11. Speculation
"Oh I don't know Tommy.." Mrs. Cullen wiped her hands on her apron as she finished chopping the carrots for her salad. "It seemed like he didn't want to be involved in....magic or anything any more.."
"Yeah I know. I know it's a bad idea." Tommy rubbed his head, looking down at the place setting.
"Well it's not a bad idea sweetie. It's just that..I wouldn't know how to reach him."
"Yeah...."
She shuffled everything into a bowl and started tossing it. "Did you try reaching Mogo through the armor somehow?"
"Yeah but it wouldn't tell me. It said it had no data on him."
"Is that how it communicates with you? It shows you lists of information?"
"Yeah usually. One time it sounded like a woman."
"Really? That's kind of strange..what did it say?"
Tommy grunted, shoveling the lettuce into his mouth. "I just needed help and she guided me to Super.."
His mom was staring at him intently, jaw hardened, her spoon hovering half way between her mouth and the salad bowl. "Why did you need help Tommy?"
He took another bite, filling his mouth in order to give himself time to think of an answer. He wiped his mouth and looked at her, trying to keep his poker face up. "I was out practicing one time. It was after school..."
"Yes?"
"Some kids saw me and started running after me. I didn't want them to know it was me. They were from my school."
"And what did this Super person do?"
"Oh Supercreep...he's like a dancer..but also one of those people that doesn't talk..they just move kind of weird.."
"A mime? The voice told you to go to a mime?"
"Yes." He took another bite.
"That's kind of weird..."
"I guess."
"You're not getting into trouble are you Tommy?"
"No mom."
.....
"Tonight you reek of a kind of weak mental lethargy."
"Sorry Ma'am." Tommy moved his feet in and out along the saw shaped pattern she'd made on the ground.
"What are you fixated on?"
Tommy stopped the footwork and looked at her. "There is a big event at my school. It's a family day. People go there and eat and visit. And there are games--father/son races. And every year that kid you scared goes with his dad and wins. His dad is a huge bodybuilder. He owns a gym and he's a jerk just like Brian. They cheat. They push people out of the way when they're racing and bully them to win."
"Yes?" Her eyes flashed a bit more greenish-yellow as she stared at him.
"Well I was just hoping that someone could go with me. But I don't know how to reach him. And I can't think of anyone else."
She tapped her teeth with her index finger, staring off into the distance. At least he thought she was staring off into the distance, sometimes it was hard to tell.
"I will go."
"Uh..well...it has to be a human family member I think..and a man if I'm going to be in the race.."
"Well I can change my aspect to look like a human male."
"Really?"
"Yes really."
"So do you think we could win the obstacle course race?"
She stared at him blanky. With that look. She always gave him that look at some point in a conversation.
"No. We go there. And I kill the wife so that the big muscle man can stand there helplessly and watch. Then I kill him, while the little bully boy watches helplessly. Then I kill the little bully boy. If there is any family members left, they can live in fear and anguish and spread word of the deed."
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"
She laughed. "Why not?"
"It's wrong!"
"Who says it's wrong?"
"I dunno...god? It's just bad..."
"I've met several gods who didn't think it was bad."
"Don't you think the world is a better place when people care about each other and help each other out instead of trying to hurt each other all the time?"
"How is that working out for you Tommy?"
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
O.O
Oh ... oh myyyyyyy
12. Suprises
He breathed in the dank, musty air of the library and smiled. He loved it. The place had been old before Tommy was even born, so whenever he went there it felt like it was never changing. Always the same. There were never any kids there, so when he was little he could go there and read books and play in the playroom and never have to worry about sharing or getting picked on by himself. He could spend hours looking at the picture books, thinking about giants and magic and robots. It made him feel better about not having a lot of things himself. And in the hot Summer months, he and his mom could go there and relax a little in the air conditioning until the sun went down and the apartment started to cool off.
"Hey! There's my little superhero! Heya Tommy boy, where ya been?" Mr. Benson flashed his toothy grin from behind a stack of books at the reference counter.
"Hi Mr. Benson!"
"How you doin? How's school?"
"Good. Everything's good."
"How's your mother?"
"She's real good. She got some new medicinne for her arthritis and she's feeling a lot better."
"Is that so? Outstanding!"
Tommy looked around the corner and saw that one of the two public internet stations was available.
"Is there something you need to look up my friend?"
"Yes sir. But it's gonna be hard. I was wondering if you could help me."
"Of course! Of course. Let's go take a look."
Mr. Benson sat down at the computer and opened a new tab in the browser. "So what are we looking for Tommy?"
"Well it's a person...but I don't know here name."
"A woman? You're not gettin all mushy on girls now are you Tommy?"
"No!"
"Alright, hahaha, alright just teasing. You don't know her name?"
"No..."
"So what information do you have?"
"Well...she has purple skin.."
"Oh, one of those super people eh? Is she a hero or a villain?"
"Um...I don't really know.."
"What other details can you give me?"
.....
Tommy gave Mr. Benson all the details he could think of, mostly things relating to the woman's appearance. After about twenty minutes of searching, his eyes got wide as they stumbled across something.
"Oh here we go! Purple Twilight. Is that her Tommy?"
"Umm...yeah..that's her.."
"This picture is from a newspaper in New York. It was taken last year."
They stared at the image for a moment in silence.
"Well that's a very pretty lady...kind of a racy costume but I've seen how these ladies dress...wooo."
Tommy grunted. Still a bit in shock from the image.
"I guess she's a superhero then. Very nice of her to help out those firemen. It says she pulled this one on the end right out of the flames."
"Yeah...nice... um Mr. Benson can you print this picture out for me?"
"Sure thing Tommy my boy. Did you need help looking for anything else?"
"No that was it."
.....
Tommy had gotten so used to the bullies ignoring him now, that on the way home he didn't even notice when he walked into a crowd of them hanging out on the street corner.
"Hey it's the creep!
"What's up dork?"
Brian Johnson and three of his friends. Slightly older kids that Tommy didn't recognize. They elbowed him as he walked through and he almost tripped as one thrust his foot out in Tommy's path.
"Jerks!"
"Oh hey dork, you got a problem?"
"Yeah loser, you want to start something?"
Tommy looked in their eyes. Brian still was afraid, he could see that. But the others maybe didn't hear the demon story. Maybe they didn't believe it. They were arrogant and confident. Ready to fight him. But he couldn't seem to muster the usual restraint. He stared at them and just didn't walk away as usual. He shifted his right foot back slightly on a triangle. He was ready to move. He fixed his gaze on the one closest to him.
"Make your move."
There was a moment of silence. The bullies seemed suprised and confused. There were four of them and the little dork was gonna talk trash. The one nearest Tommy reached out. It may have been a push..it didn't really seem like an actual punch, but whatever it was Tommy moved slightly to slide inside the kid's arm and he brought his elbow hard against the side of his ribcage.
"OW!..ah..crap..ow" The kid staggered away, hunched over and rubbing the spot with his other hand.
"What the hell you jerk?"
"Hey, I'm gonna tell my mom what you did to my brother!"
Tommy stood there staring, waiting for the next one to come but it didn't happen. The one he hit looked pale and was waving his arm around to try to stretch out the spasming muscles.
"I was just kidding you jerk! Geeze you didn't have to hit me!"
"Yeah what a jerk, he's crazy."
"Yeah what a psycho.."
Brian Johnson looked at Tommy and started talking for the first time.
"He is a psycho. Nobody likes him. He's got not friends. Even his old man took off and left him."
The four bullies laughed at Tommy. Brian went on:
"We all got friends. We all got cool dads. My dad is gonna help me win the father son race again this year. That dork is garbage. Nobody likes him. Not even his own dad!"
They laughed again. Even the kid with the sore ribs seemed to have recovered. They stood there looking down their noses at him, laughing at his situation in life. Mocking him and all the troubles he and his mother had faced by being alone in the world. Then he heard something. A voice in his head--one he'd never heard before. A man's deep voice. And it said:
Kid, tell them that you're uncle is gonna go to that race and we're gonna beat their *****.
And no sooner than he had heard it, Tommy was blurting it out. He was pointing his finger at them, yelling:
"My uncle's coming to that thing! And we're gonna beat your *****!"
Their eyes got wide with shock. Brian Johnson started laughing.
"Your uncle? Since when? Is he a toothpick like you?" Before the other could respond, Tommy anwered him, staring him down.
"You're gonna see. You're all gonna see!" Then he turned and walked off down the street, leaving them for once in shock and silence.
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
Nice!
Tech Support Rule #1 - They will lie to you. Usually intentionally.
13. Exposure
She was sitting on a short wall, shoveling some sort of noodle dish into her mouth with large chopsticks. Tommy stopped doing the footwork for the star pattern and stood up beside her.
"What are you eating Purple?"
She stared at him for a long moment without replying. Then she looked back into the little white carton and started fishing around for another bite.
"Thai food."
"Can I try some?"
"Can you eat with the helmet on?"
"Umm..no...."
"Then no. Keep practicing."
He started to go back to the reference marks on the ground but then stopped and turned back.
"That's your name isn't it? Purple. Purple Twilight." She grunted a little. He was slowly starting to understand her expressions. Something was bothering her.
"Where did you hear that?"
"I looked it up online. I found an article about you on the internet."
"Oh?"
"Mmmm-hmmm."
"Probably lies. Don't go digging around about me."
"Why?"
"For your own protection stupid."
"Protection from what?"
"Just go back to your footwork..."
Tommy activated a storage panel on his thigh and slid out the folded up article. "I got it right here."
Purple wiped her mouth and set the carton on the wall next to her. "Let me see it."
"I'll let you see it if I can try your Thai food without getting killed."
"How about I just beat you down and take it out of your hand?"
"Err..ok here."
She took it and opened it up. When the picture was fully exposed she hissed a little, The skin tone on her face turning lighter, a little pinkish. The picture showed five firemen standing in a row. They were holding Purple stretched out sideways in their arms. Her long coat was open and she had on ladies underwear. At least some kind of naughty lady outfit with stockings and stuff. Tommy had seen something like that on a magazine once but his mom had taken it away. His friend Billy Cobert told him that once he was able to get cable tv he'd be able to see more of it when his mom wasn't around.
Tommy took advantage of the moment and popped his helmet off, dropping it to the ground as he scrambled to shovel some of the noodles into his mouth with the sticks. He had to tilt the carton towards his mouth in order to get a few in. She abruptly noticed and glared at him.
"EGGHHHHHH!"
"Haha I got some..hehehe..egh..eghh..er eGGH!! EGH! HA HA! HOT! OW! OWW! BURNING! OWW!! WATER!!"
"MORON!!!" She waved her hand in front of his face and condensed some of the moisture into the air into frost which she shoved into his mouth.
"Mmmmm..mmmmmm....rank roo..."
Tommy tapped on the picture. "It says you helped those people."
"I was just playing around. It was a whim."
"But it says you pulled that one guy out of the fire. You saved his life."
"He was faking it. He just wanted to get close to me."
"That worked?"
"I guess so! He's my boyfriend now."
"But see! You act like it's bad to help people. But you helped them. And look how happy they are. Look how happy you are!"
She folded the article back up and handed it to him.
"Things aren't that simple. They are simple for you because you are a child. I'm using them and they're using me, that's all it is."
"Then why did you blush when I showed you that picture?"
"I was turning color with disgust."
"Haha liar!"
She stood up and grabbed the remaining Thai food. "You finish your workout or I'll freeze you and leave you thawing out the rest of the evening."
"Yes Ma'am! Err..one more thing..."
"What?!"
"I heard a voice in my head. It said it was my uncle, even though I don't have an uncle."
"Well you're probably going insane. It's common for your weak-minded species."
"So you don't know anything about it?"
"Of course not." But she stared at the noodles and didn't look him in the eye as she said it.
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
14. Foreboding
Sometimes Tommy thought he did have some sort of super power. Even without the armor. He could remember times when he just knew he was going to get in trouble for something. His mom told him that it was really just his subconscious thinking things through in a common sense way. Like if you did something wrong and the police showed up at your house...well it was just common sense that they were there to get you because of what you did.
Tommy had that feeling outside the apartment. Mrs. Bensen had pulled him aside in the hallway at school. She was so happy that his uncle was going to attend the family day. The school had received his paperwork and everything. So they would do the security clearance and then he would be good to go. So standing there outside his home, with that bad feeling, Tommy assumed that his mom had gotten a call about it. That she'd found out about this mysterious uncle that Tommy didn't really have. But when he opened the door and heard the voices, he realized that he was wrong. But it didn't make him any more at ease.
"Tommy? Is that you dear? Come on in here."
His mother was sitting in the living room with a serious looking woman. She had a grey business suit, was thin...kind of a hard look to her expression. Shoulder length grey hair. Maybe she just reminded him of his gym teacher from last year.
"Tommy this is Mrs. Ward. She's here to ask us some questions about Mr. Mogo."
"Hello Tommy."
"Oh..hi. Mr. Mogo? Is he in trouble?"
"No Tommy he's not in trouble. But we haven't heard from him for a while. We are a little worried about where he is. How he's doing."
"Oh yeah. Me too."
Mrs. Ward looked past Tommy towards the hallway. She was focused on something, as if she was listening to something that he and his mother couldn't hear.
"Tommy, could you go up to your room for a minute please? I have an associate up there that would like to speak with you."
Tommy looked at his mother and she nodded. "Ok, sure."
He went into the hall, dumping his jacket and bookbag on the table, then ran up the stairs. He turned the corner and went into his room, but it was empty. He looked on the other side of the bed, but nobody was hiding there.
"Here."
"WAAAhhhh!" There was a strange woman floating above him. She wasn't actually floating, she was standing high up on the wall, parallel to the ceiling, looking down at him. She had a strange green suit that reminded Tommy of some sort of diving outfit. Her skin was very pale with black hair. She had thick, dark goggles on her face. She smiled, the pinkish diamond shape in the center of her chest glowing.
"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?"
"Yes, you suprised me."
"Do I look strange to you?"
"Well...yeah, kinda weird."
"When I first came to your world, I was so afraid of you humans. You seemed so cruel."
"We did? Why?"
She floated down and hovered in the air next to him. "Because of your skin. It looked like you had been tortured so badly, like someone held you all down and pushed millions of needles into your bodies."
"What do you mean? I don't get it." The woman lifted Tommy's arm and pointed to the small dots on his skin.
"But those are just pores. Everybody has them." The woman ran his fingers along his forearm.
"Wow, it's completely smooth. You don't have any pores. I guess you are a lot different."
He pulled his arm back, looking her over. "Why were you up there?"
"I needed to get a good look at something."
"What?"
"The back of your neck."
Tommy rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and head. "What's wrong? I don't feel anything.."
"Let's go downstairs and I'll show you."
.....
"Huh, what's wrong?" Mrs. Cullen shifted nervously in her seat.
"One moment please. Tommy stand still for a moment. Right here in the center of the room."
"Why? What's going on? What's wrong?"
"There is nothing wrong. I just need to show you something ok?"
"Um...ok."
"You're going to feel a little sting...just for a moment ok? It's no big deal. I'll count to three then you will feel it."
"Umm..ok."
"1.....2..."
"Ow!"
"There we go."
Tommy rubbed the back of his neck. Mrs. Cullen and Mrs. Ward leaned forward in their chairs. The strange woman held out her hand. Above it floated a small globe of energy with a small object inside. It was a small round disc with a few needle-like extensions protruding from the bottom.
"Oh my god...What is that? That was on my son?"
"What is it Slan?"
"It's a communications device."
Tommy rubbed his scalp. The sting was almost gone. "From who? Mr. Mogo?"
"Hahaha no Tommy."
"Then who? Who put that on my son? What do they want?"
The goggle lady lifted the object a little closer to her face, concentrating for a moment.
"This commlink belongs to the Dark Legion criminal organization. And someone is listening to us even as we speak."
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
Ooooooooooooo........
*sits and waits for Mogo to show up*
Quote:
*joins her on the waiting for more story couch*
|
Originally Posted by bamaWolfie
Ooooooooooooo........
*sits and waits for Mogo to show up* |
@tiggy
Beware the attack cat
15. Crisis
Mrs. Ward went pale, shifting in her seat. She mumbled something then covered her mouth, avoiding Mrs. Cullen's gaze.
"Dark Legion? Who are these people? What do they want with my son?"
Suddenly the little disc sparked and emitted a small puff of smoke. "They have deactivated the device."
"Slan can you pick up any psychic impressions?"
"Allow me to focus."
The room darkened a little as the ball of energy started to glow. The goggle lady held both palms open on either side, concentrating. Then a ghostlike image began to form in the air above her.
"Mode." The image was the dark haired lady Tommy had met at the break in. She was wearing her bathing suit-looking outfit. There were bullets and burst of flame and energy hitting her, bouncing off her body, but she was unharmed. She growled and slammed the ground with her fists, causing the pavement to crumble and crack. She ripped up a large chunk of concrete and lifted it above her head, hurling it out of view at unseen enemies.
Mrs. Cullen gasped. Here eyes widening with horror. "Oh good lord...that woman has been in our home. She's been giving us money...Oh my god.." The image changed. There was Tommy in his armor, talking to the woman inside the building she was robbing.
"OH Tommy...no....." Tommy shuddered his eyes welling up with tears. The light was gone from his mother's face. She looked sad, weary, suddenly without hope. He lifted his forearm to his face to wipe his eyes.
"I'm sorry Momma! I'm sorry!" She rubbed her face in her hands, unable to look at him.
The image shifted again. It shimmered in the air for an instant and then the image of Purple Twilight started to take form. She was walking outside of some sort of military base. She was glowing with energy--fire, green light, floating particles of ice spinning around her like meteors. She was firing blasts of ice at soldiers. They were knocked down, struggling to move away as the ice took hold of their limbs. Then the image changed again and there she was, arguing with Tommy over the Thai food.
"Purple Twilight. You know her Tommy?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"How do you know her?"
"She's my teacher. She's teaching me to fight.."
Mrs. Cullen's face darkened with anger. She gestured speachlessly for a moment, unable to voice her thoughts. Then she was yelling.
"Tommy! How could you! I thought I could trust you...how could you do all these things behind my back?!!"
Tommy started to sob. Before he could respond the psychic lady's hand was on his shoulder. The emotions suddenly drained out of him, like the air from a leaky balloon. She waved her arm and a bubble of energy spread through the space. It passed over his mother and her look changed--to confusion at first. The she sighed and shifted in her chair, composing herself in the shimmering blue light.
"It's better to handle this situation rationally friends."
"I'm sorry momma! I'm so sorry! But she helped me...I think she's a good person!"
"Tommy I'm you're mother. I can't take care of you...I can't protect you when you do things behind my back. Now we are involved with very dangerous people."
Mrs. Ward turned to her. "Mrs. Cullen, we are going to have to look at the payments tha.."
"No."
"Slan?"
"The money is not our concern."
"But we need to trace where it's coming from. It could be stolen. Or we could trace it back to one of their fronts."
The goggle lady seemed to become angry. Her mouth hardened in a strange grimace. She gestured in the air with her right hand. Suddenly there was a pressure in the room. Tommy could see symbols, numbers floating above his head. He heard strange voices..something about executive orders, protocols, streams of code words and authorizations. Mrs. Ward leaned forward in her chair, gripping her head in her hands.
"Alright Slan! Alright! Get out of my head." She sat up scowling. Mrs. Cullen rubbed her jaw and gestured sheepishly.
"So we should keep taking the money?" She blushed a bit looking at Mrs. Ward's expression. "I'm sorry but we have very little to live on. I can barely afford to pay the rent on my own..."
"Yes. Keep accepting the payments Mrs. Cullen. I believe the money is from a legitimate source."
"But why are they doing this.....what do they want with my son?"
Slan rubbed her hands over the small globe of energy. Tommy smiled a little..it was so much like the classic scene of the fortune teller rubbing her crystal ball. The spectral images in the room changed again, this time revealing Mode sitting at some sort of communications console. She was listening to headphones, drinking a cup of coffee. She was in a fuzzy green bathrobe and slippers, a towel wrapped around her head.
"This one. Mode. Believes that your son has been subjected to.....what is the best signifying phrase......mmmmmmm......child abuse."
"WHAT?!?" Mrs. Cullen jerked in her seat, eyes wide with alarm. "I would never hurt Tommy! Never! I swear!"
"Not you Mrs. Cullen.."
"Then who?"
The image in the air shifted and reformed again.
"Oh good lord no...it can't be!"
"What?! NO WAY! That's bullcrap!"
The figure in the image bowed and tipped his hat theatrically.
"Mode believe that the Magnificent Mogo has subjected your son to abuse. And she has intervened to compensate."
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
Oh what a load of CRAP!!! *growls* What the hell are the setting Mogo up for?
Quote:
My oh My
|
Originally Posted by FrozenDeath
"Mode believe that the Magnificent Mogo has subjected your son to abuse. And she has intervened to compensate." |
@tiggy
Beware the attack cat
16. Allegation
"Wait, wait, wait.." Mrs. Ward threw up her hands in frustration. "We came here to try to determine Mogo's whereabouts. Mrs. Cullen can you describe what happened the last time you saw him?"
"Well, yes. He said he was done. I asked him if there was any way he could keep an eye on us....I was still worried about Tommy's wellfare. But it seemed like he was quitting. He ddin't want to be Mogo anymore. And he gave Tommy the armor..."
"He gave me his tophat, and it turned into armor for me!"
"Yes..he transferred power to Tommy. And then he left the house. I went after him to ask him a question but by the time I got to the porch he was gone. Some guy outside said he flew off on a winged horse."
Mrs. Ward rubbed her jaw. "Did the guy outside speak French?"
"Err..yeah he did. Said goodbye in French."
"MMmm...that was Mogo. He always speaks French after he lies. Or during sometimes."
"Oh...so he disguised himself?"
"I don't think so. I think he probably changed to what he really looks like. His actual appearance."
"Oh...."
Mrs. Ward looked at Slan. "So the psychics were correct when they said he'd cease to exist. He stopped being Mogo."
"Yes, and this one.." The goggle lady pointed to Tommy. "He has received the power. And that is the basis of Mode's viewpoint. The child has been victimized by the receipt of this power."
"So Tommy is abused because he has received superpowers?" Mrs. Cullen shifted in her chair. "I don't follow that. How can this gift be damaging? And Mogo was very clear--Tommy had to be a good person or it wouldn't work. He had to help out. He had to do good in school. And as he developed as a person, the armor would teach him and give him more abilities--isn't that what Mogo said Tommy?"
"Yes that's right! I have to be good. I have to be responsible."
"Have you?"
Tommy blushed. "I think so..."
Slan waved her hand and spectral images began to form again in the room. "There is some substance to Mode's allegation." Scenes began to form. First Tommy standing on the roof of a building, waiting to jump Brian Johnson and his friends. Then his shock and disappointment as the armor shut down and left him standing there. The image changed to him helping Mode carry a bag out of the building she was robbing. The images changed again and Tommy was on another roof, getting knocked on his back by circle of thorns mages. Yelling in terror as a demon was summoned to claim him.
"Tommy! What were you thinking?!"
"I'm sorry Momma! Someone was in trouble."
The images faded and Slan looked at them. "It is likely that Tommy would now be dead at the hands of the circle of thorns if Mode had not intervened." Mrs. Ward leaned forward in her chair and looked closely at Tommy.
"Tommy, why were you out there? How did you end up at the robbery? Or on that roof fighting those mages?"
"The armor directs me. When there's something wrong....I can hear things. And it gives me a green light that shows where to go. Sometimes it wakes me up at night when there's something going on...I wake up in my bed and I'm in full armor..."
"And then you've been sneaking out of the house?! Tommy I can't believe you!"
"If I didn't, people would get hurt! There was a lady on that one roof! Those men were hurting her..I think they were gonna steal her soul or something! She needed my help! I was afraid and they were winning but then Supercreep helped me out."
"Supercreep.." Mrs. Cullen looked at the other women. "Is that another supervillain?"
"No...interesting that he should pop up."
"So Tommy...the armor has been leading you to these encounters?"
"Yes Ma'am."
Slan turned to Mrs. Cullen. "I think the problem does not lie with Mogo. It lies with the power he transferred to Tommy. It is not following the protocal that you and your son were given. It is pursuing another agenda. It must answer to these allegations of child abuse."
"It's sentient?"
"Yes."
Suddenly the bracelet on Tommy's arm lifted up. His hand rose up over his head and then the metal was dissolving into little points of light like a swarm of fireflies drifting up into the air. The flickers coalesced into a large shape, becoming more and more dense until is was a glowing sillhouette of Mogo. His exact form rendered in golden light. It bowed and tipped it's hat to them.
Slan faced the entity. She rose into the air and assumed a lotus position before it.
"Please leave the room while I commune with the entity."
Mrs. Ward gestured and they shuffled out. Mrs. Cullen lead them to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. She shook her head.
"I should've known it was too good to be true." Mrs. Ward laughed.
"Nothing is ever really what it seems to be, but I don't think you really need to be worried Mrs. Cullen."
"How can you say that? My son's been hanging out with a criminal gang. A super-powered criminal gang."
"And if they wanted to hurt him they would have done so by now. They aren't exactly a subtle bunch. I think they genuinely tried to help him out. I think they saved his life."
"Well then what do I do? What if they come around again?"
"I think we have to wait to see what Slan says. But I think she's going to tell you to keep going on with your life. I don't think there's anything else we can really do, unless you want us to move you far away and change your identities completely."
"That's not comforting."
"Well, if they have decided to protect him...he's safer than he would be with us. They are not restrained by law or morality." She looked at Tommy.
"You were being bullied a lot at school weren't Tommy?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"By who Tommy? That Brian Johnson kid? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry Momma..it's not a big deal anyway...."
Mrs. Ward smiled as she poured creamer in her coffee. "Tommy.."
"Yes Ma'am?"
"The demon lady went and had a talk with Brian Johnson didn't she?"
"Yes ma'am."
"And the bullying stopped?"
"Pretty much..yeah."
She shrugged and looked at Mrs. Cullen. "Beats talking to the principle."
In the next room they could here the conversation. Strange nonhuman languages sounding off quickly, back and forth, at times sounding more like music than human speech.
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
Alright, I've been following as best as I can since the beginning, and I've got something to say.
Frozen, you've got a good story here. It's complex, intriguing, and quite entertaining.
However, your dialogue is a killer for me. You have full on conversations, but the reader is left having to interpret (and reinterpret) who is actually speaking. Normally, you do provide information on who the speakers are after the fact, but that leaves the reader having to go back and re-read the dialogue to figure out the specific speakers.
Normally, you determine the speaker within the dialogue, usually after a pause in speech...
Example: "Hello," Bob said, "I'm here to fix your cable."
And you can get away with not explaining who a speaker is if you've established the speaker and that nobody else is talking...
Example: He proceeded to check the cable box and the cables connected to the television. Finally, Bob looked over the machine to me, his face perplexed.
"There's nothing plugged in back here!"
But when you have upwards of five people speaking in a scene, you need to establish who is saying what. You catch it sometimes, but for the most part, I'm left wondering just who is saying what in most of this machine gun dialogue.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Speaking only for myself, most of the time I have no trouble with it, but it can help sometimes. But a lod "he said, then she said" gets weird too.
Really enjoying the story, FD! Can't wait for Mogo to show up again! Everything needs MORE MOGO. *laughs*
Hola,
Sorry about the long delay for an update. I've been slammed with work. I understand the last section was confusing with all the voices, it was a bit rushed at the time. I don't think the next sections will be a problem.
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
17. Resolution
Mrs. Ward slid the door of the van shut and opened her laptop. She reluctantly started an entry then stopped and stared at Slan with a dazed disbelief.
"So we're just walking away."
"Yes. That is the prudent thing to do."
"And we're going to leave this child in the hands of this entity. And let it continue to guide him towards these criminals."
"Yes."
She laughed and shrugged, pounding her forhead with her fist.
"I don't even know how to make this entry..."
"The entity does not work the way we do. It moves pieces into place in order to achieve desired effects. But it does not manage the pieces themselves."
"You're going to have to elaborate. That is much too cryptic to follow. It looks to me like it granted the child superpowers without giving him the training to use them properly."
"Yes that is true."
Slan gestured and began watching spectral images of Tommy in action. They watched as he tripped and slid between the legs of the demon, rocketing down the alley and hitting the wall.
"The child's purpose is not to fight crime. So the training was not deemed necessary."
"How is he supposed to become a crime fighter if he can't even control his abilities?"
"He's not."
"Then why was he chosen? Why did the entity pass to him?"
"Because he's innocent. And he is incorruptible. He will always do what he believes is the right thing, although he will naturally sometimes make mistakes."
"He won't stay that way for long if he's thrown in with them."
"Yes he will. That's why he is being placed there."
"I don't understand."
Slan waved her hand. Images of Statesman and Lord Recluse appeared in the cabin of the van. The two figures began to fight. The image froze with the two figures caught in action--Statesman in mid punch, Recluse lashing out with his mechanical spider limbs.
"Here you have two opposing moral positions, commonly defined as good and evil. Each defines the other. Each seeks to overcome the other and remove it from the world. We as superheroes fight our counterparts to prevent them from influencing the people around us through violence, crime, etc. That is our way."
Ward nodded. "Yes. We are here to protect innocent lives. We are keeping people free, letting them pursue a good life without fear of oppression."
"The entity views us as this." Slan gestured and the images of Statesman and Lord Recluse faded. In their place was a large bottle of aspirin. "We are merely addressing symptoms without offering a cure."
"And it thinks that tossing this poor boy into the hands of the Dark Legion group will somehow reform them?"
"It stated to me that evil as we conceive of it cannot be defeated. It must be transcended. The boy's presence with them has already changing the course of the future. He may have already served the intended goal...it's very difficult to make a determination when dealing with creatures who exist outside of the time stream."
"So we're done here?"
"Yes, for now."
"And what about this family fun day thing...you've seen who is coming for the child?"
"Yes."
"We're not going to stop him?"
"No. It will play out."
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
*rubs hands* OOOOOOO
@tiggy
Beware the attack cat
Interesting...
"Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you... you had such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end..." -- Q
18. Interim
The days that followed were hard. Tommy told his mother everything. All the sneaking around at night. All the things going on at school. And also the news that his "uncle" would be appearing for the family fun day. She went through a range of emotions. At first anger. And even worse...she was hurt. He had betrayed her. Tommy felt listless, they went about their daily routine as if they were sleepwalking. Everything was kind of dull and just happened, like in a dream. Not a special dream, just a dull dream vision of their ordinary life.
Then, after a few days, Mrs. Cullen started to accept things. It began with a bland resignation. These things had happened and there was nothing she could do about it. But then, she started to feel some hope. If nothing else, she knew now what Tommy had held back. All his troubles with the bullies. The way he had wanted to be something special. The way he had tried to help people, even if it didn't really happen in the heroic way he intended. She was now aware of his secret life with these issues.
And they could maybe start over and he could learn to be more open. And maybe she would learn to trust his impulses.
.....
"She's going to have to come to the house Tommy. If you're going to keep training with this woman I want to meet her. And no more sneaking off during the night. Especially on a school night."
"Yes Momma. But I don't...
"What?"
"I don't know if she'll come here. She doesn't like to be told what to do."
"Well that's the way it's going to have to be Tommy."
"Ok Momma."
.....
The final days before the family fun day dragged for Tommy. Purple hadn't come around, so he had been training by himself in the alley behind the apartment. Mrs. Cullen tried to check on their paperwork, see who was on the school's contact list as Tommy's uncle, but the inept receptionist just assured her that all the paperwork was in order. Basically they were too lazy to get up and dig out the file.
They just had to wait, with no idea if someone would call or just show up at the house.
Finally that Saturday morning rolled around. Tommy got up early. He got dressed to do sports and racing, put on his shoes and went out front. He sat down on the front steps of their apartment, looking up and down the street, waiting for something to happen.
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
Interesting...
"Goodbye, Jean-Luc. I'm gonna miss you... you had such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end..." -- Q
YEAH FD writes again!
@tiggy
Beware the attack cat
19.
"Tommy...did they say anything about who would be coming?"
Tommy sat on the steps outside their apartment, his arm wrapped limply around the railing. He looked back and forth, up and down the street, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for someone to come get him, even though they were late and the event had officially started 15 minutes ago. He had a sinking feeling in his belly. Everything felt heavy. It felt like the weight of the whole world was sinking on him. If he didn't show, the bullies would win. Brian Johnson was probably already laughing at him.
"Honey, why don't you come inside? I'll make you a cup of hot chocolate."
"No thanks mom."
"You know...maybe those people visiting us...maybe it scared them off you know? Maybe it's not safe for this person to come here any more..."
"Yeah..."
"Well, you know maybe we can catch a movie! Or go to-"
"Wait! What is that? Over there.."
There was something across the street. Some sort of shadow, very faint at first but now getting darker.It was walking across the street in their direction. Soon it would be directly opposite their apartment.
"What is it? A ghost?"
"I dunno. Look! More!"
There were more shapes coming. Vaguely visibly human forms cloaked in darkness. More and more bodies coalescing in the overcast glow of the morning. Becoming thicker, like a curtain of darkness slowly moving towards them down the street.
"Tommy I don't like this. Maybe we should go inside."
"Wait mom, look."
Some of the figures had reached them, casually moving past the porch steps. The vague sillhouette of a man nodded and tipped its hat to Mrs. Cullen as it passed. Tommy was standing now, gripping the railing. Knuckles white, body stiff with excitement as the silent shadow parade moved on by. Soon the area to the south was a solid wall of darkness engulfing the entire width of the street.
"I..um..Tommy..this doesn't seem..."
"Mom! Something's coming. I can feel it! Listen!"
Out of the rolling cloud of spectral shades there was a sound. Faint at first, but getting louder. It was pounding..with some sort of rhythm. It was getting closer..and the sound of an engine roaring as well.
"Is that..music?"
"Sounds like a stereo....HOLY COW LOOK!"
In that moment, everything slowed. Tommy could hear his mother say something, but it was a slow drawn out mumble. His entire being was focused on THE CAR. It slid out of the shadows. Graceful, yet roaring with the sounds of the engine and the music throbbing. It was gold, brilliant in the sunlight like a huge sword of the gods appearing on earth. What was it? A Camero? Shiny metal awesome with black stripes down the hood..stopping in front of the apartment...his mouth moving...his mouth moving and trying react to this vison while his brian was paralyzed with shock.
A man got out of the car. The biggest man Tommy had ever seen. Bigger than Brian Johnson's dad. Tall and rippling with muscles. BIG MUSCLES. He was real pale and had sunglasses on, his black hair slicked back. His clothes all black. Black tshirt, pants, shoes. He was grinning as he came around to the other side of the car. Tommy could hear his mom babbling something incoherently. The man come up to him..stood in front of the porch..right in front of them and lifted up a sleeve, flexing and exposing all of the tattoo on that arm. It was a naked, purple-skinned lady with a gun and bottle of whiskey, wearing a sombrero. The man moved his arm and the rippling movement under the skin made it look like she was dancing. Above the woman there were two big fancy letters:
FD
"Come on *******! Let's go!"
Blacklisted
"I'AM SATANS FAVORITE CHILD!!"
LOL, and glad to see more story.
@tiggy
Beware the attack cat
Oooooo.... I can hardly wait to see where THIS goes!