Blazing_Embers

Part II – Caught Behind Enemy Lines

The wind came in off the harbor rather swiftly; dancing through the streets and the people as it whipped and wound it’s way around the port’s sparse buildings. Amy Wilcox surveyed the area ahead of her. There were dozens of people walking the streets of Independence Port and she was having slight difficultly narrowing down the one she wanted to speak to. Amy, blind since she was ten, saw the world differently than others. Shapes and aura’s is the way she saw the world. A unique perspective, one Rhys really didn’t want to get to know himself and he always tried to help out without looking like it. Amy wasn’t on the active roster now for some time. Not since the death of her fiancée. And though she didn’t need Rhys’ help with all the bodies lingering around the street, all the boy did was speed up the process. Or their demise, she wasn’t sure which one sometimes.

“Isn’t she one of them over there?” Rhys muttered to Amy as he looked towards the woman entering her shop.

Amy turned towards the direction he was pointing and sure enough there she was. She nodded, “Yes,” and began moving swiftly towards the shop. They needed to speak with storeowners in the area and this was their fourth stop of the morning. They had been met with mixed results but no one had told them what they were looking for.

Before entering she turned to Rhys pointing a finger at him. “No more smartness!” she ordered at him.

“Okay, okay, jeez you’re worse than my mother and Blazing combined,” He agreed. They were both dressed in civilian clothes, which Rhys enjoyed. He might have electricity coursing through his body but after a while his suit really drove him nuts. The only thing Amy couldn’t hide was her glasses. She required them to see.

“Just remember who we’re supposed to be, we’re not heroes, Rhys,” she added.

“Right, right, you’re my Aunt,” he nodded but caught the look on her face.

“Your sister,” she scowled at him.

“Yeah, right” he snickered while rolling his eyes, weighing in his point for the fifth time that day.

He was correct in the matter. Rhys towered over Amy’s small stature and they looked nothing alike. Even Rhys’ own sister and brother shared in his bright red hair, green eyes and pale skin, while Amy’s olive skin and black hair did not make them look anything like siblings. Despite the fact that they bickered like them, they were farther from being tagged as siblings to anyone they would run into. Amy was hardheaded and thick skinned and even though Glacial-Inferno had told Rhys to give her time, he just always seemed to annoy her.
On the other hand, Amy felt that Rhys was too young to be involved in any of these missions and while it wasn’t always up to her he had proven himself to be of the school of Blazing Embers, which meant that he usually checked his emotions at the door no matter who was involved. Even though he could be a smart aleck, he wasn’t one to get an ego about himself like some of the other heroes she had worked with before but then again she hadn’t worked with Rhys long so she hoped she wasn’t pre-judging him too quickly. Teenagers can change in a heartbeat and so she remained leery of him.

The two entered the store and noticed a few patrons but nothing odd about it. There were trinkets on a display in the front arranged rather nicely and the rest of the store was rather dark filled with books and a few fake pieces of artwork to fill bare spots on the wall. A display in a glass case off to the left of the front desk caught Rhys’ eye as it had many interesting shiny objects in there he had never seen before. He continued to follow behind Mirage as she reached the front desk and smiled at the woman behind it. The wall behind the desk was covered with more falsities but that’s not what they were here for. The woman behind the counter was of far more interest.

Amy pretended to look into the counter’s glass case at the jewelry there while Rhys continued staring at the tall glass case to his left. Amy noticed Rhys’ attention had wandered and was aware of the best way to get his attention subtly. She knew he couldn’t feel much in his own body, case and point when she stomped on his foot a month ago and he didn’t flinch. Deciding to resort to a better tactic this time, she reached over and grabbed a pinch of his skin, squeezing as hard as she could.

Feeling the odd sensation on his arm, Rhys turned to look in the case Amy was looking into. He leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Earrings," and then turned back to eye the case that caught his eye earlier.
Amy faked a smile towards the storeowner. “Nice earrings,” Amy complimented.

“Why thank you,” the shop owner smiled, “They are hand made. Those in fact just came in from a woman who makes most of these in Skyway City in fact.” She continued rather proudly.

“Listen do you mind if I ask you something?” Amy tilted her head curiously at the woman. Rhys turned back away from the glass case he was looking at, glancing in Amy’s direction. He suddenly remembered something Blazing had told him once, keep an eye on your surroundings. He looked around the store but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The woman followed Rhys’ glance by looking at the other patrons in the store then continued dusting off the counter as she spoke, “Look lady, make a deal they’re just earrings some of us try to get what we can get around here. Not all businesses-“

Amy cut her off as she innocently shook her head, “No I’m sorry. I’m just curious. Do you have to share a portion of what you make with just Vivian?”

Rhys whispered to Amy so that only she could hear, “Yeah lets be subtle about this one, huh.”

Amy shooed him off as the woman replied, “Look you want to buy something fine, you don’t?” She glanced at both Amy and Rhys before continuing, “Then leave.” They sighed as they turned to leave. Before they reached the door several men entered and blocked their exit.

“Oh boy the welcoming community,” Rhys exclaimed with a sarcastic grin.

“Leaving so soon?” A burly unshaven man on the left asked them.
Rhys lifted his brows and pondered for a moment. He lifted a finger into the air, “Actually, yes we thought we might, we’re late for tea. If you’ll excuse us-“

“I got a better idea,” a tall rather rugged looking man looked down at them cutting their escape off. He was huge and Rhys and Amy looked at each other before the man finished his sentence, “How about you two come with us. Vivian James has some questions for you.”

Rhys glanced at his watch, “So look are you guys are going to make me late for supper? I’m afraid you will so tell Vivian James another time maybe.”

“Look if you two wouldn’t mind.” The lead man demanded rather than suggested as they circled around behind them. Amy and Rhys exchanged looks again.

Rhys looked the man over and knew if physical force came to blows they were easily outclassed. Rhys didn’t have his suit and with all these civilians he was risking too much, especially with his recent difficulties of controlling his powers lately. He did notice they weren’t carrying any weapons and decided to take a risk that he could talk his way out of this.

He continued his ploy with a hint of sarcasm and ignorance hopeful it would work. He sighed shaking his head., “Actually, we do mind, we are meeting someone for tea-“

“NOW!” he screamed into Rhys’ ear causing him to jump as he had no idea the man behind him was standing that close, nor did he realize he was going to try and break his ear drums.

Amy shook her head and turned to Rhys, “You are such an idiot.”

“It was worth a shot, I didn’t see you trying anything,” he whispered back through clenched teeth.

“Boy, c’mere!” one of the other men growled as he grabbed Rhys just below the neck and shoved him out the door. Another took Amy by the arm and forcefully walked her out too. They led them away and they both wondered what was going on. Vivian never requests to see anyone unless she really wants answers. And they weren’t aware they had any answers to give.

Part I - Prequel

The madness of The King’s Row Police Station was enough to drive anyone crazy after a while, if you weren’t used to it. Rhys Stevens, known to the public simply as VoltaicSentinel, was not. He wasn’t fond of this place either and tried not to make himself a permanent staple in it, but Blazing Embers often requested his assistance, and who was he to let the man down.

Rhys walked into the front hall with it’s ancient oak desk protruding from the ground as people stood around it demanding all of their complaints be heard first. As he passed he reached over the desk and grabbed one of the sergeant’s doughnuts and smiled briefly then continued past the second group of people lined up against the wall or seated on benches waiting to post bail and pickup the various riff-raff that sat in the county jail below them.

He pushed his way past a group of officers gathered around the water fountain as they discussed the days briefing, and made his way into the back offices. About fifty desks lined the room, and another twenty-five filled the center. Someone had to be taking a late shift that would free a desk up for his use and finding his winner he started weaving towards it. As the other adults bustled about they bumped and pushed around Rhys until he finally made his way to one of the empty desks. He didn’t know whom it belonged to but he could tell they had a family. The pictures on their desk proved it. Dropping his backpack next to the chair he eyed the room to see if Amy was here yet. Not seeing her, he grabbed the nearest officer he recognized, “Hey, where’s Lieutenant Selman?”

The officer pointed to a man behind Rhys and he was surprised he’d miss him, but Steven hadn’t missed Rhys. He was walked right up behind him bringing his hands down on the boy’s shoulders a little harder than he expected, pushing him into his chair a bit more. Rhys could hear the chair squeak as it moved slightly, “There he is, about time you got here!”

Rhys smirked, “I had class this morning.”

“You about ready?” he asked.

Rhys nodded, “Yes sir.”

“Alright, sit tight and collect your thoughts, not a day to let your mind wander. Now where’s Mirage?” Steven asked heading off in another direction, leaving Rhys to wait and think about the day ahead. He had been excused from classes for the next few days at the The Academy and told he could make up the work. He pushed out the thoughts of his classes and his homework, Lt. Selman was correct; today was not the day to let his mind wander. Amy, also known as Blind Mirage to the public, had requested his help on this assignment. It seemed odd to him that she would request him seeing that they didn’t get along. He thought perhaps Blazing had made her do it, but Blazing doesn’t make anyone do anything, he just asks. But when Blazing asks you to do something, you generally do it. Just out of respect. Either that or you already owe him a favor. Rhys believed just about everyone around town owed Blazing a favor, at least by the way he talks. Or maybe he just always said that for Rhys’ sake. Regardless, Rhys did appreciate and enjoyed every opportunity to get more fieldwork.

Rhys continued to swivel back and forth in his seat, letting it make small high pitched squeaks; staring at the floor realizing he was doing a poor job of clearing his head, when a female officer hollered from across the crowded station, "Hey kid!"

The noise of the room and his own thoughts didn’t allow him to register the woman’s voice, but when she hollered again he jumped to his feet and looked around. "You have an phone call. I’m patching it through the radio. But you better hurry because you're late."

He quirked an eyebrow and ran over to radio she was twirling in her hand like a baton. "But Mirage is not even here-" Rhys started but stopped when the female officer pointed across the room into another office where sure enough, there Amy sat. How he missed her he wasn't sure.

"Hello?" he spoke into the radio, still startled and rather surprised that he had missed her altogether.

"Rhys?" his dad answered him back.

"Dad? Look I don't have time right now, whatchya need?" he sighed impatiently. He continued to remind himself he needed to focus more. Today was not the day to be lapse or have error in judgments just because he was still down about Blazing’s decision to end their mentorship. It was sudden and he hadn’t expected it, but Blazing had told him to find someone else and he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to do that.

His Dad’s voice returned him from his thoughts again, "I um, just wanted to tell you to be careful, wherever it is you're going and all, and tell whoever is with you to um, well be careful too." His dad's voice sounded odd but Rhys took it for concern.

"I'm not going far Dad, Amy and I are just going into Independence Port, I'll be back the day after tomorrow. I'll see you then okay?" He realized until now he hadn't told his dad anything about this mission they were about to go on. It dawned on him that he probably shouldn't have said anything now. At least not yet. But what harm could it do. His dad had done a lot for him and he'd never do anything to harm him.

Rhys exchanged quick farewells with his father before joining Amy in the other room for their debriefing. They'd head out soon and he was anxious to get underway

As he ran into the office he caught Amy looking in his direction. He didn’t have to see behind her glasses to know what she was thinking.

“What?” he scoffed.

“You’re late,” she noted.

“No, you’re early,” he smirked.

“Hey, quit it you two,” Steven remarked. He knew they quarreled often but it was more banter than actual fighting. He once remarked that they acted like a brother and sister than teammates. He never mentioned it again as he had forgotten that Rhys hadn’t seen his brother and sister in over a year and the comment made him extremely angry with him at the time.

“Now, we need you two to interview the store owners in Independence Port. Find out if they are making protection payments to anyone else besides Vivian James.”

Rhys’ eyes widened. They were silent for a moment before Rhys raised a finger, “Excuse me, the same Vivian James that killed Amy’s fiancée and almost succeeded in her attempt to kill Blazing and Glacial?”

Steven nodded, “One and the same.”

“Are you nuts?” Rhys asked a bit perturbed Lieutenant Selman would think about sending only two people in there, instead of an army.

“Scared?” Amy smiled.

“I’d like to think I have some sanity, this is just nuts. It’s operation suicide!” Rhys paused for a moment and eyed Amy and Steven for a moment.

“Wait a minute,” things clicked into place. He realized what they were really looking for, not just store owners, but something larger. “You think someone is trying to take over her territory, don’t you?” he asked.

“Are they teaching you anything these schools you’ve attended?” Amy chuckled. Rhys glared at her. He might be young and he might be green but she didn’t have to be nasty about it.

“Hey!” Rhys protested.

“Is it too late to pick someone else?” Amy chided.

“No, your stuck with me,” Rhys volleyed back, “And I’m going to walk you into a wall too.”

“Like to see you try static boy,” Amy retorted.

“Give me those glasses-” Rhys started but didn’t get a chance to continue.

“HEY!” Steven hollered at them both. “Cut it out. I need you to work together on this. Not bicker like schoolchildren.”

“Who’s the marm?” Amy muttered under her breath so that Steven couldn’t hear her, but achieving her desired goal as Rhys began to snicker.

“Something funny?” Steven asked him slightly annoyed that the boy might not be taking this as seriously as he would have liked him too. But then again, Rhys rarely took anything seriously, a quality he thought Blazing liked in him and drove Lt. Selman crazy all the same.

Shaking his head and attempting to hide the smile he answered, “No sir, sorry.”

“Okay then. Mirage, Volt, you’re posing as brother and sister-“

Rhys started to laugh, “No one’s going to believe she’s my sister!” He turned to look at Amy who was more than ten years his senior as he continued to snicker, “You’re too old! My Aunt maybe, but not my sister!”

He realized what he said and half wished he could take it back as Amy flashed him a look under her glasses but her face said it all. Rhys however had grown up with a brother and a sister, and she didn’t scare him one bit. He lifted his eyebrows at her and grinning, “What?” After a short pause he shrugged, “Well it’s true.”

Amy quickly turned her head back at Lt. Selman and continued the glare she had been giving Rhys, “Give me another partner Steve.”

“Too late Amy, you picked him, you got him. The kid’s with you for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.” Steven smiled.

Rhys smiled and at her and Amy shook her head as she stood to leave, “You’re such a little sh*t.”

“No, I’m an honest sh*t,” he pointed out as he followed behind her.

Slight Backstory:

This back-story was never written and probably never will be as I’m writing a lot of other stories now (if it’s warranted and others ask for it I’ll write it eventually just don’t expect it really quickly). A character you’ll hear referenced as Kevin Taylor was a police officer that was sent in undercover to investigate Vivian James’ operation. When he went missing Blazing Embers and Glacial-Inferno went in to rescue him but Kevin was shot by the Family (On Vivian James orders) during their escape and bled to death so they returned his body to his fiancée Blind Mirage (Amy Wilcox). The rest fit into the picture just because I made them fit *grin* - writers privilege. You’ll notice that between the heroes they refer to each other as their real names. This is because they have worked together for a while, and I’ve noticed that even in comic books, when heroes are around other heroes and/or in front of civilians they often refer to each other by their real names (depends on if they have a secret identity, only one here with one is Rhys and his is blown fast here but it’s kind of been blown for a while now - purposely). I thought it appropriate to do the same. The only two that do not go by their real names very often are Blazing and Glacial. It’s kind of a partner thing. And as far as Rhys/Volt and Mirage/Amy are concerned, they don't call them by their names either out of respect.

Note: Each of these characters belong to either myself of a friend (Blind Mirage - who does not role play but wanted help in designing a biography. The character has since been deleted) I’ve been given permission to use these characters and This story will lead into several open RPs (back to back)

The Cast of Characters

Amy Wilcox also known as Blind Mirage - is a blind hero who can create Illusions with her mind after experimental surgery in an attempt to repair her eyesight failed. The surgery however did leave her with the ability to distinguish shapes and colors, and with the aide of special glasses she can also see the infrared spectrum. Once engaged to a young man named Kevin Taylor, after his death by the hands of Vivian James, she has been diving head first into her work as a hero ever since. She knows the people who murdered her fiancée and while the police would rather they be captured, she would rather see them pay for it with their lives and suffer for it the way she did. ((Illusion/Radiation Controller)) (Name(s) referred to: Amy)

Rhys Stevens also known to the public as VoltaicSentinel - is a teenager learning to be a hero. His abilities manifested a year ago while eating lunch at his Preparatory School when he sent an electric shockwave through the Cafeteria. He managed to accidentally protect several of the students with electro-magnetic force fields. After being detained for two months at Steel Canyon Medical Center by his mother’s request, she arranged for him to live with his father, where an ex-con turned hero/snitch named Blazing Embers began to mentor the boy. A year after all this began his father arranged for Rhys to begin schooling as a weekly boarder at the Legion of Heroes. After an incident in a local deli it showed Rhys was not grasping control of his abilities and he was transferred to another school, The Academy at which time his mentoring with Blazing Embers came to a close. This was Blazing Embers’ wish as the only thing he had left to teach Rhys was how to become a criminal, something he refused to do. He is very close to his brother and sister and is desperately trying to see them again but his mother is keeping them apart. His parents while divorced have been spending a lot of time together recently, which leaves Rhys suspicious. ((Force Field/Electric Defender)) (Name(s) referred to: Rhys, boy, kid, Volt)

Jonathon James Huff, today known as Blazing Embers - has a long distinguished criminal career (and alias list). Until twelve years ago he eluded the police with lackeys who would claim responsibility for many of Jon’s crimes. When he assisted in an event known as the Paragon Fires that left many buildings within Paragon raging in fire (many civilians and heroes affected by it hold him responsible not only for the fires but for those who perished in it) he was sentenced to fifteen years in the Brickstown Ziggurat Maximum Security Lockdown, Mutant Division. An arrangement was recently reached where he would work as a Police Informant (Snitch by his terms) as long as he used his old contacts to help the heroes of the city. He’s required to wear an ankle binder that prevents him from using some of his abilities until he gains the right to unlock others. This binder also tracks his movement. Overall he was granted early parole by three years shy of his original sentence. Until recently he was VoltaicSentinel’s mentor and teacher and he is still researching links to the boy’s family behind his back. ((Fire/Fire Blaster)) (Name(s) referred to: Blazing, Jonathan James Huff, Jon, JJ, Blaze)

Scott Dunlap also known as Glacial-Inferno - has worked as a hero and police officer for the King’s Row police department for many years. His most notable arrest was that of Blazing Embers twelve years ago. He is not sure what his past holds but he searches for it with the help of his once nemesis and now partner Blazing Embers with the aide of the other friends that surround him. He is secretly in love with Amy Wilcox but when they met circumstances did not allow the relationship to blossom as he was busy bringing her the body of her fiancée back to her. He has never perused it further but between Blazing and Voltaic, she’s all he ever talks about after she leaves his presence. (Name(s) referred to: Glac (Glash), Glacial, Scott)


Vivian James, the more ruthless female Capo leader of one of the Family groups in Independence Port. She is ruthless and cunning and the last time Blazing and Glacial dealt with her they returned with Kevin Taylor’s body, and almost found themselves extinguished as well. They hope never to deal with this woman again, but she is trying to grab onto more territory and control within the Family. She is thirsty for power and will lie, cheat, steal and stab anyone in the back to get it. (Name(s) referred to: Vivian, Viv)

Dean Rutledge – Bean counter for Vivian who has aspirations for more. He can’t stand Vivian; he doesn’t believe women have a place in The Family, especially as one of their leaders. (Name(s) referred to: Dean, Rutledge)

Civilians:

Thugs:

Tom –Vivian’s consul on how to deal with the common folk as she calls them. He’s simply a common street thug with no special abilities beyond his street smarts. (Name(s) referred to: Thug, Tom)

Nick – Vivian’s assistant, a basic street thug who isn’t as good as he think he is. He’s had an easy job and has gotten soft in his ways. He is rather a weakling and Vivian simply keeps him around because he is extremely loyal. (Name(s) referred to: Thug, Nick)

Neutral: (Maybe they are good, maybe they are bad, they might flip on us in the middle of the story, I can’t tell you yet *grin*)

Artie (Arturo) Benoit - was a nurse in the Steel Canyon medical facility when Rhys Stevens was admitted to the hospital and transferred to a detention room so he could be monitored. He was the boy’s life line for six and a half weeks and kept him from going stir crazy by playing word games, passing board games through a bin between the wall and even sneaking in candy and sodas for him. Artie’s own son died during the Rikti invasion and Rhys hopes one day to repay the favor. (Name(s) referred to: Artie)

Arthur Stevens - is Rhys’ father and his story unfolds a lot in this story. After the divorce to Rhys’ mother when Rhys was seven little is known about his life or whereabouts. He didn’t resurface until his son gained his abilities and his mother requested that his father take care of him so it didn’t upset her social career. It was Arthur Stevens who asked Blazing Embers to mentor his son, Rhys. He enrolled his son into a school for young heroes but it became apparent that Rhys required more assistance in controlling his abilities. He asked Blazing Embers’ assistance in this and quickly transferred his son to The Academy, a school for mutants. He’s been recently keeping illicit relationships with his ex-wife and the reason behind it is unknown, as he doesn’t love her. He simply has goals for his son to be the greatest hero that ever lived, while his son just wants to be himself. (Name(s) referred to: Art, Arthur, to Rhys – Dad)

Good Guys:

Ciara – Rhys’ youngest sibling. She is twelve and was heartbroken when their mother split Rhys from his brother and sister. She sends him trinkets in the mail but she has a secret as well; one that might save or destroy her older brother in the future. (Name(s) referred to: Ciara, Cikki (pronounced KeeKee)

Steven Selman – Police Lieutenant, and Parole Officer to Blazing Embers. Became a parole officer to Blazing Embers when he proposed the idea of allowing this villain turned hero to leave the Ziggurat on early parole to aide other heroes and the police force with his crime world knowledge. He is a Lieutenant first and since it was his idea to parole Blazing Embers, Jon Huff became Steven’s responsibility. This is the one person Blazing reports to since the Chief believes Jon Huff will return to his old ways eventually. (Name(s) referred to: Lieutenant Selman, Steven, Steven)

(())

Sorry, I'd have opened it up but I wrote it up complete and I'd hate to have to re-write it.

If this has any resemblance to a movie, television show, play etc. it's completely coicidental. (I've had people comment that Blazing Embers reminds them of Elijah Frost from the comic Planetary - again purely done on accident. He actually came from a convesation with the comic writer Geoff Johns (the perks of living in Las Vegas *grin*) and the character in the Flash comics, a rogue named Heatwave. I altered the character a lot but you'll notice similarities.)

Below, before I Begin the story are links to many sites which will clue you in to the characters. The two main ones that is, VoltaicSentienl and Blazing Embers. They aren't really to long of a read, but if you aren't familiar with them, then they are worth the read. They aren't needed to understand the story however, as the story stands on it's own.


Links for VoltaicSentinel:

ORIGIN: VoltaicSentinel

LOYH App - Includes his mother's characterization and their interaction

Rhys and his mother RP

The Academy app for VoltaicSentinel - The Mentorship breaks

Links for Blazing Embers:

The Parole of Blazing Embers

Blazing Embers - Journal of a Man

The Watchmen App - Includes RP at the bottom

Anyways, if you have questions feel free to ask. Again I apologize for the length I cut and snipped as much as I could. Now onto the introduction and the story...

Hahaha I like the "also" one the best, Thanks Storyteller everyone kept swearing it couldn't be done but I kept plugging away at it. I just was missing a few things. Thanks again! Kudos!

((This was something I attached when applying to my supergroup The Nemesis Council and you can read Blazing Embers Bio information in one of these spots: Nemesis Council Freedom Corps Files (Bio only) , or the Who's Who of Virtue (RolePlaying). As I've noted with other posts I do try and catch spelling errors and mistakes but spelling checking and dictionary.com only get's you so far and offers only so much help *grin* This story here is finished, it's just a short one and I was planning on continuing Blazing's tale in other story arcs not letting this one run on forever. This just was something for me to have fun to introduce him and show the things he was hanging on to is all.))

The Parole of Blazing Embers

Jon sat down at his new desk at his new office job. He'd already been through the desk searching for a book of matches when someone tossed a fresh book onto his desk.

Grinning widely he took them eagerly from the man who had proposed this ludicrious plan in the first place. "Thanks."

Steve nodded, "Yeah I heard they took your other ones and wouldn't let you have them back."

Jon snorted, "I just got out and they think I'm going to run right out and torch the town again."

Steve smiled, "Well you did once don't forget."

"Hey, hey, hey," Jon protested, "I wasn't alone in that."

Steve chuckled, "But you started it."

"It was only a small fire! Not my fault that Hellion moron Pryomaniac wanted to heat things up a bit. He was never quite right upstairs."

Steve smiled then placed a file on the desk in front of Jon, "Look, don't freak out about this but I thought you'd want to see it."

Jon's smile faded as he saw his name on the file on the desk. Slowly he nodded.

"Breathe Jon. It's old news."

"Just never thought I'd ever see it. It's just strange is all."

"Well you're on our side this time."

Jon snorted, "No, I'm neutral. All snitch's are."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Informant."

Jon looked at Steve in disbelief, "Informant is just a fancy word for Snitch."

Steve chuckled as he placed a stack of files on top of the ominous file and started to walk off. "Look, up to you, read it when you want to but you really should read it," he stated pointing to the wedding ring Jon still wore.

Jon looked down at the ring puzzled then at the file peaking from underneath the rest. His curiousity getting the best of him he carefully pulled it out from the bottom of the stack and opened it up.

He half chuckled at the picture of himself in there, such a young person. Was he ever this young? He read the information he was familiar with like Steve said, old news. It was all so familiar he almost missed it. "Divorced" His body felt a jolt and he sat there dumbfounded. 'How does a dead person file for divorce?' he wondered. A bigger question, why didn't he know about it. 'Must be a mistake' he thought. Steve will know how to fix it.

He took the file in hand and quickly marched over to Steve's office. "Steve this is wrong-"

"You saw it," sighed Steve, "and no it's quite correct."

Jon's eyes narrowed as his jaw tightened, "No. It's wrong. Fix it."

Steven shook his head, "I can't."

Jon could feel his anger rising but he did what he could to surpress it, nothing like getting fired on the first day, "Why not. She was my wife."

"And you killed her Jon. Her family protested that you were her next of kin for the inheritance, they took it to court and were granted a divorce between you two. Since you were sentanced to prison over the Paragon Fires, the judge granted it," Steve explained.

Jon frowned. He had always loved fire, it had never been a curse to him, the consequences were not important - until now. "What were the grounds?"

Steve tried not to smile as he said it and did his best to hide it, "Irreconcilable differences."

Jon eyed everything in the room except his new boss. He offered a cold silence for what seemed like an enternity before looking up at Steve and curled his lip into a sneer, "Damn mother-in-laws." Turning in one smooth motion, he headed down the hall and made his way towards the door.

The receptionist protested as he tried to open the front double doors, "Sir! Mr. Huff! You can't leave! You have to stay inside-"

Jon paused with the door slightly ajar and sighed his head dropping to his chest a low grumble escaping from within his throat. It was time to turn on the charm. His eyes immediately sparkled with an unspoken trust that let the niave instantly believe he was honest and true. His smile was thin but contagious at times. He narrowed his eyes a bit to add in that touch of intimidation as let go of the handle. He turned around slowly to give this winning package to the young receptionist. He approached her desk with confidence, as he did all things, and casually leaned over the top of her chest high desk to bring himself as close to her face as possible. Speaking quietly, just short of a whisper, he asked her assuredly, "Can I take a smoke break dear?"

She thought for a moment, her eyes flickering to the monitor at her desk which showed the ankle binder he wore. It had been calibrated to surpress his fire abilities and keep him grounded. Looking back at him she nodded reluctantly at first then smiled politely at him. It had worked but he knew it would.

"Thank you darling."

Heading outside he pulled a pack of cigarettes from an inside jacket pocket. Tapping one from the pack he returned it to it's rightful place. He quickly lit the cigarette without striking a match and within minutes he finished it. Before returning to his office he removed his wedding band and tossed it in the trash can that sat outside.

Once he was inside and past the receptionist; Jon found he couldn't find it in him to continue down the hall. Spinning around, he briskly walked towards the woman at the desk again. When she tried to object Jon quickly and rather forcefully shoved her back into her chair as he continued towards the door griping at himself the entire way. He rummaged through the can, found the ring and returned it to it's correct finger.

"Divorced my [censored]."

I apologize as I tried to read as many of these as possible, but theres so many. Here's what I want to do. When I select a teammate I want to hit the F1 key and have it cast Deflection Shield then Insulation Shield. THat's it. Then I can move to the next teammate hit F1 and do the same. People keep telling me I can't do this but there should be a way right? I've tried several ways but I keep trying stuff I've already seen are not going to work. Anyone have anything out there that can aide me in this? I'd appreciate it. I'm going nuts here.

ORIGIN: Part 7 - Freedom

"Rhys"

"How'd he end up asleep on the floor like this?"

"Rhys!"

"Wha? Huh? I'm awake!" Rhys rubbed his eyes and stretched.

"Rhys, how'd you end up on the floor?" a voice from the other side of the mirror asked.

Rhys looked around. Sure enough he was on the floor. "Ummm, good question. I was sitting here last night, I guess I fell asleep."

"Your father is here to pick you up. You haven't had any more outbursts in a month. We have gone over the list of clothing we think should help you prevent further outbursts."

Rhys raised a brow, "So I can leave? Anytime I want?"

"With your father, yes."

"Right now."

"We'd prefer it if you'd put on these clothes first since these have plastic button instead of metal ones"

Rhys nodded and took the new clothes from the bin as it slid over to his side of the room. Dressing quickly in the medium weight t-shirt, button fly jeans with plastic buttons and thick-soled shoes Rhys walked to the mirror and smirked. "Okay now can I leave?"

Rhys heard the door to his room unlock and he walked over to the door and grinned, "Great, open sesame!"

Artie laughed and the door didn't move, "Use the handle kid."

"Oh." Rhys grinned and opened it.

He saw the people he'd been talking to for the first time and they introduced themselves. He knew the names and now he knew their faces. Artie was a large round man with thinning hair but had a very kind face. There was another man there who hadn't introduced himself yet.

"Who are you?" Rhys asked.

"Your father." the man answered back seeming a little annoyed by the question.

Rhys winced a bit, "Oh," perhaps he should have known that information but he hadn't seen him since he was seven, that was eight years ago and from the few memories he had of his father he remembered someone much taller and much younger. Rhys' mother didn't keep pictures of their father around either so it wasn't like he had any reference to go by except faded memories before their divorce. After that he just disappeared, until now.

Before leaving with the things his mother brought for him he shook hands with the people who kept him company, especially Artie. If it hadn't been for him Rhys would have gone completely crazy in there. Artie was the one who found things for him to talk about, word games, he even found a way to pass the plastic board games back and forth through the bins so he had a partner to play with during the day. Artie even snuck in soda pops in plastic cups, sometimes would sneak him in some candy for dessert with his meals. In talking to him Rhys found out Artie used to have a son once until the Rikti attack. Rhys figured that's why Artie took such good care of him. Making up for lost time or just figured if it were Arties son, he'd want him to be treated that way too. Either way Artie was Rhys' lifeline and he hoped one day to repay him for it.

For now Rhys was happy to be free, have human contact again and he couldn't wait to try and return to school, didn't matter which one, just a school. He looked forwards to receiving his first letters from Colin and Ciara as well. Perhaps he can arrange secret meetings with them behind their mother's back. But for the time being he needed to get to know this stranger he'd be living with, and a stranger indeed. Rhys felt like he'd be walking on pins and needles for the next week or so until he figured out how things worked around his father's house. Until then he'll just enjoy the freedom.



Once at his father’s apartment in King’s Row he opened the windows and left the door to his room opened. After two months of being in a detention room the idea of everything being shut up again didn't appeal to him anymore. His father already had a bed in the room like the one he had at the hospital. He had a computer in the corner with gloves lying beside it. He remembered what they were for as he had fried some of the hospital’s Internet computers, two of them to be exact. He opened the closet to find it already full of clothes, exactly what they hospital doctors told him to wear. Lots of jeans, several pairs of thick-soled shoes and tons of t-shirts, he was in heaven. His favorite clothes! There was a necklace on the dresser to his right. A note was attached.

Dear Rhys,
I left this at the hospital last night and ask the guy Artie to leave this for dad. I hope you like it. I started making it the day you were admitted. Hope to see you soon.
Love you lots
Your favorite sister – Ciara

Rhys picked up the necklace; it was intricately woven with a clasp at the back. Dangling from it was a plastic lightning bolt. “Cool,” Rhys muttered.

He quickly put it on when he heard his father bellow from below, “RHYS! Dinner!”

Rhys sighed. The ride home the only thing his father talked about was how proud he was of him and how he thought his powers were a good thing in Rhys’ life. That he would do everything he could to help him out and make sure he was taken care of. He even mentioned that perhaps Rhys should look into becoming a Hero. He wondered if Dinner might be a little quieter of if his father would continue going on and on and on. He’d had a tough few months and he was looking forward to getting to know his father, not his opinion about Rhys and his abilities. Perhaps if he gave his father a week or so he’d calm down from trying to impress Rhys and just be himself.

Running down the stairs Rhys headed for the kitchen to have his first meal with his father since he was seven. Who knows maybe this was for the better. He's have to wait and see.

ORIGIN: Part 6 - It's Never Goodbye, Just Until Next Time

"Rhys?" his mother's voice echoed through the room.

He met her with silence.

"Rhys answer me."

"Why."

They already had explained to him that his abilities were due to a genetic mutation but he didn't understand all the medical mumbo jumbo they were spouting at him. And he knew what his mother felt about heroes and mutants. He knew his mother would be more than happy to just leave him here for the rest of his life and be content with it, but he was going stir crazy and wanted out, now.

His back to the two-way mirror, unless she gave him a damn good excuse why she wasn't going to let him out, he wasn't about to give her the pleasure of facing her either.

"Rhys please lets be civil about this. I didn't raise a spoilsport. A spoil sport is the worse-"

Rhys spun around, "Spare me your quips and quotes and tell me what you want."

"I've made arrangements for you to go live with your father."

"WHY!" screeched.

"He's already agreed to take you in-"

"I don't understand?!?" Rhys questioned as he felt his legs almost give out on him.

"I can't handle this. I can't handle you" she started to explain.

"But what did I do? I'll fix it" Rhys pleaded.

"Rhys, you can't. You can't fix everything. The school board has thrown you out of school."

"But I don't know him. He left when I was seven." Rhys' breathing quickened as he walked towards the two-way mirror pressing his forehead against it trying to see the other side.

"Rhys it's for the best."

"But Ciara, Colin?" Rhys asked his voice cracking.

"They'll be fine."

"When can I visit them?" Rhys continued to plead.

There was a pause before he mother answered "Rhys...It's best if you don't-"

"NO!" Rhys screamed at the top of his lungs as he backed away from the mirror, "It's not fair!"

"Well it's not fair to us either Rhys! The press is everywhere. I can't show up at my parties without being followed by cameras, or even try to go to fundraisers without being hounded by questions about being the mother of the boy who zapped his classmates." She pleaded with him.

Rhys paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes at the mirror. "I get it. This isn't about me. It's about you. It's always about you!"

"Dammit Rhys I won't let you talk to me like that. Your sister's friends won’t even talk to her anymore! Colin's was beaten up yesterday, did you think about that?" she hollered back at him.

"And where were you when the school called, mother." Rhys asked coldly. "Women's auxiliary club picking out whose garden will make the magazine cover this year?"

"Rhys that's not fair," she hollered back.

"Neither is this! Just because you can't stand mutants doesn't give you the right to throw me out!" Rhys was yelling at her, something he'd never done, but he really didn't care.

"I'm not throwing you out. You'll never be safe in our neighborhood anymore. And what if you have another outburst?" she asked.

"What if I don't?"

"But what if you do? Who do you hurt next time? Ciara? Colin?" she asked.

Rhys lowered his head to the floor, "You can't know that," he whispered loud enough for her to hear. But it was apparent that he wasn't going to change his mother's mind. All he could do was try and gain as much ground from her as possible. Like seeing his brother and sister even if it was periodically or just to say goodbye temporarily.

"Your father will pick you up tomorrow. Alright?"

"No. But it doesn't look like I have a choice do I?" he scoffed.

"I'll bring your things by tonight." she added.

"Can you bring Ciara and Colin too?" he asked.

She was silent a moment then agreed, "Alright. But only for a short visit."

Rhys hid his smile as she left.


Later that evening Rhys heard some commotion behind the mirror, "Ciara? Colin?"

"No hon, I just brought your things by like I promised."

"What about Ciara and Colin? You promised!" he nagged.

There was a silence that seemed to go on forever before a sigh came from the mirror, "They...didn't want to come." she lied.

"LIAR!" Rhys seethed. He knew better. They would do anything to be there if they knew he wasn't coming home.

"How dare you!" she declared. "You do not talk to me that way young man!"

"I don't live with you anymore I can say anything I damn well please," Rhys argued.

After about thirty minutes of trading arguments Ciara and Colin ran into the room, "We made it!" Colin wheezed. Rhys and his mother stopped arguing as Rhys asked, "Colin?"

"Yeah?"

"Ciara with you?"

"Yup!" she replied, "We took the tram here!"

Rhys smiled, and his mother glared at the two of them. "Didn't want to come, guess they changed their minds."

Ciara turned to Artie, "Can we go in there?"
Artie shook his head, "No sorry sweetie you can't."

Ciara frowned as tears welled into her eyes, "Why not?"

"I don't know, bosses orders," Artie exclaimed as he shrugged handing her a tissue.

"When you coming home Rhys?" Colin asked.

"Not." Rhys smirked.

Ciara screeched at the top of her lungs and Colin started asking all these questions. Rhys shrugged and explained everything to them but their mother kept interrupting. Rhys sighed, "Does she *have* to be here? Or can I make her leave?"

Artie smiled, "You don't have to have anyone here you don’t want to be here."

"Good I want her outta here."

"But-" Rhys' mother protested.

"Kid's room if you continue to upset him further who knows if he'll have another outburst and *you* are upsetting him. You always upset him. You have a knack for that it seems." Artie smiled. He wasn't fond of Rhys' mother, Ophelia either. Nobody was.

Rhys smirked and muttered, "She upsets everybody."

Soon as she was gone Rhys pleaded why Artie, "C'mon Artie, break the rules just this once. I'm begging ya here."

Artie thought for a moment, "I dunno kid."

Rhys got an idea, "Here use one of those binders for me that they were using when I go for my tests. It'll keep me from using my powers at all. Please Artie It's my brother and sister here. I just want to see em."

Artie eyed Ciara and Colin then Rhys. He grabbed the ankle binder and placed it into the bin and sent it into the room with Rhys. "Here kid you know how to put it on."

Rhys grinned and slapped it on. "Alright Artie lock it down."

Artie flipped the switch on the remote and the tingling sensation within Rhys' body disappeared, he felt normal again, the binder was heavy but it was worth it. Artie motioned to the doorway on the left and unlocked it for them. They turned the handle and then ran inside tackling Rhys instantly. He hadn't seem them in a few weeks and human contact felt good. The talked, giggled and played board games with plastic pieces for two hours. Their mother informed the staff they had homework left and had to go and to say their goodbyes. Rhys hugged them each about twelve times, Ciara was crying but he tried to explain that when he turned eighteen their mother wouldn't be able to keep them apart. "When I get settled, I'll write to you okay?" he told them. "And I'll send you stamps, mom leaves envelops everywhere so just grab some and hoard em." They nodded. Ciara promised to send him bracelets she liked to make and anything she could think of to send. "You guys have to take care of each other now, promise me that. Colin you watch out for Ciara and Ciara you watch out for Colin."

"Alright," they said in unison.

"This just isn't fair," Ciara said between sobs.

"I know," Rhys told her wiping her face with his shirt. "It's just temporary though."

"Yeah, she can't keep us apart forever." Colin agreed.

"Still isn't fair," Ciara continued to sob as she gave Rhys a kiss on the cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down to her height. "Gack! Warn me next time little dweeb!"

"[Censored]!" she fired back.

"Moron!" Colin joined in.

"Monkeys Uncle!" Rhys hollered after as the door shut behind them.

They turned around at the glass and made faces at him which he couldn't see but he could guess as they chiming in together, "You would know bucket head!"

Rhys pressed his forehead against the mirror as they left. He couldn’t see them but they could see him. His hands were against the glass, Ciara matched it and left a kiss on the glass, Colin matched the other hand.

“Lets go kids,” Their mother snapped.

“I *sob* don’t *sob* want *sob* to” Ciara bawled all the way down the hall

After they left Artie released the lock on the ankle binder and Rhys removed it placing it in the bin and pushing it back through to the room opposite the mirror. Turning around he leaned against the mirror, then slowly slid to the floor and wrapped his arms around his legs.

Artie frowned, "Okay, Britney Spears to Kevin Bacon."

Rhys sighed, "Artie?"

"Yeah kid?"

"I really don't feel like playing right now."

"I know kid. I just thought I'd take your mind off it."

"I know, I just don't feel like playing." With his back against the wall, the mirror above him, he turned his head towards the window on his right and let his head rest on his knees as he watched the sun continue to set. It wasn't until then that the emotion of the day caught up with him or maybe he just didn't want anyone to see it but now he just couldn't stop it as the tears started streaming sideways across his face. Worried someone might see he buried his face into his knees and tried to make it stop but nothing worked.

“You okay kid?”

Rhys nodded as he replied his voice cracking slightly, “Yeah.”

There was a long silence before Rhys spoke again, “Hey Artie?”

“Yeah kid what is it?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“What you did. Today I mean.” Rhys was still fighting back his own tears but he had it pretty much under control by now.

Artie smiled at himself, “Don’t mention it. If I could have one more hour with my own son, I’d take it.”

“The one who died during the Rikti invasion?”

“Yup. Least I can do is give you a few hours with your brother and sister. You seem really close.”

Rhys smiled and nodded, “Yeah we are.”

“I know you can’t see the other side of this glass but they each matched your hand you know.”

“Yup, I know.”

“And your sister-“

“She kissed the glass, I know.” Rhys smiled.

Artie blinked. “What is this? You guys aren’t triplets are you telepathic?”

Rhys chuckled, “No. We just sorta know each other really really well.”

Artie nodded, “Wow I’ve never known siblings to be that intune to each other.”

Rhys shrugged and didn’t bother continuing the conversation, he was having trouble keeping his own emotions surpressed and they kept spilling out all over his face and down onto his shirt.

After about an hour he fell asleep against the wall while sitting on the floor his arms still wrapped around his knees. Within minutes he very slowly fell sideways and continued sleeping.

ORIGIN: Part 5 - Games People Play

Rhys pounded his fist on the two-way mirror, "HEY!!!!!"

"Sorry kid, I had to go to the bathroom. Whatcha need?" the voice asked.

"Can I get a television in here?" Rhys asked.

There was a pause before the voice responded, "Sorry kid you can't have anything electronic. Besides you really don’t want to watch the television right now."

"Why not?"

"'Cause you're all they're talkin' about."

Rhys winced, "Oh. What are they saying?"

"Sure you want to know?"

Rhys nodded.

"That you'd a menace to society. The Electric Eel boy. You killed fifty kids and you'll kill more and you have a killers instinct-"

Rhys cut him off, "Okay, okay you're right, I don't want to know."

"Hey, most of them don't know the real story anyways. Not like they can get to you in here to ask ya right?"

Rhys gave a small smile. He was bored silly. He'd had any more electrical outbursts in over a month. They even had to bring in a dentist to replace his fillings last time when he popped every last one.

Rhys tilted his head at the mirror, "Hey Artie, Why are they saying I killed people? I don't understand. I never killed anyone."

Art Benoit was the daytime nurse who had been keeping Rhys company over the last six and a half weeks shrugged, "Kid it's sensationalism. It sells papers and it sells the news at night. When it's a fifteen year old, it makes it an even more exciting story and people tune in."

"Yeah but what makes them from prosecuting me?"

"No grounds"

Rhys nodded and hoped Artie was right. Plopping back onto his bed he sighed.

"Alright kid, Elvis Presley."

Rhys thought for a moment.

Artie laughed, "See? See? You can't do it!"

Rhys finally grinned, "Yup. In two moves."

Artie scoffed, "Can not!"

Rhys grinned, "Elvis Presley was in Live a Little, Love a Little with John Wheeler who was in Apollo Thirteen with guess who Kevin Bacon."

Artie's mouth dropped. "How...wow. Kid you've seen to many movies. Okay then, Betty Davis!"

Rhys laughed, "Betty Davis was in Masked Mommas with Irving Bacon, Irving Bacon was in The Happy Years in nineteen fifty with Robert Wagner, Robert Wagner was in Wild Things in ummm nineteen ninety-eight with guess who-"

Artie cut Rhys off, "Kevin friggin' Bacon."

Artie was silent for a moment and grinned, "Okay new game."

Rhys laughed, "What I'm too good?"

Artie, "You've just seen to many movies kid. Okay same game but any movie star or television star."

Rhys thought for a moment and grinned. "Okay."

"Jeff Foxworthy to Arnold Schwarzenegger." Artie grinned
behind the mirror and leaned back in his chair folding his arms. There was no way Rhys could match these as Jeff Foxworthy was a comedian and just started in film and television.

Rhys thought for a moment. His brain wrapped around movie and television shows but he couldn't do it. Then one popped into his head, "Oh! Umm umm..dangit what's her name..."

Artie grinned, "Can't do it can ya?"

"Grf!" Rhys almost had it he was so close but that woman, that actress what was her name?!? "No, I can I can do it give me a second."

Artie chuckled, "Doesn't count if you don't know the names kid."

Rhys was getting frustrated but he almost had it, "Debbie something she was in Total Recall, played the spunky midget"

Artie leaned forward, "Yeah I remember her. What's she got to do what Jeff Foxworthy?"

"Debbie Carrington! I got it! Jeff Foxworthy was in Blue Collar Comedy Tour in Two Thousand and Three, the Limo Driver was David Allen Grier. David Allen Grier was in Tiptoes with Debbie Carrington and Debbie Carrington was in Total Recall in Nineteen Ninety with Arnold Schwarzenegger! HA! Gotcha!" Rhys sat back on his bed proudly.

Artie sat there dumbfounded before throwing his arms up, "Okay, I give up!"

Just then a new voice came through, "Rhys."

"Yeah? Hey when do I get to leave?"

"Soon."

Rhys smirked, "How soon is soon?"

"I think you should talk to your mother about that."

“Rhys? Honey?” Rhys knew something was up. She never called him honey.

ORIGIN: Part 4 - Recollection

Rhys bolted upright in his bed. Recalling the day’s events, he suddenly felt sick and leaning over, he threw up his lunch from earlier in the day.

"Good morning Rhys, or I should say good evening." said a voice that he couldn't place or tell where it was coming from.

Wiping his mouth he sat back up and looked around. Was he dead? His body felt like it had fallen asleep. Perhaps he was dead.

"Rhys?"

"God?" He asked.

A laugh came from wherever the voice was coming from, "No, sorry to disappoint."

"Oh thank goodness," he breathed a sigh of relief as he yanked out the rubber tubing that was wrapped around his face and nose. "Where am I? Where's Ciara? And Colin? Are they okay?"

"They're fine."

Rhys exhaled with relief as his head bobbed to his chest his eyes closing slightly.

"Now, what's the last thing you remember?" the voice asked.

Rhys' face whitened a bit as he thought of what to say. He lifted his head and looked out the safety glass window as he spoke, "Erm, class. No, eating a pizza," he lied.

"Rhys."

"What?" he asked his fingers toying with the bed sheet a bit.

"What's the last thing you remember?" the voice asked again.

Rhys glowered slightly as he turned towards the two-way glass mirror, "Eating a damn pizza," he stated through clenched teeth.

"Rhys we can do this the easy way or the hard way, it's your choice. I don't think you'll enjoy the hard way."

He tilted his head and looked around, "Excuse me but am I a prisoner here?"

"No"

"Then you can't do jack to me," he informed them.

"When it concerns your safety, yes we can,” another voice announced.

"Rhys please do as they ask." a more familiar voice chimed in.

"Mom?" he seemed surprised. "Wha? Eh. Ah. Um. Wait a minute," Rhys grew a bit irate, "Someone tell me what's going on."

"Soon as you tell us the last thing you remember, we'll tell explain everything you need to know"

"What about everything I *want* to know?" Rhys asked upset as he stood on the cold floor.

"Son, that's on a need to know basis," a stranger's voice spoke over the speaker rather coldly.

Rhys motioned to himself, "Hello?!? I think *I* need to know! And I'm *not* your son!" he hollered back at them.

Rhys walked up to the two-way mirror. After a few minutes of silence he banged his fist on it, "Hey!"

"Yes?"

"It....got quiet." he quietly admitted as he shook out his hand trying to make it feel more awake. He started to walk back to his bed as the floor was extremely cold and what little feeling he had in his feet were telling him to find someplace to warm them up.

"We're still waiting to hear the last thing you remember. We have a telepath on this side who disagrees with your statement."

Spinning around he narrowed his eyes. He had heard of telepaths but he didn't believe they really existed. He plopped onto his bed and sighed. He'd have to tell them to truth. No way around it. He sighed and quickly biting his lip he explained, "I remember looking for Ciara and Colin. Then everything went black like a tunnel."

"Why did you look for them Rhys?"

Rhys looked at the mirror in disbelief, "Because they are my sister and brother."

"Why else?"

"I..."

"Did you want to hurt them?" the voice asked.

Rhys' mouth dropped in astonishment as his eyes widened.

Who'd ever think of something like that? "Oh my god no! What are you some sick monster?!?"

"Then why? You injured everyone around Ciara."

Rhys paled, "I-I-I did?"

"How did you manage to not hit Ciara?"

Rhys looked down at the floor. How did he do that? Rhys took a deep breath and exhaled turning to look out the window. "I dunno how I did it. I guess-"

"You guess what."

Rhys shook his head. "No, it's stupid."

"Indulge me."

Rhys bit his lip and continued staring out the window, "If anything happened to Ciara or Colin, especially if it was my fault, I don't think I could live with myself."

The voice returned calmer and less intimidating than before, "Many of the students said they were surrounded by some sort of field. Your brother and sister included. Half the swim team too."

Rhys' brown furrowed. How? Where'd it come from? He can't do that. Can he?

"Rhys?"

"Huh?"

"Did you protect these students?"

"No. Maybe. I dunno." he replied.

"Your mother tells us that you used to have these fields pop up around the house when you were younger." the voice informed him.

Rhys nodded slowly at first then more assuredly adding a small smile, "Yeah I kinda remember. I used to try and make it happen. See if I could bounce Ciara or Colin off em maybe surprise them. Ciara thought they were funny and I thought they were a fun way to torture them. I used to shock them too. But they just stopped happening eventually. I dunno why."

"Did you learn to control these fields? And your ability to shock them?" the voice asked.

Rhys shrugged, "I dunno. Maybe. I doubt it after what happened today." Rhys lowered his head feeling guilty over the day's events.

"That's enough for today Rhys, get some rest we'll talk more tomorrow."

Rhys half whispered to himself, "But I'm not tired-"

"That bed will help you sleep. It'll ground you so you won't be so awake and energized from any electrical buildup in your system. You'll sleep just like any normal non-mutant person does"

Rhys rolled his eyes and laid down mumbling to himself as he thought of his mother, "define normal," within minutes he was asleep just like they said he would be.

ORIGIN: Part 3 - Intermission

Kids from Steel Canyon Silver Lake Preparatory School began arriving at Steel Canyon's Hospital with mild to moderate electrical burns. Only one was admitted into a detention room for mutants until their abilities could be fully understood. The room had been quickly setup for him, since they knew he had electrical abilities, they setup a bed and bed frame outlined in rubber to properly ground him from further outbursts like the one he just had. His sister and brother, Ciara and Colin were pulled out of school temporarily since their mother had been unable to be reached to try and find out some background information.

"Has anything like this ever happened before," they asked them.

The two of them shook their heads no as they stared straight ahead through the glass separating them from their brother. They had been asked a million and one questions and Colin had had about enough.

"Look! You want answers and we want them too." He hollered at doctors standing behind them. Tapping at the glass his nose was almost pressed up against he queried them, "What is this room?"

"It's to keep him safe." the answered him.

Colin scoffed, "From him or us?"

"Both."

Colin shook his head.

Ciara spoke up in a smaller voice than normal and not as fast as she normally did, "When can we see him?"

"I don't know,” a new person answered. Someone new had entered the room. They never heard her come in but didn't bother to turn around and greet her either. She just wasn't important enough to him.

"Why isn't he waking up?" she asked them again. They hadn't answered her the first three times she asked this but maybe this new person would.

"Do you two understand what your brother did in that cafeteria?" the new arrival asked.

The shook their heads no, no one had explained it to them yet. They figured they were either too young or someone was waiting for their elusive mother to show up so she could make up some little kids excuse to explain it all.

"He hurt some people."

"Bull." Colin retorted. "They weren't hurt bad. Just shocked." He smirked at himself for the pun he made.

The woman smiled as well and nodded, "Yes but whatever it is your brother can do, he draws his power from somewhere. And from what the monitors show over there," she pointed to a set of computers to the right of Colin and Ciara, "His power comes from within him. He just used it all up. Until it builds back up he needs to rest."

Ciara and Colin eyed the computers but they didn't make any sense but what the woman said made some sense to them. She could tell they were still a little lost however. "Everyone has an electrical charge in them. We create electricity within us. From what those computers show, your brother's mutation allows him to create more than his fair share. Like a giant battery, when the electrical charge is gone, he has to rest to build it back up. Get it?"

Colin tilted his head, "Mutation?" He sighed, "Mother is going to go nuts."

Then nodded and Ciara chirped, "So he's sleeping."

"Right."

"He's not hurt."

"Nope."

Ciara's smile twinkled across her face. The woman then asked if she could take them home since it had been a long day for them both. They eyed their brother cautiously and she assured them both he was perfectly safe here they even posted guards outside to be sure no one would retaliate against him for the incident at school. Reporters would also not be able to get through. They both nodded.

As they started to leave Ciara twirled around and ran back to the glass separating them and she hollered best she could through it, "Goodnight Rhys! I love you!" she left a kiss on the window and a handprint before turning back and running out the door.

"You're so silly," Colin told her. "He'll prolly be out tomorrow. You can tell him then instead of a piece of glass."

Ciara shrugged, "Yeah but what if mom throws him out?"

Colin smirked, "She'd never do that. You get the strangest ideas sometimes."

"But mom hates mutants."

Colin grimaced, "She does not! She hates heroes."

"No. Mutants. Remember? There was that story on the news she said if my child was a mutant I'd disown them."

Colin sighed, "He was a hero Ciara."

The woman interjected, "Wasn't she a hero and a mutant?"

They both blinked, they hadn't realized that she had been listening in and remained quiet for the rest of the way home.

ORIGIN: Part 2 - Blast Heard 'Round the School

Rhys went through the day like any other day. It wasn't until his second class of the day, world history, that he noticed his feet had fallen asleep, then his fingers. The pattern continued throughout the day, parts of his body kept falling asleep. He dismissed it as the slipped disc he had from last year when he was playing water polo for his school team and was tackled in the pool illegally taking him out of the game for the rest of the season until the swimming season started back up later that year. Every now and then he'd pinch a nerve thought if he slept wrong. Until he could 'pop' his back it would bug and bother him. But even after his little fix, the sensation remained which concerned him that he might have slipped the disc again even though he felt no pain from it.

He continued his day trying to figure out what was going on with himself even making a short stop at the nurse’s office but she didn't have any answers for him either except to slow down and stop trying to take care of everyone around him. He shrugged it off and continued to his next class before lunch. He found it extremely hard to concentrate and he excused himself back to the nurses office explaining that he just didn't feel well.

Resting during most of that class he returned just in time for the bell to excuse everyone for lunch. He tossed his books into his locker; rather surprised by the shock it gave him. "Dammit," he muttered before taking off for the school's cafeteria.

The cafeteria was packed as normal. The school ran it's lunches in four shifts. The High school and some Junior High Kids had first crack, the Elementary Kid's who's classes started later always got lunch last.

As Rhys stood in line he couldn't help but hear his sister babbling with her friends a few paces ahead, "Oh my god," it was her favorite phrase and she even had Rhys saying it half the time, "Did you see Kathryn's new outfit? Can we say skanky?" Her words after that became so fast Rhys ignored half of them as Ciara was hard to understand once her lips started moving anyways, "Iwouldn'tbecaughtdeadinit AND didjaseethenew...." her words trailed off as the noise in the cafeteria grew. Rhys looked around for Colin. He should be in line too but he couldn't see him. Rhys decided to hurry through the line so he could go look for him, make sure he wasn't at the vending machines. He noticed Ciara headed for the Salad bar while Rhys grabbed a Personal Pizza from the Pizza Hut inside. Grabbing a few milks he paid dumped his tray and went straight for the vending machines. Sure enough there was Colin.

"Colin? What are you doing?" he asked.

Colin shrugged as he waited his turned for the sodas, "Getting a soda."

Rhys looked behind him down the hallway at the line for the real food, "You couldn't get that afterwards?" Rhys looked slightly confused as he finished off one of his milks and half his pizza.

Colin looked at the line himself, "Doesn't matter both have long lines. Besides you're not my mother."

Rhys shrugged, "Alright just don't wait too long."

Turning around he walked back to the cafeteria and took a seat with the swim team. They joked and laugh and Rhys was still feeling odd but he pushed it to the back of his mind like he did when he swam with a sprained wrist a few months back.

As he finished off his pizza his stood to head for the trashcan when his entire body went numb. Before he knew it bolts of electricity shot from him with incredible force in every direction. They tore out of him searching for anything that they could hold onto, people, metallic objects (which there were plenty of them around), in some cases they jumped from one person to another until the electricity dissipated itself enough. Rhys felt horrified he couldn't stop it and he couldn't figure out why it was happening either or where it was coming from. To Rhys it lasted forever but it only actually lasted a few moments. Once the electricity from his system was expelled several around him were clutching electrical burns. Exhausted Rhys collapsed to the floor as his legs gave out on him. Teachers who witnessed the incident immediately pulled out cell phones as well as students alike and began calling emergency numbers, some students called their parents to come pick them up.

((Those I RP with outside of the Legion of Young Heroes have asked me to post this outside of the Legion's IC website's forums so they can read it as well. I'll also post it in the RP forums as some have asked me to post in both places as some of my RP friends only read one forum or the other. For his information look at the Legion's website so I don't have to post it here ;P ))

((Also note: I do try and catch spelling errors and such but the computer is only so good at it and being dyslexic (the spellchecker knows dog and god but god doesn't look right where an dog should be - same with stalks and talks get the idea? ;P) if there are errors I wouldn't mind if someone tossed me an email or tell in game letting me know))

ORIGIN: Part 1 - Three Blind Mice

It was a day like any other day for Rhys. He was getting ready for school, his mother was already gone just like always. Probably down at the women's auxiliary someplace, who knows with her. Rhys was checking on his sister, Ciara when his brother Colin screamed from the other room. Holding up a finger to her he ran to the other room to see what the clamor was about.

Colin stood dumbfounded, staring into the mirror. "What? What's wrong?" Rhys asked him concerned. Colin had screamed bloody murder and turned to face his older brother by two years to point to a small but rather large enough red bump in the middle of his forehead. "A zit!" Colin proclaimed. Rhys sighed as he shook his head trying not to laugh. "You panicked over that?" Colin nodded quickly. "It's the day all the girls ask the guys to the Sadie’s Hawkins dance Rhys! You might not care but I'm NOT going stag! You heard what mom said." They both chimed in together Rhys' tone sounding rather bored as if he'd heard her phrases more often "A Guy who goes stag might as well be a [censored]."

Rhys eyed his brother for a moment with a hint of concern, "You do know that's not true. [censored] people-"

Colin shrugged as he interrupted, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, but if she says it guess how many others do,” He looked at Rhys pleading, "Just please fix it!" Rhys nodded. "Just wear bangs today." Colin huffed, "I hate bangs." Rhys chuckled, "Then have a big fat zit on your face. Pick one."

"RHYS!!!!" Ciara began calling him from her room down the hall. "Just wear the bangs trust me!" he hollered as he ran off to see what her emergency for the morning was.

"I'm here, I'm here, what's the problem?" Rhys huffed as he ran into her room. "Whoa!" he hollered as he realized his sister was only half dressed.

"RHYS!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, "I'm telling mom!"

"Hey brat! You called me in here!" He quickly hollered back.

"You coulda knocked moron." She quickly threw on her pink robe and tied it. "Fine you can turn around now twit."

"Keep it up little lady I might just walk right out. Now what's the emergency?" he smirked at her. They played this word game every morning but she was right he did forget to knock. His mind was wandering this morning as he still has all their lunches to make. Or he could just dig into his allowance for lunch money. That sounded like a better idea since he was running out of time this morning. After all, he still needed to finish getting ready for school as well. The bus would be here in thirty minutes.

Ciara waved her hands down like a car model to three outfits, "Pick one, I can't decide."

Rhys looked at her flabbergasted, "What do I look like? Giorgio Armani? I don't know anything about fashion. That's your department."

Ciara sighed, "Please Rhys. I don’t care which one you pick, even if you go Eenie Meenie Miney Mo. Just pick one. I like them all."

Rhys lived with his mother long enough to smell a trap and shook his head, "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. I'm not picking, you tell me which one to pick and I'll pick it." He smiled smugly at her as she whined back, "Please Rhys." He looked longingly at the door, "I don't get to go until I pick one huh." Ciara shook her head, "Nope." Rhys lifted his shoulders as he held his breath trying to gauge which outfit was the right one to pick as his finger moved from one outfit to the next. Not able to get any sign whatsoever, he exhaled lowering his shoulders as he pointed to the middle outfit, "That one."

Ciara looked at him puzzled, "Umm okay. You sure?"

Rhys threw his arms in the air, "I dunno that one?" he pointed at the outfit on the left. Ciara's nose wrinkled, "Really?" Rhys' head bobbed to his chest and rested it there as he sighed. "I give up, that one." He pointed to the last outfit left. She squealed with excitement, hugged him, "Thanks!"

Rhys headed out of her room exhaled, "Oh thank god."

"RHYS! Are you sure?" Colin hollered.

"Wear the bangs!" He hollered back.

Shaking his head he headed off to his room to get the lunch money for everyone and put his shoes on. He finished packing his bag when Colin burst through his door. "Have you seen my other shoe?"

"Looked under your bed?" He asked?

Colin perked up and took off to check.

Ciara wandered in, "Rhys, I can't find my scrunchy."

"Use a barrette,” he suggested.

"I don't want to," she whined.

He thought for a moment then smiled, "Get one of mom's scrunchy thingy's."

Ciara's face went white. "I'm.... I’m...not allowed...to."

Rhys shrugged, "Then use a barrette."

"Will you get it for me?" she asked.

Rhys nodded, "Alright give me a minute go get something for breakfast," She smiled and ran off. In an afterthought he hollered after her, "Tell your brother to get breakfast too!" He smirked figuring he killed two birds with one stone. He grabbed the odd hairpiece for his sister and brought it downstairs. He handed them lunch money. "No candy. You know the rules. Eat from the cafeteria," he reminded them. His brother and sister chimed their mother's favorite phrases, "Candy is for Fatties." They laughed Rhys joined in the last one "Lunches turn into business brunches" the three of them shook their heads as they headed for the elevator inside their apartment building.

"I can't believe we actually remember these" Colin muttered.

Rhys smirked as he remarked, "Are you kidding? She says them to us over and over daily. Its amazing we don't remember anything but her little sayings."

Ciara giggled, "It'll say one day on her tombstone, 'Snug as a bug in a rug'."

The three of them burst into laughter as they exited the elevator and headed towards the bus stop. Rhys walked slightly behind them making sure they both got on the bus safely and had a seat.

OOC:

I hear people say this a lot. When playing, this is what I hear echoed.

Why do guys really want to stare at a guys butt for hours on end?

Why do women really want to stare at gals butt and breasts of a for hours on end?

Face it. Like a few posts ago, 80% of those who cross-gender are straight. We like to see the opposite sex. For the hours we play this game, the guys want to see beautiful scantily clad woman's butt and breast bouncing on the screen and the women want to see a handsome guy's butt and those abs. When sex sells, why would it be so silly or surprising to find out that people cross dress to not only get a tingle but also, do you really know how hard it is to successfully role play the opposite sex? Unless you're married (or divorced ;P I'll be flamed if I forget divorcee's) , it's not real easy to just jump in feet first. But in all honesty, does it matter if people "gender-bender"? Nope. Not to me. If they do it right and can do a good job that's all I care about. I have never cared what the other person on the other side of the screen's real sex is. Why? Because this is a game. It's fun. For me that's all that really matters. Period. End of story.

[ QUOTE ]

how did your char get his/her name? did they do somthing great? is it a attribute that they have? or is it their real name?


[/ QUOTE ]

Blazing Embers got his name because he wasn't a hero. He likes to burn what he sees and he leaves it in ashes. Here's his backstory. You can read more at Alliance of Champions Website:

Name: Jonathon James Huff
Nicknames: Jon, JJ
Known Aliases: Blaze, Johnny Blaze, Night Blaze, JJ Blaze, Bradley Blaze, Elijah Embers, Thomas Tinders, Scott Sparks, Patric Pyre, Fred Flare, Ignacious Inferno
Time served: 15 years sentenced, 12 years served - Brickstown, The Zigguruat, Maximum Security Lockdown.
Hometown: Brickstown
Backstory: I live and breathe fire. To be honest, I'm not a bad guy and lately I've been running the hero gig. In the old days the police labelled my kind as Arsonists, but the Heros, they knew better. Pyromaniac is what they call our breed of terrorists. While the Arsonists were off planning their next revenge, we were already setting things ablaze. Me? I like to watch the fire dance reglardless of the consequences afterwards. These days I help stop others from committing crimes, ironic isn't it? Perhaps it's just my way to repent for the sins of my past (or perhaps it is just the agreement I signed with the Paragon police department for my early parole). Eventually my past will catch up with me as it does with us all and my number will be up but until then, I'm just trying to be a hero.

I'm in - Blazing Embers resides on two servers now...Virtue and Champion. I can bring either over. He looks the same on both as I liked the look. I just couldn't transfer my Virtue toon to Champion when I switched servers *sob*. So I'll list them both.

Name: Blazing Embers
Server: Champion
Security Level: 5
Archetype: Blaster

Name: Blazing Embers
Server: Virtue
Security Level: 22
Archetype: Blaster

The only nice thing about bringing my Virtue BE over is he has an extra outfit. *grin*

I tried to read as many of these as I could to see if my question was already answered and I checked several badge sites out there but they don't list it either. So I apologize now, if I missed my answer already and if I'm repeating what others have asked. I've looked a few times through the Hollows zone but I haven't found this plaque:

Hollows1

Anyone had any luck finding this one?

Just curious

- Thunder Bay

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What would you have done to make the CE CoH more desirable with a higher price than the normal box? What would you have added to the game for that person buying that box that they couldn't get any other way? I'm curious to see what marketing route some of you would have taken to get the CE box sold.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well hear me out now. I've read most of these so I apologize if I repeat something. Here is my idea. I'm hoping it'll make everyone happy as it should make a nice compromise. My marketting stratedgy - well there's two of them one will require some work on the dev's part the other is easier to implement .

I agree that those who did not buy the DVD shouldn't be given the prestige powers, they shouldn't get them at all. From what I read, what they really want is the badge. If I'm wrong here please tell me. Anyways, why not let those who don't want to buy, can't afford to buy (me), etc., a chance to earn the badge? Perhaps at lvl 10 goto the City Representative in Atlas and be given a mission to earn the VIP badge. Something similar to the cape mission would be cool . In the end the difference between DVD owners and non-DVD owners is that we'd all have the VIP badge but the DVD owners still retain their prestige powers. True I would like to have those too but I just can't afford them atm. Maybe this Christmas.

Now to sell the DVD. Here's my first idea on that.

Idea number 1:

The lower priced CD should still be on the shelves. Offer the DVD version in CD as well, not everyone has a DVD in their computer. Both the DVD/CD version would be sold at the same price. Offer a coupon for the first month of CoH free. It's like offering a trial, or make it one month to current customers, two weeks to new customers. You'll sell more, a lot more if you offer the one month free to new customers, since they've bought the program chance are they'll stick with the program.

Idea number 2:

Some modifications would have to be made to the game I know that. Because what I'm proposing is a CoH trial. Like the old EQ trial (I say old because I don't know that it still exists sorry ). That one was downloadable, but this one isn't. My thought is to take the lower priced CoH and make it a free disk available at computer store checkout registers for people to play for about 2 weeks. This is where the modifications need to be made. ATM CoH cannot move toons from one account to another. I don't know that they are making any progress towards this or not, but I'm sure anyone playing a trial would want to move their toon to the DVD version. And not everyone has a DVD either. You'd need a CD version even if it takes up more than one disk. You can still have the lower priced CD on the shelves but I think it would take away from the DVD/CD sales.

Other modifications would need to be made too. Such as if after the two weeks and someone doesn't return, toon deletion would have to be considered, atm CoH doesn't delete any toons, they commented that they don't do this on another thread Re: Account Deactivation: Characters Saved or No? Nevertheless, in a situation with a trial that will bring in users who may or may not return after a few months of trial users not returning, chances are they are not going to return. Also need to make sure CoH terminates their account after 2 weeks. Most likely can mimic AOL's trial disks, since the point is to "grow" a toon, if they setup the moving of toons from a trial to a permanent account, not able to move from a trial to a trial, it should work. Or you can go with the rule of "this is a trial account any toons created here will be deleted at the end of your trial. If you want a permanent toon, purchase the DVD/CD version."

Anyways these are just my thoughts. I gave two ideas to market the DVD. Personally, I like the first idea the best. Overall, the people who bought the DVD still have their prestige powers while everyone ends up happy with the VIP badge. Personally, I like collecting the badges, it's fun to do. I know other's like to do it also I think people feel at a disadvantage knowing they are missing out on a badge.