Lawnmower Boy

Teacher's pets
 

Glad you didn’t get mixed up in it at least. 

I've been very impressed with it. It borrows heavily from Fracton's (sp) run which was excellent. Hailee Steinfeld is an amazing Kate Bishop, and I don't even LIKE the character of Kate Bishop that much as a character so that should tell you something. Renner continues to give us the low key (Not Loki, that's another guy) slightly sardonic archer who is used to being over shadowed by his more spectacular peers, and is now retired. The first two episodes had a very good 'eager newbie' meets 'jaded but still good hearted pro' rapport. 
 
A good mix of humor, some cool action moments, and memorable background characters/scenes.
 
Rogers the Musical is just icing on the cake.
 

Now that my first defence against global warming ("Ain't happening!") and my second ("Meh") are both discredited, I'm going with, "You young kids better not put me out any while you're fixing it."

The best, Bro!
 
 

Is good, bro.

Good.
 
I lived down the road from these dirtbags for the better part of a decade.  They are _exactly_ the kind of trash you think they are, no matter how well they cleaned up for court.
 
I see at least one person in the DA's office is looking at charges, too.
 
Dont forget this: the verdict did not come about because law enforcement was involved.  They saw the video footage and tried to hide it.
 
The verdict came about because the public saw the video and demanded something be done.

And my nomination for best line:  "And it folded more dramatically than a European Soccer player faking an injury. "
 
Though "'I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS BE... A BETTER ACTOR THAN YOU'" is a close second.
 
I'm glad that Viewpoint and Slime got a little time in the spotlight.  While I know it's important to show how the rookies have progressed and grown, that shouldn't relegate the others to the basement.  Nice balancing act, IMO.
 
Edit to add:  Though I'm sure Lawnmower Boy would say that it needs 50% more Pogo.

When I said the island lit up, I meant it quite literally. There was zero attempt to hide the fact that this island was occupied. What looked like a decayed mental hospital suddenly sprouted gun turrets, while the island itself was suddenly crawling with ostrich sized dinosaurs of the preditoral varieties. Really, it was amazing they weren't eating each other.
  'Careful guys, I think  Ophiotaurus has taken Subterranean Rex's tricks and improved on them. Metal teeth."   'Copy that," Vareosa said, sounding a bit like her uncle when he says Roger, and then 'And our communicators are jammed.'   "Well, that's good news in a way' Bramble pointed out.   'How is that good news?' Hussar was confused, but I got it.   'It means,' I thought at them, 'that he's probably not able to hack us after all, or he'd leave it open to get our moves as we announced them. And that means he's not been hacking our line before this'   'Exactly' Bramble was glad I caught on, 'Still not crazy about those gun turrets though. I just got this hoverbike'   Valeroso and I exchanged some battle plans between us. You know, this mentalist stuff had it's advantages. Maybe every team should have one after all?   Coordinating, we gave our directions, 'Trailblazer, taunt the dinosaurs, distract them so the others can land safely. We take the car on the shore so others can unload'   'I can do it,' Trailblazer nodded.   'We may lose the car when we do that, but that's just one more reason to disembark fast,' Valerosa continued, 'but we'll make them pay for it. If a turret fires at the vehicle, Hussar this is your chance to fire that gun, be patient, when one shoots, it should have a moment before it can swivel back'   'Patience,' Hussar winced, 'Not my best subject but all right. At least I get to shoot the gun. Don't worry, I think if I 'fly forward' as I fire I can handle the kick back even in the air'   'I can help protect the car, put up a barrier of plant life to at least give it a buffer' Bramble interjected.   'Nice,' I said, 'And if Trailblazer gets a concentrated group of ground dinos in a tight group, can you corral them.. that is, the dinos, not Trailblazer . If they decide to go vegetarian they may eat through it fast, but it could help control the battle'   'Viewpoint? turrets, please. Slime, think you can find a way to infiltrate?'   'YOU WANT ME TO FIND A WAY IN? SO I CAN OPEN IT FOR THE REST OF US? CONSIDER IT DONE, MY SICKENINGLY SOLID FRIENDS,' No scrolling here, and his telepathic voice was actually quite lovely.   That's when one of the turrets sent out a beam of some weird energized particles and missed the flying car by a few feet.   I heard curses up there, many not approved by the Comics Code Authority.    Clearly those things had longer range than we thought.   'Okay, telepathic chatter allowed us to say a lot more to each other in a shorter time, but I think we've just proven there are limits' Valerosa said, 'Everyone go go... Aspirant, you're with me, if you go down we lose our last long distance communication option and I want you scanning for human minds'   And that was that, hard to have a football huddle when your enemy decides to lob a grenade in the middle of it.   One might have noticed I didn't get orders from Valerosa, nor did I give them. Hypocritical, I know, but in this case we both designated ourselves a bit fast and loose on the field. Of course ,if one of the rookies shot us in the butt by accident? Well, we kind of brought it on ourselves.    "Mayo" I asked him, "Can you do that 'mechanical stun' spell or whatever it is you do on some machines , on the turrets?" As I asked this I hit the shore. I had the head start, but I was way behind Trailblazer.. Much respect to the young lady, she was sticking to the plan and already was setting at least three of the scaley predators on a merry chase, and she was trying to get more.    Unfortunately there were a lot more.of them. I lost visual with most of my team as one lunged towards me even as Mayo answered me.   'I'm sorry, Eel. They're too far inland. I'll try to get closer but by then it maybe too late. This island has a lot of spiritual energy, a lot of it most unpleasant,' The way he thought that last word reminded me of someone finding something they did not expect or like in the soup they ordered.   'We'll make due' I told him as I grabbed the dino that was charging me, using its momentum to redirect it, well throw it really, into some of it's fellows.    A hover cycle shot over me and seeds dropped down around the mob that just got one of their own lobbed at them. Almost instantly, the five dinos found themselves in something of a sloppy but sealed hedge maze. Being dumb animals they raced along the paths at first trying to find the nonexistent opening.   The nearest turret turned on Bramble, building up a charge. Before it could, there was a cry of "WOLVERINES!" And a mighty kablam! Hussar had just fired his first shot in combat. It didn't hit the target perfectly, coming short of the cannon like protrusion of the turret. But man did it shake it, throwing the aim of the turret completely off and badly damaging the structure.   That was clearly a lot of gun.    With Bramble helping make a hole for me, I saw no reason not to finish what that blast had started, 'Double Tap Turn, Hussar' I menally thought, giving the code even now for 'I'm going to hit the target you just hit, please don't shoot me'. I could only hope he remembered the code. Of course, I could have just told him without code speak since we were mind to mind; but we weren't likely to have Aspirant around forever. So let's not risk letting the training slip.   'Do it, man, ##$# it up' he thought with glee. Hussar was, clearly, not a stickler for the code words. '##$# it up' was not a code word for affirmative. We could add it, but when Lady Obsidian got back she'd have opinions about our foul mouths.   Err, minds.   Launching myself like an olympic jumper on several, several steroids, I aimed my body towards the same large dent that the first blast had made and then punched at the last second even as I crashed into it. See, this is the value of certain engineering classes. If you ever decide to punch a tower with a huge gun attached, math and science can combine to let you take a pretty good guess where to do the most damage (To the tower, not your hand, though without super durability you will break that at the same time.) My fist broke though the already created weak point, I pulled said fist loose, taking an internal support strut with it.    And it folded more dramatically than a  European Soccer player faking an injury. I dropped down, not that gravity gave me a choice, and rolled to the side to see it collapse. It was a satisfying situation.    "THANK YOU" flashed before my eyes, and Slime poured into the wreckage to find a way into the main building.   "You're welcome," I muttered and turned to see how the rest of the team was doing.   The answer was damned well. Enhanced or not, the pseudo-Dinosaurs were outmatched by a coordinated super team attack. More plant mazes had popped up. What surprised me wasn't that some of the beast had chewed through, but that they died a few feet after. Most without a mark on them. I was about to ask how the heck that happened when Bramble explained.   'Folks, do not eat the hedge mazes. I used some pretty toxic plant life' Bramble's thoughts traveled along our psychic network.   'Geez that's cold blooded,' Aspirant's pity for the creatures could be felt.   "Hello? Earth to Nova Scotian, they're set to turn to goo or butter after a few hours anyway, right?" Bramble pointed out. I could see her flying and still throwing more seeds around the island.   A few Dinosaurs were just getting wrecked by Valerosa. Even with teeth that could tear through metal, they were having a hard time of it. None of them were going to get past her to get Aspirant. Pogo , I noticed, was lingering near him too. If by lingering one means bouncing wildly from one dino to another knocking them into play for a neck snap by my co-captain.   And Hussar whooped as he and Viewpoint took another turret down. A moment later, there  was a 'whiir' sound that got weaker and died. The other two turrets just depowered right there.    'Found the off switch' Slime told us, 'How is out there?'   'Lot of dinos turning to goo is how it is,' Bramble grinned, "Thanks to the Traiblazer/Bramble duo'   'Awww, but you really should get top billing,' Trailblazer was smiling.   ''I sense minds, human minds are in play,' Aspirant said, a bead of sweat on his forehead.   Slime let loose a cry of pain which we all felt an echo of. Something had just hurt him, badly, and he was still on the inside.    'Slime!' Viewpoint's eyes flashed and carved at the wall of the hospital building. Looked like it was reinforced because while he made his marks, the 'cut out effect' he was hoping for didn't work. It did, however, make it really easy for me to charge forward through it. Faster than you could say "Oh Yeah!" I was in.   Any other time I might have declared that very thing as a joke. But years ago I had left Slime behind in a fit of overeagerness. Took him a while to get over that, and rightly so. I was not deserting him again. And Viewpoint was right on my tail.   I crashed into the building only to see Uniformed Agents with some very stylish weapons to go with their reinforced body armor with some stylish Greek Lettering on the shoulder pieces.. There were five of them, and they were blocking my path to Slime. Slime had seen better days. I think the best word for his condition was 'splattered' , was he even alive? Very violent thoughts entered my head, and I wasn't alone.    Behind me, Viewpoint cursed "I'm going blast their hands off!"  I didn't think Slime and Viewpoint were that close, but it occured to me that while we'd been teaching the kids, Viewpoint and Slime had been doing a lot of the 'regular heroing'. That can establish a bond of duty on a rather intense level.    And here I had been worried about MY temper.   'He's alive!" Aspirant declared loudly in our heads. I could feel the relief, and desperation. He was trying to make sure Viewpoint and I didn't do something horrible we'd later feel guilty about. Or worse yet, do something horrible that we wouldn't feel guilty about.   One of Ophiotaurus Agents had his blaster pointed at Slime still, "This weapon's on a vibrational setting. Ophiotaurus says it should shake your friend apart- make painful for him to reform. Too many blasts while he's down? Might kill him. Your team surrenders now, and I won't have to do it," His eyes stayed locked on me, the other agents were aimed at myself and Viewpoint.   As I was gauging if Viewpoint could possibly fire first. After all, in his case, the eyes could literally be faster than the hand. But it was a gamble and not my life to gamble with. Time to check telepathically with the crew.   But before I could, Viewpoint spoke up, "So Ophiotaurus can study us? Maybe filter Slime like some experiment? Well, before we agree to anything," Viewpoint said, "I want you to know one thing, punk. Just one damned thing."   "Go ahead, make with the threats," The man sneered unimpressed, "What's the one damned thing?"   Viewpoint said with gritted teeth, "Meaty Minstrel never refreezes it's food. That's why it's popping fresh at any hour, day or night with portions big enough to make any proud to eat it.   Meaty Minstrel- it's the DJ for your belly party."   "WTF?" The agent said, his helmet not able to mask his confusion.   'WTF?' I thought, right there with the agent. Sure, the guy had once been doing commercials for them but what the hell did Meaty Minstrel have to do with-   And that's when I realized that Slime had reformed. Viewpoint's rambling had dropped the guard of those who threatened to kill  Slime a moment ago, enough for Slime to act. I could feel Slime's agony at the effort, then it dimmed.   Somewhere, I was sure, Aspirant was gritting his teeth taking in some of that aforementioned pain into himself and helping Slime focus. Long distance team work. When folks say 'It's the thought that counts' they mean telepaths.   So what should have been a desperate painfilled slap from Slime became a lot more dangerous and controlled! Slime surged forward all the agents, turning slippery, and wrapping them all up unable to fire at him. If they tried they'd just hit wall. They fell, stumbled, slipped and groaned as my jelly like team-mate threatened to smother the air out of them.   Turns out, closing in an alien semi-liquid life form is dangerous! And, said life form can be petty.   "IT'S IN THE VENTS!" Scrolled past one agent's face.   ":FACEHUGGER!" flew past another's gaze!   "TO SERVE MAN: IT'S A COOKBOOK!" the guy who read that actually screamed, causing the part of Slime that was on his face to bubble!   Viewpoint smirked, "Now THAT is old school."   "He's studied the classics," I admitted to Viewpoint. The agents passed out from lack of air, and I added "Slime? Ah, buddy?"   'THAT... HURT' Slime managed as it gathered itself. 'THEY'LL BE FINE BUT ...OWWW.' and he lost his cohesion again.   "Crap, he can't talk to us like this, don't' know if he needs medical help or .." Viewpoint moved to Slime.   'Or? you could use the MINDLINK I'm busting my brain hump over' came very testy thoughts from our telepath 'Slime, just think something will you, let them know you're still with us?'   'VIEWPOINT?' The weariness and hurt leaked through the link, but along with some other feeling I couldn't place. 'Right here, man," Viewpoint moved down to the blob of blue ooze, "Right here and listening"   More thoughts rallied, and resumed, 'I HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS BE... A BETTER ACTOR THAN YOU' Then there were smelly bubbles which I translated as laughter   Okay. I'm not that good a leader, because I laughed. Loud. Guess the other feeling was that universal notion that some potshots are just too easy to pass by.   Viewpoint stared at the crippled but still conscious alien, "You stinky assed jerk, Just put a knife in my back next time." Then he looked at me, "Can we get him out of here? He's damn near inert."    'NO!' Slime protested rallying his will, "NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURR-'   "Just stop it," I told Slime, "You look like spilled soup. We're going to get you pulled back and give you time to heal while the rest of us go on. Give yourself a breather. Otherwise, you'll slow us down."    'YOU ARE ONE COLD BLOODED, MAMMAL... BUT FINE' Slime slowly, very slowly, started to exit out the hole I had made to rejoin the others further back.   Aspirant declared 'More thinking brains on their way. Brains with guns!'   I cracked my knuckles "Round two."   Viewpoint nodded.    

Excellent suggestions.  I'm trying to make each of the books look distinct so they all have a different color and layout strip but how's this look?  
 

 
I am not too worried about a back cover for the moment, as it will be strictly PDF, and there's no need for a back unless it gets printed at some point

Pumpkin chiffon pie with ginger snap-pecan crust 2021

It would not be the first time I plunged from a perfectly fine flying vehicle to dive into the water of the ocean. It wasn't even the first time I'd done it with a friend. Mayo came down with me and we went deep. What was weird was that I was still in communication with my whole team. 
  Telepathy worked far better under water than our communicators did. Water works great for transmitting sounds, radio waves and the like? Not so much. But the chatter in the telepathic link that was hooking us all together seemed to be as clear as a bell. Maybe a bit too clear, Pogo had to be put on 'mute' on Valerosa's orders. Turned out Aspirant was right; she was like a pure stream of enthusiastic commentary. Any other time that would be welcome; but we were kind of organizing a raid on a bad guy base here.   They also, I assumed, were making communication chatter, false leads and the like, but I wouldn't know for sure down here. I did however get a Fish eye view of the waters near Lobotomy Island. One advantage to it being deserted was a surprising lack of pollution. Well, surprising to me, I was used to folks trying to dump garbage 'where no one was looking'. As if what they dumped would stay where it was instead of spreading out in the waves.    Yup, pretty clear, excepting the undersea drones! I don't know why I was surprised by those.  Ophiotaurus had to know by choosing an Island base that my aquatic patrols would be as likely to get too close as much as any aerial ones. But I didn't think they'd activated yet.   'Mayo, that think you can do to these  did with the cameras at Channel 3 earlier?" I asked him sharing the encounter with the others by telepathy.   "I can," Mayo gestured much as before, "There. They should not sense us now, but it will not last long. Move quickly and-" he didn't get to finish as I grabbed his arm and shot like a torpedo past the underwater lookout drones. You see, in the water? I'm the speedster of the team. Super swim speed, like breathing water itself, doesn't get much praise in the super power listings, but when you live next to the Pacific, it's really quite nice.    Eat your heart out dolphins, you maybe cute, but you're sea slugs compared to this Eel.   Of course, now that I had figuratively opened my big mouth to brag when the Pliosaurus nearly bit Mayo in half. Yeah, you heard me right. A Pliosaurus: short neck, massive head and broad flippers to give it a shape like a giant gator who decided legs were stupid when you could grow even bigger at sea. I'd call it a 'sea dinosaur' but I'm not sure that's the scientifically correct term and you know when you'll run into a picky paleontologist in the superhero biz. The thing was nearly forty feet long. I would guess it  weighed roughly thirty tons. Could it have bit through me? It might. Would it have killed Mayo instantly? Hell yes.   Fortunately, that didn't happen. I was taken off guard, sure, but my speed gave me a chance to react even then, and it helped that Mayo screamed warning in my head too. Credit where credit is due there. I spun, twisting Mayo's body out of the way of the snap, and trying to get myself out of the way to boot. In that, I only partly succeeded, because while it's teeth missed us both, it rammed me. I took the brunt, and to my surprise, it actually stung.   'The SOB must have gotten his hands on some of Rex's research' I cursed as I lost my grip on Mayo who went another ten feet or so away from me. We were separated, but at least he was close, "Hell, Ophiotaurus may have even enhanced it."   'If you get it up to the surface,  I bet Trailblazer can deep fry it with a burst of fire,' Valerosa said in my head.    "I'll try, but as all it's attention is on Mayo and I, I'm not sure I'll be able to get under it!" I responded and indeed, it was surging towards us again. Damn it had a big mouth, lots of fangs. Wait, had Ophiotaurus given the Pilosaurus grill work with some of that high tech super steel? "Definitely enhanced it" I thought.   'Let me help,' Mayo moved back closer to me, which I didn't think was wise.   'Just get out to the shore, Mayo, I'll join you in a - ow' I said in surprise, "did you just pluck a hair from my head? Are you doing something freaky with my hair?'   'Where ever is the trust?' he answered, 'Merely relying on a link you've forged to get us some help. This wouldn't work otherwise'   Well, I fully approved of help, as the  Pilosaurus opened up to bite down on me. I rolled to the side even as I felt the currents shift from the force of the blow. I realized it was not an alligator, but I remembered seeing a documentary where some guy managed to hold a gator's mouth closed when it shut to keep him from opening again. Wait, did the guy survive that encounter? I didn't remember. Well, nothing much to lose but a limb, I tried it! I ended up giving it's temporarily shut maw the most awkward under sized hug you could imagine. It did not like that, and started to thrash around shaking me like I was some rodeo star on the back of a very pissed off bull;  a bull on steroids!   As I flapped around clinging for dear life, I could see Mayo assuming a lotus position in the water. How he does that without tipping over I don't know. I was hoping for something more productive.   'Hey, Eel? you getting that thing to the surface yet. We got a mission here,' Hussar thought at me reminding that while he had turned over a new leaf, he was still kind of a jerk.   'Having a bit of trouble here' I said as I tried to focus long enough to push/swim this thing up, but my sense of direction was iffy nevermind that it was floating me all the way.   'You know, in training, you always said just don't panic, do your best, and focus a little and you'll be fine,' Bramble reminded me.   I was about to think something really nasty at all of them, when another huge body moved under me. Great, was there another one of these things?   'Thank you,' Mayo's thought was like a clear chime.    Thank you? Was he thanking me? because I was , at best, in a crazy stale mate for the moment.   'No, not you, Eel. Just thanking someone for showing up' Mayo told me.   And that's when a forty foot long gray whale of my acquaintance rammed into the underbelly of the  Pilosaurus carrying it, and myself up, up up. I grinned when I realized what, no, who it was, and pushed up as well, 'upcoming, hit the  Pilosaurus! not the whale!'   Confused thoughts abounded in the network then , "Whale? what whale?' SPLOOSH!  We broke the surface as Whale Guy and I brought our mutual foe to the air! Almost immediately, the  Pilosaurus lost any sense of grace!   A torrent of flames came down as Trailblazer cut loose with a stream of concentrated fire that set the  Pilosaurus to cooking almost instantly! Whale Guy, seeming to sense what was coming plunged back into the depths past me to avoid the wash of heat. Me? I felt like I left the shower on scalding for a moment.   I found my grin getting larger and goofier 'WHOOT! GO WHALE GUY! Way to go partner!' I yelled/thought!   'Oh my god, it's really him' Valerosa laughed.   'Whale Guy is real? I thought that was a marketing gimick' Viewpoint confessed gaping.   'Awwww,' Pogo's thoughts were a mix of wonder and a bit of envy 'I want a whale guy.'   The  Pilosaurus, unable to break loose and exposed cooked  until suddenly, whatever genetic chemical breakdown was programmed in it triggered, causing it to burst into biodegradable hopefully environmentally friendly gunk.   I rose to the surface through the gunk and waved "I'm good" I thought/said, then thought hard 'Mayo, are you okay? is Whale Guy?'   'I am where I was before and I'm fine,' Mayo thought back, 'As for Whale Guy, see for yourself.'   In the distance, I saw Whale Guy breach the surface again, exhale a blow, and then plunge down ,but not before given a slap that was as good as wave of farewell.   "Owe you a beer, Buddy," I called out.   'Oh not American Beer, that's just cruelty to animals' Aspirant thought quite deliberately.   'Holy crap, Fish Guy really does talk to fish!' Hussar's own thoughts were out there.   I rolled my eyes 'Whales aren't Fish, they're mammals, and I'm not Fish Guy, I'm Eel, and.. no I don't talk to him. I just have some sort of connection with him according to Mayo and I- you know what? I don't have to explain this to you. When we save the day, go home, read a book, search an engine, whatever.'   Valeroso looked at Hussar, and smiled "It's Eel and Whale Guy, together, they fight crime."   'I wonder which one's the sidekick?" Pogo giggled mentally.   I rolled my eyes and turned to resume, only to see Lobotomy Island lighting up, 'I think we just lost the element of surprise'   

Vehicles were gathered and filled, with Bramble reinforcing her cast and claiming my beloved hover cycle. She was a grown woman, but I suddenly understood how my dad had felt when when he let me borrow his pick up all by myself for the first time. Of course, if Mabel were here she'd point out it was her former body and I had trashed more than one of those in the line of duty so maybe I didn't have the right to fuss. So I didn't, fuss that is. 
 
"So where ARE we going?" Hussar  wanted to know, "Exactly? I mean, where is Ophiotaurus' lair?"

"Lobotomy Island," I answered him.

Viewpoint winced, "Great. That place gave me the creeps before it became a supervillain lair."

"Really?" I grinned, "Ghost stories get to you?"

"Hey laugh it up, man, it's not called Lobotomy Island because nice things happened there," He rubbed at his shoulders as if feeling a chill.

"Wait, hold up? We're going to a place called  Lobotomy Island?" Bramble had joined in on this one, "What, Crap your Pants Island was taken?"

"It was a Psychiatric institution meant to promote mental health... it just so happened that when the building was built when shock treatment, lobotomy, and other scary ass things were used more abundantly," I explained to her, "Hence the term Lobotomy Island, though it's actual name was Isla Calavera Sangrienta from the Spaniard settlers"

"Now that sounds a LOT Prettier," Bramble said, "Can't we call it that?"

Valerosa looked amused "That loosely translates to Bloody Skull Island."

"West Coasters are #$#$ing weird," Hussar declared in a rare bout of Midwest loyalty.

"Anyway, it seems Ophiotaurus has turned the old medical buildings there into a base for his research and to launch his plans from. It's probably laden with drones so stealth attack may not work but we're going to try," I said, "Good news? It's an Island so Mayo and I can approach the first part under water. Maybe draw a little fire, then you guys can come in with less hassle. I have a flare gun, I'll shoot it up. Coms will likely be jammed or might be hacked so Aspirant will be doing  a mind link."

Valerosa looked at Aspirant, "That's a lot of of us in your head, Aspirant. Can you handle all those thoughts and emotions using you like a chatroom?"

The Canadian  assured us, "I got it. Just willingly sent surface thoughts, no deep reads? I can handle it."

"Course you can," Hussar asserted to our surprise. Looks like he had decided to be a team player , or at least more openly supportive.

Pogo beamed, "You got this. Your hardest part will be filtering out my stream of babble. You know I get all excited and carried away the more I get excited and I just go on and on and then people kind of want to throw me away. Good thing I bounce back."

"It's great that you bounce back," Aspirant told her goofily.

Trailblazer whispered "So cute."

"Very," Valerosa said "but now's not the time for it. Pogo, Aspirant, focus please."

They both blushed, and grew attentive. Aspirant walked to each of us, put his hand on each individuals to establish the link, then paused when he got to Slime, "Physical contact makes the link easier to hold, I've found so  uhm.. I'm just gonna...stick my finger here? That okay?" He finally asked the goopy and somewhat odoriferous alien.

'PROCEED,' Slime's surface scrolled the word.

And Aspirant did so, dipping his finger through the first half inch of the first layer of the blob. When it came out, there was a whiff of something like rotten eggs and old fish.
'OUR CHILDREN WILL BE HIDEIOUS BUT LOVED- GOT A CIGARETTE?'' came Slime's surface message.

Aspirant shook his finger "Oh man don't , I'm sorry I'm trying to be nice but don't ... thats just gross. Sorry."

More than one of the rest of us broke out in soft laughs or at least amused smiles.

'I ASSURE YOU, I STILL DON'T FIND YOUR SPECIES ATTRACTIVE EITHER, BUT HUMOR CUTS THE TENSION' Slime , a move seasoned hero, advised him.
Thoughts buzzed at the edge of my awareness, the mental network now in place and ready for our use.
 
'Okay, Everyone,' Valerosa was already taking advantage of it, 'Let's get going, and will bounce some ideas around. Remember, the coms are there and we're going to use them, this is in case it goes dead or they guess our codes. If they guess our codes, we feed false info on them and throw Ophiotaurus and his goons off. Hopefully Aspirant won't have to spend much brainpower on this and can see if Ophiotaurus can handle that nightmare memory whammy.'
My relief threatened to spill out through the link. Less chane of me losing it with Ophiotaurus if our telepath handled him. Yet, it wasn't as strong as I thought it would be. Mayo had been right, the talk with mom and dad had helped me deal with the burden, if not absolve me.
'You're welcome' Mayo's thought came through, just for me, 'but I'm a mystic, I'm used to being right.'

I imagined me rolling my eyes really hard to see if that would go through the link to him. It must have worked because his next mental response was a chuckle.
Ariana spoke up verbally, "Let's hit the sky.."
Hussar  grabbed Pogo around the waist with one arm, as his other had the gun ready, "Sorry about that, but if I slip, you're the one I can afford to drop."
"Just watch the hand placement, rookie,"  Pogo said, "But yeah, I'm totally the one to take any gravity impact and I'll tell you whyyyy whoa.."
Hussar had gotten bored and cut her talk off by going up in the air fast but more up and out than forward. He wasn't going to leave the team.
Aspirant had gotten into the flying car with Valerosa, Trailblazer, Viewpoint, and a now condensed Slime. The love sick Candian pointed after Pogo going up and directed my co-capitan, "After the hawntness"
Valerosa gave him a look, and started the vehicle up. As it rose, I went under it, put one of my own arms around Mayo, then leaped up to hook onto the undercarriage with my free hand.
Mayo said "And we drop off when there is ocean below us?"
"Relax," I told him "Yes, but until then? I got you."
 
Bramble looked smug. She had a hover cycle to herself.  It could normally handle two, but with her leg a bit stuck out (thanks to the cast) we thought it best to just let her go solo for the ride. 
Trailblazer  reached over and touched a panel, "Can't go without tunes, right? Now which track is..."
Weird Al Yankovich's Dare to Be Stupid began to play, and Trailblazer grew flustered, "That's not what I meant to put in."
"Leave it in," Hussar called from his own nearby hover, "I don't know what it is, but I think you just found  THIS crew's theme song."
And off we went into the skyline and towards the shore ready to dare the wrath of Ophiotaurus, stupidly or otherwise!

In real life I've run into a depressingly high number of talking holes.

Here's a new monster for you Fantasy HERO campaign--The Talking Hole.
 

It could always be worse.

It happened right after President Biden had his colonoscopy. Between that and the reconstruction bill passing there wasn’t as much dead news time as usual, so the story got swallowed up.  The choices were between two turkeys named (Lords of Kobal, help us.) Peanut Butter & Jelly.  I think Peanut Butter was saved.
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  BTW....Happy Thanksgiving folks, I hope this year finds you and your families healthy and happy.