March 22nd, 2007 - Unknown Location
He stood in his quarters and listened. His eyes closed in the darkness of his room and allowed the beautiful music to wash over him, course through his senses. It was for moments of true peace like this that he truly believed mankind struggled and fought their way up the evolutionary paths.
The melody of the violins and cellos almost seemed to caress his very soul as he embraced this very song for a deeper reason beyond enjoyment. Yet he himself found himself confronted by the temptation present in the lovely composition to forget his purpose and simply enjoy its pure beauty.
It is truly a work of art, he mused. No wonder she enjoyed it so much.
"Sir?" The gunslinger's voice cut through and shattered his momentary reverie. A stark flash of rage at such ignorance rose within him, a desire to simply kill this fool with but a thought, faded quickly as he reminded himself that they were of a shared purpose. Allies of a belief.
"Do you not hear it" The specialist breathed softly as the music continued around them never opening his eyes.
Blue sighed, her truly loathed these useless game his superior seemed to take delight in "Sir? hear what?"
"The beauty, the purpose, it speaks so clearly of what and who she is" he said sadly to his fellow operative. Blue listened to what his tastes told him was arrogant and over the top posh society garbage.
"What this 'noise?' " Blue scoffed "This speaks to you about the target?"
The man sighed deeply, his tone still even though graced with a hint of sadness. He opened his eyes the moment shattered once more by reality. He walked over to the sink in his room and with a twist turned on the water letting it flow gently over his hands.
"This noise my dear gunslinger is Pachelbel, Cannon In D Major, one of the worlds most loveliest of all compositions. The order and melody of the strings is so often moving that only the sturdiest of hearts or dull of wit prevents one from being moved to tears merely listening to it"
Blue smirked "I guess Ive got a sturdy Heart then"
The man reached down and brought a handful of water to splash it across his chiseled features "Yes" he said simply.
"Sir " Blue reported eager to report "There has been..."
The man rose and reached for a pure white cotton towel that he kept beside the sink to dry his face. He turned his eyes to his compatriot and said softly "Do you know she once danced to this piece"
Blue opened his mouth then snapped it shut before sighing "Sir?"
The Specialist walked over to the thick paned glass to overlook the city, when he spoke his eyes looked to Blue's reflection in the darkened glass "Oh yes, when she was just 16, an audition to The Julliard School of Dance. Such a bold piece and a bold choice of audition"
He smiled looking back out at the city. "Her father has the performance on a DVD, transferred from a videotape filmed by his own hand." he shook his head "The girl was unaware that he had made the performance..."
Blue looked down and sighed, what the hell does this have to do with anything, he thought annoyed.
The Specialist continued undaunted "She danced an impromptu ballet, she had been asked to choose a piece and dance as she felt the music move her." He shook his head "Her performance was exquisite in its beauty my dear gunslinger, it was as if she become the music personified, yet as I watched I could not help but to wonder who she danced that piece for...as far as she knew there was no one there but strangers...yet it had such a personal feel...she dances for others ...do you not see this?"
Blue decided it was best to put through this and tried again "Sir....she did NOT 'dance' at all tonight for us"
The specialist turned and regard his companion with sad eyes for a moment "Indeed, that is a surprise"
Blue smirked "Yes it would appear a change in tactics, followed so soon after a visit from the Sverund girl"
The Specialist turned back to the city and sighed "I see...that will be all my dear gunslinger"
Blue blinked "That is it?" he frowned when he didn't get an answer "Sir?"
Still nothing as he watched the back of the Specialist. Annoyed the gunslinger turned and left the room.
Fine, he thought to himself. I guess its time to squeeze the noose a bit more. With a snap of his comm he raised the Crey Security chief. It was time to deal with this new ally before the Target could raise any more of the masses that seemed to always flock to her side.
Back within his dark quarters, the Specialist smiles sadly to himself. She had not danced tonight. She played this game quite well. It was now time for the second movement of their shared ballet. He keyed his comm and spoke but one word to his only true trust friend and ally...
"Again"
He deactivated the comm, knowing he needn't have heard the response. The Survivalist was a true artist in his way as well. He closed his eyes determined to enjoy the rest of this piece.
There in the blackness, he watched her perform across his mind's eye. Such grace and beauty, it was a pity that is was he who had been charged with her downfall.
Yet those were at times the costs when you are helping to building a better and safer world.
For now however, he enjoyed her performance, his mind's eye running it again and again remembering in complete detail her dance...
"..who is it you /dance/ for my dear dancer..." he muttered softly as the music finally ended, leaving him in darkness..
Find us here at Templars of the Abbey Webpage
Arc # 57740 - 'A Star is Rising Part One'
Arc # 90575 - 'A Lesson Taught'
Arc # 139943 - 'And The Game Goes Tilt'
March 26th, 2007 - Undiclosed Location
His eyes moved across the screen as the images of the disaster at the warehouse unfolded for him. The elegance and precision of the four heroes was actually quite impressive to watch. The dance of the two front line heroes swirling and cutting their way through his men combined with the precise fields of fire laid down by the two others was impressive to say the least.
His eyes shifted a bit to focus on his dancer once more, her green energy charged bubbles easily deflected round after round fired at her and her companions. The fight was technically over in moments, but still they swept through the warehouse making sure they had arrested everyone of his men and those of Dr. Nemesis.
"The Nemesis Liaison has reported that they lost that monitoring station we turned over to them as part of the deal last month...all hands arrested" Blue reported.
The Specialist sighed a little but could not help but smile. "Who are these other two?"
Blue looked up from his clipboard now overstuffed with printouts from tonight's debacle. "Well Paul Angel we know..."
The man held up a hand, "Of Course these other two..I suspect I know one...the other is very new"
Blue nodded "The one is Tenebraxa, that cloud of shadows and Claws....The Malta have had extensive contact with her, more so lately than usual um..for some reason."
The man nodded his eyes never leaving the screen. "and the other?"
Blue frowned "This one is new, well to us....Corps has her registered as 'Lunatic Sin'. Sources say that she is new to the Templars..." he clicked his tongue and shook his head "She fights like a little demon...."
"Yes, yes she does as if that was her purpose" The Specialist nodded noting that "As does Tenebraxa, such a passion her hatred for us is deep...very deep to the point I would call it personal"
He smiled watching the double nova of the pair of energy producers that leveled a last line of defense and brought and end to the footage. His eyes remained fixated on his dancer as he spoke.
"Thank you my dear gunslinger you may go now and open files on these two as well. Have our men study the footage and begin training on the styles of these two as well..."
Blue frowned "But the grouping may have been casual...I mean.."
"I will not make the mistake Alpha did my good man." The Specialist intoned. "We will prepare for any contingency of allies she may bring to bear...now please carry out my orders"
Blue sighed then turned to depart the darkened security center leaving his commander to stand there studying the paused footage.
A soft burr of a ringing phone shook The Specialist from his silent reverie as he studied her face. He reached for the phone and spoke, he gaze never leaving the screen.
"Yes?" He listened as the voice spoke to him in clipped tones "Yes Ive just been briefed...Yes Ive seen it....yes I quite agree....and yes Ive heard about her investigations...no I believe that was contained....yes the arrests will not be able to be beaten..."
He sighed inwardly, he knew so little of the true goals of the speaker yet he had his orders.
"No I do not yet know how she learned of the weapons deal's location nor time...Well ...well I would imagine she and her team learned of the monitoring station from one of the nemesis warriors or perhaps from one of the captured Malta...yes of course..
He quirked a brow as he listened to the next question, he searched his thoughts as he repeated it aloud...
"Do I believe we are compromised and have a security leak...."
His thoughts immediately went to a distraught father, a man lied too a man who had a crisis of faith and committed the ultimate betrayal that a father could committed, to turn his back on his own daughter...his own answer came immediately and did not surprise him at all.
"No I do not know of any such leak...How then? My dear friend, the woman is a professional and works with National and World based intelligence operatives...it does not take much of a stretch of an imagination to see how she might have learned of our weapons deal with Dr. Nemesis toy soldiers...if you were to ask me I would first suspect a leak on their end..."
He allowed himself a small smile as that answer was accepted. after a few moments he hung up and returned his gaze to the screen. His dancer's eyes were now alive and excited as she fought through his troops. As if a spark had once more re-energized her sense of waning purpose....
As if she had reconnected with something lost to her. The Specialist smiled a bit more. He would allow this for the time being, it would change nothing of what was to come and would go a long way to undoing the unnecessary damage caused by his Crey compatriots and their overwhelming lack of compassion.
He would of course keep a closer watch on Dr. Reynolds, he would of course do nothing to stop him.
After all he was doing nothing more than a true father should. He respected that..
He understood that...
...and when the time came, it would make things all the easier for him to bring his dancer into the fold.
Just in time for the storm to begin.
He smiled wider as he reached out and thumbed off the screen, leaving him standing in total darkness.
....then order would begin.
Find us here at Templars of the Abbey Webpage
Arc # 57740 - 'A Star is Rising Part One'
Arc # 90575 - 'A Lesson Taught'
Arc # 139943 - 'And The Game Goes Tilt'
April 23rd, 2007 - Undisclosed Location
The dim light of the office strained his eyes as he read the latest report. He turned the pages slowly as he held the report in his soft Carmel hands. The only light he allowed was the tiny desk lamp, he found as he always did, comfort in such simplicity.
He sighed peacefully as the gentle music from his computer wafted throughout the darkened office. He reveled in the soft beauty of the melodious sounds of the gentle Spanish guitar.
He read the information so carefully put together by his agents in the field, pleased with their progress as they 'bunkered' up as his associate Blue would've called it. He was pleased that so many of Alpha's renegades had been salvaged and folded back into the ranks.
One such renegade had caught his eye, a man named Ferguson. He was impressed by this Tac Officer, to show such dedication and loyalty to Alpha, even as he became aware of his friend's mental collapse. He smiled with a fond admiration as he read the man's efforts then, to save as many of the renegades as he could. He wondered what meeting such a man might be like, despite the disgrace that now befell his name among the ranks of his fellow Malta.
He was still contemplating this as a shadow fell across his desk.
"Yes?" The Specialist said softly closing his eyes as he allowed the soft tune to embrace him. He knew who this was and what he wanted.
"All sectors report bedded down and the delta shift is now in place....for the 14th time now..." The Gunslinger sighed. "I'm not understanding this boss...why the hold?"
"Because my dear gunslinger those are your orders" The Specialist said softly. "The dancer is to be left alone for now, she has far too much going on and we are not to interfer"
"Not to interfer...she is overloaded and .." Blue sighed exasperated. "We had her isolated...you yourself could've brought her in that day while she was on the streets ..I mean damn it boss ...what the hell kinda hunt is this anyways?"
The man at the desk silently folded his folder shut and paused a moment as the guitar softly played around them. His eyes gently fluttered open as he regarded the gunslinger. His voice carried with a soft note of sympathy as a teacher to a child who try as he might would never fully grasp the lesson of the day.
"Hunt? " he shook his head sadly. "Who ever said this was a hunt any longer?"
Blue opened his mouth to respond and was cut short as the Specialist lifted his hand "In point of fact, this is anything but a hunt. "
Blue gaped at his superior "But I thought..."
"Indeed and that perhaps has been most of your problem my dear gunslinger, you do not see what is truly unfolding. No longer are we to capture and remove the dancer from the stage...we much like choreographers are to guide her toward her final and most important dance...to prepare her for the performance that is yet to come."
Blue narrowed his eyes "I don't like these games...she is too dangerous to play with sir"
The man nodded "Indeed she is, and you are right of course to think that. I can not fully reveal all that I know or have guessed my dear friend. Just know that you are helping to build a better world....we are both helping to make a better world..."
His tone grows softer as he regards the idle warrior, speaking before the frustrated soldier can voice any more of a protest. "The situation in New York is being contained properly and there are those who do not want the Dancer yet removed from the stage, especially in light of the clumsy fools who have now stumbled into her performance"
"This thing with Giga Gal?" Blue sneered
"Mmm yes exactly, fools yes but professionals " The Specialist added "They are to be left alone as is the Dancer, however other steps are being taken to....assist"
Blue's eyebrows floated up and into the brim of his worn and faded hat "Assist.../her/? You have got to be kidding me!"
The man shook his head sympathetically "No ..not you nor any of our men, there will still b plenty to do. I am not ceasing all offensive actions just yet. " He smiled softly "We have a man in the field and you and yours will continue to assist him, but you can see we can not allow the Dancer to be fully harmed by this new group's actions...all will be made clear in time my dear gunslinger...now that will be all, go and get some rest"
He reopened his file and began to read. Blue watched him a long moment before with a long sighed turned to go. "Fine Ill just leave you to this awful noise you are listening too then " he grumbled over his shoulder.
"Cavatina" whispered the man as he read his file.
"Cata-what-a?" Blue paused at his door, his features twisted in a mild display of disgust, his tone mildly amused. "Let me guess 14th century Spanish composer that knew something about war and used his guitar as a metaphoric sword?"
The Specialist raised his eyes to meet Blues softly "Actually, this particular piece was written by an Englishman named Stanley Myers. He composed it for a film that was never produced. It was almost lost to obscurity until it was chosen as the theme song for a film in 1978 called "The Deer Hunter" "
Blue nodded "I see...never saw the movie"
The Specialist smiled sadly "I am sure about that." He sighed then "The composer grew up as a young child during his country's hardships during World War II"
He returned to his report softly adding "as for its relevance to war, it should be obvious...only someone who has experienced such horror can create such peace in his work...it is his love and passion and it shows"
The Specialist sighed to himself as he returned to studying Fergusen's file. He knew without looking up that the gunslinger, frustrated had departed without waiting to hear the full answer on the lovely piece of music playing so peacefully through the office.
Pity, he thought. Contempt prior to investigation was a sin of arrogance, and such a sin would have to be dealt with harshly before it ruined such a grand performance....
and interfered with the coming storm...
Find us here at Templars of the Abbey Webpage
Arc # 57740 - 'A Star is Rising Part One'
Arc # 90575 - 'A Lesson Taught'
Arc # 139943 - 'And The Game Goes Tilt'
March 19th, 2007 - Unknown Location
"....Breach Team...Breach Team Go Go......Tango Two Rally ...Tower Security Response Greater than Expected..."
The Specialist entered the main security of hub of the primary lab quietly as screens around the main platform were filled with helmet cam and raid sensor data. His eyes flowed across the screens as he took in the information as quickly it was displayed.
"...Man Down.....Team 2 GO GO......Intruders! .....Metahuman Intrusion....Baker to your left look....Sweet Christ He has an Ax!...Who the?"
Slowly his head raised to look at the main screen. His tone even as he asked the senior Security Chief "This is of course not one of ours?"
"No sir, Different Project team" The chief said with a bit of a quiver to his voice. "This was Operative Clark's Team"
"Hmm" the Specialist nodded "And yet I was summoned at this hour because?" he smiled a hint of well hidden excitement creeping into his voice.
"Well partner I had summoned because of this part" Blue said stepping out of the shadows where he had been conferring with the man in the dark suit. The Specialist smirked as Blue . "Keep watching..."
"Not watch my dear gunslinger...I have already heard" he reached forward and pressed a side console that was turned down almost to mute and raised its volume. A familiar voiced sounded from across the PCPD Bandwidth...
"Understood and received, like be advised PCPD, This is Diamond I'm on site at the Skylar Tower scene, I will assist any and all units responding..additional SWAT and Ambulances required!..."
He smiled as he listened to Paul Angel's voice sound a moment later. His dancer had returned, though he had not expected her to field herself so quickly, surely not after whatever she had faced in New York. Shortly after as they listened Mindwork's voice sounded in as well to support and back up her fellow police officers.
The specialist quietly watched the rest of the battle and frowned softly. Her performance was different and unexpectedly full of fury. He canted his head a bit to the side in wonder as he watched her gracefully waltz through the Crey Forces and go directly for Clark. She directly sought him out and hammered at him fiercely...
"You came as the tank...." he whispered "You left as the dancer and returned as a hammer..."
"How was that again?" Blue asked stepping over to him.
The Specialist didn't pull his eyes from the screens as he saw her forcibly restrain herself to escort Paul to a series of rooms of which they no longer had access, But audio and team cams now showed a force being routed by Skylar forces and the PCPD.
His eyes fixated on the pale detective coordinating with the Emergency teams below. He was waiting for something, something he expected to see when Blue spoke once more...
"Do we assist?" Blue pressed "Ive got three tac teams all warmed up..Clarkie could use a hand"
There! He smiled thinly as he watched Mindwork smile wryly though no transmissions nor anyone else close enough to talk to her. She was connected to the dancer as well. The empath...of course he thought. Blue's question, though he did not answer right away needed an answer, and now he had one.
"No we do not" he softly turned his cold steel eyes to Blue "Stand your men down my dear gunslinger, there will be no need of them tonight" He let his eyes wander to the shadowy man in the dark suit and raised his voice..."Enough mistakes have been made tonight..."
The man in the shadows merely turned and walked out of the hub as the Specialist turned his eyes back to his dancer who was now the hammer tonight and sighed.
"Sir?" Blue tried once more. "are you sure?"
"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake. " The Specialist almost whispered the quoted phrase, as he watched her performance tonight, a hint of true sadness in his tone.
Blue quirked a brow, "Oh and who's wisdom do we follow tonight?" he added with a sarcastic tone dripping through his words.
"Actually those words were spoken by Napoleon Bonaparte, long before he forgot them at Waterloo." With that the Specialist turned and walked away as the last of the Crey fell to his dancer and the police.
"Napoleon?" Blue shook his head as he watched his project head depart. He turned to the Security Chief "Great now he quotes wisdom from the losers" with a sigh of disgust Blue went off to stand his men down.
Throughout the hub men and women struggled to shift and record the final data obtained to file their reports and see to it the recorded information could not be recovered. They worked expertly to see it was encoded and hidden from possible future legal eyes.
Unseen by them the middle aged doctor high in the darkened observation room could not help but allow himself to smile proudly. He did not always understand the so called 'Specialist' , even greatly feared the man at some level, but tonight.....
Tonight, his daughter had surprised them all, most of all the man who most opposed her. Dr. Reynolds allowed himself to feel the pride he should've felt all along swell inside of him.
He turned to go, he had another promise to keep. He had heard them mention New York. He had to try and find that data from where his daughter had just come from.
It was /his/ turn to do something unexpected...
================================================== =========
March 19th, 2007 - Steel Canyon
Orignally posted by the Templar Skilla
I am a Quaker she reminded herself as she clicked off her com with a hint of a vicious snap. Peace...love...the passive fight against social injustice... she recited as if again a child, reciting her own catechism. The image of Paul's broken wings coalesced in her mind, Rachel weeping in the corner of a tiny white bath tub, Jack's closed and silent eyes, Doug's bleeding, broken body on a snowy, frozen plain.
Rage rose within her, as her hood rose from her neck, eclipsing her coppered hair. Her fangs dropped, as the taste of bitter venom coated her tongue. A vicious rattle shattered the silence of the room.
Delilah looked up from the little rubber bone she was gnawing on and whined softly, cowering in the corner of the couch.
"Sweetheart?" Bryce's voice rang from the balcony above. She glanced up to see the concerned face of her lover looking down, with Samson's fluffy little head peeking through his feet.
"It'sss jussst..." she hissed, throwing her hands up. Bryce came down the stairs two at a time and wrapped his arms around his wife-to-be.
"Frustrated?"
"I want to help, I want to..."
"I know darling..." he kissed the top of her head. "I feel the same way...but we have someone else to think of now..." he laid a hand on her rounder lower belly.
She sighed, almost sobbing as she rested her head on his chest. "I know...I think I'll give Bubbles a call..."
Bryce smiled softly, handing her the phone. "I'll start Breakfast."
Find us here at Templars of the Abbey Webpage
Arc # 57740 - 'A Star is Rising Part One'
Arc # 90575 - 'A Lesson Taught'
Arc # 139943 - 'And The Game Goes Tilt'