Snippets

[Greywind]

Marlene opened the door. “Mr. Michaels, what can I do for you?”

 

Trying to smile, Brad winced. “Is your husband in? My mom and Steph are here. She... Steph, I mean, wants to see him. Thank him for fixing the...”

 

“Come in,” Marlene said. “Jason,” she called out. “Brad would like to speak with you.”

 

“Michaels,” Jason said coming from the bedroom. “What can I do for you?”

 

“My sister, my other sister is here with my mom. Steph would like to meet you.”

 

“Not a problem. Anything else?”

 

“My mom wants me to take them to lunch.”

 

“And?”

 

“She would prefer that I not go looking like I lost a fight.” Brad shuffled his feet and winced. “Could you fix me?” He looked at the floor. “Please?”

 

Marlene smiled to Jason and gave him a quick nod. “I would point out, Michaels, that you did lose that fight.” Brad nodded. “Have a seat.” Jason wiped his hands off on a rag he had draped over a shoulder.

 

Brad made his way to a chair and gingerly sat. “Everything hurts.”

 

“Do yourself a favor. Next time call for help before the fight starts.” Brad nodded again. Jason held his hand out. “Hand.” Brad placed his hand in Jason's. Fingers lightly touching Brad's forehead, Jason let his power flow.

 

* * * * *

“Christ, Michaels. Did Kris check you over?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Half your ribs were cracked. Go get cleaned up. I'm going to sit for a few before I go down.”

 

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Brad made his way to the door and let himself out.

 

“It's a start,” Marlene said with a smile. Jason sat, lay his head back, and waited for his body to deal with the damage.

[Greywind]

Closing the book he had been reading, Jason watched Marlene lay their daughter down. She talked quietly to the babe and covered her with a blanket. Marlene came over, sat on the bed, slipped her shoes off, and slid under the covers with her back to Jason.

 

He set the book on the floor of the tent. Turning back, he asked, “Something wrong?”

 

“I'm mad at you.” He heard the teasing tone in his wife's voice.

 

Moving closer, his arm went over her. “What did I do this time?”

 

Rolling on her back, Marlene said, “You gave the first drawing you did of our daughter to Kate.” Jason smiled and kissed her. Accepting initially, Marlene put her fingers on Jason's mouth. “You aren't kissing your way out of this one.”

 

“You're wrong,” he said. “I gave Kate a drawing of Aaron and Sandy together. The first several that I did I gave to you.”

 

“Then why haven't I seen them?”

 

“Take it up with Beth,” Jason told her.

 

“Don't drag me into this,” Beth said through the wall of the tent. “Trying to sleep here.”

 

“Get over here, Bestie,” Marlene demanded with a laugh.

 

Beth groaned. A moment later she came around the divider. “What did I do?” Beth wore a thin t-shirt and shorts, leaving very little of her to Jason's imagination.

 

Patting the bed, Marlene invited Beth to sit. She did. “Jason's drawings of Sandy. Where are they?”

 

“How should I... I never gave you your book.” Beth looked hurt. “I'm sorry. It slipped my mind with you coming back.”

 

“What book?”

 

“Emily convinced Jason to do an art show while you were away. He had books printed. He did sketches for them.”

 

Marlene smiled. “What was yours?”

 

“You and me,” Beth smiled back. “What did you do with that one of me in blue?” she asked Jason.

 

“Gave it to your dad. Framed.”

 

“Can I go back to bed now?” she asked Marlene. Marlene sat up and hugged her.

 

“I guess so.”

[Greywind]

“It is nice to see how the mighty can still be brought low by the many.” Nightwing heaved himself to his feet. He stepped over a body. “Still, you weren't supposed to be here. You weren't supposed to be involved at all.”

 

Between a shattered lens, an eye rapidly swelling shut, and blood, it was hard for Nightwing to make out details. “Who are you?”

 

“Merely a facilitator. A middle man. I am afraid with your involvement that you have sacrificed your prize. As fast as you can fly, I doubt you are fast enough.” The gun in his hand barked in succession.

 

Hand outstretched towards the gun, Nightwing yelled, “No!”

 

“He may not be,” Lightning dropped several bullets, “but I am. There's a saying, you take on one Guardian, sooner or later, you take on all of us.”

 

The skylight shattered and Pulsar dropped through. “You missed one.”

 

“Non-fatal and I knew you were coming,” Lightning said. “So, Mr. Facilitator, let's do this the hard way.” Lightning moved. The gun barked once and then was spinning in place on the desk. “Cops on?” He tossed the man across the desk, bound.

 

Pulsar picked up the gun. “Let's not have him thinking he'll have any options. Bressler is enroute.” He walked over to Steph. “Hi.”

 

“Oh, god, it hurts,” she said quietly.

 

“Only for a moment, Miss Michaels. Only for a moment.”

[Greywind]

Trese held a bottle of water out to Jason. When he accepted it, she hoist herself up on a desk. They looked out over the broken cityscape in silence.

 

“Tomorrow is the day,” Trese finally said.

 

“Yes.”

 

“It's a crap shoot with long odds.” Jason nodded. “Aren't you afraid of dying?”

 

Jason's chin sank. “No.”

 

Cocking her head to the side, Trese smiled. For a second Jason could imagine that her face wasn't scarred. That she was as beautiful as she had always been to him. “Then what are you afraid of?” She reached over and took his hand. He gave it willingly.

 

“Of not dying.”

 

“I don't understand.”

 

Walking quietly up behind them, Kris crossed her arms and leaned on Jason's shoulders. His hand came up and held her arm. Kris reached down and lay her hand over Jason's and Trese's. “Survivor's guilt. He's afraid everyone else will die and he'll be the only one left.”

[Greywind]

“Dear Ashley Parks,” Ash smiled. There were times she really enjoyed going through the fan mail. “Spelled it wrong, kiddo,” she said to herself.

 

“Someday, when I'm better, I hope to be strong like you and to beat up the bad guys. Signed, Kacie.” There was a picture of Ash drawn in crayon, little more than a stick figure. Ash smiled. Behind the letter there was a photo. Ash saw a little girl laying in a hospital bed. So many tubes, she thought to herself.

 

Looking at the envelope she saw it had been mailed from River General. She smiled. “Get me Kris.” While she waited, she took a photo from her stack. In the photo, she was down on one knee. Her arm was across her bent knee.

 

“What's up?”

 

“You working today?” She grabbed a marker and wrote “For Kacie” across the top, then signed her name at the bottom.

 

“I've got a staff meeting at seven. My shift starts at eight and I will be there until six in the morning. What's up?”

 

“I got some fan mail from a little girl in your office.”

 

“You want me to drop off your reply?”

 

“Nah. Thought I'd be nice and bring you dinner or something. Envelope.” A manila envelope slid across her desk.

 

“Thanks, but I'm already packed for meals.”

 

“Your loss, girlfriend. Maybe I'll pop in and see you anyway.”

 

She heard Kris laugh. “You're always welcome. I've got the ER tonight.”

 

“I hope you aren't too busy, then. See you.” The connection broke. Ash thought for a moment. “Mentor, do we still have those stuffies?”

 

“I assume you mean of yourself. Yes, there are still some in stock.”

 

Setting the envelope with the photo inside, aside, Ash reached in the mail bin and pulled out another letter. The handwriting on it seemed familiar. It was addressed to her. The return address was missing. She slipped a letter opener under the flap. Pulling the letter out and unfolding it, she scanned the page.

 

“Sonofabitch.”

[Greywind]

“What's this?”

 

“A courier dropped it by the front. I thought it might be something you ordered,” Mentor said.

 

Watching the drone set the package on her coffee table, Charley set the book she had been reading aside. “I haven't ordered anything.” Her full name had been written in a stylish handwriting. “Good penmanship.” Slipping her fingers under the twine, she pressed her thumbnail into it. The twine separated easily.

 

Peeling off the brown wrapping, Charley revealed a box from an expensive boutique. “Proof enough right there that I didn't order it.” Lifting the lid, within Charley found a dark suit. It wasn't black, but a dark gray. Pulling the jacket out, an envelope fell from the jacket onto a blue silk blouse.

 

“One moment. Another package for you has cleared scanning. It will be here momentarily.”

 

“That's fine.” Charley lay the jacket on the couch and picked up the envelope. “Did you scan this one?”

 

“Yes, I did. Suit and blouse. Envelope. Nothing that set off any alarms.”

 

There was a little thickness to the envelope at the bottom. Lifting the flap, she saw there was a piece of paper and a flash drive. Turning the drive over, Charley saw it was embossed with the logo of Nova Research. “Did you detect this?”

 

“No. I did not. If I may have the envelope it came in when you are done, I will see if there is something about it that confused the scanners.” Charley smiled. She got the impression that Mentor did not like things sneaking past him.

 

Charley read the letter. It was short. When she was done, she folded it back up. Charley stared out the windows, lost in thought.

[Greywind]

Ash slung a messenger bag over her shoulder. She slid the envelope with her photo in. Then she stuffed the doll in. Closing the bag and snapping it shut, one of the doll's arms popped out the side of the flap. Ash stuffed the arm back in and a foot popped out the other side.

 

She sighed. “Okay, so not one of the bigger ones. I get it. I'm not going to fight with you about it.” Ash made her way to the elevator. She tapped the button and waited. When the door opened, she stepped inside, tapping the button for the upper garage.

 

“Hold please!” Ash held the door button. Trese slipped inside. “Thanks. Common.” Ash tapped the button for the common floor. “Garage? Going out?”

 

“Hospital.”

 

“Time for a check up?” Trese teased.

 

Ash shook her head. “Visit.”

 

“Your doll is trying to escape.”

 

“Yeah. First the arm. Now the leg. If I try shoving the leg back in, the head will pop out or something.”

 

“Hate it when they do that.” Ash nodded in agreement, but remained silent. After a few moments, Trese said, “Are you okay? You seem a little pensive.”

 

“I'm fine. Just have a few things on my mind.” Ash glanced at Trese. “I'm fine. Really. Thanks for the concern.”

 

The door to the garage opened up. “Your bike is prepped,” Mentor said.

 

“Thanks, Jeeves. I'm not sure when I'll be back. Later,” she said, waving off to Trese.

 

* * * * *

Charley watched the air bike dwindle into the distance. The flash drive in her hand seemed to be burning her palm. “Mentor, isolate my work station, please.”

 

“May I ask why?”

 

She held the drive up. “I want to see what is on this. I don't want or need to find out there is a virus on it that will compromise your systems. I don't need Jason pissed at me.”

 

A narrow drawer in her work station slid out, revealing a tablet. “Perhaps this will suit your needs. I have disabled its ability to connect with the rest of the tower's network.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

The door to her apartment opened, allowing a drone access. “Your second package is here. My scans show it to be a pair of high heeled pumps. The weight seems off. I would say that it would be for the size you wear, but in comparison to some of your other footwear, the weight is more commensurate with some of your boots.”

 

“Do you know what color they are?” Charley asked with a touch of sarcasm.

 

“No. The package has not been opened. Merely scanned.”

 

Charley powered the tablet on. While she waited for it to finish booting up, she turned her attention to the suit and the new box. “Mirror a window.” One window went dark. The inner surface was reflective. She held the jacket up to her chest. “It should fit.” She lay it on the couch. The silk blouse was a medium blue. Unfolding it, she held that up as she had the jacket. “I don't even want to think how much it would cost to have made. Maybe I'll ask George.”

 

She set the blouse on the jacket. Charley took the skirt out and gave it a gentle shake. Holding it to her waist, the lower hem was just above her knees. She turned a bit and noticed the skirt flair. “And slit up the side to my armpit.”

 

Charley tossed the skirt next to the jacket and blouse. She moved the tissue paper about in the bottom of the box, finding nothing more. “Shoes.” Holding her hand up, the drone approached and dropped the box onto her palm. The brown wrapping paper and twine were dealt with as expediently as the prior box. She flipped the lid off. “Black Italian leather.” Taking a shoe out, Charley weighed it in her hand. “I think you're right.”

 

“The heel is leather wrapped around a metal core, as I surmised. An educated guess on my part, but considering your weight and the narrowness of the heel, it is either omnium or a closely related alloy. Not too many can afford to have it made into such mundane objects. Nor would they.”

 

“Women should always flaunt their beauty, I think he said. I'd let you further analyze them, but I don't want them damaged.” She set the pair on the floor and stepped into them. “Perfect fit.”

[Greywind]

Ash left the children's care ward slowly. Unshed tears were burning her eyes. “And they say I'm brave.” Nurses that recognized her either stared or waved as she went past. Her bag was lighter. The plushie she had given to Kacie.

 

Passing into an empty elevator, Ash leaned back against the wall. “God, I know I don't pray often enough, but please heal that little girl. Heal all of them.” When the door opened, she brushed the tears away.

 

A crash sounded through the hall. Ash saw an officer she was familiar with. “Hey, Malloy,” he nodded to her. “What's going on?”

 

“Hostage situation. Some nutbag grabbed a nurse. He's threatening her with a scalpel.”

 

“Great,” she said quietly. “Dove in there?”

 

Malloy nodded. “Trying to talk him off the ledge.”

 

“Do me a favor. Talk to your boys quietly. Tell them to follow my lead.”

 

“You sure that's a smart idea?”

 

She held her bag out. “Hold this. Scalpels are not my kryptonite.”

 

“What is?” He clicked his radio and spoke softly to the other officers.

 

“Beefy, sexy men in uniform, Malloy.”

 

Ash made her way to the desk. Kris saw her. Ash shook her head and put a finger to her lips. Kris gave a nod and turned her attention back to the scene the ER had become. Moving closer, Ash heard Kris say, “Trevor if you hurt her the police won't let you out. Your only chance of getting out is by not hurting her.”

 

“Let the nurse go, Trevor.” Trevor was tattooed. Some on his face. A few on his neck. A lot on his exposed arms. “Take me, instead.”

 

“I jus' wants out.”

 

“If you take me,” Ash said, “and let the nurse go, the officers will put their guns away. They will let you walk out of here with me.” She moved closer. “My name is Leigh.”

 

“Why would they do that?”

 

“The nurse you're holding? She's married, Trevor. She has children. You don't want to take her from her family. Just let her go and take me instead. Okay?” While she talked, Ash had her hands up where Trevor could see them. She moved slowly closer to him.

 

“The nurse's name is Carrie. Did you know that Trevor? Carrie has a son and a daughter,” she said softly. “Let her go and take me.” Close enough, Ash grabbed Trevor's arm. He made to cut Carrie, but couldn't move his arm against Ash's strength.

 

Voice turning harder, Ash said, “I really want to hit something right now, asshole, and you're the closest option.” She squeezed and rolled his arm out and down. “I keep doing this, Trevor, and either your elbow or shoulder is going to pop. Let Carrie go now or I swear to God I am going to rip your arm off and beat you to death with it”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“I'm a Guardian, Trevor. Right now, hers.” Trevor's arm around Carrie loosened and she slipped free. Ash patted Trevor on the cheek. “Good boy.” Trevor winced with each pat. Ash relieved him of the scalpel. “He's all yours, Malloy.”

[Greywind]

Staring at the frozen screen of the tablet, Charley picked up her phone. Without really looking at it, she placed a call. “Hey, George. It's Charley. Charlemagne. Please tell me you're in New York. You aren't just saying that because I told you to tell me that, are you? That's great. I have a wardrobe problem that I need to have fixed by eight AM. A slip. I was given a suit. It's dark gray with a blue blouse. I can do that. Give me a couple of minutes to change.”

 

Charley quickly removed her shirt and shorts, replacing them with the blouse and skirt. “Oh, god, it's shorter than I thought.” The skirt was closer to mid-thigh than a few inches above the knee. “Mentor, take a picture of this and send it to George's phone, please.”

 

“Done,” the AI said.

 

“Thanks.” She took her phone back up. “Did you get it? You can do that? Sounds good, George. Thanks muchly.” Charley set her phone aside.

 

Touching the screen on the tablet, the video played once again.

 

“Hello, Charlemagne. I won't ask you how you are doing. I heard you made your own path. Made new friends. Broke old ties.

 

“I had hoped that one day perhaps, you and I would meet again. That we would sit one more time for dinner and conversation. Share a bottle of wine. Reminisce.

 

“Alas, that is not to be. It has not been announced yet, per my wishes, but if you are watching this, Ulysses Madacar is no more.

 

“My funeral will be the day after you receive this. A car will be sent for you at nine.

Please, be ready. I would hate to think of Amanda trying to dress you in your current state.

 

“I have heard the stories. I have tried to follow your career. I cannot imagine the restraint it took you to not kill that detective.

 

“I ask one favor of you. Do not kill Bauer at my funeral. I hate to think of the spectacle that would be.

 

“Be well, my dear.”

[Greywind]

“Once word gets out, barring actual emergencies, the ER should be quiet.” Ash accepted a coffee cup from Kris. “Thanks”.

 

Kris looked around her domain. Doctors, nurses, and orderlies moved around doing their jobs. The patients tended to be quiet. “At least it's quiet. For now. Want to tell me what's got your panties in a bunch?”

 

“You mean besides a little girl named Kacie that wants to be just like me when she gets better and grows up, only the growing up part probably won't happen because she won't be getting better?” Carrie gave Ash a concerned look.

 

“It's not easy,” Kris said. “We do the best we can. So, yeah, besides that.”

 

Ash opened her bag and fished in a pocket. She pulled out a letter and handed it over to Kris. It was addressed to Ash at the tower. There was no return address. “Read it.” Kris pulled out the missive and unfolded it. It was short and to the point. It was signed “Benton Parks”.

 

“Your father?” Ash nodded. “What are you going to do?”

 

“I don't know. I haven't had any contact with him in fifteen years or so. Not since I left home.”

 

“He wants you to come home?” Ash shot Kris a dirty look. The letter said as much. “Sorry. How do you feel about that?”

 

“I don't know,” Ash said quietly.

 

“Some of the stories Kris has told me about you, and you're afraid to visit with your dad?” Carrie asked. “Big girl panties. Maybe get that twist out of them that has them all bunched up. Can't be any worse than wading into a battle with Dr. Viper or whatever the name is.”

 

“Thanks, Carrie. You've got a different point of view, I guess.”

 

Shrugging, Carrie said, “I've got a family. The family I get to go home to in the morning, unmarked, thanks to you. The thing with family is you don't get to choose them.”

 

Ash smiled at her. “My family, we sort of chose each other.” Looking at Kris, she asked, “You good?”

 

Kris nodded. “I'm here for the duration. What are you going to do?”

 

“Call in a favor. Maybe two. Make some plans.” She collected her letter and dropped it back in her bag. “Need me, call me.”

 

Kris smiled. “Always.”

[Greywind]

“You should have let me kill him!”

 

Jason's voice was quiet. “Have you ever killed anyone? In all your years of being Titania, have you killed anyone? Even accidentally?”

 

Charley searched Jason's eyes. She turned towards the window and crossed her arms. Her chin dropped. “No.”

 

“I have. It haunts you. The deliberate act of taking a life. A bystander killed because you couldn't do enough to stop them from dying. It haunts you.”

 

“Detective Brennan. He killed Rachel. I wanted to kill him. I almost did.”

 

“What stopped you?”

 

Wiping tears away, Charley said, “Rachel. I heard her voice. Begging me to stop.”

 

“When Sandy died, I gave up any sense of control. I killed six men that day. Killing them didn't save her. At the time, there was no saving her. There are times they show up in my dreams or a reflection. I don't want you to ever go through that.”

 

“It isn't your decision to make for me,” she said.

 

'I am the Guardian of the First Gate. You are the Guardian of the Fourth. I would hate to have to replace you.” Charley made to say something and Jason raised his hand to stop her. “I have blood on my hands. As long as I am here, the only one that will have blood on their hands is me. When I die I will have to answer for it. Heaven or Hell.”

 

“You should have let me kill him,” Charley said, looking back at him.

 

Jason gave her a lopsided grin. “Now he has to deal with the Guard knowing the newest of us kicked his ass without breaking a sweat.”

 

Charley chuckled. “I never thought of it like that.”

[Greywind]

“Yankee Stadium? Really?” Napalm asked with a sneer.

 

“You challenged. I pick the venue. Seemed fair,” Pulsar said. “You didn't come alone.”

 

Napalm laughed. “I'm a bad guy. What's a bad guy without his gang.” Several of the Blood Guard shot various looks at Napalm. None of them friendly. “You didn't come alone.”

 

“I'm not stupid. I didn't expect you to come alone. This isn't my first rodeo.” Pulsar walked out onto the field. Napalm approached. “Time to set the ground rules. First, one on one.”

 

“Agreed,” Napalm said.

 

“Second, you and I use no powers. Hand to hand.”

 

“I can kill you either way. Might be more fun, this way. Agreed.”

 

Pulsar looked over at the Guard. “No damage to the stadium. We're only borrowing it for an hour or so.”

 

“Can't promise that,” Napalm replied with a sneer and a laugh.

 

“Your master holds an interest in the Yankees,” Angelique called across the field.

 

“Indeed I do,” Anton said, appearing behind the Guard. Napalm's eyes went wide. “No damage to the stadium, Bauer. The game goes on on time.”

 

“Anything else?” Napalm's voice was strained.

 

Pulsar smiled behind his mask. “I guess you weren't expecting that.” Several of the Blood Guard moved closer. The Guardians mirrored them. “No one interferes. Either goes down and is no longer capable of fighting, it's over.”

 

“To the death!”

 

“I'm not going to kill you, Artie.”

 

“But I just might kill you.”

 

“Your overconfidence is endearing. Are we settled, then, on the ground rules?” Napalm nodded. “Good. Lord Darque, I believe your convention allows for champions.”

 

“Indeed it does,” Anton answered.

 

“What?” Napalm's mouth went slack. Pulsar grinned.

 

Pulsar turned back to the Guardians. “Now, it seems to me that just about any of these worthies stand better than an even chance of taking you down.” He started walking the line of his friends. Titania locked eyes with him. Her hands balled into fists. The muscles of her arms tightened. Pulsar gave her a brief, almost imperceptible shake of his head. “As I recall, abusing girls was more your speed.”

 

Hellfire gave him a worried look. PsiStorm's barrier briefly flickered up, protecting herself and Hellfire. Pulsar lowered his hand, palm down. PsiStorm dropped the wall.

 

Walking on, Pulsar looked at Nightwing. Nightwing nodded his head. Again, Pulsar shook his head. Instead, he put his hand on Ringer's shoulder. “Will you fight for me?” Ringer nodded and stepped forward.

 

“What?” Nightwing bellowed. He opened his mouth to say more. Ringer elbowed him in the gut. Hard.

[Greywind]

“Scott! What the hell was that?”

 

“Brad! Don't!” Jenny yelled at him.

 

Pulsar disappeared his mask. “Honestly? You really want to know what that was, Michaels? That was me having more confidence in Jen than you obviously have.”

 

“Bullshit! She could have been hurt or killed!”

 

“In case you missed it, brother mine, he never laid a hand on me. He couldn't touch me! I've been training. Huntress, Tiger, the Hunter. They've all spent time with me in the training room. Which is more than I can say for you!”

 

Nightwing waved her off. “You don't understand, Jen.”

 

“What don't I understand? Am I interfering with your grand-standing? I've been going over the records, too. How many times have you knocked yourself out cold, moron?” Jen pulled her mask off. “I stopped needing you to protect me when I was a kid.”

 

“You're still a kid!”

 

“And her maturity level is off the charts compared to you.”

 

“Stay out of it, Scott!”

 

“Michaels, you started this. You dragged me into it. When your sister decides she's tired of your shit and decides to kick your ass, I'll be the one selling the popcorn. Now if you'll excuse me there are other ladies that need my attention.”

[Greywind]

Elkhart, Indiana:

 

“I can't believe you lived this close and you're not a Notre Dame fan,” Warren joked.

 

“Not big on watching football,” Ash said. “You know that. I always appreciated the beauty of figure skating over the jocks beating each other silly.”

 

“I was a jock.”

 

“So was Michaels. I think his helmet was faulty. Why the SUV?”

 

“Kate prefers it to her old car. It's easier on her with Aaron and easier to load groceries and whatnot in.”

 

“What did you do with Kate's car?” Ash's gaze was out the window watching the landscape slip past.

 

“Gave it to Jen. Bike is good when it's warm. Four tires are better when the snow flies.” He glanced at her. “You okay?”

 

“Would you believe me if I said I'd rather be heading into a battle with all our enemies at once?” Warren reached over and squeezed her hand. “I really appreciate you taking the time for me.”

 

“Any time. You know that.”

 

“I don't like putting other people out,” she said.

 

“You aren't. You never have.”

 

Ash turned and smiled. “Thanks. Up there on the right. The gray house with the red van.”

[Amorkca]

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[Amorkca]

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