direct connection with any of the three confrontations between Team Kimba and the Children of the Night."
"Meanwhile we're already short-handed and so are the paramedics," Lieutenant Doyle pointed out, "and given the pressure on the department we can't send any of the capes helping out here into a combat situation."
"Combat is one thing but emergencies are another," Captain Tilley mulled the situation over, "go around and give some of the masks emergency status to assist the Paramedics and the Fire-Fighters especially the healers and the heavies, right now we need every pair of hands we can get."
I couldn't help but hear everything that the Captain was saying- I know I can't even walk quite well yet but people out there needed help. There were friends and families who were desperate as their loved one's lives were on the line, I had seen it hundreds of times when adherents begged Victoria for her aide or mercy in both her identity as Aphrodite and later as Venus; some of whom she granted clemency but then again this was a woman who set in motion the long and bloody Trojan War all for her own petty reasons.
(Flashback)
Sunday April 15th, 2007
?
I stood alone shrouded in fog; I could hear something dimly crackling around me and a smell that made me want to gag. However, no matter where I turned or how far I walked the fog would not lift; this went on for no telling how long until my foot finally nudged something, as I looked down I saw him laying sprawled on the ground his robes torn and matted in blood.
While I was focusing on the body a sudden gust of wind dispelled the fog- I looked on in horror as I realized just where I was...Troy, the ancient walled city in Asia Minor that had been razed and ransacked after Odysseus gambit with the wooden horse finally allowed the armies of the united city-states of Ancient Greece access after years of conflict that cost the lives of many a soul on both sides of the conflict. A conflict that I bore silent witness to like so many others from the shadow of Aphrodite whose meddling had orchestrated the entire affair, what not many knew was that she had done it as an action to further draw the eyes of Ares; beginning her affair with the God of War while her husband Hephaestus toiled making weapons for who-so-ever beseeched his aid during that long series of battles.
All around I could see the victims of that long and futile conflict; a conflict that resulted from Paris judging Aphrodite the fairest of three goddesses of the Dodecantheon of Olympus (Artemis to her credit abstained from the contest as she was not interested in such matters). Hera, Athena and Aphrodite each offered Paris a bribe to find her fairest, but Aphrodite's promise to make the most beautiful woman in all of Greece fall in love with him was the bribe that he chose. That choice caused Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta to leave her husband, and sparked a ten-year conflict that cost Paris his life and destroyed his city.
All around I could see the casualties of that fateful day that the people of Troy met the naked wrath of Grecian iron dories; women- children- the elderly all dead and for what so Aphrodite could gloat about her beauty to her kin on Olympus and navigate Ares into her bed. While I was surveying the carnage with tearful eyes I felt something grab my leg- I looked down and it was the specter of the corpse at my feet.
All around I could see them, the restless specters of the dead lost souls who had by the Spartan King's orders never even been granted even the minor dignity of a battlefield pyre let alone burial. Instead they were left for the as carrion for beast and bird to scavenge and as for their beliefs unable to pay Charon they were denied the both the Ephesian Fields and the Plains of Asmodai, instead they became shades to torment the living. All around I could see the accusations in the hollow eyes of those shades; why didn't I do anything, I who was so close to the one who sowed the seeds of their suffering. Yet for spirits this angry there was no answer that would quench the phantom flames of their fury, I could do nothing as they swarmed me taking out the vengeance that they had so long been denied.
I woke up in my bed in Dickinson drenched in sweat from the nightmare, Blinky lapping at the salty drops as he tried to sooth me with his loving purr-filled nudges. Mable looked at me out of concern but my voice remained silent, there was nothing that I could say to explain this that she would truly understand.
(End Flashback)
Massachusetts General Hospital - Emergency Triage
Boston, Massachusetts
5:41 PM EDT
The sight of all those weeping children, mothers and wives as they cried in anguish still haunted my dreams, part of why I spent so much time in the Dreamlands. The rare occasions that I chose to dream instead of exploring my grandmother's domain had more than once saw me haunted by the specters of those who suffered for the amusement of Victoria's past incarnations, those pleading hollowed eyes demanding to know why I didn't even try to beg on their behalf all the while deaf to my explanations that I could only watch from the fickle goddesses’ shadow.
More than once I awoke dripping with sweat my voice frozen in a silent scream as Blinky lapped at my perspiration before trying to apply a little purr therapy of his own. Troy wasn't the only place that would haunt these nightmares, Aphrodite's crimes were many and I had the names and faces of all those occasions burned into my soul like a scar; I would carry that burden forever, I know that I was innocent of her indiscretions but I owed it to her victims to grant other's the mercy and aide that they were denied.
Finally, here was my first chance to do some real good in the world to replace those tears of helplessness with those of purest relief, I didn't care if it meant that I'd need to use my outfit to swim in the air as long as it allowed me to finally help others. Even if that tiny nagging voice in the back of my mind reminded me that after I got back home to Whateley that mom would likely ground me until I was thirty for taking this risk, I knew that it was one that I had to take- I refused to welcome anymore phantoms of guilt to haunt my conscious.
Morrigan's 'Office' - Beneath Shuster Hall
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
5:57 PM
Morrigan continued through Thursday's homework assignments that her students had turned in yesterday; giving weight more towards content than mechanics (her subject was European History after all not English Grammar). Still part of her mind was on Randi, Heather and Beatrice and the chaos that was going on in Boston; she wished that she could rush to their aide but her responsibilities kept her here and even at the speed that her husband could travel it would still be two hours till he could arrive on his own.
She also owed it to Elizabeh Carson to explain about the duties of the Maidens of the Four Courts, she knew that there was no way to sugarcoat this matter and the Headmistress of Whateley was bound to be more than a little mad at her- part of her wished that she wasn't bound by her geas not only to the late queens of the Western Court but to the Five-Fold Court as a whole. Morrigan understood how important Randi and Beatrice's fated missions were (as were those of the other two she had yet to meet) but she just wished that there was a way to spare them the risks that they entailed.
As much as her thoughts strayed she was still able to fairly grade the assignments, multi-tasking was something that she had learned to do so long ago part of her wondered if she could boast to have invented the method. Still this split in her attention left her diverted enough that she noticed the door to her office open, and Nikki Reilly was peaking around the corner.
"Miss Reilly," Mrs. Redstag spoke up without glancing up from the current paper that she was grading, "I wondered when the future Queen would stop by- are you finally ready to take me up on my offer to help you better prepare for your accession to the throne?"
"I doubt that offer would still be open," Fey, the most powerful spell-caster of the student body spoke up, "although someone with your abilities would have likely known by now that Aunghadhail is gone. How could I be the future queen of the Faerie if the spirt of the late Paramount Queen, the Daughter of the Burning Oak that was in me is gone?"
"Yes, Miss Reilly I am well aware of what happened at ARC I attended her funeral in the Grove remember, and though it was unfortunate- the sad thing is that it was bound to happen sooner or later." Morrigan explained while continuing to markup the homework assignment in front of her.
"Excuse me!" Nikki all but roared as her glamour began to build radiating her anger. "Bound to happen, this was a part of me- Aunghadheil was important without her the last of the True Queens of the Fae and now she's gone forever and you say that it was bound to happen!"
As Nikki's fury continued to build akin to that of a bonfire, Morrigan looked up from her work and calmly set down the red papermate that she had been using on her desk. She briefly closed her eyes and then unleashed her own focused glamour, while Nikki's was one of heat and fury- Morrigan's was something that felt ancient, not merely old but ancient much like Aunghadheil. While Morrigan was no True Queen she was in truth one of the Oldest Sidhe on the planet; all light within the small room appeared to have been drained away into Morrigan who shinned with a glow that was both otherworldly and intense, it was obvious that while Morrigan may have been named the Queen of Phantoms as a cruel jest by the royalty of Summer and Winter- it was a name that was fitting in more ways than one.
The fight briefly taken out of her, Fey all but blanched at the experience. Now that Fey's fury had subsided, Morrigan saw fit to lower her own glamour back to its normal ambient level, "Well that happened, if you still wish to talk about this Miss Reilly please shut the door and have a seat."
The former host of the fourth Paramount Queen of the Sidhe did as she was asked and had a seat in front of Morrigan's desk, after taking a moment to straighten the stack of papers that she had been working on and setting a hand-carved wooden paperweight (a gift that her son Bodb Derg had given her a few months prior when he received news of her new position) on the stack. Taking a moment to take in the young Mutant Sidhe- Morrigan calmly observed, "As I stated earlier, you are clearly concerned about what the late Queen Aunghadhail's dissolution will mean to the future of the Faerie and yourself given that you have had so many tell you that you are the future Queen of the Fae- the Crow of Winter that the Kodiak bestowed upon you makes that clear."
"Alright- yes I am," Nikki explained steadying herself, "I mean I know that I am one of the most powerful spell-casters at Whateley even without Aunghadhail but with her I was on an entirely different level- even if...
"Even if making use of Queen Aunghadhail's powers in such a manner had their consequences such as the swath of forest that became blighted after your fight with Maelstrom." Morrigan guessed Nikki's line of thought, "I know that this might be hard for you to accept Miss Reilly, but Queen Aunghadhail's time by your side was never meant to last your entire life. Although Sidhe such as ourselves are long-lived we are by no means completely immortal; we are after all creatures of the kingdom of nature and death is as much a part of the natural world as life, Queen Aunghadhail knew this and endeavored to do her best to prepare you for the paths that laid ahead of you."
"So, what are you saying?" Nikki inquired quaking in a mixture of fear and uncertainty.
"What I am saying was that the true reign of Queen Aunghadhail ended with her death during The Sundering, but that's in no small part to the enduring will of her soul she was able to seek out others searching for what she needed to impart unto what remained of the Western Court- an heir-apparent to her throne." Morrigan revealed with a sly smile, "It was not Queen Aunghadhail's destiny nor her intent to completely return to this world- such an act would be a perversion of the Nature of both the World and the Western Court. She was preparing you to take her place- as the new Paramount Queen of the Western Court."
This revelation obviously left Nikki in shock, "Y-you mean!?!"
"Queen Aunghadhail's purpose wasn't to find a way to return," Morrigan explained in a solemn tone, "it was to find someone worthy of being her successor- the next Paramount Queen of the Western Court is you Nichole Susanne Reilly! At least you will be the next Queen after you complete the ancient Rite of Ascension, heir apparent or not there are rules in place for a reason."
"So, let me guess," Nikki spoke with a bitter-sweet smile, "are series of dangerous and deadly quests for the throne."
"Not really- at least not normally so, after the time for morning the late Queen was passed first her heir must come of age- fortunately you are already sixteen so that is a non-issue. Next you must meditate in a place of nature's power for your royal name and symbol of nature to reveal themselves unto you and your arbiter, Queen Aunghadhail did not always have that name nor was she always known as the Daughter of the Burning Oak; fortunately, the Heart of the Grove is more than adequate for this task."
"The final rite will take you into the Wildlands of the Fae-Realm on a day important to the cycle of nature (such as a solstice or equinox); you must be coronated in the presence of a World Tree in a ceremony consisting of key members of your court, which in this day and age would be the Council of Regency. I will handle the arrangements for this part when fell that you are ready to undertake the journey, you may even bring your friends; however, they must provide their own meal- I'm afraid that the stories about Faerie Cuisine may have a basis in reality."
"Somehow, I doubt that would be a problem," Nikki replied with a minor laugh, "if there is one thing that Ayla knows it's how to prepare food for a trip. Although I thought that there were no more World Trees; from what I heard they were all destroyed during The Sundering and the Heart of The Grove isn't even close to being one."
"Not all of them, just those in the lands of the Center Court, or as you know what remains of it- Modern Earth." Morrigan explained, "Yggdrasil is more than a myth just so that you are aware, as many of the stories of that tree had a great deal of truth to them."
Old Colony Apartments
Boston, Massachusetts
6:17 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
How was it that I knew that today would turn out like this? This was supposed to be a simple date in Boston with my roommate Candace...okay I knew that she weaseled the date out of me but come-on I who was I to say no to the second hottest freshman red-head in Poe. Still something always seems to hit the fan in Boston this year when freshmen Poesies try to have a pleasant day on the town, this time it was The Necromancer (a local Grand Hall middle-weight and recurring pain-in-the-neck for the school) blanketing the city in darkness and unleashing a swarm of mythos contaminated zombies on the city before detonating a series of bombs.
The nasty part- these bombs weren't simple blocks of plastique, from what others filled me in on these were incendiary explosives. So yeah, they blew stuff up and made a very big boom, but they also started fires when they did so. That meant while the police were over-whelmed with taking care of the walking undead and the paramedics were busy treating the injured and infected at the city's hospitals, the Boston Fire Department was struggling to combat fires while evacuating buildings and apartments all over town.
Still they were overwhelmed so the police sent a good number of the students who were helping out at the hospital to help the fire department. Fortunately, not everyone got stuck doing this, Candace and Aires were sent to help Speed Queen deliver the elixir darts to police all over the city to help deal with the shamblers and prevent any police or civilians from joining the ranks of The Necromancer's mythos zombies.
Healers, those with first-aid training or healing spells in their arsenal were pared with those who could take the heat or use their powers to search for survivors trapped by the explosions and the fires. Guess it was a good thing that my cloak was rated up to withstand heat at the level of surface magma and volcanic geysers so I could help Saladin clear any survivors as we alternated floors. Still it was awkward using Sydan while keeping my body fully concealed within my cloak, but I've been burned enough times growing up to know to keep my hand away from the stove.
I'm also just discovered that my dwarf-forged blade doesn't conduct heat past the hilt, guess that bearded smith packed this sword full of features that I've yet to discover. Still I filled that train of thought away for later, according to the headcount downstairs there are at least twenty people still left in the building and I had already rescued eleven of them, I hoped that they would still be alive when I got there. While my cloak protected me from the heat- the smoke was another matter entirely, while I did have an oxygen tank it was for scuba gear (Morrigan mentioned that next month would include aquatic combat training) not fire-fighting so the mix was slightly more oxygen rich to cut down on the bends.
Honestly, I don't know how Pero del Fuego does this all the time while keeping that cheery attitude; I'm not exactly the sunniest person to begin with and the idea of coming to the rescue only to find those you came to save burned to a crisp was heart-breaking. When my last stop lead to the discovery of a couple who had been killed when the ceiling above them collapsed sending an antique dresser on top of them I had almost lost it, I still collected them anyway- their relatives deserved not to be devastated by the loss of false hope.
Randi enough with the melancholy- I can see signs of three people two doors down, Jane thankfully messaged me pulling me out of the dumps, All three are alive but the balcony above them collapsed into their terrace they're trapped between a wall of rubble and fire.
'I wouldn't go in through the door anyway,' I replied back through my link to the stormcrow, 'that would just make a backdraft plus part of the floor fell and is blocking the door. Tell me is the terrace of the room to my right collapsed too?'
No, but how do you plan on getting them out?
'Trust me,' I replied to Jane, 'I should have just tackled this problem from the outside anyway.' Without another message- another thought, I cut through the lock into the apartment next to the room where the people trapped by the fire were and moved through the apartment to the balcony. After opening the balcony door, I went outside to survey the balcony next door, as Jane told me the balcony above collapse into the balcony bellow blocking the patio door. I knew Sydan would be sharp enough to cut through the concrete, steel and glass- it had to be- people's lives depended on it being sharp enough to do the job and I was damned certain that container with the fake pearl a few months ago was made of tougher stuff.
One quick peek in through the glass saw the family inside trying in vain to break the double-paned balcony window hoping that if they did that they could squeeze through the gaps still uncovered by the rubble. When the family saw me they didn't know what to make of me, thanks to Jane helping me to interoperate their faces, I saw hope fighting fear in their eyes. I motioned for them to move aside and after they complied Sydan cleaved through glass and concrete sending parts of the door and rubble into the apartment, I hoped there was enough room because I didn't want to risk shifting the weight of the debris in the ledge any more.
The family inside saw me through the window, but unfortunately from the look of things their perception of my arrival was not good. "Who are you? What do you want? Why did you do this?" The father shouted in panic while his wife was huddled in the corner protecting their son.
"My name is Faolan, I'm here aiding the fire department to evacuate the building." I calmly stated as I locked eyes with the father to convince him of my sincerity. "There's burning debris blocking your door so I need to get you out through the window- just try to move the rubble out of the way."
That was when I began to hear creaking coming from the balcony, crap clearing that debris must have shifted the weight to the front and as things stood any more shocks to the buildings structure might trigger another floor collapse. Crap, I couldn't risk more rubble being shifted and time was even more vital- I switched to Plan B and fished two unmodified changeling baubles out of my bag while telling Jane to 'warn everybody on the ground'. "Change of plans, this terrace is starting to give. We can't afford to waste time."
The couple immediately noticed the same problem I did the hole was too small for an adult, "So you can't save us, just our son."
"I'll save your boy but he'll be saving you first." I stated as I tossed the pair of changeling baubles through the opening I made, "Here use these, place them on the ground then I need your son to push one of your hands into the pendent- like he's trying to push you inside."
"What!?!" The father shouted at me as if I'd grown a second head, "Are you insane!"
"Sir this ledge isn't getting any more stable and when it goes it might take the floor with it, and those pendants are the same things that are in my bracers." I explained back as I returned my blade to its sheath to demonstrate this fact. "Now trust me, your balcony could go any time now."
Still keeping as low to the ground with her son as she could to avoid any smoke that might have come in from the hallway, the wife pleaded with her husband, "Dear- right now we don't have much of a choice besides trusting her." To demonstrate her point the woman took one of the pendants that I had tossed inside- held her son's hand too while she pressed her own to the jewel and following her instructions the boy pushed his mother inside.
The father seemed to hesitate for a moment- at least before the balcony began to creak again, this time so loud that the father and son both heard it above the crackling of the fire. Evidentially reality forced his hand, the father took the other pendant and told his son, "Go ahead Jeremy."
With a slight bit of hesitation showing on his trembling hands, Jeremy followed his father's instructions and pushed his father into the gem like his mother earlier before looping both pendants around his neck for safekeeping. Now it was young Jeremy's turn as he crawled over the ramp that my blade had made in the rubble to me, "They're safe right?" he asked pleading with his eyes through his soot stained face as I took the child in my arms.
"As long as you keep them that way," I replied doing my best to reassure the child with a nervous smile while I prepared to use my boots to run down to the ground, "now hold on tight and don't try to do this yourself." With Jeremy in my arms as he clung to me for dear life I jumped off the balcony and stopped in mid-air, Jeremy looked on in awe as we stood on thin air.
While I began to make my way back to the ground like I was running down a ramp carrying my wide-eyed passenger with me Jane gave me a message through our link, Randi we have a jumper on the north-side of the building and Saladin has a wall of flaming debris blocking his way!
'Crap, I'm on the south-side and I have a passenger, I'll get there as fast as I can.' I replied back, 'You also need to get everyone to clear away from the front of the building two balconies worth of rubble is about to go street level.'
Roger, I'll tell the fire crews over their radios. The stormcrow responded as I did my best to circle the building from the outside hoping that I could make it in time while informing my passenger, "Change of plans kid- one of your neighbors is trying to escape the fire the hard way. So, hang on things are about to get even freakier!"
Careful not to drop the passenger clinging to my front like a baby koala I moved my right arm to let my pinky select the green button on my hidden pump. Once I felt the subtle vibration of the gadget telling me that a stream of simple carbs was about to be injected into my blood-stream I shifted into my werewolf form and began to circumnavigate the building.
Outside Old Colony Apartments
6:42 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I was applying my ability to help a man vent the soot and ash from his lungs while his wife looked on with concern from where the paramedics were looking her over. A few moments later he expelled the ash-filled air from his lungs he caught her gaze, he was still shaky from her experience but they would hopefully enjoy a long life together.
I was about to move on to treat a patient with a cut in his forehead from a fallen ceiling tile when I heard Jane's voice over the radio of the fire engine. "Attention all ground personnel; get clear of the south-side, balcony collapses imminent! Also get the nets we have a top floor jumper on the north-side!
Acknowledging the warning, the firemen manning the hoses stepped away from the building, unfortunately they needed everyman that they had to fight the blaze. There was no time to wait for anyone else and there was a possibility that Faolan wouldn't make it in time. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and leave the triage area.
Wheeling away from my last patient I transformed into my mermaid form while engaging the air-swim ability of my armor to get air-borne. I knew that time was of the essence as every second counted while I swam at high-speed to circle the building to try and catch the jumper before they decided to entrust their survival to the tender mercies of gravity.
Unfortunately, a nearby tremor as the heat of the flame further weakened the building made the decision for the lady, I couldn't reach her in time and the enchantment on my armor wouldn't keep us airborne while protecting us from the fall, it didn't work by half-ways- one or the other. Fortunately, this mermaid is more than a one-trick pony; I went for my left-bracelet and drew out my trident. Time seemed to slow as I drew a bead on the woman (I know that it was just the adrenaline rush but it still felt that way), I hadn't had much training with this aspect of the weapon but there was no time to perfect this.
I activated the vortex ability while aimed at the plummeting Bostonian hoping that the whirlwind would work as an air-cushion because if it didn't she'd leave her mark on the city in a way no-one wanted. When I let-a-rip with the trident the woman's fall was briefly reverse by a pocket of air, but I knew this wouldn't last long. As the first aerial vortex began to dissipate I let loose another to take its place, although one far less powerful than the first and juggling the woman mid-air; I knew that Faolan was on her way and she'd have a far easier time than I would helping the woman make her way to the ground than I would. Plus, I only had enough experience to do this feat while stationary; as things stood I could only keep her aloft not slow her fall to a safe speed.
By about the twelfth burst of the trident Faolan finally arrived in her werewolf form clutching a boy with her left-arm that was hanging onto her for dear-life. I sent one more vortex of air to juggle the woman for one last time while Faolan charged with all she had to grab the woman around the waist with her right arm.
Adrenaline and panic still coursing through the rescued woman's mind she briefly tried to struggle with her canine rescuer, "Let me go you monster!"
"Stop-it lady, the mermaid and I are here to help." Faolan did her best to explain to the struggling rescuee without dropping her or the boy. "Now stop thrashing around so we can go and get you checked out by the paramedics!"
I could tell the woman didn't entirely by poor Randi's explanation but at least she seemed to be willing to play around until we got back to the ground. Faolan and I circled the building as we made our way back to the ground triage area, in time to see Saladin helping the paramedics look over some of the other rescuees. While I returned to my wheelchair and transformed back to my human form the woman dashed away from Faolan without so much as a thank you to either of us and headed for the doctors, however the child however calmly let go and lingered beside his rescuer.
He looked up at Randi still slightly in shock and asked Randi, "How do I get them out?"
Faolan hit one of the buttons on the inside of her right vambrace (likely the red one considering how fast she turned back to normal). Now back to her more human form Randi got down on one knee to look the child in the eyes and told him, "Exactly the way you put them inside, just make like you are pulling them out instead of pushing them inside the jewels."
At first I was confused by the conversation but I soon saw the pendants around the boy's neck and put two and two together. Evidently the boy caught on as fast to the instructions as I had at reading the situation; he set both pendants jewel side up on the ground reached down with each hand and pulled from both gems. Immediately a man and woman that each bore a resemblance to the child emerged from the changeling baubles.
The boy's parents huddled together around their son grateful that their family had gotten out of the building safe and sound, Faolan obviously was just as glad as I was at the sight- no-matter how she tried to hide the warm smile that just bloomed across her face. Still when she turned to go and join Saladin in talking to the firemen she was stopped when the boy grabbed her cloak, "Miss, you forgot these." In his right-hand the boy held out the two changeling baubles that he had just freed his parents from.
Faolan looked at the boy and shook her head, "You earned those tonight child, I'll try and get someone to stop by and see your parents later to tell you how they work."
"Thanks' nice lady," the boy said with a wide smile and as he went back to hugging his parents while I wheeled over to my fellow Cardinal Maiden (maybe Randi and I should think up a name after we finally meet the northern and southern maidens).
As we made our way back over to Saladin, I turned to Faolan, "I thought the price for one of those was a foolish act?!?"
Without meeting my eyes Faolan replied, "Jeremy trusted a strange woman in a mask who cut her way into his burning home with a sword that he could put his parents inside two pendants and then that he would be safe if she jumped off of a collapsing balcony with him."
"But those are signs of bravery not foolishness," I shot back rather disappointed with my friend.
"Those are two sides of the same coin Aletheia," Jane explained as she returned to her perch on Faolan's shoulder, "the only true difference is determined after the fact- just as I explained to my partner a moment ago through our link. Now we had best turn over the other survivors to the paramedics, Saladin just cleared the last of the people from out of the building."
"The paramedics and the morgue, I got as many out as I could living or not," Faolan explained as she steadied herself from trembling with a potent cocktail of anger and grief now we had a brief moment of calm. "Th-the families of those who didn't make it- they deserve to know as soon as they're ID'd. I-it should much easier for the cor-coroners to do that if they aren't- *SNIFF* if they aren't..."
I took Faolan's hand and looked into her eyes, "You did the right thing, no matter what anyone says later you did all you could and then some."
Faolan did her best to dry her eyes before she unloaded the survivors to receive help from the paramedics, and those who weren't so lucky to receive a bag to protect them on their way to the city morgue.
Old Colony Town Home - Roof
7:17 PM
Jabberwock looked through his binoculars at the scene across the street, after searching seven of the detonation sites he found one with both targets assisting. There was no mistake to be had: the one who was just running in mid-air fit the description of the secondary target way too closely, while the mermaid that he had just observed swimming alongside had to be the primary target.
"Jabberwock to base, both targets have been spotted at the old apartment complex at 25 James O'Neil Street," the currently indentured mercenary relayed over the radio, "Waiting for instructions- over."
"Good time to move onto Phase 3, shadow them en-route to their next location." Charles Darrow ordered over the radio, It's time to strike!- over and out!"
Jabberwock switched the radio over to active mode as he prepared to assume a more active role in the operation, unaware that he was under surveillance by another party with plans of their own as evident when Ekdikeo materialized and alerted her sisters over their shared link, Everyone on high alert, the Children of the Night are about to come out of hiding to pounce on the maidens. Prepare to begin counter-operations.
6 years 11 months ago #21
by Insane Hiker
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Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:54 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
From my hiding spot under the semi's airfoil I did my best to keep an eye on the road ahead, while the maps I had gotten my claws on showed that Route 160 would go right through Durango before taking a noticeable turn south before it made its way east again (something that I would definitely notice) I needed to be careful. Not too far from where I had jumped on the big rig was a turn off to Colorado State Highway 140 that morphed into New Mexico State Highway 170, which was to the extent that I had paid attention to the maps that Kelsey had left around the cave.
I know- I know, I should have paid more attention, but I was going stir-crazy. The fact of the matter was I was a party girl from Seattle, the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Grunge Rock; partying was as much a part of me as my Chinese-American heritage it was the cultural yin to my heretical yang. I longed for the dance-floor, the lights, the beats, the energy it had been too long; for crying out loud my friends and I had just left the tween hang-outs of our youths behind us to begin to immerse ourselves in the high-school clubs a few months ago. That was a lifetime ago though, before I left what the old me had become behind.
Flashback
Sunday October 8, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital - Isolation Wing
Seattle, Washington
3:24 PM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
To my shock I was awake again, what in the world- I was sure I had just died so what was going on. Maybe this part of what comes next, was I approaching my next place on the wheel of samsara, I wonder what I was being reborn as in the life that laid ahead of me.
As I began to become more and more aware of the darkness around me I came to realize two things: one for being dead I could still feel a sensation of touch, and two I desperately needed to breath. Out of instinct and desperation I lashed out struggling to find a way out, that's when I discovered I was inside of...something. Even more desperate to escape my recently discovered confinement I began to hit the wall with everything that I had and felt something give.
My virgin effort appeared to have cracked the walls of this...whatever it was and a tiny piece of the wall fell outside; as I could breathe again I suddenly I felt slimy as if I was covered in some kind of goop also I felt like I was naked. These newfound revelations were secondary though whatever my state of dress, I wanted out of this prison. I began to strike the area near the tiny hole and the cracks continued to spread as the wall began to give way. Soon I felt confident enough that my efforts had given me a way out and began the throw the entire weight of my body against the damaged wall- until I broke through and I feel out of my prison onto the ground outside.
My chest heaving with the taste of fresh-air I knew that I laid sprawled out on my belly on the floor of where ever this was. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness around me but what I saw was surprising. "What?!?" I croaked out my throat somehow raw from the ordeal, "I thought I was being reincarnated, why am I still in the room where I died?!?"
Still confused at just what was going on I was growing more and more panicked by the moment, not to mention this weird sensation like someone kept touching my butt with something as chilly as the hospital floor. My eyes finally almost adjusted I craned my neck behind me and caught sight of the waving green tube near my butt, I began to turn towards the tube to get a better look but no matter what it kept eluding me.
As my eyes finally adjusted I could see that this tube was scaly and covered along the top with thick reddish fur, what in the world was this?
I did my best to keep trying to find out just what the hell was behind me when I heard, laughing. I turned and looked at the source which was coming from a nurse standing halfway outside the door. "Just what's so funny?"
"I-I'm sorry Miss Chen," the nurse snickered as she tried to stop laughing, "but a lot of us were scared of just what would come out that egg that you turned into. The last thing I would have ever expected to see when something came out was a lizard girl chasing her own tail like a dog. That is you in there right Miss Chen?"
"I think so," I replied as I looked at my scale-covered body as best as I could, "to be honest I was certain that I had died and was being reborn."
"I'll go and get you a patient's gown Miss Chen," the Nurse whose name I finally read as Tabitha Simmons laughed as she made her way out the room, "I imagine you want a little modesty to go with your rebirthday suit."
"Can you see about getting me a mirror too," I called out, "I kind of had asked for all the ones in here to be taken out when I was... whatever the hell it was that happened to me."
"To tell you the truth they weren't removed just covered up," the nurse laughed as she gestured to several surfaces in the room that I could see had been covered with butcher paper and masking tape, "it was just more convenient that way."
"By the way," I asked trying to grab her attention before she left the room, "why am I still in the same room... I would think that hospital space would be at a premium."
"The truth is other than how heavy that egg that you turned into ended up being," the nurse continued to explain, "when we measured its width was wider than the straps that we had available. That plus how top-heavy it would have made the gurney meant that it was too much of a risk to move."
Since I knew that her reasoning should have been sound, I let the nurse go to retrieve some fresh linens and patient gowns for my room as I went about uncovering the mirrors in the room starting with the one above the sink. Absent-mindedly I tried to tear at the paper like I normally would with my fingernails, much to my shock my new claws not only easily cut the paper but also could hear as these reptilian talons scratched both the mirror and the metal frame that surrounded it before I could stop.
Now far more gently I went about tearing off the remaining paper from the mirror too see not only an almost alien looking reptilian muzzle staring back but also that I had deeply scraped into the mirror itself. "That is not going to buff out!" I grimaced knowing that if my folks were billed for the damages and it would not be cheap.
For the moment, I pushed my families growing medical depth to the corner of my mind, and focused on observing just how much my body had changed since the old me had turned into an egg. I stared at the unfamiliar being in the mirror that I had somehow transformed into before I hatched, still finding the situation more than a little surreal.
Much to my chagrin the formerly roundish face which I had called my own before this ordeal began had given way to a muzzle that had grown outward and absorbed my pert nose until all that remained of it was two slit-like nostrils along to top front. Meanwhile inside said muzzle was a collection of rather sharp teeth that were uniform although towards the back I did see some molars.
Thankfully my mouth along the muzzle still had some form of lips allowing me to shut my mouth without giving me the smile of a crocodile, the last thing that I wanted would be to give people another reason to be afraid. Although I'm sure that my smile now would likely give me a rather effective tool to get that holy-roller Mary Dinh to leave me alone... nah knowing her she'd come after me armed with holy water.
My formerly fine black-hair was now a muddy reddish hue and far more course- not to mention thick. What was also weird is that it was bracketed on both sides by these felt-covered branching nobs, "I wonder what these things are supposed to be?"
I decided to leave that question for later as I looked for something that wasn't there, "Where the heck did my ears go?" Although it took a few moments before I found a hole on the right-side of my head on the same level as my eye, albeit covered by a thin-webbing and nearly obscured by my hair; a quick inspection of the opposite side confirmed that it had a twin. "At least they match," I muttered to myself as I went back to inspecting my altered anatomy.
Much like the rest of me, my eyes had also changed, not only in color but also structure. Unlike the familiar brown hue that I had always known to greet me in the mirror, these were an almost golden color with hints of orange to it, also the more I focused on those eyes the more my pupils narrowed. I know that it is normal for eyes to narrow when you are focusing on something, but unlike the familiar sight of those tiny black circles narrowing as they focused- mine were becoming vertically slit more like the eyes of a housecat than those of a human being.
Becoming more and more weirded out by how my face had changed within that brick-red egg that I could still see in the corner of my reflection, I instead decided to turn my attention to the rest of my body as if that would weird me out even less. As I had noticed earlier my body was now covered in green scales although there was an exception along my front, from my collar-bone all the way down there was a pair of steel gray plates- much like a lizard. Although unlike a lizard they were bracketed by my breasts which despite now being topped by dark-green nipples hadn't grown an inch; figures the one change that I would have welcomed and I got gipped. Well at least I still had the girls because overall, I looked very reptilian, so thank the heavens for small blessings I guess.
While my plumbing appeared to be in the same place as it had before, I wasn't tempted to inspect it, the nurse had only left to go to the linens closet (and likely fetch the doctor on call) and I didn't want to get started on anything that I would have an unwanted audience. That also worked out because I still wanted to inspect the rest of the package before I got any unwelcomed visitors, namely the tail that the nurse pointed out that I was chasing earlier.
Turning around and glancing over my shoulder I took in the sight of the limb in question, to no surprise it was the same shade of green as the rest of me with the same gray belly scales as the rest of me on the underside. What did surprise me about my brand-new tail was just how hairy it was, apparently I didn't only have the same rust-colored hair on my head but it began a mane that went from the top of my head down the middle of my back and all the way to the tip of my brand-spanking-new tail where it terminated with a tuft of hair at the tip.
This whole arrangement of my anatomy began to seem more and more familiar as I recalled stories that my grandparents told me when I was younger along with the accompanying artwork, still there was one final thing that would seal the deal of that theory. Steeling myself I looked down at my feet, while my hands themselves were little changed in structure (despite how clawed they were) now my feet were another story.
Contrary to my hands my feet barely resembled something that you would normally see at the end of a girl's leg, no correction- these weren't feet, these were talons. The talons that were at the end of my legs had three toes terminating with much thicker claws then those at the end of my fingers, they were also covered with flexible plates the number of which varied by the toe, also they were only webbed about half-way up the foot, as it to let me grasp with them.
Also, to show the difference between human feet and my talons were the heel claws at the back of my feet, it was about the length of an index finger and about half as thick as a big-toe but it was growing out of my heel and had a claw about as thick as the three on the front. Out of curiosity I sat down in the chair in the room careful to thread my tail to the side of the seat-rest, once seated I raised my legs off the ground and tried to curl my toes like I was digging into sand at the beach. I stared at my talons as they curled more like that of a bird that was using a branch as a perch, or like I knew for certain that I was now.
"I'm a dragon," I numbly stated as my talons dropped to the floor with a series of clicks as my claws tapped the tile, wondering just where life would go from here.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
5:07 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I was jolted out of my sense of nostalgia when I felt the semi beneath me begin to turn well I guess the good news was this bad boy wasn't headed towards New Mexico at least not by Colorado State Highway 180 and I didn't care to wager which way along Route 550 this trucker would take his rig. As my current ride turned southward I took a flying leap off the cab and into the river beside the road, as things stood I wasn't too concerned with getting wet given that my pyrokinetic abilities could dry me off in no time.
Thankfully I did land in the river and the current wasn't too fast for this Seattle girl to deal with, once I was under the bridge that my ride had just passed over I surfaced and hauled myself onto the riverbank. After blowing one of my claws dry I swiped it against the nearby concrete to for a couple of sparks, once these bits of heat danced off the masonry I caught them with my powers and then nurtured those into some decent fireballs.
Carefully I had these balls of flame slowly orbit me as their heat dried the clothes against my body as well as anything that I brought with me. Thankfully this didn't require my whole concentration because nearby I spotted some discarded soda and beer cans lining the river bank. "Jackpot," I all but purred as I got to work.
The fact was that while I did want to get of the cave for some fun I didn't have any real intentions of bolting, besides where would I go- if I went home that damned cult would just kidnap me and take my family hostage again. Still I needed some spending money both for new clothes and cover charges; thankfully a mountain town like this had to have plenty of amateur prospectors, meaning there was likely to be a place where I could unload some nice uncut gems with zero suspicion. It was a fun fact that I had learned back home- when it comes to gemstones if they were clearly cut and polished that is always a warning sign that they are stolen, however uncut gemstones are easy to sell because it's hard to really prove where they come from without some expensive equipment.
Feeling nice and dry I put a stop to the fireballs orbit around each other and let them hover in the distance while I collected the recyclables to process them, time for some spending money. For the first time in a long time I exercised one of the subtler displays of my abilities, the same subtlety that caused that damned cult to seek me out and lock me away in a hole in their lair deep in the ruins of pre-quake San Francisco.
Picking up a Mt. Dew can I got to work, most people when they see gemstones they only see the jewel as a permanent thing of beauty, some bauble meant to highlight their own prestige- nothing more. Few understand that precious gemstones are merely crystals formed of certain elements or compounds, which when heated in the right conditions become the much sought-after gemstones. Take sapphires for example most people are entirely unaware that all they were when you came down to it was Aluminum oxide, for that matter they also didn't know that rubies and sapphires were essentially the same type of stone corundum- just with different impurities. For example, when it comes to what most people think of as sapphires the blue comes from copper, rubies on the other hand have chromium present in them; although when it comes to jewelers everything corundum that doesn't have just that right shade of red is just declared a sapphire for the sake of convenience.
Now for me I had no problem finding aluminum to work my powers on to shape into rough corundum stones, all it was a matter of finding some old soda cans and getting to work. All most of the time what I got was declared a sapphire in some form or another, apparently the jewelry industry is ridiculously anal about what they call a ruby- that and it wasn't easy to find chromium oxide just laying around, you had to buy it to get the real thing.
Even when I was enslaved by the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn I rarely made true rubies because they didn't want to waste the money on chromium oxide powder for me- well unless I was making something for the reigning Xuè-jīn Mùshī. Not that it was surprising that bastard considered enchantable true rubies worthy only for the Priest of Blood-stained Gold and none other, how ironic that the last time that his men ordered me to make one was also the last gem that they ever forced me to make shortly before Kelsey liberated me from his grasp...
Flashback
February 20, 2007
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
9:47 AM PST
Today was already beginning to be a day exactly like the one before it; I was still yáo xīyì slave of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn who were known to others as the Merchants of Suffering. Every day from I labored for them, using my powers to turn raw materials into rough gemstones for them to either use or sell. When I succeeded I was told to make another until it was either time to be feed or take care of my needs, when I failed I felt the biting lash of a freezing whip strike my back for my failure.
I had already produced dozens of stones for my masters today but I knew that I was to face the lash of my handler of the day, I didn't bother to learn their names mostly because if I ever addressed them by anything but Gāoshǒu (Master) the guards would then beat me with the studded metal poles that they carried until I could barely move. The last time that I dared they also threw me back inside my cell and didn't feed me until the next day, that wasn't an experience I dared to try and repeat.
How long have I been down here for- weeks, months, given how far underground we are I haven't seen the sun ever since they kidnapped me, not that this was surprising given that I've rarely been anywhere but my cell, the work area, the...relief room, and on rare occasions into the throne room of the Xuè-jīn Mùshī- the Priest of Blood-stained Gold. Those days were the worst, being dragged out and treated like a trophy chained a place along the wall all to impress some distinguished visiting member of the Grand Hall, black market, Triad or some other underground organization.
"Get up and get back to work you lazy lizard!" the handler barked as his whip struck to the side, driving his point home. That's all that I was to these bastards, a gem-making kiln shaped in the form of a lizard girl, here to slave away crafting enchantable gemstones for them until the day I finally keeled over dead. At least this inhumane treatment hadn't taken everything from me, I still remembered my parents' names and faces, I still remembered my old life; however because of the actions of the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī the day that I was brought here I couldn't even remember my own name, and every time I tried it was nothing but a source of pain, like someone was trying to shove a red-hot poker into my brain.
"Now xīyì," my handler stared at me with dark glee in his face, "the master desires another ruby from you."
My blood almost froze with fear, while I could make sapphires with little difficulty- provided they gave me the proper time to guide the crystallization, rubies were far more difficult. So far three out of every four times has met with failure followed by a beating from the guard's poles rather than the handlers whip, so I could feel my heart pounding in fear as the man poured a measure of chromium oxide powder into the empty soda can, I wouldn't have been surprised if he skimped on the dust so that I failed, just made a pink sapphire and was beaten anyway...the bastard.
No, I was not going to give this sadistic, self-important bag of shit the pleasure of watching me fall into despair, those dark moments belonged in the cell that they threw me into when they let me sleep. I was not going to give my handler the satisfaction of breaking me, even if it took me a hundred years these monsters were going to learn that they might have caged this dragon but they would NEVER break her, and if that meant making the decrepit demon-worshipper who stripped me of my name- a ruby that his hell-borne master might fight him for then I was going to do it.
The moment my handler turned over the can I got to work, I had to do my best to ignore him and his guards as I took the can in my right hand and gathered fire from a welding torch held by one of my guards with my left. This was the tricky part about making rubies was two-fold: While only a small amount of chromium was needed compared to aluminum to create rubies- chromium oxide has melting point more than twice than that of aluminum. Now this might not be a problem if not for the fact that while heating the soup of aluminum up enough to also melt the chromium dust properly in the flux that I was also vaporizing the impurities out of the aluminum.
Now most people aren't aware that the aluminum they encounter on a daily basis is purposefully impure, the reason for this was that if it reacted with heat and oxygen in the wrong way it would catch on fire; an aluminum metal fires also had the distinction of burning so hot that very little could extinguish them- they burned so hot that water would dissolve becoming oxygen and hydrogen again both of which would only fuel the resulting blaze. While I might be tempted to use such a thing to escape, I wasn't the only slave down here, besides unless I got my name back from the Xuè-jīn Mùshī he could force me to return- no matter how far I ran he would order me back.
While the metal wasn't on fire the temperatures necessary for chromium oxide to properly melt are close thirty-five hundred degrees Fahrenheit and even with my powers containing most of that the heat still bled into the room. While the large vents that they had installed after my first guards and handler almost roasted from the radiant heat of my first day took care of most of the heat, the guards still felt uncomfortable a fact that only made them more and more irritable as the day dragged on.
While my own hide could easily handle this heat and more, I remember the elderly ahrat who examined me telling that fucanglong made their homes far underground and often swam in magma, normal people are far more fragile. I could feel that the thick metallic soup, which the can and powder had become, was now like rice flour dough in my hands, I began to use my powers to shape the flux- as I began to work it like clay.
This was one of the rare pleasures that I had these days, shaping molten metal much like I used to shape wet clay in art class, although there was no potter's wheel sturdy enough for me to try to work this- no I had to settle for using my powers to hand sculpt this material, much like I did back in elementary school. But this rare freedom still had its shackles, I was limited with my material and I had a patron who wanted workable gems not a work of art. If I had time and was in the outside world maybe I could get my work in a gallery someday, but no they just wanted tiny enchantable jewels- and to think that these cultists called westerners barbarians... philistines.
I continued to work the metallic flux when something drew the attention of the guards, while I was curious I knew better than to stop given that my keeper was always eager to administer a beating. However, none of this mattered for the heavy door soon blew clear off its hinges as it embedded the two guards on the other side into the wall with the force of a battering ram; my handler readied his freezing whip fully intending to make the intruder regret their choice.
I desperately tried to hold stability on the ruby-to-be while craning my head to the door, curious to see just who was causing all this commotion. To her surprise it was a brunette just a few years older than me, dressed in a ragged set of robes and holding an ornate wooden staff in her right hand.
My handler barked out, {You shall regret this intrusion outsider!} in mandarin as he motioned to last the girl with his freezing whip.
Time seemed to slow as the girl pointed her staff at my handler and simply uttered one word, "Lacero! To my shock my handlers dreaded freezing whip split and tore into scraps followed soon after by his clothing, leaving him unarmed and bare to the world while faced with someone who was clearly a skilled practitioner of the mystic arts.
The former bane of my existence withdrew into a corner stammering out treats in mandarin about how he was going to have the girl's own ancestors rise and tear her apart for this affront to which the girl giggled as she knelt down to offer me a hand,
if you would allow me I will take you to a place where you may heal and practice your art on your own behalf."
Although I couldn't understand what she said at the beginning, meaning she had just said my real name, but there in lay the real problem, "Thank you for trying to rescue me, but I can't leave. Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī took my name from me when I was brought here, as long as he has it I can never truly escape, for with a single command I would be forced to return to my enslavement."
"A problem easily solved," the lady replied with a smile, "The Priest of Blood-stained Gold revels in the sin of greed, and I have something in my hand that he would be unable to resist taking for himself. When he tries to do so I can easily solve your problem while making our exit far easier."
Daring to hope that she knew what she was doing I let the molten and unfinished ruby fall to the floor where it melted a hole in the concrete before beginning to cool- if they wanted they could dig the damned thing out themselves. With my former task now a smoking hole in the floor I took the girl's hand and she guided me towards what I hoped was the exit; the entire way we passed battered and unconscious guards many of whom I recognized had been given the task to guard my handler while I worked in the past- clearly, she had taken care of them on her way to my cell.
I wish that I could say that I'd recognized the way out of this sunless labyrinth, but the only times that I'd ever been removed from my cell I'd had a bag over my head and when I was brought here in the first place I was unconscious. Still she had made her way inside and I knew that she wasn't a part of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn, not only were they misogynistic they were also beyond racist- there was no way in the nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells that she was a member.
Sadly, our escape came to a major roadblock; sure enough my rescuer was correct in here earlier prediction, the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī was here to block our way. "I do not know how you entered our sanctum little gnat, however you will find that you will not live long enough to enjoy the spoils of your folly."
The Priest of Blood-stained Gold thrust his ring-laden talons our way and barked {"Eviscerate the Intruder, tear her apart slowly and let her feel it until the very end!"} in at us in mandarin. Immediately a toxic-looking spell materialized and writhed towards my rescuer, I knew that if it hit it would be messy but since this spell was cast targeting her specifically there was nothing that I could do to save her from its effects.
The young woman remained calm, and with a minor motion of her staff calmly said, "Hoc retexere!" causing the Priest's dark spell to unravel.
Rather than looking perturbed or frazzled at his spells failure the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī looked- hungry. For the first time I saw the decrepit priest look at something with an almost ravenous expression, "The Staff of Undertone! Child, you have brought me a great prize indeed!"
Overflowing with desire for my rescuer's staff the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī with a wordless spell sent two golden hands from his palms that dripped in crimson energy out to ensnare the object in a desperate attempt to use his sorcery to tear it from the girl's grasp.
While at first it looked like the young lady was holding onto the staff with both hands in a desperate attempt to keep my owner from claiming it a sudden, pleased smile on her face told me that she had the old man dancing to her tune.
"I see, you have a latent spell within you sir," my rescuer stated evoking a look of terror from the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī.
"No, you cannot possibly be able to cast that spell!" The ancient dark priest all but shouted in disbelief, "That is the spell reserved for the Demon Lord of the Golden Hell, no mortal may cast it!"
"I am the Wayfarer, the one chosen by Fate itself to wield the Staff of Undertone," the lady stated in a tone that seemed to grow heavier the more she talked, "and there is no spell that has ever been used that together we are unable to cast as well!"
Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī seemed to take this threat as genuine because it seemed that he was trying to get his spell to let go of the staff but couldn't. His fear for what must have been for his life grew greater by the second as my rescuer began to chant a spell in han-chinese in a voice that definitely wasn't her own, {"By the pact from which you were chosen, thou shalt know the penalty of HIS power's absence!"}
At first other than the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī's spell vanishing it didn't look like anything happened, at least until his skin began to shrivel up. To my shock it looked like the dark priest was mummifying right before my eyes, this kept up until his body collapsed on the floor. While his clean skull rolled clear of his gown I could see something else spilling from the robe...gold dust.
Much to my amazement a series of white motes emerged from the pile of cloth, baubles, bones and gold dust one of which came right for me. Although I recoiled in fear to my surprise I felt no pain when the orb made contact, but suddenly I could remember for the first time in a long time I could remember my name Zhen-yu Chen my slaver was dead and now my final shackle had been broken.
The self-titled Wayfarer patted me on the shoulder and explained, "There you go, you have your name again and now that they have no leader the Merchants of Suffering shouldn't be too much of a threat, at least until the next one is chosen. Now in the mean time I have to take you to a place that you need to visit."
"Home," I suggested wanting to go back to a little normalcy or as normal as I had being half dragon and all.
"In time," the Wayfarer sighed as if acknowledging my need, "but for now you need to heal, I know of a place where your slavers will never be able to find you and a place that is essential to your destiny."
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Beneath Route 160 Animas River Bridge
Durango, Colorado
5:31 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
As I came out of my memories I found that once again my work was done, it may seem odd to others but when I was sculpting it always helped when I allowed my mind to drift. Back when I was a slave they seemed to know when I seemed to lose focus and would object violently, no that they were aware but for me at least sculpting was akin to meditation- it worked best when you didn't focus on the task at hand and just let nature take its course. All around me I could see that rewards of my craft rough-uncut sapphires of various hues, ready for the market- well that is after I slipped into something a little more...normal.
After taking out some more clothes, to make myself less of an eyesore, I assumed the stance that I had been training with from Sha Wujing, I closed my eyes and focused, "Gēnggǎi!"
With a slight pop, I felt my form change shape into something all too familiar. I briefly glanced into the mountain stream calmly flowing by all to please to see my old self staring back- albeit a little more rugged than I would have been back at home. "Perfect," I admitted in my old voice as I hurried to finish getting dressed. "Now I just need to find a jeweler or a pawn shop to appraise these stones and get some spending money. Although come to think of it I imagine that it would look odd to have an Asian teenager just stroll in with a few hundred dollars in rough stones."
Once again I assumed my earlier stance but this time I focused on a different outcome, "Gēnggǎi!"
With another pop, I took a little time to focus on a form that much different to what I was used to seeing at least in a reflection. Now rather than my old base-line human self looking back at me in the river, there was instead the harsh face of Kan Fei, an old lady who ran a convenience store around the corner from my house back home. A wicked smile crossed my face as I snapped at the river in her familiar voice, "Stop reading my magazines you brats, this is a store not a library, buy something or leave!"
Yep my tone matched the old bat too perfectly, for good measure I attempted her much-practiced glare of death just in case I needed it, only to have the end result staring back far too close to be comfortable, "Yikes! Yeah, I've got that one down pat. Better remember never to do that in a mirror ever again, I might wind up with seven years bad luck...or worse my face could stick that way- ugh."
Confident that my current disguise would serve the task at hand, I scooped my freshly made gem stones into a burlap and twine bag that I'd made in my free time while at the cave and set out into town. While I was clearly not a local, I doubt that anyone would bother a homely old Chinese lady walking down the street. After ten minutes, I was sure that I made the right choice, sure enough nobody gave me more than a second look- then again Kan Fei herself was rather hard to look at for too long.
It took me all of five blocks to find a promising place, called Little Cate's Silver Shop. Once inside it felt sort of kitschy like they were trying to convey a friendly atmosphere than that of a mountain town pawn shop, not that I could blame them the ones around here probably were just places the local hunters hocked their rifles in-between seasons.
Yeah, this place screamed grown up hippie to me, especially when one of the clerks walked up to me. "Hello ma'am, can I help you with anything today?"
"Yes," I replied in a dry tone as I looked at her with a sour tone on my face, "I was camping out in the mountains and stumbled across somethings as I was gathering stones to surround my camp fire. I assume that you know enough to properly appraise them- I'd hate to have to go looking for another shop." I stated brusquely as I poured my work out of the pouch and onto the counter.
"Why I am certain that we can find some money for your pretty rocks ma'am," the sales woman responded barely taking a glance at the raw gems on the counter that sat between us.
"I'm old child, not daft," I stated as I turned on Kan Fei's patented evil eye with an extra side of elderly grump for good measure, "I have been around long enough to have seen uncut gemstones and I know from cleaning these off that they are likely sapphires. Now can you actually bring me someone who can appraise them or can you at least prove to not be a complete waste of my time and point me out to where I should have gone in the first place?"
"Beverly what is going on here," an older woman than the one at the counter who just screamed manager came to the desk from the floor.
"I'll tell you what is going on here," I huffed keeping my grump on, "I was trying to sell some uncut gemstones that I found in the mountains and this child has been wasting what precious little time I have left."
"Ma'am there is no need to get nasty," the manager replied as she tried to mollify me, "I can appraise your findings, and just give me a minute."
Once she found that they were the real deal, we spent some time haggling and by the time I walked out of the store I was twelve-hundred dollars richer in green-backed Jacksons. While it might have put a dent in the lady's register she likely had the connections to haul in ten-times the amount that I sold those stones for once they were professionally appraised, cut, polished and facetted.
After ducking around on the other side of a car, I transformed back to my preferred human form albeit looking about five-years-older and set out with three goals in my immediate future: a shoe store for something to hoof a beat, a thrift store for some decent threads and the bus station to rent a locker. As my stomach growled I added a fourth item on my agenda grab a quick dinner, because the last thing I needed was my appetite blowing my cover in what was likely to be a very mutant unfriendly town.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Weixiao Group's Headquarters
Sai Kung District, Hong Kong
8:45 AM HKT
Tann Li-hong tried his best to huddle his massive form behind the desk his office, an AK-105 pointed at the door, he knew that the end was near. All week someone had been interfering with his operations, an attack here, a little sabotage there; it was obvious one of the rival triads had been testing his defenses planning an attack. To prepare for any further attacks Tann had called his lieutenants in to compare notes and information, to see if they could figure out which of the dozen rival triads was behind the attacks and how to retaliate appropriately; it soon became clear that their unknown foe had counted on the meeting.
An hour into his organization's meeting of the minds and the screaming had begun, and by then it had already been too late. While his lieutenants had been exchanging ideas with him someone or several someone's had been working their way through the apartment building that served as their headquarters, and they had been silently killing their guards as they went. At first several of his younger officers and their body guards were determined to hunt down the intruder to curry favor with him to elevate themselves above their seniors, the screams, gunfire and silence that followed soon elevated the folly of their choice.
Seeing the writing on the wall he and his remaining officers had determined that their best hope for survival was to flee and regroup later, this too proved to be a trap as their unknown assailant had booby-trapped the exits. Those their attacker didn't hunt down on the way out of the building were cut down gruesomely as they made their way down the hallways to freedom, then it had become not a question of the triads survival but that of their own lives. Tann Li-hong had determined that his best chance for survival lay not in escaping the building but in barricading himself in the most heavily defended place in the building, his personal office.
He was confident that he would survive this attack in here, although this had once been yet another cookie-cutter apartment within the structure over the years he had modified it to serve as a make shift bunker; the walls had been bullet proofed and lined with traps that could be set from his office, the windows had been taken out and bricked-over, the doors had been heavily reinforced and the locks were sturdy and could be secured with hatch-locks from the inside. After a few moments Tann had begun to calm down sure that his security would safeguard his own life, even though he knew his organization had fallen.
This sense of safety had begun to fail when he heard the traps in his hallway begin to go off, whoever had taken out his men had made it through the front door and from the sounds of things was making it through his traps- whoever this was must have been here in force because they were taking everything that he could dish out. Desperate he switched the safety off his AK-105, braced himself and took aim, although he might die today he was determined that whoever had taken down his men was going to suffer heavily for their victory.
A few moments had passed and Tann Li-hong was growing more and more panicked by the moment, which was when to his horror the metal door separating his office from the rest of the apartment began to glow. Soon enough I reptilian hand melt its way through the door causing the hatch wheel to clatter to the ground, his attacker had powers now it was no wonder how they had taken his men down with ease.
In desperation Tann Li-hong unloaded his AK-105 as soon as the door flung open to no avail, although the bullets tore through his attackers clothing the now visible dragon lady showed no signs of injury as if the bullets had flattened rather than penetrating her hide. With a fang-filled smile she stalked towards him and despite his panicked attempt to run caught Tann by the collar and threw him upon his reinforced desk, "I wish that I could say that this was nothing personal Tann Li-hong, however I enjoy my work far too much to degrade it in such a way."
"Please don't kill me," Tann Li-hong pleaded in the dragon lady's grasp, "you have already destroyed my organization, I doubt that I could ever rebuild. Whoever you serve they have won, I will never be able to stop them from taking over my businesses and territory."
"I know," the dragon lady all but sang as she replied, "however I am a professional and I never leave a job half-finished."
"Say did you know that candles used to be made using fat," the dragon lady explained as her right claw began to glow with heat, "that means if you carefully ignite a corpulent individual such as yourself you will melt just as if you were made of wax."
The dragon lady slowly patted Tann Li-hong stomach with her glowing palm and the man screamed as his body caught fire just as she described, soon Tann's screams were no more as his body began to burn like a candle. Satisfied with her work Lady Zhi Chen known to the Tiewan Triad as Furen Yilong all but sashayed out of the room, another rival triad taken down and more notoriety for herself, in all not a bad was to start the morning.
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Dunn Deal Resale
Durango, Colorado
7:01 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With a new pair of shoes in my bag, a key to a bus locker large enough to hold the rucksack and a full stomach of halfway decent Thai cuisine, I began inspecting the racks to see how I could best assemble an appropriate ensemble for tonight. I was lucky so far in that I'd already found a purse to match my new shoes as well as a billfold to hold the still sizable amount of cash I had left. While it was true that I had plenty to cover tonight's expenses, and more than enough left over to play around with, old habits die hard, plus I didn't want to attract too much attention by throwing a lot of cash around- this was a small town and I was still an unfamiliar face.
As my hand reached for an outfit that looked both like it would fit, and go well with my new shoes and purse, it made contact with someone else; out of reflex I turned to meet the gaze of a freckled brunette who was about the same age as my current disguise. "Oops- sorry," the girl said retracting her hand in embarrassment, "I was just rifling through the rack and didn't notice you."
"It's okay," I smiled in reply, "Guan Shu-ting, I just hopped over from Silverton for the weekend and thought that I'd check out the scene at Fort Lewis."
"Kelly Windkloppel, yeah you've come on a great time, a lot of us are going to party over at Animas Hall later," Kelly explained as she met my hand and accepting the alias as truth, "I mean it's not Snowdown but it should be the last big bash before everyone starts to really hit the books for finals. Thinking of coming here next fall?"
"Maybe, I mean I can find scholarship money well enough, but I need to set aside enough for books and expenses since I graduated." I explained as I began to weave more layers to her false-identity's cover story, while I doubted the Merchants of Suffering had any direct ears in this town, the last thing that I needed was for my real name to migrate back to them and give them an idea of where to start looking.
"I'm going to go try this on," I explained as I took the blouse and added it to the skirt that was already in my hands, "I'll see you later tonight."
Unbeknownst to Zhen-yu Chen after she made her way into the dressing room in the back of the store, Kelly pulled her cellphone out of her purse. "I've made contact; I'll try and keep an eye on her until later- over and out."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 16
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:54 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
From my hiding spot under the semi's airfoil I did my best to keep an eye on the road ahead, while the maps I had gotten my claws on showed that Route 160 would go right through Durango before taking a noticeable turn south before it made its way east again (something that I would definitely notice) I needed to be careful. Not too far from where I had jumped on the big rig was a turn off to Colorado State Highway 140 that morphed into New Mexico State Highway 170, which was to the extent that I had paid attention to the maps that Kelsey had left around the cave.
I know- I know, I should have paid more attention, but I was going stir-crazy. The fact of the matter was I was a party girl from Seattle, the birthplace of Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Grunge Rock; partying was as much a part of me as my Chinese-American heritage it was the cultural yin to my heretical yang. I longed for the dance-floor, the lights, the beats, the energy it had been too long; for crying out loud my friends and I had just left the tween hang-outs of our youths behind us to begin to immerse ourselves in the high-school clubs a few months ago. That was a lifetime ago though, before I left what the old me had become behind.
Flashback
Sunday October 8, 2006
Seattle Children's Hospital - Isolation Wing
Seattle, Washington
3:24 PM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
To my shock I was awake again, what in the world- I was sure I had just died so what was going on. Maybe this part of what comes next, was I approaching my next place on the wheel of samsara, I wonder what I was being reborn as in the life that laid ahead of me.
As I began to become more and more aware of the darkness around me I came to realize two things: one for being dead I could still feel a sensation of touch, and two I desperately needed to breath. Out of instinct and desperation I lashed out struggling to find a way out, that's when I discovered I was inside of...something. Even more desperate to escape my recently discovered confinement I began to hit the wall with everything that I had and felt something give.
My virgin effort appeared to have cracked the walls of this...whatever it was and a tiny piece of the wall fell outside; as I could breathe again I suddenly I felt slimy as if I was covered in some kind of goop also I felt like I was naked. These newfound revelations were secondary though whatever my state of dress, I wanted out of this prison. I began to strike the area near the tiny hole and the cracks continued to spread as the wall began to give way. Soon I felt confident enough that my efforts had given me a way out and began the throw the entire weight of my body against the damaged wall- until I broke through and I feel out of my prison onto the ground outside.
My chest heaving with the taste of fresh-air I knew that I laid sprawled out on my belly on the floor of where ever this was. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the brightness around me but what I saw was surprising. "What?!?" I croaked out my throat somehow raw from the ordeal, "I thought I was being reincarnated, why am I still in the room where I died?!?"
Still confused at just what was going on I was growing more and more panicked by the moment, not to mention this weird sensation like someone kept touching my butt with something as chilly as the hospital floor. My eyes finally almost adjusted I craned my neck behind me and caught sight of the waving green tube near my butt, I began to turn towards the tube to get a better look but no matter what it kept eluding me.
As my eyes finally adjusted I could see that this tube was scaly and covered along the top with thick reddish fur, what in the world was this?
I did my best to keep trying to find out just what the hell was behind me when I heard, laughing. I turned and looked at the source which was coming from a nurse standing halfway outside the door. "Just what's so funny?"
"I-I'm sorry Miss Chen," the nurse snickered as she tried to stop laughing, "but a lot of us were scared of just what would come out that egg that you turned into. The last thing I would have ever expected to see when something came out was a lizard girl chasing her own tail like a dog. That is you in there right Miss Chen?"
"I think so," I replied as I looked at my scale-covered body as best as I could, "to be honest I was certain that I had died and was being reborn."
"I'll go and get you a patient's gown Miss Chen," the Nurse whose name I finally read as Tabitha Simmons laughed as she made her way out the room, "I imagine you want a little modesty to go with your rebirthday suit."
"Can you see about getting me a mirror too," I called out, "I kind of had asked for all the ones in here to be taken out when I was... whatever the hell it was that happened to me."
"To tell you the truth they weren't removed just covered up," the nurse laughed as she gestured to several surfaces in the room that I could see had been covered with butcher paper and masking tape, "it was just more convenient that way."
"By the way," I asked trying to grab her attention before she left the room, "why am I still in the same room... I would think that hospital space would be at a premium."
"The truth is other than how heavy that egg that you turned into ended up being," the nurse continued to explain, "when we measured its width was wider than the straps that we had available. That plus how top-heavy it would have made the gurney meant that it was too much of a risk to move."
Since I knew that her reasoning should have been sound, I let the nurse go to retrieve some fresh linens and patient gowns for my room as I went about uncovering the mirrors in the room starting with the one above the sink. Absent-mindedly I tried to tear at the paper like I normally would with my fingernails, much to my shock my new claws not only easily cut the paper but also could hear as these reptilian talons scratched both the mirror and the metal frame that surrounded it before I could stop.
Now far more gently I went about tearing off the remaining paper from the mirror too see not only an almost alien looking reptilian muzzle staring back but also that I had deeply scraped into the mirror itself. "That is not going to buff out!" I grimaced knowing that if my folks were billed for the damages and it would not be cheap.
For the moment, I pushed my families growing medical depth to the corner of my mind, and focused on observing just how much my body had changed since the old me had turned into an egg. I stared at the unfamiliar being in the mirror that I had somehow transformed into before I hatched, still finding the situation more than a little surreal.
Much to my chagrin the formerly roundish face which I had called my own before this ordeal began had given way to a muzzle that had grown outward and absorbed my pert nose until all that remained of it was two slit-like nostrils along to top front. Meanwhile inside said muzzle was a collection of rather sharp teeth that were uniform although towards the back I did see some molars.
Thankfully my mouth along the muzzle still had some form of lips allowing me to shut my mouth without giving me the smile of a crocodile, the last thing that I wanted would be to give people another reason to be afraid. Although I'm sure that my smile now would likely give me a rather effective tool to get that holy-roller Mary Dinh to leave me alone... nah knowing her she'd come after me armed with holy water.
My formerly fine black-hair was now a muddy reddish hue and far more course- not to mention thick. What was also weird is that it was bracketed on both sides by these felt-covered branching nobs, "I wonder what these things are supposed to be?"
I decided to leave that question for later as I looked for something that wasn't there, "Where the heck did my ears go?" Although it took a few moments before I found a hole on the right-side of my head on the same level as my eye, albeit covered by a thin-webbing and nearly obscured by my hair; a quick inspection of the opposite side confirmed that it had a twin. "At least they match," I muttered to myself as I went back to inspecting my altered anatomy.
Much like the rest of me, my eyes had also changed, not only in color but also structure. Unlike the familiar brown hue that I had always known to greet me in the mirror, these were an almost golden color with hints of orange to it, also the more I focused on those eyes the more my pupils narrowed. I know that it is normal for eyes to narrow when you are focusing on something, but unlike the familiar sight of those tiny black circles narrowing as they focused- mine were becoming vertically slit more like the eyes of a housecat than those of a human being.
Becoming more and more weirded out by how my face had changed within that brick-red egg that I could still see in the corner of my reflection, I instead decided to turn my attention to the rest of my body as if that would weird me out even less. As I had noticed earlier my body was now covered in green scales although there was an exception along my front, from my collar-bone all the way down there was a pair of steel gray plates- much like a lizard. Although unlike a lizard they were bracketed by my breasts which despite now being topped by dark-green nipples hadn't grown an inch; figures the one change that I would have welcomed and I got gipped. Well at least I still had the girls because overall, I looked very reptilian, so thank the heavens for small blessings I guess.
While my plumbing appeared to be in the same place as it had before, I wasn't tempted to inspect it, the nurse had only left to go to the linens closet (and likely fetch the doctor on call) and I didn't want to get started on anything that I would have an unwanted audience. That also worked out because I still wanted to inspect the rest of the package before I got any unwelcomed visitors, namely the tail that the nurse pointed out that I was chasing earlier.
Turning around and glancing over my shoulder I took in the sight of the limb in question, to no surprise it was the same shade of green as the rest of me with the same gray belly scales as the rest of me on the underside. What did surprise me about my brand-new tail was just how hairy it was, apparently I didn't only have the same rust-colored hair on my head but it began a mane that went from the top of my head down the middle of my back and all the way to the tip of my brand-spanking-new tail where it terminated with a tuft of hair at the tip.
This whole arrangement of my anatomy began to seem more and more familiar as I recalled stories that my grandparents told me when I was younger along with the accompanying artwork, still there was one final thing that would seal the deal of that theory. Steeling myself I looked down at my feet, while my hands themselves were little changed in structure (despite how clawed they were) now my feet were another story.
Contrary to my hands my feet barely resembled something that you would normally see at the end of a girl's leg, no correction- these weren't feet, these were talons. The talons that were at the end of my legs had three toes terminating with much thicker claws then those at the end of my fingers, they were also covered with flexible plates the number of which varied by the toe, also they were only webbed about half-way up the foot, as it to let me grasp with them.
Also, to show the difference between human feet and my talons were the heel claws at the back of my feet, it was about the length of an index finger and about half as thick as a big-toe but it was growing out of my heel and had a claw about as thick as the three on the front. Out of curiosity I sat down in the chair in the room careful to thread my tail to the side of the seat-rest, once seated I raised my legs off the ground and tried to curl my toes like I was digging into sand at the beach. I stared at my talons as they curled more like that of a bird that was using a branch as a perch, or like I knew for certain that I was now.
"I'm a dragon," I numbly stated as my talons dropped to the floor with a series of clicks as my claws tapped the tile, wondering just where life would go from here.
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Along Route 160
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
5:07 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I was jolted out of my sense of nostalgia when I felt the semi beneath me begin to turn well I guess the good news was this bad boy wasn't headed towards New Mexico at least not by Colorado State Highway 180 and I didn't care to wager which way along Route 550 this trucker would take his rig. As my current ride turned southward I took a flying leap off the cab and into the river beside the road, as things stood I wasn't too concerned with getting wet given that my pyrokinetic abilities could dry me off in no time.
Thankfully I did land in the river and the current wasn't too fast for this Seattle girl to deal with, once I was under the bridge that my ride had just passed over I surfaced and hauled myself onto the riverbank. After blowing one of my claws dry I swiped it against the nearby concrete to for a couple of sparks, once these bits of heat danced off the masonry I caught them with my powers and then nurtured those into some decent fireballs.
Carefully I had these balls of flame slowly orbit me as their heat dried the clothes against my body as well as anything that I brought with me. Thankfully this didn't require my whole concentration because nearby I spotted some discarded soda and beer cans lining the river bank. "Jackpot," I all but purred as I got to work.
The fact was that while I did want to get of the cave for some fun I didn't have any real intentions of bolting, besides where would I go- if I went home that damned cult would just kidnap me and take my family hostage again. Still I needed some spending money both for new clothes and cover charges; thankfully a mountain town like this had to have plenty of amateur prospectors, meaning there was likely to be a place where I could unload some nice uncut gems with zero suspicion. It was a fun fact that I had learned back home- when it comes to gemstones if they were clearly cut and polished that is always a warning sign that they are stolen, however uncut gemstones are easy to sell because it's hard to really prove where they come from without some expensive equipment.
Feeling nice and dry I put a stop to the fireballs orbit around each other and let them hover in the distance while I collected the recyclables to process them, time for some spending money. For the first time in a long time I exercised one of the subtler displays of my abilities, the same subtlety that caused that damned cult to seek me out and lock me away in a hole in their lair deep in the ruins of pre-quake San Francisco.
Picking up a Mt. Dew can I got to work, most people when they see gemstones they only see the jewel as a permanent thing of beauty, some bauble meant to highlight their own prestige- nothing more. Few understand that precious gemstones are merely crystals formed of certain elements or compounds, which when heated in the right conditions become the much sought-after gemstones. Take sapphires for example most people are entirely unaware that all they were when you came down to it was Aluminum oxide, for that matter they also didn't know that rubies and sapphires were essentially the same type of stone corundum- just with different impurities. For example, when it comes to what most people think of as sapphires the blue comes from copper, rubies on the other hand have chromium present in them; although when it comes to jewelers everything corundum that doesn't have just that right shade of red is just declared a sapphire for the sake of convenience.
Now for me I had no problem finding aluminum to work my powers on to shape into rough corundum stones, all it was a matter of finding some old soda cans and getting to work. All most of the time what I got was declared a sapphire in some form or another, apparently the jewelry industry is ridiculously anal about what they call a ruby- that and it wasn't easy to find chromium oxide just laying around, you had to buy it to get the real thing.
Even when I was enslaved by the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn I rarely made true rubies because they didn't want to waste the money on chromium oxide powder for me- well unless I was making something for the reigning Xuè-jīn Mùshī. Not that it was surprising that bastard considered enchantable true rubies worthy only for the Priest of Blood-stained Gold and none other, how ironic that the last time that his men ordered me to make one was also the last gem that they ever forced me to make shortly before Kelsey liberated me from his grasp...
Flashback
February 20, 2007
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
9:47 AM PST
Today was already beginning to be a day exactly like the one before it; I was still yáo xīyì slave of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn who were known to others as the Merchants of Suffering. Every day from I labored for them, using my powers to turn raw materials into rough gemstones for them to either use or sell. When I succeeded I was told to make another until it was either time to be feed or take care of my needs, when I failed I felt the biting lash of a freezing whip strike my back for my failure.
I had already produced dozens of stones for my masters today but I knew that I was to face the lash of my handler of the day, I didn't bother to learn their names mostly because if I ever addressed them by anything but Gāoshǒu (Master) the guards would then beat me with the studded metal poles that they carried until I could barely move. The last time that I dared they also threw me back inside my cell and didn't feed me until the next day, that wasn't an experience I dared to try and repeat.
How long have I been down here for- weeks, months, given how far underground we are I haven't seen the sun ever since they kidnapped me, not that this was surprising given that I've rarely been anywhere but my cell, the work area, the...relief room, and on rare occasions into the throne room of the Xuè-jīn Mùshī- the Priest of Blood-stained Gold. Those days were the worst, being dragged out and treated like a trophy chained a place along the wall all to impress some distinguished visiting member of the Grand Hall, black market, Triad or some other underground organization.
"Get up and get back to work you lazy lizard!" the handler barked as his whip struck to the side, driving his point home. That's all that I was to these bastards, a gem-making kiln shaped in the form of a lizard girl, here to slave away crafting enchantable gemstones for them until the day I finally keeled over dead. At least this inhumane treatment hadn't taken everything from me, I still remembered my parents' names and faces, I still remembered my old life; however because of the actions of the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī the day that I was brought here I couldn't even remember my own name, and every time I tried it was nothing but a source of pain, like someone was trying to shove a red-hot poker into my brain.
"Now xīyì," my handler stared at me with dark glee in his face, "the master desires another ruby from you."
My blood almost froze with fear, while I could make sapphires with little difficulty- provided they gave me the proper time to guide the crystallization, rubies were far more difficult. So far three out of every four times has met with failure followed by a beating from the guard's poles rather than the handlers whip, so I could feel my heart pounding in fear as the man poured a measure of chromium oxide powder into the empty soda can, I wouldn't have been surprised if he skimped on the dust so that I failed, just made a pink sapphire and was beaten anyway...the bastard.
No, I was not going to give this sadistic, self-important bag of shit the pleasure of watching me fall into despair, those dark moments belonged in the cell that they threw me into when they let me sleep. I was not going to give my handler the satisfaction of breaking me, even if it took me a hundred years these monsters were going to learn that they might have caged this dragon but they would NEVER break her, and if that meant making the decrepit demon-worshipper who stripped me of my name- a ruby that his hell-borne master might fight him for then I was going to do it.
The moment my handler turned over the can I got to work, I had to do my best to ignore him and his guards as I took the can in my right hand and gathered fire from a welding torch held by one of my guards with my left. This was the tricky part about making rubies was two-fold: While only a small amount of chromium was needed compared to aluminum to create rubies- chromium oxide has melting point more than twice than that of aluminum. Now this might not be a problem if not for the fact that while heating the soup of aluminum up enough to also melt the chromium dust properly in the flux that I was also vaporizing the impurities out of the aluminum.
Now most people aren't aware that the aluminum they encounter on a daily basis is purposefully impure, the reason for this was that if it reacted with heat and oxygen in the wrong way it would catch on fire; an aluminum metal fires also had the distinction of burning so hot that very little could extinguish them- they burned so hot that water would dissolve becoming oxygen and hydrogen again both of which would only fuel the resulting blaze. While I might be tempted to use such a thing to escape, I wasn't the only slave down here, besides unless I got my name back from the Xuè-jīn Mùshī he could force me to return- no matter how far I ran he would order me back.
While the metal wasn't on fire the temperatures necessary for chromium oxide to properly melt are close thirty-five hundred degrees Fahrenheit and even with my powers containing most of that the heat still bled into the room. While the large vents that they had installed after my first guards and handler almost roasted from the radiant heat of my first day took care of most of the heat, the guards still felt uncomfortable a fact that only made them more and more irritable as the day dragged on.
While my own hide could easily handle this heat and more, I remember the elderly ahrat who examined me telling that fucanglong made their homes far underground and often swam in magma, normal people are far more fragile. I could feel that the thick metallic soup, which the can and powder had become, was now like rice flour dough in my hands, I began to use my powers to shape the flux- as I began to work it like clay.
This was one of the rare pleasures that I had these days, shaping molten metal much like I used to shape wet clay in art class, although there was no potter's wheel sturdy enough for me to try to work this- no I had to settle for using my powers to hand sculpt this material, much like I did back in elementary school. But this rare freedom still had its shackles, I was limited with my material and I had a patron who wanted workable gems not a work of art. If I had time and was in the outside world maybe I could get my work in a gallery someday, but no they just wanted tiny enchantable jewels- and to think that these cultists called westerners barbarians... philistines.
I continued to work the metallic flux when something drew the attention of the guards, while I was curious I knew better than to stop given that my keeper was always eager to administer a beating. However, none of this mattered for the heavy door soon blew clear off its hinges as it embedded the two guards on the other side into the wall with the force of a battering ram; my handler readied his freezing whip fully intending to make the intruder regret their choice.
I desperately tried to hold stability on the ruby-to-be while craning my head to the door, curious to see just who was causing all this commotion. To her surprise it was a brunette just a few years older than me, dressed in a ragged set of robes and holding an ornate wooden staff in her right hand.
My handler barked out, {You shall regret this intrusion outsider!} in mandarin as he motioned to last the girl with his freezing whip.
Time seemed to slow as the girl pointed her staff at my handler and simply uttered one word, "Lacero! To my shock my handlers dreaded freezing whip split and tore into scraps followed soon after by his clothing, leaving him unarmed and bare to the world while faced with someone who was clearly a skilled practitioner of the mystic arts.
The former bane of my existence withdrew into a corner stammering out treats in mandarin about how he was going to have the girl's own ancestors rise and tear her apart for this affront to which the girl giggled as she knelt down to offer me a hand,
Warning: Spoiler!
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Zhen-yu Chen
Although I couldn't understand what she said at the beginning, meaning she had just said my real name, but there in lay the real problem, "Thank you for trying to rescue me, but I can't leave. Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī took my name from me when I was brought here, as long as he has it I can never truly escape, for with a single command I would be forced to return to my enslavement."
"A problem easily solved," the lady replied with a smile, "The Priest of Blood-stained Gold revels in the sin of greed, and I have something in my hand that he would be unable to resist taking for himself. When he tries to do so I can easily solve your problem while making our exit far easier."
Daring to hope that she knew what she was doing I let the molten and unfinished ruby fall to the floor where it melted a hole in the concrete before beginning to cool- if they wanted they could dig the damned thing out themselves. With my former task now a smoking hole in the floor I took the girl's hand and she guided me towards what I hoped was the exit; the entire way we passed battered and unconscious guards many of whom I recognized had been given the task to guard my handler while I worked in the past- clearly, she had taken care of them on her way to my cell.
I wish that I could say that I'd recognized the way out of this sunless labyrinth, but the only times that I'd ever been removed from my cell I'd had a bag over my head and when I was brought here in the first place I was unconscious. Still she had made her way inside and I knew that she wasn't a part of the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn, not only were they misogynistic they were also beyond racist- there was no way in the nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells that she was a member.
Sadly, our escape came to a major roadblock; sure enough my rescuer was correct in here earlier prediction, the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī was here to block our way. "I do not know how you entered our sanctum little gnat, however you will find that you will not live long enough to enjoy the spoils of your folly."
The Priest of Blood-stained Gold thrust his ring-laden talons our way and barked {"Eviscerate the Intruder, tear her apart slowly and let her feel it until the very end!"} in at us in mandarin. Immediately a toxic-looking spell materialized and writhed towards my rescuer, I knew that if it hit it would be messy but since this spell was cast targeting her specifically there was nothing that I could do to save her from its effects.
The young woman remained calm, and with a minor motion of her staff calmly said, "Hoc retexere!" causing the Priest's dark spell to unravel.
Rather than looking perturbed or frazzled at his spells failure the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī looked- hungry. For the first time I saw the decrepit priest look at something with an almost ravenous expression, "The Staff of Undertone! Child, you have brought me a great prize indeed!"
Overflowing with desire for my rescuer's staff the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī with a wordless spell sent two golden hands from his palms that dripped in crimson energy out to ensnare the object in a desperate attempt to use his sorcery to tear it from the girl's grasp.
While at first it looked like the young lady was holding onto the staff with both hands in a desperate attempt to keep my owner from claiming it a sudden, pleased smile on her face told me that she had the old man dancing to her tune.
"I see, you have a latent spell within you sir," my rescuer stated evoking a look of terror from the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī.
"No, you cannot possibly be able to cast that spell!" The ancient dark priest all but shouted in disbelief, "That is the spell reserved for the Demon Lord of the Golden Hell, no mortal may cast it!"
"I am the Wayfarer, the one chosen by Fate itself to wield the Staff of Undertone," the lady stated in a tone that seemed to grow heavier the more she talked, "and there is no spell that has ever been used that together we are unable to cast as well!"
Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī seemed to take this threat as genuine because it seemed that he was trying to get his spell to let go of the staff but couldn't. His fear for what must have been for his life grew greater by the second as my rescuer began to chant a spell in han-chinese in a voice that definitely wasn't her own, {"By the pact from which you were chosen, thou shalt know the penalty of HIS power's absence!"}
At first other than the Zhǔ Xuè-jīn Mùshī's spell vanishing it didn't look like anything happened, at least until his skin began to shrivel up. To my shock it looked like the dark priest was mummifying right before my eyes, this kept up until his body collapsed on the floor. While his clean skull rolled clear of his gown I could see something else spilling from the robe...gold dust.
Much to my amazement a series of white motes emerged from the pile of cloth, baubles, bones and gold dust one of which came right for me. Although I recoiled in fear to my surprise I felt no pain when the orb made contact, but suddenly I could remember for the first time in a long time I could remember my name Zhen-yu Chen my slaver was dead and now my final shackle had been broken.
The self-titled Wayfarer patted me on the shoulder and explained, "There you go, you have your name again and now that they have no leader the Merchants of Suffering shouldn't be too much of a threat, at least until the next one is chosen. Now in the mean time I have to take you to a place that you need to visit."
"Home," I suggested wanting to go back to a little normalcy or as normal as I had being half dragon and all.
"In time," the Wayfarer sighed as if acknowledging my need, "but for now you need to heal, I know of a place where your slavers will never be able to find you and a place that is essential to your destiny."
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Beneath Route 160 Animas River Bridge
Durango, Colorado
5:31 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
As I came out of my memories I found that once again my work was done, it may seem odd to others but when I was sculpting it always helped when I allowed my mind to drift. Back when I was a slave they seemed to know when I seemed to lose focus and would object violently, no that they were aware but for me at least sculpting was akin to meditation- it worked best when you didn't focus on the task at hand and just let nature take its course. All around me I could see that rewards of my craft rough-uncut sapphires of various hues, ready for the market- well that is after I slipped into something a little more...normal.
After taking out some more clothes, to make myself less of an eyesore, I assumed the stance that I had been training with from Sha Wujing, I closed my eyes and focused, "Gēnggǎi!"
With a slight pop, I felt my form change shape into something all too familiar. I briefly glanced into the mountain stream calmly flowing by all to please to see my old self staring back- albeit a little more rugged than I would have been back at home. "Perfect," I admitted in my old voice as I hurried to finish getting dressed. "Now I just need to find a jeweler or a pawn shop to appraise these stones and get some spending money. Although come to think of it I imagine that it would look odd to have an Asian teenager just stroll in with a few hundred dollars in rough stones."
Once again I assumed my earlier stance but this time I focused on a different outcome, "Gēnggǎi!"
With another pop, I took a little time to focus on a form that much different to what I was used to seeing at least in a reflection. Now rather than my old base-line human self looking back at me in the river, there was instead the harsh face of Kan Fei, an old lady who ran a convenience store around the corner from my house back home. A wicked smile crossed my face as I snapped at the river in her familiar voice, "Stop reading my magazines you brats, this is a store not a library, buy something or leave!"
Yep my tone matched the old bat too perfectly, for good measure I attempted her much-practiced glare of death just in case I needed it, only to have the end result staring back far too close to be comfortable, "Yikes! Yeah, I've got that one down pat. Better remember never to do that in a mirror ever again, I might wind up with seven years bad luck...or worse my face could stick that way- ugh."
Confident that my current disguise would serve the task at hand, I scooped my freshly made gem stones into a burlap and twine bag that I'd made in my free time while at the cave and set out into town. While I was clearly not a local, I doubt that anyone would bother a homely old Chinese lady walking down the street. After ten minutes, I was sure that I made the right choice, sure enough nobody gave me more than a second look- then again Kan Fei herself was rather hard to look at for too long.
It took me all of five blocks to find a promising place, called Little Cate's Silver Shop. Once inside it felt sort of kitschy like they were trying to convey a friendly atmosphere than that of a mountain town pawn shop, not that I could blame them the ones around here probably were just places the local hunters hocked their rifles in-between seasons.
Yeah, this place screamed grown up hippie to me, especially when one of the clerks walked up to me. "Hello ma'am, can I help you with anything today?"
"Yes," I replied in a dry tone as I looked at her with a sour tone on my face, "I was camping out in the mountains and stumbled across somethings as I was gathering stones to surround my camp fire. I assume that you know enough to properly appraise them- I'd hate to have to go looking for another shop." I stated brusquely as I poured my work out of the pouch and onto the counter.
"Why I am certain that we can find some money for your pretty rocks ma'am," the sales woman responded barely taking a glance at the raw gems on the counter that sat between us.
"I'm old child, not daft," I stated as I turned on Kan Fei's patented evil eye with an extra side of elderly grump for good measure, "I have been around long enough to have seen uncut gemstones and I know from cleaning these off that they are likely sapphires. Now can you actually bring me someone who can appraise them or can you at least prove to not be a complete waste of my time and point me out to where I should have gone in the first place?"
"Beverly what is going on here," an older woman than the one at the counter who just screamed manager came to the desk from the floor.
"I'll tell you what is going on here," I huffed keeping my grump on, "I was trying to sell some uncut gemstones that I found in the mountains and this child has been wasting what precious little time I have left."
"Ma'am there is no need to get nasty," the manager replied as she tried to mollify me, "I can appraise your findings, and just give me a minute."
Once she found that they were the real deal, we spent some time haggling and by the time I walked out of the store I was twelve-hundred dollars richer in green-backed Jacksons. While it might have put a dent in the lady's register she likely had the connections to haul in ten-times the amount that I sold those stones for once they were professionally appraised, cut, polished and facetted.
After ducking around on the other side of a car, I transformed back to my preferred human form albeit looking about five-years-older and set out with three goals in my immediate future: a shoe store for something to hoof a beat, a thrift store for some decent threads and the bus station to rent a locker. As my stomach growled I added a fourth item on my agenda grab a quick dinner, because the last thing I needed was my appetite blowing my cover in what was likely to be a very mutant unfriendly town.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Weixiao Group's Headquarters
Sai Kung District, Hong Kong
8:45 AM HKT
Tann Li-hong tried his best to huddle his massive form behind the desk his office, an AK-105 pointed at the door, he knew that the end was near. All week someone had been interfering with his operations, an attack here, a little sabotage there; it was obvious one of the rival triads had been testing his defenses planning an attack. To prepare for any further attacks Tann had called his lieutenants in to compare notes and information, to see if they could figure out which of the dozen rival triads was behind the attacks and how to retaliate appropriately; it soon became clear that their unknown foe had counted on the meeting.
An hour into his organization's meeting of the minds and the screaming had begun, and by then it had already been too late. While his lieutenants had been exchanging ideas with him someone or several someone's had been working their way through the apartment building that served as their headquarters, and they had been silently killing their guards as they went. At first several of his younger officers and their body guards were determined to hunt down the intruder to curry favor with him to elevate themselves above their seniors, the screams, gunfire and silence that followed soon elevated the folly of their choice.
Seeing the writing on the wall he and his remaining officers had determined that their best hope for survival was to flee and regroup later, this too proved to be a trap as their unknown assailant had booby-trapped the exits. Those their attacker didn't hunt down on the way out of the building were cut down gruesomely as they made their way down the hallways to freedom, then it had become not a question of the triads survival but that of their own lives. Tann Li-hong had determined that his best chance for survival lay not in escaping the building but in barricading himself in the most heavily defended place in the building, his personal office.
He was confident that he would survive this attack in here, although this had once been yet another cookie-cutter apartment within the structure over the years he had modified it to serve as a make shift bunker; the walls had been bullet proofed and lined with traps that could be set from his office, the windows had been taken out and bricked-over, the doors had been heavily reinforced and the locks were sturdy and could be secured with hatch-locks from the inside. After a few moments Tann had begun to calm down sure that his security would safeguard his own life, even though he knew his organization had fallen.
This sense of safety had begun to fail when he heard the traps in his hallway begin to go off, whoever had taken out his men had made it through the front door and from the sounds of things was making it through his traps- whoever this was must have been here in force because they were taking everything that he could dish out. Desperate he switched the safety off his AK-105, braced himself and took aim, although he might die today he was determined that whoever had taken down his men was going to suffer heavily for their victory.
A few moments had passed and Tann Li-hong was growing more and more panicked by the moment, which was when to his horror the metal door separating his office from the rest of the apartment began to glow. Soon enough I reptilian hand melt its way through the door causing the hatch wheel to clatter to the ground, his attacker had powers now it was no wonder how they had taken his men down with ease.
In desperation Tann Li-hong unloaded his AK-105 as soon as the door flung open to no avail, although the bullets tore through his attackers clothing the now visible dragon lady showed no signs of injury as if the bullets had flattened rather than penetrating her hide. With a fang-filled smile she stalked towards him and despite his panicked attempt to run caught Tann by the collar and threw him upon his reinforced desk, "I wish that I could say that this was nothing personal Tann Li-hong, however I enjoy my work far too much to degrade it in such a way."
"Please don't kill me," Tann Li-hong pleaded in the dragon lady's grasp, "you have already destroyed my organization, I doubt that I could ever rebuild. Whoever you serve they have won, I will never be able to stop them from taking over my businesses and territory."
"I know," the dragon lady all but sang as she replied, "however I am a professional and I never leave a job half-finished."
"Say did you know that candles used to be made using fat," the dragon lady explained as her right claw began to glow with heat, "that means if you carefully ignite a corpulent individual such as yourself you will melt just as if you were made of wax."
The dragon lady slowly patted Tann Li-hong stomach with her glowing palm and the man screamed as his body caught fire just as she described, soon Tann's screams were no more as his body began to burn like a candle. Satisfied with her work Lady Zhi Chen known to the Tiewan Triad as Furen Yilong all but sashayed out of the room, another rival triad taken down and more notoriety for herself, in all not a bad was to start the morning.
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Dunn Deal Resale
Durango, Colorado
7:01 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With a new pair of shoes in my bag, a key to a bus locker large enough to hold the rucksack and a full stomach of halfway decent Thai cuisine, I began inspecting the racks to see how I could best assemble an appropriate ensemble for tonight. I was lucky so far in that I'd already found a purse to match my new shoes as well as a billfold to hold the still sizable amount of cash I had left. While it was true that I had plenty to cover tonight's expenses, and more than enough left over to play around with, old habits die hard, plus I didn't want to attract too much attention by throwing a lot of cash around- this was a small town and I was still an unfamiliar face.
As my hand reached for an outfit that looked both like it would fit, and go well with my new shoes and purse, it made contact with someone else; out of reflex I turned to meet the gaze of a freckled brunette who was about the same age as my current disguise. "Oops- sorry," the girl said retracting her hand in embarrassment, "I was just rifling through the rack and didn't notice you."
"It's okay," I smiled in reply, "Guan Shu-ting, I just hopped over from Silverton for the weekend and thought that I'd check out the scene at Fort Lewis."
"Kelly Windkloppel, yeah you've come on a great time, a lot of us are going to party over at Animas Hall later," Kelly explained as she met my hand and accepting the alias as truth, "I mean it's not Snowdown but it should be the last big bash before everyone starts to really hit the books for finals. Thinking of coming here next fall?"
"Maybe, I mean I can find scholarship money well enough, but I need to set aside enough for books and expenses since I graduated." I explained as I began to weave more layers to her false-identity's cover story, while I doubted the Merchants of Suffering had any direct ears in this town, the last thing that I needed was for my real name to migrate back to them and give them an idea of where to start looking.
"I'm going to go try this on," I explained as I took the blouse and added it to the skirt that was already in my hands, "I'll see you later tonight."
Unbeknownst to Zhen-yu Chen after she made her way into the dressing room in the back of the store, Kelly pulled her cellphone out of her purse. "I've made contact; I'll try and keep an eye on her until later- over and out."
6 years 11 months ago #22
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Lacero!
Shred!
Hoc retexere!
Unravel this!
Gēnggǎi
Change
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 16 Notes
Lacero!
Shred!
Hoc retexere!
Unravel this!
Gēnggǎi
Change
6 years 10 months ago - 6 years 10 months ago #23
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Union Oyster House
Boston, Massachusetts
7:21 PM EDT
Rex Hallenbeck was quickly leaving his earlier feeling of fear behind and quickly becoming annoyed, it had been over two hours and his generous host had still yet to say anything about what he was offering or why. He had just continued to watch the news and sip hot tea in between slurping down oysters, just what was Professor Id really up to here- it was almost like...
Rex's train of thought was interrupted by an odd buzzing coming from behind the draft-menu, "Pardon me a moment," the super-villain stated in his disturbingly polite tone; "however I have been waiting for this call. Yes, this is Mister Black."
He paused to listen into the other end of the line and replied as an unnerving smile crossed his face, "Continue to observe and report back, oh and if any of those undead hooligans give trouble you, feel free to flatten them."
"Sorry, your errant sibling, the young girl who inherited the spirit of the Crommyonian Sow was just keeping me abreast of a game of cat and mouse between two factions of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Apparently two of your school-mates are the cheese that both factions are interested in- for different reasons naturally, I take it you have questions about that information."
"Sure, I've got questions," Rex barked back. "How is the sow's host working for you? I mean our current patron looked all over for some medium to guide her spirit for reincarnation and she wasn't able to find anything- how come you were?"
"Child there are several parties in the wide world seeking to weaponized super-powers, myself among them as you are no doubt aware from New York and the variety of stories about me stretching back to Victorian Europe." Professor Id began to explain setting aside yet another empty tray of oyster shells. "Naturally many means of trying to create empowered individuals such as dynomorphs and origins are quite frankly too random to be considered a valid means, even targeted attempts to force the Mutant Gene Complex to awaken in those who carry it result a process with too many variables to control even in laboratory conditions."
"That is when a few decades ago I began to hear of a type of mutant referred to as avatars- individuals who like shaman's bond with a spiritual being as a source of their abilities, finally something that I could control," Professor Id unveiled his plan in vivid clarity. "As you are no doubt aware an entity or spirit who forms a bond with a mutant with this trait can gain access to their powers, naturally baring the subject's imaginations of physiological differences, finally a version of empowerment that can be guided all one needs is the proper knowledge to draw in and contain a spirit as well as the experience to alter the host's body to minimize rejection."
"But how can anyone force someone else to be an avatar?" Rex asked in a morbidly numb fashion, "It's still a trait, and you have said that you can't guide how someone will manifest."
"Who said anything about the host needing to be a mutant," the mad genius stated with a monstrous grin, "all that I need is a precise combination of magic and science, and I have someone close to me with more than enough experience in the former to assist me with the latter half of the equation. Now as for the other matter at hand as well as the one that I called you here for in the first place-"
Opening his briefcase, Professor Id withdrew a small shipment pouch from the case and then shut it again, leaving the mystery of what else might be in there once again unsolved. Then in a nonchalant manner the disguised super-villain tossed the packet to Rex who quickly opened the parcel to find nothing inside but two phone cards: one was silver with a motif like it was in three pieces, while the other was orange and bore the decal of a heart broken into pieces "Just what is this?"
"That is a choice between one of two possible favors that I could assist you in return for helping me with something at a later date," Id began to explain with an unnerving smile across his vestige. "Call me with the pink card and I will use my resources to help bring Candace Reynard's poor departed mother back to the land of the living, a favor that would endear her to you like no one else. On the other hand, should you call me using the silver card, then I shall use my decades of experience in healing the fragmented mind of poor Meradee Baker. You may not be aware of this but the Nemean Lion and the Spynx were not the children of Typhon and Echidna, rather they were the offspring of Orthus and the Chimera; still much like the children of Zeus they too were lumped in with their parents as children of the father and mother of monsters."
"So, you see young Mister Hallenbeck you have three choices before you: help mend the heart of your love from this life, help to mend the broken mind of the love of your last life, or simply do nothing and let fate unfurl as it is want to do. Now you do not have to decide anything on the spot, give it time and thought before you call on me- or do not the choice is up do you."
Professor Id then asked the waiter for the check for the meal before laying down a nice, crisp hundred-dollar bill as the tip. "Now I must be off, oh and I suggest that you do not dally in rejoining your compatriots. I believe that your other half is currently assisting doctors at Massachusetts General, if you are careful you can slip in and rejoin him with no one being the wiser."
As the super-villain and black marketer slipped out the front door, Rex simply stared at the two phone cards in his hand- completely unsure of what to do and just what favor he would owe if he accepted either offer that they represented. At least Professor Id was correct about two things; Rex needed to rejoin his other self at the hospital as well as give this matter some thought.
East Boston Expressway
7:35 PM EDT
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
As the four of us sat in the back of an ambulance headed for the location of the next bomb scenes near Logan International Airport, I could feel the tension in the air it was so thick that it was suffocating. I could tell that Saladin had more than a little apprehensive, even from within my prison inside of Victoria Godwin's shadow I had noticed the treatment Middle-Easterners received at airports after the 9/11 Terror Attacks, and we were headed towards one where a bombing had just happened inside the Terminals, as well as two of the nearby hotels.
I looked over at Faolan and could tell she was in the middle of a conversation with Jane over their shared link; I'll confess part of me was jealous, despite being my friend Randi was never truly alone- a feeling that I had a deeper knowledge of than anyone on the planet. I know I shouldn't feel this way- Randi was my friend and the only one of the Four Maidens that I had met (heck she and her sister Heather were two of the first few people that I had ever met in person), but I couldn't help feeling this way. Maybe I should look into finding a familiar of my own, ugh who am I kidding there's no way that I'll be able to find a creature that is as at home on land and in the depths of the sea as I am- at least to my knowledge... maybe I should look into that when I return to the Hall of Echoes tonight.
"We're almost at the airport so listen," Saladin finally decided to speak up, "the fire fighters are too busy dealing with the fires close to the jets and the fuel storage depots and haven't had the man-power to deal with sweeping the terminals for survivors because if one of those planes, or Allah help us the depot, catches fire then we'll be dealing with a series of explosions that would render any rescue effort pointless. We will also need to guard the paramedics in the triage station, as well as provide crowd control near the entrances and exits, understand no matter what this is vital to the rescue efforts."
"There is also another threat to deal with, a number of non-public areas in airports don't exactly have the best lighting so we could be rescuing survivors from both the fire and the Necromancer's undead horde." Saladin looked directly at us before continuing, "I know that the two of you both have your own supply of the elixir on you which is why we are headed for the airport and not the hotels, however I need you to keep that in reserve for both survivors and any rescuers who might have been exposed. If you happen to run out send a message over the head-pieces that I gave you earlier and have a reflective surface handy, we are using Apparitia to courier elixir to outlying areas so that the speedsters can keep aiding the police."
"Good, at least that keeps her out of the fighting," Faolan slightly deflated with a sigh as a fraction of the tension left her body, "what about Nightingale and Animalia?"
"They already finished helping out the firefighters with Gloriana at the other side of town and have just arrived at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor," Saladin explained, "we need all of the healers that we've got and Nightingale has both her powers and a full course in first-aid training thanks to her parents. As for Animalia, she's surprisingly tough for someone her age, apparently the doctors in the Power's Lab have been giving her access to the best animals they can and the beasts of the world have been in an arm's race all their own long before we were ever around."
For some reason Faolan started laughing and clutching her sides, looking over in concern Saladin asked, "Was something I said that funny?"
"Sorry," Faolan brought her hand up as she struggled to catch her breath, "it's just that you have to understand, I'm from the Bible Belt- there are people back home that think of evolution as blasphemy. At the same time, they go on and on about how barbaric the Middle Easterners are, and here I am sharing a ride with a devout Muslim born and raised in one of these barbaric regions who not only believes in evolution but considers Young Earth Theory hooey."
"I believe that it is arrogant beyond belief for one to believe that one of man's years is equal to one of Allah's," Saladin began to explain, "as for evolution given that Allah created the natural world and evolution is life adapting to survive as a part of that world who is to say that evolution itself is not merely another of the signs of how he has acted in the past to shape his creation. Besides the world is an imperfect work of art in motion, it needs a little maintenance every once in a while, to keep on track. Still these are my own personal beliefs, Muslims are as diverse in what they believe as any other group of religions, plus it is difficult to follow Young Earth Theory when you've met honest beings who predate the rise of modern human civilization by centuries."
"Do not look at me good sir," Jane spoke up, "I will have you know that I am only in my seventies. Although I do know several individuals who would qualify, many of who were worshipped as deities by civilizations as far back as the Bronze Ages."
"So Aletheia, how was your first real taste of action?" Saladin asked while looking straight at me, "Was it everything that you hoped it would be?"
"Truthfully no," I admitted, "I was hoping to be a bit more mobile but when your two options are either seated or airborne it does kind of limit your experience. How about you Faolan? How did this compare to your first bit of action?"
"Before or after I manifested?" Faolan asked with a somewhat bitter tone, "My first bit of action was trying to rescue a kid when a fight between Plainswalker and Slaughterhaus spilled over into the Six Flags Amusement in the very area where I was working, I was tagged with one of Slaughterhaus's devices and was knocked unconscious for hours while Carcharoth took my body for a joyride. When I woke up I was in the custody of the MCO, who tried to coerce me through means of torture into confessing that I was in league with the madman that attacked the park. After I manifested my first bit of action in the real world was finishing a fight that Valkyrian picked with a Fomor giant, I had to cut my arm off to get away from an inhibitor manacle that he slapped on us and fight him one-handed with the help of Jane's mother; the real treat was reattaching my arm by myself without anesthesia."
The thought of what Randi went through in either experience left me more than a little green-at-the-gills; Slaughterhaus while not that well known in this part of the country had a reputation that could only be described as a gruesome sociopath and a divisor who Jobe would call demented, and from what little I had learned around the campus about Carcharoth made me glad that I had accepted Randi's offer of protection against him. I turned to look at Saladin wondering just what experiences the Iraqi member of the Future Superheroes of America would have to say, apparently knowing just what I was about to ask Saladin shook his head and related, "I am sorry unlike your mystic friend, I do not like to talk about my earlier experiences, please keep in mind that my homeland is a warzone."
"I know," I replied as I grew morose from the apprehension, "I'll need to visit it this summer- I just hope I'll be fully mobile by then."
"Are you certain," Saladin asked with concern in his voice, "my homeland can be a very dangerous place for visitors, especially now with Al-Qaeda and other groups having gained access since the fall of the Hussein regime."
"Believe me the rewards outweigh the risks to myself for why I have to go over there for this mission," I replied, "and the longer I delay fulfilling this task that I have ahead of me the more people will suffer from the delay- and believe me those people right now live under a fate worse than death and most of them don't even know."
MBTB Airport Station - Roof
7:37 PM
Jabberwock spied the ambulance speeding towards the airport with sirens blaring, a quick check on his handheld confirmed that it was the ambulance that he tagged earlier at The Necromancer's request, and the check on the police emergency band confirmed their intended destination. That same ambulance which contained both targets that all of this chaos was instituted to draw out in the first place, still the entire affair left him with a sour taste in his mouth; all of this insanity just to get two teens out into the open- he was a mercenary and even this felt excessive to him.
The currently indentured mercenary heaved a sigh, the dark fact of the matter was that he owed Darrow bigtime for busting him out of Roxbury C and he didn't dare split before he paid off that debt. A merc was only as good as his reputation both in terms of assignments and in terms of leaving having fulfilled the terms of his contract. Like Matterhorn, Jabberwock's reputation took a big hit in the fight to get Arch-Fiend out of police custody being on the losing side of a fight with a group of teenagers with only one major fight under their belt, the only difference was that Matterhorn managed slip away to avoid getting caught and thrown in prison.
Jabberwock knew that if he cut and run before this latest operation was complete it would take him years to repair the blow to his credibility as a soldier of fortune. This meant that for better or worse he had to stick with this operation to its bitter conclusion and hope to avoid the blowback that would happen from it; he just hoped that this operation would square his accounts with Darrow because after Nightgaunt's imprisonment and Vamp's departure the Children of the Night were hurting for new blood, he knew from Arcane-Knight's own involuntary enlistment that Darrow was looking to refill their ranks- and he wouldn't exactly take no for an answer.
Jabberwock slapped himself briefly; the future could wait focus on the here and now. He switched on his radio to the direct channel, "Jabberwock here, radio chatter confirms both targets are enroute to the detonation sight at Boston Logan International; standing by for further instructions- over."
"Roger Jabberwock," Arcane-Knight replied in a bitter mechanical tone over the communicator, "Our dictator commands that you are to move our assets into position and wait until the targets are in motion and on the scene until engaging. Understood first wait until they are in the airport before we strike- over.
"Understood, I’m moving on to courier assets into position- over and out." Jabberwock steadied himself for a moment before beginning his task conveying the Children of the Night to the airport to wait for the ambush.
Once again after Jabberwock teleported out his stalker Ekdikeo materialized, and this time used her communicator rather than her natural link with her lilim sisters, "This is Ekdikeo, the foxes are preparing to circle the henhouse I repeat the foxes are preparing to circle the henhouse. All assets rally within striking distance of Logan International but maintain cover, Operation Death-Spank is a go I repeat Operation Death-Spank is a go!- over!"
"Why did I let you ladies codename the operation again?" Greygus inquired over the radio before adding in, Over!
"Because Miseo won the dice roll!" Skleeros replied to the djinn agent's inquiry, "Just grin and bear it, before you know it all of this will be behind you and then you'll be back in Vegas getting ready for your new sister- over!"
"I know, I just find it so hard that the other three maidens materialized so far ahead of a possible southern maiden." Miseo responded, "And from what I hear there are no possible candidates anywhere not even among King Inti's court or in Ibilis's hidden City of Brass and both of those ."
"That is because the Southern Maiden is supposed to be born of my father's lineage, but we can worry about the identity of the Southern Maiden later Miseo," Greygus stated over the communicator, "For now we focus on the task at hand and that's the safety of the Eastern and Western Maiden's, so everyone needs to rally in an Andrew's Cross formation around the airport. Then you ladies can help me give the Children of the Night a spanking before Carcharoth sweeps in for clean-up- over and out!"
Ekdikeo hung up the communicator before crafting a portal to carry her to her surveillance point West-northwest of the airport, still she hoped that the faerie and mermaid they were here to protect would withstand The Necromancer's intended trap long enough for her own group to spring their own surprise on the Children of the Night.
Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor Hotel
7:43 PM
The front doors of the burning hotel, opened and Gloriana (in fire gear) emerged leading seven people out the door to safety while lugging an eighth over her shoulder. Having guided the group over to paramedics a fireman then approached her, "That accounts for all but twenty-five of the guests but given that those were on the top floor the chances that they survived the roof collapsing are slim at best."
Gloriana furrowed her brow and cracked the concrete with a punch at that assessment, "Damnit, we should have been faster. I'm going back in!"
The fireman took the chance to hold her back before relaying another piece of information, "Also your young friend is still inside- you might need to go and get her out."
"This day keeps going from bad to worse," the cape observed just before another group appearing to have ten members total emerged from the burning hotel with two young children sharing a fireman's jacket that had been draped over them trailing the initial group revealing that the count was up to eleven.
Recognizing the jacket as the one that was given to Animalia when she went into the building Gloriana rushed over to the pair, "You two- please tell me how you got that jacket."
A young girl looked up her eyes shining through her soot-stained face, "A nice lady gave it to us and told us to follow the people down the stairs."
Feeling as if her veins were filled with ice-water Gloriana made a dash for the lobby doors when Animalia (sans fire-gear except for her oxygen tank) emerged from the entrance leading three more people, one of whom was helping her to carry a fourth in her arms. After they delivered the injured man to a nearby gurney where Nightingale was waiting to have a look at her Animalia reported to Gloriana, "That should be the last of them from the hotel the rest of the hallways are blocked by burning debris."
"Animalia giving those two your jacket like that was reckless what were you thinking," the cape began to lecture the middle-schooler, "for that matter how are you alright? Even I was feeling the heat from all that and I'm an exemplar."
"Tuesday in power lab they had me handle a tiny bug they called a water bear," Animalia began to explain to the cape after ditching her oxygen mask, "they told me those little suckers can survive almost anywhere even in the boiling temperatures of underwater lava tubes and volcanic vents, I knew that I should have been able to take the fire with them, but if you're concerned I can switch over to an axolotl and heal up anything that I took."
Gloriana then gave Animalia a harsh look, "Listen to the words coming out of my mouth kid, you are still learning about your powers and your limits, don't push it too fast too soon or you might find that one of the checks that you just cashed might be your last."
Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
7:48 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
In no time at all the three of us had arrived at the airport, due in no small part to being in an emergency vehicle and the fact that the police had closed the roads to keep gridlock from getting in the way of fire and paramedics. One look and I could see that the terminals had clearly felt the brunt end of The Necromancer's attack, and there was no telling if the TSA and airport security had properly dealt with any zombies that might have shown up before the explosives were detonated, at least at the apartment building the zombies were neutralized by the heat of the fire.
Already the first teams of paramedics had arrived alongside Wild Pack, most of the Cape Squad and a few of Quickvix's friends were already coordinating with an airport security officer. I helped wheel Aletheia over to the triage area to help the medics and healers on scene, meanwhile I asked Jane to give the airport a brief fly-over to see if she could use her abilities to hunt for survivors and hostiles.
"Now we need to deal out assignments," I heard Stormwolf explain when I got close enough, "All available Capes and Wild Pack will help to sweep the airport for survivors, operate in teams of two in case of zombies. Palleon, we'll need you to handle crowd control along the Northern perimeter, send them this way so that they can get looked over; that aura shield of yours should handle anything that might come your way. Draconis and Heartbreaker, you two have crowd control along the Southern Perimeter, stay together in case of trouble."
"Faolan," Stormwolf stated as he looked my way, "You have one of the most important tasks, remain here and guard the paramedics and healers, understood- your position here is vital."
"I understand sir but I also have something else that I could bring to the table," I began to explain, "Jane can observe the electro-magnetic signatures of people, if you tell me your com's frequency she could help and direct the search and rescue teams to the general area where the survivors are likely to find anyone who survived the explosion and the fire."
"How accurate is your familiar's detection Faolan?" Pendragon inquired as was well within his right.
"Accounting for the distortion from the heat," Jane began to explain through our link, "Within five feet on the top floor and five more feet every floor beneath that."
"She says there is some distortion from the heat but on the top floor of the terminals her accuracy should be within a five-foot radius, and five feet off every floor down." I stated as I conveyed Jane's estimates, "I mean I know that it's not perfect but it should help you narrow down your search and get to any survivors faster than with a standard grid search."
"Good then I'll put you on over watch in addition to guard detail," Stormwolf stated but at the same time glared at me, "but not on the actual Search and Rescue detail inside. Understand over watch is a major responsibility, you are not to leave this station except in case of emergency understood!"
"I'm clear, besides this is about getting people to safety not showboating." I retorted part of me wanting to snarl back at Ironknife's insinuation, "You lot have more training and experience than I do, I'm not so proud to let my ego get in the way of my better judgement."
"Good," Stormwolf responded with a smug smile, "I'm glad to see that there are fresh Posies that actually have common sense."
As the Search and Rescue crews made their way inside the burning terminals I couldn't help but remark, "Common sense, these day's that's so rare it might as well be an MID category."
Still enough with the comedy routine, I put on the radio headset, spread out the terminal map that the TSA agent had given Stormwolf when I arrived, and began to focus on guiding the rescuers. Over watch might not be the most thrilling part of an operation but it was a vital one where it could be used, here every minute Jane and I gained for the teams inside was one more that they had to save someone inside.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Boston Chapter
7:53 PM
Cecil Tiddle, the lanky and sallow man who was all that passed for a concierge at Boston's Chapter of the Grand Hall did what he always did while not hiring mercenary talent for local members (which these days was almost exclusively the Children of the Night) or acting as their fence for the groups stolen goods- the crosswords. While Boston was one of the oldest chapters in the Grand Hall's decades of existence its better days had come and gone with the Tommy Gun, the room about him had been in need of a serious renovation long before even the days of his predecessor's predecessor.
There was a time not long ago when they still took comfort in the fact that even with the dilapidated state of their chapter that they still were in better shape than Chicago, however recently Chicago had experienced a hostile takeover by Erzebet Scratch's faction and was currently in the middle of serious renovations; leaving Boston to suffer the title of the worst chapter of the Grand Hall in North America. More than one time Cecil had wanted to quit this position and get a real job; however this was a familial responsibility. There was also the fact that the last person to try and quit, his poor uncle Wilton had gotten turned inside-out by Arch-Fiend, not killed just turned inside-out; what killed poor Wilton was the infections that he later suffered from his state of being.
Suddenly the suffocating, haunted silence of the chapter was interrupted by a series of scraping sounds. Wondering just what was causing this Cecil got up and flashlight in hand made his way down the cobweb choked and dusty halls to where the only standard feature of any Grand Hall chapter, a statue of Atum Kharis had broken into pieces and was beginning to form into a stone archway. Staring down the suffocating darkness of the tunnel, Cecil began to see figures slowly making their way towards him.
Not wanting to be present when these mysterious strangers made their way into the house proper Cecil dashed to his desk and pulled out his only defense, a loaded P-29 that he kept with him either for defense or to take himself out before one of the Children of the Night did something to him to make him wish he was dead.
Unfortunately, before he could bring the gun off of the table another hand, this one made of metal reached down and kept him from raising the firearm. Cecil turned his head to get a look at the intruder and found that the man in question had his face swathed in bandages, and what wasn't bandaged was exposed as naked cybernetics of a with no clear sign of manufacture wearing what appeared to have originally been an RAF uniform.
"Wh-who are you?" Cecil quivered at the sight of the cyborg who had entered the chapter house using a passage that he, the concierge, had never even heard of before.
"I am Sureshot," the man replied in a tone that was colored by the presence of a partially cybernetic voice box, "an ace ranked member of Shuffle's Sweepers here at the behest of the Obsidian Circle. Apparently, your normal employer saw fit to try and rob one of their storage rooms at the New York chapter house, now I am here to escort a few members of the Circle here- with a few of our operatives to secure Mister Darrow's ill-gotten gains and the thief he employed into custody."
Cecil's blood began to run cold the Obsidian Circle were legends that according to rumors that were circulating around the underworld were coming back out of the shadows- not quite as dead as they were assumed to be. Moreover, Shuffle's Sweepers was a mercenary organization within the Grand Hall that was reported to answer directly to Erzebet Scratch also rumored to have recently joined the aforementioned Obsidian Circle. A quick glance showed that Sureshot was indeed not alone in his visit while the man in the containment suit and a young man in the costume decorated with a multitude of symbols didn't look familiar two figures were all to recognizable.
Standing in his signature black and white suit was Mister Domino, a member of the Circle said to have died hundreds of times over the centuries yet eluding death itself every time. Next to the double-masked man in the suit was another member of the Circle, Mistress Nyx, her robes doing little to secure the mannequin that she called her body or hide the crystal ball that passed for her head.
As soon as he caught sight of those two his body refused to move, Cecil couldn't even will himself to blink.
"I am sorry sir," Mister Domino explained in his odd echoing tone, "but we simply cannot risk you warning your most valuable customer about our presence in this city. Do not worry though you are simply going to be taking an early nap, and awaken to so many interesting tidbits of information."
Obviously, the double-faced warlock spoke the truth because Cecil Tiddle could feel himself losing consciousness as his vision blurred not long before the sandman took him.
Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
8:27 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
Okay a lot of other people back at Whateley may consider Stormwolf to be a stick in the mud, but I had to give him this he really knew how to properly conduct a Search and Rescue Operation- especially a Search and Rescue Operation that had Jane and I helping to coordinate the search for civilians who had been caught in the blast. I did receive the occasional report of zombie encounters inside of the terminals but thankfully Wild Pack and the Capes were more than up to dispatching the odd shambling worm-farm, before helping any escort any survivors to the triage and aid station that Fire and Rescue had set-up outside the Massport.
A quick look to the station itself showed me that Crux, Asklepian and Aletheia were in their element as they made use of their assorted abilities to heal any burn and lung damage that fire had given those caught up in the blast. I hated to admit it but it looked like we just might consider today a major victory for the Whateley Student body for this year, a trip to Boston without a super fight on the national news; then again Gerald Poffenberg on GNN would probably accuse us of starting the fires and zombie outbreak as an Evolution Rocks publicity stunt.
Still if we could pull today off without anything major happening Boston would still be accessible for the student body for the foreseeable future; because once the school's board banned Boston for student travel during the school year, the ban would likely not be lifted until all current high school students graduated.
Still despite this being the obvious handiwork of The Necromancer there had been no sign of the Children of the Night all day, I hoped that they were keeping a low-profile planning to ambush Team Kimba again- something that would be an exercise in futility given that entire team along with their usual entourage were banned from coming to Boston by Headmistress Carson for the foreseeable future. Thankfully there was no way that The Necromancer and his crew could know about that little tidbit unless they had ears inside of Poe or the Whateley Administration office, and it's not like he had any reason to target anybody that actually was in Boston today.
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
8:32 PM
Arcane-Knight looked down at the sight bellow and felt sick, granted it was a phantom-pain, but a pain none-the-less. Bellow him the next generation of heroes were doing their best working alongside Boston's finest to work at turning this horror into a distant nightmare, and here he was forced by Charles Darrow's dark magics into sewing further seeds of tragedy- it was enough to make him wish that he could still vomit.
Sadly such visible signs of disgust were now buried along with his real body all due to the Knights of Eternal Presence's severance package, the only reason he was even in America was to confront the being known as Tennyo who was responsible for ending their threat. Instead his inquiries to the maid's location lead him right into enslavement to The Necromancer who saw him as an ideal piece to fill the gap left by Vamp as the Children of the Night's unwitting pawn-slave.
"Arcane-Knight," Darrow's voice barked over his internal radio, "What is the status of the targets?-over!
Arcane-Knight felt Darrow's influence upon him like a vise squeezing upon his soul and knew that silence was not an option, given that his own existence was the only thing that he truly had left. "The pair are bellow me but not together," Arcane-Knight reluctantly growled back at the warlock holding his soul on a leash, "Target Beta appears to be operating a radio while pouring over some maps of the airport's four terminals, Target Alpha is in the middle of the treatment area and is surrounded by other healers and the wounded. All other masks present to not conform to any known info, they possibly either lack training or have support based abilities-over."
"Good, Darrow replied, This will hinder any possibility of retreat for those two. Maintain position and wait for the rest of the team to arrive understand, you are only to leave your post in case the targets leave the strike-zone; this should be like shooting fish in a barrel. Over and out."
Arcane-Knight took another look at the young heroes down below, completely oblivious to the treat that they were about to face. Just like The Necromancer said it would be like shooting fish in a barrel but part of him prayed that this time at least Darrow and his ilk would take a few rounds in the cross-fire. "I wish that Darrow and his underlings actually get what's coming to them!"
"Your wish is granted," an unfamiliar woman responded in a coquettish tone as she materialized near him followed by two others in similar attire.
The unfamiliar trio was soon joined by a cloud of dust which consolidated and assumed a form all too familiar to Arcane-Knight, "Greygus, I honestly wish that we were meeting under better circumstances."
In one fluid motion, Arcane-Knight drew his blade and struck at the operative of the Obsidian Circle; however, in a move far more graceful Greygus dodged with a nimble backflip and drew his club, which with a flick of the djinn's wrist telescoped to the length of a staff in ample time to meet the techno-knight's naked blade.
"Why are you doing this Fabian? I know your reputation- your honor." Greygus pleaded trying to get through to the haunted suit of techno-armor who with furious vigor tried connecting with the djinn with via his blade, "You left the Knights of Eternal Presence for less than this- why do you serve a monster like The Necromancer?"
"I have no choice," Arcane-Knight replied as he tried in vain to slip his blade past Greygus's defenses, "Darrow's vile necromancy has bound my very soul into servitude, I cannot disobey his commands no matter how I detest them; understand- I am bound to serve against my will."
"Not a problem," one of the women responded as she slipped behind him and suddenly Fabian Kopke felt the bindings that Charles Darrow placed upon his soul disappear and their influence on his actions vanish in turn.
"I am free," Arcane-Knight observed almost in shock, "how is this possible?"
"I slipped your soul free of the bindings as I placed them around a surrogate," Ekdikeo bragged as she displayed a doll in the form of a knight which she had crafted on the spot with her sorcery. "You are now free and Darrow is none the wiser, at least for the moment."
"Sadly, I fear my current liberation is temporary at best," Arcane-Knight deflated the mood by bringing reality into the equation. "The Children of the Night will be here momentarily and the vile Necromancer can replace his dark shackles upon my being with little effort."
"That is true but only if you are still here!" Greygus pointed out and after collapsing the handle on his mace, gave it a spin before it connected with the haunted suit of techno-armor sending him flying out of sight faster than the eye could follow.
"So how far did you send him flying?" Miseo inquired as she hovered in a reclined position.
"Over two-hundred miles south of here;" Greygus explained as he returned his mace to his belt, "he should touch down right outside of the Grand Hall Storage Entrance in New York in a few minutes no worse for wear, however we had best hide- there is no sense wasting a perfectly good ambush."
As one the trio of lilin again faded from sight while Greygus turned himself back to dust leaving only Ekdikeo's doll as a mute witness of what had just transpired.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
8:39 PM
Carcharoth sat fuming as he drummed his claws crate where he rested his arm, his patience was being worn thin by his boredom and that was as volatile an equation as a bottle of Nitroglycerin in a paint-shaker. Sooner or later the wrong jostle would trigger a violent explosion, and clear in the path of that violent explosion was Greg Paulson who had been sweating bullets for so long that he was in desperate need of water.
Still no mater his current discomfort Greg didn't dare to move a single muscle; his captor made it more than abundantly clear that while he needed the thief alive, unharmed was a condition that he considered arbitrary. Greg may have been greedy and overly ambitious, both of which landed him in this mess, but one thing that he valued above all else was his own well-being. Right now, Greg's continued health depended on not pissing-off his captor any more than he already was- as well as making certain that he didn't give the monster an excuse to begin treating him like a sparing dummy.
Should Carcharoth so desire to alleviate his boredom by using Greg as a ragdoll there was nobody here that would lift a finger to stop him, that reason being because all the workers at the warehouse were enthralled to the beast; hell, they would tear Greg apart for Carcharoth's amusement- all their master had to do was give the word.
The tension was so thick that the only thing present that would cut it was that nasty battle-axe that Hanna Ring was polishing to a deadly sheen at her master's bequest while the rest of the pack continued to triple-check Greg's ill-gotten gains as if looking for something missing beyond that silver key and that weird staff, something to give Carcharoth an excuse to extract his pound of flesh from his guest.
The silence was so deafening that when the door to the warehouse opened it echoed like a cannon, the entire pack sprang into action giving Greg the chance to relax that he had been waiting for since this entire ordeal began. Still he was curious who the unlucky souls were that had stumbled upon this den of monsters, granted it was a morbid curiosity but better them then him.
"Alright," Carcharoth barked as he took back his axe from Hanna's outstretched arms, "who's tired of breathing?"
"Your relief shift," A bandaged cyborg at the door explained as he made his way inside followed by an eclectic band of what had to be fellow super-villains connected with Erzebet Scratch. "I am Sureshot and we are here to take custody of your items and begin their transport to our warehouse, your new storage area is being cleared as we speak, we are also here to ensure that your prisoner is to delivered to Erzebet Scratch as ordered."
For a moment nothing happened, that was until Carcharoth began laughing. It started as a dark chuckle then began to build until the monster tossed his head back to the ceiling as that chuckle graduated into a maniacal howling laughter. "Finally," the host of the penultimate beast of Ragnarok howled, "I've been waiting all day for this, no- even longer it's been so fucking long since I've been told to cut loose, I don't even care if that stick in the mud Greygus is holding my leash this time- I'm going to enjoy this so damned much."
"I take it you will be needing transport to where Greygus and the Erinyas are Sureshot," wagered catching the beast's attention, "if you wish we can get you there in a matter of moments."
"No," Carcharoth replied as his ebon maw bared his fangs in a malicious smile from ear to ear as he literally salivated with anticipation at what was to come, "I can get there faster than you mortals could ever conceive!" With a swipe of his right arm the beast tore a hole in the barrier between worlds and casually tossed his beloved axe Vrede inside before the weight of reality resealed the tear.
"I mean it," Carcharoth smiled as his form began to lose cohesion, "I am practically there already..." The monster's words seemed to echo in the air as the borrowed ectoplasm dissipated as it made its long journey back to the jar of forms which Carcharoth used to give his projected consciousness form. Meanwhile his real body safe within his den in the Fel Woods of Svartelfeim shifted his attention to another Jar of Forms one that he had ordered a thrall which he had made of an American Airlines stewardess to keep in her trunk, which was currently in long term parking at Boston Logan International Airport.
For the sake of momentary convenience Carcharoth manifested in a slighter, more human form, one that would give him ample room to maneuver in the trunk. Taking a moment to reorient him Carcharoth spotted a glowing yellow handle right next to him; with a smile, he pulled the object (the emergency release handle that was as required by law in every vehicle) and popped the trunk open.
Springing forth from the car's trunk, Carcharoth closed his eyes as he took in the sounds and smells of this stretch of the city, from the sound of things the battle had already been started. Still he continued to sift through the smells and he came across several that were familiar to him, that brat Faolan was clearly here but as per the results of the Fehde she was off limits to him...for now. But there was another smell that was just as familiar, and the brief moment of displeasure at that mix-breed bitch being here was behind him as a malicious fang-filled smile once again filled his ebon maw.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum," the monster chuckled, "I smell the blood of an Innsmouth Man." Taking only a moment to retrieve his axe from his den, Carcaroth began to make his way towards the source of the scent, body barely visible despite the illumination of the raised parking garage. A different type of terror was about to grip Boston- Carcharoth was on the hunt- and this would be a day that his quarry would never forget.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 17
Union Oyster House
Boston, Massachusetts
7:21 PM EDT
Rex Hallenbeck was quickly leaving his earlier feeling of fear behind and quickly becoming annoyed, it had been over two hours and his generous host had still yet to say anything about what he was offering or why. He had just continued to watch the news and sip hot tea in between slurping down oysters, just what was Professor Id really up to here- it was almost like...
Rex's train of thought was interrupted by an odd buzzing coming from behind the draft-menu, "Pardon me a moment," the super-villain stated in his disturbingly polite tone; "however I have been waiting for this call. Yes, this is Mister Black."
He paused to listen into the other end of the line and replied as an unnerving smile crossed his face, "Continue to observe and report back, oh and if any of those undead hooligans give trouble you, feel free to flatten them."
"Sorry, your errant sibling, the young girl who inherited the spirit of the Crommyonian Sow was just keeping me abreast of a game of cat and mouse between two factions of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Apparently two of your school-mates are the cheese that both factions are interested in- for different reasons naturally, I take it you have questions about that information."
"Sure, I've got questions," Rex barked back. "How is the sow's host working for you? I mean our current patron looked all over for some medium to guide her spirit for reincarnation and she wasn't able to find anything- how come you were?"
"Child there are several parties in the wide world seeking to weaponized super-powers, myself among them as you are no doubt aware from New York and the variety of stories about me stretching back to Victorian Europe." Professor Id began to explain setting aside yet another empty tray of oyster shells. "Naturally many means of trying to create empowered individuals such as dynomorphs and origins are quite frankly too random to be considered a valid means, even targeted attempts to force the Mutant Gene Complex to awaken in those who carry it result a process with too many variables to control even in laboratory conditions."
"That is when a few decades ago I began to hear of a type of mutant referred to as avatars- individuals who like shaman's bond with a spiritual being as a source of their abilities, finally something that I could control," Professor Id unveiled his plan in vivid clarity. "As you are no doubt aware an entity or spirit who forms a bond with a mutant with this trait can gain access to their powers, naturally baring the subject's imaginations of physiological differences, finally a version of empowerment that can be guided all one needs is the proper knowledge to draw in and contain a spirit as well as the experience to alter the host's body to minimize rejection."
"But how can anyone force someone else to be an avatar?" Rex asked in a morbidly numb fashion, "It's still a trait, and you have said that you can't guide how someone will manifest."
"Who said anything about the host needing to be a mutant," the mad genius stated with a monstrous grin, "all that I need is a precise combination of magic and science, and I have someone close to me with more than enough experience in the former to assist me with the latter half of the equation. Now as for the other matter at hand as well as the one that I called you here for in the first place-"
Opening his briefcase, Professor Id withdrew a small shipment pouch from the case and then shut it again, leaving the mystery of what else might be in there once again unsolved. Then in a nonchalant manner the disguised super-villain tossed the packet to Rex who quickly opened the parcel to find nothing inside but two phone cards: one was silver with a motif like it was in three pieces, while the other was orange and bore the decal of a heart broken into pieces "Just what is this?"
"That is a choice between one of two possible favors that I could assist you in return for helping me with something at a later date," Id began to explain with an unnerving smile across his vestige. "Call me with the pink card and I will use my resources to help bring Candace Reynard's poor departed mother back to the land of the living, a favor that would endear her to you like no one else. On the other hand, should you call me using the silver card, then I shall use my decades of experience in healing the fragmented mind of poor Meradee Baker. You may not be aware of this but the Nemean Lion and the Spynx were not the children of Typhon and Echidna, rather they were the offspring of Orthus and the Chimera; still much like the children of Zeus they too were lumped in with their parents as children of the father and mother of monsters."
"So, you see young Mister Hallenbeck you have three choices before you: help mend the heart of your love from this life, help to mend the broken mind of the love of your last life, or simply do nothing and let fate unfurl as it is want to do. Now you do not have to decide anything on the spot, give it time and thought before you call on me- or do not the choice is up do you."
Professor Id then asked the waiter for the check for the meal before laying down a nice, crisp hundred-dollar bill as the tip. "Now I must be off, oh and I suggest that you do not dally in rejoining your compatriots. I believe that your other half is currently assisting doctors at Massachusetts General, if you are careful you can slip in and rejoin him with no one being the wiser."
As the super-villain and black marketer slipped out the front door, Rex simply stared at the two phone cards in his hand- completely unsure of what to do and just what favor he would owe if he accepted either offer that they represented. At least Professor Id was correct about two things; Rex needed to rejoin his other self at the hospital as well as give this matter some thought.
East Boston Expressway
7:35 PM EDT
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
As the four of us sat in the back of an ambulance headed for the location of the next bomb scenes near Logan International Airport, I could feel the tension in the air it was so thick that it was suffocating. I could tell that Saladin had more than a little apprehensive, even from within my prison inside of Victoria Godwin's shadow I had noticed the treatment Middle-Easterners received at airports after the 9/11 Terror Attacks, and we were headed towards one where a bombing had just happened inside the Terminals, as well as two of the nearby hotels.
I looked over at Faolan and could tell she was in the middle of a conversation with Jane over their shared link; I'll confess part of me was jealous, despite being my friend Randi was never truly alone- a feeling that I had a deeper knowledge of than anyone on the planet. I know I shouldn't feel this way- Randi was my friend and the only one of the Four Maidens that I had met (heck she and her sister Heather were two of the first few people that I had ever met in person), but I couldn't help feeling this way. Maybe I should look into finding a familiar of my own, ugh who am I kidding there's no way that I'll be able to find a creature that is as at home on land and in the depths of the sea as I am- at least to my knowledge... maybe I should look into that when I return to the Hall of Echoes tonight.
"We're almost at the airport so listen," Saladin finally decided to speak up, "the fire fighters are too busy dealing with the fires close to the jets and the fuel storage depots and haven't had the man-power to deal with sweeping the terminals for survivors because if one of those planes, or Allah help us the depot, catches fire then we'll be dealing with a series of explosions that would render any rescue effort pointless. We will also need to guard the paramedics in the triage station, as well as provide crowd control near the entrances and exits, understand no matter what this is vital to the rescue efforts."
"There is also another threat to deal with, a number of non-public areas in airports don't exactly have the best lighting so we could be rescuing survivors from both the fire and the Necromancer's undead horde." Saladin looked directly at us before continuing, "I know that the two of you both have your own supply of the elixir on you which is why we are headed for the airport and not the hotels, however I need you to keep that in reserve for both survivors and any rescuers who might have been exposed. If you happen to run out send a message over the head-pieces that I gave you earlier and have a reflective surface handy, we are using Apparitia to courier elixir to outlying areas so that the speedsters can keep aiding the police."
"Good, at least that keeps her out of the fighting," Faolan slightly deflated with a sigh as a fraction of the tension left her body, "what about Nightingale and Animalia?"
"They already finished helping out the firefighters with Gloriana at the other side of town and have just arrived at the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor," Saladin explained, "we need all of the healers that we've got and Nightingale has both her powers and a full course in first-aid training thanks to her parents. As for Animalia, she's surprisingly tough for someone her age, apparently the doctors in the Power's Lab have been giving her access to the best animals they can and the beasts of the world have been in an arm's race all their own long before we were ever around."
For some reason Faolan started laughing and clutching her sides, looking over in concern Saladin asked, "Was something I said that funny?"
"Sorry," Faolan brought her hand up as she struggled to catch her breath, "it's just that you have to understand, I'm from the Bible Belt- there are people back home that think of evolution as blasphemy. At the same time, they go on and on about how barbaric the Middle Easterners are, and here I am sharing a ride with a devout Muslim born and raised in one of these barbaric regions who not only believes in evolution but considers Young Earth Theory hooey."
"I believe that it is arrogant beyond belief for one to believe that one of man's years is equal to one of Allah's," Saladin began to explain, "as for evolution given that Allah created the natural world and evolution is life adapting to survive as a part of that world who is to say that evolution itself is not merely another of the signs of how he has acted in the past to shape his creation. Besides the world is an imperfect work of art in motion, it needs a little maintenance every once in a while, to keep on track. Still these are my own personal beliefs, Muslims are as diverse in what they believe as any other group of religions, plus it is difficult to follow Young Earth Theory when you've met honest beings who predate the rise of modern human civilization by centuries."
"Do not look at me good sir," Jane spoke up, "I will have you know that I am only in my seventies. Although I do know several individuals who would qualify, many of who were worshipped as deities by civilizations as far back as the Bronze Ages."
"So Aletheia, how was your first real taste of action?" Saladin asked while looking straight at me, "Was it everything that you hoped it would be?"
"Truthfully no," I admitted, "I was hoping to be a bit more mobile but when your two options are either seated or airborne it does kind of limit your experience. How about you Faolan? How did this compare to your first bit of action?"
"Before or after I manifested?" Faolan asked with a somewhat bitter tone, "My first bit of action was trying to rescue a kid when a fight between Plainswalker and Slaughterhaus spilled over into the Six Flags Amusement in the very area where I was working, I was tagged with one of Slaughterhaus's devices and was knocked unconscious for hours while Carcharoth took my body for a joyride. When I woke up I was in the custody of the MCO, who tried to coerce me through means of torture into confessing that I was in league with the madman that attacked the park. After I manifested my first bit of action in the real world was finishing a fight that Valkyrian picked with a Fomor giant, I had to cut my arm off to get away from an inhibitor manacle that he slapped on us and fight him one-handed with the help of Jane's mother; the real treat was reattaching my arm by myself without anesthesia."
The thought of what Randi went through in either experience left me more than a little green-at-the-gills; Slaughterhaus while not that well known in this part of the country had a reputation that could only be described as a gruesome sociopath and a divisor who Jobe would call demented, and from what little I had learned around the campus about Carcharoth made me glad that I had accepted Randi's offer of protection against him. I turned to look at Saladin wondering just what experiences the Iraqi member of the Future Superheroes of America would have to say, apparently knowing just what I was about to ask Saladin shook his head and related, "I am sorry unlike your mystic friend, I do not like to talk about my earlier experiences, please keep in mind that my homeland is a warzone."
"I know," I replied as I grew morose from the apprehension, "I'll need to visit it this summer- I just hope I'll be fully mobile by then."
"Are you certain," Saladin asked with concern in his voice, "my homeland can be a very dangerous place for visitors, especially now with Al-Qaeda and other groups having gained access since the fall of the Hussein regime."
"Believe me the rewards outweigh the risks to myself for why I have to go over there for this mission," I replied, "and the longer I delay fulfilling this task that I have ahead of me the more people will suffer from the delay- and believe me those people right now live under a fate worse than death and most of them don't even know."
MBTB Airport Station - Roof
7:37 PM
Jabberwock spied the ambulance speeding towards the airport with sirens blaring, a quick check on his handheld confirmed that it was the ambulance that he tagged earlier at The Necromancer's request, and the check on the police emergency band confirmed their intended destination. That same ambulance which contained both targets that all of this chaos was instituted to draw out in the first place, still the entire affair left him with a sour taste in his mouth; all of this insanity just to get two teens out into the open- he was a mercenary and even this felt excessive to him.
The currently indentured mercenary heaved a sigh, the dark fact of the matter was that he owed Darrow bigtime for busting him out of Roxbury C and he didn't dare split before he paid off that debt. A merc was only as good as his reputation both in terms of assignments and in terms of leaving having fulfilled the terms of his contract. Like Matterhorn, Jabberwock's reputation took a big hit in the fight to get Arch-Fiend out of police custody being on the losing side of a fight with a group of teenagers with only one major fight under their belt, the only difference was that Matterhorn managed slip away to avoid getting caught and thrown in prison.
Jabberwock knew that if he cut and run before this latest operation was complete it would take him years to repair the blow to his credibility as a soldier of fortune. This meant that for better or worse he had to stick with this operation to its bitter conclusion and hope to avoid the blowback that would happen from it; he just hoped that this operation would square his accounts with Darrow because after Nightgaunt's imprisonment and Vamp's departure the Children of the Night were hurting for new blood, he knew from Arcane-Knight's own involuntary enlistment that Darrow was looking to refill their ranks- and he wouldn't exactly take no for an answer.
Jabberwock slapped himself briefly; the future could wait focus on the here and now. He switched on his radio to the direct channel, "Jabberwock here, radio chatter confirms both targets are enroute to the detonation sight at Boston Logan International; standing by for further instructions- over."
"Roger Jabberwock," Arcane-Knight replied in a bitter mechanical tone over the communicator, "Our dictator commands that you are to move our assets into position and wait until the targets are in motion and on the scene until engaging. Understood first wait until they are in the airport before we strike- over.
"Understood, I’m moving on to courier assets into position- over and out." Jabberwock steadied himself for a moment before beginning his task conveying the Children of the Night to the airport to wait for the ambush.
Once again after Jabberwock teleported out his stalker Ekdikeo materialized, and this time used her communicator rather than her natural link with her lilim sisters, "This is Ekdikeo, the foxes are preparing to circle the henhouse I repeat the foxes are preparing to circle the henhouse. All assets rally within striking distance of Logan International but maintain cover, Operation Death-Spank is a go I repeat Operation Death-Spank is a go!- over!"
"Why did I let you ladies codename the operation again?" Greygus inquired over the radio before adding in, Over!
"Because Miseo won the dice roll!" Skleeros replied to the djinn agent's inquiry, "Just grin and bear it, before you know it all of this will be behind you and then you'll be back in Vegas getting ready for your new sister- over!"
"I know, I just find it so hard that the other three maidens materialized so far ahead of a possible southern maiden." Miseo responded, "And from what I hear there are no possible candidates anywhere not even among King Inti's court or in Ibilis's hidden City of Brass and both of those ."
"That is because the Southern Maiden is supposed to be born of my father's lineage, but we can worry about the identity of the Southern Maiden later Miseo," Greygus stated over the communicator, "For now we focus on the task at hand and that's the safety of the Eastern and Western Maiden's, so everyone needs to rally in an Andrew's Cross formation around the airport. Then you ladies can help me give the Children of the Night a spanking before Carcharoth sweeps in for clean-up- over and out!"
Ekdikeo hung up the communicator before crafting a portal to carry her to her surveillance point West-northwest of the airport, still she hoped that the faerie and mermaid they were here to protect would withstand The Necromancer's intended trap long enough for her own group to spring their own surprise on the Children of the Night.
Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor Hotel
7:43 PM
The front doors of the burning hotel, opened and Gloriana (in fire gear) emerged leading seven people out the door to safety while lugging an eighth over her shoulder. Having guided the group over to paramedics a fireman then approached her, "That accounts for all but twenty-five of the guests but given that those were on the top floor the chances that they survived the roof collapsing are slim at best."
Gloriana furrowed her brow and cracked the concrete with a punch at that assessment, "Damnit, we should have been faster. I'm going back in!"
The fireman took the chance to hold her back before relaying another piece of information, "Also your young friend is still inside- you might need to go and get her out."
"This day keeps going from bad to worse," the cape observed just before another group appearing to have ten members total emerged from the burning hotel with two young children sharing a fireman's jacket that had been draped over them trailing the initial group revealing that the count was up to eleven.
Recognizing the jacket as the one that was given to Animalia when she went into the building Gloriana rushed over to the pair, "You two- please tell me how you got that jacket."
A young girl looked up her eyes shining through her soot-stained face, "A nice lady gave it to us and told us to follow the people down the stairs."
Feeling as if her veins were filled with ice-water Gloriana made a dash for the lobby doors when Animalia (sans fire-gear except for her oxygen tank) emerged from the entrance leading three more people, one of whom was helping her to carry a fourth in her arms. After they delivered the injured man to a nearby gurney where Nightingale was waiting to have a look at her Animalia reported to Gloriana, "That should be the last of them from the hotel the rest of the hallways are blocked by burning debris."
"Animalia giving those two your jacket like that was reckless what were you thinking," the cape began to lecture the middle-schooler, "for that matter how are you alright? Even I was feeling the heat from all that and I'm an exemplar."
"Tuesday in power lab they had me handle a tiny bug they called a water bear," Animalia began to explain to the cape after ditching her oxygen mask, "they told me those little suckers can survive almost anywhere even in the boiling temperatures of underwater lava tubes and volcanic vents, I knew that I should have been able to take the fire with them, but if you're concerned I can switch over to an axolotl and heal up anything that I took."
Gloriana then gave Animalia a harsh look, "Listen to the words coming out of my mouth kid, you are still learning about your powers and your limits, don't push it too fast too soon or you might find that one of the checks that you just cashed might be your last."
Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
7:48 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
In no time at all the three of us had arrived at the airport, due in no small part to being in an emergency vehicle and the fact that the police had closed the roads to keep gridlock from getting in the way of fire and paramedics. One look and I could see that the terminals had clearly felt the brunt end of The Necromancer's attack, and there was no telling if the TSA and airport security had properly dealt with any zombies that might have shown up before the explosives were detonated, at least at the apartment building the zombies were neutralized by the heat of the fire.
Already the first teams of paramedics had arrived alongside Wild Pack, most of the Cape Squad and a few of Quickvix's friends were already coordinating with an airport security officer. I helped wheel Aletheia over to the triage area to help the medics and healers on scene, meanwhile I asked Jane to give the airport a brief fly-over to see if she could use her abilities to hunt for survivors and hostiles.
"Now we need to deal out assignments," I heard Stormwolf explain when I got close enough, "All available Capes and Wild Pack will help to sweep the airport for survivors, operate in teams of two in case of zombies. Palleon, we'll need you to handle crowd control along the Northern perimeter, send them this way so that they can get looked over; that aura shield of yours should handle anything that might come your way. Draconis and Heartbreaker, you two have crowd control along the Southern Perimeter, stay together in case of trouble."
"Faolan," Stormwolf stated as he looked my way, "You have one of the most important tasks, remain here and guard the paramedics and healers, understood- your position here is vital."
"I understand sir but I also have something else that I could bring to the table," I began to explain, "Jane can observe the electro-magnetic signatures of people, if you tell me your com's frequency she could help and direct the search and rescue teams to the general area where the survivors are likely to find anyone who survived the explosion and the fire."
"How accurate is your familiar's detection Faolan?" Pendragon inquired as was well within his right.
"Accounting for the distortion from the heat," Jane began to explain through our link, "Within five feet on the top floor and five more feet every floor beneath that."
"She says there is some distortion from the heat but on the top floor of the terminals her accuracy should be within a five-foot radius, and five feet off every floor down." I stated as I conveyed Jane's estimates, "I mean I know that it's not perfect but it should help you narrow down your search and get to any survivors faster than with a standard grid search."
"Good then I'll put you on over watch in addition to guard detail," Stormwolf stated but at the same time glared at me, "but not on the actual Search and Rescue detail inside. Understand over watch is a major responsibility, you are not to leave this station except in case of emergency understood!"
"I'm clear, besides this is about getting people to safety not showboating." I retorted part of me wanting to snarl back at Ironknife's insinuation, "You lot have more training and experience than I do, I'm not so proud to let my ego get in the way of my better judgement."
"Good," Stormwolf responded with a smug smile, "I'm glad to see that there are fresh Posies that actually have common sense."
As the Search and Rescue crews made their way inside the burning terminals I couldn't help but remark, "Common sense, these day's that's so rare it might as well be an MID category."
Still enough with the comedy routine, I put on the radio headset, spread out the terminal map that the TSA agent had given Stormwolf when I arrived, and began to focus on guiding the rescuers. Over watch might not be the most thrilling part of an operation but it was a vital one where it could be used, here every minute Jane and I gained for the teams inside was one more that they had to save someone inside.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Boston Chapter
7:53 PM
Cecil Tiddle, the lanky and sallow man who was all that passed for a concierge at Boston's Chapter of the Grand Hall did what he always did while not hiring mercenary talent for local members (which these days was almost exclusively the Children of the Night) or acting as their fence for the groups stolen goods- the crosswords. While Boston was one of the oldest chapters in the Grand Hall's decades of existence its better days had come and gone with the Tommy Gun, the room about him had been in need of a serious renovation long before even the days of his predecessor's predecessor.
There was a time not long ago when they still took comfort in the fact that even with the dilapidated state of their chapter that they still were in better shape than Chicago, however recently Chicago had experienced a hostile takeover by Erzebet Scratch's faction and was currently in the middle of serious renovations; leaving Boston to suffer the title of the worst chapter of the Grand Hall in North America. More than one time Cecil had wanted to quit this position and get a real job; however this was a familial responsibility. There was also the fact that the last person to try and quit, his poor uncle Wilton had gotten turned inside-out by Arch-Fiend, not killed just turned inside-out; what killed poor Wilton was the infections that he later suffered from his state of being.
Suddenly the suffocating, haunted silence of the chapter was interrupted by a series of scraping sounds. Wondering just what was causing this Cecil got up and flashlight in hand made his way down the cobweb choked and dusty halls to where the only standard feature of any Grand Hall chapter, a statue of Atum Kharis had broken into pieces and was beginning to form into a stone archway. Staring down the suffocating darkness of the tunnel, Cecil began to see figures slowly making their way towards him.
Not wanting to be present when these mysterious strangers made their way into the house proper Cecil dashed to his desk and pulled out his only defense, a loaded P-29 that he kept with him either for defense or to take himself out before one of the Children of the Night did something to him to make him wish he was dead.
Unfortunately, before he could bring the gun off of the table another hand, this one made of metal reached down and kept him from raising the firearm. Cecil turned his head to get a look at the intruder and found that the man in question had his face swathed in bandages, and what wasn't bandaged was exposed as naked cybernetics of a with no clear sign of manufacture wearing what appeared to have originally been an RAF uniform.
"Wh-who are you?" Cecil quivered at the sight of the cyborg who had entered the chapter house using a passage that he, the concierge, had never even heard of before.
"I am Sureshot," the man replied in a tone that was colored by the presence of a partially cybernetic voice box, "an ace ranked member of Shuffle's Sweepers here at the behest of the Obsidian Circle. Apparently, your normal employer saw fit to try and rob one of their storage rooms at the New York chapter house, now I am here to escort a few members of the Circle here- with a few of our operatives to secure Mister Darrow's ill-gotten gains and the thief he employed into custody."
Cecil's blood began to run cold the Obsidian Circle were legends that according to rumors that were circulating around the underworld were coming back out of the shadows- not quite as dead as they were assumed to be. Moreover, Shuffle's Sweepers was a mercenary organization within the Grand Hall that was reported to answer directly to Erzebet Scratch also rumored to have recently joined the aforementioned Obsidian Circle. A quick glance showed that Sureshot was indeed not alone in his visit while the man in the containment suit and a young man in the costume decorated with a multitude of symbols didn't look familiar two figures were all to recognizable.
Standing in his signature black and white suit was Mister Domino, a member of the Circle said to have died hundreds of times over the centuries yet eluding death itself every time. Next to the double-masked man in the suit was another member of the Circle, Mistress Nyx, her robes doing little to secure the mannequin that she called her body or hide the crystal ball that passed for her head.
As soon as he caught sight of those two his body refused to move, Cecil couldn't even will himself to blink.
"I am sorry sir," Mister Domino explained in his odd echoing tone, "but we simply cannot risk you warning your most valuable customer about our presence in this city. Do not worry though you are simply going to be taking an early nap, and awaken to so many interesting tidbits of information."
Obviously, the double-faced warlock spoke the truth because Cecil Tiddle could feel himself losing consciousness as his vision blurred not long before the sandman took him.
Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
8:27 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
Okay a lot of other people back at Whateley may consider Stormwolf to be a stick in the mud, but I had to give him this he really knew how to properly conduct a Search and Rescue Operation- especially a Search and Rescue Operation that had Jane and I helping to coordinate the search for civilians who had been caught in the blast. I did receive the occasional report of zombie encounters inside of the terminals but thankfully Wild Pack and the Capes were more than up to dispatching the odd shambling worm-farm, before helping any escort any survivors to the triage and aid station that Fire and Rescue had set-up outside the Massport.
A quick look to the station itself showed me that Crux, Asklepian and Aletheia were in their element as they made use of their assorted abilities to heal any burn and lung damage that fire had given those caught up in the blast. I hated to admit it but it looked like we just might consider today a major victory for the Whateley Student body for this year, a trip to Boston without a super fight on the national news; then again Gerald Poffenberg on GNN would probably accuse us of starting the fires and zombie outbreak as an Evolution Rocks publicity stunt.
Still if we could pull today off without anything major happening Boston would still be accessible for the student body for the foreseeable future; because once the school's board banned Boston for student travel during the school year, the ban would likely not be lifted until all current high school students graduated.
Still despite this being the obvious handiwork of The Necromancer there had been no sign of the Children of the Night all day, I hoped that they were keeping a low-profile planning to ambush Team Kimba again- something that would be an exercise in futility given that entire team along with their usual entourage were banned from coming to Boston by Headmistress Carson for the foreseeable future. Thankfully there was no way that The Necromancer and his crew could know about that little tidbit unless they had ears inside of Poe or the Whateley Administration office, and it's not like he had any reason to target anybody that actually was in Boston today.
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
8:32 PM
Arcane-Knight looked down at the sight bellow and felt sick, granted it was a phantom-pain, but a pain none-the-less. Bellow him the next generation of heroes were doing their best working alongside Boston's finest to work at turning this horror into a distant nightmare, and here he was forced by Charles Darrow's dark magics into sewing further seeds of tragedy- it was enough to make him wish that he could still vomit.
Sadly such visible signs of disgust were now buried along with his real body all due to the Knights of Eternal Presence's severance package, the only reason he was even in America was to confront the being known as Tennyo who was responsible for ending their threat. Instead his inquiries to the maid's location lead him right into enslavement to The Necromancer who saw him as an ideal piece to fill the gap left by Vamp as the Children of the Night's unwitting pawn-slave.
"Arcane-Knight," Darrow's voice barked over his internal radio, "What is the status of the targets?-over!
Arcane-Knight felt Darrow's influence upon him like a vise squeezing upon his soul and knew that silence was not an option, given that his own existence was the only thing that he truly had left. "The pair are bellow me but not together," Arcane-Knight reluctantly growled back at the warlock holding his soul on a leash, "Target Beta appears to be operating a radio while pouring over some maps of the airport's four terminals, Target Alpha is in the middle of the treatment area and is surrounded by other healers and the wounded. All other masks present to not conform to any known info, they possibly either lack training or have support based abilities-over."
"Good, Darrow replied, This will hinder any possibility of retreat for those two. Maintain position and wait for the rest of the team to arrive understand, you are only to leave your post in case the targets leave the strike-zone; this should be like shooting fish in a barrel. Over and out."
Arcane-Knight took another look at the young heroes down below, completely oblivious to the treat that they were about to face. Just like The Necromancer said it would be like shooting fish in a barrel but part of him prayed that this time at least Darrow and his ilk would take a few rounds in the cross-fire. "I wish that Darrow and his underlings actually get what's coming to them!"
"Your wish is granted," an unfamiliar woman responded in a coquettish tone as she materialized near him followed by two others in similar attire.
The unfamiliar trio was soon joined by a cloud of dust which consolidated and assumed a form all too familiar to Arcane-Knight, "Greygus, I honestly wish that we were meeting under better circumstances."
In one fluid motion, Arcane-Knight drew his blade and struck at the operative of the Obsidian Circle; however, in a move far more graceful Greygus dodged with a nimble backflip and drew his club, which with a flick of the djinn's wrist telescoped to the length of a staff in ample time to meet the techno-knight's naked blade.
"Why are you doing this Fabian? I know your reputation- your honor." Greygus pleaded trying to get through to the haunted suit of techno-armor who with furious vigor tried connecting with the djinn with via his blade, "You left the Knights of Eternal Presence for less than this- why do you serve a monster like The Necromancer?"
"I have no choice," Arcane-Knight replied as he tried in vain to slip his blade past Greygus's defenses, "Darrow's vile necromancy has bound my very soul into servitude, I cannot disobey his commands no matter how I detest them; understand- I am bound to serve against my will."
"Not a problem," one of the women responded as she slipped behind him and suddenly Fabian Kopke felt the bindings that Charles Darrow placed upon his soul disappear and their influence on his actions vanish in turn.
"I am free," Arcane-Knight observed almost in shock, "how is this possible?"
"I slipped your soul free of the bindings as I placed them around a surrogate," Ekdikeo bragged as she displayed a doll in the form of a knight which she had crafted on the spot with her sorcery. "You are now free and Darrow is none the wiser, at least for the moment."
"Sadly, I fear my current liberation is temporary at best," Arcane-Knight deflated the mood by bringing reality into the equation. "The Children of the Night will be here momentarily and the vile Necromancer can replace his dark shackles upon my being with little effort."
"That is true but only if you are still here!" Greygus pointed out and after collapsing the handle on his mace, gave it a spin before it connected with the haunted suit of techno-armor sending him flying out of sight faster than the eye could follow.
"So how far did you send him flying?" Miseo inquired as she hovered in a reclined position.
"Over two-hundred miles south of here;" Greygus explained as he returned his mace to his belt, "he should touch down right outside of the Grand Hall Storage Entrance in New York in a few minutes no worse for wear, however we had best hide- there is no sense wasting a perfectly good ambush."
As one the trio of lilin again faded from sight while Greygus turned himself back to dust leaving only Ekdikeo's doll as a mute witness of what had just transpired.
Artames Holdings Warehouse - Southside Shipping District
8:39 PM
Carcharoth sat fuming as he drummed his claws crate where he rested his arm, his patience was being worn thin by his boredom and that was as volatile an equation as a bottle of Nitroglycerin in a paint-shaker. Sooner or later the wrong jostle would trigger a violent explosion, and clear in the path of that violent explosion was Greg Paulson who had been sweating bullets for so long that he was in desperate need of water.
Still no mater his current discomfort Greg didn't dare to move a single muscle; his captor made it more than abundantly clear that while he needed the thief alive, unharmed was a condition that he considered arbitrary. Greg may have been greedy and overly ambitious, both of which landed him in this mess, but one thing that he valued above all else was his own well-being. Right now, Greg's continued health depended on not pissing-off his captor any more than he already was- as well as making certain that he didn't give the monster an excuse to begin treating him like a sparing dummy.
Should Carcharoth so desire to alleviate his boredom by using Greg as a ragdoll there was nobody here that would lift a finger to stop him, that reason being because all the workers at the warehouse were enthralled to the beast; hell, they would tear Greg apart for Carcharoth's amusement- all their master had to do was give the word.
The tension was so thick that the only thing present that would cut it was that nasty battle-axe that Hanna Ring was polishing to a deadly sheen at her master's bequest while the rest of the pack continued to triple-check Greg's ill-gotten gains as if looking for something missing beyond that silver key and that weird staff, something to give Carcharoth an excuse to extract his pound of flesh from his guest.
The silence was so deafening that when the door to the warehouse opened it echoed like a cannon, the entire pack sprang into action giving Greg the chance to relax that he had been waiting for since this entire ordeal began. Still he was curious who the unlucky souls were that had stumbled upon this den of monsters, granted it was a morbid curiosity but better them then him.
"Alright," Carcharoth barked as he took back his axe from Hanna's outstretched arms, "who's tired of breathing?"
"Your relief shift," A bandaged cyborg at the door explained as he made his way inside followed by an eclectic band of what had to be fellow super-villains connected with Erzebet Scratch. "I am Sureshot and we are here to take custody of your items and begin their transport to our warehouse, your new storage area is being cleared as we speak, we are also here to ensure that your prisoner is to delivered to Erzebet Scratch as ordered."
For a moment nothing happened, that was until Carcharoth began laughing. It started as a dark chuckle then began to build until the monster tossed his head back to the ceiling as that chuckle graduated into a maniacal howling laughter. "Finally," the host of the penultimate beast of Ragnarok howled, "I've been waiting all day for this, no- even longer it's been so fucking long since I've been told to cut loose, I don't even care if that stick in the mud Greygus is holding my leash this time- I'm going to enjoy this so damned much."
"I take it you will be needing transport to where Greygus and the Erinyas are Sureshot," wagered catching the beast's attention, "if you wish we can get you there in a matter of moments."
"No," Carcharoth replied as his ebon maw bared his fangs in a malicious smile from ear to ear as he literally salivated with anticipation at what was to come, "I can get there faster than you mortals could ever conceive!" With a swipe of his right arm the beast tore a hole in the barrier between worlds and casually tossed his beloved axe Vrede inside before the weight of reality resealed the tear.
"I mean it," Carcharoth smiled as his form began to lose cohesion, "I am practically there already..." The monster's words seemed to echo in the air as the borrowed ectoplasm dissipated as it made its long journey back to the jar of forms which Carcharoth used to give his projected consciousness form. Meanwhile his real body safe within his den in the Fel Woods of Svartelfeim shifted his attention to another Jar of Forms one that he had ordered a thrall which he had made of an American Airlines stewardess to keep in her trunk, which was currently in long term parking at Boston Logan International Airport.
For the sake of momentary convenience Carcharoth manifested in a slighter, more human form, one that would give him ample room to maneuver in the trunk. Taking a moment to reorient him Carcharoth spotted a glowing yellow handle right next to him; with a smile, he pulled the object (the emergency release handle that was as required by law in every vehicle) and popped the trunk open.
Springing forth from the car's trunk, Carcharoth closed his eyes as he took in the sounds and smells of this stretch of the city, from the sound of things the battle had already been started. Still he continued to sift through the smells and he came across several that were familiar to him, that brat Faolan was clearly here but as per the results of the Fehde she was off limits to him...for now. But there was another smell that was just as familiar, and the brief moment of displeasure at that mix-breed bitch being here was behind him as a malicious fang-filled smile once again filled his ebon maw.
"Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum," the monster chuckled, "I smell the blood of an Innsmouth Man." Taking only a moment to retrieve his axe from his den, Carcaroth began to make his way towards the source of the scent, body barely visible despite the illumination of the raised parking garage. A different type of terror was about to grip Boston- Carcharoth was on the hunt- and this would be a day that his quarry would never forget.
Last Edit: 6 years 10 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: wrong html format
6 years 10 months ago #24
by Insane Hiker
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En-route to South Middle School
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:47 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Traffic coming back from Moline, I'll admit even if my Granny Myrtle would wash my mouth out with soap for saying it, was a heaping slice of Hell on Earth. Even our enthusiasm from our victory over Woodrow Wilson moving us into the finals and the impromptu party that we had earlier with the potential third place team in the state, provided they won their game next week against Rolling Acres's Lady Cougars, had began to wash away.
We had another week to go until our match with Springfield Calvary's Lady Saints, I was anxious beyond belief- although the sugar in that banana split might have played a role a few hours ago the rush and the crash had both run their course during the drive back. To tell the truth the fact that we were now in the state finals was only now beginning to hit me, I mean yeah the excitement and disbelief was there hours ago back in Moline but now the nervous pressure was beginning to hit. Yeah this was the state finals, this time next week would be an all or nothing drive to determine whose school trophy case would have new tall and shiny golden occupant.
At least there wasn't any national tourney following next weeks games to decide both the state champion and third place, not that there was for the guy's teams either. Yeah for those who don't follow high school or junior high school athletics it was a surprise to hear but there is no National Basketball Championship prior to College, not for the girls or the boys, middle school, junior varsity or varsity once the state championship was awarded that was it for the season. Maybe that was for the best though, it was April and with May came class wrap-ups and exams- and our principal was big on no pass- no play...even for the football team.
Overall though I didn't see too much of a problem when it came to studying, my team mates and I usually pulled together for group study sessions. When it came to math we could alway's count on Alice for a tutoring session to fill in our weaknesses, especially given that she insisted on adding a clothespin to the ears of anyone who began nodding off or let their attention wander (for each time it happened); it was harsh but it worked.
I usually never had any problems in science class and history while dull given given Coach Hillard's borderline coma inducing delivery, was almost always passable. English and Literature were rarely problems for anyone...okay granted the sentence diagramming gave Deb issues but it was nothing that about ten minutes of study after practice couldn't put a patch over.
A jarring couple of turns shook me out of my introspection, our cross-state road trip had come full circle and once again we were in front of South Middle School's front driveway with a few cars waiting for us with anxious parents, or in Marcy and Erica's case a frustrated older sibling, behind the wheel. Knowing the situation Marlina and I lived in, as well as the rotation of duties back at Casa de Morrison it was Marlina's dad and the Morrison's groundskeeper, Ramiro who was picking us up.
After Coach Mulholland cut the engine the lot of us began to pile out of the van- slowly in Deb and Marcy's case as they had fallen asleep on the way back from Moline. Grabbing my bag, as well as Marlina's to be polite, the two of us headed for the same van that Ramiro shared use of with Eliot Greer as we both prepared for the experience in riding inside the Morrison's general use vehicle which smelled so much of organic fertilizer that no amount of effort on anyone's part got rid of the stench.
Upon reaching the van we found to our surprise that it was Eliot behind the wheel rather than Marlina's father, "Hey Mister Greer, I thought that Mister Soto was picking us up."
"Sorry birthday girl," Eliot replied with a weary smile, "Ramiro and Ruth are back at home getting ready for the party, they went a bit long going over those samples for the new counter-tops with Mrs. Morrison after she came back from meeting with her client."
"That must have been a lot of samples," I sheepishly remarked given how Waukegan was only an hour away along Route 43 less by the freeway (even with all the toll roads).
"Nope her meeting was just that long," Eliot remarked as the two of us strapped into the seats along the panels in the back of the van, which was for the best, somehow the passenger seat up front smelled worse than the interior of the van.
"Yeah, the talk around the house is that it has something to do with a corporate merger," Marlina chimed in with what I knew mom was guessing was the truth that confidentiality agreements prevented Misses Morrison for talking about.
"No, it was a four-point talk between two conglomerates and the city of Chicago, Mrs. Morrison's law firm was acting as a neutral party to help Chi-town guide the negotiations." Eliot clarified as he turned over the engine in his car. "I don't know the names of the companies but evidently one has an exclusive contract with the city that the other company was trying to negotiate to give their company the right to compete. And I only learned that much because Mrs. Morrison was complaining about the whole thing being a waste of time after the negotiations fell through after a six-hour meeting."
"Six hours straight!" I numbly observed, "No, break for lunch or anything?!?"
"Nope," Eliot remarked after we pulled onto the street, "she told me that if it wasn't for the snack tray that she would have lost it when the negotiations fell apart. She actually busted three stress balls in her office, say Chandra- I know it's your birthday and all but you might want to offer Ruth have the first piece of cake."
"I still can't believe that you can even think about cake after that banana split this afternoon," Marlina deadpanned as she looked my way, "just where do you put it all."
"In another dimension full of odd creatures that are all around us, yet we never see because our minds are too small to perceive them." I teased in a spooky tone as I wiggled my fingers at her in a menacing manner. "Or it was just that we played our butts off and all that sugar just made up for me burning off my breakfast, plus I've always had fast metabolism."
"Don't count on that to last past your teens kid," Eliot remarked as we made our way down the comparatively sleepy streets of Arlington Heights, "one day the growth spurts are over and adult stresses pile on and before you know it your unhealthy adolescent diet gives way to the beginnings of a middle-aged gut."
"I shoot hoops and I free-run Eliot, I am more than aware of my needs." I retorted not wanting a lecture from outside the family, "Besides I can always run laps around the fence to burn off my indulgences, after all some of the best things to ever happen to me came when I was running."
Flashback
March 5th, 2004
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
9:07 AM CDT
I looked at Natroya Coleman trying my best to hide my scorn, I had spent most of my days in grammar school loathing her and her elder sister Darisha as the embodiment of the urban decay that soaked into our neighborhood. The crime- the gangs -the drugs- a blight that festered around me every day, once upon a time I thought that I could find some way- any way to keep from getting dragged into the darkness that they thrived in and maybe find someway to bring back the Chicago that I heard about in my grandmother's stories.
Unfortunately I found out the truth as I got older, as grammar school life I saw the life for others began to descend into a den of jackals- either you found a pack to run with or you fell victim to a pack who saw you as nothing more than another stray to feed upon. As much as I spent years loathing Natroya- I didn't fancy my prospects on my own; even my former friends, girls who I spent years laughing and hanging out with had begun to find their place in the city either by embracing their own darkness or learning how to blend into the shadows to avoid notice. No, as much as I hated to admit it, Natroya's gang the Ally Vipers were my only chance to survive to adulthood, or at least the only chance that I could stomach.
Every gang had their initiation, some it was shop-lifting, others swiping car-radios, the nastiest made their prospects send someone who pissed the crew head off to the hospital (sometimes the morgue). No the Ally Vipers had a much less gruesome initiation, the boss in this case Darisha picked someone out and you had to lift their wallet or bill-fold without getting ID'd, meaning that maybe the mark would know that they got robbed but they didn't get a good enough look at you to point you out afterwards.
I felt sick as I waited on Darisha to point out my mark a fact that I could see was giving Natroya no end of pleasure, "See C-dra no matter how you always considered yourself better than us in the end you came crawling to me begging to be in our crew. How does it feel to be a groveling mutt?"
"Can it Nat," Darisha barked at my tormentor in a hushed tone, "if you draw attention to us you're gonna get us all caught! Remember what I thought you!"
"Ally Vipers blend in until it's time to strike," Natroya grumbled over being told off by her big sister, "not that this matters this little oreo doesn't have what it takes. Goody two-shoes might be quick but she's too soft to run with this crew!"
"That's for me to decide Nat not you-" Darisha growled at her upstart little sister, "unless she blows her shot we give her a shake, now just let me pick a sucker. Ah- here we go!"
"Listen scrub- your mark is the carrot top in the jogging suit," Darisha pointed out my would-be victim. She was a girl about my age- maybe a little older dressed in gym shorts, a reddish-brown sleeveless jersey, white cross-trainers, and a fanny-pack the same color as the jersey. She was dressed the same as some college kids nearby like her doing stretches to limber up, since they weren't sweaty yet they were probably about to go for a run. I wanted to glare at Darisha for picking someone who was going to be in a group- meaning it was more likely for me to get caught later but I didn't have a choice in the mater.
I looked over my mark as I casually strolled over towards the group, and stooped over to half-pretend to straighten my shoe-laces- which I was doing since I wanted them nice and tight for the dark task at hand. However the real reason was more to spot the snap on my mark's fanny-pack; I determined that it was in an easy enough to reach place- I wouldn't even need the box-cutter that I'd been given, so I laid it down and motioned with my head to signal for one of the others to pick something up after I left.
Just as I came within arms-reach of my target one of the men in the group shouted, "GO!" Right away the entire group took off running, my target included; part of me screamed to let her get away but the other part of me knew that if I wanted to survive until graduation I couldn't do it alone...I needed to be a part of a group. My conscious aside this was about survival of the fittest, and I wasn't going to let myself become another statistic. While I had been inside my head my instincts took over and I was already running with the pack of college and high school students, including the red head that I needed to pick-pocket.
Although the group started along the normal jogging path the group soon both broke up and left the concrete concourse; with two of them (my target included vaulting a part bench. 'What the hell is going on?' I asked myself as I followed suit clearing the bench, granted with somewhat less finesse than either of my predecessors whom I was in hot pursuit of as they made their odd way through the park- far off the beaten path.
I continued my pursuit towards my target as we were making our way toward the eastern edge of the park when the pair hooked a nearby tree in order to change direction without sacrificing momentum. Not to be outdone nor slowdown I followed suit and was immediately grateful for the callus on my hands not getting scraped by the tree bark as I continued to chase down my quarry.
I drew closer until I could catch the red head if I really put the pedal to the metal when something equally new and crazy happened the pair vaulted a guard rail along the jogging path like an Olympic hurdle and then after clearing its twin moved into a shoulder roll before unfolding and continuing in a direction diverging from the jogging path.
"Oh, what the hell?" I swore under my breath as I followed suit copying the shoulder-roll as best as I could while growing increasingly curious over what the hell was this all about. Did they know that I thief was after them? Part of me doubted it that they did as I continued my pursuit of the duo. A hundred more feet passed before we came to another metal rail along the path, that was where matters began to get odd the two hopped the rail continued a few feet then hopped it again and repeated until the metal railing ended.
Not to be outdone, not to mention blend in in-case someone thought it was suspicious that a black girl was chasing after two people. I continued to copy their earlier routine although I think along the way I must have over-extended my right-wrist; man, was that going to hurt later. Never the less I didn't let the partial sprain deter me as I continued after the two, granted with my wrist sprained I doubted that I could snatch the red head's fanny back, but part of me ceased to really care about the initiation.
I don't know where it happened but somewhere along my pursuit of the pair this had ceased to be about getting into the Ally Vipers- no I was determined not to let these two outdo me I had always been an athlete in grade-school granted only my Granny Myrtle ever came to Field Day but I was in the zone. The logic of grabbing the fanny back to ensure my survival had been drummed out by an overwhelming need to prove myself. I didn't know what their run was about but I didn't want to get shown up by the red head, even if I failed the Ally Vipers initiation at least I would prove to myself that I kept up pace and didn't lose sight of my target.
No matter what the pair in my metaphorical cross-hairs did I made sure to do the same, pushing past even the pain in my wrist as I did so. No- no matter what I was going to see this race through to the bitter end even if I'd have to run another one later when they demanded to know why I was following them. No right now there was only me and my goal, a red-headed girl about my own age, I was going to keep up with her no matter the pain. No I would not lose this race, even if the only person that I would save face with was myself.
Soon the three of us spotted the rest of the pack and began to converge, my muscles ached as I mindlessly joined the rest of the runners- not even caring if it might mean I would spend a little stint in juvie. All around the group was either toweling the perspiration from the faces and arms or refueling with an assortment of sports drinks or water (bottled or otherwise) while they caught their breath.
"Well Candace," a young man who was apparently the leader of the group and was built like a college-age track and field star, approached the red head who I had been originally after. "I was originally a little hesitant about letting a middle schooler try-out for the Maroon Maniacs but hell if you didn't show that you have what it takes!"
"Thanks for giving me a shot Mister McGilles," Candace replied with a towel covering her head like one of the hijabs I occasionally see around the neighborhood.
"Now none of this Mister McGilles non-sense," the man replied as he ruffled Candace's hair through the towel, "call me Heath and speaking of young joiners- it looks like you inspired a fangirl."
Immediately all eyes were on me as my heart began to skip a beat- hesitantly I looked to the bushes where Darisha, Natroya and the rest of the Ally Vipers had been hiding earlier. Surprise- surprise, they were no-where in sight, the lot of them had left me hung out to dry; guess I was better off though with friends like that I was better off facing the music solo.
"Well come on Miss, I know that I didn't get your request to join, so speak up." I turned back to look at the group that I was with, a motley assortment of mostly college-age men and women with a few high-school students thrown in the mix. I knew that there was no use hiding it- I was a terrible liar so I might as well come clean.
Swallowing a lump in my throat that felt like the size of a golf ball I stared at my feet not willing to make eye-contact- I was growing more and more sick with my earlier decisions by the minute knowing just how disappointed my mother and grandmother would be when it came time to pick me up from juvie.
"My name is Chandra Defranks," I steeled myself determined to face the music with a little dignity, "I was here to pass a gang initiation, they told me to rob the red head if I wanted in but I sprained my wrist following her so I couldn't go through with it. Anyway, the gang split so you have me where you want me- go ahead call the fuzz- I don't care anymore!"
"Well Chandra is it," Heath McGilles spoke up as he walked up to me, "I don't really think that we could say that it was attempted robbery since you didn't even lay a finger on Candace...am I right Candace?"
"You are, plus go easy on her, I think she's kind of cute." That last remark made me stare at her in disbelief.
"Well given that, plus the fact that I don't want to have our newest member mad at me all I have to say is..." Heath continued as he got down on one knee to look me in the eye, "welcome to the Maroon Maniacs Chandra!"
End Flashback
Saturday April 21th, 2007
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:58 PM
It was hard to believe that the wrong turn I took that day opened an opportunity not only for myself but my mom too. If Natroya hadn't gotten under my skin with threats of dangers that would be waiting for me in middle and high school if I didn't have a crew to back me up I would have never met Candace, and if I had never met Candace her Aunt Pauline Reynard and mom would never have met, meaning mom would likely still be working on a will-call basis for the SpiffyJiffy™ home cleaning service and we would mainly be depending on dad's income from the Army living from paycheck to paycheck supplemented by the cleaning services glorified temp work.
No- now we were living in Arlington Heights in a wing of a nice big house, that set aside for live-in employees; granted it was a little annoying after their son Albert started to notice girls and began to peek on Marlina and I when we were changing- or taking a shower- or well- okay Albert was on the fast-track to being a horn dog but that was just my opinion.
Whereas before most of my friends growing up deserted me either out of fear over Natroya and her dangling threats or wanting to look for those who they thought could keep them safe, now I had real friends people who I was making memories with that we would all be looking back on for a good while. I made a mistake, but I owned up to that mistake when it came time- and as I saw the Morrison Family Home now in sight I don't regret a damned thing.
The Green Door Tavern
Chicago, Illinois
7:04 PM
Nobody looked odd or even concerned as a young blond lady in a tattered cloak and carrying an innately carved wooden stave strolled into one of the Windy Cities oldest restaurants- the host at the entrance didn't even bat an eye at her.
"Miss Willow party of two," Kelsey spoke up to the man without even a touch of nervousness over the entire incident. "I believe that she is waiting for Kelsey Wayfare!"
"Right this way ma'am," the host whose name tag said Morris escorted the bearer of the Staff of Undertone through the former Speakeasy to a table set for two with a Sidhe patiently waiting for her dinner companion. As Kelsey sat down the host stated, "your waiter will be along shortly, however I can take your drink order if you don't wish to peruse our selection first."
"Arnold Palmer, made with unsweet good sir," Kelsey stated, "I have some traveling that I need to do after dinner, not to mention I am under-age and would not like to get you in trouble."
"Very well, please feel free to peruse our menu, your waiter will be along shortly with your drink." Morris stated as he left to return to his post by the entrance.
"I assume that you didn't ask me here simply for dinner," the sidhe looked at Kelsey with mild annoyance, "I may not be the most prominent member of the Wild Council but I am seated upon it, also I do not like leaving my sister alone in her condition."
"Yes, systemic iron-poisoning, quite brutal on its recipient even centuries after that treacherous maiden's act." Kelsey observed as she continued to consider her menu, "Sadly Lady Thasarimil, even the most precise magnetic spells in my arsenal risk doing far too much damage, especially for someone in as fragile condition as Lady Ulelesse. Maybe human technology is the answer instead, I understand strides in Nano-machine technology are being made every day."
"While holding out hope for the advances of mankind to heal the ancient injuries inflicted by one of their own is good and all; I suspect that we are here for much different reasons than a cure for my younger sister's malady." Lady Thasarimil stated as she met Kelsey's gaze, "The Wayfarer seldom meets with a seated member of the Western Council for trivial matters- as men are want to say: "Can you stop dancing around the issue and just get down to brass tacks." I really hope I did not mangle that saying."
"Far from it," Kelsey sighed, "I would say you had the saying down pat, but you are correct- I didn't simply invite you here to talk shop. The time to make use of what my predecessors have been having the denizens of the Wild Lands gather is nearly at hand, the Phantom Queen and who-so-ever she chooses are to bring all that you have gathered to Summer Island in Lake Michigan on July the 16th. You shall not be alone for there is another who has business there that day and she will become your ally, you and this outsider shall aide each other for your purposes are mutually beneficial and in helping her you will help all who call the Wild Court home."
"Are you serious? You know that we need to be in Iraq then to help the Eastern Maiden," Lady Thasarimil retorted losing her patience and her temper, "the Eastern Maiden will need all the help that she can that day, while Fae Folk may not be that effective in the desert we will help as much as we can against whatever allies Dagon will be throwing our way."
"I did not say that you would be leaving her defenseless, indeed in aiding this outsider you shall be delivering greater aide than the Wild Court can provide for the Eastern Maiden outside the ruins of Babylon. Also, the wheels are in motion as we speak for the arrangement will soon be made by one whose name carries weight throughout your kind, and once you learn of the arrangement you shall come to agree that it was all for the best."
"If I didn't know that you were the host and servant of the power that you wield I would show you first-hand the folly of your flippant disrespect of the fae folk." Lady Thasarimil fumed over the indignity of the situation.
"Not to mention the fact that you are also constrained by your oath to the True Western Court," Kelsey elaborated surprising the Sidhe with her intrinsic knowledge on how their book of oath operated. "I am all too aware that you also feel how your present displeasure is justified, however come this time tomorrow you will realize the full truth of what we speak of tonight."
Then with a wave of her hand Kelsey manipulated the veil that Lady Thasarimil had placed over their table drawing the attention of a waiter instantly. "I apologize for the wait, are you ladies ready to order?"
"Yes, I have," Kelsey chimed in giving Lady Thasarimil time to regain her faculties, "I shall have your Black & Bleu Burger and a refill on my Arnold Palmer."
"Very well Madame," the waiter commented while taking down her order, "will you also be interested in our desert menu?"
"No thank you," Kelsey replied, "I have an appointment later and something tells me that I'll be needing to pick up desert along the way."
"Very well," the waiter replied taking the mater in stride as he turned to Lady Thasarimil, "and for yourself Madame?"
"I shall be having the Waldorf Salad and a bowl of the Vegetable Minestrone," the Sidhe woman replied before holding up her now empty glass. "and I think that I shall sample the Wizen from the imported tap menu."
"Very well," the waiter took down the rest of the order, "I shall leave our desert menu with you incase either of you ladies change your minds, and do you want a single or a split check."
"Split," Lady Thasarimil explained, "this is a business meeting not a date."
"Touchy," Kelsey commented as the waiter left them, "that story about the young lord who refused to let you seek shelter from that storm is becoming much clearer."
"Oh hush," Lady Thasarimil scoffed, "the child needed to learn some manners, besides everything turned out all right in the end. I'd say those years as a monster did wonders for his disposition, not to mention lead to him crossing paths with a maiden who brought out the best in him so all's-well-that-ends-well."
"It didn't turn out so well for her would-be paramour though," Kelsey muttered under her breath as she sipped her Arnold Palmer.
The Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:17 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
It took some time to clean up, post-game shower in Moline Middle School's locker room notwithstanding the long ride home still made one need to freshen up afterwards, especially when it was for my real birthday party. Granted after today I didn't expect the others on the team to show up, it would have been nice and all but we had that ice cream party in Moline as a mini-party since I didn't want to monopolize what was left of their weekend.
No, the only friend from school that I could really count on being here tonight was Marlina, since she lived a few doors down in the Staff's Wing of the house. No I had a good idea what everyone else would be doing tonight, Erica would be practicing with her older sister Monica on the hoop that their family had set up behind their back porch trying to absorb everything that the Team Captain who taught Candace and I everything she knew had to teach.
Marcy would be at home working on her outfit for the end of the year award's ceremony- again, it was a good thing that Candice and I got her to keep the whole second-guessing perfectionist streak out of her ball game otherwise we would have never made it to the finals- let alone the semi-finals last year.
Nita told me that she planned to decompress with some cheesy old movies, honestly, I never understood why someone would waste their money renting Attack of the Sun Beast or The Beast with Two Brains. Then again everyone has their weird hobbies, she probably thinks the same thing about my parkour runs.
Deb usually spent her free time combing celebrity gossip site, granted the lot of us were glad that she got the hint that most of us didn't want to hear the latest scoop about the dating woes of the power-couples of Hollywood whose names for some reason were smushed together like their relationship turned them into some kind of grotesque hybrid. On second thought, why didn't someone make a monster movie where something like that happened, it would actually sound like an awesome popcorn flick.
Alice was probably spending time putting together study guides for everyone to use to power through finals while I was taking my third shower of the day, she was a godsend while the season was going on. Sometimes it was still hard to believe, an honors student would be interested in athletics (and no Matheletes doesn't count) not that anyone on our team was complaining what with no-pass no-play being what it was.
The only true enigma on our team was Deb, nobody knew just what the girl did in her spare time even her home life was a mystery to everybody. Yeah team player or not Deb was really the odd duck out- what with the way that she'd just stop and stare at people when she wasn't occupied with anything. There was also the fact that nobody really knew anything about her home life either, I don't think that anyone had even met her parents either; then again, I guess that it really does take all kinds to make the world go round.
Now that I was cleaned up I tossed my gear on the bed, reminding myself to take care of the laundry before going to Chicago to meet the Maroon Maniacs for tomorrow's run.
After I got dressed I walked down to the dining room to find the entire household waiting for me with a birthday cake complete with fourteen lit candles, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHANDRA!"
I took a minute to take in the surroundings, "You guys didn't really have to go to all this trouble."
"Now, now, in a way everyone here is a part of the same extended family." Mister Morrison stated much the same as he did when Marlina's birthday rolled around last November, "besides what's the point of having a main dining room this big if we only use it when we're wining and dining clients. Now please make a wish and blow out the candles!"
I laughed and shook my head at Mister Morrison's antics but I still complied before making the same wish that I had for the last three years.
I wish that the next year will be amazing!
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
8:49 PM
VT was having a blast- he and his crew were finally in their element, and short fifty bucks a piece that it cost them to get past the neckless wall of flesh watching the door: away from all the fakers, sell-outs, co-opers, and oreos this was their people. The music was bumping, the honeys were real and here he was in the hood where he had always belonged- no matter what his parents and that sell-out Chandra said, plus he was sure that this one honey just a few paces away was into him what with the way he was eye-balling him between the DJ's tracks.
Sure, enough as soon as the track would down VT made his way over to the lady in question a fellow sista just his age, but also some (who unlike VT) fit in this setting organically. Sadly, what a boy who was born and raised in the suburbs of Arlington Heights would never truly understand, the true culture of the inner city was full of its own nuances and rules- neither of which the records industry or the gangsta rap culture that it perpetuated ever could truly convey to the masses.
"Hey," VT spoke up as he got up next to the honey in question, "I noticed you checking me out from across the room."
"Natroya," the girl replied in a hushed tone and flashed him a sly smile as she moved intimately close to VT, "I couldn't help but notice a certain somethin'-somethin' about you from across the room."
VT's heart raced as Natroya's right hand creeped down past his abs and below his sagging boxers past the waistband to grab onto something down there and whip it out- namely his P30S the muzzle of which now rested between his throat and chin. "I made you for a wanna-be an hour ago," Natroya's tone shifted from her earlier husky tone to something that cut VT like a knife, "nobody around here is stupid enough to sneak a piece into Leroy Sikes's club if they’re not one of his."
A large hand clamped down on VT's right-shoulder, slowly with the P30S still aimed at his noodle he turned and looked to see an even bigger wall of muscle than the one watching the door had a hold of him. "The boss wants to have a word with you scrub."
With Natroya (who thankfully no longer had the gun to his neck) and the wall of muscle VT was marched away from the party and up the cat-walks of the abandoned steel mill to what used to be the foreman's office. Once inside VT took note of the man whose office was decked out much like his old man's leather, wood paneling, and rather than shelf of books one of top shelf liquor bottles. VT knew through his fear that this was Leroy Sikes- the man Natroya mentioned, dressed more like a man of business than some gangsta or pimp, this man was the real deal and Natroya laid the P30S right in front of him.
To Leroy's side was a woman who bore a resemblance to Natroya, likely a cousin or older sister but this lady wasn't just dressed like she was Leroy's woman- no this lady was dressed to draw respect. Once the door was shut Leroy made a palms up gesture and immediately Natroya turned his pockets inside-out taking his keys, cash and his wallet giving the later to Mister Sikes, VT had to fight his urge to speak up as the club's owner opened the billfold.
Mister Sikes mused over what he saw inside for a moment and briefly showed the contents to the woman by his side, that was when he finally spoke up, "So Victor, what's a boy from the burbs think he's doing inside my club packing heat?"
VT has stunned into silence, "What's the matter you certainly could talk when you had the grapes to hit on Darisha's baby-sister, and I know Natroya didn't lay your balls on my desk with the rest of your shit!"
"I didn't bring the piece in here to start shit," VT finally gathered his bravo, "I brought it in case shit hit the fan. All I was doing was bringing protection, nothing more- nothing less."
Mister Sikes then picked up the gun and proclaimed, "Boy the only protection this place needs is me and my crew!" Then punctuated the statement by ejecting the P30S's clip onto the floor, "Now what we have here is a problem, an insult like this cannot stand, if word got out to the other locals that I let some snot-nosed little punk bring his piece into my club they'd all think it was okay and that would hurt my bottom line. On the other hand, if I dispose of you like you were another local POS you rich 'rents would get the fuzz poking around in my grill turning over rocks and that won't do either."
"So, Victor I'm thinking of doing is making you an offer, but first I need to know a couple of things-" Leroy Sikes paused for effect, "do you know Chandra Defranks?"
"Of course, I know that cracker-loving oreo!" VT shot back, "I offered her an invite here a few days ago, and she turned me down flat!"
"Good," Mister Sikes stated as a smile crossed his face as not only did he know Chandra but also disliked her. Then Leroy when to the office phone on his desk and pressed a number.
"Hey boss, what do you need?"
"Ohan, I need you to send over one of the Mosin 3-lines from this month's shipment to my office along with some ammo."
"Right away boss!"
"Now Victor, I need to know something else from you do you know how to use a rifle?" Leroy inquired this time in a far less grave tone.
"Yeah, my old man's taking me deer hunting plenty of times to try and get me to make me a sell out like him," VT replied wondering where this was going.
"Good," Mister Sikes smiled, "you see Miss Defranks made the foolish decision to diss my lady Darisha's baby sister Natroya a few years back, now it has long been a sore subject among my circle especially given how her star has been rising as of late- this reflects rather... poorly on me."
"Unfortunately, as Miss Defranks currently lives beyond my sphere of influence there is very little that I can do myself that wouldn't be traced back to me, fortunately you are an outside party." Leroy Sikes explained, "So I'm going to let you help yourself, tomorrow a group that Miss Defranks hangs out with is going on a run over in Washington Park, I want you to wait there for her and teach her how actions have consequences."
"You mean that you want me to cap her?!?" VT asked stunned that the man was all but ordering him to kill someone that he knew.
"No, I'm asking you to extinguish her star," Mister Sikes explained, "a dead body in the park attracts attention, but a sister taking a round in Chi-town- that barely makes the pages. She's an athlete squeeze off a round into one of her legs and not only is her star snuffed out but the message of not dissing my crew is heard loud and clear. Also, Victor if you pull this off right I might even consider giving you an in on my crew."
The Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
9:21 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I all but collapsed when I got to my room, most people would never understand it but there were times that being exhausted felt great because today was a blast and a half. Yeah there was no getting around it we were going to the Illinois State Finals and win or lose we were psyched regardless. Yeah this was the furthest that South Middle Schools Lady Cardinals ever had gone in our school's history, we broke the record set during Monica Hope's tenure as captain who took us to the semi-finals for the first time ever then afterwards earned us Third Place two years ago.
Last year Candace helped us match that record while building the foundation for the team that I inherited, an inheritance that I invested in and built even bigger. Yeah- win or lose our work didn't end with the game next week, no afterwards we'd be holding tryouts among the current crop of sixth and seventh graders for next year's team- it was a shame that we didn't have a chance to scout the fifth graders who would become sixth graders in a few short weeks, but rules are rules.
I checked my email wanting to get Candace's take on what was going on, sadly it looks like all there was from her was a rushed response time-stamped this morning and nothing about the game just yet. Knowing that I couldn't put it off any more I began to gather my clothes from both the game and the trip, knowing that it would reflect poorly on my mother if the room of the housekeeper's daughter smelled like a locker room. Oddly enough that was when I noticed an odd parcel on my bed that I had overlooked earlier, granted I had gotten a decent number of gifts including an autographed Venus Williams poster from Mrs. Morrison that I didn't have the heart to refuse.
My curiosity getting the better of me after confirming that it was indeed addressed to me, albeit the giver simply addressed themselves as a friend, I opened the package and found to my surprise that inside there was a maroon helmet. I took a minute to look the object over, it bore a slight resemblance to a bicyclist helmet, but not as bulky. I looked inside but while the piece of protective ware was padded it didn't look like a kind that I had seen before.
"I wonder what this was made for?" I briefly mused to myself before relented, "Oh well- a gift's a gift, I might as well try it on!"
Although the helmet felt a little staticy at first the thing fit like a glove, and to tell the truth I barely felt any difference in weight. I had to wonder just what was this thing made out of? My next question though was how the heck was this thing supposed to stay on because I didn't see a chin-strap of anything of the sort.
I was about to give up and just set the thing aside to figure out later, that's when I noticed something odd along the sides of the helmet, two pieces framing my face that seemed a little...odd. Curious at this discovery I pulled at the protrusion on the right-side and it came out some; wanting to see what it was kept pulling and by the time I stopped my mouth and nose were covered on the right-side.
I did the same to the left and sure enough my face and mouth were now covered, that's when I noticed small discrete latches along the mouth guard, I locked them and sure enough the helmet felt secure. Soon I noticed an even more minor protrusion along the surprisingly unobstructed eye area, I pulled down and there was a slightly tinted visor covering my eyes.
I took a minute to get a further feel for my newest gift, I barely felt the weight on my neck from the helmet what-so-ever and even with the visor lowered my vision wasn't obstructed in the least, Odd enough was even with the mouth guard in place my breathing didn't fog up the visor or for that matter make the helmet seem stuffy, whoever made this thing was probably well on their way to being a millionaire.
Still as neat as this thing was I still had chores to get done before bedtime; I took the helmet off and went around gathering clothes of the same colors from the baskets in the other employee quarters, 'Might as well make a full load or two,' I thought to myself, 'after all there's no need to be selfish.' With a basket, full of darks and whites I headed down to the laundry room confident that I'd at least get one full load done before bedtime, maybe in the meantime Candace would reply to me about the game.
Leroy's Office - The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
9:37 PM
"So, Leroy," Darisha Coleman all but curled around Leroy Sikes, "we're finally getting the brat who dissed my sis all those years ago. That's good and all but are we really letting that poser into the organization?"
"Hell no!" Sikes replied with a laugh, "That kid has born chump written all over his face, he's the perfect tool for us to use. He's at that stupid rebel age where he wants to embrace what he thinks is our way and is blinded enough to be lead around by the nose, if he gets caught then so what- he winds up going away to get corn-holed while our hands are clean. Hell, even that piece we're giving him can't be traced, Russian guns can come from anywhere and the law know it."
"If he gets caught it's just another case of a stupid kid falling for the gangsta rap image and taking it out on someone who dissed him, it won't even make the news. Plus even if he misses the message is still sent, and Chandra stops coming to town- chasing her away will only boost my cred. And if by some miracle that POS does the deed without getting nailed by the fuzz, we just string him along- milk him for some do-re-mi until we need someone to take the fall again; he's not the first little wanna-be we've thrown under the bus and he won't be the last. Either way this whole operation will be coming up aces- and nobody around here will think of fucking with our crew for a good long while!"
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 18
En-route to South Middle School
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:47 PM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
Traffic coming back from Moline, I'll admit even if my Granny Myrtle would wash my mouth out with soap for saying it, was a heaping slice of Hell on Earth. Even our enthusiasm from our victory over Woodrow Wilson moving us into the finals and the impromptu party that we had earlier with the potential third place team in the state, provided they won their game next week against Rolling Acres's Lady Cougars, had began to wash away.
We had another week to go until our match with Springfield Calvary's Lady Saints, I was anxious beyond belief- although the sugar in that banana split might have played a role a few hours ago the rush and the crash had both run their course during the drive back. To tell the truth the fact that we were now in the state finals was only now beginning to hit me, I mean yeah the excitement and disbelief was there hours ago back in Moline but now the nervous pressure was beginning to hit. Yeah this was the state finals, this time next week would be an all or nothing drive to determine whose school trophy case would have new tall and shiny golden occupant.
At least there wasn't any national tourney following next weeks games to decide both the state champion and third place, not that there was for the guy's teams either. Yeah for those who don't follow high school or junior high school athletics it was a surprise to hear but there is no National Basketball Championship prior to College, not for the girls or the boys, middle school, junior varsity or varsity once the state championship was awarded that was it for the season. Maybe that was for the best though, it was April and with May came class wrap-ups and exams- and our principal was big on no pass- no play...even for the football team.
Overall though I didn't see too much of a problem when it came to studying, my team mates and I usually pulled together for group study sessions. When it came to math we could alway's count on Alice for a tutoring session to fill in our weaknesses, especially given that she insisted on adding a clothespin to the ears of anyone who began nodding off or let their attention wander (for each time it happened); it was harsh but it worked.
I usually never had any problems in science class and history while dull given given Coach Hillard's borderline coma inducing delivery, was almost always passable. English and Literature were rarely problems for anyone...okay granted the sentence diagramming gave Deb issues but it was nothing that about ten minutes of study after practice couldn't put a patch over.
A jarring couple of turns shook me out of my introspection, our cross-state road trip had come full circle and once again we were in front of South Middle School's front driveway with a few cars waiting for us with anxious parents, or in Marcy and Erica's case a frustrated older sibling, behind the wheel. Knowing the situation Marlina and I lived in, as well as the rotation of duties back at Casa de Morrison it was Marlina's dad and the Morrison's groundskeeper, Ramiro who was picking us up.
After Coach Mulholland cut the engine the lot of us began to pile out of the van- slowly in Deb and Marcy's case as they had fallen asleep on the way back from Moline. Grabbing my bag, as well as Marlina's to be polite, the two of us headed for the same van that Ramiro shared use of with Eliot Greer as we both prepared for the experience in riding inside the Morrison's general use vehicle which smelled so much of organic fertilizer that no amount of effort on anyone's part got rid of the stench.
Upon reaching the van we found to our surprise that it was Eliot behind the wheel rather than Marlina's father, "Hey Mister Greer, I thought that Mister Soto was picking us up."
"Sorry birthday girl," Eliot replied with a weary smile, "Ramiro and Ruth are back at home getting ready for the party, they went a bit long going over those samples for the new counter-tops with Mrs. Morrison after she came back from meeting with her client."
"That must have been a lot of samples," I sheepishly remarked given how Waukegan was only an hour away along Route 43 less by the freeway (even with all the toll roads).
"Nope her meeting was just that long," Eliot remarked as the two of us strapped into the seats along the panels in the back of the van, which was for the best, somehow the passenger seat up front smelled worse than the interior of the van.
"Yeah, the talk around the house is that it has something to do with a corporate merger," Marlina chimed in with what I knew mom was guessing was the truth that confidentiality agreements prevented Misses Morrison for talking about.
"No, it was a four-point talk between two conglomerates and the city of Chicago, Mrs. Morrison's law firm was acting as a neutral party to help Chi-town guide the negotiations." Eliot clarified as he turned over the engine in his car. "I don't know the names of the companies but evidently one has an exclusive contract with the city that the other company was trying to negotiate to give their company the right to compete. And I only learned that much because Mrs. Morrison was complaining about the whole thing being a waste of time after the negotiations fell through after a six-hour meeting."
"Six hours straight!" I numbly observed, "No, break for lunch or anything?!?"
"Nope," Eliot remarked after we pulled onto the street, "she told me that if it wasn't for the snack tray that she would have lost it when the negotiations fell apart. She actually busted three stress balls in her office, say Chandra- I know it's your birthday and all but you might want to offer Ruth have the first piece of cake."
"I still can't believe that you can even think about cake after that banana split this afternoon," Marlina deadpanned as she looked my way, "just where do you put it all."
"In another dimension full of odd creatures that are all around us, yet we never see because our minds are too small to perceive them." I teased in a spooky tone as I wiggled my fingers at her in a menacing manner. "Or it was just that we played our butts off and all that sugar just made up for me burning off my breakfast, plus I've always had fast metabolism."
"Don't count on that to last past your teens kid," Eliot remarked as we made our way down the comparatively sleepy streets of Arlington Heights, "one day the growth spurts are over and adult stresses pile on and before you know it your unhealthy adolescent diet gives way to the beginnings of a middle-aged gut."
"I shoot hoops and I free-run Eliot, I am more than aware of my needs." I retorted not wanting a lecture from outside the family, "Besides I can always run laps around the fence to burn off my indulgences, after all some of the best things to ever happen to me came when I was running."
Flashback
March 5th, 2004
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
9:07 AM CDT
I looked at Natroya Coleman trying my best to hide my scorn, I had spent most of my days in grammar school loathing her and her elder sister Darisha as the embodiment of the urban decay that soaked into our neighborhood. The crime- the gangs -the drugs- a blight that festered around me every day, once upon a time I thought that I could find some way- any way to keep from getting dragged into the darkness that they thrived in and maybe find someway to bring back the Chicago that I heard about in my grandmother's stories.
Unfortunately I found out the truth as I got older, as grammar school life I saw the life for others began to descend into a den of jackals- either you found a pack to run with or you fell victim to a pack who saw you as nothing more than another stray to feed upon. As much as I spent years loathing Natroya- I didn't fancy my prospects on my own; even my former friends, girls who I spent years laughing and hanging out with had begun to find their place in the city either by embracing their own darkness or learning how to blend into the shadows to avoid notice. No, as much as I hated to admit it, Natroya's gang the Ally Vipers were my only chance to survive to adulthood, or at least the only chance that I could stomach.
Every gang had their initiation, some it was shop-lifting, others swiping car-radios, the nastiest made their prospects send someone who pissed the crew head off to the hospital (sometimes the morgue). No the Ally Vipers had a much less gruesome initiation, the boss in this case Darisha picked someone out and you had to lift their wallet or bill-fold without getting ID'd, meaning that maybe the mark would know that they got robbed but they didn't get a good enough look at you to point you out afterwards.
I felt sick as I waited on Darisha to point out my mark a fact that I could see was giving Natroya no end of pleasure, "See C-dra no matter how you always considered yourself better than us in the end you came crawling to me begging to be in our crew. How does it feel to be a groveling mutt?"
"Can it Nat," Darisha barked at my tormentor in a hushed tone, "if you draw attention to us you're gonna get us all caught! Remember what I thought you!"
"Ally Vipers blend in until it's time to strike," Natroya grumbled over being told off by her big sister, "not that this matters this little oreo doesn't have what it takes. Goody two-shoes might be quick but she's too soft to run with this crew!"
"That's for me to decide Nat not you-" Darisha growled at her upstart little sister, "unless she blows her shot we give her a shake, now just let me pick a sucker. Ah- here we go!"
"Listen scrub- your mark is the carrot top in the jogging suit," Darisha pointed out my would-be victim. She was a girl about my age- maybe a little older dressed in gym shorts, a reddish-brown sleeveless jersey, white cross-trainers, and a fanny-pack the same color as the jersey. She was dressed the same as some college kids nearby like her doing stretches to limber up, since they weren't sweaty yet they were probably about to go for a run. I wanted to glare at Darisha for picking someone who was going to be in a group- meaning it was more likely for me to get caught later but I didn't have a choice in the mater.
I looked over my mark as I casually strolled over towards the group, and stooped over to half-pretend to straighten my shoe-laces- which I was doing since I wanted them nice and tight for the dark task at hand. However the real reason was more to spot the snap on my mark's fanny-pack; I determined that it was in an easy enough to reach place- I wouldn't even need the box-cutter that I'd been given, so I laid it down and motioned with my head to signal for one of the others to pick something up after I left.
Just as I came within arms-reach of my target one of the men in the group shouted, "GO!" Right away the entire group took off running, my target included; part of me screamed to let her get away but the other part of me knew that if I wanted to survive until graduation I couldn't do it alone...I needed to be a part of a group. My conscious aside this was about survival of the fittest, and I wasn't going to let myself become another statistic. While I had been inside my head my instincts took over and I was already running with the pack of college and high school students, including the red head that I needed to pick-pocket.
Although the group started along the normal jogging path the group soon both broke up and left the concrete concourse; with two of them (my target included vaulting a part bench. 'What the hell is going on?' I asked myself as I followed suit clearing the bench, granted with somewhat less finesse than either of my predecessors whom I was in hot pursuit of as they made their odd way through the park- far off the beaten path.
I continued my pursuit towards my target as we were making our way toward the eastern edge of the park when the pair hooked a nearby tree in order to change direction without sacrificing momentum. Not to be outdone nor slowdown I followed suit and was immediately grateful for the callus on my hands not getting scraped by the tree bark as I continued to chase down my quarry.
I drew closer until I could catch the red head if I really put the pedal to the metal when something equally new and crazy happened the pair vaulted a guard rail along the jogging path like an Olympic hurdle and then after clearing its twin moved into a shoulder roll before unfolding and continuing in a direction diverging from the jogging path.
"Oh, what the hell?" I swore under my breath as I followed suit copying the shoulder-roll as best as I could while growing increasingly curious over what the hell was this all about. Did they know that I thief was after them? Part of me doubted it that they did as I continued my pursuit of the duo. A hundred more feet passed before we came to another metal rail along the path, that was where matters began to get odd the two hopped the rail continued a few feet then hopped it again and repeated until the metal railing ended.
Not to be outdone, not to mention blend in in-case someone thought it was suspicious that a black girl was chasing after two people. I continued to copy their earlier routine although I think along the way I must have over-extended my right-wrist; man, was that going to hurt later. Never the less I didn't let the partial sprain deter me as I continued after the two, granted with my wrist sprained I doubted that I could snatch the red head's fanny back, but part of me ceased to really care about the initiation.
I don't know where it happened but somewhere along my pursuit of the pair this had ceased to be about getting into the Ally Vipers- no I was determined not to let these two outdo me I had always been an athlete in grade-school granted only my Granny Myrtle ever came to Field Day but I was in the zone. The logic of grabbing the fanny back to ensure my survival had been drummed out by an overwhelming need to prove myself. I didn't know what their run was about but I didn't want to get shown up by the red head, even if I failed the Ally Vipers initiation at least I would prove to myself that I kept up pace and didn't lose sight of my target.
No matter what the pair in my metaphorical cross-hairs did I made sure to do the same, pushing past even the pain in my wrist as I did so. No- no matter what I was going to see this race through to the bitter end even if I'd have to run another one later when they demanded to know why I was following them. No right now there was only me and my goal, a red-headed girl about my own age, I was going to keep up with her no matter the pain. No I would not lose this race, even if the only person that I would save face with was myself.
Soon the three of us spotted the rest of the pack and began to converge, my muscles ached as I mindlessly joined the rest of the runners- not even caring if it might mean I would spend a little stint in juvie. All around the group was either toweling the perspiration from the faces and arms or refueling with an assortment of sports drinks or water (bottled or otherwise) while they caught their breath.
"Well Candace," a young man who was apparently the leader of the group and was built like a college-age track and field star, approached the red head who I had been originally after. "I was originally a little hesitant about letting a middle schooler try-out for the Maroon Maniacs but hell if you didn't show that you have what it takes!"
"Thanks for giving me a shot Mister McGilles," Candace replied with a towel covering her head like one of the hijabs I occasionally see around the neighborhood.
"Now none of this Mister McGilles non-sense," the man replied as he ruffled Candace's hair through the towel, "call me Heath and speaking of young joiners- it looks like you inspired a fangirl."
Immediately all eyes were on me as my heart began to skip a beat- hesitantly I looked to the bushes where Darisha, Natroya and the rest of the Ally Vipers had been hiding earlier. Surprise- surprise, they were no-where in sight, the lot of them had left me hung out to dry; guess I was better off though with friends like that I was better off facing the music solo.
"Well come on Miss, I know that I didn't get your request to join, so speak up." I turned back to look at the group that I was with, a motley assortment of mostly college-age men and women with a few high-school students thrown in the mix. I knew that there was no use hiding it- I was a terrible liar so I might as well come clean.
Swallowing a lump in my throat that felt like the size of a golf ball I stared at my feet not willing to make eye-contact- I was growing more and more sick with my earlier decisions by the minute knowing just how disappointed my mother and grandmother would be when it came time to pick me up from juvie.
"My name is Chandra Defranks," I steeled myself determined to face the music with a little dignity, "I was here to pass a gang initiation, they told me to rob the red head if I wanted in but I sprained my wrist following her so I couldn't go through with it. Anyway, the gang split so you have me where you want me- go ahead call the fuzz- I don't care anymore!"
"Well Chandra is it," Heath McGilles spoke up as he walked up to me, "I don't really think that we could say that it was attempted robbery since you didn't even lay a finger on Candace...am I right Candace?"
"You are, plus go easy on her, I think she's kind of cute." That last remark made me stare at her in disbelief.
"Well given that, plus the fact that I don't want to have our newest member mad at me all I have to say is..." Heath continued as he got down on one knee to look me in the eye, "welcome to the Maroon Maniacs Chandra!"
End Flashback
Saturday April 21th, 2007
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:58 PM
It was hard to believe that the wrong turn I took that day opened an opportunity not only for myself but my mom too. If Natroya hadn't gotten under my skin with threats of dangers that would be waiting for me in middle and high school if I didn't have a crew to back me up I would have never met Candace, and if I had never met Candace her Aunt Pauline Reynard and mom would never have met, meaning mom would likely still be working on a will-call basis for the SpiffyJiffy™ home cleaning service and we would mainly be depending on dad's income from the Army living from paycheck to paycheck supplemented by the cleaning services glorified temp work.
No- now we were living in Arlington Heights in a wing of a nice big house, that set aside for live-in employees; granted it was a little annoying after their son Albert started to notice girls and began to peek on Marlina and I when we were changing- or taking a shower- or well- okay Albert was on the fast-track to being a horn dog but that was just my opinion.
Whereas before most of my friends growing up deserted me either out of fear over Natroya and her dangling threats or wanting to look for those who they thought could keep them safe, now I had real friends people who I was making memories with that we would all be looking back on for a good while. I made a mistake, but I owned up to that mistake when it came time- and as I saw the Morrison Family Home now in sight I don't regret a damned thing.
The Green Door Tavern
Chicago, Illinois
7:04 PM
Nobody looked odd or even concerned as a young blond lady in a tattered cloak and carrying an innately carved wooden stave strolled into one of the Windy Cities oldest restaurants- the host at the entrance didn't even bat an eye at her.
"Miss Willow party of two," Kelsey spoke up to the man without even a touch of nervousness over the entire incident. "I believe that she is waiting for Kelsey Wayfare!"
"Right this way ma'am," the host whose name tag said Morris escorted the bearer of the Staff of Undertone through the former Speakeasy to a table set for two with a Sidhe patiently waiting for her dinner companion. As Kelsey sat down the host stated, "your waiter will be along shortly, however I can take your drink order if you don't wish to peruse our selection first."
"Arnold Palmer, made with unsweet good sir," Kelsey stated, "I have some traveling that I need to do after dinner, not to mention I am under-age and would not like to get you in trouble."
"Very well, please feel free to peruse our menu, your waiter will be along shortly with your drink." Morris stated as he left to return to his post by the entrance.
"I assume that you didn't ask me here simply for dinner," the sidhe looked at Kelsey with mild annoyance, "I may not be the most prominent member of the Wild Council but I am seated upon it, also I do not like leaving my sister alone in her condition."
"Yes, systemic iron-poisoning, quite brutal on its recipient even centuries after that treacherous maiden's act." Kelsey observed as she continued to consider her menu, "Sadly Lady Thasarimil, even the most precise magnetic spells in my arsenal risk doing far too much damage, especially for someone in as fragile condition as Lady Ulelesse. Maybe human technology is the answer instead, I understand strides in Nano-machine technology are being made every day."
"While holding out hope for the advances of mankind to heal the ancient injuries inflicted by one of their own is good and all; I suspect that we are here for much different reasons than a cure for my younger sister's malady." Lady Thasarimil stated as she met Kelsey's gaze, "The Wayfarer seldom meets with a seated member of the Western Council for trivial matters- as men are want to say: "Can you stop dancing around the issue and just get down to brass tacks." I really hope I did not mangle that saying."
"Far from it," Kelsey sighed, "I would say you had the saying down pat, but you are correct- I didn't simply invite you here to talk shop. The time to make use of what my predecessors have been having the denizens of the Wild Lands gather is nearly at hand, the Phantom Queen and who-so-ever she chooses are to bring all that you have gathered to Summer Island in Lake Michigan on July the 16th. You shall not be alone for there is another who has business there that day and she will become your ally, you and this outsider shall aide each other for your purposes are mutually beneficial and in helping her you will help all who call the Wild Court home."
"Are you serious? You know that we need to be in Iraq then to help the Eastern Maiden," Lady Thasarimil retorted losing her patience and her temper, "the Eastern Maiden will need all the help that she can that day, while Fae Folk may not be that effective in the desert we will help as much as we can against whatever allies Dagon will be throwing our way."
"I did not say that you would be leaving her defenseless, indeed in aiding this outsider you shall be delivering greater aide than the Wild Court can provide for the Eastern Maiden outside the ruins of Babylon. Also, the wheels are in motion as we speak for the arrangement will soon be made by one whose name carries weight throughout your kind, and once you learn of the arrangement you shall come to agree that it was all for the best."
"If I didn't know that you were the host and servant of the power that you wield I would show you first-hand the folly of your flippant disrespect of the fae folk." Lady Thasarimil fumed over the indignity of the situation.
"Not to mention the fact that you are also constrained by your oath to the True Western Court," Kelsey elaborated surprising the Sidhe with her intrinsic knowledge on how their book of oath operated. "I am all too aware that you also feel how your present displeasure is justified, however come this time tomorrow you will realize the full truth of what we speak of tonight."
Then with a wave of her hand Kelsey manipulated the veil that Lady Thasarimil had placed over their table drawing the attention of a waiter instantly. "I apologize for the wait, are you ladies ready to order?"
"Yes, I have," Kelsey chimed in giving Lady Thasarimil time to regain her faculties, "I shall have your Black & Bleu Burger and a refill on my Arnold Palmer."
"Very well Madame," the waiter commented while taking down her order, "will you also be interested in our desert menu?"
"No thank you," Kelsey replied, "I have an appointment later and something tells me that I'll be needing to pick up desert along the way."
"Very well," the waiter replied taking the mater in stride as he turned to Lady Thasarimil, "and for yourself Madame?"
"I shall be having the Waldorf Salad and a bowl of the Vegetable Minestrone," the Sidhe woman replied before holding up her now empty glass. "and I think that I shall sample the Wizen from the imported tap menu."
"Very well," the waiter took down the rest of the order, "I shall leave our desert menu with you incase either of you ladies change your minds, and do you want a single or a split check."
"Split," Lady Thasarimil explained, "this is a business meeting not a date."
"Touchy," Kelsey commented as the waiter left them, "that story about the young lord who refused to let you seek shelter from that storm is becoming much clearer."
"Oh hush," Lady Thasarimil scoffed, "the child needed to learn some manners, besides everything turned out all right in the end. I'd say those years as a monster did wonders for his disposition, not to mention lead to him crossing paths with a maiden who brought out the best in him so all's-well-that-ends-well."
"It didn't turn out so well for her would-be paramour though," Kelsey muttered under her breath as she sipped her Arnold Palmer.
The Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
7:17 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
It took some time to clean up, post-game shower in Moline Middle School's locker room notwithstanding the long ride home still made one need to freshen up afterwards, especially when it was for my real birthday party. Granted after today I didn't expect the others on the team to show up, it would have been nice and all but we had that ice cream party in Moline as a mini-party since I didn't want to monopolize what was left of their weekend.
No, the only friend from school that I could really count on being here tonight was Marlina, since she lived a few doors down in the Staff's Wing of the house. No I had a good idea what everyone else would be doing tonight, Erica would be practicing with her older sister Monica on the hoop that their family had set up behind their back porch trying to absorb everything that the Team Captain who taught Candace and I everything she knew had to teach.
Marcy would be at home working on her outfit for the end of the year award's ceremony- again, it was a good thing that Candice and I got her to keep the whole second-guessing perfectionist streak out of her ball game otherwise we would have never made it to the finals- let alone the semi-finals last year.
Nita told me that she planned to decompress with some cheesy old movies, honestly, I never understood why someone would waste their money renting Attack of the Sun Beast or The Beast with Two Brains. Then again everyone has their weird hobbies, she probably thinks the same thing about my parkour runs.
Deb usually spent her free time combing celebrity gossip site, granted the lot of us were glad that she got the hint that most of us didn't want to hear the latest scoop about the dating woes of the power-couples of Hollywood whose names for some reason were smushed together like their relationship turned them into some kind of grotesque hybrid. On second thought, why didn't someone make a monster movie where something like that happened, it would actually sound like an awesome popcorn flick.
Alice was probably spending time putting together study guides for everyone to use to power through finals while I was taking my third shower of the day, she was a godsend while the season was going on. Sometimes it was still hard to believe, an honors student would be interested in athletics (and no Matheletes doesn't count) not that anyone on our team was complaining what with no-pass no-play being what it was.
The only true enigma on our team was Deb, nobody knew just what the girl did in her spare time even her home life was a mystery to everybody. Yeah team player or not Deb was really the odd duck out- what with the way that she'd just stop and stare at people when she wasn't occupied with anything. There was also the fact that nobody really knew anything about her home life either, I don't think that anyone had even met her parents either; then again, I guess that it really does take all kinds to make the world go round.
Now that I was cleaned up I tossed my gear on the bed, reminding myself to take care of the laundry before going to Chicago to meet the Maroon Maniacs for tomorrow's run.
After I got dressed I walked down to the dining room to find the entire household waiting for me with a birthday cake complete with fourteen lit candles, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHANDRA!"
I took a minute to take in the surroundings, "You guys didn't really have to go to all this trouble."
"Now, now, in a way everyone here is a part of the same extended family." Mister Morrison stated much the same as he did when Marlina's birthday rolled around last November, "besides what's the point of having a main dining room this big if we only use it when we're wining and dining clients. Now please make a wish and blow out the candles!"
I laughed and shook my head at Mister Morrison's antics but I still complied before making the same wish that I had for the last three years.
I wish that the next year will be amazing!
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
8:49 PM
VT was having a blast- he and his crew were finally in their element, and short fifty bucks a piece that it cost them to get past the neckless wall of flesh watching the door: away from all the fakers, sell-outs, co-opers, and oreos this was their people. The music was bumping, the honeys were real and here he was in the hood where he had always belonged- no matter what his parents and that sell-out Chandra said, plus he was sure that this one honey just a few paces away was into him what with the way he was eye-balling him between the DJ's tracks.
Sure, enough as soon as the track would down VT made his way over to the lady in question a fellow sista just his age, but also some (who unlike VT) fit in this setting organically. Sadly, what a boy who was born and raised in the suburbs of Arlington Heights would never truly understand, the true culture of the inner city was full of its own nuances and rules- neither of which the records industry or the gangsta rap culture that it perpetuated ever could truly convey to the masses.
"Hey," VT spoke up as he got up next to the honey in question, "I noticed you checking me out from across the room."
"Natroya," the girl replied in a hushed tone and flashed him a sly smile as she moved intimately close to VT, "I couldn't help but notice a certain somethin'-somethin' about you from across the room."
VT's heart raced as Natroya's right hand creeped down past his abs and below his sagging boxers past the waistband to grab onto something down there and whip it out- namely his P30S the muzzle of which now rested between his throat and chin. "I made you for a wanna-be an hour ago," Natroya's tone shifted from her earlier husky tone to something that cut VT like a knife, "nobody around here is stupid enough to sneak a piece into Leroy Sikes's club if they’re not one of his."
A large hand clamped down on VT's right-shoulder, slowly with the P30S still aimed at his noodle he turned and looked to see an even bigger wall of muscle than the one watching the door had a hold of him. "The boss wants to have a word with you scrub."
With Natroya (who thankfully no longer had the gun to his neck) and the wall of muscle VT was marched away from the party and up the cat-walks of the abandoned steel mill to what used to be the foreman's office. Once inside VT took note of the man whose office was decked out much like his old man's leather, wood paneling, and rather than shelf of books one of top shelf liquor bottles. VT knew through his fear that this was Leroy Sikes- the man Natroya mentioned, dressed more like a man of business than some gangsta or pimp, this man was the real deal and Natroya laid the P30S right in front of him.
To Leroy's side was a woman who bore a resemblance to Natroya, likely a cousin or older sister but this lady wasn't just dressed like she was Leroy's woman- no this lady was dressed to draw respect. Once the door was shut Leroy made a palms up gesture and immediately Natroya turned his pockets inside-out taking his keys, cash and his wallet giving the later to Mister Sikes, VT had to fight his urge to speak up as the club's owner opened the billfold.
Mister Sikes mused over what he saw inside for a moment and briefly showed the contents to the woman by his side, that was when he finally spoke up, "So Victor, what's a boy from the burbs think he's doing inside my club packing heat?"
VT has stunned into silence, "What's the matter you certainly could talk when you had the grapes to hit on Darisha's baby-sister, and I know Natroya didn't lay your balls on my desk with the rest of your shit!"
"I didn't bring the piece in here to start shit," VT finally gathered his bravo, "I brought it in case shit hit the fan. All I was doing was bringing protection, nothing more- nothing less."
Mister Sikes then picked up the gun and proclaimed, "Boy the only protection this place needs is me and my crew!" Then punctuated the statement by ejecting the P30S's clip onto the floor, "Now what we have here is a problem, an insult like this cannot stand, if word got out to the other locals that I let some snot-nosed little punk bring his piece into my club they'd all think it was okay and that would hurt my bottom line. On the other hand, if I dispose of you like you were another local POS you rich 'rents would get the fuzz poking around in my grill turning over rocks and that won't do either."
"So, Victor I'm thinking of doing is making you an offer, but first I need to know a couple of things-" Leroy Sikes paused for effect, "do you know Chandra Defranks?"
"Of course, I know that cracker-loving oreo!" VT shot back, "I offered her an invite here a few days ago, and she turned me down flat!"
"Good," Mister Sikes stated as a smile crossed his face as not only did he know Chandra but also disliked her. Then Leroy when to the office phone on his desk and pressed a number.
"Hey boss, what do you need?"
"Ohan, I need you to send over one of the Mosin 3-lines from this month's shipment to my office along with some ammo."
"Right away boss!"
"Now Victor, I need to know something else from you do you know how to use a rifle?" Leroy inquired this time in a far less grave tone.
"Yeah, my old man's taking me deer hunting plenty of times to try and get me to make me a sell out like him," VT replied wondering where this was going.
"Good," Mister Sikes smiled, "you see Miss Defranks made the foolish decision to diss my lady Darisha's baby sister Natroya a few years back, now it has long been a sore subject among my circle especially given how her star has been rising as of late- this reflects rather... poorly on me."
"Unfortunately, as Miss Defranks currently lives beyond my sphere of influence there is very little that I can do myself that wouldn't be traced back to me, fortunately you are an outside party." Leroy Sikes explained, "So I'm going to let you help yourself, tomorrow a group that Miss Defranks hangs out with is going on a run over in Washington Park, I want you to wait there for her and teach her how actions have consequences."
"You mean that you want me to cap her?!?" VT asked stunned that the man was all but ordering him to kill someone that he knew.
"No, I'm asking you to extinguish her star," Mister Sikes explained, "a dead body in the park attracts attention, but a sister taking a round in Chi-town- that barely makes the pages. She's an athlete squeeze off a round into one of her legs and not only is her star snuffed out but the message of not dissing my crew is heard loud and clear. Also, Victor if you pull this off right I might even consider giving you an in on my crew."
The Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
9:21 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I all but collapsed when I got to my room, most people would never understand it but there were times that being exhausted felt great because today was a blast and a half. Yeah there was no getting around it we were going to the Illinois State Finals and win or lose we were psyched regardless. Yeah this was the furthest that South Middle Schools Lady Cardinals ever had gone in our school's history, we broke the record set during Monica Hope's tenure as captain who took us to the semi-finals for the first time ever then afterwards earned us Third Place two years ago.
Last year Candace helped us match that record while building the foundation for the team that I inherited, an inheritance that I invested in and built even bigger. Yeah- win or lose our work didn't end with the game next week, no afterwards we'd be holding tryouts among the current crop of sixth and seventh graders for next year's team- it was a shame that we didn't have a chance to scout the fifth graders who would become sixth graders in a few short weeks, but rules are rules.
I checked my email wanting to get Candace's take on what was going on, sadly it looks like all there was from her was a rushed response time-stamped this morning and nothing about the game just yet. Knowing that I couldn't put it off any more I began to gather my clothes from both the game and the trip, knowing that it would reflect poorly on my mother if the room of the housekeeper's daughter smelled like a locker room. Oddly enough that was when I noticed an odd parcel on my bed that I had overlooked earlier, granted I had gotten a decent number of gifts including an autographed Venus Williams poster from Mrs. Morrison that I didn't have the heart to refuse.
My curiosity getting the better of me after confirming that it was indeed addressed to me, albeit the giver simply addressed themselves as a friend, I opened the package and found to my surprise that inside there was a maroon helmet. I took a minute to look the object over, it bore a slight resemblance to a bicyclist helmet, but not as bulky. I looked inside but while the piece of protective ware was padded it didn't look like a kind that I had seen before.
"I wonder what this was made for?" I briefly mused to myself before relented, "Oh well- a gift's a gift, I might as well try it on!"
Although the helmet felt a little staticy at first the thing fit like a glove, and to tell the truth I barely felt any difference in weight. I had to wonder just what was this thing made out of? My next question though was how the heck was this thing supposed to stay on because I didn't see a chin-strap of anything of the sort.
I was about to give up and just set the thing aside to figure out later, that's when I noticed something odd along the sides of the helmet, two pieces framing my face that seemed a little...odd. Curious at this discovery I pulled at the protrusion on the right-side and it came out some; wanting to see what it was kept pulling and by the time I stopped my mouth and nose were covered on the right-side.
I did the same to the left and sure enough my face and mouth were now covered, that's when I noticed small discrete latches along the mouth guard, I locked them and sure enough the helmet felt secure. Soon I noticed an even more minor protrusion along the surprisingly unobstructed eye area, I pulled down and there was a slightly tinted visor covering my eyes.
I took a minute to get a further feel for my newest gift, I barely felt the weight on my neck from the helmet what-so-ever and even with the visor lowered my vision wasn't obstructed in the least, Odd enough was even with the mouth guard in place my breathing didn't fog up the visor or for that matter make the helmet seem stuffy, whoever made this thing was probably well on their way to being a millionaire.
Still as neat as this thing was I still had chores to get done before bedtime; I took the helmet off and went around gathering clothes of the same colors from the baskets in the other employee quarters, 'Might as well make a full load or two,' I thought to myself, 'after all there's no need to be selfish.' With a basket, full of darks and whites I headed down to the laundry room confident that I'd at least get one full load done before bedtime, maybe in the meantime Candace would reply to me about the game.
Leroy's Office - The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
9:37 PM
"So, Leroy," Darisha Coleman all but curled around Leroy Sikes, "we're finally getting the brat who dissed my sis all those years ago. That's good and all but are we really letting that poser into the organization?"
"Hell no!" Sikes replied with a laugh, "That kid has born chump written all over his face, he's the perfect tool for us to use. He's at that stupid rebel age where he wants to embrace what he thinks is our way and is blinded enough to be lead around by the nose, if he gets caught then so what- he winds up going away to get corn-holed while our hands are clean. Hell, even that piece we're giving him can't be traced, Russian guns can come from anywhere and the law know it."
"If he gets caught it's just another case of a stupid kid falling for the gangsta rap image and taking it out on someone who dissed him, it won't even make the news. Plus even if he misses the message is still sent, and Chandra stops coming to town- chasing her away will only boost my cred. And if by some miracle that POS does the deed without getting nailed by the fuzz, we just string him along- milk him for some do-re-mi until we need someone to take the fall again; he's not the first little wanna-be we've thrown under the bus and he won't be the last. Either way this whole operation will be coming up aces- and nobody around here will think of fucking with our crew for a good long while!"
6 years 9 months ago #25
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
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Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
8:51 PM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I hated to admit it but by far things were going rather well, Wild Pack and the FSA were making record time while sweeping the four airport terminals for survivors and so far had barely needed to dish out any elixir for zombie contamination. Heartbreaker and Palleon were doing great guiding evacuees to the triage area, and Jane's special perception from a bird's-eye view was helping me coordinate the search teams without a hitch.
"Stonebear," I bark out over the radio to relay the latest information from Jane, "I have seven sightings in the Eastern side of Terminal B, they should be around three-hundred feet from your location; just hang a left at the next hallway if you can- over."
"That's an affirmative Little Wolf," Stonebear replied over the coms, "I think that I can hear them- over and out!"
"Okay- Pendragon, I see a cluster of four or five individuals," I close my eyes to get a better sense of what Jane was seeing through our link, "The good news is they are only one-hundred feet ahead of you, the bad news is that they are on the floor below you- over."
"Drat, the fire's made the building too unstable to go through the floor; I'm going to need to search for a stairwell-over." The current leader of the Future Superheroes of America responded.
"Understood, keep an eye out for emergency exit signs, if it leads out than it leads down- oh and zombies just in case of ambush- over and out." I stated as I kept to the task at hand, according to Jane's vision there were still about three dozen people trapped by the fire in Logan International Airport spread between the four terminals. As things stood that meant that the evacuations had been mostly successful, I guess that the TSA here was actually earning their paychecks because this was the busiest airport in New England; I was just thankful that the Necromancer's goons didn't sabotage the Air-Traffic Control Tower too because the last thing that everyone needed was chaos on the runways in addition to the fires, plus this way they could redirect any incoming flights to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Worchester along with the smaller municipal airports.
"Stormwolf here," the leader of Wild Pack and defacto leader of this operation (at least until Pendragon put his foot down), "Group has been escorted safely from Terminal C and have rendezvoused with Firecat, please direct to next group- over."
"Roger Stormwolf, there are three clusters of civilians in the southern fork of Terminal C." I replied again closing my eyes to try and better interpret what Jane saw of the situation at the eastern-most terminal. "There are six on the second level and seven on the first; two groups are at the opposite ends of the first level, four on the northern end of that fork and three on the south- over."
"Understood- I'll take the first floor, Firecat you handle the groups on the upper level-over."
"Roger Stormwolf," the pyrokinetic of the team replied, "just be careful down there boss- over and out."
I took another swig of water from my canteen, one of many that I had in my bag for emergencies. While working with Jane to continue to monitor the rescue efforts one thing continued to nag at the back of my mind, all of this destruction, all of this chaos, and still there hadn't been a single confirmed sighting of a single super-villain. Even on the police band was only full of emergency crews and zombie mop up operations; there wasn't a single report of the Children of the Night, no looters, heck there hadn't even been a report of Death Ghost and from what Chou told me that mook was a straight up opportunistic scavenger.
I mean there was a lot of noise on the coms from Emergency Response Crews and the like, but when it came to the type that lit this damned powder keg in the first place the silence was deafening... and that was scary. This could mean that the Children of the Night were still waiting on the Kimbas to show, which made me afraid that group of psychos would try and up the ante even more, or else they were after something else. I don't know which possibility left me more terrified; I tried to stave off my paranoia, but the possibilities just continued to pile on and fester even worse the more I tried to suppress them with reason. I just knew in my gut that the shit had still yet to hit the fan, and when it did the local flavor of psycho would be there flinging it at the blades like a troop of pissed off chimpanzees.
"Overwatch come in," I heard Boudacia call in and from Jane's perspective she was with the three people that I had sent her to guide out from Terminal E but they were still stuck in the same spot, "I need back-up asap, this is an emergency- over!"
"This is overwatch, please state the situation Boudacia- over." I replied dreading the response that was coming my way.
"I have a partially collapsed ceiling and a young girl pinned under some rebar," Boudacia explained chilling me to the core, "She's pierced in at least one place that I can see, and I don't dare move her especially since I'm all that's holding up the ceiling. I need a healer and either a blade user or a precision blaster asap- over."
I ran the scenario through my head as fast as I was able, while we did have healers here assisting the paramedics most were spell-casters and for something like this we needed nascent precision, the problem was that the only two legitimate healers that we had were Asklepian and Aletheia. From what I knew of Asklepian (as well as the myth of the Hydra's fight with Hercules) I knew that her and fire of any sort could be a potentially lethal combination, and Aletheia being a mermaid made her vulnerable to heat-stroke. Although my cloak would be an ideal solution to either problem; given the length of Asklepian's tail that meant it wouldn't protect the lower half of her body, Aletheia on the other hand was about my size and if she stayed human that meant the cloak would protect her.
The other issue was that Pendragon was busy at the other end of the airport and I was the only blade-user available, (given that every blaster we had was occupied) that meant both Aletheia and I were the best choice available to come to Boudica's aid. Spotting an empty fireman's suit nearby I knew what I needed to do, "Roger Boudica, Aletheia and I will be there soon- over and out."
I turned to the fireman's gear and after shucking my cloak (although for good measure I drew Sydan as well), then put the gear on as best I could, even if it means that I needed to take off the Mask of Occlusion in favor for my backup cloth mask. After haphazardly stowing Sydan in the loop normally reserved for a fire-man's axe (since it was blunt while inert there was no problem with it hanging loose) I knew that I was ready. "Strato," I shouted out to Quickvix's teammate who was acting as an extra pair of hands of the paramedics, "I need to respond to an emergency in Terminal E, and I need you to cover for me, I'll try and relay what Jane sees to you over my com."
"I'm on it Faolan," Arnold stated as he jogged over to the make-shift com center, "but there's no need to play telephone, I've been working on something at Quickvix's request." My roommate's teammate remarked as he plugged something into the console. "It should let Jane transmit to our com frequency- just tell her to try matching the frequency on the label."
'Can you give it a try Jane,' I asked my familiar over our link and letting her in on the radio frequency.
"Testing- testing, are you receiving me?" Jane inquired over the com setup.
"Loud and clear Jane," Strato replied with a grin across his face, "we are ready to go!"
"That you are," I remarked briefly taking the headset away from Strato to relay the situation to the others first. After a flip of the stitch on Wild Pack's console I sent out an all call over the transmitter, "To all rescuers I need to step away from the radio to assist Boudacia with an emergency rescue, please be advised that I will be stepping away from overwatch duty- seven individuals remain. I am turning over the coms to Strato and Jane will be relaying all information that she can gather to him- over and out."
Now fully garbed in fireman's gear I went over to where Aletheia was assisting with the evacuees. I took a deep breath and knew that after this Headmistress Carson would probably give me detention until I graduated but I needed to do this, "Aletheia, Boudica's in trouble and she needs a healer in Terminal E ASAP."
"Not a problem," Aletheia stated before she brought out her mermaid form and took to the air with the strips of her cloak became like fins, "I'll be there in a flash."
"Sorry but not like that," I elaborated as I presented my cloak, "that place is hotter than an oven and dangerously unstable, we have to be careful if we want to avoid triggering a backdraft or any further collapses. That means I'm going to be carrying you up there, and you're going to need heat protection."
Understanding my proposal, the eastern maiden took my cloak and draped it over herself before pulling up the hood. "You're also going to need an oxygen tank." I explained as I began to retrieve my scuba gear, I know I'm loaning scuba gear to a mermaid- who would have ever seen the day.
"There's no need for that," Aletheia explained as she took off her glove, showing me her purification ring. "This filters out more than just water, it turns out it does a the exact same thing in open air too."
"At least one of us doesn't have to worry about red ozone days," I grumbled as I returned my scuba gear to the Reticle of the Fields; I wonder if I could negotiate with one of the mermaids for one of those things, it would certainly be less cumbersome than a gas mask. Given that I was going to be using standard fireman's gear, including the mask, I couldn't be using any of my shape-shifting forms- just as well, burnt fur reeked something nasty. "Oh, by the way you can air-swim just not inside of the building."
"I just wished I could walk so you wouldn't have to carry me once we got inside." Aletheia huffed.
"Hey practice makes perfect," I explained as the mermaid again took to the air, "don't fret- it'll happen eventually; now let's not keep Boudacia waiting any longer. Believe me one super-power that she doesn't have is the patience of a saint."
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom Storage Facility - Outside
New York City, New York
8:59 PM
Arcane-Knight landed not with the force of a meteorite, but more like that of a water balloon as the spell of Greygus's mace dispelled with a burst of pressure. Overall the trip left the former unwilling member of the Children of the Night unharmed, yet more than a little disoriented as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. This feeling of disorientation was more than natural even with the fact that he was nothing more than a possessed mech suit, but given the fact that he had been sent hurtling through the air by his opponent's blow so far and fast that he had no idea where he was even a shade such as he would be confused even his GPS had yet to calibrate.
Taking a moment to case the vicinity of his landing with the full range of his sensor suit Arcane-Knight could immediately tell that he was no longer in Boston, the skyline made this more than clear. No, despite the fact that it was dark he could tell that the skyline pointed to a far larger city- and judging by the direction that he had been sent flying in the best possible choice was, "I must have landed in New York."
"Indeed, you have," a man stated as he made his way out of the nearby warehouse. Arcane-Knight could see that he had left the presence of one legend of his industry only to land in the presence of another, exiting the building before him was none other than Shuffle leader of the company known in the business as Shuffle's Sweepers being followed by several costumes that were likely mercs that were skilled enough to work directly under the boss himself. "Now at present your moniker eludes me but I doubt that it will for long."
Without an ounce of fear on his face Shuffle calmly strolled over to the haunted suit of mech armor, and calmly leaned forward to look his guest right in the optics that were a part of Arcane-Knight's helmet visor- stating in a voice that was so matter-of-fact that if the now liberated mercenary experienced this situation while he still had a body that he might have lost bowel control. "Now as I see it you have two options: You can either explain who you are and why you are here now while I am asking politely, or you can wait for us to find out on our own while we hold you in a detention cell. I know that the prospect is unpleasant, however as you are clearly no ordinary civilian please be aware that your treatment under our stewardship will only reflect your own level of cooperation from here on out."
Arcane-Knight quickly weighed his options, he had just left the employment of the Children of the Night's leader Charles Darrow only to land in the custody of another, who despite being another black hat known to be in league with a faction of the Grand Hall, was not known for being nearly as much of a monster infact Shuffle was regarded as quite the opposite and was not above showing mercy when the opportunity presented itself. Also, he was being offered a choice this time. While his situation at present was far from ideal Arcane-Knight decided that it was best to cooperate...for now.
"I am known as Arcane-Knight and if this building is what I presume it is then I have some information that you may be interested in..."
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
9:05 PM
Lycanthros had finally arrived at the strike zone, the first of the veteran Children of the Night to do so, and yet there was one question on his mind. "Where the hell is that whiny tin can?"
The second-in-command of the Darrow's crew surveyed the surrounding area and given that he didn't spot a single sign of their current indentured servant decided to forgo sight for another sense.
Assuming his own lupine form the mysterious werewolf began to pick apart the scene by scent, "Let's see- yeah the scrap-heap was here I can smell the cheap auto wax we give him for maintenance; hold on he wasn't alone." Lycantros took another deep whiff wanting to get the whole story before he bothered his boss, something about tonight's job had Darrow frothing so it was not the time for half-assing a snag in the plan, "Yep, four others were here, three scents vaguely like Wilbur's flipside- can't tell what flavor of demon though, but it seems familiar."
"Let's see who guest number four was," Lycanthros took another series of deep sniffs, "no this one wasn't a demon, though definitely not human either. Wait a minute this smells familiar... oh crap its Greyg-"
Lycanthros's investigation of the roof top was put on hiatus when the source of the fourth scent materialized and sent him flying northward with a strike of his mace to the ribs. "Game on you SOB," Greygus stated before following the lycantropoid of unknown origins via the Odinson travel method substituting his mace for mjolnir.
Lycanthros unlike his now former teammate Arcane-Knight received a less than gentle landing in the middle of Constitution Beach Park's southern athletics field, raking up a good amount of turf in the process. His side now throbbing, the werewolf quickly took in his surroundings which were nothing but an open field
in between two baseball fields. Still there were some trees to his west that would make for excellent cover to ambush his attacker, his decision now made for him the jewel-eyed werewolf made for cover wincing at the pain that blossomed from his ribs as he did so.
Unfortunately for the fleeing felon he made it all of ten feet towards the trees when he heard an odd whistling, knowing who his opponent was the werewolf stopped in his tracks just before an arrow landed right in front of his path. As he spun on this heel towards the source of the projectile a series of similar arrows to the first, in the blink of an eye Lycanthros found himself surrounded in a ring of spend arrows of an odd color.
A quick glance to the sky gave the second in command of the Children of the Night a better view of his assailant, overhead using his mace like the blades of a helicopter to hold himself aloft was Greygus who with the crossbow hidden in his still free left arm's gauntlet drew a bead on Lycanthros.
Taking a moment to take in the two concentric circles of arrows that now surrounded him, Lycanthros feel to his knees in laughter, "Really you come all the to Boston and send me flying part-way across town only to try and stop me with a something so childish. I honestly don't know why anyone would be so afraid of you, it's not like you even go for the kill!"
"I wouldn't cross that line if I were you," Greygus stated while ignoring his adversary's taunt while he slowly lowered to the ground.
"Yeah right," the werewolf tried to cross the first circle of arrows only to recoil in pain, "What the hell?!?"
"The inner circle is a series of interconnected monofilament karone wire." the disguised djinn elaborated as he touched down, "Not lethal, but certainly painful." With the werewolf's attention drawn Greygus press a switch on his left gauntlet causing the arrows of both circles to seemingly split down the middle (except for a peg in the middle which slabbed into the ground like a spike) before releasing more monofilament strands to intertwine and connect with those which had already been deployed. Before long it looked like the werewolf was contained under a semi-transparent lavender canopy with a grey net draped over that, just before a series of whirring was heard from the arrowheads as both the canopy and the net above it began to slowly retract drawing the faux dome closer to the ground.
"So what if the net's karone," Lycanthros snarled at his smug captor, "I can handle a little pain!"
"True but the little secret to your above average lycanthropic strength won't," Greygus retorted, "A werewolf using skinshifter magic using the pelts of other werewolves to augment his own abilities, kind of like a perverse form of athletic juicing if you ask me. Plus, only the inner circle is karone, the outer net is an over-under weave titanium cable with a core of granulated mithril; so, before you think about breaking free understand that you will be out for a little while due to the pain, and should that happen you run the risk of breathing in a dangerous amount of powdered mithril. Now from that sparkler I know you are aware of what mithril does to lycanthropes with just a surface application, do you want to risk getting it into your lungs."
As the nets drew him closer to the ground Lycanthros glared with his one remaining eye at his captor filled with murderous intent, before finally trying to signal the rest of the Children of the Night yet only hearing static through the receiver.
"You didn't think that the first thing that I'd do when I saw you arrive wouldn't be to jam your coms did you?" Greygus smirked under his helmet, "Looks like this hound outfoxed a wolf."
"You are going to pay for this," Lycanthros all but roared as he now laid pressed against the ground, "the other Children of the Night-"
"Will soon be busy with playmates of their own," Greygus interrupted his quarry, "I didn't come here alone, the Erinyas are here too- along with the operative whose storage room your boss had looted."
That tidbit had Lycanthros's eyes wide with terror, not only was Lycaon alive but he was here and on the hunt, despite Greygus's reputation for zero-fatality operations blood was going to be spilled tonight- and for once Lycanthros doubted that it would be the Children of the Night's doing when it happened.
Logan International Airport - Terminal E
9:08 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
As annoying as it was to be carried around- again, I had to admit Faolan clearly knew what she was doing. "Wow I heard that Morrigan put you through all kinds of training but who would have thought that she trained you for this!"
"Yeah, a rescue scenario involving a burning building not yet from her, I'll remember to ask her when we get back to the Academy to aid it onto my training regimen." My fellow maiden nervously laughed as we steadily made our way through the burning terminal.
"What?!? I shot back more than a little panicked but I tried to real that back in...for now, "but you do know what you're doing right?"
"A little baseline fireman's training, practice and some very recent experience," Randi admitted sheepishly, "I received some fireman's training from Pero del Fuego back home while I was getting my new body in shape along with some just-in-case-pointers. Mostly how to move through a burning building and how to navigate uneven and unstable terrain, of course with these boots of mine I could make a mountain goat jealous but better safe than sorry."
"You wouldn't happen to know where I could score me a pair of those boots would you?" I inquired as sing-song as I could to butter her up.
"Learn how to walk in high heels and then we'll talk about magic boots," Faolan dead-panned in reply, "Really I know how much you want to walk on your own but those boots won't help one bit unless you can stand while using them."
"Crud," I sulked, it was taking too damned long to get and stay on my own two feet, and really, I wanted to kiss that flipping wheel-chair good-bye already.
"Hey, you'll get there," Faolan patted me on the back while we made our way towards the other side of the building, "from what I've heard you're already far enough along to switch to loft-stand crutches and leg-braces. The medical staff is just being overly cautious, give it a few more days and you'll be walking around, just with some aid while you build up those your calves, quads and core."
"So they keep telling me," I sighed safe from the heat beneath the folds of Faolan's cloak, "you're certain that this will protect me from the fire?"
"It's heat tolerance is up to that of molten lava, unless there is any jet fuel inside the main terminal than we're golden." My friend and current mode of transportation within this inferno replied as we made our way to the closest stairwell from where we entered.
Unfortunately, the stairwell had seen better days, as debris from the second floor was now clogging the stairs with rubble, "Well so much for that direction."
"Not necessarily," Faolan replied as she began to use her boots to skywalk to the second floor like she was climbing a ladder. The process took all of a couple of minutes before we were finally on the second floor; thankfully while the stairwell was a mess at least the exit wasn't obstructed, although once we opened the door it was clear that the path to Boudacia and the two that she was trying to keep alive was anything but a cakewalk.
From beneath the cloak I looked around to see burning debris, and fallen pieces of the terminals ceiling it was more reminiscent of a warzone than a major airport that served one of the country's oldest cities. Talk about a dark irony, my first time going to an airport and the place looked like a warzone, and in a few months' time my first time arriving by an airplane would be in a country that was torn apart by war- Iraq. Granted my fellow maiden Faolan wasn't in for a pleasant summer either- she'd be living like an animal in a land known for trigger-happy ranchers.
Carefully the two of us made our way through the rubble guided by the eyes of Randi's familiar Jane through the link that the pair shared with each other, much the same as Jane's mother Babd shared with Mrs. Redstag- I still had so much to learn about magic.
"Mommy," my heart sank as I heard something that no one should ever want to hear a child gasping in pain, "it hurts."
"My baby's dying and you're doing nothing!" I heard a woman scream nearby.
"Not true ma'am," I heard a voice that I recognized as Boudacia nearby, "I'm keeping this piece of ceiling stable while we wait for backup to arrive."
"Stop waiting Boudica," Faolan cried out in reply as we approached the sound of their voices, "I'm here and I've got Aletheia with me, keep calm ma'am we'll have you two out of this before you know it."
When we got there, it was as bad as we heard; a piece of the ceiling had come down on a mother and her daughter as they were trying to evacuate, while they hadn't been crushed by the debris it had done something worse- a piece of rebar had skewered the ten-year old in the abdomen and debris weight was slowly forcing its way downward by the time Boudacia arrived to keep it from flattening the trapped child.
"Please we need to get my baby off there," the woman grabbed Randi in her hysteria almost causing her to drop me as she shook the both of us, "you can do that right?!?"
"Yes, but I need to have a look at your daughter first," I explained as I gestured for Randi to set me down near the girl to examine her. It took a moment with the limited experience that I had, but using the ribs of the trembling girl as a guide to compare her anatomy with that of the transparencies that I had seen at the library told me all that I needed. "I have good news and bad news; the good news is that the rebar missed her spine however it did puncture her liver."
"Oh my God," the woman sank to the ground in horror, "I'm going to lose my baby girl."
"Calm down ma'am," Faolan did her best to reassure the woman, "the liver is an odd ball when it comes to organs; you can even live with part of it removed. Fortunately, Aletheia here is a healer, if we work carefully the worst that your girl will need is a tetanus series, a blood transfusion, and a prescription for some broad-spectrum anti-biotics."
"Now madam," I began to explain in as calm a voice as I could, "before I begin I'm going to need to give her a local anesthetic. I'm going to need you to help Faolan cut away the clothes around the wound and clean the area before I begin, afterward I am going to need you to follow every instruction that I give to the letter. Understand your daughter needs you to help us, you need to be strong for her."
"I- I will," the woman tried her best to steady her nerves; I hoped that she would be ready because this would be scary.
"Faolan I need you to get out some scissors, some towels and antiseptic- a lot of it." I told Randi steeling myself for what was to come, "After the two of you cut away her dress from around the wound I need you to sterilize the area around the wound. Madam I'm going to need you to pack the towels as best are you can around the rebar while Faolan sanitizes at least three feet of the rebar that is protruding out."
"My name is Beverly and her name is Julie," the mother interrupted as she almost mechanically follow my instructions while Randi now done with her prep work prepared for what she knew that she needed to do. Once Beverly was done preparing her daughter I drew out the two things that I knew that I needed from my own bag of holding, a syringe containing a local anesthetic and my scepter. It took all of a moment to find what I knew that I needed from our library's medical texts that I had perused in my free time in-between writing assignments, just where to properly administer the local.
When I was done Randi sprang into action cleaving through the top of the length of rebar with a swipe of her saber, the cut was fast and clean not even causing the metal bar to rock as it passed through then blunted before it could hit Boudica. "Hey Faolan, be careful with that thing!" Still then Faolan switched her grip to make one final cut about a foot away from Julie, before placing her free hand on the child before she returned her blade to the axe holster with the other.
It was a good thing that she did because if keep Beverly from lifting Julie off of the rebar embedded in the floor "Move your hands, why you are holding her down," Beverly asked bewildered at Faolan's actions, "my daughter is almost free- why are you keeping me from rescuing her?!?"
"Because if you lifted her up before Aletheia began to heal her she would bleed out," Faolan replied refusing to sugar coat the facts. "While Julie is bleeding if we pulled her off too fast without Aletheia to heal her as we did so it would be fatal."
"Please you need to trust us," I explained while I placed my hand of Beverly's shoulder, "we will save Julie but remember- you need to stay calm and follow my instructions."
Numb over the fact that her maternal instincts to rescue her daughter almost killed the girl, Beverly replied with a simple nod of her head.
"Now I am going to begin to heal her," I explained as I readied my scepter for the first real trial I had given it so far, "you need to help Faolan lift your daughter off of the rebar that is still inside her- slowly and gently together as I heal her. There will be some blood but if we do this properly then the risk of complications should be negligible."
I placed my right hand on Julie with my scepter grasped firmly in my left I began to focus on healing the injured child before me, as I did so the child's mother Beverly followed Randi's pace as they slowly lifted the poor girl off the metal bar. While they did their best to free Julie, I did the same putting my powers to the test for the first time in the admittedly short time that I had been since leaving Cytherea's shadow and being properly born. Still I focused like I never had before to heal Julie's wounds and repair as much of the damage that had been done to her liver as I could, so much so that everything around me feel outside my perceptions all that mattered was the task at hand- making sure that this girl lived a long and healthy life.
I was so obliviously to what was going on that when someone shook my shoulder to draw my attention was surprised that I had been moved. I was so focused on the task at hand I didn't even notice that Boudacia had finally stopped playing Atlas to move me as I had continued my work, which as I felt the last of Julie's liver regenerate through the connection I had to her was finally done, although I could still feel something odd about the girl it was clear that my powers had done their job.
It was done, Julie was out of immediate danger although now that she was out of shock from the adrenaline she had passed out from the blood loss. I turned to Beverly who cradling her now sleeping five-year-old daughter looked at me with pleading eyes desperate for answers. "She's out of immediate danger," I explained as calmly as I could to the worried mother, "although she is still very weak. Julie lost a lot of blood, so she needs to get to the hospital for a transfusion; although if you know her blood-type maybe one of the aid workers in the triage area outside is a match. Still it is safe to move her now so let's get the two of you out of here."
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
9:12 PM
One by one the remaining members of the Children of the Night arrived on the roof of the structure centered around the four terminals of Logan International Airport, with the exception being their illustrious leader Charles "The Necromancer" Darrow himself every member of their group had arrived at the ambush position. Still being the sharpest tack on scene Lady Darke instantly noticed two anomalies; Arcane-Knight who had been ordered by Darrow himself to secure the scene was nowhere in sight nor was Lycanthros who should have been the second of the group to arrive, and also neither of their targets were in the strike zone below.
Yes, a good number of capes and masks were down in the triage area yet none were their targets, "What is going on?!?" Lady Darke demanded to her cohorts, "Where are targets? For that matter where is the rest of our team? Come on, if either of you know a change in the operation clue me in because if we screwed this up then the boss is going to be pissed!"
"Oh I am ever so sorry Lady Darke," a lilting and bemused voice replied a nearby voice whose owner soon materialized, a vaguely demonic figure grabbed in an outfit that seemed a token nod to bronze age philistine, "however your comrades are currently occupied and your targets appear to be busy elsewhere; mayhap my sisters and I can entertain you in the interim."
"I heard rumors that the last hangers on of the Obsidian Circle were trying to convince fools they were still around and making a comeback," Lady Darke arrogantly laughed at the now visible Erinyes, "but you three are soon to find out that you have bitten off more than you can chew here."
Skleeros who had yet to speak began to laugh, starting with a mild giggle until it graduated into maniacal abandon, "She has no idea, the third-rate psychic really doesn't have a clue, oh this is rich!"
"I'm glad that you find the situation so humorous," Lady Darke shot back more than a little insulted at the woman's insulting view of her, "because although we are numerically even I assure you we can still handle you three."
"I doubt it Miss Darden," a bemused man spoke from behind their position, "besides you might want to check your arithmetic."
Lady Darke and Jabberwock turned towards the source of the voice, leaving only Arch-Fiend to still face the Erinyes. Once Lady Darke was faced with the source of the voice Sandra came to regret her earlier assessment, the Erinyes were indeed not alone for the trio had her two companions caught between them and who appeared to be Mister Domino and Mistress Nyx.
"This can't be," Jabberwock spoke up in shock, "everyone knows that you two have been dead for decades!"
"I can assure you Jabberwock the news of our deaths was grossly exaggerated," Mistress Nyx elaborated in her eerie echoing tone from inside of the crystal hall that served as the head for the marionette that she controlled from her place in Hell. "We merely had a few plans in the works; we just let the world believe us deceased so we could lay the groundwork unencumbered by external interference, what is the matter of a few decades for those of us who have seen kingdoms rise and fall."
"But your orb was shattered by the Justice Brigade and Reverend Englund cut off Mister Domino's head!" Lady Darke all but sheiked in horror, "How does anyone come back from that!"
"There are ways- rituals that can be done ahead of time," Mister Domino replied in his own odd manner of speaking, "not that this matters to the situation that you found yourselves at this very moment. You see not only has your employer had the blatant audacity to steal from the Obsidian Circle, he has had the unmitigated gall to dare and interfere with plans that had been set in motion since long before this city was built. Neither can be allowed to pass so this leaves you with two options, stand aside or stand in our way. Now which do you choose?"
Unfortunately for Jabberwock and Lady Darke the first of their group to choose was Arch-Fiend- and he chose to attack, or more specifically he chose to attack Mistress Nyx. What followed was a macabre event with all the captivating perversity of a train wreck; every savage swipe of Arch-Fiend's claws was either brush-blocked or dodged with minimal effort, every lunging bite of his fang-filled maw was met with a simple slap, and every concrete shattering kick of his cloven hooves was blocked- until the last when Mistress Nyx caught him.
With Arch-Fiend's left-hoof now in hand Mistress Nyx then smacked him around the roof like a rag-doll until he laid partially embedded in the roof. Yet as much of a sight as seeing the demon getting his butt handed to him by a being a third his size was, what happened next sent chills down Jabberwock and Lady Darke's spines. Now on his back and at her mercy Mistress Nyx began to speak German in an ominous tone, "Ketherech, zweiundzwanzigsten Soldat in der fünften Legion von Duke Berith, die in den inneren Ring des Siebten Kreis auf der Wildnis des Krieges Schlachten; unter dem Blick von Silent tausend Augen Dumah ich werfe dich aus diesem sterblichen Schiff, im Namen von Abbadon ich dich verbannen, um den Rang und Datei Ihrer cohort- Dies trage ich zurück!"
Jabberwock and Lady Darke could only look on terrified as the teammate was surrounded by a sigil of blue-fire that grew brighter with each word that the echoing voice emanating from the scarlet smoke seen from the crystal ball that served as Mistress Nyx head. When the final words were spoken the blue fire flared to the point of blinding as they heard Arch-Fiend's deafening inhuman scream, which faded with the fire leaving Wilbur laying naked and unconscious at the feet of the sorceress of the Obsidian Circle whose identity was no longer in any doubt after this feat.
Deciding that for once discretion was the better part of valor Jabberwock and Lady Darke each tried to flee as fast as they could. Jabberwock vanished using his warper abilities to teleport, something that he preferred not to do during combat, while Lady Darke threw up a field of psychic-darkness to try and sneak away from the Obsidian Circle warlocks.
Rolling their eyes almost as one the Erinyes got to work: With a simple gesture and the phrase, "Profugus ad ostium aperi!" Miseo opened a portal in mid-air. With a simple flick of her wrist and the cantrip, "Maximos fructus suos vagus et adducite eum ad me!" Ekdikeo sent out a twisting rope of scarlet energy that entered the portal and hauled a struggling Jabberwock back when it returned. Now back on the scene of his teammate's defeat an amused Skleeros held her left pawl towards the scrambling Jabberwock and uttered her own spell, "Tumultus profugus sub oculis meis!" causing a length of scarlet chains to pour from her hand and bind the struggling mercenary.
Meanwhile the last member of the Children of the Night standing suddenly found herself stopping in her tracking, bewildered Lady Darke found herself walking back towards the Obsidian Circle or more specifically towards Mister Domino's outstretched hand which to her befuddlement...she took. "I'm sorry my dear, however I have taken partial control over your body from the neck down." Mister Domino explained as he led her in a casual stroll over to her captured teammates, "I could go further and extend my current control and order your thoracic diaphragm to stop contracting and suffocate you, or I could expand it to your brain and order your adrenal medulla to stop telling your heart to beat. However, this is Greygus's operation not mine and he prefers to keep the body-count as low as possible; in other words it is indeed your lucky day."
"But you said we had a choice to just leave," Lady Darke all but begged as she thrashed her head in vain trying to get her body to struggle against her captor's control, "that's what we were doing- leaving."
"I am so sorry child," Mister Domino explained the terrified psychic, "that offer was to the three of you as a group; when your teammate Arch-Fiend attacked Mistress Nyx it expired, do not worry further harm will come to you three we are just going to take you to the Boston Chapter House's holding room to wait for your employer."
"Poor Darrow," Mistress Nyx uttered with a tone of pity in her voice, "he really had no idea of the hornet's nest that he kicked. The storage room that he had looted was Charcaroth's and he is about the least gentle of our agents."
"Yeah no kidding," Miseo shuddered in midair, "just because he wasn't order the kill doesn't mean that he won't use your boss like a chew rag."
"Ugh, I know," Ekdikeo retched, "I wonder how long he'll be in traction?"
"Traction," Skeeros huffed, "I wager that it'll at least warrant an extended stay in the Intensive Care Unit."
Lady Darke and Jabberwock, while cursing the indignity of their current predicament, were glad that they weren't in their boss's shoes given the hunter on his scent.
American Airlines International Arrivals - Roof
9:27 PM
While the members of the Obsidian Circle and Erinyes were busy dealing with the rest of the rank and file of the Children of the Night, another group lay in wait hidden. This trio of individuals had been observing the building that Faolan and Aletheia had just entered with baited breath, "They have been in there too long, I need to go in and help them!" A woman proclaimed as she moved to leave the spells concealing the group's presence from prying eyes.
"No Hedgewitch," a man whose voice all but bleed the years and events that he had experienced, "Darrow and Carcharoth are also nearby and Greygus will be rejoining his comrades in the Obsidian Circle any moment, we need to stay hidden as long as possible!"
"Fray is right dear," another man explained desperate to reassure Hedgewitch, "until the final player in the game has revealed himself we don't dare do the same, besides those two need what experience this will afford them. Faolan will need to understand her current limits and Aletheia needs to encounter someone who hates her, this encounter will teach them both lessons that they will need to survive their trials and tribulations this summer."
"It doesn't mean that I have to like it Jaegarsman," Hedgewitch snapped back at her husband, "and the fact that my uncle and grandfather are here makes me enjoy this matter less and less. I can't believe what they tried to do to Faolan, I just wish that you'd let me give them a piece of my mind."
"I know that what they did was despicable," Jaegarsman replied as he put his arm around his wife, "but if they didn't do what they did she would have never become the Western Maiden. Moreover, Don Astio would have never received a vessel that could contain his power, and we need him for the battles to come- that and to keep Drakaina in check, you remember how she gets when her temper gets the better of her."
"Just remember Hedgewitch, the maidens are needed in order for the wounds of The Sundering to finally heal," Fray explained, "without them millions nay billions will suffer in the future and the survival of all life on Earth currently free of the Old Ones would be in jeopardy."
Hedgewitch continued to fume as she did her best to fight her instincts to prematurely come to the aid of the Maidens of East and West when Fray's communicator began to beep, desperate for a diversion to derail the current argument the former god of both the Teutonic and Norse pantheons answered, "Yes, Fray here."
"Fray this is Dagda," the former deity of the Gaelic Pantheon called out over the communicator, "I'm calling to let you know that I'm about five minutes away."
"Dagda you were supposed to be here hours ago," Fray inquired of his comrades husband, "just what's been keeping you?"
"The Massachusetts National Guard has been diverting all traffic to Boston to surrounding cities because of the current State of Emergency," Dagda explained, "I had to leave my car in a garage over in Revere and make my way by foot, because of all the road blocks and media choppers I can't show off and take the more direct route."
"I understand," Fray responded to the inbound ex-deity, "just get here as soon as you can, I have a feeling that we're about to need all the help that we can get."
Meanwhile ignoring Fray's orders Hedgewitch prepared a passive spell, something to give the children a fighting chance at survival, she just hoped against all odds that they wouldn't need her to use it.
Logan International Airport - Terminal E Parking
9:32 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I breathed a sigh of relief as we finally escorted Beverly and Julie out of the damaged airport terminal, I carried Bea who was winded from the first true test of her powers limit's both physically and emotionally while Boudacia had Julie now resting in her arms and for the moment stable.
"I'll get Julie and her mother over the Triage Area so that the paramedics can have a look at her," Boudacia explained briefly before she ran off with Beverly in tow, as we watched the trio race back towards where Bea and I were hard at work earlier.
As the Cape and her charges left Jane returned to her usual perch on my shoulder as I placed Bea on the nearby curb while shucking off the firefighter gear and the mermaid returned my cloak. "All of the stragglers have been evacuated from the terminals," I explained to my current companion as I came to rest at her side, taking the brief moment as a reprieve from the day's chaos.
"The radio chatter also indicates that the fires elsewhere in the city are out, and there has not been a single zombie sighting in hours," Jane began to explain. "The was sounds of combat in a park to the north of here and whoever it was that fought there seems to have actually captured Lycanthros."
"I was wondering when the Children of the Night would finally surface," I contributed to the conversation, "at least somebody took down their second in command."
I had just finished putting my normal mask back on when Jane exclaimed, "Faolan, we are not alone, I perceive at least five active concealment spells in our vicinity, three of which are approaching this location!"
Acting on instinct I took Aletheia back into my arms and opened my ears to our surroundings, when I heard a scrap on the concrete about ten-feet behind me I transformed into my ravewolf form and jumped narrowly avoiding a blast of arcane magic that would have likely the death of all three of us had it connected. I spun around in mid-air thanks to my boots in time to see the second blast that hit us- or would have if the shield generated by Bea's armor hadn't took the brunt of the spell.
Taking a moment to see what was happening I finally caught sight of our attacker- it was The Necromancer, the leader of the Children of the Night and bane of Team Kimba's excursions to Boston was here and trying to kill us. As the Grand Hall warlock sent another dark spell our way, the three of us scattered; Aletheia took her mermaid form and used the enchantment on her armor to swim to the right, Jane took off skyward, and I dashed to the right finally activating my nutrient pump so that I wouldn't risk passing out.
With his previous spell apparently exhausted Darrow switched to another as he desperately tried to hit Aletheia with the results of his arcane sorcery, while occasionally taking shots at Jane and me. Now the events of the day were starting to become clear- Bea was the target of today's chaos the entire time; it was openly suspected around Whateley that the Necromancer had a mole on the campus who had fed him intel on Phase's Birthday party last month in Boston, evidently the suspicion was real and whoever it was had also fed him intel on Aletheia.
While he obviously had known about her and her trip to Boston today, every group had made certain to keep their itinerary to themselves to lower the possibility of any further ambushes. However, The Necromancer's mole must have leaked the fact that Altheia was a healer because he created a series of disasters that would draw her out into the open, from what I knew of mutants with Healer-traits it was in their very nature to help others who needed them. As for the why Aletheia, that was obvious Darrow was an Innsmouther- everyone in Poe knew this from Carmilla; he had probably made a bargain with the Cult of Dagon to kill in exchange for power, maybe even assistance in his next attempt on Fey's life.
The Necromancer continued his relentless barrage of spells, growing more and more desperate to slow us down with even a glancing blow- especially Bea who was the hardest to hit of the three of us. Say what you will about a fish out of water but when it came to swimming merfolk were as swift as they were agile, and with her armor's ability Aletheia could not only swim through the air like it was water she could also do it even faster. This whole time Aletheia was swimming through the air with grace and speed dodging Darrow's attacks in a manner that the warlock had difficulty predicting stopping only to take cursory shots at me which I dodged as best I could.
Unfortunately, we could not keep this up forever, although I knew from Fey that The Necromancer due to his finite pool of mana relied more on prepared spells and the weapons hidden in his armor and would eventually run out of ammo, we only had so much steam ourselves and I wasn't willing to gamble that our stamina could outlast Darrow's preparations. We needed to go on the offensive if we wanted to make it out of this alive, but given that Aletheia needed time to aim to attack with her voice, something that she couldn't easily do given that it would have left her wide open to one of Darrow's attacks, that meant that it was up to Jane and I to fight back for her.
Sensing my intent Jane harnessed her nascent abilities as a storm crow and began to attack the Necromancer with lightning and hail to push him on the defensive, but at best all it was doing was throwing off his aim and slowing down his attacks. As for my own attacks with my rifle, my shock spell just rolled off of his own armor, my magnetic spell was ineffective, and my frost shot melted almost immediately; no matter what my spellshells were too low grade to work and the few spells that I had memorized wouldn't help in this situation. I was no Fey, this meant that if I wanted to attack Darrow I would have to get in close and use my blades, something that would put me too close to dodge if he tried to employ his lethal payload of Mi-go darts.
Still my options were limited, I drew Sydan out and asked Jane via our link to do her best to keep Darrow distracted; this would be risky and quite frankly was the stupidest thing that I had done in a while. With Jane doing her hardest to split the Necromancer's focus between Aletheia and herself, I moved into position to attack him directly with my dwarven-forged sabre; this would be the first time I had ever tried to attack anyone with the very real possibility that it might kill them but this was a straight up battle for survival, Darrow wouldn't really give us the option.
In desperation, I launched into a silent diving strike hoping to at least injure Darrow enough to force him to retreat and lick his wounds; unfortunately, the Necromancer wasn't as distracted as I thought. About halfway to my target Darrow spun around on his heel and launched a spell at me that would likely kill me when it hit, I knew that even with my ability to use air at any angle as a surface this spell was too big and too close for me to dodge; desperate to do anything to keep from dying I swung Sydan and all but prayed for a miracle.
That was when to the shock of everyone- especially Darrow, Sydan not only cut through his spell- it dispersed it so that all that hit me was brute force. Granted the remaining force of the spell hurt like a landing a belly-buster off a 10-meter-tall high dive, but the lethal effects of the spell had been completely negated.
"What in the world!" The Necromancer recoiled in shock at the failure of a spell that should have been lethal, sure that the event had been a fluke he ignored Aletheia and Jane as he began unload a barrage of spells in my direction. Bolstered by Sydan's newly discovered ability I met each spell with a swing of the sabre and although I continued to feel the brute-force of the pressure behind the arcane attacks the intended effects of the spells themselves were negated by the blade.
Fortunately Darrow was so focused on me that he had completely ignored Aletheia; an action that the Necromancer soon came to regret as a blast of concussive sonic force knocked him back ten feet. Desperate to keep the wall of sound emanating from the mermaid's vocal chords from flattening him- Darrow thrust his hand towards Aletheia and threw what had to be every ounce of essence he could muster to shield himself from her harmonic onslaught.
Once again another event surprised us as my worst nightmare Carcharoth, yes the projected incarnation of the freaking Fenris Wolf charged in and severed Darrow's fore-arms with the nastiest looking battle axe that I had ever seen in my life. The monster all hovered over his victim raw malice burning in his eyes, "Now Darrow, don't tell me that you actually thought that you would get away with stealing from me."
Noticing the look of disbelief on the warlock's face that weapon had actually cut through his armor Carcharoth began to gloat, "Oh don't be so surprised Charles, I have fought armored opponents before, some with far sturdier shells. This blade always cuts through any defense no matter how tough, it was made by the fire giant Surtr with Odin himself in mind. Not only does the front blade cut through armor like a hot knife through butter, the rear blade also curses any wound it passes to resist magic, and given the malice Surtr had in his molten heart when he forged it with his own sweat and blood if the wielder pumps enough hatred into the blade it glows with the heat of Muspellheim searing the flesh."
"Don't kill him Carcharoth," another voice called out as a figure I only recognized from my lessons with Morrigan, Greygus, landed, "this is still my operation and all hostiles have been neutralized."
One by one others materialized all of whom I recognized on Morrigan's lessons on the Obsidian Circle, aside from Greygus and Carcharoth along with Carcharoth's master (and father) Mister Domino, there was also the Erinyes trio of Skleeros, Miseo and Ekdikeo as well as their own employer Mistress Nyx (the nature of all four of whom was still a mystery).
The three of us kept our guard up although they had rescued us from the Necromancer's threat, and judging by Greygus's own admission kept the rest of the Children of the Night from attacking us they were clearly here as our enemy's enemy not as friends.
"I apologize for the abrupt nature of our request children," Mistress Nyx began to explain in her disturbingly lilted tone, "however I must insist that you come with us for the moment."
"Like we would go anywhere alone voluntarily with members of the most infamous faction in the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom," I barked out with Aletheia and Jane hovering beside me intent on fighting if we had to do so.
"Fortunately child you won't be alone," I heard an all to familiar friendly voice state, as I saw Dagda Redstag standing side-by-side with Fray (a comrade of Morrigan's from the Gray Barrow) as well as two others who evoked the impression of a huntsman and a deep woods wiccan.
"Indeed, we will be with you three to keep you safe," Fray spoke up somehow pissing off Carcharoth more and more with every word, "but now that the last of the Cardinal Maidens has been revealed it is time that for you four to meet and together learn of your destinies and how they will affect the entire world."
Fagin's Pub
Berlin, New Hampshire
10:39 PM
Morrigan looked up from her stool at the bar as she saw Headmistress Elizabeth Carson enter the pub, worry clearly etched across her face, something that Morrigan knew all too well from personal experience- it was a mother's concern for her child. Silently Morrigan removed her purse from the seat to her right, the very seat that she had been saving for the woman as she motioned to the privacy crystal between the two stools.
Elizabeth sat down laid her purse between their respective stools and after touching the crystal the woman unloaded at Morrigan, "I don't know why you insisted that we still meet here tonight, there was a major attack in Boston while my daughter and dozens of my students were there and you still insist of meeting me at a damned bar like nothing is wrong."
"I needed to meet with you because it is time that you learned a few things," Morrigan began to explain sighing as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "As for the students, I have word that they're fine. Your daughter and her fellow students were helping paramedics and emergency crews all over Boston and saved hundreds of lives in the process, they're going to be headed back to Berlin on the next train and Mister Lodgeman already arranged for a couple of buses to bring them back to campus once they arrive at the depot. As for Bea and Randi my husband and some close friends of mine are keeping them safe; they will be back sometime tomorrow the fact is that they are going to be learning about their destinies from both involved parties, both the Gray Barrow and the Obsidian Circle."
"Are you saying that my baby is with the Obsidian Circle," Elizabeth recoiled in shock and anger, "how could she be safe with those warlocks- for that matter how could Randi be safe this them, they tried to kill her. I mean Faolan is your student for crying out loud don't you care about her at all?"
"Of course I care about her!" Morrigan snapped back clearly outraged by Elizabeth's accusation, "Randi may not be my daughter but my blood flows in her veins just like your's does through Beatrice!"
Elizabeth Carson recoiled both at the force of Morrigan's anger but also at the revelation that the ancient sidhe general and Randi Bridges were somehow related, one thing was for certain this would be a very enlightening conversation in more ways than she first thought.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 19
Logan International Airport - Main Entrance
Boston, Massachusetts
8:51 PM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I hated to admit it but by far things were going rather well, Wild Pack and the FSA were making record time while sweeping the four airport terminals for survivors and so far had barely needed to dish out any elixir for zombie contamination. Heartbreaker and Palleon were doing great guiding evacuees to the triage area, and Jane's special perception from a bird's-eye view was helping me coordinate the search teams without a hitch.
"Stonebear," I bark out over the radio to relay the latest information from Jane, "I have seven sightings in the Eastern side of Terminal B, they should be around three-hundred feet from your location; just hang a left at the next hallway if you can- over."
"That's an affirmative Little Wolf," Stonebear replied over the coms, "I think that I can hear them- over and out!"
"Okay- Pendragon, I see a cluster of four or five individuals," I close my eyes to get a better sense of what Jane was seeing through our link, "The good news is they are only one-hundred feet ahead of you, the bad news is that they are on the floor below you- over."
"Drat, the fire's made the building too unstable to go through the floor; I'm going to need to search for a stairwell-over." The current leader of the Future Superheroes of America responded.
"Understood, keep an eye out for emergency exit signs, if it leads out than it leads down- oh and zombies just in case of ambush- over and out." I stated as I kept to the task at hand, according to Jane's vision there were still about three dozen people trapped by the fire in Logan International Airport spread between the four terminals. As things stood that meant that the evacuations had been mostly successful, I guess that the TSA here was actually earning their paychecks because this was the busiest airport in New England; I was just thankful that the Necromancer's goons didn't sabotage the Air-Traffic Control Tower too because the last thing that everyone needed was chaos on the runways in addition to the fires, plus this way they could redirect any incoming flights to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard and Worchester along with the smaller municipal airports.
"Stormwolf here," the leader of Wild Pack and defacto leader of this operation (at least until Pendragon put his foot down), "Group has been escorted safely from Terminal C and have rendezvoused with Firecat, please direct to next group- over."
"Roger Stormwolf, there are three clusters of civilians in the southern fork of Terminal C." I replied again closing my eyes to try and better interpret what Jane saw of the situation at the eastern-most terminal. "There are six on the second level and seven on the first; two groups are at the opposite ends of the first level, four on the northern end of that fork and three on the south- over."
"Understood- I'll take the first floor, Firecat you handle the groups on the upper level-over."
"Roger Stormwolf," the pyrokinetic of the team replied, "just be careful down there boss- over and out."
I took another swig of water from my canteen, one of many that I had in my bag for emergencies. While working with Jane to continue to monitor the rescue efforts one thing continued to nag at the back of my mind, all of this destruction, all of this chaos, and still there hadn't been a single confirmed sighting of a single super-villain. Even on the police band was only full of emergency crews and zombie mop up operations; there wasn't a single report of the Children of the Night, no looters, heck there hadn't even been a report of Death Ghost and from what Chou told me that mook was a straight up opportunistic scavenger.
I mean there was a lot of noise on the coms from Emergency Response Crews and the like, but when it came to the type that lit this damned powder keg in the first place the silence was deafening... and that was scary. This could mean that the Children of the Night were still waiting on the Kimbas to show, which made me afraid that group of psychos would try and up the ante even more, or else they were after something else. I don't know which possibility left me more terrified; I tried to stave off my paranoia, but the possibilities just continued to pile on and fester even worse the more I tried to suppress them with reason. I just knew in my gut that the shit had still yet to hit the fan, and when it did the local flavor of psycho would be there flinging it at the blades like a troop of pissed off chimpanzees.
"Overwatch come in," I heard Boudacia call in and from Jane's perspective she was with the three people that I had sent her to guide out from Terminal E but they were still stuck in the same spot, "I need back-up asap, this is an emergency- over!"
"This is overwatch, please state the situation Boudacia- over." I replied dreading the response that was coming my way.
"I have a partially collapsed ceiling and a young girl pinned under some rebar," Boudacia explained chilling me to the core, "She's pierced in at least one place that I can see, and I don't dare move her especially since I'm all that's holding up the ceiling. I need a healer and either a blade user or a precision blaster asap- over."
I ran the scenario through my head as fast as I was able, while we did have healers here assisting the paramedics most were spell-casters and for something like this we needed nascent precision, the problem was that the only two legitimate healers that we had were Asklepian and Aletheia. From what I knew of Asklepian (as well as the myth of the Hydra's fight with Hercules) I knew that her and fire of any sort could be a potentially lethal combination, and Aletheia being a mermaid made her vulnerable to heat-stroke. Although my cloak would be an ideal solution to either problem; given the length of Asklepian's tail that meant it wouldn't protect the lower half of her body, Aletheia on the other hand was about my size and if she stayed human that meant the cloak would protect her.
The other issue was that Pendragon was busy at the other end of the airport and I was the only blade-user available, (given that every blaster we had was occupied) that meant both Aletheia and I were the best choice available to come to Boudica's aid. Spotting an empty fireman's suit nearby I knew what I needed to do, "Roger Boudica, Aletheia and I will be there soon- over and out."
I turned to the fireman's gear and after shucking my cloak (although for good measure I drew Sydan as well), then put the gear on as best I could, even if it means that I needed to take off the Mask of Occlusion in favor for my backup cloth mask. After haphazardly stowing Sydan in the loop normally reserved for a fire-man's axe (since it was blunt while inert there was no problem with it hanging loose) I knew that I was ready. "Strato," I shouted out to Quickvix's teammate who was acting as an extra pair of hands of the paramedics, "I need to respond to an emergency in Terminal E, and I need you to cover for me, I'll try and relay what Jane sees to you over my com."
"I'm on it Faolan," Arnold stated as he jogged over to the make-shift com center, "but there's no need to play telephone, I've been working on something at Quickvix's request." My roommate's teammate remarked as he plugged something into the console. "It should let Jane transmit to our com frequency- just tell her to try matching the frequency on the label."
'Can you give it a try Jane,' I asked my familiar over our link and letting her in on the radio frequency.
"Testing- testing, are you receiving me?" Jane inquired over the com setup.
"Loud and clear Jane," Strato replied with a grin across his face, "we are ready to go!"
"That you are," I remarked briefly taking the headset away from Strato to relay the situation to the others first. After a flip of the stitch on Wild Pack's console I sent out an all call over the transmitter, "To all rescuers I need to step away from the radio to assist Boudacia with an emergency rescue, please be advised that I will be stepping away from overwatch duty- seven individuals remain. I am turning over the coms to Strato and Jane will be relaying all information that she can gather to him- over and out."
Now fully garbed in fireman's gear I went over to where Aletheia was assisting with the evacuees. I took a deep breath and knew that after this Headmistress Carson would probably give me detention until I graduated but I needed to do this, "Aletheia, Boudica's in trouble and she needs a healer in Terminal E ASAP."
"Not a problem," Aletheia stated before she brought out her mermaid form and took to the air with the strips of her cloak became like fins, "I'll be there in a flash."
"Sorry but not like that," I elaborated as I presented my cloak, "that place is hotter than an oven and dangerously unstable, we have to be careful if we want to avoid triggering a backdraft or any further collapses. That means I'm going to be carrying you up there, and you're going to need heat protection."
Understanding my proposal, the eastern maiden took my cloak and draped it over herself before pulling up the hood. "You're also going to need an oxygen tank." I explained as I began to retrieve my scuba gear, I know I'm loaning scuba gear to a mermaid- who would have ever seen the day.
"There's no need for that," Aletheia explained as she took off her glove, showing me her purification ring. "This filters out more than just water, it turns out it does a the exact same thing in open air too."
"At least one of us doesn't have to worry about red ozone days," I grumbled as I returned my scuba gear to the Reticle of the Fields; I wonder if I could negotiate with one of the mermaids for one of those things, it would certainly be less cumbersome than a gas mask. Given that I was going to be using standard fireman's gear, including the mask, I couldn't be using any of my shape-shifting forms- just as well, burnt fur reeked something nasty. "Oh, by the way you can air-swim just not inside of the building."
"I just wished I could walk so you wouldn't have to carry me once we got inside." Aletheia huffed.
"Hey practice makes perfect," I explained as the mermaid again took to the air, "don't fret- it'll happen eventually; now let's not keep Boudacia waiting any longer. Believe me one super-power that she doesn't have is the patience of a saint."
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom Storage Facility - Outside
New York City, New York
8:59 PM
Arcane-Knight landed not with the force of a meteorite, but more like that of a water balloon as the spell of Greygus's mace dispelled with a burst of pressure. Overall the trip left the former unwilling member of the Children of the Night unharmed, yet more than a little disoriented as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. This feeling of disorientation was more than natural even with the fact that he was nothing more than a possessed mech suit, but given the fact that he had been sent hurtling through the air by his opponent's blow so far and fast that he had no idea where he was even a shade such as he would be confused even his GPS had yet to calibrate.
Taking a moment to case the vicinity of his landing with the full range of his sensor suit Arcane-Knight could immediately tell that he was no longer in Boston, the skyline made this more than clear. No, despite the fact that it was dark he could tell that the skyline pointed to a far larger city- and judging by the direction that he had been sent flying in the best possible choice was, "I must have landed in New York."
"Indeed, you have," a man stated as he made his way out of the nearby warehouse. Arcane-Knight could see that he had left the presence of one legend of his industry only to land in the presence of another, exiting the building before him was none other than Shuffle leader of the company known in the business as Shuffle's Sweepers being followed by several costumes that were likely mercs that were skilled enough to work directly under the boss himself. "Now at present your moniker eludes me but I doubt that it will for long."
Without an ounce of fear on his face Shuffle calmly strolled over to the haunted suit of mech armor, and calmly leaned forward to look his guest right in the optics that were a part of Arcane-Knight's helmet visor- stating in a voice that was so matter-of-fact that if the now liberated mercenary experienced this situation while he still had a body that he might have lost bowel control. "Now as I see it you have two options: You can either explain who you are and why you are here now while I am asking politely, or you can wait for us to find out on our own while we hold you in a detention cell. I know that the prospect is unpleasant, however as you are clearly no ordinary civilian please be aware that your treatment under our stewardship will only reflect your own level of cooperation from here on out."
Arcane-Knight quickly weighed his options, he had just left the employment of the Children of the Night's leader Charles Darrow only to land in the custody of another, who despite being another black hat known to be in league with a faction of the Grand Hall, was not known for being nearly as much of a monster infact Shuffle was regarded as quite the opposite and was not above showing mercy when the opportunity presented itself. Also, he was being offered a choice this time. While his situation at present was far from ideal Arcane-Knight decided that it was best to cooperate...for now.
"I am known as Arcane-Knight and if this building is what I presume it is then I have some information that you may be interested in..."
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
9:05 PM
Lycanthros had finally arrived at the strike zone, the first of the veteran Children of the Night to do so, and yet there was one question on his mind. "Where the hell is that whiny tin can?"
The second-in-command of the Darrow's crew surveyed the surrounding area and given that he didn't spot a single sign of their current indentured servant decided to forgo sight for another sense.
Assuming his own lupine form the mysterious werewolf began to pick apart the scene by scent, "Let's see- yeah the scrap-heap was here I can smell the cheap auto wax we give him for maintenance; hold on he wasn't alone." Lycantros took another deep whiff wanting to get the whole story before he bothered his boss, something about tonight's job had Darrow frothing so it was not the time for half-assing a snag in the plan, "Yep, four others were here, three scents vaguely like Wilbur's flipside- can't tell what flavor of demon though, but it seems familiar."
"Let's see who guest number four was," Lycanthros took another series of deep sniffs, "no this one wasn't a demon, though definitely not human either. Wait a minute this smells familiar... oh crap its Greyg-"
Lycanthros's investigation of the roof top was put on hiatus when the source of the fourth scent materialized and sent him flying northward with a strike of his mace to the ribs. "Game on you SOB," Greygus stated before following the lycantropoid of unknown origins via the Odinson travel method substituting his mace for mjolnir.
Lycanthros unlike his now former teammate Arcane-Knight received a less than gentle landing in the middle of Constitution Beach Park's southern athletics field, raking up a good amount of turf in the process. His side now throbbing, the werewolf quickly took in his surroundings which were nothing but an open field
in between two baseball fields. Still there were some trees to his west that would make for excellent cover to ambush his attacker, his decision now made for him the jewel-eyed werewolf made for cover wincing at the pain that blossomed from his ribs as he did so.
Unfortunately for the fleeing felon he made it all of ten feet towards the trees when he heard an odd whistling, knowing who his opponent was the werewolf stopped in his tracks just before an arrow landed right in front of his path. As he spun on this heel towards the source of the projectile a series of similar arrows to the first, in the blink of an eye Lycanthros found himself surrounded in a ring of spend arrows of an odd color.
A quick glance to the sky gave the second in command of the Children of the Night a better view of his assailant, overhead using his mace like the blades of a helicopter to hold himself aloft was Greygus who with the crossbow hidden in his still free left arm's gauntlet drew a bead on Lycanthros.
Taking a moment to take in the two concentric circles of arrows that now surrounded him, Lycanthros feel to his knees in laughter, "Really you come all the to Boston and send me flying part-way across town only to try and stop me with a something so childish. I honestly don't know why anyone would be so afraid of you, it's not like you even go for the kill!"
"I wouldn't cross that line if I were you," Greygus stated while ignoring his adversary's taunt while he slowly lowered to the ground.
"Yeah right," the werewolf tried to cross the first circle of arrows only to recoil in pain, "What the hell?!?"
"The inner circle is a series of interconnected monofilament karone wire." the disguised djinn elaborated as he touched down, "Not lethal, but certainly painful." With the werewolf's attention drawn Greygus press a switch on his left gauntlet causing the arrows of both circles to seemingly split down the middle (except for a peg in the middle which slabbed into the ground like a spike) before releasing more monofilament strands to intertwine and connect with those which had already been deployed. Before long it looked like the werewolf was contained under a semi-transparent lavender canopy with a grey net draped over that, just before a series of whirring was heard from the arrowheads as both the canopy and the net above it began to slowly retract drawing the faux dome closer to the ground.
"So what if the net's karone," Lycanthros snarled at his smug captor, "I can handle a little pain!"
"True but the little secret to your above average lycanthropic strength won't," Greygus retorted, "A werewolf using skinshifter magic using the pelts of other werewolves to augment his own abilities, kind of like a perverse form of athletic juicing if you ask me. Plus, only the inner circle is karone, the outer net is an over-under weave titanium cable with a core of granulated mithril; so, before you think about breaking free understand that you will be out for a little while due to the pain, and should that happen you run the risk of breathing in a dangerous amount of powdered mithril. Now from that sparkler I know you are aware of what mithril does to lycanthropes with just a surface application, do you want to risk getting it into your lungs."
As the nets drew him closer to the ground Lycanthros glared with his one remaining eye at his captor filled with murderous intent, before finally trying to signal the rest of the Children of the Night yet only hearing static through the receiver.
"You didn't think that the first thing that I'd do when I saw you arrive wouldn't be to jam your coms did you?" Greygus smirked under his helmet, "Looks like this hound outfoxed a wolf."
"You are going to pay for this," Lycanthros all but roared as he now laid pressed against the ground, "the other Children of the Night-"
"Will soon be busy with playmates of their own," Greygus interrupted his quarry, "I didn't come here alone, the Erinyas are here too- along with the operative whose storage room your boss had looted."
That tidbit had Lycanthros's eyes wide with terror, not only was Lycaon alive but he was here and on the hunt, despite Greygus's reputation for zero-fatality operations blood was going to be spilled tonight- and for once Lycanthros doubted that it would be the Children of the Night's doing when it happened.
Logan International Airport - Terminal E
9:08 PM
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
As annoying as it was to be carried around- again, I had to admit Faolan clearly knew what she was doing. "Wow I heard that Morrigan put you through all kinds of training but who would have thought that she trained you for this!"
"Yeah, a rescue scenario involving a burning building not yet from her, I'll remember to ask her when we get back to the Academy to aid it onto my training regimen." My fellow maiden nervously laughed as we steadily made our way through the burning terminal.
"What?!? I shot back more than a little panicked but I tried to real that back in...for now, "but you do know what you're doing right?"
"A little baseline fireman's training, practice and some very recent experience," Randi admitted sheepishly, "I received some fireman's training from Pero del Fuego back home while I was getting my new body in shape along with some just-in-case-pointers. Mostly how to move through a burning building and how to navigate uneven and unstable terrain, of course with these boots of mine I could make a mountain goat jealous but better safe than sorry."
"You wouldn't happen to know where I could score me a pair of those boots would you?" I inquired as sing-song as I could to butter her up.
"Learn how to walk in high heels and then we'll talk about magic boots," Faolan dead-panned in reply, "Really I know how much you want to walk on your own but those boots won't help one bit unless you can stand while using them."
"Crud," I sulked, it was taking too damned long to get and stay on my own two feet, and really, I wanted to kiss that flipping wheel-chair good-bye already.
"Hey, you'll get there," Faolan patted me on the back while we made our way towards the other side of the building, "from what I've heard you're already far enough along to switch to loft-stand crutches and leg-braces. The medical staff is just being overly cautious, give it a few more days and you'll be walking around, just with some aid while you build up those your calves, quads and core."
"So they keep telling me," I sighed safe from the heat beneath the folds of Faolan's cloak, "you're certain that this will protect me from the fire?"
"It's heat tolerance is up to that of molten lava, unless there is any jet fuel inside the main terminal than we're golden." My friend and current mode of transportation within this inferno replied as we made our way to the closest stairwell from where we entered.
Unfortunately, the stairwell had seen better days, as debris from the second floor was now clogging the stairs with rubble, "Well so much for that direction."
"Not necessarily," Faolan replied as she began to use her boots to skywalk to the second floor like she was climbing a ladder. The process took all of a couple of minutes before we were finally on the second floor; thankfully while the stairwell was a mess at least the exit wasn't obstructed, although once we opened the door it was clear that the path to Boudacia and the two that she was trying to keep alive was anything but a cakewalk.
From beneath the cloak I looked around to see burning debris, and fallen pieces of the terminals ceiling it was more reminiscent of a warzone than a major airport that served one of the country's oldest cities. Talk about a dark irony, my first time going to an airport and the place looked like a warzone, and in a few months' time my first time arriving by an airplane would be in a country that was torn apart by war- Iraq. Granted my fellow maiden Faolan wasn't in for a pleasant summer either- she'd be living like an animal in a land known for trigger-happy ranchers.
Carefully the two of us made our way through the rubble guided by the eyes of Randi's familiar Jane through the link that the pair shared with each other, much the same as Jane's mother Babd shared with Mrs. Redstag- I still had so much to learn about magic.
"Mommy," my heart sank as I heard something that no one should ever want to hear a child gasping in pain, "it hurts."
"My baby's dying and you're doing nothing!" I heard a woman scream nearby.
"Not true ma'am," I heard a voice that I recognized as Boudacia nearby, "I'm keeping this piece of ceiling stable while we wait for backup to arrive."
"Stop waiting Boudica," Faolan cried out in reply as we approached the sound of their voices, "I'm here and I've got Aletheia with me, keep calm ma'am we'll have you two out of this before you know it."
When we got there, it was as bad as we heard; a piece of the ceiling had come down on a mother and her daughter as they were trying to evacuate, while they hadn't been crushed by the debris it had done something worse- a piece of rebar had skewered the ten-year old in the abdomen and debris weight was slowly forcing its way downward by the time Boudacia arrived to keep it from flattening the trapped child.
"Please we need to get my baby off there," the woman grabbed Randi in her hysteria almost causing her to drop me as she shook the both of us, "you can do that right?!?"
"Yes, but I need to have a look at your daughter first," I explained as I gestured for Randi to set me down near the girl to examine her. It took a moment with the limited experience that I had, but using the ribs of the trembling girl as a guide to compare her anatomy with that of the transparencies that I had seen at the library told me all that I needed. "I have good news and bad news; the good news is that the rebar missed her spine however it did puncture her liver."
"Oh my God," the woman sank to the ground in horror, "I'm going to lose my baby girl."
"Calm down ma'am," Faolan did her best to reassure the woman, "the liver is an odd ball when it comes to organs; you can even live with part of it removed. Fortunately, Aletheia here is a healer, if we work carefully the worst that your girl will need is a tetanus series, a blood transfusion, and a prescription for some broad-spectrum anti-biotics."
"Now madam," I began to explain in as calm a voice as I could, "before I begin I'm going to need to give her a local anesthetic. I'm going to need you to help Faolan cut away the clothes around the wound and clean the area before I begin, afterward I am going to need you to follow every instruction that I give to the letter. Understand your daughter needs you to help us, you need to be strong for her."
"I- I will," the woman tried her best to steady her nerves; I hoped that she would be ready because this would be scary.
"Faolan I need you to get out some scissors, some towels and antiseptic- a lot of it." I told Randi steeling myself for what was to come, "After the two of you cut away her dress from around the wound I need you to sterilize the area around the wound. Madam I'm going to need you to pack the towels as best are you can around the rebar while Faolan sanitizes at least three feet of the rebar that is protruding out."
"My name is Beverly and her name is Julie," the mother interrupted as she almost mechanically follow my instructions while Randi now done with her prep work prepared for what she knew that she needed to do. Once Beverly was done preparing her daughter I drew out the two things that I knew that I needed from my own bag of holding, a syringe containing a local anesthetic and my scepter. It took all of a moment to find what I knew that I needed from our library's medical texts that I had perused in my free time in-between writing assignments, just where to properly administer the local.
When I was done Randi sprang into action cleaving through the top of the length of rebar with a swipe of her saber, the cut was fast and clean not even causing the metal bar to rock as it passed through then blunted before it could hit Boudica. "Hey Faolan, be careful with that thing!" Still then Faolan switched her grip to make one final cut about a foot away from Julie, before placing her free hand on the child before she returned her blade to the axe holster with the other.
It was a good thing that she did because if keep Beverly from lifting Julie off of the rebar embedded in the floor "Move your hands, why you are holding her down," Beverly asked bewildered at Faolan's actions, "my daughter is almost free- why are you keeping me from rescuing her?!?"
"Because if you lifted her up before Aletheia began to heal her she would bleed out," Faolan replied refusing to sugar coat the facts. "While Julie is bleeding if we pulled her off too fast without Aletheia to heal her as we did so it would be fatal."
"Please you need to trust us," I explained while I placed my hand of Beverly's shoulder, "we will save Julie but remember- you need to stay calm and follow my instructions."
Numb over the fact that her maternal instincts to rescue her daughter almost killed the girl, Beverly replied with a simple nod of her head.
"Now I am going to begin to heal her," I explained as I readied my scepter for the first real trial I had given it so far, "you need to help Faolan lift your daughter off of the rebar that is still inside her- slowly and gently together as I heal her. There will be some blood but if we do this properly then the risk of complications should be negligible."
I placed my right hand on Julie with my scepter grasped firmly in my left I began to focus on healing the injured child before me, as I did so the child's mother Beverly followed Randi's pace as they slowly lifted the poor girl off the metal bar. While they did their best to free Julie, I did the same putting my powers to the test for the first time in the admittedly short time that I had been since leaving Cytherea's shadow and being properly born. Still I focused like I never had before to heal Julie's wounds and repair as much of the damage that had been done to her liver as I could, so much so that everything around me feel outside my perceptions all that mattered was the task at hand- making sure that this girl lived a long and healthy life.
I was so obliviously to what was going on that when someone shook my shoulder to draw my attention was surprised that I had been moved. I was so focused on the task at hand I didn't even notice that Boudacia had finally stopped playing Atlas to move me as I had continued my work, which as I felt the last of Julie's liver regenerate through the connection I had to her was finally done, although I could still feel something odd about the girl it was clear that my powers had done their job.
It was done, Julie was out of immediate danger although now that she was out of shock from the adrenaline she had passed out from the blood loss. I turned to Beverly who cradling her now sleeping five-year-old daughter looked at me with pleading eyes desperate for answers. "She's out of immediate danger," I explained as calmly as I could to the worried mother, "although she is still very weak. Julie lost a lot of blood, so she needs to get to the hospital for a transfusion; although if you know her blood-type maybe one of the aid workers in the triage area outside is a match. Still it is safe to move her now so let's get the two of you out of here."
Boston Logan International Airport - Massport Roof
9:12 PM
One by one the remaining members of the Children of the Night arrived on the roof of the structure centered around the four terminals of Logan International Airport, with the exception being their illustrious leader Charles "The Necromancer" Darrow himself every member of their group had arrived at the ambush position. Still being the sharpest tack on scene Lady Darke instantly noticed two anomalies; Arcane-Knight who had been ordered by Darrow himself to secure the scene was nowhere in sight nor was Lycanthros who should have been the second of the group to arrive, and also neither of their targets were in the strike zone below.
Yes, a good number of capes and masks were down in the triage area yet none were their targets, "What is going on?!?" Lady Darke demanded to her cohorts, "Where are targets? For that matter where is the rest of our team? Come on, if either of you know a change in the operation clue me in because if we screwed this up then the boss is going to be pissed!"
"Oh I am ever so sorry Lady Darke," a lilting and bemused voice replied a nearby voice whose owner soon materialized, a vaguely demonic figure grabbed in an outfit that seemed a token nod to bronze age philistine, "however your comrades are currently occupied and your targets appear to be busy elsewhere; mayhap my sisters and I can entertain you in the interim."
"I heard rumors that the last hangers on of the Obsidian Circle were trying to convince fools they were still around and making a comeback," Lady Darke arrogantly laughed at the now visible Erinyes, "but you three are soon to find out that you have bitten off more than you can chew here."
Skleeros who had yet to speak began to laugh, starting with a mild giggle until it graduated into maniacal abandon, "She has no idea, the third-rate psychic really doesn't have a clue, oh this is rich!"
"I'm glad that you find the situation so humorous," Lady Darke shot back more than a little insulted at the woman's insulting view of her, "because although we are numerically even I assure you we can still handle you three."
"I doubt it Miss Darden," a bemused man spoke from behind their position, "besides you might want to check your arithmetic."
Lady Darke and Jabberwock turned towards the source of the voice, leaving only Arch-Fiend to still face the Erinyes. Once Lady Darke was faced with the source of the voice Sandra came to regret her earlier assessment, the Erinyes were indeed not alone for the trio had her two companions caught between them and who appeared to be Mister Domino and Mistress Nyx.
"This can't be," Jabberwock spoke up in shock, "everyone knows that you two have been dead for decades!"
"I can assure you Jabberwock the news of our deaths was grossly exaggerated," Mistress Nyx elaborated in her eerie echoing tone from inside of the crystal hall that served as the head for the marionette that she controlled from her place in Hell. "We merely had a few plans in the works; we just let the world believe us deceased so we could lay the groundwork unencumbered by external interference, what is the matter of a few decades for those of us who have seen kingdoms rise and fall."
"But your orb was shattered by the Justice Brigade and Reverend Englund cut off Mister Domino's head!" Lady Darke all but sheiked in horror, "How does anyone come back from that!"
"There are ways- rituals that can be done ahead of time," Mister Domino replied in his own odd manner of speaking, "not that this matters to the situation that you found yourselves at this very moment. You see not only has your employer had the blatant audacity to steal from the Obsidian Circle, he has had the unmitigated gall to dare and interfere with plans that had been set in motion since long before this city was built. Neither can be allowed to pass so this leaves you with two options, stand aside or stand in our way. Now which do you choose?"
Unfortunately for Jabberwock and Lady Darke the first of their group to choose was Arch-Fiend- and he chose to attack, or more specifically he chose to attack Mistress Nyx. What followed was a macabre event with all the captivating perversity of a train wreck; every savage swipe of Arch-Fiend's claws was either brush-blocked or dodged with minimal effort, every lunging bite of his fang-filled maw was met with a simple slap, and every concrete shattering kick of his cloven hooves was blocked- until the last when Mistress Nyx caught him.
With Arch-Fiend's left-hoof now in hand Mistress Nyx then smacked him around the roof like a rag-doll until he laid partially embedded in the roof. Yet as much of a sight as seeing the demon getting his butt handed to him by a being a third his size was, what happened next sent chills down Jabberwock and Lady Darke's spines. Now on his back and at her mercy Mistress Nyx began to speak German in an ominous tone, "Ketherech, zweiundzwanzigsten Soldat in der fünften Legion von Duke Berith, die in den inneren Ring des Siebten Kreis auf der Wildnis des Krieges Schlachten; unter dem Blick von Silent tausend Augen Dumah ich werfe dich aus diesem sterblichen Schiff, im Namen von Abbadon ich dich verbannen, um den Rang und Datei Ihrer cohort- Dies trage ich zurück!"
Jabberwock and Lady Darke could only look on terrified as the teammate was surrounded by a sigil of blue-fire that grew brighter with each word that the echoing voice emanating from the scarlet smoke seen from the crystal ball that served as Mistress Nyx head. When the final words were spoken the blue fire flared to the point of blinding as they heard Arch-Fiend's deafening inhuman scream, which faded with the fire leaving Wilbur laying naked and unconscious at the feet of the sorceress of the Obsidian Circle whose identity was no longer in any doubt after this feat.
Deciding that for once discretion was the better part of valor Jabberwock and Lady Darke each tried to flee as fast as they could. Jabberwock vanished using his warper abilities to teleport, something that he preferred not to do during combat, while Lady Darke threw up a field of psychic-darkness to try and sneak away from the Obsidian Circle warlocks.
Rolling their eyes almost as one the Erinyes got to work: With a simple gesture and the phrase, "Profugus ad ostium aperi!" Miseo opened a portal in mid-air. With a simple flick of her wrist and the cantrip, "Maximos fructus suos vagus et adducite eum ad me!" Ekdikeo sent out a twisting rope of scarlet energy that entered the portal and hauled a struggling Jabberwock back when it returned. Now back on the scene of his teammate's defeat an amused Skleeros held her left pawl towards the scrambling Jabberwock and uttered her own spell, "Tumultus profugus sub oculis meis!" causing a length of scarlet chains to pour from her hand and bind the struggling mercenary.
Meanwhile the last member of the Children of the Night standing suddenly found herself stopping in her tracking, bewildered Lady Darke found herself walking back towards the Obsidian Circle or more specifically towards Mister Domino's outstretched hand which to her befuddlement...she took. "I'm sorry my dear, however I have taken partial control over your body from the neck down." Mister Domino explained as he led her in a casual stroll over to her captured teammates, "I could go further and extend my current control and order your thoracic diaphragm to stop contracting and suffocate you, or I could expand it to your brain and order your adrenal medulla to stop telling your heart to beat. However, this is Greygus's operation not mine and he prefers to keep the body-count as low as possible; in other words it is indeed your lucky day."
"But you said we had a choice to just leave," Lady Darke all but begged as she thrashed her head in vain trying to get her body to struggle against her captor's control, "that's what we were doing- leaving."
"I am so sorry child," Mister Domino explained the terrified psychic, "that offer was to the three of you as a group; when your teammate Arch-Fiend attacked Mistress Nyx it expired, do not worry further harm will come to you three we are just going to take you to the Boston Chapter House's holding room to wait for your employer."
"Poor Darrow," Mistress Nyx uttered with a tone of pity in her voice, "he really had no idea of the hornet's nest that he kicked. The storage room that he had looted was Charcaroth's and he is about the least gentle of our agents."
"Yeah no kidding," Miseo shuddered in midair, "just because he wasn't order the kill doesn't mean that he won't use your boss like a chew rag."
"Ugh, I know," Ekdikeo retched, "I wonder how long he'll be in traction?"
"Traction," Skeeros huffed, "I wager that it'll at least warrant an extended stay in the Intensive Care Unit."
Lady Darke and Jabberwock, while cursing the indignity of their current predicament, were glad that they weren't in their boss's shoes given the hunter on his scent.
American Airlines International Arrivals - Roof
9:27 PM
While the members of the Obsidian Circle and Erinyes were busy dealing with the rest of the rank and file of the Children of the Night, another group lay in wait hidden. This trio of individuals had been observing the building that Faolan and Aletheia had just entered with baited breath, "They have been in there too long, I need to go in and help them!" A woman proclaimed as she moved to leave the spells concealing the group's presence from prying eyes.
"No Hedgewitch," a man whose voice all but bleed the years and events that he had experienced, "Darrow and Carcharoth are also nearby and Greygus will be rejoining his comrades in the Obsidian Circle any moment, we need to stay hidden as long as possible!"
"Fray is right dear," another man explained desperate to reassure Hedgewitch, "until the final player in the game has revealed himself we don't dare do the same, besides those two need what experience this will afford them. Faolan will need to understand her current limits and Aletheia needs to encounter someone who hates her, this encounter will teach them both lessons that they will need to survive their trials and tribulations this summer."
"It doesn't mean that I have to like it Jaegarsman," Hedgewitch snapped back at her husband, "and the fact that my uncle and grandfather are here makes me enjoy this matter less and less. I can't believe what they tried to do to Faolan, I just wish that you'd let me give them a piece of my mind."
"I know that what they did was despicable," Jaegarsman replied as he put his arm around his wife, "but if they didn't do what they did she would have never become the Western Maiden. Moreover, Don Astio would have never received a vessel that could contain his power, and we need him for the battles to come- that and to keep Drakaina in check, you remember how she gets when her temper gets the better of her."
"Just remember Hedgewitch, the maidens are needed in order for the wounds of The Sundering to finally heal," Fray explained, "without them millions nay billions will suffer in the future and the survival of all life on Earth currently free of the Old Ones would be in jeopardy."
Hedgewitch continued to fume as she did her best to fight her instincts to prematurely come to the aid of the Maidens of East and West when Fray's communicator began to beep, desperate for a diversion to derail the current argument the former god of both the Teutonic and Norse pantheons answered, "Yes, Fray here."
"Fray this is Dagda," the former deity of the Gaelic Pantheon called out over the communicator, "I'm calling to let you know that I'm about five minutes away."
"Dagda you were supposed to be here hours ago," Fray inquired of his comrades husband, "just what's been keeping you?"
"The Massachusetts National Guard has been diverting all traffic to Boston to surrounding cities because of the current State of Emergency," Dagda explained, "I had to leave my car in a garage over in Revere and make my way by foot, because of all the road blocks and media choppers I can't show off and take the more direct route."
"I understand," Fray responded to the inbound ex-deity, "just get here as soon as you can, I have a feeling that we're about to need all the help that we can get."
Meanwhile ignoring Fray's orders Hedgewitch prepared a passive spell, something to give the children a fighting chance at survival, she just hoped against all odds that they wouldn't need her to use it.
Logan International Airport - Terminal E Parking
9:32 PM
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I breathed a sigh of relief as we finally escorted Beverly and Julie out of the damaged airport terminal, I carried Bea who was winded from the first true test of her powers limit's both physically and emotionally while Boudacia had Julie now resting in her arms and for the moment stable.
"I'll get Julie and her mother over the Triage Area so that the paramedics can have a look at her," Boudacia explained briefly before she ran off with Beverly in tow, as we watched the trio race back towards where Bea and I were hard at work earlier.
As the Cape and her charges left Jane returned to her usual perch on my shoulder as I placed Bea on the nearby curb while shucking off the firefighter gear and the mermaid returned my cloak. "All of the stragglers have been evacuated from the terminals," I explained to my current companion as I came to rest at her side, taking the brief moment as a reprieve from the day's chaos.
"The radio chatter also indicates that the fires elsewhere in the city are out, and there has not been a single zombie sighting in hours," Jane began to explain. "The was sounds of combat in a park to the north of here and whoever it was that fought there seems to have actually captured Lycanthros."
"I was wondering when the Children of the Night would finally surface," I contributed to the conversation, "at least somebody took down their second in command."
I had just finished putting my normal mask back on when Jane exclaimed, "Faolan, we are not alone, I perceive at least five active concealment spells in our vicinity, three of which are approaching this location!"
Acting on instinct I took Aletheia back into my arms and opened my ears to our surroundings, when I heard a scrap on the concrete about ten-feet behind me I transformed into my ravewolf form and jumped narrowly avoiding a blast of arcane magic that would have likely the death of all three of us had it connected. I spun around in mid-air thanks to my boots in time to see the second blast that hit us- or would have if the shield generated by Bea's armor hadn't took the brunt of the spell.
Taking a moment to see what was happening I finally caught sight of our attacker- it was The Necromancer, the leader of the Children of the Night and bane of Team Kimba's excursions to Boston was here and trying to kill us. As the Grand Hall warlock sent another dark spell our way, the three of us scattered; Aletheia took her mermaid form and used the enchantment on her armor to swim to the right, Jane took off skyward, and I dashed to the right finally activating my nutrient pump so that I wouldn't risk passing out.
With his previous spell apparently exhausted Darrow switched to another as he desperately tried to hit Aletheia with the results of his arcane sorcery, while occasionally taking shots at Jane and me. Now the events of the day were starting to become clear- Bea was the target of today's chaos the entire time; it was openly suspected around Whateley that the Necromancer had a mole on the campus who had fed him intel on Phase's Birthday party last month in Boston, evidently the suspicion was real and whoever it was had also fed him intel on Aletheia.
While he obviously had known about her and her trip to Boston today, every group had made certain to keep their itinerary to themselves to lower the possibility of any further ambushes. However, The Necromancer's mole must have leaked the fact that Altheia was a healer because he created a series of disasters that would draw her out into the open, from what I knew of mutants with Healer-traits it was in their very nature to help others who needed them. As for the why Aletheia, that was obvious Darrow was an Innsmouther- everyone in Poe knew this from Carmilla; he had probably made a bargain with the Cult of Dagon to kill in exchange for power, maybe even assistance in his next attempt on Fey's life.
The Necromancer continued his relentless barrage of spells, growing more and more desperate to slow us down with even a glancing blow- especially Bea who was the hardest to hit of the three of us. Say what you will about a fish out of water but when it came to swimming merfolk were as swift as they were agile, and with her armor's ability Aletheia could not only swim through the air like it was water she could also do it even faster. This whole time Aletheia was swimming through the air with grace and speed dodging Darrow's attacks in a manner that the warlock had difficulty predicting stopping only to take cursory shots at me which I dodged as best I could.
Unfortunately, we could not keep this up forever, although I knew from Fey that The Necromancer due to his finite pool of mana relied more on prepared spells and the weapons hidden in his armor and would eventually run out of ammo, we only had so much steam ourselves and I wasn't willing to gamble that our stamina could outlast Darrow's preparations. We needed to go on the offensive if we wanted to make it out of this alive, but given that Aletheia needed time to aim to attack with her voice, something that she couldn't easily do given that it would have left her wide open to one of Darrow's attacks, that meant that it was up to Jane and I to fight back for her.
Sensing my intent Jane harnessed her nascent abilities as a storm crow and began to attack the Necromancer with lightning and hail to push him on the defensive, but at best all it was doing was throwing off his aim and slowing down his attacks. As for my own attacks with my rifle, my shock spell just rolled off of his own armor, my magnetic spell was ineffective, and my frost shot melted almost immediately; no matter what my spellshells were too low grade to work and the few spells that I had memorized wouldn't help in this situation. I was no Fey, this meant that if I wanted to attack Darrow I would have to get in close and use my blades, something that would put me too close to dodge if he tried to employ his lethal payload of Mi-go darts.
Still my options were limited, I drew Sydan out and asked Jane via our link to do her best to keep Darrow distracted; this would be risky and quite frankly was the stupidest thing that I had done in a while. With Jane doing her hardest to split the Necromancer's focus between Aletheia and herself, I moved into position to attack him directly with my dwarven-forged sabre; this would be the first time I had ever tried to attack anyone with the very real possibility that it might kill them but this was a straight up battle for survival, Darrow wouldn't really give us the option.
In desperation, I launched into a silent diving strike hoping to at least injure Darrow enough to force him to retreat and lick his wounds; unfortunately, the Necromancer wasn't as distracted as I thought. About halfway to my target Darrow spun around on his heel and launched a spell at me that would likely kill me when it hit, I knew that even with my ability to use air at any angle as a surface this spell was too big and too close for me to dodge; desperate to do anything to keep from dying I swung Sydan and all but prayed for a miracle.
That was when to the shock of everyone- especially Darrow, Sydan not only cut through his spell- it dispersed it so that all that hit me was brute force. Granted the remaining force of the spell hurt like a landing a belly-buster off a 10-meter-tall high dive, but the lethal effects of the spell had been completely negated.
"What in the world!" The Necromancer recoiled in shock at the failure of a spell that should have been lethal, sure that the event had been a fluke he ignored Aletheia and Jane as he began unload a barrage of spells in my direction. Bolstered by Sydan's newly discovered ability I met each spell with a swing of the sabre and although I continued to feel the brute-force of the pressure behind the arcane attacks the intended effects of the spells themselves were negated by the blade.
Fortunately Darrow was so focused on me that he had completely ignored Aletheia; an action that the Necromancer soon came to regret as a blast of concussive sonic force knocked him back ten feet. Desperate to keep the wall of sound emanating from the mermaid's vocal chords from flattening him- Darrow thrust his hand towards Aletheia and threw what had to be every ounce of essence he could muster to shield himself from her harmonic onslaught.
Once again another event surprised us as my worst nightmare Carcharoth, yes the projected incarnation of the freaking Fenris Wolf charged in and severed Darrow's fore-arms with the nastiest looking battle axe that I had ever seen in my life. The monster all hovered over his victim raw malice burning in his eyes, "Now Darrow, don't tell me that you actually thought that you would get away with stealing from me."
Noticing the look of disbelief on the warlock's face that weapon had actually cut through his armor Carcharoth began to gloat, "Oh don't be so surprised Charles, I have fought armored opponents before, some with far sturdier shells. This blade always cuts through any defense no matter how tough, it was made by the fire giant Surtr with Odin himself in mind. Not only does the front blade cut through armor like a hot knife through butter, the rear blade also curses any wound it passes to resist magic, and given the malice Surtr had in his molten heart when he forged it with his own sweat and blood if the wielder pumps enough hatred into the blade it glows with the heat of Muspellheim searing the flesh."
"Don't kill him Carcharoth," another voice called out as a figure I only recognized from my lessons with Morrigan, Greygus, landed, "this is still my operation and all hostiles have been neutralized."
One by one others materialized all of whom I recognized on Morrigan's lessons on the Obsidian Circle, aside from Greygus and Carcharoth along with Carcharoth's master (and father) Mister Domino, there was also the Erinyes trio of Skleeros, Miseo and Ekdikeo as well as their own employer Mistress Nyx (the nature of all four of whom was still a mystery).
The three of us kept our guard up although they had rescued us from the Necromancer's threat, and judging by Greygus's own admission kept the rest of the Children of the Night from attacking us they were clearly here as our enemy's enemy not as friends.
"I apologize for the abrupt nature of our request children," Mistress Nyx began to explain in her disturbingly lilted tone, "however I must insist that you come with us for the moment."
"Like we would go anywhere alone voluntarily with members of the most infamous faction in the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom," I barked out with Aletheia and Jane hovering beside me intent on fighting if we had to do so.
"Fortunately child you won't be alone," I heard an all to familiar friendly voice state, as I saw Dagda Redstag standing side-by-side with Fray (a comrade of Morrigan's from the Gray Barrow) as well as two others who evoked the impression of a huntsman and a deep woods wiccan.
"Indeed, we will be with you three to keep you safe," Fray spoke up somehow pissing off Carcharoth more and more with every word, "but now that the last of the Cardinal Maidens has been revealed it is time that for you four to meet and together learn of your destinies and how they will affect the entire world."
Fagin's Pub
Berlin, New Hampshire
10:39 PM
Morrigan looked up from her stool at the bar as she saw Headmistress Elizabeth Carson enter the pub, worry clearly etched across her face, something that Morrigan knew all too well from personal experience- it was a mother's concern for her child. Silently Morrigan removed her purse from the seat to her right, the very seat that she had been saving for the woman as she motioned to the privacy crystal between the two stools.
Elizabeth sat down laid her purse between their respective stools and after touching the crystal the woman unloaded at Morrigan, "I don't know why you insisted that we still meet here tonight, there was a major attack in Boston while my daughter and dozens of my students were there and you still insist of meeting me at a damned bar like nothing is wrong."
"I needed to meet with you because it is time that you learned a few things," Morrigan began to explain sighing as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. "As for the students, I have word that they're fine. Your daughter and her fellow students were helping paramedics and emergency crews all over Boston and saved hundreds of lives in the process, they're going to be headed back to Berlin on the next train and Mister Lodgeman already arranged for a couple of buses to bring them back to campus once they arrive at the depot. As for Bea and Randi my husband and some close friends of mine are keeping them safe; they will be back sometime tomorrow the fact is that they are going to be learning about their destinies from both involved parties, both the Gray Barrow and the Obsidian Circle."
"Are you saying that my baby is with the Obsidian Circle," Elizabeth recoiled in shock and anger, "how could she be safe with those warlocks- for that matter how could Randi be safe this them, they tried to kill her. I mean Faolan is your student for crying out loud don't you care about her at all?"
"Of course I care about her!" Morrigan snapped back clearly outraged by Elizabeth's accusation, "Randi may not be my daughter but my blood flows in her veins just like your's does through Beatrice!"
Elizabeth Carson recoiled both at the force of Morrigan's anger but also at the revelation that the ancient sidhe general and Randi Bridges were somehow related, one thing was for certain this would be a very enlightening conversation in more ways than she first thought.
6 years 9 months ago #26
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Notes:
"Ketherech, zweiundzwanzigsten Soldat in der fünften Legion von Duke Berith, die in den inneren Ring des Siebten Kreis auf der Wildnis des Krieges Schlachten; unter dem Blick von Silent tausend Augen Dumah ich werfe dich aus diesem sterblichen Schiff, im Namen von Abbadon ich dich verbannen, um den Rang und Datei Ihrer cohort- Dies trage ich zurück!"
Ketherech, twenty-second soldier in the Fifth Legion of Duke Berith who battles upon the Wilderness of War in the Inner Ring of the Seventh Circle; under the gaze of Silent Thousand-eyed Dumah I cast you out of this mortal vessel, in the name of Abbadon I banish you to back to the rank and file of your cohort- This I command!
Profugus ad ostium aperi!
Open portal to the fugitive!
Maximos fructus suos vagus et adducite eum ad me!
Ensnare the fugitive and bring him to me!
Tumultus profugus sub oculis meis!
Bind the fugitive beneath my gaze!
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 19 Notes
Notes:
"Ketherech, zweiundzwanzigsten Soldat in der fünften Legion von Duke Berith, die in den inneren Ring des Siebten Kreis auf der Wildnis des Krieges Schlachten; unter dem Blick von Silent tausend Augen Dumah ich werfe dich aus diesem sterblichen Schiff, im Namen von Abbadon ich dich verbannen, um den Rang und Datei Ihrer cohort- Dies trage ich zurück!"
Ketherech, twenty-second soldier in the Fifth Legion of Duke Berith who battles upon the Wilderness of War in the Inner Ring of the Seventh Circle; under the gaze of Silent Thousand-eyed Dumah I cast you out of this mortal vessel, in the name of Abbadon I banish you to back to the rank and file of your cohort- This I command!
Profugus ad ostium aperi!
Open portal to the fugitive!
Maximos fructus suos vagus et adducite eum ad me!
Ensnare the fugitive and bring him to me!
Tumultus profugus sub oculis meis!
Bind the fugitive beneath my gaze!
6 years 9 months ago - 6 years 8 months ago #27
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Durango, Colorado
7:47 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Well so far so good, I was dressed to the nines and ready to party, plus anything that I didn't need was stowed in a bus locker a couple of blocks away. I admit a college town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains wasn't my first port of call but the closest big city was further from the mountain cave than I could make it there and back in a day.
Yeah, I know- what a surprise! I mean all of the effort I went to over the week to make this excursion possible and I was still going back, total shocker and if I was anyone else I would be on the first bus to anywhere. Still the real fact of the matter was simple; right now, I had no place else safe to go- or at least no place that I knew of off the top of my head.
The sad fact was that Kelsey's little cave was the safest place for me to stay at the moment and anywhere that I already would consider was currently off limits. I mean if I tried to go home then the damned Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn would send their goons to kidnap me and toss me back in that damned hole again, not to mention that knowing that cult of money-grubbing demon worshippers they would likely make an example of someone I loved to impress upon me just what the true price of my temporary freedom.
Yeah, I know that it was a dark and morbid thought but that didn't mean that the threat was any less true, for now the best thing that I could do for my family and my friends was to stay away and keep them in the dark about just where I really was. Call it naive but the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn hated to waste time as much as they hated to waste money, and I had no doubt that their spies were screening the post-cards that I asked Kelsey to send whenever she went for supplies. If I gave them no indication that my loved ones knew anything about my current whereabouts then there was little reason that they'd go after them.
Also, if I headed to a big city other than Seattle there was no guarantee that I'd be safe either, I would be alone and sooner or later the gemstones that I'd make to support myself might wind up in the hands of someone connected to the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn and they'd send their goons to hunt me down again. Plus, even if the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn didn't find me there might always be somebody else, maybe Lady Jettatura or Hexmaster or any of a hundred others, no this was no true escape for freedom this was but a taste of what I had left behind.
Besides I was sure that Sha Wujing still had boatloads more of cool stuff to teach me, I mean I had come pretty far in changing form from my regular unnervingly hawt dragon girl form to that of a normal human much like my old self, but from the stories about him I had only began to scratch the surface of his techniques. While it was said that Sha Wujing was physically the weakest of the three Hsuan-tsang's disciples and constantly being thought of as a kappa by the Japanese for some screwy reason; he was also one of the smartest and had a ton of techniques during that groups journey to retrieve the original sutras- and that was over a millennium ago. I mean he might be an arate now and was always known for his humility but I seriously doubt that he would just allow himself to stagnate.
Also, there was a good chance that if I kept learning from Sha Wujing that I might be able to meet his fellow disciples... okay I was mainly interested in meeting Sun Wukong. I mean come on there was no-way that I would pass up on the chance to meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha himself, and maybe ask him if he knew where I could score a pair of Ǒusībùyúnlǚ (cloud-hopping boots)- I mean that would make travel a breeze.
Although it was nice to think about something other than those days; I could see that I had arrived at the first stop on the way to Animas Hall, the campus perimeter of Fort Lewis College- now all I had to do was find a map to orient just where Animas Hall was and then I'd be on my way. Yep, before long I'd be moving to the beat and setting the dance floor on fire- well figuratively I mean, just because I was a pyrokinetic dragon girl didn't mean I was some flame-happy pyro-maniac. No for me fire was just a tool and maybe the occasional weapon of last-resort, plus I was here to have a good time by taking part in the fun- not ruining it for everyone else coming to the party.
As I made my way further into the campus I did my best to carry myself like a visiting prospective student checking out the college, not that I would actually consider going here- my dad would freak out and ground me until I was thirty if I said anything like that. I could almost hear him now, 'Why would you want to go to college in the middle of nowhere, I am paying for my daughter to have an education not to vacation, and what would you do with a degree from there everyone would treat it like a joke.'
Yeah- he'd flip his lid just like that I almost miss those moments, man and I thought that he was he in rare form the first time that he saw me wearing a mini-skirt, I remember the ride back from the hospital wondering just how he'd wig out after seeing the new me.
Flashback
Monday October 10, 2006
Seattle, Washington
5:03 PM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
It had been a day and a half since I...hatched and finally the hospital had decided that they had poked and prodded me enough to be able to conclusively tell that they had no freaking clue why I was now halfway between the old me and some type of Chinese-dragon.
Yes type, there are roughly a dozen basic varieties of dragons in the folklore and religion that go back throughout china since before the days of the first emperor and I still had no clue right now where I fit among any of them, somehow though I doubted I had the fortune of being reborn a tianlong (celestial dragon), somehow, I doubt that I possessed that kind of natural serenity. Although I probably had the grace of one before I change; something that a couple of dozen teens my own age can attest to when I'd danced circles around them on the gym floor during the eighth-grade lock-in.
While the hospital was still conducting tests of the sampled that they took from me, which wasn't easy since my new hide was so thick that trying to do things the normal way just caused their needles to break; those tests would still take a few days and given that they saw no reason to keep holding me I was finally on my way home. While my mom was with me in the back seat of the cab, something that was a bit of a necessity given that we didn't own a car, given that we didn't really have any space to park one in front of our shop- well no space that we didn't need free for customers.
This really isn't all that uncommon for districts like ours, but my family works out of our home; it's a small shop that takes up a little over half of the ground floor of our family's two-story brown stone in the Asian International District and it's been in our family since my great-grandfather Peng Chen opened up shop here a few years after arriving on this side of the Pacific. It's also always been the same type of business too, my family have always been tailors; we have always been the place that locals come to for repair and alterations.
Sometimes we even get orders for custom suits to be made- although those come less and less all the time, I know that mom tried her best to hide it but business was tight. On top of that father's constant refusal to take me under his wing and let me help out meant that unless he took on an apprentice the family business would end with his generation, and it's not like I didn't know how to sew most of my party outfits are homemade- although that is probably something of the past too.
I stared at my new clawed hands, although there was something of a wicked and potentially dangerous grace to them, I knew that they would likely be too unwieldy to handle the intricate precision that was needed to guide a needle through fabric in order to make seems as tight and sturdy as they truly needed to be. Well at least I wouldn't have to give up on my sculpting quite yet, while it likely would take some practice, I knew that with some work that I'd be about to work my art on the potter's wheel in the school art room once again. Although dad was reluctant to acknowledge the skill that I used to have with a needle and thread, at least I knew that he never failed to acknowledge my skill at molding clay.
The lurching of the taxi told me that we had finally arrived, sure enough right outside I could see the sign for Chen's Tailor Shop which was more importantly for me the Chen Family Residence. Still I wondered just how father would respond to the new me, I hadn't seen him since I was admitted to the hospital with the rash in the first place. I know that it might seem callous that he hadn't visited his daughter in all that time that for all anyone knew had been dying, but father was a workaholic; whenever he was really worried about anything he threw himself full tilt into his work to cope. Plus, I imagine that my hospital bills weren't bound to be cheap and given that our insurance wasn't the best I hope that I didn't but us too far into the red for the year.
I nervously exited the cab that idled in front of our home as mom followed paying the cabbie as she did so, yet another expense to add to on to my becoming a creature of legend. As I approached my home I could see that not a soul was in front to welcome me home, although I did ask mom not to tell my friends just what happened to me; I guess that it was a good thing that I expressly forbid anyone to see inside the quarantine room at the hospital. I mean I didn't want to put anyone outside the family on a rollercoaster of finding out that I didn't die, the old me just swelled into a brick-red egg, that the new me hatched out of was a bit of a mind boggler.
Then again, I was now a creature out of the legends of my ancestral homeland, and remembering some of the stories of those ancient legends that didn't sound so far-fetched. I mean Sun Wukong was born from of a meteorite and survived being pinned in place by a mountain for a few centuries, Bai Suzhen was a snake who turned into a woman after falling in love with a boy, Kui was a one-legged demon who was said to have invented dancing, and those were just a few examples off the top of my head.
As I walked inside I saw that my earlier guess was right on the money, dad was working on a double-breasted suit that was suspended on a dress dummy, and really letting out the seams in the trousers from what I saw. 'Something tells me that the guy who owned these things is in desperate need of a gym routine.' I mean I doubt dad could let out those seems anymore without adding more fabric, plus unless I'm mistaken there was the pattern for a gusset nearby on the table.
"Finally, home at last my little trembling Zhèn," my father spoke up the moment I entered the room still clearly focused on his work, "I thought that the hospital might become your new home given how much effort they invested in you. You couldn't even bother to call us yourself; you had to have your nurse call us for your mother to come pick you up."
"I couldn't help it," I shot back as my dad was in pile on the guilt mode (personally my third least favorite), "I broke the phone every time I tried to use it. I guess I don't know my own strength anymore."
"It figures, first you break an antique urn that predates porcelain then you become something that breaks something that people use every day." Dad grumbled as he continued to work, "Then once you became too much of a handful for them they send you home so you can break more things."
"From the looks of it I'm not the only one who breaks things," I commented as I looked over the suit, "how many seams did this guy tear anyway."
"Too many," dad chuckled, I knew it he was only giving me a hard to get me to go on the defensive and get out of my funk, he knows me so well, "this suit belongs to Raymond Marchenti."
"The food critic for The Seattle Times!" I stated in surprise, "Man I guess that he loves the former more than giving the later."
"You have no idea," I could almost see my old man rolling his eyes at that comment; "I wouldn't take it the first time because I insisted he have it dry cleaned first."
"Only makes sense," I nodded in agreement, "I mean getting a dirty suit altered is trouble waiting to happen, too much of a chance something that could go away the next time it's cleaned would wind up in the stitching."
"It's so glad to see that you do listen to me after all," dad remarked as he kept working.
"Only time I don't is when you comment on my choice in music," I replied before adding, "I'm just surprised that you haven't stopped to comment on the new me."
"I doubt that you'll be going out tonight so I will have a better look at you later," dad replied as he continued working, "as you children would say, 'I'm in the zone.'"
"I'm not a kid dad I'm fifteen," I shot back.
"You still are to your mother and I," dad retorted as he continued his labor on the suit, "no matter how old you get you will still be our child."
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:09 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Yeah, father was a bit of an odd person on the surface he was always distant stern and some would say cold (even to his own daughter), but that was just the surface father cared in his own way he just rarely expressed it on the surface. According to mom I was a lot like dad in his youth, vibrant and full of energy, but as he grew up and was expected to run the family business he had to wear a mask to gain respect- he had to present himself as a proper businessman of our community.
I just wished that he would have taken that mask off around mom and I so that I could get to know the real him, but maybe deep down he was afraid that once he let his hair down he would never want to go back. The responsibilities of adulthood, I wish that I could say that I never wanted to take them up but unfortunately my transformation made that a non-possibility, according to Kelsey I was something called the Northern Maiden and I had a destiny that would be revealed in greater detail once the final Maiden emerged.
I already knew a little about the Maidens of East and West thanks to some insight from Kelsey; apparently the Western Maiden was a fairy who transformed sometime while I was imprisoned and the Eastern Maiden was a mermaid who was born from a pearl just a few months ago. From what she told me both were at a school in New England training, and I was supposed to go there sometime this summer after training with the freaking Handmaiden of the Tao.
How scary was that not only were demon's real but so was the left-hand of destiny, the sharp blade of the Tao itself; it figures of all the things in the world that had to be real it had to be an actually bogyman.
I quickly shook myself, 'Stop it Zhen-yu,' I told myself trying to shake myself out of my melancholy, 'enough with the fear of what's to come tonight is the time to party. Forget magic and oriental gods and demons, you are here to snap out of that funk and find your groove.'
I took a look ahead down the path, sure enough I was almost to Animas Hall, already I could see college students several years past my actual age making their way into the hall. Okay so they might be way older than me but dammit this was my best chance to stop just existing and feel alive again, I needed to feel the beat, the music, the pulse and the energy- enough with demons from the Nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells the only demon I was concerned with was the one who was about to light up the dance floor inside that place...me.
The Bloody Bastard
Animas City Mountain
8:03 PM
Within thepoorly maintained mortified former Syndicate drop-ship rechristened (by a thrown bottle of Budweiser) known as The Bloody Bastard the mercenary team known by the technically incorrect moniker as the Masterson Brothers were readying themselves for the pending hunt.
"Dammit Lloyd," Rod griped at the brains of their team, "how much longer till that tracker's up and working?"
"It's working now I'm just fine-tuning it so that it'll narrow everything down to a few feet and not a few miles, and this'll go a lot faster if you quit breathing down my neck and let me work," Lloyd snapped back at the elder (and defacto leader) of the three. "Soldering circuit boards from scratch with what we have ain't easy, and the more you keep pestering me the more likely that I'll have to start from scratch. Need I remind you that we need this damned thing working to find our target in the first place, if we don't have the tracker than we can kiss the five-mill good-bye and take the costs of this job out of our own money?"
"Like hell I'm going to pay for this out of my booze money," Bufford shouted at the smallest of the trio, "who cares about some stupid gizmo, let's just head to town and start blasting till that lizard bitch shows up and tries to stop us!"
Rod respond to Bufford's outburst by giving him a sock to the jaw and knocking the man to the floor of their ship, "First of all Bufford thinking ain't your strong suit, second, I'm in charge 'round here, third we're looking for someone who's laying low not a damned cape she likely wouldn't pop up to fight us she'd high-tail it out of town, and finally- IF WE DID DO THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'D ATTRACT WOULD BE HEAVEN'S THUNDER GUNNIN' FOR OUR ASSES!"
"So, what you're saying is that you've gone yellow-belly on us," Bufford began to say as he pulled himself off the floor while massaging his jaw, "is the big-bad-bro Rod who had the stones to turn his back on the Sabertooths and screw over The Syndicate, is too much of a wimp to risk pissing off a bunch of spandex-jockies. Hell, we fight those all the damned time, sure we take our lumps but so do they and we still manage to get what we're after most of the time!"
"Four in ten ain't most times," Lloyd observed as he kept working on the tracker, "and Rod's right Heaven's Thunder ain't a joke like the others anymore. The Knights of Presence found that one out the hard way last winter- and they had had that people-eating freak Manbot on their side; still no word that any of them are still around, fact word is their ash in the wind."
"So, since they clobbered some prancy Eurotrash Ren-Fair rejects and their retarded pet freak so hard they're too scared to pop back up you two are too chicken to put your necks out there for some easy money," Bufford began winding himself up before heading for the door, "whatever you wimps, I'm hitting the town for some liquid courage and if I run into that lizard bitch first I'm not sharing the reward when I take her down!"
After Bufford stormed out of the room Lloyd turned to Rod and stated, "I told you brother that it was a mistake to give the other piece of armor that you boosted to our lame-brain of a cousin."
"Because you egg-head we needed the extra-muscle," Rod shot back, "now keep working on that tracker and radio when you get it working. I'm going to do my best to make sure Bufford doesn't blow this job for us like he did that one in Miami."
"Although the look on his face when he found out that he'd just felt up a cape wearing her civvies was priceless;" Lloyd tried his best to keep his amusement over that fiasco from leaking out, "almost as much as her tossing him through the wall and across the street, I just wish that you hadn't trashed the video I took of that happening."
"Lloyd, you know that if I let you keep that and Bufford saw it he'd put you in traction." Rod replied as he left the room on his way to catch up with Bufford, leaving Lloyd to continue his work.
In Front of Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:16 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Although I really doubted that this was an officially university sanctioned event; the party that Kelly Winden-something lady told me about back in town was hardly secret. Then again Spring Finals should be in a few weeks, and from what I remember hearing around school back home from classmates with siblings or cousins in college the last couple of weeks before finals were all work and no play- because the closer things got to finals the more everyone decided to buckle down and hit the books.
Yeah, this was probably the last big party for the students of Fort Lewis College until finals were over, lucky me this was probably going to be the biggest on campus bash for a while and I was going to be right in the thick of it. That is if I could make it past the bouncers, yeah bouncers two big guys were right in front of the main entrance and they were checking for one thing and one thing only- student IDs of which I had nada.
Man, this blows the one thing that I wasn't prepared for was that the students running the party insisting that only college students were getting in- they probably didn't want to risk any of the local high school students getting in and accidentally getting drunk on spiked punch or worse and raising a stink between the local sheriff and the college officials. That settled it I was going to have to find some way to crash this party and avoid getting kicked out while having fun, I mean it blows but I was going to have to balance having fun and blowing off steam with avoiding getting caught and either getting thrown out or escorted down to the campus security office and having my cover blown.
Yeah there was no doubt in my mind, this was going to be like walking on the edge of a damned razor, and while some may live for that kind of high- I wasn't one of them. I mean if it meant clueing that cult of demon-worshipping sadists into just where I'd run off to it was a colossal risk, but damn-it I needed this- I needed a chance to feel normal again- to feel like the girl that I used to be back home in Seattle. While it was true that I was alone in this town and I really wouldn't know anyone at this party, I needed to feel this kind of energy- this kind of atmosphere again- it was part of who I was.
Still how was I going to get inside without risking revealing that I had powers, ugh this was frustrating- I continued to watch the students trickle in one after another as my mind scrambled to figure out a solution.
"Hey Guan- over here!"
I was pulled from my frantic act of figuring out how to break in when a familiar voice called out the fake name that I made up for this outing, to my surprise I saw Kelly roughly twelve feet away and trying to get my attention. Talk about a surprise the lady who I met once in town recognized me, not to be rude I walked over to say hi.
"Hey Kelly," I said as I walked up to the lady, "I didn't expect to run into you so soon. As you can see I found the place that you were talking about, but as you can see-"
"Yeah, I know, students only," Kelly remarked as she rolled her eyes, "in their defense though last time a couple of high school kids were caught coming here to buy blotters from one of the campus dealers. Yeah, I know that the college folks are supposed to frown on that type of stuff but as long as we don't cause any trouble and keep our grades they are pretty lax about enforcing that sort thing. So, we have to enforce it so admin and the local fuzz don't have to intervene- fortunately I know a way around your...problem."
To my surprise Kelly grabbed my left arm and coaxed me towards the line, which gave me a clear view of a weird piece of body jewelry of hers. Kelly had some sort of rod on the back of her right-ear, it was kind of odd considering that it was only one ear but maybe it was some kind of statement or fad from wherever she was originally from before she got here.
"Trust me I know what I'm doing," Kelly stated as she dragged me to the line I was wondering just what the lady had up her sleeve, did she have some major connections or something- heck for all I knew she was one of the major movers and shakers here on campus. Whatever the case I decided to play it cool and stay quiet, as it stood I had nothing to lose by going along with whatever her plan was but a little time.
Before long the two of us were together at the front of the line face to face with someone who screamed football team defensive tackle, granted I could take him easy but if I did that it would cause a panic and attract attention. I decided to try and keep playing it cool- not that it was easy given my internal temperature causes a thermometer to pop like something out of Looney Toons.
It was nerve-wracking person by person the line grew shorter as Kelly and I moved closer and closer to the two bouncers at the head of the line, as we got closer and closer to the door I observed the bouncers putting yellow or green slap bracelets on the wrists of everyone they let through on their way inside the building. Sure enough our time at the head of the line finally came- it was now or never, time to see just what Kelly was up to and if she would really be able to get me inside to the party. Ugh! Suddenly I felt dirty, I mean I didn't want to use her for this but she was the one who insisted on helping me.
"Student ID please," one of the pair of students up front next to a laptop with a credit card scanner attached spoke up.
"Here you go," Kelly presented her student ID and the man swiped it through the reader. After a moment or two a picture of Kelly pulled up on the screen, ohh that's right, her name is Windkloppel.
"Alright, your clear to go inside," the man explained before asking me. "Student ID please?"
Great, it figures that Kelly was all talk, just what had she planned to do to get me inside. Come to think of it, just why did I expect a complete stranger that I had just met a few hours ago to go out of her way to help me, I was a fool to go along with this anyway.
I began to make my way out of the line to go and figure out my own way inside when Kelly spoke up, "It's okay Reg," she explained as she got the man's attention, "she's with me."
"Really Kelly?" the student security guard she dubbed 'Reg' asked the student that he already let inside as the other one had gotten out a green slap bracelet, "you're vouching for her?"
"Yeah, I met her in town when I was looking to revamp my party dress," Kelly began to explain, "she says she's a senior from Silverton and thinking about coming here in the fall."
"Well if you want to make her your plus-one for tonight fine by me," Reg replied back as he pulled out a pocket notepad. After jotting something down Reg turned and presented me with the pad and a pen, "please print and sign your name under Kelly's and remember no funny business- your behavior reflects on her tonight."
I was shocked, Kelly not only pulled through as she said she would but she actually went to bat for me- me someone that not only just met her but had been lying to her the entire time. "Sure," I replied to Reg as I took the pad and wrote down not only my fake name of Guan Shu-ting but also made certain to sign in Hanyu Pinyin (關蜀婷), since I know there was no way that I could sign it smoothly in traditional western cursive on the first try, fortunately my parents insisting I learn how to read and write traditional Chinese calligraphy paid off in times like this.
"Wait," Reg responded somewhat confused, "just what is this?"
"That's how I sign my name," I replied giving the man a withering glare, "or are you saying that there is something wrong with a Chinese-American girl signing her name in her ancestral language as she was taught by her parents?" I stated only halfway lying given that my parents did teach me how to write my real name granted I wrote it (陳振宇) and also signed in cursive like normal when I needed to do so.
Obviously, my ploy was working began the crowd was grumbling both because the argument was holding up the line and at Reg's accidental venture into appearing to be a racist- well there's another blow to the karma, maybe I'll bring him a drink from inside to balance it out- for all I knew he had to stay here all night.
"Fine, that's enough!" Reg relented throwing up his hands in defeat, "Willie- she's number fourteen in the book, you know what to do."
"Got it Reg," the other bouncer dubbed Willie replied as he produced a red slap bracelet and a fine-tip black marker from the box with the other slap bracelet.
I presented my hand for the bracelet and right after Willie slapped the red bracelet on he wrote 14 on it and then did the same thing to Kelly's.
"Alright, this red bracelet means that everyone inside should know that you're off-limits to any funny-business and that the bouncer by the refreshment table will stop you from drinking anything from the table but soft-drinks or bottled water." Willie laid down the law while Reg attended to the next student in line. "Is that understood?"
"Yeah, I hear ya'," I replied somewhat annoyed by the life-guard routine that he was giving me, "I'm just here to party and unwind not to get blitzed, call me weird but I kind of want to remember tonight."
"Yeah, I know I sound like a buzz kill but I have to read you the rules anyway," Willie remarked as I followed Kelly inside the building.
"See- I told you that I'd get you in," Kelly stated with a smile, "I bet you thought that I was going to leave you high and dry."
"Well the thought did cross my mind," I responded as we made our way inside, "but I'm glad that I was wrong there."
"Okay just don't try any funny stuff," Kelly explained as she held up her own bracelet, "this means that I'm responsible for you tonight, and if I screw up I'm bared from any on-campus fun for the rest of the semester- capiche.
"Got it," I replied as we continued towards the festivities.
After a few moments, we came to the foyer which had a decent number of students dancing to remixes of what was bound to be the hits of the year, although it was yet another thing that I was behind the curve on I decided to set that bit of unimportance on the back burner- it was time to boogie.
In Front of Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:42 PM
As Zhen-yu and Kelly were making their way to the student organized party inside Animas Hall, another individual with plans to crash the party going on inside was planning her own entrance. Ingrid Olson, formerly known as the tweenage villain sidekick Permafrost to her father Soren Olson (prior to his forced retirement) radioed her father over the com-link that was built into her earrings, "Toby you need to hack this college's mainframe and quick if you want me to get inside for this harebrained scheme of yours, this fake student ID you whipped up might pass visual inspection but their scanning the card of everyone who wants to come inside."
"I'm on it big sis," Tobias Olson the latest in a long line to hold claim to the codename of Blizzard Wizard replied to his older sister as he got to work. Granted that when it came to hacking his skills were far from master-level especially in a world with Exemplar, Gadgeteer and Devisor trait mutants running around wearing every shade of hat under the sun (or not given the reputation of most hackers), however he was more than confident that he had what it took to infiltrate the system of a minor small-town college and enter a fake student ID.
Fortunately, Tobias already had the template that he used to create the fake ID in the first place, including the code that he entered onto the magnetic strip on the card just in case his sister needed it- better safe than sorry when there was so much riding on this mission.
From their room at the Adobe Inn, which thankfully was both close to the college and didn't strain their budget as long as they didn't mind the roaches in the bathroom, Tobias got to work infiltrating the student information database of Fort Lewis College. His task should have been no problem infiltrating the student information server and plant his sister's information in the system, however the hiccup in the plan to arise here wasn't his own mediocre hacking abilities, but instead the border-line obsolete servers of the college coupled with the motel's spotty internet connection- what the hell was this 56K dial-up.
"Are you certain that this dragon-lady is here, I mean why would a creature of legend come to a party out in the middle of nowhere?" Ingrid asked as she took her spot in line.
"The tracker that they posted the instructions for points her to be in this town, plus I thought that the story that the Merchants of Suffering spun about her being a creature of myth that they captured sounded totally bogus. Toby explained has he worked on the hack, "So I did a little digging and apparently there was a Chinese-American girl up in Seattle who manifested into an anthropomorphic Chinese dragon, the picture of her matched the description the Merchants of Suffering posted. I just put two and two together and solved that they kidnapped her and were using her for something."
"So are you sure about your plan anyway," Ingrid asked her brother of the coms, "you said that you didn't plan on doing business with the Merchants, but are you certain that she's any better I mean know that the word's out that her organization has really been expanding her operations lately."
"I'm certain, Erzebet Scratch is our best bet," Toby explained as he continued to work, "she hates the Merchants of Suffering with a passion and wouldn't hesitate at a chance to piss them off. Plus, this dragon girl is a hell of a lot better off with her given that almost no one is stupid enough to attack her except the global heavy-hitters and they probably aren't interested in this matter anyway."
"Yeah, but are you sure that you want to go down this path," Ingrid asked out of concern, "our family might have been forced to turn our backs on tradition but is that so bad- maybe it's just past time that we do this."
"I have to at least give this a shot Ingrid," Toby explained as he put the finishing touches on the fake profile of Ingrid in the Fort Lewis College's student database, "so for the next several minutes you are Tipper Langdstein in the general studies program, just tell me when you are inside so that I can delete the profile and cover our tracks."
"At least you picked something that I could fake," Ingrid muttered under her breath as she came within three spots of the bouncers, thankfully her updated costume didn't look like it would be out of place on the dance floor. Yeah all that she had to do was slip on her mask and she'd be ready to go, still there was the matter of finding this dragon girl in the club and something told her that she would not be wearing scales still maybe she would get lucky and there wouldn't be too many students of Asian descent inside.
Eventually it was her turn at the head of the line, "Student ID please?" Reg ordered Ingrid who handed over the phony ID that Toby whipped up for her, as the bouncer swiped her card it was time for the moment of truth.
"Okay, you're good to go," Reg replied as he handed the fake ID back to Ingrid who breathed an internal sigh of relief as she made her way inside.
"Hold it!" The other bouncer called out making Ingrid's heart skip a beat and contemplate if she needed to use the cryo-tech in her costume already. Her hand inches away from the trigger in her glove Ingrid turned to face the other bouncer- ready for anything.
"You forgot your band," Willie said as he slapped a yellow band onto her wrist, "you didn't think that we'd let you sneak off to the hard bar if you were underage, did you?"
"Dammit," Ingrid began to fake her frustration over being caught, "I thought that I'd at least have something tonight, that term paper's brutal."
"Ah Mister Funnichello's composition course I take it," Willie observed, "yeah those are brutal but trust me after the bruisers that he throws at you the papers that you'll get from the professors in the focus courses will be a breeze!"
"If you say so," I huffed and sagged my shoulders to really sell my disappointment, and muttered, "up tight- know-it-all NARCO," as I made my way inside.
Once past the doors I squirreled myself away in one of the darker corners of the room before reactivating the coms, "Alright I'm in and I'll start looking for our mark."
"Understood I'll be headed over with the rent-a-van after I cover our digital tracks," Toby explained as he began to delete the fake profile of Tipper Langdstein from the database and overwrite that sector with junk data, "Just remember call me if you need back-up or a distraction."
"I will baby bro," Ingrid replied before adjusting her dress as she headed out onto the floor, both to search for their target as well as to have a little fun after all she was an actual college student just not of this institution and she had her own finals to study for soon.
The Bloody Bastard
Animas City Mountain
8:47 PM
Within the cramped closet of the stolen Syndicate airship Lloyd soldered the last pieces into place to the modified tracker, taking a moment to wipe the sweat and grime off him with a nearby towel, the tech man of the Masterson Brothers took a few moments to kick-back and polish off a bottle of Gator-aide.
Taking a moment to reassemble the tracker's casing, Lloyd Masterson decided that now was time for the moment of truth. Crossing his fingers (and his eyes for good measure) Lloyd flipped the switch and with a couple of sparks the tracker turned back on...it worked he'd won the battle now to move on to the next stage of the operation.
Taking note of the screen on the tracker, Lloyd took the tracker down to the nav room and after finding the proper cord plugged the tracker into the airship then overlaid with a local map from a travel guide (which he got from a torrent), and he and not only was a location pointed out it was specific enough that he doubted that they'd have much trouble rooting out the target.
With an air of smug satisfaction Lloyd Masterson hit the coms to radio Rod and Bufford with the news, "Hey Rod, good news the modified tracker is working like a charm. According to it and our maps the lizard lady should be at Animas Hall over at the College by the edge of town. Also judging by the lack of radio chatter on the police bands out that way we should be the first out there."
"Good you couldn't have called sooner," Rod replied over the com channel, "Bufford's pissed that I've been restricting his drink orders to piss-water with extra water. So, he's been giving some local bikers the stink-eye, I better grab him before he starts a bar-brawl."
"Good, I'll take the ship over to Chapman Hill," Lloyd laid out the plan, "I'll have the armor prepped and ready for you two, all you'll need to do is stow your hogs and suit up."
"Alright, but remember," Rod's voice turned grave, "don't get used to giving orders, I'm the one in charge here!"
"Got it bro," Lloyd replied as he cut the connected and went to the pilot-chair, "the sooner they got done and paid the sooner he could get back to his side projects at the dirt farm.
Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
9:41 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Finally, for the first time in a long time I was back in my element, out on the dance floor I let the beat take over almost everything else fell away, there was just me and the music. I could feel the pulse pounding beat of the bass the heavy force of the percussion and I loved it, nothing else mattered at the moment, not the fact that I was hiding in a form that was a few years older than I was not to mention far less scaly. Prophecy's and destiny could wait as my legs moved to the sound of the guitars within the melody. Even the cult who sought me out to chain me didn't matter the only hands that controlled me at the moment were those of the DJ who was working the controls and channels of the turn tables.
As the latest in a long line of songs that I was unfamiliar with, given that they'd probably released before Kelsey released me came to an end my euphoria was far from over. Still I decided to take a short break as the DJ was between sets as I maneuvered off the dance floor to the refreshment tables, once again the goon that they had guarding the beer took notice of my red slap band; a sign marking not only the fact that I was below the legal drinking age but also that I was below the age for certain other things too.
Not that any of that mattered to me tonight, I wasn't here to get wasted or here to get stoned; come to think of it could I really get either of those things since I was half dragon- my naturally higher body heat would probably power through booze a lot faster than a normal person's liver. Oh well, that was a question for another day when I was older, no today I was here to party and feel alive. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and tossed a buck in the jar after taking notice of the sign.
Taking a moment to drink up and appear to catch my breath, not that I really need to, I spotted Kelly across the room talking to someone who was heavy-set and clearly dressing to impress. Oh well, she was legal; let a girl make her own choices it's not like I was anyone to judge given the fact that I tended to moon over the baby-faces of the bands back home, a fact that my friends like to rib me about.
I actually was debating sitting the next set out to chat with the students on the sidelines; I mean it felt good to feel normal again- to feel like me again. Soon the DJ plopped down the next slab of vinyl and got to work and I began to feel the music take me away, that beat to take me to Nirvana, how's that for meditation Master Fong Wei-quo? I began to make my way out to the dance floor instinct guiding me through the throngs who were dancing together, while I was moving to the music and not seeking another to share my euphoria.
That was when the wall exploded, while some ran screaming others milled about in the smoke and dust disoriented. I could feel people running into the smoke seeking to pull whoever they could to safety, everything was happening so fast but given that I was still on my feet I decided to flee- something told me that shit was really about to hit the fan.
As I was making my way out someone grabbed my ankle, I paused only to hear someone croak out, "help me- please."
Against my better judgement I stooped down to pick the boy up and help move him to safety, no sooner did I have him on my shoulder to make my way away from the dance floor than someone barked over a bullhorn from the direction of the explosion that blew in the wall.
"All right listen up," a man who sounded like he thought of himself as large and in charge barked, "we're the Masterson Brothers and we're here for one reason and one reason only. Hiding among you frat brats is someone who belongs to some folks in San Fran; they're paying a lot of green to have her back. So I'll make this simple for you folks, you have five minutes to find her and turn her over to us or we'll come looking, and it won't be pleasant."
As the smoke and debris began to settle everyone saw that these were three men in power armor who looked as mean as they did ugly, all three were also packing some nasty looking artillery- meaning that when things got unpleasant it would likely result in a body count. Dammit why did this have to happen, I only wanted to have some fun like a normal teenager- why did I have to keep winding up in situations like this?
While everyone who were considering their offer looked around in confusion for just who they could throw at these brutes' feet in a desperate attempt to appease them, the leader of these power-suit wearing thugs barked out, "Times up, alright boys, time to find out who's can take the small guns and who deserves the big guns!"
The brutes began to make their way into the building and towards the cowering co-eds like panther's stalking their prey, to my dread I could see Kelly, who had sneaked around the room's perimeter and was right behind the thugs- dammit she was going to get herself killed. I was relieved and confused when my prediction proved false because surprise number two for the evening made itself known, Kelly pulled that weird rod earring out and suddenly it expanded into a full-sized staff that she used to smack one of bullhorn's sidekicks through his helmet and to the ground.
That was when the two standing thugs turned to point their weapons and fire at Kelly who miraculously dodged and weaved past every shot, before back-flipping and in the process knocking the helmet off bullhorn's other side-kick. As she landed with a pose that's when I saw it, Kelly had a long tail covered with thick fur emerging from her back-side, smiling with oddly over-pronounced canines Kelly commented, "Well boy's you came all this way, do you still want to party?"
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 20
Durango, Colorado
7:47 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Well so far so good, I was dressed to the nines and ready to party, plus anything that I didn't need was stowed in a bus locker a couple of blocks away. I admit a college town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains wasn't my first port of call but the closest big city was further from the mountain cave than I could make it there and back in a day.
Yeah, I know- what a surprise! I mean all of the effort I went to over the week to make this excursion possible and I was still going back, total shocker and if I was anyone else I would be on the first bus to anywhere. Still the real fact of the matter was simple; right now, I had no place else safe to go- or at least no place that I knew of off the top of my head.
The sad fact was that Kelsey's little cave was the safest place for me to stay at the moment and anywhere that I already would consider was currently off limits. I mean if I tried to go home then the damned Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn would send their goons to kidnap me and toss me back in that damned hole again, not to mention that knowing that cult of money-grubbing demon worshippers they would likely make an example of someone I loved to impress upon me just what the true price of my temporary freedom.
Yeah, I know that it was a dark and morbid thought but that didn't mean that the threat was any less true, for now the best thing that I could do for my family and my friends was to stay away and keep them in the dark about just where I really was. Call it naive but the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn hated to waste time as much as they hated to waste money, and I had no doubt that their spies were screening the post-cards that I asked Kelsey to send whenever she went for supplies. If I gave them no indication that my loved ones knew anything about my current whereabouts then there was little reason that they'd go after them.
Also, if I headed to a big city other than Seattle there was no guarantee that I'd be safe either, I would be alone and sooner or later the gemstones that I'd make to support myself might wind up in the hands of someone connected to the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn and they'd send their goons to hunt me down again. Plus, even if the Zhāoshāng de Yōuhuàn didn't find me there might always be somebody else, maybe Lady Jettatura or Hexmaster or any of a hundred others, no this was no true escape for freedom this was but a taste of what I had left behind.
Besides I was sure that Sha Wujing still had boatloads more of cool stuff to teach me, I mean I had come pretty far in changing form from my regular unnervingly hawt dragon girl form to that of a normal human much like my old self, but from the stories about him I had only began to scratch the surface of his techniques. While it was said that Sha Wujing was physically the weakest of the three Hsuan-tsang's disciples and constantly being thought of as a kappa by the Japanese for some screwy reason; he was also one of the smartest and had a ton of techniques during that groups journey to retrieve the original sutras- and that was over a millennium ago. I mean he might be an arate now and was always known for his humility but I seriously doubt that he would just allow himself to stagnate.
Also, there was a good chance that if I kept learning from Sha Wujing that I might be able to meet his fellow disciples... okay I was mainly interested in meeting Sun Wukong. I mean come on there was no-way that I would pass up on the chance to meet the Victorious Fighting Buddha himself, and maybe ask him if he knew where I could score a pair of Ǒusībùyúnlǚ (cloud-hopping boots)- I mean that would make travel a breeze.
Although it was nice to think about something other than those days; I could see that I had arrived at the first stop on the way to Animas Hall, the campus perimeter of Fort Lewis College- now all I had to do was find a map to orient just where Animas Hall was and then I'd be on my way. Yep, before long I'd be moving to the beat and setting the dance floor on fire- well figuratively I mean, just because I was a pyrokinetic dragon girl didn't mean I was some flame-happy pyro-maniac. No for me fire was just a tool and maybe the occasional weapon of last-resort, plus I was here to have a good time by taking part in the fun- not ruining it for everyone else coming to the party.
As I made my way further into the campus I did my best to carry myself like a visiting prospective student checking out the college, not that I would actually consider going here- my dad would freak out and ground me until I was thirty if I said anything like that. I could almost hear him now, 'Why would you want to go to college in the middle of nowhere, I am paying for my daughter to have an education not to vacation, and what would you do with a degree from there everyone would treat it like a joke.'
Yeah- he'd flip his lid just like that I almost miss those moments, man and I thought that he was he in rare form the first time that he saw me wearing a mini-skirt, I remember the ride back from the hospital wondering just how he'd wig out after seeing the new me.
Flashback
Monday October 10, 2006
Seattle, Washington
5:03 PM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
It had been a day and a half since I...hatched and finally the hospital had decided that they had poked and prodded me enough to be able to conclusively tell that they had no freaking clue why I was now halfway between the old me and some type of Chinese-dragon.
Yes type, there are roughly a dozen basic varieties of dragons in the folklore and religion that go back throughout china since before the days of the first emperor and I still had no clue right now where I fit among any of them, somehow though I doubted I had the fortune of being reborn a tianlong (celestial dragon), somehow, I doubt that I possessed that kind of natural serenity. Although I probably had the grace of one before I change; something that a couple of dozen teens my own age can attest to when I'd danced circles around them on the gym floor during the eighth-grade lock-in.
While the hospital was still conducting tests of the sampled that they took from me, which wasn't easy since my new hide was so thick that trying to do things the normal way just caused their needles to break; those tests would still take a few days and given that they saw no reason to keep holding me I was finally on my way home. While my mom was with me in the back seat of the cab, something that was a bit of a necessity given that we didn't own a car, given that we didn't really have any space to park one in front of our shop- well no space that we didn't need free for customers.
This really isn't all that uncommon for districts like ours, but my family works out of our home; it's a small shop that takes up a little over half of the ground floor of our family's two-story brown stone in the Asian International District and it's been in our family since my great-grandfather Peng Chen opened up shop here a few years after arriving on this side of the Pacific. It's also always been the same type of business too, my family have always been tailors; we have always been the place that locals come to for repair and alterations.
Sometimes we even get orders for custom suits to be made- although those come less and less all the time, I know that mom tried her best to hide it but business was tight. On top of that father's constant refusal to take me under his wing and let me help out meant that unless he took on an apprentice the family business would end with his generation, and it's not like I didn't know how to sew most of my party outfits are homemade- although that is probably something of the past too.
I stared at my new clawed hands, although there was something of a wicked and potentially dangerous grace to them, I knew that they would likely be too unwieldy to handle the intricate precision that was needed to guide a needle through fabric in order to make seems as tight and sturdy as they truly needed to be. Well at least I wouldn't have to give up on my sculpting quite yet, while it likely would take some practice, I knew that with some work that I'd be about to work my art on the potter's wheel in the school art room once again. Although dad was reluctant to acknowledge the skill that I used to have with a needle and thread, at least I knew that he never failed to acknowledge my skill at molding clay.
The lurching of the taxi told me that we had finally arrived, sure enough right outside I could see the sign for Chen's Tailor Shop which was more importantly for me the Chen Family Residence. Still I wondered just how father would respond to the new me, I hadn't seen him since I was admitted to the hospital with the rash in the first place. I know that it might seem callous that he hadn't visited his daughter in all that time that for all anyone knew had been dying, but father was a workaholic; whenever he was really worried about anything he threw himself full tilt into his work to cope. Plus, I imagine that my hospital bills weren't bound to be cheap and given that our insurance wasn't the best I hope that I didn't but us too far into the red for the year.
I nervously exited the cab that idled in front of our home as mom followed paying the cabbie as she did so, yet another expense to add to on to my becoming a creature of legend. As I approached my home I could see that not a soul was in front to welcome me home, although I did ask mom not to tell my friends just what happened to me; I guess that it was a good thing that I expressly forbid anyone to see inside the quarantine room at the hospital. I mean I didn't want to put anyone outside the family on a rollercoaster of finding out that I didn't die, the old me just swelled into a brick-red egg, that the new me hatched out of was a bit of a mind boggler.
Then again, I was now a creature out of the legends of my ancestral homeland, and remembering some of the stories of those ancient legends that didn't sound so far-fetched. I mean Sun Wukong was born from of a meteorite and survived being pinned in place by a mountain for a few centuries, Bai Suzhen was a snake who turned into a woman after falling in love with a boy, Kui was a one-legged demon who was said to have invented dancing, and those were just a few examples off the top of my head.
As I walked inside I saw that my earlier guess was right on the money, dad was working on a double-breasted suit that was suspended on a dress dummy, and really letting out the seams in the trousers from what I saw. 'Something tells me that the guy who owned these things is in desperate need of a gym routine.' I mean I doubt dad could let out those seems anymore without adding more fabric, plus unless I'm mistaken there was the pattern for a gusset nearby on the table.
"Finally, home at last my little trembling Zhèn," my father spoke up the moment I entered the room still clearly focused on his work, "I thought that the hospital might become your new home given how much effort they invested in you. You couldn't even bother to call us yourself; you had to have your nurse call us for your mother to come pick you up."
"I couldn't help it," I shot back as my dad was in pile on the guilt mode (personally my third least favorite), "I broke the phone every time I tried to use it. I guess I don't know my own strength anymore."
"It figures, first you break an antique urn that predates porcelain then you become something that breaks something that people use every day." Dad grumbled as he continued to work, "Then once you became too much of a handful for them they send you home so you can break more things."
"From the looks of it I'm not the only one who breaks things," I commented as I looked over the suit, "how many seams did this guy tear anyway."
"Too many," dad chuckled, I knew it he was only giving me a hard to get me to go on the defensive and get out of my funk, he knows me so well, "this suit belongs to Raymond Marchenti."
"The food critic for The Seattle Times!" I stated in surprise, "Man I guess that he loves the former more than giving the later."
"You have no idea," I could almost see my old man rolling his eyes at that comment; "I wouldn't take it the first time because I insisted he have it dry cleaned first."
"Only makes sense," I nodded in agreement, "I mean getting a dirty suit altered is trouble waiting to happen, too much of a chance something that could go away the next time it's cleaned would wind up in the stitching."
"It's so glad to see that you do listen to me after all," dad remarked as he kept working.
"Only time I don't is when you comment on my choice in music," I replied before adding, "I'm just surprised that you haven't stopped to comment on the new me."
"I doubt that you'll be going out tonight so I will have a better look at you later," dad replied as he continued working, "as you children would say, 'I'm in the zone.'"
"I'm not a kid dad I'm fifteen," I shot back.
"You still are to your mother and I," dad retorted as he continued his labor on the suit, "no matter how old you get you will still be our child."
End Flashback
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:09 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Yeah, father was a bit of an odd person on the surface he was always distant stern and some would say cold (even to his own daughter), but that was just the surface father cared in his own way he just rarely expressed it on the surface. According to mom I was a lot like dad in his youth, vibrant and full of energy, but as he grew up and was expected to run the family business he had to wear a mask to gain respect- he had to present himself as a proper businessman of our community.
I just wished that he would have taken that mask off around mom and I so that I could get to know the real him, but maybe deep down he was afraid that once he let his hair down he would never want to go back. The responsibilities of adulthood, I wish that I could say that I never wanted to take them up but unfortunately my transformation made that a non-possibility, according to Kelsey I was something called the Northern Maiden and I had a destiny that would be revealed in greater detail once the final Maiden emerged.
I already knew a little about the Maidens of East and West thanks to some insight from Kelsey; apparently the Western Maiden was a fairy who transformed sometime while I was imprisoned and the Eastern Maiden was a mermaid who was born from a pearl just a few months ago. From what she told me both were at a school in New England training, and I was supposed to go there sometime this summer after training with the freaking Handmaiden of the Tao.
How scary was that not only were demon's real but so was the left-hand of destiny, the sharp blade of the Tao itself; it figures of all the things in the world that had to be real it had to be an actually bogyman.
I quickly shook myself, 'Stop it Zhen-yu,' I told myself trying to shake myself out of my melancholy, 'enough with the fear of what's to come tonight is the time to party. Forget magic and oriental gods and demons, you are here to snap out of that funk and find your groove.'
I took a look ahead down the path, sure enough I was almost to Animas Hall, already I could see college students several years past my actual age making their way into the hall. Okay so they might be way older than me but dammit this was my best chance to stop just existing and feel alive again, I needed to feel the beat, the music, the pulse and the energy- enough with demons from the Nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells the only demon I was concerned with was the one who was about to light up the dance floor inside that place...me.
The Bloody Bastard
Animas City Mountain
8:03 PM
Within the
"Dammit Lloyd," Rod griped at the brains of their team, "how much longer till that tracker's up and working?"
"It's working now I'm just fine-tuning it so that it'll narrow everything down to a few feet and not a few miles, and this'll go a lot faster if you quit breathing down my neck and let me work," Lloyd snapped back at the elder (and defacto leader) of the three. "Soldering circuit boards from scratch with what we have ain't easy, and the more you keep pestering me the more likely that I'll have to start from scratch. Need I remind you that we need this damned thing working to find our target in the first place, if we don't have the tracker than we can kiss the five-mill good-bye and take the costs of this job out of our own money?"
"Like hell I'm going to pay for this out of my booze money," Bufford shouted at the smallest of the trio, "who cares about some stupid gizmo, let's just head to town and start blasting till that lizard bitch shows up and tries to stop us!"
Rod respond to Bufford's outburst by giving him a sock to the jaw and knocking the man to the floor of their ship, "First of all Bufford thinking ain't your strong suit, second, I'm in charge 'round here, third we're looking for someone who's laying low not a damned cape she likely wouldn't pop up to fight us she'd high-tail it out of town, and finally- IF WE DID DO THAT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'D ATTRACT WOULD BE HEAVEN'S THUNDER GUNNIN' FOR OUR ASSES!"
"So, what you're saying is that you've gone yellow-belly on us," Bufford began to say as he pulled himself off the floor while massaging his jaw, "is the big-bad-bro Rod who had the stones to turn his back on the Sabertooths and screw over The Syndicate, is too much of a wimp to risk pissing off a bunch of spandex-jockies. Hell, we fight those all the damned time, sure we take our lumps but so do they and we still manage to get what we're after most of the time!"
"Four in ten ain't most times," Lloyd observed as he kept working on the tracker, "and Rod's right Heaven's Thunder ain't a joke like the others anymore. The Knights of Presence found that one out the hard way last winter- and they had had that people-eating freak Manbot on their side; still no word that any of them are still around, fact word is their ash in the wind."
"So, since they clobbered some prancy Eurotrash Ren-Fair rejects and their retarded pet freak so hard they're too scared to pop back up you two are too chicken to put your necks out there for some easy money," Bufford began winding himself up before heading for the door, "whatever you wimps, I'm hitting the town for some liquid courage and if I run into that lizard bitch first I'm not sharing the reward when I take her down!"
After Bufford stormed out of the room Lloyd turned to Rod and stated, "I told you brother that it was a mistake to give the other piece of armor that you boosted to our lame-brain of a cousin."
"Because you egg-head we needed the extra-muscle," Rod shot back, "now keep working on that tracker and radio when you get it working. I'm going to do my best to make sure Bufford doesn't blow this job for us like he did that one in Miami."
"Although the look on his face when he found out that he'd just felt up a cape wearing her civvies was priceless;" Lloyd tried his best to keep his amusement over that fiasco from leaking out, "almost as much as her tossing him through the wall and across the street, I just wish that you hadn't trashed the video I took of that happening."
"Lloyd, you know that if I let you keep that and Bufford saw it he'd put you in traction." Rod replied as he left the room on his way to catch up with Bufford, leaving Lloyd to continue his work.
In Front of Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:16 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Although I really doubted that this was an officially university sanctioned event; the party that Kelly Winden-something lady told me about back in town was hardly secret. Then again Spring Finals should be in a few weeks, and from what I remember hearing around school back home from classmates with siblings or cousins in college the last couple of weeks before finals were all work and no play- because the closer things got to finals the more everyone decided to buckle down and hit the books.
Yeah, this was probably the last big party for the students of Fort Lewis College until finals were over, lucky me this was probably going to be the biggest on campus bash for a while and I was going to be right in the thick of it. That is if I could make it past the bouncers, yeah bouncers two big guys were right in front of the main entrance and they were checking for one thing and one thing only- student IDs of which I had nada.
Man, this blows the one thing that I wasn't prepared for was that the students running the party insisting that only college students were getting in- they probably didn't want to risk any of the local high school students getting in and accidentally getting drunk on spiked punch or worse and raising a stink between the local sheriff and the college officials. That settled it I was going to have to find some way to crash this party and avoid getting kicked out while having fun, I mean it blows but I was going to have to balance having fun and blowing off steam with avoiding getting caught and either getting thrown out or escorted down to the campus security office and having my cover blown.
Yeah there was no doubt in my mind, this was going to be like walking on the edge of a damned razor, and while some may live for that kind of high- I wasn't one of them. I mean if it meant clueing that cult of demon-worshipping sadists into just where I'd run off to it was a colossal risk, but damn-it I needed this- I needed a chance to feel normal again- to feel like the girl that I used to be back home in Seattle. While it was true that I was alone in this town and I really wouldn't know anyone at this party, I needed to feel this kind of energy- this kind of atmosphere again- it was part of who I was.
Still how was I going to get inside without risking revealing that I had powers, ugh this was frustrating- I continued to watch the students trickle in one after another as my mind scrambled to figure out a solution.
"Hey Guan- over here!"
I was pulled from my frantic act of figuring out how to break in when a familiar voice called out the fake name that I made up for this outing, to my surprise I saw Kelly roughly twelve feet away and trying to get my attention. Talk about a surprise the lady who I met once in town recognized me, not to be rude I walked over to say hi.
"Hey Kelly," I said as I walked up to the lady, "I didn't expect to run into you so soon. As you can see I found the place that you were talking about, but as you can see-"
"Yeah, I know, students only," Kelly remarked as she rolled her eyes, "in their defense though last time a couple of high school kids were caught coming here to buy blotters from one of the campus dealers. Yeah, I know that the college folks are supposed to frown on that type of stuff but as long as we don't cause any trouble and keep our grades they are pretty lax about enforcing that sort thing. So, we have to enforce it so admin and the local fuzz don't have to intervene- fortunately I know a way around your...problem."
To my surprise Kelly grabbed my left arm and coaxed me towards the line, which gave me a clear view of a weird piece of body jewelry of hers. Kelly had some sort of rod on the back of her right-ear, it was kind of odd considering that it was only one ear but maybe it was some kind of statement or fad from wherever she was originally from before she got here.
"Trust me I know what I'm doing," Kelly stated as she dragged me to the line I was wondering just what the lady had up her sleeve, did she have some major connections or something- heck for all I knew she was one of the major movers and shakers here on campus. Whatever the case I decided to play it cool and stay quiet, as it stood I had nothing to lose by going along with whatever her plan was but a little time.
Before long the two of us were together at the front of the line face to face with someone who screamed football team defensive tackle, granted I could take him easy but if I did that it would cause a panic and attract attention. I decided to try and keep playing it cool- not that it was easy given my internal temperature causes a thermometer to pop like something out of Looney Toons.
It was nerve-wracking person by person the line grew shorter as Kelly and I moved closer and closer to the two bouncers at the head of the line, as we got closer and closer to the door I observed the bouncers putting yellow or green slap bracelets on the wrists of everyone they let through on their way inside the building. Sure enough our time at the head of the line finally came- it was now or never, time to see just what Kelly was up to and if she would really be able to get me inside to the party. Ugh! Suddenly I felt dirty, I mean I didn't want to use her for this but she was the one who insisted on helping me.
"Student ID please," one of the pair of students up front next to a laptop with a credit card scanner attached spoke up.
"Here you go," Kelly presented her student ID and the man swiped it through the reader. After a moment or two a picture of Kelly pulled up on the screen, ohh that's right, her name is Windkloppel.
"Alright, your clear to go inside," the man explained before asking me. "Student ID please?"
Great, it figures that Kelly was all talk, just what had she planned to do to get me inside. Come to think of it, just why did I expect a complete stranger that I had just met a few hours ago to go out of her way to help me, I was a fool to go along with this anyway.
I began to make my way out of the line to go and figure out my own way inside when Kelly spoke up, "It's okay Reg," she explained as she got the man's attention, "she's with me."
"Really Kelly?" the student security guard she dubbed 'Reg' asked the student that he already let inside as the other one had gotten out a green slap bracelet, "you're vouching for her?"
"Yeah, I met her in town when I was looking to revamp my party dress," Kelly began to explain, "she says she's a senior from Silverton and thinking about coming here in the fall."
"Well if you want to make her your plus-one for tonight fine by me," Reg replied back as he pulled out a pocket notepad. After jotting something down Reg turned and presented me with the pad and a pen, "please print and sign your name under Kelly's and remember no funny business- your behavior reflects on her tonight."
I was shocked, Kelly not only pulled through as she said she would but she actually went to bat for me- me someone that not only just met her but had been lying to her the entire time. "Sure," I replied to Reg as I took the pad and wrote down not only my fake name of Guan Shu-ting but also made certain to sign in Hanyu Pinyin (關蜀婷), since I know there was no way that I could sign it smoothly in traditional western cursive on the first try, fortunately my parents insisting I learn how to read and write traditional Chinese calligraphy paid off in times like this.
"Wait," Reg responded somewhat confused, "just what is this?"
"That's how I sign my name," I replied giving the man a withering glare, "or are you saying that there is something wrong with a Chinese-American girl signing her name in her ancestral language as she was taught by her parents?" I stated only halfway lying given that my parents did teach me how to write my real name granted I wrote it (陳振宇) and also signed in cursive like normal when I needed to do so.
Obviously, my ploy was working began the crowd was grumbling both because the argument was holding up the line and at Reg's accidental venture into appearing to be a racist- well there's another blow to the karma, maybe I'll bring him a drink from inside to balance it out- for all I knew he had to stay here all night.
"Fine, that's enough!" Reg relented throwing up his hands in defeat, "Willie- she's number fourteen in the book, you know what to do."
"Got it Reg," the other bouncer dubbed Willie replied as he produced a red slap bracelet and a fine-tip black marker from the box with the other slap bracelet.
I presented my hand for the bracelet and right after Willie slapped the red bracelet on he wrote 14 on it and then did the same thing to Kelly's.
"Alright, this red bracelet means that everyone inside should know that you're off-limits to any funny-business and that the bouncer by the refreshment table will stop you from drinking anything from the table but soft-drinks or bottled water." Willie laid down the law while Reg attended to the next student in line. "Is that understood?"
"Yeah, I hear ya'," I replied somewhat annoyed by the life-guard routine that he was giving me, "I'm just here to party and unwind not to get blitzed, call me weird but I kind of want to remember tonight."
"Yeah, I know I sound like a buzz kill but I have to read you the rules anyway," Willie remarked as I followed Kelly inside the building.
"See- I told you that I'd get you in," Kelly stated with a smile, "I bet you thought that I was going to leave you high and dry."
"Well the thought did cross my mind," I responded as we made our way inside, "but I'm glad that I was wrong there."
"Okay just don't try any funny stuff," Kelly explained as she held up her own bracelet, "this means that I'm responsible for you tonight, and if I screw up I'm bared from any on-campus fun for the rest of the semester- capiche.
"Got it," I replied as we continued towards the festivities.
After a few moments, we came to the foyer which had a decent number of students dancing to remixes of what was bound to be the hits of the year, although it was yet another thing that I was behind the curve on I decided to set that bit of unimportance on the back burner- it was time to boogie.
In Front of Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
8:42 PM
As Zhen-yu and Kelly were making their way to the student organized party inside Animas Hall, another individual with plans to crash the party going on inside was planning her own entrance. Ingrid Olson, formerly known as the tweenage villain sidekick Permafrost to her father Soren Olson (prior to his forced retirement) radioed her father over the com-link that was built into her earrings, "Toby you need to hack this college's mainframe and quick if you want me to get inside for this harebrained scheme of yours, this fake student ID you whipped up might pass visual inspection but their scanning the card of everyone who wants to come inside."
"I'm on it big sis," Tobias Olson the latest in a long line to hold claim to the codename of Blizzard Wizard replied to his older sister as he got to work. Granted that when it came to hacking his skills were far from master-level especially in a world with Exemplar, Gadgeteer and Devisor trait mutants running around wearing every shade of hat under the sun (or not given the reputation of most hackers), however he was more than confident that he had what it took to infiltrate the system of a minor small-town college and enter a fake student ID.
Fortunately, Tobias already had the template that he used to create the fake ID in the first place, including the code that he entered onto the magnetic strip on the card just in case his sister needed it- better safe than sorry when there was so much riding on this mission.
From their room at the Adobe Inn, which thankfully was both close to the college and didn't strain their budget as long as they didn't mind the roaches in the bathroom, Tobias got to work infiltrating the student information database of Fort Lewis College. His task should have been no problem infiltrating the student information server and plant his sister's information in the system, however the hiccup in the plan to arise here wasn't his own mediocre hacking abilities, but instead the border-line obsolete servers of the college coupled with the motel's spotty internet connection- what the hell was this 56K dial-up.
"Are you certain that this dragon-lady is here, I mean why would a creature of legend come to a party out in the middle of nowhere?" Ingrid asked as she took her spot in line.
"The tracker that they posted the instructions for points her to be in this town, plus I thought that the story that the Merchants of Suffering spun about her being a creature of myth that they captured sounded totally bogus. Toby explained has he worked on the hack, "So I did a little digging and apparently there was a Chinese-American girl up in Seattle who manifested into an anthropomorphic Chinese dragon, the picture of her matched the description the Merchants of Suffering posted. I just put two and two together and solved that they kidnapped her and were using her for something."
"So are you sure about your plan anyway," Ingrid asked her brother of the coms, "you said that you didn't plan on doing business with the Merchants, but are you certain that she's any better I mean know that the word's out that her organization has really been expanding her operations lately."
"I'm certain, Erzebet Scratch is our best bet," Toby explained as he continued to work, "she hates the Merchants of Suffering with a passion and wouldn't hesitate at a chance to piss them off. Plus, this dragon girl is a hell of a lot better off with her given that almost no one is stupid enough to attack her except the global heavy-hitters and they probably aren't interested in this matter anyway."
"Yeah, but are you sure that you want to go down this path," Ingrid asked out of concern, "our family might have been forced to turn our backs on tradition but is that so bad- maybe it's just past time that we do this."
"I have to at least give this a shot Ingrid," Toby explained as he put the finishing touches on the fake profile of Ingrid in the Fort Lewis College's student database, "so for the next several minutes you are Tipper Langdstein in the general studies program, just tell me when you are inside so that I can delete the profile and cover our tracks."
"At least you picked something that I could fake," Ingrid muttered under her breath as she came within three spots of the bouncers, thankfully her updated costume didn't look like it would be out of place on the dance floor. Yeah all that she had to do was slip on her mask and she'd be ready to go, still there was the matter of finding this dragon girl in the club and something told her that she would not be wearing scales still maybe she would get lucky and there wouldn't be too many students of Asian descent inside.
Eventually it was her turn at the head of the line, "Student ID please?" Reg ordered Ingrid who handed over the phony ID that Toby whipped up for her, as the bouncer swiped her card it was time for the moment of truth.
"Okay, you're good to go," Reg replied as he handed the fake ID back to Ingrid who breathed an internal sigh of relief as she made her way inside.
"Hold it!" The other bouncer called out making Ingrid's heart skip a beat and contemplate if she needed to use the cryo-tech in her costume already. Her hand inches away from the trigger in her glove Ingrid turned to face the other bouncer- ready for anything.
"You forgot your band," Willie said as he slapped a yellow band onto her wrist, "you didn't think that we'd let you sneak off to the hard bar if you were underage, did you?"
"Dammit," Ingrid began to fake her frustration over being caught, "I thought that I'd at least have something tonight, that term paper's brutal."
"Ah Mister Funnichello's composition course I take it," Willie observed, "yeah those are brutal but trust me after the bruisers that he throws at you the papers that you'll get from the professors in the focus courses will be a breeze!"
"If you say so," I huffed and sagged my shoulders to really sell my disappointment, and muttered, "up tight- know-it-all NARCO," as I made my way inside.
Once past the doors I squirreled myself away in one of the darker corners of the room before reactivating the coms, "Alright I'm in and I'll start looking for our mark."
"Understood I'll be headed over with the rent-a-van after I cover our digital tracks," Toby explained as he began to delete the fake profile of Tipper Langdstein from the database and overwrite that sector with junk data, "Just remember call me if you need back-up or a distraction."
"I will baby bro," Ingrid replied before adjusting her dress as she headed out onto the floor, both to search for their target as well as to have a little fun after all she was an actual college student just not of this institution and she had her own finals to study for soon.
The Bloody Bastard
Animas City Mountain
8:47 PM
Within the cramped closet of the stolen Syndicate airship Lloyd soldered the last pieces into place to the modified tracker, taking a moment to wipe the sweat and grime off him with a nearby towel, the tech man of the Masterson Brothers took a few moments to kick-back and polish off a bottle of Gator-aide.
Taking a moment to reassemble the tracker's casing, Lloyd Masterson decided that now was time for the moment of truth. Crossing his fingers (and his eyes for good measure) Lloyd flipped the switch and with a couple of sparks the tracker turned back on...it worked he'd won the battle now to move on to the next stage of the operation.
Taking note of the screen on the tracker, Lloyd took the tracker down to the nav room and after finding the proper cord plugged the tracker into the airship then overlaid with a local map from a travel guide (which he got from a torrent), and he and not only was a location pointed out it was specific enough that he doubted that they'd have much trouble rooting out the target.
With an air of smug satisfaction Lloyd Masterson hit the coms to radio Rod and Bufford with the news, "Hey Rod, good news the modified tracker is working like a charm. According to it and our maps the lizard lady should be at Animas Hall over at the College by the edge of town. Also judging by the lack of radio chatter on the police bands out that way we should be the first out there."
"Good you couldn't have called sooner," Rod replied over the com channel, "Bufford's pissed that I've been restricting his drink orders to piss-water with extra water. So, he's been giving some local bikers the stink-eye, I better grab him before he starts a bar-brawl."
"Good, I'll take the ship over to Chapman Hill," Lloyd laid out the plan, "I'll have the armor prepped and ready for you two, all you'll need to do is stow your hogs and suit up."
"Alright, but remember," Rod's voice turned grave, "don't get used to giving orders, I'm the one in charge here!"
"Got it bro," Lloyd replied as he cut the connected and went to the pilot-chair, "the sooner they got done and paid the sooner he could get back to his side projects at the dirt farm.
Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
9:41 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Finally, for the first time in a long time I was back in my element, out on the dance floor I let the beat take over almost everything else fell away, there was just me and the music. I could feel the pulse pounding beat of the bass the heavy force of the percussion and I loved it, nothing else mattered at the moment, not the fact that I was hiding in a form that was a few years older than I was not to mention far less scaly. Prophecy's and destiny could wait as my legs moved to the sound of the guitars within the melody. Even the cult who sought me out to chain me didn't matter the only hands that controlled me at the moment were those of the DJ who was working the controls and channels of the turn tables.
As the latest in a long line of songs that I was unfamiliar with, given that they'd probably released before Kelsey released me came to an end my euphoria was far from over. Still I decided to take a short break as the DJ was between sets as I maneuvered off the dance floor to the refreshment tables, once again the goon that they had guarding the beer took notice of my red slap band; a sign marking not only the fact that I was below the legal drinking age but also that I was below the age for certain other things too.
Not that any of that mattered to me tonight, I wasn't here to get wasted or here to get stoned; come to think of it could I really get either of those things since I was half dragon- my naturally higher body heat would probably power through booze a lot faster than a normal person's liver. Oh well, that was a question for another day when I was older, no today I was here to party and feel alive. I grabbed a bottle of water from a nearby cooler and tossed a buck in the jar after taking notice of the sign.
Taking a moment to drink up and appear to catch my breath, not that I really need to, I spotted Kelly across the room talking to someone who was heavy-set and clearly dressing to impress. Oh well, she was legal; let a girl make her own choices it's not like I was anyone to judge given the fact that I tended to moon over the baby-faces of the bands back home, a fact that my friends like to rib me about.
I actually was debating sitting the next set out to chat with the students on the sidelines; I mean it felt good to feel normal again- to feel like me again. Soon the DJ plopped down the next slab of vinyl and got to work and I began to feel the music take me away, that beat to take me to Nirvana, how's that for meditation Master Fong Wei-quo? I began to make my way out to the dance floor instinct guiding me through the throngs who were dancing together, while I was moving to the music and not seeking another to share my euphoria.
That was when the wall exploded, while some ran screaming others milled about in the smoke and dust disoriented. I could feel people running into the smoke seeking to pull whoever they could to safety, everything was happening so fast but given that I was still on my feet I decided to flee- something told me that shit was really about to hit the fan.
As I was making my way out someone grabbed my ankle, I paused only to hear someone croak out, "help me- please."
Against my better judgement I stooped down to pick the boy up and help move him to safety, no sooner did I have him on my shoulder to make my way away from the dance floor than someone barked over a bullhorn from the direction of the explosion that blew in the wall.
"All right listen up," a man who sounded like he thought of himself as large and in charge barked, "we're the Masterson Brothers and we're here for one reason and one reason only. Hiding among you frat brats is someone who belongs to some folks in San Fran; they're paying a lot of green to have her back. So I'll make this simple for you folks, you have five minutes to find her and turn her over to us or we'll come looking, and it won't be pleasant."
As the smoke and debris began to settle everyone saw that these were three men in power armor who looked as mean as they did ugly, all three were also packing some nasty looking artillery- meaning that when things got unpleasant it would likely result in a body count. Dammit why did this have to happen, I only wanted to have some fun like a normal teenager- why did I have to keep winding up in situations like this?
While everyone who were considering their offer looked around in confusion for just who they could throw at these brutes' feet in a desperate attempt to appease them, the leader of these power-suit wearing thugs barked out, "Times up, alright boys, time to find out who's can take the small guns and who deserves the big guns!"
The brutes began to make their way into the building and towards the cowering co-eds like panther's stalking their prey, to my dread I could see Kelly, who had sneaked around the room's perimeter and was right behind the thugs- dammit she was going to get herself killed. I was relieved and confused when my prediction proved false because surprise number two for the evening made itself known, Kelly pulled that weird rod earring out and suddenly it expanded into a full-sized staff that she used to smack one of bullhorn's sidekicks through his helmet and to the ground.
That was when the two standing thugs turned to point their weapons and fire at Kelly who miraculously dodged and weaved past every shot, before back-flipping and in the process knocking the helmet off bullhorn's other side-kick. As she landed with a pose that's when I saw it, Kelly had a long tail covered with thick fur emerging from her back-side, smiling with oddly over-pronounced canines Kelly commented, "Well boy's you came all this way, do you still want to party?"
Last Edit: 6 years 8 months ago by Insane Hiker.
6 years 8 months ago #28
by Insane Hiker
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?
Las Vegas, Nevada?
7:14 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux?
I finally began to come to when I felt something soft, wet and a little on the cold side brush against my right arm, wait a minute what the heck was going on the last thing that I remembered we'd been ambushed by a couple of freaks after leaving the arena. Walt discovered that his bag had been switched for some bag with a couple of power bands in it and we were figuring out how to use them to protect ourselves, that's when my skin broke to pieces after the big one slugged me.
Then this thin guy showed up and sucked Walt into a shadow before telling his friend to 'Take care of us' that's when I panicked and began throwing blasts of wind at him. A brief moment of distraction let the bruiser grab me but before he could eat me (yeah that's what he said he was going to do), a guy dressed like an Egyptian dog knocked him out cold and made the lot of us disappear in a sand storm.
When I opened my eyes, it took them a minute to refocus but when they finally did I was glad that they hadn't taken a second longer. That guy who had showed up after that bruiser said he was going to eat me what was his name- oh yeah, Dirge was approaching me holding a bronze weapon that looked more like a skewer than a knife, just a sharp pointy painful looking tip- no blade. Oh crap, he was going to stick me like you do a roast before you shove the garlic cloves in- yeah, I cook, it was a matter of survival since my mother rarely ever bothered.
I tried desperately to move away only to find out that my body was strapped to the table and my wrists were bound, still restrained or not I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I thrashed about as best as I could hope to loosen the bonds enough to escape but it was useless.
"Hold still child," Dirge said as he grabbed my right arm with a grip like steel, "this will be over before you know it."
"Like hell I'm going to let you kill me!" I shouted back- hold on is that my voice- I sound like a girl.
"I am not trying to kill you child," Dirge replied in a firm tone, "I am trying to take a blood sample to use in our Genealogical Analyzer, and this is a drinking needle akin to your modern ancient syringes albeit designed for this specific purpose. Now hold still, I just need to prick a vein."
Still wary I did as he told- not that I had too much of a choice, but true to his word Dirge pricked my arm and held the drinking needle there for a second or two, when he pulled it away a strip of thin cloth that smelled like medicine coiled around my arm and stopped the bleeding almost instantly. Dirge walked with the drinking needle over to a nearby ornate box with a symbol on the front, sort of like a blunted oval standing on a surface, and inserted the drinking needle into the top.
After a few moments went by a symbol appeared at the top of the oval, sort of like a circle within a circle. "Ah I see, you are of our principality." Dirge said as the restraints came undone.
"Wait a minute why did you need to find that out before you undid the straps?" I asked as I massaged my now liberated arms- were my hands really that small? Moreover, what's up with my voice? "For that matter, just where am I?"
"You and your friends are at an exclusive area of Scarlet Sands Resort and in the company of family child. Likely distant family but family nonetheless" Dirge began to explain, "As for why I did not turn you lose earlier, well I had to make certain that you were not of a rival principality."
"Principality- what do you mean principality? Just what is this all about?" I demanded desperate for answers.
"A Principality of the Ancient Southern Court, a Principality within the of the land of Daemons and Djinn," Dirge began to elaborate.
"Hold the phone," I shouted somewhat perturbed as I could feel wind began to move around my feet, "I am not a demon!"
"I said daemon child not demon, daemon is the inclusive term for denizens of the Southern Court," Dirge explained as his helmet retracted showing his head to be like an all-black cross between a greyhound and a Doberman- much like his helmet. "From what I learned from before you awoke- you are a half-blooded djinni, who is descended from the Principality of Aten, the Blazing Disc, the same land as the rest of us here; the Genealogical Analyzer has already revealed that much from your blood sample. All that remains now is for it to reveal the house of your birth and your parentage, although your friend has been most helpful in that already."
"My friends," I parroted as I overcame the shock of finding out that I wasn't entirely human- hold on...friend Walt may have been taken but there were still four of us, "wait where are they- are they alright- you haven't done anything to them have you?"
"Relax child," Dirge said urging me to calm down, "your friend Daniel is in another room enjoying our hospitality as a welcomed guest, as for your friends Mathew and Stephen they are still unconscious although they are expected to make a full recovery thanks to our tending to their wounds. As for your assailant- he is enjoying hospitality of a far... different nature."
"I don't know how I should feel about that- especially since he said he was about to eat me." I mused for a moment before asking, "He wouldn't have really eaten me, would he?"
"Yes, he would have, his kind do not have the most discriminating palates." Dirge responded as he began to dismiss the rest of his instruments while letting the Gene Analyzer do its thing. "Now if you would follow me I am certain that you would like to clean all the grime off yourself as soon as possible, I have told the ladies in the spa to take good care of you."
Secret Detention Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
7:30 PM
"You wankers had best let me go," Shakedown shouted as he banged against the walls trying his best to make a dent that he could work over to secure his release, "you have no idea who you're messing with!"
"Oh I assure you Shakedown I know exactly who and what I am messing with, you however are clearly ignorant to the gravity of your current situation." A heavy voice sounded over the speakers hidden in his cell, "Now tell me what I wish to know and I might consider returning you to your mistress alive and intact."
"Shove it where the sun don't shine you greasy, little-spotty bottomed, toffee-nosed git!" Shakedown cried out in defiance, as he shot his captor the bird- with both hands.
"Very well I was trying to be civil about this, however you are obviously choosing to be obstinate, just remember you brought this on yourself." The voice then called out to another in the room, "Brainstain, do me a favor and entertain our guest until he's willing to be more cooperative."
"Can I use the prop room?" Another voice likely this Brainstain inquired.
"Against my better judgment yes," The heavy voice resigned, "Just make sure that you turn off the cameras, I don't want any of the security guards to get hysterical blindness- or try to claw their eyes out like they did in the old days."
"Hey would I come up with something that would make folks look at me like that? Brainstain inquired.
"Yes and for that matter you are to replace any apparel that you wear," the heavy voice chided him, "I doubt that anyone else will ever want to put on anything that you ever wore anyhow."
Several minutes passed after the banter ceased as the door to the room opened, although a wall of iron bars still lay between Shakedown and an escape attempt. Still Shakedown was sure the moment that this Brainstain came entered the cage to begin his torture he would easily be able to overpower him and escape. However soon after Shakedown's interrogator entered the room the brute's screaming began to echo down the hallway.
**THE REST OF THIS SCENE HAS BEEN RATED A CLASS-X SANITY HAZARD BY THE ARKHAM RESEARCH CENTER AND HAS BEEN REDACTED TO PRESERVE THE SANITY OF THE READER. WE WILL RETURN YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY THAT IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS**
SVIP Spa - Scarlet Sands Resort
7:49 PM
POV: Paul Ledoux?
"AHHHHHHH!" I all but melted into the chair as a man with a head like a monkey (sort of reminded me of Marcel from Friends) began to work over the muscles on my back. Granted I don't know too much about djinn spell-casting yet but this guy definitely has magic fingers.
Dirge wasn't kidding when he said that this place was a luxury spa. I had already been cleaned up by a pair of twins with flamingo heads using pails of warm water that smelled and felt like it had something in it and natural sponges and now I was getting a rub down from a male masseuse with a monkey head.
Granted part of me hated myself for living it up while Walt was in no telling how much danger but a naughty little part of me was enjoying the attention. l I admit though that it is weird I lived all my life as a guy, but suddenly everything just felt so- right. Well aside from my best friend being in mortal danger- gaah, why does life have to be so confusing?
Speaking of confusing ever since I had woken up this morning everything just had seemed to be getting clearer and clearer in my head, almost as if I had been living my life half asleep. I wonder if this had something to do with that shell that had been around my body cracking.
"Alright," the masseuse commented as he stepped back to let me get off the table, "Please wait a moment and one of the ladies should be around with a guest robe in your size."
"I wonder just what my size is." I pondered for a moment as I looked down at my hands. For that matter what about the rest of me, I mean I was a girl now and from what I could see from my body I was probably Hispanic. Great and not only was I full of questions that I still didn't know the answer to- I could possibly get deported because I didn't match any of the official documents that I had on file.
Oh well I might as well enjoy the luxury of djinn society, because it looks like any possibility that I had of making a living in human society was looking slim at the moment.
Entertainment Room - The Solstice Lounge
7:54 PM
"Tell me Dirac, how is my prize at the moment?" Miss Bliss asked her dark and bony henchman as she sipped from a martini while staring at the prostate form of Walter Forrester.
"Unfortunately, the child beyond your ministrations at the moment my lady," Dirac explained, "when I brought him into my shadow the child deactivated every gem except one- obviously its power is invulnerability. Apparently not only does the blasted thing protect his body but his mind as well, for the time being he is beyond our reach."
"For the time being not forever," Miss Bliss mused as she paused to take another sip of her martini, "from what I can perceive of the gems energies the one bearing the mark of Cancer will only last until sunrise. By tomorrow morning the gems will be ours to do with as we wish- although items of power like this are usually more trouble than they are worth."
"Then what is your will my lady?" Dirac inquired with genuine respect for his employer.
"Have everyone spread the word that our usual auction will be moved up from the first to the Witching Hour," Miss Bliss stated as she gazed at Walter with a look of bemusement in her eyes, "the gauntlets shall be the centerpiece of the auction."
"And the whelp milady?" Dirac asked as he gave the boy a gravid look.
"He failed to escape your morass before he was pulled under; whoever purchases the gauntlets shall decide the child's fate." Miss Bliss explained to her minion just make certain that he remains unconscious the last thing that we need is him making an escape during the auction and harming one of the guests."
"Understood milady," Dirac bowed. "Will there be anything else milady?"
"Yes, please be a dear and find what is keeping Shakedown," Miss Bliss ordered as she drained her glass. "He should have returned by now, I would hate to have one of the locals call to tell me that they had to clean up after him again."
Velvet Lounge - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:21 PM
POV: Paul Ledoux?
"Hey Paul about time you joined us," Danny observed as I made my way into the room after my trip through the spa. Like Dirge, the ladies that had been attending to me in there were djinn and likewise had heads of animals. I mean I saw a gazelle, a camel and even an ostrich, but ironic enough I out of everyone I looked the most human. "Or is it Paula now?" Danny asked as he sipped his drink and took a peek at my body now attired in an oddly comfortable robe."
"I guess," I said nervously as my rather large ears drooped in embarrassment, "I still can't believe I'm a girl now- and believe me back in the spa I checked."
"So, are you a mutant now too or something?" Danny asked as he made sure to set his drink on a nearby coaster, I didn't blame him the furniture her looked expensive and considering that we were guests I would have wanted to stay on the good side of our mysterious hosts. "I mean I've heard rumors that some really change when their powers go online, and I don't mean just making them look like stuff at a landscaping store."
"I can assure you that the young miss has always been a lady," Dirge said as he came back in with his helm back in place. "Although we did find traces of blood in the ceramic shards that came off her; the blood does not match her type."
"Yeah plus after Jeff jumped me the other day I'd been having these- visions whenever I touched where I was hurt." I admitted with more than an ounce of reluctance. I saw one pretty clearly when I caught my old face after it came off, it was this cult putting the clay on me while a woman screamed."
"I doubt that it would be your mother Paula," Danny remarked as he stared at me in the eyes, "No offense but I always thought that something wasn't quite right with her, I mean I was surprised any woman would treat her son like she has you."
"You might be onto something Danny, because whoever the woman was it wasn't the one that I've been calling mother these last several years." I admitted with a bitter taste in my mouth because it made so much sense it made me want to kick myself, I wonder why I never suspected this years ago.
"Interesting- this sounds like psychometry, a gift most unheard of among our people." Dirge mused under his breath about the matter before inquiring. "Tell me do you remember seeing any symbols in this vision?"
"Yeah but I wouldn't be able to describe them too well." I explained to the self-proclaimed djinn who was apparently our host. "I'd need to see the vision again because I wasn't looking too closely at them they were also pretty odd looking. I don't think that I've ever seen them before."
"Very well, I shall get that face-piece out for you to take another look." Dirge stated drawing our attention on why he had it, "We had gathered everything at the scene for examination, and we also sent someone to examine at your house for more information- just in case you were not one of us mind you."
After he left Danny asked, "So does that mean that he looks like you under that lid?"
"Maybe," I walked over to a mirror next behind the lounge's small bar and got a better look at myself then I had in the spa. The face that I saw reflecting back looked only vaguely human, granted this was the first time I had seen myself in a mirror ever since I broke out of the old me like a cocoon.
It was odd from the waist down I had the complexion and body of an attractive Hispanic girl my own age but as for my face- well-
"No, he looks more like a dog." I replied while staring at the face in the mirror, still analyzing what I saw. I didn't look human- well at least not completely human but I my face didn't look completely like an animal either- it was like my head was halfway between that of a human being and a horse. Still I could see that I resembled the girl who was taken away from that dog-headed lady in my memories.
"That is because our heads reflect our connection to our element young maiden of House of the Shimmering Oasis." Dirge stated as he came into the room now relaxing in a linen robe of his own, "Eventually you shall learn to properly channel those energies so that you my take on a more human continence should you choose to do so, even a more animalistic or elemental form. In the meantime, you can wear a special amulet to help you channel these energies so that you can appear normal. I also bring good news, our analyzer has revealed that you are a child of this house, also given your power-level and apparent age not to mention certain other circumstances that I am aware of the identity of your father can easily be deduced with roughly seventy percent certainty."
"Okay but before the big reveal, I know that I was using wind early how is a horse a wind sign- shouldn't that be a bird?" I asked desperate for information.
"Actually, most birds are either fire or water signs," Dirge replied, "Due to the fact that most birds spend a great deal of their time sharing the sharing the heights with the sun they are considered creatures of fire, like vultures, hawks or falcons, lions are also part of this list given their hot-blooded aggression. The exception to this are those who spend most of their time around water such as geese, ibis and flamingos. As for the wind- those are mainly creatures of the ground who are swift of feet, well you are no doubt familiar of the phrase run like the wind, does a horse not fit this description."
"Okay- okay- I get it now!" I conceded to Dirge's explanation still there was a fly in the ointment that stuck with me, "you said that you are only partially sure who my dad is- why?"
"There are only three men in the House of Nephthys who could account for such power in a demi-djinn such as yourself. I am one of those three however I have been celibate for ages. My father, until recently, was sterile due to an…injury; it is a long story and the details would likely make your friend rather uncomfortable." I could tell that there was a lot more to that story than just it not being for those who are squeamish. "The third is my brother- the individual who is known to the world as the super-villain Greygus."
My blood ran cold for a minute, I was the daughter of a super-villain, images flashed through my head of men in black suits coming to keep me under surveillance twenty-four seven for a crack at my dad. Then after they caught him they'd keep me under watch for the for the rest of my life afterwards to throw the book at me and lock me away too.
"Hold the phone, I've heard of that guy." Danny interjected drawing me out of my moment of melancholy, "He's sort of known as this honorable rogue type, sort of well-known for taking his time to save civilians that get caught in the cross-fire between him and the heroes while still getting away."
Okay so at least he's not someone like Doctor Diablo or Deathlist, but he's still a bad guy. Still this tidbit leads me to an unfortunate conclusion, "Let me guess where we are now is a place connected to the man that you think is my dad?"
"Yes actually, your father and grandfather," Dirge replied as a sat down with a waitress with the head of a duck came in and delivered some drinks that I could smell the spice wafting up from the vapors. "They contributed a great deal of revenue to the American government over the years and more recently helped many of the old families who ran the casinos and resorts in Vegas transition into the corporate world to maintain the status quo while adapting with the times. They needed a firm base of operations to free our kingdom from the dark entity that had been controlling most of our people for the last several thousand years."
Okay dad was a bad guy, but I guess that even some bad guys have their reasons. "Please tell me more."
"Very well I shall do so the analyzer shall be done soon, anyway and then we shall have a house amulet ready for you soon after." Dirge replied before leaving the room.
I looked back at the horse-like girl in the mirror, and part of me wondered just what the face that would be staring back at me once I had the amulet would look like.
Ops Center - Syndicate Auxiliary Base #542
8:40 PM
Powerbroker was starting to get nervous, he already had three potential buyers lined up for the Zodiac Gems and he had yet to hear back from Miss Bliss, which made him even more nervous. Miss Bliss was like a barracuda who knew how to swim with the sharks and not be eaten, she did it as if she had been raised in this type of environment and dealing with her was often an unpleasant necessity.
The most unpleasant thing was that the woman's price would likely cut into deep into his profit margins. Powerbroker did the math, after the fee for paying the Slyde Courier Service and Professor Id for both the use of Slither and his replacements for Captain Cosmos's original power bands to mount the Zodiac Gems. He had already had seven million sunk into this operation already before the mix-up happened with the tote bags, if Miss Bliss charged him any more than twelve million for retrieving the bands he would be looking at a profit margin lower than the chance of a host of the Champion Force living to retirement.
When he was in the middle of sulking one of the Tiger Guards providing security came up to him, "Sir, you have a phone call from Miss Bliss."
Taking a moment to collect himself as the Tiger Guard left the office, Power Broker cued up the transferred call. "Well- Miss Bliss, I presume that you have acquired my misplaced package, so shall we talk about the matter of your fee now?"
"I am afraid that a simple fee is no longer optional Power Broker my dear," Miss Bliss retorted in her lilting tone. "You see over the course of my employees reacquiring your package, a member of the items' accidental recipient's entourage actually put them on and used them against my men. Now as the item's current wielder is now bonded to the item in question, not to mention the fact that my employee Shakedown who was left behind to take care of any witnesses has yet to return, per my usual contract I am opting to enter the package and their wielder in my next underground auction as the star item."
"You are invited to attend and bid on the lot that they are featured in off course, just do keep in mind that you are not the only fish in the sea that will be doing so. Now ta-ta Power Broker and remember the bidding begins at Twelve O'clock sharp, and etiquette dictates that only the bids of those seated at the beginning of the auction will be recognized."
"Very well, fax me over a catalog- just remember Miss Bliss I shall not forget this!" Power Broker stated with as much weight to his words as he could bring.
"Power Broker, there is no need for idle threats, where I grew up words had teeth that were willing to draw blood if need be." Miss Bliss retorted as she hung up, that left Power Broker to ponder the implication of her words as the catalog for the auction began to print out in the fax machine in the next room.
Xuè-jīn Mùshī's Inner Sanctum
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
San Francisco, California
7:46 PM PDT
"Why do you disturb my evening meditations sycophant?" The latest in a long line of those to hold the title of Xue-jin Mushi said as he looked up from arcane gold and eberial brazier situated before his throne. "I warn you, if it is not news of our mercenaries returning XiYi to us then you had best give a good reason if you wish to keep your life."
"Your eminence I bring news," the nameless sycophant of the Merchants of Suffering proclaimed as he prostrated so low against the floor it was as if he was trying to laminate himself against it. "The black-marketer of Las Vegas- Miss Bliss has an item for sale in her latest auction that you would be most interested in- the Zodiac Gemstones."
"I see," the Xue-jin Mushi replied as he took interest in the man’s report, "very well your life shall be spared for your sudden intrusion- that is unless you would like to wager it in return for your own advancement within our order. What is your name?"
"Qian Khai, your eminence and I would gladly wager my life if it would please you." Qian Khai replied not daring to bother to raise his eyes from the floor.
"Very well Qian Khai, you are to see the Holder of the Purse for an expense account and then take one of our planes to Vegas immediately." Xue-jin Mushi explained as he rose from his throne and strolled over to the prostrated Qian Khai, "Should you return with the Zodiac Gemstones then you shall be rewarded with a position of great trust, and when the XiYi is returned to us you shall be made its keeper."
Then the Xue-jin Mushi placed his right foot on the head of Qian Khai and began to apply weight, "However should you fail to do so then your organs, blood, skin and marrow shall be harvested for sale on the black market. As for what shall remain that will be turned to stone, ground into powder, mixed with mortar and used to repair any cracks that the Wayfarer left in our great temple during her recent visit."
Taking a moment to stroll back to his throne the Xue-jin Mushi waiting until he was comfortable to bark out in a harsh tone, "Well what are you waiting for you simpleton go to Vegas and retrieve <B>my Gemstones</B>!"
The Leader of the Merchants of Suffering took immense pleasure in seeing Qian Khai crawling out on his hand and knees, trying to leave the room backwards with his head still bowed to show his deference to the Xue-jin Mushi’s station. After the sycophant had left the leader smiled, it was good to be the king and he intended to stay in the Demon Lord of Blood-soaked Gold’s favor for as long as he could.
Branch Director's Office
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Antonio Chapter House
San Antonio, Texas
9:53 PM
Kampe looked over the evening reports and poured herself a glass of Scotch, today was a nightmare aside from what had gone down in Boston tonight, Atropos and Gremlin’s daughter had been shot and been converted into a demi-succubus to save the poor girl’s life just hours after she had manifested as a mutant. The girl was in the Hospital for now, but the local hive of Humanity First had gotten wind of her mutant status and their brood of Klan lawyers were poised to launch a local discrimination campaign against mutants with her as their scapegoat.
Almost as if answering her unasked question of what else could possibly go wrong the phone rang. "Yes, this is Kampe, what is it Mabel?"
"I am sorry to bother you Kampe but an auction catalog from Miss Bliss was just printed out over the fax and it had the Zodiac Gems listed."
"What?" Kampe recoiled in shock, "Those things are supposed to be under lock and key at Area 51 until the Justice Brigade takes custody of them next week."
"Our mole in the Syndicate said that Power Broker had them smuggled off the base, unfortunately the operation went fubar and Miss Bliss has them now. What are your orders?"
"Unfortunately, Vegas is really outside of our territory, we'll have to play Miss Bliss's game to get them back." Kampe sighed in frustration, "Dustbowl's the closest to Vegas, relay the details and the catalog to her branch, and then pass the word along to one of Greygus’s people and see about cooperating on the matter."
"Very well ma'am. After Mabel hung up the phone Kampe ended the call and threw back the glass of Scotch, part of her hoping that the final other shoe had dropped for the day.
Velvet Lounge - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:13 PM PDT
POV: Paula Ledoux?
As Dirge returned to the lounge he did so accompanying two others who approached arm in arm. The man’s head looked like a cross between a donkey and some type of canine with crimson fur, despite his business suit something told me that fighting this guy would be a mistake to the tenth power. The lady who was dressed in a white silk gown had a far different demeanor to her, her head that of a smoky-blue heron with black-markings framing her eyes and a crest of two long elegant feathers that trailed her head like a head-dress. The man I noticed was carrying a golden necklace with a round medal on the chain perched atop a pillow.
Dirge soon moved to the side and with a bow of presentation announced the pair, "I present Lady Nephthys the head of this house and her chosen consort known in this mortal age as Lord Khamsin."
"May you please rise child and come hear me?" Lady Nephthys asked in a voice that felt comforting to my ears. "My husband has been informed of the name your real mother intended for you by his colleague Bishop Brimstone who told us as much of your true history as he could learn."
"According to Bishop Brimstone your birth name was to be Iris Maria Seguin; your mother Angela Luisa Seguin was a waitress at a cantina in Mexico City known as El Coyote de Feliz who had frequent relations with my son Greygus for many years, a relations that as you may guess eventually resulted in your birth." Lady Nephthys paused a moment to sigh I could almost guess just where this story was going to turn, "Sadly before your mother could give your father the happy news of your pending birth her situation had come to the attention of his enemies, a group known as the Cult of the Black Pharaoh. They kidnapped your mother and dragged her to a location that unfortunately is still unknown to us until you were born."
"Once you were brought into the world the Cult of the Black Pharoah sealed you in a shell guised as a boy, which would grow as you did to keep you contained and gave you into the custody of a mercenary working under the name Melanie Ledoux which I have discovered is an alias." Lord Khamsin stated as he took over for Lady Nephthys, "Evidently the woman was to raise you as close to my territory as possible but not enter it to maintain your shell, when she found out that you had left home to visit Vegas for the day she opted to flee. Have no fear though when we apprehend her we shall make her divulge the true location of your real mother."
"In the meantime, there is another important matter," Lady Nephthys stated as she took the chain of the necklace in her hands. "Now young Daniel if you would please give us the honor as our guest to bear witness, to this happy occasion?"
"Hey, it would be rude not to be there for a friend on a happy occasion like this, "Danny said as he got to his feet.
"Thank you child!" Lady Nephthys seemed to smile in acknowledgement, and as if responding to some unheard cue I got on my knees as Lady Nephthys placed the amulet around my neck with the medallion resting firmly against my collarbone. "Now as Matron of the House of the Shining Oasis and Lady of the Principality of the Blazing Disk, I proudly welcome our newest member Ain Ophois."
'Ain Ophois but they just said my real name was Iris Maria Seguin.' I wondered as I wracked my brain for a moment. 'Oh- it's probably a pseudonym to use in public,
my dad is a super-villain after all.'
Still there is something a bit more important than that, "Pardon me Lady Nephthys," I said speaking up, "but can someone please tell me how to turn this on- I'm a little worried that I'll start craving oats."
Lady Nephthys, Dirge and Lord Khamsin began to laugh for a moment with Danny joining, after a few moments Lady Nephthys steadied herself and with a voice still filled with mirth responded, "Simply place one of your hands over the amulet and say I'mun."
Almost trembling with anticipation, I walked over to that same bar mirror from earlier, I took one last look at the slightly cute horse-girl that I saw in front of me. I placed my right-hand over the medallion which looked like it had some kind of dog sitting on a sled, taking a slow breath I shut my eyes and repeated Lady Nephthys words, "I'mun!"
The sensation that passed over my head was brief but not painful- it felt a lot like what happens when my foot falls asleep although instead of it being my foot it was my face. Still it was over in an instant but part of me was hesitant to look, at least I was until I heard Danny whistle and say, "Damn, good thing poor Walt isn't here he'd be confused as hell."
Wondering what Danny meant I opened my eyes, soon I saw staring back at me in that looking glass a lovely young Hispanic girl with warm sienna eyes, and long brown hair. Almost immediately that girl had a mischievous smile on her face, "Angela Garcia- eat your heart out!"
Soon the moment was ruined when someone rushed in the door proclaiming, "Hey guys, I got the mook to spill!"
I almost turned to look, before Danny cried out above the cries of disgust and alarm, "Don't look, Iris for the love of all that's sacred don't look!"
"Ugh, dammit Bes, go put some normal clothes on!" Lord Khamsin cried out as I heard the distinct sound of vomiting nearby.
"Sorry, just wanted you to know asap." The voice who I presumed was Bes replied.
I was still too scared to turn around out of risk that I might see something that could never be unseen. Only when I heard the door close shut did I finally dare to turn back around. The sight that greeted me now was a moment to remember: Dirge was huddled over a trash can heaving, Danny was gently rocking himself in the fetal position and white as a sheet, Lady Nephthys out cold in Lord Khamsin's arms whose red hide was looking so pale it was like a sickly pink.
"Count yourself lucky Iris, some things can never be unseen, no matter how much we were never meant to see them." Danny muttered to himself as he kept rocking in place.
"Old man," Dirge shakily shouted now that he had finished spilling his guts, "never let that vile dwarf near the prop costume closet ever again!"
"Agreed," Lord Khamsin shuddered, "I can face Great Old Ones in combat without flinching but the sight of- that is just too horrible. I'm tossing that outfit in a blast furnace, and if that Brainstain is lucky I'll make sure that he's taken it off first."
As I surveyed the damage, I couldn't help but comment, "Boy am I glad I wasn't curious enough to look!"
Detention Observation Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:29 PM
I stared through the glass at the man that I only knew as Shakedown he was in very similar state to Danny but even more out of it. "Man, if he hadn't threatened to eat me I'd almost feel sorry for him." I commented as I looked down at him from the Observation booth flanked by Lord Khamsin and Dirge, "Still for that matter who hires someone who makes cannibalistic threats?"
"It wouldn't exactly be cannibalism for him," Lord Khamsin said as he waved his hand and suddenly Strongarm was replaced with a large hairy wart-covered, monster with yellowish-green skin. "You see granddaughter he's not a human being he's an ogre, a type of faerie usually found in the realm of the Winter Court."
"This ogre, who you say calls himself Shakedown, and his partner a slaugh from your description work for a fallen noblewoman formerly of the Winter Court known colloquially as Miss Bliss. She turned up a few years ago and set up shop nearby with the few dozen retainers she had left, her family likely lost their station and lands after a few too many sour hell tithes, and she had to leave for the mortal world it happens every decade or two."
"Well why does a fairy want my friend Walt?" I asked growing more concerned with every detail.
"Her minions were not after you and your friends, they were hired by a super-villain known as Power Broker to retrieve Captain Cosmos's gems, and you were just in the way." Grandpa Khamsin elaborated, "Miss Bliss usually acts as a local fence for esoteric and exotic items and Black-Market auctioneer; however, she occasionally loans out her men to act as muscle for a little side profit. Still Miss Bliss knows that she just operates in my territory because I tolerate her presence, it should be a simple matter to get your friend back as she has no true claim to him even by her people's own laws."
"Sir," a woman with a head like a fox with some of the largest ears that I've ever seen said as she came in with a stapled printout, "I think that you need to see this."
Grandpa, man was it weird to start thinking that all of a sudden, took a brief look through the packet and frowned.
"Matters just became a lot more complicated," Grandpa Khamsin explained as he handed me the packet opened to a certain page. It said Zodiac Gemstones and current host, opening bid $50,000,000. "Your friend just became part of a package deal along with those gemstone encrusted gauntlets. Matters just became a lot more complicated, given that members of the underworld other than the Power Broker and Miss Bliss are going to be involved, my own leverage will not be enough to simply gain your friend his freedom."
"But I can't just leave Walt to whatever those people would do to him!" I cried out in desperation, "He's been a true friend to me ever since I was little, and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't even have been here to learn the truth about myself."
"Then it is clear that we owe your friend Walter a great deal more than I realized," Grandpa Khamsin stated as he turned to the fox-faced woman. "Ms. Reiner, please inform Sharon that she needs to wait in the Gallery of Effort and be prepared for a workout, then get your formal attire ready I believe that my granddaughter and I have an auction to attend at midnight."
"At once Lord Khamsin, "Ms Reiner said with a bow as she left the room.
"Iris I believe that it is time for you to learn to fight in your real body," Lord Khamsin stated as he made his way out of the room leaving me with Dirge.
"Wait this auction is at midnight we don't have enough time to do this." I cried out before grandpa left the room.
"Then we shall make time child." Grandpa said with his back still turned as he left.
"He didn't even tell me his real name," I said in a low voice as I realized something simple, "I don't think any of my family has."
"Your grandmother Lady Nephthys told you up front," Dirge admitted as he leaned back against the wall. "As for the rest of us we didn't want to say anything around your friend. Your father's real name is Wepwawet, your grandfather's is Set and I mine is Anubis."
Recognizing the last name from the Egyptian exhibit that I just saw I honestly had to sit down, I had heard of people having famous relative but this was ridiculous.
"Are you okay niece?" Uncle Anubis asked out of concern.
"Just a little shocked," I admitted before asking, "Does this mean that I'll have to dress like Liz Taylor in Cleopatra?"
"Maybe for formal occasions but not every day, times have changed after all." Anubis replied as he offered me a hand likely to guide me to this Gallery of Effort- obviously, this day wasn't over yet.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 21
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Las Vegas, Nevada?
7:14 PM PDT
POV: Paul Ledoux?
I finally began to come to when I felt something soft, wet and a little on the cold side brush against my right arm, wait a minute what the heck was going on the last thing that I remembered we'd been ambushed by a couple of freaks after leaving the arena. Walt discovered that his bag had been switched for some bag with a couple of power bands in it and we were figuring out how to use them to protect ourselves, that's when my skin broke to pieces after the big one slugged me.
Then this thin guy showed up and sucked Walt into a shadow before telling his friend to 'Take care of us' that's when I panicked and began throwing blasts of wind at him. A brief moment of distraction let the bruiser grab me but before he could eat me (yeah that's what he said he was going to do), a guy dressed like an Egyptian dog knocked him out cold and made the lot of us disappear in a sand storm.
When I opened my eyes, it took them a minute to refocus but when they finally did I was glad that they hadn't taken a second longer. That guy who had showed up after that bruiser said he was going to eat me what was his name- oh yeah, Dirge was approaching me holding a bronze weapon that looked more like a skewer than a knife, just a sharp pointy painful looking tip- no blade. Oh crap, he was going to stick me like you do a roast before you shove the garlic cloves in- yeah, I cook, it was a matter of survival since my mother rarely ever bothered.
I tried desperately to move away only to find out that my body was strapped to the table and my wrists were bound, still restrained or not I wasn't going to go down without a fight. I thrashed about as best as I could hope to loosen the bonds enough to escape but it was useless.
"Hold still child," Dirge said as he grabbed my right arm with a grip like steel, "this will be over before you know it."
"Like hell I'm going to let you kill me!" I shouted back- hold on is that my voice- I sound like a girl.
"I am not trying to kill you child," Dirge replied in a firm tone, "I am trying to take a blood sample to use in our Genealogical Analyzer, and this is a drinking needle akin to your modern ancient syringes albeit designed for this specific purpose. Now hold still, I just need to prick a vein."
Still wary I did as he told- not that I had too much of a choice, but true to his word Dirge pricked my arm and held the drinking needle there for a second or two, when he pulled it away a strip of thin cloth that smelled like medicine coiled around my arm and stopped the bleeding almost instantly. Dirge walked with the drinking needle over to a nearby ornate box with a symbol on the front, sort of like a blunted oval standing on a surface, and inserted the drinking needle into the top.
After a few moments went by a symbol appeared at the top of the oval, sort of like a circle within a circle. "Ah I see, you are of our principality." Dirge said as the restraints came undone.
"Wait a minute why did you need to find that out before you undid the straps?" I asked as I massaged my now liberated arms- were my hands really that small? Moreover, what's up with my voice? "For that matter, just where am I?"
"You and your friends are at an exclusive area of Scarlet Sands Resort and in the company of family child. Likely distant family but family nonetheless" Dirge began to explain, "As for why I did not turn you lose earlier, well I had to make certain that you were not of a rival principality."
"Principality- what do you mean principality? Just what is this all about?" I demanded desperate for answers.
"A Principality of the Ancient Southern Court, a Principality within the of the land of Daemons and Djinn," Dirge began to elaborate.
"Hold the phone," I shouted somewhat perturbed as I could feel wind began to move around my feet, "I am not a demon!"
"I said daemon child not demon, daemon is the inclusive term for denizens of the Southern Court," Dirge explained as his helmet retracted showing his head to be like an all-black cross between a greyhound and a Doberman- much like his helmet. "From what I learned from before you awoke- you are a half-blooded djinni, who is descended from the Principality of Aten, the Blazing Disc, the same land as the rest of us here; the Genealogical Analyzer has already revealed that much from your blood sample. All that remains now is for it to reveal the house of your birth and your parentage, although your friend has been most helpful in that already."
"My friends," I parroted as I overcame the shock of finding out that I wasn't entirely human- hold on...friend Walt may have been taken but there were still four of us, "wait where are they- are they alright- you haven't done anything to them have you?"
"Relax child," Dirge said urging me to calm down, "your friend Daniel is in another room enjoying our hospitality as a welcomed guest, as for your friends Mathew and Stephen they are still unconscious although they are expected to make a full recovery thanks to our tending to their wounds. As for your assailant- he is enjoying hospitality of a far... different nature."
"I don't know how I should feel about that- especially since he said he was about to eat me." I mused for a moment before asking, "He wouldn't have really eaten me, would he?"
"Yes, he would have, his kind do not have the most discriminating palates." Dirge responded as he began to dismiss the rest of his instruments while letting the Gene Analyzer do its thing. "Now if you would follow me I am certain that you would like to clean all the grime off yourself as soon as possible, I have told the ladies in the spa to take good care of you."
Secret Detention Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
7:30 PM
"You wankers had best let me go," Shakedown shouted as he banged against the walls trying his best to make a dent that he could work over to secure his release, "you have no idea who you're messing with!"
"Oh I assure you Shakedown I know exactly who and what I am messing with, you however are clearly ignorant to the gravity of your current situation." A heavy voice sounded over the speakers hidden in his cell, "Now tell me what I wish to know and I might consider returning you to your mistress alive and intact."
"Shove it where the sun don't shine you greasy, little-spotty bottomed, toffee-nosed git!" Shakedown cried out in defiance, as he shot his captor the bird- with both hands.
"Very well I was trying to be civil about this, however you are obviously choosing to be obstinate, just remember you brought this on yourself." The voice then called out to another in the room, "Brainstain, do me a favor and entertain our guest until he's willing to be more cooperative."
"Can I use the prop room?" Another voice likely this Brainstain inquired.
"Against my better judgment yes," The heavy voice resigned, "Just make sure that you turn off the cameras, I don't want any of the security guards to get hysterical blindness- or try to claw their eyes out like they did in the old days."
"Hey would I come up with something that would make folks look at me like that? Brainstain inquired.
"Yes and for that matter you are to replace any apparel that you wear," the heavy voice chided him, "I doubt that anyone else will ever want to put on anything that you ever wore anyhow."
Several minutes passed after the banter ceased as the door to the room opened, although a wall of iron bars still lay between Shakedown and an escape attempt. Still Shakedown was sure the moment that this Brainstain came entered the cage to begin his torture he would easily be able to overpower him and escape. However soon after Shakedown's interrogator entered the room the brute's screaming began to echo down the hallway.
**THE REST OF THIS SCENE HAS BEEN RATED A CLASS-X SANITY HAZARD BY THE ARKHAM RESEARCH CENTER AND HAS BEEN REDACTED TO PRESERVE THE SANITY OF THE READER. WE WILL RETURN YOU TO THE REST OF THE STORY THAT IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS**
SVIP Spa - Scarlet Sands Resort
7:49 PM
POV: Paul Ledoux?
"AHHHHHHH!" I all but melted into the chair as a man with a head like a monkey (sort of reminded me of Marcel from Friends) began to work over the muscles on my back. Granted I don't know too much about djinn spell-casting yet but this guy definitely has magic fingers.
Dirge wasn't kidding when he said that this place was a luxury spa. I had already been cleaned up by a pair of twins with flamingo heads using pails of warm water that smelled and felt like it had something in it and natural sponges and now I was getting a rub down from a male masseuse with a monkey head.
Granted part of me hated myself for living it up while Walt was in no telling how much danger but a naughty little part of me was enjoying the attention. l I admit though that it is weird I lived all my life as a guy, but suddenly everything just felt so- right. Well aside from my best friend being in mortal danger- gaah, why does life have to be so confusing?
Speaking of confusing ever since I had woken up this morning everything just had seemed to be getting clearer and clearer in my head, almost as if I had been living my life half asleep. I wonder if this had something to do with that shell that had been around my body cracking.
"Alright," the masseuse commented as he stepped back to let me get off the table, "Please wait a moment and one of the ladies should be around with a guest robe in your size."
"I wonder just what my size is." I pondered for a moment as I looked down at my hands. For that matter what about the rest of me, I mean I was a girl now and from what I could see from my body I was probably Hispanic. Great and not only was I full of questions that I still didn't know the answer to- I could possibly get deported because I didn't match any of the official documents that I had on file.
Oh well I might as well enjoy the luxury of djinn society, because it looks like any possibility that I had of making a living in human society was looking slim at the moment.
Entertainment Room - The Solstice Lounge
7:54 PM
"Tell me Dirac, how is my prize at the moment?" Miss Bliss asked her dark and bony henchman as she sipped from a martini while staring at the prostate form of Walter Forrester.
"Unfortunately, the child beyond your ministrations at the moment my lady," Dirac explained, "when I brought him into my shadow the child deactivated every gem except one- obviously its power is invulnerability. Apparently not only does the blasted thing protect his body but his mind as well, for the time being he is beyond our reach."
"For the time being not forever," Miss Bliss mused as she paused to take another sip of her martini, "from what I can perceive of the gems energies the one bearing the mark of Cancer will only last until sunrise. By tomorrow morning the gems will be ours to do with as we wish- although items of power like this are usually more trouble than they are worth."
"Then what is your will my lady?" Dirac inquired with genuine respect for his employer.
"Have everyone spread the word that our usual auction will be moved up from the first to the Witching Hour," Miss Bliss stated as she gazed at Walter with a look of bemusement in her eyes, "the gauntlets shall be the centerpiece of the auction."
"And the whelp milady?" Dirac asked as he gave the boy a gravid look.
"He failed to escape your morass before he was pulled under; whoever purchases the gauntlets shall decide the child's fate." Miss Bliss explained to her minion just make certain that he remains unconscious the last thing that we need is him making an escape during the auction and harming one of the guests."
"Understood milady," Dirac bowed. "Will there be anything else milady?"
"Yes, please be a dear and find what is keeping Shakedown," Miss Bliss ordered as she drained her glass. "He should have returned by now, I would hate to have one of the locals call to tell me that they had to clean up after him again."
Velvet Lounge - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:21 PM
POV: Paul Ledoux?
"Hey Paul about time you joined us," Danny observed as I made my way into the room after my trip through the spa. Like Dirge, the ladies that had been attending to me in there were djinn and likewise had heads of animals. I mean I saw a gazelle, a camel and even an ostrich, but ironic enough I out of everyone I looked the most human. "Or is it Paula now?" Danny asked as he sipped his drink and took a peek at my body now attired in an oddly comfortable robe."
"I guess," I said nervously as my rather large ears drooped in embarrassment, "I still can't believe I'm a girl now- and believe me back in the spa I checked."
"So, are you a mutant now too or something?" Danny asked as he made sure to set his drink on a nearby coaster, I didn't blame him the furniture her looked expensive and considering that we were guests I would have wanted to stay on the good side of our mysterious hosts. "I mean I've heard rumors that some really change when their powers go online, and I don't mean just making them look like stuff at a landscaping store."
"I can assure you that the young miss has always been a lady," Dirge said as he came back in with his helm back in place. "Although we did find traces of blood in the ceramic shards that came off her; the blood does not match her type."
"Yeah plus after Jeff jumped me the other day I'd been having these- visions whenever I touched where I was hurt." I admitted with more than an ounce of reluctance. I saw one pretty clearly when I caught my old face after it came off, it was this cult putting the clay on me while a woman screamed."
"I doubt that it would be your mother Paula," Danny remarked as he stared at me in the eyes, "No offense but I always thought that something wasn't quite right with her, I mean I was surprised any woman would treat her son like she has you."
"You might be onto something Danny, because whoever the woman was it wasn't the one that I've been calling mother these last several years." I admitted with a bitter taste in my mouth because it made so much sense it made me want to kick myself, I wonder why I never suspected this years ago.
"Interesting- this sounds like psychometry, a gift most unheard of among our people." Dirge mused under his breath about the matter before inquiring. "Tell me do you remember seeing any symbols in this vision?"
"Yeah but I wouldn't be able to describe them too well." I explained to the self-proclaimed djinn who was apparently our host. "I'd need to see the vision again because I wasn't looking too closely at them they were also pretty odd looking. I don't think that I've ever seen them before."
"Very well, I shall get that face-piece out for you to take another look." Dirge stated drawing our attention on why he had it, "We had gathered everything at the scene for examination, and we also sent someone to examine at your house for more information- just in case you were not one of us mind you."
After he left Danny asked, "So does that mean that he looks like you under that lid?"
"Maybe," I walked over to a mirror next behind the lounge's small bar and got a better look at myself then I had in the spa. The face that I saw reflecting back looked only vaguely human, granted this was the first time I had seen myself in a mirror ever since I broke out of the old me like a cocoon.
It was odd from the waist down I had the complexion and body of an attractive Hispanic girl my own age but as for my face- well-
"No, he looks more like a dog." I replied while staring at the face in the mirror, still analyzing what I saw. I didn't look human- well at least not completely human but I my face didn't look completely like an animal either- it was like my head was halfway between that of a human being and a horse. Still I could see that I resembled the girl who was taken away from that dog-headed lady in my memories.
"That is because our heads reflect our connection to our element young maiden of House of the Shimmering Oasis." Dirge stated as he came into the room now relaxing in a linen robe of his own, "Eventually you shall learn to properly channel those energies so that you my take on a more human continence should you choose to do so, even a more animalistic or elemental form. In the meantime, you can wear a special amulet to help you channel these energies so that you can appear normal. I also bring good news, our analyzer has revealed that you are a child of this house, also given your power-level and apparent age not to mention certain other circumstances that I am aware of the identity of your father can easily be deduced with roughly seventy percent certainty."
"Okay but before the big reveal, I know that I was using wind early how is a horse a wind sign- shouldn't that be a bird?" I asked desperate for information.
"Actually, most birds are either fire or water signs," Dirge replied, "Due to the fact that most birds spend a great deal of their time sharing the sharing the heights with the sun they are considered creatures of fire, like vultures, hawks or falcons, lions are also part of this list given their hot-blooded aggression. The exception to this are those who spend most of their time around water such as geese, ibis and flamingos. As for the wind- those are mainly creatures of the ground who are swift of feet, well you are no doubt familiar of the phrase run like the wind, does a horse not fit this description."
"Okay- okay- I get it now!" I conceded to Dirge's explanation still there was a fly in the ointment that stuck with me, "you said that you are only partially sure who my dad is- why?"
"There are only three men in the House of Nephthys who could account for such power in a demi-djinn such as yourself. I am one of those three however I have been celibate for ages. My father, until recently, was sterile due to an…injury; it is a long story and the details would likely make your friend rather uncomfortable." I could tell that there was a lot more to that story than just it not being for those who are squeamish. "The third is my brother- the individual who is known to the world as the super-villain Greygus."
My blood ran cold for a minute, I was the daughter of a super-villain, images flashed through my head of men in black suits coming to keep me under surveillance twenty-four seven for a crack at my dad. Then after they caught him they'd keep me under watch for the for the rest of my life afterwards to throw the book at me and lock me away too.
"Hold the phone, I've heard of that guy." Danny interjected drawing me out of my moment of melancholy, "He's sort of known as this honorable rogue type, sort of well-known for taking his time to save civilians that get caught in the cross-fire between him and the heroes while still getting away."
Okay so at least he's not someone like Doctor Diablo or Deathlist, but he's still a bad guy. Still this tidbit leads me to an unfortunate conclusion, "Let me guess where we are now is a place connected to the man that you think is my dad?"
"Yes actually, your father and grandfather," Dirge replied as a sat down with a waitress with the head of a duck came in and delivered some drinks that I could smell the spice wafting up from the vapors. "They contributed a great deal of revenue to the American government over the years and more recently helped many of the old families who ran the casinos and resorts in Vegas transition into the corporate world to maintain the status quo while adapting with the times. They needed a firm base of operations to free our kingdom from the dark entity that had been controlling most of our people for the last several thousand years."
Okay dad was a bad guy, but I guess that even some bad guys have their reasons. "Please tell me more."
"Very well I shall do so the analyzer shall be done soon, anyway and then we shall have a house amulet ready for you soon after." Dirge replied before leaving the room.
I looked back at the horse-like girl in the mirror, and part of me wondered just what the face that would be staring back at me once I had the amulet would look like.
Ops Center - Syndicate Auxiliary Base #542
8:40 PM
Powerbroker was starting to get nervous, he already had three potential buyers lined up for the Zodiac Gems and he had yet to hear back from Miss Bliss, which made him even more nervous. Miss Bliss was like a barracuda who knew how to swim with the sharks and not be eaten, she did it as if she had been raised in this type of environment and dealing with her was often an unpleasant necessity.
The most unpleasant thing was that the woman's price would likely cut into deep into his profit margins. Powerbroker did the math, after the fee for paying the Slyde Courier Service and Professor Id for both the use of Slither and his replacements for Captain Cosmos's original power bands to mount the Zodiac Gems. He had already had seven million sunk into this operation already before the mix-up happened with the tote bags, if Miss Bliss charged him any more than twelve million for retrieving the bands he would be looking at a profit margin lower than the chance of a host of the Champion Force living to retirement.
When he was in the middle of sulking one of the Tiger Guards providing security came up to him, "Sir, you have a phone call from Miss Bliss."
Taking a moment to collect himself as the Tiger Guard left the office, Power Broker cued up the transferred call. "Well- Miss Bliss, I presume that you have acquired my misplaced package, so shall we talk about the matter of your fee now?"
"I am afraid that a simple fee is no longer optional Power Broker my dear," Miss Bliss retorted in her lilting tone. "You see over the course of my employees reacquiring your package, a member of the items' accidental recipient's entourage actually put them on and used them against my men. Now as the item's current wielder is now bonded to the item in question, not to mention the fact that my employee Shakedown who was left behind to take care of any witnesses has yet to return, per my usual contract I am opting to enter the package and their wielder in my next underground auction as the star item."
"You are invited to attend and bid on the lot that they are featured in off course, just do keep in mind that you are not the only fish in the sea that will be doing so. Now ta-ta Power Broker and remember the bidding begins at Twelve O'clock sharp, and etiquette dictates that only the bids of those seated at the beginning of the auction will be recognized."
"Very well, fax me over a catalog- just remember Miss Bliss I shall not forget this!" Power Broker stated with as much weight to his words as he could bring.
"Power Broker, there is no need for idle threats, where I grew up words had teeth that were willing to draw blood if need be." Miss Bliss retorted as she hung up, that left Power Broker to ponder the implication of her words as the catalog for the auction began to print out in the fax machine in the next room.
Xuè-jīn Mùshī's Inner Sanctum
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
San Francisco, California
7:46 PM PDT
"Why do you disturb my evening meditations sycophant?" The latest in a long line of those to hold the title of Xue-jin Mushi said as he looked up from arcane gold and eberial brazier situated before his throne. "I warn you, if it is not news of our mercenaries returning XiYi to us then you had best give a good reason if you wish to keep your life."
"Your eminence I bring news," the nameless sycophant of the Merchants of Suffering proclaimed as he prostrated so low against the floor it was as if he was trying to laminate himself against it. "The black-marketer of Las Vegas- Miss Bliss has an item for sale in her latest auction that you would be most interested in- the Zodiac Gemstones."
"I see," the Xue-jin Mushi replied as he took interest in the man’s report, "very well your life shall be spared for your sudden intrusion- that is unless you would like to wager it in return for your own advancement within our order. What is your name?"
"Qian Khai, your eminence and I would gladly wager my life if it would please you." Qian Khai replied not daring to bother to raise his eyes from the floor.
"Very well Qian Khai, you are to see the Holder of the Purse for an expense account and then take one of our planes to Vegas immediately." Xue-jin Mushi explained as he rose from his throne and strolled over to the prostrated Qian Khai, "Should you return with the Zodiac Gemstones then you shall be rewarded with a position of great trust, and when the XiYi is returned to us you shall be made its keeper."
Then the Xue-jin Mushi placed his right foot on the head of Qian Khai and began to apply weight, "However should you fail to do so then your organs, blood, skin and marrow shall be harvested for sale on the black market. As for what shall remain that will be turned to stone, ground into powder, mixed with mortar and used to repair any cracks that the Wayfarer left in our great temple during her recent visit."
Taking a moment to stroll back to his throne the Xue-jin Mushi waiting until he was comfortable to bark out in a harsh tone, "Well what are you waiting for you simpleton go to Vegas and retrieve <B>my Gemstones</B>!"
The Leader of the Merchants of Suffering took immense pleasure in seeing Qian Khai crawling out on his hand and knees, trying to leave the room backwards with his head still bowed to show his deference to the Xue-jin Mushi’s station. After the sycophant had left the leader smiled, it was good to be the king and he intended to stay in the Demon Lord of Blood-soaked Gold’s favor for as long as he could.
Branch Director's Office
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Antonio Chapter House
San Antonio, Texas
9:53 PM
Kampe looked over the evening reports and poured herself a glass of Scotch, today was a nightmare aside from what had gone down in Boston tonight, Atropos and Gremlin’s daughter had been shot and been converted into a demi-succubus to save the poor girl’s life just hours after she had manifested as a mutant. The girl was in the Hospital for now, but the local hive of Humanity First had gotten wind of her mutant status and their brood of Klan lawyers were poised to launch a local discrimination campaign against mutants with her as their scapegoat.
Almost as if answering her unasked question of what else could possibly go wrong the phone rang. "Yes, this is Kampe, what is it Mabel?"
"I am sorry to bother you Kampe but an auction catalog from Miss Bliss was just printed out over the fax and it had the Zodiac Gems listed."
"What?" Kampe recoiled in shock, "Those things are supposed to be under lock and key at Area 51 until the Justice Brigade takes custody of them next week."
"Our mole in the Syndicate said that Power Broker had them smuggled off the base, unfortunately the operation went fubar and Miss Bliss has them now. What are your orders?"
"Unfortunately, Vegas is really outside of our territory, we'll have to play Miss Bliss's game to get them back." Kampe sighed in frustration, "Dustbowl's the closest to Vegas, relay the details and the catalog to her branch, and then pass the word along to one of Greygus’s people and see about cooperating on the matter."
"Very well ma'am. After Mabel hung up the phone Kampe ended the call and threw back the glass of Scotch, part of her hoping that the final other shoe had dropped for the day.
Velvet Lounge - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:13 PM PDT
POV: Paula Ledoux?
As Dirge returned to the lounge he did so accompanying two others who approached arm in arm. The man’s head looked like a cross between a donkey and some type of canine with crimson fur, despite his business suit something told me that fighting this guy would be a mistake to the tenth power. The lady who was dressed in a white silk gown had a far different demeanor to her, her head that of a smoky-blue heron with black-markings framing her eyes and a crest of two long elegant feathers that trailed her head like a head-dress. The man I noticed was carrying a golden necklace with a round medal on the chain perched atop a pillow.
Dirge soon moved to the side and with a bow of presentation announced the pair, "I present Lady Nephthys the head of this house and her chosen consort known in this mortal age as Lord Khamsin."
"May you please rise child and come hear me?" Lady Nephthys asked in a voice that felt comforting to my ears. "My husband has been informed of the name your real mother intended for you by his colleague Bishop Brimstone who told us as much of your true history as he could learn."
"According to Bishop Brimstone your birth name was to be Iris Maria Seguin; your mother Angela Luisa Seguin was a waitress at a cantina in Mexico City known as El Coyote de Feliz who had frequent relations with my son Greygus for many years, a relations that as you may guess eventually resulted in your birth." Lady Nephthys paused a moment to sigh I could almost guess just where this story was going to turn, "Sadly before your mother could give your father the happy news of your pending birth her situation had come to the attention of his enemies, a group known as the Cult of the Black Pharaoh. They kidnapped your mother and dragged her to a location that unfortunately is still unknown to us until you were born."
"Once you were brought into the world the Cult of the Black Pharoah sealed you in a shell guised as a boy, which would grow as you did to keep you contained and gave you into the custody of a mercenary working under the name Melanie Ledoux which I have discovered is an alias." Lord Khamsin stated as he took over for Lady Nephthys, "Evidently the woman was to raise you as close to my territory as possible but not enter it to maintain your shell, when she found out that you had left home to visit Vegas for the day she opted to flee. Have no fear though when we apprehend her we shall make her divulge the true location of your real mother."
"In the meantime, there is another important matter," Lady Nephthys stated as she took the chain of the necklace in her hands. "Now young Daniel if you would please give us the honor as our guest to bear witness, to this happy occasion?"
"Hey, it would be rude not to be there for a friend on a happy occasion like this, "Danny said as he got to his feet.
"Thank you child!" Lady Nephthys seemed to smile in acknowledgement, and as if responding to some unheard cue I got on my knees as Lady Nephthys placed the amulet around my neck with the medallion resting firmly against my collarbone. "Now as Matron of the House of the Shining Oasis and Lady of the Principality of the Blazing Disk, I proudly welcome our newest member Ain Ophois."
'Ain Ophois but they just said my real name was Iris Maria Seguin.' I wondered as I wracked my brain for a moment. 'Oh- it's probably a pseudonym to use in public,
my dad is a super-villain after all.'
Still there is something a bit more important than that, "Pardon me Lady Nephthys," I said speaking up, "but can someone please tell me how to turn this on- I'm a little worried that I'll start craving oats."
Lady Nephthys, Dirge and Lord Khamsin began to laugh for a moment with Danny joining, after a few moments Lady Nephthys steadied herself and with a voice still filled with mirth responded, "Simply place one of your hands over the amulet and say I'mun."
Almost trembling with anticipation, I walked over to that same bar mirror from earlier, I took one last look at the slightly cute horse-girl that I saw in front of me. I placed my right-hand over the medallion which looked like it had some kind of dog sitting on a sled, taking a slow breath I shut my eyes and repeated Lady Nephthys words, "I'mun!"
The sensation that passed over my head was brief but not painful- it felt a lot like what happens when my foot falls asleep although instead of it being my foot it was my face. Still it was over in an instant but part of me was hesitant to look, at least I was until I heard Danny whistle and say, "Damn, good thing poor Walt isn't here he'd be confused as hell."
Wondering what Danny meant I opened my eyes, soon I saw staring back at me in that looking glass a lovely young Hispanic girl with warm sienna eyes, and long brown hair. Almost immediately that girl had a mischievous smile on her face, "Angela Garcia- eat your heart out!"
Soon the moment was ruined when someone rushed in the door proclaiming, "Hey guys, I got the mook to spill!"
I almost turned to look, before Danny cried out above the cries of disgust and alarm, "Don't look, Iris for the love of all that's sacred don't look!"
"Ugh, dammit Bes, go put some normal clothes on!" Lord Khamsin cried out as I heard the distinct sound of vomiting nearby.
"Sorry, just wanted you to know asap." The voice who I presumed was Bes replied.
I was still too scared to turn around out of risk that I might see something that could never be unseen. Only when I heard the door close shut did I finally dare to turn back around. The sight that greeted me now was a moment to remember: Dirge was huddled over a trash can heaving, Danny was gently rocking himself in the fetal position and white as a sheet, Lady Nephthys out cold in Lord Khamsin's arms whose red hide was looking so pale it was like a sickly pink.
"Count yourself lucky Iris, some things can never be unseen, no matter how much we were never meant to see them." Danny muttered to himself as he kept rocking in place.
"Old man," Dirge shakily shouted now that he had finished spilling his guts, "never let that vile dwarf near the prop costume closet ever again!"
"Agreed," Lord Khamsin shuddered, "I can face Great Old Ones in combat without flinching but the sight of- that is just too horrible. I'm tossing that outfit in a blast furnace, and if that Brainstain is lucky I'll make sure that he's taken it off first."
As I surveyed the damage, I couldn't help but comment, "Boy am I glad I wasn't curious enough to look!"
Detention Observation Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:29 PM
I stared through the glass at the man that I only knew as Shakedown he was in very similar state to Danny but even more out of it. "Man, if he hadn't threatened to eat me I'd almost feel sorry for him." I commented as I looked down at him from the Observation booth flanked by Lord Khamsin and Dirge, "Still for that matter who hires someone who makes cannibalistic threats?"
"It wouldn't exactly be cannibalism for him," Lord Khamsin said as he waved his hand and suddenly Strongarm was replaced with a large hairy wart-covered, monster with yellowish-green skin. "You see granddaughter he's not a human being he's an ogre, a type of faerie usually found in the realm of the Winter Court."
"This ogre, who you say calls himself Shakedown, and his partner a slaugh from your description work for a fallen noblewoman formerly of the Winter Court known colloquially as Miss Bliss. She turned up a few years ago and set up shop nearby with the few dozen retainers she had left, her family likely lost their station and lands after a few too many sour hell tithes, and she had to leave for the mortal world it happens every decade or two."
"Well why does a fairy want my friend Walt?" I asked growing more concerned with every detail.
"Her minions were not after you and your friends, they were hired by a super-villain known as Power Broker to retrieve Captain Cosmos's gems, and you were just in the way." Grandpa Khamsin elaborated, "Miss Bliss usually acts as a local fence for esoteric and exotic items and Black-Market auctioneer; however, she occasionally loans out her men to act as muscle for a little side profit. Still Miss Bliss knows that she just operates in my territory because I tolerate her presence, it should be a simple matter to get your friend back as she has no true claim to him even by her people's own laws."
"Sir," a woman with a head like a fox with some of the largest ears that I've ever seen said as she came in with a stapled printout, "I think that you need to see this."
Grandpa, man was it weird to start thinking that all of a sudden, took a brief look through the packet and frowned.
"Matters just became a lot more complicated," Grandpa Khamsin explained as he handed me the packet opened to a certain page. It said Zodiac Gemstones and current host, opening bid $50,000,000. "Your friend just became part of a package deal along with those gemstone encrusted gauntlets. Matters just became a lot more complicated, given that members of the underworld other than the Power Broker and Miss Bliss are going to be involved, my own leverage will not be enough to simply gain your friend his freedom."
"But I can't just leave Walt to whatever those people would do to him!" I cried out in desperation, "He's been a true friend to me ever since I was little, and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't even have been here to learn the truth about myself."
"Then it is clear that we owe your friend Walter a great deal more than I realized," Grandpa Khamsin stated as he turned to the fox-faced woman. "Ms. Reiner, please inform Sharon that she needs to wait in the Gallery of Effort and be prepared for a workout, then get your formal attire ready I believe that my granddaughter and I have an auction to attend at midnight."
"At once Lord Khamsin, "Ms Reiner said with a bow as she left the room.
"Iris I believe that it is time for you to learn to fight in your real body," Lord Khamsin stated as he made his way out of the room leaving me with Dirge.
"Wait this auction is at midnight we don't have enough time to do this." I cried out before grandpa left the room.
"Then we shall make time child." Grandpa said with his back still turned as he left.
"He didn't even tell me his real name," I said in a low voice as I realized something simple, "I don't think any of my family has."
"Your grandmother Lady Nephthys told you up front," Dirge admitted as he leaned back against the wall. "As for the rest of us we didn't want to say anything around your friend. Your father's real name is Wepwawet, your grandfather's is Set and I mine is Anubis."
Recognizing the last name from the Egyptian exhibit that I just saw I honestly had to sit down, I had heard of people having famous relative but this was ridiculous.
"Are you okay niece?" Uncle Anubis asked out of concern.
"Just a little shocked," I admitted before asking, "Does this mean that I'll have to dress like Liz Taylor in Cleopatra?"
"Maybe for formal occasions but not every day, times have changed after all." Anubis replied as he offered me a hand likely to guide me to this Gallery of Effort- obviously, this day wasn't over yet.
6 years 8 months ago #29
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Holding Cell 2 - Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
9:25 PM CDT
From within his cell in the basement of the Round Rock Police Department, Faux-05 could see the minutes tick by on the nearby clock which the digital one that he saw display in the corner of his right-eye confirmed to be fairly accurate- albeit 26 seconds slow. Never-the-less as much as he hated to admit it his handler had now arrived at the dead-drop and the external hard drive he had filled with the contents of Walter Drucker's lab computer was likely sitting in the police evidence locker; he had failed his mission and soon the police would be returning having discovered that his life was a lie.
Faux-05 knew only too well how once that happened they would begin to take dental and fingerprints in an effort to learn his true identity, only to find that he lacked any finger or toe-prints while his dental records would return with no match. Once the police discovered that Joel Gibson did not exist except through a web of deception and forged documentation, then they would get the Federal Bureau of Investigation involved and they would begin to uncover the secrets about his body. While Faux-05 did possess implants that could help him escape this cell quite easily in fact, his failed efforts to remotely hack the camera trained on the cells meant that doing so might give away secrets of The Grand Masquerade, as it stood there was only one option available to him.
Silently Faux-05 was disappointed in himself, all the time and effort that The Grand Masquerade invested in training him and the money they invested in cultivating the nanotechnology for his implants was going to be wasted. In truth, he had only given them thirty completed missions since he received his predecessor's designation, in all a fairly average life-span for the service of a Faux-Number operative but he knew now that he only had one final mission; he was to ensure that his handler knew of his failure and make certain that the secrets of the Grand Masquerade remained such...a secret.
Once the clock struck nine-thirty (his internal one and not the one on the wall) Faux-05 knew that he was out of time and orders were orders, now out of options the spy known to the locals under the alias Joel Gibson, bit down on his teeth in an odd series of cross-bites unbeknownst to the officer monitoring the cell cameras triggering something within his body. Soon the painful feeling of swelling in his chest told Faux-05 that the process to send an encrypted message containing all pertinent mission data as well as activating his replacement- the next Faux-05. The process also had a secondary purpose- disposing of compromised operatives, a process the now former Faux-05 aided in by curling into a fetal position on the cell's bunk.
Soon the former spy's skin began to lose features; his limbs began to retract into his torso which in turn began to swell. Noticing what was going a Julio Sanchez, a young man in the neighboring cell who was being held for joy-riding and possession of narcotics (fifteen ounces of marijuana), began to scream in Spanish about the work of the devil in the next cell. By the time the on-duty officer came back to inspect the reason for the commotion, Joel Gibson's county issued clothing began to rip and tear as his body briefly swelled into a large flesh-colored ball.
As shocked as Julio, Officer David Meza briefly stared at the former suspect who now began to compress as the object that had been booked as Joel Gibson took on a more grayish tone. Soon everything was over and all that was left of the teenager brought in for kidnapping and attempted murder was turning gray and condensing.
Life Storage Unit 204
Round Rock, Texas
10:31 PM
Inside of a five by ten unit at a local self-storage facility a capsule opened, the figure inside a tweenage, average-looking Caucasian male roughly five-foot two and weighing around a hundred pounds removed himself from the receptacle. All that he knew was that the previous Faux-05 had been decommissioned and his first mission was to complete that which his predecessor failed to do so. After a few minutes to retrieve a set of clothing from one of several nearby duffle bags, the new Faux-05 went over the information that had been sent prior to his predecessor's decommissioning.
He was to retrieve a portable hard drive from Round Rock Police Headquarters evidence room, stealth for the operation was recommended however he was advised to leave no witnesses to the retrieval operation then rendezvous with his handler. His objectives now set, the new Faux-05 sent a signal to have his handler retrieve the pod for future use and clean-up any evidence. Coming to the gate door in front of him Faux-05 sent a signal through his nanite-suite to unlock the special padlock to the storage unit. Hearing the lock clatter to the ground, Faux-05 placed his left-hand on the door and activating his magnetic protocol he motioned to slide the lock to open before simply opening the door from the inside. Now outside of the storage unit Faux-05 closed the door and reaffixed the lock, taking a little extra time to clean the smudge that the rubber lined bolt-lock left when it hit the concrete, after he was done there was no sign that anyone had tampered with the unit.
Still he carefully made his way out of the facility, taking time to avoid the security cameras as he made his way to the roof. Once above the view of any cameras Faux-05 assessed his surroundings, and then took a running leap, clearing both the fence and the razor-wire before landing with a roll. Taking a moment to dust himself off, Faux-05 set about making his way to the police station, after all the night was only getting darker and the sun was hours away.
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
10:23 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
"-ews still continues to come in from Boston, a city once again struck by the terror of this violent modern breed of powered-criminals. A city which was still recovering after the destruction of the Massachusetts State Ultra-Max Holding Facility which freed a number of dangerous powered criminals including half of the New England based occult-themed powered-criminal organization colloquially known as the Children of the Night and infamous power-mimic Mimeo."
I began to stir to the sound of CBS Boston affiliate's Mary Blake accounting something horrible that had happened earlier that night. From what I could see I was in a hospital bed and Elinore was transfixed on the television.
"While there have been several reports of numerous unknown powered individuals in Boston, they appear to be assisting paramedics, emergency and rescue services rather than involved in any immediate conflicts. While no parties have come forward claiming responsibility for the fire-bombings that have caused what some officials are estimating to be several billion in damage, so far reports are promising for the number of survivors accounted for by rescue services in the wake of this tragedy. We will bring you more news as this story develops. This is Mary Blake, CBS News Boston."
"So, tell me was it all a nightmare," I asked my throat feeling raw, like it had been scoured with cotton.
"You mean the part about you receiving a fatal gunshot wound or the part about how your no longer entirely human," Elinore asked as she turned off the television.
"Both... and more," I fired back before adding, "And how did you become a succubus, why would someone as young as young and well off as you are not only throw part of their life away but also take one."
Elinore began to quietly laugh as if I'd said something funny, then as the wings, tail and horns appeared Elinore began to- mature. Suddenly the queen bee of the popular girl cliques around my school had metamorphosed into a mature woman in her late-twenties or early-thirties, now I know that succubae can easily manipulate their appearance (Erzebet Scratch was rumored to do it every couple of decades to create a new cover identity), but this woman turned into carried herself in a way that clearly showed she was as comfortable at this age as she was as a teenager- possibly even more so.
"Sorry, I had just thought that I'd slip into something far closer to my real age," Elinore stated before adding, "not that a lady such as myself would like to let just what that is slip, however let's just say that Kampe only has a couple of years on me."
"Whoa," I stated somewhat flabbergasted, "you mean that you've been with Erzebet Scratch since the beginning!?!"
"Yes, my real name is Myra Haddix this whole situation has to do with my granddaughter Leanne's decision to marry her good-for-little son-of-a good-old-boy business school boyfriend back in college." The know unveiled Myra sighed as she recounted her tale, "The poor girl was a little too focused to know that all he wanted was a trophy wife not a family-yet, the problem was once she got into her late-twenties it was obvious that Reginald Jaffe was looking to upgrade as he climbed the ladder at Maypole Credit Union and was groomed for his father's seat on the town council."
"Let me guess she came to Nana Myra for a way to stay young," I guessed somewhat sick to my stomach at how I had been forced to make the very same choice- albeit I did so to cheat death to not hold back the ravages of time.
"True," Myra rolled her eyes, "I did try to warn her of the consequences but she was so co-dependent on the weasel that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was happy for a time up until it came time for Reginald to need to have a family to show off to the higher-ups."
"Because succubae and demi-succubae can't have children," I echoed a grim reality, one that I knew currently applied to myself.
"Correct, and since adoption wasn't something that Reginald had in mind (given that his type thinks of adopted children as more akin to pets than people), I gave her a solution." Myra smiled slyly at the memory, "I would help Leanne fake her pregnancy with a mix of magic and illusion, then at the very end become my own great-granddaughter."
"Hey, come to think of it just who are Maypole Credit Union?" I asked unfamiliar with the name.
"That was because back when you were still learning to walk I told Leanne that my becoming Elinore had a price-tag," Myra's smile widened, "Leanne had to help me gather intelligence to leak and sabotage Maypole's stock prices, once they were down to ten dollars a share Axcel bought them out and Maypole Credit Union became a part of Axcel Incorporated Financials' Credit division. Member of the town council or not, daddy is not old enough to retire and live on his civic salary- besides its so much fun to push his buttons."
"That explains why you seem to go out of your way to embarrass your old man," I remarked as the aches and pains of my body were beginning to subside.
"That and to encourage you kids to have fun," Myra sighed as she began to metamorphose back into Elinore, "I understand that schools are pressure-cookers these days, but you children are only young once, enjoy it while you can- before you have to step into the dark world of adulthood."
"Somehow, I suspect there is more to you telling me all this than just a simple explanation," I said feeling like there was a knot in my gut as I spoke. "I mean there was no need to tell me all that, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"Unfortunately, you won't need to wait long," Elinore explained, "you see Joan while Mother Scratch would have never had a problem sending you to Whateley free of obligations after you manifested, your current state makes matters...complicated."
"Complicated, what's so complicated," I shot back raising my voice at the elderly succubus who was passing as her own Great-granddaughter, "I'm still the same person that I've always been- so I'm halfway to being a succubus how does that change things?"
"That is the change, while being the daughter of even one face card (not to mention two) meant after you were properly vetted you were privy to knowledge of our existence within Mother Scratch's organization, something that outside of we sisters and face cards such as your parents is known only to upper members of the Grand Hall's staff within our faction and the Obsidian Circle themselves provided a geass was placed upon you. The problem is that geass no longer exists, meaning you would need to keep the fact that you are more than a mutant your apparent age secret."
"Understand- no one outside those the Board of Directors choose may know of the existence of our kind with geass to keep our secret, our existence is vital to mother's faction within the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Because should that secret come to light not only will your life be in jeopardy; so, will the lives of every chapter director, countless members of the Sweepers, employees of Axcel and all who live in our territory and depend upon the fragile stability that we maintain." Elinore began to lay down what I somehow knew would be a heavy topic of conversation.
"Right now, in the Operating Room 7 my daughter and Nicole Snyder are weaving illusions as a surgical team operates to save the life of a cultivated changeling that is holding your place under the knife. What you need to decide over the next few hours is whether to take its place in the recovery room or let it be buried in your stead, know this before you decide that Joan Drucker lives to see tomorrow."
"Officially Joan would need to go somewhere like Whateley to learn how to properly use her abilities to their fullest, however that path is no-longer as free of obligation as it once was; being a member of the sisterhood not only is the geass that was once upon you impossible to replace, but you may accidentally let your nature slip. You need to understand that in order for Joan's future to be yours to decide a contract must be negotiated, you must hammer out a binding contract with the Mother of Our Sisterhood- you must negotiate a contract with Erzebet Scratch!"
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Lobby
10:46 PM
Nurse Agnes Harper was increasingly annoyed with the man looking across from her, here she was in the middle of the late shift on a Saturday night; visiting hours were over and in steps this man who radiates an aura of sleaze bag attorney with two men who looked like they were trying too hard to resemble Federal Agents.
"Lady I don't think that you understand your position," the individual whose name card read Kenneth Christiansen, reiterated as he once again tried to press his position. "you have a dangerous individual in your building and it is imperative that we take her into custody for the safety of the general public."
"Sir I am afraid this is a public hospital and any patients under our care remain as such unless we are required by law to remand them to the custody of others. Now so far you have made no effort to produce any manner of legal document to your show the truth behind your demands, so unless you can show something to that effect I am afraid that I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"I assure you that will only be a matter of time, we have men delivering working with the police to analyze the sound system that this girl altered," Kenneth elaborated as he tried to puff out his non-existence chest. "We will be receiving a warrant soon- so I suggest you co-operate with us for the best of everyone."
"And as I keep telling you sir," Nurse Harper fumed at how she wished that she could call the police and have them evicted. "Until you present me with any proper legal documentation I am not at liberty to even discus a patient's status let alone release a patient of ours into your care."
A few moments later another pair of individuals in suits much like those bracketing Kenneth Christiansen walked through the front entrance. "That went sooner than expected," Kenneth smiled as he turned to race the two men, "I trust that you men have the warrant so that we can take the mutant into custody."
"Um Mister Chistiansen," one of the two MCO agents with the attorney on retainer with the Austin Office tried to get tried to get the man's attention, "I don't recognize those two."
The pair stopped in front of the desk and after a quick inspection of the nurse's name tag the pair spoke, "Hello Nurse Harper my name Agent Marcus Todd, this Agent Richard Fontaine, we are here regarding a young lady in your care one Joan Drucker."
"Ah I see you are here to help us take the mutant into custody," Kenneth stated as he strolled over to Agent Todd with his hand extended.
Rather than meeting the attorney's offered hand Agent Todd just glared at it in disbelief, "I am sorry, but I do not recall my superiors telling me to meet with anyone here."
"Oh, how rude of me," the attorney back-peddled, "My name is Kenneth Christiansen, and these men are Agents Marsha and Weston here representing the Mutant Commission Office, I assumed you were here to help us take this dangerous individual into custody."
"Mister Christiansen despite how your agency likes to present itself to the general public, you know full well that the MCO has no legal jurisdiction in this country what-so-ever beyond their arrangement with the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Agency for screening individuals with an active mutant-gene complex who travel across state and international lines by way of air-travel." Agent Todd elaborated as he glared at the attorney.
"The reason we are here is to provide Miss Drucker with security until such time as she is healthy enough to answer a few questions for us regarding the incident of a few hours ago," Agent Fontaine spoke up, "she is a potentially vital witness in an ongoing investigation, and as such any agreements that your organization may or may not have made at the state level are moot, this pertains to an ongoing international investigation at the federal level. Now I suggest that you and your men leave right now, before I charge you with obstructing a federal investigation."
"This is not over," Mister Christiansen snapped back at the two FBI agents, as he turned to leave.
"Yes, Mister Christiansen it most certainly is, and if you try to press matters on this just remember- the MCO already had their Dallas facility shuttered; I am certain that your higher-ups would be interested in knowing who cost them their Austin facility leaving them with only their Houston facility to handle matters in this state." Agent Todd stated to illustrate the dangers of crossing this particular line.
Morgue - Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
10:58 PM
"I don't know what to tell you gentlemen," Doctor Trevor Foss the coroner on shift with the Round Rock police department related to the pair of FBI agents who had arrived from the resident agency in Austin, "one moment the kid was curled up in his bunk after refusing to speak to anyone about the guns or the hard drive and the next..."
Trevor opened the cooler and slowly slid out the slab, only rather than a body inside was a gray sphere about the size of a beach ball, we had to roll it in here since it weighs well over a hundred pounds. About the same as-"
"The boy who was arrested for attempting to abduct one Mallory Trombly, a local teenager, and shot Joan Drucker when she moved to stop him," A man who identified himself earlier as Agent Felix Forsythe along with his partner Agent Marcos Levine (who was upstairs reading the evidence files) said as he completed the coroner's sentence. "It's just like two months ago in Zurich."
"You've seen this before!" Trevor all but recoiled in shock, "What kind of thing does this to a kid?!?"
"First off, I haven't seen this personally, however similar cases have occurred state-side in New York and Chicago." Agent Forsythe began to examine the sphere. "There is also a case on file with the Japanese Public Security Bureau from last year in Tokyo, an incident six months ago in London on file with Scotland Yard, and (including Zurich) five incidents on file with Interpol all within the last four years. I only hope we obtain Axcel Incorporated's permission to inspect the portable hard drive that Joel Gibson had on his person to determine what he was after, because it might prove to be a part of the same operation as the other incidents."
"Sir," Agent Levine drew everyone's eyes away from the sphere that was once known as Joel Gibson, "I just received a phone call from Axcel Incorporated, they said that we do not have permission to look on the contents of the hard drive without the presence of both one of their R&D tech department as well as an Axcel Incorporated retained attorney. However, they did confirm Walter Drucker's position within the company; Walter is one of the key engineers within the Robotics division of their Research and Development department, that hard drive is bound to be full of unreleased Axcel Incorporated inventions awaiting patents and potentially worth hundreds of millions on the open market."
"It's just as we thought, this boy is connected to those other incidents directly." Agent Forsythe surmised, "Every previous incident was linked to an act of industrial or financial espionage, we have ten incidents with similar motive and method of avoiding examination and those are just the one's where the perpetrator has been captured alive, whoever this boy was he was likely part of an industrial spy ring."
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
11:03 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Now that Elinore, Myra or whatever the hell she wanted to call herself had left the room, I was alone just stewing in what she had just told me. I had always wanted to be a hero like my parents never really had the choice to be, but it seems like my desperate attempt to save my life after my first attempt at heroics torpedoed my plans before they really started.
I mean I had always wanted to go to Whateley, even being the child of super-villains never seemed to hold anyone back too much when it came to reach for that brass-ring but it seemed that now that I was no-longer merely a mutant my choice was being made for me. On top of all of this if I did want to attend Whateley I was going to need to make my case to Erzebet Scratch herself, telling her why she needs to risk one of the vital cornerstones of her entire operation on my need to go to Whateley- I know that she has a soft spot for kids but I was probably asking for waaaay more than she'd ever be willing to risk.
While I was in the middle of wondering how I could salvage my future a figure wrapped in a ragged cloak and carrying an ornate walking stick came in and sat down right where the succubus that saved my life had. I continued to look at what appeared to be a young lady just a few years older than me (who appeared to also fail to acknowledge my presence); as she situated herself scooting the chair closer to the bed before she leaned her staff against her chair. Once she was finished she beginning to root through her ruck-sack for oddly enough- a pint of ice-cream and a plastic bag with a couple of flatware table spoons.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you with my intrusions," the young lady apologized as she fished one of the spoons out of the baggie and handed it to me, "but today the winds of fate and destiny seem to be blowing around like a hurricane- I just needed a place that felt relatively calm to take a breather. I have brought compensation for disturbing you though," the woman held up a couple of single-pint ice-cream cartons of something called Mr. Whirl's Dusty Trails.
Granted I didn't know this girl or even recognize the brand or flavor, but I was in the middle of an emotional roller-coaster at the moment so I decided to say what the hell (ironic given my current status but still the point stands) and accept the spoon and her offered confection. "Alright, but if you're looking for some kind of calm point then you came to the wrong place."
"I doubt it," the unnamed girl clinked my spoon with her own and popped the top on her ice-cream carton which was looked like it was at just the right temperature for scooping out to eat despite the fact that she pulled them out of a rucksack that didn't appear insulated. "I'm rather aware of these things, it's part of my job."
As the girl took a spoonful and ate it, I began to wonder what she meant...and if she knew. "I mean- I am aware of the trauma and change that you have gone through, the winds of fate have told me that much already. However, despite your current dilemma the forces of destiny have no sway on you at the moment; you are at a great cross-roads but every path is available to you to walk down should you so choose."
That she said I still had options open to me barely registered, the woman who made me what I am warned me about the vital nature of Erzebet's secret sorority of succubae and somehow, I doubt that this girl was in the loop. I knew first-hand of all Sweepers with face-card status from my parents, somehow my being a demi-succubus made me aware of my siblings and this girl wasn't one, and given her vagabond appearance she really didn't strike me as the sort to be affiliated with the Obsidian Circle. "Who are you and what do you know about what happened to me?"
"Well my name is Kelsey but I doubt you meant who in that sense- I am the latest in an extensive line of individuals to be chosen to bear the title of The Wayfarer, we have served as an acting hand for the forces of Destiny since long before the Bronze Age of Classical Antiquity."
"My office affords me many things, the ability to perceive things as they truly are, or to hear the distant echoes of the past anywhere I find myself..." this Kelsey lady began to rattle off her repertoire, "but that is neither here nor there; just know that I am no threat to you or your kin unless you chose to confront me in such a manner."
Call it weird but for some reason I believed what she was saying, deciding to cast aside the oddness of this encounter I opened the carton and found concealed inside to be a take on old Rocky Road- how did she know my favorite flavor of ice cream therapy (a little term mom liked to use). Okay I admit I was curious and more than a little hungry (evidently nearly dying and plunging partway into the supernatural can really work up an appetite), I took the spoon that Kelsey had given me earlier and scooped up a bite.
Okay I know that it is ironic considering that I am now a demi-succubus but this ice cream is sinful, it was like whoever this Mister Whirl was took the original Rocky Road recipe and decided to go Bobby Flay on it. Yeah there was the traditional chocolate, marshmallows and walnut pieces in here, but that wasn't where this guy stopped. On top of the three required ingredients he added mint chips, brownie bits, and malted milk powder to the mix; it was odd but damned if it didn't work.
"Whoa, where the hell did you get this stuff?" I remarked having a bit of a flavor-gasm, "Something tells me that it should be illegal to carry this stuff across state lines."
"Tricoma," Kelsey remarked as she kept diving into her own pint, "it's this city about sixteen miles southeast of Amarillo and made at this local old-fashioned creamery called Xanadu."
"It's named Xanadu and it's old-fashioned," I raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "that sounds more like something opened in the sixties."
"The owners are Chinese-American so the name is a part of their culture to begin with," Kelsey elaborated. "As for your dilemma, surely there is a way to prove to the mother of your kind's lineage that you can be trusted to keep your secret, some test or trial that you could go through- a rite of passage as it were."
The mention of trial or rite got me thinking about everything that my parents and gone through around my age including one experience in particular, "You know what- I believe that I might know a way to convince her to make a deal. Thank you Miss Kelsey, I believe that you helped me solve my little dilemma. Although I suppose that this means that I owe you something or a favor of some sort; that is how these things usually work out right, a mystic being does you a favor and you owe them something back in kind?"
"Maybe for some but not for me," Kelsey explained as she briefly paused from her ice cream, "I am a servant of Destiny, what I do I don't do seeking material gain. In fact for me the typical accumulation of material goods and possessions are rather pointless, especially given the necessities and perks of my job; besides when it comes right down to it all you really need are the little things and a little creativity."
"You and my dad would get along great," I remarked with a smile on my face.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Kelsey replied with an oddly serene smile, "I usually get along with everybody; well unless they aggressively try to keep me from doing performing my duty as an agent of Destiny, because then things can get rather...unpleasant."
"Heh-heh-heh- right," I nervously laughed at the implication of those words, something told me that I really didn't want her to elaborate just what she meant by unpleasant.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Ante Chamber - Mister Domino's Private Lounge
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:13 AM EDT
"Dammit we should be back at the base already," Atropos fumed as she impatiently tapped her foot, "someone had the balls to shot my little girl, I want to be there to tear them off and shove them down his throat before I hang him upside down and use his head as a speed bag!"
"Dear I'm afraid the monster that shot our daughter is out of our hands," Gremlin replied as he hugged his wife from behind, "he's already in police custody and if the intel from back home is anything to go by the FBI are actually involved. Let's be patient, we can always arrange a little incident in prison, there are plenty in lock up who would gladly shank someone for Lady Scratch's gratitude."
"I know but I just feel so helpless," Atropos admitted as she was wracked with sobs, "we were so careful to keep our civilian identities completely separate from our real selves. How did someone found out, and if they did, why did they go after her? The only thing that our baby is guilty of is being our baby, why punish her?!?"
"From what I gather it had nothing to do with Gremlin and Atropos," Agony spoke up as he got the couple's attention, "I went over your cover, the only way that could have been blown would be from inside the Sweepers and only at face card status. No, believe me when I say that nobody who's worked hard enough to get where we are would risk throwing everything away by giving that intel out, plus nobody who has been would be stupid enough to do something that would risk Lady Scratch's retaliation when they did- they would know that once she became aware of where they were it would only be a matter of time till the Reverents got to them and after that it would be game over."
"Agony's right you two," Catalyst remarked as she looked over from her notebook of chemical formulas. "Still I wonder what's taking boss and Lady Scratch so long, it's been over an hour since we took Arcane-Knight into custody and their still in there with him. You don't think that she's lost her patience during the interrogation and went to torture, do you?"
"Since you're still new I'll ignore that Catalyst," Perses commented as he glared at the chemist turned super-villain, "besides even if Mother Scratch loses her temper that is why she has Shuffle in there with her to keep everything nice and professional."
"And Atropos I wouldn't worry, one of mother's children attended to your daughter right after she was shot," Perses explained to the distraught mother as the doors opened to the meeting room as Erzebet Scratch, Shuffle and Arcane-Knight emerged, "she will have to sit down with mother for a long talk though to go over her options."
"I am afraid that Kampe will have to attend that meeting in my stead my dears," Erzebet sighed, "business regarding a mutual meeting between all available members of both the Obsidian Circle and a Grey Barrow at their headquarters I'm afraid. Apparently, much has been going on tonight and what happened in Boston is a part of that; I'm to be meeting with the Eastern and Western Maidens in a scant few hours- and I can say that it is a meeting that I am not looking forward to attending. Not to mention that afterwards I'll likely be needed at Chateau Noir in Vermont to run damage control with Whateley's Administration department regarding tonight's events."
Catalyst looked at Shuffle as if seeking some clarity there which he provided, "The Eastern Maiden is Lady Astarte's daughter and the Western Maiden has some…unpleasant history with the Obsidian Circle."
"Hold on one moment," Arcane-Knight spoke up, "when you offered me employment within the Sweepers you said nothing about compliance with kidnapping, which is something of which I want no part."
"Nor would I," Erzebet Scratch responded to the haunted mech-suit, "they saved them from that attack by your previous employer and plan to transport deliver them home tomorrow morning. However, in the interim we and the Grey Barrow are going to reveal to them a matter of prophecy; today the Southern Maiden has revealed herself and that means that it is time the four the full truth of the prophecy in which they are entangled is explained to them."
"May I be a part of their escort back to Whately?" Arcane-Knight inquired, "I have business with the student there known as Tennyo, I cannot possibly apologize enough for the injustice that my failure brought upon her family."
"I will see to arranging that," Shuffle responded before adding, "however you had best remember that afterwards you are to report directly to Dead-Zone's Training Camp, you might have been accepted into the Sweepers however your equipment is far too advanced for what we allow a four to make use of out in the field. Ideally you wouldn't be allowed to make use of your current gear out in the field unless you were an eight, this means that if you do not wish to have your armor downgraded you need not only to pass Dead-Zone's Training Camp you must do so with honors."
"Understood sir," Arcane-Knight replied in true Medieval tradition, at attention with his right arm across his chest resting in a clenched fist over where a normal person's heart would be, "I shall endeavor to do so both to the very best of my abilities and beyond."
"Lady Scratch," Gremlin spoke up to get their ultimate employer's attention, "if I may be so bold as to ask, have you heard anything about our daughter's situation? My wife and are worried about just why she was shot, was it one of our enemy's taking it out on her?"
"No," Erzebet Scratch responded, "it was nothing of the sort. Someone used the party that was being thrown at your house this weekend to gain access to your personal lab in your basement and copied files off the computer down there onto a flash drive. When they were caught the intruder took one of the party-gooers hostage and your daughter intervened and was shot in the process."
"Dammit," Gremlin all but snarled dropping his calm and pounding the floor looking all the more monstrous given his vestige, "if he hadn't taken that hostage my little girl would have been fine and we wouldn't be going through this mess."
"Huh," Agony spoke-up and stared at Gremlin like he had grown a second-head, "what's that supposed to mean, I mean if your daughter knew that somebody stole stuff off of your lab computer then if she was willing to put her neck out to save a hostage then she would have done the same to keep your work from being stolen right."
Gremlin looked at Agony with an odd look on his face and replied, "Funny thing when you bring up my lab computer...
Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
11:15 PM CDT
As the midnight hour began to approach fewer people began to populate the police precinct as the Graveyard Shift took over. Despite the odd occurrences of the day, few of the officers involved in the case at hand thought that matters could be solved fueled by coffee and determination.
Although a number of the FBI agents assigned to the case in question decided to stick around to work a little later, most of them were pouring over reports and initial findings into the identity of the individual known as Joel Gibson; they hoped that there was some clue some loose thread that they could discover in the cover story surrounding the criminal whose present status as an inert gray sphere made questioning impossible.
However, all the answers to their questions lay across the street on the roof of the Ferguson Plumbing supply company staring at them through a pair of high-powered binoculars; the new Faux-05 was active and he had acquired the target for his inaugural mission, retrieve the USB flash drive left behind by his predecessor from the police evidence room.
While the new Faux-05 like all Faux-Number agents within the Grand Masquerade had shape-shifting capabilities thanks to their nanotechnology, they were unable to change size and mass, thus without prosthetics and a stolen police uniform there was no way for the nameless agent to just walk right in the front door. Also given that the FBI agents who had arrived to investigate his predecessor would be bound to follow procedure and send all evidence related to the case back to Washington in a locked briefcase cuffed to an armed agent that meant that his window for success was small and shrinking by the hour.
That meant that the only possibility was for stealth infiltration; he would have to enter the station via an alternative means and recover the objective from the station without being spotted, a difficult proposition but not an impossible one. Taking care to repel down the side of the building with no cars in sight, Faux-05 carefully made his way to the southern fence while keeping low taking a moment to check and see that it wasn't electrified (an unlikely scenario given that mainly suburban nature of the town), Faux-05 wrapped himself with a tarp from his bag and climbed the links of the short fence given that he couldn't detect guards or cameras. Using the tarp once at the top he swung over the razor-wire to the inside of the fence, carefully making his way across the narrow back lot to the back of the police station and stowing the tarp in the bag for later.
Now came the fun part, using the special gloves on his suit Faux-05 scaled the side of the Police building just as he had the Ferguson Company earlier, given that it was only a single story building this time went a lot faster. Once on the roof Faux-05 made his way to the east side of the building and firmly affixed a grapple hook to the edge of the roof to expedite his escape. Satisfied that his preparations were complete the spy of the Grand Masquerade accessed the specification of the Police Building from his predecessor's memories to determine the most likely location for the drive, locating the evidence room for active investigations he cross referenced the building's ventilation system.
Unfortunately, the vent for the room lay outside the evidence locker's cage, apparently the city had some common sense in its construction after all. Still it was his best stop for his initial search, entering the heat exhaust vent on the roof, Faux-05 made his way as slowly and silently through the ducts to his first target. With his nanites projecting a map directly to the side of his field of vision in his right eye to guide him he made his way to the vent nearest to the evidence room, Faux-05 deployed a dual-purpose probe from his pack, making use of the probes primary purpose he could see that the room was empty, after employing a bar to the sides of the vent in order to make his way back up to escape, Faux-05 jumped out of the vent and into the evidence room.
Taking a quick moment to survey the room the spy spotted the nearby clipboard which chronicled all evidence submissions and when it was brought into the room. Memorizing the seven most likely suspects Faux-05 came to the final obstacle here, the lock to the cage, a matter that was easily overcome with the scanning pneumatic bump keys in his arsenal. Once inside he went through the boxes one by one until on the fifth try out of a possible seven, he located the one containing his predecessor's effects, carefully Faux-05 went through them careful to note the order and manner they had been placed inside until he found it- the flash drive.
Taking great care, Faux-05 swapped the drive inside for an identical (albeit empty) substitute, and made his way out of the room and back to the roof- taking great care to remove every sign of his intrusion as he went. By the time he repelled down the roof the newest of the latest in a line of Faux-05's could see that his debut mission had been pulled off without a hitch. Once retrieving his grapple and line the agent made his way past the eastern fence as easily as he had the south-side and towards his chosen exit point Soil Conservation Service Site 11's Reservoir.
It had taken a few moments but after some repellent scent to keep the wild alligators that called the reservoir home which wasn't difficult to do at night. He activated a beacon to call for his extraction, it took half an hour but he could see the headlights of his ride- mission complete. "For the glory of the Grand Masquerade," Faux-05 whispered in satisfaction with none to hear him but a few insects and the night air.
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
11:51 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
After The Wayfarer or as she called herself Kelsey left my room I just waited, sooner or later one of the elders of Erzebet Scratch's Sisterhood of Succubae would be along for my answer. There were parts that I was unsure about, did I want to keep being Joan Drucker, did I really want to go through with my proposal and would they accept my proposal. Ugh, there were just so many variables to this problem it was making my head spin.
One thing was for certain, all this time waiting was driving me up the wall; I just wish that whoever it was that was going to weigh my options with me would just get here already- if there was one thing that I hated it was empty time. I mean since it was all there was to do right now wasElinore I mean Myra's spell keeping me concealed in this empty room I didn't dare leave because for all I knew that would undo her spell and get me in trouble with the very people that I was about to negotiate with.
I would have turned on the television to try and get my mind off my problems for a little while but everything was either about the pandemonium that just went down in Boston or an attack on this college in a small town in Colorado named Durango. In all it was too depressing to think about especially given that the young unknown heroes mentioned in the report on Boston were likely to be people that I would have gotten to know if I could work out going to Whateley like I wanted, while I still might the odds against it were fairly long- but it was the only card that I had which might work.
Finally, someone came through my door that I knew was with Erzebet's faction; at first I thought that she had sent a Reverant to escort me to the place where I was supposed to meet the chosen elder, that was until her wings, tail and horns appeared and I knew that this was the meeting. "Hello Lady Kampe," I spoke up noting that the first of Erzebet's succubus children, and the source of the Reverants, was here to take my answer to Myra's question.
"Very well Joan, I certainly hope that you thought matters over in regard to your situation," Kampe began to explain, "because you are expected out of surgery soon. Now understand that if Joan Drucker is to make a complete recovery you must decide here and now what you want to do with your life. I know that this is a tall order and that people your age need a lot of time to figure this out, but right now I'm afraid that time is a luxury that you cannot afford."
"However, Myra probably explained this to you but the secret of Mother Scratch's Sisterhood must remain a secret exclusive to a select chosen outside of the Sisterhood itself; while I know that you wish to attend Whateley to learn how to be a hero, but there are many of the faculty who given the time might be able to figure out your secret. You see Reverend Englund and Totem are both on the school's Board of Directors, you would have to maintain your cover as a demi-succubus constantly- with every slip-up you risk not only exposing yourself but the entire Sisterhood as well. With all that being said I am now prepared to hear your counter argument, just remember if I do not accept it, just how much is at stake."
"I propose that on the public face that Axcel relocates me both out of protection," I began laying out my proposal, "and so as not to disrupt the community with Humanity First activity, protests and the like."
"Very good so far," Kampe stated as she took my proposal into account, "but I can tell that you have a part two to your proposal- so by all means enlighten me."
"The second part to my proposal is to prove that I can keep my status secret," I explained and took a deep breath to steady myself, "I attend Dead-Zone's Training Camp."
Kampe's eyes widened with shock over the implications of my words, "Do you understand what you are saying? Dead-Zone's camp is brutal even for adults, even if they do have a full grasp on their abilities. Some of those who attend give up after a few days and that camp goes on for twelve weeks, you manifested as a mutant less than a day ago and know less than that about being a demi-succubus and you want us to put you through something that can break people years older than you!"
"Yes," I replied as I steadied my resolve, "if I can make it through Dead-Zone's Training Camp with at least a pass while keeping my secret intact can I attend Whateley?"
Kampe seemed to mull the matter over in silence before she gave her decision. "The full magnitude of this is beyond even a decision I could make myself- Mother will need to consider it. However, before I draw up your proposal to submit to Mother; Joan- I am just curious about the matter that started this whole mess, I would have thought that your father had better security on his lab." Kampe spoke up about the one matter that I wasn't prepared to come up, just as well because this was a simple answer.
"Anyone who knows us well enough can get into our work lab," I smiled wickedly, "but gaining access to his actual Lab PC is another story. While the keypad can get you into the lab, unless the passive biometric scanners in the hallway recognize you the real Lab PC stays hidden by a revolving panel inside the wall. If anyone tries to download anything off of the other computer without first imputing the unprompted fifteen-digit alpha-numeric password, it installs some triple-encrypted junk data and a virus that completely nukes the next hard drive that tries to access the downloaded files; the only reason I acted was because Joel or whoever he was tried to kidnap my friend Mallory."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 22
Holding Cell 2 - Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
9:25 PM CDT
From within his cell in the basement of the Round Rock Police Department, Faux-05 could see the minutes tick by on the nearby clock which the digital one that he saw display in the corner of his right-eye confirmed to be fairly accurate- albeit 26 seconds slow. Never-the-less as much as he hated to admit it his handler had now arrived at the dead-drop and the external hard drive he had filled with the contents of Walter Drucker's lab computer was likely sitting in the police evidence locker; he had failed his mission and soon the police would be returning having discovered that his life was a lie.
Faux-05 knew only too well how once that happened they would begin to take dental and fingerprints in an effort to learn his true identity, only to find that he lacked any finger or toe-prints while his dental records would return with no match. Once the police discovered that Joel Gibson did not exist except through a web of deception and forged documentation, then they would get the Federal Bureau of Investigation involved and they would begin to uncover the secrets about his body. While Faux-05 did possess implants that could help him escape this cell quite easily in fact, his failed efforts to remotely hack the camera trained on the cells meant that doing so might give away secrets of The Grand Masquerade, as it stood there was only one option available to him.
Silently Faux-05 was disappointed in himself, all the time and effort that The Grand Masquerade invested in training him and the money they invested in cultivating the nanotechnology for his implants was going to be wasted. In truth, he had only given them thirty completed missions since he received his predecessor's designation, in all a fairly average life-span for the service of a Faux-Number operative but he knew now that he only had one final mission; he was to ensure that his handler knew of his failure and make certain that the secrets of the Grand Masquerade remained such...a secret.
Once the clock struck nine-thirty (his internal one and not the one on the wall) Faux-05 knew that he was out of time and orders were orders, now out of options the spy known to the locals under the alias Joel Gibson, bit down on his teeth in an odd series of cross-bites unbeknownst to the officer monitoring the cell cameras triggering something within his body. Soon the painful feeling of swelling in his chest told Faux-05 that the process to send an encrypted message containing all pertinent mission data as well as activating his replacement- the next Faux-05. The process also had a secondary purpose- disposing of compromised operatives, a process the now former Faux-05 aided in by curling into a fetal position on the cell's bunk.
Soon the former spy's skin began to lose features; his limbs began to retract into his torso which in turn began to swell. Noticing what was going a Julio Sanchez, a young man in the neighboring cell who was being held for joy-riding and possession of narcotics (fifteen ounces of marijuana), began to scream in Spanish about the work of the devil in the next cell. By the time the on-duty officer came back to inspect the reason for the commotion, Joel Gibson's county issued clothing began to rip and tear as his body briefly swelled into a large flesh-colored ball.
As shocked as Julio, Officer David Meza briefly stared at the former suspect who now began to compress as the object that had been booked as Joel Gibson took on a more grayish tone. Soon everything was over and all that was left of the teenager brought in for kidnapping and attempted murder was turning gray and condensing.
Life Storage Unit 204
Round Rock, Texas
10:31 PM
Inside of a five by ten unit at a local self-storage facility a capsule opened, the figure inside a tweenage, average-looking Caucasian male roughly five-foot two and weighing around a hundred pounds removed himself from the receptacle. All that he knew was that the previous Faux-05 had been decommissioned and his first mission was to complete that which his predecessor failed to do so. After a few minutes to retrieve a set of clothing from one of several nearby duffle bags, the new Faux-05 went over the information that had been sent prior to his predecessor's decommissioning.
He was to retrieve a portable hard drive from Round Rock Police Headquarters evidence room, stealth for the operation was recommended however he was advised to leave no witnesses to the retrieval operation then rendezvous with his handler. His objectives now set, the new Faux-05 sent a signal to have his handler retrieve the pod for future use and clean-up any evidence. Coming to the gate door in front of him Faux-05 sent a signal through his nanite-suite to unlock the special padlock to the storage unit. Hearing the lock clatter to the ground, Faux-05 placed his left-hand on the door and activating his magnetic protocol he motioned to slide the lock to open before simply opening the door from the inside. Now outside of the storage unit Faux-05 closed the door and reaffixed the lock, taking a little extra time to clean the smudge that the rubber lined bolt-lock left when it hit the concrete, after he was done there was no sign that anyone had tampered with the unit.
Still he carefully made his way out of the facility, taking time to avoid the security cameras as he made his way to the roof. Once above the view of any cameras Faux-05 assessed his surroundings, and then took a running leap, clearing both the fence and the razor-wire before landing with a roll. Taking a moment to dust himself off, Faux-05 set about making his way to the police station, after all the night was only getting darker and the sun was hours away.
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
10:23 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
"-ews still continues to come in from Boston, a city once again struck by the terror of this violent modern breed of powered-criminals. A city which was still recovering after the destruction of the Massachusetts State Ultra-Max Holding Facility which freed a number of dangerous powered criminals including half of the New England based occult-themed powered-criminal organization colloquially known as the Children of the Night and infamous power-mimic Mimeo."
I began to stir to the sound of CBS Boston affiliate's Mary Blake accounting something horrible that had happened earlier that night. From what I could see I was in a hospital bed and Elinore was transfixed on the television.
"While there have been several reports of numerous unknown powered individuals in Boston, they appear to be assisting paramedics, emergency and rescue services rather than involved in any immediate conflicts. While no parties have come forward claiming responsibility for the fire-bombings that have caused what some officials are estimating to be several billion in damage, so far reports are promising for the number of survivors accounted for by rescue services in the wake of this tragedy. We will bring you more news as this story develops. This is Mary Blake, CBS News Boston."
"So, tell me was it all a nightmare," I asked my throat feeling raw, like it had been scoured with cotton.
"You mean the part about you receiving a fatal gunshot wound or the part about how your no longer entirely human," Elinore asked as she turned off the television.
"Both... and more," I fired back before adding, "And how did you become a succubus, why would someone as young as young and well off as you are not only throw part of their life away but also take one."
Elinore began to quietly laugh as if I'd said something funny, then as the wings, tail and horns appeared Elinore began to- mature. Suddenly the queen bee of the popular girl cliques around my school had metamorphosed into a mature woman in her late-twenties or early-thirties, now I know that succubae can easily manipulate their appearance (Erzebet Scratch was rumored to do it every couple of decades to create a new cover identity), but this woman turned into carried herself in a way that clearly showed she was as comfortable at this age as she was as a teenager- possibly even more so.
"Sorry, I had just thought that I'd slip into something far closer to my real age," Elinore stated before adding, "not that a lady such as myself would like to let just what that is slip, however let's just say that Kampe only has a couple of years on me."
"Whoa," I stated somewhat flabbergasted, "you mean that you've been with Erzebet Scratch since the beginning!?!"
"Yes, my real name is Myra Haddix this whole situation has to do with my granddaughter Leanne's decision to marry her good-for-little son-of-a good-old-boy business school boyfriend back in college." The know unveiled Myra sighed as she recounted her tale, "The poor girl was a little too focused to know that all he wanted was a trophy wife not a family-yet, the problem was once she got into her late-twenties it was obvious that Reginald Jaffe was looking to upgrade as he climbed the ladder at Maypole Credit Union and was groomed for his father's seat on the town council."
"Let me guess she came to Nana Myra for a way to stay young," I guessed somewhat sick to my stomach at how I had been forced to make the very same choice- albeit I did so to cheat death to not hold back the ravages of time.
"True," Myra rolled her eyes, "I did try to warn her of the consequences but she was so co-dependent on the weasel that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She was happy for a time up until it came time for Reginald to need to have a family to show off to the higher-ups."
"Because succubae and demi-succubae can't have children," I echoed a grim reality, one that I knew currently applied to myself.
"Correct, and since adoption wasn't something that Reginald had in mind (given that his type thinks of adopted children as more akin to pets than people), I gave her a solution." Myra smiled slyly at the memory, "I would help Leanne fake her pregnancy with a mix of magic and illusion, then at the very end become my own great-granddaughter."
"Hey, come to think of it just who are Maypole Credit Union?" I asked unfamiliar with the name.
"That was because back when you were still learning to walk I told Leanne that my becoming Elinore had a price-tag," Myra's smile widened, "Leanne had to help me gather intelligence to leak and sabotage Maypole's stock prices, once they were down to ten dollars a share Axcel bought them out and Maypole Credit Union became a part of Axcel Incorporated Financials' Credit division. Member of the town council or not, daddy is not old enough to retire and live on his civic salary- besides its so much fun to push his buttons."
"That explains why you seem to go out of your way to embarrass your old man," I remarked as the aches and pains of my body were beginning to subside.
"That and to encourage you kids to have fun," Myra sighed as she began to metamorphose back into Elinore, "I understand that schools are pressure-cookers these days, but you children are only young once, enjoy it while you can- before you have to step into the dark world of adulthood."
"Somehow, I suspect there is more to you telling me all this than just a simple explanation," I said feeling like there was a knot in my gut as I spoke. "I mean there was no need to tell me all that, I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."
"Unfortunately, you won't need to wait long," Elinore explained, "you see Joan while Mother Scratch would have never had a problem sending you to Whateley free of obligations after you manifested, your current state makes matters...complicated."
"Complicated, what's so complicated," I shot back raising my voice at the elderly succubus who was passing as her own Great-granddaughter, "I'm still the same person that I've always been- so I'm halfway to being a succubus how does that change things?"
"That is the change, while being the daughter of even one face card (not to mention two) meant after you were properly vetted you were privy to knowledge of our existence within Mother Scratch's organization, something that outside of we sisters and face cards such as your parents is known only to upper members of the Grand Hall's staff within our faction and the Obsidian Circle themselves provided a geass was placed upon you. The problem is that geass no longer exists, meaning you would need to keep the fact that you are more than a mutant your apparent age secret."
"Understand- no one outside those the Board of Directors choose may know of the existence of our kind with geass to keep our secret, our existence is vital to mother's faction within the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Because should that secret come to light not only will your life be in jeopardy; so, will the lives of every chapter director, countless members of the Sweepers, employees of Axcel and all who live in our territory and depend upon the fragile stability that we maintain." Elinore began to lay down what I somehow knew would be a heavy topic of conversation.
"Right now, in the Operating Room 7 my daughter and Nicole Snyder are weaving illusions as a surgical team operates to save the life of a cultivated changeling that is holding your place under the knife. What you need to decide over the next few hours is whether to take its place in the recovery room or let it be buried in your stead, know this before you decide that Joan Drucker lives to see tomorrow."
"Officially Joan would need to go somewhere like Whateley to learn how to properly use her abilities to their fullest, however that path is no-longer as free of obligation as it once was; being a member of the sisterhood not only is the geass that was once upon you impossible to replace, but you may accidentally let your nature slip. You need to understand that in order for Joan's future to be yours to decide a contract must be negotiated, you must hammer out a binding contract with the Mother of Our Sisterhood- you must negotiate a contract with Erzebet Scratch!"
St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Lobby
10:46 PM
Nurse Agnes Harper was increasingly annoyed with the man looking across from her, here she was in the middle of the late shift on a Saturday night; visiting hours were over and in steps this man who radiates an aura of sleaze bag attorney with two men who looked like they were trying too hard to resemble Federal Agents.
"Lady I don't think that you understand your position," the individual whose name card read Kenneth Christiansen, reiterated as he once again tried to press his position. "you have a dangerous individual in your building and it is imperative that we take her into custody for the safety of the general public."
"Sir I am afraid this is a public hospital and any patients under our care remain as such unless we are required by law to remand them to the custody of others. Now so far you have made no effort to produce any manner of legal document to your show the truth behind your demands, so unless you can show something to that effect I am afraid that I am going to have to ask you to leave."
"I assure you that will only be a matter of time, we have men delivering working with the police to analyze the sound system that this girl altered," Kenneth elaborated as he tried to puff out his non-existence chest. "We will be receiving a warrant soon- so I suggest you co-operate with us for the best of everyone."
"And as I keep telling you sir," Nurse Harper fumed at how she wished that she could call the police and have them evicted. "Until you present me with any proper legal documentation I am not at liberty to even discus a patient's status let alone release a patient of ours into your care."
A few moments later another pair of individuals in suits much like those bracketing Kenneth Christiansen walked through the front entrance. "That went sooner than expected," Kenneth smiled as he turned to race the two men, "I trust that you men have the warrant so that we can take the mutant into custody."
"Um Mister Chistiansen," one of the two MCO agents with the attorney on retainer with the Austin Office tried to get tried to get the man's attention, "I don't recognize those two."
The pair stopped in front of the desk and after a quick inspection of the nurse's name tag the pair spoke, "Hello Nurse Harper my name Agent Marcus Todd, this Agent Richard Fontaine, we are here regarding a young lady in your care one Joan Drucker."
"Ah I see you are here to help us take the mutant into custody," Kenneth stated as he strolled over to Agent Todd with his hand extended.
Rather than meeting the attorney's offered hand Agent Todd just glared at it in disbelief, "I am sorry, but I do not recall my superiors telling me to meet with anyone here."
"Oh, how rude of me," the attorney back-peddled, "My name is Kenneth Christiansen, and these men are Agents Marsha and Weston here representing the Mutant Commission Office, I assumed you were here to help us take this dangerous individual into custody."
"Mister Christiansen despite how your agency likes to present itself to the general public, you know full well that the MCO has no legal jurisdiction in this country what-so-ever beyond their arrangement with the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Agency for screening individuals with an active mutant-gene complex who travel across state and international lines by way of air-travel." Agent Todd elaborated as he glared at the attorney.
"The reason we are here is to provide Miss Drucker with security until such time as she is healthy enough to answer a few questions for us regarding the incident of a few hours ago," Agent Fontaine spoke up, "she is a potentially vital witness in an ongoing investigation, and as such any agreements that your organization may or may not have made at the state level are moot, this pertains to an ongoing international investigation at the federal level. Now I suggest that you and your men leave right now, before I charge you with obstructing a federal investigation."
"This is not over," Mister Christiansen snapped back at the two FBI agents, as he turned to leave.
"Yes, Mister Christiansen it most certainly is, and if you try to press matters on this just remember- the MCO already had their Dallas facility shuttered; I am certain that your higher-ups would be interested in knowing who cost them their Austin facility leaving them with only their Houston facility to handle matters in this state." Agent Todd stated to illustrate the dangers of crossing this particular line.
Morgue - Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
10:58 PM
"I don't know what to tell you gentlemen," Doctor Trevor Foss the coroner on shift with the Round Rock police department related to the pair of FBI agents who had arrived from the resident agency in Austin, "one moment the kid was curled up in his bunk after refusing to speak to anyone about the guns or the hard drive and the next..."
Trevor opened the cooler and slowly slid out the slab, only rather than a body inside was a gray sphere about the size of a beach ball, we had to roll it in here since it weighs well over a hundred pounds. About the same as-"
"The boy who was arrested for attempting to abduct one Mallory Trombly, a local teenager, and shot Joan Drucker when she moved to stop him," A man who identified himself earlier as Agent Felix Forsythe along with his partner Agent Marcos Levine (who was upstairs reading the evidence files) said as he completed the coroner's sentence. "It's just like two months ago in Zurich."
"You've seen this before!" Trevor all but recoiled in shock, "What kind of thing does this to a kid?!?"
"First off, I haven't seen this personally, however similar cases have occurred state-side in New York and Chicago." Agent Forsythe began to examine the sphere. "There is also a case on file with the Japanese Public Security Bureau from last year in Tokyo, an incident six months ago in London on file with Scotland Yard, and (including Zurich) five incidents on file with Interpol all within the last four years. I only hope we obtain Axcel Incorporated's permission to inspect the portable hard drive that Joel Gibson had on his person to determine what he was after, because it might prove to be a part of the same operation as the other incidents."
"Sir," Agent Levine drew everyone's eyes away from the sphere that was once known as Joel Gibson, "I just received a phone call from Axcel Incorporated, they said that we do not have permission to look on the contents of the hard drive without the presence of both one of their R&D tech department as well as an Axcel Incorporated retained attorney. However, they did confirm Walter Drucker's position within the company; Walter is one of the key engineers within the Robotics division of their Research and Development department, that hard drive is bound to be full of unreleased Axcel Incorporated inventions awaiting patents and potentially worth hundreds of millions on the open market."
"It's just as we thought, this boy is connected to those other incidents directly." Agent Forsythe surmised, "Every previous incident was linked to an act of industrial or financial espionage, we have ten incidents with similar motive and method of avoiding examination and those are just the one's where the perpetrator has been captured alive, whoever this boy was he was likely part of an industrial spy ring."
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
11:03 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Now that Elinore, Myra or whatever the hell she wanted to call herself had left the room, I was alone just stewing in what she had just told me. I had always wanted to be a hero like my parents never really had the choice to be, but it seems like my desperate attempt to save my life after my first attempt at heroics torpedoed my plans before they really started.
I mean I had always wanted to go to Whateley, even being the child of super-villains never seemed to hold anyone back too much when it came to reach for that brass-ring but it seemed that now that I was no-longer merely a mutant my choice was being made for me. On top of all of this if I did want to attend Whateley I was going to need to make my case to Erzebet Scratch herself, telling her why she needs to risk one of the vital cornerstones of her entire operation on my need to go to Whateley- I know that she has a soft spot for kids but I was probably asking for waaaay more than she'd ever be willing to risk.
While I was in the middle of wondering how I could salvage my future a figure wrapped in a ragged cloak and carrying an ornate walking stick came in and sat down right where the succubus that saved my life had. I continued to look at what appeared to be a young lady just a few years older than me (who appeared to also fail to acknowledge my presence); as she situated herself scooting the chair closer to the bed before she leaned her staff against her chair. Once she was finished she beginning to root through her ruck-sack for oddly enough- a pint of ice-cream and a plastic bag with a couple of flatware table spoons.
"Sorry if I'm bothering you with my intrusions," the young lady apologized as she fished one of the spoons out of the baggie and handed it to me, "but today the winds of fate and destiny seem to be blowing around like a hurricane- I just needed a place that felt relatively calm to take a breather. I have brought compensation for disturbing you though," the woman held up a couple of single-pint ice-cream cartons of something called Mr. Whirl's Dusty Trails.
Granted I didn't know this girl or even recognize the brand or flavor, but I was in the middle of an emotional roller-coaster at the moment so I decided to say what the hell (ironic given my current status but still the point stands) and accept the spoon and her offered confection. "Alright, but if you're looking for some kind of calm point then you came to the wrong place."
"I doubt it," the unnamed girl clinked my spoon with her own and popped the top on her ice-cream carton which was looked like it was at just the right temperature for scooping out to eat despite the fact that she pulled them out of a rucksack that didn't appear insulated. "I'm rather aware of these things, it's part of my job."
As the girl took a spoonful and ate it, I began to wonder what she meant...and if she knew. "I mean- I am aware of the trauma and change that you have gone through, the winds of fate have told me that much already. However, despite your current dilemma the forces of destiny have no sway on you at the moment; you are at a great cross-roads but every path is available to you to walk down should you so choose."
That she said I still had options open to me barely registered, the woman who made me what I am warned me about the vital nature of Erzebet's secret sorority of succubae and somehow, I doubt that this girl was in the loop. I knew first-hand of all Sweepers with face-card status from my parents, somehow my being a demi-succubus made me aware of my siblings and this girl wasn't one, and given her vagabond appearance she really didn't strike me as the sort to be affiliated with the Obsidian Circle. "Who are you and what do you know about what happened to me?"
"Well my name is Kelsey but I doubt you meant who in that sense- I am the latest in an extensive line of individuals to be chosen to bear the title of The Wayfarer, we have served as an acting hand for the forces of Destiny since long before the Bronze Age of Classical Antiquity."
"My office affords me many things, the ability to perceive things as they truly are, or to hear the distant echoes of the past anywhere I find myself..." this Kelsey lady began to rattle off her repertoire, "but that is neither here nor there; just know that I am no threat to you or your kin unless you chose to confront me in such a manner."
Call it weird but for some reason I believed what she was saying, deciding to cast aside the oddness of this encounter I opened the carton and found concealed inside to be a take on old Rocky Road- how did she know my favorite flavor of ice cream therapy (a little term mom liked to use). Okay I admit I was curious and more than a little hungry (evidently nearly dying and plunging partway into the supernatural can really work up an appetite), I took the spoon that Kelsey had given me earlier and scooped up a bite.
Okay I know that it is ironic considering that I am now a demi-succubus but this ice cream is sinful, it was like whoever this Mister Whirl was took the original Rocky Road recipe and decided to go Bobby Flay on it. Yeah there was the traditional chocolate, marshmallows and walnut pieces in here, but that wasn't where this guy stopped. On top of the three required ingredients he added mint chips, brownie bits, and malted milk powder to the mix; it was odd but damned if it didn't work.
"Whoa, where the hell did you get this stuff?" I remarked having a bit of a flavor-gasm, "Something tells me that it should be illegal to carry this stuff across state lines."
"Tricoma," Kelsey remarked as she kept diving into her own pint, "it's this city about sixteen miles southeast of Amarillo and made at this local old-fashioned creamery called Xanadu."
"It's named Xanadu and it's old-fashioned," I raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "that sounds more like something opened in the sixties."
"The owners are Chinese-American so the name is a part of their culture to begin with," Kelsey elaborated. "As for your dilemma, surely there is a way to prove to the mother of your kind's lineage that you can be trusted to keep your secret, some test or trial that you could go through- a rite of passage as it were."
The mention of trial or rite got me thinking about everything that my parents and gone through around my age including one experience in particular, "You know what- I believe that I might know a way to convince her to make a deal. Thank you Miss Kelsey, I believe that you helped me solve my little dilemma. Although I suppose that this means that I owe you something or a favor of some sort; that is how these things usually work out right, a mystic being does you a favor and you owe them something back in kind?"
"Maybe for some but not for me," Kelsey explained as she briefly paused from her ice cream, "I am a servant of Destiny, what I do I don't do seeking material gain. In fact for me the typical accumulation of material goods and possessions are rather pointless, especially given the necessities and perks of my job; besides when it comes right down to it all you really need are the little things and a little creativity."
"You and my dad would get along great," I remarked with a smile on my face.
"I wouldn't doubt it," Kelsey replied with an oddly serene smile, "I usually get along with everybody; well unless they aggressively try to keep me from doing performing my duty as an agent of Destiny, because then things can get rather...unpleasant."
"Heh-heh-heh- right," I nervously laughed at the implication of those words, something told me that I really didn't want her to elaborate just what she meant by unpleasant.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Ante Chamber - Mister Domino's Private Lounge
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom New York Chapter House
New York City, New York
12:13 AM EDT
"Dammit we should be back at the base already," Atropos fumed as she impatiently tapped her foot, "someone had the balls to shot my little girl, I want to be there to tear them off and shove them down his throat before I hang him upside down and use his head as a speed bag!"
"Dear I'm afraid the monster that shot our daughter is out of our hands," Gremlin replied as he hugged his wife from behind, "he's already in police custody and if the intel from back home is anything to go by the FBI are actually involved. Let's be patient, we can always arrange a little incident in prison, there are plenty in lock up who would gladly shank someone for Lady Scratch's gratitude."
"I know but I just feel so helpless," Atropos admitted as she was wracked with sobs, "we were so careful to keep our civilian identities completely separate from our real selves. How did someone found out, and if they did, why did they go after her? The only thing that our baby is guilty of is being our baby, why punish her?!?"
"From what I gather it had nothing to do with Gremlin and Atropos," Agony spoke up as he got the couple's attention, "I went over your cover, the only way that could have been blown would be from inside the Sweepers and only at face card status. No, believe me when I say that nobody who's worked hard enough to get where we are would risk throwing everything away by giving that intel out, plus nobody who has been would be stupid enough to do something that would risk Lady Scratch's retaliation when they did- they would know that once she became aware of where they were it would only be a matter of time till the Reverents got to them and after that it would be game over."
"Agony's right you two," Catalyst remarked as she looked over from her notebook of chemical formulas. "Still I wonder what's taking boss and Lady Scratch so long, it's been over an hour since we took Arcane-Knight into custody and their still in there with him. You don't think that she's lost her patience during the interrogation and went to torture, do you?"
"Since you're still new I'll ignore that Catalyst," Perses commented as he glared at the chemist turned super-villain, "besides even if Mother Scratch loses her temper that is why she has Shuffle in there with her to keep everything nice and professional."
"And Atropos I wouldn't worry, one of mother's children attended to your daughter right after she was shot," Perses explained to the distraught mother as the doors opened to the meeting room as Erzebet Scratch, Shuffle and Arcane-Knight emerged, "she will have to sit down with mother for a long talk though to go over her options."
"I am afraid that Kampe will have to attend that meeting in my stead my dears," Erzebet sighed, "business regarding a mutual meeting between all available members of both the Obsidian Circle and a Grey Barrow at their headquarters I'm afraid. Apparently, much has been going on tonight and what happened in Boston is a part of that; I'm to be meeting with the Eastern and Western Maidens in a scant few hours- and I can say that it is a meeting that I am not looking forward to attending. Not to mention that afterwards I'll likely be needed at Chateau Noir in Vermont to run damage control with Whateley's Administration department regarding tonight's events."
Catalyst looked at Shuffle as if seeking some clarity there which he provided, "The Eastern Maiden is Lady Astarte's daughter and the Western Maiden has some…unpleasant history with the Obsidian Circle."
"Hold on one moment," Arcane-Knight spoke up, "when you offered me employment within the Sweepers you said nothing about compliance with kidnapping, which is something of which I want no part."
"Nor would I," Erzebet Scratch responded to the haunted mech-suit, "they saved them from that attack by your previous employer and plan to transport deliver them home tomorrow morning. However, in the interim we and the Grey Barrow are going to reveal to them a matter of prophecy; today the Southern Maiden has revealed herself and that means that it is time the four the full truth of the prophecy in which they are entangled is explained to them."
"May I be a part of their escort back to Whately?" Arcane-Knight inquired, "I have business with the student there known as Tennyo, I cannot possibly apologize enough for the injustice that my failure brought upon her family."
"I will see to arranging that," Shuffle responded before adding, "however you had best remember that afterwards you are to report directly to Dead-Zone's Training Camp, you might have been accepted into the Sweepers however your equipment is far too advanced for what we allow a four to make use of out in the field. Ideally you wouldn't be allowed to make use of your current gear out in the field unless you were an eight, this means that if you do not wish to have your armor downgraded you need not only to pass Dead-Zone's Training Camp you must do so with honors."
"Understood sir," Arcane-Knight replied in true Medieval tradition, at attention with his right arm across his chest resting in a clenched fist over where a normal person's heart would be, "I shall endeavor to do so both to the very best of my abilities and beyond."
"Lady Scratch," Gremlin spoke up to get their ultimate employer's attention, "if I may be so bold as to ask, have you heard anything about our daughter's situation? My wife and are worried about just why she was shot, was it one of our enemy's taking it out on her?"
"No," Erzebet Scratch responded, "it was nothing of the sort. Someone used the party that was being thrown at your house this weekend to gain access to your personal lab in your basement and copied files off the computer down there onto a flash drive. When they were caught the intruder took one of the party-gooers hostage and your daughter intervened and was shot in the process."
"Dammit," Gremlin all but snarled dropping his calm and pounding the floor looking all the more monstrous given his vestige, "if he hadn't taken that hostage my little girl would have been fine and we wouldn't be going through this mess."
"Huh," Agony spoke-up and stared at Gremlin like he had grown a second-head, "what's that supposed to mean, I mean if your daughter knew that somebody stole stuff off of your lab computer then if she was willing to put her neck out to save a hostage then she would have done the same to keep your work from being stolen right."
Gremlin looked at Agony with an odd look on his face and replied, "Funny thing when you bring up my lab computer...
Round Rock Police Department
Round Rock, Texas
11:15 PM CDT
As the midnight hour began to approach fewer people began to populate the police precinct as the Graveyard Shift took over. Despite the odd occurrences of the day, few of the officers involved in the case at hand thought that matters could be solved fueled by coffee and determination.
Although a number of the FBI agents assigned to the case in question decided to stick around to work a little later, most of them were pouring over reports and initial findings into the identity of the individual known as Joel Gibson; they hoped that there was some clue some loose thread that they could discover in the cover story surrounding the criminal whose present status as an inert gray sphere made questioning impossible.
However, all the answers to their questions lay across the street on the roof of the Ferguson Plumbing supply company staring at them through a pair of high-powered binoculars; the new Faux-05 was active and he had acquired the target for his inaugural mission, retrieve the USB flash drive left behind by his predecessor from the police evidence room.
While the new Faux-05 like all Faux-Number agents within the Grand Masquerade had shape-shifting capabilities thanks to their nanotechnology, they were unable to change size and mass, thus without prosthetics and a stolen police uniform there was no way for the nameless agent to just walk right in the front door. Also given that the FBI agents who had arrived to investigate his predecessor would be bound to follow procedure and send all evidence related to the case back to Washington in a locked briefcase cuffed to an armed agent that meant that his window for success was small and shrinking by the hour.
That meant that the only possibility was for stealth infiltration; he would have to enter the station via an alternative means and recover the objective from the station without being spotted, a difficult proposition but not an impossible one. Taking care to repel down the side of the building with no cars in sight, Faux-05 carefully made his way to the southern fence while keeping low taking a moment to check and see that it wasn't electrified (an unlikely scenario given that mainly suburban nature of the town), Faux-05 wrapped himself with a tarp from his bag and climbed the links of the short fence given that he couldn't detect guards or cameras. Using the tarp once at the top he swung over the razor-wire to the inside of the fence, carefully making his way across the narrow back lot to the back of the police station and stowing the tarp in the bag for later.
Now came the fun part, using the special gloves on his suit Faux-05 scaled the side of the Police building just as he had the Ferguson Company earlier, given that it was only a single story building this time went a lot faster. Once on the roof Faux-05 made his way to the east side of the building and firmly affixed a grapple hook to the edge of the roof to expedite his escape. Satisfied that his preparations were complete the spy of the Grand Masquerade accessed the specification of the Police Building from his predecessor's memories to determine the most likely location for the drive, locating the evidence room for active investigations he cross referenced the building's ventilation system.
Unfortunately, the vent for the room lay outside the evidence locker's cage, apparently the city had some common sense in its construction after all. Still it was his best stop for his initial search, entering the heat exhaust vent on the roof, Faux-05 made his way as slowly and silently through the ducts to his first target. With his nanites projecting a map directly to the side of his field of vision in his right eye to guide him he made his way to the vent nearest to the evidence room, Faux-05 deployed a dual-purpose probe from his pack, making use of the probes primary purpose he could see that the room was empty, after employing a bar to the sides of the vent in order to make his way back up to escape, Faux-05 jumped out of the vent and into the evidence room.
Taking a quick moment to survey the room the spy spotted the nearby clipboard which chronicled all evidence submissions and when it was brought into the room. Memorizing the seven most likely suspects Faux-05 came to the final obstacle here, the lock to the cage, a matter that was easily overcome with the scanning pneumatic bump keys in his arsenal. Once inside he went through the boxes one by one until on the fifth try out of a possible seven, he located the one containing his predecessor's effects, carefully Faux-05 went through them careful to note the order and manner they had been placed inside until he found it- the flash drive.
Taking great care, Faux-05 swapped the drive inside for an identical (albeit empty) substitute, and made his way out of the room and back to the roof- taking great care to remove every sign of his intrusion as he went. By the time he repelled down the roof the newest of the latest in a line of Faux-05's could see that his debut mission had been pulled off without a hitch. Once retrieving his grapple and line the agent made his way past the eastern fence as easily as he had the south-side and towards his chosen exit point Soil Conservation Service Site 11's Reservoir.
It had taken a few moments but after some repellent scent to keep the wild alligators that called the reservoir home which wasn't difficult to do at night. He activated a beacon to call for his extraction, it took half an hour but he could see the headlights of his ride- mission complete. "For the glory of the Grand Masquerade," Faux-05 whispered in satisfaction with none to hear him but a few insects and the night air.
Room 209 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center
Round Rock, Texas
11:51 PM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
After The Wayfarer or as she called herself Kelsey left my room I just waited, sooner or later one of the elders of Erzebet Scratch's Sisterhood of Succubae would be along for my answer. There were parts that I was unsure about, did I want to keep being Joan Drucker, did I really want to go through with my proposal and would they accept my proposal. Ugh, there were just so many variables to this problem it was making my head spin.
One thing was for certain, all this time waiting was driving me up the wall; I just wish that whoever it was that was going to weigh my options with me would just get here already- if there was one thing that I hated it was empty time. I mean since it was all there was to do right now was
I would have turned on the television to try and get my mind off my problems for a little while but everything was either about the pandemonium that just went down in Boston or an attack on this college in a small town in Colorado named Durango. In all it was too depressing to think about especially given that the young unknown heroes mentioned in the report on Boston were likely to be people that I would have gotten to know if I could work out going to Whateley like I wanted, while I still might the odds against it were fairly long- but it was the only card that I had which might work.
Finally, someone came through my door that I knew was with Erzebet's faction; at first I thought that she had sent a Reverant to escort me to the place where I was supposed to meet the chosen elder, that was until her wings, tail and horns appeared and I knew that this was the meeting. "Hello Lady Kampe," I spoke up noting that the first of Erzebet's succubus children, and the source of the Reverants, was here to take my answer to Myra's question.
"Very well Joan, I certainly hope that you thought matters over in regard to your situation," Kampe began to explain, "because you are expected out of surgery soon. Now understand that if Joan Drucker is to make a complete recovery you must decide here and now what you want to do with your life. I know that this is a tall order and that people your age need a lot of time to figure this out, but right now I'm afraid that time is a luxury that you cannot afford."
"However, Myra probably explained this to you but the secret of Mother Scratch's Sisterhood must remain a secret exclusive to a select chosen outside of the Sisterhood itself; while I know that you wish to attend Whateley to learn how to be a hero, but there are many of the faculty who given the time might be able to figure out your secret. You see Reverend Englund and Totem are both on the school's Board of Directors, you would have to maintain your cover as a demi-succubus constantly- with every slip-up you risk not only exposing yourself but the entire Sisterhood as well. With all that being said I am now prepared to hear your counter argument, just remember if I do not accept it, just how much is at stake."
"I propose that on the public face that Axcel relocates me both out of protection," I began laying out my proposal, "and so as not to disrupt the community with Humanity First activity, protests and the like."
"Very good so far," Kampe stated as she took my proposal into account, "but I can tell that you have a part two to your proposal- so by all means enlighten me."
"The second part to my proposal is to prove that I can keep my status secret," I explained and took a deep breath to steady myself, "I attend Dead-Zone's Training Camp."
Kampe's eyes widened with shock over the implications of my words, "Do you understand what you are saying? Dead-Zone's camp is brutal even for adults, even if they do have a full grasp on their abilities. Some of those who attend give up after a few days and that camp goes on for twelve weeks, you manifested as a mutant less than a day ago and know less than that about being a demi-succubus and you want us to put you through something that can break people years older than you!"
"Yes," I replied as I steadied my resolve, "if I can make it through Dead-Zone's Training Camp with at least a pass while keeping my secret intact can I attend Whateley?"
Kampe seemed to mull the matter over in silence before she gave her decision. "The full magnitude of this is beyond even a decision I could make myself- Mother will need to consider it. However, before I draw up your proposal to submit to Mother; Joan- I am just curious about the matter that started this whole mess, I would have thought that your father had better security on his lab." Kampe spoke up about the one matter that I wasn't prepared to come up, just as well because this was a simple answer.
"Anyone who knows us well enough can get into our work lab," I smiled wickedly, "but gaining access to his actual Lab PC is another story. While the keypad can get you into the lab, unless the passive biometric scanners in the hallway recognize you the real Lab PC stays hidden by a revolving panel inside the wall. If anyone tries to download anything off of the other computer without first imputing the unprompted fifteen-digit alpha-numeric password, it installs some triple-encrypted junk data and a virus that completely nukes the next hard drive that tries to access the downloaded files; the only reason I acted was because Joel or whoever he was tried to kidnap my friend Mallory."
6 years 8 months ago #30
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
10:28 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Alright- the stuff had officially hit the fan, I just wanted one night to feel normal- one night to feel like Zhen-yu Chen a budding club-hopper from Seattle again not Zhen-yu Chen half-dragon Maiden of Destiny- is that too much to ask- is that being too selfish? Instead what did I have to show for it after leaving that cave I found that I was invited to a party by a local college student who I met at a thrift store, only to have it be attacked by a trio of rednecks in power armor, and the girl who invited me sprouted a tail and start wailing on them. Yeah, I was now about eighty percent sure Kelsey is Sun Wukong (the Monkey King and former traveling companion to my teacher Sha Wujing), not that I was too shocked transformation was part of his wide repertoire of skills- even in the stories.
But all of this didn't change the fact that we were getting shot at by freaking rednecks in power armor- it's official I must have spent every waking moment punching babies or drowning puppies or something in my last life because that would be the only explanation for the butt load of crazy that's landed in my lap within the last year. I mean I get bitten by a rat, break a millennia old vase, swell into an egg, hatch as some mutant dragon-lady, get kidnapped and enslaved by a cult, squirreled away in a cave, taught by beings of legend, and now after trekking over a hundred miles to try and find a little oasis of normalcy I was being shot at by redneck mercs in power armor.
Meanwhile the Masstearsome Brothers, I think that's what they called themselves, were reeling after Kelly's initial attack and were holding their ground while the now helmetless member of their crew helped the one that Kelly had knocked to the ground to his feet. While all of this was happening, the man who I assumed was the leader of this not so merry band of mercenaries was trying his best to hit Kelly whose dodging was venturing into the absurd as everyone in the room (myself included) lay prone to avoid getting hit by stray shots.
While watching the festivities the portly guy that Kelly was chatting with earlier, grabbed my arm which for a moment caused me to recoil and try to kick the guy's ass as best I could, when he commented, "Quick- while their distracted, I need to get you to safety."
"Give my one reason that I shouldn't roast your ass!" I whispered trying to avoid attention from the other party-goers and the mercs while I lit a series of small fire on my finger-tips by striking a few stray sparks.
"Because Mister Personality asked the two of us here to keep an eye on you," the gentleman stated through his teeth. "What do I have to break out my jiuchidingpa for you to get it? I'm Zhu Bajie, Kelly is an identity that The Protector of the Horse created a few years ago using his hair-clone technique on Guanyin's request but all of that doesn't matter if you don't move your scaly backside to safety."
"No," I turned back to look at the guised Monkey King's fight with the armored mercenaries, growing angrier and angrier with each passing moment.
"Okay, now if you follow me we can... what the hell did you just say?!?" Zhu Bajie goggled at my sudden declaration, "What is the matter with you kid? This is no game and these yahoos were hired to ship you back west back into your cell deep in dungeons of the Merchants of Suffering's stronghold."
"I know perfectly well what this is about," I grit my teeth and glared at my enemy's chosen pawns, "but I am fed up with hiding and I am through having other people fight my battles for me; these jokers came to try and capture a dragon, well I'm going I'm going to show them that they just volunteered for more than could handle."
Throwing off Zhu Bajie's grasp I entered the stance of transformation once again, this time though it wasn't for a disguise. Sure, enough I felt myself slip into my normal abnormal self, as my sudden appearance both frightened those party goers who were already afraid for their lives.
One girl, near my feet looked up and pleaded, "Please- don't eat me!"
I just rolled my eyes, "Lady I was just here for the same reason you are, to have a little fun and feel like a human-being again- no there are only three people here that I want to hurt," I looked up to stare at my self-proclaimed abductors, "and something tells me that you won't care if I kick their sorry back-sides from here to the tip of Pike's Peak."
After looking at just where I was and coming to a realization over what I had just said she smiled with mischief in her eyes and proclaimed in a hushed tone, "Go kick their asses Dragon Lady!"
"Not so sure about the name," I remarked sure that I had a sour look on my draconian visage- before pulling Mudi from out of its hiding place and with was bound to be a wicked smile on my maw concluded, "but I'll still do my best to follow your request."
I felt a sting on my side; I looked down to see the flattened slug of an eight-millimeter round against my hide. Okay, these assholes thought that they had what it took to bring me in while they had the kid gloves on, unfortunately for them I wasn't some delicate Chinese flower that would wilt under their heated gazes- Monkey King or not I was going to kick some ass tonight.
With Mudi firmly clutched in my talons I crept along the floor, staying as low as I could while I approached Sun Wukong's skirmish with the armored mercenaries... what the they call themselves again- the Massharesome Brothers I was about sixty-percent sure that was what they said their name was- yeah, the Massharesome Brothers were just about to realize that their prey was out of their weight-class.
A better look showed that approaching the fight on ground-level was going to be a fool's errand, while my sturdy draconic-hide would probably keep me safe from most anything these armored knuckle-heads could throw at me the others around me would likely get turned into hamburger. No- I did not want that on my conscious or on my karma; they just came here to have a good time, not to get maimed and killed. That was when something Sha Wujing taught me came back to the forefront of my mind, 'never think of conflict as others would consider conventional, because then you dismiss the unconventional.'
Taking his words to heart I stayed low but looked up, sure enough the ceiling actually looked a bit on the sturdy side, made for sound ambience and thus not the usual drywall slabs that make up most ceilings, but would it hold my weight? Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained; I kept low as I made my way along the ground level making sure to keep my eye on the mercs to make sure they wouldn't spot me as they tried to do the impossible and kill Su Wukong. I only paused once as it left like my tail's tuft got caught on something, a brief tug freed it but it felt like I lost some hair in the process, oh well at least I kept quiet.
Eventually I made my way to a wall and then decided to try my gamble, after biting down on the handle of Mudi to keep it secure I began my trek first with my right claw then my left I tried to climb the wall, mildly damaging the veneer as I went. Thankfully the material of the wall itself was sturdy enough to hold, satisfied for the time being I made my climb up the wall now making use of my talons while I made my way towards the ceiling.
It was tough but I made it, then with a brief swing I made my way to surface of the ceiling as I began an upside-down crab walk. Looking down as I made my way along the ceiling I was glad that I was just afraid of the cold not heights, otherwise this would be terrifying in addition to mildly-disorienting. After what seemed like forever I found myself right above my chosen target, the bucket-head that Sun Wukong knocked to the ground; the leader was still unharmed while the one who lost his helmet was actually bright-enough to hang towards the back- just outside of the building and my possible strike zone.
"Oh well," I muttered after taking Mudi out of my mouth, "they came here to party too-" I dropped from the ceiling with a double-handed grip on my hammer, "- let's see how they slam dance!" I punctuated my sentence with Mudi hitting its make right on the merc's helmet.
The man fell, stumbling forwards as his helmet crumpled and his visor broke while I back-flipped between him and helmetless, who was looking at me in shock. "What's the matter?" I asked with an edge to my voice, "Did you honestly come looking to capture a dragon and not expect to get beaten and burned?"
That was when helmetless punched at me with his armored left-fist and sent some foul-smelled smoke flying at me. As I recoiled in shock I could hear him call out,
"The operation has gone side-ways, fall back and regroup!" I could hear hissing around me and before I knew it all three mercs were gone, they even had stopped to pick up the helmet Sun Wukong had knocked off the one who sprayed me.
The monkey king was surveying the scene as Zhu Bajie approached us, "I checked and everyone's fine but you know that the cops are going to be here soon, followed by the National Guard and maybe even Heaven's Thunder or Denver Gold. If we don't want to have some explaining to do I had suggest we make ourselves scarce.
"Might as well," I huffed as I looked around at the damages, "it's not like I couldn't pay for the repairs with a little time and effort but something tells me that those three are going to be back and a lot better armed- these folks have been through enough already."
"Wise words," Zhu Bajie remarked, "besides I'm starving, and dinner's on me."
"Don't you mean dinner's on Gautama Buddha you alter-cleaning glutton?" Sun Wukong remarked as she stowed her staff back behind her ear, "Being charitable with offerings to the Buddha is one thing but using them to fake generosity of another kind is definitely not kosher."
"Oh hardy- har-har," Zhu snorted at the monkey girl, whose now visible hand-feet further revealed the truth of her nature. "You're always a real comedian aren't you stable-boy?"
"At least I am stable," Sun remarked with a toothy grin before leading the way- hopefully to a decent hiding place where I could get some answers out of her.
Inside the Bloody Bastard
10:52 PM
"What the hell happened out there?!?" Bufford screamed at Lloyd now that he had finally pulled the broken helmet free from where Zhen-yu's hammer had lodged it in his armor. "No way was that dragon chick was some timid slave, and who the hell was that monkey bitch! Damn'it Lloyd you're supposed to be our egg-head where were your brains going into this crap shot? Oh, let me guess shoved right up that smug asshole of yours!"
"Shut it Bufford!" Lloyd shot back without looking up from the equipment he was tinkering with, "I worked with the intel I was given, if you want to yell at someone yell at our fine leader. I had a feeling there was something off about the info we were given, it had to be either spotty or off, by the shape that you're in I'd wager it was off."
"You know exactly who we're working for Lloyd," Rod finished removing his worn armor and went on to the artillery locker, "Those finger waggling chinks are a cult, that dragon bitch they want back was probably kidnaped in the first place and looks like we might have run into whoever helped her escape- those chinks in San Fran may be a lot of things but pushovers ain't one of them."
"If that bitch escaped then why'd we find her only two-states West of San Fran?" Bufford demanded as he threw his broken helmet on the floor, "They lost her months ago, why's she in Colorado and not on the East Coast?!?"
"Because she escaped the Grand Hall you idiot," Rod snapped at his alcoholic half-wit of a cousin, "she may not know it but whoever got her out had to have had at least a little info on the Grand Hall, if she crossed over the border to Kansas or Oklahoma then she'd be in Scratch's territory and that bitch has eyes and ears all over the middle part of the country! As for the east coast if she hit the Atlantic then she'd really be in for it, every warlock in New York would be after her like a staving dog on a ribeye, not to mention that group of psychos in Boston. Plus staying here meant that the chinks wouldn't come after her directly if they were smart, that would mean that they'd have had to pass Nevada and those folks at the Vegas House wouldn't like that one bit- not to mention that they'd risk Heaven's Thunder, who'll likely be here soon because of the noise we made for nothing."
"The ship's camoed and it weren't for nothing," Lloyd shot back, "now we have a lot better intel then we did going in and thanks to my quick thinking we'll find her a lot faster."
"Do tell brainiac," Rod looked up from the gun lockers, "what's your plan for take two?"
"Yeah and why did you blow some useless smoke in her face," Bufford interrupted, "if you were going to use something on her why not a flamethrower?"
"Bufford what use would a f*cking flamethrower be on a dragon?" Lloyd looked and asked as he paused from his work to rub his temples over his cousin's considerable stupidity.
"Don't bother Lloyd," Rod huffed as he kept pouring over their arsenal for options on take-two, "he won't get it and you know it!"
"What I sprayed her with was a mixture of animal repellant and a radio-isotope marker," Lloyd explained as he ignored Bufford's stupid question, "even if she finds a way to hide from my heat scanner my isotopic tracker won't just lead us to her- she can't shake it, no matter where she goes we'll find her- even if she hides this will let us track her down like a blood hound does a treed coon until it wears off!"
"Good Lloyd," Rod remarked with an air of smug satisfaction, "you do that while I check the merc boards for some clue on the monkey bitch who was with the dragon lady, I hate going in blind twice in a row!"
John F. Reed Library
10:56 PM
Ingrid Olson wandered around the library satisfied that she had successfully slipped away from the scene before police and emergency crews had arrived. Ingrid knew that she had to hand it to her brother, he had chosen somewhere inconspicuous to rendezvous given that at a college, students come go from a library at all hours of the day, who was going to look twice at a couple of kids here.
Sure, enough after a few minutes of searching she found him in a private study room along the wall that was little more than a closet with a desk, making use of his laptop and the Ethernet port along the wall. As the door was open she took that as an invitation and entered closing the door behind them, "I hope this room is well ventilated because if some prune walks by and the window on the door is fogged up I don't think I'll ever live it down."
"Chill sis," Tobias replied as he pointed up to the metal vent in the ceiling, "this room's ventilated...barely. The real question is just what the hell happened out there? I lost contact with you a while ago and I've just been hearing sirens and radio-chatter- something about a mutant attack; don't tell me that you decided to fight our target, and you say that I'm being reckless."
"It wasn't me!" Ingrid replied in a hushed tone, "I had our target narrowed down to three possible girls when three muscle-heads in Syndicate power-armor blew out a wall and started shooting. Everything went side-ways from then on, some girl with a monkey tail started wailing on the meat-heads then our target revealed herself- scaled the walls and nailed one of those power-armor jockeys before they decided to make tracks. Soon after our target, the monkey girl and some heavy-set guy from the party left too- I was lucky enough to get out of there without being shot or rounded up by the police."
"I doubt that they were Syndicate, the Merchants of Suffering might do business with the Syndicate but not enough for Dominus to justify letting them use a Tiger Squad." Tobias mused for a moment, "They were probably former Syndicate who took the gear as severance pay- and with how much money the Merchants are offering it was bound to attract at least one group like that."
"At least I was able acquire what you sent me in there for," Ingrid stated as she fished a tuft of thick rust-colored hair from her pocket, "let me guess, we're going to purform an old fashioned thaumaturgical tracking spell?"
"Eventually dear sister," Tobias looked at the hair and smiled, "first we need to make a phone call, because if I'm right about that monkey girl and the over-weight guy then something tells me that this job is way outside our weight class. I guess that it's a good thing that we're thinking outside the box on this one."
"I hope that you are sure this Tobi," Ingrid clinched her teeth in concern, "because this is a very dangerous game you decided to play here- and if it blows up in our faces then something tells me that we're going to wind up worse off than dad did."
Valle De Merced Apartments
10:59 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Now once more in the same form that I wore at the party- something that was as necessary to avoid suspicion as Sun Wukong hiding his tail, or is that her tail- one thing was for certain advanced shape-shifting made picking the right pronoun a nightmare. Come to think of it who in their right mind would use it to cross the gender gap, for some reason I had a stray thought of me using my own growing shape-shifting talents to try being as a guy. As soon as I realized just what I was thinking I promptly took that stray thought marched it at gunpoint somewhere isolated and shot it for good measure, I had enough odd and disturbing experiences rattling around in my memories, I didn't need the temptation to try and experience the other side of the gender divide to add to the oddness.
"Alright," Sun Wukong stated as she shut the door, "we should be fine, fortunately I was able to swing a single- a few centuries of squirreling away money here or there was enough to afford this among a few other things."
"And you were the one of us who became a Buddha," Zhu commented as he began rummaging around in the fridge, "this is hardly a vow of poverty."
"Hello, I'm the Buddha of youthful vitality, so I sew a few copies of myself here or there to experience living as a youth in various aspects." The Monkey King confessed, "A teenager here, a child there, and here a college student. To tell the truth the only reason I chose this college was because Guanyin suggested that if I did I would be in the right place to help when something major occurred."
"Yeah right," Zhu snorted as he removed a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon from the fridge, "that's your excuse whenever I find you somewhere weird; it was all at Guanyin's request- honestly if I had a yuan every time I heard that I could buy a private island in the Pacific."
"Whether or not you believe it you lazy porker is up to you," Son stated as 'she' parked it, "I just hope that my cover with the school wasn't completely blown, I put a good deal of effort into Kelly Windkloppel so I would rather her story doesn't end tonight."
"So, you're saying that you've been here waiting for me because Guanyin, the Lady of Mercy, asked you to?" I inquired finally wanting to get to the bottom of just what was going on tonight. "I mean I've heard that I'm something called the Northern Maiden, and that the others are a genie, a mermaid and a fairy, but that's it- nothing about what that means or what we're supposed to do just that I am. Why won't anybody give me a straight answer about this, not even Kelsey would tell me about this and she's supposed to be some neigh all-knowing mystic heavyweight."
"Who's this Kelsey she's talking about?" Zhu Bajie inquired after downing half the beer, "And do you have any descent booze around here, American beer barely does anything."
"Those are mostly for guests," Sun responded, "I'm only a social drinker, besides "A little alcohol is not wrong when seeking to quiet the ego," also I rarely indulge and choose to down a bottle, quality over quantity after all. Besides I would think that you would have access to all the booze you wanted, people do donate offerings of alcohol to temples- right heavenly alter cleaner?"
"Yeah but not any of the good stuff," Zhu huffed, "I've had enough rot-gut donated over the years that I can smell the cheap stuff though the glass. I mostly use that nasty stuff as lamp fuel, I mean most of that stuff can be nasty on the tract."
"TMI pig man-" I wretched at the mental image that description conjured shortly before transforming back into my normal form, "-TMI, a lady does not need to know these things!"
"As for your earlier question Zhu- Kelsey is the current Wayfarer," Sun replied as she parked it on the sleeper sofa in the living area. "And for you oh Maiden of the North you're going to find that one out later tonight, I don't know the specifics but someone arranged for you and the other three to be able to gather in some way no matter where you lot are and the first time that you four are supposed to find out about your prophesized destiny. All any of the groups I move in will admit about the prophecy either are keeping quiet on the details or are aware of is bits and pieces- well Lord Khamsim and Valkyrian may no more than any of us but that would only be because they were probably there to hear the original prophecy when it was first spoken tens of thousands of years ago."
"All that I know is that the four of you are supposed to help bridge the gap between humanity and what became of each of the courts," Sun shrugged, "what exactly that implies and how that explains your destiny- well... honestly... I don't have a clue. Oh well, whatever it is at least you're going to have help achieving it, trust me going it alone might seem like a good idea but there are consequences to doing it."
"You're just saying that because when you split from us you got your ass handed to you by Hai-er Hong and needed Guanyin to bail you out- again!" Zhu laughed as he went back to rummaging through Sun's fridge. "And to think of the three of us you were supposed to be the big bad ass, and you got your tail handed to you by a kid. Come to think of it you had a ton of trouble with his mother Princess Tie Shan too- not to mention how his dad King Niu Mo fooled you into thinking he was me."
"This from the man who has the head of a pig for eternity for making drunken pass at Chang'e," Sun retorted with a wry smile on her face after a brief flash from her fridge transformed Zhu Bajie back into his true form, "not to mention fell into every trap that involved a pretty face along our journey- a journey that would have gone much faster if you hadn't insisted to Master Xuanzang that we take the full hospitality of the locals almost every time that we entered the next province."
"Come on Sun," Zhu groaned, "you couldn't let me be mildly suave around a lady for once- dragon or not. Plus, those accommodations were a lot safer than roughing it out in the wild and you know it!"
"What I know is that you insisted on indulging on your trinity of vices broadcasted our presence to every demon and brigand in the provinces and caused a good deal of our problems to begin with!"
"Pardon me," I spoke up trying to get the pair's attention- as well as breaking up one of their infamous arguments, "but aren't we one-member shy of your famous trio. I would have thought that Sha Wujing would have been here waiting for us."
"Hey why bring up that boring stiff when you can hang out with yours truly?" Zhu commented as he tried to puff up his chest but given his pot-belly failed miserably.
"Well for one thing I've known him for a lot longer than I have either of you two," I huffed as a puff of steam escaped my nose (something that now tends to happen when I get a little hot under the collar. "There is also the fact that he is my Xiansheng and was probably the one who called the both of you about me in the first place, so color me worried that he isn't here yet especially given that those three armored mercs where likely just the first ones here after me. Trust me with all the money that I made the Zhaoshang de Youhuan they were bound to put a bounty for my return, who knows how many knuckle-heads there are out here, hell I wouldn't be shocked if a few of the Merchants were here themselves just so that they didn't have to pay anybody; I mean that would fit those who literally worship greed- right?"
Oxbow Park and Preserve
11:07 PM
"Who would have thought that the first group of muscle-brained buffoons to arrive would actually manage to flush her out?" Au Jai-guo mused from his chair as a blank-eyed servant girl poured him another cup of whole-leaf Darjeeling oolong. "If Xiyi is not more careful we might have to sully our blades with their blood when it comes time to reward them."
"I appreciate that you find this situation humorous Yaoshi Daishi," Kao Tak-keung observed as he uselessly swatted at a fly which had been pestering him for the better part of an hour, "because we are not supposed to even be here- if the Xue-jin Mushi finds out that we defied his edict he would place a price on our heads."
"Wong Kuan is new to his throne and is still wearing the robes of the one who came before him," Au remarked to his subordinate, "he rose from being one of my Jiemao de Yonghu too fast. In fact, I would not be surprised if he bribed the Bone Reader to name him over someone more qualified, as Yao Xiyi's primary keeper he was bound to have pocketed a small fortune in gemstones meant for our coffers."
"Whether that is true or not is irrelevant- he is the Xue-jin Mushi until Lord Huangjin Jian-xue decides that he is worthless." Kao retorted, "You know as well as I that the life of the Xue-jin Mushi is governed by Lord Huangjin Jian-xue's whims, should Wong Kuan displease him he will wind up just like his predecessors- as another hundred-pound bag of gold dust in our coffers and a pile of bones for our diviner to read for the name of his replacement."
"True- however Wong Kuan has yet to fully cement his favor with Lord Huangjin Jian-xue, should another from within our ranks through actions and guile gains our Lord's favor before the Xue-jin Mushi it will make for a very short reign." Au remarked as he turned to regard the semi-trailer that was finally arriving from the San Francisco Chapter House's storage pens at the Blythe Annex.
While it was true that Yao Xiyi for all her benefit was potentially dangerous while they had her captive, both her lack of a true name (which the previous Xue-jin Mushi had stripped her of until his death) as well as her human origin made her somewhat controllable. Still the Merchants of Suffering had many assets that were not so easily managed- and the last thing that they wanted to do was keep them within their stronghold inside of an area as earthquake prone as San Francisco.
The problem though was just about all of California was an Earthquake risk, but some areas were more seismically stable than others; this was what lead to the creation of the Blythe Annex back during the Sixties and kept all but their most precious creatures there; the Blythe Annex was also directly under the purview of the Yaoshi Daishi baring the rare inspections by the Xue-jin Mushi or his proxies.
"The only reason that I am here is that you are my immediate superior," Kao Tak-keung remarked as he glared at Au Jai-guo, "besides you know the way of our order."
"Yes, if I succeed you ride my coat-tails if I fail you reap the rewards of my folly," Au chuckled, "I know I have done the same myself many times over the years, besides if your reasons were not self-serving then I would have no reason to have you here with me. Still I am not foolish enough to leave myself open for back-stabbing should you wish to tip your hand with sabotage."
"That is why I am here," a man dressed in a Taoist gown explained as he climbed out of the passenger side of the semi's cab.
"Wait a moment," Kao was taken aback at the sight of the newest member of their gathering, "why is Pao Shu-yen here? Why could you possibly have need of a daoshi?"
Chewing over the matter briefly Kao's eyes widened in terror as the reason came to him, "You are going to use those things to hunt down Yao Xiyi, are you insane?!?"
"Thanks to that western witch we lack anything physical enough to perform a proper dousing ritual, and using a luopan can only get us so far in such a mountainous region," Au stated as the truck's driver went with Pao to the back of the truck as the later held dozens of fuli strips at the ready knowing that he would soon need every one of them.
Kao could all but feel his heart beating with terror as Pao held the fuli in front of him and began to quietly chant, the truck driver stood ready to open the door to the trailer the moment the daoshi finished and not a moment sooner. Sure, enough the moment Pao finished chanting the driver through open the door and jumped back as the inscribed rice paper talismans flew from Pao's hand and into the interior of the trailer with great haste and precision.
Kao held his breath out of fear that the occupants of the trailer may have not been properly tamed, and as such holding his breath was the only option that he had to stay alive should the daoshi's spell-casting fail. He remembered the old stories that his grandmother told him, they could not see as their eyes had been closed however they could still smell, and as they felt no pain despite their awkward movements they were dangerous if they got within arm's reach.
"Come forward my servants," Pao called out after he sealed the spell of command- however that would only work on those who had been properly tagged by his fuli, "your master commands it!"
Kao's heart skipped a beat as the entire trailer lurched, as if one giant mass moved inside the container, then it lurched again and again and again until the occupants began to emerge from the depths of the trailer and out onto the road under the cool Colorado air. Sure, enough Kao's earlier suspicions proved correct as dozens of Jiangshi, known in the west as hopping Chinese vampires, bounded in rows of three out of the trailer and onto the tarmac. Thankfully all the ashen gray reanimated cadavers had a fuli properly affixed to their foreheads, which meant that at least for the time being he was safe from the undead horde as they were under Pao's control.
As they began to file out Kao began to tally the rigormortis bound corpses in an effort to calm himself down, the exercise probed useless once he realized that Au had ordered thirty-nine of the monsters shipped from the annex that they were all under control was a great testament to Pao's skills as a daoshi, because otherwise they would have stood little chance as the Jiangshi pilled on them and drained their qi dry.
"I hope you know what you are doing Au," Kao turned to regard his superior, "bringing just a handful of those monsters here is one thing but over three-dozen- it is borderline madness."
"We need to track down Yao Xiyi before any of the mercenaries lured in by the reward do," Au responded with a smug expression across his face, "while the Wayfarer's intrusion destroyed any physical samples that we had of our property we still have her work."
Au then produced a bag full of sapphires, all of them imperfect and ill-suited for any real purposes other than for supplying chips for jewelry, "But anything created by the hands of one carries a hint of their qi within it, and few things exist that can hunt down a source of qi better than Jiangshi; they will find Xiyi before daybreak."
"Hey boss," the driver called out to get Kao and Au's attention, "do you want us to open the three cages in the back of the trailer?"
"No, leave them for now," Au explained as he walked over to where the Jiangshi stood as patient as the corpses that they were, "those are for later if we need them- we don't need to open them now and risk them testing the lengths of their leashes before the Jiangshi have tracked down their quarry."
Confidently the Keeper of Keys took the opened bag of gemstones and circled the Jiangshi.
"Breath deep of the refined and concentrated qi whose vessel is not here my servants," Pao spoke up as Au rounded the pack of undead slaves, "this is your prey- you must find and subdue the source of this qi but not consume her completely- this I command!"
With his terror over the Jiangshi fading, Kao's curiosity drew him into the semi-trailer to inspect the three cages still in the back, followed by the fly which despite the presence of magically reanimated corpses continued to harass him and no one else.
Once inside Kao experienced new kinds of terror, once he saw what was inside two of those three cages Kao no longer questioned Au Jai-guo's sanity- now he was certain that the man's jealousy of the current Xue-jin Mushi had caused him to take leave of his senses. What mystified Kao the most was the third cage, for unlike the other two its occupant appeared to be nothing more than a young man of Chinese origin in traditional garb. What was there about the young man other than the spear next to him could warrant his inclusion alongside the two deadly occupants of the other cages? Although the young man's glare was...unsettling as it was the glare was none-the-less expected as the man was a prisoner of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan enslaved to serve their whims.
Still the fly must have seen something that Kao Tak-keung did not as it finally left for greener pastures- or maybe something that the wildlife left behind in those pastures. None-the-less Kao was thankful because right now he was determined to find somewhere safe to wait this out- like a bunker mad of reinforced concrete because he knew that should those cages have opened that despite Au's confidence in the matter their chances of survival were slim should they slip their leashes.
Valle De Merced Apartments
11:41 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I was in the middle of channel surfing pausing briefly as another live report aired from Boston, whatever happened there tonight appeared to have made tonight's brief skirmish pale in comparison, with fires, explosions, and actual zombie attacks it made the whole thing look like less of a news report and more like a trailer from a horror-style disaster movie like that book I heard about back in homeroom- what was it called... oh yeah World War Z. Maybe I should ask Kelsey to pick that up for me when I get back to the cave- come to think of it why weren't we headed back now; I'm certain that with Sun Wukong's cloud hopping skills that the three of us would be back there in no time, after all this is the warrior who traveled to the end of the universe on the bet that he could escape Buddha's grasp.
"Pardon me you two but shouldn't I be heading back to the cave," I broke the silence of the pair, "I mean the entire reason that I left was to go to my first party in months and unwind but the party's over so there's no reason to stick around here."
"Not until we take care of those mercenaries," Zhu Bajie remarked as he opened up another beer, "from what I heard what makes that cave special is that it is hard to find your way into it. But that just deters the casual observer; we need to find some way to get you back there without them having some way of tracking you there. Remember no matter how sturdy the fortress they all fall if you have enough firepower and if they follow you there is nothing to stop them from blasting or tunneling their way into the mountain to come after you."
"Yeah, besides you need to keep that cave secret until after you get your training done with the Handmaiden of the Tao." Sun Wukong explained as she got back to cooking in the kitchen. "Trust me you'll need that training, otherwise your skills will plateau way too soon and you'll never reach your true potential."
"Yeah but what is so special about the Handmaiden of the Tao?" I asked before mental slapping myself and elaborating, "I mean besides the obvious, is what I'm meant to do so important to the cosmic balance of reality that it warrants her training me personally?"
"It's because her office owes a life debt to your lineage," Sun Wukong began to explain, "you see the urn full of ashes that fell on you as well as the blade that serves as the symbol of the Handmaiden's office share the same origin- both were once a part of the fucanglong Qianbei Zunyan, your ancestor."
"Shut the front door, you mean that the thing the ashes that damned rat knocked on me was in my family tree?!?" I all but recoiled at that revelation, "How does that even work?"
"You're fifteen years old Zhen-yu if your parents haven't had that talk with you by now then you've certainly picked up on the mechanics by now on your own." Sun Wukong replied with a deadpan delivery, "That urn is one of dozens that were made from Zunyan's bones after he died and contained his own ashes, other than those urns only two other pieces of him were left behind his dragon pearl and his heart."
"Wait- I thought that you said he was a fucanglong, I know from the teachings that only tianlong have pearls why would Zunyan have one?" I inquired desperate to find answers to the whole matter.
"It's a long story," Sun took a stray hair from her head and with a gentle breath created a copy of herself before she returned to cooking.
The copy sat down in the living room while Sun Wukong continued her work in the kitchen, "Well as the real me was saying, it's a long story-"
Before she could continue a fly buzzed into the window and before transforming into a form that I knew quite well, "Master Sha Wujing, your friends were worried about you- I know that I shouldn't have snuck out of the cave but I was getting stir-crazy."
"You were a guest of the Wayfarer Lady Zhen-yu not a prisoner, you were free to leave as soon as you decided that you were ready." Sha explained although I could tell that something had him rattled, "That is not the reason why I am harried though, the mercenaries that you fought are not alone; a faction of the Merchants of Suffering themselves is here with a force intent on capturing you personally."
"So- I mean between the four of us we could take them if they actually find us here," I confessed hoping to put my teacher's mind at ease. "Besides they can't use tracking spells to find me- Kelsey destroyed all of the samples that she took when she sprung me from that hole in the ground."
"They still had the gemstones that you made while you were their prisoner, and those carried the scent of your qi upon them." Sha Wujing explained as he centered himself, "They used those to find out that you were in the area, and in addition to the mercenaries that you fought earlier, the faction present brought a great many Jiangshi with them to make use of that qi to seek you out- and a Jiangshi can detect your qi from even your breath thanks to those gemstones, they will find us even through these wards."
"So, what," Zhu snorted as he finished his latest beer, "we can lay those hoppers down for a dirt nap no problem."
"If it was only the Jiangshi then I would not be worried," Sha continued his explanation, "the Merchants of Suffering also brought along three more prisoners to fight their battle for them. A kuro-oni..."
"That couldn't have been easy for them get a hold of," Sun's copy interrupted, "those lugs are so brutal that Enma-Daioh keeps them all in the deeper Hells."
"an asura..."
"Those guys are still around," Zhu dropped his beer bottle which thankfully landed on the rug and didn't break, "I thought the devas took them all out during their war!"
"And our old friend Hai-er Hong," Sha Wujing finished as he locked eyes with Sun Wukong's real self in the kitchen.
"Sorry Zhen-yu," Sun Wukong said as she stared at her work, "it looks like the person that Guanyin sent me here to save wasn't you after all, it was her errant disciple. I know that I have no right to ask you this, but can I count on your help to rescue my sworn brother's son?"
"Let me get this straight," I paused to take it all in, "you are asking me to go out and risk myself going after the bastards who kidnapped me- threatened my friends and family- enslaved me- and routinely beat me all to rescue someone who kicked your ass while throwing myself in the line of fire of two monsters who are just as dangerous both of whom would try and kill me if freed."
"So, you won't do it," Sun Wukong observed disappointed in my reasoning.
"Of course, I want to do it," I retorted while a sadistic smile crossed my face, "I get to put the hurt on the bastards who made my life a living hell and liberate someone else all the while fighting alongside Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing- how could I say no. Hell, this is going to be something that I plan on bragging about later when I meet the other three maidens- no way they'll have a story anywhere near this interesting to tell."
"You may be surprised on that front kid," Sun Wukong commented as she cancelled out her copy, "but you wanted to party- please join the three of us for some slam-dancing."
The Bloody Bastard
11:54 PM
Within the bowels of their stolen Syndicate jump ship Lloyd looked up from his work bench as he finished soldering the final circuits on a board next to two similar panels. "Alright, this should do it!" The mechanic of the three-man team explained as he walked over to a heavier set of armor compared to the suits that they had used during their failed attempt nearly two hours ago and swapped out the current panel for one of the modified ones.
"This should give the shields in our rumble suits a minor kinetic absorption capacity without compromising the inherent heat resistance." Lloyd explained to Rod without bothering to explain it to Bufford.
"Good-," Rod replied as he got dressed in the now modified suit, "let's go out and nab us a lizard bitch and ain't any monkey girl or mumbo-jumbo go'in ta stand between the Masterson Brothers and our payday!"
"Good, lets fry us some critters!" Bufford shot from his seat as he went for the incendiary rocket launchers.
"Capture gear only Bufford," Rod glared down at his cousin, "that cult of rice-munchers wants the lizard bitch alive- we fry her then we get nothing but the price of repairs and ammo coming out of your beer money."
"You never let me have fun Rod!" Bufford grumped as he backed away from the nastier toys in their arsenal.
Room 205 - Days Inn Durango
11:55 PM
Within their cheap motel room Ingrid and Tobias Olson awaited the arrival of their intended employers, Ingrid with trepidation and Tobias with anticipation whether or not this would work was still up for debate. But the answer to that debate would be arriving soon.
"Are you sure that they'll go along with this bro-" Ingrid observed nervously as she watched the clock, "our family doesn't exactly have the best relationship with these people."
"That was through our dad sis, they have nothing against us personally; besides the Merchants of Suffering are their enemy." Tobias explained to his nervous sister, "You know the old saying, "The enemy of my enemy..."
"...is my enemy's enemy- no more no less." Ingrid stated as she heard heavy foot steeps outside, "Not that this matters- your guests are here, we will just have to play it by ear from here on out."
A knock on the room's door confirmed her suspicion...time was up- they were now here. Tobias went over and after checking through the peep-hole to confirm the knocker's identity opened the door to find a cadaverous individual on the other side wearing a decidedly out of date suit and top hat both of which had seen better days.
"Greet'ens young man," the undead individual cheerfully related as he looked at Tobias through lid-less eyes, "I ahm Papa 'ouma, ahn Ace wit' Shuffle's Sweepaas; I ahm 'ere because you said tha' you might 'ave a job tha' interests mah boss- Erzebet Scratch. I 'ope t'is was wort' t'e trip because I was never a real fan of cold weadar."
"Believe me Papa Houma sir," Tobias responded as he began his sales pitch, "your boss would kick herself if she had this opportunity slip through her fingers."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 23
Animas Hall - Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado
10:28 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Alright- the stuff had officially hit the fan, I just wanted one night to feel normal- one night to feel like Zhen-yu Chen a budding club-hopper from Seattle again not Zhen-yu Chen half-dragon Maiden of Destiny- is that too much to ask- is that being too selfish? Instead what did I have to show for it after leaving that cave I found that I was invited to a party by a local college student who I met at a thrift store, only to have it be attacked by a trio of rednecks in power armor, and the girl who invited me sprouted a tail and start wailing on them. Yeah, I was now about eighty percent sure Kelsey is Sun Wukong (the Monkey King and former traveling companion to my teacher Sha Wujing), not that I was too shocked transformation was part of his wide repertoire of skills- even in the stories.
But all of this didn't change the fact that we were getting shot at by freaking rednecks in power armor- it's official I must have spent every waking moment punching babies or drowning puppies or something in my last life because that would be the only explanation for the butt load of crazy that's landed in my lap within the last year. I mean I get bitten by a rat, break a millennia old vase, swell into an egg, hatch as some mutant dragon-lady, get kidnapped and enslaved by a cult, squirreled away in a cave, taught by beings of legend, and now after trekking over a hundred miles to try and find a little oasis of normalcy I was being shot at by redneck mercs in power armor.
Meanwhile the Masstearsome Brothers, I think that's what they called themselves, were reeling after Kelly's initial attack and were holding their ground while the now helmetless member of their crew helped the one that Kelly had knocked to the ground to his feet. While all of this was happening, the man who I assumed was the leader of this not so merry band of mercenaries was trying his best to hit Kelly whose dodging was venturing into the absurd as everyone in the room (myself included) lay prone to avoid getting hit by stray shots.
While watching the festivities the portly guy that Kelly was chatting with earlier, grabbed my arm which for a moment caused me to recoil and try to kick the guy's ass as best I could, when he commented, "Quick- while their distracted, I need to get you to safety."
"Give my one reason that I shouldn't roast your ass!" I whispered trying to avoid attention from the other party-goers and the mercs while I lit a series of small fire on my finger-tips by striking a few stray sparks.
"Because Mister Personality asked the two of us here to keep an eye on you," the gentleman stated through his teeth. "What do I have to break out my jiuchidingpa for you to get it? I'm Zhu Bajie, Kelly is an identity that The Protector of the Horse created a few years ago using his hair-clone technique on Guanyin's request but all of that doesn't matter if you don't move your scaly backside to safety."
"No," I turned back to look at the guised Monkey King's fight with the armored mercenaries, growing angrier and angrier with each passing moment.
"Okay, now if you follow me we can... what the hell did you just say?!?" Zhu Bajie goggled at my sudden declaration, "What is the matter with you kid? This is no game and these yahoos were hired to ship you back west back into your cell deep in dungeons of the Merchants of Suffering's stronghold."
"I know perfectly well what this is about," I grit my teeth and glared at my enemy's chosen pawns, "but I am fed up with hiding and I am through having other people fight my battles for me; these jokers came to try and capture a dragon, well I'm going I'm going to show them that they just volunteered for more than could handle."
Throwing off Zhu Bajie's grasp I entered the stance of transformation once again, this time though it wasn't for a disguise. Sure, enough I felt myself slip into my normal abnormal self, as my sudden appearance both frightened those party goers who were already afraid for their lives.
One girl, near my feet looked up and pleaded, "Please- don't eat me!"
I just rolled my eyes, "Lady I was just here for the same reason you are, to have a little fun and feel like a human-being again- no there are only three people here that I want to hurt," I looked up to stare at my self-proclaimed abductors, "and something tells me that you won't care if I kick their sorry back-sides from here to the tip of Pike's Peak."
After looking at just where I was and coming to a realization over what I had just said she smiled with mischief in her eyes and proclaimed in a hushed tone, "Go kick their asses Dragon Lady!"
"Not so sure about the name," I remarked sure that I had a sour look on my draconian visage- before pulling Mudi from out of its hiding place and with was bound to be a wicked smile on my maw concluded, "but I'll still do my best to follow your request."
I felt a sting on my side; I looked down to see the flattened slug of an eight-millimeter round against my hide. Okay, these assholes thought that they had what it took to bring me in while they had the kid gloves on, unfortunately for them I wasn't some delicate Chinese flower that would wilt under their heated gazes- Monkey King or not I was going to kick some ass tonight.
With Mudi firmly clutched in my talons I crept along the floor, staying as low as I could while I approached Sun Wukong's skirmish with the armored mercenaries... what the they call themselves again- the Massharesome Brothers I was about sixty-percent sure that was what they said their name was- yeah, the Massharesome Brothers were just about to realize that their prey was out of their weight-class.
A better look showed that approaching the fight on ground-level was going to be a fool's errand, while my sturdy draconic-hide would probably keep me safe from most anything these armored knuckle-heads could throw at me the others around me would likely get turned into hamburger. No- I did not want that on my conscious or on my karma; they just came here to have a good time, not to get maimed and killed. That was when something Sha Wujing taught me came back to the forefront of my mind, 'never think of conflict as others would consider conventional, because then you dismiss the unconventional.'
Taking his words to heart I stayed low but looked up, sure enough the ceiling actually looked a bit on the sturdy side, made for sound ambience and thus not the usual drywall slabs that make up most ceilings, but would it hold my weight? Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained; I kept low as I made my way along the ground level making sure to keep my eye on the mercs to make sure they wouldn't spot me as they tried to do the impossible and kill Su Wukong. I only paused once as it left like my tail's tuft got caught on something, a brief tug freed it but it felt like I lost some hair in the process, oh well at least I kept quiet.
Eventually I made my way to a wall and then decided to try my gamble, after biting down on the handle of Mudi to keep it secure I began my trek first with my right claw then my left I tried to climb the wall, mildly damaging the veneer as I went. Thankfully the material of the wall itself was sturdy enough to hold, satisfied for the time being I made my climb up the wall now making use of my talons while I made my way towards the ceiling.
It was tough but I made it, then with a brief swing I made my way to surface of the ceiling as I began an upside-down crab walk. Looking down as I made my way along the ceiling I was glad that I was just afraid of the cold not heights, otherwise this would be terrifying in addition to mildly-disorienting. After what seemed like forever I found myself right above my chosen target, the bucket-head that Sun Wukong knocked to the ground; the leader was still unharmed while the one who lost his helmet was actually bright-enough to hang towards the back- just outside of the building and my possible strike zone.
"Oh well," I muttered after taking Mudi out of my mouth, "they came here to party too-" I dropped from the ceiling with a double-handed grip on my hammer, "- let's see how they slam dance!" I punctuated my sentence with Mudi hitting its make right on the merc's helmet.
The man fell, stumbling forwards as his helmet crumpled and his visor broke while I back-flipped between him and helmetless, who was looking at me in shock. "What's the matter?" I asked with an edge to my voice, "Did you honestly come looking to capture a dragon and not expect to get beaten and burned?"
That was when helmetless punched at me with his armored left-fist and sent some foul-smelled smoke flying at me. As I recoiled in shock I could hear him call out,
"The operation has gone side-ways, fall back and regroup!" I could hear hissing around me and before I knew it all three mercs were gone, they even had stopped to pick up the helmet Sun Wukong had knocked off the one who sprayed me.
The monkey king was surveying the scene as Zhu Bajie approached us, "I checked and everyone's fine but you know that the cops are going to be here soon, followed by the National Guard and maybe even Heaven's Thunder or Denver Gold. If we don't want to have some explaining to do I had suggest we make ourselves scarce.
"Might as well," I huffed as I looked around at the damages, "it's not like I couldn't pay for the repairs with a little time and effort but something tells me that those three are going to be back and a lot better armed- these folks have been through enough already."
"Wise words," Zhu Bajie remarked, "besides I'm starving, and dinner's on me."
"Don't you mean dinner's on Gautama Buddha you alter-cleaning glutton?" Sun Wukong remarked as she stowed her staff back behind her ear, "Being charitable with offerings to the Buddha is one thing but using them to fake generosity of another kind is definitely not kosher."
"Oh hardy- har-har," Zhu snorted at the monkey girl, whose now visible hand-feet further revealed the truth of her nature. "You're always a real comedian aren't you stable-boy?"
"At least I am stable," Sun remarked with a toothy grin before leading the way- hopefully to a decent hiding place where I could get some answers out of her.
Inside the Bloody Bastard
10:52 PM
"What the hell happened out there?!?" Bufford screamed at Lloyd now that he had finally pulled the broken helmet free from where Zhen-yu's hammer had lodged it in his armor. "No way was that dragon chick was some timid slave, and who the hell was that monkey bitch! Damn'it Lloyd you're supposed to be our egg-head where were your brains going into this crap shot? Oh, let me guess shoved right up that smug asshole of yours!"
"Shut it Bufford!" Lloyd shot back without looking up from the equipment he was tinkering with, "I worked with the intel I was given, if you want to yell at someone yell at our fine leader. I had a feeling there was something off about the info we were given, it had to be either spotty or off, by the shape that you're in I'd wager it was off."
"You know exactly who we're working for Lloyd," Rod finished removing his worn armor and went on to the artillery locker, "Those finger waggling chinks are a cult, that dragon bitch they want back was probably kidnaped in the first place and looks like we might have run into whoever helped her escape- those chinks in San Fran may be a lot of things but pushovers ain't one of them."
"If that bitch escaped then why'd we find her only two-states West of San Fran?" Bufford demanded as he threw his broken helmet on the floor, "They lost her months ago, why's she in Colorado and not on the East Coast?!?"
"Because she escaped the Grand Hall you idiot," Rod snapped at his alcoholic half-wit of a cousin, "she may not know it but whoever got her out had to have had at least a little info on the Grand Hall, if she crossed over the border to Kansas or Oklahoma then she'd be in Scratch's territory and that bitch has eyes and ears all over the middle part of the country! As for the east coast if she hit the Atlantic then she'd really be in for it, every warlock in New York would be after her like a staving dog on a ribeye, not to mention that group of psychos in Boston. Plus staying here meant that the chinks wouldn't come after her directly if they were smart, that would mean that they'd have had to pass Nevada and those folks at the Vegas House wouldn't like that one bit- not to mention that they'd risk Heaven's Thunder, who'll likely be here soon because of the noise we made for nothing."
"The ship's camoed and it weren't for nothing," Lloyd shot back, "now we have a lot better intel then we did going in and thanks to my quick thinking we'll find her a lot faster."
"Do tell brainiac," Rod looked up from the gun lockers, "what's your plan for take two?"
"Yeah and why did you blow some useless smoke in her face," Bufford interrupted, "if you were going to use something on her why not a flamethrower?"
"Bufford what use would a f*cking flamethrower be on a dragon?" Lloyd looked and asked as he paused from his work to rub his temples over his cousin's considerable stupidity.
"Don't bother Lloyd," Rod huffed as he kept pouring over their arsenal for options on take-two, "he won't get it and you know it!"
"What I sprayed her with was a mixture of animal repellant and a radio-isotope marker," Lloyd explained as he ignored Bufford's stupid question, "even if she finds a way to hide from my heat scanner my isotopic tracker won't just lead us to her- she can't shake it, no matter where she goes we'll find her- even if she hides this will let us track her down like a blood hound does a treed coon until it wears off!"
"Good Lloyd," Rod remarked with an air of smug satisfaction, "you do that while I check the merc boards for some clue on the monkey bitch who was with the dragon lady, I hate going in blind twice in a row!"
John F. Reed Library
10:56 PM
Ingrid Olson wandered around the library satisfied that she had successfully slipped away from the scene before police and emergency crews had arrived. Ingrid knew that she had to hand it to her brother, he had chosen somewhere inconspicuous to rendezvous given that at a college, students come go from a library at all hours of the day, who was going to look twice at a couple of kids here.
Sure, enough after a few minutes of searching she found him in a private study room along the wall that was little more than a closet with a desk, making use of his laptop and the Ethernet port along the wall. As the door was open she took that as an invitation and entered closing the door behind them, "I hope this room is well ventilated because if some prune walks by and the window on the door is fogged up I don't think I'll ever live it down."
"Chill sis," Tobias replied as he pointed up to the metal vent in the ceiling, "this room's ventilated...barely. The real question is just what the hell happened out there? I lost contact with you a while ago and I've just been hearing sirens and radio-chatter- something about a mutant attack; don't tell me that you decided to fight our target, and you say that I'm being reckless."
"It wasn't me!" Ingrid replied in a hushed tone, "I had our target narrowed down to three possible girls when three muscle-heads in Syndicate power-armor blew out a wall and started shooting. Everything went side-ways from then on, some girl with a monkey tail started wailing on the meat-heads then our target revealed herself- scaled the walls and nailed one of those power-armor jockeys before they decided to make tracks. Soon after our target, the monkey girl and some heavy-set guy from the party left too- I was lucky enough to get out of there without being shot or rounded up by the police."
"I doubt that they were Syndicate, the Merchants of Suffering might do business with the Syndicate but not enough for Dominus to justify letting them use a Tiger Squad." Tobias mused for a moment, "They were probably former Syndicate who took the gear as severance pay- and with how much money the Merchants are offering it was bound to attract at least one group like that."
"At least I was able acquire what you sent me in there for," Ingrid stated as she fished a tuft of thick rust-colored hair from her pocket, "let me guess, we're going to purform an old fashioned thaumaturgical tracking spell?"
"Eventually dear sister," Tobias looked at the hair and smiled, "first we need to make a phone call, because if I'm right about that monkey girl and the over-weight guy then something tells me that this job is way outside our weight class. I guess that it's a good thing that we're thinking outside the box on this one."
"I hope that you are sure this Tobi," Ingrid clinched her teeth in concern, "because this is a very dangerous game you decided to play here- and if it blows up in our faces then something tells me that we're going to wind up worse off than dad did."
Valle De Merced Apartments
10:59 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Now once more in the same form that I wore at the party- something that was as necessary to avoid suspicion as Sun Wukong hiding his tail, or is that her tail- one thing was for certain advanced shape-shifting made picking the right pronoun a nightmare. Come to think of it who in their right mind would use it to cross the gender gap, for some reason I had a stray thought of me using my own growing shape-shifting talents to try being as a guy. As soon as I realized just what I was thinking I promptly took that stray thought marched it at gunpoint somewhere isolated and shot it for good measure, I had enough odd and disturbing experiences rattling around in my memories, I didn't need the temptation to try and experience the other side of the gender divide to add to the oddness.
"Alright," Sun Wukong stated as she shut the door, "we should be fine, fortunately I was able to swing a single- a few centuries of squirreling away money here or there was enough to afford this among a few other things."
"And you were the one of us who became a Buddha," Zhu commented as he began rummaging around in the fridge, "this is hardly a vow of poverty."
"Hello, I'm the Buddha of youthful vitality, so I sew a few copies of myself here or there to experience living as a youth in various aspects." The Monkey King confessed, "A teenager here, a child there, and here a college student. To tell the truth the only reason I chose this college was because Guanyin suggested that if I did I would be in the right place to help when something major occurred."
"Yeah right," Zhu snorted as he removed a bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon from the fridge, "that's your excuse whenever I find you somewhere weird; it was all at Guanyin's request- honestly if I had a yuan every time I heard that I could buy a private island in the Pacific."
"Whether or not you believe it you lazy porker is up to you," Son stated as 'she' parked it, "I just hope that my cover with the school wasn't completely blown, I put a good deal of effort into Kelly Windkloppel so I would rather her story doesn't end tonight."
"So, you're saying that you've been here waiting for me because Guanyin, the Lady of Mercy, asked you to?" I inquired finally wanting to get to the bottom of just what was going on tonight. "I mean I've heard that I'm something called the Northern Maiden, and that the others are a genie, a mermaid and a fairy, but that's it- nothing about what that means or what we're supposed to do just that I am. Why won't anybody give me a straight answer about this, not even Kelsey would tell me about this and she's supposed to be some neigh all-knowing mystic heavyweight."
"Who's this Kelsey she's talking about?" Zhu Bajie inquired after downing half the beer, "And do you have any descent booze around here, American beer barely does anything."
"Those are mostly for guests," Sun responded, "I'm only a social drinker, besides "A little alcohol is not wrong when seeking to quiet the ego," also I rarely indulge and choose to down a bottle, quality over quantity after all. Besides I would think that you would have access to all the booze you wanted, people do donate offerings of alcohol to temples- right heavenly alter cleaner?"
"Yeah but not any of the good stuff," Zhu huffed, "I've had enough rot-gut donated over the years that I can smell the cheap stuff though the glass. I mostly use that nasty stuff as lamp fuel, I mean most of that stuff can be nasty on the tract."
"TMI pig man-" I wretched at the mental image that description conjured shortly before transforming back into my normal form, "-TMI, a lady does not need to know these things!"
"As for your earlier question Zhu- Kelsey is the current Wayfarer," Sun replied as she parked it on the sleeper sofa in the living area. "And for you oh Maiden of the North you're going to find that one out later tonight, I don't know the specifics but someone arranged for you and the other three to be able to gather in some way no matter where you lot are and the first time that you four are supposed to find out about your prophesized destiny. All any of the groups I move in will admit about the prophecy either are keeping quiet on the details or are aware of is bits and pieces- well Lord Khamsim and Valkyrian may no more than any of us but that would only be because they were probably there to hear the original prophecy when it was first spoken tens of thousands of years ago."
"All that I know is that the four of you are supposed to help bridge the gap between humanity and what became of each of the courts," Sun shrugged, "what exactly that implies and how that explains your destiny- well... honestly... I don't have a clue. Oh well, whatever it is at least you're going to have help achieving it, trust me going it alone might seem like a good idea but there are consequences to doing it."
"You're just saying that because when you split from us you got your ass handed to you by Hai-er Hong and needed Guanyin to bail you out- again!" Zhu laughed as he went back to rummaging through Sun's fridge. "And to think of the three of us you were supposed to be the big bad ass, and you got your tail handed to you by a kid. Come to think of it you had a ton of trouble with his mother Princess Tie Shan too- not to mention how his dad King Niu Mo fooled you into thinking he was me."
"This from the man who has the head of a pig for eternity for making drunken pass at Chang'e," Sun retorted with a wry smile on her face after a brief flash from her fridge transformed Zhu Bajie back into his true form, "not to mention fell into every trap that involved a pretty face along our journey- a journey that would have gone much faster if you hadn't insisted to Master Xuanzang that we take the full hospitality of the locals almost every time that we entered the next province."
"Come on Sun," Zhu groaned, "you couldn't let me be mildly suave around a lady for once- dragon or not. Plus, those accommodations were a lot safer than roughing it out in the wild and you know it!"
"What I know is that you insisted on indulging on your trinity of vices broadcasted our presence to every demon and brigand in the provinces and caused a good deal of our problems to begin with!"
"Pardon me," I spoke up trying to get the pair's attention- as well as breaking up one of their infamous arguments, "but aren't we one-member shy of your famous trio. I would have thought that Sha Wujing would have been here waiting for us."
"Hey why bring up that boring stiff when you can hang out with yours truly?" Zhu commented as he tried to puff up his chest but given his pot-belly failed miserably.
"Well for one thing I've known him for a lot longer than I have either of you two," I huffed as a puff of steam escaped my nose (something that now tends to happen when I get a little hot under the collar. "There is also the fact that he is my Xiansheng and was probably the one who called the both of you about me in the first place, so color me worried that he isn't here yet especially given that those three armored mercs where likely just the first ones here after me. Trust me with all the money that I made the Zhaoshang de Youhuan they were bound to put a bounty for my return, who knows how many knuckle-heads there are out here, hell I wouldn't be shocked if a few of the Merchants were here themselves just so that they didn't have to pay anybody; I mean that would fit those who literally worship greed- right?"
Oxbow Park and Preserve
11:07 PM
"Who would have thought that the first group of muscle-brained buffoons to arrive would actually manage to flush her out?" Au Jai-guo mused from his chair as a blank-eyed servant girl poured him another cup of whole-leaf Darjeeling oolong. "If Xiyi is not more careful we might have to sully our blades with their blood when it comes time to reward them."
"I appreciate that you find this situation humorous Yaoshi Daishi," Kao Tak-keung observed as he uselessly swatted at a fly which had been pestering him for the better part of an hour, "because we are not supposed to even be here- if the Xue-jin Mushi finds out that we defied his edict he would place a price on our heads."
"Wong Kuan is new to his throne and is still wearing the robes of the one who came before him," Au remarked to his subordinate, "he rose from being one of my Jiemao de Yonghu too fast. In fact, I would not be surprised if he bribed the Bone Reader to name him over someone more qualified, as Yao Xiyi's primary keeper he was bound to have pocketed a small fortune in gemstones meant for our coffers."
"Whether that is true or not is irrelevant- he is the Xue-jin Mushi until Lord Huangjin Jian-xue decides that he is worthless." Kao retorted, "You know as well as I that the life of the Xue-jin Mushi is governed by Lord Huangjin Jian-xue's whims, should Wong Kuan displease him he will wind up just like his predecessors- as another hundred-pound bag of gold dust in our coffers and a pile of bones for our diviner to read for the name of his replacement."
"True- however Wong Kuan has yet to fully cement his favor with Lord Huangjin Jian-xue, should another from within our ranks through actions and guile gains our Lord's favor before the Xue-jin Mushi it will make for a very short reign." Au remarked as he turned to regard the semi-trailer that was finally arriving from the San Francisco Chapter House's storage pens at the Blythe Annex.
While it was true that Yao Xiyi for all her benefit was potentially dangerous while they had her captive, both her lack of a true name (which the previous Xue-jin Mushi had stripped her of until his death) as well as her human origin made her somewhat controllable. Still the Merchants of Suffering had many assets that were not so easily managed- and the last thing that they wanted to do was keep them within their stronghold inside of an area as earthquake prone as San Francisco.
The problem though was just about all of California was an Earthquake risk, but some areas were more seismically stable than others; this was what lead to the creation of the Blythe Annex back during the Sixties and kept all but their most precious creatures there; the Blythe Annex was also directly under the purview of the Yaoshi Daishi baring the rare inspections by the Xue-jin Mushi or his proxies.
"The only reason that I am here is that you are my immediate superior," Kao Tak-keung remarked as he glared at Au Jai-guo, "besides you know the way of our order."
"Yes, if I succeed you ride my coat-tails if I fail you reap the rewards of my folly," Au chuckled, "I know I have done the same myself many times over the years, besides if your reasons were not self-serving then I would have no reason to have you here with me. Still I am not foolish enough to leave myself open for back-stabbing should you wish to tip your hand with sabotage."
"That is why I am here," a man dressed in a Taoist gown explained as he climbed out of the passenger side of the semi's cab.
"Wait a moment," Kao was taken aback at the sight of the newest member of their gathering, "why is Pao Shu-yen here? Why could you possibly have need of a daoshi?"
Chewing over the matter briefly Kao's eyes widened in terror as the reason came to him, "You are going to use those things to hunt down Yao Xiyi, are you insane?!?"
"Thanks to that western witch we lack anything physical enough to perform a proper dousing ritual, and using a luopan can only get us so far in such a mountainous region," Au stated as the truck's driver went with Pao to the back of the truck as the later held dozens of fuli strips at the ready knowing that he would soon need every one of them.
Kao could all but feel his heart beating with terror as Pao held the fuli in front of him and began to quietly chant, the truck driver stood ready to open the door to the trailer the moment the daoshi finished and not a moment sooner. Sure, enough the moment Pao finished chanting the driver through open the door and jumped back as the inscribed rice paper talismans flew from Pao's hand and into the interior of the trailer with great haste and precision.
Kao held his breath out of fear that the occupants of the trailer may have not been properly tamed, and as such holding his breath was the only option that he had to stay alive should the daoshi's spell-casting fail. He remembered the old stories that his grandmother told him, they could not see as their eyes had been closed however they could still smell, and as they felt no pain despite their awkward movements they were dangerous if they got within arm's reach.
"Come forward my servants," Pao called out after he sealed the spell of command- however that would only work on those who had been properly tagged by his fuli, "your master commands it!"
Kao's heart skipped a beat as the entire trailer lurched, as if one giant mass moved inside the container, then it lurched again and again and again until the occupants began to emerge from the depths of the trailer and out onto the road under the cool Colorado air. Sure, enough Kao's earlier suspicions proved correct as dozens of Jiangshi, known in the west as hopping Chinese vampires, bounded in rows of three out of the trailer and onto the tarmac. Thankfully all the ashen gray reanimated cadavers had a fuli properly affixed to their foreheads, which meant that at least for the time being he was safe from the undead horde as they were under Pao's control.
As they began to file out Kao began to tally the rigormortis bound corpses in an effort to calm himself down, the exercise probed useless once he realized that Au had ordered thirty-nine of the monsters shipped from the annex that they were all under control was a great testament to Pao's skills as a daoshi, because otherwise they would have stood little chance as the Jiangshi pilled on them and drained their qi dry.
"I hope you know what you are doing Au," Kao turned to regard his superior, "bringing just a handful of those monsters here is one thing but over three-dozen- it is borderline madness."
"We need to track down Yao Xiyi before any of the mercenaries lured in by the reward do," Au responded with a smug expression across his face, "while the Wayfarer's intrusion destroyed any physical samples that we had of our property we still have her work."
Au then produced a bag full of sapphires, all of them imperfect and ill-suited for any real purposes other than for supplying chips for jewelry, "But anything created by the hands of one carries a hint of their qi within it, and few things exist that can hunt down a source of qi better than Jiangshi; they will find Xiyi before daybreak."
"Hey boss," the driver called out to get Kao and Au's attention, "do you want us to open the three cages in the back of the trailer?"
"No, leave them for now," Au explained as he walked over to where the Jiangshi stood as patient as the corpses that they were, "those are for later if we need them- we don't need to open them now and risk them testing the lengths of their leashes before the Jiangshi have tracked down their quarry."
Confidently the Keeper of Keys took the opened bag of gemstones and circled the Jiangshi.
"Breath deep of the refined and concentrated qi whose vessel is not here my servants," Pao spoke up as Au rounded the pack of undead slaves, "this is your prey- you must find and subdue the source of this qi but not consume her completely- this I command!"
With his terror over the Jiangshi fading, Kao's curiosity drew him into the semi-trailer to inspect the three cages still in the back, followed by the fly which despite the presence of magically reanimated corpses continued to harass him and no one else.
Once inside Kao experienced new kinds of terror, once he saw what was inside two of those three cages Kao no longer questioned Au Jai-guo's sanity- now he was certain that the man's jealousy of the current Xue-jin Mushi had caused him to take leave of his senses. What mystified Kao the most was the third cage, for unlike the other two its occupant appeared to be nothing more than a young man of Chinese origin in traditional garb. What was there about the young man other than the spear next to him could warrant his inclusion alongside the two deadly occupants of the other cages? Although the young man's glare was...unsettling as it was the glare was none-the-less expected as the man was a prisoner of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan enslaved to serve their whims.
Still the fly must have seen something that Kao Tak-keung did not as it finally left for greener pastures- or maybe something that the wildlife left behind in those pastures. None-the-less Kao was thankful because right now he was determined to find somewhere safe to wait this out- like a bunker mad of reinforced concrete because he knew that should those cages have opened that despite Au's confidence in the matter their chances of survival were slim should they slip their leashes.
Valle De Merced Apartments
11:41 PM
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I was in the middle of channel surfing pausing briefly as another live report aired from Boston, whatever happened there tonight appeared to have made tonight's brief skirmish pale in comparison, with fires, explosions, and actual zombie attacks it made the whole thing look like less of a news report and more like a trailer from a horror-style disaster movie like that book I heard about back in homeroom- what was it called... oh yeah World War Z. Maybe I should ask Kelsey to pick that up for me when I get back to the cave- come to think of it why weren't we headed back now; I'm certain that with Sun Wukong's cloud hopping skills that the three of us would be back there in no time, after all this is the warrior who traveled to the end of the universe on the bet that he could escape Buddha's grasp.
"Pardon me you two but shouldn't I be heading back to the cave," I broke the silence of the pair, "I mean the entire reason that I left was to go to my first party in months and unwind but the party's over so there's no reason to stick around here."
"Not until we take care of those mercenaries," Zhu Bajie remarked as he opened up another beer, "from what I heard what makes that cave special is that it is hard to find your way into it. But that just deters the casual observer; we need to find some way to get you back there without them having some way of tracking you there. Remember no matter how sturdy the fortress they all fall if you have enough firepower and if they follow you there is nothing to stop them from blasting or tunneling their way into the mountain to come after you."
"Yeah, besides you need to keep that cave secret until after you get your training done with the Handmaiden of the Tao." Sun Wukong explained as she got back to cooking in the kitchen. "Trust me you'll need that training, otherwise your skills will plateau way too soon and you'll never reach your true potential."
"Yeah but what is so special about the Handmaiden of the Tao?" I asked before mental slapping myself and elaborating, "I mean besides the obvious, is what I'm meant to do so important to the cosmic balance of reality that it warrants her training me personally?"
"It's because her office owes a life debt to your lineage," Sun Wukong began to explain, "you see the urn full of ashes that fell on you as well as the blade that serves as the symbol of the Handmaiden's office share the same origin- both were once a part of the fucanglong Qianbei Zunyan, your ancestor."
"Shut the front door, you mean that the thing the ashes that damned rat knocked on me was in my family tree?!?" I all but recoiled at that revelation, "How does that even work?"
"You're fifteen years old Zhen-yu if your parents haven't had that talk with you by now then you've certainly picked up on the mechanics by now on your own." Sun Wukong replied with a deadpan delivery, "That urn is one of dozens that were made from Zunyan's bones after he died and contained his own ashes, other than those urns only two other pieces of him were left behind his dragon pearl and his heart."
"Wait- I thought that you said he was a fucanglong, I know from the teachings that only tianlong have pearls why would Zunyan have one?" I inquired desperate to find answers to the whole matter.
"It's a long story," Sun took a stray hair from her head and with a gentle breath created a copy of herself before she returned to cooking.
The copy sat down in the living room while Sun Wukong continued her work in the kitchen, "Well as the real me was saying, it's a long story-"
Before she could continue a fly buzzed into the window and before transforming into a form that I knew quite well, "Master Sha Wujing, your friends were worried about you- I know that I shouldn't have snuck out of the cave but I was getting stir-crazy."
"You were a guest of the Wayfarer Lady Zhen-yu not a prisoner, you were free to leave as soon as you decided that you were ready." Sha explained although I could tell that something had him rattled, "That is not the reason why I am harried though, the mercenaries that you fought are not alone; a faction of the Merchants of Suffering themselves is here with a force intent on capturing you personally."
"So- I mean between the four of us we could take them if they actually find us here," I confessed hoping to put my teacher's mind at ease. "Besides they can't use tracking spells to find me- Kelsey destroyed all of the samples that she took when she sprung me from that hole in the ground."
"They still had the gemstones that you made while you were their prisoner, and those carried the scent of your qi upon them." Sha Wujing explained as he centered himself, "They used those to find out that you were in the area, and in addition to the mercenaries that you fought earlier, the faction present brought a great many Jiangshi with them to make use of that qi to seek you out- and a Jiangshi can detect your qi from even your breath thanks to those gemstones, they will find us even through these wards."
"So, what," Zhu snorted as he finished his latest beer, "we can lay those hoppers down for a dirt nap no problem."
"If it was only the Jiangshi then I would not be worried," Sha continued his explanation, "the Merchants of Suffering also brought along three more prisoners to fight their battle for them. A kuro-oni..."
"That couldn't have been easy for them get a hold of," Sun's copy interrupted, "those lugs are so brutal that Enma-Daioh keeps them all in the deeper Hells."
"an asura..."
"Those guys are still around," Zhu dropped his beer bottle which thankfully landed on the rug and didn't break, "I thought the devas took them all out during their war!"
"And our old friend Hai-er Hong," Sha Wujing finished as he locked eyes with Sun Wukong's real self in the kitchen.
"Sorry Zhen-yu," Sun Wukong said as she stared at her work, "it looks like the person that Guanyin sent me here to save wasn't you after all, it was her errant disciple. I know that I have no right to ask you this, but can I count on your help to rescue my sworn brother's son?"
"Let me get this straight," I paused to take it all in, "you are asking me to go out and risk myself going after the bastards who kidnapped me- threatened my friends and family- enslaved me- and routinely beat me all to rescue someone who kicked your ass while throwing myself in the line of fire of two monsters who are just as dangerous both of whom would try and kill me if freed."
"So, you won't do it," Sun Wukong observed disappointed in my reasoning.
"Of course, I want to do it," I retorted while a sadistic smile crossed my face, "I get to put the hurt on the bastards who made my life a living hell and liberate someone else all the while fighting alongside Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing- how could I say no. Hell, this is going to be something that I plan on bragging about later when I meet the other three maidens- no way they'll have a story anywhere near this interesting to tell."
"You may be surprised on that front kid," Sun Wukong commented as she cancelled out her copy, "but you wanted to party- please join the three of us for some slam-dancing."
The Bloody Bastard
11:54 PM
Within the bowels of their stolen Syndicate jump ship Lloyd looked up from his work bench as he finished soldering the final circuits on a board next to two similar panels. "Alright, this should do it!" The mechanic of the three-man team explained as he walked over to a heavier set of armor compared to the suits that they had used during their failed attempt nearly two hours ago and swapped out the current panel for one of the modified ones.
"This should give the shields in our rumble suits a minor kinetic absorption capacity without compromising the inherent heat resistance." Lloyd explained to Rod without bothering to explain it to Bufford.
"Good-," Rod replied as he got dressed in the now modified suit, "let's go out and nab us a lizard bitch and ain't any monkey girl or mumbo-jumbo go'in ta stand between the Masterson Brothers and our payday!"
"Good, lets fry us some critters!" Bufford shot from his seat as he went for the incendiary rocket launchers.
"Capture gear only Bufford," Rod glared down at his cousin, "that cult of rice-munchers wants the lizard bitch alive- we fry her then we get nothing but the price of repairs and ammo coming out of your beer money."
"You never let me have fun Rod!" Bufford grumped as he backed away from the nastier toys in their arsenal.
Room 205 - Days Inn Durango
11:55 PM
Within their cheap motel room Ingrid and Tobias Olson awaited the arrival of their intended employers, Ingrid with trepidation and Tobias with anticipation whether or not this would work was still up for debate. But the answer to that debate would be arriving soon.
"Are you sure that they'll go along with this bro-" Ingrid observed nervously as she watched the clock, "our family doesn't exactly have the best relationship with these people."
"That was through our dad sis, they have nothing against us personally; besides the Merchants of Suffering are their enemy." Tobias explained to his nervous sister, "You know the old saying, "The enemy of my enemy..."
"...is my enemy's enemy- no more no less." Ingrid stated as she heard heavy foot steeps outside, "Not that this matters- your guests are here, we will just have to play it by ear from here on out."
A knock on the room's door confirmed her suspicion...time was up- they were now here. Tobias went over and after checking through the peep-hole to confirm the knocker's identity opened the door to find a cadaverous individual on the other side wearing a decidedly out of date suit and top hat both of which had seen better days.
"Greet'ens young man," the undead individual cheerfully related as he looked at Tobias through lid-less eyes, "I ahm Papa 'ouma, ahn Ace wit' Shuffle's Sweepaas; I ahm 'ere because you said tha' you might 'ave a job tha' interests mah boss- Erzebet Scratch. I 'ope t'is was wort' t'e trip because I was never a real fan of cold weadar."
"Believe me Papa Houma sir," Tobias responded as he began his sales pitch, "your boss would kick herself if she had this opportunity slip through her fingers."
6 years 7 months ago #31
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Gallery of Effort - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:52? PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I let my newly revealed uncle Anubis guide me to one of the many rooms hidden beneath the resort that my real family called home. I had to admit that I was still amazed at just how much my life had changed over a few scant hours: I just found out that I was a girl who had literally been trapped in a boy's body my whole life (not metaphorically either the old me was a shell made of clay and magic that contained my real body). I also found out that my mother, if you could ever call someone who treated her son as she did a mother, Melanie Ledoux was actually complicit in the abduction of my real mother Angela Seguin before I was born. I also learned that my dad was a djinn with deep connections to the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom and that not only did I have an entire extended family of djinn but one which had been worshipped as gods by the Ancient Egyptians.
On top of all of this I was about to get in some combat training with my uncle Anubis- although, "Um, I'm sorry for asking Uncle Anubis but... weren't you pretty much considered the God of Funerals in Egypt?"
"As much as I would enjoy arguing otherwise... you are correct," Anubis sighed with a shrug, "granted in the mindset of the Ancient Egyptians I had other duties but we tried as hard as we could to resist the roles that religion confined us to, although you could almost say that our roles became akin to the lamps for our principality."
Granted that I am far from an ideal opponent to challenge you and aide you to grow along the path of combat, however I do know more than enough to help you get a feel for your new powers and abilities. "In the future however, you will have your father and grandfather to train with and the two of them are especially fluent in the ways of combat." The earth elemental djinn elaborated as he removed two staves from the wall, "your grandfather especially- the school of combat he invented went on to inspire the Med'jai who later came to serve the Pharaoh and Egypt as a whole."
"Granted he is a little old-fashioned in combat, a long time ago a great many in our kingdom succumbed to a form of mind control; however, father's mental discipline and experience fighting the Old Ones allowed him to resist, unlike myself." Anubis sighed as I could tell that this was a painful story but one that he needed to tell, I guess the old saying was true confession must be good for the soul. "While I was under the control of an Old One known as the Black Pharaoh who had turned our late monarch into a puppet I used a dark spell on him, one that he only recently overcame. After attacking him, he was thrown from the Royal Solar Barge and your father was sent to finish him off, it was during this hunt that father was able to trap and free him from the Black Pharaoh's control."
"That was a few thousand years ago, ever since they have worked to undo the damage that my curse inflicted while searching for a way to liberate our people from the influence of the Black Pharaoh. A scant few months ago they succeeded in doing both, and now we are further blessed with your return to our house."
"That's another thing- how come I'm so welcome here?" I asked wondering if this was all too good to be true, "I mean it's not like I'm not grateful, I mean I am, but blood relation or not I'm a complete stranger how do you know that I wasn't raised to be an assassin or something?"
"From what father's intelligence network has uncovered your 'mother' was a mercenary hired by the Cult of the Black Pharaoh, from what we have discovered she was hired to raise you to feel isolated and afraid to leave. From the golem they had woven around you it was likely they wanted you around until you came of age, once that happened then they would either sacrifice you to the Black Pharaoh for his favor or use you as the groundwork to lay another curse upon the Principality of the Blazing Disc. The latter is very possible, Dagon the High Priest in the Cult of Cthulhu did something similar to the merfolk- albeit on a much larger scale and far more horrifically permanent."
"Whoa- whoa- whoa!" I stammered out at that revelation, "You mean to say that not only are djinn which we both are real, but so are mermaids!"
"Correct," Anubis replied with his stoic expression, "granted your chance of meeting a real mermaid at this moment are about as likely as finding a stray handful of gold dust in the Sahara. Merfolk, humanity and djinn were each were a part of the three of the Five-Fold Courts that predated the modern age of man, with dragon-kind and faerie comprising the remaining two. In one manner of speaking those two courts are also both in a far more stable position than us; at the very least the modern factions of those courts have diplomatic relationships. Many of the surviving principalities of the djinn either fail to maintain diplomatic ties of any sort or we actually refuse to acknowledge each other's existence."
"And out of idle curiosity, just what are those surviving principalities?" I asked somewhat regretting my curiosity.
"The Principality of the Golden Firmament which was worshipped across the Incan Empire and is ruled by Prince Inti son of Viracocha is actually far better off than ourselves at the moment," Anubis began to explain the current status of the djinn people and the daemons as a whole, "we have recently been trying to open a channel of diplomacy with them, however they have adopted an isolationist stance over the years as some of their principality suffered persecution under the Spanish a great many being attacked as if they were devils."
"The Principality of the Shining Mirror was worshipped across Central America prior to the arrival of the Spaniards; however, unlike their neighbors to the south, they were prone to tumultuous infighting- they actually went through four princes after the Sundering mainly through royal coups." my uncle shook his head at that group, "I think that the reigning prince of that lot is Prince Nanahuatzin however I could very well be wrong so do not quote me on that."
"The Principality of the Shimmering Rays which is still well thought of across the myriad of cultures of the Polynesian peoples is ruled by Prince Rangi although given the range of the territory his people associate with they are very difficult to get into contact with, particularly because Prince Rangi himself tends to be known by a different name by each culture."
"Those along with our own principality that of the Blazing Disc are the only survivors of the Twelve Principalities of the ancient Southern Court, however there is a fifth whose claim to any Principality is questionable at best." Anubis shook his head as he gripped his staff, "They call themselves the Principality of the Brass City- although they have no claim to that title and they are ruled by a foul ifrit known as Iblis. This is the bunch who gives djinn the bad name that we have across most of the world, which is hardly surprising given that they hold partial dominion over the hell dimension that is known as the Inferno and Iblis himself is synonymous with the devil to the point that millions consider us creatures of chaos and evil. This group has existed in the middle east in one form or another since ancient times with dark consequences for their neighbors as they aided Dagon against the merfolk and the less that is said about what they visited upon the local humans during the reign of Iblis's predecessor Utu the better."
"So, are you saying that one of our race is the devil?" I recoiled in shock from that revelation- granted the woman who led me to believe that she was my mother was hardly a religious person but still this was a lot to process.
"Yes and no, human belief is a powerful thing it can even create beings based on their collective belief known as tulpas, or even accidentally entrap beings such as djinn in a role based on collective belief if there are enough people behind said belief. Perception is a powerful thing, and that is one tool which I will be teaching you to use as we train," my uncle explained as he tossed me a quarter-staff.
"Now we might have a very liberal amount of time in here, this place can take a toll on us the longer we are in here, djinn must be cautious around things of great age- especially that which is in poor condition. Your friend Daniel has informed us that you are practiced in the form of pugilism known as Western Boxing and have some informal training in the grappling form known as freestyle wrestling. While these can be useful foundations for combat training they espouse heavier forms of combat, that rely too much on holding your ground, you need to learn some techniques that focus on agility- let us start with something that would build a good foundation for that Maasai staff-fighting."
I nodded as I mirrored my uncle's stance with the staff, no matter what I was going to help rescue Walt.
Executive Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:53 PM
Lord Khamsin looked through the monitor as his son and granddaughter stumbled looking haggard and exhausted from the Gallery of Effort, well aware of how the pair were suffering from the weakness of our kind. "I hope that they used their time well, it will be some time before either of them can use the Gallery again; maybe once Iris gets to Whateley then Morrigan and I will finally have an excuse to pool fae spellcraft and djinn construction to make one more like those from back in the old days."
"Granted we would still need someone from the Northern Court to provide the proper materials and Eastern Court to aide in enchanting them, they literally don't make them like they used to anymore." Lord Khamsin sighed as he looked back on his childhood memories of the Five-Fold Court however brief it was before the War with the Great Old Ones which lead to The Sundering.
"Thinking back to older times," Lord Khamsin recognized the source of the voice as his dear wife Lady Nephthys, "the two of us are probably among the few dozen beings who are old enough to actually remember what life in the Five-Fold Courts was like, even if it was right before the war began."
"And that number has already shrunk by two this year alone," Set sighed as he thought back to just how short that list really was, "Queen Aunghadheil's final shreds of conscious were snuffed out by a cultist's spell a couple of months ago and a few months before that Old Greyback left our plain of existence entirely for the Dreamlands. Even among the Circle few actually want to truly mend relations between the courts into a new form- some actually care little for those who we are trying to save with our mission."
"I can't even imagine the burdens you have taken upon yourself during our separation my dear," Lady Nephthys did her best to coax her husband out of his nostalgic melancholy, "all I can do is lend you my support for those burdens in the days to come."
"That is more than enough my dear," Lord Khamsin smiled at his beloved as he gazed at her avian visage over his shoulder, "also know that with the awakening of our granddaughter the Prophecy of the Four Maidens has begun to unfold- which will give our world some much needed hope for all our kinds against the stirring darkness."
"True but remember although the Four Maidens are awake none of them have undergone the trials meant to unlock their abilities to their fullest." Lady Nephthys reminded her husband of the way of their people, "Our own Ain hasn't undergone her trial of fire before presenting herself of the Throne of Prince Horus as a proper djinni of the principality. Also, we have yet to speak to Thoth about the matter and he is the one who assigns the trails of fire to the youth."
"I dread to hear his response," Lord Khamsin actually shivered over the possibilities, "The Maiden of the West will have to live as an animal in the wilderness for a season by her wits alone, the Southern Maiden will be having to save the life of her uncle Qingu and aide him in breaking Dagon's Curse, and the Northern Maiden will be needing the assistance of the Handmaiden of the Tao to commune with the father of her line before traveling across the country to Whateley. Given their trials as precedent I loath to anticipate what our granddaughter's own trial of awakening will be, and that doesn't even account for the danger she and the other three will face when it comes their time to fulfill their roles as the Four Maidens."
"You have never spoken to me about what you know of the second half of the Prophecy of the Four Maidens," Lady Nephthys inquired out of concern, "just what is the final task that our granddaughter and the other three have to accomplish that makes it such a tightly guarded secret?"
"I am sorry my dear, but those of us who know that information swore on our true names to remain silent on it until it comes time to inform the Four Maidens of their destiny," Lord Khamsin replied to his beloved wife's inquiry. "However, I can tell you that I do not envy the tasks that lay ahead of them, even though their final trials must be done for the future of the world, I still do not envy them for what lay in their future."
Lady Nephthys inquired no further on the matter as the two of them watched while servant djinn of their House collected Anubis and Ain to take them to a room where the pair could recover from their workout in the Gallery of Effort.
"Dear, I have some calls to make for us to attend Miss Bliss's underground auction tonight so that we can hope to save our granddaughter's friend." Lord Khamsin explained to his wife, "please see to it that one of your madeen craft her something suitable to wear to the event. I already laid something out for her should tonight's festivities go south but please ask the seamstress to keep their inactive forms in mind when designing her ensemble."
"I will see to it beloved," Lady Nephthys replied with a touch of sadness in her voice as her husband departed to attend to the coming affairs, despite their reunion there was still so much distance between the two of them and one day she hoped they would fully bridge the rift the Black Pharaoh created between them. Still a part of her prayed for her newly revealed granddaughter because as much as her husband had yet to reveal to her about the Prophecy of the Four Maidens she knew him well enough to know that Ain Ophios or as the human world would know her Iris Seguin had a difficult road ahead of her.
The Black Solstice Lounge - Miss Bliss's Personal Suite
10:17 PM
Miss Bliss glared as the door to her private room opened, promising in a loud silent moment that the intruder had best come baring good news to warrant disturbing her preparations for tonight's auction, or the end result for them would be...unpleasant. Soon the intruder was revealed to be Drisune one of Bliss's many servants from House Blackshore in the Realm of Winter with the Fae Lands, one of many servants who Miss Bliss then Lady Denitasa Blackshore the last heir standing had indentured to her prior to that final unfortunate Hell Tithe that saw the fall of her house.
"Yes Drisune," Miss Bliss acknowledged her servant, "I presume that you come baring tonight's guest list for our Witching Hour Auction."
"Yes milady," Drisune replied as she knelt and bowed her head in further deference, "the list of tonight's interested parties are quite extensive."
"You can spare me the usual attendees of our event," Miss Bliss explained as she went back to her wardrobe to assemble the ensemble for the auction, "instead tell me about any faces who I do not normally see- it spices things up."
"Very well milady," Drisune replied as she looked over her folder once again without daring to raise her head should Miss Bliss take it as a challenge to her authority (a reflex shared by many servants to the nobility of the Winter Court). "I hope to sate milady's curiosity. First off we have Qian Khai of the Merchants of Suffering who is attending with the authority of the reigning Xue-jin Mushi."
"Better keep a sluagh on him," Miss Bliss observed interrupting her servant, "as he is here on the current Xue-jin Mishi's orders that means that Mister Khai has likely been ordered to obtain our star item with the consequences of failure likely meaning a painful and highly symbolic death. The problem is that given how the Merchants worship a demon of avarice it also means that they are notorious tight-wads, meaning Mister Khai's spending will be capped. The moment the bidding gets too high he'll likely panic and I do so hate it when they have to clean our guest's out of the carpet and decor."
"Very well milady, I will alert security to keep a close yet discrete eye on him." Drisune observed as she penned her lady's orders in a conveniently prepared note section next to Qian Khai's name. "We also have a representative from Erzebet Scratch's Organization arriving, Dustbowl I believe the head of their El Paso Chapter House, they notified us that she is bringing a bodyguard- although the guard's identity is still unknown."
"Curious," Miss Bliss raised an eyebrow at that tidbit of information, "granted it is scarcely uncommon for guests to announce their plus-one when replying to an invitation. You are correct though, it is unusual for Erzebet Scratch to send a representative to one of our auctions; usually her organization prefers to do business directly with the Goblin Markets. Although as peculiar as this is we should not expect any hassle from that corner; Erzebet Scratch and those under have proper business etiquette down to a fine art-form, also their...relationship with the Merchants of Suffering might make Qian Khai hesitant about misbehaving."
"Understood milady," Drisune acknowledged before adding, "I shall also forward Dustbowl the wine list ahead of time as a measure of added hospitality to help foster relations with their organization."
"Someone back home might see that as ambition," Miss Bliss commented in a mildly threatening tone, "it is good that I know it is merely a practiced servant anticipating her Lady's desires. Who else might I look forward to making the acquaintance of this night?"
"Don Kulmatz will be flying in from Cholula milady; I know that he has attended before however I thought that you would at least desire to know given how he is an infrequent attendee." Drisune explained her voice in the same deferent tone as before.
"Still it is thoughtful of you to let me know my dear," Miss Bliss replied in a lilting tone, "keep this up and I might let you attend to me in the Jacuzzi after this evening's festivities are concluded."
"A lowly servant such as myself is unworthy of such a privilege milady," Drisune almost recoiled in shock, "I would sully the waters with my unworthy body."
"Oh, think nothing of it my dear," Miss Bliss laughed in response, "provided you wash yourself toughly beforehand of course. Now what other surprises does your list hold?"
"Professor Id has informed us that he will be attending tonight milady," Drisune continued doing her best to steady herself after Miss Bliss's earlier hint of a promise. "As for whether it will be truly Id himself in attendance or one of his many self-generated copies that remains to be seen."
"Hmm," Miss Bliss pondered this tidbit for a moment, "I find it unlikely that he is here for the Zodiac Gems or anything else that is up for auction tonight. It is far more likely that Professor Id will be here to watch the chaos that might erupt during the bidding war- not to mention learn the identity of the party who will gain possession of tonight's star attraction. Now I already know that Power Broker will be sending some proxy here to try and regain the gemstones, but please do not spoil that surprise- I want to see if I could pick out his little worm from out of our guests."
"Very well milady I shall not reveal that guest's identity, however there is one guest who I do not think that you will be too pleased to see tonight." Drisune hesitantly began to explain the presence of the one guest who Miss Bliss would likely not wish to see at the auction tonight. "Lord Khamsin has informed us that he will be in attendance this evening."
"Lord Khamsin- Lord Khamsin-" Miss Bliss chewed that name over in her mouth not finding any familiarity with it at the moment, "I cannot recall anyone by that name, Drisune my dear please refresh my memory- just who is this Lord Khamsin?"
"Lord Khamsin is the new title chosen by our regional patron... Lord Ataxia." Drisune squeaked out before her bow devolved into a clear example of duck and cover.
"Lord Ataxia- Lord Ataxia, what does that musty mummified djinn want now." Miss Bliss all but snarled with anger, "The smell of his desecrated form alone will make our guests so sick to their stomachs that it will put a serious dent in any money from them for drinks and hors d'oeuvres."
"I apologize on behalf of whoever failed to keep milady abreast about the current state of local affairs," Drisune pleaded as she laid trembling on the ground, "however Lord Ataxia has somehow managed to restore his form; he is no longer mummified and as such has taken the new title of Lord Khamsin. Apparently, he is also no longer vulnerable to sunlight, he has been seen in unfiltered daylight and our local informants have confirmed that this is not a replacement, somehow Lord Ataxia now has the body of a djinn in his prime along with his known range of magic."
"Well at least he will not be affecting our secondary profits tonight, still that raises a serious question- Just why is Lord Ata- I mean Lord Khamsin going to be here tonight?" Miss Bliss asked as for the first time since establishing herself in Las Vegas over a decade ago following her exile from the Winter Court she was unsettled. "He has never attended any of our auctions before, not even by proxy. What interests him this evening, is it the Zodiac Gems?"
"I do not know milady," Drisune replied as she remained in her earlier position, "however his reply indicated a plus one, and it cannot be Greygus I have heard tale that he is over on the Northern part of the East Coast at the moment likely either New York City or Boston, of which I am uncertain."
"Then just who would Lord Khamsin trust enough to accompany him to the auction?" Miss Bliss asked herself once again before shaking her head, "There are still too many unknowns with our benefactor, and so much we do not know about him- and unknowns can be dangerous. Drisune tell security to keep their eye on Lord Khamsin and his guest- just in case."
"Very well milady," Drisune replied as she got to her feet yet remained bowed, "I shall carry out your desires at once."
Miss Bliss looked on as her servant left the room, she knew deep down that tonight was going to be anything but routine now all that she had left was to wait and hope that this wasn't going to ruin tonight.
Sunday April 22nd, 2007
O'Hare International Airport - Terminal 3, Concourse L
Chicago, Illinois
12:20 AM CDT
After over four hours in transit Melanie Ledoux was brimming with a potent cauldron of anticipation mixed with frustration, she had spent over fifteen years of her life on her previous assignment only for her assignment "Paul" to suddenly decide to develop an independent streak and go to the one city that she had expressly forbade him from ever visiting- Las Vegas.
Somehow over the last week the spells that had been woven into the brat's very flesh had become damaged during a simple lunchroom brawl, endangering her employers plans as well as threatening to turn a decade and a half of her life into wasted time. She had been forced to make emergency plans to take him to her employer's secondary base in St. Augustine to have his body and wards repaired- or at least patched long enough to keep the brat complacent until the ceremony this summer.
Unfortunately, the damage that thug did to the brat's wards must have been greater than she had imagined, and for the first time in forever he had been able to muster the will-power to sneak out of the house and run off to Las Vegas with his punch-drunk friends for the day. Melanie had no illusions about what must have happened in the hours since she had seen her assignment, the brat's wards were already damaged and in the heart territory of its grandfather's (who she had been warned was now more powerful than he had been in centuries) territory it was only a matter of time until the wards failed and the brat wormed it's way out of its prison.
Once the brat was free his grandfather's people would find it in no-time and then waste no time in attempting to track Melanie herself down for interrogation and likely execution. Fortunately, she had been prepared to leave already and never come back, and took an added precaution to toss bleach on anything that might contain a sample of herself big enough for them to use to track her down. Although she had covered her tracks well enough to evade the brat's real family there was still a matter of her employers; they needed someone of that brat's bloodline that wasn't of age yet for their curse, and since the brat was MIA that meant she was SOL.
Thankfully it appeared Lady Luck had decided to cut Melanie a break, as it turned out the brat's grandpa decided to celebrate having his balls back by bumping uglies with his servants, resulting in a happy accident on the way and Melanie's way to recover from a nasty fumble. Her employers didn't only know the target's name but also her location, and were more than happy to let Melanie do the heavy lifting.
Granted that Melanie was more than equipped for the abduction that they had assigned her, given that she had plenty of proper equipment laying around in case she had been made long ago. It had actually been a simple mission, as there was only one real guardian of any consequence nearby, and in no time at all Melanie had her target secured and sedated in a crate that was prepared to sneak her past the TSA's laughable security and in a crate into the hold of her flight to Chicago.
Now there was just waiting for her employer's emissary to make contact so that she could put this job behind her and receive her long overdue reward, after that all that she had left was to enjoy the fruits of her labor somewhere out of the way and out of the country. Seven minutes went by before an individual matching her usual contacts with the Order of the Black Pharaoh came by to sit directly behind her, cautiously Melanie gave her code phrase, "Even the sun has its darkness."
A tense moment followed before he responded, "That may be but the darkness of the sun is still too much for mortals. I trust that you have the substitute package that we sent you for after you lost the prior one."
"To be fair I never would have lost the original if your Order's wards hadn't fallen," Melanie replied with a tick of annoyance in her voice, "but yes she's in a crate in the cargo-claims area. I trust that you have my payment, once I receive it the claim's slip and the cargo is yours to do with as you please."
"Very well," the contact set a tote bag underneath his chair and with a nudge from his right leg kicked it over to Melanie's side.
Like a professional Melanie retrieved the bag and inspected the contents: Inside was a prepaid credit card (with a note promising a $5000 load more than enough for a first), twenty stacks of 500€ bills (2,000,000€), and a notarized envelope containing account information for a Swiss Bank account with an 8 million Euro balance. Aside from the money there was also a passport and papers that didn't exactly match Melanie Ledoux along with a strange corked vial of some glowing green liquid secured in a Styrofoam brick.
Melanie took a moment to thumb through the bills until she was certain that they were the real thing before digging a manila envelope out of her own luggage and slipped it to her contact between the seats. "I'll trust that the potion works as promised if not the amount will still make a nice nest egg to retire on. One question though what good is the package going to be if it isn't even ready yet, I thought that you needed it this summer?"
"We have a few ways to properly prepare the package despite it not being either ready or ripe," the contact replied in a vague manner. "Not that such a matter is any of your concern as your business with our order is now concluded."
"It was just a minor curiosity," Melanie commented as she stood, "honestly I could care less one way or another what you do with the package."
Her work now at an end Melanie Ledoux zipped the tote bag back up and casually made her way out of the Terminal and towards the entrance of the airport, however rather than exiting she took a quick note of the staff currently working the graveyard shift. Satisfied that they were more interested in busy work and staying awake, Melanie instead took a detour into the ladies' room.
Once inside Melanie took note that she couldn't see any peeking out from under the stall doors, which meant that she was alone- good as she didn't want to risk drawing any attention and thus unwanted questions. Satisfied that she was alone, having not noticing anything other than a weird ornamental air-freshener, Melanie ducked into the middle stall just in case and after lowering the changing table set her newly acquired tote bag down. Immediately the mercenary went for the glowing vial determined that she would lick off the icing before partaking in the cake. Carefully extracting the container from its Styrofoam prison Melanie looked at the verdant contents all but trembling in anticipation, not being able to wait a moment longer she uncorked the vial and downed its contents in a series of gulps.
For a moment nothing appeared to happen- then she felt the potion overtake her, her body appeared to tighten and ripple as her past middle-aged figure began to firm and wrinkles and gray-hairs vanished. Rather than screaming from the experience Melanie began to moan as the sensations coursing through her body as the ravages of age began to reverse them were anything but unpleasant. Eventually the sensations subsided although Melanie felt as if her bones and turned into jelly- in a good way.
Taking a moment to steady herself Melanie looked herself over for a moment before scrambling to get her compact out of her purse, once she had succeeded the mercenary used the tiny mirror to exam the results of her elixir-fueled metamorphosis. Sure enough it was just as the Order of the Black Pharaoh had promised her over a decade and a half ago when she agreed to do this job for them, they had given her back the years that she had spent working for them- with compound interest. 'Melanie' looked as young as she did when she graduated from the DeVille Academy nearly thirty years ago, granted that back then she didn't look this good- the potion hadn't just returned her squandered youth it idealized her as well.
"It is true," Melanie stated in a voice that she hadn't heard in decades, "youth really is wasted on the young."
"Not as much as it is on the condemned," Melanie felt like ice shot up her spine as she heard woman say right behind her. Out of shock she turned to see a woman's face right on the wall. Knowing from both her years of experience and training that she was in danger Melanie Ledoux tried to turn around to grab her duffle bag and flee when two pairs of arms emerged from the tile beneath her feet to grab onto her legs. Her momentum involuntarily halted, Melanie fell to the floor and found to her horror that more sets of arms emerged from the floor to latch on to her.
"What do you want?!?" Melanie demanded as she began to panic, "If it's money I have plenty in the bag!"
"What we want is you Melanie Ledoux, or is it Lilian DuPree," the mystery woman explained as she walked out of the wall, "Lord Khamsin has sent out a mission calling for your capture to any and all operatives of the Obsidian Circle, you will be interrogated to determine all that you know and once Lord Khamsin is satisfied whatever is left of you belongs to our mistress Erzebet Scratch."
Melanie was about to begin pleading for her life all over again when another pair of arms emerged near her face, one of them holding an ether-soaked handkerchief which was shoved in her face while the other hand held her head still until she succumbed to the anesthetic. Satisfied that 'Melanie' was out that pair of hands let go as did all the others, satisfied that she and her sisters had done their job the now emerged Revenant took out a changeling bauble and with a quick swing of the pendent shoved her prisoner inside. Satisfied that her work was done the Revenant then inspected the tote bag, much to her pleasant surprise all of the accounts were arranged so that anyone with the information inside the folder could access them.
"Mother will be most pleased with this tiddy bonus," the Revenant smiled as she threw the pendent with their prisoner inside the bag, and zipped it back up- right before sinking into the floor to journey with her siblings back to the Chicago Chapter House once again pleased that another mission had gone so smoothly.
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Velvet Floor - Ladies' Wardrobe Room
10:37 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I was still a little winded from my training session with Anubis but at least I was cleaned off, while part of me wanted to hit the hay Walt was depending on me. This meant that now was time for training of a different sort...how to act in a formal setting as taught by my grandmother Nephthys.
"Now remember my dear in a setting like this, silent grace is the key, you need to stay poised in order to present the aura of refinement- think of a duck upon a pond how they elegantly appear to glide across the surface of the water."
"Honestly how could anyone appear to move without moving?" I asked wondering about her reasoning behind the metaphor.
"Because grace is as much a discipline as the techniques of combat," grandmother Nephthys continued to explain, "much like the duck upon the pond effort is hidden- minimalized so that casual observation cannot witness the effort. The shoulders for example should be kept square but not tight, the back should be straight but not rigid and the head should be kept up but not stiff- I know that it seems like a lot but the key to decorum is to present an elegant veneer. This is so that reading you becomes like reading a pond with your eyes, it is almost impossible to discern what is concealed within its depths this way your intent remains hidden, this will be vital given how Miss Bliss is a fallen Sidhe noblewoman such practices come to her as easy as breathing.
"So in other words I need to hide my emotions," I remarked, "I guess that my captor taught me something useful after all- to how to remain subdued and keep my emotions bottled."
"Yes and no," my grandmother responded, "keeping your emotions bottled can be counter-productive in the long run, the key is to control them not constrain them- you are the master of your feelings not the other way around. Like any art or skill, decorum will take time to master; you just need to keep your intent hidden until the time is right, your grandfather will handle the details until it is time to save your friend."
"He can really handle everything?" I asked hoping that he could handle a plan to rescue my... best friend.
"Your grandfather has spent centuries in the human underworld during his unfortunate exile from the court of the Burning Disc, he is as much in his element as a bull hippopotamus is in the Nile," grandmother Nephthys explained with a smile, "he appears to be a calm part of the landscape from a distance but those who share the water with him know that he is to be respected and feared. Now that is enough lessons for tonight, we still need to get you dressed and ready to attend- you are you grandfather's plus one for tonight."
As grandmother finished her explanation we another djinni came in this one with the head of some kind of horn-billed bird, "I am Rehema milady," the woman explained with a brief cross-armed bow, "I will be crafting and fitting your outfit for your and Lord Set's excursion."
"Um the auction starts in a little over an hour," I observed out of concern, "will there really be time to create sew an outfit the quickly?"
"For a djinni trained in the craft it will take mere moment," Rehema explained as numerous spoils of thread emerged from behind hidden panels in the wall, "I am only disappointed that I will not get to design your ensemble entirely from scratch, however I think an outfit from the mimicking that of Ptolemaic Dynasty will suffice for your outing."
With a wave of her arms Rehema's arms became a fog that drifted past me and over to the spools of thread which then began to unwind and drift into the fogbank and then before my eyes thread began to weave into cloth that appeared to be a cream-colored pleated one-piece dress with a single strap and sleeve for my left arm, meaning my right arm and shoulder were going to be bare. As soon as the dress was finished a shawl and some manner of tube-like skirt were crafted as well. Soon a mannequin emerged from the wall as well and the outfit was fitting over it, "It is done milady," Rehema explained with another cross-armed bow, "as for your accessories Lord Set picked those out for you himself."
A box that had been sitting of to the side in the room floated over and the items in question floated out after it opened; at first was a three-coiled necklace which met in the middle to share one clasp to a barren disc of metal on both sides; this was obviously a place holder for my amulet. Next were a pair of ornate bracelets that would cover my wrists and a pair of signet rings, finally a pair of simple but well-designed sandals were laid that the mannequin's feet to complete the ensemble somehow, I knew that I would look good in the outfit.
"These accessories are more than mere jewelry child," grandmother began to explain; "the bracelets and necklace are dormant armor that you can active by crossing your arms over your chest and touching the bracelets to the necklace. As for the rings they are an ancient weapon known as a cestus, touch the signets together to use them, with your skill in boxing you should find them useful. Now while Rehema helps you get dressed I shall work on your makeup, I do want my granddaughter to look beautiful for her first outing into society."
"Of course Nana Nephy," I replied shocking Rehema and eliciting the strangest look on grandmother Nephthys's face.
At first she looked stunned and then I could see a grin so wide that would have been on display even without the illusion of a human head masking her true avian vestige.
"Oh, if you only knew how many millennia I have waited to hear something like that child," my grandmother tearfully beamed with joy, "even after your father and grandfather were exiled I pestered your uncle Anubis constantly to find some nice djinni to settle down with so I could hear those words. If only we were together for you to say them as a child at my knee," she sighed with a touch of regret, "but such is the fickle ways of fate."
"Do not worry Nana Nephy," I smiled as I hugged the ancient djinn, "maybe fate will be kind enough to let you hear them from your great-grandchildren in a decade or two."
"Maybe however do not rush it on my account," grandma Nephy explained with a wry grin on her elegant face, "I doubt that the father would survive the wrath of your father let alone your grandfather." Somehow, we couldn't help it but that remark filled the room with laughter- elevating much of the prior tension as they helped me get ready for the auction.
The Black Solstice Lounge - Public Main Hall
11:41 PM
Miss Bliss looked on at the guests both usual and unusual who are making their way through the public lobby and to the VIP elevators that concealed the true source of her income- her Black-Market Auction House. Through it the former Sidhe noblewoman enjoyed a status as close as she could to her prior luxury within the Winter Court. Sometimes she sold goods manufactured by her servants in a local sweat shop granted that if one knew where to look on the Goblin Markets the same goods could likely be found for much cheaper- but then again, her auction house was also far safer.
Sure, enough heavyweights of the criminal underworld and practitioners of the dark arts alike began to trickle in through the door, illustrious individuals such as Friar Rush, Lady Jettatura, Strega, Devilmaster, and Mr. Magic. Granted there were several faces who were now absent Plagiat and Harrow were both now dead, victims of Erzebet Scratch's vengeance and expansion, such was the ways of the dark arts. Troll Bride was absent as well after a fiasco where she tried to use forged documentation to claim ownership of an auction item last year resulted on her being black-listed, leaving Hexmaster without a plus one as his wife would never allow him to bring an escort other than herself. Nimbus was also another no show granted he was now on the run from his superiors in The Syndicate after he and Deathlist violated the Whateley Academy truce.
Don Kulmatz arriving was always a welcome surprise, while the ins and outs of his organization which mainly operated in Mexico and Guatemala, were ambiguous to say the least their money which Don Kulmatz would often spend on Mesoamerican artifacts was more than welcome. It was always odd however that he instantly knew which artifacts were of true importance and which were merely looted cultural treasures, however if there was one thing that Miss Bliss always appreciated it was a good mystery that didn't relate to her personally- it kept life interesting and gave her something to fill empty time in the off hours.
Professor Id however who just entered however was most assuredly not a welcome sight, the self-described head of the global black market and criminal with a whole filing cabinet of charges on file with the Hague War Crimes Tribunal dating back to the organization's original foundation rarely bid on anything and many participants hated him on a personal level. If anything, he considered her action house to be a dinner theater and the bidding war was the main attraction, she actually wondered if he had something to do with the fights that had broken out between super-villains in the auction house over certain items was his doing.
Well- well- well Apis, likely this was who Power Broker hand sent to bid on his behalf and he had one of his Hathorides with him as a plus one, why any intelligent woman (human or otherwise) would have such low self-esteem to willingly have herself turned into a slavishly loyal harem member in exchange for becoming a faux-exemplar was beyond her comprehension. Puck was indeed correct- 'what fools these mortals be' indeed.
Miss Bliss spotted Qian Khai the moment he came in the door, the man had all the signs of being one of the walking wounded. Not that she could blame the Xue-jin Mushi, the head of the Merchants of Suffering was one for orders not excuses and the sad fact of the matter was when it came to an auction there was always the risk of someone having deeper pockets then you did, especially when your pockets belonged to a cult of greedy human, drug and arms traffickers. When it came write down to it she was glad that she put a sluagh on duty to monitor him during the auction, because he looked like the kind who might panic given that his life was literally on the line to take home his prize.
Dust Bowl was a far more interesting sight, the terrakinetic sorceress representing Erzebet Scratch was a fascinating contradiction to the eyes- a mix of glamorous sophistication with a touch of rustic flare marked her as one who knew what it took to move in any social circle. Part of the woman conjured up her Miss Bliss's days in the Winter Court and the ladies of rival houses that she routinely came into contact with- one thing was for certain if this was one of Erzebet Scratch's lieutenants she never wanted to run afoul of the lady herself.
As for her escort Miss Bliss had to look twice at the man, he looked like he was built rather than born- every fiber of her being screamed that the man was dangerous and more in the manner of an unexploded bomb than some mere bodyguard. It went without saying that, at least in her eyes, Dust Bowl's plus one was likely going to be one of the most potentially terrifying unknowns in the room; if things went south Miss Bliss wasn't certain that she could deal with that man given that Shakedown was MIA.
Finally, Miss Bliss beheld the individual who she had been dreading, now she knew what Drisune meant by Lord Ataxia reborn. Indeed, Lord Khamsin was nothing like the wizened and faded being that he once was, this individual didn't just look like he could hold his own in a fight- he looked like he could hold his own in a dozen fights simultaneously. If this meant that Lord Khamsin was now as strong a fighter as a djinn of his supposed age should be while keeping Lord Ataxia's feared mystic abilities then he was trouble beyond a mere capital T.
Part of her hoped that whatever the djinn was here for it was just to flex his rejuvenated muscles in front of a crowd- but also who was the girl on his arm. Miss Bliss looked as hard as she could but just could not place her- who was this girl and what was she doing accompanying Lord Khamsin- while she may have liked mysteries that didn't count when they were accompanying a potential threat.
Briefly Miss Bliss shook herself as she stared at the clock- taking a moment to straighten her dress and steel herself the sidhe took up a microphone and strode out onto the stage overlooking the dinner theater style gallery for her guests. As the synchronized antique grandfather clocks to the sides of the stage chimed she knew that it was time to get the show on the road. "Welcome once again to the Solstice Lounge my distinguished guests to another night of excitement beneath the City of Sin as we begin our monthly Witching Hour Auction."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 24
Gallery of Effort - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:52? PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I let my newly revealed uncle Anubis guide me to one of the many rooms hidden beneath the resort that my real family called home. I had to admit that I was still amazed at just how much my life had changed over a few scant hours: I just found out that I was a girl who had literally been trapped in a boy's body my whole life (not metaphorically either the old me was a shell made of clay and magic that contained my real body). I also found out that my mother, if you could ever call someone who treated her son as she did a mother, Melanie Ledoux was actually complicit in the abduction of my real mother Angela Seguin before I was born. I also learned that my dad was a djinn with deep connections to the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom and that not only did I have an entire extended family of djinn but one which had been worshipped as gods by the Ancient Egyptians.
On top of all of this I was about to get in some combat training with my uncle Anubis- although, "Um, I'm sorry for asking Uncle Anubis but... weren't you pretty much considered the God of Funerals in Egypt?"
"As much as I would enjoy arguing otherwise... you are correct," Anubis sighed with a shrug, "granted in the mindset of the Ancient Egyptians I had other duties but we tried as hard as we could to resist the roles that religion confined us to, although you could almost say that our roles became akin to the lamps for our principality."
Granted that I am far from an ideal opponent to challenge you and aide you to grow along the path of combat, however I do know more than enough to help you get a feel for your new powers and abilities. "In the future however, you will have your father and grandfather to train with and the two of them are especially fluent in the ways of combat." The earth elemental djinn elaborated as he removed two staves from the wall, "your grandfather especially- the school of combat he invented went on to inspire the Med'jai who later came to serve the Pharaoh and Egypt as a whole."
"Granted he is a little old-fashioned in combat, a long time ago a great many in our kingdom succumbed to a form of mind control; however, father's mental discipline and experience fighting the Old Ones allowed him to resist, unlike myself." Anubis sighed as I could tell that this was a painful story but one that he needed to tell, I guess the old saying was true confession must be good for the soul. "While I was under the control of an Old One known as the Black Pharaoh who had turned our late monarch into a puppet I used a dark spell on him, one that he only recently overcame. After attacking him, he was thrown from the Royal Solar Barge and your father was sent to finish him off, it was during this hunt that father was able to trap and free him from the Black Pharaoh's control."
"That was a few thousand years ago, ever since they have worked to undo the damage that my curse inflicted while searching for a way to liberate our people from the influence of the Black Pharaoh. A scant few months ago they succeeded in doing both, and now we are further blessed with your return to our house."
"That's another thing- how come I'm so welcome here?" I asked wondering if this was all too good to be true, "I mean it's not like I'm not grateful, I mean I am, but blood relation or not I'm a complete stranger how do you know that I wasn't raised to be an assassin or something?"
"From what father's intelligence network has uncovered your 'mother' was a mercenary hired by the Cult of the Black Pharaoh, from what we have discovered she was hired to raise you to feel isolated and afraid to leave. From the golem they had woven around you it was likely they wanted you around until you came of age, once that happened then they would either sacrifice you to the Black Pharaoh for his favor or use you as the groundwork to lay another curse upon the Principality of the Blazing Disc. The latter is very possible, Dagon the High Priest in the Cult of Cthulhu did something similar to the merfolk- albeit on a much larger scale and far more horrifically permanent."
"Whoa- whoa- whoa!" I stammered out at that revelation, "You mean to say that not only are djinn which we both are real, but so are mermaids!"
"Correct," Anubis replied with his stoic expression, "granted your chance of meeting a real mermaid at this moment are about as likely as finding a stray handful of gold dust in the Sahara. Merfolk, humanity and djinn were each were a part of the three of the Five-Fold Courts that predated the modern age of man, with dragon-kind and faerie comprising the remaining two. In one manner of speaking those two courts are also both in a far more stable position than us; at the very least the modern factions of those courts have diplomatic relationships. Many of the surviving principalities of the djinn either fail to maintain diplomatic ties of any sort or we actually refuse to acknowledge each other's existence."
"And out of idle curiosity, just what are those surviving principalities?" I asked somewhat regretting my curiosity.
"The Principality of the Golden Firmament which was worshipped across the Incan Empire and is ruled by Prince Inti son of Viracocha is actually far better off than ourselves at the moment," Anubis began to explain the current status of the djinn people and the daemons as a whole, "we have recently been trying to open a channel of diplomacy with them, however they have adopted an isolationist stance over the years as some of their principality suffered persecution under the Spanish a great many being attacked as if they were devils."
"The Principality of the Shining Mirror was worshipped across Central America prior to the arrival of the Spaniards; however, unlike their neighbors to the south, they were prone to tumultuous infighting- they actually went through four princes after the Sundering mainly through royal coups." my uncle shook his head at that group, "I think that the reigning prince of that lot is Prince Nanahuatzin however I could very well be wrong so do not quote me on that."
"The Principality of the Shimmering Rays which is still well thought of across the myriad of cultures of the Polynesian peoples is ruled by Prince Rangi although given the range of the territory his people associate with they are very difficult to get into contact with, particularly because Prince Rangi himself tends to be known by a different name by each culture."
"Those along with our own principality that of the Blazing Disc are the only survivors of the Twelve Principalities of the ancient Southern Court, however there is a fifth whose claim to any Principality is questionable at best." Anubis shook his head as he gripped his staff, "They call themselves the Principality of the Brass City- although they have no claim to that title and they are ruled by a foul ifrit known as Iblis. This is the bunch who gives djinn the bad name that we have across most of the world, which is hardly surprising given that they hold partial dominion over the hell dimension that is known as the Inferno and Iblis himself is synonymous with the devil to the point that millions consider us creatures of chaos and evil. This group has existed in the middle east in one form or another since ancient times with dark consequences for their neighbors as they aided Dagon against the merfolk and the less that is said about what they visited upon the local humans during the reign of Iblis's predecessor Utu the better."
"So, are you saying that one of our race is the devil?" I recoiled in shock from that revelation- granted the woman who led me to believe that she was my mother was hardly a religious person but still this was a lot to process.
"Yes and no, human belief is a powerful thing it can even create beings based on their collective belief known as tulpas, or even accidentally entrap beings such as djinn in a role based on collective belief if there are enough people behind said belief. Perception is a powerful thing, and that is one tool which I will be teaching you to use as we train," my uncle explained as he tossed me a quarter-staff.
"Now we might have a very liberal amount of time in here, this place can take a toll on us the longer we are in here, djinn must be cautious around things of great age- especially that which is in poor condition. Your friend Daniel has informed us that you are practiced in the form of pugilism known as Western Boxing and have some informal training in the grappling form known as freestyle wrestling. While these can be useful foundations for combat training they espouse heavier forms of combat, that rely too much on holding your ground, you need to learn some techniques that focus on agility- let us start with something that would build a good foundation for that Maasai staff-fighting."
I nodded as I mirrored my uncle's stance with the staff, no matter what I was going to help rescue Walt.
Executive Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
8:53 PM
Lord Khamsin looked through the monitor as his son and granddaughter stumbled looking haggard and exhausted from the Gallery of Effort, well aware of how the pair were suffering from the weakness of our kind. "I hope that they used their time well, it will be some time before either of them can use the Gallery again; maybe once Iris gets to Whateley then Morrigan and I will finally have an excuse to pool fae spellcraft and djinn construction to make one more like those from back in the old days."
"Granted we would still need someone from the Northern Court to provide the proper materials and Eastern Court to aide in enchanting them, they literally don't make them like they used to anymore." Lord Khamsin sighed as he looked back on his childhood memories of the Five-Fold Court however brief it was before the War with the Great Old Ones which lead to The Sundering.
"Thinking back to older times," Lord Khamsin recognized the source of the voice as his dear wife Lady Nephthys, "the two of us are probably among the few dozen beings who are old enough to actually remember what life in the Five-Fold Courts was like, even if it was right before the war began."
"And that number has already shrunk by two this year alone," Set sighed as he thought back to just how short that list really was, "Queen Aunghadheil's final shreds of conscious were snuffed out by a cultist's spell a couple of months ago and a few months before that Old Greyback left our plain of existence entirely for the Dreamlands. Even among the Circle few actually want to truly mend relations between the courts into a new form- some actually care little for those who we are trying to save with our mission."
"I can't even imagine the burdens you have taken upon yourself during our separation my dear," Lady Nephthys did her best to coax her husband out of his nostalgic melancholy, "all I can do is lend you my support for those burdens in the days to come."
"That is more than enough my dear," Lord Khamsin smiled at his beloved as he gazed at her avian visage over his shoulder, "also know that with the awakening of our granddaughter the Prophecy of the Four Maidens has begun to unfold- which will give our world some much needed hope for all our kinds against the stirring darkness."
"True but remember although the Four Maidens are awake none of them have undergone the trials meant to unlock their abilities to their fullest." Lady Nephthys reminded her husband of the way of their people, "Our own Ain hasn't undergone her trial of fire before presenting herself of the Throne of Prince Horus as a proper djinni of the principality. Also, we have yet to speak to Thoth about the matter and he is the one who assigns the trails of fire to the youth."
"I dread to hear his response," Lord Khamsin actually shivered over the possibilities, "The Maiden of the West will have to live as an animal in the wilderness for a season by her wits alone, the Southern Maiden will be having to save the life of her uncle Qingu and aide him in breaking Dagon's Curse, and the Northern Maiden will be needing the assistance of the Handmaiden of the Tao to commune with the father of her line before traveling across the country to Whateley. Given their trials as precedent I loath to anticipate what our granddaughter's own trial of awakening will be, and that doesn't even account for the danger she and the other three will face when it comes their time to fulfill their roles as the Four Maidens."
"You have never spoken to me about what you know of the second half of the Prophecy of the Four Maidens," Lady Nephthys inquired out of concern, "just what is the final task that our granddaughter and the other three have to accomplish that makes it such a tightly guarded secret?"
"I am sorry my dear, but those of us who know that information swore on our true names to remain silent on it until it comes time to inform the Four Maidens of their destiny," Lord Khamsin replied to his beloved wife's inquiry. "However, I can tell you that I do not envy the tasks that lay ahead of them, even though their final trials must be done for the future of the world, I still do not envy them for what lay in their future."
Lady Nephthys inquired no further on the matter as the two of them watched while servant djinn of their House collected Anubis and Ain to take them to a room where the pair could recover from their workout in the Gallery of Effort.
"Dear, I have some calls to make for us to attend Miss Bliss's underground auction tonight so that we can hope to save our granddaughter's friend." Lord Khamsin explained to his wife, "please see to it that one of your madeen craft her something suitable to wear to the event. I already laid something out for her should tonight's festivities go south but please ask the seamstress to keep their inactive forms in mind when designing her ensemble."
"I will see to it beloved," Lady Nephthys replied with a touch of sadness in her voice as her husband departed to attend to the coming affairs, despite their reunion there was still so much distance between the two of them and one day she hoped they would fully bridge the rift the Black Pharaoh created between them. Still a part of her prayed for her newly revealed granddaughter because as much as her husband had yet to reveal to her about the Prophecy of the Four Maidens she knew him well enough to know that Ain Ophios or as the human world would know her Iris Seguin had a difficult road ahead of her.
The Black Solstice Lounge - Miss Bliss's Personal Suite
10:17 PM
Miss Bliss glared as the door to her private room opened, promising in a loud silent moment that the intruder had best come baring good news to warrant disturbing her preparations for tonight's auction, or the end result for them would be...unpleasant. Soon the intruder was revealed to be Drisune one of Bliss's many servants from House Blackshore in the Realm of Winter with the Fae Lands, one of many servants who Miss Bliss then Lady Denitasa Blackshore the last heir standing had indentured to her prior to that final unfortunate Hell Tithe that saw the fall of her house.
"Yes Drisune," Miss Bliss acknowledged her servant, "I presume that you come baring tonight's guest list for our Witching Hour Auction."
"Yes milady," Drisune replied as she knelt and bowed her head in further deference, "the list of tonight's interested parties are quite extensive."
"You can spare me the usual attendees of our event," Miss Bliss explained as she went back to her wardrobe to assemble the ensemble for the auction, "instead tell me about any faces who I do not normally see- it spices things up."
"Very well milady," Drisune replied as she looked over her folder once again without daring to raise her head should Miss Bliss take it as a challenge to her authority (a reflex shared by many servants to the nobility of the Winter Court). "I hope to sate milady's curiosity. First off we have Qian Khai of the Merchants of Suffering who is attending with the authority of the reigning Xue-jin Mushi."
"Better keep a sluagh on him," Miss Bliss observed interrupting her servant, "as he is here on the current Xue-jin Mishi's orders that means that Mister Khai has likely been ordered to obtain our star item with the consequences of failure likely meaning a painful and highly symbolic death. The problem is that given how the Merchants worship a demon of avarice it also means that they are notorious tight-wads, meaning Mister Khai's spending will be capped. The moment the bidding gets too high he'll likely panic and I do so hate it when they have to clean our guest's out of the carpet and decor."
"Very well milady, I will alert security to keep a close yet discrete eye on him." Drisune observed as she penned her lady's orders in a conveniently prepared note section next to Qian Khai's name. "We also have a representative from Erzebet Scratch's Organization arriving, Dustbowl I believe the head of their El Paso Chapter House, they notified us that she is bringing a bodyguard- although the guard's identity is still unknown."
"Curious," Miss Bliss raised an eyebrow at that tidbit of information, "granted it is scarcely uncommon for guests to announce their plus-one when replying to an invitation. You are correct though, it is unusual for Erzebet Scratch to send a representative to one of our auctions; usually her organization prefers to do business directly with the Goblin Markets. Although as peculiar as this is we should not expect any hassle from that corner; Erzebet Scratch and those under have proper business etiquette down to a fine art-form, also their...relationship with the Merchants of Suffering might make Qian Khai hesitant about misbehaving."
"Understood milady," Drisune acknowledged before adding, "I shall also forward Dustbowl the wine list ahead of time as a measure of added hospitality to help foster relations with their organization."
"Someone back home might see that as ambition," Miss Bliss commented in a mildly threatening tone, "it is good that I know it is merely a practiced servant anticipating her Lady's desires. Who else might I look forward to making the acquaintance of this night?"
"Don Kulmatz will be flying in from Cholula milady; I know that he has attended before however I thought that you would at least desire to know given how he is an infrequent attendee." Drisune explained her voice in the same deferent tone as before.
"Still it is thoughtful of you to let me know my dear," Miss Bliss replied in a lilting tone, "keep this up and I might let you attend to me in the Jacuzzi after this evening's festivities are concluded."
"A lowly servant such as myself is unworthy of such a privilege milady," Drisune almost recoiled in shock, "I would sully the waters with my unworthy body."
"Oh, think nothing of it my dear," Miss Bliss laughed in response, "provided you wash yourself toughly beforehand of course. Now what other surprises does your list hold?"
"Professor Id has informed us that he will be attending tonight milady," Drisune continued doing her best to steady herself after Miss Bliss's earlier hint of a promise. "As for whether it will be truly Id himself in attendance or one of his many self-generated copies that remains to be seen."
"Hmm," Miss Bliss pondered this tidbit for a moment, "I find it unlikely that he is here for the Zodiac Gems or anything else that is up for auction tonight. It is far more likely that Professor Id will be here to watch the chaos that might erupt during the bidding war- not to mention learn the identity of the party who will gain possession of tonight's star attraction. Now I already know that Power Broker will be sending some proxy here to try and regain the gemstones, but please do not spoil that surprise- I want to see if I could pick out his little worm from out of our guests."
"Very well milady I shall not reveal that guest's identity, however there is one guest who I do not think that you will be too pleased to see tonight." Drisune hesitantly began to explain the presence of the one guest who Miss Bliss would likely not wish to see at the auction tonight. "Lord Khamsin has informed us that he will be in attendance this evening."
"Lord Khamsin- Lord Khamsin-" Miss Bliss chewed that name over in her mouth not finding any familiarity with it at the moment, "I cannot recall anyone by that name, Drisune my dear please refresh my memory- just who is this Lord Khamsin?"
"Lord Khamsin is the new title chosen by our regional patron... Lord Ataxia." Drisune squeaked out before her bow devolved into a clear example of duck and cover.
"Lord Ataxia- Lord Ataxia, what does that musty mummified djinn want now." Miss Bliss all but snarled with anger, "The smell of his desecrated form alone will make our guests so sick to their stomachs that it will put a serious dent in any money from them for drinks and hors d'oeuvres."
"I apologize on behalf of whoever failed to keep milady abreast about the current state of local affairs," Drisune pleaded as she laid trembling on the ground, "however Lord Ataxia has somehow managed to restore his form; he is no longer mummified and as such has taken the new title of Lord Khamsin. Apparently, he is also no longer vulnerable to sunlight, he has been seen in unfiltered daylight and our local informants have confirmed that this is not a replacement, somehow Lord Ataxia now has the body of a djinn in his prime along with his known range of magic."
"Well at least he will not be affecting our secondary profits tonight, still that raises a serious question- Just why is Lord Ata- I mean Lord Khamsin going to be here tonight?" Miss Bliss asked as for the first time since establishing herself in Las Vegas over a decade ago following her exile from the Winter Court she was unsettled. "He has never attended any of our auctions before, not even by proxy. What interests him this evening, is it the Zodiac Gems?"
"I do not know milady," Drisune replied as she remained in her earlier position, "however his reply indicated a plus one, and it cannot be Greygus I have heard tale that he is over on the Northern part of the East Coast at the moment likely either New York City or Boston, of which I am uncertain."
"Then just who would Lord Khamsin trust enough to accompany him to the auction?" Miss Bliss asked herself once again before shaking her head, "There are still too many unknowns with our benefactor, and so much we do not know about him- and unknowns can be dangerous. Drisune tell security to keep their eye on Lord Khamsin and his guest- just in case."
"Very well milady," Drisune replied as she got to her feet yet remained bowed, "I shall carry out your desires at once."
Miss Bliss looked on as her servant left the room, she knew deep down that tonight was going to be anything but routine now all that she had left was to wait and hope that this wasn't going to ruin tonight.
Sunday April 22nd, 2007
O'Hare International Airport - Terminal 3, Concourse L
Chicago, Illinois
12:20 AM CDT
After over four hours in transit Melanie Ledoux was brimming with a potent cauldron of anticipation mixed with frustration, she had spent over fifteen years of her life on her previous assignment only for her assignment "Paul" to suddenly decide to develop an independent streak and go to the one city that she had expressly forbade him from ever visiting- Las Vegas.
Somehow over the last week the spells that had been woven into the brat's very flesh had become damaged during a simple lunchroom brawl, endangering her employers plans as well as threatening to turn a decade and a half of her life into wasted time. She had been forced to make emergency plans to take him to her employer's secondary base in St. Augustine to have his body and wards repaired- or at least patched long enough to keep the brat complacent until the ceremony this summer.
Unfortunately, the damage that thug did to the brat's wards must have been greater than she had imagined, and for the first time in forever he had been able to muster the will-power to sneak out of the house and run off to Las Vegas with his punch-drunk friends for the day. Melanie had no illusions about what must have happened in the hours since she had seen her assignment, the brat's wards were already damaged and in the heart territory of its grandfather's (who she had been warned was now more powerful than he had been in centuries) territory it was only a matter of time until the wards failed and the brat wormed it's way out of its prison.
Once the brat was free his grandfather's people would find it in no-time and then waste no time in attempting to track Melanie herself down for interrogation and likely execution. Fortunately, she had been prepared to leave already and never come back, and took an added precaution to toss bleach on anything that might contain a sample of herself big enough for them to use to track her down. Although she had covered her tracks well enough to evade the brat's real family there was still a matter of her employers; they needed someone of that brat's bloodline that wasn't of age yet for their curse, and since the brat was MIA that meant she was SOL.
Thankfully it appeared Lady Luck had decided to cut Melanie a break, as it turned out the brat's grandpa decided to celebrate having his balls back by bumping uglies with his servants, resulting in a happy accident on the way and Melanie's way to recover from a nasty fumble. Her employers didn't only know the target's name but also her location, and were more than happy to let Melanie do the heavy lifting.
Granted that Melanie was more than equipped for the abduction that they had assigned her, given that she had plenty of proper equipment laying around in case she had been made long ago. It had actually been a simple mission, as there was only one real guardian of any consequence nearby, and in no time at all Melanie had her target secured and sedated in a crate that was prepared to sneak her past the TSA's laughable security and in a crate into the hold of her flight to Chicago.
Now there was just waiting for her employer's emissary to make contact so that she could put this job behind her and receive her long overdue reward, after that all that she had left was to enjoy the fruits of her labor somewhere out of the way and out of the country. Seven minutes went by before an individual matching her usual contacts with the Order of the Black Pharaoh came by to sit directly behind her, cautiously Melanie gave her code phrase, "Even the sun has its darkness."
A tense moment followed before he responded, "That may be but the darkness of the sun is still too much for mortals. I trust that you have the substitute package that we sent you for after you lost the prior one."
"To be fair I never would have lost the original if your Order's wards hadn't fallen," Melanie replied with a tick of annoyance in her voice, "but yes she's in a crate in the cargo-claims area. I trust that you have my payment, once I receive it the claim's slip and the cargo is yours to do with as you please."
"Very well," the contact set a tote bag underneath his chair and with a nudge from his right leg kicked it over to Melanie's side.
Like a professional Melanie retrieved the bag and inspected the contents: Inside was a prepaid credit card (with a note promising a $5000 load more than enough for a first), twenty stacks of 500€ bills (2,000,000€), and a notarized envelope containing account information for a Swiss Bank account with an 8 million Euro balance. Aside from the money there was also a passport and papers that didn't exactly match Melanie Ledoux along with a strange corked vial of some glowing green liquid secured in a Styrofoam brick.
Melanie took a moment to thumb through the bills until she was certain that they were the real thing before digging a manila envelope out of her own luggage and slipped it to her contact between the seats. "I'll trust that the potion works as promised if not the amount will still make a nice nest egg to retire on. One question though what good is the package going to be if it isn't even ready yet, I thought that you needed it this summer?"
"We have a few ways to properly prepare the package despite it not being either ready or ripe," the contact replied in a vague manner. "Not that such a matter is any of your concern as your business with our order is now concluded."
"It was just a minor curiosity," Melanie commented as she stood, "honestly I could care less one way or another what you do with the package."
Her work now at an end Melanie Ledoux zipped the tote bag back up and casually made her way out of the Terminal and towards the entrance of the airport, however rather than exiting she took a quick note of the staff currently working the graveyard shift. Satisfied that they were more interested in busy work and staying awake, Melanie instead took a detour into the ladies' room.
Once inside Melanie took note that she couldn't see any peeking out from under the stall doors, which meant that she was alone- good as she didn't want to risk drawing any attention and thus unwanted questions. Satisfied that she was alone, having not noticing anything other than a weird ornamental air-freshener, Melanie ducked into the middle stall just in case and after lowering the changing table set her newly acquired tote bag down. Immediately the mercenary went for the glowing vial determined that she would lick off the icing before partaking in the cake. Carefully extracting the container from its Styrofoam prison Melanie looked at the verdant contents all but trembling in anticipation, not being able to wait a moment longer she uncorked the vial and downed its contents in a series of gulps.
For a moment nothing appeared to happen- then she felt the potion overtake her, her body appeared to tighten and ripple as her past middle-aged figure began to firm and wrinkles and gray-hairs vanished. Rather than screaming from the experience Melanie began to moan as the sensations coursing through her body as the ravages of age began to reverse them were anything but unpleasant. Eventually the sensations subsided although Melanie felt as if her bones and turned into jelly- in a good way.
Taking a moment to steady herself Melanie looked herself over for a moment before scrambling to get her compact out of her purse, once she had succeeded the mercenary used the tiny mirror to exam the results of her elixir-fueled metamorphosis. Sure enough it was just as the Order of the Black Pharaoh had promised her over a decade and a half ago when she agreed to do this job for them, they had given her back the years that she had spent working for them- with compound interest. 'Melanie' looked as young as she did when she graduated from the DeVille Academy nearly thirty years ago, granted that back then she didn't look this good- the potion hadn't just returned her squandered youth it idealized her as well.
"It is true," Melanie stated in a voice that she hadn't heard in decades, "youth really is wasted on the young."
"Not as much as it is on the condemned," Melanie felt like ice shot up her spine as she heard woman say right behind her. Out of shock she turned to see a woman's face right on the wall. Knowing from both her years of experience and training that she was in danger Melanie Ledoux tried to turn around to grab her duffle bag and flee when two pairs of arms emerged from the tile beneath her feet to grab onto her legs. Her momentum involuntarily halted, Melanie fell to the floor and found to her horror that more sets of arms emerged from the floor to latch on to her.
"What do you want?!?" Melanie demanded as she began to panic, "If it's money I have plenty in the bag!"
"What we want is you Melanie Ledoux, or is it Lilian DuPree," the mystery woman explained as she walked out of the wall, "Lord Khamsin has sent out a mission calling for your capture to any and all operatives of the Obsidian Circle, you will be interrogated to determine all that you know and once Lord Khamsin is satisfied whatever is left of you belongs to our mistress Erzebet Scratch."
Melanie was about to begin pleading for her life all over again when another pair of arms emerged near her face, one of them holding an ether-soaked handkerchief which was shoved in her face while the other hand held her head still until she succumbed to the anesthetic. Satisfied that 'Melanie' was out that pair of hands let go as did all the others, satisfied that she and her sisters had done their job the now emerged Revenant took out a changeling bauble and with a quick swing of the pendent shoved her prisoner inside. Satisfied that her work was done the Revenant then inspected the tote bag, much to her pleasant surprise all of the accounts were arranged so that anyone with the information inside the folder could access them.
"Mother will be most pleased with this tiddy bonus," the Revenant smiled as she threw the pendent with their prisoner inside the bag, and zipped it back up- right before sinking into the floor to journey with her siblings back to the Chicago Chapter House once again pleased that another mission had gone so smoothly.
Saturday April 21st, 2007
Velvet Floor - Ladies' Wardrobe Room
10:37 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I was still a little winded from my training session with Anubis but at least I was cleaned off, while part of me wanted to hit the hay Walt was depending on me. This meant that now was time for training of a different sort...how to act in a formal setting as taught by my grandmother Nephthys.
"Now remember my dear in a setting like this, silent grace is the key, you need to stay poised in order to present the aura of refinement- think of a duck upon a pond how they elegantly appear to glide across the surface of the water."
"Honestly how could anyone appear to move without moving?" I asked wondering about her reasoning behind the metaphor.
"Because grace is as much a discipline as the techniques of combat," grandmother Nephthys continued to explain, "much like the duck upon the pond effort is hidden- minimalized so that casual observation cannot witness the effort. The shoulders for example should be kept square but not tight, the back should be straight but not rigid and the head should be kept up but not stiff- I know that it seems like a lot but the key to decorum is to present an elegant veneer. This is so that reading you becomes like reading a pond with your eyes, it is almost impossible to discern what is concealed within its depths this way your intent remains hidden, this will be vital given how Miss Bliss is a fallen Sidhe noblewoman such practices come to her as easy as breathing.
"So in other words I need to hide my emotions," I remarked, "I guess that my captor taught me something useful after all- to how to remain subdued and keep my emotions bottled."
"Yes and no," my grandmother responded, "keeping your emotions bottled can be counter-productive in the long run, the key is to control them not constrain them- you are the master of your feelings not the other way around. Like any art or skill, decorum will take time to master; you just need to keep your intent hidden until the time is right, your grandfather will handle the details until it is time to save your friend."
"He can really handle everything?" I asked hoping that he could handle a plan to rescue my... best friend.
"Your grandfather has spent centuries in the human underworld during his unfortunate exile from the court of the Burning Disc, he is as much in his element as a bull hippopotamus is in the Nile," grandmother Nephthys explained with a smile, "he appears to be a calm part of the landscape from a distance but those who share the water with him know that he is to be respected and feared. Now that is enough lessons for tonight, we still need to get you dressed and ready to attend- you are you grandfather's plus one for tonight."
As grandmother finished her explanation we another djinni came in this one with the head of some kind of horn-billed bird, "I am Rehema milady," the woman explained with a brief cross-armed bow, "I will be crafting and fitting your outfit for your and Lord Set's excursion."
"Um the auction starts in a little over an hour," I observed out of concern, "will there really be time to create sew an outfit the quickly?"
"For a djinni trained in the craft it will take mere moment," Rehema explained as numerous spoils of thread emerged from behind hidden panels in the wall, "I am only disappointed that I will not get to design your ensemble entirely from scratch, however I think an outfit from the mimicking that of Ptolemaic Dynasty will suffice for your outing."
With a wave of her arms Rehema's arms became a fog that drifted past me and over to the spools of thread which then began to unwind and drift into the fogbank and then before my eyes thread began to weave into cloth that appeared to be a cream-colored pleated one-piece dress with a single strap and sleeve for my left arm, meaning my right arm and shoulder were going to be bare. As soon as the dress was finished a shawl and some manner of tube-like skirt were crafted as well. Soon a mannequin emerged from the wall as well and the outfit was fitting over it, "It is done milady," Rehema explained with another cross-armed bow, "as for your accessories Lord Set picked those out for you himself."
A box that had been sitting of to the side in the room floated over and the items in question floated out after it opened; at first was a three-coiled necklace which met in the middle to share one clasp to a barren disc of metal on both sides; this was obviously a place holder for my amulet. Next were a pair of ornate bracelets that would cover my wrists and a pair of signet rings, finally a pair of simple but well-designed sandals were laid that the mannequin's feet to complete the ensemble somehow, I knew that I would look good in the outfit.
"These accessories are more than mere jewelry child," grandmother began to explain; "the bracelets and necklace are dormant armor that you can active by crossing your arms over your chest and touching the bracelets to the necklace. As for the rings they are an ancient weapon known as a cestus, touch the signets together to use them, with your skill in boxing you should find them useful. Now while Rehema helps you get dressed I shall work on your makeup, I do want my granddaughter to look beautiful for her first outing into society."
"Of course Nana Nephy," I replied shocking Rehema and eliciting the strangest look on grandmother Nephthys's face.
At first she looked stunned and then I could see a grin so wide that would have been on display even without the illusion of a human head masking her true avian vestige.
"Oh, if you only knew how many millennia I have waited to hear something like that child," my grandmother tearfully beamed with joy, "even after your father and grandfather were exiled I pestered your uncle Anubis constantly to find some nice djinni to settle down with so I could hear those words. If only we were together for you to say them as a child at my knee," she sighed with a touch of regret, "but such is the fickle ways of fate."
"Do not worry Nana Nephy," I smiled as I hugged the ancient djinn, "maybe fate will be kind enough to let you hear them from your great-grandchildren in a decade or two."
"Maybe however do not rush it on my account," grandma Nephy explained with a wry grin on her elegant face, "I doubt that the father would survive the wrath of your father let alone your grandfather." Somehow, we couldn't help it but that remark filled the room with laughter- elevating much of the prior tension as they helped me get ready for the auction.
The Black Solstice Lounge - Public Main Hall
11:41 PM
Miss Bliss looked on at the guests both usual and unusual who are making their way through the public lobby and to the VIP elevators that concealed the true source of her income- her Black-Market Auction House. Through it the former Sidhe noblewoman enjoyed a status as close as she could to her prior luxury within the Winter Court. Sometimes she sold goods manufactured by her servants in a local sweat shop granted that if one knew where to look on the Goblin Markets the same goods could likely be found for much cheaper- but then again, her auction house was also far safer.
Sure, enough heavyweights of the criminal underworld and practitioners of the dark arts alike began to trickle in through the door, illustrious individuals such as Friar Rush, Lady Jettatura, Strega, Devilmaster, and Mr. Magic. Granted there were several faces who were now absent Plagiat and Harrow were both now dead, victims of Erzebet Scratch's vengeance and expansion, such was the ways of the dark arts. Troll Bride was absent as well after a fiasco where she tried to use forged documentation to claim ownership of an auction item last year resulted on her being black-listed, leaving Hexmaster without a plus one as his wife would never allow him to bring an escort other than herself. Nimbus was also another no show granted he was now on the run from his superiors in The Syndicate after he and Deathlist violated the Whateley Academy truce.
Don Kulmatz arriving was always a welcome surprise, while the ins and outs of his organization which mainly operated in Mexico and Guatemala, were ambiguous to say the least their money which Don Kulmatz would often spend on Mesoamerican artifacts was more than welcome. It was always odd however that he instantly knew which artifacts were of true importance and which were merely looted cultural treasures, however if there was one thing that Miss Bliss always appreciated it was a good mystery that didn't relate to her personally- it kept life interesting and gave her something to fill empty time in the off hours.
Professor Id however who just entered however was most assuredly not a welcome sight, the self-described head of the global black market and criminal with a whole filing cabinet of charges on file with the Hague War Crimes Tribunal dating back to the organization's original foundation rarely bid on anything and many participants hated him on a personal level. If anything, he considered her action house to be a dinner theater and the bidding war was the main attraction, she actually wondered if he had something to do with the fights that had broken out between super-villains in the auction house over certain items was his doing.
Well- well- well Apis, likely this was who Power Broker hand sent to bid on his behalf and he had one of his Hathorides with him as a plus one, why any intelligent woman (human or otherwise) would have such low self-esteem to willingly have herself turned into a slavishly loyal harem member in exchange for becoming a faux-exemplar was beyond her comprehension. Puck was indeed correct- 'what fools these mortals be' indeed.
Miss Bliss spotted Qian Khai the moment he came in the door, the man had all the signs of being one of the walking wounded. Not that she could blame the Xue-jin Mushi, the head of the Merchants of Suffering was one for orders not excuses and the sad fact of the matter was when it came to an auction there was always the risk of someone having deeper pockets then you did, especially when your pockets belonged to a cult of greedy human, drug and arms traffickers. When it came write down to it she was glad that she put a sluagh on duty to monitor him during the auction, because he looked like the kind who might panic given that his life was literally on the line to take home his prize.
Dust Bowl was a far more interesting sight, the terrakinetic sorceress representing Erzebet Scratch was a fascinating contradiction to the eyes- a mix of glamorous sophistication with a touch of rustic flare marked her as one who knew what it took to move in any social circle. Part of the woman conjured up her Miss Bliss's days in the Winter Court and the ladies of rival houses that she routinely came into contact with- one thing was for certain if this was one of Erzebet Scratch's lieutenants she never wanted to run afoul of the lady herself.
As for her escort Miss Bliss had to look twice at the man, he looked like he was built rather than born- every fiber of her being screamed that the man was dangerous and more in the manner of an unexploded bomb than some mere bodyguard. It went without saying that, at least in her eyes, Dust Bowl's plus one was likely going to be one of the most potentially terrifying unknowns in the room; if things went south Miss Bliss wasn't certain that she could deal with that man given that Shakedown was MIA.
Finally, Miss Bliss beheld the individual who she had been dreading, now she knew what Drisune meant by Lord Ataxia reborn. Indeed, Lord Khamsin was nothing like the wizened and faded being that he once was, this individual didn't just look like he could hold his own in a fight- he looked like he could hold his own in a dozen fights simultaneously. If this meant that Lord Khamsin was now as strong a fighter as a djinn of his supposed age should be while keeping Lord Ataxia's feared mystic abilities then he was trouble beyond a mere capital T.
Part of her hoped that whatever the djinn was here for it was just to flex his rejuvenated muscles in front of a crowd- but also who was the girl on his arm. Miss Bliss looked as hard as she could but just could not place her- who was this girl and what was she doing accompanying Lord Khamsin- while she may have liked mysteries that didn't count when they were accompanying a potential threat.
Briefly Miss Bliss shook herself as she stared at the clock- taking a moment to straighten her dress and steel herself the sidhe took up a microphone and strode out onto the stage overlooking the dinner theater style gallery for her guests. As the synchronized antique grandfather clocks to the sides of the stage chimed she knew that it was time to get the show on the road. "Welcome once again to the Solstice Lounge my distinguished guests to another night of excitement beneath the City of Sin as we begin our monthly Witching Hour Auction."
6 years 7 months ago #32
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
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Unknown
Birthdate:
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Valle De Merced Apartments - Roof Top
Durango, Colorado
12:07 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
To be honest I was equal parts excited and terrified right now; on the one hand here I was working alongside three of the most celebrated heroes in Chinese folklore, on the other hand I was about to go into battle against a cult who had enslaved me and had a small army of Jiangshi as well as three powerful beings waiting to be unleashed. In all we had to play this smart as if we were caught fighting in the open for too long it risked innocent civilians not only getting hurt but also being killed and used by the Merchants of Suffering to create more Jiangshi to add to their forces.
While fighting the Jiangshi would be problematic given that they were single-minded, felt no pain, and could slowly drain your qi if they got too close; they did have their weaknesses- one's that we did use to arm ourselves. Fire by far was the most readily available weapon against the Jiangshi; Zhu Bajie was well known for a technique that let him breath out a stream of fire like a flame-thrower with a spell that he kept to himself, not that I would need magic as a pyrokinetic I could transform the smallest spark into a fierce flame and manipulate it with a slight amount of concentration.
Sha Wujing and Sun Wukong however had chosen to arm themselves with other known weaknesses of the Jiangshi. While mirrors by far were the best-known defense against the hopping horde of vampirical cadavers, they were too brittle and wouldn't last long in a fight; just as well the sight of too many of their undead horde retreating would rapidly draw the attention of the Merchants and ruin our strategy. Fortunately, they had more obscure weaknesses than just fire and mirrors- namely peach wood and jujube seeds.
Sha Wujing had come prepared with hefty sacksful of the seeds and a blowgun, both of which could be used to take out the Jiangshi from a distance. Sun Wukong however had opted for a weapon with far shorter rang, peach wood short-staves while not as study as his (for now her) signature weapon the Ryuji Jingu Bang (compliant golden-hooped rod), she did have extras and every hit would weaken the Jiangshi until they were unable to move. Zhu Bajie was also given a sturdy peach wood club to use instead of his own signature Jiuchi-dingpa (nine-tooth iron muck-rake)
No, what we needed right now was to use stealth, guerilla tactics, and rapid mobility; tactics which Sha Wujing expressed as necessary but Zhu Bajie clearly found grating. "For crying out loud they're just a bunch of corpses, they don't move that fast, the four of us can take them out easy!"
"As I keep explaining to you, the moment we do so the Zhaoshang de Youhuan will send in Hai-er Hong," Sha Wujing once again explained our current dilemma to his stubborn compatriot, "as well as the asura and kuro-oni none of whom we want to face in a populated area. If we do not neutralize and dispatch the bulk of the Jiangshi they will become a threat when we fight those three, also we need to capture Hai-er Hong so that we can free him from whatever means the Zhaoshang de Youhuan is using to control him."
"Not to mention that we will still have to deal with those mercenaries from earlier," Son Wukong interjected, "I looked them up, the Masterson Brothers are a trio of heavily armed thugs-for-hire who will do any dirty job for the right price. Believe me from what I've read about them they are going to be back soon and more heavily armed and armored, Zhen-yu is their payday and they are not going to pass up the reward the Merchants are offering; also, while they are only the mortals who we are aware of that took the job given that it's an open bounty there are bound to be other interested parties."
"We also have to worry about getting this taken care of before Heaven's Thunder or Denver Gold gets here," I added in my own two cents to the discussion, "while they might be able to handle the Jiangshi, the Masterson Brothers and any other bounty-hunters that would show up after the reward for my capture, I really doubt that they could handle all three of the Merchant's trump cards."
"So, do you understand Bajie, the tactics for the moment are stealth, hit and run, and sniping; no direct confrontation until we thin out the heard of Jiangshi and make our way to more remote locations for the larger conflict ahead. The first step to victory is to not let your enemy dictate the terms of the confrontation, we must steer the path of the coming storm not let it follow its chosen course."
"Okay- fine- I get it," the pig-headed warrior fumed finally relenting (although who knows for how long) to Sha Wujing's cooler strategic mind. "We'll do it your way for now but even you know that a well-laid plan is always the first casualty of any battle."
"As I am well-aware," Sha Wujing admitted, "which is why we are going with a simple strategy rather than a well-laid plan, for which we need to split into two teams to maximize mobility. Wukong I need you to stick with Zhen-yu, you are our most experienced fighter and she will need you to cover her in case you need to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Zhen-yu I know that you have been practicing using your fire from a distance, how well is your aim?"
"So far good enough to hit a slow and predictable target," I sheepishly admitted to my laoshi, "fortunately Jiangshi qualify on both counts."
"That may be however you need to be careful, it is your qi that they are hunting for if get too close they will try to swarm you." Sha Wujing explained as he put a firm hand on my shoulder. "If that happens leave the close-fighting to Wukong, and support him with your fire from a distance."
"Don't be afraid of setting me on fire either, I doubt that you can make yours hot enough to hurt me." Sun Wukong explained as she began to fish around in a pack that she brought with her producing a pair of googles and two pairs of radio headsets. After strapping the googles on and fitting the radio headset to them she handed the other one to Sha Wujing, "this will help us keep in touch, I got them from a friend and he insisted that they are almost impossible to tap or listen in on their transmissions, just hold down on the button over the right earphone when you want to broadcast."
"I understand old friend, keep her safe," Sha Wujing stated as he took the headset and put it on as best as he could, "I swear that we will do all that we can to rescue Hai-er Hong."
"I know that you will old friend," Sun Wukong replied with a warm smile before she turned to me, "Come on Zhen-yu- we need to move the longer we stay still the more likely the Jiangshi are to find us before we're ready."
"I understand," I replied before adding in a word of my own, "but just in case those radios aren't as secure as you think they are- from now on refer to me as Duanzaolong."
"Forging Dragon huh," Sun Wukong mulled over my choice, "nice to see that you already picked out a codename- granted its a bit of a mouthful, but you will probably fit in well at the Academy."
As she hopped to another rooftop, I followed suit putting Sha Wujing's training into practice all the while mulling over the Monkey King's words. 'So, she's been to the place that the Handmaiden of the Tao is supposed to take me to- I really need to grill her for some more info when I have the time.' I thought to myself as I did my best to match her pace, she might be able to tell me more about the Eastern and Western Maidens.
Days Inn Durango- Roof Top
12:19 AM
"Yep, the Merchants of Suffering are here alright," an individual with cybernetic gear over a US Army Surplus Combat Uniform explained, "they're the only group that have the means and the logistics to make and deploy this many genuine Chinese hopping vampires at once while properly controlling them all."
"T'ak yo' for da' aceisment Corprahl Ahnaloog," Papa Houma replied from the corner of the roof that he was resting against, "looks like you 'ntel be right ohn da' monay, we be taking et from 'ere!"
"No," Tobias Olson the current Blizzard Wizard shot back to the undead Sweeper Ace, "this is about more than just a little pat on the back for us. I did some research on the asset that the Merchants are looking for it's a mutant girl with the ability to create enchantable gems, I'm hoping that if we keep her safe from the Merchants she can fix the focus gem in my late grandfather's staff."
"This is a Sweeper operation now kid," Corporal Analog interrupted as he all but glared at Tobias through his cybernetics.
"He's right," Ingrid in her newly modified Permafrost outfit did her best to talk down her little brother, "we called them, this is their show right now and they're the pros; face facts baby bro' this is out of our hands and out of our league."
"Now- now, de'ah be no reason dat averboday can't be 'appy," Papa Houma interjected trying to mollify the situation, "ah'll we be 'ere to do es make sure deh Mahchants don't geat de'ah way. We secure deh guhl then deh boy an' 'es sistah can ahsk 'er de'ah fahvah, don't mean she 'as to graant 'et!"
"All that I'm asking for is a chance to restore my family's legacy," Tobias stated trying to lay out his reasoning, "who knows I may even seek to join up with your crew."
"Wouldn't be the first time something like this happened," the tattoo laden member of the group chuckled as he was sitting nearby, "so Analog, when do we move out?"
"As soon as Reverent gets back Wicked Ink," the cyborg explained as he continued to survey the hunting troops of Jiangshi on the streets bellow. "We don't know where the Merchant's target is and according to radio chatter we already have reports of one conflict over at the College between her and a trio of mercs in power armor. Plus, we don't know if there are any more mercenaries out there or if the Merchants have more to throw at us than those hopping stiffs, not to mention that we also need to identify the mercenaries who've already shown up- the more we know the better we can handle the situation."
"Then what are we going to do about the hopping vampires?" The only lady with the group at the moment stated while tapping her foot, "I don't need my powers to know those things are dangerous. No offense boss but when it comes to the undead you and Rot are the exception NOT the rule."
"We do nothing Interspector," Corporal Analog replied as he continued to survey the area, "right now the Merchants of Suffering have no idea that we're even in the area, and I for one want to hold onto the element of surprise as long as we can."
"Yeah, besides the Boss Lady would love it if she heard that we caught those bastards with their pants down," Wicked Ink smiled, "it would really make her day when we hand them to her on a silver platter. I wonder if she'll give them to The Hangman?"
To amuse himself for the moment Papa Houma took a Magic 8-Ball™ (not really magic) out of his satchel and after a brief shake looked at the outcome: IT IS DECIDEDLY SO! Whether it was a part of a private joke, or him taking this as some sign that the universe was playing along with him, this simple act elicited a smile on the face of the undead bokour; one way or another tonight was going to be a memorable one.
Bloody Bastard - cockpit
12:20 AM
With repairs now complete and weapons reloaded, the Masterson Brothers focused on their next objective, finding their target to reengage and capture her. "Well Lloyd did you find that lizard bitch yet?" Rod inquired of his little brother as his patience continued to dissipate by the moment, "Every minute that you dick around with your gizmos and googas is more time for our score to skedaddle and leave us with nothing more than a fat stack of losses."
"Don't remind me fixing our suits ain't gonna be cheap, as is if our gear gets banged up again we're going to be lucky to break even on this job." Lloyd grumbled as he kept checking the thermal spikes on his surveillance drones, hoping that their quarry hadn't clued into half of the way they found her the last time, with the rest owing to the simple question where would a teenage girl on the run go to both hide and feel safe. So, last time he just hacked the city's police records on noise complaints and cross-referenced them with heat spikes- with the best match being at the college.
This time things would be far different, namely their mark knew that someone as hunting her so she'd stay away from areas that were too public, not only that she had help that could hold their own in a fight even managing to damage Syndicate-level power armor. No- matters would be far from easy, hell there was a chance that their earlier stunt would draw Heaven's Thunder to the area making their already difficult bounty hunting gig down-right impossible.
Knowing that the same trick wouldn't work twice Lloyd, toggled the motion-tracker feature on his drones and tightened their sweeping formations given that having two scanning features active at once decreased his drones scanning range due to the increase in RAM strain. Eventually Lloyd got a ping on the heat sensor from the group of drones at the northern edge of the city, after switching to the standard low-light camera what he saw made him sweat bullets.
"Hey," Bufford shuffled over to the surveillance console, "did you finally find where that scaly pain in the butt is hunkered down?" Taking a moment to stare at the screen something puzzled the brut, "Hey so you found some chinks in weird clothes...so what? Stop wasting time and find the lizard lady so we can catch her and get paid."
"Bufford, leave Lloyd alone so he can get some work done," Rod came stomping in to reprimand his cousin when he immediately took notice of the screen, "wait a minute, who called our clients before we completed our main objective?"
"I didn't and Bufford hasn't been able to use the communications equipment since I set up the isometric scanner." Lloyd explained, "I got a large heat signature ping in that area and switched on the camera and there they were- think they canceled the contract and decided to do the job in-house."
Concerned that their luck officially switched from lousy to SOL, Rod fired up their internet computer and looked for the bounty on the merc job board, after a couple of minutes Rod had his answer, "Nope the bounty is still up on the networks, so either they are waiting for someone to capture the target or it's just a splinter group of our clients who are trying to make a quick buck. Either way the job is still good so no matter what we need, meaning we can still beat them to the punch and get paid- provided someone quits playing with his toys and finds where that scaly skank is hiding!"
"For the last time I'm not dicking around here!" Lloyd Masterson shouted at the top of his lungs having finally lost his temper at his older brother, "I'll let you know when I find her but only when I'm certain that it is her! I know that you're feeling antsy Rod, but the last thing that we need is to go off half-cocked twice in a row; as is we're f*cking lucky that Heaven's Thunder haven't decided to poke around in their under-roos for us after our last try."
"As is we're only equipped to handle that lizard lady and maybe her monkey girl side-kick, we still have no clue what that group from the Merchants brought to play other than a shit load of those weird hoping zombies that they like to use!" Lloyd pulled up a shot from one of his other drone groups clearly showing a group of Jiangshi out on the hunt, "A few flamethrowers should take care of those things but they're also using them to flush out our scaly payday, so I plan on using both them and my drones to track the lizard lady down. This is just like going rabbit hunting with dad, let the hounds find our prey and run it ragged, then we catch it and cash in on a nice fat payday."
"Fine," Rod fumed not being able to dismiss his little brother's reasoning but not being happy about the whole situation either, "I'll be busy keeping Bufford out of his beer fridge. We need to be ready to go when you find her!"
"As soon as I spot hair or scale of that dragon lady I'll let you know," Lloyd responded while directing his drone near the Merchants of Suffering's camp to fire off their micro-surveillance drones, even if their likely destruction would drive up the cost of this operation even higher the last thing that he wanted was to get bush wacked by whatever nasty surprises the Merchants had up their sleeves.
Soon one of the drones, miniature robot the size of an ant, made its way inside the trailer with the heat signature; once it began broadcasting from inside the trailer Lloyd almost pissed himself in fear at the sight of the black-skinned red-eyed horned demon in one of the three heavily warded cages inside. Equally scary was what was next to it, the creature had red-skin, six-beefy arms, and three fang-filled faces mounted on one head. The only cage that was left simply held a Chinese man in decorative armor with a spear laying at his side, this alone wouldn't have set his nerves on end if not for two details: one- the man's cage was just as heavily warded as the ones with the other two monsters, and two- he was clearly the source of the earlier heat-signature.
Lloyd winced at the situation that had presented itself to him, we really need to find that lizard lady before the Merchants let these three loose otherwise I have a feeling that we might just lose a lot more than the money on this bounty."
Lloyd paused briefly to massage his temples with his hands over the potential hornet's nest that he was about to kick over, too bad that he literally had chosen the worst time to do so as for half a minute a fourth figure was visible inside the trailer. Lloyd had no way of knowing it at the time, but he just missed a warning sign that might have forced Rod to scrub the mission and return home; because for one moment his drones spotted on of Erzabet Scratch's Reverants performing her own reconnaissance of the Merchant's trump cards.
Cooper Hall - Roof Top
12:37 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I took aim at yet another Jiangshi hopping off in the distance, another pitiful slave of the Merchants twisted into an abomination to serve their ends, and let loose a ball of fire about the size of a marble right at its back. A moment later the undead slave burst into flames, attracting the attention of two of its fellows who were likewise drawn to attack it and thus caught fire as well.
"Nice shot," Sun Wukong commented observing the entire event threw a pair of mini-binoculars, "and some good splash damage to boot. If we keep this up we should have performed a nice sweep of this part of the city in no time; though we should move to a new sniper's nest after one or two more shots, if we don't the daoshi working for the Zhaoshang de Youhuan will wise up and send all the jiangshi down on our heads."
I took the Monkey King's (although at the moment he resembled more of a Monkey Princess) advice and took aim at another close-knit group. This time I backed the fire with a little more density and managed to glance one jiangshi's robe on his right side while hitting the abdomen of another just behind him. The fire spread on the first jiangshi's robes as it failed to extinguish the blaze with its rigormortis stiffened limbs only fanning the flames in its futile efforts. Meanwhile the stiff who I hit square on flailed about as well attracting the attention of other nearby members of its kind who as earlier attacked their compatriot likewise sealing their own fate.
"I would say that your technique is improving but now is not the time for show boating." Wukong scolded asshe he gathered our gear. "Now we need to find a new spot, one of my clones scouted out a nice free spot with a good clean view six blocks west-southwest of where we're at, it should be a good place to pull off a few more attacks before we move to the next location."
As we were on our way and surprisingly running into few hopping vampires as we went that Wukong couldn't keep off us either with a hard blow from his staves or by throwing one from a distance (then dispatching a copy of herself to bring it back to her). Don't get me wrong, I was glad given that maintaining a human form made utilizing my pyrokineses downright impossible, but I wished that I could have been more help as we went along.
"Hey how come you don't just dispatch your clones to take these bastards out while we make a break for it?" I inquired of my current traveling companion, even though I was also second-guessing my laoshi's plan in the process; what can I say I'm a teenager, second-guessing authority figures is par the course. "I mean you have enough peach wood staves to supply a small army and according to the stories you could make enough copies of yourself to serve as your own army."
"There are four very good reasons for that," Wukong responded with a mildly annoyed tone. "Reason one, making too many at once makes my tail cold. Reason two, the Zhaoshang de Youhuan would then either get desperate and sic their last resort on us before we trimmed their ranks enough or got to an isolated area where we could minimize the collateral damage. Reason three, doing this is good warm up for the fight ahead of us which knowing what we're going to be up against is bound to be rather brutal."
"What about the fourth reason?" I asked curious about the final omission.
"The fourth reason is that I'm already using several copies transformed into random locals to run a panicked attack and retreat campaign in various places around the city. Well those who aren't scouting ahead for us or running around the city with some of your sapphires that I borrowed from the safe at Little Cate's Silver Shop to help herd the jiangshi towards areas our strike zones while keeping the Zhaoshang de Youhuan confused about where you are as much as possible."
The last part made me glare at her to which she picked up on and explained,
"I'll put them back after we're done, the shop keeper won't even notice- besides it beats the damage that the jiangshi would do tearing his store apart because they smell your qi from the gems."
This information kept me silent until we got to our next destination, the roof of the Mason Center as I didn't see any jiangshi insight I decided to bring up the second topic that had been on my mind. "Say Kelly," I spoke up bringing up the alias that Sun Wukong had used when we met and invited me to that college party in the first place, "do you mind if you finish that story you were telling before Sha Wujing got to the apartment- you know the one about I was related to the dragon whose ashes changed me into what I am now. I remember you said it had something to do with ashes, bone vases, the Handmaiden of the Tao, a pearl and a heart."
"Again, it's a long story," Wukong sighed as she settled onto our perch, creating another copy to keep a look out, "you see this began a few thousand years ago, Zunyan Qianbei was a fucanglong who had long drawn the attention of the great Jade Emperor due to both his diligence and surprising humility, as a reward for his centuries of dignified service the Jade Emperor offered to elevate him to the status of a Tianlong."
"Initially Zunyan tuned down the offer, he explained that that he lacked the inherent grace of the Tianlong and worried that his presence would frighten the mermaids who dwelled in the four seas of the Jade Heavens whose singing that he greatly enjoyed. A full century passed and again Zunyan Qianbei was offered ascendancy by the Jade Emperor, he even threw in a job as a curtain-raising general within his palace- Zunyan again declined worrying that he would be too unwieldy and destructive in the palace itself."
"Another century passed and once again Zunyan Qianbei was summoned to the Jade Emperor's court this time his daughter in tow; however, before he could hear the Jade Emperor's offer there was a petitioner ahead of him. That individual was Ying Lan then the reigning Handmaiden of the Tao, the force that Lan served wished to commission a blade to serve as the Handmaiden's proof of office as well as a means to more efficiently pass on her title of the Handmaiden of the Tao. Feeling that none would know a better source of the material for her blade Zunyan spoke out offering his expertise at locating a material suitable for the blade."
"Although the Jade Emperor had long favored Zunyan Qianbei for his diligence and humility, he was concerned that such a task would ultimately be beyond the fucanglong; moreover, his failure to accomplish this task would cause the Jade Emperor himself to lose face before his own court. To balance the weight of this decision the Jade Emperor gave Zunyan a single year to procure the material necessary to craft the Handmaiden's sword of office, if in such time Zunyan could not follow through on his promise not only would Zunyan be stripped of his title and position but his entire family would be exiled beyond reach of the Jade Heavens and left to their fate."
"For the next year Qianbei Zunyan scoured the four corners of the earth from the loftiest heights to the deepest depths searching for a material worthy of being forged into the Handmaiden's blade. He discovered numerous materials each incredible in their own right- including faerie metals such as orichalcum and mithril, however each time he knew deep down that while such materials would make great creations that they still had their limits. With one month to go Zunyan returned to his lair filled with despair over his failure, certain that his moment of generosity had doomed his entire family."
"His daughter Enhui who was currently with child by her husband, a mortal man, did her best to console her father telling him that no matter where they had to roam that she would never lose her love and respect for her father. Then she said the words that made Zunyan realize where to look, she told him that his heart was pure and unbreakable and that even the despair of what lay ahead would only make it stronger."
"Inspired by Enhui's words Zunyan briefly left to see a fortune teller followed by a craftsman of the Jade Heavens and when he returned he told his daughter that he was to be left along as he had some work to do and that everything would work out. Qianbei Zunyan labored for three weeks in isolation on something which no one knew about, not even his own daughter. With three days to go until his deadline Zunyan summoned his daughter to his chambers, she found him in bed and looking terribly weak and not far away from him was a sturdy chest which she had never seen in his chambers."
"Zunyan Qianbei explained that procuring the material necessary for the Handmaiden's sword left him too weak to travel, so Enhui would have to take the chest as well as a sealed scroll and present them both to the Jade Emperor in his name. Following her father's wishes Enhui and her husband delivered the chest to the court of the Jade Emperor along with the sealed scroll, however when the chest was opened before the emperor Enhui found to her horror that it contained a still-beating heart."
"Once the shock of this died down in the court, the Jade Emperor's minister opened the scroll and read it to those who were still willing to listen. Upon the scroll Enhui read how Zunyan Qianbei explained that no mere alloy or ore would ever be enough to properly embody the power of the Tao, as it was a living force only a living material would do for the blade. He surmised that the heart of a tianlong would be the best choice to craft the blade from, and as Zunyan did not feel right condemning another to death he explained that after the Jade Emperor raised him to his new station that his own heart would be sufficient."
"Zunyan also explained that he crafted a replacement that would keep him alive for the time being, and then instructed his daughter where to find his will. The Jade Emperor finding that the offered material was indeed up to the task elevated Zunyan from a fucanglong to a tianlong and sent his heart to the great smith, a being known in this age as the Artificer who as well as the soul of a recently deceased Taoist sage who offered himself willingly on his death bed."
"Together the materials touched the forge and at that moment Zunyan turned to a pile of bone and ash, as per his instructions his ashes were to be collected in urns made from his own bones as they would one day find one of his blood who was worthy of a great destiny. As for his pearl, it was gifted to the mermaids of the Four Heavenly Seas, I understand that they use it to increase production of a magic relic called a Ring of Yin one of which is owned by the Eastern Maiden. As for Zunyan's heart it was crafted into the blade now known as Mingyun-bo or Destiny's Wave which has been wielded by every Handmaiden of the Tao ever since including the one who will be training you this summer."
"Whatever happened to Enhui?" I inquired more than a little shaken by the engrossing story of the dragon whose ashes I was accidentally bathed in, "I mean her father sacrificed himself to make a sword, whatever happened to her?"
"She's still around," Wukong Sun explained with a melancholy expression, "the Jade Emperor offered to elevate her along with her father to repay his great sacrifice; Enhui though asked that he wait until her husband passed and made his way through the Wheel of Samsara to his next life. The Jade Emperor followed her request several years later and Enhui was seen off by her children and grandchildren as she ascended into the Jade Heavens as a tianlong, one of those children by the way was your ancestor."
"And if he wasn't?" I asked somewhat dreading the answer.
"Then you would have just needed a shower and a dust-buster after getting ancient cremated tianlong all over you followed by an anti-biotic series for the rat bite. Chances were good that you would have manifested as a mutant later though, your ancestry had nothing to do with that happening- fate and destiny just sped things along."
"And turned me into a scaly chick who pops thermometers when the doc tries to take her temperature," I huffed, "Good thing that I'm lactose intolerant, because ice-cream would evaporate before it would touch my tongue. So seriously, my ancestor was a dragon who let his heart get turned into a sword even if it killed him, all so his he and his daughter wouldn't get banished from China."
"Her beloved Min was a minor official and thus bound in service to his sovereign," Sun Wukong explained, "as a man of duty he would not have deserted his post- not that his sovereign would have let him. Zunyan was too much of a loving father to leave his daughter broken-hearted by the duty that his brief outburst of pride trapped his family inside. I know that it seems odd but this was the way things were back then, at least his family was distant enough from the Chen Imperial family to be safe when that the Chen Dynasty fell to the Sui Dynasty."
"Still why would the Handmaiden of the Tao, servant of Destiny itself, care about training me just because I transformed after getting covered in my ancestor's ashes." I kept reaching for something to make sense of the directions that my life had taken over the last year, "Wait does this have something to do with me being the Northern Maiden?"
"Yes and no," Sun Wukong huffed before her attention shifted and her double vanished with the hair returning to her tail, "okay story time is over we have jiangshi to put down!"
"But what about..." I began to protest wanting to get more answers given how the Monkey King was a lot less tight-lipped than the Sand Priest.
"Later," Wukong shut me down as she pointed out towards the street, "Less talky more toasty."
I briefly fumed both given how frustrated I was over how a source of the answers I had been craving for months was literally standing a few feet away, and because that she was right in that now was not the time for idle chatter. Once again, I created with my claws to grow into a small ball of flame, at least breaking the Merchant's toy army was a form of therapy to mollify me- because I had some pent-up frustration to vent and if that meant burning a few dozen jiangshi like a duraflame log then so be it.
First Church of Christ, Scientist - Roof
1:04 AM
Meanwhile about a block away from the Monkey King and the Northern Maiden's chosen sniper's nest was another pair on the prowl albeit this pair looked identical except for a few aesthetic differences. Although their outfits were clearly crafted around the same basic design, and their facial features were eerily similar most would look at the pair and just say they were just related to each other. To anyone from upper reaches of either Erzebet Scratch's faction of the Grand Hall or the upper-tier of Shuffle's Sweepers though there was no question that they were a pair of Reverants, artificial mutants made through arcane means based around the template of the woman who was now known as Kampe.
One of the pair was wearing a pair of thermal imaging googles while the other was holding up a parabolic microphone, clearly the microphone wasn't the usual model as it had a pair of audio ports built into the headphones. One of the jacks in the headphones was hooked up to a digital audio recorder being held in the listening Reverant’s free left hand, while the other jack went to an ear bud of her sister with the thermal goggles.
"Well that was an interesting story 76," the Reverent with the goggles stated as she unplugged her ear bud and stowed it back in her outfit's empty pocket, "and it looks like Mother's deduction was right on the money. The girl who escaped the Merchants of Suffering, that those monsters are so desperate to recapture is none other than the Northern Maiden, with Greygus's daughter in Vegas that makes all four accounted for and awake."
"Not only that 34 but that means that thwarting the Merchants of Suffering tonight will be mixing business and pleasure," the Reverent designated as 76 responded, "not only does Mother get to have her cake with this operation but eat it too. Soon all four cardinal maidens will be in the hands of the Obsidian Circle- just as Bishop Brimstone foresaw."
"Not exactly in the Circles' hands 76, besides we're just keeping the Eastern and Western Maidens safe until they can meet the Northern and Southern Maidens." 34 contradicted her sibling, "Besides while the Cardinal Maidens are of vital importance to the Circle's long-term goals, they are still free agents. It's one of those mystically symbolic things, they can't be too firmly connected to any establishment if they are to fulfill their destiny."
"How can they not be connected?" 76 asked of her elder sister, "The Western Maiden is the student of the Phantom Queen of the Wild Fae, the Southern Maiden is Greygus's daughter, and the Eastern Maiden is the niece of Qingu the uncrowned Triton King of the Eastern Court; just how could they be entirely free agents?"
"The Morrigan is only the Symbolic Regent of the Wild Fae and really only hold a seat on their High Council, plus someone can be the student of another without their teacher holding fealty over them." 34 sighed wishing that her younger sister had worked on developing her deductive reasoning skills so as better to draw conclusions from their weekly intelligence briefings, "As for the Eastern and Southern Maidens, just because they share blood ties does not mean they are their family's proxies."
"If you say so big sis-" 76 replied while taking in activity on the roof, "Oh! Get ready, they're going to move again!"
"Roger, stow the gear and re-engage adaptive camoflague,"34 ordered her younger sibling, "I'll phone in confirmation of target sighting into Papa Houma."
As 76 retracted the parabolic mic to store it and the digital recorder back on her person 34 called over their coms network. "Mayday- Mayday, this is Agent R-34 reporting confirmed sighting of target asset, asset is still in play- I repeat asset is still in play. Proceeding to shadow asset to next location- over."
"Roger R-34," Corporal Analog's voice came in over the coms, "Maintain visual contact but do not engage. Continue to report changes in asset status ASAP- over!"
"Roger command- over and out." 34 replied before she and 76 activated the stealth technology built into their suits and again began to shadow Duanzaolong and Sun Wukong from a respectable distance.
The Bloody Bastard - cockpit
1:27 AM
Lloyd Masterson looked at his thermographic sensor map of Durango and saw another thermal spike in the southern corner of the city- something way over 500°F. So far there had been similar temperature spikes coming along two paths from the college over the last hour, but the sources had been gone long before his drone flights could come into visual range. One of the sources would always come in two or three short bursts that moved rapidly before lingering in at a lower temperature, the other used source was less frequent and used a longer flaring burst like a flamethrower; Lloyd was sure though that one of the two was their bounty head- and each incident helped his drone flights pin-point the source.
This time however was different, one of his flights was only two-minutes from the source of the two to three shot patterns, and if the source followed its usual behavior pattern the nearest flight would be in visual range by the time the third shot fired. Lloyd licked his lips in anticipation as the drone flight drew closer and closer to the origin of the first heat signature, he knew in his bones that this time he would get a visual of the source- any moment now...
His drone flight was finally in range half-a-minute after the second thermal spike registered, he could already see the endpoint of the heat from the currently burning hopping vampire of the Merchants. He crossed his fingers that this was going to be one of the triple-spike incidents rather than a double-spike and all but held his breath in anticipation.
Sure, enough there was a third thermal spike, he instructed the hovering drones to immediately zoom in on the source. He saw the low-light image pull up on his monitor; there she was the lizard bitch, the dragon lady, he had found her at last. Letting his glee run its course Lloyd then saw that the dragon girl wasn't alone the monkey girl was with her sharing a roof, "shit."
Lloyd shoved his brief moment of glee turned to frustration aside, knowing that if the pair followed their pattern they'd change locations soon he programmed the drones to tail the pair before hitting the internal com-switch. "Rod- Bufford get ready to move- I found the lizard lady and the monkey girl, my drones are on their tails. They're as good as ours!"
"Good but remember we need the lizard lady alive!" Rod replied over the com-channel, "The monkey girl though we don't so feel free to skin and mount her, or do whatever the hell you want!"
"I say if we kill her stuff her, if we take her alive see if the chinks'll buy her!" Bufford belted out over the coms, "Either way I'm happy!"
Lloyd smiled at his cousin's remarks- every once in a while, what little brains he had rattling around in his skull came up with a good idea. "Guess the saying is true, even a broken clock is right twice a day."
Zhaoshang de Youhuan Camp - Oxbow Park and Preserve
1:34 AM
Kao Tak-keung grew more and more nervous by the minute, every few minutes Pao Shu-yen would report to Au Jai-guo that another few Jiangshi had been neutralized, and every time Au Jai-guo would grow more and more agitated. Kao Tak-keung knew well of the man's temperament it was only a matter of time before he decided to make use of the three trump cards that they brought with them regardless of the consequences of that turn of events.
"Oh, great Yaoshi daishi," Pao shu-yen again approached the high-quality director's chair that Au Jai-guo had chosen attended to by various nameless (literally) slaves of his office. "I regret to inform you that another trio of my Jiangshi have fallen."
"How many?" Au Jai-guo immediately replied in a tone so even that it was chilling.
"Pardon me great Yaoshi daishi," the daoshi responded with respect, "but of what do you mean?"
"How many Jiangshi have we lost in this futility?" Au Jai-guo vented at the Pao shu-yen clearly up agitated that the daoshi had either failed or not even bothered to pick up on the implied question. "How many Jiangshi do we have left? And for that matter, where have they fallen?"
"I apologies for my lack of insight in recognizing your will, oh great Yaoshi daishi," Pao shu-yen apologized as he fell to his knees in deference to the man and began to bow and scrape to appease his increasingly volatile temper. "We began with thirty-nine Jiangshi, and of that original number twenty-seven have fallen leaving us with only twelve Jiangshi to search for Yao Xiyi. As for where the locations vary; although the majority of the Jiangshi have fallen along the center of the city and the western edges of the city, with a few falling separate from the others towards the center of the city. In all the bulk of the interference has come from the center going from east towards the southwest and the western edge going from south to north."
"With both originating from the area of the college where the mercenaries found and lost Yao Xiyi," Au Jai-gao deduced as we leaned forwards in his chair resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "This is no coincidence, one of those neutralizing our Jiangshi is none other than Yao Xiyi and the others must be some local adolescent interlopers whom she has persuaded to aide her in her fight for freedom against their natural instincts of self-preservation."
"As you say oh great Yaoshi-daishi it must be so," Pao shu-yen replied from his position of prostration, having remained in his earlier position. "However, I regret to inform you that in the time since we have been conversing two more of our Jiangshi have fallen leaving us with only ten in total, this mean that in all roughly three-quarter of the Jiangshi which we brought with us have been dispatched."
"Then the time for discretion has fled!" Au Jai-gao stated as he placed his teacup in the saucer held by the slave to his right. "No matter the interference that we have placed on communication to the outside of the city, soon authorities will show up to investigate and immediately afterwards the costumed jackanapes that these western barbarians foolishly call heroes will follow suit. We no longer have any time to spare with these soft tactics, it is time to bring our full force to bear."
"Understood oh venerable Yaoshi-daishi," Pao shu-yen replied as he rose from the ground and turned to the side to look at three nearby individuals whose attire designated them likewise as daoshi although they were dressed in much simpler attire designating them as his subordinates. "Students it is time to show what you have learned of our ways, take up the Rod of Zhengfu which you have been assigned and meet me at the trailer, it is time that you prove your worth to the Zhaoshang de Youhuan!"
Immediately the trio set down their worn and chipped tea cups and rose from where they had a travel kettle suspended over a make-shift campfire. Rising to their feet and ignoring the fact that more than one of them had legs that had fallen asleep during their vigil, the trio complied each taking with them a scepter that was lacking visual flare or ornamentation showing that it was intended for a utilitarian function rather than a simply ceremonial one.
Each of Pao shu-yen's subordinates took their pre-assigned place next to the trailer which held the expedition's three final assets, facing their master who stood one the opposite side. Pao shu-yen made sure not to weaken his hold on the remaining Jiangshi (of whom another two had fallen leaving eight in total) as he cast the spell to deactivate the wards on the cages within the trailer, "Tuichu!"
The three student's Rods of Zhengfu each began to glow as their master was casting his spell bringing the three prisoners within the trailer under their control. With well-rehearsed precision, the daoshi apprentice furthest from the trailer raised his glowing rod, soon the trailer began to violently bounce as the kuro-oni Assaku exited. With his eyes glowing a malevolent red, horns twisted like those of a blackbuck antelope and a fang-filled mouth he roared against the spell of his bonds. Nevertheless, that act of aggression was all that Assaku could manage against the spell cast by the Rod of Zhengfu, so with his massive spike-studded kanabo clutched firmly in his clawed right-hand the kuro-oni stomped over to where he was instructed.
Next the middle of the three the raised his glowing rod, soon the trailer began to shake again, this time out trod the asura Nidar Rosh. Although Nidar Rosh was far more heavily armed than his fellow prisoner Assaku (wielding a vajra, a trident, round shield, khanda sword, and a coil of rope with a weight on one end leaving only one of his six hands open); his three faces did not speak of the same naked violence. While no doubt they did speak of his hostility towards his captors, Nidar Rosh's anger was far more subdued making him a less apparent threat...for the moment. Without any sign of struggle Nidar Rosh took his place next to the snarling and growling kuro-oni Assaku.
Now it was the time for the last of the three apprentice daoshi to raise his glowing Rod of Zhengfu, and while he was the senior of the three- he was still the most nervous given his current charge. Never-the-less the apprentice followed his cue and raised his glowing rod, this time unlike the last two the trailer did not shake; although an echo of calm foot-steps could be heard from within its cavernous depths. Eventually the final of the three assets the Merchants had brought with them exited the trailer, looking like nothing more than a young-man in period armor and wielding a well-crafted spear this individual was as dangerous as the other two if not more so.
This was Hai-er Hong, an opponent of Sun Wukong who was so powerful that he actually needed the assistance of the Bodhisattva Guanyin to subdue him. Unlike Assaku and Nidar Rosh there was no outward appearance of anger on Hai-er Hong's face only a sign of disappointment and shame, the sources of these emotions however were known only to himself and none in the camp would even care to ask him. Without any sign of aggression Hai-er Hong followed his controller's unspoken command to stand in line next to his two fellow prisoners.
Soon the daoshi fell into a procession before their trio of supernatural captive with the apprentices standing three paces behind Pao shu-yen, soon the leader of the daoshi was joined Au Jai-gao who began to address the trio. "You three have been let out of your cages because one of your fellows has forgotten her place beneath the heel of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan; you are to capture and return her to our camp alive and intact, however any who have aided her in this foolish endeavor or try to prevent her capture are to be eliminated."
Au Jai-gao then turned to the trio of apprentice daoshi while their master watched his back, the oni and the asura are to be sent to hunt for the source of interference along the western edge of town, red boy is to be sent south he should be enough to meet whatever resistance the is by himself."
"Understood great Yaoshi daishi," the trio bowed and headed nearby where a trio of masked individuals in biker-attire waited on motor-cycles with attached sidecars each of the daoshi apprentices entered the sidecars while before their riders took off to follow the directions that Pao shu-yen would provide. Not long after the trio of supernatural beings followed suit as they obeyed the commands of the apprentice daoshi.
As Au Jai-gao smiled with the confidence that his glory and the title of Xue-jin Mushi was soon to be his, Kao Tak-keung looked on with apprehension hoping that he could salvage this debacle when it proved to go south- not if but when. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone (or at least everyone who was allowed to speak at the moment) the spy hidden in their midst, 48 or Reverant-48 to be more specific, sent out a low band transmission to Papa Houma and Corporal Analog's team. The transmission was a text message related to her earlier intel gathering trip inside the camp, and was short- sweet- and to the point... "The monsters are coming!"
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 25
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Valle De Merced Apartments - Roof Top
Durango, Colorado
12:07 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
To be honest I was equal parts excited and terrified right now; on the one hand here I was working alongside three of the most celebrated heroes in Chinese folklore, on the other hand I was about to go into battle against a cult who had enslaved me and had a small army of Jiangshi as well as three powerful beings waiting to be unleashed. In all we had to play this smart as if we were caught fighting in the open for too long it risked innocent civilians not only getting hurt but also being killed and used by the Merchants of Suffering to create more Jiangshi to add to their forces.
While fighting the Jiangshi would be problematic given that they were single-minded, felt no pain, and could slowly drain your qi if they got too close; they did have their weaknesses- one's that we did use to arm ourselves. Fire by far was the most readily available weapon against the Jiangshi; Zhu Bajie was well known for a technique that let him breath out a stream of fire like a flame-thrower with a spell that he kept to himself, not that I would need magic as a pyrokinetic I could transform the smallest spark into a fierce flame and manipulate it with a slight amount of concentration.
Sha Wujing and Sun Wukong however had chosen to arm themselves with other known weaknesses of the Jiangshi. While mirrors by far were the best-known defense against the hopping horde of vampirical cadavers, they were too brittle and wouldn't last long in a fight; just as well the sight of too many of their undead horde retreating would rapidly draw the attention of the Merchants and ruin our strategy. Fortunately, they had more obscure weaknesses than just fire and mirrors- namely peach wood and jujube seeds.
Sha Wujing had come prepared with hefty sacksful of the seeds and a blowgun, both of which could be used to take out the Jiangshi from a distance. Sun Wukong however had opted for a weapon with far shorter rang, peach wood short-staves while not as study as his (for now her) signature weapon the Ryuji Jingu Bang (compliant golden-hooped rod), she did have extras and every hit would weaken the Jiangshi until they were unable to move. Zhu Bajie was also given a sturdy peach wood club to use instead of his own signature Jiuchi-dingpa (nine-tooth iron muck-rake)
No, what we needed right now was to use stealth, guerilla tactics, and rapid mobility; tactics which Sha Wujing expressed as necessary but Zhu Bajie clearly found grating. "For crying out loud they're just a bunch of corpses, they don't move that fast, the four of us can take them out easy!"
"As I keep explaining to you, the moment we do so the Zhaoshang de Youhuan will send in Hai-er Hong," Sha Wujing once again explained our current dilemma to his stubborn compatriot, "as well as the asura and kuro-oni none of whom we want to face in a populated area. If we do not neutralize and dispatch the bulk of the Jiangshi they will become a threat when we fight those three, also we need to capture Hai-er Hong so that we can free him from whatever means the Zhaoshang de Youhuan is using to control him."
"Not to mention that we will still have to deal with those mercenaries from earlier," Son Wukong interjected, "I looked them up, the Masterson Brothers are a trio of heavily armed thugs-for-hire who will do any dirty job for the right price. Believe me from what I've read about them they are going to be back soon and more heavily armed and armored, Zhen-yu is their payday and they are not going to pass up the reward the Merchants are offering; also, while they are only the mortals who we are aware of that took the job given that it's an open bounty there are bound to be other interested parties."
"We also have to worry about getting this taken care of before Heaven's Thunder or Denver Gold gets here," I added in my own two cents to the discussion, "while they might be able to handle the Jiangshi, the Masterson Brothers and any other bounty-hunters that would show up after the reward for my capture, I really doubt that they could handle all three of the Merchant's trump cards."
"So, do you understand Bajie, the tactics for the moment are stealth, hit and run, and sniping; no direct confrontation until we thin out the heard of Jiangshi and make our way to more remote locations for the larger conflict ahead. The first step to victory is to not let your enemy dictate the terms of the confrontation, we must steer the path of the coming storm not let it follow its chosen course."
"Okay- fine- I get it," the pig-headed warrior fumed finally relenting (although who knows for how long) to Sha Wujing's cooler strategic mind. "We'll do it your way for now but even you know that a well-laid plan is always the first casualty of any battle."
"As I am well-aware," Sha Wujing admitted, "which is why we are going with a simple strategy rather than a well-laid plan, for which we need to split into two teams to maximize mobility. Wukong I need you to stick with Zhen-yu, you are our most experienced fighter and she will need you to cover her in case you need to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Zhen-yu I know that you have been practicing using your fire from a distance, how well is your aim?"
"So far good enough to hit a slow and predictable target," I sheepishly admitted to my laoshi, "fortunately Jiangshi qualify on both counts."
"That may be however you need to be careful, it is your qi that they are hunting for if get too close they will try to swarm you." Sha Wujing explained as he put a firm hand on my shoulder. "If that happens leave the close-fighting to Wukong, and support him with your fire from a distance."
"Don't be afraid of setting me on fire either, I doubt that you can make yours hot enough to hurt me." Sun Wukong explained as she began to fish around in a pack that she brought with her producing a pair of googles and two pairs of radio headsets. After strapping the googles on and fitting the radio headset to them she handed the other one to Sha Wujing, "this will help us keep in touch, I got them from a friend and he insisted that they are almost impossible to tap or listen in on their transmissions, just hold down on the button over the right earphone when you want to broadcast."
"I understand old friend, keep her safe," Sha Wujing stated as he took the headset and put it on as best as he could, "I swear that we will do all that we can to rescue Hai-er Hong."
"I know that you will old friend," Sun Wukong replied with a warm smile before she turned to me, "Come on Zhen-yu- we need to move the longer we stay still the more likely the Jiangshi are to find us before we're ready."
"I understand," I replied before adding in a word of my own, "but just in case those radios aren't as secure as you think they are- from now on refer to me as Duanzaolong."
"Forging Dragon huh," Sun Wukong mulled over my choice, "nice to see that you already picked out a codename- granted its a bit of a mouthful, but you will probably fit in well at the Academy."
As she hopped to another rooftop, I followed suit putting Sha Wujing's training into practice all the while mulling over the Monkey King's words. 'So, she's been to the place that the Handmaiden of the Tao is supposed to take me to- I really need to grill her for some more info when I have the time.' I thought to myself as I did my best to match her pace, she might be able to tell me more about the Eastern and Western Maidens.
Days Inn Durango- Roof Top
12:19 AM
"Yep, the Merchants of Suffering are here alright," an individual with cybernetic gear over a US Army Surplus Combat Uniform explained, "they're the only group that have the means and the logistics to make and deploy this many genuine Chinese hopping vampires at once while properly controlling them all."
"T'ak yo' for da' aceisment Corprahl Ahnaloog," Papa Houma replied from the corner of the roof that he was resting against, "looks like you 'ntel be right ohn da' monay, we be taking et from 'ere!"
"No," Tobias Olson the current Blizzard Wizard shot back to the undead Sweeper Ace, "this is about more than just a little pat on the back for us. I did some research on the asset that the Merchants are looking for it's a mutant girl with the ability to create enchantable gems, I'm hoping that if we keep her safe from the Merchants she can fix the focus gem in my late grandfather's staff."
"This is a Sweeper operation now kid," Corporal Analog interrupted as he all but glared at Tobias through his cybernetics.
"He's right," Ingrid in her newly modified Permafrost outfit did her best to talk down her little brother, "we called them, this is their show right now and they're the pros; face facts baby bro' this is out of our hands and out of our league."
"Now- now, de'ah be no reason dat averboday can't be 'appy," Papa Houma interjected trying to mollify the situation, "ah'll we be 'ere to do es make sure deh Mahchants don't geat de'ah way. We secure deh guhl then deh boy an' 'es sistah can ahsk 'er de'ah fahvah, don't mean she 'as to graant 'et!"
"All that I'm asking for is a chance to restore my family's legacy," Tobias stated trying to lay out his reasoning, "who knows I may even seek to join up with your crew."
"Wouldn't be the first time something like this happened," the tattoo laden member of the group chuckled as he was sitting nearby, "so Analog, when do we move out?"
"As soon as Reverent gets back Wicked Ink," the cyborg explained as he continued to survey the hunting troops of Jiangshi on the streets bellow. "We don't know where the Merchant's target is and according to radio chatter we already have reports of one conflict over at the College between her and a trio of mercs in power armor. Plus, we don't know if there are any more mercenaries out there or if the Merchants have more to throw at us than those hopping stiffs, not to mention that we also need to identify the mercenaries who've already shown up- the more we know the better we can handle the situation."
"Then what are we going to do about the hopping vampires?" The only lady with the group at the moment stated while tapping her foot, "I don't need my powers to know those things are dangerous. No offense boss but when it comes to the undead you and Rot are the exception NOT the rule."
"We do nothing Interspector," Corporal Analog replied as he continued to survey the area, "right now the Merchants of Suffering have no idea that we're even in the area, and I for one want to hold onto the element of surprise as long as we can."
"Yeah, besides the Boss Lady would love it if she heard that we caught those bastards with their pants down," Wicked Ink smiled, "it would really make her day when we hand them to her on a silver platter. I wonder if she'll give them to The Hangman?"
To amuse himself for the moment Papa Houma took a Magic 8-Ball™ (not really magic) out of his satchel and after a brief shake looked at the outcome: IT IS DECIDEDLY SO! Whether it was a part of a private joke, or him taking this as some sign that the universe was playing along with him, this simple act elicited a smile on the face of the undead bokour; one way or another tonight was going to be a memorable one.
Bloody Bastard - cockpit
12:20 AM
With repairs now complete and weapons reloaded, the Masterson Brothers focused on their next objective, finding their target to reengage and capture her. "Well Lloyd did you find that lizard bitch yet?" Rod inquired of his little brother as his patience continued to dissipate by the moment, "Every minute that you dick around with your gizmos and googas is more time for our score to skedaddle and leave us with nothing more than a fat stack of losses."
"Don't remind me fixing our suits ain't gonna be cheap, as is if our gear gets banged up again we're going to be lucky to break even on this job." Lloyd grumbled as he kept checking the thermal spikes on his surveillance drones, hoping that their quarry hadn't clued into half of the way they found her the last time, with the rest owing to the simple question where would a teenage girl on the run go to both hide and feel safe. So, last time he just hacked the city's police records on noise complaints and cross-referenced them with heat spikes- with the best match being at the college.
This time things would be far different, namely their mark knew that someone as hunting her so she'd stay away from areas that were too public, not only that she had help that could hold their own in a fight even managing to damage Syndicate-level power armor. No- matters would be far from easy, hell there was a chance that their earlier stunt would draw Heaven's Thunder to the area making their already difficult bounty hunting gig down-right impossible.
Knowing that the same trick wouldn't work twice Lloyd, toggled the motion-tracker feature on his drones and tightened their sweeping formations given that having two scanning features active at once decreased his drones scanning range due to the increase in RAM strain. Eventually Lloyd got a ping on the heat sensor from the group of drones at the northern edge of the city, after switching to the standard low-light camera what he saw made him sweat bullets.
"Hey," Bufford shuffled over to the surveillance console, "did you finally find where that scaly pain in the butt is hunkered down?" Taking a moment to stare at the screen something puzzled the brut, "Hey so you found some chinks in weird clothes...so what? Stop wasting time and find the lizard lady so we can catch her and get paid."
"Bufford, leave Lloyd alone so he can get some work done," Rod came stomping in to reprimand his cousin when he immediately took notice of the screen, "wait a minute, who called our clients before we completed our main objective?"
"I didn't and Bufford hasn't been able to use the communications equipment since I set up the isometric scanner." Lloyd explained, "I got a large heat signature ping in that area and switched on the camera and there they were- think they canceled the contract and decided to do the job in-house."
Concerned that their luck officially switched from lousy to SOL, Rod fired up their internet computer and looked for the bounty on the merc job board, after a couple of minutes Rod had his answer, "Nope the bounty is still up on the networks, so either they are waiting for someone to capture the target or it's just a splinter group of our clients who are trying to make a quick buck. Either way the job is still good so no matter what we need, meaning we can still beat them to the punch and get paid- provided someone quits playing with his toys and finds where that scaly skank is hiding!"
"For the last time I'm not dicking around here!" Lloyd Masterson shouted at the top of his lungs having finally lost his temper at his older brother, "I'll let you know when I find her but only when I'm certain that it is her! I know that you're feeling antsy Rod, but the last thing that we need is to go off half-cocked twice in a row; as is we're f*cking lucky that Heaven's Thunder haven't decided to poke around in their under-roos for us after our last try."
"As is we're only equipped to handle that lizard lady and maybe her monkey girl side-kick, we still have no clue what that group from the Merchants brought to play other than a shit load of those weird hoping zombies that they like to use!" Lloyd pulled up a shot from one of his other drone groups clearly showing a group of Jiangshi out on the hunt, "A few flamethrowers should take care of those things but they're also using them to flush out our scaly payday, so I plan on using both them and my drones to track the lizard lady down. This is just like going rabbit hunting with dad, let the hounds find our prey and run it ragged, then we catch it and cash in on a nice fat payday."
"Fine," Rod fumed not being able to dismiss his little brother's reasoning but not being happy about the whole situation either, "I'll be busy keeping Bufford out of his beer fridge. We need to be ready to go when you find her!"
"As soon as I spot hair or scale of that dragon lady I'll let you know," Lloyd responded while directing his drone near the Merchants of Suffering's camp to fire off their micro-surveillance drones, even if their likely destruction would drive up the cost of this operation even higher the last thing that he wanted was to get bush wacked by whatever nasty surprises the Merchants had up their sleeves.
Soon one of the drones, miniature robot the size of an ant, made its way inside the trailer with the heat signature; once it began broadcasting from inside the trailer Lloyd almost pissed himself in fear at the sight of the black-skinned red-eyed horned demon in one of the three heavily warded cages inside. Equally scary was what was next to it, the creature had red-skin, six-beefy arms, and three fang-filled faces mounted on one head. The only cage that was left simply held a Chinese man in decorative armor with a spear laying at his side, this alone wouldn't have set his nerves on end if not for two details: one- the man's cage was just as heavily warded as the ones with the other two monsters, and two- he was clearly the source of the earlier heat-signature.
Lloyd winced at the situation that had presented itself to him, we really need to find that lizard lady before the Merchants let these three loose otherwise I have a feeling that we might just lose a lot more than the money on this bounty."
Lloyd paused briefly to massage his temples with his hands over the potential hornet's nest that he was about to kick over, too bad that he literally had chosen the worst time to do so as for half a minute a fourth figure was visible inside the trailer. Lloyd had no way of knowing it at the time, but he just missed a warning sign that might have forced Rod to scrub the mission and return home; because for one moment his drones spotted on of Erzabet Scratch's Reverants performing her own reconnaissance of the Merchant's trump cards.
Cooper Hall - Roof Top
12:37 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I took aim at yet another Jiangshi hopping off in the distance, another pitiful slave of the Merchants twisted into an abomination to serve their ends, and let loose a ball of fire about the size of a marble right at its back. A moment later the undead slave burst into flames, attracting the attention of two of its fellows who were likewise drawn to attack it and thus caught fire as well.
"Nice shot," Sun Wukong commented observing the entire event threw a pair of mini-binoculars, "and some good splash damage to boot. If we keep this up we should have performed a nice sweep of this part of the city in no time; though we should move to a new sniper's nest after one or two more shots, if we don't the daoshi working for the Zhaoshang de Youhuan will wise up and send all the jiangshi down on our heads."
I took the Monkey King's (although at the moment he resembled more of a Monkey Princess) advice and took aim at another close-knit group. This time I backed the fire with a little more density and managed to glance one jiangshi's robe on his right side while hitting the abdomen of another just behind him. The fire spread on the first jiangshi's robes as it failed to extinguish the blaze with its rigormortis stiffened limbs only fanning the flames in its futile efforts. Meanwhile the stiff who I hit square on flailed about as well attracting the attention of other nearby members of its kind who as earlier attacked their compatriot likewise sealing their own fate.
"I would say that your technique is improving but now is not the time for show boating." Wukong scolded as
As we were on our way and surprisingly running into few hopping vampires as we went that Wukong couldn't keep off us either with a hard blow from his staves or by throwing one from a distance (then dispatching a copy of herself to bring it back to her). Don't get me wrong, I was glad given that maintaining a human form made utilizing my pyrokineses downright impossible, but I wished that I could have been more help as we went along.
"Hey how come you don't just dispatch your clones to take these bastards out while we make a break for it?" I inquired of my current traveling companion, even though I was also second-guessing my laoshi's plan in the process; what can I say I'm a teenager, second-guessing authority figures is par the course. "I mean you have enough peach wood staves to supply a small army and according to the stories you could make enough copies of yourself to serve as your own army."
"There are four very good reasons for that," Wukong responded with a mildly annoyed tone. "Reason one, making too many at once makes my tail cold. Reason two, the Zhaoshang de Youhuan would then either get desperate and sic their last resort on us before we trimmed their ranks enough or got to an isolated area where we could minimize the collateral damage. Reason three, doing this is good warm up for the fight ahead of us which knowing what we're going to be up against is bound to be rather brutal."
"What about the fourth reason?" I asked curious about the final omission.
"The fourth reason is that I'm already using several copies transformed into random locals to run a panicked attack and retreat campaign in various places around the city. Well those who aren't scouting ahead for us or running around the city with some of your sapphires that I borrowed from the safe at Little Cate's Silver Shop to help herd the jiangshi towards areas our strike zones while keeping the Zhaoshang de Youhuan confused about where you are as much as possible."
The last part made me glare at her to which she picked up on and explained,
"I'll put them back after we're done, the shop keeper won't even notice- besides it beats the damage that the jiangshi would do tearing his store apart because they smell your qi from the gems."
This information kept me silent until we got to our next destination, the roof of the Mason Center as I didn't see any jiangshi insight I decided to bring up the second topic that had been on my mind. "Say Kelly," I spoke up bringing up the alias that Sun Wukong had used when we met and invited me to that college party in the first place, "do you mind if you finish that story you were telling before Sha Wujing got to the apartment- you know the one about I was related to the dragon whose ashes changed me into what I am now. I remember you said it had something to do with ashes, bone vases, the Handmaiden of the Tao, a pearl and a heart."
"Again, it's a long story," Wukong sighed as she settled onto our perch, creating another copy to keep a look out, "you see this began a few thousand years ago, Zunyan Qianbei was a fucanglong who had long drawn the attention of the great Jade Emperor due to both his diligence and surprising humility, as a reward for his centuries of dignified service the Jade Emperor offered to elevate him to the status of a Tianlong."
"Initially Zunyan tuned down the offer, he explained that that he lacked the inherent grace of the Tianlong and worried that his presence would frighten the mermaids who dwelled in the four seas of the Jade Heavens whose singing that he greatly enjoyed. A full century passed and again Zunyan Qianbei was offered ascendancy by the Jade Emperor, he even threw in a job as a curtain-raising general within his palace- Zunyan again declined worrying that he would be too unwieldy and destructive in the palace itself."
"Another century passed and once again Zunyan Qianbei was summoned to the Jade Emperor's court this time his daughter in tow; however, before he could hear the Jade Emperor's offer there was a petitioner ahead of him. That individual was Ying Lan then the reigning Handmaiden of the Tao, the force that Lan served wished to commission a blade to serve as the Handmaiden's proof of office as well as a means to more efficiently pass on her title of the Handmaiden of the Tao. Feeling that none would know a better source of the material for her blade Zunyan spoke out offering his expertise at locating a material suitable for the blade."
"Although the Jade Emperor had long favored Zunyan Qianbei for his diligence and humility, he was concerned that such a task would ultimately be beyond the fucanglong; moreover, his failure to accomplish this task would cause the Jade Emperor himself to lose face before his own court. To balance the weight of this decision the Jade Emperor gave Zunyan a single year to procure the material necessary to craft the Handmaiden's sword of office, if in such time Zunyan could not follow through on his promise not only would Zunyan be stripped of his title and position but his entire family would be exiled beyond reach of the Jade Heavens and left to their fate."
"For the next year Qianbei Zunyan scoured the four corners of the earth from the loftiest heights to the deepest depths searching for a material worthy of being forged into the Handmaiden's blade. He discovered numerous materials each incredible in their own right- including faerie metals such as orichalcum and mithril, however each time he knew deep down that while such materials would make great creations that they still had their limits. With one month to go Zunyan returned to his lair filled with despair over his failure, certain that his moment of generosity had doomed his entire family."
"His daughter Enhui who was currently with child by her husband, a mortal man, did her best to console her father telling him that no matter where they had to roam that she would never lose her love and respect for her father. Then she said the words that made Zunyan realize where to look, she told him that his heart was pure and unbreakable and that even the despair of what lay ahead would only make it stronger."
"Inspired by Enhui's words Zunyan briefly left to see a fortune teller followed by a craftsman of the Jade Heavens and when he returned he told his daughter that he was to be left along as he had some work to do and that everything would work out. Qianbei Zunyan labored for three weeks in isolation on something which no one knew about, not even his own daughter. With three days to go until his deadline Zunyan summoned his daughter to his chambers, she found him in bed and looking terribly weak and not far away from him was a sturdy chest which she had never seen in his chambers."
"Zunyan Qianbei explained that procuring the material necessary for the Handmaiden's sword left him too weak to travel, so Enhui would have to take the chest as well as a sealed scroll and present them both to the Jade Emperor in his name. Following her father's wishes Enhui and her husband delivered the chest to the court of the Jade Emperor along with the sealed scroll, however when the chest was opened before the emperor Enhui found to her horror that it contained a still-beating heart."
"Once the shock of this died down in the court, the Jade Emperor's minister opened the scroll and read it to those who were still willing to listen. Upon the scroll Enhui read how Zunyan Qianbei explained that no mere alloy or ore would ever be enough to properly embody the power of the Tao, as it was a living force only a living material would do for the blade. He surmised that the heart of a tianlong would be the best choice to craft the blade from, and as Zunyan did not feel right condemning another to death he explained that after the Jade Emperor raised him to his new station that his own heart would be sufficient."
"Zunyan also explained that he crafted a replacement that would keep him alive for the time being, and then instructed his daughter where to find his will. The Jade Emperor finding that the offered material was indeed up to the task elevated Zunyan from a fucanglong to a tianlong and sent his heart to the great smith, a being known in this age as the Artificer who as well as the soul of a recently deceased Taoist sage who offered himself willingly on his death bed."
"Together the materials touched the forge and at that moment Zunyan turned to a pile of bone and ash, as per his instructions his ashes were to be collected in urns made from his own bones as they would one day find one of his blood who was worthy of a great destiny. As for his pearl, it was gifted to the mermaids of the Four Heavenly Seas, I understand that they use it to increase production of a magic relic called a Ring of Yin one of which is owned by the Eastern Maiden. As for Zunyan's heart it was crafted into the blade now known as Mingyun-bo or Destiny's Wave which has been wielded by every Handmaiden of the Tao ever since including the one who will be training you this summer."
"Whatever happened to Enhui?" I inquired more than a little shaken by the engrossing story of the dragon whose ashes I was accidentally bathed in, "I mean her father sacrificed himself to make a sword, whatever happened to her?"
"She's still around," Wukong Sun explained with a melancholy expression, "the Jade Emperor offered to elevate her along with her father to repay his great sacrifice; Enhui though asked that he wait until her husband passed and made his way through the Wheel of Samsara to his next life. The Jade Emperor followed her request several years later and Enhui was seen off by her children and grandchildren as she ascended into the Jade Heavens as a tianlong, one of those children by the way was your ancestor."
"And if he wasn't?" I asked somewhat dreading the answer.
"Then you would have just needed a shower and a dust-buster after getting ancient cremated tianlong all over you followed by an anti-biotic series for the rat bite. Chances were good that you would have manifested as a mutant later though, your ancestry had nothing to do with that happening- fate and destiny just sped things along."
"And turned me into a scaly chick who pops thermometers when the doc tries to take her temperature," I huffed, "Good thing that I'm lactose intolerant, because ice-cream would evaporate before it would touch my tongue. So seriously, my ancestor was a dragon who let his heart get turned into a sword even if it killed him, all so his he and his daughter wouldn't get banished from China."
"Her beloved Min was a minor official and thus bound in service to his sovereign," Sun Wukong explained, "as a man of duty he would not have deserted his post- not that his sovereign would have let him. Zunyan was too much of a loving father to leave his daughter broken-hearted by the duty that his brief outburst of pride trapped his family inside. I know that it seems odd but this was the way things were back then, at least his family was distant enough from the Chen Imperial family to be safe when that the Chen Dynasty fell to the Sui Dynasty."
"Still why would the Handmaiden of the Tao, servant of Destiny itself, care about training me just because I transformed after getting covered in my ancestor's ashes." I kept reaching for something to make sense of the directions that my life had taken over the last year, "Wait does this have something to do with me being the Northern Maiden?"
"Yes and no," Sun Wukong huffed before her attention shifted and her double vanished with the hair returning to her tail, "okay story time is over we have jiangshi to put down!"
"But what about..." I began to protest wanting to get more answers given how the Monkey King was a lot less tight-lipped than the Sand Priest.
"Later," Wukong shut me down as she pointed out towards the street, "Less talky more toasty."
I briefly fumed both given how frustrated I was over how a source of the answers I had been craving for months was literally standing a few feet away, and because that she was right in that now was not the time for idle chatter. Once again, I created with my claws to grow into a small ball of flame, at least breaking the Merchant's toy army was a form of therapy to mollify me- because I had some pent-up frustration to vent and if that meant burning a few dozen jiangshi like a duraflame log then so be it.
First Church of Christ, Scientist - Roof
1:04 AM
Meanwhile about a block away from the Monkey King and the Northern Maiden's chosen sniper's nest was another pair on the prowl albeit this pair looked identical except for a few aesthetic differences. Although their outfits were clearly crafted around the same basic design, and their facial features were eerily similar most would look at the pair and just say they were just related to each other. To anyone from upper reaches of either Erzebet Scratch's faction of the Grand Hall or the upper-tier of Shuffle's Sweepers though there was no question that they were a pair of Reverants, artificial mutants made through arcane means based around the template of the woman who was now known as Kampe.
One of the pair was wearing a pair of thermal imaging googles while the other was holding up a parabolic microphone, clearly the microphone wasn't the usual model as it had a pair of audio ports built into the headphones. One of the jacks in the headphones was hooked up to a digital audio recorder being held in the listening Reverant’s free left hand, while the other jack went to an ear bud of her sister with the thermal goggles.
"Well that was an interesting story 76," the Reverent with the goggles stated as she unplugged her ear bud and stowed it back in her outfit's empty pocket, "and it looks like Mother's deduction was right on the money. The girl who escaped the Merchants of Suffering, that those monsters are so desperate to recapture is none other than the Northern Maiden, with Greygus's daughter in Vegas that makes all four accounted for and awake."
"Not only that 34 but that means that thwarting the Merchants of Suffering tonight will be mixing business and pleasure," the Reverent designated as 76 responded, "not only does Mother get to have her cake with this operation but eat it too. Soon all four cardinal maidens will be in the hands of the Obsidian Circle- just as Bishop Brimstone foresaw."
"Not exactly in the Circles' hands 76, besides we're just keeping the Eastern and Western Maidens safe until they can meet the Northern and Southern Maidens." 34 contradicted her sibling, "Besides while the Cardinal Maidens are of vital importance to the Circle's long-term goals, they are still free agents. It's one of those mystically symbolic things, they can't be too firmly connected to any establishment if they are to fulfill their destiny."
"How can they not be connected?" 76 asked of her elder sister, "The Western Maiden is the student of the Phantom Queen of the Wild Fae, the Southern Maiden is Greygus's daughter, and the Eastern Maiden is the niece of Qingu the uncrowned Triton King of the Eastern Court; just how could they be entirely free agents?"
"The Morrigan is only the Symbolic Regent of the Wild Fae and really only hold a seat on their High Council, plus someone can be the student of another without their teacher holding fealty over them." 34 sighed wishing that her younger sister had worked on developing her deductive reasoning skills so as better to draw conclusions from their weekly intelligence briefings, "As for the Eastern and Southern Maidens, just because they share blood ties does not mean they are their family's proxies."
"If you say so big sis-" 76 replied while taking in activity on the roof, "Oh! Get ready, they're going to move again!"
"Roger, stow the gear and re-engage adaptive camoflague,"34 ordered her younger sibling, "I'll phone in confirmation of target sighting into Papa Houma."
As 76 retracted the parabolic mic to store it and the digital recorder back on her person 34 called over their coms network. "Mayday- Mayday, this is Agent R-34 reporting confirmed sighting of target asset, asset is still in play- I repeat asset is still in play. Proceeding to shadow asset to next location- over."
"Roger R-34," Corporal Analog's voice came in over the coms, "Maintain visual contact but do not engage. Continue to report changes in asset status ASAP- over!"
"Roger command- over and out." 34 replied before she and 76 activated the stealth technology built into their suits and again began to shadow Duanzaolong and Sun Wukong from a respectable distance.
The Bloody Bastard - cockpit
1:27 AM
Lloyd Masterson looked at his thermographic sensor map of Durango and saw another thermal spike in the southern corner of the city- something way over 500°F. So far there had been similar temperature spikes coming along two paths from the college over the last hour, but the sources had been gone long before his drone flights could come into visual range. One of the sources would always come in two or three short bursts that moved rapidly before lingering in at a lower temperature, the other used source was less frequent and used a longer flaring burst like a flamethrower; Lloyd was sure though that one of the two was their bounty head- and each incident helped his drone flights pin-point the source.
This time however was different, one of his flights was only two-minutes from the source of the two to three shot patterns, and if the source followed its usual behavior pattern the nearest flight would be in visual range by the time the third shot fired. Lloyd licked his lips in anticipation as the drone flight drew closer and closer to the origin of the first heat signature, he knew in his bones that this time he would get a visual of the source- any moment now...
His drone flight was finally in range half-a-minute after the second thermal spike registered, he could already see the endpoint of the heat from the currently burning hopping vampire of the Merchants. He crossed his fingers that this was going to be one of the triple-spike incidents rather than a double-spike and all but held his breath in anticipation.
Sure, enough there was a third thermal spike, he instructed the hovering drones to immediately zoom in on the source. He saw the low-light image pull up on his monitor; there she was the lizard bitch, the dragon lady, he had found her at last. Letting his glee run its course Lloyd then saw that the dragon girl wasn't alone the monkey girl was with her sharing a roof, "shit."
Lloyd shoved his brief moment of glee turned to frustration aside, knowing that if the pair followed their pattern they'd change locations soon he programmed the drones to tail the pair before hitting the internal com-switch. "Rod- Bufford get ready to move- I found the lizard lady and the monkey girl, my drones are on their tails. They're as good as ours!"
"Good but remember we need the lizard lady alive!" Rod replied over the com-channel, "The monkey girl though we don't so feel free to skin and mount her, or do whatever the hell you want!"
"I say if we kill her stuff her, if we take her alive see if the chinks'll buy her!" Bufford belted out over the coms, "Either way I'm happy!"
Lloyd smiled at his cousin's remarks- every once in a while, what little brains he had rattling around in his skull came up with a good idea. "Guess the saying is true, even a broken clock is right twice a day."
Zhaoshang de Youhuan Camp - Oxbow Park and Preserve
1:34 AM
Kao Tak-keung grew more and more nervous by the minute, every few minutes Pao Shu-yen would report to Au Jai-guo that another few Jiangshi had been neutralized, and every time Au Jai-guo would grow more and more agitated. Kao Tak-keung knew well of the man's temperament it was only a matter of time before he decided to make use of the three trump cards that they brought with them regardless of the consequences of that turn of events.
"Oh, great Yaoshi daishi," Pao shu-yen again approached the high-quality director's chair that Au Jai-guo had chosen attended to by various nameless (literally) slaves of his office. "I regret to inform you that another trio of my Jiangshi have fallen."
"How many?" Au Jai-guo immediately replied in a tone so even that it was chilling.
"Pardon me great Yaoshi daishi," the daoshi responded with respect, "but of what do you mean?"
"How many Jiangshi have we lost in this futility?" Au Jai-guo vented at the Pao shu-yen clearly up agitated that the daoshi had either failed or not even bothered to pick up on the implied question. "How many Jiangshi do we have left? And for that matter, where have they fallen?"
"I apologies for my lack of insight in recognizing your will, oh great Yaoshi daishi," Pao shu-yen apologized as he fell to his knees in deference to the man and began to bow and scrape to appease his increasingly volatile temper. "We began with thirty-nine Jiangshi, and of that original number twenty-seven have fallen leaving us with only twelve Jiangshi to search for Yao Xiyi. As for where the locations vary; although the majority of the Jiangshi have fallen along the center of the city and the western edges of the city, with a few falling separate from the others towards the center of the city. In all the bulk of the interference has come from the center going from east towards the southwest and the western edge going from south to north."
"With both originating from the area of the college where the mercenaries found and lost Yao Xiyi," Au Jai-gao deduced as we leaned forwards in his chair resting his chin on his interlaced fingers. "This is no coincidence, one of those neutralizing our Jiangshi is none other than Yao Xiyi and the others must be some local adolescent interlopers whom she has persuaded to aide her in her fight for freedom against their natural instincts of self-preservation."
"As you say oh great Yaoshi-daishi it must be so," Pao shu-yen replied from his position of prostration, having remained in his earlier position. "However, I regret to inform you that in the time since we have been conversing two more of our Jiangshi have fallen leaving us with only ten in total, this mean that in all roughly three-quarter of the Jiangshi which we brought with us have been dispatched."
"Then the time for discretion has fled!" Au Jai-gao stated as he placed his teacup in the saucer held by the slave to his right. "No matter the interference that we have placed on communication to the outside of the city, soon authorities will show up to investigate and immediately afterwards the costumed jackanapes that these western barbarians foolishly call heroes will follow suit. We no longer have any time to spare with these soft tactics, it is time to bring our full force to bear."
"Understood oh venerable Yaoshi-daishi," Pao shu-yen replied as he rose from the ground and turned to the side to look at three nearby individuals whose attire designated them likewise as daoshi although they were dressed in much simpler attire designating them as his subordinates. "Students it is time to show what you have learned of our ways, take up the Rod of Zhengfu which you have been assigned and meet me at the trailer, it is time that you prove your worth to the Zhaoshang de Youhuan!"
Immediately the trio set down their worn and chipped tea cups and rose from where they had a travel kettle suspended over a make-shift campfire. Rising to their feet and ignoring the fact that more than one of them had legs that had fallen asleep during their vigil, the trio complied each taking with them a scepter that was lacking visual flare or ornamentation showing that it was intended for a utilitarian function rather than a simply ceremonial one.
Each of Pao shu-yen's subordinates took their pre-assigned place next to the trailer which held the expedition's three final assets, facing their master who stood one the opposite side. Pao shu-yen made sure not to weaken his hold on the remaining Jiangshi (of whom another two had fallen leaving eight in total) as he cast the spell to deactivate the wards on the cages within the trailer, "Tuichu!"
The three student's Rods of Zhengfu each began to glow as their master was casting his spell bringing the three prisoners within the trailer under their control. With well-rehearsed precision, the daoshi apprentice furthest from the trailer raised his glowing rod, soon the trailer began to violently bounce as the kuro-oni Assaku exited. With his eyes glowing a malevolent red, horns twisted like those of a blackbuck antelope and a fang-filled mouth he roared against the spell of his bonds. Nevertheless, that act of aggression was all that Assaku could manage against the spell cast by the Rod of Zhengfu, so with his massive spike-studded kanabo clutched firmly in his clawed right-hand the kuro-oni stomped over to where he was instructed.
Next the middle of the three the raised his glowing rod, soon the trailer began to shake again, this time out trod the asura Nidar Rosh. Although Nidar Rosh was far more heavily armed than his fellow prisoner Assaku (wielding a vajra, a trident, round shield, khanda sword, and a coil of rope with a weight on one end leaving only one of his six hands open); his three faces did not speak of the same naked violence. While no doubt they did speak of his hostility towards his captors, Nidar Rosh's anger was far more subdued making him a less apparent threat...for the moment. Without any sign of struggle Nidar Rosh took his place next to the snarling and growling kuro-oni Assaku.
Now it was the time for the last of the three apprentice daoshi to raise his glowing Rod of Zhengfu, and while he was the senior of the three- he was still the most nervous given his current charge. Never-the-less the apprentice followed his cue and raised his glowing rod, this time unlike the last two the trailer did not shake; although an echo of calm foot-steps could be heard from within its cavernous depths. Eventually the final of the three assets the Merchants had brought with them exited the trailer, looking like nothing more than a young-man in period armor and wielding a well-crafted spear this individual was as dangerous as the other two if not more so.
This was Hai-er Hong, an opponent of Sun Wukong who was so powerful that he actually needed the assistance of the Bodhisattva Guanyin to subdue him. Unlike Assaku and Nidar Rosh there was no outward appearance of anger on Hai-er Hong's face only a sign of disappointment and shame, the sources of these emotions however were known only to himself and none in the camp would even care to ask him. Without any sign of aggression Hai-er Hong followed his controller's unspoken command to stand in line next to his two fellow prisoners.
Soon the daoshi fell into a procession before their trio of supernatural captive with the apprentices standing three paces behind Pao shu-yen, soon the leader of the daoshi was joined Au Jai-gao who began to address the trio. "You three have been let out of your cages because one of your fellows has forgotten her place beneath the heel of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan; you are to capture and return her to our camp alive and intact, however any who have aided her in this foolish endeavor or try to prevent her capture are to be eliminated."
Au Jai-gao then turned to the trio of apprentice daoshi while their master watched his back, the oni and the asura are to be sent to hunt for the source of interference along the western edge of town, red boy is to be sent south he should be enough to meet whatever resistance the is by himself."
"Understood great Yaoshi daishi," the trio bowed and headed nearby where a trio of masked individuals in biker-attire waited on motor-cycles with attached sidecars each of the daoshi apprentices entered the sidecars while before their riders took off to follow the directions that Pao shu-yen would provide. Not long after the trio of supernatural beings followed suit as they obeyed the commands of the apprentice daoshi.
As Au Jai-gao smiled with the confidence that his glory and the title of Xue-jin Mushi was soon to be his, Kao Tak-keung looked on with apprehension hoping that he could salvage this debacle when it proved to go south- not if but when. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to everyone (or at least everyone who was allowed to speak at the moment) the spy hidden in their midst, 48 or Reverant-48 to be more specific, sent out a low band transmission to Papa Houma and Corporal Analog's team. The transmission was a text message related to her earlier intel gathering trip inside the camp, and was short- sweet- and to the point... "The monsters are coming!"
6 years 7 months ago #33
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Yaoshi daishi - Master of Keys, the man in charge of all the Merchants of Suffering's facilities away from the San Francisco Branch of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom.
Qianbao de shouhu zhe - Keeper of the Purse, the man responsible for Merchants of Suffering's accounts and maintaining their treasury stores.
laoshi - Chinese for teacher or sensei
Rod of Zhengfu - A rod or scepter that is used in conjunction with one to five Manacles Nuyi to control a powerful supernatural entity against their will without needing to resort to taking their name which diminished the being's power. Each rod or scepter has a range of five kilometers, thus letting its wielder control the enslaved entity from a safe distance.
Tuichu! - Release!
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 25 Notes
Yaoshi daishi - Master of Keys, the man in charge of all the Merchants of Suffering's facilities away from the San Francisco Branch of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom.
Qianbao de shouhu zhe - Keeper of the Purse, the man responsible for Merchants of Suffering's accounts and maintaining their treasury stores.
laoshi - Chinese for teacher or sensei
Rod of Zhengfu - A rod or scepter that is used in conjunction with one to five Manacles Nuyi to control a powerful supernatural entity against their will without needing to resort to taking their name which diminished the being's power. Each rod or scepter has a range of five kilometers, thus letting its wielder control the enslaved entity from a safe distance.
Tuichu! - Release!
6 years 6 months ago - 6 years 6 months ago #34
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
Las Vegas, Nevada
12:02 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
My heart hammered away inside of my chest as grandfather and I settled into our seats as he set a sealed box on the floor at his feet which he told me earlier was 'part of my backup plan just in case the original didn't work.'
Much to my surprise the auction hall wasn't a hall, instead it was a series of semi-circular booths with a crescent-shaped table fixtured before each- I wonder if this was what a dinner theater looked like. In front of us were two menus, a copy of the auction catalog, a wine list, and a button to call our server. Another prominent feature of the table was a long paddle with the number 13 on it, obviously, Miss Bliss did not want to make us feel too welcome here in her den.
The woman on the stage, whom my grandfather informed me was a fallen sidhe noblewoman (a type of fairy) formerly of the Winter Court, continued to bask in the lime light of the underground auction's stage. "Now while you take the time to inform your servers of your drink and hors d'oeuvre selections for tonight, I do have a small announcement for tonight which amends the preliminary auction catalog which you all received earlier."
The sidhe known as Miss Bliss paused to take a breath before she continued, "A third party approached me with an outside offer for one of tonight's lots over an hour ago- I will explain further after your orders are placed. I need to give my chefs and bartenders time to work their magic tonight as well."
An obvious sign of dissatisfaction began to spread amongst the auction goers: 'What was going on? Was Walt safe? Was he still here?'
Meanwhile my grandfather placed an order with a waitress, "Matbucha and a Sazerac, make sure to substitute the absinthe rinse with ouzo though, I dislike after-tones of wormwood. How about you my dear?"
Realizing that he was asking for my order I took a quick peak and picked something that I had made before on my own, given that the woman who claimed to be my mother for fourteen plus years never really cooked. "Clams casino substitute the bacon for pancetta and an Arnold Palmer made with unsweetened iced tea please." Noticing the odd look the waitress was giving her she added, "I am underage, there are some laws that I believe we owe a modicum of lip-service."
"Very well madam," the waitress took my menu with lowered eyes, "I meant no disrespect."
"If you are done embarrassing poor Greygus's daughter I also have a message for you to give your employer during intermission." Grandfather Set stated as he produced a sealed (as in with wax and his signet stamp) envelope to the waitress, and leaned forward with a whisper, "I expect you to give this to Miss Denistasa Morrast as soon as the curtain falls."
"At once sir," the waitress to the envelop along with our menus, looking positively shell-shocked over the name my grandfather casually dropped, one thing was certain he knew how to make his point heard with minimal effort- I guess I need to ask him for a few pointers. With our peace said and our orders taken the waitress scampered off to either the kitchen or back-stage...maybe one after the other."
"That envelope explained the current state of affairs as well as the gravitas of the situation that Miss Bliss is in-" Grandpa Set explained, "you see this might be her operation however she only operates with my permission- explaining the situation might help get the ball rolling in our favor."
"But what about everyone else in the room-" I said with some concern, "these are some scary customers."
"Don't worry too much my dear," grandpa explained with a smile from beneath his partial head dress, "I have a few friends in the room to help should things get dicey."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:17 AM
Miss Bliss looked at the anger and discontent spreading among the auction goers, hoping that the replacements in the catalog mollified them, but for the moment she wondered why she agreed to that Summer Court tart's proposal.
Flashback
Saturday, April 21st, 2007
The Black Solstice Lounge - Miss Bliss's Personal Suite
10:35 PM
Denistasa Morrast born Denistasa of House Blackshore and now known in certain circles of the mortal world's less than desirable element as Miss Bliss was in her dressing room trying not to let her current situation get to her. On the one hand, she was about to auction of one of her more lucrative windfalls in years the power gems of one of the founders of the Justice Brigade- the late Captain Cosmos, dubbed by those of his day as his Zodiac Gems, also a name that was seized on by his killers the Zodiac Cartel. On the other hand, her landlord Lord Ataxia had not only become a lot more dangerous without her becoming aware of that fact and for the first time ever had opted to attend one of her auctions; this turn of events was either very good or extremely bad.
Although judging by that fact that one of the pair of goons who she sent to retrieve the Zodiac Gems in the first place, the ogre operating under the name Shakedown, had yet to either return from his cleanup mission or check-in with her she was guessing that it may be the former. "Setbacks like these are not what I need right now, this is one of the largest windfalls that I have come across since my exile- maybe even before that, I do not need anything to interfere tonight!"
Denistasa was doing her best to regain her composure, the criminal underworld of the mortals was in many ways the same as the Winter Court in which she grew up; however certain aspects of the criminal underworld were far worse than back home, this was because this world combined the surface dangers of the Winter Court with the hidden dangers of the Summer Court. Here a blade or spell flying at your head or a direct attack from another faction wasn't all that you had to worry about, the mortal underworld relied upon an intricate balance of reputation and alliances; being eliminated was far from the only treat that she had to deal with- there was also her operation being taken over and herself either being kicked to the curb or outright subordinated.
No, Denistasa needed to maintain a facade of poise and dignity, as such were the only ways to maintain her autonomy. While the loss of her status and nobility with the fall of her house and the execution of her parents and older sister via gladiatorial combat with ogres was horrific, in time she had come to appreciate the freedom of being out from under the authority of Queen Mab and the Royal Court of House Ellinra.
Alright, technically she wasn't entirely autonomous, Denistasa and the servitors of House Blackshore which she had managed to personally suborn to herself prior to the final unlucky Hell Tithe had been without of place to call home prior to receiving the patronage of a withered djinn known as Lord Ataxia here in the desert to get back on her feet. To be honest for the most part her local 'Lord' had left her alone merely collecting a small monetary tribute at the first of every calendar month through his surprisingly cordial son Greygus, now though matters had changed Lord Ataxia was now Lord Khamsin filled with renewed vitality and coming to her most vital venture for the first time- ever. There were just too many unknowns for her to be truly comfortable, so for the first time in a while she was going to have to...fake it.
At present, she had decided to make liberal use of her chair's special back massage feature, although part of her wished that she could make liberal use of aspirin as well rather than need to depend on draught of willow leaf. "I really need to begin building up a tolerance to manufactured consumable goods, brewing our own in-house spirits for self-consumption alone is a pain and a half."
Eventually she heard a hesitant knocking at the door, "Drisune I thought that I explained that I did not wish to be disturbed while I am preparing myself for tonight's auction."
"Actually, milady we have a guest here from the Fairlands who wishes to discuss purchasing one of the items featured in tonight's auction catalog."
Denistasa smiled at the sadistic possibilities: if the noble truly had a brain in their head they might be willing to make an in-kind trade for the treasure. Granted given however that Faefolk from either of the two Kingdoms had a far different concept on payment, if their payment didn't meet her standards though she could always have them tortured for her own personal amusement. Still there was one variable which she still had to account for... "Drisune is our guest from the Winter Court or the Summer Court?"
"Summer Court Milady," Drisune replied, "she is Lady Aenara of House Shining-Lily."
"Yes, and if you would receive me I have need of an item which you currently have in your possession," the Lady of the Summer Court explained while preparing to further cement her chance to obtain what she was after. "So perhaps we could meet face-to-face to commence negotiations."
"I will have to decline," Denistasa replied as heavily as she could, "I do not know if you are aware or not however I am only a first-generation exile of the Winter Court. This means that I am fully aware of Summer Court's tactics of bending a negotiation in their favor. Also as the auction's catalog has already been sent out to all interested parties I am afraid a direct purchase for basic capitol is quite problematic, and moreover the purchase of certain items within it outside of the auction itself is out of the question."
"Also, while I am aware of the Sidhe price of balance when it comes to the price of goods you are asking me to break my word and sully my reputation, not to mention risk the ire of individuals whose danger is far greater than you could dare to imagine. Ergo the Sidhe price for such goods themselves would be woefully insufficient. But before I tell you my price, what item do you wish me to place my neck on the chopping block over?"
"The two Bak-ba," Lady Aenara Shining-Lily replied shortly, "I am aware that you are offering them together in the same lot in your auction- Lot 3 I believe."
"However, you are offering to purchase them directly; ergo you shall purchase them separately. Should you wish to acquire the objects which you are after you must then pay me in a way to make it worth the considerable risk that you are making me take. I would say that one unique mystic item from human antiquity for each ring should be sufficient to counter the collateral damage to my reputation- oh and you only have an hour to present them and have my house scrier authenticate them before the auction, so I would try not to dally unless of course you wish to sully your own reputation by attending an auction in the mortal realm with many individuals of notoriously ill reputations."
End Flashback
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:18 AM
Coming back into the present Miss Bliss saw how emotions were running high, and a fair number of individuals were visibly upset- she knew that it was time to quench this fire before it turned into a blaze, "Now- now everyone, I understand that you are upset, you came for what you were originally offered after all."
"However, my wonderful guests you need not be so agitated the star item of the auction is still up for bidding; the individual, whose name I reserve to withhold for the sake of their anonymity, was interested in Lot Number 3: two Ancient-Egyptian Bak-ba broaches."
After this revelation passed over the audience although for some reason Lady Jettatura and Hexmaster both looked mildly perturbed- she thought that might be good information to file-away for later after all chances were good that her followers for reclaim the Bak-ba for later sale after Lady Aenara's scheme blew up it her face. "Moreover, I insisted that the buyer pay in goods for tonight's auction rather than common currency and they delivered, this will be reflected in the new items offered for both Lot Number 3 as well as Lot Number 12 so who knows you might find something that is very attractive in either new offering, so before we begin I will give you a few moments to peruse these new possibilities."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 8
12:25 AM
Qian Khai sighed with relief as his heart-rate and blood pressure began to fall back to normal levels. It wasn't too late he could still fulfill his mission although as he looked around part of him doubted his chances for success given those who would likely be bidding against him. Already walking into the auction hall, he recognized old foes of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan whose adversity long predated even the reign of even the Xue-jin Mushi's predecessor's predecessor.
Although he did not know her name or identity; Qian recognized one of Erzebet Scratch's lieutenants from a picture that he had seen skimming through files when he gained this job during the organizational reshuffling weeks past. However, a long foe of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan that he did recognize by name had been a thorn in their order's side ever since they moved to expand into the West...Professor Id; although technically Id was their enemy the sad truth was the sheer size of his overarching organization dwarfed their's considerably, which was even more terrifying that he had been at this himself for only a hundred and twenty odd years.
Either of those two alone had more money to throw into buying the Zodiac Gems than the Xue-jin Mushi had ever authorized for his use in the auction. Knowing that his situation felt bleak Qian Khai took the moment to search the catalog for the new items in the auction catalog, because all the prior lots that while interesting in their own merits would not spare his life from his master's...disappointment.
The new Lot 3 was the Circlet of Tiresias, an Ancient Grecian silver crown fashioned in the style of a laurel and permanently bestowed the wearer with the prophetic gifts of the ancient seer himself with increasing control the longer one wore it. However, it was also noted that the Circlet also bestowed upon the wearer the curse inflicted upon Tiresias by the Olympian deities; if someone wore the crown for twenty-four cumulative hours then they would be transformed into the opposite gender. Moreover, to gain full control of the gift of prophecy would take wearing the circlet for a week which would curse the wearer with changing gender every day. This sounded more like a potential torture device than something of true benefit- pass.
The next entry however caused Qian Khai's heart to jump with joy- the item listed was none-other than the Taiping Yaoshu, it had been lost for over twenty-two hundred years but somehow Miss Bliss's mysterious client had found it and used it to pay for one of the Bak-ba. Let the others throw their money into a dozen power gems that would only be lost or stolen later, this text was not only worth the Xue-jin Mushi sparing his life it would likely earn him a promotion.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:30 AM
Now that her guests were calm, and their drinks had started to arrive it was time to begin, "Our first item up for bid tonight is also the one with the most modern history, the Rosary of Isobel Caprera." Illustrated as a case containing the eponymous item resting upon a jewelry store display raised up through a trap door in the stage. "This item belonged to a parishioner of the now Famous Saint Gregory's Church named Isobel Caprera, a grandmother in her mid-sixties Isobel suffered from chronic if not crippling arthritis in her hands. This affliction was healed for a time when one of the cherubs of the individual famously known as The Angel of Hell's Kitchen entered the woman's rosary on November 16th of last year, as a side note this act also reignited the faith of the woman's granddaughter Gina."
"This item is also unique because it came here through properly legal channels, as Isobel Caprera sold this rosary to pay for the education of her family, to an elderly man of means. This man of means, who has asked not to be name, decided that after being targeted by several burglars and minor dark magic users that living with his affliction of chronic recurring gout was a proper price to pay for a good night's sleep; ergo this anonymous individual willingly consigned the Rosary to our auction through one of my agents- meaning that who-so-ever wins this item will be its legal owner under international law!"
"Now while the power to suppress the pain and swelling of a condition as serious as rheumatoid arthritis would indeed make this object useful, the fact that it was an object that was enchanted early on with the Macluic Energies of the eponymous Angel is no doubt more interesting as is likely the essence of a matron's genuine familial love that it absorbed from its original owner. Now I will start the bidding at a modest $300,000, do I hear $300,000 for this unique artifact and even more unique opportunity?"
"$300,000," Hexmaster raised his paddle surprising no one given that his son Nephandus had been spotted several times at Saint Gregory trying to capture one of the Angel's cherubs.
What was surprising was when Don Kulmatz raised his paddle to challenge the bid, "$310,000!"
Hexmaster shot the Central American cartel leader a hate-filled glare and responded with a bid of $320,000!"
Don Kulmatz nonchalantly ignored the mystic practitioner's malice and raised his paddle again, "$330,000."
"340,000," Hexmaster raised his paddle clearly beginning to lose his temper as if the bidding went too high it would hurt him when the bidding for the Zodiac Gems began.
"350,000," a new paddle was raised this one being held by fellow dark mystic practitioner Devilmaster who sought to insert himself in the bidding war likely to help keep the peace lest Hexmaster foolishly try to attack Don Kulmatz.
"360,000," another voice chimed in this time belonging to Mr. Magic the gentleman mystical thief of some small acclaim, also an individual who due to his low overhead the true depth of his pockets being an unknown.
"370,000," Hexmaster raised the bidding once again as he grew more desperate to acquire the Rosary and almost forgot about the Zodiac Gems.
Professor Id although not taking part in the bidding war over the Rosary had a mirthful smile on his face, as he clearly enjoyed the chaos that was erupting over the mysteriously blessed holy artifact.
"600,000," Don Kulmatz drew the attention of the room drawing the attention of the room even causing Professor Id to drop his smile as he raised his eye-brows.
Everyone in the room was stunned at how high the enigmatic Central-American raised the bidding that no one paid attention to Miss Bliss when she announced, "600 thousand going once, 600 thousand going twice," everyone however heard the gavel being lowered as Miss Bliss proclaimed, "The Rosary of Isobel Caprera is sold to Don Kulmatz for six-hundred thousand US dollars, and the amount is now logged and is being withdrawn from your over-seas bank that you listed during registration."
Miss Bliss then continued as the case containing the Rosary was lowered from the stage to be readied for transport, "As always all items won in our auctions are then sent by my private couriers to the location that you listed in your auction registration when you RSVP'd."
"Next up we have an item that also speaks of a mother's love but more-so of her fury, the Tomahawk of Hannah Duston." The covert fallen Winter Noblewoman began as the item in question rose to the stage displayed via a microphone stand with in a Lucite case with the head at the bottom facing the audience. "A figure whose name is controversial by today's standards, Hannah Duston was a puritan mother of nine in Colonial Massachusetts who with her infant daughter Martha and eleven other colonists were taken captive by members of the Abenaki Tribe during the Raid on Havenhill which took place on March 15th, 1697. Sadly, during their march to the Abenaki's camp one of her captors decided to silence six-day-old Martha, igniting the fire of her mother's rage in the process."
"That rage simmered for six weeks as Hannah waited for her opportunity with her nurse Mary Neff and during that time recruited Samuel Lennardson a 14-year-old who had been held prisoner at the same camp for a year. Finally, Hannah lead the three in a revolt against their captors killing ten, the first of whom with this tomahawk, and then scalped them for proof of the incident- I suppose the bounty that they also claimed afterwards didn't hurt either."
"So here you have it ladies and gentlemen, a weapon soaked in the bloody revenge of a filled by a mother's loss of her newborn daughter. I will start the bidding of this weapon at $350,000- do I hear $350,000 for this dark artifact of history?"
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
12:42 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I looked on in shock as Professor Id, Lady Jettatura and Friar Rush fought over the Native American hatchet connected to such a dark moment in American history, "Shouldn't something like that be in a museum?" I asked to no one in a whisper.
"Most likely it was at one point," Grandpa Set, sorry Lord Khamsin stated as he stirred his Sazerac while taking in the three-way bidding war, "but keep in mind child that this is an underground auction; do not be so surprised at many of the objects here being stolen. One of Miss Bliss's main functions in the criminal community is to either provide those in the underworld with items either considered too hot or too esoteric with a way to profit from their larcenous endeavors. In this case the item in question would be a desirable fount to leech dark essence from for use in many dark arcane spells."
"Sold to Professor Id for $470,000!" Miss Bliss brought down her gavel on stage as the tomahawk disappeared.
"However, it looks like it won't be the case," grandpa explained, "Id is mainly a scientist and prominent figure of the black market- especially when it comes to weapons of war. He is also a proponent of the darker side of human nature, the tomahawk is probably bound for the private museum that he is rumored to have of Isla del Monstro."
"Our next item is a mystic artifact of a far more neutral nature," Miss Bliss stated as she began her sales pitch once more, "the Circlet of Tiresias. One of the better-known prophets of the Age of Myths in Greece, Tiresias gifts were of a more inherent nature later augmented by a gift from Athena, this artifact crafted from a few baubles owned by the seer has accumulated a history of its own having somehow gained the power to bestow gradually bestow Tiresias's gift upon the wearer."
"However, be warned lest you try to reap too much of the circlet's power of prophecy; for you see not only did the crown gain the power to bestow Tiresias gifts of clairvoyance but also the curse inflicted upon him by the Olympian Queen Hera. You see while on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Hermes on Mount Cyllene Tiresias came across of pair of snakes and out of fear struck them with his walking stick; as these serpents were in the middle of mating and no true threat to the man, this drew the displeasure of Hera who turned Tiresias into a woman for the offense- a condition that he remained in for seven years."
"So, buyer be warned, though this crown does bestow the wearer with the gift of prophecy the gift is bestowed gradually and after being worn for a total of twenty-four hours the wearer will find themselves transformed into the opposite gender and after a week they will be cursed to transform back and forth daily. Still what you would do with such an item is up to you, risk the curse for power of prophecy, give one who wishes to cross the gender divide the opportunity to do so while gaining a bonus, transform an enemy into a useful servant- the choice is all up to the winner. Now I will start the bidding for this unique item at $450,000- do I hear $450,000?"
"$450,000!" A woman was the first to raise her paddle.
"Strega," grandpa chimed in sensing my curiosity as the bidding erupted between her and a classy lady with a really scary looking bodyguard, "her son recently manifested as a mutant and crossed the gender gap; although in his case it a literal change and not his real self-casting off a false shell. She may be wanting to give the child the option to change back without risking the possibility of burn-out that her own magic might bring. As for the other bidder, her name is Dustbowl, she's the subordinate of a colleague of mine within the Obsidian Circle- although I cannot place her bodyguard."
In the time that we were talking Professor Id entered the bidding bringing it up to $600,000, meanwhile I just sat back with grandfather watching the mayhem. Eventually at $780,000 Id backed off and before too long, "Going once, going twice, sold to Dustbowl for $810,000. As the display case left the stage, Dustbowl called out to Strega, "Do not worry Dame Valocco, I'll leave word with our people that you are allowed access to the artifact- just remember to ask instead of going the whole drama queen route, nobody wants a repeat of what happened in Paris."
"I don't know," Strega mused, "I think one lucky girl wouldn't mind an encore of a certain part of it."
"Strega, I am sorry for interrupting you tales of debauchery past but we still have an auction to move forward with and I'm informed that we have a minor in the audience."
That little tidbit drew of roll of laughter from Mr. Magic (whom grandpa informed me was a self-styled mystic thief) as Miss Bliss continued with the auction, "The next item on our list is a lost piece of art from the Golden Age of Hollywood The Magnificent Ambersons, the second film by cinema legend Orson Welles and adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Booth Tarkington of the same name. While a version of the film does exist, and is available for purchase, this is Welles's rough cut, untainted by the meddling of RKO Films' executive ordered editing. Included with the film is also the original score by Composer Bernard Herrmann, who insisted that his name be removed from the credits after it too suffered heavy editing by RKO Films; also included are Orson Welles notes on how he wished the film to be edited, which were taken from his estate and substituted for a replacement to complete this lot."
"Know this whoever wins this lot can easily profit from their win by use of a proxy on a more legitimate forum, especially given how the edited version is within the film vault of the Library of Congress. I will start the bidding for this lot at $550,000, do I hear $550,000?"
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall
12:58 AM
"$550,000," Mr. Magic's voice called out while a figure in the shadows (literally)observed the auction hall; the sluagh known as Dirac lay in each of the shadows under the table trying to gather as much intel as he could for his mistress. While it was true that his main concern was Qian Khai, at least per his mistress's orders, he still had other concerns. Something didn't feel right to him Booth 13, and while the newly rejuvenated Lord Ataxia was still cause for concern- the young girl who was with him bothered him.
Dirac didn't know how to explain it but somewhere in the core of his being he knew that he had come across her- and recently at that. He didn't know where considering that the only women that he had encountered tonight were either fae or some shade of human, and being with their land lord clearly mean that the child was a djinn or at least djinn-blooded. The matter quite frankly was driving him bonkers, so Dirac moved through the shadows to back stage to clear his head.
Once Dirac rose from the shadows back stage he found Drisune, his mistress's personal assistant white as a sheet, holding a few sheets of paper in her trembling hands and looking at it like it was her own death warrant with the incriminating envelope on the floor.
"Drisune, what's going on?" Dirac spoke up as he approached the fetch, "You look like the late Lady Blackshore found out that you had filched food meant for the dining table."
"I might as well have- for my fate might be the same," Drisune looked at him as if she was bound for a date with the iron maiden. "One of my main duties for Mistress Denistasa is to open her correspondence and to praise it in a way that would not upset her, but this- there's no possible way to sugar-coat it for the mistress- she will shoot the messenger this time!"
"Come now Drisune you are exaggerating," Dirac stated with confidence, "there is no possible way that you could possibly have news that bad- tonight the Mistress is auctioning off one of her biggest items to date, moreover it was a total windfall, given that it cost us nothing to obtain."
"This wind fall might cost us more than you think," Drisune glared at me as if I was a complete fool for saying what I just did. "As it turns out one of our guests tonight has a prior claim on the Zodiac Gemstones, and claims that we stole it from them."
"Sold to Professor Id for $870,000!" the pair heard their employer cry out from the other side of the curtain.
"Oh, we did nothing of the sort and The Syndicate knows that," Dirac shot back insulted by the accusation, "we took the gemstones and the vambraces they're set in from a group of run-aways, and you know the old laws of our people as well as I do. Run-aways can claim nothing as they ultimately own nothing of their own. Besides the kid who put them on didn't own the bag they were in either. Plus, the last time that I saw of the bag's real owner he was about to get eaten by Shakedown- so there is no way anyone who is out there would have a claim to the star item in our auction tonight."
"It explains that one of the group was Greygus's daughter and therefore Lord Khamsin's granddaughter," Drisune stated as she locked Dirac with a hopeless look while on the other side of the curtain Miss Bliss announced the next item, "the zodiac gemstones might have fallen into her hands by accident when the Slyde courier gave them to her, but they did so in the territory of her family meaning that we effectively assaulted her on her own family's land. Aside from which Lord Khamsin only wants the boy wearing the vambraces released alive and unharmed to his care, as far as he's concerned the zodiac gemstones are a separate matter entirely."
"Wait a moment that group was all male, even I know how to tell the difference between a male and a female and according to Shakedown they all smelled perfectly human." Dirac stated as his mind moved back to their encounter hours ago, everything that he remembered supported his claim. Then he remembered the odd moment that it looked like the owner of the bag had his face fall off after a strong blow from Shakedown. While it was coated in dirt the face looked off like it wasn't human, more animalistic- like the face of a djinn.
Realizing for a moment that Lord Khamsin's claims could be valid Dirac asked Drisune, "How have the efforts gone to remove the vambraces from the boy?"
"Every mundane and mystic means at our disposal have proven ineffective," Drisune explained with her voice dripping with her mounting frustration, "it is as if they are bonded to the very skin of his forearms- there is no way for us to remove them without harming the wearer and there is also no way for us to remove the zodiac gemstones from their settings as they are mounted from the inside out."
"I wish Shakedown would get back here already, he could tell us if Lord Khamsin's claims were valid or not," Dirac stated as he grew more and more frustrated with the ogre's absence, "What is keeping that slovenly lummox- doesn't he realize how much we need him here tonight more than ever?"
"That's the other part of the note, Lord Khamsin stated that he has another son known as Dirge who defeated and captured Shakedown," Drisune explained laying out their massing problems, "apparently, his release is conditional based upon the boy's return and that part is not up for negotiation."
"Dammit all to the permafrost," Dirac stomped his foot in frustration, "Something like this is above my paygrade. We need to tell the mistress and let her make the call during intermission, she is definitely not going to happy about this though because one way or another this will end in violence."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
1:12 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
"Sold to Apis for $800,000!" Miss Bliss went on as the second Fiend Smasher's only remaining Holy Hand Grenade, left the stage bound for wherever the man-bull and his cow-friend decided to rest their hooves here in Sin City.
"I know what you are thinking child, but no they are not our kind." Grandpa began to explain, "They are scientifically augmented humans or at least the variety of human known colloquially as mutants. Apis is a mid-level member of the criminal conglomerate known as The Syndicate, he is also definitely here for the Gemstones, and would certainly not concern himself too highly with young Walter's wellbeing."
"We will now be taking a half-hour intermission," our host explained, as she began to walk off stage, "afterwards we will be coming back for the heavy-bidder portion of the auction with all lot's having an opening bid in excess of one-million American dollars. However, in the meantime feel free to order another round, get up, stretch your legs, mingle if you wish to do so; just remember though to be on your best behavior- that is if you ever want to be allowed back inside."
When our host disappeared behind the curtain grandpa followed her advice and got up, and given that I didn't want to be sitting alone in a room full of career criminals of varying degrees of infamy I followed in his path trying to keep within arm's reach. Surprisingly he was making his way over to Dustbowl and her own plus-one, although I guess that it made sense given how they were all a part of the same organization, note to self: Find out more about the family business so that you don't get caught with your pants down at the wrong time.
"Hello Dustbowl my dear," grandpa Khamsin extended his hand to the woman dressed in desert gear with a scarf covering her face, "nice to see you here I trust Dame Scratch is doing well after that- incident in New York."
"That incident actually turned into a windfall for us Lord Khamsin," Dustbowl explained as she shook grandfather's hand. "It brought us a fine recruit for the Sweepers and gave us the excuse that we needed to show Darrow and his lackey's their place on the food chain which gained us yet another fine recruit as one of the Children of the Night decided to jump ship, although granted your son Greygus did a fair bit of the heavy lifting; with some assistance from the Erinyes and *ugh* Carcharoth."
"Yes, speaking of my oldest I thought that now would be an appropriate time to introduce his daughter and my granddaughter Mistral." Grandpa stated before stepping aside and leaving me with an unobstructed view of the woman.
"He-hello," I spoke before shakily extending my hand to the woman who took it in a while her left hand settled across the back.
"Don't worry child, everyone is nervous their first time in a place like this," Dustbowl explained as she looked at me with a reassuring glance and a gentle couple of pats on the shoulder. "Especially with someone like Id in the room, don't worry though our organization has a longstanding positive relationship with your family's through your father- a great many think well of him and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in our Sweeper Squads who do not hold him in the highest respect. Tell me how old are you Mistral?"
"Fourteen, but I turn Fifteen in July," I replied although part of me wondered if I should let that information out.
"Wonderful, from the look of your skin-tone I'd wager that you have some Hispanic heritage on your mother's side," Dustbowl deduced from me in just a matter of moments, "I'll have to get in touch with mother to see if we could help organize a Quinquennia for you- that is if your family would allow us to help."
"I will talk it over with my wife and son," Grandpa explained, "but speaking of plus-one's I don't believe that yours and I have ever met- what's wrong- is H0RD3 alright?"
"H0RD3 is...as fine as he can be given the circumstances," Dustbowl stated with a melancholy tone in her voice, "sometimes I worry about him showing more and more signs of Manhattan Syndrome- if only that day never happened."
"Trust me changing the past is more difficult than you think," grandpa explained with a deep amount of pain in his own voice, "the only thing that you can do is press on and hope someday to find a solution."
"Well so Greygus joined the parents club after all," Devilmaster stated as he walked over to us, "then again given all the globe-hopping that he had to do I'm more surprised that it didn't happen sooner."
"Pot calling the kettle black Devilmaster," Mr. Magic injected himself into the conversation, "the question still remains of who your own daughter's mother is after all. By the way I was right so it's time to pay up."
"Come on now- so I guessed that she was Lord Khamsin's daughter, I was only off by a generation." Devilmaster plead to the mystic thief, "I was still closer to the truth than Strega! Besides I just wish to keep my wife out of our world."
"Close only counts with splash damage and proximity effects my dear Devilmaster," Strega stated as she sauntered over nearby plucking a rolled bundle from out of her cleavage, and peeling off five bills to deposit within Mr. Magic's waiting hand before returning the roll to the cavern of her bosom. "So, a bet's a bet, five-hundred dollars- be a man because it's time to pay up fair and square, and if you can't be one I can correct that here and now."
"If you even try it I'll leave your gastro-intestinal tract possessed with a bile worm from the Third Circle," Devilmaster glared at Strega while he gave Mr. Magic his promised five Benjamin Franklin's. "Though Strega, your guess to the lady's identity was just perverse; you really need to lay of the tantric magic for a while, it's starting to affect your train of thought."
"Oh, don't be a prude Fellows," Strega scoffed, "who are we to judge another's inclinations."
"Do not lump me in with your own perversions Valocco," grandfather glared at the woman, "I prefer intelligent women with some class to them, after all I would not want to insult my wife by chasing after anything that has two legs and breathes."
"TMI Grandpa," I stated slapping my hands over my ears, "TMI, it's embarrassing enough to hear that people are placing bets on my dad's dating life, but yours's too ewwwww!"
That seemed to draw some laughter from the small group, just before Strega moved closer to the pair we were talking to earlier, "Dustbowl did you really mean what you said?" The lascivious woman asked my grandfather's acquaintance, "Will you really make sure that I can gain access to the Circlet of Tiresias if I ask to see it?"
"Our faction of the Grand Hall heard what happened to your son Strega," Dustbowl explained, "both his transition to the opposite gender after his powers manifested as well as his abduction by Robur the Conqueror and the Bloodline. To be honest they have made a few attempts to abduct charges from Dame Scratch in the past, they seemed to give up after the last time though."
"I can see why," Devilmaster visibly shuddered in revulsion, "what she turned those five men into was enough to make that group think twice about ever risking pissing her off ever again."
"She felt that it was time to give them a blatantly obvious reason to never trespass upon her territory or threaten her charges again," the man who even I had assumed was Dustbowl's bodyguard, "simply making them disappear off the face of the Earth clearly wasn't getting the message across. To be honest she was tempted to revive The Hangman then and there to give those five a public execution by his noose, at least she was before Slaughterhaus's inspired her to do something much worse than simply kill them for their continued transgressions."
"And just who are you again?" Strega looked at the seven-foot-tall tank of a man, "You seem to be awfully well-informed for being a simple bodyguard."
"Dead-Zone." The man replied in a hushed tone causing everyone within earshot (with the sole exceptions being myself and Dustbowl to recoil in fear as color left their face, my grandfather included.
Meanwhile it appeared that our intermission was finally over as wait-staff came out to distribute drinks cluing everyone to return to their seats. Finally, Miss Bliss sashayed back on stage with a far more serious expression compared to earlier, "Ladies and gentlemen, it has come to my attention that someone within the audience has disputed my ownership of the Zodiac Gemstones. They claim that the youth who was unfortunate enough to acquire the Gem's new vambraces was actually a part of their own family, moreover they also claim that the youth who now wears them did so in defense of that family member."
"Now both are very serious accusations as the youths who were in possession of the gems were without adult escort and therefore unsupervised, while I do not dispute that they managed to stumble upon the gems and their new setting I doubt that anyone here would back the claims of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds to own such items of power. Also, I retrieved them under contract with The Syndicate, who I might add failed to add into the contract that I was to turn over the gem's wielder to them as well- resulting on them being the centerpiece of this auction."
With that Walt rose to the stage, blind-folded and gagged while strapped to something resembling a giant letter X. "Now to be fair they only said that they wanted the gem's current wielder returned alive and unharmed, they even explained that I could keep the Zodiac Gemstones to auction off as I pleased without argument should I release the youth to them."
"However there appears to be a problem; I have made a great many attempts to separate the vambraces from this youth, all of them unsuccessful." The auctioneer explained as she continued her show, "For all appearances the braces' metal has completely bonded with the young man's arms, this makes it impossible for me to recover the Zodiac Gemstones without serious surgery which afterwards would require skin-grafts for the entirety of his fore-arms."
"Indeed, those vambraces are now as much a part of the boy's arms as his own epidermis," the man my grandfather named Professor Id proclaimed loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "the inner portion of the bracers is made of a special proprietary malleable alloy that I make rather extensive use of for several applications within my own operation. Those vambraces are bonded to that young man's skin at the cellular level, this makes it so that they will not only always fit and never interfere with muscle or bone growth but are also unable to be taken off."
"I'm afraid that they will never come off without the potential thief inflicting serious harm upon the young man," Professor Id stated with maniacal grin upon his face, "why the trauma of the attempted removal might actually cause the boy to die of shock- in fact I would lay the odds at being a decent 62% of his demise given the current data at my disposal."
"Given all that has come to light, and how my own opinion in the matter would be highly biased," Miss Bliss explained from the stage not dropping her show-woman's flare, "Before we move forward with the auction, I submit the choice to the audience should I surrender the boy with the gemstones included to Lord Khamsin's care given how he used them to allegedly protect his granddaughter or should I continue with the auction as is?"
"I submit a counter-proposal," grandpa interrupted the pending vote while standing from his seat, "rather than let the boy's future be decided by the whims of others why not leave it to a contest of skill. Should my chosen representative lose then not only will I abide by the auction's result, but I will also bestow upon the winner of his lot with this..."
That was when grandpa reached into the space between his wrist and his armor's sleeve to retrieve a gemstone of the exact size and cut as the Zodiac Gemstones that were on Walt's vambraces. "What a great many fail to acknowledge is at present there are thirteen signs in the ecliptic zone assigned to the signs of the Zodiac rather than the accepted twelve, however due to superstitions surrounding the number thirteen this sign is usually ignored."
"However, the being who created the Zodiac Gems in the first place does recognize this fact and crafted a stone for the sign which now takes its place with a toe-hold amongst the twelve; this is the Ophiuchus gem." Grandfather raised the stone in question clutched between his right-thumb and pointer. "While this stone has no power unique to itself, it does serve a rather important function in relation to its twelve predecessors, it shortens their recharge time down to a matter of seconds from their previous matter of minutes, as well as taking the brunt of the Libra gem's possibility of temporarily off-lining the other eleven by going dark itself."
"If my chosen representative wins however the boy and the gemstones are surrendered to my custody and taking their place will be an item of my own submission," Grandpa now took the locked box from the floor and placed it on the table then unlocked and opened the top latch between the two handles. That left the box to open to both sides like a pair of resting wings.
Within the box were seven scrolls with two stacks of two bookending a center stack of three and all three stacks were held in place with two dowel rods cut to the necessary lengths, "These are introductory scrolls for Initiates to the Temple of Isis at Behbeit El-Hagar from their House of Life- or what we call today their library. Within these papyrus scrolls are the very foundations of the magic used in Ancient Egypt, how to perform it as well as craft the tools needed for its practice. Now how many find my offer acceptable enough to risk losing your chance at the Zodiac Gems?"
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 26
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
Las Vegas, Nevada
12:02 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
My heart hammered away inside of my chest as grandfather and I settled into our seats as he set a sealed box on the floor at his feet which he told me earlier was 'part of my backup plan just in case the original didn't work.'
Much to my surprise the auction hall wasn't a hall, instead it was a series of semi-circular booths with a crescent-shaped table fixtured before each- I wonder if this was what a dinner theater looked like. In front of us were two menus, a copy of the auction catalog, a wine list, and a button to call our server. Another prominent feature of the table was a long paddle with the number 13 on it, obviously, Miss Bliss did not want to make us feel too welcome here in her den.
The woman on the stage, whom my grandfather informed me was a fallen sidhe noblewoman (a type of fairy) formerly of the Winter Court, continued to bask in the lime light of the underground auction's stage. "Now while you take the time to inform your servers of your drink and hors d'oeuvre selections for tonight, I do have a small announcement for tonight which amends the preliminary auction catalog which you all received earlier."
The sidhe known as Miss Bliss paused to take a breath before she continued, "A third party approached me with an outside offer for one of tonight's lots over an hour ago- I will explain further after your orders are placed. I need to give my chefs and bartenders time to work their magic tonight as well."
An obvious sign of dissatisfaction began to spread amongst the auction goers: 'What was going on? Was Walt safe? Was he still here?'
Meanwhile my grandfather placed an order with a waitress, "Matbucha and a Sazerac, make sure to substitute the absinthe rinse with ouzo though, I dislike after-tones of wormwood. How about you my dear?"
Realizing that he was asking for my order I took a quick peak and picked something that I had made before on my own, given that the woman who claimed to be my mother for fourteen plus years never really cooked. "Clams casino substitute the bacon for pancetta and an Arnold Palmer made with unsweetened iced tea please." Noticing the odd look the waitress was giving her she added, "I am underage, there are some laws that I believe we owe a modicum of lip-service."
"Very well madam," the waitress took my menu with lowered eyes, "I meant no disrespect."
"If you are done embarrassing poor Greygus's daughter I also have a message for you to give your employer during intermission." Grandfather Set stated as he produced a sealed (as in with wax and his signet stamp) envelope to the waitress, and leaned forward with a whisper, "I expect you to give this to Miss Denistasa Morrast as soon as the curtain falls."
"At once sir," the waitress to the envelop along with our menus, looking positively shell-shocked over the name my grandfather casually dropped, one thing was certain he knew how to make his point heard with minimal effort- I guess I need to ask him for a few pointers. With our peace said and our orders taken the waitress scampered off to either the kitchen or back-stage...maybe one after the other."
"That envelope explained the current state of affairs as well as the gravitas of the situation that Miss Bliss is in-" Grandpa Set explained, "you see this might be her operation however she only operates with my permission- explaining the situation might help get the ball rolling in our favor."
"But what about everyone else in the room-" I said with some concern, "these are some scary customers."
"Don't worry too much my dear," grandpa explained with a smile from beneath his partial head dress, "I have a few friends in the room to help should things get dicey."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:17 AM
Miss Bliss looked at the anger and discontent spreading among the auction goers, hoping that the replacements in the catalog mollified them, but for the moment she wondered why she agreed to that Summer Court tart's proposal.
Flashback
Saturday, April 21st, 2007
The Black Solstice Lounge - Miss Bliss's Personal Suite
10:35 PM
Denistasa Morrast born Denistasa of House Blackshore and now known in certain circles of the mortal world's less than desirable element as Miss Bliss was in her dressing room trying not to let her current situation get to her. On the one hand, she was about to auction of one of her more lucrative windfalls in years the power gems of one of the founders of the Justice Brigade- the late Captain Cosmos, dubbed by those of his day as his Zodiac Gems, also a name that was seized on by his killers the Zodiac Cartel. On the other hand, her landlord Lord Ataxia had not only become a lot more dangerous without her becoming aware of that fact and for the first time ever had opted to attend one of her auctions; this turn of events was either very good or extremely bad.
Although judging by that fact that one of the pair of goons who she sent to retrieve the Zodiac Gems in the first place, the ogre operating under the name Shakedown, had yet to either return from his cleanup mission or check-in with her she was guessing that it may be the former. "Setbacks like these are not what I need right now, this is one of the largest windfalls that I have come across since my exile- maybe even before that, I do not need anything to interfere tonight!"
Denistasa was doing her best to regain her composure, the criminal underworld of the mortals was in many ways the same as the Winter Court in which she grew up; however certain aspects of the criminal underworld were far worse than back home, this was because this world combined the surface dangers of the Winter Court with the hidden dangers of the Summer Court. Here a blade or spell flying at your head or a direct attack from another faction wasn't all that you had to worry about, the mortal underworld relied upon an intricate balance of reputation and alliances; being eliminated was far from the only treat that she had to deal with- there was also her operation being taken over and herself either being kicked to the curb or outright subordinated.
No, Denistasa needed to maintain a facade of poise and dignity, as such were the only ways to maintain her autonomy. While the loss of her status and nobility with the fall of her house and the execution of her parents and older sister via gladiatorial combat with ogres was horrific, in time she had come to appreciate the freedom of being out from under the authority of Queen Mab and the Royal Court of House Ellinra.
Alright, technically she wasn't entirely autonomous, Denistasa and the servitors of House Blackshore which she had managed to personally suborn to herself prior to the final unlucky Hell Tithe had been without of place to call home prior to receiving the patronage of a withered djinn known as Lord Ataxia here in the desert to get back on her feet. To be honest for the most part her local 'Lord' had left her alone merely collecting a small monetary tribute at the first of every calendar month through his surprisingly cordial son Greygus, now though matters had changed Lord Ataxia was now Lord Khamsin filled with renewed vitality and coming to her most vital venture for the first time- ever. There were just too many unknowns for her to be truly comfortable, so for the first time in a while she was going to have to...fake it.
At present, she had decided to make liberal use of her chair's special back massage feature, although part of her wished that she could make liberal use of aspirin as well rather than need to depend on draught of willow leaf. "I really need to begin building up a tolerance to manufactured consumable goods, brewing our own in-house spirits for self-consumption alone is a pain and a half."
Eventually she heard a hesitant knocking at the door, "Drisune I thought that I explained that I did not wish to be disturbed while I am preparing myself for tonight's auction."
"Actually, milady we have a guest here from the Fairlands who wishes to discuss purchasing one of the items featured in tonight's auction catalog."
Denistasa smiled at the sadistic possibilities: if the noble truly had a brain in their head they might be willing to make an in-kind trade for the treasure. Granted given however that Faefolk from either of the two Kingdoms had a far different concept on payment, if their payment didn't meet her standards though she could always have them tortured for her own personal amusement. Still there was one variable which she still had to account for... "Drisune is our guest from the Winter Court or the Summer Court?"
"Summer Court Milady," Drisune replied, "she is Lady Aenara of House Shining-Lily."
"Yes, and if you would receive me I have need of an item which you currently have in your possession," the Lady of the Summer Court explained while preparing to further cement her chance to obtain what she was after. "So perhaps we could meet face-to-face to commence negotiations."
"I will have to decline," Denistasa replied as heavily as she could, "I do not know if you are aware or not however I am only a first-generation exile of the Winter Court. This means that I am fully aware of Summer Court's tactics of bending a negotiation in their favor. Also as the auction's catalog has already been sent out to all interested parties I am afraid a direct purchase for basic capitol is quite problematic, and moreover the purchase of certain items within it outside of the auction itself is out of the question."
"Also, while I am aware of the Sidhe price of balance when it comes to the price of goods you are asking me to break my word and sully my reputation, not to mention risk the ire of individuals whose danger is far greater than you could dare to imagine. Ergo the Sidhe price for such goods themselves would be woefully insufficient. But before I tell you my price, what item do you wish me to place my neck on the chopping block over?"
"The two Bak-ba," Lady Aenara Shining-Lily replied shortly, "I am aware that you are offering them together in the same lot in your auction- Lot 3 I believe."
"However, you are offering to purchase them directly; ergo you shall purchase them separately. Should you wish to acquire the objects which you are after you must then pay me in a way to make it worth the considerable risk that you are making me take. I would say that one unique mystic item from human antiquity for each ring should be sufficient to counter the collateral damage to my reputation- oh and you only have an hour to present them and have my house scrier authenticate them before the auction, so I would try not to dally unless of course you wish to sully your own reputation by attending an auction in the mortal realm with many individuals of notoriously ill reputations."
End Flashback
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:18 AM
Coming back into the present Miss Bliss saw how emotions were running high, and a fair number of individuals were visibly upset- she knew that it was time to quench this fire before it turned into a blaze, "Now- now everyone, I understand that you are upset, you came for what you were originally offered after all."
"However, my wonderful guests you need not be so agitated the star item of the auction is still up for bidding; the individual, whose name I reserve to withhold for the sake of their anonymity, was interested in Lot Number 3: two Ancient-Egyptian Bak-ba broaches."
After this revelation passed over the audience although for some reason Lady Jettatura and Hexmaster both looked mildly perturbed- she thought that might be good information to file-away for later after all chances were good that her followers for reclaim the Bak-ba for later sale after Lady Aenara's scheme blew up it her face. "Moreover, I insisted that the buyer pay in goods for tonight's auction rather than common currency and they delivered, this will be reflected in the new items offered for both Lot Number 3 as well as Lot Number 12 so who knows you might find something that is very attractive in either new offering, so before we begin I will give you a few moments to peruse these new possibilities."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 8
12:25 AM
Qian Khai sighed with relief as his heart-rate and blood pressure began to fall back to normal levels. It wasn't too late he could still fulfill his mission although as he looked around part of him doubted his chances for success given those who would likely be bidding against him. Already walking into the auction hall, he recognized old foes of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan whose adversity long predated even the reign of even the Xue-jin Mushi's predecessor's predecessor.
Although he did not know her name or identity; Qian recognized one of Erzebet Scratch's lieutenants from a picture that he had seen skimming through files when he gained this job during the organizational reshuffling weeks past. However, a long foe of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan that he did recognize by name had been a thorn in their order's side ever since they moved to expand into the West...Professor Id; although technically Id was their enemy the sad truth was the sheer size of his overarching organization dwarfed their's considerably, which was even more terrifying that he had been at this himself for only a hundred and twenty odd years.
Either of those two alone had more money to throw into buying the Zodiac Gems than the Xue-jin Mushi had ever authorized for his use in the auction. Knowing that his situation felt bleak Qian Khai took the moment to search the catalog for the new items in the auction catalog, because all the prior lots that while interesting in their own merits would not spare his life from his master's...disappointment.
The new Lot 3 was the Circlet of Tiresias, an Ancient Grecian silver crown fashioned in the style of a laurel and permanently bestowed the wearer with the prophetic gifts of the ancient seer himself with increasing control the longer one wore it. However, it was also noted that the Circlet also bestowed upon the wearer the curse inflicted upon Tiresias by the Olympian deities; if someone wore the crown for twenty-four cumulative hours then they would be transformed into the opposite gender. Moreover, to gain full control of the gift of prophecy would take wearing the circlet for a week which would curse the wearer with changing gender every day. This sounded more like a potential torture device than something of true benefit- pass.
The next entry however caused Qian Khai's heart to jump with joy- the item listed was none-other than the Taiping Yaoshu, it had been lost for over twenty-two hundred years but somehow Miss Bliss's mysterious client had found it and used it to pay for one of the Bak-ba. Let the others throw their money into a dozen power gems that would only be lost or stolen later, this text was not only worth the Xue-jin Mushi sparing his life it would likely earn him a promotion.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
12:30 AM
Now that her guests were calm, and their drinks had started to arrive it was time to begin, "Our first item up for bid tonight is also the one with the most modern history, the Rosary of Isobel Caprera." Illustrated as a case containing the eponymous item resting upon a jewelry store display raised up through a trap door in the stage. "This item belonged to a parishioner of the now Famous Saint Gregory's Church named Isobel Caprera, a grandmother in her mid-sixties Isobel suffered from chronic if not crippling arthritis in her hands. This affliction was healed for a time when one of the cherubs of the individual famously known as The Angel of Hell's Kitchen entered the woman's rosary on November 16th of last year, as a side note this act also reignited the faith of the woman's granddaughter Gina."
"This item is also unique because it came here through properly legal channels, as Isobel Caprera sold this rosary to pay for the education of her family, to an elderly man of means. This man of means, who has asked not to be name, decided that after being targeted by several burglars and minor dark magic users that living with his affliction of chronic recurring gout was a proper price to pay for a good night's sleep; ergo this anonymous individual willingly consigned the Rosary to our auction through one of my agents- meaning that who-so-ever wins this item will be its legal owner under international law!"
"Now while the power to suppress the pain and swelling of a condition as serious as rheumatoid arthritis would indeed make this object useful, the fact that it was an object that was enchanted early on with the Macluic Energies of the eponymous Angel is no doubt more interesting as is likely the essence of a matron's genuine familial love that it absorbed from its original owner. Now I will start the bidding at a modest $300,000, do I hear $300,000 for this unique artifact and even more unique opportunity?"
"$300,000," Hexmaster raised his paddle surprising no one given that his son Nephandus had been spotted several times at Saint Gregory trying to capture one of the Angel's cherubs.
What was surprising was when Don Kulmatz raised his paddle to challenge the bid, "$310,000!"
Hexmaster shot the Central American cartel leader a hate-filled glare and responded with a bid of $320,000!"
Don Kulmatz nonchalantly ignored the mystic practitioner's malice and raised his paddle again, "$330,000."
"340,000," Hexmaster raised his paddle clearly beginning to lose his temper as if the bidding went too high it would hurt him when the bidding for the Zodiac Gems began.
"350,000," a new paddle was raised this one being held by fellow dark mystic practitioner Devilmaster who sought to insert himself in the bidding war likely to help keep the peace lest Hexmaster foolishly try to attack Don Kulmatz.
"360,000," another voice chimed in this time belonging to Mr. Magic the gentleman mystical thief of some small acclaim, also an individual who due to his low overhead the true depth of his pockets being an unknown.
"370,000," Hexmaster raised the bidding once again as he grew more desperate to acquire the Rosary and almost forgot about the Zodiac Gems.
Professor Id although not taking part in the bidding war over the Rosary had a mirthful smile on his face, as he clearly enjoyed the chaos that was erupting over the mysteriously blessed holy artifact.
"600,000," Don Kulmatz drew the attention of the room drawing the attention of the room even causing Professor Id to drop his smile as he raised his eye-brows.
Everyone in the room was stunned at how high the enigmatic Central-American raised the bidding that no one paid attention to Miss Bliss when she announced, "600 thousand going once, 600 thousand going twice," everyone however heard the gavel being lowered as Miss Bliss proclaimed, "The Rosary of Isobel Caprera is sold to Don Kulmatz for six-hundred thousand US dollars, and the amount is now logged and is being withdrawn from your over-seas bank that you listed during registration."
Miss Bliss then continued as the case containing the Rosary was lowered from the stage to be readied for transport, "As always all items won in our auctions are then sent by my private couriers to the location that you listed in your auction registration when you RSVP'd."
"Next up we have an item that also speaks of a mother's love but more-so of her fury, the Tomahawk of Hannah Duston." The covert fallen Winter Noblewoman began as the item in question rose to the stage displayed via a microphone stand with in a Lucite case with the head at the bottom facing the audience. "A figure whose name is controversial by today's standards, Hannah Duston was a puritan mother of nine in Colonial Massachusetts who with her infant daughter Martha and eleven other colonists were taken captive by members of the Abenaki Tribe during the Raid on Havenhill which took place on March 15th, 1697. Sadly, during their march to the Abenaki's camp one of her captors decided to silence six-day-old Martha, igniting the fire of her mother's rage in the process."
"That rage simmered for six weeks as Hannah waited for her opportunity with her nurse Mary Neff and during that time recruited Samuel Lennardson a 14-year-old who had been held prisoner at the same camp for a year. Finally, Hannah lead the three in a revolt against their captors killing ten, the first of whom with this tomahawk, and then scalped them for proof of the incident- I suppose the bounty that they also claimed afterwards didn't hurt either."
"So here you have it ladies and gentlemen, a weapon soaked in the bloody revenge of a filled by a mother's loss of her newborn daughter. I will start the bidding of this weapon at $350,000- do I hear $350,000 for this dark artifact of history?"
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
12:42 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I looked on in shock as Professor Id, Lady Jettatura and Friar Rush fought over the Native American hatchet connected to such a dark moment in American history, "Shouldn't something like that be in a museum?" I asked to no one in a whisper.
"Most likely it was at one point," Grandpa Set, sorry Lord Khamsin stated as he stirred his Sazerac while taking in the three-way bidding war, "but keep in mind child that this is an underground auction; do not be so surprised at many of the objects here being stolen. One of Miss Bliss's main functions in the criminal community is to either provide those in the underworld with items either considered too hot or too esoteric with a way to profit from their larcenous endeavors. In this case the item in question would be a desirable fount to leech dark essence from for use in many dark arcane spells."
"Sold to Professor Id for $470,000!" Miss Bliss brought down her gavel on stage as the tomahawk disappeared.
"However, it looks like it won't be the case," grandpa explained, "Id is mainly a scientist and prominent figure of the black market- especially when it comes to weapons of war. He is also a proponent of the darker side of human nature, the tomahawk is probably bound for the private museum that he is rumored to have of Isla del Monstro."
"Our next item is a mystic artifact of a far more neutral nature," Miss Bliss stated as she began her sales pitch once more, "the Circlet of Tiresias. One of the better-known prophets of the Age of Myths in Greece, Tiresias gifts were of a more inherent nature later augmented by a gift from Athena, this artifact crafted from a few baubles owned by the seer has accumulated a history of its own having somehow gained the power to bestow gradually bestow Tiresias's gift upon the wearer."
"However, be warned lest you try to reap too much of the circlet's power of prophecy; for you see not only did the crown gain the power to bestow Tiresias gifts of clairvoyance but also the curse inflicted upon him by the Olympian Queen Hera. You see while on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of Hermes on Mount Cyllene Tiresias came across of pair of snakes and out of fear struck them with his walking stick; as these serpents were in the middle of mating and no true threat to the man, this drew the displeasure of Hera who turned Tiresias into a woman for the offense- a condition that he remained in for seven years."
"So, buyer be warned, though this crown does bestow the wearer with the gift of prophecy the gift is bestowed gradually and after being worn for a total of twenty-four hours the wearer will find themselves transformed into the opposite gender and after a week they will be cursed to transform back and forth daily. Still what you would do with such an item is up to you, risk the curse for power of prophecy, give one who wishes to cross the gender divide the opportunity to do so while gaining a bonus, transform an enemy into a useful servant- the choice is all up to the winner. Now I will start the bidding for this unique item at $450,000- do I hear $450,000?"
"$450,000!" A woman was the first to raise her paddle.
"Strega," grandpa chimed in sensing my curiosity as the bidding erupted between her and a classy lady with a really scary looking bodyguard, "her son recently manifested as a mutant and crossed the gender gap; although in his case it a literal change and not his real self-casting off a false shell. She may be wanting to give the child the option to change back without risking the possibility of burn-out that her own magic might bring. As for the other bidder, her name is Dustbowl, she's the subordinate of a colleague of mine within the Obsidian Circle- although I cannot place her bodyguard."
In the time that we were talking Professor Id entered the bidding bringing it up to $600,000, meanwhile I just sat back with grandfather watching the mayhem. Eventually at $780,000 Id backed off and before too long, "Going once, going twice, sold to Dustbowl for $810,000. As the display case left the stage, Dustbowl called out to Strega, "Do not worry Dame Valocco, I'll leave word with our people that you are allowed access to the artifact- just remember to ask instead of going the whole drama queen route, nobody wants a repeat of what happened in Paris."
"I don't know," Strega mused, "I think one lucky girl wouldn't mind an encore of a certain part of it."
"Strega, I am sorry for interrupting you tales of debauchery past but we still have an auction to move forward with and I'm informed that we have a minor in the audience."
That little tidbit drew of roll of laughter from Mr. Magic (whom grandpa informed me was a self-styled mystic thief) as Miss Bliss continued with the auction, "The next item on our list is a lost piece of art from the Golden Age of Hollywood The Magnificent Ambersons, the second film by cinema legend Orson Welles and adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Booth Tarkington of the same name. While a version of the film does exist, and is available for purchase, this is Welles's rough cut, untainted by the meddling of RKO Films' executive ordered editing. Included with the film is also the original score by Composer Bernard Herrmann, who insisted that his name be removed from the credits after it too suffered heavy editing by RKO Films; also included are Orson Welles notes on how he wished the film to be edited, which were taken from his estate and substituted for a replacement to complete this lot."
"Know this whoever wins this lot can easily profit from their win by use of a proxy on a more legitimate forum, especially given how the edited version is within the film vault of the Library of Congress. I will start the bidding for this lot at $550,000, do I hear $550,000?"
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall
12:58 AM
"$550,000," Mr. Magic's voice called out while a figure in the shadows (literally)observed the auction hall; the sluagh known as Dirac lay in each of the shadows under the table trying to gather as much intel as he could for his mistress. While it was true that his main concern was Qian Khai, at least per his mistress's orders, he still had other concerns. Something didn't feel right to him Booth 13, and while the newly rejuvenated Lord Ataxia was still cause for concern- the young girl who was with him bothered him.
Dirac didn't know how to explain it but somewhere in the core of his being he knew that he had come across her- and recently at that. He didn't know where considering that the only women that he had encountered tonight were either fae or some shade of human, and being with their land lord clearly mean that the child was a djinn or at least djinn-blooded. The matter quite frankly was driving him bonkers, so Dirac moved through the shadows to back stage to clear his head.
Once Dirac rose from the shadows back stage he found Drisune, his mistress's personal assistant white as a sheet, holding a few sheets of paper in her trembling hands and looking at it like it was her own death warrant with the incriminating envelope on the floor.
"Drisune, what's going on?" Dirac spoke up as he approached the fetch, "You look like the late Lady Blackshore found out that you had filched food meant for the dining table."
"I might as well have- for my fate might be the same," Drisune looked at him as if she was bound for a date with the iron maiden. "One of my main duties for Mistress Denistasa is to open her correspondence and to praise it in a way that would not upset her, but this- there's no possible way to sugar-coat it for the mistress- she will shoot the messenger this time!"
"Come now Drisune you are exaggerating," Dirac stated with confidence, "there is no possible way that you could possibly have news that bad- tonight the Mistress is auctioning off one of her biggest items to date, moreover it was a total windfall, given that it cost us nothing to obtain."
"This wind fall might cost us more than you think," Drisune glared at me as if I was a complete fool for saying what I just did. "As it turns out one of our guests tonight has a prior claim on the Zodiac Gemstones, and claims that we stole it from them."
"Sold to Professor Id for $870,000!" the pair heard their employer cry out from the other side of the curtain.
"Oh, we did nothing of the sort and The Syndicate knows that," Dirac shot back insulted by the accusation, "we took the gemstones and the vambraces they're set in from a group of run-aways, and you know the old laws of our people as well as I do. Run-aways can claim nothing as they ultimately own nothing of their own. Besides the kid who put them on didn't own the bag they were in either. Plus, the last time that I saw of the bag's real owner he was about to get eaten by Shakedown- so there is no way anyone who is out there would have a claim to the star item in our auction tonight."
"It explains that one of the group was Greygus's daughter and therefore Lord Khamsin's granddaughter," Drisune stated as she locked Dirac with a hopeless look while on the other side of the curtain Miss Bliss announced the next item, "the zodiac gemstones might have fallen into her hands by accident when the Slyde courier gave them to her, but they did so in the territory of her family meaning that we effectively assaulted her on her own family's land. Aside from which Lord Khamsin only wants the boy wearing the vambraces released alive and unharmed to his care, as far as he's concerned the zodiac gemstones are a separate matter entirely."
"Wait a moment that group was all male, even I know how to tell the difference between a male and a female and according to Shakedown they all smelled perfectly human." Dirac stated as his mind moved back to their encounter hours ago, everything that he remembered supported his claim. Then he remembered the odd moment that it looked like the owner of the bag had his face fall off after a strong blow from Shakedown. While it was coated in dirt the face looked off like it wasn't human, more animalistic- like the face of a djinn.
Realizing for a moment that Lord Khamsin's claims could be valid Dirac asked Drisune, "How have the efforts gone to remove the vambraces from the boy?"
"Every mundane and mystic means at our disposal have proven ineffective," Drisune explained with her voice dripping with her mounting frustration, "it is as if they are bonded to the very skin of his forearms- there is no way for us to remove them without harming the wearer and there is also no way for us to remove the zodiac gemstones from their settings as they are mounted from the inside out."
"I wish Shakedown would get back here already, he could tell us if Lord Khamsin's claims were valid or not," Dirac stated as he grew more and more frustrated with the ogre's absence, "What is keeping that slovenly lummox- doesn't he realize how much we need him here tonight more than ever?"
"That's the other part of the note, Lord Khamsin stated that he has another son known as Dirge who defeated and captured Shakedown," Drisune explained laying out their massing problems, "apparently, his release is conditional based upon the boy's return and that part is not up for negotiation."
"Dammit all to the permafrost," Dirac stomped his foot in frustration, "Something like this is above my paygrade. We need to tell the mistress and let her make the call during intermission, she is definitely not going to happy about this though because one way or another this will end in violence."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall Booth 13
1:12 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
"Sold to Apis for $800,000!" Miss Bliss went on as the second Fiend Smasher's only remaining Holy Hand Grenade, left the stage bound for wherever the man-bull and his cow-friend decided to rest their hooves here in Sin City.
"I know what you are thinking child, but no they are not our kind." Grandpa began to explain, "They are scientifically augmented humans or at least the variety of human known colloquially as mutants. Apis is a mid-level member of the criminal conglomerate known as The Syndicate, he is also definitely here for the Gemstones, and would certainly not concern himself too highly with young Walter's wellbeing."
"We will now be taking a half-hour intermission," our host explained, as she began to walk off stage, "afterwards we will be coming back for the heavy-bidder portion of the auction with all lot's having an opening bid in excess of one-million American dollars. However, in the meantime feel free to order another round, get up, stretch your legs, mingle if you wish to do so; just remember though to be on your best behavior- that is if you ever want to be allowed back inside."
When our host disappeared behind the curtain grandpa followed her advice and got up, and given that I didn't want to be sitting alone in a room full of career criminals of varying degrees of infamy I followed in his path trying to keep within arm's reach. Surprisingly he was making his way over to Dustbowl and her own plus-one, although I guess that it made sense given how they were all a part of the same organization, note to self: Find out more about the family business so that you don't get caught with your pants down at the wrong time.
"Hello Dustbowl my dear," grandpa Khamsin extended his hand to the woman dressed in desert gear with a scarf covering her face, "nice to see you here I trust Dame Scratch is doing well after that- incident in New York."
"That incident actually turned into a windfall for us Lord Khamsin," Dustbowl explained as she shook grandfather's hand. "It brought us a fine recruit for the Sweepers and gave us the excuse that we needed to show Darrow and his lackey's their place on the food chain which gained us yet another fine recruit as one of the Children of the Night decided to jump ship, although granted your son Greygus did a fair bit of the heavy lifting; with some assistance from the Erinyes and *ugh* Carcharoth."
"Yes, speaking of my oldest I thought that now would be an appropriate time to introduce his daughter and my granddaughter Mistral." Grandpa stated before stepping aside and leaving me with an unobstructed view of the woman.
"He-hello," I spoke before shakily extending my hand to the woman who took it in a while her left hand settled across the back.
"Don't worry child, everyone is nervous their first time in a place like this," Dustbowl explained as she looked at me with a reassuring glance and a gentle couple of pats on the shoulder. "Especially with someone like Id in the room, don't worry though our organization has a longstanding positive relationship with your family's through your father- a great many think well of him and you would be hard pressed to find anyone in our Sweeper Squads who do not hold him in the highest respect. Tell me how old are you Mistral?"
"Fourteen, but I turn Fifteen in July," I replied although part of me wondered if I should let that information out.
"Wonderful, from the look of your skin-tone I'd wager that you have some Hispanic heritage on your mother's side," Dustbowl deduced from me in just a matter of moments, "I'll have to get in touch with mother to see if we could help organize a Quinquennia for you- that is if your family would allow us to help."
"I will talk it over with my wife and son," Grandpa explained, "but speaking of plus-one's I don't believe that yours and I have ever met- what's wrong- is H0RD3 alright?"
"H0RD3 is...as fine as he can be given the circumstances," Dustbowl stated with a melancholy tone in her voice, "sometimes I worry about him showing more and more signs of Manhattan Syndrome- if only that day never happened."
"Trust me changing the past is more difficult than you think," grandpa explained with a deep amount of pain in his own voice, "the only thing that you can do is press on and hope someday to find a solution."
"Well so Greygus joined the parents club after all," Devilmaster stated as he walked over to us, "then again given all the globe-hopping that he had to do I'm more surprised that it didn't happen sooner."
"Pot calling the kettle black Devilmaster," Mr. Magic injected himself into the conversation, "the question still remains of who your own daughter's mother is after all. By the way I was right so it's time to pay up."
"Come on now- so I guessed that she was Lord Khamsin's daughter, I was only off by a generation." Devilmaster plead to the mystic thief, "I was still closer to the truth than Strega! Besides I just wish to keep my wife out of our world."
"Close only counts with splash damage and proximity effects my dear Devilmaster," Strega stated as she sauntered over nearby plucking a rolled bundle from out of her cleavage, and peeling off five bills to deposit within Mr. Magic's waiting hand before returning the roll to the cavern of her bosom. "So, a bet's a bet, five-hundred dollars- be a man because it's time to pay up fair and square, and if you can't be one I can correct that here and now."
"If you even try it I'll leave your gastro-intestinal tract possessed with a bile worm from the Third Circle," Devilmaster glared at Strega while he gave Mr. Magic his promised five Benjamin Franklin's. "Though Strega, your guess to the lady's identity was just perverse; you really need to lay of the tantric magic for a while, it's starting to affect your train of thought."
"Oh, don't be a prude Fellows," Strega scoffed, "who are we to judge another's inclinations."
"Do not lump me in with your own perversions Valocco," grandfather glared at the woman, "I prefer intelligent women with some class to them, after all I would not want to insult my wife by chasing after anything that has two legs and breathes."
"TMI Grandpa," I stated slapping my hands over my ears, "TMI, it's embarrassing enough to hear that people are placing bets on my dad's dating life, but yours's too ewwwww!"
That seemed to draw some laughter from the small group, just before Strega moved closer to the pair we were talking to earlier, "Dustbowl did you really mean what you said?" The lascivious woman asked my grandfather's acquaintance, "Will you really make sure that I can gain access to the Circlet of Tiresias if I ask to see it?"
"Our faction of the Grand Hall heard what happened to your son Strega," Dustbowl explained, "both his transition to the opposite gender after his powers manifested as well as his abduction by Robur the Conqueror and the Bloodline. To be honest they have made a few attempts to abduct charges from Dame Scratch in the past, they seemed to give up after the last time though."
"I can see why," Devilmaster visibly shuddered in revulsion, "what she turned those five men into was enough to make that group think twice about ever risking pissing her off ever again."
"She felt that it was time to give them a blatantly obvious reason to never trespass upon her territory or threaten her charges again," the man who even I had assumed was Dustbowl's bodyguard, "simply making them disappear off the face of the Earth clearly wasn't getting the message across. To be honest she was tempted to revive The Hangman then and there to give those five a public execution by his noose, at least she was before Slaughterhaus's inspired her to do something much worse than simply kill them for their continued transgressions."
"And just who are you again?" Strega looked at the seven-foot-tall tank of a man, "You seem to be awfully well-informed for being a simple bodyguard."
"Dead-Zone." The man replied in a hushed tone causing everyone within earshot (with the sole exceptions being myself and Dustbowl to recoil in fear as color left their face, my grandfather included.
Meanwhile it appeared that our intermission was finally over as wait-staff came out to distribute drinks cluing everyone to return to their seats. Finally, Miss Bliss sashayed back on stage with a far more serious expression compared to earlier, "Ladies and gentlemen, it has come to my attention that someone within the audience has disputed my ownership of the Zodiac Gemstones. They claim that the youth who was unfortunate enough to acquire the Gem's new vambraces was actually a part of their own family, moreover they also claim that the youth who now wears them did so in defense of that family member."
"Now both are very serious accusations as the youths who were in possession of the gems were without adult escort and therefore unsupervised, while I do not dispute that they managed to stumble upon the gems and their new setting I doubt that anyone here would back the claims of fourteen and fifteen-year-olds to own such items of power. Also, I retrieved them under contract with The Syndicate, who I might add failed to add into the contract that I was to turn over the gem's wielder to them as well- resulting on them being the centerpiece of this auction."
With that Walt rose to the stage, blind-folded and gagged while strapped to something resembling a giant letter X. "Now to be fair they only said that they wanted the gem's current wielder returned alive and unharmed, they even explained that I could keep the Zodiac Gemstones to auction off as I pleased without argument should I release the youth to them."
"However there appears to be a problem; I have made a great many attempts to separate the vambraces from this youth, all of them unsuccessful." The auctioneer explained as she continued her show, "For all appearances the braces' metal has completely bonded with the young man's arms, this makes it impossible for me to recover the Zodiac Gemstones without serious surgery which afterwards would require skin-grafts for the entirety of his fore-arms."
"Indeed, those vambraces are now as much a part of the boy's arms as his own epidermis," the man my grandfather named Professor Id proclaimed loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "the inner portion of the bracers is made of a special proprietary malleable alloy that I make rather extensive use of for several applications within my own operation. Those vambraces are bonded to that young man's skin at the cellular level, this makes it so that they will not only always fit and never interfere with muscle or bone growth but are also unable to be taken off."
"I'm afraid that they will never come off without the potential thief inflicting serious harm upon the young man," Professor Id stated with maniacal grin upon his face, "why the trauma of the attempted removal might actually cause the boy to die of shock- in fact I would lay the odds at being a decent 62% of his demise given the current data at my disposal."
"Given all that has come to light, and how my own opinion in the matter would be highly biased," Miss Bliss explained from the stage not dropping her show-woman's flare, "Before we move forward with the auction, I submit the choice to the audience should I surrender the boy with the gemstones included to Lord Khamsin's care given how he used them to allegedly protect his granddaughter or should I continue with the auction as is?"
"I submit a counter-proposal," grandpa interrupted the pending vote while standing from his seat, "rather than let the boy's future be decided by the whims of others why not leave it to a contest of skill. Should my chosen representative lose then not only will I abide by the auction's result, but I will also bestow upon the winner of his lot with this..."
That was when grandpa reached into the space between his wrist and his armor's sleeve to retrieve a gemstone of the exact size and cut as the Zodiac Gemstones that were on Walt's vambraces. "What a great many fail to acknowledge is at present there are thirteen signs in the ecliptic zone assigned to the signs of the Zodiac rather than the accepted twelve, however due to superstitions surrounding the number thirteen this sign is usually ignored."
"However, the being who created the Zodiac Gems in the first place does recognize this fact and crafted a stone for the sign which now takes its place with a toe-hold amongst the twelve; this is the Ophiuchus gem." Grandfather raised the stone in question clutched between his right-thumb and pointer. "While this stone has no power unique to itself, it does serve a rather important function in relation to its twelve predecessors, it shortens their recharge time down to a matter of seconds from their previous matter of minutes, as well as taking the brunt of the Libra gem's possibility of temporarily off-lining the other eleven by going dark itself."
"If my chosen representative wins however the boy and the gemstones are surrendered to my custody and taking their place will be an item of my own submission," Grandpa now took the locked box from the floor and placed it on the table then unlocked and opened the top latch between the two handles. That left the box to open to both sides like a pair of resting wings.
Within the box were seven scrolls with two stacks of two bookending a center stack of three and all three stacks were held in place with two dowel rods cut to the necessary lengths, "These are introductory scrolls for Initiates to the Temple of Isis at Behbeit El-Hagar from their House of Life- or what we call today their library. Within these papyrus scrolls are the very foundations of the magic used in Ancient Egypt, how to perform it as well as craft the tools needed for its practice. Now how many find my offer acceptable enough to risk losing your chance at the Zodiac Gems?"
Last Edit: 6 years 6 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: typos
6 years 6 months ago - 6 years 6 months ago #35
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Lot 01: Isobel Caprera's Rosary
Lot 02: The Tomahawk of Hannah Duston
Lot 03: The Circlet of Tiresias
Lot 04: A rough cut of The Magnificent Ambersons with the lost reels and the Orson Welles' instructions on how to properly restore them.
Lot 05: Sheet Music for the true version of Giuseppe Taratini's Violin Sonata in G minor, Bg.5
Lot 06: Fiend Smasher's last remaining Holy Hand Grenade (adapted from a suggestion by Valentine for The Holy Handgrenade of Antioch
Holy Hand Grenade (suggested by Valentine )
Created by the Second person to take up the ill-fated codename of Fiend Slayer, Joe Mather who claimed to be the modern descendant of Cotton Mather (a Puritan Minister infamous for his support of the Salem Witch Trials as well as the author of Wonders of the Invisible World among other works) whether this was true or not is up for debate as Joe Mather was a devisor with Diedrick's Syndrome and an obsession with the supernatural. One thing that was known was that Joe Mather's inventions were of moderate success against lower and mid-range arcane entities, however much like his predecessor Joe met his terrible end fighting a demon far beyond his capabilities with no back-up.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 26 Notes
Lot 01: Isobel Caprera's Rosary
Lot 02: The Tomahawk of Hannah Duston
Lot 03: The Circlet of Tiresias
Lot 04: A rough cut of The Magnificent Ambersons with the lost reels and the Orson Welles' instructions on how to properly restore them.
Lot 05: Sheet Music for the true version of Giuseppe Taratini's Violin Sonata in G minor, Bg.5
Lot 06: Fiend Smasher's last remaining Holy Hand Grenade (adapted from a suggestion by Valentine for The Holy Handgrenade of Antioch
Holy Hand Grenade (suggested by Valentine )
Created by the Second person to take up the ill-fated codename of Fiend Slayer, Joe Mather who claimed to be the modern descendant of Cotton Mather (a Puritan Minister infamous for his support of the Salem Witch Trials as well as the author of Wonders of the Invisible World among other works) whether this was true or not is up for debate as Joe Mather was a devisor with Diedrick's Syndrome and an obsession with the supernatural. One thing that was known was that Joe Mather's inventions were of moderate success against lower and mid-range arcane entities, however much like his predecessor Joe met his terrible end fighting a demon far beyond his capabilities with no back-up.
Last Edit: 6 years 6 months ago by Insane Hiker.
6 years 6 months ago #36
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
West Hall - Roof Top
Durango, Colorado
1:57 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I grinned at the sight of the Jiangshi down in the streets bellow bursting into flames as my shot struck home, "Well Kelly that should be the last of them," I boasted as the mystically-reanimated cadaver was steadily cremated on the streets bellow us, "I hope that your copies cleared that park east of us of any bystanders because that is our best shot at facing whichever of those three the merchants send after us without starting a forest fire."
The still disguised Monkey King looked on into the distance before turning to me and saying, "No- now the last one of them is down. Bajie just took down the Jiangshi with a bodyshot. But yeah, I cleared the park, this time of night all there are around here are vagrants setting up camp or high schooler’s making out in the bushes. You'd be surprised how a random cop with a flashlight or a big pervy-looking biker sends either running. Hopefully we still have time to get setup before-"
"COME YOU COWARDS AND WATCH ME SUCK THE MARROW FROM YOUR BONES!"
"Or not," I deadpanned, "was that Guanyin's disciple- the one who we're supposed to save?"
"Nope, I've met him a few times after he grew up," the metamorphosed monkey replied as she turned towards the source of the voice, "and something tells me that an asura isn't that stupid- which just leaves the kuro-oni. I have a few of my copies keeping a lookout as owls so please give me a moment to check up on them."
I watched as Sun Wukong, who was still playing the role of a Caucasian college girl, albeit one with a rather prominent tail, closed her eyes and sat in seiza- although only for a moment. "It's not heading our way it's headed for Wujing and Bajie- so is the asura- that means."
"Pardon me ladies," the two of us turned to see the source of the voice standing in the air before our eye. Sure, enough our guess was right on the money; The Merchants of Suffering had sent Hai-er Hong, the infamous Red Boy and son of both the Niu Mowang (the Bull Demon King) and Princess Tie Shan (Iron Fan). Okay granted the Red Boy moniker was something of ages past because damn this man was hot, and I don't just mean the balls of near iridescent flames that he was standing on. If this was who we were supposed to rescue then forget doing Wukong and Guanyin a favor, liberating this guy from the Merchants was both business and fun.
I felt a firm pull on the back of my outfit and suddenly the hunk in crimson robes was much further away as I found myself laying on a beanbag-sized cloud as Sun Wukong finally pulled her trademark staff from behind her ear and expanded it to a respectable size before tossing aside her earlier outfit leaving her standing dressed like she was pulled from the depths of a Hong Kong period film.
"Uncle, I did not expect to find you here, I truly wished that our reunion had not come to match our first meeting, however it appears that we are once again fated to clash. My masters have ordered me to return your current companion to them while eliminating all who stand the way." Brandishing his spear at Sun Wukong, Hong Hai-er continued, "so it looks like I am to finish the battle that we began those many centuries ago."
"I'm hardly the opponent that I was the first time that we fought," Sun Wukong explained as she formed another cloud beneath herself, "ascetics aside you forget that now you wish to tangle with a Buddha- much like the one who you pledged yourself to serve all those centuries ago."
"Unfortunately, uncle for the time being my decisions are not my own," Hai-er Hong stated brandishing his spear at my current traveling companion, "the Zhaoshang de Youhuan have me their disposal, exactly how I am forbidden to reveal; so now I hope that you are indeed as immortal as the stories proclaim you to be."
Hai-er Hong charged towards Sun Wukong like a rocked with his spear set to counter the still feminine Monkey King who diverted the spear's path with the butt of her staff guiding in towards the ground as she twisted the shaft rapidly bringing the other to bare as in bludgeoned Hai-er Hong in the side of the head while her tail regained follicles as her earlier clones returned home en-mass.
Once again, I saw that I was pulling away from the action and turned around to see Sun Wukong or another one of her copies driving the cloud away from the growing battle behind us, "So you left a decoy to distract Hai-er while we find a better place to fight him?" I asked trying to get a grasp on the situation.
"Nope- that's the real me going to blows with Red Boy, I'm the copy- but you can still call me Kelly to avoid confusion with the real monkey deal." Kelly proclaimed as we put in our distance to the battle, "Hai-er's too much an opponent for a copy to deal with especially when he takes of the kiddie gloves and starts showing what he can really do. No, we need to keep back, and preferably figure out how the Merchants are pulling the strings of an immortal sage sworn to the Buddha of Compassion."
"Trust me, I spent months as the Merchant's unwilling slave," I all but spat as I struggled to avoid remembering those seemingly endless days of torment, pain and toil, "and if there's one thing that they know how to do its force others to bow to their commands. I doubt that they could force him to surrender his true name to them like they did me though, so they must be using another method to command him- probably the same way that they're commanding the black oni and the asura."
"Just how did they get you to surrender your true name to them in the first place," Kelly asked as the cloud that we were on settled a fair distance from Wukong Sun's latest match with Hai-er Hong. "I mean you seem way too determined to just do that considering all that you went through to get to town in the first place."
"How else do scum like that always get their way," I growled as I remembered that horrible day...
Flashback
November 5th, 2006
Chen Family Home
Seattle, Washington
1:09 AM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
I got up from my makeshift bed in the basement of our home, it felt kind of bad for a while that I couldn't sleep in my own bed but given how my abilities are fire-based I didn't want to risk burning the house down in the middle of the night. This still meant that we needed to get a little creative with my choice of bedding so that I didn't catch it on fire either; at present my mattress is flattened and packed mound of fifty-five pounds of landscaping soil so that it would help if I accidentally made sparks or flames in the middle of the night.
My pillow was just five more pounds of soil shaped like a lump at one end of the mound to slightly elevate my head, course I slept mainly on my side or my front due to my massive tail. As for my blanket, I know talk about irony I needed to have my temperature taken with a meat thermometer because I popped the normal kind, but I still felt cold around me, that was taken care of by a used fire blanket that was donated to us by the neighborhood fire department.
Of course, it didn't help that I was pretty much a prisoner in my own home, before I had even left the hospital Humanity First began posting fliers around my school and the hospital about the dangers of mutants with demonic caricatures of me as the illustration. It apparently didn't take them long to narrow down where I lived either because the next day two suits claiming to be from the Mutant Commission Office showed up at my home to talk my parents into letting them take me into protective custody.
After one of them put his hand on me and got burned because of my higher than normal body temperature they claimed that I assaulted him and trying to take me in as a danger to the public our neighbor Ping Chou, a proud member of the Seattle Police Department showed up and threatened to take them down town for assaulting a minor and impersonating an officer.
Though that caused the pair to retreat H1 and lawyers from the Goodkind Foundation showed up two days later trying to get me labeled a danger to the public, thankfully Master Fong Wei-quo and the leaders of the Chinatown-International District showed up to throw their own considerable legal weight around. Given how I manifested after being bathed in the ashes from an urn housed in the local Buddhist Temple and emerged hatching from an egg resembling a Chinese-dragon they argued that my appearance could be viewed as a sign from the Jade Heavens.
The District leaders also threatened both the Goodkind Foundation and H1 with lawsuits of cultural discrimination and religious intolerance even going so far to place a restraining order barring them from the District- what can I say, considering all the discrimination that was heaped our way for decades we had more than a few neighborhood attorneys who knew their way around the legal system.
While that kept me safe at home and theoretically within the district itself I still couldn't risk going out in plain sight. Yeah, I knew all too well that if some member of their organization didn't try to grab me in broad-daylight then one of the more hardcore psychos that drank their Kool-Aide might try to snipe me from a distance, one already did try to take me out that way; fortunately, that time I was lucky it was just some redneck with a deer rifle rather than a paramilitary type with a custom sniper rifle and armor-piercing rounds.
Yep, this growing sense of paranoia had led me to jump awake more than once from a sudden noise in the middle of the night, while right now I didn't hear a noise per-se there was something in the pit of my gut that didn't feel right. I carefully made my way up the stairs to the house proper, but while everything was quiet it was still too quiet- the kind of quiet that just isn't natural.
I made my way to the living room and still nothing looked off, but still there was that lingering feeling, hell I felt like a damned bit character in a slasher movie. No matter where I looked everything was just too damned still, I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck- and considering that I had a mane of rust-colored hair from the top of my head all the way down my back to the tip of my tail that means something.
I moved as quietly as I could (which was no small feat considering that my now taloned feet had the annoying habit of clicking on tile and laminate) across the first floor living room and through the bead door to our family tailor shop that took up the front of the house. I made my way cautiously through dad's work space and to the store front proper, that's where I knew my earlier fears became nightmarish reality in I way that I never thought possible.
To my surprise for once what I found waiting for me wasn't an armed mob of Humanity First goons, or Mutant Commission Office faux-government agents- not these men were suits of a different sort. Outsiders who couldn't tell one oriental ethnicity from another would mistake these men, two of whom had my parents at with naked-blades against their throats, for Japanese Yakuza, but they were clearly of Chinese Ancestry- maybe even not ancestry.
While part of me wanted to lump these men in with some Triad faction even I could tell that was wrong, the signs were subtle but clear- their suits were too upscale for one and Triads would never wear something that nice to a job like this given that there was too much of a chance that evidence would remain despite the best dry-cleaning money could buy. Besides all three of the Triad groups in Seattle were on good relations with my family, most of their officers wore suits that my father tailored for them, hell he had good standing for life with the Shining Bridge family for life thanks to the stellar job that he had done with the current head's wedding tuxedo back when he was around my age.
No, these men were too well-dressed for a potentially messy job like this, almost as if they could replace a ten-thousand-dollar suit like it was a big-box store undershirt. I tried to keep my cool, but I couldn't help it- "MOM!!! DAD!!!" I started to run for them when the goon holding my dad dug his blade in enough to draw blood and thus stopping me in my tracks.
{"I take it that we now have your attention, child of rumor."} The clear leader of the group spoke to us in mandarin with some manner of accent that I couldn't place but I understood on a personal level. {"Whatever fleeting fame you have achieved in this tiny corner of the world means nothing- you need to understand the reality of the world as a whole."}
{"Whatever life you once knew is no more! Whatever future you once considered for yourself is now revealed as nothing more than a peasant's fantasy! From this moment, onwards you are now the property of the most venerated Priest of Blood-soaked Gold, Master of the Merchants of Suffering!"} The man stated in a tone that told me that this was not up for discussion, {"From now until you are dust you will create works such as these of any quality which the most esteemed Priest of Blood-soaked Gold desires!"} he proclaimed as he held up something I recognized instantly, a rough seventy carat green sapphire that I made from a coke can a couple of weeks ago.
While I was staring at the stone which set these psychos eyes upon me one who must have been hiding in my father's work are came up behind me and slapped a thick metal collar around my neck, {"That is to ensure that you do not destroy your bindings or our transportation to your new stable. Understand from now on, the future well-being of those who populated your old life depends upon the quality of your co-operation and your future labors. Should you resist your parents and acquaintances will die cursing your birth, moreover every time you displease the Priest of Blood-soaked Gold we will ensure one of your loved ones suffers an equal degree. Now come along lizard!"}
That was when whoever it was behind me, who clearly wasn't alone slapped a pair of thick old cuffs around my wrists while the other pulled a thick-black draw-string bag over my head. Obviously, these Merchants of Suffering didn't do anything by half measure as they also cuffed my legs then threw another sack over me- as they began to drag me off I heard to heavy *thunks* indicating that they likely knocked out my folks to keep them from running for help until we were a long way away. The next thing I knew after I had been clearly dragged outside, I was picked up by three sets of hands and thrown (literally into either a trunk or some manner of cargo space just before I heard the trunk close.
End Flashback
Durango, Colorado
2:13 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
"Hey, you zoned out for a minute there," Kelly explained as she shook my shoulders with a concerned look on her face, "just what was up with you there, I know that we're airborne but why did you just go all spacy?"
"Let's just say I was reliving the worst day of my life," I growled as I looked about as best I could for someone anyone from the merchants, while I did spend most of my slavery in either my workspace or my cell occasionally they drug me out for some reason or another, that was when I noticed another way that the Merchants controlled their unrulier slaves, with some kind of magic rod.
Since Hai-er Hong was definitely himself and not lessened in any form I knew that he was likely being manipulated by one of those rods, as were the oni and the asura- but my knowledge about how those blasted things worked was definitely lacking. "I remember them using some kind of rod on their ore powerful prisoners when I was with them. I should have asked Kelsey about those things while I had the chance, I mean we were roommates for over a month for crying out loud."
"Yeah everybody has those moments," Kelly laughed as she maneuvered the cloud, "could'a- would'a- should'a- didn't. Take it from me- or well my memories of the real me, be careful of leaving too many regrets; no matter how long you live others won't so-"
Kelly's next words were cut off as an explosion blew apart the cloud below our feet and sent the two of us plummeting- at least for the moment. I guess that I was fortunate what with having claws and all, my earlier neophyte's vice-like grip on the cloud had granted me large handfuls of the ride and slowed my descent enough that I was confident that I'd walk away from this with nothing worse than a few deep-bruises...what was that word from HOUSE- oh yeah- sub-dermal.
Kelly on the other hand wasn't so lucky, I looked on trying not to let the horror of the situation get to me, but her body was literally being consumed by fire. I know that she was only a clone that Wukong Sun had created from a tail hair using her famous multiplication technique, but to watch helpless as someone who you had been having a heart-to-heart with just moments ago, burn into a strand of hair- forget talking with Kelsey, after today I was probably needing to sit down with an actual shrink.
Still given how the real Monkey King was currently occupied fending off a considerably grown-up Red Boy, meanwhile Sha Wujing and Bajie Zhu were elsewhere doing the same to an asura and a black oni. While on the upside this meant that the chances of dealing with any one of those three was lessened, that still meant for the time being I was alone to deal with the Merchants and whatever took out Kelly and our cloud.
"I really hope that was just one of Hai-er Hong's stray fireballs that sent me-" I was interrupted as I felt something the size of a softball hit me and explode ending my careful cloud-fragment aided descent and from the feeling before I hit the ground through a tree-top.
"Ugh," I did my best to peel myself off the small crater I left in the asphalt, "momentarily trembling in shock as I inspected my chest- thankfully while stained with ash and a little scratched from the blast, my scute-scales had held up to the brunt of the attack. Still this was no time to be laying around thanking the fact that I was still alive, whoever sent me plummeting wasn't going to be kind enough to wait for me to recover- I had to find some way to hide.
As I peeled myself out of the crater my body began to protest the sudden movement, but I bit back the aches and pains, a few minor bumps and bruises were nothing next to what I'd have coming my way if I was caught- plus my comrades were depending on me to find a way to disable the Merchant's control over their three heavy-hitters, and there was no way I'd ever want to be known as the girl who disappointed a Buddha.
Still first-thing's first, I had to hide before whoever it was that shot me out of the sky got here. Knowing that the tree that a crashed through was a wash I spotted a hedge bordering a nearby building, given that there was no way that I could scale the building without leaving a trail I knew that the shrubs were my only bet.
"Should have practiced this more." I muttered as I used the form change techniques that Sha Wujing had been teaching me, however this time rather than taking a human form I opted for something much more...compact. I concentrated as best as I could and tried to turn into a cat- nobody would think twice about seeing a stray fur ball roaming around in the middle of the night- at worst I might get kicked but at least it would let me escape. "Gēnggǎi"
With a brief puff of smoke suddenly I was on all fours and far closer to the ground, not wanting to either waste a second or risk the next arrival to my impact sight and risk getting caught I four-footed it over to the bushes and hid pushed my way between the twigs and foliage to gain a hiding vantage point to observe whoever was going to be first on the scene.
After a minute, I finally got into a good position curling up into a characteristic feline-ball to sell the image even more to the casual observer, and all the while keeping an eye out on my disturbing impact zone. It took all of five minutes for my assailants to show up and I couldn't have been more embarrassed- it was those power-suit wearing red-necks the Mass-Share Some Brothers or whatever the hell their name was.
Really- I spent all night sniping Jiangshi with fireballs from a hundred feet away, running away from a rematch centuries in the making between Wukong Sun and Hai-er Hong, blown out of the sky while on a mission to take out a crew of the Merchants of Suffering's beast-handlers, only to run into the mercenaries who ruined my first real fun since I manifesting into a mutant fucanglong; oh they had better hope they don't find me because I swear if they coming poking around this bush I'm going to take my good sweet time kicking their tin-plated cans from here to Canada.
As they came in I could hear them clearly, and thanks to my currently feline-eyes, I could see them even better. "Well Lloyd," one of them who clearly sounded like he definitely wasn't the brains of their operation spoke up, "you sure you hit her square on- because that lizard bitch ain't here! And I thought that you were supposed to be the smart one, so where is she nerd boy?"
"For the last time Bufford, the idea was to bring her down to ground level not capture her outright," the one of the three who I presumed was Lloyd spoke up, "Besides at that height I couldn't risk a more powerful yield on my heat-seekers, remember this is a capture and return job not a flat out hit. Also, she only landed a few minutes ago, with her ambient heat signature we should be able to follow her trail easily. Besides I had a chemical additive mixed in with the lower yield on those missiles, even if she can hide from our thermal-trackers my surprise in the missiles will lead us to her no matter where she tries to hide like a hound dog to a treed coon."
'Dammit,' the hackles rose of my fur, I tried as best I could not to let this revelation blow my cover, they were looking for a human-sized target either someone who was clearly of Chinese descent or my normal half-dragon physique; there was no way these three knuckle-heads would know that I could transform myself like this. They'd just assume that I'd gotten the trace on me some other- way. Yeah, there was no way three red-necks would suspect a cat of being their target...would they?!?
"Okay the thermal trail starts to grow colder around here, but we might be dealing with a shape-shifter," Lloyd explains as he started to guide his brothers over to where I transformed earlier.
'They had to only be guessing right,' I began to panic as the thoughts began to cross my mind, 'there's no way they could be cer-'
"That explains it," the third unnamed member of the trio spoke up, "we didn't see that lizard bitch until sometime after the fight broke out. She must have been hiding with the rest of the crowd until she knew there was no other way out without dealing with us back there."
'Crap,' I panicked to the point that I would began sweating beads if I was in human form, but as is I could feel the fur along my back began to rise to mirror my growing agitation, 'they know, and there's no way out of here.' I knew then and there I was stuck, they said there was chemical mixed in with the rocket that knocked me to the ground that they could track, which meant there was only a matter of time before they found me.
Unfortunately for me was that my current hiding place had just become a major liability and severely limited my options, if I transformed here in the bushes my feet would probably be tangled making me stuck in place long enough for the mercs to hit me with something nasty. On the other hand, if I moved, either to try and sneak away or transform to fight them in close-quarters, the bush's leaves would rustle and draw attention to me and let them hit me with something nasty when they could really hurt me. Damned if I do- damned if I don't, oh what the hell I'd right the landscaper an apology later- I readied myself both to change back to my normal self as well as fight like my life depended on it- which may or may not be the case but I'm not about to risk it.
That was when the weirdest thing happens, a shadow of a snake seemed to crawl into Bufford's shadow then he turned to strike Lloyd knocking the missile-launcher that he had been carrying out of his hands and onto the ground.
"Bufford, what the hell was that for!" Lloyd shouted at his teammate, "Have you been drinking right before a mission, you know that you're not supposed to operate these things drunk!"
"I'm not drunk!" Bufford screamed as he kicked Lloyd sending him sprawling, "something's wrong with my suit, it's moving on its own. And whatever's goin' on I can't fi-OWW that almost broke my damn arm!"
"There's nothing wrong with your armor you lummox," Lloyd shot back as he tried to block Bufford's seemingly involuntary attacks while flat on his power-armored back as the third of their group tried to restrain Bufford. "I already looked over your suit when we got back, it was fine unless you did something to break it afterwards!"
As suddenly as Bufford began attacking Lloyd, he then began to thrash and attack himself that's when Bufford's earlier claims proved to have a lot more substance to them. While Lloyd was no longer under attack and trying to get up a new figure landed on top of him and began to attack him in earnest, while solid black whatever it was resembled a massive stylized version of a monkey which began to attack Lloyd in Bufford's place while a pair of arms emerged from the ground to restrain his legs.
"What the hell is going on here?" the third member of their group asked while still trying to restrain Bufford just before something metallic impacted the back of his armor. Suddenly the one who I assumed was Bufford and Lloyd's leader froze as sparks flew from the object causing him to spasm before falling right over.
"Rod! Lloyd! What the hell is going on?!?" Bufford shouted as he continued to move now with his back to where I was hiding.
While Bufford's back was turned, a group walked around the building, and judging by their outfits they were part of the powered group and judging by the fact that one of them has clearly undead. One of the two women, separated from the group and walked over to the Mass-share-some Brothers, "What has happened is that you have overstayed your welcome." With that sentence, Bufford fell quiet and his armor stopped fighting him as the shadow snake left him for the undead man in the dressed like an undertaker from a western.
Soon Lloyd joined Bufford in falling immobile as the weird monkey thing jumped at the member of the group covered in tattoos and shrank before becoming a part of the man's artwork, so it was a tattoo I guess that explained it, followed by the pair of arms which belonged to a feminine figure wearing a ghost mask.
"I recognize the armor," the woman stated, "isn't this Syndicate Sabretooth variety, I wonder if this means Deathlist is after the Merchant's reward?"
"It's an older model Reverant," a man with what looked like cybernetic implants explained, "the real Sabretooth Squads stopped using this design four years ago, so the truth is who knows?"
"They're the Masterson Brothers," the woman who approached the three mercenaries earlier stated just as she turned to face my hiding spot, with eyes that were currently all black. "They had just shot the Northern Maiden out of the sky and were looking to collect her for the bounty, also they aren't Syndicate- Rod was a Sabretooth but he stole a drop ship and a few suits of power armor a few years back with the help of his brother and cousin (both of whom were in the Tiger Guards)."
"Speaking of their target, Northern Maiden I know that you are hiding in the bushes, we are here to escort you to a meeting with your three comrades so please come with us." The woman's steely-eyed gaze glared right at me through all the foliage and twigs, she knew exactly where I was hiding, "don't think that furry form fools me one bit, I know a sapient mind when I feel one. Now come out and show your real self, don't make me reach into your mind and force you to do so- we are under orders to escort you to meet your fellow maidens before sunrise."
'Crap she's a psychic, that's one thing I don't need,' I began to make my way out of the bushes, 'maybe if I go along I can work this to my advantage, Sha Wujing and the others still need me to take out those control rods to rescue Hai-er Hong.'
Following her demands I made my way out of the bushes, and transformed back not to my human form but my real one. With my fangs bared in a vicious smile I glared at the woman, "Very well, you may call me Duanzaolong, but be aware I have something that I need to accomplish before I go anywhere with you."
"Really," the tattooed man stated as he approached me, "you'd think that you would be in a bigger hurry to get out of here- I mean the Merchants are here and given how they consider you to be their property I thought that you'd want to split asap!"
"One of the Merchant's other prisoners was sent out to bring me back, an acolyte of the Lady of Mercy Guanyin, a friend of my teacher was sent here to rescue him, and I promised that I'd do my best to help. Understand this when I make promises I intend to keep them, if you wish to help me feel free to do so, but I refuse to leave until I help my friends." With a snap of my claws I kindled two fireballs the size of volleyballs to emphasize my determination, "Also should you try to force the issue I won't make it easy, and in you'd also risk drawing my companions into this and only a fool seeks to fight the Monkey King when the Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are also in the area."
"Oh, come now," the cyborg spoke up, "do you honestly expect us to believe that the three warriors of the Saiyuki are here!?! We are a top group of Shuffle's Sweepers not some mere novices- we are not just another group of novice westerners."
"She's telling the truth about the whole thing Wicked Ink," the psychic replied given me the first name that I'd heard for anyone in the group. "When she said Sha Wujing I all but heard the Chinese word for sensei in her mind, meaning he's been teaching her how to fight."
"Tru der mon-cher," the undead man and shadow-user spoke up, "an' I 'ear word thad da' Monkay be chill'en 'round de' Acadamei des days, so 'em show'on up be likelay. We be 'ere ta' smack 'round da' Mahchants anywei so ah say leits double the'ah pain!"
"Well you all heard Papa Houma, and he's in charge," the woman who emerged from the ground explained, "so it looks like we're going to be fighting the Merchants of Suffering's Beast Handlers. I saw what they looked like on the way here and I know the whole situation from spying on the Merchant's camp, they are controlling their last three heavy-hitters with enchanted devices known as Rods of Zhengfu. There is one rod for each of the three, I looked them up in our database and the method to counter them is simple; destroy the rod and their prisoner is free. Each of the wielders is riding in a sidecar attached to a Navy-Blue Kawasaki Ninja 600 and from what I read about the rods they need to be within a kilometer-and-a-half of their victim, so all we have to do is look for motorcycles with sidecars within half-a-kilometer of each fight."
"Very well, the sooner we help free this acolyte the sooner we complete this mission and report to the Circle," the cyborg sighed in clear frustration, suddenly employed a weird antenna from his pack to slowly spun as if it was looking for something, "I've detected three roughly identical mystic energy signatures which I'm transmitting to your coms equipment- we'll split into three teams to take out each of them as fast as possible."
"Interspector you're with Papa Houma, that way the two of you can spot and take your target out from a distance. Wicked Ink you're with me for the same reason that way we can coordinate our attacks to take two assets of the Merchants off the board. Reverant, I hate to phrase it this way but you're essentially on baby-sitting detail, since Flipside couldn't come we need you to escort and assist Blizzard Wizard, Permafrost and the Dragon Lady to the third target."
"That's Duanzaolong not Dragon Lady!" I shouted at the cyborg who barely acknowledged me.
"If you want people to get your codename right then you might want to pick one that's a lot less of a mouthful," the cyborg whose name I had yet to learn explained much to my chagrin. "Now the other two groups will try to coordinate our attacks to go with yours that way we can take out all three control rods at essentially the same time while giving the Merchants next to no time to either react, or go on either the defensive or the offensive."
"You 'eard de mon," Papa Houma spoke up after the cyborg who I presumed was the second in command finished dolling out assignments, "Okay Sweepas le's geat dis doan!"
As the group diverged I saw that I was being stuck with the ghost lady from the ground and two individuals with winter-themed attire who hung back earlier so that I didn't notice them with the rest of the group.
"Alright- we can talk along the way," Reverant explained as we took off in the direction towards where Wukong Sun was fighting Hai-er Hong. "I presume that the oriental man in armor is the one that we are supposed to rescue, unfortunately that means also freeing the oni and the asura. While the asura are known to be wild cards, the oni will be a problem no matter what we do. By the way just who is the man who was confined with those two, I never really got the sense of just who he was?"
"Hai-er Hong, son of those who you'd likely know Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan and is likewise known over here as Red Boy in most versions of Journey to the West," I began to explain as we went to our target, "he is a great fire-user and warrior even from a young age, he is also a sworn acolyte of Guanyin the Lady of Mercy. Should we free him he will also be a powerful ally against the other two- I only hope that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are doing well against the other two."
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
Durango, Colorado
3:01 AM
"If I knew those humans were going to send me after a pig I wish that they'd let me bring along a tasty marinade!" The kuro-oni Assaku licked his fanged chops as he slashed as Bajie Zhu before swinging again at the heavenly alter cleaner again with his massive kanabo leaving his opponent to block it again with his jiuchi-dingpa while blowing fire in the oni's face in a desperate attempt to get the demon to retreat- which only served to amuse the beast. "After all you bring your own fire and there is plenty of spits and kindling for the barbecue."
"Sha, I need some help here," Bajie shouted to his companion, "this monster likes being on the receiving end of my attacks!"
"Sadly, I am unable to assist my old friend," Sha Wujing explained as he rapidly spun his yueyachaun to ward off another attack from the Asura known as Nidar Rosh who constantly alternated between attacking and defending with each of the four weapons held in his six-arms. Meanwhile the six-eyes on the divinity's three-faces left him no blind spot for the sand priest to exploit. "My hands are rather full at the moment, even though my opponent seems to have those to spare."
"Know this great arhat that I take no pleasure in this battle," Nidar Rosh spoke as he once again tried and failed to entrap one of Sha Wujing's arms with his weighted rope. "However, I resign myself to the fate which the universe has bestowed upon me; so, I in turn will carry that task that fate thrust upon me to its completion!"
"And I shall- uff, pray that the universe delivers a better choice for your future," Sha Wujing replied to his opponent as he brushed aside the asura's trident while countering his sword as fast as he could.
Approaching Durango Regulatory Reservoir
3:29 AM
"Awfully nice of the boss to let us go along with the girl's request," Wicked Ink remarked, "I knew that there were a few scraps of humanity left in that cadaver!"
"Maybe- maybe not," Corporal Analog explained as he scanned the area for the quarry as the sounds of a heated battle echoed in the distance. "The fact was those fireballs that girl kindled to threaten us with were 1600° each, hot enough to make even a near miss fatal. Plus, if she is here with the Saiyuki then if we take her by force we'd have to deal with those three eventually and that isn't something that I look forward to experiencing."
"Fair enough," the tattooed super-criminal observed, "foreign deities or not I don't want to fight any if I don't have need to."
"Amen to that, hold on-" Corporal Analog stopped as his artificial left-eye's lens began to dilate and switch vision modes, "I think that I found target one. Yes, target confirmed." The cyborg paused to activate his radio, "Bravo Team reporting in, the first beast handler has been located. Bravo-one now taking aim and waiting for further instructions while Bravo-two moves into position."
Taking his unspoken queue Wicked Ink after pausing for a moment to confirm with the night-vision googles in his own back the beast handler's location, the tattooed mystic began to slowly make his way towards the Beast Handler and his Driver. Wicked Ink knew his mission well, in the unlikely event Corporal Analog missed he was to finish the job, however if Analog hit his target he was supposed to take the pair out before they could radio for help. Regardless of either outcome two members of the Merchants of Suffering were bound to have a very bad day...provided they lived to see the sun come up.
LH Technologies - Rooftop
3:34 AM
"Damn," Interspector commented as she looked on at the fight between Sha Wujing, Zhu Bajie and their respective opponents, "What are in those rods that let them control creatures like that?"
"Hair float'n en a poshan en a bloan glass balb." Papa Houma explained as he looked on at the pair of targets by the southern bank of the reservoir. "De rod's 'able 'as all de spells on et, but witout de glass bulb on top 'ets jest a fauncy steik."
"Understood sir," Interspector took in her boss's information, "I'll prepare to disable the driver, I don't have enough control to make the Beast Handler break his staff."
"Doan worry mon cher'," the undead bokour skilled as he began to work his voodoo, "I been do'n dis trick fo ye-ahs."
The mutant psychic looked on as like before a piece of undead bokour's shadow broke off in the form of a snake and made its way in the direction of the two Merchants. The pair had already got the message that Bravo Team was in position now all they had to do was wait for Charlie Team to take out their target and both remaining teams would spring their own traps.
"Alpha Team in-position, Alpha-1 has delivered package and Alpha-2 is ready, waiting on Charlie Team...over!" Interspector relayed over their communication lines. Now everything hinged on Reverent and a trio of amateurs- "Now all we have to do is hope that everything doesn't go to pot on their end."
Stadium Lot - Fort Lewis College
3:41 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
Thankfully it didn't take long to reach where the Merchants’ southern-most Beast Handler, unfortunately he was situated in the sidecar of a motorcycle with a driver who was fully prepared to relocate if he needed to either to stay in range of Hai-er Hong who he was likely controlling or just bolting in case of attack. This situation made it even more problematic for us, the pair had chosen the College's Stadium Parking Lot to operate out of and with it being the middle of the damn night they were the lot was empty giving no cover to sneak up on them, and even though the lot's lights were off given how it was after hours the pair was smart enough to set up glow sticks to illuminate the place.
So, to sum it up they were hard to see in a big, open area with plenty of directions to flee in and no way for us to sneak up on them without them seeing us coming. And here I was with two fellow non-professionals and a lady who could dive into the ground who turned to ask, "Before I offer suggestions what say we count this as a educational experience, how would you take care of this?"
"I'll just freeze those glow sticks then they won't see us coming," Blizzard Wizard spoke up as he took aim with his freeze-caster gauntlets and prepared to fire- right before Permafrost smacked him in the back of the head.
"Even if that did work it would let our targets know right away and they'd bolt faster than we could chase them, plus it would ruin the element of surprise because next time they'd know for sure that there were others after them." Permafrost chided her sidekick, "Besides not only are glow sticks freeze-proof, it actually extends their shelf life- they'd just last even longer."
"Who needs to deal with the glow sticks, I say that we just take out the control rod and be done with it," I snapped my fingers and nurtured another fireball from our cover, "I can nail that thing from here easy, heck I've been practicing shooting targets with guided fireballs all night. Plus, I only need a glancing hit, enough heat and the ball with the hair in it either pops from the heat or boils and ruins the potion inside the ball."
"Better I'd but the issue here is that those glow sticks light is affecting your night-vision," Reverent elaborated as she pointed at the target and then made me aware of just how much of a problem I had with seeing the end of the staff. Yeah that would have made a real problem, if I missed I could fail to hit the target entirely or I could wind up blowing up the bike and killing the Beast Handler and his driver. I mean yeah, I hated the Merchants of Suffering with a burning passion, but did I really have it in me to kill someone- no matter how much I knew deep down that they deserved no mercy what-so-ever, did I really have what it took to cross that line?
"I could take out the rod's head without the light-pollution being a problem," Permafrost explained, "My mask has a sonar mode for light-free situations and my own freezer gauntlets have a setting for hail stones, I could shatter that thing like easier than a hail stone breaks a windshield."
"Good- a solid Plan A but we need a backup plan in case that doesn't work." Reverent stated oddly enough in no hurry.
"Do we have anything to jam the wheel spokes," I added in my own two cents, "a motorcycle is fast and maneuverable, but it can't go anywhere if it's wheel's locked."
"Would this do?" Blizzard Wizard asked as he pulled out a combination-lock bike chain with one of those red plastic coatings over it, "You never know when you might need to temporarily secure something."
"Yes, that will do," Reverent stated as she took the chain from Blizzard Wizard, and dove into the ground only to return a few moments later, "well they shouldn't be going anywhere, so Permafrost if you would be so kind- please feel free to break their toy's remote control!"
With a smile, Permafrost engaged her mask and took aim with her left arm, a moment later her gauntlet fired with a pop followed by the sound of breaking glass from the parking lot. As the distant sounds of combat died down the four of us approached as we heard the sound an engine revving, with the bikes two occupants desperate to discover what was wrong with their ride, as soon as I spotted them however I decided not to give them the chance to flee.
Falling to all fours I charged the driver and tacked him off the bike and onto the ground while smacking the Beast Handler with a swipe of my tail as I dove past. While the driver struggled against me shouting Chinese swearwords so obscure that I only recognized a third of them, although after he told me to 'F- my ancestors to the 17th generation' I decided to smack him around which given my thick scales and claws which made him to knocking him out.
Eventually my next slap was stopped by a hand and a familiar voice, "Hey that's enough kid, mission accomplished!" I turned back around to see Wukong Sun standing behind me with a noticeably tattered Hai-er Hong standing nearby leaning on his spear.
I decided to concede to Wukong's point this time besides there was still the matter of the others, plus there was no way on earth that oni was just going to go peacefully- those things were walking natural disasters. "Just as well, we need to go and help the others."
"Already taken care of," Reverent explained, "They should be here as soon as they wrap up their own fights- just remember your promise Northern Maiden."
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
4:01 PM
"Team Charlie reporting, mission accomplished- over!"
With that simple statement, Corporal Analog fired his modified sniper rifle which he had kept trained on the Beast Handler's control rod this entire time, the special sonic suppressor on the weapon cancelled out the noise via counter-wave rather than the method of a more mundane silencer which meant the bullet's speed wasn't affected in the least.
Aided by the cyborg's built-in sensor-suit the sniper round struck true and shattered the head of the Rod of Zhengfu held by the Beast Handler knocking the shocked Merchant of Suffering over as the round entered his shoulder. The injured magic-user spurred his driver to try fleeing back to their base camp which a shadowy figure resembling a stylized depiction of a bear appeared and flipped over their motorcycle dumping the two of them to the ground. While the Beast Handler's pain over both the bullet-wound and the fall had caused him to black-out the driver had opted to flee on foot, he made it ten feet when a second sniper-round tore through the calf of his left leg sending him sprawling to the ground as the bear-like creature loomed over him bearing its stylized fangs.
While Wicked Ink's bear tattoo had its way with the injured driver, Corporal Analog radioed in, "Bravo Team reporting, mission accomplished will proceed to rendezvous location at Charlie Team location after collecting secondary objectives- over and out!"
Durango Reservoir - South Shore
4:01 PM
"Team Charlie reporting, mission accomplished- over!"
The message echoed through Interspector's radio implant which vibrated her jawbone so she could hear without it either exposing her location or alerting anyone else to her presence, this was vital as she needed to be within visual range of her target to best use her psychic abilities. It was a bit annoying at times however the effect once she sneaked close enough far out-weighed the cost. She had moved in position moments ago, staying as silent as possible now it was almost time to act all that she had to do was wait for her team-leader Papa Houma to strike.
Interspector didn't have to wait long as the shadow serpent crawled out from beneath the idling motorcycle and into the sidecar where the Beast Handler's shadow awaited. As soon as the shadow serpent found it's nest the Beast Handler's body was no longer his own as he unwittingly broke his Rod of Zhengfu against his driver's helmet sparking a fight between the two that brought them to the ground as the possessed Beast Handler struggled with his driver trying to strangle his own guard against his will while said guard repeatedly punched him in the head.
Eventually the driver succeeded in knocking his charge out although the process left him exhausted and gasping from breath on the ground through his now bruised throat, Interspector knew through her own initial passive-scan of the driver's mind that he was about to stuff the unconscious beast-handler back into the bike's sidecar- at least he was until she brought her own abilities to bear full-force on his mind. As she glared at him the man, whose name she now knew as Tien Pang, spasmed for several moments as she mined his brain for everything that he knew of the Merchants caring little as she saw how he was just another willing follower of their tenets.
Knowing that her victim was now a drooling and unresponsive vegetable, Interspector activated her radio, "Alpha Team reporting, mission accomplished proceeding to rendezvous point with secondary objectives at Charlie Team's current coordinates- over and out!"
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
Suddenly while he was in mid-attack the asura who was currently engaged in a pitched battle with Sha Wujing simply ceased his attack and backed off. "It appears that fate has decided to intervene in this conflict on your behalf arhat." The asura stated as he returned his many weapons to their designated holsters and sheathes, "I am now released from my servitude, and free to go on my way. Understand this arhat I was only battling you due to the orders of those who had enslaved me- as I bear you no ill-will I shall take my leave."
With his peace said the asura Nidar Rosh took to the skies as he sought to leave both this place and the conflict that he had been forced to engage in with the Sand Friar behind him as he set out for other lands afforded to him by his newfound freedom.
As for his fellow slave, though...well let us just say that Assaku had different priorities on his mind. "Looks like those bakayaro dropped my leash, too bad for them, once I finish with you and your buddy I'm going to tear them to shreds and then just to wrap up this shitty night hammer this town like mochi!"
"So not going after your old bosses first?!?" Zhu Bajie asked as he strained to block the strikes of the oni's spiked kanabo with his muck rake, which was far more difficult as the brute was now using both hands in his relentless attacks as his fanged smile grew even wider in anticipation of the pending carnage.
Suddenly a fierce tornado caught the both of them pulling them towards who knows what, out of sheer desperation Zhu struck the ground with his rake as hard as he could and held onto the handle for dear-life. Assaku however was far less fortunate as he was drawn into the source of the vortex- a gourd being held by Sha Wujing. Once the kuro-oni had passed the entrance of the gourd Sha Wujing then reapplied the plug ending the vortex and causing his companion to crash into the ground.
"Really Sandy!" Zhu glared at his companion who walked over to offer him a hand, "You had the Zijin hong Gourd this whole time and didn't use it! Why?!?
"I had to give them a chance once they gained their freedom, the asura chose to abandon a fight that he had no true interest in while the kuro-oni followed his base instincts." Sha Wujing explained as he returned the gourd to his belt, "I only acted once they made their choice not earlier, now after we are done I shall deliver our prisoner back to his master Enma Daioh before returning the gourd to Taishang Laojun."
"You know you could always keep it," Zhu mentioned as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off, "it is a very useful tool to have on hand."
"While that may be true, however it would be dishonest." Sha Wujing replied, "Now I suggest we return to Duanzaolong and Sun Wukong post-haste, although I have no doubt that they succeeded freeing Hai-er Hong something tells me that there is another issue at hand."
As Sha Wujing departed with a great leap Zhu Bajie looked at his retreating form and sighed, "As if this night has been anything but a series of issues."
Stadium Lot - Fort Lewis College
4:23 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
The wait for Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie to return was honestly nerve-wracking especially given how Corporal Analog and Wicked Ink returned to our group with a severely injured and unconscious Beast Handler who was clearly suffering from a bullet-wound. Although Interspector and Papa Houma had yet to return, given how one was a psychic and the other was an undead magic-user; given how both gave me the creeps I wasn't holding my breath waiting for the pair to return.
Still I was sticking close to Wukong Sun and Hai-er Hong, just for the sake of safety not for any other reason mind you, especially given how Blizzard Wizard kept making excuses to try and talk to me. At least his partner Permafrost was leaving me alone she had already talked Reverent into letting her keep the motorcycle that we seized from the ko'ed Merchants, I suppose that it was only fair seeing as how it was her who came up with the first step of the plan to take them out. In the meantime, the rest of Wukong Sun's clones returned, baring Kelly who was incinerated by the Masterson Brothers' rocket attack, now that they had returned my sapphires to the safe at the jewelers and returned to their proper home nestled into the now former bald spot on the Monkey King's tail.
While I was interested in asking Hai-er Hong about his story, especially given how nothing was ever written of him after Guanyin set out to teach him humility and hold him to his earlier offer of becoming her disciple (especially given how the name she gave him was shared with another disciple of hers), for some reason I was completely unable to speak a single word.
"Hey Hai-er, can I ask you a favor?" Wukong Sun asked as casually as possible considering how they were both ancient adversaries as well as fighting a pitched battle less than an our ago.
"Of course, uncle Wukong," Hong replied with a relaxed smile, "it's the least I could do for my old laoshi."
Holy crap, wait a minute Hai-er Hong gave Wukong Sun a real run for his money back when he was only a child, I mean granted that the Monkey King did rise to the rank of Buddha after their quintet returned from India with the ancient sutras (most people completely forgot about Yulong Santaizi who spent most of the pilgrimage as Xuanzang's steed), but just what could the Monkey King teach a kid who he needed Guanyin to beat?
"Hey, considering how long it took me to kick my own bad habits and learn manners the least I could do was help teach my bond-brother's kid the ropes." Wukong snickered, "besides at least they didn't make you their stable master when you got up to the Jade Heavens- Zhu still likes to jab me with that little fact. Anyway, what I was asking you is this, the demi-fucanglong next to you is the Northern Maiden, I'd like you to assist the Hand Maiden of the Tao with the second-half of her training this summer."
"Certainly uncle," Hai-er Hong replied with a bow, "I would be honored to do so once I am summoned."
Okay, suddenly this summer wasn't looking so awful; granted I was going to have to share Hai-er Hong's attention with the Handmaiden of the Tao, but with any luck she wasn't going to be interested in him. I really hoped that this was really the case, the way my life was going part of me felt that the universe owed me one...oh who am I kidding given how famous he was Hai-er Hong was probably married centuries ago to some noble lady of the Jade Heavens.
"Hey while everyone's talking favors I have one!" Blizzard Wizard spoke up as he came over to our group.
Thankfully that was also the time Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing finally returned, "Well nice to see that you two came through on your part of the plan, but who are these guys?" Zhu asked as he looked at the motley crew occupying the lot.
"Old enemies of the Merchants of Suffering who are also interested in Duanzaolong," Sun Wukong explained as he continued to eyeball Corporal Analog, Wicked Ink and Reverent, "They were also a big help in freeing Hai-er Hong, the asura and the oni from the Merchants, the only problem is there was a catch Duanzaolong has to come with them to meet her fellow maidens."
"Speaking of prices," Blizzard Wizard spoke up again trying to get our attention again, "I have one and it's far less steep. You see I was the one who notified the Sweepers to the Merchants of Suffering's interests in you, so if not for me they wouldn't likely have been here to help you this night."
Before Zhu or I could speak up to object Sha Wujing stepped in to settle the matter, "Very well child- name your price and if it is reasonable I am certain that we will have no problem meeting it."
"I want to see if the Lady of the North here can repair this," the Blizzard Wizard the produced a pouch the contents of which he let tumble into his right hand, "it's called the Tear of Ymir. This jewel was the foci of a staff that has been in my family for centuries, it was broken during my grandfather's time and my family hasn't been the same since. I heard through the grapevine that you have a way with enchantable gemstones, so I would like you to make it whole again."
While I was still a little wary of him especially given how he admitted that he was trying to restore a magic staff, I knew in my gut that this was the right thing to do. Walking towards Blizzard Wizard I offered my cupped hands to accept the shattered gemstone so that I could get to work. After dragging the claws of my left foot across pavement to create some sparks for kindling I seized the tiny points of heat and drew them up with my power to get to work. I stoked the sparks into a single incandescent flame by the time it hovered in front of me and thrust my hands inside to get to work, although something was odd; I waited several minutes (far longer than it normally took but the crystalline fragments just wouldn't soak in the heat).
After waiting far longer than I would normally I let the fire dissipate and lowered my hands in defeat, "I'm sorry, I can't do it, something about these shards they're resisting my powers; it's like their impervious to my flames."
"Your fires are not yet what they could be child," a voice that I had yet to hear before spoke up and everyone turned to look to its source, there in the center of the lot there was a cloaked figure wearing a mask whose origins I couldn't guess and judging by everyone's reactions none of us saw arrive. "You have yet to complete your training and awaken your inner fire, once you do that with the Handmaiden's assistance you will definitely be able to repair Ymir's Tear!"
Something about this man told me that he was trouble, that he was dangerous, that if I tried to do anything that it would be the end of me- it was then that Corporal Analog spoke up, "Baron Impié when I understood that the Obsidian Circle would be sending someone to escort the Northern Maiden to the meeting I had no idea that it would be one of the founders of the Grand Hall itself."
"My past notoriety is unimportant, I am simply here to invite the Northern Maiden and her companions to Fortuna Noctis," the man I presume named Baron Impié explained, "it is time for the half-blooded maidens of the Five-fold Courts to gather and together learn of their destiny."
As he finished the ground behind him shifted and created and archway, and as the two halves of the archway connected symbols along it began to flare gold right before a hallway appeared inside of the arch. Something told me that I wasn't going to be able to fight my way out of this, besides I was curious of just what I was going to learn where I was going.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 27
West Hall - Roof Top
Durango, Colorado
1:57 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I grinned at the sight of the Jiangshi down in the streets bellow bursting into flames as my shot struck home, "Well Kelly that should be the last of them," I boasted as the mystically-reanimated cadaver was steadily cremated on the streets bellow us, "I hope that your copies cleared that park east of us of any bystanders because that is our best shot at facing whichever of those three the merchants send after us without starting a forest fire."
The still disguised Monkey King looked on into the distance before turning to me and saying, "No- now the last one of them is down. Bajie just took down the Jiangshi with a bodyshot. But yeah, I cleared the park, this time of night all there are around here are vagrants setting up camp or high schooler’s making out in the bushes. You'd be surprised how a random cop with a flashlight or a big pervy-looking biker sends either running. Hopefully we still have time to get setup before-"
"COME YOU COWARDS AND WATCH ME SUCK THE MARROW FROM YOUR BONES!"
"Or not," I deadpanned, "was that Guanyin's disciple- the one who we're supposed to save?"
"Nope, I've met him a few times after he grew up," the metamorphosed monkey replied as she turned towards the source of the voice, "and something tells me that an asura isn't that stupid- which just leaves the kuro-oni. I have a few of my copies keeping a lookout as owls so please give me a moment to check up on them."
I watched as Sun Wukong, who was still playing the role of a Caucasian college girl, albeit one with a rather prominent tail, closed her eyes and sat in seiza- although only for a moment. "It's not heading our way it's headed for Wujing and Bajie- so is the asura- that means."
"Pardon me ladies," the two of us turned to see the source of the voice standing in the air before our eye. Sure, enough our guess was right on the money; The Merchants of Suffering had sent Hai-er Hong, the infamous Red Boy and son of both the Niu Mowang (the Bull Demon King) and Princess Tie Shan (Iron Fan). Okay granted the Red Boy moniker was something of ages past because damn this man was hot, and I don't just mean the balls of near iridescent flames that he was standing on. If this was who we were supposed to rescue then forget doing Wukong and Guanyin a favor, liberating this guy from the Merchants was both business and fun.
I felt a firm pull on the back of my outfit and suddenly the hunk in crimson robes was much further away as I found myself laying on a beanbag-sized cloud as Sun Wukong finally pulled her trademark staff from behind her ear and expanded it to a respectable size before tossing aside her earlier outfit leaving her standing dressed like she was pulled from the depths of a Hong Kong period film.
"Uncle, I did not expect to find you here, I truly wished that our reunion had not come to match our first meeting, however it appears that we are once again fated to clash. My masters have ordered me to return your current companion to them while eliminating all who stand the way." Brandishing his spear at Sun Wukong, Hong Hai-er continued, "so it looks like I am to finish the battle that we began those many centuries ago."
"I'm hardly the opponent that I was the first time that we fought," Sun Wukong explained as she formed another cloud beneath herself, "ascetics aside you forget that now you wish to tangle with a Buddha- much like the one who you pledged yourself to serve all those centuries ago."
"Unfortunately, uncle for the time being my decisions are not my own," Hai-er Hong stated brandishing his spear at my current traveling companion, "the Zhaoshang de Youhuan have me their disposal, exactly how I am forbidden to reveal; so now I hope that you are indeed as immortal as the stories proclaim you to be."
Hai-er Hong charged towards Sun Wukong like a rocked with his spear set to counter the still feminine Monkey King who diverted the spear's path with the butt of her staff guiding in towards the ground as she twisted the shaft rapidly bringing the other to bare as in bludgeoned Hai-er Hong in the side of the head while her tail regained follicles as her earlier clones returned home en-mass.
Once again, I saw that I was pulling away from the action and turned around to see Sun Wukong or another one of her copies driving the cloud away from the growing battle behind us, "So you left a decoy to distract Hai-er while we find a better place to fight him?" I asked trying to get a grasp on the situation.
"Nope- that's the real me going to blows with Red Boy, I'm the copy- but you can still call me Kelly to avoid confusion with the real monkey deal." Kelly proclaimed as we put in our distance to the battle, "Hai-er's too much an opponent for a copy to deal with especially when he takes of the kiddie gloves and starts showing what he can really do. No, we need to keep back, and preferably figure out how the Merchants are pulling the strings of an immortal sage sworn to the Buddha of Compassion."
"Trust me, I spent months as the Merchant's unwilling slave," I all but spat as I struggled to avoid remembering those seemingly endless days of torment, pain and toil, "and if there's one thing that they know how to do its force others to bow to their commands. I doubt that they could force him to surrender his true name to them like they did me though, so they must be using another method to command him- probably the same way that they're commanding the black oni and the asura."
"Just how did they get you to surrender your true name to them in the first place," Kelly asked as the cloud that we were on settled a fair distance from Wukong Sun's latest match with Hai-er Hong. "I mean you seem way too determined to just do that considering all that you went through to get to town in the first place."
"How else do scum like that always get their way," I growled as I remembered that horrible day...
Flashback
November 5th, 2006
Chen Family Home
Seattle, Washington
1:09 AM PST
POV: Zhen-yu Chen
I got up from my makeshift bed in the basement of our home, it felt kind of bad for a while that I couldn't sleep in my own bed but given how my abilities are fire-based I didn't want to risk burning the house down in the middle of the night. This still meant that we needed to get a little creative with my choice of bedding so that I didn't catch it on fire either; at present my mattress is flattened and packed mound of fifty-five pounds of landscaping soil so that it would help if I accidentally made sparks or flames in the middle of the night.
My pillow was just five more pounds of soil shaped like a lump at one end of the mound to slightly elevate my head, course I slept mainly on my side or my front due to my massive tail. As for my blanket, I know talk about irony I needed to have my temperature taken with a meat thermometer because I popped the normal kind, but I still felt cold around me, that was taken care of by a used fire blanket that was donated to us by the neighborhood fire department.
Of course, it didn't help that I was pretty much a prisoner in my own home, before I had even left the hospital Humanity First began posting fliers around my school and the hospital about the dangers of mutants with demonic caricatures of me as the illustration. It apparently didn't take them long to narrow down where I lived either because the next day two suits claiming to be from the Mutant Commission Office showed up at my home to talk my parents into letting them take me into protective custody.
After one of them put his hand on me and got burned because of my higher than normal body temperature they claimed that I assaulted him and trying to take me in as a danger to the public our neighbor Ping Chou, a proud member of the Seattle Police Department showed up and threatened to take them down town for assaulting a minor and impersonating an officer.
Though that caused the pair to retreat H1 and lawyers from the Goodkind Foundation showed up two days later trying to get me labeled a danger to the public, thankfully Master Fong Wei-quo and the leaders of the Chinatown-International District showed up to throw their own considerable legal weight around. Given how I manifested after being bathed in the ashes from an urn housed in the local Buddhist Temple and emerged hatching from an egg resembling a Chinese-dragon they argued that my appearance could be viewed as a sign from the Jade Heavens.
The District leaders also threatened both the Goodkind Foundation and H1 with lawsuits of cultural discrimination and religious intolerance even going so far to place a restraining order barring them from the District- what can I say, considering all the discrimination that was heaped our way for decades we had more than a few neighborhood attorneys who knew their way around the legal system.
While that kept me safe at home and theoretically within the district itself I still couldn't risk going out in plain sight. Yeah, I knew all too well that if some member of their organization didn't try to grab me in broad-daylight then one of the more hardcore psychos that drank their Kool-Aide might try to snipe me from a distance, one already did try to take me out that way; fortunately, that time I was lucky it was just some redneck with a deer rifle rather than a paramilitary type with a custom sniper rifle and armor-piercing rounds.
Yep, this growing sense of paranoia had led me to jump awake more than once from a sudden noise in the middle of the night, while right now I didn't hear a noise per-se there was something in the pit of my gut that didn't feel right. I carefully made my way up the stairs to the house proper, but while everything was quiet it was still too quiet- the kind of quiet that just isn't natural.
I made my way to the living room and still nothing looked off, but still there was that lingering feeling, hell I felt like a damned bit character in a slasher movie. No matter where I looked everything was just too damned still, I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck- and considering that I had a mane of rust-colored hair from the top of my head all the way down my back to the tip of my tail that means something.
I moved as quietly as I could (which was no small feat considering that my now taloned feet had the annoying habit of clicking on tile and laminate) across the first floor living room and through the bead door to our family tailor shop that took up the front of the house. I made my way cautiously through dad's work space and to the store front proper, that's where I knew my earlier fears became nightmarish reality in I way that I never thought possible.
To my surprise for once what I found waiting for me wasn't an armed mob of Humanity First goons, or Mutant Commission Office faux-government agents- not these men were suits of a different sort. Outsiders who couldn't tell one oriental ethnicity from another would mistake these men, two of whom had my parents at with naked-blades against their throats, for Japanese Yakuza, but they were clearly of Chinese Ancestry- maybe even not ancestry.
While part of me wanted to lump these men in with some Triad faction even I could tell that was wrong, the signs were subtle but clear- their suits were too upscale for one and Triads would never wear something that nice to a job like this given that there was too much of a chance that evidence would remain despite the best dry-cleaning money could buy. Besides all three of the Triad groups in Seattle were on good relations with my family, most of their officers wore suits that my father tailored for them, hell he had good standing for life with the Shining Bridge family for life thanks to the stellar job that he had done with the current head's wedding tuxedo back when he was around my age.
No, these men were too well-dressed for a potentially messy job like this, almost as if they could replace a ten-thousand-dollar suit like it was a big-box store undershirt. I tried to keep my cool, but I couldn't help it- "MOM!!! DAD!!!" I started to run for them when the goon holding my dad dug his blade in enough to draw blood and thus stopping me in my tracks.
{"I take it that we now have your attention, child of rumor."} The clear leader of the group spoke to us in mandarin with some manner of accent that I couldn't place but I understood on a personal level. {"Whatever fleeting fame you have achieved in this tiny corner of the world means nothing- you need to understand the reality of the world as a whole."}
{"Whatever life you once knew is no more! Whatever future you once considered for yourself is now revealed as nothing more than a peasant's fantasy! From this moment, onwards you are now the property of the most venerated Priest of Blood-soaked Gold, Master of the Merchants of Suffering!"} The man stated in a tone that told me that this was not up for discussion, {"From now until you are dust you will create works such as these of any quality which the most esteemed Priest of Blood-soaked Gold desires!"} he proclaimed as he held up something I recognized instantly, a rough seventy carat green sapphire that I made from a coke can a couple of weeks ago.
While I was staring at the stone which set these psychos eyes upon me one who must have been hiding in my father's work are came up behind me and slapped a thick metal collar around my neck, {"That is to ensure that you do not destroy your bindings or our transportation to your new stable. Understand from now on, the future well-being of those who populated your old life depends upon the quality of your co-operation and your future labors. Should you resist your parents and acquaintances will die cursing your birth, moreover every time you displease the Priest of Blood-soaked Gold we will ensure one of your loved ones suffers an equal degree. Now come along lizard!"}
That was when whoever it was behind me, who clearly wasn't alone slapped a pair of thick old cuffs around my wrists while the other pulled a thick-black draw-string bag over my head. Obviously, these Merchants of Suffering didn't do anything by half measure as they also cuffed my legs then threw another sack over me- as they began to drag me off I heard to heavy *thunks* indicating that they likely knocked out my folks to keep them from running for help until we were a long way away. The next thing I knew after I had been clearly dragged outside, I was picked up by three sets of hands and thrown (literally into either a trunk or some manner of cargo space just before I heard the trunk close.
End Flashback
Durango, Colorado
2:13 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
"Hey, you zoned out for a minute there," Kelly explained as she shook my shoulders with a concerned look on her face, "just what was up with you there, I know that we're airborne but why did you just go all spacy?"
"Let's just say I was reliving the worst day of my life," I growled as I looked about as best I could for someone anyone from the merchants, while I did spend most of my slavery in either my workspace or my cell occasionally they drug me out for some reason or another, that was when I noticed another way that the Merchants controlled their unrulier slaves, with some kind of magic rod.
Since Hai-er Hong was definitely himself and not lessened in any form I knew that he was likely being manipulated by one of those rods, as were the oni and the asura- but my knowledge about how those blasted things worked was definitely lacking. "I remember them using some kind of rod on their ore powerful prisoners when I was with them. I should have asked Kelsey about those things while I had the chance, I mean we were roommates for over a month for crying out loud."
"Yeah everybody has those moments," Kelly laughed as she maneuvered the cloud, "could'a- would'a- should'a- didn't. Take it from me- or well my memories of the real me, be careful of leaving too many regrets; no matter how long you live others won't so-"
Kelly's next words were cut off as an explosion blew apart the cloud below our feet and sent the two of us plummeting- at least for the moment. I guess that I was fortunate what with having claws and all, my earlier neophyte's vice-like grip on the cloud had granted me large handfuls of the ride and slowed my descent enough that I was confident that I'd walk away from this with nothing worse than a few deep-bruises...what was that word from HOUSE- oh yeah- sub-dermal.
Kelly on the other hand wasn't so lucky, I looked on trying not to let the horror of the situation get to me, but her body was literally being consumed by fire. I know that she was only a clone that Wukong Sun had created from a tail hair using her famous multiplication technique, but to watch helpless as someone who you had been having a heart-to-heart with just moments ago, burn into a strand of hair- forget talking with Kelsey, after today I was probably needing to sit down with an actual shrink.
Still given how the real Monkey King was currently occupied fending off a considerably grown-up Red Boy, meanwhile Sha Wujing and Bajie Zhu were elsewhere doing the same to an asura and a black oni. While on the upside this meant that the chances of dealing with any one of those three was lessened, that still meant for the time being I was alone to deal with the Merchants and whatever took out Kelly and our cloud.
"I really hope that was just one of Hai-er Hong's stray fireballs that sent me-" I was interrupted as I felt something the size of a softball hit me and explode ending my careful cloud-fragment aided descent and from the feeling before I hit the ground through a tree-top.
"Ugh," I did my best to peel myself off the small crater I left in the asphalt, "momentarily trembling in shock as I inspected my chest- thankfully while stained with ash and a little scratched from the blast, my scute-scales had held up to the brunt of the attack. Still this was no time to be laying around thanking the fact that I was still alive, whoever sent me plummeting wasn't going to be kind enough to wait for me to recover- I had to find some way to hide.
As I peeled myself out of the crater my body began to protest the sudden movement, but I bit back the aches and pains, a few minor bumps and bruises were nothing next to what I'd have coming my way if I was caught- plus my comrades were depending on me to find a way to disable the Merchant's control over their three heavy-hitters, and there was no way I'd ever want to be known as the girl who disappointed a Buddha.
Still first-thing's first, I had to hide before whoever it was that shot me out of the sky got here. Knowing that the tree that a crashed through was a wash I spotted a hedge bordering a nearby building, given that there was no way that I could scale the building without leaving a trail I knew that the shrubs were my only bet.
"Should have practiced this more." I muttered as I used the form change techniques that Sha Wujing had been teaching me, however this time rather than taking a human form I opted for something much more...compact. I concentrated as best as I could and tried to turn into a cat- nobody would think twice about seeing a stray fur ball roaming around in the middle of the night- at worst I might get kicked but at least it would let me escape. "Gēnggǎi"
With a brief puff of smoke suddenly I was on all fours and far closer to the ground, not wanting to either waste a second or risk the next arrival to my impact sight and risk getting caught I four-footed it over to the bushes and hid pushed my way between the twigs and foliage to gain a hiding vantage point to observe whoever was going to be first on the scene.
After a minute, I finally got into a good position curling up into a characteristic feline-ball to sell the image even more to the casual observer, and all the while keeping an eye out on my disturbing impact zone. It took all of five minutes for my assailants to show up and I couldn't have been more embarrassed- it was those power-suit wearing red-necks the Mass-Share Some Brothers or whatever the hell their name was.
Really- I spent all night sniping Jiangshi with fireballs from a hundred feet away, running away from a rematch centuries in the making between Wukong Sun and Hai-er Hong, blown out of the sky while on a mission to take out a crew of the Merchants of Suffering's beast-handlers, only to run into the mercenaries who ruined my first real fun since I manifesting into a mutant fucanglong; oh they had better hope they don't find me because I swear if they coming poking around this bush I'm going to take my good sweet time kicking their tin-plated cans from here to Canada.
As they came in I could hear them clearly, and thanks to my currently feline-eyes, I could see them even better. "Well Lloyd," one of them who clearly sounded like he definitely wasn't the brains of their operation spoke up, "you sure you hit her square on- because that lizard bitch ain't here! And I thought that you were supposed to be the smart one, so where is she nerd boy?"
"For the last time Bufford, the idea was to bring her down to ground level not capture her outright," the one of the three who I presumed was Lloyd spoke up, "Besides at that height I couldn't risk a more powerful yield on my heat-seekers, remember this is a capture and return job not a flat out hit. Also, she only landed a few minutes ago, with her ambient heat signature we should be able to follow her trail easily. Besides I had a chemical additive mixed in with the lower yield on those missiles, even if she can hide from our thermal-trackers my surprise in the missiles will lead us to her no matter where she tries to hide like a hound dog to a treed coon."
'Dammit,' the hackles rose of my fur, I tried as best I could not to let this revelation blow my cover, they were looking for a human-sized target either someone who was clearly of Chinese descent or my normal half-dragon physique; there was no way these three knuckle-heads would know that I could transform myself like this. They'd just assume that I'd gotten the trace on me some other- way. Yeah, there was no way three red-necks would suspect a cat of being their target...would they?!?
"Okay the thermal trail starts to grow colder around here, but we might be dealing with a shape-shifter," Lloyd explains as he started to guide his brothers over to where I transformed earlier.
'They had to only be guessing right,' I began to panic as the thoughts began to cross my mind, 'there's no way they could be cer-'
"That explains it," the third unnamed member of the trio spoke up, "we didn't see that lizard bitch until sometime after the fight broke out. She must have been hiding with the rest of the crowd until she knew there was no other way out without dealing with us back there."
'Crap,' I panicked to the point that I would began sweating beads if I was in human form, but as is I could feel the fur along my back began to rise to mirror my growing agitation, 'they know, and there's no way out of here.' I knew then and there I was stuck, they said there was chemical mixed in with the rocket that knocked me to the ground that they could track, which meant there was only a matter of time before they found me.
Unfortunately for me was that my current hiding place had just become a major liability and severely limited my options, if I transformed here in the bushes my feet would probably be tangled making me stuck in place long enough for the mercs to hit me with something nasty. On the other hand, if I moved, either to try and sneak away or transform to fight them in close-quarters, the bush's leaves would rustle and draw attention to me and let them hit me with something nasty when they could really hurt me. Damned if I do- damned if I don't, oh what the hell I'd right the landscaper an apology later- I readied myself both to change back to my normal self as well as fight like my life depended on it- which may or may not be the case but I'm not about to risk it.
That was when the weirdest thing happens, a shadow of a snake seemed to crawl into Bufford's shadow then he turned to strike Lloyd knocking the missile-launcher that he had been carrying out of his hands and onto the ground.
"Bufford, what the hell was that for!" Lloyd shouted at his teammate, "Have you been drinking right before a mission, you know that you're not supposed to operate these things drunk!"
"I'm not drunk!" Bufford screamed as he kicked Lloyd sending him sprawling, "something's wrong with my suit, it's moving on its own. And whatever's goin' on I can't fi-OWW that almost broke my damn arm!"
"There's nothing wrong with your armor you lummox," Lloyd shot back as he tried to block Bufford's seemingly involuntary attacks while flat on his power-armored back as the third of their group tried to restrain Bufford. "I already looked over your suit when we got back, it was fine unless you did something to break it afterwards!"
As suddenly as Bufford began attacking Lloyd, he then began to thrash and attack himself that's when Bufford's earlier claims proved to have a lot more substance to them. While Lloyd was no longer under attack and trying to get up a new figure landed on top of him and began to attack him in earnest, while solid black whatever it was resembled a massive stylized version of a monkey which began to attack Lloyd in Bufford's place while a pair of arms emerged from the ground to restrain his legs.
"What the hell is going on here?" the third member of their group asked while still trying to restrain Bufford just before something metallic impacted the back of his armor. Suddenly the one who I assumed was Bufford and Lloyd's leader froze as sparks flew from the object causing him to spasm before falling right over.
"Rod! Lloyd! What the hell is going on?!?" Bufford shouted as he continued to move now with his back to where I was hiding.
While Bufford's back was turned, a group walked around the building, and judging by their outfits they were part of the powered group and judging by the fact that one of them has clearly undead. One of the two women, separated from the group and walked over to the Mass-share-some Brothers, "What has happened is that you have overstayed your welcome." With that sentence, Bufford fell quiet and his armor stopped fighting him as the shadow snake left him for the undead man in the dressed like an undertaker from a western.
Soon Lloyd joined Bufford in falling immobile as the weird monkey thing jumped at the member of the group covered in tattoos and shrank before becoming a part of the man's artwork, so it was a tattoo I guess that explained it, followed by the pair of arms which belonged to a feminine figure wearing a ghost mask.
"I recognize the armor," the woman stated, "isn't this Syndicate Sabretooth variety, I wonder if this means Deathlist is after the Merchant's reward?"
"It's an older model Reverant," a man with what looked like cybernetic implants explained, "the real Sabretooth Squads stopped using this design four years ago, so the truth is who knows?"
"They're the Masterson Brothers," the woman who approached the three mercenaries earlier stated just as she turned to face my hiding spot, with eyes that were currently all black. "They had just shot the Northern Maiden out of the sky and were looking to collect her for the bounty, also they aren't Syndicate- Rod was a Sabretooth but he stole a drop ship and a few suits of power armor a few years back with the help of his brother and cousin (both of whom were in the Tiger Guards)."
"Speaking of their target, Northern Maiden I know that you are hiding in the bushes, we are here to escort you to a meeting with your three comrades so please come with us." The woman's steely-eyed gaze glared right at me through all the foliage and twigs, she knew exactly where I was hiding, "don't think that furry form fools me one bit, I know a sapient mind when I feel one. Now come out and show your real self, don't make me reach into your mind and force you to do so- we are under orders to escort you to meet your fellow maidens before sunrise."
'Crap she's a psychic, that's one thing I don't need,' I began to make my way out of the bushes, 'maybe if I go along I can work this to my advantage, Sha Wujing and the others still need me to take out those control rods to rescue Hai-er Hong.'
Following her demands I made my way out of the bushes, and transformed back not to my human form but my real one. With my fangs bared in a vicious smile I glared at the woman, "Very well, you may call me Duanzaolong, but be aware I have something that I need to accomplish before I go anywhere with you."
"Really," the tattooed man stated as he approached me, "you'd think that you would be in a bigger hurry to get out of here- I mean the Merchants are here and given how they consider you to be their property I thought that you'd want to split asap!"
"One of the Merchant's other prisoners was sent out to bring me back, an acolyte of the Lady of Mercy Guanyin, a friend of my teacher was sent here to rescue him, and I promised that I'd do my best to help. Understand this when I make promises I intend to keep them, if you wish to help me feel free to do so, but I refuse to leave until I help my friends." With a snap of my claws I kindled two fireballs the size of volleyballs to emphasize my determination, "Also should you try to force the issue I won't make it easy, and in you'd also risk drawing my companions into this and only a fool seeks to fight the Monkey King when the Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are also in the area."
"Oh, come now," the cyborg spoke up, "do you honestly expect us to believe that the three warriors of the Saiyuki are here!?! We are a top group of Shuffle's Sweepers not some mere novices- we are not just another group of novice westerners."
"She's telling the truth about the whole thing Wicked Ink," the psychic replied given me the first name that I'd heard for anyone in the group. "When she said Sha Wujing I all but heard the Chinese word for sensei in her mind, meaning he's been teaching her how to fight."
"Tru der mon-cher," the undead man and shadow-user spoke up, "an' I 'ear word thad da' Monkay be chill'en 'round de' Acadamei des days, so 'em show'on up be likelay. We be 'ere ta' smack 'round da' Mahchants anywei so ah say leits double the'ah pain!"
"Well you all heard Papa Houma, and he's in charge," the woman who emerged from the ground explained, "so it looks like we're going to be fighting the Merchants of Suffering's Beast Handlers. I saw what they looked like on the way here and I know the whole situation from spying on the Merchant's camp, they are controlling their last three heavy-hitters with enchanted devices known as Rods of Zhengfu. There is one rod for each of the three, I looked them up in our database and the method to counter them is simple; destroy the rod and their prisoner is free. Each of the wielders is riding in a sidecar attached to a Navy-Blue Kawasaki Ninja 600 and from what I read about the rods they need to be within a kilometer-and-a-half of their victim, so all we have to do is look for motorcycles with sidecars within half-a-kilometer of each fight."
"Very well, the sooner we help free this acolyte the sooner we complete this mission and report to the Circle," the cyborg sighed in clear frustration, suddenly employed a weird antenna from his pack to slowly spun as if it was looking for something, "I've detected three roughly identical mystic energy signatures which I'm transmitting to your coms equipment- we'll split into three teams to take out each of them as fast as possible."
"Interspector you're with Papa Houma, that way the two of you can spot and take your target out from a distance. Wicked Ink you're with me for the same reason that way we can coordinate our attacks to take two assets of the Merchants off the board. Reverant, I hate to phrase it this way but you're essentially on baby-sitting detail, since Flipside couldn't come we need you to escort and assist Blizzard Wizard, Permafrost and the Dragon Lady to the third target."
"That's Duanzaolong not Dragon Lady!" I shouted at the cyborg who barely acknowledged me.
"If you want people to get your codename right then you might want to pick one that's a lot less of a mouthful," the cyborg whose name I had yet to learn explained much to my chagrin. "Now the other two groups will try to coordinate our attacks to go with yours that way we can take out all three control rods at essentially the same time while giving the Merchants next to no time to either react, or go on either the defensive or the offensive."
"You 'eard de mon," Papa Houma spoke up after the cyborg who I presumed was the second in command finished dolling out assignments, "Okay Sweepas le's geat dis doan!"
As the group diverged I saw that I was being stuck with the ghost lady from the ground and two individuals with winter-themed attire who hung back earlier so that I didn't notice them with the rest of the group.
"Alright- we can talk along the way," Reverant explained as we took off in the direction towards where Wukong Sun was fighting Hai-er Hong. "I presume that the oriental man in armor is the one that we are supposed to rescue, unfortunately that means also freeing the oni and the asura. While the asura are known to be wild cards, the oni will be a problem no matter what we do. By the way just who is the man who was confined with those two, I never really got the sense of just who he was?"
"Hai-er Hong, son of those who you'd likely know Ox Demon King and Princess Iron Fan and is likewise known over here as Red Boy in most versions of Journey to the West," I began to explain as we went to our target, "he is a great fire-user and warrior even from a young age, he is also a sworn acolyte of Guanyin the Lady of Mercy. Should we free him he will also be a powerful ally against the other two- I only hope that Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing are doing well against the other two."
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
Durango, Colorado
3:01 AM
"If I knew those humans were going to send me after a pig I wish that they'd let me bring along a tasty marinade!" The kuro-oni Assaku licked his fanged chops as he slashed as Bajie Zhu before swinging again at the heavenly alter cleaner again with his massive kanabo leaving his opponent to block it again with his jiuchi-dingpa while blowing fire in the oni's face in a desperate attempt to get the demon to retreat- which only served to amuse the beast. "After all you bring your own fire and there is plenty of spits and kindling for the barbecue."
"Sha, I need some help here," Bajie shouted to his companion, "this monster likes being on the receiving end of my attacks!"
"Sadly, I am unable to assist my old friend," Sha Wujing explained as he rapidly spun his yueyachaun to ward off another attack from the Asura known as Nidar Rosh who constantly alternated between attacking and defending with each of the four weapons held in his six-arms. Meanwhile the six-eyes on the divinity's three-faces left him no blind spot for the sand priest to exploit. "My hands are rather full at the moment, even though my opponent seems to have those to spare."
"Know this great arhat that I take no pleasure in this battle," Nidar Rosh spoke as he once again tried and failed to entrap one of Sha Wujing's arms with his weighted rope. "However, I resign myself to the fate which the universe has bestowed upon me; so, I in turn will carry that task that fate thrust upon me to its completion!"
"And I shall- uff, pray that the universe delivers a better choice for your future," Sha Wujing replied to his opponent as he brushed aside the asura's trident while countering his sword as fast as he could.
Approaching Durango Regulatory Reservoir
3:29 AM
"Awfully nice of the boss to let us go along with the girl's request," Wicked Ink remarked, "I knew that there were a few scraps of humanity left in that cadaver!"
"Maybe- maybe not," Corporal Analog explained as he scanned the area for the quarry as the sounds of a heated battle echoed in the distance. "The fact was those fireballs that girl kindled to threaten us with were 1600° each, hot enough to make even a near miss fatal. Plus, if she is here with the Saiyuki then if we take her by force we'd have to deal with those three eventually and that isn't something that I look forward to experiencing."
"Fair enough," the tattooed super-criminal observed, "foreign deities or not I don't want to fight any if I don't have need to."
"Amen to that, hold on-" Corporal Analog stopped as his artificial left-eye's lens began to dilate and switch vision modes, "I think that I found target one. Yes, target confirmed." The cyborg paused to activate his radio, "Bravo Team reporting in, the first beast handler has been located. Bravo-one now taking aim and waiting for further instructions while Bravo-two moves into position."
Taking his unspoken queue Wicked Ink after pausing for a moment to confirm with the night-vision googles in his own back the beast handler's location, the tattooed mystic began to slowly make his way towards the Beast Handler and his Driver. Wicked Ink knew his mission well, in the unlikely event Corporal Analog missed he was to finish the job, however if Analog hit his target he was supposed to take the pair out before they could radio for help. Regardless of either outcome two members of the Merchants of Suffering were bound to have a very bad day...provided they lived to see the sun come up.
LH Technologies - Rooftop
3:34 AM
"Damn," Interspector commented as she looked on at the fight between Sha Wujing, Zhu Bajie and their respective opponents, "What are in those rods that let them control creatures like that?"
"Hair float'n en a poshan en a bloan glass balb." Papa Houma explained as he looked on at the pair of targets by the southern bank of the reservoir. "De rod's 'able 'as all de spells on et, but witout de glass bulb on top 'ets jest a fauncy steik."
"Understood sir," Interspector took in her boss's information, "I'll prepare to disable the driver, I don't have enough control to make the Beast Handler break his staff."
"Doan worry mon cher'," the undead bokour skilled as he began to work his voodoo, "I been do'n dis trick fo ye-ahs."
The mutant psychic looked on as like before a piece of undead bokour's shadow broke off in the form of a snake and made its way in the direction of the two Merchants. The pair had already got the message that Bravo Team was in position now all they had to do was wait for Charlie Team to take out their target and both remaining teams would spring their own traps.
"Alpha Team in-position, Alpha-1 has delivered package and Alpha-2 is ready, waiting on Charlie Team...over!" Interspector relayed over their communication lines. Now everything hinged on Reverent and a trio of amateurs- "Now all we have to do is hope that everything doesn't go to pot on their end."
Stadium Lot - Fort Lewis College
3:41 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
Thankfully it didn't take long to reach where the Merchants’ southern-most Beast Handler, unfortunately he was situated in the sidecar of a motorcycle with a driver who was fully prepared to relocate if he needed to either to stay in range of Hai-er Hong who he was likely controlling or just bolting in case of attack. This situation made it even more problematic for us, the pair had chosen the College's Stadium Parking Lot to operate out of and with it being the middle of the damn night they were the lot was empty giving no cover to sneak up on them, and even though the lot's lights were off given how it was after hours the pair was smart enough to set up glow sticks to illuminate the place.
So, to sum it up they were hard to see in a big, open area with plenty of directions to flee in and no way for us to sneak up on them without them seeing us coming. And here I was with two fellow non-professionals and a lady who could dive into the ground who turned to ask, "Before I offer suggestions what say we count this as a educational experience, how would you take care of this?"
"I'll just freeze those glow sticks then they won't see us coming," Blizzard Wizard spoke up as he took aim with his freeze-caster gauntlets and prepared to fire- right before Permafrost smacked him in the back of the head.
"Even if that did work it would let our targets know right away and they'd bolt faster than we could chase them, plus it would ruin the element of surprise because next time they'd know for sure that there were others after them." Permafrost chided her sidekick, "Besides not only are glow sticks freeze-proof, it actually extends their shelf life- they'd just last even longer."
"Who needs to deal with the glow sticks, I say that we just take out the control rod and be done with it," I snapped my fingers and nurtured another fireball from our cover, "I can nail that thing from here easy, heck I've been practicing shooting targets with guided fireballs all night. Plus, I only need a glancing hit, enough heat and the ball with the hair in it either pops from the heat or boils and ruins the potion inside the ball."
"Better I'd but the issue here is that those glow sticks light is affecting your night-vision," Reverent elaborated as she pointed at the target and then made me aware of just how much of a problem I had with seeing the end of the staff. Yeah that would have made a real problem, if I missed I could fail to hit the target entirely or I could wind up blowing up the bike and killing the Beast Handler and his driver. I mean yeah, I hated the Merchants of Suffering with a burning passion, but did I really have it in me to kill someone- no matter how much I knew deep down that they deserved no mercy what-so-ever, did I really have what it took to cross that line?
"I could take out the rod's head without the light-pollution being a problem," Permafrost explained, "My mask has a sonar mode for light-free situations and my own freezer gauntlets have a setting for hail stones, I could shatter that thing like easier than a hail stone breaks a windshield."
"Good- a solid Plan A but we need a backup plan in case that doesn't work." Reverent stated oddly enough in no hurry.
"Do we have anything to jam the wheel spokes," I added in my own two cents, "a motorcycle is fast and maneuverable, but it can't go anywhere if it's wheel's locked."
"Would this do?" Blizzard Wizard asked as he pulled out a combination-lock bike chain with one of those red plastic coatings over it, "You never know when you might need to temporarily secure something."
"Yes, that will do," Reverent stated as she took the chain from Blizzard Wizard, and dove into the ground only to return a few moments later, "well they shouldn't be going anywhere, so Permafrost if you would be so kind- please feel free to break their toy's remote control!"
With a smile, Permafrost engaged her mask and took aim with her left arm, a moment later her gauntlet fired with a pop followed by the sound of breaking glass from the parking lot. As the distant sounds of combat died down the four of us approached as we heard the sound an engine revving, with the bikes two occupants desperate to discover what was wrong with their ride, as soon as I spotted them however I decided not to give them the chance to flee.
Falling to all fours I charged the driver and tacked him off the bike and onto the ground while smacking the Beast Handler with a swipe of my tail as I dove past. While the driver struggled against me shouting Chinese swearwords so obscure that I only recognized a third of them, although after he told me to 'F- my ancestors to the 17th generation' I decided to smack him around which given my thick scales and claws which made him to knocking him out.
Eventually my next slap was stopped by a hand and a familiar voice, "Hey that's enough kid, mission accomplished!" I turned back around to see Wukong Sun standing behind me with a noticeably tattered Hai-er Hong standing nearby leaning on his spear.
I decided to concede to Wukong's point this time besides there was still the matter of the others, plus there was no way on earth that oni was just going to go peacefully- those things were walking natural disasters. "Just as well, we need to go and help the others."
"Already taken care of," Reverent explained, "They should be here as soon as they wrap up their own fights- just remember your promise Northern Maiden."
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
4:01 PM
"Team Charlie reporting, mission accomplished- over!"
With that simple statement, Corporal Analog fired his modified sniper rifle which he had kept trained on the Beast Handler's control rod this entire time, the special sonic suppressor on the weapon cancelled out the noise via counter-wave rather than the method of a more mundane silencer which meant the bullet's speed wasn't affected in the least.
Aided by the cyborg's built-in sensor-suit the sniper round struck true and shattered the head of the Rod of Zhengfu held by the Beast Handler knocking the shocked Merchant of Suffering over as the round entered his shoulder. The injured magic-user spurred his driver to try fleeing back to their base camp which a shadowy figure resembling a stylized depiction of a bear appeared and flipped over their motorcycle dumping the two of them to the ground. While the Beast Handler's pain over both the bullet-wound and the fall had caused him to black-out the driver had opted to flee on foot, he made it ten feet when a second sniper-round tore through the calf of his left leg sending him sprawling to the ground as the bear-like creature loomed over him bearing its stylized fangs.
While Wicked Ink's bear tattoo had its way with the injured driver, Corporal Analog radioed in, "Bravo Team reporting, mission accomplished will proceed to rendezvous location at Charlie Team location after collecting secondary objectives- over and out!"
Durango Reservoir - South Shore
4:01 PM
"Team Charlie reporting, mission accomplished- over!"
The message echoed through Interspector's radio implant which vibrated her jawbone so she could hear without it either exposing her location or alerting anyone else to her presence, this was vital as she needed to be within visual range of her target to best use her psychic abilities. It was a bit annoying at times however the effect once she sneaked close enough far out-weighed the cost. She had moved in position moments ago, staying as silent as possible now it was almost time to act all that she had to do was wait for her team-leader Papa Houma to strike.
Interspector didn't have to wait long as the shadow serpent crawled out from beneath the idling motorcycle and into the sidecar where the Beast Handler's shadow awaited. As soon as the shadow serpent found it's nest the Beast Handler's body was no longer his own as he unwittingly broke his Rod of Zhengfu against his driver's helmet sparking a fight between the two that brought them to the ground as the possessed Beast Handler struggled with his driver trying to strangle his own guard against his will while said guard repeatedly punched him in the head.
Eventually the driver succeeded in knocking his charge out although the process left him exhausted and gasping from breath on the ground through his now bruised throat, Interspector knew through her own initial passive-scan of the driver's mind that he was about to stuff the unconscious beast-handler back into the bike's sidecar- at least he was until she brought her own abilities to bear full-force on his mind. As she glared at him the man, whose name she now knew as Tien Pang, spasmed for several moments as she mined his brain for everything that he knew of the Merchants caring little as she saw how he was just another willing follower of their tenets.
Knowing that her victim was now a drooling and unresponsive vegetable, Interspector activated her radio, "Alpha Team reporting, mission accomplished proceeding to rendezvous point with secondary objectives at Charlie Team's current coordinates- over and out!"
Northeast of the Durango Reservoir
Suddenly while he was in mid-attack the asura who was currently engaged in a pitched battle with Sha Wujing simply ceased his attack and backed off. "It appears that fate has decided to intervene in this conflict on your behalf arhat." The asura stated as he returned his many weapons to their designated holsters and sheathes, "I am now released from my servitude, and free to go on my way. Understand this arhat I was only battling you due to the orders of those who had enslaved me- as I bear you no ill-will I shall take my leave."
With his peace said the asura Nidar Rosh took to the skies as he sought to leave both this place and the conflict that he had been forced to engage in with the Sand Friar behind him as he set out for other lands afforded to him by his newfound freedom.
As for his fellow slave, though...well let us just say that Assaku had different priorities on his mind. "Looks like those bakayaro dropped my leash, too bad for them, once I finish with you and your buddy I'm going to tear them to shreds and then just to wrap up this shitty night hammer this town like mochi!"
"So not going after your old bosses first?!?" Zhu Bajie asked as he strained to block the strikes of the oni's spiked kanabo with his muck rake, which was far more difficult as the brute was now using both hands in his relentless attacks as his fanged smile grew even wider in anticipation of the pending carnage.
Suddenly a fierce tornado caught the both of them pulling them towards who knows what, out of sheer desperation Zhu struck the ground with his rake as hard as he could and held onto the handle for dear-life. Assaku however was far less fortunate as he was drawn into the source of the vortex- a gourd being held by Sha Wujing. Once the kuro-oni had passed the entrance of the gourd Sha Wujing then reapplied the plug ending the vortex and causing his companion to crash into the ground.
"Really Sandy!" Zhu glared at his companion who walked over to offer him a hand, "You had the Zijin hong Gourd this whole time and didn't use it! Why?!?
"I had to give them a chance once they gained their freedom, the asura chose to abandon a fight that he had no true interest in while the kuro-oni followed his base instincts." Sha Wujing explained as he returned the gourd to his belt, "I only acted once they made their choice not earlier, now after we are done I shall deliver our prisoner back to his master Enma Daioh before returning the gourd to Taishang Laojun."
"You know you could always keep it," Zhu mentioned as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off, "it is a very useful tool to have on hand."
"While that may be true, however it would be dishonest." Sha Wujing replied, "Now I suggest we return to Duanzaolong and Sun Wukong post-haste, although I have no doubt that they succeeded freeing Hai-er Hong something tells me that there is another issue at hand."
As Sha Wujing departed with a great leap Zhu Bajie looked at his retreating form and sighed, "As if this night has been anything but a series of issues."
Stadium Lot - Fort Lewis College
4:23 AM
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
The wait for Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie to return was honestly nerve-wracking especially given how Corporal Analog and Wicked Ink returned to our group with a severely injured and unconscious Beast Handler who was clearly suffering from a bullet-wound. Although Interspector and Papa Houma had yet to return, given how one was a psychic and the other was an undead magic-user; given how both gave me the creeps I wasn't holding my breath waiting for the pair to return.
Still I was sticking close to Wukong Sun and Hai-er Hong, just for the sake of safety not for any other reason mind you, especially given how Blizzard Wizard kept making excuses to try and talk to me. At least his partner Permafrost was leaving me alone she had already talked Reverent into letting her keep the motorcycle that we seized from the ko'ed Merchants, I suppose that it was only fair seeing as how it was her who came up with the first step of the plan to take them out. In the meantime, the rest of Wukong Sun's clones returned, baring Kelly who was incinerated by the Masterson Brothers' rocket attack, now that they had returned my sapphires to the safe at the jewelers and returned to their proper home nestled into the now former bald spot on the Monkey King's tail.
While I was interested in asking Hai-er Hong about his story, especially given how nothing was ever written of him after Guanyin set out to teach him humility and hold him to his earlier offer of becoming her disciple (especially given how the name she gave him was shared with another disciple of hers), for some reason I was completely unable to speak a single word.
"Hey Hai-er, can I ask you a favor?" Wukong Sun asked as casually as possible considering how they were both ancient adversaries as well as fighting a pitched battle less than an our ago.
"Of course, uncle Wukong," Hong replied with a relaxed smile, "it's the least I could do for my old laoshi."
Holy crap, wait a minute Hai-er Hong gave Wukong Sun a real run for his money back when he was only a child, I mean granted that the Monkey King did rise to the rank of Buddha after their quintet returned from India with the ancient sutras (most people completely forgot about Yulong Santaizi who spent most of the pilgrimage as Xuanzang's steed), but just what could the Monkey King teach a kid who he needed Guanyin to beat?
"Hey, considering how long it took me to kick my own bad habits and learn manners the least I could do was help teach my bond-brother's kid the ropes." Wukong snickered, "besides at least they didn't make you their stable master when you got up to the Jade Heavens- Zhu still likes to jab me with that little fact. Anyway, what I was asking you is this, the demi-fucanglong next to you is the Northern Maiden, I'd like you to assist the Hand Maiden of the Tao with the second-half of her training this summer."
"Certainly uncle," Hai-er Hong replied with a bow, "I would be honored to do so once I am summoned."
Okay, suddenly this summer wasn't looking so awful; granted I was going to have to share Hai-er Hong's attention with the Handmaiden of the Tao, but with any luck she wasn't going to be interested in him. I really hoped that this was really the case, the way my life was going part of me felt that the universe owed me one...oh who am I kidding given how famous he was Hai-er Hong was probably married centuries ago to some noble lady of the Jade Heavens.
"Hey while everyone's talking favors I have one!" Blizzard Wizard spoke up as he came over to our group.
Thankfully that was also the time Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing finally returned, "Well nice to see that you two came through on your part of the plan, but who are these guys?" Zhu asked as he looked at the motley crew occupying the lot.
"Old enemies of the Merchants of Suffering who are also interested in Duanzaolong," Sun Wukong explained as he continued to eyeball Corporal Analog, Wicked Ink and Reverent, "They were also a big help in freeing Hai-er Hong, the asura and the oni from the Merchants, the only problem is there was a catch Duanzaolong has to come with them to meet her fellow maidens."
"Speaking of prices," Blizzard Wizard spoke up again trying to get our attention again, "I have one and it's far less steep. You see I was the one who notified the Sweepers to the Merchants of Suffering's interests in you, so if not for me they wouldn't likely have been here to help you this night."
Before Zhu or I could speak up to object Sha Wujing stepped in to settle the matter, "Very well child- name your price and if it is reasonable I am certain that we will have no problem meeting it."
"I want to see if the Lady of the North here can repair this," the Blizzard Wizard the produced a pouch the contents of which he let tumble into his right hand, "it's called the Tear of Ymir. This jewel was the foci of a staff that has been in my family for centuries, it was broken during my grandfather's time and my family hasn't been the same since. I heard through the grapevine that you have a way with enchantable gemstones, so I would like you to make it whole again."
While I was still a little wary of him especially given how he admitted that he was trying to restore a magic staff, I knew in my gut that this was the right thing to do. Walking towards Blizzard Wizard I offered my cupped hands to accept the shattered gemstone so that I could get to work. After dragging the claws of my left foot across pavement to create some sparks for kindling I seized the tiny points of heat and drew them up with my power to get to work. I stoked the sparks into a single incandescent flame by the time it hovered in front of me and thrust my hands inside to get to work, although something was odd; I waited several minutes (far longer than it normally took but the crystalline fragments just wouldn't soak in the heat).
After waiting far longer than I would normally I let the fire dissipate and lowered my hands in defeat, "I'm sorry, I can't do it, something about these shards they're resisting my powers; it's like their impervious to my flames."
"Your fires are not yet what they could be child," a voice that I had yet to hear before spoke up and everyone turned to look to its source, there in the center of the lot there was a cloaked figure wearing a mask whose origins I couldn't guess and judging by everyone's reactions none of us saw arrive. "You have yet to complete your training and awaken your inner fire, once you do that with the Handmaiden's assistance you will definitely be able to repair Ymir's Tear!"
Something about this man told me that he was trouble, that he was dangerous, that if I tried to do anything that it would be the end of me- it was then that Corporal Analog spoke up, "Baron Impié when I understood that the Obsidian Circle would be sending someone to escort the Northern Maiden to the meeting I had no idea that it would be one of the founders of the Grand Hall itself."
"My past notoriety is unimportant, I am simply here to invite the Northern Maiden and her companions to Fortuna Noctis," the man I presume named Baron Impié explained, "it is time for the half-blooded maidens of the Five-fold Courts to gather and together learn of their destiny."
As he finished the ground behind him shifted and created and archway, and as the two halves of the archway connected symbols along it began to flare gold right before a hallway appeared inside of the arch. Something told me that I wasn't going to be able to fight my way out of this, besides I was curious of just what I was going to learn where I was going.
6 years 5 months ago #37
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
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Gender:
Unknown
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POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
Bea, Jane (who barely had time to join us before we left), and I had no choice in the matter- we were currently enjoying the safety and the hospitality afforded to us by the Obsidian Circle, at least Dagda and his three friends were here to help keep us safe because to be frank there was no way that I'd trust any of the five individuals who were with us with our safety.
Alright to be fair I only had experience with one member of this motley crew, but for me any minute that I got to spend while not around Carcharoth was like a dream-filled wonderland out of a freaking Miyazaki move. Yeah, I hated the god-eating monster with every fiber of my being and wished that he'd go take a quick trip down the mouth of an active volcano, and I knew from the looks that he'd occasionally send my way that the feeling was mutual.
Yep, long before I accepted my fae-folk fate as well as being female forever I humiliated the monster in an astral duel kicking him out of my body and in the process gaining the power to keep him from ever hurting others and their families provided they accepted my protection. Granted that right after that shining moment of victory a warlock named Plagiat killed my original body forcing me to abandon ship into a body in the making that Morrigan, Greyback and I prepared out of the precaution of our attempted exorcism failing.
I'll admit that it was a little vindictive of me but ever since my new body emerged from the chrysalis that grew it, I had been as liberal as I could be in spreading my gift of protection to others- a fact that no doubt pissed off the wolf of ragnarok royally. Although to be fair on my part after having that monster inside my mind for most of my life, I am more than a little biased when it comes to Carcharoth; however, my experience with him means that I know him very well and the more people that I can protect from his malice the better.
Strangely enough though I wasn't the only one in the hallway who Carcharoth was giving the stink eye, Dagda's friend Fray drew more than a few dark looks from the one destined to eat Odin. I don't let it get around too much but ever since I lost my body and learned of the Obsidian Circle I began to make it a hobby of piecing together their real identity's, and I'd like to think that I had made some real progress in that regard. I'd already picked out Set, Hecate (the original not the ex-Bitch Queen of the Alphas), Hel and of course Loki, that also meant that I knew how my ex-tormentor was none other than the Fenris Wolf aka the beast who was destined to nosh on most of the Norse pantheon.
I knew that for the longest Fenrir had been trussed up on a dark island that liked to float around the nine realms of Yggdrasil the world tree, but somehow recently someone had freed him in full. Granted that could mean that Ragnarok had just started there was a major technicality, he had been untied not cut or broken free, I could even see that he had taken to using his old fetter Glepnir as a weapon. Now stories differed on how Fenrir was supposed to get free, some claimed that he would simply break the rope when the time came while others stated that Surtr the King of the Fire Giants was to use Freyr’s magic sword to cut him loose as he marched his armies to the world tree.
Regardless of which ancient prophecy was the truth the detail that stayed true in all of them was clear, Glepnir was destroyed so that meant that someone was crazy enough to untie the rope that Tyr the Norse God of War gave his hand to capture the beast. Why all of this journey into Ancient Norse Religion, well obviously, Carcharoth hated this Fray just as much as he hated me, and given how I know that for Fenrir hate is a very personal thing that means Fray had done something to him in the past to earn Carcharoth's wrath.
Now given how I saw that Fray had a cybernetic hand which extended halfway up his arm, and given how Fray is a word that refers to battle I knew the man's identity- Tyr the Norse God of War, known as the second craftiest mind in Asgard right after Loki. I mean a lot of people might scoff- 'how can he be crafty is he stuck his hand inside a wolf's mouth and let it get bitten off,' the thing is though he was able to trick Fenris into letting him chain him twice earlier which might have coined the phrase: Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!
It might be, Jane mused from her usual perch on my right shoulder, when we return safely home I assure you that I shall ask mother.
'Yeah, we have a lot to ask about when we get home,' I replied over our link while I looked down at Aletheia who sat silent in her borrowed wheelchair as Dagda's comrade Hedgewitch wheeled her down the corridor.
Knowing that I wouldn't get any information out of Carcharoth I instead opted to ask one of our other hosts, namely Greygus, judging by his reputation I at least hoped for a little courtosey. "Say, Greygus is it!" I spoke up to get his attention, "I know that you can't reveal a whole lot but just, where are we? Call me paranoid but the last time I was taken somewhere not entirely of my own freewill I kind of...well- bit the big one."
"You look rather well for someone who's dead girl," one of the demoness trio remarked, "then again teenagers do tend towards the dramatic!"
"Plagiat being the sore loser that he was, had tagged me with a spell that caused my original body to cook from the inside out," I glared at the woman, "fortunately Valkyrian, Greyback and I cooked up a contingency plan if our attempt to evict your axe-happy werewolf friend. I had to use a spell to grow a new body from samples of the original, and let's just say that regrowing my entire body was not pleasant. Especially when I found out that you resurrected the original and handed it off to one of your own, oh and don't try to play coy I know enough of the ends and outs of magic now to recognize my original body even through the alterations."
"Oh, and let me guess? You want your old body back," Carcharoth laughed as he turned to smile at me with his fanged maw as an obviously empty threat. "Oh, poor little bitch wants to have something between her legs again, well tough the only way that would happen is if you buckle down and decide to have some welp make you a woman for real."
"Figures that you'd only have that on your mind Fido," I smiled right back at the monster who made most of my life a living hell as he tried to take over my body for as long as I could recall prior to manifesting, "after all you spend so long tied to your little spot that you must have really been hard up when you got set free last winter; that is if your two-faced old man lets you roam a little."
Carcharoth's mocking smile turned into a growling snarl as he glared at me with murder in his eyes before the secondary implications of my words finally hit home. "Wait you know, how- oh let me guess Valkyrian told you- well in that case all bets are off!"
Carcahaoth reared up to attack Fray before I got between the two with my fehde-won inhibition on his behavior stopping his attack before it could connect. "Nobody told me, I figured it out on my own!" I smiled wide at my former tormentor who soaked in those implications, "So I know exactly who you really are oh famous wolf; you'd think that you would be more aware of how I love to piece together details, after all you were stomping around inside my mind for how long exactly?"
"Obviously not long enough to teach a brat like you some manners," Carcharoth continued to glare at me in hatred.
This situation lasted until Greygus got between the two of us, "now- there will be none of that you two. Faolan, I understand that is what you go by, you are not a prisoner here and you and your familiar as well as your fellow Maiden..."
"Aletheia," Bea chose that moment to speak up as Hedgewitch turned to give her a better view, "I prefer Aletheia as my code name because the truth sets us free and I intend to do that for a great many people soon!"
"And an admirable cause if there ever was one," Greygus stated in a manner that unlike Carcharoth's spoke not of hostility but of understanding, "my father and I recently had the opportunity to do the same for our own people of the Principality of the Blazing Disc of what used to be the Southern Court."
"So, you mean that you're a djinn," I surmised by his obvious implication, "and as I know that the Northern Maiden actually awoke a long time before I did that means that the final maiden who awoke was one of your people or at least a half-breed- that does seem to be the case with we Maidens of the Cardinal Points of the Five-Fold Court of Atlantis."
"All of that will be explained once the other two maidens get here, that's when it'll be time to put all of the cards on the table." Greygus explained things before adding in, "and speaking of cards feel free to ask if you need any there is no telling exactly when the Northern and Southern Maidens will arrive. And to answer your earlier question this is Fortuna Noctis, the Midnight Fortress, so named because every time the clock is about to turn one this place relocates to wherever it just turned midnight."
"So, if it was ten or so when you took us then we're either in Greenland, Bermuda or Brazil right now." I replied as Jane and I rapidly coordinated our collective knowledge.
"Oooo, so close," Greygus remarked, "although it's perfectly understandable but this place doesn't operate on Daylight Savings Time, besides can you imagine the strain of jumping two time zones instead of one in case we pop up in a county that doesn't recognize that little innovation of Franklin's. More than likely right now we are somewhere around either Trinidad or the South Sandwich Islands."
"Actually, Franklin only tossed out that possibility as a joke," I corrected the mercenary hoping that it would be taken in good humor, "Can't recall off the top of my head who made it policy but Ben mentioned it in the same letter as proposals for taxing shutters and rationing candles, but the man was a real character from what I've read."
"Trust me the writers had him spot on," one of the demoness trio spoke up, "I met him on several occasions in France, the man was always one for witty banter, or a fun time with the ladies. Sadly, that I never took him up on his offers in Paris, I liked him too much to let him suffer the consequences of a night with me."
'Probably a succubus or lilim,' I responded to Jane before something dawned on me, 'Wait Jane do you remember these three from anywhere?'
Hold on a moment I remember mom telling me about these three back when Morrigan went as Lady Ravenheart, collectively they are known as the Erinyes their codenames are Skleeros, Miseo and Ekdikeo, I believe that they all work for Mistress Nyx.
'Three ladies who are either succubi or lilim and work for someone who either won't ever show herself...or can't.' I pondered as the pieces fell into place, 'There is only one woman that either of those types of devils would stay loyal to, and it explains why nobody's ever seen Mistress Nyx in the flesh, she can't leave her home because she's a prisoner in her own domain. All current signs point to Mistress Nyx being none other than Lilith herself!'
Loki, Set, Hel, Hecate and now Lilith not to mention that we don't know whether Astio or as Imperious and his fellow reborn Olympians know him as Typhon is also a part of their little circle too, Jane examined the current evidence on the table, quite the dragon's den that you've crawled into young Miss Bridges.
'The dragon is either here or will be along shortly Jane,' I replied over our link, 'but I'm just referring to the Northern Maiden aka my senior in this little debacle of destiny.'
"Communing with your familiar young Faolan?" One of the Erinyes remarked in a way that sent ice down my spine all the way to my tail which immediately went in-between my legs. "Not a very polite thing to do when in the room with company, especially when you are an honored guest."
"Oh, take the stick out Miseo," another of the demonic trio stated before she floated in the air after a one-hundred and twenty degree pirouette while hovering along at our pace. "It's not like she has any real reason to trust us to begin with, a member of the Grand Hall who was hired by proxy did nearly kill her and one of our fellow operatives did torment her for most of her life while trying to take possession of her body."
"It is still a lack of common courtesy Skeerlos," Miseo shot back at her fellow devil, "you would think that The Phantom Queen of the Fae would teach her better etiquette and protocol!"
I just couldn't help it but when that phrase came out I just started cracking up, and Dagda and Jane followed suit, I thought that I even heard Carcharoth of all creatures snickering. One thing was clear- the Erinyes might have some knowledge of Morrigan and have encountered her a few times in the past outside of a professional capacity, but they clearly didn't know what the regent of the Wild Fae was like at all.
Saturday, April 21st, 2007
Fagins Pub
Berlin, New Hampshire
11:01 PM EDT
"Wait- how could that be possible," Elizabeth Carson inquired somewhat wondering just what Morrigan Redstag meant by that remark, "I have met Miss Bridges parents when they dropped young Heather off just last month and know that their current address is in Tricoma after their home was ransacked by that mob."
"I admit- I am not her mother, her grandmother or even her great-grandmother, no my relation to Randi and Heather both goes back centuries to my youngest child's second incarnation." Morrigan explained as she took another slug of her home-brewed liquid courage, "You see I have had a few children of my own over the course of my long life, even before I met and wed Dagda that fateful Samhain eve. You must understand that due to my sworn duty to the late Queen Venraniel, Daughter of the Silent Willow, I have sadly outlived a fair number of them. Some of my children such as poor Lupa even died cursing my existence. That was why when I wed Dagda I tried as much as I could to do right by my children, and that was why it hurt so much when Brigid took her own life after her husband Bres was deposed so that he couldn't use her as a hostage against the Tuarth de during Bres's campaigns to reclaim his crown following Nuanda's restoration."
"I remember hearing from Anu how you actually brought your daughter back," Elizabeth commented as she nursed her own drink thankfully something with a far lower alcohol content than what Morrigan was currently nursing. "I presume something along the lines of the ritual that you used to save young Randi's life last January after Plagiat's attack?"
"Actually, that was a spell that I developed based on the one that I used to bring Brigid back," Morrigan explained as she continued to nurse her own home-brewed ale. "At the time, I finally thought that I could settle somewhere for a while, carve out my own little slice of happiness and have the chance to raise a few children who felt that they could actually call me mom...that actually worked until the squabbles between the Tuatha de Danann's and the Fomor lead to my daughter's political marriage to Bres."
"Which ended in suicide after he lost the throne," Elizabeth postulated receiving Morrigan's nod in affirmation.
"We had been so close I just couldn't let go so I used my magic and ensured her rebirth," Morrigan confessed, "a deed that cost me as I was then forbidden to use that exact spell ever again or teach it to anyone afterwards. Brigid's second life was far happier she even went on to wed Caílte mac Rónáin of the Fianna, they had five children together and honestly, I had never seen such happiness. At least until Nemain's son Cromm attacked them in revenge for our negotiation with the Nazareen since he was in line for the crown, only her eldest son Cathasach survived the attack since he was out hunting with his father."
"I assume that wasn't Brigid's final life?" Elizabeth inquired wanting further details about that story.
"It was her final life as my daughter, as an act of kindness the Nazareen ensured her rebirth as a mortal girl in the town of Faughart in the Fifth Century," Morrigan explained with a heavy heart, "but the part explaining Randi lays in Cathasach. Cathasach decided to live as a mortal rather than join his kin in Tir na Nog and had family of his own, in time that family spread to the new world fleeing from the religious persecution in Ireland (as well as the Potato Famine) some even helped lay track for Union Pacific Railroad as they looked for some place to call home. One family, the Casey's, actually took what little they made with their fellow Irishmen and helped a few Freedmen that they worked with as well as some Chinese immigrants from the Central Pacific Railroad and founded a little city called Tricoma in Texas."
"Whom Randi's family are descended from, making you Randi's maternal grandmother several times over," Elizabeth stated as she stirred her next drink freshly poured from the tap. "At least that explains your relationship to your protege other than your earlier residence in her spiritual self, still the real question remains what can you tell me about the four maidens- more importantly my daughter Bea?"
"I'm glad that I brewed something that I actually find to be on the stiff side for this occasion because this is a heavy matter," Morrigan tossed her latest in a line of home-brewed libations back. "Matters of destiny are seldom pleasant more often than not they come with a great deal of adversity attached and for Beatrice, Randi and their fellow maidens that is no exception. As you are no doubt aware during The Sundering the Old Ones did a great deal of damage to the world, in fact the world itself is but a fraction of what it once was if you actually knew all that was lost you'd wonder how any civilization managed to build upon the ashes of the Five-Fold Court."
"Yes, everyone knows that Atlantis is at the bottom of the sea Morrigan," Elizabeth Carson began to strum her fingers against the bar in front of her, "we see at least one attack by Atlantean Terrorists a year these days."
"Not Atlantean- Neo Atlantean, what people have known of Atlantis since before the time of Plato actually emerged as a colony of survivors of the destruction of the Original Kingdom of Atlantis," Morrigan emphasized as best as she could, "that bunch were sunk by Poseidon when they refused to allow Mycenean Priests to build temples in their territory which at the time included much of the Mediterranean Sea. No, the Atlantis during the time of the Five-Fold Court didn't just sink below the waves...it sank between dimensions. You see there is a reason that the Fae Lands and the Jade Heavens exist in other dimensions that is where they settled after The Sundering- the final battle of the Old Ones shook the fabric of reality itself and much of the world was knocked partially out of phase with the rest."
"So, when folks refer to The Sundering they mean a sundering of reality itself on a global scale." Elizabeth was a little shaken by the implications of that even with her long and storied career as a cape. "And the Fae Lands that you are part of the regency council of as well as the Jade Heavens that annoying Monkey King call home were once as much a part of the planet as any continent?"
"Exactly, and it is this transdimensional drift that is a problem, because it has also left the planet wounded." Morrigan continued, "Mana and essence don't flow as much as they used to, moreover the world isn't as strong as it once was either. Even human scientists have begun to notice the growing vulnerabilities in the biosphere, also the amount of mana the world can currently generate is equally strained. The fact is that if the world and all who dwell on it are to have a potential future then the flows of mana from the Four Courts of North, East, South and West must be reestablished."
"And let me guess that is where the Four Maidens come in and their prophecy." Elizabeth interrupted as she looked at Morrigan much to lack of surprise her newest teacher's silence spoke volumes.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Blue Salon - Fortuna Noctis
12:23 AM UTC−03:00
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I stared at the odd clock in the room, but the fact was still a bit of a shock we had shifted time zones and our current abode had actually jumped across the earth when another corner of the globe had struck midnight. As if to emphasize this the clock's hour hand was stuck at twelve while the unique fourth-hand followed a set of twenty-four roman numerals that no doubt corresponded to an hour past Greenwich Meantime of which we were now three time zones past. I had even seen the scenery change in a blur as the fortress had mad its last jump.
Don't get me wrong I wanted to travel the world someday but to me that meant actually getting out and traveling the world not sitting in a time-zone hoping fortress as an unwilling guest. One look over at Randi and I could already see that she was just as happy to be here as I was...okay she was a whole lot less happy to be here than I was but she was hiding it like a champ. Not that I could blame her- I knew even before that conversation in the hallway how she loathed Carcharoth and felt about the Obsidian Circle in turn, but that moment only illustrated that fact as clear as day.
Still this silence was deafening it thought that it was time that I really needed to break the ice, at least the only one operative of the Circle itself was present and all in all I didn't feel that Greygus was near as bad as his compatriots. "So, Mister Greygus sir, I understand that we're going to meet the northern and southern maiden's tonight. Can you tell us anything about them?"
Drawing the attention of everyone in the room Greygus replied, "Well to be honest I don't know too much about the Southern Maiden- even though prophecy stated that she was supposed to be born from my house, given that she just awoke today. All I know is what my colleague Dirge filled me in on a few hours back, which is that they rescued her and two of her friends from an attack by the Dark Court."
"Dark Court?" I asked unfamiliar of the term.
"It's the collective term for the underworld created by Summer and Winter exiles who opt not to join the Wild Court," Faolan spoke up in what I could see was a mixture of embarrassment (probably for not telling me sooner) and disgust (likely for those of the Dark Court). "It's really just a collective term for various branches of the criminal underworld populated by fallen faerie nobility and whatever servants and unaligned fae that they persuade into following them or loosely align with them. I've told you about the Goblin Markets before- those are part of the Dark Court, never try to deal with them unless you have no other options because if you drop your guard with them you could find yourself in a situation worse than death."
"A little bit of hyperbole eh Western Maiden," Greygus scoffed at Faolan's tirade, "most of the folk in the Dark Court are just trying to scrape by and just don't trust the Wild Court any more than they do those of Summer and Winter- or they're just too set in their ways to change the way they were brought up and adapt to the rest of the world."
"Considering that those ways include child abduction, slavery and corrupting mortals into barely sapient beings I think that I will stick to my opinions thank you very much," Faolan huffed in response.
"Touché," Greygus replied before continuing, "as I said I don't know too much at present about the Southern Maiden considering that I haven't received a response from my home base of operations since before we left to take care of the Children of the Night's attempted attack on yourselves. Now the Northern Maiden on the other hand, she I have a great deal of intelligence on, not surprising given how she was the first of you four to awaken."
"If I remember the Northern Court is supposed to be populated by creatures of the sky correct, and that the strongest among them are dragons." I spouted off what I had already learned of the subject, "So she should be one of the strongest among us."
"Yeah, faefolk and merfolk are no slouches in the magic department but pound for pound when it comes to physical abilities northern-court dragons and southern-court djinn are way above our weight-class." Faolan interjected.
"Don't sell yourself short kid, fae-folk may not have the raw power of djinn or dragons, but you can be deadly given the right training. As for merfolk nothing is faster in the water than them moreover with your natural sonic abilities your magic and sound attacks are brutal to those who could cross you." Greygus explained in reply, "As for the Northern Maiden she like the both of you is a hybrid of human-mutant and a member of one of the four peripheral lands of the Five-Fold Court, in her case she is part Fucanglong, an Asian dragon who embodies the nature of a volcano."
"Out of curiosity does that make her an earth elemental or a fire elemental?" Faolan again interrupted- I know that she was inquisitive, but she really needs to learn not to interrupt other people when they are speaking.
"Hmm, wish that I knew the answer to that one kid, but that question is something that you're going to have to learn on your own- as will I for that matter." Greygus did his best to answer, "Actually Faolan was it, like you the Northern Maiden was born human only to have her own powers awaken latter, in her case they awoke after her old body swelling into an egg that her new body hatched from last fall over in Seattle."
"I wonder why she isn't at Whateley then?" I asked myself although I made the mistake of doing so outloud, "I thought that H1 raise a fuss whenever they find out that some mutant manifests in an area?"
"Oh, they did, fortunately the Northern Maiden's family lives in the Asian International District of Seattle, or their version of China Town. Every time that they tried to pressure the neighborhood to allow the MCO to take her into custody, the folks who call the shots in the International District through a legal road block in their way. Say what you will about the nastiness of the Cold War, but a lot of the China Towns in America gained a lot of legal autonomy from the crap that Hoover and his successors put them through, the MCO couldn't make a move legally and H1 couldn't touch the Northern Maiden without walking through a cultural PR nightmare."
"Sadly, the real threat to the Northern Maiden turned out to be from a nasty faction in the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom, a group called the Merchants of Suffering. You see one aspect of the Northern Maiden's powers is that she can turn certain materials into raw gemstone, gemstones that also happen to soak up enchantment like a dry cactus would water. They invaded her home, kidnapped her and drug her down to their main base of operations state-side, the San Francisco Chapter House where they used her as a living gem-making factory. This went on for months until she was liberated by the spell-caster known as The Wayfarer."
That name sparked a bunch of memories within me from my time in the shadow of Cytherea or as she was known back in those days Aphrodite and Venus. "I know that name, the face is a little fuzzy, but the Olympians had a number of encounters with The Wayfarer going all the way back to the beginning of the Pantheon. They also did everything they could to suppress those stories from being distributed, because everything they tried either eliminate or subjugate The Wayfarer and every time they tried it blew up in their faces. I especially remember one-time Aphrodite tried to seduce The Wayfarer into surrendering his staff to her as a token of his affection, not only did she fail to seduce the man but when she tried to steal the staff out of spite it gave her a Bad Hair Decade- it was a great time for me."
"I always wondered what that phase of her's was about," Greygus remarked through his laughter, "anyway sometime today the Northern Maiden left the safety of the hiding place where The Wayfarer has been keeping her safe and popped up some place in Colorado, naturally the Merchants are there in force to retrieve their property but Erzebet Scratch's people were also given the intel and they have a Sweeper Squad in the area to deal with the Merchants and escort the Northern Maiden here as soon as they can."
"What about the Southern Maiden," I inquired curious about the final of the four maidens, "she's supposed to be a djinni right?"
"As I explained earlier I don't know anything more than the fact that my compatriot Dirge rescued someone Bishop Brimstone insists is her from two members of the Dark Court." Greygus responded somewhat flummoxed by the whole event, "I was kind of busy at the time, you see the attack on you two wasn't the only thing that the Children of the Night were up to tonight. To be honest the reason I was on the East Coast today was because I was assisting a Sweeper Squad with transporting some old assets from the New York Chapter House's Storage Annex to a newer more secure location in the heart of Erzebet Scratch's territory."
"While this happened someone, who was affiliated with the Necromancer's faction opted to pull a fast one to open up and clean out another vault then swipe two of the Atlantean Royal Diadems on the way out." I could almost see Greygus roll his eyes under his helmet, "His choice in vaults was obviously under orders because the one that he picked belonged to Carcharoth-"
"Poor Bastard," Faolan interrupted with a dark chuckle, "I wonder how long it took him to get torn limb from limb?"
"That point was kind of moot, Carcharoth was ordered to only detain him; Erzebet Scratch's people are going to handle the interrogation." Greygus explained, "Unfortunately one item from Carcharoth's Vault was not retrieved, the Staff of Dagon!"
I almost made my wheelchair fall backwards when he said that name- Dagon the merman who betrayed not only his kingdom but his entire race out of lust for both power as well as my poor uncle's betrothed. I clenched my teeth at the thought of the countless lives that bloated fanatic ruined with the power that he gained from both that slumbering corpse in R'lyeh and from my grandfather's murder.
"I'm sorry for having to mention that treasonous bottom-feeder to you Aletheia, being that you are both of merfolk blood as well as your relation to his first victims hearing the name of the ruler of the Deep Ones is bound to be a sore point for you." Greygus apologized although I was shocked to know just how much he knew about me personally, "The fact is though that this is vital intelligence related to your liberation of Qingu, you see the Esoteric Order of Dagon is aware of your existence and your mission."
This little tidbit filled me with a great deal of fear, the Esoteric Order was a cult who dedicated themselves to spreading Dagon's influence as far and wide as they could. Most of those I was planning on helping my uncle save when Dagon's curse was broken were the children and illegitimate children that those of the Esoteric Order sired and leave to their dark fate as their free-will and their very soul are stolen by a curse that they would likewise leave for their children. Randi even told me that her brother's girlfriend Vanessa suffered the affliction from her birth-mother who went into the water years ago as did Carmilla's mother.
"So, let me get this straight- a cult that operates almost entirely in the shadows of the world, who actively are trying to destroy both humanity and the world, not only know that the greatest threat to their plans is alive but are also aware of her plans to strip them of their greatest tool for their plans." Faolan interjected again as she marched up to Greygus, "And the Obsidian Circle let this intelligence leak, because don't tell me that that your masters aren't that powerful because I now for a fact that they are- such as your own master Set!"
All eyes in the room again turned to Greygus as he began laughing his head off, "Oh man, you mean that my old man lost his cover after all this time- okay fill me in...just who spilled the beans- was it Badb?"
"Nope, already had my first clue from being Fenris's unwilling host for all these years." Faolan remarked as she glared down Greygus, "After that I just began to piece together the puzzle one-by-one, granted that I don't know who everyone is just yet, but I think that I am making decent headway. You for example are still a mystery to me Greygus, because you don't strike me as Anubis- although you have mentioned someone named Dirge several times who seems like a likely fit for the Egyptian patron of morticians."
"I doubt that you would either, I'm somewhat obscure among those of us whom the Ancient Egyptians worshiped- some people actually got the two of us mixed up and thought that I was an aspect of Anubis during the opening of the mouth ceremony." The mercenary and apparent Egyptian deity scoffed, "I'll give you this one for free since my dad's faction is actually one of the more ardent supporters of the Maidens and your mission within the Circle. I'm Wepwawet, an earth djinn who was worshiped as a war-deity by the Ancient Egyptians of the Upper Kingdom; I was considered the patron of archers and scouts- those whose lot in war was to expose or create weaknesses in the enemy's ranks to open the way for the main force to claim victory."
"So, let me get this straight," I interjected, "the Egyptian Pantheon like the Mesopotamian Pantheon were djinn! Wait a moment, I remember reading that Grandmother Tiamat went to collect allies including a tribe of Djinn from the Court of the Burning Disc- that was your group!"
"Yup," Greygus remarked as he removed his helmet showing everyone the head of a maned-wolf that lay beneath. "Like we weren't going to come to the aide of another group of survivors from the Five-Fold Court. Too bad that we were already too late to save Qingu from Marduk and the rest of Enki's spawn, ironic how they all followed the whims of an Earth djinn rather than his son who was a true Dashemsa Ifrit. They had the beginnings of creating a proper court and everything fell apart for them when they made the mistake of trusting Dagon, before they knew it they were ripe for conquest by the Dark One. Granted we were next when we accepted Osiris into our court."
"Whoa, I thought that Osiris was one of the five children of Geb and Nut!?!" Faolan interrupted the conversation, "Or am I wrong?"
"Only three children I'm afraid, Set and Osiris were not Geb and Nut's children although Set did marry into the royal family through my mother Lady Nephrys. You also need to understand something about djinn, only a Dashemsa Ifrit may rule a court so there is no hereditary line of succession. Horus the reigning prince of the Court of the Burning Disc received the crown from Amun, father of Konshu, as Horus was the next eldest Dashemsa Ifrit or djinn of solar fire."
"But that is neither here nor there, what you do need to know is that father and I recently liberated the court from the Black Pharaoh's avatar and took the lives of his servants in the process." Greygus got back to the point of the conversation, "That means that when you free your uncle Qingu this summer and together free the blood of the Eastern Court you shall have the djinn of the Court of the Blazing Disc guarding your efforts. Which is a good thing too, that Staff the Esoteric Order stole will let them summon and command Deep Ones to fight for them."
"Just as well," Faolan commented, "the Wild Fae can fight like devils in the right environment but the Arabian Desert in the middle of Summer- yeah, not the best idea."
"Not that I would be much help in the desert either even if I'm walking by then," grimaced over the facts, "merfolk and the hot desert sand is not a great combination."
"Aletheia, if you want you can borrow my cloak this summer given how I won't be using it anyway," I explained, "just make sure to give it back to me afterwards- otherwise I will have to seek compensation for it and I'd hate to ever have to do that to a friend."
"Ugh, no problem," I screwed my face at the awful image of the possibilities that situation would conjure, "I'd hate to lose the sight in an eye or have my hair go white because you took its color."
"You wish that the price for my cloak is that cheap," Faolan remarked, "keep in mind an elf paid it in return for her freedom as well as her gratitude over her liberation from Plagiat- no that wasn't a cheap price and neither would be an equal price to that."
"The girl is wise beyond her years," Greygus or is it Wepwawet, "although I suppose having to serve as Horfen's unwitting host for thirteen-almost-fourteen long years would give anyone a profound appreciation for the importance of freedom."
"No, I can understand more than anyone just how important freedom is," I sighed recalling the long centuries of my existence prior to being born in mother's office, "after nearly three lifetimes trapped in the shadow of one of the most catty and selfish beings in the world I know better than anyone the importance of freedom."
"She is not joking about that piece of information," Faolan remarked sheepishly-heh a wolf faeire being sheepish I'll have to remember that one... "near as anyone knows the pearl that she hatched out of was swept up in the seafoam that birthed Aphrodite and she sank into that Olympian diva's astral shadow- until about a month ago when she emerged and had to be surgically removed."
"She still gives me a death-glare whenever she sees me on campus, I mean the girl's powers let her heal without a scar and she still looks at me like I 'marred her perfection,'" I rolled my eyes over Cytherea's antics, "I mean I'd just as soon have nothing to do with her but from what I gather she sees me as the one who cast a flaw upon her perfection- not that there weren't more than a few flaws on the inside when it came to that lady."
"The granddaughter of Tiamat verses the reincarnation of Aphrodite," Dagda chuckled, "now that would be a catfight for the ages."
"Well it'll be one that you'll have to leave to your imagination you Tuatha-de horndog," Hedgewitch remarked as she nudged Dagda in the ribs, "honestly you'd think that Morrigan would be enough for you considering the fact that you can't even sleep around without her approval." That remark drew an odd look from Greygus and Miseo...and maybe myself.
"Morrigan cursed his wedding ring," Faolan began to explain, "she'd deities like Zeus over the years to be wary of a deity's fidelity- so not only can't he take his ring off but it caused his manhood to grow almost as long and thick as one of his legs."
"She's not exaggerating," Dagda remarked with an odd look on his face.
"Remind me never to do anything to piss Morrigan off- ever." Greygus remarked to Miseo who was staring at Dagda like a proverbial deer in headlights over that little fact.
"Oh, it's not so bad," the former king of the Tuatha-de shot back at the djinn warrior, "Zeusie needed to sneak around behind his wife's back, me all I need to do is get permission and if she's in the mood I can score a three-some- nope no Herakles situations for this guy- Gha-ha-ha-ha."
"TMI Dagda," Greygus shook his head trying to clear that though from his mind, "TMI."
"Pardon me," I spoke up desperate to change the conversation while equally curious about something else. "I know that we're supposed to wait for the Northern and Southern Maidens to get here before we here about our destiny and what it entails but I was curious about something else- just how were the maidens chosen? I mean I understand that I was chosen because I'm the only mermaid to be born on Earth unaffected by Dagon's Curse but what about Faolan and the others? Just why were they chosen?"
"That is a simple enough question to answer," Greygus remarked, "As you already know all four of the maidens, yourself included, are half-breeds of Center-Court and one of respective Peripheral Four Courts. Each of the Four Maidens who awakens will have an ability unique to them which sets them apart from the others of their respective people, in your case healing, in the case of Faolan it was an Avatar trait variant that she could use to absorb abilities into herself- provided they came to a bundle of energy that approximated a spirit, this lead to her awakening as a fae."
"Morrigan stated at the time that was the Beta's spirit but I suppose that given the true Beta was Mister Domino I suppose that the spirit was just a spirit that belonged to him or that he acquired at some point." Faolan pondered aloud.
"As I recall it belonged to a late-Victorian Era occultist who wagered on the fortitude his own soul with Mister Domino for power and substituted the stolen soul of an innocent in lieu of his own." Miseo explained, "Mister Domino found out very fast and was not please, as I recall he gave the man to Carcharoth to use as a plaything- by the time you received it into yourself it was likely nothing more than mystic essence and Mister Domino's chosen gift of power surrounding a vacant soul."
"Which also made you candidate when your fae nature awakened," Greygus continued, "Half of the maidens were foretold to be born half-breeds such as yourself Aletheia and the other half are supposed to be individuals with ancestry within one of the Courts other than that of the Center such as the Northern Maiden and yourself Faolan."
"Hold the phone- I have fae ancestry, I thought that this was just because of Morrigan!?!" Faolan all but barked aloud, "I wasn't truly of the fae, half or otherwise, until I accepted her gift!"
"Well not entirely Morrigan's fault my dear," Dagda chuckled, "you see you represent the convergence of the bloodlines created by the three beings Queen Venraniel created from the damaged soul of her late intended General Armeluien, as well as the bloodline of Venraniel herself through Lady Ulelesse her daughter by Armeluien's sword-brother Tordrais the Mournful; each of your grandparents was descended from one of them. In fact, you are related to three people in this room."
"Wait- I know that you are Morrigan's husband so that means that you're related to Faolan several generations back, but I know that it isn't Greygus since he's a djinn and would bring another court into the mix but who else is there?"
"He means us," the woman's whose name I learned was Hedgewitch spoke up as she squeezed Jaegarman's arm for emotional support, "Mister Domino or as I knew him Loki is my grandfather, my name is Auda Narfisdotir and through my son Knud- Faolan is descended from Loki."
"If that makes you feel a little apprehensive then don't worry," Jaegarsman spoke up before talking to Faolan, "you also have my family line but first let me introduce myself- I'm Vali Odinson the Aesir who avenged the death of Balder."
The way Faolan looked at the pair I could tell that she already knew a lot more about their story then the pair shared, but unfortunately, I wasn't as familiar with Norse Religion as I was with that of the Greeks and the Romans. I could tell by her expression though that she was a little overwhelmed, after all she just found out that her current mentor was her several times great-grandmother...come to think of it that also means that she's also descended from Master Greyback- guess that I'd better ask him about that when I get back to the Hall of Echoes. "Wait- you said that the Northern Maiden is also distantly related to the Northern Court, presumably also of a royal or noble line, are you going to tell us how?"
"She's the descendant of Qianbei Zhunyan, a fucanglong who served the Jade Heavens who in turn was a descendant of Huanlong the Yellow Dragon." Greygus explained, "She actually awakened as the Northern Maiden months ago because an urn with Qianbei's ashes fell on her, but you could probably learn more about that from her when she gets here."
Suddenly a phone on a nearby desk began to ring, it looked odd given that it was made in the style of a rotary phone but was actually a touch tone. Clearly not wanting to contribute any more to the discussion Miseo went to answer it, "Miseo here, yes he's here why?"
After a moment during which time all conversation had ceased everyone's eyes went to Miseo, "Understood- I'll be sure to tell him the good news."
After hanging the phone up Miseo turned to Greygus, "Hey Greygus great news- the demi-djinn is confirmed to be the Southern Maiden is with your father."
"That's good," Greygus laughed, "still I thought that my sister-to-be was still a few months down the line. Wait don't tell me that my brother actually had the nerves to make something more than idol conversation with a young lady other than his wife Anput or did my niece Kebechet have a kid with some nice man and just fail to mention it to anyone."
"Neither, do you remember that waitress from that cantina in Mexico City that you were seeing, you remember the place- I think that it was called La Puesta de Sol Rosada?" Miseo remarked with a grin like a shark.
"You mean Angela Luisa Seguin," Greygus responded with a hint of fear in his voice- "You don't mean!?!"
"Yep, congratulations daddy," Miseo all but sang, "your daughter with her is the Southern Maiden."
When he heard this Greygus literally collapsed on the floor with his tongue flopping out of the corner of his lupine mouth, "What do you know, he took it better than I thought he would."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 28
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POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
Bea, Jane (who barely had time to join us before we left), and I had no choice in the matter- we were currently enjoying the safety and the hospitality afforded to us by the Obsidian Circle, at least Dagda and his three friends were here to help keep us safe because to be frank there was no way that I'd trust any of the five individuals who were with us with our safety.
Alright to be fair I only had experience with one member of this motley crew, but for me any minute that I got to spend while not around Carcharoth was like a dream-filled wonderland out of a freaking Miyazaki move. Yeah, I hated the god-eating monster with every fiber of my being and wished that he'd go take a quick trip down the mouth of an active volcano, and I knew from the looks that he'd occasionally send my way that the feeling was mutual.
Yep, long before I accepted my fae-folk fate as well as being female forever I humiliated the monster in an astral duel kicking him out of my body and in the process gaining the power to keep him from ever hurting others and their families provided they accepted my protection. Granted that right after that shining moment of victory a warlock named Plagiat killed my original body forcing me to abandon ship into a body in the making that Morrigan, Greyback and I prepared out of the precaution of our attempted exorcism failing.
I'll admit that it was a little vindictive of me but ever since my new body emerged from the chrysalis that grew it, I had been as liberal as I could be in spreading my gift of protection to others- a fact that no doubt pissed off the wolf of ragnarok royally. Although to be fair on my part after having that monster inside my mind for most of my life, I am more than a little biased when it comes to Carcharoth; however, my experience with him means that I know him very well and the more people that I can protect from his malice the better.
Strangely enough though I wasn't the only one in the hallway who Carcharoth was giving the stink eye, Dagda's friend Fray drew more than a few dark looks from the one destined to eat Odin. I don't let it get around too much but ever since I lost my body and learned of the Obsidian Circle I began to make it a hobby of piecing together their real identity's, and I'd like to think that I had made some real progress in that regard. I'd already picked out Set, Hecate (the original not the ex-Bitch Queen of the Alphas), Hel and of course Loki, that also meant that I knew how my ex-tormentor was none other than the Fenris Wolf aka the beast who was destined to nosh on most of the Norse pantheon.
I knew that for the longest Fenrir had been trussed up on a dark island that liked to float around the nine realms of Yggdrasil the world tree, but somehow recently someone had freed him in full. Granted that could mean that Ragnarok had just started there was a major technicality, he had been untied not cut or broken free, I could even see that he had taken to using his old fetter Glepnir as a weapon. Now stories differed on how Fenrir was supposed to get free, some claimed that he would simply break the rope when the time came while others stated that Surtr the King of the Fire Giants was to use Freyr’s magic sword to cut him loose as he marched his armies to the world tree.
Regardless of which ancient prophecy was the truth the detail that stayed true in all of them was clear, Glepnir was destroyed so that meant that someone was crazy enough to untie the rope that Tyr the Norse God of War gave his hand to capture the beast. Why all of this journey into Ancient Norse Religion, well obviously, Carcharoth hated this Fray just as much as he hated me, and given how I know that for Fenrir hate is a very personal thing that means Fray had done something to him in the past to earn Carcharoth's wrath.
Now given how I saw that Fray had a cybernetic hand which extended halfway up his arm, and given how Fray is a word that refers to battle I knew the man's identity- Tyr the Norse God of War, known as the second craftiest mind in Asgard right after Loki. I mean a lot of people might scoff- 'how can he be crafty is he stuck his hand inside a wolf's mouth and let it get bitten off,' the thing is though he was able to trick Fenris into letting him chain him twice earlier which might have coined the phrase: Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!
It might be, Jane mused from her usual perch on my right shoulder, when we return safely home I assure you that I shall ask mother.
'Yeah, we have a lot to ask about when we get home,' I replied over our link while I looked down at Aletheia who sat silent in her borrowed wheelchair as Dagda's comrade Hedgewitch wheeled her down the corridor.
Knowing that I wouldn't get any information out of Carcharoth I instead opted to ask one of our other hosts, namely Greygus, judging by his reputation I at least hoped for a little courtosey. "Say, Greygus is it!" I spoke up to get his attention, "I know that you can't reveal a whole lot but just, where are we? Call me paranoid but the last time I was taken somewhere not entirely of my own freewill I kind of...well- bit the big one."
"You look rather well for someone who's dead girl," one of the demoness trio remarked, "then again teenagers do tend towards the dramatic!"
"Plagiat being the sore loser that he was, had tagged me with a spell that caused my original body to cook from the inside out," I glared at the woman, "fortunately Valkyrian, Greyback and I cooked up a contingency plan if our attempt to evict your axe-happy werewolf friend. I had to use a spell to grow a new body from samples of the original, and let's just say that regrowing my entire body was not pleasant. Especially when I found out that you resurrected the original and handed it off to one of your own, oh and don't try to play coy I know enough of the ends and outs of magic now to recognize my original body even through the alterations."
"Oh, and let me guess? You want your old body back," Carcharoth laughed as he turned to smile at me with his fanged maw as an obviously empty threat. "Oh, poor little bitch wants to have something between her legs again, well tough the only way that would happen is if you buckle down and decide to have some welp make you a woman for real."
"Figures that you'd only have that on your mind Fido," I smiled right back at the monster who made most of my life a living hell as he tried to take over my body for as long as I could recall prior to manifesting, "after all you spend so long tied to your little spot that you must have really been hard up when you got set free last winter; that is if your two-faced old man lets you roam a little."
Carcharoth's mocking smile turned into a growling snarl as he glared at me with murder in his eyes before the secondary implications of my words finally hit home. "Wait you know, how- oh let me guess Valkyrian told you- well in that case all bets are off!"
Carcahaoth reared up to attack Fray before I got between the two with my fehde-won inhibition on his behavior stopping his attack before it could connect. "Nobody told me, I figured it out on my own!" I smiled wide at my former tormentor who soaked in those implications, "So I know exactly who you really are oh famous wolf; you'd think that you would be more aware of how I love to piece together details, after all you were stomping around inside my mind for how long exactly?"
"Obviously not long enough to teach a brat like you some manners," Carcharoth continued to glare at me in hatred.
This situation lasted until Greygus got between the two of us, "now- there will be none of that you two. Faolan, I understand that is what you go by, you are not a prisoner here and you and your familiar as well as your fellow Maiden..."
"Aletheia," Bea chose that moment to speak up as Hedgewitch turned to give her a better view, "I prefer Aletheia as my code name because the truth sets us free and I intend to do that for a great many people soon!"
"And an admirable cause if there ever was one," Greygus stated in a manner that unlike Carcharoth's spoke not of hostility but of understanding, "my father and I recently had the opportunity to do the same for our own people of the Principality of the Blazing Disc of what used to be the Southern Court."
"So, you mean that you're a djinn," I surmised by his obvious implication, "and as I know that the Northern Maiden actually awoke a long time before I did that means that the final maiden who awoke was one of your people or at least a half-breed- that does seem to be the case with we Maidens of the Cardinal Points of the Five-Fold Court of Atlantis."
"All of that will be explained once the other two maidens get here, that's when it'll be time to put all of the cards on the table." Greygus explained things before adding in, "and speaking of cards feel free to ask if you need any there is no telling exactly when the Northern and Southern Maidens will arrive. And to answer your earlier question this is Fortuna Noctis, the Midnight Fortress, so named because every time the clock is about to turn one this place relocates to wherever it just turned midnight."
"So, if it was ten or so when you took us then we're either in Greenland, Bermuda or Brazil right now." I replied as Jane and I rapidly coordinated our collective knowledge.
"Oooo, so close," Greygus remarked, "although it's perfectly understandable but this place doesn't operate on Daylight Savings Time, besides can you imagine the strain of jumping two time zones instead of one in case we pop up in a county that doesn't recognize that little innovation of Franklin's. More than likely right now we are somewhere around either Trinidad or the South Sandwich Islands."
"Actually, Franklin only tossed out that possibility as a joke," I corrected the mercenary hoping that it would be taken in good humor, "Can't recall off the top of my head who made it policy but Ben mentioned it in the same letter as proposals for taxing shutters and rationing candles, but the man was a real character from what I've read."
"Trust me the writers had him spot on," one of the demoness trio spoke up, "I met him on several occasions in France, the man was always one for witty banter, or a fun time with the ladies. Sadly, that I never took him up on his offers in Paris, I liked him too much to let him suffer the consequences of a night with me."
'Probably a succubus or lilim,' I responded to Jane before something dawned on me, 'Wait Jane do you remember these three from anywhere?'
Hold on a moment I remember mom telling me about these three back when Morrigan went as Lady Ravenheart, collectively they are known as the Erinyes their codenames are Skleeros, Miseo and Ekdikeo, I believe that they all work for Mistress Nyx.
'Three ladies who are either succubi or lilim and work for someone who either won't ever show herself...or can't.' I pondered as the pieces fell into place, 'There is only one woman that either of those types of devils would stay loyal to, and it explains why nobody's ever seen Mistress Nyx in the flesh, she can't leave her home because she's a prisoner in her own domain. All current signs point to Mistress Nyx being none other than Lilith herself!'
Loki, Set, Hel, Hecate and now Lilith not to mention that we don't know whether Astio or as Imperious and his fellow reborn Olympians know him as Typhon is also a part of their little circle too, Jane examined the current evidence on the table, quite the dragon's den that you've crawled into young Miss Bridges.
'The dragon is either here or will be along shortly Jane,' I replied over our link, 'but I'm just referring to the Northern Maiden aka my senior in this little debacle of destiny.'
"Communing with your familiar young Faolan?" One of the Erinyes remarked in a way that sent ice down my spine all the way to my tail which immediately went in-between my legs. "Not a very polite thing to do when in the room with company, especially when you are an honored guest."
"Oh, take the stick out Miseo," another of the demonic trio stated before she floated in the air after a one-hundred and twenty degree pirouette while hovering along at our pace. "It's not like she has any real reason to trust us to begin with, a member of the Grand Hall who was hired by proxy did nearly kill her and one of our fellow operatives did torment her for most of her life while trying to take possession of her body."
"It is still a lack of common courtesy Skeerlos," Miseo shot back at her fellow devil, "you would think that The Phantom Queen of the Fae would teach her better etiquette and protocol!"
I just couldn't help it but when that phrase came out I just started cracking up, and Dagda and Jane followed suit, I thought that I even heard Carcharoth of all creatures snickering. One thing was clear- the Erinyes might have some knowledge of Morrigan and have encountered her a few times in the past outside of a professional capacity, but they clearly didn't know what the regent of the Wild Fae was like at all.
Saturday, April 21st, 2007
Fagins Pub
Berlin, New Hampshire
11:01 PM EDT
"Wait- how could that be possible," Elizabeth Carson inquired somewhat wondering just what Morrigan Redstag meant by that remark, "I have met Miss Bridges parents when they dropped young Heather off just last month and know that their current address is in Tricoma after their home was ransacked by that mob."
"I admit- I am not her mother, her grandmother or even her great-grandmother, no my relation to Randi and Heather both goes back centuries to my youngest child's second incarnation." Morrigan explained as she took another slug of her home-brewed liquid courage, "You see I have had a few children of my own over the course of my long life, even before I met and wed Dagda that fateful Samhain eve. You must understand that due to my sworn duty to the late Queen Venraniel, Daughter of the Silent Willow, I have sadly outlived a fair number of them. Some of my children such as poor Lupa even died cursing my existence. That was why when I wed Dagda I tried as much as I could to do right by my children, and that was why it hurt so much when Brigid took her own life after her husband Bres was deposed so that he couldn't use her as a hostage against the Tuarth de during Bres's campaigns to reclaim his crown following Nuanda's restoration."
"I remember hearing from Anu how you actually brought your daughter back," Elizabeth commented as she nursed her own drink thankfully something with a far lower alcohol content than what Morrigan was currently nursing. "I presume something along the lines of the ritual that you used to save young Randi's life last January after Plagiat's attack?"
"Actually, that was a spell that I developed based on the one that I used to bring Brigid back," Morrigan explained as she continued to nurse her own home-brewed ale. "At the time, I finally thought that I could settle somewhere for a while, carve out my own little slice of happiness and have the chance to raise a few children who felt that they could actually call me mom...that actually worked until the squabbles between the Tuatha de Danann's and the Fomor lead to my daughter's political marriage to Bres."
"Which ended in suicide after he lost the throne," Elizabeth postulated receiving Morrigan's nod in affirmation.
"We had been so close I just couldn't let go so I used my magic and ensured her rebirth," Morrigan confessed, "a deed that cost me as I was then forbidden to use that exact spell ever again or teach it to anyone afterwards. Brigid's second life was far happier she even went on to wed Caílte mac Rónáin of the Fianna, they had five children together and honestly, I had never seen such happiness. At least until Nemain's son Cromm attacked them in revenge for our negotiation with the Nazareen since he was in line for the crown, only her eldest son Cathasach survived the attack since he was out hunting with his father."
"I assume that wasn't Brigid's final life?" Elizabeth inquired wanting further details about that story.
"It was her final life as my daughter, as an act of kindness the Nazareen ensured her rebirth as a mortal girl in the town of Faughart in the Fifth Century," Morrigan explained with a heavy heart, "but the part explaining Randi lays in Cathasach. Cathasach decided to live as a mortal rather than join his kin in Tir na Nog and had family of his own, in time that family spread to the new world fleeing from the religious persecution in Ireland (as well as the Potato Famine) some even helped lay track for Union Pacific Railroad as they looked for some place to call home. One family, the Casey's, actually took what little they made with their fellow Irishmen and helped a few Freedmen that they worked with as well as some Chinese immigrants from the Central Pacific Railroad and founded a little city called Tricoma in Texas."
"Whom Randi's family are descended from, making you Randi's maternal grandmother several times over," Elizabeth stated as she stirred her next drink freshly poured from the tap. "At least that explains your relationship to your protege other than your earlier residence in her spiritual self, still the real question remains what can you tell me about the four maidens- more importantly my daughter Bea?"
"I'm glad that I brewed something that I actually find to be on the stiff side for this occasion because this is a heavy matter," Morrigan tossed her latest in a line of home-brewed libations back. "Matters of destiny are seldom pleasant more often than not they come with a great deal of adversity attached and for Beatrice, Randi and their fellow maidens that is no exception. As you are no doubt aware during The Sundering the Old Ones did a great deal of damage to the world, in fact the world itself is but a fraction of what it once was if you actually knew all that was lost you'd wonder how any civilization managed to build upon the ashes of the Five-Fold Court."
"Yes, everyone knows that Atlantis is at the bottom of the sea Morrigan," Elizabeth Carson began to strum her fingers against the bar in front of her, "we see at least one attack by Atlantean Terrorists a year these days."
"Not Atlantean- Neo Atlantean, what people have known of Atlantis since before the time of Plato actually emerged as a colony of survivors of the destruction of the Original Kingdom of Atlantis," Morrigan emphasized as best as she could, "that bunch were sunk by Poseidon when they refused to allow Mycenean Priests to build temples in their territory which at the time included much of the Mediterranean Sea. No, the Atlantis during the time of the Five-Fold Court didn't just sink below the waves...it sank between dimensions. You see there is a reason that the Fae Lands and the Jade Heavens exist in other dimensions that is where they settled after The Sundering- the final battle of the Old Ones shook the fabric of reality itself and much of the world was knocked partially out of phase with the rest."
"So, when folks refer to The Sundering they mean a sundering of reality itself on a global scale." Elizabeth was a little shaken by the implications of that even with her long and storied career as a cape. "And the Fae Lands that you are part of the regency council of as well as the Jade Heavens that annoying Monkey King call home were once as much a part of the planet as any continent?"
"Exactly, and it is this transdimensional drift that is a problem, because it has also left the planet wounded." Morrigan continued, "Mana and essence don't flow as much as they used to, moreover the world isn't as strong as it once was either. Even human scientists have begun to notice the growing vulnerabilities in the biosphere, also the amount of mana the world can currently generate is equally strained. The fact is that if the world and all who dwell on it are to have a potential future then the flows of mana from the Four Courts of North, East, South and West must be reestablished."
"And let me guess that is where the Four Maidens come in and their prophecy." Elizabeth interrupted as she looked at Morrigan much to lack of surprise her newest teacher's silence spoke volumes.
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Blue Salon - Fortuna Noctis
12:23 AM UTC−03:00
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
I stared at the odd clock in the room, but the fact was still a bit of a shock we had shifted time zones and our current abode had actually jumped across the earth when another corner of the globe had struck midnight. As if to emphasize this the clock's hour hand was stuck at twelve while the unique fourth-hand followed a set of twenty-four roman numerals that no doubt corresponded to an hour past Greenwich Meantime of which we were now three time zones past. I had even seen the scenery change in a blur as the fortress had mad its last jump.
Don't get me wrong I wanted to travel the world someday but to me that meant actually getting out and traveling the world not sitting in a time-zone hoping fortress as an unwilling guest. One look over at Randi and I could already see that she was just as happy to be here as I was...okay she was a whole lot less happy to be here than I was but she was hiding it like a champ. Not that I could blame her- I knew even before that conversation in the hallway how she loathed Carcharoth and felt about the Obsidian Circle in turn, but that moment only illustrated that fact as clear as day.
Still this silence was deafening it thought that it was time that I really needed to break the ice, at least the only one operative of the Circle itself was present and all in all I didn't feel that Greygus was near as bad as his compatriots. "So, Mister Greygus sir, I understand that we're going to meet the northern and southern maiden's tonight. Can you tell us anything about them?"
Drawing the attention of everyone in the room Greygus replied, "Well to be honest I don't know too much about the Southern Maiden- even though prophecy stated that she was supposed to be born from my house, given that she just awoke today. All I know is what my colleague Dirge filled me in on a few hours back, which is that they rescued her and two of her friends from an attack by the Dark Court."
"Dark Court?" I asked unfamiliar of the term.
"It's the collective term for the underworld created by Summer and Winter exiles who opt not to join the Wild Court," Faolan spoke up in what I could see was a mixture of embarrassment (probably for not telling me sooner) and disgust (likely for those of the Dark Court). "It's really just a collective term for various branches of the criminal underworld populated by fallen faerie nobility and whatever servants and unaligned fae that they persuade into following them or loosely align with them. I've told you about the Goblin Markets before- those are part of the Dark Court, never try to deal with them unless you have no other options because if you drop your guard with them you could find yourself in a situation worse than death."
"A little bit of hyperbole eh Western Maiden," Greygus scoffed at Faolan's tirade, "most of the folk in the Dark Court are just trying to scrape by and just don't trust the Wild Court any more than they do those of Summer and Winter- or they're just too set in their ways to change the way they were brought up and adapt to the rest of the world."
"Considering that those ways include child abduction, slavery and corrupting mortals into barely sapient beings I think that I will stick to my opinions thank you very much," Faolan huffed in response.
"Touché," Greygus replied before continuing, "as I said I don't know too much at present about the Southern Maiden considering that I haven't received a response from my home base of operations since before we left to take care of the Children of the Night's attempted attack on yourselves. Now the Northern Maiden on the other hand, she I have a great deal of intelligence on, not surprising given how she was the first of you four to awaken."
"If I remember the Northern Court is supposed to be populated by creatures of the sky correct, and that the strongest among them are dragons." I spouted off what I had already learned of the subject, "So she should be one of the strongest among us."
"Yeah, faefolk and merfolk are no slouches in the magic department but pound for pound when it comes to physical abilities northern-court dragons and southern-court djinn are way above our weight-class." Faolan interjected.
"Don't sell yourself short kid, fae-folk may not have the raw power of djinn or dragons, but you can be deadly given the right training. As for merfolk nothing is faster in the water than them moreover with your natural sonic abilities your magic and sound attacks are brutal to those who could cross you." Greygus explained in reply, "As for the Northern Maiden she like the both of you is a hybrid of human-mutant and a member of one of the four peripheral lands of the Five-Fold Court, in her case she is part Fucanglong, an Asian dragon who embodies the nature of a volcano."
"Out of curiosity does that make her an earth elemental or a fire elemental?" Faolan again interrupted- I know that she was inquisitive, but she really needs to learn not to interrupt other people when they are speaking.
"Hmm, wish that I knew the answer to that one kid, but that question is something that you're going to have to learn on your own- as will I for that matter." Greygus did his best to answer, "Actually Faolan was it, like you the Northern Maiden was born human only to have her own powers awaken latter, in her case they awoke after her old body swelling into an egg that her new body hatched from last fall over in Seattle."
"I wonder why she isn't at Whateley then?" I asked myself although I made the mistake of doing so outloud, "I thought that H1 raise a fuss whenever they find out that some mutant manifests in an area?"
"Oh, they did, fortunately the Northern Maiden's family lives in the Asian International District of Seattle, or their version of China Town. Every time that they tried to pressure the neighborhood to allow the MCO to take her into custody, the folks who call the shots in the International District through a legal road block in their way. Say what you will about the nastiness of the Cold War, but a lot of the China Towns in America gained a lot of legal autonomy from the crap that Hoover and his successors put them through, the MCO couldn't make a move legally and H1 couldn't touch the Northern Maiden without walking through a cultural PR nightmare."
"Sadly, the real threat to the Northern Maiden turned out to be from a nasty faction in the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom, a group called the Merchants of Suffering. You see one aspect of the Northern Maiden's powers is that she can turn certain materials into raw gemstone, gemstones that also happen to soak up enchantment like a dry cactus would water. They invaded her home, kidnapped her and drug her down to their main base of operations state-side, the San Francisco Chapter House where they used her as a living gem-making factory. This went on for months until she was liberated by the spell-caster known as The Wayfarer."
That name sparked a bunch of memories within me from my time in the shadow of Cytherea or as she was known back in those days Aphrodite and Venus. "I know that name, the face is a little fuzzy, but the Olympians had a number of encounters with The Wayfarer going all the way back to the beginning of the Pantheon. They also did everything they could to suppress those stories from being distributed, because everything they tried either eliminate or subjugate The Wayfarer and every time they tried it blew up in their faces. I especially remember one-time Aphrodite tried to seduce The Wayfarer into surrendering his staff to her as a token of his affection, not only did she fail to seduce the man but when she tried to steal the staff out of spite it gave her a Bad Hair Decade- it was a great time for me."
"I always wondered what that phase of her's was about," Greygus remarked through his laughter, "anyway sometime today the Northern Maiden left the safety of the hiding place where The Wayfarer has been keeping her safe and popped up some place in Colorado, naturally the Merchants are there in force to retrieve their property but Erzebet Scratch's people were also given the intel and they have a Sweeper Squad in the area to deal with the Merchants and escort the Northern Maiden here as soon as they can."
"What about the Southern Maiden," I inquired curious about the final of the four maidens, "she's supposed to be a djinni right?"
"As I explained earlier I don't know anything more than the fact that my compatriot Dirge rescued someone Bishop Brimstone insists is her from two members of the Dark Court." Greygus responded somewhat flummoxed by the whole event, "I was kind of busy at the time, you see the attack on you two wasn't the only thing that the Children of the Night were up to tonight. To be honest the reason I was on the East Coast today was because I was assisting a Sweeper Squad with transporting some old assets from the New York Chapter House's Storage Annex to a newer more secure location in the heart of Erzebet Scratch's territory."
"While this happened someone, who was affiliated with the Necromancer's faction opted to pull a fast one to open up and clean out another vault then swipe two of the Atlantean Royal Diadems on the way out." I could almost see Greygus roll his eyes under his helmet, "His choice in vaults was obviously under orders because the one that he picked belonged to Carcharoth-"
"Poor Bastard," Faolan interrupted with a dark chuckle, "I wonder how long it took him to get torn limb from limb?"
"That point was kind of moot, Carcharoth was ordered to only detain him; Erzebet Scratch's people are going to handle the interrogation." Greygus explained, "Unfortunately one item from Carcharoth's Vault was not retrieved, the Staff of Dagon!"
I almost made my wheelchair fall backwards when he said that name- Dagon the merman who betrayed not only his kingdom but his entire race out of lust for both power as well as my poor uncle's betrothed. I clenched my teeth at the thought of the countless lives that bloated fanatic ruined with the power that he gained from both that slumbering corpse in R'lyeh and from my grandfather's murder.
"I'm sorry for having to mention that treasonous bottom-feeder to you Aletheia, being that you are both of merfolk blood as well as your relation to his first victims hearing the name of the ruler of the Deep Ones is bound to be a sore point for you." Greygus apologized although I was shocked to know just how much he knew about me personally, "The fact is though that this is vital intelligence related to your liberation of Qingu, you see the Esoteric Order of Dagon is aware of your existence and your mission."
This little tidbit filled me with a great deal of fear, the Esoteric Order was a cult who dedicated themselves to spreading Dagon's influence as far and wide as they could. Most of those I was planning on helping my uncle save when Dagon's curse was broken were the children and illegitimate children that those of the Esoteric Order sired and leave to their dark fate as their free-will and their very soul are stolen by a curse that they would likewise leave for their children. Randi even told me that her brother's girlfriend Vanessa suffered the affliction from her birth-mother who went into the water years ago as did Carmilla's mother.
"So, let me get this straight- a cult that operates almost entirely in the shadows of the world, who actively are trying to destroy both humanity and the world, not only know that the greatest threat to their plans is alive but are also aware of her plans to strip them of their greatest tool for their plans." Faolan interjected again as she marched up to Greygus, "And the Obsidian Circle let this intelligence leak, because don't tell me that that your masters aren't that powerful because I now for a fact that they are- such as your own master Set!"
All eyes in the room again turned to Greygus as he began laughing his head off, "Oh man, you mean that my old man lost his cover after all this time- okay fill me in...just who spilled the beans- was it Badb?"
"Nope, already had my first clue from being Fenris's unwilling host for all these years." Faolan remarked as she glared down Greygus, "After that I just began to piece together the puzzle one-by-one, granted that I don't know who everyone is just yet, but I think that I am making decent headway. You for example are still a mystery to me Greygus, because you don't strike me as Anubis- although you have mentioned someone named Dirge several times who seems like a likely fit for the Egyptian patron of morticians."
"I doubt that you would either, I'm somewhat obscure among those of us whom the Ancient Egyptians worshiped- some people actually got the two of us mixed up and thought that I was an aspect of Anubis during the opening of the mouth ceremony." The mercenary and apparent Egyptian deity scoffed, "I'll give you this one for free since my dad's faction is actually one of the more ardent supporters of the Maidens and your mission within the Circle. I'm Wepwawet, an earth djinn who was worshiped as a war-deity by the Ancient Egyptians of the Upper Kingdom; I was considered the patron of archers and scouts- those whose lot in war was to expose or create weaknesses in the enemy's ranks to open the way for the main force to claim victory."
"So, let me get this straight," I interjected, "the Egyptian Pantheon like the Mesopotamian Pantheon were djinn! Wait a moment, I remember reading that Grandmother Tiamat went to collect allies including a tribe of Djinn from the Court of the Burning Disc- that was your group!"
"Yup," Greygus remarked as he removed his helmet showing everyone the head of a maned-wolf that lay beneath. "Like we weren't going to come to the aide of another group of survivors from the Five-Fold Court. Too bad that we were already too late to save Qingu from Marduk and the rest of Enki's spawn, ironic how they all followed the whims of an Earth djinn rather than his son who was a true Dashemsa Ifrit. They had the beginnings of creating a proper court and everything fell apart for them when they made the mistake of trusting Dagon, before they knew it they were ripe for conquest by the Dark One. Granted we were next when we accepted Osiris into our court."
"Whoa, I thought that Osiris was one of the five children of Geb and Nut!?!" Faolan interrupted the conversation, "Or am I wrong?"
"Only three children I'm afraid, Set and Osiris were not Geb and Nut's children although Set did marry into the royal family through my mother Lady Nephrys. You also need to understand something about djinn, only a Dashemsa Ifrit may rule a court so there is no hereditary line of succession. Horus the reigning prince of the Court of the Burning Disc received the crown from Amun, father of Konshu, as Horus was the next eldest Dashemsa Ifrit or djinn of solar fire."
"But that is neither here nor there, what you do need to know is that father and I recently liberated the court from the Black Pharaoh's avatar and took the lives of his servants in the process." Greygus got back to the point of the conversation, "That means that when you free your uncle Qingu this summer and together free the blood of the Eastern Court you shall have the djinn of the Court of the Blazing Disc guarding your efforts. Which is a good thing too, that Staff the Esoteric Order stole will let them summon and command Deep Ones to fight for them."
"Just as well," Faolan commented, "the Wild Fae can fight like devils in the right environment but the Arabian Desert in the middle of Summer- yeah, not the best idea."
"Not that I would be much help in the desert either even if I'm walking by then," grimaced over the facts, "merfolk and the hot desert sand is not a great combination."
"Aletheia, if you want you can borrow my cloak this summer given how I won't be using it anyway," I explained, "just make sure to give it back to me afterwards- otherwise I will have to seek compensation for it and I'd hate to ever have to do that to a friend."
"Ugh, no problem," I screwed my face at the awful image of the possibilities that situation would conjure, "I'd hate to lose the sight in an eye or have my hair go white because you took its color."
"You wish that the price for my cloak is that cheap," Faolan remarked, "keep in mind an elf paid it in return for her freedom as well as her gratitude over her liberation from Plagiat- no that wasn't a cheap price and neither would be an equal price to that."
"The girl is wise beyond her years," Greygus or is it Wepwawet, "although I suppose having to serve as Horfen's unwitting host for thirteen-almost-fourteen long years would give anyone a profound appreciation for the importance of freedom."
"No, I can understand more than anyone just how important freedom is," I sighed recalling the long centuries of my existence prior to being born in mother's office, "after nearly three lifetimes trapped in the shadow of one of the most catty and selfish beings in the world I know better than anyone the importance of freedom."
"She is not joking about that piece of information," Faolan remarked sheepishly-heh a wolf faeire being sheepish I'll have to remember that one... "near as anyone knows the pearl that she hatched out of was swept up in the seafoam that birthed Aphrodite and she sank into that Olympian diva's astral shadow- until about a month ago when she emerged and had to be surgically removed."
"She still gives me a death-glare whenever she sees me on campus, I mean the girl's powers let her heal without a scar and she still looks at me like I 'marred her perfection,'" I rolled my eyes over Cytherea's antics, "I mean I'd just as soon have nothing to do with her but from what I gather she sees me as the one who cast a flaw upon her perfection- not that there weren't more than a few flaws on the inside when it came to that lady."
"The granddaughter of Tiamat verses the reincarnation of Aphrodite," Dagda chuckled, "now that would be a catfight for the ages."
"Well it'll be one that you'll have to leave to your imagination you Tuatha-de horndog," Hedgewitch remarked as she nudged Dagda in the ribs, "honestly you'd think that Morrigan would be enough for you considering the fact that you can't even sleep around without her approval." That remark drew an odd look from Greygus and Miseo...and maybe myself.
"Morrigan cursed his wedding ring," Faolan began to explain, "she'd deities like Zeus over the years to be wary of a deity's fidelity- so not only can't he take his ring off but it caused his manhood to grow almost as long and thick as one of his legs."
"She's not exaggerating," Dagda remarked with an odd look on his face.
"Remind me never to do anything to piss Morrigan off- ever." Greygus remarked to Miseo who was staring at Dagda like a proverbial deer in headlights over that little fact.
"Oh, it's not so bad," the former king of the Tuatha-de shot back at the djinn warrior, "Zeusie needed to sneak around behind his wife's back, me all I need to do is get permission and if she's in the mood I can score a three-some- nope no Herakles situations for this guy- Gha-ha-ha-ha."
"TMI Dagda," Greygus shook his head trying to clear that though from his mind, "TMI."
"Pardon me," I spoke up desperate to change the conversation while equally curious about something else. "I know that we're supposed to wait for the Northern and Southern Maidens to get here before we here about our destiny and what it entails but I was curious about something else- just how were the maidens chosen? I mean I understand that I was chosen because I'm the only mermaid to be born on Earth unaffected by Dagon's Curse but what about Faolan and the others? Just why were they chosen?"
"That is a simple enough question to answer," Greygus remarked, "As you already know all four of the maidens, yourself included, are half-breeds of Center-Court and one of respective Peripheral Four Courts. Each of the Four Maidens who awakens will have an ability unique to them which sets them apart from the others of their respective people, in your case healing, in the case of Faolan it was an Avatar trait variant that she could use to absorb abilities into herself- provided they came to a bundle of energy that approximated a spirit, this lead to her awakening as a fae."
"Morrigan stated at the time that was the Beta's spirit but I suppose that given the true Beta was Mister Domino I suppose that the spirit was just a spirit that belonged to him or that he acquired at some point." Faolan pondered aloud.
"As I recall it belonged to a late-Victorian Era occultist who wagered on the fortitude his own soul with Mister Domino for power and substituted the stolen soul of an innocent in lieu of his own." Miseo explained, "Mister Domino found out very fast and was not please, as I recall he gave the man to Carcharoth to use as a plaything- by the time you received it into yourself it was likely nothing more than mystic essence and Mister Domino's chosen gift of power surrounding a vacant soul."
"Which also made you candidate when your fae nature awakened," Greygus continued, "Half of the maidens were foretold to be born half-breeds such as yourself Aletheia and the other half are supposed to be individuals with ancestry within one of the Courts other than that of the Center such as the Northern Maiden and yourself Faolan."
"Hold the phone- I have fae ancestry, I thought that this was just because of Morrigan!?!" Faolan all but barked aloud, "I wasn't truly of the fae, half or otherwise, until I accepted her gift!"
"Well not entirely Morrigan's fault my dear," Dagda chuckled, "you see you represent the convergence of the bloodlines created by the three beings Queen Venraniel created from the damaged soul of her late intended General Armeluien, as well as the bloodline of Venraniel herself through Lady Ulelesse her daughter by Armeluien's sword-brother Tordrais the Mournful; each of your grandparents was descended from one of them. In fact, you are related to three people in this room."
"Wait- I know that you are Morrigan's husband so that means that you're related to Faolan several generations back, but I know that it isn't Greygus since he's a djinn and would bring another court into the mix but who else is there?"
"He means us," the woman's whose name I learned was Hedgewitch spoke up as she squeezed Jaegarman's arm for emotional support, "Mister Domino or as I knew him Loki is my grandfather, my name is Auda Narfisdotir and through my son Knud- Faolan is descended from Loki."
"If that makes you feel a little apprehensive then don't worry," Jaegarsman spoke up before talking to Faolan, "you also have my family line but first let me introduce myself- I'm Vali Odinson the Aesir who avenged the death of Balder."
The way Faolan looked at the pair I could tell that she already knew a lot more about their story then the pair shared, but unfortunately, I wasn't as familiar with Norse Religion as I was with that of the Greeks and the Romans. I could tell by her expression though that she was a little overwhelmed, after all she just found out that her current mentor was her several times great-grandmother...come to think of it that also means that she's also descended from Master Greyback- guess that I'd better ask him about that when I get back to the Hall of Echoes. "Wait- you said that the Northern Maiden is also distantly related to the Northern Court, presumably also of a royal or noble line, are you going to tell us how?"
"She's the descendant of Qianbei Zhunyan, a fucanglong who served the Jade Heavens who in turn was a descendant of Huanlong the Yellow Dragon." Greygus explained, "She actually awakened as the Northern Maiden months ago because an urn with Qianbei's ashes fell on her, but you could probably learn more about that from her when she gets here."
Suddenly a phone on a nearby desk began to ring, it looked odd given that it was made in the style of a rotary phone but was actually a touch tone. Clearly not wanting to contribute any more to the discussion Miseo went to answer it, "Miseo here, yes he's here why?"
After a moment during which time all conversation had ceased everyone's eyes went to Miseo, "Understood- I'll be sure to tell him the good news."
After hanging the phone up Miseo turned to Greygus, "Hey Greygus great news- the demi-djinn is confirmed to be the Southern Maiden is with your father."
"That's good," Greygus laughed, "still I thought that my sister-to-be was still a few months down the line. Wait don't tell me that my brother actually had the nerves to make something more than idol conversation with a young lady other than his wife Anput or did my niece Kebechet have a kid with some nice man and just fail to mention it to anyone."
"Neither, do you remember that waitress from that cantina in Mexico City that you were seeing, you remember the place- I think that it was called La Puesta de Sol Rosada?" Miseo remarked with a grin like a shark.
"You mean Angela Luisa Seguin," Greygus responded with a hint of fear in his voice- "You don't mean!?!"
"Yep, congratulations daddy," Miseo all but sang, "your daughter with her is the Southern Maiden."
When he heard this Greygus literally collapsed on the floor with his tongue flopping out of the corner of his lupine mouth, "What do you know, he took it better than I thought he would."
6 years 5 months ago #38
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall
Las Vegas, Nevada
1:38 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
After grandfather made his proposal it got everyone in the auction house talking. The thing about being the object of ridicule and scorn for so long in a place like the public-school system as I did was that you learned how to read people rather than just try to listen in on their words, and for the most part that told the truth about how they felt a lot more than they ever would tell anyone.
Yeah, I may not have super-human hearing, but I definitely knew how to read people; some were clearly displeased at our offer if not the fact that we were after the star item of the auction (despite the fact that said star item was very much attached to somebody). Some though were disturbed when they found out that the zodiac gems had a host moreover someone whose first heroic act (emphasis- heroic) included defending the life of the daughter of a respected black hat, granted not very many but some were clearly displeased by this bit of information.
The three oddities in the room, outside of ourselves, were the auctioneer Miss Bliss herself, Professor Id and the rather intimidating individual known as Dead-Zone. Each of these three seemed to be taking in events far differently than everyone else in the auction house- these were the three wild cards in the deck tonight.
Miss Bliss for the most part was exuding a sense of smug satisfaction, from what I had gathered recently she only operated here in Vegas with my grandfather's approval and she was determined to milk this opportunity as much as she could. She probably thought that if she played her cards right tonight that she could raise her standing in the criminal underworld as well as gain some level of immunity from grandfather's influence over local matters.
Professor Id on the other hand was taking in everything around us with an air of amusement, it appeared that despite his earlier winnings this man wasn't here tonight for the auction at all. No, from what I could tell the real reason that Professor Id was here for was for something like what was happening right this moment to occur, he was here to watch the carnage that would result from everyone trying to claim the Zodiac Gems- and grandfather's offer was far from an upset, it made for a twist that only served to please the man even more.
Last but not least was Dead-Zone unlike Miss Bliss, and to a lesser extent Professor Id, I just couldn't read the man he exuded no hint of emotions and his eyes were hidden behind a set of shades. I had met countless guys my own age who fancied themselves to be cool customers, but whoever this Dead-Zone guy was he was next to impossible for me to read anything into; moreover, given everyone's reactions to him when they learned his identity that made him more than intimidating to me- it made him a terrifying unknown in a night that made me more and more nervous as the seconds ticked away.
"Well I for one recognize Lord Khamsin's claim," Strega was the first to break the silence of the hall, "Greygus is someone I count as a respected colleague and while I would like a chance to examine the Zodiac Gems- as a mother I would call myself a hypocrite if I would reward the man who saved the life of one of our own with certain death."
"Well I say that the boy deserves whatever fate that he has in store for him," Apis retorted as he stood up, "whether that brat knew it or not he stole from The Syndicate, and rather than doing the smart thing and turning the gems over when he was ordered too he had to play the hero and try to use them. Well he's about to find out the real fate of a hero early and we all know what that is!"
"That may be, but we do need heroes to keep the worst of us in check," Mr. Magic shot back throwing his hat or well turban in the ring, "only a few months ago I helped liberate dozens of children who had been turned into monsters against their will by Dr. Macabre. While they might have been restored to normal one girl who was caught long before then is going to be in therapy for the rest of her life, that monster transformed her into a ghoul who needed to subsist on human flesh to survive. So, I say give the kid his freedom and let the future decide what's to come, moreover a touch of mercy today might shape a true hero rather than a lethal vigilante such as Witch Hunter."
"While I for one am none too fond of heroes and their foolish efforts baring the odd entertaining diversion, they may offer," Professor Id chimed in, "however I am a supporter of free will, so I chose to hold my vote until a third option crosses my mind."
"Well I for one did not come all this way to leave empty-handed," Friar Rush slammed his hands on the table in front of him. "And I'll be damned all over again if I'm going to let some pretender to Lord Ataxia's legacy cheat me of my chance at the Zodiac Gems!"
"You would do well to remember your manners Rush," Dead-Zone interrupted the man, "regardless of the outcome of tonight's events you would not wish to make another enemy tonight. In our world, heated words can have dire consequences, for many of those here have very long lives and their retribution can be very long in the waiting."
"Well I for one would appreciate for the auction to continue so I would offer a third option for those assembled to participate in," Don Kulmatz spoke up garnering the attention of those who were assembled, "I would propose that we decide the fate of the Zodiac Gems with a manner befitting both tradition as well as our current locale."
"And just what would you propose that would satisfy all parties concerned?" Miss Bliss inquired from her place upon the podium.
"Why the ancient practice of trial by combat my lovely hostess," the enigmatic Mexican arbiter explained, "surely all here would appreciate the diversion after this unsettling revelation over the goods in question. Now as for the form of said manner of combat all who know yourself are aware that your chosen method would be fencing in the fashion of the schools of Heidelberg, while this young maid being Greygus's daughter means that archery and wrestling are both off the table as those would offer her the advantage. That is why I suggest that we chose a method of combat of which the City of Second Chances is world renowned for hosting- that of the sweet science of pugilism or as the layman would refer to it- boxing."
"I would agree with Don Kulmatz in this instance," Professor Id explained with a wide smile broadcasting his intent for all to see, "I find this debate to be growing most dull and I would welcome the entertainment as apology. Not to mention if this maid would like to gain her comrade's freedom let her earn it by deed and effort not word and debate, it would be a good lesson for her as she enters the real world- more so if she happens to fail."
"Very well I shall put it to a vote of all participants in this auction tonight," Miss Bliss stated as she surveyed the gallery, "all who wish that this matter be settled in the squared circle raise your paddles all opposed keep your paddles lowered."
One-by-one nine paddles raised in the auction house gallery with the only ones opposing the proposal being Qian Kai, Apis, Lady Jettatura and Friar Rush. "The Ayes have it the fate of the Zodiac Gemstones and their current wielder shall be settled by a boxing match to be held after the auction. We will also hold a symbolic auction whose item shall be decided by the match; should Greygus's daughter fail in this bout the winner of the auction shall gain the Zodiac Gems and their wielder to do with as they wish, however should the girl succeed in besting myself in the ring the winner will gain Lord Ataxia's offered replacement of the Scrolls from the House of Life of the Temple of Isis. My employees shall assemble the ring in question in our auxiliary auction room while we conclude the auction, and I nominate Dead-Zone from the gallery to serve as the event's referee."
It took a minute or two, but it seemed that everyone accepted the ruling as they settled in for the second half of the auction.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
2:01 AM MDT
From her place atop the stage Miss Bliss desperately tried to hide her uncertainty, her attempt to make use of the peer pressure of the Criminal Underground to make Lord Khamsin relinquish his claim on the Zodiac Gems and their current wielder had not only failed but it resulted in a stalemate that was going to be broken in combat. While Miss Bliss knew her own skills well mortal fisticuffs were certainly not in her wheelhouse, while she was certain that she could count on her decades of experience in reading her opponent- the fact that she had absolutely no intelligence regarding her opponent outside of the fact that she was Greygus's daughter meant that she would have to stay on her toes in the coming bout.
But Miss Bliss knew that confrontation, while a part of her near future, was not in her immediate future and as that eternal saying went 'The show must go on!' After taking a deep breath to regain her seemingly flawless sidhe composure, Miss Bliss began the auction anew. "Our next item up for bid is a work of the late Baroque Master Caravaggio, considered by the rest of the world to have been lost in the fires of the Battle of Berlin I give you San Matteo e angelo or as it is known to the English-speaking world Saint Matthew and the Angel."
Miss Bliss motioned with flourish as the oil painting formerly housed in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum was raised to the stage. "As always whatever the winner decides to do with this work is up to them, as this painting has been considered destroyed for over half a century none would even notice its absence should you desire it for yourself or if you return it to its former home in Germany it would doubtlessly earn you a sizeable debt from one of the greater powers of the European Union that is all up to the winner to decide. Now I open the bidding for this work of art at ten million- do I hear ten million?"
"Ten million!" Lady Jettatura's paddle flew up so fast that she almost lost her hold on it, Miss Bliss knew immediately that the deceptively young sorceress was out to claim another relic of the Imperia Romana Septum, how like one of the many members of the late Thule Occult Society who actually knew true power.
"Eleven million," Strega was next to quickly counter Jettatura's bid drawing a dark look from Nimbus's secret partner, which rolled off the great enchantress's visage without taking any effect.
This culminated into a bidding war that went up to $28 million before Professor Id idly raised his paddle and called out, "$60 million."
This action actually stunned the pair for so long that they didn't hear Miss Bliss's gavel come down. "Sold to Professor Id for sixty million dollars!"
"Good, I was getting a little bored with the current painting in my master bedroom back at Chalet Noir on Isla del Monstroso," the master criminal explained with a wicked smile, "it shall be so good to have a new witness once my dear wife returns from her...sabbatical."
That little slip of the tongue shocked everyone present in the room, Professor Id's deeds and deprivations were a matter of international infamy- indeed the only form of depravity that there was no confirmation of him engaging in was cannibalism, and granted that was only because there was no proof. The thought that in spite of all his past misdeeds that there was someone out there that would not only marry him (granted that it probably wasn't a willing act) but he would actually have called his dear wife was chilling- just who was this woman?
"Thank you for sharing that piece of...information," Miss Bliss observed as she stared at the alleged human who reminded her so much of the more terrifying members of the Winter Court which she called home- the Erlking in particular.
While Miss Bliss was trying to excise those disturbing thoughts from her mind, the lost masterpiece of Caravaggio left the stage headed for Professor Id's chosen drop-off location.
"Our next item up for bid is something that is bound to be a hot commodity," Miss Bliss stated as a display case containing what appeared to be an empty test tube. "Contained within this phial is approximately two-hundred nanites stolen from Dr. Amos Messing's hotel safe during a conference at Bern, Switzerland back in March. While there are only two-hundred nanites, which apparently were designed clean-up of biohazardous materials, they do contain Dr. Amazing's proprietary Operating System. While I know that not everyone here is much for scientific endeavors surely this item could be used to garner favors from any number of entities in the underworld and a few less scrupulous individuals in the public sphere as well."
"I will start the bidding at fifteen million- do I hear fifteen million?"
The Underground Auction Hall Solstice Lounge - Booth 13
2:17 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I watched as a bidding war erupted between the Bull Man Apis, Hexmaster and Devilmaster over the seemingly empty vial all the while laughter could be heard coming from Professor Id's booth. Oddly enough though nobody else appeared to be interested in the vial, although on second thought that probably wasn't unexpected from what little I knew Dr. Amazing was a scientist who specialized in bleeding edge technology and just about everyone here was part of the mystic community.
"Amazing how people are finally stumbling across this approach," grandfather muttered under his breath.
"What do you mean?" I asked curious about his statement.
"Much of the natural ability of our kind falls in line with the theoretical effect of a nanite swarm," grandfather began to explain in a way that I heard as if by telepathy, "the seeming reality-warping effect of wishes are mainly just applications of manipulating our bodies in a particulate state to effect matter on either the molecular-level or the atomic-level depending on the elemental affinity of the djinn in question. Dashemsa Ifrit like Prince Horus when properly trained can even effect manipulate matter on the subatomic-level, seeing a power like his in action- that is frightening."
"Is that why they're bidding like that?" I asked whispering as softly as I could, "Do they want to unlock that secret?"
"No," Grandpa explained, "more than likely they want to pirate Dr. Amazing's OS so that they could try and turn it into a backdoor software key in order to gain access and steal from him whenever the Amazing Three are out of the country."
"Sold to Devilmaster for thirty-five million!" Miss Bliss exclaimed as she brought down her gavel.
I looked on as the test tube was lowered beneath the stage to be replaced by a large box containing a velvet bag, the contents of which were partially spilled inside of the case in what looked like rather large teeth. "The next item up for bid is something that needs little introduction to anyone who has a modicum of education," Miss Bliss explained with a flourish, "this bag contains a full set of dragon's teeth. Anyone who is either familiar with the legend of Cadmus or has seen the Ray Harryhausen film Jason and the Argonauts knows that if you sew these in a fertile field in the same manner as seed corn you will soon reap an army of vicious warriors who will attack anything in sight."
"Although the myth says that these warriors are uncontrollable; I am certain that anyone here can find a means either scientific or mystical to do just that. Now I open the bidding for this army of warriors to be at twenty million do I hear twenty million?"
"Twenty million," grandpa to my surprise raised his paddle, okay why would grandpa want an army like...that, then I remembered family or not grandpa was a super-villain so there would be a number of reasons that he'd want something like this available to him.
"Twenty-one million," Hexmaster was the next to raise his paddle.
"Twenty-two million," Dust Bowl raised her paddle to join the bidding fray.
"Twenty-tree," Friar Rush responded with paddle raised eager to collect his potential prize.
"Twenty-four million," Lady Jettatura chimed into the bidding war.
"Twenty-five million," Don Kulmatz joined the fray.
"Twenty-six million," grandpa raised his paddle to stay in the bidding.
"Twenty-seven million," Lady Jettatura jumped clearly wanting those teeth.
"Twenty-eight million," Dust Bowl raised her paddle all but glaring at Lady Jettatura, there was something there I just couldn't see it yet but she clearly felt some level of animosity for the woman.
"Forty-five million," grandpa raised his paddle stunning the room by the raise long enough for the gable to drop.
"Sold to Lord Khamsin for thirty-seven million," Miss Bliss proclaimed as the bag left the stage.
"I have an operation in a few months that will require extra-manpower," grandpa told me through his method, something that I clearly needed to learn how to do myself. "You'll find out about it in a few hours."
The case containing the dragon's teeth lowered from the stage but what it was replaced with was...unusual to say the least. It looked like a framed display with a green felt backdrop upon which five playing cards were mounted enough for a hand in draw poker. They were the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, the eight of spades, the eight of clubs, and the queen of hearts- I just couldn't realize what they were doing in the second half of the auction- was there something particular about these cards that made them valuable that I didn't know?
I looked over at my grandfather and even through his helmet I could tell that he was nervous about the cards. "You see before you the last hand ever dealt by the infamous Death Dealer a criminal and gambler who was infamous for taking not only the money and possessions of those he sat at a table with but far more intangible things such as years, health and even souls."
"Yes, the Death Dealer continued his enigmatic reign of terror for a decade and a half until he drew this hand. No one knows the real circumstances of that final game, and my psychometrist and only tell me that these were the cards played by the Death Dealer himself, all that we do know is that anyone who witnessed that fateful game met their end for all that the police found afterwards were sets of clothing containing piles of ash that forensics identified as organic. Now the opening bid for this lot is thirty million, do I hear thirty million?"
"Thirty million," Friar Rush's paddle flew up so fast that he almost lost his grip upon it.
"Thirty-one million," Strega joined the bidding, I could almost hear the smile in her voice- something about the cards fascinated her.
"Thirty-two million," Hexmaster spouted- he sounded desperate like he needed to walk away with something in this half of the auction.
"Thirty-three million," Friar Rush all but snarled, he was quickly losing his temper- either he knew something about the cards or he felt like he needed a win.
"Thirty-four million," Hexmaster replied all but dripping with animosity as he did so.
"Thirty-six million," Strega took the lead again as the bidding drove higher but the confidence in her voice told me that she knew the victory in this little battle was her's."
The room fell silent, Hexmaster and Friar Rush both were clearly near the limited of what they wanted to spend on this lot, they didn't want to risk not being able to afford the star item whether that was the gems all but fused to Walt's arms or the scrolls of magic that my grandfather offered as their replacement.
Sure, enough the gavel fell, "Sold to Strega for Thirty-six million!" The framed felt-covered square and its five infamous cards disappeared from view to be replaced by something just as peculiar. It was a blue sheet of paper pressed between two sheets of glass one of which had frost glass embedded in it to make part of the papers contents illegible, maybe the blue prints to something but I couldn't tell just what they were from this distance.
"What you see before you are the source of something of value and infamy throughout the world, the blue prints for Cataclysm's underwater bombs. Yes, these blue prints contain the plans for the explosives that the notorious Cataclysm used to wreak devastating tsunamis across the globe before his defeat by the Justice Brigade, never the less the plans survived the destruction of his old lair and are available for the winner to do with as they wish. Do I hear forty million of the potential to sew global devastation?"
"Forty million," Apis chimed in I could almost hear him salivating at the chance to get his hands on them.
"Forty-one million," Professor Id joined with an almost flippant amount of laziness.
"Forty-two million," Apis shot back with a level of mounting aggression- clearly, he wanted those plans almost to an obsessive degree.
"Forty-three million," Professor Id all but yawned out.
"Forty-four million," Apis barked out as I heard him bang his table in a desperate need to restrain himself.
"Forty-five million," Id replied in a tone as calm as a lake on a still day.
"FIFTY MILLION!" Apis shouted I could tell that he was about to snap, just what was going on here?
"Sold to Apis for Fifty Million dollars," Miss Bliss stated after bringing down the gavel, "now you won the lot sir, please behave yourself or I will ask security to escort you out of the building."
"Understood madam," Apis huffed as he struggled to reign his temper back in- that was almost scary, if I didn't know that grandpa likely could take him down if went on a rampage I would have been terrified...at least I think so I'm still learning the ins and outs of the super-villain community not to mention my powers.
Soon the blue prints left the stage to be replaced with what looked like an old book in leather with a strange series of letters on the cover.
"The final item before the contested star item of tonight's auction is more an item of historical curiosity than one of power." Miss Bliss began to explain the oddity before us, "Like the Circlet of Tiresias this was an item offered for the Rings of Bak-Ba. What you see before you now is known as the Taiping Yaoshu or The Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace a text that the followers of Zhang Jue along with his siblings Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang stated to be a gift from a Huang Lao the mythical Yellow Emperor.
The group went on to found the Taoist Sect the Way of Supreme Peace and through their actions began what is historically known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion a conflict with the Han Dynasty that lasted twenty-one years and left an estimated three to seven million dead. While those working for me have yet to determine whether the text in question is an artifact of true power or even a previously unclaimed grimoire, the book itself is still an item of historical significance given that it not only served as the end of the Han Dynasty but also kicked off the series of events that came to be recorded in Luo Guanzhong's classic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
"So here you have it a piece of history that created the back drop for one of the oldest novels known to the world, I believe that I will start the bidding for this work at twenty-five million- do I hear twenty-five million?"
The Underground Auction Hall Solstice Lounge - Booth 8
3:04 AM PDT
"Twenty-five million," Qian Kai raised his paddle all but salivating, he knew now that there was a chance that the Zodiac Gems wouldn't even be the final prize of tonight's auction- indeed the prize that the winner of the next lot took home was conditional based on who would win the boxing match that was about to occur. As it stood the Taiping Yaoshu was the only prize that was up for auction tonight that would appease his master and let him live- hell if the Xue-jin Mushi was pleased enough it might actually earn him a promotion. But none of that would matter if he didn't win this lot, fortunately Qian Kai doubted that any of these self-absorbed western barbarians actually had any real appreciation for the prize that had fallen within their reach.
"Twenty-six million," Qian Kai looked around to see the source of the voice, to his displeasure it was none other than Dust Bowl. Crap just his luck, his eagerness had caught the attention of the servant of a spell-caster who had ordered her followers to take the life of any members of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan who strayed inside of her rather sizeable territory. Granted at the moment he was inside the territory claimed by Lord Khamsin and thus protected from assault by the strumpet and her thug, but clearly, she was out to spite him.
"Twenty-seven million," Qian Kai raised the current bid desperate to win the lot and thus ensure his continued survival after he returned home.
"Twenty-eight million," the woman raised the price of the current bid once again, silently Qian Kai cursed the individuals who chose to breed the wench into this world as well as the pit that her master had deigned to crawl out of in the first place.
"Twenty-nine million," Qian Kai raised the maximum bid once again desperate to ensure that he won the book and thus a chance at a longer continued existence.
"Thirty million," Dust Bowl raised her bid over his once again, Qian Kai almost swore that he could hear her laughing as she did so- mocking the fate that would befall him should he fail.
Qian Kai knew that his back was against the wall, there was nothing that he could do to escape his terrible fate other than throw everything that he had into this. "Sixty Million!" He knew that there was no coming back now, he had reached the maximum amount allotted to him by the Xue-jin Mushi should that wench or anyone else enter a higher bid he was doomed.
"Sold to Qian Kai for Sixty Million," Miss Bliss called out causing the man to go numb as she did so, on the one hand he (and thus the Zhaoshang de Youhuan) had lost any chance at acquiring the Zodiac Gemstones- for now at least, but on the other hand he had netted the Xue-jin Mushi a great prize this evening- one that was sure to mollify his master's wrath enough to ensure his continued survival. A low chuckle from Dust Bowl told him that the woman was aware that he had just exhausted his finances though- evidently the witch had read his emotions to tell just when he had spent everything available to him all so that she could take him out of contention to bid for the star item of tonight's auction which might not even be what the winner was given.
Still he thought that the joke was on her and everyone else in the room tonight, these Western conjurors and fools had no idea the prize that they had just passed over- a prize that Qian Kai knew that the secret of unlocking its true power might have been lost to the outside world but not to the Zhaoshang de Youhuan. Oh, what fools these barbarians are- they have no idea what they just gave up.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
3:10 AM MDT
"Now with that out of the way ladies and gentlemen," Miss Bliss took a breath as The Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace left the stage on its way to the Merchants of Suffering's chosen pick-up location, "pardon me one moment while I check upon the status of the preparations to decide the contents tonight's final lot. Remember no matter the outcome of the match to follow the bidding that all sales are final- once you place your bet then you have shaken hands with the one-armed bandit, for once the wheels have begun to turn there is no going back."
Once again Denistasa stepped behind the stage granted that this time it was only for a brief reprieve. Catching the sight of her personal assistant Drisune holding a tray with a glass of ice and a bottle of Ozarka, taking a moment to pour half of the bottle into the glass, the former Winter Noblewoman inquired, "Is the ring fully prepared for the match?"
"Yes milady," Drisune replied with perfect manners as usual, "we have your outfit, robe and equipment awaiting you in your dressing room. Conversely one of Lord Khamsin's underlings named Dirge arrived with everything for this Mistral. We have escorted him to the Powder Room and ordered that he not be disturbed."
"Good, we don't want our land lord to accuse of trying to cheat him out of a fair fight." Denistasa remarked, "and speaking of fair- Dead-Zone is in the audience I would like a message passed on to him that I would appreciate him being the referee for the match, he could ensure that no one uses their powers and abilities to ensure the fight is ugh- fair."
"I know that this is unpleasant milady but surely you have the advantage," Drisune stated brimming with confidence, "even if this is mortal fisticuffs surely there is no way that a lady of winter would fall to some half-breed jinni- why that child looks like she hasn't even walked the Path of the Sun yet."
"I know but I still know better than to think that it will be too easy," Denistasa observed as she poured herself a second glass emptying the bottle, "even though she is an underage half-breed, djinni are tough it will still take me a while to take her down and in the mean time she might actually get lucky. Besides although we can't cheat that doesn't mean that the audience can't help me cheat."
Taking a moment to quaff her drink, Denistasa set the glass back on the table and steeled herself for the final lot of the auction and the match that lay ahead. "Alright it's showtime!"
The Underground Auction Hall - Solstice Lounge - Booth 13
3:19 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
My stomach began to tie in knots this was it, should I fail in the boxing match to come, whoever won this would take home either my grandfather's magic scrolls or Walt and the vambraces he was wearing.
Underground Auction Hall - Solstice Lounge
3:21 AM PDT
"Our final item this evening is a conditional auction," Miss Bliss began as she took the stage once again, "should I win the winner of this lot will take home the Zodiac Gemstones, their current wielder, and a thirteenth stone which has been offered up by Lord Khamsin to do with as they wish; however should I lose the following ten round experience the winner will take home a set of scrolls which will allow them to learn the fundamentals of Ancient Egyptian Sorcery up to the intermediate level."
"Such a dilemma the chance of either power for a few or knowledge for many, and unfortunately the only choice that is up to you this fine evening is do you take that risk. I open the bidding for this conditional auction at fifty million- do I hear fifty million?"
"Fifty million," Apis opened the bidding sure that there was no way that Miss Bliss could lose to a child who had no reputation what-so-ever, besides he was here on orders from his higher-ups in The Syndicate to reobtain the Zodiac Gemstones, and money appeared not to an object right now since they said they'd be backing him for the lot.
"Fifty-one million," Dust Bowl countered immediately outbidding the representative of The Syndicate.
"Fifty-two million," Lady Jettatura spoke-up raising her own paddle knowing that this auction was a win-win situation for her because either prize was a good one as far as she was concerned.
"Fifty-three million," Friar Rush raised his paddle for like Lady Jettatura this was a situation where either outcome was preferable, with the chance of either empowering a small group of loyal followers into his own akin to Bishop Brimstone's Savage Six.
"Fifty-four million," Hexmaster joined the bidding determined not to let a chance at the Zodiac Gemstones slip through his fingers.
"Fifty-five million," Strega countered knowing that either she would be doing a favor to her friend and colleague Greygus or else have a chance to study those scrolls with her daughter and add to their mystic arsenal.
Mr. Magic and Qian Kai looked on, neither having the funds to enter the heights to which the auction was soaring but wanting to wait for the outcome nonetheless each for their own reasons. Professor Id meanwhile was just enjoying the show, he had already taken an ample opportunity to examine the Zodiac Gemstones in the past after he had assisted the Zodiac Cartel following their murder of Captain Cosmos. Don Kulmatz was also staying out of the auction for reasons known only to him, then again, he was usually just interested in art or religious relics.
"Fifty-six million," Devilmaster joined the bidding likely interested in either potential prize like many of his fellow bidders.
"Fifty-seven million," Apis countered knowing that failure in this endeavor could potentially hurt his standing among the upper echelons of The Syndicate, besides he was already thinking of ways that he could tamper with the boxing match that would decide the prize.
"Fifty-eight million," Lady Jettatura continued her anticipation of victory mounting with every second.
"Fifty-nine million," Friar Rush raised the bar once again determined to throw every free dollar that he had into the fray.
"Sixty million," Dust Bowl chipped in again knowing that a loss was not something that she could risk, besides a win here would be a win for the Obsidian Circle of which both Mother Scratch and Lord Khamsin were a part.
"Sixty-one million," Hexmaster proclaimed wanting to stay in the running for the grand prize.
"Sixty-two million," Strega countered for the sake of her own personal honor.
"Sixty-three million," Apis raised the bidding again wanting those gems and the prestige that they would bring him for this victory.
"Sixty-four million," proclaimed Devilmaster as the bidding continued up to the point where a voice who had been silent the whole time stated, "Ninety-five million."
Everyone turned to look it was none-other than Don Kulmatz, their surprise had been enough to ignore the auctioneer until her gavel descended. "The final lot of the auction is sold to Don Kulmatz for Ninety-five million, this concludes this month's Midnight Auction. Now we will take a short break while the Lord Khamsin's representative and I ready ourselves for the match, please follow your servers to the arena."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Arena
4:09 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
Dressed in the robes and gear that my uncle Anubis had waiting for me I made my way to the ring, while I was well experienced in this from a couple of years in the Silver Gloves this was my first time fighting in the lady's division. Wearing anything above the belt other than my head-gear felt...odd, and a sports-bra counted in those regards- the domino mask too (although this part just felt like a ridiculous necessity).
Ahead in the ring I could see Dead-Zone with a sizeable black-and-white striped referee shirt draped over his gear, despite his penultimate-master being a colleague of my grandfather's something told me that this man would not play favorites on this occasion. I could see thatAnubis Dirge and of all people Danny, who I recognized despite the hood he was wearing (what can I say I've seen him from the back plenty of times) were waiting for me in my corner. Danny took my robe and Anubis handed me a mouth-guard, I knew the routine deep in my soul. As I made my way up the steps and inserted my mouth guard, I could see Miss Bliss do the same from across the ring.
We approached the center of the ring when we heard Dead-Zone begin to explain, "Alright this is going to be a fair-fight, ladies amateur boxing rules apply. Ten rounds, two-minute limit each when you hear the bell either return to your corner or come out- but I reserve the right to stop the match at any time- ready break!"
The two of us did as we were told, neither taking our eyes off one another. In the distance, I could finally see Walt, awake and unharmed but held by an odd-looking neck-collar attached to four-polls each held by a rather sturdy-looking man. No don't focus on Walt- remember what the coach always said never take your eyes off your opponent, right now there was just her and me no one else mattered.
As the bell rang we made our way to the center of the ring, briefly gauging each other the two of us danced in a counter-clockwise circle each of us daring one another to throw the first punch. Knowing that this couldn't go on for the entire round, I probed her defenses with a quick left-jab which Bliss quickly dodged and moved in for a left-cross that I only half-dodged. Quickly recovering I got out of the way when she followed up with a right-hook that was bound to ruin my day if it had connected.
Wanting to keep from risking an eventual TKO and finish determining her style I focused on blocking and switching up my stance to keep her guessing. Eventually the bell rang and using the location of that sound alone the two of us made our way back to our corners.
Danny and Dirge were there waiting with the standard rinse and spit a towel-off and Danny advice, "Good don't let her get to you too early on, remember what the Coach always told us "Make theme reveal their style and then use what you know to take them down."
The bell rang and Bliss and I returned to the center of the ring, while it was clear that she was also trying to gauge me at the same time that I was her- it was also clear that she was not an experienced boxer. This was not her preferred manner of fighting and though she knew how to throw a punch and keep her guard up it was also clear that she was having to go against her better honed fighting instincts.
While my training was also slightly working against me- what with my new body and everything- I was growing more and more used to how I moved in familiar territory with every second. As Bliss kept throwing punches at me and trying to get closer and closer as she did so it became increasingly obvious just what she was- she's a scrambler.
A few moments more on the defense and the bell ended round two, so once again Bliss and I retreated to our corners. As Dirge and Danny attended to me, I stated bad news guys- she's a scrambler.
"Drat, now Pa- I mean Mistral, I know that Boxers are usually at a disadvantage against scramblers but remember you have the experience she doesn't." Danny did his best to egg me on, "Just use what you remember from fighting with me and take her to town."
As the bell rang, I met Miss Bliss face to face for the third time and heeded Danny's advice. While boxers were normally at a disadvantage again scramblers, scramblers had a major problem against sluggers. Now I knew from training with Dirge that one brief session that I was a lot stronger than I used to be now that I was fighting in my real body and it was time to put that strength to good use.
I did my best to keep on the defensive while I waited for Bliss to accidentally leave an unintended gap in her own guard, using every trick and technique I dodged and blocked her until I spotted a gap that I could exploit.
'Her right-hook's over-extended,' I thought to myself, 'she accidentally leaves an opening on her right-side when she throws one.'
I was determined to take advantage of this when the bell rang, round three was over. "I know what I need to do." I whispered as best I could after Danny rinsed my mouth out. Offering no words and trusting my judgement I went to face Miss Bliss once again.
As with the last round I kept on the defensive, but this time I was just waiting for the right moment- then it came she fell for a feint that left me open for a right-hook. It worked like a charm I dodged Bliss's right-hook to my head and nailed her with one of my own- to her floating ribs.
When she staggered in pain, I followed up with a left-cross to her jaw; although was her head was protected by the head-gear she still felt the shock and surprise of the blow. I kept her reeling with a serious of random jabs until her blocking left a new opening for a hard- right-uppercut. As she staggered I kept up the pressure until the bell rung, while I made my way back to my corner just fine Miss Bliss was staggering about on the mat until she fell against the ropes. I just watched and waited while I rinsed and spit, for the bell to ring again.
Bliss was still waiting to get her feet to stay under her after that salvo that I gave her when the bell gave a quintuple ring, Dead-Zone had called the match on account of a TKO- I won. Dead-Zone once again hopped into the ring to raise my right-hand in victory. "On account of a TKO, I call the match on behalf of Mistral; the Zodiac Gems and their host go to Lord Khamsin and Don Kulmatz shall take custody of the Egyptian Magic Scrolls."
By the time, Danny and Dirge had me toweled off and with my robe on and my gloves and mouth-guard stored in oddly enough the same tote bag that started with whole mess, grandfather was guiding Walt towards us struggling as he pulled him towards where we were, "Let go of me, I'm not property and I'm not going to roll over and-"
"Come on big guy stop making an ass out of yourself," Danny spoke up, "we're here to rescue you- ya dork, now stop fighting while we get you to the others."
Hearing Danny's voice took the fight out of Walt, who was clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal. Meanwhile grandpa spoke up, "Dirge get these two back to their friends, I'm going to take Mistral to the Chapter House- it's time for the gathering of the Four Maidens."
"Understood Lord Khamsin," Dirge replied with a single crossed are as a storm of dust surrounded the both of us and I could felt myself moving much as I had when Dirge rescued us from Miss Bliss's men hours ago.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter
4:48 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I paused to reflexively dust myself off when grandfather and I appeared at our destination only to find that, despite the dust devil that I was just inside of, I didn't have a spec of dirt or sand on me.
"Give your grandfather some credit my dear," he laughed as he made a courtesy divider appear in the room, "I've had millennia to hone my control over my respective elements. Now that your friend is safe the two of us need to go on a little business trip, your grandmother saw fit to take your measurements and create a little something for you to use with input from your friends after they woke up; although feel free to keep it if you wish to do so, you might actually find it very handy in the future.
I paused to take in my surroundings, it felt like I was inside of the office of a CEO although the place clearly had a very Egyptian vide going for it. "Let me guess, this is your office?"
"Correct," grandfather stated as he sat down at his desk, "you are inside my office at the heart of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom's Las Vegas Chapter House. I hope you like the decor- I just had the place remodeled after I was revitalized, the old place just felt to musty; like it was the inside of a sorcerer's tomb, although I suppose that the analogy was an apt one at the time."
"By the way gramps," I continued as I stepped behind the privacy screen that he had thoughtfully materialized, "just where are we going?"
"Fortuna Noctis, the main citadel of the Obsidian Circle," grandpa continued as I could hear him opening what sounded like a refrigerator and pouring himself a drink, "you see my dear Iris, you are more than simply my granddaughter. Long ago, before the modern age of mankind there existed the True Kingdom of Atlantis. In this ancient land, the ancestors and cousins of modern man lived alongside faeries, merfolk, dragons and djinn in a loosely unified kingdom known as the Five-Fold Court."
I continued to listen as I got undressed, adding my boxing trunks, underwear, sports bra, socks and athletic shoes to the same bag as my gloves and hanging up my robe on a now empty mannequin. That was when I spotted the outfit on the other mannequin, yeah Danny and the gang had definitely helped grandma Nephy make this; the entire outfit looked like someone had chosen to assemble a luchadora outfit with and Egyptian theme. Even the mask, which was themed to resemble a horse, looked like an intermarriage of a luchadora's mask and the head of an ancient Egyptian deity. In all I couldn't get the thing on fast enough- I was stoked.
"The courts had aligned themselves in the first place to launch a united effort against races of Demons from beyond the reaches of our solar system, Demons who had invaded our reality who sought to conquer and infect this world as they had so many others." Grandpa Set continued as I got dressed behind the privacy screen, "While we did win and secure prosperity for our peoples for a multitude of generations that victory was not without its costs nor was it final. Those soldiers of our enemies fel armies that we did not defeat or imprison, hid themselves well in the dark places on the periphery of our world and bided their time."
"Eventually the darkness that our peoples had fought faded out of history into legend and from legend to myth, when this happened divisions began to occur among the Five-Fold Court as our races grew more concerned with their own affairs until such a time as fractures began to appear within each of the Courts rather than just between them- this was a time that those hidden demons had been waiting to come."
"You doubtlessly see it in the world around you every day, when society begins focusing on sides and divisions that gives rise to malcontents those of the lower rung who feel powerless- just the sort of people who those who dwell in the darkness prey upon. Those Demons hiding in the shadows of the world came seeking those malcontents to offer them power, wealth and prestige, a baited hook that some of those who were greedy or foolish enough bit. It was these grasping fools that began to form cults worshiping those Demons using the power that they had gained to draw in the desperate. In time a minor gathering of malcontent had become armies large enough to help their Demonic patrons' gain power and summon armies of their kind."
"By the time that the courts were aware of the threat to the point that they could no longer deny it the time for preventative measures and actions had passed, war was inevitable, but they were ill-prepared. Demons the likes of which you would never dare to see in your darkest nightmares were leading armies of treasonous cultists and twisted abominations. It was during this calamity that the event called the Sundering occurred, an abomination of faerie origin lead a collective of other twisted beings in an effort to destroy all of those who could dare oppose them with one final spell- just what happened afterwards was unknown but the end result shattered the world in such a way that nothing was ever the same."
"Eventually the peoples of the Five Courts began to pick ourselves up from the ashes, but something had changed- the world was damaged and had become a shell of its former self. Fortunately, one of the late faerie queens had learned of what was to occur and with a prophecy learned of four children who would be born in the future, each would be a girl born of mixed origin, half a member of the Center Court and half a member of one of the other Courts with one for each court. Those children when they were at the cusp of coming of age would gather at the midnight hour and it is then that they will learn of the full scope of their destiny. So, my dear Iris, are you dressed yet?"
"Yeah grandpa," I replied as I stepped out from behind the blind, fully-garbed, "so the other three and I are going to meet and learn what we need to do."
"Correct my dear, you and the other three maidens are about to meet for the first time," Grandpa Set explained as he got up from his desk, "now follow me."
As we made our way down the halls of this Grand Hall I had to pause and admire the architecture, that was when my grandfather paused at a clearly Ancient Egyptian statue that fractured and reformed into a long stone corridor. "Come my dear it is time that you meet your fellow Cardinal Maidens- as well as long past time for you to meet your father."
"What?!?" I exclaimed as I followed grandfather inside as the entrance shut behind us.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 29
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Hall
Las Vegas, Nevada
1:38 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
After grandfather made his proposal it got everyone in the auction house talking. The thing about being the object of ridicule and scorn for so long in a place like the public-school system as I did was that you learned how to read people rather than just try to listen in on their words, and for the most part that told the truth about how they felt a lot more than they ever would tell anyone.
Yeah, I may not have super-human hearing, but I definitely knew how to read people; some were clearly displeased at our offer if not the fact that we were after the star item of the auction (despite the fact that said star item was very much attached to somebody). Some though were disturbed when they found out that the zodiac gems had a host moreover someone whose first heroic act (emphasis- heroic) included defending the life of the daughter of a respected black hat, granted not very many but some were clearly displeased by this bit of information.
The three oddities in the room, outside of ourselves, were the auctioneer Miss Bliss herself, Professor Id and the rather intimidating individual known as Dead-Zone. Each of these three seemed to be taking in events far differently than everyone else in the auction house- these were the three wild cards in the deck tonight.
Miss Bliss for the most part was exuding a sense of smug satisfaction, from what I had gathered recently she only operated here in Vegas with my grandfather's approval and she was determined to milk this opportunity as much as she could. She probably thought that if she played her cards right tonight that she could raise her standing in the criminal underworld as well as gain some level of immunity from grandfather's influence over local matters.
Professor Id on the other hand was taking in everything around us with an air of amusement, it appeared that despite his earlier winnings this man wasn't here tonight for the auction at all. No, from what I could tell the real reason that Professor Id was here for was for something like what was happening right this moment to occur, he was here to watch the carnage that would result from everyone trying to claim the Zodiac Gems- and grandfather's offer was far from an upset, it made for a twist that only served to please the man even more.
Last but not least was Dead-Zone unlike Miss Bliss, and to a lesser extent Professor Id, I just couldn't read the man he exuded no hint of emotions and his eyes were hidden behind a set of shades. I had met countless guys my own age who fancied themselves to be cool customers, but whoever this Dead-Zone guy was he was next to impossible for me to read anything into; moreover, given everyone's reactions to him when they learned his identity that made him more than intimidating to me- it made him a terrifying unknown in a night that made me more and more nervous as the seconds ticked away.
"Well I for one recognize Lord Khamsin's claim," Strega was the first to break the silence of the hall, "Greygus is someone I count as a respected colleague and while I would like a chance to examine the Zodiac Gems- as a mother I would call myself a hypocrite if I would reward the man who saved the life of one of our own with certain death."
"Well I say that the boy deserves whatever fate that he has in store for him," Apis retorted as he stood up, "whether that brat knew it or not he stole from The Syndicate, and rather than doing the smart thing and turning the gems over when he was ordered too he had to play the hero and try to use them. Well he's about to find out the real fate of a hero early and we all know what that is!"
"That may be, but we do need heroes to keep the worst of us in check," Mr. Magic shot back throwing his hat or well turban in the ring, "only a few months ago I helped liberate dozens of children who had been turned into monsters against their will by Dr. Macabre. While they might have been restored to normal one girl who was caught long before then is going to be in therapy for the rest of her life, that monster transformed her into a ghoul who needed to subsist on human flesh to survive. So, I say give the kid his freedom and let the future decide what's to come, moreover a touch of mercy today might shape a true hero rather than a lethal vigilante such as Witch Hunter."
"While I for one am none too fond of heroes and their foolish efforts baring the odd entertaining diversion, they may offer," Professor Id chimed in, "however I am a supporter of free will, so I chose to hold my vote until a third option crosses my mind."
"Well I for one did not come all this way to leave empty-handed," Friar Rush slammed his hands on the table in front of him. "And I'll be damned all over again if I'm going to let some pretender to Lord Ataxia's legacy cheat me of my chance at the Zodiac Gems!"
"You would do well to remember your manners Rush," Dead-Zone interrupted the man, "regardless of the outcome of tonight's events you would not wish to make another enemy tonight. In our world, heated words can have dire consequences, for many of those here have very long lives and their retribution can be very long in the waiting."
"Well I for one would appreciate for the auction to continue so I would offer a third option for those assembled to participate in," Don Kulmatz spoke up garnering the attention of those who were assembled, "I would propose that we decide the fate of the Zodiac Gems with a manner befitting both tradition as well as our current locale."
"And just what would you propose that would satisfy all parties concerned?" Miss Bliss inquired from her place upon the podium.
"Why the ancient practice of trial by combat my lovely hostess," the enigmatic Mexican arbiter explained, "surely all here would appreciate the diversion after this unsettling revelation over the goods in question. Now as for the form of said manner of combat all who know yourself are aware that your chosen method would be fencing in the fashion of the schools of Heidelberg, while this young maid being Greygus's daughter means that archery and wrestling are both off the table as those would offer her the advantage. That is why I suggest that we chose a method of combat of which the City of Second Chances is world renowned for hosting- that of the sweet science of pugilism or as the layman would refer to it- boxing."
"I would agree with Don Kulmatz in this instance," Professor Id explained with a wide smile broadcasting his intent for all to see, "I find this debate to be growing most dull and I would welcome the entertainment as apology. Not to mention if this maid would like to gain her comrade's freedom let her earn it by deed and effort not word and debate, it would be a good lesson for her as she enters the real world- more so if she happens to fail."
"Very well I shall put it to a vote of all participants in this auction tonight," Miss Bliss stated as she surveyed the gallery, "all who wish that this matter be settled in the squared circle raise your paddles all opposed keep your paddles lowered."
One-by-one nine paddles raised in the auction house gallery with the only ones opposing the proposal being Qian Kai, Apis, Lady Jettatura and Friar Rush. "The Ayes have it the fate of the Zodiac Gemstones and their current wielder shall be settled by a boxing match to be held after the auction. We will also hold a symbolic auction whose item shall be decided by the match; should Greygus's daughter fail in this bout the winner of the auction shall gain the Zodiac Gems and their wielder to do with as they wish, however should the girl succeed in besting myself in the ring the winner will gain Lord Ataxia's offered replacement of the Scrolls from the House of Life of the Temple of Isis. My employees shall assemble the ring in question in our auxiliary auction room while we conclude the auction, and I nominate Dead-Zone from the gallery to serve as the event's referee."
It took a minute or two, but it seemed that everyone accepted the ruling as they settled in for the second half of the auction.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
2:01 AM MDT
From her place atop the stage Miss Bliss desperately tried to hide her uncertainty, her attempt to make use of the peer pressure of the Criminal Underground to make Lord Khamsin relinquish his claim on the Zodiac Gems and their current wielder had not only failed but it resulted in a stalemate that was going to be broken in combat. While Miss Bliss knew her own skills well mortal fisticuffs were certainly not in her wheelhouse, while she was certain that she could count on her decades of experience in reading her opponent- the fact that she had absolutely no intelligence regarding her opponent outside of the fact that she was Greygus's daughter meant that she would have to stay on her toes in the coming bout.
But Miss Bliss knew that confrontation, while a part of her near future, was not in her immediate future and as that eternal saying went 'The show must go on!' After taking a deep breath to regain her seemingly flawless sidhe composure, Miss Bliss began the auction anew. "Our next item up for bid is a work of the late Baroque Master Caravaggio, considered by the rest of the world to have been lost in the fires of the Battle of Berlin I give you San Matteo e angelo or as it is known to the English-speaking world Saint Matthew and the Angel."
Miss Bliss motioned with flourish as the oil painting formerly housed in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum was raised to the stage. "As always whatever the winner decides to do with this work is up to them, as this painting has been considered destroyed for over half a century none would even notice its absence should you desire it for yourself or if you return it to its former home in Germany it would doubtlessly earn you a sizeable debt from one of the greater powers of the European Union that is all up to the winner to decide. Now I open the bidding for this work of art at ten million- do I hear ten million?"
"Ten million!" Lady Jettatura's paddle flew up so fast that she almost lost her hold on it, Miss Bliss knew immediately that the deceptively young sorceress was out to claim another relic of the Imperia Romana Septum, how like one of the many members of the late Thule Occult Society who actually knew true power.
"Eleven million," Strega was next to quickly counter Jettatura's bid drawing a dark look from Nimbus's secret partner, which rolled off the great enchantress's visage without taking any effect.
This culminated into a bidding war that went up to $28 million before Professor Id idly raised his paddle and called out, "$60 million."
This action actually stunned the pair for so long that they didn't hear Miss Bliss's gavel come down. "Sold to Professor Id for sixty million dollars!"
"Good, I was getting a little bored with the current painting in my master bedroom back at Chalet Noir on Isla del Monstroso," the master criminal explained with a wicked smile, "it shall be so good to have a new witness once my dear wife returns from her...sabbatical."
That little slip of the tongue shocked everyone present in the room, Professor Id's deeds and deprivations were a matter of international infamy- indeed the only form of depravity that there was no confirmation of him engaging in was cannibalism, and granted that was only because there was no proof. The thought that in spite of all his past misdeeds that there was someone out there that would not only marry him (granted that it probably wasn't a willing act) but he would actually have called his dear wife was chilling- just who was this woman?
"Thank you for sharing that piece of...information," Miss Bliss observed as she stared at the alleged human who reminded her so much of the more terrifying members of the Winter Court which she called home- the Erlking in particular.
While Miss Bliss was trying to excise those disturbing thoughts from her mind, the lost masterpiece of Caravaggio left the stage headed for Professor Id's chosen drop-off location.
"Our next item up for bid is something that is bound to be a hot commodity," Miss Bliss stated as a display case containing what appeared to be an empty test tube. "Contained within this phial is approximately two-hundred nanites stolen from Dr. Amos Messing's hotel safe during a conference at Bern, Switzerland back in March. While there are only two-hundred nanites, which apparently were designed clean-up of biohazardous materials, they do contain Dr. Amazing's proprietary Operating System. While I know that not everyone here is much for scientific endeavors surely this item could be used to garner favors from any number of entities in the underworld and a few less scrupulous individuals in the public sphere as well."
"I will start the bidding at fifteen million- do I hear fifteen million?"
The Underground Auction Hall Solstice Lounge - Booth 13
2:17 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I watched as a bidding war erupted between the Bull Man Apis, Hexmaster and Devilmaster over the seemingly empty vial all the while laughter could be heard coming from Professor Id's booth. Oddly enough though nobody else appeared to be interested in the vial, although on second thought that probably wasn't unexpected from what little I knew Dr. Amazing was a scientist who specialized in bleeding edge technology and just about everyone here was part of the mystic community.
"Amazing how people are finally stumbling across this approach," grandfather muttered under his breath.
"What do you mean?" I asked curious about his statement.
"Much of the natural ability of our kind falls in line with the theoretical effect of a nanite swarm," grandfather began to explain in a way that I heard as if by telepathy, "the seeming reality-warping effect of wishes are mainly just applications of manipulating our bodies in a particulate state to effect matter on either the molecular-level or the atomic-level depending on the elemental affinity of the djinn in question. Dashemsa Ifrit like Prince Horus when properly trained can even effect manipulate matter on the subatomic-level, seeing a power like his in action- that is frightening."
"Is that why they're bidding like that?" I asked whispering as softly as I could, "Do they want to unlock that secret?"
"No," Grandpa explained, "more than likely they want to pirate Dr. Amazing's OS so that they could try and turn it into a backdoor software key in order to gain access and steal from him whenever the Amazing Three are out of the country."
"Sold to Devilmaster for thirty-five million!" Miss Bliss exclaimed as she brought down her gavel.
I looked on as the test tube was lowered beneath the stage to be replaced by a large box containing a velvet bag, the contents of which were partially spilled inside of the case in what looked like rather large teeth. "The next item up for bid is something that needs little introduction to anyone who has a modicum of education," Miss Bliss explained with a flourish, "this bag contains a full set of dragon's teeth. Anyone who is either familiar with the legend of Cadmus or has seen the Ray Harryhausen film Jason and the Argonauts knows that if you sew these in a fertile field in the same manner as seed corn you will soon reap an army of vicious warriors who will attack anything in sight."
"Although the myth says that these warriors are uncontrollable; I am certain that anyone here can find a means either scientific or mystical to do just that. Now I open the bidding for this army of warriors to be at twenty million do I hear twenty million?"
"Twenty million," grandpa to my surprise raised his paddle, okay why would grandpa want an army like...that, then I remembered family or not grandpa was a super-villain so there would be a number of reasons that he'd want something like this available to him.
"Twenty-one million," Hexmaster was the next to raise his paddle.
"Twenty-two million," Dust Bowl raised her paddle to join the bidding fray.
"Twenty-tree," Friar Rush responded with paddle raised eager to collect his potential prize.
"Twenty-four million," Lady Jettatura chimed into the bidding war.
"Twenty-five million," Don Kulmatz joined the fray.
"Twenty-six million," grandpa raised his paddle to stay in the bidding.
"Twenty-seven million," Lady Jettatura jumped clearly wanting those teeth.
"Twenty-eight million," Dust Bowl raised her paddle all but glaring at Lady Jettatura, there was something there I just couldn't see it yet but she clearly felt some level of animosity for the woman.
"Forty-five million," grandpa raised his paddle stunning the room by the raise long enough for the gable to drop.
"Sold to Lord Khamsin for thirty-seven million," Miss Bliss proclaimed as the bag left the stage.
"I have an operation in a few months that will require extra-manpower," grandpa told me through his method, something that I clearly needed to learn how to do myself. "You'll find out about it in a few hours."
The case containing the dragon's teeth lowered from the stage but what it was replaced with was...unusual to say the least. It looked like a framed display with a green felt backdrop upon which five playing cards were mounted enough for a hand in draw poker. They were the ace of spades, the ace of clubs, the eight of spades, the eight of clubs, and the queen of hearts- I just couldn't realize what they were doing in the second half of the auction- was there something particular about these cards that made them valuable that I didn't know?
I looked over at my grandfather and even through his helmet I could tell that he was nervous about the cards. "You see before you the last hand ever dealt by the infamous Death Dealer a criminal and gambler who was infamous for taking not only the money and possessions of those he sat at a table with but far more intangible things such as years, health and even souls."
"Yes, the Death Dealer continued his enigmatic reign of terror for a decade and a half until he drew this hand. No one knows the real circumstances of that final game, and my psychometrist and only tell me that these were the cards played by the Death Dealer himself, all that we do know is that anyone who witnessed that fateful game met their end for all that the police found afterwards were sets of clothing containing piles of ash that forensics identified as organic. Now the opening bid for this lot is thirty million, do I hear thirty million?"
"Thirty million," Friar Rush's paddle flew up so fast that he almost lost his grip upon it.
"Thirty-one million," Strega joined the bidding, I could almost hear the smile in her voice- something about the cards fascinated her.
"Thirty-two million," Hexmaster spouted- he sounded desperate like he needed to walk away with something in this half of the auction.
"Thirty-three million," Friar Rush all but snarled, he was quickly losing his temper- either he knew something about the cards or he felt like he needed a win.
"Thirty-four million," Hexmaster replied all but dripping with animosity as he did so.
"Thirty-six million," Strega took the lead again as the bidding drove higher but the confidence in her voice told me that she knew the victory in this little battle was her's."
The room fell silent, Hexmaster and Friar Rush both were clearly near the limited of what they wanted to spend on this lot, they didn't want to risk not being able to afford the star item whether that was the gems all but fused to Walt's arms or the scrolls of magic that my grandfather offered as their replacement.
Sure, enough the gavel fell, "Sold to Strega for Thirty-six million!" The framed felt-covered square and its five infamous cards disappeared from view to be replaced by something just as peculiar. It was a blue sheet of paper pressed between two sheets of glass one of which had frost glass embedded in it to make part of the papers contents illegible, maybe the blue prints to something but I couldn't tell just what they were from this distance.
"What you see before you are the source of something of value and infamy throughout the world, the blue prints for Cataclysm's underwater bombs. Yes, these blue prints contain the plans for the explosives that the notorious Cataclysm used to wreak devastating tsunamis across the globe before his defeat by the Justice Brigade, never the less the plans survived the destruction of his old lair and are available for the winner to do with as they wish. Do I hear forty million of the potential to sew global devastation?"
"Forty million," Apis chimed in I could almost hear him salivating at the chance to get his hands on them.
"Forty-one million," Professor Id joined with an almost flippant amount of laziness.
"Forty-two million," Apis shot back with a level of mounting aggression- clearly, he wanted those plans almost to an obsessive degree.
"Forty-three million," Professor Id all but yawned out.
"Forty-four million," Apis barked out as I heard him bang his table in a desperate need to restrain himself.
"Forty-five million," Id replied in a tone as calm as a lake on a still day.
"FIFTY MILLION!" Apis shouted I could tell that he was about to snap, just what was going on here?
"Sold to Apis for Fifty Million dollars," Miss Bliss stated after bringing down the gavel, "now you won the lot sir, please behave yourself or I will ask security to escort you out of the building."
"Understood madam," Apis huffed as he struggled to reign his temper back in- that was almost scary, if I didn't know that grandpa likely could take him down if went on a rampage I would have been terrified...at least I think so I'm still learning the ins and outs of the super-villain community not to mention my powers.
Soon the blue prints left the stage to be replaced with what looked like an old book in leather with a strange series of letters on the cover.
"The final item before the contested star item of tonight's auction is more an item of historical curiosity than one of power." Miss Bliss began to explain the oddity before us, "Like the Circlet of Tiresias this was an item offered for the Rings of Bak-Ba. What you see before you now is known as the Taiping Yaoshu or The Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace a text that the followers of Zhang Jue along with his siblings Zhang Bao and Zhang Liang stated to be a gift from a Huang Lao the mythical Yellow Emperor.
The group went on to found the Taoist Sect the Way of Supreme Peace and through their actions began what is historically known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion a conflict with the Han Dynasty that lasted twenty-one years and left an estimated three to seven million dead. While those working for me have yet to determine whether the text in question is an artifact of true power or even a previously unclaimed grimoire, the book itself is still an item of historical significance given that it not only served as the end of the Han Dynasty but also kicked off the series of events that came to be recorded in Luo Guanzhong's classic The Romance of the Three Kingdoms."
"So here you have it a piece of history that created the back drop for one of the oldest novels known to the world, I believe that I will start the bidding for this work at twenty-five million- do I hear twenty-five million?"
The Underground Auction Hall Solstice Lounge - Booth 8
3:04 AM PDT
"Twenty-five million," Qian Kai raised his paddle all but salivating, he knew now that there was a chance that the Zodiac Gems wouldn't even be the final prize of tonight's auction- indeed the prize that the winner of the next lot took home was conditional based on who would win the boxing match that was about to occur. As it stood the Taiping Yaoshu was the only prize that was up for auction tonight that would appease his master and let him live- hell if the Xue-jin Mushi was pleased enough it might actually earn him a promotion. But none of that would matter if he didn't win this lot, fortunately Qian Kai doubted that any of these self-absorbed western barbarians actually had any real appreciation for the prize that had fallen within their reach.
"Twenty-six million," Qian Kai looked around to see the source of the voice, to his displeasure it was none other than Dust Bowl. Crap just his luck, his eagerness had caught the attention of the servant of a spell-caster who had ordered her followers to take the life of any members of the Zhaoshang de Youhuan who strayed inside of her rather sizeable territory. Granted at the moment he was inside the territory claimed by Lord Khamsin and thus protected from assault by the strumpet and her thug, but clearly, she was out to spite him.
"Twenty-seven million," Qian Kai raised the current bid desperate to win the lot and thus ensure his continued survival after he returned home.
"Twenty-eight million," the woman raised the price of the current bid once again, silently Qian Kai cursed the individuals who chose to breed the wench into this world as well as the pit that her master had deigned to crawl out of in the first place.
"Twenty-nine million," Qian Kai raised the maximum bid once again desperate to ensure that he won the book and thus a chance at a longer continued existence.
"Thirty million," Dust Bowl raised her bid over his once again, Qian Kai almost swore that he could hear her laughing as she did so- mocking the fate that would befall him should he fail.
Qian Kai knew that his back was against the wall, there was nothing that he could do to escape his terrible fate other than throw everything that he had into this. "Sixty Million!" He knew that there was no coming back now, he had reached the maximum amount allotted to him by the Xue-jin Mushi should that wench or anyone else enter a higher bid he was doomed.
"Sold to Qian Kai for Sixty Million," Miss Bliss called out causing the man to go numb as she did so, on the one hand he (and thus the Zhaoshang de Youhuan) had lost any chance at acquiring the Zodiac Gemstones- for now at least, but on the other hand he had netted the Xue-jin Mushi a great prize this evening- one that was sure to mollify his master's wrath enough to ensure his continued survival. A low chuckle from Dust Bowl told him that the woman was aware that he had just exhausted his finances though- evidently the witch had read his emotions to tell just when he had spent everything available to him all so that she could take him out of contention to bid for the star item of tonight's auction which might not even be what the winner was given.
Still he thought that the joke was on her and everyone else in the room tonight, these Western conjurors and fools had no idea the prize that they had just passed over- a prize that Qian Kai knew that the secret of unlocking its true power might have been lost to the outside world but not to the Zhaoshang de Youhuan. Oh, what fools these barbarians are- they have no idea what they just gave up.
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Auction Stage
3:10 AM MDT
"Now with that out of the way ladies and gentlemen," Miss Bliss took a breath as The Crucial Keys to the Way of Peace left the stage on its way to the Merchants of Suffering's chosen pick-up location, "pardon me one moment while I check upon the status of the preparations to decide the contents tonight's final lot. Remember no matter the outcome of the match to follow the bidding that all sales are final- once you place your bet then you have shaken hands with the one-armed bandit, for once the wheels have begun to turn there is no going back."
Once again Denistasa stepped behind the stage granted that this time it was only for a brief reprieve. Catching the sight of her personal assistant Drisune holding a tray with a glass of ice and a bottle of Ozarka, taking a moment to pour half of the bottle into the glass, the former Winter Noblewoman inquired, "Is the ring fully prepared for the match?"
"Yes milady," Drisune replied with perfect manners as usual, "we have your outfit, robe and equipment awaiting you in your dressing room. Conversely one of Lord Khamsin's underlings named Dirge arrived with everything for this Mistral. We have escorted him to the Powder Room and ordered that he not be disturbed."
"Good, we don't want our land lord to accuse of trying to cheat him out of a fair fight." Denistasa remarked, "and speaking of fair- Dead-Zone is in the audience I would like a message passed on to him that I would appreciate him being the referee for the match, he could ensure that no one uses their powers and abilities to ensure the fight is ugh- fair."
"I know that this is unpleasant milady but surely you have the advantage," Drisune stated brimming with confidence, "even if this is mortal fisticuffs surely there is no way that a lady of winter would fall to some half-breed jinni- why that child looks like she hasn't even walked the Path of the Sun yet."
"I know but I still know better than to think that it will be too easy," Denistasa observed as she poured herself a second glass emptying the bottle, "even though she is an underage half-breed, djinni are tough it will still take me a while to take her down and in the mean time she might actually get lucky. Besides although we can't cheat that doesn't mean that the audience can't help me cheat."
Taking a moment to quaff her drink, Denistasa set the glass back on the table and steeled herself for the final lot of the auction and the match that lay ahead. "Alright it's showtime!"
The Underground Auction Hall - Solstice Lounge - Booth 13
3:19 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
My stomach began to tie in knots this was it, should I fail in the boxing match to come, whoever won this would take home either my grandfather's magic scrolls or Walt and the vambraces he was wearing.
Underground Auction Hall - Solstice Lounge
3:21 AM PDT
"Our final item this evening is a conditional auction," Miss Bliss began as she took the stage once again, "should I win the winner of this lot will take home the Zodiac Gemstones, their current wielder, and a thirteenth stone which has been offered up by Lord Khamsin to do with as they wish; however should I lose the following ten round experience the winner will take home a set of scrolls which will allow them to learn the fundamentals of Ancient Egyptian Sorcery up to the intermediate level."
"Such a dilemma the chance of either power for a few or knowledge for many, and unfortunately the only choice that is up to you this fine evening is do you take that risk. I open the bidding for this conditional auction at fifty million- do I hear fifty million?"
"Fifty million," Apis opened the bidding sure that there was no way that Miss Bliss could lose to a child who had no reputation what-so-ever, besides he was here on orders from his higher-ups in The Syndicate to reobtain the Zodiac Gemstones, and money appeared not to an object right now since they said they'd be backing him for the lot.
"Fifty-one million," Dust Bowl countered immediately outbidding the representative of The Syndicate.
"Fifty-two million," Lady Jettatura spoke-up raising her own paddle knowing that this auction was a win-win situation for her because either prize was a good one as far as she was concerned.
"Fifty-three million," Friar Rush raised his paddle for like Lady Jettatura this was a situation where either outcome was preferable, with the chance of either empowering a small group of loyal followers into his own akin to Bishop Brimstone's Savage Six.
"Fifty-four million," Hexmaster joined the bidding determined not to let a chance at the Zodiac Gemstones slip through his fingers.
"Fifty-five million," Strega countered knowing that either she would be doing a favor to her friend and colleague Greygus or else have a chance to study those scrolls with her daughter and add to their mystic arsenal.
Mr. Magic and Qian Kai looked on, neither having the funds to enter the heights to which the auction was soaring but wanting to wait for the outcome nonetheless each for their own reasons. Professor Id meanwhile was just enjoying the show, he had already taken an ample opportunity to examine the Zodiac Gemstones in the past after he had assisted the Zodiac Cartel following their murder of Captain Cosmos. Don Kulmatz was also staying out of the auction for reasons known only to him, then again, he was usually just interested in art or religious relics.
"Fifty-six million," Devilmaster joined the bidding likely interested in either potential prize like many of his fellow bidders.
"Fifty-seven million," Apis countered knowing that failure in this endeavor could potentially hurt his standing among the upper echelons of The Syndicate, besides he was already thinking of ways that he could tamper with the boxing match that would decide the prize.
"Fifty-eight million," Lady Jettatura continued her anticipation of victory mounting with every second.
"Fifty-nine million," Friar Rush raised the bar once again determined to throw every free dollar that he had into the fray.
"Sixty million," Dust Bowl chipped in again knowing that a loss was not something that she could risk, besides a win here would be a win for the Obsidian Circle of which both Mother Scratch and Lord Khamsin were a part.
"Sixty-one million," Hexmaster proclaimed wanting to stay in the running for the grand prize.
"Sixty-two million," Strega countered for the sake of her own personal honor.
"Sixty-three million," Apis raised the bidding again wanting those gems and the prestige that they would bring him for this victory.
"Sixty-four million," proclaimed Devilmaster as the bidding continued up to the point where a voice who had been silent the whole time stated, "Ninety-five million."
Everyone turned to look it was none-other than Don Kulmatz, their surprise had been enough to ignore the auctioneer until her gavel descended. "The final lot of the auction is sold to Don Kulmatz for Ninety-five million, this concludes this month's Midnight Auction. Now we will take a short break while the Lord Khamsin's representative and I ready ourselves for the match, please follow your servers to the arena."
The Solstice Lounge - Underground Arena
4:09 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
Dressed in the robes and gear that my uncle Anubis had waiting for me I made my way to the ring, while I was well experienced in this from a couple of years in the Silver Gloves this was my first time fighting in the lady's division. Wearing anything above the belt other than my head-gear felt...odd, and a sports-bra counted in those regards- the domino mask too (although this part just felt like a ridiculous necessity).
Ahead in the ring I could see Dead-Zone with a sizeable black-and-white striped referee shirt draped over his gear, despite his penultimate-master being a colleague of my grandfather's something told me that this man would not play favorites on this occasion. I could see that
We approached the center of the ring when we heard Dead-Zone begin to explain, "Alright this is going to be a fair-fight, ladies amateur boxing rules apply. Ten rounds, two-minute limit each when you hear the bell either return to your corner or come out- but I reserve the right to stop the match at any time- ready break!"
The two of us did as we were told, neither taking our eyes off one another. In the distance, I could finally see Walt, awake and unharmed but held by an odd-looking neck-collar attached to four-polls each held by a rather sturdy-looking man. No don't focus on Walt- remember what the coach always said never take your eyes off your opponent, right now there was just her and me no one else mattered.
As the bell rang we made our way to the center of the ring, briefly gauging each other the two of us danced in a counter-clockwise circle each of us daring one another to throw the first punch. Knowing that this couldn't go on for the entire round, I probed her defenses with a quick left-jab which Bliss quickly dodged and moved in for a left-cross that I only half-dodged. Quickly recovering I got out of the way when she followed up with a right-hook that was bound to ruin my day if it had connected.
Wanting to keep from risking an eventual TKO and finish determining her style I focused on blocking and switching up my stance to keep her guessing. Eventually the bell rang and using the location of that sound alone the two of us made our way back to our corners.
Danny and Dirge were there waiting with the standard rinse and spit a towel-off and Danny advice, "Good don't let her get to you too early on, remember what the Coach always told us "Make theme reveal their style and then use what you know to take them down."
The bell rang and Bliss and I returned to the center of the ring, while it was clear that she was also trying to gauge me at the same time that I was her- it was also clear that she was not an experienced boxer. This was not her preferred manner of fighting and though she knew how to throw a punch and keep her guard up it was also clear that she was having to go against her better honed fighting instincts.
While my training was also slightly working against me- what with my new body and everything- I was growing more and more used to how I moved in familiar territory with every second. As Bliss kept throwing punches at me and trying to get closer and closer as she did so it became increasingly obvious just what she was- she's a scrambler.
A few moments more on the defense and the bell ended round two, so once again Bliss and I retreated to our corners. As Dirge and Danny attended to me, I stated bad news guys- she's a scrambler.
"Drat, now Pa- I mean Mistral, I know that Boxers are usually at a disadvantage against scramblers but remember you have the experience she doesn't." Danny did his best to egg me on, "Just use what you remember from fighting with me and take her to town."
As the bell rang, I met Miss Bliss face to face for the third time and heeded Danny's advice. While boxers were normally at a disadvantage again scramblers, scramblers had a major problem against sluggers. Now I knew from training with Dirge that one brief session that I was a lot stronger than I used to be now that I was fighting in my real body and it was time to put that strength to good use.
I did my best to keep on the defensive while I waited for Bliss to accidentally leave an unintended gap in her own guard, using every trick and technique I dodged and blocked her until I spotted a gap that I could exploit.
'Her right-hook's over-extended,' I thought to myself, 'she accidentally leaves an opening on her right-side when she throws one.'
I was determined to take advantage of this when the bell rang, round three was over. "I know what I need to do." I whispered as best I could after Danny rinsed my mouth out. Offering no words and trusting my judgement I went to face Miss Bliss once again.
As with the last round I kept on the defensive, but this time I was just waiting for the right moment- then it came she fell for a feint that left me open for a right-hook. It worked like a charm I dodged Bliss's right-hook to my head and nailed her with one of my own- to her floating ribs.
When she staggered in pain, I followed up with a left-cross to her jaw; although was her head was protected by the head-gear she still felt the shock and surprise of the blow. I kept her reeling with a serious of random jabs until her blocking left a new opening for a hard- right-uppercut. As she staggered I kept up the pressure until the bell rung, while I made my way back to my corner just fine Miss Bliss was staggering about on the mat until she fell against the ropes. I just watched and waited while I rinsed and spit, for the bell to ring again.
Bliss was still waiting to get her feet to stay under her after that salvo that I gave her when the bell gave a quintuple ring, Dead-Zone had called the match on account of a TKO- I won. Dead-Zone once again hopped into the ring to raise my right-hand in victory. "On account of a TKO, I call the match on behalf of Mistral; the Zodiac Gems and their host go to Lord Khamsin and Don Kulmatz shall take custody of the Egyptian Magic Scrolls."
By the time, Danny and Dirge had me toweled off and with my robe on and my gloves and mouth-guard stored in oddly enough the same tote bag that started with whole mess, grandfather was guiding Walt towards us struggling as he pulled him towards where we were, "Let go of me, I'm not property and I'm not going to roll over and-"
"Come on big guy stop making an ass out of yourself," Danny spoke up, "we're here to rescue you- ya dork, now stop fighting while we get you to the others."
Hearing Danny's voice took the fight out of Walt, who was clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal. Meanwhile grandpa spoke up, "Dirge get these two back to their friends, I'm going to take Mistral to the Chapter House- it's time for the gathering of the Four Maidens."
"Understood Lord Khamsin," Dirge replied with a single crossed are as a storm of dust surrounded the both of us and I could felt myself moving much as I had when Dirge rescued us from Miss Bliss's men hours ago.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - Las Vegas Chapter
4:48 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
I paused to reflexively dust myself off when grandfather and I appeared at our destination only to find that, despite the dust devil that I was just inside of, I didn't have a spec of dirt or sand on me.
"Give your grandfather some credit my dear," he laughed as he made a courtesy divider appear in the room, "I've had millennia to hone my control over my respective elements. Now that your friend is safe the two of us need to go on a little business trip, your grandmother saw fit to take your measurements and create a little something for you to use with input from your friends after they woke up; although feel free to keep it if you wish to do so, you might actually find it very handy in the future.
I paused to take in my surroundings, it felt like I was inside of the office of a CEO although the place clearly had a very Egyptian vide going for it. "Let me guess, this is your office?"
"Correct," grandfather stated as he sat down at his desk, "you are inside my office at the heart of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom's Las Vegas Chapter House. I hope you like the decor- I just had the place remodeled after I was revitalized, the old place just felt to musty; like it was the inside of a sorcerer's tomb, although I suppose that the analogy was an apt one at the time."
"By the way gramps," I continued as I stepped behind the privacy screen that he had thoughtfully materialized, "just where are we going?"
"Fortuna Noctis, the main citadel of the Obsidian Circle," grandpa continued as I could hear him opening what sounded like a refrigerator and pouring himself a drink, "you see my dear Iris, you are more than simply my granddaughter. Long ago, before the modern age of mankind there existed the True Kingdom of Atlantis. In this ancient land, the ancestors and cousins of modern man lived alongside faeries, merfolk, dragons and djinn in a loosely unified kingdom known as the Five-Fold Court."
I continued to listen as I got undressed, adding my boxing trunks, underwear, sports bra, socks and athletic shoes to the same bag as my gloves and hanging up my robe on a now empty mannequin. That was when I spotted the outfit on the other mannequin, yeah Danny and the gang had definitely helped grandma Nephy make this; the entire outfit looked like someone had chosen to assemble a luchadora outfit with and Egyptian theme. Even the mask, which was themed to resemble a horse, looked like an intermarriage of a luchadora's mask and the head of an ancient Egyptian deity. In all I couldn't get the thing on fast enough- I was stoked.
"The courts had aligned themselves in the first place to launch a united effort against races of Demons from beyond the reaches of our solar system, Demons who had invaded our reality who sought to conquer and infect this world as they had so many others." Grandpa Set continued as I got dressed behind the privacy screen, "While we did win and secure prosperity for our peoples for a multitude of generations that victory was not without its costs nor was it final. Those soldiers of our enemies fel armies that we did not defeat or imprison, hid themselves well in the dark places on the periphery of our world and bided their time."
"Eventually the darkness that our peoples had fought faded out of history into legend and from legend to myth, when this happened divisions began to occur among the Five-Fold Court as our races grew more concerned with their own affairs until such a time as fractures began to appear within each of the Courts rather than just between them- this was a time that those hidden demons had been waiting to come."
"You doubtlessly see it in the world around you every day, when society begins focusing on sides and divisions that gives rise to malcontents those of the lower rung who feel powerless- just the sort of people who those who dwell in the darkness prey upon. Those Demons hiding in the shadows of the world came seeking those malcontents to offer them power, wealth and prestige, a baited hook that some of those who were greedy or foolish enough bit. It was these grasping fools that began to form cults worshiping those Demons using the power that they had gained to draw in the desperate. In time a minor gathering of malcontent had become armies large enough to help their Demonic patrons' gain power and summon armies of their kind."
"By the time that the courts were aware of the threat to the point that they could no longer deny it the time for preventative measures and actions had passed, war was inevitable, but they were ill-prepared. Demons the likes of which you would never dare to see in your darkest nightmares were leading armies of treasonous cultists and twisted abominations. It was during this calamity that the event called the Sundering occurred, an abomination of faerie origin lead a collective of other twisted beings in an effort to destroy all of those who could dare oppose them with one final spell- just what happened afterwards was unknown but the end result shattered the world in such a way that nothing was ever the same."
"Eventually the peoples of the Five Courts began to pick ourselves up from the ashes, but something had changed- the world was damaged and had become a shell of its former self. Fortunately, one of the late faerie queens had learned of what was to occur and with a prophecy learned of four children who would be born in the future, each would be a girl born of mixed origin, half a member of the Center Court and half a member of one of the other Courts with one for each court. Those children when they were at the cusp of coming of age would gather at the midnight hour and it is then that they will learn of the full scope of their destiny. So, my dear Iris, are you dressed yet?"
"Yeah grandpa," I replied as I stepped out from behind the blind, fully-garbed, "so the other three and I are going to meet and learn what we need to do."
"Correct my dear, you and the other three maidens are about to meet for the first time," Grandpa Set explained as he got up from his desk, "now follow me."
As we made our way down the halls of this Grand Hall I had to pause and admire the architecture, that was when my grandfather paused at a clearly Ancient Egyptian statue that fractured and reformed into a long stone corridor. "Come my dear it is time that you meet your fellow Cardinal Maidens- as well as long past time for you to meet your father."
"What?!?" I exclaimed as I followed grandfather inside as the entrance shut behind us.
6 years 5 months ago - 6 years 5 months ago #39
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
The following auction items are credited to DanZilla : Dr. Amos Messing's nanites, the Dragon's Teeth, the Death Dealer's Last Hand, and the Plans for Cataclysm's Underwater Bombs. Thanks for all your help with this chapter.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 29 Notes
The following auction items are credited to DanZilla : Dr. Amos Messing's nanites, the Dragon's Teeth, the Death Dealer's Last Hand, and the Plans for Cataclysm's Underwater Bombs. Thanks for all your help with this chapter.
Last Edit: 6 years 5 months ago by Insane Hiker.
6 years 4 months ago #40
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Fortuna Noctis
12:07 HADT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I walked with the three great heroes of Xuanzang's pilgrimage as well as one of their most powerful opponents turned disciple of Guanyin, Hai-er Hong, who marched with me at the center of a bar-cross formation. I don't think that any of us were willing to take our eyes off Baron Impié, the man who lead us down this hallway that he had literally summoned out of the ground.
"So, does anyone know anything about this guy?" I asked my group of escorts/body-guards in standard mandarin trying to keep our conversation secret, "I mean I was liberated from one faction of the Grand Hall a while back, I don't want to be enslaved to another."
"Do not worry maiden of the earth's hearths," Hai-er Hong spoke up as he tapped his spear against the path as we walked along, "as a fellow former slave to that lot I will die before I see anyone in bondage to them again, and make those who try to do so regret their course of action." Were my power's acting up because it was feeling a little warmer in here- no it must just be these stuffy corridors- yes that's all it is- nothing but stuffy corridors.
"Keep it in your pants Red," Wukong Sun remarked as we kept pace, "I've heard about this guy, and attacking him is a big mistake. He's marked, I don't know the particulars, but he must have pissed off someone very powerful because they marked Baron Impié off limits to anyone else. That means that anyone who attacks him will regret it... not live to regret it mind you- just regret it."
"The gender-bent simian is correct you know," Baron Impié replied in flawless mandarin as he turned to smile at us from beneath his opera mask, "although I welcome you to try, three unexpected guests are much easier to accommodate than four."
"So, you know how to speak Mandarin," Bajie observed.
"Actually, I am fluent in a great many languages from that region including Jin, Huizhou, Gan, Min, Xiang, Ping, Amoy, Fuzhou, Hakka, Cantonese, Taihu, Taizhou, and Xuanzhou." Baron Impié bragged with a wry smile, "I know that isn't all of them, but I make it a point to try and broaden my horizons, when you've been alive as long as I have it pays to make use of empty time."
"Then I guess trying to keep our conversations secret around you is useless," I shot back.
"Unfortunately, even telepathy wouldn't allow you to have secret conversation in this place. If you possessed that gift you'd soon learn that the broadcast thoughts of guests just echo off the walls of this citadel for all to hear. So far the only conversations that can be kept secret inside these walls are those through the link between a master and their familiar." The warlock explained as he resumed guiding us to our destination.
"Out of concern for my student just where is this Fortuna Noctis?" Sha Wujing asked our gracious host, "I would be less concerned if you would at least share that much with us."
"I'm afraid that with the Fortuna Noctis our location is more a matter of when than where." Baron Impié explained, "the location of this citadel changes every hour to a new location across the globe, but there is always one constant no matter what. For you see wherever we are it is always between the stroke of midnight and one in the morning, and the split second before the clock strikes one the entire citadel hops to a new location."
"Where the clock has just struck midnight," Wukong observed from Baron Impié's explanation, "yeah that fits from what I've heard about the Obsidian Circle over the years. You lot love to work in the dark and in the shadows, even convinced most of the world that almost all of you bought the farm."
"A necessary ruse I'm afraid," the Baron sighed as if in annoyance, "while we had to come out of the shadows for the purpose of helping found the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom in the first place to suit one of the many items on our agenda, staying public in such a manner for too long was counter-productive at the time. So, one by one we fell to the heroes of the age and thus could once again operate in secret- until we needed to emerge again when another item in our agenda was about to bear fruit."
"The maidens of the courts you mentioned," I interrupted, "I know that I'm one from The Wayfarer that the others are a fairy, a mermaid, and a genie but why do you need us? Just what is all this about?"
Despite the brief flash of fear that I saw when I mentioned Kelsey's job title this Baron Impié's demeanor returned as if he was unfazed by that nugget of information. "I'm afraid that the answer to that question will have to wait for the arrival of the Southern Maiden, as for the Eastern and Western Maidens- although they have arrived their room is rather crowded. So, I'm afraid that you and your...entourage shall have to await the arrival of the Southern Maiden in the Salon Enchanteresse."
Soon our host reached for the wall when a fancy pair of doors appeared whose crystal knobs he was already griping. With flourish Baron Impié opened the pair of doors to a finely decorated room that looked like it was out of a period film set in a European Mansion. All around us I could see works of art that I could tell from several willing school field trips to the Seattle Art Museum (and a few extracurricular ones) reflected every period of western art since the fall of the Roman Empire, there were even a few Chinese and Korean works whose styles were went back centuries. "I wonder how many places you had to rob to line these walls?" I muttered to myself.
"None I am proud to say," Baron Impié remarked with a wry smile as he guided us inside the expensively furnished gallery, "all of these works were purchased legally over the centuries and are preserved and maintained by the magic of our citadel, some were even commissioned from artists who later came to be famous in their own right. We even have a few Van Gogh's that are completely unknown to the outside world, those an attaché of mine actually purchased from poor Vincent for the price of enough food to fill his cupboards- truly a master who was unappreciated in his own time."
The warlock actually looked like he felt sad over the thought of the depressed and impoverished Dutch Impressionist, "Please feel free to relax and enjoy the accommodations, someone shall be along shortly to see to your needs."
As our host stepped outside the double doors and shut them behind him as he did so, the entrance to the room vanished only to be replaced by a full-figured portrait, something told me that smashing our way out of here was a non-option.
"This sorcerer clearly underestimates who he has in this room," Hai-er stated as his eyes and mouth began to glow white.
"Whoa, hold your horses," I shouted as I leaped in front of Hai-er, "I doubt that would actually work and even if it did we don't know anything about this place or even where we are. Plus, it's an outright crime in my eyes to deface a Botticelli in a botched escape attempt."
"Duanzaolong has a point," Sha Wujing explained as he carefully set his yueyachan in the slots of a free-standing weapon's rack that had appeared in the room. "Also, judging by our host's explanation of this fortress's mechanics of place, we are currently somewhere in the Pacific at the moment, and may not even be on dry land at present. To attempt to escape with such limited information would be foolish. In any likelihood we’re not his only 'guests' and if we needed to escape chances are weed need to rescue the other three maidens. So, let's first see just how this gathering of the Four Maidens turns out while we learn as much as we can. After that we shall contemplate escape, that is should we find that such an action is truly necessary."
12:24 AM IDLW
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
As grandfather and I walked into the hallway I took in the architecture around me, so this was the Fortuna Noctis the fortress that my grandfather and countless others of the Obsidian Circle created over the course of centuries. According to uncle Anubis this was where the Circle routinely met to plan and decide how best to defend the world and fight back against the greatest threat that the world ever knew, the Great Old Ones a collective term that many used to describe numerous warped abominations from beyond the stars, as well as from beyond reality itself.
I didn't know exactly how I was going to do it but apparently, my destiny as the Southern Maiden had something to do with these unfathomable demons, and I was soon going to find out. "Well grandpa, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be to meet the others and learn everything."
"That can wait for a little bit my dear," grandfather responded as he guided me to a door that appeared in the side of the wall. "First there is someone who has been waiting too long to meet you."
As we stepped inside I saw a garden with a man and a woman arguing by a bench, "-what if we have nothing in common, I mean she's grown up raised by a monster who treated her like scum. What is she blames me for not coming to save her?"
"Greygus, you had no idea that she had even existed, nor could you have known. The Cult of the Black Pharaoh abducted her mother and made it look like the woman had died in another act of Drug Cartel violence." The woman whose face I saw was hidden behind a porcelain mask which looked like she had shed a tear chided the man whose name identified him as my father, so this is who my grandfather meant. "Besides something tells me that she's far more eager to meet you than you would care to admit."
"Daddy," I all but squeaked out as I unmasked showing the man my face as he turned to meet my eyes, I could see the similarities is his attire to what Anubis was when he came to rescue me from that ogre, granted there were differences. Unlike Uncle Anubis dad's armor was clearly meant more for direct combat, there was less style and more substance which spoke more of a practical need than embellished details. Another key difference was the head while the both had a helm that was canine in appearance dads was broader and less pointy, clearly based off a predator rather than a scavenger, granted I knew that the design wasn't a cosmetic one.
My father just stood there for a moment as if in shock, then in the blink of an eye he had swapped me up in his arms in a powerful hug, almost like he was afraid that if he let go I would fade away and cease to be. "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry," Dad sobbed as tears cascaded down his muzzle, "I didn't know what really happened. I thought that your mother died in one of the pointless skirmishes between the Cartels. If I had known..."
"There still would have been nothing you could have done," I did my best to reassure him, "I didn't even notice the truth about who I was for years until that shell I was stuffed inside got a crack in it big enough for me to use my powers to see the truth."
After wiggling out of his firm paternal hug, not that I minded it felt nice having a parent who really cared, but now wasn't the time- later maybe but not now. "Uncle Dirge said that I'm what's called a psychometrist, I can read the past from objects, that's how I started to learn the truth the shell around my hands must have touched my real skin on my face allowing me to see the truth."
"The vision didn't happen to show you where your mother is did it?" Father asked clearly desperate for answers.
"Unfortunately, all I learned was be being born and then sealed inside that- I guess that it was a golem," I sadly told him the truth, "the only thing that I have of her is a memory of her face and her voice, but I can probably learn more using the shards and my powers later."
"Fine but just know that I'll do my best to help you piece this together and find her," dad promised as he patted me on the shoulder before giving it a firm squeeze, "I can't promise that I'll ever be able to make up for all of the time that we missed together as a family but the least that I can do is help us come to together as one."
"Are you sure?" I asked hopeful that it was the case, "I mean if that memory was right after I was born than it happened fifteen years ago. Are you sure that the people who arranged all of this would keep her alive all this time?"
"If this is the group that I think it is than your father is correct," grandpa began to explain doing his best to reassure me, "magic has rules- especially certain varieties of magic. To help ensure that shell they trapped you would grow with you they needed her alive to maintain the spell. As for now she is either being used as a hostage or as bait, but don't worry we shall find them and then they will learn the folly of their ways."
"If you would pardon me I think it would be best that I get ready for the ceremony," the woman who had been consoling my dad began to make her way out of the room clearly wanting to let us have a family moment.
"Pardon me miss," I called out wanting to get the masked woman's attention, "I just wanted to thank you for trying to console my dad."
"Actually my dear it's misses, but I am more commonly known as Madam Eventide," the masked woman replied as she looked me over, "I gather you are the Southern Maiden, something tells me you're going to be beating the boys off with a stick when you get to the Academy. I shall leave you to get caught up with your family my dear."
After she left one thing crossed both my mind and my lips, "Academy?"
"The Whateley Academy my dear," Grandpa explained as he took a seat on the now vacant bench, "an academic boarding school for mutants as well as occasional empowered teenagers. Actually, the Eastern and Western Maiden both attend that school, and the Eastern Maiden's mother is the Headmistress."
"So, let me guess," I slightly deflated as a bitter conclusion crossed my mind, "I'll be going there too." I knew that this was too good to be true, I finally met my real family only to be thrust away from them soon after."
"Maybe when the next school year rolls around," Grandfather replied, "you do need some time to get to know the real you as well as learn more about our culture. There is also your coming of age ceremony in a few months that we shall have to prepare for, besides we won't be too far- Erzebet Scratch has a private villa a couple of counties over so one of us can always drop in to visit on the weekends or whenever you need us."
"No joke," Greygus chuckled as a smile crossed his muzzle, "knowing mom I wouldn't be surprised if she stops by to visit her new granddaughter every few days and embarrass the hell out of you in the process."
"Besides, while I know that your friend Daniel is the real deal and Walter was obviously cared enough for you to risk his life, the fact of the matter is your false life as Paul Ledoux is over." Grandpa explained with a sigh, "You can hardly return to your old school as you are now, the fact that you are counted among the sub-group of humanity known as mutants now means that you have a different target on your back- one with far more people willing to attack you then for your former self's romantic-preference. That coupled with the fact that you will already be monitored or targeted by a number of other groups for your parentage means that you need a more secure location to learn how to use your abilities, and we don't want the Scarlet Sands to come to feel like a home to you not some manner of prison akin to an ivory tower."
I wanted to open my mouth to object to what grandpa was saying but I knew he was right, even if my new home was actually feeling like a home there would still be times that you'd want to get out of the house and see the world. The problem with getting out of that house was knowing just who my family was that meant that leaving the house could be a dangerous affair, especially since that house was in a city that was a Mecca for vacationers cut from many clothes, my family's enemies could literally hide in a crowd and I'd never see them coming.
"And the other maidens are there already?" I asked as my perspective began to clear. "Won't that mean that I'll be behind them?"
"Iris Maria Seguin, you need to understand that just because they are a little older than you and have a little more experience than you- does not mean that you are any less important." Dad looked at me and I could swear that as he did it was as if he not only looked at me but into me as well. "If anything, it means that you have girls a year older than you to help show you the ropes around school, if you besides if you get to know them you might actually make a couple of new friends in the bargain."
I smiled at that thought, I couldn't help it, almost every kid I knew dreaded the thought of being forced to pick up and move to a new place whoever knows how far away, torn away from the people who they care about. Thankfully I only had a handful of people who fit that bill, for the most part my home in Boulder City was a collection of bad memories; the woman who raised me turned out to be nothing more than a mercenary who worked for the monsters that kidnapped my mother- monsters who still had her...somewhere. Probably the same pit where I was born and trapped in that shell, I know that I still didn't know where she was, but I knew that as soon as I could that I would help dad rescue her.
I just wanted this moment to last a little longer that was why the sound to the door opening behind us made my heart turn heavy, I turned to face the entrance to find a feminine marionette with a crystal ball for a head standing in the door-way. "I hate to interrupt this family moment Greygus, you know that no one values spending time with their children like I do, but the Western and Eastern Maidens are now awake and ready- it is time that the four learn of their coming trials as well as their destinies."
"I know Mistress Nyx," dad deflated with a deep sigh, "I just wish that we had more time together before...you know she finds this all out."
"I know Greygus," Mistress Nyx sighed in her hauntingly echoed voice, "however if there is one thing that I know it's that we can't keep children from growing up, it is just unfair how you were never allowed to watch her grow up."
"If the universe was fair we would never have to worry about extra-dimensional demons like the Old Ones wreaking havoc upon reality." Grandpa growled, "That is why it is up to beings of free agency such as ourselves to make the universe fair one battle at a time."
"It still doesn't make this any easier dad," dad grit his teeth while he punched a column whose cracks healed as soon as he withdrew his fist, "can I at least be there with her when she learns of her destiny?"
"Son, you know the rule that we agreed upon so long ago," Grandfather sighed as he steeled himself against my father's pleas, "Other than the seated members of the Obsidian Circle and the Four Maidens, the only one allowed to be here during the ceremony is a single representative of the Grey Barrow, and that is Fray."
"It still doesn't make this any easier," Greygus deflated almost as if what was about to happen knocked the wind right out of him.
"If any of this were easy the Circle would be bigger than it is," Mistress Nyx stated, "Lord Khamsin, if you would accompany the Southern Maiden and I to the Chamber of Clarity, it is time for the destinies of the Four Cardinal Maidens to be revealed to them."
I knew that there would be no arguing to get out of this, something told me that some of the other members of the Obsidian Circle might be far less...accommodating to me than grandpa, Madam Eventide and Mistress Nyx had been. Besides this would be my first meeting with my fellow maidens I didn't want to make a bad first impression, that and the fact that I was about to meet a fairy, a mermaid and a dragon all at once was enough to stoke the fires of curiosity within me.
I continued to follow grandfather and Mistress Nyx down the corridors of the Obsidian Circles with butterflies in my stomach becoming increasingly better at making themselves known. Eventually, far sooner than I had hoped, we found our way at the end of a hallway where a foreboding metal double-door appeared. I balked for a moment before reapplying my mask, "Alright Mistral- time to meet your fellow maidens."
No longer willing to let my fear hold me back I pushed upon the door, which pushed inward, and stepped through- it was time for me to meet the others and learn my *GULP* destiny.
Chamber of Clarity - Fortuna Noctis
12:00 AM MAGT
The Chamber of Clarity was an oddly designed room and just as oddly furnished, it was a rotunda with four doors equidistant from each other that faced an odd set of tables with three pivoting chairs in the center of the room. The chairs (with the exception of one vacant spot) were seated around a single round-table in the exact center of the room each with a curved table behind them that looked like they would form a ring if they were fit from end to end. Meanwhile in the alcove between the doors there was another set of tables and chairs many of which were currently occupied.
All around the room most of the Obsidian Circle waited patiently for the moment to come Mister Domino, Dame Hollefeuer, Conté Enigma, Bishop Brimstone, Madam Eventide and Don Astio waited for their remaining colleagues as well as their five guests. At once the four doors of the room flew open through each stepped the last member of their order Erzebet Scratch, Lord Khamsin, Mistress Nyx and Baron Impié as well as the chosen representative of the Grey Barrow Fray, and accompanying those five were the true guests of the evening the four Cardinal Maidens.
The Northern and Southern Maidens carefully sized up the Eastern and Western Maidens, as well as each other and everyone else in the room. While the Eastern and Western Maidens did size up their Northern and Southern counterparts they were far better at maintaining their composure over the current situation as they did so. Nevertheless, comfort or not all made their way down to the vacant chairs in the center of the room, baring the Eastern Maiden who simply rolled her borrowed wheel-chair into the vacant place between the Northern and Southern Maidens with the Western Maiden there to give her support (an act that she reciprocated).
The composures of the four could not have been any different from one another:
Zhen-yu Chen, the Northern Maiden who chose the moniker of Duanzaolong could not have been wound any tighter, here she was the unwilling guest of a faction of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom for the second time in her life, and while they had done nothing to earn her enmity they had yet to truly do anything to earn her trust either. There was also the matter of the other three maidens, they were still too much of an unknown to Duanzaolong and she still resented the fact that the Western Maiden had been allowed to escape the torment of captivity that she had to experience as a slave of the Merchants of Suffering.
Randi Bridges, the Western Maiden who had gone by the identity of Faolan even before she learned of her place among the other three was keeping her emotions in check. Faolan did not trust any of the Obsidian Circle given her unpleasant experience where she technically died from her second encounter with their machinations and the first had left her with mental scars that remained even after she was exorcised prior to the death of her original body. The Circle hadn't even let her bring Jane to this gathering insisting that she was not allowed.
Beatrice Carson, the Eastern Maiden also known as Aletheia had yet to have any direct encounters with the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom before today either in her admittingly short life of autonomy or through Cytheria. Tonight, however she had experience both evil and ambivalence from the Grand Hall, the evil of the Children of the Night who had unleashed wanton destruction in the forms of both a horde of the undead as well as havoc from a series of incendiary explosives around the city that least who knew how many dead and injured not to mention homeless as they had their lives destroyed all so that they could lure herself and Faolan out in to the open to kill them. To counter-balance the wanton destruction of the Children of the Night had been their rescue by the operatives of the Obsidian Circle who while equally brutal from what she had seen, had yet to demonstrate any direct harm to them and even sought to accommodate their visit; she also had to admit that Greygus and Miseo as hosts went were made every effort to be amicable, or as far as they could given their order's.
Iris Seguin the newly revealed Southern Maiden, who had chosen the codename Mistral on a whim, was intimidated and overwhelmed but not by the Obsidian Circle or even by her surroundings. No, Mistral was overwhelmed by how much her life had changed over the simple course of a day. She had learned that her mom was actually an accessory to kidnapping both her and her biological mom, that she was a girl literally trapped in a guy's body (a situation that was now rectified), that her father and grandfather were not only supervillains but also djinn that had been worshiped as gods by the Ancient Egyptians, but on top of all of that she had some sort of grand destiny that involved the three girls across the table from her who were just as much dragon, fairy or mermaid as she was djinn- the entire thing was just so unbelievable that she was still coming to terms with how incredible her life had turned out to be.
The four girls simply say in silence waiting for one of them to say something- anything about what all this was about, to their shock the one to speak up wasn't any of them...it was Fray. "I know that the four of you are wondering why you are here and what all this is about, unfortunately that is a long story- a long story without a happy ending. Now then I would please ask for the four of you save questions and comments for the end."
"Eons before the current age of man," Fray began his tale as an image projected from the table between the four. "The world was divided not between simply countries, but between races as well. Countless groups in loosely organized nations fought each other for territory and resources much like they do today either through conflict, subterfuge, alliance or diplomacy, but underneath it all were races of people simply trying to do what they could to ensure their legacies and the future of their children."
"Records of this time were spotty because much was lost in the events to follow; what was recorded was that one day there was a series of violent tremors, not simple earthquakes mind you but a feeling like the very fabric of reality was damaged, For a time people tried to shrug it off as nothing but not much time had passed before the consequences of those tremors made themselves known, that was the day something had made their way into our dimension beings that we know today as the Great Old Ones."
"These beings were so alien, that not only were they abhorrent to behold but they also held little regard for the lives and well-being's of any creature they came across. These invaders saw as much value in the inhabitants of this world as you would a colony of ants, and some were just as amused to break out the insecticide and the magnifying glass. We have no real record of just how long this terror went on for, however what we do know is that Gaea a powerful denizen of the group that humanity was a part of rose up, rallied and united all of the peoples of that ancient planet and wagged a war the likes of which this world has not seen before or since."
"After the conflicts died down the Old Ones that didn't flee for their lives were either dead or imprisoned, this was the beginning of the time known as the Five-Fold Courts of with the first incarnation of Atlantis at its center. Unfortunately, this undertaking was not without its prices, many were lost in the fight, so peoples were even wiped out of existence. Still in spite of the loss, peace was won and for a time a golden age descended upon the Earth, life was fruitful, and trade-routes were opened to the denizens of distant worlds."
The four looked on as the images of daily life in ancient cities inhabited by each of the Five-Courts played out before them, Faolan saw the ancient version of what she had experienced on her sojourns to the Goblin Market (albeit with less darkness and more vibrancy), while Aletheia marveled at more scenes akin to those she observed in the Hall of Echoes. Mistral studied intently at the daily life of the djinn, her people as they went about their daily lives even with children playing some manner of ball game making use of elemental manipulation. Duanzaolong initially tried to ignore the images that played out before her yet grew intrigued as she began to see things that bared a distant resemblance to the various customs she recognized from her home in the Seattle International District.
"Sadly, such prosperity is never meant to last, for eventually the memory of the great battles fought against the Old Ones faded- into half-forgotten legend. When the memory of Demonic Horrors who shook the very fabric of reality became reduced to mere boogey men, eventually people also began to forget reason for the comradery and similarities that bonded them together and they once again began to see the differences. It was around this time that the unthinkable happened, Queen Gaea who united the world and saved all those who dwelled upon it from an unspeakably ghastly fate fell into a deep-slumber from which none could awaken her."
"This was evidentially all it took, the news that Gaea, the great queen who had united all was no longer in power, was no longer present for the peace to begin to deteriorate. Despite the best efforts of her seven powerful daughters who did their best to rule in her stead, the Five-Fold Court began a gradual descent into Civil War. The Four Kingdoms on the periphery saw no need to so closely ally themselves with the seemingly vacant throne of Atlantis and became more insular, first figuratively and then literally. The monarchs of the four lands saw no need to remain as united as they had been a began to split their lands from the super-continent of Pangaea." The four maidens looked on as disagreements sparks riots, and then uprisings until the land itself began to break apart, yet despite being about as normal as such a thing could be it looked like something more was happening.
"What the monarchs of these lands, many of whom were beginning to further divide the territories of these Courts among themselves, did not realize was that by destabilizing the structure of the continent as they had also destabilized the prisons of the long captive Old Ones. While these cracks were not yet wide enough for these demons to free themselves, it was more than enough for the most devious among them to begin sowing seeds that would see their eventual liberation."
"The Old Ones most effective tool then as now was reaching out with whispered promises of power, wealth and prestige to those who were ambitious and avaricious enough to listen. Eventually those who could be lured into serving them by founding cults and attracting those desperate enough to cast aside common sense for easy answers or purpose. Eventually these cults grew in power enough to widen the cracks in those prisons allowing their masters to return, as if this was not bad enough many of the leaders of those cults had been so warped and changed by their master's that they began to cast aside who they once were to become abominations themselves."
Faolan and Aletheia both steeled their thoughts, each of them knew of two individuals who served as perfect examples to what Fray was referring to namely The Bastard and Dagon. Meanwhile Mistral began to wonder if the Black Pharaoh that her grandfather had mentioned was one of these warped cult leaders.
"At first the leaders of the now factionalized courts considered these cults a nuisance and tried to stamp them out, often to little effect, sadly by the time the leaders of the Five Courts recognized the true magnitude of the threat they were under it was too late. Never the less as in times long past those of the Courts pulled together to fight the now reemerging Old Ones, yet without Gaea all they could manage was a stalemate."
"That was when a corrupted fae lycanthrope cult leader came up with a spell, a vile work of arcane devilry that would kill most of the leadership while further fracturing reality to allow further Old Ones to gain access to our world. Fortunately, the spell that he cast that dark day was interrupted, for the corrupt one did not know that Queen Aunghadheil of the fae was aware of his plans and sought to stop him no matter the cost. Leading her fellow fae queens in secret far behind the lines of the Old Ones armies, Queen Aunghadheil proceeded to interrupt the spell and cause it to violently disperse."
The Maidens looked on in awe at the nine magnificent fae who fought The Bastard with all they had, Faolan and Aletheia were in shock at just how much Fey back at Whateley had grown to resemble a far younger Aunghadheil. Mistral was actually in awe of what she saw unfolding, as well as the fierce and magnificent beauty of the fae queens. Duanzaolong meanwhile had her face screwed in conflict, just what was racing through her mind.
"While the dark spell did not work as intended there were far reaching consequences when it failed; the entire earth shattered with entire continents falling into newly formed dimensional rifts, the ancient artifacts and wonders that the people of the Courts depended on were lost or broken, indeed the Earth as it had been for countless ages was no more."
As if to illustrate this fact the Maidens observed as large swaths of land broke off and drifted away from the planet. Eventually though everything began to stabilize, that was when Faolan and Duanzaolong both noticed patterns to these broken away swaths of land, thankfully though they kept this to themselves...for the moment.
"In time the dust settled, and people began to start over. Some did their best to recreate what had been lost," images flashed of the dragons and Tianshin crafting new homes in the Jade Heavens and several djinn and daemons getting to work shaping new homelands, even groups of merfolk sought to create new kingdoms some even with the Earth's seas. As well as bands of Fae trying to make the wildlands a new home.
"Some simply forgot and tried to move on and start over from scratch choosing to forget the horrors that they had witnessed unfold," the maidens watched at the modern age of man arise from hunter gatherers, to city states and modern nations.
"Some however chose to recreate the past in their own image seeking out power and dominance rather than the obligation that a ruler would have to their people." Faolan and Mistral winced as they saw the rise of the Courts of Summer and Winter as well as the followers of Iblis who had to be sealed by the followers of Solomon.
"If only things had stayed this way there would be little need for either the Obsidian Circle or the Grey Barrow, however the Old Ones were only thwarted not defeated many were simply thrown back inside their damaged cages by this Sundering. No all the Old Ones needed was time, time to rebuild their cults and lick their wounds. Some still had sufficient power to cause considerable mayhem through their followers though, one merman named Dagon, a priest in the Cult of Cthulhu, showed this in spades. He actually cursed the entire world with the spilled blood of a triton king to twist all merfolk not of royal blood over time into violent soulless monsters."
Faolan, Mistral and Duanzaolong blanched as they saw a beautiful mermaid violently transform into a feral deep one, while Aletheia wept at the sight of the unfortunate woman who had her mind, future and even her soul torn away by Dagon's terrible curse.
"Indeed, the Old Ones continue to work such vile acts through their followers until this very day and there is only so much that anyone can do at present to stop them." That was when a series of odd images appeared on the map of the shattered world, "You see as I mentioned when The Sundering Shattered the world, leaving pieces of it stuck between dimensions it also damaged the ancient natural wonders and miraculous artifacts that helped mystical essence properly gather and flow into the world, artifacts which connected the Four Peripheral Courts to the Center and to the Center through each other. While there are a number of stop gaps in place throughout the world to serve for the time being, they are limited by a number of factors and far less efficient."
"The problem with repairing and healing these great objects of power though is that in many cases the very measures that were put into place to protect them from being tampered with or destroyed have made them hard to get to, in other cases it was that no one had the skills needed to do the job. Finally, the one to repair each of the relics had to have something else in their job requirement, as these artifacts and wonders job was to connect the courts to the Center, so to must those who would heal and repair them be a bridge between those two lands."
"That is right each of you, your status as a hybrid between the Court of the Center and one of the peripheral courts, and the powers that you wield which sets you apart from what is considered normal from full breeds of your other court. Both of these will aid you in repairing these connections and helping the world heal, now none of these tasks are easy and each could very likely get you killed, that is why we need to help you learn every skill and master every ability so that you can not only complete the task assigned to you by destiny but also return alive."
"Duanzaolong, Maiden of the North, doubtlessly you are aware of your ability to manufacture gemstones using pyrokinesis and the appropriate raw material. There is a reason this is important for your destiny. You must ascend the phantasmal Mount Sang hua xie to repair the Talisman of Hengxing, replacing broken and shattered gems and crystals with new ones so that the stellar winds may be harnessed properly once again by the Tianshen of the Northern Court. Sadly, you cannot do so with your skills at what they are now as well as with such mundane flames, to that end you must train with the Handmaiden of the Tao and harmonize with the soul of your ancestor Qianbei Zunyan whose heart became the Handmaiden's sword. You must also be careful to never linger on the mountain until for too long because should you remain upon it when the sun sets you would risk joining the lost souls wandering that Mount San hua xie."
"Faolan, Maiden of the West, you are unique amongst the fae possessing both innate mystic ability as well as true shapeshifting, needing neither gift to harness the abilities of the other. You must use these powers to enter the Forest of Díthreabh which no being of civilization must tread upon and repair the damaged root of the world tree Yggdrasil with a graft so that the magic of nature will naturally flow through the Earth once more. However, at present you have yet to truly embrace the soul of the wild within you; moreover, you lack the versatility of glamour that would allow you to suppress the touch of civilization. To suit both ends you must take part in a walkabout to find the soul of the wolf within you and achieve the balance that you lack in yourself, because if you fail to be seen as a being who is a part of nature then the protectors of the Forest will strike you down without hesitation. Moreover you must also take care not to anger the serpent Nidhogg, the beast draws nourishment from the sap of the World Tree that it laps from an exposed root in the same pool as the damaged root."
"Aletheia, Maiden of the East, you are unique among the merfolk even of royal blood with your gift of healing. You must travel to the hidden part of the seas that lay at the edge of reality not meant for mortals to enter colloquially known as Davey Jones's Locker. It is at the center of this for place that you shall find the Chalice of Selána a vast and mysterious coral reef that distills the power of the moon for all the Eínain of the Eastern Court to thrive and fill the seas with abundance. Sadly, your healing gift is not yet developed to what it needs to be for such an undertaking, that is why saving the life of Qingu the last of the Tritons is so vital for it shall be the first step in unlocking the full potential of your powers for until you do so then healing the Chalice will be beyond your capabilities."
"Last but not least Mistral, Maiden of the South, your gift of psychometry is in many ways a curse. You have to power to observe the past simply by coming into contact with an object and focusing; though given the nascent weakness of the djinn to objects that are broken or destroyed this can be a risky ability. However, this ability will be essential to your own task. The penultimate solar ship of the djinn, the Sword of Shu crashed and broke into pieces in the Desert of Eloache Belhanach and broke into pieces, thankfully djinn construction is such that if those pieces can be reassembled with enough effort. The issue is that the plans to do so were destroyed during the Sundering so you must excavate the pieces of the vessel and reassemble it properly using your powers. The fact that you are a wind djinn will also work in your favor because the Desert of Eloache Belhanach is not composed of sand, but instead formed by the crumbled ruins of the first civilization of the Earth a place whose name was considered even a myth during the reign of Gaea, were you an earth djinn this would task would prove fatal, and an ifrit would find it impossible."
"Each of your task is dangerous; fortunately, your time to face your destiny's as the Cardinal Maidens, this gives you adequate time to prepare for each of these tasks, it also gives adequate chances for those who would seek to prevent each of you from achieving those destinies to do everything in their power to stop any or all of you including ending your lives. Make no mistake there are those who will seek to prevent the future that your various successes would bring for any number of reasons, from the perceived threat to the sovereignty of their people to the servants of the Great Old Ones who would seek to end your lives on principal to earn their master's favor. So not only must you hone your powers and skills to succeed in your destined task, you must do so to stay alive both until then and afterwards."
"Now that all of that is said and you understand the sheer scope of the task that lay ahead of each of you in the future that is to come, do you have any questions?" For the time being however none of the Cardinal Maidens said a thing, each of them was stunned over the sheer magnitude of their true destinies the four teenage girls were literally stunned into silence.
Seeing that he was not going to get a single question of the four demi-mutants for the moment, much to the amusement of the members of the Obsidian Circle who looked on from around the room. "Well I see that the four of you are likely far too exhausted from the events of the day for a question and answer session, I shall leave you to one of your hosts to escort you to the guest chambers which have been specially prepared for you so that you may rest."
Taking a que Erzebet Scratch stood from her seat and made his way towards the center of the room where the four maidens awaited, "As Fray has no doubt surmised the four of you are likely exhausted and need some place private both to introduce yourself to each other, as well as get some much-deserved rest. So please follow me and I shall escort you to the Chamber of Somnus." Numbly the four followed their host to their room with Faolan pushing Aletheia's wheelchair as they exited the rotunda, to be joined by Jane once more as they went each mulling over the magnitude of what had been unveiled to them just now.
Rather sooner than most of them would have liked the mystic mafia Dona touch the side of the corridor and pulled on a brass handle that appeared as with so many others the five of them had observed this evening, once inside the four saw a room that had been lavishly furnished for each of them, right down to some rather unique sleeping accommodations.
In one corner was a pit of black volcanic sand surrounded by artistically crafted granite, placed in such a way as that Duanzaolong of stretch out as much as she wanted. Moreover, the entire thing was made of igneous material so that her own innate heat would not be an issue with her accidentally starting a fire.
Next to the Northern Maiden's sand pit was another pit but this was lined with pillows and blankets with suspended perch that hung nearby from the ceiling, as if someone had built a round sofa into a recess in the floor. The accommodations were clearly made for Faolan and Jane's needs, not that either of them needed special accommodations for them to get comfortable in front of the gently crackling fireplace next to them.
Across from the place clearly suited for Faolan lay oddly enough an ornate marble pool that flowed and circulated so gently that those in the room could barely hear it, had areas shallow enough that Aletheia could recline within its waters and deep enough in others that she could slip below the surface and sleep submerged if she chose to do so.
The final sleeping place was a round queen-sized bed with frame of solid brass and an assortment of pillows, there was even a double canopy that the occupant could close if they so desired with one sheer for minimal privacy and the second more solid with an ornate mural woven into its threads. This was clearly Mistral's bed by process of elimination.
The rest of the room was carefully laid out so that none of the styles represented or clashed there was even a modest-sized kitchen with an oven and stove as well as a large refrigerator in the corner next to what looked like a breakfast nook just past Mistral's bed. While Mistral took in everything with wonder at the sheer opulence- Faolan, Duanzaolong and Aletheia all eyed it with suspicion. That was when Jane chose to break the ice as she flew from her perch on Faolan's shoulder to the one overlooking the recessed couch. "Well what do you say we girls get to know each other before we turn in, because this place looks like it was made for the ultimate slumber party."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 30
Fortuna Noctis
12:07 HADT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I walked with the three great heroes of Xuanzang's pilgrimage as well as one of their most powerful opponents turned disciple of Guanyin, Hai-er Hong, who marched with me at the center of a bar-cross formation. I don't think that any of us were willing to take our eyes off Baron Impié, the man who lead us down this hallway that he had literally summoned out of the ground.
"So, does anyone know anything about this guy?" I asked my group of escorts/body-guards in standard mandarin trying to keep our conversation secret, "I mean I was liberated from one faction of the Grand Hall a while back, I don't want to be enslaved to another."
"Do not worry maiden of the earth's hearths," Hai-er Hong spoke up as he tapped his spear against the path as we walked along, "as a fellow former slave to that lot I will die before I see anyone in bondage to them again, and make those who try to do so regret their course of action." Were my power's acting up because it was feeling a little warmer in here- no it must just be these stuffy corridors- yes that's all it is- nothing but stuffy corridors.
"Keep it in your pants Red," Wukong Sun remarked as we kept pace, "I've heard about this guy, and attacking him is a big mistake. He's marked, I don't know the particulars, but he must have pissed off someone very powerful because they marked Baron Impié off limits to anyone else. That means that anyone who attacks him will regret it... not live to regret it mind you- just regret it."
"The gender-bent simian is correct you know," Baron Impié replied in flawless mandarin as he turned to smile at us from beneath his opera mask, "although I welcome you to try, three unexpected guests are much easier to accommodate than four."
"So, you know how to speak Mandarin," Bajie observed.
"Actually, I am fluent in a great many languages from that region including Jin, Huizhou, Gan, Min, Xiang, Ping, Amoy, Fuzhou, Hakka, Cantonese, Taihu, Taizhou, and Xuanzhou." Baron Impié bragged with a wry smile, "I know that isn't all of them, but I make it a point to try and broaden my horizons, when you've been alive as long as I have it pays to make use of empty time."
"Then I guess trying to keep our conversations secret around you is useless," I shot back.
"Unfortunately, even telepathy wouldn't allow you to have secret conversation in this place. If you possessed that gift you'd soon learn that the broadcast thoughts of guests just echo off the walls of this citadel for all to hear. So far the only conversations that can be kept secret inside these walls are those through the link between a master and their familiar." The warlock explained as he resumed guiding us to our destination.
"Out of concern for my student just where is this Fortuna Noctis?" Sha Wujing asked our gracious host, "I would be less concerned if you would at least share that much with us."
"I'm afraid that with the Fortuna Noctis our location is more a matter of when than where." Baron Impié explained, "the location of this citadel changes every hour to a new location across the globe, but there is always one constant no matter what. For you see wherever we are it is always between the stroke of midnight and one in the morning, and the split second before the clock strikes one the entire citadel hops to a new location."
"Where the clock has just struck midnight," Wukong observed from Baron Impié's explanation, "yeah that fits from what I've heard about the Obsidian Circle over the years. You lot love to work in the dark and in the shadows, even convinced most of the world that almost all of you bought the farm."
"A necessary ruse I'm afraid," the Baron sighed as if in annoyance, "while we had to come out of the shadows for the purpose of helping found the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom in the first place to suit one of the many items on our agenda, staying public in such a manner for too long was counter-productive at the time. So, one by one we fell to the heroes of the age and thus could once again operate in secret- until we needed to emerge again when another item in our agenda was about to bear fruit."
"The maidens of the courts you mentioned," I interrupted, "I know that I'm one from The Wayfarer that the others are a fairy, a mermaid, and a genie but why do you need us? Just what is all this about?"
Despite the brief flash of fear that I saw when I mentioned Kelsey's job title this Baron Impié's demeanor returned as if he was unfazed by that nugget of information. "I'm afraid that the answer to that question will have to wait for the arrival of the Southern Maiden, as for the Eastern and Western Maidens- although they have arrived their room is rather crowded. So, I'm afraid that you and your...entourage shall have to await the arrival of the Southern Maiden in the Salon Enchanteresse."
Soon our host reached for the wall when a fancy pair of doors appeared whose crystal knobs he was already griping. With flourish Baron Impié opened the pair of doors to a finely decorated room that looked like it was out of a period film set in a European Mansion. All around us I could see works of art that I could tell from several willing school field trips to the Seattle Art Museum (and a few extracurricular ones) reflected every period of western art since the fall of the Roman Empire, there were even a few Chinese and Korean works whose styles were went back centuries. "I wonder how many places you had to rob to line these walls?" I muttered to myself.
"None I am proud to say," Baron Impié remarked with a wry smile as he guided us inside the expensively furnished gallery, "all of these works were purchased legally over the centuries and are preserved and maintained by the magic of our citadel, some were even commissioned from artists who later came to be famous in their own right. We even have a few Van Gogh's that are completely unknown to the outside world, those an attaché of mine actually purchased from poor Vincent for the price of enough food to fill his cupboards- truly a master who was unappreciated in his own time."
The warlock actually looked like he felt sad over the thought of the depressed and impoverished Dutch Impressionist, "Please feel free to relax and enjoy the accommodations, someone shall be along shortly to see to your needs."
As our host stepped outside the double doors and shut them behind him as he did so, the entrance to the room vanished only to be replaced by a full-figured portrait, something told me that smashing our way out of here was a non-option.
"This sorcerer clearly underestimates who he has in this room," Hai-er stated as his eyes and mouth began to glow white.
"Whoa, hold your horses," I shouted as I leaped in front of Hai-er, "I doubt that would actually work and even if it did we don't know anything about this place or even where we are. Plus, it's an outright crime in my eyes to deface a Botticelli in a botched escape attempt."
"Duanzaolong has a point," Sha Wujing explained as he carefully set his yueyachan in the slots of a free-standing weapon's rack that had appeared in the room. "Also, judging by our host's explanation of this fortress's mechanics of place, we are currently somewhere in the Pacific at the moment, and may not even be on dry land at present. To attempt to escape with such limited information would be foolish. In any likelihood we’re not his only 'guests' and if we needed to escape chances are weed need to rescue the other three maidens. So, let's first see just how this gathering of the Four Maidens turns out while we learn as much as we can. After that we shall contemplate escape, that is should we find that such an action is truly necessary."
12:24 AM IDLW
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
As grandfather and I walked into the hallway I took in the architecture around me, so this was the Fortuna Noctis the fortress that my grandfather and countless others of the Obsidian Circle created over the course of centuries. According to uncle Anubis this was where the Circle routinely met to plan and decide how best to defend the world and fight back against the greatest threat that the world ever knew, the Great Old Ones a collective term that many used to describe numerous warped abominations from beyond the stars, as well as from beyond reality itself.
I didn't know exactly how I was going to do it but apparently, my destiny as the Southern Maiden had something to do with these unfathomable demons, and I was soon going to find out. "Well grandpa, I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be to meet the others and learn everything."
"That can wait for a little bit my dear," grandfather responded as he guided me to a door that appeared in the side of the wall. "First there is someone who has been waiting too long to meet you."
As we stepped inside I saw a garden with a man and a woman arguing by a bench, "-what if we have nothing in common, I mean she's grown up raised by a monster who treated her like scum. What is she blames me for not coming to save her?"
"Greygus, you had no idea that she had even existed, nor could you have known. The Cult of the Black Pharaoh abducted her mother and made it look like the woman had died in another act of Drug Cartel violence." The woman whose face I saw was hidden behind a porcelain mask which looked like she had shed a tear chided the man whose name identified him as my father, so this is who my grandfather meant. "Besides something tells me that she's far more eager to meet you than you would care to admit."
"Daddy," I all but squeaked out as I unmasked showing the man my face as he turned to meet my eyes, I could see the similarities is his attire to what Anubis was when he came to rescue me from that ogre, granted there were differences. Unlike Uncle Anubis dad's armor was clearly meant more for direct combat, there was less style and more substance which spoke more of a practical need than embellished details. Another key difference was the head while the both had a helm that was canine in appearance dads was broader and less pointy, clearly based off a predator rather than a scavenger, granted I knew that the design wasn't a cosmetic one.
My father just stood there for a moment as if in shock, then in the blink of an eye he had swapped me up in his arms in a powerful hug, almost like he was afraid that if he let go I would fade away and cease to be. "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry," Dad sobbed as tears cascaded down his muzzle, "I didn't know what really happened. I thought that your mother died in one of the pointless skirmishes between the Cartels. If I had known..."
"There still would have been nothing you could have done," I did my best to reassure him, "I didn't even notice the truth about who I was for years until that shell I was stuffed inside got a crack in it big enough for me to use my powers to see the truth."
After wiggling out of his firm paternal hug, not that I minded it felt nice having a parent who really cared, but now wasn't the time- later maybe but not now. "Uncle Dirge said that I'm what's called a psychometrist, I can read the past from objects, that's how I started to learn the truth the shell around my hands must have touched my real skin on my face allowing me to see the truth."
"The vision didn't happen to show you where your mother is did it?" Father asked clearly desperate for answers.
"Unfortunately, all I learned was be being born and then sealed inside that- I guess that it was a golem," I sadly told him the truth, "the only thing that I have of her is a memory of her face and her voice, but I can probably learn more using the shards and my powers later."
"Fine but just know that I'll do my best to help you piece this together and find her," dad promised as he patted me on the shoulder before giving it a firm squeeze, "I can't promise that I'll ever be able to make up for all of the time that we missed together as a family but the least that I can do is help us come to together as one."
"Are you sure?" I asked hopeful that it was the case, "I mean if that memory was right after I was born than it happened fifteen years ago. Are you sure that the people who arranged all of this would keep her alive all this time?"
"If this is the group that I think it is than your father is correct," grandpa began to explain doing his best to reassure me, "magic has rules- especially certain varieties of magic. To help ensure that shell they trapped you would grow with you they needed her alive to maintain the spell. As for now she is either being used as a hostage or as bait, but don't worry we shall find them and then they will learn the folly of their ways."
"If you would pardon me I think it would be best that I get ready for the ceremony," the woman who had been consoling my dad began to make her way out of the room clearly wanting to let us have a family moment.
"Pardon me miss," I called out wanting to get the masked woman's attention, "I just wanted to thank you for trying to console my dad."
"Actually my dear it's misses, but I am more commonly known as Madam Eventide," the masked woman replied as she looked me over, "I gather you are the Southern Maiden, something tells me you're going to be beating the boys off with a stick when you get to the Academy. I shall leave you to get caught up with your family my dear."
After she left one thing crossed both my mind and my lips, "Academy?"
"The Whateley Academy my dear," Grandpa explained as he took a seat on the now vacant bench, "an academic boarding school for mutants as well as occasional empowered teenagers. Actually, the Eastern and Western Maiden both attend that school, and the Eastern Maiden's mother is the Headmistress."
"So, let me guess," I slightly deflated as a bitter conclusion crossed my mind, "I'll be going there too." I knew that this was too good to be true, I finally met my real family only to be thrust away from them soon after."
"Maybe when the next school year rolls around," Grandfather replied, "you do need some time to get to know the real you as well as learn more about our culture. There is also your coming of age ceremony in a few months that we shall have to prepare for, besides we won't be too far- Erzebet Scratch has a private villa a couple of counties over so one of us can always drop in to visit on the weekends or whenever you need us."
"No joke," Greygus chuckled as a smile crossed his muzzle, "knowing mom I wouldn't be surprised if she stops by to visit her new granddaughter every few days and embarrass the hell out of you in the process."
"Besides, while I know that your friend Daniel is the real deal and Walter was obviously cared enough for you to risk his life, the fact of the matter is your false life as Paul Ledoux is over." Grandpa explained with a sigh, "You can hardly return to your old school as you are now, the fact that you are counted among the sub-group of humanity known as mutants now means that you have a different target on your back- one with far more people willing to attack you then for your former self's romantic-preference. That coupled with the fact that you will already be monitored or targeted by a number of other groups for your parentage means that you need a more secure location to learn how to use your abilities, and we don't want the Scarlet Sands to come to feel like a home to you not some manner of prison akin to an ivory tower."
I wanted to open my mouth to object to what grandpa was saying but I knew he was right, even if my new home was actually feeling like a home there would still be times that you'd want to get out of the house and see the world. The problem with getting out of that house was knowing just who my family was that meant that leaving the house could be a dangerous affair, especially since that house was in a city that was a Mecca for vacationers cut from many clothes, my family's enemies could literally hide in a crowd and I'd never see them coming.
"And the other maidens are there already?" I asked as my perspective began to clear. "Won't that mean that I'll be behind them?"
"Iris Maria Seguin, you need to understand that just because they are a little older than you and have a little more experience than you- does not mean that you are any less important." Dad looked at me and I could swear that as he did it was as if he not only looked at me but into me as well. "If anything, it means that you have girls a year older than you to help show you the ropes around school, if you besides if you get to know them you might actually make a couple of new friends in the bargain."
I smiled at that thought, I couldn't help it, almost every kid I knew dreaded the thought of being forced to pick up and move to a new place whoever knows how far away, torn away from the people who they care about. Thankfully I only had a handful of people who fit that bill, for the most part my home in Boulder City was a collection of bad memories; the woman who raised me turned out to be nothing more than a mercenary who worked for the monsters that kidnapped my mother- monsters who still had her...somewhere. Probably the same pit where I was born and trapped in that shell, I know that I still didn't know where she was, but I knew that as soon as I could that I would help dad rescue her.
I just wanted this moment to last a little longer that was why the sound to the door opening behind us made my heart turn heavy, I turned to face the entrance to find a feminine marionette with a crystal ball for a head standing in the door-way. "I hate to interrupt this family moment Greygus, you know that no one values spending time with their children like I do, but the Western and Eastern Maidens are now awake and ready- it is time that the four learn of their coming trials as well as their destinies."
"I know Mistress Nyx," dad deflated with a deep sigh, "I just wish that we had more time together before...you know she finds this all out."
"I know Greygus," Mistress Nyx sighed in her hauntingly echoed voice, "however if there is one thing that I know it's that we can't keep children from growing up, it is just unfair how you were never allowed to watch her grow up."
"If the universe was fair we would never have to worry about extra-dimensional demons like the Old Ones wreaking havoc upon reality." Grandpa growled, "That is why it is up to beings of free agency such as ourselves to make the universe fair one battle at a time."
"It still doesn't make this any easier dad," dad grit his teeth while he punched a column whose cracks healed as soon as he withdrew his fist, "can I at least be there with her when she learns of her destiny?"
"Son, you know the rule that we agreed upon so long ago," Grandfather sighed as he steeled himself against my father's pleas, "Other than the seated members of the Obsidian Circle and the Four Maidens, the only one allowed to be here during the ceremony is a single representative of the Grey Barrow, and that is Fray."
"It still doesn't make this any easier," Greygus deflated almost as if what was about to happen knocked the wind right out of him.
"If any of this were easy the Circle would be bigger than it is," Mistress Nyx stated, "Lord Khamsin, if you would accompany the Southern Maiden and I to the Chamber of Clarity, it is time for the destinies of the Four Cardinal Maidens to be revealed to them."
I knew that there would be no arguing to get out of this, something told me that some of the other members of the Obsidian Circle might be far less...accommodating to me than grandpa, Madam Eventide and Mistress Nyx had been. Besides this would be my first meeting with my fellow maidens I didn't want to make a bad first impression, that and the fact that I was about to meet a fairy, a mermaid and a dragon all at once was enough to stoke the fires of curiosity within me.
I continued to follow grandfather and Mistress Nyx down the corridors of the Obsidian Circles with butterflies in my stomach becoming increasingly better at making themselves known. Eventually, far sooner than I had hoped, we found our way at the end of a hallway where a foreboding metal double-door appeared. I balked for a moment before reapplying my mask, "Alright Mistral- time to meet your fellow maidens."
No longer willing to let my fear hold me back I pushed upon the door, which pushed inward, and stepped through- it was time for me to meet the others and learn my *GULP* destiny.
Chamber of Clarity - Fortuna Noctis
12:00 AM MAGT
The Chamber of Clarity was an oddly designed room and just as oddly furnished, it was a rotunda with four doors equidistant from each other that faced an odd set of tables with three pivoting chairs in the center of the room. The chairs (with the exception of one vacant spot) were seated around a single round-table in the exact center of the room each with a curved table behind them that looked like they would form a ring if they were fit from end to end. Meanwhile in the alcove between the doors there was another set of tables and chairs many of which were currently occupied.
All around the room most of the Obsidian Circle waited patiently for the moment to come Mister Domino, Dame Hollefeuer, Conté Enigma, Bishop Brimstone, Madam Eventide and Don Astio waited for their remaining colleagues as well as their five guests. At once the four doors of the room flew open through each stepped the last member of their order Erzebet Scratch, Lord Khamsin, Mistress Nyx and Baron Impié as well as the chosen representative of the Grey Barrow Fray, and accompanying those five were the true guests of the evening the four Cardinal Maidens.
The Northern and Southern Maidens carefully sized up the Eastern and Western Maidens, as well as each other and everyone else in the room. While the Eastern and Western Maidens did size up their Northern and Southern counterparts they were far better at maintaining their composure over the current situation as they did so. Nevertheless, comfort or not all made their way down to the vacant chairs in the center of the room, baring the Eastern Maiden who simply rolled her borrowed wheel-chair into the vacant place between the Northern and Southern Maidens with the Western Maiden there to give her support (an act that she reciprocated).
The composures of the four could not have been any different from one another:
Zhen-yu Chen, the Northern Maiden who chose the moniker of Duanzaolong could not have been wound any tighter, here she was the unwilling guest of a faction of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom for the second time in her life, and while they had done nothing to earn her enmity they had yet to truly do anything to earn her trust either. There was also the matter of the other three maidens, they were still too much of an unknown to Duanzaolong and she still resented the fact that the Western Maiden had been allowed to escape the torment of captivity that she had to experience as a slave of the Merchants of Suffering.
Randi Bridges, the Western Maiden who had gone by the identity of Faolan even before she learned of her place among the other three was keeping her emotions in check. Faolan did not trust any of the Obsidian Circle given her unpleasant experience where she technically died from her second encounter with their machinations and the first had left her with mental scars that remained even after she was exorcised prior to the death of her original body. The Circle hadn't even let her bring Jane to this gathering insisting that she was not allowed.
Beatrice Carson, the Eastern Maiden also known as Aletheia had yet to have any direct encounters with the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom before today either in her admittingly short life of autonomy or through Cytheria. Tonight, however she had experience both evil and ambivalence from the Grand Hall, the evil of the Children of the Night who had unleashed wanton destruction in the forms of both a horde of the undead as well as havoc from a series of incendiary explosives around the city that least who knew how many dead and injured not to mention homeless as they had their lives destroyed all so that they could lure herself and Faolan out in to the open to kill them. To counter-balance the wanton destruction of the Children of the Night had been their rescue by the operatives of the Obsidian Circle who while equally brutal from what she had seen, had yet to demonstrate any direct harm to them and even sought to accommodate their visit; she also had to admit that Greygus and Miseo as hosts went were made every effort to be amicable, or as far as they could given their order's.
Iris Seguin the newly revealed Southern Maiden, who had chosen the codename Mistral on a whim, was intimidated and overwhelmed but not by the Obsidian Circle or even by her surroundings. No, Mistral was overwhelmed by how much her life had changed over the simple course of a day. She had learned that her mom was actually an accessory to kidnapping both her and her biological mom, that she was a girl literally trapped in a guy's body (a situation that was now rectified), that her father and grandfather were not only supervillains but also djinn that had been worshiped as gods by the Ancient Egyptians, but on top of all of that she had some sort of grand destiny that involved the three girls across the table from her who were just as much dragon, fairy or mermaid as she was djinn- the entire thing was just so unbelievable that she was still coming to terms with how incredible her life had turned out to be.
The four girls simply say in silence waiting for one of them to say something- anything about what all this was about, to their shock the one to speak up wasn't any of them...it was Fray. "I know that the four of you are wondering why you are here and what all this is about, unfortunately that is a long story- a long story without a happy ending. Now then I would please ask for the four of you save questions and comments for the end."
"Eons before the current age of man," Fray began his tale as an image projected from the table between the four. "The world was divided not between simply countries, but between races as well. Countless groups in loosely organized nations fought each other for territory and resources much like they do today either through conflict, subterfuge, alliance or diplomacy, but underneath it all were races of people simply trying to do what they could to ensure their legacies and the future of their children."
"Records of this time were spotty because much was lost in the events to follow; what was recorded was that one day there was a series of violent tremors, not simple earthquakes mind you but a feeling like the very fabric of reality was damaged, For a time people tried to shrug it off as nothing but not much time had passed before the consequences of those tremors made themselves known, that was the day something had made their way into our dimension beings that we know today as the Great Old Ones."
"These beings were so alien, that not only were they abhorrent to behold but they also held little regard for the lives and well-being's of any creature they came across. These invaders saw as much value in the inhabitants of this world as you would a colony of ants, and some were just as amused to break out the insecticide and the magnifying glass. We have no real record of just how long this terror went on for, however what we do know is that Gaea a powerful denizen of the group that humanity was a part of rose up, rallied and united all of the peoples of that ancient planet and wagged a war the likes of which this world has not seen before or since."
"After the conflicts died down the Old Ones that didn't flee for their lives were either dead or imprisoned, this was the beginning of the time known as the Five-Fold Courts of with the first incarnation of Atlantis at its center. Unfortunately, this undertaking was not without its prices, many were lost in the fight, so peoples were even wiped out of existence. Still in spite of the loss, peace was won and for a time a golden age descended upon the Earth, life was fruitful, and trade-routes were opened to the denizens of distant worlds."
The four looked on as the images of daily life in ancient cities inhabited by each of the Five-Courts played out before them, Faolan saw the ancient version of what she had experienced on her sojourns to the Goblin Market (albeit with less darkness and more vibrancy), while Aletheia marveled at more scenes akin to those she observed in the Hall of Echoes. Mistral studied intently at the daily life of the djinn, her people as they went about their daily lives even with children playing some manner of ball game making use of elemental manipulation. Duanzaolong initially tried to ignore the images that played out before her yet grew intrigued as she began to see things that bared a distant resemblance to the various customs she recognized from her home in the Seattle International District.
"Sadly, such prosperity is never meant to last, for eventually the memory of the great battles fought against the Old Ones faded- into half-forgotten legend. When the memory of Demonic Horrors who shook the very fabric of reality became reduced to mere boogey men, eventually people also began to forget reason for the comradery and similarities that bonded them together and they once again began to see the differences. It was around this time that the unthinkable happened, Queen Gaea who united the world and saved all those who dwelled upon it from an unspeakably ghastly fate fell into a deep-slumber from which none could awaken her."
"This was evidentially all it took, the news that Gaea, the great queen who had united all was no longer in power, was no longer present for the peace to begin to deteriorate. Despite the best efforts of her seven powerful daughters who did their best to rule in her stead, the Five-Fold Court began a gradual descent into Civil War. The Four Kingdoms on the periphery saw no need to so closely ally themselves with the seemingly vacant throne of Atlantis and became more insular, first figuratively and then literally. The monarchs of the four lands saw no need to remain as united as they had been a began to split their lands from the super-continent of Pangaea." The four maidens looked on as disagreements sparks riots, and then uprisings until the land itself began to break apart, yet despite being about as normal as such a thing could be it looked like something more was happening.
"What the monarchs of these lands, many of whom were beginning to further divide the territories of these Courts among themselves, did not realize was that by destabilizing the structure of the continent as they had also destabilized the prisons of the long captive Old Ones. While these cracks were not yet wide enough for these demons to free themselves, it was more than enough for the most devious among them to begin sowing seeds that would see their eventual liberation."
"The Old Ones most effective tool then as now was reaching out with whispered promises of power, wealth and prestige to those who were ambitious and avaricious enough to listen. Eventually those who could be lured into serving them by founding cults and attracting those desperate enough to cast aside common sense for easy answers or purpose. Eventually these cults grew in power enough to widen the cracks in those prisons allowing their masters to return, as if this was not bad enough many of the leaders of those cults had been so warped and changed by their master's that they began to cast aside who they once were to become abominations themselves."
Faolan and Aletheia both steeled their thoughts, each of them knew of two individuals who served as perfect examples to what Fray was referring to namely The Bastard and Dagon. Meanwhile Mistral began to wonder if the Black Pharaoh that her grandfather had mentioned was one of these warped cult leaders.
"At first the leaders of the now factionalized courts considered these cults a nuisance and tried to stamp them out, often to little effect, sadly by the time the leaders of the Five Courts recognized the true magnitude of the threat they were under it was too late. Never the less as in times long past those of the Courts pulled together to fight the now reemerging Old Ones, yet without Gaea all they could manage was a stalemate."
"That was when a corrupted fae lycanthrope cult leader came up with a spell, a vile work of arcane devilry that would kill most of the leadership while further fracturing reality to allow further Old Ones to gain access to our world. Fortunately, the spell that he cast that dark day was interrupted, for the corrupt one did not know that Queen Aunghadheil of the fae was aware of his plans and sought to stop him no matter the cost. Leading her fellow fae queens in secret far behind the lines of the Old Ones armies, Queen Aunghadheil proceeded to interrupt the spell and cause it to violently disperse."
The Maidens looked on in awe at the nine magnificent fae who fought The Bastard with all they had, Faolan and Aletheia were in shock at just how much Fey back at Whateley had grown to resemble a far younger Aunghadheil. Mistral was actually in awe of what she saw unfolding, as well as the fierce and magnificent beauty of the fae queens. Duanzaolong meanwhile had her face screwed in conflict, just what was racing through her mind.
"While the dark spell did not work as intended there were far reaching consequences when it failed; the entire earth shattered with entire continents falling into newly formed dimensional rifts, the ancient artifacts and wonders that the people of the Courts depended on were lost or broken, indeed the Earth as it had been for countless ages was no more."
As if to illustrate this fact the Maidens observed as large swaths of land broke off and drifted away from the planet. Eventually though everything began to stabilize, that was when Faolan and Duanzaolong both noticed patterns to these broken away swaths of land, thankfully though they kept this to themselves...for the moment.
"In time the dust settled, and people began to start over. Some did their best to recreate what had been lost," images flashed of the dragons and Tianshin crafting new homes in the Jade Heavens and several djinn and daemons getting to work shaping new homelands, even groups of merfolk sought to create new kingdoms some even with the Earth's seas. As well as bands of Fae trying to make the wildlands a new home.
"Some simply forgot and tried to move on and start over from scratch choosing to forget the horrors that they had witnessed unfold," the maidens watched at the modern age of man arise from hunter gatherers, to city states and modern nations.
"Some however chose to recreate the past in their own image seeking out power and dominance rather than the obligation that a ruler would have to their people." Faolan and Mistral winced as they saw the rise of the Courts of Summer and Winter as well as the followers of Iblis who had to be sealed by the followers of Solomon.
"If only things had stayed this way there would be little need for either the Obsidian Circle or the Grey Barrow, however the Old Ones were only thwarted not defeated many were simply thrown back inside their damaged cages by this Sundering. No all the Old Ones needed was time, time to rebuild their cults and lick their wounds. Some still had sufficient power to cause considerable mayhem through their followers though, one merman named Dagon, a priest in the Cult of Cthulhu, showed this in spades. He actually cursed the entire world with the spilled blood of a triton king to twist all merfolk not of royal blood over time into violent soulless monsters."
Faolan, Mistral and Duanzaolong blanched as they saw a beautiful mermaid violently transform into a feral deep one, while Aletheia wept at the sight of the unfortunate woman who had her mind, future and even her soul torn away by Dagon's terrible curse.
"Indeed, the Old Ones continue to work such vile acts through their followers until this very day and there is only so much that anyone can do at present to stop them." That was when a series of odd images appeared on the map of the shattered world, "You see as I mentioned when The Sundering Shattered the world, leaving pieces of it stuck between dimensions it also damaged the ancient natural wonders and miraculous artifacts that helped mystical essence properly gather and flow into the world, artifacts which connected the Four Peripheral Courts to the Center and to the Center through each other. While there are a number of stop gaps in place throughout the world to serve for the time being, they are limited by a number of factors and far less efficient."
"The problem with repairing and healing these great objects of power though is that in many cases the very measures that were put into place to protect them from being tampered with or destroyed have made them hard to get to, in other cases it was that no one had the skills needed to do the job. Finally, the one to repair each of the relics had to have something else in their job requirement, as these artifacts and wonders job was to connect the courts to the Center, so to must those who would heal and repair them be a bridge between those two lands."
"That is right each of you, your status as a hybrid between the Court of the Center and one of the peripheral courts, and the powers that you wield which sets you apart from what is considered normal from full breeds of your other court. Both of these will aid you in repairing these connections and helping the world heal, now none of these tasks are easy and each could very likely get you killed, that is why we need to help you learn every skill and master every ability so that you can not only complete the task assigned to you by destiny but also return alive."
"Duanzaolong, Maiden of the North, doubtlessly you are aware of your ability to manufacture gemstones using pyrokinesis and the appropriate raw material. There is a reason this is important for your destiny. You must ascend the phantasmal Mount Sang hua xie to repair the Talisman of Hengxing, replacing broken and shattered gems and crystals with new ones so that the stellar winds may be harnessed properly once again by the Tianshen of the Northern Court. Sadly, you cannot do so with your skills at what they are now as well as with such mundane flames, to that end you must train with the Handmaiden of the Tao and harmonize with the soul of your ancestor Qianbei Zunyan whose heart became the Handmaiden's sword. You must also be careful to never linger on the mountain until for too long because should you remain upon it when the sun sets you would risk joining the lost souls wandering that Mount San hua xie."
"Faolan, Maiden of the West, you are unique amongst the fae possessing both innate mystic ability as well as true shapeshifting, needing neither gift to harness the abilities of the other. You must use these powers to enter the Forest of Díthreabh which no being of civilization must tread upon and repair the damaged root of the world tree Yggdrasil with a graft so that the magic of nature will naturally flow through the Earth once more. However, at present you have yet to truly embrace the soul of the wild within you; moreover, you lack the versatility of glamour that would allow you to suppress the touch of civilization. To suit both ends you must take part in a walkabout to find the soul of the wolf within you and achieve the balance that you lack in yourself, because if you fail to be seen as a being who is a part of nature then the protectors of the Forest will strike you down without hesitation. Moreover you must also take care not to anger the serpent Nidhogg, the beast draws nourishment from the sap of the World Tree that it laps from an exposed root in the same pool as the damaged root."
"Aletheia, Maiden of the East, you are unique among the merfolk even of royal blood with your gift of healing. You must travel to the hidden part of the seas that lay at the edge of reality not meant for mortals to enter colloquially known as Davey Jones's Locker. It is at the center of this for place that you shall find the Chalice of Selána a vast and mysterious coral reef that distills the power of the moon for all the Eínain of the Eastern Court to thrive and fill the seas with abundance. Sadly, your healing gift is not yet developed to what it needs to be for such an undertaking, that is why saving the life of Qingu the last of the Tritons is so vital for it shall be the first step in unlocking the full potential of your powers for until you do so then healing the Chalice will be beyond your capabilities."
"Last but not least Mistral, Maiden of the South, your gift of psychometry is in many ways a curse. You have to power to observe the past simply by coming into contact with an object and focusing; though given the nascent weakness of the djinn to objects that are broken or destroyed this can be a risky ability. However, this ability will be essential to your own task. The penultimate solar ship of the djinn, the Sword of Shu crashed and broke into pieces in the Desert of Eloache Belhanach and broke into pieces, thankfully djinn construction is such that if those pieces can be reassembled with enough effort. The issue is that the plans to do so were destroyed during the Sundering so you must excavate the pieces of the vessel and reassemble it properly using your powers. The fact that you are a wind djinn will also work in your favor because the Desert of Eloache Belhanach is not composed of sand, but instead formed by the crumbled ruins of the first civilization of the Earth a place whose name was considered even a myth during the reign of Gaea, were you an earth djinn this would task would prove fatal, and an ifrit would find it impossible."
"Each of your task is dangerous; fortunately, your time to face your destiny's as the Cardinal Maidens, this gives you adequate time to prepare for each of these tasks, it also gives adequate chances for those who would seek to prevent each of you from achieving those destinies to do everything in their power to stop any or all of you including ending your lives. Make no mistake there are those who will seek to prevent the future that your various successes would bring for any number of reasons, from the perceived threat to the sovereignty of their people to the servants of the Great Old Ones who would seek to end your lives on principal to earn their master's favor. So not only must you hone your powers and skills to succeed in your destined task, you must do so to stay alive both until then and afterwards."
"Now that all of that is said and you understand the sheer scope of the task that lay ahead of each of you in the future that is to come, do you have any questions?" For the time being however none of the Cardinal Maidens said a thing, each of them was stunned over the sheer magnitude of their true destinies the four teenage girls were literally stunned into silence.
Seeing that he was not going to get a single question of the four demi-mutants for the moment, much to the amusement of the members of the Obsidian Circle who looked on from around the room. "Well I see that the four of you are likely far too exhausted from the events of the day for a question and answer session, I shall leave you to one of your hosts to escort you to the guest chambers which have been specially prepared for you so that you may rest."
Taking a que Erzebet Scratch stood from her seat and made his way towards the center of the room where the four maidens awaited, "As Fray has no doubt surmised the four of you are likely exhausted and need some place private both to introduce yourself to each other, as well as get some much-deserved rest. So please follow me and I shall escort you to the Chamber of Somnus." Numbly the four followed their host to their room with Faolan pushing Aletheia's wheelchair as they exited the rotunda, to be joined by Jane once more as they went each mulling over the magnitude of what had been unveiled to them just now.
Rather sooner than most of them would have liked the mystic mafia Dona touch the side of the corridor and pulled on a brass handle that appeared as with so many others the five of them had observed this evening, once inside the four saw a room that had been lavishly furnished for each of them, right down to some rather unique sleeping accommodations.
In one corner was a pit of black volcanic sand surrounded by artistically crafted granite, placed in such a way as that Duanzaolong of stretch out as much as she wanted. Moreover, the entire thing was made of igneous material so that her own innate heat would not be an issue with her accidentally starting a fire.
Next to the Northern Maiden's sand pit was another pit but this was lined with pillows and blankets with suspended perch that hung nearby from the ceiling, as if someone had built a round sofa into a recess in the floor. The accommodations were clearly made for Faolan and Jane's needs, not that either of them needed special accommodations for them to get comfortable in front of the gently crackling fireplace next to them.
Across from the place clearly suited for Faolan lay oddly enough an ornate marble pool that flowed and circulated so gently that those in the room could barely hear it, had areas shallow enough that Aletheia could recline within its waters and deep enough in others that she could slip below the surface and sleep submerged if she chose to do so.
The final sleeping place was a round queen-sized bed with frame of solid brass and an assortment of pillows, there was even a double canopy that the occupant could close if they so desired with one sheer for minimal privacy and the second more solid with an ornate mural woven into its threads. This was clearly Mistral's bed by process of elimination.
The rest of the room was carefully laid out so that none of the styles represented or clashed there was even a modest-sized kitchen with an oven and stove as well as a large refrigerator in the corner next to what looked like a breakfast nook just past Mistral's bed. While Mistral took in everything with wonder at the sheer opulence- Faolan, Duanzaolong and Aletheia all eyed it with suspicion. That was when Jane chose to break the ice as she flew from her perch on Faolan's shoulder to the one overlooking the recessed couch. "Well what do you say we girls get to know each other before we turn in, because this place looks like it was made for the ultimate slumber party."
6 years 4 months ago #41
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
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Chamber of Somnus
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POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
"Um, why is that bird talking?" The girl whose codename was as Mistral asked as she stared at Jane with an odd look on as much of her face as I could see through the Luchador mask, what can I say I may have never paid attention to wrestling since I considered that it was pretty much the male equivalent to soap operas, but I learned enough through osmosis during elementary school. I will admit that I didn't expect a genie to be dressed as an Egyptian-themed lady luchador but granted my experiences with the Southern Court, at least that I was aware of, had been limited to one gremlin that my sister knew from her time enthralled to Plagiat.
The dragon though I will admit fit one of the two pictures in my mind's-eye when I heard that as a half-breed she'd look like an anthropomorphic dragon, granted the other was a far more western look with maybe some armor thrown in more aesthetic- okay I was thinking of Mink from Dragon Half. Still a Chinese-dragon lady in a cheongsam, she certainly didn't care about stereotypes granted she might want to rethink her costume when she got to Whateley otherwise the teasing would never-end- as would the attempts by the Dragons and the Power Rangers to rush her into their clubs. I just hope that Jade didn't feel jealous over a perceived risk of losing Thuban to her, because I had already heard about how she and Demona were dealing with their spotty rivalry over the leader of Faction-5.
Although it was probably a good time to answer Mistral's question, "Her name is Jane and she's my familiar, also she's really a storm elemental not a normal bird."
"Um, I'll admit not to knowing what a familiar is but how can a bird be a storm elemental?" Mistral asked as she scrutinized Jane even more, "I'm a wind elemental and I heard that birds were more often associated with fire and water."
"Only among the djinn," Jane responded, "other courts have different conscious associations just as those with those elements among those courts have different ranks amongst the mindset of their people just as those of different courts have different strengths and weaknesses."
"Oh, so the bird is the brains of your outfit," the dragon lady crassly remarked as she wandered over to the sand pit began looking it over, "figures that a mermaid and a sparkly fairy wouldn't be in charge."
"We are equals you walking handbag and you should be aware that there are more to the faefolk than pixies," I glared at our representative of the Northern Court who was clearly lacking in the grace and decorum that the dragons of the orient were fabled to possess, then again such tales often reflected more on the cultures that told them than the underlying truth behind them.
"Well- well- well it looks like Tinkerbelle here needs to get taken down a peg or two." Our not so friendly dragon bared her fangs before materializing two balls of flame in her taloned-hands with a snap of her claws before stalking my direction.
Making an effort to keep my movements hidden beneath my cloak I activated my nutrient pump with my left hand and drew Sydan from her sheath with my right all the while shifting right into my rage wolf form, if this dragon girl wanted to start things with me I was going to show her that she'd bit off more than she could chew if this demi-fae as I bared my teeth.
We were about ten feet apart when all of a sudden, the room started spinning and not only did the both of us fall to the floor but so did Mistral, Jane was even leaning to one side on her perch.
"Really Randi, I don't know about her, but I really expected better behavior from you," Bea explained as she began to verbally dress me down, "you are the second oldest of us and have a lot more experience in regard to social interaction than I do but you let someone goad you into a fight, especially when she obviously has clear trust issues."
"I know Bea- I know- I need to work on my temper," I replied now that my temper had started to cool down a bit at her admonishment, for good measure I picked up and sheathed Sydan while activating the emergency pump stop on my right vambrace wincing mild pain as the iron stud nudged me transforming me back to my normal form. "It's just hard you know, all those years with Carcharoth in my head really left their mark, I'm just now starting to see how his influence shaped some of my opinions and attitudes growing up- it's really embarrassing. By the way just how did you do that?"
"Subsonic vibrations- they affected the bones in your inner ear to give you a temporary case of vertigo," Bea smiled with a touch of pride, "Sorcha wanted to look at those ear-pieces they'd been handing around campus since what happened last Halloween and found some ranges that they didn't cover then taught me how to hit them during one of her visits. She promises to help the techs in the Workshop find a way to cover them in the next version."
"Yeah, I remember you telling me that she wants to go to MIT after the issue with your uncle is squared away." I mused with a mild chuckle, "A mermaid princess who likes to tinker with electronics, truly we live in modern times."
"Yeah, she really wants to figure a way to make technology that would work for merfolk so that when the big reveal happens they can make a way for their innate tech to interface with what the rest of the world has available." Bea admitted, "Not that it puts too much pressure into what I have to accomplish in a few months."
"Okay, time out," Mistral remarked as she got in-between the dragon girl and me, "I think that everyone is wound a little tight right now and needs to relax. I know that this might seem like a bad situation, but I know for a fact that we aren't prisoners here, right now all we are is guests everyone you three arrived with are being treated well and will get to leave later to go home."
"First off, I can't go home," the dragon lady glared at Mistral, "a group of total bastards called the Merchants of Suffering want me back under there thumb and likely have my neighborhood and family being watched as we speak for any hint that they know just where I am. And second, just how do you know that we can trust this Obsidian Circle group because they just admitted that they have plans for us- so how do I know that this isn't just some gilded cage?"
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
"Because my father is Greygus- an operative for the Obsidian Circle, moreover my grandfather is Lord Khamsin- one of the members that you saw seated around the edges of the room back there." I admitted to D'juan-jow-long (I think that's what they said her name was) as well as everyone else in the room. "Now I can't speak for all of them, but I know that my grandfather and a few others won't try anything like that with us.
"Although you didn't grow up with either your father or your grandfather," Fallen admitted before she transformed into a wolf and laid down. "I was in the room with your father when he learned about you just a few hours ago, he was so overwhelmed that he passed out on the floor."
"He did?" I asked before I pondered that tidbit of information for a moment, "then again I suppose that would make sense, after all having the fact that you had a teenage girl that you never knew about and was the Southern Maiden on top of that was probably too much for him to process at once."
"Either way considering that one of us is related to one of their members by blood shouldn't that mean that they won't try anything." Aletheia pleaded while trying to reason with D'juan, "Besides I've heard of Greygus, he may be a bad guy, but he's well known as one of the honorable black hats, I really doubt that he'd let anyone pull anything when his own flesh-and-blood is involved."
"Yeah, and Erzebet Scratch is part of the mix, from what I know of her she has a major berserker button about people harming kids," Fallen spoke out, "I have it from a reliable source that when the warlock Plagiat offed my old body against orders they killed him for it to smooth things over with Erzebet."
"What exactly do you mean by your old body?" D'juan asked, "because I have objections about working with someone who'd steal someone else's."
"Not stolen- grown," Fallen retorted with a wry smile, "Plagiat interrupted an exorcism to abduct a mutant with a strong avatar trait- namely mine, and when that failed he used a spell that cooked the old me from the inside out. Fortunately, one of the group involved in the exorcism had a spell that could grow a new body provided that it was prepared beforehand and whoever cast the spell had a lot of life essence to spare, which we did after an encounter earlier in the day involving one of Slaughterhaus's Carcasites, we set it up incase everything went sideways which it did just not in the way we were anticipating."
"Okay, while I want to actually hear the whole story I doubt that we have to time," D'juan began to give in, "but the fact is that I'm exhausted and I doubt that we really have the time when we wake up to learn anything."
"I wouldn't bet on that," I mused over just what I'd felt when we closed the door, "I think that this room works on a temporal compression spell, we have something similar back home but I'm not feeling tired."
"Fae rejuvenation magic," Fallen observed as she looked over the room in her canine form, "the same person responsible for the spell that grew my new body makes use of it during my combat training so that we can go as long as we need to while we can, along with temporal renewal they really help to get a lot out of training. Although it still takes its toll on the room we use, something tells me that this has more than djinn construction, gaean temporal manipulation and fae renewal spells involved right here."
"Yup, I definitely see the signs of merfolk enchantment imbuing techniques here, which if the theme holds then the materials involved are likely draconic in origin." Aletheia observed, "this room is something that apparently hasn't been possible since the fall of the Five-Fold Courts- especially in light of Dagon's Curse."
"So, all of this means what?" D'juan commented as she looked over the room in a far more critical light.
"What it means is that time is stretched out in here," Fallan remarked as she transformed back to normal, "it also means that we're free from listing devices since nothing can broadcast in or out, and as for recording devices. Well- Mistral, Duan-xao do you two ladies want to help me unplug any electronics in here before Jane gives us an E.M.P.?"
We helped Fallan look over the adjoining rooms, but it appeared that nothing in here was digital, even the fridge that I spotted earlier was an old-old-really old school model that was probably mechanical. "Um, it looks like everything in here works off gas, still anything that had a plug was either turned off or pulled, "I think that's everything."
Jane might have taken that as an invitation because right afterwards she took flight to the center of the room glowed blue, and after shouting, "Cover your eyes!" Caused a blinding white flash that I could see even past my arms and every hair on my neck was standing on end. "So, you can set off E.M.P., I wondered if that was something in your wheelhouse?"
"What do you think an electrical storm is?" Jane responded before flying back over to her perch. "Anyway, any recording devices in this room are now toast so feel free to relax, also I noticed that the door latches from the inside we only come out when we want."
"So just how stretched out is time in here?" D'juan asked as she looked at Fallan and me given that we were the only two with experience of being subjected to temporal compression.
"Beats me," I admitted as I shrugged my shoulders, "last time I was in one we didn't have fairy magic to patch us up as we went along."
"My teacher usually prefers to keep things to three and a half days per hour but it may be more stretched out than that," Fallan remarked as she transformed back into a wolf and padded into the couch pit that she claimed as her own, "how about we grab 40 winks and talk when everybody's awake and rested- for once time is on our side. Oh, and Aletheia, don't even think about slipping into the Dreamlands inside of one of those things Mrs. Redstag warned me that doing that is inside one of these places is super dangerous since you might not be able to wake up if you do, just stick to ordinary dreams and get some shut-eye."
"Yes ma'am," Aleatheia remarked at her friend in a glib tone. Something told me that this Dreamlands thing was something that I needed to learn about- or at least learn about in the morning. Okay what passes for morning in a room of compressed time inside of a mystical fortress that only ever stays put between twelve and one in the morning.
"I think that I'm starting to like you already Ali," D'juan remarked as she smiled on her draconic maw, "granted your company is a bit of an... acquired taste."
"FYI the company has a name, and since we know that it's just the five of us in here that name is Randi!" The shewolf all but growled out.
"Well I suppose that introductions are long overdue," Aleathea remarked as she pressed something on her outfit and changed into a swim suit whose top looked a lot more supportive than the bottom, although that soon made sense when she slipped into the water. Suddenly her skin tone changed to a more bluish hue as her legs turned into a darker blue tail with purple fins before she slid into the fountain.
I admit that I was gawking at the sight and D'juan was doing the same. Taking notice of our surprise Aleathea turned and with an impish grin commented, "You did remember that I was a mermaid right, are you really that surprised to see me turn into one?"
"No- I guess but honestly I was expecting you to look more..." I desperately tried to tip toe around the subject.
"Like Ariel," Aleathea remarked as she smiled which was a little unnerving, who knew that mermaids had so many pointed teeth. "Yeah, fantasy rarely matches reality. Real merfold have pointier teeth because our diet is more protein-centric- lots of fish and shellfish, our nails are also more claw like to help us grip like otters and seals. As for our skin tone, that's different because it matches the rest of our body. And since we're starting to deal around names mine's Beatrice, but everyone just calls me Bea for short."
"Yeah, I can see how that could help," D'juan remarked from her sand pit, "since I'm probably going to have to teach everyone how to say my codename right after breakfast- in here just call me Zhen-yu."
"Iris," I volunteered as I removed my mask, supposedly a sign of trust among luchadores, and smiled to everyone, "well night or what passes as one." Everyone replied "Night" or Good-night" in reply as I shut the privacy curtain around my bed before taking off my costume, deactivating my disguise amulet and setting it on a nightstand next to the bed. Zhen-yu was right- the day was long and exhausting, and I needed forty or fifty winks to wrap it up. Curling up under the covers- I shut my eyes wanting to get some rest before I headed back into the wide world.
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I woke up underwater, although that might insight panic in most people instinct told me that there was no need to panic especially considering I can breathe perfectly fine thanks to my gills. Although there was no real room to a real length like in a pool, only down to the depths of what I estimated to be thirty feet; that was still plenty of room to maneuver. I slipped my right wrist out of the silica-nylon tether on the side of the tank and after rolling my arms to get the kinks out began to swim a series of looping laps along the depths of the basin's fountain careful not to come within six feet of the surface so that none of my exercises disturbed the others.
After my aquatic wake-up routine I took a moment to better assess my surroundings, I took not that the entire place was arranged like a cylinder with now edges except those lining the bottom, very much akin to a traveler's resting chamber that I had seen used by the Eastern Court from the records of the Hall of Echoes over the past few nights. Although I had made certain to heed Randi's advice about not traveling to the Dream Lands tonight because of the temporal compression room that we were in that didn't stop me from seeing the eerie similarities Even the wrist tethers along the side mirrored tethers of thick seaweed that merfolk used to keep secure while they were sleeping in safety to avoid bumping about the sleeping chamber and into others, this meant that either they had doom a lot of research into the ways of the eastern court-or they had help to make all of this.
'So many questions so little time,' I shrugged as I swam for the surface. It was time to get up anyway and I needed to get started with my morning physical therapy. Trying was silently as I could I emerged from the fountain's depths then carefully slid out of the water. Taking a moment to pull a towel out of Wukong's fanny pack (which decided to cooperate this time) to pat myself dry, I used Randi's gift to switch to the clothes that I was wearing yesterday. I just hoped that nobody freaked when they saw this.
Taking a sideways glance to see that Zhen-yu and Randi were still sleeping, I set some weights from my pack in the seat of the chair to act as a counter-balance then pulled myself off the floor until I was against the back of the wheelchair then I began to push myself forward using the chair to avoid falling. Every step was a struggle but if I didn't do this I'd never be able to walk on my own two feet, "no pain- no gain."
I kept up my focus, one foot in front of the other, not letting anything distract me as I made my way across the room on my trembling legs. Sweat began to drip down my face as I made my way across the room, my arms aching from holding me upright while my legs began to scream from the workout that I was giving them. But while my body wanted me to stop to lay down in that chair and take it easy I refused to give in, I could walk if I put in the effort and I refused to let my life be dictated by such constraints any more.
Some might call me odd, but they didn't understand where I was coming from, I spent years in Cytheria's shadow, centuries in the shadows of Venus and before that Aphrodite. I was tired of having my path dictated by the constraints imposed upon me by fate, and for once in my existence I could see the future in front of me like a shining brass ring hanging just out of reach. To reach that brass ring- that promise of a future that was only limited by the choices that I made, I didn't just have to walk, I had to run, to jump- I had to give it my all and I was damned determined that I wasn't going to do just that.
"I take it that the wheelchair is only a temporary thing," I froze as I heard Iris speak up from the kitchenette, obviously, I wasn't the only one up, but I couldn't tell with the privacy curtain drawn around the bed. Looking up from a bowl that she was stirring I could tell that she was drawing her own conclusions, "I don't mean to pry but was it some kind of accident?"
"No," I replied as I continued my self-imposed morning regimen, "it was fate. I'm not like Randi, I was born half mermaid, my unfertilized egg was encased inside of a pearl by my grandmother with a spell so that the first center-court being of sufficient power to touch the pearl would fertilize the egg and allow me to be born. Unfortunately, Dagon, the same monster who cursed the world against normal merfolk by plotting the assassination of my grandfather, murdered my mother, and arranged the deaths of my grandmother and uncle also sealed me in the astral shadow of a being who was being born nearby before the conditions of my hatching could be met."
"Well at least you didn't have to experience all of that," Iris chuckled while I winced.
"Actually, according to her she did," Randi explained as she scratched her ear, "she lived through two full incarnations of that being- namely the Grecian deity Aphrodite, before something moved her out of that shadow and inside a cyst in her modern mortal incarnation as Cytheria. As luck would have it the first person to touch it with their bare-hands was our Academy's Headmistress- Elizabeth Carson. Granted that thanks to a local kleptomaniac techie named Belphegor and later the Monkey King there was a real Helter-Skelter around the school for the pearl when it went missing. Up until the point that Bea hatched in the Headmistress's Office it was campus-wide pandemonium."
"Damn," Zhen-yu remarked as she just stared from her sandpit, "over two life-times looking at someone else live their life. And I thought that what happened to me was harsh."
"Yes, Zhen-yu I know details about the cult, but I didn't know about any of that until I was named as the Western Maiden and my mentor Mrs. Redstag, The Morrigan was reluctant to inform me of just what I was until after I awoke my fae heritage." Randi began to explain while apologizing to Zhen-yu in her own way for failing to rescue her. "I didn't find out until I helped a being trapped in its own misery at the heart of the Dreamlands learn the truth about itself."
"Whoa you helped one of the Great Old Ones?!?" Iris recoiled in fear, likely at the possibility of one of us betraying our mission.
"More an Elder God or Universal Aspect than a Great Old One," I began to elaborate trying to make her and to a lesser extent Zhen-yu understand, "the being in question is essentially the Gaia of the Dreamlands- it has even had avatars on Earth before. During the Sundering, a piece of it fell into our world eventually that piece stumbled upon one of the refuges of the merfolk and took the form of a mermaid, she had two children before Dagon struck and stirred up a war between them and Enki's tribe of djinn."
"And my dad and his people were the allies of those merfolk," Iris realized from what she knew of that course of events from her own family, "the pearl must have taken a lot of unorthodox magic to make, your grandmother was Tiamat, that means you're..."
"Half-mermaid and half-mutant," I replied while I heaved my way back inside my borrowed wheelchair, "the doctors at ARC verified it and they know a lot about GOOs. Plus, after all of the Elixir of Reality that I had to take during that incident last night in Boston if I did have any Old One in me I'd probably be a puddle by now."
"Plus, being anything else would have disqualified her from being one of the maidens," Zhen-yu explained coming to my defense. "The Wayfarer told me a fair deal about how the maidens were chosen. I was chosen because I'm the descendant of a dragon who sacrificed himself for the sake of destiny who also carries the blood of the Yellow Emperor."
Correct Jane observed as she spoke up, "Randi for example was chosen because she's the descendent of an illegitimate child of one of the Ancient Fae Queens and three beings created from soul fragments of a lover who died before their union was formalized, but only after the fae aspect of her being awakened in her body. Bea was chosen because she's the only blood relative of the last triton king, meaning that it can't be anyone else."
"Yeah, that's a lot more than I found out through her though, but it lines up," Zhen-yu muttered, "As for the Southern Maiden, all she told me was that she would be born into the house of a dual-element djinn who arose based on his own merits."
"My grandfather, Lord Khamsin," Mistral began to explain as she kept stirring the batter in the bowl, "I still have a lot to learn but from what I know he was common born and rose to his rank within djinn society through the royal guard under King Amun and remained loyal under the assent of Prince Horus until Osiris's coup with the aid of the Black Pharaoh. At least that's what my Uncle Dirge taught me about djinn history as we were training, he even invented an iconic weapon that is symbolic of the royal guard- the staff of was."
"There's no need to be coy, Randi deduced that Lord Khamsin was Set a long time ago." I explained as I adjusted myself in the wheelchair, "I was also in the room with your father when he found out about you, Wepwawet might have been so overwhelmed that he passed out onto the floor but as soon as he woke up he was torn between being ecstatic and apprehensive about meeting you."
Mistral turned beet red over that revelation and retreated to the kitchen, I made a note to apologize to her later, but something tells me that story about her dad would become something to laugh about in the future.
"So, Bea you were literally born a few weeks ago, and Randi you are inside of a new body that had to be grown from scratch," Zhen-yu observed as she mused over our situation, "I guess that makes me the oldest one here. Which means that I'm..."
"The second oldest here," Randi interrupted with a deadpan expression on her face, "Jane was born during WW Two, and age doesn't matter- trust is what matters and we're still too new to each other to name a leader, but when it comes time to name a leader I say- count- me- out."
Noting the perplexed expression in Zhen-yu's eyes, her face was much harder to read given my lack of familiarity with anthropomorphic Chinese dragons, so I decided to clarify matters. "She had some bad experiences trying to take the lead in various things over the year- really disenchanted her with the concept."
"I nearly got myself killed three times in the same operation, and that was after getting abducted by a coven of wannabe witches." Randi grimaced before triggering her collar to change from her costume into her casual-wear from yesterday then taking the time to remove the illusion charm from her tail as well as her beret displaying her tail and ears for all to see.
"Heh- I see that I'm not the only member of the tail club Fido," Zhen-yu remarked, "but I still don't see where you hid your wings?"
"I told you earlier Zhen-yu, not all faefolk are pixies!" Randi responded before her bark turned into a sigh, "Although admittingly I'm a bit of a mutt when it comes to my fae nature, the closest thing to what I am is a Cu-sith. Although I have a lot of other things in me such as aether hound and alp along with a lot of things that are debatable whether they are Feyfolk or not; I even have a little Sidhe in me."
"You mentioned an exorcism though," Zhen-yu inquired, "what manner of Christian devil was it?"
"Not exactly Christian, it was Carcharoth, he's the main operative to Mister Domino." Randi began to tell what I could guess was a version of her story. "They didn't know that fate would cause me to awaken as the Western Maiden yet, one being had a clue, but I doubt that you'll ever meet Greyback. No- what the Circle wanted me for was my original body was High-class Avatar host without a spirit, they just wanted me to use my body as a host for Don Astio- they didn't need me at all. From what Morrigan told me they used Carcharoth to suppress my manifestation, so I guess that it was a strange twist of fate how their actions lead to my awakening as the Western Maiden."
"Maybe- maybe not," Jane spoke up from her perch where she'd been preening her feathers, "Strange turns of fate and the Faefolk seem to go hand in hand. It was also when you bonded with the gift that Mister Domino had Carcharoth dragging around that you took your first step down being the Western Maiden. As well as so many other fortunate turns in your life."
"I just wish that Carcharoth's spirit hadn't needed to spend so much time inside of my body," Randi shuddered, "you know it wasn't until recently that I ever had a dream that I could remember, all before I was free of extra spirits and with them my Avatar-Trait that I remember was either Carcharoth fighting with Morrigan and Greyback to take control of my original body and later Morrigan training me to fight in my dreams when her spirit was trapped in my new body."
"As near as I can tell none of us had a normal run at things," I explained, "Randi and I were in the room when Wepwawet learned everything about Iris's life, with her mother being kidnapped, her being trapped in a body that was all wrong just after she was born, the clear signs of emotional abuse- at least it looks like she made some real friends along the way."
"I wish that I could say the same," Randi commented with a downcast expression on her face. "Carcharoth really did a number on me, that monster is a huge bundle of hate and mistrust, although knowing his story that part is understandable."
"You'll find the Obsidian Circle contains a lot of entities from various mythologies," I explained to Zhen-yu, "Randi's already identified Set, Loki, Hel, Hecate, Lilith and Typhon, as for Carcharoth he's the Fenris wolf."
"I might need to study some," Zhen-yu replied with as much of a sheepish expression as she could manage with a reptilian muzzle, "because other than hearing a born-again Betty at school talk about Hell and one sounding a lot like a Pacific Hurricane I don't know who any of those people are. Also, this Academy that you keep mentioning, this wouldn't happen to be where the Handmaiden of the Tao is would it?"
I held my tongue for a moment as I looked at Randi and she nodded for once knowing what I was asking, "What we mean is the Whateley Academy, it's a boarding school in the Northeast- almost all of the students as well as many of the faculty and staff there are mutants just like the four of us."
"You mean Xavier's is real!" Iris shouted from the kitchen near the breakfast nook.
"It's not Xavier's and mom along with most of the teachers dislike the comparison," I replied in a bit of a raised tone. "They don't teach everyone how to be heroes, or send out teams on missions. What Whateley does is provide a safe place where we can learn how to properly use our abilities as well as a quality education to prepare us for the real world."
"Besides Whateley tries to hold a neutral stance," Randi elaborated, "yeah, some prominent heroes have graduated from Whateley, like the third Champion, most of the Star League, as well as a good chunk of the Justice Battalion to name a few, but so have a few villains, Lord Paramount is a graduate and Gizmatic's feud with the third Champion began when they were both students at Whateley. But there are also a fair number of people who opt to just make a living with their powers in any number of fields, I even know one who operates a creamery."
"Cool," Iris commented from the kitchen, "by the way breakfast is ready!"
"I wonder what she made?" I mentioned as Randi and my stomach both reminded us that neither of us really had dinner last night- subsisting mainly on snacks that Randi carried in her bag and upscale vegetable and antipasto trays that were waiting for us when we arrived here.
"Since she was stirring batter I say waffles," Zhen-yu remarked as she began to drool a little.
"I heard sizzling in a skillet, so I'd have to go with pancakes," Randi guessed,
"So, we're supposed to believe that just because you have dog ears that you have super-human senses." Zhen-yu objected, "Besides why would you waste time on those fried mushy wads when you could have crunchy, crispy waffles."
"Probably out of consideration," Randi retorted, "most kitchens have at most a single waffle-iron when pans are common. Besides by the time that enough waffles are done for several people the first batch would start getting cold."
"Please you two, calm down," I pleaded as I rolled between them, "why don't we just see what she made and let that be it, "besides it wouldn't do for us to let her generosity turn cold and possibly soggy."
"Nana Bridges always says that wasting food is a crime," Faolan remarked.
"Sounds like your grandmother and mine would have gotten along rather well," Zhen-yu remarked.
Each of us made our way to the breakfast nook by the kitchenette, with me rolling myself along thank you very much, where Iris plating four trios of crêpes with a syrup that I could tell was judging from the smell a had lemon juice mixed in and dusting them lightly with powdered sugar, two decent-sized sausages and a tall glass of milk, as well as an empty cup.
"I found a decent selection of preserves in the cupboards," Iris explained as she displayed the results, "what you have here is a mixture of orange marmalade, strawberry and apricot crêpes with mascarpone, lemon juice infused simple-syrup, andouille sausage, and an English breakfast tea in the kettle if you want it. Oh, and just so there are no surprises that's horchata in the glasses in case anyone is lactose intolerant, I just hope no one has nut or rice allergies.
"What's horchata?" Zhen-yu asked staring at the glass not sure what to make of it.
"Usually rice milk with vanilla and cinnamon," Randi explained as she moved to sit down. "No dairy though in case that's a problem. I'm from Texas so I've had it plenty of times, pretty good especially when served very cold."
"Texas huh, figures that the Western Maiden would be a tomboyish ranch hand." Zhen-yu made another dig at Randi but from what I could see thing time she didn't fall for it.
"Nope city-girl from the North-Texas Metroplex," Randi remarked as she sat down and took a deep whiff of her plate, "Father's a librarian and mother's a plumber- how about you."
I could see that Zhen-yu was weighing matters over now that Randi didn't bite her bait. "My mother's a seamstress and my father's a tailor, we live in the Asian-District of Seattle in the same shop that our family had run ever since my great-great-grandparents immigrated during the late 1800s."
"I know the feeling, I may not be a ranch hand, but I have family who are on my mom's side- they own a small cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle that they've had since they settled there with a bunch of their fellow rail workers from the Western Pacific and the Union Pacific." Randi continued to explain with I rolled my chair up to the empty spot on the table as Zhen-yu joined Randi and Iris in the remaining-vacant chair.
At first no one touched their meals, but rather than outright aversion this was mainly due to self-imposed rituals on how to confront the meals, Randi and Iris both started by cutting the sausages diagonally with their flatware, while Zhen-yu began to cut everything into sections after pouring herself a cup of tea. While I also helped myself to the tea, I preferred to leave everything intact until I began to eat it. While I was tempted to go right for the crêpes, I knew from school that those things needed to cool a bit first to avoid the mascarpone and fruit filling being too runny, instead I focused on the sausages which had a mild heat to them but were grilled to add a decent amount of snap to the casings and a nice char to complement their smoky taste.
Once I was done with the sausages I took a sip of the tea which had cooled down just enough to avoid scorching my tongue, I took the bitter-caffeine charged beverage down to power-wash away whatever remaining cob-webs that were inside my head, although I was tempted to add some cream or sugar to the beverage there was enough sweetness in front of me. Although I was unfamiliar with the horchata beverage I took a sip to counteract the bitter of the tea; as Randi had advertised it was a cold mixture of sweet vanilla with hints of cinnamon.
After another sip of tea to cleanse the metaphorically old palate and it was time to tackle the crêpes, at first, I thought about peaking from the side to check out which crêpe had which filling but I decided that this time the surprise was another part of the meal. I carved off a piece of the first crêpe and was hit with the slight punch of sour, yeah from what I remembered Cytherea never liked marmalade due to its sour taste; fortunately, most of the sour was mixed with the delicate tang of the mascarpone to mellow it out some.
After finishing the orange marmalade crêpe off and taking another sip of tea, I tackled the next crêpe; okay this was something that I was familiar with from school strawberry preserves- granted the taste was a lot better developed coming straight from a jar rather than a tiny plastic packet like at Crystal Hall.
Now it was time for the final crêpe, although to be honest I don't think that I've ever had an apricot before, if I remember they were sort of like peaches. I cut off a piece of the last crêpe and could see that this was more tangy than sweet, moreover the fruit from the preserve had some texture to it to offer a greater contrast to the dish. Note to self, do not introduce Iris to Ayla Goodkind, I wanted to see how Iris's skills would develop after getting to Whateley and Ayla, from what I had seen, had a habit of monopolizing talent- especially culinary talent.
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Okay, I'll concede to the fairy that horchata stuff was good now at least I think I knew what that creamy stuff was in those jugs my friends and I spotted around the taquerias back in Seattle were. As things stood though I still didn't know if I could trust these three, Randi and Iris both had connections to this Obsidian Circle group with one being the granddaughter of a member and one admitting that she had been influenced by one of their operatives for a number of years. As for Bea, her story was just too- odd. I mean hatching from a pearl to be around the same age as three of us was just too absurd.
Maybe I was being paranoid but after my treatment by the Merchants of Suffering, paranoia was a necessary survival mechanism- even if this Obsidian Circle weren't allies of the Merchants there was nothing to say that they wouldn't seek to use my gifts in the same way- prophecy or not. Okay- granted Randi from what I heard was about as distantly related to Mister Domino as I was to the Yellow Emperor, but even she admitted that Domino's minion influenced her mind growing up.
How was I to trust any of them- for that matter why would it be a good idea for me to do so in the first place. Then again, I guess that the old saying would hold very true here, keep your friends close and your enemy's closer. Okay calling them my enemies already was a premature judgement on my part, while I wasn't one-hundred percent sure that the other maidens were my enemy I sure as the winter was freezing didn't trust any of them yet.
"One thing that I kind of don't get is how our powers are supposed to help with this whole prophecy thing," Iris pondered as she spoke up, "I mean how is the ability to see the past supposed to help fixing an ancient ship? Plus, healing, shape-shifting and pyro-what's-it's how is any of that supposed to help with what we have to do?"
"Well according to my prophecy I'm supposed to repair the broken root of Yggdrasil," Randi began to explain clearly showing that she knew a lot more than she was telling, "Fae magic depends upon the thriving essence of nature, and in the absence of a true World Tree that magic is dependent on mystic groves. According to the stories Yggdrasil is so massive that its roots stretch across realities, but the truth is that those realities are just pieces of the Earth that became... displaced by the Sundering. This means that if I heal the root of Yggdrasil that's connected to our part of Earth that it would let not only its own magic flow back into the world but also that from the other places of the Wild Lands of Faerie where it's rooted as well as strengthen the biomes of Earth to make them more resilient."
"According to what that prophecy said though the broken root is located in a place that civilized beings can't go- thus humans and even most fae can't go there. So, I'm not only going to need my shape-shifting, I'm going to have to become one spiritually with my wolf half as well as be intuitive enough in the use of magic and glamour to perform a tree-graft without the usual tools as well as avoid detection while I'm doing it."
"As for the Chalice of Selána it's supposed to be a colossal reef that distills the moon's essence to be harnessed by the Eastern Court and as a consequence keep the oceans vibrant and bountiful," Bea continued the discussion, "If the coral of the Chalice is sick or bleached I should be able to restore it and heal the coral polyps. As a consequence, the reef should also help excise radiation and chemical pollution from the oceans and seas. As well as strengthen the fragile aquatic ecosystems of the planet, and help it recover as well to where it was prior to the industrial revolution."
"How did the both of you know about where your targets are located anyway?" I asked desperate to get to the bottom of this, and hopefully put a chink in their armor that I could use to expose the truth about them. Still one thing about my current theory didn't add up- Iris the one of us with the most direct connection to the Obsidian Circle actually looked the most off about the whole thing. So was it the Circle that was the source of this information that they already had available or did it have to do with this Academy that they seemed so keen to lure us into attending.
"Yggdrasil is prominently featured in Norse Mythology, I know about it mostly because I've always been a major bookworm, although I guess it comes from being a librarian's kid who sucked at sports growing up." Randi confessed, and I could almost buy her story, but there were still details that cast doubt in my mind to her narrative. "I also wanted to learn as much as I could about the monster who made my youth hell, and Carcharoth no Fenrir and his immediate family also show up a lot in those stories as well, so I've been brushing up on my Norse mythology in my spare time. As for World Trees, their importance to fae and the Forest of Díthreabh- what I haven't learned from my teacher Morrigan in-between combat lessons Jane filled me in on that after the meeting earlier through our bond."
"As for the Chalice of Selána, I learned about it while learning about the Eastern Court in a place Greyback showed me." Bea fessed up- I'll have to grill them about who this Greyback character is- I swear that's the second or third time that one of them has brought him up. "It was really important to the culture of the Eastern Court, they considered the Chalice itself a sacred place and tasked an order of sacred maidens to attend to it, I'm really going to have to bone up on that place sooner rather than later considering how important it is to my own destined mission."
"Maybe you could take me to this place as well," I inquired waiting for her to take the bait, and either extend an invitation to meeting this Greyback or expose her fraud for what it is. "I mean I should do some studying myself about Mount Sàng hún-zhī, and this talisman that I'm supposed to repair right."
"That might not be possible," Randi came to Bea's defense in an oddly unsure manner, "wherever Greyback took Bea to learn about the Eastern Court is likely in the Dreamlands, and finding your way there without someone who has a connection to you to guide you there is really difficult. Not to mention that the Dreamlands themselves can be unbelievably dangerous to those without a proper guide- my first journey through that place nearly killed me a hundred times over and the danger of that place to your mind and soul is very real. If I were you I'd ask someone from the Jade Heavens where you might learn this information, and in case you haven't met anyone already Bea knows four princesses from each of the Jade Heaven's Four Seas and I can always ask the Bladedancer's combat instructor Guan Yu if he knows anything."
"Guan Yu!" I all but shouted in shock, "One of the students at your school not only knows Liu Bei's general, who became a deity after his death but also is learning to fight from him. Now I know you lot are full of it- who would be so important that Guan Yu would journey from the Jade Heavens to teach them?"
"Bladedancer is the codename that was chosen by the current Handmaiden of the Tao," Randi's crow who had been silent all this time chose now to speak up and that one sentence struck me to the core. The Handmaiden of the Tao, the studious left-hand of destiny itself and the one whose blade was made from my ancestor's heart and I was supposed to train with this summer. Not only did Randi know her of her but something told me that Randi knew her personally, to mention someone like her so...casually was terrifying.
Not only that but to know that the Handmaiden was actually a student at this Academy that Randi and Bea attended- just what kind of school was this place. I was so caught up in this revelation that I almost missed Randi's question of, "By the way just what can you do, I mean it's only fair considering that we've shared how we think our powers would work to fulfill our destinies'."
"I'm a pyrokinetic," I confessed still shaken by the reveal that this was the place that someone like the Handmaiden of the Tao thought could teach her, "I can actually control fire, cultivate heat and suspend material in that heat as long as I need to work it into something new- usually it's to make gemstones. Unfortunately, those gemstones also soak up enchantments like a sponge- that's the reason that the Merchants of Suffering kidnapped me and threatened my family. They consider me their personal enchantable gem furnace, it's also why they'll do anything to get me back under their thumb."
That was when Randi began to regard me in a way that was creepy, "Oh let me guess the fairy wants to add this dragon to her own little kingdom!"
"Nope," Randi replied in a way that was too glib and nonchalant to be anything but the truth, "I'm just seeing that you would fit right in at the Whateley Artifact Manufacturing Club. It's this trio of students at school that can make all sorts of amazing things when they pool their talents- my vambraces and one of my knives as well as Bea's bracelets are their work. Our school has a variation on an open house in a few weeks on the 13th of May for parents and perspective students who can afford to wait until the beginning of the school year to attend, you might want to use the opportunity to get to know them. Something tells me that the stuff that the four of you could make together would be amazing- maybe even legendary."
"You had better not be trying to pull one over on me." I warned Randi, glaring at her as best as I could but somehow flame-wielding anthropomorphic dragon or not she was entirely unphased.
"Their codenames are Silver, Eldrich and Seraphim, they already make some pretty amazing things right now." Randi calmly began to explain matters, "Silver can excrete raw mithril from her pours, that part was only discovered recently- the school is working with her to give her appropriate financial control over her...cast-offs ever since. Eldrich is the latest incarnation of an ancient being known as The Artificer, who is a mystic crafter, one of her previous incarnations was the one who created the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword Destiny's Wave. As for Seraphim, she's an omnipath who can channel higher-dimensional energies to do all sorts of things. If you're interested should you take the offer on Perspectives Day up, then I recommend asking the office to introduce you to them."
"I really recommend that you ask for admission," Bea spoke up now that Randi was done with her sales pitch, "given that the Syndicate, most supervillains and even various factions of the Grand Hall consider Whateley neutral ground should the Merchants of Suffering try to come after you they'll likely suffer the same fate as the Tong of the Black Madonna."
This made me more than a little nervous as I knew from chatter during my time with the Merchants that they did business with that cult, "What happened to those Witches?" I asked out of morbid curiosity.
"The Syndicate blasted their main temple in Thailand to rubble taking out their Ya-Ba labs and opium fields with it, as well as destroyed the main port for their South China Sea piracy operation in Cambodia," Jane explained the whole affair from her perch, "Lord Khamsin and Baron Impié also attacked their temple in Laos mummifying the high priestess alive while taking out most of her servants when they tried defending their mistress. A splinter group known as the Fierce Wind then moved in and took over the Tong's temples in Laos and Myanmar meaning the Tong of the Black Madonna are too busty fighting to hold on to the scraps of their empire to attempt anything for years possibly decades."
"And all of that happened because the Tong tried to attack the Handmaiden of the Tao in her sleep with black magic." Bea explained in a serious tone, "It's an unspoken rule in the Underworld, those who violate the Whateley Neutrality Agreement on either side of the law will be made to answer for it by their peers. And when those peers include the likes of Doctor Diabolik, Gizmatic, the Silver Serpent, Strega, Dominus, and the Obsidian Circle just to just name a few- you'd be asking for a real beating if you came to cause trouble."
"Especially when your place of operations is fixed like the Merchants," Randi remarked as she poured herself a cup of tea. "The last human-being to try to pull something at Whateley was Chessmaster, he's still on the run after The Syndicate put a twenty-million-dollar bounty on his head for the attack he and Deathlist's Sabretooth Squad pulled last Halloween. And the last attack on the school was pulled by a minor fae noble of the Winter Court, according to my intel she's currently being tortured by those who want her status."
"Tortured- you fairies are messed up." I recoiled as I eyed her with caution.
"Again- Winter Court, they are one of two groups to have popped up since the Sundering whose leaders stepped into the power-vacuum left by the death of the Nine Queens and since there were no legitimate heirs they're the new status-quo." Randi remarked as she rolled her eyes, "But torture or not both Winter and their Counterpart Summer are just as twisted, personally though I'm backing the Wild Court who are looking get rid of these pretenders and their warped ideals."
"At least they're not the Dark Court of the Fae," Iris commented joining the conversation, "I just had a nasty experience with one of that lot."
"Yeah, the Dark Court can be super nasty if you leave yourself vulnerable or have something they want," Randi shuddered, "they're faefolk who refuse to align themselves with anyone, mainly anti-social misfits and nobles from fallen houses of Winter or Summer. Granted the Goblin Markets can be a good place to find some goods at a fair price, although you should never visit alone, cause that place is like pearl-diving in shark-infested waters; yeah you might walk away with a nice profit but if you're not careful you'll be eaten alive by those who call those waters home."
"At least they can settle in the mortal world proper," Bea huffed, "until I rescue my uncle and the two of us break Dagon's curse then all merfolk and those with merfolk blood outside of royal lineages are doomed to slowly lose their mind and soul as they mutate into deep ones."
"And what happens if you succeed in that, do you think that the world is just going to welcome merfolk immigration from wherever the rest of your people are hiding, mutants have a hard-enough time being recognized as not being monsters- all merfolk will become is another group that is discriminated against by everyone who're afraid of something that makes them feel weak."
"Well for starters a general romantic perception that the world as a whole has about mermen and mermaids," Randi began to tick away things on her right hand, "for another they'll also be faced with the knowledge that a number of their friends and possibly even relatives are merfolk, then there's the knowledge that Bea and her Uncle stopped said friends and relatives from turning into savage-homicidal monsters- a number of whom are kept contained for study at the Arkham Research Center. There is also the fact that we can presume most currently cursed merfolk have proper citizenship in the nations that they call home, and stripping people of any legal citizenship that they may have en-mass is a potential PR nightmare. Besides when the party responsible ensuring the proliferation of carriers is revealed to be a cult trying to create what amounts to a sleeper army via a hereditary global mutagenic pathogen then these neo-merfolk become victims."
"There is also the practical application in any number of countries of having a group of citizens who can live and breathe underwater." Bea began to back up her friend's argument about merfolk, "just think of the possibilities that are opened up in marine salvage, sea rescue, maritime law, as well as extending national borders. Suddenly you have a group of citizens who can expand a nations territorial waters by building subaquatic communities, especially when we began to distribute these to neo-merfolk."
Bea pointed to that weird ring on her right hand I couldn't tell what it was made out of, but it wasn't metal, "This is a ring of yin, the originals are harvested from living stalagmites in the Cavern of Chundu in the Eastern Sea of the Jade Heavens, but the Princess Sorcha of the Golden Sea told me that the merfolk who live there have been producing caverns full for centuries thanks to a dragon's pearl."
"It was Qianbei Zunyan's," I numbly observed, "as he surrendered his still-beating heart to the Jade Emperor to be shaped into the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword, we willed for his pearl to be given to the merfolk of the Jade Heaven's four seas. He gave them his pearl on his dying wish and they use it to make tacky jewelry."
"I am sorry that you feel that my people's use of your ancestor's death has cheapened the nobility of his sacrifice," Bea apologized with such honesty that it felt like a punch to the gut. "But rings of yin aren't tacky jewelry, each exudes the purity of the environment of the Cavern of Chundu so that while wearing them you cannot be poisoned, and merfolk can survive in water no matter how polluted it is provided there is still oxygen."
"Well that might be all well and good for merfolk but I doubt that it would interest people too much," I gave Bea's ring a disinterested look, "I mean so what if it can make water safe to breath in I doubt that would matter all that much for people."
"It also works in the open air," Bea retorted with a smile, "I was helping rescue people from a burning building, thanks to this ring I didn't need breathing gear to handle the smoke and fumes."
"Plus think what those rings could do if you installed them in a water-purification plant, it might take some doing but you could probably use them to improve water-purification." Randi observed, "And countries all over the world are always on the look out to increase the amount of clean drinking water that's available for the people living there."
I hated to admit it, but I was more than a little jealous of the pair, they seemed to share the kind of comradery that I used to have with my own friends at school- something that began to drift away after I manifested and was confined to the Asian International District after my transformation for my own safety and had lost almost entirely after my kidnaping. At least thanks to Kelsey I could talk with them via snail mail but still it was nothing next to being around them in person.
"Do girls always talk like this?" Iris turned to me actually curious over if this was normal. "I mean since I was raised as a boy I kind am a little lacking in experience here."
"No, they do not," Jane interjected as she landed on Iris's shoulder, "but Randi and Beatrice are hardly normal- half-human or not. Randi spent most of her free time during her youth either at a public library or at home, so her social skills are a little...odd. As for Bea, her experiences with direct human interaction are only recent so she is learning how to put into practice what she has only observed from what she considers to be a very shallow example of a humanity."
"So, I guess that I'm the only one here who had a normal childhood," I commented as I observed the peanut gallery. "The person here who had the most normal life growing up turned out looking the freakiest- talk about irony!"
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Zhen-yu," Randi remarked, "I'm sure you'll find somebody actually we have a girl at our school who rocks the reptile look too, she goes by the codename Kaiju, also there are plenty of people at the academy who mutated to such a point that they need special accommodations to survive- one of whom is a faculty member who teaches via psychic projection."
"Okay, I may still not agree to enroll at the loony bin that you two call a school, but I will come to your open house," I conceded the matter, "at the very least I'll have to see this place for myself."
"Maybe I can ask Laoshi Wujing if he could arrange for Wukong Sun to escort me since he has a history with your school." I laid out my proposal to only to draw a less than enthusiastic look from Randi.
"What is it," I inquired wondering just what prompted that bit of attitude, "I thought that you said the Monkey King had a history with your school."
"Yeah, he does, and not entirely a positive one," Randi deadpanned, "Aside from the fiasco around Bea's pearl there was also his infamous weeklong panty raid last fall. Apparently, he raided both girl's cottages, one of our co-ed cottages and was only stopped from raiding a second after being caught by the Handmaiden of the Tao. Don't dare to spread it around though, some students are still in the dark to avoid them foolishly trying to retaliate against the Monkey King and triggering a prank war of epic proportions."
"I wish that I could say there is no way that the Monkey King would do anything like that-" I remarked trying to contain my laughter and hoping my draconic visage wasn't broadcasting a smile too much,"- but I know better given his reputation. So now that it's established that I'll at least give your school a once over- the bigger question is just when do we decide to go home?"
"How about we put it to a vote?" Bea offered, "Who wants to put yesterday truly behind us and go home?"
Somehow it didn't surprise me that the vote was unanimous, Bea and Randi likely wanted to get back to their school and show everyone that they're okay and Iris had about a decade and a half worth of catching up to do with her father.
"Well it looks like the motion carries," Bea mused with a serene smile, "everyone please gather your things, I think that it's time that we inform our hosts that we are checking out."
After everyone took a moment to gather what little we had with us, especially given how the Whateley duo seemed to come with bags of holding, I wonder if they sold those at the campus store- note to self-inquire at campus store about bags of holding. Randi and Bea meanwhile paused to each put on a domino mask from Randi's bag, I might have gotten insulted over have not been offered one if the sentiment wasn't pointless given my reptilian appearance- Iris on the other hand may not have needed one given how she was a part of all of this through her family, although she still stopped to put on that mask she was wearing earlier for some odd reason.
Randi, Iris and I opened the doors together (with Jane perched on Bea's chair as she wheeled herself behind us) and I found to my bemusement my teacher Sha Wujing chatting with three individuals, a man in Egypt themed armor who I assumed was Iris's father, a scruffy looking man in plaid hakama pants, and a man peppered with scars and a cybernetic hand about of all things military history. "While it was true that MacArthur was a well-seasoned general I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if Truman had properly restrained him from approaching the Chinese-Russian border." The man with the metal hand mentioned, "before that moment China's involvement was constrained to selling weapons and munitions- purely profiting off the Russians and North Koreans while making Stalin look like a fool to their allies."
"That went without saying," Sha Wujing spoke up, "despite Beijing and Moscow each following variations of the Communist ideology Mao considered Stalin a threat due to the fact that he sought to subordinate all of his allies under himself- something that Mao certainly would refused to do. However, given the newness of his regime on the world stage, as well as the appearance that it would give before his subordinate; there was no way that he could let such an apparent challenge go unanswered."
"Yeah, if only MacArthur had followed the original plans and let the South Korean army secure the border after they had pushed the North Korean army out of the country then there was a very real possibility that the Kim dynasty would have ended before it began with Kim Il Sung." The man who I presumed was Greygus postulated, "Then we may just have Korea rather than this cold war atavism."
"That may be however there was a good chance that Russia may have used such an opportunity to begin another proxy conflict elsewhere," Randi interrupted, "they still claim to the Northern Japanese Territories to be the Kuril Islands and Stalin could have used the issue to push for an annexation of the rest of Hokkaido by claiming the Ainu as Soviet dependents due to the groups living in Siberia- remember after all this time Russia and Japan still haven't signed a formal peace treaty due to the fact that one or the other country would have to formally relinquish control over that portion of the Japanese Archipelago."
"Very interesting insight oh maiden of the west," Sha Wujing observed, "I hope that the five of you had a good night's sleep."
"I also hope that the you enjoyed the Chamber of Somnus as it was made for you four." Greygus explained as he handed each of us what looked like a key on a golden chain, except there were four rows of unique teeth arranged in a cross. "We will arrange to create entrance thresholds for it at Whateley, as well as my own little home-away-from-home for the moment. Eventually we may create other entrances to it elsewhere for your own convenience, I swear on my essence that these are the only four keys to that room you might make others with instructions within the room; to keep the key secret just press the base opposite of the teeth. Oh, and you need not worry about any of the food inside spoiling, the cabinets and the refrigerator have stasis enchantments built into them to keep anything from spoiling- provided you close the doors properly. We will need to arrange to give you a full tour of the room's amenities, but I presume that three of you would like to return to your preferred ports of call- while I know that Iris and I would doubtlessly wish to return back home."
"Fray and I will be taking Faolan and Aletheia back to Whateley," the man with the plaid hakama pants explained, "I presume that the Headmistress will have some choice words with them about this whole affair."
"Oh goody," Randi groaned, "how much do you want to bet that we get a month's worth of detention in Hawthorne for what happened in Boston Aletheia?"
"Maybe a few days at worst Faolan," Bea observed, "most of what we were doing was assisting EMT, and Fire and Rescue Personnel. Granted that we also intervened by aiding in rescue work however there is no law preventing private citizens from aiding in rescue efforts, in fact it's usually encouraged."
"What may or may not be awaiting you when you get back is for the Headmistress and the Deputy-Headmistress to decide," the scruffy looking man commented, "Duanzaolong your laoshi is going to be escorting you back to the cave using some a temporary path to make certain that the Merchants of Suffering won't follow you back to your sanctuary. Just a warning though, this path will only open more three times on three particular dates so it won't be much help during your trek east after the Handmaiden of the Tao trains you this summer."
Wonderful it looks like they didn't want to make things too easy for me on the way back home. But at least it would help me keep the cave safe from those bastards, the cave's biggest defense was its secrecy and I was probably lucky that the Merchant's warlocks were archaically old school otherwise they might know just where the cave's entrance could be found.
"Anyway Mistral, Duanzaolong, thanks for meeting us and I hope we see you again on visiting day," Bea stated as she extended her hands to each of us, not wanting to seem too distrustful I took the offered appendage and shook it as did Iris. "I look forward to your impressions of our fine Academy."
"I will certainly keep it open for consideration." I explained as I shook the mermaid's left hand.
"I don't know if I'll apply for sure or not, I mean I just met my family for the first time ever, I don't know if I want to go to a boarding school." Iris commented, and I can't say that I didn't understand her sentiment.
"Family or not dear, you need to be around children your own age." Iris's father Greygus spoke up, "while we could tutor you back home you would likely find the experience a lonely one. Also given the sheer number of enemies that your grandfather and I have made over the years public schooling is out of the question. Besides with my work I'm sad to say I'll be away a lot as will your uncle Dirge, the only family that you would really be around at home are your grandparents and they'd both be rather busy as well given their positions."
"Besides even if you do attend I plan on calling or stopping by so often that you'll be embarrassed to be around me before you know it."
"I doubt that dad," Iris commented as she hugged her father tight, "I really doubt that. Either way I'll be seeing you three again- wait until I tell my friends that I met a mermaid, a dragon and a fairy."
"Just remember, that's faerie!" Randi replied as she and Bea were escorted down the hallways and on their way back to their academy while Sha Wujing and I did the same leaving Iris in the corridor with her father. One thing was for certain- after today I just wanted this weekend over and done with, as we walked along I pressed the key and it collapsed into a pendent which I glanced over before putting on. 'Face it Zhen-yu, your life just got a lot more interesting!'
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 31
Chamber of Somnus
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POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
"Um, why is that bird talking?" The girl whose codename was as Mistral asked as she stared at Jane with an odd look on as much of her face as I could see through the Luchador mask, what can I say I may have never paid attention to wrestling since I considered that it was pretty much the male equivalent to soap operas, but I learned enough through osmosis during elementary school. I will admit that I didn't expect a genie to be dressed as an Egyptian-themed lady luchador but granted my experiences with the Southern Court, at least that I was aware of, had been limited to one gremlin that my sister knew from her time enthralled to Plagiat.
The dragon though I will admit fit one of the two pictures in my mind's-eye when I heard that as a half-breed she'd look like an anthropomorphic dragon, granted the other was a far more western look with maybe some armor thrown in more aesthetic- okay I was thinking of Mink from Dragon Half. Still a Chinese-dragon lady in a cheongsam, she certainly didn't care about stereotypes granted she might want to rethink her costume when she got to Whateley otherwise the teasing would never-end- as would the attempts by the Dragons and the Power Rangers to rush her into their clubs. I just hope that Jade didn't feel jealous over a perceived risk of losing Thuban to her, because I had already heard about how she and Demona were dealing with their spotty rivalry over the leader of Faction-5.
Although it was probably a good time to answer Mistral's question, "Her name is Jane and she's my familiar, also she's really a storm elemental not a normal bird."
"Um, I'll admit not to knowing what a familiar is but how can a bird be a storm elemental?" Mistral asked as she scrutinized Jane even more, "I'm a wind elemental and I heard that birds were more often associated with fire and water."
"Only among the djinn," Jane responded, "other courts have different conscious associations just as those with those elements among those courts have different ranks amongst the mindset of their people just as those of different courts have different strengths and weaknesses."
"Oh, so the bird is the brains of your outfit," the dragon lady crassly remarked as she wandered over to the sand pit began looking it over, "figures that a mermaid and a sparkly fairy wouldn't be in charge."
"We are equals you walking handbag and you should be aware that there are more to the faefolk than pixies," I glared at our representative of the Northern Court who was clearly lacking in the grace and decorum that the dragons of the orient were fabled to possess, then again such tales often reflected more on the cultures that told them than the underlying truth behind them.
"Well- well- well it looks like Tinkerbelle here needs to get taken down a peg or two." Our not so friendly dragon bared her fangs before materializing two balls of flame in her taloned-hands with a snap of her claws before stalking my direction.
Making an effort to keep my movements hidden beneath my cloak I activated my nutrient pump with my left hand and drew Sydan from her sheath with my right all the while shifting right into my rage wolf form, if this dragon girl wanted to start things with me I was going to show her that she'd bit off more than she could chew if this demi-fae as I bared my teeth.
We were about ten feet apart when all of a sudden, the room started spinning and not only did the both of us fall to the floor but so did Mistral, Jane was even leaning to one side on her perch.
"Really Randi, I don't know about her, but I really expected better behavior from you," Bea explained as she began to verbally dress me down, "you are the second oldest of us and have a lot more experience in regard to social interaction than I do but you let someone goad you into a fight, especially when she obviously has clear trust issues."
"I know Bea- I know- I need to work on my temper," I replied now that my temper had started to cool down a bit at her admonishment, for good measure I picked up and sheathed Sydan while activating the emergency pump stop on my right vambrace wincing mild pain as the iron stud nudged me transforming me back to my normal form. "It's just hard you know, all those years with Carcharoth in my head really left their mark, I'm just now starting to see how his influence shaped some of my opinions and attitudes growing up- it's really embarrassing. By the way just how did you do that?"
"Subsonic vibrations- they affected the bones in your inner ear to give you a temporary case of vertigo," Bea smiled with a touch of pride, "Sorcha wanted to look at those ear-pieces they'd been handing around campus since what happened last Halloween and found some ranges that they didn't cover then taught me how to hit them during one of her visits. She promises to help the techs in the Workshop find a way to cover them in the next version."
"Yeah, I remember you telling me that she wants to go to MIT after the issue with your uncle is squared away." I mused with a mild chuckle, "A mermaid princess who likes to tinker with electronics, truly we live in modern times."
"Yeah, she really wants to figure a way to make technology that would work for merfolk so that when the big reveal happens they can make a way for their innate tech to interface with what the rest of the world has available." Bea admitted, "Not that it puts too much pressure into what I have to accomplish in a few months."
"Okay, time out," Mistral remarked as she got in-between the dragon girl and me, "I think that everyone is wound a little tight right now and needs to relax. I know that this might seem like a bad situation, but I know for a fact that we aren't prisoners here, right now all we are is guests everyone you three arrived with are being treated well and will get to leave later to go home."
"First off, I can't go home," the dragon lady glared at Mistral, "a group of total bastards called the Merchants of Suffering want me back under there thumb and likely have my neighborhood and family being watched as we speak for any hint that they know just where I am. And second, just how do you know that we can trust this Obsidian Circle group because they just admitted that they have plans for us- so how do I know that this isn't just some gilded cage?"
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
"Because my father is Greygus- an operative for the Obsidian Circle, moreover my grandfather is Lord Khamsin- one of the members that you saw seated around the edges of the room back there." I admitted to D'juan-jow-long (I think that's what they said her name was) as well as everyone else in the room. "Now I can't speak for all of them, but I know that my grandfather and a few others won't try anything like that with us.
"Although you didn't grow up with either your father or your grandfather," Fallen admitted before she transformed into a wolf and laid down. "I was in the room with your father when he learned about you just a few hours ago, he was so overwhelmed that he passed out on the floor."
"He did?" I asked before I pondered that tidbit of information for a moment, "then again I suppose that would make sense, after all having the fact that you had a teenage girl that you never knew about and was the Southern Maiden on top of that was probably too much for him to process at once."
"Either way considering that one of us is related to one of their members by blood shouldn't that mean that they won't try anything." Aletheia pleaded while trying to reason with D'juan, "Besides I've heard of Greygus, he may be a bad guy, but he's well known as one of the honorable black hats, I really doubt that he'd let anyone pull anything when his own flesh-and-blood is involved."
"Yeah, and Erzebet Scratch is part of the mix, from what I know of her she has a major berserker button about people harming kids," Fallen spoke out, "I have it from a reliable source that when the warlock Plagiat offed my old body against orders they killed him for it to smooth things over with Erzebet."
"What exactly do you mean by your old body?" D'juan asked, "because I have objections about working with someone who'd steal someone else's."
"Not stolen- grown," Fallen retorted with a wry smile, "Plagiat interrupted an exorcism to abduct a mutant with a strong avatar trait- namely mine, and when that failed he used a spell that cooked the old me from the inside out. Fortunately, one of the group involved in the exorcism had a spell that could grow a new body provided that it was prepared beforehand and whoever cast the spell had a lot of life essence to spare, which we did after an encounter earlier in the day involving one of Slaughterhaus's Carcasites, we set it up incase everything went sideways which it did just not in the way we were anticipating."
"Okay, while I want to actually hear the whole story I doubt that we have to time," D'juan began to give in, "but the fact is that I'm exhausted and I doubt that we really have the time when we wake up to learn anything."
"I wouldn't bet on that," I mused over just what I'd felt when we closed the door, "I think that this room works on a temporal compression spell, we have something similar back home but I'm not feeling tired."
"Fae rejuvenation magic," Fallen observed as she looked over the room in her canine form, "the same person responsible for the spell that grew my new body makes use of it during my combat training so that we can go as long as we need to while we can, along with temporal renewal they really help to get a lot out of training. Although it still takes its toll on the room we use, something tells me that this has more than djinn construction, gaean temporal manipulation and fae renewal spells involved right here."
"Yup, I definitely see the signs of merfolk enchantment imbuing techniques here, which if the theme holds then the materials involved are likely draconic in origin." Aletheia observed, "this room is something that apparently hasn't been possible since the fall of the Five-Fold Courts- especially in light of Dagon's Curse."
"So, all of this means what?" D'juan commented as she looked over the room in a far more critical light.
"What it means is that time is stretched out in here," Fallan remarked as she transformed back to normal, "it also means that we're free from listing devices since nothing can broadcast in or out, and as for recording devices. Well- Mistral, Duan-xao do you two ladies want to help me unplug any electronics in here before Jane gives us an E.M.P.?"
We helped Fallan look over the adjoining rooms, but it appeared that nothing in here was digital, even the fridge that I spotted earlier was an old-old-really old school model that was probably mechanical. "Um, it looks like everything in here works off gas, still anything that had a plug was either turned off or pulled, "I think that's everything."
Jane might have taken that as an invitation because right afterwards she took flight to the center of the room glowed blue, and after shouting, "Cover your eyes!" Caused a blinding white flash that I could see even past my arms and every hair on my neck was standing on end. "So, you can set off E.M.P., I wondered if that was something in your wheelhouse?"
"What do you think an electrical storm is?" Jane responded before flying back over to her perch. "Anyway, any recording devices in this room are now toast so feel free to relax, also I noticed that the door latches from the inside we only come out when we want."
"So just how stretched out is time in here?" D'juan asked as she looked at Fallan and me given that we were the only two with experience of being subjected to temporal compression.
"Beats me," I admitted as I shrugged my shoulders, "last time I was in one we didn't have fairy magic to patch us up as we went along."
"My teacher usually prefers to keep things to three and a half days per hour but it may be more stretched out than that," Fallan remarked as she transformed back into a wolf and padded into the couch pit that she claimed as her own, "how about we grab 40 winks and talk when everybody's awake and rested- for once time is on our side. Oh, and Aletheia, don't even think about slipping into the Dreamlands inside of one of those things Mrs. Redstag warned me that doing that is inside one of these places is super dangerous since you might not be able to wake up if you do, just stick to ordinary dreams and get some shut-eye."
"Yes ma'am," Aleatheia remarked at her friend in a glib tone. Something told me that this Dreamlands thing was something that I needed to learn about- or at least learn about in the morning. Okay what passes for morning in a room of compressed time inside of a mystical fortress that only ever stays put between twelve and one in the morning.
"I think that I'm starting to like you already Ali," D'juan remarked as she smiled on her draconic maw, "granted your company is a bit of an... acquired taste."
"FYI the company has a name, and since we know that it's just the five of us in here that name is Randi!" The shewolf all but growled out.
"Well I suppose that introductions are long overdue," Aleathea remarked as she pressed something on her outfit and changed into a swim suit whose top looked a lot more supportive than the bottom, although that soon made sense when she slipped into the water. Suddenly her skin tone changed to a more bluish hue as her legs turned into a darker blue tail with purple fins before she slid into the fountain.
I admit that I was gawking at the sight and D'juan was doing the same. Taking notice of our surprise Aleathea turned and with an impish grin commented, "You did remember that I was a mermaid right, are you really that surprised to see me turn into one?"
"No- I guess but honestly I was expecting you to look more..." I desperately tried to tip toe around the subject.
"Like Ariel," Aleathea remarked as she smiled which was a little unnerving, who knew that mermaids had so many pointed teeth. "Yeah, fantasy rarely matches reality. Real merfold have pointier teeth because our diet is more protein-centric- lots of fish and shellfish, our nails are also more claw like to help us grip like otters and seals. As for our skin tone, that's different because it matches the rest of our body. And since we're starting to deal around names mine's Beatrice, but everyone just calls me Bea for short."
"Yeah, I can see how that could help," D'juan remarked from her sand pit, "since I'm probably going to have to teach everyone how to say my codename right after breakfast- in here just call me Zhen-yu."
"Iris," I volunteered as I removed my mask, supposedly a sign of trust among luchadores, and smiled to everyone, "well night or what passes as one." Everyone replied "Night" or Good-night" in reply as I shut the privacy curtain around my bed before taking off my costume, deactivating my disguise amulet and setting it on a nightstand next to the bed. Zhen-yu was right- the day was long and exhausting, and I needed forty or fifty winks to wrap it up. Curling up under the covers- I shut my eyes wanting to get some rest before I headed back into the wide world.
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I woke up underwater, although that might insight panic in most people instinct told me that there was no need to panic especially considering I can breathe perfectly fine thanks to my gills. Although there was no real room to a real length like in a pool, only down to the depths of what I estimated to be thirty feet; that was still plenty of room to maneuver. I slipped my right wrist out of the silica-nylon tether on the side of the tank and after rolling my arms to get the kinks out began to swim a series of looping laps along the depths of the basin's fountain careful not to come within six feet of the surface so that none of my exercises disturbed the others.
After my aquatic wake-up routine I took a moment to better assess my surroundings, I took not that the entire place was arranged like a cylinder with now edges except those lining the bottom, very much akin to a traveler's resting chamber that I had seen used by the Eastern Court from the records of the Hall of Echoes over the past few nights. Although I had made certain to heed Randi's advice about not traveling to the Dream Lands tonight because of the temporal compression room that we were in that didn't stop me from seeing the eerie similarities Even the wrist tethers along the side mirrored tethers of thick seaweed that merfolk used to keep secure while they were sleeping in safety to avoid bumping about the sleeping chamber and into others, this meant that either they had doom a lot of research into the ways of the eastern court-or they had help to make all of this.
'So many questions so little time,' I shrugged as I swam for the surface. It was time to get up anyway and I needed to get started with my morning physical therapy. Trying was silently as I could I emerged from the fountain's depths then carefully slid out of the water. Taking a moment to pull a towel out of Wukong's fanny pack (which decided to cooperate this time) to pat myself dry, I used Randi's gift to switch to the clothes that I was wearing yesterday. I just hoped that nobody freaked when they saw this.
Taking a sideways glance to see that Zhen-yu and Randi were still sleeping, I set some weights from my pack in the seat of the chair to act as a counter-balance then pulled myself off the floor until I was against the back of the wheelchair then I began to push myself forward using the chair to avoid falling. Every step was a struggle but if I didn't do this I'd never be able to walk on my own two feet, "no pain- no gain."
I kept up my focus, one foot in front of the other, not letting anything distract me as I made my way across the room on my trembling legs. Sweat began to drip down my face as I made my way across the room, my arms aching from holding me upright while my legs began to scream from the workout that I was giving them. But while my body wanted me to stop to lay down in that chair and take it easy I refused to give in, I could walk if I put in the effort and I refused to let my life be dictated by such constraints any more.
Some might call me odd, but they didn't understand where I was coming from, I spent years in Cytheria's shadow, centuries in the shadows of Venus and before that Aphrodite. I was tired of having my path dictated by the constraints imposed upon me by fate, and for once in my existence I could see the future in front of me like a shining brass ring hanging just out of reach. To reach that brass ring- that promise of a future that was only limited by the choices that I made, I didn't just have to walk, I had to run, to jump- I had to give it my all and I was damned determined that I wasn't going to do just that.
"I take it that the wheelchair is only a temporary thing," I froze as I heard Iris speak up from the kitchenette, obviously, I wasn't the only one up, but I couldn't tell with the privacy curtain drawn around the bed. Looking up from a bowl that she was stirring I could tell that she was drawing her own conclusions, "I don't mean to pry but was it some kind of accident?"
"No," I replied as I continued my self-imposed morning regimen, "it was fate. I'm not like Randi, I was born half mermaid, my unfertilized egg was encased inside of a pearl by my grandmother with a spell so that the first center-court being of sufficient power to touch the pearl would fertilize the egg and allow me to be born. Unfortunately, Dagon, the same monster who cursed the world against normal merfolk by plotting the assassination of my grandfather, murdered my mother, and arranged the deaths of my grandmother and uncle also sealed me in the astral shadow of a being who was being born nearby before the conditions of my hatching could be met."
"Well at least you didn't have to experience all of that," Iris chuckled while I winced.
"Actually, according to her she did," Randi explained as she scratched her ear, "she lived through two full incarnations of that being- namely the Grecian deity Aphrodite, before something moved her out of that shadow and inside a cyst in her modern mortal incarnation as Cytheria. As luck would have it the first person to touch it with their bare-hands was our Academy's Headmistress- Elizabeth Carson. Granted that thanks to a local kleptomaniac techie named Belphegor and later the Monkey King there was a real Helter-Skelter around the school for the pearl when it went missing. Up until the point that Bea hatched in the Headmistress's Office it was campus-wide pandemonium."
"Damn," Zhen-yu remarked as she just stared from her sandpit, "over two life-times looking at someone else live their life. And I thought that what happened to me was harsh."
"Yes, Zhen-yu I know details about the cult, but I didn't know about any of that until I was named as the Western Maiden and my mentor Mrs. Redstag, The Morrigan was reluctant to inform me of just what I was until after I awoke my fae heritage." Randi began to explain while apologizing to Zhen-yu in her own way for failing to rescue her. "I didn't find out until I helped a being trapped in its own misery at the heart of the Dreamlands learn the truth about itself."
"Whoa you helped one of the Great Old Ones?!?" Iris recoiled in fear, likely at the possibility of one of us betraying our mission.
"More an Elder God or Universal Aspect than a Great Old One," I began to elaborate trying to make her and to a lesser extent Zhen-yu understand, "the being in question is essentially the Gaia of the Dreamlands- it has even had avatars on Earth before. During the Sundering, a piece of it fell into our world eventually that piece stumbled upon one of the refuges of the merfolk and took the form of a mermaid, she had two children before Dagon struck and stirred up a war between them and Enki's tribe of djinn."
"And my dad and his people were the allies of those merfolk," Iris realized from what she knew of that course of events from her own family, "the pearl must have taken a lot of unorthodox magic to make, your grandmother was Tiamat, that means you're..."
"Half-mermaid and half-mutant," I replied while I heaved my way back inside my borrowed wheelchair, "the doctors at ARC verified it and they know a lot about GOOs. Plus, after all of the Elixir of Reality that I had to take during that incident last night in Boston if I did have any Old One in me I'd probably be a puddle by now."
"Plus, being anything else would have disqualified her from being one of the maidens," Zhen-yu explained coming to my defense. "The Wayfarer told me a fair deal about how the maidens were chosen. I was chosen because I'm the descendant of a dragon who sacrificed himself for the sake of destiny who also carries the blood of the Yellow Emperor."
Correct Jane observed as she spoke up, "Randi for example was chosen because she's the descendent of an illegitimate child of one of the Ancient Fae Queens and three beings created from soul fragments of a lover who died before their union was formalized, but only after the fae aspect of her being awakened in her body. Bea was chosen because she's the only blood relative of the last triton king, meaning that it can't be anyone else."
"Yeah, that's a lot more than I found out through her though, but it lines up," Zhen-yu muttered, "As for the Southern Maiden, all she told me was that she would be born into the house of a dual-element djinn who arose based on his own merits."
"My grandfather, Lord Khamsin," Mistral began to explain as she kept stirring the batter in the bowl, "I still have a lot to learn but from what I know he was common born and rose to his rank within djinn society through the royal guard under King Amun and remained loyal under the assent of Prince Horus until Osiris's coup with the aid of the Black Pharaoh. At least that's what my Uncle Dirge taught me about djinn history as we were training, he even invented an iconic weapon that is symbolic of the royal guard- the staff of was."
"There's no need to be coy, Randi deduced that Lord Khamsin was Set a long time ago." I explained as I adjusted myself in the wheelchair, "I was also in the room with your father when he found out about you, Wepwawet might have been so overwhelmed that he passed out onto the floor but as soon as he woke up he was torn between being ecstatic and apprehensive about meeting you."
Mistral turned beet red over that revelation and retreated to the kitchen, I made a note to apologize to her later, but something tells me that story about her dad would become something to laugh about in the future.
"So, Bea you were literally born a few weeks ago, and Randi you are inside of a new body that had to be grown from scratch," Zhen-yu observed as she mused over our situation, "I guess that makes me the oldest one here. Which means that I'm..."
"The second oldest here," Randi interrupted with a deadpan expression on her face, "Jane was born during WW Two, and age doesn't matter- trust is what matters and we're still too new to each other to name a leader, but when it comes time to name a leader I say- count- me- out."
Noting the perplexed expression in Zhen-yu's eyes, her face was much harder to read given my lack of familiarity with anthropomorphic Chinese dragons, so I decided to clarify matters. "She had some bad experiences trying to take the lead in various things over the year- really disenchanted her with the concept."
"I nearly got myself killed three times in the same operation, and that was after getting abducted by a coven of wannabe witches." Randi grimaced before triggering her collar to change from her costume into her casual-wear from yesterday then taking the time to remove the illusion charm from her tail as well as her beret displaying her tail and ears for all to see.
"Heh- I see that I'm not the only member of the tail club Fido," Zhen-yu remarked, "but I still don't see where you hid your wings?"
"I told you earlier Zhen-yu, not all faefolk are pixies!" Randi responded before her bark turned into a sigh, "Although admittingly I'm a bit of a mutt when it comes to my fae nature, the closest thing to what I am is a Cu-sith. Although I have a lot of other things in me such as aether hound and alp along with a lot of things that are debatable whether they are Feyfolk or not; I even have a little Sidhe in me."
"You mentioned an exorcism though," Zhen-yu inquired, "what manner of Christian devil was it?"
"Not exactly Christian, it was Carcharoth, he's the main operative to Mister Domino." Randi began to tell what I could guess was a version of her story. "They didn't know that fate would cause me to awaken as the Western Maiden yet, one being had a clue, but I doubt that you'll ever meet Greyback. No- what the Circle wanted me for was my original body was High-class Avatar host without a spirit, they just wanted me to use my body as a host for Don Astio- they didn't need me at all. From what Morrigan told me they used Carcharoth to suppress my manifestation, so I guess that it was a strange twist of fate how their actions lead to my awakening as the Western Maiden."
"Maybe- maybe not," Jane spoke up from her perch where she'd been preening her feathers, "Strange turns of fate and the Faefolk seem to go hand in hand. It was also when you bonded with the gift that Mister Domino had Carcharoth dragging around that you took your first step down being the Western Maiden. As well as so many other fortunate turns in your life."
"I just wish that Carcharoth's spirit hadn't needed to spend so much time inside of my body," Randi shuddered, "you know it wasn't until recently that I ever had a dream that I could remember, all before I was free of extra spirits and with them my Avatar-Trait that I remember was either Carcharoth fighting with Morrigan and Greyback to take control of my original body and later Morrigan training me to fight in my dreams when her spirit was trapped in my new body."
"As near as I can tell none of us had a normal run at things," I explained, "Randi and I were in the room when Wepwawet learned everything about Iris's life, with her mother being kidnapped, her being trapped in a body that was all wrong just after she was born, the clear signs of emotional abuse- at least it looks like she made some real friends along the way."
"I wish that I could say the same," Randi commented with a downcast expression on her face. "Carcharoth really did a number on me, that monster is a huge bundle of hate and mistrust, although knowing his story that part is understandable."
"You'll find the Obsidian Circle contains a lot of entities from various mythologies," I explained to Zhen-yu, "Randi's already identified Set, Loki, Hel, Hecate, Lilith and Typhon, as for Carcharoth he's the Fenris wolf."
"I might need to study some," Zhen-yu replied with as much of a sheepish expression as she could manage with a reptilian muzzle, "because other than hearing a born-again Betty at school talk about Hell and one sounding a lot like a Pacific Hurricane I don't know who any of those people are. Also, this Academy that you keep mentioning, this wouldn't happen to be where the Handmaiden of the Tao is would it?"
I held my tongue for a moment as I looked at Randi and she nodded for once knowing what I was asking, "What we mean is the Whateley Academy, it's a boarding school in the Northeast- almost all of the students as well as many of the faculty and staff there are mutants just like the four of us."
"You mean Xavier's is real!" Iris shouted from the kitchen near the breakfast nook.
"It's not Xavier's and mom along with most of the teachers dislike the comparison," I replied in a bit of a raised tone. "They don't teach everyone how to be heroes, or send out teams on missions. What Whateley does is provide a safe place where we can learn how to properly use our abilities as well as a quality education to prepare us for the real world."
"Besides Whateley tries to hold a neutral stance," Randi elaborated, "yeah, some prominent heroes have graduated from Whateley, like the third Champion, most of the Star League, as well as a good chunk of the Justice Battalion to name a few, but so have a few villains, Lord Paramount is a graduate and Gizmatic's feud with the third Champion began when they were both students at Whateley. But there are also a fair number of people who opt to just make a living with their powers in any number of fields, I even know one who operates a creamery."
"Cool," Iris commented from the kitchen, "by the way breakfast is ready!"
"I wonder what she made?" I mentioned as Randi and my stomach both reminded us that neither of us really had dinner last night- subsisting mainly on snacks that Randi carried in her bag and upscale vegetable and antipasto trays that were waiting for us when we arrived here.
"Since she was stirring batter I say waffles," Zhen-yu remarked as she began to drool a little.
"I heard sizzling in a skillet, so I'd have to go with pancakes," Randi guessed,
"So, we're supposed to believe that just because you have dog ears that you have super-human senses." Zhen-yu objected, "Besides why would you waste time on those fried mushy wads when you could have crunchy, crispy waffles."
"Probably out of consideration," Randi retorted, "most kitchens have at most a single waffle-iron when pans are common. Besides by the time that enough waffles are done for several people the first batch would start getting cold."
"Please you two, calm down," I pleaded as I rolled between them, "why don't we just see what she made and let that be it, "besides it wouldn't do for us to let her generosity turn cold and possibly soggy."
"Nana Bridges always says that wasting food is a crime," Faolan remarked.
"Sounds like your grandmother and mine would have gotten along rather well," Zhen-yu remarked.
Each of us made our way to the breakfast nook by the kitchenette, with me rolling myself along thank you very much, where Iris plating four trios of crêpes with a syrup that I could tell was judging from the smell a had lemon juice mixed in and dusting them lightly with powdered sugar, two decent-sized sausages and a tall glass of milk, as well as an empty cup.
"I found a decent selection of preserves in the cupboards," Iris explained as she displayed the results, "what you have here is a mixture of orange marmalade, strawberry and apricot crêpes with mascarpone, lemon juice infused simple-syrup, andouille sausage, and an English breakfast tea in the kettle if you want it. Oh, and just so there are no surprises that's horchata in the glasses in case anyone is lactose intolerant, I just hope no one has nut or rice allergies.
"What's horchata?" Zhen-yu asked staring at the glass not sure what to make of it.
"Usually rice milk with vanilla and cinnamon," Randi explained as she moved to sit down. "No dairy though in case that's a problem. I'm from Texas so I've had it plenty of times, pretty good especially when served very cold."
"Texas huh, figures that the Western Maiden would be a tomboyish ranch hand." Zhen-yu made another dig at Randi but from what I could see thing time she didn't fall for it.
"Nope city-girl from the North-Texas Metroplex," Randi remarked as she sat down and took a deep whiff of her plate, "Father's a librarian and mother's a plumber- how about you."
I could see that Zhen-yu was weighing matters over now that Randi didn't bite her bait. "My mother's a seamstress and my father's a tailor, we live in the Asian-District of Seattle in the same shop that our family had run ever since my great-great-grandparents immigrated during the late 1800s."
"I know the feeling, I may not be a ranch hand, but I have family who are on my mom's side- they own a small cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle that they've had since they settled there with a bunch of their fellow rail workers from the Western Pacific and the Union Pacific." Randi continued to explain with I rolled my chair up to the empty spot on the table as Zhen-yu joined Randi and Iris in the remaining-vacant chair.
At first no one touched their meals, but rather than outright aversion this was mainly due to self-imposed rituals on how to confront the meals, Randi and Iris both started by cutting the sausages diagonally with their flatware, while Zhen-yu began to cut everything into sections after pouring herself a cup of tea. While I also helped myself to the tea, I preferred to leave everything intact until I began to eat it. While I was tempted to go right for the crêpes, I knew from school that those things needed to cool a bit first to avoid the mascarpone and fruit filling being too runny, instead I focused on the sausages which had a mild heat to them but were grilled to add a decent amount of snap to the casings and a nice char to complement their smoky taste.
Once I was done with the sausages I took a sip of the tea which had cooled down just enough to avoid scorching my tongue, I took the bitter-caffeine charged beverage down to power-wash away whatever remaining cob-webs that were inside my head, although I was tempted to add some cream or sugar to the beverage there was enough sweetness in front of me. Although I was unfamiliar with the horchata beverage I took a sip to counteract the bitter of the tea; as Randi had advertised it was a cold mixture of sweet vanilla with hints of cinnamon.
After another sip of tea to cleanse the metaphorically old palate and it was time to tackle the crêpes, at first, I thought about peaking from the side to check out which crêpe had which filling but I decided that this time the surprise was another part of the meal. I carved off a piece of the first crêpe and was hit with the slight punch of sour, yeah from what I remembered Cytherea never liked marmalade due to its sour taste; fortunately, most of the sour was mixed with the delicate tang of the mascarpone to mellow it out some.
After finishing the orange marmalade crêpe off and taking another sip of tea, I tackled the next crêpe; okay this was something that I was familiar with from school strawberry preserves- granted the taste was a lot better developed coming straight from a jar rather than a tiny plastic packet like at Crystal Hall.
Now it was time for the final crêpe, although to be honest I don't think that I've ever had an apricot before, if I remember they were sort of like peaches. I cut off a piece of the last crêpe and could see that this was more tangy than sweet, moreover the fruit from the preserve had some texture to it to offer a greater contrast to the dish. Note to self, do not introduce Iris to Ayla Goodkind, I wanted to see how Iris's skills would develop after getting to Whateley and Ayla, from what I had seen, had a habit of monopolizing talent- especially culinary talent.
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Okay, I'll concede to the fairy that horchata stuff was good now at least I think I knew what that creamy stuff was in those jugs my friends and I spotted around the taquerias back in Seattle were. As things stood though I still didn't know if I could trust these three, Randi and Iris both had connections to this Obsidian Circle group with one being the granddaughter of a member and one admitting that she had been influenced by one of their operatives for a number of years. As for Bea, her story was just too- odd. I mean hatching from a pearl to be around the same age as three of us was just too absurd.
Maybe I was being paranoid but after my treatment by the Merchants of Suffering, paranoia was a necessary survival mechanism- even if this Obsidian Circle weren't allies of the Merchants there was nothing to say that they wouldn't seek to use my gifts in the same way- prophecy or not. Okay- granted Randi from what I heard was about as distantly related to Mister Domino as I was to the Yellow Emperor, but even she admitted that Domino's minion influenced her mind growing up.
How was I to trust any of them- for that matter why would it be a good idea for me to do so in the first place. Then again, I guess that the old saying would hold very true here, keep your friends close and your enemy's closer. Okay calling them my enemies already was a premature judgement on my part, while I wasn't one-hundred percent sure that the other maidens were my enemy I sure as the winter was freezing didn't trust any of them yet.
"One thing that I kind of don't get is how our powers are supposed to help with this whole prophecy thing," Iris pondered as she spoke up, "I mean how is the ability to see the past supposed to help fixing an ancient ship? Plus, healing, shape-shifting and pyro-what's-it's how is any of that supposed to help with what we have to do?"
"Well according to my prophecy I'm supposed to repair the broken root of Yggdrasil," Randi began to explain clearly showing that she knew a lot more than she was telling, "Fae magic depends upon the thriving essence of nature, and in the absence of a true World Tree that magic is dependent on mystic groves. According to the stories Yggdrasil is so massive that its roots stretch across realities, but the truth is that those realities are just pieces of the Earth that became... displaced by the Sundering. This means that if I heal the root of Yggdrasil that's connected to our part of Earth that it would let not only its own magic flow back into the world but also that from the other places of the Wild Lands of Faerie where it's rooted as well as strengthen the biomes of Earth to make them more resilient."
"According to what that prophecy said though the broken root is located in a place that civilized beings can't go- thus humans and even most fae can't go there. So, I'm not only going to need my shape-shifting, I'm going to have to become one spiritually with my wolf half as well as be intuitive enough in the use of magic and glamour to perform a tree-graft without the usual tools as well as avoid detection while I'm doing it."
"As for the Chalice of Selána it's supposed to be a colossal reef that distills the moon's essence to be harnessed by the Eastern Court and as a consequence keep the oceans vibrant and bountiful," Bea continued the discussion, "If the coral of the Chalice is sick or bleached I should be able to restore it and heal the coral polyps. As a consequence, the reef should also help excise radiation and chemical pollution from the oceans and seas. As well as strengthen the fragile aquatic ecosystems of the planet, and help it recover as well to where it was prior to the industrial revolution."
"How did the both of you know about where your targets are located anyway?" I asked desperate to get to the bottom of this, and hopefully put a chink in their armor that I could use to expose the truth about them. Still one thing about my current theory didn't add up- Iris the one of us with the most direct connection to the Obsidian Circle actually looked the most off about the whole thing. So was it the Circle that was the source of this information that they already had available or did it have to do with this Academy that they seemed so keen to lure us into attending.
"Yggdrasil is prominently featured in Norse Mythology, I know about it mostly because I've always been a major bookworm, although I guess it comes from being a librarian's kid who sucked at sports growing up." Randi confessed, and I could almost buy her story, but there were still details that cast doubt in my mind to her narrative. "I also wanted to learn as much as I could about the monster who made my youth hell, and Carcharoth no Fenrir and his immediate family also show up a lot in those stories as well, so I've been brushing up on my Norse mythology in my spare time. As for World Trees, their importance to fae and the Forest of Díthreabh- what I haven't learned from my teacher Morrigan in-between combat lessons Jane filled me in on that after the meeting earlier through our bond."
"As for the Chalice of Selána, I learned about it while learning about the Eastern Court in a place Greyback showed me." Bea fessed up- I'll have to grill them about who this Greyback character is- I swear that's the second or third time that one of them has brought him up. "It was really important to the culture of the Eastern Court, they considered the Chalice itself a sacred place and tasked an order of sacred maidens to attend to it, I'm really going to have to bone up on that place sooner rather than later considering how important it is to my own destined mission."
"Maybe you could take me to this place as well," I inquired waiting for her to take the bait, and either extend an invitation to meeting this Greyback or expose her fraud for what it is. "I mean I should do some studying myself about Mount Sàng hún-zhī, and this talisman that I'm supposed to repair right."
"That might not be possible," Randi came to Bea's defense in an oddly unsure manner, "wherever Greyback took Bea to learn about the Eastern Court is likely in the Dreamlands, and finding your way there without someone who has a connection to you to guide you there is really difficult. Not to mention that the Dreamlands themselves can be unbelievably dangerous to those without a proper guide- my first journey through that place nearly killed me a hundred times over and the danger of that place to your mind and soul is very real. If I were you I'd ask someone from the Jade Heavens where you might learn this information, and in case you haven't met anyone already Bea knows four princesses from each of the Jade Heaven's Four Seas and I can always ask the Bladedancer's combat instructor Guan Yu if he knows anything."
"Guan Yu!" I all but shouted in shock, "One of the students at your school not only knows Liu Bei's general, who became a deity after his death but also is learning to fight from him. Now I know you lot are full of it- who would be so important that Guan Yu would journey from the Jade Heavens to teach them?"
"Bladedancer is the codename that was chosen by the current Handmaiden of the Tao," Randi's crow who had been silent all this time chose now to speak up and that one sentence struck me to the core. The Handmaiden of the Tao, the studious left-hand of destiny itself and the one whose blade was made from my ancestor's heart and I was supposed to train with this summer. Not only did Randi know her of her but something told me that Randi knew her personally, to mention someone like her so...casually was terrifying.
Not only that but to know that the Handmaiden was actually a student at this Academy that Randi and Bea attended- just what kind of school was this place. I was so caught up in this revelation that I almost missed Randi's question of, "By the way just what can you do, I mean it's only fair considering that we've shared how we think our powers would work to fulfill our destinies'."
"I'm a pyrokinetic," I confessed still shaken by the reveal that this was the place that someone like the Handmaiden of the Tao thought could teach her, "I can actually control fire, cultivate heat and suspend material in that heat as long as I need to work it into something new- usually it's to make gemstones. Unfortunately, those gemstones also soak up enchantments like a sponge- that's the reason that the Merchants of Suffering kidnapped me and threatened my family. They consider me their personal enchantable gem furnace, it's also why they'll do anything to get me back under their thumb."
That was when Randi began to regard me in a way that was creepy, "Oh let me guess the fairy wants to add this dragon to her own little kingdom!"
"Nope," Randi replied in a way that was too glib and nonchalant to be anything but the truth, "I'm just seeing that you would fit right in at the Whateley Artifact Manufacturing Club. It's this trio of students at school that can make all sorts of amazing things when they pool their talents- my vambraces and one of my knives as well as Bea's bracelets are their work. Our school has a variation on an open house in a few weeks on the 13th of May for parents and perspective students who can afford to wait until the beginning of the school year to attend, you might want to use the opportunity to get to know them. Something tells me that the stuff that the four of you could make together would be amazing- maybe even legendary."
"You had better not be trying to pull one over on me." I warned Randi, glaring at her as best as I could but somehow flame-wielding anthropomorphic dragon or not she was entirely unphased.
"Their codenames are Silver, Eldrich and Seraphim, they already make some pretty amazing things right now." Randi calmly began to explain matters, "Silver can excrete raw mithril from her pours, that part was only discovered recently- the school is working with her to give her appropriate financial control over her...cast-offs ever since. Eldrich is the latest incarnation of an ancient being known as The Artificer, who is a mystic crafter, one of her previous incarnations was the one who created the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword Destiny's Wave. As for Seraphim, she's an omnipath who can channel higher-dimensional energies to do all sorts of things. If you're interested should you take the offer on Perspectives Day up, then I recommend asking the office to introduce you to them."
"I really recommend that you ask for admission," Bea spoke up now that Randi was done with her sales pitch, "given that the Syndicate, most supervillains and even various factions of the Grand Hall consider Whateley neutral ground should the Merchants of Suffering try to come after you they'll likely suffer the same fate as the Tong of the Black Madonna."
This made me more than a little nervous as I knew from chatter during my time with the Merchants that they did business with that cult, "What happened to those Witches?" I asked out of morbid curiosity.
"The Syndicate blasted their main temple in Thailand to rubble taking out their Ya-Ba labs and opium fields with it, as well as destroyed the main port for their South China Sea piracy operation in Cambodia," Jane explained the whole affair from her perch, "Lord Khamsin and Baron Impié also attacked their temple in Laos mummifying the high priestess alive while taking out most of her servants when they tried defending their mistress. A splinter group known as the Fierce Wind then moved in and took over the Tong's temples in Laos and Myanmar meaning the Tong of the Black Madonna are too busty fighting to hold on to the scraps of their empire to attempt anything for years possibly decades."
"And all of that happened because the Tong tried to attack the Handmaiden of the Tao in her sleep with black magic." Bea explained in a serious tone, "It's an unspoken rule in the Underworld, those who violate the Whateley Neutrality Agreement on either side of the law will be made to answer for it by their peers. And when those peers include the likes of Doctor Diabolik, Gizmatic, the Silver Serpent, Strega, Dominus, and the Obsidian Circle just to just name a few- you'd be asking for a real beating if you came to cause trouble."
"Especially when your place of operations is fixed like the Merchants," Randi remarked as she poured herself a cup of tea. "The last human-being to try to pull something at Whateley was Chessmaster, he's still on the run after The Syndicate put a twenty-million-dollar bounty on his head for the attack he and Deathlist's Sabretooth Squad pulled last Halloween. And the last attack on the school was pulled by a minor fae noble of the Winter Court, according to my intel she's currently being tortured by those who want her status."
"Tortured- you fairies are messed up." I recoiled as I eyed her with caution.
"Again- Winter Court, they are one of two groups to have popped up since the Sundering whose leaders stepped into the power-vacuum left by the death of the Nine Queens and since there were no legitimate heirs they're the new status-quo." Randi remarked as she rolled her eyes, "But torture or not both Winter and their Counterpart Summer are just as twisted, personally though I'm backing the Wild Court who are looking get rid of these pretenders and their warped ideals."
"At least they're not the Dark Court of the Fae," Iris commented joining the conversation, "I just had a nasty experience with one of that lot."
"Yeah, the Dark Court can be super nasty if you leave yourself vulnerable or have something they want," Randi shuddered, "they're faefolk who refuse to align themselves with anyone, mainly anti-social misfits and nobles from fallen houses of Winter or Summer. Granted the Goblin Markets can be a good place to find some goods at a fair price, although you should never visit alone, cause that place is like pearl-diving in shark-infested waters; yeah you might walk away with a nice profit but if you're not careful you'll be eaten alive by those who call those waters home."
"At least they can settle in the mortal world proper," Bea huffed, "until I rescue my uncle and the two of us break Dagon's curse then all merfolk and those with merfolk blood outside of royal lineages are doomed to slowly lose their mind and soul as they mutate into deep ones."
"And what happens if you succeed in that, do you think that the world is just going to welcome merfolk immigration from wherever the rest of your people are hiding, mutants have a hard-enough time being recognized as not being monsters- all merfolk will become is another group that is discriminated against by everyone who're afraid of something that makes them feel weak."
"Well for starters a general romantic perception that the world as a whole has about mermen and mermaids," Randi began to tick away things on her right hand, "for another they'll also be faced with the knowledge that a number of their friends and possibly even relatives are merfolk, then there's the knowledge that Bea and her Uncle stopped said friends and relatives from turning into savage-homicidal monsters- a number of whom are kept contained for study at the Arkham Research Center. There is also the fact that we can presume most currently cursed merfolk have proper citizenship in the nations that they call home, and stripping people of any legal citizenship that they may have en-mass is a potential PR nightmare. Besides when the party responsible ensuring the proliferation of carriers is revealed to be a cult trying to create what amounts to a sleeper army via a hereditary global mutagenic pathogen then these neo-merfolk become victims."
"There is also the practical application in any number of countries of having a group of citizens who can live and breathe underwater." Bea began to back up her friend's argument about merfolk, "just think of the possibilities that are opened up in marine salvage, sea rescue, maritime law, as well as extending national borders. Suddenly you have a group of citizens who can expand a nations territorial waters by building subaquatic communities, especially when we began to distribute these to neo-merfolk."
Bea pointed to that weird ring on her right hand I couldn't tell what it was made out of, but it wasn't metal, "This is a ring of yin, the originals are harvested from living stalagmites in the Cavern of Chundu in the Eastern Sea of the Jade Heavens, but the Princess Sorcha of the Golden Sea told me that the merfolk who live there have been producing caverns full for centuries thanks to a dragon's pearl."
"It was Qianbei Zunyan's," I numbly observed, "as he surrendered his still-beating heart to the Jade Emperor to be shaped into the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword, we willed for his pearl to be given to the merfolk of the Jade Heaven's four seas. He gave them his pearl on his dying wish and they use it to make tacky jewelry."
"I am sorry that you feel that my people's use of your ancestor's death has cheapened the nobility of his sacrifice," Bea apologized with such honesty that it felt like a punch to the gut. "But rings of yin aren't tacky jewelry, each exudes the purity of the environment of the Cavern of Chundu so that while wearing them you cannot be poisoned, and merfolk can survive in water no matter how polluted it is provided there is still oxygen."
"Well that might be all well and good for merfolk but I doubt that it would interest people too much," I gave Bea's ring a disinterested look, "I mean so what if it can make water safe to breath in I doubt that would matter all that much for people."
"It also works in the open air," Bea retorted with a smile, "I was helping rescue people from a burning building, thanks to this ring I didn't need breathing gear to handle the smoke and fumes."
"Plus think what those rings could do if you installed them in a water-purification plant, it might take some doing but you could probably use them to improve water-purification." Randi observed, "And countries all over the world are always on the look out to increase the amount of clean drinking water that's available for the people living there."
I hated to admit it, but I was more than a little jealous of the pair, they seemed to share the kind of comradery that I used to have with my own friends at school- something that began to drift away after I manifested and was confined to the Asian International District after my transformation for my own safety and had lost almost entirely after my kidnaping. At least thanks to Kelsey I could talk with them via snail mail but still it was nothing next to being around them in person.
"Do girls always talk like this?" Iris turned to me actually curious over if this was normal. "I mean since I was raised as a boy I kind am a little lacking in experience here."
"No, they do not," Jane interjected as she landed on Iris's shoulder, "but Randi and Beatrice are hardly normal- half-human or not. Randi spent most of her free time during her youth either at a public library or at home, so her social skills are a little...odd. As for Bea, her experiences with direct human interaction are only recent so she is learning how to put into practice what she has only observed from what she considers to be a very shallow example of a humanity."
"So, I guess that I'm the only one here who had a normal childhood," I commented as I observed the peanut gallery. "The person here who had the most normal life growing up turned out looking the freakiest- talk about irony!"
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Zhen-yu," Randi remarked, "I'm sure you'll find somebody actually we have a girl at our school who rocks the reptile look too, she goes by the codename Kaiju, also there are plenty of people at the academy who mutated to such a point that they need special accommodations to survive- one of whom is a faculty member who teaches via psychic projection."
"Okay, I may still not agree to enroll at the loony bin that you two call a school, but I will come to your open house," I conceded the matter, "at the very least I'll have to see this place for myself."
"Maybe I can ask Laoshi Wujing if he could arrange for Wukong Sun to escort me since he has a history with your school." I laid out my proposal to only to draw a less than enthusiastic look from Randi.
"What is it," I inquired wondering just what prompted that bit of attitude, "I thought that you said the Monkey King had a history with your school."
"Yeah, he does, and not entirely a positive one," Randi deadpanned, "Aside from the fiasco around Bea's pearl there was also his infamous weeklong panty raid last fall. Apparently, he raided both girl's cottages, one of our co-ed cottages and was only stopped from raiding a second after being caught by the Handmaiden of the Tao. Don't dare to spread it around though, some students are still in the dark to avoid them foolishly trying to retaliate against the Monkey King and triggering a prank war of epic proportions."
"I wish that I could say there is no way that the Monkey King would do anything like that-" I remarked trying to contain my laughter and hoping my draconic visage wasn't broadcasting a smile too much,"- but I know better given his reputation. So now that it's established that I'll at least give your school a once over- the bigger question is just when do we decide to go home?"
"How about we put it to a vote?" Bea offered, "Who wants to put yesterday truly behind us and go home?"
Somehow it didn't surprise me that the vote was unanimous, Bea and Randi likely wanted to get back to their school and show everyone that they're okay and Iris had about a decade and a half worth of catching up to do with her father.
"Well it looks like the motion carries," Bea mused with a serene smile, "everyone please gather your things, I think that it's time that we inform our hosts that we are checking out."
After everyone took a moment to gather what little we had with us, especially given how the Whateley duo seemed to come with bags of holding, I wonder if they sold those at the campus store- note to self-inquire at campus store about bags of holding. Randi and Bea meanwhile paused to each put on a domino mask from Randi's bag, I might have gotten insulted over have not been offered one if the sentiment wasn't pointless given my reptilian appearance- Iris on the other hand may not have needed one given how she was a part of all of this through her family, although she still stopped to put on that mask she was wearing earlier for some odd reason.
Randi, Iris and I opened the doors together (with Jane perched on Bea's chair as she wheeled herself behind us) and I found to my bemusement my teacher Sha Wujing chatting with three individuals, a man in Egypt themed armor who I assumed was Iris's father, a scruffy looking man in plaid hakama pants, and a man peppered with scars and a cybernetic hand about of all things military history. "While it was true that MacArthur was a well-seasoned general I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if Truman had properly restrained him from approaching the Chinese-Russian border." The man with the metal hand mentioned, "before that moment China's involvement was constrained to selling weapons and munitions- purely profiting off the Russians and North Koreans while making Stalin look like a fool to their allies."
"That went without saying," Sha Wujing spoke up, "despite Beijing and Moscow each following variations of the Communist ideology Mao considered Stalin a threat due to the fact that he sought to subordinate all of his allies under himself- something that Mao certainly would refused to do. However, given the newness of his regime on the world stage, as well as the appearance that it would give before his subordinate; there was no way that he could let such an apparent challenge go unanswered."
"Yeah, if only MacArthur had followed the original plans and let the South Korean army secure the border after they had pushed the North Korean army out of the country then there was a very real possibility that the Kim dynasty would have ended before it began with Kim Il Sung." The man who I presumed was Greygus postulated, "Then we may just have Korea rather than this cold war atavism."
"That may be however there was a good chance that Russia may have used such an opportunity to begin another proxy conflict elsewhere," Randi interrupted, "they still claim to the Northern Japanese Territories to be the Kuril Islands and Stalin could have used the issue to push for an annexation of the rest of Hokkaido by claiming the Ainu as Soviet dependents due to the groups living in Siberia- remember after all this time Russia and Japan still haven't signed a formal peace treaty due to the fact that one or the other country would have to formally relinquish control over that portion of the Japanese Archipelago."
"Very interesting insight oh maiden of the west," Sha Wujing observed, "I hope that the five of you had a good night's sleep."
"I also hope that the you enjoyed the Chamber of Somnus as it was made for you four." Greygus explained as he handed each of us what looked like a key on a golden chain, except there were four rows of unique teeth arranged in a cross. "We will arrange to create entrance thresholds for it at Whateley, as well as my own little home-away-from-home for the moment. Eventually we may create other entrances to it elsewhere for your own convenience, I swear on my essence that these are the only four keys to that room you might make others with instructions within the room; to keep the key secret just press the base opposite of the teeth. Oh, and you need not worry about any of the food inside spoiling, the cabinets and the refrigerator have stasis enchantments built into them to keep anything from spoiling- provided you close the doors properly. We will need to arrange to give you a full tour of the room's amenities, but I presume that three of you would like to return to your preferred ports of call- while I know that Iris and I would doubtlessly wish to return back home."
"Fray and I will be taking Faolan and Aletheia back to Whateley," the man with the plaid hakama pants explained, "I presume that the Headmistress will have some choice words with them about this whole affair."
"Oh goody," Randi groaned, "how much do you want to bet that we get a month's worth of detention in Hawthorne for what happened in Boston Aletheia?"
"Maybe a few days at worst Faolan," Bea observed, "most of what we were doing was assisting EMT, and Fire and Rescue Personnel. Granted that we also intervened by aiding in rescue work however there is no law preventing private citizens from aiding in rescue efforts, in fact it's usually encouraged."
"What may or may not be awaiting you when you get back is for the Headmistress and the Deputy-Headmistress to decide," the scruffy looking man commented, "Duanzaolong your laoshi is going to be escorting you back to the cave using some a temporary path to make certain that the Merchants of Suffering won't follow you back to your sanctuary. Just a warning though, this path will only open more three times on three particular dates so it won't be much help during your trek east after the Handmaiden of the Tao trains you this summer."
Wonderful it looks like they didn't want to make things too easy for me on the way back home. But at least it would help me keep the cave safe from those bastards, the cave's biggest defense was its secrecy and I was probably lucky that the Merchant's warlocks were archaically old school otherwise they might know just where the cave's entrance could be found.
"Anyway Mistral, Duanzaolong, thanks for meeting us and I hope we see you again on visiting day," Bea stated as she extended her hands to each of us, not wanting to seem too distrustful I took the offered appendage and shook it as did Iris. "I look forward to your impressions of our fine Academy."
"I will certainly keep it open for consideration." I explained as I shook the mermaid's left hand.
"I don't know if I'll apply for sure or not, I mean I just met my family for the first time ever, I don't know if I want to go to a boarding school." Iris commented, and I can't say that I didn't understand her sentiment.
"Family or not dear, you need to be around children your own age." Iris's father Greygus spoke up, "while we could tutor you back home you would likely find the experience a lonely one. Also given the sheer number of enemies that your grandfather and I have made over the years public schooling is out of the question. Besides with my work I'm sad to say I'll be away a lot as will your uncle Dirge, the only family that you would really be around at home are your grandparents and they'd both be rather busy as well given their positions."
"Besides even if you do attend I plan on calling or stopping by so often that you'll be embarrassed to be around me before you know it."
"I doubt that dad," Iris commented as she hugged her father tight, "I really doubt that. Either way I'll be seeing you three again- wait until I tell my friends that I met a mermaid, a dragon and a fairy."
"Just remember, that's faerie!" Randi replied as she and Bea were escorted down the hallways and on their way back to their academy while Sha Wujing and I did the same leaving Iris in the corridor with her father. One thing was for certain- after today I just wanted this weekend over and done with, as we walked along I pressed the key and it collapsed into a pendent which I glanced over before putting on. 'Face it Zhen-yu, your life just got a lot more interesting!'
6 years 3 months ago #42
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
9:17 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Neat helmet you got there CF," Heath McGilles observed before bending down to check the laces on his track-shoes leaving his girlfriend (jokingly dubbed the Maniac's Mom) Shelly who was nearby watching our stuff to have a view she wanted as the photography minor snapped another picture, "not par the course for parkour but I guess parents can't help but worry."
"Yeah, I know," I remarked as I examined the helmet, "the weird thing is that I don't know whose gift it was. Mom, told me that dad's gift got held up on its way stateside and she got me a new pair of high-tops and a track-suit, but once she saw it she insisted that I wear it for this stuff."
"I just hope that it doesn't throw off your balance," Chelsea Bowles remarked as she went about her pre-run stretching routine. "I mean I know free-running can be hard on the body but if something throws your balance off then that can be just as dangerous."
"I know but that's what's weird about this thing," I explained before I slapped it on, "I swear that I can barely feel this thing. Honestly not only does it almost fit me like a glove, but I can barely feel any weight to this thing, I really wish that I knew the manufacturer, but this thing doesn't seem to have any branding on it. Besides I my mom saw me examining this thing in my room last night and I have to wear it or else if you know what I mean."
"Ah the dreaded or else," Cesar Nachez snidely commented as he was doing his own...unique form of stretching- breakdancing on the grass- he had just finished his hop n' jump routine and was likely ready to break out the worm. "Usually followed by wait 'til your father gets home, and if catch with those things again you're grounded until you're thirty."
"What do you expect when your mom to do when she finds out that your little brother found your porn stash," Mike Fulton noted, "though why did she freak out over a stack of Playboys your uncle gave you?"
"Because it had a few issues of Penthouse and a Hustler in the stack," Cesar admitted in a hushed tone as the worm became the log.
"Da'am," Mike recoiled, "I'm surprised she didn't ground you then and there, course your Uncle is bound to get a lot of crap if he tries to pop in for the Fourth."
"He's not welcome back until Thanksgiving and that's only if he brings a fresh apple pie from this famous cafe in Iola," Cesar explained.
"Really?" Heath observed as he looked our way, "Iola's a postage stamp, I didn't think they were known for cafe bakeries."
"Not Iola, Illinois- Iola, Wisconsin." Cesar corrected our boss, "and since the place's stuff is scratch made he's going to have to drive up there and back down just in time for Thanksgiving dinner."
"Man Cesar, there is brutal and then there's tu madre," I whistled, "remind me never to get on your old mom's bad side."
"Tell me about it, the only reason she's giving Uncle Phillipe a way to get back on her good side is because he's familia," Cesar explained as he got up. "Otherwise you'd be dead to my family or else."
"Or else what?" Mike asked clearly out of morbid curiosity.
"Or else the person who let you in sleeps in the closet-" Cesar explained as he dusted himself off, "standing up- behind the murphy bed."
"Isn't that dangerous?" I asked slightly afraid, "I've heard people have gotten seriously hurt that way."
"Mi abuelo knew what he was doing when he put it in," Cesar retorted, "thanks to the bedposts he mounted on, he left just enough room for someone to be in there and still have room to breathe while being pinned...you know for safety's sake."
"Alright enough about CF's new gear and Cesar's familial wackiness," Heath barked out, "we can save the jibber-jabber for our cool down at the Robust Lounge, so Maniacs I hope you're nice and warmed up- cause it's time to scale some rails and punish some pavement."
'Ever the motivator Heath,' I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. Never the less the lot of us moved into position, nobody wanted to be a slacker here we parkour is art in motion and the park was about to be our canvas.
All of us braced ourselves as if we were on the starting block of a track and field meet, even though it wasn't really a race all of us wanted to be the first to get back here for some sweet bragging rights.
"Okay Maniacs," Heath shouted from his spot, "let's bounce!"
With that the pack of us broke down the path, it was time to shine.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
9:34 AM
North of the group, VT lay in wait hiding in the bushes thanks to a freaking gilly suit of all things, "Alright- they're off VT just keep an eye out on that oreo Chandra and her helmet and then all it would take was one shot." He whispered to himself as he licked his lips. After he pulled the trigger he'd be running with a real crew and Chandra would know better than to dis her old home girls, oh well she'd have plenty of time to think that over from the shattered remains of her time as an athletic star- besides he was told to cripple her not kill her.
It was funny all those times his dad dragged him out to his company duck hunts to parade his son to his higher-ups at Goodkind International, no matter how much VT loathed how phony they were they taught him exactly what he needed today, patience and how to shoot a moving target with a rifle from cover.
Carefully VT tracked their progress as they left his view before slowly changing his position to face north-northwest as easy as it might have been to shoot Chandra before she and her group began their run there was too much of a risk if he had done so then. No matter how much of his mind was on the concept of just what rewards would be coming his way from Mister Sikes, not to mention how Natroya might view him afterwards, Darisha all but told him last night just how badly Chandra had dissed her during that traitor's own initiation.
No enough tangents, VT knew that the Maroon Maniacs' starting point was too close to the bar of land where Brynum Island connected to the rest of the park. If he shot while the Maniacs were just starting to run they'd have been far too alert and would be able to find in in an instant. No VT knew that the best time to strike was later in the run on about their tenth lap around the lake, at that point they'd be winded and far too much in the zone to think about looking for the shooter especially when one of their own was on the ground bleeding with a hole in her leg.
Also, even if one of them was near the bridge on the south side of the island, VT knew he'd have ample time to ditch the gun and gilly suit before blending in with the park-goers.
"That's one," VT whispered as he saw the Maroon Maniacs pass by his sights- taking particular note once Chandra was in the cross-hairs, "nine more and you're going down - hard!"
Washington Park - Walking Path (North-side)
9:46 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I kept my breathing even and my senses focused, the essence of parkour was a type of Zen: while there was a path laid out before us at the same time the path was non-existent. That was the thing when it comes to free-running the common path is only a suggestion, everything around us was a potential part of the path that we chose all that mattered was the course and the ultimate destination; even the railings, benches, tables, fountains and bike racks that others would consider an obstacle to a jog in free-running they were no obstacle- they were a challenge.
While the park was also full of people either walking, hanging out or jogging to their own rhythm, who thought little of what may be going on around them to us these people were the true obstacle- they were the x-factor that we would have to negotiate our way around in order to make our way. After all, as Heath always said: "Nothing is more unpredictable and potentially dangerous than another human being."
That was especially true when free-running, fixtures along a path to anyone with enough skills in parkour were a part of the path that you chose for yourself rather than an obstacle to be moved around. No in parkour people were the obstacle that you had to dodge, avoid or negotiate- especially given that if you accidentally pissed them off there was no telling what they would do especially given how these people were complete strangers.
Case in point, some little kid likely three or four years old just ran out onto the jogging path about ten-feet away, while the kid would have been easy to dodge with a slight correction of course- the kid's mother made things worse by charging out onto the path to 'pull her child back to safety and thus completely blocking the jogging path causing even more problems.
While the jogging path was blocked for the moment there was still a ready alternative nearby, I corrected my course right into the bench, which I used as a spring-board to both avoid the mother and her kid while not losing any momentum in the process.
While I left the pair behind I heard the mom shout something in anger directed right my way, whatever it was I didn't pay her any mind. Neither one of the pair was hurt and the crisis was averted, right now she was just scared about the might-have-beens and was taking out her frustration on the nearest target. Hopefully she'd get over it soon, the last thing that I needed in my life was to make another enemy of someone who lived in my hometown of Chi-town.
Yeah, the fact was that the Coleman sisters were enough enemies in Chicago for this lifetime and part of her dreaded that the pair might try to pull something again, granted that they hadn't done anything to her directly in months, but a quiet enemy was said to be the most dangerous kind of enemy. It was bad enough back in the past when they recruited my old friend Taikeyla Johnson into the Ally Vipers and had likely been part of the reason that my former best friend Ramona Watt stopped talking to me. Part of me really dreaded what they'd do this time, especially given how last November they'd been the likely source of an anonymous tip that Chicago PD had gotten about a purse snatcher matching my description, thank goodness that Cesar had his eye on me during the run- well that and the fact that no witnesses came forward to ID me.
'Okay forget those pains-in-the-butt Chandra,' I mentally shook myself, 'those two could do whatever the hell they wanted with their own messed up lives.'
I was here and now- they weren’t, and I was doing what I wanted chasing that runner's high. While it was true that I was running with a crew in a manner of speaking- each of the Maroon Maniacs ran at their own pace and made their own way, we were the authors of our fate and how we chose to deal with the slings and arrows that fate threw our way was our decision. On the court, back with my fellow Lady Cardinals, that was a matter of responsibility and a weight that I had to deal with for the good of the group, here running with the Maroon Maniacs that was freedom- cutting loose and living in the moment.
Don't get me wrong playing with a team was great, working together with the girls to bring out the best in each other was a feeling like no other but there were times that you just wanted to be free and soar on your own merits- as I just did when I spin-dodged a mother who was with her stroller taking her child get some fresh air.
I admit free-running was dangerous both to the runner as well as those who were around them, but that was where the balance lay- it was about choice on the most fundamental level and when it came to choices one had to be aware of the circumstances behind those choices and weigh the potential consequences. It was really Zen in a way, by moving and negotiating with your surrounding at a racing speed you learned how to process and make decisions on an almost instinctual level, no room for doubt or second guessing yourself you had to make a decision and commit to that decision then and there- I hate to admit it but it was probably what helped Candace and me when it came to making decisions about the team on the court.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
10:17 AM
VT licked his lips in anticipation, it was almost game time, Chandra had just passed his view for the ninth time meaning that it was almost time to get things on the road and when that happened he would have it made. He knew it ever since he met Darisha, this would help him find his way from out of the cracker-conformity that his parents had been forcing down his throat and open his way to being with his real brothers and sisters not another fake black like Chandra.
When it came right down to it VT was certain that she was the biggest race traitor that he had ever met, she had everything that he had ever wanted. She was a part of the real community of their people, she had lived in the reality that he had always wanted to be a part of and even had an in with a real gang- then what did she do? Chandra wound up throwing it all away and betraying her own people for the approval of some furry, mutant, freakshow in the making betraying not only her own people, but humanity all to chase some fucking silver-spoon offered to her by a family of crackers in Arlington Heights.
VT knew now at his core that no matter what Chandra had it coming, she was living in a fairy tale of lies, the Mosin-53 that Mister Sikes provided him with would shatter that traitorous princess's glass castle and force her to live with mortals once again. Sure, enough here she came, and while the crazy running that she did made her hard to predict, watching her for nine laps had shown VT where to aim. There was one spot along the path that Chandra had to jump off to keep her full momentum going for the curve east-ward, and when she put that leg down he was there to blow a hole in it. It wasn't like she'd die either her crew would call 911 at least before they ditched her, leaving the cripple to wither away in obscurity like she deserved for hurting Natroya.
Taking note of Chandra's progress down the path, and the lack of nearby collateral, VT took aim through the Mosin-53's scope to take aim at where his target would be just like his dad taught him when duck hunting. One sideways glance confirmed Chandra's progress and that was when VT began to count in a whisper as he bolted the round into the gun's barrel, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."
Without a moment's hesitation VT pulled the trigger sending the .30 caliber round towards a momentarily stationary Chandra Defrank.
Washington Park - North-northwest of Brynum Island
10:24 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I just heard the one noise that I hoped to never hear again in my lifetime, a gunshot, whatever it was far louder than a pistol or handgun and thus was a lot more powerful. A lifetime of instincts took over as I tried to dive to the ground but by then it was far too late. I felt it hit my leg and everything just stopped.
At first, I thought that it was just a mix of adrenaline and endorphins canceling out what was bound to be a crippling gunshot wound. To my surprise though I could still move the leg that had just been hit, although part of me wanted to close my eyes to avoid the sight of my mangled leg I turned to find the bullet was just...there.
Hanging in mid-air right against my leg was a slug that was far larger than the usual .45 caliber bullets that I'd see in occasionally around the neighborhood growing up. The sad fact was that on average the police were stretched too thin to thoroughly investigate every case of gang-on-gang violence in Chi Town’s West Side, which meant that if you looked you could occasionally find a fired slug embedded in a brick or mushroomed against the concrete.
No whatever this was it was too large to fit into a handgun, "HOLY CRAP, SOMEONE TRIED TO SHOOT ME WITH A FREAKING RIFLE!"
I kept staring at the bullet that was just...there right against my leg, not sticking out of it not embedded in my leg just setting against my leg as if it touched me and then stopped. That wasn't the only odd thing that I took note of- strangely enough despite the gunshot and my scream just now nobody was reacting what-so-ever. Everyone was just frozen in place- no matter the gunshot or my loud shout no one was moving even my fellow Maroon Maniacs.
Okay granted at first this pissed me off, I mean they were my friends and I could see that Mike was clearly within earshot- that was when I noticed that not only was he within earshot he was hovering in mid-air. Wondering what was up I began to walk over to him and then noticed that as I moved away from where I was the entire world seemed to gradually drain of colors, eventually when I made my way over to Mike everything was totally in black and white with shades of gray.
I examined Mike and it was clear that somehow time had stopped, well for everyone but me that is- well maybe it was more like I was just stuck between seconds. Like I'd called one big time-out on the world, but I was still allowed to move around, "Hold on if everything is stopped but me then-"
I jogged over to where the bullet that was going to blow a hole in my leg with color coming back to the world as I did so, "Must happen when I get closer to where I left time behind." I observed before turning my attention to the projectile that must have set this whole thing in motion. "Let's see just who tried to cripple me."
I looked at the bullet and did my best to eyeball where it came from, a few moments later I saw that whoever fired the damned thing had done so from the bushes on Brynum Island in the center of the Park's Lagoon. First making sure that nobody else was in the bullet's path I new that it was safe to just let it take its course and leave it for the police to use to nail this psycho after my shoes went ten rounds with his ribs.
I made my way to the bridge on the south-side of the island with the colors of the world fading into gray as I did so, as I walked along the path carefully given that I didn't know just how long this time-freeze would work I began to notice odd blurs in the air around me.
At first these blurs were odd and indistinct, but as I was walking they began to get more distinct- or at least they did be before I got to the bridge and began to make my way back north and closer to where whatever it was that caused this happened.
As I moved closer to where I thought the shooter might be color began to bleed back into the world. When I finally came to the bushes along the northwest edge of the island, the world around me was this odd tone like the pictures in my grandmother's where color wasn't as vivid but there was just this off-color tone that made everything look browner.
The bushes at the northwest part of the island just a few feet away I began to take notice of the growing knot in my stomach as I remembered one terrifying fact, whoever did this was still armed and may have far more than a rifle on them. I still had no clue when whatever did this would wear off, was the chance to learn just whoever hated me enough to try to cripple or kill me worth the risk that I might put them in a position to finish the job?
Yes- it was worth the risk! Whoever hated me enough to try to do something this horrible was bound to try to do it again if I let them have the chance, if I knew who did this I might be able to turn them into the police or at the very least stay away from them. Carefully I creeped around the bushes afraid of what I would learn, honestly my money was on a member of the Ally Vipers- while the Coleman sisters had stopped short of trying to have me hurt or killed in a way that would tie back to them I wouldn't put it past one of their crew to try something like this to earn some solo street cred while sucking up to those two.
Now in front of the bushes I finally saw them, the bastard who tried to shoot me and definitely would have succeeded in doing so had whatever it was that happened to push me outside of time not happened. Unfortunately, however it was covered in what looked like a suit made from strips of burlap, even five feet away and looking directly at them I had trouble seeing my shooter- whoever this was knew what the hell they were doing. The thought just made me even more scared- 'Was this a pro? Had I pissed off someone enough that they actually sent a real hitman to ruin my life? Also, if they were a pro was seeing their face worth the risk?'
That train of thought was even scarier, whoever this was had shot to cripple me- it would have made my life hell but I would have likely lived albeit missing a leg and confined to a wheelchair or needing a prosthetic leg but I would have been alive. On the other hand, if I saw this person's face and they learned about it, then I was a witness and a liability- that meant that I was dead as disco.
I shook my head to steel my nerves, I promised myself long ago after meeting Candance and escaping the darkness that the Coleman sisters tried to drag me down into that I wouldn't let fear rule my life. I tried to focus on my dad, the times we spent together whenever he was in-between tours of duty and came to spend time with us. He would tell me stories about all of the soldiers that he met in Afghanistan and Iraq, the fear that they experienced everyday of their service never knowing if the kid who was approaching them was a curious civilian or a suicide bomber ready to meet Allah.
Dad had even told me of the times that he had worked to help soldiers who were on the verge of breaking down to pull them away from the brink and help them find themselves again. He told me that I helped inspire him to do that for others, saying that mom and I gave him the strength to help others when they needed it.
Casting my fear aside, I reached down to the crouching figure in the bushes, to pull off the part of the suit that was obscuring their head- I was finally determined to see my attacker face-to-face and look them in the eyes even if they couldn't see me at the moment. To my surprise the moment I touched the shooter to pull the covering off his face the world snapped back into full-color and as he fell backwards I could see that time was moving again. While the bastard who tried to ruin my life had fallen into the bushes outside of my reach I had kept enough of a grip on the mess of burlap that he was using to hide his head, that was when I received the second biggest shock of my day today (third if you count the whole time-stopping thing).
"VICTOR!?!" I shouted at the fact that the little ganger-wannabe from school had not only followed me to Chicago but tried to blow a hole in my leg, "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DAMAGE?!? I KNOW YOU HAVE A BEEF WITH ME BUT ACTUALLY TRYING TO SHOOT ME, WHAT THE HELL DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!?"
Victor recoiled trying to put some more distance between us- failing off course thanks to the bush that he had crawled into to snipe me tangling with that burlap camo suit of his. "SHUT UP YOU FREAK!" Victor shouted at me with his eyes wild with hatred and terror, "YOU HAD THIS COMING FOR BETRAYING YOUR OWN FOR SOME CRACKER'S SCRAPS AND TO LEZ OUT WITH SOME MUTIE FREAK! GUESS THE REAL JOKE IS THAT THEY WERE NEVER YOUR PEOPLE, YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER MUTIE-FREAK LIKE YOUR LEZZIE BITCH PLAYING LIKE YOUR A PERSON!"
I all but shook with fury at Victor's confession, "WHAT THE HELL VICTOR! YOU TRIED TO RUIN MY LIFE FOR TURNING MY BACK ON A STREET GANG INITIATION THAT HAPPENED BEFORE WE EVER MET AND BEING FRIENDS WITH A GIRL WHO MANIFESTED! THAT'S YOUR REASONING BEHIND THIS, MY GOD I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU WERE THIS MUCH OF A MONSTER!"
"THE ONLY MONSTER HERE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME," Victor snapped with a voice dripping with venom, "BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER!"
That's when I heard the shot of a gun for the second time today, but this one far more familiar than before- unlike the last time this was a handgun- also unlike last time this one connected. I fell back clutching my side, it was tough through my maroon track outfit but I saw the blood, fortunately it looked like Victor's shot only grazed my side partially deflected by one of my ribs.
Unfortunately, while I was collapsing in pain from being shot along my side, Victor had gotten untangled and back on his feet. I pushed past the pain and looked up to see Victor standing over me with his gun held sideways and pointed right down at me, the earlier fear he had shown had been replaced with a look of bloodlust that I'd only seen in those foreign movies and shows that Nita likes to make us watch- where did I see a look like that...I think the title had cry in the name.
"I may not see eye to eye with my oreo of an old man on most things, but we agree on one thing-" Victor glared down at me with murder in his eyes, "the world is better off with fewer of you muties in it! I may have missed before, but I won't now, so say hello to the devil you freaking bitch!"
I couldn't look away as Victor pulled the trigger, strangely though the bang was far longer than I thought. That was when I noticed that while the world hadn't stopped it had slowed down to a crawl- I could actually see that bullet slowly leaving Victor's gun and knew that this was my golden opportunity to save my own skin.
I did my best to get back to my feet, pushing past the fire in my side as I struggled to get out of the way of the bullet's path. I could deal with Victor another day, right now I just needed to stay alive especially since whatever the hell I could do with stopping time like I had earlier was on the fritz and reduced to merely slowing down time around me.
'What the hell,' I mentally shrugged as I got up clutching my side, 'I need to get out of here while I can before I get shot again.'
Pushed past the pain I hobbled away as the bullet was halfway to where I had been, unfortunately as time wasn't really stopped Victor was still moving too. Apparently noticing that I had moved, Victor had begun to turn towards where I was with his gun following suit. Knowing that thing likely still had a few rounds left in it I decided to move as fast as I could to where Shelly was waiting with our bags and more importantly the first-aid kit.
Crossing the bridge south of the island as fast as I could, I spotted Shelly on the ground as flat as she could with her face down likely out of fear over the gunshots. Unfortunately, she also had the bag with the first-aid kit clenched tight and over her head, out of desperation to protect herself against any stray shots.
Glancing down at my still bleeding wound, and worried that Victor might be on his way to try and finish what he started I grabbed at the bag causing the world to go back to normal, or I guess it was really more like me going back to normal.
It appeared though that my attempts to take the bag met with clear resistance from a terrified Shelly, "No- go away," she began sobbing out as she kept her death grip on the bag, "leave me alone, I don't have anything you'd want!"
"Shelly, it's me Chandra!" I stated as I sat down with a stinging protest from my wounded side, "Please I need the first-aid kit, one of those shots grazed me."
"What?!?" Shelly replied in disbelief as she looked up and saw me clenching my bleeding side, that was when the fear factor faded from memory as the side of her that we knew of as the Maniac's Mom kicked into gear. Right away she forced me to lie down as she got out the first-aid kit, taking out a pair of scissors, a fishhook needle, a pair of rubber gloves, the kit's gutline, a lighter and a bottle of anti-septic Shelly got to work.
After putting on the gloves Shelly took the time to cut away the torn and bloody patch of my uniform and then washing the wound with the antiseptic, right afterwards the photography student took the needle and heated it with the lighter before pouring antiseptic on it to make sure that the needle was as clean as could be she got to work stitching my wounded side closed with an almost unnerving level to detail. Not that I was complaining, but a lot of the Maniacs had been trying to tell Shelly for years that she needed to be premed rather than a photographer, but she was adamant about staying the course.
Not that I would dare to bring this up again to the lady who was literally sewing a gunshot wound shut, especially since we didn't have any proper pain-killers in that kit more powerful than Advil...okay the real reason that I hadn't commented on anything was because I was clenching my teeth together in pain worried that Victor would hear me and come to finish me off and maybe doing the same for Shelly to make sure that nobody knew who did this. At least the fact was that the more time passed the more likely that we'd be safe, Chicago or not this was a city park, and someone was bound to call 9-1-1 after Victor fired that rifle of his.
Yeah, the police were bound to be here soon, I thought to myself as I began to drift off- everything was going to be alright...
Energy Monitoring Room - Argonne National Laboratory
Lemont, Illinois
10:56 AM
Gab Cowen came into the monitoring lab to find Dylan Hawser one of their student researchers all but glued to the monitor, "Dylan- what's going on some weird solar activity? Magnetic readings from those fracking sites outside of town? Or is it more weird readings from Lake Michigan again? Come on- give me a hint, Professor Bing is tired of me interrupting his golf game every time one of you college kids sees a blip on the equipment.
"No- nothing that normal," Dylan replied looking a little crazed with excitement, "although it does look as weird as those readings from Lake Michigan. No, I just spotted a series of exotic energy readings coming from downtown Chicago just outside of the University's main campus."
Turning to grab a few sheets from their printer (which unlike everything else in the room was clearly outdated tech) and shoved them into Gab's arms, "Look at these readings! Tell me if these look like what I think that they look like!"
Backing away from the overzealous intern, Gab took a moment to go over the print outs and became more and more astonished as he did so, "Hold the phone, these can't be real."
Gab kept looking over the print outs and grew more and more astonished by the moment, "Wait this is too consistent for a sensor error, these are actual readings of tachyon emissions, and a lot clearer than we've ever gathered before from outside a lab setting. It must be from a private research organization, tell me who owns the location that you observed these readings coming from?"
"The city of Chicago," Dylan explained as he pulled up the archive of the recordings from just a few moments prior. "Whatever it was it popped up in Washington Park, there were three big rippling flares that spread out in a ripple pattern, one to the west of the pond, one on the island in the center of the pond followed by a medium-sized one, dozens of small ones forming a path south of that island and finally another medium-sized reading to the south of the island where the small ripples terminated."
"Whatever it was that caused these tachyon ripples wasn't a stationary phenomenon it was mobile, and the pattern wasn't random the second big flare and the first mid-sized one came from within a few feet of each other and the path that the smaller ripples formed to the final mid-sized flare occurred mostly along a path conforming to geography designed for pedestrian travel, while I can't be certain without field analysis it also appeared that whatever it was that caused these readings never left the ground so whatever it was appears to be terrestrial- there's even a Doppler-shift pattern indicating directionality."
"Dial back the conjectural analysis Mulder," Gab deadpanned, "this is science not Hollywood, we don't begin forming hypothesis until after we gather the relevant data. Still now you have permission to contact Professor Bing. If you need me I'll be contacting ARC, they know more about exotic materials and phenomenon than anyone, so we'll need their expertise to verify our findings."
As Gab left the room Dylan still couldn't calm down, despite Gab Cowen's insistence to remain professional he couldn't put a lid on his excitement. Dylan knew that science or not whatever it was that was behind these readings was big, maybe even big enough to make his scientific career.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
10:59 AM
After firing again at the freak that Chandra had revealed herself to be while she retreated VT, saw how fast the phantasmal after-images that she left in the wake of her flight from his justified attempt at exterminating the monster that she was and then came to a realization. As much as VT hated to admit it, despite her being wounded there was no way that he'd be able to catch that freaky bitch let alone finish her off at the rate she was moving.
To make matters worse not only was VT going to have to let that mutie get away and do who know what, but the police were bound to be on their way at any moment. Sadly, VT knew that the police would not understand his actions and if he was lucky he'd be thrown into jail the moment they caught up to him, at worse though here he was a black kid in Chicago with not one but two literal smoking guns- he knew that not only did he have to retreat he also had to stash the guns so that he wouldn't get tied to the three shots that were fired in the park.
No VT wasn't stupid, he knew that the Po-Po would cap him on site if they had suspected that he was the one who fired the shots and chances are they might get someone on the force who was stupid enough to take the word of a mutie and ID him anyway- unless she didn't live that long.
Making sure wrap the rifle in garbage bag in the tote bag that he brought, making sure to push as much air out of the bag as possible first before he secured the thing with duck tape, he tossed the rifle inside the tote bag with the gilly suit and some nearby rocks for good measure. Taking the now hefty bag with him and making sure that the coast was clear, VT left the island at the center of the lagoon chucking the bag in the water as he went making sure that it was far enough into the water to properly submerge yet close enough to retrieve later. Making sure to keep his handgun with him, no way in hell he was going to stay unarmed with a wounded mutant on the loose, VT made his way east of the park and onto the University of Chicago Campus, careful to be on the lookout for what he needed a payphone.
After taking the phone off the hook with the sleeve of his hoodie and dropping 50 cents in the slot, VT dialed a number that his father made him memorize with his knuckles to avoid leaving a finger-print.
After a moment of ringing VT heard a voice on the other end, "Hello," he spoke up in his none gangsta' lingo making sure to sound as frightened and desperate as he could, "I need your help!"
Knights of Purity Chicago Operations Center
11:11 AM
Kandace Hunt took down the notes at the call center growing more and more alarmed at what she heard, shots fired in Washington Park, a mutant in a reddish-brown costume running around at high speed, whatever was going on the situation was clearly dire.
Still, no matter her emotions she had to verify things, so Kandace turned on the legal police scanner at her station to listen to police chatter over the law enforcement channel. "Possible 10-52 reported, shots fired in Washington Park, Car 41 enroot please send back-up, I repeat Possible 10-52 in Washington Park, Car 41 enroot please send back-up- 10-62- over."
"10-69 Car 41, back-up and paramedics are enroot-over. Assist paramedics but wait for back-up and CSI before investigating scene- over."
"10-69 Dispatch, over and out!"
Surer than she had been in months Kandace slammed her hand on the emergency intercom on her desk before barking into her microphone, "Warning this is not a drill, mutant sighting in Washington park, possible speedster armed and dangerous. Squad mobilize to coordinates provided in transport, this is not a drill!"
Kandace knew that whoever this dangerous mutant was they were about to get a serious reality check- courtesy of the Knights of Purity. With that done she followed her other key procedure- dialing the MCO.
Mister Sikes Office - The Rust-tic
11:14 AM
Leroy Sikes looked up from reviewing last night's iron pipeline cargo manifestos to see Darisha enter his office, "I hope this is important Darisha, the Big Man wants our shipping reports verified and torched ASAP."
"This is about that little candy-ass we sicced on Defrank," Darisha explained visibly afraid, "according to the feed from our bug something went freaky during the job and he's convinced she's a mutant. Whatever the truth is he only winged her after she found out who he was; while that wouldn't be so bad since we can cut the little SOB loose sooner rather than later, he followed up his little screw-up with an even bigger one."
"No way, Defrank is one of us the boss's lab checked that possibility out a long time ago when his seer told us she'd an asset. But as for our loose thread- let me guess," Leroy rolled his eyes in relative disinterest, "he did something stupid like firing at random trying to hit her in a crowd or shot a cop. Not that I care about either one, his only real connection to us was that he snuck into our club last night."
"No, it's much worse than that!" Darisha explained with her face twisted in fear, "Don't ask me why or how he knew it, but he called the Knights of Purity tip-line. That little idiot got those power-armor jockeys involved early- so it's not just the cops that we need to worry about!"
Leroy shot up in his chair and slammed his fists down on his desk. Visibly filled with a mixture of fear and fury Mister Sikes shot a glare at Darisha, "I need to get ready to go talk with the boss... GET OUT!"
Darisha complied, and Leroy sat back down. Turning to look at his bar the fridge opened as squeeze bottles of lemon juice and simple syrup along with the ice tray floated over to his bar. They joined the seltzer and the bottle of gin to make a Tom Collins, everything returned to its usual place as the glass floated over to his out-stretched hand.
"The fucking Knights of Purity," Leroy glowered at the memory of his first encounter with that lot, "I haven't thought about that lot since the Cloisters Raid." Remembering that dark night always made Leroy feel a number of emotions that he always wished to avoid, how he almost died before his life was really his own in the real sense of the word.
Swirling his cocktail before taking a sip, Leroy mulled matters over. "This has gotten too big for me- I need to get the Big Man involved ASAP, course he's not going to like it."
Leaning back in chair lost in the nightmares of that dark night, Leroy wondered if trying to tie up one past loose end he didn't send that group of cyber hellhounds on the trail of his operations. Leroy knew that no matter the role that he played in Mister Brea's operations in the Windy City that he was replaceable and given how Erzebet Scratch's operation was reportedly creeping into town the last thing his boss needed was weak links.
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
11:47 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
By the time I came to I saw the gang standing nearby looking at me in concern while a nearby paramedic examined Shelly's handiwork. "It looks like you did a good job sewing her up, but we're still going to need to take her to a hospital for observation along and a transfusion to replace what she lost- also the replacement track pants weren't really necessary."
"The pants are just our way of saying get well soon, I keep spares in my car in case anyone needs them. Now let me give you her information and emergency contact, you should be able to reach her mom no problem." Heath spoke up the look of concern visible on his face.
"You're just going to stay here?" I asked as I tried to sit up, "Nobody's going to ride with me to the hospital?"
"I'm afraid that your friends will need to stay here for police questioning after the police officers finish securing the crime scene Miss Defrank." The paramedic replied as he moved to secure me to the gurney while I heard this odd stomping. "They'll be able to visit you in the observation room at the hospital once the doctors confirm that you've stabilized."
"I'm afraid this mutant needs to come with us," the lot of us turned towards the source of the mechanically augmented voice that is when I saw the one thing that nobody in my situation ever wants to see...a full squad of the Knights of Purity, "As per the Knights of Purity Charter with the City of Chicago the suspect you are treating is to be remanded into our custody until a team from the Mutant Commission Office confirms that she is safe to be released to a civilian facility."
"Sir this is not a suspect," the paramedic argued on my behalf, "this is a gunshot victim, and mutant or not she is in need of medical treatment."
"Which she will receive in a holding cell at our Operations Facility courtesy of an MCO-certified medical professional." The power-armored thug replied, "We have no idea or her abilities or even if her bodily fluids may be considered bio-hazards, also by applying normal human treatment you may accidentally wind up killing her. The safest thing to do at the moment is to surrender her into our custody right now and you know it."
I didn't like where this was going so I did my best to push past the paramedic, especially given how this iron-booted thug commented about giving me to the MCO, I knew from Candace just what those bastards do to mutants once they get their claws into them and I didn't want to experience that hell on top of what Victor just put me through.
"Commander," one of the Knights with a rather large weapon saw me trying to run, "suspect is trying to flee, preceding to neutralize target."
The Knight fired its weapon at me and once again the world around me slowed to a crawl, as fast as I could I left the gurney as the weird projectile began to unfold into a sparking net. As hard as it was I knew that I had to run and hide, just where I hadn't decided on yet but I needed to find some way to keep safe and search for someone who could help me...the Champion if I was lucky but as I limped away from the Knights of Purity while trying not to pop my stitches I knew that I had to find someone who could help me as I left behind the slowed power-armored stormtroopers. Granted I did go back for my helmet and fresh track suit top.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 32
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
9:17 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Neat helmet you got there CF," Heath McGilles observed before bending down to check the laces on his track-shoes leaving his girlfriend (jokingly dubbed the Maniac's Mom) Shelly who was nearby watching our stuff to have a view she wanted as the photography minor snapped another picture, "not par the course for parkour but I guess parents can't help but worry."
"Yeah, I know," I remarked as I examined the helmet, "the weird thing is that I don't know whose gift it was. Mom, told me that dad's gift got held up on its way stateside and she got me a new pair of high-tops and a track-suit, but once she saw it she insisted that I wear it for this stuff."
"I just hope that it doesn't throw off your balance," Chelsea Bowles remarked as she went about her pre-run stretching routine. "I mean I know free-running can be hard on the body but if something throws your balance off then that can be just as dangerous."
"I know but that's what's weird about this thing," I explained before I slapped it on, "I swear that I can barely feel this thing. Honestly not only does it almost fit me like a glove, but I can barely feel any weight to this thing, I really wish that I knew the manufacturer, but this thing doesn't seem to have any branding on it. Besides I my mom saw me examining this thing in my room last night and I have to wear it or else if you know what I mean."
"Ah the dreaded or else," Cesar Nachez snidely commented as he was doing his own...unique form of stretching- breakdancing on the grass- he had just finished his hop n' jump routine and was likely ready to break out the worm. "Usually followed by wait 'til your father gets home, and if catch with those things again you're grounded until you're thirty."
"What do you expect when your mom to do when she finds out that your little brother found your porn stash," Mike Fulton noted, "though why did she freak out over a stack of Playboys your uncle gave you?"
"Because it had a few issues of Penthouse and a Hustler in the stack," Cesar admitted in a hushed tone as the worm became the log.
"Da'am," Mike recoiled, "I'm surprised she didn't ground you then and there, course your Uncle is bound to get a lot of crap if he tries to pop in for the Fourth."
"He's not welcome back until Thanksgiving and that's only if he brings a fresh apple pie from this famous cafe in Iola," Cesar explained.
"Really?" Heath observed as he looked our way, "Iola's a postage stamp, I didn't think they were known for cafe bakeries."
"Not Iola, Illinois- Iola, Wisconsin." Cesar corrected our boss, "and since the place's stuff is scratch made he's going to have to drive up there and back down just in time for Thanksgiving dinner."
"Man Cesar, there is brutal and then there's tu madre," I whistled, "remind me never to get on your old mom's bad side."
"Tell me about it, the only reason she's giving Uncle Phillipe a way to get back on her good side is because he's familia," Cesar explained as he got up. "Otherwise you'd be dead to my family or else."
"Or else what?" Mike asked clearly out of morbid curiosity.
"Or else the person who let you in sleeps in the closet-" Cesar explained as he dusted himself off, "standing up- behind the murphy bed."
"Isn't that dangerous?" I asked slightly afraid, "I've heard people have gotten seriously hurt that way."
"Mi abuelo knew what he was doing when he put it in," Cesar retorted, "thanks to the bedposts he mounted on, he left just enough room for someone to be in there and still have room to breathe while being pinned...you know for safety's sake."
"Alright enough about CF's new gear and Cesar's familial wackiness," Heath barked out, "we can save the jibber-jabber for our cool down at the Robust Lounge, so Maniacs I hope you're nice and warmed up- cause it's time to scale some rails and punish some pavement."
'Ever the motivator Heath,' I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. Never the less the lot of us moved into position, nobody wanted to be a slacker here we parkour is art in motion and the park was about to be our canvas.
All of us braced ourselves as if we were on the starting block of a track and field meet, even though it wasn't really a race all of us wanted to be the first to get back here for some sweet bragging rights.
"Okay Maniacs," Heath shouted from his spot, "let's bounce!"
With that the pack of us broke down the path, it was time to shine.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
9:34 AM
North of the group, VT lay in wait hiding in the bushes thanks to a freaking gilly suit of all things, "Alright- they're off VT just keep an eye out on that oreo Chandra and her helmet and then all it would take was one shot." He whispered to himself as he licked his lips. After he pulled the trigger he'd be running with a real crew and Chandra would know better than to dis her old home girls, oh well she'd have plenty of time to think that over from the shattered remains of her time as an athletic star- besides he was told to cripple her not kill her.
It was funny all those times his dad dragged him out to his company duck hunts to parade his son to his higher-ups at Goodkind International, no matter how much VT loathed how phony they were they taught him exactly what he needed today, patience and how to shoot a moving target with a rifle from cover.
Carefully VT tracked their progress as they left his view before slowly changing his position to face north-northwest as easy as it might have been to shoot Chandra before she and her group began their run there was too much of a risk if he had done so then. No matter how much of his mind was on the concept of just what rewards would be coming his way from Mister Sikes, not to mention how Natroya might view him afterwards, Darisha all but told him last night just how badly Chandra had dissed her during that traitor's own initiation.
No enough tangents, VT knew that the Maroon Maniacs' starting point was too close to the bar of land where Brynum Island connected to the rest of the park. If he shot while the Maniacs were just starting to run they'd have been far too alert and would be able to find in in an instant. No VT knew that the best time to strike was later in the run on about their tenth lap around the lake, at that point they'd be winded and far too much in the zone to think about looking for the shooter especially when one of their own was on the ground bleeding with a hole in her leg.
Also, even if one of them was near the bridge on the south side of the island, VT knew he'd have ample time to ditch the gun and gilly suit before blending in with the park-goers.
"That's one," VT whispered as he saw the Maroon Maniacs pass by his sights- taking particular note once Chandra was in the cross-hairs, "nine more and you're going down - hard!"
Washington Park - Walking Path (North-side)
9:46 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I kept my breathing even and my senses focused, the essence of parkour was a type of Zen: while there was a path laid out before us at the same time the path was non-existent. That was the thing when it comes to free-running the common path is only a suggestion, everything around us was a potential part of the path that we chose all that mattered was the course and the ultimate destination; even the railings, benches, tables, fountains and bike racks that others would consider an obstacle to a jog in free-running they were no obstacle- they were a challenge.
While the park was also full of people either walking, hanging out or jogging to their own rhythm, who thought little of what may be going on around them to us these people were the true obstacle- they were the x-factor that we would have to negotiate our way around in order to make our way. After all, as Heath always said: "Nothing is more unpredictable and potentially dangerous than another human being."
That was especially true when free-running, fixtures along a path to anyone with enough skills in parkour were a part of the path that you chose for yourself rather than an obstacle to be moved around. No in parkour people were the obstacle that you had to dodge, avoid or negotiate- especially given that if you accidentally pissed them off there was no telling what they would do especially given how these people were complete strangers.
Case in point, some little kid likely three or four years old just ran out onto the jogging path about ten-feet away, while the kid would have been easy to dodge with a slight correction of course- the kid's mother made things worse by charging out onto the path to 'pull her child back to safety and thus completely blocking the jogging path causing even more problems.
While the jogging path was blocked for the moment there was still a ready alternative nearby, I corrected my course right into the bench, which I used as a spring-board to both avoid the mother and her kid while not losing any momentum in the process.
While I left the pair behind I heard the mom shout something in anger directed right my way, whatever it was I didn't pay her any mind. Neither one of the pair was hurt and the crisis was averted, right now she was just scared about the might-have-beens and was taking out her frustration on the nearest target. Hopefully she'd get over it soon, the last thing that I needed in my life was to make another enemy of someone who lived in my hometown of Chi-town.
Yeah, the fact was that the Coleman sisters were enough enemies in Chicago for this lifetime and part of her dreaded that the pair might try to pull something again, granted that they hadn't done anything to her directly in months, but a quiet enemy was said to be the most dangerous kind of enemy. It was bad enough back in the past when they recruited my old friend Taikeyla Johnson into the Ally Vipers and had likely been part of the reason that my former best friend Ramona Watt stopped talking to me. Part of me really dreaded what they'd do this time, especially given how last November they'd been the likely source of an anonymous tip that Chicago PD had gotten about a purse snatcher matching my description, thank goodness that Cesar had his eye on me during the run- well that and the fact that no witnesses came forward to ID me.
'Okay forget those pains-in-the-butt Chandra,' I mentally shook myself, 'those two could do whatever the hell they wanted with their own messed up lives.'
I was here and now- they weren’t, and I was doing what I wanted chasing that runner's high. While it was true that I was running with a crew in a manner of speaking- each of the Maroon Maniacs ran at their own pace and made their own way, we were the authors of our fate and how we chose to deal with the slings and arrows that fate threw our way was our decision. On the court, back with my fellow Lady Cardinals, that was a matter of responsibility and a weight that I had to deal with for the good of the group, here running with the Maroon Maniacs that was freedom- cutting loose and living in the moment.
Don't get me wrong playing with a team was great, working together with the girls to bring out the best in each other was a feeling like no other but there were times that you just wanted to be free and soar on your own merits- as I just did when I spin-dodged a mother who was with her stroller taking her child get some fresh air.
I admit free-running was dangerous both to the runner as well as those who were around them, but that was where the balance lay- it was about choice on the most fundamental level and when it came to choices one had to be aware of the circumstances behind those choices and weigh the potential consequences. It was really Zen in a way, by moving and negotiating with your surrounding at a racing speed you learned how to process and make decisions on an almost instinctual level, no room for doubt or second guessing yourself you had to make a decision and commit to that decision then and there- I hate to admit it but it was probably what helped Candace and me when it came to making decisions about the team on the court.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
10:17 AM
VT licked his lips in anticipation, it was almost game time, Chandra had just passed his view for the ninth time meaning that it was almost time to get things on the road and when that happened he would have it made. He knew it ever since he met Darisha, this would help him find his way from out of the cracker-conformity that his parents had been forcing down his throat and open his way to being with his real brothers and sisters not another fake black like Chandra.
When it came right down to it VT was certain that she was the biggest race traitor that he had ever met, she had everything that he had ever wanted. She was a part of the real community of their people, she had lived in the reality that he had always wanted to be a part of and even had an in with a real gang- then what did she do? Chandra wound up throwing it all away and betraying her own people for the approval of some furry, mutant, freakshow in the making betraying not only her own people, but humanity all to chase some fucking silver-spoon offered to her by a family of crackers in Arlington Heights.
VT knew now at his core that no matter what Chandra had it coming, she was living in a fairy tale of lies, the Mosin-53 that Mister Sikes provided him with would shatter that traitorous princess's glass castle and force her to live with mortals once again. Sure, enough here she came, and while the crazy running that she did made her hard to predict, watching her for nine laps had shown VT where to aim. There was one spot along the path that Chandra had to jump off to keep her full momentum going for the curve east-ward, and when she put that leg down he was there to blow a hole in it. It wasn't like she'd die either her crew would call 911 at least before they ditched her, leaving the cripple to wither away in obscurity like she deserved for hurting Natroya.
Taking note of Chandra's progress down the path, and the lack of nearby collateral, VT took aim through the Mosin-53's scope to take aim at where his target would be just like his dad taught him when duck hunting. One sideways glance confirmed Chandra's progress and that was when VT began to count in a whisper as he bolted the round into the gun's barrel, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."
Without a moment's hesitation VT pulled the trigger sending the .30 caliber round towards a momentarily stationary Chandra Defrank.
Washington Park - North-northwest of Brynum Island
10:24 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I just heard the one noise that I hoped to never hear again in my lifetime, a gunshot, whatever it was far louder than a pistol or handgun and thus was a lot more powerful. A lifetime of instincts took over as I tried to dive to the ground but by then it was far too late. I felt it hit my leg and everything just stopped.
At first, I thought that it was just a mix of adrenaline and endorphins canceling out what was bound to be a crippling gunshot wound. To my surprise though I could still move the leg that had just been hit, although part of me wanted to close my eyes to avoid the sight of my mangled leg I turned to find the bullet was just...there.
Hanging in mid-air right against my leg was a slug that was far larger than the usual .45 caliber bullets that I'd see in occasionally around the neighborhood growing up. The sad fact was that on average the police were stretched too thin to thoroughly investigate every case of gang-on-gang violence in Chi Town’s West Side, which meant that if you looked you could occasionally find a fired slug embedded in a brick or mushroomed against the concrete.
No whatever this was it was too large to fit into a handgun, "HOLY CRAP, SOMEONE TRIED TO SHOOT ME WITH A FREAKING RIFLE!"
I kept staring at the bullet that was just...there right against my leg, not sticking out of it not embedded in my leg just setting against my leg as if it touched me and then stopped. That wasn't the only odd thing that I took note of- strangely enough despite the gunshot and my scream just now nobody was reacting what-so-ever. Everyone was just frozen in place- no matter the gunshot or my loud shout no one was moving even my fellow Maroon Maniacs.
Okay granted at first this pissed me off, I mean they were my friends and I could see that Mike was clearly within earshot- that was when I noticed that not only was he within earshot he was hovering in mid-air. Wondering what was up I began to walk over to him and then noticed that as I moved away from where I was the entire world seemed to gradually drain of colors, eventually when I made my way over to Mike everything was totally in black and white with shades of gray.
I examined Mike and it was clear that somehow time had stopped, well for everyone but me that is- well maybe it was more like I was just stuck between seconds. Like I'd called one big time-out on the world, but I was still allowed to move around, "Hold on if everything is stopped but me then-"
I jogged over to where the bullet that was going to blow a hole in my leg with color coming back to the world as I did so, "Must happen when I get closer to where I left time behind." I observed before turning my attention to the projectile that must have set this whole thing in motion. "Let's see just who tried to cripple me."
I looked at the bullet and did my best to eyeball where it came from, a few moments later I saw that whoever fired the damned thing had done so from the bushes on Brynum Island in the center of the Park's Lagoon. First making sure that nobody else was in the bullet's path I new that it was safe to just let it take its course and leave it for the police to use to nail this psycho after my shoes went ten rounds with his ribs.
I made my way to the bridge on the south-side of the island with the colors of the world fading into gray as I did so, as I walked along the path carefully given that I didn't know just how long this time-freeze would work I began to notice odd blurs in the air around me.
At first these blurs were odd and indistinct, but as I was walking they began to get more distinct- or at least they did be before I got to the bridge and began to make my way back north and closer to where whatever it was that caused this happened.
As I moved closer to where I thought the shooter might be color began to bleed back into the world. When I finally came to the bushes along the northwest edge of the island, the world around me was this odd tone like the pictures in my grandmother's where color wasn't as vivid but there was just this off-color tone that made everything look browner.
The bushes at the northwest part of the island just a few feet away I began to take notice of the growing knot in my stomach as I remembered one terrifying fact, whoever did this was still armed and may have far more than a rifle on them. I still had no clue when whatever did this would wear off, was the chance to learn just whoever hated me enough to try to cripple or kill me worth the risk that I might put them in a position to finish the job?
Yes- it was worth the risk! Whoever hated me enough to try to do something this horrible was bound to try to do it again if I let them have the chance, if I knew who did this I might be able to turn them into the police or at the very least stay away from them. Carefully I creeped around the bushes afraid of what I would learn, honestly my money was on a member of the Ally Vipers- while the Coleman sisters had stopped short of trying to have me hurt or killed in a way that would tie back to them I wouldn't put it past one of their crew to try something like this to earn some solo street cred while sucking up to those two.
Now in front of the bushes I finally saw them, the bastard who tried to shoot me and definitely would have succeeded in doing so had whatever it was that happened to push me outside of time not happened. Unfortunately, however it was covered in what looked like a suit made from strips of burlap, even five feet away and looking directly at them I had trouble seeing my shooter- whoever this was knew what the hell they were doing. The thought just made me even more scared- 'Was this a pro? Had I pissed off someone enough that they actually sent a real hitman to ruin my life? Also, if they were a pro was seeing their face worth the risk?'
That train of thought was even scarier, whoever this was had shot to cripple me- it would have made my life hell but I would have likely lived albeit missing a leg and confined to a wheelchair or needing a prosthetic leg but I would have been alive. On the other hand, if I saw this person's face and they learned about it, then I was a witness and a liability- that meant that I was dead as disco.
I shook my head to steel my nerves, I promised myself long ago after meeting Candance and escaping the darkness that the Coleman sisters tried to drag me down into that I wouldn't let fear rule my life. I tried to focus on my dad, the times we spent together whenever he was in-between tours of duty and came to spend time with us. He would tell me stories about all of the soldiers that he met in Afghanistan and Iraq, the fear that they experienced everyday of their service never knowing if the kid who was approaching them was a curious civilian or a suicide bomber ready to meet Allah.
Dad had even told me of the times that he had worked to help soldiers who were on the verge of breaking down to pull them away from the brink and help them find themselves again. He told me that I helped inspire him to do that for others, saying that mom and I gave him the strength to help others when they needed it.
Casting my fear aside, I reached down to the crouching figure in the bushes, to pull off the part of the suit that was obscuring their head- I was finally determined to see my attacker face-to-face and look them in the eyes even if they couldn't see me at the moment. To my surprise the moment I touched the shooter to pull the covering off his face the world snapped back into full-color and as he fell backwards I could see that time was moving again. While the bastard who tried to ruin my life had fallen into the bushes outside of my reach I had kept enough of a grip on the mess of burlap that he was using to hide his head, that was when I received the second biggest shock of my day today (third if you count the whole time-stopping thing).
"VICTOR!?!" I shouted at the fact that the little ganger-wannabe from school had not only followed me to Chicago but tried to blow a hole in my leg, "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR DAMAGE?!? I KNOW YOU HAVE A BEEF WITH ME BUT ACTUALLY TRYING TO SHOOT ME, WHAT THE HELL DID I EVER DO TO YOU?!?"
Victor recoiled trying to put some more distance between us- failing off course thanks to the bush that he had crawled into to snipe me tangling with that burlap camo suit of his. "SHUT UP YOU FREAK!" Victor shouted at me with his eyes wild with hatred and terror, "YOU HAD THIS COMING FOR BETRAYING YOUR OWN FOR SOME CRACKER'S SCRAPS AND TO LEZ OUT WITH SOME MUTIE FREAK! GUESS THE REAL JOKE IS THAT THEY WERE NEVER YOUR PEOPLE, YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER MUTIE-FREAK LIKE YOUR LEZZIE BITCH PLAYING LIKE YOUR A PERSON!"
I all but shook with fury at Victor's confession, "WHAT THE HELL VICTOR! YOU TRIED TO RUIN MY LIFE FOR TURNING MY BACK ON A STREET GANG INITIATION THAT HAPPENED BEFORE WE EVER MET AND BEING FRIENDS WITH A GIRL WHO MANIFESTED! THAT'S YOUR REASONING BEHIND THIS, MY GOD I HAD NO IDEA THAT YOU WERE THIS MUCH OF A MONSTER!"
"THE ONLY MONSTER HERE IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME," Victor snapped with a voice dripping with venom, "BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER!"
That's when I heard the shot of a gun for the second time today, but this one far more familiar than before- unlike the last time this was a handgun- also unlike last time this one connected. I fell back clutching my side, it was tough through my maroon track outfit but I saw the blood, fortunately it looked like Victor's shot only grazed my side partially deflected by one of my ribs.
Unfortunately, while I was collapsing in pain from being shot along my side, Victor had gotten untangled and back on his feet. I pushed past the pain and looked up to see Victor standing over me with his gun held sideways and pointed right down at me, the earlier fear he had shown had been replaced with a look of bloodlust that I'd only seen in those foreign movies and shows that Nita likes to make us watch- where did I see a look like that...I think the title had cry in the name.
"I may not see eye to eye with my oreo of an old man on most things, but we agree on one thing-" Victor glared down at me with murder in his eyes, "the world is better off with fewer of you muties in it! I may have missed before, but I won't now, so say hello to the devil you freaking bitch!"
I couldn't look away as Victor pulled the trigger, strangely though the bang was far longer than I thought. That was when I noticed that while the world hadn't stopped it had slowed down to a crawl- I could actually see that bullet slowly leaving Victor's gun and knew that this was my golden opportunity to save my own skin.
I did my best to get back to my feet, pushing past the fire in my side as I struggled to get out of the way of the bullet's path. I could deal with Victor another day, right now I just needed to stay alive especially since whatever the hell I could do with stopping time like I had earlier was on the fritz and reduced to merely slowing down time around me.
'What the hell,' I mentally shrugged as I got up clutching my side, 'I need to get out of here while I can before I get shot again.'
Pushed past the pain I hobbled away as the bullet was halfway to where I had been, unfortunately as time wasn't really stopped Victor was still moving too. Apparently noticing that I had moved, Victor had begun to turn towards where I was with his gun following suit. Knowing that thing likely still had a few rounds left in it I decided to move as fast as I could to where Shelly was waiting with our bags and more importantly the first-aid kit.
Crossing the bridge south of the island as fast as I could, I spotted Shelly on the ground as flat as she could with her face down likely out of fear over the gunshots. Unfortunately, she also had the bag with the first-aid kit clenched tight and over her head, out of desperation to protect herself against any stray shots.
Glancing down at my still bleeding wound, and worried that Victor might be on his way to try and finish what he started I grabbed at the bag causing the world to go back to normal, or I guess it was really more like me going back to normal.
It appeared though that my attempts to take the bag met with clear resistance from a terrified Shelly, "No- go away," she began sobbing out as she kept her death grip on the bag, "leave me alone, I don't have anything you'd want!"
"Shelly, it's me Chandra!" I stated as I sat down with a stinging protest from my wounded side, "Please I need the first-aid kit, one of those shots grazed me."
"What?!?" Shelly replied in disbelief as she looked up and saw me clenching my bleeding side, that was when the fear factor faded from memory as the side of her that we knew of as the Maniac's Mom kicked into gear. Right away she forced me to lie down as she got out the first-aid kit, taking out a pair of scissors, a fishhook needle, a pair of rubber gloves, the kit's gutline, a lighter and a bottle of anti-septic Shelly got to work.
After putting on the gloves Shelly took the time to cut away the torn and bloody patch of my uniform and then washing the wound with the antiseptic, right afterwards the photography student took the needle and heated it with the lighter before pouring antiseptic on it to make sure that the needle was as clean as could be she got to work stitching my wounded side closed with an almost unnerving level to detail. Not that I was complaining, but a lot of the Maniacs had been trying to tell Shelly for years that she needed to be premed rather than a photographer, but she was adamant about staying the course.
Not that I would dare to bring this up again to the lady who was literally sewing a gunshot wound shut, especially since we didn't have any proper pain-killers in that kit more powerful than Advil...okay the real reason that I hadn't commented on anything was because I was clenching my teeth together in pain worried that Victor would hear me and come to finish me off and maybe doing the same for Shelly to make sure that nobody knew who did this. At least the fact was that the more time passed the more likely that we'd be safe, Chicago or not this was a city park, and someone was bound to call 9-1-1 after Victor fired that rifle of his.
Yeah, the police were bound to be here soon, I thought to myself as I began to drift off- everything was going to be alright...
Energy Monitoring Room - Argonne National Laboratory
Lemont, Illinois
10:56 AM
Gab Cowen came into the monitoring lab to find Dylan Hawser one of their student researchers all but glued to the monitor, "Dylan- what's going on some weird solar activity? Magnetic readings from those fracking sites outside of town? Or is it more weird readings from Lake Michigan again? Come on- give me a hint, Professor Bing is tired of me interrupting his golf game every time one of you college kids sees a blip on the equipment.
"No- nothing that normal," Dylan replied looking a little crazed with excitement, "although it does look as weird as those readings from Lake Michigan. No, I just spotted a series of exotic energy readings coming from downtown Chicago just outside of the University's main campus."
Turning to grab a few sheets from their printer (which unlike everything else in the room was clearly outdated tech) and shoved them into Gab's arms, "Look at these readings! Tell me if these look like what I think that they look like!"
Backing away from the overzealous intern, Gab took a moment to go over the print outs and became more and more astonished as he did so, "Hold the phone, these can't be real."
Gab kept looking over the print outs and grew more and more astonished by the moment, "Wait this is too consistent for a sensor error, these are actual readings of tachyon emissions, and a lot clearer than we've ever gathered before from outside a lab setting. It must be from a private research organization, tell me who owns the location that you observed these readings coming from?"
"The city of Chicago," Dylan explained as he pulled up the archive of the recordings from just a few moments prior. "Whatever it was it popped up in Washington Park, there were three big rippling flares that spread out in a ripple pattern, one to the west of the pond, one on the island in the center of the pond followed by a medium-sized one, dozens of small ones forming a path south of that island and finally another medium-sized reading to the south of the island where the small ripples terminated."
"Whatever it was that caused these tachyon ripples wasn't a stationary phenomenon it was mobile, and the pattern wasn't random the second big flare and the first mid-sized one came from within a few feet of each other and the path that the smaller ripples formed to the final mid-sized flare occurred mostly along a path conforming to geography designed for pedestrian travel, while I can't be certain without field analysis it also appeared that whatever it was that caused these readings never left the ground so whatever it was appears to be terrestrial- there's even a Doppler-shift pattern indicating directionality."
"Dial back the conjectural analysis Mulder," Gab deadpanned, "this is science not Hollywood, we don't begin forming hypothesis until after we gather the relevant data. Still now you have permission to contact Professor Bing. If you need me I'll be contacting ARC, they know more about exotic materials and phenomenon than anyone, so we'll need their expertise to verify our findings."
As Gab left the room Dylan still couldn't calm down, despite Gab Cowen's insistence to remain professional he couldn't put a lid on his excitement. Dylan knew that science or not whatever it was that was behind these readings was big, maybe even big enough to make his scientific career.
Washington Park - Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
10:59 AM
After firing again at the freak that Chandra had revealed herself to be while she retreated VT, saw how fast the phantasmal after-images that she left in the wake of her flight from his justified attempt at exterminating the monster that she was and then came to a realization. As much as VT hated to admit it, despite her being wounded there was no way that he'd be able to catch that freaky bitch let alone finish her off at the rate she was moving.
To make matters worse not only was VT going to have to let that mutie get away and do who know what, but the police were bound to be on their way at any moment. Sadly, VT knew that the police would not understand his actions and if he was lucky he'd be thrown into jail the moment they caught up to him, at worse though here he was a black kid in Chicago with not one but two literal smoking guns- he knew that not only did he have to retreat he also had to stash the guns so that he wouldn't get tied to the three shots that were fired in the park.
No VT wasn't stupid, he knew that the Po-Po would cap him on site if they had suspected that he was the one who fired the shots and chances are they might get someone on the force who was stupid enough to take the word of a mutie and ID him anyway- unless she didn't live that long.
Making sure wrap the rifle in garbage bag in the tote bag that he brought, making sure to push as much air out of the bag as possible first before he secured the thing with duck tape, he tossed the rifle inside the tote bag with the gilly suit and some nearby rocks for good measure. Taking the now hefty bag with him and making sure that the coast was clear, VT left the island at the center of the lagoon chucking the bag in the water as he went making sure that it was far enough into the water to properly submerge yet close enough to retrieve later. Making sure to keep his handgun with him, no way in hell he was going to stay unarmed with a wounded mutant on the loose, VT made his way east of the park and onto the University of Chicago Campus, careful to be on the lookout for what he needed a payphone.
After taking the phone off the hook with the sleeve of his hoodie and dropping 50 cents in the slot, VT dialed a number that his father made him memorize with his knuckles to avoid leaving a finger-print.
After a moment of ringing VT heard a voice on the other end, "Hello," he spoke up in his none gangsta' lingo making sure to sound as frightened and desperate as he could, "I need your help!"
Knights of Purity Chicago Operations Center
11:11 AM
Kandace Hunt took down the notes at the call center growing more and more alarmed at what she heard, shots fired in Washington Park, a mutant in a reddish-brown costume running around at high speed, whatever was going on the situation was clearly dire.
Still, no matter her emotions she had to verify things, so Kandace turned on the legal police scanner at her station to listen to police chatter over the law enforcement channel. "Possible 10-52 reported, shots fired in Washington Park, Car 41 enroot please send back-up, I repeat Possible 10-52 in Washington Park, Car 41 enroot please send back-up- 10-62- over."
"10-69 Car 41, back-up and paramedics are enroot-over. Assist paramedics but wait for back-up and CSI before investigating scene- over."
"10-69 Dispatch, over and out!"
Surer than she had been in months Kandace slammed her hand on the emergency intercom on her desk before barking into her microphone, "Warning this is not a drill, mutant sighting in Washington park, possible speedster armed and dangerous. Squad mobilize to coordinates provided in transport, this is not a drill!"
Kandace knew that whoever this dangerous mutant was they were about to get a serious reality check- courtesy of the Knights of Purity. With that done she followed her other key procedure- dialing the MCO.
Mister Sikes Office - The Rust-tic
11:14 AM
Leroy Sikes looked up from reviewing last night's iron pipeline cargo manifestos to see Darisha enter his office, "I hope this is important Darisha, the Big Man wants our shipping reports verified and torched ASAP."
"This is about that little candy-ass we sicced on Defrank," Darisha explained visibly afraid, "according to the feed from our bug something went freaky during the job and he's convinced she's a mutant. Whatever the truth is he only winged her after she found out who he was; while that wouldn't be so bad since we can cut the little SOB loose sooner rather than later, he followed up his little screw-up with an even bigger one."
"No way, Defrank is one of us the boss's lab checked that possibility out a long time ago when his seer told us she'd an asset. But as for our loose thread- let me guess," Leroy rolled his eyes in relative disinterest, "he did something stupid like firing at random trying to hit her in a crowd or shot a cop. Not that I care about either one, his only real connection to us was that he snuck into our club last night."
"No, it's much worse than that!" Darisha explained with her face twisted in fear, "Don't ask me why or how he knew it, but he called the Knights of Purity tip-line. That little idiot got those power-armor jockeys involved early- so it's not just the cops that we need to worry about!"
Leroy shot up in his chair and slammed his fists down on his desk. Visibly filled with a mixture of fear and fury Mister Sikes shot a glare at Darisha, "I need to get ready to go talk with the boss... GET OUT!"
Darisha complied, and Leroy sat back down. Turning to look at his bar the fridge opened as squeeze bottles of lemon juice and simple syrup along with the ice tray floated over to his bar. They joined the seltzer and the bottle of gin to make a Tom Collins, everything returned to its usual place as the glass floated over to his out-stretched hand.
"The fucking Knights of Purity," Leroy glowered at the memory of his first encounter with that lot, "I haven't thought about that lot since the Cloisters Raid." Remembering that dark night always made Leroy feel a number of emotions that he always wished to avoid, how he almost died before his life was really his own in the real sense of the word.
Swirling his cocktail before taking a sip, Leroy mulled matters over. "This has gotten too big for me- I need to get the Big Man involved ASAP, course he's not going to like it."
Leaning back in chair lost in the nightmares of that dark night, Leroy wondered if trying to tie up one past loose end he didn't send that group of cyber hellhounds on the trail of his operations. Leroy knew that no matter the role that he played in Mister Brea's operations in the Windy City that he was replaceable and given how Erzebet Scratch's operation was reportedly creeping into town the last thing his boss needed was weak links.
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
11:47 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
By the time I came to I saw the gang standing nearby looking at me in concern while a nearby paramedic examined Shelly's handiwork. "It looks like you did a good job sewing her up, but we're still going to need to take her to a hospital for observation along and a transfusion to replace what she lost- also the replacement track pants weren't really necessary."
"The pants are just our way of saying get well soon, I keep spares in my car in case anyone needs them. Now let me give you her information and emergency contact, you should be able to reach her mom no problem." Heath spoke up the look of concern visible on his face.
"You're just going to stay here?" I asked as I tried to sit up, "Nobody's going to ride with me to the hospital?"
"I'm afraid that your friends will need to stay here for police questioning after the police officers finish securing the crime scene Miss Defrank." The paramedic replied as he moved to secure me to the gurney while I heard this odd stomping. "They'll be able to visit you in the observation room at the hospital once the doctors confirm that you've stabilized."
"I'm afraid this mutant needs to come with us," the lot of us turned towards the source of the mechanically augmented voice that is when I saw the one thing that nobody in my situation ever wants to see...a full squad of the Knights of Purity, "As per the Knights of Purity Charter with the City of Chicago the suspect you are treating is to be remanded into our custody until a team from the Mutant Commission Office confirms that she is safe to be released to a civilian facility."
"Sir this is not a suspect," the paramedic argued on my behalf, "this is a gunshot victim, and mutant or not she is in need of medical treatment."
"Which she will receive in a holding cell at our Operations Facility courtesy of an MCO-certified medical professional." The power-armored thug replied, "We have no idea or her abilities or even if her bodily fluids may be considered bio-hazards, also by applying normal human treatment you may accidentally wind up killing her. The safest thing to do at the moment is to surrender her into our custody right now and you know it."
I didn't like where this was going so I did my best to push past the paramedic, especially given how this iron-booted thug commented about giving me to the MCO, I knew from Candace just what those bastards do to mutants once they get their claws into them and I didn't want to experience that hell on top of what Victor just put me through.
"Commander," one of the Knights with a rather large weapon saw me trying to run, "suspect is trying to flee, preceding to neutralize target."
The Knight fired its weapon at me and once again the world around me slowed to a crawl, as fast as I could I left the gurney as the weird projectile began to unfold into a sparking net. As hard as it was I knew that I had to run and hide, just where I hadn't decided on yet but I needed to find some way to keep safe and search for someone who could help me...the Champion if I was lucky but as I limped away from the Knights of Purity while trying not to pop my stitches I knew that I had to find someone who could help me as I left behind the slowed power-armored stormtroopers. Granted I did go back for my helmet and fresh track suit top.
6 years 3 months ago #43
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
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Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
9:51 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
"So you see Miss Drucker," Doctor Holluck explained as he took a look at me after glancing at my chart, "you are really lucky to be alive. I mean I don't know all that much about the advantages of mutant anatomy but whatever your power-set is being bulletproof is clearly not one of them."
Doctor Hollock continued to look me over as he glanced at the heavy bandages on chest and shoulder which thankfully hid the lack of bullet wounds. "If it wasn't for one of your house guests having trauma training you would have bled out from that wound. As is you should count yourself beyond lucky, a little lower and the bullet would have perforated your lung- someone really needs to learn to leave the heroics to the professionals."
I took a look at the corner of the room to see Myra in her Elinore guise in the corner looking our way with a pleased smirk likely unperceivable to Doctor Holluck on a psychic level while she caused him to perceive injuries and signs of recent surgery that did not exist. "I understand doc, my mom and dad are both mutants, so I've known my chances were likely more a matter of when than if, they've talked about a place for me to go down the line, but I suppose I'll be headed to witness protection."
"You'll have to talk with the agents from the FBI about that one, but we also need to wait for your family's attorney to be present after all- when it comes right down to it mutant or not you are still a minor." Doctor Holluck commented as he pulled back satisfied with the examination that he just performed yet thankfully oblivious to the fact that what he observed wasn't real.
"Thanks for understanding doc," I winced out doing my best to play the role of a patient seriously on the mend, "besides I need one there anyway. Some of the stuff that my dad worked on are covered by non-disclosure agreements, I'll need the attorney anyway to get the FBI not to press where I can't answer."
"That's an eerily mature attitude to have for a girl your age," Doctor Holluck observed as he eyed me with a degree of suspicion for someone who'd just been shot.
"My dad impressed the matter of not talking about his work on me since I was in grade-school. He even brought out some old Snafu cartoons to stress the importance," I laughed before I heard Elinore's voice in my head, You're doing it too hard for someone in your condition, wince and grab your side. Complying with my succubus senior's instructions I grabbed my side with a wince, "Damnit- whoever said that laughter is the best medicine deserves a nine-iron to the groin."
"Yes, usually heavy bouts of laughter are not recommended after major surgery." Doctor Holluck observed as he made a note on my chart, "One of our orderlies will inform you when your legal counsel arrives Miss Drucker, please press the alarm button on your remote if you need anything and please take it easy for the foreseeable future."
When Doctor Holluck finally left the room, I turned to my classmate and elder succubus sister and remarked over our link that I was gradually learning to harness, 'Are you going to be here for the interview with the FBI too, I mean you handled that doctor well enough but the FBI usually for in pairs.'
Don't be crass, the FBI aren't going to be examining your body to see how well you are 'recovering' from your 'surgery' like your doctor is, Elinore explained, at most I would just be working to make certain that they don't notice anything to show that you really aren't as injured as anyone thinks you are during their interview.
'And let me guess,' I failed to contain my sarcasm, 'the attorney who will be coming in is another sister like we are.'
No- he is most certainly not, Elinore replied in a manner to illustrating that she was growing annoyed with my assumptions on the matter. There is more to us than sisters, Reverents and Sweepers. Eric Krieger is an attorney who has worked with us for years to help keep most of our extra-legal non supernatural matters under-the-radar including alibies for our Sweepers public identities. Eric will help you avoid any mishaps that would guide the agents towards matters that are not relevant to their investigation.
'I suppose that is a good thing,' I mulled matters over in my mind, 'but what about my request- taking on Dead-Zone's training camp to show that I can handle going to Whateley and while keeping the Secret of the Sisterhood?'
That will depend upon your meeting with Erzabet Scratch herself, Elinore explained in no uncertain terms, but you need to understand existence of our Sisterhood comes with it the risk of learning and possibly revealing The most closely guarded secret of our Sisterhood, one which only our senior-most sisters, the Aces of the Sweepers, and Dead-Zone himself is privy to...the current public identity of Erzabet Scratch.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York, New York
11:04 AM EDT
Pierce Randall and Melody Stuart looked on at the door to the meeting room nervously through a surveillance crystal ball on the concierge desk, inside the room their out of town guests were conducting an extensive interview of two individuals who until recently were the newest members of The Necromancer's Children of the Night. While this fact meant little to the concierges, the interviewers made the pair very nervous.
On the other side of the conference door Erzabet Scratch, the head of a massive faction within the Grand Hall with a history of infiltrating and acquiring (or founding) chapter houses on a regional basis to expand her operations, as well as Shuffle the leader of her personal corps of operatives. While this was true and supported by the sorceress's past, it was also true that she liked to expand by advancing outwards, she never had branched out in the past to areas that would leave her an operation isolated so far outside of her territory.
"I wonder if she's interrogating them," Melody whispered to Pierce, "I mean the Obsidian Circle did hire her men to move their stuff to a new facility and Darrow used the opportunity to have someone steal from another Vault- that has got to be a pretty big loss of face for Erzabet especially given how she's the junior member of that organization."
"Unlikely, if anyone lost face on that front it's us," Pierce observed, "one of our own warehouse workers used our existing protocols to swipe an entire storeroom's worth of goods from one of our oldest (and most dangerous) clients. Besides from what I've heard through the grapevine from Boston that Scratch sent another Sweeper Squad in required nearly everything that was taken as well as the thief. I also heard that the vault's owner caught up with Darrow and the outcome wasn't pretty."
"I would think not," Melody shivered at the thought, "Lycaon's exploits back in the day were the stuff of nightmares, to think that he's back and active again- I don't want to think about what he'll do."
"Evidently something happened recently with him too, back when he called himself Lycaon he had some kind of restraint on his powers." Pierce actually shuddered at what he was going to have to admit. "That big howl that was heard a couple of months ago was him celebrating that restraint being removed- now the only restraint on the monster who now calls himself Carcharoth is his loyalty to Mister Domino."
"So, the only thing restraining that monster from putting Attila the Hun to shame is an immortal warlock who calls himself the world's greatest assassin." Melody visibly turned green from that revelation. "Suddenly becoming a minion of Scratch doesn't seem that bad."
The pair just chewed on that while Agony lead remaining five members of Shuffle's chosen face cards for this mission over to the concierge desk from the lounge where they had been slumming. "I wouldn't worry too much about our being here today or annexing the NYC Chapter." Agony explained to the pair, "We were just here to see that the transfer of the goods from the Black Vaults to our Storage Facility went off without a hitch, and from what Sureshot told us except for two items everything has been accounted for and with Carcharoth's blessing will be moved to our storage facility as well."
Agony then moved to leave- before turning back to the pair to add, "And for your information we're not interested in New York. This city has too many well-established headaches, as well as the Empire City Guard and the Amazing Three, a large Syndicate presence, numerous intelligence agencies from all corners of the globe, and every warlock with a major chip on their shoulder popping by all the damned time. No far better for us to settle for the fact that we have a firm grasp on the third, fourth and fifth largest metropolitan areas of the country with a territorial range that makes a corridor three-states wide stretching from Canada to Mexico. So, you can keep New York as much as that cult of dress-wearing Fu-Manchu wannabes can keep California- no the boss is quite happy with where we are right now...at least for the moment."
Pierce and Melody were more than a little unnerved by King-ranked sweeper's maniacal seemingly razor-toothed grin, so much so that they barely noticed the four individuals emerge from the meeting room. Eventually the quartet made their way to join the five sweepers at the front desk, with Erzebet Scratch in her seemingly-smoky and nebulous black demonic attire, Shuffle in his trademark playing card themed suit and jacket, and between the pair former unwitting members of the Children of the Night Jabberwock and Arcane-Knight.
"Hey, so I guess that I'm not the only pro joining the sweepers," Agony commented over the duo, "so what persuaded you to sign up?"
"I don't know about Sir Buckethead here," Jabberwock remarked as he pointed his thumb Arcane-Knight's way, "but I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours."
"Very well- I mean it's hardly a secret, it was about seven years ago in Zaire or as it's now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A certain government had had just gotten word of a deal being brokered between the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda and a third party to unload a shipment of blood diamonds in exchange for arms and capital." Agony began to tell the story about how his men came to become a part of the Sweepers.
"At the time this nation's army hard-pressed to deal with the child soldiers and tactics of the ALR along the border and couldn't risk their own troops being seen that far into another country. Back then my men were a mercenary company with a decent reputation in the region, and penchant for keeping our clients secret through double-blind transactions. They promised us that if we attacked the deal that in addition to our initial fee that any arms or gems that we seized in the attack were ours to keep without objection."
"At the time I didn't see a problem with this, the matter was a serious win-win for me, get payed and score a sweet bonus in the process, the job was ideal for us." Agony fumed, "It was also too good to be true- the deal was being brokered in person at a ALR controlled air strip between their own Sylvestre Mudacumura and a representative of the De Beers Diamond Cartel, with a few squads of child soldiers providing security."
"I'll be honest, the fighting that day was as brutal as it was ugly, with Mudacumura making sure to use armed children as human shields to escape the attack and flee the base. Unfortunately, those kids weren't kids anymore and didn't hesitate to shoot to kill, not that they could with the gear that we had with us, but unfortunately they were determined to fight to fight to the death and refused to follow their leader's example and flee." Agony hung his head at the thought of the whole affair, "as for the representative of the De Beers Cartel- he wasn't so lucky. The suit took seven rounds in the skirmish and bled out on the ground long before the fighting was over."
"While the attack accomplished the original objective and left us with both the diamonds and the artillery, we found out later that the operation had some nasty unforeseen consequences. The representative of De Beers who was brokering the deal was Wilhelm Lasch the nephew of Orcilla Lasch Oppenheimer- meaning that we were responsible for the death of the head of the De Beers Cartel's nephew-in-law. This made us marked men, and one of the attacks that was launched against us later nearly killed my second-in-command, no matter where we turned there was always someone after the price that Jimmy Oppenheimer put on our heads- we couldn't even unload any of the loot from that operation."
"That was when I came in," Erzebet Scratch took that moment to interrupt, "I have a very dim view on those who fan the flames of such conflicts for a source of profits, and an even dimmer view of those who seek to do business with genocidal maniacs. I offered them sanctuary, a place within the Sweepers and to help save his lieutenant. Granted that while they were being put through their paces a few assassins came into my territory to collect the bounty that Oppenheimer placed on their heads, many found their trips to be one-way eventually the De Beers board forced Oppenheimer to rescind the bounties when I threatened to leak evidence of the Congo deal to the international community, especially given how they had sworn how all of their diamonds were conflict free after getting caught pulling the same thing in Angola back in '99."
"Even though I'm free and clear being with the Sweepers has been a pretty sweet deal for me and mine," Agony took back over the conversation, "the perks are sweet, major side-jobs are allowed once you become a 10, and minor side-jobs are allowed too before that provided you clear them with a face card first. There's also a lot of extra perks that we'll explain to you once we return to our territory- after all we don't want outsiders learning too much."
As Shuffle, Scratch and Agony began to make their way to the exit, Arcane-Knight fell to his knee, with his head bowed in prostration. "Lady Scratch, I know that it is too soon to ask for a boon from you after joining your service, however I have a prior debt which must be repaid- indeed it is the very reason which I left Europe to arrive on your shores. You need understand that until I compete this duty my mind will be far from fully devoted to your service, a handicap that I fear would put others at risk."
"Very well Arcane-Knight," Erzabet Scratch spoke up to the Sweeper recruit, "where would you need to go to settle this debt."
"The Whateley Academy," Arcane-Knight explained without budging an inch, "I need have words with the super-heroine known as Tennyo!"
Room 304 - Courtyard by Marriott
Austin, TX
10:04 AM CDT
Within a simple hotel room at the Bergstrom International Airport, Facade-17 the handler of Faux-05 waited with his charge while their laptop worked through the encryptions on the data from Walter Drucker's lab computer. While his lab security according to the data from the prior Faux-05 was clearly laughable, the amount of encryption on his computer was no joke, maybe it was his confidence in this level of encryption was the reason why security on his home lab was so lax.
Facade-17 looked at his laptop which was currently running rather hot, according to their code-breaking program the encryption itself was 256 characters long and from the choices made use of the entirety of a computer's Unicode character map. While Faux-05 readied their equipment for transport back to the Grand Masquerade's hidden base in Prague, Facade-17 awaited the end results of the description- as it stood until the data was recovered and made accessible from the flash drive the job was only half complete. Even the hardware on his laptop, a special model assembled out of parts available only through either Kardonia or the Black Market was taking hours to decrypt these files.
Taking another sip of tap water, Facade-17 looked on with baited breath as digit 253 finally revealed itself to be the Hebrew letter Alef (ﬡ), three letters to go and then he could contact the Grand Masquerade's broker to arrange the handover of the data to their client. Not that Facade-17 or either Faux-05 knew who that client was, the fewer individuals who knew that scrap of information the better, one never knew when they'd run across a telepath with a high enough psi-rating to tear it out of their brains.
As a knock was heard upon the door prior to the turn of a key, digit 254's true identity as the letter Zhe of the Cyrillic Alphabet (Җ), as the door opened Faux-05 stepped inside shutting the door behind him and in a soft-tone explained, "Everything is done sir, all of the equipment is at the airport crated up for delivery to Prague across seven flight transfers using the diplomatic stamps you provided to avoid inspection. They should be there for pickup in two to four days at the Václav Havel, depending on American Air Traffic Control."
"Good the data which your predecessor procured is almost decrypted," Facade-9 explained as the second to last digit revealed itself to be a Pilcrow symbol (¶). "One more digit and we can deliver this to the brokerage division's dead drop before moving on to our next assignment. You can assist me by sanitizing the room for errant DNA trace evidence, you know our way- no trackable trace can be left behind given how they could be used seek us out."
"What about my predecessor's domicile?" Faux-05 asked out of curiosity given how the prior Faux-05 had dwelled in that apartment for months, "I have yet to sanitize his domicile."
"There is no need to do so," Facade-9 explained, "Your predecessor had already done so before he retrieved the data, and while he was attending the party at the target's residence I went over that location myself. Now help me with sanitization, I already assembled the equipment."
Taking his superior's word at the matter, Faux-05 took an odd-looking device shaped like lamp flashlight and after activating it began to sweep the room with an odd purple light which made a popping noise as it went over fabric such as carpet and furniture.
As Faux-05 began to eliminate stray skin and hair samples with the electro-static projector, Facade-9 awaited the last digit with bated breath. The final digit to be revealed in the 256-digit sequence was oddly enough the Greek letter omega (Ω), that was when something most...unexpected happened.
Suddenly the screen on the laptop turned black before a giant white omega materialized on the screen. That was when the image zoomed out to reveal the omega to be the pupil of a skull with an eye-patch on it.
"Naughty- naughty- naughty," the figure on the screen stated through the speakers on Facade-9's laptop, "you didn't really think that you'd just get away stealing from me like that. While it looks like I can't broadcast everything from this computer to our security division for some odd reason, I can still ruin your day- so kiss your hard-drive good bye!"
With that it looked like a file-shredding program had installed itself on Facade-9's laptop to begin deleting and writing over everything on the hard-drive including the operating system files. Try as he might there was nothing that Facade-9 could do to halt the process it looked like the first files that the virus hidden on the flash-drive deleted was the keyboard functionality- at least it was a minor comfort that the wi-fi functionality on the laptop had a manual connection switch that was currently turned off- otherwise the unthinkable would have happened.
"I take it this means that my inaugural mission was a failure?" Faux-05 inquired as he continued to sanitize the room with the electro-static broadcaster.
"On the contrary- your inaugural mission was to retrieve your predecessor's flash drive and deliver it here," Facade-9 observed as the virus continued its efforts to transform the laptop into a very expensive paper-weight, "what it means is that your predecessor failed in his final mission was not only a failure, but that he wasted time and resources in the process. Understand though- this is the first and only time that you shall have such fortune- from now on all successes and failures in your missions fall solely on your head."
"I understand sir," Faux-05 acknowledged his superior as he continued to sanitize the room, "I shall endeavor to learn from my predecessor's mistakes."
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
10:17 AM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
I guess the song is true, waiting really is the hardest part. Elinore or whatever she wanted to call herself had left- meaning that it was just her in the room awaiting the arrival of both Axcel Incorporated corporate attorney Eric Krieger as well as the FBI agent who would be conducting the coming interview.
To be perfectly honest I never thought that I'd ever say that I'd be actually looking forward to being interviewed by an FBI agent, call it experience from being the child of two parents who were both secretly super-villains but until today meeting with a member of the country's main federal law enforcement agency was never on my bucket list- note to self, get to that bucket list you almost kicked it today swimming with manatees shouldn't be too much of an issue but I doubt if I'll ever find out if werewolves are vulnerable to belly-scratches.
Trying to take my mind off matters I flipped on the tv to the CNN, only to be greeted by a sight of devastation.
"-after a night of horrors unleashed by the super-criminal known as The Necromancer, the second major attack on Boston by the assailant this year, emergency crews are still working on clearing debris in the search for the victims of this latest unspeakable act of terror." the anchor narrated as shots of the devastation and public works crews could be seen clearing collapsed buildings. "While the evidence of the leader of the criminal group known as the Children of the Night being responsible for the fire-bombing last night remains a matter of speculation, reports of attacks of corpses reanimated by biohazardous chemicals known to be his work hours earlier has made him the prime suspect."
"Boston, a city already reeling from the destruction of the Massachusetts State Ultra-Max Holding Facility known as Roxbury-C last month, lay in morning at the dozens of souls who lost their lives in last night's attack. However, at this dark time new lights of hope began to emerge, as victims who lost so much in the terror of last night were saved from losing that which was most precious by a number of new super-heroes- who rendered aid either by assisting in rescue efforts or working to assist medical personnel stretched to their limits. These masked men and women, many of whom have yet to be properly identified by their chosen personas as requests for identification confirmation by City of Boston are still being processed by the Department of Paranormal Affairs."
"Meanwhile the small city of Durango nestled in the mountains of Colorado also suffered their own assault last night." Video changed to a reporter in front of what looked like a college building. "What began as an unofficial weekend gathering by students at the Animas Building of Fort Lewis College turned to tragedy as a group of armored mercenaries later identified by the FBI Database as the Masterson Brothers blew down a wall and held a number of student's hostage- their reason a mutant who was hiding among them."
The picture cut to a reporter holding a microphone to a young man, "You were taking cover-charges at the door when the target of the mercenaries came in, did you notice anything odd about her?"
"At first all that I noticed was the fact that she was too young to really be in college, so I was worried that she might try to flash a fake ID to get in and hit the punch bowl, but she owned up to the fact that she was underage and accepted a band to let the students watching the bar know not to let her near anything hard. That happens all the time though since students from the local high school come to our parties on the weekend since most can't afford to take a trip to Denver." The guy explained clearly still a little rattled by last night, "There was also the fact that she signed her name in Chinese but I've seen that happen a couple of times so it wasn't that out there."
"As for the mutant in question, although her identity has yet to be confirmed what is known is that she was inside the building using some manner of concealment that is still unknown," the reporter voicing over the report explained, "Although the mutant in question linked to this attack is unknown, what is known is that there were follow-up attacks throughout Durango throughout the night, the Masterson Brothers continued their hunt for their quarry into the streets of Durango. As there are signs throughout the city of fire and structural damage to roads and tarmacs fortunately aside from some injuries at the college there have been no reports of any fatalities."
"This just in we have a breaking bulletin related to the attack in Durango, the composite sketch that the La Plata County sheriff office has released of the mutant who appears to be the target of last night's attacks has been identified from the FBI's missing persons database. We go to Sean Callebs at the La Plata County sheriff station for more."
The scene changed to show the reporter outside from a street view of the station, "Thank you Michael," Sean Callebs stated as he made certain to stay in frame. "As you know police have just matched a sketch of the mutant present at the Animas Hall attack and have stated that there is a match to an FBI missing person's case."
"The individual in question has been identified as the Dragon of Seattle, a Seattle high school freshmen of Chinese-American descent who transformed last October into a humanoid Chinese dragon after a horrific sequence of events which according to nurses transcripts in the missing person's file stated as something out of a horror movie." the reporter explained as a sketch of the dragon girl was shown in a side-frame, "A month after the young lady in question was confined to her home due to concerns for her safety in public, police arrived to the scene of a violent break-in where the girl's injured parents explained that she was abducted by an unknown group of assailants who held them at knife-point to ensure coerce her into surrendering to them."
"At present the full story of if or how the Dragon of Seattle escaped these kidnappers, where she has been for these past five-months, and how she came to be in a small college town in southern Colorado remains a mystery at this time. Sean Callebs CNN Affiliate Colorado."
From what my parents told me Boston was a favorite weekend destination for students from Whateley, most of those mysterious masked super-heroes who popped up last night were likely students who decided to step-up and do their civic responsibility. From what I remember they also explained that kind of life-risking behavior was also heavily frowned upon during the school year.
Not wanting to watch more news I started channel-surfing to kill time until Mister Krieger got here, figures here I was a neophyte demi-devil and I was anxiously awaiting the presence of an even darker infernal presence...a corporate attorney. Speaking of religious matters, I always forgot how content-lite things were on Sunday morning plus this hospital's cable plan appeared to be limited to the three national networks, FOX, CNN, ESPN, GNN (ugh), TCN and NICK.
Not wanting to subject myself to Spongebob Squarepants, the Sunday Morning pundits, I flicked it to TCN finding to my surprise they were playing Footloose "pass." Out of options I flicked it over to ESPN, to my surprise they were going over inspection interviews of Formula-1 Racing Crews, okay this was actually interesting.
I started zoning in while the pit chief being interviewed was explaining about the various grades and densities of tires and how weather and track temperature factored into the best choices that a crew could make when it came to choose the tires for a race. As it turned out I was zoning in too much because I heard some impatient banging on the door to the room, "Sorry- please come in!" I called out while hitting the mute button on the remote.
A man with salt-pepper hair in a charcoal-gray three-piece suit and carrying a leather briefcase, before he said one word I stated, "Mister Krieger I presume, I was told to expect you- I presume that it's almost time for the Federalés to come and rake me over the coals before the MCO show up to disappear me to some black-site in a third-world to play operation on my insides."
"Nice to see that you are in a good mood after your ordeal Miss Drucker," Mister Krieger remarked, as he sat down on a nearby table, "I was worried that you would have been far more rattled after your traumatic experience."
"Mister Krieger with all due respect I'm the daughter of two mutants, even if scientists say that the complex is exclusive to the twenty-third chromosome I figure that chances were still good at me rolling that dice." I signed wanting to vent what I actually could, "plus given how many violence prone splinter-groups there are to Humanity-First like Burning Sword I figure that chances were good that I'd take a bullet eventually- though it is happening right outside my own home was something that I'd never expect."
"I wish that I could say that your suspicions are unfounded, but sadly statistics say something else." Mister Krieger stated as he opened up his briefcase, "Also the Mutant Commission Office did try to take custody of you while you were under the knife, fortunately they were held up by a staunchly professional nurse until the FBI's arrival."
"Yeah they really don't like to admit the fact that they're just an international security firm with a limited charter here in the states instead of an actual government organization with any real power." I laughed making sure to wince as I did for good measure. "Gaah, who ever said laughter is the best medicine can taste my reeboks."
"Duly noted," Mister Krieger dryly responded, "now that spiel is out of the way I have to discuss some things with you about what you can and cannot tell the FBI about due to them being projects that your father is still working on and are currently in development."
[HR
11:02 AM
Mister Krieger and I waited in the recovery room for the FBI agents in charge of the case, understandably I was anxious to get this over with every minute longer that this took made me worry more if these men would begin to see past any one of the many layers of facade which I was having to maintain, how my parents in their birth names were both wanted by the FBI themselves for countless criminal activities, how I wasn't really recovering from extensive surgery also given how the X-Rays that were now on file for me were doctored to match the medical reports that the doctors wrote under the influence of mind control, mind control courtesy of a devil from the bizarre extended family that I'd found myself adopted into when I agreed to let Elinore save my life.
Fortunately, the FBI agent assigned to this case chose now to open the door, granted only one of the pair of G-Men entered the room while the other remained outside clearly to serve as a guard and eavesdropper deterrent. "Hello Miss Drucker, I'm Marcus Todd with the FBI," Agent Todd stated as he gave me his hand reaching out to my seemingly injured arm as if to test me, I reached out with my clearly uninjured hand to shake his on the back of the hand rather than the palm, "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long after insisting on conducting this interview after you woke up."
"No, I understand," I replied letting the stress of the recent changes in my life leak into my voice- there are many kinds of tired, but Agent Todd would likely interpret it according to his own expectations. "My mom's in company security, I know that you need to address and gather as many facts and as much evidence as you can to find Joel."
"Actually, my first questions are about Mister Gibson," the G-Man explained as he sat down in one of the only vacant chairs in the small room. "I realize that given how less than twelve hours ago he used one of your acquaintances as a hostage and shooting you can be traumatic to think of, but I need you to tell me as much as you can about Joel Gibson. You see Mister Gibson appears to be connected to something that the FBI and Interpol have been looking into over the last several years, and what happened to Mister Gibson a few hours ago confirmed our suspicions. That is why I need to know everything that you know about Joel Gibson, no matter how useless it might seem."
"I'm sorry but the fact of the matter is I don't really know too much about Joel," I answered with absolute sincerity. "I was in the same homeroom class as him and have been since he transferred in back in November- that's about it. I mean we didn't really know each other, I don't think that anyone really did. He ate lunch alone, never really talked to anyone outside of class, had no extra-curriculars, he was just one of those kids who was just...there in the background."
"If that was true why did you invite him to your house for this party?" The G-Man inquired still curious as to why he was in my house.
"Elinore Jaffe invited him, she invited our whole grade-level at school- it's kind of her thing." I did my best to explain something that must have sounding insane to those who were from outside our nuthouse, "You see she throws a party invites everyone, they have fun and then help clean up- granted that she doesn't always do it at her home but she's so in the loop that she knows when anyone's parents will be out of town or away for most of the day- then that person's house becomes party central."
"And people just allow that to happen?" Agent Marcus Todd asked clearly ignorant of Round Rock's local hierarchy.
"The Brown-Jaffe's are one of the oldest and wealthiest families in town, they own major stakes in most of the major banks and the local construction firm and have been on the town council ever since Round Rock incorporated." I explained laying things out to the government agent as best as I could without being too condescending. "Besides if your house is chosen to host one of her bashes and it goes well than your place on the social ladder goes up, if it doesn't then nothing happens, but if you refuse then everyone at school starts ostracizing you for being no fun what-so-ever."
"So typical middle school drama then," Agent Todd clued in to what I was saying. "That still doesn't explain how Joel Gibson knew about your father's workshop or what he may have been after, and why did he go there instead of your father's office?"
"Well he might have learned about the workshop from one of the kids managing the sound equipment," I made my best guess, "I had to use my dad's workshop earlier when some of the sound equipment shorted out and I used the tools and equipment down there to repair it- that was also when I manifested, but I guess becoming a mutant comes part and parcel with getting shot at. As for the office it may be because Nicole Snyder, an Axcel Incorporated intern who was keeping an eye on us for my parents, was up there working on a term paper."
"Very well that explains how he may have learned of your father's workshop, likely Joel Gibson was just using the party to gain access to your home. However, there is still the matter of learning just what he may have been after," the G-Man got to the crux of the matter, making me glad that there was an attorney of company retainer present.
"You must understand Agent Todd sir there are a number of matters that while my client may be privileged to know that she is under a non-disclosure agreement not to reveal. She may discuss her father's role in the company, as well as any items that he worked on that have been revealed to the public through company press releases, however that is to the extent concerning what she is able to reveal today."
Agent Todd signed, "I understand, I didn't expect to collect any privileged information anyway given that I don't have a warrant and I doubt that the argument that you're interfering with a federal investigation would pass court scrutiny."
"As long as we're clear on that detail my dad is one of the chief engineers for Axcel Incorporated's robotics division, he was instrumental in developing
their Star Marshall power armor line." I explained wishing I could also talk about the landmine clearing drone, dad was really proud of that one but probably not as much as I was given that the remote detonation darts that it used were a design that the two of us worked on together.
"I believe that will be everything Miss Drucker," Agent Todd explained as he collected his things and turned off the tape recorder that he thought that he had kept hidden in his briefcase. "I will contact you through Mister Krieger's law firm to arrange any future meetings. I hope that you stay on the mend and out of trouble- the last thing that I want to learn is that a witness in a case like this might undermine the investigation."
As the G-Man left the room the weight of his parting words pressed down on me, especially given my next appointment.
12:17 PM
The moment that I had been dreading since I woke back up was now fast approaching, Elinore and Nicole were both in the room as I awaited the arrival of the matriarch of the sisterhood of succubae of which I was now a member...Erzebet Scratch. No doubt the mother to a unique breed of succubus, the true owner of Axcel Enterprises, the paramount client of Shuffle's Sweepers, and the master of every chapterhouse of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom from the Rockies to the Mississippi and from the borders of Mexico to those of Canada was thrilled to hear how not only did her latest scion not want to be a part of the family business but was also looking to cut a deal so that she could seek her own fate.
'Yeah- I can only imagine how happy she was to hear my proposal,' I all but rolled my eyes at the situation. 'Yeah, face facts Joan, you are so totally boned. I mean in what world did you think that a mystic mafiaso who has the fate of thousands, possibly millions of people subject to her whims would ever see fit to accept a proposal this crazy from the kid of two of her subordinates.'
Oh I wouldn't say that you are completely out of hope, A strange voice explained despite the fact that neather Elinore or Nichole had spoken a word, not that it sounded like either of them.
I looked around to look for the source of the voice but found nothing, I wouldn't wear yourself out kid, Elinore spoke aloud yet still remained silent, do'oh of course succubae had mind powers it's telepathy. Correct maybe mother can give you a gold star-
As if by invitation Erzabet Scratch herself materialized in the room in all her enigmatic, cloaked presence. Do not be so quick to reward her by child, the super-villainess stated, She is still but a neophyte and has far too much to learn, but from what I hear the child is a very quick study.
'So is that good or bad?' I thought to myself hoping that she'd pick up on my message.
We shall see child- we shall see, the succubus grand matron observed, As Kampe no doubt explained to you- your situation itself is without precedent within our sisterhood. While I have had little issue sending children off to Whateley in the past, even those who expressed a desire not to join my organization after the graduated. The real issue here unfortunately though is not your dreams for the future but the reality of your present; never before has a member of our sisterhood attended Whateley, the risk of discovery alone is staggering especially given the presence of Reverend Darren Englund at the institution.
'I take it that the good Reverend is more than just another man of the cloth,' I observed despite the obvious connotation.
He's a ninety-year-old Episcopalian Priest with a long career of dealing with the supernatural, Erzabet Scratch explained with what I wagered was a sour-taste in her mouth. And by deal with I mean on a permanently, the man has never met a perceived threat that he hasn't directly or indirectly tried to neutralize. Should your status as a demi-succubus be made apparent to him while you are attending the school at Whateley he will do everything within his power to end your existence, and to make matters worse he has his own team of apprentices who are just as blindly driven as he is to eliminate the supernatural.
In other words should he or one of his ilk deduce your nature then not only will they see you utterly destroyed, they shall seek out the origin of your status ensuring that all of the sisterhood will face a threat from a network of Reverend Englund's current and former minions who will stop at nothing to see us wiped from the face of the earth- not that they would succeed but it would still cast too much attention on the Sisterhood. Erzebet Scratch stated in as dire a tone as she could which said a great deal for the reality of this threat, Now regardless of the risk that it should pose I am not so heartless that I would intentionally crush a child's dreams without offering her a chance.
'And my offer to go to Dead-Zone's Training Camp had nothing to do with it?' I asked wondering how that tidbit weighed in my favor.
That is what gave me the idea for this proposal, Erzabet all but purred in my mind, Dead-Zone's training camp is brutal, many several years your senior have come through his regimen clinging to sanity by the atoms on the tips of their finger nails- it will not be easy to do take this course even as you are now...especially given how I am going to make matters even more difficult.
'I'm almost afraid to ask what you have planned for me,' I swallowed after doing my best to alleviate my suddenly dry mouth.
Good a little apprehension is a valuable survival tool, it keeps you from getting to full of yourself and making a foolish mistake. the progenitor of my sisterhood explained, The hitch for this agreement is that you must keep who you are secret from all there, not only your status as a succubus but your current identity as well. I am aware that the name you go by is a public alias to comply with the identity of your parent's own aliases and not your true name which could expose your nature in the wrong hands. You will be attending Dead-Zone's Training Camp under a new operating alias, an identity that you will continue under from now on to separate yourself from the old you once Axcel formally relocates you for your protection.
'So, you are stripping me of the name my parents gave me along with my identity,' I retorted more than a little angry at the sisterhood's matriarch.
I asked your mother for the her second choice for your name before you were born, which you will be taking along with her actual maiden name, Erzabet retorted in an oddly understanding tone. You are going to be Madeline Jacobs, the daughter of Gremlin and Atropos unless the FBI calls on you in which case you will resume being Joan Drucker.
Before the Training Camp begins next month, you will learn how to alter your appearance, and mask your new demonic nature. Should you keep up this ruse while keeping your nature secret throughout the camp then I will agree to let you attend Whateley as you wish, however should you fail you will remain at the camp for a full year to become a proper member of the Sweepers.
I screwed my face in thought as I considered her offer, but I knew that whether I liked it or not this was my only chance, 'Very well, I agree.'
Good to know Madeline, the sorceress observed, I shall let your parents know.
As she faded from sight part of me wondered if I truly bit off more than I could chew. 'So, she can teleport?' I asked the two sisters of my currently extended family.
Nope, psychic projection, she's not even in this state at the moment. Nichole replied in the same method as Erzabet Scratch had earlier, Members of our sisterhood can do it whenever we focus on each other provided that one of us isn't actively blocking it, the same thing goes for reading one another's thoughts. Face it kid form-changing and mystic-cloaking aren't the only skills that you have to work on, we also really need to work on your psychic defenses right now anyone of us with enough power and experience need by can peek past even your surface thoughts; I'm not that skilled yet and I can actually perceive your stray thoughts.
Nicole is right, I can even peer into your short-term memory right now should I so choose. Elinore remarked as she shook her head in embarrassment, I guess that it's a good thing that my current identity is in the same grade as you because I have a lot to teach you.
'Well, I still have some time before I need to report to Dead-Zone's Camp; I might as well get started learning about what Madeline Jacobs can do.'
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 33
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
9:51 AM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
"So you see Miss Drucker," Doctor Holluck explained as he took a look at me after glancing at my chart, "you are really lucky to be alive. I mean I don't know all that much about the advantages of mutant anatomy but whatever your power-set is being bulletproof is clearly not one of them."
Doctor Hollock continued to look me over as he glanced at the heavy bandages on chest and shoulder which thankfully hid the lack of bullet wounds. "If it wasn't for one of your house guests having trauma training you would have bled out from that wound. As is you should count yourself beyond lucky, a little lower and the bullet would have perforated your lung- someone really needs to learn to leave the heroics to the professionals."
I took a look at the corner of the room to see Myra in her Elinore guise in the corner looking our way with a pleased smirk likely unperceivable to Doctor Holluck on a psychic level while she caused him to perceive injuries and signs of recent surgery that did not exist. "I understand doc, my mom and dad are both mutants, so I've known my chances were likely more a matter of when than if, they've talked about a place for me to go down the line, but I suppose I'll be headed to witness protection."
"You'll have to talk with the agents from the FBI about that one, but we also need to wait for your family's attorney to be present after all- when it comes right down to it mutant or not you are still a minor." Doctor Holluck commented as he pulled back satisfied with the examination that he just performed yet thankfully oblivious to the fact that what he observed wasn't real.
"Thanks for understanding doc," I winced out doing my best to play the role of a patient seriously on the mend, "besides I need one there anyway. Some of the stuff that my dad worked on are covered by non-disclosure agreements, I'll need the attorney anyway to get the FBI not to press where I can't answer."
"That's an eerily mature attitude to have for a girl your age," Doctor Holluck observed as he eyed me with a degree of suspicion for someone who'd just been shot.
"My dad impressed the matter of not talking about his work on me since I was in grade-school. He even brought out some old Snafu cartoons to stress the importance," I laughed before I heard Elinore's voice in my head, You're doing it too hard for someone in your condition, wince and grab your side. Complying with my succubus senior's instructions I grabbed my side with a wince, "Damnit- whoever said that laughter is the best medicine deserves a nine-iron to the groin."
"Yes, usually heavy bouts of laughter are not recommended after major surgery." Doctor Holluck observed as he made a note on my chart, "One of our orderlies will inform you when your legal counsel arrives Miss Drucker, please press the alarm button on your remote if you need anything and please take it easy for the foreseeable future."
When Doctor Holluck finally left the room, I turned to my classmate and elder succubus sister and remarked over our link that I was gradually learning to harness, 'Are you going to be here for the interview with the FBI too, I mean you handled that doctor well enough but the FBI usually for in pairs.'
Don't be crass, the FBI aren't going to be examining your body to see how well you are 'recovering' from your 'surgery' like your doctor is, Elinore explained, at most I would just be working to make certain that they don't notice anything to show that you really aren't as injured as anyone thinks you are during their interview.
'And let me guess,' I failed to contain my sarcasm, 'the attorney who will be coming in is another sister like we are.'
No- he is most certainly not, Elinore replied in a manner to illustrating that she was growing annoyed with my assumptions on the matter. There is more to us than sisters, Reverents and Sweepers. Eric Krieger is an attorney who has worked with us for years to help keep most of our extra-legal non supernatural matters under-the-radar including alibies for our Sweepers public identities. Eric will help you avoid any mishaps that would guide the agents towards matters that are not relevant to their investigation.
'I suppose that is a good thing,' I mulled matters over in my mind, 'but what about my request- taking on Dead-Zone's training camp to show that I can handle going to Whateley and while keeping the Secret of the Sisterhood?'
That will depend upon your meeting with Erzabet Scratch herself, Elinore explained in no uncertain terms, but you need to understand existence of our Sisterhood comes with it the risk of learning and possibly revealing The most closely guarded secret of our Sisterhood, one which only our senior-most sisters, the Aces of the Sweepers, and Dead-Zone himself is privy to...the current public identity of Erzabet Scratch.
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - New York Chapter House
New York, New York
11:04 AM EDT
Pierce Randall and Melody Stuart looked on at the door to the meeting room nervously through a surveillance crystal ball on the concierge desk, inside the room their out of town guests were conducting an extensive interview of two individuals who until recently were the newest members of The Necromancer's Children of the Night. While this fact meant little to the concierges, the interviewers made the pair very nervous.
On the other side of the conference door Erzabet Scratch, the head of a massive faction within the Grand Hall with a history of infiltrating and acquiring (or founding) chapter houses on a regional basis to expand her operations, as well as Shuffle the leader of her personal corps of operatives. While this was true and supported by the sorceress's past, it was also true that she liked to expand by advancing outwards, she never had branched out in the past to areas that would leave her an operation isolated so far outside of her territory.
"I wonder if she's interrogating them," Melody whispered to Pierce, "I mean the Obsidian Circle did hire her men to move their stuff to a new facility and Darrow used the opportunity to have someone steal from another Vault- that has got to be a pretty big loss of face for Erzabet especially given how she's the junior member of that organization."
"Unlikely, if anyone lost face on that front it's us," Pierce observed, "one of our own warehouse workers used our existing protocols to swipe an entire storeroom's worth of goods from one of our oldest (and most dangerous) clients. Besides from what I've heard through the grapevine from Boston that Scratch sent another Sweeper Squad in required nearly everything that was taken as well as the thief. I also heard that the vault's owner caught up with Darrow and the outcome wasn't pretty."
"I would think not," Melody shivered at the thought, "Lycaon's exploits back in the day were the stuff of nightmares, to think that he's back and active again- I don't want to think about what he'll do."
"Evidently something happened recently with him too, back when he called himself Lycaon he had some kind of restraint on his powers." Pierce actually shuddered at what he was going to have to admit. "That big howl that was heard a couple of months ago was him celebrating that restraint being removed- now the only restraint on the monster who now calls himself Carcharoth is his loyalty to Mister Domino."
"So, the only thing restraining that monster from putting Attila the Hun to shame is an immortal warlock who calls himself the world's greatest assassin." Melody visibly turned green from that revelation. "Suddenly becoming a minion of Scratch doesn't seem that bad."
The pair just chewed on that while Agony lead remaining five members of Shuffle's chosen face cards for this mission over to the concierge desk from the lounge where they had been slumming. "I wouldn't worry too much about our being here today or annexing the NYC Chapter." Agony explained to the pair, "We were just here to see that the transfer of the goods from the Black Vaults to our Storage Facility went off without a hitch, and from what Sureshot told us except for two items everything has been accounted for and with Carcharoth's blessing will be moved to our storage facility as well."
Agony then moved to leave- before turning back to the pair to add, "And for your information we're not interested in New York. This city has too many well-established headaches, as well as the Empire City Guard and the Amazing Three, a large Syndicate presence, numerous intelligence agencies from all corners of the globe, and every warlock with a major chip on their shoulder popping by all the damned time. No far better for us to settle for the fact that we have a firm grasp on the third, fourth and fifth largest metropolitan areas of the country with a territorial range that makes a corridor three-states wide stretching from Canada to Mexico. So, you can keep New York as much as that cult of dress-wearing Fu-Manchu wannabes can keep California- no the boss is quite happy with where we are right now...at least for the moment."
Pierce and Melody were more than a little unnerved by King-ranked sweeper's maniacal seemingly razor-toothed grin, so much so that they barely noticed the four individuals emerge from the meeting room. Eventually the quartet made their way to join the five sweepers at the front desk, with Erzebet Scratch in her seemingly-smoky and nebulous black demonic attire, Shuffle in his trademark playing card themed suit and jacket, and between the pair former unwitting members of the Children of the Night Jabberwock and Arcane-Knight.
"Hey, so I guess that I'm not the only pro joining the sweepers," Agony commented over the duo, "so what persuaded you to sign up?"
"I don't know about Sir Buckethead here," Jabberwock remarked as he pointed his thumb Arcane-Knight's way, "but I'll tell you my story if you tell me yours."
"Very well- I mean it's hardly a secret, it was about seven years ago in Zaire or as it's now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A certain government had had just gotten word of a deal being brokered between the Army for the Liberation of Rwanda and a third party to unload a shipment of blood diamonds in exchange for arms and capital." Agony began to tell the story about how his men came to become a part of the Sweepers.
"At the time this nation's army hard-pressed to deal with the child soldiers and tactics of the ALR along the border and couldn't risk their own troops being seen that far into another country. Back then my men were a mercenary company with a decent reputation in the region, and penchant for keeping our clients secret through double-blind transactions. They promised us that if we attacked the deal that in addition to our initial fee that any arms or gems that we seized in the attack were ours to keep without objection."
"At the time I didn't see a problem with this, the matter was a serious win-win for me, get payed and score a sweet bonus in the process, the job was ideal for us." Agony fumed, "It was also too good to be true- the deal was being brokered in person at a ALR controlled air strip between their own Sylvestre Mudacumura and a representative of the De Beers Diamond Cartel, with a few squads of child soldiers providing security."
"I'll be honest, the fighting that day was as brutal as it was ugly, with Mudacumura making sure to use armed children as human shields to escape the attack and flee the base. Unfortunately, those kids weren't kids anymore and didn't hesitate to shoot to kill, not that they could with the gear that we had with us, but unfortunately they were determined to fight to fight to the death and refused to follow their leader's example and flee." Agony hung his head at the thought of the whole affair, "as for the representative of the De Beers Cartel- he wasn't so lucky. The suit took seven rounds in the skirmish and bled out on the ground long before the fighting was over."
"While the attack accomplished the original objective and left us with both the diamonds and the artillery, we found out later that the operation had some nasty unforeseen consequences. The representative of De Beers who was brokering the deal was Wilhelm Lasch the nephew of Orcilla Lasch Oppenheimer- meaning that we were responsible for the death of the head of the De Beers Cartel's nephew-in-law. This made us marked men, and one of the attacks that was launched against us later nearly killed my second-in-command, no matter where we turned there was always someone after the price that Jimmy Oppenheimer put on our heads- we couldn't even unload any of the loot from that operation."
"That was when I came in," Erzebet Scratch took that moment to interrupt, "I have a very dim view on those who fan the flames of such conflicts for a source of profits, and an even dimmer view of those who seek to do business with genocidal maniacs. I offered them sanctuary, a place within the Sweepers and to help save his lieutenant. Granted that while they were being put through their paces a few assassins came into my territory to collect the bounty that Oppenheimer placed on their heads, many found their trips to be one-way eventually the De Beers board forced Oppenheimer to rescind the bounties when I threatened to leak evidence of the Congo deal to the international community, especially given how they had sworn how all of their diamonds were conflict free after getting caught pulling the same thing in Angola back in '99."
"Even though I'm free and clear being with the Sweepers has been a pretty sweet deal for me and mine," Agony took back over the conversation, "the perks are sweet, major side-jobs are allowed once you become a 10, and minor side-jobs are allowed too before that provided you clear them with a face card first. There's also a lot of extra perks that we'll explain to you once we return to our territory- after all we don't want outsiders learning too much."
As Shuffle, Scratch and Agony began to make their way to the exit, Arcane-Knight fell to his knee, with his head bowed in prostration. "Lady Scratch, I know that it is too soon to ask for a boon from you after joining your service, however I have a prior debt which must be repaid- indeed it is the very reason which I left Europe to arrive on your shores. You need understand that until I compete this duty my mind will be far from fully devoted to your service, a handicap that I fear would put others at risk."
"Very well Arcane-Knight," Erzabet Scratch spoke up to the Sweeper recruit, "where would you need to go to settle this debt."
"The Whateley Academy," Arcane-Knight explained without budging an inch, "I need have words with the super-heroine known as Tennyo!"
Room 304 - Courtyard by Marriott
Austin, TX
10:04 AM CDT
Within a simple hotel room at the Bergstrom International Airport, Facade-17 the handler of Faux-05 waited with his charge while their laptop worked through the encryptions on the data from Walter Drucker's lab computer. While his lab security according to the data from the prior Faux-05 was clearly laughable, the amount of encryption on his computer was no joke, maybe it was his confidence in this level of encryption was the reason why security on his home lab was so lax.
Facade-17 looked at his laptop which was currently running rather hot, according to their code-breaking program the encryption itself was 256 characters long and from the choices made use of the entirety of a computer's Unicode character map. While Faux-05 readied their equipment for transport back to the Grand Masquerade's hidden base in Prague, Facade-17 awaited the end results of the description- as it stood until the data was recovered and made accessible from the flash drive the job was only half complete. Even the hardware on his laptop, a special model assembled out of parts available only through either Kardonia or the Black Market was taking hours to decrypt these files.
Taking another sip of tap water, Facade-17 looked on with baited breath as digit 253 finally revealed itself to be the Hebrew letter Alef (ﬡ), three letters to go and then he could contact the Grand Masquerade's broker to arrange the handover of the data to their client. Not that Facade-17 or either Faux-05 knew who that client was, the fewer individuals who knew that scrap of information the better, one never knew when they'd run across a telepath with a high enough psi-rating to tear it out of their brains.
As a knock was heard upon the door prior to the turn of a key, digit 254's true identity as the letter Zhe of the Cyrillic Alphabet (Җ), as the door opened Faux-05 stepped inside shutting the door behind him and in a soft-tone explained, "Everything is done sir, all of the equipment is at the airport crated up for delivery to Prague across seven flight transfers using the diplomatic stamps you provided to avoid inspection. They should be there for pickup in two to four days at the Václav Havel, depending on American Air Traffic Control."
"Good the data which your predecessor procured is almost decrypted," Facade-9 explained as the second to last digit revealed itself to be a Pilcrow symbol (¶). "One more digit and we can deliver this to the brokerage division's dead drop before moving on to our next assignment. You can assist me by sanitizing the room for errant DNA trace evidence, you know our way- no trackable trace can be left behind given how they could be used seek us out."
"What about my predecessor's domicile?" Faux-05 asked out of curiosity given how the prior Faux-05 had dwelled in that apartment for months, "I have yet to sanitize his domicile."
"There is no need to do so," Facade-9 explained, "Your predecessor had already done so before he retrieved the data, and while he was attending the party at the target's residence I went over that location myself. Now help me with sanitization, I already assembled the equipment."
Taking his superior's word at the matter, Faux-05 took an odd-looking device shaped like lamp flashlight and after activating it began to sweep the room with an odd purple light which made a popping noise as it went over fabric such as carpet and furniture.
As Faux-05 began to eliminate stray skin and hair samples with the electro-static projector, Facade-9 awaited the last digit with bated breath. The final digit to be revealed in the 256-digit sequence was oddly enough the Greek letter omega (Ω), that was when something most...unexpected happened.
Suddenly the screen on the laptop turned black before a giant white omega materialized on the screen. That was when the image zoomed out to reveal the omega to be the pupil of a skull with an eye-patch on it.
"Naughty- naughty- naughty," the figure on the screen stated through the speakers on Facade-9's laptop, "you didn't really think that you'd just get away stealing from me like that. While it looks like I can't broadcast everything from this computer to our security division for some odd reason, I can still ruin your day- so kiss your hard-drive good bye!"
With that it looked like a file-shredding program had installed itself on Facade-9's laptop to begin deleting and writing over everything on the hard-drive including the operating system files. Try as he might there was nothing that Facade-9 could do to halt the process it looked like the first files that the virus hidden on the flash-drive deleted was the keyboard functionality- at least it was a minor comfort that the wi-fi functionality on the laptop had a manual connection switch that was currently turned off- otherwise the unthinkable would have happened.
"I take it this means that my inaugural mission was a failure?" Faux-05 inquired as he continued to sanitize the room with the electro-static broadcaster.
"On the contrary- your inaugural mission was to retrieve your predecessor's flash drive and deliver it here," Facade-9 observed as the virus continued its efforts to transform the laptop into a very expensive paper-weight, "what it means is that your predecessor failed in his final mission was not only a failure, but that he wasted time and resources in the process. Understand though- this is the first and only time that you shall have such fortune- from now on all successes and failures in your missions fall solely on your head."
"I understand sir," Faux-05 acknowledged his superior as he continued to sanitize the room, "I shall endeavor to learn from my predecessor's mistakes."
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
10:17 AM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
I guess the song is true, waiting really is the hardest part. Elinore or whatever she wanted to call herself had left- meaning that it was just her in the room awaiting the arrival of both Axcel Incorporated corporate attorney Eric Krieger as well as the FBI agent who would be conducting the coming interview.
To be perfectly honest I never thought that I'd ever say that I'd be actually looking forward to being interviewed by an FBI agent, call it experience from being the child of two parents who were both secretly super-villains but until today meeting with a member of the country's main federal law enforcement agency was never on my bucket list- note to self, get to that bucket list you almost kicked it today swimming with manatees shouldn't be too much of an issue but I doubt if I'll ever find out if werewolves are vulnerable to belly-scratches.
Trying to take my mind off matters I flipped on the tv to the CNN, only to be greeted by a sight of devastation.
"-after a night of horrors unleashed by the super-criminal known as The Necromancer, the second major attack on Boston by the assailant this year, emergency crews are still working on clearing debris in the search for the victims of this latest unspeakable act of terror." the anchor narrated as shots of the devastation and public works crews could be seen clearing collapsed buildings. "While the evidence of the leader of the criminal group known as the Children of the Night being responsible for the fire-bombing last night remains a matter of speculation, reports of attacks of corpses reanimated by biohazardous chemicals known to be his work hours earlier has made him the prime suspect."
"Boston, a city already reeling from the destruction of the Massachusetts State Ultra-Max Holding Facility known as Roxbury-C last month, lay in morning at the dozens of souls who lost their lives in last night's attack. However, at this dark time new lights of hope began to emerge, as victims who lost so much in the terror of last night were saved from losing that which was most precious by a number of new super-heroes- who rendered aid either by assisting in rescue efforts or working to assist medical personnel stretched to their limits. These masked men and women, many of whom have yet to be properly identified by their chosen personas as requests for identification confirmation by City of Boston are still being processed by the Department of Paranormal Affairs."
"Meanwhile the small city of Durango nestled in the mountains of Colorado also suffered their own assault last night." Video changed to a reporter in front of what looked like a college building. "What began as an unofficial weekend gathering by students at the Animas Building of Fort Lewis College turned to tragedy as a group of armored mercenaries later identified by the FBI Database as the Masterson Brothers blew down a wall and held a number of student's hostage- their reason a mutant who was hiding among them."
The picture cut to a reporter holding a microphone to a young man, "You were taking cover-charges at the door when the target of the mercenaries came in, did you notice anything odd about her?"
"At first all that I noticed was the fact that she was too young to really be in college, so I was worried that she might try to flash a fake ID to get in and hit the punch bowl, but she owned up to the fact that she was underage and accepted a band to let the students watching the bar know not to let her near anything hard. That happens all the time though since students from the local high school come to our parties on the weekend since most can't afford to take a trip to Denver." The guy explained clearly still a little rattled by last night, "There was also the fact that she signed her name in Chinese but I've seen that happen a couple of times so it wasn't that out there."
"As for the mutant in question, although her identity has yet to be confirmed what is known is that she was inside the building using some manner of concealment that is still unknown," the reporter voicing over the report explained, "Although the mutant in question linked to this attack is unknown, what is known is that there were follow-up attacks throughout Durango throughout the night, the Masterson Brothers continued their hunt for their quarry into the streets of Durango. As there are signs throughout the city of fire and structural damage to roads and tarmacs fortunately aside from some injuries at the college there have been no reports of any fatalities."
"This just in we have a breaking bulletin related to the attack in Durango, the composite sketch that the La Plata County sheriff office has released of the mutant who appears to be the target of last night's attacks has been identified from the FBI's missing persons database. We go to Sean Callebs at the La Plata County sheriff station for more."
The scene changed to show the reporter outside from a street view of the station, "Thank you Michael," Sean Callebs stated as he made certain to stay in frame. "As you know police have just matched a sketch of the mutant present at the Animas Hall attack and have stated that there is a match to an FBI missing person's case."
"The individual in question has been identified as the Dragon of Seattle, a Seattle high school freshmen of Chinese-American descent who transformed last October into a humanoid Chinese dragon after a horrific sequence of events which according to nurses transcripts in the missing person's file stated as something out of a horror movie." the reporter explained as a sketch of the dragon girl was shown in a side-frame, "A month after the young lady in question was confined to her home due to concerns for her safety in public, police arrived to the scene of a violent break-in where the girl's injured parents explained that she was abducted by an unknown group of assailants who held them at knife-point to ensure coerce her into surrendering to them."
"At present the full story of if or how the Dragon of Seattle escaped these kidnappers, where she has been for these past five-months, and how she came to be in a small college town in southern Colorado remains a mystery at this time. Sean Callebs CNN Affiliate Colorado."
From what my parents told me Boston was a favorite weekend destination for students from Whateley, most of those mysterious masked super-heroes who popped up last night were likely students who decided to step-up and do their civic responsibility. From what I remember they also explained that kind of life-risking behavior was also heavily frowned upon during the school year.
Not wanting to watch more news I started channel-surfing to kill time until Mister Krieger got here, figures here I was a neophyte demi-devil and I was anxiously awaiting the presence of an even darker infernal presence...a corporate attorney. Speaking of religious matters, I always forgot how content-lite things were on Sunday morning plus this hospital's cable plan appeared to be limited to the three national networks, FOX, CNN, ESPN, GNN (ugh), TCN and NICK.
Not wanting to subject myself to Spongebob Squarepants, the Sunday Morning pundits, I flicked it to TCN finding to my surprise they were playing Footloose "pass." Out of options I flicked it over to ESPN, to my surprise they were going over inspection interviews of Formula-1 Racing Crews, okay this was actually interesting.
I started zoning in while the pit chief being interviewed was explaining about the various grades and densities of tires and how weather and track temperature factored into the best choices that a crew could make when it came to choose the tires for a race. As it turned out I was zoning in too much because I heard some impatient banging on the door to the room, "Sorry- please come in!" I called out while hitting the mute button on the remote.
A man with salt-pepper hair in a charcoal-gray three-piece suit and carrying a leather briefcase, before he said one word I stated, "Mister Krieger I presume, I was told to expect you- I presume that it's almost time for the Federalés to come and rake me over the coals before the MCO show up to disappear me to some black-site in a third-world to play operation on my insides."
"Nice to see that you are in a good mood after your ordeal Miss Drucker," Mister Krieger remarked, as he sat down on a nearby table, "I was worried that you would have been far more rattled after your traumatic experience."
"Mister Krieger with all due respect I'm the daughter of two mutants, even if scientists say that the complex is exclusive to the twenty-third chromosome I figure that chances were still good at me rolling that dice." I signed wanting to vent what I actually could, "plus given how many violence prone splinter-groups there are to Humanity-First like Burning Sword I figure that chances were good that I'd take a bullet eventually- though it is happening right outside my own home was something that I'd never expect."
"I wish that I could say that your suspicions are unfounded, but sadly statistics say something else." Mister Krieger stated as he opened up his briefcase, "Also the Mutant Commission Office did try to take custody of you while you were under the knife, fortunately they were held up by a staunchly professional nurse until the FBI's arrival."
"Yeah they really don't like to admit the fact that they're just an international security firm with a limited charter here in the states instead of an actual government organization with any real power." I laughed making sure to wince as I did for good measure. "Gaah, who ever said laughter is the best medicine can taste my reeboks."
"Duly noted," Mister Krieger dryly responded, "now that spiel is out of the way I have to discuss some things with you about what you can and cannot tell the FBI about due to them being projects that your father is still working on and are currently in development."
[HR
11:02 AM
Mister Krieger and I waited in the recovery room for the FBI agents in charge of the case, understandably I was anxious to get this over with every minute longer that this took made me worry more if these men would begin to see past any one of the many layers of facade which I was having to maintain, how my parents in their birth names were both wanted by the FBI themselves for countless criminal activities, how I wasn't really recovering from extensive surgery also given how the X-Rays that were now on file for me were doctored to match the medical reports that the doctors wrote under the influence of mind control, mind control courtesy of a devil from the bizarre extended family that I'd found myself adopted into when I agreed to let Elinore save my life.
Fortunately, the FBI agent assigned to this case chose now to open the door, granted only one of the pair of G-Men entered the room while the other remained outside clearly to serve as a guard and eavesdropper deterrent. "Hello Miss Drucker, I'm Marcus Todd with the FBI," Agent Todd stated as he gave me his hand reaching out to my seemingly injured arm as if to test me, I reached out with my clearly uninjured hand to shake his on the back of the hand rather than the palm, "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long after insisting on conducting this interview after you woke up."
"No, I understand," I replied letting the stress of the recent changes in my life leak into my voice- there are many kinds of tired, but Agent Todd would likely interpret it according to his own expectations. "My mom's in company security, I know that you need to address and gather as many facts and as much evidence as you can to find Joel."
"Actually, my first questions are about Mister Gibson," the G-Man explained as he sat down in one of the only vacant chairs in the small room. "I realize that given how less than twelve hours ago he used one of your acquaintances as a hostage and shooting you can be traumatic to think of, but I need you to tell me as much as you can about Joel Gibson. You see Mister Gibson appears to be connected to something that the FBI and Interpol have been looking into over the last several years, and what happened to Mister Gibson a few hours ago confirmed our suspicions. That is why I need to know everything that you know about Joel Gibson, no matter how useless it might seem."
"I'm sorry but the fact of the matter is I don't really know too much about Joel," I answered with absolute sincerity. "I was in the same homeroom class as him and have been since he transferred in back in November- that's about it. I mean we didn't really know each other, I don't think that anyone really did. He ate lunch alone, never really talked to anyone outside of class, had no extra-curriculars, he was just one of those kids who was just...there in the background."
"If that was true why did you invite him to your house for this party?" The G-Man inquired still curious as to why he was in my house.
"Elinore Jaffe invited him, she invited our whole grade-level at school- it's kind of her thing." I did my best to explain something that must have sounding insane to those who were from outside our nuthouse, "You see she throws a party invites everyone, they have fun and then help clean up- granted that she doesn't always do it at her home but she's so in the loop that she knows when anyone's parents will be out of town or away for most of the day- then that person's house becomes party central."
"And people just allow that to happen?" Agent Marcus Todd asked clearly ignorant of Round Rock's local hierarchy.
"The Brown-Jaffe's are one of the oldest and wealthiest families in town, they own major stakes in most of the major banks and the local construction firm and have been on the town council ever since Round Rock incorporated." I explained laying things out to the government agent as best as I could without being too condescending. "Besides if your house is chosen to host one of her bashes and it goes well than your place on the social ladder goes up, if it doesn't then nothing happens, but if you refuse then everyone at school starts ostracizing you for being no fun what-so-ever."
"So typical middle school drama then," Agent Todd clued in to what I was saying. "That still doesn't explain how Joel Gibson knew about your father's workshop or what he may have been after, and why did he go there instead of your father's office?"
"Well he might have learned about the workshop from one of the kids managing the sound equipment," I made my best guess, "I had to use my dad's workshop earlier when some of the sound equipment shorted out and I used the tools and equipment down there to repair it- that was also when I manifested, but I guess becoming a mutant comes part and parcel with getting shot at. As for the office it may be because Nicole Snyder, an Axcel Incorporated intern who was keeping an eye on us for my parents, was up there working on a term paper."
"Very well that explains how he may have learned of your father's workshop, likely Joel Gibson was just using the party to gain access to your home. However, there is still the matter of learning just what he may have been after," the G-Man got to the crux of the matter, making me glad that there was an attorney of company retainer present.
"You must understand Agent Todd sir there are a number of matters that while my client may be privileged to know that she is under a non-disclosure agreement not to reveal. She may discuss her father's role in the company, as well as any items that he worked on that have been revealed to the public through company press releases, however that is to the extent concerning what she is able to reveal today."
Agent Todd signed, "I understand, I didn't expect to collect any privileged information anyway given that I don't have a warrant and I doubt that the argument that you're interfering with a federal investigation would pass court scrutiny."
"As long as we're clear on that detail my dad is one of the chief engineers for Axcel Incorporated's robotics division, he was instrumental in developing
their Star Marshall power armor line." I explained wishing I could also talk about the landmine clearing drone, dad was really proud of that one but probably not as much as I was given that the remote detonation darts that it used were a design that the two of us worked on together.
"I believe that will be everything Miss Drucker," Agent Todd explained as he collected his things and turned off the tape recorder that he thought that he had kept hidden in his briefcase. "I will contact you through Mister Krieger's law firm to arrange any future meetings. I hope that you stay on the mend and out of trouble- the last thing that I want to learn is that a witness in a case like this might undermine the investigation."
As the G-Man left the room the weight of his parting words pressed down on me, especially given my next appointment.
12:17 PM
The moment that I had been dreading since I woke back up was now fast approaching, Elinore and Nicole were both in the room as I awaited the arrival of the matriarch of the sisterhood of succubae of which I was now a member...Erzebet Scratch. No doubt the mother to a unique breed of succubus, the true owner of Axcel Enterprises, the paramount client of Shuffle's Sweepers, and the master of every chapterhouse of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom from the Rockies to the Mississippi and from the borders of Mexico to those of Canada was thrilled to hear how not only did her latest scion not want to be a part of the family business but was also looking to cut a deal so that she could seek her own fate.
'Yeah- I can only imagine how happy she was to hear my proposal,' I all but rolled my eyes at the situation. 'Yeah, face facts Joan, you are so totally boned. I mean in what world did you think that a mystic mafiaso who has the fate of thousands, possibly millions of people subject to her whims would ever see fit to accept a proposal this crazy from the kid of two of her subordinates.'
Oh I wouldn't say that you are completely out of hope, A strange voice explained despite the fact that neather Elinore or Nichole had spoken a word, not that it sounded like either of them.
I looked around to look for the source of the voice but found nothing, I wouldn't wear yourself out kid, Elinore spoke aloud yet still remained silent, do'oh of course succubae had mind powers it's telepathy. Correct maybe mother can give you a gold star-
As if by invitation Erzabet Scratch herself materialized in the room in all her enigmatic, cloaked presence. Do not be so quick to reward her by child, the super-villainess stated, She is still but a neophyte and has far too much to learn, but from what I hear the child is a very quick study.
'So is that good or bad?' I thought to myself hoping that she'd pick up on my message.
We shall see child- we shall see, the succubus grand matron observed, As Kampe no doubt explained to you- your situation itself is without precedent within our sisterhood. While I have had little issue sending children off to Whateley in the past, even those who expressed a desire not to join my organization after the graduated. The real issue here unfortunately though is not your dreams for the future but the reality of your present; never before has a member of our sisterhood attended Whateley, the risk of discovery alone is staggering especially given the presence of Reverend Darren Englund at the institution.
'I take it that the good Reverend is more than just another man of the cloth,' I observed despite the obvious connotation.
He's a ninety-year-old Episcopalian Priest with a long career of dealing with the supernatural, Erzabet Scratch explained with what I wagered was a sour-taste in her mouth. And by deal with I mean on a permanently, the man has never met a perceived threat that he hasn't directly or indirectly tried to neutralize. Should your status as a demi-succubus be made apparent to him while you are attending the school at Whateley he will do everything within his power to end your existence, and to make matters worse he has his own team of apprentices who are just as blindly driven as he is to eliminate the supernatural.
In other words should he or one of his ilk deduce your nature then not only will they see you utterly destroyed, they shall seek out the origin of your status ensuring that all of the sisterhood will face a threat from a network of Reverend Englund's current and former minions who will stop at nothing to see us wiped from the face of the earth- not that they would succeed but it would still cast too much attention on the Sisterhood. Erzebet Scratch stated in as dire a tone as she could which said a great deal for the reality of this threat, Now regardless of the risk that it should pose I am not so heartless that I would intentionally crush a child's dreams without offering her a chance.
'And my offer to go to Dead-Zone's Training Camp had nothing to do with it?' I asked wondering how that tidbit weighed in my favor.
That is what gave me the idea for this proposal, Erzabet all but purred in my mind, Dead-Zone's training camp is brutal, many several years your senior have come through his regimen clinging to sanity by the atoms on the tips of their finger nails- it will not be easy to do take this course even as you are now...especially given how I am going to make matters even more difficult.
'I'm almost afraid to ask what you have planned for me,' I swallowed after doing my best to alleviate my suddenly dry mouth.
Good a little apprehension is a valuable survival tool, it keeps you from getting to full of yourself and making a foolish mistake. the progenitor of my sisterhood explained, The hitch for this agreement is that you must keep who you are secret from all there, not only your status as a succubus but your current identity as well. I am aware that the name you go by is a public alias to comply with the identity of your parent's own aliases and not your true name which could expose your nature in the wrong hands. You will be attending Dead-Zone's Training Camp under a new operating alias, an identity that you will continue under from now on to separate yourself from the old you once Axcel formally relocates you for your protection.
'So, you are stripping me of the name my parents gave me along with my identity,' I retorted more than a little angry at the sisterhood's matriarch.
I asked your mother for the her second choice for your name before you were born, which you will be taking along with her actual maiden name, Erzabet retorted in an oddly understanding tone. You are going to be Madeline Jacobs, the daughter of Gremlin and Atropos unless the FBI calls on you in which case you will resume being Joan Drucker.
Before the Training Camp begins next month, you will learn how to alter your appearance, and mask your new demonic nature. Should you keep up this ruse while keeping your nature secret throughout the camp then I will agree to let you attend Whateley as you wish, however should you fail you will remain at the camp for a full year to become a proper member of the Sweepers.
I screwed my face in thought as I considered her offer, but I knew that whether I liked it or not this was my only chance, 'Very well, I agree.'
Good to know Madeline, the sorceress observed, I shall let your parents know.
As she faded from sight part of me wondered if I truly bit off more than I could chew. 'So, she can teleport?' I asked the two sisters of my currently extended family.
Nope, psychic projection, she's not even in this state at the moment. Nichole replied in the same method as Erzabet Scratch had earlier, Members of our sisterhood can do it whenever we focus on each other provided that one of us isn't actively blocking it, the same thing goes for reading one another's thoughts. Face it kid form-changing and mystic-cloaking aren't the only skills that you have to work on, we also really need to work on your psychic defenses right now anyone of us with enough power and experience need by can peek past even your surface thoughts; I'm not that skilled yet and I can actually perceive your stray thoughts.
Nicole is right, I can even peer into your short-term memory right now should I so choose. Elinore remarked as she shook her head in embarrassment, I guess that it's a good thing that my current identity is in the same grade as you because I have a lot to teach you.
'Well, I still have some time before I need to report to Dead-Zone's Camp; I might as well get started learning about what Madeline Jacobs can do.'
6 years 2 months ago #44
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Dark Path
?
9:58 AM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I walked behind Aletheia as with Fray and Yaegarsman guiding our group as we made our way towards what the Obsidian Circle insisted was a temporary exit they had setup to use for this one occasion. To my left was the enigmatic Hedgewitch who if she was to be believed was my many times great-grandmother by her husband Yaegarsman with only Jane between us as she was perched on my shoulder and Dagda guarding the rear.
"I still find it difficult to swallow," I spoke up, "I mean I'm the descendent of deities from two pantheons, three if you count Greyback since he was venerated by the Pawnee. It's just a lot to take in you know- what's next a connection to the Olympians, although that would probably suck since I know most of their reincarnations...about half of whom are people that I wish that I had never met."
"Actually, you do have a connection to the Olympians that predates the foundation of Rome through one of Zeus’s analog incarnations," Hedgewitch all but spat as if the fact disgusted her, "fortunately though it isn't a blood tie."
"Good- not long after we met that sleaze tried to charm his way into my pants." I all but gagged at that particular memory, "Fortunately while it was after Morrigan had departed for her own body I was wearing my mask at the time under a concealment spell, so all that sleaze got out of me was a tongue lashing. Just what is their connection anyway?"
"Morrigan likely told you about her daughter Lupa who came to serve the Roman incarnation of the Olympians," Hedgewitch's head bobbed in shame, "what you clearly don't know is that while Morrigan was her mother her father was a persona of Zeus."
"What?!? Come on there is no way that could be true!" I asked mystified by that chunk of information, "Morrigan despises Zeus, he's the kind of person who makes her sick to her stomach there's no way that she'd..."
I paused as I remembered what I knew about Zeus from ancient Greek mythology from the stories of Denae, Metis and Alcmene then I came to a horrific realization, "She calls him the self-aggrandizing god of date-rape, that was wasn't just her speaking about his character antidotally was it- Jupiter violated her didn't he?"
Aletheia stopped wheeling herself down the pathway before wheeling to face me as she spoke up, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I thought that you knew. The deeds that I witnessed while imprisoned in Cytherea's shadow were beyond appalling, and I wish that I could say that was the worst of them that the Olympians visited upon the people of Europe."
"It was Tinia not Jupiter, the persona of Jupiter didn't exist yet. She was hunting at night in a now cleared forest whose name has been lost to the ages in the southern Italian region of Puglia when he took notice of her," Hedgewitch began to weave what I could tell was a dark tale, "despite the fact that Morrigan never assumed the form of a fae since the fall of the Five-Fold Court he could see her for what she was and there were always two things that drew Tinia's lust when it came to women of any race- beauty and power, and Morrigan has always both of those in spades."
"However, Morrigan despite being in the form of a she-wolf was as astute as ever and always a true judge of character, she not only refused his advances but when Tinia tried to force himself upon her she assumed her full Sidhe form and she countered his assault with ancient Sidhe sorcery until she left him trying to have his way with an illusion weaved around a bramble bush while she left for a new home further to the north. Tinia however was never one to give up on his intended conquests so easily, however this time he was determined to be subtle; he cast himself into a cloud and triggered a downpour while Morrigan was tackling a dear and as the rain showered down Lupa was given to Morrigan just as Zeus gave Perseus to Denae."
"Morrigan was furious after she learned this and determined that Tinia would never have a hand in influencing her child, so she migrated again this time to a forest where she was certain that her assailant would not follow, as it laid on the border between the territory of the Etruscan Pantheon and the Teutonic Pantheon certain that Tinia wouldn't risk starting a conflict with another group of deities. So, she dwelled there confident that she could raise Lupa in peace, unfortunately the child was naturally curious about her father and in time Tinia learned this."
"One sunny day when a fish jumping in a stream created a rainbow Tinia had Iris inform Lupa of him, this lead to a quarrel between Morrigan and Lupa that created an emotional rift that never healed between them." Hedgewitch sighed as it was clear this dark tale was coming to an end.
"After their fight Lupa made her way south to a cave on Palantine Hill where she eventually found and fostered Romulus and Remus," Fray spoke up drawing all eyes to him, "Morrigan on the other hand ventured further north into the Black Forest where in time she was accepted into the Teutonic Pantheon as a shield maiden, back when I was Tiwaz eventually her exploits and wisdom inspired Woten to create the Valkinor when he became Odin who replaced his crows. Just do us all a favor and never let Morrigan know that we told you that story, the fact that she was never able to reconcile with Lupa is one of Morrigan's greatest regrets."
"Don't worry," I grit my teeth, "there's no way that I'd ever bring that up. And I already despise Imperious, all that you've done add another layer to the disgust I already feel for him."
La Sfida Grigia
10:26 AM
Jefferson, New Hampshire
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
After Faolan learned another dark story about her family's past considering that she had Morrigan's blood in her veins the rest of the trip down the dark path from Fortuna Noctis was in total silence. Surprisingly we emerged from the stone hallway into what appeared to be a comfortably decorated hunting lodge. The real surprise though came when Dagda left the path. I pirouetted my chair as best that I could to see the path that we had come down turned regressed rearranged until it was a normal fireplace that looked completely at home in the lodge.
"So, this is Scratch's little retreat for when she and her's decide to pay Whateley a visit," Dagda looked around as he surveyed his surroundings, "I have to admit that she has good taste- posh with the intend of being comfortable without venturing into the area of obnoxious at the same time as being rustic enough to match the same atmosphere as the rest of the region. I have to say that I approve of her choices, makes me wonder if I can get the number of her decorator to design a summer home for me and the misses."
"You'd have to get in line behind us sir," Hedgewitch spoke up as she examined the lodge, "we've been meaning to renovate our own place for months and we just cannot find a decorator who doesn't want to emulate Aspen or Swiss ski-lodges."
"If you wait a few moments I will locate our designer's business card," an elderly man made his presence known as I turned my chair towards the source of the voice to see a well-dressed man in his fifties with brown-eyes and salt-pepper hair. "My name is Theodore, I am the caretaker of La Sfida Grigia it my duty to see to the needs of our guests. May I offer our guests anything while they enjoy our hospitality?"
"I am sorry Theodore, but we will not be staying," Fray explained to the steward, "we are expected at Whateley promptly as the Headmistress doubtlessly wishes for these students to return for a talk."
I saw Faolan grimace and try to make herself as small as she could, granted that I had never received detention (something Cytherea had always managed to charm her way out of) before however from what I have heard around school is that the experience can be exceedingly unpleasant.
"Very well sir," Theodore stated, "I will bring around the car momentarily, please be patient and I will have your group at the Whateley Academy within the hour."
The six of us waited in silence after Theodore left the room, nobody wanting to take advantage of the amenities or even say a word. Somebody had to break the silence and noticing Faolan's increasingly dour expression that someone was me. "So, any idea how much trouble we're going to be in when we get back to Whateley?"
"Not a clue how much what happened in Boston will fall in your lap Aletheia," Faolan stated, "I'm likely looking forward to a week or two of detention for what went on though, knowing my luck though I'll be stuck on janitorial duty in Hawthorne or worse working with Generator on sewer patrol."
"Geez kid, given what I heard about how you tackled those burning buildings yesterday I would have thought that a little dirt and grime wouldn't phase you what-so-ever." Jaegarsman chuckled at the situation, "I mean how did you learn how to do that anyway?"
"When I was learning the ins and outs of my new body I did all sorts of crazy things to get it in top shape as I could, and the local heroes back home were more than happy to assist." Faolan replied likely recounting her own rehabilitation following gaining her current body, "Maverick took me through some police and federal agent training courses to help me get my body in shape, and afterwards Pero del Fuego offered to put me through volunteer fireman training. I accepted his offer, and if it wasn't for my age and educational status I'd be registered as a volunteer in good standing back home."
"The fact that you were actually trained might actually get some time shaved off your punishment," Dagda remarked showing the fact that he was currently a provisional academy teacher, "not off the hook mind you; you are still in trouble for putting yourself in harm's way and disobeying the orders of a member of a Campus Security Officer by abandoning your post, but it might get your punishment lessened either by its degree or duration."
"See Faolan, it shouldn't be that bad." I stated as I wheeled over and squeezed her left arm in support, unwittingly causing her to tense up. "Now me on the other hand, I'm really going to be in the dog house over this one. I mean given my family situation, the fact that I was the one who called off the planned evacuation while offering the assistance of my fellow students, which put everyone in danger and didn't have any formal training on top of all that; I'm probably going to be in detention until I graduate. Although it was still worth it to hear see the look on that mother's face after we saved her daughter from that rebar."
"Yeah," Faolan smiled, "some of what we did yesterday is going to be hard to top for a long time, but I honestly hope that we're never going to have to go through something like that again for a good long time. I mean that wasn't a super-villain attack, the Necromancer turned Boston into a bonafied war zone. I know that he's a super-villain and everything, but this even trumps the attack his group made during Phase's birthday party. At least he should be keeping a low profile for a while, what Carcharoth did to him is bound to put him out of commission for a while."
"Maybe- maybe not Charles Darrow has been at this for a while and has access to extraterrestrial technology," Fray elaborated, "from the files that there are on him his suit contains signs of Martian and Mi-Go technology and that is just what is recognized by the intel that Homeland Security has gathered, he may have technology to reattach his arms at his disposal.
"He had better hope so," Jaegarsman remarked with a smirk, "because Vrede's secondary back blade curses wounds to be immune to magic. Surt was always a vindictive SOB and he put a lot of forethought into that battle axe."
As the front door opened Theodore stepped back inside, "The car is around front and warmed-up we are ready to leave whenever you wish to return to the Whateley Academy."
"Well- what kind of teacher would I be if I let a pair of students avoid their punishment," Dagda explained as he began a procession towards the front door and our way back home.
I suppose that was another odd thing about me as opposed to everyone else I knew from school, for them Whateley was a refuge- a place to make friends, learn and grow, to become the person that they were meant to be before the stepped out into the world to forge their own path. For me Whateley was something different, the Academy for me wasn't simply some transitory place to come to learn about myself as a mutant or to learn the ins and outs of using my powers and abilities while learning skills and trades to compliment them.
No for me Whateley was something far different and right now, despite the fact that I was likely returning to an earful from mom followed by a firm but hopefully fair punishment for yesterday one thing was clear above all else...I was going home after one crazy trip out of town. I rolled my chair out the door with Faolan, Jane and Fray bringing up the rear to see our ride back, a running black limousine with a handicap ramp lowered leading into the interior.
"Gee and I thought that I was going to miss out on this part of the high school experience," Faolan remarked in a quiet voice, "I guess that I can cross a limo ride with a good-looking lady off my bucket list."
"I appreciate the flattery Faolan but you're not my type," I respond as I nudged her in the ribs with my hand.
"I know I consider you too much of a friend to want to risk dating anyway," Faolan remarked, "but that doesn't make my statement any less true."
I smiled as I rolled up the ramp and into the cab under my own power, it was time to bring this adventure to an end.
In Front of Shuster Hall
11:42 AM
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I hated to admit it but Scratch's little home away from home was in a nice spot, I guess that even super-villains knew how to make the little things count for something. The trip back to Whateley was also short we made it about halfway through Hedgewitch's custom playlist of Journey before we came within sight of the nightgaunts that served as the gargoyles guarding the perimeter of the school grounds.
While the trip was short though the two of us still had time to change back to our casual clothes, no use for secret identities right now because I knew for a fact that Scratch already knew who I was and given who Bea's related to Scratch probably knows who she was too. By the time we finally rolled up in front of Shuster Hall we saw Headmistress Carson, Deputy Headmistress Hartford, Morrigan and Chief Delarose all waiting for us on the steps of the administration building.
'Oh boy here it comes, Randi,' I thought to myself, 'time to face the music.'
Calm down, Jane did her best to console me, whatever your punishment is we will face it together.
'Thanks Jane,' I replied over our link as I walked over to the Headmistress ready to face the music and I part of me knew that the best way to do this was with dignity, "Headmistress, I am ready to receive whatever punishment you determine is best."
To my surprise this elicited a smile from Morrigan, and a smug look from Hartford, "Punishment can come later for you three, first I need to see all of you in my conference room three, I am afraid that my office is a little too small for such a group."
"Three?" Beatrice asked curios about her mother's remarks.
"Jane is the most mature of you and given that she is a sapient mystic creature who is in part Miss Bridge's advisor she is certainly not off the hook for what happened in Boston."
"Like my partner I will abide by your decision Headmistress Carson," Jane explained, "however when you render your decision regarding my punishment please keep in mind that unlike my mother, I am unable to take a humanoid form."
"I am already aware of that," Miss Carson replied in a dryly, "now as I was saying everyone is to join me in Conference Room Three immediately."
Taking the Headmistress's orders for gospel I took the rear handles of Bea's wheelchair, much to my mermaid compatriot's vocal annoyance, as the three of us made for the elevator to take us to the second floor where the offices and conference rooms. As the elevator arrived something told me that this was more than just the Headmistress laying down the law and knowing that Morrigan was just as much a part of the Grey Barrow as Fray was something told me that she had learned of our destinies around the same time as we did and really wasn't happy.
'Not that I can blame her, Morrigan had likely informed her that her youngest kid is a part of some ancient prophecy to save the world on top of learning that she's already destined to break an Old One's Curse that dates back to the dawn of the modern age of man.' I thought aloud as we reached the second floor, 'Of course a mama bear like her is going to be a little freaked.'
Then we must do what we can to annul Headmistress Carson's fears. Jane replied as we made our way to conference room three, with Bea wheeling herself along as she gave me the stink-eye for pushing her chair for her earlier.
"Randi please do me a favor...never do that again!" Bea glared my way, "I can wheel my own chair thank you very much and soon enough I'll be walking on my own. So, I know that you thought that you were helping but just don't."
"Fair enough Bea," I recoiled noting that Bea definitely inherited her mother's grit, "I just really didn't want to keep your mother waiting."
"Alright," Bea acquiesced to my point, "just see to it that this never happens again unless I ask for it- am I clear?"
"Crystal ma'am," I squeaked out as the wolf part of me told me to make myself as small as I could while my tail went between my legs.
Taking from her cue that manners were not on the menu, I let Bea open the door to the conference room and go through first then followed and shut the door behind me. As I looked at the table I could see everyone from downstairs along with a woman that I had never seen before who was clearly a sidhe. I looked over the table layout and I could see only one empty seat, granted there was also an empty space right next to it- both of them directly across from the Headmistress Carson, Deputy-Headmistress Hartford and Chief Delarose.
"Please have a seat," Headmistress Carson insisted in a tone that was so even and devoid of emotion that part of me wished that she was actively threatening us. Some part of me wanted to transform, roll over and show my belly then and there, but I knew that doing that would not only accomplish nothing- I would likely make matters twenty-times worse.
Unfazed by the atmosphere of the room Bea calmly wheeled over to the empty spot at the table, while I numbly followed to the only vacant seat in the room. 'Yep, face facts Jane...we're boned.'
Conference Room 3 - Shuster Hall
11:51 AM
POV: Bea Carson
While I was still a little miffed at Randi from earlier, that matter could wait from what I saw around me mom looked more serious than that time that she had tried to give me The Talk. Granted that I dodged that experience due the fact that I had spent centuries watching the exploits of a sociopathic love goddess from her shadow as she worked her way through every page of the Olympian answer to the Karma Sutra as she was writing the damned thing. Note to self, stop by Greece after the trip from Iraq and make sure that thing is turned over to ARK and locked away with their other Eldrich Texts.
Talk about ironic when an actual juvenile GOO based on the emotion of lust wrote a book on sex that was more mature and respectable on the subject than a love goddess of a human civilization- if I was a worse person I'd let Cytheria know just how much Carmilla p0wned her at her own supposed area of expertise.
But that was neither here nor there, right now what mattered was what happened inside of this room, "Miss Bridges, Miss Carson, Jane Badbsdottir I presume the three of you know why you are here." Chief Delarose spoke up obviously leading the proceeding today given how trust in Hartford had waned recently and my mother could hardly be objective at the moment given my involvement in everything.
"I would presume that this would have to do with my hijacking the student security auxiliaries' evacuation plan to get students to help out emergency services during the crisis, and a later judgement on my part to volunteer those of us with either the training or abilities to assist in rescue efforts that put a great many in harm's way." I explained, "Then yes I am fully aware of my actions, and while they may seem reckless and irresponsible I stand by my decision, as for Randi without her quick thinking regarding the elixir and Dagda's cauldron the death toll would have been far higher."
"I studied earlier incidents that had taken place in Boston to learn of potential dangers and The Necromancer's zombies work through the use of a prionic chemical toxin with mythos elements that can infect and turn people into more zombies after they die." Randi took my cue to speak up, "Using the Atlantean elixir of reality was a necessity to avoid an outbreak and making use of Mister Redstag's cauldron to assist both the police as well as emergency services with the evacuees was the necessary- I also tried to keep everything above the boards and by the book from what I knew about assisting in treating evacuees and helping the police neutralize the zombie hordes."
"Fortunately for you three Miss Carson calling off the evacuation appears to be the right call," Amelia Hartford explained, as she activated an overhead projector that shown against the wall behind her. "This morning a tip was received about tampering at North Boston Train Station which was our main evacuation plan. As it turned out a wide variety of white-phosphorus explosives and anti-personal devices were discover rigged to a modified MCO genetic scanner that was hidden in the door frame, once the sensor had detected both fae and merfolk pass through that gate in a set time frame then they would have detonated on the platform and killed or wounded almost every student there."
"In other words, if you had fallen for his trap and fought the zombies he would have attacked and tried to kill the three of you," Chief Delarose explained, "and if you had followed the school procedures the explosives would have triggered on the platform and killed or wounded everyone so that the Children of the Night would have easily picked off the survivors without much of a fight. The scope of this attack was beyond diabolical, the Necromancer is clearly a far more serious threat now then he has been at any time in the past."
"But just because I made the right call in doing what I did doesn't make any excuse for the fact that I did it or put anyone in danger in the process." Randi explained, "Also even though I passed the volunteer firefighter training with Pero del Fuego when I was getting a handle on my new body doesn't mean that I made the right call going into those burning buildings, and even put Bea in danger. The fact is that I know that I took unnecessary risks and am prepared to take receive my overdue punishment."
"We will keep that in mind Miss Bridges," Amelia Hartford smirked in satisfaction, "there still remains the matter of you Miss Carson. Unlike Miss Bridges you have no specialized training in emergency treatment, and had no business assisting in the rescue at the airport. Not to mention that it was your decision that put so many of your fellow students in danger, the fact that you are the Headmistress's daughter makes this situation even worse. You should be setting a good example for your fellow students here on campus not instigating something so...reckless."
"That brings us to the unfortunate part of this meeting," Mom explained as she broke her earlier silence, "rendering your punishments. Beatrice, as Amelia explained it is up to you to set a good explain for the rest of the student body. As for you Miss Bridges as you admit that while you did make the right call with assisting the doctors and police there was still danger involved, even more so with assisting the fire and rescue operations after the explosions around Boston. To that end you and Jane both will be receiving three weeks detention assisting the campus ground's crew, not only does this serve as your punishment but Mrs. Redstag assures me that it will be most educational to you as well. Furthermore, until further notice you are banned from travel to Boston for any reason until further notice, and this also means that any excursions there between semesters will result in further punishment upon your return."
"She is likely correct in this scenario Headmistress," Randi replied in a professional tone, "and thank you for your leniency in not sending me to serve detention in Hawthorne. As for Boston, no offence Headmistress but I think that if I'm allowed off campus for the immediate future I'll be sticking to Dunwich, Berlin and if I need to go to a big city- Portland, in my mind Boston is one Pandora's Box that I want to avoid opening again."
While that comment did elicit a few chuckles from the room, mom wasn't yet done handing out punishments and part of me could tell that she saved the worst for last. Nope, this mermaid was really in the tartar sauce right now and I could feel it looming over me like the Sword of Damocles- yes that really happened, the big twelve even had a bet how long Damocles would remain on Dionysius's throne...the winner was Artemis.
"Now as Miss Hartford explained, what happened in Boston was unacceptable and the amount of danger that you put not only yourself but your fellow students in was unacceptable." Mom continued as I knew that now I was really going to get it, "As my daughter, as well as the only mermaid to be born on earth proper since the Stone Age, you have a responsibility to so many people to set a good example for them to follow. Moreover, as you are my daughter I cannot be as lenient towards you as I have been towards Miss Bridges, the punishment that you will be facing is far harsher."
"Beatrice Margaret Carson, you will be serving detention for the rest of the current semester," Mom in full Headmistress mode effectively put her foot down, "and to that end you are to follow a schedule that has been decided for you by the school administration until the semester ends."
Now it was Miss Hartford's turn to speak once more, "Beatrice Margaret Carson, your schedule which is to begin Monday morning is to work as follows: Every morning immediately after Breakfast a campus security officer is to escort you to the campus security office where you will receive your afternoon detention assignment for that day. The security officer is then to escort you to the Beck Library when you are to study and complete your assignments for the course credits that you claim from your auditing them through Victoria Godwin. After this study period a security officer will escort you to Shuster Hall to turn in any completed assignments to their respective instructors, and then escort you to Crystal Hall for Lunch."
"After Lunch you are to be escorted to your supervisor for that afternoon's detention, where you are to receive your instructions for that day's duties. You are to follow those instructions as gospel, and if on the off chance that you finish your assigned tasks early you are to remain with your supervisor until your escort arrives to take you to Dinner." Amelia continued as she handed out my sentence with almost machine-like efficiency, "After Dinner you are to be escorted to the Doyle Medical Center to continue your Physical Therapy until campus security arrives to escort you back to Dickinson Hall. This is to be your mandatory schedule until further notice, if there are any further reports of incident on campus from you your detention will be extended past finals until after Spring Graduation. Furthermore, until further notice you are forbidden to travel further away from school unescorted than Dunwich or the Mediwihla Reservation until further notice. Also, while you need not be escorted by security while inside of a campus building until you receive word from Campus Administration you are bared from the Campus Tunnels, this means that the biometric scanners on the elevators will not take you below ground floor in any building with tunnel access."
"I understand Deputy-Headmistress Hartford," I replied as professional as I could, all the while not wanting to bring up my urgent Summer trip to Camp Alpha in Iraq.
"Now that- that is out of the way Chief Delarose, Miss Hartford, I am sorry to ask this, but I will the two of you to leave the room now," Miss Carson explained, "I am afraid that the rest of this meeting has nothing to do with Whateley itself and is restricted to family and guests that have been cleared for that information."
"Oh and Amelia," Morrigan spoke up, "you had best deactivate all electronics in this room, Badb and her children will be setting up an electro-static barrier while I will be casting anti-surveillance enchantments. So, I would hate for any sensitive equipment that you in here, no doubt for meeting use to be damaged by accident."
While Chief Delarose left without incident, Amelia paused and looked back holding up three fingers, before popping back in a few moments later with a remote that she pointed inside the room and clicked before turning off the lights and exiting the door.
"Everything's unplugged boss," Badb popped up with a couple of crows on her tiny shoulders that Jane flew over to join. "Alright girls, let's show our stuff." Suddenly Jane and her small murder glowed, and this wave swept over the room that made Randi jump as it looked like her hair briefly stood up.
This was followed by Morrigan, Hedgewitch and the Sidhe woman chanting in some language that I didn't recognize...what, just because I learned most tongues from around the Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Age didn't meant that I knew every language in Europe- plus given that we were dealing with two sidhe and one demi-vanir chances are this was some predated the modern age of man.
As soon as the trio finished a layer of runes glowed on the walls and drawn windows around us, before the enchantresses returned to their seats.
"Now before we begin, Randi I need to know one important piece of information," Mom stated as she looked at the Western Maiden with a glare that looked more like that of a lioness preparing to pounce than the headmistress of the school, "before all of this happened were you aware of this prophecy that you and my daughter were wrapped up in? Were you aware of the danger that the two of you faced?"
"I was aware that there was a prophecy," Randi sighed in confession, "when I helped the being who Bea's grandmother is an avatar of realize the truth about her existence as the living incarnation of the Dreamlands, not long after her aforementioned grandmother Queen Tiamat appeared and gave me a prophecy. As near as I can tell that prophecy only described who the Four Maidens were, that we would be lead to someone who traveled across many lives who would give us each something to use to reforge the link between Earth and the remaining lands of the other Four Courts of Atlantis."
"That was all?" Mother inquired as she glared at Randi with a hostile expression to which Randi was only halfway aware given her difficulty reading expressions.
"I assure you Headmistress Carson that Randi is telling you the truth as she recalls it," Jane explained, "I also may not have been there when that prophecy was relayed but I can assure you that my partner is not trying to deceive you."
"The real dirt behind our destinies Bea and I learned together just a few hours ago alongside the other two maidens," Randi continued, "by the way the Northern maiden is that Dragon of Seattle who went missing last year and the Southern Maiden is get this- Greygus's daughter."
That tidbit of information actually took both mom and Morrigan by surprise, "Greygus has a daughter, and one who's been around all this time- and someone who nobody's known about whatsoever." Mom observed, "Maybe it's not that surprising considering that he's been all over the world for years, but I never took him for the love them and leave them type."
"He wasn't," I explained relaying what Iris told me this morning, "her mother was a waitress in Mexico City that Greygus had been seeing, she was kidnapped by the Cult of the Black Pharaoh before she could let him know she was expecting then sent the kid stateside to be watched by a mercenary."
"Why would the Cult of the Black Pharaoh single her out like that?" Mom inquired, "is there something that I'm missing?"
"She was likely being raised to use as fuel in a lineage curse," Morrigan was all but red with fury, "Greygus is Lord Khamsin's son and Lord Khamsin has been a sworn enemy of the Cult of the Black Pharaoh for centuries. All the spell requires is the right preparations and the death of a family's youngest child, right now that's Greygus's daughter."
"It gets worse," Randi explained, "Lord Khamsin's wife and Greygus's mother is the older sister of the Principality of the Blazing Disc's reigning Dhamsin Ifrit. Knowing mythos spellcaster's they could probably modify the curse and use it to wipe out most of the nobility in the Principality and a fair number of their enemies in the process, after that they'll probably creep in and try to take over just like they did to the Mesopian Refuge. And if you want to know what Mythos infected djinn are like...well let's just say there is a good reason that the followers of Mohammad say the Devil is a djinn instead of a fallen angel."
"Thank goodness the last time the Black Pharaoh seized power in that Principality that Ma'at sealed the Aten in a ward of protection before she was enthralled too, one that only a member of the Northern Court could lift- I hear that they asked old Draig Goch to do the deed." The sidhe woman sighed, "The problem is that the next time the Black Pharaoh will be expecting Ma'at to seal the Aten again and move a pawn or two into place to prevent that from happening again."
"Pardon me but who are you?" I asked curious about the answer and hoping that she was a member of the Wild Court.
"Sorry, but I didn't have the chance to introduce myself to you two earlier," the sidhe woman spoke up, "I am Lady Thasarimil, former handmaiden of the Silent Willow and issue of Queen Venraniel by her consort Armeluien the Deft."
"Hold the phone," I said in shock, "you're the daughter of one of the late Queens, that means that you're a royal heir. If that's the case, why didn't the fae flock to you after the Sundering?"
"Faerie succession isn't that simple Bea," Randi turned to me, "unless a royal consort completes trials of worth set by three of the other queens and after completing them is recognized in a ceremony by all Nine Queen and the High King. From what Morrigan told me, that although Armeluien successfully completed the trials, during the ceremony he took a poisoned bolt by a follower of a certain toad-like GOO. Unfortunately, this means that Lady Thasarimil wasn't born a legitimate heir and likely became a Lady-in-Waiting much like the first Queen of the Winter Court."
"Only a minute and a half longer and I would be calling Aunghadheil's chosen heir my sister queen," Lady Thasarimil seemed to deflate with a heavy sigh, "afterwards Queen Venraniel salvaged what was left my father's soul before it was tainted by mythos poison and created Morrigan, Greyback and Loki. Meanwhile my father's sword brother Tordrais lead their warband is a campaign of decimation against that cult, later while morning Armeluien together with Queen Venraniel one thing led to another followed by the birth of my half-sister Lady Ulelesse who is Randi's ancestor."
"So, Miss Bridges is the descendent of both Morrigan and one of the same Sidhe Queens that Nichole Riley once hosted," Mom remarked, "that sounds like a bit of a stretch."
"Randi and her brother aren't the only ones," Vali took the opportunity to speak up, "in this generation those with the blood of Morrigan, Loki, Greyback and Lady Ulelesse have been born all over either by happenstance or intervention of the Obsidian Circle itself. The super-villain Fissure for example is the descendent of Lady Ulelesse and Greyback, while the private investigator known as Bluetick is the descendent of Morrigan and Loki. Also, kid don't get a big head by all the major beings that you're related to, other than your awakened fae-heritage you're so distantly related to them that it doesn't even matter."
"Just as long that that means that I don't inherit any of their enemies as well, " Randi remarked, "I already have Fenris pissed at me- the last thing I want is to add Surt, Balor and who knows how many others to that list."
"My grandfather and his associates knew that the time of the prophecy of the Four Maidens was coming so they were out to boost the odds of the circumstances behind the western maiden's birth as well as create decoys to confuse the cults of the Great Old Ones." Auda began to explain, "so they tracked down those with two opposite lines and used invitro-fertilization as well as mystically aided surrogate implantation. Randi, I hate to tell you this, but your adopted sister Heather is one of those born because of that program."
Randi sagged in her chair at this news but then gave a chuckle, "You know part of me is disgusted that they did this, but on the other hand if they didn't my sister wouldn't exist- plus this means that despite the fact that she's adopted we're actually related. It also explains that vision I saw in Macha's mirror, it showed that if I refused my destiny she would have been inflicted with it."
"To be fair the circumstances for the manifestation of the Western Maiden were the most complicated," Lady Thasarimil explained, "a child born of the blood of Queen Venranial and the three fragments of my father General Armeluien with all bloodlines manifesting evenly in one generation in a world of seven billion people, those are very long odds. The Norther Maiden simply had to be the descendent of the dragon Zunyan who bathed in her ancestor's ashes, there are dozens alive from his bloodline and his ashes fill a little over a hundred urns. There are actually two young ladies who have fulfilled this requirement, one here and one in Hong Kong and there may be more in the future given how eager the Chinese government seems to be towards acquiring mutants and super-powered individuals."
"As for me, my awakening was only a matter of time, once I was extracted from Cytheria and her shadow my birth was inevitable." I chimed in, "As was that of the Southern Maiden, given how there are three potential fathers, one of whom has been roaming about since antiquity."
"What matters though is what you two and your destinies require," Mom spoke up, "each of you traveling to a dangerous location and repairing a mystic artifact all alone facing who knows what manner of danger- and why does it have to be you?"
"Magic's Law of Similarity," Randi explained, "it's all explained as part of the basics- things represent like things. In the case of these artifacts they each represent a connection between a peripheral court and the center court, this means that each need someone who represents this same type of connection to restore them and their connection. They also require someone of royal lineage because otherwise they would risk being overwhelmed by the power that they'd be working with, however they cannot be proper heirs due to the fact that as such that would overwhelm the human part of their lineage needed to anchor them to the Earth to bridge the gap between worlds."
"Besides they will not exactly be alone," Tyr began to elaborate, "in the case of Beatrice she may bring others of royal lineage to help protect her while she heals the Chalice her six-future sisters-in-law would easily fit the bill there. In Randi's case there are two allies who live near that root of the world tree, Nidhogg and Ratotoskr she can also find others before hand to help her that might meet before she has to undertake that trail."
"From what I heard the Northern Maiden has already made four powerful allies to help her when she challenges the mountain," I commented remembering how Zhen-yu described her adventure in Colorado yesterday. "And like the Southern Maiden would have any problem in a desert."
"The Desert of Eloache Belhanach is not a real desert," Tyr interrupted, "it's the remains of the first civilization to ever exist on the planet, a city that had faded into myth before Ancient Atlantis was founded and laid abandoned even during the days of the Yithian's City of Pnakostus, some say that the destruction of the city and the extermination of its inhabitants was the first act of the Elder Thing's after their arrival in the Middle Ordovician period. All we actually know is that the city existed everything else was lost a long time ago, who called the city home, the culture and even the name- everything about that city remains a mystery."
"And as powerful as djinn are there is one thing they are vulnerable to and that's ruins," Badb explained as she and her children sent out another static wave. "None of the Southern Court can help her there so she's going to need to recruit her help from elsewhere."
"Meanwhile does anyone have any further information about potential threats at these locations," Mom looked around the room openly soliciting answers, "I for one don't want my youngest daughter to go in blind."
"I'll stop by grandmother Tiamat as soon as I'm done with my time in Celephaïs with Greyback in the Dreamlands," I volunteered, "granted while Randi is on good terms with her, chances are she would be more willing to offer up free information to her granddaughter."
"Very well dear, but the moment you find out anything about any of these locations and I mean anything you are to tell me about it." Mom stated as she laid down the law. "And that goes double for you Miss Bridges."
"Understood Headmistress," Randi nodded in confirmation, "but just so that you know none of us is likely going to be taking this trip until we're adults with a lot more training and experience under our belts."
"At least you know that much Miss Bridges," mother sighed, "go on- enjoy the rest of your weekend, but remember your detentions begin tomorrow. Oh, and Miss Bridges given that you won't be available to work at Beck for three weeks during your normal hours Ms. Henderson will be expecting you during the zero hour period to shelve overnight returns, remember serving detention doesn't go towards your tuition. As for you Beatrice Margarete Carson, I expect to see you in my office later."
Outside Poe Cottage
12:52 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I hung my head as I made my way back to Poe with Jane on my shoulder, this was the worst trouble that I'd ever been in school-wise; even my prior incarnation while being influenced by my apocalyptic, rage-monster of an uncle had never gotten me three weeks of detention. Okay to be fair it did get me tortured by a mutant-hating zealot, killed and turned into a girl but never three weeks detention.
'Okay in hindsight three weeks detention isn't that bad."
I would think not, Jane observed, besides if you ask the ground crew nicely they might teach you all that you need to know about tree grafting.
'Not that I have anything to graft with,' I admitted to myself, 'until I meet this Ancient Traveler I don't even have the tool that I need for this quest.'
Neither do the others, Jane observed, besides it may be best that you don't have this important tool at the moment, right now Beatrice, Iris, Zhen-yu and yourself are all targets not having the tools that you need for your destiny just yet may not be a bad thing.
"If you say so Jane," I spoke aloud as I moved to open the front door, "if you say so."
To my surprise I walked into the front door to find myself face-to-face with every Freshman from Poe, all clamoring at once bombarding me with questions and damned if I could understand any of it. "Hold on everyone, just hold- on one at at time, I can't understand anyone when you're al like this!"
Ayla took the moment to take charge, "Randi, what the hell happened, we barely got anything from Candace since she wasn't with you at the airport when whatever it was happened. Saladin wasn't with you once you got to the airport, and Boudicca hasn't told us anything. What the hell happened?"
"Someone contracted the Children of the Night to assassinate me and Aletheia." I explained, "All of that chaos yesterday was just to get us out in the open and alone to finish us off. Unfortunately, it appeared the Obsidian Circle and a number of their operatives were in town because the Order found someone stupid enough to boost the contents of Carcharoth's Storage Room at the New York Chapter House from back when he was Lycaon while a bunch of the other members were having their stuff moved to a facility that must be in Erzabet Scratch's territory."
"Shut the front door!" Alex shouted at everything going on, "Darrows a psycho but he's not stupid, there's no way that he'd ever be suicidal to steal from a monster like that."
"Carcharoth is pretty new coming back on the scene," I explained to the former unwilling member of the Children of the Night, "moreover a bunch of the Grand Hall may not even believe that he's really Lycaon or that the rest of the Obsidian Circle are still alive."
"I don't see why not considering how old they are," Nikki took that as a que to speak up, "the real question is what happened to you and Aletheia after you and Beatrice split up?"
"What happened was we were attacked by the Necromancer," I explained causing everyone to recoil in shock, "Bea, Jane and I held him off at first, but he had us outclassed, that's when Carcharoth showed up attacked the Necromancer, taking the fight out of him in a single strike. Soon after we found out why the rest of the Children of the Night didn't show up to help- some of the Obsidian Circle had neutralized them."
"Hold the phone, the Obsidian Circle are major bad guys from way back," Vox inquired curious as I was about all of this, "why would they show up to save you?"
"Evidently the Bea and I are of interest to the Obsidian Circle and they want to keep us alive as free agents after having a chat, before we left though Mister Redstag showed up with some friends in tow to keep us safe. After that Circle took our group to a room in their headquarters to await the arrival of two more half-breed mutants to warn us collectively about something in our future."
"Just what the world needs even more half-human weird bitches like you!" Sharisha all but spat.
"Careful what you say Sharisha, one of those bitches has some nasty family connections and will likely be here next semester," I shot back as sick of her toxic attitude as ever, "as for the other one, just look up the Chinese Dragon of Seattle on the internet from last October and November, there should be some information."
"Found her," Bunny chimed in before whistling, "whoa looks like Kaiju won't be the only case of reptilian hotness around campus soon."
"Yeah, and one of us needs to spend some time training her this summer," I explained while walking over to Bladedancer, "Chou I know that you are planning on spending the Summer with Billie and Jade in Colorado, I'm sorry for saying this but that dragon-girl will be needing your help."
"Come on- after all of that's happened this semester Chou's earned some R&R! What reason could there be for Chou to interrupt her Summer Vacation?" Toni nonchalantly remarked.
"If Randi is referring to what I think, then it's a matter that I need to settle as the Handmaiden of the Tao." Chou answered in a grim tone, "the debt that is owned is one that cannot be denied, I must heed that summons it is a debt sealed in blood. Such a matter cannot be ignored, it is after all a matter of balance."
That silenced the room, taking advantage of the reprieve, I made my way over to the stairs while explaining, "now if you don't mind want to spend the rest of my weekend relaxing, because starting tomorrow I'm going to be working with the campus ground's crew for two weeks."
I made my way back to my room only to hear muffled weeping on the other side of the door, I opened the lock only to find Candance lying curled up naked on the pile of blankets that I slept on in my wolf form in the middle of the floor and crying her eyes out.
"Candace-" I ran over to her as Jane took off my shoulder to fly the rest of that short distance on her own, "what's wrong?!?"
Candace looked up and I could see that she was equal parts distraught and exhausted, "Randi- that is really you right?"
"Of course, it's me Candace," I replied before adding, "who would honestly want to pose as this hot mess."
No sooner than that happened did Candace launch into a flying-tackle that knocked me two the ground, "Where were you? Do you know how much everyone was worried? Do you know how much I was worried? Why did you abandon me?" Candace sobbed as he began to weakly pound on me.
"Candace, I didn't abandon you," I did my best to explain to the upset redhead, "Bea and I were taken by the Obsidian Circle, we couldn't come home right away until they released us but fortunately we had Mister Redstag and some of Morrigan's friends to keep us safe."
"And why didn't you call?!?" Candace looked at me with a hurt expression, "You couldn't call me to let me know that you were okay?!?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you Candace but as it turns out a location hopping magic fortress has awful cellphone reception and I didn't want to use a phone from the Circle because I'm afraid that they'd learn about our relationship and try to go after you or your family to make me work for them." I sighed as I sat up struggling to look Candace in the eye. "Morrigan has some wild fae and some of Jane's older sisters looking after my parents and grandparents, and my brother's an auxiliary for the Dallas Defenders so their safe I know that you're worried, but I didn't want to put you in danger, I couldn't stand the thought that I did that. That's why the only calls Bea and I made were to Mrs. Selkirk, Mrs. Horton and Ms Hartford."
That was when she hugged me as tight as she could obviously not be wanting to let go out of fear that I'd disappear on her again, causing me to stiffen up both due to the fact that I had a problem with physical intimacy and due to the fact that a hot and naked red-headed fox girl was hugging me rather tightly.
Outside Dickinson Cottage
1:14 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I made my way up the trail to Dickinson hill all on my own, something tells me that after I learn how to walk that my upper-body strength is going to be ridiculous. 'Maybe I should take a martial-arts course after all instead of survival for my PE credit.'
Granted I was certainly capable of using my wheelchair like a walker but considering how much that I was in the dog house with academy administration, and mom in particular I didn't want to push my luck at the moment. Well that and making it from one side of a room to another was one thing, making my way up a hill without having something to properly weight-down my chair to keep it from popping-a-wheelie was something altogether different not to mention potentially very painful.
Once I crested the hill I noted how oddly silent Dickinson was, granted to most the outside of a building didn't usually seem noisy but merfolk have stereophonic hearing, helps out big time in the water. When went up the ramp and entered the Dickinson Common Room I could see a few of my fellow cottage mates waiting for me namely Gloriana, Heartbreaker, the Arlington Trio and my roommate Fatigue.
"I hope that you are happy now that all of that was over," Gloriana stated as she began to chew me out, "do you know how many students you put at risk last night."
"Apparently a lot less than if we had followed through with the evacuation," I responded for-armed with what I had learned from the meeting, "the Children of the Night booby-trapped the train platform- I just found out that he had rigged our evacuation point with an armory's worth of anti-personnel traps and incendiaries that were set to go off a minute after Faolan and I set foot on the terminal. Not all of us are invulnerable and the incendiary that the Necromancer chose to use was White-Phosphorus, had that gone off whoever the anti-personnel mines hadn't killed would have died one of the most horrible deaths possible for conventional means."
"Still I hope that you didn't get off too light from all of this," Heartbreaker huffed from her spot leaning against the wall, "I was partially responsible for your safety- do you know what your mother would have done to me if I'd gotten you hurt."
"Eve they threw the book at me," I confessed as I leaned forward in my wheelchair, "when I'm not studying or in physical therapy I'm going to be serving alternating detention for the rest of the semester, moreover any mobility gains that I make between now and finals are going to be factored into the punishments that I am going to receive."
"So, in other words when you finally start walking they'll switch you over from lighter duties to the more manual labor focused tasks." Fatigue observed from the takeaway.
"Moreover, the entire time I will be under security detail," I began to spill the details of my punishment, "from now until after finals I am not to roll one wheel or step one foot outside of any building on campus without a security escort. I'm also not allowed to use the tunnels and security escort or not the only places that I can visit off campus are the Reservation or Dunwich, so until classes let out for summer I'm effectively under house arrest."
"Geez, so much for the headmistress's daughter getting it easy," Meradee grimaced, "detention from now until the middle of June- nobody's going to say that moms playing favorites here."
"Tell me about it," Sherrie goggled, "and I thought a week of roof maintenance was harsh."
"At least you can use the agility of a spider monkey to keep you safe," Heather deflated, "I got stuck cleaning the restrooms and showers of the girls and co-ed cottages for a week and a half. I just hope that they don't make me clean the boy's showers over at Poe or Melville, that would be too embarrassing."
Children of the Night's Hideout - Darrow's Lair
Boston, Massachusetts
1:27 PM
"Dammit you lay about," verbally spat at Hekate, "that is the twentieth curse removal enchantment that you failed at. Why your master thinks so highly of an over-inflated witch like you is beyond me."
"Much is beyond you Darrow," Hekate glared at her 'gracious' host, "such as whoever laid the curse on the weapon that severed your arms. As loath as I am to admit it, Carcharoth's boasting may have been the truth; if a Class Two or Three Entity is responsible for the curse on that axe then I doubt there is anything that you or I could do to reattach your arms. The fact of the matter is that if we are to reattach your arms then it looks like we'll have to come up with a solution beyond that of magic or thaumaturgy."
"No there is no way this Carcharoth is really Lycaon," Darrow slammed his stumps on the table, "he was laid low years- no decades ago and there is no way his master Mister Domino is alive either Daren Englund himself cut off that man's head."
"And as we know there is no way those who live in the dark circles that we move in would ever fake their own death." Kallysta remarked drawing a glare from Darrow that promised a horrible fate if she dared to continue. "Well true or not I cannot reattach your arms with magic."
Darrow glared at Hekate in silence for what seemed like an hour as she continued pouring over her earlier research aware of the total futility when the phone (a direct line into the room from the rest of their Hideout) rang.
"If you can't make yourself useful in reattaching my arms the least that you can do is answer the blasted phone." The Necromancer stated as he glared at Kallysta as if he was trying to literally glare daggers at her.
Begrudgingly following his command, the former Queen of the Alpha clique answered the phone, "Hekate here, sorry but your boss has his hand's full."
While she was listening to whoever it was on the other end of the phone, Charles Darrow looked at a nearby bronze vase as if contemplating how best to throw it at his unwanted guest without the use of his hands. Before he could figure anything out though Kallysta hung up before turning to face him, "Lady Darke said to tell you that there's some weird robot that showed up at the entrance- something about him being hired to be here on your behalf."
Charles Darrow looked at his severed limbs, both arms being kept alive by a pair of shliga, alien symbiotic biotechnology that adapted to ensure the health and well-being of their hosts. As long as the shliga remained attached his arms would remain viable for reattachment, provided there wasn't too much nerve damage in the area to reattach them.
Carefully leaving his lair, and not disturbing the wards- no matter how tempted he was to see how the curse of three would affect a witch who sacrificed the lives of children to enslave others, Darrow made his way through the secret tunnel through the hidden areas of Boston to where the Children of the Night operated out of. "Very well Lady Darke, let us see our visitor."
"Greetings Charles Darrow," the oddly designed robot stated as he stood up, "I am STICHES, a party that is interested in your continued operations has hired me to reattach your severed limbs. Payment has already been rendered and I have the necessary medical supplies in a van outside, now whenever you are ready please retrieve your arms so that we may begin the procedure."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Park 34
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Dark Path
?
9:58 AM EDT
POV: Faolan, Rose of the West
I walked behind Aletheia as with Fray and Yaegarsman guiding our group as we made our way towards what the Obsidian Circle insisted was a temporary exit they had setup to use for this one occasion. To my left was the enigmatic Hedgewitch who if she was to be believed was my many times great-grandmother by her husband Yaegarsman with only Jane between us as she was perched on my shoulder and Dagda guarding the rear.
"I still find it difficult to swallow," I spoke up, "I mean I'm the descendent of deities from two pantheons, three if you count Greyback since he was venerated by the Pawnee. It's just a lot to take in you know- what's next a connection to the Olympians, although that would probably suck since I know most of their reincarnations...about half of whom are people that I wish that I had never met."
"Actually, you do have a connection to the Olympians that predates the foundation of Rome through one of Zeus’s analog incarnations," Hedgewitch all but spat as if the fact disgusted her, "fortunately though it isn't a blood tie."
"Good- not long after we met that sleaze tried to charm his way into my pants." I all but gagged at that particular memory, "Fortunately while it was after Morrigan had departed for her own body I was wearing my mask at the time under a concealment spell, so all that sleaze got out of me was a tongue lashing. Just what is their connection anyway?"
"Morrigan likely told you about her daughter Lupa who came to serve the Roman incarnation of the Olympians," Hedgewitch's head bobbed in shame, "what you clearly don't know is that while Morrigan was her mother her father was a persona of Zeus."
"What?!? Come on there is no way that could be true!" I asked mystified by that chunk of information, "Morrigan despises Zeus, he's the kind of person who makes her sick to her stomach there's no way that she'd..."
I paused as I remembered what I knew about Zeus from ancient Greek mythology from the stories of Denae, Metis and Alcmene then I came to a horrific realization, "She calls him the self-aggrandizing god of date-rape, that was wasn't just her speaking about his character antidotally was it- Jupiter violated her didn't he?"
Aletheia stopped wheeling herself down the pathway before wheeling to face me as she spoke up, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I thought that you knew. The deeds that I witnessed while imprisoned in Cytherea's shadow were beyond appalling, and I wish that I could say that was the worst of them that the Olympians visited upon the people of Europe."
"It was Tinia not Jupiter, the persona of Jupiter didn't exist yet. She was hunting at night in a now cleared forest whose name has been lost to the ages in the southern Italian region of Puglia when he took notice of her," Hedgewitch began to weave what I could tell was a dark tale, "despite the fact that Morrigan never assumed the form of a fae since the fall of the Five-Fold Court he could see her for what she was and there were always two things that drew Tinia's lust when it came to women of any race- beauty and power, and Morrigan has always both of those in spades."
"However, Morrigan despite being in the form of a she-wolf was as astute as ever and always a true judge of character, she not only refused his advances but when Tinia tried to force himself upon her she assumed her full Sidhe form and she countered his assault with ancient Sidhe sorcery until she left him trying to have his way with an illusion weaved around a bramble bush while she left for a new home further to the north. Tinia however was never one to give up on his intended conquests so easily, however this time he was determined to be subtle; he cast himself into a cloud and triggered a downpour while Morrigan was tackling a dear and as the rain showered down Lupa was given to Morrigan just as Zeus gave Perseus to Denae."
"Morrigan was furious after she learned this and determined that Tinia would never have a hand in influencing her child, so she migrated again this time to a forest where she was certain that her assailant would not follow, as it laid on the border between the territory of the Etruscan Pantheon and the Teutonic Pantheon certain that Tinia wouldn't risk starting a conflict with another group of deities. So, she dwelled there confident that she could raise Lupa in peace, unfortunately the child was naturally curious about her father and in time Tinia learned this."
"One sunny day when a fish jumping in a stream created a rainbow Tinia had Iris inform Lupa of him, this lead to a quarrel between Morrigan and Lupa that created an emotional rift that never healed between them." Hedgewitch sighed as it was clear this dark tale was coming to an end.
"After their fight Lupa made her way south to a cave on Palantine Hill where she eventually found and fostered Romulus and Remus," Fray spoke up drawing all eyes to him, "Morrigan on the other hand ventured further north into the Black Forest where in time she was accepted into the Teutonic Pantheon as a shield maiden, back when I was Tiwaz eventually her exploits and wisdom inspired Woten to create the Valkinor when he became Odin who replaced his crows. Just do us all a favor and never let Morrigan know that we told you that story, the fact that she was never able to reconcile with Lupa is one of Morrigan's greatest regrets."
"Don't worry," I grit my teeth, "there's no way that I'd ever bring that up. And I already despise Imperious, all that you've done add another layer to the disgust I already feel for him."
La Sfida Grigia
10:26 AM
Jefferson, New Hampshire
POV: Aletheia, Rose of the East
After Faolan learned another dark story about her family's past considering that she had Morrigan's blood in her veins the rest of the trip down the dark path from Fortuna Noctis was in total silence. Surprisingly we emerged from the stone hallway into what appeared to be a comfortably decorated hunting lodge. The real surprise though came when Dagda left the path. I pirouetted my chair as best that I could to see the path that we had come down turned regressed rearranged until it was a normal fireplace that looked completely at home in the lodge.
"So, this is Scratch's little retreat for when she and her's decide to pay Whateley a visit," Dagda looked around as he surveyed his surroundings, "I have to admit that she has good taste- posh with the intend of being comfortable without venturing into the area of obnoxious at the same time as being rustic enough to match the same atmosphere as the rest of the region. I have to say that I approve of her choices, makes me wonder if I can get the number of her decorator to design a summer home for me and the misses."
"You'd have to get in line behind us sir," Hedgewitch spoke up as she examined the lodge, "we've been meaning to renovate our own place for months and we just cannot find a decorator who doesn't want to emulate Aspen or Swiss ski-lodges."
"If you wait a few moments I will locate our designer's business card," an elderly man made his presence known as I turned my chair towards the source of the voice to see a well-dressed man in his fifties with brown-eyes and salt-pepper hair. "My name is Theodore, I am the caretaker of La Sfida Grigia it my duty to see to the needs of our guests. May I offer our guests anything while they enjoy our hospitality?"
"I am sorry Theodore, but we will not be staying," Fray explained to the steward, "we are expected at Whateley promptly as the Headmistress doubtlessly wishes for these students to return for a talk."
I saw Faolan grimace and try to make herself as small as she could, granted that I had never received detention (something Cytherea had always managed to charm her way out of) before however from what I have heard around school is that the experience can be exceedingly unpleasant.
"Very well sir," Theodore stated, "I will bring around the car momentarily, please be patient and I will have your group at the Whateley Academy within the hour."
The six of us waited in silence after Theodore left the room, nobody wanting to take advantage of the amenities or even say a word. Somebody had to break the silence and noticing Faolan's increasingly dour expression that someone was me. "So, any idea how much trouble we're going to be in when we get back to Whateley?"
"Not a clue how much what happened in Boston will fall in your lap Aletheia," Faolan stated, "I'm likely looking forward to a week or two of detention for what went on though, knowing my luck though I'll be stuck on janitorial duty in Hawthorne or worse working with Generator on sewer patrol."
"Geez kid, given what I heard about how you tackled those burning buildings yesterday I would have thought that a little dirt and grime wouldn't phase you what-so-ever." Jaegarsman chuckled at the situation, "I mean how did you learn how to do that anyway?"
"When I was learning the ins and outs of my new body I did all sorts of crazy things to get it in top shape as I could, and the local heroes back home were more than happy to assist." Faolan replied likely recounting her own rehabilitation following gaining her current body, "Maverick took me through some police and federal agent training courses to help me get my body in shape, and afterwards Pero del Fuego offered to put me through volunteer fireman training. I accepted his offer, and if it wasn't for my age and educational status I'd be registered as a volunteer in good standing back home."
"The fact that you were actually trained might actually get some time shaved off your punishment," Dagda remarked showing the fact that he was currently a provisional academy teacher, "not off the hook mind you; you are still in trouble for putting yourself in harm's way and disobeying the orders of a member of a Campus Security Officer by abandoning your post, but it might get your punishment lessened either by its degree or duration."
"See Faolan, it shouldn't be that bad." I stated as I wheeled over and squeezed her left arm in support, unwittingly causing her to tense up. "Now me on the other hand, I'm really going to be in the dog house over this one. I mean given my family situation, the fact that I was the one who called off the planned evacuation while offering the assistance of my fellow students, which put everyone in danger and didn't have any formal training on top of all that; I'm probably going to be in detention until I graduate. Although it was still worth it to hear see the look on that mother's face after we saved her daughter from that rebar."
"Yeah," Faolan smiled, "some of what we did yesterday is going to be hard to top for a long time, but I honestly hope that we're never going to have to go through something like that again for a good long time. I mean that wasn't a super-villain attack, the Necromancer turned Boston into a bonafied war zone. I know that he's a super-villain and everything, but this even trumps the attack his group made during Phase's birthday party. At least he should be keeping a low profile for a while, what Carcharoth did to him is bound to put him out of commission for a while."
"Maybe- maybe not Charles Darrow has been at this for a while and has access to extraterrestrial technology," Fray elaborated, "from the files that there are on him his suit contains signs of Martian and Mi-Go technology and that is just what is recognized by the intel that Homeland Security has gathered, he may have technology to reattach his arms at his disposal.
"He had better hope so," Jaegarsman remarked with a smirk, "because Vrede's secondary back blade curses wounds to be immune to magic. Surt was always a vindictive SOB and he put a lot of forethought into that battle axe."
As the front door opened Theodore stepped back inside, "The car is around front and warmed-up we are ready to leave whenever you wish to return to the Whateley Academy."
"Well- what kind of teacher would I be if I let a pair of students avoid their punishment," Dagda explained as he began a procession towards the front door and our way back home.
I suppose that was another odd thing about me as opposed to everyone else I knew from school, for them Whateley was a refuge- a place to make friends, learn and grow, to become the person that they were meant to be before the stepped out into the world to forge their own path. For me Whateley was something different, the Academy for me wasn't simply some transitory place to come to learn about myself as a mutant or to learn the ins and outs of using my powers and abilities while learning skills and trades to compliment them.
No for me Whateley was something far different and right now, despite the fact that I was likely returning to an earful from mom followed by a firm but hopefully fair punishment for yesterday one thing was clear above all else...I was going home after one crazy trip out of town. I rolled my chair out the door with Faolan, Jane and Fray bringing up the rear to see our ride back, a running black limousine with a handicap ramp lowered leading into the interior.
"Gee and I thought that I was going to miss out on this part of the high school experience," Faolan remarked in a quiet voice, "I guess that I can cross a limo ride with a good-looking lady off my bucket list."
"I appreciate the flattery Faolan but you're not my type," I respond as I nudged her in the ribs with my hand.
"I know I consider you too much of a friend to want to risk dating anyway," Faolan remarked, "but that doesn't make my statement any less true."
I smiled as I rolled up the ramp and into the cab under my own power, it was time to bring this adventure to an end.
In Front of Shuster Hall
11:42 AM
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I hated to admit it but Scratch's little home away from home was in a nice spot, I guess that even super-villains knew how to make the little things count for something. The trip back to Whateley was also short we made it about halfway through Hedgewitch's custom playlist of Journey before we came within sight of the nightgaunts that served as the gargoyles guarding the perimeter of the school grounds.
While the trip was short though the two of us still had time to change back to our casual clothes, no use for secret identities right now because I knew for a fact that Scratch already knew who I was and given who Bea's related to Scratch probably knows who she was too. By the time we finally rolled up in front of Shuster Hall we saw Headmistress Carson, Deputy Headmistress Hartford, Morrigan and Chief Delarose all waiting for us on the steps of the administration building.
'Oh boy here it comes, Randi,' I thought to myself, 'time to face the music.'
Calm down, Jane did her best to console me, whatever your punishment is we will face it together.
'Thanks Jane,' I replied over our link as I walked over to the Headmistress ready to face the music and I part of me knew that the best way to do this was with dignity, "Headmistress, I am ready to receive whatever punishment you determine is best."
To my surprise this elicited a smile from Morrigan, and a smug look from Hartford, "Punishment can come later for you three, first I need to see all of you in my conference room three, I am afraid that my office is a little too small for such a group."
"Three?" Beatrice asked curios about her mother's remarks.
"Jane is the most mature of you and given that she is a sapient mystic creature who is in part Miss Bridge's advisor she is certainly not off the hook for what happened in Boston."
"Like my partner I will abide by your decision Headmistress Carson," Jane explained, "however when you render your decision regarding my punishment please keep in mind that unlike my mother, I am unable to take a humanoid form."
"I am already aware of that," Miss Carson replied in a dryly, "now as I was saying everyone is to join me in Conference Room Three immediately."
Taking the Headmistress's orders for gospel I took the rear handles of Bea's wheelchair, much to my mermaid compatriot's vocal annoyance, as the three of us made for the elevator to take us to the second floor where the offices and conference rooms. As the elevator arrived something told me that this was more than just the Headmistress laying down the law and knowing that Morrigan was just as much a part of the Grey Barrow as Fray was something told me that she had learned of our destinies around the same time as we did and really wasn't happy.
'Not that I can blame her, Morrigan had likely informed her that her youngest kid is a part of some ancient prophecy to save the world on top of learning that she's already destined to break an Old One's Curse that dates back to the dawn of the modern age of man.' I thought aloud as we reached the second floor, 'Of course a mama bear like her is going to be a little freaked.'
Then we must do what we can to annul Headmistress Carson's fears. Jane replied as we made our way to conference room three, with Bea wheeling herself along as she gave me the stink-eye for pushing her chair for her earlier.
"Randi please do me a favor...never do that again!" Bea glared my way, "I can wheel my own chair thank you very much and soon enough I'll be walking on my own. So, I know that you thought that you were helping but just don't."
"Fair enough Bea," I recoiled noting that Bea definitely inherited her mother's grit, "I just really didn't want to keep your mother waiting."
"Alright," Bea acquiesced to my point, "just see to it that this never happens again unless I ask for it- am I clear?"
"Crystal ma'am," I squeaked out as the wolf part of me told me to make myself as small as I could while my tail went between my legs.
Taking from her cue that manners were not on the menu, I let Bea open the door to the conference room and go through first then followed and shut the door behind me. As I looked at the table I could see everyone from downstairs along with a woman that I had never seen before who was clearly a sidhe. I looked over the table layout and I could see only one empty seat, granted there was also an empty space right next to it- both of them directly across from the Headmistress Carson, Deputy-Headmistress Hartford and Chief Delarose.
"Please have a seat," Headmistress Carson insisted in a tone that was so even and devoid of emotion that part of me wished that she was actively threatening us. Some part of me wanted to transform, roll over and show my belly then and there, but I knew that doing that would not only accomplish nothing- I would likely make matters twenty-times worse.
Unfazed by the atmosphere of the room Bea calmly wheeled over to the empty spot at the table, while I numbly followed to the only vacant seat in the room. 'Yep, face facts Jane...we're boned.'
Conference Room 3 - Shuster Hall
11:51 AM
POV: Bea Carson
While I was still a little miffed at Randi from earlier, that matter could wait from what I saw around me mom looked more serious than that time that she had tried to give me The Talk. Granted that I dodged that experience due the fact that I had spent centuries watching the exploits of a sociopathic love goddess from her shadow as she worked her way through every page of the Olympian answer to the Karma Sutra as she was writing the damned thing. Note to self, stop by Greece after the trip from Iraq and make sure that thing is turned over to ARK and locked away with their other Eldrich Texts.
Talk about ironic when an actual juvenile GOO based on the emotion of lust wrote a book on sex that was more mature and respectable on the subject than a love goddess of a human civilization- if I was a worse person I'd let Cytheria know just how much Carmilla p0wned her at her own supposed area of expertise.
But that was neither here nor there, right now what mattered was what happened inside of this room, "Miss Bridges, Miss Carson, Jane Badbsdottir I presume the three of you know why you are here." Chief Delarose spoke up obviously leading the proceeding today given how trust in Hartford had waned recently and my mother could hardly be objective at the moment given my involvement in everything.
"I would presume that this would have to do with my hijacking the student security auxiliaries' evacuation plan to get students to help out emergency services during the crisis, and a later judgement on my part to volunteer those of us with either the training or abilities to assist in rescue efforts that put a great many in harm's way." I explained, "Then yes I am fully aware of my actions, and while they may seem reckless and irresponsible I stand by my decision, as for Randi without her quick thinking regarding the elixir and Dagda's cauldron the death toll would have been far higher."
"I studied earlier incidents that had taken place in Boston to learn of potential dangers and The Necromancer's zombies work through the use of a prionic chemical toxin with mythos elements that can infect and turn people into more zombies after they die." Randi took my cue to speak up, "Using the Atlantean elixir of reality was a necessity to avoid an outbreak and making use of Mister Redstag's cauldron to assist both the police as well as emergency services with the evacuees was the necessary- I also tried to keep everything above the boards and by the book from what I knew about assisting in treating evacuees and helping the police neutralize the zombie hordes."
"Fortunately for you three Miss Carson calling off the evacuation appears to be the right call," Amelia Hartford explained, as she activated an overhead projector that shown against the wall behind her. "This morning a tip was received about tampering at North Boston Train Station which was our main evacuation plan. As it turned out a wide variety of white-phosphorus explosives and anti-personal devices were discover rigged to a modified MCO genetic scanner that was hidden in the door frame, once the sensor had detected both fae and merfolk pass through that gate in a set time frame then they would have detonated on the platform and killed or wounded almost every student there."
"In other words, if you had fallen for his trap and fought the zombies he would have attacked and tried to kill the three of you," Chief Delarose explained, "and if you had followed the school procedures the explosives would have triggered on the platform and killed or wounded everyone so that the Children of the Night would have easily picked off the survivors without much of a fight. The scope of this attack was beyond diabolical, the Necromancer is clearly a far more serious threat now then he has been at any time in the past."
"But just because I made the right call in doing what I did doesn't make any excuse for the fact that I did it or put anyone in danger in the process." Randi explained, "Also even though I passed the volunteer firefighter training with Pero del Fuego when I was getting a handle on my new body doesn't mean that I made the right call going into those burning buildings, and even put Bea in danger. The fact is that I know that I took unnecessary risks and am prepared to take receive my overdue punishment."
"We will keep that in mind Miss Bridges," Amelia Hartford smirked in satisfaction, "there still remains the matter of you Miss Carson. Unlike Miss Bridges you have no specialized training in emergency treatment, and had no business assisting in the rescue at the airport. Not to mention that it was your decision that put so many of your fellow students in danger, the fact that you are the Headmistress's daughter makes this situation even worse. You should be setting a good example for your fellow students here on campus not instigating something so...reckless."
"That brings us to the unfortunate part of this meeting," Mom explained as she broke her earlier silence, "rendering your punishments. Beatrice, as Amelia explained it is up to you to set a good explain for the rest of the student body. As for you Miss Bridges as you admit that while you did make the right call with assisting the doctors and police there was still danger involved, even more so with assisting the fire and rescue operations after the explosions around Boston. To that end you and Jane both will be receiving three weeks detention assisting the campus ground's crew, not only does this serve as your punishment but Mrs. Redstag assures me that it will be most educational to you as well. Furthermore, until further notice you are banned from travel to Boston for any reason until further notice, and this also means that any excursions there between semesters will result in further punishment upon your return."
"She is likely correct in this scenario Headmistress," Randi replied in a professional tone, "and thank you for your leniency in not sending me to serve detention in Hawthorne. As for Boston, no offence Headmistress but I think that if I'm allowed off campus for the immediate future I'll be sticking to Dunwich, Berlin and if I need to go to a big city- Portland, in my mind Boston is one Pandora's Box that I want to avoid opening again."
While that comment did elicit a few chuckles from the room, mom wasn't yet done handing out punishments and part of me could tell that she saved the worst for last. Nope, this mermaid was really in the tartar sauce right now and I could feel it looming over me like the Sword of Damocles- yes that really happened, the big twelve even had a bet how long Damocles would remain on Dionysius's throne...the winner was Artemis.
"Now as Miss Hartford explained, what happened in Boston was unacceptable and the amount of danger that you put not only yourself but your fellow students in was unacceptable." Mom continued as I knew that now I was really going to get it, "As my daughter, as well as the only mermaid to be born on earth proper since the Stone Age, you have a responsibility to so many people to set a good example for them to follow. Moreover, as you are my daughter I cannot be as lenient towards you as I have been towards Miss Bridges, the punishment that you will be facing is far harsher."
"Beatrice Margaret Carson, you will be serving detention for the rest of the current semester," Mom in full Headmistress mode effectively put her foot down, "and to that end you are to follow a schedule that has been decided for you by the school administration until the semester ends."
Now it was Miss Hartford's turn to speak once more, "Beatrice Margaret Carson, your schedule which is to begin Monday morning is to work as follows: Every morning immediately after Breakfast a campus security officer is to escort you to the campus security office where you will receive your afternoon detention assignment for that day. The security officer is then to escort you to the Beck Library when you are to study and complete your assignments for the course credits that you claim from your auditing them through Victoria Godwin. After this study period a security officer will escort you to Shuster Hall to turn in any completed assignments to their respective instructors, and then escort you to Crystal Hall for Lunch."
"After Lunch you are to be escorted to your supervisor for that afternoon's detention, where you are to receive your instructions for that day's duties. You are to follow those instructions as gospel, and if on the off chance that you finish your assigned tasks early you are to remain with your supervisor until your escort arrives to take you to Dinner." Amelia continued as she handed out my sentence with almost machine-like efficiency, "After Dinner you are to be escorted to the Doyle Medical Center to continue your Physical Therapy until campus security arrives to escort you back to Dickinson Hall. This is to be your mandatory schedule until further notice, if there are any further reports of incident on campus from you your detention will be extended past finals until after Spring Graduation. Furthermore, until further notice you are forbidden to travel further away from school unescorted than Dunwich or the Mediwihla Reservation until further notice. Also, while you need not be escorted by security while inside of a campus building until you receive word from Campus Administration you are bared from the Campus Tunnels, this means that the biometric scanners on the elevators will not take you below ground floor in any building with tunnel access."
"I understand Deputy-Headmistress Hartford," I replied as professional as I could, all the while not wanting to bring up my urgent Summer trip to Camp Alpha in Iraq.
"Now that- that is out of the way Chief Delarose, Miss Hartford, I am sorry to ask this, but I will the two of you to leave the room now," Miss Carson explained, "I am afraid that the rest of this meeting has nothing to do with Whateley itself and is restricted to family and guests that have been cleared for that information."
"Oh and Amelia," Morrigan spoke up, "you had best deactivate all electronics in this room, Badb and her children will be setting up an electro-static barrier while I will be casting anti-surveillance enchantments. So, I would hate for any sensitive equipment that you in here, no doubt for meeting use to be damaged by accident."
While Chief Delarose left without incident, Amelia paused and looked back holding up three fingers, before popping back in a few moments later with a remote that she pointed inside the room and clicked before turning off the lights and exiting the door.
"Everything's unplugged boss," Badb popped up with a couple of crows on her tiny shoulders that Jane flew over to join. "Alright girls, let's show our stuff." Suddenly Jane and her small murder glowed, and this wave swept over the room that made Randi jump as it looked like her hair briefly stood up.
This was followed by Morrigan, Hedgewitch and the Sidhe woman chanting in some language that I didn't recognize...what, just because I learned most tongues from around the Mediterranean during the Bronze and Iron Age didn't meant that I knew every language in Europe- plus given that we were dealing with two sidhe and one demi-vanir chances are this was some predated the modern age of man.
As soon as the trio finished a layer of runes glowed on the walls and drawn windows around us, before the enchantresses returned to their seats.
"Now before we begin, Randi I need to know one important piece of information," Mom stated as she looked at the Western Maiden with a glare that looked more like that of a lioness preparing to pounce than the headmistress of the school, "before all of this happened were you aware of this prophecy that you and my daughter were wrapped up in? Were you aware of the danger that the two of you faced?"
"I was aware that there was a prophecy," Randi sighed in confession, "when I helped the being who Bea's grandmother is an avatar of realize the truth about her existence as the living incarnation of the Dreamlands, not long after her aforementioned grandmother Queen Tiamat appeared and gave me a prophecy. As near as I can tell that prophecy only described who the Four Maidens were, that we would be lead to someone who traveled across many lives who would give us each something to use to reforge the link between Earth and the remaining lands of the other Four Courts of Atlantis."
"That was all?" Mother inquired as she glared at Randi with a hostile expression to which Randi was only halfway aware given her difficulty reading expressions.
"I assure you Headmistress Carson that Randi is telling you the truth as she recalls it," Jane explained, "I also may not have been there when that prophecy was relayed but I can assure you that my partner is not trying to deceive you."
"The real dirt behind our destinies Bea and I learned together just a few hours ago alongside the other two maidens," Randi continued, "by the way the Northern maiden is that Dragon of Seattle who went missing last year and the Southern Maiden is get this- Greygus's daughter."
That tidbit of information actually took both mom and Morrigan by surprise, "Greygus has a daughter, and one who's been around all this time- and someone who nobody's known about whatsoever." Mom observed, "Maybe it's not that surprising considering that he's been all over the world for years, but I never took him for the love them and leave them type."
"He wasn't," I explained relaying what Iris told me this morning, "her mother was a waitress in Mexico City that Greygus had been seeing, she was kidnapped by the Cult of the Black Pharaoh before she could let him know she was expecting then sent the kid stateside to be watched by a mercenary."
"Why would the Cult of the Black Pharaoh single her out like that?" Mom inquired, "is there something that I'm missing?"
"She was likely being raised to use as fuel in a lineage curse," Morrigan was all but red with fury, "Greygus is Lord Khamsin's son and Lord Khamsin has been a sworn enemy of the Cult of the Black Pharaoh for centuries. All the spell requires is the right preparations and the death of a family's youngest child, right now that's Greygus's daughter."
"It gets worse," Randi explained, "Lord Khamsin's wife and Greygus's mother is the older sister of the Principality of the Blazing Disc's reigning Dhamsin Ifrit. Knowing mythos spellcaster's they could probably modify the curse and use it to wipe out most of the nobility in the Principality and a fair number of their enemies in the process, after that they'll probably creep in and try to take over just like they did to the Mesopian Refuge. And if you want to know what Mythos infected djinn are like...well let's just say there is a good reason that the followers of Mohammad say the Devil is a djinn instead of a fallen angel."
"Thank goodness the last time the Black Pharaoh seized power in that Principality that Ma'at sealed the Aten in a ward of protection before she was enthralled too, one that only a member of the Northern Court could lift- I hear that they asked old Draig Goch to do the deed." The sidhe woman sighed, "The problem is that the next time the Black Pharaoh will be expecting Ma'at to seal the Aten again and move a pawn or two into place to prevent that from happening again."
"Pardon me but who are you?" I asked curious about the answer and hoping that she was a member of the Wild Court.
"Sorry, but I didn't have the chance to introduce myself to you two earlier," the sidhe woman spoke up, "I am Lady Thasarimil, former handmaiden of the Silent Willow and issue of Queen Venraniel by her consort Armeluien the Deft."
"Hold the phone," I said in shock, "you're the daughter of one of the late Queens, that means that you're a royal heir. If that's the case, why didn't the fae flock to you after the Sundering?"
"Faerie succession isn't that simple Bea," Randi turned to me, "unless a royal consort completes trials of worth set by three of the other queens and after completing them is recognized in a ceremony by all Nine Queen and the High King. From what Morrigan told me, that although Armeluien successfully completed the trials, during the ceremony he took a poisoned bolt by a follower of a certain toad-like GOO. Unfortunately, this means that Lady Thasarimil wasn't born a legitimate heir and likely became a Lady-in-Waiting much like the first Queen of the Winter Court."
"Only a minute and a half longer and I would be calling Aunghadheil's chosen heir my sister queen," Lady Thasarimil seemed to deflate with a heavy sigh, "afterwards Queen Venraniel salvaged what was left my father's soul before it was tainted by mythos poison and created Morrigan, Greyback and Loki. Meanwhile my father's sword brother Tordrais lead their warband is a campaign of decimation against that cult, later while morning Armeluien together with Queen Venraniel one thing led to another followed by the birth of my half-sister Lady Ulelesse who is Randi's ancestor."
"So, Miss Bridges is the descendent of both Morrigan and one of the same Sidhe Queens that Nichole Riley once hosted," Mom remarked, "that sounds like a bit of a stretch."
"Randi and her brother aren't the only ones," Vali took the opportunity to speak up, "in this generation those with the blood of Morrigan, Loki, Greyback and Lady Ulelesse have been born all over either by happenstance or intervention of the Obsidian Circle itself. The super-villain Fissure for example is the descendent of Lady Ulelesse and Greyback, while the private investigator known as Bluetick is the descendent of Morrigan and Loki. Also, kid don't get a big head by all the major beings that you're related to, other than your awakened fae-heritage you're so distantly related to them that it doesn't even matter."
"Just as long that that means that I don't inherit any of their enemies as well, " Randi remarked, "I already have Fenris pissed at me- the last thing I want is to add Surt, Balor and who knows how many others to that list."
"My grandfather and his associates knew that the time of the prophecy of the Four Maidens was coming so they were out to boost the odds of the circumstances behind the western maiden's birth as well as create decoys to confuse the cults of the Great Old Ones." Auda began to explain, "so they tracked down those with two opposite lines and used invitro-fertilization as well as mystically aided surrogate implantation. Randi, I hate to tell you this, but your adopted sister Heather is one of those born because of that program."
Randi sagged in her chair at this news but then gave a chuckle, "You know part of me is disgusted that they did this, but on the other hand if they didn't my sister wouldn't exist- plus this means that despite the fact that she's adopted we're actually related. It also explains that vision I saw in Macha's mirror, it showed that if I refused my destiny she would have been inflicted with it."
"To be fair the circumstances for the manifestation of the Western Maiden were the most complicated," Lady Thasarimil explained, "a child born of the blood of Queen Venranial and the three fragments of my father General Armeluien with all bloodlines manifesting evenly in one generation in a world of seven billion people, those are very long odds. The Norther Maiden simply had to be the descendent of the dragon Zunyan who bathed in her ancestor's ashes, there are dozens alive from his bloodline and his ashes fill a little over a hundred urns. There are actually two young ladies who have fulfilled this requirement, one here and one in Hong Kong and there may be more in the future given how eager the Chinese government seems to be towards acquiring mutants and super-powered individuals."
"As for me, my awakening was only a matter of time, once I was extracted from Cytheria and her shadow my birth was inevitable." I chimed in, "As was that of the Southern Maiden, given how there are three potential fathers, one of whom has been roaming about since antiquity."
"What matters though is what you two and your destinies require," Mom spoke up, "each of you traveling to a dangerous location and repairing a mystic artifact all alone facing who knows what manner of danger- and why does it have to be you?"
"Magic's Law of Similarity," Randi explained, "it's all explained as part of the basics- things represent like things. In the case of these artifacts they each represent a connection between a peripheral court and the center court, this means that each need someone who represents this same type of connection to restore them and their connection. They also require someone of royal lineage because otherwise they would risk being overwhelmed by the power that they'd be working with, however they cannot be proper heirs due to the fact that as such that would overwhelm the human part of their lineage needed to anchor them to the Earth to bridge the gap between worlds."
"Besides they will not exactly be alone," Tyr began to elaborate, "in the case of Beatrice she may bring others of royal lineage to help protect her while she heals the Chalice her six-future sisters-in-law would easily fit the bill there. In Randi's case there are two allies who live near that root of the world tree, Nidhogg and Ratotoskr she can also find others before hand to help her that might meet before she has to undertake that trail."
"From what I heard the Northern Maiden has already made four powerful allies to help her when she challenges the mountain," I commented remembering how Zhen-yu described her adventure in Colorado yesterday. "And like the Southern Maiden would have any problem in a desert."
"The Desert of Eloache Belhanach is not a real desert," Tyr interrupted, "it's the remains of the first civilization to ever exist on the planet, a city that had faded into myth before Ancient Atlantis was founded and laid abandoned even during the days of the Yithian's City of Pnakostus, some say that the destruction of the city and the extermination of its inhabitants was the first act of the Elder Thing's after their arrival in the Middle Ordovician period. All we actually know is that the city existed everything else was lost a long time ago, who called the city home, the culture and even the name- everything about that city remains a mystery."
"And as powerful as djinn are there is one thing they are vulnerable to and that's ruins," Badb explained as she and her children sent out another static wave. "None of the Southern Court can help her there so she's going to need to recruit her help from elsewhere."
"Meanwhile does anyone have any further information about potential threats at these locations," Mom looked around the room openly soliciting answers, "I for one don't want my youngest daughter to go in blind."
"I'll stop by grandmother Tiamat as soon as I'm done with my time in Celephaïs with Greyback in the Dreamlands," I volunteered, "granted while Randi is on good terms with her, chances are she would be more willing to offer up free information to her granddaughter."
"Very well dear, but the moment you find out anything about any of these locations and I mean anything you are to tell me about it." Mom stated as she laid down the law. "And that goes double for you Miss Bridges."
"Understood Headmistress," Randi nodded in confirmation, "but just so that you know none of us is likely going to be taking this trip until we're adults with a lot more training and experience under our belts."
"At least you know that much Miss Bridges," mother sighed, "go on- enjoy the rest of your weekend, but remember your detentions begin tomorrow. Oh, and Miss Bridges given that you won't be available to work at Beck for three weeks during your normal hours Ms. Henderson will be expecting you during the zero hour period to shelve overnight returns, remember serving detention doesn't go towards your tuition. As for you Beatrice Margarete Carson, I expect to see you in my office later."
Outside Poe Cottage
12:52 PM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I hung my head as I made my way back to Poe with Jane on my shoulder, this was the worst trouble that I'd ever been in school-wise; even my prior incarnation while being influenced by my apocalyptic, rage-monster of an uncle had never gotten me three weeks of detention. Okay to be fair it did get me tortured by a mutant-hating zealot, killed and turned into a girl but never three weeks detention.
'Okay in hindsight three weeks detention isn't that bad."
I would think not, Jane observed, besides if you ask the ground crew nicely they might teach you all that you need to know about tree grafting.
'Not that I have anything to graft with,' I admitted to myself, 'until I meet this Ancient Traveler I don't even have the tool that I need for this quest.'
Neither do the others, Jane observed, besides it may be best that you don't have this important tool at the moment, right now Beatrice, Iris, Zhen-yu and yourself are all targets not having the tools that you need for your destiny just yet may not be a bad thing.
"If you say so Jane," I spoke aloud as I moved to open the front door, "if you say so."
To my surprise I walked into the front door to find myself face-to-face with every Freshman from Poe, all clamoring at once bombarding me with questions and damned if I could understand any of it. "Hold on everyone, just hold- on one at at time, I can't understand anyone when you're al like this!"
Ayla took the moment to take charge, "Randi, what the hell happened, we barely got anything from Candace since she wasn't with you at the airport when whatever it was happened. Saladin wasn't with you once you got to the airport, and Boudicca hasn't told us anything. What the hell happened?"
"Someone contracted the Children of the Night to assassinate me and Aletheia." I explained, "All of that chaos yesterday was just to get us out in the open and alone to finish us off. Unfortunately, it appeared the Obsidian Circle and a number of their operatives were in town because the Order found someone stupid enough to boost the contents of Carcharoth's Storage Room at the New York Chapter House from back when he was Lycaon while a bunch of the other members were having their stuff moved to a facility that must be in Erzabet Scratch's territory."
"Shut the front door!" Alex shouted at everything going on, "Darrows a psycho but he's not stupid, there's no way that he'd ever be suicidal to steal from a monster like that."
"Carcharoth is pretty new coming back on the scene," I explained to the former unwilling member of the Children of the Night, "moreover a bunch of the Grand Hall may not even believe that he's really Lycaon or that the rest of the Obsidian Circle are still alive."
"I don't see why not considering how old they are," Nikki took that as a que to speak up, "the real question is what happened to you and Aletheia after you and Beatrice split up?"
"What happened was we were attacked by the Necromancer," I explained causing everyone to recoil in shock, "Bea, Jane and I held him off at first, but he had us outclassed, that's when Carcharoth showed up attacked the Necromancer, taking the fight out of him in a single strike. Soon after we found out why the rest of the Children of the Night didn't show up to help- some of the Obsidian Circle had neutralized them."
"Hold the phone, the Obsidian Circle are major bad guys from way back," Vox inquired curious as I was about all of this, "why would they show up to save you?"
"Evidently the Bea and I are of interest to the Obsidian Circle and they want to keep us alive as free agents after having a chat, before we left though Mister Redstag showed up with some friends in tow to keep us safe. After that Circle took our group to a room in their headquarters to await the arrival of two more half-breed mutants to warn us collectively about something in our future."
"Just what the world needs even more half-human weird bitches like you!" Sharisha all but spat.
"Careful what you say Sharisha, one of those bitches has some nasty family connections and will likely be here next semester," I shot back as sick of her toxic attitude as ever, "as for the other one, just look up the Chinese Dragon of Seattle on the internet from last October and November, there should be some information."
"Found her," Bunny chimed in before whistling, "whoa looks like Kaiju won't be the only case of reptilian hotness around campus soon."
"Yeah, and one of us needs to spend some time training her this summer," I explained while walking over to Bladedancer, "Chou I know that you are planning on spending the Summer with Billie and Jade in Colorado, I'm sorry for saying this but that dragon-girl will be needing your help."
"Come on- after all of that's happened this semester Chou's earned some R&R! What reason could there be for Chou to interrupt her Summer Vacation?" Toni nonchalantly remarked.
"If Randi is referring to what I think, then it's a matter that I need to settle as the Handmaiden of the Tao." Chou answered in a grim tone, "the debt that is owned is one that cannot be denied, I must heed that summons it is a debt sealed in blood. Such a matter cannot be ignored, it is after all a matter of balance."
That silenced the room, taking advantage of the reprieve, I made my way over to the stairs while explaining, "now if you don't mind want to spend the rest of my weekend relaxing, because starting tomorrow I'm going to be working with the campus ground's crew for two weeks."
I made my way back to my room only to hear muffled weeping on the other side of the door, I opened the lock only to find Candance lying curled up naked on the pile of blankets that I slept on in my wolf form in the middle of the floor and crying her eyes out.
"Candace-" I ran over to her as Jane took off my shoulder to fly the rest of that short distance on her own, "what's wrong?!?"
Candace looked up and I could see that she was equal parts distraught and exhausted, "Randi- that is really you right?"
"Of course, it's me Candace," I replied before adding, "who would honestly want to pose as this hot mess."
No sooner than that happened did Candace launch into a flying-tackle that knocked me two the ground, "Where were you? Do you know how much everyone was worried? Do you know how much I was worried? Why did you abandon me?" Candace sobbed as he began to weakly pound on me.
"Candace, I didn't abandon you," I did my best to explain to the upset redhead, "Bea and I were taken by the Obsidian Circle, we couldn't come home right away until they released us but fortunately we had Mister Redstag and some of Morrigan's friends to keep us safe."
"And why didn't you call?!?" Candace looked at me with a hurt expression, "You couldn't call me to let me know that you were okay?!?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you Candace but as it turns out a location hopping magic fortress has awful cellphone reception and I didn't want to use a phone from the Circle because I'm afraid that they'd learn about our relationship and try to go after you or your family to make me work for them." I sighed as I sat up struggling to look Candace in the eye. "Morrigan has some wild fae and some of Jane's older sisters looking after my parents and grandparents, and my brother's an auxiliary for the Dallas Defenders so their safe I know that you're worried, but I didn't want to put you in danger, I couldn't stand the thought that I did that. That's why the only calls Bea and I made were to Mrs. Selkirk, Mrs. Horton and Ms Hartford."
That was when she hugged me as tight as she could obviously not be wanting to let go out of fear that I'd disappear on her again, causing me to stiffen up both due to the fact that I had a problem with physical intimacy and due to the fact that a hot and naked red-headed fox girl was hugging me rather tightly.
Outside Dickinson Cottage
1:14 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I made my way up the trail to Dickinson hill all on my own, something tells me that after I learn how to walk that my upper-body strength is going to be ridiculous. 'Maybe I should take a martial-arts course after all instead of survival for my PE credit.'
Granted I was certainly capable of using my wheelchair like a walker but considering how much that I was in the dog house with academy administration, and mom in particular I didn't want to push my luck at the moment. Well that and making it from one side of a room to another was one thing, making my way up a hill without having something to properly weight-down my chair to keep it from popping-a-wheelie was something altogether different not to mention potentially very painful.
Once I crested the hill I noted how oddly silent Dickinson was, granted to most the outside of a building didn't usually seem noisy but merfolk have stereophonic hearing, helps out big time in the water. When went up the ramp and entered the Dickinson Common Room I could see a few of my fellow cottage mates waiting for me namely Gloriana, Heartbreaker, the Arlington Trio and my roommate Fatigue.
"I hope that you are happy now that all of that was over," Gloriana stated as she began to chew me out, "do you know how many students you put at risk last night."
"Apparently a lot less than if we had followed through with the evacuation," I responded for-armed with what I had learned from the meeting, "the Children of the Night booby-trapped the train platform- I just found out that he had rigged our evacuation point with an armory's worth of anti-personnel traps and incendiaries that were set to go off a minute after Faolan and I set foot on the terminal. Not all of us are invulnerable and the incendiary that the Necromancer chose to use was White-Phosphorus, had that gone off whoever the anti-personnel mines hadn't killed would have died one of the most horrible deaths possible for conventional means."
"Still I hope that you didn't get off too light from all of this," Heartbreaker huffed from her spot leaning against the wall, "I was partially responsible for your safety- do you know what your mother would have done to me if I'd gotten you hurt."
"Eve they threw the book at me," I confessed as I leaned forward in my wheelchair, "when I'm not studying or in physical therapy I'm going to be serving alternating detention for the rest of the semester, moreover any mobility gains that I make between now and finals are going to be factored into the punishments that I am going to receive."
"So, in other words when you finally start walking they'll switch you over from lighter duties to the more manual labor focused tasks." Fatigue observed from the takeaway.
"Moreover, the entire time I will be under security detail," I began to spill the details of my punishment, "from now until after finals I am not to roll one wheel or step one foot outside of any building on campus without a security escort. I'm also not allowed to use the tunnels and security escort or not the only places that I can visit off campus are the Reservation or Dunwich, so until classes let out for summer I'm effectively under house arrest."
"Geez, so much for the headmistress's daughter getting it easy," Meradee grimaced, "detention from now until the middle of June- nobody's going to say that moms playing favorites here."
"Tell me about it," Sherrie goggled, "and I thought a week of roof maintenance was harsh."
"At least you can use the agility of a spider monkey to keep you safe," Heather deflated, "I got stuck cleaning the restrooms and showers of the girls and co-ed cottages for a week and a half. I just hope that they don't make me clean the boy's showers over at Poe or Melville, that would be too embarrassing."
Children of the Night's Hideout - Darrow's Lair
Boston, Massachusetts
1:27 PM
"Dammit you lay about," verbally spat at Hekate, "that is the twentieth curse removal enchantment that you failed at. Why your master thinks so highly of an over-inflated witch like you is beyond me."
"Much is beyond you Darrow," Hekate glared at her 'gracious' host, "such as whoever laid the curse on the weapon that severed your arms. As loath as I am to admit it, Carcharoth's boasting may have been the truth; if a Class Two or Three Entity is responsible for the curse on that axe then I doubt there is anything that you or I could do to reattach your arms. The fact of the matter is that if we are to reattach your arms then it looks like we'll have to come up with a solution beyond that of magic or thaumaturgy."
"No there is no way this Carcharoth is really Lycaon," Darrow slammed his stumps on the table, "he was laid low years- no decades ago and there is no way his master Mister Domino is alive either Daren Englund himself cut off that man's head."
"And as we know there is no way those who live in the dark circles that we move in would ever fake their own death." Kallysta remarked drawing a glare from Darrow that promised a horrible fate if she dared to continue. "Well true or not I cannot reattach your arms with magic."
Darrow glared at Hekate in silence for what seemed like an hour as she continued pouring over her earlier research aware of the total futility when the phone (a direct line into the room from the rest of their Hideout) rang.
"If you can't make yourself useful in reattaching my arms the least that you can do is answer the blasted phone." The Necromancer stated as he glared at Kallysta as if he was trying to literally glare daggers at her.
Begrudgingly following his command, the former Queen of the Alpha clique answered the phone, "Hekate here, sorry but your boss has his hand's full."
While she was listening to whoever it was on the other end of the phone, Charles Darrow looked at a nearby bronze vase as if contemplating how best to throw it at his unwanted guest without the use of his hands. Before he could figure anything out though Kallysta hung up before turning to face him, "Lady Darke said to tell you that there's some weird robot that showed up at the entrance- something about him being hired to be here on your behalf."
Charles Darrow looked at his severed limbs, both arms being kept alive by a pair of shliga, alien symbiotic biotechnology that adapted to ensure the health and well-being of their hosts. As long as the shliga remained attached his arms would remain viable for reattachment, provided there wasn't too much nerve damage in the area to reattach them.
Carefully leaving his lair, and not disturbing the wards- no matter how tempted he was to see how the curse of three would affect a witch who sacrificed the lives of children to enslave others, Darrow made his way through the secret tunnel through the hidden areas of Boston to where the Children of the Night operated out of. "Very well Lady Darke, let us see our visitor."
"Greetings Charles Darrow," the oddly designed robot stated as he stood up, "I am STICHES, a party that is interested in your continued operations has hired me to reattach your severed limbs. Payment has already been rendered and I have the necessary medical supplies in a van outside, now whenever you are ready please retrieve your arms so that we may begin the procedure."
6 years 2 months ago #45
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
S.T.I.C.H.E.S.
Surgical. Technology. Integrated. Computational. Heuristic. Enabled. Sythezoid. An android surgeon with an advanced and adaptive artificial intelligence created by an unknown party, STICHES acts as a black market mercenary doctor, who performs beyond bleeding edge medical procedures for either money, advanced medical technology, or information. Of note that STICHES as a synthezoid has no sense of empathy towards organic life, has no Hippocratic Oath programed into him, and is only concerned about the health and well being of its current patient, but no one else. This means that not only will STICHES kill if he is threatened (or inconvenienced) but also that he wouldn't hesitate to go to any length to satisfy the terms of his contract including killing other people for...necessary parts.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 34 Notes
S.T.I.C.H.E.S.
Surgical. Technology. Integrated. Computational. Heuristic. Enabled. Sythezoid. An android surgeon with an advanced and adaptive artificial intelligence created by an unknown party, STICHES acts as a black market mercenary doctor, who performs beyond bleeding edge medical procedures for either money, advanced medical technology, or information. Of note that STICHES as a synthezoid has no sense of empathy towards organic life, has no Hippocratic Oath programed into him, and is only concerned about the health and well being of its current patient, but no one else. This means that not only will STICHES kill if he is threatened (or inconvenienced) but also that he wouldn't hesitate to go to any length to satisfy the terms of his contract including killing other people for...necessary parts.
6 years 2 months ago #46
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Dark Path
?
7:59 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I walked along the path with Hai-er Hong and the Three Great Disciples forming a phalanx to guard me as the Obsidian Circle member known as Madam Eventide lead the way. The silence was so thick that you'd need a hot knife to have any hope in cutting it, the fact was that despite not being directly affiliated with the Merchants, the Circle was still connected to them and responsible for creating the umbrella organization that the Merchants of Suffering used as a foundation to set up shop here in the United States in the first place.
"Just so that you know after we arrive at your sanctuary we'll be moving the exit point of this tunnel to the cellar of the Medawahila Tribe's lodge," Madam Eventide took it upon herself to break the ice, "however don't get any ideas about abusing the tunnel, it will only activate three time once I drop you off. It will open up on your end the morning of Whateley's Prospective Students Day, once in the early evening of that same day at the Medawahila lodge's end, and once on that end as well to provide the Handmaiden of the Tao with a direct and hidden route to come and meet you for your training."
"Wait, why not just have it open at my end and let me go right to this Medawahila place once summer starts?" I asked curious about why my short-cut to my ultimate destination was going to go bye-bye just when it would become really useful.
"Because the Handmaiden of the Tao needs to teach you how to harness and attune your qi in a place that is aligned with the Northern Court," Sha Wujing elaborated on the particulars, "a hidden cavern on a mountain in a broad range is an ideal place to do so especially given how the mountain is considered a sacred place by the cultures who called the area home. The Medawahila's reservation on the other hand is a place of old forests and nature, thus while it is also a place of power it is attuned to the Western Court, plus the number of Mythos sites nearby would make the manner of training that you would need to properly harness your power difficult- if not dangerous."
"Forgive me if I'm not that clued in on the concept, but Mythos this- Great Old Ones that- just what is all of this about?" I shouted losing my patience with the matter at hand. "Why is everyone tossing around these terms like I should know just what they mean? I mean Faolan, Mistral and Aletheia seem clued in on the concept but just what are these things? Are they like demons?"
"The Great Old Ones are beings far worse than any demon," Madam Eventide began to explain, "they are creatures so alien that for most mortal minds that experience them go insane either out of sheer terror or just the inability to comprehend just what they are seeing."
"Oh, come on," I huffed, "people can understand a lot, there is no way that anything could really be that alien!"
Madam Eventide responded by conjuring a black sphere just inches away from my face, I just stared into its depths as a leaped back. No matter what I could feel that sphere just pulling on me, it was like looking at something that wasn't there.
"I thought that you needed me alive!" I shouted at the sorceress before I turned to my companions in disbelief, "And I thought that you were trying to keep me safe- I mean what the hell!?!"
"That wasn't an attack kid," Wukong Sun began to but a gut as she clutched her sides, "that was an illusion spell, it would have done jack squat other than freak you out and maybe make you need to change your underwear."
"Like hell!" I shouted back in fury, "I mean it's like a black hole or something, it's so dark I can't even look at it!"
"Exactly," Madam Eventide explained as she directed the black illusionary sphere to fly around the corridor, "this is an illusion of a sphere of the color supreme matte black. Normal matte black is a color so dark that the human mind, cannot comprehend just what it is seeing, this sphere is even blacker than that so even with the eyes of a dragon your mind still cannot process just what this is, so you are instinctively afraid of it."
With a wave of her hand Madam Eventide dismissed her illusion, "the Great Old Ones are much the same way, they are beings so alien to our reality compared to what most mortal beings are accustomed to that their minds have trouble comprehending just what they are seeing. When added to the natural fear of the unknown and the instinctual reaction to the perception of the threat that they pose means that the sight of a Great Old One almost always drives the human mind off the deep-end as they try and fail to understand just what they are seeing."
"That combined with the fact that most Old Ones tend to view mortal beings of this reality as insects, either as subject of mild curiosity, annoyance or disgust and in their own manner react accordingly." Sha Wujing elaborated, "Devils and deities seek to make deals or obtain worshipers, the great old one's true motives are frequently so alien that we have little true point of reference- although many have worshippers come to them they are more likely to wind up playthings or twisted soulless creatures for their effort."
"Wait so these things are super-demons who exist apart from our world and I'm supposed to fight them!" I all but shouted in shock, "How am I supposed to do that training from the Handmaiden of the Tao or not?"
"Not directly I can tell you that much," Sun Wukong interrupted, "while it is possible to ward them off, or even hurt them if you know how, actually killing one is likely going to be something that you'll never be able to put on your resume."
"Unfortunately, such an act is beyond the Circle as well," Madam Eventide huffed, "granted we still have a great many fun ways to thwart them usually by destroying their avatars or proxies. After all there is nothing more satisfying than severing one of their anchors or destroying their cults. Moreover, if you can't kill them you can always undo centuries or millennia of their vile machinations, and the blow that you and your fellow maidens will inflict should you rise to meet your destinies' will harm them in a way no others have been able to since the time of the Five-Fold Court's inception."
"So, I know that fixing these things will help the courts that we're now a part of but how will that help anything else, okay at least not with my mission." I huffed in jealousy for Randi and Bea, "I know that Faolan and Aletheia's will help the world beyond their courts, by fixing the tree Faolan explained that Nature will become heartier and able to grow and heal at a faster. Alethiea also told me that with that reef healed the oceans will get cleaner and it will boost marine fertility to help ecosystems recover. The real question though is how some esoteric antique will help the world beyond the Northern Court?"
"The Talisman of Hengxing when working properly will ensure the use of and flow of energy across the world is more efficient," Sha Wujing stated, "And I do not simply refer to power as it relates to the world's energy production and grid, power and efficiency within the bodies of living creatures as well as the use of magic and abilities will also gain a boon should the Talisman be properly repaired."
"Correct," Madam Eventide nodded in affirmation behind her unusual mask, "with the four Paramount artifacts of the Five-Fold Court Working in concert the Earth and in turn the drifting land of the Four Peripheral Courts will be strengthened manifold. Once that happens the Obsidian Circle will continue ridding this world of the Dark Old Ones and their minions until we are free of them."
"Speaking of freedom, if I may ask of Hong Hai-er?" I turned to Hai-er Hong hoping that my reptilian complexion made me immune from blushing, "how exactly did the Merchants manage to capture someone as powerful as a disciple of Guanshiyin...let alone one who had the powers of sage hood since they were a youth?"
"Actually, as much as my uncle likes to tease me with referring to me as Hong Hai-er these days I am known as Hóng Shèngyàn ever since I was elevated from being an acolyte of Guanshiyin to the station of a proper sage. Although if you would wish to exclude title from the matter I am simply Shèngyàn," the immortal once known colloquially as Red Boy explained, "As for how those wretched demon worshipers captured me it was during the San Francisco-Oakland Earthquake, Guanshiyin sent me to answer prayers to help as well as ensure that unlike the Great San Francisco Earthquake a century ago that the loss of life was kept to a minimum."
"I did what I could to keep the death toll as low as possible, however even with my skill the ordeal was draining." Shengyan bowed his head in what appeared to be shame, "What I was unaware of was how, even while remaining in an ethereal state as I went about my work, there were those who could perceive me other than those of faith."
"Oh, the Merchants have faith alright," I let my loathing drip into my voice, "faith in wealth, faith in power and faith in a demon who represents both. Granted that a few of those of the Abramic Faiths might have seen you as well, but they were more likely to perceive you as an angel."
"Be that as it may these Merchants as you call them seized upon my moment of weakness and took me prisoner." Shengyan explained, "they held me along with dozens of other beings who they have captured in heavily warded cells. It was as if they were building an army."
"Nope, waging war themselves is not the MO of the Merchants. They are more about profiting off the depravities of others not taking advantage of their own merchandise unless they are after something that will bring in more profits." Bajie Zhu interrupted, "The rods that they were using to control you had ten times the range of any that I've ever seen. More than likely they've been working on boosting the range as much as possible, if they can make one of those rods cover a city from just the peripheral radius then they have a marketable weapon. Still even for the purpose of bringing the Northern Maiden back under their thumb last night was excessive for them, it smells like opportunism."
"When the Wayfarer rescued me the Merchant's High Priest tried to stop us," I explained as I smiled at the memory of that moment, "she turned him into a pile of gold dust and bones. There might be a struggle for his position among the Merchants right now."
"Gold dust and bones are the fate of any High Priest of the Merchants who loses the support of their patron demon, the Wayfarer likely triggered a spell that was already in place." Bajie retorted, "they add the dust to their wealth and use the remains for a bone oracle to determine the next High Priest. What happened was likely one of the new Priest's rivals jockeying for power to make him look bad in the eyes of their boss."
"How do you know all this stuff?" I asked the pig-faced warrior all but fearing the answer.
"These ears of mine are sensitive," Bajie flicked one of the floppy protrusions on the side of his head, "when I'm cleaning the alters sometimes I can't help but hear things. Honestly it seems like alters can be worse places for gossip than water coolers, then again it might just be confession- it must take the newer members of the Merchants a while to gain the who cold detached view of humanity."
"We are here," Madam Eventide stated as a gate opened at the end of the tunnel, on the other side I recognized my cavernous sanctuary and Kelsey who was kicking back reading what looked like a copy of the local newspaper.
"Hello Maiden of the North," Kelsey stated with a smile, not a snide condescending smile but a genuine smile. "I trust that your sojourn to the nearby town was exactly what you needed."
"Are you nuts?!?" I cried out as crossed the threshold of the mystic tunnel back to the cave, "I was attacked by gun touting mercenaries, had the Merchants send a swarm of jiangshi for me and then send a trio of supremely powerful supernatural beings my way, before getting scooped up by a cabal of warlocks, read some freaky prophecy and tossed into some weird room with three others and a talking bird who were all in the same boat, and you say that my daytrip was exactly what I needed!"
"Exactly," Kelsey replied in affirmation, "you have needed this cave until now as a place of healing to find yourself again after the horror that you suffered at the hands of the Merchants. While you may still consider this cave a home for the time being, after all the effort that you went about to liberate yourself, the exit will make no effort to conceal itself from you- so that you can come and go as you please."
"Give me a break, with everything that I just went through- if you think that I'm stepping out of here anytime soon you're bonkers." I shouted at Kelsey.
"I think that I'll just leave," Madam Eventide stated with a sad-looking ceramic mask on her face that had replaced her earlier cheerful looking one. "I hope to see you on Parents & Perspectives Day at Whateley, maybe I'll introduce you to my daughter."
"Before you go I have a question," Shengyan spoke up, "I doubt that the mystic tunnel that brought us here was truly that long, why did it seem to last as long as it did?"
"The Dark Paths are exactly as long as one needs it to be," Madam Eventide confessed as a comedic mask concealed her face...which I never saw her swap out, "that is the thing about tunnels they are always good for leading someone where they need to be- both literally and metaphorically."
As the tunnel sealed up with the Sorceress still inside, the causeway collapsed and molded itself into a statue of Lao Tsu which rested against a vacant wall with no sign of the tunnel that was there only moments ago. The statue likely selected to highlight what now lay on the other side of the Dark Path that it would form, as well as the individual who was destined to be the last to use it, the Handmaiden of the Tao- a girl my own age who if the Western Maiden was to be believed went by the moniker of Bladedancer.
"Truly the magics that the Obsidian Circle wield are...disconcerting." Sha Wujing stated as he inspected the statue of the philosopher who first perceived of the existence of the Tao and delivered its philosophy to mankind. "A fortress whose location is even less permanent than that of Onigashima and which can form paths to anywhere in the mortal world. As well as possesses a room that bends the very laws of time- these are powers that no one should take lightly."
"Actually, the room is supposed to belong to me and the other three maidens," I explained as I dangled the key that I was given, "they said that they'll be moving the entrance to the place from Fortuna Noctis to the Whateley Academy over the summer. I assume that it's supposed to be some kind of reward for once we pass the trials that we have to face this summer."
"Yes- I heard," Shengyan observed, "meeting the Handmaiden of the Tao is not a prospect that a great many relish to do- just keep in mind that she is here to serve the Tao by training you and pay no mind to the stories about her visits to others in the past."
"Yeah," Wukong Sun commented with a grin on her face, "and I should know! I've hung out with her and her friends plenty of times- such a shame that she had to distance herself from most of them after that incident in Boston."
"But that just happened last night," I observed curious how something like that could happen so fast- especially since when it was happening Wukong was in Durango with me...oh right she's technically a Buddha."
"Actually, this happened months ago," Wukong explained, "back then the Western Maiden was in Texas getting ready to travel to Whateley herself and the Eastern Maiden was still trapped inside her host's astral shadow. Granted the same culprit was involved then too- that was when the Necromancer coordinated two break-ins in Boston, and a break-out at the Roxbury-C Supermax Prison."
"The same guy planned all of that- in in a few months- what the hell!" I goggled at that piece of information. "Why would anyone go to Boston after something like that?"
"It's the closest major city to Whateley," Wukong elaborated on what was going on, "and the students appreciate the chance to experience the real world every once in a while, after being cooped up in a private boarding school for weeks on end that they rarely have the opportunity to see outside of during the school week. Granted after yesterday student excursions to Boston are bound to be a thing of memory for the foreseeable future, I guess that for the time being the Academy's students are going to have to settle for Portland, Maine."
"Not so bad a trade if you ask me," Bajie grunted, "all that it'll mean if losing out on a chance to catch a Celtics game in person while trading clam chowder for lobster rolls."
"It is bound to be far more than simply that my old friend," Sha Wujing stated, "now with Lady Kelsey's permission of course, I suggest that we take the opportunity afforded us by this brief calm to center ourselves. Meanwhile my pupil, please take the day off, you need to see to your own state of mind; last night was certainly chaotic and you will have the time needed to weigh what you have learned."
"Well far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth," I shrugged grateful for the day of rest, though something tells me that the next few days are going to be double the usual amount.
The Dark Path
?
6:01 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
As I walked down the conjured path with dad and grandpa back to the Las Vegas Chapter House, I kept taking glances at my father. I mean I couldn't help it- I'd known him for less than a day in person, while our heart-to-heart conversation from when we'd met for the first time was everything that I'd ever hoped for it was only a meeting.
"What a crazy day huh," I commented trying to break the ice, "I mean, show of hands who woke up this morning and expected...this."
"Maybe Bishop Brimstone but that's likely to be it," grandfather observed, "oh and Mistral my dear, you will be glad to know that your friend is awake- granted he's been eating his way through our breakfast buffet so I hope that he is nowhere close to the Cruise Limit."
"We're training right now for our regional practice camp," I explained, "if he and the others do gain a little pudge then coach and the others will work it out of them in the gym before Memorial Day."
"Sounds like a man after my own heart," grandpa mused as we neared our destination, "maybe I should meet this man who began your combat training."
"Grandpa- don't you dare do anything to him!" I spun on my heels as I shouted at him. "He was never anything but supportive to all of us!"
"Now what makes you think that I'm going to do anything negative to the man," grandpa huffed, "as a fellow trainer of warriors I was just going to have a talk to the man who began your training. Besides the only thing that I was going to do to him was insure that information regarding you couldn't be extracted from him, your friends will be getting the same treatment."
"Grandfather- we just rescued my friend-" I protested trying to sway his mind while doing my best to avoid using names something dad warned me about, "there is no need to do anything to him or any of my other friends."
"We're not going to hurt them my dear, just before a couple of old spells stretching back to the Middle Kingdom," Grandpa Set began to explain, "The first is a spell that prevents the tongue from speaking out against what occurs in a Noble House...such as ours, this spell has no consequences beyond making someone unable to bear witness about what goes on inside a household with outsiders."
"Yeah, my brother's followers created a variant for use in funerary rites," dad explained.
"The other creates a shabti decoy of their head," grandpa continued, "it makes it so whoever tries to read their minds my magic or power will instead read the mind of a bust sculpted in their likeness from enchanted clay. This will make them immune from telepathic probes and mind control, surely such a boon would warrant the spell to against serving as a witness against our house."
"Don't worry mi petite caballo, I guarantee that it won't harm them one bit, all you need to do is have fun with your friends for the rest of the weekend-" Dad did his best to reassure me, "because starting tomorrow is djinni cram school."
"Wait- what?" I stared, "what about my old school?"
"Mistral- until your presentation as a member of the Principality of the Burning Disc you are in real danger in the outside world from anyone who learns that you are half-djinn." Grandfather explained in a firm tone, "Besides the Order of the Black Pharaoh will try to regain you if the can and kill you if they cannot, that and you have a lot to learn prior to your presentation."
"It's sort of like the djinni version of a Bat-mitzvah," dad interrupted, "except don't expect to be hosted around in an elevated chair- we save that for weddings."
"Uggh, can you please stop hamming it up son," grandpa stated, "we're almost back home and I don't want the regulars at the Vegas Chapter House to endure a barrage of puns."
"You'd think that they were used to it by now," dad mumbled.
"Just because they're used to it doesn't mean they should be forced to endure it," grandfather glared as the end of the tunnel appeared.
As we left the tunnel for what looked like the inside of an Elk's Lodge (Steve invited us when his grandfather was having an award banquet in his honor for organizing the fundraiser to renovate the local VA Hospital- it was kind of a big deal two years ago in Boulder City) as imagined by a Harry Potter fanboy.
"Lord Khamsin, Greygus welcome back so soon," a woman from the counter called out, "and who is this lovely young lady? I mean it, I don't believe that we had the chance to meet when you rushed through here early this morning."
"Alexis this is my daughter Mistral," Greygus explained as he placed his hand on my shoulder, "Lord Khamsin was bringing her to an important meeting that she had to attend."
"I called it Alexis-" a man shouted from the nearby lounge where he was playing chess with a man who looked like a middle aged LARPer, "I win the pool, so I'll be collecting the pot on my way out!"
"I know Shadow Douser there's no reason to rub it in," Alexis huffed before muttering, "I was so sure that she was Lord Khamsin's assistants kid who'd been magically aged to her teens."
"That sounds absurd," I remarked as I stared at the woman through my helm.
"Young lady this is the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom- we deal in the absurd on a regular basis." Alexis deadpanned, "Erzebet Scratch rules over a dozen chapter houses like a mystic mafia boss, there is a warlock at the New York Chapter House who is undergoing a Benjamin Button scenario from the neck down, the San Francisco Chapter House is run by a cult of demon worshiping Chinese Black Marketers, and the lifespans of most who accept this job usually measures in a decade after their hired- my guess was only middle of the road on the absurdity scale."
"If I was a pettier man I would do something horrible for addressing my top operative's daughter in such a manner," grandpa spoke up making the woman blanche in terror. "However, Greygus and no doubt Mistral would object to that- more-so given the fact that she must soon become used to this world. However, none-the-less you must be punished for such a tone; so, consider that a sacrifice of one of your sick days."
"Thank you for your merciful generosity sire," Alexis responded as she physically prostrated herself before us.
"Yes- yes- deference while ego-boosting is also a waste of time," grandfather remarked as he shook his head in embarrassment. "Besides count yourself lucky just how few people want your job."
As we walked deeper into the Vegas Chapter House something told me that grandfather wasn't kidding on either comment, I guess that it just goes to show the person you are around your family and the person that you are around others can be completely different. Then again in a place full of spell-casters and warlocks grandfather likely couldn't dare to show his softer side, dad on the other hand certainly had that luxury. I could tell that the people around here not only respected him but actually liked him, from what Randi and Bea told me about how he organized the rescue that saved them from the Children of the Night, part of me wondered just how many people here likewise owed dad their lives.
Detention Wing
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
8:17 AM CDT
Lilian DuPree alias Melanie Ledoux sat in her cell fuming, she had almost left the country for a lifetime of luxury in Vienna. Instead she was grabbed at the O'Hara airport by Erzebet Scratch's soulless goons forced through a portal through a dimension with a demon playing bad jazz inside, forced through another portal and then tossed inside of a cell and for what- hell she had barely heard of Erzebet Scratch before let alone given the with reason to sic her muscle on her.
Not to mention the janitor outside her cell that was annoyingly whistling for the last seven minutes and failing at it, "Will you stop that- there is no reason for this torture or for me to be here at all. I have never made a move against Erzebet Scratch before, so why am I here?"
"Akshuly, you hab," the pathetic whistling stopped as whoever was going it answered in a deep but slurred voice. "Yu halpt strak at the Ofsadayun Cirkal, ond Modder Skrats ez awnd paart of the Cirkal. You keft Greyguz dodder hoztag fa yers, so Lawd Kalmsin levd yawr fad tp Modder Shrats."
"So, you Grand Hall types stab each other in the back all the damned time," Lilian shouted at the mush-mouthed man. "Why would she care about the kid of someone who doesn't even work for her?"
"Iv yu noh anayting aboud Erzabed Shrats yu woodend eben azg thad quashton," the figure slured out, "Yu worgd wit samwon tu huld hiz ked hoztage awnd psycologigly aubused tha ked for yers, I dond invee yawr chansays."
"What would a retard like you know anyway?!?" Lilian barked out.
"Ahm nod a retawd," the figure state as he opened the slot on the doorway giving Lilian a glimpse of a member of the undead, "mie tong guzd dozend wawg ride."
That sight shut Lilian up instantly, whoever this Erzebet Scratch was she was clearly a very skilled necromancer how else could she craft a zombie who might be able to pass as a slow human. Not to mention if what the zombie said was true she had just stepped in the worse mess possible, "I knew I should have booked it to Chile instead of Austria but no I wanted to live it up in Europe, at least I still have one bargaining chip. Without me there's no way that they'll find that brat's mother or the prego genie I bagged."
That comment for some reason drew a bout of off-sounding laughter from her undead warden. Had Lilian DuPree understood more about magic and about Erzebet Scratch in general she'd have known about the minor confession spells woven into the cell walls- as well as the microphones to pick up every last word that came out of the mouths of her prisoners. If anything, the wait was to give the spell time to soak into their occupant, and even if that failed there were other ways that eventually she'd come to learn along with how Scratch dealt with such... transgressors.
Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Eventually grandfather's Cadillac pulled up to the gate, while the valet took grandpa's keys and parked the car the three of us entered the resort although truth be told my stomach was doing cartwheels. "This is going to be so awkward," I huffed, "I mean Danny took it well enough, but we've only known each other for a couple of years, Walt and I go back...well since we were three."
"I mean how well is he going to take all...this." I motioned to my physique while at the same time not trying to motion to my chest- considering I was talking to my dad and grandfather, neither of whom was human.
"One of two ways as I see it, either he'll help his best friend learn to be who she really is, or he'll find himself unable to deal with it for the moment and leave to give himself time to think."
"Then after that?" I asked dad desperate for answers.
"Best not to think too far ahead my little flower," dad explained as he rustled my hair, "just remember that how Walt handles this is all up to him."
"The issue isn't only what he thinks about how you have changed my dear, there is also the matter of the Zodiac Gemstones, because of Professor Id the only way that they can be removed is with harmful surgery meaning he's going to have to learn to live with them- more-so given that they are power gems so he's going to spend the rest of his life as a target."
"Are you sure that he was telling the truth?" I asked hoping that for Walt's sake that there was a sliver of hope that it wouldn't be true.
"Unfortunately, the chances that Professor Id was lying are between slim and none," grandpa sighed in frustration, "most people lie to avoid the consequences of their actions or because they don't want to disappoint other people. Professor Id is the type of person who doesn't care about how much he hurts other people and looks at the consequences of his own actions with a perverse glee. For him the idea of a power gem user who'll need to guard their source of power with their lives would be hilarious."
"Actually, I have an idea brewing that may help your friend," dad remarked, "however I think that it would be for the best if we asked your friend on his thoughts."
As we stepped inside I deactivated my outfit which collapsed into a scarab broach that I removed from my house amulet, "Um grandpa," I turned to Set, "what am I supposed to do with this? Should I keep it in a purse or something?"
"Actually, it has another function my dear," grandpa pressed the scarab's eyes making the body split in two to reveal a series of pegs. With the opened scarab in hand grandpa walked behind me, gathered my long hair in a ponytail in his empty hand, press what I assumed to be the scarab against in and then with another click circled back around in front of me.
"So, it's armor and a barrette?" I arched my eyebrows in disbelief, "Any particular reason for this?"
"It's practical, ensures that you're unlikely to have the scarab not on your person when you need it, and most important of all my dear..." Grandpa paused mid explanation, "you just look better with your hair up. It was your grandmother's idea, she said your hair highlights your neck and cheekbones this way and I try not to argue with her."
"Speaking of mom, where is she?" Dad inquired, "I thought that she'd be here to greet us when we got back home."
"Likely she's occupied entertaining Iris's friends," Grandpa Set stated as he guided us to the area of the resort normally hidden from mortal eyes, "Your friend Walter was abducted and held against his will by a Dark Court Sidhe, he is likely to be rather on edge and Nephrys always has a way with making guests feel welcome and at ease."
"So, grandma has some sort of empathic abilities?" I asked wanting to learn as much about my family as I could.
"No just an empathic personality," grandpa explained, "after all while I symbolize the desert, she symbolizes the oasis- something that welcomes all travelers after times of great trial and arduous journeys."
"Good- as long as Walt calms down and listens," I sigh in relief, "the last thing that I want is to freak him out- he's probably so rattled by what happened."
"...but Paul just stood there and took it no matter what that punk said about him, Paul wouldn't let that jerk phase him as he tried out the half-pipe." I could hear Walt recounting the story to Grandma Nephrys and Uncle Anubis about the time that I tried to practice skateboarding at the park using some hand-me-down padding and one of Walt's skateboards.
"Go on Walter," grandma all but begged for the next part.
"What happened was I lost my balance halfway up the other side of the half-pipe, bonged my head (thankfully I was wearing a helmet), slide down the half-pipe and had the skateboard land just north of the old breadbasket. I was walking funny for a week and had Miss Ledeaux yelling at me the entire time about how I could have gotten hurt doing something so stupid, granted now that I know the truth about her I know that she didn't do it out of concern for my health and well-being."
"You wouldn't have to worry about that monster in woman's clothing anymore," Uncle Anubis explained, "Lilian DuPree alias Melanie Ledeaux was caught by Erzebet Scratch's people in a layover in Chicago on her way to Vienna with a small fortune in Euro's, they'll find out where that cult she works for is keeping your mother as well as their newest prisoner."
"Then they couldn't rescue Miranda?" Grandfather asked in desperation.
"I am sorry dear but no," Grandmother shook her head with heartbreak in her voice, "the blessed one who was to honor our family with new life will have to wait on her rescue for another day. Those Erzebet Scratch sent were prepared to take our grandchild's jailor captive, not to take on someone who was likely a warlock in the cult of the Black Pharaoh; if they had tried they would have risked letting DuPree escape. At least with her in custody we have a shot at learning just where Miranda Salazar and Angela Seguin are being held."
"More than a shot," dad shuddered, "Erzebet has ways of getting information out of people no matter what, and while I don't agree with her tactics I won't argue with how effect they are at getting accurate information."
"But while we are discussing that Iris my dear, don't you think that you and your friends should take time and enjoy the rest of your weekend," Uncle Anubis elaborated, "your friend Daniel informed everyone's parents about the situation and they are alright with it provided we drop everyone off in front of Cesar's Palace by three to go home otherwise they threatened to call in the Neon Lights." Uncle Anubis continued while giving the name of Nevada's resident superhero team.
"I'm going to call them to be there anyway," Dad explained as he made his way back to the door, "circumstances warrant them to be involved and I have enough positive clout with them to invoke a Code White."
"What's a Code White?" I asked wondering just what my dad had planned.
"Walter, you might want to come over here, because this matter concerns who specifically." Dad called out to my best friend as he motioned for him to come over.
Reluctantly Walt complied, although once he walked over to us he looked me over and blushed before briefly averting his gaze to glare at dad. "Sir just because you helped save me doesn't mean that I really owe you or Lord Khamsin anything so I'm not going to become a supervillain or anything, so you can quit trying to butter me up."
"Walter- I am not trying to recruit you to our organization, but at the same time there are things that you need to be made aware of." Dad began to explain, "Last night we learned that Professor Id designed those bracers to bond with the skin of their wearer on a cellular level, since this is just the sort of thing that Id would do there is no way to remove those gauntlets safely that wouldn't require reconstructive surgery afterwards in the form of skin grafts for your forearms."
"Now we don't feel that you owe us anything for your rescue, you protected my daughter for years and provided her with some much-needed emotional stability. Moreover, you are in your current predicament because you tried to save her life, if I tried to claim that you owed us anything I would be an even worse monster than the witch who kept her prisoner all these years. At the same time, you need to understand that the gemstones in those gauntlets while powerful also put your life in danger, items of power like those things can be used by anyone given enough time and training- this means that having those things on your arms make you a target."
"The fact is that you need training on how to control those gemstones to their fullest, as well as how to defend yourself against those who would try to take them. To that end I am calling a Code White, this involves a meeting between a super-hero team, a government authority, a super-villain, and all involved parties at a neutral location with the understanding that no fighting will be done, and all parties will be allowed to leave afterwards without being followed. As I mentioned you need training, and I am going to propose that it be done in as secure a location as there is to handle that sort of thing."
"So, what- you mean to tell them to have me train at the headquarters of the Neon Lights, Area 51- someplace like that?!?" Walt all but huffed up over the matter.
"I think that he means the Whateley Academy," I guessed at what my dad was getting at, "it's a boarding school on the other side of the country for mutants and paranormals that operates on a neutrality principal, since The Champion and Gizmatic both went there, and the children of super-heroes and super-villains go there too it's supposed to be safe. Besides anyone who attacks it will wind up being targeted from both sides of the law in retaliation should they try anything."
"So, Xavier's is real huh," Walt chuckled, "and you learned about it in a day- how? You just met your real family Paula, how did they come to trust you so fast?"
"Actually, my name is Iris and I met some girls who are already students there," I explained before something Walt just asked made me wonder, "come to think of it dad just why did everyone come to trust me so fast?"
"Your uncle likely performed a heart gaze, it's based on the scale of the heart test, it allows the caster to take a look at your soul to determine the kind of person you are deep down, free of any deceptions or facades." Dad elaborated, "If he followed his habits he did it while you were still unconscious, and the genealogical analyzer was warming up. The fact of the matter is that while we freed our people from the Black Pharaoh there were those who served him willingly, so whenever an unknown djinn comes into one of our Houses we must be cautious."
"Hold the phone," Walt interrupted, "djinn- my cousin mentioned that while going on about his D&D campaign, that's another word for genie so everyone here is..."
"Djinn or in my case a half-genie, the pair I met from the school are half-mermaid and half-faerie respectively." I answered my old friend, "It has something to do with a prophecy, the last one of the four of us was half-Chinese dragon, evidently I was the last of us to wake up."
"Wait if the dragon is awake then why isn't she at this Whateley place too?" Walt asked clearly getting even more confused.
"She's undergoing a form of therapy." I explained without going into too much detail. "It's a long story, but let's just say that the two of you can compare notes about crappy experiences with the criminal underworld."
Throne of Sanguine Opulence
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
8:14 AM PDT
Ten feet away from the Throne of Sanguine Opulence, the literal seat of the Xue-jin Mushi's power and had been since the Zhaoshang de Youhuan were founded back during the Song Dynasty, Qian Khai knelt prone while his master pondered his offering and thus his fate. "Now Khai Qian, I sent you to that wretched xiao's den for the twelve zodiac gemstones with specific instructions to obtain them for our order, instructions that warned you of your fate should you have failed."
Although Qian Khai could not see the actions of the Xue-jin Mushi from his current position, Qian could all but imagine the new priest of blood-soaked gold holding the scroll that comprised the Taiping Yaoshu like a baton while examining it with his off-hand. "However rather than bring the gemstones you bring me a grimoire of our homeland; a mystic tome that has been lost since the death of Zhang Jue in 2881 in the Year of the Wood-Rat."
"The xiao's ownership of the gemstones was disputed by a sorcerer who called himself Lord Khamsin, he claimed that they were in the possession of one of his House who was attacked while the gemstones were retrieved." Qian Khai began to plead, "He offered to have the ownership of the gemstones decided by a bout of pugilism between the xiao and the injured party after the auction concluded, meaning that even if I won the gemstones in the auction there was a chance that I would have been forced to take Lord Khamsin's substitute, a collection of mystic scrolls from Ancient Egypt. After weighing the matter and knowing how foolish it would be to gamble with the Xue-jin Mushi's precious treasury, I chose to go with the Taiping Yaoshu instead a prize which these foolish barbarians did not even know what it was."
"Fortunately for you Qian Khai this time your questionable judgement netted us an unexpected windfall," the Xue-jin Mushi could almost be seen chewing on the matter of what to do in his mind. "You are also extra fortunate that good news is in short supply today."
The Xue-jin Mushi must have motioned for his attending eunuch to strike the gong since it rang and the doors to the chamber opened. "You my raise your head Khai Qian, if only to see an example of the price of ill-advised ambition."
Qian Khai did as he was ordered and turned to see Kao Tak-keung being led in at the length of two three-meter poles attached to the collar around his neck, judging by the expression of the man's face there was no part of him left with his body being reduced to that of a shell.
"Evidently the Yaoshi daishi along with the Qianbao de shouhu zhe and our third most experienced daoshi, three of his most promising apprentices, and five of our drivers thought that they could recover Yao Zhiyi on their own. This morning Tak-keung Kao returned in his present state with one of our missing semi-trucks, the heads of his fellow conspirators, and a note from Erzebet Scratch warning us to never come that near her territory again." The Xue-jin Mushi stated, "their venture cost us seven valuable servants, two-dozen jiang-shi and three irreplaceable treasures of our menagerie. To that end I have decided to reward you with a new position- from this day forth you Khai Qian shall be our new Yaoshi daishi."
"Oh, I am not worthy of such an honor great and venerable Xue-jin Mushi," Qian Khai responded. "I will endeavor to improve upon the work of my foolish predecessor."
"See that you do Khai Qian," the Xue-jin Mushi glared downward at him, "I am already filling three vacant offices today, a fourth would not be that difficult for me to fill with a warm body before its occupant grows cold."
"I understand your grace," Qiuan Khai returned to his earlier position prostrating on the floor, "at your leave I will go forth to learn the responsibilities of my new vocation and prove your judgement is infallible."
"Then begone from my sight sycophant," the Xue-jin Mushi shouted, "and know that the price of cleaning your spot off the floors of my chambers will be coming out of your next allotment."
"At once your grace," Qian Khai did as he was bid and exited the chamber trembling with both excitement at his newfound promotion as well as terror of both his near death and just what his new position entailed.
Meanwhile back inside the throne room the Xue-jin Mushi looked at the scroll in his hand and smiled like a shark, "Oh the profitable chaos you will cause for us, the great master will indeed be most pleased."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:41 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Now that I finally had time to relax in the first place that I had called home since I was taken from Seattle I though back to all that I'd learned last night. There was apparently a lot more to this school that the Handmaiden of the Tao was to take me too than I first though, while part of me was warry about leaving the cave via a mystic path conjured by a cabal of warlocks and fallen deities, I knew that I needed to check this Whateley Academy place out for myself.
I also thought back to my meeting with the other maidens, while Bea seemed nice enough it was obvious that she had a lot to learn about how to interact with other people- I mean this girl brought a new meaning to the word sheltered. As for Randi, something told me that girl had a few secrets that she was keeping from us and given what we were going to be going up against that could be dangerous- after what I'd been through how could I trust someone who wasn't willing to trust me in turn. As for Iris- well I honestly didn't have anything against her, hell the girl had suffered her whole life being forced to unwillingly live a lie by someone who was way too much like the Merchants in my eyes, if only her family wasn't a part of that cabal of warlocks then I could see us being true friends at school- as is that was iffy.
"I know that look," Wukong Sun stated as she sidled on next to the stone bench where I'd been sitting still wearing her Kelly the monkey girl form, "lost in thought about the future and what you plan to do when the time comes. Man, if I had a yuan for every time I made that face before we came back with the sutras, then I'd have my own mountain of money as high as the mountain I used to rule."
"Then how would you deal with it," I asked with a huff, "I have to fix something that's been broken longer than my family name has existed and face who knows what in order to do it, and even before that I have to train with the left-hand of destiny herself before making a dangerous trek to the other side of the country while the Merchants throw Buddha only knows what at me. Tell me, how am I supposed to deal with this?"
"One step at a time Zhen-yu, one step at a time." Wukong Sun replied before stretching. "Fortunately, once you leave the Mountain States for the Midwest the Merchants won't be able to come after you directly, that is Erzebet Scratch's territory and she hates the Merchants with a passion. It won't stop mercenaries under contract like the Masterson Brothers from coming after you, but at least you shouldn't have to deal with anymore mystic or supernatural threats like last night."
"Too bad I can't depend on any of the others on my way to Whateley though," I muttered, "by the way just where is this school and the Medawahila Reservation exactly? I mean I heard that the school was in New England but where exactly is it?"
"New Hampshire- in the White Mountain just outside the town of Dunwitch," Wukong Sun explained, "besides you won't be coming back alone. Bladedancer will help you part of the way, and maybe Blizzard Wizard and Permafrost can help you out some too, by then you should be able to fix Ymir's Tear, so you may be able to get them to escort you part of the way. Something else might be able to pop up to help you too."
"What about you four?" I asked pointing out my laoshi, Bajie Zhu and Shengyan.
"Sorry kid but this Journey to the East is the second part of your trial, from the time you leave the Mountains to the time you arrive at the Medawahila Reservation none of the Members of the Northern Court or those tied to the Jade Heavens will be able to assist you. I'm sorry but that is what has been foretold, none related to the Court which they represent can assist one of the Cardinal Maidens until their trial is complete unless they are required by destiny itself. "
"Just consider yourself lucky that all you have to do once the Handmaiden of the Tao unlocks your ancestral qi is travel to the Medawahila Reservation. The Western Maiden is going to have to fully embrace both sides of her wolf spirit, the Eastern Maiden will have to save her uncle and help him break Dagon's Curse, and the Southern Maiden is going to have to rescue her mother as well as two others from a stronghold of the Cult of the Black Pharaoh whose location is still a mystery- comparatively speaking yours might be the easiest trial of them all."
"Oh, way to jinx it monkey girl," I threw up my hands in exasperation, "now there's no telling what I'm going to come across!"
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 35
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
The Dark Path
?
7:59 AM MDT
POV: Duanzaolong, Rose of the North
I walked along the path with Hai-er Hong and the Three Great Disciples forming a phalanx to guard me as the Obsidian Circle member known as Madam Eventide lead the way. The silence was so thick that you'd need a hot knife to have any hope in cutting it, the fact was that despite not being directly affiliated with the Merchants, the Circle was still connected to them and responsible for creating the umbrella organization that the Merchants of Suffering used as a foundation to set up shop here in the United States in the first place.
"Just so that you know after we arrive at your sanctuary we'll be moving the exit point of this tunnel to the cellar of the Medawahila Tribe's lodge," Madam Eventide took it upon herself to break the ice, "however don't get any ideas about abusing the tunnel, it will only activate three time once I drop you off. It will open up on your end the morning of Whateley's Prospective Students Day, once in the early evening of that same day at the Medawahila lodge's end, and once on that end as well to provide the Handmaiden of the Tao with a direct and hidden route to come and meet you for your training."
"Wait, why not just have it open at my end and let me go right to this Medawahila place once summer starts?" I asked curious about why my short-cut to my ultimate destination was going to go bye-bye just when it would become really useful.
"Because the Handmaiden of the Tao needs to teach you how to harness and attune your qi in a place that is aligned with the Northern Court," Sha Wujing elaborated on the particulars, "a hidden cavern on a mountain in a broad range is an ideal place to do so especially given how the mountain is considered a sacred place by the cultures who called the area home. The Medawahila's reservation on the other hand is a place of old forests and nature, thus while it is also a place of power it is attuned to the Western Court, plus the number of Mythos sites nearby would make the manner of training that you would need to properly harness your power difficult- if not dangerous."
"Forgive me if I'm not that clued in on the concept, but Mythos this- Great Old Ones that- just what is all of this about?" I shouted losing my patience with the matter at hand. "Why is everyone tossing around these terms like I should know just what they mean? I mean Faolan, Mistral and Aletheia seem clued in on the concept but just what are these things? Are they like demons?"
"The Great Old Ones are beings far worse than any demon," Madam Eventide began to explain, "they are creatures so alien that for most mortal minds that experience them go insane either out of sheer terror or just the inability to comprehend just what they are seeing."
"Oh, come on," I huffed, "people can understand a lot, there is no way that anything could really be that alien!"
Madam Eventide responded by conjuring a black sphere just inches away from my face, I just stared into its depths as a leaped back. No matter what I could feel that sphere just pulling on me, it was like looking at something that wasn't there.
"I thought that you needed me alive!" I shouted at the sorceress before I turned to my companions in disbelief, "And I thought that you were trying to keep me safe- I mean what the hell!?!"
"That wasn't an attack kid," Wukong Sun began to but a gut as she clutched her sides, "that was an illusion spell, it would have done jack squat other than freak you out and maybe make you need to change your underwear."
"Like hell!" I shouted back in fury, "I mean it's like a black hole or something, it's so dark I can't even look at it!"
"Exactly," Madam Eventide explained as she directed the black illusionary sphere to fly around the corridor, "this is an illusion of a sphere of the color supreme matte black. Normal matte black is a color so dark that the human mind, cannot comprehend just what it is seeing, this sphere is even blacker than that so even with the eyes of a dragon your mind still cannot process just what this is, so you are instinctively afraid of it."
With a wave of her hand Madam Eventide dismissed her illusion, "the Great Old Ones are much the same way, they are beings so alien to our reality compared to what most mortal beings are accustomed to that their minds have trouble comprehending just what they are seeing. When added to the natural fear of the unknown and the instinctual reaction to the perception of the threat that they pose means that the sight of a Great Old One almost always drives the human mind off the deep-end as they try and fail to understand just what they are seeing."
"That combined with the fact that most Old Ones tend to view mortal beings of this reality as insects, either as subject of mild curiosity, annoyance or disgust and in their own manner react accordingly." Sha Wujing elaborated, "Devils and deities seek to make deals or obtain worshipers, the great old one's true motives are frequently so alien that we have little true point of reference- although many have worshippers come to them they are more likely to wind up playthings or twisted soulless creatures for their effort."
"Wait so these things are super-demons who exist apart from our world and I'm supposed to fight them!" I all but shouted in shock, "How am I supposed to do that training from the Handmaiden of the Tao or not?"
"Not directly I can tell you that much," Sun Wukong interrupted, "while it is possible to ward them off, or even hurt them if you know how, actually killing one is likely going to be something that you'll never be able to put on your resume."
"Unfortunately, such an act is beyond the Circle as well," Madam Eventide huffed, "granted we still have a great many fun ways to thwart them usually by destroying their avatars or proxies. After all there is nothing more satisfying than severing one of their anchors or destroying their cults. Moreover, if you can't kill them you can always undo centuries or millennia of their vile machinations, and the blow that you and your fellow maidens will inflict should you rise to meet your destinies' will harm them in a way no others have been able to since the time of the Five-Fold Court's inception."
"So, I know that fixing these things will help the courts that we're now a part of but how will that help anything else, okay at least not with my mission." I huffed in jealousy for Randi and Bea, "I know that Faolan and Aletheia's will help the world beyond their courts, by fixing the tree Faolan explained that Nature will become heartier and able to grow and heal at a faster. Alethiea also told me that with that reef healed the oceans will get cleaner and it will boost marine fertility to help ecosystems recover. The real question though is how some esoteric antique will help the world beyond the Northern Court?"
"The Talisman of Hengxing when working properly will ensure the use of and flow of energy across the world is more efficient," Sha Wujing stated, "And I do not simply refer to power as it relates to the world's energy production and grid, power and efficiency within the bodies of living creatures as well as the use of magic and abilities will also gain a boon should the Talisman be properly repaired."
"Correct," Madam Eventide nodded in affirmation behind her unusual mask, "with the four Paramount artifacts of the Five-Fold Court Working in concert the Earth and in turn the drifting land of the Four Peripheral Courts will be strengthened manifold. Once that happens the Obsidian Circle will continue ridding this world of the Dark Old Ones and their minions until we are free of them."
"Speaking of freedom, if I may ask of Hong Hai-er?" I turned to Hai-er Hong hoping that my reptilian complexion made me immune from blushing, "how exactly did the Merchants manage to capture someone as powerful as a disciple of Guanshiyin...let alone one who had the powers of sage hood since they were a youth?"
"Actually, as much as my uncle likes to tease me with referring to me as Hong Hai-er these days I am known as Hóng Shèngyàn ever since I was elevated from being an acolyte of Guanshiyin to the station of a proper sage. Although if you would wish to exclude title from the matter I am simply Shèngyàn," the immortal once known colloquially as Red Boy explained, "As for how those wretched demon worshipers captured me it was during the San Francisco-Oakland Earthquake, Guanshiyin sent me to answer prayers to help as well as ensure that unlike the Great San Francisco Earthquake a century ago that the loss of life was kept to a minimum."
"I did what I could to keep the death toll as low as possible, however even with my skill the ordeal was draining." Shengyan bowed his head in what appeared to be shame, "What I was unaware of was how, even while remaining in an ethereal state as I went about my work, there were those who could perceive me other than those of faith."
"Oh, the Merchants have faith alright," I let my loathing drip into my voice, "faith in wealth, faith in power and faith in a demon who represents both. Granted that a few of those of the Abramic Faiths might have seen you as well, but they were more likely to perceive you as an angel."
"Be that as it may these Merchants as you call them seized upon my moment of weakness and took me prisoner." Shengyan explained, "they held me along with dozens of other beings who they have captured in heavily warded cells. It was as if they were building an army."
"Nope, waging war themselves is not the MO of the Merchants. They are more about profiting off the depravities of others not taking advantage of their own merchandise unless they are after something that will bring in more profits." Bajie Zhu interrupted, "The rods that they were using to control you had ten times the range of any that I've ever seen. More than likely they've been working on boosting the range as much as possible, if they can make one of those rods cover a city from just the peripheral radius then they have a marketable weapon. Still even for the purpose of bringing the Northern Maiden back under their thumb last night was excessive for them, it smells like opportunism."
"When the Wayfarer rescued me the Merchant's High Priest tried to stop us," I explained as I smiled at the memory of that moment, "she turned him into a pile of gold dust and bones. There might be a struggle for his position among the Merchants right now."
"Gold dust and bones are the fate of any High Priest of the Merchants who loses the support of their patron demon, the Wayfarer likely triggered a spell that was already in place." Bajie retorted, "they add the dust to their wealth and use the remains for a bone oracle to determine the next High Priest. What happened was likely one of the new Priest's rivals jockeying for power to make him look bad in the eyes of their boss."
"How do you know all this stuff?" I asked the pig-faced warrior all but fearing the answer.
"These ears of mine are sensitive," Bajie flicked one of the floppy protrusions on the side of his head, "when I'm cleaning the alters sometimes I can't help but hear things. Honestly it seems like alters can be worse places for gossip than water coolers, then again it might just be confession- it must take the newer members of the Merchants a while to gain the who cold detached view of humanity."
"We are here," Madam Eventide stated as a gate opened at the end of the tunnel, on the other side I recognized my cavernous sanctuary and Kelsey who was kicking back reading what looked like a copy of the local newspaper.
"Hello Maiden of the North," Kelsey stated with a smile, not a snide condescending smile but a genuine smile. "I trust that your sojourn to the nearby town was exactly what you needed."
"Are you nuts?!?" I cried out as crossed the threshold of the mystic tunnel back to the cave, "I was attacked by gun touting mercenaries, had the Merchants send a swarm of jiangshi for me and then send a trio of supremely powerful supernatural beings my way, before getting scooped up by a cabal of warlocks, read some freaky prophecy and tossed into some weird room with three others and a talking bird who were all in the same boat, and you say that my daytrip was exactly what I needed!"
"Exactly," Kelsey replied in affirmation, "you have needed this cave until now as a place of healing to find yourself again after the horror that you suffered at the hands of the Merchants. While you may still consider this cave a home for the time being, after all the effort that you went about to liberate yourself, the exit will make no effort to conceal itself from you- so that you can come and go as you please."
"Give me a break, with everything that I just went through- if you think that I'm stepping out of here anytime soon you're bonkers." I shouted at Kelsey.
"I think that I'll just leave," Madam Eventide stated with a sad-looking ceramic mask on her face that had replaced her earlier cheerful looking one. "I hope to see you on Parents & Perspectives Day at Whateley, maybe I'll introduce you to my daughter."
"Before you go I have a question," Shengyan spoke up, "I doubt that the mystic tunnel that brought us here was truly that long, why did it seem to last as long as it did?"
"The Dark Paths are exactly as long as one needs it to be," Madam Eventide confessed as a comedic mask concealed her face...which I never saw her swap out, "that is the thing about tunnels they are always good for leading someone where they need to be- both literally and metaphorically."
As the tunnel sealed up with the Sorceress still inside, the causeway collapsed and molded itself into a statue of Lao Tsu which rested against a vacant wall with no sign of the tunnel that was there only moments ago. The statue likely selected to highlight what now lay on the other side of the Dark Path that it would form, as well as the individual who was destined to be the last to use it, the Handmaiden of the Tao- a girl my own age who if the Western Maiden was to be believed went by the moniker of Bladedancer.
"Truly the magics that the Obsidian Circle wield are...disconcerting." Sha Wujing stated as he inspected the statue of the philosopher who first perceived of the existence of the Tao and delivered its philosophy to mankind. "A fortress whose location is even less permanent than that of Onigashima and which can form paths to anywhere in the mortal world. As well as possesses a room that bends the very laws of time- these are powers that no one should take lightly."
"Actually, the room is supposed to belong to me and the other three maidens," I explained as I dangled the key that I was given, "they said that they'll be moving the entrance to the place from Fortuna Noctis to the Whateley Academy over the summer. I assume that it's supposed to be some kind of reward for once we pass the trials that we have to face this summer."
"Yes- I heard," Shengyan observed, "meeting the Handmaiden of the Tao is not a prospect that a great many relish to do- just keep in mind that she is here to serve the Tao by training you and pay no mind to the stories about her visits to others in the past."
"Yeah," Wukong Sun commented with a grin on her face, "and I should know! I've hung out with her and her friends plenty of times- such a shame that she had to distance herself from most of them after that incident in Boston."
"But that just happened last night," I observed curious how something like that could happen so fast- especially since when it was happening Wukong was in Durango with me...oh right she's technically a Buddha."
"Actually, this happened months ago," Wukong explained, "back then the Western Maiden was in Texas getting ready to travel to Whateley herself and the Eastern Maiden was still trapped inside her host's astral shadow. Granted the same culprit was involved then too- that was when the Necromancer coordinated two break-ins in Boston, and a break-out at the Roxbury-C Supermax Prison."
"The same guy planned all of that- in in a few months- what the hell!" I goggled at that piece of information. "Why would anyone go to Boston after something like that?"
"It's the closest major city to Whateley," Wukong elaborated on what was going on, "and the students appreciate the chance to experience the real world every once in a while, after being cooped up in a private boarding school for weeks on end that they rarely have the opportunity to see outside of during the school week. Granted after yesterday student excursions to Boston are bound to be a thing of memory for the foreseeable future, I guess that for the time being the Academy's students are going to have to settle for Portland, Maine."
"Not so bad a trade if you ask me," Bajie grunted, "all that it'll mean if losing out on a chance to catch a Celtics game in person while trading clam chowder for lobster rolls."
"It is bound to be far more than simply that my old friend," Sha Wujing stated, "now with Lady Kelsey's permission of course, I suggest that we take the opportunity afforded us by this brief calm to center ourselves. Meanwhile my pupil, please take the day off, you need to see to your own state of mind; last night was certainly chaotic and you will have the time needed to weigh what you have learned."
"Well far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth," I shrugged grateful for the day of rest, though something tells me that the next few days are going to be double the usual amount.
The Dark Path
?
6:01 AM PDT
POV: Mistral, Rose of the South
As I walked down the conjured path with dad and grandpa back to the Las Vegas Chapter House, I kept taking glances at my father. I mean I couldn't help it- I'd known him for less than a day in person, while our heart-to-heart conversation from when we'd met for the first time was everything that I'd ever hoped for it was only a meeting.
"What a crazy day huh," I commented trying to break the ice, "I mean, show of hands who woke up this morning and expected...this."
"Maybe Bishop Brimstone but that's likely to be it," grandfather observed, "oh and Mistral my dear, you will be glad to know that your friend is awake- granted he's been eating his way through our breakfast buffet so I hope that he is nowhere close to the Cruise Limit."
"We're training right now for our regional practice camp," I explained, "if he and the others do gain a little pudge then coach and the others will work it out of them in the gym before Memorial Day."
"Sounds like a man after my own heart," grandpa mused as we neared our destination, "maybe I should meet this man who began your combat training."
"Grandpa- don't you dare do anything to him!" I spun on my heels as I shouted at him. "He was never anything but supportive to all of us!"
"Now what makes you think that I'm going to do anything negative to the man," grandpa huffed, "as a fellow trainer of warriors I was just going to have a talk to the man who began your training. Besides the only thing that I was going to do to him was insure that information regarding you couldn't be extracted from him, your friends will be getting the same treatment."
"Grandfather- we just rescued my friend-" I protested trying to sway his mind while doing my best to avoid using names something dad warned me about, "there is no need to do anything to him or any of my other friends."
"We're not going to hurt them my dear, just before a couple of old spells stretching back to the Middle Kingdom," Grandpa Set began to explain, "The first is a spell that prevents the tongue from speaking out against what occurs in a Noble House...such as ours, this spell has no consequences beyond making someone unable to bear witness about what goes on inside a household with outsiders."
"Yeah, my brother's followers created a variant for use in funerary rites," dad explained.
"The other creates a shabti decoy of their head," grandpa continued, "it makes it so whoever tries to read their minds my magic or power will instead read the mind of a bust sculpted in their likeness from enchanted clay. This will make them immune from telepathic probes and mind control, surely such a boon would warrant the spell to against serving as a witness against our house."
"Don't worry mi petite caballo, I guarantee that it won't harm them one bit, all you need to do is have fun with your friends for the rest of the weekend-" Dad did his best to reassure me, "because starting tomorrow is djinni cram school."
"Wait- what?" I stared, "what about my old school?"
"Mistral- until your presentation as a member of the Principality of the Burning Disc you are in real danger in the outside world from anyone who learns that you are half-djinn." Grandfather explained in a firm tone, "Besides the Order of the Black Pharaoh will try to regain you if the can and kill you if they cannot, that and you have a lot to learn prior to your presentation."
"It's sort of like the djinni version of a Bat-mitzvah," dad interrupted, "except don't expect to be hosted around in an elevated chair- we save that for weddings."
"Uggh, can you please stop hamming it up son," grandpa stated, "we're almost back home and I don't want the regulars at the Vegas Chapter House to endure a barrage of puns."
"You'd think that they were used to it by now," dad mumbled.
"Just because they're used to it doesn't mean they should be forced to endure it," grandfather glared as the end of the tunnel appeared.
As we left the tunnel for what looked like the inside of an Elk's Lodge (Steve invited us when his grandfather was having an award banquet in his honor for organizing the fundraiser to renovate the local VA Hospital- it was kind of a big deal two years ago in Boulder City) as imagined by a Harry Potter fanboy.
"Lord Khamsin, Greygus welcome back so soon," a woman from the counter called out, "and who is this lovely young lady? I mean it, I don't believe that we had the chance to meet when you rushed through here early this morning."
"Alexis this is my daughter Mistral," Greygus explained as he placed his hand on my shoulder, "Lord Khamsin was bringing her to an important meeting that she had to attend."
"I called it Alexis-" a man shouted from the nearby lounge where he was playing chess with a man who looked like a middle aged LARPer, "I win the pool, so I'll be collecting the pot on my way out!"
"I know Shadow Douser there's no reason to rub it in," Alexis huffed before muttering, "I was so sure that she was Lord Khamsin's assistants kid who'd been magically aged to her teens."
"That sounds absurd," I remarked as I stared at the woman through my helm.
"Young lady this is the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom- we deal in the absurd on a regular basis." Alexis deadpanned, "Erzebet Scratch rules over a dozen chapter houses like a mystic mafia boss, there is a warlock at the New York Chapter House who is undergoing a Benjamin Button scenario from the neck down, the San Francisco Chapter House is run by a cult of demon worshiping Chinese Black Marketers, and the lifespans of most who accept this job usually measures in a decade after their hired- my guess was only middle of the road on the absurdity scale."
"If I was a pettier man I would do something horrible for addressing my top operative's daughter in such a manner," grandpa spoke up making the woman blanche in terror. "However, Greygus and no doubt Mistral would object to that- more-so given the fact that she must soon become used to this world. However, none-the-less you must be punished for such a tone; so, consider that a sacrifice of one of your sick days."
"Thank you for your merciful generosity sire," Alexis responded as she physically prostrated herself before us.
"Yes- yes- deference while ego-boosting is also a waste of time," grandfather remarked as he shook his head in embarrassment. "Besides count yourself lucky just how few people want your job."
As we walked deeper into the Vegas Chapter House something told me that grandfather wasn't kidding on either comment, I guess that it just goes to show the person you are around your family and the person that you are around others can be completely different. Then again in a place full of spell-casters and warlocks grandfather likely couldn't dare to show his softer side, dad on the other hand certainly had that luxury. I could tell that the people around here not only respected him but actually liked him, from what Randi and Bea told me about how he organized the rescue that saved them from the Children of the Night, part of me wondered just how many people here likewise owed dad their lives.
Detention Wing
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
8:17 AM CDT
Lilian DuPree alias Melanie Ledoux sat in her cell fuming, she had almost left the country for a lifetime of luxury in Vienna. Instead she was grabbed at the O'Hara airport by Erzebet Scratch's soulless goons forced through a portal through a dimension with a demon playing bad jazz inside, forced through another portal and then tossed inside of a cell and for what- hell she had barely heard of Erzebet Scratch before let alone given the with reason to sic her muscle on her.
Not to mention the janitor outside her cell that was annoyingly whistling for the last seven minutes and failing at it, "Will you stop that- there is no reason for this torture or for me to be here at all. I have never made a move against Erzebet Scratch before, so why am I here?"
"Akshuly, you hab," the pathetic whistling stopped as whoever was going it answered in a deep but slurred voice. "Yu halpt strak at the Ofsadayun Cirkal, ond Modder Skrats ez awnd paart of the Cirkal. You keft Greyguz dodder hoztag fa yers, so Lawd Kalmsin levd yawr fad tp Modder Shrats."
"So, you Grand Hall types stab each other in the back all the damned time," Lilian shouted at the mush-mouthed man. "Why would she care about the kid of someone who doesn't even work for her?"
"Iv yu noh anayting aboud Erzabed Shrats yu woodend eben azg thad quashton," the figure slured out, "Yu worgd wit samwon tu huld hiz ked hoztage awnd psycologigly aubused tha ked for yers, I dond invee yawr chansays."
"What would a retard like you know anyway?!?" Lilian barked out.
"Ahm nod a retawd," the figure state as he opened the slot on the doorway giving Lilian a glimpse of a member of the undead, "mie tong guzd dozend wawg ride."
That sight shut Lilian up instantly, whoever this Erzebet Scratch was she was clearly a very skilled necromancer how else could she craft a zombie who might be able to pass as a slow human. Not to mention if what the zombie said was true she had just stepped in the worse mess possible, "I knew I should have booked it to Chile instead of Austria but no I wanted to live it up in Europe, at least I still have one bargaining chip. Without me there's no way that they'll find that brat's mother or the prego genie I bagged."
That comment for some reason drew a bout of off-sounding laughter from her undead warden. Had Lilian DuPree understood more about magic and about Erzebet Scratch in general she'd have known about the minor confession spells woven into the cell walls- as well as the microphones to pick up every last word that came out of the mouths of her prisoners. If anything, the wait was to give the spell time to soak into their occupant, and even if that failed there were other ways that eventually she'd come to learn along with how Scratch dealt with such... transgressors.
Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Eventually grandfather's Cadillac pulled up to the gate, while the valet took grandpa's keys and parked the car the three of us entered the resort although truth be told my stomach was doing cartwheels. "This is going to be so awkward," I huffed, "I mean Danny took it well enough, but we've only known each other for a couple of years, Walt and I go back...well since we were three."
"I mean how well is he going to take all...this." I motioned to my physique while at the same time not trying to motion to my chest- considering I was talking to my dad and grandfather, neither of whom was human.
"One of two ways as I see it, either he'll help his best friend learn to be who she really is, or he'll find himself unable to deal with it for the moment and leave to give himself time to think."
"Then after that?" I asked dad desperate for answers.
"Best not to think too far ahead my little flower," dad explained as he rustled my hair, "just remember that how Walt handles this is all up to him."
"The issue isn't only what he thinks about how you have changed my dear, there is also the matter of the Zodiac Gemstones, because of Professor Id the only way that they can be removed is with harmful surgery meaning he's going to have to learn to live with them- more-so given that they are power gems so he's going to spend the rest of his life as a target."
"Are you sure that he was telling the truth?" I asked hoping that for Walt's sake that there was a sliver of hope that it wouldn't be true.
"Unfortunately, the chances that Professor Id was lying are between slim and none," grandpa sighed in frustration, "most people lie to avoid the consequences of their actions or because they don't want to disappoint other people. Professor Id is the type of person who doesn't care about how much he hurts other people and looks at the consequences of his own actions with a perverse glee. For him the idea of a power gem user who'll need to guard their source of power with their lives would be hilarious."
"Actually, I have an idea brewing that may help your friend," dad remarked, "however I think that it would be for the best if we asked your friend on his thoughts."
As we stepped inside I deactivated my outfit which collapsed into a scarab broach that I removed from my house amulet, "Um grandpa," I turned to Set, "what am I supposed to do with this? Should I keep it in a purse or something?"
"Actually, it has another function my dear," grandpa pressed the scarab's eyes making the body split in two to reveal a series of pegs. With the opened scarab in hand grandpa walked behind me, gathered my long hair in a ponytail in his empty hand, press what I assumed to be the scarab against in and then with another click circled back around in front of me.
"So, it's armor and a barrette?" I arched my eyebrows in disbelief, "Any particular reason for this?"
"It's practical, ensures that you're unlikely to have the scarab not on your person when you need it, and most important of all my dear..." Grandpa paused mid explanation, "you just look better with your hair up. It was your grandmother's idea, she said your hair highlights your neck and cheekbones this way and I try not to argue with her."
"Speaking of mom, where is she?" Dad inquired, "I thought that she'd be here to greet us when we got back home."
"Likely she's occupied entertaining Iris's friends," Grandpa Set stated as he guided us to the area of the resort normally hidden from mortal eyes, "Your friend Walter was abducted and held against his will by a Dark Court Sidhe, he is likely to be rather on edge and Nephrys always has a way with making guests feel welcome and at ease."
"So, grandma has some sort of empathic abilities?" I asked wanting to learn as much about my family as I could.
"No just an empathic personality," grandpa explained, "after all while I symbolize the desert, she symbolizes the oasis- something that welcomes all travelers after times of great trial and arduous journeys."
"Good- as long as Walt calms down and listens," I sigh in relief, "the last thing that I want is to freak him out- he's probably so rattled by what happened."
"...but Paul just stood there and took it no matter what that punk said about him, Paul wouldn't let that jerk phase him as he tried out the half-pipe." I could hear Walt recounting the story to Grandma Nephrys and Uncle Anubis about the time that I tried to practice skateboarding at the park using some hand-me-down padding and one of Walt's skateboards.
"Go on Walter," grandma all but begged for the next part.
"What happened was I lost my balance halfway up the other side of the half-pipe, bonged my head (thankfully I was wearing a helmet), slide down the half-pipe and had the skateboard land just north of the old breadbasket. I was walking funny for a week and had Miss Ledeaux yelling at me the entire time about how I could have gotten hurt doing something so stupid, granted now that I know the truth about her I know that she didn't do it out of concern for my health and well-being."
"You wouldn't have to worry about that monster in woman's clothing anymore," Uncle Anubis explained, "Lilian DuPree alias Melanie Ledeaux was caught by Erzebet Scratch's people in a layover in Chicago on her way to Vienna with a small fortune in Euro's, they'll find out where that cult she works for is keeping your mother as well as their newest prisoner."
"Then they couldn't rescue Miranda?" Grandfather asked in desperation.
"I am sorry dear but no," Grandmother shook her head with heartbreak in her voice, "the blessed one who was to honor our family with new life will have to wait on her rescue for another day. Those Erzebet Scratch sent were prepared to take our grandchild's jailor captive, not to take on someone who was likely a warlock in the cult of the Black Pharaoh; if they had tried they would have risked letting DuPree escape. At least with her in custody we have a shot at learning just where Miranda Salazar and Angela Seguin are being held."
"More than a shot," dad shuddered, "Erzebet has ways of getting information out of people no matter what, and while I don't agree with her tactics I won't argue with how effect they are at getting accurate information."
"But while we are discussing that Iris my dear, don't you think that you and your friends should take time and enjoy the rest of your weekend," Uncle Anubis elaborated, "your friend Daniel informed everyone's parents about the situation and they are alright with it provided we drop everyone off in front of Cesar's Palace by three to go home otherwise they threatened to call in the Neon Lights." Uncle Anubis continued while giving the name of Nevada's resident superhero team.
"I'm going to call them to be there anyway," Dad explained as he made his way back to the door, "circumstances warrant them to be involved and I have enough positive clout with them to invoke a Code White."
"What's a Code White?" I asked wondering just what my dad had planned.
"Walter, you might want to come over here, because this matter concerns who specifically." Dad called out to my best friend as he motioned for him to come over.
Reluctantly Walt complied, although once he walked over to us he looked me over and blushed before briefly averting his gaze to glare at dad. "Sir just because you helped save me doesn't mean that I really owe you or Lord Khamsin anything so I'm not going to become a supervillain or anything, so you can quit trying to butter me up."
"Walter- I am not trying to recruit you to our organization, but at the same time there are things that you need to be made aware of." Dad began to explain, "Last night we learned that Professor Id designed those bracers to bond with the skin of their wearer on a cellular level, since this is just the sort of thing that Id would do there is no way to remove those gauntlets safely that wouldn't require reconstructive surgery afterwards in the form of skin grafts for your forearms."
"Now we don't feel that you owe us anything for your rescue, you protected my daughter for years and provided her with some much-needed emotional stability. Moreover, you are in your current predicament because you tried to save her life, if I tried to claim that you owed us anything I would be an even worse monster than the witch who kept her prisoner all these years. At the same time, you need to understand that the gemstones in those gauntlets while powerful also put your life in danger, items of power like those things can be used by anyone given enough time and training- this means that having those things on your arms make you a target."
"The fact is that you need training on how to control those gemstones to their fullest, as well as how to defend yourself against those who would try to take them. To that end I am calling a Code White, this involves a meeting between a super-hero team, a government authority, a super-villain, and all involved parties at a neutral location with the understanding that no fighting will be done, and all parties will be allowed to leave afterwards without being followed. As I mentioned you need training, and I am going to propose that it be done in as secure a location as there is to handle that sort of thing."
"So, what- you mean to tell them to have me train at the headquarters of the Neon Lights, Area 51- someplace like that?!?" Walt all but huffed up over the matter.
"I think that he means the Whateley Academy," I guessed at what my dad was getting at, "it's a boarding school on the other side of the country for mutants and paranormals that operates on a neutrality principal, since The Champion and Gizmatic both went there, and the children of super-heroes and super-villains go there too it's supposed to be safe. Besides anyone who attacks it will wind up being targeted from both sides of the law in retaliation should they try anything."
"So, Xavier's is real huh," Walt chuckled, "and you learned about it in a day- how? You just met your real family Paula, how did they come to trust you so fast?"
"Actually, my name is Iris and I met some girls who are already students there," I explained before something Walt just asked made me wonder, "come to think of it dad just why did everyone come to trust me so fast?"
"Your uncle likely performed a heart gaze, it's based on the scale of the heart test, it allows the caster to take a look at your soul to determine the kind of person you are deep down, free of any deceptions or facades." Dad elaborated, "If he followed his habits he did it while you were still unconscious, and the genealogical analyzer was warming up. The fact of the matter is that while we freed our people from the Black Pharaoh there were those who served him willingly, so whenever an unknown djinn comes into one of our Houses we must be cautious."
"Hold the phone," Walt interrupted, "djinn- my cousin mentioned that while going on about his D&D campaign, that's another word for genie so everyone here is..."
"Djinn or in my case a half-genie, the pair I met from the school are half-mermaid and half-faerie respectively." I answered my old friend, "It has something to do with a prophecy, the last one of the four of us was half-Chinese dragon, evidently I was the last of us to wake up."
"Wait if the dragon is awake then why isn't she at this Whateley place too?" Walt asked clearly getting even more confused.
"She's undergoing a form of therapy." I explained without going into too much detail. "It's a long story, but let's just say that the two of you can compare notes about crappy experiences with the criminal underworld."
Throne of Sanguine Opulence
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - San Francisco Chapter House
Old San Francisco, California
8:14 AM PDT
Ten feet away from the Throne of Sanguine Opulence, the literal seat of the Xue-jin Mushi's power and had been since the Zhaoshang de Youhuan were founded back during the Song Dynasty, Qian Khai knelt prone while his master pondered his offering and thus his fate. "Now Khai Qian, I sent you to that wretched xiao's den for the twelve zodiac gemstones with specific instructions to obtain them for our order, instructions that warned you of your fate should you have failed."
Although Qian Khai could not see the actions of the Xue-jin Mushi from his current position, Qian could all but imagine the new priest of blood-soaked gold holding the scroll that comprised the Taiping Yaoshu like a baton while examining it with his off-hand. "However rather than bring the gemstones you bring me a grimoire of our homeland; a mystic tome that has been lost since the death of Zhang Jue in 2881 in the Year of the Wood-Rat."
"The xiao's ownership of the gemstones was disputed by a sorcerer who called himself Lord Khamsin, he claimed that they were in the possession of one of his House who was attacked while the gemstones were retrieved." Qian Khai began to plead, "He offered to have the ownership of the gemstones decided by a bout of pugilism between the xiao and the injured party after the auction concluded, meaning that even if I won the gemstones in the auction there was a chance that I would have been forced to take Lord Khamsin's substitute, a collection of mystic scrolls from Ancient Egypt. After weighing the matter and knowing how foolish it would be to gamble with the Xue-jin Mushi's precious treasury, I chose to go with the Taiping Yaoshu instead a prize which these foolish barbarians did not even know what it was."
"Fortunately for you Qian Khai this time your questionable judgement netted us an unexpected windfall," the Xue-jin Mushi could almost be seen chewing on the matter of what to do in his mind. "You are also extra fortunate that good news is in short supply today."
The Xue-jin Mushi must have motioned for his attending eunuch to strike the gong since it rang and the doors to the chamber opened. "You my raise your head Khai Qian, if only to see an example of the price of ill-advised ambition."
Qian Khai did as he was ordered and turned to see Kao Tak-keung being led in at the length of two three-meter poles attached to the collar around his neck, judging by the expression of the man's face there was no part of him left with his body being reduced to that of a shell.
"Evidently the Yaoshi daishi along with the Qianbao de shouhu zhe and our third most experienced daoshi, three of his most promising apprentices, and five of our drivers thought that they could recover Yao Zhiyi on their own. This morning Tak-keung Kao returned in his present state with one of our missing semi-trucks, the heads of his fellow conspirators, and a note from Erzebet Scratch warning us to never come that near her territory again." The Xue-jin Mushi stated, "their venture cost us seven valuable servants, two-dozen jiang-shi and three irreplaceable treasures of our menagerie. To that end I have decided to reward you with a new position- from this day forth you Khai Qian shall be our new Yaoshi daishi."
"Oh, I am not worthy of such an honor great and venerable Xue-jin Mushi," Qian Khai responded. "I will endeavor to improve upon the work of my foolish predecessor."
"See that you do Khai Qian," the Xue-jin Mushi glared downward at him, "I am already filling three vacant offices today, a fourth would not be that difficult for me to fill with a warm body before its occupant grows cold."
"I understand your grace," Qiuan Khai returned to his earlier position prostrating on the floor, "at your leave I will go forth to learn the responsibilities of my new vocation and prove your judgement is infallible."
"Then begone from my sight sycophant," the Xue-jin Mushi shouted, "and know that the price of cleaning your spot off the floors of my chambers will be coming out of your next allotment."
"At once your grace," Qian Khai did as he was bid and exited the chamber trembling with both excitement at his newfound promotion as well as terror of both his near death and just what his new position entailed.
Meanwhile back inside the throne room the Xue-jin Mushi looked at the scroll in his hand and smiled like a shark, "Oh the profitable chaos you will cause for us, the great master will indeed be most pleased."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:41 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
Now that I finally had time to relax in the first place that I had called home since I was taken from Seattle I though back to all that I'd learned last night. There was apparently a lot more to this school that the Handmaiden of the Tao was to take me too than I first though, while part of me was warry about leaving the cave via a mystic path conjured by a cabal of warlocks and fallen deities, I knew that I needed to check this Whateley Academy place out for myself.
I also thought back to my meeting with the other maidens, while Bea seemed nice enough it was obvious that she had a lot to learn about how to interact with other people- I mean this girl brought a new meaning to the word sheltered. As for Randi, something told me that girl had a few secrets that she was keeping from us and given what we were going to be going up against that could be dangerous- after what I'd been through how could I trust someone who wasn't willing to trust me in turn. As for Iris- well I honestly didn't have anything against her, hell the girl had suffered her whole life being forced to unwillingly live a lie by someone who was way too much like the Merchants in my eyes, if only her family wasn't a part of that cabal of warlocks then I could see us being true friends at school- as is that was iffy.
"I know that look," Wukong Sun stated as she sidled on next to the stone bench where I'd been sitting still wearing her Kelly the monkey girl form, "lost in thought about the future and what you plan to do when the time comes. Man, if I had a yuan for every time I made that face before we came back with the sutras, then I'd have my own mountain of money as high as the mountain I used to rule."
"Then how would you deal with it," I asked with a huff, "I have to fix something that's been broken longer than my family name has existed and face who knows what in order to do it, and even before that I have to train with the left-hand of destiny herself before making a dangerous trek to the other side of the country while the Merchants throw Buddha only knows what at me. Tell me, how am I supposed to deal with this?"
"One step at a time Zhen-yu, one step at a time." Wukong Sun replied before stretching. "Fortunately, once you leave the Mountain States for the Midwest the Merchants won't be able to come after you directly, that is Erzebet Scratch's territory and she hates the Merchants with a passion. It won't stop mercenaries under contract like the Masterson Brothers from coming after you, but at least you shouldn't have to deal with anymore mystic or supernatural threats like last night."
"Too bad I can't depend on any of the others on my way to Whateley though," I muttered, "by the way just where is this school and the Medawahila Reservation exactly? I mean I heard that the school was in New England but where exactly is it?"
"New Hampshire- in the White Mountain just outside the town of Dunwitch," Wukong Sun explained, "besides you won't be coming back alone. Bladedancer will help you part of the way, and maybe Blizzard Wizard and Permafrost can help you out some too, by then you should be able to fix Ymir's Tear, so you may be able to get them to escort you part of the way. Something else might be able to pop up to help you too."
"What about you four?" I asked pointing out my laoshi, Bajie Zhu and Shengyan.
"Sorry kid but this Journey to the East is the second part of your trial, from the time you leave the Mountains to the time you arrive at the Medawahila Reservation none of the Members of the Northern Court or those tied to the Jade Heavens will be able to assist you. I'm sorry but that is what has been foretold, none related to the Court which they represent can assist one of the Cardinal Maidens until their trial is complete unless they are required by destiny itself. "
"Just consider yourself lucky that all you have to do once the Handmaiden of the Tao unlocks your ancestral qi is travel to the Medawahila Reservation. The Western Maiden is going to have to fully embrace both sides of her wolf spirit, the Eastern Maiden will have to save her uncle and help him break Dagon's Curse, and the Southern Maiden is going to have to rescue her mother as well as two others from a stronghold of the Cult of the Black Pharaoh whose location is still a mystery- comparatively speaking yours might be the easiest trial of them all."
"Oh, way to jinx it monkey girl," I threw up my hands in exasperation, "now there's no telling what I'm going to come across!"
6 years 2 months ago #47
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Rot Translations:
"Akshuly, you hab. Yu halpt strak at the Ofsadayun Cirkal, ond Modder Skrats ez awnd paart of the Cirkal. You keft Greyguz dodder hoztag fa yers, so Lawd Kalmsin levd yawr fad tp Modder Shrats."
"Actually, you have. You helped strike at the Obsidian Circle, and Mother Scratch is a part of the Circle. You kept Greygus's daughter hostage for years, so Lord Khamsin left your fate to Mother Scratch."
"Iv yu noh anayting aboud Erzabed Shrats yu woodend eben azg thad quashton. Yu worgd wit samwon tu huld hiz ked hoztage awnd psycologigly aubused tha ked for yers, I dond invee yawr chansays."
"If you know anything about Erzebet Scratch you wouldn't even ask that question. You worked with someone to hold his kid hostage and psychologically abused the kid for years, I don't envy your chances."
"Ahm nod a retawd," the figure state as he opened the slot on the doorway giving Lilian a glimpse of a member of the undead, "mie tong guzd dozend wawg ride."
"I'm not a retard, my tongue just doesn't work right."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 35 Notes
Rot Translations:
"Akshuly, you hab. Yu halpt strak at the Ofsadayun Cirkal, ond Modder Skrats ez awnd paart of the Cirkal. You keft Greyguz dodder hoztag fa yers, so Lawd Kalmsin levd yawr fad tp Modder Shrats."
"Actually, you have. You helped strike at the Obsidian Circle, and Mother Scratch is a part of the Circle. You kept Greygus's daughter hostage for years, so Lord Khamsin left your fate to Mother Scratch."
"Iv yu noh anayting aboud Erzabed Shrats yu woodend eben azg thad quashton. Yu worgd wit samwon tu huld hiz ked hoztage awnd psycologigly aubused tha ked for yers, I dond invee yawr chansays."
"If you know anything about Erzebet Scratch you wouldn't even ask that question. You worked with someone to hold his kid hostage and psychologically abused the kid for years, I don't envy your chances."
"Ahm nod a retawd," the figure state as he opened the slot on the doorway giving Lilian a glimpse of a member of the undead, "mie tong guzd dozend wawg ride."
"I'm not a retard, my tongue just doesn't work right."
6 years 1 month ago #48
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Outside Freedom Temple Church
Chicago, Illinois
11:56 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
I had to stop in my dash for freedom, despite the fact that the Knights of Purity were after me I was still recovering from the fact that little gangster wannabe Victor actually shot me. As things go I was relying way too much on adrenaline to substitute as a painkiller, and I knew that deep down the moment I calmed down I was going to be in agony- if I didn't go into shock from the pain alone.
Desperate from some reprieve from the pursuit I ducked in-between the Church's Dumpster and Recycling Collection Bin, breathing through my mouth to avoid the smell, thankfully it was Sunday and the good father like others in this part of the Windy City installed padlocks on the dumpsters to discourage both illegal dumping and vagrants from taking up residence inside. This meant that the trash from Wednesday Vespers had already been collected and anything from today's service had yet to be dumped, although that would change soon a little while after church services let out as the junior deacons came to dump out bags of discarded Eucharist cups, service programs, host wafer boxes and whatever else they collected from the sanctuary after service.
While it would have been a great idea for me to hide in the crowd of church goers leaving the building, I would have stood out in the crowd dressed as I was. Part of me cursed myself for grabbing my helmet and not my bag in my panicked run from the Knights. This not only meant that I lacked street clothes to conceal my rather conspicuous Maroon Maniacs gym suit, but that they also had my purse with my home address and ID inside meaning just hoping a bus back to Arlington Heights wasn't an option and neither was hoofing it over to the Westside to hideout at Granny Mertle's apartment.
I briefly looked at the church and considered charging in and demanding sanctuary, but the fact of the matter was that this was not a Catholic Church and they lacked the political clout necessary to do such a thing. Briefly shelving the idea of swinging back Northeast towards the University of Chicago Campus to do so at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, but decided against it, being in the center of a major university campus during semester on a weekend afternoon with finals approaching the area was bound to be packed with students and the chances of one having a cellphone to alert the MCO was good. Besides I wasn't catholic and after the incident in Hell's Kitchen last year the bishop may not be as ready to stick his neck out for me and if that was the case Saint Columbanus sixteen blocks to the southwest was also a no-go.
Rapidly running out of viable alternatives as well as adrenaline something that the pain in my left side confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Quickly running out of options I thought back to everyone I knew on the Westside, everyone who turned their backs on me out of either admiration or fear of the Coleman sisters. While I quickly ruled out those who admired and joined the Ally Vipers, that left those who likely shunned me out of fear over the pair- more specifically my ex-best friend Ramona Watts.
Ramona- given our personalities we shouldn't have gravitated towards each other like we did, but I guess that it came from the two of us having absent fathers, with my dad in the military and her's having dropped off the map to avoid paying child support. For years the two of us were thick as thieves, watching each other's backs through thick and thin.
At least that was how it was until April of Fifth Grade, all year everyone around us began to think of Middle School and out of fear abandoned their hopes and pledges to stay on the straight and narrow out of fear that if they didn't join one of the local gangs they'd be the victim of one. Around this time of every boy and girl at school scrambling to find a crew to latch onto the Coleman sisters began to eyeball me for membership in the Ally Vipers, fortunately while everyone else abandoned me, Ramona still had my back.
Although the Coleman sisters did their best to get her to leave me isolated and ripe for picking Ramona did her best to hold out in the face of their intimidation, but there always seemed to be this streak of fear to her. I never understood what it was, and I don't think that Ramona did either, it was just something that she could never explain or define, and every time she tried she'd just scratch her neck unconsciously.
Evidently the Coleman sisters' harassment got to be too much and three years ago to this day rather than Ramona meeting me out our lockers, I found a note inside from her letting me know that she could no longer be around me. It hurt like she had taken a knife to twist inside my guts that rather than tell me off in person, she'd break up our friendship with a slip of loose leaf telling me that I needed to stay away and that she no longer felt safe around me. Even after all these years that moment of betrayal hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced but right now such moments were in the past because the only lifeline in Chicago that I could think of that the Knights of Purity and the MCO wouldn't was Ramona Watts.
My new goal in mind I set out for my old neighborhood in Austin on the West Side, hoping that my estranged former friend would at least offer a port in the storm, because with the Knights of Purity after me my future was bleak. Noticing a bird that was flying by in slow motion, I smiled knowing that whatever power awakened within me was still working.
The moment when I had my helmet closed was when something weird happened, when I put my helmet back on the bird stopped, just like what happened between the first time Victor tried to shoot me and when I grabbed him. Knowing that time had stopped rather than slowed I looked myself over for anything that was different between now and when Victor shot me, I know that it couldn't have been the pain from the bullet wound, despite Shelly's handiwork in patching me up was now edging into my awareness.
The helmet also wasn't the answer to the question since I had still been wearing it when Victor shot me, and everything went slow-motion rather than full on stop like the first time, then the helmet was not the answer here. Taking a moment to inspect myself I saw that Shelly didn't just patch the hole Victor shot in me but also the hole in my suit- that girl's OCD was something else she never left a job part done.
Wait a minute, my suit did that have something to do with this? I looked down at my gym suit, heck it was nothing special, anyone could buy one this size at the campus store for thirty bucks, granted the University of Chicago seal and the Maroon Maniacs logo on the back where things unique to our group. Wait a moment, I shifted back into normal time the first time when I touched Victor, but I wasn't touching anything afterwards...or was I that was when I remembered Health class. According to my teacher air was never empty, it always had stuff in it alive or not, stuff like pollen, mold, bacteria, all kinds of things. That must be it my suit had worded like a filter keeping whatever was in the air from touching me directly so with the tears patched everything was standing still again.
Confident that I was safe I began to make my way Austin on foot, although I knew that this was going to suck. I mean I know that right now time was frozen, but this was a fifteen mile walk and I had just finished a parkour run, "Well it's not like I'm going to need to worry about traffic, streetlights or the Knights of Purification along the way." Stepping out from behind the dumpster and making sure to check my landmarks I got going towards the apartment where Ramona and her mom lived.
As I went I once again noticed that the colors around me began to fade first to sepia tone until I got up to Garfield Boulevard when everything turned as black and white as a tv program from the 1950s. The black and white world wasn't the only thing that I noticed about how the world around me had changed every once in a while, I saw things in the air, at first, they appeared to be blurred shapes but as I walked, and more color began to leech away from the world I could see them more clearly.
The first things that I noticed clearly were triangular-pyramids fliting through the air by seeming to change the surface area on their base end through a manner of expanding and contracting and slowing or turning by widening and holding certain surfaces. These pyramids were a muddy-mossy color and about the size of a milk crate and moved at a rate a little faster than that of a bird.
Every once in a while, these pyramids who stop near a person and point what I assumed was their head near them and feed off this blurry substance that had been partially obscuring them. Whatever these weird pyramids did seemed to make the people less blurry- as if they were cementing them into the world as they worked.
Soon as I walked, and everything got even paler I spotted another creature of this in between world... a sphere. At first from a distance it looked like a giant multi-colored sphere grayish, black sphere, and about as tall and wide as a dresser. Whatever this sphere was it moved in a way to looked like a part of it was pulled back, and then when that part sprung forwards again the rest of the body would follow through with it along the path of the sphere's intended momentum.
The spheres seemed to just cruise along until I saw that one of them noticed something that it apparently desired, it only took me a moment (or what now passed as one) to see what was the target of the sphere's interest and thus grant me a greater degree of insight into this hidden world that lay in between the ticks of a second hand. Seeming to zero in on one of the pyramids after it had finished feeding on the blurs around one of the currently motionless pedestrians, the sphere pulled it's far end back much further than before and as soon as the pyramid was clear of its food source launched at high speed opening a quad-hatch like mouth along the front of its body and in one swift motion swallowed the pyramid and slammed its mouth shut.
Once it was at rest once again the sphere seemed to squish and stretch, almost as if it was chewing up the pyramid inside it with its entire body before coming to rest once more hopefully sated. Yeah wherever this weird place was in-between moments was it was clear that this place wasn't empty it had an entire ecosystem at work, and I didn't want to find out if these spheres were willing to see if I was on the menu or if there was some larger predator out here that did see me as part of its possible diet.
Taking a moment to duck into a nearby ally, I peeled back part of the cuff of my left sleeve, exposing a piece of my skin and suddenly the world snapped back into color again. Taking a moment to replace roll my sleeve back down, I exited the ally on the other side to see that the world was still paused. That was when I settled into a routine along my journey to my old neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago, I'd walk until color faded from the world and then I'd duck out of sight and expose part of me to the open air occasionally seeing a person or animal moving in slow motion as I did.
After what seemed like two hours (as near as time mattered when it wasn't moving) of my long trek, I stopped to take a break and catch my breath, making sure to do my reset reality routine right before I sat down on some collapsed cardboard boxes in the alley behind a coffeehouse in Bridgeport. I only meant to stop for a moment, but I was exhausted and in that hidden spot I couldn't help dozing off.
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
12:01 PM
Gavin Jansen the Catcher of Knights of Purity Chicago Team 2 cursed himself for his failure, while their Field Commander and Shortstop Madison Amos was handling the paramedics of the scene to turn over the mutant for detainment. Here he was in a suit designed to catch fleeing mutants and this freak dodged him like he was nothing. At least Amos's attempts at handling the paramedic were still not going over well at all.
"Why didn't you have the suspect sedated," Amos glared at the paramedic, "you do know that you just aided and abetted in the escape of a potential danger to the entire city!?!"
"I was treating a gunshot victim, and I already did a GSR test while she was unconscious for the CSI's. The victim's hands were clean, meanwhile while you are spinning your wheels about someone who may or may not be a mutant there is a suspect in the area who is still armed and dangerous, not to mention has already shot one person." The paramedic on the scene responded as she stood her ground, "Now as I see it you power-armor jockeys have two options, you can go around on your wild goose chase or you can stick around and explain to the REAL police officers why you chased off their only suspect once they are done processing the scene over on Brynum Island."
"This is Audry Stone I have lost sight of the mutant- over." Their Runner explained over the com-unit, "I thought that I saw her a few blocks south of your location when she vanished, did anyone tag her with a tracer? -over."
"Negative," the Commanding Officer Holden Baxter explained over the coms from their drop ship, "Amos didn't get close enough and she was too fast for Jansen's launcher. -over."
"In all fairness sir I think that what we see of her might be an after-image," Jansen explained over the coms, "we still have no idea of this speedster's capabilities, and if she can dodge one of my trackers and outrun a Runner we might be dealing with a speed force-type. -over."
"Whoa, are you saying she might be a speedster/warper combo," Adam Navarro their Batter observed over the coms, "I always thought that those were super-rare."
"There is no room for conjecture and speculation in this operation," Baxter all but shouted over the coms lecturing us all in one go, "We will find that mutant, after the incidents in New York and Cincinnati the CEO is breathing down our necks, we can't afford to have a black mark against us in Chicago, after LA this is our biggest contract. Remember this must be done by the book we bring the suspect in and hand them over to the MCO, just like always. Now everyone, return to the drop ship, it's time to refit and recharge the suits while we go over our new intel."
"Roger I'll be by as soon as I confiscate samples from the paramedics." Amos explained.
"Wait, Madison don't." Audry called out over the coms.
"Stone you were ordered to return to the drop ship," Baxter stated from his command post, "Your suit's telemetry shows that you are not in motion, you will explain yourself at once!"
"A car with some suits just pulled up on the southern part of the park and none of them are our local liaisons with the MCO," Audry explained, "I think a local with the DPA is here."
"The DPA- I thought that red tape kept them from moving so fast!" Jansen stated as he saw the agent approaching from the south.
"Apparently their office got a budget boost after the MCO crackdowns recently, they also received some financial support from Axcel Incorporated, Gabriella Guzman, Amos Messing, and a whole slew of others," Baxter explained over the radio, "they may be a lot slower to respond than the MCO in most situations but considering how big a city Chicago is they probably have an agent on call."
"Ma'am I'm Agent Albert Jorgen with the Department of Paranormal Affairs, I was alerted by some concerned researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory about a disturbance in the area." Shooting a glare at Madison, Agent Jorgen continued, "judging by the presence of you lot I assume that a powered individual is involved."
"A mutant already fled the scene and we were about to pursue," Amos stated, "as soon as we secure bio samples that this individual refuses to surrender to see if the suspect in question might pose any additional risks to the community or have any possible needs that must be considered."
"Really, because according to the report that I was sent by the police department the child who you are referring to as a suspect is a middle-school student and a shooting victim, not to mention a potential witness in an active police investigation. Moreover, there is no direct evidence that the individual in question is actually a mutant, and given how the individual is neither suspect of any criminal activity or a confirmed threat to the community you are operating outside the bounds of your charter with the City of Chicago as well as coming dangerously close to exceeding the jurisdiction of your company's charter with the Department of Homeland Security."
"Now sir," Amos replied as she did her best working with the coaching that our corporate attorneys gave all of us for these situation, "we were only responding to an active situation to detain a powered individual as is allowed by our contract with the city of Chicago."
"That only pertains to situations when you are called on by the Chicago Police Department or City Hall, which my office will be contacting shortly. In the meantime, the status of this individual as a mutant will be determined soon, Axcel Incorporated is sending a mobile lab with a portable DNA-sequencer as we speak, we should have any news on if the victim possess an active Mutant Gene Complex within the hour." Agent Jorgan stood firm, "In the meantime unless you receive word from city hall you are to stand down, unless of course you would like me to obtain a subpoena for your armor to make certain that it's sonic blaster is operating within legal parameters; the law is very specific about the legal range for sonic weaponry after that incident in Cincinnati last year."
"Team stand down and return to drop ship to await further orders," Commander Baxter stated over the coms, "I'll call legal to see what they can do about fast-tracking a mobilization order from city hall, damned bureaucrats."
"Confirmed and returning to base," Amos responded over the coms, "we'll be back once the paperwork is ready, but be aware Agent Jorgen- once we do any further interference from your office will result in legal action against your agency."
"I don't respond well to threats Miss Amos, and your company isn't the only one cleared by the Department of Homeland Security to respond in these matters anymore," Jorgen removed his sunglasses to glare at Amos through her visor, "and my report about today will be filed with both the City of Chicago as well as the Department of Homeland Security with my recommendations for future actions. As is we are already reviewing your company's track record using data provided from Independent Sources, considering your relationship with the Mutant Commission Office- it is only prudent."
"Understood," Amos respond as she left for the retrieval cables dangling from their arriving dropship, somewhat bitter from the encounter. While bellow Agent Jorgen looked on with a smug sense of satisfaction over how his office was finally being given the financing and resources to do their job rather than outsourcing to private security companies with potentially questionable motives.
"Now that- that mess is taken care of- Miss Girard," Agent Jorgen stated as he stared at Brooke Girard's nametag, "I am going to need you to take a blood sample from any fabric that you have while it's still wet and have it ready for analysis as soon as the mobile lab arrives, as one of the CSI will be assisting a warrant will be unnecessary, the more facts that we have in this case the better your patient's chances are of avoiding any unfortunate circumstances."
"Understood sir," Brooke Girard complied with the agent taking out a cotton swab and working the bandages that she had removed from the girl earlier, "also these weren't applied by me, the young lady here is pre-med so I'm going to need a moment to take a DNA an elimination sample from her in case there are any transferred epithelial cells."
"I will and my department thanks you both for of your cooperation," Agent Jorgen stated as he stood back and let the EMT do her job.
Ally Behind Jackalope Coffee and Tea House
1:24 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I woke up to the sound of a broken bottle hitting the wall right behind me, I looked up to see a vagrant who clearly looked pissed. "Whater-you do'in in my spot, this is my spot get out'ta here." The man said pulling another empty glass bottle from what looked like a used paper grocery bag.
"Alright," I said as I slowly rose to my feet making sure to keep my hands visible and with the palms open in the universal symbol of I'm not armed so chill out, "I said as I collected myself there's no need for violence just let me..."
Clearly my attempt to back away without agitating him didn't work, "Aw-hell yer one of them aliens!" The vagrant showed as he broke the end of the liquor bottle that he was holding against the wall, "The Cong didn't take me alive and neither will some bug-eyed gray!"
As he charged me I tried to dodge out of the way of his slash with the broken glass bottle to disarm him when the cardboard box I was standing on slipped causing me to fall back into the pile where I accidentally fell asleep. Fortunately, this accidental fall also meant the self-proclaimed Vietnam vet missed me and only hit air, unfortunately I was now flat on my back with the feeling that I nearly popped my stitches when he changed his slash into a move to club me.
Once again, I was in danger and once again the world slowed to a stop, this time about four inches away from me getting hit by a broken vodka bottle. Carefully I crab-walked along the collapsed cardboard boxes carpeting the area until there was no danger of me getting cut or touching the man in case that is what snapped me back into the normal world- especially since I didn't want to agitate the man even more than he already was.
Making sure to avoid the man I exited the ally and took a moment to reorient myself, all the while thankful that for some reason the visor on my helmet hadn't gotten fogged up, as I once again set out towards the Austin neighborhood and the apartment where Ramona Watts lived with her mom. As I went once more the color began to fade from the world around me, although I was tempted to go back to my old routine part of me decided that I had enough distance between me and the Knights of Purity at the park to play with my powers a little.
For my first test I moved to return to the ally that I just walked out of, and to my surprise as I did so more and more color began to return to the world around me. "I was right back at the park, the further away I get from where I stop time the more I travel into that weird place where I was before, that's good to know. It also looks like stopping time is a reaction to danger, I guess that explains it, maybe I was also too close and too pissed off at Victor when I was yelling at him for it to work."
Satisfied by the first bit of information that I had about my powers, I decided to conduct at least one test before I resumed my trek. Returning over to as close as I could to where I had left time behind, I looked for something heavy which I found in the form of a loose chunk of concrete. Lifting it up at arm's length as best as I could, "Alright- here goes something," with that I let the piece of broken pavement fall- it made it about a foot maybe a foot and a half before it slowed to a stop like everything else in the world.
"So, I can interact with objects like this, just not living creatures- I guess that's interesting." Carefully I got the piece of concrete back in my grip again as I set out to create a distraction so that the homeless man who attacked me would look away, so he hopefully wouldn't notice how I'd just vanished before his eyes. I positioned the chunk of concrete about a little over a foot above the ground and let go, once again the chunk fell slowing as it did so until it hit the concrete, I was worried for a moment before all I heard was a click which meant that most of the noise would happened once time started again hopefully creating the distraction that I wanted.
That was enough experiments for the moment, satisfied I set out for real this time back towards the old neighborhood making sure to follow my old routine of ducking out of sight every once in a while, to expose a little skin before I went too far into that other world while switching from stop to slow-motion as I did. Granted that now I made sure to pop partway into the normal world every occasionally for a swig from a public water fountain, granted that it felt like it took forever.
I know that it was risky, but I felt that I had moved far away enough from the park for nobody to be looking for me. I guess that it also didn't hurt that despite what I was wearing being a little unusual to the casual observer all it was is a University of Chicago track suit, something that you could buy at just about any sporting goods or athletic store in the city, plus plenty of people go out and get exercise on Sunday afternoon- helmet notwithstanding. That and having to walk in slow motion by trying to match the same speed that I saw everyone else moving at, at least until I was out of sight so that hopefully I didn't stand out.
Granted that also because it was the afternoon and because I was starving, but without my billfold I opted to do something a little scummy. I slipped into Gino's East and after some creative gymnastics made my way to the back where they were taking leftover slices of deep dish that I presume were on their way to the trash, wrapped them in a paper towel that I stole from above the wash station and with my gray territory lunch in hand made my way a few blocks west sat down in an out of the way corner of the Chicago Common and chowed down.
While I did draw the occasional odd look from a few pedestrians, after all a person in a tracksuit eating deep dish was a little out of the ordinary, but the occasional: "Good afternoon!" or "Great weather today isn't it!" is usually enough to make the onlookers lose interest as they went about their own days, one hard lesson that I learned from my youth was the guiltier you looked- the more suspicious people became of you. On the other hand, if you are acting like there was nothing wrong, like you were just another person going about their day- they would just ignore you and go back to doing what they were doing. With my cheap as free lunch down which I swore to myself that I'd pay the folks at Gino's back later, despite the fact that I wasn't technically stealing food as it was on its way to the trash anyway; I got up and continued my journey but this time going a few blocks without my helmet on before ducking into an ally.
That was when I came to a realization, I didn't exactly know how to use my powers, all four times that I had just my powers I was in danger; granted the power to stop time was great but not if I needed to be in danger for it to work. I had to take a moment to thing, the first two time that I had used my powers were also the first and third times that Victor had shot at me first with a rifle and the second time after with a pistol after he had already wounded me with a glancing shot. The third time was after a member of the Knights of Purity tried to shoot something at me, and most recently when a vagrant attacked me with a broken glass bottle. Not one of those times had I used my ability without the presence of an outside factor, crap does this meant that it only worked when I was in danger or was there a way to control this problem?
"Hey, you that's a real nice suit, *C-LICK* you must have some nice green to go with it!" I spun on my heel to see that I was being mugged with by someone with a Baretta 96.
"I wish that I could go along with that, but really does it look like I have some place to keep cash on this thing," I replied hoping that the guy would give up once he saw that I didn't have anything that he wouldn't need to see a fence to unload.
"Too bad for you," the man stated as he took aim, "because if the situation is bad on me then it's worse on you, 'sides a body don't need a helmet or shoes." That was when we opened fire and for me time once again slowed to a stop.
"I really hope that I can find some way to do this without almost getting shot," I sighed as I backhanded the bullet to the ally floor, especially since I didn't want to risk a stray bullet hurt someone just walking by on the sidewalk. Although part of me walked to do something about the mugger- at least for now that was out of my hand; especially since I was trying to keep a low profile for the moment. Oh, what the hell, I grabbed a broken piece of metal from the ally that looked heavy enough and began to drop and reposition it over and over. Hopefully the noise would startle the mugger enough to turn around and ignore the fact that his victim disappeared into thin air, but just to be safe I also threw what looked like it had been a half-eaten apple at the back of his head.
With my distraction made, I left the alley behind me and continued my long trek to my old neighborhood in the Westside, not knowing just how Ramona or her mother would react to seeing me again, especially a me who had powers and was now on the run because of this fact. I pushed that to the back of my mind for the moment as I continued both my journey as well as my routine of bring on moments when I switch to slow-motion from stop for a to keep from going too far into that place outside of time.
For the most part it was smooth hiking toward my destination while maintaining my routine to pop briefly into slow motion to keep from going into the bizarre world outside of time. Once again, I kept up this routine until I finished crossing Douglass Park, that was when I began to have a feeling that I was being followed. I did my best to ignore those feelings and just keep pushing on towards my end goal, until it finally came time to cut across Garfield Park when I just felt like enough was enough.
After ducking behind some bushes to reset my odometer for lack of a better term, I decide to have a look around to see just what was following me. It was in this moment with the world fading into black and white that I saw a single point of tan and brown, somehow here outside the flow of time I was being followed and thus creeped out by a common squirrel.
Part of me wondered if I was just seeing things with the blood-loss from being shot, and the exhaustion from the ten miles that I had been walking while constantly phasing between what had to be two realities. Wanting to find out about the reality of the squirrel I reset my presence in the dimension once again by exposing my right wrist, only to see that the rodent was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief only to see something out of the corner of my eye- the squirrel was there on a park tree about a foot from my face staring at me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I jumped back out of shock, but the squirrel remained on that branch just looking at me with its twitchy little nose thinking who knew what given that it's brain was the size of my thumb at best. Taking a moment to calm down and glad that I didn't pop my stitches out when I jumped, I took a moment to look at the squirrel which was just that a common squirrel, the kind that you might see every once in a while, and was just...there doing squirrel things but here he was the only thing moving in the world besides me and although I couldn't tell for sure he was likely just as curious about me at the moment.
I pondered it for a moment but decided that whatever brought this squirrel to where it was in this gap between world that I could somehow use to travel outside the flow of time itself ultimately didn't really matter, I still had to reach Ramona's and hope that I could lay low there until I could reach out to someone for help- maybe Candace and her friends from their mysterious school. That's right, they probably reached out to rescue mutants trapped in this type of situation all the time, so they'd find someone to help save me from the Knights of Purity and the MCO.
As I thought and walked along I saw that the squirrel was following me as I went, probably because even though most animals were instinctively afraid of people I was the only thing in this place outside of time that it was familiar. I pretty much smiled at that fact, something my grandma Mertle taught me a long time ago, when it came to anything facing the unknown whatever was a familiar point of reference became a symbol of safety. I guess grandma's words of wisdom rang as true for animals as they did for people, plus for all I know this squirrel was used to being around people so who was I to judge.
"Well fuzz-butt," I called out to the rodent as we went, "I guess that we're in this together for now." If the squirrel actually understood me or not I didn't know as it just continued to regard me with a sense of animal curiosity while it followed me pausing every once in a while, for a mouthful of water from whatever available source there was while I continued to expose my wrist to avoid slipping to far into this parallel world I was currently using to travel.
After what seemed like forever, a matter that my body was more than willing to scream at me in confirmation. My feet, calves, knees, ankles, back, well my damned near everything was screaming at me to stop; I hate to say it, but I needed to do some endurance training and build up some stamina. The point of the matter was though I began to see landmarks that were familiar to me, the corner deli where everyone used to go for day old bread, the brownstone where Ecket Jenkins would always shake his cane at the delinquents roaming the streets, and that fire-hydrant with the dent in it where Leroy Pitts tried to open it to make a sprinkler for everyone to run through when we were all eight- all memories of the memories of the old neighborhood.
Now that I was here I followed my old instincts to when I used to come over to Ramona's after school because mom had a cleaning job to do from her company and didn't want me to be home alone. I proceeded to go to the office where the Watt's stashed their extra key to their apartment and went up to their place on the third floor. Opening the door carefully I went inside to find that it was far more depressing than I remembered, the whole place looked like it could use a little TLC, not that surprising Ramona's mother was a pro-bono accountant.
My surprise was so evident that I didn't even notice when I bumped into Ramona, ending my little jaunt through whatever dimension that was and returning to the normal flow of time. Naturally this act plus the subsequent appearance of an intruder in odd attire freaked Ramona out, "Wha-who are you? Are you what's been watching me? Or are you with the Rust Tic crew- I keep telling you I did what you asked, now leave me in peace and stay out of my head!"
"Mona," I said calling out my out my old nickname for her, "I'm not with anyone like that."
To further emphasize my point I removed my helmet, revealing to her just who was inside her place. "It's me D-Caf," I explained referring to my old nickname (a long boring story that that was totally not important in anyway what-so-ever so don't ask), "and I'm not here to start anything. Some nasty people are after me and I need someplace to mend that they likely won't think to look, besides you kind of owe me after leaving me open to the mercy of the Coleman sisters."
"Chandra, you don't get it, you can't stay here- they'll know," Ramona blurted out as she tried to shove me over to the door.
"Wait- who'll know," I stated somewhat confused at the whole exchange and my former friend's paranoia which was worse than it's ever been before.
"The Coleman sisters, they made it so that I had no choice but to push you away," Ramona blurted out in sheer frustration.
"What?" I all but shouted in disbelief, "How could they have done that, they were only part of a small gang whose territory wasn't even in the area where your apartment building is, even if they tried to start something there are three other gangs nearby who would have had them for breakfast."
"Not the Ally Vipers- the Coleman Sisters," Ramona stated in a hushed voice, "Darisha is a mutant and Natroya manifested too after you moved away."
"Yeah right," I scoffed at the concept until I considered what I had learned of mutants from Candace, "come to think of it that may explain why I agreed to that stupid gang initiation in the first place. But considering how normal they look they can't be too powerful. Wait a minute, they first showed up in the neighborhood after the Cloisters Raid, crap so they were folks made it past the Knights... then why are they still around if people know about them?"
"They are psychics, they use their power to make people trust them enough to tell them their deepest, darkest secrets and secure information- then from that moment on they have enough on you to make you do whatever they want or else they use that to destroy your life." Ramona explained growing more and more panicked as she talked scratching her neck as she was prone to do, "Darisha used her powers on my mom to get her to spill confidential information about her clients that if they leaked it would have caused her to lose her certification, it would have ruined her and put us out on the street inside a year- I had no choice but to do what they wanted."
"It probably also didn't hurt that she was probably magnifying your fear and anxiety as she was talking to you to make you do what they wanted without questioning anything," I observed stunning her with that bit of information, "Besides there are laws in place that protect people who have been psychically influenced as long as they undergo a screening, in fact they make any evidence that is obtained using such methods inadmissible in court- my mom's current employer is an attorney and I've been asking about laws relating to mutants ever since my friend Candace manifested."
I placed my hand on Ramona's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, "So just remember this, the Coleman sisters only real hold on you is the power that you give them. You know that they are mutants who use their powers to influence other people, that makes you more dangerous to them then they are to you. Although I'd just keep that bit of information as an ace-in-the-hole; if they influence other people like you say then they're empaths, not telepaths they won't be able to find out that you know about this until you use it on them. This would also rule out them being psychic- that only applies to mutants whose powers of the mind are more- varied."
This information struck Ramona like a bolt of lightning, and suddenly her fear began to evaporate, "Ugh, I can't believe it, all this time- all this time they were bluffing, and I fell for it. I let those assholes play me like a harmonica," that was when she hugged me for the first time in forever and said, "Thanks Chandra, you always knew what to say to make me feel better, I missed that."
"Anytime," I admitted while my fatigue was catching up with me, "meanwhile I need a bit of a safe harbor myself, I think I might have become a mutant earlier today and I need a place to hide from the Knights and recuperate."
"What?" Ramona stated as she was visibly shaken once again, "but why are they after you? And how do you know that they won't come to look for you here?"
"Few people outside our old neighborhood even know about how were friends, and those who do know about how we fell apart before middle school." I explained answering her second question, "As for the why...well that's a bit of a long story, I won't mind telling you later but if you don't mind I just walked from one end of Chicago to the other and I really need a shower and a nap."
Ramona accidentally took a sniff and then recoiled, "Yeah, that kind of a hike would do it, feel free to use the good stuff, somehow I don't think that mom would mind too much."
"Thanks Ramona," I smiled, "it's nice to know that some friendships aren't beyond fixing."
I left the room, somehow feeling that we would work our differences out. "Oh, and can you please get the first-aid kit out I'm probably going to need to change out a few bandages."
Knights of Purity Chicago Mobile Operations Center 2
University of Chicago Athletics Field
2:28 PM
Commander Holden Baxter had his ear to the phone and every minute he heard what Kadence Hunt said it made him smile wider and wider, he knew that the city was currently under negotiations to allow a similar service to their own to operate in Chicago given how they were under similar negotiation with the state government. This meant that if what happened this morning went reflected negatively on them it would affect those negotiations and in turn negatively affect the company who would blame him.
Fortunately, one of their secretaries from HQ just informed him of a police call of an assault that took place a few miles from Washington Park by a female whose description matched their female speedster, which their liaison with the Chicago PD relayed to them. Try as that bastard from the DPA might to protect this mutie, assault with powers trumped the charge of public use of powers for self-defense- Baxter knew that he had all the excuse that he needed as it invoked the emergency clause in their contract with the Greater Chicago area.
"Put your equipment back on, anti-speedster loadout," Baxter barked out over the com lines, "our runaway just attacked someone in the Heart of Chicago. We have been granted permission to pursue and detain." As Baxter turned off the com line he knew that this was going to be the best notch in his belt since the Cloister's Raid back when he was a Shortstop.
Energy Monitoring Room - Argonne National Laboratory
Lemont, Illinois
2:35 PM
Professor Jack Bing looked over the findings of his graduate intern Gab Cowen and student research assistant Dylan Hauser had ben cataloging and was growing more thrilled by the moment. "I can't believe that I actually lived to see the day, proper tachyon emissions and here in our own backyard."
"Not only that but the cause of them is mobile," Dylan explained pulling out the map charts of the events, "whatever caused the event began along a trail in Chicago's Washington Park, jumped over to Brynum Island, continued south along existing paths, then disappeared for a couple of hours. After reappearing the source exited the park and then began making periodic lesser ripples like the two southward motion events along walkable paths heading northwest by disappearing and reappearing a few city blocks at a time and almost always in side alleys, after this the cause disappeared somewhere in the Westside of Chicago."
"Whatever the cause of this matter is not only is it mobile it is intelligent, it is clearly reappearing out of public view." Gab stated as he looked over the maps, "it is clearly learning and knows to avoid public observation. "Do you think that this could be a powered individual, like a mutant or a dynamorph?"
"I doubt it," Professor Bing explained as he looked over the map, "when mutant teleporters use their powers like this the emissions are always characterized by dark matter emission not tachyon particles emissions, whatever this is skimming along a dimensional barrier like that of spacetime; although I wouldn't put it past a mutant devisor to try something like this I doubt that one would be so foolish to try an experiment of this sort in a major city with a contract with the Knights of Purity. No, I think that this might be something that hasn't been cataloged yet."
"In any case I'm going to need to do some fieldwork," the Professor explained as he got out of his chair, "Mister Cowen I am going to trust you to monitor things here at the lab, Mister Hauser I'm afraid that I'm going to need you with me in the field."
"Roger sir, I'll pack up the van," Dylan stated as he left the room.
"I'll do my best looking after things here sir," Gab promised before adding, "but all the same be careful out there, we still have no I'd what is causing these readings."
"Don't worry Mister Cowen, we're just going to be doing a little research in the field," Professor Bing explained, "we'll be alright."
Axcel Incorporated Mobile Lab - South Entrance of Washington Park
Chicago, Illinois
2:41 PM
Agent Albert Jorgen waited patiently outside of the mobile lab that Axcel Incorporated had sent over. Inside the lab two of Axcel's biochemical engineers were assisting one of the CSI forensics team in analyzing the samples taken from the park, mainly blood-samples of Chandra Defrank that were taken from the girl's clothing by the EMT.
It had already been well over an hour since they had begun, and someone with the police department had already informed him that the Knights of Purity had been mobilized under and assault claim that seemed dubious at best. This meant that the team inside was literally working while a life was on the line, given the Knights of Purity's reputation with mutant suspects, not to mention working relationship with the equally suspect Mutant Commission Office. While this meant that what was going on inside the lab itself was now even more vital, Agent Jorgen neglected to inform anyone in the lab about this development fearing that it would cause them to rush and risk tainting their work.
Finally, Investigator Liam Griffin stepped out of the lab with the findings from the samples the paramedic had obtained, "Well Investigator Griffin, what were the findings?" Agent Jorgen stated maintaining his professional ethic.
"Well I can't say for certain exactly what Chandra Defrank is however our analysis of her twenty-second chromosome clearly shows that she is not a mutant."
"And you are willing to testify to that before a judge?" Agent Jorgen inquired further.
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the blood samples that were collected from Chandra Defrank have no sign what-so-ever of the Mutant Gene Complex. Now were the complex present we would only be able to judge with a fifteen percent margin of error whether or not the complex was active, however without the complex's presence in the body we can testify before a judge that Chandra Defrank is not a mutant."
"That is one question out of the way," Agent Jorgen observed, "you file this information with your superiors at the police department in charge of the case, I need to call my own superiors, and the State Attorney's Office before Miss Defrank becomes a statistic."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 36
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Outside Freedom Temple Church
Chicago, Illinois
11:56 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
I had to stop in my dash for freedom, despite the fact that the Knights of Purity were after me I was still recovering from the fact that little gangster wannabe Victor actually shot me. As things go I was relying way too much on adrenaline to substitute as a painkiller, and I knew that deep down the moment I calmed down I was going to be in agony- if I didn't go into shock from the pain alone.
Desperate from some reprieve from the pursuit I ducked in-between the Church's Dumpster and Recycling Collection Bin, breathing through my mouth to avoid the smell, thankfully it was Sunday and the good father like others in this part of the Windy City installed padlocks on the dumpsters to discourage both illegal dumping and vagrants from taking up residence inside. This meant that the trash from Wednesday Vespers had already been collected and anything from today's service had yet to be dumped, although that would change soon a little while after church services let out as the junior deacons came to dump out bags of discarded Eucharist cups, service programs, host wafer boxes and whatever else they collected from the sanctuary after service.
While it would have been a great idea for me to hide in the crowd of church goers leaving the building, I would have stood out in the crowd dressed as I was. Part of me cursed myself for grabbing my helmet and not my bag in my panicked run from the Knights. This not only meant that I lacked street clothes to conceal my rather conspicuous Maroon Maniacs gym suit, but that they also had my purse with my home address and ID inside meaning just hoping a bus back to Arlington Heights wasn't an option and neither was hoofing it over to the Westside to hideout at Granny Mertle's apartment.
I briefly looked at the church and considered charging in and demanding sanctuary, but the fact of the matter was that this was not a Catholic Church and they lacked the political clout necessary to do such a thing. Briefly shelving the idea of swinging back Northeast towards the University of Chicago Campus to do so at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, but decided against it, being in the center of a major university campus during semester on a weekend afternoon with finals approaching the area was bound to be packed with students and the chances of one having a cellphone to alert the MCO was good. Besides I wasn't catholic and after the incident in Hell's Kitchen last year the bishop may not be as ready to stick his neck out for me and if that was the case Saint Columbanus sixteen blocks to the southwest was also a no-go.
Rapidly running out of viable alternatives as well as adrenaline something that the pain in my left side confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Quickly running out of options I thought back to everyone I knew on the Westside, everyone who turned their backs on me out of either admiration or fear of the Coleman sisters. While I quickly ruled out those who admired and joined the Ally Vipers, that left those who likely shunned me out of fear over the pair- more specifically my ex-best friend Ramona Watts.
Ramona- given our personalities we shouldn't have gravitated towards each other like we did, but I guess that it came from the two of us having absent fathers, with my dad in the military and her's having dropped off the map to avoid paying child support. For years the two of us were thick as thieves, watching each other's backs through thick and thin.
At least that was how it was until April of Fifth Grade, all year everyone around us began to think of Middle School and out of fear abandoned their hopes and pledges to stay on the straight and narrow out of fear that if they didn't join one of the local gangs they'd be the victim of one. Around this time of every boy and girl at school scrambling to find a crew to latch onto the Coleman sisters began to eyeball me for membership in the Ally Vipers, fortunately while everyone else abandoned me, Ramona still had my back.
Although the Coleman sisters did their best to get her to leave me isolated and ripe for picking Ramona did her best to hold out in the face of their intimidation, but there always seemed to be this streak of fear to her. I never understood what it was, and I don't think that Ramona did either, it was just something that she could never explain or define, and every time she tried she'd just scratch her neck unconsciously.
Evidently the Coleman sisters' harassment got to be too much and three years ago to this day rather than Ramona meeting me out our lockers, I found a note inside from her letting me know that she could no longer be around me. It hurt like she had taken a knife to twist inside my guts that rather than tell me off in person, she'd break up our friendship with a slip of loose leaf telling me that I needed to stay away and that she no longer felt safe around me. Even after all these years that moment of betrayal hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced but right now such moments were in the past because the only lifeline in Chicago that I could think of that the Knights of Purity and the MCO wouldn't was Ramona Watts.
My new goal in mind I set out for my old neighborhood in Austin on the West Side, hoping that my estranged former friend would at least offer a port in the storm, because with the Knights of Purity after me my future was bleak. Noticing a bird that was flying by in slow motion, I smiled knowing that whatever power awakened within me was still working.
The moment when I had my helmet closed was when something weird happened, when I put my helmet back on the bird stopped, just like what happened between the first time Victor tried to shoot me and when I grabbed him. Knowing that time had stopped rather than slowed I looked myself over for anything that was different between now and when Victor shot me, I know that it couldn't have been the pain from the bullet wound, despite Shelly's handiwork in patching me up was now edging into my awareness.
The helmet also wasn't the answer to the question since I had still been wearing it when Victor shot me, and everything went slow-motion rather than full on stop like the first time, then the helmet was not the answer here. Taking a moment to inspect myself I saw that Shelly didn't just patch the hole Victor shot in me but also the hole in my suit- that girl's OCD was something else she never left a job part done.
Wait a minute, my suit did that have something to do with this? I looked down at my gym suit, heck it was nothing special, anyone could buy one this size at the campus store for thirty bucks, granted the University of Chicago seal and the Maroon Maniacs logo on the back where things unique to our group. Wait a moment, I shifted back into normal time the first time when I touched Victor, but I wasn't touching anything afterwards...or was I that was when I remembered Health class. According to my teacher air was never empty, it always had stuff in it alive or not, stuff like pollen, mold, bacteria, all kinds of things. That must be it my suit had worded like a filter keeping whatever was in the air from touching me directly so with the tears patched everything was standing still again.
Confident that I was safe I began to make my way Austin on foot, although I knew that this was going to suck. I mean I know that right now time was frozen, but this was a fifteen mile walk and I had just finished a parkour run, "Well it's not like I'm going to need to worry about traffic, streetlights or the Knights of Purification along the way." Stepping out from behind the dumpster and making sure to check my landmarks I got going towards the apartment where Ramona and her mom lived.
As I went I once again noticed that the colors around me began to fade first to sepia tone until I got up to Garfield Boulevard when everything turned as black and white as a tv program from the 1950s. The black and white world wasn't the only thing that I noticed about how the world around me had changed every once in a while, I saw things in the air, at first, they appeared to be blurred shapes but as I walked, and more color began to leech away from the world I could see them more clearly.
The first things that I noticed clearly were triangular-pyramids fliting through the air by seeming to change the surface area on their base end through a manner of expanding and contracting and slowing or turning by widening and holding certain surfaces. These pyramids were a muddy-mossy color and about the size of a milk crate and moved at a rate a little faster than that of a bird.
Every once in a while, these pyramids who stop near a person and point what I assumed was their head near them and feed off this blurry substance that had been partially obscuring them. Whatever these weird pyramids did seemed to make the people less blurry- as if they were cementing them into the world as they worked.
Soon as I walked, and everything got even paler I spotted another creature of this in between world... a sphere. At first from a distance it looked like a giant multi-colored sphere grayish, black sphere, and about as tall and wide as a dresser. Whatever this sphere was it moved in a way to looked like a part of it was pulled back, and then when that part sprung forwards again the rest of the body would follow through with it along the path of the sphere's intended momentum.
The spheres seemed to just cruise along until I saw that one of them noticed something that it apparently desired, it only took me a moment (or what now passed as one) to see what was the target of the sphere's interest and thus grant me a greater degree of insight into this hidden world that lay in between the ticks of a second hand. Seeming to zero in on one of the pyramids after it had finished feeding on the blurs around one of the currently motionless pedestrians, the sphere pulled it's far end back much further than before and as soon as the pyramid was clear of its food source launched at high speed opening a quad-hatch like mouth along the front of its body and in one swift motion swallowed the pyramid and slammed its mouth shut.
Once it was at rest once again the sphere seemed to squish and stretch, almost as if it was chewing up the pyramid inside it with its entire body before coming to rest once more hopefully sated. Yeah wherever this weird place was in-between moments was it was clear that this place wasn't empty it had an entire ecosystem at work, and I didn't want to find out if these spheres were willing to see if I was on the menu or if there was some larger predator out here that did see me as part of its possible diet.
Taking a moment to duck into a nearby ally, I peeled back part of the cuff of my left sleeve, exposing a piece of my skin and suddenly the world snapped back into color again. Taking a moment to replace roll my sleeve back down, I exited the ally on the other side to see that the world was still paused. That was when I settled into a routine along my journey to my old neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago, I'd walk until color faded from the world and then I'd duck out of sight and expose part of me to the open air occasionally seeing a person or animal moving in slow motion as I did.
After what seemed like two hours (as near as time mattered when it wasn't moving) of my long trek, I stopped to take a break and catch my breath, making sure to do my reset reality routine right before I sat down on some collapsed cardboard boxes in the alley behind a coffeehouse in Bridgeport. I only meant to stop for a moment, but I was exhausted and in that hidden spot I couldn't help dozing off.
Washington Park - South of Brynum Island
12:01 PM
Gavin Jansen the Catcher of Knights of Purity Chicago Team 2 cursed himself for his failure, while their Field Commander and Shortstop Madison Amos was handling the paramedics of the scene to turn over the mutant for detainment. Here he was in a suit designed to catch fleeing mutants and this freak dodged him like he was nothing. At least Amos's attempts at handling the paramedic were still not going over well at all.
"Why didn't you have the suspect sedated," Amos glared at the paramedic, "you do know that you just aided and abetted in the escape of a potential danger to the entire city!?!"
"I was treating a gunshot victim, and I already did a GSR test while she was unconscious for the CSI's. The victim's hands were clean, meanwhile while you are spinning your wheels about someone who may or may not be a mutant there is a suspect in the area who is still armed and dangerous, not to mention has already shot one person." The paramedic on the scene responded as she stood her ground, "Now as I see it you power-armor jockeys have two options, you can go around on your wild goose chase or you can stick around and explain to the REAL police officers why you chased off their only suspect once they are done processing the scene over on Brynum Island."
"This is Audry Stone I have lost sight of the mutant- over." Their Runner explained over the com-unit, "I thought that I saw her a few blocks south of your location when she vanished, did anyone tag her with a tracer? -over."
"Negative," the Commanding Officer Holden Baxter explained over the coms from their drop ship, "Amos didn't get close enough and she was too fast for Jansen's launcher. -over."
"In all fairness sir I think that what we see of her might be an after-image," Jansen explained over the coms, "we still have no idea of this speedster's capabilities, and if she can dodge one of my trackers and outrun a Runner we might be dealing with a speed force-type. -over."
"Whoa, are you saying she might be a speedster/warper combo," Adam Navarro their Batter observed over the coms, "I always thought that those were super-rare."
"There is no room for conjecture and speculation in this operation," Baxter all but shouted over the coms lecturing us all in one go, "We will find that mutant, after the incidents in New York and Cincinnati the CEO is breathing down our necks, we can't afford to have a black mark against us in Chicago, after LA this is our biggest contract. Remember this must be done by the book we bring the suspect in and hand them over to the MCO, just like always. Now everyone, return to the drop ship, it's time to refit and recharge the suits while we go over our new intel."
"Roger I'll be by as soon as I confiscate samples from the paramedics." Amos explained.
"Wait, Madison don't." Audry called out over the coms.
"Stone you were ordered to return to the drop ship," Baxter stated from his command post, "Your suit's telemetry shows that you are not in motion, you will explain yourself at once!"
"A car with some suits just pulled up on the southern part of the park and none of them are our local liaisons with the MCO," Audry explained, "I think a local with the DPA is here."
"The DPA- I thought that red tape kept them from moving so fast!" Jansen stated as he saw the agent approaching from the south.
"Apparently their office got a budget boost after the MCO crackdowns recently, they also received some financial support from Axcel Incorporated, Gabriella Guzman, Amos Messing, and a whole slew of others," Baxter explained over the radio, "they may be a lot slower to respond than the MCO in most situations but considering how big a city Chicago is they probably have an agent on call."
"Ma'am I'm Agent Albert Jorgen with the Department of Paranormal Affairs, I was alerted by some concerned researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory about a disturbance in the area." Shooting a glare at Madison, Agent Jorgen continued, "judging by the presence of you lot I assume that a powered individual is involved."
"A mutant already fled the scene and we were about to pursue," Amos stated, "as soon as we secure bio samples that this individual refuses to surrender to see if the suspect in question might pose any additional risks to the community or have any possible needs that must be considered."
"Really, because according to the report that I was sent by the police department the child who you are referring to as a suspect is a middle-school student and a shooting victim, not to mention a potential witness in an active police investigation. Moreover, there is no direct evidence that the individual in question is actually a mutant, and given how the individual is neither suspect of any criminal activity or a confirmed threat to the community you are operating outside the bounds of your charter with the City of Chicago as well as coming dangerously close to exceeding the jurisdiction of your company's charter with the Department of Homeland Security."
"Now sir," Amos replied as she did her best working with the coaching that our corporate attorneys gave all of us for these situation, "we were only responding to an active situation to detain a powered individual as is allowed by our contract with the city of Chicago."
"That only pertains to situations when you are called on by the Chicago Police Department or City Hall, which my office will be contacting shortly. In the meantime, the status of this individual as a mutant will be determined soon, Axcel Incorporated is sending a mobile lab with a portable DNA-sequencer as we speak, we should have any news on if the victim possess an active Mutant Gene Complex within the hour." Agent Jorgan stood firm, "In the meantime unless you receive word from city hall you are to stand down, unless of course you would like me to obtain a subpoena for your armor to make certain that it's sonic blaster is operating within legal parameters; the law is very specific about the legal range for sonic weaponry after that incident in Cincinnati last year."
"Team stand down and return to drop ship to await further orders," Commander Baxter stated over the coms, "I'll call legal to see what they can do about fast-tracking a mobilization order from city hall, damned bureaucrats."
"Confirmed and returning to base," Amos responded over the coms, "we'll be back once the paperwork is ready, but be aware Agent Jorgen- once we do any further interference from your office will result in legal action against your agency."
"I don't respond well to threats Miss Amos, and your company isn't the only one cleared by the Department of Homeland Security to respond in these matters anymore," Jorgen removed his sunglasses to glare at Amos through her visor, "and my report about today will be filed with both the City of Chicago as well as the Department of Homeland Security with my recommendations for future actions. As is we are already reviewing your company's track record using data provided from Independent Sources, considering your relationship with the Mutant Commission Office- it is only prudent."
"Understood," Amos respond as she left for the retrieval cables dangling from their arriving dropship, somewhat bitter from the encounter. While bellow Agent Jorgen looked on with a smug sense of satisfaction over how his office was finally being given the financing and resources to do their job rather than outsourcing to private security companies with potentially questionable motives.
"Now that- that mess is taken care of- Miss Girard," Agent Jorgen stated as he stared at Brooke Girard's nametag, "I am going to need you to take a blood sample from any fabric that you have while it's still wet and have it ready for analysis as soon as the mobile lab arrives, as one of the CSI will be assisting a warrant will be unnecessary, the more facts that we have in this case the better your patient's chances are of avoiding any unfortunate circumstances."
"Understood sir," Brooke Girard complied with the agent taking out a cotton swab and working the bandages that she had removed from the girl earlier, "also these weren't applied by me, the young lady here is pre-med so I'm going to need a moment to take a DNA an elimination sample from her in case there are any transferred epithelial cells."
"I will and my department thanks you both for of your cooperation," Agent Jorgen stated as he stood back and let the EMT do her job.
Ally Behind Jackalope Coffee and Tea House
1:24 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
I woke up to the sound of a broken bottle hitting the wall right behind me, I looked up to see a vagrant who clearly looked pissed. "Whater-you do'in in my spot, this is my spot get out'ta here." The man said pulling another empty glass bottle from what looked like a used paper grocery bag.
"Alright," I said as I slowly rose to my feet making sure to keep my hands visible and with the palms open in the universal symbol of I'm not armed so chill out, "I said as I collected myself there's no need for violence just let me..."
Clearly my attempt to back away without agitating him didn't work, "Aw-hell yer one of them aliens!" The vagrant showed as he broke the end of the liquor bottle that he was holding against the wall, "The Cong didn't take me alive and neither will some bug-eyed gray!"
As he charged me I tried to dodge out of the way of his slash with the broken glass bottle to disarm him when the cardboard box I was standing on slipped causing me to fall back into the pile where I accidentally fell asleep. Fortunately, this accidental fall also meant the self-proclaimed Vietnam vet missed me and only hit air, unfortunately I was now flat on my back with the feeling that I nearly popped my stitches when he changed his slash into a move to club me.
Once again, I was in danger and once again the world slowed to a stop, this time about four inches away from me getting hit by a broken vodka bottle. Carefully I crab-walked along the collapsed cardboard boxes carpeting the area until there was no danger of me getting cut or touching the man in case that is what snapped me back into the normal world- especially since I didn't want to agitate the man even more than he already was.
Making sure to avoid the man I exited the ally and took a moment to reorient myself, all the while thankful that for some reason the visor on my helmet hadn't gotten fogged up, as I once again set out towards the Austin neighborhood and the apartment where Ramona Watts lived with her mom. As I went once more the color began to fade from the world around me, although I was tempted to go back to my old routine part of me decided that I had enough distance between me and the Knights of Purity at the park to play with my powers a little.
For my first test I moved to return to the ally that I just walked out of, and to my surprise as I did so more and more color began to return to the world around me. "I was right back at the park, the further away I get from where I stop time the more I travel into that weird place where I was before, that's good to know. It also looks like stopping time is a reaction to danger, I guess that explains it, maybe I was also too close and too pissed off at Victor when I was yelling at him for it to work."
Satisfied by the first bit of information that I had about my powers, I decided to conduct at least one test before I resumed my trek. Returning over to as close as I could to where I had left time behind, I looked for something heavy which I found in the form of a loose chunk of concrete. Lifting it up at arm's length as best as I could, "Alright- here goes something," with that I let the piece of broken pavement fall- it made it about a foot maybe a foot and a half before it slowed to a stop like everything else in the world.
"So, I can interact with objects like this, just not living creatures- I guess that's interesting." Carefully I got the piece of concrete back in my grip again as I set out to create a distraction so that the homeless man who attacked me would look away, so he hopefully wouldn't notice how I'd just vanished before his eyes. I positioned the chunk of concrete about a little over a foot above the ground and let go, once again the chunk fell slowing as it did so until it hit the concrete, I was worried for a moment before all I heard was a click which meant that most of the noise would happened once time started again hopefully creating the distraction that I wanted.
That was enough experiments for the moment, satisfied I set out for real this time back towards the old neighborhood making sure to follow my old routine of ducking out of sight every once in a while, to expose a little skin before I went too far into that other world while switching from stop to slow-motion as I did. Granted that now I made sure to pop partway into the normal world every occasionally for a swig from a public water fountain, granted that it felt like it took forever.
I know that it was risky, but I felt that I had moved far away enough from the park for nobody to be looking for me. I guess that it also didn't hurt that despite what I was wearing being a little unusual to the casual observer all it was is a University of Chicago track suit, something that you could buy at just about any sporting goods or athletic store in the city, plus plenty of people go out and get exercise on Sunday afternoon- helmet notwithstanding. That and having to walk in slow motion by trying to match the same speed that I saw everyone else moving at, at least until I was out of sight so that hopefully I didn't stand out.
Granted that also because it was the afternoon and because I was starving, but without my billfold I opted to do something a little scummy. I slipped into Gino's East and after some creative gymnastics made my way to the back where they were taking leftover slices of deep dish that I presume were on their way to the trash, wrapped them in a paper towel that I stole from above the wash station and with my gray territory lunch in hand made my way a few blocks west sat down in an out of the way corner of the Chicago Common and chowed down.
While I did draw the occasional odd look from a few pedestrians, after all a person in a tracksuit eating deep dish was a little out of the ordinary, but the occasional: "Good afternoon!" or "Great weather today isn't it!" is usually enough to make the onlookers lose interest as they went about their own days, one hard lesson that I learned from my youth was the guiltier you looked- the more suspicious people became of you. On the other hand, if you are acting like there was nothing wrong, like you were just another person going about their day- they would just ignore you and go back to doing what they were doing. With my cheap as free lunch down which I swore to myself that I'd pay the folks at Gino's back later, despite the fact that I wasn't technically stealing food as it was on its way to the trash anyway; I got up and continued my journey but this time going a few blocks without my helmet on before ducking into an ally.
That was when I came to a realization, I didn't exactly know how to use my powers, all four times that I had just my powers I was in danger; granted the power to stop time was great but not if I needed to be in danger for it to work. I had to take a moment to thing, the first two time that I had used my powers were also the first and third times that Victor had shot at me first with a rifle and the second time after with a pistol after he had already wounded me with a glancing shot. The third time was after a member of the Knights of Purity tried to shoot something at me, and most recently when a vagrant attacked me with a broken glass bottle. Not one of those times had I used my ability without the presence of an outside factor, crap does this meant that it only worked when I was in danger or was there a way to control this problem?
"Hey, you that's a real nice suit, *C-LICK* you must have some nice green to go with it!" I spun on my heel to see that I was being mugged with by someone with a Baretta 96.
"I wish that I could go along with that, but really does it look like I have some place to keep cash on this thing," I replied hoping that the guy would give up once he saw that I didn't have anything that he wouldn't need to see a fence to unload.
"Too bad for you," the man stated as he took aim, "because if the situation is bad on me then it's worse on you, 'sides a body don't need a helmet or shoes." That was when we opened fire and for me time once again slowed to a stop.
"I really hope that I can find some way to do this without almost getting shot," I sighed as I backhanded the bullet to the ally floor, especially since I didn't want to risk a stray bullet hurt someone just walking by on the sidewalk. Although part of me walked to do something about the mugger- at least for now that was out of my hand; especially since I was trying to keep a low profile for the moment. Oh, what the hell, I grabbed a broken piece of metal from the ally that looked heavy enough and began to drop and reposition it over and over. Hopefully the noise would startle the mugger enough to turn around and ignore the fact that his victim disappeared into thin air, but just to be safe I also threw what looked like it had been a half-eaten apple at the back of his head.
With my distraction made, I left the alley behind me and continued my long trek to my old neighborhood in the Westside, not knowing just how Ramona or her mother would react to seeing me again, especially a me who had powers and was now on the run because of this fact. I pushed that to the back of my mind for the moment as I continued both my journey as well as my routine of bring on moments when I switch to slow-motion from stop for a to keep from going too far into that place outside of time.
For the most part it was smooth hiking toward my destination while maintaining my routine to pop briefly into slow motion to keep from going into the bizarre world outside of time. Once again, I kept up this routine until I finished crossing Douglass Park, that was when I began to have a feeling that I was being followed. I did my best to ignore those feelings and just keep pushing on towards my end goal, until it finally came time to cut across Garfield Park when I just felt like enough was enough.
After ducking behind some bushes to reset my odometer for lack of a better term, I decide to have a look around to see just what was following me. It was in this moment with the world fading into black and white that I saw a single point of tan and brown, somehow here outside the flow of time I was being followed and thus creeped out by a common squirrel.
Part of me wondered if I was just seeing things with the blood-loss from being shot, and the exhaustion from the ten miles that I had been walking while constantly phasing between what had to be two realities. Wanting to find out about the reality of the squirrel I reset my presence in the dimension once again by exposing my right wrist, only to see that the rodent was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief only to see something out of the corner of my eye- the squirrel was there on a park tree about a foot from my face staring at me.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I jumped back out of shock, but the squirrel remained on that branch just looking at me with its twitchy little nose thinking who knew what given that it's brain was the size of my thumb at best. Taking a moment to calm down and glad that I didn't pop my stitches out when I jumped, I took a moment to look at the squirrel which was just that a common squirrel, the kind that you might see every once in a while, and was just...there doing squirrel things but here he was the only thing moving in the world besides me and although I couldn't tell for sure he was likely just as curious about me at the moment.
I pondered it for a moment but decided that whatever brought this squirrel to where it was in this gap between world that I could somehow use to travel outside the flow of time itself ultimately didn't really matter, I still had to reach Ramona's and hope that I could lay low there until I could reach out to someone for help- maybe Candace and her friends from their mysterious school. That's right, they probably reached out to rescue mutants trapped in this type of situation all the time, so they'd find someone to help save me from the Knights of Purity and the MCO.
As I thought and walked along I saw that the squirrel was following me as I went, probably because even though most animals were instinctively afraid of people I was the only thing in this place outside of time that it was familiar. I pretty much smiled at that fact, something my grandma Mertle taught me a long time ago, when it came to anything facing the unknown whatever was a familiar point of reference became a symbol of safety. I guess grandma's words of wisdom rang as true for animals as they did for people, plus for all I know this squirrel was used to being around people so who was I to judge.
"Well fuzz-butt," I called out to the rodent as we went, "I guess that we're in this together for now." If the squirrel actually understood me or not I didn't know as it just continued to regard me with a sense of animal curiosity while it followed me pausing every once in a while, for a mouthful of water from whatever available source there was while I continued to expose my wrist to avoid slipping to far into this parallel world I was currently using to travel.
After what seemed like forever, a matter that my body was more than willing to scream at me in confirmation. My feet, calves, knees, ankles, back, well my damned near everything was screaming at me to stop; I hate to say it, but I needed to do some endurance training and build up some stamina. The point of the matter was though I began to see landmarks that were familiar to me, the corner deli where everyone used to go for day old bread, the brownstone where Ecket Jenkins would always shake his cane at the delinquents roaming the streets, and that fire-hydrant with the dent in it where Leroy Pitts tried to open it to make a sprinkler for everyone to run through when we were all eight- all memories of the memories of the old neighborhood.
Now that I was here I followed my old instincts to when I used to come over to Ramona's after school because mom had a cleaning job to do from her company and didn't want me to be home alone. I proceeded to go to the office where the Watt's stashed their extra key to their apartment and went up to their place on the third floor. Opening the door carefully I went inside to find that it was far more depressing than I remembered, the whole place looked like it could use a little TLC, not that surprising Ramona's mother was a pro-bono accountant.
My surprise was so evident that I didn't even notice when I bumped into Ramona, ending my little jaunt through whatever dimension that was and returning to the normal flow of time. Naturally this act plus the subsequent appearance of an intruder in odd attire freaked Ramona out, "Wha-who are you? Are you what's been watching me? Or are you with the Rust Tic crew- I keep telling you I did what you asked, now leave me in peace and stay out of my head!"
"Mona," I said calling out my out my old nickname for her, "I'm not with anyone like that."
To further emphasize my point I removed my helmet, revealing to her just who was inside her place. "It's me D-Caf," I explained referring to my old nickname (a long boring story that that was totally not important in anyway what-so-ever so don't ask), "and I'm not here to start anything. Some nasty people are after me and I need someplace to mend that they likely won't think to look, besides you kind of owe me after leaving me open to the mercy of the Coleman sisters."
"Chandra, you don't get it, you can't stay here- they'll know," Ramona blurted out as she tried to shove me over to the door.
"Wait- who'll know," I stated somewhat confused at the whole exchange and my former friend's paranoia which was worse than it's ever been before.
"The Coleman sisters, they made it so that I had no choice but to push you away," Ramona blurted out in sheer frustration.
"What?" I all but shouted in disbelief, "How could they have done that, they were only part of a small gang whose territory wasn't even in the area where your apartment building is, even if they tried to start something there are three other gangs nearby who would have had them for breakfast."
"Not the Ally Vipers- the Coleman Sisters," Ramona stated in a hushed voice, "Darisha is a mutant and Natroya manifested too after you moved away."
"Yeah right," I scoffed at the concept until I considered what I had learned of mutants from Candace, "come to think of it that may explain why I agreed to that stupid gang initiation in the first place. But considering how normal they look they can't be too powerful. Wait a minute, they first showed up in the neighborhood after the Cloisters Raid, crap so they were folks made it past the Knights... then why are they still around if people know about them?"
"They are psychics, they use their power to make people trust them enough to tell them their deepest, darkest secrets and secure information- then from that moment on they have enough on you to make you do whatever they want or else they use that to destroy your life." Ramona explained growing more and more panicked as she talked scratching her neck as she was prone to do, "Darisha used her powers on my mom to get her to spill confidential information about her clients that if they leaked it would have caused her to lose her certification, it would have ruined her and put us out on the street inside a year- I had no choice but to do what they wanted."
"It probably also didn't hurt that she was probably magnifying your fear and anxiety as she was talking to you to make you do what they wanted without questioning anything," I observed stunning her with that bit of information, "Besides there are laws in place that protect people who have been psychically influenced as long as they undergo a screening, in fact they make any evidence that is obtained using such methods inadmissible in court- my mom's current employer is an attorney and I've been asking about laws relating to mutants ever since my friend Candace manifested."
I placed my hand on Ramona's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, "So just remember this, the Coleman sisters only real hold on you is the power that you give them. You know that they are mutants who use their powers to influence other people, that makes you more dangerous to them then they are to you. Although I'd just keep that bit of information as an ace-in-the-hole; if they influence other people like you say then they're empaths, not telepaths they won't be able to find out that you know about this until you use it on them. This would also rule out them being psychic- that only applies to mutants whose powers of the mind are more- varied."
This information struck Ramona like a bolt of lightning, and suddenly her fear began to evaporate, "Ugh, I can't believe it, all this time- all this time they were bluffing, and I fell for it. I let those assholes play me like a harmonica," that was when she hugged me for the first time in forever and said, "Thanks Chandra, you always knew what to say to make me feel better, I missed that."
"Anytime," I admitted while my fatigue was catching up with me, "meanwhile I need a bit of a safe harbor myself, I think I might have become a mutant earlier today and I need a place to hide from the Knights and recuperate."
"What?" Ramona stated as she was visibly shaken once again, "but why are they after you? And how do you know that they won't come to look for you here?"
"Few people outside our old neighborhood even know about how were friends, and those who do know about how we fell apart before middle school." I explained answering her second question, "As for the why...well that's a bit of a long story, I won't mind telling you later but if you don't mind I just walked from one end of Chicago to the other and I really need a shower and a nap."
Ramona accidentally took a sniff and then recoiled, "Yeah, that kind of a hike would do it, feel free to use the good stuff, somehow I don't think that mom would mind too much."
"Thanks Ramona," I smiled, "it's nice to know that some friendships aren't beyond fixing."
I left the room, somehow feeling that we would work our differences out. "Oh, and can you please get the first-aid kit out I'm probably going to need to change out a few bandages."
Knights of Purity Chicago Mobile Operations Center 2
University of Chicago Athletics Field
2:28 PM
Commander Holden Baxter had his ear to the phone and every minute he heard what Kadence Hunt said it made him smile wider and wider, he knew that the city was currently under negotiations to allow a similar service to their own to operate in Chicago given how they were under similar negotiation with the state government. This meant that if what happened this morning went reflected negatively on them it would affect those negotiations and in turn negatively affect the company who would blame him.
Fortunately, one of their secretaries from HQ just informed him of a police call of an assault that took place a few miles from Washington Park by a female whose description matched their female speedster, which their liaison with the Chicago PD relayed to them. Try as that bastard from the DPA might to protect this mutie, assault with powers trumped the charge of public use of powers for self-defense- Baxter knew that he had all the excuse that he needed as it invoked the emergency clause in their contract with the Greater Chicago area.
"Put your equipment back on, anti-speedster loadout," Baxter barked out over the com lines, "our runaway just attacked someone in the Heart of Chicago. We have been granted permission to pursue and detain." As Baxter turned off the com line he knew that this was going to be the best notch in his belt since the Cloister's Raid back when he was a Shortstop.
Energy Monitoring Room - Argonne National Laboratory
Lemont, Illinois
2:35 PM
Professor Jack Bing looked over the findings of his graduate intern Gab Cowen and student research assistant Dylan Hauser had ben cataloging and was growing more thrilled by the moment. "I can't believe that I actually lived to see the day, proper tachyon emissions and here in our own backyard."
"Not only that but the cause of them is mobile," Dylan explained pulling out the map charts of the events, "whatever caused the event began along a trail in Chicago's Washington Park, jumped over to Brynum Island, continued south along existing paths, then disappeared for a couple of hours. After reappearing the source exited the park and then began making periodic lesser ripples like the two southward motion events along walkable paths heading northwest by disappearing and reappearing a few city blocks at a time and almost always in side alleys, after this the cause disappeared somewhere in the Westside of Chicago."
"Whatever the cause of this matter is not only is it mobile it is intelligent, it is clearly reappearing out of public view." Gab stated as he looked over the maps, "it is clearly learning and knows to avoid public observation. "Do you think that this could be a powered individual, like a mutant or a dynamorph?"
"I doubt it," Professor Bing explained as he looked over the map, "when mutant teleporters use their powers like this the emissions are always characterized by dark matter emission not tachyon particles emissions, whatever this is skimming along a dimensional barrier like that of spacetime; although I wouldn't put it past a mutant devisor to try something like this I doubt that one would be so foolish to try an experiment of this sort in a major city with a contract with the Knights of Purity. No, I think that this might be something that hasn't been cataloged yet."
"In any case I'm going to need to do some fieldwork," the Professor explained as he got out of his chair, "Mister Cowen I am going to trust you to monitor things here at the lab, Mister Hauser I'm afraid that I'm going to need you with me in the field."
"Roger sir, I'll pack up the van," Dylan stated as he left the room.
"I'll do my best looking after things here sir," Gab promised before adding, "but all the same be careful out there, we still have no I'd what is causing these readings."
"Don't worry Mister Cowen, we're just going to be doing a little research in the field," Professor Bing explained, "we'll be alright."
Axcel Incorporated Mobile Lab - South Entrance of Washington Park
Chicago, Illinois
2:41 PM
Agent Albert Jorgen waited patiently outside of the mobile lab that Axcel Incorporated had sent over. Inside the lab two of Axcel's biochemical engineers were assisting one of the CSI forensics team in analyzing the samples taken from the park, mainly blood-samples of Chandra Defrank that were taken from the girl's clothing by the EMT.
It had already been well over an hour since they had begun, and someone with the police department had already informed him that the Knights of Purity had been mobilized under and assault claim that seemed dubious at best. This meant that the team inside was literally working while a life was on the line, given the Knights of Purity's reputation with mutant suspects, not to mention working relationship with the equally suspect Mutant Commission Office. While this meant that what was going on inside the lab itself was now even more vital, Agent Jorgen neglected to inform anyone in the lab about this development fearing that it would cause them to rush and risk tainting their work.
Finally, Investigator Liam Griffin stepped out of the lab with the findings from the samples the paramedic had obtained, "Well Investigator Griffin, what were the findings?" Agent Jorgen stated maintaining his professional ethic.
"Well I can't say for certain exactly what Chandra Defrank is however our analysis of her twenty-second chromosome clearly shows that she is not a mutant."
"And you are willing to testify to that before a judge?" Agent Jorgen inquired further.
"Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the blood samples that were collected from Chandra Defrank have no sign what-so-ever of the Mutant Gene Complex. Now were the complex present we would only be able to judge with a fifteen percent margin of error whether or not the complex was active, however without the complex's presence in the body we can testify before a judge that Chandra Defrank is not a mutant."
"That is one question out of the way," Agent Jorgen observed, "you file this information with your superiors at the police department in charge of the case, I need to call my own superiors, and the State Attorney's Office before Miss Defrank becomes a statistic."
6 years 1 month ago #49
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:54 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Since our talk earlier Walt had been keeping his distance and it was kind of starting to get to me, while I understood that he had just endured a traumatic experience part of me couldn't help but feel offended. I know that it was a little selfish of me, but Walt had been my best friend as far back as I can remember, he was the one who got me into boxing and introduced me to Steve and Danny not to mention supported me when I made my decision to come-out-of-the-closet...
Come to think of it, the truth about who I really was changed that experience in a big way, I wondered how Walt was taking something that I was only beginning to come to terms with- the fact that I wasn't a gay boy but a straight girl all along. He might actually be a little sore about that considering the amount of flack that he took around school from the guys for being friends with 'that fag Paul Ledoux', all of that torment was meaningless since technically Paul was actually a lie that I had been forced to live by that witch and her cult.
Okay enough of this it was time to see what all of this was about, "Walt- I need to know why you're avoiding me," I explained as I walked over to him where he was talking with Danny, "I mean I understand how weird this all is, this is having powers feeling that nothing is going to be normal again."
"Do you, you don't have people targeting you!" Walt blurted out before Danny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Actually, I do, the reason my mother and another woman named Miranda Salazar are being held against their will is because someone wanted to use them to hurt the rest of our family." I stated trying to keep my cool considering all of the emotions that have been stirring up inside of me today, "It's the reason that I was raised by Dupree instead of my parents."
"Actually, Walt's just deflecting," Danny all but laughed, "the real reason that he's been avoiding you is that he has a thing for hot señoritas remember. The fact that his oldest bro now is one who he's likely going to be going to some boarding school with on the other side of the country is bound to be confusing the hell out of him."
"Okay- okay I admit it, I have a thing for Hispanic girls," Walt explained as he threw up his hands in defeat, "I mean I've been trying to ask Angela Garcia out since she and her boyfriend broke up, but no dice there."
"And there's not going to be any," Steve explained as he made his way over to us, "she and Juan Escavar from the football team have been on-again-off-again ever since they started dating. Besides they just got back together three days ago, the news must not have made it to your part of the grapevine yet."
Walt was clearly crushed by this bit of news and I let him cry on my shoulder, just like old times- the fact that I was now technically his type was beyond him at the moment and I wasn't going to press matters. Now was the time to be a friend, as for being a girlfriend...well I'd just wait and see where the future took me on this matter.
"So, Paul or I guess that it's Iris now," Steve said trying to tip-toe around the issue, "I heard that you're technically a genie, "so does that mean you're going to need a belly dancing outfit and a lamp."
That comment silenced the room, poor Steve had no idea the faux-paus he just committed. "Child- the matter of sealing djinn metal vessels such as lamps is no laughing matter." Grandma injected herself into the conversation before any of my male relative could voice their displeasure and given that she (not my grandfather) was the head of our House, no one was willing to argue. "What you speak of is essentially indentured servitude at best- bound slavery at worst, originally it was used to force rogue djinn to repay the debt that their mischief created to mankind. However, the technique eventually made its way into less moral hands; hands that used the power of The Seal to enslave the innocent as well as the guilty, all in an effort to gain wealth and power at the expense of another."
"There was one thing that Disney got right about its genie, it was that he was enslaved to the owner of his lamp and force to serve again his will." Grandmother Nephrys shook her head at the culture, "Because of the actions of the worst of humanity who had our power at their beck and call, many of our kind were compelled to commit such horrible deeds that the followers of Mohammad consider that the devil himself is one of our kind."
"But if you want to see a genie belly dancing in one of those outfits," Bes came up to us interrupting, "I can arrange for that to happen.
A resounding cry of, "NO!" erupted from every mouth in the room except Matt, Steve and Walt.
"Remember Brainstain, grandpa banned you from the costume closet," I stated as I glared at the tiny djinn, "as is you're lucky he let you take that showgirl outfit off before he burned it."
"Showgirl outfit?!?" Walt all but goggled as he looked at the short djinn, "What the heck happened while I was kidnapped?"
"What happed was that I saved your backside kid," Brainstain proclaimed as he puffed his chest out with pride, "without me someone would be cutting your arms off to get at those gemstones."
"Remember those two thugs that kidnapped you, one of them stayed behind to take care of the witnesses, I explained trying to put the right emphasis on the matter, "I had him on the ropes and when my uncle showed up knocked him out and brought all of us here to safety. Well it wasn't so safe for that thug, since he wouldn't talk grandpa let Brainstain here interrogate him in a way that might be considered as much a war crime as what we did to those soldiers in Iraq."
"You mean the water-boarding!?!" Walt recoiled as he looked at Bes in fear.
"No, I mean Desert Storm," I corrected him, "when they stuck the POWs in a room and forced them to watch Barney the Dinosaur. Although Brainstain here did something that I wouldn't wish on anyone- well maybe those monsters who are keeping my mother hostage."
"Yeah," Walt commented as he tried to avoid looking at me, "I mean it must be overwhelming finding out that the woman who you thought was your mother was a monster holding you hostage, and finding out that not only are you really a girl but half-genie- I don't know how you're handling all of...this so well."
I sagged with a sigh, "To be perfectly honest with how crazy the last several hours have been the reality is probably still settling, actually if I wasn't so focused on rescuing you from that Auction then I'd probably be either in a therapy session or the fetal position in the coat room."
That elicited a chuckle from Walt which turned contagious and soon the two of us were sharing a laugh just like old times like after watching a bad movie at his house or after a practice bout at the gym. "Nice to know that you're still you in there Pa- I mean Iris." Walt sheepishly corrected himself.
"I know-" I groaned, "I'm still getting used to it, but I suppose new life, new name is how it goes in this life."
"Speaking about your old life- whatever happened to your evil mother?" Walt inquired in a way that made me almost see the air-quotes.
"The last I heard was that men working for one of grandpa's acquaintances caught her in Chicago with a bag full of Euros and a one-way ticket for Prague." I explained, "That Miranda Salazar lady I mentioned, evidently she kidnapped her because she’s pregnant with a demi-djinni. She turned Miranda over to the same people holding my mother for a small fortune and planned on skipping the country, considering the kind of people my grandfather calls colleagues I don't think that I'll ever have to worry about her again."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
10:23 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
In spite of Kelsey's promise that I was now free to come and go at my leisure, part of was worried over how the Merchants had found me- my work. According to Wukong Sun every gemstone that I ever made resonated with my chi, it was how the Jiang-shi were given my scent to hunt me down- it was how the Merchants had known I'd left the safety of the Cave and it- come to think of it I don't know how the Masterson Brothers had tracked me down, but something told me that it wasn't my chi.
Now those power-armored rednecks didn't strike me as the spiritual types, no they probably had a technological solution on how to track me down. They also struck me as the stubborn types, this meant that despite the assurances that I had over the Merchants not crossing into the Territory of that Erzebet Scratch woman from the Obsidian Circle, that probably didn't apply to any to the Masterson Brothers or any of the mercenaries that they sent to bring me back to their headquarters in Old San Francisco.
"Worried about the trip huh," I looked up to see Bajie Zhu looked over from my favorite lounging spot. "It's okay, long treks across hostile territory with people gunning for your traveling group are kind of something that I have a good deal of experience with!"
"Easy for you to say," I shot back at the pig-headed member of Xuanzhang's bodyguards, "you weren't the one being targeted."
"Actually, in a way I was," the heavenly alter-cleaner admitted with a sigh, "while it was true that every demon and their dog either wanted to stop our pilgrimage or eat Xuanzhang- sometimes both, I was the one who got us into trouble the most. When it wasn't Xuanzhang's naivety or Wukong's temper getting us into trouble, it was my stomach, or second brain causing us to walk right into a trap or an ambush."
"The truth was that those books gloss over a lot of the traps that I fell for, or even problems that I caused." Bajie begrudgingly admitted, "Such as the time I wandered off because of a lady that I saw in a teahouse who turned out to be Xiaoqing the Green Snake Maiden. That time I kind of borrowed a scroll that she had in her possession, that turned out to be a scroll of Taoist exercises that were given to her by Bai Suzhen (Lady White Snake)."
"I was trying to use it as an excuse to get a date out of her, and she took it as an affront and attacked our group to retrieve the scroll. That turned into an affair where Yu Long saved us with him and Xiaoqing locking each other in their coils until she was ready to talk. Once the truth of what I had done was revealed Xiaoqing ended sharing tea and pleasantries with the others while I was upside-down and tied to a post facing away from the festivities, I was red in the face for a couple of days for more than one reason after that."
"Wait! I thought that the snakes were the villains in the original version of the Tale of the White Snake Lady?!?" I asked somewhat confused.
"Nope, the later version was actually the correct one," Bajie explained. "A lot of Confucist scholars didn't want people to be warry of traveling monks while being accepting of animals seeking enlightenment- so they turned a tale of romance and adventure into a horror story, fortunately later scholars restored the true soul of the story. But that incident with the Green Snake Maiden was only one of many that got us in unnecessary trouble along the way. In fact, that book also ignored the many contributions Yu Long made to our group beyond being Xuanzhang's mount."
"Maybe you should write that down then," I observed, "a little humility from giving others their overdue credit would surely do well for your karma."
"Nah- that ship sailed a long time ago," Bajie waved off my suggestion, "besides people hate it when others come along and mess with a classic story in this day and age."
"Doesn't seem to stop Disney," I remarked with a smirk across my reptilian face.
"Yeah and look at the blowback they got over Mulan and Aladdin," Bajie retorted with a snort, "granted I liked how they tried to follow the original story where she returned home after the war, instead of that stupid rewrite where they inserted historical figures who weren't even alive during that time period; granted there was no reason to shoe-horn in the romance. Or the reveal of her gender at the army camp considering the fact of her gender didn't come to light until long after her time of service."
"Yeah, not to mention all of the fumbling when it came to Chinese culture," I stated with an eyeroll, "considering all the professors who study Chinese culture in California alone you would think that they'd ask just one to come and consult for the movie during development."
"Don't need to talk to me about the sins of Hollywood in relation to Asian culture," Bajie grunted, "Cecil B. DeMille's Genghis Khan wasn't just tragic for being downwind of the Los Alamos Nuclear Tests, it was a cinematic disaster too- talk about as sour note for John Wayne to go into the sunset."
"Huh- so let me get this straight Bajie Zhu is into Westerns?!?" I all but goggled at that piece of information.
"What can I say, I have a thing for flawed heroes whose code doesn't exactly mesh with what society considers...proper." The worldlier of the pilgrim's explained, "Don't get me wrong, tradition, loyalty, duty, all of these things have their place, but taken to extremes those can be a prison to those who follow them. An honor code of though, that can take many forms and what one calls honor another may argue against however it can still hold true. Keep this in mind when it comes time for you to strike out on your own journey kid, what the code you live by and how you live by it can determine a lot as you travel to where you need to be."
"I'll keep that in mind," I explained as I drifted away from the pig-headed immortal, trying to keep his words in mind while at the same time filing them away for another day. While there was no doubt in my mind how my eastward road trip was going to be dangerous, the real hurdles lay before then: my visit to the Whateley Academy, and my training with the infamous Handmaiden of the Tao- whom some knew as the bloody right-hand of destiny. Just what would I be in for when I communed with that woman's sword, a sword forged from the heart of Zunyan Qianbei the dragon whose ashes transformed me into the Northern Maiden? Not to mention what could happen if the Tao judged me unworthy of my destiny?
"Don't be too worried about the Handmaiden of the Tao's judgement Maiden of the North," Shenyan Hong stated as he approached my favorite alcove of this level of the caverns, "she only ends life when the Tao calls her to or if there is no other choice, as long as you stay the course of your destiny then you have nothing to worry about from her- especially given how your duty is to restore part of the balance to the world that was uncentered so long ago."
"Okay, but what can you tell me about this Mountain where I'm supposed to go?" I asked wanting to know about my big mission no matter how far it was in the future, plus unlike the other three maidens it wasn't like I had ample access to a member of the Jade Heaves for information, "I mean forewarned is forearmed...right?!?"
"Most details about Mount Sanghunzhi should remain for after your training with the Handmaiden of the Tao." The Red Sage stated, "However I can tell you that this task will take several days as the Mountain itself drifts between this life and the next-"
"Meaning that should I remain on the mountain when it does I'll receive a one-way ticket to Wheel of Samsara." I interrupted guessing the warning which he was about to convey.
"No, should you remain on the mountain after daybreak the ground beneath your feet will turn ethereal and should you lack the means of flight then you will fall to your death upon the rocks roughly 1200 meters below." Shenyan corrected my assumption with a far more mundane yet far more gruesome fate, "This mean that you will either have to ascend and descend the mountains winding crags in the dark before sunrise or learn some method of flight, I would suggest talking with your distant ancestors and relatives among the Tianlong to learn cloud-walking."
Figures I get the hard part, the mermaid just has to deep dive to some reef, the fairy has to find a pond in some forest and the genie has to trek into a desert, but what do I get stuck with? I get stuck with walking up a mountain in the dark that pulls a Houdini once the sun comes up- this blows, it figures that the dragon would get stuck doing the heavy lifting for this prophecy.
Detention Wing
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
12:07 PM CDT
Lilian Dupree looked up for the first time in hours as she heard the doors to the wing open again, part of her hoped that it wasn't her escort meant to drag her before Erzebet Scratch for the witch to decide her fate which was bound to be nasty (especially given that the woman was clearly a necromancer). To her relief the people walking around outside the windowless door of her cell weren't interested in her at the moment, it sounded like they were guiding someone- forcefully.
Soon enough Lilian's suspicions were confirmed when she heard another heavy door just like the one in front of her open, and another person (a man from the sound of the grunt when he hit the floor after he) was shoved inside. "He-yar youh con keef thee auzor wan camfunny wahl youh wad foor Erzabed Shrats to retawn." The undead abomination slurred out, "Hoff fan!"
Soon enough the reanimated cadaver exited the door leaving Lilian Dupree alone with whoever else ticked off the Obsidian Circle and happened to encounter Erzebet Scratch and her thugs.
"Great as if being alone waiting for whatever that mafia-style sorceress wasn't enough, I have company." The newest name on the Obsidian Circle's list remarked, "So who's there and what did you do to wind up on worse-than-death-row?"
"Worse than death?" Lilian all but shuddered at the thought despite knowing how it was likely the truth, "You mean that she's going to turn us into undead servants like that...thing!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha," the stranger across the hall laughed until he was gasping for breath, "you must not be from outside those who practice the craft such as the members of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Greg Paulson, I was called, granted I was a lowly servant of the Grand Hall's New York House, but while I lacked the talent for true magic I wasn't without ability. Part of what got me here was taking advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime and stealing the contents of an entire vault belonging from one of the Obsidian Circle's lieutenants while the contents of other vaults were being inventoried and readied for shipment."
"An item within that vault was wanted by a client of a member of importance from another House and I obliged, especially when I was promised a tidy sum for everything else in that vault." Greg explained, "What I didn't count on was that not only was my victim alive after his rather public death over a decade and a half ago, but also the fact that he had a mole working in the other House. By the time I was done unpacking the mole had woven a spell over the other workers in the warehouse I was unloading in to turn the other workers into her master's servants and I was forced to repack just about all of my ill-gotten gains, surrender any mystic artifacts that I had on me, and throw myself on the non-existent mercy of the Obsidian Circle."
"Now before I explain what could be worse than death and what was so funny," the former employee of the New York Chapter House's Storage Annex explained, "I want to hear what got you thrown in here."
"I'm a mercenary who was under contract with some Black Magic Cult named the Order of the Black Pharaoh," Lilian Dupree confessed, "I spent almost sixteen years of my life keeping watch over the kid of some other merc named Greygus that they stuffed inside a shell to make her look like a boy. I had the brat brow beaten for years, never would have even dared to speak up to me, and then after it's shell gets cracked the queef runs off to Vegas gets the shell broken to pieces only months away from my big payday."
"So naturally the Order gets me on the horn, demands a replacement for the kid if I want to get paid. So, I scoop up some other knock-up bitch on their radar, have her shipped in an aircraft container on a flight with me to Chicago." Lilian all but spat, "I delivered the goods got my payday, including the youth that I wasted watching that disobedient brat, then I get scooped up by these bitches who can swim through walls and thrown in a cell with no idea where I am- now is that good enough for you to clue me in or do you want to listen to me pretend to do myself."
"While that might lighten the mood, I doubt that it would help," Greg admitted, "in all it sounds like you're actually even more screwed then I am. I only stole from The Circle, and except for two items they got everything back and a nice bug-out bag too; while I don't think that I'll get off light- hell they'll probably kill me just to make a point."
"Now you on the other hand, actually worked with their enemies, kidnapped the daughter of the right hand of one of the Founders of both The Circle and The Grand Hall, stole years of the girl's life with her father that they can never get back, kidnapped another woman and child who likely are related to The Circle as well, and after all of that decided to flee into the territory of a sorceress who has a known soft-spot for children." Greg laughed, "You want to know what's worse than death? Well likely after using every means at her disposal to rip every scrap of information that you have on the Order of the Black Pharaoh out of your mind, Erzebet Scratch will give you to an undead abomination under her control known as The Hangman."
"You mean that sack of puss watching the jail cells," Lilian inquired, "she's gonna have that thing to us into zombies too?"
"No- I don't know what that thing is but Scratch must have some skills to create a zombie that cognizant." Greg observed, "No- The Hangman is an undead abomination from back in the old west, he's called that because his noose (which he has full control over) can absorb the soul of anyone that he kills with it. Once that rope strangles you, your soul will be sucked inside to wait your turn in line after all of his previous victims, and once your turn comes that rope will bleed the essence from your soul for a full year until there's nothing left and everything that ever made you- you dissipates into nothingness."
"That's what's worse than death, nothing, no heaven, no hell, no purgatory, no limbo, just pure oblivion. I mean I'm likely going to die soon but there'll probably be something waiting for me somewhere, you on the other hand Miss Dupree, all you have waiting for you is a world of pain, followed by death, then a long period of dread, until finally there is nothing left." Greg stated, "So are you glad that I told you what you're in for Miss Dupree?"
Lilian Dupree had no words for Greg Paulson's ears, she had no words for anyone at the moment. No, at present Lilian Dupree was white as a sheet, as her ears strained to hear the ticking of a nearby clock- a clock that seemed to be ticking down her last moments left on Earth.
Faolan & Quickvix's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy - Dunwich, New Hampshire
1:37 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
After a good twenty minutes of hug and cry therapy Candace had finally relented and let me go, "Okay," she sniffed, "I forgive you for abandoning me the way you did. But know this Randi Bridges, don't think that getting kidnapped will let you off the hook with me, you promised me a date and I plan to collect."
"That collection's going to have to wait," I sheepishly admitted while still trying to overcome the fact that the fox girl had neglected to put on a stitch of clothing since I got back, but at least she wasn't glomped on to me anymore. "I have three weeks of detention to complete with the school ground's crew, also when we do cash that token in how about just a quiet afternoon in Berlin, I want to avoid any big cities in New England for a while."
"Fair enough," Candance managed to chuckle past her lingering tears, "besides there is talk that after today, that even after they rebuild all student's will be barred from traveling to Boston without special permission."
"Just as well," I shuddered, "after yesterday, I think I'm going to need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bellows; something tells me after some of what I saw while going though those burning buildings I'm really going to need therapy."
"You should have been seeing him already Randi," Jane took this moment to enter into the conversation, "with all that you've gone through since manifesting you really need someone to help you process everything. Your old repress and deal-with-it strategy really doesn't work after all that you've been through. As your familiar I know that while the incident with that mirror did help some, you really need a professional opinion to help you work through your issues."
"What are you Jane- my life coach?" I asked with sarcasm bleeding into my voice.
"Among other things yes," Jane retorted, "it's a familiar's duty to assist their contractor even if they are not aware that when they need help. This includes ensuring that they take care of themselves, console them in times of need and when they know that the moment is right to give them a much-needed reality check. You have been through more physical and emotional trauma over the last few months than many have in their lifetime, Randi it is time that you get professional help; while I realize that this is difficult for you something tells me that it will help you make some much needed breakthroughs and make you an even stronger person for it."
"Fine," I threw up my hands in defeat, "I'll make an appointment with Doctor Bellows, heck if I make enough of a fuss they might count it as detention time."
"There you go," Candace laughed again as the signs of her earlier crying fits were leaving her eyes. "Finally seeing the positive side of things."
"Don't push it red swiffer," I remarked with a sly grin on my face, "I happen to enjoy my slightly negative outlook, it helps me keep my edge."
Unless you're around Heather, Jane quipped, then Miss Grim and Negative turns into a dorky older sister.
'Hey, I was the younger kid for years,' I argued over our bond, 'it's past time that I spread the cheese to a younger member of my clan. Although who would have thought that Heather and I are actually related like that; I mean her circumstances are just surreal.'
Well to be fair the Obsidian Circle was trying to push the prophecy of the Four Maidens into fruition, and given the specific circumstances required for the Western Maiden they probably felt that the more candidates there were the more likely that one would be chosen by destiny.
"Let me guess," Candace stated as she paused from putting her clothes back on, "you two are talking over your master and familiar link again. Do you two know how rude that is, holding a conversation in front of someone else in secret."
"To be fair Miss Reynard some aspects of that conversation are confidential," Jane defended me, "I think that unless you two actually are an item that Randi might need to keep somethings secret from you, especially matters of prophecy."
"I agree with Jane on this one Candace," I admitted backing Jane up on this matter, "this prophecy business got Bea and I targeted by The Necromancer, in this case probably the less you know the safer you are."
"Fine I'll concede this matter just this once on one condition," Candace gave me a mischievous look and a slasher's smile, "during our date I expect some show of intimacy, hand-holding at minimum and if you decide to shirk I want a kiss when we get back to Poe afterwards. Although if you're lucky you might get one anyway- of the French variety."
I seized up as my imagination and hormones went into overdrive concerning that sentence, I didn't even move when Candace left the room- despite Jane pecking me to get me to rejoin the world. "She got me good, didn't she?"
"Randi at your age you are a cauldron of hormones," Jane stated as she moved from my head to her usual perch on my shoulder, "more-so given that you have only been female for roughly three and a half months. Face, it my young charge, until you learn to master yourself anyone you find attractive will be able to mess with you; fortunately, so far you haven't fallen for anyone who would seek to use you for anything you would regret. Also, if that happens you have me to shock some sense into you."
"Don't you mean knock some sense into me?" I inquired as I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"No," and to emphasize her point Jane arced a bolt of static that caught me on the backside and made the fur on my tail stand on end.
"Very funny Jane," I scowled as I got out my brush to try and get my tail back to normal, "very funny!"
Bladedancer & Crimson Comet's Room - Poe Cottage
1:40 PM
Chou sat down in seiza with Destiny's Wave cradled in her arms, she stared at the sword's blade, an enigma that when she acquired it she thought was crafted from jade. Half a year had gone by since then and Chou's life had changed profoundly as well; she had lost the chest meant to house the blade for the Handmaiden of the Tao to the Demon Lord of the Hell of Fiery Immersion, she had lost her father and family home to the same fiend, she had to start over entirely with a new life and a new gender, and she had to take lives in the name of the greater good.
While sometimes did not weigh on her as much as others, she still remembered Andy McWilliams the innocent man that she was forced to kill. Granted that act had saved his family from falling apart due to the getting the winning lottery ticket that he was otherwise fated to lose, that was when she began to accept that as the Handmaiden she was a force of nature- of destiny and was to act to satisfy the balance. It was that act that made her the target of fear, hate and greed of many both at Whateley and around the world: Her fellow student Silver Serpent and her father Iron Dragon both feared her, the Tong of the Black Madonna considered her very existence a threat and tried to kill her, another student Nex tried to kill her for her sword, the Chinese government tried to enslave her to serve them, and many people and groups that she had never even met considered her to be anything from mythical boogieman to a walking nuclear weapon.
While she had grown to come to accept her role and what it entailed she was also still learning how to bear the weight of her office, and now here was another burden. A girl who she had to train due to the debt that her office owed to her ancestors, although knowing the cause of that debt Chou wondered if training the girl would be enough considering that her ancestor, a dragon worthy of becoming a Tianlong had surrended his heart for the sake of the Tao. Here in her hands she held a sword possessed by a Taoist sage and forged from a dragon's heart by the hand of the Artificer.
Chou had known what Destiny's Wave was forged from for a while now, but she had always considered it a done affair, just another piece of ancient history from the long line of the Handmaidens who came before her. Evidentially though this history was far from settled, in fact it was one area that the Tao had been unable to balance almost since the days of the first Handmaiden, and it was going to be her burden to see it through- by training the heir of the dragon whose heart she wielded. While Chou knew that she was no slouch in the martial-arts department, having some skill even before she became the Handmaiden and more training afterwards- she was hardly in the position in her own training to consider taking on and training her own student.
"I need more information about this," the Handmaiden of the Tao paused for a moment to consider her options, "I need to talk with Faolan to learn what else she knows, or at least Becca if she's aware of this- ugh why isn't the Monkey King around when he'd be useful?"
Fatigue & Aletheia's Room - Dickinson Cottage
1:46 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Tired of my chair, and recognizing that I was effectively under house arrest without a security escort, I resumed my earlier forbidden practice of using my chair as a walker. I know that the matter was excruciating with my legs screaming at me to lay down and take it easy has the tried to bow under my weight, but I continued on- I was the master of my body not my legs- me!
I guess that I was fortunate that Mable had to leave for her shift at Doyle, because I didn't want to hear her trying to bring logic into the situation of telling me to take it easy. I know that Mable's heart was in the right place, and to a certain extent she was right at telling me to do so, but I needed to do this- I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet. I made another lap, as my legs cried for mercy beneath the rest of my weight, but I refused to listen to them.
I had spent millennia a prisoner looking on at the world that I longed to interact with and while I could interact with that world to an extent, I had just traded my prison in the shadow of Cytherea for the prison of a wheel chair. Fortunately, unlike that existence this time my liberation was possible, and that liberation wouldn't come from a magic word or divine intervention, no this time my liberation would come through my own determination- my own effort- my own blood, sweat and tears. I made one more lap, this time back to my bed before finally giving my legs the respite they desired.
As I fell with my back to the mattress and Mable's bunk above me I breathed heavily, as my legs burned and ached from the exertion. The exercise I had put my legs through was painful but as the old adage went- no pain, no gain; as hard as it was I determined to put myself through as much as possible to achieve my current goal. I looked at the marvel of modern engineering before me that scoffed at gravity as it hovered upright off the ground, "I swear it, before summer I will escape you. I mean it, I will experience the world as everyone else does- on my own two feet."
"You know it's not alive," I heard an all too familiar voice as I turned to look at Mirabel's familiar Blinky, "why do you keep talking to it?"
Somewhat used to the fact that the cat could enter and leave rooms without having a door opened for it, as well as the fact that he could talk, I explained as best as I could, "Just giving voice to my frustrations Blinky, how was everyone in the Dreamlands last night?"
"The Queen was scared about what happened," Blinky explained, "she was worried that she was going to lose all of her family."
"Well she's not going to have anything to worry about for a while," I sighed as I used my arms to scoot me back into a sitting position, "until Summer rolls around I'm grounded. No leaving campus, no moving between buildings without a security escort, and no going into the tunnels. Mom is doing everything she can to make sure that nobody takes another shot at me for the rest of the school year."
"Mommas just want to keep their young safe," Blinky explained as he hopped on top of the bed and rubbed against my aching legs.
"Only the good moms Blinky," I chuckled as I scratching the Ultharian-kitten's back causing it the arch as he began to purr, "only the good ones. I should know I have two, one that did everything possible to keep me safe, and one who still will do what it takes no matter how much I would argue against otherwise."
Taking a moment to think about the immediate future, I pulled the envelop for my duty list from my purse regarding my first list of detention assignments. After opening the thing, I saw something that I had only heard in hushed tones mentioned around campus, but it was clearly warranted in my case- Hawthorne Cottage. Although it wasn't this week's assignment, which was Light Duty in the Beck Library, two weeks from tomorrow I was going to be serving detention in Hawthorne Cottage.
Hawthorne, I knew as the residence for students with either special needs or powers that made them a danger to others, such as a gravity manipulator with no control over her powers (who the word was Chaka had managed to cure her problem with ki-manipulation of a blocked chakra meridian), or a ice energizer whose powers were stuck in the on position and needed to be kept in a humidity-free environment to avoid the room frosting over like an old freezer.
"Well I was wanting mom and others to stop treating me like a porcelain doll," I remarked with a slight grin on my face. "It looks like I'll have the chance to show what I can do in a few weeks."
"Good you're happy again," Blinky all but sang as he walked right through my door without leaving a trace.
"I just hope that I can handle this, "I remarked as I wondered about where things would go once I showed up at Hawthorne. Oh well, I still had two weeks until I found that out.
Common Room - Poe Cottage
1:50 PM
Somewhat a little miffed at her roommate and recent date, Quickvix trudged down the stairs and into the first-floor lobby. While it was true Candace could have run down and have been out the door in a solid second, but she wanted to emphasize her displeasure at Randi for the entire cabin to notice. The fact that it was a yellow flag day had nothing to do with her decision, but it was fortunate that she did so because Mrs. Horton spoke-up before she could leave, "Miss Reynard, I have a message from a woman in your hometown named Gertrude Defrank, she said to call her back immediately she sounded upset."
Curious back why her best friend's mom would call her on a Sunday, especially since they didn't get her gift yet, Candace went for the courtesy phone and dialed the number for the Morrisons, after a few minutes she heard Gertrude Defrank answer the phone-
"This is the Morrison residence," Candace heard her friend's mother answer the phone, by the sound of her voice the woman was clearly upset. "I'm sorry but can you call back later, there is a family crisis going on right now."
"Actually Mrs. Defrank this is Candace Reynard," Candace responded concerned, "You called me earlier, is there anything wrong?"
"Candace?!? Thank God!" Gertrude Defrank exclaimed, "It's horrible, we just found out from one of the members of your jogging group that Chandra manifested before getting shot at that Park in Chicago where you two used to run. To make matters worse the Knights of Purity showed up and tried to take her into custody to turn her over to the MCO, and now she's on the run in Chicago with the Knights of Purity after her!"
The phone almost slipped from Candace's grip as she turned pale, her best friend was currently facing one of the worst scenarios possible for a mutant- being hunted by the Knights of Purity which was a possible death sentence given their track record for terminating mutant suspects.
Taking a moment to steel herself- Candace knew that she had to remain strong for her friend's sake. "Mrs. Defrank- I hate to say it like this, but you need to calm down, for Chandra's sake."
"Calm down!" Gertrude snapped at Candace through the receiver, "My baby is out there being hunted like a wild animal by a bunch of bigots in in armored suits and you tell me to calm down! I thought that you were her friend!?!"
"Mrs. Defrank I am her friend and I've lived this situation, while you have every right to be upset I can tell you that the last thing Chandra needs is for you to lose your cool." Candace did her best to calm her friend's mother down over the phone, "Chandra needs you to be strong for her and there are things that you can do to help, first Chandra told me that Mrs. Morrison offers her services pro-bono to her employees and their families, it's time to use that employee perk."
"What good is an attorney going to do?" Gertrude sniffed out, "My baby needs help!"
"And this will help her," Candace explained, "despite how they like to portray themselves to the public the Knights of Purity and the Mutant Commission Office are private security companies, not Police or Government Agencies. This means that the more negative PR that Mrs. Morrison can help you stir up the better Chandra's chances are of being taken alive. You said that she was shot right, was anybody treating her injuries before the Knights of Purity showed up?"
"O-One of her jogging buddies stitched her up before the ambulance got there," Mrs. Defrank sniffled out as she tried to calm down, "they were getting ready to take her to the hospital before the Knights showed up."
"That's good, if the paramedics were there that means that the police were there too, they always make sure to secure the area when there is a possibility of an active shooter in the area." Chandra explained trying to walk Gertrude through what she knew of emergency procedure, "That means that the Knights were trying to seize someone from protective custody, already you have cause to make the DA force the Knights to stand down. Now the next part is also important, I'm going to give you the number for the Department of Preternatural Affairs, unlike the MCO this is a government agency."
Candace read the number from the card in her billfold for the Illinois DPA branch office, something that she made sure to keep on her person in case the MCO tried to disappear her at an airport using the old We need to ask you a few questions trick, after hearing Mrs. Defrank confirm the number she continued, "You and Mrs. Morrison need to ask to speak to the agent in charge of the case or if there isn't one the Supervisor in Charge, this will let you gain a handle on the situation and help guide the press narrative. It'll also help you keep the MCO out of it, and speaking of those jokers if they show before the DPA does insist that Mrs. Morrison be present whenever they try to talk with you and let her read any documents they try to force into your hands."
"And this will keep my baby safe?" Mrs. Defrank inquired reaching for a thread of hope.
"It'll be her best shot," Candace reassured her, "and also try and reach the Windy City Guardians. Chandra is bound to be running for her life and might be a little paranoid, having a cape show up might help persuade her to surrender back into protective custody."
"Al-alright," Mrs. Defrank responded, "I will and thank you Candace, Chandra is blessed to have a friend like you."
After hanging up the phone, Candace collapsed to the floor emotionally exhausted. "Well done Miss Reynard," Candace turned to see Housemother Bella Horton looking at her in approval, "That was a very responsible thing that you just did, I wish more students were like you."
"Does it always make you feel like you are going to throw up afterwards," Candace inquired of the woman.
"Maybe the first few times," Mrs. Horton explained, "after that you become used to the stress. Just remember, sometimes it's more important to put the fires out rather than run into them."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 37
Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:54 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Since our talk earlier Walt had been keeping his distance and it was kind of starting to get to me, while I understood that he had just endured a traumatic experience part of me couldn't help but feel offended. I know that it was a little selfish of me, but Walt had been my best friend as far back as I can remember, he was the one who got me into boxing and introduced me to Steve and Danny not to mention supported me when I made my decision to come-out-of-the-closet...
Come to think of it, the truth about who I really was changed that experience in a big way, I wondered how Walt was taking something that I was only beginning to come to terms with- the fact that I wasn't a gay boy but a straight girl all along. He might actually be a little sore about that considering the amount of flack that he took around school from the guys for being friends with 'that fag Paul Ledoux', all of that torment was meaningless since technically Paul was actually a lie that I had been forced to live by that witch and her cult.
Okay enough of this it was time to see what all of this was about, "Walt- I need to know why you're avoiding me," I explained as I walked over to him where he was talking with Danny, "I mean I understand how weird this all is, this is having powers feeling that nothing is going to be normal again."
"Do you, you don't have people targeting you!" Walt blurted out before Danny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Actually, I do, the reason my mother and another woman named Miranda Salazar are being held against their will is because someone wanted to use them to hurt the rest of our family." I stated trying to keep my cool considering all of the emotions that have been stirring up inside of me today, "It's the reason that I was raised by Dupree instead of my parents."
"Actually, Walt's just deflecting," Danny all but laughed, "the real reason that he's been avoiding you is that he has a thing for hot señoritas remember. The fact that his oldest bro now is one who he's likely going to be going to some boarding school with on the other side of the country is bound to be confusing the hell out of him."
"Okay- okay I admit it, I have a thing for Hispanic girls," Walt explained as he threw up his hands in defeat, "I mean I've been trying to ask Angela Garcia out since she and her boyfriend broke up, but no dice there."
"And there's not going to be any," Steve explained as he made his way over to us, "she and Juan Escavar from the football team have been on-again-off-again ever since they started dating. Besides they just got back together three days ago, the news must not have made it to your part of the grapevine yet."
Walt was clearly crushed by this bit of news and I let him cry on my shoulder, just like old times- the fact that I was now technically his type was beyond him at the moment and I wasn't going to press matters. Now was the time to be a friend, as for being a girlfriend...well I'd just wait and see where the future took me on this matter.
"So, Paul or I guess that it's Iris now," Steve said trying to tip-toe around the issue, "I heard that you're technically a genie, "so does that mean you're going to need a belly dancing outfit and a lamp."
That comment silenced the room, poor Steve had no idea the faux-paus he just committed. "Child- the matter of sealing djinn metal vessels such as lamps is no laughing matter." Grandma injected herself into the conversation before any of my male relative could voice their displeasure and given that she (not my grandfather) was the head of our House, no one was willing to argue. "What you speak of is essentially indentured servitude at best- bound slavery at worst, originally it was used to force rogue djinn to repay the debt that their mischief created to mankind. However, the technique eventually made its way into less moral hands; hands that used the power of The Seal to enslave the innocent as well as the guilty, all in an effort to gain wealth and power at the expense of another."
"There was one thing that Disney got right about its genie, it was that he was enslaved to the owner of his lamp and force to serve again his will." Grandmother Nephrys shook her head at the culture, "Because of the actions of the worst of humanity who had our power at their beck and call, many of our kind were compelled to commit such horrible deeds that the followers of Mohammad consider that the devil himself is one of our kind."
"But if you want to see a genie belly dancing in one of those outfits," Bes came up to us interrupting, "I can arrange for that to happen.
A resounding cry of, "NO!" erupted from every mouth in the room except Matt, Steve and Walt.
"Remember Brainstain, grandpa banned you from the costume closet," I stated as I glared at the tiny djinn, "as is you're lucky he let you take that showgirl outfit off before he burned it."
"Showgirl outfit?!?" Walt all but goggled as he looked at the short djinn, "What the heck happened while I was kidnapped?"
"What happed was that I saved your backside kid," Brainstain proclaimed as he puffed his chest out with pride, "without me someone would be cutting your arms off to get at those gemstones."
"Remember those two thugs that kidnapped you, one of them stayed behind to take care of the witnesses, I explained trying to put the right emphasis on the matter, "I had him on the ropes and when my uncle showed up knocked him out and brought all of us here to safety. Well it wasn't so safe for that thug, since he wouldn't talk grandpa let Brainstain here interrogate him in a way that might be considered as much a war crime as what we did to those soldiers in Iraq."
"You mean the water-boarding!?!" Walt recoiled as he looked at Bes in fear.
"No, I mean Desert Storm," I corrected him, "when they stuck the POWs in a room and forced them to watch Barney the Dinosaur. Although Brainstain here did something that I wouldn't wish on anyone- well maybe those monsters who are keeping my mother hostage."
"Yeah," Walt commented as he tried to avoid looking at me, "I mean it must be overwhelming finding out that the woman who you thought was your mother was a monster holding you hostage, and finding out that not only are you really a girl but half-genie- I don't know how you're handling all of...this so well."
I sagged with a sigh, "To be perfectly honest with how crazy the last several hours have been the reality is probably still settling, actually if I wasn't so focused on rescuing you from that Auction then I'd probably be either in a therapy session or the fetal position in the coat room."
That elicited a chuckle from Walt which turned contagious and soon the two of us were sharing a laugh just like old times like after watching a bad movie at his house or after a practice bout at the gym. "Nice to know that you're still you in there Pa- I mean Iris." Walt sheepishly corrected himself.
"I know-" I groaned, "I'm still getting used to it, but I suppose new life, new name is how it goes in this life."
"Speaking about your old life- whatever happened to your evil mother?" Walt inquired in a way that made me almost see the air-quotes.
"The last I heard was that men working for one of grandpa's acquaintances caught her in Chicago with a bag full of Euros and a one-way ticket for Prague." I explained, "That Miranda Salazar lady I mentioned, evidently she kidnapped her because she’s pregnant with a demi-djinni. She turned Miranda over to the same people holding my mother for a small fortune and planned on skipping the country, considering the kind of people my grandfather calls colleagues I don't think that I'll ever have to worry about her again."
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
10:23 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
In spite of Kelsey's promise that I was now free to come and go at my leisure, part of was worried over how the Merchants had found me- my work. According to Wukong Sun every gemstone that I ever made resonated with my chi, it was how the Jiang-shi were given my scent to hunt me down- it was how the Merchants had known I'd left the safety of the Cave and it- come to think of it I don't know how the Masterson Brothers had tracked me down, but something told me that it wasn't my chi.
Now those power-armored rednecks didn't strike me as the spiritual types, no they probably had a technological solution on how to track me down. They also struck me as the stubborn types, this meant that despite the assurances that I had over the Merchants not crossing into the Territory of that Erzebet Scratch woman from the Obsidian Circle, that probably didn't apply to any to the Masterson Brothers or any of the mercenaries that they sent to bring me back to their headquarters in Old San Francisco.
"Worried about the trip huh," I looked up to see Bajie Zhu looked over from my favorite lounging spot. "It's okay, long treks across hostile territory with people gunning for your traveling group are kind of something that I have a good deal of experience with!"
"Easy for you to say," I shot back at the pig-headed member of Xuanzhang's bodyguards, "you weren't the one being targeted."
"Actually, in a way I was," the heavenly alter-cleaner admitted with a sigh, "while it was true that every demon and their dog either wanted to stop our pilgrimage or eat Xuanzhang- sometimes both, I was the one who got us into trouble the most. When it wasn't Xuanzhang's naivety or Wukong's temper getting us into trouble, it was my stomach, or second brain causing us to walk right into a trap or an ambush."
"The truth was that those books gloss over a lot of the traps that I fell for, or even problems that I caused." Bajie begrudgingly admitted, "Such as the time I wandered off because of a lady that I saw in a teahouse who turned out to be Xiaoqing the Green Snake Maiden. That time I kind of borrowed a scroll that she had in her possession, that turned out to be a scroll of Taoist exercises that were given to her by Bai Suzhen (Lady White Snake)."
"I was trying to use it as an excuse to get a date out of her, and she took it as an affront and attacked our group to retrieve the scroll. That turned into an affair where Yu Long saved us with him and Xiaoqing locking each other in their coils until she was ready to talk. Once the truth of what I had done was revealed Xiaoqing ended sharing tea and pleasantries with the others while I was upside-down and tied to a post facing away from the festivities, I was red in the face for a couple of days for more than one reason after that."
"Wait! I thought that the snakes were the villains in the original version of the Tale of the White Snake Lady?!?" I asked somewhat confused.
"Nope, the later version was actually the correct one," Bajie explained. "A lot of Confucist scholars didn't want people to be warry of traveling monks while being accepting of animals seeking enlightenment- so they turned a tale of romance and adventure into a horror story, fortunately later scholars restored the true soul of the story. But that incident with the Green Snake Maiden was only one of many that got us in unnecessary trouble along the way. In fact, that book also ignored the many contributions Yu Long made to our group beyond being Xuanzhang's mount."
"Maybe you should write that down then," I observed, "a little humility from giving others their overdue credit would surely do well for your karma."
"Nah- that ship sailed a long time ago," Bajie waved off my suggestion, "besides people hate it when others come along and mess with a classic story in this day and age."
"Doesn't seem to stop Disney," I remarked with a smirk across my reptilian face.
"Yeah and look at the blowback they got over Mulan and Aladdin," Bajie retorted with a snort, "granted I liked how they tried to follow the original story where she returned home after the war, instead of that stupid rewrite where they inserted historical figures who weren't even alive during that time period; granted there was no reason to shoe-horn in the romance. Or the reveal of her gender at the army camp considering the fact of her gender didn't come to light until long after her time of service."
"Yeah, not to mention all of the fumbling when it came to Chinese culture," I stated with an eyeroll, "considering all the professors who study Chinese culture in California alone you would think that they'd ask just one to come and consult for the movie during development."
"Don't need to talk to me about the sins of Hollywood in relation to Asian culture," Bajie grunted, "Cecil B. DeMille's Genghis Khan wasn't just tragic for being downwind of the Los Alamos Nuclear Tests, it was a cinematic disaster too- talk about as sour note for John Wayne to go into the sunset."
"Huh- so let me get this straight Bajie Zhu is into Westerns?!?" I all but goggled at that piece of information.
"What can I say, I have a thing for flawed heroes whose code doesn't exactly mesh with what society considers...proper." The worldlier of the pilgrim's explained, "Don't get me wrong, tradition, loyalty, duty, all of these things have their place, but taken to extremes those can be a prison to those who follow them. An honor code of though, that can take many forms and what one calls honor another may argue against however it can still hold true. Keep this in mind when it comes time for you to strike out on your own journey kid, what the code you live by and how you live by it can determine a lot as you travel to where you need to be."
"I'll keep that in mind," I explained as I drifted away from the pig-headed immortal, trying to keep his words in mind while at the same time filing them away for another day. While there was no doubt in my mind how my eastward road trip was going to be dangerous, the real hurdles lay before then: my visit to the Whateley Academy, and my training with the infamous Handmaiden of the Tao- whom some knew as the bloody right-hand of destiny. Just what would I be in for when I communed with that woman's sword, a sword forged from the heart of Zunyan Qianbei the dragon whose ashes transformed me into the Northern Maiden? Not to mention what could happen if the Tao judged me unworthy of my destiny?
"Don't be too worried about the Handmaiden of the Tao's judgement Maiden of the North," Shenyan Hong stated as he approached my favorite alcove of this level of the caverns, "she only ends life when the Tao calls her to or if there is no other choice, as long as you stay the course of your destiny then you have nothing to worry about from her- especially given how your duty is to restore part of the balance to the world that was uncentered so long ago."
"Okay, but what can you tell me about this Mountain where I'm supposed to go?" I asked wanting to know about my big mission no matter how far it was in the future, plus unlike the other three maidens it wasn't like I had ample access to a member of the Jade Heaves for information, "I mean forewarned is forearmed...right?!?"
"Most details about Mount Sanghunzhi should remain for after your training with the Handmaiden of the Tao." The Red Sage stated, "However I can tell you that this task will take several days as the Mountain itself drifts between this life and the next-"
"Meaning that should I remain on the mountain when it does I'll receive a one-way ticket to Wheel of Samsara." I interrupted guessing the warning which he was about to convey.
"No, should you remain on the mountain after daybreak the ground beneath your feet will turn ethereal and should you lack the means of flight then you will fall to your death upon the rocks roughly 1200 meters below." Shenyan corrected my assumption with a far more mundane yet far more gruesome fate, "This mean that you will either have to ascend and descend the mountains winding crags in the dark before sunrise or learn some method of flight, I would suggest talking with your distant ancestors and relatives among the Tianlong to learn cloud-walking."
Figures I get the hard part, the mermaid just has to deep dive to some reef, the fairy has to find a pond in some forest and the genie has to trek into a desert, but what do I get stuck with? I get stuck with walking up a mountain in the dark that pulls a Houdini once the sun comes up- this blows, it figures that the dragon would get stuck doing the heavy lifting for this prophecy.
Detention Wing
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
12:07 PM CDT
Lilian Dupree looked up for the first time in hours as she heard the doors to the wing open again, part of her hoped that it wasn't her escort meant to drag her before Erzebet Scratch for the witch to decide her fate which was bound to be nasty (especially given that the woman was clearly a necromancer). To her relief the people walking around outside the windowless door of her cell weren't interested in her at the moment, it sounded like they were guiding someone- forcefully.
Soon enough Lilian's suspicions were confirmed when she heard another heavy door just like the one in front of her open, and another person (a man from the sound of the grunt when he hit the floor after he) was shoved inside. "He-yar youh con keef thee auzor wan camfunny wahl youh wad foor Erzabed Shrats to retawn." The undead abomination slurred out, "Hoff fan!"
Soon enough the reanimated cadaver exited the door leaving Lilian Dupree alone with whoever else ticked off the Obsidian Circle and happened to encounter Erzebet Scratch and her thugs.
"Great as if being alone waiting for whatever that mafia-style sorceress wasn't enough, I have company." The newest name on the Obsidian Circle's list remarked, "So who's there and what did you do to wind up on worse-than-death-row?"
"Worse than death?" Lilian all but shuddered at the thought despite knowing how it was likely the truth, "You mean that she's going to turn us into undead servants like that...thing!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha," the stranger across the hall laughed until he was gasping for breath, "you must not be from outside those who practice the craft such as the members of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom. Greg Paulson, I was called, granted I was a lowly servant of the Grand Hall's New York House, but while I lacked the talent for true magic I wasn't without ability. Part of what got me here was taking advantage of the opportunity of a lifetime and stealing the contents of an entire vault belonging from one of the Obsidian Circle's lieutenants while the contents of other vaults were being inventoried and readied for shipment."
"An item within that vault was wanted by a client of a member of importance from another House and I obliged, especially when I was promised a tidy sum for everything else in that vault." Greg explained, "What I didn't count on was that not only was my victim alive after his rather public death over a decade and a half ago, but also the fact that he had a mole working in the other House. By the time I was done unpacking the mole had woven a spell over the other workers in the warehouse I was unloading in to turn the other workers into her master's servants and I was forced to repack just about all of my ill-gotten gains, surrender any mystic artifacts that I had on me, and throw myself on the non-existent mercy of the Obsidian Circle."
"Now before I explain what could be worse than death and what was so funny," the former employee of the New York Chapter House's Storage Annex explained, "I want to hear what got you thrown in here."
"I'm a mercenary who was under contract with some Black Magic Cult named the Order of the Black Pharaoh," Lilian Dupree confessed, "I spent almost sixteen years of my life keeping watch over the kid of some other merc named Greygus that they stuffed inside a shell to make her look like a boy. I had the brat brow beaten for years, never would have even dared to speak up to me, and then after it's shell gets cracked the queef runs off to Vegas gets the shell broken to pieces only months away from my big payday."
"So naturally the Order gets me on the horn, demands a replacement for the kid if I want to get paid. So, I scoop up some other knock-up bitch on their radar, have her shipped in an aircraft container on a flight with me to Chicago." Lilian all but spat, "I delivered the goods got my payday, including the youth that I wasted watching that disobedient brat, then I get scooped up by these bitches who can swim through walls and thrown in a cell with no idea where I am- now is that good enough for you to clue me in or do you want to listen to me pretend to do myself."
"While that might lighten the mood, I doubt that it would help," Greg admitted, "in all it sounds like you're actually even more screwed then I am. I only stole from The Circle, and except for two items they got everything back and a nice bug-out bag too; while I don't think that I'll get off light- hell they'll probably kill me just to make a point."
"Now you on the other hand, actually worked with their enemies, kidnapped the daughter of the right hand of one of the Founders of both The Circle and The Grand Hall, stole years of the girl's life with her father that they can never get back, kidnapped another woman and child who likely are related to The Circle as well, and after all of that decided to flee into the territory of a sorceress who has a known soft-spot for children." Greg laughed, "You want to know what's worse than death? Well likely after using every means at her disposal to rip every scrap of information that you have on the Order of the Black Pharaoh out of your mind, Erzebet Scratch will give you to an undead abomination under her control known as The Hangman."
"You mean that sack of puss watching the jail cells," Lilian inquired, "she's gonna have that thing to us into zombies too?"
"No- I don't know what that thing is but Scratch must have some skills to create a zombie that cognizant." Greg observed, "No- The Hangman is an undead abomination from back in the old west, he's called that because his noose (which he has full control over) can absorb the soul of anyone that he kills with it. Once that rope strangles you, your soul will be sucked inside to wait your turn in line after all of his previous victims, and once your turn comes that rope will bleed the essence from your soul for a full year until there's nothing left and everything that ever made you- you dissipates into nothingness."
"That's what's worse than death, nothing, no heaven, no hell, no purgatory, no limbo, just pure oblivion. I mean I'm likely going to die soon but there'll probably be something waiting for me somewhere, you on the other hand Miss Dupree, all you have waiting for you is a world of pain, followed by death, then a long period of dread, until finally there is nothing left." Greg stated, "So are you glad that I told you what you're in for Miss Dupree?"
Lilian Dupree had no words for Greg Paulson's ears, she had no words for anyone at the moment. No, at present Lilian Dupree was white as a sheet, as her ears strained to hear the ticking of a nearby clock- a clock that seemed to be ticking down her last moments left on Earth.
Faolan & Quickvix's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy - Dunwich, New Hampshire
1:37 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
After a good twenty minutes of hug and cry therapy Candace had finally relented and let me go, "Okay," she sniffed, "I forgive you for abandoning me the way you did. But know this Randi Bridges, don't think that getting kidnapped will let you off the hook with me, you promised me a date and I plan to collect."
"That collection's going to have to wait," I sheepishly admitted while still trying to overcome the fact that the fox girl had neglected to put on a stitch of clothing since I got back, but at least she wasn't glomped on to me anymore. "I have three weeks of detention to complete with the school ground's crew, also when we do cash that token in how about just a quiet afternoon in Berlin, I want to avoid any big cities in New England for a while."
"Fair enough," Candance managed to chuckle past her lingering tears, "besides there is talk that after today, that even after they rebuild all student's will be barred from traveling to Boston without special permission."
"Just as well," I shuddered, "after yesterday, I think I'm going to need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bellows; something tells me after some of what I saw while going though those burning buildings I'm really going to need therapy."
"You should have been seeing him already Randi," Jane took this moment to enter into the conversation, "with all that you've gone through since manifesting you really need someone to help you process everything. Your old repress and deal-with-it strategy really doesn't work after all that you've been through. As your familiar I know that while the incident with that mirror did help some, you really need a professional opinion to help you work through your issues."
"What are you Jane- my life coach?" I asked with sarcasm bleeding into my voice.
"Among other things yes," Jane retorted, "it's a familiar's duty to assist their contractor even if they are not aware that when they need help. This includes ensuring that they take care of themselves, console them in times of need and when they know that the moment is right to give them a much-needed reality check. You have been through more physical and emotional trauma over the last few months than many have in their lifetime, Randi it is time that you get professional help; while I realize that this is difficult for you something tells me that it will help you make some much needed breakthroughs and make you an even stronger person for it."
"Fine," I threw up my hands in defeat, "I'll make an appointment with Doctor Bellows, heck if I make enough of a fuss they might count it as detention time."
"There you go," Candace laughed again as the signs of her earlier crying fits were leaving her eyes. "Finally seeing the positive side of things."
"Don't push it red swiffer," I remarked with a sly grin on my face, "I happen to enjoy my slightly negative outlook, it helps me keep my edge."
Unless you're around Heather, Jane quipped, then Miss Grim and Negative turns into a dorky older sister.
'Hey, I was the younger kid for years,' I argued over our bond, 'it's past time that I spread the cheese to a younger member of my clan. Although who would have thought that Heather and I are actually related like that; I mean her circumstances are just surreal.'
Well to be fair the Obsidian Circle was trying to push the prophecy of the Four Maidens into fruition, and given the specific circumstances required for the Western Maiden they probably felt that the more candidates there were the more likely that one would be chosen by destiny.
"Let me guess," Candace stated as she paused from putting her clothes back on, "you two are talking over your master and familiar link again. Do you two know how rude that is, holding a conversation in front of someone else in secret."
"To be fair Miss Reynard some aspects of that conversation are confidential," Jane defended me, "I think that unless you two actually are an item that Randi might need to keep somethings secret from you, especially matters of prophecy."
"I agree with Jane on this one Candace," I admitted backing Jane up on this matter, "this prophecy business got Bea and I targeted by The Necromancer, in this case probably the less you know the safer you are."
"Fine I'll concede this matter just this once on one condition," Candace gave me a mischievous look and a slasher's smile, "during our date I expect some show of intimacy, hand-holding at minimum and if you decide to shirk I want a kiss when we get back to Poe afterwards. Although if you're lucky you might get one anyway- of the French variety."
I seized up as my imagination and hormones went into overdrive concerning that sentence, I didn't even move when Candace left the room- despite Jane pecking me to get me to rejoin the world. "She got me good, didn't she?"
"Randi at your age you are a cauldron of hormones," Jane stated as she moved from my head to her usual perch on my shoulder, "more-so given that you have only been female for roughly three and a half months. Face, it my young charge, until you learn to master yourself anyone you find attractive will be able to mess with you; fortunately, so far you haven't fallen for anyone who would seek to use you for anything you would regret. Also, if that happens you have me to shock some sense into you."
"Don't you mean knock some sense into me?" I inquired as I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"No," and to emphasize her point Jane arced a bolt of static that caught me on the backside and made the fur on my tail stand on end.
"Very funny Jane," I scowled as I got out my brush to try and get my tail back to normal, "very funny!"
Bladedancer & Crimson Comet's Room - Poe Cottage
1:40 PM
Chou sat down in seiza with Destiny's Wave cradled in her arms, she stared at the sword's blade, an enigma that when she acquired it she thought was crafted from jade. Half a year had gone by since then and Chou's life had changed profoundly as well; she had lost the chest meant to house the blade for the Handmaiden of the Tao to the Demon Lord of the Hell of Fiery Immersion, she had lost her father and family home to the same fiend, she had to start over entirely with a new life and a new gender, and she had to take lives in the name of the greater good.
While sometimes did not weigh on her as much as others, she still remembered Andy McWilliams the innocent man that she was forced to kill. Granted that act had saved his family from falling apart due to the getting the winning lottery ticket that he was otherwise fated to lose, that was when she began to accept that as the Handmaiden she was a force of nature- of destiny and was to act to satisfy the balance. It was that act that made her the target of fear, hate and greed of many both at Whateley and around the world: Her fellow student Silver Serpent and her father Iron Dragon both feared her, the Tong of the Black Madonna considered her very existence a threat and tried to kill her, another student Nex tried to kill her for her sword, the Chinese government tried to enslave her to serve them, and many people and groups that she had never even met considered her to be anything from mythical boogieman to a walking nuclear weapon.
While she had grown to come to accept her role and what it entailed she was also still learning how to bear the weight of her office, and now here was another burden. A girl who she had to train due to the debt that her office owed to her ancestors, although knowing the cause of that debt Chou wondered if training the girl would be enough considering that her ancestor, a dragon worthy of becoming a Tianlong had surrended his heart for the sake of the Tao. Here in her hands she held a sword possessed by a Taoist sage and forged from a dragon's heart by the hand of the Artificer.
Chou had known what Destiny's Wave was forged from for a while now, but she had always considered it a done affair, just another piece of ancient history from the long line of the Handmaidens who came before her. Evidentially though this history was far from settled, in fact it was one area that the Tao had been unable to balance almost since the days of the first Handmaiden, and it was going to be her burden to see it through- by training the heir of the dragon whose heart she wielded. While Chou knew that she was no slouch in the martial-arts department, having some skill even before she became the Handmaiden and more training afterwards- she was hardly in the position in her own training to consider taking on and training her own student.
"I need more information about this," the Handmaiden of the Tao paused for a moment to consider her options, "I need to talk with Faolan to learn what else she knows, or at least Becca if she's aware of this- ugh why isn't the Monkey King around when he'd be useful?"
Fatigue & Aletheia's Room - Dickinson Cottage
1:46 PM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Tired of my chair, and recognizing that I was effectively under house arrest without a security escort, I resumed my earlier forbidden practice of using my chair as a walker. I know that the matter was excruciating with my legs screaming at me to lay down and take it easy has the tried to bow under my weight, but I continued on- I was the master of my body not my legs- me!
I guess that I was fortunate that Mable had to leave for her shift at Doyle, because I didn't want to hear her trying to bring logic into the situation of telling me to take it easy. I know that Mable's heart was in the right place, and to a certain extent she was right at telling me to do so, but I needed to do this- I needed to be able to stand on my own two feet. I made another lap, as my legs cried for mercy beneath the rest of my weight, but I refused to listen to them.
I had spent millennia a prisoner looking on at the world that I longed to interact with and while I could interact with that world to an extent, I had just traded my prison in the shadow of Cytherea for the prison of a wheel chair. Fortunately, unlike that existence this time my liberation was possible, and that liberation wouldn't come from a magic word or divine intervention, no this time my liberation would come through my own determination- my own effort- my own blood, sweat and tears. I made one more lap, this time back to my bed before finally giving my legs the respite they desired.
As I fell with my back to the mattress and Mable's bunk above me I breathed heavily, as my legs burned and ached from the exertion. The exercise I had put my legs through was painful but as the old adage went- no pain, no gain; as hard as it was I determined to put myself through as much as possible to achieve my current goal. I looked at the marvel of modern engineering before me that scoffed at gravity as it hovered upright off the ground, "I swear it, before summer I will escape you. I mean it, I will experience the world as everyone else does- on my own two feet."
"You know it's not alive," I heard an all too familiar voice as I turned to look at Mirabel's familiar Blinky, "why do you keep talking to it?"
Somewhat used to the fact that the cat could enter and leave rooms without having a door opened for it, as well as the fact that he could talk, I explained as best as I could, "Just giving voice to my frustrations Blinky, how was everyone in the Dreamlands last night?"
"The Queen was scared about what happened," Blinky explained, "she was worried that she was going to lose all of her family."
"Well she's not going to have anything to worry about for a while," I sighed as I used my arms to scoot me back into a sitting position, "until Summer rolls around I'm grounded. No leaving campus, no moving between buildings without a security escort, and no going into the tunnels. Mom is doing everything she can to make sure that nobody takes another shot at me for the rest of the school year."
"Mommas just want to keep their young safe," Blinky explained as he hopped on top of the bed and rubbed against my aching legs.
"Only the good moms Blinky," I chuckled as I scratching the Ultharian-kitten's back causing it the arch as he began to purr, "only the good ones. I should know I have two, one that did everything possible to keep me safe, and one who still will do what it takes no matter how much I would argue against otherwise."
Taking a moment to think about the immediate future, I pulled the envelop for my duty list from my purse regarding my first list of detention assignments. After opening the thing, I saw something that I had only heard in hushed tones mentioned around campus, but it was clearly warranted in my case- Hawthorne Cottage. Although it wasn't this week's assignment, which was Light Duty in the Beck Library, two weeks from tomorrow I was going to be serving detention in Hawthorne Cottage.
Hawthorne, I knew as the residence for students with either special needs or powers that made them a danger to others, such as a gravity manipulator with no control over her powers (who the word was Chaka had managed to cure her problem with ki-manipulation of a blocked chakra meridian), or a ice energizer whose powers were stuck in the on position and needed to be kept in a humidity-free environment to avoid the room frosting over like an old freezer.
"Well I was wanting mom and others to stop treating me like a porcelain doll," I remarked with a slight grin on my face. "It looks like I'll have the chance to show what I can do in a few weeks."
"Good you're happy again," Blinky all but sang as he walked right through my door without leaving a trace.
"I just hope that I can handle this, "I remarked as I wondered about where things would go once I showed up at Hawthorne. Oh well, I still had two weeks until I found that out.
Common Room - Poe Cottage
1:50 PM
Somewhat a little miffed at her roommate and recent date, Quickvix trudged down the stairs and into the first-floor lobby. While it was true Candace could have run down and have been out the door in a solid second, but she wanted to emphasize her displeasure at Randi for the entire cabin to notice. The fact that it was a yellow flag day had nothing to do with her decision, but it was fortunate that she did so because Mrs. Horton spoke-up before she could leave, "Miss Reynard, I have a message from a woman in your hometown named Gertrude Defrank, she said to call her back immediately she sounded upset."
Curious back why her best friend's mom would call her on a Sunday, especially since they didn't get her gift yet, Candace went for the courtesy phone and dialed the number for the Morrisons, after a few minutes she heard Gertrude Defrank answer the phone-
"This is the Morrison residence," Candace heard her friend's mother answer the phone, by the sound of her voice the woman was clearly upset. "I'm sorry but can you call back later, there is a family crisis going on right now."
"Actually Mrs. Defrank this is Candace Reynard," Candace responded concerned, "You called me earlier, is there anything wrong?"
"Candace?!? Thank God!" Gertrude Defrank exclaimed, "It's horrible, we just found out from one of the members of your jogging group that Chandra manifested before getting shot at that Park in Chicago where you two used to run. To make matters worse the Knights of Purity showed up and tried to take her into custody to turn her over to the MCO, and now she's on the run in Chicago with the Knights of Purity after her!"
The phone almost slipped from Candace's grip as she turned pale, her best friend was currently facing one of the worst scenarios possible for a mutant- being hunted by the Knights of Purity which was a possible death sentence given their track record for terminating mutant suspects.
Taking a moment to steel herself- Candace knew that she had to remain strong for her friend's sake. "Mrs. Defrank- I hate to say it like this, but you need to calm down, for Chandra's sake."
"Calm down!" Gertrude snapped at Candace through the receiver, "My baby is out there being hunted like a wild animal by a bunch of bigots in in armored suits and you tell me to calm down! I thought that you were her friend!?!"
"Mrs. Defrank I am her friend and I've lived this situation, while you have every right to be upset I can tell you that the last thing Chandra needs is for you to lose your cool." Candace did her best to calm her friend's mother down over the phone, "Chandra needs you to be strong for her and there are things that you can do to help, first Chandra told me that Mrs. Morrison offers her services pro-bono to her employees and their families, it's time to use that employee perk."
"What good is an attorney going to do?" Gertrude sniffed out, "My baby needs help!"
"And this will help her," Candace explained, "despite how they like to portray themselves to the public the Knights of Purity and the Mutant Commission Office are private security companies, not Police or Government Agencies. This means that the more negative PR that Mrs. Morrison can help you stir up the better Chandra's chances are of being taken alive. You said that she was shot right, was anybody treating her injuries before the Knights of Purity showed up?"
"O-One of her jogging buddies stitched her up before the ambulance got there," Mrs. Defrank sniffled out as she tried to calm down, "they were getting ready to take her to the hospital before the Knights showed up."
"That's good, if the paramedics were there that means that the police were there too, they always make sure to secure the area when there is a possibility of an active shooter in the area." Chandra explained trying to walk Gertrude through what she knew of emergency procedure, "That means that the Knights were trying to seize someone from protective custody, already you have cause to make the DA force the Knights to stand down. Now the next part is also important, I'm going to give you the number for the Department of Preternatural Affairs, unlike the MCO this is a government agency."
Candace read the number from the card in her billfold for the Illinois DPA branch office, something that she made sure to keep on her person in case the MCO tried to disappear her at an airport using the old We need to ask you a few questions trick, after hearing Mrs. Defrank confirm the number she continued, "You and Mrs. Morrison need to ask to speak to the agent in charge of the case or if there isn't one the Supervisor in Charge, this will let you gain a handle on the situation and help guide the press narrative. It'll also help you keep the MCO out of it, and speaking of those jokers if they show before the DPA does insist that Mrs. Morrison be present whenever they try to talk with you and let her read any documents they try to force into your hands."
"And this will keep my baby safe?" Mrs. Defrank inquired reaching for a thread of hope.
"It'll be her best shot," Candace reassured her, "and also try and reach the Windy City Guardians. Chandra is bound to be running for her life and might be a little paranoid, having a cape show up might help persuade her to surrender back into protective custody."
"Al-alright," Mrs. Defrank responded, "I will and thank you Candace, Chandra is blessed to have a friend like you."
After hanging up the phone, Candace collapsed to the floor emotionally exhausted. "Well done Miss Reynard," Candace turned to see Housemother Bella Horton looking at her in approval, "That was a very responsible thing that you just did, I wish more students were like you."
"Does it always make you feel like you are going to throw up afterwards," Candace inquired of the woman.
"Maybe the first few times," Mrs. Horton explained, "after that you become used to the stress. Just remember, sometimes it's more important to put the fires out rather than run into them."
6 years 1 month ago #50
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Rot Translations:
"He-yar youh con keef thee auzor wan camfunny wahl youh wad foor Erzabed Shrats to retawn."
"Here you can keep the other company while you wait for Erzebet Scratch to return."
"Hoff fan
"Have fun"
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 37 Notes
Rot Translations:
"He-yar youh con keef thee auzor wan camfunny wahl youh wad foor Erzabed Shrats to retawn."
"Here you can keep the other company while you wait for Erzebet Scratch to return."
"Hoff fan
"Have fun"
6 years 2 weeks ago #51
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Ruth's Home Office - Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
2:52 PM CDT
Leticia Soto was doing her best to comfort Trudie Defrank as Ruth Morrison worked away at her laptop from the other side of her desk. "Are there any other people that you know of that could call to serve as a witness to Chandra's character, when it comes to these cases more is better as far back as you can go.
"Why does it seem like you're trying to prove that my baby isn't some kind of criminal?" Trudie did her best to avoid sobbing, "She was shot while exercising in the park- she was the victim here."
"I know that, and the police know that, but the problem is the media." Ruth did her best to explain, "The Knights of Purity love to paint themselves as the good guys protecting the public from dangerous and unstable mutants, and they have the Goodkind News Network supporting them full on since their CEOs are brothers. The thing that Chandra really has to worry about not only right now, but later on is her public image. Gertrude like it or not mutants have a target on their backs, and the same people who used to (and still do) give minority groups so much hate see mutants as a safer target."
"How could beings with powers be considered a safe target?" Leticia asked somewhat confused on the matter.
"Because most of the time when mutants or most powered people defend themselves, their powers can be used against them legally." Ruth elaborated, "Short of defending themselves from an attack with a lethal weapon, when anyone with powers uses them offensively in any way against another person it's felony assault. While there is some leeway when it comes to legally authorized heroes when operating in their jurisdiction, or if the other party is a known criminal; an offensive use of powers by an individual without legal authority is a criminal act warranting prosecution."
"But wouldn't she be able to defend herself if those armored brutos attack her?" Leticia asked again, trying to grasp at another straw to give her co-worker hope.
"Unfortunately, the Knights of Purity have legal jurisdiction to operate in the Greater Chicago area due to a blanket contract with the Chicago City Council and the cities directly outside of Chicago to apprehend any powered suspects with necessary force." Ruth explained as she rolled her eyes, "If they get the go ahead from the local state attorney or receive a report of Chandra attacking another person they will have cart-blanche to capture her. As is the Knights of Purity are already in trouble for trying to take Chandra into custody from the paramedics, but their legal department have likely already thought of a work around for that incident."
"So, what can we do?" Trudie Defrank sniffed as she was once again losing her composure, "My daughter already has the odds stacked against her, a black girl from a poor neighborhood, involved in a shooting- even without powers that's a recipe for disaster."
"Fortunately, the Police and CSI were already on the scene examining the real crime," Ruth stated as she laid down the facts, "from all accounts this was an incident with a weapon fired from the bushes. The means that this wasn't a crime of opportunity but was premeditated assault; also, mutant or not the distance involved likely means that a rifle was used and after the Beltway Sniper Incidents, any action that could be construed as sniping means that it is a federal case. Also, after the Werewolf of Six Flags incident resulted in The People of Texas v. the Mutant Commission Office earlier this year the following verdict was reached: In all incidents involving powered individuals when a federal law enforcement agency can claim jurisdiction, all private security companies regardless of local jurisdiction must cede authority to the federal agency in charge."
"So, when Candace told me to have us contact the DPA..." Trudie's eyes lit up as she put two-and-two together.
"She was letting us know how to cut the Knights and the MCO off at the knees," Ruth smiled, "although from what I learned when I called the DPA earlier, after I explained that I was your family attorney, they explained that they already have an agent on the scene working with a mobile lab and some blood samples that they took from Chandra earlier while she was being treated. They promised that they'll let us know of any findings as soon as they receive word from their agent."
"So, my baby's chances are looking better already," Trudie perked up even more with this revelation.
"Even more so if the police rule this a sniper attack," Mrs. Morrison continued, "as I said earlier after the Beltway shootings it was ruled that all sniper attacks fall under federal jurisdiction. Meaning any attack made with a rifle, from a concealed position at a distance in excess of fifty feet is federal jurisdiction. The moment that happens the all state and municipal authority must cede jurisdiction to the FBI and all resources involved become subject to federal authority, that includes the Knights of Purity."
"So those monsters won't be hunting down my baby?" Trudie looked at Ruth Morrison with hope anew in her eyes, "You'll do everything you can to keep that from happening?!?"
"Trudie," Ruth spoke as she closed her laptop and circled around her desk to clasp Gertrude's hands. "I think of everyone that has ever lived in this house as a part of my extended family, it's time that Herbert Goodkind's local toady Quentine Ramos gets a taste of Chandra's Aunt Ruth."
Washington Park - Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
3:11 PM
Chicago Police Officer Jace Rendon all but glared at the two CSI personnel who were nearby working the bushes over for evidence, "I don't see why I have to be trudging through this pond in Hip Waders, don't we have a dive team for this?"
"Jace, our dive team is for situations that actually involve diving, like looking for bodies in Lake Michigan not stomping around a park pond looking for evidence." Detective Cade Acker replied as he took another sip from his coffee on the shore making sure to keep an eye out to ward curious on-lookers away from the crime scene.
"What even makes you think that there is a gun in here?" Jace inquired as he continued to work over the pond with a metal detector, "Wouldn't the suspect of taken it with him?"
"The slug that we found to the west of the pond was a 5.56mm and in pretty good shape since it hit the dirt instead of the concrete." Monica Vollpato the senior CSI on the scene explained, "However the wound that the victim suffered from judging by the photographs was a smaller caliber; a 9mm judging by the two casings that we found near what looks like the suspect's blind. SInce that the victim confronted her attacker over here, the suspect must have decided to flee the park before anyone arrived."
"Given that the suspect would have to flee the scene in a hurry they would have had no time to properly breakdown and conceal a rifle, judging by the fact that they also had a handgun meant that they felt they could abandon the rifle and still remain armed. Plus, chances are he or she would have come back to retrieve the rifle later, that meant that they would have hid it close but out of sight and the water under the bridge is a good bet."
"Okay, and I get that the polls with the orange flags are to make where I find it down here but just what is this weird pole?"
"That's a snake pole," Rylan Hite the junior CSI on the case explained as he poured plaster into the footprints, "Herpetologists use those in pairs to handle poisonous snakes."
"Speaking of that shouldn't I be worried about Water Moccasins or anything?"
"Not this far north," Monica reassured the man, "besides there's only four species of snakes found in the Greater Chicago Area and none of them are poisonous. Those things are just good at picking up things from a distance with a little heft to them, plus they're sold in pairs, so we have two incase another team needs one."
"So, Monica," Detective Acker spoke up, "any early insights on our shooter?"
"Well for one this act was clearly premeditated; the suspect chose a sight with a good but concealed vantage point." Monica began to explain as she worked over the available evidence, "Not to mention I've found strips of fabric in the bushes, the suspect was wearing a gilly suit or at least the top of one. He's also likely a hunter, he knew how to shoot a rifle at a moving target, not to mention keeping a handgun when you already have a rifle is standard for hunters incase an animal wanders in too close."
"Not to mention that he planned a wounding shot, or at least one with the rifle." Rylan elaborated, "Judging from the disturbances over here where he was shooting from compared to the angle of impact, with the victim's height factored in he was likely aiming for the victim's legs first. Then when the victim got close enough to surprise and confront the suspect, he dropped the rifle and went for a pistol- basic fight or flight instinct here."
Mindlessly poking around finally Officer Rendon felt something, using his flashlight to see if he could make out an outline underwater he felt that he hit pay dirt. After planting the two flags at opposite ends of the object and lifted producing a black tote bag's shoulder strap- followed by the rest of the bag. "I think I found it, let me bring it over so that you two can look."
"Put it on the shore at least ten feet from the bridge please," Monica ordered the officer, "we don't want to contaminate the area near the foot bridge, it's likely the way the victim and the suspect left the island."
"Yes sir- ma'am," Officer Rendon remarked as he complied.
Soon enough Monica carefully opened the bag to find underneath a soggy mass of burlap, an object with a very telling shape stuffed inside a garbage bag and bound with duck tape. "Judging by the weight and outline this is an assault rifle- I need to wait until we get back to the lab to open this Christmas present to identify the model and manufacturer, but something tells me that we have at least enough to get the FBI involved."
"Understood," Detective Acker acknowledged the scientist, "I'll call dispatch to let the Captain know to inform the Feds while and tell dispatch to pass the warning around that we have a potential sniper in the wind."
"Put in a call to the University of Chicago's Campus Precinct too," Monica explained, "I can already tell you that the suspect fled East, if we're lucky one of the campus security cams might have caught someone running away faster than normal and help us ID other potential witnesses."
"Yeah, I know, but that must be why they pay you kids the big bucks." Acker chuckled as he began making his way back to his squad car.
"Nope, it's to get their hooks into us while we're desperate to pay off those student loans." Rylan remarked as he peeled out the first shoe impression.
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
3:22 PM
Ramona looked on at her old friend's slumbering form, as soon as Chandra emerged from the shower she parked it on the couch and was out like a light.
"All these years D-Caf and you still haven't changed where it counted." Ramona shook her head at the sight, "You never borrow the bed when someone offers it but no matter what wherever you crash you're out like a light in no time at all."
As she put away the first-aid kit, Ramona couldn't help but notice the injuries that Chandra had. "Okay she, mentioned the Knights of Purity- I guess that she must be a mutant now. But if she is I doubt that she'd be lucky enough to get away so well held together, and those bandages- that was some serious work, I wonder what happened?"
"Hard to believe that it's really been almost three years since we talked," Ramona spoke to her sleeping friend, "three years since I've really talked to anyone in a way that meant anything. "Most of our group fell on the other side of the district lines and went to another school, well except for Taikeyla Johnson- she joined the Ally Vipers so fast your head would have spun. Hell, these days she's little more than Natroya's little toady, not that surprising though if you think about it."
"I mean if you looked hard enough Taikeyla was always looking for someone to latch on to who she thought would take her places, you always had talent- heck I should know I've been keeping up with your games. Taikeyla probably saw that in you as something to latch on to, then the Coleman's came along, and she saw a tastier target, sad that we never saw that about her earlier, but we were just wanting to have fun in our absentee dad's club."
"Then again all of us were different on that front: your dad spent most of his time deployed in the military, mine is nowhere to be found (not that surprising though mom's friends always said it was a wild bachelorette party), but Taikeyla well- like mother like daughter. Still- I mean I can't blame your mom for taking the opportunity that she did, a better life in a good neighborhood at a good school; not many women around here could say that they achieved that without staining their soul in the process."
"I mean don't get me wrong, my mom is doing good honest work at her accounting firm but it's still going to be some time before we can afford to leave." Ramona deflated as she slid against the wall of the apartment. "You know part of me hated your friend Candace for taking you away, or- well- at least it used to, now I suppose that it's just a stew of jealousy and regret."
Ramona looked over at her friend's sleeping body and laughed, "Maybe when you wake up I'll actually feel brave enough to tell you all of this to your face."
Looking over at her sleeping former friend, whose status she hoped would drop the former part in the near future Ramona came to a decision. She went to the coat closet and pulled out their old polaroid camera, "well since you're here anyway I suppose that now's as good a time as any to add another entry."
Careful to cover the flash on the camera lest it woke up her Chandra, Ramona took the photo that the camera spat out and after waiting a few moments for the picture to develop looked at the image to determine that it was indeed a keeper. After that the young woman crept to the cramped room that she called her own, pulled an album and jar of paste from the corner near where the murphy bed folded down.
Taking the paste, she added the picture on to a blank page, just opposite a short article from the Chicago Tribune about the Illinois Middle School Ladies Basketball Semi-Finals game between South Arlington Heights and Woodrow Wilson. "Keep aiming for those stars Chandra- for all of us!" Ramona whispered as she looked out the door in the direction of the living room. "Don't let the Coleman Sisters win!"
Director's Office - MCO Regional Building HQ
3:32 PM
Wes Anderson, the regional director of the Mutant Commission Office looked at two prominent fixtures of his office: A large bottle of generic antacid and his minibar. "Which one will I need today?" He said to himself with a defeated sigh.
"Sir," the Jenny Roads their front receptionist repeated over the intercom, "Did you hear me? I said that Wing Nut from the Windy City Guardians and Agent Philip Donovan from the Department of Paranormal Affairs are here to see you."
"I heard you the first time Jenny," Director Anderson replied as he depressed the answer button on his desk, "I was just pondering which bottle I would be needing the Hair of the Dog or the Milk of Magnesia, but never mind I'll decide after the fact. Send the both of them in!"
A few moments later Wing Nut in his aviator's gear and Agent Donovan in his suit entered the room to see the office's resident occupant in a sorry state. "Have a seat gentleman, I assume that whatever you have to tell me that I'll need something to treat an early ulcer."
"Sorry about this Wes but a giant load appears to have landed right in your lap," Wing Nut explained as he took one of the offered chairs opposite the beleaguered director, "and whatever it is it looks like it's only the first sign of a nasty storm headed this way."
"Director Anderson," the man in the suit offered his hand to the harried man, "I don't believe that we've met, Agent Donovan with the DPA's new regional office."
"No, but the way things have been going around here lately I knew that I'd be receiving a visit from someone in your office sooner or later." Wes Anderson deflated with a sigh.
"Wes- what's wrong?" Wing Nut asked out of concern, "I mean I know that the MCO has a reputation with the mutant community, but I know you, ever since you took over this office everything's been strictly on the up and up. What do you mean that you knew that you'd be expecting a visit from the DPA?"
"Ever since what happened last winter in Philadelphia came to light as well as the incidents in New York with the Angel of Hell's Kitchen, and Dallas with the Werewolf of Six Flags, not to mention the news about the misconduct at the New Hampshire field office the higher-ups at Corporate have been circling the wagons." Director Anderson confessed, "They know that the Government has begun to take notice and finally give the DPA the funding that they need, the time of the old MCO is dying out and soon we're going to be competing with the TSA for jobs."
"Wes we're here because the Knights of Purity tried to take a kid who was on her way to protective custody," Wing Nut explained clearly hoping for a satisfactory explanation, "They were acting like they were going to bring her here for treatment and then when the kid tried to run from the ambulance where she was being treated they tried to use force to apprehend her. Just what is going on?"
"What is going on is that corporate in their infinite wisdom has decided that their best bet for the MCO to survive in the capacity that they have been operating in within the States is to investigate "Contracted Synergy" with another security firm that operates with existing contracts at the state and municipal level and doesn't have our current PR problem." Wes stated as he grabbed the bottle of antacid took off the lid and took a swig. With his face screwed in disgust he continued, "To that end in certain overlapping markets we have a division that is operating in concert with said private security firm with a special office that walls outside my jurisdiction."
"In other words- effective two weeks ago I'm the Regional Director in name only, all I have these days is power over our people at the airports. Meanwhile corporate has a new boy that got transferred in- John Giggliata who is determined to do what he can to give me a coronary." The man screwed the top back on the liquid antacid bottle, "Officially he's in charge of our new Corporate Liaison Division- meaning he's corporates little toady sent here to suck up to the Knights of Purity and see that they kick work our way when they feel like it. Meanwhile since I'm the regional director I have to be here to act as a damned meat-shield whenever crap like this happens."
"So just show us to this Mister Giggliata," Agent Donovan explained, "we need to work this matter out with him while our supervising agent will be handling matters at with the State's Attorney's Office."
"Unfortunately, I can't do that," Director Anderson looked up with pain in his eyes, "you see I am still legally responsible for everything that goes on in this building. Even if Giggliata and his part of the company operates outside of my length of the corporate food-chain I'm still responsible for what goes on in his division as it is in my building. In other words, it's all one big Catch-22 situation, legally I'm already responsible for whatever he does, meaning that if I try to do the right thing and give him to you then corporate will paint me like I'm throwing the little prick under the bus. The moment that happens I'll get thrown to the wolves anyway and everything here will be up in the air until the head office names my successor, and with the company being what it is right now I don't even want to know the kind of person they'll pick to fill my seat if that happens. Meanwhile your missing mutant kid will still up a creek without a paddle, so you must understand right now my hands are tied."
"Yeah about that..." Wing Nut grimaced at how he was likely about to give the poor man a coronary.
Office of Richard Devine - Cook County State's Attorney
3:47 PM
"Ma'am I insist that you contact Richard Devine immediately," Agent Albert Jorgen further pressed his case before the secretary. "This is literally a matter of life and death."
"Sir, I'm afraid that Richard Devine is out of the office and won't be back until Monday." Delilah Humphrey explained to the DPA agent. While Assistant State Attorney Ivan Crocker is available, he is in a meeting right now with one of the city's security contractors discussing a matter of some importance and I am afraid that you will have to wait."
"If that security asset is a representative from the Knights of Purity in regard to the Powered Individual from Washington Park this afternoon then I am afraid that it is my business," Agent Jorgen stated as he held out his bag and ID card proclaiming him an agent of the Department of Paranormal Affairs. "I have been working with the Chicago Police Department's Crime Scene Investigation unit and thus am a part of this case, now you are going to let me into that office or I will submit a report with State Attorney General Lisa Madigan requesting a formal audit in regard to this case!"
Delilah Humphrey took the promise seriously as she pressed the button on the intercom on her desk, "Sir, I'm sorry for disturbing your meeting when you told me not to, but I have an Agent Jorgen here from the DPA, he says it regards the Washington Park incident."
"Send him in Miss Humphrey," Ivan Crocker sighed over the intercom, "All of this is way above my paygrade anyway."
Sure enough once Agent Jorgen entered Assistant State's Attorney Ivan Crocker's office he saw Quentine Ramos, the regional head of the Knights of Purity had already made himself at home. "Agent Jorgen I presume, I have been looking for the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the DPA's local division. I assume that we'll be working together a lot in the future."
"Then you can stop by telling your men to stand down," Agent Jorgen explained as he locked eyes with Ramos. "The incident in Washington Park shows a gross level of overreach by your organization that sparked an incident."
"Now sir," Quentine Ramos spoke up from his seat, "while I do recognize the DPA's authority regarding the prosecution of preternaturals on a federal level, the Knights of Purity have a contract with the city of Chicago and all counties within the Greater Chicago Area. It is our job, when deployed, to apprehend uncontrolled and dangerous elements of society; while it is unfortunate, that includes newly awoken mutants."
"I know how children can be irresponsible, but ignorance of the law is no excuse for ignorance of the law, and the public use of powers against a civilian. We have a taped phone call of an individual who claims that a certain speedster assaulted him on the Lower West Side, that was all the evidence that was needed for the police to call on our company."
Agent Jorgen steeled himself, now was not the time to back down. "One, the assault in question never would have happened if your employees didn't try to apprehend a suspect who was already in protective custody. Two, a spent 5.56mm cartridge and corresponding round were recovered from the crime scene. Pursuant to the rulings of 2002, all rifle attacks from a concealed location are ceded to federal jurisdiction. Three, at present claim of attack is just that a claim to be settled in a court of law. Four, the Knights of Purity on the scene were badgering a paramedic to hand a patient over to the MCO a company that has no legal authority what-so-ever beyond assisting the TSA. Fifth, the MCO only has a tenuous jurisdiction when it comes to mutants, and I have the individual's MGC test here!"
"Come now you and I both know those tests are of questionable accuracy when it comes to showing the activation state of a mutant gene complex's activity within the first day or so," Mister Ramos responded, "hardly enough to make us cede authority."
"Except in the case where there is a lack of the Mutant Gene Complex's presence," Agent Jorgen threw open the report and presented it to Ivan Crocker, "whatever the source of this child's powers it isn't from being a mutant. As per regulations you are required to update your team in the field of this development."
"I am afraid that is quite impossible Agent Jogen," Ivan Crocker explained as he looked over the report and grew paler every moment that he read it, "you see communications are up to the field commanders not our regional office. Once they go out into the field they can turn external communications off with a flip of the switch, and procedure dictates that such oversite is up to the field commander. Unfortunately, Commander Holden Baxter hates to be interrupted mid-operation, so he leaves the external communications receiver on his transport off while his team is deployed out in the field. While it is true that we can monitor them at the office on during operations, we cannot contact them directly."
"Then I am going to need access to your company's transponder," Agent Jorgen stated growing more impatient by the moment."
"Unfortunately, as the Knights of Purity are a privately-owned security firm I am afraid that pursuant to our national charter I cannot grant anyone outside of the company access to our communications." Mister Crocker explained, "Now if you were to return with a legally signed warrant then I could grant you access, otherwise there is nothing that I can do in this situation- the law is clear on this matter and our company policy reflects that."
Clearly knowing that there was no way that he'd get anywhere with the corporate shill in front of him, Agent Jorgen got up and left the room saying, "Very well, I will keep what you said in mind."
Now out the door Agent Jorgen calmly walked out the County State's Attorney's Office before pulling out his cellphone and placed a call to the Illinois State Attorney's Office and from the look of it this was only the first call of many calls that he planned to make.
The Rust-tic
4:04 PM
VT saw his safe zone in sight- The Rust-tic, he knew that finally he would be a real brother- accepted by his people. He knew that the days of oreos like that mutie bitch Chandra calling him a poser were history- just like her, may she rot in hell when her time came- hopefully soon. He had pulled off his job- he knew that he was finally home- not some brick stone over in Arlington Heights with two brown-nosing sell-outs but here in the concrete and rust this was where he belonged this was reality.
He had been making his way across town for hours going by bus towards the old steel industrial district to here- his safe harbor. Despite the fact that he had succeeded in shooting that mutie bitch Chandra, he knew that chances where he was in danger. He had been hunting enough with his stupid old man to know the difference between the hit of a kill shot and a wounding one, right now Chandra was hurt but because she was a mutant freak there was still a chance that she would hide fearing the Knights would finish the job and she was the only one who could ID him.
Although the problem was if the Po-Po caught her instead for the Knights or the MCO; there was a chance that those pigs would be more interested in whoever shot her than locking up another mutant, and that oreo freak would rat on him in a New York Minute. That meant that VT needed a place to lay low until he learned what was what, and since his 'rents place or to the crib of one of his old homies would be the first places for the pigs to go sniffing around, that meant that he needed another place to lay low- and without leaving Chicago that place was the Rust-Tic.
Yeah, this was a place that he belonged this was a place with his people- he had earned this, and his brothers and sisters would finally accept him as one of their own- not some spoon-fed oreo from mansion-land. He came up to the door and saw a bodyguard who must have had two feet and a hundred pounds on him- a man who looked like he could kick VT's ass without breaking a sweat give him a look of 'Just try something you little punk!'
"It's Sunday runt, we're closed," the guard grunted, "come back tomorrow night if you want in- now beat it before I kick you to the curb."
"Easy bro," VT threw his hands in the way as if that would ward against the bouncer's threats, "I'm here to see Mister Sikes, with news on a job. I'll give you my piece and everything just let him know that VT's back."
With an eye-roll the slab of beef decided to humor the wannabe-gangsta hit the intercom. "Hey Tony, anybody know if the boss knows anything about sending some half-pint on a milk run."
"Yeah Blake," Tony replied over the box, "the boss sent the short stack to give that baller who dissed the Coleman's a high-caliber message. I'll let the boss know, send him to the bar for a virgin and tell Slim to give him the house rate."
"Understood," Blake stated as he turned to regard VT, "you heard the man, I let you in you wait at the bar until the boss sends for you. I don't care if you need to take a leak you stay at the bar, so I suggest you use one of the Port-a-Johns before you go in because if the boss finds out you moved from the bar once I let you in you'll wish that I kicked you to the curb!"
"Chill Blake," VT explained as he threw up his hands again, "I get the jist- I want this too bad to piss of the man upstairs."
"We'll see whether you make him pissed off or not," Blake snorted, "and its Sir to you shrimp. Nobody calls me by name less they earn that, and you ain't earned that right."
"Chill then sir I get the jist, go inside to the bar and wait for the boss to ask. By the way- here's my piece and my blade!" Sure, enough VT clicked the safety on his P30S, ejected the clip and handed both to Blake along with a folded butterfly knife. "There you know I belong and I'm sticking to the rules following the boss's orders, no need to pop a blood vessel on my account."
Once he went in Blake grit his teeth and muttered, "Oh if only the boss let me I'd pop a lot more than that you little piss-ant poser." He snarled as his hands began to spark with electricity leaving scorched trails down the railing, a fact not lost on Blake, "Crap I did it again, better paint this over before anybody notices."
With that Blake took out a paint bucket and a brush that he kept hidden in the guard station and after popping the top on the bucket went to work painting over the damage his outburst did to the safety railing.
Inside VT did as Leroy ordered to find that the bar tender was waiting for him with a drink that was clearly mixed, "Whoa, let me guess men with an in don't have to wait till 21!" VT remarked as he grabbed the glass.
"Nope, this is a club not a rave." The bartender stated as he glowered at VT." You're under age, and it ain't even five- so don't get too full of yourself that's a Roy Rogers. Now drop the street posing or I'll switch you to Shirley Temples when the rest of the crew starts getting here."
"Well I won't be here for long!" VT exclaimed before he took a swig of his mocktail, "I just did the boss a major solid, so I'll be upstairs getting my in before you know it."
"Don't bet on it silver spoon," Tony the bartender explained, "the boss ain't here yet- just left instructions with me to get you inside and off the streets before he gets back. He's meeting with some big fish right now, so you'll just have to keep it on ice until he gets back."
"Big fish but I thought that the boss-" VT spoke up as his eyes-widened.
"The Boss is only part of the scene," Tony explained as he continued to glare at VT, "did you think that Chi-Town was just carved up into turfs. There are bigger players that everyone has to answer to- if they want to do more than just snatch wallets and rob corner stores. You want to do big things in this city, hell in any city, you got to answer to the big fish- that's were Mister Sikes is right now, trying to see that we don't get swallowed."
Ballistics Lab - Chicago Police Headquarters
4:21 PM
"Good afternoon," Elliot Kleiber replied without looking up from looking through his microscope as he heard the door open followed by footsteps, "if this is about the McMartin Bodega shooting I am comparing the bullet from the scene with the suspects gun now...nope not a match. Don't get me wrong it's likely an Smith & Wesson, I recognize the boring style, but it doesn't match the suspect's SW-1911 even if the ammos from the same batch."
"While that's good and all Elliot," Monica Vollpato stated, "I have a rush job for you. We already went over it for particulates and are negative on the fingerprints, still we have a spent casing, and a slug we found along a sight line from a bush the subject used as a shooting blind. We already contacted the FBI given that we have evidence of a possible sniper who is still armed with what we wager is a handgun."
"Mosin 3-Line Type 53," Elliot grit his teeth at the sight, "Good luck tracing one of these, hell chances are it's an after-factory reassembly. Still these things are more likely to show up in third world warzones, what is one of these doing in the Windy City?"
"Probably escalation," Monica guessed, "the number of powered individuals grows every year and now that military grade assault rifles are legal we're bound to see more criminals upping their game. Still if you sign off on it I'll give you the bullet that we recovered to compare with your test fire."
"Alright," Elliot explained as he signed off on the envelope, "I'll do my best!"
"Good in the meantime I need to wait for the FBI to get here to turn over some DNA evidence," Monica stated as she looked over the paperwork, "and here's your slug."
"Wait!" Elliot shook himself in disbelief, "you don't have fingerprints but you have dna?"
"The suspect hid the riffle in a couple of lawn garbage bags that he tied up and together with duck tape." Monica elaborated to her colleague, "Just because he isn't in the interview room with a detective doesn't mean that he isn't giving us any lip."
Mister Brea' Place
4:52 PM
Leroy Sikes was visibly nervous as he entered the old HUD Apartment Building that served as the nexus of the crime lord who claimed half of Chicago as his territory, with Darisha being his only companion. On the surface the building looked run down the type of place only frequented by squatters and junkies, but while the hallways of the first and second floor were like that, the rest of the building was in use for a variety of enterprises from distributing half of the hard narcotics in the Second City to processing fenced goods for shipment to Canada for resale on the open market.
Following Mister Shade's usual instructions Leroy and Darisha made their way past the victims of urban decay who were familiar enough about how things worked to either leave them alone or had acquaintances who knew to hold them back. Soon enough the pair came to a utility stairway door, hidden behind a metal door with a peephole installed.
After a knock by Leroy a couple of moments later the door opened to a man who lacked two things a sense of humor and a neck. " Mister Brea is downstairs, and he isn't happy!"
The pair made their way past the doorman and after making their way to the bottom of the stairs, Leroy was reminded that smuggling and drugs were only one small part of the picture.
Those were of course only the more vanilla of Mister Brea's activities, he was also connected to the global Black Market and peddled in many more exotic items such as weapons, devices, and even experimental substances. Even Mister Brea's rivals couldn't boast the man's connections, at least not before recently. A month ago, the old guard of the local chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom had been eliminated, and while ordinarily such a matter was of no consequence to Mister Brea's organization- the new power figure of the Chicago Chapter House made her move with the power of Erzebet Scratch behind her.
While the word was that Scratch rarely meddled in the matters of local criminals unless they had a past in the matters of the arcane, Mister Brea's had conducted business through the Grand Hall with a third party for years, a business that was quite lucrative. Since that party operated in the mystic area of influence though, that rewarding connection, sealed by a contract had become a liability- a liability that Mister Brea was desperate to deal with. This unfortunately meant that bad news wasn't something that Mister Brea wanted to deal with right now.
"Sikes, I understand that you sent someone to deal with a problem that I warned you to take care of a while ago." Leroy and Darisha looked on at the man occupying a chair made out of basalt, a man who for all intents and purposes looked to me made out of molten asphalt.
"Yeah it was just like your lady told us, some wannabe from the burbs came in trying to play street, ignorant of the rules snuck a piece into my club, and sure enough he was just what was needed to deal with Defranks." Leroy explained to the malformed Mr. Brea, "He also knew Defranks personally and had enough of a beef with her for my ladies to guide him into doing the deed."
"Unfortunately, he was too late in his attempt," a gravelly voice spoke up that was also clearly female. Soon the source of the voice became visible, from the waist-up it looked like a short gaunt, wizened, crone who had stringy white-hair that did nothing to hide her furled brow. The woman had eyes that were black with yellow irises, and short-pointy teeth like the pins of thumbtacks and all of it was terrifying to everyone who saw her for the first time. "Her powers awoke and allowed her to escape the first shot, however the child did wound the girl soon after with a handgun although not as severely as was needed."
"Dammit Sikes, with Scratch's people taking over the mystic scene sooner or later their going to see my connection with that cult and once they do the only thing that I can use to protect myself is that girl's powers." Mister Brea slammed his right fist again the side of his throne as his body began to heat up and smoke.
"It is just as I foretold," the woman stated as she shut her eyes as her furled brow opened to reveal a massive eye, "You would have three chances to bring the one who can walk outside of time under your control. You had the first chance years ago to control her with fear by leading her into a life of crime, unfortunately your escort's sister chose a target who was destined to never be caught unless by choice. This second attempt was meant to let us rule her with despair, she is at the cusp of claiming a championship were she to let her team down due to her hobby then that would give the Coleman sisters a shot at controlling her."
"Neither of which you boy's succeeded in doing so," the woman stated in a condescending tone. The woman explained as she waddled into view with the rest of her body below the waist appearing to be like that of an old and oversized, molted swan with her human half emerging from the neck. You failed to control her with fear before she became a teenager, you failed to make her give into despair before her powers awoke- that means that before she begins to learn how to control her power we must fill her to the brim with guilt."
"And what do you see that taking Grae-clops?" Mister Brea inquired as the smoke from his tar-filled body began to cool.
"Three lives must end before the child tastes control of her abilities," Grae-clops began to explain to those gathered, "for the moment she realizes how to control her powers is the moment that any control you may exert on her is lost. Moreover, when that happens the chance of the dark lady's gaze falling on you becomes not a matter of if but a matter of when."
"And do you know which three lives must be taken and how?" Mister Brea inquired without losing an ounce of composure.
Grae-clops responded with a smile showing her needlesque fangs to all, "Yes..."
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
5:17 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
I woke up to find Ramona had dozed off in the corner, she actually looked peaceful far different from what I remembered of the sleepovers we used to have with Taikeyla. She always used to tell me about nightmares that she used to have of a gloomy foreboding beach with and eerie pale fog beneath a dark sunless sky. That used to hear a voiceless call from the water reaching out trying to lure her into the unnaturally calm abyss and every time she gave in she only made it a few feet out before something pulled her under. The as she lay submerged- struggling in vain to reach the surface she opened her eyes to see pale glowing lights staring at her telling her to come with them.
I had to admit that if I had nightmares like that I'd be afraid of the water too, but apparently Ramona was just too exhausted to really dream or else hadn't been napping long enough to really start dreaming yet. Still that nap was just what I needed to get my head back on straight, now though it was time to start preparing whatever I needed to do next. That was the real issue, while I think that I was getting a handle on the rules and limits I had whenever I stopped time, I still didn't know how to do it whenever I wasn't in danger...no danger wasn't the issue.
It wasn't danger that triggered these time stops it was me feeling like I was, I really doubt that crazy bum in the ally where I had nodded off earlier was really a threat- I had just felt like he was. Did this mean that it wasn't me being in danger that stopped time around me just me wanting to avoid danger? That made sense, when Victor winged me I was in very real danger, but I was too angry at him for trying to cripple me to see it thus letting him shoot me with his handgun. Maybe this meant that I had something that let me know when there was danger, but I had just chosen to ignore it- I had chosen to fight rather than run.
Come to think of it stopping time wasn't what I was doing either it was like I was outside of it somehow, and every time I was that meant that I was going somewhere. That made a type of sense too, the further I traveled whenever I stopped time it was like I was leaving time and the world behind and going someplace else- someplace with its own weird animals...well except for that squirrel it was the first thing besides myself that I saw in that place moving. Well the acorn-muncher aside there was still the fact that when I was outside of time I stayed their unless I touched someone like I did Victor or exposed part of my body.
Okay so if I touched something alive it would yank me back into the world even if my body was covered, but if I touched something that wasn't alive then I could move it like I did when I moved away from that homeless man, when I threw that apple at the mugger, or when I snagged those slices of deep dish that were being thrown away. Also, when I moved something and then let it go then it would travel a little bit before freezing again, like it was falling back into the real world. Still why did showing a bit of skin move time from frozen to slow...wait a moment- air isn't empty.
I remembered back to science class, there's all kinds of stuff in the air and some of it is technically alive, stuff like germs, pollen, spores- all kinds of stuff that's too small to be seen. And the stuff in the air, while it was probably not enough to yank me all the way back into the real world, might be enough to cause me to flicker instead of snapping all the way back.
Although right now, my life boiled down to three real questions: Could I control this power? Had Victor actually gotten wrapped up with the Coleman sisters? And how did I get back home with the Knights of Purity on my tail? "Ugh- too many questions not enough facts!" I threw up my hands in momentary defeat as I went to the kitchen for some water, fortunately Miss Watt still kept her cabinets the same, come to think of it so were their glasses, can't believe they still had the one with the chip on the rim.
After filling my glass from the tap, I downed a glass then went for a refill when there was a familiar knock at the door. I remembered that pattern, that was the one Ramona, Taikeyla and I had decided on to let each other know it was really us at our door and that it was safe to let us in back when we were too short to look through the peephole. Now on the other hand I was more than tall enough to see out to the hallway.
I looked through and the girl on the other side sure looked like Taikeyla Johnson, however it had been a few years. The earlier knocking had turned to banging, "Ramona open up, this is serious! Those Power Armor jockeys are canvasing the whole Westside looking for D-caf, I can't reach Natroya and I need someone to work out a game plan to feed through the white line before one of the local crews sets those tin cans off!"
I went over and shook Ramona awake, "Ramona- wake up," I said as she began to stir, "I really think that you need to hear this!"
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 38
Ruth's Home Office - Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
2:52 PM CDT
Leticia Soto was doing her best to comfort Trudie Defrank as Ruth Morrison worked away at her laptop from the other side of her desk. "Are there any other people that you know of that could call to serve as a witness to Chandra's character, when it comes to these cases more is better as far back as you can go.
"Why does it seem like you're trying to prove that my baby isn't some kind of criminal?" Trudie did her best to avoid sobbing, "She was shot while exercising in the park- she was the victim here."
"I know that, and the police know that, but the problem is the media." Ruth did her best to explain, "The Knights of Purity love to paint themselves as the good guys protecting the public from dangerous and unstable mutants, and they have the Goodkind News Network supporting them full on since their CEOs are brothers. The thing that Chandra really has to worry about not only right now, but later on is her public image. Gertrude like it or not mutants have a target on their backs, and the same people who used to (and still do) give minority groups so much hate see mutants as a safer target."
"How could beings with powers be considered a safe target?" Leticia asked somewhat confused on the matter.
"Because most of the time when mutants or most powered people defend themselves, their powers can be used against them legally." Ruth elaborated, "Short of defending themselves from an attack with a lethal weapon, when anyone with powers uses them offensively in any way against another person it's felony assault. While there is some leeway when it comes to legally authorized heroes when operating in their jurisdiction, or if the other party is a known criminal; an offensive use of powers by an individual without legal authority is a criminal act warranting prosecution."
"But wouldn't she be able to defend herself if those armored brutos attack her?" Leticia asked again, trying to grasp at another straw to give her co-worker hope.
"Unfortunately, the Knights of Purity have legal jurisdiction to operate in the Greater Chicago area due to a blanket contract with the Chicago City Council and the cities directly outside of Chicago to apprehend any powered suspects with necessary force." Ruth explained as she rolled her eyes, "If they get the go ahead from the local state attorney or receive a report of Chandra attacking another person they will have cart-blanche to capture her. As is the Knights of Purity are already in trouble for trying to take Chandra into custody from the paramedics, but their legal department have likely already thought of a work around for that incident."
"So, what can we do?" Trudie Defrank sniffed as she was once again losing her composure, "My daughter already has the odds stacked against her, a black girl from a poor neighborhood, involved in a shooting- even without powers that's a recipe for disaster."
"Fortunately, the Police and CSI were already on the scene examining the real crime," Ruth stated as she laid down the facts, "from all accounts this was an incident with a weapon fired from the bushes. The means that this wasn't a crime of opportunity but was premeditated assault; also, mutant or not the distance involved likely means that a rifle was used and after the Beltway Sniper Incidents, any action that could be construed as sniping means that it is a federal case. Also, after the Werewolf of Six Flags incident resulted in The People of Texas v. the Mutant Commission Office earlier this year the following verdict was reached: In all incidents involving powered individuals when a federal law enforcement agency can claim jurisdiction, all private security companies regardless of local jurisdiction must cede authority to the federal agency in charge."
"So, when Candace told me to have us contact the DPA..." Trudie's eyes lit up as she put two-and-two together.
"She was letting us know how to cut the Knights and the MCO off at the knees," Ruth smiled, "although from what I learned when I called the DPA earlier, after I explained that I was your family attorney, they explained that they already have an agent on the scene working with a mobile lab and some blood samples that they took from Chandra earlier while she was being treated. They promised that they'll let us know of any findings as soon as they receive word from their agent."
"So, my baby's chances are looking better already," Trudie perked up even more with this revelation.
"Even more so if the police rule this a sniper attack," Mrs. Morrison continued, "as I said earlier after the Beltway shootings it was ruled that all sniper attacks fall under federal jurisdiction. Meaning any attack made with a rifle, from a concealed position at a distance in excess of fifty feet is federal jurisdiction. The moment that happens the all state and municipal authority must cede jurisdiction to the FBI and all resources involved become subject to federal authority, that includes the Knights of Purity."
"So those monsters won't be hunting down my baby?" Trudie looked at Ruth Morrison with hope anew in her eyes, "You'll do everything you can to keep that from happening?!?"
"Trudie," Ruth spoke as she closed her laptop and circled around her desk to clasp Gertrude's hands. "I think of everyone that has ever lived in this house as a part of my extended family, it's time that Herbert Goodkind's local toady Quentine Ramos gets a taste of Chandra's Aunt Ruth."
Washington Park - Brynum Island
Chicago, Illinois
3:11 PM
Chicago Police Officer Jace Rendon all but glared at the two CSI personnel who were nearby working the bushes over for evidence, "I don't see why I have to be trudging through this pond in Hip Waders, don't we have a dive team for this?"
"Jace, our dive team is for situations that actually involve diving, like looking for bodies in Lake Michigan not stomping around a park pond looking for evidence." Detective Cade Acker replied as he took another sip from his coffee on the shore making sure to keep an eye out to ward curious on-lookers away from the crime scene.
"What even makes you think that there is a gun in here?" Jace inquired as he continued to work over the pond with a metal detector, "Wouldn't the suspect of taken it with him?"
"The slug that we found to the west of the pond was a 5.56mm and in pretty good shape since it hit the dirt instead of the concrete." Monica Vollpato the senior CSI on the scene explained, "However the wound that the victim suffered from judging by the photographs was a smaller caliber; a 9mm judging by the two casings that we found near what looks like the suspect's blind. SInce that the victim confronted her attacker over here, the suspect must have decided to flee the park before anyone arrived."
"Given that the suspect would have to flee the scene in a hurry they would have had no time to properly breakdown and conceal a rifle, judging by the fact that they also had a handgun meant that they felt they could abandon the rifle and still remain armed. Plus, chances are he or she would have come back to retrieve the rifle later, that meant that they would have hid it close but out of sight and the water under the bridge is a good bet."
"Okay, and I get that the polls with the orange flags are to make where I find it down here but just what is this weird pole?"
"That's a snake pole," Rylan Hite the junior CSI on the case explained as he poured plaster into the footprints, "Herpetologists use those in pairs to handle poisonous snakes."
"Speaking of that shouldn't I be worried about Water Moccasins or anything?"
"Not this far north," Monica reassured the man, "besides there's only four species of snakes found in the Greater Chicago Area and none of them are poisonous. Those things are just good at picking up things from a distance with a little heft to them, plus they're sold in pairs, so we have two incase another team needs one."
"So, Monica," Detective Acker spoke up, "any early insights on our shooter?"
"Well for one this act was clearly premeditated; the suspect chose a sight with a good but concealed vantage point." Monica began to explain as she worked over the available evidence, "Not to mention I've found strips of fabric in the bushes, the suspect was wearing a gilly suit or at least the top of one. He's also likely a hunter, he knew how to shoot a rifle at a moving target, not to mention keeping a handgun when you already have a rifle is standard for hunters incase an animal wanders in too close."
"Not to mention that he planned a wounding shot, or at least one with the rifle." Rylan elaborated, "Judging from the disturbances over here where he was shooting from compared to the angle of impact, with the victim's height factored in he was likely aiming for the victim's legs first. Then when the victim got close enough to surprise and confront the suspect, he dropped the rifle and went for a pistol- basic fight or flight instinct here."
Mindlessly poking around finally Officer Rendon felt something, using his flashlight to see if he could make out an outline underwater he felt that he hit pay dirt. After planting the two flags at opposite ends of the object and lifted producing a black tote bag's shoulder strap- followed by the rest of the bag. "I think I found it, let me bring it over so that you two can look."
"Put it on the shore at least ten feet from the bridge please," Monica ordered the officer, "we don't want to contaminate the area near the foot bridge, it's likely the way the victim and the suspect left the island."
"Yes sir- ma'am," Officer Rendon remarked as he complied.
Soon enough Monica carefully opened the bag to find underneath a soggy mass of burlap, an object with a very telling shape stuffed inside a garbage bag and bound with duck tape. "Judging by the weight and outline this is an assault rifle- I need to wait until we get back to the lab to open this Christmas present to identify the model and manufacturer, but something tells me that we have at least enough to get the FBI involved."
"Understood," Detective Acker acknowledged the scientist, "I'll call dispatch to let the Captain know to inform the Feds while and tell dispatch to pass the warning around that we have a potential sniper in the wind."
"Put in a call to the University of Chicago's Campus Precinct too," Monica explained, "I can already tell you that the suspect fled East, if we're lucky one of the campus security cams might have caught someone running away faster than normal and help us ID other potential witnesses."
"Yeah, I know, but that must be why they pay you kids the big bucks." Acker chuckled as he began making his way back to his squad car.
"Nope, it's to get their hooks into us while we're desperate to pay off those student loans." Rylan remarked as he peeled out the first shoe impression.
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
3:22 PM
Ramona looked on at her old friend's slumbering form, as soon as Chandra emerged from the shower she parked it on the couch and was out like a light.
"All these years D-Caf and you still haven't changed where it counted." Ramona shook her head at the sight, "You never borrow the bed when someone offers it but no matter what wherever you crash you're out like a light in no time at all."
As she put away the first-aid kit, Ramona couldn't help but notice the injuries that Chandra had. "Okay she, mentioned the Knights of Purity- I guess that she must be a mutant now. But if she is I doubt that she'd be lucky enough to get away so well held together, and those bandages- that was some serious work, I wonder what happened?"
"Hard to believe that it's really been almost three years since we talked," Ramona spoke to her sleeping friend, "three years since I've really talked to anyone in a way that meant anything. "Most of our group fell on the other side of the district lines and went to another school, well except for Taikeyla Johnson- she joined the Ally Vipers so fast your head would have spun. Hell, these days she's little more than Natroya's little toady, not that surprising though if you think about it."
"I mean if you looked hard enough Taikeyla was always looking for someone to latch on to who she thought would take her places, you always had talent- heck I should know I've been keeping up with your games. Taikeyla probably saw that in you as something to latch on to, then the Coleman's came along, and she saw a tastier target, sad that we never saw that about her earlier, but we were just wanting to have fun in our absentee dad's club."
"Then again all of us were different on that front: your dad spent most of his time deployed in the military, mine is nowhere to be found (not that surprising though mom's friends always said it was a wild bachelorette party), but Taikeyla well- like mother like daughter. Still- I mean I can't blame your mom for taking the opportunity that she did, a better life in a good neighborhood at a good school; not many women around here could say that they achieved that without staining their soul in the process."
"I mean don't get me wrong, my mom is doing good honest work at her accounting firm but it's still going to be some time before we can afford to leave." Ramona deflated as she slid against the wall of the apartment. "You know part of me hated your friend Candace for taking you away, or- well- at least it used to, now I suppose that it's just a stew of jealousy and regret."
Ramona looked over at her friend's sleeping body and laughed, "Maybe when you wake up I'll actually feel brave enough to tell you all of this to your face."
Looking over at her sleeping former friend, whose status she hoped would drop the former part in the near future Ramona came to a decision. She went to the coat closet and pulled out their old polaroid camera, "well since you're here anyway I suppose that now's as good a time as any to add another entry."
Careful to cover the flash on the camera lest it woke up her Chandra, Ramona took the photo that the camera spat out and after waiting a few moments for the picture to develop looked at the image to determine that it was indeed a keeper. After that the young woman crept to the cramped room that she called her own, pulled an album and jar of paste from the corner near where the murphy bed folded down.
Taking the paste, she added the picture on to a blank page, just opposite a short article from the Chicago Tribune about the Illinois Middle School Ladies Basketball Semi-Finals game between South Arlington Heights and Woodrow Wilson. "Keep aiming for those stars Chandra- for all of us!" Ramona whispered as she looked out the door in the direction of the living room. "Don't let the Coleman Sisters win!"
Director's Office - MCO Regional Building HQ
3:32 PM
Wes Anderson, the regional director of the Mutant Commission Office looked at two prominent fixtures of his office: A large bottle of generic antacid and his minibar. "Which one will I need today?" He said to himself with a defeated sigh.
"Sir," the Jenny Roads their front receptionist repeated over the intercom, "Did you hear me? I said that Wing Nut from the Windy City Guardians and Agent Philip Donovan from the Department of Paranormal Affairs are here to see you."
"I heard you the first time Jenny," Director Anderson replied as he depressed the answer button on his desk, "I was just pondering which bottle I would be needing the Hair of the Dog or the Milk of Magnesia, but never mind I'll decide after the fact. Send the both of them in!"
A few moments later Wing Nut in his aviator's gear and Agent Donovan in his suit entered the room to see the office's resident occupant in a sorry state. "Have a seat gentleman, I assume that whatever you have to tell me that I'll need something to treat an early ulcer."
"Sorry about this Wes but a giant load appears to have landed right in your lap," Wing Nut explained as he took one of the offered chairs opposite the beleaguered director, "and whatever it is it looks like it's only the first sign of a nasty storm headed this way."
"Director Anderson," the man in the suit offered his hand to the harried man, "I don't believe that we've met, Agent Donovan with the DPA's new regional office."
"No, but the way things have been going around here lately I knew that I'd be receiving a visit from someone in your office sooner or later." Wes Anderson deflated with a sigh.
"Wes- what's wrong?" Wing Nut asked out of concern, "I mean I know that the MCO has a reputation with the mutant community, but I know you, ever since you took over this office everything's been strictly on the up and up. What do you mean that you knew that you'd be expecting a visit from the DPA?"
"Ever since what happened last winter in Philadelphia came to light as well as the incidents in New York with the Angel of Hell's Kitchen, and Dallas with the Werewolf of Six Flags, not to mention the news about the misconduct at the New Hampshire field office the higher-ups at Corporate have been circling the wagons." Director Anderson confessed, "They know that the Government has begun to take notice and finally give the DPA the funding that they need, the time of the old MCO is dying out and soon we're going to be competing with the TSA for jobs."
"Wes we're here because the Knights of Purity tried to take a kid who was on her way to protective custody," Wing Nut explained clearly hoping for a satisfactory explanation, "They were acting like they were going to bring her here for treatment and then when the kid tried to run from the ambulance where she was being treated they tried to use force to apprehend her. Just what is going on?"
"What is going on is that corporate in their infinite wisdom has decided that their best bet for the MCO to survive in the capacity that they have been operating in within the States is to investigate "Contracted Synergy" with another security firm that operates with existing contracts at the state and municipal level and doesn't have our current PR problem." Wes stated as he grabbed the bottle of antacid took off the lid and took a swig. With his face screwed in disgust he continued, "To that end in certain overlapping markets we have a division that is operating in concert with said private security firm with a special office that walls outside my jurisdiction."
"In other words- effective two weeks ago I'm the Regional Director in name only, all I have these days is power over our people at the airports. Meanwhile corporate has a new boy that got transferred in- John Giggliata who is determined to do what he can to give me a coronary." The man screwed the top back on the liquid antacid bottle, "Officially he's in charge of our new Corporate Liaison Division- meaning he's corporates little toady sent here to suck up to the Knights of Purity and see that they kick work our way when they feel like it. Meanwhile since I'm the regional director I have to be here to act as a damned meat-shield whenever crap like this happens."
"So just show us to this Mister Giggliata," Agent Donovan explained, "we need to work this matter out with him while our supervising agent will be handling matters at with the State's Attorney's Office."
"Unfortunately, I can't do that," Director Anderson looked up with pain in his eyes, "you see I am still legally responsible for everything that goes on in this building. Even if Giggliata and his part of the company operates outside of my length of the corporate food-chain I'm still responsible for what goes on in his division as it is in my building. In other words, it's all one big Catch-22 situation, legally I'm already responsible for whatever he does, meaning that if I try to do the right thing and give him to you then corporate will paint me like I'm throwing the little prick under the bus. The moment that happens I'll get thrown to the wolves anyway and everything here will be up in the air until the head office names my successor, and with the company being what it is right now I don't even want to know the kind of person they'll pick to fill my seat if that happens. Meanwhile your missing mutant kid will still up a creek without a paddle, so you must understand right now my hands are tied."
"Yeah about that..." Wing Nut grimaced at how he was likely about to give the poor man a coronary.
Office of Richard Devine - Cook County State's Attorney
3:47 PM
"Ma'am I insist that you contact Richard Devine immediately," Agent Albert Jorgen further pressed his case before the secretary. "This is literally a matter of life and death."
"Sir, I'm afraid that Richard Devine is out of the office and won't be back until Monday." Delilah Humphrey explained to the DPA agent. While Assistant State Attorney Ivan Crocker is available, he is in a meeting right now with one of the city's security contractors discussing a matter of some importance and I am afraid that you will have to wait."
"If that security asset is a representative from the Knights of Purity in regard to the Powered Individual from Washington Park this afternoon then I am afraid that it is my business," Agent Jorgen stated as he held out his bag and ID card proclaiming him an agent of the Department of Paranormal Affairs. "I have been working with the Chicago Police Department's Crime Scene Investigation unit and thus am a part of this case, now you are going to let me into that office or I will submit a report with State Attorney General Lisa Madigan requesting a formal audit in regard to this case!"
Delilah Humphrey took the promise seriously as she pressed the button on the intercom on her desk, "Sir, I'm sorry for disturbing your meeting when you told me not to, but I have an Agent Jorgen here from the DPA, he says it regards the Washington Park incident."
"Send him in Miss Humphrey," Ivan Crocker sighed over the intercom, "All of this is way above my paygrade anyway."
Sure enough once Agent Jorgen entered Assistant State's Attorney Ivan Crocker's office he saw Quentine Ramos, the regional head of the Knights of Purity had already made himself at home. "Agent Jorgen I presume, I have been looking for the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the DPA's local division. I assume that we'll be working together a lot in the future."
"Then you can stop by telling your men to stand down," Agent Jorgen explained as he locked eyes with Ramos. "The incident in Washington Park shows a gross level of overreach by your organization that sparked an incident."
"Now sir," Quentine Ramos spoke up from his seat, "while I do recognize the DPA's authority regarding the prosecution of preternaturals on a federal level, the Knights of Purity have a contract with the city of Chicago and all counties within the Greater Chicago Area. It is our job, when deployed, to apprehend uncontrolled and dangerous elements of society; while it is unfortunate, that includes newly awoken mutants."
"I know how children can be irresponsible, but ignorance of the law is no excuse for ignorance of the law, and the public use of powers against a civilian. We have a taped phone call of an individual who claims that a certain speedster assaulted him on the Lower West Side, that was all the evidence that was needed for the police to call on our company."
Agent Jorgen steeled himself, now was not the time to back down. "One, the assault in question never would have happened if your employees didn't try to apprehend a suspect who was already in protective custody. Two, a spent 5.56mm cartridge and corresponding round were recovered from the crime scene. Pursuant to the rulings of 2002, all rifle attacks from a concealed location are ceded to federal jurisdiction. Three, at present claim of attack is just that a claim to be settled in a court of law. Four, the Knights of Purity on the scene were badgering a paramedic to hand a patient over to the MCO a company that has no legal authority what-so-ever beyond assisting the TSA. Fifth, the MCO only has a tenuous jurisdiction when it comes to mutants, and I have the individual's MGC test here!"
"Come now you and I both know those tests are of questionable accuracy when it comes to showing the activation state of a mutant gene complex's activity within the first day or so," Mister Ramos responded, "hardly enough to make us cede authority."
"Except in the case where there is a lack of the Mutant Gene Complex's presence," Agent Jorgen threw open the report and presented it to Ivan Crocker, "whatever the source of this child's powers it isn't from being a mutant. As per regulations you are required to update your team in the field of this development."
"I am afraid that is quite impossible Agent Jogen," Ivan Crocker explained as he looked over the report and grew paler every moment that he read it, "you see communications are up to the field commanders not our regional office. Once they go out into the field they can turn external communications off with a flip of the switch, and procedure dictates that such oversite is up to the field commander. Unfortunately, Commander Holden Baxter hates to be interrupted mid-operation, so he leaves the external communications receiver on his transport off while his team is deployed out in the field. While it is true that we can monitor them at the office on during operations, we cannot contact them directly."
"Then I am going to need access to your company's transponder," Agent Jorgen stated growing more impatient by the moment."
"Unfortunately, as the Knights of Purity are a privately-owned security firm I am afraid that pursuant to our national charter I cannot grant anyone outside of the company access to our communications." Mister Crocker explained, "Now if you were to return with a legally signed warrant then I could grant you access, otherwise there is nothing that I can do in this situation- the law is clear on this matter and our company policy reflects that."
Clearly knowing that there was no way that he'd get anywhere with the corporate shill in front of him, Agent Jorgen got up and left the room saying, "Very well, I will keep what you said in mind."
Now out the door Agent Jorgen calmly walked out the County State's Attorney's Office before pulling out his cellphone and placed a call to the Illinois State Attorney's Office and from the look of it this was only the first call of many calls that he planned to make.
The Rust-tic
4:04 PM
VT saw his safe zone in sight- The Rust-tic, he knew that finally he would be a real brother- accepted by his people. He knew that the days of oreos like that mutie bitch Chandra calling him a poser were history- just like her, may she rot in hell when her time came- hopefully soon. He had pulled off his job- he knew that he was finally home- not some brick stone over in Arlington Heights with two brown-nosing sell-outs but here in the concrete and rust this was where he belonged this was reality.
He had been making his way across town for hours going by bus towards the old steel industrial district to here- his safe harbor. Despite the fact that he had succeeded in shooting that mutie bitch Chandra, he knew that chances where he was in danger. He had been hunting enough with his stupid old man to know the difference between the hit of a kill shot and a wounding one, right now Chandra was hurt but because she was a mutant freak there was still a chance that she would hide fearing the Knights would finish the job and she was the only one who could ID him.
Although the problem was if the Po-Po caught her instead for the Knights or the MCO; there was a chance that those pigs would be more interested in whoever shot her than locking up another mutant, and that oreo freak would rat on him in a New York Minute. That meant that VT needed a place to lay low until he learned what was what, and since his 'rents place or to the crib of one of his old homies would be the first places for the pigs to go sniffing around, that meant that he needed another place to lay low- and without leaving Chicago that place was the Rust-Tic.
Yeah, this was a place that he belonged this was a place with his people- he had earned this, and his brothers and sisters would finally accept him as one of their own- not some spoon-fed oreo from mansion-land. He came up to the door and saw a bodyguard who must have had two feet and a hundred pounds on him- a man who looked like he could kick VT's ass without breaking a sweat give him a look of 'Just try something you little punk!'
"It's Sunday runt, we're closed," the guard grunted, "come back tomorrow night if you want in- now beat it before I kick you to the curb."
"Easy bro," VT threw his hands in the way as if that would ward against the bouncer's threats, "I'm here to see Mister Sikes, with news on a job. I'll give you my piece and everything just let him know that VT's back."
With an eye-roll the slab of beef decided to humor the wannabe-gangsta hit the intercom. "Hey Tony, anybody know if the boss knows anything about sending some half-pint on a milk run."
"Yeah Blake," Tony replied over the box, "the boss sent the short stack to give that baller who dissed the Coleman's a high-caliber message. I'll let the boss know, send him to the bar for a virgin and tell Slim to give him the house rate."
"Understood," Blake stated as he turned to regard VT, "you heard the man, I let you in you wait at the bar until the boss sends for you. I don't care if you need to take a leak you stay at the bar, so I suggest you use one of the Port-a-Johns before you go in because if the boss finds out you moved from the bar once I let you in you'll wish that I kicked you to the curb!"
"Chill Blake," VT explained as he threw up his hands again, "I get the jist- I want this too bad to piss of the man upstairs."
"We'll see whether you make him pissed off or not," Blake snorted, "and its Sir to you shrimp. Nobody calls me by name less they earn that, and you ain't earned that right."
"Chill then sir I get the jist, go inside to the bar and wait for the boss to ask. By the way- here's my piece and my blade!" Sure, enough VT clicked the safety on his P30S, ejected the clip and handed both to Blake along with a folded butterfly knife. "There you know I belong and I'm sticking to the rules following the boss's orders, no need to pop a blood vessel on my account."
Once he went in Blake grit his teeth and muttered, "Oh if only the boss let me I'd pop a lot more than that you little piss-ant poser." He snarled as his hands began to spark with electricity leaving scorched trails down the railing, a fact not lost on Blake, "Crap I did it again, better paint this over before anybody notices."
With that Blake took out a paint bucket and a brush that he kept hidden in the guard station and after popping the top on the bucket went to work painting over the damage his outburst did to the safety railing.
Inside VT did as Leroy ordered to find that the bar tender was waiting for him with a drink that was clearly mixed, "Whoa, let me guess men with an in don't have to wait till 21!" VT remarked as he grabbed the glass.
"Nope, this is a club not a rave." The bartender stated as he glowered at VT." You're under age, and it ain't even five- so don't get too full of yourself that's a Roy Rogers. Now drop the street posing or I'll switch you to Shirley Temples when the rest of the crew starts getting here."
"Well I won't be here for long!" VT exclaimed before he took a swig of his mocktail, "I just did the boss a major solid, so I'll be upstairs getting my in before you know it."
"Don't bet on it silver spoon," Tony the bartender explained, "the boss ain't here yet- just left instructions with me to get you inside and off the streets before he gets back. He's meeting with some big fish right now, so you'll just have to keep it on ice until he gets back."
"Big fish but I thought that the boss-" VT spoke up as his eyes-widened.
"The Boss is only part of the scene," Tony explained as he continued to glare at VT, "did you think that Chi-Town was just carved up into turfs. There are bigger players that everyone has to answer to- if they want to do more than just snatch wallets and rob corner stores. You want to do big things in this city, hell in any city, you got to answer to the big fish- that's were Mister Sikes is right now, trying to see that we don't get swallowed."
Ballistics Lab - Chicago Police Headquarters
4:21 PM
"Good afternoon," Elliot Kleiber replied without looking up from looking through his microscope as he heard the door open followed by footsteps, "if this is about the McMartin Bodega shooting I am comparing the bullet from the scene with the suspects gun now...nope not a match. Don't get me wrong it's likely an Smith & Wesson, I recognize the boring style, but it doesn't match the suspect's SW-1911 even if the ammos from the same batch."
"While that's good and all Elliot," Monica Vollpato stated, "I have a rush job for you. We already went over it for particulates and are negative on the fingerprints, still we have a spent casing, and a slug we found along a sight line from a bush the subject used as a shooting blind. We already contacted the FBI given that we have evidence of a possible sniper who is still armed with what we wager is a handgun."
"Mosin 3-Line Type 53," Elliot grit his teeth at the sight, "Good luck tracing one of these, hell chances are it's an after-factory reassembly. Still these things are more likely to show up in third world warzones, what is one of these doing in the Windy City?"
"Probably escalation," Monica guessed, "the number of powered individuals grows every year and now that military grade assault rifles are legal we're bound to see more criminals upping their game. Still if you sign off on it I'll give you the bullet that we recovered to compare with your test fire."
"Alright," Elliot explained as he signed off on the envelope, "I'll do my best!"
"Good in the meantime I need to wait for the FBI to get here to turn over some DNA evidence," Monica stated as she looked over the paperwork, "and here's your slug."
"Wait!" Elliot shook himself in disbelief, "you don't have fingerprints but you have dna?"
"The suspect hid the riffle in a couple of lawn garbage bags that he tied up and together with duck tape." Monica elaborated to her colleague, "Just because he isn't in the interview room with a detective doesn't mean that he isn't giving us any lip."
Mister Brea' Place
4:52 PM
Leroy Sikes was visibly nervous as he entered the old HUD Apartment Building that served as the nexus of the crime lord who claimed half of Chicago as his territory, with Darisha being his only companion. On the surface the building looked run down the type of place only frequented by squatters and junkies, but while the hallways of the first and second floor were like that, the rest of the building was in use for a variety of enterprises from distributing half of the hard narcotics in the Second City to processing fenced goods for shipment to Canada for resale on the open market.
Following Mister Shade's usual instructions Leroy and Darisha made their way past the victims of urban decay who were familiar enough about how things worked to either leave them alone or had acquaintances who knew to hold them back. Soon enough the pair came to a utility stairway door, hidden behind a metal door with a peephole installed.
After a knock by Leroy a couple of moments later the door opened to a man who lacked two things a sense of humor and a neck. " Mister Brea is downstairs, and he isn't happy!"
The pair made their way past the doorman and after making their way to the bottom of the stairs, Leroy was reminded that smuggling and drugs were only one small part of the picture.
Those were of course only the more vanilla of Mister Brea's activities, he was also connected to the global Black Market and peddled in many more exotic items such as weapons, devices, and even experimental substances. Even Mister Brea's rivals couldn't boast the man's connections, at least not before recently. A month ago, the old guard of the local chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom had been eliminated, and while ordinarily such a matter was of no consequence to Mister Brea's organization- the new power figure of the Chicago Chapter House made her move with the power of Erzebet Scratch behind her.
While the word was that Scratch rarely meddled in the matters of local criminals unless they had a past in the matters of the arcane, Mister Brea's had conducted business through the Grand Hall with a third party for years, a business that was quite lucrative. Since that party operated in the mystic area of influence though, that rewarding connection, sealed by a contract had become a liability- a liability that Mister Brea was desperate to deal with. This unfortunately meant that bad news wasn't something that Mister Brea wanted to deal with right now.
"Sikes, I understand that you sent someone to deal with a problem that I warned you to take care of a while ago." Leroy and Darisha looked on at the man occupying a chair made out of basalt, a man who for all intents and purposes looked to me made out of molten asphalt.
"Yeah it was just like your lady told us, some wannabe from the burbs came in trying to play street, ignorant of the rules snuck a piece into my club, and sure enough he was just what was needed to deal with Defranks." Leroy explained to the malformed Mr. Brea, "He also knew Defranks personally and had enough of a beef with her for my ladies to guide him into doing the deed."
"Unfortunately, he was too late in his attempt," a gravelly voice spoke up that was also clearly female. Soon the source of the voice became visible, from the waist-up it looked like a short gaunt, wizened, crone who had stringy white-hair that did nothing to hide her furled brow. The woman had eyes that were black with yellow irises, and short-pointy teeth like the pins of thumbtacks and all of it was terrifying to everyone who saw her for the first time. "Her powers awoke and allowed her to escape the first shot, however the child did wound the girl soon after with a handgun although not as severely as was needed."
"Dammit Sikes, with Scratch's people taking over the mystic scene sooner or later their going to see my connection with that cult and once they do the only thing that I can use to protect myself is that girl's powers." Mister Brea slammed his right fist again the side of his throne as his body began to heat up and smoke.
"It is just as I foretold," the woman stated as she shut her eyes as her furled brow opened to reveal a massive eye, "You would have three chances to bring the one who can walk outside of time under your control. You had the first chance years ago to control her with fear by leading her into a life of crime, unfortunately your escort's sister chose a target who was destined to never be caught unless by choice. This second attempt was meant to let us rule her with despair, she is at the cusp of claiming a championship were she to let her team down due to her hobby then that would give the Coleman sisters a shot at controlling her."
"Neither of which you boy's succeeded in doing so," the woman stated in a condescending tone. The woman explained as she waddled into view with the rest of her body below the waist appearing to be like that of an old and oversized, molted swan with her human half emerging from the neck. You failed to control her with fear before she became a teenager, you failed to make her give into despair before her powers awoke- that means that before she begins to learn how to control her power we must fill her to the brim with guilt."
"And what do you see that taking Grae-clops?" Mister Brea inquired as the smoke from his tar-filled body began to cool.
"Three lives must end before the child tastes control of her abilities," Grae-clops began to explain to those gathered, "for the moment she realizes how to control her powers is the moment that any control you may exert on her is lost. Moreover, when that happens the chance of the dark lady's gaze falling on you becomes not a matter of if but a matter of when."
"And do you know which three lives must be taken and how?" Mister Brea inquired without losing an ounce of composure.
Grae-clops responded with a smile showing her needlesque fangs to all, "Yes..."
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
5:17 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
I woke up to find Ramona had dozed off in the corner, she actually looked peaceful far different from what I remembered of the sleepovers we used to have with Taikeyla. She always used to tell me about nightmares that she used to have of a gloomy foreboding beach with and eerie pale fog beneath a dark sunless sky. That used to hear a voiceless call from the water reaching out trying to lure her into the unnaturally calm abyss and every time she gave in she only made it a few feet out before something pulled her under. The as she lay submerged- struggling in vain to reach the surface she opened her eyes to see pale glowing lights staring at her telling her to come with them.
I had to admit that if I had nightmares like that I'd be afraid of the water too, but apparently Ramona was just too exhausted to really dream or else hadn't been napping long enough to really start dreaming yet. Still that nap was just what I needed to get my head back on straight, now though it was time to start preparing whatever I needed to do next. That was the real issue, while I think that I was getting a handle on the rules and limits I had whenever I stopped time, I still didn't know how to do it whenever I wasn't in danger...no danger wasn't the issue.
It wasn't danger that triggered these time stops it was me feeling like I was, I really doubt that crazy bum in the ally where I had nodded off earlier was really a threat- I had just felt like he was. Did this mean that it wasn't me being in danger that stopped time around me just me wanting to avoid danger? That made sense, when Victor winged me I was in very real danger, but I was too angry at him for trying to cripple me to see it thus letting him shoot me with his handgun. Maybe this meant that I had something that let me know when there was danger, but I had just chosen to ignore it- I had chosen to fight rather than run.
Come to think of it stopping time wasn't what I was doing either it was like I was outside of it somehow, and every time I was that meant that I was going somewhere. That made a type of sense too, the further I traveled whenever I stopped time it was like I was leaving time and the world behind and going someplace else- someplace with its own weird animals...well except for that squirrel it was the first thing besides myself that I saw in that place moving. Well the acorn-muncher aside there was still the fact that when I was outside of time I stayed their unless I touched someone like I did Victor or exposed part of my body.
Okay so if I touched something alive it would yank me back into the world even if my body was covered, but if I touched something that wasn't alive then I could move it like I did when I moved away from that homeless man, when I threw that apple at the mugger, or when I snagged those slices of deep dish that were being thrown away. Also, when I moved something and then let it go then it would travel a little bit before freezing again, like it was falling back into the real world. Still why did showing a bit of skin move time from frozen to slow...wait a moment- air isn't empty.
I remembered back to science class, there's all kinds of stuff in the air and some of it is technically alive, stuff like germs, pollen, spores- all kinds of stuff that's too small to be seen. And the stuff in the air, while it was probably not enough to yank me all the way back into the real world, might be enough to cause me to flicker instead of snapping all the way back.
Although right now, my life boiled down to three real questions: Could I control this power? Had Victor actually gotten wrapped up with the Coleman sisters? And how did I get back home with the Knights of Purity on my tail? "Ugh- too many questions not enough facts!" I threw up my hands in momentary defeat as I went to the kitchen for some water, fortunately Miss Watt still kept her cabinets the same, come to think of it so were their glasses, can't believe they still had the one with the chip on the rim.
After filling my glass from the tap, I downed a glass then went for a refill when there was a familiar knock at the door. I remembered that pattern, that was the one Ramona, Taikeyla and I had decided on to let each other know it was really us at our door and that it was safe to let us in back when we were too short to look through the peephole. Now on the other hand I was more than tall enough to see out to the hallway.
I looked through and the girl on the other side sure looked like Taikeyla Johnson, however it had been a few years. The earlier knocking had turned to banging, "Ramona open up, this is serious! Those Power Armor jockeys are canvasing the whole Westside looking for D-caf, I can't reach Natroya and I need someone to work out a game plan to feed through the white line before one of the local crews sets those tin cans off!"
I went over and shook Ramona awake, "Ramona- wake up," I said as she began to stir, "I really think that you need to hear this!"
6 years 6 days ago - 6 years 6 days ago #52
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Faolan & Quickvix's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:52 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Candace had scarcely been gone for a few minutes when I heard someone knocking on our door, "Candace I know that you're mad at me but remember it's your room too you don't need my permission to come inside."
"Actually, I do," a voice that was far different from that of the passionate redhead who left me all kinds of confused, but a familiar voice non-the-less.
"Oh, hello Chou," I sighed in relief wishing to postpone any more teenage drama between my roommate and I for the time being, "I assume that this is what I was telling everyone in the lobby."
"Yes Randi," Chou replied from the other side of the door, "is it alright if I come inside for a little while to discuss it with you?"
"You might as well Chou," I remarked, "this has a lot more to do with you than me, I'm just the messenger here though- so keep that in mind."
Heeding my invitation, the Handmaiden of the Tao entered the room to find me waiting at my desk and Jane sitting on her perch. "Before we start exactly how much do you know about my past and my role."
"Just what I hear around Poe and the school, you were some kid who bought a weird-looking sword and chest at a gun and knife show that let you turn into the Handmaiden of the Tao until you put it back in the chest. Not long after that a Buddhist hell lord whose rivalry came with your title showed up, burned your house down, stole the chest and kidnapped your dad demanding the sword as ransom. Sometime after that you came here to train probably until you know enough to free your dad and get the chest back, and spank said demon in the process hard enough that he'd think twice before trying that again. That much is available around campus, though since you're in Poe and were a part of the Kimba's I imagine that the old you used to be a guy too."
"So, people around campus know about the chest?" Chou looked at me somewhat mystified.
"The smart ones do, the people as thick as Nex or in denial about magic like the science types think it's just some product of ancient tech like a power gem that they can swipe and use for themselves or else study to reverse-engineer and mass-produce. I mean Nex thought that he could steal Destiny's Wave to use for himself, even Counterpoint wasn't that dense. As for the study and mass-produce part, when Ms Carson when I went down to the Power Rangers Club House during the Pearl Incident I saw a stack of Belphegor's plans that they took by mistake when they raided his lab, he was planning to try to steal and analyze your sword somewhere down the line."
"Honestly nothing surprises me when it comes to that kleptomaniac," Chou sighed as she went to sit down in Candace's chair, "did you know that he tried to steal and tried to take apart Jade's spinner to see how it worked?"
"Let me get this straight," I shook my head as I tried to wrap it around the ridiculousness there, "he stole a devise to reverse-engineer- shouldn't someone on the technology track like he is know better than that?"
"We are talking about Belphegor but let us get back to the matter at hand," Chou paused as we opted to shelve the small-talk for another time, "You were right about the debt to the dragon's line, I conversed with the spirit of Destiny's Wave and he informed me of the history behind the blade's material. Now maybe you can inform me about what you know about the matter and how this relates to my summer plans in Colorado with Billie and Jade."
"As you know from Nikki there were four courts peripheral to Atlantis long before the modern age, one of those courts being the Western Court whom Nikki's departed benefactor Aunghadheil oversaw as the paramount of the Nine Sidhe Queens." I began to explain as I laid down the history that I knew. "You also know that Bea Carson and I play a part in the future of those courts as the Eastern and Western Maidens however there are also Maidens who represent the Northern and Southern Courts; after we were saved from the Necromancer last night Bea and I were...escorted by the Obsidian Circle with Mister Redstag to meet them. The Southern Maiden's manifestation yesterday was apparently a sign that the meeting needed to happen but what you need to know is about the Northern Maiden."
"Yes," Chou shook her head in disbelief as she glanced down at her currently sheathed sword, "I still can't believe that anyone would voluntarily offer their heart and sacrifice their life just to make a sword!"
"As I understand it Zunyan Quianbei had painted himself into a corner Chou, he had sworn to the Jade Emperor himself that he would provide The Smith with a material worthy enough for the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword of office." I laid down the facts as I knew them, "He also interrupted a meeting between the Jade Emperor and Lao Tze to make his promise, his failure would mean the banishment of his entire house at best and execution of his immediate family at worse. As is his sacrifice led to your sword being forged and paved the way for the birth of the Northern Maiden."
"Speaking of her, just what do you know about this girl?" Chou enquired obviously cautious given what was being asked of her."
"Chou I just met her last night and our group only had a few hours to talk with each other before we went home." I did my best to explain the events of last night, or was it early morning? "From what I know she calls herself Duanzaolong and was actually the first of us to manifest, she grew up in Seattle's Asian district and is the only child of a tailor and a seamstress. She told me that she was dusting the store room at the local Buddhist Temple when a rat spooked her leading break one of Zunyan's bone urns leaving her covered in his ash's. Not long after that her body slowly Cronanberged into an egg and she hatched out of it as an anthropomorphic Chinese dragon."
"Then shouldn't she be at Whateley already?" Chou asked before her eyes widened, "don't tell me that the Chinese Government visited her with one of their enchanted scrolls of honor like they tried to use to enslave me!"
"No, what happened to her wasn't nearly that nice and formal." I sighed, "A cult that worships the Demon Lord of Blood-stained Gold kidnapped her and kept her enslaved in their stronghold somewhere in under San Francisco. Apparently, part of being the Northern Maiden is the power to turn scrap with the right composition into enchantable gemstones, they had her locked in a hole somewhere cranking out sapphires and the like for months before a spellcaster called the Wayfarer freed her."
Chou's eyes drifted to her sword which she partially unsheathed, not to attack more to hear it clearer in however it was that she talked to the spirit inside of it.
Now you must know how everyone else feels when we have a conversation over our link, Jane queued in letting me know that I must have been broadcasting my thoughts a little loudly.
"The Wayfarer is not a being to be taken lightly Randi," Chou looked worried, "like I am to the Tao, The Wayfarer is a being in service to a higher power but far more connected to it. From what I know each Wayfarer serves as a host to an artifact known as the Staff of Undertone, the moment each host takes up the staff their past is erased from reality and the prior host ceases to exist altogether. While it seems that each Wayfarer has some autonomy in how they carry out their task they still carry it out to the desired result and using a good deal of power as they do so."
"So, their staff, let me guess it's an extremely powerful sorcerer's staff." I wagered with what I had come to learn about magic.
"The Staff of Undertone allows the Wayfarer access to every spell ever cast upon the world where they are at present as well as the complete knowledge of their effects and consequences." Chou explained in a way that was more chilling by the moment, "Prior Handmaiden's have run into conflict with prior Wayfarers before, two made the mistake of considering the Wayfarer to be an enemy, one survived yet had to retire from her injuries, for the other... the Wayfarer's look of disappointment was the last thing she ever saw."
Then Chou grabbed my algebra notebook from my desk, turned to an empty page and with a blur of her right-hand whipped up a sketch, a highly detailed one, "This is the Staff of Undertone, whatever you do never get into a fight the one who wields it!"
That the Handmaiden of the Tao was speaking to me in such a frightened tone was all that I needed to know about the gravity of the situation.
Fatigue & Aletheia's Room - Dickinson Cottage
2:08 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Making sure to that my answers worked the same forwards as backwards I put down my answer in my notebook satisfied that the calculations matched the arc on the parabola for the last question and scratching off another chapter of my self-tests before my exam to test out of Trigonometry. 'Really even Vicky would have known this stuff back when she was Aphrodite, I mean how many catapults did she see Hephaestus work on back in the day, granted she was paying more attention to his back then anything else both of us still picked up on what he was doing.'
I briefly looked up when I when I heard a short knock I paused a moment to listen for details, a trick that Sorcha has been teaching me, not hearing any signs of nervousness or stress which would be signs of trouble I gave a brief, "Please come in."
I saw the door open to see that it was Heartbreaker, "Well- well- so the delinquent princess returns. I hope you enjoyed your little escapade because I just heard from the grapevine that they threw the whole Encyclopedia set at you for yesterday."
"What can I say," I sighed in defeat, "I knew that there'd be consequences to my actions, but I just couldn't stand by and let people suffer. It's just not in my nature, besides the look on that mother's face when she knew that her daughter was safe was worth a being in detention for the rest of the semester."
"Good to know," Eve snickered, "you know, I've met plenty of people that would use family connections like you have to try and dodge punishment or get special favors. Granted getting a member of Venus Inc to tag along on a shopping trip like you did had me a little suspicious about you but doing it because you wanted help to pick out birthday presents for another person- I have to admit Bea you're alright in my book."
"Thanks Eve," I giggled, "just don't let it get around, I'm sure the last thing mom wants is to know that I'm gaining the approval of a students who have Super-Villain listed as a potential career then she really will give me a year's worth of detention."
"Speaking of that just where did you and Faolan wander off to? Eve looked concern, "From what I heard the two of you stopped to take a breather while Boudicca took that girl to the paramedics, just what happened?"
"What happened was getting the two of us alone and off our guard was what the Necromancer wanted," I huffed at the truth, "All of that destruction, all of that pain, all of that death, it was all so he could kill Faolan and myself."
"So, he was involved," Eve observed with a touch of fear in her voice, not all that surprising as I understood the incident that sparked the animosity between the Children of the Night and Team Kimba in the first place happened when Eve's group The Masterminds stumbled over a heist the Necromancer's crew was pulling off. "How did you get away? I mean no offence but there was no way the both of you could take on the Children of the Night, and to be honest from what I've heard Faolan might be a fairy-type spellcaster but she's nowhere close to Fey."
"Who is, for all her boasting even Majestic falls short in that respect even after her current slump." Not that anyone wanted to admit that said slump was due to the Aunghadheil joining her late Sister-Queens in the hereafter. "It was just the Necromancer and his group wasn't the only ones at play, apparently one of his mole's in New York looted the private storeroom at the Grand Hall there belonging to Mister Domino's chief agent Carcharoth."
"You mean that monster who ate those two fairies a month ago and broke every bone in Counterpoint's body!" Eve all but fell backwards at that piece of news, "That psychopath was in Boston!"
"Him, Greygus, the Erinyes, and a few others." I confessed not wanting to soil the rapport that I was building, "Faolan may not have been strong enough to stop the Necromancer but she was holding him off well enough that he was caught off guard when Carcharoth disarmed him."
"What the Necromancer's a spellcaster," Eve looked at me confused, "why would he need a weapo- wait when you say that monster disarmed him you don't mean?!?"
"One chop with the nastiest battle axe I've ever see- even in fiction." I explained as I mimicked what happened by feigning a karate chop with my right hand on my left arm. "After that the Circle showed up to escort Randi and I to meet two more girls and hear some things."
"Whoa don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to be within five feet of someone like Carcharoth but are you saying that you actually met Greygus?!?" Eve looked at me like she was starstruck, "I mean the Greygus!"
"Him and Miseo looked after our group most of the time that we were there along with some friends Mister Redstag showed up with to make sure there was no funny business."
"Not that there would be with Greygus involved," Eve proclaimed, "I am so jealous, to think that I was this close to meeting one of my idols."
"Probably best that you didn't there were a lot of nasty black hats there last night. However, you still might have the chance," I smiled, "one of the girls that Randi and I met was his daughter, from what I gather she'll be a student here next year and will probably be coming here during Perspective Student's Day."
"I need to talk to Phase about getting an eight by ten glossy of him ASAP," Eve all but ran for my door, "I owe you big time for this Bea!"
As she shut the door I couldn't help but wonder if that was really a good thing, I mean I didn't want to be an enabler.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
12:11 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With lunch taken care of- courtesy of Bajie Zhu's cooking, make all the jokes that you want about a stout man with the head of a pig but the cleaner of the heavenly alters knew about how to whip up one heck of a lunch spread mainly by repurposing and deconstructing leftovers.
Even as much as I lay back in all my scaly glory digesting my share of the lunch spread, been a while since I actually had chow fun let alone anywhere the noodles weren't overcooked and the chef knew how to properly balance the garlic and ginger with the chili, there was still things to be done.
Lunch aside once everyone ate Bajie Zhu, Wukong Sun and Shenyan Hong each departed the cave for elsewhere leaving Wujing Sha, Kelsey and I to our lonesome...and the dishes. "Okay- I get that it is common courtesy that the chef need not worry with the dishes and Shenyan is long overdue his freedom but Wukong Sun could have at least stuck around and helped out with the dishes!"
"Actually, as I he is running late for an appointment- several in fact." Sha explained as he dried the plate in his hands. "His persona of Kelly Windkloppel needed to put in some face-time in Durango to make it so that people don't suspect her for what happened last night, granted that will only be one of Wukong's copies. His real self is heading out to the Pacific Islands like he does every year, to help Maui organize their annual surfing competition, monster bash and, annual luau that they have with Susanno-o."
"Did you say monster bash?" I looked at my gruff teacher wondering if he meant what he said.
"Yes, the three of them take a break between surfing to beat up on monsters in the Pacific both to keep the populations under control as well as to keep them from drifting into mortal areas." the divine attendant elaborated, "They shall be busy for days- if they remember any of it considering that Susanno-o usually brings a few casks of Orochi-Grade Junmai Daiginjo-shu sake. Zhu meanwhile is heading back to his alter-cleaning duties, there are only so many alter-cleaners and many alters to go around."
"So, I assume that it will be back to training for us before dinner?" I half-heartedly smiled somewhat wanting to return to routine for a little while- to get a taste of what I counted as normalcy.
"In a matter of speaking," Sha Wujing motioned for me to follow him to another part of the caves. As I followed he inquired, "I remember you telling me that you enjoyed artistry, that you found it a rewarding pursuit."
"Yeah- sculpting, not that I can anymore." I looked at my clawed reptilian hands with a sigh as we approached something covered with a tarp, "I just burn too hot these days, my hands dry the clay out so much that I might as well be cooking it as I work it."
"That is why it might be best for you to change mediums," my teacher explained as he through the tarp off to reveal a block of basalt. "There is no way that you can dry out lava rock, in fact I think that you will find it suits you quite well."
"Listen I appreciate the sentiment- I mean it I do," I turned to the arate, "but just because they are both called sculpting doesn't mean they are the same. I mean what do I know about guiding a chisel."
"I think that you misunderstand," the Sha smiled something that I found to be a little unnerving despite knowing that there was no malice to be found in his expression. "Do you see a hammer or chisel, this is another faucet of your training."
"So, what am I supposed to do scratch and chisel away at rock with my own claws?" I inquired growing more than a little annoyed at what was going on between us.
"Using your hands yes but to sculpt in the manner that you are used to doing so," Sha went down to sit nearby ready to observe.
"And how am I supposed to do that this is rock not clay," I fumed as steam came out of my nostrils, "if I tried doing that with how strong I am I'd just break the thing."
"Not with your strength...your power," Sha Wujing elaborated, "You are part fucanglung a volcano dragon, the same heat that melts rock you can reach using your power- you just have to learn how to do so."
"And I can do that?" I asked astonished as I switched between staring at the block of stone and Sha Wujing.
"By training with your powers," my teacher elaborated, "this training is to refine your use of your abilities, training in how to defend yourself is important however you need to gain better mastery of your abilities. Meanwhile you will also be returning to an old subject in which you found a good deal of joy- sculpting with your hands."
"I certainly hope you're right," I said pausing a moment to look at my hands. "I really hope that you're right."
Following his instructions, I snapped my claws to provide a spark and let the fire build, this time not in a giant ball like I did when I smelted gemstones but in two flames that I tried to let spill over the palms of my hands.
"Now if I may make a suggestion pull the flame as tightly against your hands as possible." Sha Wujing observed as I tried to follow his instructions, "just remember you are only trying to condense the fire not...extinguish it."
Sha's instructions faltered as the flames turned into plumes of smoke, "Oops," I laughed in embarrassment, "oh well if at first you don't succeed."
"Indeed, my young pupil," Sha Wujing smiled at me warmly, "this is a skill that is for you alone to master."
"Yeah," I remarked, "and if I do it'll help me sculpt again."
"No child," Sha Wujing shook his head as he continued to smile, "if you succeeded it will help you to become yourself."
Squash Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:47 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
As our game went I dove to return the ball that my father had bounded off the wall, only to miss and skid across the bamboo paneled floor. "How do you get used to this game I mean- we're playing against a wall!"
"We're playing against each-other my dear," dad explained as he helped me up, "this is just a way to get used to things. After all you are learning how to be yourself, being a young lady and being a djinni, both are likely a lot to get used to and having a little fun while you're doing it is one of the best ways that you can do so."
"Yeah...fun," I rolled my eyes, "going from an awkward teenage boy to an awkward teenage girl with a pony-head. Then while I'm getting used to that my father trumps me in a game that I've never played before- okay so this is a little fun."
"What can I say, this game requires balance, grace and co-ordination." Dad explained as he retrieved the ball, "Besides it's also good practice for your reflexes- that and mom has taken up tennis, so this is good practice for when I'm away and she asks to play a singles match with you."
"To be perfectly honest I've always been more of a person for physical contact sports," I begrudgingly admitted as I returned to the line. "You already know that I was boxing in the Silver Gloves, but I was also planning on joining the wrestling team once we got to high school."
"Then I suggest that you may want to talk with Gararai," dad stated as he gave the ball a couple of practice bounces, "She studied the Greco-Roman style to try to join the royal guard. She still practices so with shabti sparing partners, but I would imagine that she'd be more thrilled to have a student to practice with."
"Is she the lady with an antelope's head and the lady's secret service attire?" I asked hoping I knew the right djinn.
"Bongo, not antelope but yes," dad answered as he began the next volley which I hit when it returned, "just don't be afraid when you ask her- she's not as scary as she lets on while she's working."
"I'll take your word on that front," I replied while returning his volley and trying to keep an eye on the ball as well as my foot work. "If she didn't look like a grazer I would be afraid that she'd bite me."
"You might also try asking her for a little help with your aerokinesis," dad commented as he kept up the pressure without going too overboard, "she is an air-elemental ask well."
"Really?" I inquired while I tried to keep up with the rhythm of the game, "I would have thought that she was an earth-elemental."
"Nope-" dad retorted as he kept setting the pace, "keep this in mind, creatures of the ground who are swift and graceful are air-elementals, creatures who are rugged or are just as much a part of the landscape as the ground are earth-elementals such as myself."
"Water elementals are creatures who live their lives around the river and oasis such as crocodiles, hippos and waterfowl, and fire elementals are either power-predators or birds of prey." I finished as I remember the lecture that uncle Anubis gave during my combat session with him last night."
"Correct, bro might be a bit of a stick in the mud but he's an excellent teacher," dad continued until he heard the tinkling of a bell which distracted him as a finally missed a volley.
"Whoa dad do you have something against bells?" I asked as I went to retrieve the ball and flipping the number on the score marker for about the fourth time since we started.
"Nope that bells a reminder that it's time for high tea," dad explained as he used his powers to dust us off, "it's one of the changes that mom instituted for here on the weekend. Brunch instead of Breakfast and High Tea instead of Lunch at the Scarlet Sands resort on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, its actually catching on with our normal guests- especially the after-church crowd. Finger sandwiches, scones and tea cakes traditionally followed with truffles, dad put his foot down though and added light salad and soup shooters to the affair in between the sweets."
"Well I suppose you need something to cleanse the palate in between courses of sugar and starch," I thought the matter over and something clicked, "hey dad do you think grandma and grandpa would mind if I helped out in the kitchen. Something, just as something to keep busy since I'm pretty much going to be under house arrest."
"You aren't going to be under house arrest my dear," dad explained as he stored our gear in a tote bag, "you can leave and go anywhere in the city, just as long as you take a few bodyguards with you. Just because that horrible woman is out of the picture doesn't mean that the people who hired her would pass up the chance to try and do something."
"Okay," I relented as I followed dad in the direction of the locker rooms, "just as long as I don't get cabin fever around here before I transfer to my new school. By the way dad, just why are you waiting for the fall?"
"Well the most important reason is that you just came back to us, I want to give you a little more time with your grandparents and myself when I'm in town," dad explained as we headed to the locker rooms, "not that I won't be seeing you during the school year, I plan on dropping by whenever I'm in the region or returning from abroad."
"And what's the other reason?" I asked as we walked along the corridors of the resort's member-only exercise facilities, "we hope to have this mess with the Cult of the Black Pharaoh taken care of by then and that includes rescuing your mother and Miranda Salazar."
"I can't believe that you won't be able to help me with that," I shook my head in disbelief.
"I know but the fact is that the Cult were bound to have djinn in mind when they built their lair, but don't worry you are going to have warriors just as capable as ourselves to aid you- ones who would have no issues with traps made with djinn in mind- Morrigan is lending us a few squads of her elite warriors and hunters."
"Faolan told me that the fae included creatures like ogres, giants and trolls does that mean they're going to send those after the cult?" I inquired as we stood outside the locker rooms, "Maybe but I doubt it- she's probably hand-picking her people for infiltration and stealth, not that surprising though- Morrigan was always an expert in covert-ops."
Dickinson Cottage
3:04 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I stared at my books and laptop and knew that this next few weeks were going to be torture. To be honest there was nothing else that I needed to do today, I had just finished two days' worth of course work in the last few hours and because I was confined to Dickinson when not on school business or serving my detention I couldn't go anywhere.
"I need to pick Randi's brain about so more reading options," I sighed to myself, "otherwise I'm going to go bonkers fast."
With nothing else on my plate, I opted to go the one place where I wouldn't feel confined. I wheeled myself over to bed and tucked myself in for a nap, "I wonder what Greyback will say when I tell him everything that happened?"
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I opened my eyes to find myself back in the room of the Hall of Echoes that I had been sharing with Greyback for the last several nights.
"Welcome back child," the fae sage greeted me, "I trust that your excursion to Boston was eventful if you chose to not come here for the evening."
"Well it was equal parts insane and informative," I groaned, "The Necromancer and his goons almost burned down half the city to find Randi and me, and that was after unleashing a bonified horde of mythos-made zombies. Apparently, the Esoteric Order of Dagon made him one hell of an offer because the lengths that he went through are bound to toss him onto the FBI's top ten list."
"I trust that was not all that happened?" the ancient soul hinted at trying to draw more information out of me.
"Yeah, right afterwards the Obsidian Circle disarmed him and escorted Randi and me to meet the other maidens, that was when we found out the scope of what we're in for and why we're all half-breeds."
"Because the four of you need your feet in both the world of man as well as your respective Courts for you to be able to repair the conduits between your Courts wayward lands and the Earth to reestablish the mana flows." Greyback elaborated, "I remember I was there when the being whom Queen Tiamat is the avatar of relayed the original prophecy."
"Wait you knew!" I shouted at my guide and someone whose friendship I was beginning to put into question, "You knew about all of this the whole time and you did nothing! -said nothing! -why?!?"
"Because none of you were ready for that information yet," Greyback stated with as even a stare as his canine visage could muster, "the destiny that the four of you will have to rise to meet is as dangerous as it is necessary. As is all of you still are not ready for the full details of what lay ahead, most of you haven't even grasped the full scope of your individual trials this summer."
"Of course, I know the scope of my trial this summer, I liberate and heal my uncle Qingu and together the two of us break Dagon's curse. What more is there to this?" I asked wanted to jab the old faerie until he spilled- well- something.
"Child it will take a lot more than the verbal prodding of an adolescent to get me to reveal information before its time," the lupine sage sighed as he shook his head. "As it stands all that you are ready for is the knowledge that no matter how ready you think you are for what lay ahead you have yet to fully grasp the true gravity of the matter, everything is still too impersonal for you."
"Too impersonal, a psychotic warlock left a major city in shambles and unleashed a horde of the undead before trying to blast me with dark magic, affecting the lives of thousands maybe even millions." I all but fumed at the sad reality of what Randi and I had just survived, "I still don't know how many people lost their lives from what happened, how many families will suffer from yesterday's events, and you say this is too impersonal for me. I had to use my powers to knit a young girl's liver back together after she had been skewered on a piece of rebar, all because the followers of a warped merman who sold out his own people for power don't want me derailing their gravy train of suffering."
I stalked up to the sage and glared at me right in the eye, "After everything that I just went through how can this not be personal?"
"Meet one of those who you are saving from Dagon's Curse and you will realize the full weight of what you seek to liberate." Greyback stated as he turned back to the orbs in our private study room, "ask Randi when you awaken, she will know what to do."
"I guess that it's a good thing that I know her phone number then," I remarked, "because mom kind of had to bring her foot down over how much danger I put everyone in yesterday. Not only do I need a bodyguard anytime I'm one school grounds, but I have detention duty for the rest of the school year."
"That might be for the best child," the old wolf laughed, "a little tough love can only do you good, and you may learn a thing or two, besides you might make a few new friends while you atone for your transgressions."
"Trust you to see a positive in anything huh," I grumbled as I made my way back over to my own orbs.
"When you're as old as I am child you have to do what you can to focus on the positive." Greyback remarked as he began to take in his own research, just before I began to engross myself more in the culture of the Eastern Court.
Main Fountain - Caesar's Palace Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
2:47 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Walt, dad and I stood by the main fountain at Caesar's Palace all of us waiting on the Neon Lights to show up and take Walt to a secure location to get everything that happened straightened out with the federal government. Trust reality to throw an even larger monkey wrench in our situation than we previously thought, as it turned out the zodiac gemstones that accidently made its way to our group were stolen by Professor Id from Area 51 of all places and were on their way to us when the courier acting as a go-between mistook me (at least the old me) for the Syndicate agent who was supposed to receive the stolen goods.
That and the reason that dad was technically a super-villain were the reasons that the two of us were dressed in outfits that screamed TOURIST, dad was in a pair of khaki shorts, and an open red Hawaiian shirt with tennis shoes, and an honest to god Duran-Duran 'Hungry like the Wolf' t-shirt with a pair of ray-band sunglasses. Meanwhile I was standing right next to him with a Smashing Pumpkins shirt and blue-jeans with a pair of visor shades periodically looking over a map while Walt was on a nearby bench in his usual clothes (albeit long-sleeved) with a ballcap pulled over his face acting the part of a bored teenager.
"They're about to arrive," dad stated under his breath as he nodded his head in the direction of a man who was built like a semi, "that's a US Marine out of uniform, keep an eye out more and more will begin pouring in before the meeting."
Dad's assessment was spot on, as we waited I could gradually see it happen gradually more and more men and women who I could see were either police or military, not by their uniforms but by their mannerisms began to trickle into the area around the fountain gradually displacing locals and actual tourists who probably felt increasingly unnerved by the brewing situation.
Eventually the hidden military and police moved to the side as I saw a man who screamed high-ranking officer come forward flanked by Wannag'e and Ser Argent of the Neon Lights (Nevada's main super-hero team).
"Greygus, what is the meaning of this," Ser Argent stated in a voice that I could tell was speaker altered, "you said that you were bringing the zodiac gems to return them- what are these children doing here?"
"The issue is the newest gauntlets for the gems appear to have been designed by Professor Id to meld to their wearer's skin." dad sighed, "some kids got the tote bag meant for a Syndicate agent and so a Slyde courier slipped them the gauntlets by mistake."
"Let me guess they both put one on," the military officer whose name I didn't know spoke up, "That's just peachy- we were in the middle of analyzing those things and if what you're saying is true those two have them stuck on them now."
"Actually, only the boy does, he used them to defend my daughter when she got caught in the squabble when Miss Bliss sent two of her thugs to retrieve them." dad continued, "So suffice it to say I owe the young man a great deal for his act of heroism and wish to see that he is kept safe from any within the government who may want to harm him to retrieve their property."
"I'm army not CIA, I don't torture people, especially not American citizens." The army officer stated, "provided you're telling the truth."
With my dad's word in doubt Ser Argent and Wannag'e stepped around the man, with the masked man whose trench coat was made with a Native American motif while his partner the man who was dressed like a titanium mech knight, scanned Walt's now exposed arms with a sweeping blue-light from his visor.
"He's telling the truth sir," Ser Argent stated, "the only way to get those off without amputation would require the use of acid and an extensive use of skin-grafts."
"Crap," the army officer swore, "I'm sorry about this son but those power gems are too dangerous to be kept in the open like this, we're going to have to put you into protective custody to make sure those things don't fall into the wrong hands."
"I am afraid that I cannot allow that general," dad stated as armed members of our Household began to materialize garbed in outfits that implied their chosen profession as super-villain. "We did not help liberate this boy from Miss Bliss only to see him lose his freedom all over again."
"You willing to go to war over this Greygus," the military officer stated as he glared at dad, "because that is exactly what you will be doing if you attack us."
"Actually, all I am doing is asking my compatriots to show themselves to state our serious intent on this matter." Dad explained as he sat down, "to that end I propose an alternative solution- instead of this young man being in military custody for the rest of his life see about training him alongside the Neon Lights at least until the new school year begins while putting his family into the Witness Protection Program."
"I seriously doubt that four months of training will be enough to prepare him for a lifetime as a target," Wannag'e stated, "but given that you mentioned the school year I presume that you mean to send him to Whateley in the fall."
"They have been training countless heroes for decades as well as every Champion since their third one," dad continued, "four years of training there should be more than enough time to prepare the young man for whatever life will throw at him."
"We'll give him the school year to try and give his all," the army officer explained, "afterwards if he doesn't make the grade then he goes under guard until we can find a way to remove those vambraces."
"I accept your terms general," dad extended his hand while the rest of our people vanished, soon after the military officer met his handshake and I knew that if I was ever going to help Walt stay free then I'd have to see to it that he thrived at Whateley when we both started. I almost had to laugh at the irony, back when I was Paul I had needed Walt to watch my back now that I was Iris it was time for me to return the favor.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:21 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I laid gasping for breath as I looked at the pillar of basalt that Sha Wujing had given me to work with, if only I could get my powers to work as he claimed that he could. No matter what I did though the flame was either too loose to reach the level of concentrated heat that I needed for this to work or I drew it so tightly to my hands that if extinguished. "Ugh, come on how do I do this what is the secret?"
"Unfortunately, this is a skill that you will have to learn how to perform on your own." The immortal explained as he offered to help me up, an offer that I refused as I got on my own two feet myself. "Just as this is a skill unique to yourself, this is also a skill that you will need to master in your own unique fashion."
"Maybe I should have asked Shengyan if he had any pointers before he left," I observed as I reflected on the possibility of learning from the man who even as a child was a true master of fire. "He was supposed to be such a master of fire that even the waters of the four celestial seas could not extinguish them."
"Child you are not ready to handle sage fire yet," the divine attendant explained as his voice turned stern, "it could be years until you are ready to handle such power, that Hong Shengyan was able to master such power at such an early age was only a testament to his natural abilities. Besides this is your journey, what worked for another may not work for you."
"Isn't there anything that you can tell me about how to do this?" I asked wanting to really get started on sculpting again even if I was molding molten rock instead of clay.
"Just one," Sha Wujing began as he moved towards the exit to this part of the cavern, "this exercise is about more than finding control over your powers.
"What else is it about?" I asked as I got up to join him.
"You should be able to answer that question for yourself when you begin to shape this rock like clay," my teacher began to break open another proverbial fortune cookie. "Now how about we practice shape shifting again, I understand that you have mastered the equivalent of your human form."
"Yeah it helped me a lot in Durango yesterday," I admitted as we moved to a larger chamber deeper into the mountain. "It made me feel like I used to, before I became the Northern Maiden."
"That is another question for you to ponder child," my teacher explained as he moved to sit lotus-style, "did the incident in the store house with the rat and your ancestor's ashes make you the Northern Maiden or did it simply reveal what was already there?"
"Well what is the answer there?" I inquired wanting to learn the answer.
"That is for you to decide child, were you a flower seed caught in the winds of fate that made you what you are, or did you ride those currents like a bird arriving at a destination that you did not realize you were heading for at the time."
I had to admit it Sha Wujing was a great teacher, making you think about things even if they were matters that you never wanted to consider.
"And on that note, let us see you trying to become a bird," my immortal teacher stated as he plotted the course for today's lesson, "after all a set of wings can be useful from time to time."
Poe Cottage - Whateley Academy
Dunwich, New Hampshire
7:38 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I slumped to my desk back from dinner at Crystal Hall, thankfully my fellow denizens of Poe had run interference for me and explained what had happened after Bea and I had vanished during last night's rescue efforts. This lead to a barrage of questions though about WHY the Obsidian Circle was interested in the two of us. Captain Bravo with his team of Great Lakes Avengers wannabes proclaimed that they would prevent me from exercising my nefarious schemes on the Headmistress's daughter while the Masterminds made their interests in recruiting me known, something that Phase helped shut down soon after.
What was surprising was that Pendragon had come over to me,
Flashback
Crystal Hall
6:17 PM
POV: Randi Bridges
Glad that Team Bravo had opted to scram after Steve, Jamal, Kerry and Baird told him to back off, a sentiment that Ayla did to Stopwatch with a silent glare when he tried to press me for information about the Obsidian Circle. Now it was Pendragon's turn, "Arthur, please stop, I don't have any big connections to the Grand Hall I just want to eat dinner before getting ready for classes Monday."
"That's not what I'm here about Miss Bridges," Pendragon said as he took one of the few empty chair and say to my side (yet not at the table itself). "This is about what happened yesterday in Boston, I read the reports about the hospital and the buildings, as well as the airport and what happened inside from Boudicca. In all that was some very fine work Faolan, I think that you might have some real potential."
"Whoa," Steve Nalley goggled at what was happening, "are you recruiting Randi for the FSA?!?"
"Not yet Mister Nalley," Arthur shook his head at Steve's question, "I am here to tell Randi that I think that she has the potential to be an actual pro-hero one day. "I see the mindset and the heart there as well as some good instincts, I would consider you look into adjusting your schedule though next year if you would wish to pursue that occupation."
"I don't know Art," I stated hesitantly, "I mean I have a lot on my plate as is, training to go all in pro one day though... I don't know."
"You don't have to commit to this at this moment Randi, this is just a suggestion to see if you may be interested one day." Arthur stated as he got up and, "This is the number of the FSA's advisor he can help you if you want a little guidance on potential electives down the line."
end Flashback
Poe Cottage
7:41 PM
POV: Randi Bridges
I still had the number in my desk for later but for right now I was content, that was when I heard my phone ring. I knew that it was an internal call, unlike the phone is the lobby, phones in student rooms required special permission to open up the line to external phone-calls which made sense to avoid the wrong type of people finding out about Whateley. Most students just opted to get cell phones to avoid the paperwork since the campus towers had an encryption on them that made calls routed through them almost impossible to trace.
"Hello Poe Cottage, this is Randi Bridges speaking," I stated as I picked up the phone. "Who may I ask is calling?"
"Hello Randi, this is Bea," I heard my fellow maiden speak through the receiver, "I was just talking with Greyback and he told me there was something that you may be able to help me with."
"Sure Bea, as long as it has nothing to do with your detention," I nervously chuckled, "the school kind of frowns on that thing."
"No, not that Randi." Bea groaned now that she wasn't in front of the adults and let the full weight of her punishment take hold it was obviously starting to hit her that even if she was finally walking unassisted she would still be restricted in her movements until she left for her mission in Iraq this summer. "Greyback says that I am still too distant from what I'm doing this summer, and since I can't meet Qingu until I free him from Tiamat's protection spell he said that you would know."
"I think that he means you need to meet someone with Innsmouth syndrome," I began to guess what my old protector intended, "preferably someone who is still asymptomatic because the moment they start to go Deep One they begin their new mindset begins to infect them and eat away at their soul until they become instinct driven monsters under control of Dagon and his cult's high priests."
"Randi- I know that much but can you help me with meeting one of them who won't try to tear me limb from limb?" Bea asked wanting me to cut the small talk.
"Yeah Bea- I can arrange that," I began to explain the situation, "my brother's girlfriend fits the bill there, I'll email them and explain the situation- to be honest Vanessa has always been scared ever since she found out. Then again I had Carcharoth inside me trying to take over and I saw what happened when he took the driver's wheel- talk about one video with a hard R-rating for violence."
"Yes, I still can't believe that you were able to stay sane after having a monster like that inside you for so long," Bea remarked.
"Yeah, I needed a lot of therapy over the years and with Jane's insistence I'm going to start seeing Doctor Bellows soon," I sighed as I conceded that my partner had a point, "Hard to believe that one of the few benefits of having that monster inside of me was that I could identify people with Innsmouth Syndrome by just being in close proximity to them."
"Really, that is one ability that could come in real handy in the future," Bea piqued up- but even I could tell that she had misinterpreted the situation.
"I'm sorry Bea but that talent was due to Carcharoth," I sighed, "he hates a lot of things at various levels, but he especially hates those who are connected to the Mythos, I used to hate Vanessa and it took me some time to overcome that aversion to her as well as Carcharoth's influence."
"At least his hate helped keep you safe growing up," Bea explained trying to put a positive spin on the matter.
"Bea, I lived over two-hundred miles from the coast, people with Innsmouth Syndrome usually prefer seaside cities and towns on instinct, Vanessa lives in my hometown because of her father and step-mother." I further elaborated on the situation, "she only knows about her affliction because her mother took steps to keep her safe once she turned. Besides I was a real loner as a kid I mean, I mean when Carcharoth entered the picture I began to push people away; I even got into a nasty fight with my best friend from elementary school because I just- snapped- at- him..."
That was when I began to put two and two together, the first time that I felt the same about someone that I did for Vanessa- my former best friend Joel West. Up until second grade the two of us were inseparable then I began to have nightmares, I can't even remember if I had dreams before then because Greyback and Morrigan had found me years earlier, but that was beside the point once the Carcharoth- once Fenrir was inside of me I hated him with a passion. His mother complained about the fight so much to the principal that I had to transfer to another elementary school.
Now I realized the hate that I had then was the same that I had for Vanessa, tears began to flow as I not only realized that Carcharoth had ruining my life in yet another way, but an old friend of mine was in danger and he would never believe me if I tried to warn him.
"Randi-" Bea called out over the receiver, "Randi, please answer me, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong Bea is that I realized that Vanessa wasn't the only person that I ever knew with Innsmouth Syndrome," I began to sob as the realization left me feeling numb. "Joel West, my best-friend from back at the beginning of elementary school must have it too, because Carcharoth fed me the same hate for him that I had for Vanessa and because of the fight that hate started there is no way that I can warn him about what is about to happen."
"Actually Randi," Bea mused, "I wouldn't lose hope if I were you. There could still be one way that you could warn him, and I may know how."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 39
Faolan & Quickvix's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy, New Hampshire
1:52 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
Candace had scarcely been gone for a few minutes when I heard someone knocking on our door, "Candace I know that you're mad at me but remember it's your room too you don't need my permission to come inside."
"Actually, I do," a voice that was far different from that of the passionate redhead who left me all kinds of confused, but a familiar voice non-the-less.
"Oh, hello Chou," I sighed in relief wishing to postpone any more teenage drama between my roommate and I for the time being, "I assume that this is what I was telling everyone in the lobby."
"Yes Randi," Chou replied from the other side of the door, "is it alright if I come inside for a little while to discuss it with you?"
"You might as well Chou," I remarked, "this has a lot more to do with you than me, I'm just the messenger here though- so keep that in mind."
Heeding my invitation, the Handmaiden of the Tao entered the room to find me waiting at my desk and Jane sitting on her perch. "Before we start exactly how much do you know about my past and my role."
"Just what I hear around Poe and the school, you were some kid who bought a weird-looking sword and chest at a gun and knife show that let you turn into the Handmaiden of the Tao until you put it back in the chest. Not long after that a Buddhist hell lord whose rivalry came with your title showed up, burned your house down, stole the chest and kidnapped your dad demanding the sword as ransom. Sometime after that you came here to train probably until you know enough to free your dad and get the chest back, and spank said demon in the process hard enough that he'd think twice before trying that again. That much is available around campus, though since you're in Poe and were a part of the Kimba's I imagine that the old you used to be a guy too."
"So, people around campus know about the chest?" Chou looked at me somewhat mystified.
"The smart ones do, the people as thick as Nex or in denial about magic like the science types think it's just some product of ancient tech like a power gem that they can swipe and use for themselves or else study to reverse-engineer and mass-produce. I mean Nex thought that he could steal Destiny's Wave to use for himself, even Counterpoint wasn't that dense. As for the study and mass-produce part, when Ms Carson when I went down to the Power Rangers Club House during the Pearl Incident I saw a stack of Belphegor's plans that they took by mistake when they raided his lab, he was planning to try to steal and analyze your sword somewhere down the line."
"Honestly nothing surprises me when it comes to that kleptomaniac," Chou sighed as she went to sit down in Candace's chair, "did you know that he tried to steal and tried to take apart Jade's spinner to see how it worked?"
"Let me get this straight," I shook my head as I tried to wrap it around the ridiculousness there, "he stole a devise to reverse-engineer- shouldn't someone on the technology track like he is know better than that?"
"We are talking about Belphegor but let us get back to the matter at hand," Chou paused as we opted to shelve the small-talk for another time, "You were right about the debt to the dragon's line, I conversed with the spirit of Destiny's Wave and he informed me of the history behind the blade's material. Now maybe you can inform me about what you know about the matter and how this relates to my summer plans in Colorado with Billie and Jade."
"As you know from Nikki there were four courts peripheral to Atlantis long before the modern age, one of those courts being the Western Court whom Nikki's departed benefactor Aunghadheil oversaw as the paramount of the Nine Sidhe Queens." I began to explain as I laid down the history that I knew. "You also know that Bea Carson and I play a part in the future of those courts as the Eastern and Western Maidens however there are also Maidens who represent the Northern and Southern Courts; after we were saved from the Necromancer last night Bea and I were...escorted by the Obsidian Circle with Mister Redstag to meet them. The Southern Maiden's manifestation yesterday was apparently a sign that the meeting needed to happen but what you need to know is about the Northern Maiden."
"Yes," Chou shook her head in disbelief as she glanced down at her currently sheathed sword, "I still can't believe that anyone would voluntarily offer their heart and sacrifice their life just to make a sword!"
"As I understand it Zunyan Quianbei had painted himself into a corner Chou, he had sworn to the Jade Emperor himself that he would provide The Smith with a material worthy enough for the Handmaiden of the Tao's sword of office." I laid down the facts as I knew them, "He also interrupted a meeting between the Jade Emperor and Lao Tze to make his promise, his failure would mean the banishment of his entire house at best and execution of his immediate family at worse. As is his sacrifice led to your sword being forged and paved the way for the birth of the Northern Maiden."
"Speaking of her, just what do you know about this girl?" Chou enquired obviously cautious given what was being asked of her."
"Chou I just met her last night and our group only had a few hours to talk with each other before we went home." I did my best to explain the events of last night, or was it early morning? "From what I know she calls herself Duanzaolong and was actually the first of us to manifest, she grew up in Seattle's Asian district and is the only child of a tailor and a seamstress. She told me that she was dusting the store room at the local Buddhist Temple when a rat spooked her leading break one of Zunyan's bone urns leaving her covered in his ash's. Not long after that her body slowly Cronanberged into an egg and she hatched out of it as an anthropomorphic Chinese dragon."
"Then shouldn't she be at Whateley already?" Chou asked before her eyes widened, "don't tell me that the Chinese Government visited her with one of their enchanted scrolls of honor like they tried to use to enslave me!"
"No, what happened to her wasn't nearly that nice and formal." I sighed, "A cult that worships the Demon Lord of Blood-stained Gold kidnapped her and kept her enslaved in their stronghold somewhere in under San Francisco. Apparently, part of being the Northern Maiden is the power to turn scrap with the right composition into enchantable gemstones, they had her locked in a hole somewhere cranking out sapphires and the like for months before a spellcaster called the Wayfarer freed her."
Chou's eyes drifted to her sword which she partially unsheathed, not to attack more to hear it clearer in however it was that she talked to the spirit inside of it.
Now you must know how everyone else feels when we have a conversation over our link, Jane queued in letting me know that I must have been broadcasting my thoughts a little loudly.
"The Wayfarer is not a being to be taken lightly Randi," Chou looked worried, "like I am to the Tao, The Wayfarer is a being in service to a higher power but far more connected to it. From what I know each Wayfarer serves as a host to an artifact known as the Staff of Undertone, the moment each host takes up the staff their past is erased from reality and the prior host ceases to exist altogether. While it seems that each Wayfarer has some autonomy in how they carry out their task they still carry it out to the desired result and using a good deal of power as they do so."
"So, their staff, let me guess it's an extremely powerful sorcerer's staff." I wagered with what I had come to learn about magic.
"The Staff of Undertone allows the Wayfarer access to every spell ever cast upon the world where they are at present as well as the complete knowledge of their effects and consequences." Chou explained in a way that was more chilling by the moment, "Prior Handmaiden's have run into conflict with prior Wayfarers before, two made the mistake of considering the Wayfarer to be an enemy, one survived yet had to retire from her injuries, for the other... the Wayfarer's look of disappointment was the last thing she ever saw."
Then Chou grabbed my algebra notebook from my desk, turned to an empty page and with a blur of her right-hand whipped up a sketch, a highly detailed one, "This is the Staff of Undertone, whatever you do never get into a fight the one who wields it!"
That the Handmaiden of the Tao was speaking to me in such a frightened tone was all that I needed to know about the gravity of the situation.
Fatigue & Aletheia's Room - Dickinson Cottage
2:08 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
Making sure to that my answers worked the same forwards as backwards I put down my answer in my notebook satisfied that the calculations matched the arc on the parabola for the last question and scratching off another chapter of my self-tests before my exam to test out of Trigonometry. 'Really even Vicky would have known this stuff back when she was Aphrodite, I mean how many catapults did she see Hephaestus work on back in the day, granted she was paying more attention to his back then anything else both of us still picked up on what he was doing.'
I briefly looked up when I when I heard a short knock I paused a moment to listen for details, a trick that Sorcha has been teaching me, not hearing any signs of nervousness or stress which would be signs of trouble I gave a brief, "Please come in."
I saw the door open to see that it was Heartbreaker, "Well- well- so the delinquent princess returns. I hope you enjoyed your little escapade because I just heard from the grapevine that they threw the whole Encyclopedia set at you for yesterday."
"What can I say," I sighed in defeat, "I knew that there'd be consequences to my actions, but I just couldn't stand by and let people suffer. It's just not in my nature, besides the look on that mother's face when she knew that her daughter was safe was worth a being in detention for the rest of the semester."
"Good to know," Eve snickered, "you know, I've met plenty of people that would use family connections like you have to try and dodge punishment or get special favors. Granted getting a member of Venus Inc to tag along on a shopping trip like you did had me a little suspicious about you but doing it because you wanted help to pick out birthday presents for another person- I have to admit Bea you're alright in my book."
"Thanks Eve," I giggled, "just don't let it get around, I'm sure the last thing mom wants is to know that I'm gaining the approval of a students who have Super-Villain listed as a potential career then she really will give me a year's worth of detention."
"Speaking of that just where did you and Faolan wander off to? Eve looked concern, "From what I heard the two of you stopped to take a breather while Boudicca took that girl to the paramedics, just what happened?"
"What happened was getting the two of us alone and off our guard was what the Necromancer wanted," I huffed at the truth, "All of that destruction, all of that pain, all of that death, it was all so he could kill Faolan and myself."
"So, he was involved," Eve observed with a touch of fear in her voice, not all that surprising as I understood the incident that sparked the animosity between the Children of the Night and Team Kimba in the first place happened when Eve's group The Masterminds stumbled over a heist the Necromancer's crew was pulling off. "How did you get away? I mean no offence but there was no way the both of you could take on the Children of the Night, and to be honest from what I've heard Faolan might be a fairy-type spellcaster but she's nowhere close to Fey."
"Who is, for all her boasting even Majestic falls short in that respect even after her current slump." Not that anyone wanted to admit that said slump was due to the Aunghadheil joining her late Sister-Queens in the hereafter. "It was just the Necromancer and his group wasn't the only ones at play, apparently one of his mole's in New York looted the private storeroom at the Grand Hall there belonging to Mister Domino's chief agent Carcharoth."
"You mean that monster who ate those two fairies a month ago and broke every bone in Counterpoint's body!" Eve all but fell backwards at that piece of news, "That psychopath was in Boston!"
"Him, Greygus, the Erinyes, and a few others." I confessed not wanting to soil the rapport that I was building, "Faolan may not have been strong enough to stop the Necromancer but she was holding him off well enough that he was caught off guard when Carcharoth disarmed him."
"What the Necromancer's a spellcaster," Eve looked at me confused, "why would he need a weapo- wait when you say that monster disarmed him you don't mean?!?"
"One chop with the nastiest battle axe I've ever see- even in fiction." I explained as I mimicked what happened by feigning a karate chop with my right hand on my left arm. "After that the Circle showed up to escort Randi and I to meet two more girls and hear some things."
"Whoa don't get me wrong, I don't ever want to be within five feet of someone like Carcharoth but are you saying that you actually met Greygus?!?" Eve looked at me like she was starstruck, "I mean the Greygus!"
"Him and Miseo looked after our group most of the time that we were there along with some friends Mister Redstag showed up with to make sure there was no funny business."
"Not that there would be with Greygus involved," Eve proclaimed, "I am so jealous, to think that I was this close to meeting one of my idols."
"Probably best that you didn't there were a lot of nasty black hats there last night. However, you still might have the chance," I smiled, "one of the girls that Randi and I met was his daughter, from what I gather she'll be a student here next year and will probably be coming here during Perspective Student's Day."
"I need to talk to Phase about getting an eight by ten glossy of him ASAP," Eve all but ran for my door, "I owe you big time for this Bea!"
As she shut the door I couldn't help but wonder if that was really a good thing, I mean I didn't want to be an enabler.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
12:11 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With lunch taken care of- courtesy of Bajie Zhu's cooking, make all the jokes that you want about a stout man with the head of a pig but the cleaner of the heavenly alters knew about how to whip up one heck of a lunch spread mainly by repurposing and deconstructing leftovers.
Even as much as I lay back in all my scaly glory digesting my share of the lunch spread, been a while since I actually had chow fun let alone anywhere the noodles weren't overcooked and the chef knew how to properly balance the garlic and ginger with the chili, there was still things to be done.
Lunch aside once everyone ate Bajie Zhu, Wukong Sun and Shenyan Hong each departed the cave for elsewhere leaving Wujing Sha, Kelsey and I to our lonesome...and the dishes. "Okay- I get that it is common courtesy that the chef need not worry with the dishes and Shenyan is long overdue his freedom but Wukong Sun could have at least stuck around and helped out with the dishes!"
"Actually, as I he is running late for an appointment- several in fact." Sha explained as he dried the plate in his hands. "His persona of Kelly Windkloppel needed to put in some face-time in Durango to make it so that people don't suspect her for what happened last night, granted that will only be one of Wukong's copies. His real self is heading out to the Pacific Islands like he does every year, to help Maui organize their annual surfing competition, monster bash and, annual luau that they have with Susanno-o."
"Did you say monster bash?" I looked at my gruff teacher wondering if he meant what he said.
"Yes, the three of them take a break between surfing to beat up on monsters in the Pacific both to keep the populations under control as well as to keep them from drifting into mortal areas." the divine attendant elaborated, "They shall be busy for days- if they remember any of it considering that Susanno-o usually brings a few casks of Orochi-Grade Junmai Daiginjo-shu sake. Zhu meanwhile is heading back to his alter-cleaning duties, there are only so many alter-cleaners and many alters to go around."
"So, I assume that it will be back to training for us before dinner?" I half-heartedly smiled somewhat wanting to return to routine for a little while- to get a taste of what I counted as normalcy.
"In a matter of speaking," Sha Wujing motioned for me to follow him to another part of the caves. As I followed he inquired, "I remember you telling me that you enjoyed artistry, that you found it a rewarding pursuit."
"Yeah- sculpting, not that I can anymore." I looked at my clawed reptilian hands with a sigh as we approached something covered with a tarp, "I just burn too hot these days, my hands dry the clay out so much that I might as well be cooking it as I work it."
"That is why it might be best for you to change mediums," my teacher explained as he through the tarp off to reveal a block of basalt. "There is no way that you can dry out lava rock, in fact I think that you will find it suits you quite well."
"Listen I appreciate the sentiment- I mean it I do," I turned to the arate, "but just because they are both called sculpting doesn't mean they are the same. I mean what do I know about guiding a chisel."
"I think that you misunderstand," the Sha smiled something that I found to be a little unnerving despite knowing that there was no malice to be found in his expression. "Do you see a hammer or chisel, this is another faucet of your training."
"So, what am I supposed to do scratch and chisel away at rock with my own claws?" I inquired growing more than a little annoyed at what was going on between us.
"Using your hands yes but to sculpt in the manner that you are used to doing so," Sha went down to sit nearby ready to observe.
"And how am I supposed to do that this is rock not clay," I fumed as steam came out of my nostrils, "if I tried doing that with how strong I am I'd just break the thing."
"Not with your strength...your power," Sha Wujing elaborated, "You are part fucanglung a volcano dragon, the same heat that melts rock you can reach using your power- you just have to learn how to do so."
"And I can do that?" I asked astonished as I switched between staring at the block of stone and Sha Wujing.
"By training with your powers," my teacher elaborated, "this training is to refine your use of your abilities, training in how to defend yourself is important however you need to gain better mastery of your abilities. Meanwhile you will also be returning to an old subject in which you found a good deal of joy- sculpting with your hands."
"I certainly hope you're right," I said pausing a moment to look at my hands. "I really hope that you're right."
Following his instructions, I snapped my claws to provide a spark and let the fire build, this time not in a giant ball like I did when I smelted gemstones but in two flames that I tried to let spill over the palms of my hands.
"Now if I may make a suggestion pull the flame as tightly against your hands as possible." Sha Wujing observed as I tried to follow his instructions, "just remember you are only trying to condense the fire not...extinguish it."
Sha's instructions faltered as the flames turned into plumes of smoke, "Oops," I laughed in embarrassment, "oh well if at first you don't succeed."
"Indeed, my young pupil," Sha Wujing smiled at me warmly, "this is a skill that is for you alone to master."
"Yeah," I remarked, "and if I do it'll help me sculpt again."
"No child," Sha Wujing shook his head as he continued to smile, "if you succeeded it will help you to become yourself."
Squash Room - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:47 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
As our game went I dove to return the ball that my father had bounded off the wall, only to miss and skid across the bamboo paneled floor. "How do you get used to this game I mean- we're playing against a wall!"
"We're playing against each-other my dear," dad explained as he helped me up, "this is just a way to get used to things. After all you are learning how to be yourself, being a young lady and being a djinni, both are likely a lot to get used to and having a little fun while you're doing it is one of the best ways that you can do so."
"Yeah...fun," I rolled my eyes, "going from an awkward teenage boy to an awkward teenage girl with a pony-head. Then while I'm getting used to that my father trumps me in a game that I've never played before- okay so this is a little fun."
"What can I say, this game requires balance, grace and co-ordination." Dad explained as he retrieved the ball, "Besides it's also good practice for your reflexes- that and mom has taken up tennis, so this is good practice for when I'm away and she asks to play a singles match with you."
"To be perfectly honest I've always been more of a person for physical contact sports," I begrudgingly admitted as I returned to the line. "You already know that I was boxing in the Silver Gloves, but I was also planning on joining the wrestling team once we got to high school."
"Then I suggest that you may want to talk with Gararai," dad stated as he gave the ball a couple of practice bounces, "She studied the Greco-Roman style to try to join the royal guard. She still practices so with shabti sparing partners, but I would imagine that she'd be more thrilled to have a student to practice with."
"Is she the lady with an antelope's head and the lady's secret service attire?" I asked hoping I knew the right djinn.
"Bongo, not antelope but yes," dad answered as he began the next volley which I hit when it returned, "just don't be afraid when you ask her- she's not as scary as she lets on while she's working."
"I'll take your word on that front," I replied while returning his volley and trying to keep an eye on the ball as well as my foot work. "If she didn't look like a grazer I would be afraid that she'd bite me."
"You might also try asking her for a little help with your aerokinesis," dad commented as he kept up the pressure without going too overboard, "she is an air-elemental ask well."
"Really?" I inquired while I tried to keep up with the rhythm of the game, "I would have thought that she was an earth-elemental."
"Nope-" dad retorted as he kept setting the pace, "keep this in mind, creatures of the ground who are swift and graceful are air-elementals, creatures who are rugged or are just as much a part of the landscape as the ground are earth-elementals such as myself."
"Water elementals are creatures who live their lives around the river and oasis such as crocodiles, hippos and waterfowl, and fire elementals are either power-predators or birds of prey." I finished as I remember the lecture that uncle Anubis gave during my combat session with him last night."
"Correct, bro might be a bit of a stick in the mud but he's an excellent teacher," dad continued until he heard the tinkling of a bell which distracted him as a finally missed a volley.
"Whoa dad do you have something against bells?" I asked as I went to retrieve the ball and flipping the number on the score marker for about the fourth time since we started.
"Nope that bells a reminder that it's time for high tea," dad explained as he used his powers to dust us off, "it's one of the changes that mom instituted for here on the weekend. Brunch instead of Breakfast and High Tea instead of Lunch at the Scarlet Sands resort on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, its actually catching on with our normal guests- especially the after-church crowd. Finger sandwiches, scones and tea cakes traditionally followed with truffles, dad put his foot down though and added light salad and soup shooters to the affair in between the sweets."
"Well I suppose you need something to cleanse the palate in between courses of sugar and starch," I thought the matter over and something clicked, "hey dad do you think grandma and grandpa would mind if I helped out in the kitchen. Something, just as something to keep busy since I'm pretty much going to be under house arrest."
"You aren't going to be under house arrest my dear," dad explained as he stored our gear in a tote bag, "you can leave and go anywhere in the city, just as long as you take a few bodyguards with you. Just because that horrible woman is out of the picture doesn't mean that the people who hired her would pass up the chance to try and do something."
"Okay," I relented as I followed dad in the direction of the locker rooms, "just as long as I don't get cabin fever around here before I transfer to my new school. By the way dad, just why are you waiting for the fall?"
"Well the most important reason is that you just came back to us, I want to give you a little more time with your grandparents and myself when I'm in town," dad explained as we headed to the locker rooms, "not that I won't be seeing you during the school year, I plan on dropping by whenever I'm in the region or returning from abroad."
"And what's the other reason?" I asked as we walked along the corridors of the resort's member-only exercise facilities, "we hope to have this mess with the Cult of the Black Pharaoh taken care of by then and that includes rescuing your mother and Miranda Salazar."
"I can't believe that you won't be able to help me with that," I shook my head in disbelief.
"I know but the fact is that the Cult were bound to have djinn in mind when they built their lair, but don't worry you are going to have warriors just as capable as ourselves to aid you- ones who would have no issues with traps made with djinn in mind- Morrigan is lending us a few squads of her elite warriors and hunters."
"Faolan told me that the fae included creatures like ogres, giants and trolls does that mean they're going to send those after the cult?" I inquired as we stood outside the locker rooms, "Maybe but I doubt it- she's probably hand-picking her people for infiltration and stealth, not that surprising though- Morrigan was always an expert in covert-ops."
Dickinson Cottage
3:04 PM EDT
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I stared at my books and laptop and knew that this next few weeks were going to be torture. To be honest there was nothing else that I needed to do today, I had just finished two days' worth of course work in the last few hours and because I was confined to Dickinson when not on school business or serving my detention I couldn't go anywhere.
"I need to pick Randi's brain about so more reading options," I sighed to myself, "otherwise I'm going to go bonkers fast."
With nothing else on my plate, I opted to go the one place where I wouldn't feel confined. I wheeled myself over to bed and tucked myself in for a nap, "I wonder what Greyback will say when I tell him everything that happened?"
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
I opened my eyes to find myself back in the room of the Hall of Echoes that I had been sharing with Greyback for the last several nights.
"Welcome back child," the fae sage greeted me, "I trust that your excursion to Boston was eventful if you chose to not come here for the evening."
"Well it was equal parts insane and informative," I groaned, "The Necromancer and his goons almost burned down half the city to find Randi and me, and that was after unleashing a bonified horde of mythos-made zombies. Apparently, the Esoteric Order of Dagon made him one hell of an offer because the lengths that he went through are bound to toss him onto the FBI's top ten list."
"I trust that was not all that happened?" the ancient soul hinted at trying to draw more information out of me.
"Yeah, right afterwards the Obsidian Circle disarmed him and escorted Randi and me to meet the other maidens, that was when we found out the scope of what we're in for and why we're all half-breeds."
"Because the four of you need your feet in both the world of man as well as your respective Courts for you to be able to repair the conduits between your Courts wayward lands and the Earth to reestablish the mana flows." Greyback elaborated, "I remember I was there when the being whom Queen Tiamat is the avatar of relayed the original prophecy."
"Wait you knew!" I shouted at my guide and someone whose friendship I was beginning to put into question, "You knew about all of this the whole time and you did nothing! -said nothing! -why?!?"
"Because none of you were ready for that information yet," Greyback stated with as even a stare as his canine visage could muster, "the destiny that the four of you will have to rise to meet is as dangerous as it is necessary. As is all of you still are not ready for the full details of what lay ahead, most of you haven't even grasped the full scope of your individual trials this summer."
"Of course, I know the scope of my trial this summer, I liberate and heal my uncle Qingu and together the two of us break Dagon's curse. What more is there to this?" I asked wanted to jab the old faerie until he spilled- well- something.
"Child it will take a lot more than the verbal prodding of an adolescent to get me to reveal information before its time," the lupine sage sighed as he shook his head. "As it stands all that you are ready for is the knowledge that no matter how ready you think you are for what lay ahead you have yet to fully grasp the true gravity of the matter, everything is still too impersonal for you."
"Too impersonal, a psychotic warlock left a major city in shambles and unleashed a horde of the undead before trying to blast me with dark magic, affecting the lives of thousands maybe even millions." I all but fumed at the sad reality of what Randi and I had just survived, "I still don't know how many people lost their lives from what happened, how many families will suffer from yesterday's events, and you say this is too impersonal for me. I had to use my powers to knit a young girl's liver back together after she had been skewered on a piece of rebar, all because the followers of a warped merman who sold out his own people for power don't want me derailing their gravy train of suffering."
I stalked up to the sage and glared at me right in the eye, "After everything that I just went through how can this not be personal?"
"Meet one of those who you are saving from Dagon's Curse and you will realize the full weight of what you seek to liberate." Greyback stated as he turned back to the orbs in our private study room, "ask Randi when you awaken, she will know what to do."
"I guess that it's a good thing that I know her phone number then," I remarked, "because mom kind of had to bring her foot down over how much danger I put everyone in yesterday. Not only do I need a bodyguard anytime I'm one school grounds, but I have detention duty for the rest of the school year."
"That might be for the best child," the old wolf laughed, "a little tough love can only do you good, and you may learn a thing or two, besides you might make a few new friends while you atone for your transgressions."
"Trust you to see a positive in anything huh," I grumbled as I made my way back over to my own orbs.
"When you're as old as I am child you have to do what you can to focus on the positive." Greyback remarked as he began to take in his own research, just before I began to engross myself more in the culture of the Eastern Court.
Main Fountain - Caesar's Palace Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada
2:47 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Walt, dad and I stood by the main fountain at Caesar's Palace all of us waiting on the Neon Lights to show up and take Walt to a secure location to get everything that happened straightened out with the federal government. Trust reality to throw an even larger monkey wrench in our situation than we previously thought, as it turned out the zodiac gemstones that accidently made its way to our group were stolen by Professor Id from Area 51 of all places and were on their way to us when the courier acting as a go-between mistook me (at least the old me) for the Syndicate agent who was supposed to receive the stolen goods.
That and the reason that dad was technically a super-villain were the reasons that the two of us were dressed in outfits that screamed TOURIST, dad was in a pair of khaki shorts, and an open red Hawaiian shirt with tennis shoes, and an honest to god Duran-Duran 'Hungry like the Wolf' t-shirt with a pair of ray-band sunglasses. Meanwhile I was standing right next to him with a Smashing Pumpkins shirt and blue-jeans with a pair of visor shades periodically looking over a map while Walt was on a nearby bench in his usual clothes (albeit long-sleeved) with a ballcap pulled over his face acting the part of a bored teenager.
"They're about to arrive," dad stated under his breath as he nodded his head in the direction of a man who was built like a semi, "that's a US Marine out of uniform, keep an eye out more and more will begin pouring in before the meeting."
Dad's assessment was spot on, as we waited I could gradually see it happen gradually more and more men and women who I could see were either police or military, not by their uniforms but by their mannerisms began to trickle into the area around the fountain gradually displacing locals and actual tourists who probably felt increasingly unnerved by the brewing situation.
Eventually the hidden military and police moved to the side as I saw a man who screamed high-ranking officer come forward flanked by Wannag'e and Ser Argent of the Neon Lights (Nevada's main super-hero team).
"Greygus, what is the meaning of this," Ser Argent stated in a voice that I could tell was speaker altered, "you said that you were bringing the zodiac gems to return them- what are these children doing here?"
"The issue is the newest gauntlets for the gems appear to have been designed by Professor Id to meld to their wearer's skin." dad sighed, "some kids got the tote bag meant for a Syndicate agent and so a Slyde courier slipped them the gauntlets by mistake."
"Let me guess they both put one on," the military officer whose name I didn't know spoke up, "That's just peachy- we were in the middle of analyzing those things and if what you're saying is true those two have them stuck on them now."
"Actually, only the boy does, he used them to defend my daughter when she got caught in the squabble when Miss Bliss sent two of her thugs to retrieve them." dad continued, "So suffice it to say I owe the young man a great deal for his act of heroism and wish to see that he is kept safe from any within the government who may want to harm him to retrieve their property."
"I'm army not CIA, I don't torture people, especially not American citizens." The army officer stated, "provided you're telling the truth."
With my dad's word in doubt Ser Argent and Wannag'e stepped around the man, with the masked man whose trench coat was made with a Native American motif while his partner the man who was dressed like a titanium mech knight, scanned Walt's now exposed arms with a sweeping blue-light from his visor.
"He's telling the truth sir," Ser Argent stated, "the only way to get those off without amputation would require the use of acid and an extensive use of skin-grafts."
"Crap," the army officer swore, "I'm sorry about this son but those power gems are too dangerous to be kept in the open like this, we're going to have to put you into protective custody to make sure those things don't fall into the wrong hands."
"I am afraid that I cannot allow that general," dad stated as armed members of our Household began to materialize garbed in outfits that implied their chosen profession as super-villain. "We did not help liberate this boy from Miss Bliss only to see him lose his freedom all over again."
"You willing to go to war over this Greygus," the military officer stated as he glared at dad, "because that is exactly what you will be doing if you attack us."
"Actually, all I am doing is asking my compatriots to show themselves to state our serious intent on this matter." Dad explained as he sat down, "to that end I propose an alternative solution- instead of this young man being in military custody for the rest of his life see about training him alongside the Neon Lights at least until the new school year begins while putting his family into the Witness Protection Program."
"I seriously doubt that four months of training will be enough to prepare him for a lifetime as a target," Wannag'e stated, "but given that you mentioned the school year I presume that you mean to send him to Whateley in the fall."
"They have been training countless heroes for decades as well as every Champion since their third one," dad continued, "four years of training there should be more than enough time to prepare the young man for whatever life will throw at him."
"We'll give him the school year to try and give his all," the army officer explained, "afterwards if he doesn't make the grade then he goes under guard until we can find a way to remove those vambraces."
"I accept your terms general," dad extended his hand while the rest of our people vanished, soon after the military officer met his handshake and I knew that if I was ever going to help Walt stay free then I'd have to see to it that he thrived at Whateley when we both started. I almost had to laugh at the irony, back when I was Paul I had needed Walt to watch my back now that I was Iris it was time for me to return the favor.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
4:21 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I laid gasping for breath as I looked at the pillar of basalt that Sha Wujing had given me to work with, if only I could get my powers to work as he claimed that he could. No matter what I did though the flame was either too loose to reach the level of concentrated heat that I needed for this to work or I drew it so tightly to my hands that if extinguished. "Ugh, come on how do I do this what is the secret?"
"Unfortunately, this is a skill that you will have to learn how to perform on your own." The immortal explained as he offered to help me up, an offer that I refused as I got on my own two feet myself. "Just as this is a skill unique to yourself, this is also a skill that you will need to master in your own unique fashion."
"Maybe I should have asked Shengyan if he had any pointers before he left," I observed as I reflected on the possibility of learning from the man who even as a child was a true master of fire. "He was supposed to be such a master of fire that even the waters of the four celestial seas could not extinguish them."
"Child you are not ready to handle sage fire yet," the divine attendant explained as his voice turned stern, "it could be years until you are ready to handle such power, that Hong Shengyan was able to master such power at such an early age was only a testament to his natural abilities. Besides this is your journey, what worked for another may not work for you."
"Isn't there anything that you can tell me about how to do this?" I asked wanting to really get started on sculpting again even if I was molding molten rock instead of clay.
"Just one," Sha Wujing began as he moved towards the exit to this part of the cavern, "this exercise is about more than finding control over your powers.
"What else is it about?" I asked as I got up to join him.
"You should be able to answer that question for yourself when you begin to shape this rock like clay," my teacher began to break open another proverbial fortune cookie. "Now how about we practice shape shifting again, I understand that you have mastered the equivalent of your human form."
"Yeah it helped me a lot in Durango yesterday," I admitted as we moved to a larger chamber deeper into the mountain. "It made me feel like I used to, before I became the Northern Maiden."
"That is another question for you to ponder child," my teacher explained as he moved to sit lotus-style, "did the incident in the store house with the rat and your ancestor's ashes make you the Northern Maiden or did it simply reveal what was already there?"
"Well what is the answer there?" I inquired wanting to learn the answer.
"That is for you to decide child, were you a flower seed caught in the winds of fate that made you what you are, or did you ride those currents like a bird arriving at a destination that you did not realize you were heading for at the time."
I had to admit it Sha Wujing was a great teacher, making you think about things even if they were matters that you never wanted to consider.
"And on that note, let us see you trying to become a bird," my immortal teacher stated as he plotted the course for today's lesson, "after all a set of wings can be useful from time to time."
Poe Cottage - Whateley Academy
Dunwich, New Hampshire
7:38 PM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I slumped to my desk back from dinner at Crystal Hall, thankfully my fellow denizens of Poe had run interference for me and explained what had happened after Bea and I had vanished during last night's rescue efforts. This lead to a barrage of questions though about WHY the Obsidian Circle was interested in the two of us. Captain Bravo with his team of Great Lakes Avengers wannabes proclaimed that they would prevent me from exercising my nefarious schemes on the Headmistress's daughter while the Masterminds made their interests in recruiting me known, something that Phase helped shut down soon after.
What was surprising was that Pendragon had come over to me,
Flashback
Crystal Hall
6:17 PM
POV: Randi Bridges
Glad that Team Bravo had opted to scram after Steve, Jamal, Kerry and Baird told him to back off, a sentiment that Ayla did to Stopwatch with a silent glare when he tried to press me for information about the Obsidian Circle. Now it was Pendragon's turn, "Arthur, please stop, I don't have any big connections to the Grand Hall I just want to eat dinner before getting ready for classes Monday."
"That's not what I'm here about Miss Bridges," Pendragon said as he took one of the few empty chair and say to my side (yet not at the table itself). "This is about what happened yesterday in Boston, I read the reports about the hospital and the buildings, as well as the airport and what happened inside from Boudicca. In all that was some very fine work Faolan, I think that you might have some real potential."
"Whoa," Steve Nalley goggled at what was happening, "are you recruiting Randi for the FSA?!?"
"Not yet Mister Nalley," Arthur shook his head at Steve's question, "I am here to tell Randi that I think that she has the potential to be an actual pro-hero one day. "I see the mindset and the heart there as well as some good instincts, I would consider you look into adjusting your schedule though next year if you would wish to pursue that occupation."
"I don't know Art," I stated hesitantly, "I mean I have a lot on my plate as is, training to go all in pro one day though... I don't know."
"You don't have to commit to this at this moment Randi, this is just a suggestion to see if you may be interested one day." Arthur stated as he got up and, "This is the number of the FSA's advisor he can help you if you want a little guidance on potential electives down the line."
end Flashback
Poe Cottage
7:41 PM
POV: Randi Bridges
I still had the number in my desk for later but for right now I was content, that was when I heard my phone ring. I knew that it was an internal call, unlike the phone is the lobby, phones in student rooms required special permission to open up the line to external phone-calls which made sense to avoid the wrong type of people finding out about Whateley. Most students just opted to get cell phones to avoid the paperwork since the campus towers had an encryption on them that made calls routed through them almost impossible to trace.
"Hello Poe Cottage, this is Randi Bridges speaking," I stated as I picked up the phone. "Who may I ask is calling?"
"Hello Randi, this is Bea," I heard my fellow maiden speak through the receiver, "I was just talking with Greyback and he told me there was something that you may be able to help me with."
"Sure Bea, as long as it has nothing to do with your detention," I nervously chuckled, "the school kind of frowns on that thing."
"No, not that Randi." Bea groaned now that she wasn't in front of the adults and let the full weight of her punishment take hold it was obviously starting to hit her that even if she was finally walking unassisted she would still be restricted in her movements until she left for her mission in Iraq this summer. "Greyback says that I am still too distant from what I'm doing this summer, and since I can't meet Qingu until I free him from Tiamat's protection spell he said that you would know."
"I think that he means you need to meet someone with Innsmouth syndrome," I began to guess what my old protector intended, "preferably someone who is still asymptomatic because the moment they start to go Deep One they begin their new mindset begins to infect them and eat away at their soul until they become instinct driven monsters under control of Dagon and his cult's high priests."
"Randi- I know that much but can you help me with meeting one of them who won't try to tear me limb from limb?" Bea asked wanting me to cut the small talk.
"Yeah Bea- I can arrange that," I began to explain the situation, "my brother's girlfriend fits the bill there, I'll email them and explain the situation- to be honest Vanessa has always been scared ever since she found out. Then again I had Carcharoth inside me trying to take over and I saw what happened when he took the driver's wheel- talk about one video with a hard R-rating for violence."
"Yes, I still can't believe that you were able to stay sane after having a monster like that inside you for so long," Bea remarked.
"Yeah, I needed a lot of therapy over the years and with Jane's insistence I'm going to start seeing Doctor Bellows soon," I sighed as I conceded that my partner had a point, "Hard to believe that one of the few benefits of having that monster inside of me was that I could identify people with Innsmouth Syndrome by just being in close proximity to them."
"Really, that is one ability that could come in real handy in the future," Bea piqued up- but even I could tell that she had misinterpreted the situation.
"I'm sorry Bea but that talent was due to Carcharoth," I sighed, "he hates a lot of things at various levels, but he especially hates those who are connected to the Mythos, I used to hate Vanessa and it took me some time to overcome that aversion to her as well as Carcharoth's influence."
"At least his hate helped keep you safe growing up," Bea explained trying to put a positive spin on the matter.
"Bea, I lived over two-hundred miles from the coast, people with Innsmouth Syndrome usually prefer seaside cities and towns on instinct, Vanessa lives in my hometown because of her father and step-mother." I further elaborated on the situation, "she only knows about her affliction because her mother took steps to keep her safe once she turned. Besides I was a real loner as a kid I mean, I mean when Carcharoth entered the picture I began to push people away; I even got into a nasty fight with my best friend from elementary school because I just- snapped- at- him..."
That was when I began to put two and two together, the first time that I felt the same about someone that I did for Vanessa- my former best friend Joel West. Up until second grade the two of us were inseparable then I began to have nightmares, I can't even remember if I had dreams before then because Greyback and Morrigan had found me years earlier, but that was beside the point once the Carcharoth- once Fenrir was inside of me I hated him with a passion. His mother complained about the fight so much to the principal that I had to transfer to another elementary school.
Now I realized the hate that I had then was the same that I had for Vanessa, tears began to flow as I not only realized that Carcharoth had ruining my life in yet another way, but an old friend of mine was in danger and he would never believe me if I tried to warn him.
"Randi-" Bea called out over the receiver, "Randi, please answer me, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong Bea is that I realized that Vanessa wasn't the only person that I ever knew with Innsmouth Syndrome," I began to sob as the realization left me feeling numb. "Joel West, my best-friend from back at the beginning of elementary school must have it too, because Carcharoth fed me the same hate for him that I had for Vanessa and because of the fight that hate started there is no way that I can warn him about what is about to happen."
"Actually Randi," Bea mused, "I wouldn't lose hope if I were you. There could still be one way that you could warn him, and I may know how."
Last Edit: 6 years 6 days ago by Insane Hiker.
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Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
5:57 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
I looked over at Ramona who I had now to wake up, feeling more than a little betrayed at the evidence of what was outside. "Ramona, please explain why Taikeyla is outside saying that she needs you to get in contact with her gang?"
"She's here because I was designated a White Line," Ramona whispered with a touch of anger on her face, anger that I could tell was not directed at me. "It all boils down to the Coleman sister's threats and the leverage that gave them. You see there is no way that you can know this since it isn't exactly common knowledge, but every once in a while, the local crews need neutral parties who they feel they can use to arrange meetings or spread the word between the gangs when there is a problem."
"With the adult crews usually, this is a store run by a person who used to be a banger that earned enough respect among the other gangs to be trusted, all while remaining clean in the eyes of the law for going straight. For teenagers though- it's a bit nastier, when a person who isn't a hood but a gang has enough dirt on that they can trust not to go to the police and is outside their territory they use us as White Lines, all this means is that the other crews in the area leave my mom and me alone because they can use me as an asset, it doesn't mean that I'm safe from Natroya and Darisha- those two can cut me loose at any time and once that happens it's open season on my mom and me."
"But the other gangs trust you?" I asked somewhat mistrustful of the whole weird arrangement that Ramona was ties up into all this.
"They trust me not to lie to other gangs or rat them out to the police," Ramona slumped "but that's all- and the moment that the local gang loses faith in me I'd be dead before I got to the bus stop."
"But if you call the Coleman sister's bluff on your mother, won't they do the same thing?" I asked somewhat concerned about the matter.
"Nope, the only danger I'd be in is from the Ally Vipers," Ramona flashed me a devious smile, "creating a White Line is some major street cred but losing your grip on one turns you into a joke in the eyes of the other gangs. If I flip- no when I flip on Natroya- it will be like chumming the waters in their territory, but for now please just let me play my role. Just hide in my room, if Natroya was behind your shooting then I don't want Taikeyla to know that you're here."
For the time being I did as Ramona asked, and hid in her room, fortunately the walls of this place were always pretty thin, and the only insulation was between the apartments not the individual rooms. Granted that also meant that I needed to stay as quiet as a mouse to avoid letting Taikeyla know that I was here.
"Taikeyla this had better be a major emergency," I heard Romana say after she opened the door but from the lack of the full creak the chain was still on, "you know that a White Line is only for real emergencies, plus you are outside of Alley Viper territory, you know this is the Gator's turf they catch you around here without a good reason then not even Natroya will be able to pull your fat out of the fire."
"Quit snarling Ray-ray, everyone in the Viper's now you have no teeth," Taikeyla shot back at Ramona in a way that I never heard her talk with anyone for as long as I knew her. "You will open up now and let me use the phone or Darisha will see to it that you and your old lady will be living on the streets inside of a month. After all what good is a bean-counter who nobody trusts to look at their jars."
"Dammit- fine make your call and go," Ramona replied as she opened the door.
"Careful Ray-ray," Taikeyla remarked as I heard her enter the apartment, "you're not as important as you think, we have enough dirt on others that if we need another White Line we can make one in a snap. Remember, your ours until we say so and then you're nothing!"
Ramona stayed silent until I started to hear Taikeyla talk again, "T-Rez this is Taikeyla with the Alley Vipers, the Knights are turning over rocks in the Westside, spread the word- no mutes with crews need to be out unless they hate breathing and everyone else needs to stay quiet and keep their heads down."
I heard Taikeyla pause obviously listening to this T-Rez on the other side, "Course I'm sure, these jack boots ain't cops, 'sides you think anyone downtown would to shits if they cap a few of us before they find their mark. You use your line to give the 'cudas, the Skulls and the Gators the 411, I'll key in the Semis, the Screaming Eagles, and the Erasers."
True to her word Taikeyla made three more phone calls to the other gangs and used the same tone and force with each of them, whoever Taikeyla was when I knew her in grade school she was clearly someone who was well known among the movers and shakers in the gang scene.
With her last phone call made Taikeyla spoke up again in the same threatening tone to Ramona, "Now Ray-ray I don't know what made you think you could grow a spine all the sudden but remember, D-caf ain't here no more to watch your back and she never will be. That Uncle Tom is who the Knights are looking for and when they find her she'll be taking a dirt nap in no time. Remember Natroya is the real power here and I'm her second, you dare to give me lip again and we'll tear yours off!"
Once the apartment door slammed shut I continued to wait in Ramona's bedroom until she told me, "Okay Chandra, you can come out now."
"Talk about a change," I observed as I stared at the now closed and bolted door, "Taikeyla was never like that when I knew her."
"It's like I told you Chanda," Ramona stated as seriously as she could, "Taikeyla is the kind of person who looks for a gravy-train, back in elementary school it was your talent to athletics the drew her to us, and even back then she was always a little...cool towards me. But once Natroya came along that was when Taikeyla became more interested in the power that comes with fear and she loves it a lot. Natroya couldn't have found a better toadie, we were just too innocent to see Taikeyla for the kind of person she really was under her facade."
"Still this means that the Knights of Purity are tearing about the West Side looking for me- I can't stay here I'll only be putting you in danger." I tried to explain the risks, but something told me that Ramona wasn't going to buy my argument.
"No way in hell," Ramona shot back, I hated being right on times like this, "I shoved you away once out of fear when you needed for me to have your back and it haunted me ever since. I'm I here for you and I will do everything that I can to see that those over-inflated rent-a-cops don't get their metal mitts on you."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" I asked seriously trying to get Ramona to realize how insane this situation was becoming.
"First off, I'm going to let the Gator's know that Taikeyla was in the neighborhood to use my White Line instead of the one in the Ally Viper's territory and then tender my resignation as a White Line operator." Ramona stated as she gave me something that I rarely saw from her, and only in those times that I knew I had tamed those namely fears that I knew festered inside of her- a wicked grin of that wry wit that I knew was buried deep down inside of her.
"Welcome back Ramona," I smiled at my oldest friend, "it's good to see the real you after all this time."
"Not as good as it feels to be the real me again after all this time," Ramona smiled back, "but as good as it feels kicking those three out of my life feels- there is still a real problem."
"I know- I heard," I reminded myself as I steeled my nerves, "the Knights of Purity know that I'm in the Westside and are looking for me, and I don't want to bring their trouble to your doorstep."
"You won't Chandra," Ramona explained as she squeezed my shoulder, "they don't know that you're here, nobody does, and I won't tell anyone anything."
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:18 PM
Ruth Morrison sat in the living room with Trudie Defranks who was doing what she could to see if there was some sign of her daughter on the news, but to little surprise there was nothing about Chandra on the news beyond the report of a shooter at large with only one injury. Not too surprising there wasn't a peep about the Knights of Purity attempting to take the victim into custody on suspicion of being a mutant. Not that this was too surprising, Herbert Goodkind the CEO of the Knights of Purity Security Company was the younger brother of Bruce Goodkind who among other things in was the CEO of GNN and had an injunction against any news agencies other than his own to cover his brothers company.
As slimy as this was it was a legal maneuver and kept the Knights from getting any negative publicity on television, though newspapers, radio and on the internet, they were fair game. While the DPAs call that the Knights actions were now bordering on Extra-legal, as well as the news that whatever Chandra was it wasn't a mutant- meant precious little. The fact of the matter it was still one child of an ethnic minority with a history of being counted as casualties among panicky or openly bigoted individuals touting their second amendment rights as cart-blanche to take the lives of suspected criminals. It made Ruth so sick to her stomach that she had to switch her focus from criminal law to civil and corporate law to avoid the possibility of her one day getting disbarred over assaulting a plaintiff.
The decidedly dark turns that her thought was taking her especially given light of her own childhood made the buzzer on her doorbell sounding a welcome change of pace. Walking over to the intercom Ruth cued the speaker, "Hello Morrison residence, this is Ruth Morrison speaking."
"Hello Mrs. Morrison, my name is Marcy Anslinger I represent a group of citizens who are concerned about the presence of a dangerous individual in their community."
A dark look crossed over Ruth's face, she had been anticipating this moment ever since Chandra's teammates called and explained what happened at the park. As she began to head out the door Trudie asked numbly, "Mrs. Morrison- who was at the door?"
"A toady from Humanity First claiming to represent the community's interests concerning someone dangerous in the neighborhood," Ruth explained before switching to a softer tone to console the worrying mother, "I'll take care of this- and please remember Trudie... please- call me Ruth."
Now with the closed door to her family's home behind her, Ruth Morrison set out to the woman who was dressed in the manner more befitting a local aspiring politician than an actual member of the local home-owner's association. Not willing to betray what she had in store for her own potential victim Ruth never let her own guise as a professional attorney slip as she slowly made her way to their front gate, savoring every moment of anticipation for the massacre to come.
Once she reached the front gate the woman that she presumed was Marcy Anslinger was down there waiting for her, "Mrs. Morrison, once again I am Marcy Anslinger, I am here representing the community interest group-"
"I know perfectly well who you are here with Ms. Anslinger," Ruth stated never once letting her mask of professionalism drop, "I have been waiting all afternoon for the local chapter of Humanity-First to come knocking on my door."
"Ah good, then you are well aware of the dangerous mutant that you let into your home as well as the danger that she poses-" Ms. Anslinger began her sales pitch only to be interrupted by Ruth Morrison.
"Because I knew that soon after the Knights of Purity tried to take my poor Trudie's daughter away from the paramedics whom the Chicago Police had placed in their care for transport to protective custody that one of the special-interest groups beholden to the Goodkind family would darken my door step to try and educating me about the better interests of my own family."
"Ma'am I don't see why you are so upset," Ms. Anslinger backed up trying to play the victim card, "this mutant isn't even your daughter- I have it on good authority that she is only the child of your housekeeper. Why go to such lengths for the help?"
The moment that those last two words left Ms. Anslinger's mouth Ruth's eyes narrowed and her nostrils briefly flared, "The Help- THE HELP! Let me tell you right now Miss Anslinger- everyone who lives or has ever lived under this roof I consider FAMILY. Just because they work in this house does not make them any less a part of this household, and when they leave to advance their careers I still consider them to be family. Just because we are not related by blood does not mean that I consider her to be any less important to me than my own son."
"Mrs. Morrison, while such an attitude should be commendable you should be aware of the danger that you are putting those around you in," Ms. Anslinger once again tried to regain her moral ground as she pushed her card through the gate and into Ruth's hands, "as a woman of your education and upbringing-"
"Until the age of six I was a member of the Foster Care System, my father was a leader of the Chicago Construction Union who died in an industrial accident when I was four and I was taken away from my mother because she was ruled as being mentally unfit while grieving for the loss of her husband." Ruth began as she looked at the woman like she was vermin, "My foster family the Appleton's kept me in attic with an old mattress and moth-eaten blankets only letting me clean myself up when the welfare officer showed up to check on me, that lasted two years before the next-door neighbor noticed the lights in the attic and called the police."
Ruth continued to unload as she glared at the woman, "They were prosecuted for welfare fraud and child neglect and were sentenced to five years in prison, after that I lived in the Our Lady of Graceful Charity Orphanage with my second real family until I was thirteen when my third family the Sedgwick's adopted me, they encouraged my interest in law and offered to pay for me to go to law school not that I needed to with my scholarships. I graduated and then married afterwards- so let me tell you this I know what good people are, I know who I consider family, I worked hard to get where I am in life and I will be damned if I let some busybody from a group that is tied financially tied to those tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center tell me who belongs under my roof and in this neighborhood."
"Not to mention that you have given me all that I need to have your group formally investigated," Ruth smiled as she help up a rolling handheld tape recorder, "the information about Chandra Defranks is part of an ongoing police investigation and not available to the general public, so there is no legal way that you could have known about her or have obtained her address as both have yet to be released to the press. This shows that Humanity-First obtained confidential documents without going through proper legal channels, which in itself is a potential crime."
"To be frank Ms. Anslinger- you will be hearing from my law firm in the very near future," Ruth Morrison stated while waving Marcy Ansligner's card as she hit stop on the recorder.
"You can't do that," Ms. Anslinger said as her face turned flushed, "there is no way that I will agree to that tape as evidence in court."
"That legal precedent only involves private conversations, we are outside and on private property of which I am co-owner," Ruth continued smiling, "that gives me the control over the submission of all surveillance taken on my property outside of that governed by Attorney-Client privilege. Now I suggest that you leave- after all the Fifth Amendment is very specific about self-incrimination. Oh, and just so that you are aware the Department of Paranormal Affairs contacted us earlier to inform us that they are investigating this case, and as they are a branch of the Justice Department this is currently a federal matter."
Recognizing that Ruth meant business and that this was an attorney who had prepared for this encounter with repercussions that would be far-reaching, Marcy Anslinger got into her nearby car and left as fast as she could.
When she returned to the house, she saw Gertrude Defranks waiting for her through tearful eyes, "I heard everything over the intercom- what you said-"
"I meant every word of it Trudie," Ruth smiled as she hugged the woman, "everyone in this house is a part of this family, even if you work for me that does not make you and Chandra any less a part of it. Oh, and don't let Chandra know- but that computer of her's just has his old tower, he and his friends build PCs and before he gave that one to her he upgraded it to the same standards as his current model- well provided it came from a store I doubt that she needs a liquid-cooled mad-science project like what he turned his into."
"I won't Ruth," Trudie smiled as she wiped away her tears, "I don't want her to start taking too many things for granted, but at least her home is safe for her to come back to."
"Yes, now she just needs to come back home." Ruth stated in apprehension knowing that the next few hours could change her family for years to come for better or worse.
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
6:34 PM
VT had been waiting for hours at the bar in The Rust-tic carefully nursing the mocktails that the bartender provided, not out of respect that he was getting free drinks, but because he had been told not to move. At least the television behind the bar provided a little entertainment, granted VT wondered why they had it tuned into the news channel of all things, but at least it was something. Too bad it was tuned into MSNBC instead of GNN, those granola-crunching bleeding-hearts were doing some fluff-piece about the chaos in Boston last night, and actually had the nerve to be praising a bunch of freaks who popped out of the wood work pretending to be heroes by saving people from the bombs that they probably planted in the first place.
"Na, who the hell cares about that crap anymore," VT remarked as he tipped his Rob Roy to the screen, "let sell-outs like my 'rents worry about that crap. Yeah, soon as Mister Sikes gets back I'm gonna' be a made man 'round my real peeps, not just another poser like T-Slam and my old homies. No sir, from now on I'm gonna' be a real brother."
"Don't count your chickens too soon kid," Tony explained while he got back to taking stock of his booze for tomorrow, "boss doesn't take kindly to scrubs who can't follow orders, as is you're on thin ice."
"Mister Sikes said to shoot her and I shot her," VT defended himself, "I shot at her leg, but the freak used her mutant crap and before I could do jack she had me pinned against a bush, that's when I shot her."
"The Boss told you to plug her leg and word's out that you shot her in the side." Tony fumed at VT and the teens dismissive attitude, "When the boss gives an order he expects it to be followed like he gives it- not to use it as a request. He tells me he wants a gin and tonic with London Dry Gin I give him a gin and tonic with London Dry Gin, he tells a scrub like you to pump a round into some bitch's leg you pump a round into that bitch's leg- not her side- her leg."
"Now Tony- chill, is that any way to treat a new brother in our crew who drew blood of the bitch who dissed Natroya," Mister Sikes entered the building with Darisha at his side both acting as a symbol of the man's authority as well as his influence. "So, he slipped up on the first go, that still doesn't mean he can't complete the job in round two."
"But I shot her," VT defended himself from Mister Sikes, "I know that it didn't go to plan when she went all mutant freaky, but I still shot her- she's going to be an easy target for anybody who wants her and now that she's a mutant everyone will turn on her like that!" VT snapped his fingers for added emphasis.
"VT it isn't as simple as that, true the Knights of Purity have a strong presence in this town after their triumph at The Cloisters those many years ago, but after what happened in Manhattan and Cincinnati their luster has become tarnished. Moreover, they acted on bad intel and tried to seize Chandra from protective custody forcing her to go on the run and costing the police access to their only eye-witness to the shooter." Mister Sikes explained as he began to fill VT in.
"Also, mutant fear in Chicago isn't as high as you may think, this is the hometown of The Champion after all, worst still if Chandra saw who shot her then you could serve as the link back to us." VT did everything short of glare at VT, "That means that you need to make certain that Chandra can't ID you or at least discredit her to the point that no one will believe her."
"As much as I'd love to finish that Oreo bitch, what can I do?" VT defended himself, "I mean I don't know how she did it but right before that bullet hit her she was gone and right next to me before I could blink. I try to get her again and I'm toast, if I didn't have my own piece on me she'd have killed me after she got over the shock; next time I try if she finds me I'm dead."
"Poor VT, you didn't think that we'd send you to finish the job without the right tools to see it through," Mister Sikes smiled as he pulled a hypo-injector with a test tube full of a greenish brown fluid. "We handle more than guns son; today's arm's race has all kinds of goodies for those who want to take the risks and I guarantee that no matter what Chandra tries to do to you you'll be more than ready." Mister Sikes finished his pitch as he handed the vial over to VT.
"Just what is this goo?" VT looked at the contents of the test tube with a warry eye as the common sense that he had been ignoring for the last few days was finally loud enough to be heard. "How will whatever this gunk is help me stop her?"
"It's called Nightmare Fuel, a little temporary mutation agent from the Black Market," Leroy Sikes explained, "just toss this back and for the next ten minutes you'll be more than a match for anything a freshman mutie like Chandra can throw at you. Just remember you'll only have ten minutes and once that's up you'll crash like an Amtrak train, one of Natroya's sisters will be there to get you out and take care of any loose-lips."
"Nice to know that I'll have back-up," VT laughed before Mister Sikes grabbed him by the collar.
"Listen here new meat, I'm giving you this shot because I'm being generous," Mister Sikes stated as he glared at VT with his nostrils flaring in anger, "this is your last shot understand, take care of this and you're in, blow it and you'll exploring the bottom of Lake Michigan with all the other liabilities of the made men of Chicago."
"Now understand, Darisha will drop you off with in Ally Viper territory, you meet your escort, she takes you near where Chandra's likely to be laying low you start wrecking her old hood and then wreck her when she shows up. After that we leave Chandra holding the bag when the Knights arrive and finish her off like they always do to newbie muties. Understand, you smash, you stomp Chandra, you leave her for the Knights to cap that's it; you play this just like I tell you and it won't even make the front page of the Tribune, you blow it and you'll just be another fugitive that nobody ever finds. AM I CLEAR?!?"
"Y-yes sir Mister Sikes," VT shrunk in his seat, his eyes wide in fear only now realizing just the magnitude of what he had gotten into now with no way out other than going through with it. "I'll flatten her like a take-and-bake pizza and leave her for the Knights to roast for messing up the kitchen."
"Good boy," Mister Sikes said as he smoothed out VT's collar, "remember, follow what I said to the letter. Now finish your drink and take care of your business, I have to go set things up with your contact while Darisha takes you over to the West Side."
"Got it boss," VT stated as he tossed back his mocktail and headed for the men's room while Mister Sikes ascended the stairs to his office.
Once inside of his office Mister Sikes dialed up Natroya the current head of the Alley Vipers. "Hey boss, I assume the wannabe screwed up because the Knights are combing the Westside for Defranks, so what's your plan?"
"Not my plan, Mister Brea's plan," Leroy Sikes explained as he reclined in his chair. "I'm gonna need you to get you sister Taikeyla on the horn, it's time that we put her to some use. According to Mister Brea's seer she has a role to play in readying Defranks for him to use her like he wants."
"I still don't get why that stuck up bitch is important, it's not like she's a mutant we've known that much for a while and speedsters aren't that rare, why does Mister Brea need her?"
"I don't know what she is and neither of us need to know," Mister Sikes replied, "Mister Brea wants her and his freaky psychic says that she'll help keep him safe."
"Yeah but why put so much stock in a precog?" Natroya asked, "Their powers aren't the most reliable, and prophecies are only good if nothing changes because of them."
"I know that Natroya but she's good enough," Leroy fumed at Darisha's sisters questions, "She predicted that Defranks would gain powers without becoming a mutant, get her mom a great job in the burbs, and that Scratch would come into town. That's three for three, she warned that this was the last chance to sway her, afterwards she'll get a hold of her powers and after that not only will she be out of our grasp, but Mister Brea will be on Scratch's radar. Remember we need Mister Brea's connections for our side businesses, and we still don't know how to get an in with Scratch or even if we can."
"Understood boss, I'll let Taikeyla know-"
"And when you do be sure to tell her about Defranks helmet," Mister Sikes told Natroya before she could hang up, "remember she needs to get it off Defranks before she uses its powers."
"Understood Mister Sikes, I'll make sure that Taikeyla knows about Defranks's helmet."
As Natroya hung up, Leroy Sikes leaned back in his chair, he knew that there was only one thing that he could do right now- play the waiting game. Whatever happened now it was out of his hands, all that he could do right now was wait. Or at least that was all there was to do on the Defranks Situation and Mister Brea's wants and needs, still that witch's visions or not Leroy hadn't survived and thrived as long as he had in the world without weighing his options and if Mister Brea's future (as well as his own if he kept his horse hitched to that cart) all hinged on the outcome of tonight then maybe it was time to check on the new player in town.
Leroy booted up his terminal and once it was active began to look into the corners of the Dark Web for a commodity more valuable than gold...information. After all, if Erzebet Scratch was interested in Chicago it was time to learn about how he could live with the new big fish in the pond without being swallowed, who knows maybe she would appreciate his club as it was without being more concerned with its potential expediting arms on smuggled in from across the border and through the Iron Pipeline.
Columbus Park
6:52 PM
DPA Agent Philip Donovan looked on in contentment as the researchers for the Argonne National Laboratory poured over their instruments, it was fortunate that after he was done with his fruitless visit to the MCO's Chicago Branch Office that the Chicago PD called him to inform him of the individuals who were trying to gain access to their Brynum Island crime scene. As it turned out they were also witnesses to Chandra Defranks odd ability as she actually set off their sensors at the Exotic Energy lab, around the same time as the shooting occurred as well as a few times afterwards.
This meant that unlike the Knights of Purity, the DPA actually had a way to track down and locate the poor girl before the Knights and return her to protective custody before the Knights used their old excuse that they were forced to resort to lethal force to defend themselves from a dangerous and hostile mutant of which Miss Defranks was neither a mutant nor actively hostile. As it turned out the attack that led the Assistant State's Attorney to invoking the Knights Charter happened in an alley near where the Chicago PD claimed was a favorite spot for muggers, meaning that it was very likely that the anonymous source who the girl assaulted was likely a would-be robber who chose the wrong target.
"Professor Bing," Gab Cowen spoke up from his instruments, "it's faint and a little decayed but I've picked up the tachyon trail heading into the Austin neighborhood although I'm having trouble pinpointing, our active sensors are too far outside the target zone and it's difficult to triangulate the readings."
"Why are you having trouble finding the source?" Agent Donovan inquired, "You seem to have these sensors all over Illinois, why is this an issue?"
"The issue is that denizens of this part of town kept vandalizing our sensors for copper and electrical components, so we stopped bothering to put them up." Professor Jack Bing explained, "Besides they were set up in the first place to monitor beta and alpha ray decay from the Manhattan Project Nuclear Labs that were in operation in the city during the 40s, they aren't set up to monitor for tachyon emissions we are just following energy spikes that register as unknown and having to use that data to sort out tachyon emissions from other sources. It takes time, to do the math; please keep in mind our department isn't the most highly funded at Argonne, most of what we use is obsolete equipment that the other departments are about to auction off."
"All right just keep in mind that there is a life at stake here," Agent Donovan stressed the importance of the matter, "My office just got the support that we've been needing for years and we have all eyes on us to produce results. Besides shouldn't the City of Chicago be interested in monitoring this background radiation, I mean it could be a cancer risk."
"Sir it's been sixty years since those labs were active," Dylan Hawser spoke up as he continued to pour over the instrument readings, "whatever radiation there is below ground right now is comparable to what frequent flyers are subjected to at the airports. Besides they don't want to throw people into a panic while attracting personal injury lawyers interested in the fat chunk they'd get from representing a class action settlement against a major city and the United States Military. As far as the city of Chicago are concerned the fewer people know about the real reason those sensors were put in place the better."
"Can you at least let me know how much you have it narrowed down to at the moment," Agent Donovan pleaded of the researchers, "as is all that we have to go on are police scanner reports of people complaining about the Knights of Purity combing nearby neighborhoods looking for our witness."
"So far I have it narrowed down to the Austin Neighborhood," Gab Cowen explained as he kept working away at the data on his PC, "that alone is over a thousand city blocks. Shouldn't you inquire with the police about this person's known associates?"
"This person is a minor with no criminal record, who moved away to Arlington Heights two years ago." Agent Donovan explained, "the only people that would know who her associates might be are her old elementary school teachers, and that information is unavailable until someone with the Chicago School's records department comes back in tomorrow. As the DPA doesn't have the manpower that the Knights of Purity have to conduct a grid search that means that all we have are people like you."
"Well if it makes you feel any better we just narrowed the search area for the last tachyon burst by 75%," Professor Bing stated as he looked over his own calculations. "The person that you're looking for last used their powers in the Northwestern area of Central Austin, that's only a few hundred city blocks and we're working to narrow that even further. While we're talking though provided you are able to place this enhanced individual back in protective custody would you allow us to assist in monitoring their power's assessment?"
"I'll try to clear it with my superiors in Washington, but why would you want to do that?" Agent Donovan inquired wanting a clear explanation of the professor's interest in an enhanced minor.
"Because this individual is providing us with more data in one day concerning tachyon behavior than our organization has been able to obtain in a decade." Agent Bing did his best to explain while suppressing his glee, "I don't want to conduct any direct experiments mind you, just set up some equipment during their powers testing. I can even keep the individuals name anonymous if they want, the important thing is that this data could advance the field of energy and particle physics ahead by decades- even before the Hadron Collider in Geneva gets switched on."
"I'll see what I can do, just keep in mind the final decision is up to the individual's parents," Agent Donovan emphasized, "We are talking about a minor after all."
Northwest Central Austin Neighborhood
6:58 PM
VT say in silence as Darisha drove him from the Rustic all the way to that mutie bitch Defranks old neighborhood. Mister Sikes seemed to think that since the MCO would be keeping an eye on the bus and train lines that Chandra would be trying to hole up in her old neighborhood. As if they'd let a traitor and a freak like her into their homes, but then again, he knew that her grandmother still lived in this part of town and if there was anyone who would be gullible to take a dangerous mutant into their home it was a grandmother.
As if there would be anyone else in her old life that would dare to let her back in after she turned her back first on her people and now on her former species. That was right he should have finished the damned job at the park, he knew that she was just another mutant freak now and a danger to normal to everyone not just her old people but everybody even those crackers who acted like the world belonged to them and nobody else.
He patted the vial in his pocket and the hypodermic injector that it was attached he still couldn't believe that he was going to do it, take a detour through freak town just to take that bitch out. Who was he kidding he was willing to snipe her and that was before he knew that she was a mutie, no sometimes it takes a monster to kill a monster, who cares if he needed to be King Kong to fight Godzilla.
Eventually the car came to a screeching halt, "Get out and go down the ally, my sister's home girl Taikeyla will take you to Defranks's old neighborhood. Just remember that stuff makes it hard to think, so before you shoot up just remember- smash Chandra Defranks. Chant it like a mantra before you hulk-out or whatever just make sure that it's on your mind before you take the Nightmare Fuel to give yourself a target!"
"Got it," VT replied as he got out of the car, "I won't let Mister Sikes down twice!"
"Good because you won't get another chance," Darisha glared at the gansta wannabe as she unfolded a butterfly knife like it was an art form, "you blow this chance and if Defranks doesn't turn you into road kill then you'll find out what we do to those who cross Mister Sikes-" taking a moment to lick the blade before ending with- "am I clear homie?"
"As crystal sister," VT gulped as he set down the alley his eyes staying peeled for Taikeyla, before long a bum whose attire and look in his eye screamed strung-out-junkie lunged out from behind a dumpster.
"Gimmy all your money," he tried to shout however it was obvious that crack took this guy's pipes a long time ago along with his mind. Suddenly VT was dimly aware that he had left his knife and gun back at the Rust-tic, all that he had left on him was the one thing that he needed to complete the assignment, the Nightmare Fuel. That was when he briefly thought about tricking the junkie into taking it, but he knew there would be no guarantee that he would go after Defranks- as well as not kill him too.
Slowly VT backed away as the junkie erratically followed only to fall after VT heard the sound of a meaty thud. As the junkie hit the pavement, VT saw a sweet honey his own age standing behind the fallen bum holding a claw hammer, "I assume you're VT, I'm Taikeyla just follow me and pay attention I'll tell you where to shoot-up where its guaranteed to attract Chandra's attention. Now hurry the other gutter-rats will be here any minute to pick this shit clean."
VT followed Taikeyla down the alleys knowing that while the streets might have called out to him, she was a native who knew them inside and out. Soon enough they after crossing streets and going in and out of alleys the came to another alley exit onto a street and stopped, "Okay Chandra's granny lives on this street, smash it up and she'll show up sooner or later- so will the Knights."
"You sure she just won't stay hid," VT asked his new companion, "She is a mutie after all, she my just let the bat twist in the wind."
"Listen homie, I used to be in Chandra's crew before Natroya and Darisha made me a better offer, so I know her inside and out!" Taikeyla shot back, "She'll show no matter what she is- now you know your orders?"
"Yeah, 'Smash Chandra Defranks!'" VT began to repeat over and over to himself as he got the hypo with the Nightmare Fuel out preparing to inject himself in the neck. Not even noticing that Taikeyla was adding in 'Get helmet' as he was doing so until he hit the trigger when he briefly turned as drug entered his body, "Helmet?" was the only word that he was able to get out before the pain and muscle spasms started causing him to jerk back around.
Every moment was one of pain and his muscles tightened and bulged in a horrific manner. He was in agony as his bones grew longer to provide the growing muscles more surface to anchor onto. His eyes bulged and grew while his jaw widened to give room for more canines and fangs. VT's fingers and toe-nails actually lengthed and gnarled giving more of an appearance of claws as he thrashed on the ground tearing off his clothes in the process and shedding his $200-dollar Jordan high-tops. His skin actually seemed to change pigment as the rising heat of his body made his normal mahogany hue more like that of cedar.
In the end VT was transformed into a grotesque 12-foot-tall man beast, soon the monster that Victor turned into got up snarling over and over in a gruff voice, "Smash Defranks, take helmet!" As he proceeded to break walls and tear up cars and street signs Taikeyla looked on with a wicked smile, soon Chandra I'll take that helmet Mister Sikes thinks makes you special then we'll see who's the real deal while that sucker pounds you into street pizza."
Knights of Purity Mobile Command
7:17 PM
Second Chicago Unit Commander Holden Baxter was fuming, not only had this mutant escaped what should have been a routine capture and detainment but she had been dodging their pursuit all enough to flee to the other side of the city and go to ground. Moreover, there were DPA agents in the mix that were likely working to shut down his operation, trying to steal his glory for bringing in this mutant.
Holden would be damned to hell if he would let some paper pusher in a three-piece suit steal his thunder, after all he was part of the team that took out the mutant conclave at the Cloisters one of the operations that not only landed them a long-term contract with the City of Chicago but put the Knights of Purity on the map as an organization that would do what it took to stop the spread of mutant filth that festered in the corners of America. Thankfully he took the precautions to go communications dark before that MIB could pull them from the field, now all they had to do was neutralize the target before he showed up and the company would have the solid win that it had been needing for the last several months.
"Amos how goes the surveillance of the target's most likely point of refuge?" Holden asked their unit's shortstop as she continued to monitor the feeds.
"No sign of her yet sir," Madison Amos replied as she kept up the surveillance, "the thermal imaging only show the old lady and a few cats in the apartment and the kinetic sensor we put on the door frame hasn't registered anyone coming in above baseline normal velocity."
"So much for a hunt, this is more like a fishing trip and just as exciting," Gavin Jansen the unit's Catcher fumed as he spun in his chair.
"Can that talk Jansen," Commander Baxter glared at the man, "we are in this because you missed the target. If you had coordinated with Stone and Worrell like you were supposed to, we would have wrapped up this operation hours ago. As is we are dangerously close to turning this into another Cincinnati situation, and you know what that cost those members of the organization."
That threat silenced Jansen's backtalk immediately, he didn't want to prove to be a liability like the pitcher on that team, who brought the wrath of the Justice Department down for using a sonic device in a public area as well as allowed the theft of dangerous mutant artifacts from Humanity-First's museum. "Understood sir! The target won't get away twice."
"See to it that she doesn't," Holden Baxter stated as he continued to glare at the man, "a unit is only as strong as its weakest member, and there are plenty of hungry young recruits who would jump at the chance to have your assignment."
"Sir, I am receiving reports on the police band of a monster trashing buildings and property just a few blocks from the target area," Madison Amos explained as she redirected one of her surveillance drones to spot a large bestial man breaking cars and buildings by using a torn up stop sign as an improvised sledge, "from the looks of it we have a rager-brick in the area permission to engage?"
"Permission momentarily denied, where there's one freak throwing a fit more are bound to come out of the woodwork, including our target." Leaving his team to look on as the humanoid monster destroyed the street. "Besides the city is always looking for an excuse to conduct urban renewal in this area."
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
7:19 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
Ramona had gotten off the phone with the last of the other local gangs an hour ago, oddly enough this Fo-Real from the Barracuda seemed to have guessed that I was hiding with Ramona, and without receiving confirmation that I was in the room thanked me for netting him a cool grand for my win yesterday and giving him an excuse to laugh at the Coleman sister's expense.
Not wanting to admit anything, Ramona and I instead decided to catch up on old times filling us in on each other's lives over the last two years. "Nice to see that Natroya and Taikeyla lording over you these last few years didn't hurt your grades any miss honor role." I commented ribbing my old friend on her constant straight 'A' average.
"Also helps me net a little pocket money," Ramona explained, "A few notes to clarify complicated areas in the reading assignments, or methods to memorize math formulas so that they don't have to sneak a formula sheet into a test has earned me a lot of gratitude that I plan to use to help insulate my mom and I from the Coleman's backlash now that I'm out from under their thumbs."
"Couldn't have happened to two people who were more deserving," I explained as we clinked our glasses of sweet tea together before the phone rang again.
Ramona got up to answer it and immediately turned as flush as a sister could, "Thanks for letting me know T-Rez, stay safe."
Ramona numbly hung up the phone as I walked over to her, "Ramona- what's wrong?"
"Some monster is tearing up the neighborhood near your grandmother's place," Ramona explained, "it's breaking in and out of buildings and tearing up the street. I'll be at your grandmother's apartment building soon."
I got up and began to take off my borrowed clothes and put my somewhat cleaned tracksuit back on, "Chandra what are you doing, if you go out the Knights will-"
"They'll have to catch me and so will this monster." I explained as I grabbed my helmet and put it on, "Now I'm sorry to ask but I need you to do me a couple of favors."
"Sure Chandra," Ramona replied as she began to return to normal, "whatever you need me to do I'll help, it's the least that I could do for you giving me the push that I need to free myself."
"First off I'm going to need you to get Granny Mertle to safety, just tell her that her Chandy-girl sent you and she'll know that I sent you." I explained giving my grandmother's embarrassing nickname for me and eliciting a snort from Ramona in the process.
"Alright, Chandy-girl," Ramona did her best to suppress the smile on her face. "What else?"
I steeled myself, "I think that I need danger to use my powers, I need you to throw something heavy at me." I could already see Ramona about to argue her way out of this, but I interrupted her, "No arguing Ramona, I need you to do this, Granny Mertle's life may be in danger!"
Ramona closed her mouth and grabbed an antique iron that they used as a door stop, picked it up and threw it at me as hard as she could. Sure enough, time began to slow down to a crawl until the iron weight was about a foot away from me and stopped. Satisfied that my powers were working again, I took the iron out of the air and set it back on the ground, not wanting to damage their walls besides I had time.
I made my way out the door and back down the stairs making sure to weave past anyone who might be out in the hall, soon enough I was down stairs and saw the super's room. Knowing that I'd need some way to fight while keeping my distance I entered the building super's office, returning the keys that I borrowed earlier while borrowing the metal bat that the old man used to bust up ice for roof parties during the Fourth of July.
"Alright whoever you are," I said to nobody in particular, "D-Caf is coming to show that you picked with the wrong girl's hometown!" Taking time to pop my glove and reset my pace before I left the building for my first real fight, I wonder if this was how Candance feels these days?
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 40
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
5:57 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
I looked over at Ramona who I had now to wake up, feeling more than a little betrayed at the evidence of what was outside. "Ramona, please explain why Taikeyla is outside saying that she needs you to get in contact with her gang?"
"She's here because I was designated a White Line," Ramona whispered with a touch of anger on her face, anger that I could tell was not directed at me. "It all boils down to the Coleman sister's threats and the leverage that gave them. You see there is no way that you can know this since it isn't exactly common knowledge, but every once in a while, the local crews need neutral parties who they feel they can use to arrange meetings or spread the word between the gangs when there is a problem."
"With the adult crews usually, this is a store run by a person who used to be a banger that earned enough respect among the other gangs to be trusted, all while remaining clean in the eyes of the law for going straight. For teenagers though- it's a bit nastier, when a person who isn't a hood but a gang has enough dirt on that they can trust not to go to the police and is outside their territory they use us as White Lines, all this means is that the other crews in the area leave my mom and me alone because they can use me as an asset, it doesn't mean that I'm safe from Natroya and Darisha- those two can cut me loose at any time and once that happens it's open season on my mom and me."
"But the other gangs trust you?" I asked somewhat mistrustful of the whole weird arrangement that Ramona was ties up into all this.
"They trust me not to lie to other gangs or rat them out to the police," Ramona slumped "but that's all- and the moment that the local gang loses faith in me I'd be dead before I got to the bus stop."
"But if you call the Coleman sister's bluff on your mother, won't they do the same thing?" I asked somewhat concerned about the matter.
"Nope, the only danger I'd be in is from the Ally Vipers," Ramona flashed me a devious smile, "creating a White Line is some major street cred but losing your grip on one turns you into a joke in the eyes of the other gangs. If I flip- no when I flip on Natroya- it will be like chumming the waters in their territory, but for now please just let me play my role. Just hide in my room, if Natroya was behind your shooting then I don't want Taikeyla to know that you're here."
For the time being I did as Ramona asked, and hid in her room, fortunately the walls of this place were always pretty thin, and the only insulation was between the apartments not the individual rooms. Granted that also meant that I needed to stay as quiet as a mouse to avoid letting Taikeyla know that I was here.
"Taikeyla this had better be a major emergency," I heard Romana say after she opened the door but from the lack of the full creak the chain was still on, "you know that a White Line is only for real emergencies, plus you are outside of Alley Viper territory, you know this is the Gator's turf they catch you around here without a good reason then not even Natroya will be able to pull your fat out of the fire."
"Quit snarling Ray-ray, everyone in the Viper's now you have no teeth," Taikeyla shot back at Ramona in a way that I never heard her talk with anyone for as long as I knew her. "You will open up now and let me use the phone or Darisha will see to it that you and your old lady will be living on the streets inside of a month. After all what good is a bean-counter who nobody trusts to look at their jars."
"Dammit- fine make your call and go," Ramona replied as she opened the door.
"Careful Ray-ray," Taikeyla remarked as I heard her enter the apartment, "you're not as important as you think, we have enough dirt on others that if we need another White Line we can make one in a snap. Remember, your ours until we say so and then you're nothing!"
Ramona stayed silent until I started to hear Taikeyla talk again, "T-Rez this is Taikeyla with the Alley Vipers, the Knights are turning over rocks in the Westside, spread the word- no mutes with crews need to be out unless they hate breathing and everyone else needs to stay quiet and keep their heads down."
I heard Taikeyla pause obviously listening to this T-Rez on the other side, "Course I'm sure, these jack boots ain't cops, 'sides you think anyone downtown would to shits if they cap a few of us before they find their mark. You use your line to give the 'cudas, the Skulls and the Gators the 411, I'll key in the Semis, the Screaming Eagles, and the Erasers."
True to her word Taikeyla made three more phone calls to the other gangs and used the same tone and force with each of them, whoever Taikeyla was when I knew her in grade school she was clearly someone who was well known among the movers and shakers in the gang scene.
With her last phone call made Taikeyla spoke up again in the same threatening tone to Ramona, "Now Ray-ray I don't know what made you think you could grow a spine all the sudden but remember, D-caf ain't here no more to watch your back and she never will be. That Uncle Tom is who the Knights are looking for and when they find her she'll be taking a dirt nap in no time. Remember Natroya is the real power here and I'm her second, you dare to give me lip again and we'll tear yours off!"
Once the apartment door slammed shut I continued to wait in Ramona's bedroom until she told me, "Okay Chandra, you can come out now."
"Talk about a change," I observed as I stared at the now closed and bolted door, "Taikeyla was never like that when I knew her."
"It's like I told you Chanda," Ramona stated as seriously as she could, "Taikeyla is the kind of person who looks for a gravy-train, back in elementary school it was your talent to athletics the drew her to us, and even back then she was always a little...cool towards me. But once Natroya came along that was when Taikeyla became more interested in the power that comes with fear and she loves it a lot. Natroya couldn't have found a better toadie, we were just too innocent to see Taikeyla for the kind of person she really was under her facade."
"Still this means that the Knights of Purity are tearing about the West Side looking for me- I can't stay here I'll only be putting you in danger." I tried to explain the risks, but something told me that Ramona wasn't going to buy my argument.
"No way in hell," Ramona shot back, I hated being right on times like this, "I shoved you away once out of fear when you needed for me to have your back and it haunted me ever since. I'm I here for you and I will do everything that I can to see that those over-inflated rent-a-cops don't get their metal mitts on you."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" I asked seriously trying to get Ramona to realize how insane this situation was becoming.
"First off, I'm going to let the Gator's know that Taikeyla was in the neighborhood to use my White Line instead of the one in the Ally Viper's territory and then tender my resignation as a White Line operator." Ramona stated as she gave me something that I rarely saw from her, and only in those times that I knew I had tamed those namely fears that I knew festered inside of her- a wicked grin of that wry wit that I knew was buried deep down inside of her.
"Welcome back Ramona," I smiled at my oldest friend, "it's good to see the real you after all this time."
"Not as good as it feels to be the real me again after all this time," Ramona smiled back, "but as good as it feels kicking those three out of my life feels- there is still a real problem."
"I know- I heard," I reminded myself as I steeled my nerves, "the Knights of Purity know that I'm in the Westside and are looking for me, and I don't want to bring their trouble to your doorstep."
"You won't Chandra," Ramona explained as she squeezed my shoulder, "they don't know that you're here, nobody does, and I won't tell anyone anything."
Morrison Family Home
Arlington Heights, Illinois
6:18 PM
Ruth Morrison sat in the living room with Trudie Defranks who was doing what she could to see if there was some sign of her daughter on the news, but to little surprise there was nothing about Chandra on the news beyond the report of a shooter at large with only one injury. Not too surprising there wasn't a peep about the Knights of Purity attempting to take the victim into custody on suspicion of being a mutant. Not that this was too surprising, Herbert Goodkind the CEO of the Knights of Purity Security Company was the younger brother of Bruce Goodkind who among other things in was the CEO of GNN and had an injunction against any news agencies other than his own to cover his brothers company.
As slimy as this was it was a legal maneuver and kept the Knights from getting any negative publicity on television, though newspapers, radio and on the internet, they were fair game. While the DPAs call that the Knights actions were now bordering on Extra-legal, as well as the news that whatever Chandra was it wasn't a mutant- meant precious little. The fact of the matter it was still one child of an ethnic minority with a history of being counted as casualties among panicky or openly bigoted individuals touting their second amendment rights as cart-blanche to take the lives of suspected criminals. It made Ruth so sick to her stomach that she had to switch her focus from criminal law to civil and corporate law to avoid the possibility of her one day getting disbarred over assaulting a plaintiff.
The decidedly dark turns that her thought was taking her especially given light of her own childhood made the buzzer on her doorbell sounding a welcome change of pace. Walking over to the intercom Ruth cued the speaker, "Hello Morrison residence, this is Ruth Morrison speaking."
"Hello Mrs. Morrison, my name is Marcy Anslinger I represent a group of citizens who are concerned about the presence of a dangerous individual in their community."
A dark look crossed over Ruth's face, she had been anticipating this moment ever since Chandra's teammates called and explained what happened at the park. As she began to head out the door Trudie asked numbly, "Mrs. Morrison- who was at the door?"
"A toady from Humanity First claiming to represent the community's interests concerning someone dangerous in the neighborhood," Ruth explained before switching to a softer tone to console the worrying mother, "I'll take care of this- and please remember Trudie... please- call me Ruth."
Now with the closed door to her family's home behind her, Ruth Morrison set out to the woman who was dressed in the manner more befitting a local aspiring politician than an actual member of the local home-owner's association. Not willing to betray what she had in store for her own potential victim Ruth never let her own guise as a professional attorney slip as she slowly made her way to their front gate, savoring every moment of anticipation for the massacre to come.
Once she reached the front gate the woman that she presumed was Marcy Anslinger was down there waiting for her, "Mrs. Morrison, once again I am Marcy Anslinger, I am here representing the community interest group-"
"I know perfectly well who you are here with Ms. Anslinger," Ruth stated never once letting her mask of professionalism drop, "I have been waiting all afternoon for the local chapter of Humanity-First to come knocking on my door."
"Ah good, then you are well aware of the dangerous mutant that you let into your home as well as the danger that she poses-" Ms. Anslinger began her sales pitch only to be interrupted by Ruth Morrison.
"Because I knew that soon after the Knights of Purity tried to take my poor Trudie's daughter away from the paramedics whom the Chicago Police had placed in their care for transport to protective custody that one of the special-interest groups beholden to the Goodkind family would darken my door step to try and educating me about the better interests of my own family."
"Ma'am I don't see why you are so upset," Ms. Anslinger backed up trying to play the victim card, "this mutant isn't even your daughter- I have it on good authority that she is only the child of your housekeeper. Why go to such lengths for the help?"
The moment that those last two words left Ms. Anslinger's mouth Ruth's eyes narrowed and her nostrils briefly flared, "The Help- THE HELP! Let me tell you right now Miss Anslinger- everyone who lives or has ever lived under this roof I consider FAMILY. Just because they work in this house does not make them any less a part of this household, and when they leave to advance their careers I still consider them to be family. Just because we are not related by blood does not mean that I consider her to be any less important to me than my own son."
"Mrs. Morrison, while such an attitude should be commendable you should be aware of the danger that you are putting those around you in," Ms. Anslinger once again tried to regain her moral ground as she pushed her card through the gate and into Ruth's hands, "as a woman of your education and upbringing-"
"Until the age of six I was a member of the Foster Care System, my father was a leader of the Chicago Construction Union who died in an industrial accident when I was four and I was taken away from my mother because she was ruled as being mentally unfit while grieving for the loss of her husband." Ruth began as she looked at the woman like she was vermin, "My foster family the Appleton's kept me in attic with an old mattress and moth-eaten blankets only letting me clean myself up when the welfare officer showed up to check on me, that lasted two years before the next-door neighbor noticed the lights in the attic and called the police."
Ruth continued to unload as she glared at the woman, "They were prosecuted for welfare fraud and child neglect and were sentenced to five years in prison, after that I lived in the Our Lady of Graceful Charity Orphanage with my second real family until I was thirteen when my third family the Sedgwick's adopted me, they encouraged my interest in law and offered to pay for me to go to law school not that I needed to with my scholarships. I graduated and then married afterwards- so let me tell you this I know what good people are, I know who I consider family, I worked hard to get where I am in life and I will be damned if I let some busybody from a group that is tied financially tied to those tracked by the Southern Poverty Law Center tell me who belongs under my roof and in this neighborhood."
"Not to mention that you have given me all that I need to have your group formally investigated," Ruth smiled as she help up a rolling handheld tape recorder, "the information about Chandra Defranks is part of an ongoing police investigation and not available to the general public, so there is no legal way that you could have known about her or have obtained her address as both have yet to be released to the press. This shows that Humanity-First obtained confidential documents without going through proper legal channels, which in itself is a potential crime."
"To be frank Ms. Anslinger- you will be hearing from my law firm in the very near future," Ruth Morrison stated while waving Marcy Ansligner's card as she hit stop on the recorder.
"You can't do that," Ms. Anslinger said as her face turned flushed, "there is no way that I will agree to that tape as evidence in court."
"That legal precedent only involves private conversations, we are outside and on private property of which I am co-owner," Ruth continued smiling, "that gives me the control over the submission of all surveillance taken on my property outside of that governed by Attorney-Client privilege. Now I suggest that you leave- after all the Fifth Amendment is very specific about self-incrimination. Oh, and just so that you are aware the Department of Paranormal Affairs contacted us earlier to inform us that they are investigating this case, and as they are a branch of the Justice Department this is currently a federal matter."
Recognizing that Ruth meant business and that this was an attorney who had prepared for this encounter with repercussions that would be far-reaching, Marcy Anslinger got into her nearby car and left as fast as she could.
When she returned to the house, she saw Gertrude Defranks waiting for her through tearful eyes, "I heard everything over the intercom- what you said-"
"I meant every word of it Trudie," Ruth smiled as she hugged the woman, "everyone in this house is a part of this family, even if you work for me that does not make you and Chandra any less a part of it. Oh, and don't let Chandra know- but that computer of her's just has his old tower, he and his friends build PCs and before he gave that one to her he upgraded it to the same standards as his current model- well provided it came from a store I doubt that she needs a liquid-cooled mad-science project like what he turned his into."
"I won't Ruth," Trudie smiled as she wiped away her tears, "I don't want her to start taking too many things for granted, but at least her home is safe for her to come back to."
"Yes, now she just needs to come back home." Ruth stated in apprehension knowing that the next few hours could change her family for years to come for better or worse.
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
6:34 PM
VT had been waiting for hours at the bar in The Rust-tic carefully nursing the mocktails that the bartender provided, not out of respect that he was getting free drinks, but because he had been told not to move. At least the television behind the bar provided a little entertainment, granted VT wondered why they had it tuned into the news channel of all things, but at least it was something. Too bad it was tuned into MSNBC instead of GNN, those granola-crunching bleeding-hearts were doing some fluff-piece about the chaos in Boston last night, and actually had the nerve to be praising a bunch of freaks who popped out of the wood work pretending to be heroes by saving people from the bombs that they probably planted in the first place.
"Na, who the hell cares about that crap anymore," VT remarked as he tipped his Rob Roy to the screen, "let sell-outs like my 'rents worry about that crap. Yeah, soon as Mister Sikes gets back I'm gonna' be a made man 'round my real peeps, not just another poser like T-Slam and my old homies. No sir, from now on I'm gonna' be a real brother."
"Don't count your chickens too soon kid," Tony explained while he got back to taking stock of his booze for tomorrow, "boss doesn't take kindly to scrubs who can't follow orders, as is you're on thin ice."
"Mister Sikes said to shoot her and I shot her," VT defended himself, "I shot at her leg, but the freak used her mutant crap and before I could do jack she had me pinned against a bush, that's when I shot her."
"The Boss told you to plug her leg and word's out that you shot her in the side." Tony fumed at VT and the teens dismissive attitude, "When the boss gives an order he expects it to be followed like he gives it- not to use it as a request. He tells me he wants a gin and tonic with London Dry Gin I give him a gin and tonic with London Dry Gin, he tells a scrub like you to pump a round into some bitch's leg you pump a round into that bitch's leg- not her side- her leg."
"Now Tony- chill, is that any way to treat a new brother in our crew who drew blood of the bitch who dissed Natroya," Mister Sikes entered the building with Darisha at his side both acting as a symbol of the man's authority as well as his influence. "So, he slipped up on the first go, that still doesn't mean he can't complete the job in round two."
"But I shot her," VT defended himself from Mister Sikes, "I know that it didn't go to plan when she went all mutant freaky, but I still shot her- she's going to be an easy target for anybody who wants her and now that she's a mutant everyone will turn on her like that!" VT snapped his fingers for added emphasis.
"VT it isn't as simple as that, true the Knights of Purity have a strong presence in this town after their triumph at The Cloisters those many years ago, but after what happened in Manhattan and Cincinnati their luster has become tarnished. Moreover, they acted on bad intel and tried to seize Chandra from protective custody forcing her to go on the run and costing the police access to their only eye-witness to the shooter." Mister Sikes explained as he began to fill VT in.
"Also, mutant fear in Chicago isn't as high as you may think, this is the hometown of The Champion after all, worst still if Chandra saw who shot her then you could serve as the link back to us." VT did everything short of glare at VT, "That means that you need to make certain that Chandra can't ID you or at least discredit her to the point that no one will believe her."
"As much as I'd love to finish that Oreo bitch, what can I do?" VT defended himself, "I mean I don't know how she did it but right before that bullet hit her she was gone and right next to me before I could blink. I try to get her again and I'm toast, if I didn't have my own piece on me she'd have killed me after she got over the shock; next time I try if she finds me I'm dead."
"Poor VT, you didn't think that we'd send you to finish the job without the right tools to see it through," Mister Sikes smiled as he pulled a hypo-injector with a test tube full of a greenish brown fluid. "We handle more than guns son; today's arm's race has all kinds of goodies for those who want to take the risks and I guarantee that no matter what Chandra tries to do to you you'll be more than ready." Mister Sikes finished his pitch as he handed the vial over to VT.
"Just what is this goo?" VT looked at the contents of the test tube with a warry eye as the common sense that he had been ignoring for the last few days was finally loud enough to be heard. "How will whatever this gunk is help me stop her?"
"It's called Nightmare Fuel, a little temporary mutation agent from the Black Market," Leroy Sikes explained, "just toss this back and for the next ten minutes you'll be more than a match for anything a freshman mutie like Chandra can throw at you. Just remember you'll only have ten minutes and once that's up you'll crash like an Amtrak train, one of Natroya's sisters will be there to get you out and take care of any loose-lips."
"Nice to know that I'll have back-up," VT laughed before Mister Sikes grabbed him by the collar.
"Listen here new meat, I'm giving you this shot because I'm being generous," Mister Sikes stated as he glared at VT with his nostrils flaring in anger, "this is your last shot understand, take care of this and you're in, blow it and you'll exploring the bottom of Lake Michigan with all the other liabilities of the made men of Chicago."
"Now understand, Darisha will drop you off with in Ally Viper territory, you meet your escort, she takes you near where Chandra's likely to be laying low you start wrecking her old hood and then wreck her when she shows up. After that we leave Chandra holding the bag when the Knights arrive and finish her off like they always do to newbie muties. Understand, you smash, you stomp Chandra, you leave her for the Knights to cap that's it; you play this just like I tell you and it won't even make the front page of the Tribune, you blow it and you'll just be another fugitive that nobody ever finds. AM I CLEAR?!?"
"Y-yes sir Mister Sikes," VT shrunk in his seat, his eyes wide in fear only now realizing just the magnitude of what he had gotten into now with no way out other than going through with it. "I'll flatten her like a take-and-bake pizza and leave her for the Knights to roast for messing up the kitchen."
"Good boy," Mister Sikes said as he smoothed out VT's collar, "remember, follow what I said to the letter. Now finish your drink and take care of your business, I have to go set things up with your contact while Darisha takes you over to the West Side."
"Got it boss," VT stated as he tossed back his mocktail and headed for the men's room while Mister Sikes ascended the stairs to his office.
Once inside of his office Mister Sikes dialed up Natroya the current head of the Alley Vipers. "Hey boss, I assume the wannabe screwed up because the Knights are combing the Westside for Defranks, so what's your plan?"
"Not my plan, Mister Brea's plan," Leroy Sikes explained as he reclined in his chair. "I'm gonna need you to get you sister Taikeyla on the horn, it's time that we put her to some use. According to Mister Brea's seer she has a role to play in readying Defranks for him to use her like he wants."
"I still don't get why that stuck up bitch is important, it's not like she's a mutant we've known that much for a while and speedsters aren't that rare, why does Mister Brea need her?"
"I don't know what she is and neither of us need to know," Mister Sikes replied, "Mister Brea wants her and his freaky psychic says that she'll help keep him safe."
"Yeah but why put so much stock in a precog?" Natroya asked, "Their powers aren't the most reliable, and prophecies are only good if nothing changes because of them."
"I know that Natroya but she's good enough," Leroy fumed at Darisha's sisters questions, "She predicted that Defranks would gain powers without becoming a mutant, get her mom a great job in the burbs, and that Scratch would come into town. That's three for three, she warned that this was the last chance to sway her, afterwards she'll get a hold of her powers and after that not only will she be out of our grasp, but Mister Brea will be on Scratch's radar. Remember we need Mister Brea's connections for our side businesses, and we still don't know how to get an in with Scratch or even if we can."
"Understood boss, I'll let Taikeyla know-"
"And when you do be sure to tell her about Defranks helmet," Mister Sikes told Natroya before she could hang up, "remember she needs to get it off Defranks before she uses its powers."
"Understood Mister Sikes, I'll make sure that Taikeyla knows about Defranks's helmet."
As Natroya hung up, Leroy Sikes leaned back in his chair, he knew that there was only one thing that he could do right now- play the waiting game. Whatever happened now it was out of his hands, all that he could do right now was wait. Or at least that was all there was to do on the Defranks Situation and Mister Brea's wants and needs, still that witch's visions or not Leroy hadn't survived and thrived as long as he had in the world without weighing his options and if Mister Brea's future (as well as his own if he kept his horse hitched to that cart) all hinged on the outcome of tonight then maybe it was time to check on the new player in town.
Leroy booted up his terminal and once it was active began to look into the corners of the Dark Web for a commodity more valuable than gold...information. After all, if Erzebet Scratch was interested in Chicago it was time to learn about how he could live with the new big fish in the pond without being swallowed, who knows maybe she would appreciate his club as it was without being more concerned with its potential expediting arms on smuggled in from across the border and through the Iron Pipeline.
Columbus Park
6:52 PM
DPA Agent Philip Donovan looked on in contentment as the researchers for the Argonne National Laboratory poured over their instruments, it was fortunate that after he was done with his fruitless visit to the MCO's Chicago Branch Office that the Chicago PD called him to inform him of the individuals who were trying to gain access to their Brynum Island crime scene. As it turned out they were also witnesses to Chandra Defranks odd ability as she actually set off their sensors at the Exotic Energy lab, around the same time as the shooting occurred as well as a few times afterwards.
This meant that unlike the Knights of Purity, the DPA actually had a way to track down and locate the poor girl before the Knights and return her to protective custody before the Knights used their old excuse that they were forced to resort to lethal force to defend themselves from a dangerous and hostile mutant of which Miss Defranks was neither a mutant nor actively hostile. As it turned out the attack that led the Assistant State's Attorney to invoking the Knights Charter happened in an alley near where the Chicago PD claimed was a favorite spot for muggers, meaning that it was very likely that the anonymous source who the girl assaulted was likely a would-be robber who chose the wrong target.
"Professor Bing," Gab Cowen spoke up from his instruments, "it's faint and a little decayed but I've picked up the tachyon trail heading into the Austin neighborhood although I'm having trouble pinpointing, our active sensors are too far outside the target zone and it's difficult to triangulate the readings."
"Why are you having trouble finding the source?" Agent Donovan inquired, "You seem to have these sensors all over Illinois, why is this an issue?"
"The issue is that denizens of this part of town kept vandalizing our sensors for copper and electrical components, so we stopped bothering to put them up." Professor Jack Bing explained, "Besides they were set up in the first place to monitor beta and alpha ray decay from the Manhattan Project Nuclear Labs that were in operation in the city during the 40s, they aren't set up to monitor for tachyon emissions we are just following energy spikes that register as unknown and having to use that data to sort out tachyon emissions from other sources. It takes time, to do the math; please keep in mind our department isn't the most highly funded at Argonne, most of what we use is obsolete equipment that the other departments are about to auction off."
"All right just keep in mind that there is a life at stake here," Agent Donovan stressed the importance of the matter, "My office just got the support that we've been needing for years and we have all eyes on us to produce results. Besides shouldn't the City of Chicago be interested in monitoring this background radiation, I mean it could be a cancer risk."
"Sir it's been sixty years since those labs were active," Dylan Hawser spoke up as he continued to pour over the instrument readings, "whatever radiation there is below ground right now is comparable to what frequent flyers are subjected to at the airports. Besides they don't want to throw people into a panic while attracting personal injury lawyers interested in the fat chunk they'd get from representing a class action settlement against a major city and the United States Military. As far as the city of Chicago are concerned the fewer people know about the real reason those sensors were put in place the better."
"Can you at least let me know how much you have it narrowed down to at the moment," Agent Donovan pleaded of the researchers, "as is all that we have to go on are police scanner reports of people complaining about the Knights of Purity combing nearby neighborhoods looking for our witness."
"So far I have it narrowed down to the Austin Neighborhood," Gab Cowen explained as he kept working away at the data on his PC, "that alone is over a thousand city blocks. Shouldn't you inquire with the police about this person's known associates?"
"This person is a minor with no criminal record, who moved away to Arlington Heights two years ago." Agent Donovan explained, "the only people that would know who her associates might be are her old elementary school teachers, and that information is unavailable until someone with the Chicago School's records department comes back in tomorrow. As the DPA doesn't have the manpower that the Knights of Purity have to conduct a grid search that means that all we have are people like you."
"Well if it makes you feel any better we just narrowed the search area for the last tachyon burst by 75%," Professor Bing stated as he looked over his own calculations. "The person that you're looking for last used their powers in the Northwestern area of Central Austin, that's only a few hundred city blocks and we're working to narrow that even further. While we're talking though provided you are able to place this enhanced individual back in protective custody would you allow us to assist in monitoring their power's assessment?"
"I'll try to clear it with my superiors in Washington, but why would you want to do that?" Agent Donovan inquired wanting a clear explanation of the professor's interest in an enhanced minor.
"Because this individual is providing us with more data in one day concerning tachyon behavior than our organization has been able to obtain in a decade." Agent Bing did his best to explain while suppressing his glee, "I don't want to conduct any direct experiments mind you, just set up some equipment during their powers testing. I can even keep the individuals name anonymous if they want, the important thing is that this data could advance the field of energy and particle physics ahead by decades- even before the Hadron Collider in Geneva gets switched on."
"I'll see what I can do, just keep in mind the final decision is up to the individual's parents," Agent Donovan emphasized, "We are talking about a minor after all."
Northwest Central Austin Neighborhood
6:58 PM
VT say in silence as Darisha drove him from the Rustic all the way to that mutie bitch Defranks old neighborhood. Mister Sikes seemed to think that since the MCO would be keeping an eye on the bus and train lines that Chandra would be trying to hole up in her old neighborhood. As if they'd let a traitor and a freak like her into their homes, but then again, he knew that her grandmother still lived in this part of town and if there was anyone who would be gullible to take a dangerous mutant into their home it was a grandmother.
As if there would be anyone else in her old life that would dare to let her back in after she turned her back first on her people and now on her former species. That was right he should have finished the damned job at the park, he knew that she was just another mutant freak now and a danger to normal to everyone not just her old people but everybody even those crackers who acted like the world belonged to them and nobody else.
He patted the vial in his pocket and the hypodermic injector that it was attached he still couldn't believe that he was going to do it, take a detour through freak town just to take that bitch out. Who was he kidding he was willing to snipe her and that was before he knew that she was a mutie, no sometimes it takes a monster to kill a monster, who cares if he needed to be King Kong to fight Godzilla.
Eventually the car came to a screeching halt, "Get out and go down the ally, my sister's home girl Taikeyla will take you to Defranks's old neighborhood. Just remember that stuff makes it hard to think, so before you shoot up just remember- smash Chandra Defranks. Chant it like a mantra before you hulk-out or whatever just make sure that it's on your mind before you take the Nightmare Fuel to give yourself a target!"
"Got it," VT replied as he got out of the car, "I won't let Mister Sikes down twice!"
"Good because you won't get another chance," Darisha glared at the gansta wannabe as she unfolded a butterfly knife like it was an art form, "you blow this chance and if Defranks doesn't turn you into road kill then you'll find out what we do to those who cross Mister Sikes-" taking a moment to lick the blade before ending with- "am I clear homie?"
"As crystal sister," VT gulped as he set down the alley his eyes staying peeled for Taikeyla, before long a bum whose attire and look in his eye screamed strung-out-junkie lunged out from behind a dumpster.
"Gimmy all your money," he tried to shout however it was obvious that crack took this guy's pipes a long time ago along with his mind. Suddenly VT was dimly aware that he had left his knife and gun back at the Rust-tic, all that he had left on him was the one thing that he needed to complete the assignment, the Nightmare Fuel. That was when he briefly thought about tricking the junkie into taking it, but he knew there would be no guarantee that he would go after Defranks- as well as not kill him too.
Slowly VT backed away as the junkie erratically followed only to fall after VT heard the sound of a meaty thud. As the junkie hit the pavement, VT saw a sweet honey his own age standing behind the fallen bum holding a claw hammer, "I assume you're VT, I'm Taikeyla just follow me and pay attention I'll tell you where to shoot-up where its guaranteed to attract Chandra's attention. Now hurry the other gutter-rats will be here any minute to pick this shit clean."
VT followed Taikeyla down the alleys knowing that while the streets might have called out to him, she was a native who knew them inside and out. Soon enough they after crossing streets and going in and out of alleys the came to another alley exit onto a street and stopped, "Okay Chandra's granny lives on this street, smash it up and she'll show up sooner or later- so will the Knights."
"You sure she just won't stay hid," VT asked his new companion, "She is a mutie after all, she my just let the bat twist in the wind."
"Listen homie, I used to be in Chandra's crew before Natroya and Darisha made me a better offer, so I know her inside and out!" Taikeyla shot back, "She'll show no matter what she is- now you know your orders?"
"Yeah, 'Smash Chandra Defranks!'" VT began to repeat over and over to himself as he got the hypo with the Nightmare Fuel out preparing to inject himself in the neck. Not even noticing that Taikeyla was adding in 'Get helmet' as he was doing so until he hit the trigger when he briefly turned as drug entered his body, "Helmet?" was the only word that he was able to get out before the pain and muscle spasms started causing him to jerk back around.
Every moment was one of pain and his muscles tightened and bulged in a horrific manner. He was in agony as his bones grew longer to provide the growing muscles more surface to anchor onto. His eyes bulged and grew while his jaw widened to give room for more canines and fangs. VT's fingers and toe-nails actually lengthed and gnarled giving more of an appearance of claws as he thrashed on the ground tearing off his clothes in the process and shedding his $200-dollar Jordan high-tops. His skin actually seemed to change pigment as the rising heat of his body made his normal mahogany hue more like that of cedar.
In the end VT was transformed into a grotesque 12-foot-tall man beast, soon the monster that Victor turned into got up snarling over and over in a gruff voice, "Smash Defranks, take helmet!" As he proceeded to break walls and tear up cars and street signs Taikeyla looked on with a wicked smile, soon Chandra I'll take that helmet Mister Sikes thinks makes you special then we'll see who's the real deal while that sucker pounds you into street pizza."
Knights of Purity Mobile Command
7:17 PM
Second Chicago Unit Commander Holden Baxter was fuming, not only had this mutant escaped what should have been a routine capture and detainment but she had been dodging their pursuit all enough to flee to the other side of the city and go to ground. Moreover, there were DPA agents in the mix that were likely working to shut down his operation, trying to steal his glory for bringing in this mutant.
Holden would be damned to hell if he would let some paper pusher in a three-piece suit steal his thunder, after all he was part of the team that took out the mutant conclave at the Cloisters one of the operations that not only landed them a long-term contract with the City of Chicago but put the Knights of Purity on the map as an organization that would do what it took to stop the spread of mutant filth that festered in the corners of America. Thankfully he took the precautions to go communications dark before that MIB could pull them from the field, now all they had to do was neutralize the target before he showed up and the company would have the solid win that it had been needing for the last several months.
"Amos how goes the surveillance of the target's most likely point of refuge?" Holden asked their unit's shortstop as she continued to monitor the feeds.
"No sign of her yet sir," Madison Amos replied as she kept up the surveillance, "the thermal imaging only show the old lady and a few cats in the apartment and the kinetic sensor we put on the door frame hasn't registered anyone coming in above baseline normal velocity."
"So much for a hunt, this is more like a fishing trip and just as exciting," Gavin Jansen the unit's Catcher fumed as he spun in his chair.
"Can that talk Jansen," Commander Baxter glared at the man, "we are in this because you missed the target. If you had coordinated with Stone and Worrell like you were supposed to, we would have wrapped up this operation hours ago. As is we are dangerously close to turning this into another Cincinnati situation, and you know what that cost those members of the organization."
That threat silenced Jansen's backtalk immediately, he didn't want to prove to be a liability like the pitcher on that team, who brought the wrath of the Justice Department down for using a sonic device in a public area as well as allowed the theft of dangerous mutant artifacts from Humanity-First's museum. "Understood sir! The target won't get away twice."
"See to it that she doesn't," Holden Baxter stated as he continued to glare at the man, "a unit is only as strong as its weakest member, and there are plenty of hungry young recruits who would jump at the chance to have your assignment."
"Sir, I am receiving reports on the police band of a monster trashing buildings and property just a few blocks from the target area," Madison Amos explained as she redirected one of her surveillance drones to spot a large bestial man breaking cars and buildings by using a torn up stop sign as an improvised sledge, "from the looks of it we have a rager-brick in the area permission to engage?"
"Permission momentarily denied, where there's one freak throwing a fit more are bound to come out of the woodwork, including our target." Leaving his team to look on as the humanoid monster destroyed the street. "Besides the city is always looking for an excuse to conduct urban renewal in this area."
Watt Family Apartment
Sutton Apartments - Apartment 307
7:19 PM
POV: Chandra Defranks
Ramona had gotten off the phone with the last of the other local gangs an hour ago, oddly enough this Fo-Real from the Barracuda seemed to have guessed that I was hiding with Ramona, and without receiving confirmation that I was in the room thanked me for netting him a cool grand for my win yesterday and giving him an excuse to laugh at the Coleman sister's expense.
Not wanting to admit anything, Ramona and I instead decided to catch up on old times filling us in on each other's lives over the last two years. "Nice to see that Natroya and Taikeyla lording over you these last few years didn't hurt your grades any miss honor role." I commented ribbing my old friend on her constant straight 'A' average.
"Also helps me net a little pocket money," Ramona explained, "A few notes to clarify complicated areas in the reading assignments, or methods to memorize math formulas so that they don't have to sneak a formula sheet into a test has earned me a lot of gratitude that I plan to use to help insulate my mom and I from the Coleman's backlash now that I'm out from under their thumbs."
"Couldn't have happened to two people who were more deserving," I explained as we clinked our glasses of sweet tea together before the phone rang again.
Ramona got up to answer it and immediately turned as flush as a sister could, "Thanks for letting me know T-Rez, stay safe."
Ramona numbly hung up the phone as I walked over to her, "Ramona- what's wrong?"
"Some monster is tearing up the neighborhood near your grandmother's place," Ramona explained, "it's breaking in and out of buildings and tearing up the street. I'll be at your grandmother's apartment building soon."
I got up and began to take off my borrowed clothes and put my somewhat cleaned tracksuit back on, "Chandra what are you doing, if you go out the Knights will-"
"They'll have to catch me and so will this monster." I explained as I grabbed my helmet and put it on, "Now I'm sorry to ask but I need you to do me a couple of favors."
"Sure Chandra," Ramona replied as she began to return to normal, "whatever you need me to do I'll help, it's the least that I could do for you giving me the push that I need to free myself."
"First off I'm going to need you to get Granny Mertle to safety, just tell her that her Chandy-girl sent you and she'll know that I sent you." I explained giving my grandmother's embarrassing nickname for me and eliciting a snort from Ramona in the process.
"Alright, Chandy-girl," Ramona did her best to suppress the smile on her face. "What else?"
I steeled myself, "I think that I need danger to use my powers, I need you to throw something heavy at me." I could already see Ramona about to argue her way out of this, but I interrupted her, "No arguing Ramona, I need you to do this, Granny Mertle's life may be in danger!"
Ramona closed her mouth and grabbed an antique iron that they used as a door stop, picked it up and threw it at me as hard as she could. Sure enough, time began to slow down to a crawl until the iron weight was about a foot away from me and stopped. Satisfied that my powers were working again, I took the iron out of the air and set it back on the ground, not wanting to damage their walls besides I had time.
I made my way out the door and back down the stairs making sure to weave past anyone who might be out in the hall, soon enough I was down stairs and saw the super's room. Knowing that I'd need some way to fight while keeping my distance I entered the building super's office, returning the keys that I borrowed earlier while borrowing the metal bat that the old man used to bust up ice for roof parties during the Fourth of July.
"Alright whoever you are," I said to nobody in particular, "D-Caf is coming to show that you picked with the wrong girl's hometown!" Taking time to pop my glove and reset my pace before I left the building for my first real fight, I wonder if this was how Candance feels these days?
5 years 10 months ago - 5 years 9 months ago #54
by Insane Hiker
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In Front of the Sutton Apartment Building
Chicago, Illinois
7:31 PM CDT?
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
Two things became apparent, one I was starting to wonder if my choice in codename was really wise. I mean while it was true the only people who knew me by that nickname were folks that knew my old nickname were people that I was close to back then that included that opportunistic back-stabber Taikeyla. I fumed as I got out on the street and reset myself again, the matter of names was a moot point there was a monster that was in the middle of tearing up my grandma's neighborhood.
Granted that at this point the only thing that was moving was me and whatever those things I saw when I went too far without resetting my pedometer, something that thanks to the Ramona and the building I now knew worked in a full three-dimensions. While I would have to reset myself a few times on the trip there still wouldn't be too much time that would really go by between now and when I faced down whatever the hell was doing this.
Crap that was the real problem- just how would I deal with this, according to Ramona's contact whatever this was could tear street signs out of concrete and bust through walls. From what I knew through Candance that would likely mean not only strong but also tough- and as useful as stopping time was it didn't do much in a straight up fight. Okay so I could still move things without snapping back into normal time and had a metal bat with me, I would still stand little chance in a real fight. No if I was to stand I chance I would have to fight whatever this was with brains and strategy because brute force was not an option- I mean I was still on the mend from getting shot.
As I continued to make my way towards Granny Mertle's house I took the time to examine my surroundings, and by examine, I mean scrutinize. I literally had all the time that I needed right now, and I'd be a damned fool if I didn't use it to my full advantage. Whoever I was on my way tostop fight distract was a complete mystery and I needed every advantage I could get. Besides all I had on hand was a power to stop time that I still didn't understand, a baseball bat, and the smarts that I spent my very short life cultivating, I didn't have power, so I had to use strategy.
As I went along I took the time to note every pothole, uneven patch of concrete, low-hanging light or sign, anything that I could use to my advantage in the pending conflict. I hate to admit it, but I took the time to get to know my old neighborhood better now than I ever did when we still lived in the area, granted the westside of Chicago is no place to go exploring even in broad daylight. While most of the gangs and criminals tended to avoid the little kids- out of fear that it might provoke the locals into striking back...hard there were still dangers such as the druggies, sickos and non-local creeps who just didn't care who they victimized. Something I noted as I wandered into the alleys to scope them out and took note of the vagrants living in cardboard boxes, who may or may not be right in the head anymore.
Okay granted I knew one of them from the old neighborhood, who I recognized as I walked by him two-blocks away from my grandma's- an old Vietnam Veteran that everyone called Sargent Sherman. The man left his family years ago seeking help with the VA for his PTSD, unfortunately what little help they gave him was little more than a psychiatric band-aide and he wound up on the streets unable to hold onto a job. He usually sold recyclables that he rummaged out of the dumpsters or pan handled for money, I wanted to tell him to run but if I did there was no telling if I'd be able to stop time in time to help deal with the monster. Besides dressed the way I was I might risk triggering one of the poor man's episodes, at least Ramona seemed to have bleached the blood stains out of the white parts of my outfit and mending my suit while I was out.
Turning my head in shame I continued to take note of the environment as well as taking the time to maneuver around people who were fleeing from whoever this was, I was so close that I could begin to make this attacker out from the distance although it wasn't easy. As is all that I could make out of my potential opponent was that he was tall and big and wielding a stop sign like a one-handed axe. Granted I was a little muddy on the details of what was going on considering that everything that I saw was currently sepia-toned like an antique photograph in 3-D. Wanting to see more of what lay ahead I snapped my wristband a moment early, and almost wished that I hadn't as I looked at something that looked like it jumped out of a monster movie.
This behemoth reminded me of a monster that I saw from a bad horror movie that my team watched during a sleep-over Rawhead Rex, I mean his eyes were budging out, it's malformed mouth almost looked like a protruding muzzle of fangs, making the brute's nose look stubby and snout-like in comparison. Although it's nails were like claws and the and the brute who was in the process of tearing apart my grandmother's neighborhood was both about seven-feet tall and more ripped then a Russian body-builder on horse steroids from his ripped and tattered clothing I noticed that what-ever he was- who-ever he was he clearly didn't start out as a seven-foot muscle-bound monster.
All this evidence helped me come to one unfortunate fact this being was transformed, meaning that he was either a recent manifested like myself or this was a freaking Hulk-type rager. I all but frowned at the thought this was likely one of those unfortunates who Humanity-First liked to use as the poster-child for the dangers of mutants. This might be someone who was just transformed and freaking out not noticing what was going on and that turned blind panic into a rage-fueled one man wrecking crew.
My sympathy began to grow for this unfortunate soul as I inspected him more and more, while resetting myself behind him; just because I was sorry for him didn't mean that I was going to risk losing the element of surprise, something that I was going to desperately need should my current assessment be wrong. My vision now in color once more I began to take in the mutated possible-berserker, I needed more information before I chose to either work out a plan to fight this thing or else try to calm him down.
First off, I took a closer look at this person's hair, I know it might seem silly, but hair is made out of dead cells, a mutation might make it grow out or fall out but otherwise the evidence of what it looked like was still there. Fortunately, the mutation didn't affect the hair itself beyond the size of the head, it was black, bushy and cut into a fade-top that looked oddly familiar.
"Nah- it couldn't be!" I shook my head in denial as I continued to examine the individual, his skin was the color that you'd see on dirty-red bricks, a reddish-brown. So, there was a chance that this may be a local, plenty of fellow African-American's live on the westside and the chance of a local brother manifesting into a mutant was growing by the year.
That was when I looked down and noticed them, those shoes the beast was wearing- granted that they were torn as whoever this was burst through his sneakers when his feet grew but they were way too familiar to me. I remember that pair of hi-tops all too well, three months ago Victor was bragging about them to his crew while break-dancing just outside of the lunchroom- shortly before the lot of them got detention for bringing duck tape to school to strap down the broken-up cardboard boxes for their wannabe-gangsta dance pad.
Part of me didn't want to believe this, the punk who gave me so much grief about being a race traitor and shot me to pay me back for embarrassing the Coleman sisters was now a hulking brute tearing apart my Grandmother's neighborhood. Part of me didn't want to believe the absurdity of what was right in front of me, but the facts remained and were incontrovertible. While I might have wanted to deny it, there was no way those shoes would be in this neighborhood, I knew that those things cost a few hundred dollars, and if someone who lived around here had a pair of kicks that expensive- they would have sold them not wore them.
That still brought about another key point, Victor's father worked for Goodkind International a company with an anti-mutant stance that was so infamous that everyone knew they conducted genetic screenings of their staff's immediate family. Long before Victor hit his rebellious gangsta phase, he was a Goodkind Golden Boy touting the company line about the dangers of mutants, even going so far as passing out Humanity First pamphlets.
Flashback
Wednesday November 9th, 2005
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:19 PM CST
POV: Chandra DeFrank
Everyone in the team were stoked Candace had come up with some solid strategies for the season and we were about to put them to the test against the Carl Sandburg Lady Tigers this weekend. Considering that we came in Fourth at state last season chances were good that we'd have a solid run at the state championship this year.
"Now remember no matter how good our new plays are for this year we shouldn't use all of them so early in the season," Candace explained now that most of us were done eating lunch. "To that end we are going to begin the season using Monica's playbook and gradually phase out her plays and last year's plays with our new ones for the season. I'll explain which parts of those strategies we'll be using for the game during practice."
"Whatever you say Captain," Deb smiled, "after all Monica picked you for a reason and we trust her judgement."
"Nice to know that I have your support Deb," Candace returned Deb's compliment, "However I would rather earn it than just have it given unconditionally."
"Don't worry Candace," Nita spoke up as she looked at our captain, "there will be plenty of time to prove that you've got what it takes this season."
"Everyone," suddenly a voice cut through the lunchroom, someone had actually gone onto the stage and turned on the sound equipment. I looked up and saw that it was one of the kids in my US History class- Vernon...Hector...oh wait Victor- Victor Sandos. He was well a bit odd, the kid always came to class in a uniform, despite the fact that our school didn't have a uniform just a dress code.
"Every year more and more mutants are show to be hiding among us, and every year they show even more how dangerous they are- from self-appointed dictators like Gizmatic and Lord Paramount to sociopathic criminals like Mimeo, cold-blooded killers such as the Savage Six, and even complete monsters like Man-Bot and Maelstrom."
"We're not even safe in our own schools, recently two students at a private school in New York City were proven not only to be mutants but also the children of the super-criminal Doctor Diabolic." Victor continued to spout out his message while one of the lunch monitors went to get the principal. "This growing threat to all of us needs to be exposed- to that end Goodkind Industries has pioneered a simple process to detect the presence of these threats, all that it takes is a cotton swab of the mouth and in a week, they will reveal the presence of the Mutant Gene within the tested."
"With your support we can make the PTA implement these tests to see these hidden threats, and to show all of you proof I took the test a month ago and am proud to say that I am completely human. Remember its around our age when they get their powers, and the sooner we know about those who may be hiding among us the sooner we can-"
"Victor Sandos," the lunch monitor had returned with Coach Hand- figures everyone knew that he ate lunch in his office in the gym. "This is an unauthorized presentation and use of school equipment, you need to come with me to see the Principal young man."
"I'm just telling my classmates how we can keep the school safe!" Victor vocally defended himself, "Students and their parents deserve to know of potential threats in the school- threats to their lives."
"Well I'm certain that the principal will be very interested in hearing about your proposal," Coach Hand stated in a serious tone, "and you should have plenty of time to plan your pitch to the PTA because you are looking at least three days suspension for this stunt. Now report to the principal's office at once and that might be all that you are in for."
"You cannot silence the truth," Victor defended himself, "we deserve to know who is a threat hiding among us."
"Well you'll have plenty of time to think about that because I am going to recommend a solid week for your refusal to co-operate."
"The truth cannot be silenced!" Victor shouted to the entire cafeteria as Coach Hand marched onto the stage to drag Mister Sandos to the Principal's Office.
End Flashback
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Chicago, Illinois - Westside
7:31 PM CDT?
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
While that phase was sickening the one thing of it that never went away was his hate of mutants, even using the fact that Candace manifested as an excuse for mutants trying to undermine our people. He even boasted that he'd had his DNA tested and proclaimed that he was one-hundred percent Mutant Gene Complex free. Still his Golden Boy phase did highlight one thing, even if this was Victor, he wasn't a mutant and I knew for a fact that there were things that could turn Victor into a beast like this around- GNN liked to focus on one variety whenever they took shots at Kardonia's slave workforce.
While I doubt a big name like Gizmatic would give a crap about what happened in a westside Chicago neighborhood, the gun that Victor had on him while he tried to punctuate my weekly Parkour run with a bullet wound was way too heavy for him to be able to get on his own. Chances were good that whatever turned Victor into...this was from the same place as that rifle and that meant the Black Market.
"Damn to Coleman Sisters must be more connected than I thought to get their hands on this grade of mutagen." I mused as I began to case Victor's hulked out body, although the Hulk was a hell of a lot easier on the eyes then whatever Victor was now. "Damn, whatever you're on must be nasty you look like you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every damned branch on your way to the ground."
Looking him over for a moment, I took out the bat- too a few practice swings before striking him in the back with the bat...
"OW- WHAT THE HELL?!?" I shouted in a mix of surprise and pain as the recoil of striking the wanna-be gangsta turned hulking brute reverberated up my arm causing me to fall backwards and drop the bat in surprise. "Damn- the stuff you shot up with must have been industrial grade, gaah!"
My arms stung from the swing but thankfully the bat wasn't banged up too much from my botched attack, not to mention I was still in this time between seconds so I had the time to figure out how to work with this. One thing was for sure though whatever kind of mutant I was now didn't include super-strength or healing because my arms still kind of stung.
"Come on Chandra, you're not a thug- think- how do you deal with someone this beefy?" I asked myself as I looked over the monster that Victor has turned himself into, "Okay he's still ugly as sin but that's not much good for me to know, what else?"
I continued to look Victor over- his head looked kind of weird, whatever he used may have affected his brain...physically. The back end was larger while the front was slopped comparatively, from what I knew from science class the front part of the brain was all about higher thought while the back half had more to do with muscle movement, coordination and the like. He might be the same right now or he might be working through a case of cave man, I wasn't sure at the moment plus there were still other factors to consider.
I looked down south and noticed the bulge in his ripped jeans, "Damn Victor, I knew there's no way that your packed something like that normally- at your actual size you'd be walking around bow-legged." That got me thinking something else, the principal always made coaches walk kids in the athletics programs through the dangers of juicing. Given that the talk was unisex and mandatory that meant he had to go over the dangers of steroids to girls, going over the effects of artificial testosterone and their effects on a man's junk. Whatever was in Victor's system caused his to swell that meant that his body way likely being pumped full of testosterone and probably androgen, a quick look at his neck's bulging veins along with the look on his face meant that he was likely on an adrenaline-soaked rage fest.
This meant that reasoning with Victor right now was probably out of the question, provided he understood human speech at the moment; no- he was likely lashing out in a borderline-animalistic rage-fest at the moment. Come to think of it those giant nads would make a much softer target...no- last resort only I wasn't going to let what Victor had done to me drag me down to his level, I was better than that my mother and grandmother and even in the few times that he had come home from duty my father had taught me better than that.
Let me see, wait now that I think about it as big and ripped as we were at the moment his body looked like it was still put together the same way as a normal person. Yes, I looked Victor over again and I saw that as freaky as he was everything on him was put together exactly as it would be on a human being, that mean that even as bulky as he was everything on him should move the same, every joint and every muscle. That meant that he had the same vulnerabilities as an ordinary person, I just had to hit a lot harder than normal- fortunately I had the right tool for the job and knew where around here I could find more tools to work with.
I picked the metal bat back up and looked at Victor again, "You know I might say that this will hurt me a lot more than it does you, but my momma didn't raise me to be a liar!"
Before I struck this time, I decided to experiment, I already knew that if I touched someone physically I would drop back into normal time once more, but what if I used something like a bat to manipulate another person. I had just struck Victor with it, and while it taught me that right now that he was rather sturdy in the beefy places, it also showed me that I could use the bat to touch them. For the moment I knew that I didn't need force I needed leverage, to that end I set the bat down, I could always go back for it- time was literally on my side.
Taking a moment to reorient myself, I remembered the nearby buildings and what I knew about them, "Okay that's Mister André's building and I know that he likes to keep the outside clean, now if I remember right he leaves his hose right over...here."
"I hope that Mister André doesn't mind me borrowing his garden hose," I mused for a moment before looking at the devastation that Victor's rampage had already made on the block, "something tells me that he'll forgive me since this will likely save his building- and most of the neighborhood, although it is nice to know that he's still living around here."
Taking the hose from its hiding place in the shrubs I came back over to Victor, who had slightly moved as I had reset myself a few times since leaving him. Carefully I wove the hose in-between his legs and around the left leg looping back to where I had begun, then used the bat to raise the hose up to Victor's knees while slightly reducing the slack to keep it in place. Before I knew it, I was ready, keeping the hose as taunt as I could I got a little distance with Victor in front of me before tying the ends of it around the bat.
Once that was done I began to turn the bat like a crank lever, it took what seemed like forever and once the hose began to pull on Victor's legs like I wanted it got difficult, but I kept it up. Eventually, even though with my arms starting to cry uncle, my efforts paid off his left leg began to pull in front of his right while his right leg began to bend at the knee. The going was slow but eventually Victor was down on his right knee which was pressing down on his left leg, satisfied that phase one was going alright I figured that it was time to begin phase two.
Untying the hose from the bat I tried to work the hose out from between his legs, unfortunately his right leg put a kink in that plan. "Okay so I can't use this hose on his arms too...or can I?"
Using the still free ends of the hose along with the bat to help me manipulate the hose some to try to use Victor's legs to restrain his arms. Unfortunately, this was not easy, for one Victor in his altered state was a lot taller than I was even with the bat and standing on my tip toes it was still hard to reach especially since his arms were half-raised and very close to his chest.
I had to be very careful because the moment I touched him time would unfreeze, and I was so close to him at the moment that even if I was in danger I don't know that my ability to separate myself from the flow of time would save me as time slowed itself to a crawl before stopping instead of happening instantaneously. Even with the rifle bullet that Victor shot at me earlier time was slowing to a crawl the moment I heard that shot, otherwise I wouldn't have had time to turn and look before the round had torn a chunk out of my leg.
It took some doing but I looped the ends of the hose over Victor's arms, fortunately the hose had enough length. Now it was time to put the revised step two into motion, I tied the end of the of the hose that the guided around Victor's right arm to the bat and walked around behind him. Leaving the bat there again I went back to grab the other end, although it had a lot more length then the right I tied it to the bat with the length from Victor and began to turn the bat again.
It took a while, although time was still only a matter of my perspective right now, but his arms were now pulled back with to Victor's chest with a narrow gap visible through them and as a bonus the street sign that he had been using as a weapon was pulled tight across his chest and he was pulled slightly towards the sky. Not wanting to avoid taking advantage of the situation I untied the hose from the bat again and began to carefully use it to tie him up using the sign as an anchor. This part was both slow going and nerve-wracking I had to be careful as I could one slip would start time again with me in physical contact with a partially restrained hulking rage-beast.
As I wrapped the final length of hose and tied my final knot (really wishing that I had stopped to raid the local used book store for a boy scout knot-tying manual) I was shaking from the adrenaline rush and dripping with sweat. Now finally out of hose I sat down and took in my work, even bound and tied up the mutated Victor was almost as tall as I was standing and at closer to eye level he was even more frightening. I tried to slowly breath and steady my nerves like I was taking a free-thrown but the adrenaline wouldn't stop surging through my veins as my heart continued to pound like crazy in my chest. "Calm down, you restrained him and moreover even if it wasn't enough time is still stopped- everything is fine- you can breathe. Okay granted that the Knights of Purity are still looking for me but here's hoping those power-suit wearing glory hounds will be happy with a man-beast who caused a few million in property damage as a consolation prize."
While I was ruminating over my choices I must have been pretty oblivious because I turned my head and noticed an oddly familiar face, that weird squirrel from earlier. Somehow that rodent from the park the only thing other than me that moved in this weird place between time had tracked me down and was just well...studying me. I had to admit that the little thing wasn't a threat but the whole situation was just...creepy.
"Well little guy I hate to say it both other than a conversation and entertainment I don't have anything to offer you," I explained to the park rodent, "so you're probably better off finding some oak tree to crawl around." Regardless of my words the squirrel just kept on studying me, I honestly didn't know what to make of the whole thing- just why was it here and why did it come to find me? The mystery on top of everything else that had happened to me today was just so...random.
Suddenly the squirrel finally made up its mind and ran across my legs, a moment that caused two things- me to fall backwards- and the two of us to fall back into the normal flow of time. As my bushy-tailed assailant scurried off the weird moment was cut short with by a murderous scream-
"CHAANDRAAA!!!"
I turned my head to see Victor in his bulky mutated form foaming like a rabid dog as he gnashed his teeth like a horse chomping at the bit. I guess that it was true as frightening as he was stopped he was too much like a wax dummy in a haunted house, now though he was freaking terrifying. Victor began to thrash about on the ground straining against both the garden hose and the stop sign, "On second thought I should have just borrowed one of the apartment's firehouses instead of a garden hose, that would have held him a lot better."
As the stop sign's post began to strain I began to look around for something- anything that could stop Victor until somebody arrived to do something, but even the baseball bat that I borrowed would do little against this angry monster once he snapped his bonds. Come to think of it from his angry scream at me earlier, I could tell that one thing about Victor hadn't changed, he still hated my guts. Crap that means one thing that I'd hate to consider being...human bait.
"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I looked and saw that Victor was and now bent the pole from that stop sign's post and was well on his way to snapping it clean in two. "Double crap."
As mad as he was at me I knew that I had to guarantee that the mutated punk followed me, "Hey Victor, your dancing sucks and you have all the rhythm of Barry Manalo you little wanna-be poser!" As mad as Victor was before that seemed to put him over the edge, I didn't know how much time had passed since everything went back to normal for me, but I really doubted Ramona had the time to get my Grandmother Mertle to safety, hell I doubted that she had even made it to this block yet. I knew that if anything I needed to keep Victor occupied so that they, and who knows how many others, the time that they needed to get to safety.
"Freeze mutant!" I heard from down the street in an all too familiar metallic voice, "By the power granted to us by the state of Illinois you and your accomplice are now under arrest, attempt to resist and we are authorized to use force."
Sure enough, the Knights of Purity were now here after I had stopped the rampaging monster, and now that they were they had the nerve to accuse a raging behemoth after my head of being like a partner in crime.
"Are you assholes kidding me," I threw up my hands in sheer disbelief as I inched back towards a nearby ally, "first you show up to kidnap me from an ambulance after I got shot while jogging in a public park, then you fire at me, and now that I stop this monster from wrecking my old neighborhood not only do you show up to arrest me- you actually accuse me of working with him."
"A likely story, we already have one reported case of assault from someone matching your description and powerset a mile from here a few hours ago." One of those armored goons said now that they had what looked like a net cannon trained on me, "More likely some vigilante stopped him, and you showed up to free your partner. Now surrender peacefully, you can give your deposition to the Mutant Commission Office from custody."
"So here we go from threatening to shoot me in the street for standing up to a mugger or turning me over to the MCO who are going to kill me anyway," I shot back, "With choices like that is it any wonder that you have such a bad reputation outside of news media owned by your boss's brother."
"Your story aside we have the authority of the State of Illinois to take you into custody by any means necessary," another power armor jock stated, one who I could tell was in charge of this dog and pony show. "Now this is your final warning, surrender or we will have no choice but to use force."
That was the moment that Victor picked to finally break his bonds with a ferociously howling, "CHAANDRAAA!" I knew that the next thing that was on his agenda was either to maul me like a wild animal, pummel me into paste, or just tear my head clean off my body. Fortunately, there was a Knight of Purity member standing nearby with a net cannon, unfortunately it looked like the net that it was loaded with was meant for me meaning that Victor was already working his way out of the net. This meant that more of the members of the Knights of Purity were needed to restrain him than they thought and those that weren't had their eyes off me.
"Psst- Chandra," I turned back towards the ally to see Ramona peeking out from behind the dumpster trying to quietly get my attention and not that of the Knights, "get over here quick while they're dealing with gruesome."
Slowly and as quietly as I could I sneaked over to the ally to join Ramona, feeling a mix of guilt and smug-satisfaction about Victor was being man handled and detained by one of the groups that he had been literally singing the praises of just a few years ago. As he struggled both to get free of the first net a larger power suit piled on top of him while another shocked him with a long pole as the one with the net launcher reloaded- hopefully with a much stronger net this time around.
"Warrel if Jansen fails everything is up to you." One of the Knights who I couldn't see was barking orders to another one of his men.
"Roger sir," the man who I presumed was named Warrel replied as he took aim at Victor with something that began to glow.
Flashback
Mister Brea's Place
5:17 PM
"Three lives must end before the child tastes control of her abilities," Grae-clops began to explain to those gathered, "for the moment she realizes how to control her powers is the moment that any control you may exert on her is lost. Moreover, when that happens the chance of the dark lady's gaze falling on you becomes not a matter of if but a matter of when."
"And do you know which three lives must be taken and how?" Mister Brea inquired without losing an ounce of composure.
Grae-clops responded with a smile showing her needlesque fangs to all, "Yes- For the girl's power to be yours the life of her peer turned enemy must be taken by those who pursue her..."
End Flashback
Chicago - Westside
7:58 PM
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
As I walked backwards into the ally I looked on in horror, as much as I hated Victor's attitude and everything that he'd done I didn't want him to get killed. Granted I wouldn't mind him spending a few years in Juvie for shooting me, but I didn't want him to die. But no matter what my wants and desires were in the matter the moment I stuck my neck out of the ally that I had just creeped into there was a team of highly armed and highly trained mutant hunters ready to kill me just as ready as they were to kill Victor.
I swallowed the splash of vomit that had just crept back up my throat at the thought of running away but even if I did stop time again I doubted that I could restrain Victor again with two Knights in the way. "Damnit," I whispered as I grit my teeth, "I don't like this one bit."
As Ramona and I continued to retreat into the back-alleys I had this gnawing feeling in my gut, it wasn't just leaving Victor to his fate. I didn't know just what it was but there was something else that I felt that was wrong, but for the life of me I just couldn't put my finger on just what it was that felt...off.
That feeling continued until I heard a sharp crack and Ramona fell to the ground clutching her left leg. As I turned to help her I saw Taikeyla Johnson holding an all too familiar 9mm with a silencer, "Hello Ramona, I see that you found Chandra, very well done. Oh, sorry for the new pencil-holder but I had to see that the rat who thought that she could throw me to the wolves didn't slink off into the sewers with her bestie."
"Taikeyla, what the hell is wrong with you?" I looked up at girl I once thought was my friend who turned her back on me the moment a better deal came along, "She was your friend and you shot her?!?"
"She's a loose end DeFrank," Taikeyla replied with a cold and narrow tone to her voice, "A new world is on the horizons, every day there are more and more people with real power or talent and every day I nobodies like me get left in the dust. Well here I have the chance to get my hands on some real power, something that will help me earn a little clout with the Colemans and the real players in town."
"Taikeyla I don't know what's going on in your head, but you're nuts." I explained with my hands on the ground not wanting to provoke another person with a gun this close to me for the second time in one day. "I'm a mutant, whatever I can do it's built in, I can't just hand it over!"
"That's where you're wrong Chandra," Taikeyla replied with a smile, "you're not a mutant. We have a line on a precog, Darisha had a line on a precog and they us that in a few years you'd get your hands on something that would really open you up to power."
I thought about it but the only thing that I had now that I didn't before today was just one thing, "My helmet."
"Yup, now hand it over DeFrank," Taikeyla motioned from behind her gun, "or the next place that Ramona gets plugged won't be her ass."
I complied as I took off my helmet and handed it over to her, which she took with the hand that didn't have the gun trained on Ramona who was still in shock from the bullet wound. "I assume that you also had something to do with Victor back there."
"That punk followed orders like a show dog," Taikeyla smiled as she slapped the helmet on her head, "not that it was hard- that little silver spoon is so eager to prove he's a brother that we barely had to do anything to coerce him. Plus, he'll turn back to normal soon, that is if he survives the Knights and the withdrawal."
"All of this for power," I glared at her, "it really is all about you getting ahead isn't it."
"It's a nasty world for those without power DeFrank," Taikeyla continued to smile, "and soon that will be you. If you survive the Knights finding you covered in blood over a dead body. Now excuse me while I take your power before ending this show."
With that Taikeyla retracted the visor and closed the mouth-piece fully prepared to kill Ramona as soon as she got the reward for all her back-stabbing. What I didn't expect was Taikeyla to let out a blood-curdling scream, "What the hell monsters are everywhere, what did you do you bitch, no get away get away from me you freaks!"
Taikeyla then began to fire her gun at random throughout the ally before turning to aim back at Ramona who was still crying on the ground in agony, "You bitch, you're going to pay for crossing Taikeyla Johnson!"
"NOOOO!," I got up and screamed as Taikeyla in the grip of a crazed fury took aim at Ramona and fired.
Flashback
Mister Brea's Place
5:19 PM
Grae-clops continued through her needle-like teeth, "the life of an estranged friend who proved true must end by that of an estranged friend turned traitor..."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 41
In Front of the Sutton Apartment Building
Chicago, Illinois
7:31 PM CDT?
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
Two things became apparent, one I was starting to wonder if my choice in codename was really wise. I mean while it was true the only people who knew me by that nickname were folks that knew my old nickname were people that I was close to back then that included that opportunistic back-stabber Taikeyla. I fumed as I got out on the street and reset myself again, the matter of names was a moot point there was a monster that was in the middle of tearing up my grandma's neighborhood.
Granted that at this point the only thing that was moving was me and whatever those things I saw when I went too far without resetting my pedometer, something that thanks to the Ramona and the building I now knew worked in a full three-dimensions. While I would have to reset myself a few times on the trip there still wouldn't be too much time that would really go by between now and when I faced down whatever the hell was doing this.
Crap that was the real problem- just how would I deal with this, according to Ramona's contact whatever this was could tear street signs out of concrete and bust through walls. From what I knew through Candance that would likely mean not only strong but also tough- and as useful as stopping time was it didn't do much in a straight up fight. Okay so I could still move things without snapping back into normal time and had a metal bat with me, I would still stand little chance in a real fight. No if I was to stand I chance I would have to fight whatever this was with brains and strategy because brute force was not an option- I mean I was still on the mend from getting shot.
As I continued to make my way towards Granny Mertle's house I took the time to examine my surroundings, and by examine, I mean scrutinize. I literally had all the time that I needed right now, and I'd be a damned fool if I didn't use it to my full advantage. Whoever I was on my way to
As I went along I took the time to note every pothole, uneven patch of concrete, low-hanging light or sign, anything that I could use to my advantage in the pending conflict. I hate to admit it, but I took the time to get to know my old neighborhood better now than I ever did when we still lived in the area, granted the westside of Chicago is no place to go exploring even in broad daylight. While most of the gangs and criminals tended to avoid the little kids- out of fear that it might provoke the locals into striking back...hard there were still dangers such as the druggies, sickos and non-local creeps who just didn't care who they victimized. Something I noted as I wandered into the alleys to scope them out and took note of the vagrants living in cardboard boxes, who may or may not be right in the head anymore.
Okay granted I knew one of them from the old neighborhood, who I recognized as I walked by him two-blocks away from my grandma's- an old Vietnam Veteran that everyone called Sargent Sherman. The man left his family years ago seeking help with the VA for his PTSD, unfortunately what little help they gave him was little more than a psychiatric band-aide and he wound up on the streets unable to hold onto a job. He usually sold recyclables that he rummaged out of the dumpsters or pan handled for money, I wanted to tell him to run but if I did there was no telling if I'd be able to stop time in time to help deal with the monster. Besides dressed the way I was I might risk triggering one of the poor man's episodes, at least Ramona seemed to have bleached the blood stains out of the white parts of my outfit and mending my suit while I was out.
Turning my head in shame I continued to take note of the environment as well as taking the time to maneuver around people who were fleeing from whoever this was, I was so close that I could begin to make this attacker out from the distance although it wasn't easy. As is all that I could make out of my potential opponent was that he was tall and big and wielding a stop sign like a one-handed axe. Granted I was a little muddy on the details of what was going on considering that everything that I saw was currently sepia-toned like an antique photograph in 3-D. Wanting to see more of what lay ahead I snapped my wristband a moment early, and almost wished that I hadn't as I looked at something that looked like it jumped out of a monster movie.
This behemoth reminded me of a monster that I saw from a bad horror movie that my team watched during a sleep-over Rawhead Rex, I mean his eyes were budging out, it's malformed mouth almost looked like a protruding muzzle of fangs, making the brute's nose look stubby and snout-like in comparison. Although it's nails were like claws and the and the brute who was in the process of tearing apart my grandmother's neighborhood was both about seven-feet tall and more ripped then a Russian body-builder on horse steroids from his ripped and tattered clothing I noticed that what-ever he was- who-ever he was he clearly didn't start out as a seven-foot muscle-bound monster.
All this evidence helped me come to one unfortunate fact this being was transformed, meaning that he was either a recent manifested like myself or this was a freaking Hulk-type rager. I all but frowned at the thought this was likely one of those unfortunates who Humanity-First liked to use as the poster-child for the dangers of mutants. This might be someone who was just transformed and freaking out not noticing what was going on and that turned blind panic into a rage-fueled one man wrecking crew.
My sympathy began to grow for this unfortunate soul as I inspected him more and more, while resetting myself behind him; just because I was sorry for him didn't mean that I was going to risk losing the element of surprise, something that I was going to desperately need should my current assessment be wrong. My vision now in color once more I began to take in the mutated possible-berserker, I needed more information before I chose to either work out a plan to fight this thing or else try to calm him down.
First off, I took a closer look at this person's hair, I know it might seem silly, but hair is made out of dead cells, a mutation might make it grow out or fall out but otherwise the evidence of what it looked like was still there. Fortunately, the mutation didn't affect the hair itself beyond the size of the head, it was black, bushy and cut into a fade-top that looked oddly familiar.
"Nah- it couldn't be!" I shook my head in denial as I continued to examine the individual, his skin was the color that you'd see on dirty-red bricks, a reddish-brown. So, there was a chance that this may be a local, plenty of fellow African-American's live on the westside and the chance of a local brother manifesting into a mutant was growing by the year.
That was when I looked down and noticed them, those shoes the beast was wearing- granted that they were torn as whoever this was burst through his sneakers when his feet grew but they were way too familiar to me. I remember that pair of hi-tops all too well, three months ago Victor was bragging about them to his crew while break-dancing just outside of the lunchroom- shortly before the lot of them got detention for bringing duck tape to school to strap down the broken-up cardboard boxes for their wannabe-gangsta dance pad.
Part of me didn't want to believe this, the punk who gave me so much grief about being a race traitor and shot me to pay me back for embarrassing the Coleman sisters was now a hulking brute tearing apart my Grandmother's neighborhood. Part of me didn't want to believe the absurdity of what was right in front of me, but the facts remained and were incontrovertible. While I might have wanted to deny it, there was no way those shoes would be in this neighborhood, I knew that those things cost a few hundred dollars, and if someone who lived around here had a pair of kicks that expensive- they would have sold them not wore them.
That still brought about another key point, Victor's father worked for Goodkind International a company with an anti-mutant stance that was so infamous that everyone knew they conducted genetic screenings of their staff's immediate family. Long before Victor hit his rebellious gangsta phase, he was a Goodkind Golden Boy touting the company line about the dangers of mutants, even going so far as passing out Humanity First pamphlets.
Flashback
Wednesday November 9th, 2005
South Middle School - Lunch Room
Arlington Heights, Illinois
12:19 PM CST
POV: Chandra DeFrank
Everyone in the team were stoked Candace had come up with some solid strategies for the season and we were about to put them to the test against the Carl Sandburg Lady Tigers this weekend. Considering that we came in Fourth at state last season chances were good that we'd have a solid run at the state championship this year.
"Now remember no matter how good our new plays are for this year we shouldn't use all of them so early in the season," Candace explained now that most of us were done eating lunch. "To that end we are going to begin the season using Monica's playbook and gradually phase out her plays and last year's plays with our new ones for the season. I'll explain which parts of those strategies we'll be using for the game during practice."
"Whatever you say Captain," Deb smiled, "after all Monica picked you for a reason and we trust her judgement."
"Nice to know that I have your support Deb," Candace returned Deb's compliment, "However I would rather earn it than just have it given unconditionally."
"Don't worry Candace," Nita spoke up as she looked at our captain, "there will be plenty of time to prove that you've got what it takes this season."
"Everyone," suddenly a voice cut through the lunchroom, someone had actually gone onto the stage and turned on the sound equipment. I looked up and saw that it was one of the kids in my US History class- Vernon...Hector...oh wait Victor- Victor Sandos. He was well a bit odd, the kid always came to class in a uniform, despite the fact that our school didn't have a uniform just a dress code.
"Every year more and more mutants are show to be hiding among us, and every year they show even more how dangerous they are- from self-appointed dictators like Gizmatic and Lord Paramount to sociopathic criminals like Mimeo, cold-blooded killers such as the Savage Six, and even complete monsters like Man-Bot and Maelstrom."
"We're not even safe in our own schools, recently two students at a private school in New York City were proven not only to be mutants but also the children of the super-criminal Doctor Diabolic." Victor continued to spout out his message while one of the lunch monitors went to get the principal. "This growing threat to all of us needs to be exposed- to that end Goodkind Industries has pioneered a simple process to detect the presence of these threats, all that it takes is a cotton swab of the mouth and in a week, they will reveal the presence of the Mutant Gene within the tested."
"With your support we can make the PTA implement these tests to see these hidden threats, and to show all of you proof I took the test a month ago and am proud to say that I am completely human. Remember its around our age when they get their powers, and the sooner we know about those who may be hiding among us the sooner we can-"
"Victor Sandos," the lunch monitor had returned with Coach Hand- figures everyone knew that he ate lunch in his office in the gym. "This is an unauthorized presentation and use of school equipment, you need to come with me to see the Principal young man."
"I'm just telling my classmates how we can keep the school safe!" Victor vocally defended himself, "Students and their parents deserve to know of potential threats in the school- threats to their lives."
"Well I'm certain that the principal will be very interested in hearing about your proposal," Coach Hand stated in a serious tone, "and you should have plenty of time to plan your pitch to the PTA because you are looking at least three days suspension for this stunt. Now report to the principal's office at once and that might be all that you are in for."
"You cannot silence the truth," Victor defended himself, "we deserve to know who is a threat hiding among us."
"Well you'll have plenty of time to think about that because I am going to recommend a solid week for your refusal to co-operate."
"The truth cannot be silenced!" Victor shouted to the entire cafeteria as Coach Hand marched onto the stage to drag Mister Sandos to the Principal's Office.
End Flashback
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
Chicago, Illinois - Westside
7:31 PM CDT?
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
While that phase was sickening the one thing of it that never went away was his hate of mutants, even using the fact that Candace manifested as an excuse for mutants trying to undermine our people. He even boasted that he'd had his DNA tested and proclaimed that he was one-hundred percent Mutant Gene Complex free. Still his Golden Boy phase did highlight one thing, even if this was Victor, he wasn't a mutant and I knew for a fact that there were things that could turn Victor into a beast like this around- GNN liked to focus on one variety whenever they took shots at Kardonia's slave workforce.
While I doubt a big name like Gizmatic would give a crap about what happened in a westside Chicago neighborhood, the gun that Victor had on him while he tried to punctuate my weekly Parkour run with a bullet wound was way too heavy for him to be able to get on his own. Chances were good that whatever turned Victor into...this was from the same place as that rifle and that meant the Black Market.
"Damn to Coleman Sisters must be more connected than I thought to get their hands on this grade of mutagen." I mused as I began to case Victor's hulked out body, although the Hulk was a hell of a lot easier on the eyes then whatever Victor was now. "Damn, whatever you're on must be nasty you look like you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every damned branch on your way to the ground."
Looking him over for a moment, I took out the bat- too a few practice swings before striking him in the back with the bat...
"OW- WHAT THE HELL?!?" I shouted in a mix of surprise and pain as the recoil of striking the wanna-be gangsta turned hulking brute reverberated up my arm causing me to fall backwards and drop the bat in surprise. "Damn- the stuff you shot up with must have been industrial grade, gaah!"
My arms stung from the swing but thankfully the bat wasn't banged up too much from my botched attack, not to mention I was still in this time between seconds so I had the time to figure out how to work with this. One thing was for sure though whatever kind of mutant I was now didn't include super-strength or healing because my arms still kind of stung.
"Come on Chandra, you're not a thug- think- how do you deal with someone this beefy?" I asked myself as I looked over the monster that Victor has turned himself into, "Okay he's still ugly as sin but that's not much good for me to know, what else?"
I continued to look Victor over- his head looked kind of weird, whatever he used may have affected his brain...physically. The back end was larger while the front was slopped comparatively, from what I knew from science class the front part of the brain was all about higher thought while the back half had more to do with muscle movement, coordination and the like. He might be the same right now or he might be working through a case of cave man, I wasn't sure at the moment plus there were still other factors to consider.
I looked down south and noticed the bulge in his ripped jeans, "Damn Victor, I knew there's no way that your packed something like that normally- at your actual size you'd be walking around bow-legged." That got me thinking something else, the principal always made coaches walk kids in the athletics programs through the dangers of juicing. Given that the talk was unisex and mandatory that meant he had to go over the dangers of steroids to girls, going over the effects of artificial testosterone and their effects on a man's junk. Whatever was in Victor's system caused his to swell that meant that his body way likely being pumped full of testosterone and probably androgen, a quick look at his neck's bulging veins along with the look on his face meant that he was likely on an adrenaline-soaked rage fest.
This meant that reasoning with Victor right now was probably out of the question, provided he understood human speech at the moment; no- he was likely lashing out in a borderline-animalistic rage-fest at the moment. Come to think of it those giant nads would make a much softer target...no- last resort only I wasn't going to let what Victor had done to me drag me down to his level, I was better than that my mother and grandmother and even in the few times that he had come home from duty my father had taught me better than that.
Let me see, wait now that I think about it as big and ripped as we were at the moment his body looked like it was still put together the same way as a normal person. Yes, I looked Victor over again and I saw that as freaky as he was everything on him was put together exactly as it would be on a human being, that mean that even as bulky as he was everything on him should move the same, every joint and every muscle. That meant that he had the same vulnerabilities as an ordinary person, I just had to hit a lot harder than normal- fortunately I had the right tool for the job and knew where around here I could find more tools to work with.
I picked the metal bat back up and looked at Victor again, "You know I might say that this will hurt me a lot more than it does you, but my momma didn't raise me to be a liar!"
Before I struck this time, I decided to experiment, I already knew that if I touched someone physically I would drop back into normal time once more, but what if I used something like a bat to manipulate another person. I had just struck Victor with it, and while it taught me that right now that he was rather sturdy in the beefy places, it also showed me that I could use the bat to touch them. For the moment I knew that I didn't need force I needed leverage, to that end I set the bat down, I could always go back for it- time was literally on my side.
Taking a moment to reorient myself, I remembered the nearby buildings and what I knew about them, "Okay that's Mister André's building and I know that he likes to keep the outside clean, now if I remember right he leaves his hose right over...here."
"I hope that Mister André doesn't mind me borrowing his garden hose," I mused for a moment before looking at the devastation that Victor's rampage had already made on the block, "something tells me that he'll forgive me since this will likely save his building- and most of the neighborhood, although it is nice to know that he's still living around here."
Taking the hose from its hiding place in the shrubs I came back over to Victor, who had slightly moved as I had reset myself a few times since leaving him. Carefully I wove the hose in-between his legs and around the left leg looping back to where I had begun, then used the bat to raise the hose up to Victor's knees while slightly reducing the slack to keep it in place. Before I knew it, I was ready, keeping the hose as taunt as I could I got a little distance with Victor in front of me before tying the ends of it around the bat.
Once that was done I began to turn the bat like a crank lever, it took what seemed like forever and once the hose began to pull on Victor's legs like I wanted it got difficult, but I kept it up. Eventually, even though with my arms starting to cry uncle, my efforts paid off his left leg began to pull in front of his right while his right leg began to bend at the knee. The going was slow but eventually Victor was down on his right knee which was pressing down on his left leg, satisfied that phase one was going alright I figured that it was time to begin phase two.
Untying the hose from the bat I tried to work the hose out from between his legs, unfortunately his right leg put a kink in that plan. "Okay so I can't use this hose on his arms too...or can I?"
Using the still free ends of the hose along with the bat to help me manipulate the hose some to try to use Victor's legs to restrain his arms. Unfortunately, this was not easy, for one Victor in his altered state was a lot taller than I was even with the bat and standing on my tip toes it was still hard to reach especially since his arms were half-raised and very close to his chest.
I had to be very careful because the moment I touched him time would unfreeze, and I was so close to him at the moment that even if I was in danger I don't know that my ability to separate myself from the flow of time would save me as time slowed itself to a crawl before stopping instead of happening instantaneously. Even with the rifle bullet that Victor shot at me earlier time was slowing to a crawl the moment I heard that shot, otherwise I wouldn't have had time to turn and look before the round had torn a chunk out of my leg.
It took some doing but I looped the ends of the hose over Victor's arms, fortunately the hose had enough length. Now it was time to put the revised step two into motion, I tied the end of the of the hose that the guided around Victor's right arm to the bat and walked around behind him. Leaving the bat there again I went back to grab the other end, although it had a lot more length then the right I tied it to the bat with the length from Victor and began to turn the bat again.
It took a while, although time was still only a matter of my perspective right now, but his arms were now pulled back with to Victor's chest with a narrow gap visible through them and as a bonus the street sign that he had been using as a weapon was pulled tight across his chest and he was pulled slightly towards the sky. Not wanting to avoid taking advantage of the situation I untied the hose from the bat again and began to carefully use it to tie him up using the sign as an anchor. This part was both slow going and nerve-wracking I had to be careful as I could one slip would start time again with me in physical contact with a partially restrained hulking rage-beast.
As I wrapped the final length of hose and tied my final knot (really wishing that I had stopped to raid the local used book store for a boy scout knot-tying manual) I was shaking from the adrenaline rush and dripping with sweat. Now finally out of hose I sat down and took in my work, even bound and tied up the mutated Victor was almost as tall as I was standing and at closer to eye level he was even more frightening. I tried to slowly breath and steady my nerves like I was taking a free-thrown but the adrenaline wouldn't stop surging through my veins as my heart continued to pound like crazy in my chest. "Calm down, you restrained him and moreover even if it wasn't enough time is still stopped- everything is fine- you can breathe. Okay granted that the Knights of Purity are still looking for me but here's hoping those power-suit wearing glory hounds will be happy with a man-beast who caused a few million in property damage as a consolation prize."
While I was ruminating over my choices I must have been pretty oblivious because I turned my head and noticed an oddly familiar face, that weird squirrel from earlier. Somehow that rodent from the park the only thing other than me that moved in this weird place between time had tracked me down and was just well...studying me. I had to admit that the little thing wasn't a threat but the whole situation was just...creepy.
"Well little guy I hate to say it both other than a conversation and entertainment I don't have anything to offer you," I explained to the park rodent, "so you're probably better off finding some oak tree to crawl around." Regardless of my words the squirrel just kept on studying me, I honestly didn't know what to make of the whole thing- just why was it here and why did it come to find me? The mystery on top of everything else that had happened to me today was just so...random.
Suddenly the squirrel finally made up its mind and ran across my legs, a moment that caused two things- me to fall backwards- and the two of us to fall back into the normal flow of time. As my bushy-tailed assailant scurried off the weird moment was cut short with by a murderous scream-
"CHAANDRAAA!!!"
I turned my head to see Victor in his bulky mutated form foaming like a rabid dog as he gnashed his teeth like a horse chomping at the bit. I guess that it was true as frightening as he was stopped he was too much like a wax dummy in a haunted house, now though he was freaking terrifying. Victor began to thrash about on the ground straining against both the garden hose and the stop sign, "On second thought I should have just borrowed one of the apartment's firehouses instead of a garden hose, that would have held him a lot better."
As the stop sign's post began to strain I began to look around for something- anything that could stop Victor until somebody arrived to do something, but even the baseball bat that I borrowed would do little against this angry monster once he snapped his bonds. Come to think of it from his angry scream at me earlier, I could tell that one thing about Victor hadn't changed, he still hated my guts. Crap that means one thing that I'd hate to consider being...human bait.
"Crap," I muttered under my breath as I looked and saw that Victor was and now bent the pole from that stop sign's post and was well on his way to snapping it clean in two. "Double crap."
As mad as he was at me I knew that I had to guarantee that the mutated punk followed me, "Hey Victor, your dancing sucks and you have all the rhythm of Barry Manalo you little wanna-be poser!" As mad as Victor was before that seemed to put him over the edge, I didn't know how much time had passed since everything went back to normal for me, but I really doubted Ramona had the time to get my Grandmother Mertle to safety, hell I doubted that she had even made it to this block yet. I knew that if anything I needed to keep Victor occupied so that they, and who knows how many others, the time that they needed to get to safety.
"Freeze mutant!" I heard from down the street in an all too familiar metallic voice, "By the power granted to us by the state of Illinois you and your accomplice are now under arrest, attempt to resist and we are authorized to use force."
Sure enough, the Knights of Purity were now here after I had stopped the rampaging monster, and now that they were they had the nerve to accuse a raging behemoth after my head of being like a partner in crime.
"Are you assholes kidding me," I threw up my hands in sheer disbelief as I inched back towards a nearby ally, "first you show up to kidnap me from an ambulance after I got shot while jogging in a public park, then you fire at me, and now that I stop this monster from wrecking my old neighborhood not only do you show up to arrest me- you actually accuse me of working with him."
"A likely story, we already have one reported case of assault from someone matching your description and powerset a mile from here a few hours ago." One of those armored goons said now that they had what looked like a net cannon trained on me, "More likely some vigilante stopped him, and you showed up to free your partner. Now surrender peacefully, you can give your deposition to the Mutant Commission Office from custody."
"So here we go from threatening to shoot me in the street for standing up to a mugger or turning me over to the MCO who are going to kill me anyway," I shot back, "With choices like that is it any wonder that you have such a bad reputation outside of news media owned by your boss's brother."
"Your story aside we have the authority of the State of Illinois to take you into custody by any means necessary," another power armor jock stated, one who I could tell was in charge of this dog and pony show. "Now this is your final warning, surrender or we will have no choice but to use force."
That was the moment that Victor picked to finally break his bonds with a ferociously howling, "CHAANDRAAA!" I knew that the next thing that was on his agenda was either to maul me like a wild animal, pummel me into paste, or just tear my head clean off my body. Fortunately, there was a Knight of Purity member standing nearby with a net cannon, unfortunately it looked like the net that it was loaded with was meant for me meaning that Victor was already working his way out of the net. This meant that more of the members of the Knights of Purity were needed to restrain him than they thought and those that weren't had their eyes off me.
"Psst- Chandra," I turned back towards the ally to see Ramona peeking out from behind the dumpster trying to quietly get my attention and not that of the Knights, "get over here quick while they're dealing with gruesome."
Slowly and as quietly as I could I sneaked over to the ally to join Ramona, feeling a mix of guilt and smug-satisfaction about Victor was being man handled and detained by one of the groups that he had been literally singing the praises of just a few years ago. As he struggled both to get free of the first net a larger power suit piled on top of him while another shocked him with a long pole as the one with the net launcher reloaded- hopefully with a much stronger net this time around.
"Warrel if Jansen fails everything is up to you." One of the Knights who I couldn't see was barking orders to another one of his men.
"Roger sir," the man who I presumed was named Warrel replied as he took aim at Victor with something that began to glow.
Flashback
Mister Brea's Place
5:17 PM
"Three lives must end before the child tastes control of her abilities," Grae-clops began to explain to those gathered, "for the moment she realizes how to control her powers is the moment that any control you may exert on her is lost. Moreover, when that happens the chance of the dark lady's gaze falling on you becomes not a matter of if but a matter of when."
"And do you know which three lives must be taken and how?" Mister Brea inquired without losing an ounce of composure.
Grae-clops responded with a smile showing her needlesque fangs to all, "Yes- For the girl's power to be yours the life of her peer turned enemy must be taken by those who pursue her..."
End Flashback
Chicago - Westside
7:58 PM
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra DeFrank
As I walked backwards into the ally I looked on in horror, as much as I hated Victor's attitude and everything that he'd done I didn't want him to get killed. Granted I wouldn't mind him spending a few years in Juvie for shooting me, but I didn't want him to die. But no matter what my wants and desires were in the matter the moment I stuck my neck out of the ally that I had just creeped into there was a team of highly armed and highly trained mutant hunters ready to kill me just as ready as they were to kill Victor.
I swallowed the splash of vomit that had just crept back up my throat at the thought of running away but even if I did stop time again I doubted that I could restrain Victor again with two Knights in the way. "Damnit," I whispered as I grit my teeth, "I don't like this one bit."
As Ramona and I continued to retreat into the back-alleys I had this gnawing feeling in my gut, it wasn't just leaving Victor to his fate. I didn't know just what it was but there was something else that I felt that was wrong, but for the life of me I just couldn't put my finger on just what it was that felt...off.
That feeling continued until I heard a sharp crack and Ramona fell to the ground clutching her left leg. As I turned to help her I saw Taikeyla Johnson holding an all too familiar 9mm with a silencer, "Hello Ramona, I see that you found Chandra, very well done. Oh, sorry for the new pencil-holder but I had to see that the rat who thought that she could throw me to the wolves didn't slink off into the sewers with her bestie."
"Taikeyla, what the hell is wrong with you?" I looked up at girl I once thought was my friend who turned her back on me the moment a better deal came along, "She was your friend and you shot her?!?"
"She's a loose end DeFrank," Taikeyla replied with a cold and narrow tone to her voice, "A new world is on the horizons, every day there are more and more people with real power or talent and every day I nobodies like me get left in the dust. Well here I have the chance to get my hands on some real power, something that will help me earn a little clout with the Colemans and the real players in town."
"Taikeyla I don't know what's going on in your head, but you're nuts." I explained with my hands on the ground not wanting to provoke another person with a gun this close to me for the second time in one day. "I'm a mutant, whatever I can do it's built in, I can't just hand it over!"
"That's where you're wrong Chandra," Taikeyla replied with a smile, "you're not a mutant. We have a line on a precog, Darisha had a line on a precog and they us that in a few years you'd get your hands on something that would really open you up to power."
I thought about it but the only thing that I had now that I didn't before today was just one thing, "My helmet."
"Yup, now hand it over DeFrank," Taikeyla motioned from behind her gun, "or the next place that Ramona gets plugged won't be her ass."
I complied as I took off my helmet and handed it over to her, which she took with the hand that didn't have the gun trained on Ramona who was still in shock from the bullet wound. "I assume that you also had something to do with Victor back there."
"That punk followed orders like a show dog," Taikeyla smiled as she slapped the helmet on her head, "not that it was hard- that little silver spoon is so eager to prove he's a brother that we barely had to do anything to coerce him. Plus, he'll turn back to normal soon, that is if he survives the Knights and the withdrawal."
"All of this for power," I glared at her, "it really is all about you getting ahead isn't it."
"It's a nasty world for those without power DeFrank," Taikeyla continued to smile, "and soon that will be you. If you survive the Knights finding you covered in blood over a dead body. Now excuse me while I take your power before ending this show."
With that Taikeyla retracted the visor and closed the mouth-piece fully prepared to kill Ramona as soon as she got the reward for all her back-stabbing. What I didn't expect was Taikeyla to let out a blood-curdling scream, "What the hell monsters are everywhere, what did you do you bitch, no get away get away from me you freaks!"
Taikeyla then began to fire her gun at random throughout the ally before turning to aim back at Ramona who was still crying on the ground in agony, "You bitch, you're going to pay for crossing Taikeyla Johnson!"
"NOOOO!," I got up and screamed as Taikeyla in the grip of a crazed fury took aim at Ramona and fired.
Flashback
Mister Brea's Place
5:19 PM
Grae-clops continued through her needle-like teeth, "the life of an estranged friend who proved true must end by that of an estranged friend turned traitor..."
Last Edit: 5 years 9 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: Fixing HTML Errors
5 years 9 months ago #55
by Insane Hiker
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Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
7:51 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Bored, bored, bored- gah this is so frustrating, I had to resist throwing my arms up in frustration at having to play the invalid. Being turned into a demi-succubae, while not part of my intended career choices had done me a large favor in healing all of the injuries that I suffered from being shot through my left lung and as well as the added bonus of not choking to death on my own blood. However there was a major downside; as far as everyone outside the small circle of those even inside the Midwestern Grand Hall Conglomerate controlled by Erzebet Scratch the number of those who even knew about The Sisterhood of whom I was a junior member was very small, hell before my transformation I had a mental block put into place that kept me from discussing it outside of anyone that I knew was part of the group who knew.
Now though I was not only a demi-succubae but a mutant demi-succubae, granted I knew given that I had the gene and both of my parents were dominant careers the chances of me manifesting were so high that I was actually looking forward to it about as much as most girls my age looked forward to their Sweet Sixteen. Crap there was another milestone of my youth that I was going to miss out on, not only would I have to lose touch with my best friends Erika Malveaux and Mallory Trombly, but I would have to lose touch with being Joan Drucker.
Granted I knew a long time ago that wasn't my real name just one that corresponded to my parents legal alias's no it was neither from the moment that I entered into protective custody with Axcel Incorporated with cooperation from the Witness Protection Program I was going to be Madeline Jacobs and by witness protection I mean one of the most brutal boot camps on the face of the Earth run by a soldier whose reputation made many with memories of their stay have flashbacks that nearly induced PTSD. Okay maybe I was slightly exaggerating, both of my parents were graduates of Dead-Zone's Training Camp as were most of the members of Shuffle's Sweepers, but from what I had heard that it was so brutal that many experienced and hardened mercenaries had to say Uncle afterwards either opting to work their way up the ranks the old-fashioned way or else leave for greener pastures elsewhere.
Keeping in mind that these were adults with several years on me, some of whom had worked as mercenaries for years on some of the nastiest corners of the world that they found Dead-Zone's camp too intense really was enough to make the sanest person nervous. Granted sanity or not I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, I was a member of The Sisterhood and wanted the chance to live my own life trying to learn how to be a Super-Hero rather than a Super-Villain. This meant that I had to go through with this trial to show Erzebet Scratch and the other elders of The Sisterhood that I not only had the willpower to keep my demonic nature hidden, but that I could do so under the most extreme situations for a sizable length of time.
I had to admit that my situation was far from ideal, but I was willing to work with it, granted that my dreams of being a super-hero had hit yet another snag. I knew that I'd likely have two stigmas to overcome being both a mutant (which was only a problem in the eyes of bigots) and the daughter of two super-villains (which meant that I'd be watched like a hawk. With both of those stigmas weighing me down now on top of that being partially demonic, I had a lot further to climb to reach my goals than I originally thought but at least it beat being dead which given where that gunshot actually hit I would have been in a couple of minutes had I not taken Elinore's offer.
'I still can't believe the damned MCO tried to take custody of me when I was listed as recovering from surgery,' I thought to myself, 'I mean I know that some of them are total a-holes catering to the Goodkind family or Humanity-First but I know that most of them are just doing their job, of course those who are mainly do so at the airports and at least they try to at least make themselves look more professional than the damned TSA.'
"Tom Petty you were right after all," I chuckled as I looked at the humming florescent lights overhead, "the waiting really is the hardest part."
Granted that this had nothing to do about trying to find love or that special someone, not that would really mean much to me at the moment- from what I knew Succubae like Elinore and Demi-Succubae like her grand-daughter and myself couldn't have kids of our own. Guess that means that the only way that I'd develop stretch-marks would be if I had a love affair with Hagen-Daus. No, the only waiting that was up to me at the moment was getting out of this place and leaving my old life behind me, even if I made it through the meat-grinder that lay in front of me what I had waiting for me was...
That made me wonder even more, four years of living a lie, four years of answering to a name that I had just heard a few hours ago, four years of pretending to only be a mutant while looking for friends and future colleagues at a school halfway across the country. Who am I kidding I wanted that- I wanted to try my luck with the Future Superheroes of America, I wanted to try to be what my parents never had the opportunity to be, I wanted to shine and inspire and help.
Helping how ironic that it was that and being a hero, which was what got me into this hospital bed as well as my current status as a hell-fiend. Not that I regretted what happened, the first time that I used my powers- that I awakened as a mutant it was to help one of my classmates fix a broken soundboard for the party, and I liked the feeling that it gave me to do so. It was like all the times that I worked with my dad on projects down in what he called his Face Lab, his lab for Axcel Incorporated, it was a good feeling doing something to help others knowing that it would be something that would in turn benefit people who just wanted to live their lives. Not only was it the first time that I used my powers, but it was also the when I was given a hint on why I wanted to use them, I wanted to use my powers to help to make people feel alive- to make them feel safe- I liked doing things like that.
Granted I had only a short time being just a mutant before I was shot, and my life changed again, Mallory one of my best friends had been seized by Joel Gibson at gun point after he had stolen data from my dad's booby-trapped dummy PC in our basement. He was using her as a hostage to escape with what he thought were stolen Axcel technical secrets, that was when I acted- I wasn't thinking I just acted I had to save my friend- I knew in my gut that if I let Joel take Mallory away that would be the last time that I saw her alive. I used my mom's combat training and one of my dad's shock gloves to attack Joel and save Mallory, while I saved one of my oldest and dearest friends it cost me my life when Joel or whoever he really was perforated my left lung, shot one of the arteries leading away from my heart, and left a third in my L4 vertebrae that would have left me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life if the other two wounds didn't kill me first.
That was when Elinore saved my life and made me what I am now, speaking of Hagen-Daus though I couldn't help but wonder about the strange young woman who visited me while it should have been impossible given the mystic and psychic perception-fields that they left on my room to hide the fact that I wasn't in surgery downstairs. Granted I doubt that I could ever forget that odd moment both with the way that the woman carried herself, as well as the odd confection that we both shared I was going to have to look that brand up after I got out of the training camp, that ice cream was borderline narcotic.
Granted that Kelsey woman was... well way too real, I mean I was just starting to open up to the supernatural given my new state of being. I couldn't help it the more that I think about that moment- the more that I think about her the more that it was like I was in the room with a force of nature. I tried to open my perception- open my mind as I looked where she sat and it was like I could feel something beyond ancient had been right in front of me, something that was not just a part of this world but a part of reality itself that was how real that she was and it was odd because I could only feel the echo of that encounter within me not in the room not anywhere else- there was more of a presence from the FBI agents that were here to talk to me about Joel than Kelsey. She left no sense of her being here because it was like she was as much a part of this world as the chair that she was sitting in when she talked to be, just who was Kelsey and what is the Wayfarer- this hand of destiny that she claims to be.
Dead-Zone's Training Camp
Pecos County, Texas
6:57 PM PDT
Zeke Manfried fumed as he kept up his currently humiliating task, mucking out the camp's latrines. No, this place couldn't have toilets with a septic tank like most places in hick America- no, Dead-Zone was old school military and that meant f*cking latrines. It was bad enough that he had been knocked down to a two and ordered to report to Dead-Zone's training camp, but this was beneath a man of his abilities. Just because his fight with the Plainswalker spilled over into an amusement park and he threw a Carcasite generator at a kid he had his status as a solo operative stripped, his equipment confiscated and stored and had to play whipping boy for a whole year before he'd be able to attend the camp proper and work at rebuilding his shattered reputation in the Sweepers.
"This sucks why can't any of the newbies do this?" Zeke all but growled from his place in the mire, "I mean if Dead-Zone wants to make this like boot camp shouldn't it be them?"
"He does but he has the cadets on other tasks," Corporal Reverent explained as she glared down at the necromantic devisor, "He has them working in squads either restoring the areas around the training camp to hide our presence or inspecting our surveillance equipment. If we get found out, we have to relocate everything and start over from scratch somewhere else and there aren't too many places that we can do that in this part of the country."
"And why are we putting in so much damned effort when he isn't even here," Zeke growled as he tried to pop out of the hole that he was in beneath the outhouse, "He left yesterday and hasn't come back yet so why are we busting our humps?"
"He was attending an auction in Vegas as Dustbowl's security, and after that he went to our storage facility to inspect it for the arrival of the goods that Mistress Scratch will be securing for some of the members of the Obsidian Circle." Corporal Reverent explained, "I hear that he will be here just before sun-up, in plenty of time to great the new recruits that Shuffle liberated from under the thumb of Charles Darrow."
That little tidbit shocked Zeke to his core, "Whoa, you mean that Shuffle actually managed to wrangle two of the Children of the Night away from The Necromancer?!? I thought that his men were hardcore loyalists or that he had so much dirt on them that they'd never get away alive."
"It's not impossible," Corporal Reverent explained, "one of them- Vamp snuck away and struck a deal with the Boston DA, I hear that she's at Whateley now."
"Good," Zeke smiled at the thought, "even I know that this life's not for everybody and Darrow's not the kind to give people much of a choice."
"Not even if they are in our line of work either," Corporal Reverent explained, "all that I know is that these two have records and are pros, evidently Darrow had something on them that Shuffle and Sureshot were able to do something about, so they signed up in gratitude one even looks like he might stick around after his slate with the Boss Lady is clean."
"So, they're coming here to fast track their way to face card status," Zeke chuckled over the fumes of the hole that he was working in, "I hope that they realize this isn't a cake walk. Hell, I have over a year of piss work before I even earn the right to go through basic again, I don't understand why the boss lady was so pissed off at me anyway- it was Plainswalker who started that fight in the first place."
"But you took it into a public amusement park and threw one of your Carcasite Generators at a child." Corporal Reverent explained for what she felt was the hundredth time. "You know Scratch's rules as well as the rest of us, if you have to high tail it from a fight do it away from bystander heavy areas. Hell, you could have taken the fight to the Ranger's Ballpark or Hurricane Harbor both of those barely have anyone there during the off-season and thrown your damned devise at a janitor or a rent-a-cop but no- you picked an open Amusement Park and tried to tag a toddler. This wasn't a rookie mistake either- with how long you've been active you should have known better, as is you are lucky that Carcharoth owes the success of his assignment with Mister Domino to your screw-up otherwise she'd have taken your key and tossed you into the Checkered Room to join Atonoz's swing band for all eternity."
"Instead I'm sitting in a boot camp for super-villains wadding through crap," Zeke remarked, "yeah I feel so lucky!"
Interrogation Room
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
8:19 PM CDT
Lilian DuPree looked on in horror as she and Greg Paulson were each guided to a set of stocks by more of the same undead abominations as the one that had kept watch over their cell for the last several hours. Four of them had guided them into the room with their wrists bound behind their backs through the use of collars attached to long poles.
The entire experience was both humiliating and terrifying, granted this was the first time that Lilian had been on the receiving end of such treatment but not the first time that she had observed it, she had seen something similar being utilized by her prior employers on the brat's mother about a decade and a half ago- she never thought that she'd ever sympathize with that genie bitch but here she was and if Greg had been telling the truth this would actually end much- much worse for her than that thing was going through now.
At present there were only three individuals in the room, that weird zombie in denial, the woman who took Lilian captive for Erzebet Scratch and oddly enough a young woman in a power suit holding a large bag. Lilian had given up trying to get a word out of any of them or even trying to bribe them after ten minutes, the woman in the power-suit actually rolled her eyes at the offer while her abductor actually laughed at the five-million plus that she had stashed in her Swiss Bank Accounts from prior jobs. She had to admit that whatever else she was, Scratch commanded loyalty, not fear DuPree knew the difference.
Eventually after what seemed like forever two figures entered the room, one a lanky giant of a figure whose sallow skin on his hands spoke more of a corpse and whose head was covered by a black sack. The noose whose rope was coiled around his right arm told everyone present that this was The Hangman.
The other figure somehow seemed even less human, its costume was either composed of wisps of smoke or else carefully layers black fabric to create that effect. It moved with such a grace that it was impossible to tell if it was walking or floating, all that either could see of that figure's face was a pair of crimson eyes dimly glowing from beneath the shadow of its hood.
"Erzebet Scratch I presume," Greg Paulson spoke up, "I know that it would be bad form to ask but are you going to kill me or torture me for information, because if it is the later I will save you the trouble and tell you anything you want. No deals, no pleading for my life, just don't give me to The Hangman."
"Bargaining with a realization that your life is already forfeit," Erzebet Scratch mused as she took in Greg's offer, "I will tell you Gregory, that little embarrassment you caused me in New York caused me to lose some face with the Obsidian Circle. Granted our rapid response and retrieval of most of your goods as well as giving the Circle a chance to trounce your employer while I gained two skilled recruits in the process does much to balm those wounds. I will generously offer you one of two choices, but first there is the matter of our other guest- with whom I will neither be so generous or merciful."
Erzebet motioned to The Hangman, who let his noose dangle about a foot off of the ground as the pair approached the stocks that secured Lilian DuPree in place as the terror grew on her face with each passing moment, "Wait, you were saying about wanting to impress The Circle, I know where the Cult of the Black Pharaoh is holding both of those genies, I might have just done a drop of this time but last time I was there in their temple. I can lead you right there!"
"Poor Miss DuPree," Erzebet shook her horned head from beneath her smoky robes addressing her in a chiding tone, "typical DeVille Academy graduate response too- do anything for money, slit any throat, throw anyone under the bus all to save your own conniving hide. If you knew anything about me then you would know what I do to anyone who tortures and victimizes children like you have, besides I don't need to make a deal to tell me anything, because soon you will tell me everything!"
With a wave of her hand the stocks flew open letting Lilian free, her restraints gone the fight or flight instinct told Miss DuPree to run, she made it three steps before Erzebet stated, "Mister Jones, if you would be so kind."
Fast as the strike of a western diamondback rattlesnake, Hezekiah Jones's noose found its way around Lilian DuPree's neck, then as it tightened a flash of light emanated from her mouth and eyes before she slumped to the floor.
Calmly the woman who had been waiting in the room with the prisoners alongside Rot and Reverent came over to Lilian's fallen body and went to work. Attaching some odd device to the now soulless corpse's back and another over her mouth, after a moment the now deceased body appeared to be breathing. "Lilian DuPree's body is currently resuscitated Mother, the wards in the room remain intact so the vessel remains empty."
"Thank you, Gale, my dear," Erzebet replied in a pleasant tone, clearly please at the woman's form of address. "Rot, she is all yours, no rush but our other guest still needs to be seen to tonight."
"Yez Daam Scradge," Rot replied as he shuffled forward, held out one of his decomposing arms and let a worm fall off, soon the odd-looking crawler slimed its way towards Lilian's face where it burrowed up her left nostril. A couple of moments after the worm disappeared entirely up the nose of the deceased woman the body began to thrash about, as if bidden by some unseen force, then equally as odd Lilian stood up. Taking a moment, the now reanimated body of Lilian DuPree seemed to be examining her body as if for the first time, before too long she got up on her feet turned towards Erzebet Scratch and smiled.
"Thank you for the body Madam Scratch, it's nice of you to give us one that is only dead in the spiritual sense they always last longer," Lilian DuPree stated in her usual voice and tone. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for all of the other vessels that you give us, it's just that well- this me is in great shape but you can count on me."
"That will remain to be seen Rot," Erzebet stated, "remember this, you still have fragments of her personality affecting your behavior, and it will take us time to trust someone like that completely."
"Understood, it's probably for the best that I put myself through Dead-Zone's Camp anyway." The new Lilian DuPree explained, "being in good shape with a good skill set is one thing but the old me wasn't exactly a team player."
"It's good to see that you remember that Rot, now I suggest that the two of you get going," Erzebet Scratch explained to the pair of reanimated bodies, "I expect a complete report of everything the new you know about the Cult of the Black Pharaoh's operations in Illinois on my desk by tomorrow afternoon."
"Understood ma'am," the new Lilian replied.
"Aye wahl sea too id Daam Scradge." Rot replied as the pair left the room.
Erzebet then turned to The Hangman and stated, "Hezekiah you are likewise dismissed, return to your crypt promptly and no detours."
"Yeah- yeah you demon," The Hangman replied in a voice like sandpaper, "I know the drill by now you slave-driver." As the undead behemoth likewise stomped out of the room leaving Greg Paulson alone with just Erzebet Scratch and the mysterious woman known as Gale.
"Now there is just the matter of you Mister Paulson," Erzebet Scratch stated as she looked over the remaining prisoner, "as I mentioned earlier you are being given a choice, a chance at a possible future within my organization in your next life, or a certain eternity playing backup in the swing band of our demon guard Atonoz." A door with a checkerboard motif appeared to the side through which a demon in a zoot suit could be seen playing a large piano accompanied by a band of tiny demons holding brass instruments and woodwinds before closing again.
"Possible- next life, what do you mean?" Greg asked in confusion when as if bid by some unspoken command Gale changed shape, her business attire faded away to reveal nubile curves whose modesty was only hidden by bands of fur. Atop Gale's head and from her back emerged two pairs of immature bat-like wings and from the small of her back emerged a thin-tail with only a tiny hint of a spade upon it. The three signs combined together with what little Greg Paulson knew of the occult to mean one thing, "Succubus."
"Demi-succubus actually," Gale explained, "I have yet to take the soul that would nurture my full-ascension into the sisterhood."
"This doesn't make sense succubae eat souls," Greg voiced his objections, "how would I have a chance to serve in my next life if I won't have a next life?"
"While it is true that my children must consume a soul to fuel their transformation into a full-fledged succubus, they do not in fact eat that soul." Erzebet Scratch explained as both pairs of her own batwings as well as her tail became visible, "That soul becomes a part of them, nurturing their own mystic abilities as the succubus carrying that soul in turn cares for and nurtures their ward."
"Wait nurture- next life- you mean!?!" Greg's jaw dropped as he put two and two together.
"Correct, the difference between the demi-succubae and the succubae of our breed is that succubae are expecting." Gale explained as she tenderly kissed Greg on the forehead, "We are asking you if you would like to take the chance at being reborn as my child, your craftiness and tenacity are certainly qualities that would serve you well in your next life if properly tempered."
"And how long will this take?" Greg inquired wanting to learn more before taking the plunge.
"The exact date is unknown," Erzebet sighed, "there is a prophecy in place the details of which are unimportant. However, if it comes to pass then all of our sisterhood will transform into our next state of being and all succubae of our sisterhood will give birth to our first generation of daughters."
"So just to recap my choices are to risk my soul being reincarnated as this woman's daughter or perform swing jazz for eternity as some demon's servant?" Greg Paulson sounded out the options.
"Correct, and this option remains on the table only until Gale leaves the room," Erzebet Scratch elaborated, "after that I shall turn you over to Atonoz, I understand that he is wanting a new trombone player, the last conscript was mediocre and was sent to train at Atonoz's estate in Asmodi for the next few hundred years. I understand that must rehearse with a demon that mimics his instrument every time he messes up, fails to care for the thing or angers it his practice instrument devours him and must reform from the resulting waste. I hope for your sake should you join the band that you are up to your new leader's expectations."
"There's no need," Greg screwed his face at the mental images now running through his head, "I'll risk the possibility of rebirth, it beats an eternity of jazz music."
With another wave of her hand Erzebet dismissed the stocks as Greg Paulson gently descended to the ground, supported only by Gale's hands. "I hope to see you again before too long." Gale explained as she tenderly kissed Greg Paulson on the lips, causing his entire body to turn ashen as his soul and essence flowed out from his body and into Gale's whose body likewise changed causing her wings and tail to grow as the velvet fur of her body shed while turning to leather. It was intense but soon Gale came to her feet.
"How does it feel to be an expectant mother my child?" Erzebet Scratch explained as she dismissed her costume taking the form of her succubus self.
"Empowering Mother," Gale explained, "my magic and powers feel like nothing else, I can't wait to see how my aerokinetic abilities are now."
"Take your time child," Erzebet patted Gale on the shoulder before ending in an affectionate squeeze, "we still have some time until we plan to expand into Wisconsin."
"I can also feel him or well her." Gale tenderly placed her hands just under her navel, "she's just a cell now but I can still feel her."
"Good," Erzebet replied, "because remember from now on you don't just fight for the future of the sisterhood or yourself, you also need to look out for her future as well. With that in mind you will also be fast-tracked to manage our new corporate interests in mentorship to manage our new agricultural chemical manufacturing plant in Fitchburg. I understand that you are from up north, granted from Illinois not Wisconsin, still you will be spending some time in Chicago managing the contracts for the new plant as well as supervising the expansion of the existing Milwaukee Chapter House up to our standards."
"I will mother," Gale steeled herself as she walked out the door transforming in her own costume as Gale the wind witch, "I will make all of us proud." Leaving the room and Erzebet Scratch behind who was now in her own costume, smiling behind her mask with pride for the woman who had just walked out the door.
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
8:47 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
I laid back in my hospital bed, still bored out of my skull all because of the fact that I was having to play an invalid until the sisterhood's delusion that the Hospital staff were under allowed my physician to release me to return home. I all but fumed at the indignity of it all, here I was fit as a fiddle and I had to lay back and play a gunshot victim until I was finally discharged. I wanted to scream, to make matters worse I could barely watch anything, ESPN was stuck with talking heads at this time of night, the normal networks were on their Sunday programing, of which I was not a fan.
I mean I had a choice between Seth MacFarlane's version of adult comedy, Desperate Housewives (reality TV- BLECH!), Deal or No Deal (another yawn of a game show), and Cold Case (the red-headed stepchild of the CSI franchise), to make matters worse the News channel was GNN which I refused to watch out of risk that I've break the TV after listening to some Tony Snow or Rush Limbaugh clone espousing the virtues of the administration, the treat of mutant supervillains and the evils of liberals (who these days just seemed like the second side of the same coin).
I wish they'd give me something to read, I mean I'd even take the operating manual of their CAT-scan machine, although I would actually be interested- people have no idea how hard it is to find the manuals for modern medical equipment unless you really know someone. Who am I kidding at this point I'd take a Time-Life home repair manual, granted they tended to gloss over all the fun stuff. I rolled my eyes as I remembered the time I borrowed one from the city library, I mean how hard is it to explain the internal combustion engine on a riding mower. Most folks would be thrilled to know how to tweak them for improved performance but no- I was only about how to fix, troubleshoot, and perform cursory repairs.
I remember I was ten when dad let me take apart our lawn mower, walking me through the mechanics as we went in our garage on his day off. Granted he pretty much had two after I dismantled the vacuum cleaner without permission when I was nine and spent two-weeks grounded at home until I not only put it back together but had to also write a paper explaining the mechanics that every component performed to his satisfaction.
Leave it to dad to figure out how to turn a punishment into something that was actually a little fun. Granted I kind of preferred dad's lessons and lectures to mom's, don't get me wrong I loved her but I preferred working on engines or soldering circuit-boards to learning how to escape a reverse-joint lock on my right-arm or spending time at a firing range. Wait why am I thinking about my parents all of a sudden?
"It's your newly emerging powers as a demi-succubae," Myra Haddix the succubus responsible for saving my life when she wasn't busy pretending to be her own grand-daughter Ellinore Jaffee explained. "Part what comes with your new status are an array of mystic and psychic abilities, including an empathic connection to those who are close to you. Your parents just arrived at Austin–Bergstrom International an hour ago and are on their way to see you right now, if you work on nurturing those powers you should be able to check in on them whenever you want."
'Honestly I don't plan on practicing with these powers,' I tried to focus my thoughts, 'I plan on using them as little as possible. Becoming a demi-succubus may have saved my life but I don't want that to be who I am. I have my own abilities, those are what I want to use that is who I want to be, I have my own plans and being an active member of the High Mother's Sisterhood or whatever, you want to call it is not on that list.'
The pause that elicited made me worry, had I just pissed off a powerful magic-user who had connections to an entire cabal of powerful magic-users and highly trained mercenaries (including my parents)?
"Stop with the fear and gloom kiddo," Myra all but sniffed over the link she had made with me, "I was just a little choked up with pride is all. I mean you're so young as both a sister and all together and you already have a goal in mind, any mother would be proud and as you dame I certainly am today."
'Dame?' I thought more than a little puzzled at Myra's choice of words.
"You know how vampires in fiction call the one who turned them their sire," Myra elaborated, "It's the same principal, I'm your dame just as Kampé is mine and High Mother Erzebet is hers. Just one of the many things that you need to be taught about the new you- I'm sorry we don't have a book or a pamphlet, but we can't afford the risk of someone who can't be trusted to learn about us let alone all of the ins and outs about how we work."
'I am serious though,' I stood firm over our link, 'I'm a techie at heart, just because I accept that magic exists and give it a healthy amount of respect doesn't mean that I want to learn about how to use it. In fact, if the big concern to the Sisterhood is about a one of them operating outside the organization then it's probably for the best that I use my powers as little as possible.'
"Another good idea already child," Myra all but beamed over our link, "But it's probably good to learn a little about your abilities, you need to know enough about them to keep them under wraps. Know enough to keep them hidden after all, you don't want to risk accidental spikes of telepathic and empathic abilities let alone the trouble that a random mana flare could cause."
'I get your point, learn enough to keep a lid on the abilities, especially the shape-shifting- I don't even know what the new me looks like.' I paused for a moment, 'I mean, I vaguely remember that you had two sets of wings and a tail.'
"Yes but yours should be far more immature," Myra elaborated sheepishly almost like she was about to give me The Talk, "Oh and don't be shocked by the fur, demi-succubae like yourself have a few stripes of short velvety fur on your bodies. The fur acts as a focus to help you maintain human form and blend in without revealing your nature, so whatever you do avoid trying to shave or wax it off."
"What!"
Riverlodge Apartments
Gale's Apartment
Austin, Texas
9:02 PM
The succubus known as Gale around the Grand Hall in her super-villain guise slumped back into her apartment, to say today had been eventful was an understatement. She had simultaneously ascended to becoming a complete succubus in the Sisterhood, been fast-tracked to run Axcel's new chemical plant in Wisconsin whose ground breaking was less than a month away as well as ear marked to run the Milwaukee Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom once they finished the acquisition of the existing organization for what it was.
For a moment she looked in bemusement at her wine rack, something that she was going to have to mothball for the foreseeable future given her new status of a mother with an indeterminant due date. "I guess that I'll get to test out the old saying that wine grows better with age." Gale mused aloud as she took everything into perspective.
Remembering Mother Erzebet's suggestion of looking up old acquaintances Gale looked at one of the photos that she had hanging around her apartment, an old kodak print that had been taken at her childhood home at the Our Lady of Graceful Charity's Chicago Chapter. A smile crossed her face as she recalled those happy days of youth, with that orphanage being an oasis after the dark days of her father's suicide following his being laid-off when a faulty acetylene torch exploded in his hand with the burns leaving him in pain for months. Come to find out that one of the friends that she made there Ruth Patrelli's late father was the man who raised objections about the quality of that equipment prior to his fatal accident.
Granted what Ruth didn't know was that the owner of the construction firm that had been receiving flak from Ruth's father Joe Patrelli for the new equipment was the brother-in-law of a board member of their new supplier- one who promised his in-law a nice kickback for a no-bid contract for some obviously substandard equipment. She also knew that Julio Ramos the owner of said firm was living pretty after years of such deals in Coconut Grove down in Miami and was debating placing a hungry alligator in his swimming pool masked by an imperceptibility charm just in time for his morning dip.
"Who am I kidding, I don't want some animal to be put down just to settle the score of some greedy bastard from a decade ago," Gale or as her real name went Abby Pustejovsky get and graded a sports drink from her fridge, "I want that bastard to die destitute in prison, too bad his brother-in-law went out easy with a heart attack not from suffering from his misdeeds; although if there is a Hell that condemns and punishes the greedy because I hope that he's down there right now suffering."
"Maybe I should call Ruth tomorrow to give her the good news, or well- half of the good news," Abby admitted to herself as she set her drink down on the kitchen counter, "after all not everyone in at the orphanage became part of The Family but at least she found one with the Sedgewick's."
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
9:17 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
This was beginning to get weird, I could actually feel my parents getting closer to where I was, I could be headed down the hallway right now. Okay I'll admit this succubus power could actually be super-useful but even I could see how it could be annoying- not to self-learn the mute feature on this one. While part of me wanted to fling myself at my parents I knew that one of the hospital staff would be accompanying them, and I was still having to be a good little demi-succubus and play the part of a gunshot victim recovering from serious surgery.
I continued to wait until mom, flung open the door- bolted over to me- and all but smothered me in a hug that I had been wanting all day long. "My baby, I'm sorry that it took so long to get back from New York, we tried everything that we could to get back as fast as we could but there was just so much that we had to take care of before we could leave, and you had to go through all of this alone and-"
"Alice please," dad worked with the doctor to pry mom off of me, "Joan just went through some major surgery, I understand how you feel but you don't want her to pop any of those sutures. Just because she's awake and stable doesn't mean that she is ready for you to go ubermom."
"But- but- my baby!" Mom pleaded, and I could tell that this wasn't really an act.
"Please, Alice be strong for Joan." Dad stated as he looked mom right in the eyes.
"All right Walter," Mom eventually deflated, "I'll try."
"Doctor, I know that it's late and that the hospital has a rule about visiting hours, but would you mind if we stay for a while." Dad asked the orderly, "I think some time together would do all of us a little good."
"I think that can be arranged," the doctor chuckled at the sight of my parent's embarrassing display, "I'll send the nurse on staff to fetch some linens and pillows for you in case you plan on spending the night."
"Alright," Dad replied, "just be sure to tell them to knock, since part of this was an attempt at the theft of my work I may be discussing some confidential matters that you and other hospital staff aren't legally authorized to hear."
"I understand sir," the orderly said as he made his way out of the room, "feel free to lock the door if you would feel more comfortable."
As the orderly left dad followed his advice locked the door and then went about setting up his sonic nullifiers on the door, walls, windows, ceiling and floor. Pausing to check his work and satisfied dad hit the switch on his watch activating the devices, "Okay we are free to talk, and the room is free electronic surveillance beyond your vital monitor equipment, which is rigged to unlock the door and cue a blue light in the hallway should you flatline."
"I doubt that would happen," I stated as I stood while taking care not to disconnect my cardio-monitor. "As long as I'm careful with the equipment and keep up my acting I should be fine until they let me come home. I hope that everything went alright in New York."
"Our mine sweeper drone demonstration went off without a hitch," Dad smiled, "we have a dozen orders from the Pentagon and several from NATO, SEATO and the UN currently being examined by legal. If everything goes according to projections we should have the world landmine free by 2021. Not to mention all the farm land that should free up without the threat of folks getting blown to kingdom come while plowing fields."
"By the way how are my Tomba's bots prototype going at the testing range?" I asked honestly curious about if my side-project to dad's own was coming along.
"I'm sorry dear," dad deflated, "There was a filter issue, on the field so your shrapnel sweepers need a little more fine-tuning before their ready for their debut. I also need a chance to sit you down with legal to go over the patent applications."
"Probably for the best that you didn't I sighed, I might want to release them under my new identity." I looked at the both of them, "I assume that you both got the news about what really happened right?"
"Yes," Mom, bowed her head and wept, "I can't believe that my daughter had to join the sisterhood to survive, I mean I'm happy for you I was just hoping to be a grandmother someday."
"You know you are still pretty young," I smiled, "and honestly I wouldn't mind no longer being an only child. It would have been fun to have a little brother or sister to embarrass the hell out of when growing up, of course even if you did I wouldn't be around too much."
"I know," Dad deflated with a sigh, "I heard that your new official residence is going to be in a company safehouse out of state for protective custody, not to mention the new name I can't believe that Erzebet won't let you take my last name."
"Come on dear," Mom gave a sad laugh, "could you blame them, Jacobs is a very common name. Plus, could you imagine how she'd get harassed at Whateley with Gompers as a last name, you remember growing up."
"If she gets to Whateley," Dad shook his head, "honestly dear I don't know what you were thinking Dead-Zone's camp is hard enough on adults with years of training and a better handle on their powers. There have even been recruits who tried to take their own lives over how grueling it was, a couple even succeeded."
"I know dad, but as things stand for me Whateley is my best chance to live a life like I want," I explained as best that I could, "and the only way that will happen is if Dead-Zone gives the okay. I know that this wouldn't be easy, but I know that if I want to live my life by my rules I'm going to have to give it my all."
"I know dear," Mom replied as she hugged me again, "just remember we'll always be there for you when you need us, even if we can't be there physically."
"I know but there is something that you can do for me," I explained, "since I won't exactly be able to come around once I start living my new life, I know about the Orphanage that Axcel runs, find some kid there who really needs it and spoil them rotten for me."
"I'm sure that can be arranged my little code monkey," Dad smiled as he ruffled my hair, "just know that you might get a visit from us as we really are, your mother knows a kid at Whateley who's in a similar situation to herself. They're kind of pen pals now, or well the real her- the girl doesn't show any inclination towards wanting to be a black hat though."
"Maybe I'll look her up after I clear this summer hurdle," I mused to which my dad gave me a serious look.
"Joan Dead-Zone's camp is no hurdle," Dad stated as serious as I had ever seen him, "it's a Seal Grade obstacle course the length of a marathon, go in expecting hell itself, because I promise you that Dead-Zone will deliver on those expectations and then some."
I looked on in shock, for a moment I wondered just what I had agreed to then I remembered why I had agreed to do it. "Dad the best thing that I can do is give this uphill battle my all, I will make you proud both proud of me!"
"Joan, we have always been proud of you," Mom, squeezed my shoulder, "and I will continue to be so as you become the woman inside that I always knew you'd be."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 42
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
7:51 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Bored, bored, bored- gah this is so frustrating, I had to resist throwing my arms up in frustration at having to play the invalid. Being turned into a demi-succubae, while not part of my intended career choices had done me a large favor in healing all of the injuries that I suffered from being shot through my left lung and as well as the added bonus of not choking to death on my own blood. However there was a major downside; as far as everyone outside the small circle of those even inside the Midwestern Grand Hall Conglomerate controlled by Erzebet Scratch the number of those who even knew about The Sisterhood of whom I was a junior member was very small, hell before my transformation I had a mental block put into place that kept me from discussing it outside of anyone that I knew was part of the group who knew.
Now though I was not only a demi-succubae but a mutant demi-succubae, granted I knew given that I had the gene and both of my parents were dominant careers the chances of me manifesting were so high that I was actually looking forward to it about as much as most girls my age looked forward to their Sweet Sixteen. Crap there was another milestone of my youth that I was going to miss out on, not only would I have to lose touch with my best friends Erika Malveaux and Mallory Trombly, but I would have to lose touch with being Joan Drucker.
Granted I knew a long time ago that wasn't my real name just one that corresponded to my parents legal alias's no it was neither from the moment that I entered into protective custody with Axcel Incorporated with cooperation from the Witness Protection Program I was going to be Madeline Jacobs and by witness protection I mean one of the most brutal boot camps on the face of the Earth run by a soldier whose reputation made many with memories of their stay have flashbacks that nearly induced PTSD. Okay maybe I was slightly exaggerating, both of my parents were graduates of Dead-Zone's Training Camp as were most of the members of Shuffle's Sweepers, but from what I had heard that it was so brutal that many experienced and hardened mercenaries had to say Uncle afterwards either opting to work their way up the ranks the old-fashioned way or else leave for greener pastures elsewhere.
Keeping in mind that these were adults with several years on me, some of whom had worked as mercenaries for years on some of the nastiest corners of the world that they found Dead-Zone's camp too intense really was enough to make the sanest person nervous. Granted sanity or not I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, I was a member of The Sisterhood and wanted the chance to live my own life trying to learn how to be a Super-Hero rather than a Super-Villain. This meant that I had to go through with this trial to show Erzebet Scratch and the other elders of The Sisterhood that I not only had the willpower to keep my demonic nature hidden, but that I could do so under the most extreme situations for a sizable length of time.
I had to admit that my situation was far from ideal, but I was willing to work with it, granted that my dreams of being a super-hero had hit yet another snag. I knew that I'd likely have two stigmas to overcome being both a mutant (which was only a problem in the eyes of bigots) and the daughter of two super-villains (which meant that I'd be watched like a hawk. With both of those stigmas weighing me down now on top of that being partially demonic, I had a lot further to climb to reach my goals than I originally thought but at least it beat being dead which given where that gunshot actually hit I would have been in a couple of minutes had I not taken Elinore's offer.
'I still can't believe the damned MCO tried to take custody of me when I was listed as recovering from surgery,' I thought to myself, 'I mean I know that some of them are total a-holes catering to the Goodkind family or Humanity-First but I know that most of them are just doing their job, of course those who are mainly do so at the airports and at least they try to at least make themselves look more professional than the damned TSA.'
"Tom Petty you were right after all," I chuckled as I looked at the humming florescent lights overhead, "the waiting really is the hardest part."
Granted that this had nothing to do about trying to find love or that special someone, not that would really mean much to me at the moment- from what I knew Succubae like Elinore and Demi-Succubae like her grand-daughter and myself couldn't have kids of our own. Guess that means that the only way that I'd develop stretch-marks would be if I had a love affair with Hagen-Daus. No, the only waiting that was up to me at the moment was getting out of this place and leaving my old life behind me, even if I made it through the meat-grinder that lay in front of me what I had waiting for me was...
That made me wonder even more, four years of living a lie, four years of answering to a name that I had just heard a few hours ago, four years of pretending to only be a mutant while looking for friends and future colleagues at a school halfway across the country. Who am I kidding I wanted that- I wanted to try my luck with the Future Superheroes of America, I wanted to try to be what my parents never had the opportunity to be, I wanted to shine and inspire and help.
Helping how ironic that it was that and being a hero, which was what got me into this hospital bed as well as my current status as a hell-fiend. Not that I regretted what happened, the first time that I used my powers- that I awakened as a mutant it was to help one of my classmates fix a broken soundboard for the party, and I liked the feeling that it gave me to do so. It was like all the times that I worked with my dad on projects down in what he called his Face Lab, his lab for Axcel Incorporated, it was a good feeling doing something to help others knowing that it would be something that would in turn benefit people who just wanted to live their lives. Not only was it the first time that I used my powers, but it was also the when I was given a hint on why I wanted to use them, I wanted to use my powers to help to make people feel alive- to make them feel safe- I liked doing things like that.
Granted I had only a short time being just a mutant before I was shot, and my life changed again, Mallory one of my best friends had been seized by Joel Gibson at gun point after he had stolen data from my dad's booby-trapped dummy PC in our basement. He was using her as a hostage to escape with what he thought were stolen Axcel technical secrets, that was when I acted- I wasn't thinking I just acted I had to save my friend- I knew in my gut that if I let Joel take Mallory away that would be the last time that I saw her alive. I used my mom's combat training and one of my dad's shock gloves to attack Joel and save Mallory, while I saved one of my oldest and dearest friends it cost me my life when Joel or whoever he really was perforated my left lung, shot one of the arteries leading away from my heart, and left a third in my L4 vertebrae that would have left me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life if the other two wounds didn't kill me first.
That was when Elinore saved my life and made me what I am now, speaking of Hagen-Daus though I couldn't help but wonder about the strange young woman who visited me while it should have been impossible given the mystic and psychic perception-fields that they left on my room to hide the fact that I wasn't in surgery downstairs. Granted I doubt that I could ever forget that odd moment both with the way that the woman carried herself, as well as the odd confection that we both shared I was going to have to look that brand up after I got out of the training camp, that ice cream was borderline narcotic.
Granted that Kelsey woman was... well way too real, I mean I was just starting to open up to the supernatural given my new state of being. I couldn't help it the more that I think about that moment- the more that I think about her the more that it was like I was in the room with a force of nature. I tried to open my perception- open my mind as I looked where she sat and it was like I could feel something beyond ancient had been right in front of me, something that was not just a part of this world but a part of reality itself that was how real that she was and it was odd because I could only feel the echo of that encounter within me not in the room not anywhere else- there was more of a presence from the FBI agents that were here to talk to me about Joel than Kelsey. She left no sense of her being here because it was like she was as much a part of this world as the chair that she was sitting in when she talked to be, just who was Kelsey and what is the Wayfarer- this hand of destiny that she claims to be.
Dead-Zone's Training Camp
Pecos County, Texas
6:57 PM PDT
Zeke Manfried fumed as he kept up his currently humiliating task, mucking out the camp's latrines. No, this place couldn't have toilets with a septic tank like most places in hick America- no, Dead-Zone was old school military and that meant f*cking latrines. It was bad enough that he had been knocked down to a two and ordered to report to Dead-Zone's training camp, but this was beneath a man of his abilities. Just because his fight with the Plainswalker spilled over into an amusement park and he threw a Carcasite generator at a kid he had his status as a solo operative stripped, his equipment confiscated and stored and had to play whipping boy for a whole year before he'd be able to attend the camp proper and work at rebuilding his shattered reputation in the Sweepers.
"This sucks why can't any of the newbies do this?" Zeke all but growled from his place in the mire, "I mean if Dead-Zone wants to make this like boot camp shouldn't it be them?"
"He does but he has the cadets on other tasks," Corporal Reverent explained as she glared down at the necromantic devisor, "He has them working in squads either restoring the areas around the training camp to hide our presence or inspecting our surveillance equipment. If we get found out, we have to relocate everything and start over from scratch somewhere else and there aren't too many places that we can do that in this part of the country."
"And why are we putting in so much damned effort when he isn't even here," Zeke growled as he tried to pop out of the hole that he was in beneath the outhouse, "He left yesterday and hasn't come back yet so why are we busting our humps?"
"He was attending an auction in Vegas as Dustbowl's security, and after that he went to our storage facility to inspect it for the arrival of the goods that Mistress Scratch will be securing for some of the members of the Obsidian Circle." Corporal Reverent explained, "I hear that he will be here just before sun-up, in plenty of time to great the new recruits that Shuffle liberated from under the thumb of Charles Darrow."
That little tidbit shocked Zeke to his core, "Whoa, you mean that Shuffle actually managed to wrangle two of the Children of the Night away from The Necromancer?!? I thought that his men were hardcore loyalists or that he had so much dirt on them that they'd never get away alive."
"It's not impossible," Corporal Reverent explained, "one of them- Vamp snuck away and struck a deal with the Boston DA, I hear that she's at Whateley now."
"Good," Zeke smiled at the thought, "even I know that this life's not for everybody and Darrow's not the kind to give people much of a choice."
"Not even if they are in our line of work either," Corporal Reverent explained, "all that I know is that these two have records and are pros, evidently Darrow had something on them that Shuffle and Sureshot were able to do something about, so they signed up in gratitude one even looks like he might stick around after his slate with the Boss Lady is clean."
"So, they're coming here to fast track their way to face card status," Zeke chuckled over the fumes of the hole that he was working in, "I hope that they realize this isn't a cake walk. Hell, I have over a year of piss work before I even earn the right to go through basic again, I don't understand why the boss lady was so pissed off at me anyway- it was Plainswalker who started that fight in the first place."
"But you took it into a public amusement park and threw one of your Carcasite Generators at a child." Corporal Reverent explained for what she felt was the hundredth time. "You know Scratch's rules as well as the rest of us, if you have to high tail it from a fight do it away from bystander heavy areas. Hell, you could have taken the fight to the Ranger's Ballpark or Hurricane Harbor both of those barely have anyone there during the off-season and thrown your damned devise at a janitor or a rent-a-cop but no- you picked an open Amusement Park and tried to tag a toddler. This wasn't a rookie mistake either- with how long you've been active you should have known better, as is you are lucky that Carcharoth owes the success of his assignment with Mister Domino to your screw-up otherwise she'd have taken your key and tossed you into the Checkered Room to join Atonoz's swing band for all eternity."
"Instead I'm sitting in a boot camp for super-villains wadding through crap," Zeke remarked, "yeah I feel so lucky!"
Interrogation Room
Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom - North Texas Chapter House
8:19 PM CDT
Lilian DuPree looked on in horror as she and Greg Paulson were each guided to a set of stocks by more of the same undead abominations as the one that had kept watch over their cell for the last several hours. Four of them had guided them into the room with their wrists bound behind their backs through the use of collars attached to long poles.
The entire experience was both humiliating and terrifying, granted this was the first time that Lilian had been on the receiving end of such treatment but not the first time that she had observed it, she had seen something similar being utilized by her prior employers on the brat's mother about a decade and a half ago- she never thought that she'd ever sympathize with that genie bitch but here she was and if Greg had been telling the truth this would actually end much- much worse for her than that thing was going through now.
At present there were only three individuals in the room, that weird zombie in denial, the woman who took Lilian captive for Erzebet Scratch and oddly enough a young woman in a power suit holding a large bag. Lilian had given up trying to get a word out of any of them or even trying to bribe them after ten minutes, the woman in the power-suit actually rolled her eyes at the offer while her abductor actually laughed at the five-million plus that she had stashed in her Swiss Bank Accounts from prior jobs. She had to admit that whatever else she was, Scratch commanded loyalty, not fear DuPree knew the difference.
Eventually after what seemed like forever two figures entered the room, one a lanky giant of a figure whose sallow skin on his hands spoke more of a corpse and whose head was covered by a black sack. The noose whose rope was coiled around his right arm told everyone present that this was The Hangman.
The other figure somehow seemed even less human, its costume was either composed of wisps of smoke or else carefully layers black fabric to create that effect. It moved with such a grace that it was impossible to tell if it was walking or floating, all that either could see of that figure's face was a pair of crimson eyes dimly glowing from beneath the shadow of its hood.
"Erzebet Scratch I presume," Greg Paulson spoke up, "I know that it would be bad form to ask but are you going to kill me or torture me for information, because if it is the later I will save you the trouble and tell you anything you want. No deals, no pleading for my life, just don't give me to The Hangman."
"Bargaining with a realization that your life is already forfeit," Erzebet Scratch mused as she took in Greg's offer, "I will tell you Gregory, that little embarrassment you caused me in New York caused me to lose some face with the Obsidian Circle. Granted our rapid response and retrieval of most of your goods as well as giving the Circle a chance to trounce your employer while I gained two skilled recruits in the process does much to balm those wounds. I will generously offer you one of two choices, but first there is the matter of our other guest- with whom I will neither be so generous or merciful."
Erzebet motioned to The Hangman, who let his noose dangle about a foot off of the ground as the pair approached the stocks that secured Lilian DuPree in place as the terror grew on her face with each passing moment, "Wait, you were saying about wanting to impress The Circle, I know where the Cult of the Black Pharaoh is holding both of those genies, I might have just done a drop of this time but last time I was there in their temple. I can lead you right there!"
"Poor Miss DuPree," Erzebet shook her horned head from beneath her smoky robes addressing her in a chiding tone, "typical DeVille Academy graduate response too- do anything for money, slit any throat, throw anyone under the bus all to save your own conniving hide. If you knew anything about me then you would know what I do to anyone who tortures and victimizes children like you have, besides I don't need to make a deal to tell me anything, because soon you will tell me everything!"
With a wave of her hand the stocks flew open letting Lilian free, her restraints gone the fight or flight instinct told Miss DuPree to run, she made it three steps before Erzebet stated, "Mister Jones, if you would be so kind."
Fast as the strike of a western diamondback rattlesnake, Hezekiah Jones's noose found its way around Lilian DuPree's neck, then as it tightened a flash of light emanated from her mouth and eyes before she slumped to the floor.
Calmly the woman who had been waiting in the room with the prisoners alongside Rot and Reverent came over to Lilian's fallen body and went to work. Attaching some odd device to the now soulless corpse's back and another over her mouth, after a moment the now deceased body appeared to be breathing. "Lilian DuPree's body is currently resuscitated Mother, the wards in the room remain intact so the vessel remains empty."
"Thank you, Gale, my dear," Erzebet replied in a pleasant tone, clearly please at the woman's form of address. "Rot, she is all yours, no rush but our other guest still needs to be seen to tonight."
"Yez Daam Scradge," Rot replied as he shuffled forward, held out one of his decomposing arms and let a worm fall off, soon the odd-looking crawler slimed its way towards Lilian's face where it burrowed up her left nostril. A couple of moments after the worm disappeared entirely up the nose of the deceased woman the body began to thrash about, as if bidden by some unseen force, then equally as odd Lilian stood up. Taking a moment, the now reanimated body of Lilian DuPree seemed to be examining her body as if for the first time, before too long she got up on her feet turned towards Erzebet Scratch and smiled.
"Thank you for the body Madam Scratch, it's nice of you to give us one that is only dead in the spiritual sense they always last longer," Lilian DuPree stated in her usual voice and tone. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for all of the other vessels that you give us, it's just that well- this me is in great shape but you can count on me."
"That will remain to be seen Rot," Erzebet stated, "remember this, you still have fragments of her personality affecting your behavior, and it will take us time to trust someone like that completely."
"Understood, it's probably for the best that I put myself through Dead-Zone's Camp anyway." The new Lilian DuPree explained, "being in good shape with a good skill set is one thing but the old me wasn't exactly a team player."
"It's good to see that you remember that Rot, now I suggest that the two of you get going," Erzebet Scratch explained to the pair of reanimated bodies, "I expect a complete report of everything the new you know about the Cult of the Black Pharaoh's operations in Illinois on my desk by tomorrow afternoon."
"Understood ma'am," the new Lilian replied.
"Aye wahl sea too id Daam Scradge." Rot replied as the pair left the room.
Erzebet then turned to The Hangman and stated, "Hezekiah you are likewise dismissed, return to your crypt promptly and no detours."
"Yeah- yeah you demon," The Hangman replied in a voice like sandpaper, "I know the drill by now you slave-driver." As the undead behemoth likewise stomped out of the room leaving Greg Paulson alone with just Erzebet Scratch and the mysterious woman known as Gale.
"Now there is just the matter of you Mister Paulson," Erzebet Scratch stated as she looked over the remaining prisoner, "as I mentioned earlier you are being given a choice, a chance at a possible future within my organization in your next life, or a certain eternity playing backup in the swing band of our demon guard Atonoz." A door with a checkerboard motif appeared to the side through which a demon in a zoot suit could be seen playing a large piano accompanied by a band of tiny demons holding brass instruments and woodwinds before closing again.
"Possible- next life, what do you mean?" Greg asked in confusion when as if bid by some unspoken command Gale changed shape, her business attire faded away to reveal nubile curves whose modesty was only hidden by bands of fur. Atop Gale's head and from her back emerged two pairs of immature bat-like wings and from the small of her back emerged a thin-tail with only a tiny hint of a spade upon it. The three signs combined together with what little Greg Paulson knew of the occult to mean one thing, "Succubus."
"Demi-succubus actually," Gale explained, "I have yet to take the soul that would nurture my full-ascension into the sisterhood."
"This doesn't make sense succubae eat souls," Greg voiced his objections, "how would I have a chance to serve in my next life if I won't have a next life?"
"While it is true that my children must consume a soul to fuel their transformation into a full-fledged succubus, they do not in fact eat that soul." Erzebet Scratch explained as both pairs of her own batwings as well as her tail became visible, "That soul becomes a part of them, nurturing their own mystic abilities as the succubus carrying that soul in turn cares for and nurtures their ward."
"Wait nurture- next life- you mean!?!" Greg's jaw dropped as he put two and two together.
"Correct, the difference between the demi-succubae and the succubae of our breed is that succubae are expecting." Gale explained as she tenderly kissed Greg on the forehead, "We are asking you if you would like to take the chance at being reborn as my child, your craftiness and tenacity are certainly qualities that would serve you well in your next life if properly tempered."
"And how long will this take?" Greg inquired wanting to learn more before taking the plunge.
"The exact date is unknown," Erzebet sighed, "there is a prophecy in place the details of which are unimportant. However, if it comes to pass then all of our sisterhood will transform into our next state of being and all succubae of our sisterhood will give birth to our first generation of daughters."
"So just to recap my choices are to risk my soul being reincarnated as this woman's daughter or perform swing jazz for eternity as some demon's servant?" Greg Paulson sounded out the options.
"Correct, and this option remains on the table only until Gale leaves the room," Erzebet Scratch elaborated, "after that I shall turn you over to Atonoz, I understand that he is wanting a new trombone player, the last conscript was mediocre and was sent to train at Atonoz's estate in Asmodi for the next few hundred years. I understand that must rehearse with a demon that mimics his instrument every time he messes up, fails to care for the thing or angers it his practice instrument devours him and must reform from the resulting waste. I hope for your sake should you join the band that you are up to your new leader's expectations."
"There's no need," Greg screwed his face at the mental images now running through his head, "I'll risk the possibility of rebirth, it beats an eternity of jazz music."
With another wave of her hand Erzebet dismissed the stocks as Greg Paulson gently descended to the ground, supported only by Gale's hands. "I hope to see you again before too long." Gale explained as she tenderly kissed Greg Paulson on the lips, causing his entire body to turn ashen as his soul and essence flowed out from his body and into Gale's whose body likewise changed causing her wings and tail to grow as the velvet fur of her body shed while turning to leather. It was intense but soon Gale came to her feet.
"How does it feel to be an expectant mother my child?" Erzebet Scratch explained as she dismissed her costume taking the form of her succubus self.
"Empowering Mother," Gale explained, "my magic and powers feel like nothing else, I can't wait to see how my aerokinetic abilities are now."
"Take your time child," Erzebet patted Gale on the shoulder before ending in an affectionate squeeze, "we still have some time until we plan to expand into Wisconsin."
"I can also feel him or well her." Gale tenderly placed her hands just under her navel, "she's just a cell now but I can still feel her."
"Good," Erzebet replied, "because remember from now on you don't just fight for the future of the sisterhood or yourself, you also need to look out for her future as well. With that in mind you will also be fast-tracked to manage our new corporate interests in mentorship to manage our new agricultural chemical manufacturing plant in Fitchburg. I understand that you are from up north, granted from Illinois not Wisconsin, still you will be spending some time in Chicago managing the contracts for the new plant as well as supervising the expansion of the existing Milwaukee Chapter House up to our standards."
"I will mother," Gale steeled herself as she walked out the door transforming in her own costume as Gale the wind witch, "I will make all of us proud." Leaving the room and Erzebet Scratch behind who was now in her own costume, smiling behind her mask with pride for the woman who had just walked out the door.
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
8:47 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
I laid back in my hospital bed, still bored out of my skull all because of the fact that I was having to play an invalid until the sisterhood's delusion that the Hospital staff were under allowed my physician to release me to return home. I all but fumed at the indignity of it all, here I was fit as a fiddle and I had to lay back and play a gunshot victim until I was finally discharged. I wanted to scream, to make matters worse I could barely watch anything, ESPN was stuck with talking heads at this time of night, the normal networks were on their Sunday programing, of which I was not a fan.
I mean I had a choice between Seth MacFarlane's version of adult comedy, Desperate Housewives (reality TV- BLECH!), Deal or No Deal (another yawn of a game show), and Cold Case (the red-headed stepchild of the CSI franchise), to make matters worse the News channel was GNN which I refused to watch out of risk that I've break the TV after listening to some Tony Snow or Rush Limbaugh clone espousing the virtues of the administration, the treat of mutant supervillains and the evils of liberals (who these days just seemed like the second side of the same coin).
I wish they'd give me something to read, I mean I'd even take the operating manual of their CAT-scan machine, although I would actually be interested- people have no idea how hard it is to find the manuals for modern medical equipment unless you really know someone. Who am I kidding at this point I'd take a Time-Life home repair manual, granted they tended to gloss over all the fun stuff. I rolled my eyes as I remembered the time I borrowed one from the city library, I mean how hard is it to explain the internal combustion engine on a riding mower. Most folks would be thrilled to know how to tweak them for improved performance but no- I was only about how to fix, troubleshoot, and perform cursory repairs.
I remember I was ten when dad let me take apart our lawn mower, walking me through the mechanics as we went in our garage on his day off. Granted he pretty much had two after I dismantled the vacuum cleaner without permission when I was nine and spent two-weeks grounded at home until I not only put it back together but had to also write a paper explaining the mechanics that every component performed to his satisfaction.
Leave it to dad to figure out how to turn a punishment into something that was actually a little fun. Granted I kind of preferred dad's lessons and lectures to mom's, don't get me wrong I loved her but I preferred working on engines or soldering circuit-boards to learning how to escape a reverse-joint lock on my right-arm or spending time at a firing range. Wait why am I thinking about my parents all of a sudden?
"It's your newly emerging powers as a demi-succubae," Myra Haddix the succubus responsible for saving my life when she wasn't busy pretending to be her own grand-daughter Ellinore Jaffee explained. "Part what comes with your new status are an array of mystic and psychic abilities, including an empathic connection to those who are close to you. Your parents just arrived at Austin–Bergstrom International an hour ago and are on their way to see you right now, if you work on nurturing those powers you should be able to check in on them whenever you want."
'Honestly I don't plan on practicing with these powers,' I tried to focus my thoughts, 'I plan on using them as little as possible. Becoming a demi-succubus may have saved my life but I don't want that to be who I am. I have my own abilities, those are what I want to use that is who I want to be, I have my own plans and being an active member of the High Mother's Sisterhood or whatever, you want to call it is not on that list.'
The pause that elicited made me worry, had I just pissed off a powerful magic-user who had connections to an entire cabal of powerful magic-users and highly trained mercenaries (including my parents)?
"Stop with the fear and gloom kiddo," Myra all but sniffed over the link she had made with me, "I was just a little choked up with pride is all. I mean you're so young as both a sister and all together and you already have a goal in mind, any mother would be proud and as you dame I certainly am today."
'Dame?' I thought more than a little puzzled at Myra's choice of words.
"You know how vampires in fiction call the one who turned them their sire," Myra elaborated, "It's the same principal, I'm your dame just as Kampé is mine and High Mother Erzebet is hers. Just one of the many things that you need to be taught about the new you- I'm sorry we don't have a book or a pamphlet, but we can't afford the risk of someone who can't be trusted to learn about us let alone all of the ins and outs about how we work."
'I am serious though,' I stood firm over our link, 'I'm a techie at heart, just because I accept that magic exists and give it a healthy amount of respect doesn't mean that I want to learn about how to use it. In fact, if the big concern to the Sisterhood is about a one of them operating outside the organization then it's probably for the best that I use my powers as little as possible.'
"Another good idea already child," Myra all but beamed over our link, "But it's probably good to learn a little about your abilities, you need to know enough about them to keep them under wraps. Know enough to keep them hidden after all, you don't want to risk accidental spikes of telepathic and empathic abilities let alone the trouble that a random mana flare could cause."
'I get your point, learn enough to keep a lid on the abilities, especially the shape-shifting- I don't even know what the new me looks like.' I paused for a moment, 'I mean, I vaguely remember that you had two sets of wings and a tail.'
"Yes but yours should be far more immature," Myra elaborated sheepishly almost like she was about to give me The Talk, "Oh and don't be shocked by the fur, demi-succubae like yourself have a few stripes of short velvety fur on your bodies. The fur acts as a focus to help you maintain human form and blend in without revealing your nature, so whatever you do avoid trying to shave or wax it off."
"What!"
Riverlodge Apartments
Gale's Apartment
Austin, Texas
9:02 PM
The succubus known as Gale around the Grand Hall in her super-villain guise slumped back into her apartment, to say today had been eventful was an understatement. She had simultaneously ascended to becoming a complete succubus in the Sisterhood, been fast-tracked to run Axcel's new chemical plant in Wisconsin whose ground breaking was less than a month away as well as ear marked to run the Milwaukee Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom once they finished the acquisition of the existing organization for what it was.
For a moment she looked in bemusement at her wine rack, something that she was going to have to mothball for the foreseeable future given her new status of a mother with an indeterminant due date. "I guess that I'll get to test out the old saying that wine grows better with age." Gale mused aloud as she took everything into perspective.
Remembering Mother Erzebet's suggestion of looking up old acquaintances Gale looked at one of the photos that she had hanging around her apartment, an old kodak print that had been taken at her childhood home at the Our Lady of Graceful Charity's Chicago Chapter. A smile crossed her face as she recalled those happy days of youth, with that orphanage being an oasis after the dark days of her father's suicide following his being laid-off when a faulty acetylene torch exploded in his hand with the burns leaving him in pain for months. Come to find out that one of the friends that she made there Ruth Patrelli's late father was the man who raised objections about the quality of that equipment prior to his fatal accident.
Granted what Ruth didn't know was that the owner of the construction firm that had been receiving flak from Ruth's father Joe Patrelli for the new equipment was the brother-in-law of a board member of their new supplier- one who promised his in-law a nice kickback for a no-bid contract for some obviously substandard equipment. She also knew that Julio Ramos the owner of said firm was living pretty after years of such deals in Coconut Grove down in Miami and was debating placing a hungry alligator in his swimming pool masked by an imperceptibility charm just in time for his morning dip.
"Who am I kidding, I don't want some animal to be put down just to settle the score of some greedy bastard from a decade ago," Gale or as her real name went Abby Pustejovsky get and graded a sports drink from her fridge, "I want that bastard to die destitute in prison, too bad his brother-in-law went out easy with a heart attack not from suffering from his misdeeds; although if there is a Hell that condemns and punishes the greedy because I hope that he's down there right now suffering."
"Maybe I should call Ruth tomorrow to give her the good news, or well- half of the good news," Abby admitted to herself as she set her drink down on the kitchen counter, "after all not everyone in at the orphanage became part of The Family but at least she found one with the Sedgewick's."
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
9:17 PM CDT
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
This was beginning to get weird, I could actually feel my parents getting closer to where I was, I could be headed down the hallway right now. Okay I'll admit this succubus power could actually be super-useful but even I could see how it could be annoying- not to self-learn the mute feature on this one. While part of me wanted to fling myself at my parents I knew that one of the hospital staff would be accompanying them, and I was still having to be a good little demi-succubus and play the part of a gunshot victim recovering from serious surgery.
I continued to wait until mom, flung open the door- bolted over to me- and all but smothered me in a hug that I had been wanting all day long. "My baby, I'm sorry that it took so long to get back from New York, we tried everything that we could to get back as fast as we could but there was just so much that we had to take care of before we could leave, and you had to go through all of this alone and-"
"Alice please," dad worked with the doctor to pry mom off of me, "Joan just went through some major surgery, I understand how you feel but you don't want her to pop any of those sutures. Just because she's awake and stable doesn't mean that she is ready for you to go ubermom."
"But- but- my baby!" Mom pleaded, and I could tell that this wasn't really an act.
"Please, Alice be strong for Joan." Dad stated as he looked mom right in the eyes.
"All right Walter," Mom eventually deflated, "I'll try."
"Doctor, I know that it's late and that the hospital has a rule about visiting hours, but would you mind if we stay for a while." Dad asked the orderly, "I think some time together would do all of us a little good."
"I think that can be arranged," the doctor chuckled at the sight of my parent's embarrassing display, "I'll send the nurse on staff to fetch some linens and pillows for you in case you plan on spending the night."
"Alright," Dad replied, "just be sure to tell them to knock, since part of this was an attempt at the theft of my work I may be discussing some confidential matters that you and other hospital staff aren't legally authorized to hear."
"I understand sir," the orderly said as he made his way out of the room, "feel free to lock the door if you would feel more comfortable."
As the orderly left dad followed his advice locked the door and then went about setting up his sonic nullifiers on the door, walls, windows, ceiling and floor. Pausing to check his work and satisfied dad hit the switch on his watch activating the devices, "Okay we are free to talk, and the room is free electronic surveillance beyond your vital monitor equipment, which is rigged to unlock the door and cue a blue light in the hallway should you flatline."
"I doubt that would happen," I stated as I stood while taking care not to disconnect my cardio-monitor. "As long as I'm careful with the equipment and keep up my acting I should be fine until they let me come home. I hope that everything went alright in New York."
"Our mine sweeper drone demonstration went off without a hitch," Dad smiled, "we have a dozen orders from the Pentagon and several from NATO, SEATO and the UN currently being examined by legal. If everything goes according to projections we should have the world landmine free by 2021. Not to mention all the farm land that should free up without the threat of folks getting blown to kingdom come while plowing fields."
"By the way how are my Tomba's bots prototype going at the testing range?" I asked honestly curious about if my side-project to dad's own was coming along.
"I'm sorry dear," dad deflated, "There was a filter issue, on the field so your shrapnel sweepers need a little more fine-tuning before their ready for their debut. I also need a chance to sit you down with legal to go over the patent applications."
"Probably for the best that you didn't I sighed, I might want to release them under my new identity." I looked at the both of them, "I assume that you both got the news about what really happened right?"
"Yes," Mom, bowed her head and wept, "I can't believe that my daughter had to join the sisterhood to survive, I mean I'm happy for you I was just hoping to be a grandmother someday."
"You know you are still pretty young," I smiled, "and honestly I wouldn't mind no longer being an only child. It would have been fun to have a little brother or sister to embarrass the hell out of when growing up, of course even if you did I wouldn't be around too much."
"I know," Dad deflated with a sigh, "I heard that your new official residence is going to be in a company safehouse out of state for protective custody, not to mention the new name I can't believe that Erzebet won't let you take my last name."
"Come on dear," Mom gave a sad laugh, "could you blame them, Jacobs is a very common name. Plus, could you imagine how she'd get harassed at Whateley with Gompers as a last name, you remember growing up."
"If she gets to Whateley," Dad shook his head, "honestly dear I don't know what you were thinking Dead-Zone's camp is hard enough on adults with years of training and a better handle on their powers. There have even been recruits who tried to take their own lives over how grueling it was, a couple even succeeded."
"I know dad, but as things stand for me Whateley is my best chance to live a life like I want," I explained as best that I could, "and the only way that will happen is if Dead-Zone gives the okay. I know that this wouldn't be easy, but I know that if I want to live my life by my rules I'm going to have to give it my all."
"I know dear," Mom replied as she hugged me again, "just remember we'll always be there for you when you need us, even if we can't be there physically."
"I know but there is something that you can do for me," I explained, "since I won't exactly be able to come around once I start living my new life, I know about the Orphanage that Axcel runs, find some kid there who really needs it and spoil them rotten for me."
"I'm sure that can be arranged my little code monkey," Dad smiled as he ruffled my hair, "just know that you might get a visit from us as we really are, your mother knows a kid at Whateley who's in a similar situation to herself. They're kind of pen pals now, or well the real her- the girl doesn't show any inclination towards wanting to be a black hat though."
"Maybe I'll look her up after I clear this summer hurdle," I mused to which my dad gave me a serious look.
"Joan Dead-Zone's camp is no hurdle," Dad stated as serious as I had ever seen him, "it's a Seal Grade obstacle course the length of a marathon, go in expecting hell itself, because I promise you that Dead-Zone will deliver on those expectations and then some."
I looked on in shock, for a moment I wondered just what I had agreed to then I remembered why I had agreed to do it. "Dad the best thing that I can do is give this uphill battle my all, I will make you proud both proud of me!"
"Joan, we have always been proud of you," Mom, squeezed my shoulder, "and I will continue to be so as you become the woman inside that I always knew you'd be."
5 years 8 months ago - 5 years 8 months ago #56
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Chicago - Westside Alley
8:09 PM
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra Defrank
"RAMONA!" I shouted at the top of my lungs watching in horror as Taikeyla pulled the trigger with her handgun aimed right at Ramona's chest, my heart seized, and time seemed to stretch on as I ran towards the projectile. Even though I knew that I was unable to stop time unless I was wearing a full suit and my helmet, which seemed to have driven the girl who once claimed to have been my friend further off her rocker than old Ecket Jenkins, I couldn't help it I needed to save Ramona- I had to save one of my oldest and dearest friends.
That was when I noticed how far I had gone and how everything was moving, they say that at times like this a moment can stretch on forever but for me it seemed like it was doing just that. I couldn't believe my luck, somehow, I had done it I was using my power without actually being in danger myself, granted this time was only slowed and not stopped it still gave me a chance to stop this- one that I would not waste.
Given that Ramona was on the ground- dealing with a bullet wound there was no way that I could move her out of the bullet's path, that meant that the only thing that I could affect at this point was the bullet itself. As the bullet slowly spun down its lethal path, I thought about grabbing the bullet and then remembered the bottle from that alley with the mugger, chances were if I touched the damned thing it would just speed up and kill my friend the moment that I did so.
Come on Chandra- think- what can you use to stop or steer the bullet off course. My first thought turned to the bat that I was using earlier but that just broke when mutant Victor got loose of the garden hose. As the bullet continued its deadly journey I went looking around, only seeing the dumpster that Taikeyla hid behind to ambush us I threw open the lid and looked inside to see salvation and laying amongst the bags of refuse were two phone books- the West Chicago Yellow Pages and the West Chicago White Pages.
"I hope that old myth holds true," I said out of desperation as I positioned the books along the slug's path over Ramona's chest and prayed to the big guy and as many angels that were listening that this worked. My adrenaline rush must have made my hands shake because my elbow slipped and as I touched Ramona the world sped up as the bullet hit. The bullet hit the phone books and though I felt the impact I could still feel Ramona breathing beneath me as I looked down in relief to see her looking up in gratitude that I had saved her again from the Coleman sister's efforts, the real danger remained though.
I looked up slowly at Taikeyla who opened the mouth and visor on my helmet, before putting it on she just looked crazed with power, now though she just looked nuts. "It was you, it was always you, why did you have to be special, why couldn't you be like the rest of us." Taikeyla let out a laugh, not one of crazed mania or villainous triumph, but one that was too pitiful for words, "I guess that it was too much to hope that I could be special too, you can only ride along for so long."
I watched in horror once more as she brought the handgun to her throat and not wanting to watch even someone like her die I shut my eyes as I heard the pop. Shortly before the I heard her hit the ground and her firearm hit the concrete of the alley. I continued to keep my eyes shut until I heard a voice ask, "Are you two honeys all right? I was taking cover a block over when I heard the shooting and found Natroya's little toady about to waste you two, then herself fortunately my little friend stopped her before she pulled the trigger."
I looked on as he held out what looked suspiciously like a police issue stun gun, "Isn't that a cop's shocker?"
"Yeah," the man explained, "they go a lot less ballistic when their stun gun's go missing than they do when their firearms pull a Houdini. Now I'll get Miss Watt's arms you get her legs we need to get out of, we need to get out of here before we get caught in the crossfire of that mess out on the street!"
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and why you're here!" I stood firm as I bent over to tend to Ramona's wounds, "My friend's hurt and the last thing that I'm going to do is take her somewhere with a strange guy who I know nothing about."
"My handle's Fo-Real, I'm with the 'cuda's, I was grabbing some Italian Beefs at Rosio's for me and my sister while we hunkered down until the Tin Men moved on then I heard the carnage while Gus was dishing us up and came to see what was going on. Next thing I know I heard started hearing pops and came to see Ramona on the ground and Taikeyla about to plug you both. By the way here you need somethin’ to use as gauze," Fo-Real stated before taking off his beanie pulling out a butterfly knife and cut it in half before handing me the pieces.
"Actually, she was about to off herself." I replied with having used the ski- cloth to help soak up the blood, I wish that I had some alcohol to disinfect it though, before making my way over to the incapacitated Taikeyla and taking my helmet back from her. "I believe this belongs to me you little opportunistic leech."
After I removed my helmet from her prone body, I did look down at her my old false friend with her eyes wide in terror over everything that she'd seen. Part of me wondered what she saw that freaked her out so much then I remembered what I saw myself when I traveled too far in-between moments of time, maybe without my power she saw whatever I did just without the filter. Those spheres and pyramids that I saw I never did stray so far in-between moments of time as to see what they really looked like beyond vague geometric shapes, maybe Taikeyla saw the whole enchilada without easing into it like I did- that would be bound to freak anybody out because I never ventured too far since worried that I would find myself part of that place's food chain.
With this in mind maybe it was time for a little mercy- and some payback for all of the suffering that she had helped the Coleman sisters inflict on Ramona and me over the years. "I do have something for you though," I said right before I socked her in the side of the jaw as hard as I could. "Alright Fo-Real lets, get Ramona someplace that we can get her looked at."
"There's a full first-aid kit over at Rosio's," Fo-Real explain as he took Ramona's shoulders, "it's also neutral ground, since nobody wants to mess up a place that so many of us go to grab a bite."
"I know," I smiled as I put my helmet back on, "my dad used to sneak me over there every time that he was back stateside. They still have that giardiniera that they use green and red bell peppers to balance out the celery."
"Course I said that we were going to Rosio's," Fo-Real explained, "you actually are Chandra Defrank right, girl whose team is in the state finals?"
"Yup," I explained as I carefully took Ramona's legs, "are you alright?"
"Much as I can be after getting shot," Ramona gritted out as she shook from the pain of her wound, "I knew Taikeyla was a bitch, but she took it to a whole other level."
"Got that right," Fo-Real huffed those Alley Vipers picked their handle well, "nothing but a bunch of snakes. Now let's get you patched up, no way I'm gonna' let a sister with the grit to tell them off sit hurting in a back alley!"
The two of us accepted his words about this but before we left and after I put my helmet back on I took the opportunity to kick Taikeyla's gun out of the alley and towards the street where from the sound of things the mutated Victor was still duking it out with the Knights of Purification. I may not like that groups of tin-plated jackboots, but I did trust that they'd see to it that a firearm that they found at the scene of a battle would make its way to the police evidence locker.
With that taken care of I glared at Taikeyla one final time at Fo-Real and I carried Ramona out the other side of the alley and down the street both as quickly and as carefully as we could towards Rosio's. Even with the sun set and the street lights up nobody was crazy enough to exit their apartments and were likely huddled together in the basements and laundry rooms waiting for the all clear to sound. Not that I blamed them most Chicago basements were built tough enough to bear the weight of a collapsed building a feature common in structures built after the Great Chicago Fire.
As we were about halfway to Rosio's I looked at Fo-Real and stated, "I suppose that this means I am going to owe you something, since you know who I am though you might as well know that I'm not rich or anything so don't expect any expensive favors."
"I was going to ask for a signed picture of your team for my sis, she's a big fan of yours," Fo-Real smirked, "but for that bit of lip I'm going to insist that you throw in a few pointers to her on her game. She's trying to be the next girl from the hood to make it big on the courts- wants to see if she can make the team too."
I all but laughed at just what he wanted, "I think that's do-able, never thought that I'd wind up a local role model though."
"Don't sell yourself short," Ramona gritted out sweat dripping from her as she toughed it out, "the *gaah* reason that the Coleman's hate you so much is that you give kids round here hope that they can make it too, that's they can be something without being a gang banger- no offence."
"Non-taken," Fo-Real remarked, "I don't just tag territory, who do you think did that spread behind Rosio's?"
"Come on," Ramona groaned, "The artist to that signed his name, Arthur F. Robertson, you expect to make us believe-"
"The F stands for Fonzarelli, mom was a fan of "Happy Days"," Fo-Real groaned, "she named me after The Fonz."
"Oh, you have got to be making that up," I shot back, "I refuse to believe that any mother around here would-"
"She also named my sis Joanie," Fo-Real stated which stopped my rebuke dead in my tracks, "not that I mind being named after the cool guy an old hit show but my sister kind of objects to being named after a character with the nickname Shortcake."
"Tell me about it," Ramona groaned half in pain, "my mom was a Beverly Cleary fan, I'm just lucky she didn't name me Beazus."
"I still don't get why you're being so chummy with a gang-banger?" I stated as I tried to avoid snarling.
"You've been away for a couple of years, so you probably don't know some of the things that those of us who stay in the hood do Chandra," Ramona explained, "Not all of the local gangs are like the Alley Vipers, the fact is that if there's a territory in a rougher part of town then a gang will try to claim it."
"Not to mention on this side of town the police are really slow to respond," Fo-Real stated, "if they do at all- same for the paramedics, firemen still do though- course a lot of the brigades and companies around here are staffed by locals. That means if you want to keep a block safe you have to make it territory of a gang that actually give a damn about their turf. We may call ourselves a gang but we're more neighborhood watch thugs then the like, a lot of the mom and pop places like us too because we make the neighborhood too scary for the chains and mega-franchises to move in and put them out of business."
"And I suppose those places around here are only too happy to pay you for your services," I stated as I glared at Fo-Real.
"Employee discount, we can take home leftovers if we want and we leave our money for said purchases at a spot that the owner picks out, so we can keep up the act." Fo-Real explained in a hushed tone, "we also try to scare away the tourists, this neighborhood is dangerous enough without some outta-towner's homicide stirring up shit around here."
"Plus, just because the Barracudas and a few others work like this doesn't mean that we all do." Fo-Real continued in a hushed tone, "The Erasers are just as bad as the Alley Vipers and the Skulls are the worst of the lot- word is that group's actually cartel muscle to protect the dealers. Plus, there are always muggers, tweekers and junkies of every stripe.
"And I suppose that your gang just does this out of the goodness of their heart." I deadpanned.
"I'm not that nice," Fo-Real jabbed back, "Dead tourists mean, bad press, bad press means the suits downtown get nervous, and nervous suits means fuzz chomping at the bit to crack down on the area. On the other hand, crap happens to the folks who live around here and nobody gives a shit, most of the cops who get this beat don't even bother getting out of their cars if they see trouble."
"I know that it sucks but for most of them we're not worth the paperwork or their time, and a lot of the ones who would care are too afraid of getting shot themselves." Fo-Real all but bit back his frustration, "The EMTs don't come here either, since their afraid of their ambulances getting looted and striped while they answer a call. Fact is Defrank you were lucky to get out of here those who don't get a ticket out of here are stuck here, part of the reason I want you to give my baby sis some advice on her game; she gets good enough by High School she might get a free-ride to college and a ticket out of here."
We were within sight of Rosio's when a white van with a logo of red, green and blue bars that interlocked like a triangle and the name Argonne National Laboratories pulled over alongside us. Almost immediately a man in a black suit got out and I had flashbacks towards my fear of the MCO after I ran from the Knights whose battle was still going on not too far away the next street over concealed from us by the brownstones that surrounded us.
Unfortunately, while part of me wanted to bolt, Ramona's condition and the fact meant that if I let go of her it would hurt her even worse than she already was, that on top of the fact that by the time I set her legs down and got far away enough to use my powers the agent would have likely opened fire. Even if Fo-Real was armed his position was even worse off- if he dropped Ramona the trauma would have sent her into shock and he'd likely have been dropped himself before he could get a shot off.
"Pardon me but by your outfit I would assume that you are Chandra Defrank," the suit explained as he stepped out of the van that looked packed full of way too much scientific equipment for my taste (what was it for mobile autopsies, "my name is Agent Philip Donovan, I'm with the Department of Paranormal Affairs. Pardon me for being so bold but I understand that you are overdue for your appointment at the public hospital, and from the look of it your friend needs some treatment as well."
"You mean you're not the MCO?" I asked honestly hoping that there was some silver lining in this situation.
"No," Agent Donovan stated as he pulled out his badge and let us look it over rather than just flashing the thing like some spook in a movie, "unlike the MCO I actually work for the federal government. I'm here to help provide security for you while everyone gets this incident straightened out, although from the size of your group I'm afraid that we're going to need to find some place more secure to stay while we wait for another ride."
"We were headed to Rosio's down the street," Fo-Real spoke up, "since you're a fed he should let us hunker down in the stock room, sides my sister's waiting for me."
"Understood young man," Agent Donovan accepted Fo-Real's suggestion before turning to whoever was still in the van, "take this young lady to the nearest emergency room, she's been shot!"
"Rush Oaks the closest with a real trauma unit," Fo-Real chimed in, "most of the rest are just Urgent Care and pill pushers."
"Got it," two men inside who looked less like spooks and more like legitimate scientists, with picture ID lanyards and everything, "we'll tell them to send the invoice to the DPA." One of them said as he took Ramona's shoulders from Fo-real.
"After all of this is over I should be able to forward this bill to Goodkind International for the Knights precipitating this whole affair." Agent Donovan replied as the two scientists loaded Ramona up into the truck, "call me when she's admitted to the ER."
"Understood Agent Donovan," the scientist replied as he laid Ramona down in the bed of the van, "we'll be there soon."
After the van shut its door and sped on its way Agent Donovan looked at us, as if there was something vital on his mind, "By the way this Rosio's wouldn't happen to sell anything to eat would it? Pardon me for asking but I didn't have anything for lunch but a stale back of Doritos from their snack box."
"Sure, as long as you don't mind Chicago-style Italian sandwiches," I remarked, I just hope that the Knights don't kill Victor before I have the chance to scream at his stupid ass for starting all of this."
"Are you saying that you know the person who shot you in Washington Park?" Agent Donovan inquired as we continued to make our way to Rosio's, pulling out a notepad and bald-point pen ready to take notes.
"Yeah, but let's wait until we sit down and eat," I pointed out, "I don't want to risk the Knights spotting me again."
"They had better think twice, if they attack you they attack me, and if they attack a government agent then that is it for the Knights of Purity." Agent Donovan explained.
"Really and since when would some blue-blood's private army care about the law?" Fo-Real asked making a point as we made our way up the intersection with Rosio's in site three streets down.
"Since the Patriot Act," Agent Donovan explained as he firmly affixed a copy of his government ID lapel, "plus after what the MCO pulled in Texas and New England over the last few months the Department of Homeland Security is looking for enough leverage to establish a tighter leash over Private Security Companies."
"What happened in Texas and New England?" I asked wanting to know wondering if it might have anything to do with what happened to Candace and her old friends from Pennsylvania.
"They were caught using advanced interrogation methods on a kid who had been placed under their care, the fact that he died soon after and was a Federal Witness made matters even worse." Agent Donovan explained, "As for New England that matter is confidential, and your friend may not be cleared."
"Then what about the Texas mess," Fo-Real pointed out, "what made you squawk about that?"
"It resulted in a wrongful death suit and court cases are public record," Agent Donovan stated as we crossed the street right to Rosio's Convenience Store and Deli- I really hoped that Pablo still double-dipped the Italian Beef on request.
Outside Alley
8:27 PM
The fact that a 9mm semi-automatic slid on to the street was of little concern to its current occupants. Granted one of the occupants only had a singular concern, "METAL MEN, KILL CHANDRAA!" VT all but roared as he shook his way free of the capture net that was currently shocking him.
Gavin Jansen looked on in a mixture of fear and disbelief as the berserk slab of meat that was the closest that he'd seen to a bonafide Hulk in a while, as the brute worked his way free of the electro-capture net. Hayden Worrell who had his blaster trained on the beast opened fire as soon as the beast got free of the net sending it hurtling three blocks down the street with a blast of concussive energy. As Gavin was busy reloading his net-launcher, Audry Stone and Adam Navarro readied themselves for a stagger and batter maneuver.
Before the raging mutate that VT had become could gather his bearings Audry struck with a series of high-speed strikes to the inside joints of this legs. This attack caused the brute to stagger which left him off his balance when Adam bum-rushed him knocking him to the ground. While this action was fast enough to leave VT on his back it not fast enough to avoid a glancing blow from the altered brute's right foot the left a noticeable dent in the leg of Adam's armor. Minor damage aside, rather than immediately capitalize on this coordinated effort; the pair instead fell back, this allowed their Pitcher Hayden to pin VT again with another blast of energy with this being the prelude to a series of blasts that pressed the brute into the asphalt.
"Alright," Holden Baxter, the team's leader stated over the com-line, "Jansen has reloaded, on the count of five cease fire to capture secondary target, Amos you are ordered to reestablish sight on the primary target and maintain sight until the rest of the team can re-engage. Understand, the primary target's full abilities are unknown, you are not to engage again until full back-up arrives."
"Understood commander," Madison Amos, the team's Short-Stop, replied over the com's as she engaged her suit's flight-pack taking to the roof-tops to her surprise it didn't take her long to reestablish a view on their primary target, especially since she was helping someone a male carry what looked like an injured girl down the street.
"Site-line reestablished on primary target," Madison explained over the radio, "however two civilians are in the area- one male and one female who appears to be wounded, primary target appears to be assisting. Target has yet to notice, permission to utilize our drop-ship's surveillance-drones and slave them to my video-feed to maintain surveillance at a distance."
"Permission granted," Commander Baxter replied over their coms, "deploying drones, also from here on out I'll be commanding from the field. I'll join you with the rest of the team once the secondary target has been secured and their power-cells are recharged."
"Roger commander," Madison replied as she tagged the incoming surveillance drones and with a few commands to her suit's on-board computer she was receiving video from the group over-head from both up the street as well as overhead.
Meanwhile the rest of the rest of the group continued to keep their opponent pinned with Hayden's energy blasts as Holden began to count over the com-line while Jansen took aim at his target, Five!
The group waited with baited breath as Hayden began another concussive blast, praying that the kinetic blast was enough as he had been ordered to swap it in from the suit's usual plasma cannon as they needed the target alive. "Four!"
Suddenly Hayden began to see the target convulse in between his shots as if there was some outside force beginning to act upon it, still he had his orders and kept up the heat. "Three!"
Without warning the target's body began to contract as if it was shrinking, since this was a live capture mission Hayden recalibrated the intensity between shots to lessen the force of the blasts. While Holden noticed this, he knew that his team was changing strategy to adjust mid-combat and continued the count, "Two!"
VT's body continued to contract amid the lessening impact of Hayden's kinetic blasts, he was almost half-way back to normal. "One!"
Hayden ceased fire as Jansen's proverbial finger's tensed on the trigger of his net launcher, however their target had not only contracted to human proportions, but he actually looked like he was emaciated, surprisingly the commander's next command wasn't fire, Restrain target! I repeat cease fire and restrain target!
"Commander?" Jansen responded almost mystified by the panicked shift in the commander's tone, "Can you copy that last order?"
"I said cease fire and restrain the secondary target soldier," Commander Baxter replied over the com-line, "This isn't a mutant or even a true enhanced individual, the secondary target's behavior and abilities are consistent with a black-market substance known as Nightmare Fuel. We need to retrain the subject and ready him for interrogation."
"Do you think the primary target has black market connections commander?" Jansen inquired wondering if their current operation may have brought them in over their heads.
"Negative," Commander Baxter drew from his experience as well as his observations so far, "if the target had any she would be using them to hide or get out of the city, not out on the street where we could find her. This could mean that a third party is trying to find and recruit the target, or at the least take custody of her. Amos, what are your observations on the target's companions?"
"Two teenagers, African-American, they look like locals but the one who was shot judging by her attire is at least lower-middle class." Madison Amos presented her analysis of what she observed through the lens of the surveillance drones, "The boy looks to be closer to high school age, I'm seeing a color motif on his outfit so he might be affiliated with a local street gang."
"While that might be a possibility the chances of a street gang having ties to the black market are slim," Commander Baxter observed while touching down, "Since this is where the suspect ran the chances are that she has a connection to this community, she was probably trying to hide with old acquaintances, the girl who was hurt might have been an accomplice."
"Commander Baxter," Madison called out over the com-line, "A van has just pulled up alongside the primary object and her accomplices and a man has gotten out."
"He might be related to the attack Amos," Commander Baxter observed as his team listened in while securing the now helpless VT, "Give me a description of any branding on the van, catch the license plate, make model and VIN if you can as well as any details of the van's occupants."
"Understood commander, the vehicle is a full-sized White 2002 Chevrolet Astro Cargo Van, I have a snapshot of the plates however I cannot get the VIN from this distance." Madison relayed over the line while Commander Baxter finally arrived on the scene of the fight to allow his fellow Knights to recharge their packs off of the portable generator in his suit. "A man in a suit just got out and appears to be talking with the primary target, he is pulling out a badge- I cannot make out the name but I am trying to increase resolution enough so that I can get the logo on the badge."
"While you do that do you see any branding on the van?" Commander Baxter coaxed his subordinate, "even if it is a cover it could be valuable intel."
"Argonne National Laboratories sir, two people from inside the van just appeared they seem to be loading the injured bystander into the van sir, they are wearing casual wear and have visible ID tags with the same logo as the van. I also see scientific equipment inside the van and am detecting a portable power-cell and what appears to be energy monitoring equipment inside. The van just drove off and the suit remained behind sir," Madison continued before she paused and stated, "Hold on, sir the resolution of my shot of the man's badge just increased enough for me to ID the organizational logo, he's with the Department of Paranormal Affairs sir!"
"Change of plans, everyone gather any stray equipment, we need to collect and deliver our prisoner into police custody, Amos continue to monitor the target but do not contact or engage, she's with a Federal Agent now." Commander Baxter almost fumed what he had hoped to be another feather in his cap instead turned out to be damage control, all that he could do right now was avoid sparking a government incident.
Rosio's Restaurant and Convenience Store
8:57 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Don't worry mom," I responded over the phone, "I'm fine, I'm with an DPA agent and waiting for the paramedics to meet me over at Rosio's, they're just going to look at me to make sure that the stiches Shelly gave me held and didn't get infected. After that all I need to do is make a statement to the police explaining what happened today and then I'll ask them to drop me off at Granny's place. I'm sorry that I won't be coming home, and I know tomorrow's a school day, but Agent Donovan told me that the people over at Argonne Labs."
"After everything why won't they just let you come home?" mom cried out over the phone, "Haven't you been through enough already today?"
Knowing that there was nothing that I could do to handle this situation I handed the courtesy phone over to Agent Donovan who was standing nearby, "I am sorry for the situation Mrs. Defrank and understand your frustration, however I think that your daughter deserves some rest after this ordeal in a familiar setting. We also need to run a few tests to see if we could better understand your daughter's new abilities and see if they might affect her health. Tomorrow I'll be escorting her over to Argonne National Lab over in Lincoln and we also sent for a team from the Arkham Research Center to monitor the test and help them create a file on your daughter."
"I understand your worries Mrs. Defrank but traveling at night will be too dangerous if someone decides to come after her. I'll contact the Police and have them provide a couple of officers to guard the building in the meantime please get some rest your daughter is in good hands." Agent Donovan stated before he handed the phone back to me.
"I'll be alright mom, Granny Defrank has a nice and secure room remember," I explained trying to help calm her down, "tell everyone that I'm fine and please call the school and explain things because I doubt that I'll be able to make it in tomorrow morning."
"I will but I still want you back home as soon as possible," mom stated over the phone.
"I will be and do me a favor, please try and save a few pieces of cake, something tells me that Ramona will need some cheering up after all of this, she was hurt a lot worse than I was."
"Just get to your Grandmother Mertle's safely," mom ordered over the phone.
"I will mom, and I love you too." I explained as I hung up the phone I found a grade-schooler looking at me clutching a pen and a spiral notebook. "Joanie, I presume?"
The girl almost squeaked when I talked to her, before telling the girl, "Just so you know I promised your brother that I'd get the rest of the team to autograph a picture of us however...hey Stan do you still have that polaroid?"
"Yup," Stan Rosio the owner of the restaurant explained as he took out the item in question, "but you know the drill, one for you- one for me. Especially since I'm staying open late, usally by now I lock up, flip the chairs and but on Bob Seger while I start cleaning."
"You clean to Bob Seger?" Agent Donovan responded an eyebrow raised in disbelief.
"I will never get too old to mop to "Old Time Rock and Roll" "Until it Shines"," Stan proudly proclaimed eliciting a groan from me since Granny Mertle has that album.
"Honestly Mister Rosio, any more puns like that and I'll have to cite your excessive cruelty to minors to the police when I give my statements tomorrow," I threatened the man.
"Hey like I care," Stan laughed, "the feds already have it out for me as is!"
"The IRS on you for not reporting your profits from the tip jar," Fo-Real guessed as he got to work with the camera.
"Nope the EPA is on me about my meatball marineras," Stan all but barked as he laughed, "they say I raised the neighborhood's CO2 and methane emissions by half a point after I put them on the menu!"
"Anyway, we're burn'en oil and it's close to my sis's bed time so," Fo-Real took aim with the camera and made his demand, "say chedda'!"
"Cheese!" I replied as I saw the flash. Soon Stan took the first photo from Fo-Real as the member of the Barracudas took a second picture and then set the camera down as the two both began fanning their pictures while Stan readied a fine-point sharpie. I can't believe I actually warranted a place on the wall granted recent additions paled in comparison to Stan's grandfather Giuseppe's days that included actual signed eight-by-ten glossies, including Roman Pucinski, Richard J. Daley, Thomas Fitzgerald, Orson Welles, and Muddy Waters.
While the contributions since those days when this area was a little nicer, were just taped up polaroid pictures they were no less iconic with Oprah Windfrey, Senator Barack Obama, Robin Williams, Eddie Vedder, John Hayden, band photos of The Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick, Do or Die, as well as three of the Champions and several team shots of the Bulls. "Are you sure that I've earned a place on the wall," I asked Stan out of concern, "after what happened to me I'm going to have to withdraw from the athletics program."
"You are one of the few neighborhood kids to lead a team to State," Stan stated, "not city local but neighborhood local, you earned your spot, and something tells me that you may replace that pic with something even better one day."
"I'll try to live up to your expectations Mister Rosio," I replied as I signed his and Joansie's pictures now that they had developed.
"See that you do," Stan replied as we taped up the photo, "and what do I keep telling you when your father brought you in?"
"That regulars can call you Stan," I smiled somehow feeling that Stan's prediction may hold some weight.
Toxicology Lab - Rush Oaks Park Hospital
10:27 PM
Lloyd Macdonald took another swig from his coffee, as crappy as the stuff was from the vending machine it beat the risk of the pot- people from pathology kept taking it down there and nobody wanted to use it but them until the thing was sterilized. It also didn't help that they had gotten a rush on samples from the Police Department, in-between the usual business that went down on this side of town and whatever else there was from the emergency room or urgent care facility he was swamped.
Thank goodness that because of the fight that the Knights of Purity had on this side of town that Axcel Incorporated had send people over to help with processing the samples. Although Lloyd hated to admit it but the fact that their equipment for analyzing blood and fluid samples was faster than anything their hospital could afford was working wonders on their case log.
"How goes the backlog Mister Chavez?" He asked of the Axcel researcher
"Seven cases of Strep Throat, one confirmed case of West Nile, three Staph infections, and one patient tested positive for TB you might want to notify their school to send his class in for exams in case of an outbreak." Enrique Chavez replied as he pated the case files that he had been processing for the hospital.
"What about the gunshot victim in surgery, or the super-villain in intensive care." Lloyd inquired, "the kid was shot in an alley she might have picked something up, and the super-villain may need to be sedated."
"Hold the horses on the super-villain, Knight of Purity commander who dropped him off was correct with his prognosis. The kid had a mutagenic drug collectively known in his system, he's no threat to anyone now and should be unconscious for about a day due to the strain on his system but you're going to need to decide on an intravenous pain-killer to put him on for after he wakes up because he will be in a tremendous amount of pain from the strain the drug put on his body as well as the withdrawal."
"Are you certain, you are talking about something like morpheein," Doctor Macdonald retorted, "that is nothing to take likely."
"Neither is a heart aneurism or a stroke," Enrique Chavez explained, "this is how much pain he's going to be in and soon. As much as I hate to say it rehabilitating the boy from opioid addiction will be a lot less dangerous than wagering that he can deal with five days of sheer agony of Nightmare Fuel withdrawal and survive."
"And what about the girl?" Doctor Macdonald asked out of expediency. "They are getting a bullet out of her leg and they need to know if she has any medication allergies or caught any infections from the alley."
"I have the allergy test results, she has a problem with ragweed but that's it," Mister Chavez urged caution, "however the machine also found something weird in her blood sample and is having to check with our database to find a match and I'm still sending the data. We can't do anything right now but wait, I mean why does your hospital still use a 56K modem for internet communication."
"Because the last company to promise to invest in our hospital and upgrade our equipment was Enron." Doctor Macdonald fumed, "how about getting some more of the backlog done while your fancy machine waits for our slow connection."
Thirty-seven samples, three cups of coffee and forty-two minutes later the file finally got through at one-hundred percent to Axcel's servers across town, "Finally," Enrique Chavez through up his hands in victory, "any longer and it would have been faster for me to drive it across town."
"Yeah now we just have to wait for your end to send back the-" Doctor Macdonald's comment was interrupted when the terminal cataloged an incoming reply. "Okay, I'll admit it your machines are fast."
Curious about what the hold-up was about Doctor Macdonald opened the file, "What in the world is Innsmouth Syndrome?"
The ashen look of mouth-gaping shock on the face of Enrique Chavez told him a lot but raised more questions in his mind than they answered. Something told him that he really needed to Irish up his next coffee because he was certain that he was not going to like the answer that Mister Chavez gave to his question.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 43
Chicago - Westside Alley
8:09 PM
POV: D-Caf aka Chandra Defrank
"RAMONA!" I shouted at the top of my lungs watching in horror as Taikeyla pulled the trigger with her handgun aimed right at Ramona's chest, my heart seized, and time seemed to stretch on as I ran towards the projectile. Even though I knew that I was unable to stop time unless I was wearing a full suit and my helmet, which seemed to have driven the girl who once claimed to have been my friend further off her rocker than old Ecket Jenkins, I couldn't help it I needed to save Ramona- I had to save one of my oldest and dearest friends.
That was when I noticed how far I had gone and how everything was moving, they say that at times like this a moment can stretch on forever but for me it seemed like it was doing just that. I couldn't believe my luck, somehow, I had done it I was using my power without actually being in danger myself, granted this time was only slowed and not stopped it still gave me a chance to stop this- one that I would not waste.
Given that Ramona was on the ground- dealing with a bullet wound there was no way that I could move her out of the bullet's path, that meant that the only thing that I could affect at this point was the bullet itself. As the bullet slowly spun down its lethal path, I thought about grabbing the bullet and then remembered the bottle from that alley with the mugger, chances were if I touched the damned thing it would just speed up and kill my friend the moment that I did so.
Come on Chandra- think- what can you use to stop or steer the bullet off course. My first thought turned to the bat that I was using earlier but that just broke when mutant Victor got loose of the garden hose. As the bullet continued its deadly journey I went looking around, only seeing the dumpster that Taikeyla hid behind to ambush us I threw open the lid and looked inside to see salvation and laying amongst the bags of refuse were two phone books- the West Chicago Yellow Pages and the West Chicago White Pages.
"I hope that old myth holds true," I said out of desperation as I positioned the books along the slug's path over Ramona's chest and prayed to the big guy and as many angels that were listening that this worked. My adrenaline rush must have made my hands shake because my elbow slipped and as I touched Ramona the world sped up as the bullet hit. The bullet hit the phone books and though I felt the impact I could still feel Ramona breathing beneath me as I looked down in relief to see her looking up in gratitude that I had saved her again from the Coleman sister's efforts, the real danger remained though.
I looked up slowly at Taikeyla who opened the mouth and visor on my helmet, before putting it on she just looked crazed with power, now though she just looked nuts. "It was you, it was always you, why did you have to be special, why couldn't you be like the rest of us." Taikeyla let out a laugh, not one of crazed mania or villainous triumph, but one that was too pitiful for words, "I guess that it was too much to hope that I could be special too, you can only ride along for so long."
I watched in horror once more as she brought the handgun to her throat and not wanting to watch even someone like her die I shut my eyes as I heard the pop. Shortly before the I heard her hit the ground and her firearm hit the concrete of the alley. I continued to keep my eyes shut until I heard a voice ask, "Are you two honeys all right? I was taking cover a block over when I heard the shooting and found Natroya's little toady about to waste you two, then herself fortunately my little friend stopped her before she pulled the trigger."
I looked on as he held out what looked suspiciously like a police issue stun gun, "Isn't that a cop's shocker?"
"Yeah," the man explained, "they go a lot less ballistic when their stun gun's go missing than they do when their firearms pull a Houdini. Now I'll get Miss Watt's arms you get her legs we need to get out of, we need to get out of here before we get caught in the crossfire of that mess out on the street!"
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who you are and why you're here!" I stood firm as I bent over to tend to Ramona's wounds, "My friend's hurt and the last thing that I'm going to do is take her somewhere with a strange guy who I know nothing about."
"My handle's Fo-Real, I'm with the 'cuda's, I was grabbing some Italian Beefs at Rosio's for me and my sister while we hunkered down until the Tin Men moved on then I heard the carnage while Gus was dishing us up and came to see what was going on. Next thing I know I heard started hearing pops and came to see Ramona on the ground and Taikeyla about to plug you both. By the way here you need somethin’ to use as gauze," Fo-Real stated before taking off his beanie pulling out a butterfly knife and cut it in half before handing me the pieces.
"Actually, she was about to off herself." I replied with having used the ski- cloth to help soak up the blood, I wish that I had some alcohol to disinfect it though, before making my way over to the incapacitated Taikeyla and taking my helmet back from her. "I believe this belongs to me you little opportunistic leech."
After I removed my helmet from her prone body, I did look down at her my old false friend with her eyes wide in terror over everything that she'd seen. Part of me wondered what she saw that freaked her out so much then I remembered what I saw myself when I traveled too far in-between moments of time, maybe without my power she saw whatever I did just without the filter. Those spheres and pyramids that I saw I never did stray so far in-between moments of time as to see what they really looked like beyond vague geometric shapes, maybe Taikeyla saw the whole enchilada without easing into it like I did- that would be bound to freak anybody out because I never ventured too far since worried that I would find myself part of that place's food chain.
With this in mind maybe it was time for a little mercy- and some payback for all of the suffering that she had helped the Coleman sisters inflict on Ramona and me over the years. "I do have something for you though," I said right before I socked her in the side of the jaw as hard as I could. "Alright Fo-Real lets, get Ramona someplace that we can get her looked at."
"There's a full first-aid kit over at Rosio's," Fo-Real explain as he took Ramona's shoulders, "it's also neutral ground, since nobody wants to mess up a place that so many of us go to grab a bite."
"I know," I smiled as I put my helmet back on, "my dad used to sneak me over there every time that he was back stateside. They still have that giardiniera that they use green and red bell peppers to balance out the celery."
"Course I said that we were going to Rosio's," Fo-Real explained, "you actually are Chandra Defrank right, girl whose team is in the state finals?"
"Yup," I explained as I carefully took Ramona's legs, "are you alright?"
"Much as I can be after getting shot," Ramona gritted out as she shook from the pain of her wound, "I knew Taikeyla was a bitch, but she took it to a whole other level."
"Got that right," Fo-Real huffed those Alley Vipers picked their handle well, "nothing but a bunch of snakes. Now let's get you patched up, no way I'm gonna' let a sister with the grit to tell them off sit hurting in a back alley!"
The two of us accepted his words about this but before we left and after I put my helmet back on I took the opportunity to kick Taikeyla's gun out of the alley and towards the street where from the sound of things the mutated Victor was still duking it out with the Knights of Purification. I may not like that groups of tin-plated jackboots, but I did trust that they'd see to it that a firearm that they found at the scene of a battle would make its way to the police evidence locker.
With that taken care of I glared at Taikeyla one final time at Fo-Real and I carried Ramona out the other side of the alley and down the street both as quickly and as carefully as we could towards Rosio's. Even with the sun set and the street lights up nobody was crazy enough to exit their apartments and were likely huddled together in the basements and laundry rooms waiting for the all clear to sound. Not that I blamed them most Chicago basements were built tough enough to bear the weight of a collapsed building a feature common in structures built after the Great Chicago Fire.
As we were about halfway to Rosio's I looked at Fo-Real and stated, "I suppose that this means I am going to owe you something, since you know who I am though you might as well know that I'm not rich or anything so don't expect any expensive favors."
"I was going to ask for a signed picture of your team for my sis, she's a big fan of yours," Fo-Real smirked, "but for that bit of lip I'm going to insist that you throw in a few pointers to her on her game. She's trying to be the next girl from the hood to make it big on the courts- wants to see if she can make the team too."
I all but laughed at just what he wanted, "I think that's do-able, never thought that I'd wind up a local role model though."
"Don't sell yourself short," Ramona gritted out sweat dripping from her as she toughed it out, "the *gaah* reason that the Coleman's hate you so much is that you give kids round here hope that they can make it too, that's they can be something without being a gang banger- no offence."
"Non-taken," Fo-Real remarked, "I don't just tag territory, who do you think did that spread behind Rosio's?"
"Come on," Ramona groaned, "The artist to that signed his name, Arthur F. Robertson, you expect to make us believe-"
"The F stands for Fonzarelli, mom was a fan of "Happy Days"," Fo-Real groaned, "she named me after The Fonz."
"Oh, you have got to be making that up," I shot back, "I refuse to believe that any mother around here would-"
"She also named my sis Joanie," Fo-Real stated which stopped my rebuke dead in my tracks, "not that I mind being named after the cool guy an old hit show but my sister kind of objects to being named after a character with the nickname Shortcake."
"Tell me about it," Ramona groaned half in pain, "my mom was a Beverly Cleary fan, I'm just lucky she didn't name me Beazus."
"I still don't get why you're being so chummy with a gang-banger?" I stated as I tried to avoid snarling.
"You've been away for a couple of years, so you probably don't know some of the things that those of us who stay in the hood do Chandra," Ramona explained, "Not all of the local gangs are like the Alley Vipers, the fact is that if there's a territory in a rougher part of town then a gang will try to claim it."
"Not to mention on this side of town the police are really slow to respond," Fo-Real stated, "if they do at all- same for the paramedics, firemen still do though- course a lot of the brigades and companies around here are staffed by locals. That means if you want to keep a block safe you have to make it territory of a gang that actually give a damn about their turf. We may call ourselves a gang but we're more neighborhood watch thugs then the like, a lot of the mom and pop places like us too because we make the neighborhood too scary for the chains and mega-franchises to move in and put them out of business."
"And I suppose those places around here are only too happy to pay you for your services," I stated as I glared at Fo-Real.
"Employee discount, we can take home leftovers if we want and we leave our money for said purchases at a spot that the owner picks out, so we can keep up the act." Fo-Real explained in a hushed tone, "we also try to scare away the tourists, this neighborhood is dangerous enough without some outta-towner's homicide stirring up shit around here."
"Plus, just because the Barracudas and a few others work like this doesn't mean that we all do." Fo-Real continued in a hushed tone, "The Erasers are just as bad as the Alley Vipers and the Skulls are the worst of the lot- word is that group's actually cartel muscle to protect the dealers. Plus, there are always muggers, tweekers and junkies of every stripe.
"And I suppose that your gang just does this out of the goodness of their heart." I deadpanned.
"I'm not that nice," Fo-Real jabbed back, "Dead tourists mean, bad press, bad press means the suits downtown get nervous, and nervous suits means fuzz chomping at the bit to crack down on the area. On the other hand, crap happens to the folks who live around here and nobody gives a shit, most of the cops who get this beat don't even bother getting out of their cars if they see trouble."
"I know that it sucks but for most of them we're not worth the paperwork or their time, and a lot of the ones who would care are too afraid of getting shot themselves." Fo-Real all but bit back his frustration, "The EMTs don't come here either, since their afraid of their ambulances getting looted and striped while they answer a call. Fact is Defrank you were lucky to get out of here those who don't get a ticket out of here are stuck here, part of the reason I want you to give my baby sis some advice on her game; she gets good enough by High School she might get a free-ride to college and a ticket out of here."
We were within sight of Rosio's when a white van with a logo of red, green and blue bars that interlocked like a triangle and the name Argonne National Laboratories pulled over alongside us. Almost immediately a man in a black suit got out and I had flashbacks towards my fear of the MCO after I ran from the Knights whose battle was still going on not too far away the next street over concealed from us by the brownstones that surrounded us.
Unfortunately, while part of me wanted to bolt, Ramona's condition and the fact meant that if I let go of her it would hurt her even worse than she already was, that on top of the fact that by the time I set her legs down and got far away enough to use my powers the agent would have likely opened fire. Even if Fo-Real was armed his position was even worse off- if he dropped Ramona the trauma would have sent her into shock and he'd likely have been dropped himself before he could get a shot off.
"Pardon me but by your outfit I would assume that you are Chandra Defrank," the suit explained as he stepped out of the van that looked packed full of way too much scientific equipment for my taste (what was it for mobile autopsies, "my name is Agent Philip Donovan, I'm with the Department of Paranormal Affairs. Pardon me for being so bold but I understand that you are overdue for your appointment at the public hospital, and from the look of it your friend needs some treatment as well."
"You mean you're not the MCO?" I asked honestly hoping that there was some silver lining in this situation.
"No," Agent Donovan stated as he pulled out his badge and let us look it over rather than just flashing the thing like some spook in a movie, "unlike the MCO I actually work for the federal government. I'm here to help provide security for you while everyone gets this incident straightened out, although from the size of your group I'm afraid that we're going to need to find some place more secure to stay while we wait for another ride."
"We were headed to Rosio's down the street," Fo-Real spoke up, "since you're a fed he should let us hunker down in the stock room, sides my sister's waiting for me."
"Understood young man," Agent Donovan accepted Fo-Real's suggestion before turning to whoever was still in the van, "take this young lady to the nearest emergency room, she's been shot!"
"Rush Oaks the closest with a real trauma unit," Fo-Real chimed in, "most of the rest are just Urgent Care and pill pushers."
"Got it," two men inside who looked less like spooks and more like legitimate scientists, with picture ID lanyards and everything, "we'll tell them to send the invoice to the DPA." One of them said as he took Ramona's shoulders from Fo-real.
"After all of this is over I should be able to forward this bill to Goodkind International for the Knights precipitating this whole affair." Agent Donovan replied as the two scientists loaded Ramona up into the truck, "call me when she's admitted to the ER."
"Understood Agent Donovan," the scientist replied as he laid Ramona down in the bed of the van, "we'll be there soon."
After the van shut its door and sped on its way Agent Donovan looked at us, as if there was something vital on his mind, "By the way this Rosio's wouldn't happen to sell anything to eat would it? Pardon me for asking but I didn't have anything for lunch but a stale back of Doritos from their snack box."
"Sure, as long as you don't mind Chicago-style Italian sandwiches," I remarked, I just hope that the Knights don't kill Victor before I have the chance to scream at his stupid ass for starting all of this."
"Are you saying that you know the person who shot you in Washington Park?" Agent Donovan inquired as we continued to make our way to Rosio's, pulling out a notepad and bald-point pen ready to take notes.
"Yeah, but let's wait until we sit down and eat," I pointed out, "I don't want to risk the Knights spotting me again."
"They had better think twice, if they attack you they attack me, and if they attack a government agent then that is it for the Knights of Purity." Agent Donovan explained.
"Really and since when would some blue-blood's private army care about the law?" Fo-Real asked making a point as we made our way up the intersection with Rosio's in site three streets down.
"Since the Patriot Act," Agent Donovan explained as he firmly affixed a copy of his government ID lapel, "plus after what the MCO pulled in Texas and New England over the last few months the Department of Homeland Security is looking for enough leverage to establish a tighter leash over Private Security Companies."
"What happened in Texas and New England?" I asked wanting to know wondering if it might have anything to do with what happened to Candace and her old friends from Pennsylvania.
"They were caught using advanced interrogation methods on a kid who had been placed under their care, the fact that he died soon after and was a Federal Witness made matters even worse." Agent Donovan explained, "As for New England that matter is confidential, and your friend may not be cleared."
"Then what about the Texas mess," Fo-Real pointed out, "what made you squawk about that?"
"It resulted in a wrongful death suit and court cases are public record," Agent Donovan stated as we crossed the street right to Rosio's Convenience Store and Deli- I really hoped that Pablo still double-dipped the Italian Beef on request.
Outside Alley
8:27 PM
The fact that a 9mm semi-automatic slid on to the street was of little concern to its current occupants. Granted one of the occupants only had a singular concern, "METAL MEN, KILL CHANDRAA!" VT all but roared as he shook his way free of the capture net that was currently shocking him.
Gavin Jansen looked on in a mixture of fear and disbelief as the berserk slab of meat that was the closest that he'd seen to a bonafide Hulk in a while, as the brute worked his way free of the electro-capture net. Hayden Worrell who had his blaster trained on the beast opened fire as soon as the beast got free of the net sending it hurtling three blocks down the street with a blast of concussive energy. As Gavin was busy reloading his net-launcher, Audry Stone and Adam Navarro readied themselves for a stagger and batter maneuver.
Before the raging mutate that VT had become could gather his bearings Audry struck with a series of high-speed strikes to the inside joints of this legs. This attack caused the brute to stagger which left him off his balance when Adam bum-rushed him knocking him to the ground. While this action was fast enough to leave VT on his back it not fast enough to avoid a glancing blow from the altered brute's right foot the left a noticeable dent in the leg of Adam's armor. Minor damage aside, rather than immediately capitalize on this coordinated effort; the pair instead fell back, this allowed their Pitcher Hayden to pin VT again with another blast of energy with this being the prelude to a series of blasts that pressed the brute into the asphalt.
"Alright," Holden Baxter, the team's leader stated over the com-line, "Jansen has reloaded, on the count of five cease fire to capture secondary target, Amos you are ordered to reestablish sight on the primary target and maintain sight until the rest of the team can re-engage. Understand, the primary target's full abilities are unknown, you are not to engage again until full back-up arrives."
"Understood commander," Madison Amos, the team's Short-Stop, replied over the com's as she engaged her suit's flight-pack taking to the roof-tops to her surprise it didn't take her long to reestablish a view on their primary target, especially since she was helping someone a male carry what looked like an injured girl down the street.
"Site-line reestablished on primary target," Madison explained over the radio, "however two civilians are in the area- one male and one female who appears to be wounded, primary target appears to be assisting. Target has yet to notice, permission to utilize our drop-ship's surveillance-drones and slave them to my video-feed to maintain surveillance at a distance."
"Permission granted," Commander Baxter replied over their coms, "deploying drones, also from here on out I'll be commanding from the field. I'll join you with the rest of the team once the secondary target has been secured and their power-cells are recharged."
"Roger commander," Madison replied as she tagged the incoming surveillance drones and with a few commands to her suit's on-board computer she was receiving video from the group over-head from both up the street as well as overhead.
Meanwhile the rest of the rest of the group continued to keep their opponent pinned with Hayden's energy blasts as Holden began to count over the com-line while Jansen took aim at his target, Five!
The group waited with baited breath as Hayden began another concussive blast, praying that the kinetic blast was enough as he had been ordered to swap it in from the suit's usual plasma cannon as they needed the target alive. "Four!"
Suddenly Hayden began to see the target convulse in between his shots as if there was some outside force beginning to act upon it, still he had his orders and kept up the heat. "Three!"
Without warning the target's body began to contract as if it was shrinking, since this was a live capture mission Hayden recalibrated the intensity between shots to lessen the force of the blasts. While Holden noticed this, he knew that his team was changing strategy to adjust mid-combat and continued the count, "Two!"
VT's body continued to contract amid the lessening impact of Hayden's kinetic blasts, he was almost half-way back to normal. "One!"
Hayden ceased fire as Jansen's proverbial finger's tensed on the trigger of his net launcher, however their target had not only contracted to human proportions, but he actually looked like he was emaciated, surprisingly the commander's next command wasn't fire, Restrain target! I repeat cease fire and restrain target!
"Commander?" Jansen responded almost mystified by the panicked shift in the commander's tone, "Can you copy that last order?"
"I said cease fire and restrain the secondary target soldier," Commander Baxter replied over the com-line, "This isn't a mutant or even a true enhanced individual, the secondary target's behavior and abilities are consistent with a black-market substance known as Nightmare Fuel. We need to retrain the subject and ready him for interrogation."
"Do you think the primary target has black market connections commander?" Jansen inquired wondering if their current operation may have brought them in over their heads.
"Negative," Commander Baxter drew from his experience as well as his observations so far, "if the target had any she would be using them to hide or get out of the city, not out on the street where we could find her. This could mean that a third party is trying to find and recruit the target, or at the least take custody of her. Amos, what are your observations on the target's companions?"
"Two teenagers, African-American, they look like locals but the one who was shot judging by her attire is at least lower-middle class." Madison Amos presented her analysis of what she observed through the lens of the surveillance drones, "The boy looks to be closer to high school age, I'm seeing a color motif on his outfit so he might be affiliated with a local street gang."
"While that might be a possibility the chances of a street gang having ties to the black market are slim," Commander Baxter observed while touching down, "Since this is where the suspect ran the chances are that she has a connection to this community, she was probably trying to hide with old acquaintances, the girl who was hurt might have been an accomplice."
"Commander Baxter," Madison called out over the com-line, "A van has just pulled up alongside the primary object and her accomplices and a man has gotten out."
"He might be related to the attack Amos," Commander Baxter observed as his team listened in while securing the now helpless VT, "Give me a description of any branding on the van, catch the license plate, make model and VIN if you can as well as any details of the van's occupants."
"Understood commander, the vehicle is a full-sized White 2002 Chevrolet Astro Cargo Van, I have a snapshot of the plates however I cannot get the VIN from this distance." Madison relayed over the line while Commander Baxter finally arrived on the scene of the fight to allow his fellow Knights to recharge their packs off of the portable generator in his suit. "A man in a suit just got out and appears to be talking with the primary target, he is pulling out a badge- I cannot make out the name but I am trying to increase resolution enough so that I can get the logo on the badge."
"While you do that do you see any branding on the van?" Commander Baxter coaxed his subordinate, "even if it is a cover it could be valuable intel."
"Argonne National Laboratories sir, two people from inside the van just appeared they seem to be loading the injured bystander into the van sir, they are wearing casual wear and have visible ID tags with the same logo as the van. I also see scientific equipment inside the van and am detecting a portable power-cell and what appears to be energy monitoring equipment inside. The van just drove off and the suit remained behind sir," Madison continued before she paused and stated, "Hold on, sir the resolution of my shot of the man's badge just increased enough for me to ID the organizational logo, he's with the Department of Paranormal Affairs sir!"
"Change of plans, everyone gather any stray equipment, we need to collect and deliver our prisoner into police custody, Amos continue to monitor the target but do not contact or engage, she's with a Federal Agent now." Commander Baxter almost fumed what he had hoped to be another feather in his cap instead turned out to be damage control, all that he could do right now was avoid sparking a government incident.
Rosio's Restaurant and Convenience Store
8:57 PM
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Don't worry mom," I responded over the phone, "I'm fine, I'm with an DPA agent and waiting for the paramedics to meet me over at Rosio's, they're just going to look at me to make sure that the stiches Shelly gave me held and didn't get infected. After that all I need to do is make a statement to the police explaining what happened today and then I'll ask them to drop me off at Granny's place. I'm sorry that I won't be coming home, and I know tomorrow's a school day, but Agent Donovan told me that the people over at Argonne Labs."
"After everything why won't they just let you come home?" mom cried out over the phone, "Haven't you been through enough already today?"
Knowing that there was nothing that I could do to handle this situation I handed the courtesy phone over to Agent Donovan who was standing nearby, "I am sorry for the situation Mrs. Defrank and understand your frustration, however I think that your daughter deserves some rest after this ordeal in a familiar setting. We also need to run a few tests to see if we could better understand your daughter's new abilities and see if they might affect her health. Tomorrow I'll be escorting her over to Argonne National Lab over in Lincoln and we also sent for a team from the Arkham Research Center to monitor the test and help them create a file on your daughter."
"I understand your worries Mrs. Defrank but traveling at night will be too dangerous if someone decides to come after her. I'll contact the Police and have them provide a couple of officers to guard the building in the meantime please get some rest your daughter is in good hands." Agent Donovan stated before he handed the phone back to me.
"I'll be alright mom, Granny Defrank has a nice and secure room remember," I explained trying to help calm her down, "tell everyone that I'm fine and please call the school and explain things because I doubt that I'll be able to make it in tomorrow morning."
"I will but I still want you back home as soon as possible," mom stated over the phone.
"I will be and do me a favor, please try and save a few pieces of cake, something tells me that Ramona will need some cheering up after all of this, she was hurt a lot worse than I was."
"Just get to your Grandmother Mertle's safely," mom ordered over the phone.
"I will mom, and I love you too." I explained as I hung up the phone I found a grade-schooler looking at me clutching a pen and a spiral notebook. "Joanie, I presume?"
The girl almost squeaked when I talked to her, before telling the girl, "Just so you know I promised your brother that I'd get the rest of the team to autograph a picture of us however...hey Stan do you still have that polaroid?"
"Yup," Stan Rosio the owner of the restaurant explained as he took out the item in question, "but you know the drill, one for you- one for me. Especially since I'm staying open late, usally by now I lock up, flip the chairs and but on Bob Seger while I start cleaning."
"You clean to Bob Seger?" Agent Donovan responded an eyebrow raised in disbelief.
"I will never get too old to mop to "Old Time Rock and Roll" "Until it Shines"," Stan proudly proclaimed eliciting a groan from me since Granny Mertle has that album.
"Honestly Mister Rosio, any more puns like that and I'll have to cite your excessive cruelty to minors to the police when I give my statements tomorrow," I threatened the man.
"Hey like I care," Stan laughed, "the feds already have it out for me as is!"
"The IRS on you for not reporting your profits from the tip jar," Fo-Real guessed as he got to work with the camera.
"Nope the EPA is on me about my meatball marineras," Stan all but barked as he laughed, "they say I raised the neighborhood's CO2 and methane emissions by half a point after I put them on the menu!"
"Anyway, we're burn'en oil and it's close to my sis's bed time so," Fo-Real took aim with the camera and made his demand, "say chedda'!"
"Cheese!" I replied as I saw the flash. Soon Stan took the first photo from Fo-Real as the member of the Barracudas took a second picture and then set the camera down as the two both began fanning their pictures while Stan readied a fine-point sharpie. I can't believe I actually warranted a place on the wall granted recent additions paled in comparison to Stan's grandfather Giuseppe's days that included actual signed eight-by-ten glossies, including Roman Pucinski, Richard J. Daley, Thomas Fitzgerald, Orson Welles, and Muddy Waters.
While the contributions since those days when this area was a little nicer, were just taped up polaroid pictures they were no less iconic with Oprah Windfrey, Senator Barack Obama, Robin Williams, Eddie Vedder, John Hayden, band photos of The Smashing Pumpkins, Cheap Trick, Do or Die, as well as three of the Champions and several team shots of the Bulls. "Are you sure that I've earned a place on the wall," I asked Stan out of concern, "after what happened to me I'm going to have to withdraw from the athletics program."
"You are one of the few neighborhood kids to lead a team to State," Stan stated, "not city local but neighborhood local, you earned your spot, and something tells me that you may replace that pic with something even better one day."
"I'll try to live up to your expectations Mister Rosio," I replied as I signed his and Joansie's pictures now that they had developed.
"See that you do," Stan replied as we taped up the photo, "and what do I keep telling you when your father brought you in?"
"That regulars can call you Stan," I smiled somehow feeling that Stan's prediction may hold some weight.
Toxicology Lab - Rush Oaks Park Hospital
10:27 PM
Lloyd Macdonald took another swig from his coffee, as crappy as the stuff was from the vending machine it beat the risk of the pot- people from pathology kept taking it down there and nobody wanted to use it but them until the thing was sterilized. It also didn't help that they had gotten a rush on samples from the Police Department, in-between the usual business that went down on this side of town and whatever else there was from the emergency room or urgent care facility he was swamped.
Thank goodness that because of the fight that the Knights of Purity had on this side of town that Axcel Incorporated had send people over to help with processing the samples. Although Lloyd hated to admit it but the fact that their equipment for analyzing blood and fluid samples was faster than anything their hospital could afford was working wonders on their case log.
"How goes the backlog Mister Chavez?" He asked of the Axcel researcher
"Seven cases of Strep Throat, one confirmed case of West Nile, three Staph infections, and one patient tested positive for TB you might want to notify their school to send his class in for exams in case of an outbreak." Enrique Chavez replied as he pated the case files that he had been processing for the hospital.
"What about the gunshot victim in surgery, or the super-villain in intensive care." Lloyd inquired, "the kid was shot in an alley she might have picked something up, and the super-villain may need to be sedated."
"Hold the horses on the super-villain, Knight of Purity commander who dropped him off was correct with his prognosis. The kid had a mutagenic drug collectively known in his system, he's no threat to anyone now and should be unconscious for about a day due to the strain on his system but you're going to need to decide on an intravenous pain-killer to put him on for after he wakes up because he will be in a tremendous amount of pain from the strain the drug put on his body as well as the withdrawal."
"Are you certain, you are talking about something like morpheein," Doctor Macdonald retorted, "that is nothing to take likely."
"Neither is a heart aneurism or a stroke," Enrique Chavez explained, "this is how much pain he's going to be in and soon. As much as I hate to say it rehabilitating the boy from opioid addiction will be a lot less dangerous than wagering that he can deal with five days of sheer agony of Nightmare Fuel withdrawal and survive."
"And what about the girl?" Doctor Macdonald asked out of expediency. "They are getting a bullet out of her leg and they need to know if she has any medication allergies or caught any infections from the alley."
"I have the allergy test results, she has a problem with ragweed but that's it," Mister Chavez urged caution, "however the machine also found something weird in her blood sample and is having to check with our database to find a match and I'm still sending the data. We can't do anything right now but wait, I mean why does your hospital still use a 56K modem for internet communication."
"Because the last company to promise to invest in our hospital and upgrade our equipment was Enron." Doctor Macdonald fumed, "how about getting some more of the backlog done while your fancy machine waits for our slow connection."
Thirty-seven samples, three cups of coffee and forty-two minutes later the file finally got through at one-hundred percent to Axcel's servers across town, "Finally," Enrique Chavez through up his hands in victory, "any longer and it would have been faster for me to drive it across town."
"Yeah now we just have to wait for your end to send back the-" Doctor Macdonald's comment was interrupted when the terminal cataloged an incoming reply. "Okay, I'll admit it your machines are fast."
Curious about what the hold-up was about Doctor Macdonald opened the file, "What in the world is Innsmouth Syndrome?"
The ashen look of mouth-gaping shock on the face of Enrique Chavez told him a lot but raised more questions in his mind than they answered. Something told him that he really needed to Irish up his next coffee because he was certain that he was not going to like the answer that Mister Chavez gave to his question.
Last Edit: 5 years 8 months ago by Insane Hiker.
5 years 8 months ago #57
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
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Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Nightmare Fuel
A black market mutagenic narcotic that can enhance a baseline human to Exemplar 4 to 6 strength and durability levels depending on the purity of the dose. When injected intravenously it mutates the victim increasing their size and strength ten to twenty-fold depending on both the subject and the dose's purity. The mutagenic effects of Nightmare Fuel can last up to an hour and while under the influence the higher-thought processes of the individual are suppressed while their sensitivity to is dulled pain and aggression is increased.
Once the effect of the narcotic is up the user goes into an initial state of withdrawal that leaves them catatonic for 36 to 72 hours, afterwards the secondary withdrawal kicks in leaving them in extreme pain requiring the periodic administration of schedule one painkillers to deal with to avoid the risk of heart-attack or stroke. Once the pain subsides usually after a week the victim must go through intensive physical rehabilitation to regain motor function while being monitored for signs of drug use due to the possibility of addiction from either the narcotic itself or the subsequent painkillers.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 43 Notes
Nightmare Fuel
A black market mutagenic narcotic that can enhance a baseline human to Exemplar 4 to 6 strength and durability levels depending on the purity of the dose. When injected intravenously it mutates the victim increasing their size and strength ten to twenty-fold depending on both the subject and the dose's purity. The mutagenic effects of Nightmare Fuel can last up to an hour and while under the influence the higher-thought processes of the individual are suppressed while their sensitivity to is dulled pain and aggression is increased.
Once the effect of the narcotic is up the user goes into an initial state of withdrawal that leaves them catatonic for 36 to 72 hours, afterwards the secondary withdrawal kicks in leaving them in extreme pain requiring the periodic administration of schedule one painkillers to deal with to avoid the risk of heart-attack or stroke. Once the pain subsides usually after a week the victim must go through intensive physical rehabilitation to regain motor function while being monitored for signs of drug use due to the possibility of addiction from either the narcotic itself or the subsequent painkillers.
5 years 7 months ago - 5 years 7 months ago #58
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:37 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
It was odd as the day was slipping away, and now that I was no longer concerned with meeting warriors whose destiny I shared or saving my best friend from being auctioned off to super-villains I was just starting to come to terms with how my life had literally changed over the course of a single weekend. When I had snuck away from home earlier Saturday morning to hang out with the members of my boxing team I had never imagined the way that trip would come to change the course of my life.
Over the course of that very day I had come to learn the reason why I had always felt uncomfortable in my own skin, it wasn't really my skin and the life that I had lived was a lie. The fact that I was a kidnaped girl crammed into a shell of a boy and taught that the emotionally abusive woman who raised me was my mother, when in fact she was the person who likely kidnapped my real mother and was still working for the cult who held her prisoner, it just made me want to- to- I don't want to think about it because it would probably lead me to being a worse person than that cold-blooded mercenary.
There was also the fact that I would barely see my friends from now on, until the Cult of the Black Pharaoh was taken care of and my mother was saved along with my future Aunt and that child's mother I was going to be rather restricted in my movements. As it was my time in Boulder City was over- Paul Ledoux's life was in the past a chapter in a book that may as well have been the prequel to the life of Iris Seguin. No more classes with Walt at Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School, on the other hand no getting pushed around by Jeff Pruett, not that he could or would now anyway.
"Not that he would try that now," I went over to the vanity area that was installed in my new private vanity, man this degree of luxury is going to take some getting used to. "Yeah, knowing that jerk if I ever showed up at school looking like I do now that chauvinist would try to alpha-male his was into my panties. Course now I'm stronger than he would ever hope to be."
Yeah apparently I didn't have it yesterday because I didn't soak up any sunshine after I busted out of the old me, but djinn are super-strong, so much so that most of the stories about people in old Arabia about lamps and metal vessels were actually about us getting enslaved and forced to work for them, mainly as cheap labor to build cities and palaces on the cheap.
My mind started to shift, when it came right down to it I wasn't the only person that was having to deal with confinement right now. Walt for example had some super-villain's idea of a power-up or at the very least a payday fused to his arms. He was going to have to stay in government custody while they trained him in how to use his powers.
Come to think of it the other Maidens were also pretty limited in their movements right now, although in between the four of us Zhen-yu probably had it the worst out of all of us. She was literally having to live in a cave for the next few months because a cult wanted to use her powers to pad their pockets. And while Bea and Randi were both at a school with a lot of other kids their own age, from what they told me the Whateley Academy was in a very underdeveloped part of Presidential Mountains of New Hampshire.
"Who am I kidding," I looked at my face in the mirror before clutching my house amulet and with a simple chant of "Ha-tep" allowed my equine visage to show through, "I'm just being kept safe at home with my family from a cult of demon worshiping psychos, what is a little cabin fever compared to being with a family that actually loves me."
Soon a lady with the head of some breed of antelope entered my chamber, a djinni who I now recognized as one of our House's staff, "Greetings Dame Ophios, I am Zesiro," the djinn explained as she bowed in reverence. "Forgive me for disturbing you however I have been instructed to inform you that the evening meal shall soon be served in the main dining hall."
"Hello Zesiro," I gave a minor bow of my head as I tried to copy what I had seen Grandmother Nephthys do before she greeted one of the staff before, "is it time to gather for dinner?"
"The time is almost upon us Lady Ain," Zesiro responded with a much deeper and more elaborate bow to my own as well as using my title within our House, "however I also come to really a message from Mistress Nephthys. During dinner a series of announcements will be made concerning your future within the House of the Shimmering Oasis and the Principality of the Blazing Disc as a whole. If I may be so bold could I present, you with a little advice."
"Considering that you've lived in djinn society your entire life Zesiro, well-" I sheepishly admitted, "I'll choose to listen to your experience."
"Very well Lady Ain- I would suggest you steel yourself to contain your surprise, within a House-Wide Meal decorum is important, while it will be only nobility present your immediate family as well as those servants of the House." Zesiro explained with her head bowed so as not to make eye-contact. "Consider these House-Wide Meals as practice for the times that you will need to attend functions before the Royal Court aboard the Mandjet, the Palatial Solar Barge before Prince Horus."
"I can't promise too much but I'll still try as hard as I can," I told Zesiro meaning every word of it.
"I am certain that you will do fine Dame Ophios," Zesiro stated as she rose from her bow, "now let me help you prepare for the meal, "and see if I can aide you in taming those wild locks."
As I turned I could see Zesiro coming towards me in the vanity mirror with comb and brush in hand and knew that she meant every word. "Please be gentle," I squeaked out trying to hide a smile.
"That all depends upon yourself Dame Ophios," Zesiro stated before she struck and with a blur of her hands styled my hair.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
7:52 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I stood before the slab of basalt, once again with my claws clenched into fists and sheathed in fire, determined just as I had the last few dozen times before that this would be the time, I would keep it together long enough to make my mark on the stone and once that happened it would only be a matter of time before I could begin to sculpt again. The idea had me almost giddy, I had already shown a long time ago that I could mold metal and gems using my powers but this- this would be a return to form for me. When it came down to it sculpting in stone was much the same manner of art as sculpting in clay, you worked and used tools to craft the end result.
While I was perfectly capable of sculpting with metal it just seemed so impersonal and lacking the warmth of stone or clay. Metal while the artform was called sculpture was cast into a mold, if the artist or whoever wanted too that same mold could be used to crank out copies long after the artist passed on- to me that seemed to pervert the meaning of art. Art to me was the living expression of the artist's very being, all of their hopes, dreams, desires a part of their essence was distilled and shaped by them for those who came after to see if they could divine the artist's soul from that piece- that was what art was to me.
Determined to finally do this with my claws still the center of their own blaze, I uncurled my claws with my hands poised in a shoudao form (what American pop-culture ignorantly calls a karate chop stance). With my arms in view at elbow's length I began to will the flickering flames on my hands to draw in tighter, willing it to draw closer to my scales as while still breathing. The effort to do this was excruciating, if I could sweat anymore I bet that it would be dripping down my face from the effort, but while I couldn't sweat anymore I could still feel the strain as my hands shook from the effort.
I had finally succeeded to draw the fires down to three inches in height when they flickered and died. "DAMNIT!" I fell to the ground on my knees and began to punch the stone that was beneath me in frustration, no matter how hard I tried the fire still extinguished before I could draw it in close enough.
"Perhaps it is time that you take a break," Kelsey explained as she walked in with a large bowl full of what smelled like a nice beef stew, "I understand that you want to rush to this but you've had a big day and pushed yourself to limits you never knew and past them- so now you have a new goal, however you shouldn't expect to cross that finish line after seeing it. You need to rest too, even for a little- while you might have had a night's sleep between now and then it was not restful enough, you need to have time to decompress."
"No!" I snarled back, "I won't stay idle, I spent too long being ground under the heels of that damned cult. I lost half a year of my damned life, I lost my home, time with my family, time with my friends I refuse to just sit on my tail when I know that the others are going to be blazing ahead of me!"
"True young Randi is ahead of you in learning about how to use her powers, however as one of her powers is magic it will also take her far longer to learn spells and the many nuances of spell-casting as well as time to find her limits as well as how to test them. As for her shape-shifting she is limited in the scope of what she can do with it and how it works, or so I have been told by those loyal to her mentor. As for Beatrice Sha Wujing has informed me through what his old friend Sun Wukong has observed that Beatrice is still learning the nuances of her healing abilities and has still yet to test them to their full limit. As for her powers as a mermaid she is still working to master the power of her voice and has yet to take instruction into the art of spell-singing. As for Iris she is just beginning her own journey, and she has yet to experience the rite of passage for the djinn that will allow her access to the full scope of her abilities." Kelsey floored me by how much she knew not just of the other's real names but also with where they were in their own training, she only looked a few years older than I was but after meeting the now grow-up Red Boy I was reminded just how appearances could be deceiving.
"Remember Zhen-yu don't focus on where your peers are in their own training," Kelsey stated before placing her hand on my shoulder, "You are yourself not your peers, their destinies might align with yours however they have their own motivations, obstacles and abilities. Each of the other maidens have their own trials and tribulations, also unlike yourself they cannot work at their own pace each currently has outside responsibilities that they will have to adhere to in order to move forward. At present you have training with Sha Wujing and are catching up with your education through myself however until you choose to enroll at Whateley this is all done at your own pace, you might have deadlines to meet however you must remember that most of the goals that you have to meet you do according to your own schedule."
"It's not just that," I huffed as I looked at Kelsey while trying to hide my astonishment at how much she knew. "don't get me wrong I liked to dance and party as much as any Seattle girl, but I miss sculpting. That feeling of molding the wet clay in my hands guiding it to become what I wanted what I saw in the possibilities for it was one of my passions. Right now though I run so hot that if I try to work with clay I wind up baking it in the process, its impossible to mold clay while its baking and since Sha Wujing told me that if I work well enough with my powers that I can do that with rock, that I can be a sculptor again I need to try and do it Besides its one way that I can really feel like me again without risking the Cult of the Bloodstained Gold sending more mercenaries to capture me again."
"They track you through your qi, using the gemstones that you created while they had you enthralled," Kelsey continued. "There are ways to mask your qi if you wish to learn them, moreover if you do so by next weekend I promise to take you to blow off some steam in Denver instead of Durango. Then we find out if any of the mercenaries who would accept the Cult of Bloodstained Gold's contract are willing to risk running into Heaven's Thunder and Denver Gold."
"And those are?" I enquired wanting a little more meat to this morsel of information.
"Super-hero Teams who operate out of Denver," Kelsey explained as we made our way to our dinning nook, "you also likely wouldn't have to worry about more Doshi and Jiangshi, the White Witch is not an opponent to be taken lightly and for all of their greed the Cult of Blood-stained Gold is well aware of this fact."
"So, there are things that they are scared of," I observed under my breath.
"Yes, a great many things in fact, this mountain itself is between the territory of two individuals who they fear and for good reason, and both of whom you met early this morning." Kelsey continued as she began to dish up dinner without missing a beat.
"Would they happen to be members of the Obsidian Circle?" I asked while washing the dust and grime from my claws and scales. "You said they have reason to be afraid of strong magic users, and that group looked pretty powerful to me."
"Yes- Lord Khamsin, Iris's grandfather claims most of the state of Nevada as his territory although for the most part he is content to stay out of the affairs of others in return for his cut for running an operation within his dominion- something which the Cult of Blood-stained Gold had neglected to do." Kelsey began to explain, "The other is Erzebet Scratch whose men you fought beside last night led by Papa Houma. Here domain is sizable, and she counts the Cult of Blood-stained Gold among her long list of enemies. This isn't the first time that she has sent a bloody-reminder to them to stay away from her territory and it likely will not be the last."
"So, you're saying that this Erzebet Scratch woman could be an ally when I make my way east after my training is over with- right?" I asked hoping that Kelsey would throw me a bone- something to make my life easier.
"Unfortunately, the enemy of my enemy is only my enemy's enemy, nothing more and nothing less." Kelsey stated that shut that door in my face, "Helping you might have been in Erzebet's interests yesterday; however, I would not count on this being anything more than a one-time incident. If you incur too many favors from her and her servants she may seek to have you join them, and while it wouldn't be slavery like your time in San Francisco- it would still be binding yourself to the will of another, and I would suggest that you wait until you are much older before making that kind of a commitment."
My mouth went dry at Kelsey's observations, I had hoped so hard for my freedom and thanks to my nativity I was almost about to do something crazy that would have thrown everything away. "I'm going to need to think about a few things." I stated as I sat down at our make-shift dining table.
"That would be a good idea," Kelsey replied as she came over with a pot of beef stew, "Meanwhile as for your focus training, don't start with both of your palms, start with one fingertip and start from there. Remember this is training for your abilities, don't expect to do it all at once."
"I'll try," I muttered out under my breath as I focused on the steam wafting off of the stew. Meanwhile I was thankful of how much being half-fucanglong had broadened my palette, I was still waiting to see how much my tolerance to spice had increased, I used to be a real featherweight back when I was human.
Scarlet Sands Resort - Dining Hall
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:00 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Following Zesiro's advice I made certain to follow the rhythm of the hallway as everyone made their way towards the dining table after using a long trough like basin to clean my hands toughly. The area was setup so that the moment you placed your hands a spell, removed dirt and debris from them to let with it collected in the trough to be incinerated the moment the user stepped away. The dining room itself held several a short-legged version of a dining tables and rather than chairs each seat was a circular cushion with the hieroglyph for the name of the intended occupant's embroidered on the seat. From what I knew the central table was that reserved for the head of the household and their family and guests. Each of us made moved clockwise around the table as a group until everyone was at their designated seat.
As we moved around the table I took note of the hieroglyphs on the cushions the only ones bare of embroidery were two spots on the House side of the table, although that was due to the cushions being turned facedown symbolic of those members being considered abroad at the moment, as well as those on the guest side baring the one at that head of the table. My name among the Southern Court was Ain Ophios and from what dad told me Ain means "eye" in the old tongue and "merciful" in the modern tongue to that end I stood before the seat with a simple eye hieroglyph embroidered on it, thankfully avoiding the faux-paus of sitting on the seat at the head of the table with Eye of Horus on it, a seat that is always reserved should the Damshin Ifrit King chose to grace a House with his presence.
The only one who ever say at the opposite head of the table was the current head of the House which in this case was my grandmother Nephthys, from what Zesiro told me the spouse of the current head of the House (my grandfather Set) sat at the right of the Head of the House while the eldest child in residence (my father Wepwawet) sat to their left. Being the eldest child of the eldest child in residence my place was two seats down the row from my father with the seat in-between us reserved for my still captive mother. Likewise, a spot next to grandpa was empty, a spot reserved for an honored concubine of the house the pregnant and likewise kidnapped Miranda Salazar, whom if we were lucky we'd rescue alongside my mother.
While there were a great many staff and servants of the House in the dining hall, those who were not serving the meal sat at separate tables bracketing the hall. From what I know dining and kitchen staff ate in a special room to the side of the kitchen and were exempt from dining protocol as thanks for their hard work. The other half of the main dining table was reserved for guests which at present was occupied by Bes and Tawaret, had Uncle Anubis not gone home to his own house this would be where he would be seated as well. The only utensils at the table were a dining fork, a salad fork, a table spoon, a tea spoon, and a folded cloth all in the spot for use with the right hand. There was no plate yet only another cloth to place it on, now that everyone was seated, grandmother Nephthys spoke, "May the light of the sun shine its blessings upon all at dawn."
Everyone replied back- myself included, "May the light of the sun shine its blessings upon all at dawn." With that the staff began to serve the first course the hors d'oeuvre in this case some slices of pita with hummus smeared across the top, I noticed everyone eating with the right-hand with the left remaining below the table and followed suit. Glasses were also filled by the staff with what seemed like white wine however I knew that I would be getting juice instead (okay it later turned out to be sparkling cider pear to be more specific).
Soon the hors d'oeuvre was over, and bowls of soup were brought out, from what I could see it was a soup made of lentils and seasoning. Everyone at carefully and gently I could not hear a single sound of slurping and everyone also tried to avoid clinking the bowl with their spoons although towards the end of the course that became impossible.
Next the now empty bowls were cleared away to be replaced with a small plate with a few slices of roasted fish served on crushed toasted wheat. While the plates were small I knew that this was likely to stretch out the meal as well as to leave room for both the main course and desert at the end of the meal. It took one bite to let me know that this was catfish, so I could see that meal itself wasn't entirely mired in tradition, and the chefs were able to bring the whole world's pantry into the kitchen just with their own traditional twists.
Soon another small plate was brought out and many of the waitstaff also refiled glasses with a darker wine (or in my case a cocktail of ginger-ale and cranberry juice), the dish itself was something like hamburger steak however it had been grilled, and not baked. Also, there were a number of spices mixed into the meat; it was obvious that I might want to spend some time in the kitchen before I left for school, the chefs here were bound to have a lot that they could teach me.
The main course from what I could see was a dish of stewed lamb with potatoes and cauliflower, the smell alone was making my mouth water. Also, unlike the prior courses this was closer to a western sized serving of food, everyone myself included began to spear pieces of the meal with their forks while trying to coat the morsels in as much of the sauce as possible before bringing their intended bite unto its destination. The lamb itself was moist and tender on the inside while springy enough on the outside to make it to from bowl to mouth, yes, I would indeed be trying to learn all that I could from the House chefs these next few months.
Soon the plates were taken away to be replaced with a small bowl of cooked carrot strips and green beans, as I ate I tried to identify the spices in my head but the only one that I knew for certain was cardamom. While it might be odd for some to serve a salad so late in the meal, something told me that it was as much to clear the palate from the main course as it was for ruffage to help with the meal itself.
I was indeed right on the money when it came to desert which was a generous bowl of bread-pudding that was made with a type of bread that I was unfamiliar with, although given the budget that I had to make dinner with that was probably most kinds. The pudding itself was fluffy yet chewy, spiced to accentuate the other ingredients rather than mask or overpower them, and filled with gold and black raisins and a fair amount of liquor appeared to have gone in prior to baking.
Once the plates, dishes and silverware were cleared away, grandmother Nephthys cleared her throat and stood with all eyes on her. "Tonight, we have much to celebrate but also much to discuss regarding the future. As you all know recently we learned that not only had my youngest child fathered a daughter by an intended suiter but both she and the child had been taken by our sworn enemies- the Cult of the Black Pharaoh. We know this not only because the daughter in question had made her way back to us, but also due to her warden being apprehended by my husband's ally Erzebet Scratch who has begun to draw the truth from her prisoner's mind using methods that are her own."
"While the news that my eldest's intended is the Cult of the Black Pharaoh's captive is distressing, it was made even worse in that this same warden who kept a child of our house from her family for so many years also assaulted Tawaret and abducted one of our own house- a servant who was with noble child." This revelation was obviously not common news around the house because a number of those in the room were shocked at the news- some even screaming in anguish or anger.
"However not all news this day has been grim, for the maidens of the Four Peripheral Courts of Atlantis have been found and awakened, the four who will restore the mana flows of the days of old and frustrate or break the Great Old Ones and their servants are among us and learning the ways of their powers and abilities. Of those the youngest and last to awaken, the Maiden of our own Southern Court as was foretold by Bishop Brimstone of the Obsidian Circle was a child of our house. While at first we thought this would mean the lady would be the child that Set had sown into that of our missing servant in truth it was the same daughter who had returned to us- the firstborn child of Wepwawet." Grandmother Nephthys turned to me with open arms and proclaimed, "Rise daughter of my eldest son, rise and present yourself to the House of the Shimmering Oasis."
I got back up to my feet and soon grandmother Nephthys motioned me to come over to her, I could tell that this was important, so I did as I was bid to do so. As soon as I got over to her, Grandmother placed her hands on my shoulders and proclaimed, "I present to those of the House of the Shimmering Oasis, Ain Ophios Southern Maiden of the Five-Fold Court of Atlantis and prophesized hope of all Djinn and Daemons."
As the room swelled with applause I felt numb as tears fell down my equine-face; for the first time in my life I could honestly say that I was home.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
8:38 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With dinner taken care of and the dishes done I went back down to my new studio to reflect on what Kelsey said, "I hate to admit it, but she has a point, I guess that all of us have our own issues with our powers. Come to think of its Bea's probably so new to land that she's still learning how to walk, and I still don't know a lot about them either."
I fumed as I looked at the block of basalt, my new canvas once I figured out how to paint with it. Once again, I snapped my claws to make a spark that I kindled into a flame, but this time rather than work with it like I had been I just looked at the ball of fire. It was funny really how much I took my power for granted, here I could nurture the tiniest spark into a roaring inferno if I wanted to but despite being able to control it to the point of being able to mold aluminum scrap into gemstones I still had a problem with keeping it from getting too close.
It was ridiculous really, I was half-fucanglong I could bathe in geysers, swim in molten rock or ride tubes of an erupting volcano if the stories were true, and here I was bound by the primal fears of my past self as a human being. I was a pyrokinetic, heat-proof half-dragon and I was actually afraid of fire. "Yeah I admit it," I bit out as I looked at the rock, "I'm actually still afraid of fire, course it's ironic that thanks to that bastard with the whip back in San Fran that I have a problem with the cold too."
I actually laughed at the absurdity of it all I was afraid of fire and ice, but while one hurt me the other was a source of power and strength. I looked deep into the ball of fire floating above my hand, remembering Kelsey's advice I took the fire and moved it from my palm to the tip of my index claw. Okay so I know that I was supposed to work with the pads of my hands but maybe I needed some experience condensing and keeping the flame to a single point. Staring into the fire and focusing my will it began to shrink, but not as a point of extinguishing instead I wanted to condense the fire down.
Crooking my claw, I stared at the flame that I had compressed down to a bright-blue marble. I focused this time to both let the fire compress more as well as spread across a confined area. I emptied my mind as I just focused on the flame, it flattened and spread, soon the blue-heat was coating my claw like a nail-polish. I just focused and watched as the fire stayed in place, I wonder if I look like I'm cross-eyed right n...
That train of thought died as the fire flashed leaving only a puff of smoke and a bit of soot behind to mark its grave. While it was gone, and I had no telling how long that I had done this for I had still done it. All that I knew was that with a little practice I wouldn't have to even this about it and before long I'd be able to do this without focusing.
I looked back at the block of stone, "I know that you should really wait until you complete a work of art before you sign your name, but I need the practice before I can do the sculpting anyway. Besides I claw should make for a good stylus- the only question is how long I can really hold it for... I guess that I should see if Kelsey has a stopwatch that I can borrow." I observed before going to look for her.
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:47 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
After the brief ceremony and the ensuing festivities were over with I returned to my room, exhausted from the stress and excitement of the last few days yet at the same time elated- the amount of booze in that bread pudding might have something to do with it as well but that was just speculation on my part.
Still it was time to clean up and get ready for bed, and as I made my way to the dressing area to disrobe and catch a shower I heard a knock at the door. Curious who it was at this late hour I looked at the hallway through the peephole to find Zesiro standing there, cautious I opened the door with the chain-bar still in use. "Zesiro pardon me for being rude but it is late, and I was about to turn in for the night."
"I ask that you forgive my rudeness Dame Ophios," Zesiro explained as she knelt on the other side of the doorway, "however I have a message from Lady Nephthys that is meant for you alone. I was informed that I was to hand deliver a sealed scroll to you and wait for your reply inside your chambers."
Once I unlatched the door Zesiro entered and took to her knees, bowed her head and presented of all things a genuine papyrus scroll. As I took it I saw that it was sealed with a wax impression of grandmother's hieroglyph, a little piece of trivia that dad told me during training if anyone but her tried to bring something with a djinn's own seal within their house or one related to them either by loyalty or familial bond and it wasn't applied by the djinn in question the wax would have melted away the moment the scroll was within the house. I politely took the scroll and after breaking the wax seal began to read the scroll aloud.
Wait a moment, "You mean that when I travel to Whateley to start school?" I began to ask without finishing the sentence on purpose.
"I presume that you mean to inquire if I will be with you when you travel to the Whateley Academy in New Hampshire to start schooling in your Freshmen Year while your fellow maidens Faolan and Aletheia will be starting their Sophomore Year and Duanzaolong will be returning to her studies as a fellow Freshmen?" Zesiro replied without once looking up, "Then the answer is correct, to seal my pact with you milady I present to you this ring, as a symbol of my loyalty as well as to ensure that none may use any means mundane or arcane to force me to betray you."
Zesiro then produced a ring from the inner pocket of her vest as she bowed even closer to the ground while she presented me with a small but elaborate gold ring with a small single round sapphire set deeply inside the ring. "I don't know how I feel about this Zesiro," that was an understatement, I really had mixed feelings about this, especially given the life that I had just been liberated from, "from the relatively little that I know about the djinn you are effectively binding yourself to be as my personal slave."
"I am well aware of this Dame Ophios, however given the enemies of our Kingdom as well as of our House itself it is an unfortunate precaution. Just know this you are a Dame, no a Mistress who I am choosing to serve willingly. Lady Nephthys did not assign me by decree, she inquired who among us would be willing to serve you and of those who volunteer I was chosen. I wish to have a hand at guiding a future member of our House as she travels to her destiny as well as beyond, however to make certain that the vile being who once enslaved our Kingdom does not enslave me again I bind myself into your service."
"I am well aware of the contradiction however at the moment it is only through this manner of servitude to our Master's and Mistresses that djinn can ensure that we do not become weapons pointed against our will at those who we loyally serve." Zesiro then looked up at me with desperate eyes and pleaded, "Please take my ring Mistress Ain, I don't want to be made to betray the soul of my people again now that I am free to serve my heart. All that I ask of you is that as my mistress you show me that my loyalty to our people is never perverted like that again."
I reached for the ring with my hands at first trembling and then I remembered of the perversion that cult my foster mother served and how they twisted my own life and then I could understand where Zesiro was coming from, so I firmly took the ring and placed it on the ring-finger of my right hand. "Zesiro, I am going to give you my first command and this command will be the most important because it will overrule any command that I give you from here on out," I explained trying to be as serious as I could about this.
"I hereby order you from here on out to apply your own freewill and discretion, yours and no one else's, in relation to any orders or requests that I give from here on out." I took a breath before I continued, "This means that if I ever step over the line you have my permission to tell me so, if you have any advice to offer me feel free to do so without any repercussions from me, just be careful to do so out of earshot of the others I don't want you to get in trouble for doing what I asked."
"My lady," Zesiro looked up at me with eyes of genuine gratitude, and I should know I've have been seeing those eyes in the mirror a lot lately. "I cannot thank you enough for this, because of the charms, seals and signs woven into that ring the both of us are protected from the dark spells of the Black Pharaoh. The sapphire itself also serves to act as my servant's quarters, which with your permission I can furnish and alter as you see fit."
"And I see fit to allow you to furnish your home to your liking and comfort, however if you need anything that we would have to order or have made, please run it by me first." I back-peddled a bit eliciting a look of curiosity from Zesiro, "I still have no clue what my allowance is going to be, and I'd like not to blow it all at once."
"I see that I will still have a lot to teach you about the ways of djinn," Zesiro tried to stifle a laugh, "those who have to fortune to dwell in a gemstone relating to their natural element can alter the perceived interior as much as we are allowed, so do not worry Lady Ain, my redecorating won't put so much as a dent in your coffers."
"Speaking of that for my next order, when there are no other members of the court around please call me Ain or Iris whichever you prefer," I insisted, "save the formalities for when we're in public."
"Are you certain that is wise," Zesiro boggled a bit at my latest request, "I mean the habitual lack of propriety might lead to a lapse in judgement..."
"You are a few centuries old, even by djinn standards you are an adult," I replied back trying to counter her doubts. "I trust that you'd show the needed amount of discretion to make sure to slip Lady in front of my djinn name when we're in public together."
"I shall endeavor to live up to your expectations Iris!" Zesiro bowed with poise, flourish and a smile.
"And I shall likewise endeavor to prove to be a mistress who proves herself worthy of this honor!" I copied her bow while hamming it up as much as I could. Sure, enough this began to fill the room with laughter, first with a snicker and then when it continued to a full-on side-splitting laughter- the two of us had to take a moment because I had to begin getting ready for bed.
"Now while this isn't a command while I am in the shower I suggest that you take the time to come up with some early suggestions for your ring," I explained as I looked over the object currently on my right hand. "Nothing too fancy just yet, just something so that you can rest comfortably as well for the evening before I begin to help you make the interior of that gemstone a real home, please feel free to use the rooms complimentary pen and stationary."
"I shall do so at once Iris," Zesiro replied with a bow as she began to lock up for me. I really hope that I wasn't going to regret doing this, part of me still really felt guilty for becoming the mistress of another member of my own race... Okay one of the races I was a part of with my only being half-djinn. Still if I was I was going to treat Zesiro as an employee not a slave, I refused to be that kind of a person.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:53 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
"Time!" Kelsey replied as she looked down at the box of sand that I had been practicing writing with my claw as practice for signing the stone, currently I was trying to write name in hanzi however by the time that I was on the third character I would run out of time. This sucked, at first, I wanted to sign chosen codename of Duanzaolong but by the time I got to the third character I ran out of time and instead of writing smithing dragon I had just written forge. Now that I had switched to my proper name of Zhen-yu Chen it just looked like I had written vibrating display.
Driven to get this done I raked the sand to start over when Kelsey grabbed the tool in the middle of the job, "I know that you are determined once more to finish in one day however you have made significant progress. As is it is late, and you still have your academic tutoring as well as lessons with Sha Wujing tomorrow, it would not be far to him if you show up exhausted."
"I know that," I fumed, "it's just so frustrating to be so close to reaching a milestone and to keep tripping at the end."
"Well to be fair Duanzaolong is a very busy code name," Kelsey explained as she knelt to look at me on an equal level, "should you chose to attend Whateley with the others it will likely become a source of frustration for you as there is a good chance that others with mess up your codename. That is why I would like you to consider this as an alternative."
Kelsey then wrote furnace dragon in the sand, which only took two characters and would make my codename Lulong. "Just something to consider." She explained, as she got up."
"I'll think about it," I begrudgingly admitted as I stared at her handiwork, adding in after she got out of the room, "damn, that is some nice calligraphy for just using a finger."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kelsey then popped right back in, "by the way use this when you sleep tonight." Kelsey tossed me something odd that I looked over in my claw.
"It's a gift from Sun Wukong, all of the maidens got one," Kelsey explained as I looked over the short-carved stick. "Just put it in one of your ears when you go to sleep, the result should be most interesting."
While part of me regarded the earplug with suspicion, it would be rude to consider a gift from one who had attained Buddhahood as a threat. "Alright, but if anything, weird happens you will have an earful of your own from me tomorrow!" I shot back before stomping off to my personal chamber.
Once I got back to my makeshift bed, I stared at the ceiling and had to admit that Kelsey had a point about my name, that and the fact that Lulong just seemed to roll of the tongue. Making sure to slide the plug into my ear I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep... only to find myself someplace surreal.
Unknown Place
?
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North.
I was soon aware that I was at one space of a large, glowing, elaborate directional mandala with four demarcated spaces. I took one look around and I noticed that the three other points were occupied as well. Right in front of me I saw a crude, clay sculpture, while to my left I saw a huge pearl and to my right a giant cocoon. Everything else around myself and the objects occupying the other spaces just looked like it was made of starlight and seemed to go on forever.
"For mercy's sake- What is going on now?!?" I shouted to the universe wanting an answer, something that I was going to receive before I knew it.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 44
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
6:37 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
It was odd as the day was slipping away, and now that I was no longer concerned with meeting warriors whose destiny I shared or saving my best friend from being auctioned off to super-villains I was just starting to come to terms with how my life had literally changed over the course of a single weekend. When I had snuck away from home earlier Saturday morning to hang out with the members of my boxing team I had never imagined the way that trip would come to change the course of my life.
Over the course of that very day I had come to learn the reason why I had always felt uncomfortable in my own skin, it wasn't really my skin and the life that I had lived was a lie. The fact that I was a kidnaped girl crammed into a shell of a boy and taught that the emotionally abusive woman who raised me was my mother, when in fact she was the person who likely kidnapped my real mother and was still working for the cult who held her prisoner, it just made me want to- to- I don't want to think about it because it would probably lead me to being a worse person than that cold-blooded mercenary.
There was also the fact that I would barely see my friends from now on, until the Cult of the Black Pharaoh was taken care of and my mother was saved along with my future Aunt and that child's mother I was going to be rather restricted in my movements. As it was my time in Boulder City was over- Paul Ledoux's life was in the past a chapter in a book that may as well have been the prequel to the life of Iris Seguin. No more classes with Walt at Elton and Madeline Garrett Middle School, on the other hand no getting pushed around by Jeff Pruett, not that he could or would now anyway.
"Not that he would try that now," I went over to the vanity area that was installed in my new private vanity, man this degree of luxury is going to take some getting used to. "Yeah, knowing that jerk if I ever showed up at school looking like I do now that chauvinist would try to alpha-male his was into my panties. Course now I'm stronger than he would ever hope to be."
Yeah apparently I didn't have it yesterday because I didn't soak up any sunshine after I busted out of the old me, but djinn are super-strong, so much so that most of the stories about people in old Arabia about lamps and metal vessels were actually about us getting enslaved and forced to work for them, mainly as cheap labor to build cities and palaces on the cheap.
My mind started to shift, when it came right down to it I wasn't the only person that was having to deal with confinement right now. Walt for example had some super-villain's idea of a power-up or at the very least a payday fused to his arms. He was going to have to stay in government custody while they trained him in how to use his powers.
Come to think of it the other Maidens were also pretty limited in their movements right now, although in between the four of us Zhen-yu probably had it the worst out of all of us. She was literally having to live in a cave for the next few months because a cult wanted to use her powers to pad their pockets. And while Bea and Randi were both at a school with a lot of other kids their own age, from what they told me the Whateley Academy was in a very underdeveloped part of Presidential Mountains of New Hampshire.
"Who am I kidding," I looked at my face in the mirror before clutching my house amulet and with a simple chant of "Ha-tep" allowed my equine visage to show through, "I'm just being kept safe at home with my family from a cult of demon worshiping psychos, what is a little cabin fever compared to being with a family that actually loves me."
Soon a lady with the head of some breed of antelope entered my chamber, a djinni who I now recognized as one of our House's staff, "Greetings Dame Ophios, I am Zesiro," the djinn explained as she bowed in reverence. "Forgive me for disturbing you however I have been instructed to inform you that the evening meal shall soon be served in the main dining hall."
"Hello Zesiro," I gave a minor bow of my head as I tried to copy what I had seen Grandmother Nephthys do before she greeted one of the staff before, "is it time to gather for dinner?"
"The time is almost upon us Lady Ain," Zesiro responded with a much deeper and more elaborate bow to my own as well as using my title within our House, "however I also come to really a message from Mistress Nephthys. During dinner a series of announcements will be made concerning your future within the House of the Shimmering Oasis and the Principality of the Blazing Disc as a whole. If I may be so bold could I present, you with a little advice."
"Considering that you've lived in djinn society your entire life Zesiro, well-" I sheepishly admitted, "I'll choose to listen to your experience."
"Very well Lady Ain- I would suggest you steel yourself to contain your surprise, within a House-Wide Meal decorum is important, while it will be only nobility present your immediate family as well as those servants of the House." Zesiro explained with her head bowed so as not to make eye-contact. "Consider these House-Wide Meals as practice for the times that you will need to attend functions before the Royal Court aboard the Mandjet, the Palatial Solar Barge before Prince Horus."
"I can't promise too much but I'll still try as hard as I can," I told Zesiro meaning every word of it.
"I am certain that you will do fine Dame Ophios," Zesiro stated as she rose from her bow, "now let me help you prepare for the meal, "and see if I can aide you in taming those wild locks."
As I turned I could see Zesiro coming towards me in the vanity mirror with comb and brush in hand and knew that she meant every word. "Please be gentle," I squeaked out trying to hide a smile.
"That all depends upon yourself Dame Ophios," Zesiro stated before she struck and with a blur of her hands styled my hair.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
7:52 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I stood before the slab of basalt, once again with my claws clenched into fists and sheathed in fire, determined just as I had the last few dozen times before that this would be the time, I would keep it together long enough to make my mark on the stone and once that happened it would only be a matter of time before I could begin to sculpt again. The idea had me almost giddy, I had already shown a long time ago that I could mold metal and gems using my powers but this- this would be a return to form for me. When it came down to it sculpting in stone was much the same manner of art as sculpting in clay, you worked and used tools to craft the end result.
While I was perfectly capable of sculpting with metal it just seemed so impersonal and lacking the warmth of stone or clay. Metal while the artform was called sculpture was cast into a mold, if the artist or whoever wanted too that same mold could be used to crank out copies long after the artist passed on- to me that seemed to pervert the meaning of art. Art to me was the living expression of the artist's very being, all of their hopes, dreams, desires a part of their essence was distilled and shaped by them for those who came after to see if they could divine the artist's soul from that piece- that was what art was to me.
Determined to finally do this with my claws still the center of their own blaze, I uncurled my claws with my hands poised in a shoudao form (what American pop-culture ignorantly calls a karate chop stance). With my arms in view at elbow's length I began to will the flickering flames on my hands to draw in tighter, willing it to draw closer to my scales as while still breathing. The effort to do this was excruciating, if I could sweat anymore I bet that it would be dripping down my face from the effort, but while I couldn't sweat anymore I could still feel the strain as my hands shook from the effort.
I had finally succeeded to draw the fires down to three inches in height when they flickered and died. "DAMNIT!" I fell to the ground on my knees and began to punch the stone that was beneath me in frustration, no matter how hard I tried the fire still extinguished before I could draw it in close enough.
"Perhaps it is time that you take a break," Kelsey explained as she walked in with a large bowl full of what smelled like a nice beef stew, "I understand that you want to rush to this but you've had a big day and pushed yourself to limits you never knew and past them- so now you have a new goal, however you shouldn't expect to cross that finish line after seeing it. You need to rest too, even for a little- while you might have had a night's sleep between now and then it was not restful enough, you need to have time to decompress."
"No!" I snarled back, "I won't stay idle, I spent too long being ground under the heels of that damned cult. I lost half a year of my damned life, I lost my home, time with my family, time with my friends I refuse to just sit on my tail when I know that the others are going to be blazing ahead of me!"
"True young Randi is ahead of you in learning about how to use her powers, however as one of her powers is magic it will also take her far longer to learn spells and the many nuances of spell-casting as well as time to find her limits as well as how to test them. As for her shape-shifting she is limited in the scope of what she can do with it and how it works, or so I have been told by those loyal to her mentor. As for Beatrice Sha Wujing has informed me through what his old friend Sun Wukong has observed that Beatrice is still learning the nuances of her healing abilities and has still yet to test them to their full limit. As for her powers as a mermaid she is still working to master the power of her voice and has yet to take instruction into the art of spell-singing. As for Iris she is just beginning her own journey, and she has yet to experience the rite of passage for the djinn that will allow her access to the full scope of her abilities." Kelsey floored me by how much she knew not just of the other's real names but also with where they were in their own training, she only looked a few years older than I was but after meeting the now grow-up Red Boy I was reminded just how appearances could be deceiving.
"Remember Zhen-yu don't focus on where your peers are in their own training," Kelsey stated before placing her hand on my shoulder, "You are yourself not your peers, their destinies might align with yours however they have their own motivations, obstacles and abilities. Each of the other maidens have their own trials and tribulations, also unlike yourself they cannot work at their own pace each currently has outside responsibilities that they will have to adhere to in order to move forward. At present you have training with Sha Wujing and are catching up with your education through myself however until you choose to enroll at Whateley this is all done at your own pace, you might have deadlines to meet however you must remember that most of the goals that you have to meet you do according to your own schedule."
"It's not just that," I huffed as I looked at Kelsey while trying to hide my astonishment at how much she knew. "don't get me wrong I liked to dance and party as much as any Seattle girl, but I miss sculpting. That feeling of molding the wet clay in my hands guiding it to become what I wanted what I saw in the possibilities for it was one of my passions. Right now though I run so hot that if I try to work with clay I wind up baking it in the process, its impossible to mold clay while its baking and since Sha Wujing told me that if I work well enough with my powers that I can do that with rock, that I can be a sculptor again I need to try and do it Besides its one way that I can really feel like me again without risking the Cult of the Bloodstained Gold sending more mercenaries to capture me again."
"They track you through your qi, using the gemstones that you created while they had you enthralled," Kelsey continued. "There are ways to mask your qi if you wish to learn them, moreover if you do so by next weekend I promise to take you to blow off some steam in Denver instead of Durango. Then we find out if any of the mercenaries who would accept the Cult of Bloodstained Gold's contract are willing to risk running into Heaven's Thunder and Denver Gold."
"And those are?" I enquired wanting a little more meat to this morsel of information.
"Super-hero Teams who operate out of Denver," Kelsey explained as we made our way to our dinning nook, "you also likely wouldn't have to worry about more Doshi and Jiangshi, the White Witch is not an opponent to be taken lightly and for all of their greed the Cult of Blood-stained Gold is well aware of this fact."
"So, there are things that they are scared of," I observed under my breath.
"Yes, a great many things in fact, this mountain itself is between the territory of two individuals who they fear and for good reason, and both of whom you met early this morning." Kelsey continued as she began to dish up dinner without missing a beat.
"Would they happen to be members of the Obsidian Circle?" I asked while washing the dust and grime from my claws and scales. "You said they have reason to be afraid of strong magic users, and that group looked pretty powerful to me."
"Yes- Lord Khamsin, Iris's grandfather claims most of the state of Nevada as his territory although for the most part he is content to stay out of the affairs of others in return for his cut for running an operation within his dominion- something which the Cult of Blood-stained Gold had neglected to do." Kelsey began to explain, "The other is Erzebet Scratch whose men you fought beside last night led by Papa Houma. Here domain is sizable, and she counts the Cult of Blood-stained Gold among her long list of enemies. This isn't the first time that she has sent a bloody-reminder to them to stay away from her territory and it likely will not be the last."
"So, you're saying that this Erzebet Scratch woman could be an ally when I make my way east after my training is over with- right?" I asked hoping that Kelsey would throw me a bone- something to make my life easier.
"Unfortunately, the enemy of my enemy is only my enemy's enemy, nothing more and nothing less." Kelsey stated that shut that door in my face, "Helping you might have been in Erzebet's interests yesterday; however, I would not count on this being anything more than a one-time incident. If you incur too many favors from her and her servants she may seek to have you join them, and while it wouldn't be slavery like your time in San Francisco- it would still be binding yourself to the will of another, and I would suggest that you wait until you are much older before making that kind of a commitment."
My mouth went dry at Kelsey's observations, I had hoped so hard for my freedom and thanks to my nativity I was almost about to do something crazy that would have thrown everything away. "I'm going to need to think about a few things." I stated as I sat down at our make-shift dining table.
"That would be a good idea," Kelsey replied as she came over with a pot of beef stew, "Meanwhile as for your focus training, don't start with both of your palms, start with one fingertip and start from there. Remember this is training for your abilities, don't expect to do it all at once."
"I'll try," I muttered out under my breath as I focused on the steam wafting off of the stew. Meanwhile I was thankful of how much being half-fucanglong had broadened my palette, I was still waiting to see how much my tolerance to spice had increased, I used to be a real featherweight back when I was human.
Scarlet Sands Resort - Dining Hall
Las Vegas, Nevada
7:00 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
Following Zesiro's advice I made certain to follow the rhythm of the hallway as everyone made their way towards the dining table after using a long trough like basin to clean my hands toughly. The area was setup so that the moment you placed your hands a spell, removed dirt and debris from them to let with it collected in the trough to be incinerated the moment the user stepped away. The dining room itself held several a short-legged version of a dining tables and rather than chairs each seat was a circular cushion with the hieroglyph for the name of the intended occupant's embroidered on the seat. From what I knew the central table was that reserved for the head of the household and their family and guests. Each of us made moved clockwise around the table as a group until everyone was at their designated seat.
As we moved around the table I took note of the hieroglyphs on the cushions the only ones bare of embroidery were two spots on the House side of the table, although that was due to the cushions being turned facedown symbolic of those members being considered abroad at the moment, as well as those on the guest side baring the one at that head of the table. My name among the Southern Court was Ain Ophios and from what dad told me Ain means "eye" in the old tongue and "merciful" in the modern tongue to that end I stood before the seat with a simple eye hieroglyph embroidered on it, thankfully avoiding the faux-paus of sitting on the seat at the head of the table with Eye of Horus on it, a seat that is always reserved should the Damshin Ifrit King chose to grace a House with his presence.
The only one who ever say at the opposite head of the table was the current head of the House which in this case was my grandmother Nephthys, from what Zesiro told me the spouse of the current head of the House (my grandfather Set) sat at the right of the Head of the House while the eldest child in residence (my father Wepwawet) sat to their left. Being the eldest child of the eldest child in residence my place was two seats down the row from my father with the seat in-between us reserved for my still captive mother. Likewise, a spot next to grandpa was empty, a spot reserved for an honored concubine of the house the pregnant and likewise kidnapped Miranda Salazar, whom if we were lucky we'd rescue alongside my mother.
While there were a great many staff and servants of the House in the dining hall, those who were not serving the meal sat at separate tables bracketing the hall. From what I know dining and kitchen staff ate in a special room to the side of the kitchen and were exempt from dining protocol as thanks for their hard work. The other half of the main dining table was reserved for guests which at present was occupied by Bes and Tawaret, had Uncle Anubis not gone home to his own house this would be where he would be seated as well. The only utensils at the table were a dining fork, a salad fork, a table spoon, a tea spoon, and a folded cloth all in the spot for use with the right hand. There was no plate yet only another cloth to place it on, now that everyone was seated, grandmother Nephthys spoke, "May the light of the sun shine its blessings upon all at dawn."
Everyone replied back- myself included, "May the light of the sun shine its blessings upon all at dawn." With that the staff began to serve the first course the hors d'oeuvre in this case some slices of pita with hummus smeared across the top, I noticed everyone eating with the right-hand with the left remaining below the table and followed suit. Glasses were also filled by the staff with what seemed like white wine however I knew that I would be getting juice instead (okay it later turned out to be sparkling cider pear to be more specific).
Soon the hors d'oeuvre was over, and bowls of soup were brought out, from what I could see it was a soup made of lentils and seasoning. Everyone at carefully and gently I could not hear a single sound of slurping and everyone also tried to avoid clinking the bowl with their spoons although towards the end of the course that became impossible.
Next the now empty bowls were cleared away to be replaced with a small plate with a few slices of roasted fish served on crushed toasted wheat. While the plates were small I knew that this was likely to stretch out the meal as well as to leave room for both the main course and desert at the end of the meal. It took one bite to let me know that this was catfish, so I could see that meal itself wasn't entirely mired in tradition, and the chefs were able to bring the whole world's pantry into the kitchen just with their own traditional twists.
Soon another small plate was brought out and many of the waitstaff also refiled glasses with a darker wine (or in my case a cocktail of ginger-ale and cranberry juice), the dish itself was something like hamburger steak however it had been grilled, and not baked. Also, there were a number of spices mixed into the meat; it was obvious that I might want to spend some time in the kitchen before I left for school, the chefs here were bound to have a lot that they could teach me.
The main course from what I could see was a dish of stewed lamb with potatoes and cauliflower, the smell alone was making my mouth water. Also, unlike the prior courses this was closer to a western sized serving of food, everyone myself included began to spear pieces of the meal with their forks while trying to coat the morsels in as much of the sauce as possible before bringing their intended bite unto its destination. The lamb itself was moist and tender on the inside while springy enough on the outside to make it to from bowl to mouth, yes, I would indeed be trying to learn all that I could from the House chefs these next few months.
Soon the plates were taken away to be replaced with a small bowl of cooked carrot strips and green beans, as I ate I tried to identify the spices in my head but the only one that I knew for certain was cardamom. While it might be odd for some to serve a salad so late in the meal, something told me that it was as much to clear the palate from the main course as it was for ruffage to help with the meal itself.
I was indeed right on the money when it came to desert which was a generous bowl of bread-pudding that was made with a type of bread that I was unfamiliar with, although given the budget that I had to make dinner with that was probably most kinds. The pudding itself was fluffy yet chewy, spiced to accentuate the other ingredients rather than mask or overpower them, and filled with gold and black raisins and a fair amount of liquor appeared to have gone in prior to baking.
Once the plates, dishes and silverware were cleared away, grandmother Nephthys cleared her throat and stood with all eyes on her. "Tonight, we have much to celebrate but also much to discuss regarding the future. As you all know recently we learned that not only had my youngest child fathered a daughter by an intended suiter but both she and the child had been taken by our sworn enemies- the Cult of the Black Pharaoh. We know this not only because the daughter in question had made her way back to us, but also due to her warden being apprehended by my husband's ally Erzebet Scratch who has begun to draw the truth from her prisoner's mind using methods that are her own."
"While the news that my eldest's intended is the Cult of the Black Pharaoh's captive is distressing, it was made even worse in that this same warden who kept a child of our house from her family for so many years also assaulted Tawaret and abducted one of our own house- a servant who was with noble child." This revelation was obviously not common news around the house because a number of those in the room were shocked at the news- some even screaming in anguish or anger.
"However not all news this day has been grim, for the maidens of the Four Peripheral Courts of Atlantis have been found and awakened, the four who will restore the mana flows of the days of old and frustrate or break the Great Old Ones and their servants are among us and learning the ways of their powers and abilities. Of those the youngest and last to awaken, the Maiden of our own Southern Court as was foretold by Bishop Brimstone of the Obsidian Circle was a child of our house. While at first we thought this would mean the lady would be the child that Set had sown into that of our missing servant in truth it was the same daughter who had returned to us- the firstborn child of Wepwawet." Grandmother Nephthys turned to me with open arms and proclaimed, "Rise daughter of my eldest son, rise and present yourself to the House of the Shimmering Oasis."
I got back up to my feet and soon grandmother Nephthys motioned me to come over to her, I could tell that this was important, so I did as I was bid to do so. As soon as I got over to her, Grandmother placed her hands on my shoulders and proclaimed, "I present to those of the House of the Shimmering Oasis, Ain Ophios Southern Maiden of the Five-Fold Court of Atlantis and prophesized hope of all Djinn and Daemons."
As the room swelled with applause I felt numb as tears fell down my equine-face; for the first time in my life I could honestly say that I was home.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
8:38 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With dinner taken care of and the dishes done I went back down to my new studio to reflect on what Kelsey said, "I hate to admit it, but she has a point, I guess that all of us have our own issues with our powers. Come to think of its Bea's probably so new to land that she's still learning how to walk, and I still don't know a lot about them either."
I fumed as I looked at the block of basalt, my new canvas once I figured out how to paint with it. Once again, I snapped my claws to make a spark that I kindled into a flame, but this time rather than work with it like I had been I just looked at the ball of fire. It was funny really how much I took my power for granted, here I could nurture the tiniest spark into a roaring inferno if I wanted to but despite being able to control it to the point of being able to mold aluminum scrap into gemstones I still had a problem with keeping it from getting too close.
It was ridiculous really, I was half-fucanglong I could bathe in geysers, swim in molten rock or ride tubes of an erupting volcano if the stories were true, and here I was bound by the primal fears of my past self as a human being. I was a pyrokinetic, heat-proof half-dragon and I was actually afraid of fire. "Yeah I admit it," I bit out as I looked at the rock, "I'm actually still afraid of fire, course it's ironic that thanks to that bastard with the whip back in San Fran that I have a problem with the cold too."
I actually laughed at the absurdity of it all I was afraid of fire and ice, but while one hurt me the other was a source of power and strength. I looked deep into the ball of fire floating above my hand, remembering Kelsey's advice I took the fire and moved it from my palm to the tip of my index claw. Okay so I know that I was supposed to work with the pads of my hands but maybe I needed some experience condensing and keeping the flame to a single point. Staring into the fire and focusing my will it began to shrink, but not as a point of extinguishing instead I wanted to condense the fire down.
Crooking my claw, I stared at the flame that I had compressed down to a bright-blue marble. I focused this time to both let the fire compress more as well as spread across a confined area. I emptied my mind as I just focused on the flame, it flattened and spread, soon the blue-heat was coating my claw like a nail-polish. I just focused and watched as the fire stayed in place, I wonder if I look like I'm cross-eyed right n...
That train of thought died as the fire flashed leaving only a puff of smoke and a bit of soot behind to mark its grave. While it was gone, and I had no telling how long that I had done this for I had still done it. All that I knew was that with a little practice I wouldn't have to even this about it and before long I'd be able to do this without focusing.
I looked back at the block of stone, "I know that you should really wait until you complete a work of art before you sign your name, but I need the practice before I can do the sculpting anyway. Besides I claw should make for a good stylus- the only question is how long I can really hold it for... I guess that I should see if Kelsey has a stopwatch that I can borrow." I observed before going to look for her.
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:47 PM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
After the brief ceremony and the ensuing festivities were over with I returned to my room, exhausted from the stress and excitement of the last few days yet at the same time elated- the amount of booze in that bread pudding might have something to do with it as well but that was just speculation on my part.
Still it was time to clean up and get ready for bed, and as I made my way to the dressing area to disrobe and catch a shower I heard a knock at the door. Curious who it was at this late hour I looked at the hallway through the peephole to find Zesiro standing there, cautious I opened the door with the chain-bar still in use. "Zesiro pardon me for being rude but it is late, and I was about to turn in for the night."
"I ask that you forgive my rudeness Dame Ophios," Zesiro explained as she knelt on the other side of the doorway, "however I have a message from Lady Nephthys that is meant for you alone. I was informed that I was to hand deliver a sealed scroll to you and wait for your reply inside your chambers."
Once I unlatched the door Zesiro entered and took to her knees, bowed her head and presented of all things a genuine papyrus scroll. As I took it I saw that it was sealed with a wax impression of grandmother's hieroglyph, a little piece of trivia that dad told me during training if anyone but her tried to bring something with a djinn's own seal within their house or one related to them either by loyalty or familial bond and it wasn't applied by the djinn in question the wax would have melted away the moment the scroll was within the house. I politely took the scroll and after breaking the wax seal began to read the scroll aloud.
"I Lady Nephthys,
Proclaim that henceforth Zesiro is to be your personal servant both within the House as well as while abroad. She is to serve you both as handmaiden, protector and confidant for as long as you have need of her. She is to assist you as your tutor in the ways of our Kingdom, serve as your attendant in war, consul in times of crisis and steward of your chambers wherever you may be, as well as confidant when you have need of a sympathetic ear. This is my proclamation as the reining lady of the House of the Shimmering Oasis!"
Wait a moment, "You mean that when I travel to Whateley to start school?" I began to ask without finishing the sentence on purpose.
"I presume that you mean to inquire if I will be with you when you travel to the Whateley Academy in New Hampshire to start schooling in your Freshmen Year while your fellow maidens Faolan and Aletheia will be starting their Sophomore Year and Duanzaolong will be returning to her studies as a fellow Freshmen?" Zesiro replied without once looking up, "Then the answer is correct, to seal my pact with you milady I present to you this ring, as a symbol of my loyalty as well as to ensure that none may use any means mundane or arcane to force me to betray you."
Zesiro then produced a ring from the inner pocket of her vest as she bowed even closer to the ground while she presented me with a small but elaborate gold ring with a small single round sapphire set deeply inside the ring. "I don't know how I feel about this Zesiro," that was an understatement, I really had mixed feelings about this, especially given the life that I had just been liberated from, "from the relatively little that I know about the djinn you are effectively binding yourself to be as my personal slave."
"I am well aware of this Dame Ophios, however given the enemies of our Kingdom as well as of our House itself it is an unfortunate precaution. Just know this you are a Dame, no a Mistress who I am choosing to serve willingly. Lady Nephthys did not assign me by decree, she inquired who among us would be willing to serve you and of those who volunteer I was chosen. I wish to have a hand at guiding a future member of our House as she travels to her destiny as well as beyond, however to make certain that the vile being who once enslaved our Kingdom does not enslave me again I bind myself into your service."
"I am well aware of the contradiction however at the moment it is only through this manner of servitude to our Master's and Mistresses that djinn can ensure that we do not become weapons pointed against our will at those who we loyally serve." Zesiro then looked up at me with desperate eyes and pleaded, "Please take my ring Mistress Ain, I don't want to be made to betray the soul of my people again now that I am free to serve my heart. All that I ask of you is that as my mistress you show me that my loyalty to our people is never perverted like that again."
I reached for the ring with my hands at first trembling and then I remembered of the perversion that cult my foster mother served and how they twisted my own life and then I could understand where Zesiro was coming from, so I firmly took the ring and placed it on the ring-finger of my right hand. "Zesiro, I am going to give you my first command and this command will be the most important because it will overrule any command that I give you from here on out," I explained trying to be as serious as I could about this.
"I hereby order you from here on out to apply your own freewill and discretion, yours and no one else's, in relation to any orders or requests that I give from here on out." I took a breath before I continued, "This means that if I ever step over the line you have my permission to tell me so, if you have any advice to offer me feel free to do so without any repercussions from me, just be careful to do so out of earshot of the others I don't want you to get in trouble for doing what I asked."
"My lady," Zesiro looked up at me with eyes of genuine gratitude, and I should know I've have been seeing those eyes in the mirror a lot lately. "I cannot thank you enough for this, because of the charms, seals and signs woven into that ring the both of us are protected from the dark spells of the Black Pharaoh. The sapphire itself also serves to act as my servant's quarters, which with your permission I can furnish and alter as you see fit."
"And I see fit to allow you to furnish your home to your liking and comfort, however if you need anything that we would have to order or have made, please run it by me first." I back-peddled a bit eliciting a look of curiosity from Zesiro, "I still have no clue what my allowance is going to be, and I'd like not to blow it all at once."
"I see that I will still have a lot to teach you about the ways of djinn," Zesiro tried to stifle a laugh, "those who have to fortune to dwell in a gemstone relating to their natural element can alter the perceived interior as much as we are allowed, so do not worry Lady Ain, my redecorating won't put so much as a dent in your coffers."
"Speaking of that for my next order, when there are no other members of the court around please call me Ain or Iris whichever you prefer," I insisted, "save the formalities for when we're in public."
"Are you certain that is wise," Zesiro boggled a bit at my latest request, "I mean the habitual lack of propriety might lead to a lapse in judgement..."
"You are a few centuries old, even by djinn standards you are an adult," I replied back trying to counter her doubts. "I trust that you'd show the needed amount of discretion to make sure to slip Lady in front of my djinn name when we're in public together."
"I shall endeavor to live up to your expectations Iris!" Zesiro bowed with poise, flourish and a smile.
"And I shall likewise endeavor to prove to be a mistress who proves herself worthy of this honor!" I copied her bow while hamming it up as much as I could. Sure, enough this began to fill the room with laughter, first with a snicker and then when it continued to a full-on side-splitting laughter- the two of us had to take a moment because I had to begin getting ready for bed.
"Now while this isn't a command while I am in the shower I suggest that you take the time to come up with some early suggestions for your ring," I explained as I looked over the object currently on my right hand. "Nothing too fancy just yet, just something so that you can rest comfortably as well for the evening before I begin to help you make the interior of that gemstone a real home, please feel free to use the rooms complimentary pen and stationary."
"I shall do so at once Iris," Zesiro replied with a bow as she began to lock up for me. I really hope that I wasn't going to regret doing this, part of me still really felt guilty for becoming the mistress of another member of my own race... Okay one of the races I was a part of with my only being half-djinn. Still if I was I was going to treat Zesiro as an employee not a slave, I refused to be that kind of a person.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:53 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
"Time!" Kelsey replied as she looked down at the box of sand that I had been practicing writing with my claw as practice for signing the stone, currently I was trying to write name in hanzi however by the time that I was on the third character I would run out of time. This sucked, at first, I wanted to sign chosen codename of Duanzaolong but by the time I got to the third character I ran out of time and instead of writing smithing dragon I had just written forge. Now that I had switched to my proper name of Zhen-yu Chen it just looked like I had written vibrating display.
Driven to get this done I raked the sand to start over when Kelsey grabbed the tool in the middle of the job, "I know that you are determined once more to finish in one day however you have made significant progress. As is it is late, and you still have your academic tutoring as well as lessons with Sha Wujing tomorrow, it would not be far to him if you show up exhausted."
"I know that," I fumed, "it's just so frustrating to be so close to reaching a milestone and to keep tripping at the end."
"Well to be fair Duanzaolong is a very busy code name," Kelsey explained as she knelt to look at me on an equal level, "should you chose to attend Whateley with the others it will likely become a source of frustration for you as there is a good chance that others with mess up your codename. That is why I would like you to consider this as an alternative."
Kelsey then wrote furnace dragon in the sand, which only took two characters and would make my codename Lulong. "Just something to consider." She explained, as she got up."
"I'll think about it," I begrudgingly admitted as I stared at her handiwork, adding in after she got out of the room, "damn, that is some nice calligraphy for just using a finger."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kelsey then popped right back in, "by the way use this when you sleep tonight." Kelsey tossed me something odd that I looked over in my claw.
"It's a gift from Sun Wukong, all of the maidens got one," Kelsey explained as I looked over the short-carved stick. "Just put it in one of your ears when you go to sleep, the result should be most interesting."
While part of me regarded the earplug with suspicion, it would be rude to consider a gift from one who had attained Buddhahood as a threat. "Alright, but if anything, weird happens you will have an earful of your own from me tomorrow!" I shot back before stomping off to my personal chamber.
Once I got back to my makeshift bed, I stared at the ceiling and had to admit that Kelsey had a point about my name, that and the fact that Lulong just seemed to roll of the tongue. Making sure to slide the plug into my ear I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep... only to find myself someplace surreal.
Unknown Place
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POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North.
I was soon aware that I was at one space of a large, glowing, elaborate directional mandala with four demarcated spaces. I took one look around and I noticed that the three other points were occupied as well. Right in front of me I saw a crude, clay sculpture, while to my left I saw a huge pearl and to my right a giant cocoon. Everything else around myself and the objects occupying the other spaces just looked like it was made of starlight and seemed to go on forever.
"For mercy's sake- What is going on now?!?" I shouted to the universe wanting an answer, something that I was going to receive before I knew it.
Last Edit: 5 years 7 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: html fix
5 years 6 months ago #59
by Insane Hiker
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POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I don't know why but one moment I was dreaming of moving through a giant ethereal forest in my costume at speeds that would make with skill that would make the Parkour Hooligans green with envy and enough finesse to make Spider-Man applaud. The next thing I knew I was on a giant, glowing array more than a little disoriented over the whole thing.
After a moment I took stock of my surroundings as well as those who were with me: To my right I saw a crude, baked, clay figure that looked like someone tried to make a horse-headed statue with like a vaguely resembling a canopic jar but with the same skill that I had when I took art back in sixth grade. To my left I saw a giant red egg that I began to hear a very familiar stream of ranting from, that was helping me put two and two together. What sealed the deal of what the figures where was the sight of a very familiar giant pearl that I had seen in person a couple of months ago, "Bea are you okay, it's me Randi!"
"Randi, is that you in that cocoon?" Bea asked more than a little scared from within the same pearl that she hatched from- one that I knew all too well was currently set on the end of her scepter.
"Really!?! I'm in a cocoon again?" I asked now that everything was falling into place. "Then I assume that the angry-sounding girl in the red egg is Zhen-yu and the clay statue is Iris."
"Wait a freaking moment," the voice that I thought was Iris called out, "you mean that I ballooned into an egg that the new me had to hatch from and all that you had to do was spin a freaking cocoon to become a fairy...How is that fair?"
"I didn't spin a cocoon, I prepared a backup with the help of two old fae incase things went sideways kicking Mister Domino's errand-boy out of my soul space." I barked back at the apparently unhatched dragon, "spoiler alert it didn't, they had a warlock standing by who roasted the old me alive from the inside out and I had to use the backup to grow a new body using magic. You may have felt like you were dying Zhen-yu, but I died for real and if my corpse wasn't snatched from the morgue then I could have gone to my own funeral- albeit a closed-casket service."
"Please no fighting you two," the girl who I presumed was Iris called out from inside the statue, "I think that we can all agree that we had a plenty sucky time of it prior to our transformations."
"Speak for yourself," Zhen-yu barked out again, "my life was fine, things didn't start sucking until I began transforming and then right afterwards. At least the three of you have all sunshine and roses now!"
"Zhen-yu weren't you paying attention last night?" Bea asked with the disappointment obvious in her voice, "A cult might want you to be their slave again, but another cult wants me dead, meanwhile another cult wants the same for Iris's entire family and are holding her mother hostage."
"And while I have my own issues right now Zhen-yu and I'm taking steps to deal with them," I explained trying to reign my temper back in before noticing a familiar shape in the starscape around us- someone or rather something that I hadn't seen the Fehde against Fenris and Plagiat. "Besides I just figured out where we are, ladies welcome to the Astral Plain."
"You mean to tell me that the Astral Plain isn't just some Western New Age Bullshit?!?" Zhen-yu cried out, "It's actually real! And how would you know where we are?!?"
"The astral plain is a spiritual realm that acts like an ocean connecting the spirit spaces of all conscious creatures," I explained giving the wrote definition before changing to something that those who haven't taken a Magic Course would understand, "Think it like a spiritual internet and every conscious being is a user with their own terminal and homepage only most people don't know how to use the equipment correctly or don't want to learn. As for how I know this during the exorcism everyone involved got sucked into a fehde, a mystic duel fought on the astral plain, it just took me a few minutes because this is someplace else in the astral plain and not my personal soul space."
"So, does this mean that we have to fight each other?" Iris asked with trepidation in her voice, "Because I was really wanting to make some new friends, especially at since my family wants to send me to your school."
"Don't worry young djinn," a voice that was all too familiar to me called out granted that we hadn't spoken much since the big get together at The City of Lost Dreams. "This is just a place of common ground that the four of you can share, a safe place that you can use to keep in touch away from the prying ears, eyes and sensory appendages of those who would want to do you harm."
"Elder Greyback," Bea called out, "but I thought that you couldn't leave the Dreamlands, and you are back inside that room at-"
"Uh-uh-uh young Beatrice," Greyback chided my friend as he materialized, "I told you not to tell Randi about that place just yet, she is not at the place in her personal development that I would trust her there anyway."
"Besides he can come to the Astral Plains all that he wants," I explained, "he just can't come back to any of the physical worlds anymore since Plagiat's attack severed his connection to the material world."
"My descendent is correct, I can travel to many places however the physical realms are now no longer my domain." Greyback heaved out a brief sigh, "And I so wanted to see the coronation of Queen Aunghadheil's chosen successor, but fate rarely cooperates with your desires. Still at least I can be here to aid the Four Maidens when the need arises with my council should they have need of it."
"Wait a moment," Zhen-yu interrupted all perplexed, "Randi just how many weird magic folks are in your family?"
"Randi is the descendent of the three beings of born of what remained of the soul of General Armeluien the Deft who served under Queen Venraniel of the Silent Willow during the final days of the Five Fold Court as well as Lady Ulelesse the child that his sword-brother Tordrais the Mournful sired with Queen Venraniel upon returning from a yearlong campaign of revenge upon the Cult whose followers were responsible for the death of his commander and closest friend." Greyback explained, "The three beings in question are me, Morrigan Redstag and Loki Silvertongue, granted there are other's in her lineage just as you have those in your own lineage should you choose to look Miss Chen."
"Yeah I know," Zhen-yu droned out, "I'm the descendent of the fucanglong whose heart became the blade of the Handmaiden of the Tao. I mean I wouldn't be surprised that there are plenty of people with the same lineage."
"True, however you are also a descendent of the Yellow Emperor and have a number of Taoist Sages in your ancestry as well." Greyback stated something that seemed to stun Zhen-yu into silence. "As for Iris and Beatrice you both know about your heritage among the courts given that it is closer to your own generation and Beatrice yours holds few surprises."
"Yeah, I pretty much know all that I need to know about my family history," Beatrice commented in a wistful tone, "mom's late aunt was big into genealogy and wrote up a full history of the family that mom keeps in her campus apartment. And I know all about my other mother's family from my grandmother, especially all about Thalatté, Uncle Qingu and Grandfather Apsu from her as well as their lineage."
"True there is also much to be said about the lineage of Iris- that is on her mother's side," Greyback teased trying to catch the interest of the young genie.
"Wait- just what can you tell me about my mother?!?" Iris called out in desperation, who could blame her though with her mother being a captive of the same cult who were responsible for most of the suffering that she'd experienced over the course of her very short life.
"Little that you could not find out yourself on a trip to her family in Oaxaca after the two of you reunite," Greyback almost immediately stonewalled the young djinni, "I will tell you though that your grandfather moved there after meeting your grandmother, and his family lived in Mexico City for a very long time."
"Let me guess," I interrupted, "her grandfather's family lived in Mexico City before it even was Mexico City- am I correct?"
"Yes, and thank you for spoiling much of the surprise for your college." Greyback glared my way. "There is much to be said about the wonder of discovery when it comes to one's roots."
"That may be Greyback, but I think that Iris with all that has happened to her deserves an avenue that she can use to discover a little more about her heritage ahead of time to prepare for meeting her mother." I retorted gaining a look of respect from my ancestor in the process as I focused on Iris- not that she could see me do so. "That and the librarian in me can't help but want to assist a possible friend in learning more about herself. You might also see about learning Spanish."
*"I know little Spanish," Iris replied in Spanish albeit a it could use some work. *"I fan of movie of The Saint."
"You need a little work, and if you were saying that you were a fan of El Santo you want to use admirado not aventado," I tried to explain as supportive as I could, "The kind of fan that you described yourself as is found on a desk or attached to the ceiling."
"So, you know how to speak Spanish," Zhen-yu observed before realizing, "wait how did we all understand what Iris was saying?"
"This is the astral plain Zhen-yu, thought means more here than it does on a material plain," I explained to the dragon-half, "someone could speak fluent Diné here and everyone would understand exactly what they meant right down to the tenses and connotations."
"So, we'd understand Navajo?" Iris asked before pausing, "Oh so that's what you mean by connotation."
"Yep," I quipped, "so no cursing in foreign languages here because we'd all understand what you're saying."
"Okay so no swearing in Mandarin or Cantonese," Zhen-yu droned before mischievously adding, "I'll just say all of my obscenities in plain English just like I should, that way then you'll know all of the nuances."
"Just so that you know the ear plugs that you wore before going to bed were just to attune the four of you to this place," Greyback continued, "you no longer need them to come here and from here on out their magic will be exhausted, still I recommend burning them for good measure. You never know if someone else might have the means to reactivate the spell and use it to spy on you four here."
"So how do we get here again if we can't use the earplugs?" Iris inquired with a question that I kicked myself for not asking sooner.
"Just think of it before you close your eyes child," Greyback explained, "and when you want to leave just will it as well, at most a second will have passed in between this and when you wake back up, plenty of time to fall back to sleep and get as much as you need for the day ahead."
"But won't that depend on all of us to do that if we want to communicate?" Bea brought up an excellent point, "How can we be sure that we'll meet here?"
"Just think of the one that you want to reach and if they are sleeping they will get the message in their dreams," Greyback elaborated, "however do keep in mind that they could just as well chose to ignore it and continue on with their dreams, you cannot force someone to come here against their will after all- this is intended to be a place where the Four Maidens of the Peripheral Courts can meet as equals after all."
"Um, does anyone have anything that they want to talk about because I have somewhere to be in the Dreamlands." Bea interjected without being rude.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Iris concurred, "I wonder what I'm going to be dreaming about now that I'm living with my real family?"
"I know what you mean," I sighed wistfully, "Dreams are something that too many people take for granted, I'm glad that I finally get to have them."
Not wanting to explain that little tidbit I will myself to wake up.
Monday April 23rd, 2007
Randi and Candace's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy
Dunwitch, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
12:41 AM EDT
Sure enough I woke up in my own bed back at Whateley and from what my alarm clock said on my desk, it was still in the middle of the night. I wonder if I can get back to that dream? Was the only though on my mind as I shut my eyes once more.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
While Randi's departure was more than a tad rude it was understandable given what I knew about her history. And I for one was more than eager to get back to my studies on the culture of the Ancient Eastern Court. While a night in the Dreamlands can equal the perception of a full year going by I still had a lot to learn about my people.
"I still don't understand why you don't want Randi to learn about this place," I looked right at Greyback concerned about the secret that he was having me keep from one of my best friends. "I mean you know how much she loves to learn why not let her come here?"
"Because Randi loves to learn far too much, if I were to bring her here as she is now there is a chance that she would never leave." Greyback sighed, "The girl is an entertainment junkie, and craves knowledge and information, there is also a chance that if she comes here she might ask for something that she is not yet ready to see that might either wind up shattering her mind or corrupting her being in the process. Remember all knowledge is stored in the Hall of Echoes that includes Forbidden Grimoires, Mythos Texts and even books that have yet to be written; I do not want to present my descendent with that manner of temptation before I can trust her to handle it."
"Fine so I won't tell her about the Hall of Echoes for now," I gave into the elder Fae's logic, "but you do realize that I can't keep secrets like this from her forever eventually I will need to tell her about this- it may even be necessary when it comes time to confront her destiny."
"I am well aware of that but for now Randi just isn't ready for this place," Greyback reiterated his point, "and for now I would trust you to keep it a secret, when I feel that she is ready I will take her here myself. In the meantime, what do you think about the society of your ancestors in the Eastern Court."
"I think that it is more than a little odd," I admitted when I thought of a few things that I had learned over the course of this week-long study session. "The fact that only men of nobility were expected to marry was more than a little odd, especially though there were less men they weren't rare."
"I know thinking about today one might expect the harem situation to arise but more often than not outside of Royal and Nobel Houses, households among the Eastern Court were just mermaids who had chosen one another and help raise their children together." I repeated what I had learned about mermaid society, "wait a moment- does that mean that those mermaids who went with my other mom to the Mediterranean Sea were..."
"Yes- they were likely in an intimate relationship with her," Greyback replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I know how uncomfortable modern humans are about discussing sex- especially in a society that was guided by the puritanical beliefs such as has emerged in the United States following the Temperance Movement that influenced most of their culture. Ergo you might want to ask for edited orbs when you wish to learn more about Thaletté, mermaid culture tended to be very liberal with dalliances."
"I suspect that you pre-edited most of my material already Greyback," I deadpanned, "I doubt that I'm going to find the Mermaid version of the Kama Sutra in here."
"And how would you know about that particular text?" Greyback asked as he looked right at me, "I knew that you are in a hurry to learn how to walk but I doubt that is the reason to do so."
"I also spent the last several years looking through the eyes of the reborn Aphrodite," I groaned, "she read the thing to see if there was anything that she didn't already know. She learned very little and even created a personal addendum, although I don't know how many people could attempt to perform some of them without being double or even triple-jointed and even then, they are bound to dislocate something in the process."
"I pity the youth who catches your eye then," Greyback chuckled, "they may not be able to live up to your lofty expectations."
"You mean the expectations that I saw from the shadow of the Olympian Goddess of Bed-hopping." I huffed, "For a supposed Goddess of Love Aphrodite knew precious little on the subject, she cheated on her husband Hephaestus for decades with Ares before he learned about it becoming the secret joke of Olympus in the process. Then despite knowing of her infidelity none of the Olympians would take him at his word and sully the reputation of Hera's Golden Boy until Hephaestus booby-trapped his bed and dragged it with Aphrodite and Ares in mid-act tied to it with cables."
"What was the point of that little story besides another amount of vitriol towards your former prison in the shadow of Victoria Donovan?" Greyback inquired curious to where I was going with this.
"The point is that I don't want what she had affairs and flings and empty passion," I all but spat, "I watched on at the trail of broken-hearted men and women that she left behind in her wake and the tragedies that she caused to fuel her shallow vanities. I want to meet someone that makes me feel whole, I know that Mister or Misses Right may never come along but I want to actually a relationship not have a series of meaningless flings."
Even in his canine form I swear that I could see a smile on Greyback's muzzle. That was when he did something that I swear I had never seen him do, shift to his sidhe form, surprisingly Greyback wasn't what one would expect from looking at a sidhe although he had the ears that I had long seen on Morrigan while she made her way around campus on Green Flag days I never imagined seeing a Sidhe who looked... old.
He looked more Native American than European, dressed in tanned deer hide, that was sewn with wolf-patterns and the feather of some bird I didn't know in his white-hair that was drawn in braids. He walked over to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled, "It is good to see that one so young has acquired the wisdom that people have gone their entire lives without realizing. Just don't let your mother know right away, it takes too much of the surprise out of being a parent if they can't worry about their daughter's taste in boyfriends." Greyback spoke with a laugh. "That is enough quizzing you studies for now, you still have a lot of history to learn if you are going to help serve your people."
Randi and Candace's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy
Dunwitch, New Hampshire
5:15 AM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
My alarm rang, and I reluctantly peeled myself out of bed to answer it, this was going to be my brutal routine for the next three weeks and my only blessed savior (besides Jane prodding me to keep me from rolling over and falling back to sleep) was going to be a cold shower and coffee. As it turned out my training with Morrigan in the evening counted as part of my combat credit, so I was going to have to make up my time working at the Beck Library before breakfast with an extra shift on Sunday to make up the five hours that I would be missing during the week.
I remember an adage the Clerks back home always told me when it came to working in the library, "It's not that I work four hours a day, it's that I have four hours a day to get my work done in." Considering that I'd have an hour and a half to get my work crammed into instead of two hours and a fifteen minutes, then after classes I would have to report for work with the grounds crew at least this way I should get a little knowledge in when it came to tree surgery, something that would help out big time when it came time for me to heal Yggdrasil's severed root.
Carefully I made my way out of the room without waking up Candace, there was no reason for two of us to have to put up with such hellish hours after all, I also decided to give Jane a few more minutes worth of shut-eye as I grabbed my morning kit and made my way to the showers. Not surprising there was no one in line to use the showers and I didn't hear a single faucet spraying once I got inside. Making my way to one of the more modest-sized stalls, I got undressed and let a spray of only lukewarm water help me wake-up a little more.
Once I was done shampooing and conditioning my hair and tail, I let another spray rinse the soap and conditioner off before getting back to my morning routine. After taming my mane and tail as well as taking care of my basic daily hygiene (got to take care of these pearly whites after all), I made my way back to my room to find that my roommates were still asleep, while Candace still had some time till she usually bolted out of bed, I needed Jane to come with me.
Gently I nudged her perch, calling out 'Jane, wake up! I know that it's early, but you have detention too!' Over our link.
"I am awake Randi," Jane replied more than a little groggy from the early awakening, "Let us get started on our first day of detention service." Taking the time to stretch her wings and preen while I got dressed, first in my school uniform that I immediately stored in my collar and then in my work 'uniform', which included casual shoes due to the amount of bending over that I needed to do as well as slacks. I know that skirts are part of the academy's school uniform, but I wish that they exception that they let Ayla use was more widely available.
Jane took her place on my shoulder as I grabbed my purse of holding as the ladies around Poe jokingly called it and fished out two things, a two-pack of peanut butter granola bars and a bottle of cold coffee that I had set aside after Jane retrieved it from the campus store yesterday which I had already thanked her for I made my way down the stairs and out of Poe. As I made my way out the door I broke the first bar in half and gave it to Jane who took off towards Beck, I made my way North down the path towards Shuster satisfied that other than the students taking Flight certification classes and Campus Security I was alone walking along after dark.
Even in the even that anyone tried anything my nose and hearing would help me know that they were coming even before they jumped me and in the even anyone did my costume and armory were just a tap of my collar away. Sure enough, the early bout of paranoia was unfounded as I made my way to the Quad and then with a short jaunt Eastward to Beck where Jane and my boss Miss Henderson waited for me.
"This is your second detention since arriving here at Whateley Miss Bridges," Miss Henderson glared down her glasses at me, "I had hoped that it wasn't a mistake hiring another girl from Poe, and while your work has been exemplary do not think that it gives you any leeway with me in regard to working while serving out your detention. I expect you to be here before we open every morning to perform your duties and despite your schedule being unusual these next few weeks you are still expected to work here your full fifteen hours a week, this means that I will expect you to work the next three Sundays to make up for the hours that you will be missing during the week."
"Yes Miss Henderson," I replied trying to be as formal as I could without risking her wrath from it being taken for being condescending, "I will endeavor to see to it that as many holds as possible are pulled and returns are shelved so as not to create more work for Miss Wilson." I replied genuinely not wanting to make things harder for Billie, from what I knew she had things hard enough given how many people treated her like a walking doomsday machine and this was coming from someone who used to be an unwilling host for one of the four monsters of Ragnarok- and I had found out that with the exception of Surtr I was related to all of them.
I followed Miss Henderson into the library when Jane and I went into our usual routine, she looked at the lists on the terminal and I hunted down the item in the stacks as she relayed it over our link. I know it seemed like a wasted use of a mystic ability however the library did have a printing budget and it saved on paper not to mention gave the shredder a rest since we'd have to shred such lists per patron confidentiality. Although the records weren't truly confidential given the incidents of previous years including Hekate's Blood Magic, Bloodworm's summoning of Gothmog, and that half-baked coven of goths who unleashed the Morrigna on the school, not to mention the events of prior years the administration DID keep records of who checked out what items while they were enrolled.
Doing it this way also meant that there was less of a risk that I'd learn who was requesting the items I was looking for which was just as well because I don't want to know why the Kama Sutra was such a was such a hot commodity, you'd think that students who were planning on their first time wouldn't just stick to The Joy of Sex, Sara Waite's Little Purple Book, or even Nana Ogg's Cookbook or the large number of Cliff's Notes of Literary Classics (why not just breakdown and read the original). Trying to get those thoughts out of my mind I just focused on my work, my own method of finding zen, besides the day was just getting started, I still had classes, my first day of detention and training with Morrigan.
Mable and Bea's Room - Dickinson Cottage
6:30 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As our alarm went off, I got out of bed alone it seemed that for one Blinky opted to spend the night with Mirabel. While it was good that it seemed, grandmother was seeing fit to give me a little more space it was always a pleasant feeling to wake-up in the morning with that inquisitive little purr box- never mind the fact that Ultharian Cats can be dangerous to an insane degree if anyone gave them an actual reason to go all out.
For once I decided to forgo my usual exercise routine and instead opted to obey the doctors, there was no need to risk getting anyone at the school even angrier with me at the moment. While there was no need for me to get an early lead since I was under secure escort for the time being and was forbidden to leave any building on school grounds without on there was no need to be in too much of a hurry.
There was also the fact that I needed to get in touch with someone concerning Randi's old friend, it was really odd considering how far that she lived inland that she'd have encountered more than one person with non-symptomatic Innsmouth Syndrome but considering the lives that we Cardinal Maidens seemed to have led it shouldn't be too odd.
I looked over the room and I was alone, Mable had probably woken up before I did and was already in line for Hydroflux's little miracle machines. Using my chair, I wheeled myself down the hallways towards the line to the showers, and once again girls in line offered to let me cut to use the handicap stall. "Come on, I want to wait my turn like everybody else."
"Come on Bea what's your problem?" Linsey Fellows asked somewhat perturbed, "we have a Handicap Shower Stall for a reason beyond giving some girls more room."
"Or giving the boys some dirty thoughts if they know it exists," Kerry Ellison stated as she rolled her eyes as she drew the eyes of everyone in line, "when you have a brother you learn these things."
"Really Bea is there any reason to go through this every morning?" Molly Harrington asked seriously wanting to know, I mean even if you wait in line you'll still have to wait in the washroom if someone's using that stall."
"Because the wheelchair is temporary, and I don't want to hold anyone else up." I stuck to my guns with my usual excuse, "besides I can't leave the Cottage anyway until my escort from Campus Security gets here."
"So, the rumor's real," Barbara Sheldon was taken aback by the revelation, "you actually got detention for the rest of the semester?!? But I mean you're Headmistress Carson's daughter!"
"And because I'm the Headmistress's daughter I need to set a good example for the other students." I laid down the explanation as cut and dry as I could, "We aren't supposed to take unnecessary risks while we're at school, and because of my insistence a lot of students took plenty helping out the fire department with building evacuations."
"No good deed goes unpunished huh," Linsey rolled her eyes at that bit of logic, "I heard Faolan over in Poe got off pretty light for someone who was going into burning buildings. I heard that she only got in trouble for what happened at the airport and going AWOL with you afterwards."
"Randi took and passed a volunteer fireman's certification course in her hometown while she was getting used to her powers and changed body." Kerry shrugged, "So she actually had the proper training to navigate a burning building and use the Boston Fire Department's equipment to help the Boston FD out without getting in their way or making things worse."
"Whoa, Bridges is a firewoman?" Barbara googled, "considering how crazy some of them have to be there's no wonder she's in Poe. Still that does mean that she'll be serving detention on parent's day...talk about harsh."
"No what's harsh is that they usually have an exhibition match in Area 99 on Parent's Day in the Spring," Tansy Walcutt smirked as she walked by our group, "they always have such a problem finding volunteers for it since most student's want to wait until the Combat Final's to showcase their new toys and skills so they usually pick students who are serving detention at the time."
Whoa, you mean that Bea's going to have to fight too?!?" Linsey looked at me out of concern.
"Not likely," Tansey stated as she gave me a look over, "even Itou isn't sadistic enough to send someone who can't walk into a match in Area 99."
"What about Belphegor or Techno-Devil?" Barbara asked out of skepticism, "They both had combat finals and they are in hoverchairs.
"Belphegor can walk just fine- he's just too lazy to want to," Tansey rolled her eyes in disgust, "As for Mal Diobolik, he doesn't have a hoverchair he has a carefully disguised tank. Oh, and Miss Carson do be a dear and let Miss Bridges know this tidbit, consider it repayment for helping free me from that horse-bottomed dominatrix Macha and getting back to normal."
As Tansy walked away a lot of the girls in line were stunned at what had just happened, "Did Tansy Walcutt just do someone a favor without expecting anything in return?" Mabel asked with her mouth a gap in shock as she was leaving the showers.
"Well to be fair Randi did save her modeling career," Kerry observed, "there's not much work out there for a girl who's the female horse-version of a satyr. Not to mention if what happened to Y'vonne Atterberry is any clue she would have been effected mentally too." Leaving us with that information as she entered the bathroom.
"Too bad that I can only heal people's bodies and not their minds," I lamented out loud.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Y'vonne got hurt doing something dangerous and stupid not to mention she assaulted another student to do it," Mable explained, "and what she unleashed also put a lot of other students in danger too. All things considered she's lucky that all that happened was she went bonkers, she could have just as easily gotten killed doing what she did."
"It still doesn't make me feel any better," I frumped in my chair, "I can't help it, I'm a healer everyone I can't help just weighs on me."
"Well you should be helping plenty of people out," Barbara grinned, "they'll probably have you serving in Hawthorne before too long."
"Don't be ridiculous Sheldon," Linsey retorted as Pern snorted on her shoulder, "she's still getting the hang of walking, they need someone who can move on their own two feet over there."
"I don't see what all of the fuss is about helping out over at Hawthorne," I explained as I looked at everyone, "all that I've heard is that it's a little gross and kind of unpredictable, but it's not like they're violent or intentionally dangerous. They just have issues and some of them can't control their powers too well, most of them just need the right person to help them and they'll be able to be themselves everywhere. I mean from what I heard Doctor Heavy is just in there for observation after Chaka helped her fix the problem with her powers."
"Yeah I can get where you're coming from," Linsey replied and Pern nodded in affirmation, "Jobe's been obsessed lately with making organs that could handle Puppet's circulation system, can you imagine what she could make if she pulls that off."
"A digestive tract that can actually draw nutrition from the cafeteria food in an American Public High School," Mable remarked as she began to walk off.
"Come on Criswell," Barbara shot back as my roommate was on her way back to our room to get dressed. "Jobe might be a devisor but he can't turn scrapple into pork tenderloin."
Just then Sherrie Nicolosi made her way out the door," looked at us and then stated, "Just so you four know the shower stalls are all empty now, it's just folks primping in the vanity mirror right now."
After showering both my human form as well as scrubbing my tail and fins of my mermaid form, then completing my morning routine of hygiene, hair and makeup routine I went back to my room. I still had one thing to do before campus security escorted me to breakfast, I promised Randi to look into it after all and someone was bound to answer now that it was morning.
I got on the phone and dialed the campus extension to ARC, one of the few outside phone numbers that students could use without needing special permission, after a moment I got someone to pick up. "Hello this is the Arkham Research Consortium, Ted speaking how may I direct your call?"
"This is Beatrice Carson from over at Whateley, I'm calling because one of my fellow students expressed concern that one of her old friends has Innsmouth Syndrome." I admitted to Ted on the other end of the line.
"This is a very serious matter ma'am, but how could they tell Innsmouth Syndrome is usually either asymptomatic or minorly psychosomatic until physical signs start to show and by then it has already begun to effect the victim's mind."
"She used to be possessed by an entity that was both able to sense those effected by the condition and made her openly hostile to them." I explained without naming names, "The time that she became possessed by the entity is also the time that she displayed this hostility towards her old friend."
"And can you give me the name and address of this person?"
"Joel West from Arlington in Texas, here's his address." I replied relaying the information that I had received from Randi.
"Just so that you are aware ma'am this service is only pro-bono if the individual tested reads positive," Ted explained the stipulations over the phone, "If not I will need to know who to send the bill for three-hundred dollars for both the test and related expenses to."
"If that happens have the bill made out to the Bridges family and send the letter to this address." I then relayed their current home in Tricoma to Ted.
"Thank you I will inform our field representative in Austin as soon as their office opens for the day and they should have someone at the West family's home by the end of the day."
I hung up the phone satisfied with the way things were going, now all there was to do was head to breakfast and then learn what my punishment was going to be today, I looked down at my wheelchair and smirked as I realized that for once the thing that I was desperate to get out of was going to be a blessing in disguise.
Crystal Hall
8:17 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I took my breakfast, a little on the heavy side today as I opted for a bowl of oatmeal and a bowl of fruit and yogurt today, but something told me that I was going to need it.
"Well looks like the Fraulein is going to be facing her punishment today," Konrad grinned at my misfortune, though for once I didn't care, "guess you're not so squeaky clean after all."
"Come up with some new material already Konrad," I smirked at his barb, "I've had detention here before, and like last time I wouldn't have done a damned thing differently."
"Still are you really okay Randi," Erze asked with concern in her eyes, "you've been through a lot over the last few days, and it's okay to talk about it."
"I know Erze, that's why today I'm going to see if I can schedule some regular appointments with Doctor Bellows," I explained while I added a little honey to my oatmeal. "I guess that just thought that I could tough it out, but it's just been one crisis after another and something tells me that I have even more in store for my future."
"So, what you're saying is that you just need professional help," Joanne looked like she was suppressing a laugh, "good god you are a Poe girl, careful everyone the crazy might spread. Which caused a number of my friends to recoil in mock horror as I snorted at the absurdity.
"Thanks guys," I kept laughing, "I needed that, besides the detention isn't that bad I just have to help out the ground's crew for a few weeks- at least Aquerna's a nice person."
"It might not only be that Randi," Kerry grimaced, "I heard through the grapevine that there's usually a series of combat demonstrations in Arena 99 during Parent's Day in the spring and if they can't get enough students to volunteer then they volunteer the students who are serving detention."
"Guano," I muttered as I felt shell-shocked, I was nervous enough about getting ready for the combat finals after those evaluation matches that I had last week and now I had the chance of an actual fight in Arena 99 to look forward to before that- it doesn't rain it squalls.
Shuster Hall Foyer
9:28 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As lunch was over I just sat in the lobby Shuster, the brakes on my chair just waiting from what I was told my first round of detention today would be before my independent study period at Beck. To be honest I welcomed the change to the usual monotony while self-study might seem ideal to some people I liked being around other people. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I had in effect audited every class that Cytherea ever took I was having to take placement tests that were a variant of the usual course tests to prove that I actually knew the material myself.
While the placement tests in more varied subjects tied to actual theory like math and the sciences were easy for the teachers to come up with material for me to observe the liberal arts professors hated doing this. The History teachers at Whateley seemed to hate changing their lesson plans to come up with new tests and the English and Literature teachers disliked that I was bombarding them with papers that they had to take their own time to grade; this wasn't seeming to earn me any favoritism from them and I was worried that they might take it out on me next year when I started class properly.
Granted next semester was also supposed to be when my half-sister Shelly would finally be ready to pick up and start her life again, I wonder how she'd take having another sister just out of the blue I suppose that I'd find out in a few days when she was due out of the cloning tank. I wonder though which one of us will be the older sister and the younger sister, I mean my consciousness goes back to Cyprus during the height of the Minoan Empire but I'm only a few months old and strictly speaking my body is roughly the developmental age of a sixteen-year-old- gaah I should have asked mom this one yesterday it's a major headache.
Soon a woman who was six and a half feet of muscle, with a pair of man-stoppers on her chest, packed inside a security uniform stepped inside and walked up to me, the name on her nametag said Gentle but I knew quite well who this was, "Hello Anu, I see they assigned you to me in the morning."
"I am just who they assigned to you in the morning," Anu the warrior fae and former apprentice of Morrigan stated, although I was glad that she didn't have her axes on her. "Now Beatrice Margaret Carson I am to escort you to where you will be serving the morning portion of your detention until your supervisor lets you know otherwise."
Not wanting to argue with a woman who the Gaels called 'gentle' in the same way the Greeks called the Erinyes 'kindly' I wheeled behind Anu grateful that she didn't decide to push me but not wanting the push me there, so I wasn't going to push the issue any in my own right. Surprisingly we came over to Beck, I turned to Anu, "Um, I think that you might have your schedule mixed up. I'm not supposed to be coming here until after my morning detention for self-study."
"Actually, Miss Carson Officer Gentle was right to escort you here," Miss Henderson explained as she stepped out of the building, "For your first week's detention you will be serving them according to your usual routine schedule." She paused while she looked up from her clipboard, "That means for the morning detention you are helping me until Eleven then I release you for self-study for the rest of the morning. In the afternoon before you have physical therapy in Doyle you are to serve detention there."
"So, what am I supposed to be doing here?" I asked wondering just what I could do, "I doubt that I can put too many books away while in a wheel chair."
"I am running tentative weeding reports right now," Miss Henderson looked at me, "I have other students who are serving at separate times pulling books with low circulation numbers or else are ten years old. You are to inspect the books for condition, damage, identifying markings or Whateley-grade shenanigans. You are to follow the procedure sheet that I give you and not deviate from it, I want the books to be separated; items that are in appropriate condition are to be boxed up for re-sale, items that are damage beyond repair are to be cut from their binding with the pages sent of recycling and the covers disposed of, items that are contaminated in any aspect are to be sent for disposal- that ranges from common mold to mystic-contamination. Am I being clear?"
"Yes Miss Henderson," I replied already feeling that this was going to be mind-numbing.
"Good then follow me, I will be showing you to your workspace." I followed Miss Henderson into the building and into a tiny room with circulation equipment and a thin lair of dust. "Your first task is to clean this workspace and read over the list of procedures on the desk, I will be along with your first cart of work and I expect to see the signs of progress when I get back."
Once she was gone and the door was shut I took a look at the cleaning tools that she had left me..."At least she gave me a swiffer with a telescoping handle and not a short feather duster."
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Part 45
Location Unknown
?
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I don't know why but one moment I was dreaming of moving through a giant ethereal forest in my costume at speeds that would make with skill that would make the Parkour Hooligans green with envy and enough finesse to make Spider-Man applaud. The next thing I knew I was on a giant, glowing array more than a little disoriented over the whole thing.
After a moment I took stock of my surroundings as well as those who were with me: To my right I saw a crude, baked, clay figure that looked like someone tried to make a horse-headed statue with like a vaguely resembling a canopic jar but with the same skill that I had when I took art back in sixth grade. To my left I saw a giant red egg that I began to hear a very familiar stream of ranting from, that was helping me put two and two together. What sealed the deal of what the figures where was the sight of a very familiar giant pearl that I had seen in person a couple of months ago, "Bea are you okay, it's me Randi!"
"Randi, is that you in that cocoon?" Bea asked more than a little scared from within the same pearl that she hatched from- one that I knew all too well was currently set on the end of her scepter.
"Really!?! I'm in a cocoon again?" I asked now that everything was falling into place. "Then I assume that the angry-sounding girl in the red egg is Zhen-yu and the clay statue is Iris."
"Wait a freaking moment," the voice that I thought was Iris called out, "you mean that I ballooned into an egg that the new me had to hatch from and all that you had to do was spin a freaking cocoon to become a fairy...How is that fair?"
"I didn't spin a cocoon, I prepared a backup with the help of two old fae incase things went sideways kicking Mister Domino's errand-boy out of my soul space." I barked back at the apparently unhatched dragon, "spoiler alert it didn't, they had a warlock standing by who roasted the old me alive from the inside out and I had to use the backup to grow a new body using magic. You may have felt like you were dying Zhen-yu, but I died for real and if my corpse wasn't snatched from the morgue then I could have gone to my own funeral- albeit a closed-casket service."
"Please no fighting you two," the girl who I presumed was Iris called out from inside the statue, "I think that we can all agree that we had a plenty sucky time of it prior to our transformations."
"Speak for yourself," Zhen-yu barked out again, "my life was fine, things didn't start sucking until I began transforming and then right afterwards. At least the three of you have all sunshine and roses now!"
"Zhen-yu weren't you paying attention last night?" Bea asked with the disappointment obvious in her voice, "A cult might want you to be their slave again, but another cult wants me dead, meanwhile another cult wants the same for Iris's entire family and are holding her mother hostage."
"And while I have my own issues right now Zhen-yu and I'm taking steps to deal with them," I explained trying to reign my temper back in before noticing a familiar shape in the starscape around us- someone or rather something that I hadn't seen the Fehde against Fenris and Plagiat. "Besides I just figured out where we are, ladies welcome to the Astral Plain."
"You mean to tell me that the Astral Plain isn't just some Western New Age Bullshit?!?" Zhen-yu cried out, "It's actually real! And how would you know where we are?!?"
"The astral plain is a spiritual realm that acts like an ocean connecting the spirit spaces of all conscious creatures," I explained giving the wrote definition before changing to something that those who haven't taken a Magic Course would understand, "Think it like a spiritual internet and every conscious being is a user with their own terminal and homepage only most people don't know how to use the equipment correctly or don't want to learn. As for how I know this during the exorcism everyone involved got sucked into a fehde, a mystic duel fought on the astral plain, it just took me a few minutes because this is someplace else in the astral plain and not my personal soul space."
"So, does this mean that we have to fight each other?" Iris asked with trepidation in her voice, "Because I was really wanting to make some new friends, especially at since my family wants to send me to your school."
"Don't worry young djinn," a voice that was all too familiar to me called out granted that we hadn't spoken much since the big get together at The City of Lost Dreams. "This is just a place of common ground that the four of you can share, a safe place that you can use to keep in touch away from the prying ears, eyes and sensory appendages of those who would want to do you harm."
"Elder Greyback," Bea called out, "but I thought that you couldn't leave the Dreamlands, and you are back inside that room at-"
"Uh-uh-uh young Beatrice," Greyback chided my friend as he materialized, "I told you not to tell Randi about that place just yet, she is not at the place in her personal development that I would trust her there anyway."
"Besides he can come to the Astral Plains all that he wants," I explained, "he just can't come back to any of the physical worlds anymore since Plagiat's attack severed his connection to the material world."
"My descendent is correct, I can travel to many places however the physical realms are now no longer my domain." Greyback heaved out a brief sigh, "And I so wanted to see the coronation of Queen Aunghadheil's chosen successor, but fate rarely cooperates with your desires. Still at least I can be here to aid the Four Maidens when the need arises with my council should they have need of it."
"Wait a moment," Zhen-yu interrupted all perplexed, "Randi just how many weird magic folks are in your family?"
"Randi is the descendent of the three beings of born of what remained of the soul of General Armeluien the Deft who served under Queen Venraniel of the Silent Willow during the final days of the Five Fold Court as well as Lady Ulelesse the child that his sword-brother Tordrais the Mournful sired with Queen Venraniel upon returning from a yearlong campaign of revenge upon the Cult whose followers were responsible for the death of his commander and closest friend." Greyback explained, "The three beings in question are me, Morrigan Redstag and Loki Silvertongue, granted there are other's in her lineage just as you have those in your own lineage should you choose to look Miss Chen."
"Yeah I know," Zhen-yu droned out, "I'm the descendent of the fucanglong whose heart became the blade of the Handmaiden of the Tao. I mean I wouldn't be surprised that there are plenty of people with the same lineage."
"True, however you are also a descendent of the Yellow Emperor and have a number of Taoist Sages in your ancestry as well." Greyback stated something that seemed to stun Zhen-yu into silence. "As for Iris and Beatrice you both know about your heritage among the courts given that it is closer to your own generation and Beatrice yours holds few surprises."
"Yeah, I pretty much know all that I need to know about my family history," Beatrice commented in a wistful tone, "mom's late aunt was big into genealogy and wrote up a full history of the family that mom keeps in her campus apartment. And I know all about my other mother's family from my grandmother, especially all about Thalatté, Uncle Qingu and Grandfather Apsu from her as well as their lineage."
"True there is also much to be said about the lineage of Iris- that is on her mother's side," Greyback teased trying to catch the interest of the young genie.
"Wait- just what can you tell me about my mother?!?" Iris called out in desperation, who could blame her though with her mother being a captive of the same cult who were responsible for most of the suffering that she'd experienced over the course of her very short life.
"Little that you could not find out yourself on a trip to her family in Oaxaca after the two of you reunite," Greyback almost immediately stonewalled the young djinni, "I will tell you though that your grandfather moved there after meeting your grandmother, and his family lived in Mexico City for a very long time."
"Let me guess," I interrupted, "her grandfather's family lived in Mexico City before it even was Mexico City- am I correct?"
"Yes, and thank you for spoiling much of the surprise for your college." Greyback glared my way. "There is much to be said about the wonder of discovery when it comes to one's roots."
"That may be Greyback, but I think that Iris with all that has happened to her deserves an avenue that she can use to discover a little more about her heritage ahead of time to prepare for meeting her mother." I retorted gaining a look of respect from my ancestor in the process as I focused on Iris- not that she could see me do so. "That and the librarian in me can't help but want to assist a possible friend in learning more about herself. You might also see about learning Spanish."
*"I know little Spanish," Iris replied in Spanish albeit a it could use some work. *"I fan of movie of The Saint."
"You need a little work, and if you were saying that you were a fan of El Santo you want to use admirado not aventado," I tried to explain as supportive as I could, "The kind of fan that you described yourself as is found on a desk or attached to the ceiling."
"So, you know how to speak Spanish," Zhen-yu observed before realizing, "wait how did we all understand what Iris was saying?"
"This is the astral plain Zhen-yu, thought means more here than it does on a material plain," I explained to the dragon-half, "someone could speak fluent Diné here and everyone would understand exactly what they meant right down to the tenses and connotations."
"So, we'd understand Navajo?" Iris asked before pausing, "Oh so that's what you mean by connotation."
"Yep," I quipped, "so no cursing in foreign languages here because we'd all understand what you're saying."
"Okay so no swearing in Mandarin or Cantonese," Zhen-yu droned before mischievously adding, "I'll just say all of my obscenities in plain English just like I should, that way then you'll know all of the nuances."
"Just so that you know the ear plugs that you wore before going to bed were just to attune the four of you to this place," Greyback continued, "you no longer need them to come here and from here on out their magic will be exhausted, still I recommend burning them for good measure. You never know if someone else might have the means to reactivate the spell and use it to spy on you four here."
"So how do we get here again if we can't use the earplugs?" Iris inquired with a question that I kicked myself for not asking sooner.
"Just think of it before you close your eyes child," Greyback explained, "and when you want to leave just will it as well, at most a second will have passed in between this and when you wake back up, plenty of time to fall back to sleep and get as much as you need for the day ahead."
"But won't that depend on all of us to do that if we want to communicate?" Bea brought up an excellent point, "How can we be sure that we'll meet here?"
"Just think of the one that you want to reach and if they are sleeping they will get the message in their dreams," Greyback elaborated, "however do keep in mind that they could just as well chose to ignore it and continue on with their dreams, you cannot force someone to come here against their will after all- this is intended to be a place where the Four Maidens of the Peripheral Courts can meet as equals after all."
"Um, does anyone have anything that they want to talk about because I have somewhere to be in the Dreamlands." Bea interjected without being rude.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Iris concurred, "I wonder what I'm going to be dreaming about now that I'm living with my real family?"
"I know what you mean," I sighed wistfully, "Dreams are something that too many people take for granted, I'm glad that I finally get to have them."
Not wanting to explain that little tidbit I will myself to wake up.
Monday April 23rd, 2007
Randi and Candace's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy
Dunwitch, New Hampshire
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
12:41 AM EDT
Sure enough I woke up in my own bed back at Whateley and from what my alarm clock said on my desk, it was still in the middle of the night. I wonder if I can get back to that dream? Was the only though on my mind as I shut my eyes once more.
Hall of Echoes
Celephaïs, Ooth-Nargai, The Dreamlands
?
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
While Randi's departure was more than a tad rude it was understandable given what I knew about her history. And I for one was more than eager to get back to my studies on the culture of the Ancient Eastern Court. While a night in the Dreamlands can equal the perception of a full year going by I still had a lot to learn about my people.
"I still don't understand why you don't want Randi to learn about this place," I looked right at Greyback concerned about the secret that he was having me keep from one of my best friends. "I mean you know how much she loves to learn why not let her come here?"
"Because Randi loves to learn far too much, if I were to bring her here as she is now there is a chance that she would never leave." Greyback sighed, "The girl is an entertainment junkie, and craves knowledge and information, there is also a chance that if she comes here she might ask for something that she is not yet ready to see that might either wind up shattering her mind or corrupting her being in the process. Remember all knowledge is stored in the Hall of Echoes that includes Forbidden Grimoires, Mythos Texts and even books that have yet to be written; I do not want to present my descendent with that manner of temptation before I can trust her to handle it."
"Fine so I won't tell her about the Hall of Echoes for now," I gave into the elder Fae's logic, "but you do realize that I can't keep secrets like this from her forever eventually I will need to tell her about this- it may even be necessary when it comes time to confront her destiny."
"I am well aware of that but for now Randi just isn't ready for this place," Greyback reiterated his point, "and for now I would trust you to keep it a secret, when I feel that she is ready I will take her here myself. In the meantime, what do you think about the society of your ancestors in the Eastern Court."
"I think that it is more than a little odd," I admitted when I thought of a few things that I had learned over the course of this week-long study session. "The fact that only men of nobility were expected to marry was more than a little odd, especially though there were less men they weren't rare."
"I know thinking about today one might expect the harem situation to arise but more often than not outside of Royal and Nobel Houses, households among the Eastern Court were just mermaids who had chosen one another and help raise their children together." I repeated what I had learned about mermaid society, "wait a moment- does that mean that those mermaids who went with my other mom to the Mediterranean Sea were..."
"Yes- they were likely in an intimate relationship with her," Greyback replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I know how uncomfortable modern humans are about discussing sex- especially in a society that was guided by the puritanical beliefs such as has emerged in the United States following the Temperance Movement that influenced most of their culture. Ergo you might want to ask for edited orbs when you wish to learn more about Thaletté, mermaid culture tended to be very liberal with dalliances."
"I suspect that you pre-edited most of my material already Greyback," I deadpanned, "I doubt that I'm going to find the Mermaid version of the Kama Sutra in here."
"And how would you know about that particular text?" Greyback asked as he looked right at me, "I knew that you are in a hurry to learn how to walk but I doubt that is the reason to do so."
"I also spent the last several years looking through the eyes of the reborn Aphrodite," I groaned, "she read the thing to see if there was anything that she didn't already know. She learned very little and even created a personal addendum, although I don't know how many people could attempt to perform some of them without being double or even triple-jointed and even then, they are bound to dislocate something in the process."
"I pity the youth who catches your eye then," Greyback chuckled, "they may not be able to live up to your lofty expectations."
"You mean the expectations that I saw from the shadow of the Olympian Goddess of Bed-hopping." I huffed, "For a supposed Goddess of Love Aphrodite knew precious little on the subject, she cheated on her husband Hephaestus for decades with Ares before he learned about it becoming the secret joke of Olympus in the process. Then despite knowing of her infidelity none of the Olympians would take him at his word and sully the reputation of Hera's Golden Boy until Hephaestus booby-trapped his bed and dragged it with Aphrodite and Ares in mid-act tied to it with cables."
"What was the point of that little story besides another amount of vitriol towards your former prison in the shadow of Victoria Donovan?" Greyback inquired curious to where I was going with this.
"The point is that I don't want what she had affairs and flings and empty passion," I all but spat, "I watched on at the trail of broken-hearted men and women that she left behind in her wake and the tragedies that she caused to fuel her shallow vanities. I want to meet someone that makes me feel whole, I know that Mister or Misses Right may never come along but I want to actually a relationship not have a series of meaningless flings."
Even in his canine form I swear that I could see a smile on Greyback's muzzle. That was when he did something that I swear I had never seen him do, shift to his sidhe form, surprisingly Greyback wasn't what one would expect from looking at a sidhe although he had the ears that I had long seen on Morrigan while she made her way around campus on Green Flag days I never imagined seeing a Sidhe who looked... old.
He looked more Native American than European, dressed in tanned deer hide, that was sewn with wolf-patterns and the feather of some bird I didn't know in his white-hair that was drawn in braids. He walked over to me, placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled, "It is good to see that one so young has acquired the wisdom that people have gone their entire lives without realizing. Just don't let your mother know right away, it takes too much of the surprise out of being a parent if they can't worry about their daughter's taste in boyfriends." Greyback spoke with a laugh. "That is enough quizzing you studies for now, you still have a lot of history to learn if you are going to help serve your people."
Randi and Candace's Room - Poe Cottage
Whateley Academy
Dunwitch, New Hampshire
5:15 AM EDT
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
My alarm rang, and I reluctantly peeled myself out of bed to answer it, this was going to be my brutal routine for the next three weeks and my only blessed savior (besides Jane prodding me to keep me from rolling over and falling back to sleep) was going to be a cold shower and coffee. As it turned out my training with Morrigan in the evening counted as part of my combat credit, so I was going to have to make up my time working at the Beck Library before breakfast with an extra shift on Sunday to make up the five hours that I would be missing during the week.
I remember an adage the Clerks back home always told me when it came to working in the library, "It's not that I work four hours a day, it's that I have four hours a day to get my work done in." Considering that I'd have an hour and a half to get my work crammed into instead of two hours and a fifteen minutes, then after classes I would have to report for work with the grounds crew at least this way I should get a little knowledge in when it came to tree surgery, something that would help out big time when it came time for me to heal Yggdrasil's severed root.
Carefully I made my way out of the room without waking up Candace, there was no reason for two of us to have to put up with such hellish hours after all, I also decided to give Jane a few more minutes worth of shut-eye as I grabbed my morning kit and made my way to the showers. Not surprising there was no one in line to use the showers and I didn't hear a single faucet spraying once I got inside. Making my way to one of the more modest-sized stalls, I got undressed and let a spray of only lukewarm water help me wake-up a little more.
Once I was done shampooing and conditioning my hair and tail, I let another spray rinse the soap and conditioner off before getting back to my morning routine. After taming my mane and tail as well as taking care of my basic daily hygiene (got to take care of these pearly whites after all), I made my way back to my room to find that my roommates were still asleep, while Candace still had some time till she usually bolted out of bed, I needed Jane to come with me.
Gently I nudged her perch, calling out 'Jane, wake up! I know that it's early, but you have detention too!' Over our link.
"I am awake Randi," Jane replied more than a little groggy from the early awakening, "Let us get started on our first day of detention service." Taking the time to stretch her wings and preen while I got dressed, first in my school uniform that I immediately stored in my collar and then in my work 'uniform', which included casual shoes due to the amount of bending over that I needed to do as well as slacks. I know that skirts are part of the academy's school uniform, but I wish that they exception that they let Ayla use was more widely available.
Jane took her place on my shoulder as I grabbed my purse of holding as the ladies around Poe jokingly called it and fished out two things, a two-pack of peanut butter granola bars and a bottle of cold coffee that I had set aside after Jane retrieved it from the campus store yesterday which I had already thanked her for I made my way down the stairs and out of Poe. As I made my way out the door I broke the first bar in half and gave it to Jane who took off towards Beck, I made my way North down the path towards Shuster satisfied that other than the students taking Flight certification classes and Campus Security I was alone walking along after dark.
Even in the even that anyone tried anything my nose and hearing would help me know that they were coming even before they jumped me and in the even anyone did my costume and armory were just a tap of my collar away. Sure enough, the early bout of paranoia was unfounded as I made my way to the Quad and then with a short jaunt Eastward to Beck where Jane and my boss Miss Henderson waited for me.
"This is your second detention since arriving here at Whateley Miss Bridges," Miss Henderson glared down her glasses at me, "I had hoped that it wasn't a mistake hiring another girl from Poe, and while your work has been exemplary do not think that it gives you any leeway with me in regard to working while serving out your detention. I expect you to be here before we open every morning to perform your duties and despite your schedule being unusual these next few weeks you are still expected to work here your full fifteen hours a week, this means that I will expect you to work the next three Sundays to make up for the hours that you will be missing during the week."
"Yes Miss Henderson," I replied trying to be as formal as I could without risking her wrath from it being taken for being condescending, "I will endeavor to see to it that as many holds as possible are pulled and returns are shelved so as not to create more work for Miss Wilson." I replied genuinely not wanting to make things harder for Billie, from what I knew she had things hard enough given how many people treated her like a walking doomsday machine and this was coming from someone who used to be an unwilling host for one of the four monsters of Ragnarok- and I had found out that with the exception of Surtr I was related to all of them.
I followed Miss Henderson into the library when Jane and I went into our usual routine, she looked at the lists on the terminal and I hunted down the item in the stacks as she relayed it over our link. I know it seemed like a wasted use of a mystic ability however the library did have a printing budget and it saved on paper not to mention gave the shredder a rest since we'd have to shred such lists per patron confidentiality. Although the records weren't truly confidential given the incidents of previous years including Hekate's Blood Magic, Bloodworm's summoning of Gothmog, and that half-baked coven of goths who unleashed the Morrigna on the school, not to mention the events of prior years the administration DID keep records of who checked out what items while they were enrolled.
Doing it this way also meant that there was less of a risk that I'd learn who was requesting the items I was looking for which was just as well because I don't want to know why the Kama Sutra was such a was such a hot commodity, you'd think that students who were planning on their first time wouldn't just stick to The Joy of Sex, Sara Waite's Little Purple Book, or even Nana Ogg's Cookbook or the large number of Cliff's Notes of Literary Classics (why not just breakdown and read the original). Trying to get those thoughts out of my mind I just focused on my work, my own method of finding zen, besides the day was just getting started, I still had classes, my first day of detention and training with Morrigan.
Mable and Bea's Room - Dickinson Cottage
6:30 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As our alarm went off, I got out of bed alone it seemed that for one Blinky opted to spend the night with Mirabel. While it was good that it seemed, grandmother was seeing fit to give me a little more space it was always a pleasant feeling to wake-up in the morning with that inquisitive little purr box- never mind the fact that Ultharian Cats can be dangerous to an insane degree if anyone gave them an actual reason to go all out.
For once I decided to forgo my usual exercise routine and instead opted to obey the doctors, there was no need to risk getting anyone at the school even angrier with me at the moment. While there was no need for me to get an early lead since I was under secure escort for the time being and was forbidden to leave any building on school grounds without on there was no need to be in too much of a hurry.
There was also the fact that I needed to get in touch with someone concerning Randi's old friend, it was really odd considering how far that she lived inland that she'd have encountered more than one person with non-symptomatic Innsmouth Syndrome but considering the lives that we Cardinal Maidens seemed to have led it shouldn't be too odd.
I looked over the room and I was alone, Mable had probably woken up before I did and was already in line for Hydroflux's little miracle machines. Using my chair, I wheeled myself down the hallways towards the line to the showers, and once again girls in line offered to let me cut to use the handicap stall. "Come on, I want to wait my turn like everybody else."
"Come on Bea what's your problem?" Linsey Fellows asked somewhat perturbed, "we have a Handicap Shower Stall for a reason beyond giving some girls more room."
"Or giving the boys some dirty thoughts if they know it exists," Kerry Ellison stated as she rolled her eyes as she drew the eyes of everyone in line, "when you have a brother you learn these things."
"Really Bea is there any reason to go through this every morning?" Molly Harrington asked seriously wanting to know, I mean even if you wait in line you'll still have to wait in the washroom if someone's using that stall."
"Because the wheelchair is temporary, and I don't want to hold anyone else up." I stuck to my guns with my usual excuse, "besides I can't leave the Cottage anyway until my escort from Campus Security gets here."
"So, the rumor's real," Barbara Sheldon was taken aback by the revelation, "you actually got detention for the rest of the semester?!? But I mean you're Headmistress Carson's daughter!"
"And because I'm the Headmistress's daughter I need to set a good example for the other students." I laid down the explanation as cut and dry as I could, "We aren't supposed to take unnecessary risks while we're at school, and because of my insistence a lot of students took plenty helping out the fire department with building evacuations."
"No good deed goes unpunished huh," Linsey rolled her eyes at that bit of logic, "I heard Faolan over in Poe got off pretty light for someone who was going into burning buildings. I heard that she only got in trouble for what happened at the airport and going AWOL with you afterwards."
"Randi took and passed a volunteer fireman's certification course in her hometown while she was getting used to her powers and changed body." Kerry shrugged, "So she actually had the proper training to navigate a burning building and use the Boston Fire Department's equipment to help the Boston FD out without getting in their way or making things worse."
"Whoa, Bridges is a firewoman?" Barbara googled, "considering how crazy some of them have to be there's no wonder she's in Poe. Still that does mean that she'll be serving detention on parent's day...talk about harsh."
"No what's harsh is that they usually have an exhibition match in Area 99 on Parent's Day in the Spring," Tansy Walcutt smirked as she walked by our group, "they always have such a problem finding volunteers for it since most student's want to wait until the Combat Final's to showcase their new toys and skills so they usually pick students who are serving detention at the time."
Whoa, you mean that Bea's going to have to fight too?!?" Linsey looked at me out of concern.
"Not likely," Tansey stated as she gave me a look over, "even Itou isn't sadistic enough to send someone who can't walk into a match in Area 99."
"What about Belphegor or Techno-Devil?" Barbara asked out of skepticism, "They both had combat finals and they are in hoverchairs.
"Belphegor can walk just fine- he's just too lazy to want to," Tansey rolled her eyes in disgust, "As for Mal Diobolik, he doesn't have a hoverchair he has a carefully disguised tank. Oh, and Miss Carson do be a dear and let Miss Bridges know this tidbit, consider it repayment for helping free me from that horse-bottomed dominatrix Macha and getting back to normal."
As Tansy walked away a lot of the girls in line were stunned at what had just happened, "Did Tansy Walcutt just do someone a favor without expecting anything in return?" Mabel asked with her mouth a gap in shock as she was leaving the showers.
"Well to be fair Randi did save her modeling career," Kerry observed, "there's not much work out there for a girl who's the female horse-version of a satyr. Not to mention if what happened to Y'vonne Atterberry is any clue she would have been effected mentally too." Leaving us with that information as she entered the bathroom.
"Too bad that I can only heal people's bodies and not their minds," I lamented out loud.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up, Y'vonne got hurt doing something dangerous and stupid not to mention she assaulted another student to do it," Mable explained, "and what she unleashed also put a lot of other students in danger too. All things considered she's lucky that all that happened was she went bonkers, she could have just as easily gotten killed doing what she did."
"It still doesn't make me feel any better," I frumped in my chair, "I can't help it, I'm a healer everyone I can't help just weighs on me."
"Well you should be helping plenty of people out," Barbara grinned, "they'll probably have you serving in Hawthorne before too long."
"Don't be ridiculous Sheldon," Linsey retorted as Pern snorted on her shoulder, "she's still getting the hang of walking, they need someone who can move on their own two feet over there."
"I don't see what all of the fuss is about helping out over at Hawthorne," I explained as I looked at everyone, "all that I've heard is that it's a little gross and kind of unpredictable, but it's not like they're violent or intentionally dangerous. They just have issues and some of them can't control their powers too well, most of them just need the right person to help them and they'll be able to be themselves everywhere. I mean from what I heard Doctor Heavy is just in there for observation after Chaka helped her fix the problem with her powers."
"Yeah I can get where you're coming from," Linsey replied and Pern nodded in affirmation, "Jobe's been obsessed lately with making organs that could handle Puppet's circulation system, can you imagine what she could make if she pulls that off."
"A digestive tract that can actually draw nutrition from the cafeteria food in an American Public High School," Mable remarked as she began to walk off.
"Come on Criswell," Barbara shot back as my roommate was on her way back to our room to get dressed. "Jobe might be a devisor but he can't turn scrapple into pork tenderloin."
Just then Sherrie Nicolosi made her way out the door," looked at us and then stated, "Just so you four know the shower stalls are all empty now, it's just folks primping in the vanity mirror right now."
After showering both my human form as well as scrubbing my tail and fins of my mermaid form, then completing my morning routine of hygiene, hair and makeup routine I went back to my room. I still had one thing to do before campus security escorted me to breakfast, I promised Randi to look into it after all and someone was bound to answer now that it was morning.
I got on the phone and dialed the campus extension to ARC, one of the few outside phone numbers that students could use without needing special permission, after a moment I got someone to pick up. "Hello this is the Arkham Research Consortium, Ted speaking how may I direct your call?"
"This is Beatrice Carson from over at Whateley, I'm calling because one of my fellow students expressed concern that one of her old friends has Innsmouth Syndrome." I admitted to Ted on the other end of the line.
"This is a very serious matter ma'am, but how could they tell Innsmouth Syndrome is usually either asymptomatic or minorly psychosomatic until physical signs start to show and by then it has already begun to effect the victim's mind."
"She used to be possessed by an entity that was both able to sense those effected by the condition and made her openly hostile to them." I explained without naming names, "The time that she became possessed by the entity is also the time that she displayed this hostility towards her old friend."
"And can you give me the name and address of this person?"
"Joel West from Arlington in Texas, here's his address." I replied relaying the information that I had received from Randi.
"Just so that you are aware ma'am this service is only pro-bono if the individual tested reads positive," Ted explained the stipulations over the phone, "If not I will need to know who to send the bill for three-hundred dollars for both the test and related expenses to."
"If that happens have the bill made out to the Bridges family and send the letter to this address." I then relayed their current home in Tricoma to Ted.
"Thank you I will inform our field representative in Austin as soon as their office opens for the day and they should have someone at the West family's home by the end of the day."
I hung up the phone satisfied with the way things were going, now all there was to do was head to breakfast and then learn what my punishment was going to be today, I looked down at my wheelchair and smirked as I realized that for once the thing that I was desperate to get out of was going to be a blessing in disguise.
Crystal Hall
8:17 AM
POV: Randi Bridges, Rose of the West
I took my breakfast, a little on the heavy side today as I opted for a bowl of oatmeal and a bowl of fruit and yogurt today, but something told me that I was going to need it.
"Well looks like the Fraulein is going to be facing her punishment today," Konrad grinned at my misfortune, though for once I didn't care, "guess you're not so squeaky clean after all."
"Come up with some new material already Konrad," I smirked at his barb, "I've had detention here before, and like last time I wouldn't have done a damned thing differently."
"Still are you really okay Randi," Erze asked with concern in her eyes, "you've been through a lot over the last few days, and it's okay to talk about it."
"I know Erze, that's why today I'm going to see if I can schedule some regular appointments with Doctor Bellows," I explained while I added a little honey to my oatmeal. "I guess that just thought that I could tough it out, but it's just been one crisis after another and something tells me that I have even more in store for my future."
"So, what you're saying is that you just need professional help," Joanne looked like she was suppressing a laugh, "good god you are a Poe girl, careful everyone the crazy might spread. Which caused a number of my friends to recoil in mock horror as I snorted at the absurdity.
"Thanks guys," I kept laughing, "I needed that, besides the detention isn't that bad I just have to help out the ground's crew for a few weeks- at least Aquerna's a nice person."
"It might not only be that Randi," Kerry grimaced, "I heard through the grapevine that there's usually a series of combat demonstrations in Arena 99 during Parent's Day in the spring and if they can't get enough students to volunteer then they volunteer the students who are serving detention."
"Guano," I muttered as I felt shell-shocked, I was nervous enough about getting ready for the combat finals after those evaluation matches that I had last week and now I had the chance of an actual fight in Arena 99 to look forward to before that- it doesn't rain it squalls.
Shuster Hall Foyer
9:28 AM
POV: Bea Carson, Rose of the East
As lunch was over I just sat in the lobby Shuster, the brakes on my chair just waiting from what I was told my first round of detention today would be before my independent study period at Beck. To be honest I welcomed the change to the usual monotony while self-study might seem ideal to some people I liked being around other people. Unfortunately, due to the fact that I had in effect audited every class that Cytherea ever took I was having to take placement tests that were a variant of the usual course tests to prove that I actually knew the material myself.
While the placement tests in more varied subjects tied to actual theory like math and the sciences were easy for the teachers to come up with material for me to observe the liberal arts professors hated doing this. The History teachers at Whateley seemed to hate changing their lesson plans to come up with new tests and the English and Literature teachers disliked that I was bombarding them with papers that they had to take their own time to grade; this wasn't seeming to earn me any favoritism from them and I was worried that they might take it out on me next year when I started class properly.
Granted next semester was also supposed to be when my half-sister Shelly would finally be ready to pick up and start her life again, I wonder how she'd take having another sister just out of the blue I suppose that I'd find out in a few days when she was due out of the cloning tank. I wonder though which one of us will be the older sister and the younger sister, I mean my consciousness goes back to Cyprus during the height of the Minoan Empire but I'm only a few months old and strictly speaking my body is roughly the developmental age of a sixteen-year-old- gaah I should have asked mom this one yesterday it's a major headache.
Soon a woman who was six and a half feet of muscle, with a pair of man-stoppers on her chest, packed inside a security uniform stepped inside and walked up to me, the name on her nametag said Gentle but I knew quite well who this was, "Hello Anu, I see they assigned you to me in the morning."
"I am just who they assigned to you in the morning," Anu the warrior fae and former apprentice of Morrigan stated, although I was glad that she didn't have her axes on her. "Now Beatrice Margaret Carson I am to escort you to where you will be serving the morning portion of your detention until your supervisor lets you know otherwise."
Not wanting to argue with a woman who the Gaels called 'gentle' in the same way the Greeks called the Erinyes 'kindly' I wheeled behind Anu grateful that she didn't decide to push me but not wanting the push me there, so I wasn't going to push the issue any in my own right. Surprisingly we came over to Beck, I turned to Anu, "Um, I think that you might have your schedule mixed up. I'm not supposed to be coming here until after my morning detention for self-study."
"Actually, Miss Carson Officer Gentle was right to escort you here," Miss Henderson explained as she stepped out of the building, "For your first week's detention you will be serving them according to your usual routine schedule." She paused while she looked up from her clipboard, "That means for the morning detention you are helping me until Eleven then I release you for self-study for the rest of the morning. In the afternoon before you have physical therapy in Doyle you are to serve detention there."
"So, what am I supposed to be doing here?" I asked wondering just what I could do, "I doubt that I can put too many books away while in a wheel chair."
"I am running tentative weeding reports right now," Miss Henderson looked at me, "I have other students who are serving at separate times pulling books with low circulation numbers or else are ten years old. You are to inspect the books for condition, damage, identifying markings or Whateley-grade shenanigans. You are to follow the procedure sheet that I give you and not deviate from it, I want the books to be separated; items that are in appropriate condition are to be boxed up for re-sale, items that are damage beyond repair are to be cut from their binding with the pages sent of recycling and the covers disposed of, items that are contaminated in any aspect are to be sent for disposal- that ranges from common mold to mystic-contamination. Am I being clear?"
"Yes Miss Henderson," I replied already feeling that this was going to be mind-numbing.
"Good then follow me, I will be showing you to your workspace." I followed Miss Henderson into the building and into a tiny room with circulation equipment and a thin lair of dust. "Your first task is to clean this workspace and read over the list of procedures on the desk, I will be along with your first cart of work and I expect to see the signs of progress when I get back."
Once she was gone and the door was shut I took a look at the cleaning tools that she had left me..."At least she gave me a swiffer with a telescoping handle and not a short feather duster."
5 years 6 months ago - 4 years 11 months ago #60
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
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Unknown
Birthdate:
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Mertle Defrank's Apartment
Chicago, Illinois
7:15 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
I peeled myself out of bed as the bell on the old alarm caused it to dance across the desk, both of which were out of reach, Granny Mertle's old remedy for sleepyheads make sure that they can't hit the snooze button until they got on their feet and had trudged a few steps out of the embrace of the sheets and comforters. While I wanted to sleep for a week after the chaotic events of yesterday, I still needed to see a doctor and give a statement about what had happened in the park to the police, I wonder if either could give me a note to use as an excused absence from school.
Okay they might also want to talk to me about the commotion on the Westside yesterday, I really hoped that I got the news about Ramona once she was okayed for visitors. As for Ramona there was still the matter of the back-stabbing bitch who shot her- I had no idea of what had happened to Taikeyla, I doubt that the Knights of Purity had any interest in her and she probably ditched any evidence that tied her to what had happened to Victor. Still as long as her gun was in plain sight at least she'd be headed to juvie for shooting Ramona, I didn't see her wearing gloves and they had the gun and bullets, so she was going behind bars for assault and weapon's possession- that is provided the police could find her.
I gathered the clothes that Granny Mertle had pulled out for me, I guess that I was grateful of the fact that I visited her so often- I still had a few outfits around her in case of emergency. Speaking of outfits though my tracksuit was toast- damnit I skimmed and saved for weeks to buy it too. Looks like I was going to have to save up all over again if I wanted a replacement, might as well since it really went with the helmet.
As I made my way down the hallway in my spare pjs I found Agent Jorgen with a cup of coffee facing down a difficult battle of his own...trying to say no to Granny Mertle when she was in hostess mode, "Ma'am while I appreciate your hospitality as a government agent I can't impose in such a way to the member of the public."
"Now listen here Mister Jorgen and listen good," Granny Mertle stating having her spatula at the agent, "no one spends a night under my roof to head out hungry in the morning and needing to hit some greasy spoon on their way to wherever they're going! I'm making breakfast for my granddaughter anyway and I might as well make a little extra for the man who gave her a good turn."
"Some things will never change," I whispered to myself as I went into the bathroom and went through my morning routine, I may not be going to school today, but I wanted to get as much done as possible to go see Ramona during public visiting hours. With my shower and as much primping as I actually cared to do, what can I say I'm a tomboy plus makeup doesn't really hold up to athletics.
After getting dressed I went to the dining nook to find that Agent Jorgen had capitulated to Granny Mertle's guest breakfast- buckwheat pancakes and mixed grill scrambled eggs.
"It's about time you lazy bones," Granny Mertle smirked at me, "When you and your mom lived here it used to be that you'd be out of bed and in the kitchen while still in your jimjams."
"Granny," I recoiled in embarrassment, "we've got a guest here there's no way I'd be doing that. Besides I still need to talk with the police about everything that happened yesterday and see Ramona- not to mention have the doctors check me out and make sure that I'm okay. I may have just been grazed but I was still shot, and only had first-aid and a paramedic look after me on top of everything else."
"Actually, there is one other thing that you need to do today," Agent Jorgen stated after swallowing a hedge of his wheat cakes. "The men who were with me yesterday and drove your friend to the emergency room were a field team with Argonne National Laboratory over in Lemont. They are going to have to have a look at you concerning your abilities."
"Hold off one moment," Granny Mertle all but teleported over to Agent Jorgen to glare at him in the eyes, "while I appreciate you helping out my granddaughter and her friend there is no way that I'm letting some spook disappear my only grandchild into some MK-Ultra bullcrap."
"First off ma'am the Department of Paranormal Affairs is not the MCO we do not disappear anyone, we investigate events that fall outside the ordinary as well as issue and maintain records concerning mutants, metahumans, super-scientists, artificial beings, mystic practitioners, etc." Agent Jorgen replied as he did something that I had never seen anyone do before... stand up to Granny Mertle's scrutiny. "We will also need Miss DeFrank's mother present as we need a legal guardian present during all testing relating to a minor, unless her father can attend the tests."
"Dad's at Camp Alpha in Iraq serving with the army," I spoke up as I dished myself up some breakfast. "Now what can you tell me about these tests."
"You see Miss DeFrank when you used these new abilities of yours, they set off some sensors at Argonne Labs that monitored for exotic particles, that is why they are interested in you. I am also going to be there with a consultant from the Arkham Research Consortium who works out of our field office to gauge your abilities from Argonne's results. This is going to be so that I can submit a report to my superior's in Washington as well as issue your granddaughter a MID card or since your dad is actively serving in the Military an MMID. Then there is the matter of seeing if it would be safe for you to return to public school or if there would be a need for an alternative form of education."
"You mean like that school where they send mutants, the one that the Champion went to?" I asked recalling the tidbits that Candace had sent me over the last few weeks.
"So, you already know about that place?" Agent Jorgen seemed to muse, "While it is somewhat of a more open secret, it isn't exactly common knowledge. Might I ask how you came by this information?"
"My friend Candace goes there now," I admitted not wanting to get someone who was protecting me from both the MCO and the Knights of Purity angry with me, "she told me a little, but not much- she wouldn't even give me the name of the place."
"Good, that information is supposed to be limited access," Agent Jorgen explained as he worked on his wheat cake, "although depending on the testing today it might be your future alma-mater- provided your mother approves of our recommendation."
"So, you'd stick my granddaughter in some place God-knows where because you think she'd be a threat to public safety?!?" Granny Mertle's hackles rose as the Gran-mama Bear awoke once again.
"We don't stick anyone there unless it is for their own health and safety," Agent Jorgen stated still unphased by my grandmother, "although the weight of how much we recommend her enrollment might depend on how her testing today goes. Sometimes we recommend students more for their safety then that of others around them, there are some gifted students whose talents and abilities make them a target for those of less than lawful occupations. Last year there was a poor girl in Seattle who could discovered that she could smolt scrap aluminum into sapphire, a few weeks later she was abducted out of her own home."
"Good lord," Granny Mertle shook in shock, "tell me that you found the girl."
"I'm sorry ma'am," Agent Jorgen deflated, "but that case is still ongoing."
This thought was sobering especially with what I remembered of Taikeyla's words last night, there was someone out there who wanted me for my abilities. They were willing to threaten Ramona's family through blackmail, coerce Victor into shooting me and then turning himself into a monster. If they were willing to go to those lengths was my family really going to be safe?
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
7:39 AM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Another day in the hospital recovering from a wound that I don't have and another day waiting for my release so that I could disappear from this room. Granted part of me wondered how I was going to make it to Dead Zone's training camp while in Federal Protective Custody. Who am I kidding knowing Mother Scratch she had all of this planned out a while ago, after all there was no way that she'd risk having one of her family of succubae in protective custody and risk the entire organization's secret being uncovered.
Fortunately, unlike Sunday there was actually some decent TV on that and the fact that dad dropped off some of my favorite engineering texts, oh all the possibilities now that I was a gadgeteer. It wasn't that I ever had an issue with wiring or thinks of things before but how should I explain it, in layman's terms it was like before I was working off of an old antique Windows 3.1 terminal that you'd find in a garage sale and trying to run complicating design and drafting programs off of them at a speed and processing speed that was so slow that it would take hours for them to properly render. Now though I was working off of a top of the line custom built rig based around a self-designed Linux-kernel Operating System, I could operate so fast when I wanted too that it was scary and sometimes things fit together in my mind as soon as I thought of them.
Granted that it was still too early in the morning to go over engineering textbooks without coffee which the nurse on duty would not let me have, although it was nice that my classmates started sending over flowers and get-well cards- or at least those that weren't H1 and trying to get me looked up because they feared my mutant cooties. Most of the news was dedicated to the clean-up focused around the attack and bombings in Boston last Saturday, honestly it was terrible these Children of the Night had no tact or decorum as villains- unleashing a swarm of contagious zombies and setting off fire-bombs including one at an international airport of all places- that wasn't super-villainy that was just an out and out terrorist attack.
Okay granted my view on super-villains was a bit skewed, but I grew up around members of the Sweepers- pros relied on teamwork and dedication to get where they are with leaders who lead from the front with their men's respect instead of having them obey out of fear. Granted this worked on the flip-side of the coin too, there were teams like the Justice Battalion and SPECTRUM that worked through respect, comradery and friendship. On the other had there were groups that just flocked to a leader either because they had money or status and relied on that to hold their group together- the prior incarnation of the Dallas Defenders or the Gator Patrol were proof to how flawed that way of thinking was in terms of groupwork.
It took Longhorn going to jail as a fraud to start the Dallas Defenders up again, and I hoped that they learned the lessons of their prior incarnation's failure. As for Florida's former super-team...well Gator ate half of them during the infamous Gator Incident and as he was the reason for of the team it fell apart leaving the Miami's team of mostly Cuban defectors the Santeríans to take in the survivors and do their best to safe guard most of the state and the Florida government granting special dispensation to the Atlanta Guardians to work across state lines if there was ever trouble in the panhandle.
On the upside of the newsfeed the students were going back to Virginia Tech after that mass-shooting there last week, just goes to show not all of the dangerous and crazy people out there had powers. A couple of car bombs in Bagdad went off during an unsuccessful attack on a police station, I would say that the fact that it was unsuccessful was good news but unfortunately twelve people still died and almost a hundred were sent to the hospital according to the news anchor.
Honestly after the rollercoaster that my life had gone through over the last few days it was a comfort to know that I wasn't the only one getting the short end of the stick lately. My chain of thought was suddenly interrupted when Mother Scratch herself appeared in the room or rather her mental projection over the link of the sisterhood. 'Come to see how your newest niece is doing Mother Erzebet.' I commented somewhat bored over the theatrics.
"Actually it is time that Madeline Jacobs make her debut," Erzebet stated as she regarded me with an expression that seemed almost morose. "It is also time for you to meet the individual who will be succeeding you in your identity as Joan Drucker, this will be the person who will be taking your place under federal witness protection while you will live your life under your new identity at Dead-Zone's Training camp as well as with luck permitting at Whateley."
'I don't care how brutal the camp will be, if taking it means that I will be able to live my life how I want then so be it,' I steeled myself while keeping up my facade of being bedridden. 'My parents already warned me that the camp itself is like a slice of hell but I'm willing to go through it if it means that I can achieve my own dreams. I so what if my parents are what they are that doesn't mean that I have to follow the same path, I just refuse to pigeon-hole myself and follow some path like it's just fate- I am myself and I'll make my own choices.'
"I can't say I agree with your decision and the risk that you are taking with the rest of the family," Erzebet sighed as she regarded me, "however I admire your resolve and will abide by my promise. Besi..."
Erzebet Scratch stopped mid-word as my parents walked in for once my mom was so silent it was like she was numb, once they were in, they shut the door to the room and dad applied his sonic barrier generator to it was well as the walls and windows to ensure that no-one could listen in on anything that went on in the room. After pulling out and checking a device that I recognized as his bug-sniffer, he stated, "we're secure. Nobody is watching or listening in on us and there are no recording devices in the room, so we are free to do what- what-" dad paused when he began to sob, "what needs to be done. I don't want to say good-bye to my little girl so soon!"
"Dad I'm not dying," I groaned as I got out of bed and went over to hug him. "I'm just going to be recognized as the daughter of your original selves instead of your public aliases. Besides I understand that my new given name was on your short-list before I was born anyway."
"It still doesn't make this any easier for us," mom cried out as her legs went out from under her, "we are losing a part of you and you can never come home again. It'll almost be like you died for real."
"This is the world that we live in Naomi," dad explained calling mom by her real name as he bent down to comfort her as he deactivated his disguise to reveal his short, goblinesque true form and hugged her, "Besides we raised our child as best we could and here she is about to give her all for her dreams, as parents I think this makes us pretty great don't you?"
"I know," mom tried to steady herself before deactivating her own disguise to show a woman who looked my age, "but it still feels too early to let our Cathy leave the nest."
That all but shook me to my core, I hadn't been called by my birth name in so long that I had all but forgotten it. It was nuts- I had been born Cathy Gompers, grew up Joan Drucker, and was at the cusp of becoming Madeline Jacobs- then soon enough I'd choose a codename for the world to know me as hopefully as a hero and maybe one day meet a man who would let me take his own family name. Talk about living la-vida loca, I was going through identities like crazy.
"I have your proxy," dad pulled out some weird kind of pendent, "the boys in the lab worked all night with the DNA sample we took from the clothes you were wearing at the party. Dad made a pulling motion and then a copy of me likewise wearing a hospital gown stepped out of the pendent, but I could tell that she looked...empty. "Right now, she has your DNA as well as your power-set before you became what you are now all that she needs are your memories and I understand that one of The Sisterhood is with you now, so she'll walk you through it."
"I will do far more than simply 'walk you through it'," Mother Erzebet explained, "With my help we will make certain that the new Joan Drucker gains the memories that she needs to tell the truth without compromising either the sisterhood or your new identity. At the same time, I will also help you change your default appearance so that you won't simply look like Joan Drucker's twin, after all we can't have you compromising yourself; Madeline Jacobs must be as unique as any other person."
"She says that she'll help me do that and more," I relayed the jist of the message, "By the way before we get started, did you bring something other than this hospital gown for me to wear? The draft in the back of this thing is embarrassing, and I don't want a light breeze to turn me into a flasher!"
Mom laughed amidst her sobbing as she handed me a duffle bag, "I went shopping to get you some new clothes to replace those that you lost while in New York. Granted that I did it as the real me, so I was able to get something that should fit you since we're still the same sizes."
"Can I still say that it's weird that my mom can raid my closet and sneak into events for teens," I called out from the restroom in the hospital.
"Hey, it's not all fun and games," mom shot back, "I'm in my mid-thirties and without my disguise charm I get carded or kicked out of everywhere I go!"
Now dressed and ready to go I went and following Mother Erzebet's instructions put my hands to the side of my clone and moved to press my forehead to hers, before I stopped to ask, "Wait what about a soul, I know that she'll have my mind, but did you help craft a soul for her as well."
"Kampé took a bit of your mother and I," dad explained as he looked at the two of us me and my doppelganger, "and blended them together using your own soul as an example to cultivate the one now within her body. She told us that your memories should complete her and after a few weeks at home to nurture her she should be as normal as you are."
"Or as normal as I was," I stated before telling Mother Erzebet over our link, 'I am ready!' before pressing my forehead to that of the new Joan Drucker.
In a moment I saw my life once again flash before my eyes only this time it was because the life was being transferred to my clone, to put it in perspective I was the media center and my double was the audience. Eventually though I began to notice little discrepancies every time that I had an encounter with Rot or one of the sisterhood or learned of either that information was edited out, as well as the knowledge of the Sweepers and the Grand Hall, everything that I knew of the of the workings of both organizations wasn't going into the new me; this meant that not she would she fail to realize the connection between Axcel and Erzebet Scratch, but also that between our parents and their supervillain alter-egos- then again I suppose that was for the best. Eventually it came time for the shot that changed my life that was when I noticed that the course of events began to follow both the official narrative as well as what the surgeons and hospital staff remembered.
As soon as the memories caught up to an edited for outside eyes version of safe from prying eyes the new Joan Drucker collapsed, carefully checking to make sure that she was only asleep I put the new me in the hospital bed and tucked her in. "Well I guess that she'll be ready to take over my life."
"Joan..." Mom asked in a worried tone, "what happened to you? Why do you look so... different?"
Wondering what she meant I raced to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to see what she meant, and saw a stranger staring back at me, while my eyes remain the same shade of hazel that they've always been my dishwater blonde hair was now a bluish-white. It was the same length and style that I've always had it was just bluish-white now, I took a look at my face as well and there were clear but slight differences too. The slight bump in my nose was gone and was a little narrower than it had been, my earlobes were also attached now instead of dangling. The differences seemed small, but they were enough so that people wouldn't say that Joan and I were the same person.
Wait a moment why was I thinking that I mean I know that the new Joan was supposed to be taking my place but deep down I was Madeline Jacobs. What the hell why was I thinking of myself as my new identity I mean I know that I was supposed to be considered that in public, but I had been Madeline- gaah why was I still thinking like that?
"Just a minor adjustment to your thought processes my dear," Mother Scratch said as she appeared looking over my shoulder in the mirror, "Just something to help you stay in character, I took the liberty of putting in a few tweaks when we were giving the new you her memories, purely cosmetic and there to help you keep your story straight. Your motivations and everything are still there I also put in a verbal filter to keep you from exposing your former life, now get ready it is time to say goodbye for now."
As she disappeared again, I couldn't help but admit that Mother Erzebet had a point, there are some things that we do every day by instinct and I couldn't risk calling out to someone that the new me had never met. Begrudgingly going along with her gift, I exited the room to see my parents with their disguises still down, "Just something Mother Erzebet did to help with my new identity, she also hinted that it was time for you to smuggle me out."
"Actually, I'll be doing that," I was more than a little startled when a Reverent appeared through the floor, "I was instructed to take you to your rendezvous point while Agents Gremlin and Atropos wait for Joan Drucker to wake up, please say your good-byes now you won't be seeing each other for a little bit."
Taking her suggestion at heart, I all but flew into my parent's arms as we hugged each other like we were trying to fuse together, but such a thing never happened. I took the pendent that dad had used to bring Joan Drucker into the room and made my way back to Reverent handing her the piece of jewelry as I turned to my parents one final time with tearful eyes just to say, "Good bye mom and dad!" before everything went white.
Test Room 7- Argonne National Laboratories
Lemont, Illinois
10:34 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Are you sure that you have to do that to her," I could hear my mom call out from the other side of the glass observation room, "I mean those things look painful and why is she wearing that?"
"Mrs. Defrank, those are just sensor nodes, all that they do are monitor your daughter and record the resulting information," Professor Jack Bing explained trying to get my mother who was still in worry mode to calm down, either way was fine by me because I was hoping to avoid the angry scolding mother snap-back from that when it came. "Most of them are sensors for electro-encephalogram and electro-cardiogram data, as well as energy-field sensors, and atmospheric sensors. Basically, this will help us better narrow down and define your daughter's abilities given that we know from genetic-marker testing that she does not have one of the known variants of Mutant-Gene Complexes in her DNA."
"What does it matter if you know how my daughter does what she does?" Mom cried, "hasn't she gone through enough?"
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Defrank enhanced individuals required to be registered with the government as a matter of national security," Agent Jorgen continued to explain, "Also there are some manners of empowerment that are reversable, and if it is one of those types then it would be possible for her to go back to her ordinary life with no consequences."
"And if it isn't one of the reversable kinds?" Mom asked in a tone that carried a rare threat that I haven't heard all that often but when she did you better be careful of what you said to her.
Then we categorize her power-set to classify her abilities while informing both of you about any special considerations that you might have to take in the future." Agent Jorgen continued to explain while carefully observing the doctors, "We'll also create a file on her with the DPA and considering that her father is an active serviceman give her an MMID."
"I thought that those were only for Mutants?" I asked somewhat confused on the matter.
"While the M in MID does currently stand for Mutant, there is a long-standing practice of issuing them to individuals who are enhanced in other capacities." Agent Jorgen huffed, "Also now that the DPA is being granted an expanded role after several incidents of over-reach and questionable activities by the Mutant Commission Office, we are currently working on changes to amend the MID system to be a Metahuman Identification Document rather than a Mutant Identification Document in the US at least. Just one of many small changes that we are planning on now that the federal government decided to step in and stop giving state-by-state carte-blanch to a private security company on US Soil to pretend that they are a federal agency."
"Some real hostility you got their sir," Gab Cowen remarked as he set about calibrating the equipment alongside Professor Bing, "I mean everyone online has heard the rumors, but the internet is all about blowing things way out of proportion."
"Maybe one day we'll know for sure," Agent Jorgen fumed, "their CEO is an old Cold War spook, he made sure that his people are very good at destroying documentation. Are we ready to begin Doctor Bing?"
"Of course," the Doc replied, "for starters we'll get a physical baseline using an standard army fitness exam as a baseline, an allergy test, followed by a CAT scan to check for physiological abnormalities, a non-invasive EEG to test for neurological abnormalities, a spectrograph, and after that we should get a better understanding of what type of power category Chandra falls into then we'd need to test her abilities more directly to better define them in her file. Also if we find out that she's a dynamorph then we can extract the force bundle giving her powers and if it's a power-gem scenario then we can locate and remove it from her person, however if she is an origin or something else then I'm afraid that she'll have to learn to live with it for the rest of her life."
"You know that I can hear everything that the four of you are saying right?" I called out to the booth, "I mean you do have the intercoms on right now."
"We know Miss Defrank," Professor Bing explained, "and you have been perfectly cooperative in this but right now we've been busy consoling your mother- you'd be surprised how often it is that we adults are the ones that need reassuring."
Taking his word for it, after all they did help to save me from the Knights of Purity, I went through with the first round of tests. The physical was honestly more than a little exhausting mainly due to the fact that they weren't testing me to see that I was in shape but in their own words to determine my physical thresholds. Their tests showed that I was well-above average for a girl my age and build, but still within the range of baseline human apart from the early signs of a minor astigmatism in my right-eye meaning that I might need a trip to the optometrist down the line. The allergy test showed nothing unusual apart from the fact that I had a mild allergy to soy as well as pollen from something called the Arizona Cyprus. The EKG was also normal, they also made sure to tell my mother that I hadn't been around any smokers lately- so that was one less thing for her to worry about... which was weird since some of the hangers on of the Maroon Maniacs were smokers.
The CAT scan and the EEG though were where the scientists started to get interested, although they waited long after I got the glue from the sensors out of my hair before moving on to testing my powers- or well at this point power. "Just relax Miss Defrank, remember what it felt like to use your ability yesterday," a kid whose badge read Gab Cowen and looked like he was only about ten years older than me at most. "Now just remember to take your time to figure this out, you are the one to set the pace here I just need you to engage your power, tap your hip to activate the audio-player and follow the instructions that the audio-player instructs you to perform.
It took a few tries but eventually I was able to pull myself out of time again, although the instructions sounded like I was playing with a Bop-It as I followed the instructions am moved about the lab with their sensors taking readings as I went as the one's on the lab's suit helped them gather data from within the in-between place that I go when I do what I do, this ended soon when I followed the final instruction to give Gab a high-five pulling me back into normal time. "That was good," Gab explained as he still had his hand up, "now we are going to need you to do the same thing only this time without your helmet."
This time it only took me two tries to step out of time although this time everything around me was just in slow-motion around the room both with and without my helmet as usual everything looked like it was slightly off in the color department and a little fuzzy like a video from an old out of focus camcorder. I even heard what sounded like people speaking super-slow, but the test was still over fast with another high-five to Gab. "Alright that should be it Miss Defrank feel free to wait with your mom in the conference room, someone will be by later to give you a full explanation of the results. Just go that way though the decontamination room."
I looked as at the direction that Gab pointed in and asked, "Decontamination from what?"
"The tests this is just so that we can collect any exotic particulates that you might have collected from you using your abilities." Gab explained, "Just more for us to look at, your mom also brought you a change of clothes from home. We will also be returning your helmet as soon as we are through examining it as well in case it might have anything to do with your abilities."
"Alright, I suppose that makes sense," I begrudgingly conceded to their point especially after remembering Taikeyla's reaction after she put my helmet on yesterday. I put my lab clothes in a designated bin and went through the decontamination shower in no time; after putting on my familiar old Monday morning school attire, I raced down to the conference room to hug my mom.
"Oh, you are in so much trouble when you get home," Mom hugged me so tight that I was worried my stiches would give.
"Hey, I tried to do everything that I could to stay safe," I objected if those power-armor jockeys had just let the paramedics take me to the hospital the city wouldn't have to come up with an excuse not to repair the damage that was done to the Westside right now."
"Alright, I will give you that much," Mom conceded to my point, "but you could have at least called to let us know that you were safe."
"I was worried that the MCO would have tapped our landline," I explained my logic, "from what Candace told me about them I wouldn't have put it past them and I wasn't going to risk stopping to make a phone call in the open with the Knights of Purity after me."
Knowing that there was no way to break our stalemate over what happened yesterday, the two of us sat in silence before a trio including Agent Jorgen came to sit with us at the table, this was clearly to go over the results of the tests. Along with Agent Jorgen at the table there was also Professor Bing and a doctor whose nametag read Tina Klerkse facing us, Agent Jorgen was the first to speak while examining the result and from the look on his face it wasn't the best news. "Mrs. Defrank I will be blunt, from the evidence so far your daughter appeared to have experienced an origin-event, she either came into contact with something exotic or experienced some unknown phenomenon that has resulted in your daughter's ability. From what we still don't know, and we are examining everything that she had on her yesterday during the first known event for a possible physical catalyst."
Doctor Klerkse sighed, "While it appears that your daughter is within normal human standards, from what we observed during our tests some things just seem a little too perfect. Chandra's respiration is more efficient, there are minor changes to her circulatory system, her liver and pancreas show changes as well although they are changes that have been observed elsewhere by evolutionary biologists, there are even signs that her still-developing wisdom teeth are being reabsorbed by the jaw. That doesn't even account for the CAT scans of her brain and the EEG readings, my colleges at the University of Chicago's neuroscience program have explained that it looks like your neurons are firing at a higher-rate and the portions of your brain related to analysis and observation appear to have changed as well, to be frank you seem to be able to observe your surroundings with a greater speed than should be considered normal."
"So, then I'm human, just a little improved," I observed trying to take what he meant into consideration.
"Yes," Doctor Klerkse continued, "and it appears that your body is still adjusting so what we observed now may be out of date by this time next year. Honestly, we can only work with what is in front of us right now, and anything else is only guess work and conjecture."
"As for your daughter's abilities Misses Defrank, she has the ability to step in between the third and fourth dimensions, with her degree of interaction only relating to the amount of exposure to a sufficient amount of biological material." Professor Bing began to explain, "Basically if Chandra is wearing her helmet and a full-body suit then she will have the ability to completely make her way from third-dimensional space into fourth-dimensional space, this makes it appear that she teleports when she either intentionally or unintentionally re-enters third-dimensional space."
"On the other hand, if she doesn't have a filter or her helmet then she is only able to partially phase into fourth-dimensional space making her appear to have the powers of a speedster. In either case though if she makes physical contact with any biomass of significant size then she will be immediately snapped back into our dimension, and the end result of either use of her power is the emission of tachyon particles created from the interaction between the dimensions."
"So, there's no way that my baby can go back to normal?!?" Mom asked with panic clearly making its way into her mind.
"Misses Defrank your daughter can live as normal a life as she wants to however given the nature or her abilities some members of the intelligence community such as Homeland Security would label her a security concern," Agent Jorgen explained as he slowly shook his head clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time that he had to have a talk like this with a parent. "However, there are options, there is a school in New England that focuses on helping empowered individuals learn to manage their abilities as well as learn about both their legal implications as well as satisfying the concerns of the intelligence community."
Agent Jorgen explained as he handed us a pamphlet for some place called the Whateley Academy, "While most of the students and faculty are classified as mutant, they do accept students such as your daughter if they choose to enroll."
"And if your daughter agrees to help us with our research here at Argonne in between semesters then we would be more than glad to cover her tuition," Professor Bing added to the pitch, "although I would recommend waiting until she completes her school year; there is still bound to be some paperwork involved."
"Mom, I am pretty sure that this is the place that Candace is going to school at," I said after looking the pamphlet over as well as remembering Agent Jorgen's hinting on the matter earlier, "according to her the classes are top rate and there are students who go from there straight to the Ivy Leagues or top Tech Schools, and a lot of them on scholarships."
"I don't know," mom said chewing the mater over, "I would still need to take a better look at it to see how I feel."
"If it would make you feel better, they have an open house day in a couple of weeks, in the meantime your daughter will have to wear a monitoring anklet." Anticipating our objections Agent Jorgen continued to explain, "This will just be to help keep track of her, we'll also provide her with an emergency bracelet to call police or rescue if she gets into trouble; all of this is more for her safety then anyone else's, after all someone did try to kill her less than twenty-four hours ago."
"Well mom?" I asked while looking at her.
"We'll go to the Open House and I'll think about it," mom admitted so at least there was something.
Arlington High School
Arlington, TX
12:35 PM
Joel West was trudging his way along the first floor of the school building with an escort on his way to the principal's office, thankfully they had chosen to send a Hall Monitor to retrieve him from Home Room rather than calling him over the PA. "What is all of this about anyway?"
"Mister West I don't know, I was just told to escort you there from Home Room." Dirk Antema stated as he walked alongside me up the stairs and towards the front of the building. Once he was inside Dirk went back to his rounds and Joel was told to report to Principal Adam's Office rather than waiting to be called, after walking in the door Joel saw his mother, Principal James Adams and a man in a lab-coat. "Have a seat Mister West." He heard principal Adams state and on instinct Joel followed the man's command.
"Now Mister West first off you are not in trouble. You are here because a former student of ours recognized that you had signs of a particular genetic disorder and arranged to have you tested to be certain."
"Hello Mister West, my name is Fredrik Jokinen and I'm with the Arkham Research Consortium," the man extended his hand which Joel took, "Our organization is one of the top authorities on this disorder and we do this test for free thanks to a government stipend."
"Just what is this disorder," Janice West threw herself in-between her son and the man, "because if you think that I will let you do anything to by son-"
"Misses West-" Fredrik Jokinen replied before being corrected by Janice West with the proclamation of- "That's Miss West!"
"Very well Miss West it is better off that you don't know too much if your son doesn't have the disorder to avoid too much stress on both of your parts. All that I need is swab of the inside of your son's mouth for the test and you should get the results in two weeks," Fredrik Jokinen explained, "if they are negative we will inform you with a phone and if the result is positive then we'll send you all of the related literature as well as help put your son in touch with a support group if he wants to look into it."
"Very well but I want a copy of the paperwork that explains the purposes of the sample in writing," Janice stated to which Mister Jokinen produced a folder containing three-multicolored sheets on carbon-copy paper. After everything was signed Mister Jokinen got his sample and Joel was sent back to class while the three remaining parties each took one of the sheets with them. As Fredrik Jokinen left the school, Joel settled back into his class in homeroom none wiser about what was unfolding concerning his future as he concentrated on his Algebra homework.
Dead-Zone's Training Camp
Pecos County, Texas
1:57 PM
POV: Madeline Jacobs, Rose of Darkness
I walked lock step into a line with others who had one purpose of being here, to attend a camp run by one of the most brutal taskmasters in the business of training those on the wrong side of the law...Dead-Zone. I looked at him and I was quaking in fear six-foot, seven and over two-hundred pounds of world-weary, battle-scared former United States Force Recon Commando was staring all of us down and sizing us up. Even the man next to me who was in full power armor seemed intimidated by the man in front of us, every story that my parents told me about this man failed to prepare me for the fact that he scared the ever-loving crap out of all of us.
"FIRST OFF I AM DEAD-ZONE, YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS MASTER CHIEF FROM NOW UNTIL YOU EITHER LEAVE WITH MY APPROVAL OR MY BOOT UP YOUR ASS." Dead-Zone began to bark at everyone and everyone could tell that this old war dogs bark was worse than his bite. "NOW I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN SEMI-SUCCESSFUL MERCS OR SOLO-OPPERATORS BEFORE YOU PRANCED THROUGH MY GATE BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED NO MATTER WHOSE ASS YOU USED TO SPANK OR WHO USED TO SPANK YOUR ASS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED ALL OF YOU ARE LANDFILL UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE!"
He looked up and down the line before zeroing in on me in particular, "Well- well- well looks like they're throwing the babies out with the bathwater, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE SCRUB AND I HOPE THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT ME TO GO EASY ON YOU JUST BECAUSE YOUR MAMA TRAINED UNDER ME, DO YOU?"
"SIR, NO MASTER-CHIEF SIR!" I replied back while standing as straight and still as I could, "SHE TOLD ME TO EXPECT YOU TO WHIP ME LIKE A CHEAP GIMP AT AN S&M CONVENTION, MASTER-CHIEF SIR!"
"Good I see that at least one of you were taught respect and to expect what you'll be in for," Dead-Zone smiled like a shark at us, "NOW KNOW THIS BACK ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 1950 THE DEVIL HIMSELF SENT ME UP HERE TO MAKE THE LIVES OF EVERYONE WHO WALKED THROUGH THAT GATE'S LIFE A LIVING HELL. NOW FOR THE RULES: RULE 1, NO POWERS UNLESS I ALLOW IT OR ORDER YOU TO USE THEM. RULE 2, YOU WILL ONLY USE THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU ARE PROVIDED WITH. RULE 3, NO USE OF YOUR NAME OR CODE-NAME WHILE YOU ARE HERE, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED CALLSIGNS SHORTLY AND WHILE HERE I EXPECT YOU TO REFER TO EVERY CADET BY THEIR CALLSIGNS. RULE 4, NO ONE LEAVES THE CAMP UNLESS I ORDER THEM TO OR GRANT THEM PERMISSION. RULE 5, YOU WILL FOLLOW YOUR ASSIGNED SCHEDULE AND ALL ORDERS GIVEN TO YOU BY STAFF. RULE 6, ANYONE WITH THE NUMBER TWO ON THEIR UNIFORM ARE TO BE IGNORED, WHILE YOU ARE LANDFILL, THEY ARE HAZMAT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. NOW YOU ARE TO ENTER THAT STORM SHED SINGLE-FILE YOU WILL FOLLOW THE YELLOW LINE AND RECEIVE YOUR CALLSIGN, ALL ELSE WILL BE REVEALED AND NO TALKING UNTIL YOU ARE AT THE END OF THE YELLOW LINE... NOW MOVE IT- MOVE IT- MOVE IT!!!"
Although there were only five of us, we went in formation following Dead-Zone's instruction to guide us down to the storm cellar which lead to a concealed stairway that took us down what had to be two-full stories. At this point we came to a door that opened to a hall that lead us back in the same direction as the stairway and ended in a freight elevator. To the right of the yellow line and before the elevator was a bar that was built into the wall at the bar's desk was a Reverent in the same style of military garb as Dead-Zone although she had corporal patches on her jacket and a Joker with 10's in the corners of the card's design. In front of her were five laminated index-cards placed face down.
"You will address me as Corporal Reverant. I will call the number in line that you are closest to the elevator, when I wall that number you are to step forward you are to take the face-down card that I point to and take possession of your duffle bag while I take your personal belongings for secure storage. Under the index-card is also a luggage tag with the written name of your callsign, you are to also hand that to me to attach to your own bag guard your laminated card well otherwise whoever has it after camp concludes will gain possession of your own possessions." Corporal Reverent explained, "The bag will contain your requisition hygiene and toiletry supplies for one week, if you run out of anything you can either trade with your fellow cadets or requisition more supplies from me in exchange for choosing to complete one Rank-2 assignment around the base in addition to your own training and assignments."
"Fair warning you do not want a Rank-2 assignment assigned to you other than by choice, each Rank-2 assignment counts as a strike and you have three strikes allowed for each week. If you are caught using any name but what you are assigned you will be given a strike, if you need to requisition due to failure to ration that is also a strike, so is failure to follow orders. Anyone who accumulates three strikes in a week will be demoted to Rank-2 for the extension of the Camp and need to wait until the next session to try again, three-strikes one-week am I clear!"
"Ma'am yes ma'am!" All of us replied in unison.
"Number 4," Corporal Reverent called choosing a girl who was just a few years older than me to be the first as she stepped forward, I recognized her, that was Regina 'Nightfox' Larrimore the daughter of pro-thief Nightwolf's. I heard that she escaped from Juvie in New Hampshire a while back and was on the run, evidently she decided to run to the Sweepers, it figures from what I heard she got busted following a boss who left her high and dry when his plan to takeover Whateley went belly up. After she turned over her card Corporal Reverent announced, "Welcome to Hell Cadet Geranium, here's your things and know we will be watching you!"
"Number 5," The next person announced was her fellow toady Morty Irving aka Latchkey evidently the pair were deciding to go for the Sweepers, I hope that they knew they were in for a steep climb because given their reputations it was going to be a steep climb to earn anyone's trust. "Aw- I see that you have something in common with your cohort Cadet Columbine. Here are your things go wait by the elevator, and no funny business."
"Number 2," The next up was the guy in power armor, who for some reason they were letting him keep, maybe it was a Tony Stark or Iron-Horse scenario and it double as a life-support system. "Welcome Cadet Gladiolus, I hope that you will show us your all." To my surprise Cadet Gladiolus gave Corporal Reverant a proper salute before taking his bags.
"Number 3," Now it was my turn I went and turned over one of the two remaining cards which I wondered if Corporal Reverent had chosen codenames for a reason, surprisingly I recognized the flower, "Welcome Cadet Magnolia, I hope that you do your parents proud and live up to Dame Scratch's faith in you." I followed Cadet Gladiolus's example and replied with a proper salute.
The last of us Number 1 was soon named Cadet Larkspur, and with duffels slung over our shoulders we entered the freight elevator which descended what seemed like two more floors until it opened up to what appeared to be a mix of a doctor's office and a barber shop, with someone setting up some mechanical equipment for Cadet Gladiolus. The barbershop suddenly made sense, Dead-Zone taught with military discipline, looks like I was going to be sporting a crew-cut for a while.
Okay it looks like I was wrong, although the on-site barbers did trim everyone's hair short the order was to keep it tidy since we were going to be working up a sweat. Sadly, nobody told that to Cadet Columbine because he got the fade crew cut that he asked for while Cadet Larkspur just asked for the barber to trim his existing short-tapered style down so that he could manage it for a couple of weeks. Armed with this knowledge Cadet Geranium asked for a bob while I went with a haircut that I was well familiar with from elementary school, a pixie-cut...what I always looked cute in it and somehow the new me pulled it off a lot better than the old me. The haircut was followed by a full physical, or in Cadet Gladiolus's case deactivating his weapon systems and removing any emergency armaments that he had.
After the physical all of us were now in our uniforms, olive-green uniforms with a Joker mark bracketed by two 3s, the emblem in the Sweepers for former Independent operators or untrained personnel and were ordered to take another elevator to the barracks. This was the first test because the elevator had no numbers and all the labels were in braille, thank you mom for teaching me.
After I pressed the correct button the elevator opened up into a commons area shaped like a pentagon with each of the walls color-coded and the one with the elevator being black in the middle of the room a man with a Joker-6 rank waiting for us. "At ease cadets, I am Corporal Weathers, I will be in charge of issuing your assignments each day and handing out your briefings. Now if you look at your name card you will notice that each has a color background that is your barracks assignment, all men are either assigned to Red or Orange Barracks while all women are assigned to Green and Blue, you are to take the bunk that has your callsign. Now you have your orders, you are to settle and have everything organized by the time you are called for dinner. One word of warning, we have inspections every morning before meal call, every failed inspection after your third day here counts as a strike. I suggest that everyone go settle in and remember if you get caught messing with any of your fellow Cadets belongings it is an immediate demotion to Rank-2. Now you are all dismissed!"
I took off for the Blue Barracks glad that Cadet Geranium was in Green, sure enough I found my bunk right above one for a Cadet Bluebell who I assume was still involved in training with the rest of the Barracks. After using the foot locker that was also labeled Cadet Magnolia and making use of the biometric lock that looked like it had yet to be imprinted. I stored my gears as neatly as I could and got to organizing, another thing that mom warned me about was that Dead-Zone practiced group punishment for infractions although only the offender got the punishment that mattered and there was no way that I was going to build up resentment with women who were going to be at least five years older than me.
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 46
Mertle Defrank's Apartment
Chicago, Illinois
7:15 AM CDT
POV: Chandra Defrank
I peeled myself out of bed as the bell on the old alarm caused it to dance across the desk, both of which were out of reach, Granny Mertle's old remedy for sleepyheads make sure that they can't hit the snooze button until they got on their feet and had trudged a few steps out of the embrace of the sheets and comforters. While I wanted to sleep for a week after the chaotic events of yesterday, I still needed to see a doctor and give a statement about what had happened in the park to the police, I wonder if either could give me a note to use as an excused absence from school.
Okay they might also want to talk to me about the commotion on the Westside yesterday, I really hoped that I got the news about Ramona once she was okayed for visitors. As for Ramona there was still the matter of the back-stabbing bitch who shot her- I had no idea of what had happened to Taikeyla, I doubt that the Knights of Purity had any interest in her and she probably ditched any evidence that tied her to what had happened to Victor. Still as long as her gun was in plain sight at least she'd be headed to juvie for shooting Ramona, I didn't see her wearing gloves and they had the gun and bullets, so she was going behind bars for assault and weapon's possession- that is provided the police could find her.
I gathered the clothes that Granny Mertle had pulled out for me, I guess that I was grateful of the fact that I visited her so often- I still had a few outfits around her in case of emergency. Speaking of outfits though my tracksuit was toast- damnit I skimmed and saved for weeks to buy it too. Looks like I was going to have to save up all over again if I wanted a replacement, might as well since it really went with the helmet.
As I made my way down the hallway in my spare pjs I found Agent Jorgen with a cup of coffee facing down a difficult battle of his own...trying to say no to Granny Mertle when she was in hostess mode, "Ma'am while I appreciate your hospitality as a government agent I can't impose in such a way to the member of the public."
"Now listen here Mister Jorgen and listen good," Granny Mertle stating having her spatula at the agent, "no one spends a night under my roof to head out hungry in the morning and needing to hit some greasy spoon on their way to wherever they're going! I'm making breakfast for my granddaughter anyway and I might as well make a little extra for the man who gave her a good turn."
"Some things will never change," I whispered to myself as I went into the bathroom and went through my morning routine, I may not be going to school today, but I wanted to get as much done as possible to go see Ramona during public visiting hours. With my shower and as much primping as I actually cared to do, what can I say I'm a tomboy plus makeup doesn't really hold up to athletics.
After getting dressed I went to the dining nook to find that Agent Jorgen had capitulated to Granny Mertle's guest breakfast- buckwheat pancakes and mixed grill scrambled eggs.
"It's about time you lazy bones," Granny Mertle smirked at me, "When you and your mom lived here it used to be that you'd be out of bed and in the kitchen while still in your jimjams."
"Granny," I recoiled in embarrassment, "we've got a guest here there's no way I'd be doing that. Besides I still need to talk with the police about everything that happened yesterday and see Ramona- not to mention have the doctors check me out and make sure that I'm okay. I may have just been grazed but I was still shot, and only had first-aid and a paramedic look after me on top of everything else."
"Actually, there is one other thing that you need to do today," Agent Jorgen stated after swallowing a hedge of his wheat cakes. "The men who were with me yesterday and drove your friend to the emergency room were a field team with Argonne National Laboratory over in Lemont. They are going to have to have a look at you concerning your abilities."
"Hold off one moment," Granny Mertle all but teleported over to Agent Jorgen to glare at him in the eyes, "while I appreciate you helping out my granddaughter and her friend there is no way that I'm letting some spook disappear my only grandchild into some MK-Ultra bullcrap."
"First off ma'am the Department of Paranormal Affairs is not the MCO we do not disappear anyone, we investigate events that fall outside the ordinary as well as issue and maintain records concerning mutants, metahumans, super-scientists, artificial beings, mystic practitioners, etc." Agent Jorgen replied as he did something that I had never seen anyone do before... stand up to Granny Mertle's scrutiny. "We will also need Miss DeFrank's mother present as we need a legal guardian present during all testing relating to a minor, unless her father can attend the tests."
"Dad's at Camp Alpha in Iraq serving with the army," I spoke up as I dished myself up some breakfast. "Now what can you tell me about these tests."
"You see Miss DeFrank when you used these new abilities of yours, they set off some sensors at Argonne Labs that monitored for exotic particles, that is why they are interested in you. I am also going to be there with a consultant from the Arkham Research Consortium who works out of our field office to gauge your abilities from Argonne's results. This is going to be so that I can submit a report to my superior's in Washington as well as issue your granddaughter a MID card or since your dad is actively serving in the Military an MMID. Then there is the matter of seeing if it would be safe for you to return to public school or if there would be a need for an alternative form of education."
"You mean like that school where they send mutants, the one that the Champion went to?" I asked recalling the tidbits that Candace had sent me over the last few weeks.
"So, you already know about that place?" Agent Jorgen seemed to muse, "While it is somewhat of a more open secret, it isn't exactly common knowledge. Might I ask how you came by this information?"
"My friend Candace goes there now," I admitted not wanting to get someone who was protecting me from both the MCO and the Knights of Purity angry with me, "she told me a little, but not much- she wouldn't even give me the name of the place."
"Good, that information is supposed to be limited access," Agent Jorgen explained as he worked on his wheat cake, "although depending on the testing today it might be your future alma-mater- provided your mother approves of our recommendation."
"So, you'd stick my granddaughter in some place God-knows where because you think she'd be a threat to public safety?!?" Granny Mertle's hackles rose as the Gran-mama Bear awoke once again.
"We don't stick anyone there unless it is for their own health and safety," Agent Jorgen stated still unphased by my grandmother, "although the weight of how much we recommend her enrollment might depend on how her testing today goes. Sometimes we recommend students more for their safety then that of others around them, there are some gifted students whose talents and abilities make them a target for those of less than lawful occupations. Last year there was a poor girl in Seattle who could discovered that she could smolt scrap aluminum into sapphire, a few weeks later she was abducted out of her own home."
"Good lord," Granny Mertle shook in shock, "tell me that you found the girl."
"I'm sorry ma'am," Agent Jorgen deflated, "but that case is still ongoing."
This thought was sobering especially with what I remembered of Taikeyla's words last night, there was someone out there who wanted me for my abilities. They were willing to threaten Ramona's family through blackmail, coerce Victor into shooting me and then turning himself into a monster. If they were willing to go to those lengths was my family really going to be safe?
Room 104 - St. David's Round Rock Medical Center Recovery Ward
Round Rock, Texas
7:39 AM
POV: Joan Drucker, Rose of Darkness
Another day in the hospital recovering from a wound that I don't have and another day waiting for my release so that I could disappear from this room. Granted part of me wondered how I was going to make it to Dead Zone's training camp while in Federal Protective Custody. Who am I kidding knowing Mother Scratch she had all of this planned out a while ago, after all there was no way that she'd risk having one of her family of succubae in protective custody and risk the entire organization's secret being uncovered.
Fortunately, unlike Sunday there was actually some decent TV on that and the fact that dad dropped off some of my favorite engineering texts, oh all the possibilities now that I was a gadgeteer. It wasn't that I ever had an issue with wiring or thinks of things before but how should I explain it, in layman's terms it was like before I was working off of an old antique Windows 3.1 terminal that you'd find in a garage sale and trying to run complicating design and drafting programs off of them at a speed and processing speed that was so slow that it would take hours for them to properly render. Now though I was working off of a top of the line custom built rig based around a self-designed Linux-kernel Operating System, I could operate so fast when I wanted too that it was scary and sometimes things fit together in my mind as soon as I thought of them.
Granted that it was still too early in the morning to go over engineering textbooks without coffee which the nurse on duty would not let me have, although it was nice that my classmates started sending over flowers and get-well cards- or at least those that weren't H1 and trying to get me looked up because they feared my mutant cooties. Most of the news was dedicated to the clean-up focused around the attack and bombings in Boston last Saturday, honestly it was terrible these Children of the Night had no tact or decorum as villains- unleashing a swarm of contagious zombies and setting off fire-bombs including one at an international airport of all places- that wasn't super-villainy that was just an out and out terrorist attack.
Okay granted my view on super-villains was a bit skewed, but I grew up around members of the Sweepers- pros relied on teamwork and dedication to get where they are with leaders who lead from the front with their men's respect instead of having them obey out of fear. Granted this worked on the flip-side of the coin too, there were teams like the Justice Battalion and SPECTRUM that worked through respect, comradery and friendship. On the other had there were groups that just flocked to a leader either because they had money or status and relied on that to hold their group together- the prior incarnation of the Dallas Defenders or the Gator Patrol were proof to how flawed that way of thinking was in terms of groupwork.
It took Longhorn going to jail as a fraud to start the Dallas Defenders up again, and I hoped that they learned the lessons of their prior incarnation's failure. As for Florida's former super-team...well Gator ate half of them during the infamous Gator Incident and as he was the reason for of the team it fell apart leaving the Miami's team of mostly Cuban defectors the Santeríans to take in the survivors and do their best to safe guard most of the state and the Florida government granting special dispensation to the Atlanta Guardians to work across state lines if there was ever trouble in the panhandle.
On the upside of the newsfeed the students were going back to Virginia Tech after that mass-shooting there last week, just goes to show not all of the dangerous and crazy people out there had powers. A couple of car bombs in Bagdad went off during an unsuccessful attack on a police station, I would say that the fact that it was unsuccessful was good news but unfortunately twelve people still died and almost a hundred were sent to the hospital according to the news anchor.
Honestly after the rollercoaster that my life had gone through over the last few days it was a comfort to know that I wasn't the only one getting the short end of the stick lately. My chain of thought was suddenly interrupted when Mother Scratch herself appeared in the room or rather her mental projection over the link of the sisterhood. 'Come to see how your newest niece is doing Mother Erzebet.' I commented somewhat bored over the theatrics.
"Actually it is time that Madeline Jacobs make her debut," Erzebet stated as she regarded me with an expression that seemed almost morose. "It is also time for you to meet the individual who will be succeeding you in your identity as Joan Drucker, this will be the person who will be taking your place under federal witness protection while you will live your life under your new identity at Dead-Zone's Training camp as well as with luck permitting at Whateley."
'I don't care how brutal the camp will be, if taking it means that I will be able to live my life how I want then so be it,' I steeled myself while keeping up my facade of being bedridden. 'My parents already warned me that the camp itself is like a slice of hell but I'm willing to go through it if it means that I can achieve my own dreams. I so what if my parents are what they are that doesn't mean that I have to follow the same path, I just refuse to pigeon-hole myself and follow some path like it's just fate- I am myself and I'll make my own choices.'
"I can't say I agree with your decision and the risk that you are taking with the rest of the family," Erzebet sighed as she regarded me, "however I admire your resolve and will abide by my promise. Besi..."
Erzebet Scratch stopped mid-word as my parents walked in for once my mom was so silent it was like she was numb, once they were in, they shut the door to the room and dad applied his sonic barrier generator to it was well as the walls and windows to ensure that no-one could listen in on anything that went on in the room. After pulling out and checking a device that I recognized as his bug-sniffer, he stated, "we're secure. Nobody is watching or listening in on us and there are no recording devices in the room, so we are free to do what- what-" dad paused when he began to sob, "what needs to be done. I don't want to say good-bye to my little girl so soon!"
"Dad I'm not dying," I groaned as I got out of bed and went over to hug him. "I'm just going to be recognized as the daughter of your original selves instead of your public aliases. Besides I understand that my new given name was on your short-list before I was born anyway."
"It still doesn't make this any easier for us," mom cried out as her legs went out from under her, "we are losing a part of you and you can never come home again. It'll almost be like you died for real."
"This is the world that we live in Naomi," dad explained calling mom by her real name as he bent down to comfort her as he deactivated his disguise to reveal his short, goblinesque true form and hugged her, "Besides we raised our child as best we could and here she is about to give her all for her dreams, as parents I think this makes us pretty great don't you?"
"I know," mom tried to steady herself before deactivating her own disguise to show a woman who looked my age, "but it still feels too early to let our Cathy leave the nest."
That all but shook me to my core, I hadn't been called by my birth name in so long that I had all but forgotten it. It was nuts- I had been born Cathy Gompers, grew up Joan Drucker, and was at the cusp of becoming Madeline Jacobs- then soon enough I'd choose a codename for the world to know me as hopefully as a hero and maybe one day meet a man who would let me take his own family name. Talk about living la-vida loca, I was going through identities like crazy.
"I have your proxy," dad pulled out some weird kind of pendent, "the boys in the lab worked all night with the DNA sample we took from the clothes you were wearing at the party. Dad made a pulling motion and then a copy of me likewise wearing a hospital gown stepped out of the pendent, but I could tell that she looked...empty. "Right now, she has your DNA as well as your power-set before you became what you are now all that she needs are your memories and I understand that one of The Sisterhood is with you now, so she'll walk you through it."
"I will do far more than simply 'walk you through it'," Mother Erzebet explained, "With my help we will make certain that the new Joan Drucker gains the memories that she needs to tell the truth without compromising either the sisterhood or your new identity. At the same time, I will also help you change your default appearance so that you won't simply look like Joan Drucker's twin, after all we can't have you compromising yourself; Madeline Jacobs must be as unique as any other person."
"She says that she'll help me do that and more," I relayed the jist of the message, "By the way before we get started, did you bring something other than this hospital gown for me to wear? The draft in the back of this thing is embarrassing, and I don't want a light breeze to turn me into a flasher!"
Mom laughed amidst her sobbing as she handed me a duffle bag, "I went shopping to get you some new clothes to replace those that you lost while in New York. Granted that I did it as the real me, so I was able to get something that should fit you since we're still the same sizes."
"Can I still say that it's weird that my mom can raid my closet and sneak into events for teens," I called out from the restroom in the hospital.
"Hey, it's not all fun and games," mom shot back, "I'm in my mid-thirties and without my disguise charm I get carded or kicked out of everywhere I go!"
Now dressed and ready to go I went and following Mother Erzebet's instructions put my hands to the side of my clone and moved to press my forehead to hers, before I stopped to ask, "Wait what about a soul, I know that she'll have my mind, but did you help craft a soul for her as well."
"Kampé took a bit of your mother and I," dad explained as he looked at the two of us me and my doppelganger, "and blended them together using your own soul as an example to cultivate the one now within her body. She told us that your memories should complete her and after a few weeks at home to nurture her she should be as normal as you are."
"Or as normal as I was," I stated before telling Mother Erzebet over our link, 'I am ready!' before pressing my forehead to that of the new Joan Drucker.
In a moment I saw my life once again flash before my eyes only this time it was because the life was being transferred to my clone, to put it in perspective I was the media center and my double was the audience. Eventually though I began to notice little discrepancies every time that I had an encounter with Rot or one of the sisterhood or learned of either that information was edited out, as well as the knowledge of the Sweepers and the Grand Hall, everything that I knew of the of the workings of both organizations wasn't going into the new me; this meant that not she would she fail to realize the connection between Axcel and Erzebet Scratch, but also that between our parents and their supervillain alter-egos- then again I suppose that was for the best. Eventually it came time for the shot that changed my life that was when I noticed that the course of events began to follow both the official narrative as well as what the surgeons and hospital staff remembered.
As soon as the memories caught up to an edited for outside eyes version of safe from prying eyes the new Joan Drucker collapsed, carefully checking to make sure that she was only asleep I put the new me in the hospital bed and tucked her in. "Well I guess that she'll be ready to take over my life."
"Joan..." Mom asked in a worried tone, "what happened to you? Why do you look so... different?"
Wondering what she meant I raced to the bathroom and looked in the mirror to see what she meant, and saw a stranger staring back at me, while my eyes remain the same shade of hazel that they've always been my dishwater blonde hair was now a bluish-white. It was the same length and style that I've always had it was just bluish-white now, I took a look at my face as well and there were clear but slight differences too. The slight bump in my nose was gone and was a little narrower than it had been, my earlobes were also attached now instead of dangling. The differences seemed small, but they were enough so that people wouldn't say that Joan and I were the same person.
Wait a moment why was I thinking that I mean I know that the new Joan was supposed to be taking my place but deep down I was Madeline Jacobs. What the hell why was I thinking of myself as my new identity I mean I know that I was supposed to be considered that in public, but I had been Madeline- gaah why was I still thinking like that?
"Just a minor adjustment to your thought processes my dear," Mother Scratch said as she appeared looking over my shoulder in the mirror, "Just something to help you stay in character, I took the liberty of putting in a few tweaks when we were giving the new you her memories, purely cosmetic and there to help you keep your story straight. Your motivations and everything are still there I also put in a verbal filter to keep you from exposing your former life, now get ready it is time to say goodbye for now."
As she disappeared again, I couldn't help but admit that Mother Erzebet had a point, there are some things that we do every day by instinct and I couldn't risk calling out to someone that the new me had never met. Begrudgingly going along with her gift, I exited the room to see my parents with their disguises still down, "Just something Mother Erzebet did to help with my new identity, she also hinted that it was time for you to smuggle me out."
"Actually, I'll be doing that," I was more than a little startled when a Reverent appeared through the floor, "I was instructed to take you to your rendezvous point while Agents Gremlin and Atropos wait for Joan Drucker to wake up, please say your good-byes now you won't be seeing each other for a little bit."
Taking her suggestion at heart, I all but flew into my parent's arms as we hugged each other like we were trying to fuse together, but such a thing never happened. I took the pendent that dad had used to bring Joan Drucker into the room and made my way back to Reverent handing her the piece of jewelry as I turned to my parents one final time with tearful eyes just to say, "Good bye mom and dad!" before everything went white.
Test Room 7- Argonne National Laboratories
Lemont, Illinois
10:34 AM
POV: Chandra Defrank
"Are you sure that you have to do that to her," I could hear my mom call out from the other side of the glass observation room, "I mean those things look painful and why is she wearing that?"
"Mrs. Defrank, those are just sensor nodes, all that they do are monitor your daughter and record the resulting information," Professor Jack Bing explained trying to get my mother who was still in worry mode to calm down, either way was fine by me because I was hoping to avoid the angry scolding mother snap-back from that when it came. "Most of them are sensors for electro-encephalogram and electro-cardiogram data, as well as energy-field sensors, and atmospheric sensors. Basically, this will help us better narrow down and define your daughter's abilities given that we know from genetic-marker testing that she does not have one of the known variants of Mutant-Gene Complexes in her DNA."
"What does it matter if you know how my daughter does what she does?" Mom cried, "hasn't she gone through enough?"
"Unfortunately, Mrs. Defrank enhanced individuals required to be registered with the government as a matter of national security," Agent Jorgen continued to explain, "Also there are some manners of empowerment that are reversable, and if it is one of those types then it would be possible for her to go back to her ordinary life with no consequences."
"And if it isn't one of the reversable kinds?" Mom asked in a tone that carried a rare threat that I haven't heard all that often but when she did you better be careful of what you said to her.
Then we categorize her power-set to classify her abilities while informing both of you about any special considerations that you might have to take in the future." Agent Jorgen continued to explain while carefully observing the doctors, "We'll also create a file on her with the DPA and considering that her father is an active serviceman give her an MMID."
"I thought that those were only for Mutants?" I asked somewhat confused on the matter.
"While the M in MID does currently stand for Mutant, there is a long-standing practice of issuing them to individuals who are enhanced in other capacities." Agent Jorgen huffed, "Also now that the DPA is being granted an expanded role after several incidents of over-reach and questionable activities by the Mutant Commission Office, we are currently working on changes to amend the MID system to be a Metahuman Identification Document rather than a Mutant Identification Document in the US at least. Just one of many small changes that we are planning on now that the federal government decided to step in and stop giving state-by-state carte-blanch to a private security company on US Soil to pretend that they are a federal agency."
"Some real hostility you got their sir," Gab Cowen remarked as he set about calibrating the equipment alongside Professor Bing, "I mean everyone online has heard the rumors, but the internet is all about blowing things way out of proportion."
"Maybe one day we'll know for sure," Agent Jorgen fumed, "their CEO is an old Cold War spook, he made sure that his people are very good at destroying documentation. Are we ready to begin Doctor Bing?"
"Of course," the Doc replied, "for starters we'll get a physical baseline using an standard army fitness exam as a baseline, an allergy test, followed by a CAT scan to check for physiological abnormalities, a non-invasive EEG to test for neurological abnormalities, a spectrograph, and after that we should get a better understanding of what type of power category Chandra falls into then we'd need to test her abilities more directly to better define them in her file. Also if we find out that she's a dynamorph then we can extract the force bundle giving her powers and if it's a power-gem scenario then we can locate and remove it from her person, however if she is an origin or something else then I'm afraid that she'll have to learn to live with it for the rest of her life."
"You know that I can hear everything that the four of you are saying right?" I called out to the booth, "I mean you do have the intercoms on right now."
"We know Miss Defrank," Professor Bing explained, "and you have been perfectly cooperative in this but right now we've been busy consoling your mother- you'd be surprised how often it is that we adults are the ones that need reassuring."
Taking his word for it, after all they did help to save me from the Knights of Purity, I went through with the first round of tests. The physical was honestly more than a little exhausting mainly due to the fact that they weren't testing me to see that I was in shape but in their own words to determine my physical thresholds. Their tests showed that I was well-above average for a girl my age and build, but still within the range of baseline human apart from the early signs of a minor astigmatism in my right-eye meaning that I might need a trip to the optometrist down the line. The allergy test showed nothing unusual apart from the fact that I had a mild allergy to soy as well as pollen from something called the Arizona Cyprus. The EKG was also normal, they also made sure to tell my mother that I hadn't been around any smokers lately- so that was one less thing for her to worry about... which was weird since some of the hangers on of the Maroon Maniacs were smokers.
The CAT scan and the EEG though were where the scientists started to get interested, although they waited long after I got the glue from the sensors out of my hair before moving on to testing my powers- or well at this point power. "Just relax Miss Defrank, remember what it felt like to use your ability yesterday," a kid whose badge read Gab Cowen and looked like he was only about ten years older than me at most. "Now just remember to take your time to figure this out, you are the one to set the pace here I just need you to engage your power, tap your hip to activate the audio-player and follow the instructions that the audio-player instructs you to perform.
It took a few tries but eventually I was able to pull myself out of time again, although the instructions sounded like I was playing with a Bop-It as I followed the instructions am moved about the lab with their sensors taking readings as I went as the one's on the lab's suit helped them gather data from within the in-between place that I go when I do what I do, this ended soon when I followed the final instruction to give Gab a high-five pulling me back into normal time. "That was good," Gab explained as he still had his hand up, "now we are going to need you to do the same thing only this time without your helmet."
This time it only took me two tries to step out of time although this time everything around me was just in slow-motion around the room both with and without my helmet as usual everything looked like it was slightly off in the color department and a little fuzzy like a video from an old out of focus camcorder. I even heard what sounded like people speaking super-slow, but the test was still over fast with another high-five to Gab. "Alright that should be it Miss Defrank feel free to wait with your mom in the conference room, someone will be by later to give you a full explanation of the results. Just go that way though the decontamination room."
I looked as at the direction that Gab pointed in and asked, "Decontamination from what?"
"The tests this is just so that we can collect any exotic particulates that you might have collected from you using your abilities." Gab explained, "Just more for us to look at, your mom also brought you a change of clothes from home. We will also be returning your helmet as soon as we are through examining it as well in case it might have anything to do with your abilities."
"Alright, I suppose that makes sense," I begrudgingly conceded to their point especially after remembering Taikeyla's reaction after she put my helmet on yesterday. I put my lab clothes in a designated bin and went through the decontamination shower in no time; after putting on my familiar old Monday morning school attire, I raced down to the conference room to hug my mom.
"Oh, you are in so much trouble when you get home," Mom hugged me so tight that I was worried my stiches would give.
"Hey, I tried to do everything that I could to stay safe," I objected if those power-armor jockeys had just let the paramedics take me to the hospital the city wouldn't have to come up with an excuse not to repair the damage that was done to the Westside right now."
"Alright, I will give you that much," Mom conceded to my point, "but you could have at least called to let us know that you were safe."
"I was worried that the MCO would have tapped our landline," I explained my logic, "from what Candace told me about them I wouldn't have put it past them and I wasn't going to risk stopping to make a phone call in the open with the Knights of Purity after me."
Knowing that there was no way to break our stalemate over what happened yesterday, the two of us sat in silence before a trio including Agent Jorgen came to sit with us at the table, this was clearly to go over the results of the tests. Along with Agent Jorgen at the table there was also Professor Bing and a doctor whose nametag read Tina Klerkse facing us, Agent Jorgen was the first to speak while examining the result and from the look on his face it wasn't the best news. "Mrs. Defrank I will be blunt, from the evidence so far your daughter appeared to have experienced an origin-event, she either came into contact with something exotic or experienced some unknown phenomenon that has resulted in your daughter's ability. From what we still don't know, and we are examining everything that she had on her yesterday during the first known event for a possible physical catalyst."
Doctor Klerkse sighed, "While it appears that your daughter is within normal human standards, from what we observed during our tests some things just seem a little too perfect. Chandra's respiration is more efficient, there are minor changes to her circulatory system, her liver and pancreas show changes as well although they are changes that have been observed elsewhere by evolutionary biologists, there are even signs that her still-developing wisdom teeth are being reabsorbed by the jaw. That doesn't even account for the CAT scans of her brain and the EEG readings, my colleges at the University of Chicago's neuroscience program have explained that it looks like your neurons are firing at a higher-rate and the portions of your brain related to analysis and observation appear to have changed as well, to be frank you seem to be able to observe your surroundings with a greater speed than should be considered normal."
"So, then I'm human, just a little improved," I observed trying to take what he meant into consideration.
"Yes," Doctor Klerkse continued, "and it appears that your body is still adjusting so what we observed now may be out of date by this time next year. Honestly, we can only work with what is in front of us right now, and anything else is only guess work and conjecture."
"As for your daughter's abilities Misses Defrank, she has the ability to step in between the third and fourth dimensions, with her degree of interaction only relating to the amount of exposure to a sufficient amount of biological material." Professor Bing began to explain, "Basically if Chandra is wearing her helmet and a full-body suit then she will have the ability to completely make her way from third-dimensional space into fourth-dimensional space, this makes it appear that she teleports when she either intentionally or unintentionally re-enters third-dimensional space."
"On the other hand, if she doesn't have a filter or her helmet then she is only able to partially phase into fourth-dimensional space making her appear to have the powers of a speedster. In either case though if she makes physical contact with any biomass of significant size then she will be immediately snapped back into our dimension, and the end result of either use of her power is the emission of tachyon particles created from the interaction between the dimensions."
"So, there's no way that my baby can go back to normal?!?" Mom asked with panic clearly making its way into her mind.
"Misses Defrank your daughter can live as normal a life as she wants to however given the nature or her abilities some members of the intelligence community such as Homeland Security would label her a security concern," Agent Jorgen explained as he slowly shook his head clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time that he had to have a talk like this with a parent. "However, there are options, there is a school in New England that focuses on helping empowered individuals learn to manage their abilities as well as learn about both their legal implications as well as satisfying the concerns of the intelligence community."
Agent Jorgen explained as he handed us a pamphlet for some place called the Whateley Academy, "While most of the students and faculty are classified as mutant, they do accept students such as your daughter if they choose to enroll."
"And if your daughter agrees to help us with our research here at Argonne in between semesters then we would be more than glad to cover her tuition," Professor Bing added to the pitch, "although I would recommend waiting until she completes her school year; there is still bound to be some paperwork involved."
"Mom, I am pretty sure that this is the place that Candace is going to school at," I said after looking the pamphlet over as well as remembering Agent Jorgen's hinting on the matter earlier, "according to her the classes are top rate and there are students who go from there straight to the Ivy Leagues or top Tech Schools, and a lot of them on scholarships."
"I don't know," mom said chewing the mater over, "I would still need to take a better look at it to see how I feel."
"If it would make you feel better, they have an open house day in a couple of weeks, in the meantime your daughter will have to wear a monitoring anklet." Anticipating our objections Agent Jorgen continued to explain, "This will just be to help keep track of her, we'll also provide her with an emergency bracelet to call police or rescue if she gets into trouble; all of this is more for her safety then anyone else's, after all someone did try to kill her less than twenty-four hours ago."
"Well mom?" I asked while looking at her.
"We'll go to the Open House and I'll think about it," mom admitted so at least there was something.
Arlington High School
Arlington, TX
12:35 PM
Joel West was trudging his way along the first floor of the school building with an escort on his way to the principal's office, thankfully they had chosen to send a Hall Monitor to retrieve him from Home Room rather than calling him over the PA. "What is all of this about anyway?"
"Mister West I don't know, I was just told to escort you there from Home Room." Dirk Antema stated as he walked alongside me up the stairs and towards the front of the building. Once he was inside Dirk went back to his rounds and Joel was told to report to Principal Adam's Office rather than waiting to be called, after walking in the door Joel saw his mother, Principal James Adams and a man in a lab-coat. "Have a seat Mister West." He heard principal Adams state and on instinct Joel followed the man's command.
"Now Mister West first off you are not in trouble. You are here because a former student of ours recognized that you had signs of a particular genetic disorder and arranged to have you tested to be certain."
"Hello Mister West, my name is Fredrik Jokinen and I'm with the Arkham Research Consortium," the man extended his hand which Joel took, "Our organization is one of the top authorities on this disorder and we do this test for free thanks to a government stipend."
"Just what is this disorder," Janice West threw herself in-between her son and the man, "because if you think that I will let you do anything to by son-"
"Misses West-" Fredrik Jokinen replied before being corrected by Janice West with the proclamation of- "That's Miss West!"
"Very well Miss West it is better off that you don't know too much if your son doesn't have the disorder to avoid too much stress on both of your parts. All that I need is swab of the inside of your son's mouth for the test and you should get the results in two weeks," Fredrik Jokinen explained, "if they are negative we will inform you with a phone and if the result is positive then we'll send you all of the related literature as well as help put your son in touch with a support group if he wants to look into it."
"Very well but I want a copy of the paperwork that explains the purposes of the sample in writing," Janice stated to which Mister Jokinen produced a folder containing three-multicolored sheets on carbon-copy paper. After everything was signed Mister Jokinen got his sample and Joel was sent back to class while the three remaining parties each took one of the sheets with them. As Fredrik Jokinen left the school, Joel settled back into his class in homeroom none wiser about what was unfolding concerning his future as he concentrated on his Algebra homework.
Dead-Zone's Training Camp
Pecos County, Texas
1:57 PM
POV: Madeline Jacobs, Rose of Darkness
I walked lock step into a line with others who had one purpose of being here, to attend a camp run by one of the most brutal taskmasters in the business of training those on the wrong side of the law...Dead-Zone. I looked at him and I was quaking in fear six-foot, seven and over two-hundred pounds of world-weary, battle-scared former United States Force Recon Commando was staring all of us down and sizing us up. Even the man next to me who was in full power armor seemed intimidated by the man in front of us, every story that my parents told me about this man failed to prepare me for the fact that he scared the ever-loving crap out of all of us.
"FIRST OFF I AM DEAD-ZONE, YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS MASTER CHIEF FROM NOW UNTIL YOU EITHER LEAVE WITH MY APPROVAL OR MY BOOT UP YOUR ASS." Dead-Zone began to bark at everyone and everyone could tell that this old war dogs bark was worse than his bite. "NOW I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE BEEN SEMI-SUCCESSFUL MERCS OR SOLO-OPPERATORS BEFORE YOU PRANCED THROUGH MY GATE BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED NO MATTER WHOSE ASS YOU USED TO SPANK OR WHO USED TO SPANK YOUR ASS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED ALL OF YOU ARE LANDFILL UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE!"
He looked up and down the line before zeroing in on me in particular, "Well- well- well looks like they're throwing the babies out with the bathwater, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE SCRUB AND I HOPE THAT YOU DON'T EXPECT ME TO GO EASY ON YOU JUST BECAUSE YOUR MAMA TRAINED UNDER ME, DO YOU?"
"SIR, NO MASTER-CHIEF SIR!" I replied back while standing as straight and still as I could, "SHE TOLD ME TO EXPECT YOU TO WHIP ME LIKE A CHEAP GIMP AT AN S&M CONVENTION, MASTER-CHIEF SIR!"
"Good I see that at least one of you were taught respect and to expect what you'll be in for," Dead-Zone smiled like a shark at us, "NOW KNOW THIS BACK ON NOVEMBER 17TH, 1950 THE DEVIL HIMSELF SENT ME UP HERE TO MAKE THE LIVES OF EVERYONE WHO WALKED THROUGH THAT GATE'S LIFE A LIVING HELL. NOW FOR THE RULES: RULE 1, NO POWERS UNLESS I ALLOW IT OR ORDER YOU TO USE THEM. RULE 2, YOU WILL ONLY USE THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU ARE PROVIDED WITH. RULE 3, NO USE OF YOUR NAME OR CODE-NAME WHILE YOU ARE HERE, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED CALLSIGNS SHORTLY AND WHILE HERE I EXPECT YOU TO REFER TO EVERY CADET BY THEIR CALLSIGNS. RULE 4, NO ONE LEAVES THE CAMP UNLESS I ORDER THEM TO OR GRANT THEM PERMISSION. RULE 5, YOU WILL FOLLOW YOUR ASSIGNED SCHEDULE AND ALL ORDERS GIVEN TO YOU BY STAFF. RULE 6, ANYONE WITH THE NUMBER TWO ON THEIR UNIFORM ARE TO BE IGNORED, WHILE YOU ARE LANDFILL, THEY ARE HAZMAT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE. NOW YOU ARE TO ENTER THAT STORM SHED SINGLE-FILE YOU WILL FOLLOW THE YELLOW LINE AND RECEIVE YOUR CALLSIGN, ALL ELSE WILL BE REVEALED AND NO TALKING UNTIL YOU ARE AT THE END OF THE YELLOW LINE... NOW MOVE IT- MOVE IT- MOVE IT!!!"
Although there were only five of us, we went in formation following Dead-Zone's instruction to guide us down to the storm cellar which lead to a concealed stairway that took us down what had to be two-full stories. At this point we came to a door that opened to a hall that lead us back in the same direction as the stairway and ended in a freight elevator. To the right of the yellow line and before the elevator was a bar that was built into the wall at the bar's desk was a Reverent in the same style of military garb as Dead-Zone although she had corporal patches on her jacket and a Joker with 10's in the corners of the card's design. In front of her were five laminated index-cards placed face down.
"You will address me as Corporal Reverant. I will call the number in line that you are closest to the elevator, when I wall that number you are to step forward you are to take the face-down card that I point to and take possession of your duffle bag while I take your personal belongings for secure storage. Under the index-card is also a luggage tag with the written name of your callsign, you are to also hand that to me to attach to your own bag guard your laminated card well otherwise whoever has it after camp concludes will gain possession of your own possessions." Corporal Reverent explained, "The bag will contain your requisition hygiene and toiletry supplies for one week, if you run out of anything you can either trade with your fellow cadets or requisition more supplies from me in exchange for choosing to complete one Rank-2 assignment around the base in addition to your own training and assignments."
"Fair warning you do not want a Rank-2 assignment assigned to you other than by choice, each Rank-2 assignment counts as a strike and you have three strikes allowed for each week. If you are caught using any name but what you are assigned you will be given a strike, if you need to requisition due to failure to ration that is also a strike, so is failure to follow orders. Anyone who accumulates three strikes in a week will be demoted to Rank-2 for the extension of the Camp and need to wait until the next session to try again, three-strikes one-week am I clear!"
"Ma'am yes ma'am!" All of us replied in unison.
"Number 4," Corporal Reverent called choosing a girl who was just a few years older than me to be the first as she stepped forward, I recognized her, that was Regina 'Nightfox' Larrimore the daughter of pro-thief Nightwolf's. I heard that she escaped from Juvie in New Hampshire a while back and was on the run, evidently she decided to run to the Sweepers, it figures from what I heard she got busted following a boss who left her high and dry when his plan to takeover Whateley went belly up. After she turned over her card Corporal Reverent announced, "Welcome to Hell Cadet Geranium, here's your things and know we will be watching you!"
"Number 5," The next person announced was her fellow toady Morty Irving aka Latchkey evidently the pair were deciding to go for the Sweepers, I hope that they knew they were in for a steep climb because given their reputations it was going to be a steep climb to earn anyone's trust. "Aw- I see that you have something in common with your cohort Cadet Columbine. Here are your things go wait by the elevator, and no funny business."
"Number 2," The next up was the guy in power armor, who for some reason they were letting him keep, maybe it was a Tony Stark or Iron-Horse scenario and it double as a life-support system. "Welcome Cadet Gladiolus, I hope that you will show us your all." To my surprise Cadet Gladiolus gave Corporal Reverant a proper salute before taking his bags.
"Number 3," Now it was my turn I went and turned over one of the two remaining cards which I wondered if Corporal Reverent had chosen codenames for a reason, surprisingly I recognized the flower, "Welcome Cadet Magnolia, I hope that you do your parents proud and live up to Dame Scratch's faith in you." I followed Cadet Gladiolus's example and replied with a proper salute.
The last of us Number 1 was soon named Cadet Larkspur, and with duffels slung over our shoulders we entered the freight elevator which descended what seemed like two more floors until it opened up to what appeared to be a mix of a doctor's office and a barber shop, with someone setting up some mechanical equipment for Cadet Gladiolus. The barbershop suddenly made sense, Dead-Zone taught with military discipline, looks like I was going to be sporting a crew-cut for a while.
Okay it looks like I was wrong, although the on-site barbers did trim everyone's hair short the order was to keep it tidy since we were going to be working up a sweat. Sadly, nobody told that to Cadet Columbine because he got the fade crew cut that he asked for while Cadet Larkspur just asked for the barber to trim his existing short-tapered style down so that he could manage it for a couple of weeks. Armed with this knowledge Cadet Geranium asked for a bob while I went with a haircut that I was well familiar with from elementary school, a pixie-cut...what I always looked cute in it and somehow the new me pulled it off a lot better than the old me. The haircut was followed by a full physical, or in Cadet Gladiolus's case deactivating his weapon systems and removing any emergency armaments that he had.
After the physical all of us were now in our uniforms, olive-green uniforms with a Joker mark bracketed by two 3s, the emblem in the Sweepers for former Independent operators or untrained personnel and were ordered to take another elevator to the barracks. This was the first test because the elevator had no numbers and all the labels were in braille, thank you mom for teaching me.
After I pressed the correct button the elevator opened up into a commons area shaped like a pentagon with each of the walls color-coded and the one with the elevator being black in the middle of the room a man with a Joker-6 rank waiting for us. "At ease cadets, I am Corporal Weathers, I will be in charge of issuing your assignments each day and handing out your briefings. Now if you look at your name card you will notice that each has a color background that is your barracks assignment, all men are either assigned to Red or Orange Barracks while all women are assigned to Green and Blue, you are to take the bunk that has your callsign. Now you have your orders, you are to settle and have everything organized by the time you are called for dinner. One word of warning, we have inspections every morning before meal call, every failed inspection after your third day here counts as a strike. I suggest that everyone go settle in and remember if you get caught messing with any of your fellow Cadets belongings it is an immediate demotion to Rank-2. Now you are all dismissed!"
I took off for the Blue Barracks glad that Cadet Geranium was in Green, sure enough I found my bunk right above one for a Cadet Bluebell who I assume was still involved in training with the rest of the Barracks. After using the foot locker that was also labeled Cadet Magnolia and making use of the biometric lock that looked like it had yet to be imprinted. I stored my gears as neatly as I could and got to organizing, another thing that mom warned me about was that Dead-Zone practiced group punishment for infractions although only the offender got the punishment that mattered and there was no way that I was going to build up resentment with women who were going to be at least five years older than me.
Last Edit: 4 years 11 months ago by Insane Hiker. Reason: clarity
5 years 4 months ago #61
by Insane Hiker
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Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:37 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I parried another block from Laoshi Wujing, granted that this was far more difficult given that the match we were fighting was in my transformed human state. How ironic I was worried about losing my humanity while I was transforming, now I saw how much of a disadvantage I was at. The reality was that while being was better to move around in public without causing a panic it also meant that I was slower, weaker, softer, and lacked the advantage of a fifth-limb to help either parry with or try to trip the divine monk.
Fortunately, this was weapons training rather than hand to hand or in the case of my normal state hand to claw. The two of us were training with wushu gun, similar to quarter-staves, granted my weapon of choice was closer to that of a mace but I was looking into ways to modify it to give me more options in a fight. But while having a wider range of options in combat would be great all it meant was that I'd need to train how to use them first.
"Gaah," my train of thought was soon broken by a staff strike that had slipped past my guard and hit me on the outside of my right thigh. I tried to get back into the rhythm of the dance but soon my teacher got a solid hit in against my left ankle in the process.
"Dammit," I keeled over and cradled my ankle while losing the focus on my shape-shifting and transforming back to my normal self in the process. Somehow though the pain that I felt from that sparing match lingered even through my tough hide, and that realization made a smile cross my face. "So, I can still feel everything, I can still feel like I was as I am now."
That sentence soon descended from a moment of realization into a hollow fit of laughter at everything that was going on in the world, as if everything that I had been feeling since transforming just boiled over and as leaking out in that fit of irony that after everything that I had gone through over the course of half a year yet fundamentally I was still the same person I had been the day that rat bit me.
This realization had to end though like all moment do and that came when I felt a modest bop on the head right between my antlers, I looked up and saw that Laoshi Wujing was looking down at me with a knowing look on his bearded face.
"I take it that you have had a moment of epiphany Zhen-yu while this is good, we are still training at the moment," Sha Wujing continued as he rested his wushu gun on the ground like a walking stick. "Now I would suggest that you return to your human form now, that is what we are working to hone after all."
"I know Laoshi," I admitted as I stood back up with a bow as I tried to transform back into a human using chi magic, but for some reason I just couldn't focus right now. "I apologize Laoshi, but it seems like assuming human form is beyond me at the moment. Would it be possible to focus on something that would more benefit my normal self-right now?"
"I understand my student," Laoshi Wujing conceded while he went to collect our wushi gun to place them to the side, "while martial-arts are meant to help one push past their preconceived limits, they are also about helping one find one's-self and it looks like you are finally beginning to become comfortable in your own skin. That is good because like finding the courage to leave the safety of these caverns- this too is a step in your healing journey."
"Oh gee, another step," I fumed, "really how many steps is this going to take? I mean don't tell me this is like AA because there is no way in the nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells that I will ever forgive those bastards!"
"You don't have to forgive them, you just don't have to let them have power over you." Kelsey chimed in as she sipped a cup of tea in the corner.
"I am free of those bastards Kelsey!" I all but shouted at her, "They will never have any power over me ever again!"
"But they do Zhen-yu, they may no longer have direct control over you through your fear," Laoshi Wujing explained, "but they now have the ability to incite your fury and that can grant them power to blind you to their intent and herd you like a charging bull to the slaughter."
"You have to remember Zhen-yu the only power the Cult of Blood-stained Gold have over you is the power that you give them," Kelsey added into the conversation, "and as those warlocks are beneath you the only power that you should offer them is your caution, they are a scorpion pit steer clear and eventually they will eat themselves."
"Okay I may be safe but what about my friends and family?" I objected to the matter, "I mean the only thing keeping them safe is that none of them know where I am, and the Cult of Blood-stained Gold doesn't know how to get in touch with me to demand that I surrender myself for their safety."
"No what keeps your family safe is the fact that the Cult of Blood-stained Gold was only able to target you because no one had any idea that they were after you." Kelsey interrupted, "The moment that they clued everyone into their interest in you as well as the value that you hold your family became a subject of interest to a lot more groups then human-supremacists. Your friends and family are now under surveillance by agents from five different governments and seventeen multinational concerns not to mention operatives of the DeVille Academy, the Yama Dojo and The Syndicate to name a few; any intelligence that your friends and family hold on your whereabouts will be of interest to a lot more people than just a group of Black Market Brokers with a history in the occult."
While that was good to hear that my family was safe it made it more apparent than ever that going home wasn't going to be in the forecast for me anytime, looks like my earlier assumptions were right on the money. Yes, the best thing that I could do for the people who I cared about right now was to stay as far away as possible. I really want to get back to my art, it's so much easier to relax when I'm knuckle-deep in soft clay- or in the case of the new me that would probably be molten rock.
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I will have to admit my new life was taking some getting used to, back when I was Paul Ledoux I was used to doing everything around the house that I needed to keep things running- it helped to let me keep things in perspective but here there were djinn and djinni whose actual job it was to keep the resort running. Granted that this place was my House's home but at the same time it was also a resort with guests, we just kept the places that weren't part of the true in places that normal people were unable to access.
It was just all so surreal how much my life had changed, I mean I even had a djinni inside of ring on my hand that was dedicated to serving me and I was the type of person who was used to serving other people, I wonder if there was a councilor here at the resort because I was really needing some help getting my bearings in life especially since I was now in the care of people who weren't human. I mean don't get me wrong the djinn who I had met were all friendly and from what I had seen their society was much the same as what people would be considered normal. Actually, in some cases djinn society at least that of the Kingdom of the Blazing Disc was rather progressive for an upper-class household.
It was odd that for the most part everyone in the household went about their business during the daytime, yet all came together in the evening baring special events. My dad had even told me that hosting my friends like that had for the last two days was something special since the daytime was the time reserved for productivity or activity, the evening was all about coming together to reinforce bonds an activity particularly symbolized by Dinner and the evening proclamations by the Head of the House such as her Grandmother Nephthys. There was also the fact that there was no one her actual age around- "Maybe I will take a look at that School Bea and Randi go to after all." I muttered under my breath as my hand knocked against my desk.
"Uh- I am so clueless," I face-palmed as I laughed in embarrassment, "I need to talk to someone for advice and I have a councilor on hand 24-7."
Carefully I rubbed the jewel on my ring and recited the password that I had set with Zesiro's instruction, "Miss Zesiro- can you help me?"
"I still don't understand why you decided to be so formal in your command to summon me Iris," Zesiro stated as the cloud that constituted her being billowed out of the ring to gradually materialize in front of me, "while you instructed me to address you by your given names you are still my mistress, there is no need to be so formal with one who has pledged themselves to serve you."
"You trust me with your very being Zesiro, the least I can do is show you the respect that you are due." I explained, "Besides I need some guidance, I mean I think that I'm going to take up an offer to go to that boarding school that the other maidens are at but what about in the meantime. I know that I'm going to receive tutoring to cover my schooling for the rest of the year but there is still the fact that half-djinn or not I'm the only human...the only teenager here and I can't leave because the Cult of the Black Pharaoh might still want me for whatever."
"You are saying that you need a way to fill your empty time or at least socialize beyond what you can manage to do in the hidden areas of the resort." Zesiro surmised hitting the proverbial nail right on the head.
"Exactly- I mean everyone has been so welcoming to me here but its- just too much compared to what I am used to." I deflated feeling a little release again, it was great to have someone to talk shop with.
"Well from what I know there are occasionally people your own age who take advantage of the amenities, but that won't be until the schools let out in May." Zesiro explained as she pondered my predicament, "Maybe this would be the time to learn about your mother's family."
"But my dad told me mom was from Mexico-" I objected to the thought, "any family that she has is down there! And I can't even leave the resort right now let alone the country."
"True but there is nothing to say that you can't reach out to ask them to visit," Zesiro spelled it out, "after all there shouldn't be too much trouble to find out about them and get your grandparents a tourist visa."
"Do you really think that they'd be willing to put up with the process to get a passport and apply for a tourist visa just to come to the United States all to meet someone who says that they're the granddaughter of their own daughter who disappeared a decade and a half ago?" I asked really hoping Zesiro could counter my own logic, because part of me really wanted to learn about the human half of my family especially since it was likely to be similar to what I grew up with when compared to the little that I knew about Djinn culture- something in which Zesiro was also supposed to help tutor me.
"What I believe is that any human parent who has a right to call themselves that would be beside themselves with joy to learn that the child who they hadn't heard from for a decade and a half was actually alive and well." Zesiro countered my logic as best that she could, "They would also be interested to meet their granddaughter and learn about the effort that is underway into rescuing their daughter."
"How are we going to do that again?" I asked clearly curious about the matter, "I mean the Cult of the Black Pharaoh are bound to have precautions in place to keep intruders from hurting them."
"Maybe against the djinn and maybe humans too, but there is no such thing as a perfect fortress." Zesiro began to explain, "there are other races besides those whose blood flows through your veins, and apparently you have met many of them."
My mind drifted to my dream last night and the conference on the Astral Plain that I had shared with my fellow maidens. That was when I went over what I knew about them and their non-human halves: Bea was half mermaid and I remembered that her people who weren't of royal blood like her had to stay in otherworldly refuges to avoid being transformed against their will into soulless monsters. Randi was half faerie which supposedly covered a lot of different races with a wide range of abilities, they were supposed to be fairly diverse and numerous although I knew from Miss Bliss that only a few were on anyone's side but their own and Randi was just connected to one such group. Finally, there was Zhen-yu who was part dragon, I knew little about dragons other than Zhen-yu was descended from one of the Chinese dragons who were supposed to be one of the more benevolent groups of them as opposed to their western cousins who according to stories view mankind as either threats, toys or pests.
"I really doubt that we'd have much to offer the dragons to get them to stick their noses into this, so I assume that means faeries will be taking part in the rescue effort." I gave my best guess.
"I would wager that your guess would be the best choice Iris," Zesiro responded, "The dragons of the Orient while benevolent also rarely involve themselves in the affairs of others beyond their own domain, the numbers that the merfolk could provide us with are either too weak on land or too few to be of any real effect. That leaves the fae who are rather adept at both magic and subterfuge, they would be ideal for such an offensive especially if they could send dwarves to the battle."
"Faerie commandos will be freeing my mom," I all but laughed at the thought, "I can't believe how absurd that sounds."
"The Southern Court might have some of the physically strongest beings in the Four Courts however the Western Court possesses the greatest versatility." Zesiro continued to explain, "sometimes being generalists is better than being specialists or masters. You really need to keep this in mind with your training, there may come times that you have to face an opponent who your main specialties won't work against- that is when having a more varied set of skills may come in handy."
"Zesiro- I thought that you were a servant," I replied with some trepidation, "how do you know all of this."
"Your grandfather establish when he married Lady Nephthys that all members of the House were to be versed in combat and tactics in case of emergency." Zesiro replied back promptly, "Despite the rule of the Black Pharaoh being imposed being imposed over our people through Ra the rules of the House of the Shimmering Oasis put into place by him still applied and I learned as was required. Also, your grandfather and father are both clear examples of putting this into practice, your grandfather is a seasoned warrior in both armed and unarmed combat as well as a practiced elemental wizard with both Earth and Wind elements. Your father is likewise skilled in unarmed combat as well as armed combat, archery and seasoned with the use of the Earth element."
"From what I have heard you like myself are a wind elemental and a seasoned pugilist and desire to learn about grappling, also if you take part in the operation to free your mother then you might also have the opportunity to learn fae military tactics in the process." Zesiro finished with her main point, "Just remember the more skills you learn and the more you work on the skills that you are already familiar with the better off your chances are when it finally comes time to confront your destiny."
"Actually, those aren't all my skills," I retorted catching Zesiro's interest in the process, "my captor wasn't much of a caretaker, anytime that I needed to do anything growing up I did it myself and usually for myself. I was the cook, custodian, handyman, plumber, accountant, everything that I could do to stretch the budget or take care of myself and her I have been doing ever since I was able to do so."
"Then you have your other answer on how to avoid boredom," Zesiro smiled as she shrank until we were eye-level with one another, "just ask to help out with the house staff as well. I am certain that you'll be able to learn all sorts of skills as well as other applications for your powers outside of combat."
"Such as?" I asked curious about where this was going.
"Let's just say that the vacuums that we use around the resort aren't working models," my tutor replied, "why need a motor when you can just focus a miniature cyclone spell inside a container and let it provide all the suction that you need.'
Olson Household
Campo, Colorado
10:05 AM MDT
Anton Olson looked over the equipment that his children brought back yesterday having been escorted home by members of Shuffles Sweepers, some of whom spoke in glowing terms of their actions and professionalism on their actions that night in the battle against the Merchants of Suffering's men. A few hours later he had gotten a call from Erzebet Scratch herself, she had spoken well of the children's aid and responsibility in contacting her men and helping thwart both the ambitions of the Merchants as well as their mercenaries the Masterson Brothers.
Part of him was still angry with Tobias for the risks that he had taken and the danger he dragged both him and his sister into by getting involved with the world that had taken him years to drag himself out of and cost him an arm in the process. However, Anton couldn't help but also be proud of his boy, he had shown the kind of imitative and ambition that had died in himself a long time ago.
Looking over his old equipment, something his son had modified he couldn't help but be proud; Tobias had taken his ramshackle work at turning the fragments of Ymir's Tear into something that was actually credible equipment. Taking a moment to set the blasters down, Anton then went to inspect his daughter's Permafrost equipment, "Honestly- what had Tobias done to adjust this thing, Ingrid's in college now and the last time that she wore this she was twelve."
"Still, doing all of that and getting brownie points with both Erzebet Scratch and Shuffle's Sweepers all in one mission," Anton shook his head in disbelief before going back to his old equipment, something that had cost him most of his right arm and the boy had actually figured out what he did wrong and fixed it while adjusting it for his use. It was hard to believe that the kid was just in high school, and he knew from the blood work that he did on his kids that neither of them were mutants- yet his son Tobias had actually fixed his Blizzard Wizard gear and gotten the stuff to work right.
"Maybe it's time to start looking into tech schools for him," Anton mulled over the matter and knew it was the right call. Tobias did show the talent for it and it was better than throwing his life in the toilet like he did, plus Ingrid was ready to move out once her second year at Trinidad Junior College and transfer to Adams to pursue her Theater Degree.
"Face facts Anton, the kids are growing up; I only hope that I was a better father to them than mine was to me." Anton observed as he stared at the plastic claw that served him in place of the hand that he lost to his own foolishness.
"And I hope that Tobias is willing to put all of this behind him." Anton observed as he began to pack all of the Blizzard Wizard and Permafrost gear up, "Being a super-villain is no way to live- all it brings is pain and regret."
Warning the Following Scene Contains Graphic Violence and Mature Content. Reader Discretion is Advised.
La Puesta de Sol Rosada
Mexico City, Mexico
12:37 PM CDT
Rosa Fátima Seguin was going through the daily motions of running her family's restaurant, something that she'd been doing ever since her father passed it on to her when her brothers chose to leave the restaurant business. Not that she could complain too much Milagros married the daughter of an Agave farmer and he always gave them a good deal on the first batch of tequila to be brewed on their land, and her younger brother Savid became a police officer and he always sent plenty of business her way during and in-between peak hours, during the evening most of her booths were occupied by out of uniform officers either with their wives or girlfriends to enjoy a nice night away from home.
Not that she had too much of an issue running the restaurant itself, her husband Hernando picked up bartending from her father Xavier long before the man passed, and her son Alberto and his wife Elisenda helped out waiting tables in the restaurant itself, too bad her youngest Liliana never took well to the business and married a mechanic from Toluca. She also never visited even after the birth of her son Leo.
That absence hurt Rosa especially given the disappearance of her other daughter Angela almost a decade and a half-ago, and in a decade and a half she still hadn't learned a thing. What made it really hurt was that her daughter found out that she was with child a month before she disappeared, a revelation that caused a fight to erupt over the matter with her Hernado insisting that the man would either assume his responsibilities and take Angela to the alter or else he was going to be dodging the man's twelve-gauge- a threat that was not an idle one especially since Hernado usually kept the thing loaded with rock-salt instead of buck-shot.
Some including her younger brother Savid thought that her daughter ran away with her lover, however there were some things about the problem that didn't add up. For one if she did chances were that she would have written home in hopes of mending fences by now- even Liliana who never visited still wrote or called. There was also the state that Angela's room was in when she left, the place had been tossed and while some clothing was missing it was nowhere near enough for a pregnant girl to consider leaving home with. There was also the matter of keepsakes, there was no way in hell that Angela would have ever considered leaving home without the cross that her grandfather Xavier passed on to her for her Quinceanera not when she knew how hard that he worked to by the thing.
Still it had been nearly fifteen years, and while it hurt to do so eventually Hernando convinced her to put Angela's picture up on the ofrenda. Despite the fact that their eldest had no marker in the local cemetery, they still told everyone who cared to hear the stories of Angela to keep their daughter's memory alive. Not that it mattered to Rosa, not a day went by that she didn't think of her children- not a day went by that she didn't think of Angela or the grandchild
that she had never gotten to know.
Not that any of this was directly on her mind at the moment, but instead rattling around in her subconscious, thoughts for when Rosa actually had the time to afford to drown in melancholy...and a little pulque. No at the moment she was concentrating on making sure that the turkey molé came out the way she wanted, after all there was only a slim amount of time between when the sauce was silky instead of greasy or burnt. That was what made the phone ringing all of the more annoying, "Can someone get that, I have my hands full!"
"Yes Auntie Rose," Alberto called out from the front, "Hello this is La Puesta de Sol Rosada how may I help you?"
After a few moments of listening Alberto all but dropped the receiver as the color left his face, taking a moment to pick up the phone, the man called out, "Mom- you really want to take this, it's a family matter."
Having finally finished with the sauce and finished plating the turkey molé, Rosa cleaned her hands off then came to the front. "Has Liliana finally decided to talk," Rosa huffed, "it figures that she would choose to call during the lunch rush. Hello this is Rosa Seguin!"
"Misses Seguin," the voice of a customer that she hadn't heard in years began, "I don't know if you remember me, but this is Greygus, I used to frequent your establishment back a few years ago when I had business in the Capital."
"I remember, you also seemed to be very friendly with my-" Rosa paused as the dots began to connect, "my daughter Angela. You monster, what did you do with her? I should have known you were the one who took her innocence, you were the one who took her away!"
"We saw each other if that was what you mean, but I just found out a few days ago what became of our relationship." The soldier of fortune explained over the phone with a sigh, "Unfortunately some enemies of mine found out about it before Angela could give me the good news."
"And they came to kill her," Rosa snarled, "all because of you!"
"No, they didn't kill her, but they did take her," Greygus continued, "I do have two points of good news, I am certain that Angela is still alive, these people are not the kind to...waste resources."
While Rosa did not like the tone or connotations of the man's message, the news that Angela was very likely still alive was cause for celebration. But that left a mystery he sounded like those who took her daughter still had her, "What is the other good news?"
"My daughter would likely want to meet her grandparents!"
That bit of news almost turned Rosa's legs into jelly, "How?"
"The group was holding her in a separate location not far from where I call home, likely some matter of sick joke. She didn't even know that the woman who was raising her was connected to the group that kidnapped her real mother." Greygus explained, "However kids would be kids and she strayed near enough to my home that when she ran into trouble my brother saved her and saw the resemblance."
"I have another grandchild," Rosa numbly parroted, "my Angela has a daughter!"
"Yes and thanks to her and some work that's being done by a contact of mine, we are narrowing down the place that your daughter and others are being held." Greygus explained giving her more hope than ever about seeing her Angela again, "But in the meantime, I can only tell Iris so much about her mother, but surely her grandparents would be able to better fill her in on her mother."
"And just where would Hernado and I need to go to meet her?" Rosa asked, "After all if they could take her mother it would be dangerous for her to travel."
"Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States," Greygus stated, "I'll see if I can pull some strings for a couple of tourist visas."
"There is no need," Rosa laughed, "we just need to renew our passports, we went to New Mexico two years ago on a third honeymoon. We went to Carlsbad to tour the caves; the brochure really didn't do the Queen's Room justice."
"Wonderful," Greygus replied about the situation, "just call me at 1-725-###-#### when you have your passports renewed, see to all of your travel needs."
"I will," Rosa smiled, "and thank you!" Rosa hung up the phone, dear I have the most wonderful news!"
Kitchen - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
"Now it is important that you gradually add the water to the dry ingredients as you whisk them in," Chef Bellacosé explained as he looked over my shoulder.
Carefully following the man's instructions, I slowly gradually whisked the increasingly lumpy mixture as I went and added the water.
"No, not so slowly," the pâtissier continued to explain as he supervised my work, "for this dish you actually want the gluten in the flour to activate, you want to make sure that it is chewy in the end."
"Thank you for your patience Chef Bellacosé," I complimented the man as I continued to work.
"Not at all," the man chuckled, "honestly it is refreshing to see one of our guests take an interest in the culinary arts beyond that of being a connoisseur or gourmand. And your technique clearly shows that you are no stranger to the kitchen."
"Honestly I am new to the high-life," I laughed back as I kept working, "and the person who raised me was averse to actually cooking (or any menial labor for that matter) so I taught myself."
"It is sad that so many have no true love for the culinary arts," Chef Bellacosé sighed, "Good you are done with the water, now you want to take the bowl and put it into the steamer basket, just remember to always wrap the lid in a towel for this you want the steamer to help remove the water as it works. Then steam for about fifteen minutes while stopping to stir at seven minutes, after that the dough should be ready to roll out and refrigerate."
"Yes sir," I replied as I set about following the chef's instructions as I continued the preparation work. Making sure to watch the clock as I did so, soon the dough was ready and after I starched a piece of parchment paper, I rolled the dough down thick since again this was supposed to be chewy and placed it in the refrigerator. "I never thought that Japanese deserts would be on the menu."
"Special order," Chef Bellacosé explained, "a Tokyo businessman is staying here and has a sweet-tooth."
"Are we going to make the filling too?" I inquired curious about the next step.
"No, we are actually going to use store bought for that part," the pâtissier sighed, "that part takes hours to turn out right and it doesn't make sense to do it for a small order. I will give you the recipe though if you want to take a crack at doing it yourself."
"Sure," I responded, before looking at the clock. "So, what comes next?"
"Cutting out the pastries like a cookie, brushing off the starch, putting in a little of the red bean paste and then pinching the whole thing shut before adding powdered sugar." The chef fired off the rest of the instructions, "You can come by later if you want to help out some more, it is nice to be able to teach an eager student."
"Thank you for the invitation," I said with a bow since shaking hands in the kitchen is a no-no, "I believe that I shall take you up on that offer. Now if you excuse me- I believe that my math tutor will be here in a little bit."
After cleaning up I made my way back from the public part of the resort to the secret part to find myself actually in a small classroom with about three other djinn around my own age. Ouei, Semut and Ufa with Ufa being even younger than I was at only twelve, at the head of the class was our teacher Khu-oer of the Order of Toth.
"It is nice for the newest lady of the House to join our humble class and so close to the start of lessons, " Khu-oer observed, "I know it is your first day but please keep in mind that your station is no excuse for failure at being punctual."
"She was just in the kitchen," Ufa commented, "the echoes of the fire spirits tell me that she was in there and they tell that her hands are reek of sweets. She was probably helping herself to the desert line."
"Actually, I was learning how to prepare daifuku from Chef Bellacosé," I defended myself against the accusations of the ifrit who seemed like he was trying to either get me in trouble or get on my nerves. "Cooking is a hobby of mine and I thought that since the resort has so many properly trained chefs why not partake of culinary education as well as traditional education."
"While I have no issues in students pursuing their hobbies please keep in mind class hours," Khu-oer stated, "now we are taking up where we left off with trinomial equations."
Just my luck...algebra.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
1:32 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With lunch taken care of as well as morning training I decided to once again try my claws at honing my powers with that slab of basalt. I looked at the rock it just seemed so much like the clay that I had enjoyed molding ever since elementary that it was as if it was mocking me, telling me that I would never be skilled enough to sculpt with the dexterity with my powers that I used to be able to do so with my formerly human hands, that I just needed to give up working flux and instead go pick up a hammer and chisel.
No, I refused to bow in to pressure like that, I would dig my hands in and mold this rock, I would sculpt again no matter how long it took me and given that I was part dragon now there was a good chance that would be a good long time for me to work at refining my abilities. But before I could run my flame-coated hands through molten rock to mold it into my ideal vision, I needed to practice doing something that all sculptors- no all artists did, signing my work.
Following Laoshi Wujing's suggestion I let the flames flow across my right-claw until the sharp tip of the index glowed not with the reddish orange glow of a fire but with the shinning iridescence akin to that of the filament in a lightbulb. In all it was hard to look at the glowing claw, but I focused on the digit and the feeling that was going through me as I let the white-hot light burn coating the razor's edge like some mystical nail polish.
Calmly I continued to focus on the exercise letting the rest of the world slip away as I did so, before Kelsey's voice stated, "If stare at it too hard you might start to go cross-eyed."
I turned my concentration broken and the exercise surely going to waste, "Kelsey I swear that I had almost done this I was just about to get to the point where I would hold a fire hot enough to sculpt with," I snorted in frustration, "I was even going to write your new suggestion for a codename of Furnace Dragon in Chinese characters to sign the pillar just like this-" I motioning with my gaze still focused on the mystic who liberated me just a few weeks ago. "But you had to interrupt me before I could!"
"It seems to me that you did just fine right now," Kelsey smiled as she pointed to the rock with her staff. Sure enough, there one the rockface as if etched in like a child's finger would do so with mud was the characters 爐龍. I had actually done it and I had done it without even noticing that I was doing so, I smiled in realization I was ready to start sculpting again.
Grinning even wider as I noticed how my finger still glowed with the same heat that I had used to sign the rock with my code name, I let that fire flow like liquid until my talons were coated with the white-hot fire as if they were like lotion. Then I pressed my talons into the rock and began to feel it give under my weight, I could do this, I could sculpt with my own two hands once more.
With glee I began to dig into the rock like it was clay- no more like it was playdoh. I could feel the magma in my hand trying to cool as if too spite, but I kept working I could see it I could see a work of art in my mind's-eye and by the blood of my ancestor's I was going to bring it to the light of day. I don't know when I began to do so, but I started laughing, this was just like that party this was what it felt to feel alive this is what it felt like to be the real me.
I was here I was in the zone, I continued to work and mold the flux that my heat had turned the rock into and I was going to keep at it until this was finished. I don't know how long I was working but eventually I knew that this work of art was finished, that was when not only that I not only extinguished the iridescent fire of my hands, but I also absorbed and extinguished the residual heat on the statue. The work of art now complete I stepped back, closed my eyes and allowed my breath to catch up with me, if I was still human or at least in human form I would have been dripping with perspiration from the effort, but at the very least I was shaking from the surge of adrenaline.
"Well I have to give it to you Zhen-yu," Kelsey commented, "it certainly is poetic! And I doubt that anyone could argue that it isn't art, so what are you going to call this work of your renewed talent?"
That was when I opened my eyes and saw the picture of my imagination drug kicking and screaming into reality at long last. The statue was an amalgamation, it had features of my old self and my new self, my old face with fangs born in a smile of triumphant joy with my antlers bracketing my old longer hair, scales accentuating my old figure, scutes drawing further attention to my chest, claws and tail bursting forth from my egg dripping with goo dripping off of her like water as she emerged. One scaly-claw rested on the side of the egg to prop her up akin to what one would do when they got out of the bathtub, yet the side was cracking to highlight such a folly however that did nothing to detract from the grasp of her other hand which was reaching as if to grab hold of something that was just beyond her reach with her tail innocently draped over the opposite side of the egg.
I took one look at this reality that I had created and knew what it made me feel. Yes, that settled it, only one title was worthy of what this piece of work symbolized to me, "Rebirth! This is titled Rebirth, and it symbolizes a new beginning for me, for Zhen-yu Chen- a new beginning for the Northern Maiden Lulong!"
"Nice to know that you like my change of name," Kelsey smiled at me warmly, "Duanzaolong was a bit of a mouthful."
"Yeah," I laughed as I wistfully looked at my work, "but it was all a part of a necessary phase for me at the time."
"Does that mean you've started to grow out of your brooding phase?" Kelsey wistfully inquired.
"It means that I took your and Laoshi Wujing's advice," I smirked, "but like any masterpiece I'm a work in progress."
- Insane Hiker
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Topic Author
Part 47
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
9:37 AM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
I parried another block from Laoshi Wujing, granted that this was far more difficult given that the match we were fighting was in my transformed human state. How ironic I was worried about losing my humanity while I was transforming, now I saw how much of a disadvantage I was at. The reality was that while being was better to move around in public without causing a panic it also meant that I was slower, weaker, softer, and lacked the advantage of a fifth-limb to help either parry with or try to trip the divine monk.
Fortunately, this was weapons training rather than hand to hand or in the case of my normal state hand to claw. The two of us were training with wushu gun, similar to quarter-staves, granted my weapon of choice was closer to that of a mace but I was looking into ways to modify it to give me more options in a fight. But while having a wider range of options in combat would be great all it meant was that I'd need to train how to use them first.
"Gaah," my train of thought was soon broken by a staff strike that had slipped past my guard and hit me on the outside of my right thigh. I tried to get back into the rhythm of the dance but soon my teacher got a solid hit in against my left ankle in the process.
"Dammit," I keeled over and cradled my ankle while losing the focus on my shape-shifting and transforming back to my normal self in the process. Somehow though the pain that I felt from that sparing match lingered even through my tough hide, and that realization made a smile cross my face. "So, I can still feel everything, I can still feel like I was as I am now."
That sentence soon descended from a moment of realization into a hollow fit of laughter at everything that was going on in the world, as if everything that I had been feeling since transforming just boiled over and as leaking out in that fit of irony that after everything that I had gone through over the course of half a year yet fundamentally I was still the same person I had been the day that rat bit me.
This realization had to end though like all moment do and that came when I felt a modest bop on the head right between my antlers, I looked up and saw that Laoshi Wujing was looking down at me with a knowing look on his bearded face.
"I take it that you have had a moment of epiphany Zhen-yu while this is good, we are still training at the moment," Sha Wujing continued as he rested his wushu gun on the ground like a walking stick. "Now I would suggest that you return to your human form now, that is what we are working to hone after all."
"I know Laoshi," I admitted as I stood back up with a bow as I tried to transform back into a human using chi magic, but for some reason I just couldn't focus right now. "I apologize Laoshi, but it seems like assuming human form is beyond me at the moment. Would it be possible to focus on something that would more benefit my normal self-right now?"
"I understand my student," Laoshi Wujing conceded while he went to collect our wushi gun to place them to the side, "while martial-arts are meant to help one push past their preconceived limits, they are also about helping one find one's-self and it looks like you are finally beginning to become comfortable in your own skin. That is good because like finding the courage to leave the safety of these caverns- this too is a step in your healing journey."
"Oh gee, another step," I fumed, "really how many steps is this going to take? I mean don't tell me this is like AA because there is no way in the nine-hundred and ninety-nine hells that I will ever forgive those bastards!"
"You don't have to forgive them, you just don't have to let them have power over you." Kelsey chimed in as she sipped a cup of tea in the corner.
"I am free of those bastards Kelsey!" I all but shouted at her, "They will never have any power over me ever again!"
"But they do Zhen-yu, they may no longer have direct control over you through your fear," Laoshi Wujing explained, "but they now have the ability to incite your fury and that can grant them power to blind you to their intent and herd you like a charging bull to the slaughter."
"You have to remember Zhen-yu the only power the Cult of Blood-stained Gold have over you is the power that you give them," Kelsey added into the conversation, "and as those warlocks are beneath you the only power that you should offer them is your caution, they are a scorpion pit steer clear and eventually they will eat themselves."
"Okay I may be safe but what about my friends and family?" I objected to the matter, "I mean the only thing keeping them safe is that none of them know where I am, and the Cult of Blood-stained Gold doesn't know how to get in touch with me to demand that I surrender myself for their safety."
"No what keeps your family safe is the fact that the Cult of Blood-stained Gold was only able to target you because no one had any idea that they were after you." Kelsey interrupted, "The moment that they clued everyone into their interest in you as well as the value that you hold your family became a subject of interest to a lot more groups then human-supremacists. Your friends and family are now under surveillance by agents from five different governments and seventeen multinational concerns not to mention operatives of the DeVille Academy, the Yama Dojo and The Syndicate to name a few; any intelligence that your friends and family hold on your whereabouts will be of interest to a lot more people than just a group of Black Market Brokers with a history in the occult."
While that was good to hear that my family was safe it made it more apparent than ever that going home wasn't going to be in the forecast for me anytime, looks like my earlier assumptions were right on the money. Yes, the best thing that I could do for the people who I cared about right now was to stay as far away as possible. I really want to get back to my art, it's so much easier to relax when I'm knuckle-deep in soft clay- or in the case of the new me that would probably be molten rock.
Iris's Suite - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
8:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
I will have to admit my new life was taking some getting used to, back when I was Paul Ledoux I was used to doing everything around the house that I needed to keep things running- it helped to let me keep things in perspective but here there were djinn and djinni whose actual job it was to keep the resort running. Granted that this place was my House's home but at the same time it was also a resort with guests, we just kept the places that weren't part of the true in places that normal people were unable to access.
It was just all so surreal how much my life had changed, I mean I even had a djinni inside of ring on my hand that was dedicated to serving me and I was the type of person who was used to serving other people, I wonder if there was a councilor here at the resort because I was really needing some help getting my bearings in life especially since I was now in the care of people who weren't human. I mean don't get me wrong the djinn who I had met were all friendly and from what I had seen their society was much the same as what people would be considered normal. Actually, in some cases djinn society at least that of the Kingdom of the Blazing Disc was rather progressive for an upper-class household.
It was odd that for the most part everyone in the household went about their business during the daytime, yet all came together in the evening baring special events. My dad had even told me that hosting my friends like that had for the last two days was something special since the daytime was the time reserved for productivity or activity, the evening was all about coming together to reinforce bonds an activity particularly symbolized by Dinner and the evening proclamations by the Head of the House such as her Grandmother Nephthys. There was also the fact that there was no one her actual age around- "Maybe I will take a look at that School Bea and Randi go to after all." I muttered under my breath as my hand knocked against my desk.
"Uh- I am so clueless," I face-palmed as I laughed in embarrassment, "I need to talk to someone for advice and I have a councilor on hand 24-7."
Carefully I rubbed the jewel on my ring and recited the password that I had set with Zesiro's instruction, "Miss Zesiro- can you help me?"
"I still don't understand why you decided to be so formal in your command to summon me Iris," Zesiro stated as the cloud that constituted her being billowed out of the ring to gradually materialize in front of me, "while you instructed me to address you by your given names you are still my mistress, there is no need to be so formal with one who has pledged themselves to serve you."
"You trust me with your very being Zesiro, the least I can do is show you the respect that you are due." I explained, "Besides I need some guidance, I mean I think that I'm going to take up an offer to go to that boarding school that the other maidens are at but what about in the meantime. I know that I'm going to receive tutoring to cover my schooling for the rest of the year but there is still the fact that half-djinn or not I'm the only human...the only teenager here and I can't leave because the Cult of the Black Pharaoh might still want me for whatever."
"You are saying that you need a way to fill your empty time or at least socialize beyond what you can manage to do in the hidden areas of the resort." Zesiro surmised hitting the proverbial nail right on the head.
"Exactly- I mean everyone has been so welcoming to me here but its- just too much compared to what I am used to." I deflated feeling a little release again, it was great to have someone to talk shop with.
"Well from what I know there are occasionally people your own age who take advantage of the amenities, but that won't be until the schools let out in May." Zesiro explained as she pondered my predicament, "Maybe this would be the time to learn about your mother's family."
"But my dad told me mom was from Mexico-" I objected to the thought, "any family that she has is down there! And I can't even leave the resort right now let alone the country."
"True but there is nothing to say that you can't reach out to ask them to visit," Zesiro spelled it out, "after all there shouldn't be too much trouble to find out about them and get your grandparents a tourist visa."
"Do you really think that they'd be willing to put up with the process to get a passport and apply for a tourist visa just to come to the United States all to meet someone who says that they're the granddaughter of their own daughter who disappeared a decade and a half ago?" I asked really hoping Zesiro could counter my own logic, because part of me really wanted to learn about the human half of my family especially since it was likely to be similar to what I grew up with when compared to the little that I knew about Djinn culture- something in which Zesiro was also supposed to help tutor me.
"What I believe is that any human parent who has a right to call themselves that would be beside themselves with joy to learn that the child who they hadn't heard from for a decade and a half was actually alive and well." Zesiro countered my logic as best that she could, "They would also be interested to meet their granddaughter and learn about the effort that is underway into rescuing their daughter."
"How are we going to do that again?" I asked clearly curious about the matter, "I mean the Cult of the Black Pharaoh are bound to have precautions in place to keep intruders from hurting them."
"Maybe against the djinn and maybe humans too, but there is no such thing as a perfect fortress." Zesiro began to explain, "there are other races besides those whose blood flows through your veins, and apparently you have met many of them."
My mind drifted to my dream last night and the conference on the Astral Plain that I had shared with my fellow maidens. That was when I went over what I knew about them and their non-human halves: Bea was half mermaid and I remembered that her people who weren't of royal blood like her had to stay in otherworldly refuges to avoid being transformed against their will into soulless monsters. Randi was half faerie which supposedly covered a lot of different races with a wide range of abilities, they were supposed to be fairly diverse and numerous although I knew from Miss Bliss that only a few were on anyone's side but their own and Randi was just connected to one such group. Finally, there was Zhen-yu who was part dragon, I knew little about dragons other than Zhen-yu was descended from one of the Chinese dragons who were supposed to be one of the more benevolent groups of them as opposed to their western cousins who according to stories view mankind as either threats, toys or pests.
"I really doubt that we'd have much to offer the dragons to get them to stick their noses into this, so I assume that means faeries will be taking part in the rescue effort." I gave my best guess.
"I would wager that your guess would be the best choice Iris," Zesiro responded, "The dragons of the Orient while benevolent also rarely involve themselves in the affairs of others beyond their own domain, the numbers that the merfolk could provide us with are either too weak on land or too few to be of any real effect. That leaves the fae who are rather adept at both magic and subterfuge, they would be ideal for such an offensive especially if they could send dwarves to the battle."
"Faerie commandos will be freeing my mom," I all but laughed at the thought, "I can't believe how absurd that sounds."
"The Southern Court might have some of the physically strongest beings in the Four Courts however the Western Court possesses the greatest versatility." Zesiro continued to explain, "sometimes being generalists is better than being specialists or masters. You really need to keep this in mind with your training, there may come times that you have to face an opponent who your main specialties won't work against- that is when having a more varied set of skills may come in handy."
"Zesiro- I thought that you were a servant," I replied with some trepidation, "how do you know all of this."
"Your grandfather establish when he married Lady Nephthys that all members of the House were to be versed in combat and tactics in case of emergency." Zesiro replied back promptly, "Despite the rule of the Black Pharaoh being imposed being imposed over our people through Ra the rules of the House of the Shimmering Oasis put into place by him still applied and I learned as was required. Also, your grandfather and father are both clear examples of putting this into practice, your grandfather is a seasoned warrior in both armed and unarmed combat as well as a practiced elemental wizard with both Earth and Wind elements. Your father is likewise skilled in unarmed combat as well as armed combat, archery and seasoned with the use of the Earth element."
"From what I have heard you like myself are a wind elemental and a seasoned pugilist and desire to learn about grappling, also if you take part in the operation to free your mother then you might also have the opportunity to learn fae military tactics in the process." Zesiro finished with her main point, "Just remember the more skills you learn and the more you work on the skills that you are already familiar with the better off your chances are when it finally comes time to confront your destiny."
"Actually, those aren't all my skills," I retorted catching Zesiro's interest in the process, "my captor wasn't much of a caretaker, anytime that I needed to do anything growing up I did it myself and usually for myself. I was the cook, custodian, handyman, plumber, accountant, everything that I could do to stretch the budget or take care of myself and her I have been doing ever since I was able to do so."
"Then you have your other answer on how to avoid boredom," Zesiro smiled as she shrank until we were eye-level with one another, "just ask to help out with the house staff as well. I am certain that you'll be able to learn all sorts of skills as well as other applications for your powers outside of combat."
"Such as?" I asked curious about where this was going.
"Let's just say that the vacuums that we use around the resort aren't working models," my tutor replied, "why need a motor when you can just focus a miniature cyclone spell inside a container and let it provide all the suction that you need.'
Olson Household
Campo, Colorado
10:05 AM MDT
Anton Olson looked over the equipment that his children brought back yesterday having been escorted home by members of Shuffles Sweepers, some of whom spoke in glowing terms of their actions and professionalism on their actions that night in the battle against the Merchants of Suffering's men. A few hours later he had gotten a call from Erzebet Scratch herself, she had spoken well of the children's aid and responsibility in contacting her men and helping thwart both the ambitions of the Merchants as well as their mercenaries the Masterson Brothers.
Part of him was still angry with Tobias for the risks that he had taken and the danger he dragged both him and his sister into by getting involved with the world that had taken him years to drag himself out of and cost him an arm in the process. However, Anton couldn't help but also be proud of his boy, he had shown the kind of imitative and ambition that had died in himself a long time ago.
Looking over his old equipment, something his son had modified he couldn't help but be proud; Tobias had taken his ramshackle work at turning the fragments of Ymir's Tear into something that was actually credible equipment. Taking a moment to set the blasters down, Anton then went to inspect his daughter's Permafrost equipment, "Honestly- what had Tobias done to adjust this thing, Ingrid's in college now and the last time that she wore this she was twelve."
"Still, doing all of that and getting brownie points with both Erzebet Scratch and Shuffle's Sweepers all in one mission," Anton shook his head in disbelief before going back to his old equipment, something that had cost him most of his right arm and the boy had actually figured out what he did wrong and fixed it while adjusting it for his use. It was hard to believe that the kid was just in high school, and he knew from the blood work that he did on his kids that neither of them were mutants- yet his son Tobias had actually fixed his Blizzard Wizard gear and gotten the stuff to work right.
"Maybe it's time to start looking into tech schools for him," Anton mulled over the matter and knew it was the right call. Tobias did show the talent for it and it was better than throwing his life in the toilet like he did, plus Ingrid was ready to move out once her second year at Trinidad Junior College and transfer to Adams to pursue her Theater Degree.
"Face facts Anton, the kids are growing up; I only hope that I was a better father to them than mine was to me." Anton observed as he stared at the plastic claw that served him in place of the hand that he lost to his own foolishness.
"And I hope that Tobias is willing to put all of this behind him." Anton observed as he began to pack all of the Blizzard Wizard and Permafrost gear up, "Being a super-villain is no way to live- all it brings is pain and regret."
Warning the Following Scene Contains Graphic Violence and Mature Content. Reader Discretion is Advised.
Warning: Spoiler!
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Basement Studio
Sublette, New Mexico
1:07 PM
"Well I suppose that it was fortuitous that you lost that coin toss Mister Small, granted I plan on seeking that canvas out again someday," Xavar explained as he finished sewing his victim's broken right arm to the man's left torso covering the strip of skin that he had removed hours earlier. "Still, we are almost finished after all, soon it will come time to apply the varnish to finish you for delivery to the client. Would you like to see your final result?"
"How can I," Larry Small slurred out a matter that was rather painful with his newly forked tongue, upper lip sewn to his left cheek and lower lip sewn to his right mandible. "You took my eyes away, and after I told you which I liked more."
"Once again I am sorry that you mistook the question Mister Small," Xavar shook his head as he began to set his tools aside to clean them off later. "I was just asking out of curiosity not inquiring which one I was not going to remove. Also, I didn't take them away the are now in your scrotum holding the place of your testicles that are now sewn behind your eyelids for safe keeping."
"Why would you do that?" Larry Small tried to sob not that it mattered as his tears only brought him pain. "What gave you any right!?!"
"Why the parents of that little girl that you raped and murdered," Xavar replied as cheery and carefree as always. "They gave me permission to do this when they requested my commission and they were rather explicit that they wanted me to remove your eyes and testicles as well as bind your arms to your body."
This revelation numbed Larry Small into silence, all that he had endured over the last several days, everything that he had suffered, all of this nightmare had been as a result of his sating his own appetites over a year ago. Nevertheless, he listened as best that he could through the holes shredded and stitched together web of his mutilated ears as his tormentor went about his ghoulish den of torture with all the glee of a child on Christmas Day. He heard what sounded like a number of buckets being set down to his side, likely the varnish that was to preserve the exterior of his body as a grotesque piece of art and the clang of a tank which would likely be embalming fluid to preserve his body. He was growing to accept the simple fact, there was nothing that he could do about the matter, Larry Small was about to die.
"Well," Xavar began as a matter of fact as he inserted the painfully long syringes that were going to drain him of blood while replacing it with chemicals to preserve the body, "it looks like our artistic endeavor is at an end. Still before I apply the final touches to any canvas, I always like to behold it with my own eyes and see the reaction as my art looks into the face of its sculptor."
"Good luck with that," Larry Small began to laugh in spite of the pain that it brought him from the long needles that were stuck in his side as well as the dire status of his own predicament. "You took my eyes and stuck them in my sack you freak, I'm blind so there's no way that you'll ever get that satisfaction."
"Oh I will," Xavar stated as he took a grip on his hair, "you see no matter what I do to anyone to blind them when I take off my mask they always see the real me!"
With a swift pull Xavar unveiled his horrendous face, the man or creature posing as a man had a head that looked like it had been crafted and mashed together by a three-year-old playing with playdoh. It was a mixture of inconsistent color and horribly misshapen to the point that no one could ever imagine that it was ever human. On the right side of the face was a mixture of eyes only one of them human with one being the eyestalk of a mollusk, and others being the segmented eyes of insects or the pearl-eyes of arachnids. On the right side of the creature's face was a proboscis as well as a mouth that was more at home on a hagfish akin to that of a jawless, barbed sucker, and on what could be assumed to be a chin the creature had a webbed ear as well as the antenna of a moth.
Sure enough, Xavar's promise to Larry Small rang true as the man saw the face of the abomination with the shock of the sight stopping his heart, yet despite the fact that he was now legally dead, the man's mind continued to look on in horror at the sight of his real tormentor. Satisfied at the end result Xavar turned on the embalming equipment as he began to sing, ♪I saw mommy kissing Yog-Sothoth!♫
Sublette, New Mexico
1:07 PM
"Well I suppose that it was fortuitous that you lost that coin toss Mister Small, granted I plan on seeking that canvas out again someday," Xavar explained as he finished sewing his victim's broken right arm to the man's left torso covering the strip of skin that he had removed hours earlier. "Still, we are almost finished after all, soon it will come time to apply the varnish to finish you for delivery to the client. Would you like to see your final result?"
"How can I," Larry Small slurred out a matter that was rather painful with his newly forked tongue, upper lip sewn to his left cheek and lower lip sewn to his right mandible. "You took my eyes away, and after I told you which I liked more."
"Once again I am sorry that you mistook the question Mister Small," Xavar shook his head as he began to set his tools aside to clean them off later. "I was just asking out of curiosity not inquiring which one I was not going to remove. Also, I didn't take them away the are now in your scrotum holding the place of your testicles that are now sewn behind your eyelids for safe keeping."
"Why would you do that?" Larry Small tried to sob not that it mattered as his tears only brought him pain. "What gave you any right!?!"
"Why the parents of that little girl that you raped and murdered," Xavar replied as cheery and carefree as always. "They gave me permission to do this when they requested my commission and they were rather explicit that they wanted me to remove your eyes and testicles as well as bind your arms to your body."
This revelation numbed Larry Small into silence, all that he had endured over the last several days, everything that he had suffered, all of this nightmare had been as a result of his sating his own appetites over a year ago. Nevertheless, he listened as best that he could through the holes shredded and stitched together web of his mutilated ears as his tormentor went about his ghoulish den of torture with all the glee of a child on Christmas Day. He heard what sounded like a number of buckets being set down to his side, likely the varnish that was to preserve the exterior of his body as a grotesque piece of art and the clang of a tank which would likely be embalming fluid to preserve his body. He was growing to accept the simple fact, there was nothing that he could do about the matter, Larry Small was about to die.
"Well," Xavar began as a matter of fact as he inserted the painfully long syringes that were going to drain him of blood while replacing it with chemicals to preserve the body, "it looks like our artistic endeavor is at an end. Still before I apply the final touches to any canvas, I always like to behold it with my own eyes and see the reaction as my art looks into the face of its sculptor."
"Good luck with that," Larry Small began to laugh in spite of the pain that it brought him from the long needles that were stuck in his side as well as the dire status of his own predicament. "You took my eyes and stuck them in my sack you freak, I'm blind so there's no way that you'll ever get that satisfaction."
"Oh I will," Xavar stated as he took a grip on his hair, "you see no matter what I do to anyone to blind them when I take off my mask they always see the real me!"
With a swift pull Xavar unveiled his horrendous face, the man or creature posing as a man had a head that looked like it had been crafted and mashed together by a three-year-old playing with playdoh. It was a mixture of inconsistent color and horribly misshapen to the point that no one could ever imagine that it was ever human. On the right side of the face was a mixture of eyes only one of them human with one being the eyestalk of a mollusk, and others being the segmented eyes of insects or the pearl-eyes of arachnids. On the right side of the creature's face was a proboscis as well as a mouth that was more at home on a hagfish akin to that of a jawless, barbed sucker, and on what could be assumed to be a chin the creature had a webbed ear as well as the antenna of a moth.
Sure enough, Xavar's promise to Larry Small rang true as the man saw the face of the abomination with the shock of the sight stopping his heart, yet despite the fact that he was now legally dead, the man's mind continued to look on in horror at the sight of his real tormentor. Satisfied at the end result Xavar turned on the embalming equipment as he began to sing, ♪I saw mommy kissing Yog-Sothoth!♫
La Puesta de Sol Rosada
Mexico City, Mexico
12:37 PM CDT
Rosa Fátima Seguin was going through the daily motions of running her family's restaurant, something that she'd been doing ever since her father passed it on to her when her brothers chose to leave the restaurant business. Not that she could complain too much Milagros married the daughter of an Agave farmer and he always gave them a good deal on the first batch of tequila to be brewed on their land, and her younger brother Savid became a police officer and he always sent plenty of business her way during and in-between peak hours, during the evening most of her booths were occupied by out of uniform officers either with their wives or girlfriends to enjoy a nice night away from home.
Not that she had too much of an issue running the restaurant itself, her husband Hernando picked up bartending from her father Xavier long before the man passed, and her son Alberto and his wife Elisenda helped out waiting tables in the restaurant itself, too bad her youngest Liliana never took well to the business and married a mechanic from Toluca. She also never visited even after the birth of her son Leo.
That absence hurt Rosa especially given the disappearance of her other daughter Angela almost a decade and a half-ago, and in a decade and a half she still hadn't learned a thing. What made it really hurt was that her daughter found out that she was with child a month before she disappeared, a revelation that caused a fight to erupt over the matter with her Hernado insisting that the man would either assume his responsibilities and take Angela to the alter or else he was going to be dodging the man's twelve-gauge- a threat that was not an idle one especially since Hernado usually kept the thing loaded with rock-salt instead of buck-shot.
Some including her younger brother Savid thought that her daughter ran away with her lover, however there were some things about the problem that didn't add up. For one if she did chances were that she would have written home in hopes of mending fences by now- even Liliana who never visited still wrote or called. There was also the state that Angela's room was in when she left, the place had been tossed and while some clothing was missing it was nowhere near enough for a pregnant girl to consider leaving home with. There was also the matter of keepsakes, there was no way in hell that Angela would have ever considered leaving home without the cross that her grandfather Xavier passed on to her for her Quinceanera not when she knew how hard that he worked to by the thing.
Still it had been nearly fifteen years, and while it hurt to do so eventually Hernando convinced her to put Angela's picture up on the ofrenda. Despite the fact that their eldest had no marker in the local cemetery, they still told everyone who cared to hear the stories of Angela to keep their daughter's memory alive. Not that it mattered to Rosa, not a day went by that she didn't think of her children- not a day went by that she didn't think of Angela or the grandchild
that she had never gotten to know.
Not that any of this was directly on her mind at the moment, but instead rattling around in her subconscious, thoughts for when Rosa actually had the time to afford to drown in melancholy...and a little pulque. No at the moment she was concentrating on making sure that the turkey molé came out the way she wanted, after all there was only a slim amount of time between when the sauce was silky instead of greasy or burnt. That was what made the phone ringing all of the more annoying, "Can someone get that, I have my hands full!"
"Yes Auntie Rose," Alberto called out from the front, "Hello this is La Puesta de Sol Rosada how may I help you?"
After a few moments of listening Alberto all but dropped the receiver as the color left his face, taking a moment to pick up the phone, the man called out, "Mom- you really want to take this, it's a family matter."
Having finally finished with the sauce and finished plating the turkey molé, Rosa cleaned her hands off then came to the front. "Has Liliana finally decided to talk," Rosa huffed, "it figures that she would choose to call during the lunch rush. Hello this is Rosa Seguin!"
"Misses Seguin," the voice of a customer that she hadn't heard in years began, "I don't know if you remember me, but this is Greygus, I used to frequent your establishment back a few years ago when I had business in the Capital."
"I remember, you also seemed to be very friendly with my-" Rosa paused as the dots began to connect, "my daughter Angela. You monster, what did you do with her? I should have known you were the one who took her innocence, you were the one who took her away!"
"We saw each other if that was what you mean, but I just found out a few days ago what became of our relationship." The soldier of fortune explained over the phone with a sigh, "Unfortunately some enemies of mine found out about it before Angela could give me the good news."
"And they came to kill her," Rosa snarled, "all because of you!"
"No, they didn't kill her, but they did take her," Greygus continued, "I do have two points of good news, I am certain that Angela is still alive, these people are not the kind to...waste resources."
While Rosa did not like the tone or connotations of the man's message, the news that Angela was very likely still alive was cause for celebration. But that left a mystery he sounded like those who took her daughter still had her, "What is the other good news?"
"My daughter would likely want to meet her grandparents!"
That bit of news almost turned Rosa's legs into jelly, "How?"
"The group was holding her in a separate location not far from where I call home, likely some matter of sick joke. She didn't even know that the woman who was raising her was connected to the group that kidnapped her real mother." Greygus explained, "However kids would be kids and she strayed near enough to my home that when she ran into trouble my brother saved her and saw the resemblance."
"I have another grandchild," Rosa numbly parroted, "my Angela has a daughter!"
"Yes and thanks to her and some work that's being done by a contact of mine, we are narrowing down the place that your daughter and others are being held." Greygus explained giving her more hope than ever about seeing her Angela again, "But in the meantime, I can only tell Iris so much about her mother, but surely her grandparents would be able to better fill her in on her mother."
"And just where would Hernado and I need to go to meet her?" Rosa asked, "After all if they could take her mother it would be dangerous for her to travel."
"Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States," Greygus stated, "I'll see if I can pull some strings for a couple of tourist visas."
"There is no need," Rosa laughed, "we just need to renew our passports, we went to New Mexico two years ago on a third honeymoon. We went to Carlsbad to tour the caves; the brochure really didn't do the Queen's Room justice."
"Wonderful," Greygus replied about the situation, "just call me at 1-725-###-#### when you have your passports renewed, see to all of your travel needs."
"I will," Rosa smiled, "and thank you!" Rosa hung up the phone, dear I have the most wonderful news!"
Kitchen - Scarlet Sands Resort
Las Vegas, Nevada
11:42 AM PDT
POV: Iris Seguin, Rose of the South
"Now it is important that you gradually add the water to the dry ingredients as you whisk them in," Chef Bellacosé explained as he looked over my shoulder.
Carefully following the man's instructions, I slowly gradually whisked the increasingly lumpy mixture as I went and added the water.
"No, not so slowly," the pâtissier continued to explain as he supervised my work, "for this dish you actually want the gluten in the flour to activate, you want to make sure that it is chewy in the end."
"Thank you for your patience Chef Bellacosé," I complimented the man as I continued to work.
"Not at all," the man chuckled, "honestly it is refreshing to see one of our guests take an interest in the culinary arts beyond that of being a connoisseur or gourmand. And your technique clearly shows that you are no stranger to the kitchen."
"Honestly I am new to the high-life," I laughed back as I kept working, "and the person who raised me was averse to actually cooking (or any menial labor for that matter) so I taught myself."
"It is sad that so many have no true love for the culinary arts," Chef Bellacosé sighed, "Good you are done with the water, now you want to take the bowl and put it into the steamer basket, just remember to always wrap the lid in a towel for this you want the steamer to help remove the water as it works. Then steam for about fifteen minutes while stopping to stir at seven minutes, after that the dough should be ready to roll out and refrigerate."
"Yes sir," I replied as I set about following the chef's instructions as I continued the preparation work. Making sure to watch the clock as I did so, soon the dough was ready and after I starched a piece of parchment paper, I rolled the dough down thick since again this was supposed to be chewy and placed it in the refrigerator. "I never thought that Japanese deserts would be on the menu."
"Special order," Chef Bellacosé explained, "a Tokyo businessman is staying here and has a sweet-tooth."
"Are we going to make the filling too?" I inquired curious about the next step.
"No, we are actually going to use store bought for that part," the pâtissier sighed, "that part takes hours to turn out right and it doesn't make sense to do it for a small order. I will give you the recipe though if you want to take a crack at doing it yourself."
"Sure," I responded, before looking at the clock. "So, what comes next?"
"Cutting out the pastries like a cookie, brushing off the starch, putting in a little of the red bean paste and then pinching the whole thing shut before adding powdered sugar." The chef fired off the rest of the instructions, "You can come by later if you want to help out some more, it is nice to be able to teach an eager student."
"Thank you for the invitation," I said with a bow since shaking hands in the kitchen is a no-no, "I believe that I shall take you up on that offer. Now if you excuse me- I believe that my math tutor will be here in a little bit."
After cleaning up I made my way back from the public part of the resort to the secret part to find myself actually in a small classroom with about three other djinn around my own age. Ouei, Semut and Ufa with Ufa being even younger than I was at only twelve, at the head of the class was our teacher Khu-oer of the Order of Toth.
"It is nice for the newest lady of the House to join our humble class and so close to the start of lessons, " Khu-oer observed, "I know it is your first day but please keep in mind that your station is no excuse for failure at being punctual."
"She was just in the kitchen," Ufa commented, "the echoes of the fire spirits tell me that she was in there and they tell that her hands are reek of sweets. She was probably helping herself to the desert line."
"Actually, I was learning how to prepare daifuku from Chef Bellacosé," I defended myself against the accusations of the ifrit who seemed like he was trying to either get me in trouble or get on my nerves. "Cooking is a hobby of mine and I thought that since the resort has so many properly trained chefs why not partake of culinary education as well as traditional education."
"While I have no issues in students pursuing their hobbies please keep in mind class hours," Khu-oer stated, "now we are taking up where we left off with trinomial equations."
Just my luck...algebra.
Hidden Cave - Hesperus Peak
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
1:32 PM MDT
POV: Zhen-yu Chen, Rose of the North
With lunch taken care of as well as morning training I decided to once again try my claws at honing my powers with that slab of basalt. I looked at the rock it just seemed so much like the clay that I had enjoyed molding ever since elementary that it was as if it was mocking me, telling me that I would never be skilled enough to sculpt with the dexterity with my powers that I used to be able to do so with my formerly human hands, that I just needed to give up working flux and instead go pick up a hammer and chisel.
No, I refused to bow in to pressure like that, I would dig my hands in and mold this rock, I would sculpt again no matter how long it took me and given that I was part dragon now there was a good chance that would be a good long time for me to work at refining my abilities. But before I could run my flame-coated hands through molten rock to mold it into my ideal vision, I needed to practice doing something that all sculptors- no all artists did, signing my work.
Following Laoshi Wujing's suggestion I let the flames flow across my right-claw until the sharp tip of the index glowed not with the reddish orange glow of a fire but with the shinning iridescence akin to that of the filament in a lightbulb. In all it was hard to look at the glowing claw, but I focused on the digit and the feeling that was going through me as I let the white-hot light burn coating the razor's edge like some mystical nail polish.
Calmly I continued to focus on the exercise letting the rest of the world slip away as I did so, before Kelsey's voice stated, "If stare at it too hard you might start to go cross-eyed."
I turned my concentration broken and the exercise surely going to waste, "Kelsey I swear that I had almost done this I was just about to get to the point where I would hold a fire hot enough to sculpt with," I snorted in frustration, "I was even going to write your new suggestion for a codename of Furnace Dragon in Chinese characters to sign the pillar just like this-" I motioning with my gaze still focused on the mystic who liberated me just a few weeks ago. "But you had to interrupt me before I could!"
"It seems to me that you did just fine right now," Kelsey smiled as she pointed to the rock with her staff. Sure enough, there one the rockface as if etched in like a child's finger would do so with mud was the characters 爐龍. I had actually done it and I had done it without even noticing that I was doing so, I smiled in realization I was ready to start sculpting again.
Grinning even wider as I noticed how my finger still glowed with the same heat that I had used to sign the rock with my code name, I let that fire flow like liquid until my talons were coated with the white-hot fire as if they were like lotion. Then I pressed my talons into the rock and began to feel it give under my weight, I could do this, I could sculpt with my own two hands once more.
With glee I began to dig into the rock like it was clay- no more like it was playdoh. I could feel the magma in my hand trying to cool as if too spite, but I kept working I could see it I could see a work of art in my mind's-eye and by the blood of my ancestor's I was going to bring it to the light of day. I don't know when I began to do so, but I started laughing, this was just like that party this was what it felt to feel alive this is what it felt like to be the real me.
I was here I was in the zone, I continued to work and mold the flux that my heat had turned the rock into and I was going to keep at it until this was finished. I don't know how long I was working but eventually I knew that this work of art was finished, that was when not only that I not only extinguished the iridescent fire of my hands, but I also absorbed and extinguished the residual heat on the statue. The work of art now complete I stepped back, closed my eyes and allowed my breath to catch up with me, if I was still human or at least in human form I would have been dripping with perspiration from the effort, but at the very least I was shaking from the surge of adrenaline.
"Well I have to give it to you Zhen-yu," Kelsey commented, "it certainly is poetic! And I doubt that anyone could argue that it isn't art, so what are you going to call this work of your renewed talent?"
That was when I opened my eyes and saw the picture of my imagination drug kicking and screaming into reality at long last. The statue was an amalgamation, it had features of my old self and my new self, my old face with fangs born in a smile of triumphant joy with my antlers bracketing my old longer hair, scales accentuating my old figure, scutes drawing further attention to my chest, claws and tail bursting forth from my egg dripping with goo dripping off of her like water as she emerged. One scaly-claw rested on the side of the egg to prop her up akin to what one would do when they got out of the bathtub, yet the side was cracking to highlight such a folly however that did nothing to detract from the grasp of her other hand which was reaching as if to grab hold of something that was just beyond her reach with her tail innocently draped over the opposite side of the egg.
I took one look at this reality that I had created and knew what it made me feel. Yes, that settled it, only one title was worthy of what this piece of work symbolized to me, "Rebirth! This is titled Rebirth, and it symbolizes a new beginning for me, for Zhen-yu Chen- a new beginning for the Northern Maiden Lulong!"
"Nice to know that you like my change of name," Kelsey smiled at me warmly, "Duanzaolong was a bit of a mouthful."
"Yeah," I laughed as I wistfully looked at my work, "but it was all a part of a necessary phase for me at the time."
"Does that mean you've started to grow out of your brooding phase?" Kelsey wistfully inquired.
"It means that I took your and Laoshi Wujing's advice," I smirked, "but like any masterpiece I'm a work in progress."
5 years 4 months ago #62
by Insane Hiker
Posts:
189
Gender:
Unknown
Birthdate:
Unknown
Children of the Night's Hideout
Boston, Massachusetts
6:17 PM EDT
Lady Darke breathed a sigh of relief when the synthezoid S.T.I.T.C.H.E.S. proclaimed, "The patient is currently stable, and my scans show that the nerve-endings are successfully reconnected to his reattached extremities."
"So, he is going to be fine?" the psychic inquired wanting the artificial being to leave as it's almost human mind's presence made her nauseous."
"If he does not attempt to use his arms right away, he should show signs of returning to normal in three weeks, however he will still need to undergo some physical therapy." The synthezoid continued showing that this was a being who did not believe in bedside manner. "I will connect to your printer with the instructions for Charles Darrow's physical therapy regimen, see that he follows it."
"I will try," Sandra recoiled in disgust of the artificial being, "Arch-Fiend you have a look over those, I need to freshen up."
"Like I can argue," Wilbur huffed, "until The Necromancer resummons my other half I'm sidelined, since Vamp stabbed us in the back, Nightgaunt's in jail, and Jabberwock and Arcane-Knight are who-knows-where the Children of the Night are down to you and Lycanthros in the meantime."
"Yeah, I'll try not to let it go to my head," Lady Darke made her way from the meeting area and into the restroom of their hideout. Taking a moment to set aside her professional persona, Sandra clenched her arms in fear of everything that happened last night with the events of Roxbury C and then Saturday Night which the News Agencies were starting to call the Boston Blitz the Children of the Night were now likely going to be the focus of national law enforcement and National Level Capes at a time when they were at their most vulnerable.
This new threat combined with the fact that their leader's actions had guided him into conflict with a very alive and even stronger Obsidian Circle meant that if they didn't tread carefully then the Children of the Night's days were numbered. She began to count on the possible ways that they could survive until the four of them were back to fighting form, Compulsion and Obsession still owed Darrow for helping the later break the former out of Roxbury C and a siren and a Mind-Controller could be useful but that was Darrow's call.
There was their little guest Hekate, while she couldn't leave the safety of Darrow's heavily warded study due to getting the freaking Curse of Three thrown at her by that elf Fey of all people, she still had connections to her master. While Sandra didn't know too much about the man maybe he could be convinced to cough up a couple of mercenaries to help the Children of the Night out while her host recuperated. This sucked, while Lycanthros was technically second in command he was no thinker, that meant that until the Necromancer came off his pain medication, she was the de-facto leader holding the team together.
That was when she noticed someone in the mirror behind her. Turning and not seeing anyone there, Sandra washed her face off then looked back up to see that instead of her reflection Mister Domino was staring back at her from the mirror. What the hell, was she seeing something?
"Oh I assure you Miss Darden you are not hallucinating, I am very real." Mister Domino replied in a voice that echoed throughout her head.
'But I thought that you disconnected from me after you curb-stomped us?' Sandra asked the image although the words failed to come out of her mouth.
"Oh I did; however I left a souvenir of our date behind when I did," Mister Domino cruelly explained, "I left behind a piece of myself intertwined with your gray matter, I can use it to do so many things too. I can read your mind like a book, see and hear everything as you do, and learn everything as you learn it- how does it feel to be my spy.
'I won't- I'll do something to get rid of you!' Sandra cried out in defiance.
"That is where you are wrong, you see this encounter won't go into your long-term memory and you will forget me being here soon enough." The masked warlock laughed at the women's distress, And even if you did I could kill you with a thought, and given that a part of me is physically connected to your brain I have so many ways to do so."
'Then if I am not going to remember this then what is the point of all this?' Sandra grit her teeth in defiance.
"Because I enjoy telling my victims what they are in for," Mister Domino laughed at the super-villainess's futile resistance to his control of her body, "the despair and desperation that it makes you feel is exquisite. Now I will be seeing you in your nightmares, not that you'll remember those either."
Against her will Mister Domino made Sandra turn on the faucet and stick her head under it. Almost immediately this sensation as well as bumping her head on the way back up startled Sandra and broke her concentration.
Yes, she hoped that she could get Hekate's Master to send some mercenaries their way, after all as things stood, they would have trouble keeping his servant safe.
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
5:41 PM CDT
The Rust-Tic was preparing to open for the evening when they heard screaming outside, not long after Mister Brea himself and several of his enforcers stormed through the front door, "Sikes get down here this minute!" Mister Brea shouted while his enforcers motioned for everyone to move against the wall. "Your crew failed me and it's time to pay what you owe me- pound for pound."
"I don't think so Tarpit," Leroy Sikes called Mister Brea by his old codename as he descended the stairs with a drink in hand, "you see while we were doing that job for you, I was scoping out your new competition in town and they were very interested in your lakeside business. They even made me an offer to help develop and expand The Rust-Tic, help me go even more legit."
"A lot of good that will do you when you are dead." Mister Brea shouted in fury as be began to smoke and glow, "boys' ice everybody, I'm burning this place down to the foundation!"
To his surprise slender hands emerged from the concrete below their feet, grabbing his guards and causing them to fall over. Once the men were on their backs even more hands emerged from below the slab, first pulling their weapons into the concrete and then the men themselves until there was no sign that they had ever been there.
That was when a woman in an expensive Italian pantsuit and a feathered domino mask literally appeared out of thin air, pointed at him with her splayed right palm and proclaimed, "Sanguini calore!"
To Mister Brea's shock he began to cool down at a rapid pace, as his body both stopped smoking and glowing as well as it became hard for him to move. "Mister Brea let me introduce myself, I am known as Harrow and I represent the interests of Erzebet Scratch in Chicago as well as the state of Illinois as a whole."
Suddenly it wasn't just her spell that was chilling Mister Brea down to the asphalt this was what Grae-clops warned him about, this was the reason that he needed to break and harness DeFrank's power.
"While we usually turn a blind eye to mundane criminal ventures such as yourself, in going over the books of the prior regime of the Chicago Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom we found that you brokered a lot of business through them with a group that is on our radar, a group that you continue to do business with." Harrow continued to explain in a nonchalant manner as if this meant as little to her as picking up her dry-cleaning, "To that end you will have to come with us, we have some...things that you need to clarify for us, while we go over your holdings. We do need to see what assets we could repurpose and what we need to liquidate after all."
Mister Brea could barely feel the pairs of slim arms of the Reverents begin to pull him under, on to be interrogated at the whims of Erzebet Scratch.
Once Mister Brea was out of sight, Harrow motioned with a wave of her hand and with a simple statement of "Splendente!" the entire club was spotless and ready to open for the evening. "Sorry about not taking care of him sooner Mister Sikes," Harrow stated, "you have our apologies for the commotion to your establishment."
"Not at all thank you for helping me with those...loose ends," Leroy Sikes responded with a smile and a sip of his cognac, "now how about we resume negotiating our details for expansion in my office. Believe me it doesn't look like it, but I can assure you that it is sound proofed."
"Yes, if you would be so kind," Harrow answered with a smile.
Parlor - Chalet Noir
Isla del Monstroso
4:11 PM AKDT
Within his the parlor of his chalet the man known to the world as Professor Id waited with quiet anticipation, surrounding him was his Dark Guard and servants (both who were mainly dopplegoons or loyal minions), as well as the now fifteen-year-old Maria Lucinda Diego awaiting the arrival of his wife and son from the Temporal Compression complex that they had been in for what was just shy of two months to the outside world but for them was almost fifteen years.
Not that the boy had been without the guidance of his father, Professor Id made sure to equip the room with a decantation chamber for his own doubles- all of which shared his mind and personality. Professor Id took a moment to drift in those memories and experiences that were now available to him, something akin to what he received from his copies who he had constantly reading up on research and papers that were being constantly being submitted by experts and novices alike in dozens of fields.
"Well you must be happy," Maria remarked as she continued to stand at attention, "You create an in-roads with one of the groups from the Waldorf=Astoria incident, and now your son is taking his first steps into the world outside of his bubble."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous Maria," Professor Id chuckled as he looked at her with a wicked grin, "that is far from the only thing that I have been up to over the last week. I am always one to multitask, one doesn't operate an organization at this level without having a great many irons in the fire."
"Big surprise," Maria huffed, "you have acts of larceny and depravity going on while I'm asleep, why am I not surprised."
"Because Miss Diego, I have seen to supplementing your previously inadequate education during your acceleration through adolescence." Id remarked as he reminded Maria of the childhood that he took from her, first with his weapons and then with forced education and training in a temporal compression room. "You may not be a genius, but you are no fool."
It was painful knowing that the only moment that she had to look forward to during that time was Professor Id letting her out once every year of time in there to celebrate her birthday with her father, who had the horror of watching his girl grow from a seven-year-old girl to a fourteen-year-old teen in the span of a month. At least there was the chance that they'd be able to hold a true Quinceañera on her actual birthday given that she was now chronologically synchronized back with the outside world again, just seven years older than she had been and robbed of the childhood that she would have by the man within striking distance of her- or the other way around.
"Anyway, this is a happy time, soon you will be relieved of your duty of directly serving myself as well as the need to come back to this island that you so loath," Professor Id remarked in vague terms.
"I doubt that you are granting my father or myself our freedom from our indentured servitude so soon," Maria observed, "so I assume that my eventual departure of this den on nightmares is only a side benefit to something darker."
"You might say that it is something darker from your perspective," Professor Id glibly turned aside her insult, "My paramour will soon exit the temporal acceleration chamber with our son, who you will serve as his companion, servant and bodyguard."
Soon the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D" began over the PA and the Major Domo of the Vila, a clone of a man who served faithfully in spite of how many times Id temped him from 1924 until his death in 1969, announced, "Presenting Chief Consort of Isla del Monstroso Anwen O'Neil and heir-apparent Roderick Black!"
Soon the terrifying woman who Maria remembered from the day years back that Id used her to stop her father's assassination attempt on Id (although now she knew that was only a couple of months ago) had been dining with her with Id. That woman Anwen entered with a boy who had Professor Id's dark-brown hair, features akin to Anwen as well as orange-eyes.
"Hello to a much larger world son," Professor Id proclaimed with a smile.
"Hello father so nice to see the real you," Roderick replied with a wicked smile, "Dark Guard override Chi-Rho-Omega-Gamma I fought the crown and the crown lost. Target Professor Id and prepare to execute."
At that order all of the Dark Guard turned, trained their weapons on Professor Id, however instead of holding on the order to fire all of them trembled and dissolved into protoplasm. Professor Id rather than be furious that his son just tried to have him murdered by his own men stood up and applauded with a smile.
"Well done for your first assassination attempt on your old man," Professor Id congratulated the boy, "it ran a little weak at the end but well done figuring out how to override my commands on the dopplegoons."
"And yet you are not going to attempt to do the same to me?" Roderick observed slightly taken aback by the developments, "that is most peculiar?!?"
"No, you are acting every bit like the young man we raised you to be," Professor Id stood up walked over and patted his son on the back, "why would I be mad when we raised you to try to kill me and take over my criminal empire."
"You are saying that you would like me to kill you?!?" Roderick observed, "I did not take you as the suicidal type."
"No, just the type that is rather bored with maintaining the global black market," Professor Id sighed in weariness of his own success. "Besides if you did actually kill me the doomsday devices that I have secreted throughout the world would randomly trigger and destroy the Earth a dozen times over."
"Then what is the point, other than wanting me to destroy the world," Roderick mulled it over for a moment, "wait what you want me to do is place in in a scenario where you have no way out but to surrender, because if I do..."
"Then I will know you would have become cunning and crafty enough to take over my operations for me," Id continued still beaming with pride, "after that I will retire to my labs and even continue to put out inventions for you to market. Now though while you have more than enough education than any your age could ever hope to accrue, what you need is real world experience. To that end I will be sending you to school this coming fall with Maria as your bodyguard."
"Father I doubt that they could teach me anything that I do not already know." Roderick all but scoffed at the suggestion.
"I know however this will also give you the opportunity to establish a reputation, showcase your abilities as well as network with future clients," Professor Id continued to explain, "it will also give you the opportunity to recruit some fresh talent for when you do take over. To that end we will be attending Parents and Perspective's Day on May the 27th at the Whateley Academy, I wonder what Elizabeth Carson will take of the two students that I will be introducing to her?"
Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Tiewan Triad Base
Eastern District, Hong Kong
10:23 AM HKT
Lady Zhi 'Yilong' Chen shook with rage the foreign-born upstart was not only alive and free, but she was actually reveling in the status that she felt rightfully belonged to herself. Here she was fighting alongside some of the greatest heroes in the lore of China in some dot on the map in that cesspool of Western Arrogance that actually laid claim to the name of two continents as its own. Ordinarily such news would make her need to afford herself some time to delve into her more private practices, of incinerating or burning those who displeased the head of her triad, but today they had to receive a guest, the sorcerer Qingtong-heshang (Green-bronze Monk).
From what little she knew the man was a centuries-old Daoist sorcerer who had managed to survive the falls of dynasties and even the rise of the Maoists, yet always was able to re-enter the favor of the new government. The fact that he had chosen to do so while being able to survive the enmity of the new regimes spoke volumes to the man's cunning. She exited the antechamber and stepped inside the meeting hall to take her place alongside Zhen Jia the head of the Tong with her fellow bodyguards. At least it beat the last such guest that they needed to receive she still held a grudge against Professor Id for revealing the fact that her foreign-born relative received the blessing of Zunyan Qianbei before her and thus the title of Northern Maiden, a title that Zhi knew was rightfully hers.
Before she could collect herself Qingtong-heshang, entered the meeting room flanked by men in suits whose demeanor screamed Ministry of State Security, while not of the Party this man was deeply tied to Beijing and was not afraid to flaunt his power.
"I welcome you into our organization's humble office Great Qingtong-heshang, might I offer you and your men some humble refreshments to accompany our talks," her master Zhen Jia stood and bowed as he struck the small gong to his side letting the servants know that it was time to begin the tea service which for their organization was a hybridization of Yum Cha (Chinese Tea Brunch) as well as British High Tea. Soon the Yixing clay tea pots were brought out with some chestnut dumplings to serve as appetizers, this was the time for the pouring of tea between host and guest as well as the show of trust.
Master Zhen Jia poured a cup of oolong tea for Qingtong-heshang while the man in the turquoise robes did the same with the pot of green tea for his host. Both waited in silent composure for their tea to cool before drinking, that neither was affected by any substance in their drink conveyed the sign of hospitality and spoke that negotiations were to move forward.
"Let me be honest with you Zhen Jia," Qingtong-heshang spoke up, "while you have done wonders with consolidating and streamlining the Underworld here in Hong Kong, what I am here regarding concerns a certain individual in your employ who is empowered."
"Ah so you are here to take custody of my bodyguard on behalf of The Party," Zhen Jia observed, "While you are welcome to do so I am afraid that you will find the loyalty scrolls that your ambassadors use to enslave foreign-born empowered individuals of Chinese descents to be most- ineffective against her, but if you would feel comfortable inviting a trained assassin into your midst whose loyalty you cannot guarantee then you are welcome to do so."
"I am afraid that you mistake my intentions Zhen Jia, I was not asking on behalf of Beijing, and your bodyguard is far too precious to waste by adding to an already growing powder keg." Qingtong-heshang shook his head with none of his bodyguards so much as blinking in response to his words. "You see I am here on behalf of another organization, one who is fully aware of the possibilities that a potential replacement for the Northern Maiden would bring."
As if on cue two of Qingtong-heshang's bodyguards near the door opened it with an individual of western descent wearing a baroque-styled three-piece suit and a carnival-style domino mask stepped inside. He took one look at me and smiled, "It was as you described Qingtong-heshang, she is indeed of the lineage of those who are fated to produce the Northern Maiden, and from what I have observed her powers are close to those desired for the prophecy as well."
"I am sorry foreigner, but you appear to be lost," Zhen Jia raised his hand in a signal for us to be ready for a fight, "but this is a private meeting and you are not invited."
"I am sorry, but I came as Qingtong-heshang's entourage and therefore I am," the man explained with an even tone and a patient glare, something told me that this man was both familiar with the criminal underworld as well as dangerous. "But it is rude to enter the room without both a gift and introducing myself, for the former I bring a Lambrusco from my own reserve to enjoy at your leisure, as for the later I am Conte Enigma of the Obsidian Circle and my offer is to have her join as an operative. Naturally as for yourself Zhen Jia you will be rewarded with access to our own underworld network and connections, as well as some operatives to take her place in the interim."
"I have heard whispers of the Obsidian Circle here and there, I also heard that you disposed of Hanshou-reifujin," Zhen Jia stated clearly trying to regain footing in this negotiation veiled as a grandiose offer, "this means that you are likely looking to reestablish your presence in the Orient."
"Unfortunately, Hanshou-reifujin was a traitor from the beginning," Conte Enigma sighed while maintaining his composure. "And while it is true that her connections to the Underworld of the Far East will be missed, she was more importantly a source that we could use to leak misinformation to our enemies. As she outlived her usefulness in the later, we were willing to bear the loss of the former, your organization however lacks such a leak and would bring to us the possibility of a replacement for the Northern Maiden, should the current one prove to be a problem."
"And I take it that such a replacement would be an asset to have," Master Zhen Jia observed, "and likely my access to the resources of your own organization would be to ensure the loyalty of my bodyguard."
"Her loyalty would indeed be an asset to the Obsidian Circle, as the connection that the current Northern Maiden to the Wayfarer could be an issue especially when she is to be soon trained by the Handmaiden of the Tao." Conte Enigma continued although he began to flinch at those titles as did Master Jia.
"I see your point, but there is still the matter of Qingtong-heshang," Master Jia's gaze locked on his true guest of this morning repast, "what is your stake in such an alliance?"
"As I explained the current party method of recruitment has led them to complacently gathering a powder keg," Qingtong-heshang sighed, "Gathering an army whose loyalty is enforced by a specific set of Taoist spells is a recipe for calamity. All it would take is one of those recruitment scrolls to fall into the hands of an individual or group with access to the knowledge of Taoist Sorcery and they could at best unravel the enchantments over those enchanted mutants and enhanced individuals, or at worst support the control of an army of super-powered soldiers who are located throughout China. Knowing history as I do this is not a matter of if but when. As for what I chance to gain for brokering this alliance it is a seat on the Obsidian Circle itself, which I hope this will afford me."
"It will be a good first impression for me nominating you to my fellow Council-members, but you still have a ways to go for me to stick my neck out of you just yet." Conte Enigma continued, "However the matter at hand is negotiating an alliance with the Tiewan Triad, so what say you Master Jia?"
"It will take time to properly negotiate such an alliance," Master Zhen Jia explained, "Fortunately this repast has just begun, now please take a seat while I pour you some tea- Black I assume?
"Indeed," Conte Enigma replied as he gracefully sat down to the left of Qingtong-heshang while handing the bottle of red wine to one of the servants to take to the cellar, "fortunately time I a luxury that I can afford."
Entrance to the City of Dis
Fifth Circle of Hell
?
Phlegyas looked on with a mixture of shock and horror as the gates to the City of Dis that encompassed the lower third of Hell's nine circles flung open facing outwards completely opposite of the hinges which were showing cracks from the force that had been exerted against them. It was a rare occasion that anyone was actually able to make it out of Dis as the city was meant to take in those guilty of the more nebulous of the sins those being the various degrees of Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. The City of Dis was indeed responsible for containing those who were irredeemable, with a massive dome covering it to ensure that none were ever able to see and take pity on them.
Yet someone was leaving Dis and Phlegyas looked on in fear to see that it was someone who had made such a journey before, this was a man whose soul had been born rotten, whose conception itself was the result of a man whose existence was an insult born as a result of a spiteful witch's curse committing one form of every sin upon a woman of the cloth.
This abomination was wrong from the moment that he was born into the world of man and whose actions towards mankind only grew in cruelty until he met his end dancing on a noose. However, that act was hardly the end of the man's curse upon the world; that action itself lead to the creation of another abomination that still walked the Earth when his corruption damned the soul of his executioner, moreover the man himself had escaped Hell before rising to torment the living before a group of heroes sent him back.
Behind the damned soul was a twisted raft that was fashioned from branches hewn from the Forest of Suicides and bound with ropes of hair and skin from cut and flayed from the bodies of Heretics. The man glared at Phlegyas who continued to watch in fear as he dodged a swipe from the axe that the damned soul had stolen from the minotaur but not before it took his right leg halfway below the shin.
As Phlegyas laid bleeding and writhing in pain upon the ground he watched his assailant moved his raft towards the waters of the Stygian Marsh, only for the furies who stood watch upon the walls of Dis to swoop from the skies to take revenge against the man's prior escape. The man met their attack with the freshly severed head of Medusa which lead to the trio turning to stone and plummeting into the Marsh bellow. Returning the head of the gorgon to a pouch made of horse leather (likely taken from one of the centaurs), the man pushed his raft into the churning waters below.
Phlegyas could only watch as the once man, boarded his gruesome raft and using the blade of the Minotaur's axe as an oar paddled across the Stygian Marsh a journey of a month with the blade cutting the souls of the Wrathful as it moved the raft across the waters towards the entrance to the Fifth Circle and the exit of the Fourth. That wretched vile soul was once again making his way across the lands of Hell to the world of the Living once again and may God have mercy on those who stood in his way once he did.
- Insane Hiker
-
Topic Author
Epilogue
Children of the Night's Hideout
Boston, Massachusetts
6:17 PM EDT
Lady Darke breathed a sigh of relief when the synthezoid S.T.I.T.C.H.E.S. proclaimed, "The patient is currently stable, and my scans show that the nerve-endings are successfully reconnected to his reattached extremities."
"So, he is going to be fine?" the psychic inquired wanting the artificial being to leave as it's almost human mind's presence made her nauseous."
"If he does not attempt to use his arms right away, he should show signs of returning to normal in three weeks, however he will still need to undergo some physical therapy." The synthezoid continued showing that this was a being who did not believe in bedside manner. "I will connect to your printer with the instructions for Charles Darrow's physical therapy regimen, see that he follows it."
"I will try," Sandra recoiled in disgust of the artificial being, "Arch-Fiend you have a look over those, I need to freshen up."
"Like I can argue," Wilbur huffed, "until The Necromancer resummons my other half I'm sidelined, since Vamp stabbed us in the back, Nightgaunt's in jail, and Jabberwock and Arcane-Knight are who-knows-where the Children of the Night are down to you and Lycanthros in the meantime."
"Yeah, I'll try not to let it go to my head," Lady Darke made her way from the meeting area and into the restroom of their hideout. Taking a moment to set aside her professional persona, Sandra clenched her arms in fear of everything that happened last night with the events of Roxbury C and then Saturday Night which the News Agencies were starting to call the Boston Blitz the Children of the Night were now likely going to be the focus of national law enforcement and National Level Capes at a time when they were at their most vulnerable.
This new threat combined with the fact that their leader's actions had guided him into conflict with a very alive and even stronger Obsidian Circle meant that if they didn't tread carefully then the Children of the Night's days were numbered. She began to count on the possible ways that they could survive until the four of them were back to fighting form, Compulsion and Obsession still owed Darrow for helping the later break the former out of Roxbury C and a siren and a Mind-Controller could be useful but that was Darrow's call.
There was their little guest Hekate, while she couldn't leave the safety of Darrow's heavily warded study due to getting the freaking Curse of Three thrown at her by that elf Fey of all people, she still had connections to her master. While Sandra didn't know too much about the man maybe he could be convinced to cough up a couple of mercenaries to help the Children of the Night out while her host recuperated. This sucked, while Lycanthros was technically second in command he was no thinker, that meant that until the Necromancer came off his pain medication, she was the de-facto leader holding the team together.
That was when she noticed someone in the mirror behind her. Turning and not seeing anyone there, Sandra washed her face off then looked back up to see that instead of her reflection Mister Domino was staring back at her from the mirror. What the hell, was she seeing something?
"Oh I assure you Miss Darden you are not hallucinating, I am very real." Mister Domino replied in a voice that echoed throughout her head.
'But I thought that you disconnected from me after you curb-stomped us?' Sandra asked the image although the words failed to come out of her mouth.
"Oh I did; however I left a souvenir of our date behind when I did," Mister Domino cruelly explained, "I left behind a piece of myself intertwined with your gray matter, I can use it to do so many things too. I can read your mind like a book, see and hear everything as you do, and learn everything as you learn it- how does it feel to be my spy.
'I won't- I'll do something to get rid of you!' Sandra cried out in defiance.
"That is where you are wrong, you see this encounter won't go into your long-term memory and you will forget me being here soon enough." The masked warlock laughed at the women's distress, And even if you did I could kill you with a thought, and given that a part of me is physically connected to your brain I have so many ways to do so."
'Then if I am not going to remember this then what is the point of all this?' Sandra grit her teeth in defiance.
"Because I enjoy telling my victims what they are in for," Mister Domino laughed at the super-villainess's futile resistance to his control of her body, "the despair and desperation that it makes you feel is exquisite. Now I will be seeing you in your nightmares, not that you'll remember those either."
Against her will Mister Domino made Sandra turn on the faucet and stick her head under it. Almost immediately this sensation as well as bumping her head on the way back up startled Sandra and broke her concentration.
Yes, she hoped that she could get Hekate's Master to send some mercenaries their way, after all as things stood, they would have trouble keeping his servant safe.
The Rust-tic
Chicago, Illinois
5:41 PM CDT
The Rust-Tic was preparing to open for the evening when they heard screaming outside, not long after Mister Brea himself and several of his enforcers stormed through the front door, "Sikes get down here this minute!" Mister Brea shouted while his enforcers motioned for everyone to move against the wall. "Your crew failed me and it's time to pay what you owe me- pound for pound."
"I don't think so Tarpit," Leroy Sikes called Mister Brea by his old codename as he descended the stairs with a drink in hand, "you see while we were doing that job for you, I was scoping out your new competition in town and they were very interested in your lakeside business. They even made me an offer to help develop and expand The Rust-Tic, help me go even more legit."
"A lot of good that will do you when you are dead." Mister Brea shouted in fury as be began to smoke and glow, "boys' ice everybody, I'm burning this place down to the foundation!"
To his surprise slender hands emerged from the concrete below their feet, grabbing his guards and causing them to fall over. Once the men were on their backs even more hands emerged from below the slab, first pulling their weapons into the concrete and then the men themselves until there was no sign that they had ever been there.
That was when a woman in an expensive Italian pantsuit and a feathered domino mask literally appeared out of thin air, pointed at him with her splayed right palm and proclaimed, "Sanguini calore!"
To Mister Brea's shock he began to cool down at a rapid pace, as his body both stopped smoking and glowing as well as it became hard for him to move. "Mister Brea let me introduce myself, I am known as Harrow and I represent the interests of Erzebet Scratch in Chicago as well as the state of Illinois as a whole."
Suddenly it wasn't just her spell that was chilling Mister Brea down to the asphalt this was what Grae-clops warned him about, this was the reason that he needed to break and harness DeFrank's power.
"While we usually turn a blind eye to mundane criminal ventures such as yourself, in going over the books of the prior regime of the Chicago Chapter of the Grand Hall of Sinister Wisdom we found that you brokered a lot of business through them with a group that is on our radar, a group that you continue to do business with." Harrow continued to explain in a nonchalant manner as if this meant as little to her as picking up her dry-cleaning, "To that end you will have to come with us, we have some...things that you need to clarify for us, while we go over your holdings. We do need to see what assets we could repurpose and what we need to liquidate after all."
Mister Brea could barely feel the pairs of slim arms of the Reverents begin to pull him under, on to be interrogated at the whims of Erzebet Scratch.
Once Mister Brea was out of sight, Harrow motioned with a wave of her hand and with a simple statement of "Splendente!" the entire club was spotless and ready to open for the evening. "Sorry about not taking care of him sooner Mister Sikes," Harrow stated, "you have our apologies for the commotion to your establishment."
"Not at all thank you for helping me with those...loose ends," Leroy Sikes responded with a smile and a sip of his cognac, "now how about we resume negotiating our details for expansion in my office. Believe me it doesn't look like it, but I can assure you that it is sound proofed."
"Yes, if you would be so kind," Harrow answered with a smile.
Parlor - Chalet Noir
Isla del Monstroso
4:11 PM AKDT
Within his the parlor of his chalet the man known to the world as Professor Id waited with quiet anticipation, surrounding him was his Dark Guard and servants (both who were mainly dopplegoons or loyal minions), as well as the now fifteen-year-old Maria Lucinda Diego awaiting the arrival of his wife and son from the Temporal Compression complex that they had been in for what was just shy of two months to the outside world but for them was almost fifteen years.
Not that the boy had been without the guidance of his father, Professor Id made sure to equip the room with a decantation chamber for his own doubles- all of which shared his mind and personality. Professor Id took a moment to drift in those memories and experiences that were now available to him, something akin to what he received from his copies who he had constantly reading up on research and papers that were being constantly being submitted by experts and novices alike in dozens of fields.
"Well you must be happy," Maria remarked as she continued to stand at attention, "You create an in-roads with one of the groups from the Waldorf=Astoria incident, and now your son is taking his first steps into the world outside of his bubble."
"Oh, don't be ridiculous Maria," Professor Id chuckled as he looked at her with a wicked grin, "that is far from the only thing that I have been up to over the last week. I am always one to multitask, one doesn't operate an organization at this level without having a great many irons in the fire."
"Big surprise," Maria huffed, "you have acts of larceny and depravity going on while I'm asleep, why am I not surprised."
"Because Miss Diego, I have seen to supplementing your previously inadequate education during your acceleration through adolescence." Id remarked as he reminded Maria of the childhood that he took from her, first with his weapons and then with forced education and training in a temporal compression room. "You may not be a genius, but you are no fool."
It was painful knowing that the only moment that she had to look forward to during that time was Professor Id letting her out once every year of time in there to celebrate her birthday with her father, who had the horror of watching his girl grow from a seven-year-old girl to a fourteen-year-old teen in the span of a month. At least there was the chance that they'd be able to hold a true Quinceañera on her actual birthday given that she was now chronologically synchronized back with the outside world again, just seven years older than she had been and robbed of the childhood that she would have by the man within striking distance of her- or the other way around.
"Anyway, this is a happy time, soon you will be relieved of your duty of directly serving myself as well as the need to come back to this island that you so loath," Professor Id remarked in vague terms.
"I doubt that you are granting my father or myself our freedom from our indentured servitude so soon," Maria observed, "so I assume that my eventual departure of this den on nightmares is only a side benefit to something darker."
"You might say that it is something darker from your perspective," Professor Id glibly turned aside her insult, "My paramour will soon exit the temporal acceleration chamber with our son, who you will serve as his companion, servant and bodyguard."
Soon the sound of "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D" began over the PA and the Major Domo of the Vila, a clone of a man who served faithfully in spite of how many times Id temped him from 1924 until his death in 1969, announced, "Presenting Chief Consort of Isla del Monstroso Anwen O'Neil and heir-apparent Roderick Black!"
Soon the terrifying woman who Maria remembered from the day years back that Id used her to stop her father's assassination attempt on Id (although now she knew that was only a couple of months ago) had been dining with her with Id. That woman Anwen entered with a boy who had Professor Id's dark-brown hair, features akin to Anwen as well as orange-eyes.
"Hello to a much larger world son," Professor Id proclaimed with a smile.
"Hello father so nice to see the real you," Roderick replied with a wicked smile, "Dark Guard override Chi-Rho-Omega-Gamma I fought the crown and the crown lost. Target Professor Id and prepare to execute."
At that order all of the Dark Guard turned, trained their weapons on Professor Id, however instead of holding on the order to fire all of them trembled and dissolved into protoplasm. Professor Id rather than be furious that his son just tried to have him murdered by his own men stood up and applauded with a smile.
"Well done for your first assassination attempt on your old man," Professor Id congratulated the boy, "it ran a little weak at the end but well done figuring out how to override my commands on the dopplegoons."
"And yet you are not going to attempt to do the same to me?" Roderick observed slightly taken aback by the developments, "that is most peculiar?!?"
"No, you are acting every bit like the young man we raised you to be," Professor Id stood up walked over and patted his son on the back, "why would I be mad when we raised you to try to kill me and take over my criminal empire."
"You are saying that you would like me to kill you?!?" Roderick observed, "I did not take you as the suicidal type."
"No, just the type that is rather bored with maintaining the global black market," Professor Id sighed in weariness of his own success. "Besides if you did actually kill me the doomsday devices that I have secreted throughout the world would randomly trigger and destroy the Earth a dozen times over."
"Then what is the point, other than wanting me to destroy the world," Roderick mulled it over for a moment, "wait what you want me to do is place in in a scenario where you have no way out but to surrender, because if I do..."
"Then I will know you would have become cunning and crafty enough to take over my operations for me," Id continued still beaming with pride, "after that I will retire to my labs and even continue to put out inventions for you to market. Now though while you have more than enough education than any your age could ever hope to accrue, what you need is real world experience. To that end I will be sending you to school this coming fall with Maria as your bodyguard."
"Father I doubt that they could teach me anything that I do not already know." Roderick all but scoffed at the suggestion.
"I know however this will also give you the opportunity to establish a reputation, showcase your abilities as well as network with future clients," Professor Id continued to explain, "it will also give you the opportunity to recruit some fresh talent for when you do take over. To that end we will be attending Parents and Perspective's Day on May the 27th at the Whateley Academy, I wonder what Elizabeth Carson will take of the two students that I will be introducing to her?"
Tuesday April 24th, 2007
Tiewan Triad Base
Eastern District, Hong Kong
10:23 AM HKT
Lady Zhi 'Yilong' Chen shook with rage the foreign-born upstart was not only alive and free, but she was actually reveling in the status that she felt rightfully belonged to herself. Here she was fighting alongside some of the greatest heroes in the lore of China in some dot on the map in that cesspool of Western Arrogance that actually laid claim to the name of two continents as its own. Ordinarily such news would make her need to afford herself some time to delve into her more private practices, of incinerating or burning those who displeased the head of her triad, but today they had to receive a guest, the sorcerer Qingtong-heshang (Green-bronze Monk).
From what little she knew the man was a centuries-old Daoist sorcerer who had managed to survive the falls of dynasties and even the rise of the Maoists, yet always was able to re-enter the favor of the new government. The fact that he had chosen to do so while being able to survive the enmity of the new regimes spoke volumes to the man's cunning. She exited the antechamber and stepped inside the meeting hall to take her place alongside Zhen Jia the head of the Tong with her fellow bodyguards. At least it beat the last such guest that they needed to receive she still held a grudge against Professor Id for revealing the fact that her foreign-born relative received the blessing of Zunyan Qianbei before her and thus the title of Northern Maiden, a title that Zhi knew was rightfully hers.
Before she could collect herself Qingtong-heshang, entered the meeting room flanked by men in suits whose demeanor screamed Ministry of State Security, while not of the Party this man was deeply tied to Beijing and was not afraid to flaunt his power.
"I welcome you into our organization's humble office Great Qingtong-heshang, might I offer you and your men some humble refreshments to accompany our talks," her master Zhen Jia stood and bowed as he struck the small gong to his side letting the servants know that it was time to begin the tea service which for their organization was a hybridization of Yum Cha (Chinese Tea Brunch) as well as British High Tea. Soon the Yixing clay tea pots were brought out with some chestnut dumplings to serve as appetizers, this was the time for the pouring of tea between host and guest as well as the show of trust.
Master Zhen Jia poured a cup of oolong tea for Qingtong-heshang while the man in the turquoise robes did the same with the pot of green tea for his host. Both waited in silent composure for their tea to cool before drinking, that neither was affected by any substance in their drink conveyed the sign of hospitality and spoke that negotiations were to move forward.
"Let me be honest with you Zhen Jia," Qingtong-heshang spoke up, "while you have done wonders with consolidating and streamlining the Underworld here in Hong Kong, what I am here regarding concerns a certain individual in your employ who is empowered."
"Ah so you are here to take custody of my bodyguard on behalf of The Party," Zhen Jia observed, "While you are welcome to do so I am afraid that you will find the loyalty scrolls that your ambassadors use to enslave foreign-born empowered individuals of Chinese descents to be most- ineffective against her, but if you would feel comfortable inviting a trained assassin into your midst whose loyalty you cannot guarantee then you are welcome to do so."
"I am afraid that you mistake my intentions Zhen Jia, I was not asking on behalf of Beijing, and your bodyguard is far too precious to waste by adding to an already growing powder keg." Qingtong-heshang shook his head with none of his bodyguards so much as blinking in response to his words. "You see I am here on behalf of another organization, one who is fully aware of the possibilities that a potential replacement for the Northern Maiden would bring."
As if on cue two of Qingtong-heshang's bodyguards near the door opened it with an individual of western descent wearing a baroque-styled three-piece suit and a carnival-style domino mask stepped inside. He took one look at me and smiled, "It was as you described Qingtong-heshang, she is indeed of the lineage of those who are fated to produce the Northern Maiden, and from what I have observed her powers are close to those desired for the prophecy as well."
"I am sorry foreigner, but you appear to be lost," Zhen Jia raised his hand in a signal for us to be ready for a fight, "but this is a private meeting and you are not invited."
"I am sorry, but I came as Qingtong-heshang's entourage and therefore I am," the man explained with an even tone and a patient glare, something told me that this man was both familiar with the criminal underworld as well as dangerous. "But it is rude to enter the room without both a gift and introducing myself, for the former I bring a Lambrusco from my own reserve to enjoy at your leisure, as for the later I am Conte Enigma of the Obsidian Circle and my offer is to have her join as an operative. Naturally as for yourself Zhen Jia you will be rewarded with access to our own underworld network and connections, as well as some operatives to take her place in the interim."
"I have heard whispers of the Obsidian Circle here and there, I also heard that you disposed of Hanshou-reifujin," Zhen Jia stated clearly trying to regain footing in this negotiation veiled as a grandiose offer, "this means that you are likely looking to reestablish your presence in the Orient."
"Unfortunately, Hanshou-reifujin was a traitor from the beginning," Conte Enigma sighed while maintaining his composure. "And while it is true that her connections to the Underworld of the Far East will be missed, she was more importantly a source that we could use to leak misinformation to our enemies. As she outlived her usefulness in the later, we were willing to bear the loss of the former, your organization however lacks such a leak and would bring to us the possibility of a replacement for the Northern Maiden, should the current one prove to be a problem."
"And I take it that such a replacement would be an asset to have," Master Zhen Jia observed, "and likely my access to the resources of your own organization would be to ensure the loyalty of my bodyguard."
"Her loyalty would indeed be an asset to the Obsidian Circle, as the connection that the current Northern Maiden to the Wayfarer could be an issue especially when she is to be soon trained by the Handmaiden of the Tao." Conte Enigma continued although he began to flinch at those titles as did Master Jia.
"I see your point, but there is still the matter of Qingtong-heshang," Master Jia's gaze locked on his true guest of this morning repast, "what is your stake in such an alliance?"
"As I explained the current party method of recruitment has led them to complacently gathering a powder keg," Qingtong-heshang sighed, "Gathering an army whose loyalty is enforced by a specific set of Taoist spells is a recipe for calamity. All it would take is one of those recruitment scrolls to fall into the hands of an individual or group with access to the knowledge of Taoist Sorcery and they could at best unravel the enchantments over those enchanted mutants and enhanced individuals, or at worst support the control of an army of super-powered soldiers who are located throughout China. Knowing history as I do this is not a matter of if but when. As for what I chance to gain for brokering this alliance it is a seat on the Obsidian Circle itself, which I hope this will afford me."
"It will be a good first impression for me nominating you to my fellow Council-members, but you still have a ways to go for me to stick my neck out of you just yet." Conte Enigma continued, "However the matter at hand is negotiating an alliance with the Tiewan Triad, so what say you Master Jia?"
"It will take time to properly negotiate such an alliance," Master Zhen Jia explained, "Fortunately this repast has just begun, now please take a seat while I pour you some tea- Black I assume?
"Indeed," Conte Enigma replied as he gracefully sat down to the left of Qingtong-heshang while handing the bottle of red wine to one of the servants to take to the cellar, "fortunately time I a luxury that I can afford."
Entrance to the City of Dis
Fifth Circle of Hell
?
Phlegyas looked on with a mixture of shock and horror as the gates to the City of Dis that encompassed the lower third of Hell's nine circles flung open facing outwards completely opposite of the hinges which were showing cracks from the force that had been exerted against them. It was a rare occasion that anyone was actually able to make it out of Dis as the city was meant to take in those guilty of the more nebulous of the sins those being the various degrees of Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treachery. The City of Dis was indeed responsible for containing those who were irredeemable, with a massive dome covering it to ensure that none were ever able to see and take pity on them.
Yet someone was leaving Dis and Phlegyas looked on in fear to see that it was someone who had made such a journey before, this was a man whose soul had been born rotten, whose conception itself was the result of a man whose existence was an insult born as a result of a spiteful witch's curse committing one form of every sin upon a woman of the cloth.
This abomination was wrong from the moment that he was born into the world of man and whose actions towards mankind only grew in cruelty until he met his end dancing on a noose. However, that act was hardly the end of the man's curse upon the world; that action itself lead to the creation of another abomination that still walked the Earth when his corruption damned the soul of his executioner, moreover the man himself had escaped Hell before rising to torment the living before a group of heroes sent him back.
Behind the damned soul was a twisted raft that was fashioned from branches hewn from the Forest of Suicides and bound with ropes of hair and skin from cut and flayed from the bodies of Heretics. The man glared at Phlegyas who continued to watch in fear as he dodged a swipe from the axe that the damned soul had stolen from the minotaur but not before it took his right leg halfway below the shin.
As Phlegyas laid bleeding and writhing in pain upon the ground he watched his assailant moved his raft towards the waters of the Stygian Marsh, only for the furies who stood watch upon the walls of Dis to swoop from the skies to take revenge against the man's prior escape. The man met their attack with the freshly severed head of Medusa which lead to the trio turning to stone and plummeting into the Marsh bellow. Returning the head of the gorgon to a pouch made of horse leather (likely taken from one of the centaurs), the man pushed his raft into the churning waters below.
Phlegyas could only watch as the once man, boarded his gruesome raft and using the blade of the Minotaur's axe as an oar paddled across the Stygian Marsh a journey of a month with the blade cutting the souls of the Wrathful as it moved the raft across the waters towards the entrance to the Fifth Circle and the exit of the Fourth. That wretched vile soul was once again making his way across the lands of Hell to the world of the Living once again and may God have mercy on those who stood in his way once he did.
Fin
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