[ QUOTE ]
"Dear lord child... What did you do to your hair?" Erik grinned and smiled as Magni and Modi rolled about relaxed as everyone else approached.
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal looked awkward as she followed to the truck. What had happened to her hair? It had changed colors when she found out she had mutant powers. Was that normal?
"You didn't..." she said awkwardly as she climbed into the truck and sat across from Sanstad, "Didn't you hear - about the Vahzilok - that attacked the lab?"
((OOC:I'm going to assume that the truck is being driven by one of the heroes not a MacBeth employee. Also, attempting to inter-connect all the communicators. This could theoretically make it so that Terrie and Emily can hear each other as well.))
Master Wonderful followed Erik into the truck. "Emily, are all the comm units patched into the same signal?"
The voice of a slightly annoyed woman came through the other end, "I'm not sure, partner. It's not like we've tested Dr. Sanstad's or Mr. Armstong's recieving capablities yet."
The pink hero sighed, "Well we could try testing them now, kid."
"Thank you for complementing my age," Emily responded, "though I do believe we are about the same age, but I suspect that one of has a bit more maturity than the other."
Erik sighed and rubbed his neck. He looked at Small Arms and grinned breifly.
[ QUOTE ]
"Listen, Doc. While we were at the meeting, I manage to rig a tracker out of the radio that GG gave Harris. It's not perfect, but it'll give us a pretty good indication when she's close." He looked at the two bears as they moved into the back of the truck. "I know they're likely good trackers, but in the sewers, scents can come from any direction, or be covered up completely. Harris has the tracker now, and I think in combination, we'll find everyone. But I wanted you to know, especially if...something happens to me or Harris."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Thanks... I know there may be problems with my boys tracking, but frankly I'm also done pulling punches with these @ssholes. With Magni and Modi by my side I severely doubt even the most hopped up Eidlon would be able to stop us."
Erik looked at Harris and nodded, giving a thumbs up.
[ QUOTE ]
"You know, if I had enough time, I could probably rig weapons platforms for those two. They're named for the sons of Thor, Norse god of Thunder, right? Heh! I could guarantee that they's make some real thunder with the stuff I give 'em!"
[/ QUOTE ]
"Don't tempt me..." Erik gave a wicked smile and chuckled. "That idea would only get me in trouble with the wife. Although it does have a nice sound to it."
"And yes... they are named after the sons of Thor. I'm... well I'm a bit of a mythology buff. Seeing my heritage is Norwegian it made sense... And it gives me stuff to think about outside the lab." Erik shrugged and smiled. he watched as Small Arms moved back to his own vehicle. The truck sluggishly began to move and gears ground.
"Um... Any of y'all know how to drive stick?" Paul asked as he leaned his head against the cargo window. Erik shook his head and sighed.
"Last time I drove a clutch I nearly burned it out." Paul shrugged and ground the gears again, but got the truck moving. The vehicle jumped, causing the bears to grumble.
"Now now boys... It'll be O.K." Erik whispered as he patted Magni and Modi's heads.
[ QUOTE ]
"You didn't..." she said awkwardly as she climbed into the truck and sat across from Sanstad, "Didn't you hear - about the Vahzilok - that attacked the lab?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"I heard." Erik stated as he sat in the back with his pets. He looked at Crystal and sighed. "I heard that the lab was attacked and some students gathered to follow me into the sewers. Beyond that I have not heard a thing. I can only assume it was you Paul, and Jack who entered the sewers... But I have no clue what happened." Pausing he reached out gently and touched Crystal's hair.
"Oh... Oh my... This... This isn't colored. Crystal tell me what happened. All of it."
[ QUOTE ]
"Oh... Oh my... This... This isn't colored. Crystal tell me what happened. All of it."
[/ QUOTE ]
There was a long silence.
Crystal was surprised at how hard it was to relate what happened to Dr. Sanstad. "Well, the Vahzilok showed up at the lab... held everyone hostage for a few hours. Paul showed up after a while and saved everyone. After that, we decided to look for you, and ran into... well, a lot of Lost... they are making bigger ones with this new drug that is out on the streets..." she rubbed her arm absent-mindedly, where she had been injected with it. "Jack saved us from the Lost, and when we made it back, you had made it back too. Really, that about covers it. Well..." Her voice was low, "I am showing mutant tendencies. But really, nothing else."
She fell silent, feeling awkward, though she knew perfectly well that Dr. Sanstad would be supportive.
The problem was that Dr. Sanstad knew her parents, whereas Paul and Jack did not. And he was fully aware of how they felt about paranormals. If there hadn't been trouble already, there would be. And Crystal knew it... she had a hard time meeting his eyes. She had put her hands together in her lap to stop them from shaking: it was the first symptom of the onset of withdrawal.
[ QUOTE ]
"I am showing mutant tendencies. But really, nothing else."
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack got the impression that Crystal felt uneasy talking about her mutant abilities. He put a supportive hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her in his own clumsy way.
"Nothing else?" He said to her then turned to the Doc. "She's had a busy day and has come through it amazingly well. Her whole life is turned upside down. First discovering she is mutant, then being kidnapped and pumped full of drugs."
He realized too late after he said it that, "life turned upside down," was probably not the kind of phrases Crystal wanted to hear right now. Talking to a tutor about being pumped full of drugs was probably not a wise idea either.
He took his hand away from Crystal. "The Lost pum.....er...I mean.....injected us with that new drug. Its freaky stuff.......Gave my powers a real boost too but most of that burnt away with the drug."
[ QUOTE ]
He took his hand away from Crystal. "The Lost pum.....er...I mean.....injected us with that new drug. Its freaky stuff.......Gave my powers a real boost too but most of that burnt away with the drug."
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal couldn't decide if she wanted to kill Jack, or simply keel over and die of embarrassment. She settled for putting one hand over her eyes. She didn't dare look at Dr. Sanstad, she knew perfectly well how he felt about drug use and had never touched them before but for some reason she felt... ashamed. She didn't know what she was ashamed of.
+
Edit
+
There was a theory that the first twenty-four to thirty-six hours after the manifestation of mutant powers was the most vulnerable period in the entire life of the mutant, as it was presumed that their genetic structure was settling into place after a wild re-structuring. The introduction of a strange drug with potentially mutagenic properties of its own was just asking for trouble. Crystal was obviously not feeling well, but wasn't showing any overt effects.... yet. That didn't necessarily mean that hell wasn't coming for her, a few hours or days down the line. Still, for the moment, there was nothing to be done.
[ QUOTE ]
She settled for putting one hand over her eyes.
[/ QUOTE ]
"What? What I say?" Jack said with a shrug. He was still feeling a little light headed from the pills he took back when Paul had woken up. they had taken the edge off his headache and he was showing no outward sign that he had taken them but he was not thinking with the full deck either. Any awareness of how insensitive he was being would be lost on him.
"Its not like we had a choice in taking the stuff. They forced it on us. I'm not saying I enjoyed it." Jack knew deep down he was lying to himself, he had enjoyed it in some ways.
"Look.....I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that.....Its just....Its been a log day." He said after a moment of silence. "And its not over yet."
"Terrie, you there?"
The initial response was a lud yawn that come over the radio, followed by "Sorry, boss."
"Quite all right, girl. Hell, I'd love to be asleep myself right now."
"You'd think after all this time, I'd have gotten use these hours you've been keeping."
"Terrie, I've been working in the lab on some concept or another at all kinds of odd hours years before I ever hired you. Why should I expect you to get used to my quirky schedule off the job in only a few months?"
"Well, I came to use about helping, not the other way around. I don't know what kind of help I am if I fall asleep on the job...either one."
"You know, if you don't think you're up to this, darlin', go ahead and get some sleep," Small Arms said gently.
"Oh no, you don't!" Terrie's voice was slightly raised in indignation. "You need me, Remington, and you know it. I'm not about to let you go out there and risk your life and not do my damnest to make sure you got back okay." Small Arms winced as he realized that as tired as she might have been Terrie still had her fires well lit, when it came to helping him. He just wished that she had a quieter way to show it.
"Geez, I'm sorry, okay?"
"Yeah, and don't you forget it. Now, you called me for a reason, other than to hear my remind you why you need me?"
"Actually, it's because we will need you. I want to you contact Emily Brown over at MacBeth Technologies. She's your counterpart to Conner MacBeth, and the person who had the information on the variation on the 'Dine that's appeared. Give her whatever information she might need and see about trying to get what you might need. If we're going to have to fight at least 2 factions, maybe more, I want our info as close to up to date and complete as possible. We've got too many lives, both hero and civie, on the line."
"Right." She sobered up almost instantly, a trait which Small Arms had to admire; there were morning where he couldn't do that before his third or fourth cup of black coffee. "I'll keep this frequency open, and see about trying to keep a second open on with her. Shouldn't be worse than the average confrence call at the board meetings."
"Yeah, except this time I've got more incentive to actually stay awake."
[ QUOTE ]
"I am showing mutant tendencies. But really, nothing else."
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Nothing else?" He said to her then turned to the Doc. "She's had a busy day and has come through it amazingly well. Her whole life is turned upside down. First discovering she is mutant, then being kidnapped and pumped full of drugs." "Its not like we had a choice in taking the stuff. They forced it on us. I'm not saying I enjoyed it." Jack knew deep down he was lying to himself, he had enjoyed it in some ways.
"Look.....I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that.....Its just....Its been a log day." He said after a moment of silence. "And its not over yet."
[/ QUOTE ]
Erik watched them talk to one another and when they had finally paused he nodded somberly and sighed deeply. He had spoken to Crystal's parents on several occasions. They expressed deep concerns about her being in a lab taught by, as her father referred to him "one of YOU people."
Erik had to restrain himself from finding a way to reach through the phone and throttle the man. If Enid had not been nearby when he had the call Erik knew he probably would have exploded in expelitives and told the man just how much of a racist he thought Crystal's father was.
Jack's drug problem was something else entirely. It had been an issue on campus with several of the professors who noticed him displaying habits of an addict. It was simply that no one wanted to confront him when he could possibly melt their brains for interfering. Sighing deeply, Erik knew it was another sign of fear of someone who had powers, and knew that the problem would be thrown to him eventually. He just didn't think like this.
"First off... Crystal, whatever happens, come hell or high water, I will help you somehow. If that means offering you a place to stay and a surrogate family so be it. I'll admit when my powers expressed themselves my family was apprehensive, and I mean my mother and father. However it was the support of my friends and my waife and child that got me through it. My grandfather dis-owned me however, but to be frank, I knew that was comming for a long time anyway."
Erik looked up and tried to smile.
"You'll need close friends to help. There is no denying that. But between Jack, Paul, and my little clan, we can help you get through the worst of it."
The truck rumbled over a few potholes but kept moving. Paul had the radio blaring in the cab of the vehicle and had no real clue as to the conversation going on behind him. Luckily the glass was thick enough when the divider was closed so as to not wake the two happily slumbering bears, or disturb the conversation.
"Now the situation with the Dyne is a new variable. I saw the Lost and the Vahzliok fighting but I never really considered why until now. If it is a battle over territory, that is one thing, but that does not explain to my mind why the Vahzliok targeted me and my family to such a degree." Eik paused and grunted. "More to the point however, if this new drug is being used in some way to produce the superior troops for the Lost, and you were injected with it... Especially at this early stage of mutation. Crystal I'm not going to lie to you, it could be bad. However, you know my lab, and I will do everything possible to help you with this as well."
"I just wish I knew the chemical makeup of the drug. I know what the common version of dyne does to a person's genetic structure, as well as several variants of it. But I have never heard of something this powerful."
Pausing again he looked at Jack.
"Now is not the time to be bringing up this subject, but I think it needs to be said. Since we are talking about drugs Jack, I think we need to address your problem at some point." Erik let the words hang for a moment. "I'm going to be blunt again Jack. Every professor on campus has training to know warning signs of drug use in students. It is especially intense at Paragon University simply because of what the students have access to on the streets. Simply put Jack... I've know for some time you've had a habit. You show several signs of addiction and I do not want you hopped up on something when we go into the sewers." Erik's voice was stern but caring. He was honestly worried about Jack.
"I'm going to take a wild stab and say that you take drugs to dull the pain of your mutation. I can understand that in ways you have no clue about. But I also know what those drugs are doing to your system on a biological level. I'm not worried about your mind Jack. I don't want your body falling apart on us. I want to help. That's all I ever wanted, and that's why I'm a teacher first and foremost, and then a licesened "metahuman." If we get out of this I want to show you ways to get rid of the pain without drugs... Things I have to do every day."
The truck sped on oblivious to the seriousness of the conversation in the back.
[ QUOTE ]
"I'm going to take a wild stab and say that you take drugs to dull the pain of your mutation. I can understand that in ways you have no clue about. But I also know what those drugs are doing to your system on a biological level. I'm not worried about your mind Jack. I don't want your body falling apart on us. I want to help. That's all I ever wanted, and that's why I'm a teacher first and foremost, and then a licesened "metahuman." If we get out of this I want to show you ways to get rid of the pain without drugs... Things I have to do every day."
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack tried to keep the look of worry off his face but his mind was racing.
"[censored]" He thought to himself. "The Doc knows. How the [censored] does he know. I didn't think anyone knew. I've been careful haven't I. [censored]. What if they know about the med lab brake ins. Oh man I'm [censored]. [censored], what is Crystal going to think of me now."
He gave a nervous laugh then spoke aloud. "Drugs? What are you talking about? I take Aspirin for the headaches, thats it. I don't know what you are talking about."
He leaned back, folded his arms and tried to look like he found the whole idea absurdly funny. Normally he would have told the person who said that to him to go to hell but Jack could not do that to the Doc and not with Crystal sitting right next to him.
Strangely, for once in his life he found himself worried about what people thought of him. He sensed this conversation was not going to be as easy to get out of as he wanted.
[ QUOTE ]
"I just wish I knew the chemical makeup of the drug. I know what the common version of dyne does to a person's genetic structure, as well as several variants of it. But I have never heard of something this powerful."
[/ QUOTE ]
Master Wonderful paused in his bickering with Emily. "Actually, Dr. Sanstad, we do know the chemical make up of the drug that was used on them. It isn't a Dyne derivitive, so calling it that doesn't make sense anymore. In fact, it can be far more leathal: 60% chance of death, 40% chance in muntation, not very good odds. You can talk with the people back at MacBeth Techonolgies after we save the 'damsels in distress.'"
"Sorry to interupt, big guy. Mr. Armstong and his assistant are patched in now." Connor could hear another voice in the background, but he couldn't make out what was being said. "Martin's telling me that he had some additional comm units put among the equipment in the truck, feel free to pass them out as needed."
[ QUOTE ]
"First off... Crystal, whatever happens, come hell or high water, I will help you somehow. If that means offering you a place to stay and a surrogate family so be it. I'll admit when my powers expressed themselves my family was apprehensive, and I mean my mother and father. However it was the support of my friends and my waife and child that got me through it. My grandfather dis-owned me however, but to be frank, I knew that was comming for a long time anyway."
Erik looked up and tried to smile.
"You'll need close friends to help. There is no denying that. But between Jack, Paul, and my little clan, we can help you get through the worst of it."
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal gave him a watery smile. "Thank you," she told him, and meant it.
[ QUOTE ]
"Now the situation with the Dyne is a new variable. I saw the Lost and the Vahzliok fighting but I never really considered why until now. If it is a battle over territory, that is one thing, but that does not explain to my mind why the Vahzliok targeted me and my family to such a degree." Eik paused and grunted. "More to the point however, if this new drug is being used in some way to produce the superior troops for the Lost, and you were injected with it... Especially at this early stage of mutation. Crystal I'm not going to lie to you, it could be bad. However, you know my lab, and I will do everything possible to help you with this as well."
"I just wish I knew the chemical makeup of the drug. I know what the common version of dyne does to a person's genetic structure, as well as several variants of it. But I have never heard of something this powerful."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Actually - Master Wonderful's assistant gave us these - here - " From her back pocket, Crystal pulled a packet of folded, rather forlorn pieces of paper: the report which Emily had handed to each of them.
It was the sort of report he typically handled as a professor: the author, Emily Brown, clearly knew her stuff. It was all there: chemical comparisons of old vs. new 'Dyne, what they knew of its origins, police reports of the Anomolous. The chemical structure of the drug, something Crystal herself understood only dimly, was absolutely alarming. There was no question that there would be problems in the future for everyone who had been injected: it was just a matter of time.
[ QUOTE ]
He gave a nervous laugh then spoke aloud. "Drugs? What are you talking about? I take Aspirin for the headaches, thats it. I don't know what you are talking about."
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal looked from Doc to Jack and then at her hands, which she clasped in her lap. "At Christmas I caught you stealing triptopolymorphine from the lab," she said to them, not looking at either Doc or Jack. "And you put it back and thought I didn't notice but I did. And remember the car thing over spring break - ?" But she caught herself. "No, you probably don't remember. You told me afterwards you didn't. Don't lie to yourself. I know. Everybody knows. I can always tell when you are hopped up and when you are sober." She paused. "And I haven't said anything because I... haven't known what to say." Her voice sounded hopelessly sad. "Because I figured that sooner or later I would lose you, that the drugs would take you away from me, but every time I tried to confront you I got scared that if I confronted you, you would leave me now, and I never had the guts to go through with it." She couldn't look him in the face. "I love you but I never had the brass balls to be truthful and tell you that I knew you had a problem and I... I'm sorry. You deserve better than that. Maybe if I had said something earlier we wouldn't be having this talk now... maybe if I never found the courage to tell you I didn't really love you as much as you deserved to be loved... I dunno." She didn't look at him.
[ QUOTE ]
"I love you but I never had the brass balls to be truthful and tell you that I knew you had a problem and I... I'm sorry. You deserve better than that. Maybe if I had said something earlier we wouldn't be having this talk now... maybe if I never found the courage to tell you I didn't really love you as much as you deserved to be loved... I dunno." She didn't look at him.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Crystal.....I......I" Jack stuttered.
Everything had suddenly gotten horribly out of Jacks control. He just looked at Crystal for a while, a look of horror on his face. He tried desperately to think up some way out of it, some way of explaining it all. Everything was suddenly so confusing. Had Crystal just told him she loved him? He didn't know if he had understood her right. He hoped he had but the horror of being found out stopped him from feeling any kind of happiness. He couldn't even remember the car thing she was talking about. He could remember something had happened but not what it was.
He looked to the Doc. Then he looked to Paul through the drivers window (he still did not seem to know what was going on). Then he looked at Harris who was trying to do his best to look like he was not there. Then he looked at Crystal again and saw the look of sadness on her face.
"Cr@p," He shouted as he put his head in his hands. He gave up. There was no point trying to cover it up. His secret was out now. His hands were shaking.
[ QUOTE ]
"Cr@p," He shouted as he put his head in his hands. He gave up. There was no point trying to cover it up. His secret was out now. His hands were shaking.
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal put a timid hand on his arm. "Jack... don't you get it? You have people who are on your side. Me and Paul and Dr. Sanstad, we all love you. You are family to us. Everyone here is on your side. And it tears us apart - it tears me apart - to see you doing this to yourself. You're in constant pain and you're having blackouts. Jack - it doesn't have to be this way. For God's sakes... you have a problem. Let us help you. Please."
[ QUOTE ]
"Cr@p," He shouted as he put his head in his hands. He gave up. There was no point trying to cover it up. His secret was out now. His hands were shaking.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Well said." Erik stated without being serious.
[ QUOTE ]
"Jack... don't you get it? You have people who are on your side. Me and Paul and Dr. Sanstad, we all love you. You are family to us. Everyone here is on your side. And it tears us apart - it tears me apart - to see you doing this to yourself. You're in constant pain and you're having blackouts. Jack - it doesn't have to be this way. For God's sakes... you have a problem. Let us help you. Please."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Crystal..." Erik rested his hand on Crystal's shoulder and then paused.
"Calm down both of you. We're driving headlong into the maw of hell and the last thing we need to do is bring up things we can't really address now."
Erik looked at Jack and then at Crystal.
"I know from experience that the only time you will stop taking junk for whatever reason is when you honestly feel you need help Jack. I had... empahsize the HAD... a cousin who was a heroin addict. My family tried to force her to change, and it only drove her deeper into the habit and worse things. I just know that you can't force help on someone. They have to want it."
Erik looked hard at Jack and then gestured towards Crystal gently. "Ask yourself now Jack... when we leave here. When we fight through the zombies and Lost, when we face whatever is down there... do you want to come back up and go back being the same person, or do you want to change. I'm going to leave it at that."
Erik offered his hand to Jack and shook the boy's firmly.
The truck ground to a halt outside a rather large barrier of police and yellow tape.
"Showtime folks..." Erik grunted. He pocketed the papers from Crystal and smiled at Master Wonderful. "Hell of a setup you have getting vehicles and gadgets like this new earpeice. If whomever finances you ever needs a collaborator in biology give me a call."
He put the earpeice into place and tested out the mic. "O.K. then this is Doctor Sanstad. For speed you can call me MBM or Doc S. Who else is on this thing. I don't wanna jump when someone I don't know is on the comm."
[ QUOTE ]
Crystal put a timid hand on his arm. "Jack... don't you get it? You have people who are on your side. Me and Paul and Dr. Sanstad, we all love you. You are family to us. Everyone here is on your side. And it tears us apart - it tears me apart - to see you doing this to yourself. You're in constant pain and you're having blackouts. Jack - it doesn't have to be this way. For God's sakes... you have a problem. Let us help you. Please."
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack closed his eyes and lightly banged the back of his head on the wall of the van a few times before he opened them again and speaking.
"The headaches and blackouts are because of my mutant abilities. You don't get it. I need something to help take the edge off them."
-----
Harris sat and listened as Dr Sanstad spoke to Jack and Crystal. He was starting to see a lot of his son in Jack. Max was the same way before he went crazy. There was the same arrogance, the same screw the world attitude and this worried Harris more then Jacks drug use or mutant abilities could.
[ QUOTE ]
"Showtime folks..." Erik grunted. He pocketed the papers from Crystal and smiled at Master Wonderful. "Hell of a setup you have getting vehicles and gadgets like this new earpeice. If whomever finances you ever needs a collaborator in biology give me a call."
He put the earpiece into place and tested out the mic. "O.K. then this is Doctor Sanstad. For speed you can call me MBM or Doc S. Who else is on this thing. I don't wanna jump when someone I don't know is on the comm."
[/ QUOTE ]
Harris waited for Sanstad to get out of the van before he spoke. His voice was quiet and uncertain. "Listen, Jack....I really think....."
"Shut the hell up Harris." Jack snapped with out looking at him. "Don't talk to me."
Harris was taken aback. He didn't know what to say. After a second he simply took one of the ear peaces and got out of the van as he put it in. "Harris here," he said in reply to Erik's request.
Still sitting in the van Jack took one of the devices and put it in his ear. However he did not test it. Instead he turned to Crystal.
"Car thing? I guess I still don't remember. What happened?" He said while trying to hold a weak smile. He dropped the smile when he saw it was not returned.
"*beep* You don't know what its like yet Crystal. People will fear and hate you for your abilities. You'll even start to fear yourself." He gave a nervous laugh. He was not crying but he was close to it. "I got the crap kicked out of me when I was a kid. My best friend turned on me when he found out what I was. Simply because his father told him he was not allowed to hang around with my kind. You'll start to understand Crystal, why I do what I do. The world hates us."
He banged his head on the wall of the van again but much harder this time.
[ QUOTE ]
"The world hates us."
[/ QUOTE ]
MasterWonderful was getting annoyed with Jack's apparent tendancy to feel sorry for himself. "The world hates you, Jack? The world doesn't hate you. Indevidual people hate you. They hate what they don't understand. They fear them. You don't make mush of an effort at being understood, because you have the same distrust that you believe everyone has of you. Yes, you may have had bad luck with the people you've met, I don't really know. But what I do know is that you who have known people who have known you for you, not the pain you can inflict with your powers. Heck, I was inadvertently on the receiving end of your powers, and I still think there is hope for you. Don't hold what people did to you as a child against the entire world or else your perspective will cause people to hate you, not because they fear mutants, but because the person who is behind those powers."
((OOC: Sorry for not responding to people's PM and such... Work has begun to really ride my behind so posting is sparese and late at night. However, I WILL continue this plot to the end. Also know that the best ways to get a hold of me now will be via e-mail to Palaquinn@earthlink.net or esansta@lumc.edu))
Erik shook his head as he watched Jack bang his head against the wall of the truck. He stood up, offered a hand to Crystal and then moved to open the loading doors to let Magni and Modi out.
"When you're done Jack, meet us outside. But be sure to get all of that self-pity bull out of your system now. People need us and we can't have you acting like that when we go down there."
Erik looked hard at Jack as the doors swang wide. Magni and Modi slowly lumbered down the loading planks and began sniffing about the back of the truck.
"Crystal, could you keep an eye on those two please?"
He could hear Paul get out of the cab of the truck and watched as Harris left after Jack told him off.
[ QUOTE ]
"The world hates you, Jack? The world doesn't hate you. Indevidual people hate you. They hate what they don't understand. They fear them. You don't make mush of an effort at being understood, because you have the same distrust that you believe everyone has of you. Yes, you may have had bad luck with the people you've met, I don't really know. But what I do know is that you who have known people who have known you for you, not the pain you can inflict with your powers. Heck, I was inadvertently on the receiving end of your powers, and I still think there is hope for you. Don't hold what people did to you as a child against the entire world or else your perspective will cause people to hate you, not because they fear mutants, but because the person who is behind those powers."
[/ QUOTE ]
Erik nodded at Master Wonderful and walked past him to get outside. The dimming light of the setting sun cast the entire area in a gray pall. Erik inhaled the air and sighed.
"Master Wonderful is right Jack. Peopl are always scared of the unknown. It will be individuals that hate you, but it will be individuals that love you as well."
He stopped by the end of the loading platform and kept his eyes on the setting sun.
"Oh and Jack? Think having your head hurt and constantly throb is painful? Try feeling like your body is slowly burning all the time. Every cell in your flesh screaming out in pain from atomic fire but refusing to die and constantly healing. Try feeling like that for even a day and then have the one thing in this world that takes that pain away stolen from you and put into danger...
"Don't TALK to me about pain."
Erik walked off the truck and hugged Magni and Modi. He watched the others gather and made a few final checks on his earpeice.
"O.K. boys... Find Penny... and Enid..."
The Bears needed no real prompting as they plunged into the blackness of the wrecked sewer line below.
Paul watched from the side of the truck. He had eard everything. every last syllable from everyone. even with the music full bore in the cab he had heard Crystal's profession of love and of Jack's drug problems.
Many As One made sure of that. ~You must know this Master.~ It said. ~You must know what can harm you and what WILL harm you eventually.~
Paul was still in shock. What could he tell Crystal? Choose between the drug soaked loser or him? What about the Doc? Why did he seem to be ready to fight so hard for Jack?
He was still looking into the distance when the group began to move.
"I... Why now? Why does this [censored] have to happen now?" Paul whispered.
Everything was going to change... in a very HARD way. there was no going back. If thet made it out of the sewers alive... EVERYTHING he knew would be gone.
How does one face the abyss knowing this?
[ QUOTE ]
"Don't hold what people did to you as a child against the entire world or else your perspective will cause people to hate you, not because they fear mutants, but because the person who is behind those powers."
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack simply laughed. "Right, Mr. Millionaire is telling me life is not as bad as I think. Maybe if I had a couple of butlers too everything would have been alright. Maybe if I had life handed to me on a silver plate everything would have been fine. Tell me Mr. Millionaire, if you believe that why do you hide your abilities from non-heroes?"
He laughed again.
"You say people hate me because of how I act. Tell me, why did they hate the friendly, playful, happy and innocent 8 year boy old I was? Hu? Can you tell me that? Why did they hate the small boy who liked nothing better then climbing trees and watching cartoons? I never used to be like this. People's hate made me like this."
-------------------------
[ QUOTE ]
"O.K. boys... Find Penny... and Enid..."
The Bears needed no real prompting as they plunged into the blackness of the wrecked sewer line below.
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack banged his head on the side of the van one last time then got out. He knew this was not over by a long shot. He felt like he wanted to throw up. He desperately wanted to take something but he knew if they saw him doing it he would never hear the last of it. They would likely kick him off the mission. More then anything right now he wanted to punch some bad guys......to hurt something.....someone....anyone.
In the course of a short van ride everything had changed. His secret was out, Crystal had confessed her love for him but also her fear for what he was doing to himself. How was this going to change things between the two of them and Paul.....he didn't know. He couldn't think.
He didn't know what to do but for now he had to try not to think about it. That didnt stop him from looking pissed off though.
[ QUOTE ]
Everything was going to change... in a very HARD way. there was no going back. If thet made it out of the sewers alive... EVERYTHING he knew would be gone.
How does one face the abyss knowing this?
[/ QUOTE ]
Crystal was the only person who was unaware that both Jack and Paul had taken her speech as a profession of love: she was under the impression that she had made herself quite clear - Jack was her brother, and Paul was the man she loved.
Now, as the bears headed down the tunnel, she paused briefly, looking back. "Paul?" She had already missed him - she had expected him to be right there by her side.
+++
In the Vahzilok lab
+++
The Eiledon returned to the hero to find her unconscious. While not unexpected, it was an annoyance, as he would have to wake her before he could continue. He shut down the radiation source and jammed the cattle prod into her side to wake her.
By this time, however, Unit had completed its scans of the area.
The human, codename Girl Genius, had been granted clearance appropriate to her security level by Omega Prime, and was listed in Unit's personnel files as an authorized user. She was, therefore, an individual deserving of protection.
The Eiledon, on the other hand, was listed in Unit's database as a Confirmed Hostile, particularly after it utilized the cattle prod. Unit could read extensive damage in Authorized User: Girl Genius, and the source of the damage was obvious.
Unit needed power to complete repairs. It had been utilizing the power released from the radioactive vent nearby, but now the Eiledon had shut it off.
Wakey-wakey, said the Eiledon. Its hands glowed green as it put them on Penny's arms, something that had caused her excruciating pain earlier. Time to continue our chat, it almost purred.
Penny was not conscious to hear the mechanical voice in her ear. Threat detected, droned Unit. Nanite defensive systems activated.
The Eiledon was quite surprised when its arms suddenly stuck to Penny's armor. It was even more surprised when the glowing green power running through its hands was suddenly pulled from it.
Commencing radiation energy transfer. Reserves 10%.
The Eiledon tried to pull away, found itself unable, and howled.
Reserves 30%.
The Eiledon channeled an enormous amount of energy at the limp form of the hero, trying to blast his way free.
Power spike detected. Transfer rate adjusted. Power reserves 65%.
The Eiledon gave a terrible howl and glowed green in panicked fury -
Power reserves 95%.
- as it dissolved into nothing, howling and shrieking in its own ears, sliding into dissolution, dissappearing like a bad dream, its very essence absorbed.
Threat eliminated, droned Unit emotionlessly. External system status seven percent. Authorized User: Girl Genius status, pre-terminal.
Unit had committed its surroundings to memory and did not need to scan to calculate the necessary conversion rates. Commence: nanite organic cellular repair. Commence: nanite external system conversion and repair. Power reserves: 95%. Matter reserves: 35%. Commence: matter-to-nanite conversion.
The only matter touching the armor at that moment were the enormous bonds that were enclosing the hands and feet of Girl Genius. They turned a steely-gray color as they were suddenly swarmed with nanites.
Matter reserves: 50%. Matter-to-Nanite conversion: 5% complete. Organic cellular repair: 5% complete. External system conversion and repair: 2% complete.
From the outside, it didn't look as if anything was happening: at least, not without looking through a microscope. But as the grayish-blue color washed slowly over Girl Genius's armor, it magically repaired itself: the small rips and tears mended, and the dents and dings smoothed themselves out.
More drastic changes occured more slowly. The bulky armor began losing its bulk, refitting itself, becoming formfitting and sleek. The massively oversized boots and gloves, though still oversized, became smaller. The outer layers of the armor quietly dissolved, and the inner layers showed themselves as a material so smooth and seamless it looked almost like fabric, though marked with the lines of circuitry, as well as a crisscrossing mesh of other lines.
Inside the suit, other wonders were occuring. Burnt and blistered flesh began losing its angry red-and-white appearance. Bruises disappeared. Cuts mended.
Unit kept track of all of this with occasional updates.
Matter reserves: 40%. Matter-to-Nanite conversion: 45% complete. Organic cellular repair: 30% complete. External system conversion and repair: 22% complete.
As the conversion progressed, the housings that had enclosed the arms and legs of Girl Genius slowly crumbled, their basic structure converted into nanites. She slid to the floor and lay there, unconscious.
But in her sleeping ears was a voice:
Matter reserves: 0%. Matter-to-Nanite conversion: 100% complete. Organic cellular repair: 100% complete. External system conversion and repair: 100% complete. External system power reserves: 95%. Organic system power reserves: 95%. Estimated time remaining to consciousness, 5.04 minutes.
+++
In the Vahzilok laboratory
+++
"How many?" said Enid.
The door was open a crack, and Sarah was peering through it. "I count... four." She closed the door again.
"Any mortificators or reapers?"
"Nope, just abominations. What do we have to tackle them?"
"Hmm... a chair and a piece of rope."
"Mmmmmm. How do you take out four abominations with a piece of rope?"
It was Enid that voiced the idea. "Tie loops in it. Put the loops around the neck of two abominations. Let them kill themselves, then rinse and repeat."
Sarah winced. "Boy, that sounds almost suicidal." She picked up the rope. "Enid, you any good at knots? I will take the first turn on the chair if you want."
"Deal, here... tie it like this.... my main concern is, can we throw it?"
"I can throw it," grinned Sarah. "A while back, I did a piece on this hero who used to be a ranch hand... he taught me how to handle a rope..." she smirked. "Man, I hated to break up with him, he was a cutie..."
+++
The four abominations were standing stupidly outside the door, staring at nothing in particular. They did, technically, have orders: they were to guard the door. However, they were far too dimwitted to remember something that complicated, and now were standing there stupidly.
So they were completely surprised when the door was suddenly yanked open. Sarah was there, standing on the chair. "Yee-ha!"
The rope was thinner than it had been, having been carefully split in two pieces, but the hangman's nooses at either end had been beautifully made. Sarah threw one end of the noose around the head of one abomination before he had even started to move. The other landed around the head of the other just as they turned to attack. Then Enid yanked back the chair, and Amy slammed the door shut.
The women all ran to the other side of the room, near the window, in which neither the Eiledon nor the hero was visible. The door gave a single enormous THUMP, and then was knocked off its hinges as the Abominations came charging in.
Enid was standing in front, and put her hands in front of Sarah and Amy, silently warning them not to move, to freeze.
About halfway across the room, the first abomination slowed to a stop. It was not currently taking damage, and it had forgotten what it was doing. It stood their stupidly, the noose around his neck. The two had moved at the same time, and stood next to each other, the rope draped between them.
"Come on," whispered Enid. "Come onnnnn....."
The two abominations seemed to reach a decision at the same time, and shuffled stupidly back towards the door. However, their paths were not parallel.
They were outside the door when they noticed the tugging of the rope. Their rotten brains were completely confused by this. Their was instant pandemonium and random running around.
"Think that rope will hold?"
"It had better..."
It did. The end of the abominations was rather grotesque. Enid closed her eyes. "Ew," Sarah scrunched up her face. "I wish we had that door back now - "
"Bite your tongue!" There were still two abominations to go.
"Think you can rope them without the chair?"
Sarah squinted. "Yes, I think so... door's kind of in the way but I think that would be all right.... you guys ready? We'll have to move fast this time..."
"We're ready, go."
When they were close enough, Enid threw the chair through the doorway and into the tunnel beyond. This confused the abominations long enough for Sarah to slip the rope around their heads.
As before, all the women backed off to the other end of the room. The abominations ran into the room, kicking the door again, but by the time they were halfway in, they had forgotten what they were doing.
"Oh no," whispered Enid. "No no no no no..."
"What?" Whispered Amy - and then she saw it.
The door was laying at an angle against the wall. One of the abominations had come too close to it, and now the rope was under the doorknob.
"If that hangs up -" Enid sounded scared.
It did. When the abominations shuffled back out of the room, the door came with them, dragging along behind, its handle hopelessly entangled. The abominations went through the doorframe, out into the tunnel.
The door did not. It hit the frame with a CLANG and got hung up there at an angle. "No no no-" Said Enid, "The tension is not even, we have got to get the rope loose..."
But it was too late. One of the abominations gave such an enormous pull that its head popped clean off with a horrible squelching noise. The other one roared, turned, and charged into the room.
"Grab Amy!" Shouted Enid, and went to deal with it. Sarah ran to Amy, who was looking shaky, and scooped her up.
Enid made it to the door just after the abomination had run over it. It paused, confused by her dash, then turned towards her. By that time she had it in her hands, and though it spat vomit at her, she had the door in place and it splashed harmlessly off.
Then the door was yanked out of her hands. The abomination roared. She scrambled for cover.
There was a blinding flash. The abomination screamed, clutching at its head... and fell over.
There in the doorway was the hero they had seen in the other room earlier. "I don't see any more of them... are you guys OK?"
(OOC: I'm going to have to hold off for a couple of days. I'm swamped at work and over the weekend I'm supposed to help a couple of friends move, presuming that the remain of Ivan don't put a kabosh on that. I'll try to read, but being able to post is going to be difficult. Ghost Small Arms and Terrie as needed. I'll try to read at home...between naps. 
)
Experiment had killed many Vahzilok now, and the souls were actually piling up. "Good... wait.. what was that?" he said, and he swore he could hear something with his sensative hearing. "Cant be important." he said, and went back to the lab.
((OOC: Quicky this time. PM me for specifics on this guy))
[ QUOTE ]
"I don't see any more of them... are you guys OK?"
[/ QUOTE ]
A dull groan could be heard from a near by cell. "Ow, my head. Where am I? Hello? I any one there?"
As the bears cappered around, sending heavy thuds on the ground which Small Arms could feel through his armored boots, he took a moment to try to absorb everything. For all of his relatively brief career as a costumed hero, Remington Armstrong had seen much in the way of oddities. Cyborg [censored]-wannbes. Alien warriors. Ninjas. Robed wizards.
Still, the image of the two housebroken (or house-breaking, depending out point of view) ursine goliaths scampering around their beloved master had to be the most unusual sight of them alll. Maybe it was simply that they seemed almost...normal, in an abnormal way, that prompted his view of the absurd.
As they made their way to the truck, Small Arms approached Erik. However, once he realized that he was likely to get stepped on if he stayed on the ground, Small Arms took to the air, flying beside the doctor like a hirsute tinkerbell (an image that he would likely shoot someone for, if they mentioned it out loud).
"Listen, Doc. While we were at the meeting, I manage to rig a tracker out of the radio that GG gave Harris. It's not perfect, but it'll give us a pretty good indication when she's close."
He looked at the two bears as they moved into the back of the truck. "I know they're likely good trackers, but in the sewers, scents can come from any direction, or be covered up completely. Harris has the tracker now, and I think in combination, we'll find everyone. But I wanted you to know, especially if...something happens to me or Harris."
He looked at the two bears as the back of the truck was secured. He gave a hearty laugh as he turned back to the doctor. "You know, if I had enough time, I could probably rig weapons platforms for those two. They're named for the sons of Thor, Norse god of Thunder, right? Heh! I could guarantee that they's make some real thunder with the stuff I give 'em!"
With a salute, Small Arms flew back to his own limo. After giving a series of gentle slaps to wake up his driver, who had apparently fainted after seeing the two ursines, Small Arms got in the limo, and the driver, still visably shaken from his realtively close encounter with tamed nature, started the vehicle and awaited the signal to head out.