Gold Corporation Second Class Recruiting Members

To all the team members from south of the border, Happy Thanksgiving!

I guess we might as well shut it down this week if half the team is going to be missing. See you guys next Thursday. I should be done NaNoWriMo by then and dealing with a lot less stress... for about 10 minutes until finals start up a week and a half later.

I will be late this Thursday. Some genius decided to change my class schedule to have class right up until our start time.

Roll call. Shakeup will be here this week. I love travelling for work, but I am done for now, at least until spring time. Nice little break.

Metal Fission will be there. I've started work on his pivotal AE arc, but it probably won't be ready to go for at least a couple of weeks.

I will be on time. My teacher didn't want to be there 'til 5 any more than we did, so she cancelled class.

I'll be there.

My niece will be over, so I may only be able to run until about 8:30. Last time I was on she wanted me to play, so could be more of the same tomorrow. Just a heads up. Shakeup will see everyone there, and hopefully won't go down so often, lol.

I was scheduled to work last minute as a result of someone being sick, so I won't be able to link up with you guys until next week, sadly. D=

"The Rogue Isles?" the petite blonde asked, incredulous.

"That's what they said," Kip replied, frowning as he poked at the burrito on his plate with a fork.

"No," Missy stated flatly, placing her own utensils on the table more forcefully than necessary, for emphasis.

"No?" Kip asked.

"No," She replied.

"No... what?"

"No, you are not going to the Rogue Isles."

"You don't want me to go?"

"You do?"

"I... I don't know," Kip sighed, finally putting down his fork and pushing the plate of Mexican food away from him. "I mean, it would be taking the fight to the source, but..."

"But it would be too dangerous!" Missy half-pleaded, dropping her voice when she saw other students turning to look.

"It's not so much that; it's dangerous here in the City too. It's just... the teams methods, they're..." Kip's voice trailed off as he sat flexing his fingers, his razor-sharp claws extending and retracting almost involuntarily.

"They're what?" Missy asked, placing her hand on Kip's to calm him.

"They're more... brutal than I thought."

"Brutal? What do you mean?"

Kip merely looked at her knowingly.

"Y-you mean they...?"

Kip nodded.

"Oh my god, Kip!" Missy gasped pulling her hand back and covering her mouth in horror. "You... you haven't...?"

"No, absolutely not! I swear." Kip declared immediately.

"Then that's it, you've got to sever your ties with them."

Kip sighed, "I know. You're right, I know. I'll call Mr. Gold later on."


The two sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts for a few moments.


Finally, Missy broke the silence, "Kip, I know you're disappointed, but, well, maybe you can find another team. Didn't you say this guy has other superheroes working for him?"

"Yeah, but they are all like way more experienced than me."

"Well... maybe you could be their mascot or something," Missy teased.

"Hey that's mean," Kip replied feigning offense.

"Aw, I'm sorry," Missy pouted, smiling, "How about later I get you a nice ball of yarn to bat around?"

Kip laughed, "I'd rather curl up in your lap and have you scratch my belly."

"I think that could be arranged," the blonde said winking, as both teens dug back into their food.

Very Interesting Mouse, very interesting indeed.

Somewhere in the Rogue Isles a cell phone rings.

A woman sets a box of Crunch 'n Munch on the coffee table in small, but well-appointed apartment. She pauses the movie she's watching, licks her fingers and picks up the phone. She answers without looking at the number.

"Yo!"

Hearing the voice on the other end she sits up and in a careful, measured voice she replies, "Oh, um, hello. Sorry. I didn't know it was you."

For the next few minutes she sits listening, nodding to herself and jotting notes on a small pad. Finally she carefully recites, "Thursday the eighth at seven PM. Meet them at the Sub in Sharkhead. Got it. Don't worry boss, I'll show them a good time! Oh, by the way how many..." The woman stops short as she hears the caller disconnect.

Looking at the phone for a moment, she shrugs indifferently, tosses the phone on the coffee table causing a young bearded dragon to scurry sideways. "Sorry, buddy," she apologizes to the lizard before hitting "Play" on the remote control. She digs bag into the box of sugary snacks and puts her feet up as Angelina Jolie shoots yet another nameless antagonist dead.

Sorry, guys.
My modem cacked last night. I can't a replacement until after work. Tally will have to stay at home tonight and study for exams.

I'm in for tonight, but will have to leave at 8 PM ET in order to make it to my buddy's place in time for the Steelers-Browns kickoff.

My new character will be waiting for the others at the submarine on Sharkhead Island.

So Kip has decided that we are taking a dark turn. Seems Max miscalculated on that one. But knowing him, there is another angle he'll have for us. Maybe this Mercury or whatever, whoever she is is that angle. One thing is for sure, it felt good being on the Rogue Isles and hurting them from within. We can't lose ourselves. We have to walk that line, but it could be tough. Tallybird could go either way. Moxie, I just think she likes beating people up...........

Metal Fission is a hard one to get. Not sure what is going on with him. That bears watching.

((roll call for this week))

I'm available.

I'm good for tomorrow night.

Metal Fission will be there. One last time.

Sorry, guys.
I got to work late tonight. It's the last few days that orders can be shipped cross country at a normal price so my in-bin is full.
I should be okay next Thurs.

((Loved the arc last night Necris.))

Jenny opened her eyes, the ding of the elevator alerting her that she'd reached her floor. She pushed off of the wall where she'd been leaning, half-asleep on the ride up, and stepped onto the ward.

It was early in the afternoon, but the place was mostly empty. She waved to a few nurses as she passed by, and they waved back before returning to their work. Even under her thick sweater she shivered and made a mental not to talk to someone about the thermostat. The place was eerily quiet, and her footsteps seemed out of place in the silence.

Rounding the corner at the end of the hall she nearly ran over the hospital administrator, Dr. Chamberlain. “Sorry Bill.”

Shaking spilled coffee from his hand he looked up and nodded. As she began to step around him and continue on he held up a hand for her to stop. “Jennifer, we need to talk.”

Her face was serene, but on the inside she groaned. She had really been hoping to avoid all of this today and just go about her business. “Please, I've told you before, call me Jenny.”

Another nod, “Of course.” The silence that followed was awkward, and entirely too long, but eventually he spoke. “Jenny, I wanted to talk about what happened Thursday.”

Her heart skipped a beat, but she realized there was no way he could know about what had actually happened. She thought of Trey, broken and lifeless. “I'm really sorry about that, but I couldn't make it in time. It was an emergency.” She avoided the specifics as she didn't think he'd really believe, or understand, why she had spent most of Thursday night avoiding Crey and Sky Raider forces. Or why they'd left a man behind.

“Look Jenny, I know you took a big risk when you told me about your work as a hero, but you assured me it wouldn't interfere with your work.” He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples with the other, “Yet I just got off a call with the Peterson family who were very unhappy that their son's surgery had to be cancelled at the last minute because his surgeon disappeared. Dammit Jenny, they donated half of the equipment in this hospital. There's a whole damned wing named after them.”

She searched for the right thing to say, but she was still emotionally drained from her escape from the Peregrine Island disaster, and the loss of a friend. All she managed was, “I'm sorry. I'll make it up.”

Dr. Chamberlain sighed, “Sorry just doesn't cut it, Jenny.” He met her eyes as he continued. “Look, you're one of the finest pediatric surgeons in the northeast, and we're very glad to have you on staff. But this isn't a job you can just half-***, it takes serious commitment. I took a big risk when I hired someone as young as you, fought the board on it in fact, and I want to see you succeed. I'm not saying you should stop the hero thing, I know that's important to you, but maybe you should take some time to figure things out and get your priorities straight.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. She thought of everything that had gone on over the past few weeks and realized he was right. Life was pulling her in every direction and she wasn't sure if she knew where she was headed. “Alright. I'll take a week.”

The director nodded, “Good. Get your head clear and we'll talk again.” He smiled and then continued on his way, rounding the corner, and disappearing from view.

Jenny looked after him for a moment before turning and heading down the hallway. Reaching the doors to the play room she pauses briefly before pushing her way in. The kids are all there, the ones that can get out of bed anyway. Scattered about in twos and threes, they play games and watch tv and act as though none of them is dying when all of them are.

One of the younger kids spots her and jumps up. “Jenny!” A few of the kids run over to her, the littlest ones hugging her legs. She tousles the hair on a few of the bigger kids and smiles at all of them. The little one pipes up again, “Are you going to read to us some more?!”

She nods and the kids all run off to where the reading area is, fighting over the best seats until everyone is sitting and waiting for her. She follows them over and sits down in the biggest chair, the storyteller's chair as the kid's call it. Next to the chair is a table full of books and she picks one up, holding it up for all the kids to see and they cheer.

Flipping open Treasure island, she glances at the kids, “Now, where were we?”

Another of the younger kids shouts out, “The pirates!”

“The whole book is about pirates, stupid.” The older kid sticks out his tongue at the little one.

Jenny hold up a hand and the kids quiet down. “Now, now, I think I remember, Jim was hiding in the woods.” Looking up over the top of the book, she saw them nodding. “Okay, but if it gets too scary, you just let me know.” The younger kids nod eagerly, while the older kids scoff at the thought of being scared, even as they edge closer.

Out the window, the darkened clouds mirror her own mood, but she never lets it show. Not in front of the kids. She reads to them, doing her best to entertain. It's something she can give them. She can't save them all, but she can make them happy.

It's something, at least.

We never asked for what we got. But we got them. All mutants have got them whether they want them or not. Whether we look like everyone else or we don't, at the bottom of it all we are humans........just different.

Trey lost his family. He didn't ask for his powers. He didn't want to be a walking nuclear bomb. But he was. It cost him his family, or so he thought. But that family that was left wasn't the same. Trey wanted to be "cured". How many other mutants out there want to be cured? I know Max cares about that. I know Max also cares about a lot of other things that are not humane, and don't concern people. But he cares.........

We lost a family member today. Damn...............I can't even remember the last time I spoke to my mom and dad. Do they even know I am alive. (picking up the phone and dialing), ring, ring, ring................Hello?...........Hello?, who's there?............Whoever you are stop calling here!!!!!!!.........A voice in the background, Elaine, hang it up, it's probably just some crazy..................click..............How many times will I do that before I say hi Mom, or hi Dad.

Things change. I have changed. My hands aren't even clean anymore. And now they have blood on them. I don't know if I can do this.............God help me..........that is if God even helps mutants...........

Bottle of scotch, check, Ice, check, getting drunk to wash it all away......check.......


(great writing Starflier)

Kori watched complacently from his perch on the edge of his apartment building's roof as the sun hovered over the horizon, painting the sky orange. He was contemplating the phone call he'd received earlier that day from an individual he'd never heard of from Paragon City. Maximilian Gold.

"He said he was in need of someone to fill a recently opened slot in a team of mutants..." Kori thought to himself, as the breeze drifted past him almost lazily, slightly ruffling the bandana he kept tied around his forehead. "But who is this man?"

"What do you mean, who is this man?" A second voice spoke from his conscious, sounding like an unhinged version of his own voice. "It sounds like a perfect chance for us to get in on some real action! I'm getting a bit tired of this low-key stuff - "

"I don't recall asking you of your opinion, Hito." Kori responded coolly. "I never objected to meeting the team he mentioned. I believe he said the leader was a mutant named Shakeup."

"Ah, but that's the problem with you - you think about things too much! Just go and meet these guys later this week, and don't worry about it until then! Problem solved!"

"I haven't survived this long by listening to your advice. I am going to think on this some more before deciding - "

"Think this, think that! Geez, you are so boring sometimes! And who said it's you who's been making sure we survive?!"

"Enough. I'm - "

"No, you know what? I've had it up to here with you lately. I'm taking over for now!"

"Hey, what - what do you think you're - aaaargh!" Kori grunted, transitioning from thought to speech without realizing it. He wretched violently and gripped his forehead in agony as his body temperature began to steadily rise.

A few seconds later, flames erupted from his fists as he lowered them to his side, and trails of fire began emanating from his eyes. His wings had changed color from blue to orange, and his bandana slowly fell away onto the ground.

"There. Much better!" Hito remarked maliciously, a wicked grin sliding onto his face. He reached up and forced the ends of his hair up before leaping over the side of the building and spreading his wings wide.

((Hito-Kori Ryo is my new character, a Villain, Fire/Ice Corruptor. He has split personalities that pertain to his split powers. I'm liking the character a lot more than MF so far, he'll be meeting up with you guys this week.

Thanks again for the positive feedback on my arc. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it to you guys before, but I plan on being a creative writer or creative director of some sort in the gaming industry after college, so I take very seriously any feedback on stuff I've written. I'm glad you all seemed to have enjoyed it though, and I look forward to many more months of RP goodness with you guys!))

Just throwing this out there, won't be a permanent change. Can we get together this Wednesday instead of Thursday. I have some plans Thursday, but, I could play if Wednesday doesn't work.

No school, no work, no previous obligations, don't even have a tv show to watch, so I'm good for Wednesday if it works for the others.

I'm cool with Wednesday. It actually works better than Thursday for me this week as well.