Shikarr

Re: Hellgate London Game My problem isn't the monsters those are fairly easy to recreat in hero except perhaps the orbiles and such as that. The main problem at least in my mind whether it truly is or not is the character clases and such. The Templar are fairly easy, The Marksman and Evokers also although the armor and shield combo thing is not working out as well as I hoped. So if someone would give me an idea on a better way perhaps to do the shields an armor for the characters that would help or at least your take on it. It would give me another perspective at least.

Has anybody thought of doing a port of this RPG/MMO over to Hero and if so what have you come up with so far? My friends like the history and general stuff of the game and would like me to run one similar so I am starting on working up something but I wanted to check here and see if anyone else had done something on it also. Thanks in Advance

Re: The astonishing powers of Kelvarite! I would go with Dr Anomaly on this one. A series of HPA's that form a campaign length adventure I would definitely be interested in. Each one could be a piece of the puzzle although as with all adventure puzzles you never have to always get to the very end to enjoy them.

Re: Computer Controlled Power Armor Weapons Personally I would just go the simple route with a Conditional Modifier - Requires computer computation to function. Then the GM will just tell you when your computer is down or damaged and you know the power wont work. Still only would round out to about a 1/4 mod though. Wouldn't try to slide by with anything more.

Re: GM's "Notebook" I have 2 levels of keeping track of stuff. Current Game and Long Term. For CG I use Herodesigner for characters and its export templates to provide excellent combat charts for the game. I use excel sometimes or the open office equvalent for some data for the game also. For LT I use Open office and Word for long descriptions of campaign goals and future plot summaries so that I don't forget a plot thread that I have used or am going to use. Some of my best games I have run have been multible threads from past games coming together to be resolved or to bite someone on the ***. Luckily for me one of my group is a compulsive(anal) note taker and I hate to say I use her stuff frequently instead of writing it up myself. Look on here for the thread Shikarr's campaign Notes and you will see how my campaign has went. I have been running this one for 3 years now.

Re: Original Supervillain Groups -- Get Creative! One of my evil supergroups is an assassination group called The Three Ninja. They are led by The Grey Ninja - A ninja spirit able to possess normals completely and supers not so completely. Able to manifest spirit ninja equipment which is deadly to almost anyone since it targets souls not bodies. The Black Ninja - Japanese demon spirit controls darkness and shadows as well as mystical ninja abilities. White Ninja - Japanese Vampire with a multitude of oriental vampiric abilities not subject to the limitations of western vampires but still limited by japanese mythos limitations. All of them very civilized and followers of a strict code of honor. They only take jobs that they deem as neccessary and that would be challenging to them. They have never been accepted a job to kill a superhero although supers have frequently get in their way for a time during jobs usually. So far only foiled completely once.

Re: Skills for Battlesuit Technician? Several KS and PS's To include: Aeronautics Robotics Metalurgy Computer Programming Nanotechnology Neurological interfaces Tailoring Cybernetics Electronics Weapon smith These would be my basic requirement for someone who invents or works on battle suits. Of course lots of other skills would be useful.

Re: Hero Plus Adventures #6 -- THE DRAGON MANDARIN -- Now On Sale! Bought it, read it, like it. Have used Dr Yin Wu a great deal in my game and always like more information.

Re: The Kandris Seal I second the recommendation. I greatly enjoyed the Kandris Seal. I bought it when it first came out. I have used it ever since in my campaign as part of the mystical history of it. Using the organizations and several the characters as proven to be very good and fun for my group.

Re: Sanctuary? I also have something similar to Sanctuary in my game although it isn't preciesly a place. It is a set of underground clubs in the large cities that mutants go to. Generally low level mutants or mutants with deforming mutations and powers. It is not precisely a place that villans go but if they do they are not unwelcome unless they cause problems or are publically known murderers. Anyone too much in the public eye is not welcome whether for good or ill in the clubs, who maintain their aninimity by being low key. Each club has several layers denoted by powerclass to enter. But everyone leaves each other alone in them.

Re: Campaign Notes so far And that should bring it up to date now. Let me hear what you all think.

Re: Campaign Notes so far And the journey continues. Here is the latest installment. After this little bit the game went on a hiatus for 2 months. But we are starting up again this coming sunday. August 12, 2003 No rest for the weary or the wicked. It’s late I’ve only had a few hours of sporadic sleep over the days since our raid on Genocide, and then with Destroyers attack, the 11th barely ended before we were into it again; it’s been a long two days. What a day we had; I know BZYs in still in the medical bay until his nanites can finish their repairs and I’m pretty sure that Jet wouldn’t want to come out of her little furnace until some time near Christmas; but I know that both would drag themselves through broken glass to make the memorial tomorrow. I’m not sure how Geiger is going to do, he acts distant, broken, it might be a temporary thing, he does recover quickly but I have him and the rest of us up for psychiatric evaluation, hopefully everyone will do as they’ve been asked and take their appointments, I know I’m going to have at least one argument about it, possibly two, but if they want to continue fighting crime, they’ll have to. I know I feel like I’m a hamster running on a wheel, running but never getting anywhere, just running until I collapse from exhaustion or drop dead, one or the other. It’s been hard to get to sleep which is why I’m writing now; I’ve had a lot to think about today, so much has happened, I’ve had some scares that have made me think about my life differently. I’ve dredged up old photos, sentimental moments, heartbreak, my past my life and realized something, I’m not really living. I’ve got no real friends, I’ve kept myself somewhat distant with my comrades in arms, no girlfriends to hang with on Friday night; no lovers, not like I had been promiscuous but having someone in bed would be a comfort; no family at least on this side of the pond, no social life, nothing. I’ve been so absorbed in being FireFrost that I’ve lost myself, but then again, how much did I really have? I’m reminded of Chicken Run, “’My life just passed before my eyes, and it was really boring.’†Ok so my current life isn’t dull, but you get the idea, it’s all one sided I’m living for my career and nothing else. I’ve been obsessive to the point of self destructive before, hell I’m still obsessive but usually there was a break in the work, something to drag me out of the lab and back into the sunlight, I’m beginning to think that joining PRIMUS was a mistake, ok maybe not PRIMUS. My mistake was experimenting on myself and thereby irrevocably altering my life, my destiny forever. Oh yes I have had infinite amounts of fun being FireFrost but the price wasn’t something I had comprehended, the price to my health and well being, the cost of existing in a “normal†life. I hadn’t thought about it then, but I’m thinking about it now and God help me, I have no concept of how to fix it. I could become powerless, get one of the wristbands PRIMUS has that cuts you off from your powers but it wouldn’t be the same. My faith supports me though much and my time with Father O’Malley in Church when I can go has been a gift, having a father confessor who can deal with supers, thank you o’ Lord for providing, but even O’Malley can’t answer this question. How to mix two worlds together so that each version can live within? Superheroes should be schizophrenic; comic books haven’t been able to do it with their heroes; how am I supposed to do it in real life? I will sleep, or at least try and sleep after I put this down, I’m glad I started a journal, there have been times I’ve looked back over these pages and wondered how the hell we survived, how my sanity is still intact, well, I’m not sure it’s one hundred percent intact, but it’s hanging in there by bloody fingertips. Onward. It certainly hadn’t continued well from earlier. I was still enraged from losing Succor and my subsequent emotional outburst down in the Danger Room hadn’t done anything to abate it, I was so absorbed in my own misery and anger I barely registered agents dodging out of my way as I stalked through the halls of the base towards the recovery area. All of that emotion must have shown on my face, nothing like spooking your fellow agents, to make you feel so warm and loved. I found myself at the doorway to the holding cells, fingers poised above the entry lock; I came back to myself at that moment, what was it I had planned? Was I going to take my revenge on them, these two agents? Hundreds of ways of killing them had flickered through my mind, knowledge of biology makes one an efficient killer if one chose to be, I knew where I could cut them or break them, a cut to the spinal column could bring immediate death or lingering pain and suffering. I could freeze the breath in their lungs and watch them suffocate to death or I could burn them, leaving behind barely surviving husks of so much charred meat. Does it not say within the Bible, paraphrasing Leviticus: He that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country. And in Deuteronomy, If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me. I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy. Thoughts screamed through my head; I stayed my hand and rested my head against the cold metal of the reinforced door, listening to my heartbeat thrumming in my ears, my breath harsh and quick; no other sound resounded down that long hallway. Unshed tears welled up in my eyes, as other passages from the Bible found their way through the pain, for does it not also say, in Matthew, Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. Ye have heard that it hath been said; Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.†The words of Samuel whispered from between my lips, “The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. The Lord therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.†I took a deep breath and released the handle to the security door and stepped back, “My Lord God, it’s so hard sometimes, it’s just so hard.†I thought I felt a hand rest upon my shoulder, one offering reassurance, offering hope, offering succor. I reached up my own hand to place it upon theirs’ in gratitude and found nothing there; I spun in place finding myself alone in the hallway alone, no one by my side. There was no way anyone could of come down the hall and back out so quickly, had it been the speedster there would have been a displacement of air, or perhaps it was someone invisible, was it another enemy or a friend or a higher power? Was I hallucinating, who gets visitations from God or ghosts? I chucked gently at that thought, after all hadn’t we been in the presence of the divine and demonic, hadn’t we met ghosts as well? I gently touched my shoulder where I had felt the hand, a touch meant to heal the soul, and save from fear and anger. I made my way out of that long hallway and back towards the sickbay, to check on the new guy I had left in Carolyn’s care. Could it of been the spirit of my dead friend or the touch of God offering comfort? Had I done damage to my brain with the drug, could I be delusional, or was it something more? I pondered that as I headed back towards the medical bays. ~~~ Our newest edition was resting comfortably; even sleeping the guy seems to vibrate. I found grandmotherly Dr. Carolyn Knight finishing up her PRIMUS file, on our John Doe. Carolyn and I had spent many late night hours during the first few years of my transformation discussing genetics, medicine, her kids and grandkids, Robert Asprin and Isaac Asimov, I trusted her with a lot, she’s a good woman, reminded me a lot of my mother, maybe too much sometimes. She’s in her fifties has a wicked sense of humor and is in great physical shape for someone with gray hair, she’s still deadly accurate with a gun or a hypodermic needle too. Our John Doe isn’t so much of a JD anymore, he’s more of an Edward, Edward Stringer actually, a.k.a. Full Throttle, owns a delivery service up in Chicago and was on a business trip towards Hudson City when he went missing almost a month ago, according to the police file. Poor guy doesn’t remember how they got him, or what they did to him, good thing we found him when we did. Long term effect of Succors last act on him are unknown, but apparently the man’s always been a fast one, his dossier has him a hyper speedster, always in motion. Carolyn couldn’t put a finger on what had caused or why he was suffering from amnesia. We speculated for a few minutes over what Genocide could of done to him to cause memory loss, to a certain extent his own mind could of done it itself in order to protect it, our brains are wonderful things like that. I gave her a hug, promised to go to lunch with her and left FT under Carolyn’s care; dragging myself to the debriefing room were I sat down to make my report on the Genocide event in Canada. Huntsman’s persistent paging found me asleep in a chair in the conference room; I think I had passed out from exhaustion, which didn’t surprise me, not after what we had been through. I pulled out the floppy screen and answered sleepily, “yes Huntsman, what do you have for me?†“Your unknown soldier has changed.†Now that brought me fully alert, “you sure?†“Yes, I’ve been watching him since he got here.†He answered prosaically. “I’ll be right there!†I snapped the screen shut and ran for the examination room. Huntsman was perched on a second exam table, watching the door as I arrived, “So what’s changed on John GI Joe?†I asked, excited actually my instincts had proven right; it’s so nice when that happens with simple things. “Look here,†he pointed to where the skull had been separated for autopsy, we had stapled everything back together for transport. The incision scars were gone, and the staples, well I watched in a sort of dread fascination as the remaining staples slowly absorbed into his skin. I pulled back the sheet covering his body, the Y incision was healed, and barely a discoloration remained. “He is healing.†I gaped, amazing, impossible, oooh a mystery, just the kind of distraction I needed. “What should we do about that?†He put his hand on my shoulder and directed my gaze to the EKG and the EEG, very slight alpha waves and a heartbeat of one beat every five minutes. I hit the intercom, “BZY report to medical bay 5 STAT!†I yelled, it had to be nanites, it just had to be, but what was it going to mean to us? BZY came into the room several minutes later, and I immediately jumped on him, “BZY hook yourself up and run a scan on him, check for nanites and activity.†“Right o’ Frost,†he replied, as his eyes got that far away look as his computer brain began remote connecting to the diagnostic equipment in the room, “the organ in his brain is active, it is nanites,†BZY’s voice had that strangely metallic echo it held when he’s deep into his computer self. His eyes refocused on me, “anything else?†Huntsman held up the pager, “how about this?†indicating the series of numbers choking the LED screen. “Ah yes, Matt showed me this earlier, hmmm.†BZY look became thoughtful as he looked over the pager screen, “it’s changed,†he indicated the numbers, “the codes have changed, and its a different signal from my first look at it.†“Well crap, what does that mean?†We turned to see Ranger standing in the doorway, with Jet and Shadowkahn behind him, slowly moving their way into the medical room, peering at our not quite so dead body. “Not sure yet,†replied BZY, “too many variables right now to determine, but one can easily guess it’s a command of some sort.†“He’s not dead you know,†said Jet over her shoulder as she gazed at the solder, “He’s certainly not necromantic.†“Nah, he’s too technological,†says Ranger, “I’ve gotten the analysis on his possessions, and everything he carried from, wallet to shoes has a micro titanium thread running through them.†He runs his fingers over the man’s shirt lying next to the gurney, “I’d kill for these threads, it’s the best armor I’ve ever seen.†“I’ll keep that in mind, maybe our boys can make our own versions of it,†I suggest, suddenly distracted by one of the scanners, “My God, his Alpha, Delta and Theta waves are all over the place.†“Er, Frost? The pager just lit up,†says BZY. I look over to see a green light blinking on the pager and I think that can’t be good, about the same time the warning klaxons suddenly ring through the base “INCOMING MISSLES,†screams a voice over the alarms. “Head out people, somebody is coming for our guest. Ranger, Geiger, BZY, Wire come with me to the roof, were going to work on the incoming. Huntsman, Kahn, Jet, keep our guest safe.†The guys follow behind me as we run for the exits in the base, and I tap my COM as we head for the roof, “OPS! Firefrost, situation status please.†COM rang back across all parties, “6 missiles on incoming trajectory, origination point unknown possibly from low orbit, configuration looks like they’re from a XM9 portable launcher, ETA 5 minutes before impact.†“Roger COM,†I launched into the air, “Wire, take point.†He flew past me to intercept the lead missile, I watched as he flexed his hands in the direction of two of them, trying to ram them together; nothing happened. “Nothings happening Frost, they don’t have anything I can grab on.†The frustration echoed through the radio, “They must be ceramic, we’ll find out soon enough.†Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to find out as the lead canister changed it’s trajectory aiming at Wire, it exploded before we could get off another shot. Force of habit made me hold my breath (all those flights into the upper atmosphere are starting to pay off), and suddenly we were enveloped in some sort of gray gas, I tried igniting it but it wouldn’t burn, and it was heavy, falling towards the base quickly. Wire grabbed at his throat, went limp and suddenly began plummeting towards the ground. Before I can get to him this odd blur moves below me catching Wire out of the air; I shot above the gas before I radioed out, “Base Alert! Asphyxiation gas falling fast your way, it doesn’t burn; get any breathers the hell out of the area! Who caught Wire?! He needs oxygen ASAP!†“I’vegothimandwereonourwayintothebaserightnow.†Oh, the speedster, Full Throttle, I’d ponder over how the hell he was able to jump to our altitude and get back down without killing himself later. Now that I was above the gas I looked back at our 5 remaining missiles, they had slowed trajectory behind the cloud, “Frost to all points, our rockets are manned, they’ve slowed to land behind the gas. I’m remaining airborne.†I got a “Roger†from everyone, as the base set up for whatever invasion was on its way. The 5 rockets impact the ground on the same side of the base John Doe soldier was on, coincidence? I think not. “Firefrost to Kahn, they’re coming for the Doe, get him and the rest of you out of that area.†I get a “Roger†again, but a question comes along with it from Huntsman, “his waves have increased, what should we do?†My God what a question, if he’s their enemy he could help in the fight, if he’s a friend of theirs, well it would either be the biggest mistake we’d make, one or the other, I made the decision. “Paddle him, give the nanites juice, their coming for him to either hunt or help, it’s sink or swim, might as well get him up.†“You got it,†replied Huntsman and I turned my attention to the battle that was beginning below me. Five figures in armor and one floating object stood near the remains of the missile impacts, guns at the ready, large odd rifles things we had never seen before; oh but the floating object and one of the figures, we had seen them before…a Doctor Destroyer Flyer, and one Destroyer Robot Drone, oh crap. “Frost to all points, you see the drones? Send out a call to Millennium City for backup, send it priority emergency frequency, asap!†Someone in the base replied, “Were on it! Crap, why is Dr. Destroyer attacking us?!†“I think we have something he wants,†was the reply I overheard from Kahn and then he was gone and the fight was on. I sent several firebolts into the drone as BZY sent several mini-missiles into one of the armored solders sending the guy staggering back a few steps, Geiger jumps from the roof and face planted into the ground next to the flyer; Ranger’s had held onto the missile launcher and sent a round into the drone, staggering it back, the damn flyer wobbled in flight but remained airborne. One of the soldiers jumps onto the roof next to BZY and pulls the missile launcher out of BZY’s hands, surprising the hell out of BZY for sure, but the soldiers follow though with a sword into BZY’s shoulder didn’t help matters. Another soldier jumps to the roof to attack Ranger, as Full Throttle buzzes past the guy’s last position and catches the grenade the solder had tossed into his trajectory, fortunately the boy is fast enough that he stopped in mid run and did a quick reverse before the grenade exploded; I swear that man’s a blur, I can barely keep up with his movements. I see one of the soldiers take a quick look at the prone Geiger before stepping up to the building and applying some sort of plastique across a section of the wall. The flyer moves to float over Geiger, and something begins to drip down from it onto him, fortunately the boy wakes up before it splashes onto him and punches it as he rises, knocking the thing off kilter. Geiger then grabs the flyer and throws it into the soldier standing before Ranger, the effect is grisly, whatever viscous fluid that thing was oozing was highly destructive, as the drone and the soldier dissolved in a mass of melting metal. Full Throttle runs up to attack the one of the soldiers that had been standing back, only to be grabbed and thrown face first into the ground, in one of the most spectacular martial arts moves I’ve seen since the preliminaries for the Death Dragon. Ranger gets another missile into the first soldier they had staggered, while BZY goes into hand to hand with the one solder on the roof with them. I send a few firebolts into the other one on the roof but my shots aren’t getting past whatever armor Doctor Destroyer has built for these guys. The plastiqued wall goes up not in a blast but a strange implosion, and the soldier that had been patiently waiting walks through the rubble into the base. Now I hear the sounds of fighting from inside the PRIMUS base, COM had been strangely silent, now it made sense; somehow they had gotten inside without us seeing them and was occupying the troops within, but how many were inside was unknown. I said a quick prayer for their safety and went back into my own fight. By now BZY and Ranger was double teaming one of the soldiers on the roof, while knock the other one off the roof. BZY had popped claws and with a howl ripped the solders chest out, but in doing so stuns himself in the process, I’ve been exhausting myself flying and fighting and so I land near them to try and cover BZY’s recovery, and to keep him safe as Ranger moves into position to shoot the other soldier of the roof. Down on the ground, Geiger’s own frustration levels had finally hit maximum and he hits one soldier with a huge plasma blast, knocking the soldier back a few yards like a rag doll, planting him bonelessly into the ground. Full Throttle had pulled himself out of the self made crater and runs for hole made by the soldier, following the man inside, Ranger and I go after the solider I had knocked off the roof. I have no idea how many shots we put into the guy between us, but after the smoke clears he stands up out of the pit that was created around him and very calmly lobs a grenade at the advancing Full Throttle, who quickly bats it out of the air right back into the arms of the soldier which blows up right then and there! Unfortunately all it did was blast the guy backwards, it didn’t even kill him, but at least the soldier looks stunned and reeling. Then I hear something else that chills my bones, whatever interference there had been on COM was finally gone, I guess the guy laying boneless on the ground a few yards away was their radio man. I hear someone in the base say, “6 more missiles incoming.†Oh God, no, we can’t handle anymore, were still fighting the first 5 that landed; ok we were down to 3 but still, how much more could we take? And what the hell had been going on inside the base while we dealt with the threat outside? The six land before I can get off the roof to do anything about it. BZY, entertaining the idea of the coup de grâce pops claws again and drives them into the skull of the downed solder he had attacked. BZY’s scream of pain was terrifying. Ranger and I spun and looked in horror as BZY’s skin was stripped away leaving behind sinew, muscle and cybernetics; from his claws in the soldiers skull across his chest, head and part of his other arm, flesh seemed to vanish. It dawned on me that the solders nanites must have done the damage, perhaps a failsafe, or BZY had hit the organ housing the nanites, either way, they had done their damage. Geiger took advantage of the soldiers, marines, whoever the hell they were landing in a fairly straight line and “flicks the rug†by grabbing turf and tossing it, only few of the marines scatter off their feet though. Unfortunately this left him wide open for a shot in the back from one of the soldiers that hadn’t been taken off his feet; fortunately, I collected my wits about myself quick enough to fly in and grab Geiger out of the way before the God awful huge blast hit him; my God was it a huge blast, some sort of plasma shot, similar to Geiger’s but it looked at least a hundred times more powerful then his. Full Throttle comes from out of the building, and manages to get himself face planted again; obviously he was avoiding whatever grenade had gone off inside the building because the entire shook and a bright light emanated from within; it could have been another grenade, after all I didn’t have any idea what was going on in there until later. I had landed on the roof with Geiger and I watch as one marine calmly walks over to his fallen comrade out in the field and drop a grenade on him, and calmly walk towards the hole in the side of our building. And just for fun, he lobs one up onto the roof amongst us. BZY thinking fast, scooped it up and threw it at another marine out on the field, Ranger shoots the marine as the grenade hits and the solder dies a quick dissolving death. Full Throttle, recovered from his face plant, grabs up the planted marine and his grenade and throws them into another solder knocking them both to the ground. Something is going on below us in the medical bay they had blasted open; the marines are running for the room. Geiger decided that it would be a good idea to jump in on the one that had just entered and promptly gets blasted by another marine waiting inside, this time the plasma shot hits him square on, knocking Geiger back several yards and into the ground. I watch the marine that had been knocked over by his fallen comrade get up leaving the solder and his grenade behind just before it goes off dissolving him; he runs for the wall and into the bay. I float down carefully and poke my head around the opening, freezing the guy who just ran into the room. I’m greeted by the barrel of a large weapon pointed at me, and my life starts to flash before my eyes; what changes the mind of the marine pointing the plasma rifle at me I will never know, perhaps it was adherence to orders, who knows; what I do know is that rifle was slung to the side and the marine pushes his frozen comrade into a silver glowing portal erected in our medical bay. I hear from Shadowkahn, who’s apparently seen what’s gone on from the inside of the building, “they opened the portal open and took our very alive and very active John Doe through it, what do we do?†“Leave them alone, let them go, we’ve suffered enough this day.†I say, and it’s true, my God were hurting, Lord only knows what happened inside, “Let them go, do not engage, do not follow. Everyone got that?†Those that are conscious and able to talk give me mumbled affirmatives. After verifying that there were no other marines about, I quickly erect a ice shield at shin height right near the portal, so anyone coming out of it would trip as they exited and then promptly began building a secondary ice shield around the portal in general, heaven forbid someone start poking their noses too closely at this technology while it was still running. Full Throttle races in checking around the edges while I erect the shield, I catch a barrage of questions and a dangerously curious look in his eyes. “You’ll not want to get too close, the portal leads to Doctor Destroyer and you know how much he loves to experiment on us super humans.†Full Throttle blanched, slowly turned and leaves; I finished securing the rest of the area; the portal takes a full 10 minutes before it automatically shuts down. Our facility it a mess, scorch marks, blast holes, electrical shorts and just plain old structural damage greets my staggering group coming down from the roof. Ranger dragged Geiger and BZY into the infirmary, where Huntsman, Jet and Wire are already laid out in various conditions of beat-the-shit-out-of, what a mess. Here is where I watch them and several regular members of Primus get patched up, nobody died, at least nobody on our side, that was a stroke of good fortune, how in the hell did that happen? Here’s where the guilt hits me, if we hadn’t kept John Doe, if we hadn’t let him regenerate, what would have happened? Would they of come eventually? Would he of dissolved like is brethren out there on the field? I watch detached, as my team gets patched; of two minds about it; it still hurts like hell when the consequences of decisions make themselves felt like this. Shadowkahn fills me in on what happened inside; it was a two pronged assault though those of us outside never saw the one they fought. Kahn, Huntsman and Jet had wheeled the soldier out of the medical bay and turned him invisible (one of Kahn’s new tricks) as they had made their way down the hall; only to find one hell of a welcoming committee from the drop soldiers at the front hall. One soldier, composed completely of energy had come looking for our guest and had spent all of his time getting the shit beat out of him and beating the shit out of PRIMUS agents and our team. Jet was exceedingly unhappy and badly damaged, when their combined attacks had finally managed to destroy the solder it exploded, singing and blinding them, but the blast had an additional effect, the energy soldier had been blessed, so Jet suffered from the effects of a holy energy explosion. Shadowkahn tells me that Wire “went a little nuts†when one of our agents got injured and had just about done himself in trying to kill the electrical soldier and the recovered John Doe. Huntsman had been taken out from behind by our once deceased John Doe; he had been severely surprised when the JD had reappeared (Khan had dropped the invisibility) and his skin had been replaced by that blue/black-green chitinous armor that had lain just below the dermal layer, and that the gurney he had been rolled around on had been completed dissolved, assumed eaten, by the JD’s nanites. John Doe got away from them at that point; we assumed he escaped with the rest of the marines that had landed. While the team sat in recovery, I questioned our uninjured agents, checked to make sure that our two recent prisoners hadn’t escaped and then dismissed myself to one of the undamaged surveillance rooms. I went through the surveillance tapes from the undamaged cameras around the facility and found something interesting; the solders that had gone through the hole they had made in the outside wall and had proceeded, in an utmost orderly and precise manner right towards John Doe’s position near the end of a hall (which now had a large hole in it thanks to them), the audio picked up the only conversation heard during the entire attack, “’Brother Captain it is time to go.’†Marines, soldiers, specialists from Doctor Destroyer, had advanced on our facility to take back one of their own, hell a commanding officer. I watched them clasp forearms in greeting and then John Doe and his cohort walked back towards the damaged medical bay. The surveillance camera in that medical bay had survived, so I watched the soldiers we hadn’t seen put together the thin metal portal, adjust dials and such until the vortex appeared; John Doe and cohort walked calmly into the portal, the exodus of the rest of the marines began afterwards; the video even managed to catch Geiger’s and my attacks on the remaining soldiers. I watched the rest of the tapes, checking angles of attacks, accuracy, the exodus; surgical assault it wasn’t but it was pretty damn close, the only reason I was alive and not fried to a crisp is because that last remaining marine had followed orders, thank you God. I had to think about it, Fact: Their captain had been recovering slowly, had we left him in the morgue when he had finally awoken on his own and the signal been sent, they would of descended in the middle of the city surrounded by civilian populace. Fact: If we hadn’t brought him to the PRIMUS facility where the incident was isolated we would have had a disaster, with untold property damage and civilian deaths. Fact: PRIMUS had survived a direct onslaught by Doctor Destroyer’s forces and walked away mostly intact and had managed to keep a hold of Destroyer’s technology. Instincts had been good, even though he had bit us in the ass; by God we had actually done something right, hallelujah. Backup and emergency personnel from Millennium arrived almost 10 minutes after the fight had ended, I suppose that’s actually not too bad, but if would have been cold comfort had this been a more deadly fight. I left them to their business and left Ranger and Shadowkahn, my least two-damaged team take care of dealing with their questions. I sat and watched tapes, recorded my findings, and filled out tablet after tablet of report; I was exhausted and my brain was melting from lack of sleep and too much stress. Someone overhead paged me that I had a phone call waiting. I must admit I was surprised by who was on the other end. “Firefrost here, go ahead.†“Frost, this is Commander Stone, I’ve just gotten word about the attack on the Hudson City base; tell me what happened.†So I told him everything I was including in my reports, it’s not like he wouldn’t eventually get a copy of them anyway, and I finished with the good news, a load of injuries, no losses. “So you fought two units of Destroyer’s space marines and nobody died, the building is still standing and you got away with some of his tech?†“Yessir.†“My God, you deserve commendations, medals, a raise! Who the hell else could ever say that? Took on Doctor Destroyer and survived, their needs to be a tee-shirt.†Originally I was going to let him ramble, but after being so close to Detroit when it went up back in the 80’s I couldn’t let the conversation take that sort of turn. “Sir we took on two units of Destroyers, not Destroyer himself, I doubt we would have survived that. Not only that but we only survived the conflict because we stopped our aggression and allowed them to leave via the portal, I’m very sure the damage to personnel and property would have increased exponentially had they remained.†Remembering the barrel of the plasma rifle in my face. “And if you want to give a raise, I’d suggest giving it to the staff of the base who dealt with the marines without powers; they deserve as much praise if not more than we do.†“Heh, of course Firefrost, I’m merely commenting. Excellent work all around, your team did exceedingly well.†Stone’s voice changed, not quite the bluster that had been there moments ago. I was mollified somewhat by the change in his tone, but honestly, I was just so damned tired I wanted it to end. “Yes sir, thank you sir, I’ll pass that along to my team when they come out of the infirmary. You’ll have to excuse me Commander but I need to finish the report,†my voice dropped significantly, “I need to finish…†My voice trailed off, the memorial tomorrow morning, God only how many hours away where had the time gone? With softness I had never expected from Stone, he replied, “I understand, you have a lot to do. Good evening Firefrost.†The line clicked closed. My finger gently pushed the button closing the line, and weariness heavier than any I had felt before fell across me shoulders, even though my eyes misted over, I was so tired I couldn’t even cry. Time passed, I could hear the base around me creaking, falling, the staff talking in rough voices, every voice that floated by was filled with a sort of somber joy, they had faced Doctor Destroyer and survived, that much heroism deserves thanks, deserves praise, I sat and let it wash over me. Carolyn found me slumped in the surveillance room chair, “I know it’s a stupid question but I’ll ask it anyway, you ok?†“No, not really.†I replied. “Your not hurt are you?†she pressed. “Not in the physical sense.†I said. “Do you want to be left alone?†she questioned. “Yes, no.†I paused, turning in the chair to look at her. “Do you know what you want?†“World peace?†I smiled lopsidedly at her. Carolyn looked at me, eyebrow raised, “no jokes.†“I know what I need Carolyn,†I rose somewhat unsteadily and looked at her, the pain so evident in my eyes, “I need a hug.†She smiled softly and opened her arms to me and she hugged me. The tears rolled down my face dampening her jacket but she didn’t pull away, she just held me. Held on and let me cry it out of my system, the way she had during my first month after the transformation, when I would scare the hell out of myself after stints in the Danger Room with Dr. Baly watching sanctimoniously over my troubles. She held me like my mother had held me when the world had become too scary after her diagnosis, and suddenly a new wave of despair overcame me. She slid to the floor with me as sobs came uncontrollably. Carolyn sat with me until my misery subsided and I was quietly snuffling into the tissues she gave me, handful after handful. She had that look I’ve seen her get when she talks to younger staff, when she had spoken to me those first months, that motherly intuitive look, having two grown kids of her own, she had it down quite well. “You need a husband,†Carolyn whispered, electing a teary hiccupping laugh from me, “seriously Vi, you need someone to confide in, someone to live your life with, someone who would understand you. Someone that could comfort you the way a loved one would.†“I would need a boyfriend first,†I laughed harshly, “I would need a life first.†“Why don’t you date?†“Oh come on Carolyn, I’m a mutant, I’d have to explain why I get calls to run out of the house in the middle of the night?†I looked at her incredulously, “or having to explain the broken bones, bruises, cuts and abrasions when I come home after a fight? Come on, I’m not living a normal life, it’s not like there’s a superhero dating service out there.†My voice became mocking pretending it was a commercial, “Do you have a secret your hiding, a pair of leotards in the closet and a mask? Well don’t worry we have the perfect match, in a cape and shiny red boots! Super Hero Services; your dream mate is only a phone call away.†Carolyn laughed, and I admit I chuckled too. “You never know dear,†she struggled to her feet, “ooh arthritis.†She was joking, Carolyn was in better shape than I was. I rose and offered her assistance, Carolyn hugged me again and patted my hand, “you know that God makes one for everyone out there, yours is probably out there too if you look.†“Your such a Yenta Carolyn.†I hugged her. “I don’t fit the profile of the Jewish matchmaker, but gossip yes; at least I’m not breaking into song.†She smiled at me. I chuckled again. “Ah my mission is complete, I got you to laugh.†She kissed me on the forehead, then turned and walked to the door, pausing as she opened it. “Seriously girl, you need to do something, you’ll never know unless you take a chance and tell him.†She winked and closed the door gently behind her before I could comment. I stared at the door not sure exactly what had transpired here, I had gone from miserable and depressed to confused in under a minute. “Boyfriend, pifft.†I mumbled to the air, but who was I kidding? How many times had I written just that same thing, thought that same thought, how much I wanted someone to share my life with? I collected my reports and the rest of the documentation, making sure to notate I wanted to be notified should they get the portal reopened or had any further information on the marines, and made my way out into the hall and to the staff on duty to place my report and collect the remains of my team. BZY remained behind, soaking in a nutrient bath so his nanites could grow new skin, Jet stayed behind in the furnace they had developed for her to heal in (extreme heat now heals damage for her, go figure). I collected up the rest of them and headed home, Full Throttle was handed over to me, assigned by Clark for my team to adopt, take care of and train; Wire was quiet, he seemed out of sorts, his berserk episode was only partially caught on tape, whatever had happened to drive him over the edge was his knowledge alone and he seemed to be fairly miserable in it. Geiger sat away from everyone, silent and brooding starring out the window a frown so deep . He’s going to worry me, I’ll have to talk to him soon, it’s difficult loosing someone this way, he’s lost his best friend and never got the chance to say goodbye, he’s got to be very angry right now. Shadowkahn and Ranger sat close to each other speaking quietly; unfortunately I couldn’t hear them. Huntsman sat next to me, his hood pulled away from his face, revealing his mask; the pain was evident in his eyes, even if the mask hid the rest. It wasn’t until I had gotten back to the mansion and into the shower when it dawned on me; Carolyn had caught me flat-foot with her comment about getting a husband that I had had totally glossed over the last two words, “’tell him’â€. Tell him? Tell him who? She couldn’t’ be talking about Shadowkahn could she? It’s not like I drool over him while were talking, is it? Do I? Is it that visible or is it grandmother instincts? I stood there letting the water beat down on me with another question bubbling through my mind, how do I tell him, should I tell him? Do I tell Cayne I’m falling in love with him and not completely blow the team to hell? Does he feel the same way? We’ve had some moments working together where I thought there could be something there but is something there or just my hopeful wishing? How to reconcile the two sides of the coin? August 13, 2003 Today was the memorial. Why is it funerals always depress the hell out of me? Your spirit has passed from pain into purity, a new realm of understanding of awaking. One’s soul has gone to join the choir invisible and onto its eternal reward, it should be time of great joy. It still depresses the hell out of me. And today showed just how diverse a group of lunatics I call “teammates†we are. Word came down from on high very early, and over personal COMS as well as the general message. PRIMUS put their foot down fast. The funeral was supposed to be private, no outsiders, he had been an agent of PRIMUS after all; therefore a government agent, full honors and 21 gun salute; no such luck, some members of the media caught wind of what was going on and were already sighted in the vicinity. If we could avoid talking with the media we were to do so, but if cornered, no talking about what happened, no mention of Genocide AT ALL. We were not to mention Genocide in any way, Genocide feeds on publicity and killing a PRIMUS agent, a PRIMUS mutant would of brought that twofold. So Clark put out the word we were to say only that he would be missed and the perpetrators would be caught and punished. A tall order for such a passionate bunch of crazies you would think, but we stuck to it, Clark should be proud. The memorial started quietly enough, a little church ceremony with his picture in place of a casket; Father O’Malley graciously enough had agreed to do a non-denominational service, since Succor had never really declared a faith. I was a little surprised by the amount of agents that showed up for the memorial, either out of respect or because they had known him. We, of course, sat in the front. Everyone had dressed rather well if not, well I guess standard for his or her views on life. I was in a standard black pants suit, black blouse and heels (sunglasses for outside); Geiger sat between me and his mom, he was wearing a nice black suit with a dark blue shirt and black tie, his mom in a tasteful black dress, I watched him during the service, his eyes were red rimmed but he never cried. I watched his hands clench and unclench, his jaw move back and forth grinding his teeth together, every now and then he’d glance towards Full Throttle and his eyes would narrow in anger, raw hate. Now that was something we were going to have to nip in the bud; it was all right for Geiger to be angry with those responsible for Succors death, and I could see the wheels turning in his head adding Full Throttle to that list. Succors dying act had been to save Full Throttle by giving him all of his life force, and I’m sure in that teenage mind of his, Geiger was blaming Full Throttle for Succors death. That would need to be changed, it would not do for that kind of animosity to exist within this team, especially against a new teammate; nip it in the bud we would, only problem was, I really didn’t know how we could do it. Shadowkahn sat on the other side of me, cloaked in disguise, looking something like my bodyguard but more oriental, in formal black and white silk robes with white pleats and black on black and white on white embroidery, very stylish. Next to Shadowkahn was Ranger, in full armor, sans gun at least; he wasn’t out of place though, Huntsman sat next to him also in full costume cape and all bless their hearts. Next came BZY (recovered enough to not look strange) in black and Jet in a white business suit, Full Throttle in black and Wire Walker dressed in a white suit with black tie; the three of them looked like a reversed Oreos. At different intervals Kahn recited the sutras along side Father O’Malley. He and I had volunteered to speak at the ceremony, I read from scripture about the hands of a healer; the healing power from Jesus went beyond curing broken bones and ailing bodies. Sickness--and, therefore, healing--is not simply a biological or physical phenomenon. It touches every level of our existence as a human being: physical, emotional, social, spiritual. I carefully watched my team as I spoke; body language tells a lot when you cant see faces. Geiger tense as a bowstring, Ranger was the same; BZY sat shoulders slumped as if in defeat, Huntsman and Kahn held back but the sorrow was evident on their faces as it was on mine; only Jet and Wire seemed to be “disturbed†by all the sorrow, I later found out why. Kahn stood after me and came to the podium to recite a poem he had written to honor Succor and his accomplishments and sacrifice. I’ve copied it here: Comfort’s Gift Life giving fire from within Granted by grace without violent sin Given freely to those that are cold Is a treasure worth more than gold Sacrifice leaving only ash & bone A true heroes heart is boldly shown But only ideals remain to share To protect us all when emotions flare The spirit soars aloft unbound in this, Comfort should be found For into the celestial void it goes To add enlightenment in times of woes And in its memory we leave our doubt To pass its light, life & hope to those without. Ms. Crane was really sobbing at that point, Geiger soften just enough to comfort his mother. I thought I would of broke then as well, but I didn’t my eyes misted but not a single tear fell, I held back my sorrow, but why? Who was I fooling, nobody? I started crying along with everyone else, I wasn’t going to keep up the tough girl act. Kahn did something unexpected when he sat back next to me after reading his poem, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick hug, as if to say, “it’s okâ€, I really cried then. At the end of the ceremony we filed out of the church past the curious and media and to the government private burial grounds, our own Soldier Field. There beneath a light blue sky and abnormally hot weather conditions for August, we stood fast for a 21-gun salute and Father O’Malley and Shadowkahn’s final words. I was shocked to see several figures I hadn’t expected standing in honor of Succor; a little back from the core of PRIMUS agents stood three men in gray suits and black sunglasses, my eyes traveled from them to BZY and Ranger, but the Strike Brothers weren’t here for a fight but to pay their respects, even shaking hands with us all and offering condolences. The other visitor really rocked me to my core, White Ninja the former Gray Ninja. He too shook hands with all of us and offered his condolences, the comment I caught as he said goodbye to Shadowkahn is what chilled me, “‘you’ll see him again soon,’†made my hair stand on end. Whether it was a portent of death or of Succors return as one of the Ninjas I did not know, regardless I wasn’t happy to hear it and neither it seemed, was Kahn. O’Malley bade us all good day as well, though he looked sideways at White Ninja several times while doing so. The media mobbed us as we left the graveyard, everyone held back and let me speak for the group; I stuck to the lines I had been given, “we’ll miss him, they’ll pay, etc.†Ranger and BZY helped usher us into the awaiting cars past the creeps and fanboys (yes even at a funeral there are fanboys). Ranger got tagged by a reporter before he could get into the car, the man sticking a mike in his faceplate, “How do you feel about this Ranger?†It asked, and I feel with remarkable restraint, Matt replied ever so politely, “I am here to pay respects to my friend. Please leave me to my thoughts.†Huntsman pulled a Batman in the middle of the graveyard, disappearing before the media could find him; but we knew where we would find him later. Huntsman, in a rare display of camaraderie was hosting the wake at a local Jazz club called, very simply, Jazz. Providing that the man hadn’t stood us up we’d be seeing him there 3pm till 7pm our scheduled time. Matt had graciously offered to pay for all of the expenses of the funeral, even though Succor had been a government employee, Ranger had felt he “owed it to him†to do at least a little something, as Ranger put it, “I’d be dead with my heart hanging out of my chest if it hadn’t been for that boy.†PRIMUS graciously agreed to at least split the costs. We drove back to the damaged base, dropping off the agents who weren’t going to join us at the wake. Folks spread out to their cars or to their offices with the usual goodbyes. The location of the wake was well known so several agents told us we’d see them there and headed out. Carolyn caught my eye and we chatted about the team, especially Dennis; Carolyn told me she had sat next to one of the psychiatrists, a Dr. Wakeman, who had us all on his list to start talking to come tomorrow, Geiger being tops on that list. We talked about a few other things and I eventually said goodbye, as she was heading home to her grandkids. I gathered up my group, ready to head out to the wake when Dennis said he’d go home with his mother instead of coming with us; which certainly surprised her. It hadn’t surprised me, he doesn’t know how to handle what’s happened so he’s withdrawing from us. Matt tried coxing Dennis to come along with us, but it took his mom insisting that they would both be joining us for him to relent. Edward declined, saying he still didn’t feel up to par, though I got the indication he hadn’t wanted to intrude on what we knew would develop into our reminiscing over Succor. It was quiet at the club, but then again it was 3 o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon. A simple sign posted on the door said “Private Function†and the doorman kept everyone without a PRIMUS ID out. Jazz was a pretty little place, chestnut paneled walls, subdued gold lighting, small private tables out on the floor, a long bar all the way to the stage; the stage itself was a simple raised platform that ran from one end of the room to the edge of the bar, an old upright piano stood out against the deep red curtains hiding whatever was backstage, immediately to our right were a set of stairs leading up, to which the doorman indicated we had seats upstairs as well as on the main floor. A small group of four sat at a table closest to the stage, nodding appreciatively in time to the music of a lone saxophone player on stage. A bartender and two waitresses were already serving several members of PRIMUS that had beaten us here; several were already munching off the buffet and swilling drinks. I shot Wire a withering look, “no alcohol, you’re underage,†that earned a pout but otherwise he actually looked happy and I admit I was confused by it. There was a collective murmur of surprise from the group as we got a good look at the stage, I do not believe that any of us had expected this; on stage was Huntsman playing solo saxophone, rather good actually if not a little strained, he obviously has experience just not a whole lot of it. We dazedly wound our way through the tables to the food and eventually with plates full, sat down amongst fellow mourners. “Well that blows any concepts I had about him,†murmured Matt, indicating Huntsman with a nod of his head. I nodded in agreement, “yep, my theories just got thrown out the window, who’d a thunk it.†“He’s rather good isn’t he,†observed Cayne and we nodded. “Ok who’s up for getting stinking drunk?†Matt asked, waving the waitress over. “I plan on working my way through the alphabet in martinis.†I replied. “I’m up for the drunk but not stinking part,†said Jet. “I’m up for it,†Buzzy nodded. “I’ll drive,†said Cayne. Mrs. Crane declined on hers and Dennis’s behalf. Matt ordered up Cabo Wabo Tequila, I started with an Appletini; Buzzy ordered a bucket of beers, Jet asked for a Cinnamon Schnapps; Cayne and the kids decided on soda. We ate, drank and listened to Huntsman’s tunes, nodding appreciatively at his work. We sat and reminisced over our childhood adventures with music, high school band, college and the military applications of the trombone upsides someone head. Huntsman’s set lasted 30 minutes before he stepped off the stage to polite applause and a handshake from one of the quartet getting up to replace him on stage. He handed the sax over the bar to the bartender, retrieved a glass of water and a double scotch from him and sat down next to us, breathing heavily. “Well you just managed to throw several theories out the window, congratulations.†I joked. He smiled at my comment, knowing that his levels of personal secrecy had always irritated me. “Happy to oblige.†“That was really good Huntsman, have you been playing long?†Cayne asked. “Not really, but a friend of mine got me back into playing and they let me play on amateur night every Thursday, tonight was a special request.†“So you get up on stage in costume and play every Thursday night?†I looked at him incredulously, what happened to that Batman profile I had? Theories really were going out the window. “Yes.†He said with another smile from under that mask, “and I don’t come in last anymore.†Matt laughed, “too bad none of us kept up with our own childhood talents, we could become a band of musical superheroes.†We all laughed gently at his comment, but it did get me thinking about getting an upright sent to the mansion for me to start practicing, 12 years is a long time to be rusty. But Huntsman’s playing did get me thinking, he might be my magic teacher but how much did I really know about him, about any of them? Other than Matt I really hadn’t delved into anyone’s files, why hadn’t I? I hid my confusion by finishing the olive and polishing off the drink, I waved for my next martini. “You like those things?†asked Matt, nodding towards my newly arrived 3rd martini garnished with an orange slice, “It always tasted like I was sucking on a pine tree.†“Well I’ve never sucked on a pine tree so I really wouldn’t know what that tastes like,†was my sarcastic reply. Matt coughed his tequila laughing, Geiger choked on his soda with a harsh laugh, Jet snickered through her glass, Cayne blushed slightly and Huntsman laughed into his scotch; Wire looked a bit confused but laughed along. “Actually I drink anything mixed but tonight is a martini night. I switch between vodka and gin, depending on what you order its vodka, gin, dry vermouth or sweet vermouth and the garnish.†I started chewing on the orange slice, “how about you? You prefer straight tequila shots?†“Straight up, mixed; depends on the night. This would qualify as one of those nights.†Matt replied before rocketing back another shot I looked at Cayne, “how about you, any favorites?†“Saki, sometimes other drinks,†was his simple reply. We looked at Huntsman, who shrugged, “depends, sometimes just wine or scotch, but I have a real fondness for real rum and mead.†“Beer or whisky, is my preference,†said Buzzy without prompting. “Jet?†I asked. “Fire & Ice, hold the ice, extra fire,†she replied, downing her schnapps and looking for number three. Mrs. Crane declined to comment and the boys just shrugged, not as if they had alcohol would they admit to it. Matt cleared his throat, and raised his glass of tequila, “Ladies and Gents a toast.†We quieted up as Matt began so we could hear him over the music. “He was a simple guy, He loved to skate, Open road and wide blue sky, There was very little he did hate. He liked to heal, Caring was his call, Never cut a deal, But has helped heal us all. He stayed in the back, You might have thought him late, But in an attack, He did not hesitate. In the end he gave his all, Saving a life as was his way, In the ranks of heaven he stands tall, And waiting to guide us there some day. So my friend I will say this, Of people today some are worth zero, How ever you I will miss, For to me you were truly a Hero." There was a round of “here, here,†and we tipped our respective glasses back in salute. Matt still continues to impress me, despite all my misgivings at the beginning I trust this man with my life. My gaze rolled over all of them, my team and the other members of PRIMUS out amongst the chairs, I trust all of them with my life, I realized, I don’t know when the transition occurred from paranoid to accepting but it did, and I smile quietly at that though. The band was into another set of mournful tunes, perfect for a wakes and God awful depressing. We were trying desperately to get ourselves into a better mood but the music sure wasn’t helping. Wire looked positively annoyed as the music played on. “Don’t worry the music will pick up, their just trying to set the mood.†Huntsman said in response to Wire’s look. “Well they got the depressed part down,†I said. “Personally I’d like a rendition of Danny Boy,†murmured Matt, “that’s a great wake song.†“Just ask them, they’ll play what you want if they know it,†replied Huntsman. “Hey! Play Danny Boy would you?†Yelled Matt, which made us jump; we had started into maudlin and mellow, his shout surprised us. One of the quartet members nodded and after they finished their current song, began playing Danny Boy. Matt started out low but his voice quickly rose above the conversation as he sang in time to the music. Of all people to join in, Jet’s voice rang out on the chorus and she sang along with him. A few of us hummed along, not knowing the words, I didn’t sing since I knew my voice would crack during the song (humming fine though) and each of us was a little dewy eyed by the time they finished. Who knew they could sing, and sing well? We applauded politely at their rendition and Matt took a little bow in his chair acknowledging our appreciation. Another round of drinks came up as we started reminiscing over our favorite music; I think we were all pleasantly surprised by our revelations of favorite tunes. Some of us were bridging into the “feelin mellow†stage by then. Cayne’s eyebrow went up at the Hershey Kiss speared in my glass. “Chocolatetini,†I tipped the glass towards him, “made with vanilla vodka, cream de something and a few other things as well as the chocolate kiss.†I fished the chocolate out I nibbled on the kiss, “told ya I was working my way through the alphabet tonight.†“Here, here.†Said Matt as he slammed back another shot, “good thing your driving mate.†“Alcohol and depression mix well you know,†Huntsman mentioned. “Yes but it can also help alleviate the barriers between emotions, helping to free your mind,†supplied Cayne. “Chocolate good, hits all the right endorphins.†I murmured. “Well I don’t understand what you’re all depressed about anyway.†Wire said. I swear we all looked at him as if he had grown a second head. “What do you mean why are we depressed, Succors dead you dolt,†replied Matt. “Don’t you all believe in the religious thing you’ve gone on about all day? Don’t you all believe in Heaven and Hell?†Wire asked, a little loudly, almost angry, pointing at Jet, “I mean there’s part of your proof isn’t it?†A few of us nodded, unsure where he was going with this. “Well doesn’t that mean that he’s gone off to a better place? Isn’t that what O’Malley kept saying, that he’s somewhere better than this? What are you all so upset about, he died doing what meant the most to him and now he’s free of this crazy world, what’s so wrong about that? Why is this depressing you? Shouldn’t you be happy for him?†His last words were a question, almost pleading, trying to get us to understand. “I don’t understand, shouldn’t we be happy for him?†Wire asked quietly, looking pained trying to understand why he was making us upset. “Your right Stephen, we are thankful that he isn’t in pain anymore and that he’s safe from this world.†I put on hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, “but it doesn’t make it any easier knowing that he was taken from us far too soon, even if he is up in Heaven.†Jet snorted, “Well if any of my taint stayed with him it might not be Heaven.†The looks that Huntsman and Shadowkahn gave her would of frosted Ole Faithful, Geiger blanched. “Oh come on, I’m with him,†she pointed at Stephen, “black is just too morbid and I look great in white, this its supposed to be a joyous occasion. I’m optimistic that he was well tainted enough that I can get to see him on one plane or another when next I visit home, hell I’ve been tempted to call down just to see if he’s there and if he’s enjoying it.†She smiled brilliantly. Matt looked incredulous, Buzzy looked concerned, Stephen looked a little confused, Geiger’s eyes flashed mean and disgusted, Huntsman grimaced, and something calculating flickered across Cayne’s face, I held my breath. Dennis stood up nearly knocking his chair over and stomped out, Mrs. Crane took a deep breath and gathered her purse up, “I guess were going.†She stopped momentarily to give me a kiss on the cheek and a hug and then followed her son out. “He was not tainted.†Huntsman said quietly, looking sternly at Jet who simply smiled back at him, “the taint that he received was with his body not his spirit. His soul has gone onto a better place than this, for I think he was enlightened at the end.†What good mood we had tried to initiate into Dennis died a horrible painful death with her comments. Jet had just been getting our goat, and Dennis had fallen for it, I would swear that if his mother hadn’t been here Jet would have been massacred. I buried myself in my drink, praying very quietly that nobody died tonight. Another round was ordered up and I dove into the next in the alphabet martini selection. Conversation wasn’t quite the same after that. ~~~ Huntsman had been correct, the music did pick up to more of the jazz styles I prefer listening to, a little Louis Armstrong, Johnny Coltrane, some Frank Sinatra, Art Tatum, and jazz/rock fusions. Dirty, Flying Dutchman, Golden and Sweet martinis got me through to seven o’clock without further incidents. Matt had probably cleared through one bottle of Cabo by then, Huntsman had gone to straight scotch and Jet was into another round of something burning hot. I had re-chilled several drinks and frosted over Buzzy’s beers. A few of us were in drunken sulks by then, hang Jet for freaking us all out with her comments about Hell. We talked about little things, continually steering conversations away from anything that might start Jet back on souls languishing in Hell. Poor Cayne, watching us drink ourselves further into depression, he was smart enough to keep us plied with food to keep us for getting sick, brining back trays for us from the buffet before it closed at 5. Most of PRIMUS had departed after the food had packed up, though a few of us stayed behind. Wire left with Jet tailing behind, Wire promised to keep out of trouble. I wasn’t sure who I was more concerned about getting into trouble, and I fervently wished the fates would be kind to us tonight; BZY bade us good evening within minutes of them leaving, I’m sure to keep his own eyes on them. Buzzy had kept his own distance this night, when conversations had drifted around to some of our more humorous moments in the field, he looked contemplative almost regretful when we spoke of Succor. Each of us carried inner demons of guilt, I know that now. That left myself, Cayne, Huntsman and Matt drowning ourselves in our particular poisons. As the regulars floated in, I was further perplexed by the amount of customers that nodded or said hello to Huntsman, but gave Ranger (still in costume) strange looks. The time for our private party ended as the real world intruded in on us again. “Your that well known here?†I asked, trying not to slur. “I told you I play on Thursday nights.†Huntsman answered, that slight smirk hadn’t vanished yet. “Yes you did, more to you than just magic and a big blade isn’t there.†I said, I was definitely slurring, boy Cayne would have some fun blackmail material if more alcohol became involved. “Who knows maybe you’ll find out one day.†He said as he rose unsteadily, “time for me to go folks I have to see a man about some glassware.†Huntsman put his hand on each of our shoulders and quietly slipped out of the club. “Still playing the dark knight isn’t he,†asked Matt. “Yep,†replied Cayne, “it’s what he’s good at.†“You should try his magic classes, it’s all “you find your own path, each person finds their own version of magic to utilize, yada, yada, yada.†I mumbled. “I still can’t believe you got him to agree to teach you magic theory,†Matt laughed. “Well I wasn’t going to relent on it, and I think, “Shadowkahn & Huntsman’s Wonderful World of Magic and Mysticismâ€, should take off nicely once we get over ourselves and put together some time for the class.†I said. Cayne laughed, “Finding the time is part of the problem.†Matt snorted, “we need a break before we break,†he laughed, “especially you,†Matt pointed at me, “your wound so tight I could use you for a car spring.†I glared over the glass, “pfft, am not.†“Are too.†“Am not.†“Are too.†“Am not.†“Yes you are,†Cayne broke the string of kindergarten banter, “we all are, we do need a vacation. Do you think PRIMUS would give us one?†He looked quizzically at me. I shrugged, “beats me, I haven’t had a vacation since I started working for them.†“Maybe we should ask,†murmured Matt. The conversation died down and we watched more people come into the club. “Popular for a Wednesday evening,†Cayne observed. “Maybe we should move I’d like to get out of the armor, well at least part of the armor.†Matt muttered. Cayne glanced upwards, “well the balcony isn’t getting filled and we could probably find a nice dark spot up there where we wouldn’t get noticed.†“I’m all for that,†Matt smiled, and stood wobbly for just a moment before straightening out and making his way towards the stairs. “Cripes you’re going to make me stand up and take stairs, the things I do for you guys.†I sighed, tottering myself. Cayne reached out to steady me, his hand cupping my elbow and that sudden gentle touch was electric, I shivered. “You ok?†he asked. “I’m good.†I was thankful for the dark lights and the already flushed complexion so that he couldn’t see my blush. God all I wanted to do at that moment was glomp him like a cat girl. Down hormones down, I thought and somehow managed to keep a stupid grin off my face as we walked arm in arm up the stairs to the loft. Dear God, if you ever give me the chance, please give me the backbone to do something about him, I mentally prayed. Cayne let one of the waitresses know we were heading into the loft and she nodded in understanding. Matt had already found a neat table to the far side of the loft, lighting low enough you could only see the table top; he had already removed most of the suit and was changing into a tee-shirt and jeans, at least the jeans were already on by the time we reached him so nothing embarrassing there (thank you Lord!) “Well you’re a quick change artist,†I quipped. He smiled as he packed the armor into a duffle bag he had earlier hidden away somewhere on his person, “you learn to change fast when you need to,†he replied as he shrugged on a leather jacket and folded himself back into a chair. Cayne held a chair for me and then slid into his own seat, his clothing rippled becoming black jeans a button down loose shirt and a denim jacket; his features altered just enough to make him looks less Oriental and more Italian, the look he had taken for my body guard. He smiled beatifically at us both, Matt rolled his eyes and I sighed deeply, “Yea whatever, ya show off.†They both chuckled. “Excellent seating arrangements Matt,†Cayne said, observing the layout. “Yea, well I’m not drunk enough I wouldn’t watch our backs,†Matt replied. “I think I am,†I stripped off my jacket and looked around, Matt had set the chairs so we were all facing the stage but could still see the stairs; I nodded in approval, not like I had noticed anyway. “We’ll have to work on that,†chided Matt. ~~~~ Around 9pm Jazz was really jumping, the quartet had become a quintet and several tables had been moved back from the stage to allow for amateur dance night. We watched couples swaying to the music, trying complex dance steps, hitting some serious swing time. I had stopped my pursuit of the martini alphabet by then and was working on ginger ale. We were drunk, incredibly drunk, but it was all cool and detached, I had felt myself flare hot and cold several times but nothing overt had happened; a few months ago I had run analysis on my blood, it’s highly oxygenated which is part of what gives me my flight capacity, so I deduced that my body was trying to burn the alcohol out of my system, it had had enough and said no more. Matt was surprisingly lucid for someone who must of polished off two bottles of Tequila, he didn’t slur, and only bobbled for a moment when walking, I was very impressed, I later found out from Cayne that he had cheated though; had done one shot out of four the rest had been water, sneaky git. Did it so he would be relaxed enough but not out of mental commission incase we got into or started trouble. Me, well it wasn’t staggering but I definitely had more bounce to my step when I walked, it’s easier for girls to get away with walking drunk, you just exaggerate your walk, it got me lots of looks from the fellows as I sauntered past on my way to the bathrooms. Dinner had helped take the edge off the liquor. Jazz served from a simple but rather refined dinner menu, so we had ordered up around 8 o’clock. I was just slipping back into my chair from my last trip to the bathroom, when someone new steps onto the stage, saxophone strapped around his neck, and takes the mike. He’s pale, clean-shaven with short dark red brown hair and green eyes that sparkled in the spotlight, a strong jaw line and slimly built, his smile dazzled; or maybe it was the alcohol. “Good evening everyone,†he said, to jubilant applause and not too few whistles, he looks around and frowns slightly, “I have a special request from our favorite hooded familiar, who seems to of fled the coop again,†a round of laughs and applause followed. “It’s going to tone it down for a minute or two but we’ll get jumping again real soon. This is for someone who’s no longer with us, it’s called Old Friends Gone.†He turns and taps out the beat and begins. His saxophone is powerful, sad and sweet, wrapping around us like a comfortable blanket, patting us on the shoulder in comfort; the audience has hushed and we can see even the waitresses and bartender have stopped what they’re doing to watch him play. By the time he finishes the solo, new tears are cascading down my face and even Matt and Cayne have scrubbed their eyes a few times. The applause is loud after the echo of his last note dies away. He smiles sadly but warmly for a moment before smiling brilliantly again, he turns to the quintet and taps out a new beat, they launch into swing jazz. “Wow, that was breathtaking,†whispers Cayne. “The man knows how to play,†Matt comments. I blow my nose into copious amounts of tissues in reply, the guys’ chuckled. “So does this guy know Huntsman or is it the other way around?†Says Matt, looking contemplatively at the man on stage. I shrug, “we don’t even know who he is, but everyone else seems to.†I say. “Yea I noticed that, I guess we need to get out more.†Quips Matt. “Yea,†I mumble, “I guess we do.†We listen to this new saxophone player, he switches between an alto and soprano saxes depending on the song, a few of the songs hit us with the same intensity as his solo, but their upbeat and meant to get the blood pumping. He plays for 30 minutes straight, before ending with one hell of a flourish to thunderous applause. The pianist takes the mike, “Give it up for Johnny Domingo!†and a new round of applause reverberates through the club, as the saxophonist bows several times and smiles appreciatively at their praise. “Were going to take a little break and we’ll be back soon,†the pianist announces, to more applause and the lights on stage go out. Music from hidden speakers starts pouring out into the room as the quintet plus one leave the stage. Johnny signals a waitress who brings him over a drink and he leans in close to her for a moment, she nods and turns to look directly at us, (we scooted our chairs backwards collectively) Johnny’s gaze follows hers, he gives her a peck on the cheek and heads in our direction. “Looks like were going to get a visitor,†Cayne says, shifting slightly in his seat. “Well maybe we’ll learn something about our Batman,†I say, which made Matt laugh; I didn’t realize I used my pet name for Huntsman aloud. “Batman huh? Yea, well with the exception of the chin stubble he’s constantly sporting that whole mysterious stranger attitude fits.†Cayne chuckles along with Matt, and I giggle along with them. He kept to the back of the stairs and out of the lights as he came to us and pulled up a chair backwards, straddled the seat and leaned over the backrest, grinning at us. “So your HM’s cohorts huh? Johnny Domingo, at your service.†He smiled at us again before sobering up, “I’m sorry for your loss, it’s rough to loose a friend like that.†We made polite noises in return, I answered, “Please forgive our lack of enthusiasm, its been a rough few weeks,†I smiled gently. “Yes, HM told me a little about what went on. For what it’s worth, you have my condolences.†He smiled slightly. “Oh? Does he talk about us?†I answered coyly. Johnny chucked, “yes and no, he plays close to his chest, but then you guys probably know that.†He put his hand out to each of us, “Johnny Domingo, you might of heard of me in the Jazz circles as Johnny Domino too,†he shrugged, “You don’t have to introduce yourselves, I think I can figure out who you are.†We took turns shaking his hand, Cayne actually introduced himself as Shadowkahn, after all it’s not like he hasn’t changed his looks again. I shook his hand, “Firefrost,†and I smiled warmly. Matt kept himself quiet, but shook his offered hand. “So Johnny, why the name change? Domino sounded pretty cool.†Matt asks. “My grandfather passed away last year, so I changed it to honor him. Unfortunately it means I have to remake my stage image with this name.†He smiled warmly at us, “But it’s a small price to pay, most folks remember me anyway.†“So, how long have you been friends with Huntsman?†asked Cayne. “HM? Hmm a few years, been teaching him sax.†Johnny smiled. I wouldn’t think of two more different individuals, Huntsman the dark brooding, quiet vanishing act and this guy Johnny, outgoing, charismatic and a stage hound, who knows what brought people together. “I’m used to him pulling the all ‘dark and mysterious’ tricks on me,†he shrugged taking another sip from his drink, “I guess you just start getting used to it.†We all chuckled at that. “Yea your right, I think were getting used to it,†Matt replied, “but he’s reliable, and good in combat.†Cayne nodded in agreement. “Amen to that,†I said, “He saved my bacon a few times.†I sipped my soda, “one adventure we both almost died, if it hadn’t been for him I probably wouldn’t be here.†Matt nodded; remember the incident with the dagger and the frog demon I was referring to, the three of us had almost bit it that day. “Yea every now and then I catch him with more scars, you heroes seem to collect them.†Johnny mused, “not a healthy hobby.†“Par for the course,†Matt replied, “So how well do you know, HM you call him?†Ah Matt’s curiosity was up. Johnny laughed easily, “HM, better than spewing out Huntsman every time I want to talk about him,†he nodded towards the crowd below, “some of them call him that too.†“So he really does come here on Thursdays and plays?†I asked. “Yep, hard to believe isn’t it. They keep his sax behind the bar and lock it up every night before we close.†Johnny took another sip, “I think it has been three or four years? I’m not sure; he tries to keep a little distance between us sometimes, I think for my safety as well as his.†“But you know about him,†I pried. “Oh yea, lots but if he’s keeping his secrets from you guys still, then he’s got his reasons, I’ll not betray that trust, sorry.†“We understand,†replied Cayne. “Yea, besides as much as I want to know, I’ve kept my nose out of his files, I figure he’ll eventually trust us enough to tell us.†I said. “But I wish he would sometime soon.†The three of them chucked at me. “What? It’s true, I mean my God, and it has been almost a year? We’ve saved each other’s butts, worked towards the common good,†I kept my voice low, but you could hear the anger seeping into it, “fought side by side and felt the pain of loss and triumph of success, what do we have to do in order to get him to trust us enough to let us in?†I quietly demanded; oh God how I wished I hadn’t said all that, especially to a total stranger, what the hell was I doing? But my tongue had run off with my common sense. Johnny was taken aback, but he smiled again and asked softly, “So have you told him this?†I blinked at him, and looked sheepish, “No. Not in so many words, I’ve tried in my own way. I mean he comes off so standoffish and when you try to get a little closer he backs off and vanishes. I’ve tried to respect his privacy but well, it’s hard when you need to trust someone with your life and you know so little about them. I’m so new at this, for me not knowing adds a lot of stress, I’m the sort of person that has to figure things out, to know how it works, I’m trying to deal but well it’s been rough.†Lord, I was on the verge of tears again, I hated being drunk, my brain cells died in liquor, and I wanted to strangle my tongue. “Sorry.†I said, to everyone and no one. Johnny patted my hand in comfort, “it’s ok. My suggestion would be to take it easy with him, I’m sure he’ll come around. You have to realize that he’s been a loner for all his life, it’s hard for him to trust anyone or to work in groups, trust me I know it takes a while for him to warm up. Singular is a hard habit to break.†“I’ll keep it in mind.†I sniffled for a moment or two, and felt Cayne’s hand touch my back in comfort, I guess he understood that my frustrations were still building and I was venting. “So where did you start playing,†asked Matt, trying to steer the conversation onto easier roads. “Oh years ago,†replied Johnny with a grin, “I’ve traveled a lot, all over the country, New Orleans, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Fran, small and big cities, wherever I can find a Jazz club.†“Your sound is excellent, by the way, not many play In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening that well.†Smiling slightly, trying desperately to dig myself out of the self-collapsing funk. “You know that?†Johnny beamed, “Man either your one hell of a movie buff or you know a lot about music.†“Both really, I played piano eons ago. I love music and when you don’t get out much, movies become your basis for relaxation. I’ve been acquiring quite an extensive collection of vinyl and CD’s from the esoteric to movie music over the years.†“I’ll have to start borrowing from you Vi,†said Matt, “you shouldn’t keep that a secret.†“Well...†I started hemming and hawing, only to be interrupted by Johnny. “That’s cool, I’ll have to invite you guys over to trade music.†He cocked his head listening to the speakers, and looked over his shoulder, the group was working their way towards the stage, “that’s my eue to get my butt back on stage. It really was nice meeting all of you,†he shook our hands again, “got any special requests?†“New York State of Mind?†said Matt. “Anytime At All?†was Cayne’s request. “Never on a Sunday?†I asked. Johnny laughed again, “sure thing, I think I can do them all. Hey, next round’s on me, ok?†He waved goodbye as he walked away and down the stairs to the stage. “Beatles.†I said. “Billy Joel.†Said Cayne. “What the hell is Never on a Sunday?†asked Matt. Cayne shrugged he didn’t know it either. “Jules Dassin,†I said. “Who?†“Never on a Sunday is a movie from 1960, set in Greece about a Greek prostitute.†I snickered, their looks were priceless, “Never on Sunday was Greek before My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the movie’s like what, forty three years old? Jules Dassin wrote, directed and costarred in his movie about the celebration of good living, which was embodied by the vivacious Melina Mercouri. It was the Cannes award-winning role of her career actually. She plays Ilya, a fiercely independent prostitute who handpicks her clientele, and Dassin plays Homer, an American intellectual enamored of all things Greek, and completely determined to steer Ilya onto the straight and moral path. He's out of his depth, of course; it's not long before his efforts are exposed as naively self-serving, half the fun of the movie is from watching Mercouri amiably deflect any attempt to dampen her spirit. Its completely innocent and good-natured by today’s standards, it’s popular for the non-mainstream crowds and the familiar bouzouki themes throughout the film makes it lots fun.†“You picked a song from a movie about a prostitute?†asked Cayne, puzzled. “What the hell’s a bouzouki?†asked Matt. I smirked, “A bouzouki is a six or eight stringed, long necked stringed instrument, the sound box looks like a pear cut in half and its plucked by your fingers or a penna; you hear it all the time in Greek music, it’s very distinctive.†The light bulb went off, and Matt exclaimed, “Oh, the “shut off that damned music†quote from Monty Python’s cheese sketch.†I laughed along with him, “Yea that’s it.†“So why the song about a prostitute?†Asked Cayne again. We paused as Johnny picked up the mike and announced to the crowd they were starting; he conversed with the quintet for a moment or two and we heard one of them laugh. Johnny turned and they began to play, Never on a Sunday. “I don’t know really, it’s what came up in my head,†I mused; really I didn’t know why it had popped up. “Ilya sings it,†and I started singing loud enough just for them to hear me, in time to the music, “’Never on a Sunday when the church is full of people, and the bells are ringing in the steeple, la la... Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday, A Monday; a Monday is very, very good, Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday, A Tuesday, a Tuesday in fact I wish you would, Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday, A Thursday, a Friday, and Saturday is best, But never, never on a Sunday, A Sunday, a Sunday 'cause that's my day of rest...’†They sat in stunned silence and I blushed furiously, just realizing the connotations of what I had sung, “oh crap.†I murmured and quietly beat my head on the table. They broke out in hysterics. “Holy shit Frost, that was too much,†laughed Matt, slapping me good-naturedly on my back; Cayne wiped the tears from his eyes. “We have to get you drunk more often,†Cayne laughed. “Heh yea, right, Oy.†I rubbed my forehead, “tension breaker huh?†“I’d say so.†Cayne patted me on the shoulder. “So either of you two yahoos, going to sing?†I asked, trying to act testy but honestly it just wasn’t in me anymore. Cayne put up his hands in mock defense and shook his head vigorously no; Matt chuckled, “somehow I don’t think they’d like to hear my rendition of Billy Joel.†“Why, your Danny Boy was very good,†said Cayne. “Yea, but I’m not drunk enough anymore,†laughed Matt, “besides I’m up for listening to Johnny the rest of the night, not myself.†We nodded in ascent. ~~~ We spent the rest of the night listening to Johnny both musically and at our table in conversation. He regaled us with stories of various concerts and clubs, we told him what we could of our lives and adventures; for starting out as such a depressing day it developed into a fairly comfortable and congenial evening. We left before the club closed for the night and Cayne drove us back to the mansion. I suppose I’m very lucky, despite much, I have friends even amongst my cohorts here, they may be few and the sum total can be counted on two hands but still, they are friends. It was quiet when we arrived, as it was after midnight I had expected it to be. I bid Matt and Cayne goodnight and we toddled off to our respective rooms for sleep, but not before I made my way outside to the roof, and stood on the widows walk staring out into space. Diverse, obtuse, unorthodox, each of us as stray as the stars in the sky and yet stars make a pattern, direction, familiarity that sailors of old and new rely upon to navigate life. In the absence of moral absolutes, the mind searches for landmarks to navigate the expanses of interpersonal waters. We establish relative criteria: points of reference against which we can measure trajectory and velocity. Largely, these are cultural: you prefer the works of Hawthorne to Melville, Hemingway to Fitzgerald, Godfather II to Godfather I. We are not so much interested in the “why†as the “where;†the solid bodies against which our radar reflects. Once these points are taken, and a direction given, course plotted, we can begin to ask the more difficult questions of each other (which becomes the subtle navigation through shifting shoals). Do you really prefer the works of Hawthorne to Melville? What’s your answer? August 14, 2003 Hangovers suck. For the first time in 15 years I awoke with a pounding skull and my mouth tasting like the floor of a movie theater. I had fallen asleep at my desk in the lab so not only did I want to die from the hangover, my back protested with every movement. I crawled to my room and proceeded to drown myself in the shower and rebury myself under the bed covers. I awoke around 1pm, the pounding in my skull had subsided and I didn’t feel so much a doormat anymore. Some toast and heavily sugared tea later, I wandered the halls of the mansion trying to find where everyone was. No Shadowkahn, no Wire Walker, no Jet, no Huntsman, no Full Throttle, no messages, no information, no nothing. The panic attack was forthcoming until I found Ranger in the garage up to his elbows in one of the cars engines. I caught his attention and he glanced over his shoulder at me and gave a quick smile, “their out on patrol, at base, at doctors, danger room.†“Thanks Matt.†“No prob.†He shrugged and went back to working on the carburetor. I found whom I was expecting in the danger room. Geiger was pounding his fists into a 6ftx6ftx6ft concrete/steel reinforced brick; the block was loosing. Chunks of rebar and concrete littered the floor, as punch after punch reverberated through the block, leaving behind craters slowly shattering the block. Up in the observation room I looked out over the danger room floor, there were three other piles of wreckage, as well as mangled dummies and unidentifiable pieces of what might have been attack drones. I darkened the glass and my heart sank as I watched him take out his anger on inanimate objects. Every bit of destructive potential was driven into destroying that block of concrete. A blinking off one of the control panels caught my eye, so I ticked in a few codes to see what was up, the system was recording as it usually does, but apparently the system also has a direct feed right into Artemis, running. Aw shit they’ve been watching. I watched too. Near the end his grunts turned into low growls then into full-throated howls of anger, pain, frustration all rolled into each bone-shattering blow. Tears were flowing freely down my face by the end, when he finally stopped, when it was all destroyed, when he finally sank down on his knees and howled out one final heart-rending bellow that shook me to my bones. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve cried, this time I cried not for myself but for him, for Dennis Crane who’s innocence was lost before its time. I waited, gave him time to get himself together. I found him in the locker room; it’s hard to look at this 15-year-old boy with the body of a wrestler and the destructive capacity of a thermonuclear bomb as a “normal†child, it’s hard to remember he is a child, he’s dealt with more crap in his short lifetime than most adults will ever see in their entire lives, it’s easy to feel sorry for him, to wish things were better for him. But what do they say about wishes and fishes. I cleared my throat, “Hey.†He nods and keeps lacing up his sneakers. “Hey.†Silence, then he says, “I’m seeing Wakeman in a few hours.†“That’s good.†“Maybe.†He turns slightly, glancing over his shoulder, “when do you go see him?†“Tomorrow.†He grunts and turns back to getting dressed. I put forth the olive branch, “Do you want to talk about it?†Silence then, “No. Not right now, I’m not sure when.†A pause, “I’ll let you know.†Crap, physician heal thyself. “Sure, whenever you want.†I turn to leave to let him finish dressing. “Doc?†He calls, my pet name from the kids. “Yea.†I turn back. “If she ever says anything like that again, she’s going to wake up in Hell with a limp.†Fifty million different comments come racing through my mind, what the hell am I supposed to say to a promise like that? “I’ll let her know.†I turn and walk away. And I did too. ~~~ It’s quiet in the mansion tonight, everyone’s gone, patrols, recovery, spending time at home with his mom. I don’t think PRIMUS will let me know the results of Wakeman’s interview. Wakeman’s the therapist, I’m not sure if he’s doing the evaluation or all of it but what is the man going to tell me that I don’t already know, were loosing it; they just need to know who’s loosing it fastest and start treating it. If I was a betting woman, I say myself then Dennis then Matt, then probably Stephen and Huntsman (depending on his mental state to begin with). Edward was symptomatic of his trauma from his time with Genocide and Jet, well only Hell knew that psyche; I’m pretty sure the only one that wasn’t totally off the deep end was Cayne, but even he was feeling the pressure. Physician heal thyself indeed. I’m tired, unsure how to proceed, nothing productive was accomplished today, I walked around in a daze for the better part of an hour after Dennis left until I could get Jet and talk to her. Huh, like that was productive but I got the point across, don’t talk about Succor again, ever. After that I played video games all day, not my games, I got on the Playstation and X-Box and played every game the kids own, got my ass kicked multiple times by the computer and my thumbs ache terribly. I don’t know what I thought I would get out of it, I don’t know, some sort of connection to them? Who knows? I’ll leave that to Wakeman to figure out tomorrow. So why am I so scared about seeing him? August 15, 2003 Doctors make the worst patients. I hate dealing with psychiatrists. How do you feel? How does that make you feel? Bah. However, Wakeman wasn’t what I though he would be, some psyches come off as haughty and ‘your oh so beneath them,’ Wakeman was warm and personable, of course that was to throw me off guard, help bridge my defenses, get around my barriers; sounds like a war zone doesn’t it. In a way it is, we become so psychologically entrenched in our problems so we can’t see them, unable to see a way out of them. I knew there was something wrong with me, I had become manic-depressive, nightmares, sleeplessness and irritability, angry, moody, so what does that all add up to? PTSD that’s what; Lord knows I didn’t see that coming. Wakeman met me outside the base, in a private office. Probably still PRIMUS owned and operated but it gave the indication you were free from the usual observations. His office is nice, cozy with little Zen things here and there, not cluttered but you know humanized. He came around his desk and greeted me with warmth and a solid handshake, and thanked me for coming. “It’s not like I had a choice,†I told him. “Actually you always have a choice, you could of declined, so I thank you for coming.†He said, his voice has an odd lilt to it, an accent I can’t place. Then he really blew my mind, “would you like to have lunch? I would hate to have your interview on an empty stomach.†Wakeman has a disarming little smile too; it makes you want to trust him. “Ah sure,†actually I had been so nervous about meeting him I had skipped lunch and was praying fervently that my stomach didn’t growl during the conversation. He escorted me out, told his secretary we would be back and offered to drive. “Where are we going?†I asked. “I know a little restaurant on the outskirts of the financial district, excellent Italian and Greek cuisine, is that ok with you?†Again that disarming smile. “Sure.†We drove in silence, I had expected prying conversation but he kept quiet; again this threw me off guard, but if PRMIUS was footing the bill this was all on their nickel not mine. Taking all back streets, we were at the restaurant within fifteen minutes. Buttonwood Tree is nice, mixing modern and old styles obviously inspired by Wall Street and the NYSE. The hostess asked if we had a seating preference and Wakeman asked for a table near the back; he declined several tables until he found one to his liking (and mine), out of the way, with tables in-between us and the windows and he gave me the chair facing the door. His conversation during menu search and lunch was polite, easy everyday stuff; weather, sports (the ones I like to watch Lacrosse and Rugby), politics, education policy, etc. It turned into a conversation between professionals, stem cell research, cancer drugs, and variables in the medical field, so on and so forth. Eventually it turned into a discussion about PRIMUS, our particular fields, what we do within PRIMUS and how we do it. At that point we delved into my who’s, what’s, where’s, whys and how’s. We spent 5 hours sitting in that restaurant, talking over fries and Philly cheese steaks, beers and turtle cheesecake. Five hours, how the hell did it turn into five hours? When we did return to his office, he sat me down in a chair across from him and told me this. In his analysis of our conversation, information provided to him by PRIMUS and various other sneaky means of invading my privacy, I am suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Wakeman you don’t have to be a soldier to suffer from PTSD. Fifty to ninety percent of all adults and children are exposed to psychologically traumatic events such as a life-threatening assault or accident, human-caused or natural disaster at some point in their lives. As many as 67% of trauma survivors experience lasting psychosocial impairment, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); panic, phobic, or generalized anxiety disorders; depression; or substance abuse. Symptoms of PTSD include the persistent, involuntary re-experiencing of traumatic distress, emotional numbing and detachment from other people, and hyper-arousal e.g., irritability, insomnia, fearfulness, and nervous agitation. You want to guess what symptoms I had? The first step is to identify a mental-health clinician specialist who is able to provide me with consultation and patient education, assessment, and counseling. We had that in Wakeman. Next would be treatment. Treatment for PTSD typically begins with a detailed evaluation and the development of a treatment plan that meets the unique needs of the survivor. He used that term a lot, survivor. Wakeman said that’s what we all are, survivors in one fashion or another. His job was to identify my treatment plan as he had with Dennis as he would with the others. Generally, PTSD-specific treatment is begun only after the survivor has been safely removed from a crisis situation. Unfortunately as my PTSD originated from my involvement with the team and my fears as team leader only to be compounded by Succors death, removing myself from PRIMUS was out of the question. However, removing myself from my only source of income and outlet for superpowers was out of the question. The first part of my treatment would include education, how I developed PTSD, how it’s effecting me and other problems that commonly come along with symptoms. My understanding that PTSD is a medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions is essential for effective treatment. Huh, normal individuals, I laughed at that. Wakeman understood my sarcasm, but he reminded me that despite everything I am still a normal human being still dealing with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, a very gifted and powerful human being with extraordinary abilities and coping with extraordinary situations. With perhaps the exception of Jet and Wire, possibly Shadowkahn, none of us had been born into the super human world we were experiencing, I had been a scientist until my mutation brought me into the world of crime fighting, a normal person; naturally part of our minds were still trying to deal with the unorthodox astonishing world we had come to live in. Then we began examining my feelings, why was I so angry, why did I feel guilty, what created my tensions how I couldn’t identify what had occurred because of the entire trauma I’ve been through. Not realizing that it was trauma from my first days as a mutant all the way to Succors death, how much of it there was. He talked, I listened; I spoke, he listened. I spent another 2 hours with him just talking about findings, nightmares, anxiety, guilt, identifying what was making me crazy and coming up with a game plan, a treatment schedule. There was a lot of it, that in itself spooked me some, I had no idea how much of my psyche was chewing on the straps. At the end of today’s session he sent me home with a few books on PTSD (knowing how much I love to research everything) and a promise from me to return on a regular basis (once a week or more if necessary, especially if my nightmares came back.) I came home feeling better about myself, knowing that this was something I could work through, something that could be cured or taken care of, that I wasn’t just loosing it, that I was stretched beyond my means but there was something we could do about it, before I snapped. August 19, 2003 The weekend was quiet, which was nice. Matt spent most of his time trying to figure out a way to tear apart the little black box from Genocide without destroying the components within, no such luck. Even utilizing the one damaged box from the 2nd robot we have no way of identifying how the hell they manage to track us. However, as of right now, he can at least use it to locate us when necessary. But oh how we want to figure out that tech. Matt and Dennis are also working on keeping track of John Doe’s beeper to see if any new messages come in. They’re also working with BZY on translation/code cracking of the sequences, so far no joy but its keeping Dennis out of trouble. Unfortunately all my samples of John Doe went up with that half of the base when Doctor Destroyer’s marines attacked. I’ve got nothing to study on him, so I’ve gone back to some of the FBI casework that was piling up. PRIMUS has very quietly let us do our own thing; it’s not that they’re walking on eggshells but, well in a way they are walking on eggshells. Had another visit with Wakeman, we’re working on coping with posttraumatic memories, reminders, reactions, and feelings without becoming overwhelmed or emotionally numb. Trauma memories usually do not go away entirely as a result of therapy but become manageable with the mastery of new coping skills. I’m learning skills for coping with my anxieties, like breathing retraining and biofeedback and negative thoughts; anger management comes next as well as my “stress inoculation†or getting me prepared for stress reactions; learning how to anticipate and handle future trauma symptoms and working on my communication skills so I can effectively relate with people even while under stress. I think that might be one of the hardest things to do, just learning how to talk, bizarre really. We’re staying away from pharmacotherapy, I insisted on it. Go figure. August 21, 2003 I have my updates from PRIMUS on Doctor Destroyer. God above what doesn’t this man do? I had specifically asked to be alerted should PRIMUS get the transporter working, sure enough at 6:30 am this morning I got a call to be at the main base in one hour should I still be interested; I flew I was there in 5 minutes. I met Ranger there; it didn’t surprise me that he was also interested in what was behind the curtain. Promptly at 7am PRIMUS fired up the teleport arch (behind loads and loads of firepower just to be on the safe side) and sent through a mini video flyer, the same kind the Army’s used in our latest wars. SA Clark was sitting in the control room along with the technicians running the show. He nodded and showed us to chairs in front of a video screen. The flyer powered up an flew gently through the portal, it’s video feed giving us something similar to the wormhole effect seen in SG1, but not quite as pretty; however nothing prepared us for what we came across next. The portal opened up outside of a church, the flyer did a quick surveillance of the area and swooped in near the church. It was a magnificent structure and larger than anything I had ever seen on Earth, it had to be large enough to hold thousands. The stained glass work was magnificent, and ultimately disturbing. Saints in powered armor, fighting things we couldn’t identify; depictions of legions upon legions of warriors all bowing down in supplication to their god. One of our techs whispered a prayer, another murmured “Sweet Jesus, tell me I’m not really seeing this.†In full glory, depicted as their one true god, stood an immense Doctor Destroyer, laying hands upon his blessed host. “Fly out, let’s see what else there is.†Said Clark. The tech maneuvered the flyer out away from the church and outwards, Clark cursed under his breath at what we saw next. Legions upon legions of armored men and women, space marines drilling in perfect unison, marching, completing combat techniques, skirmishes, dozens of battle maneuvers; apparently the portal had opened directly into a training camp. Something caught my attention just off the corner of the last feed and I asked them to rotate the flyer 180 upwards. “It’s not possible.†“That’s pure fantasy, it isn’t possible.†“Well I’ll be.†Mused Ranger, “Be damned if he couldn’t figure a way of doing it.†“Well that explains why we can’t find him on Earth and why he punched out all the satellites.†Suggested Clark. “A ring world, a true ring world,†I shook my head in disbelief, “and Doctor Destroyer has set himself up as god.†How the hell had he done it? “Do we have a lock on the space coordinates? Do we know where that is?†Suddenly the image wavered as we saw two energy blasts pass by the camera lens, and just as suddenly the signal went dead. In unison we looked over towards the portal, as Clark slammed his fist down on the power switch killing the transporter. “Well that ended that little jaunt.†He said. The technicians were all a buzz and Clark waved Ranger and I out with a “don’t mention this to anyone, it’s classified,†warning. Ranger and I walked our way through the building lost in our own thoughts. “Well that explains a lot, the nanites, the uniforms the drop ships and such, man fighting him is going to suck.†He mused. “Fighting Doctor Destroyer has always sucked, ask any of the heroes who have survived doing it.†I replied. “You think we have the coordinates for his location?†“I don’t know, even if we did what good would it do us, he outguns us 20 to 1 and his tech is even more superior than it was the last time he attacked a city.†Man I was irritated, “But now he’s got thousands of Zealots to follow him, thousands of highly trained space marines with tech we can’t even begin to crack.†I chewed my lip for a moment. “It’s going to suck.†We both said at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed, just a simple laugh. “You need a ride?†He asked, smiling. “Nah, I’m going to fly it home, I’ll be careful and stay on the radio.†I smiled back at him. We said goodbye and went our separate ways. My entire flight home I was consumed in thought, Doctor Destroyer had created a ringworld and set himself up as god. How in the hell had he done it? More importantly how in the hell were we supposed to fight him now? There were no answers forthcoming. August 25, 2003 I feel pretty Oh so pretty I feel pretty and witty and gay And I pity Any girl who isn't me today I feel charming Oh so charming It's alarming how charming I feel And so pretty That I hardly can believe I'm real See the pretty girl in that mirror there? Who can that attractive girl be? Such a pretty face Such a pretty dress Such a pretty smile Such a pretty me! I feel stunning And entrancing Feel like running And dancing for joy For I'm loved By a pretty wonderful boy! WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh strike up the band and play me some Ragtime Baby! I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love and he loves me right back, yes he does, yes he does, yes he does!!!!! GLEE!!! Oh My God I’m totally manic right now and who could blame me. My heart is doing little tap dances and my brain is skipping along throwing flowers in the air. Oh Mom, Dad I wish you could meet him, see him, know him; I guess this will have to do. Ok, ok, ok, breathe, and start from the beginning. Come on you can do this. Ok. Friday night Shadowkahn comes into my lab and freaks me out. “FireFrost. We have to talk.†He says I’m like all, “what?†He’s like. “About you. The stress you are under and what it means to us and the team.†I’m like all, gack! I’m gonna die. He’s like all, I’ve noticed the stress you’ve been under, how your this close to cracking, how bad it is, and so for and so on. I’m about ready to burst into tears, (been doing that a lot lately). He’s going on about how I should trust him, trust the team more, delegate and do something to alleviate the stress and all. And then he offers to take me out of the lab and treat me to a night of relaxation, to use up that bottle of saki that’s been sitting in my meditation room for months now. So I break and say yes. The best thing that could of ever happened to me, to us. I have never, ever had such a wonderful time, we went out, talked about life, liberty, our parents our education, our lives, got drunk and lost our minds. I hope we never find them. He loves me, Cayne loves me, oooh I want to doodle it across my walls in Krylon. Cayne and Vi admit to loving each other August 22nd, 2003 and have the wildest weekend of our lives, that didn’t involve blowing anyone up or having to save the world! That’s right! Just us, in a wonderful room in a wonderful city, eating, talking and having mind-blowing sex, oh my God it was mind-blowing sex. Red-hot passionate, animal screaming, backside clawing, push across the floor and up the walls SEX! The hot and heavy eventually quieted down into gentle lovemaking and oh gawd what a wonderful weekend it was. I had fallen in love with him before I got to enjoy all of this, now I was head over heels, in more ways than one! Martial artists with Chi powers and massage techniques I recommend for all women. I’m shocked I can stand straight. It’s all so amazing, so incredible, that the two of us have been hiding our feelings for so long that it took almost an act of freaking congress for us to figure it out and to do something about it. Now comes the hard part. Not letting anyone else know. Easy part, he’s still playing my bodyguard. Hard part, sneaking in touching, talking, teasing, making love; Lord above our declaration of love complicates so much but it brings us so much more. Of course, this morning after we had returned I got a chewing out by SA Clark for my “irresponsible actions†of leaving behind the mansion without telling anyone and disappearing for an entire weekend with my bodyguard. I asked Clark if I had broken any laws, done anything wrong, after all they had put us on light duty till the end of the month in light of Succors death, why shouldn’t I go out with my bodyguard in tow and do something for myself? He flustered and blustered and generally made a lot of noise but in the end Clark let me go with a stern talking to and a slap on the wrist. Yea, whatever. How can love be wrong when it feels so right, when it does this much for my soul for his? Cayne and Vi, two souls that couldn’t be more different and yet so similar. I’m going to go tap dace across my bedroom, fall into my bed and dream about figuring out how to sneak in licking his ear. August 30, 2003 Well, wasn’t expecting this one. Were on hiatus, sabbatical, extended leave with pay, time off, vacation. Clark called everyone to the base for a meeting, and he meant everyone, he had to hunt down HM but he found him in the end. We were all seated comfortably around the conference table; I was trying not to play footsie with Cayne, when Clark finally came in. “I suppose your all wondering why I’ve called you in here.†He said. We nodded and made “um hum,†noises. “You’re going on sabbatical starting September first, we’re sending you all down to one of our units in Key West.†We looked at him in surprise. “Say what?†said Matt. “You are all going sabbatical, a vacation, for a period of three months, starting tomorrow afternoon your labs, workshops and other locations of work will be on lockdown so you better get your projects completed tonight.†“Er, why?†asked Wire. “Because your all suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome and government regulations state that you have to be sent on sabbatical for a period of one month to three months after a traumatic experience.†He sniffed, “Succors death touched you all, some more drastically then others, but it still effected you all. Therefore, we are sending you to our safe house in Key West for the months of September, October and November, you’ll be returning to active duty status as of December first.†He looked at BZY, “BZY, your going to be heading into upgrades, so I’m sorry, you wont be able to join them.†“But, my lab?†I stammered. “Shut it down, whatever your working on transfer it to the main labs if applicable, if not, put it on ice or if necessary destroy it and start over in three months.†Clark growled. “But…†I started. “No buts! I’m locking your labs as of August 31st! No excuses, no nothing, you’re all falling apart and PRIMUS is not going to loose a team such as yourselves over this.†He marched up to me and put his finger in my chest, pointing with every word for emphasis, “you will go on sabbatical, you will take much needed time off, you will get better and come back here in three months, is that understood!†I fought the urge to salute him and shout Yes Sir! At times like this he sounds just like my Dad, acts like him too, he forgets I’m only a few years younger than him. “But what if we don’t want to go to Key West?†was a quiet reply from the back, I turned looking at Geiger. “What was that?†asked Clark, more in control now. “I don’t want to go to Key West, I’d rather stay home with my mom and visit some family.†Geiger said, “I haven’t seen some of my cousins in a long time and well, I’d like to go visit, to be a normal teenager for a while.†Clark softened up immediately, “if you choose to stay in the city, you will still need to see Wakeman or another specialist we identify to you should you go out of state.†He looked at Geiger with more emotion than I would of given the guy credit for. “I understand this has been very hard for you,†he looked around, “for all of you. The option is there for you to take it, you can go to Key West and spend time in the sun or should you chose to remain in Hudson city, you will need to keep up with your visits to the therapist. Whatever you choose, this group is officially on hiatus until December 1st.†“I’ll stay,†said Huntsman. Somehow I had figured he would. “I’ll have to check with my mistress, but somehow I doubt I’ll be allowed to go to Key West,†murmured Jet, she stood and moved to the back of the room to make a phone call. I looked at Cayne; this could afford us some opportunities for some us time, he in turn looked at me. “Are you going?†Cayne asked. I looked at Clark and smirked, “I don’t believe I have a choice, so obviously yes.†“Then I will go as well,†Cayne said, “as your bodyguard.†He added, though that word held a whole new world of connotations now. “I’ll go, I wouldn’t want to pass up the insanity that is Key West Halloween.†Remarked Matt. “I have a company to run,†said Full Throttle. “I hate to tell you this Edward but within a month of your kidnapping your company folded,†Clark shrugged, “since you were essentially the company after all. Why not take the time to relax, try and get your memory back and start anew in December.†Edwards looked annoyed, “damn it. Ah well, I suppose it couldn’t hurt, Ok I’m in.†“What’s Key West Halloween?†I asked Matt. “Oh just you wait, Frost, just you wait.†He leered at me, wigging his eyebrows for emphasis. I rolled my eyes, and then looked at Wire. “Stephen?†He pulled out a coin, “Heads I go back to Deva and say hi to the folks. Tails I go to Key West.†He thumbed the coin and it spun in the air before he grabbed it and slammed in down on the tabletop; we looked over in anticipation as he lifted his palm. “Heads it is, I’m heading home to Deva.†He beamed, nothing like the insanity your familiar with I guess. Jet returned to the table, looking non-too please, “I won’t be going to Key West.†Clark nodded, “I’ll alert travel that Cayne Andrassi, Vivian Stratford, Matt Slate and Edward Stringer will be our guests in Key West.†He looked at Huntsman and Geiger, “you will still go to the therapist, yes.†It wasn’t really a question, Geiger nodded, grudgingly so did Huntsman. “Wire, I’ll send a letter to your father addressing your needs in Deva.†Clark said, which made Wire pout. Clark nodded at us, “Your dismissed, enjoy your vacation, and get used to the idea of calling yourselves by your real names, your not going to be needing code names where your going.†He called back to me before I got to the door, “Vivian, stay a moment will you.†I nodded and Cayne shut the doors behind him. “Yes sir?†I smiled. “You realize why were doing this don’t you?†â€Of course, you made it quite clear just a moment ago were on sabbatical to reestablish our mental and physical health.†I thought about telling him a few things, but I let it go. “I especially need the time off since I’ve been self destructing since the start of it all. You do realize that my stopping several experiments will destroy the samples and screw up the tests, couldn’t you of let me know earlier that I wouldn’t have my labs?†“Sorry, I should of told you we were thinking about it, word just came from above last night to put you all on hiatus.†He frowned, “do what you can, see if anything can transfer back to Quantico. But unless you can leave something running for 3 months, you’ve got till 6am tomorrow morning to finish or stop, even if it destroys the work, the higher-ups will have to take responsibility for it,†he smirked, “After all, I’m just following orders.†“I’ll see what I can do Clark,†thinking forlornly about several sets of samples that were going to head into the biohazard bin, “anything else?†Clark looked thoughtful for a moment, “how normal a vacation do you want to have?†“What? What do you mean?†I looked at his sideways. He took a deep breath before continuing, “Do you want to be normal again?†I looked at him horrified, “be normal again? What do you mean be normal again?†What the hell was he talking about? “We have a bracelet, or at least we can make it look like a mundane object, but it nullifies mutant powers until it’s taken off.†“Nullifies powers, oh.†God’s I thought it was something permanent they had worked out, phew. “You mean the detention cuffs? You’ve modified them?†“Yes, we can make them looks mundane enough for people to wear on a regular basis.†He smiled proudly, “we’ve been trying to come up with ways to allow powers who have minor criminal offenses back out on the street after they’ve served their sentences,†he shrugged, “similar to the parolee program for mundane criminals, except of course were dealing with powers.†I thought about it, hadn’t I just bemoaned my life as a midlife super hero? But still… “No. Thanks but no, I’ll keep them, it lets me keep my drinks cold.†I smiled at him. “Sure, just thought I’d offer,†he smiled, “Vi, enjoy your holiday ok, try and relax.†“Well providing the safe house in Key West has hurricane protection, I should have anything to worry about.†“You promise?†He looked concerned, “I mean, I know what we’ve just done to you and…†“What happened to the finger in the chest, ‘you will go on sabbatical’?†I teased, “Don’t worry Dad, I’ll be good.†“I’m only 5 years older than you woman, don’t you go calling me Dad.†He looked affronted, I laughed. “Well Clark you do a good impression of him,†I smiled again, but this time warmly, “look I know I’m newbee on the totem pole despite pushing 40 and I appreciate your watching over me, but do me a favor; watch over Dennis, I’m worried about him more than myself, I don’t want him becoming a bitter younger version of Stone.†Clark frowned at that comment, “he’s in dangerous territory right now, angry and focused, so watch over my kids ok?†I laid my hand on his arm. “I will, you know I will.†He promised, “I also promise you that Hudson City will be well taken care of while your gone, were going to import some newbees for training here,†His eyes rolled, “wish me luck.†“Good enough, now let me go find my soon to be tanned cohorts in crime.†I gave him a quick hug, and headed for the door, pausing as I pulled it open. “Thanks for everything Clark, see you in 90 days.†I waved goodbye and shut the door behind me. I turned to see Cayne waiting patiently for me, as I knew he would, I smiled warmly at him. “Thanks for waiting,†I cooed. “Your welcome, as always,†he smiled slightly. We turned and walked towards the reception area where, Cayne informed me, we would find Matt and Ed waiting for us. “What do you want to do in Key West?†I asked him quietly. “Whatever, so long as I get to spend enough quality time with you.†He whispered back. We left the building, Ed, Cayne, Matt and I bunching together; one day to pack, one day to get all my little ducks in a row. Matt was already ticking off on his fingers the different things he remembered about Key West, not all of them sounding legal. “There’s the Key West Poker Run, during September; the entire month of October is Fantasy Fest ooh that will be fun, talk about serious party animal fun; then there is the Goombay Festival; and Pirates in Paradise in November, heh, heh.†Matt was rubbing his hands together in glorious anticipation of the upcoming debauchery. “We can scuba dive and paraglide, there’s the underwater hotel you can scuba too, and the dolphin swims, and the…†“Alright, alright! We get the idea Matt, give it a break!†I pleaded, “we’ve got the rest of the day to pack and get our ducks in a row, take some time to look on the web for things to do, etcetera. I’m sure the base in Key West will have a lovely list of tourism things to do when we get there.†Matt beamed, took Ed by the shoulder and led them away from Cayne and I, I head him say, “just think painted breasts as far as the eye can see…†“Well, sounds like someone plans on getting laid down in Key West.†Cayne mused. “I hope someone else plans on getting laid down in Key West,†I whispered, he blushed. ~~~ I found HM before I started packing up at the mansion. “Sorry you decided not to go to Key West.†I said, I really was, and I had hoped to get beyond the cowl and 5 o’clock stubble. “It’s better this way, at least someone will stay to watch the city.†He volunteered. “Actually Clark assured me that Hudson City wouldn’t go unprotected, but…†I shrugged, “Actually, Huntsman, can you do me a favor?†“You want me to watch over Geiger while he’s in town.†He said, matter of fact. I looked sheepish, “Yes, would you?†He almost looked affronted, “Of course I will†I resisted the idea of giving him a hug, “thank you, I know he’s in good hands.†Huntsman nodded and walked away, heading out on his patrol. I found a suitcase and started filling it, that bit of shopping Cayne and I had done during our night out had netted me some fine lingerie; unfortunately I had bupkus in the way of shorts and sexy tops; when in Key West you might as well look the part of tourist shouldn’t you? Well shopping would be the order of the day once we got there, it’s not like money was ever a problem for me. I pulled out the little bikini I had gotten for our day at the hotel, fond memories making my cheeks flush, oh man Cayne and I would have 3 months worth of time to find ourselves comfortable levels of lovemaking, and oh how I was looking forward to it. I fished up my lab reports, sent what I could to Quantico, put some of it into cryo, terminated what I could and burned what wouldn’t survive the downturn. 18 experiments, suspended, terminated or destroyed, but what could I do? Clark would make good his 6am threat, if only he had given me earlier notice. I’m going to try and finish my entry into the journal but I’m going to loose access once 6am rolls around. 90 days no journal, no portable computer, its too easily lost or stolen. This is on a secure server, my own private system; I’m the only one with access. Though since I’m a habitual note taker I’ll probably break down and write it in a paper journal, just a little something to note what we do and such, obviously I’ll keep Cayne and I on a purely platonic level. So fair well Journal, I’ll be with you once again in December, until then, keep my memories well. With love, Vivian

Re: Looking for FEEDBACK on campaign idea Definitely sensing a bit of David Weber influence. But overall the concepts seem sound so far it just depends on where it goes at that point. So far with what you describe the players are along for the ride. Are they going to be in a running chase throughout the ship with the aliens hunting them? Learn enough about the ship to initiate actions to fight the aliens, find a medical complex within the ship which modifies them in some way to interact with the ship and thus learn more about what is going on? Any or all of these ideas can be fun depending on what your players enjoy. But on what you have said so far the idea works up to that point fairly well well.

Re: Campaign Notes so far So does anyone have any observations after reading through? Haven't heard a peep out of anyone recently.

Re: How to do Split personality Alright thanks everyone for their help. Went with multiform and it seemed to wrok out well although the character went over a little in the numbers he should be great fun for the player. And is still very close to the campaign guidlines. Again thatnk everyone for the help.