Sooner

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Being able to read comments might help prospective players weed out ratings that they may not want to pay attention to. For instance, when I buy a computer part on Newegg, I can see how people rated the part, but also why... if some doofus rates a part one egg (Newegg's version of stars) and his comment says he rated it so low because the part he ordered is incompatible with his system or because his brother put it in the microwave and it doesn't work any more, I can disregard that low review as irrelevant.

Similarly, I could disregard the opinions of people who rated arcs poorly because of "too much story" or "not a farm, lol" when deciding which arcs to play.

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Good.... I like this.

yes, I would REALLY like to be able to see - both for my own arcs and others - That Arc A has 4 stars, but it got mostly 4 and five stars, but one guy rated it a one, and arc B has 3 stars, but it got rated mostly 2 and 3, but one person(probalby his other account) rated it a 5.

It would be informative.

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Yeah, suggesting your own arcs is perfectly valid. One thing though, could y'all mention approximately how long they take so I know if I can fit more than one into a two hour show or not? I'd hate to leave a review unfinished.

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#4625 (Call me!) is a one mission story. It CAN be very fast, it's a click the glowy sorta thing. If you're in with a tank, and fighting your way there.. well.. it's CoT on a medium Oranbega map.

The Prism is a much longer one. 5 missions, however, each of them is stealthable to some degree or another. depending on how you go about it, this arc could take 15-30 minutes, or a couple hours.

Dude, I'd LOVE you to review either of mine (numbers below).

I thought the rule was to recommend someone else's... and there are so many good ones, I couldn't pick!

Seriously.. link.

I don't see it.

I ran:
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Arc Name: Friends in need (of body parts)
Arc ID: 31005
Faction: Villain
Your global/forum name: @morac
Difficulty Level: Medium
Recommended Team Size: Any
Typical duration: 45-60 minutes (5 missions, none of them defeat all)
Arc Synopsis: Crey Industries has contacted you for a rather shady mission. However, it pays well, and morals aren't something that come to you naturally.

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Overall, I enjoyed this arc. I used my level 50 bots/traps MM.

In Mission one, I liked the wandering patrols and their dialogue. In fact, I'm going to drop a few wandering patrols into one of my arcs as soon as I'm done writing this.

Mission two was good, I typically don't care for defeating the same boss multiple times, but it works here.

Mission three: Mathias is creepy. Good job on designing him. For my own playstyle, I don't usually care for escorting a fighting ally, and I usually run off and leave them unless their death will result in failure, but I found Mathias handy enough to have around that I kept him. I liked the optional rescues.

Mission 4: Very stealthable, and yet, with the rescues, you had the option to run roughshod over the entire map.

Mission 5: Cpt Oliver again. Well.. ok. As before, it fits, but maybe it would make more sense to fight HIS boss in the last mission. Again, pretty easy to stealth.

All in all, a nice challenge, and I applaud mission design that gives the player a variety of ways to handle the situation.

I gave you four stars, and I think you did a very nice job.

Mine:
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Arc Name: The Prism
Arc ID: 49801
Morality: Heroic
Faction: Council, Arachnos, and a custom group: The Prism
Creator Global/Forum Name: Sooner
Difficulty Level: Moderately Challenging
Synopsis: A local science teacher is concerned because all the prisms are being bought up. Your investigation leads you to a new villain group, a new threat, and a new arch-villain threatening Paragon City.
Estimated Time to Play: depends strongly on how thoroughly you clear the maps. Each map can be stealthed. One map has numerous glowies on a large map. If you stealth everything, this arc can easily be done in 15-30 minutes. If you clear everything... a much longer time investment.

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*claws feebly at the playNC store.*

Give... me.... costumes.....

I've got a new one up:

Arc Name: The Prism
Arc ID: 49801
Morality: Heroic
Faction: Council, Arachnos, and a custom group: The Prism
Creator Global/Forum Name: Sooner
Difficulty Level: Moderately Challenging
Synopsis: A local science teacher is concerned because all the prisms are being bought up. Your investigation leads you to a new villain group, a new threat, and a new arch-villain threatening Paragon City.
Estimated Time to Play: depends strongly on how thoroughly you clear the maps. Each map can be stealthed. One map has numerous glowies on a large map. If you stealth everything, this arc can easily be done in 15-30 minutes. If you clear everything... a much longer time investment.

Arc Name: The Prism
Arc ID: 49801
Morality: Heroic
Faction: Council, Arachnos, and a custom group: The Prism
Creator Global/Forum Name: Sooner
Difficulty Level: Moderately Challenging
Synopsis: A local science teacher is concerned because all the prisms are being bought up. Your investigation leads you to a new villain group, a new threat, and a new arch-villain threatening Paragon City.
Estimated Time to Play: depends strongly on how thoroughly you clear the maps. Each map can be stealthed. One map has numerous glowies on a large map. If you stealth everything, this arc can easily be done in 15-30 minutes. If you clear everything... a much longer time investment.

Awesome, thanks, "Old Man," for posting this. I'm gonna go edit in a link in the conclusion of Sisters.

/signed

/double signed

and...

meh... /signed.

Nope. I would not describe this as a happy ending - though I would ask that you remember what Neely believes to be true (that her sister is dead and beyond her help) when judging her actions.

While I don't know that I'd categorize as "The Empire Strikes Back," I will agree that it is a part of a larger story.

You haven't seen the last of either Neely or Keely.

As far as what it means to me... well, that's a tough answer. In fact, I'll spend some time thinking about that question...

Thanks for the comment!

Sure!

Hit up #4625 "Call Me!"

It's a short, one mission story about a lost cell phone.

It's intended to be cute and fun, not particularly deep and meaningful.

The conclusion and epilogue of Sisters is posted in RP.

Sisters
Epilogue
a few days from now...

The warhulk exploded, and Rastafari-Man flew back to smack into the glowing blue containment field.

“Ouch!” he yelled. The warhulk’s buddy, a giant Fake Nemesis, had already put up his bubble and taken off running. “Oh no you don’t!” Rasta called as he scrambled to his feet and ran after. That Fake was the only thing standing between him and a cold one at Pocket D. It fled down the empty street, past a pretty fountain, and dodged around the corner of a nearby skyscraper. Rasta pursued, rounding the corner just as the Fake drew out its spinning, whirling staff and fired a bolt of energy at him. Rasta flew back a second time to smash into the containment field and let out a few choice phrases as his bruises got a little bigger.

Rasta climbed to his feet again, glanced down and said, “Ah.. Look at that! You ripped my pants! I can’t get these anymore!” before firing his eye beams at the fake, followed by a blast of power from his palm. The Fake teetered unsteadily on its giant feet, then fell over with a clatter.

“About time...” Rasta muttered, and made his way to the exit. “Nemesis....” he grumbled, shaking his head, and stepped through the glowing red box that would take him back to Portal Corp.

Only to find himself falling again as he tripped stepping out of the portal. “What the!?!” he exclaimed. Sitting there, on the ramp leading to the portal was a metal rectangle, just the right height to trip someone stepping out.

“Who left this box here?!” Rasta yelled, but it was late at night, and there were no heroes in that particular room. He climbed up, dusted off his knees, examined the rip in his pants, and then leaned over the box, where a label, written in a pretty, feminine hand, read clearly, “Please deliver to Sooner Spirit and/or UPS 2.2 of the Ghosts Reborn.”

Rasta picked up the box, tucked it under his arm, and dialed a familiar number on his cell. “Sooner? I have a package for you. What do you mean this isn't a good time for that kind of call? I face planted over the thing on my way out of a Portal! No I am..", Rasta placed his hand over his face and shook his head for a moment, "Look where are you? I'll bring it to you. Right. I'll be there in a flash!"


The handwriting on the package was instantly recognizable to Neely’s friends. The Ghosts had been unable to find a single trace of their missing Peacebringer since she vanished in Nerva days ago, so they were all very excited. Still, UPS gave the box a thorough inspection before allowing anyone to even consider opening it. Once he declared it safe, the Ghosts gathered in their conference room. Rasta was invited to stay, since he still bore the bruise on his shin from the box, and he stood behind Sooner with his hands on her shoulders.

The box opened with a little puff of air to reveal dozens of envelopes, each addressed to a member of the Ghosts. Sooner began handing them out and the room was quiet except for the rustling of paper.

Ahren’s note was short. “I believe this belongs to you” it said, with a hand-drawn arrow to second, smaller envelope stapled below. When he opened that, he barked out one surprised laugh as the nearly invisible skin tag dropped out. A second note was inside. “To my mentor, my friend. I will miss talking with you and learning from you. I’m the hero I am today because of your teaching. And thank you for trying to watch out for me. Love, Neely.”

UPS read his quietly and tucked it away. “UPS, believe me when I say the world is a better place with you in it. My oldest friend, you tried so hard to keep me safe, even from myself. I will miss you more than anyone else, I think. Please, take care of yourself, for me. I need to know that somewhere, you’re out there. With all my love, Neely.” His eyes were suspiciously shiny, but he said not a word.

A few people stood and read theirs aloud. Strif read, “Take care of UPS and Nav for me, my dear friend. Neither of them put much priority into taking care of themselves. And take very good care of yourself as well. I wish I could give you one last hug, but instead I’ll just send you my love. Neely”

Sooner was the last of these. “Sooner, please don’t worry about me. I know it’s too late for that, but don’t worry any more. You worry so over each Ghost you lose. Well, I’m not lost.. .I’m found. I don’t expect to return. Keely is dead, I’m not needed there. I am needed here. I have found a new home here, with new friends and family. I will miss all of you horribly. Take care of our Ghosts, Sooner. Love, Neely.”

The end

Sisters
Part XX
a few years ago...

A somber group of Ghosts left the Council base as Longbow forces arrived to tear it down. The research data had been thoroughly eliminated, the backups destroyed, and every member of the team who could recreate even a part of the research was arrested or dead.

As they exited the base, UPS 2.2 tossed aside his ruined helmet. The faceplate shattered as it struck the ground and rolled away. ‘Never again,” he said with disgust. “Next time I go into battle, I won’t need armor. I will be the armor.”

Keely watched the helmet bounce away as she probed the place inside herself where she and Neely had always been connected. That connection was weaker now. It had felt like a door slamming shut when Neely turned around and saw Keely standing on the dead man. Neely had stared, and turned away, and that door had slammed.

Keely looked ahead again, where Neely walked with the rescued captives. That gorgeous Italian man was trying in vain to capture Neely’s attention, but Neely was obviously distracted and he couldn’t get more than polite conversation from her.

“I am Mateo,” he said in answer to her question, “But I am known to my friends as Scimmia.” He smiled, turning on the charm, “I would like for you to call me Scimmia.”

Keely watched her sister smile back at him and ask, “Why? What does Scimmia mean?”

“The word means ‘ape.’ It is a joke because of my studies. I am a doctoral student and I was here, in your city, for a conference before returning to Africa for more observation of the apes. Also, they call me that because I am tall and... ah... wide... like an ape.”

When Neely just laughed politely at that, he shrugged - a very eloquent European shrug - and dialed back his efforts to friendly conversation. His wristband ID’d him as a 97% match, so Keely suspected he would be joining the ranks of Paragon City’s heroes soon.

Keely knew she’d irreparably damaged Neely’s trust by killing, but she couldn’t regret it. After what that man had done to Neely, to Keely herself, and to so many other potential kheldian hosts, with what he had planned for the future, she couldn’t regret her choice. She regretted, deeply that Neely had put up that wall between them, but she knew she’d do the same again.

Neely patted Mateo on the shoulder and dropped back to walk with her sister. She put her arm across Keely’s shoulders, squeezed, and said, “You know I love you.”

Keely nodded and smiled. “I love you too,” she answered.

now...

Ebony Rose replaced the last tiny assembly pin into the machine she’d built for Shattered Ice9. It lacked only the power supply she’d sent Bounty-Killer after to be fully functional again. She glanced at the wall clock - he should be arriving at any moment.

She stepped back to take in the machine as a whole. It was evil, and not something she would ever have designed on her own, but she, Shattered, Cowboy Nightmare, and Death Shrowd owed so much to each other, had been so much to each other, that she had not hesitated to build it for him.

And now Shattered and CN were missing - vanished***. The day after the abortive attack by the Ghosts, he and Cowboy Nightmare had left the base. A messenger had arrived and had a whispered consultation with Shattered even as frantic reinforcement of the base defenses went on. He’d called to Rose, and spoken hurriedly to her, in a rushed whisper, "Our Lord of Spiders calls. See to the repairs and the wounded." Gesturing for Cowboy Nightmare to follow, he turned back to Rose again before leaving the room. "I leave our Shades in your able hands Rose, we will see to the Ghosts when I return."

*** this relates to events in the story “ You can call me Glacius9 " which Ice9 has posted at my urging (read "urging" as "endless pestering.")

However, neither of them had returned. It had been two days, and there had been no word. It was so unlike them. Obviously something had happened to them, but she couldn’t find out a single trace, she’d only learned that Glacius9, the man the Ghosts claimed really was the returned Ice9, was missing as well. Rose ran her hand over the smooth, gleaming metal of the machine, waiting, wondering, worrying about her friends.

A man’s voice bellowed down the stairs, “He’s here!” Rose set her teeth in irritation. The man was a complete idiot, but his size and impressive muscles made him a natural choice for guarding the door.

“Send him down, please,” she responded.

---

Bounty-Killer descended the stairs into the basement of the Shades’s base once again. The job had been easy, had gone down flawlessly, and, as requested, no bloodshed. He’d been in and out of the Council base with none the wiser.

He didn’t allow his relief to show when he found Ebony Rose alone in the basement. He cut his eyes just once to the door with the red glowing window and then determinedly looked away again. When his eyes found the assembled machine, however, they narrowed, and one hand went involuntarily to the pouch that held the object he’d been sent for. He was sure that was a quantum array, but he wasn’t sure what the rest of the apparatus was. But any machine based on a void hunter rifle could only be bad for Keely.

“You have it?” Rose asked.

Killer patted the pouch, opened it, and removed the glistening copper power supply. He held it, waiting patiently until Rose slid a fat envelope - twin to the one she’d handed him days ago - across the table. Then he laid the power supply on the table as well, slid it towards her, and picked up the envelope with his free hand. “Grazie.” He didn’t waste time counting, just slipped the envelope inside his trenchcoat. “They won’t even notice it’s gone until they go looking for it,” he said.

“Excellent!” she replied. “I hope I can call on you again when I have a task that needs your talents.”

“As long as you’ve got the money, fiore bella, I’ll be there,” he answered. He turned on the charm, a handsome man who knew how attractive he was.

She smiled then and turned to the machine, slapping the power supply into place as if it were a fresh magazine going into a pistol. Killer’s fears were realized as the machine flared to readiness with a red-black glow.

“This is part of Shattered Ice9's Kheldian project, is it?” he asked. He leaned forward, giving her the full force of his dark eyes and a friendly smile.

Rose turned back, as if surprised to still see him there. “Why, yes. It is.”

“A most impressive machine you’ve built there.”

Rose gazed back at him, a smile playing over her lips. Her smile grew broader, and she shrugged. “Built to Shattered Ice9's request and specifications,” she answered. She gestured to the glowing part with its sinister red and black tendrils. “This is the quantum array of a void rifle. It attacks the energy being half of the Kheldian, rendering it helpless.” Her hand slid gracefully to caress a cylinder with a tangle of wires protruding in a chaotic bird’s nest around it. “This is a creation of ours. It comes online approximately 5 seconds after the quantum array begins firing. It attacks the human’s autonomic nervous system directly, and creates conditions which mimic the death of the host, causing the energy being to be released. That process takes 20-30 seconds” Finally, she gestured to a squat cylinder with a pair of smaller tubes running alongside, connected to a stoutly reinforced metal rectangle. “And this is the extractor - which removes the energy being from the host, and the containment unit - which will, hopefully, contain the energy being until Shattered is ready for it.”

Bounty-Killer set his face in his most pleasant expression as Rose turned back. He smiled again, that warm smile that melted so many women’s hearts. “Thank you again, bella.” He turned away, then cast one look back over his shoulder. “I look forward to hearing from you again, Miss Rose.”

Killer held his emotions in check as he exited the Shades’ base. He glanced at the coffee shop where he’d talked with Neely, and the image of her devastated blue eyes flashed into his mind. He needed something stronger than coffee. He used his VIP pass to travel directly to Pocket D. He barely paused as he passed Isaac the bartender and called out, “the usual.”

The ice in his glass clinked softly as he swirled it. He sipped, making his way to a quiet booth in a dark corner. He settled in, sipping again, staring out into the bright lights of Pocket D from within the shadows that kept him hidden. He thought of Ici Cold asking him to help Neely. He thought of Neely, and how he’d crushed her hope in the name of keeping her safe. But mostly he thought of Keely, her mad eyes, and that machine, and the part he’d played in bringing it to life. He sipped again, and the shadows hid the single tear that trailed down his cheek.
---

Rose smiled as she watch Bounty-Killer leave. A very charming man, and she suspected he used that charm to great effect. It took more than a nice smile and dark eyes to sway Rose, but he’d been looking for information she was willing to share, so she shared it.

Her smile was short-lived, however, as she turned back to the extraction machine and powered it down. Her worry for Shattered and CN grew with each passing minute, and this machine, while ready, would not be used until they returned. With a heavy sigh, she drew the cover over the machine and pushed it back into its place against the wall.

As she turned back, Conall Cian, wearing his human form of a tall man dressed as a Paragon city police officer, entered the basement, followed by Sterling Gold and Scorpio Son.

“Afternoon, Rose,” Conall said, with a cordial nod.

“Hello ma’am,” his followers murmured politely.

“Conall,” she answered. Her eyes narrowed as the trio advanced on Keely’s cell. Her right hand rose involuntarily to stroke the smooth metal prosthetic that replaced her left arm. Rose most often kept her memories of being locked in her own cell well under control, but today, that frightened, helpless girl she used to be wouldn’t stay quiet. Of course, that which does not kill you, makes you stronger, she thought. She stepped forward. “Stop. Stop right there,” she ordered.

Conall turned, one brow raised. “Did you need something, Rose?” he asked in his most calm voice.

“When was the last time she was fed?” Rose demanded.

“Two days ago. The prisoner got food and water, two days ago.”

“And nothing since then?” Conall just shook his head very slowly, once to the left, once to the right. “Since I don’t see any food now, I assume it is not your intention to feed her?”

Conall took one step towards her. Rose smiled again. One man tried to charm her with good looks and a smile, another tried to intimidate her with size. She just looked back up at him calmly. There were plenty of good looking, charming, over-sized, muscular men in the Shades. She wasn’t impressed. She stepped closer as well, and looked calmly into his eyes. “I asked you a question.”

Conall hesitated, then answered, “No, she can eat when we’re done with her. I am instructing these two in how to break the will and hope of a prisoner.”

“This is the same prisoner that spent the last two days screaming and sobbing? Her will has been hammered enough, and as for hope, she obviously hasn’t any left.’’ She glanced at Scorpio Son. “You - go fetch her a meal. She will be fed three times a day starting now.” She turned to Sterling Gold. “You will get her cleaned up, her injuries tended, and get her some clean clothing.” She faced Conall again, “And you will stay well away from her.”

Conall scowled, and his human form vanished, revealing the red-skinned, flame-eyed, horned demon that he truly was. “Shattered’s orders to me were-”

Rose held up one hand. “Were my orders clear?”

The room was absolutely still. No one moved. The power struggle raged between the enormous demon and the slender woman, quiet and unobtrusive to the observers. When Conall stepped in again, Rose smiled, a broad, teeth-baring smile. She never took her eyes from his as she said, “Sterling, Scorpio... go. Now.”

When the two backed slowly out of the room, Conall straightened. “Fine, Rose, we’ll play it your way.” He turned and stalked to the stairs before turning back, “For now. But when Shattered returns, he will hear about this.”

“Yes, Conall. Yes he will,” she replied. “You have no business down here now. None. Understood?”

Conall hesitated before answering through his gritted, bared teeth. “Don't push me woman, you don't have any tin cans around to stop me from pushing back,” he said as he vanished up the stairs.

Rose released a long, pent-up breath. She caressed her prosthetic arm again, this time fingering the hidden panel that would open to reveal controls to many of the bases internal defenses. Not even Shattered knew how thoroughly she could control their base. She watched the enormous demon stalk up the stairs and thought to herself, If Shattered doesn’t return, and soon, I may have to have that one killed.

---

Tina Macintyre sat at the front of the Ghost’s enormous conference room, with two portal corp techs standing at her shoulders. The tiny control unit that Neely had carried through the portal with her sat on the table, its readouts black and lifeless. Ahren, sitting nearby, shrugged and sat back. Keely sat at the nearest table, her right arm across Neely’s shoulder, her left hand holding onto Neely’s right. Neely smiled. Over a lifetime of looking out for each other, this was the first time she could remember Keely being so protective of her; she was more used to their roles being reversed. She suspected this Keely, however, was very accustomed to the nurturing role.

Tina poked the controller with one fingertip, sighed, and said, “We have a few problems. The first, obviously, is that this is broken. The second is that from what your alternate-world-Neely tells us, this controlled a magical portal, so even if we can get it working again, the technology may be completely unrelated to what we’re familiar with. This is complicated by the time travel aspect.” She shrugged. “I suspect we can find your world, Neely, but I don’t know how long it will take.”

Sooner Spirit leaned forward. “She can stay with us.” She shot a glance at Ahren who had shifted abruptly at her words. “She will be welcome to stay with us. It has been amply demonstrated that this Neely is not the same as the one we knew.” Sooner held Ahren’s gaze until he nodded. “That’s settled, then. Tina, you’ll let us know when you find a way to send Neely home.”

Tina stood and nodded, placing the broken controller in a padded case. Neely turned to look at her sister. Keely smiled as their identical blue eyes met. This Keely looked so like the sister Neely had known, but there was some barely perceptible difference as well. Neely thought, perhaps, this Keely’s face was a little softer, as if her life hadn’t marked her the way her alternate self’s had. Neely wondered where the difference had been. She wondered, in this world, which of them had been in the living room when Uncle Will’s lab exploded. Or did it go farther than that? Neely had no idea which of them had been born first... but was it that simple that fate was so unkind to the one born first? Or second?

She glanced around the room, at the expressions on the faces so familiar to her. She loved the Ghosts. They were her family, to a girl who’d never really had a family. She loved them, but these people didn’t love her. Their expressions made it clear that they ranged from tolerance to distrust to outright hatred. Only Keely, only her sister from another dimension, looked at her with love. And - Neely realized suddenly - that was enough.

She squeezed her sister’s hand, cleared her throat, and stood. “My fellow Ghosts Reborn- ” she began, then looked straight at Ahren as his eyes narrowed, “for I AM a Ghost Reborn - I found my way here by accident, but I also found a sister I thought was lost to me. I have spent most of my life looking after, and lately, looking for my sister. For most of that life, we had nothing but each other, and even when we were together, there was conflict.” Beside her Keely nodded.

“The very first thing I said to you all upon entering this base was ‘I’m not who you think I am.’ I didn’t know how true that was when I said it. I didn’t know how much harm my other self had done to you. This group has suffered a loss that can never be replaced. And even though I did not perform those actions, it was an alternate of mine that did. Perhaps, given enough time I can make up, at least in some small part for that harm. Perhaps, I can earn the trust that my other self betrayed.”

Neely looked down again at her sister’s face, and smiled. “Tina, I would appreciate it if you would let us know when you figure out where I came from. But, in my world, I have a lost a sister. In this world, I’ve found her again.” She squeezed Keely’s hand. “ I won’t be going back. I’d like to stay here.”

Yes... I need a few more tickets to publish the arc I WANT to publish. I did put up a cute little one mission quickie.

I think it's fun. Even more fun if you read The Broken Thorn and are familiar with Ici Cold.

It's arc number 4625. Quick, easy, hopefully fun and funny.

Arc Name: Call me!
Arc ID: 4625
Morality: Neutral
Faction: CoT
Creator Global/Forum Name: Sooner
Difficulty Level: easy-medium (EASILY stealthable)
Synopsis: Ici Cold lost her cell phone in Oranbega and is expecting a call from a special friend.
Estimated Time to Play: it's timed, one mission. so.. definitely less than one hour.

Part XIX of Sisters is up in RP.

Sisters
Part XIX
a few years ago...

Keely careened into a wall. Her fragile nova form didn’t feel pain the same way she did in human, but she felt that impact to the tips of her tentacles. For a moment, she thought she would drop back to human form, but she managed to hold her form. She wiggled, hovering in place for a moment, and then met the surprised gaze of the occupant of the cell Neely had been thrown into. He was watching her intently as she prepared to rejoin the fight.

Her harsh alien voice warned him, “Stay back. Please, don’t get hurt.”

“I will stay well out of danger,” he answered, in a deep, rich Italian accent, and took a large step back to demonstrate his cooperation.

Keely kited to her left, so that she and her sister had their target bracketed, and also so she could keep an eye on the battle near the control room. The Ghosts were holding their own, but each time it seemed they would gain control, another group of reinforcements would arrive. And another, and another. She watched UPS and Strif trying to control the mobs, while Cowboy Dream and Sooner Spirit plowed in and Ahren and Ice9 stood well back, fighting from range. She hated to admit it, but they were good people, and impressive in a fight.

She turned her attention back to Moretti, and resumed blasting away at him. He winced under the onslaught, dodging away from Neely’s energy packed punches and blasts. Keely flitted in closer than she knew was wise as she continued her assault.

Her concentration was interrupted by the call of “Void!” from the team of Ghosts. She shifted her attention and noted that a Void Hunter had gotten past the Ghosts and was racing towards the twins. Keely at first thought he had targeted Neely, but as she shifted position again, she saw him angling towards her. Time slowed, but not nearly enough for her. She felt as if she was stuck in molasses as she tried to dodge out of sight. She watched the rifle come up in slow motion, she saw the evil red-black glow start to intensify around the barrel. She let out a cry in anticipation of the fiery pain, and then her view of the Void was blocked by a broad back. UPS had flung himself in front of the assassin and taken the hit. She saw the ugly glow impact on his chest, and he rocked back under the power of the quantum weapon. And then Sooner and CD both attacked the void and he went down under a flurry of fists and a flashing sword.

UPS turned, and one burning brown eye gleamed out at her through the widening hole in his visor. She realized then that he’d taken that hit for her even with the damage to his armor. She bobbed her head in a nova form’s version of nod of acknowledgment, and turned back, once again, to Moretti.

The twins pressed the attack as he faltered. He was getting tired, and it showed as his reactions slowed. He stumbled a bit, and they both closed in, sensing an opening, an opportunity to finish him. As soon as Keely was in range, though, he whirled to face her and lashed out at her with a kick that knocked her head over tail. The confusion caused her to drop out of nova form where she could just stagger back as Moretti turned and planted the sole of his other foot into Neely’s belly, sending her flying back again into that same open cell.

As Neely disappeared from view, Moretti turned back to Keely with a satisfied grin. She shook her head, still too off-balance to do more than stumble away from him. “Enough of this,” he said, advancing on her, “I wasn’t finished with you when you got away from me last time. This time, you’ll be staying as my guest for the rest of your life. You, and Neely, and that friend you brought along.”

Before he could advance any closer, however, something large and white flew between them. Moretti cursed loudly as he was enveloped in it. Keely got her feet back under her as the gorgeous Italian hunk laughed and ran back after flinging what appeared to be a bed sheet over the Archon. As he flailed and cursed, Keely stepped in and unleashed furious blows into his belly. Neely emerged again from the cell, shouted at the Italian, “You! Inside! Now!” and ran towards Moretti as he finally shrugged off the sheet. He barely turned towards Neely as she leapt into the air and crashed down on him with both fists and a brilliant white flare of energy. As she landed, she launched another punch straight into his belly that sent him flying back into the wall behind him where he slumped down and didn’t move again.

Neely laughed aloud and flung her arms around Keely. “We won! We won!” she laughed, pointing at the rest of the team jogging over to them. Keely was still panting for breath as Neely rushed to UPS and Strif, hugging them as well, and laughing happily.

Keely turned back to where Moretti lay on the ground, so she was the only one who saw his hand wrap around the butt of his assault rifle. As he brought it around, toward Neely’s back, she changed quickly to Dwarf form. She was already moving toward him when his hand dropped open again, and his head sagged onto his chest. She hesitated, then furiously leapt into the air and landed squarely on his chest with both feet. The crunch of breaking bones filled the room, and Neely’s head whipped around and her stunned blue eyes stared back at her twin.

now...

Sister Psyche leaned over the back of a chair in the large conference room of the Ghost’s base, while the subject of her conversation still sat, shackled, in a room deep underneath the base. She looked into the faces of the Ghosts. Their expressions were furious, or worried, or, in Keely’s case, deeply troubled.

“This women, this one who calls herself Neely,” Psyche said, “is no danger to you. She appears to be exactly what she says: A Peacebringer who has accidentally crossed dimensions and found her way here.” She gestured at Keely, “Her memories are almost exactly the same as yours. And when I say that, I mean that you two lived the same life. Your twin, and hers, had the more troubled life. Her twin was captured and experimented on by Council, like yours. Her twin bonded a Warshade. Her twin was captured by your enemies, The Shades of Vengeance. And that’s where your memories diverge. Where your twin came out of her ordeal as a furiously insane villain, hers was killed. Fortunately for her world, at least, they will never have to see what their Keely might have become. She also seems to have traveled forward in time. It was early spring for her when she traveled here, and she was just trying to get back home from an attempt to save her twin.

“I found no sign that her memory has been tampered with, and, while it is challenging to get anything from a Kheldian mind, I sensed that her Peacebringer half was just as frightened and confused as her human half.”

Sister Psyche looked down for a moment, then took a moment to look at each of the gathered Ghosts as she spoke. “I know the Ghosts Reborn have suffered a great loss, and great pain at the hands of a woman named Neely. The woman you hold downstairs is NOT that woman.”

Keely was starting to tear up as Sister Psyche spoke, and tears were pouring down her face by time Psyche was finished. Without a word, she reached over and hooked a small set of keys off Ahren’s belt. Then she pushed back from the table and bolted from the room.
---

Fear was finally starting to work its way past Neely’s mental numbness. If these Ghosts sincerely thought she’d killed UPS, she might very well live out the rest of her life in the Zig. And she reluctantly admitted to herself that Ahren could well just decide to kill her, if this Ahren had lived the same life as the one she knew, he had no mercy in his heart at all for villains.

Grief consumed her as well. What if something had happened to the UPS from her world? She couldn’t bear to think of her dear friend, her protector and shield, who had fought with her and for her more times than she could even guess, gone from any world. And it boggled her mind that she could have deliberately harmed him, for any reason, no matter what had happened.

The door opened again, and Neely looked up nervously. Keely stepped into the room slowly and stood by the door. They studied each other, these sisters from two dimensions, and then Keely advanced, step by hesitant step across the room. She knelt by Neely and began releasing the shackles, then pulled Neely to her feet and embraced her.

“I’m so glad you’re alright,” Neely said and held her sister even tighter. “I can’t believe UPS is dead.”

Neely felt her sister’s shoulders tighten, the relax again so slowly. “I can’t either. You never liked him, though.”

Neely drew back to look into her sister’s face. “I love him - loved him - like a brother.”

Keely nodded, slowly. “I did too.”

Understanding spread over both their faces, and they held each other and grieved together.

Part XVIII of Sisters is up.

Sisters
Part XVIII
now...

Neely was in between... in portal space. The strange twisting, whirling nothingness between portals went on and on. It seemed too long, she wanted to breathe, but had no lungs to fill and no mouth to open. Something was wrong! It shouldn’t take this long! Just as she began to fear that she would be stuck disembodied and helpless forever, her foot struck the solid ground of Steel Canyon and she was staring at the giant boots of the enormous statue in the center of Steel.

It was dusk in Steel Canyon, and unseasonably warm. The cloudy sky overhead was turning a rich pink color with sunset. Searchlights lit the clouds overhead as a few passing civilians glanced at her strangely and walked on.

She let out a whoop of sheer delight at being home. Why did she ever leave on nothing stronger than an overheard conversation in a noisy bar? Keely was still dead, and nothing was gained. Instead she had put herself in great danger for no good reason.

With a laugh of joy, she lifted into flight and spiraled in happy circles around the giant booted feet. The skyscrapers glowed with lights, and the street lamps cast softly lit circles on the pale cement underneath. Valkyrie and Positron stood in their usual spots, he with his bald head gleaming in the light reflected from the statue behind him, she with her giant sword slung across her back and her blond hair covered in an archaic-styled helmet leaving her face bare. The security chief on the night watch kept an eye on her as she passed. She whooped one more time before coming to a hovering stop at the base portal. She was suddenly so homesick. She so wanted to see her friends again and apologize for worrying them. There was a strange unreality about the city, as if she’d been gone for far longer than a few days, and things had changed ever-so-subtly.

She activated the portal, and waited while the base recognition system reached out to her and found the tiny implant that identified her as a member of the Ghosts Reborn. She frowned as it took longer than she was used to for the system to recognize her implant, but then the system withdrew its electronic search, and the portal activated, allowing her into her base.

She frowned again, her sense of unease growing as she stepped into the base. Probably UPS had made some changes while she was gone... but something was different. She spun slowly in a circle, her stomach clenching in a knot. Something wasn’t right. There were the banners, the rich deep blue and white, with the gleaming skull emblem emblazoned at the top. The walls were plain and practical, a simple grey that UPS insisted on using because they were utilitarian. The single enormous potted tree placed in the corner was the same, but still the knot in her stomach tightened. She turned again to face the wall that commemorated their fallen heroes with photos, plaques, and remembrances.

She stumbled back a step at a familiar face that hadn’t been there when she left. The handsome face, the brown eyes that could be so cold to his enemies, but so warm to those he cared for. The picture showed him smiling and happy. “Oh no no no no!” she cried out as she stumbled the few steps toward the photo. “UPS! Oh no!” It had only been a few days.. What could have happened to her friend?

She shrieked as an alarm suddenly started wailing. It took her a moment to recognize it as the intruder alert. It was one she’d never heard except in a drill because the security was so tight in the base. It was nearly impossible for anyone to enter who wasn’t granted permission by a member already.

She whirled, looking for the intruder, since she was already in the entrance, and well placed to attack whoever came in, but there was no one there. She heard running feet, and spun back, ready to take her place with her friends in the defense of their base. She broke into a smile as her friends came into sight. Mighty Atarax led the charge, already covered in flames, with Sooner Spirit, Sooner Magic, and Princess Ginsu right on his heels. Right behind them were Ici Cold, MidnightAngel, Zemuron, and Celestial Nav. They spread out as they came into the room, their faces furious and shocked.

“Oh... [censored]!” Sooner Spirit hissed. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here like this!”

“How did you even get in here!?” Ici demanded.

“Be careful,” Atarax cautioned as the over-eager Sooners and Princess Ginsu began to crowd around him. “We don’t know what she’s capable of.”

And suddenly Neely realized they were about to attack her. She was the intruder. She stepped back, and again, trying to come to grips with the fact that the hostility in their faces was directed at her. Then the part of her concerned with self-preservation spoke up, reminding her that these were the most powerful, most experienced heroes she knew, and they were all preparing to attack her.

“Wait! No! I’m not who you think!” She protested, backing even further. She recognized the signs, it was just a matter of a few moments before they attacked her. She didn’t know what else to do. She dropped all her shields. She sank to her knees and laced her fingers behind her head. “I am not what you think,” she said again, “and I can’t bring myself to fight any of you. So, I give up.”

“You want to give up?” growled a familiar man’s voice from behind the crowd. A tall, muscular man pushed through the sea of astonished faces. She felt like her mind had just stumbled as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. A handsome face, bright green eyes, reddish hair. She shook her head once, as her brain tried to catch up. The last time she’d seen that face, it had been horribly scarred. But this was the face that belonged to her trusted friend and mentor from so long ago.

“Ahren?” she asked, completely confused as he strode towards her.

“You want to give up, do you?” he asked again. “Here, let me give you this instead!” She could only stare, completely paralyzed by confusion as his right hand formed into a fist by his hip, wound up in mocking circles as it rose across his body, and then smashed into her chin. With no shields and no defenses, the punch knocked her flat, and her world went black.

---

Hours later, Neely still sat on a hard steel chair in a tiny interrogation room deep inside the base. Her movement was severely restricted by heavy shackles that she was quite certain would hold her, though she’d made no effort to escape. One thing was abundantly clear. She hadn’t asked Naylor nearly enough questions. She kept hearing him in her head, “it’s set for Steel Canyon in-” before she’d interrupted. In where? It was obvious she’d gone to a different Steel Canyon than her own, and it was obvious that the Ghosts here had a very different relationship with her counterpart.

They had refused to answer a single question, but kept peppering her with questions she couldn’t answer. Sooner Spirit and Ahren had been her primary questioners, but there had been others. She was absolutely numb. It was all too much. The confrontation with an assassin in the Rogue Isles, learning again that her twin was dead, nearly being captured by her deadly enemies, fleeing for her life across hostile territory, finding a way home, being attacked by one of the people she trusted most in the world, and now... held captive in her own home. All over the course of a few hours. There was no emotion at all left inside her. And then the door to the tiny room opened and someone new stepped in.

Neely tried to leap up, but the shackles tripped her and she fell awkwardly back into the hard chair. “Keely!” she cried happily. “You’re alive! You’re safe!” And then she burst into tears at the distrust and wariness on her twin’s face.

“Why are you here, Neely?” Rather than moving forward into the room, Keely was pressed back into the wall.

Neely looked back up into her twin’s angry blue eyes and answered, “I came home. Thank God, Keely.. Thank God you’re ok.” Neely felt a chill race up her spine as the look in those eyes became even harder. “Keely, what happened to UPS?”

Keely took three fast steps to the table and leaned over it, “You killed him, you [censored]! We thought you were dead, we thought they’d killed you, and then.. Months later, we got a call,” Keely’s voice rose abruptly in a vicious mockery, “‘It’s Neely! I escaped! Please, come help me before they capture me again!’ UPS and I raced to help you. He didn’t think he needed any defenses against a fellow Ghost. He saved me from you, at the cost of his own life. He made sure I escaped, to warn the Ghosts. And you killed him.”

Neely sat absolutely stunned, staring up at her sister. She felt the color drain from her face. “No no nononono....” was all she could say.

And then her disbelief took another blow as Keely suddenly flared into the brilliant white-blue shields of a powerful Peacebringer. Fury twisted her features as she drew back her fist. The door burst open and Ahren and Sooner rushed in, pulling Keely away before the punch could fly.

MidnightAngel pushed into the room. “I have a suggestion to resolve this. I called in a favor.”

And the already tiny room suddenly seemed too small to contain the personality that walked in. The attractive red head was, perhaps, showing too much skin, but nobody was ever going to call that particular woman on it.

“Sister Psyche?” Neely said in surprise.

“The one and only.”

[ QUOTE ]
I consider this a non-insignificant failing of my writing,

[/ QUOTE ]

As a relative newcomer to this forum, I have to confess that I have not had the opportunity to be familiar with everyone's efforts, so I'll just respond based on my own opinion of what you said.

There is no human being who is innocent and pure. Some of us are more capable of "doing the right thing" no matter what than others, but we all have our inner demons; our id, ego, and super-ego working against each other.

If you are writing characters who are complex with dark twisty souls, then I would say you are writing realistic characters.

In my writing, I use several of my friends' characters. One of my friends recently commented to me that all of the characters I write (mine or others) are complex and have faults, except for one of his characters who is always good and right. I thought about that comment and realized something. While that character has appeared in each one of my stories, and while he is always important to those stories, he is always strictly a supporting character. And why? Because he's not an interesting character. He doesn't have faults. And because of that, he's probably never going to be a major character, he's always going to be supporting.

I get very frustrated when a writer makes the pure white knight, or the purely evil bad guy.

If you're writing complex characters with faults and virtues, I'd say that is in no way a "failing."

Part XVII of Sisters is up.

Sisters
Part XVII
now...

Neely slowed to a hover over the eerie forests of Nerva’s Primeva. The rugged terrain was full of jagged ravines, thick vegetation, and meandering waterways. With dusk settling over the forest, it was a forbidding sight that ran a chill up Neely’s back. There was no sign of Shattered’s pursuit. She couldn’t believe he’d give up chasing her, knowing his insane hatred for any Ghost and obsession with Kheldians, but she had at least pulled away from him. She looked behind her once more, then dived down into the lush, tangled forest.

She swooped under a rickety rope-and-wood-slat bridge that she couldn’t imagine actually walking over, and then was under the cover of the trees. It was like being in a huge, damp cave. The hidden night creatures were beginning to stir as it appeared to be full night under the canopy. The air had a damp odor and was heavy to breath. And over it all was a frisson of magical energy. She shivered as she got her bearings.

“It is almost never a good idea to go to ground in the open when running for your life,” she muttered to herself. Had it been Ice9 who’d taught her that? If so, Shattered would know she’d keep moving. Should she then do the unexpected and find someplace to hide? No... even if he knew she’d keep moving, he wouldn’t know which way. Since he would expect her to head south as soon as possible, she instead angled slightly west, hidden under the trees, and hating, for that moment, that she glowed like a giant firefly in the dark forest.

She burst out into an open area and came to a shocked halt. The ground fell away in front of her, and she saw ancient ruins poking up through the jungle. She recognized the architecture, though. Orenbega. These ruins were built by ancient Orenbegans. She forgot her own danger for a moment in the wonder of what she was seeing. It was incredible.

She heard movement behind her, and, while she was certain it was just a wild animal, she dived into the ravine. Seeking even more cover, she swooped under another of those terrifying bridges down into the ravine and followed the rocky path to the north-west.

Down in the depths of the craggy canon, the ruins were even more impressive. Covered with vines, the stones eroded and cracked, she could still feel the power of the ancient people who had poured their time not just into building, but into making their home beautiful. She wished she could pause to stare at the carved stone, but it was not worth her life and freedom.

She saw flickering firelight ahead. The narrow stone walls opened into a hidden valley. The ruins here were in better shape, and there were signs of human occupation, including a candy wrapper and a soda can tossed carelessly to the side.

She reluctantly extinguished her shields and landed on her feet, her bright energy flicking out, so she could creep forward in the darkness. She stepped lightly through the jagged roots trying to twist her ankles, and slunk around the angled stone walls, trying to find a crack to peer through. Surprisingly, there were none. There was, however, a ramp leading up to the flat roof, well hidden by the low hanging trees overhead. She jogged lightly up the ramp and smiled when she saw the light streaming skyward from the huge open hole in the roof.

She crouched and crept towards the opening. The first thing she saw was a huge leaded window, a circle with a staring eye. She moved even closer and could make out the rubble that had fallen in, and a huge stone hand reaching out of the earth towards her, like a trapped giant straining to be free of the earth. She nervously moved even further, concerned about whether the jagged pieces of roof that remained would hold her, and then she spied the swirling purple of an active CoT portal. She frowned... and looked further in, to see a man in a lab coat, typing into a tiny hand held device.

And then the stone underneath her crumbled, and she tumbled down into the room below.
---

As the sunset painted the sea a fiery orange, a furious battle raged on what would have been a quiet beach. It was a battle slowly going against the heroes, and now Shattered Ice9 had arrived. And since most of the Ghosts knew what their fate would likely be if they fell this close to the Shade’s base, it was a fight UPS and Sooner Spirit were not willing to lose.

“We’ve got to retreat,” UPS said to Sooner as the flow of combat brought them closer together again.

“But Neely-” Sooner started to protest,

“-isn’t even here. We’re not helping her.”

Sooner glanced around at the battle, at her Ghosts, their counterparts in the Shades, the Arachnos and Longbow joining in, even as she viciously attacked a metal spider wearing a woman’s face. “And we’re just going to get these people killed.” She nodded. “I’ll coordinate with Longbow so we pull out together. Then we’ll go after Neely.”
---

It all happened so fast. The man in the lab coat let out a yell of alarm as Neely tumbled in. She managed to roll, collecting a few new bruises as she somersaulted over the rocks, and got to her feet quickly. Before even activating her shields, she took two long strides and knocked the device out the man’s hands. And then the portal flared, and out stepped a woman dressed in head to toe black and white, who turned a very surprised death’s-head mask to Neely.

“Bones Idle! Run!” the man called, his voice thick with some accent.

The woman, evidently Bones Idle, ignored the advice. Before Neely could take another step, dead things began to crawl up out of the ground. With her eyes the size of saucers, Neely reactivated her shields. The zombies flung themselves at her, and she grit her teeth at the smell and disgusting sight of the rotten flesh dripping from their bones as they batted at her. She couldn’t bring herself to touch one, so she summoned photon seekers. Two of the floating balls of energy detonated on the zombies, sending rotting flesh splattering everywhere. The third seeker drifted serenely away to float quietly near the ceiling. She scowled at it, then turned back to the necromancer, who had just gone on summoning more zombies. Neely ignored the remaining zombies and pushed through to their mistress. The villain was flinging shadows at Neely, but was no match for a Peacebringer of Neely’s experience. Neely punched Bones Idle once and she staggered back. Neely followed with a bolt of pure energy and Bones smashed into the wall. She stubbornly stayed on her feet, but as Neely prepared to attack again, the remaining seeker suddenly seemed to realize it had a target and swooped down on the villain, expending its energy. Bones Idle was tossed into the air like a doll and then crumbled to the ground. Without her will, the zombies fell as well.

Neely turned to see the man in the lab coat shakily pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. She knocked it away as well and pointed to a corner far from the portal. “You! Over there. NOW! And don’t take anything else out of those pockets!” The man obediently scrambled to the corner as Neely propped up the groggy villain. She smacked the woman lightly on the frightfully realistic mask. “Wake up! C’mon... Wake up.”

The villain shook her head and batted futilely at Neely’s hands, but did open her eyes. Neely shook one finger. “Don’t move a muscle. Don’t lift a hand. If I see so much as an undead mouse moving in here, you’re toast. Understand?” The villain glared at Neely, but nodded. “Where does that portal go?” Neely demanded.

Bones Idle blinked, confused, then answered, “Wherever you want it to.”

“What do you mean? Its location isn’t set?”

“Naylor sets it. As far as I know, it can go anywhere.”

“Where is it set for now?” she asked. Bones Idle paused and Neely punched the wall with a flare of energy next to her head. “Don’t stop to think. Just answer me.”

“Steel Canyon, hero.” the villain answered. “I was just at Steel Canyon.”

Neely nodded, feeling a rush of hope. She started to stand, then, with a sigh, punched Bones Idle one more time, watching her slump into unconsciousness.

“You’re Naylor?” she asked, as she turned to the man. Dark skin, dreadlocks, lab coat with the Arachnos symbol emblazoned on the back. He backed fearfully into the corner as she approached. “Are you Naylor?” she demanded again, and he nodded.

“This will take me to Steel Canyon? Is it still set that way?”

“I- ah - unless you ‘armed the controller when you ‘it it, it’s set for Steel Canyon in-”

Neely glanced down and found the controller on the ground. She picked it up and stared at the multitude of buttons, dials, and displays. “How would I know if it was still set right?”

“You could ‘and it to me and I’ll tell you.” he offered reasonably.

“You wear an Arachnos symbol. How can I possibly trust you?” She frowned as he shrugged. “Wait.. Do you know what these numbers should read?”

He nodded. “The first is -3178, the second is -84, the third is -387, and the fourth is 873-82.”

“And this setting will take me to Steel Canyon?”

He nodded, obviously terrified. She stared at the portal, at the easy way home, if she could trust the word of two villains. No having to evade Shattered Ice9, no worrying about the Shades spotting her... just step through and she’s home. On the downside, if they’d lied to her... she could end up anywhere. She could end up someplace she couldn’t hope to escape. On the other hand, if she tried to make it back through Nerva and ended up captured by the Shades... well... that truly was a fate worse than death for any Ghost, and a Kheldian besides.

She looked up, through the jagged hole and up into the canopy overhead. And was filled with a fierce longing for the bright, towering skyscrapers of Steel Canyon. With a resolute nod, she tucked the controller into her back pocket, and stepped through the portal.
---

The Arachnos forces had made a token pursuit of the retreating heroes, but the Shades had been in earnest. They had pursued stubbornly until the last of them was outdistanced by the speed of the flyer. Once they were free of pursuit, their attention turned back to the problem that had brought them here.

“Ahren,” Sooner called back to the base. “What’s her location now?”

“She in the ‘Primeva’ region. She’s stopped running for the moment. You’ll have a hard time getting the flyers through the canopy, though. Perhaps a few of you could go -” he broke off abruptly. “Oh [censored]!” he yelled. There was silence for along moment. “I’ve lost her. She’s gone.”

“She’s... gone?” Sooner asked, exchanging worried glances with her friends. “What do you mean? She’s dead?”

“No.. I’d still have the tag if she died. I’d have seen damage reports if the tag got hurt. It’s as if it just ceased to exist. One minute it was there... now it’s gone.” Another long pause. “She’s gone.”
---

Keely huddled under her bunk, curled up tight, her hands fisted in her hair. She had a rare moment of peace, as her insane Kheldian half fell quiet. Now if she could just be lucky enough to not get visited by Shattered or the demon for just a little while. Just a few moments to savor the quiet in her head.

The loss was sudden and as painful as if she’d been impaled on a red hot steel. It shot through her with no warning and left an awful sense of loss behind. Neely was gone. For the first time in her life, Keely couldn’t feel her twin’s presence.

She threw back her head and howled like a wounded animal. For the first time, she accepted that she was going to die in that tiny cell at the hands of a madman who hated her. Her sister wasn’t coming for her. There would be no rescue. And so she screamed.

In both my reading and my writing, I prefer the love/romance to develop within the setting of another story. If the romance IS the story, it is too often syrupy and melodramatic. When the romance happens within the framework of a non-romantic story, especially when that story provides opportunities for roadblocks and conflicts, it adds to the tension and drama of the whole thing.

I don't write a lot of romance in my fan fiction, for a lot of reasons, but when I do, the romance just adds flavor to the larger story.