kitsuneko1976

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What is double spacing and would it help the readablity of things I posted here? Is double spacing done between words or only at the end of sentences or does it refer to between the lines like this:

insert clever

message here.

Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you.

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Yeah, your example is precisely what double spacing is. Personally, I don't think it helps so much in a fourm like this, as long as you follow the usual grammatical guidelines. Proper puncuation, spacing, and paragraph breaks and soforth.

As for the clever message part...Why yes, I was an English major at one point, why do you ask?

Normally, I hate shopping. I know, I know, not very feminine of me, but true. However, since it meant I was finally going to be able to quit wearing my bedtime attire in public, I was relishing the opportunity. Not to mention the time might get me a chance to get to know Flora a little better. I knew there was a fine mind just beneath the surface; I just had to figure out how to get her to relax long enough to get it out. I figured if I was going to be depending on someone else to keep me alive, I wanted to know as much about her, and especially her character, as I could.

We made our way through the busy streets of a neighborhood of Darwin’s Landing. It was bleak and desolate. There were normal people walking around, but they were very few and far between. Mostly we saw either members of various gangs or the Rouge Isles Police. I decided we should try to stick to the back alleys as much as possible, and she agreed. Something about how people were constantly threatening her, but ignoring my presence made it seem prudent. I suppose I was just shielding myself like mad, because I mean no one seemed to notice me. Very strange, but potentially useful.

We made our way to the gates of Mercy without incident. Thank goodness for that. I just wanted to save my energy for tonight. Once they gates opened, I was amazed. It was a very clean, almost pristine looking area. I was so different from the ramshackle shacks and battered brownstones of Darwin’s that I almost wanted to pinch myself to make sure it was real. Flora walked sown the street, and I followed like a vengeful shadow. Just being cautious, I suppose.

“Oh, here we are! It's not the best shop in town, but it's not the most expensive, either -- good for, err, young 'villains' on a budget, I suppose. Even if you have to pick through some of the more, well, stereotypical items to get the normal stuff....”

She led me to a shop called Cast-Off Clothiers. Normally I hated puns, but this definitely worked. I walked in, and felt my face go slack. This place had everything! I mean whatever look you were going for, they had clothing to accommodate it; everything from suits to tights, lace, silk, spikes, chains. Everything. Best of all not ten feet inside the door, I found a topcoat. No, I don’t mean a trenchcoat; I mean an honest to god, made of wool, high society like top coat. And it was dyed orange with black cuffs and lapels. And it was a petite. My hand to God, it was just what I had always wanted, and looked to be my size. I darted forward, snagged it and put it on. It fit like a favorite glove; warm, snug in all the places you wanted it to be, but still just a bit roomy wherever it was supposed to move. I looked at the price tag, expecting heartbreak. Then I really examined it, and realized I had no idea how to read the price. Hell, I didn’t even know what the currency here was! None the less, I tied the belt. I felt vaguely like a flasher. I walked back to Flora. She’d seemed to relax quite a bit. Guess my near nudity had thrown her somewhat.

“Hey, Flora? Can you tell me how much this thing costs? I just realized I have no idea how money works around here.”

I extended an arm, and dangled the price tag in front of her. She looked it over. “See the number here? This one's 30 inf. Err... infamy.”

I looked at her in disbelief. “Excuse me. Did you just say infamy as though it’s currency?”

“It's... rather hard to explain. A lot of shops -- clothing in particular but also the trainers around the island -- don't bother with money. Instead they try to cater to villains who have certain amounts of notoriety around the islands... it promotes their business, I suppose. If you want to get by around here you need real money for food and the like, but you also need infamy. ...I really don't like the term. The good work I try to do shouldn't be INFAMOUS, I mean...”

Okay. That’s just plain weird. But, hey, when in Rome, and all that…

“Oh, wait -- see this green dot on the tag? It's half off today! We must've arrived during a sale! What luck!”

“Cool. Now I know how to find the bargains. I figure I’ve got to make whatever money Arachnos has given me stretch, because I don’t want to owe anyone any more than I already do.”

“Agreed. I try to avoid doing work for them myself; it just doesn't feel right... although being thrifty can be very... difficult, around here, I'll warn...”

I smirked. “Hey, I didn’t get as far as I did back home depending on my allowance. I had to earn every cent I did the hard way.” We moved down the aisles. I grabbed a pair of slacks that was my size as well. Oooh, black, and made with a boot cut. Something I could relax in.

An idea struck me. I knew what I wanted my costume to be. I was gonna recreate my old working outfit. I mean, yeah, the “superhero” racket definitely helped me pull in some bucks back in the bad old days, but damn, I loved that costume. Most comfortable thing I’d ever owned, once I got used to walking around dressed like that. Not to mention Billy had laughed his head off when he saw me dressed like some kind of refugee from a comic book. I smiled at the memory. Fortunately, the topcoat was a dead ringer for my old trenchcoat, but this time it was in the colors I always wanted it in. “Say, which way to the costume accessories?”

“Pardon? Isn't everything around us sort of costumey..?”

I grinned beatifically at her. I was definitely in the throes of creation here. “You know, like Halloween costume stuff. Pointy ears, tails, that kinda stuff.”

She grinned back. Either she was getting into this, or my enthusiasm was beginning to rub off. “Oh, hey, grab a few of those shirts, willya?” She grabbed blindly, and managed to come up with three small black mens dress shirts. Granted, those would cling a little tightly, but, hey, I didn’t mind. I think I look good in black. Then again, who doesn’t?

“The more traditional sort of vill-- heroin-- well. Costume sort of gear is in the back. Spandex, and the like. It's not as popular with modern sorts, not compared to metal skulls and chains, apparently...”

Perfect. I made a beeline, and she had to hurry to keep up.

The first thing I grabbed was a pair of orange tights. I mean these babies were full length, toe to waist. I knew they’d fit just like a second skin, just like god had intended them to. Well, maybe not god, but whoever designed them. Next up was gonna be the gloves and the tail. I knew I was going to be occupied, so I asked Flora to look for a fox-like tail. She set about the task diligently. As I was perusing the mound of gloves in various lengths and materials (who knew there were so many styles of leather gloves? Buckled, shiny, matte, the list goes on…), she asked, “Were you a costume designer or something before you came here..? This is a rather odd ensemble...?”

I found a pair of elbow length matte leather gloves. Very elegant and sinister all at the same time. I started pulling them on to test the fit. Oh yeah. Felt just like a second skin. Then I realized I’d just been asked a question, and without really thinking, I answered. “I was a prostitute.”

“I used to work in a flower shop, myself. It was quiet work, and the pay was good...”

Huh. Guess it didn’t really faze her. I smirked. “Oh, yeah? Beat the hell outta flipping burgers, I suppose.”

“Right, right. So, you were a.. .... .!!?.”

I heard a loud crashing noise behind me. I turned around. Flora was staring at me with an expression of utter shock, the bin she had been looking through upended and on the floor.

Then again…

I glanced at the explosion of Halloween odds and ends at her feet, and spotted an orange pair of kitty ears, with an orange and white tail. Well, it wasn’t perfect, but probably as close as I was going to get to what I wanted. I picked them up, and then started cleaning up the mess. I sighed. Looked like I had some explaining to do.

“Look, Flora, I realize I’ve just dropped a huge one on you. Tell you what; you head over to the pizzeria we passed by on the way in and order up some lunch. I’ll pay up here and find you, and then if you want, I’ll explain everything.”

“Er... right. Okay. Well. We'll do that, then...” She started to walk away. It then occurred to me this was going to take a while. I still had to find a top.

“Hey, Flora? Would you mind looking over the file they gave me? I mean, I still have no clue as to where we’re going, or what we’re going to be up against here, and you seem to know the lay of the land pretty well. Think you could do that, maybe come up with a plan that’ll help us be as efficient as possible? I’d like to keep as many people who aren’t the target as possible out of the way.”

“R-Right. I'll do my best, I mean... right. Let's have a look...” She took the offered file and headed for the door. Hey, when in doubt over the personal, involve yourself as deep as possible in the work to distract. It’s an axiom that’s helped me for years. Here’s hoping for one more time. Then again, given my own situation, isn’t that exactly what I was doing?

I headed back towards the counter, picking up a pair of black jeans, a backpack, and a bedroll on the way. I hate it when they put useful items out at the ends of the aisles. Makes it impossible to pass them up. I whipped out the black card that Kalinda had given me. I hoped it was going to cover everything. I didn’t really want to have to put any of it back, I mean, this was potentially all my worldly possessions. The clerk blithely swiped my card through and waited for the transaction to finalize. I idly swept the counter trinkets while I was waiting, and spotted a lovely set of what had to be fake pearls. I mean at 15 dol-- um ‘infamy’, right, they had to be fake. I felt like a heel. I was about to ask this woman to add something else on to my purchase, and I’d always hated people like that…

I looked back at her sheepishly, and started to ask. “Um…miss…I hate--” I stopped, feeling about as dumbstruck as Flora had looked a few minutes ago. If she wasn’t the dead ringer for the young lady I’d helped in the alley a few days ago, then she was surely her evil twin. It was nice to know she had an exact mirror of my expression. I glanced at her nametag, looking for something to get the wheels turning again. “Uh…hi, Cassie. How’re you doing?”

She recovered nicely, and this time, the smile she gave me went to her eyes, instead of just being the professional one I was sure she gave all the time. The one she’d given us when we walked through the door. “Much better, thanks to you. Heck, when I went to report the incident, they took me to meet Kalinda. She sure seemed glad to hear that you were still alive. She seems to have taken a real interest in you.” I shuddered. “And as a reward for helping her out, she started sending me shipments of all kinds of things that Arachnos and their various hirelings pick up while on assignment. My store’s more full than it’s ever been.”

I took a few moments to process that. “So it seemed like she’d have been in hot water if anything had happened to me?” Cassie nodded. “Interesting. Looks like she let me loose ahead of schedule then. I’ve heard some things about Arachnos since then. Thanks. I think you may’ve just helped me.”

She shrugged. “S’all part of the service.” She blinked, as if remembering something. “Oh, you were saying?”

I felt heat creeping its way to my cheeks. “Ummm…oh yeah. I hate to be a nuisance, but could I get that string of fake pearls there? It’d really set off the outfit.”

She beamed. “So, designing your first costume, huh? No problem. Besides, I think it’ll definitely go with the coat.” She put them into the bag. “Though, I must take offense at the fake comment. They’re real.”

I sputtered. “And they’re going that cheap?!? Why?”

Cassie chuckled bemusedly. “They’ve been here for a good six months. No one’ll buy ‘em. Apparently, they either think they’re fake, or don’t want to become bait for muggers.”

Put that way… “Yeah, I suppose that makes sense.” I handed her my card back.

She shook her head resolutely. “Oh no, hon. You take those with my compliments. It’s the least I can do for you. I mean, not only did you save my life, but you helped make this place so profitable I was able to make assistant manager without having to sleep with the boss.”

My cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Erm…well. Okay. Thanks.” Jesus, and I though my last job was rough… I waived and walked out the door.

((Flora Fairchild's dialogue graciously provided by her player. You can find her story under the heading of " There's been a mistake; I'm not a supervillain!" right here in the roleplaying forums.))

How, exactly does one go about introducing themselves to a personal hero? I mean, I didn’t want to scare the poor girl. She struck me in person like she did from her writings; kind of shy. I couldn’t go up to her and just gush; it’d be awkward. Not to mention probably embarrassing for the both of us. Hmm…well, nothing for it I guess.

I walked across the room to where she was sitting, and just stood in front of her. And proceeded to wait.

After a few moments, she looked up and jumped. I suppose it’s not every day you find yourself being stared at by a girl in a baby-doll tee, panties and combat boots, so, yeah, I could see where she’d been a bit startled.

“Hi! You wouldn’t happen to be Flora Fairchild, wouldja?” Could I possibly sound any more chipper? Bleah.

She gathered herself up somewhat. “Um…yes. Are you Kuri?”

“Uh-huh. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, thank you. ...erm...” She glanced at me a little more thoroughly. “Is that your normal, er, costume..? It seems a bit... um. Well. A bit. You know...”

I looked down at myself, and blushed. “Uh, actually, I don’t have much of a choice about that right now. This is all I have…but they said we should have time before the assignment for me to go get something to wear.”

“Oh…good. How long?”

I opened the manila envelope and just glanced at the time we absolutely needed to get there. “Uhhh…looks like seven o’clock.” I glanced at a clock on a far wall. “And since it’s only three, we have time for a little shopping, I suppose…” I heard something going on down below. I looked out the open window, and saw something that set my blood raging; a Hellion was holding up some poor man for his wallet, and the guy had his arms full of groceries. It took all of a few moments for me to realize that I had to do something, because no one else had either noticed, or cared. I turned to my new tour guide. “So, meet you downstairs?”

She looked perplexed. “"Meet me? Well, I suppose... okay. Do you have something to attend to, or..?”

I placed a boot up on the windowsill and gauged where I wanted to land. God, I hoped this was gonna work. I mean, yeah, we were only three stories up, but still…Then I smiled at her. “Yep. Gonna take a shortcut.” And then I stepped out.

Oh god, the look on her face. I wish I’d had a camera.

Three stories may not be a long way to fall, but if you screw the landing, you’re gonna be a hurting unit. And here I was, plummeting knees down towards a mugger. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?!?

And as if I had just prayed for it, the mugger shoved the guy down. Then he flipped out a switchblade and started to lean in to the guy, giving me the majority of his back.

Perfect.

I had all of about 2 seconds to make my presence known. So I did.

“Hey! Moron!”

He turned and looked. I’ll grant you, that at five foot four, I’m not imposing. At five foot four wearing a t-shirt and panties, I am not gonna inspire fear in anyone, unless they’re afraid of salaciously dressed teenaged girls. But coming in at terminal velocity, the surprised ‘O’ his mouth had frozen into made all the risk instantly worth it.

Then I connected. Knees right into his solar plexus. God, if I’d known what I was doing, it probably wouldn’t have looked any better. The air exploded out of him as he came to earth. I jumped off of him using the last of my momentum and landed neatly on my feet. Then I extended a hand to the victim.

At a glance, he was relatively cute. Youngish, disheveled brown hair, pale winter sky blue eyes slightly dazed with disbelief, plaid shirt, jeans, and the same boots I had on. Positively scrumptious, well, in that helpless male kind of way. His eyes got a little clearer and a whole lot wider. Then I heard footsteps.

Damn. Looked like I hadn’t quite finished the job.

I looked at the Hellion, and he was staggering. Oh, good. I had taken most of the fight out of him. His buddy with the shotgun, however, looked to be a problem. Especially with him leveling it in my direction. I only had a few moments to react. I jumped at the dazed Hellion, hoping to knock him into the path of the soon to be incoming buckshot.

Okay, so maybe this is why most people here don’t go in for heroics…

I connected with the thug and knocked him back. His buddy’s shot tore out his chest and he sagged to the ground. Great, one threat down, but now I was out of cover, and the buckshot boy had just racked the slide.

He grinned and leveled the weapon at my face.

This was going to hurt. A lot.

Suddenly, vines erupted from the ground, grabbing his arms first and throwing their aim off. Oh, thank god. My own backup had arrived, and not a moment too soon. Flora was concentrating hard, and more vines snaked out of the ground, entangling all his limbs, rendering him helpless. I sauntered up to him, rolling my hips as I did to put a little sway into my walk. I figured, what the hell, if I’m going to look slutty, may as well take some power from it, and make absolutely sure I had his undivided attention.

Even tied up, I could tell he was starting to be happy he’d come here. Great. Exactly the effect I was looking for.

Once I’d gotten to the spot he was frozen to, I pulled the shotgun from his hands and shoved it right into his groin. I batted my eyes at him. He looked scared, turned on, and confused all in the same look. Perfect.

“Hi. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell your friends not to mug people in this area. They’re under my protection.”

He was completely lost. Great. Needed to focus his attention. So I jammed the barrel under his chin and racked the slide. I watched a dark circle form on the front of his already stained jeans.

Ah. Now I had his undivided attention.

“I hate repeating myself, but I’m feeling generous today. If I hear that any of you Hellions are mugging civilians anywhere within 500 yards of this building, I am going to track you down and tear your head off. Then I’m going to hunt down whoever mugged said civilian and cut off a digit for every bruise they have.” He started sweating. “When I run out of digits, I’ll move on to teeth. Are we clear?”

“You’re bluffing. No one’s that crazy. You can’t take on a whole gang.”

I smiled, though it’s not really an accurate description. It was more like I was baring my teeth at him.

“If you think I’m bluffing, ask the Black Skull about me sometime. He’ll tell you exactly how I feel about you Hellions.”

He blanched. Oh, good. He knew the guy I was speaking about. Saved me the effort.

“Now, do you remember what I’ve told you?” He nodded. “Good.”

Then I shifted my grip on the barrel so I was wielding it like a club, and swung at his head like it was a piñata. The connection sounded like a gunshot in the alleyway. He went out like a light.

I walked back towards the victim, and extended a hand to him. He looked very pale and shocky, so I grabbed his wrist and hefted him to his feet. I may not be imposing, but I am solid. Think Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2. Pity damn near everyone I go up against seems to be built like Arnold around here…definitely means I need any advantage I can get.

I brushed him off and picked up his wallet. I scanned for ID. Huh, we shared the same last name. What’re the odds? Then again, remembering my geography classes, and given that the Rouge Isles had been occupied for a time by the French, the odds had to be pretty good.

“Hey, Mr. Reynard?” Nobody home. I tried again, this time with the first name. “Hey, Alex. You okay?”

He blinked. Ah. The shock was leaving.

“Uh…I suppose you’ll be wanting my money now, right?”

I started picking up groceries and replacing them in his sack. “Hmmm?” Then it dawned on me; he thought I’d helped him so I could get a crack at him. Jesus, what kind of life do these people have here? Oh god, don’t answer that. I don’t think I really want to know. “Oh, no. Nothing like that. Just felt a need to help out, you know? I mean there’s never a cop around when you need one…” I handed him his wallet, and watched as he put it back in his pocket.

He looked so lost, kinda like a puppy. I had an urge to scruffle his hair and ask him if he was a good boy so strong it went down to my toes. Sometimes I wonder if I’m half as funny as I think I am. Probably not.

“So, you helped me just because you could? Why?” The confusion was so plain on his face, it was damn near painful. I mean, doesn’t anyone here look out for anyone else? God, maybe I had led a sheltered existence coming from Paragon City. I mean, if someone’s in trouble, you’re supposed to help, right?

I shrugged. “I dunno. ‘Cause I couldn’t stand by and watch you get beat down with your arms full? I hate Hellions? Because you have pretty eyes? Pick one.”

He smiled. Guess the flirtation helped. Damn, now that he was coming out of the shock, he started to look me over. Well, hell, isn’t this interesting. Although, I must give him credit, because he started with the face first, and then had the good grace to stop looking me over when he got to the waist and saw I wasn’t wearing any pants. He immediately looked back at my face, a blush burning across his cheeks. I had to grin.

“Tell you what. Got anything to drink?”

He got all confused again, then reached into his bag and pulled out two sodas and handed them to me.

“Thanks. Hell, consider that payment for services rendered.”

I started to turn, and saw him scribbling something down on the receipt. Oh, god it was a phone number. How positively adorable. I took it from him and tucked it into my top. Well, it’s not like I had any pockets.

I walked over to Flora, and offered her a soda. She had a completely dumbfounded look on her face.

“Uh, Flora? You can put the bad guy down now. He’s not going anywhere.”

She blinked. “Er..? Ah, okay...” She concentrated for a few moments, and let the unconscious mugger fall to the ground. She was still gobsmacked. I cracked open the cola and handed it to her. She accepted it, and took a swallow on reflex.

Then I remembered I had no idea where to go get clothes. I turned back to Alex. “Hey! Know where there’s a thrift shop around here somewhere? I need to find something to wear.” He looked lost again for a moment, and then he brightened. “Sure. Best one around’s in Port Oakes. You should be able to find something good there.”

I smiled. “Great. Thanks. I’ll call you as soon as I get settled in. You gonna make it home okay?”

He smirked. “Oh yeah. I just live one block down from here." He laughed quietly. It was a very pleasant laugh. "It's funny. They say you always get into accidents within one mile of your house. Looks like I had a good one today.” He waived and walked out the alleyway. Definitely gonna keep that number.

I looked around and found an open dumpster. I grabbed the switchblade and shotgun and deposited them where they belonged. Then I turned back to my tour guide. “So Flora, you know where he was talking about?”

She blinked twice and refocused on me. “Talking..? Oh -- yes, there are some apartment complexes here in Mercy around there... er. It's a bit of a crowded island, though, I hope you have his phone number...”

I shook my head and chuckled. I don’t think she was fragile, but a bit scattered…well, maybe.

“Yeah. C’mon. I want to find something decent to wear around here. I mean, if I’m gonna be getting into fights, I may as well get some kind of costume together. Hell, I’m tired of dressing like this outside of my bedroom. If I’m going to get shot at, I want to at least be dressed for it.”

She beamed at that. “Right! Well, then, let's go shopping! I know a few good thrift stores here on Mercy we can visit, and there's a nice place that sells scarves, although for some reason they only sell them to people with high threat levels...”

And off we went. Two girls going out for an afternoon of shopping, to be followed by a night of mayhem.

And it wasn’t even a Friday.

((Flora Fairchild and Foxtrot Charly created by @Twoflower. Used with permission))

Ever had the feeling you’d just slipped into a bad spy movie? Yeah, that’s about how I was feeling when I went out to meet up with Kalinda to get he particulars of my first assignment, and meet up with my second member of Foxtrot Company as well. Nice to know I had someone in my corner, even if she was supposedly ‘fragile’.

I walked over to the dais that Kalinda seemed to spend her life rooted to. She saw me coming and smiled again. She reached under her cloak and handed me a manila envelope. Nice to know that even would be world-beating organizations had to use office supplies. Kept things somewhat normal.

“A pleasure to see you again Ms. Reynard. I hope the…discussion with Foxtrot Charly went well.”

“Yeah. She gave me a good idea of what’s going on here. So, I take it that’s the file on the man I’m supposed to eliminate for you?”

“How…aptly you put it. Yes, a photo, description, and the timetable for his meeting tonight.”

My eyebrows went up in surprise. “Timetable? How’d you manage that?”

“Why, we have someone on the inside, of course. It’s virtually impossible for anything on these islands to occur without our knowing about it.”

I filed that tidbit for further thought. Not exactly a cheery notion, but it did mean I had some leeway, if I was smarter than they were. Here’s hoping.

She eyed me up and down, disdainfully. “You are planning to find something more…appropriate to wear, yes?”

I fought every urge in my body to wipe the smirk off her face. “That depends. Am I supposed to panhandle for the money to buy it? I didn’t exactly find anything my size in central wardrobe.” God, one of these days I will learn when to curb my tongue. Though, I suppose, if she could dish a little verbal abuse, she’d be a big enough girl to take it.

She laughed as though I’d told her the funniest joke ever. I really hate it when people think I’m cute. On the other hand, it means they’re not thinking of me as a threat. Their mistake.

“Oh, yes. You do have a way with words. Here.” She handed me a blank piece of plastic with a mag-stripe. “This card is directly tied into your account. We have placed some funds into it so you could replace your wardrobe, or at least the clothes you’ll be wearing while on the job. Mind, this is really just a down payment for services to be rendered, but it should prove adequate.”

I looked it over. Well, no time like the present, I supposed. Oh yeah, better to cover my butt now than to worry about it later. “Say, can I take some backup with me? You know, just in case this guy…”

“Burch.”

“…right, has anyone there to cover him? Well, besides the heroes he’s supposed to be contacting?”

She pondered that for a few moments. “No, I don’t suppose that will be a problem. Actually, that may prove for the best, seeing as you are new here and have no idea where you’re going to be going.”

Good. She was going for it.

“However, I want to make it clear that it is you who is to deal the final blow.”

I sighed. I’d figured as much. “Fine. You don’t want me to bring back his head or anything? I’m really not into the whole idea of using the sword you guys gave me. If I am going to kill someone, I want it to be deliberate, not accidental.”

She smiled again, and it still wasn’t a nice smile. “Fair enough. Though this means you’ll have to work twice as hard, then. You will notice that in the file, the order is to make it messy. We want it absolutely clear to those who would betray us that disloyalty is extremely costly. Now, go, and get ready. Don’t come back until you have finished.”

God, she would have to say just that. Now she did sound like every cartoon bad guy I’d ever seen growing up.

“Oh, but do keep the sword. You never know when such a thing may come in handy...”

Oh, no.

She knew.

I gave her a bow, and set off to find my contact.

It never ceases to amaze me what a hub of activity a large room can be, nor the types of people one can see. There were people dressed like pirates. Robots. Zombie queens (complete with zombie followers…). Military types surrounded by commandos. Creatures that could only be described as demonic. Plain looking girls in fedoras with a lost look on their faces. Ninjas…

You know, I think I’d just found my contact.

She looked like she was in her late teens, barely old enough to hold down a full time job. She had stringy black hair. Even tied in a pony tail, and tucked under a hat, sprigs of hair still wisped out dangling into her face. It’d have driven me nuts, but taking the rest of her in, it fit the look. The rest of her outfit was comprised of what looked like hand me downs, a plain, grayed T-shirt with the neck cut out and the sleeves torn off, and a pair of pants that looked like they were on their last legs, so to speak. If this girl didn’t live out of a thrift shop, I’d eat her hat. Her glasses reflected the glow of her laptop’s monitor.

I suddenly had a revelation. I knew where I’d seen this girl before. She was the maniac waiving the peace signs in the middle of the combat. I had to chuckle at that. I mean, yeah, I had to admire someone who stuck to her beliefs in the middle of that kind of insanity, but still, it was a funny image. But looking at her typing into that laptop, and remembering her name, I realized I actually knew her. Well, not personally, but none the less, I knew her.

Flora Fairchild. This young woman was a personal hero. I’d managed to crack into a message board that Arachnos ran for the people on these islands while I was still incarcerated at the Zig. ( I think the warden would’ve been pissed at me, but, hey, it’s not like I logged in using MY ID number. I used the prison ID of a guy named the Black Skull. No, again, I’m not kidding about the name. This joker was a gangbanger on my cell block who decided I was his girlfriend. He also wouldn’t take no for an answer. It took holding a shiv {that I’d made from a toothbrush wrapped in cling wrap and then melted down with a lighter, then sharpened on the cell floor} to his most favored possessions to make him get the hint. He thought he was a big shot with the Hellions, but I showed him precisely what he really was; namely, too damn stupid to be allowed to breed. The warden moved him to solitary after he’d been discovered to be hacking into a criminal database. Pity.) She had been broken out of the same prison as well, and drafted into Arachnos’ little war after being unfairly imprisoned. Apparently she’d been a worker in a flower shop. Just another ordinary person who’d all of a sudden developed mutant powers. In her case, it was plant control. Sounds lovely, except when she erupted with the power, the plants ran amuck. Fortunately for her, heroes nearby were able to stop the plants from causing too much damage to the surrounding area. Unfortunately for her there was one casualty.

A brand new SUV belonging to the mayor’s son. And no, I’m not kidding.

The little brat was so angry, he managed to get his father to brand the poor girl a bioterrorist. Now, she should have been able to get out of it, even had quite a few mutant heroes lined up to testify in her behalf. It didn’t matter though. Turns out the boss at the flower shop she worked at was prejudiced, and he claimed she was indeed some kind of political terrorist, intent on making the world a better place for the environment. Kinda like Earth First, but armed with the ability to make the trees get up and lay a hurting on the loggers, you know?

So, sobbing, she was branded an eco-terrorist, and PATRIOT acted right into the Zig.

And justice prevails…HAH!

Anyway, she was going to try to keep her head down, and do her time, but the Arachnos came.
Since her arrival on the island, she’d decided to use her powers, but to try to use them in a heroic fashion. Yeah, a card carrying hero on the Rouge Isles. Sure, she’d been tricked a few times into committing morally questionable acts, but she kept trying anyway. Normally, I’d have trouble believing anyone who wanted to label themselves a hero, but I’m biased. Take into consideration that she was trying to accomplish this in the most hostile environment for someone to do so, even with the setbacks and betrayal she’d suffered at the hands of some of the folks she’d worked for, and keep persevering…

Yeah, she really IS a hero. Just in a different sense.

And I got to work with her! Damn, made me wish I had an autograph book…

((Foxtrot Charly's dialogue graciously provided by her player. Feel free to read more about her in her ongoing story, posted under the title, "Foxtrot Company: The Kids Are All Right", right here in the roleplaying section))

So, now that I’d awakened, I took a few moments and looked around the unfamiliar room. Yep, just like every nondescript hotel room on the planet; same plain bed with featureless bedding, same night table, same desk and chair, same girl in camouflage BDUs, my boots placed by the door. Hell, if I look in the night table, I’ll probably find a copy of the bible…waitaminute…back that one up there…girl in BDUs?

I took stock of the other occupant of my room. Yep. A young woman, probably mid-teens at the latest, decked out head to toe in camouflage, right down to the paint on her face. Okay…this was definitely different. So, I gathered what aplomb I could without any coffee in my bloodstream.

“Uh…hi. This may sound strange, but I just got done having one hell of a nightmare. Can I ask you a quick question?”

"Sure, fire away." Well, she seemed self-assured, that’s for sure.

“Am I still on the Rouge Isles?”

"At last check, yes."

And then my mouth did its usual; making great impressions wherever we go…

“Christ, so just the last bit was a bad dream. So, what’re you supposed to be, the Arachnos Youth or something?” Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She gave me a look that under normal conditions would have had me looking for a crack in the pavement to slip into. "Ugh. God, no. We're our own youth. ...hmm. Long story, better suited for later. For now -- coffee?" She pulled out a thermos and offered me a Styrofoam cup. Thank you, God. Someone CIVILIZED.

“Please.” Oh sweet god, it was just what I needed to clear the cobwebs, nice and strong. Black and bitter. Perfect for the first cup of the day. Sheer caffeinated bliss. “Okay, I apologize for the crack. My name’s Kuri. Kuri Reynard.”

“Callsign's Charly. Foxtrot Charly."

“A pleasure. So, what brings you to my dorm room dungeon today? Hell, you’re the first person I’ve met who doesn’t seem to be connected to Arachnos, or at least you’re not in their uniform…” I left the statement hanging, hoping she’d fill in the opening.

"I'm running interference for Arachnos. They know my outfit deals with problem kids, and figured they could hire us for something other than hot lead slinging action for a change... I said okay, but that we'd need total privacy. Don't worry, X-ray swept the room for bugs, we're clear. So, let's chat."

“Uh…okay. What for?”

"Well, let's run it down. Do you know why you're here?"

“Probably has something to do with the hero I killed. Let’s face it, for any organization that hates superheroes, I’d make an ideal poster child.”

"Aaaand that's probably what they want out of you. Bleh. ...hang on. What'd you mean back there about a 'bad dream', anyway?"

So, I set out to tell just a little bit of it, and next thing I know, I’ve told her the whole thing. I have no idea why the hell I trusted her. She just had that look that I’ve seen in the mirror so many times; it screamed out that above all else, she was a survivor of something god-awful, and she didn’t feel the least bit bad about doing whatever she did to get through. Hell, I could relate. After she took it all in, she gave me the most solemn look I’ve ever seen, even more so than when dad told me that mom had died.

"Okay. For my part in this sordid tale, I found you during the Longbow assault. The medical transporters were overloaded, and my troops were getting hammered... and technically we'd already satsified our client's request to hang in the fight for one paid hour... so I took you with us back to basecamp for treatment. You were a real mess, tattered rags, beaten up, mauled. What happened out there? You don't seem like the sort to get taken down that hard..."

And it hit me like a freight train: the rain of blows. All the hands reaching for me. Sampson leaning in, whispering just for me to hear, “You know, Captain Fantastic taught me everything I know. He was my mentor. And I know you’re just going to love the irony here. See, I’m gonna show you exactly what he had in mind…” And then blinding pain, like nothing I’d ever known before, even given my past. And I blacked out. And when I came back to myself, he was done. The next agent came forward, with a hungry look…oh god oh god no don’t …

I bolted for the bathroom, bile burning my throat. After that, I collapsed, sobbing. Charly took it all in, then came in and ran a washcloth under the tap, and pressed it on the back of my neck. It felt so cool. It took the edge off the nausea.

"If it helps any... we found you with two corpses. Both Longbow. My guess is the first one's the romeo who made that attempt."

I grimaced. “Yeah, the one who tried to take advantage of that other girl.”

She nodded. “So, what was the second one's deal? What happened to him?"

I tried to recall. It came back in bits and pieces. Sampson turning to the guy. “Johnson, stand watch for a few more minutes. Make sure she’s not going to make it. Your option as to how. Just wait until we’re gone.” My consciousness wavering by a thread. He pulled his revolver and waved to the rest as he went down the alley. No sooner than it was just me and him, he took aim. I felt the last of the air leave my body. He holstered his weapon and started down the alley. Somehow or another, a few moments later I managed to gather enough strength to make it to my feet, and I followed him. I crept right up to him, and got his weapon out of his holster. He whirled to face me, and I punched him as hard as I could. The impact took both of us to the ground. I smashed him across the forehead with the pistol’s grip as hard as I could, and it knocked him cold. Then I jammed the gun in his mouth and I...I shot him.

It’s funny. I knew I should feel bad about it. I mean, I killed someone. Again. But somehow, I couldn’t muster any sympathy for him. I mean, Fantastic, sure, that was one thing. I was protecting Billy. And I understand that other Longbow agent, because I had to protect that other girl. This guy, Agent Johnson, (have to remember the name. After all, he’s my victim. I murdered him. Have to bear that one for the rest of my life) though, it was personal. It was survival. Granted, he was walking away, leaving me for dead, but I just couldn’t let him live. He may have turned around at any point and come back to make sure of the job. Hell, it was purely justifiable. I could live with it, as long as I never wavered in that belief.

When I finally crawled out of my internal monologue, Charly was studying me. So, being all curious like, I asked her. “So, why are you here, then?”

Well, her answer just flat out floored me. "Ever hear of Foxtrot Company? Child soldiers. Scary concept, but it happens every day, all over the world... kids drafted into a dictator's armies, teens persuaded to blow themselves up in theatres, students driven mad by bullying and taught by culture to fight back... we pick up the debris the adult world leaves behind, and give them something better to fight for. Namely, each other. ...and truth be told, even if Arachnos hired me to drop in and console you since they tend not to be the kinder, gentler sort of terrorist regime, I really came to try and recruit you. I mean, considering your background..."

I paled. And she definitely noticed.

"Ech. Right, sorry. We did our research, you understand; Zulu's got connections. We both agree you're better off with us. We can give you what you need, both military training support and emotional support. You're a good fit. ...hell, I come from nearly the same background you do. Same problems. Come on back to basecamp, we'll talk about it. Okay..?"

I grinned. I couldn’t help myself. Had to admire brass like that.

I have to admit I was warming up to the idea. Who wouldn’t? Comrades in arms, people who shared similar experiences, so you wouldn’t have to explain everything. Why bother, since they already knew the shorthand? Sounded a hell of a lot better than where I was already at. Then I thought of Billy, and my blood ran cold.

“I’m sorry. I can’t. It sounds good, but I’m completely screwed here. Arachnos has my little brother. It’s pretty damned obvious what I’ve got to do; namely, whatever they tell me to do.”

Stunned does not even begin to describe the look on her face.

"...dammit. He’s with Arachnos? Man, when you make enemies, you score big." I think the look on my face read ‘tell me about it.’ She paused a bit, thinking, then continued. "…okay. Judging from their usual modus operandi, I'd guess they’re treating him like a 'guest' hostage, as opposed to a 'detain and torture' hostage. In other words, he’s sort of an insurance policy. Especially since I can see precisely how they’re planning on using you. Like I said when I walked in the door... they want something out of you. They want you for themselves."

I blinked. “How’s that?”

"Look at the facts. One, Kalinda gave you a shiny sharp thing, a ninja blade, right?” I nodded. “Right. Two, you've got this knack for being able to sneak up on people...?”

I thought about it, long and hard. Yeah, come to think of it, I always had a knack for just blending into people’s mental wallpaper, unless I wanted to be seen. Hell, it’s why I only ever had one bust on my record before the murder. Who knew they sent cops out trolling for under-aged call girls?

“All right, so why did she toss me the sword?”

Charly looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, put one and two together and you get three, which equals a stalker-style assassin. They see the potential in it for you, and odds are, they're gonna try to shape you into a weapon for their own use. It's typical child exploitation."

I blanched. These maniacs wanted me to become some kind of killer on their rolls, and my own innate talents were perfectly geared for it?!? Jesus. I just couldn’t catch a break today.

“Hell no. I’m not some kind of contract killer. I just killed those people I have because I was trying to either defend myself or someone else. I’m not going to do it. Jesus!”

She just sighed. “Look, Kuri, they've already got the leverage they want -- your brother. They don't care if you LIKE the idea of being a stone cold killer or not, just as long as they can make you do it. That's how these adults think.”

I got angry. I felt my core temperature starting to rise. And then I knew I was ready to fight. Problem is, there was no one for me to fight. Charly was absolutely right. And I couldn’t just pick a fight with her because I was pissed and she was conveniently there. And that’s when I started crying. I mean I just had to vent somehow, and that’s the method my body chose. I looked up at her as if she were the only sane thing in my world, because right at that moment, she was.

“Help me. Please.”

She smiled, and it was a very kind smile. . "Now we're talking. Arachnos wouldn't like you joining the Twenty Five, but that doesn't mean we can't keep an eye on you, keep you at arm's reach. Watch your back for you and eventually detangle you from this mess. In short, join the Foxtrot Auxiliary."

The conversation was moving so fast, I was having trouble keeping up. Without thinking about it, I slipped back into perfect student mode. “Allow me to test my understanding here. You mean to tell me I can ally myself with your group without completely joining up, and they won’t hold it against me?” I mean, it sounded too damned good to be true.

"Hold it against you? They'll probably LOVE the idea, since it means you'll get military training, AND will still be their tool. Or so they think. As far as they know, we'll be doing their work for them. Kids helping them exploit kids. It's so perfectly sinister that I bet they nudge their metal codpieces just thinking about it."

Put that way, it was definitely logic I could believe. I wiped at my eyes. “Okay. Yeah, that sounds good…I could use all the friends I can get around here. Definitely sounds more my speed…’sides, I know I don’t have the discipline for a military unit.”

She tossed me a pocket communicator. "Use this to keep in touch with the team. Don't hesitate to call for reinforcements at any time. You got a handle? You can't use a callsign of the Twenty Five, that'd look too suspicious..."

“What, like a nickname or something?” She looked so amused. Geeze, I’m slow some years…

"Yeah."

“Hmm…I’ll have to think about it. Has to be something Billy would recognize whenever he heard it. Let him know I’m still out there.”

Charly checked her watch. "Take your time; I got fifteen minutes budgeted before Arachnos peeks in on us and I gotta go. Gotta play it straight, for appearances. --oh, by the way, they said they're allocating you some operating funds. For clothes and food and the like. But you run out and need any extras you call me, don't go to them. ...uh. And they want me to give you this. It's a bit of a harsh gift, but..." She handed me a package, and I opened it.

It was another sword. I ran for the bathroom again. This was beginning to get tiresome.

After I cleaned up again, I walked back out and handed her the package. “Nuh-uh. I’m not taking it. I’d sooner do the job bare handed. ‘Sides, I don’t have any real combat training to speak of. I mean, I have a great kinesthetic sense, but I have no actual knowledge of what I’m doing. It’d be too easy to accidentally kill someone with a sword. Forget it.”

She looked lost. “Kinesthwha?”

It took me a moment to realize just where I’d lost her. “Oh. Kinesthesia. It means I have a sensation of precisely how my body is moving. Muscles, joints, tendons, the weight and pressure going on behind each movement. That kind of thing.””

She got a real wicked grin, and then looked at her watch. “Ten minutes. Okay. Let me show you a few unarmed moves, then. Tango can teach you more once you're out of here; I'll call him in as backup for your first shiny happy Arachnos assignment, little on the job training..." Charly opened an identical communicator, extending its antenna before chatting. "Charly to basecamp. Tango, you there..? ...oh, Oscar. Where's Tango? ...nuts. Is anybody else unassigned..? Ah, great. Just great. ...well, actually, no, that might be better. Yeah, send along Flora to Fort Darwin. Over and out.”

She closed the communicator and gave me a half grin. "Bad news, Tango's occupado. Good news, Flora'll help. She's a good kid, definitely more your style, if a bit.. well... fragile. First thing's first, though -- basic self defense. No time for judo, so we'll just do a few kicks, something to keep them at distance..."

She then proceeded to demonstrate the moves for me, and then walked me through the positioning. I managed to get each one down within a minute. Good god, why the hell didn’t I think of taking some martial arts back home or something? Then she told me the real trick to fighting bare handed is to aim for a spot 3 inches beyond whatever I was hitting, to make sure I applied maximum force. Then she gave me a quick salute and headed for the door. I stopped her on her way out.

“Hey, Charly?”

“Yeah?”

“Why’re you helping me like this?”

She chewed on that one for a brief moment. "It's like I said. You're one of us. You've been one of us for a long time, whether you knew it or not -- the same heart, the same spirit. We understand why you did what you had to do. We know the problems you're facing now, because we've faced them before. We can't NOT reach out to someone in your situation, because our situation's the same. That's just how the Company works."

What the hell could I say to that? I mean, “Thanks” just wasn’t enough. Then it hit me. “Thanks, Charly. For what it’s worth, you’re on my list.”

She looked confused for a minute there. “List?”

I smiled. “Yeah. The list of people I’m willing to do anything to support, anything to defend, and God help me, anything to revenge if all else fails. I mean, I know I’m not like all the super-powered whack jobs out there, so I have one rule I have to live by: Mess with my people and you will suffer for it. And, so far, I have a perfect track record of backing it up. My threat is all I have.”

She grinned, and it was a fierce grin. "I say okay. We'll work the problem together, and eventually get your brother out of the hands of the adults. A long term plan, but we're patient. It's not a matter of if, but when... we WILL get you both in the clear and safe in the arms of the Company. You've got my word."

The she tossed me a salute and was off. As for me, I had to go meet my new tour guide. I pulled on my boots, and after thinking about it long and hard, tucked the sword under my shirt. It's like extra ammunition for a gun; better to have it and not need it, than to not have it when you do....

Flora Fairchild…why the hell did that name sound so familiar?

No sooner than I had fallen asleep, I was awakened by an alarm blaring, and the sounds of battle ringing out everywhere. I poked my head out the door, and asked a passing Arachnos soldier what was happening. He paused just long enough to let me know that the heroes were attacking the island. Great! All I had to do now was to wait just long enough, and get their attention and they’d be able to help me save Billy.

Then I looked out the windows. I saw chaos. Bodies flying everywhere. Explosions. And then the clincher: I watched as normal people trying to get away were vaporized. Normal people. Civilians. Innocents. Just like Billy. And it was obvious these people were non-combatants, ‘cause they were running away from the insanity, not towards it. Sweet merciful Jesus. It hit me like the fabled ton of bricks. They were here to wipe us out. All of us. Guilt and innocence didn’t apply anymore. If you were on Arachnos’ land, you were target for extermination, because you’re “evil”.

Great. So I just jumped into my boots (I always keep them by the door for just such an emergency) and headed in the same direction as the soldier (What the heck do you call those guys, anways? Wolf Spiders or something?). On my way through the door, Kalinda spotted me and threw an object towards me. I reached out and caught it before I knew what was happening. She’d thrown me a sword. I nodded to her and hit the streets. Now, I had no idea what the hell Arachnos expected of me, so I proceeded to do what I thought was right. I proceeded to try to protect the innocents, ‘cause they sure as hell hadn’t asked for this. I knew I could relate.

And I waded in.

I truly wish I could describe it all, but I only have flashes of what happened. Like I was only present for a few minutes at a time, and then I got lost in the shuffle. At one point, though, I saw Statesman being mobbed; so much for the chance to tell the world’s biggest boy scout. I know one thing for sure: if I could have told him, Billy’dve been saved. DAMNIT! The only thing I knew for sure is that after three hours of fighting, there was no way to get the heroes to listen. It’s not like I didn’t try during the fray; even while I was fighting them, I was still trying to get them to listen (I figured it was the only way to get around Arachnos monitoring me…) They were definitely NOT here to help.

Some heroes.

As the firefight was winding down, I was treated to one hell of a weird sight: a rather plainly dressed twenty something year-old girl wearing a fedora waving a protest sign, screaming the old chestnut, “Make love, not war!” Brought a smile to my face. I waved at her as I walked past. A few moments after that, I slipped down a dark alley to rest and catch my breath.

Naturally, that’s when I heard a scream deeper down the alleyway. And I saw a horrifying sight: a Longbow agent advancing on a young woman. She was dirty, bloodied, and frantic. He looked entirely too happy to be there, if you catch my drift (spandex makes some things entirely too easy to notice). No way in hell was I letting this go down., nuh-uh. As I closed the distance, I called out, knowing the acoustics would make my voice impossible to pinpoint.

“I’m taking the lady home. I suggest you leave. Now.”

I heard him murmur, “Sampson, I need backup.”

I crouched behind a dumpster and unsheathed my sword, making sure the blade scraped the scabbard so it would ring out. I gave him one more chance.

“You stand in my way. Move or die.”

He looked around for a few moments, but couldn’t find me. He snorted and started reaching for his pants. His cockiness, for lack of a better term, is probably what cost him. I slipped right up behind him and shoved the blade up and in, aiming for the heart and lungs. I leaned into his ear, and whispered, “Death, then.” And then I pulled the blade out, twisting it as I did so, hoping that it would cause more damage like all the movies say it will. I’m pretty sure it did, ‘cause he was dead upon impact with the ground.

I gave the girl a once over visually. She didn’t strike me as too bad off. I asked her if she was all right. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes did widen. A lot. Then I heard a boot heel scrape the bruised pavement a short ways behind me. I stared the girl in the eyes, and asked if the alleyway opened to streets behind her. She nodded. I told her to run like hell for home, and try to find help if she could. She bolted, and I whirled to face the backup.

There were about ten of them, all Longbow. My night was not looking up any. Then I realized I actually knew the guy at the forefront of the party. His name was Sampson, John Sampson.

I knew him because he was my last customer before my “rescue” from that kind of a life by Captain Fantastic. Hell, it was this animal’s bruises I was wearing when the Captain found me. This savage not only had a fetish for younger looking girls, but he offered double my usual rate to be able to “rough me up a little”, and then double than again for a little role-playing. Seems he had some kinda thing for the Valkryie or something. Staring down the barrel of three thousand, though…I just couldn’t refuse it. That was enough to last us for months. Turns out that the joke was on me, though. After the first slap, I know I was seeing stars. And when he reared back for the second slap…I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. I’d suffered a concussion, multiple bone bruisings, and had been rather thoroughly violated. The doctors were amazed I’d survived. If I hadn’t been brought in when I was…Billy would have been all alone. How could I have been so careless? Stupid, stupid, greedy…hey, how the hell had I gotten to the hospital, anyways? Turns out I was found and brought in by a hero by the name of Captain Fantastic…

I bit my lip to bring myself to the present. At least this time I had a remote chance of defending myself. Sampson chuckled. “You know, babe, every time I see you, your wardrobe gets better and better.” I spared a half of a second to glance down at myself; my tee had been all but shredded, and my panties had been scorched down to little more than a thong, courtesy of an errant fireball. Yeah, I’d definitely seen better nights. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep a blush from burning its way onto my face. He snorted. “Hell girl, I didn’t know who—“

I cut him off. “I haven’t been a ‘working girl’ for two years now. Watch yourself.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. A gal like you ain’t got nothing left to blush about.”

Now my blood was up. “Come and get it, if you think you can still handle the ride.”

“Give it all ya got, girlie.”

I thrust the sword at his face. I was hoping to carve an eye out. Unfortunately, as I really had no idea what I was doing with a sword, I missed somewhat, and the blade broke upon contact with his helmet. “Looks like they don’t make them like they used to,” he drawled. Then his helmet shattered and fell to the ground. I smirked.

“Nope, They sure don’t .”

“Aw, what the hell. I’m feeling generous. Go ahead. Free shot. Do your worst.”

Now, he should have known better than that. And since it is my firmly held belief that cockiness should be punished, I kicked him squarely where every guy on the planet prays you won’t. Hard. Then, while he was distracted by all the pain, I punched him right in the nose, Even twisted it as I did it for maximum damage. Unfortunately, that last bit of bravado cost me, ‘cause I felt my hand explode on contact. It felt for all the world like hitting a brick wall.

Then he backhanded me. Oddly, he hit me into a brick wall. And hitting the wall had hurt less than hitting his face. I staggered to my feet, coughing. I tasted copper, so I spat it in his general direction. He chortled. It wasn’t a friendly sound. “So, you gonna be a good girl now?”

“At least I ruined those good looks.”

He frowned. One of these days I am going to learn when to shut the hell up.

“Alright, boys…” I put my good hand up in a defensive posture. “One at a time, or what?”

They chose ‘or what’. Last thing I felt was a rain of hands, some pummeling, others tearing at me.

And I blacked out.

And then, I woke up screaming. Still dressed, just like I had been when I finally passed out what had seemed like only a few hours ago.

Jesus, what a nightmare.

Brilliant!

Of course, it'll be lost on those it's pointed at, but sheer satirical genius...I love this.

(reposting from the beta forums, with only minor modifications. Everything after this will be new.)

Great, just great.

Mere hours before I'm supposed to be transported to my trial, Arachnos stages a breakout. Now, admittedly, logic dictates I should have stayed in my cell, to score brownie points with the warden and the POWERS THAT BE so as to look good for my trial. However, you try looking like a girl scout in general population when all hell is breaking loose around you, and quite a few of your fellow inmates are leering at you. See how long you want to stay put.

So yeah, I ran like hell for the yard. I figured I could play innocent and get the guard's protection. Wrong. Turns out that not only had Arachnos decided to stage a big breakout, but I'm on their list. Wonderful. You kill one pedo in hero's clothing and everyone wants you as their poster child. Jesus. Can't I just opt out of this popularity contest now?

And to top off an already perfect evening, I have to help effect my own escape, that I don't even want or need, because they send in a bunch of incompetents who can't even blow up the radar station without getting caught...just perfect. So yeah, I incapacitated the Longbow agents holding up the man with the bomb, and knocked out the security guards. Then I told the guy who they sent in (I think his name was Jenkins), to help me drag them out.

He said, "[censored] 'em. They wanted to be heroes. Let them be martyred for their cause." I replied that they were just earning a paycheck. No one deserves to die just for doing their job (well, mostly. I mean, anyone working in a death camp obviously has to go...anyways). He actually had the temerity to look at me like I was nuts, so I kicked the rifle at my feet into my hands. I told him, "Either you can help me, or your next of kin will find out how good the Arachnos dental plan is by identifying your remains."

Guess how he voted.

Then it's onto the chopper and arriving in Nerva. So I walk to where the pilot gave me directions to, and I make my first contact: a seer named Kalinda. No, I'm not joking. That's her name. Wow, attaching the name of a Hindu death goddess or some such (so I didn't get to comparative world religions at school. Sue me. It was an elective, and at the time, home ec seemed more attractive 'cause I thought I had a snowball's chance in hell at a normal enough life. 'Sides, I had to haul butt to make up for the two years of school I'd missed out on so I'd be able to graduate on time.) to your given name...I'm quaking. Really.

Anyways, she goes into some spiel about how I may be one of the chosen ones who can bring Arachnos to true dominance and take out the capes. After she tells me about the job she wants me to do (something about a snitch...), I stop her, and say, "Look, really, I'm grateful you broke me out of the pokey when I coulda won my case fair and clean. So tell me again, other than the fact you can kill me, I should play along?"

She smiled at me. Great, now I'm amusing.

She says, "Because, Ms. Reynard, we have your brother, William, as our guest."

"Bull. Sell that to the tourists. I'm not buying."

"Go find the Time Arsonist. He'll verify the story. He's the agent we sent to...recover...your brother."

Great. And where the hell do these guys get their names?!?

So I chew on this while trying to track this guy down. Do you have any idea how hard it is to maneuver through a rave that’s broken out around you? Makes me sorry I had to give up that rifle. Oh well. And I find the guy. Sure enough, he gleefully tells me about the raid. How he shows up at the guy’s door and tells him that he’s here to put him in protective custody. The Arsonist meant Billy, but this arrogant [censored] thinks he means him. Jesus. So, after my brother has been taken aboard the copter, the Arsonist proceeds to burn the guy from the inside out. I ask, out of morbid curiosity, what the poor slob’s name was. He says, “Night’s Shepherd.”

My blood ran cold.

Night’s Shepherd was Captain Fantastic’s best friend and long standing partner in everything.

Everything.

Now I know why he thought the protective custody was for him. If I’d gotten word he was the one who had Billy in his care, nothing would have kept me in the Ziggurat. I’d have killed him myself, and not quickly like I did Fantastic, either. See, I knew all about this guy. Sure, he may have lusted for me (probably 'cause I look younger than I am. Let's hear it for malnutrition!), but he’d have settled for Billy, just to tide himself over. He knew preciselyhow to play my weakness there, because there is nothing I wouldn't do to keep Billy safe. Fortunately for us, we had someone else to look out for us now. So I did what they always told us to do when we're little and someone tries to touch...well, suffice it to say, I ran to my...say, what is the word, anyway? I can’t say father, 'cause he never fully adopted us...anyways. ..I went to Fantastic, and I told him, and he said he'd go throw the [censored] out. God, it made me feel so protected, warm, glad, and safe.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to last, 'cuse that's when I found the Polaroids. I knew I hadn't shot them, so I want to ask him. As I hit the doorjam, I watched him pat Shepard on the back on his way out. But it was his own words that sealed his fate. Right as he was closing the door, he said, “Just wait, and we’ll both be able to have our fun.” And that's when it all clicked for me. That’s when I grabbed the gun and pulled the trigger.

I shook myself from my reverie. So, this guy was supposed to have gotten Billy out? I asked him for proof. He actually reached into his chest cavity, and pulled out an asbestos pouch (apparently, he literally has the fire in his veins). I opened it, and a surveillance photo fell out. It was Billy. No two ways about it.

Oh god.

I gathered up what was left of my strength, went back over to Kalinda, and asked her if there was a room I could use for a little bit. I wanted to clean up and get some rest before I did anything else. She smiled again. She didn’t need any powers to see I was shaken by the truth. They have me. As long as they have Billy, they have me.

Jesus, her smile. You just can’t fake being that hostile.

She had someone escort me to temporary quarters. I shed my prision jumpsuit (hopefully for the last time), turned the shower on to just this side of scalding, got in, and proceeded to bawl.



By the time I got out, I was scrubbed pink, clean, and hollow. Someone had thoughtfully removed my jumpsuit and left a babydoll tee and panties (and it should stand as a mute testimony to my mental state that I never heard them enter or leave) in its place. Jesus, they really did their homework. I mean, they even knew my sleepwear preferences (size, color and everything)! I dressed, got into bed, and prayed for a mercifully dreamless sleep, bouyed by one cheerful thought:

Guess I’m going to have to kill again.

DAMNIT!!!

(Reposting this from the beta forums, with only minor modifications...)

My name is Kuri Reynard. I'm definitely not a villain; at least I don't think so.

What the hell would you do if you find out that someone who was supposed to be protecting you was harming someone you loved more than anything? Yeah, he was a superhero. Yeah, he took Billy and I under his wing, 'cause Mommy was dead and Daddy ran off with his drunken mistress. So yeah, we were all alone, and along comes Captain Fantastic. He sees the squalor we were living in Kings Row, and he moves us out, takes us on as wards. I take over the domestic duties, go the whole Suzy Homemaker route. And I know he appreciated it. Hell, he lavished me with all kindsa gifts. I mean even the lacy apron (the kind no one's mom ever wore), string of pearls, the whole bit. He even let me reorganize the whole house and everything. And Billy... he just loved Billy. Son he never had and all that.

So imagine my surprise when I found the Polaroids.

Fortunately, he hadn't gotten that far...yet. But we all know it's a matter of time. And you just know you can't go to CPS against a superhero. They'd never believe it. Hell, you'd almost believe it was innocent from the pictures...I mean him and Billy roughhousing...and Billy only wearing his Statesman Underoos and a towel...so cute.

But then there's the look on the Captain's face. That damned leering, lecherous look. I know it all too well. It's the look those sleezebags get when they think they're getting away with something utterly immoral simply 'cause they have the money and/or power to get it.

He had to go. He had to. No way in hell is anyone hurting Billy. Ever. Again. Not after the hell we'd gone through. I mean, sure, we could've gone into the system, might've even been safe that way. But I'll lay better than even odds that we'd have beens seperated. I brought it up to Billy, and when I got to that point, he went into hysterics. Hell, he was only four, and his world had already been completely torn apart. He didn't want to lose me either. He didn't even want to risk it. So, we went and found an abandoned building to squat in, and I had to come up with a way of supporting us. I'm not proud of it, but yeah, we got by on too many nights 'cause I was able to pass myself of as twelve instead of fourteen. But even still, Billy always came first. I made sure he always ate first, too (so, yeah, that means some nights I didn't eat. Oh well...). I tried to keep his life as unaffected as possible so I only "worked" while he was at school. About the only luxury I game myself was my outfit (yeah, I know, it was really a work expense, but hey, it's not like i could claim it as a tax write off, soooo...). Then again, Billy did help inspire it...I'm sorry. ..I lost my train of thought...ah, right.

So, I had to get rid of the Captain.

I grabbed a Confiscated Beanbag gun he'd saved as a memento, and blasted him out the window. He only fell 266 stories. That wouldn't have been enough to finish the job, but right after I blew him out the window, I threw the first aid kit after him, and told him to "Heal that!”

He was a defender for Christ’s sake. And all he really wanted to do was PREY ON BILLY!!!

So now, I’m just going to wait to go to trial. I know I'll be exonerated. Murder by "defenestration" (killing someone by pushing them out a window) my eye.

Only 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 37 seconds until my trial commences. I just know I'll get out. Even with just a public defender, I'll get out. And then Billy and I can go back to being a family again. I mean, this is why the legal system is in place, right? To protect kids from the bastards that'd prey on them?

Wish me luck.

And why the hell do I keep hearing helicopters?

Oh god, Flora, I'm so sorry that happened to you! I mean, you're actually a nice person around here. You have no idea how refreshing it is to have someone like you around, you're like a breath of fresh air in this fetid hellhole. Eh, enough purple poetry...

Look, girl, you're going to have to take a long, hard look in the mirror, and realize you're in an environment where trying to be a good, upstanding person just makes you another mark. I hate to say it, but you may want to re-examine precisely what your lines are, and under what circumstances you'd be willing to cross them under.God willing, you won't have to cross them, but let's face it, hon: you're in a city full of 'villains' (I won't go go too much back into our conversation of the other day...), you may have to reconsider some of them for now. Worry about treading the path of the angels when you get back to Paragon (and yes, I know you'll get back there someday. After all, you were just being used in the last case. We'll just have to find you some proof..., and in the first place, you were railroaded into jail before the breakouts...).

In the meantime, my offer always stands: any time you need help, you know I've got your back. And anyone wants to screw with you, they get to answer to me.

Be well.