Little_Cuddles

Simon grabbed my hand and commanded with that voice all doctors use when they won't brook any resistance. "Purvek, SIT DOWN!"

I obey, since I was getting light-headed, anyway. It was the last thing I remember for a long time.

I wake in a bed. I hear many electronic devices on both sides of the bed, beeping and clicking. I smell lots of antiseptic, enough to tempt me to sneeze. My body and my left arm report they are held by straps. My right arm is free to move. The world is completely black. I realize I am blindfolded. I raise my right hand to remove the blindfold.

A authoritive female voice interupts the movement. "Mr Feline. Put that hand back down. You are NOT to touch that blindfold. Not, that is, unless you wish to be blinded."

"You come to MY hospital, no food or drink for four days, cut to ribbons, a near-overdose of a strong barbiturate, and now you try to blind yourself? You really should take better care of yourself."

I put my hand down quickly, thankful for the warning and the short synopsis of my condition. "I didn't have much choice in most of that."

The voice returns. "Sure. That's what they all say. Well, I am NOT going to allow you to misbehave in MY hospital, MISTER FELINE. You understand me? You are NOT to go chasing evil women until I tell you you are fit."

I try to put on my most understanding smile. "Yes, ma'am. I understand."

"Hurump! Sure you do. I'll make sure you do before you leave."

I hear her turn to leave. "OK, he's all yours. NO HANKY-PANKY, now. He's not well enough."

I am mystified by that only for an instant. Then the most wonderful voice in the world spoke softly to me in 'cat'.

"Beloved?"

I got excited. "Purvia? Oh, my beloved Purvia! I feared I would never see you again. Never hear your voice. Never smell your wonderful scent."

Then her scent reached me. It is definately her; but it has changed. It no longer carried the 'fullness' it had last time i sented her. It no longer had the stress-scent of carrying a heavy load. It had instead a new scent... of a 'special-ness'... like... milk, but with some extra 'tang'. I am confused, then I realize.

"You've given birth? You're nursing our child?"

A short giggle answered me. "Yes, beloved. After forty-seven weeks of pregnancy and two hours of labor, we have a beautiful twenty-two pound, four-ounce daughter."

A welcome pressure desends upon me. I put my right arm around her.

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I've actually grown somewhat fond of Synapse over the course of this story.

I hope he can think of something!

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Think of something? I would think a bit of TRUTH would help more than any slick phrasing at this point; though they may have to wait a little bit before having that conversation.

There are a couple dozen people who may not like their nice, clean lab being trashed.

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Out of the corner of her eye, she can see another table. Steve!

“Amadeo, leave him alone!” She struggles frantically against her bonds. She can hear them strain, but she can’t break free …

“Dr. Giacomo,” Paul says diffidently. “I don’t think we want to do anything that might wake him up. There’s something about his bio-readings that I don’t understand …”

“Have no fear, Paul. We will learn all about him once Manx is through with him.”

“Leave Steve alone!” Mynx howls.

“Steve?” Paul says. “Did she say Steve?”

Steve is bound as Mynx herself is bound, but he has yet to wake up. By twisting her neck so hard that it hurts, she can see him now. He looks so vulnerable … God, how could she have let anyone get so close to her? He’s going to die because of her! “Steve! Steve!”

“Mynx?” Steve asks groggily, shaking his head.

“Steve?” Paul is frantically consulting a PDA. “Steve … Berry?”

“That’s my name,” Steve shakes his head. “Where am I?”

“Don’t hurt him! Please don’t hurt him!” Mynx hates the weakness in her voice but she can’t stop herself.

“Mynx?” He stares at Manx who seems transfixed by his face. He glances around the lab and struggles against his bonds. “Mynx!”

His eyes begin to crackle with electricity.

“Amadeo, you fool! That’s Synapse! That’s Synapse!” Paul rushes forward.

And that’s when the lightning strikes.

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Ay this point, it's rather ridiculous to say the cat's out of the bag.

Now Synapse's main problem will be the cat's reaction to being in the bag in the first place.

I hope he has lots of catnip available.

I have been speaking 'human'? I must have been. I am wearing no commo and I had NOT been conversing with my team. I turn to the evil one.

"I have been speaking to you in the human tongue?"

Frightened, she nods, appearently not understanding. "Yes. I didn't understand WHY at first, but thought you had finally learned the language. You have a decent vocabulary."

I take a deep breath. "Ok. I have something I need to tell you. You woke up in Saint Augustine's Mercy hospital. You didn't ever wonder why a laboratory would be located beside a maternity ward? That was because the lab SPECIALIZED in reproductive enhancement."

Lupia's eyes widened as I continued.

"My mate and I were also patients of that establishment. They do fine work... even after your rampage."

"My mate and I were given access the the lab's computerized records after your rampage. What we found was ironic."

"Dr Leonard Kincaid was your PERSONAL doctor for your time there. He was the LAB'S FOUNDING PHISYCIAN. His own wife was one of the lab's first successes."

"His wife had deformed fallopi.. fillopi... reproductive tubes. The lab invented artificial tubes and implaced the first set in Bethany Kincaid. She has now 6 children."

I point a finger at Lupia. "YOU are now carrying another set of those tubes. Implaced by Dr Kincaid in the SAME surgery where he removed your... your womb."

Pressed against the wall, Lupia was confused. "Why did he do that? Why put those things in when I would have nothing to nourish the child?"

I point a finger at her, again. "He didn't dispose of the tissue. He made five cultures of them. He was attempting to REGROW those tissue samples into new wombs for you. He was one of only four doctors IN THE WORLD who may have been able to regenerate reproductive tissue, and he was dedidcated to giving YOU the first FULLY-REGENERATED womb."

Standing no more than 6 human feet from her, I now towered over her. "ALL FIVE cultures were developing nicely according to the lab records. Dr Kincaid estimated between 3 weeks and 2 monthes before you could receive a regenerated womb and possibly could conceive again."

I looked hard at her. "He never got the chance to tell you that, did he? You killed him before he could give you that news, didn't you? You also destroyed all five of the cultures."

"You may NEVER concieve again because YOU destroyed any hope of it."

I reached quickly to her and broke the neckless she was wearing off her.

"I know you are wearing no medavac beacon. I now have your 'teleport-switch' you could have used to esape. You will not teleport out of here. You are already officially dead."

"There are three people here who ache to repay you for the death of four honorable men."

I look to my team. "Unia, Thomas, Ailia. You are no longer heroes. Give me your registrations. You can retreive them later. The rest of us are leaving."

Lupia screamed at me. "YOU SAID YOU KNEW MY LINK'S REAL NAME."

I looked back at her. "Yes, I do. I will not tell you, though. Remember him as you have always known him."

I and five members of my team leave the room. I found myself in a wooded clearing. The room had been a small cabin.

T'Pom was looking over his shoulder as he approached me. He asked "Why didn't you tell her the name?"

I grimaced. "It was best she didn't know. His name was Lincoln Bartholemew Wilson... junior."

T'Pom glanced at me. "junior?"

I nodded. "The landlord who introduced the rats was his father."

this doc is in an arc? which one?

Coming from a writer like yourself, that is a grand compliment. Now maybe some people would bother to post some ratings on this story.

You aren't too bad either. I just wish I COULD write as well as you have been doing.

oh, great. The doc?

I wish I could get a couple of my toons after the dude. People like him don't deserve to be moving around. I don't mean they should die.

THAT was be a mercy compared to being a quadriplegic. This doc (and others like him in the RL) deserve nothing less.

I watched her cross her blades and approach.

Suddenly, the door I had barely noticed was blown off its hinges by powerful kicks. I am very surprised to see two golden legs ending in cloven hooves held high where the double-wide oaken door used to be.

Then a wall close to the door is hit hard by a heavy force. I see two huge masses in the dust. I then realize the wall was solid wood; not a wood frame, insulation, and sheetrock.

Unia and T'Pom come through the door, followed by Ailia and Thomas. Bot Lass and Bot Ladd lead Shock Lass and Simon through the hole they made in the wall.

I am very happy to see each and every one of them. I hear a loud hiss and look back at Lupia.

Her eyes had expanded to wild proportions. She was waving her blades in odviously instinctive and well-practiced arcs. She screams.

"YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE, PURVEK! YOU DIE NOW!"

She leaps at me, only to be met by two golden bodies and thrown across the room. I collapse to my knees in relief. She screams again.

"TEAM AGAINST TEAM ONCE AGAIN! NONE OF YOU SHALL SEE THE SUNRISE!"

I reply softly. "You may want to look at your team, Lupia. It's not really very large, right now."

I hear several gasps from my own team. Why? I decide THAT is a mystery I can solve later.

Lupia looks around and sees no ocelots, mutants, or flying corruptors in the room. Her scream is incoherent as she spins a full circle searching the room. The necromancers start to disappear into a shadowy fog, covering Lupia as well.

I hear Ailia yell. "SUSAN ANNETE WHITLEY! HENRY ROBERT WHITLEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

The female Necro is startled. "Miss Ailia?"

Ailia is furious. "DON'T YOU 'MISS AILIA' ME!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOLLOWING THIS WOMAN? DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT SHE IS... WHAT SHE HAS DONE? WHAT WOULD YOUR PARENTS SAY?"

The other necro answered. "Miss Ailia, we have no choice now. We have been changed. We are the pure embodiment of evil, now."

Ailia's answer was harsh. "You have been changed, yes. You STILL have choices. I have heard of what you have been doing. I have read reports of your crimes. YOU CHOSE THOSE ACTIONS! You did not have to take up crime. You got power and abused it."

"What would have happened to Whitley incorporated if I had done the same? Well?"

Both necromancers fidgetted. Then the many shadows around them disappeared. I smelled dust that didn't smell very pleasant. Both necros then seemed to just 'fold' and were no longer there.

Lupia was wide-eyed and backed against the wall. I turned to Ailia and said. "That sounds like a very interesting story... for later."

Ailia just looks at me in astonishment. "When did you start speaking english?"

I stare at her. I was what? I was speaking... human? I try to remember when I spoke my first human words and can't.

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Thank God the bad guys attacked before I could screw this up …[/i]

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Good line. LOL

Not something I would normally be thinking when knockout gas (hopefully) gets to me.

One thing that always mystified me; why capture a foe when you can just 'off' him? poison gas would be just as easy to use in that grenade as knockout... easier, even.

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Pain domination..... Notice how dominators are not included in the formula.

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Are you nuts?

dominators receive the power set, masterminds receive a weaker version (more than likely), and no other AT receives it.

Dominators are definately in THIS formula.

The pain domination power set is for DOMINATORS AND MASTERMINDS ONLY!!!!

Unless one of those ATs has been redesignated as a VEAT; no VEATS will get Pain Domination.

LOOK AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT, PEOPLE.

sheesh

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Man where should i start??? What are the devs doing? Stalkers get yet another powerset in i13??? OMG and villians get Pain Domiantion??? Aren't they already dominating with widows in pvp??? When are the Heroes gonna get something thats really good? First thing that I think needs to happen in i13 is improving the PB and Ws,you know to make things fair and balanced remember that??? How about pistols for blasters? How about another good damage set for scrappers,Fire melee is great,and 1 more nice set wouldn't hurt.Tanks could use a new good set as well,since brutes have fury,and more powersets than tanks.Man you guys keep giving the villians stuff every issue and keep the heroes behind on the goods.I hope you guys got some more nice stuff to announce,cause right now it looks like a disappointing issue.

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... Yer kidding, Right? All these years people have been moaning about Vside getting hosed, and now you're complaining when it actually gets the goods?

[Stares. In amazement and disbelief.]

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I have to admit that Shields for stalkers does seem a bit misplaced. What do you need with a shield if your main defense is stealth?

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What do you do with a shield? Throw it at your enemy and knock him down!

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No no no! Don't you get it!

It's a CLOAKING SHIELD

Think people!

*holds shield on head and patrol-walks away*

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it has been my experiance that stalkers often end up fighting. sure their main defence is stealth; but they have to fight quite often.

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day jobs - seems like a very hero only thing to me, I don't see my villains being caretakers or city council members, unless they can be "evil cartakers" meh.

.

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Could you see them as the kind of Doc that is experimenting on his patients..or maybe a coroner with all kinds of twisted ..ahem.."interests"

How about a Corrupt Politician? A mole put in the administration of some local dignitary to drag him down from his position, quietly...secretly?

Wouldn't a Mad Scientist qualify as a scholar? How about a misguided Monk that runs a school for wayward children?

Hmm..now as for logging out in Pocket D? Bootlegger? Madame? Superdine is cheaper on the streets so drug dealer is probably out. You will be rewarded with Defense debuffs

For all those that log out at the BM..especially in Cap....your day job is Lot Lizard, and you will be rewarded with free cheese and St. Ides

Don't think so Blue-Sided...heh....

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LOT LIZARD?

LOL. Do I detect another trucker? Besides, THAT is not normally a DAY job, is it?

LOL

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Man where should i start??? What are the devs doing? Stalkers get yet another powerset in i13??? OMG and villians get Pain Domiantion??? Aren't they already dominating with widows in pvp??? When are the Heroes gonna get something thats really good? First thing that I think needs to happen in i13 is improving the PB and Ws,you know to make things fair and balanced remember that??? How about pistols for blasters? How about another good damage set for scrappers,Fire melee is great,and 1 more nice set wouldn't hurt.Tanks could use a new good set as well,since brutes have fury,and more powersets than tanks.Man you guys keep giving the villians stuff every issue and keep the heroes behind on the goods.I hope you guys got some more nice stuff to announce,cause right now it looks like a disappointing issue.

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****!!! You are really off the deep end.

Yes, stalkers got shields; but so did tankers, scrappers and brutes. Now, since tankers are the DEFENSE SPECIALISTS; who do you think gets the BEST VERSION of the shield power set... hmmm?

You're acting like the shields will be the same for all four ATs. Please show me ONE power set that is the same for two ATs.

Talking as a player whose favorite hero AT is Defender and who runs empathy almost exclusively with them; I think the 'anti-empathy' (or 'contra-empathy') for villains is the perfect touch.

As to the 'love' for villains and not heroes argument... villains have been playing 'catchup' ever since CoV was introduced. I agree the HEATs need looking into; but I seriously doubt they're being ignored.

People are making so many assumptions already about this issue and the announcement isn't 24 hours old yet.

SHEESH!!!

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I am so friggin' excited about this! Can't wait to dive into the mission generator -- there are some interesting hero and villain groups that just haven't gotten enough mission love. No more.

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To this I definately agree.

I cring when i think of some of the mishes players will make. My experiance with 'D&D' tells me there will be mostly one of two types... 'Monty Halls and Killers'.

I think I will also try out the mish creator; but I will be more... restrained. I will try to fashion a mish that takes advantage of player mistakes (like the player who is chasing a 'ninja' shouldier-rolls into an alley without checking for caltrops). I will also reward success; but if the reward is looted from a mob, believe me, the mob will be using it.

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Really interested in what the interface for the mission creation tool will include.
There are a lot of factors in getting certain mobs to either patrol, ambush, guard or other functions in reaction to teams within the mission. Then tie this in a series of missions within a story arc.
There will have to be a very detailed interface to get it right the first time or ways to "test" the mission and tweek it prior to getting the final product.

Overall I give this announcment 3 thumbs up. (Ok so one of the thumbs is a graphic bug.)

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LOL.

I just had a terrible thought. What if the allowable mobs in your mission are restricted to the gladiators your toon has collected?

LOL

I'm trying to figure out where my toons can be truck drivers (I was until I had a recent disagrrement with a hit-n-run).

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I have to say, the devs are really starting to raise the bar when it comes to issues. This is like the third issue in a row now where I'm like "Wow this is the best issue yet". The devs just keep on topping themselves issue after issue and I'm loving it.

On a side note, will there be any sort of experience points rewarded for completing the player made missions? I'd be fine with something like half of normal experience when in player created missions.

On another side note, fingers crossed for a new mm PRIMARY in issue 14. Thanks for the Pain Domination, looks cool, but I'm really itching to play a new MELEE mm.

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I consider the devs MUCH better in this game than EQ, EQ2, SWG, or WoW. Think of this, for EQ and EQ2; you had to go to the store and spend $30-50 just to find out IF the update worked for your toon.

As for another power set for MMs... most of the MM players in the forums want FEMALE choices more than another power set.

Unfortunately, the devs seem to think certain agencies outside the game (and even outside the 'net) won't abide by a female power set where men order women around. They SEEM to be afraid of lawsuits (not that I blame them).

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I WISH DOMS GOT PAIN DOMINATION TOO IT WOULD ONLY MAKE SENSE!

and maybe blasters get shields as second pool? eh? eh?

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Hey, the Doms are the PRIMARY target of the power set. Masterminds get a reduced version of it and NO ONE ELSE gets it. Why are so many people not understanding this is a gift to the dominators? Masterminds also benefit, but the Doms are the primary beneficiaries.

As someone who LOVES running MMs (almost half of my toons on 4 servers are MMs), I'm not complaining.

As for the name; think about it. Empathy takes damage from an ally, basically 'heals'. It even has a power called 'absorb pain'.

I suspect 'Pain Domination' does the reverse... inflicts pain (and some damage). I see mobs getting stunned, collapsing, holding their heads in pain. If that isn't dominating your foes with pain, what would be?

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It all sounds great -- I'm thinking both Shield/SS and MA/Shields as options for alts. Possibly even a Pain Domination villain.

But... conspicuously absent from this announcement is any mention of further powerset proliferation. Does that mean there simply won't be any this time? I hope that's not the case, since the talk leading up to the Issue 12 release definitely made it sound like proliferation would be an every-issue type of thing.

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Like adding shields for the melee types and pain dom for dominators and MMs isn't adding power sets? Just what is YOUR definition?

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I am ecstatic that in Posi's letter there will be some love granted to base building! Seconds floors? Pleeaaase? Doors? Pleeease? Private rooms? Pleeeeaaaaaaase?

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Sheesh! Give the devs a chance to test them. All the features you mentioned have been discussed to no end on these forums. Now, we have a update so dedicated to the bases, it's NAMED for the activity.

I do think if it is POSSIBLE to include these features, they are indeed. If they are not included... I suspect they were attempted and found too difficult.

Now, I MUST inquire if you guys can EVER be satisfied. The devs are trying, but will they ever succeed? Will there EVER be an update where ALL the forum surfers are satisfied?

Nah, I didn't think so either.

I salute the devs and their efforts.

Why do i have the feeling the Doc won't let Manx off the hook so easily? Seems to me he enjoys power a little too much to let a 'pet' loose after such a 'simple' task.

I know I could expect no mercy; but I COULD keep her talking. There was so much I wanted to know.

"Why did you attack the lodge? What had those honorable men done to deserve the death you brought?"

SHE laughed hysterically. "I could give you four reasons. There is Ailia, Thomas, T'Pom, and above all, UNIA! You know how Unia went on her crusade, how she was followed by the media?"

I nod.

"She terrified my team. How she was single-handedly taking on gang after gang, raiding hideout after hideout, shaking down so many contacts... with the media following her every step."

"Only Link, I, and the two robot masterminds were not afraid. When Unia was reported only four blocks away, we decided to strike at her. Though the media never reported your team; we KNEW you had to be close..."

Lupia sneared at me. "...you treasure each other WAY too much to allow one member to put herself at risk like that. The 'Teches', Link, and I thought seeing us engaging your team would break the others out of the fogue they were in."

"The 'Teches' summoned and prepared their minions as we raced to take on Unia. I was rather surprised how quickly your team arrived; but we knew you would."

"While we four took on your team; we kept calling to the others to come help us, but they didn't. THEY DIDN'T COME TO HELP DESTROY YOU!!!"

'Oh, the Teches tried to help us disengage. Their 'pets' provided many a stop as we fled, but your blasted controllers... Ailia and Thomas... eventually got one mastermind, then then other."

"Link and I got away, thanks to the Teches beseaching us to run. We watched from hiding as your controllers removed the Teches' personality modules, connect those power cubes to them, and handed them to the robotic tankers."

"I WAS ENRAGED, INFURIATED!! Your team did not have your fairy healers, mutant blasters, and even the so-called 'Lion and Lioness of Heart'; yet MY team had been afraid to engage you! Link and I had to do something to revive my team's malicious nature. It didn't help the media was NOW so enamored with Unia, they were visitting her childhood home. Those interveiws were all over the 'casts. Those men were so proud of their four wards. Of course, it was easy to find out where the lodge was, they LOVED the free pubicity."

"The Teches had long ago shown Link and I where their creator's secret lab had been. We figured THAT was where your bots had taken the Teches' captured personality modules. We had spare bodies for them ready, but we needed the PMs to control them."

"While Link led our team to recover the PMs, I went to demoralize YOUR team. Those men may have been great hunters or guides; but they were lousy fighters."

I got angry. "You killed four men because your team was afraid to engage mine? You are mad!"

She looked at me for a moment, then laughed. "It worked. It worked! After the media got the tapes of my 'fun', they didn't even hold back on broadcasting. The media can be so helpful sometimes."

"The teches were already in their new bodies when the first 'casts hit the air. Our team watched the action so many times and CHEERED each time. We didn't even notice the teches had left until the next day."

"We hit the clinic a week later. You never knew WHY we hit it, did you?"

I shook my head, it was indeed a mystery.

"I needed to see their records. I wanted to know if they knew I was with child when they told me they could help me conceive. If I had been told; I would have been more careful, more aware of the dangers of my life-style."

She looked me in the eye. The madness seemed on the verge of exploding.

"I was inside their record room when your team arrived. I got the records and joined my team. I have to ask; why were you so stupid? You are too clever to engage with a team so melee-heavy."

I grimaced. "I didn't have much choice. Ailia and Thomas were using their corporate connections to arrange the funerals of the 'uncles' from the lodge and our blasters were away in the Rogue Islands. Even so, I thought we could defeat you because I thought you had to get past us to do whatever you intended to."

She retreated from her madness to nod sagely. "Yes, I can see that. I never knew WHY you engaged us. We were about to leave when Bot Lass and Bot Ladd hit us. Then you four scrappers and the two healers arrived."

"I have to admit, when Unia came after me, I was scared. I had never seen such a wild look in anyone's eyes, before. I was quite relieved to see her fall to Grav Lass' and Energy Hog's powers. I saw the ocelots hit you. THAT was excellent work. You should have moved a bit more, you know."

I nodded. "I know. I thought we were again engaging six of your team. I didn't know the Ocelots were so capable."

Noting how she seemed almost sane, I asked. "How did you fake your death?"

She smiled evilly. "With a bit of preparation. Link and I had decided to retire. I no longer enjoyed killing so much. Link wanted to find the children he had with that Xia. We could raise the brats as our own if we could find them."

"First, we had to get the media and the heroes off our backs. We decided that clinic needed a lesson, as well. Their records had shown they had detected my child with the VERY FIRST TEST! They had labelled the child as 'high-risk' because of some problem with my reproductive tract; BUT THEY DIDN'T TELL ME!"

"I contacted my 'friends' amoung the Circle of Thorns. It was VERY expensive; but I finally got a 'special' service. I got a jewel... like this one..."

She held up the neckless she was wearing (the first I had EVER noticed her wearing).

"... this jewel will exchange me for whomever is wearing its partner. I told the CoT whomever I exchanged with was unlikely to survive 5 more seconds; but the 7-digit fee they charged covered their loss. They gave the jewel's partner to an apprentice and told him or her it was to teleport someone to their location."

"My team took control of the clinic. We captured the people inside, set up the incendiaries, then the team sealed the entrances and exits and left."

"I waited for the word to get out. We had PURPOSELY allowed a hostage to escape after seeing me, just so the authorities and the media would witness my 'death'. Of course, you know what happened."

I nodded. Lupia had set up a video feed to the PPD. She displayed a handheld device she claimed was a 'deadman' switch. She had said if she released the trigger; the clinic would implode, killing all within. PPD swat was entering the top floors when the explosives and fire erupted. No one inside the walls survived.

Lupia sneared again. "I held the switch. When I knew the PPD's team had to be inside, I activated the 'exchange jewel'. I was teleported to a location far from the clinic, while the apprentice took my place in the clinic. Since the explosives and incendiaries no longer detected the 'deadman' signal, they detonated."

I was stunned. "The unidentified bodies? One was a CoT apprentice just following his or her orders?"

She looked upward in madness. "YES! Isn't it wonderful. I even tricked someone to take my place in a deathscene! It is so wonderful to have someone who simply helps you kill themselves.... HAHAHAHA!"

"Then came finding Xia and her brats, or course. She was easy to find. She held her information very well; I was truly convinced she didn't want to tell us. She's swimming in the atlantic, now. We found pictures of the brats in her purse. Link was supposed to enter the day care center, sedate the kids, and bring them out."

"Instead, he met you and you killed him."

She glared at me. "I guess I should tell you. We know your team has taken Purvia to the lodge. The CoT and several gangs are sending enough power to wipe the island off the map. At least a hundred and fifty thugs and thirty CoT have already hit. I haven't gotten any reports; but I don't expect to until I have your treasured mate standing in chains in front of me."

"It is time to start your death. You will last quite a while, I'm sure. I want to hear your screams."

I glance around. Somehow, the mutant dominators have left. There were only the two necromancers backing Lupia now and she STILL didn't notice. Not that it helped me at all. In my depleted condition, I didn't stand a chance against her.

As she approached...

...the world exploded.

I am stunned.

LUPIA was behind the April 1st attack? The Freedom corps, PPD, and many other agencies are STILL trying to figure out WHO co-ordinated the assault of 7 street gangs AND the Circle of Thorns against the security team of a day care center.

While the center did harbor the children of several wealthy families (many multi-millionaires); the authorities are not convinced ransom was the reason for the assault. We had all thought my team's presense was the ultimate in luck; for the center's standard team would not have stood a chance of defending their charges.

When Link and two assistants had come through the center's back wall; my alert mate contacted me (already heavy with child, she and Lenola were tending to the children and teachers). The assistants fled when I arrived, leaving Link to face me alone... claws to blades.

At the time; I had been surprised at my opponent's skill, for Link had disguised his idenity for the attempted abduction. It was that very disguise which gave me the final advantage.

A fake eyebrow had dropped to cover an eye. As he strived to remove the hindrance, one of my kicks forced him against the wall. A sharp sliver of metal had purtruded from that wall (created during our battle). The sharp end went through his chest.

I stood waiting for his medavac beacon to activate. He soon realized why I stood. He told me he no longer wore one. He asked for mercy, for he was dying painfully and slowly. I gave him that mercy.

Now, I stood at the mercy of his own wife. I could expect no such mercy from her... she had just declared so, if I had ever had any doubts.

As Lupia laughes in madness; I am tempted to strike, But I realize I am indeed much depleted of energy.

I remember the voice which had already saved me from a grim death. The voice had said I was to defeat her heart while another was to defeat her blades.

Briefly, I wonder at the voice's origin. I know it isn't my own sub-conscience, since the voice had information I did not and I also did not doubt. I have also no doubt it isn't Ailia or Thomas. I have have several Psionic 'conversations' with both and know their 'voices'. Oh, how I wish I could hear them now.

Remembering a human saying about looking a herbivore in the mouth, I look at the others in the room.

The two tiny cat-people are clinching each other tightly. I note the female is sobbing and the male is holding her close, silently snarling over his shoulder.

The over-sized human female is grasping her mate's right arm with both hands. I note tears streaming down her face. Her mate has the hand she holds behind him and is partially facing his insane team leader, his right hand has lights dancing around it.

The flying corruptor has landed and is approaching the clinging cats. I watch him. His hands go to his head and he pulls off an electronic device... a commo? He sets the device on the lamp table beside the cats and talks to them briefly. I see both cats nod and extend a hand each toward him. With twin soft 'plops' he disappears from veiw.

I had not know the ocelots could do that. I instinctively mark the deadlier threat the cats now become. To have the ability to give others invisibility means they also have to have invisibilty abilities OTHER THAN their instinctive 'hide' powers. I note the power they each have... they can 'hide', then invoke invisibilty, THEN give invisibility to each other. Two small and deadly killers with a TRIPLE layer of invisibility!

I remember there are two others in the room. Shuddering, I look into the shadows and have no trouble finding them. Whatever power they had used earlier to make them harder to find was no longer in play. I also see at least a half dozen shambling monsters grouped around them. I also see mystical blades raised and two figures I simply did not want to look at. Yes they were definately necros and they appeared to be fully empowered.

I hear more soft 'plops' and search the room. I note the small cat-people have also disappeared and there were two more electronic devices on the lamp table. I am tempted to 'acquire' one and then realize I couldn't use it. Having never learned to read the human words, I have depended on my team... particularly my mate to set my own commo.

PAIN LANCES ACROSS MY CHEST! I stumble, then fall backward. I look up at a snarling visage.

"YOU LOOK AT ME WHEN I TORTURE YOU! I WANT YOU TO BEG ME FOR DEATH... BEG! I SHALL NOT GIVE IT TO YOU... NOT FOR A LONG TIME, NOT UNTIL I AM SATISFIED YOU HAVE SUFFERED WHAT I HAVE SUFFERED! THEN, MAYBE, I WILL KILL YOU!"

I snarl back. "SUFFER? You have ONLY made people suffer. You scream you have lost family; but you have slaughtered families."

"You killed the Ling family just to get some good swords, then abandon Xia Ling when she was with child. Then you again abduct her."

"I now have no doubt it was you and Link, even though she or her body have not been found, I know she would not have abandoned those children."

"We did not think of you because we had thought YOU were burnt to a cinder and buried in a mass grave. We did not think of Link because we had no idea of Xia's connection to him until we read her will."

Lupia's eyes lit up. "YES! SHE WAS SO CLEVER! She finds the day care center YOU are a member of. She spends a large portion of her paychecks to keep them there. She conjoles the witness program to keep the children there in secret if she ever disappears and they do it."

"I now know she figured the program would contact you and that blasted mate of yours if she vanished. They must have."

"When we finally capture her, when we finally get SOME information out of her... it is a trap of HER devilish devising. She tells us of one day... april fool's day... in which she is supposed to meet the children at a certain day care center, YOUR day care center."

Lupia glares at me. "Do you know WHY she did that? Do you know WHY she gave us THAT day and TRICKED us into killing her right after?"

"She knew... she KNEW on THAT day, your whole damn team would be at the center when the bus dropped the children off at lunchtime for the rest of the day."