Diamond_

Originally posted by NPI Student Skilla

July 26th, 2005- Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Your daughter is disturbed.

"My daughter is disturbed."

He would have never hurt her. It is that school. THEY have convinced her of this.

"I can't let them do this to my baby! He would never have hurt her."

They are using her for their own ends. They don't care. Everything said about them is true...look what they did to her little friend from camp.

"Yes, it must be. My poor baby."

Maureen watched a tear trail down her cheek as she ran the brush over and over through her long hair.

Shhh...my sweet. It will be all right. We will do what must be done, for her own good.

"Yes. I will do it."

But my sweet, it must be so painful to hear those things, those horrid lies spilling from her mouth.

"Oh it is, it is!" Maureen sobbed, a single broken sob from her perfect, calm face. "It is so painful."

You are tired, my sweet.

"I am so tired. So very very tired."

You rest, my sweet. I will handle everything. Go back inside, and rest.

"I will. You are so good to me."

The brush was set down carefully, and as she gazed in the mirror, at the halo of long red hair, the carefully done makeup, the still smooth skin, Neshina smiled. "Perfect," she purred, reaching a manicured hand for the phone. "Operator? I need the number for a Dr. Reynolds? Yes, I will hold."



=============



Originally posted by NPI Student Mega J

July 26th, 2005 - Steel Canyon

Tyler grumbled to himself as he stepped off the tram. His side ached. His head was pounding. His arm wouldn't stop shaking. Apprently his first run-in with the Malta wasn't a pleasant one.

"[censored]' Sappers..." he muttered.

Too caught up in his own soreness, he didn't notice the young, pink-haired girl until he had stepped right into her path, nearly knocking her and him to the ground. A quick rush of pain shot up his side and he sucked in air through his teeth, his first instinct to haul off and punch the girl, but he stopped, knowing better. He took a moment and took a breath before looking down at the girl, who looked strikingly like Tomo, and said calmly, "Y'allright?"



=============



Originally posted by NPI Student Tomoya Dengo

She looked up a the barrel chested man infront of her and quickly nodded, "Yeah I'm fine, excuse me." With that she moved to step past Tyler and head for the Tram.



============


"....Control confirmed rabbit is running."

"Confirmed, flush team has her approaching the tram"

"Two TANGO ALPHA standby for data download"

"Rodger 31 Bravo standing by"

RED APLHA 03 smiled ever so slightly as he listened to the voices coordinating the scouting effort for 'rabbit'. She was much like her sister and exactly what he envisioned her as...

His eyes scanned the tram below as he drew a drag off of his cigarette. His reaction unreadable, in a sense it was all going so far pretty much as he expected it too. He would have been most disappointed in a capture by the recon team.

Run girl, you have earned the right tonight to do so, he mused as he caught a slight movement to his left. He grinned as he watched Turner one of his best Tac-Ops draw a bead with his rifle on the over sized figure the girl had just run past.

"It would be so easy" Turner breathed as he sighted in on Tyler, looking up only when his friend and commander laid a gloved hand gently over the barrel of his rifle.

"We are not here for 'Mega J.' " he half chuckled "No profit....in fact he is far too valuable for us alive and as a witness to this tonight"

Almost inaudibly the gunslinger communicate with his team through a series of silent hand gestures. One by one they stepped into the shadows of the roof tops and vanished.

Engaging his cloak he allowed his gaze to focus on Tyler a moment as he activated his comm.

"Chase team follow rabbit at usual distance....do not engage...repeat do not engage"

"Sir wont she detect us?" the response came

"Yes....then break off and head for home..." he turned stepping into the shadows.

"we've sent our message tonight....there is always tomorrow, we aren't done with rabbit yet...."

He was mildly pleased with their progress but a bit annoyed that it seems someone else...an amateur may have claimed his true target.

If you have been taken Kara, he mused. You will be happy to know I have a platoon of rescuers searching for you. Lord help those who took you...i need you unharmed

Lord help them...

May 20th 2008 - Finnesville, New Jersey


"Kevin?" Bill said, leaning against the aged and rickety RV. He inwardly sighed, that should have been the first clue this was a bad idea, when they went rented an RV. Well, actually there had been plenty of other clues, he smirked but that one in particular seemed to stick out just now.

The three of them decided to take the weekend and get away from the city and the crime they each faced each day. To relax had been then point, to not be Psiwarp just be Kevin, to not be called Guardian Star, just be Bill. Bill smirked, the theory didn't hold up too well for Kyle, Kyle didn't use a registered name, he was just good old Kyle Donner.

However the principle was still the same. Bill nodded to himself as he called louder "Kevin?!"

"Yeah?" Kevin said from inside, and Bill didn't want to know what he was doing. He trusted Kevin with a computer, but with an truck...of this age and size.

"You know this is all your fault, right?"

"I already told you guys I accept full and total responsibility!" Kevin protested.

"The call of the open road, seeing our great state from beyond the city... any of this ringing a bell?" Bill added "A weekend fishing trip...be back way before Monday?"

"I said I accept full and total responsibility," Kevin said, sounding annoyed, or at least frustrated or something. In point of fact, he sounded just like he had the time Bill had glued all of his things inside of his locker at the precinct.

"I'm just saying, when Patti and Nancy and Kara, especially Kara ask why we got stranded in the middle of nowhere, Kyle and I are gonna be pointing at you."

Kyle stepped out of the RV, ducking his head so he didn't knock it on the low door frame like he had the first several times. He was carrying two beer bottles, one of which he handed to Bill. "You did call a mechanic or something, right, 'cause... Kevin's not looking so good in there."

"I thought you were the mechanic" Bill quipped.

"A motorcycle mechanic" Kyle jerked his thumb at their big rusty monster "That is an aged dinosaur and can not in any way be mistaken for a bike"

Bill rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I took care of it." He popped the top of his beer - at least it was cold, in this stifling early spring heat. Staring out over the fields that were the only thing visible from the road, he added, "When they'll get here is a whole other matter."

"Well this is great," Kyle muttered into his beer.

"I'm taking care of it!" Kevin yelled from inside over the sound of dropping tools.

Kyle craned his neck to look inside the door and try to see what Kevin was doing. Bill didn't even bother, he couldn't bear to see. My god he thought the fodder this would provide Kara. It would never end.

"Well, consider this our backup plan." Bill said.

"You know if he doesn't get the battery hooked up again " Kyle added "That fish we caught are gonna start to smell wonderful in this heat"

"Oh yes" Bill nodded "New highs in the lows of this weekend"

"The boat?" Kyle asked. "This is still about the boat too?"

Bill winced "Yes its about the boat all of this is connected...the boat..oh the boat"

Kyle chuckled "Yeah that was a bit of a surprise one minute you have something on your line...I have my face in the cooler looking for a new beer and then..." he trailed off slowly knowing what was coming next.

"I didn't see that waterfall!" Kevin howled from underneath the dashboard "Who knew we were that close anyways"

"What was the deposit on that boat?" Kyle asked as his eyes scanned the fields beyond.

"Quite a bit " Bill sipped at his beer "And that guy Earl was really pissed"

"I said I took..." Kevin yelled

"...Full and total responsibility " Kyle and Bill finished with him. The two men outside the RV smirked amused now. The flailing within the clunky beast continued behind them.

"What is that?" Kyle asked, nodding at the field in front of them. "Corn?"

"I believe that would be the amber waves of grain," Bill said dryly.

"They're not as impressive in person."

"No."

"What do you think the others are doing right now back in Paragon?"

"Well, considering that like normal, sane, and, most importantly, modern people, stayed in the city this weekend, probably sitting on a beach in Talos in bikinis and swim trunks, drinking fruity drinks with umbrellas in them or nice cool draft beer."

"While here we sit." Kyle nodded.

"Here we sit in, what, Brazil?, Zimbabwe??"

"We never left Rhode Island!" Kevin called out exasperated now. "its Croatoa!"

Kyle chuckled into his beer.

"Thank you, Kevin. Here we sit in Rhode Island, staring at amber waves of grain." The two outside were both silent for a moment, and then Bill sighed. "You know, I really think we got the raw end of this deal."

"I think so too. Hey, Kevin?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time we have to go to fishing, we're renting a jeep, a car, a horse...something that you know.../runs/."

"Absolutely." Kevin grunted and moaned.

"Yep" Bill muttered "We are SO not talking about this trip to anyone"

"Absolutely " Kyle smirked. "By the way, Exactly what is that walking around that field over there?"

"That Kyle appears to be a walking pumpkin vine with a pumpkin for a head and what seems to be some kind of magical green fire for eyes" Bill added dryly as he sipped his beer.

"Ahhh okay just checking!" Kyle nodded again and took a drink of his beer.

As the two men watched the lone Fir Bolg wandered around the waves of grain. Eventually it found its two partners, who then joined it in its seemingly endless wandering.

Behind the two 'relaxing' heroes from Paragon, tools dropped and fiddling continued inside the ancient RV, as life in Croatoa merely continued around them in the heat of the afternoon.

Originally posted by NPI Student Tomoya Dengo

July 20th, 2005 - Steel Canyon


The heavy techno beat and bright lights were starting to get on the agents' nerves; she'd followed the target into the building some 5 hours ago, and had watched in amazement at first at how long the little girl could dance. That amazement shortly turned to frustration then distain, she hated this type of music to start with and to be forced to listen to it for this long was making her upset.

She keyed her mic speaking to the other agents that were present inside the party and those waiting outside. "Target remains on the dance floor." A series of high-pitched synthesizer notes caused her to close her eyes and scrunch her neck down in pain and irritation.
When she opened her eyes again the girl was gone.

She keyed the mic again instantly. "Dammit lost visuals! Jones, Inez, Sammy any of you have her?"

"Negative" Jones quipped back as he scanned the room.

"Neg" The reply from Inez was quick and blunt, frustration obvious even in the short response.

...

"Sammy? Report! Do you have visual?"

...

"Inez, find Sammy, Jones you're with me. Containment! Be ready!"

A chorus of acknowledgement rang through her headset as she began to make her way over to Jones, still scanning the crowd for that bright pink hair.

******

She'd spent the first few hours just losing herself to the beat, the rhythm, and the warm bodies next to her. She was completely comfortable in her surroundings, initially at least, that was until she spotted the suits trying to blend in. Baka She shook her head. These guys can't be serious.

For the next two hours she watched them as they watched her, she noticed the short red headed agent seemed to be paying the least attention to her and was more interested in watching a bare chested dancer in front of her.

Hayaka slowly danced her way over to the short red-headed suit. Working her way deeper into the crowd, her legs starting to feel the burn from her prolonged dancing. The current song hit a crescendo and the floor erupted in explosive dancing, Hayaka jumped once, yanked a red wig off of one dancer and hit the floor, slipping it over her own head. She dropped a shoulder and bull rushed the red-headed agent who was caught completely off guard.

She knocked the agent over and heard a crack as the suit's head banged against the floor hard. The agent didn't respond after that and Hayaka flipper her over removing the suit jacket slipping it over her shoulders and stepping towards the exit.

******

"The hell?" Inez said aloud, as he spotted Sammy making her way towards the exit.

He began pushing past the dancers as he tried to catch up to her. Her hair flared as she spun her hair and caught sight of him coming towards her. "Sammy!" He yelled but she only increased her pace towards the exit.

He now shoved his way along, most dancers not getting out of the way in time. He was about ten feet away from Sammy when she did something unfathomable and yanked down on the fire alarm.

*****

She started to panic, she didn't think they'd be after he so quick, that damn red-head must have said something as she fell. Hayaka took advantage of her small frame and weaved quickly through the crowd. She reached the exit and found the large suited man coming dangerously close to her.

She saw an escape, reached up and pulled on the fire alarm and then pushed the door open. The mixture of fire alarm and pre-dawn light shining in the door caused a panic in the crowd as everyone suddenly started pushing towards the exits. Hayaka let herself be swept up by the title wave of screaming panicked ravers as they rushed out of the packed club into the streets.

Once she had the chance she was gone, flying off up into the air hugging building walls closely so as not to be sighted. She had to talk to her sisters and knew the best place to do that would be the institute, and she made a beeline for the tram and Galaxy City.

July 20th, 2005 - Brickstown, Paragon City


The blackish smoke formed an almost choking cloud that filled the main lab of the rubble filled Crey complex. She walked through its charred halls as muffled sirens filled the hallways from the street below. Her eyes wandered around the complex that until just 40 minutes ago had been the primary genetic repository and production complex for the Revenant Hero project. A project she and many from NPI had put out of service just months ago.

"idiots" She muttered to herself as she walked passed the prone forms of several protectors, as she made her way to the crumbled armored form across the lab. Her greenish hued bubbled extended from her like a protective shell, moving with her as she advanced on him. He struggled to regain his feet in his heavily damaged armor. She had pummeled him at range, her blasts now virtually up to their previous strength. She smiled, her 'nova' certainly was...

"You....you don't know...." he coughed, obviously seriously wounded but not yet out of the fight. "What...you are fighting this time girl"

She stopped,he was in Crisis control armor and could incapacitate her if she wasn't careful. She lessened the radius of her blister and tilted her head.

"Oh I /so/ do....i know what I'm stopping and who i am stopping" she said evenly. "I don't need this kind of help...Doctor Summerhall is it?"

He leaned against the wreckage of a cryo containment unit as he stood to face her, blood and sparks from damaged circuitry covered his armor.

"He is trying to give you your life back...and improve society as a whole...cant you see that" he tried, his voice a little stronger.

"I can see he has not a clue who or what i am any longer Doctor and you are going to take this message to him and whoever the woman is whose voice is on his recorded notes" she took careful aim at his chest as he began to power up his launcher once more.

He laughed "Girl either I fall to you or i am going to jail....I'm not carrying any message if you shoot me...unless you let me go" he tried to slyly aim the launcher at her, she grinned.

"I dont need you to carry anything....I'm just going to say it for those still listening" she jerked her head slightly to the left.

His eyes involuntarily looked to the direction to see a wall mounted camera capturing his final moments of defiance. Instantly he understood as she continued to speak her arm full lite by the energy she generated within.

"I'm coming father...no matter where you hide your labs, no matter who you place there to protect them..." she said coolly

He raised the launcher his heart thundering in his chest....

She fired...

Turning to the camera, as the armored form careened off the back wall violently, she yelled

"I'M COMING FOR HER!....FOR YOU! THEY PUT A GUN TO RHUBY'S HEAD! YOU HAVE HUNTED ME AND MY FAMILY!! THIS PROJECT HAS HARMED HUNDREDS AND KILLED MORE!"

She took aim at the camera "IT'S DONE!....END OF STORY!"

She fired.

==========================


"Oh my God!" Dr. Reynolds breathed as the screen in the control room far across town burst into white static.

"Wonderful " sighed Helana "Simply wonderful...how many millions just went down the tube?" she raised her hand to stop her assistant from speaking "Standby all break down procedures. Begin to relocate all personal and their labs...I need to contact the board" she sighed glaring at the figure in the corner of the control booth.

His eyes remained fixed on the static and softly unnoticeable by any in the room , he smiled.

Now we can begin, he thought.

====================

She stepped out into the chaos at the front of the lab complex. Several officers had already cordoned off the area and SWAT was arriving as well as the wagons from the Zig. She leaned against the rail of the steps leading into the building and waited to give her report.

She couldn't help shake the feeling that this wasn't ending, but for tonight at least it was over. She was tired , when she was finished with the Police she was heading for a hot bath and bed.

Still though, she found her eyes wandering to each darkened alleyway within her eyes view.

===================

He stepped outside of the security center's womb into the brightly lit hallway and signaled the waiting Tac Operative over.

"Report" he reached into his top breast pocket and pulled out a crumpled package of cigarettes.

"As you instructed Primary targets assets are scattered at the moment" the Tac Op reported evenly. "Chaves, Rico is still out in the open, living a public life , target-able.... Dengo, Tomoya still not yet reached her potential, target-able and has a new asset in the city a younger sister, Hayaka, new to the corps, definite leverage.... Sverund, Melissa extremely target-able has an asset, a boy friend named Doug, definite leverage. Both medium level Threats to any team. " he continued "Addo current project underway. Quartz, Rhuby... "

The Tac Op stopped causing the Gunslinger to glance over to him from his freshly lit cigarette.

"Yes?"

"We lost this one sir...target is known to be impulsive and has left the area, Primary Target continues to use a coded cell, we cant track, Quartz, Rhuby's whereabouts unknown" he looked to the gunslinger "is it possible the Primary Target suspected and sent her away?"

The gunslinger chuckled and shook his head "No I've spoken to Marcus and have seen the footage of the failed capture attempt that Garret interrupted. The two of them do not separate when threatened....this has to be something unrelated...go on"

The tac Op returned to his list as the gunslinger listened to the long list of names. Jeez-Us he thought , the target has too many options, and despite Garrett's disappearance this in no way ruled him out. They had to be careful when it came to him. As Marcus once said 'I don't want to hear Jack Garrett is dead, I want to see Jack Garrett is dead'.

The Gunslinger sighed, so many options though. Perhaps its time to lean on one...

Tomoya is formidable....but can be brought around, he mused but how...

He grinned as the Tac-Op droned on.

Hayaka

May 12th 2008 - Finnesville, New Jersey

Kara stood silently over the marble marker as the wind blew through the folds of her black dress. Her hand tightly holding the hand of her adopted daughter Philomelia. She had come here each Mother's day, every year that she could since her mother had come to rest here.

She had brought the child with her this time to introduce her mother to her. As she approached the marker she found her throat tighten and could feel the tears begin well up. Somehow this time it hurt more, to stand here in silence. She found herself going back in time, to another visit.

Her first on this day...the wind, the wind itself seemed to carry her back...

The wind...

...The wind pushed through the trees, scattering fallen autumn leaves, as two somber figures, that of a man and a small girl, walked slowly through the cemetery. The wind ruffled the little girl’s long hair, black locks like silk flowing across her wide eyed features.

Along with messing up her hair and playing through the folds of the skirt of her long sleeved black dress, the wind sent small dry leaves skittering towards her. The nervous little girl jumped, clinging tighter to her father’s hand. Her father flinched and looked down at her, light glinting off his glasses, hiding his cold dark brown eyes.

Biting her lip little Kara relinquished the tight hold on her father’s hand, and looked away, staring at her black shoes as she walked. Her body ached with each step, particularly her knees and she bit back a small whimper. She remembered the last time they had come here, all of the people that been here. All of them hugging her and her father and brother. She had felt safe then, so many people around then had given the place and the memory a safe feel to it. Unlike now, now she was alone with only her father to protect her.

She knew, they were going back. Her brother had been left with her Aunt, he was too young her father had said. Kara couldn't help feel her father felt he couldn't protect both and she was the oldest. She had to go with him, Mommy would've wanted that.

Her father stopped, silent as ever, and little Kara stopped too, her sad green eyes staring at the white marble of her mother’s grave marker. She released her father’s hand, stepping forward and brushing her tiny fingers over the cool marble. While the driver that had hit her mother had managed to escape with her life, her mother had not been as lucky. Melissa Reynolds had died in the fire that had consumed the car following the crash. A crash caused by the other woman's drinking. Kara remembered waiting and waiting to be picked up from ballet. She had stood in the hallway of the studio for what seemed like forever. Waiting for her mother to come pick her up.

In a way, she still waits...

Slowly, little Kara kissed the stone, laying the bouquet of lilies in front of it as she did so. The black haired girl rested her alabaster cheek against the marble, letting a few crystal tears slip from her eyes. Ever since her mother’s death, her father had thrown himself into some mysterious work, and sometime Kara felt she had lost both her parents. She can still see him crumbled against the wall of the hospital after that nice policeman came to talk to him. Wiping the tears away with the back of her palm she stood back up and walked to her father.

The balding brown haired man stood there, hands clasped, head bowed. The wind played with his hair, and Kara watched as she saw the skin around his eyes twitch as he prayed. Patiently she waited for her father to speak, and shyly spoke after a few minutes, when he didn’t.

“Daddy?” Kara asked, blinking shyly her voice small and timid on the wind.

Her father blinked, nodding, before taking his daughters hand. Silently he walked them towards the gate, Kara's little legs hurrying to keep pace. William Reynolds pulled her along, staring directly in front of him, never sparing a reassuring glance at his daughter.

Suddenly Kara crumpled, knees buckling and causing her to fall to the ground, her lungs struggling to take in air. Tears sprung to life in her eyes as she whimpered at the pain from the sudden fall. As much as tried she could not push it back, and now she began to cry at the thought of being weak in front of her father. He needed her to be strong now that mommy was gone.

Didn't he? Isn't that what Mommy would want? He was too sad already, she didn't want to make him sadder.

With a sigh Dr. Reynolds picked her up, rubbing her on the back as her fit began to fade away.

He began to walk again, careful not to jostle the little girl in his arms as he held her gently. In a few minutes they were exiting the cemetery and back into the quiet peaceful town of Finnesville. Dr. Reynolds set his daughter down as he unlocked his car. Holding the door open as Kara climbed into it, silent as her father joined her.

Without so much as a look to his little girl, Doctor Reynolds started the car and they drove off. Kara squirmed and turned in her seat as much as her seat belt would allow, looking behind them at her mother’s final resting place as it disappeared from sight.

The rest of the ride was in sad silence between father and daughter...

Kara blinked as she felt the softest little squeeze of her hand. She turned her gaze downward to meet the offered warm smile of little Phil. Mother and daughter shared a look for a moment, for Kara it was one of love and gratitude. She could see a degree of concern and worry in Phil's eyes, kneeling behind her Kara wrapped her arms around little Phil and held her tightly.

"Phil this is my Mommy" She said smiling through her soft tears now, looking up to the Marble face of the marker Kara then added proudly "Mommy, this is your grand daughter, Philomelia"

It was all Kara could do to keep from crying openly when Phil laid down the small bouquet of lilies Kara had given her and said to the Headstone "Hello!" in a warm chipper voice. Kara marveled happily as Phil arraigned the lilies just so.

They remained for awhile longer, as Kara told Phil a little more about her Grandmother. Phil had listened with wide eyes and with rapt attention. Asking questions and sharing things too with her Grandmother happily. Afterward the pair of figures walked out of the small cemetery hand in hand, Kara letting Phil lead the way. Smiling warmer as she watched the small girl skip beside her as they headed back towards their rented car. Opening the door she waited for Phil to jump within "Buckle up!" Kara reminded.

She closed Phil's door as the girl wrestled with an uncooperative seat belt. As the wind wafted through her long black hair, Kara turned to look back once more in the direction of her mother's final resting place and whispered.

"Mahal Kita Mommy"

She then turned and slipped into the car, starting it she drove off with Phil, heading back into town.

July 17th, 2005 - Undisclosed Location, Paragon City

The darkened womb of the operational security center was light by the soft flickering light of the row upon row of monitors. Each display a different yet disturbingly familiar scene. Almost in repetition each monitor displayed a blur of a young woman twisting and whirling through the Crey forces who fought in vain to stop her.

Amongst the eyes watching the monitor, a single pair was watching with conern and a degree of worry for the threat to his operations. This was his daughter who was now shown cutting a swath through his project's labs. He noted her abilities had changed somewhat, more of a mutation off of her initial mutation.

He sighed.

Oh Baby, he moaned to himself, you are getting worse.

Behind him he he could hear the mutterings of his two co-conspirators in the attempt to find a way to cure his child. Yes such allegiances were becoming necessary, the things he had to do for them for his chance to stop and help his child. He shuddered somewhat remembering the cost his personal quest was costing him. The screams he thought, the screams...he was brought out of his thoughts by the shadow to his left clearing her throat.

"How many labs does this make it?" Helena, formerly Sister Athena of the Knives of Artemis asked in a tired voice. William Reynolds sighed, she was quite entrenched in the workings of the Crey now. He himself had spliced some of the DNA into her to give her the abilities she had used to gain her current position in Crey's management team. She had used assassination and her own funds to do the rest. Her own need to remove his child from the field of heroes and his to return her to normalcy had merged with a dual dark purpose now.

"6 in the last three nights" came the even cool voice of the Malta Gunslinger known only as RED-ALPHA 03, Dr. Reynolds personal body guard. The light from his cigarette briefly illuminated his chiseled and scarred features.

"Any chance at containment of the subject?" Helena sighed crossing her arms across her chest in irritation.

"Possible....but Unlikely" The gunslinger shook his head.

Dr. Reynolds listened as his eyes continued to watch the screen.

"Explain" Helena said with a hint of irritation that send a shiver down William's spine. Her mental control was growing to the point it was now showing up in most casual tones. He closed his eyes he was losing control of her.

The gunslinger smirked, as if to show her abilities weren't working with him. His explanation was to be freely given simply because he wished to.

"She was unable to be snared by the usual containment teams months ago...that Ended up as a resource nightmare and maybe impracticable this time. Whiles experimenting with new aspect of her energy The target could simply remove her Hero Corps inhibitor and then we face an extremely powerful target compared to what the Crey could bring to bear, once she alters herself back to her primary energy configuration."

He paused as his eyes remained riveted to the screens, coolly watching with a degree of admiration of the techniques the girl was showing.

"At this stage a Malta extraction would also be difficult, any such containment team, given the targets recorded opinion of us would lead to a full scale battle on the streets of Paragon." he almost chuckled "and that would be a bit expensive for your budget Helena"

She looked at him with a degree of anger "So what do you recommend?"

William joined her in turning to face the Gunslinger

"Well current data suggests she patrols alone mostly, the Dengo woman and this new one" turning to the technician "call up screen four, Sverund file 01" He gestured at the screen as Melissa's features appeared. William recognized the young red headed girl instantly.

Oh my god, he thought, it is spreading

"The Dengo girl is going to be extremely difficult to deal with as will Sverund but they can be overwhelmed. There are other concerns" He leaned over and punched up a few screens showing several heroes.

"Lucianna Addo, though that is a target currently being dealt with...um...with little success at the moment is one possible ally" he sighed at the next one "of course you are familiar with this one, Mazin Wystan, is yet another we have an extensive file on, though they pair up less frequently"

He pointed to yet another face Dr. Reynolds recognized "Well let us not forget this disaster..Rico Chavez, blew up in your face didn't he doctor?"

Dr. Reynolds sighed "None of that was my doing, Sylvia and Countess thought it best..."

The veteran gunslinger cut him off as he continued with his irritatingly monotone report.

"Her current romantic interest, the one you failed to cover last time, Rhuby Quartz pairs with her even less these days, but once more has also now grown in strength to be a significant threat" he shook his head "also a considerable wild card...just like last time"

He paused at the last file "Garrett..." He shook his head "an unknown last time and now even more so....the Ultimate wild card"

Helena snapped "All of this is inconclusive"

The gunslinger merely nodded "Yes....yes It is" He drew a long drag of his cigarette "Like I said containment will be difficult, I warned you about this once you two began Dr. Reynolds' work again. The Target has become extremely adaptable and has grown in strength. She has the ability to call on a virtual army of heroes and is in fact a respected Heroine of the City now. She also works closely with the US Army and the UN up in the Shadow Shard. Her combat abilities and experience have grown considerably."

"And if I'm not mistaken" he continued looking to the Doctor "her abilities have changed. Note the bubble of protection she is wielding over herself. Your security files show her powers as weakened but that is due to the inhibitor. She will be difficult to target and hit, and yet she still can explode as she did before."

Helena began to pace slightly as the gunslinger step back into the shadows. "So your saying we shouldn't even bother?"

The dark silhouette smirked "No ....no I'm not. Im saying go full ahead with the containment plan"

Dr. Reynolds blinked as both he and Helena turned to look back at the Gunslinger.

"But you just said..." Helena snapped

"Yes...given The political atmosphere right now. We can play off on her attacks as a personal vendetta. Hit her as she expects us too. Ill keep a Malta team on standby for when the time is right." he took one final puff and lean across the board to extinguish his smoke. "The Malta have their reasons much as the Crey and the Knives for wanting this one Helena, Doctor...attack Her and bring her in" he draw a long breath "if our current Intel is to be believed, eventually you will be able to isolate the target for capture"

"Do you know what you are doing?" Helena asked starting to calm

He looked at them both with cool piercing green eye and with the barest of smiles....

"Always..."

Dr. Reynolds shivered and looked away, they all had their agendas with each of his daughters allies mentioned. He himself had only one concern..

His little girl, and his cure for her...

Soon baby, he thought...

Daddy is here for you.

He is gonna make it all better again.

March 27th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City

She sat in the shadows of the room lit only by the blue white beams of moonlight streaming through the window. Her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, she silently watched the sleeping form on the bed across from her. She could not help but captivated by how peaceful her love slept. She shivered as she remembered that day...

amongst the ruins of Boomtown...

The sound of the hammer of the gunslinger's weapon being cocked back, its barrel pressed against her head...

The look of resignation in her eyes...

The feeling of helplessness she herself felt as the sapper held her down..

They almost took her from me...

The Project was over, finished, each lab and resource located and destroyed. Tomoya returned and restored, scores of Malta, Knives and Nemesis in jail. and finally tonight it was all over....

They had arrested Sylvia Hollister,, the Crey Industries Project Advisor, the one who had filled her father's head with the nonsense of a cure for his daughter's mutant abilities. The witch that had ordered Rhuby's death, the overseer to Operation Karma that led to the suffering of her 'sister' and Nathaneil's pain...

The monster that had used Rico's parents kidnapping them to force him to betray her, after attempt after attempt had failed to capture her.

Sylvia had sought to use her to replenish the foundering Project Revenant gene pools after she, Ada and Tomoya had crippled many of their labs. She had thought to make a power grab in the Countess absence...she had reached for a great height in the powerful corporation and tonight she fell.

Kara stood slowly, aching a bit as she slowly cleaned up the chinese food she and Rhuby had for dinner. Softly as not to awaken her , Kara finished straightening up the room and walked to the window looking at over the city. In her minds eye she could see the final sweep of the cave the Advisor had attempted to hide in.

Okiri , Nathaneil , Rico and herself had been unforgiving in their raid. Armed with a legal warrent they swept down with speed and a vengance to clear out the cavern drawing ever closer to her..

It had taken all of them, but eventually the woman fell. Kara had yearned for months for this moment and now it was here...never yielding to the need for total retribution her friends and she turned over the woman to the federal and local authorities.

And now it was over...then hunt had ended. Looking back over to Rhuby she allowed herself a sad smile. Tonight she had made a difference, they all had. The Project may restart, the Crey may try again.

But not now..

Not tonight...

Sighing wearily she slowly crawled up on the bed to curl up beside Rhuby and cuddled her. Sleep came easily for her.

============================

RED ALPHA - 03 stood in the obscure hotel room as the man he was hired to protect packed hurridly. The man appeared exhausted, the gunslinger noted as soft muted subvocalized reports filtered through his ear piece. Each member of his team checked in , the floor of the hotel was still secure as was the route to the waiting van parked running in the dimly lit street below.

The man packed up the last of his things and tucked his lap top under his arm and turn to face the grizzled gunslinger.

"I'm ready" he said wearily "did they tell you exactly where i am to go?"

Rasing a gloved hand to his throat the malta operative subvocalized
"Transport is a go stand ready..all teams package is ready to be delivered"

Turning to face the man as the door to the room opened to show the escort standing by, he spoke in a dry voice..

"Im told all the arrangements are in place and your lab is ready." gesturing with a gloved hand ....

"Let's go , Dr. Reynolds"

In the early morning hours the dark van moved unnoticed through the streets of the sleeping city.


======================

Originally posted by NPI Student Nathaniel Green

Nathaneil handed over his old flanel shirt to one of the security guards. He then stood still as the man flagged a metal detector around him a few times. Finally, Nate put his arms down and said, "See to it T'moya gets that. I know how cold it gets in there."

He turned on his heel and began making his way down the corridor to the observation room. Nate drug a chair to the window and promptly sat down watching Tomoya sleep. "Hmmm... thirty two an' a half hours..." he mumbled to himself. "Well... what's another twenny four?"

Nate pulled a plastic bottle of Dr. Pepper out of his pocket and took a long swig from it. "She'll be up... everything'll be fine... then I'll sleep.." He nodded to himself, more for reassurance than anything. He let his hand wander to the side of his face, the large bruise but a faint shadow that matched the ones under his eyes...


======================


She sat in the shadows of the room lit only by the blue white beams of moonlight streaming through the window. Her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, she silently watched the sleeping form on the bed across from her. She could not help but captivated by how peaceful her love slept. She shivered as she remembered that day...

The sound of the hammer of the gunslinger's weapon being cocked back, its barrel pressed against her head...

The look of resignation in her eyes...

The feeling of helplessness she herself felt as the sapper held her down..

They almost took her from me...

The Project was over, finished, each lab and resource located and destroyed. Tomoya returned and restored, scores of Malta, Knives and Nemesis in jail. and finally tonight it was all over....

They had arrested Sylvia Hollister,, the Crey Industries Project Advisor, the one who had filled her father's head with the nonsense of a cure for his daughter's mutant abilities. The witch that had ordered Rhuby's death, the overseer to Operation Karma that led to the suffering of her 'sister' and Nathaneil's pain...

The monster that had used Rico's parents kidnapping them to force him to betray her, after attempt after attempt had failed to capture her.

Sylvia had sought to use her to replenish the foundering Project Revenant gene pools after she, Ada and Tomoya had crippled many of their labs. She had thought to make a power grab in the Countess absence...she had reached for a great height in the powerful corporation and tonight she fell.

Kara stood slowly, aching a bit as she slowly cleaned up the chinese food she and Rhuby had for dinner. Softly as not to awaken her , Kara finished straightening up the room and walked to the window looking at over the city. In her minds eye she could see the final sweep of the cave the Advisor had attempted to hide in.

Okiri , Nathaneil , Rico and herself had been unforgiving in their raid. Armed with a legal warrent they swept down with speed and a vengance to clear out the cavern drawing ever closer to her..

It had taken all of them, but eventually the woman fell. Kara had yearned for months for this moment and now it was here...never yielding to the need for total retribution her friends and she turned over the woman to the federal and local authorities.

And now it was over...then hunt had ended. Looking back over to Rhuby she allowed herself a sad smile. Tonight she had made a difference, they all had. The Project may restart, the Crey may try again.

But not now..

Not tonight...

Sighing wearily she slowly crawled up on the bed to curl up beside Rhuby and cuddled her. Sleep came easily for her.

============================

RED ALPHA - 03 stood in the obscure hotel room as the man he was hired to protect packed hurridly. The man appeared exhausted, the gunslinger noted as soft muted subvocalized reports filtered through his ear piece. Each member of his team checked in , the floor of the hotel was still secure as was the route to the waiting van parked running in the dimly lit street below.

The man packed up the last of his things and tucked his lap top under his arm and turn to face the grizzled gunslinger.

"I'm ready" he said wearily "did they tell you exactly where i am to go?"

Rasing a gloved hand to his throat the malta operative subvocalized
"Transport is a go stand ready..all teams package is ready to be delivered"

Turning to face the man as the door to the room opened to show the escort standing by, he spoke in a dry voice..

"Im told all the arrangements are in place and your lab is ready." gesturing with a gloved hand ....

"Let's go , Dr. Reynolds"

In the early morning hours the dark van moved unnoticed through the streets of the sleeping city.


=================

Originally posted by NPI Student Nathaniel Green


Nathaneil sat on the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands. Clad only in a white tank-top and a pair of cut-off sweats he prayed.

"Thank you Lord for helping me through the day. You're the only one that knows how close I came to losing it today. I came so close God. So very close."

He sighed heavily as he organized his thoughts, making sure he covered everything as he spoke with his Maker.

"Thank you for Tomoya. She's so special to me. Please look after her. And thank you for Kara. One of the few people that actually understands me. Thank you for Rhuby too Lord. She always knows how to help me out. Please look after my folks while I'm gone. And please help me through tomorrow Dear God.... Amen."

Slowly Nathaneil stood up and wandered over to his desk. He shut the cover of his Japanese langauge book and turned off the light, standing alone in the darkness of his room. He returned to his bed and sat back down reliving the days events in his mind. Nate glanced over to the corner knowing the oak 4 X 4 post he retrieved from the cave was sitting there, the blood from so many Crey staining the grain.

"T'morrow's gonna be alot better... I hope..." With that he laid down and pulled the old quilt up to his chin, falling fast asleep.

January 28th 2008 - Skyway

[u]Recorded by Guardian Star as a prank payback : DvD entitled : "The Five Times Kara Laughed Inappropriately over the PPD Comm. System"[u]

1. That time with the Iraqi Pawn Shop Owner

Kara was going to kill Guardian Star. It was entirely Bill’s fault that she had snickered over the comm. system like a ten-year-old when the Iranian owner of the Skyway pawn shop, recently robbed had explained that owning a store here and sending money home to his family was his duty to his country.

The minute the word “duty” came out of the store owner's mouth, Kara snickered and mouthed “duty” to herself, as though she wasn’t on comm., as though this wasn’t an interview with a witness to a crime by the Trolls.

Needless to say the pawn shop owner was not amused by being the subject of her snickering.

Bill looked at her, trying hard not to laugh himself, and quickly closed the interview and turned it over to the PPD. The damage, however was done. To the rest of the agents and the nearby police Kara knew she would be known as the heroine with the sense of humor of a grade schooled.

“I so totally hate you,” Kara stated once they began to walk away.

“Me?” He tried not to chuckle “I’m not the one laughing inappropriately while interviewing a potentially important witness.”

“Because you /so/ refused to do it.” She half glared at him.

“It’s nothing personal against the guy, I just hate guys who run pawn shops and rip people off who are down on their luck not to mention I think they’re out to ruin the world.”

She frowned amused “I so thought you thought this of lawyers?

Bill shrugged smirking “Yeah? well them too”

“Nothing personal though.” Kara said as they stepped outside.

“I’m not the one who snickered when he said ‘duty,’ now did I?” He quipped.

“Bill…”

“He probably doesn’t get it either. Probably thinks you were mocking his love for his country.”

“I hate you.”
“Not my fault you laughed at something like that. I bet little Phil doesn’t even laugh at that stuff anymore.”

“I’m like still blaming you for this.”

“Of course,” Bill replied. He motioned in the direction of the precinct and said, “We’re due back for a briefing. Think you can handle using words like ‘cuffed’ and ‘scored’ without breaking out into a chuckle?”

“I’m like way too busy hating you right now to be waylaid by laughter.”

“I’m sure Lead Agent Benson will appreciate that.”


2. Those pesky Patriot fans…

“While the citizens were able to get to cover, we engaged the Rikti” Kara continued her report to the Lead Agent over the com as the emergency vehicles now had beging to arrive. Small fire burned here and there after yet another failed Rikti bombing strafe had torn through Skyway. “We were actually able to gain the upper hand when the Chief Soldier leading the ground forces was…um…distracted”

Bill glanced over to Kara who was surrounded by a small group of New England Patriots fans of various ages, whose bus had been caught in the attack.

“Distracted how? “ Benson had inquired.

“Well like..um.. “ Kara began “Several irate citizens took it upon themselves to um”

“Um…What?” Benson pressed.

Seeing her discomfort a small little old lady in a Patriot’s jacket and hat leaned over and stood on her tippy toes to bellow out ‘We mooned the [censored] out of them she means “

With that she nodded to Kara as an offer of encouragement to carry on as she moved back to the group of currently smiling fans. Kara paused, the scary image filtering through her head of not only reliving the moment of the young and old dropping trow that had so stunned the Rikti war leader but adding now to that image the little old woman’s outburst over her comm. that had rendered Benson and herself silent. She could only imagine the look of the Lead Agent’s face sitting behind his desk trying to listen to her report.

That image wasn’t helping her as she cleared her throat, but no words came out. Still stuck on a very scary image.

Bill immediately sprung into action and said, “Their tricky ploy worked boss as the Rikti learned no one messes with Patriot fans, except the Patriots.”

And Kara couldn’t help it. She felt the loud giggle escape her lips and immediately turned a bright shade of crimson. She was a professional for god’s sake. Why the hell was she laughing?

Bill, for his part, did not start laughing at Kara’s reaction to her report and the old lady. However, Kara knew she was never going to live it down.

Proving her point, as he finished his report, Bill leaned over and asked in a way too serious tone, “Kara, what have I told you about getting liquored up with old ladies before filing a report for Benson?”

“Shut up.”

“I mean girl…” he smirked.

“Bill?”

“Yes Kara?”

“I hate you”

“I know”


3. Sometimes the Ceiling Caves In…

There weren’t many times that Kara laughed on camera during an interview with a reporter unless she was supposed to. She was a professional, a veteran of television and cable news interviews, who knew how to behave when filming. But she was human, after all, and the image of Psiwarp getting beaned in the head with a piece of falling ceiling tile while inside the crumbling Troll headquarters in the Hollows, while being interviewed by the local news was ….well it was…

…quite funny.


4. Tanya Harding Had It Coming…

Sometimes laughter on camera is not a bad thing. Okay, so on that day, it was, but really, the Good Morning Paragon guest had it coming.

“I can’t believe you, Diamond” Benson stated, storming into their office at the precinct, swishing papers around in his hands.

Kara who knew this was coming following the incident on the morning talk show glanced over at Bill, who smirked and pretended to be typing away on his computer. Kara shook her head and raised her hands in mock surrender. “It SO wasn’t my fault!”

“Right.”

“She just started crying on air.”

“And you think that’s an appropriate time to laugh?”

Bill shook his head solemnly. “No one should ever laugh at Tonya Harding and her plight.”

Both Kara and Benson glared in Bill’s direction. Kara then sighed and said, “I so think it’s time for her to get over it.”

Benson went to respond yet Bill beat him to it “Someone assaulted her, Kar.”

“No they didn’t…she had someone assaulted and that so wasn’t what she was crying over as she recounted her like tale of woe”

“She had someone assaulted?” Bill interrupted Benson again.

“Yes…hello Bill ..Nancy Kerrigan ring a bell?”

Bill nodded “OooooooH Riiiiight the knee whacking thing!”

Benson tried once more “That is NOT the point….”

“Anyways she was crying about her skate lace breaking during her Olympic performance” Kara intoned dryly “and like that is when I laughed”

Benson opened his mouth yet again only to be stooped by Bill “A skate lace?”

“Yes Bill…a skate lace”

“Wow and for that she cried to the point of having a horse face”

Kara had opened her mouth at the horse face comment when Benson stepped across the room and slapped Bill on the back of the head. He then pointed at Kara and said, “You’re going to apologize for being an insensitive idiot.” Benson stormed out of the office, but quickly reappeared. He glanced at Bill and said, “And remind me never to let you anywhere near anything involving Nancy Kerrigan and talk shows..if she blew it god knows had much you would screw it up.”

“Tonya Harding boss “ they said at the same time.

“I should fire the both of you.”

Bill rolled his eyes and Kara shrugged adding “But you won’t.” Once Benson disappeared down the hall, she glanced at Bill and replied, “Horse face?”

“It’s distracting…like a lazy eye.”

“You have problems, William”

“Hey, I’m not the one who laughed when she recounted her harrowing tale of the broken skate lace.”

“I so hate you”

“I know”


5. Inappropriate laughter due to inappropriate behavior…

Kara was used to the occasional snafu that occurred during the running of a raid. It was a given that on some nights things were going to happen and for the most part, she could handle it.

This night however, after two power outages, a severe wire crossing that had her, Bill and agents with them listening to a nearby building’s elevator’s smooth jazz music in their ear pieces, and well Bill’s latest haircut, well, it tested even his professional limits. All she kept thinking is there was no way Patti, his current girlfriend had anything to do with that.

Needless to say, no one should’ve been surprised when, during the middle of providing the Lead Agent with the information her contacts had given her on the local Troll gang leader, she burst out laughing. Bill simply looked at her like she was insane and finished off the report while Benson covered his face with his hands.

When the raid was eventually finished, while the remaining Trolls were being arrested, Benson appeared in front of her at the van and before he could even ask what had happened, Kara interrupted him by holding up her hand and asked, “Did Nancy..um Sapphire Rose, arrive late for tonight’s raid?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Maybe Kevin too?”

“Psiwarp? Yeah, but…oh!”

“We SO need to get these ear pieces fixed boss.”

“Are you telling me that…”

“Kevin like so likes to talk dirty. Who would’ve thought it?”

“Really scary mental picture.” Benson began rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“I’m so just telling you. It’s a bit distracting hearing ‘oooh baby, you’re such a naughty little girl’ in one’s ear piece when you’re trying to give your boss a report.”

Benson sighed covering his ears and said, “I think I’m going to throw up now.”

Kara giggled “I so know how you feel” She turned to Bill as he walked up and said, “You totally didn’t hear any of that over the comm.?”

“Doesn’t phase me.” Bill shrugged as he turned over the subdued green giant to the van’s officers.

“Doesn’t phase you?” Kara seemed stunned “You so have to be kidding me”

“I’ve walked in on them. I’m beyond anymore scarring,” Bill replied. He patted Kara on the back and said, “If you want more than the teaser you heard, you should check out the supply closet from time to time.”

With a smirk he took to the night sky as he left her standing there with the image he just created for her.

March 26th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City


She walked down the dark silent hallways of the institute heading for the slumbering dorms. Her heart was torn from being happy her Oneechan had been returned to them safely, to the sadness knowing the fear, confusion and loneliness she must be feeling right now. Kara smiled Tomoya had atleast recognized her!

That added an extra bounce to her step , Frank's process must have worked, if not she will still have all of us. She thought as she keyed herself back into Rhuby's room.

She lay beside her watching her sleep, something was bothering her to do what she had just done to herself. Sighing Kara knew it had to be something she had done, not spend enough time with her, if she had maybe she could've spotted this earlier. She just didn't see it...softly stroking her hair.

Both of you in one week, Kara sighed curling up to Rhuby wrapping an arm softly around her as to not awaken her. She lay quietly in the darkness, Andrew voice softly filling the void as she recalled their conversation after defeating Antimatter.

"They have contingencies ....they always do.......you have to think like them Kara....unemotional....its a business.....they have much on everyone in your life.....you honestly think Rico wont betray again with a gun to his mother's head.......you pull back a Protector's faceplate and its Rhuby what then??..

Whimpering slightly she hugged Rhuby, there was still a warrant out there for the Project Supervisor, the woman who ran the Revenant Project that hunted her and tried to execute Rhuby and Operation Karma, the operation that hurt her Oneechan. She need help to bring this monster in but who to trust...who to involve and be sure they not get hurt...

Maybe it would be better if she tried alone..

Naela had offered, as had Andrew,

Rhuby will want to but is in no shape..Nor is Tomoya

Rico...damn you Andrew

With her own thought laced with Andrew's words of caution haunting her she slipped into a fitful restless sleep. Images of her battles of the last few months seemed to follow her as a mocking reminder of surely what lay ahead...

======================

Originally posted by the NPI Student Nathaniel Green

Nathaniel handed over his old flannel shirt to one of the security guards. He then stood still as the man flagged a metal detector around him a few times. Finally, Nate put his arms down and said, "See to it T'moya gets that. I know how cold it gets in there."

He turned on his heel and began making his way down the corridor to the observation room. Nate drug a chair to the window and promptly sat down watching Tomoya sleep. "Hmmm... thirty two an' a half hours..." He mumbled to himself. "Well... What's another twenty four?"

Nate pulled a plastic bottle of Dr. Pepper out of his pocket and took a long swig from it. "She'll be up... everything'll be fine... Then I'll sleep.." He nodded to himself, more for reassurance than anything. He let his hand wander to the side of his face, the large bruise but a faint shadow that matched the ones under his eyes...

Originally posted by NPI Student Tomoya Dengo

March 25th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City 9:34 pm

Tomoya opened her eyes again. It took much less effort now. She still had no clue what was happening or where she was, but seeing her close friends there made her feel secure. Whatever that.... thing was in the other bed, Kara and Nate would protect her from it. Others came in from time to time too. Mostly during the times she was awake. Or at least she figured so.

They talked to her, and she'd try and respond, but she just couldn't find the strength. She was weak and vulnerable, but safe with her friends there. But oh so tired.

*****

Her eyes opened once more. The ceiling had changed again. The room was silent, not the ominous silence she had heard before, or the steady beat of the machinery in the room where the 'thing' was, just... quiet.

She found she could move around a lot easier now, strength already returning to her. She looked about the room, noting it was very spartan. She was alone again, no 'thing', no friends. Where had they gone, where was she? Why had they left her here... alone.

She slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, noticing for the first time that she had grown quite skinny, and her arms and legs seemed very tender to the touch. Looking about the room she came a new conclusion. A cell....

She was in a cell.

Determinedly she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and sat there for a long time, feet touching the cold floor. Through force of will she began trying to stand. Her legs wobbling a little underneath her. She got to her feet just as her left knee collapsed, sending her to the floor. She landed hard barely breaking her fall with outstretched arms.

"Dassuru... dassuru... dassuru..." She began chanting the same word over and over to herself as she pushed through the pain and weakness and clawed her way up to her feet again, using the bed for support.

She took a long hard look at the door and sighed at its heavy construction. She would need heavy tools to get out either that or... she felt something inside... it belonged there.... but she felt like it had been missing.... it had been... but now it was back... why? Where was she? She had to get out.

"Dassuru... dassuru... dassuru..."

She stumbled across the room to the door banging on it a couple times. Knowing it was fruitless she allowed her self to fall backwards on her behind, sitting in the middle of the room. It was back.... she reached down deep inside of her and pulled it to the front again... a little flame formed in her hand and she stared at it in total awe and wonderment. A small smile crept across her face as she tossed the small fireball at the door where it burst with a little puff of smoke.

She got to her knees and braced her self on the ground, calling forth every ounce of power she had. She brought it all in until she could hold no more, then she let it go... fire engulfed the room and slammed the bed against the wall, the door vanished from her sight as the room became a fiery furnance for a moment, quickly burning away any flammables.

The smoke was quickly vented out of the room through an air duct and soon Tomoya could see again. Her heart sank at what she saw however. The door still stood there. Completely intact, not even scratched. Tears began to form in her eyes until she noticed the window in the door for the first time... Kara stood there, her face and hands plastered against the window looking very worried and distraught. She was saying something too. Tomoya couldn't hear.... or maybe it was she couldn't understand.

But that was ok... Tomoya realised at that moment where she was, she realised who she was, and what she was. Her tears started pouring down her face faster, yet she smiled as she looked out the window to Kara.

She cried out with what little energy she had left, holding a hand up in a "V" sign. "Oneechan!" With that she collapsed on the floor again, curling herself up into a fetal position.

Originally posted by NPI Student Tomoya Dengo

March 25th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City 2:54 pm

Silence.

The roar of the silence still there. It was different. Rhythmic now, it beat on and on.

Darkness.

The darkness was no longer complete... There was colors, and movement in the colors.

Pressure.

She felt heavy... She was lying down on her back, no longer surrounded by water.

Cold

No longer cold. She felt warmth inside her. She knew she wasn't alone.

Who am I? I am not silence, for there is sound. I am not darkness for there is light. The pressure is gone. Warmth has returned.

Tomoya slowly opened her eyes squinting against the hard light she had already become unused to. Uraita etainoshirenai. Shinji-kun ichimyakuaitsuujiru. She simply stared upwards at the ceiling for a long while. She traced the path of power conduits over head, leading into a flat panel display over her bed. She couldn't actually see what was on the display as she could only see the back of it. She tried to move her head to the side but found it unwilling to move.

She looked out the corner of her eye and caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She looked horrible her skin was extremely pale and looked withered, the sheet covering her looked like it was soaked with sweat. A man in a lab coat walked up to her in her reflection and wiped the sweat away from her face.

Not her face. Tomoya looked wildly around her, there was no man next to her. "Na...ni?" She manager to force a harsh whisper from her lips barely audible even to herself. She was able to move her head a little now straining to see more around her. Little by little she was able to move her head, taking in her surroundings. Fear washed over her and she struggled to gain control of her body, struggled to get loose. She clenched first one hand and then the other... Then she saw them... Nathaniel and Kara were in the room with her, unharmed and in no danger. Buji...

She stopped struggling then and lay there, exhaustion finally overwhelming her and sending her to sleep again.

March 24th,2005 - Sewers somewhere in Brickstown

a blend of posts by NPI faculty member F.X. and Me!


"There are safer places to catch a catnap," a voice echoed down the sewer line, "and Crey has technology to read power signatures off of burned metal husks.

"Let's get you out of here, Kara," Andrew whispered as his glowing eyes rounded a corner, "and then we need to talk."


Jumping with a start she whirled despite her exhaustion with almost an elegant grace and speed. Her right arm softly crackled with her energy lighting up the tunnel enough to show Andrew standing off to the side. Dropping her arm she relaxed a bit and chuckled wearily...

"Heavier steps Andrew ...." Nodding she continued "Agreed ...i Wasn't going to stop...but i got so tired....only a few more labs....and I've got her...the one behind this...this ,,... Project Advisor, whomever she is.."

Slowly she approached him with the intent to follow "Im listening...."

====================================

Originally posted by NPI student Tomoya

March 24rd, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Undisclosed Location


Silence.

It was her only companion now. No sound made it inside her prison. The silence was deafening. It roared constantly through her head, ever pounding ever present.

Silence and darkness.

Always dark, there was never light. Odd that she even knew what the concept of light is. For light is simply the absence of darkness. But she did not know what that was.

Silence, darkness and the pressure of water.

Sometimes she could 'sense' a presence outside her prison. It was different then the constant pressure of water on her. It was as if the water became more dense and constricting. But it'd always go away again.

Silence, darkness, pressure, and cold.

So cold, always so cold, an empty cold though, not cold in temperature. She felt cold inside.

Silence.

Only questions filled her head.

Who am I? I am silence. It is all I know.
Who am I? I am darkness. It is the absence of light.
Who am I? I am the pressure. I know no more.
Who am I? I am cold. There is nothing else.

*****

Frank rubbed his eyes as he poured over his notes. They had precious little time. If they were to be able to transfer the girls conscience back to her original body it would have to be soon. Very soon. It had happened. They had found the lab and now it was all coming to an end.

They had tried to frame the girl Kara, but Frank said he'd had enough and was going go to the cops. Stupid fool he thought to himself. sure lets just tell the people your going to turn in to the cops that your going to do so. So they ended up going after her anyways and were about to make sure he ended up dead.

The agent was just about to pull the trigger and end it all when he heard the blasts down the hall. Lights started flickering, and shadows jumped along the wall as a burning fireball landed amongst the agents. Except this fireball was swinging a hammer. Bolts of pure energy followed the fireball into the room and then she floated in. Kara herself, he trembled in fear thinking he'd be next, but she didn't even spare him a glance as he spilled his guts to the fireball, Rico.

He told him about the project, about the Asian woman and how he could save her. He gave him access codes and even promised to help him with the procedure. What he couldn't tell him were the risks however. The original's mind was in a healthy state when it was transferred. The clones right now definitely wasn't. He didn't know what would happen when they reversed the process. It wasn't anything they had planned on.

But he felt responsible. He knew he also felt more for the woman he'd done this too, felt more deeply. He knew there could be no excusing what he'd helped do in the first place, but he'd do what he could to help her now.

His cell phone was ringing. He looked down at it in surprise, it's tone cycle was almost over. It'd been ringing for about 45 seconds already. He reached quickly over and picked it up. "Yes? Yes Mr.. Chavez I am ready, and the machine? Good. The clone? Hmmmm not so good. Once she's released let me know. I will meet you there. I'm almost done the calculations now. Bye."

He sighed as he hung up. Precious little time left now.


===================



...This just in....This Afternoon Paragon district attorney Samantha Evans announced in a press briefing that following the evidence during last night's series of raids that caused the Crey to level charges against the city's own Diamond, that she now believes the charges were a frame up by an rogue employee of the Crey Corporation...and All charges have been now dropped....She also went on to mention that a warrant has been issued for this woman...Sylvia Hollister a former Project Advisor for Crey Pharmaceuticals.....no word yet on the service of such a warrant....and a spokesman for Crey could not be reached....



===================


March 24th,2005 - Sewers somewhere in Brickstown


"I fly. I don't want to ruin another pair of shoes."

Andrew's starry gaze settled upon Kara. "Crey knows you attacked them. You and the others."

Sighing then firmly as she leaned against the cool brick "Good....i am tired of this....i shouldve cleared my name by now....im going straight for this woman..This Project Advisor my father said was in charge....at the very least I'm bringing her in"

Kara draws a long weary breath then nods.

F.X. Continued "If it were just you, I'd agree. It's not. They've got dirt on the lot of you, and they haven't used it yet."

"Why?"

Wearily she blinks and takes a step back.

"What do you mean?" her voice, tired and old as she looks to him concerned.

"Crey's a business. An evil business, to be sure, but a business. It makes no move without an eye toward profit." He paused for a moment, listening to the echoes down the sewer passages. He frowned slightly. "They move on you, the rest of your friends there should figure out that Crey knows about who else was behind the attack. That either means that you're so valuable, they don't care about that risk... "

Andrew paused as he looks into her eyes.
"Or that you're not the real target."

She frowned now as well.

"If not me then who....they sure as hell invested on ton of so called capitol on me...on Tomoya....then who?"

"because if it so wasn't me i have ended up with a ton of enemies now...Crey Soldiers...Nemesis Troops, Knives of Artemis and now the bloody Malta guys...."

She could only stare as he retreated back into the shadows of the sewer...

If it wasn't just her, she thought. Then who else??

Who else?

November 18th, 2007 - Skyway

As the elevator doors opened, Bill walked into the Police Station's main offices with a huge grin on his face and his hands raised in victory. He was excited, borderline ecstatic, at the thought of escaping the coming evil New England winter in favor of the Florida sunshine, if only for a little while. Two patrols left and a long weekend would be his.

Oh yes, things were definitely looking good.

“I hate you,” Nancy said, falling into line with him in the hallway.

“Do not blame the recipient of the trip, blame your boss,” Bill said, patting her head as though that would somehow placate Nancy.

“Nah, I’d rather hate you and Kara /understands/.” she replied as she turned in the opposite direction and stomped off.

Bill’s smile didn’t waver though as he mimiced her behind her back as she retreated 'and Kara understands'. He huffed a little, so what if Nancy was trying to guilt him for abandoning the squad for four days? So what if Nancy had decided she hated him for escaping the evils of winter? He was going to Florida and he was going to golf and get a tan. Bill’s grin grew broader as he reached the door to the office he shared with his friend.

He entered, met Kara’s bemused gaze, and replied, “Tonight is the night, my friend. I escape from the coming sleet and freezing temperatures.”

“Yeah, to attend a Meta Human Law Enforcement’s conference, Bill. So /not/ exactly the epitome of fun,” Kara countered as she typed away on her lap top.

Beside her on the couch sat little Phil with a soda in her hand. She sat with her school books open and beside her as she waited for Kara to finish up her paperwork from the night before. Bill allowed himself a smirk as he returned the little one's smile. He always thought Kara would make a good mom. He just hadn't expected it so soon. Not that he didn't like Phil, he mused. She was a slice of awesome, but she seemed to have picked up a knack for joining her soon to be 'Mom' in picking on him.

It's not that she does it, He thought to himself, crossing over to her side of the office. It was that the little bugger did it so well.

“Kara, Kara, Kara...it’s like you don’t know me at all. I have a plan.”

“A plan?” Kara looked up. Oh lord, she thought as she tossed an amused glance over to Phil.

The little girl giggled.

“Yes, a plan, a brilliant strategy that will result in me escaping the conference rooms and ending up on the golf course.” Bill gestured, proud of his plan. He quirked a brow and pointed at Phil. "She is giggling Kara...she isn't taking me seriously again"

"Like imagine that" Kara chuckled “Bill, Your’re so one of the guest speakers.”

“So?”

“You like don’t think they’ll notice if one of their guest speakers go missing?” Kara asked. She flipped through the pages of her report and added, “Face it, Bill. The only part of Florida you are going to see is Heroes’ Night at Unerversal Studios.”

Bill’s face contorted in pain at the thought. He fell onto the couch beside Phil with a long, dramatic sigh and stared out the window. After a minute, he pointed at Kara and said, “You see, this is your problem, Kara.”

“A firm grip on reality?” she clicked her tongue and the little girl giggled again.

“You don’t think outside the box.”

“William, there like is no box. There is you and me, talking about how you will so be stuck in a boring conference that will suck four days out of your life.”

“You know what I think?” Bill replied, sitting up and staring down Kara.

“Like does it matter?”

“I think you’re scared of how badly I will beat your golf average on the greens.”

“Says the man whose last score was so high over par that he set a new record,” Kara replied.

Phil looked up at Kara disbelieving. "You even have a golf score Mom?"

Kara meet her gaze "Bill took me with him in High School once. " she smirked wickedly "I beat him"

Phil giggled and turned to gaze up at Bill over her glasses "Mr. Bill, you were that bad at golf?"

“I wasn’t that bad.” Bill added indignately then glared at Kara "and /you/ got lucky!"

Kara giggled to Phil "It was so totally cute, he grumbled the whole night"

Phil giggled as well smiling up at him.

"This not about the past Kara" Bill tried to regain his dignity.

“Bill" she sighed trying to focus on her work "Patti and a six year old beat you on the minature golf course.” Kara added."William you like do this to yourself everytime Patti is out of town"

Phil giggled some more.

Bill, ignoring the comment about his out of town girl friend pointed to the windows where rain trickled down the panes and left a mist in its wake. He said. “Look at this mess, Kara. I want some sun. I want some girls in tiny amounts of clothing." Phil looked up to her guardian, who softly rolled her eyes at her as he continued "I want a break from all the crap that has surrounded this city for the past six months. If I have to make a speech and answer questions at a boring conference to get it, I’ll make do.” Bill stood up and said, “No one is going to ruin this trip for me.”

"Good for you" Kara nodded barely paying attention now.

Nancy stuck her head into the office and said to Kara, “Boss man is looking for everyone's reports from last night's raid in the next half hour.” She noticed Bill’s smile. She placed her hands on her hips and said, “I hope your flight isn’t late. That would suck, wouldn’t it?”

Bill shrugged and said, “I’ll take a later flight, Miss Negativity.”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t want to end up on one of those el-cheapo flights. I mean, don’t they tend to crash into swamps?”

Kara snickered at that.

Phil giggled diligently returning to her schoolwork.

Bill wondered if the little girl was delibrately trying to look like Kara doing her work just to annoy him. It was all a conspiracy now.

“You have a terrible mean streak, Nancy,” Bill replied. He focused his smile directly on her and said, “But I’m willing to risk it. After all, I’m more likely to die in a car accident than a plane crash.”

Nancy glared at him and once again stormed off. Bill pointed in her retreating direction and said, “Can you believe her?”

“You are somewhat irritating with the blissful look on your face,” Kara commented. She then sighed ran a hand over her face and said, “You want to take the lead to the raid tonight or the mop up?”

“Lead,” Bill replied. He moved over next to Kara and sat on the edge of her desk. He said, “Do I really look blissful?”

“William.../work/...we still have two patrols to do before you leave for Florida.”

“You’re not even the teensiest bit excited for me about my trip?”

Bill didn’t need an answer. He knew Kara well enough to know that she was as excited for him about the idea of four days away from the insanity that had become home to him now. It didn’t surprise him when Kara responded, “Of course I’m excited. But I’m also scared of what Nancy might do to you.”

“I heard that, Kara,” Nancy said as she walked by. She pointed at Bill and asked, “What about alligators?”

“Alligators?” Bill questioned.

“I hear they’re fond of out of state hero meat.”

“Petty doesn’t become you, Nancy,” Bill replied.

“All I’m saying is that Florida is overrun with alligators. A friend of mine in college used to tell me stories of alligators hanging out in her backyard and the occasional tale of a gator that made off with a hero’s arm.”

“You have a sickness.”

“You’re thinking, ‘happy holiday in the sun’ and all I see is gator food,” Nancy replied. She glanced at her watch and then Kara, “Those reports would be nice.”

”Maybe if you stopped barging into our office,” Kara called out as Nancy rushed off again. Kara looked at Bill and said, “As like demented as she is, she does so have a point. If I were you I wouldnt be particularly fond of knocking a golfball into a sandtrap and being surprised by an alligator. Maybe you should stay at the hotel.”

“Maybe I should avoid sandtraps.”

“My roommate in college said she knew a guy who knew a girl who was attacked by an alligator while she was on vacation in Florida before. It tore off her leg.”

“Oh, okay then. Because I knew a guy who knew a girl who went to Florida and hooked up with a successful hero who wasn't afraid of alligators.”

“If you want to be ‘Bill, the Peg Leg Defender of Paragon City,’ I can’t stop you.”

“On the off chance that I’m attacked by an alligator, I would imagine few alligators can get through my forcefields.” Bill rolled his eyes. "So I’ve got it covered"

“Yeah well, like catching a few episodes of the Crocodile Hunter on television doesn’t equate to having it covered,” Kara replied.

Again the little girl snickered.

Bill shook his head and shot Kara his typical when-will-you-learn-my-friend look. He said, “First, those are crocodiles. Not the same thing. On behalf of all reptiles, I shame you." she looked up and smirked at him. "Second, I don’t plan to go out of my way to wrestle an alligator to the ground, but if I were attacked, I do know a few things.”

“Screaming like a little girl and running for cover so doesn't count...” Phil offered to Kara "Does it Mom?"

"No sweetie" Kara said warmly to her, ignoring Bill as he waved his hands.

“Hey now! I watch the Discovery Channel and have learned how to handle myself in certain situations that might arise concerning a vicous 'I want to eat Bill' scenario.”

“Such as alligator attacks?” Kara replied with an incredulous look.

“Yes, " He frowned usure now how he was losing control of the conversation "Yes..such as alligator attacks.”

“And how exactly does one handle himself when an alligator is chewing on his arm?” Kara asked sweetly disinterested as she returned to her reports.

Phil smiled and looked over to Bill, eager to hear his answer.

“The plan, of course, is not to wait until it’s chewing on your arm, but you have to hit it on its snout or behind the ears with your fist or a weapon.”

“Bill, not to doubt your emergency planning, but you want me to believe that a punch in the nose is all it takes to avoid an alligator attack?”

“Well, it would have to be a hard punch. Aim for the snout, behind the ears, and the eyes.”

“A punch in the nose?” Kara repeated again. "not blasting it?"

“Well the point is to stop the alligator's attack not fry the alligator...I mean have you ever been hit in the nose, Kara. It stings like a [censored],” Bill answered. He sat down in front of his computer and said, “Like I said before. Nothing is ruining this trip for me, including some psychotic, golfcourse-roaming alligator.”

"That is forcefield resistant" Phil offered hopefully.

"Exactly!" Bill pointed to Phil.

“Gator food,” Nancy hollered through the office.

Kara stood up, moved over next to Bill, and placed her hand on his shoulder. He said, “We’ve all got our priorities. I like guess limbs aren’t that important to you.”

“I like my limbs just fine. Stop being such a wuss and prepare to accept the fact I'm about to topple your golf score woman. No alligator attack will let you off the hook.”

Kara smirked and replied, “Yes, because the man who still can’t distinguish a nine-iron from a putter, instills fear on the golf course.” Kara patted Bill’s cheek and said, “I’m running these reports down to Benson before he has an aneurysm.” Kara collected up her and Bill's reports and started to walk off, but hovered by the door for a minute, “William, do me a favor?”

“Yeah...”

“If like I’m ever attacked by an alligator on a golf course, don’t punch it in the nose. Just blast it” She replied, chuckling to herself as she walked off.

Bill rolled his eyes and muttered to Phil with a wink, “Like I’d go anywehere near an alligator.”

Phil giggled shaking her head as she returned to her homework. There was stuff to do with Mom tonight.

Much mayhem and mischief after that with her friends.

March 24th, 2005 - Brickstown

"...All units...All Unit...please be advised that an all points Bulletin has been posted for the Paragon hero Known as Diamond....she is wanted for attempted sabotage and attempted murder of Crey personnel....approach with caution..subject is to be considered armed and dangerous...."

"what the..." Officer Marteniz turned to her partner in their patrol car in Brickstown.."Diamond....the girl who saved our bacon last week...isn't she also the one that turned over all of those illegal labs last month"

Sipping his stale coffee Officer Parks shook his head and glanced away from his partner "I didn't hear a thing....what do you mean?"

Grinning a bit as she followed his gaze out the window to see the suspect in question and another hero who appeared to be aflame depart a building heading out across the night

"Yeah....i didn't either...." leaning back against her seat "So how are Martha and the kids?"

Officer Parks smirked to his partner as they sat back to await a real call..

====================

March 24rd, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Undisclosed Location

"How ? " The Project Advisor turned to her Security Chief's second in command, her original having fallen to the girls renewed offensive.

"Chavez Ma'am...he was with her...they tore through all 4 remaining labs..all personal considered lost ...and Operation Karma is now in their hands..the test subject and Frank our primary Agent are compromised"

"The Malta and Nemesis forces ? " Her voice was incredulous, the girl had grown in strength..that even with the Police frame up she went on the offensive. Her father failed to report to the final bunker. According to her security he gave her codes to hack in and locate all of their remaining resources....

"4 Malta containment teams....and 3 Nemesis capture squads ...all destroyed Ma'am...she fought through all 7 ambushes...Paragon city News is reporting 8 major engagements with us and our 'allies' all since midnight...sources also report she has not returned to the school.."

The advisor looked up "What do you mean..."

"Ma'am she is coming straight for us....she destroyed warehouse in Crey's folly, that contained our files and Operation Karma's....30 crates worth of data. Which the police have despite the fact they are supposed to be seeking her...Unlike the Mazin boy...the police only sent a uniform car to drive passed NPI...no road blocks no detectives...they say the warrant is under review..."

"That little [censored]...they are protecting her..." The Advisor Snarled

"Yes Ma'am....i mean come now, with all respect their own PBA is trying to get a statue of her made....the warrant was a poor decision ma'am...the board is less than pleased..."

"Damn them...and damn her ..." she began to pace

"Yes...well our source in Malta predict she will probably attack our projects's computer core soon...she has been on the move for 8 and half hours straight....I'm not sure she is gonna stop...at this point almost two hundred of our personnel and even some not connected have been compromised...she even dispatched her own clone ma'am at the site where we lost Captain Wiggens...the revenant was no match for her."

The report began to drone on..loss after loss as the security chief went on

She is coming for me, the advisor thought...her father has gone underground..she comes for me...Tomoya is loose ...she too may come.

The Malta are preparing some form of retribution but that may only bring in Jack Garrett. This Rico Chavez....he too was misjudge and had turned on her.

Looking down at her file..."oh yes come little girl...i still have surprises left for you..."

=============

March 24th, 2005 - somewhere in Brickstown

Kara stopped and leaned against the wall of the sewer alcove and shifted down exhausted. She had called Ada and requested a substitute for this morning class. She had wanted to end this before Rhuby woke up but she was tired. Rico had gotten Tomoya clear...and this Frank could merge the clone's memories to Tomoya to preserve something of her...

So tired...She whimpered slightly as her muscles ached, the sappers made healing a bit difficult due to the muscular strain such electric bolts often yielded....

So tired...just close her eyes for a bit. Bringing her knees up to her chest she drifted off....the night's battles were over...just a few more tomorrow and it is all over...

Just need to close my eyes, she thought....get this done before Rhuby awakes....

Within moments she drifted off to a fitful sleep....

A full day of fighting awaited her....

March 23rd, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Undisclosed Location

The smoke and chaos of the battle was almost overwhelming, this was the 6th time this week the forces of the Malta Operatives were under attack from an unsuspecting opponent. Normally it was the Knives of Artemis or the Malta themselves who were hired for the offensive, not suddenly find themselves of the defense during their operations.

Round after round he fired expertly into the melee, coolly and professionally he engaged without emotion. She had grown all right, 3 platoons of Malta operatives all by herself this week, 6 platoons of Knives..this fight is lost, he knew at once. There through the mist was the one man who kept showing up around this girl.

Time to report, staying only long to catch the eye of his adversary, letting him know that he had been here and got away for next time....

It had been personal, something that had no place on the job. However this man was different and he knew they would meet again..

He stayed in place just long enough for Jack Garrett to recognize him. hitting the portal device just as one of child heroes rock pets hurdle a boulder in his direction.

...figures

=======================================

Dr. Reynolds stood in the shadows in a wrinkled suit he had been wearing now for the third day straight. He nervously ran his hand over the stubble now growing around his jaw and up through his disheveled hair. For three weeks now his project had been scrambling to consolidate their resources to , he had believed a last ditch attempt at saving his child.

That had been before the so called OPERATION : KARMA patient had been brought in. He had watched the slender Asian woman float within her tank only half listening to her 'keeper' as the Captain had called him

Was this to be Kara's fate, he mused miserably. An all too familiar flash from the monitor caught his eye, looking up he watched with the others in the darkened womb of the underground conference room, as his child hopped back from a group of toppled soldiers, Malta this time. The footage continued to feed on all the monitors showing what the dark shape in the cowboy hat had called dryly "The Usual suspects"

Around the table sat a Malta pit boss, a fearsome looking woman who called herself 'Sister Hecate", his Project Advisor and Operation Karma's Project Advisor. In the shadows across the room was the new arrival, the Malta Operative who had just arrived from the fight they were all now just watching, along with all of the footage Malta had on Kara's week long activities. When the Crey has ceased pursuing her , secretly he had hoped she would have run, but she came after them..

What was it the press had been calling her "The Valiant Dazzling Diamond" , he had begun to watch the cities papers the last few weeks. As well as listen to the polls. He had not made the connection, his daughter was Paragon's Diamond, he had seen the costume but not the heroine. She as this Diamond, had been to the White House, appeared on Good Morning Paragon during the Mayor's 'Just Say no to Superdyne" , he even had a copy of the P.B.A.'s petition to have her immortalized as one of those marble titan's that stand over the city.

What was he doing, he began to think as his attention snapped up as the voices of the Malta Pit Boss and his own Advisor grew cold..

"Understand this woman, our operations, independent of our dealings with your Company are now under fire from your Projects Target, and this we can not have" The pit boss stared across the table with eyes of steel, as to his left the Knives leader sat forward..

"Listen Ice Queen, i have got 6 Platoons of my woman down and the Knives are now just finding out who this little darling is. My people and operatives are being disrupted..."

"Please, do you honestly expect me to sit here and listen to how the two top of the line mercenary corporations can not take down one teenage ex-cheerleader?" The Adviser's usual cool demeanor had become waspish, tense. Two more allies were on the verge of deserting her project. "Perhaps if you had not attempted to pilfer our materials , this child would not have followed them to you and your operations"

Stemming off the Knives Woman enraged outburst the Pit Boss held up a rawhide gloved hand.

"Enough of this nonsense..this child is hardly a mere ex-cheerleader any more. Adversity builds character as one of my best operatives always says " with a half glance over his shoulder he continued "My People have learned she has been working not only for the F.B.I. but now Indigo and Crimson appear to be using her services...she is entering our world with a rapid speed."

"You cant be saying this is our fault alone ..." The Advisor began he demeanor slipping..

"You are damned right it .." Sister Hectate began stopping again as the Pit Boss spoke once more

"As i was saying she is no more a mere target to be acquired she is becoming a player....and this game of yours is now out of control. Garrett, Wystan, this new guy Rico Chavez who is growing close to our ops...a fearsome woman named Dark Lioness. " he sighed " And since we are stereotyping look at the monitor "

He stood pointed at a white hared woman doing incredible flips and damage to the Malta operatives on the monitor, "Lucianna Addo....a supermodel since we are all worried about what type of people striking us " turning to lock his gaze on the advisor "By the way given our new information the Reynolds girl is now the Institutes kindergarten teacher...i think we can dispense with the ex-cheerleader routine and drop all ridiculous titles..." pointing back to the monitors "These people are a threat...they are coming after soon....be ready."

The staff table erupted into a volley of angry accusing voices. Dr Reynold sat down in one of the empty seats along wall as they pounded the table and pointed at the monitors. His gaze drifted up and he watched the 'gunslinger ' still enshrouded in the veils of shadows along the wall. His features lit up slightly as his eyes remained locked on the monitor feeds as they continued to replay the chaos of this weeks battle.

Those in the room argued for hours....

The Gunslinger , ignoring them all, watched. The video feeds of the battles playing over and over reflected in his steel like eyes .....

Somewhere deeper in the lab the target of Operation Karma floated soundlessly in her liquid prison...waiting

Dr. Reynolds paced his lab...

and time and fate crept ever closer

October 1st, 2007 - New Overbrook, Faultline

Dark clouds raged above the visage of Brooklyn. On a cold and stormy night peak hour is at it’s worst, the wind howls, the rain pours down. Lightning and thunder strike at random. Meanwhile throughout the streets the army guys are devising a 'super missile' that will obliterate anything in it’s path. The large launcher crawler fills the street as the soldiers crawl al over it.

“It’s almost done” says an army officer in a booming voice.

“Soon we’ll be ready for anything that is unfortunate enough to stumble upon this city” says another army officer.

Right on cue a large booming noise fills the wet air. The monster Megalon rises from the river. With drills on his hands he makes short work of any buildings he comes ashore. Megalon Drills through the buildings and picks up a passing train, he throws it at another building. The army, fed up with all these monster attacks, takes serious action. They launch the super missile to obliterate Megalon. The surprised kajiu just notices it and starts to run but the missile is to fast.

Megalon hides behind some buildings but the missile smashes right through the buildings and keeps on going, the city streets are filled with screams and the sound of falling rubble. With no other option he jumps back into the river but that doesn’t stop the missile. Megalon dodges the missile under the water swimming around in a furious panic, he jumps back up onto land and starts to spin his drills on his hands really fast. The missile comes out of the river right behind him but is a second to late.

The army officers watch as Megalon dives underground. The missile explodes the spot were Megalon dug. It destroys any building within 500 meters raining fire and debris down all over the city as a small mushroom cloud swells high above the city skyline.

"Gonna hear about that one" Says the first army officer

"Rotten Tax payers" groans the second.

The army men look on to see if Megalon survived when suddenly he jumps out of the ground and roars in victory. The army men are exploding with rage and anger at their failure.
Megalon then destroys the army base killing all the officers as many soldier scatter like insects away from the fury of his attack.

Then! Suddenly, Godzilla comes out of no where and starts destroying buildings. /But/ Godzilla hasn’t noticed Megalon but Megalon /has/ noticed Godzilla.

Quietly Megalon starts to spin his drills on his hands and dives underground. He digs right under Godzilla and suddenly pulls him under the ground. The famous Kajiu vanishes with a surprised squawk of a roar, his tail thrashing behind him. There is a titanic struggle that shakes the ground and everyone in Brooklyn looks on while they try to keep their footing.

The winner of this underground battle is proven when Godzilla blasts Megalon up out of the ground and into a building with his atomic breath. Megalon lunges to stab Godzilla with his drills and spins them in his body before throwing him above his head and kicking him into another building on his way down. Godzilla whirls roaring with rage as he picks Megalon up and slams him into the Brooklyn Bridge splintering it as if it was made of matchsticks. Megalon disappears for quite a while beneath the waves but then suddenly jumps up from the ground behind Godzilla but Godzilla senses his approach and tail slams Megalon into yet another building.

Godzilla then picks up the electric wires from the side of the road and electrocutes Megalon with them. Godzilla continuously electrocutes Megalon, as the giant cockroach shutters and spasms in pain until Godzilla is struck by lightning and drops the electric wires on his foot further electrocuting Godzilla.

Godzilla roars in agony as the lighting and the electricity from the wires dances across his skin. Megalon sees this as a chance to attack Godzilla. Megalon kicks Godzilla but Godzilla blasts Megalon with his nuclear pulse which destroys everything around them in a blinding blast. Godzilla charges up his atomic breath but Megalon dives underground and tunnels away whimpering in fear as he goes.

Godzilla roars in victory before diving into the waves, leaving behind a burning Brooklyn filled with rubble and toppled buildings.

Katrina clapped as she sat brushing a languishing Columbus as Phil turned and smiled a happy grin across the room. Kara, sitting on the couch with her legs curled up beside of her, returned the smile as she shook her head. The images of the fierce battle began to fad from the expanse of carpet that lay between her and the two girls with a twitch of Phil's fingers.

"Well, Mom?" Phil giggled "What do you think?" Katrina turned to look over to Kara as well as Columbus purred.

"What do I think?" Kara softly chuckled softly at Phil's new use of the that particular term, as she picked up her laptop once more. "I think I now know why I have so much trouble getting babysitters"

The girls giggled as Kara relented and tossed Phil the remote "Here, an hour before bed...you two decide"

Kara returned to her thesis and smiled as she heard the girls debate on what to watch.

She couldn't help but hope Sponge Bob Square Pants would win.

Actually I love this idea Cameos should occur more often in film and TV. Once permission has been gotten I say go for it!

Although it is hard for me to think these stories I've been readng would be improved any more than they are but have it

Looking forward to seeing them!

March 8th, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Undisclosed Location

****

The agent strolled down the winding hallways, and activated a secret panel hidden in one of the walls. A 4' section of the wall separated from the rest and he walked into the dimly lit room.

Large tanks filled with slightly bubbling green liquid filled the room at regular intervals. He stopped in front of one tank and ran his hand across the surface wiping away the condensation.

Inside the tank suspended by several cables with a mask placed over her face was a naked woman, being kept in a comatose state, medical readouts at the bottom of the tank read normal. The agent placed his face up against the glass and kissed her through it. He stepped back and placed his hand on the glass staring at the naked woman. "So cute."

He turned away then and walked out of the room, letting the door close behind him, he leaned back against the now hidden again bulk head, slightly smiling to himself. "Sooooo Cute!"

The sound of multiple approaching heavily booted steps distracted his attention, and suddenly he realized that warning lights were going off and the lab was on high alert.

[censored]! He thought to himself as he pulled his pistol out and began making his way down the corridor

============

Alarms had been going off all across the Crey network regarding this Project. The reports being smuggled into the Countess in Prison were less than acceptable. Now just Last night a new disaster....

The Project advisor leaned across the terminal her gloved hands clutching its metal sides and she shook with frustration and rage. One by one the little wasp had found a way through to them.... The Russian agent had gone rogue somehow before her people could get at her and vanished. All attempts to hire her went unanswered. The Malta had placed the project under review after the Garret fiasco, Rico's parents had become unmanageable and that blew up in their faces. Dr. Reynolds work station had been hacked into and all data concerning the girls' little girl friend had been down loaded along with all the data files on herself and her father's codes. Gordon's little hackers were easily rifling through her work and she knew all of this would be placed on her by the Countess to protect the corporation....what was it Field Marshall Jodl had said...

"Deise ist das ende....das ende"

She closed her eyes she could hear them behind her, her fellow Project Advisor from "Operation Karma" ....rebellious little thing, she thought bitterly, even Frank could not handle his own project. Beside Frank stood the mousy Dr. Reynolds whose offspring was on the verge of toppling them all. To their right stood her Captain and Frank's agent both shifting on their heels here in the last lab of the project concerning the Reynolds girl of Project Revenant...

"was this confirmed" she hissed as the data before her scrolled across the black screen...she knew the answer even as the captain spoke it.

"Yes Ma'am, believe it or not it was /both/ of them" the Captain swallowed hard.."It would seem she adapted and attached herself to the Reynolds girl...they tore through our defense in Lab 22A last night. Over 100 casualties and they ...um...left the lab unsalvageable"

She winced , for weeks now she had heard this term concerning the wake of the little [censored]'s 'investigation' into HER project. Why didn't these jack [censored] from security ever just say 'destroyed' and in the hands of the authorities...

"Ma'am a request has come down from the board to abandon.." the Captain began

"You cant!.." Dr. Reynolds broke in out of desperation

"Silence ! Both of you " she whirled.. "I have no intention of doing any such thing! Though certainly not because of your child Dr. Reynolds! " she began to pace rubbing her gloved hands together..."I refuse to be toppled by a bunch of children and one project run afoul..." she glared at Frank who was running his wonderfully manicured hands together. " No this is not how it ends...."

She returned her gaze out to the floor of her last lab..

"What do we do Ma'am" her Captain asked "It's only a matter of time before this lab is located and destroyed...we are still scattered ..remnants so to speak of all of..."

"Gather, " she interrupted.."Gather all of this Project and Project Karma's resources into this last and final lab"

She turned to look at her Two highest ranking hired soldiers, both Project's Captains "I believe the term is bunker up...collect all remaining personnel assigned to us and dig in....this little brat will come straight for us. So let us have a proper send off for her. If she wants us..lets give her a real fight , overwhelm her with numbers and take her down before she topples us all...."

Turning to Frank "The operational time limit on your little darling project?"

He smiled a wavering smile to her, this wasn't going to be good "Well Claire...she is already beginning to push beyond her operational guidelines..you see.."

She silenced him with a wave of her hand , turning back to her Captains "How long to consolidate?"

"A little over three weeks all could be in place, but we would have to cease all external operations against her...including all but basic surveillance" the Captain reported.

"You have two weeks.." She cut off his protest with her sharpest tone "..Then i suggest you get moving tonight...begin at once. The lack of our presence will let her think we've stopped. It will allow us to tip our hand when we are ready"

She returned to her perch overlooking the lab floor as the ready alert sirens began to sound throughout her final complex. She barely noticed Dr. Reynolds slip out with the guards. He hardly mattered anymore to her, she no longer needed him anymore. Diamond would come to her whether he was here now or not.

She sighed and thought of those word again...

"Deise ist das ende....das ende"

Leave it to a German, she mused to fully grasp such a meaning...

February 22nd, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Undisclosed Location

Cold eyes reflected the greenish text as it flowed across the cool blackness of the monitor. Softly stroking a leather clad hand over her chin the Project Advisor observed the influx of information aquired by the now deceased Security chief of the false lab in Steel Canyon. So easy was it to fool that informant and draw that annoying resilant [censored] of daughter of Dr. Reynolds into her trap.

How ironic that her companion was one of the two others who had begun this nightmare for her. Actually most of that bloody school but this Tomoya..well they had handled her, and she was just beginning her new journey. She got the narcotic...the Reynolds [censored].., she smiled, she got something a little different.

Chemically it was the same compound except for the limited lifetime nanites who recorded and tranmitted her thoughts and dreams. Data, images ...all of it , She thought. We have you child.

"All that you are ..." she whispered running a gloved hand sensiously down the front of the screen " is now ours, your 'brothers' and 'sisters' Kara darling will know how to fight you now dear"

From her darkened womb she glanced over the mostly vacant workstations to see the 'devouted" father furiously working over his screen.

"That's right good doctor, we will 'cure' your baby of her mutantness" she chuckled darkly "She will make such a fantastic model for our genetists and neurologists...and the sample farm she will make will thrust this project decades ahead of its time. " She sipped at her coffee as she closed the workstation before her and sealed it.

"You will be more than welcome to have whatever is left over to nurse til the end of her days "

As her reflection recided into the darkness of the observation the reflect of Doctor Reynolds began to recieve the clone programming data in code. Studying it he began to read the images of his child most treasured possession. Her memories and dreams...this was the key to rescuing her.

As he watched and read what the screen offered up to him, he knew this was her only hope.

"Kara" He whispered to himself "My god kitten, what this disease has made you"

Silently making his notes underlining "Neural surgical option : Distemperment/Management"

All around the near silent lab the advanced ventilation system whirred and sterilized the air around him.

February 12th, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Brickstown

He had sent a urgent voice mail to her, arranged for Kara to come to the hotel he was staying at. He hated himself for what he was about to do. He felt like in the end there was really no choice. After all what if Paula was right, what if Kara really would be happier if Crey was able to cure her? Her father really seemed to think so. She had seemed so happy in those earlier video's would he really be wrong helping her return to those days?

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of gunfire ahead. He still had no clue how he had convinced Kara to come to the Hotel in the first place, let alone follow him into this large Crey lab. They assaulted the place together though him distracting the attention of the guards while she picked them off. They had gotten quite deep into the lab by now, and the guards seemed a little upset by it.

He ran forward and into the group of men shooting at them, swinging his hammer wildly. They fell easily before their onslaught, too easily he knew, but Kara didn't seem to notice.

They came across a large room full of lab equipment and scurrying scientists, so this is the place, Rico thought to himself. He and Kara walked slowly into the room, the scientists cowering before them and hiding behind equipment. Kara began blasting at them, sending sparks flying from equipment. Lights began to flash in the room and Rico took his cue, while Kara was engaged in combat with a crisis suit who'd come from a back room he back tracked out of the lab and hit the emergency seal button on the airlock.

The door crashed shut in front of him and he immediately began pounding on, "No! Dammit what the hell have I done!" He couldn't even hear the fight from the other side of the bulkhead anymore. He kept pounding on the door until his fists became bloody. He started crying and slumped up against it, regretting everything he had just done. He whispered silently between sobs. "Please forgive me Kara..."

He used his hammer to prop himself back up to his feet, and slowly trudged down the corridor towards where he was told his parents would be, his hammer showering sparks as he drug it across the metal floor. Tears rolled down his face and his gut ached tremendously, he kept asking Kara's forgiveness as Crey personnel raced past him putting out fires and repairing the damage he and Kara had done.

He finally came upon the room his parents were supposed to be in. He knocked once on the door and waited for it to open, a smiling Crey security guard opened it and motioned him inside.

His parents were sitting around a table heaped with food on it, they seemed to be enjoying themselves, his mother was in an active discussion with another woman at the table he had not seen before, and his father was busy stuffing his face. Rico's heart fell, they actually looked like they were enjoying themselves. His parents both looked suddenly his way as him hammer clattered to the floor.

They looked surprised and worried at the same time. "Rico! What are you doing here?" he mother blurted out. "They said there were only two places for the contest."

"Rico.... what’s with the hammer? What's happened?" His father stood up from the table and set his cutlery down.

The lady at the table stood up, "Allow me to introduce myself, and thank you personally Rico. I am known as the Countess Crey, and it is because of your heroic efforts that the mutant girl is now with her father again. Rest assured any pain in the process will be brief."

His father, Julio, looked at the Countess and demanded, "What's the meaning of this? Rico's working for you?"

"Julio, please sit down, your making a scene." his mother pleaded with him. She then looked at Rico and asked, "Rico, what’s wrong?"

Rico became enraged, upset that his parents could be so deceived to think Crey was some kind of honest corporation. "These people used you as blackmail so I'd turn in a friend! These people have killed countless people and covered it up! These people have cloned human beings! These people kidnapped you so I'd do their dirty work!" Fire erupted around him, white hot fire, fire he'd never called upon, fire he hadn't seen since he was in the ring that one day.

His father took three steps towards Rico when he suddenly called out in pain and reached for his knee, it was now a bloody mess and the Crey guard that had shot him swung his weapon towards his mother, he was about to pull the trigger.

But she was faster then him, she leapt straight up from a sitting position and grabbed a support beam in the ceiling, from that vantage point fire arced down her arm and raced towards the now started guard. Flames engulfed him and he was unable to move.

The doors to the room burst open and guards rushed in, Rico leapt at them with a ferocious yell. Behind him his father rose to his feet and ran up beside him adding his own blows to those of Rico's.

A scream from behind him diverted Rico's attention for a moment as the guard that had shot his father literally exploded and little fires sprang from him with a life all their own. He turned back to the guards who had entered and were now shooting wildly at him and his father.

He could feel the white hot pain as he was shot multiple times, but that only made his own fire hotter. He risked a glance at his father, only to see that both of his legs were encased in hard rock, and his hands were blocks of stone.

Between the three members of the Chavez family and his mothers' animated fires, the guards didn't last long. Rico turned, angrily looking for the Countess, only to see a hidden panel slide into place.

He stalked across the room and started hammering on the wall, trying to follow the woman.

"Rico!" A familiar voice cut straight through him, and the fires died, his next swing at the wall merely glanced off. He turned and saw his parents standing there, beside each other, both looking grim. He opened his mouth to speak.

His mother beat him to it though, "Rico... she's gone. Are you ok?" Rico simply nodded. "Rico, your friend... where is she?"

Rico's face brightened up again as he remembered Kara. He wouldn't let her down, he was going to go back for her. He started towards the door, and waved his parents on with him. "This way." He said in a flat emotionless voice.

The trio made their way back down the corridor to the room where Rico had abandoned Kara. Rico and his father went to work on the still sealed bulkhead as his mother kept watch over the corridor.

"Maria! From the left!" His father cried out a warning as Crey tanks approached.

"Ci, ci!" His mother whirled to face the men and filled the corridor with a smoldering fire, forcing the ashes into their respirators.

The door finally buckled under their combined attack and they squeezed into the room. Rico scanned the surroundings and saw Kara strapped to a table, an older man standing over her staring defiantly at Rico. "You cannot have her! She's my daughter she needs my help!"

Both Rico and Julio stepped into the room at the same time. Julio looked at Rico who nodded, and pointed at the man. "Listen you old fool, she may be your daughter but she's not sick! You're lucky I'm feeling all happy I got reunited with my parents, or I'd make it so you could never see Kara again. 10 Seconds for you to leave starting now. Ten."

Dr. Reynolds was furious, "You cannot do this! She is my daughter I will not be separated again!"

"Eight!"

"This is preposterous! I will not bow to you."

"Six!"

"You will pay for this, Crey has more resources then you could possibly imagine!"

"Four!"

Dr Reynolds, turned and stalked away from the table heading for an elevator in the back of the room. Rico ran up and looked at Kara, who had apparently been drugged as she was asleep on the table. He released the straps, and then hesitated, not wanting to pick her up.

"Hurry!" Came Maria's urgent yell. He reached over and picked up Kara, letting the fires around him die as he did so. With her bundled in his arms he ran for the door joining his parents as they fought off the armored soldiers.

The lights in the lab suddenly and mysteriously went out, audible clicking could be heard as doors with electronic locks released. The trio made their way down the corridor with Rico carrying Kara in his arms. No more Crey were sighted however and they managed to escape back onto the street where an empty security van was left running in front.

They piled in, Rico jumping in the back, Julio grabbing the wheel and his mother riding shotgun. Rico slid the van's door shut and breathed a sigh of relief as the van raced away at stupid speeds.

He looked down at Kara, still fast asleep, and said again. "I am so sorry Kara... forgive me."

The van pulled up the school's front entrance and security rushed out to find the reason for the Crey vehicle. Rico opened the side door and handed Kara off to one of the guards. He then closed the door behind them and motioned his father to drive off.


==============

Originally posted by me!

February 12th, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Brickstown

He called her claiming he needed her help. She knew him and trusted him..obviously she went at once, dropping her studying she rushed to meet him at his hotel. No questions asked, none felt needed.

Why was he at a hotel, what had the package from the Crey had meant, what had happened to his family...why it was so important to strike at this Crey lab. It was the Crey, they were after him just like they were after Mazin then herself...the same Crey that had ordered Rhuby's death and had somehow trapped and killed Andrew

All these questions had gone unasked...

It had been a mistake...


Floor by floor, level by level the two worked in tandem bringing down the Crey security forces and researchers with their blasts and flames....

Then the unbelievable happened...

She had pinned a crisis control unit armored agent when a new siren sounded turning she saw the bay door beyond open two reveal 4 full containment teams..turning behind her to yell to Rico that it was a trapped she watched in horror as he slammed his fist onto a panel causing the reinforced security door to fall into place trapping her with the teams....

Pain...

She threw herself into a panicked rage as she downed half a dozen but shot by shot of stunners hit her bringing her to the floor. She was surrounded by the Crisis units and Voltage tanks. Summoning all of her energy once more she exploded in a blinding flash of light throwing agents everywhere...exploding panels and shattering valuable lab equipment. Thoroughly drained she backed against the door that was barely dented she began to bang on it...pleading then almost begging Rico to open it as the surviving agents fell upon her with stun sticks and batons enraged over the deaths and injuries to their colleagues.

The pain and memories washed over her as touch after touch rocked her brain, the angry names she was called....blended with the hollow laughter of long ago...

Insanely there was her fathers voice ordering the soldiers and guards to stop and a stern woman's voice ordering "It" contained.

Then blackness..

Images through a drug induced stupor flowed across her numbed sense and slowly healing body. She tried to move but found she couldn't, she wasn't paralyzed she could almost feel her arms and legs but....NO she was restrained! unable to move ...unable to stop them from...NO!!!

"Easy Kitten..." her father's voice had purred "Daddy is here now..." then harshly "Damn it Stevens cant you see she is still in mutant-psychosis...sedate her more"

"Daddy...no " she whimpered..how could he allow these animals to have their way with her...wasn't she in the warehouse once more....where was she? "Daddy Help me...help me Please!"

"I'm here Kitten" he softly whispered giving her hope but for a moment before she felt the piercing of the needle in her arm...she looked up at him. In her fog his face was surrounded by the masked faces of the hated Crey Researchers in the foggy background stood the Outcasts once more with their Family contacts smiling waiting for their turn with her....

No!!

"daddy is here...." she carried those words into her nightmare...

Somewhere in the world she had just left a door was buckling....but it had nothing to do with her....no help would come in time...it hadn't before...

she succumbed to her nightmare...



February 14th 2005 -New Porter Institute, Galaxy City

It had not been hard to put the pieces together...she wasn't sure what to do. She was confused to awaken in the med lab, safe and sound back at the institute. There was no staff on at the moment and she was in little danger. The Crey or her father had healed the wounds from her beating. Yet she told Walther everything that had happened. As much as she could remember..the security guard in charge told her who had dropped her off..the news had covered yet another Crey lab explosion..

He had betrayed her...

He had saved his family...

They had saved her from her family..

a wash wasn't it?

Steve Sheridan had shown her the copy of the security files he had his contacts download..she watched his angst as he was forced to make an impossible choice...he chose his family...

How could she blame him...how would she have chosen? Well if her father had not been behind this...

The soft purr of Rhuby's sleep caught her attention as she lay next to her in deep thought. Kara sighed snuggling closer to her warmth. The horror of those memories had not effected their Valentine's day plans as she had feared it would.

She would have to tell Rhuby....tomorrow

She would answer any questions Galen and Caya had....

Rico...i trusted you..

snuggling closer she whimpered slightly praying the night's events were enough to stave off the coarse feel of those hands and the sound of the cruel laughter once more...to stave off the cold table with the restraints..

If there only wasn't the laughter...she closed her eyes as sleep took her

and the nightmares awaited her.

The fear and pain always brought back their laughter...

Sometimes it was the Crey....but mostly it echoed in her mind from that night long ago in a long forgotten warehouse...

always the laughter awaited, and she cringed as she awaited their touch...

...the nightmares began as she tossed fitfully in her sleep.

August 30th, 2007 - Skyway

"....You do know that you can't win this game by only answering the sports questions, right?"

Bill glared across the table in the precinct's old squad room, and the Trivial Pursuit board at a smirking Kevin. Kevin's pie-shaped game piece had five pie pieces in it already, missing only one. Bill's, to no one's surprise, holds a single green piece. Around the old card table sat Nancy Taylor, also known as Sapphire Rose, next to her a still smirking Psiwarp better known as Kevin St. James and beside Bill, Patti a consultant to the PPD as well as the woman he loved.

"Yeah, well /wonderboy/, I understand the rules of the game." Bill quipped

"So are you actually trying to win, or just... playing for the hell of it?" chuckled Kevin.

"Bill has this fear of losing," Patti offered helpfully.

"Patti..."

"He thinks if he answers any questions that aren't sports-related, he's going to get it wrong."

Nancy grinned and added, "We promise not to laugh at you. Much."

Bill smirked to himself, all of the women in this building seem to have that fake-helpful tone down, he thought as he surveyed the board. Or maybe it's just women in general. His old girl, Janine used to sound like that from time to time, but whenever she did it, bad things happened - usually the worst that happens when he hears it from Nancy and Patti is that he gets humiliated one way or another.

"Hey, Kara!" Bill called, raising his voice so that Kara will hear him in the office. "You want to help me out here?"

She had been in there with her little ward Philomela for over and hour now. Kara had come in on her day off to show Phil around the squad bay and finish off some paperwork. The little girl was currently amusing herself by filling the office with dozens of multicolored illusionary butterflies as her guardian worked.

Kara's voice drifted out to him, skeptical. "Help you with what?"

"...They're laughing at me."

"Not yet," Nancy mumbled under her breath as she snuggled against Kevin.

A moment later comes Kara's highly amused response :

"I really don't Bill, I'm like so totally sure you deserve it." the little girl in there with Kara even snickered.

Bah, he thought. Women.

Betrayed Bill turned back to silently consider the other three gathered around the table, and finally announced, "I think you all get meaner the later it gets."

"Yeah, yeah." Patti shoved the dice toward him. "You wanna play, or you wanna whine?"

"Devil woman," he murmured as he reached for the dice and rolled them, and Patti responds with only a smile.

The dice clatter, Bill surveyed his options and finds the two available, one a green space - sports, again - or a pink pie space. Nancy's watching him intently; Kevin is too, but he's got that slightly mocking smirk about it, which he can afford, because everyone, with the exception of Patti knew right from the beginning that he was going to win.

He always won.

Patti is still smiling, but with a bit of superiority, probably because she knows he'll go for the sports. Bill smirks knowing she is thinking he just isn't 'cool' enough to handle the entertainment questions. Her specialty.

He meets her eyes and deliberately nudged his piece toward the pink space.

"That's a bold move there Sports Boy" Patti comments, eyebrows raised. "You aren't exactly 'Entertainment Tonight' Bill"

Bill just offered her a challenging smile and gestures toward the card box. "Well, I'm waiting for my question."

Patti drew the card, shielding the back of it with her hands. Her eyebrows shot up, for a moment there's silence, and then she scoffs in disbelief. Nancy leaned over to read the question, and her mouth drops open. "Oh My God!, you have got to be kidding me!"

"What's the question?" Bill and Kevin asked at the same time.

Patti looked up at Bill with an entirely unamused look, like she somehow blames him for whatever's on the card, then down at the card again, clears her throat and asks slowly, "Tina Turner's Classic 'Simply the Best' was the Championship theme song for what 1994 NHL Stanley Cup Championship Hockey Team?"

Nancy and Jeremy turned slowly to look over at Bill with disbelief matching Patti's.

Bill's lips quirk into an amused smirk. "Hey? Now see that is entertainment!"

The table groaned as beyond them a field of dancing butterflies soared around the office while Kara finished up her paperwork.

Unable to keep herself from marveling over Bill's luck.

February 8th, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Steel Canyon

The Project advisor stood in silent rage amongst the ruins of the lab. Crisis control units flooded the deck swarming down corridors to sweep and secure the Paragon Protectors former Headquarters. Beside her the Captain and Dr. Reynolds began to examine the ruins of the central computer.

"It was them..../both/ of them" Sighed the captain looking over to the Project Advisor from the smashed security station.

Dr Reynolds looked up from his jacked in laptop.

"The data on her has been purged...as well as this other girl Rhuby" he sighed looking around at the devastation.

His daughter had to be insane...so much damage. Especially since he was told who this Rhuby was, clearly another indication of the genetic insanity caused by her inability to handle her powers. To take a woman as a lover...no this wasn't his daughter. Kara was sick...she wasn't thinking , she had become feral and aggressive. He was certain now more than ever her 'R' complex had become dominant...all instinct. The two of them must be feeding into each others insanity. According to the report of the security logs they seem to move as one through the facility ...that must be why the attempts to bring her have failed...this Rhuby is corrupting her thoughts..the Captain was right in trying to have her killed....

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhausted he knew something was terribly wrong with his logic. His emotions were clashing...he was sure he had to help Kara...but..this other girl...but..Kara would never..

Damn it! , he thought feverishly i need to think...No she /needs/ me..I've failed her once already!

His weary eyes watched as the Crey Medics began a triage for the Protectors...heroes who protect this city for mutant animals...like his Kara, his kitten. She did this...all of his work to help her was now threatened.

"She had to have used my code" he said as the captain nodded behind him, hand on his holster looking to the Advisor.

She dismissed the offer with an inperceivable shake of her head. This disaster of a project was not falling on her head. Dr. Reynolds' brain child was costing Crey Industries millions...near a billion dollars. There was still a chance to pull this off...she knew he had been reluctant to do this but after what his [censored] of a child had just done, there was little choice...

"Well we fall back to the Production lab....all security and our remaining Protectors are at full security alert...tell them to prepare to repel intruders...we NEED her alive after all of this!"

She looked to Dr. Reynolds who nodded

"From what i can see Kara has developed a new power that the Protectors don't have....a mass energy release with explosive qualities...it devastated them" he sighed "The rush of so much molecular energy is clouding her mind...the only option may be the neural surgery your geneticist suggested..then she can be made not to use these powers" he sighed...surgery was now the only option..

"Captain head out..get me all tapes on the girls attacks..it is all we have at the moment" a new power...one we must have! she almost purred at the thought.

The captain turned and waded out to the devastation to see what could be salvaged, barking orders as he went.

Turning to Dr. Reynolds she spoke evenly "A direct attack by her may harm her....you know this?"

He slowly nodded

"I may have another option...well two.." she said softly walking around behind him

"Anything...please i don't want her hurt. She must be controlled yes...but only to heal her" he said over his shoulder..

Serpantlike the Advisor leaned over to whisper into his ear..

"I respect you Dr. Reynolds...and your work. So much so i have a side attempt working to bring her in...it has been on going for a week now. But...should that fail.../you/ must try again..." she placed her gloved hands across his shoulders "otherwise...

He looked out at the main bay as 20 Protectors marched into the ruins...

"They will .. " she purred walking away in the smoke..

Shivering but nodding, he had to admire these Protectors...mutants who knew they had to be controlled to be useful. They would be his guideline for a cure for Kara....his kitten...

"Soon Kara...please let Daddy help you" he closed his eyes and prayed..that she tried to contact him, like he knew she would.

Always the good girl..


=============

Originally posted by NPI Student Rico Chavez

February 8th, 2005 - Somewhere hidden in Paragon City

He'd taken the batteries out of his comm as soon as he got close enough to the city to hear the student chatter. The wind that had rushed past him made the stubble on his head itch terribly, yet he had more important things to think about. He had two long rides to think about things too, his life prior to mutations, his life after, his relationship with his parents, relationships with those at Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Brickstown the school, new enemies, new friends.

It'd only really been a little over two months that he'd been at the 'tute, but he felt like it had really turned into a home where people welcomed him for what he was, he didn't feel like an outcast there. It was like he was back in high school again, sure the whole being a school thing helped promote that feeling, but mostly it was being close to so many people and being involved with them. As soon as he had graduated high school he had gone amateur. Left most his friends behind and never had much of a chance to make new ones. Still he enjoyed what he was doing, its not like he was alone.

Then it happened the 'accident' at the ring. Messed his whole damn life up, friends? Gone. Comrades? Gone. Career? Gone. Normality? Gone. Everything he had based his entire life upon was gone. His parents thought he was a freak, wanted him sent to some hospital to get cured. They had no idea how he had felt about what happened. For in truth he thought he was a freak. He was going to go to that hospital, he was going to see if he could be cured. But there was problems with that too, like no guarantee he wouldn't be turned into a vegetable, mindless and barely conscious. His parents thought it a reasonable risk, he didn't. His coach informed him one day about Paragon City and its people, a chance for Rico to live on how he was now. His parents immediately rejected the idea. They'd rather have him a vegetable then a man. So he left them, disowned them, never thought to hear from or really care about them ever again.

Came to Paragon, enrolled at the school and met lots of friends, had camaraderie again, a career in taking care of business, and he fit in, he was... in an odd way more normal there then any other place he could be.

Then this.

He thought he didn't care about his parents like they obviously didn't care about him, he thought it would be easy to leave his life behind. My, how wrong he was. It hit him hard what had happened and he still felt it hard to believe. He thought on how it would have been easier if he had just come home and found them dead. But no, Crey wouldn't be that kind. They had to go and be the big bad evil corp. that they are and take the damn people that had raised him. Sent a little present back to him that they'd know would get him home. And waited for him.

Hell, he would have loved to crush this agent Paula's head. He wanted to do it even now. He wanted to crush each and every single Crey he found. It was what Paula did which stopped him however. She played a few tapes on the old VCR, Rico hadn't seen them before. It didn't take him long to recognize who was in the video's though. A young Kara, but an obviously happy one, big wide smiles and her face, she ran around a playground giving hugs to everyone, playing tag. She seemed like such a happy kid, with no cares in the world. The next tape was footage taken from various places around PC, restaurants, the dance party, some footage obviously taken through telescopes, not all of it focused on her of course, but what was common scene, was Kara. Every scene showed her pulling away from someone, drawing deeper into herself, shuddering deeply if contact was actually made. One scene actually showed her running away after being touched. Another tape. This one was obviously a security tape taken from a Crey lab, the date on it placed it as being about a month old. Kara's face in many of the scenes was twisted with, what seemed hate, she ruthlessly fired her energy bolts at Crey scientists. She fought alongside a tall Asian woman and together they actually destroyed many labs, Kara would purposely destroy the fire suppressant systems even to insure maximum damage. Scenes were shown of burned equipment and burned bodies.

"Rico Chavez, how nice of you to come so promptly. I do apologize for not having any cheese ready to serve you." that vile woman taunted him as she sat in his fathers chair. "I'm sure you'd like to know where your parents are. And well in that regards I think I'll be nice." She actually grinned at him when she said this, he almost jumped her that exact moment, but he knew he'd never get the info he was looking for if he did. "You see, you happened to be a little nuisance to us, true we could have come after you, but where would the fun be in that? Oh I'm sorry I'm rambling. Your parents? Under protective custody. No, no need to thank me."

He just stood there staring at her, words wouldn't come to him, he opened his mouth and then shut it again. He tried to draw forth his inner fire, but it failed him. He was frozen in place and could not will himself to react.

"Paragon City." She looked amused. "That was your question was it not? Oh and let me assure you they are perfectly safe right now, in fact they won a contest Crey was having. A all expense paid trip to Crey headquarters. They went willingly I assure you." She picked up a coffee mug and took a sip.

"Now to the business at hand, your a nuisance, nothing more, your parents will not come to harm." She set the mug down and leaned forward in the chair. "As long as you listen very carefully about what I have to say next."

Dammit he thought to himself as he tossed the cover off the hotel bed. He lay down and looked up at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do, what options did he have? That damned witch. She knew what she asked him to do, and what it would do to him, one way or the other.

As long as you listen very carefully about what I have to say next.

She had said it so calmly, and now it was up to him to make the choice. Turn someone he had come to love as a good friend in, or sacrifice his parents.

He picked up the phone next to the bed, and had dialed half of the numbers to Kara's cell phone until he slammed the receiver back down. With a large crash he sent the phone sailing across the room, ripping it from the wall.

He got up then and headed out the door. He didn’t even bother closing it behind him. He got on his bike and head out into the city, needing some more time to think.

a mixture of conversations originally posted by NPI students Mega Juice, Sabrina and Diamond

February 5th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City

Tyler walked down the hall, not really paying attention to what was ahead of him. He had just come out of the Iso room from visiting "the twins" and his head was still a little jumbled up. That's when he practically knocked over Kara.

Grabbing the wall for support, he managed to plant his feet and not bowl her over.

"Whoa! Heh, sorry Kara..." he paused, seeing the look of concern on Kara's face. Something was up.

"Kara? What's wrong?"

==============

Heading down the corridor she rounded a corner to a large mass moving towards her. Her heart froze as her body tensed fearing the touch. Trembling as she fought for control over her relvulsion. Leaping back slightly she offered a weak smile as she recognized the large frame as belonging to Tyler. With her back firmly against the wall she began to calm almost at once..

"Tyler..." her voice a bit shaken "you scared me...its Rico, someone is after his family I think."

Swallowing a few breathes she continued "He got somekind of anonymous gift with the crey logo on it and he cant reach his family. He took off so quick he left his cell here"

==============

Tyler stared at Kara for a moment.

"He left his cellphone? Jeez...this might be serious...think we should go look for him?"

==============

As Sabrina was walking back from the kitchen, having a late night scoop of ice cream in her pink jumper pajamas, she rounds the corner and notices Kara and Tyler talking. Not to draw any attention to herself she leans back against the wall.

After hearing the conversation her heart beats faster and faster. When she hears Tyler mention he left his cell phone and that it sounded serious she couldn't help but quickly walk up to them both.

"What is going on with Rico?" she whispers, "Did I hear you say he wasn't in his room and he has left his cell phone?"

"If something is wrong with Rico I want to help." she quickly glances at the both of them back and forth repeatedly as she whispers and holds an almost empty Ben and Jerry's carton in her hand.

==============

Shakes her head to Tyler , "No i dont think so...im doing this one correctly this time..um..i mean"

Steadies herself a moment fully calm now, seeing Sabrina around the rather large land mass that is Tyler she nods a silent greeting.

"I mean do you even know where he is from...this Crandon Wisconsin?"

Turning back to Tyler "He probally headed straight there...ive sent all of this to as many of mentors and staff i could think of sitting at his comp....im going to try to reach Jack in a bit. I ve sent it to Caya and Cassie as well as Galen....i kinda spazzed on the email thing" she gestured with her hand explaining to both of them.

Turning to Sabrina "Rico has left..i think someone from Crey is threatening his family"

==============

Tyler turned his head at the soft sounding voice, looked down and smiled faintly, nodding. He then turned his head back to Kara

"I dunno...this sounds really bad. I agree that it may not be our place to go looking for him. He may want to fight this battle by himself but Crey is a big and powerful company. There's no telling what they might do to get to Rico...I hate to say it but I fear for Rico's life..." looks visibly worried and concerned.

==============

Nodding with equally growing concern in her eyes "Yeah Def..."

She sighed "Trust me I know how it feels to have them come full bore at you...i really hope his family is alright..."

Slams her fist against the wall "I am really beginning to hate these jerks! coming at us is one thing....going after our familie is /so/ wrong"

Shaking her head "I just have like no idea how to help him" looking down "why are they coming after us..."

==============

Looks at the both of them, "Well I'm in for saving Rico!"

"He is tough but hey he can't take on Crey alone!"

"He has been nice to me and I made a vow when I came here to protect and aid anyone in need, I think this qualifies!" still trying to keep her voice down.

==============

Nods to her "i agree Sabrina...but i ve got to let some of the staff and mentors know this first.."

She sighed "Believe me i tried this kinda thing on my own just recently and got a true lesson of the Crey's unlimited resources...we need help here to help Rico "

She shook her head "The three of us are /so/ not enough....the staff could maybe track his comm or get some help first in Wisconsin...rushing off may not be the way to go....i dont even know where Crandon is?"

==============

Nods to Kara with a spoon full of ice cream in her mouth,"Getting to Crandon will be easy, the internet can get us directions." Glances at Kara and Ty back and forth, "You guys keep me informed." "I'm going back to my room for now but if there is an actual search I want in on it." "I may be new to the school but there is nothing new about my powers."

Before she walks off, "Keep me posted." wanting to make sure she wasn't blown off if something really did happen she felt the need to repeat herself, "We will get Rico back and he will be alive."

"As you've said Kara, we've had to many close calls and I for one am over people thinking they can pick on us. I also agree we need to be smart about it, so let me know what is going on and count me in no matter what."

Quietly walks back to her room, closing her door leaving it open just enough so that she could hear if something went on.

First part originally posted by NPI Student Rico Chavez


February 4th 2005 - Unknown location:


"Rico Chavez, Age 18, height 4'4" Weight 260lbs. Student currently enrolled at the New Porter Institute, currently majoring in university level physics. Former Amateur wrestler. Originally from the small town of Crandon in Wisconsin. Born in Mexico City 06/13/86" The agent read aloud the report that had been brought together on Rico, 'the blocker', who had so rudely interrupted a strike team sent after the Reynolds girl. Looking up to her colleagues, she commented, "This guy is as open as a book. No attempt at all has been made to disguise his identity, background or anything. Freedom Corp has him registered as... Skippy? Is this some kind of joke? Are we getting too much information too easily?"

"I'm not sure" replied another agent as he adjusted the sights on his large rifle. "Could be too much info, but I think it's genuine. I say we prep a team and head out now. We wouldn't even need to go heavy. We can even make a field trip out of it Paula."

"Grant, I do think I like that idea." Paula said nodding. "I can even think of the perfect gift for our friend."

"Well then, lets pack up and roll out." Grant quickly tore his rifle apart with practiced ease and slipped each component without looking into its appropriate holding spot in a metal briefcase he had brought with him.

"Think we'll be able to catch a game while we're there Grant?"

"Doubt it Paula, they got eliminated from the playoffs a few weeks ago."

"Oh well." Paula didn't look too disappointed. "Marcus, Adrius, prep two vans. We leave in 10 minutes."

-----

February 6th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City


"Rico!" He had just entered the lobby of the institute when he name was called out by one of the security personnel. "Package for you, just cleared it, it's all yours." the guard, tossed him a fairly large but obviously light box.

"Thanks dude." Rico gave the box a quick shake then tucked it under his arm and headed for the elevator, waving to a couple students on the way.

During the trip up the elevator he examined the box and discovered it didn't have any return address on it, but it was big and addressed to him, so it had to be cool right? 'Sides, not like it's a bomb or anything, Sec wouldn't let it through if it was.

He got off the elevator and strolled through the common room, grabbed a coke from marked "Mine don't touch" from the fridge and headed off to his room. He tossed the box on his bed, went over and booted up his PC, and sat down checking his emails and dropping another post on his blog.

Half hour later he remembered the box and walked his wheeled chair across the room to it. He tore into the package with a gusto normally only seen at Christmas time.

What was inside caused his heart to skip a beat. He suddenly felt very cold and very scared. He dropped the contents and made a mad scramble for the phone, picking it up it took him 3 attempts to dial the number he wanted his hands were so shaky. It rang... and rang... and rang... and rang...

He let the phone drop from his hand with an audible clatter as it hit the desk. He looked back to the object sitting on his bed.

A Cheesehat, straight from Wisconsin... with a Crey sticker attached to it.

Then the tears came.

===============

February 7th, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City

Kara strode down the halls of the dorms of the Institute as she adjusted her costume. Gordon Stacey had called her right after classes. It had to be important, she had asked him to hold any missions as she got caught up on the schoolwork she had fallen behind during the week she and Rhuby had been away. She had a rough night, the dreams had woke her up several times, if Rhuby had been there she probably wouldn't have been able to get back to sleep. She was only too grateful she had not awaken Rhuby with her nightmares...

She stopped in mid stride. Rico's door was left open. Odd she hadn't heard from him all day. It was unusual for her friend to leave his room unlocked. Deciding to check on him she knocked causing the door to open the rest of the way.

"Rico?" she asked as she tentatively stepped within his room only to be stopped by the mess.

His room was in a shambles , not that it had been searched but as if he had left in a great hurry. She hoped he was all right as she casually scanned the room for clues to his departure without really probing too deep in his personal stuff. She did notice the large box with his name and the school's address torn open on his bed...as well as a blog he had attempted to send to his account. she sat in his chair as she cautiously read his entry noting he must have left in a hurry he had failed to give his blog a subject, explaining why it didn't go through..

Drawing a breath she slowly began to draw a mental picture to the fear that must have drove him out the door, as she read...

A cheese hat... dammit, I didn't even need to see the damn Crey logo to know what that meant... I'm leaving for Crandon. I don't know what they did yet, but no one's answering the phone at home and I'm worried, just leaving a quick post here. it's currently just after 3:00am and I've been freaking trying and trying again to call the folks. still no answer. Its too late to bug any of the other students or staff, I'm leaving tonight, at least there will be this blog to let people know I've left.

Immediately opening her cellphone she tried his number, only to jump as the leather jacket on the bed beside of her rang. He had left in such a hurry he left his phone behind in pocket...

"Oh No" she murmered,

Scooping up one his spare disks she made a copy of the blog for one of the officers to see and went out closing the door behind her...stopping off at her room she downloaded the disk for Caya, Cassie and the rest of the officers so the knew the Crey were somehow after Rico...

Originally posted by NPI Student Rico Chavez


February 2nd, 2005 - Crey Pharmaceuticals Lab, Brickstown

"Target confirmed, profile matches that of blocker." the woman in the dark suit said. "Request backup immediately, he's coming our way."

She pointed at two nearby guards and motioned them to either side of the door, hoots and hollers as well as screams of pain and gunshots could be heard from outside where the Freaks that had attacked the lab were being attacked. She then turned her attention back to the security screen.

The Crey personal were at first relieved to hear that someone had come to scare off the freaks, but now that they knew who was here, their interest turned to him. The freaks really couldn't do much damage to the place once they went into lock-down, but the way this 'hero' fought and the damage he caused just by being there matched the profile exactly to that of the one who was running Blocker for the girl.

One of the auxiliary elevators opened and ten heavily armed and armored Crey security personnel stepped out. They arranged themselves in a semi-circle around the door that was soon to open. The agent still stared at the screen watching blocker actually toy around with the freaks mocking them and challenging large numbers of them at a time. The last freak fell, and the blocker started moving towards the door she and her men were waiting behind. The agent looked to the assembled and they nodded in unison, readying their heavy weaponry.

They could hear the outer door open and they tensed, ready to open fire. His footsteps could be heard on the metal plating in the airlock now. *clank clank clank clank*

*boom*

They all jumped at the sound but nothing happened. The door remained closed, The agent looked back to the monitor, and saw that the blocker was standing in the air lock with his stone hammer laying next to him on the ground. He currently had a cell phone up to his ear and was talking quickly with someone. Hurriedly the Agent flipped the audio switch so she could listen in.

"...nit you don't say! Santa Jack is back?"

"Little busy with some freaks right now."

"Sure I can, can you afford it?"

"No way, /that/ flophouse?"

"[censored]! I'm in a Crey lab right now."

"Right I'm on it, Rico out."

The image on the screen showed "Rico" picking up his hammer and rushing back out of back down the hall towards the building's exit. The agent waived the guards off, and tapped into her comm system again.

"Blocker has a first name. 'Rico'. Find out more. ASAP"


============================

Originally posted by NPI Security Expert Ghost Lancer


February 2nd, 2005 - New Porter Institute, Galaxy City


A vaguely humanoid shimmer in the air sped across the Steel Canyon skyline. Only a sharp eye at close range would have noticed it even in daylight, and the jumble of light from all of skyscrapers on this dark night made Sean, for all intents and purposes, invisible as he patrolled over the city.

"Picking up some anomolous comm signals. Checking... It's Malta alright. Decrypting now."

Alicia's voice over the neural link drew his attention away from mulling over the events of the last week. With a quick burst of thought, several displays superimposed over his view, and he briefly scanned them in a last minute doublecheck of his battle readiness, just to be safe. Weapon capacitors read full charge, and the translucent model of the power armor in the lower left corner of his field of vision glowed a happy blue all over. The pale aura over the armor image was also blue, shields fully charged and active.

Sean caught himself almost hoping the Malta were up to something as he finished checking the status indictors. The Mazin affair had been nothing but bureaucracy, and he had been too late to do anything but say "oh gee" when Cass had been attacked. Luci too. It was getting frustrating.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," he thought bitterly to himself.

If Alicia had noticed (and AIs did not miss much), she ignored it, focusing instead on the transmissions she was tapping vis the armor's comm system. "Mention of Kara Reynolds... Crey... Several comments on "brass" and "suits" in tones ranging from frustration to anger... And a multitude of angry referrences to Jack Garrett, with few possibly fearful undertones..."

"Figures," Sean muttered softly.

"Is that a hint of jealousy?" Sean could amost hear the arched eyebrow and amused half-smile in her tone, and it did nothing for his mood. "Decryption complete."

"Summary," Sean sent over thier shared link, his annoyance obvious. "Store full logs for later reference."

"Already done. The short and sweet is thier operatives have been ordered to standby alert. Apparently hunting the two girls has been more troublesome and expensive than their superiors thought, and Jack's involvement threw a big monkeywrench into their operation. This particular field commander was quite upset with his orders it seems, but the chase is off. For now at least."

"So much for that. Kara and Rhuby ought to be happy." He glanced at the weapon status indicators one more time. The plasma cannons glowed green. 'Weapons hot' status. With a soft sigh and a command over the link, the indicators faded to a cool blue. 'Standby' status.

"Yes, I'm sure they will be." A pause, and then his comm light flashed. "Call coming in from NPI Security."

Sean acknowledged and accepted the signal with a thought. The deep voice of Frank Kay, one of the FSS operatives assigned to NPI that he'd known since his time in charge of security, came over the line.

"Hey Sean, sorry to bug you if you were sleeping, but you know that missing girl you were telling me about on lunch yesterday? Kara? She just came in."

Sean blinked a couple of times, hoping his suspicion was wrong. "Kara's been back for a few hours already Frank. She came in with Jack and Rhuby."

"Don't know anything about that. Just got on shift a minute ago and picked her up coming in one of the dorm windows."

"[censored]," Sean muttered to himself. He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time again. "More sneaky experience my [censored]," he thought angrily. "Played the understanding kid act and I bought it hook, line, and sinker while she slipped out right behind my back."

"With the Malta on stand down, she was, ironically, quite safe," Alicia interjected.

"Thank God for small favors." He keyed back to the comm channel. "Frank, I need a big favor. Pull up the security from the last shift and find out when she left, and a rough idea which way she went, and came back from."

"Right... Just don't let this get out too far. Not sure how much I'm supposed to be telling you these days, but I do owe you. Checking..."