Kat Scratched Fever (Mynx's Story)


BlueBattler

 

Posted

In the beginning, she cried. She begged. She pleaded.

But none of it made any difference. They didn’t stop. They kept on hurting her. They kept on changing her. Tearing away who she had been, making her into someone else.

Something else.

Now … now she doesn’t cry. She struggles when she can. Glares at them when she can’t. She lets them see that she’s watching them. She lets them see that she knows what they’re doing to her.

And many of them—the ones who still have souls—look away.

Now … now for the first time in ages, she’s alone.

And that can’t be a good thing.

It’s hard for her to think, now. She tries to free herself, but her restraints still prove themselves greater than her strength. For all her newfound might—and she can feel it coursing through her veins, singing in her ears—she doesn’t have the power to shatter her chains.

But she tries. Again and again, she tries … until she realizes she’s no longer alone.

“Ah, yes. Still you fight.” The voice has a heavy Italian accent. “I told them that your soft exterior concealed a tigress. You’re the first subject to survive this far, Katherine. I am proud of you.”

She hisses at him.

He laughs. “Is it the beast that hates me or the woman, Katherine? It doesn’t matter, you know. You won’t hate me for long.”

“I’ll kill you!” she threatens, moderately surprised to find that she can still speak, her voice a husky whisper.

“No, I don’t think you shall. You see, you belong to us, Katherine. Body and soul. And soon … soon your mind will as well.”

She struggles so hard that she can feel her left wrist start to bleed.... “Never!”

“Yes, my dear. Oh yes.” He steps out of the shadows, then. A handsome man … one of those who had interviewed her when she had volunteered for the research project. He had movie star good looks, she had thought. “You see, the others have done their work on your body. Tomorrow, I will complete the project by altering your mind … when I am through, you will serve Countess Crey with all your heart.”

She glares at him.

“But that’s for tomorrow, my Katherine. Tomorrow, you belong to Crey. Tonight … tonight you belong to me.”

He walks over to the table she’s bound to, his hand sliding across her leg, up to her taut stomach. “You are no longer human, Katherine. You were not an especially attractive woman, you know. Now … now you are a fine little minx.”

Her wrist … the blood …! She can’t break the restraint, but there are other ways to get out of a trap …but if he sees what she’s doing … if he calls the guards ….

She forces herself to look seductively at him through her lashes. Her lips curve in an invitation and she licks her lips. “Amadeo, right? Your name is Amadeo.”

“I’m pleased you remember my name, my dear.” He bends down and covers her mouth with his own, kissing her passionately.

She makes herself respond, distracting him as she works her left hand free. She chokes on her own bile, but she lets the man who’s more a beast than she’ll ever be kiss her …

Until her hand is free!

And then she strikes with the claws they have given her, raking the man’s handsome face … once, twice … three times ….

He screams horribly and breaks free from her, howling in pain as he dashes through the door.

The animal part of her hisses in frustration. The human knows that she only has minutes, at most, before they come for her, so she forces herself to think once more.

With her hand free—with her claws free—it only takes a few strokes to cut through the restraints that bind her right hand and both legs. In seconds, she’s on her feet.

Run, Kat! Run as fast as you can and don’t look back!

She doesn’t know where the thought comes from, but she knows good advice when she “hears” it.

But the creature that runs through the door no longer thinks of herself as Katherine “Kat” Stevens. No, Kat Stevens died when she was laid down on that table …. She’s someone else now. She’s something else.

She’s a … Mynx.


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Posted

I notice that Mynx's Story does not have a *Complete* stamp next to it. Does that mean that more is coming?


 

Posted

There MUST be!


My Stories

Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.

 

Posted

There's still the story of how Mynx meets Synapse, and becomes a hero in her own right. There's plenty left to see.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I notice that Mynx's Story does not have a *Complete* stamp next to it. Does that mean that more is coming?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, there's more to come.


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Posted

“Little Kat, Little Kat, come with me. Follow if you want to be free.”

He was the kind of man she would have crossed the street to avoid. Bearded, befuddled, with eyes that seemed to be looking at everything else but what was right in front of them. Even in the sewers, he smells.

But he feels kind and he gently bandages her injured wrist with a piece of surprisingly clean cloth. The simple act makes her want to cry.

It’s been so long since anyone did anything to help her.

“Who are you? How did you get here? How did you find me?”

“I am I am I am the Can Man. I hear that which is not spoken. I act to help those who are broken.” He fishes into a bag he’s carrying and tosses her some dirty clothes. “The Crey mark what you wear. Discard it and better you’ll fare.”

“Mark it? You mean its bugged?” She wants to get rid of the gown anyway. It reminds her of what was done to her. She steps behind the Can Man and swiftly dons the torn jeans and T-shirt. They’re too big for her, but then most clothes are. She’s always been tiny.

She tosses the gown into the water.

No sooner does she finish…. “Someone’s coming,” she tells her strange ally.

The Can Man makes a strange gesture with his arms. “No eye can see you or I. Say not a word lest they find us as they did the invisible bird.”

The Can Man pulls her to the side, to the shadows, and they see an armed party of Crey Agents come tromping through the sewers.

One of them is wearing the uniform that Crey gives their scientists, and he’s carrying a tablet-sized piece of equipment. The right side of his face is heavily bandaged. “We’ll find her. I’ll find that minx and rip her heart out!”

“Calm yourself, Amadeo. The Countess has plans for the Stevens girl. Just be thankful that you aren’t being punished for your … indiscretions.” Though clad in a business suit like everyone else but Amadeo, he’s much taller and more formidable than his companions. Even in the darkened sewers, he’s wearing sunglasses.

“The feline freak hurt me, Hopkins! I’ll make her pay! I swear I’ll make her pay!”

“You will do as you’re told.” The tone is not that of a man who expects to be obeyed; it is the voice of a man who takes it for granted that his commands will be followed without question.

Fear-- and anger-- war within her. She wants to run away where they’ll never find her. She wants to tear into them with the claws they have given her, make them pay in pain and blood for the torment they have given her.

But the Can Man’s hand is on her arm, and somehow that makes her stay where she is, watching.

“She’s nearby,” Amadeo mutters. “I can feel her.”

Her claws twitch and she remembers the feel of his flesh rending …

The device in Amadeo’s hands emits a rapid beeping noise. “I told you! She’s near! She’s here! And we’ll have her soon!”

Her breath catches in her throat.

Hopkins glances at the machine and grimaces. He reaches a meaty hand into the muck and foul water at their feet and pulls up the gown she’s just discarded. “I don’t think she’s all that near, Amadeo.”

“No! How could she know to get rid of it?! How could she know?!”

Beside her, she can see the Can Man grin.

“We’re not going to find her tonight.” Hopkins’ face is as impassive as stone, but she can feel the anger simmering beneath that calm surface.

“I promise you I’ll find her, Hopkins! I’ll bring her back the Lab with my own two hands … AFTER she pays for what she did to me!”

She’s probably the only one who sees the blow that strikes Amadeo to the ground. Even so, she’s appalled by its speed and power.

“Your petty vendettas are of no more importance than your twisted desires, Amadeo. You will find Ms. Stevens. You will bring her back to the Lab … not for revenge, but because the Countess commands it. I command it. Fail me again, and you will wish that Ms. Stevens had finished you. Now, come.”

He jerks Amadeo back to his feet and gestures for the others to follow him. Within minutes, they’re gone as though they had never been.

The Can Man turns to her. “Safety you will not find here down below. To Steel Canyon you should go.”

“Steel Canyon? Why?”

“The Crey are strongest in the places of shadow where only the lost and the lonely go. Dwell in the world of light and the Countess’ power you can fight. In the Canyon of Steel you will be able to heal.”

It’s insane. The Can Man is insane. But she knows that she’s going to do what he says. She owes him that much. “Thank you. Thank you for your help.” She hugs him impulsively.

His body stiffens at her touch, trembling like a bird that’s about to take flight, but he finally, stiffly, returns her embrace. “For a time you must walk alone, but there are others who will help you grow strong. No matter have they have done to you; your inner self will always shine through.”

He leaves her beside a door that leads out of the sewers and into Steel Canyon. One moment he’s there; the next he’s gone.

She’s hunted, cold, and alone, but she’s free.

For now, that’s enough.


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Posted


Synapse is running.

He is running because there is lightning in his blood, power in his fingers and toes. He is running because the only time he feels alive is when he’s a blur of speed. Talking, moving, thinking at a normal rate of speed is like swimming in molasses.

And there are times when he simply can’t take it any longer.

Tonight is one of those times.

And of course, Ray isn’t content to leave well enough alone.

“I don’t understand you, Synapse.”

Ray only calls him Synapse when he’s mad at him. Lately, he’s been doing that a lot.

“Ray, unless something has come up in the last ten minutes, I’m off duty.” The nice thing about having a mad scientist for a best friend is that he’s fully capable of building a doohickey or whatchmacallit that can slow down a speedster’s speech enough to be understood by normal ears. Arguing with Ray by comlink while running at breakneck speed through Paragon was bad enough; having to do it while slowing his speech down would be as annoying as heck.

“I can’t believe you stood up Margaret for the third time,” Positron says as though he hasn’t said a word. Ray’s annoying like that. “She’s a brilliant woman, and actually seems to like you for reasons that escape me.”

“Ray, she’s not my type. She’s your type. Why don’t you ask her out? Have you even had a date since the turn of the century?”

“We’re not talking about my social life—“

“Or lack thereof—“

“—we’re talking about you. I know how much you enjoy the night life, but we all have to grow up sometime, Steve.”

“Ray, look. I like being single. I like not being tied down or having any responsibilities. When I go out, I like dating pretty girls who aren’t looking to settle down and raise 2.4 kids and have a house in the suburbs. Margaret is a nice woman, but she’s looking for Mr. Right. I’m Mr. Right Now.”

“That’s a pretty shallow attitude, Synapse.”

“Again with the ‘Synapsing’, Ray? Look, I do my bit for Paragon. I fight the good fight. I save the world on a regular basis. Don’t ask more of me than that. I’m going to turn the comlink off now, Ray.”

“Synapse—“

“Good night, Ray.” There’s nothing quite so satisfying as getting the last word on Ray! Wait a second … what’s that up ahead? Looks like trouble …

The woman is a pretty young thing. The man is young and stretched out flat on his back on the sidewalk.

“What seems to be the trouble here?” Remember to flash a smile at the girl.

“Synapse!”

“That’s my name. My friends call me Syn.” Man, my goggles are great for protecting my eyes but they don’t exactly make flirting easy. Chicks really dig it when they can see your eyes. “What happened here?”

“I was picking up a pizza for the gang and this guy jumps out of nowhere. He says he’s going to—“ There’s real fear in her eyes and he doesn’t need her to elaborate; he just nods to show that he understands.

“Then what happened?”

“This girl jumps out of nowhere and beats him within an inch of his life. She’s got these claws and it looks like she’s going to cut him to ribbons and then—and then she just stops and looks at me.”

A new hero on the block? Might have to track her down. She sounds like she’s a little too bloodthirsty. On the other hand, sounds like she stopped herself. That’s a good sign. “Then what happened?”

The girl’s eyes widen in surprise. “She stole my pizza!”


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Posted

Buahaha, this is just awesome.


"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi

Characters

 

Posted

Didn't see THAT coming! Ha!


 

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That there was sig worthy, that was. Were I the sig-switching type, I'd switch it up for your pizza-theft line.

Keep the awesome coming.


 

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Talk about your plot twists. Now, we'll all see the time when Synapse started the "Savior of Pizza" portion of his career.

And it shall be glorious, indeed.


 

Posted

Thanks, guys.

Of the canon characters I've written so far, Synapse is the second one to have given me the most trouble. (Writing dialogue for The Can Man tops him.)

If I screw this story up, it'll probably be because I mishandle Synapse ....


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You're doing great, can't wait for more


 

Posted

She never sleeps in the same place twice in a row. She eats what she takes. She talks to no one, and no one is ever allowed to touch her again.

She’s never felt so free.

Or lonely.

There’s no one she can trust. The Crey are still looking for her. She’s seen them on the streets of Steel Canyon. They hunt her.

She’s even seen Amadeo. The bandage that he’s still wearing makes him easy to spot. He’s the one who hunts her the most.

His lips on hers. His hands on her body –

Her claws pop instinctively.

If I ever meet him again I’ll finish what I started!

“Hello, good looking!”

She turns and sees a colorfully clad man looking at her. He’s smiling—a smile that reminds her of Amadeo. “You’re pretty good. I’ve been trying to find you for three nights now. There aren’t a lot of people who can hide themselves that well. I’m—“

“Synapse. I know who you are. I’m not an idiot.” She’s balances on her toes, ready to leap—towards Synapse or away from him. She’s not sure which.

“So you know my name. Why don’t you share yours?” He’s still smiling. She hates that smile. She hates the flirting tone of his voice.

“I’m—Mynx.”

“Hi, Mynx. Charmed, I’m sure. So what’s a nice cat-girl like you doing on a rooftop like this?”

She stands there, uncertain. He’s a man. She can’t trust him. She can’t trust that smile. But he’s Synapse, a member of the Freedom Phalanx. Maybe he can help her--?

“I’m sure we could find a much more interesting way to spend a night like this—“

That smile.

That smug, arrogant, self indulgent smile.

She can’t help herself. More to the point, she doesn’t want to help herself. She wants to wipe that smile off his face.

She screams an incoherent cry of rage and leaps at him, claws extended.

“You don’t really think you can lay a glove on me, do you?” He’s smirking. God, she hates that smirk.

But she smiles at him through her lashes. “Oh, I don’t know about that, hotpants. Look down.”

Puzzled, he looks down and gasps in surprise.

Three bloody gashes mark his chest.

“How did you—I didn’t see you do that! I didn’t see you do that! How could you move so fast?!”

“I’m faster than I look.” She’s enjoying the look of surprise on his face. It gives her a sense of power, of strength. It’s intoxicating.

“Good shot, kitty. You won’t get another. Time for me to get serious.”

“You get serious? I’m shocked!”

“Not yet, but you will be.” Synapse frowns and waves his hand, and suddenly she’s surrounded by oscillating circular bolts of electricity. “That electric fence will keep you in place, kitty. Why don’t you tell me who you really are and why you’re saving damsels in distress and snatching takeout?”

“I don’t have to answer to you, sparky. I don’t answer to anyone now!” She tenses her legs and leaps out of the fence, landing on Synapse with sufficient force to knock him off his feet. She straddles his chest and puts her claws to his throat. “Give me one good reason not to give you a second smile.”

“I’ve got one. You’re not a killer.” To his credit, he doesn’t flinch. He just looks up at her through the goggles that mask his eyes. The smile is gone, but there’s no fear.

“You don’t know anything about me!” She jumps off him and points her claws at him. “You don’t know who I am. You don’t know what I am. You don’t know what they did to me! No one will ever hurt me again! I won’t let them! Come near me again and I’ll kill you, hero! I swear to God that I’ll gut you like a fish!”

“Let me help you, Mynx.” He rises slowly to his feet, cautious, but not making any overtly threatening movies. His voice is different now. The flirtatious tones are gone. It sounds … compassionate. “Who did this to you? Who hurt you?”

“It doesn’t matter. They can do whatever they want and no one ever stops them. Not the law. Not Statesman. Not you. No one ever stops them and they keep on hurting people! Where were you, Synapse? Where were you when they strapped me down to that table and cut on me? Where were you when they injected me with stuff that made my insides melt? Where were you when I needed a hero?!”

“I’m here now, Mynx. Let me help you deal with this. Believe me, I’ve been where you are. It was Crey, wasn’t it? Crey did this to you, didn’t they? They’re the ones who hurt you, aren’t they?”

“I don’t need you now! I don’t need anyone! Stay the hell away from me, Synapse! Come near me again and I will kill you! I swear it!”

She wants to run. She wants to stay. She wants to believe him. She wants to kill him.

She jumps. She runs away. She runs away from the pain, from the fear. She runs away because it’s the only thing she can do to keep herself sane.

“Mynx! Mynx!”

He looks for her for hours. She can hear him calling her new name until his voice is hoarse, but he doesn’t find her. Hiding from him—hiding from herself—she watches him all night long …

“Stay away, Synapse. Stay away. Please stay away from me…”


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Posted

[OOC]: I'll take the first post in this thread for the night.

I don't know...

It was kind of odd when I first began reading. Maybe it's because you were taking signature characters in to your own hands, or something... No, I'm sure of it. ...I think. I don't know, there was just something I couldn't pin that didn't quite 'click' at first.

But...

Tonight's add-on really made me want more. I think you did a good job, and whatever you're doing, keep it up.

I'll keep reading. I'm liking where this is going.
- Fire Lilly


 

Posted

I like it. I think your Synapse is pretty good, tries the polished, charming famous hero of the city schtick and it fails him utterly but he's still able to get something out of it.

I did notice that he seemed fairly jaded when he was talking to Positron earlier and he doesn't seem to have that in this section, and I'm perfectly willing to chalk that up to public face/private face, but I figured you'd want to know that his personality seemed to flucuate inbetween sections.


Infinity
Sam Varden 50 MA/Reg Scrap
Doomtastic 50 SS/Inv Brute
Ceus 50 Eng/Kin Corr
Cinderstorm 50 Fire/Fire Blaster

 

Posted

I think your portrayal of Synapse works, your Mynx, too. This is an earlier time, a different time for these heroes. Synapse uses his womanizing to escape his memories of torment, and Mynx is startled and paranoid. This all makes perfect sense to me.

Frankly, I'm starting to wonder if Blue here is really the "play name" of a Cryptic/NCSoft storyline writer


My Stories

Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.

 

Posted

Thanks, Mr. Grey, but I assure you I'm not.

If I had any kind of pull at all with NCSoft, you'd see a Dancin' Clockwork King and Prom Dress Penny in Pocket D during the Valentine's Day events.


My COX Fanfiction:


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Posted

[ QUOTE ]
If I had any kind of pull at all with NCSoft, you'd see a Dancin' Clockwork King and Prom Dress Penny in Pocket D during the Valentine's Day events.

[/ QUOTE ]

I, honestly, would die laughing if I ever saw this.

On topic: Great story.


GIVE TANKS DARKNESS/ELECTRICAL MASTERY! =3
Level 50's: Komrade Kommunism (T); King Darksource (T); Burning Red Star (T); Komrade Kosmonaut (WS); Vredesbyrd (Br); Anarchery (Bl)

 

Posted

Personally, I like the tale. I liked Mynx even before reading this. I'm kinda partial to human/feline hybrids.

I have a few of my own and I've even started a story about them (A Cat's Night of Skullduggery). looking forward to reading more.


 

Posted

.... had to find SOME way to add to my favorites list


 

Posted

It's funny... The way I write Mynx, she's something of a... A... Well, she's not nice. I took this attitude from the comic, but where her behavior remains playful with the Vindicators (except Malaise, they ALL seem to hate Malaise), she becomes a bit cold to other heroes she doesn't really know and doesn't really respect.

Somebody once asked me to have her run over by a truck! This was... Unsettling... I had written her too unsympathetic. However, I couldn't fix it. The story is largely the point of view of my characters, and the one that has dealt with Mynx the most is a bit of an abrasive brat himself, so they ALWAYS rub each other the wrong way (essentially, it boils down to bouts of "God! I hate you so much!" when they're not emotionally drained).

I think that's why I like Blue's story here. He found the way to sympathize with Mynx while sticking to her personality. I hope the momentum keeps up and I can't wait to see where this goes.


My Stories

Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.

 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
It's funny... The way I write Mynx, she's something of a... A... Well, she's not nice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that's where we disagree. She hasn't had a chance to be nice or to relax. She is aware of what she needs and who MAY be able to provide for that need; but she is afraid of another betrayal.

We humans are always putting our own standards on other creatures. Cats are an excellent example. Take the 'arrogant and sulking' cat idea. It usually comes up when the human has found the cat has done something the human does not like. The very way the cat turns away and leaves infuriates us.

But hold on, what is the cat doing in its own mind? To a cat meeting another creature's gaze is a challenge. Take a good look at a cat's face and you will see a cat is well-equipped (for its size) for such a challenge. When we get angry at a cat; we want to look it in the eye. That is exactly what the cat DOESN'T want... it doesn't want to challenge you, especially when you're angry. The cat's only alternative... avoid your gaze and leave before your hurt it.

Just because you have a standard, it doesn't mean that standard is shared. That is what this story is saying so far.


 

Posted

“So let me see if I have this straight. You hear about some clawed wild woman stalking the rooftops of Steel Canyon and spend three nights looking for her. She proves fast enough to not only take you down, but also to make a complete getaway. And yet, you didn’t think any of this was important enough to tell any of us what you were doing?”

“Well, yeah, it does sound stupid when you put it that way, Manticore,” Synapse admits with a grin that doesn’t let anyone see just how torked off he actually is. Never let them see you sweat.

“It’s time for the grownups to take over now, Synapse. Statesman, Sister Psyche and I will go Steel Canyon tonight. Between her telepathy and my tracking skills—“

“You know, William Tell, you’d be a lot less of a jerk if you’d just take that arrow out of your—“

“Synapse, that’s enough.” Statesman’s voice holds no amusement, no annoyance. He’s worked with both of them too long for that. “You too, Manticore. Synapse isn’t some amateur fresh off the bus. He’s a professional.”

“Some professional. If Kitty Claws hadn’t changed her mind, we’d be recruiting his replacement right now.”

“She’s not a killer.”

“You seem awfully certain of that, Steve.” Ray’s helmet is off, and he’s drinking half a cup of coffee. He doesn’t drink a lot of liquids when he’s expecting to be on call.

“She spared the mugger. She spared me. I’ve looked into her eyes, Ray. She’s not a killer. She didn’t choose this life. It chose her.” He pauses. “Crey chose her.”

“You’re sure of this?” Sister Psyche looks over at him.

“I’m sure.” For a change, he doesn’t even make a show of lowering his gaze to her chest while he’s speaking to her. He looks her straight in the eyes.

“If you’re wrong, then you’ve left a ticking bomb on the streets.” Manticore’s not big on forgiveness. One of his less endearing qualities, Synapse thinks.

“She’s either a victim who needs help or a potential killer. Either way, we need to get her off the streets before anyone gets hurt. Shalice, do you think you can find her?”

“She’s one girl in a city filled with millions of people. Given time, I can probably find her, but it won’t happen overnight.”

“I can alert the Brawler and Blue Steel. With enough heroes on the job, it’ll only be a matter of time before we find her—“

“No!”

“Steve? What’s wrong?”

“We can’t hunt her down like a wild animal. She’s been hurt. She doesn’t trust anyone. If we sick the cape and cowl brigade on her, we’ll just make things worse. We’ve got to convince her to let us help her. We’ve got to earn her trust.” He hates this. He hates this because it’s not who he is. He’s not Mr. Responsibility. Statesman, Ray—even Manticore—call the shots, most of the time. He’s the one who runs where he’s told or blasts what he’s told to blast. He doesn’t take charge. “Let me do this on my own.”

“You’ve already bungled this once, Synapse. What makes you think you deserve a second chance?”

“It’s not about me, Mean Arrow. It’s about a girl who’s wandering around lost on her own who’s one step from putting on a black hat. She shouldn’t be chased down like a runaway house pet. She deserves better than that from us—from me.”

Steve, it’s not your fault.

Geez, Shalice! Give a guy some warning next time! I might have been picturing you in your underwear or something!

The equivalent of a mental chuckle, but it doesn’t last. What happened to Mynx isn’t your fault, Steve.

How do you know that, Shalice? Ray and I—we should have dug deeper, looked harder. We could have found the proof that we needed to shut down Crey once and for all! Instead, they remained in business and Mynx paid the price. Mynx—and God knows who else.

Steve, not even Statesman has been able to save everyone. Beating yourself up over this girl isn’t going to help p her—or you.

I’ve been where she is, Shalice. I know better than anyone what she’s going through. I was on that table, Shalice. Not even Ray knows what it was like—what they did to me. What they were trying to do to me. If anyone can reach her, it’s me. I have to try.

“I think that we should let Synapse try.”

“Shalice, are you certain?” Statesman doesn’t seem surprised at all. Of course at his age, there’s probably not a lot that can surprise him.

Manticore, on the other hand … “You can’t be serious!”

“I am. There’s no indication that the girl has placed anyone in serious danger yet. Right now, she’s just a potential threat. Until we have proof that she is actually a danger to herself or others, I say that we give Synapse the chance to try to help Mynx.”

“I agree.” He expects that Ray would take his side, but it’s still gratifying that he does. “But there’s no reason that we have to put all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.”

“What do you have in mind, Ray?”

“Just this, sir.” Even after all this time, Ray still can’t bring himself to get over his childhood awe and call Statesman by his given name. “While Steve is trying to talk Mynx into turning herself in for help, Manticore can be trying to figure out who she really is. Once we know who she is, we ought to have a better idea of how to help her.”

“I’ve seen Mynx in Synapse’s memories,” Sister Psyche volunteers. “I can help Manticore in his search.”

“Why I am not surprised?” Statesman murmurs.

“Steve, do you want my help?” Ray offers. “I can scan from the air while you search the streets and rooftops.”

“No—thanks, Ray, but I think I should handle this myself. I’m going to try something different.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s going to be watching for Synapse—but she doesn’t know Steve Berry. I’ll try to talk to her in civvies. Maybe I can talk her down that way. It’s worth a shot.”

“Not a bad idea,” Manticore admits grudgingly.

“Thanks, Robin of Lockjaw. I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“I think you’re right, Synapse. If you come to her without a mask, you may just be able to help Mynx.”

“Yeah, she’ll never recognize me without the costume.” He smiles to fake a confidence he doesn’t feel. He doesn’t like the idea of being anyone’s only hope, but he’s afraid that Mynx’s wellbeing is going to depend on what he does next … it’s a scary thought.

What he “hears” next, however, scares him even more.

You don’t understand, Steve. I’m not talking about the mask of Synapse. If you’re going to reach Mynx, you’re going to have to let her see Steven Berry. The REAL Steven Berry … can you do that?

I’ll do whatever it takes, Shalice. I’m not going to fail her this time …


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Posted

WOW!

I like this conversation. Why do I see a maturation occuring? I'm not really surprised at the psionic's understanding of the situation.

I waiting anxiously for the next post.