# Generation Legacy Issue #15



## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

*Online Web-Comic Teaser #1*

“I am not sure if they are ready for this Cardinal,” Metatron spoke slowly, as if begging a parent.

“They have no choice, there are factors that I cannot see, paths moving in the future that are unknown to me,” she replies, “these unknown factors could destroy me before my time.”

Metatron looks away, “You cannot see the future, great mistress?”

“I see one path, that path has guided my hand until recently, in the last year… events have been set into motion that are outside my sight.  This will not do, rally the men, tomorrow the world will see my Great Work.  Activate the cells, Metatron, spread my message to my children.  Then ready yourself, we go to Mudaba Adin… I have someone I need to chat with,” Cardinal finishes pulling up her hood over her face.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

*Online Web-Comic Teaser #2*

The sound of bone and flesh ripping and breaking was soft, softer then it rightfully should be.  The elite tries to reach back and feels another sharp dose of pain before her arm explodes with pain.  A heavy booted foot pushes her face first into the mud…  The elite grimaces, “I have no idea who you think… my god… my arm… you son of bitch!”

Chance stands over the Pantheon agent with a smirk looking at the now mangled and ripped arm in her hands, “Oh I guess you can’t grow that back?  Well too bad, I told you I wasn’t here to talk to peons, mere foot soldiers in the army.  I am looking for one of the Disciples…”

“You crazy bitch… you ripped off my arm!” the elite shrieks.

“You will live,” Chance sighs dropping the arm, “So about that Disciple?”  Chance enjoyed getting to the heart of things, and thankfully the elite was even more compliant…


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

*Online Web-Comic Teaser #3*

“You realize, Chaos that we have called the Proxy to adjudicate based on your actions… and your manipulations of events in this reality?” the council of Eternals spoke in unison, as one singular voice.

“My manipulations?”  Chaos chuckles, “I have done everything within my purview, and I have more leeway with my sentient interactions then most, you do realize this?”

“Your role in the corruption of the cosmic seed, and the creation of the anomaly are well outside your boundaries,” the Proxy replies.  It was slim in build with dark skin, a white mask upon its face, covering its features, twisted into a painful visage.  Wild blue hair framing the strange mask.

Chaos gives the Proxy a puzzled look, “And you think I had anything to do with that… I am not exactly sure why you would come to that conclusion.”

“Evidence has been brought to the council’s attention, damning evidence against you.  It is the council’s decision that your fate will be tied to that of this reality.  In addition to remove you from further interference in this adjudication process, you are hereby stripped of your powers,”  The Proxy finishes.

Chaos grins, “Now this is something that is truly unexpected.  Well, I suppose if my guilt is found to be error?”

“I do not believe this to be an error.  You are dismissed, it is my decision that you shall spend your final days on the world you have grown so attached to.  The council has spoken,” the Proxy commands.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

*UNJE Verona Tower*

The automated nurses take Kal to the infirmary.  A crew of androids are already cleaning up the damage and working on the repairs.  Unlike the nurses which were fairly human in appearance these machines are very much just robots adapted to their given roles.

On one of the monitors some Retro-Metal was playing with a band called Deviant Dreams rocking their way across the screen.  The music was a strange blend of ethnic rhythms, hair metal, and synthetic pop music with an edge of punk to keep it interesting.  It was all the rage at the moment, and Deviant Dreams was one of the top selling bands at the moment.  Of course it helped that Sakura Red was front lining the band as the lead vocalist.

Another monitor has the local Italian news, and another is set to a CNN video feed.  The local news is discussing the current arrival of Legacy to Verona while the CNN feed talks about the upcoming purchase of CNN and associated networks by VSC and its financial impacts.

Gadget stares at the phone in her hand, “Well Ryan said bye, Gilden he said to get back to him as soon as possible about the Red Witch thing or James… or both.”

Tim glowers in his corner now back in his original body, playing the guitar with his invisible limbs.  A sharp scream is heard coming from Aya’s room!

*Back at the Institute*

There was fire.

That was the first thing to jog the senses, the feeling of fire and pain.  The world just exploded, or at least it seemed that way.  Ryan was thrown back and into the wall, painfully.  He could not see much through the smoke and fire, he could hear screams, Kiyana was shouting something but the fire, the noise… it drowned out everything.

Worst of all… his powers were strangely absent… like the time he was on the island… back at Eden…

*Kelly*

Kelly was given a room, or at least she was being shown to a room by Jun Min when, the two had exchanged pleasantries and the older woman was genuinely glad to see the young pop star was back and safe… relatively safe.

Of course in the blink of an eye the world was torn asunder, Kelly was lying on her back, rubble had trapped her legs, but she was alive.  She couldn’t even see Jun Min through the smoke and fire, but she could see someone in a long robe standing over her… and behind them a larger silhouette with large wings.

*Cassie*

Cassie was in the gym, it was the one place that seemed to help her think and after the trying time she just went through with her sister, with Kelly, and with Ryan, she could use a little break.  

Fire.  Smoke.  Explosions.

Cassie was thrown to the ground with great force, and when she realized what was happening or at least could think semi-straight, she felt searing pain and smoke filling her lungs.  There was so much noise and confusion… but her first concern was to get out from underneath the rubble that was currently pinning her down…

She could hear someone close by.

_All the teens at Mudaba Adin Institute gain 1 HP for GM’s Fiat, and are also all Bruised + Injured._


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## Hammerhead (Apr 17, 2007)

Ryan struggled to his feet, the chaos of the situation momentarily overwhelming him. _My force field should have come on...damn. This is like back at Eden. She's here,_ he concluded, filled with dread. _This seems like an assault, but I never figured Cardinal for the subtle type. Likely objectives would be myself or Cassie._

Ryan's thoughts were interrupted as he coughed, pain flaring throughout his chest, bringing him back to the reality of the situation. "Kiyana," he barked, "Put out the fires. SARAH!" he shouts, glancing up at the ceiling as he attempts to search for any of the medical staff who might be injured or unconscious. "What's going on here? Does the intercom still work," he asks the A.I. desperately.


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## Aenion (Apr 17, 2007)

Karen follows the nurses back to the infirmary to make sure Kal is alright and that he stays in his bed this time. She wasn't quite going so far as to make true on her promise of tieing him to the bed, but she had no intention of letting Kal out of bed again until the doctor says it's ok.

"What was that?!" she asks worriedly when she hears a scream coming from the hall, "You just stay put ok? Or I'm gonna have to hurt you this time," she tells Kal with a worried smile. She gives him a kiss on his forehead, before rushing back to the hall to see where the scream came from.


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## Shalimar (Apr 17, 2007)

The blonde popstar snarls in pain as the world explodes around her into flame and falling rubble, pinning her to the ground, well, it would have pinned her if she wasn't an elite, but either way she was not a happy popstar.  Blondes were suppoused to have more fun, but you couldn't prove it by her since all she seemed to accumulate were wounds and near-fatal experiences.  First things first Kelly thought summoning her weather shield to protect her from the flames, he didn't bother her but from the faint scars she possesed being on fire defintiely did.

"Jun Min, this has proved my point, nothing good ever happens, life is just a long line of disapointments and things going from bad to worse."  she calls out, hoping for a response so she could locate the teacher.  Looking up she notices the robed figure above her for the first time, and the winged one behind them.  "I don't suppouse that you guys are here to help?"  the girl asks wistfully.  Kelly stirs up the air in the room, speeding it up, readying it to jump to hurricane force so that it'd fling the rubble off of her and at the figures.

OOC:  Free Action to up her force field,  Readying her actions to throw the rubble off of her and at the possible baddies ifthey make a threatening move.


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 17, 2007)

*Cassie*

She blinked, gasping in pain as she comes to. _I must have blacked out for a moment._ She thought as she felt her body pushing out the shrapnel and the 'crinkling' feeling she got when she was burned badly. Already her body was healing and she felt the slight tickling feeling that signified that the burns had included her hair and it was growing back to it's 'natural' length. 

She frowned as she thought about how that would make her look, the dye job she had gotten a few days ago wasn't faded, so the regrown hair would be blonde while the rest was still black.  She surveyed the hurts and pains as she shifted to see if she could get a grip on whatever it was holding her down as she blinked her eyes clear.


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## Mimic (Apr 17, 2007)

*Gilden status: Normal HP:1/1*



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Gadget stares at the phone in her hand, “Well Ryan said bye, Gilden he said to get back to him as soon as possible about the Red Witch thing or James… or both.”
> 
> Tim glowers in his corner now back in his original body, playing the guitar with his invisible limbs.  A sharp scream is heard coming from Aya’s room!





"Hmmm, Ryan thinks James' illness has something to do with the Red Witch?"  Gilden replies with a frown, "that is most disconcerting. I wonder is Anika would teleport us to the institue so..."

Gilden's head turns abruptly as he hears the scream. "That's coming from Aya's room. Come on." He says to the pink haired girl as he grabs her hand and starts running for Aya's room


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden's head turns abruptly as he hears the scream. "That's coming from Aya's room. Come on." He says to the pink haired girl as he grabs her hand and starts running for Aya's room



The door slides open and Aya rushes out holding a towel over herself, doing her best to stay decent.  She shrieks, “There is a pervert in my room!”

A young boy’s voice replies, “I am not a pervert!  Don’t flatter yourself… well maybe you should but seriously… I am not a pervert.  Actually how did I get here?  Who are you, and why are you screaming so loudly?”

Aya scowls, “How did you get into my room?”

The boy stumbles out wearing nothing but a smile, he is pale skinned and has wild red hair.  He furrows his brow, “I don’t know?  Do you know who I am?  I remember waking up and then you started screaming at me.”

Gadget blushes, “Umm why don’t you have any clothes?”

“Clothes?” the boy asks somewhat puzzled.

*Cassie*

Cassie is able with some trepidation free herself from the rubble.  A hand reaches down and grabs her, the smoke making it hard to make out whom.  But the voice is familiar, its Sami, “Are you okay?”

*Kelly*

Jun Min replies weakly, “Kelly…”

A man’s voice speaks it sounds familiar to Kelly, so powerful and perfect, the voice of an angel, “Are you hurt?”

Jun Min replies, “Huh… who are you?”  She sounds pained, and definitely is far worse off than Kelly is.

“I am Metatron, voice of the Cardinal,” the voice replies, “We are well aware of who you are and what you are capable.  Despite the dire circumstances, we do not wish to kill you, you are still members of the People, misguided as you are.  Where is the Prophet?”

*Ryan*

SARAH replies, “Hello Ryan… Hello Ryan… Hel-lo… Ry…. System… Error… Error.  Error.”

Kiyana shouts back, “I am trying!”

Bishop pulls back the rubble covering Ryan, “Ryan… bloody hell… we got hit hard.  You look like… she is here.”  His eyes betray a certain sense of dread, “This is bad…”


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 17, 2007)

*Cassie*

"What happened Sami? I was working out and it sounded like we took a missle hit to the building. Are you okay?" She looks him over as she brushes herself off, but keep a hand on him to keep her balance.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> "What happened Sami? I was working out and it sounded like we took a missle hit to the building. Are you okay?" She looks him over as she brushes herself off, but keep a hand on him to keep her balance.



 Sami replies, “I am fine, I got banged up but I should be fine… you got it worse than I did.”  He rubs his bloody brow and helps her up, “I have no idea what is going on, but from the looks of things, the rest of the campus can’t be doing much better.”


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## Hammerhead (Apr 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH replies, “Hello Ryan… Hello Ryan… Hel-lo… Ry…. System… Error… Error.  Error.”
> 
> Kiyana shouts back, “I am trying!”
> 
> Bishop pulls back the rubble covering Ryan, “Ryan… bloody hell… we got hit hard.  You look like… she is here.”  His eyes betray a certain sense of dread, “This is bad…”




"These new operating systems are so unreliable," Ryan quips. _Why the hell do I lose my powers every time Cardinal decides to show up? It's going to make fighting her, should that need ever arise, pretty damn tough. Or fighting at her side, against Overseer._

"Yeah, she's here," Ryan agrees, wincing from another flash of pain. "Let's go find Dr. Harper. Cardinal!" Ryan yells out through the noises surrounding him, growing angry. _How dare she? I was so close to James! Now I need to get her to leave as soon as possible, while minimizing the destruction. That will probably entail giving her whatever it is that she wants, assuming it's not the destruction of the Institute._


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## Tokiwong (Apr 17, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Yeah, she's here," Ryan agrees, wincing from another flash of pain. "Let's go find Dr. Harper. Cardinal!" Ryan yells out through the noises surrounding him, growing angry. _How dare she? I was so close to James! Now I need to get her to leave as soon as possible, while minimizing the destruction. That will probably entail giving her whatever it is that she wants, assuming it's not the destruction of the Institute._



Bishop pauses, “You are full of surprises Ryan… very few people know that.”

Kiyana clears the fire, and then collapses amidst the smoke, bleeding from several injuries… it seems she pushed herself to keep the fire at bay.  James’ tube is cracked but still holding.  Kiyana glances to the tube, “I saved him…”

Bishop turns to look for an exit, “We can’t stay here… and what the hell do you think you can do to Cardinal in your current condition?”


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## Hammerhead (Apr 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Bishop pauses, “You are full of surprises Ryan… very few people know that.”
> 
> Kiyana clears the fire, and then collapses amidst the smoke, bleeding from several injuries… it seems she pushed herself to keep the fire at bay.  James’ tube is cracked but still holding.  Kiyana glances to the tube, “I saved him…”
> 
> Bishop turns to look for an exit, “We can’t stay here… and what the hell do you think you can do to Cardinal in your current condition?”




"Good work, Kiyana. I'll be back as soon as I can...try breathing through a wet cloth or something," Ryan says over his shoulder, following Bishop. "What the hell could I do to her if I was at one hundred percent," Ryan asks sarcastically. "Hurt her feelings? There's a chance we may be able to reason with her, and the quicker she leaves the fewer people get killed."

_If this is some kind of raid, then the likely objective is me or Cassie. Probably Cassie. If it's me, then I'll find Cardinal soon enough...where the hell would Cassie be?_


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 17, 2007)

*Cassie*

"I think you need to find safety Sami," Cassie says as she looks out the door to see what is going on outside and see if she can see where the center of the choas is going on.


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## Shalimar (Apr 17, 2007)

"Metatron...Cardinal."  Kelly says with a sigh.  "Attacking this place is a bad idea, so I don't suppouse you'd be willing to go away would you?  The students here would have fought against Overseer, and so would the people your gonna lose today.  Your weakening our defenses for when he finally shows up, not least of which is making it harder for the UNJE Elites to work with yours.  Apologize, help us treat the wounded on both sides, and we can go about working out how we are all going to gang up on Overseer when he arrives."

"I don't know if you got the message, but at the moment you and Overseer aren't the most important things going on.  We got a warning from Proxy of the Eternal Council, unless we undo a major unbalance that occured in the last couple of hours, the Eternal Council is going to wipe out this reality, all of it, YOU included.  We are on a timer and this is slowing us down." the girl says angrily, the rubble that had been covering her shooting out to slam loudly into the wall behind the two villians to emphasize her point as she rights herself to float by Jun Min.


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## Agamon (Apr 18, 2007)

When Kal is taken to the infirmary, Anika just sits there, lost in her own thoughts.  She reacts less quickly to Aya's scream than the others, but shakes herself from her stupor and eventually rushes off to see what's going on now.

She comes down the hall, quickly noting the naked boy standing outside Aya's room.  She stops in shock and averts her eyes to the wall beside her.  "Aya!  What in the gods' names is going on?!"


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## Mimic (Apr 18, 2007)

A tiny part of Gilden thought that this whole situation was exceedingly funny, the rest of him as usual found it very disturbing. There was something familiar about this boy but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Clothing. Articles of apparel that we use to cover ourselves in order to protect ourselves from the elements." He says indicating his shirt, "as well as keeping ourselves covered so we don't embarrass members of the opposite sex." He adds as he telekinetically pulls another sheet to him from Aya's room indicating to the boy that he should cover himself.

He paused for a moment waiting until the boy was done. "Do I know you?"


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> He paused for a moment waiting until the boy was done. "Do I know you?"



“More importantly do I know you?” the boy responds, “and why would a member of this opposite sex be embarrassed.  Are you embarrassed and are you a member of this opposite sex?  Oh and I think I feel the need to consume food, can you show me where I can get some food, and I guess clothes.  Can I have your shirt?”

Aya shrieks at Anika, “This isn’t my fault!”

*Kelly*

Metatron gives the words a moment to think, “This from someone who put doubt in the hearts of millions about the purpose of the UNJE.  Rightfully so, and then turn about and say that we are doing harm to the cause?  Every time you do their bidding you are hurting the cause.”

Jun Min coughs, trying to get to her feet.

The angelic elite shrugs, “As far as this eternal council… or whatever nonsense you are spitting forth, don’t be so misguided or foolish to think I would trust anything you have to say.  Now give us the Prophet and we can be on our way… if not then more then this Institute will suffer.  The baselines will be eradicated.”

“Kelly,” Cardinal finally speaks.  Her voice is strong, feminine but laced with power.  She steps forward, “we will not harm you, or the others, but I must speak with the Prophet, Cassandra Prophet.  She may be the key to this whole debacle.  You want to save your friends then help me.”

*Cassie*

Sami shakes his head, “I think we better stick together.  And at this moment I am not sure where a safe place would be… I may not have elite powers but I have a little common sense.  Safety in numbers right?”

Cassie sees a door, or at least an opening from the building… or it would be if a large muscular woman had not stridden through.  She was tall nearly seven feet in height, her face was severe and bone blades stuck out from her forearms and one massive horn jutted forth from her skull.

*Ryan*

Kiyana does not reply or move.

Bishop follows, tossing some rubble aside making a path to the door.  He speaks quickly, “Well I am not even sure if she has feelings, I have never actually seen Cardinal get angry.  Oh I have seen her deal out punishment, murder, and any number of actions, but anger.  I can’t say I have seen her bloody angry.”

“Do you really believe that what you have to say will have any bearing on what she will actually do?” Bishop replies incredulously, “You have better faith then I.”


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## Shalimar (Apr 18, 2007)

"Thats the problem with being the bad guys, your so used to lying that you never believe the truth.  Your like the bad guys in the old cartoons, so convinced everyone is like you that when the hero tells you to duck you say your not falling for it and get smacked in the back of the head, or run off a cliff.  The problem is that this cliff isn't just going to take you, its going to take all life, baseline and Elite."  Kelly retorts frustrated, doing her best to help Jun Min get comfortable.  

"My cause is everyone, not the people in the Just Us League.  Knowing that I told the truth on principle before, don't you think its just the teensiest bit possible I'm telling the truth now?  If your wrong the universe ending isn't the type of thing you can say 'my bad' to.  If it helps we're pretty sure the imbalance is one of Overseer's Henchmen Red Witch Killing the other henchman to absorb his powers and become omnipotent.  Come on Cardinal, you know about the Eternal's, you know whats going on, you know they can and would do this."   the popstar says earnestly.

"If all you want to do is talk to Cassie you wouldn't have attacked, and I can't just turn her over to you, she's my friend, and we'll probably need her to stop Red Witch since she helped defeat her before.  Call off your people and we can just all talk if thats all you want to do."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "My cause is everyone, not the people in the Just Us League.  Knowing that I told the truth on principle before, don't you think its just the teensiest bit possible I'm telling the truth now?  If your wrong the universe ending isn't the type of thing you can say 'my bad' to.  If it helps we're pretty sure the imbalance is one of Overseer's Henchmen Red Witch Killing the other henchman to absorb his powers and become omnipotent.  Come on Cardinal, you know about the Eternal's, you know whats going on, you know they can and would do this."   the popstar says earnestly.



Cardinal replies cautiously, “I know about the Eternals… and this isn’t just a war against Overseer, this is a war to tear down those self righteous preening beings.  You think that these beings care about what you do to fix the balance; this is all just a game to them.  No one will save us but ourselves.  The only way to save ourselves is to commit a little deicide; and by a little I mean total eradication.”


			
				Shalimar said:
			
		

> "If all you want to do is talk to Cassie you wouldn't have attacked, and I can't just turn her over to you, she's my friend, and we'll probably need her to stop Red Witch since she helped defeat her before.  Call off your people and we can just all talk if thats all you want to do."



“Perceptive, I had another motive to strike at this Institute, to strike fear into the hearts of baselines.  I have already seen what they will do to us.  How they will hunt us, call us the bane of humanity… eradicate all my children.  We have to strike first Kelly.  Break mankind’s spirit, and bring them to heel.  We are the saviors, they are cattle… they have their uses.  Why do you think they took your mother,” Cardinal replies.

Jun Min grimaces as Kelly pulls her from the rubble, a metal pike is lodged in her upper thigh, blood is flowing from the wound.   She seems to be handling it well; most likely a credit to her own mental prowess, but the loss of blood will eventually catch up to her.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

*Cardinal*


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## Hammerhead (Apr 18, 2007)

Ryan sighed, looking down at Kiyana, before bending down to pick her up. "Christ, you're heavy. You think I should leave her here? I doubt where we're going will be any safer."

"It's not a matter of faith...at least I don't need to worry about pissing her off. She'll listen to logic, hopefully. And she's not going to kill me, at least. It's the best I can try under these limited circumstances." _Besides, it might be educational._


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## Shalimar (Apr 18, 2007)

"So at last the truth comes out...I suppouse that now is a bad time to tell you that the eternals are watching me and Legacy?  They did just hear that."  Kelly says, sagging, she had been holding out hope that she could somehow convince Cardinal to join forces with the UNJE to beat back Overseer, but that would never happen, not now that she knew that Cardinal was exactly the same as Overseer, seeking to enslave or kill every living thing.  It wouldn't work.

"I had wanted the UNJE to join forces with you, was trying to convince them to, but its no good, your the exact same thing as Overseer, probably worse since you want to kill all the eternals and who knows the damage that'll do to the Multiverse, he'd at least be restrained in what he did." she says with a sigh, the she is moving forward in a blurring burst of speed and electricity, drawing deeply on her powers to send her electrified fist hurtling towards Metatron's chest, hoping to drop him fast enough to do...well something to Cardinal.

OOC:  HP + EE to boost her power by 2 ranks.  Aggressive Stance -4 Defense +2 Attack.  Strike +13 (Aura 13, Penetrating 13, Slow 12, Incurable, Affects Insubstantial 2)  +11 to hit, will use a HP to reroll.


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## Agamon (Apr 18, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “More importantly do I know you?” the boy responds, “and why would a member of this opposite sex be embarrassed.  Are you embarrassed and are you a member of this opposite sex?  Oh and I think I feel the need to consume food, can you show me where I can get some food, and I guess clothes.  Can I have your shirt?”
> 
> Aya shrieks at Anika, “This isn’t my fault!”




"Well, while a naked boy coming out of your room isn't all that surprising, he is a bit young, don't you think?" Anika says, a bit exasperated, still staring at the wall.  Listening to the boy's response, she says, "Is this kid for real?  Yeah, good idea, give him your shirt, please, Gilden."


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 18, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie grimaches and shrugs. _It's not my job anyway, Ryan made that clear enough. I'm to 'butt out' of his teams business. So I'll let him do it._

"Come on, we need to get moving. Discretely." She takes his hand and leads him away, trying to keep out of the sight of the larger woman and any others. Time enough to fight AFTER she has gotten her freind clear of the danger.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Well, while a naked boy coming out of your room isn't all that surprising, he is a bit young, don't you think?" Anika says, a bit exasperated, still staring at the wall.  Listening to the boy's response, she says, "Is this kid for real?  Yeah, good idea, give him your shirt, please, Gilden."



Aya glares at Anika, “I could say the same about you…”

The boy looks around, “So where are we?  What is your name?  You look pretty,” he walks over to Anika, “I like your hair.”  The boy starts grabbing the hair, “It’s pretty… can I have it?”

*Cassie*

Sami nods and follows Cassie to get out of sight.  The elite looks around and then finally begins lifting  some of the larger bits of rubble with ease.  Sami looks at Cassie, there does not seem to be any other exit besides the one the elite came in.

*Kelly*

_Kelly rolls a 27 and hits, Metatron rolls a 32 total Toughness save, but his Toughness save versus the Aura is only a 22, he is currently stunned, bruised, and injured.  Metatron gets a 33 with his Will save versus Slow._

Kelly knocks the angelic back into some rubble with a terrible ruckus… the elite is momentarily dazed from the blow, propping himself against the ruined wall.  Cardinal watches dispassionately.

_The unseen attack rolls a 27 attack and hits Kelly, but Kelly rolls a 31 Toughness save and is unharmed!_

Kelly feels something attack her from behind, perhaps like a blade… but she is currently unharmed.  She cannot see what attacked her.

_*Initiative:** Cardinal 38, Kelly 34, Unseen 23, Metatron 7.*_

Cardinal’s eyes glow a malicious purple and a beam of concentrated lances out at Kelly, hitting her square in the chest, melting her clothes, and flesh underneath, ripping through her body… her shield absorbed some of the blast, but the damage is done…

_Cardinal rolls a 32 attack, Kelly makes a Fortitude save versus Disintegration, she rolls a 26 and her Toughness is reduced by 1.  She rolls a 29 Toughness save and is Bruised and Injured._

“Submit Kelly, do not throw your life away like this,” Cardinal commands, “I will not give you a second chance.”

*Ryan*

Kiyana is breathing, but its strained… she is no condition to talk let alone be coherent.  Bishop nods and busts the door open, “You are just as crazy as she is…”

Somehow Ryan can feel her… she is close by… real close.


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## Aenion (Apr 18, 2007)

"What's going on?" Karen asks when she finds the others in the hall, but she quickly spots the cause of all the commotion, "Oh my god," she gasps, covering her mouth in surprise as her ruby cheeks turn a bit deeper red, but her eyes are twinkling with mirth, "He seems to like you Anika," she takes the sheet from Gilden, "Stand still for a second," she tells the weird kid as she tries to wrap the sheet around him, "You can wear this until we found you some clothes."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "What's going on?" Karen asks when she finds the others in the hall, but she quickly spots the cause of all the commotion, "Oh my god," she gasps, covering her mouth in surprise as her ruby cheeks turn a bit deeper red, but her eyes are twinkling with mirth, "He seems to like you Anika," she takes the sheet from Gilden, "Stand still for a second," she tells the weird kid as she tries to wrap the sheet around him, "You can wear this until we found you some clothes."



 "Hi, why do you look wierd?" the boy says.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 18, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Ryan*
> 
> Kiyana is breathing, but its strained… she is no condition to talk let alone be coherent.  Bishop nods and busts the door open, “You are just as crazy as she is…”
> 
> Somehow Ryan can feel her… she is close by… real close.




"Just for the record," Ryan informs the unconscious Kiyana, "I might have to throw you at someone, or use you as a doorstop, or something. There," he says, glancing at Bishop. "Now I'm crazier." _I had kind of hoped I could have found some kind of elite busting gun that all those UN troopers were armed with. If we run across some of Cardinal's psycho cronies, it might do something. Damn it I'm scared. But I'm also really angry, so that balances out. I hope._

Ryan closes his eyes briefly, trying to sense Cardinal. When that inevitably failed, he started opening doors at random, a process that was hampered slightly by the encumbrance of Kiyana's unconscious body. Through the haze of the smoke and fire, Ryan saw Jun Min's office, and started to head towards it.


----------



## Aenion (Apr 18, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> "Hi, why do you look wierd?" the boy says.




"That's kinda a long story," Karen answers, not taking offence at the seemingly innocent question. She couldn't help but feel like she met the boy before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on where. Either this boy was insane or this was some weird joke being played on them, "Why don't you tell us who you are? And how you got here?"


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## Mimic (Apr 18, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Why don't you tell us who you are? And how you got here?"




"We were just trying to figure that out, he seems to be suffering some sort of memory loss." He replies as he takes his shirt off and offers it to the boy. "Perhaps he wondered in from a different wing of this hospital, we should take him to the head nurse."

"What is the last thing you remember before encountering us?"  He will ask the boy.


----------



## Shalimar (Apr 18, 2007)

Kelly ground her teeth in frustration as Metatron slammed into the wall not looking too terribly bad for all that that attack had been a strain for her to pull off.  If that attack hadn't even hurt the flunky how could she possibly even hurt Cardinal herself?  The thought was oblitterated in pain as a purple beam struck the popstar's chest, melting away at her clothes and skin.

She didn't have a choice, she wasn't going to give up and let Cardinal take her friend and possibly cause the end of the world in multiple different ways.  Giving up Cassie was out, and so was running away, even if she couldn't win, she had to try, maybe if she hurt Cardinal enough the others might be able to stop her for good, either way she couldn't do anything but try to stop the deicidal maniac before she destroyed the world, before she destroyed any chance that the world could stand against Overseer.

Pressing her powers even harder then she had the last time, the girl begam pulling in every stray erg of power that she could, even pulling in what she could through the shattered windows.  In it poured, pooling in her every cell until she was fairly crackling with pure power.  It was too much power for her body to handle, but still she pulled in more, in greater and greater amounts even when the girl felt her muscles tear and tendons rip she kept pulling it in.  When blood began to pour from her nose, her eyes, and her ears the blonde girl's only response to Cardinal's command was a bloody smile.

"I'm one of the good guys, one of the Heroes of ths story.  Heroes never give up, they do whats right, not whats easy or safe."   her eyes twinkling with an innerlight the teen weather controller finally lets all of the built up power explode out of her all at once.

OOC:Blast +28 (Area, Selective, Indirect 3) [6(3 HP) + 12 (6 status Conditions) = +18]
Kelly drops to Dying(Staggered, Unconscious, Disabled, Exhausted, Fatigued, Dying) and losses all hero points.  The blast hits everyone in the room but her and Jun Min


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "I'm one of the good guys, one of the Heroes of ths story.  Heroes never give up, they do whats right, not whats easy or safe."   her eyes twinkling with an innerlight the teen weather controller finally lets all of the built up power explode out of her all at once.
> 
> OOC:Blast +28 (Area, Selective, Indirect 3) [6(3 HP) + 12 (6 status Conditions) = +18]
> Kelly drops to Dying(Staggered, Unconscious, Disabled, Exhausted, Fatigued, Dying) and losses all hero points.  The blast hits everyone in the room but her and Jun Min



_Cardinal uses Ultimate Save Reflex and scores a whopping 42, she is unharmed by the blast, and her Evasion allows her to take no damage whatsoever.  Her cronies are not so lucky…  Metatron rolls a reflex save of 26 and takes full damage meanwhile the Unseen rolls a 35 and takes Half Damage due to Evasion.  His Toughness save is a 23, he is atomized by the blast…  The Unseen rolls a 22 Toughness save versus a 29 DC; he is Bruised, Injured, and Stunned._

Cardinal focuses and her body becomes like water, perhaps she controls her body so intimately that she avoids the blast but she is unscathed… Metatron is not so lucky… he covers his hands over his face… but there is nothing that can save him from virtual annihilation.

The unseen attack is harmed but is more nimble then it seems and is momentarily stunned, but still invisible, though his body is smoking from the blast.  Jun Min covers her eyes and shouts, “Kelly!”

Cardinal flares moves power and like a bolt of purple blazing energy she has her hands around Kelly’s throat and slams her into a wall, the force shattering her bones… her body and her life.  “It did not have to be this way…”

_Cardinal commits a coup de grace on Kelly, she automatically hits, she uses Boost +32 along with Power Attack +5/-5 for a total Toughness save of 47 really just an impossible save… She rolls a 10 Toughness save… I will allow Kelly to make a dramatic speech if she wants since Ryan just arrived…_

Ryan arrives with Bishop just in time to see Cardinal; well he presumes this is Cardinal slamming Kelly into the wall with great force….

Bishop growls, “Kelly!”

*Back in Verona*

“Well it would have had to of been… however long it was before she,” he points to Aya, “started screaming at me.”

Another boy, equally nude pops into existence right next to him, “Yeah that sounds about right.”

“Hey where did you come from, “ the first boy says.

“I don’t know, where did you come from?” the other replies.

“Hey I asked first,” and then this devolves into a wrestling match between the two twins on who came from where…

Gadget looks at Gilden, “Um I am confused.”


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## Agamon (Apr 18, 2007)

"Ow!" Anika excalims as her hair is pulled.  "What is your problem?"  She pulls away from the boy, glaring down at him as Gilden dresses him in his shirt.  Getting a better look at him, she thinks she's seen this person before somewhere.  "Who are you..."

As soon as the second boy pops up her eyes suddenly widden in realization before the glare returns, much fiercer than before.  "You little imp!  What in hell are you up to now?  I swear to the gods, if you don't leave us alone..." her voice trails off, still angry, but she doesn't finish the threat, realizing how empty it would be to an Eternal.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> As soon as the second boy pops up her eyes suddenly widden in realization before the glare returns, much fiercer than before.  "You little imp!  What in hell are you up to now?  I swear to the gods, if you don't leave us alone..." her voice trails off, still angry, but she doesn't finish the threat, realizing how empty it would be to an Eternal.



They both stop and look at Anika speaking in unison, "So you do know me?"

The first one says, "She was talking to me!"

"No me!"

"You idiot, I am the cuter one, she is my girlfriend!"

"What is a girlfriend?"

"I don't know," the other relents.

"Well I want one too!"

"No!"

"Fine, well I am leaving!" and the other boy vanishes.

"Hey where did he go?" the first boy speaks, looking puzzled.


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## Samnell (Apr 18, 2007)

Mark arrived at Aya's door expecting the Red Witch, the Cardinal, a mob of angry dinosaurs, anything except for a naked boy. He stopped in his tracks and snapped back to normal speed in shock.

"What the-" he broke off as the others arrived and stared dumbly as the others arrived. He'd almost gathered his wits when a second copy of the naked boy arrived and they started wrestling. Tearing his eyes from the spectacle, he swallowed hard.

_What did I take and when did I take it? I have to be high, stoned out of my mind. I never saw naked kids wrestling before. I'm permanently baked this time. So much for Reebok._

"If I go back to bed will I wake up and find out this all never happened?" he asked no one in particular, tired and embarrassed. "Or throw a sheet over them or something?"



> "Fine, well I am leaving!" and the other boy vanishes.
> 
> "Hey where did he go?" the first boy speaks, looking puzzled.




_Good. They stopped._

"Sorry guys -uh, guy- Anika's taken," Mark told the boy in the most unpossessive tone possible. _At least I think she's still with Sami. But it's been a couple of hours._


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## Mimic (Apr 18, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "You little imp!  What in hell are you up to now?  I swear to the gods, if you don't leave us alone..." her voice trails off, still angry, but she doesn't finish the threat, realizing how empty it would be to an Eternal.




With the realization of who the boy is Gilden stands straight and folds his arms across his chest. "What are you doing here Chaos?"


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

*Back in Verona*

"My name is Chaos, that sounds stupid, I want to be named..." he looks around the hallway, "Reebok!"


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## Samnell (Apr 18, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> "My name is Chaos, that sounds stupid, I want to be named..." he looks around the hallway, "Reebok!"




"That's taken too," Mark said too quickly. _If anything can kill my contract, it's Chaos running around calling himself Reebok and saying he's my friend._


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## Agamon (Apr 18, 2007)

"What?" Anika says, incredibly annoyed.  "This is so not funny, Chaos.  Why are you here this time?  And you can stop with the dumb act, we aren't buying it.  Or is this one of your Eternal buddy's tests?"


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## Hammerhead (Apr 18, 2007)

"Kelly!," Ryan exclaims, rushing to take cover on the side of the door, a sinking feeling in his stomach. _She's dead. And once again, I stand helpless, unable to change a thing. The living, Ryan,_ he chides himself. _You've got to concern yourself with the living._

"Bishop," he calls out. _Why do I care if Bishop dies? He's a terrorist and a criminal. He means to rule over everyone you know...well, at least those who don't live here at the Institute. Bishop is going to charge forward, eager for vengeance, and then die. 

But he also was willing to help me. I owe him that, at least._ "There's nothing you can do for her, Bishop. Kelly wouldn't want you to throw your life away," Ryan yells out from behind the limited cover of the doorway.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "What?" Anika says, incredibly annoyed.  "This is so not funny, Chaos.  Why are you here this time?  And you can stop with the dumb act, we aren't buying it.  Or is this one of your Eternal buddy's tests?"



“Okay if I am this Chaos guy then why don’t I know who you are, and why isn’t it funny?  And why are you mad at me, you are the most beautiful opposite sex person I have met.   Will you be my girlfriend?” the boy replies.

*Ryan*

Bishop grits his teeth, “She killed my daughter.  She killed my daughter…”  He finally relents and ducks behind with Ryan.

Cardinal stops glowing, and she looks over her shoulder.  She finally speaks, “Ryan?”


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 18, 2007)

"That's right," Ryan says coolly, sticking his head out from behind the cover that would have been largely ineffectual in the event of a Cardinal versus Bishop showdown. "If you're consciously stopping my powers, please stop." 

_Can I really work with Cardinal to fight Overseer, after she killed Kelly? But I remember Anika's little vision; it said that fighting Cardinal would be bad. And I know that Cardinal's done much worse than that...I'd be a hypocrite if I changed my mind now. Besides, I doubt Kelly gave Cardinal much choice; it looks like she killed one of her henchmen. Were I in her shoes, I would have done the same._

"I want to stop this with minimum death and injury," he says, stepping out fully and into the office, still carrying Kiyana's unconscious body. "I'm going to guess that you want Cassie."


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 18, 2007)

*Cassie* 

"Sami I'm going to draw that elite away from the door, when I do, I want you to go through, I'll follow though in a moment." She winced at the risk she was putting her fragile freind to.  Still she didn't have much of a choice, to try and rush the door was foolish otherwise and unlike the dorms, the windows were out.

As soon as he acknowledges her words, she picks up a barbell and vaults clear of their hiding place. As she arcs high she slings the small weight at the bigger woman and tries to draw her further into the building, hoping to find something to drop onthe other eliter.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> "Sami I'm going to draw that elite away from the door, when I do, I want you to go through, I'll follow though in a moment." She winced at the risk she was putting her fragile freind to.  Still she didn't have much of a choice, to try and rush the door was foolish otherwise and unlike the dorms, the windows were out.
> 
> As soon as he acknowledges her words, she picks up a barbell and vaults clear of their hiding place. As she arcs high she slings the small weight at the bigger woman and tries to draw her further into the building, hoping to find something to drop onthe other eliter.



_Please include any feats or abilities you are using... and combat stats._


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## Tokiwong (Apr 18, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "That's right," Ryan says coolly, sticking his head out from behind the cover that would have been largely ineffectual in the event of a Cardinal versus Bishop showdown. "If you're consciously stopping my powers, please stop."



“And you think I am consciously reducing your power?  Here I thought you were doing the same to me… even now I can feel you sapping at my strength.  It seems our powers are inimical to each other,” she replies her fist still clutched around Kelly throat.

With a decided crack she lets go and lets the corpse fall to the ground.


			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "I want to stop this with minimum death and injury," he says, stepping out fully and into the office, still carrying Kiyana's unconscious body. "I'm going to guess that you want Cassie."



“Yes, I do want her.  I think she is the key to our future.  If you know where she is, we can end this quickly and I can be on my way,” she dusts her bloody gloved hands off, “I would say that I am sorry for killing Kelly, but you and I both know that the struggle will have victims on both sides.  She died for what she believed in, a naïve sentiment I do not share.  You deliver Cassie to me, and no one else has to die needlessly.”

To punctuate her earnestness she grabs hold of the shaft still lodged in Jun Min’s leg, “Is that understood?”

Jun Min grits her teeth, rage growing in her eyes.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 19, 2007)

"That's very interesting," Ryan says, not flinching when the body of his former acquaintance dropped to the ground. "I wonder why. In any case, it certainly reduces our ability to fight Overseer."

Ryan narrows his eyes when Cardinal clutches the metal shaft stuck in Jun Min's leg. "I trust you plan to remove that thing before healing her. And yes, I understand, but I don't know where Cassie is; her actions are very unpredictable. Why do you want her, and what do you plan on doing with her? It wouldn't make much sense to trade the life of one friend for another."

_Not that Cassie is really a friend, but I'll be damned before I sell her out._


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _Please include any feats or abilities you are using... and combat stats._




OOC: D'oh. She's using the barbell as the 'bullet' for her Blast 8, Attack: +7 Ranged 
  Still shuffling though the sheet for how to spend my xp.. so she's going to 'evolve' here soon.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan narrows his eyes when Cardinal clutches the metal shaft stuck in Jun Min's leg. "I trust you plan to remove that thing before healing her. And yes, I understand, but I don't know where Cassie is; her actions are very unpredictable. Why do you want her, and what do you plan on doing with her? It wouldn't make much sense to trade the life of one friend for another."
> 
> _Not that Cassie is really a friend, but I'll be damned before I sell her out._



Cardinal yanks it out and tosses it aside, “That would be foolish to do so.  But once I am gone, you can easily take care of her.  She isn’t near death, well not yet.”

Bishop whispers, “Careful Ryan…”

“Cassandra Prophet will not be harmed, I will take her, we will chatty and I will return her.  I find direct face to face contact is much better then go-betweens.  Especially with my voice turned to ash.  As I said before my abilities are diminished but not totally gone.  But I have had a long time to grow accustomed to my talents, longer then you can possibly realize,” she adds.


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## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Okay if I am this Chaos guy then why don’t I know who you are, and why isn’t it funny?  And why are you mad at me, you are the most beautiful opposite sex person I have met.   Will you be my girlfriend?” the boy replies.




"Um...thanks," Anika replies awkwardly.  She looks up at the others with a confused look.  She gives her head a bit of a shake before looking back down at Chaos.  _"This is a trick of some sort.  It always either that, or he's sowing questionable information,"_ she thinks.

"Look, is this just you having some fun?  Confusing us, creating chaos, it's what you do, we get it already.  But no one is in the mood for this garbage, okay?  So why don't you just pop back to wherever it is you and your Eternal friends hang out.  Capice?"


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## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Um...thanks," Anika replies awkwardly.  She looks up at the others with a confused look.  She gives her head a bit of a shake before looking back down at Chaos.  _"This is a trick of some sort.  It always either that, or he's sowing questionable information,"_ she thinks.
> 
> "Look, is this just you having some fun?  Confusing us, creating chaos, it's what you do, we get it already.  But no one is in the mood for this garbage, okay?  So why don't you just pop back to wherever it is you and your Eternal friends hang out.  Capice?"



 The boy whimpers, giving Anika the puppy dog eyes, "Why don't you like me?"


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## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> The boy whimpers, giving Anika the puppy dog eyes, "Why don't you like me?"




Consciously, Anika remembered exactly what happened with her first meeting with Chaos, but nonetheless she all of a sudden felt really guilty.  "Um...do...do you really not remember anything?"


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## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

*Cassie*

_Cassie rolls a 24 attack and hits dead on, but the damage does not even dent this elite’s skin._

Cassie springs into the air and the barbell zings quickly at the surpised elite, but the projectile does not do anything but make the woman glance up at Cassie.  She sighs shaking her head.  She says something aloud as if speaking into an ear-piece.  It sounds like French.

Sami makes a break for it, but pulls up short since the attack had little effect on the now irritated elite.

_*Initiative:** Cassie 37, Sami 20, Unknown Rhino Elite 6*_

*Back in Verona*

“I don’t know who I am, or who you are, or why I am here… why is that so hard to believe?” the boy replies rubbing his eyes.

*Ryan*

Cardinal pauses placing a finger to her ear, “Oh it seems we have found her.  If she resists I will take her by force.  What is inside her head, I must know.  I will know.”

She starts walking towards the door, “It may be best if we don’t tell her, that her dear friend is dead.”


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## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “I don’t know who I am, or who you are, or why I am here… why is that so hard to believe?” the boy replies rubbing his eyes.




Anika once again gives everyone an incredulous look.  _"Fine, I'll play along,"_ she thinks, though in reality she was starting to warm up to the kid, even if it really was Chaos.

"Okay, I'm sorry, you reminded me of someone named Chaos, maybe you aren't him after all.  He's a mean jerk that likes to play tricks on us.  My name is Anika.  This is Mark, Gilden, Gadget, Karen, and the girl you suprised is Aya.  Now we need to figure out what to call you...and like Mark said, Reebok is, uh, taken.  How about Robbie, is that close enough?" she tells the boy.  Her smile starts out forced, but gets easier and more natural as she speaks.


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## Samnell (Apr 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Okay, I'm sorry, you reminded me of someone named Chaos, maybe you aren't him after all.  He's a mean jerk that likes to play tricks on us.  My name is Anika.  This is Mark, Gilden, Gadget, Karen, and the girl you suprised is Aya.  Now we need to figure out what to call you...and like Mark said, Reebok is, uh, taken.  How about Robbie, is that close enough?" she tells the boy.  Her smile starts out forced, but gets easier and more natural as she speaks.




"I work for Reebok," Mark added unhelpfully. _So it's Chaos, but he doesn't know anything. It seems like Chaos. Kind of looks like him..._

"And just so we're clear, everyone is happy with all of the parts they have right now. We don't want to go window shopping for a different set," Mark glanced over at Anika. She asked what he did to himself, but she definitely didn't want to know. Even what he could remember. Mark supposed it was one thing to know he did lots of drugs. The other things were different. Very different. _If we'd been stuck in each other's bodies long enough, would Anika have started getting my memories? They're in my brain and definitely didn't come over to Karen._


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Cassie lands, a foot kicking up a length of rebar as she takes in the unimpressed Elite.  Her eyes dart back and forth as she looks for a way to even the odds, as big as this woman is she most likely need an RPG to hurt her.

"Come on." She says making a 'come here' motion with her hands. "You better take me before I find a weak point to put this length of rebar into." Several options occured to her, most would be ones that Ryan would say, but she reframes from saying anything. The fact that she hadn't attacked outright had concerned her.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 19, 2007)

"I know," Ryan whispers back to Bishop. _But you will pay for that pointless cruelty. I get it, you're a badass._

"So you spent some time in a dimension where time passes slowly," Ryan says, clearly unimpressed. "But if you think to have much luck with Cassie, you're mistaken. She knows less than nothing, and is stubborn enough to bite her tongue off before talking with you. And that's before she figures out you killed Kelly."

"I mean, she refuses to work with me, and the worst I've done is make smartass comments. You destroyed her home. Very subtle and precise, by the way."


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## Aenion (Apr 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> As soon as the second boy pops up her eyes suddenly widden in realization before the glare returns, much fiercer than before.  "You little imp!  What in hell are you up to now?  I swear to the gods, if you don't leave us alone..." her voice trails off, still angry, but she doesn't finish the threat, realizing how empty it would be to an Eternal.




Karen is momentarily taken aback by Anika's outburst towards the boy and there suddenly being two boys, _Chaos? They do look a little like him. But he genuinely doesn't seem to know us or who he is. Or this could all be just another act..._ she still looks a bit sceptical even when Anika starts to warm up towards the boy, "Hi," she greets the boy with honest smile when Anika introduces her, she never had a real reason to hate Chaos except for him putting Mark in her body.

She glances at Mark, "Uhm yeah, let's keep everything 'normal' while we figure out who you are and where you came from. You said you were hungry right? Why don't we get you something to eat. Maybe you'll remember a bit more with a full stomach?"


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## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Come on." She says making a 'come here' motion with her hands. "You better take me before I find a weak point to put this length of rebar into." Several options occured to her, most would be ones that Ryan would say, but she reframes from saying anything. The fact that she hadn't attacked outright had concerned her.



The woman does not attack she stands in the doorway, “Cardinal wants to talk at you eh?” her French accent is thick, she does not make a move, “We go with her, no one die, eh?”

Sami glances to Cassie, “Um… no?”

*Ryan*

Cardinal pauses, “You question my methods… you are a bold young man.  You stand on the razor’s edge of a knife, and yet still find the audacity to question me.  I could use someone like you as my number two… want the job?”

*Verona*

The boy nods, “I can live with Robbie.  My name is Robbie.  Nice to meet you everyone, my name is Robbie.”

He walks over to the food, “I am hungry, I am going to eat.”  He starts eating directly from the trays with his hands making a mess of things.  “Mmmm this is good… I think I like this eating thing.”


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## Hammerhead (Apr 19, 2007)

_Let's see, you just killed Kelly, and probably some other people I know, and now you expect me to join up with you? You are nuts...maybe. Unless you plan on killing me if I say no, in which case my answer is obvious._

"Is this one of those Mafia offers that I can't refuse? Besides, our powers don't seem to like each other...it wouldn't be very good if we constantly weakened the other. I wouldn't say no to a less formal arrangement, as long as our periodic face to faces don't share this lovely setting of destruction and death. Unless you had some other idea on how to avoid me being helpless?"

"And while we talk, Jun Min is bleeding. At the worst, healing her will create some leverage over her, and me, in the future. Right?" _Life is paramount. Everything else is negotiable...to an extent._


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> The woman does not attack she stands in the doorway, “Cardinal wants to talk at you eh?” her French accent is thick, she does not make a move, “We go with her, no one die, eh?”
> 
> Sami glances to Cassie, “Um… no?”





Cassie tries not to look at Sami, knowing if she let any concern show she'd be tagging him as leverage to use against her. All her instincts screamed for her to attack the elite in front of her. Her hands itched, no burned, to strike out and see if her abilites could flay her in close in combat. 

Still, she had something in this contest. The elite clearly had to bring her back. Alive. Unharmed was a moot point since she'd heal almost any injury soon enough. 

"Back out of the door, and tell her I'll come to her." She hears herself say. "I can point out, however that I've both a cellphone and email she could have come to contact me in a more civil manner than this. I won't be leaving here willingly, or cooperating, till I'm sure the injured are taken care of." She wondered how Kelly, Anika and the other were. Ryan, she figured, was off somewhere whining about having to heal the wounded and suprisingly she found her concern for him was nil. She understood what it was like to have his powers and just.. didn't care what he thought or felt. It was like..she had some of those.. dark feelings that she had seen in Chance.

_Anger or disgust perhaps?_ She asked herself as she waited for the elite to get out of the way.


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## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Anika tries not to laugh.  "Uh, yeah, that's not quite how it works."  She grabs a plate and hands it to the boy.  "Put the food you want to eat onto this, then take it to a table and eat it there.  It would be kinda gross if we all ate here, you know?"  She makes a mental note to bring utenstils wiith her to the table to show him those next.

A whipsered prayer to Freya allows her to speak telepathically with the others.  _"So, what do you guys think is going on?  This is not Chaos' style at all.  He likes to confuse us, but he always makes sure he lets us know he's in control.  I wonder if the other Eternals did this to him?  He is pretty much the only one of them that directly interferes with us, maybe he's being punished for it?"_


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## Samnell (Apr 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> A whipsered prayer to Freya allows her to speak telepathically with the others.  _"So, what do you guys think is going on?  This is not Chaos' style at all.  He likes to confuse us, but he always makes sure he lets us know he's in control.  I wonder if the other Eternals did this to him?  He is pretty much the only one of them that directly interferes with us, maybe he's being punished for it?"_




Mark almost jumped when Anika's voice came into his head. _"It's about time someone did. It seems like he's for real, but he could be counting on us thinking that for his newest game."_


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## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark almost jumped when Anika's voice came into his head. _"It's about time someone did. It seems like he's for real, but he could be counting on us thinking that for his newest game."_



_“Well if this is a joke then it is pretty terrible.  I say we give this jerk the benefit of the doubt, and if he tries to trick us we kick his butt!”_ Aya replies over the telepathic link.

Robbie sits at the table and stares at his utensils, “So are you my girlfriend now?” he says to Anika.

*Ryan*

Cardinal looks over her shoulder at Jun Min, “Healing her would only serve to give you more leverage in trying to kill me.  Besides pain makes us stronger, hones our focus.  The strongest instinct is to survive, you of all people should understand that.”

She focuses her eyes on Ryan, “I think we could find a way to get past our current differences, but you are right the cons far outweigh the pros.  But the offer remains, the invitation is open.  It has been a pleasure, but my time is limited.”

In a purple flash she is gone. 

*Cassie*

The elite shakes her head, “I no understand.  You want to go yes?”

A purple flash brightens the room momentarily.  

Cardinal speaks, “Hello Cassandra Prophet.”


----------



## Samnell (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“Well if this is a joke then it is pretty terrible.  I say we give this jerk the benefit of the doubt, and if he tries to trick us we kick his butt!”_ Aya replies over the telepathic link.




_"I'm on board with that."_



> Robbie sits at the table and stares at his utensils, “So are you my girlfriend now?” he says to Anika.




Mark chuckled, "Now you know what my life is like, Anika."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _
> *Cassie*
> 
> The elite shakes her head, “I no understand.  You want to go yes?”
> ...



_

"Cardinal." Cassie says calmly, with a stillness more suited to a predator. "Like I was telling your.. associate I have a cell phone and email. There was no need for mayhem and chaos to contact me." Her body takes on the coiled tenseness of a snake or trap just before it snaps shut on a victim. "And why would you come looking for me? I'm .. inconsequential."_


----------



## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Anika grins as she sits down.  "Well, actually, I have a boyfriend already.  How about just friend instead?"  She looks at his utensils, and picks up her own fork, stabs a pickle and puts in her mouth.  "Like that, the fork is for solid food, the spoon is for liquid foods, the knife is for cutting bigger foods into bite-sized ones."

Anika smiles.  _"This is kinda cool.  It's like when Tommy first made Star...but with less programming,"_ she mentally tells the rest of the group.  _"To think this used to be the most irritating little **** in the universe.  If this isn't some trick, I look forward to making him into a better person."_


----------



## Samnell (Apr 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika smiles.  _"This is kinda cool.  It's like when Tommy first made Star...but with less programming,"_ she mentally tells the rest of the group.  _"To think this used to be the most irritating little **** in the universe.  If this isn't some trick, I look forward to making him into a better person."_




_"I guess it is like Star. Maybe fixing Chaos will get us points with the Proxy, or something. I mean, that has to be a good deed."_


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Cardinal." Cassie says calmly, with a stillness more suited to a predator. "Like I was telling your.. associate I have a cell phone and email. There was no need for mayhem and chaos to contact me." Her body takes on the coiled tenseness of a snake or trap just before it snaps shut on a victim. "And why would you come looking for me? I'm .. inconsequential."



“Inconsequential?  I think not, you exist and yet you shouldn’t exist.  That to me is not inconsequential.  I can only wonder what secrets you could be hiding.  You exist outsight my prescience, I cannot see you, you are a cipher.  That means that cosmically you are important.  Probably more important then myself, or Ryan.  But making you important does little to solve our mutual problems.  Survival,” Cardinal replies.

“I am not here to spread lies Cassandra, I only want the truth.  Come with me, and we can find a way to avert the disaster that will befall everything.  It will be a calamity, but you have the capability to stop it.”

*Back in Verona*

Robbie mimics Anika and eats his food like a semi-civilized person.  He pauses, “Well I guess that is just as good.  So where are we?  Why are you guys talking mentally about me?  I mean I assume you are using your brains to talk to each other without your mouths.  But if you can do that why talk at all?  Unless oral communication is just so much better.  I think everything should be done orally!”

“Unless you want to keep a secret.  Is that it?  Are you trying to keep your conversation a secret?  What is an Eternal?” he finishes between bites of food.


----------



## Mimic (Apr 19, 2007)

Gilden doesn't contribute to the mental conversation but watches the events unfolding between Chaoa and Anika, until Chaos lets everyone know he can sense the telepathy.

"An eternal is a cosmic being, an essence of reality. Something that you were, or are, depending on what is really happening at this moment. You can create duplicates or yourself and sense the telepathy between us but you say you have no memories. Would you permit me to scan your mind to see if I can find out what happened to you?"


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 19, 2007)

Once Cardinal left, Ryan set Kiyana down on the remains of Jun Min's desk as gently as possible before rushing to the teacher. "You wouldn't happen to know any first aid, would you? Because I'm coming up kinda blank." While talking, he does recall a few scenes in movies with similar circumstances, so he takes off the belt of his uniform. _She can teleport. That means I can teleport. Cool._

"I'm thinking of making this a tourniquet, so I'd guess I tie this a few inches above the bleeding hole, right? Sorry, this has got to hurt," he says with a grimace as he ties the tourniquet as tightly as possible. _And I thought first aid classes were a waste of time. If I had my powers, I could have just zapped back to health. Hmm...Cardinal might also lack some of the...fine control I have over my powers. Or at least she hasn't realized the possibilities._

"Bishop, I'm not sure trying to kill her, even when you're holding all the cards, is a good idea. Not if it means that Overseer wins."

_Medicine +2_


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Inconsequential?  I think not, you exist and yet you shouldn’t exist.  That to me is not inconsequential.  I can only wonder what secrets you could be hiding.  You exist outsight my prescience, I cannot see you, you are a cipher.  That means that cosmically you are important.  Probably more important then myself, or Ryan.  But making you important does little to solve our mutual problems.  Survival,” Cardinal replies.
> 
> “I am not here to spread lies Cassandra, I only want the truth.  Come with me, and we can find a way to avert the disaster that will befall everything.  It will be a calamity, but you have the capability to stop it.”





"My survival? I think you don't quite understand my situation, I am a paradox true, but if I undo the conditions of my own creation. That is the future I was designed in, what comes of me?" Cassie says as she stays coiled. "I would unravel and cease to be. Not, understandably, the most convincing arguement for cooperation." She looks at Cardinal firmly. "And I would trust you as much as far as I can throw the Superdome. No offense, but unless you are hiding another side to you besides the one I've seen and read of, I have no reason to cooperate with you. Simply put, I would be putting you in the place of Overseer. If I would require gesture of trust." She looks to Sami.

"For instance the immediate withdrawal of your forces from Campus."


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Bishop, I'm not sure trying to kill her, even when you're holding all the cards, is a good idea. Not if it means that Overseer wins."
> 
> _Medicine +2_



“And what if Cardinal wins, she isn’t exactly operating on this level of reality if you noticed,” Bishop replies.  

Jun Min grimaces, cursing in Korean for a good string before speaking in English.  “Okay just… let me concentrate.”

Bishop shakes his head, “Relax love… you don’t spend your whole life on the run without learning a few basic skills in the medicinal arts.”

_Bishop tends to Jun Min, I am assuming Ryan will Aid him.  Ryan gets an 8, but Bishop gets a 28 on the check._

Bishop smiles trying to comfort Jun Min, having done what he can to clean and dress the wound.  He helps her up slowly, “We need to get you to safety, you have lost quite a bit of blood.”

*Back in Verona*

“Okay as long as it won’t hurt,” Robbie replies.

*Cassie*

Cardinal turns her gaze to Sami as well, “You want a gesture of trust?”

Sami gulps, “Um… this is the Cardinal, the super terrorist?”

“I see you have been talking to my son,” she turns her gaze back to Cassie, “You see I understand your plight because I am operating under the same circumstances, when I complete what I am here to do, I will create a paradox that will void my own existence.  I was right we are connected.”

She offers her hand, “If you want to reclaim your birthright as Hope… we can find that path together.”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cardinal turns her gaze to Sami as well, “You want a gesture of trust?”
> 
> ...





"I still fail to see how you benefit from that action." Cassie says calmly. "To paraphrase the attitudes of most people... 'What's in it for you?'" She had seen too many deciets and lies to believe in altruism anymore. "If I get to .. Re-Exalt to Hope, what do you get out of it?"


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 19, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "I still fail to see how you benefit from that action." Cassie says calmly. "To paraphrase the attitudes of most people... 'What's in it for you?'" She had seen too many deciets and lies to believe in altruism anymore. "If I get to .. Re-Exalt to Hope, what do you get out of it?"



“Vindication.  Vindication for a life that never was.  It is the singular most driving _human_ motivator.  I want to leave a Legacy.  Be it one of Hope or Destruction, I will have existed, and even if I am not remembered, my Legacy will live on, perhaps through you,” Cardinal replies.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Vindication.  Vindication for a life that never was.  It is the singular most driving _human_ motivator.  I want to leave a Legacy.  Be it one of Hope or Destruction, I will have existed, and even if I am not remembered, my Legacy will live on, perhaps through you,” Cardinal replies.





"And how do you intend to do that?"  She asks as she pointedly looks at the french Elite with her. "And more importantly, how will this help stop Overseer."


----------



## Agamon (Apr 19, 2007)

Anika looks at 'Robbie' in surprise.  "Sorry.  That was rude of me," she says, a bit embarrassed.

She listens to Gilden's offer and tells him, "Are you sure that's a good idea?  That might, um, open a can of worms, if you know what I mean."


----------



## Mimic (Apr 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Okay as long as it won’t hurt,” Robbie replies.




"It shouldn't hurt at all." Gilden replies.



			
				Agamon said:
			
		

> "Are you sure that's a good idea?  That might, um, open a can of worms, if you know what I mean."




"I see no real alternative, we have to know what is going on." He says as he casts the needed spells and delves as deeply as he can into the boy's mind.

telepathy +9


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 20, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> "I see no real alternative, we have to know what is going on." He says as he casts the needed spells and delves as deeply as he can into the boy's mind.
> 
> telepathy +9




At first Gilden hits a lot of static in the mind, but slowly this gives way to what can best be described as a mist and then a flat featureless plan.  There is one home, a cabin of sorts sitting in the middle of this white featureless plain.

The expanse goes on forever.

*Cassie*

Cardinal closes her hand, “Overseer will win unless we find a way, and I think you are the key to victory.  You are the ultimate trump card, but without understanding who, what, or even how could do this our cause is lost.  You turn from me now, and millions will suffer… countless lives.  I will have no choice but to choose the path of destruction.  The humans that you seem to love so much will be shattered.  This is the only future I have seen.”

“But I don’t have time for this,” she shakes her head, “Ryan was right about you.  Stubborn.”

Sami grimaces, “You’re crazy!”

Cardinal glances at Sami again, “I wish I was.  But there is no madness in my actions.”

With another flash Cardinal and her cronie are gone… there is silence then a blinding light in the distance followed by a deafening sound…

*Ryan*

Ryan feels his powers coming back… and then sees or looks away from the light and the deafening sound.

*Back in Verona*

All the news feeds turn to static, all network lines crash… all communications are out.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cardinal closes her hand, “Overseer will win unless we find a way, and I think you are the key to victory.  You are the ultimate trump card, but without understanding who, what, or even how could do this our cause is lost.  You turn from me now, and millions will suffer… countless lives.  I will have no choice but to choose the path of destruction.  The humans that you seem to love so much will be shattered.  This is the only future I have seen.”
> 
> ...





Cassie blinks as she realizes that she might have cost many humans their lives. She fell to her knees and shook her head. "I just wante dto KNOW what was going on  first!" She smashes her fists into the floors. "I wanted to KNOW!" Her hands slam down again and again as she vents her fury and frustration out. Bone cracks and blood seeps out only to heal back up as fast as she could hurt them.


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 20, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie blinks as she realizes that she might have cost many humans their lives. She fell to her knees and shook her head. "I just wante dto KNOW what was going on  first!" She smashes her fists into the floors. "I wanted to KNOW!" Her hands slam down again and again as she vents her fury and frustration out. Bone cracks and blood seeps out only to heal back up as fast as she could hurt them.



 Sami kneels down next to Cassie, "I can't see... are you okay?"


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Ryan feels his powers coming back… and then sees or looks away from the light and the deafening sound.




"Finally," Ryan mutters, before becoming aware of the light and sound. _Some kind of explosion?_ Ryan's force field becomes active at the speed of thought, shielding himself, as he slams his foot down onto the floor, transmuting the ground and the air surrounding the four Elites into an anchored metal shell of tungsten. _I hope this works, and that this shell protects all of us. I really hope it's not an explosion._

_Extra effort to Create Object +17, HP to remove fatigue. 5 left._


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 20, 2007)

Guilt ridden, Cassie falls to the floor. "All I do.. all I stand for is death and destruction." she sobs. She had a chance to negotiate a truce in Cardinal's assualt on humanity..and she blew it.


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 20, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Guilt ridden, Cassie falls to the floor. "All I do.. all I stand for is death and destruction." she sobs. She had a chance to negotiate a truce in Cardinal's assualt on humanity..and she blew it.



 “None of this is your fault, Cassie,” Sami replies…

There is stillness after all the madness eerie stillness.  Whatever happened, has passed.

*Ryan*

There is a long moment of silence after the blast, and the bright light.  The Institute is still ruined but there is peace.  Bishop grimaces, “Suffice to say, Cardinal has left, but there is no telling what her insanity has wrought upon us.”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 20, 2007)

"i could have talked to her.. gotten her to back off killing normal humans.." Cassie sobs. "I had a CHANCE to understand if I really am anything more than a killing machine. It's like Yoshi all over again." Anymore words are losts as she curls up and goes near catatonic.


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 20, 2007)

"No kidding," Ryan says, laying a hand upon Kiyana before channeling healing into her. As he does so, the tungsten shelter he erected collapses into nothingness. After healing Kiyana, he moves immediately to his teacher, attempting to close her injuries as well. He brushes his hands together, turning to Bishop with a grim smile. "You think Cardinal took all of her cronies with her, or are we going to have call an exterminator?"

Ryan then flies off to the infirmiry, praying that James managed to make it.


----------



## Samnell (Apr 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> All the news feeds turn to static, all network lines crash… all communications are out.




The sudden silence from the monitors distracted Mark from Chaos for a moment, "Is there a storm outside?"


----------



## Aenion (Apr 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Back in Verona*
> 
> All the news feeds turn to static, all network lines crash… all communications are out.




"Uhm what just happened?" Karen looks up from watching Gilden make a telepathic connection to Chaos. She's curious about what he'll find in the boys mind, he acts like Chaos in many ways and he seemed to have some his abilities if not all, but he seemed genuine about not remembering anything. "I think this is more than just a storm. I think I'm gonna check up on Kal, I'll be right back."


----------



## Agamon (Apr 20, 2007)

"You think it's a big deal?  Usually something blows up or something when something big happens," Anika says before pausing and adding, "Did I just use the word 'something' three times in a sentence?  We really need to get back to classes, I'm losing my vocabulary."

She stays seated, but keeps alert, just in case something really is doing something.

(OOC: sorry, I'm tired )


----------



## Samnell (Apr 20, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "You think it's a big deal?  Usually something blows up or something when something big happens," Anika says before pausing and adding, "Did I just use the word 'something' three times in a sentence?  We really need to get back to classes, I'm losing my vocabulary."




"I'm ready for boring school days any time," Mark agreed. "Or standing around while people take my picture."


----------



## Mimic (Apr 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> At first Gilden hits a lot of static in the mind, but slowly this gives way to what can best be described as a mist and then a flat featureless plan.  There is one home, a cabin of sorts sitting in the middle of this white featureless plain.
> 
> The expanse goes on forever.




Gilden takes note of the surroundings, not exactly what he imagined it would be like, perhaps this wasn't Chaos just a troubled child. With a mental shrug he heads towards the cabin examining it quickly before knocking on the door.


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 24, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden takes note of the surroundings, not exactly what he imagined it would be like, perhaps this wasn't Chaos just a troubled child. With a mental shrug he heads towards the cabin examining it quickly before knocking on the door.



Gilden gets closer and sees a young man tending to the garden probably not much older then maybe Ryan or Mark.  He has short red hair worn wild and tanned skin.  He looks up with a surprised look, “Hi, I wasn’t expecting company.”

He stands dusting off his hands, “Umm, who are you, you look familiar?”

*Back in the Real World*

There is just silence.  Then power goes out, everything goes dead before the emergency systems kick online.  Then the power grid seems to come back online but still no communications.  Aya looks around, “That was weird.”

Gadget grabs her head and collapses… “Owwwwww….. owwwwwwww.”

*Back at the Institute*

Bishop just shakes his head.  Kiyana recovers  thanking Ryan.

Ryan gets to the Infirmary, but James’ is gone.  Several of the baseline medical personnel have been disposed of in very bloody and messy ways.   In the distance Ryan can see smoke, the normally visible VSC Tower is missing from the skyline along with just about everything else in Mudaba Adin…

*Cassie*

Sami holds her close, “Cassie, I am here, I am not sure what all is happening but I am here-”

The roof suddenly collapses and Sami pushes Cassie aside as the rubble crushes the poor youth… the last thing she hears is Sami’s voice saying, “Cassie noooo-”


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 24, 2007)

"Sick bastards," Ryan mutters, staring down at the dead doctors and nurses. _God, they helped people. They weren't soldiers. They weren't a threat. Their only mistake was to work here._ "And it looks like I wasn't there for James...," Ryan says softly.  

"My God...it's all gone. The city. Everyone dead..." Ryan's voice just trails off as his fist clench together and a look of murderous hatred enters his eyes. He stands perfectly still, staring off at the destruction on the horizon. _The living. I need to focus on the living. My God, how could she do this, just to get one teenage girl... who may or may not be from another time. Hell, I would have delivered her myself. But this...

Cardinal, I thought there were similarities between us. I kind of understood the kind of weight you had to feel...the consuming duty to protect Earth from some extradimensional madman. I'm a person who would do almost anything to stop Overseer; I just thought you were missing the almost. But no, the term "person" no longer applies. Mexico City. Mudaba Adin.You're no different from Overseer...and you might be worse. You will regret this, Cardinal.

Focus on the living,_ he reminded himself harshly. "There's probably more people here who are still alive," he announces, choking back the bitter sorrow. "Let's see if anyone else is still alive, help them. Then we check the city." Ryan then heads off towards the dormitories and the cafeteria, reasoning there would be the greatest concentration of staff and students.


----------



## Aenion (Apr 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Back in the Real World*
> 
> There is just silence.  Then power goes out, everything goes dead before the emergency systems kick online.  Then the power grid seems to come back online but still no communications.  Aya looks around, “That was weird.”
> 
> Gadget grabs her head and collapses… “Owwwwww….. owwwwwwww.”




Karen quickens her steps when the power goes down, the world takes on a bluish tint as her saphire eyes compensate for the sudden lack of light. She was close to the infirmary when the power comes back on, the return of the lights stagger her for a split second as her overly sensitive eyes adjust back to the normal spectrum, "What's going on here? Kal? Is everything alright?"


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 24, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> _Focus on the living,_ he reminded himself harshly. "There's probably more people here who are still alive," he announces, choking back the bitter sorrow. "Let's see if anyone else is still alive, help them. Then we check the city." Ryan then heads off towards the dormitories and the cafeteria, reasoning there would be the greatest concentration of staff and students.



_Focus on the living,_ Jun Min echoes in his mind.  “The psychic backlash from so much death… you don’t want to hear what I have heard.  Ryan, we will bring her to justice.”

Bishop is already trying to help students in the dormitories.

Ryan spots Cassie, she seems okay given the circumstances.  He believes he spotted Paragon flying to the city, but there is no telling with all the chaos.  His phone isn’t working, and it seems that everything has gone to hell.

Jun Min adds, “Cardinal is insane.   She isn’t a human being, she is truly a monster.”

Bishop nods, “She believes that what she is doing is the only way to do it.  She believes that driving a wedge between humanity and elites will bring them to her side, she wants control of everything.   She wants her children back under her thumb.”

Jun Min lands near Cassie, “She has to die.”

*Karen*

Kal is drugged up and barely responds, out like a lamp.

The nurse gives Karen a blank smile, “I am sure it is just a minor power surge.”


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 24, 2007)

"Well count me glad that I don't owe my gifts to that crazy psycho," Ryan says, searching for someone to help. His powers allowed him to clear rubble and debris easily, and his healing gifts could repair most injuries. 

"Anika had a little vision back in the summer about how fighting Cardinal helps Overseer, or something...but I don't really feel like letting someone else's visions control my actions." _On the other hand, we could use Cardinal's power against Overseer, to say nothing of her little death squad. And she might not survive the battle anyway...I don't want to end up killing her if it means the cosmic power disappears forever, or goes to Oversee or the Red Witch or something._

"What happens if we did end up killing Cardinal, though? As it stands, we seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Kelly's dead and James is missing," he says, turning towards Cassie. "Do you know who else we lost?"


----------



## Aenion (Apr 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Kal is drugged up and barely responds, out like a lamp.
> 
> The nurse gives Karen a blank smile, “I am sure it is just a minor power surge.”




Karen smiles endearingly at her sleeping boyfriend, she always liked watching him sleep, he looked so peaceful when he was asleep. She looks up at the nurse, "Does that happen a lot around here?"


----------



## Samnell (Apr 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Gadget grabs her head and collapses… “Owwwwww….. owwwwwwww.”




Mark lunged to catch Gadget as she began to collapse, her knees slowly giving out and her body falling inches at a time. He slipped neatly under her and got his arms under Gadget's shoulders to gently lower her down. 

"Gotcha."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 24, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie turns as she looks up in what is clearly shock. "I could have saved him. All I had to do was go with her. He'd be safe now,but I wanted assurances there would no more deaths." She takes a long drawn out sob and rushes to pull the rubble out from the building, not caring that her hands were torn and bleeding. "You can heal him Ryan. You can make it better. I can save this one!"


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 24, 2007)

"Cassie, if he's dead I can't do anything. But there's a chance he's alive under there." _Whoever the hell "he" is._ Ryan focuses his power around his arm to cut away the metal and stone like a hot chainsaw through butter, being careful that he didn't accidentally dismember a survivor. _Young elite survives terrorist attack only to be cut in half by rescue personnel. That would just be my luck.

I told you she would be stubborn, Cardinal._


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 24, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie turns as she looks up in what is clearly shock. "I could have saved him. All I had to do was go with her. He'd be safe now,but I wanted assurances there would no more deaths." She takes a long drawn out sob and rushes to pull the rubble out from the building, not caring that her hands were torn and bleeding. "You can heal him Ryan. You can make it better. I can save this one!"



 Cassie tears at the rubble, and finds a bloody hand.  More rubble gives way and she finds Sami laying there inert for a long moment before he coughs.  His eyes spring open quickly and he turns his head to Cassie, “Ouch… I don’t think I am dead.”

He raises his mangled arm, the tendons already growing back to replace the tissue lost.  Even faster then Cassie, or at least faster then she recalls her own body mending its wounds.  Sami blinks, blood covering his face, “I should be dead.”

*Back in Verona*

Gadget relaxes in mark’s arms, “I have the worst migraine ever… I can’t feel any networks, none of the wireless networks; it’s like it’s all dead… a total crash.  I am not sure how else to explain something big happened to the worldwide network, scattered bits and pieces survived… I can feel it but its so faint its like death.”

*Karen*

“Of course not, this facility is a state of the art care facility,” she continues to give Karen a blank smile, “Do not be alarmed there is nothing to be concerned about.”


----------



## Hammerhead (Apr 24, 2007)

"I can probably remedy that if you insist, but I think Anika might be a little upset," Ryan comments wryly with a smile. _Aren't you full of surprises, Sami...looks like Charlotte was right. Or you're spontaneously developing Elite powers that are more powerful than Cassie's. Which is a little unlikely. I don't have time to deal with it right now, so count yourself lucky._

Ryan turns from the unlikely survivor to find those without strange healing abilities.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 24, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie laughs with relief as she pulls her freind out of the rubble and hugs him close. Any worries or concerns for his new powers are irreleveant to the fact that he is ALIVE.


----------



## Tokiwong (Apr 25, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie laughs with relief as she pulls her freind out of the rubble and hugs him close. Any worries or concerns for his new powers are irreleveant to the fact that he is ALIVE.



 Sami bleeds all over Cassie as she hugs him.  He repeats again, “I should be dead… I should not be alive… Cassie, am I dreaming?”

Jun Min blinks, “Wow… he lived… that is something good at least.”

Bishop helps Ryan as the two gather and help mend the wounded.  Some of the students did not fare as well as Ryan and his friends, but the vast majority survive.  One of the corpses is that of Giuseppe, the strange Italian youth.

Bishop turns to Ryan, “You are far too young to have deal with all this death and suffering... and yet you handle it better than men twice your age.  You must have a hard soul Ryan.”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Apr 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Sami bleeds all over Cassie as she hugs him.  He repeats again, “I should be dead… I should not be alive… Cassie, am I dreaming?”
> 
> Jun Min blinks, “Wow… he lived… that is something good at least.”
> 
> ...




"I'm sure that we'll find out how this happened." She looks to Jun Min. "I need to know more about who I am. What exactly is my ties to Hope. She offered to restore me to Hope's powers, but I blew it." Looks to the wounded/injured/dying/dead. "If I had gone maybe some of the students might have avoided getting hurt."


----------



## Mimic (Apr 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> He stands dusting off his hands, “Umm, who are you, you look familiar?”




Gilden studies the young man for a moment, he tries to hide the small smirk on his face but its hard, it wouldn't be often that he would have more information then Chaos. Unfortunately there really wasn't time to enjoy it throughly.

"Not exactly what I expected," he replies as he scans the landscape, "I was expecting something more... erratic."

"We have had encounters before, so I should look familiar. My name is Gilden, I am a... well I don't know if your kind have friends so lets just call me an associate." Gilden pauses for a moment to guage the young man's reaction.

"You are Chaos, an Eternal. Or at least you were before something or someone stole your memories."


----------



## Agamon (Apr 25, 2007)

"Okay, maybe this isn't so normal, after all..." Anika says as the emergency power kicks in.

She blinks at Gadgets assertion.  "Are you saying this happened worldwide?"  Concern crosses her features.  "We need to regroup with everyone else back at the institute and figure out what to do," she suggests to Mark.  "I'm going to open a portal and we'll leave as soon as Gilden 'comes back'.  Someone tell Karen we're leaving.  I understand if she wants to stay here with Kal, but this is really big, I think, we could use her,  And as much as I'd like to leave her here, does anyone know where Tina is?"

She turns and begins her lengthy prayer to Heimdall to open a protal back to Maduba Adin.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 25, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Okay, maybe this isn't so normal, after all..." Anika says as the emergency power kicks in.
> 
> She blinks at Gadgets assertion.  "Are you saying this happened worldwide?"  Concern crosses her features.  "We need to regroup with everyone else back at the institute and figure out what to do," she suggests to Mark.  "I'm going to open a portal and we'll leave as soon as Gilden 'comes back'.  Someone tell Karen we're leaving.  I understand if she wants to stay here with Kal, but this is really big, I think, we could use her,  And as much as I'd like to leave her here, does anyone know where Tina is?"
> 
> She turns and begins her lengthy prayer to Heimdall to open a protal back to Maduba Adin.



 Tina walks in, “Right here chica,” as she tightens some gloves around her hands.  She makes a fist a few times before continuing, “I tried to call Ryan, but it ain’t getting through, phone is totally out, email… everything.  Something big went down.”

Aya groans, “Why can’t we get a break!”

“Get with the program, this ain’t no picnic, we ain’t here to have fun.  We got crazy people running around doing god knows what, this ain’t a time to start acting like a bitch,” Tina retorts.  “Anika, you ain’t leaving me in this place for one second.  So don’t even think about,” Tina adds.

The portal forms.

*Gilden*

“An eternal… that sounds familiar, as familiar I guess as you look.  But that does not explain why you are here, I have been here for a long time, if time has any meaning here.  But then again maybe I am just screwing with your head if I am an eternal named Chaos,” the young man replies.

“But if someone or something stole my memories, well it would make sense.  Unless at my core I know who and what I am but I am trapped in this expanse and I can’t exactly get out and do all the things I want to do,” Chaos shrugs.

“But I guess this is all just a matter of perspective.  Right now you think you have something that I don’t.  Which is knowledge, but knowledge is transitory.  When you die, all that knowledge you have ever amassed will be gone.  Even if you endeavor to pass it on, that knowledge will change.  Truth will transform into lies.  Lies become truth.  Trust is an illusion.  Do you trust me?  Do you trust yourself?” the being finishes.

“The first thing you must know Gilden, before you can begin to even understand me is this; you can trust that anything and everything I do will create change.  So why do you think I am here?” Chaos adds.

*Cassie*

Jun Min nods, “I am not sure how much help I could be Cassie the last time we mucked around inside your head, Chance popped out.  Which by the way… where is she?”

Sami lies on his head on Cassie’s shoulder, “What will Ani think of me now?”


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Jun Min nods, “I am not sure how much help I could be Cassie the last time we mucked around inside your head, Chance popped out.  Which by the way… where is she?”
> 
> Sami lies on his head on Cassie’s shoulder, “What will Ani think of me now?”




"Jun Min, she's gone. I doubt that you will have the same things occur as before." She says calmly. "And to be honest, what choice do we have?" she looks to Sami. "I don't know.. but it's better than mournign your loss."


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## Hammerhead (Apr 25, 2007)

_Wow, who would have thought that Giuseppe's ability to create the perfect atmosphere for a romantic candlelit dinner couldn't save him,_ Ryan thinks bitterly, hating himself for joking about the young teenager's death. 

"I'm not sure I handle it 'better,' Ryan says softly, so that only Bishop or the very observant could hear. "I just do what I have to. And Sami," he says, calling out to Anika's latest boyfriend, "I'm pretty sure she'll think 'Oh praise Thor, I'm so happy Sami's not dead!' " Ryan finishes his statement in a girlish squeal that's a rough approximation of Anika's voice. 

_Until she finds our you're some kind of spy, in which case she's going to kill you. Although now I'm not sure that you know you're a spy...if you are a spy. I mean, there's a possibility you're not, but that would require you to be very, very lucky._


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## Agamon (Apr 25, 2007)

Anika rolls her eyes, and as the portal opens, she turns to Tina.  "I wasn't being serious.  And I didn't get a chance to tell you: nice shot, that hurt," she says, rubbing a bruise on her shoulder, and trying to diffuse the bad blood from eariler as well as she could.  This wasn't the time for bickering.

"Gilden," she says in a low voice after getting close to him, and not sure he can hear her, "this weird Chaos thing will have to wait, I think.  We need to get back home, let's just bring Robbie with us."  She nudges hi a bit, hoping to bring him back from the young boy's mind.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 25, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Jun Min, she's gone. I doubt that you will have the same things occur as before." She says calmly. "And to be honest, what choice do we have?" she looks to Sami. "I don't know.. but it's better than mournign your loss."



 Sami nods and finally stands on his own, wiping the blood away as best as he can, “Well I am alive, I am not sure why… maybe I am an elite too?  I should have died, I felt my body break, and now I am standing and I feel just well as before.  This isn’t right.”

Jun Min shakes her head, “I wouldn’t knock it Sami.”

“I am glad to be alive, it just scares me,” Sami replies.

“Welcome to the club,” Jun Min adds as she helps the wounded, “Well stop feeling sorry for yourself and let’s get to work.”  Jun Min then focuses on Cassie, “We have plenty of choices the least of which is opening your Pandora’s box at this time… put that drive into helping the wounded we can figure out this stuff later.”

*Back in Verona*

Tina cracks her knuckles, “Yeah, it’s squashed.”


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## Aenion (Apr 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> “Of course not, this facility is a state of the art care facility,” she continues to give Karen a blank smile, “Do not be alarmed there is nothing to be concerned about.”




_Nothing to be concerned about? I haven't heard about any power failures for ages. What could cause a place like this to lose its power?_ Karen looks over the monitors in the room before finally resting her eyes on Kal again, "How is he?"


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## Samnell (Apr 25, 2007)

_Worldwide? Great. Do we ever get a day off?_

"Anika's plan it is. I'll go get Karen." Not waiting for a reply, Mark sped off to find the very body he'd spent some time wanting to be free from. He found her with Kal.

_And it gets better and better..._ "Karen, we need to move out. It looks like something turned out all of the lights, everywhere. We're taking a portal back to the school to regroup. I know the timing sucks, but whatever did all of this needs all of us."


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## Aenion (Apr 25, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> _And it gets better and better..._ "Karen, we need to move out. It looks like something turned out all of the lights, everywhere. We're taking a portal back to the school to regroup. I know the timing sucks, but whatever did all of this needs all of us."




"All the lights are out, everywhere?" Karen asks incredulously, "How? That's just not possible... Did you hear anything from Paragon or the UN? Isn't Mr. MacAllister supposed to be here? Maybe we should consult him before we rush into anything?" she offers. Looking at Kal's sleeping form she continues, "B-besides I can't just leave Kal behind... M-maybe Gilden can cast another of his healing spells?"


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## Samnell (Apr 25, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "All the lights are out, everywhere?" Karen asks incredulously, "How? That's just not possible... Did you hear anything from Paragon or the UN? Isn't Mr. MacAllister supposed to be here? Maybe we should consult him before we rush into anything?" she offers. Looking at Kal's sleeping form she continues, "B-besides I can't just leave Kal behind... M-maybe Gilden can cast another of his healing spells?"




"We haven't heard from anybody. That's why we're going. If Gilden can swing a healing spell when he gets out of Chaos's mind, sure. But we have to go even if he can't. Kal's in good hands here."


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## Aenion (Apr 25, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "We haven't heard from anybody. That's why we're going. If Gilden can swing a healing spell when he gets out of Chaos's mind, sure. But we have to go even if he can't. Kal's in good hands here."




Karen nods quietly not taking her eyes of Kal, "I ... I guess so... I just don't want him to wake up alone... I'd like Gilden to try another spell, it'd be better if Kal could come with us, especially if something serious has happened. I-I'll write him a note in case the spell doesn't work," she agrees reluctantly.

She looks for a piece of paper and a pen:



> Heya honey,
> 
> I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up. Something serious happened, Mark just told me all he power went out across the world and we can't reach anyone of the UNJE. We're gonna go back to the Institute as quickly as possible and try to find out what happened.
> 
> ...


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## Mimic (Apr 25, 2007)

"I do not trust you Chaos but things are coming rapidly to a head and we may need all the backing we can get. I believe that you out of all the eternals have the most to lose should the Overseer's plans come to his desired conclusion and so you plan and scheme, using me and my friends to block his attempt. Like you said its a matter of perspective, we share a similar foe, so we are allies of sorts but I know that if something else better comes along you would abandon us to our fates without a second thought." Gilden replies grimly. "I trust myself but I realize that I am mortal and will make mistakes all I can do is do what I believe is right at the moment hope that it is." He adds with a small shrug of his shoulders.



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> So why do you think I am here?” Chaos adds.




"I believe that you are here because of some twisted plan that I do not understand at this moment, everything from contacting us to giving me one of the Red Witch's books and yes even swapping our bodies is another step in that plan, or," he shrugs once again "you could be doing this just because you think its funny."

Gilden pauses for a moment tilting his head as if listening to something only he can hear. "My friends are leaving to go back to the institute and I must go with them. Do you want to come along?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 25, 2007)

Cassie nods. "Of course not right away, survivors take the priority." She says as she looks around for a place to start.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 25, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden pauses for a moment tilting his head as if listening to something only he can hear. "My friends are leaving to go back to the institute and I must go with them. Do you want to come along?"



“Of course, despite being a pariah, I would enjoy a front row seat,” Chaos replies.

“Now Robbie is easily convinced he seems to be enamored by Anika, and I have to admit I share the same infatuation her fire and dedication it is no wonder that they want her as their link to this world.  Oh and you are right not to trust me; because even those things that I have not done with my own hand I approve of if they further my goals.  Chaos is as chaos does, change will come weather it be my hand or another’s,” Chaos finishes.


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## Samnell (Apr 26, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> Karen nods quietly not taking her eyes of Kal, "I ... I guess so... I just don't want him to wake up alone... I'd like Gilden to try another spell, it'd be better if Kal could come with us, especially if something serious has happened. I-I'll write him a note in case the spell doesn't work," she agrees reluctantly.




"Ok," Mark waited while Karen's slow, ponderous, sharp-edged body dragged a pen across paper. _This is awful. I can't believe I was that slow. I think I might fall asleep._


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## Mimic (Apr 26, 2007)

"Its ironic really, my magic is based on order, structure and discipline as I have been since as long as I can remember and yet I am a pawn in your cosmic game of chess." Gilden says to Chaos.

He pulls back from the boys mind, blinking once or twice as he stands. "What has happened?" He asks the others as he looks over at Gadget with concern.


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## Agamon (Apr 26, 2007)

"Everything has gone down, phones, electricity, computers.  Gadget thinks it's happening worldwide.  Something big is going down, we need to figure out what," Anika tells Gilden.

"All aboard," she tells everyone, motioning towards the portal.  "You can come, too, Robbie, we'll show you where we live."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 27, 2007)

_Assuming they go…_

The portal opens, and the students step back through to their lovely institute.  Or at least it was, but now it is just a ruin, there is smoke in the distance, where the skyline of Mudaba Adin was… now just smoke, fire, and despair.  The main forms are torn down, destroyed… although the Yoshi statue still stands, covered in dust, and debris.

The teens can see Ryan’s glowing form, as he works and tends to the wounded.  There is also Sami covered in dirt, debris, and blood.   Jun Min has a bloody leg, but seems well, and Bishop looks ruffled but no worse for the wear.  Cassie is there as well, and several students.

The city, the institute, and their lives have been shattered.


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## Agamon (Apr 27, 2007)

Anika follows the last person through the portal and can't believe what she's seeing on the other side.  She only stares wordlessly at the chaos before moving to help.  That's when she sees Sami.  "Oh, gods!"  She rushes to him and asks, "Are you okay?"  She embraces him in a hug and then notices the the landscape behind him.  "What...what happened...?"


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## Hammerhead (Apr 27, 2007)

"Cardinal happened. Welcome to Hell," Ryan says sourly, giving an ironic wave. "There might still be enemies around, not to mention the threat of radiation, so I'd put up your force fields if you got them." _They're going to be in shock for quite a bit...and despite what the shiny sunshine happy squad thinks, there isn't any set of meaningless platitudes that will make everyone feel better. 

Hell, I don't even want these guys around me. Not now. They weren't here when it happened._ Ryan stood over the unconscious form of one of the students at the Institute. He was an idiot that Ryan tried to ignore, but his wounds were closed and he was going to make it. He brushed his hands together impatiently, staring at the now empty skyline.

"Paragon's in what's left of the city. I've pretty much done what I can here, so I'm headed over there, see who I can help. Cassie," he inquires, turning towards her with an outstretched hand. _Jun Min said it the first day...use the buddy system. Don't go anywhere alone._


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## Aenion (Apr 27, 2007)

Karen reluctantly stepped through the portal, she felt like she was leaving Kal behind again. She never liked teleportation and it seemed everytime she stepped through a portal she was leaving him behind. These thoughts were immediately erased from her mind when she stepped out the otherside of the portal.

"Oh god no... This can't be real, this can't be happening. Something must have gone wrong with the portal," Karen stares around in shock at the destruction around her, the Institute had become a second home to her and now it was gone. Ryan was right this is hell, "Are you guys alright? Wasn't Kelly with you guys? Where's she? Is she alright?"


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## Tokiwong (Apr 27, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika follows the last person through the portal and can't believe what she's seeing on the other side.  She only stares wordlessly at the chaos before moving to help.  That's when she sees Sami.  "Oh, gods!"  She rushes to him and asks, "Are you okay?"  She embraces him in a hug and then notices the the landscape behind him.  "What...what happened...?"



 Sami hugs her back, getting blood all over Anika.  He nervously replies, “Hi… umm… hi.”

Jun Min speaks up, “Thank goodness for teleporting.  Paragon is saying that the city was hit hard, no radiation but the loss of life is significant.  It’s time for Legacy to get into action the UNJE is mobilizing as best as we can with limited communications.  Pretty much relying on a network of telepaths at the moment-” 

Jun Min pauses putting her hand over her mouth.  The pause is lengthy, “Oh my god… Cairo… Berlin… were also attacked.  This was worldwide; I am trying to make sense of it all.  What in the hell is she thinking?”

Bishop adds, “She wants fear and control, she wants to force the decision of what side elites are on.  She wants a war.”

Robbie looks around, “This place looks broken.”


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## Agamon (Apr 27, 2007)

Anika listens as the other fill her in, a more determined expression filling in the blank one.  "You heard them, people, let's do what we can to help out here."  She squeezes Sami's hand and tries to smile for him before beginning to do what she can to help at the institute and the rest of the city.


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 27, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Bishop adds, “She wants fear and control, she wants to force the decision of what side elites are on.  She wants a war.”





"And with this scope of things.. there is nothing we can do to defuse it." Cassie replies looking sadly at the wreckage. "I should have agreed to go with her."


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## Samnell (Apr 27, 2007)

> The portal opens, and the students step back through to their lovely institute. Or at least it was, but now it is just a ruin, there is smoke in the distance, where the skyline of Mudaba Adin was… now just smoke, fire, and despair. The main forms are torn down, destroyed… although the Yoshi statue still stands, covered in dust, and debris.




"," Mark breathed at the spectacle. _This is a parallel dimension or something, like where Gilden came from. Anika screwed up the spell and-_



> "Cardinal happened. Welcome to Hell," Ryan says sourly, giving an ironic wave. "There might still be enemies around, not to mention the threat of radiation, so I'd put up your force fields if you got them."




_That's our Ryan._ Mark stared at the wreckage of home, eyes wandering past Yoshi's statue to the faculty quarters where he lived. _It's gone. All of it. Even the pool._ He felt something trying to climb up his throat.



> Jun Min pauses putting her hand over her mouth. The pause is lengthy, “Oh my god… Cairo… Berlin… were also attacked. This was worldwide; I am trying to make sense of it all. What in the hell is she thinking?”




"That's, uh, that's not our problem right now," Mark croaked unconvincingly. "We're here and-"



> Anika listens as the other fill her in, a more determined expression filling in the blank one. "You heard them, people, let's do what we can to help out here." She squeezes Sami's hand and tries to smile for him before beginning to do what she can to help at the institute and the rest of the city.




"Y-yeah, we have a job to do. In pairs in case some of the Cardinal's friends are looking for us or someone still alive here freaks out and doesn't recognize us."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 27, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "And with this scope of things.. there is nothing we can do to defuse it." Cassie replies looking sadly at the wreckage. "I should have agreed to go with her."



 Jun Min slaps Cassie, "We don't have time for this, Cardinal murdered Kelly right before my eyes and you want to go with that monster?  This is what she wanted, this is what she chose.  Time to wake up Cassie.  I am sorry, but nothing good could have come from that choice."


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 27, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Jun Min slaps Cassie, "We don't have time for this, Cardinal murdered Kelly right before my eyes and you want to go with that monster?  This is what she wanted, this is what she chose.  Time to wake up Cassie.  I am sorry, but nothing good could have come from that choice."





Cassie's demeanor changes, fury clear in her eyes even as all emotion vanishes from her face. "I see. Then I know what must be done." She looks straight at Jun Min. "And I need to KNOW more than ever, because aside from Ryan, only an ETERNAL can kill her."


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## Mimic (Apr 27, 2007)

Gilden slips his arm around Gadget's waist in an effort to support her as well as himself in the face of this reality, he didn't know what to say or to do right at this moment, It was almost to much to come to grips with.

"By the gods, why would she do this. How is this going to accomplish her goals?"



> Jun Min slaps Cassie, "We don't have time for this, Cardinal murdered Kelly right before my eyes and you want to go with that monster? This is what she wanted, this is what she chose.




"Kelly is dead?" Gilden stammers, not ever reacting to Jun Min slapping Cassie. "How? Why?"



> "You heard them, people, let's do what we can to help out here." She squeezes Sami's hand and tries to smile for him before beginning to do what she can to help at the institute and the rest of the city.




"I can search out the survivors quickly, follow my  instructions and we may be able to save some of them." Gilden replies more steadily, he quickly clears a space around him as he sits cross legged. "If you can connect to my mind Jun Min we can pass on the information we find to whom ever is closest." The rest is a blur as he casts out using his esp to find anyone trapped but still alive.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 27, 2007)

Actually, I'm pretty sure that anyone who hits hard enough can kill Cardinal, but I can't do jack . Kelly was at least able to hurt her, slightly, before Cardinal killed her." _Where does Cassie come up with this stuff? Looks like Legolas is as cold as ice...good news, for once._

"Tell Paragon I'm heading into the city," Ryan instructs Jun Min as he turns and flies full speed towards the wreckage. _How did she get so many bombs...then again, she was a brilliant scientist. I'm sure she could have figured something out. But fantasizing revenge against Cardinal isn't likely to reduce the damage, and it may even leave us weak against Overseer._


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## Tokiwong (Apr 27, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Actually, I'm pretty sure that anyone who hits hard enough can kill Cardinal, but I can't do jack . Kelly was at least able to hurt her, slightly, before Cardinal killed her." _Where does Cassie come up with this stuff? Looks like Legolas is as cold as ice...good news, for once._
> 
> "Tell Paragon I'm heading into the city," Ryan instructs Jun Min as he turns and flies full speed towards the wreckage. _How did she get so many bombs...then again, she was a brilliant scientist. I'm sure she could have figured something out. But fantasizing revenge against Cardinal isn't likely to reduce the damage, and it may even leave us weak against Overseer._



 Ryan heads to the city, the devastation is immediate and total.  He can see shadow burns in the ground, corpses, and wreckage.  It is eerily quiet at times, and other times fires still burn.  A rescue aerodyne zooms towards the core of the city; following the craft he finds Paragon already leading rescue operations.

Paragon greets Ryan, “Jun Min told me you were on the way, perfect timing.  We have an idea how Cardinal pulled this off, she used a human bomb, a suicide bomber on a level we have not seen.  I am not sure on the specifics but we got a specialist in the field of past events.  We are still trying to confirm the details but the source is reliable.”

Oracle lands, “I am sure of what I saw.”

Kensai leaps out of the aerodyne barking orders as he approaches the gathered elites, “Communications are still down, we can’t get anything, and the wounded are still pouring in.  No word on Cardinal’s location.”

Oracle shakes her head, “Nothing, no psychic impressions.”  She then looks curiously at Ryan, “You look older then I expected.”

*Back at the Institute*

Jun Min nods to Ryan’s retreating form and then turns to Gilden, _“Alright lets do this.”_ 

Tina watches Ryan leave and shakes her head, “We need to get downtown, right now.”


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 28, 2007)

Cassie nods firmly not speaking, though her look at Jun Min clearly says it all 'We're not done with this'. She looks for the nearest staging area for people heading off.


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## Agamon (Apr 28, 2007)

Anika was stunned motionless again by the news about Kelly.  She took a couple steadying breaths to calm herelf and cleared her mind to concentrate on helping the living.  "Okay, downtown, right."  She forms her forcefield and activates her flight before one more prayer opens another glowing blue portal to downtown Maduba Adin and waits for the others to go through.

She looks back at Sami, a lost look in her eyes.  "I...I don't know where to take you to keep you safe...I don't think there is such a place right now."  She had already considered sending him to her pocket dimension, but if she were to die, he would be trapped there.  "But I think this is now probably the least safe place to be.  Come with us, okay?  You, too, Robbie."


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## Mimic (Apr 28, 2007)

Gilden bids Jun Min to sit down infront of him, he glances over at Gadget. "I am going to be out of it for a while, perhaps you should go with the others and see if you can help. Just be careful ok?" He says to the pink haired girl with a small smile.

Once Jun Min is seated he will open his mind to her, allowing her to see what he sees. He searches the area, starting with the downtown and spreading out in a ever widening area pointing out trapped people and people that are close by who can help them


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## Aenion (Apr 28, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Jun Min slaps Cassie, "We don't have time for this, Cardinal murdered Kelly right before my eyes and you want to go with that monster?  This is what she wanted, this is what she chose.  Time to wake up Cassie.  I am sorry, but nothing good could have come from that choice."




"Oh god no, not Kelly..." Karen mutters, slowly shaking her head in shock. The world momentarily becomes blurry and it looks like she might collapse but she steadies herself. When she opens her saphire eyes again, they seem to burn with anger and even hate, _I'll make her pay for what she's done to you Kelly._

She nods mutely at Anika and steps through the portal, fading from sight as she does so, just in case something is waiting on the otherside.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 28, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Oracle shakes her head, “Nothing, no psychic impressions.”  She then looks curiously at Ryan, “You look older then I expected.”





"Well, with the chaos of the day, I forgot to put on my makeup," Ryan replies acidly. "Why the comment about my age?"

_Perfect timing...why do I not like the sound of that?_ "The suicide bombers might be some kind of Elite thing, mass into energy, kaboom. Or just some kind of suitcase nuke," Ryan adds with a shrug. "If you don't have a better place for me, I'm going to see what I can do with the wounded."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 28, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Well, with the chaos of the day, I forgot to put on my makeup," Ryan replies acidly. "Why the comment about my age?"
> 
> _Perfect timing...why do I not like the sound of that?_ "The suicide bombers might be some kind of Elite thing, mass into energy, kaboom. Or just some kind of suitcase nuke," Ryan adds with a shrug. "If you don't have a better place for me, I'm going to see what I can do with the wounded."



Oracle responds to Ryan, “Consider it a compliment.”

Paragon shakes his head, “Enough we have more important things to handle, Ryan where is the rest of Legacy?  If they are here I need them to head over to the University and search for survivors.  I need Justice Elite downtown,  Kensai you know what to do.”

Kensai replies, “Got it, Oracle relay the order to the others.”

“Already done,” as she lifts off the ground effortlessly.

*Downtown Mudaba Adin*

Anika make her portal, Tina enters without a word.  Robbie looks at Anika and then follows through with Sami following.  The other side is a war zone, a building or what is left is burning.  Burned in shadows of the dead, the remnants of corpses, this place is now a graveyard.   Twisted hunks of metal and concrete litter the streets that were perhaps maybe even minutes ago alive with energy and people.

A little child’s doll sits at the feet of the elites missing a button, and burnt but somewhat whole.

Overhead an aerodyne cruises above zooming away from the downtown core.  The city is quiet outside of that noise.   The buildings that once loomed now stand in testament to a mad woman’s ambition.  The worst part is that this city was not alone in its suffering.

A torn and broken electronic billboard flickers an image of Legacy, or part of an image.

*Gilden*

Jun Min links with his mind as he opens his senses to beyond his body.  He heads to what was once the downtown core of the city, transplanting his sight into the heart of the downtown core grid.  What was once a forest of high rises is now just desolate ruined graveyard.

But he cannot contemplate the death toll he searches for the living.  He finds a building that seemed to weather the blast better than most, still damaged worse than others, it may look to be a good place to begin searching.


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## Agamon (Apr 28, 2007)

Anika steps through the portal once everyone that wants to come with has done so.  The portal closes behind her and she stares out at the rubble that was once a thriving city.  Once more she needs to dig deep to gather her wits about her.  "Freya, protect me and my friends," she prays, as steadily as she can, and a light blue field covers not only herself, but Sami and Robbie, too.  "Alright, let's try and find anyone that needs help," she says, doing her best to sound confident.

"You two, stick with me," she tells Sami and Robbie, before moving out to find survivors.

OOC: Using an HP to make a PF of FF (Force Field +5, affects others and self, x2 progresssion) to cover herself, Sami and Robbie. 2 HP left.


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 29, 2007)

Cassie keeps walking down the street, barely noting the portal as she steps though it and into the ruins of the city beyond. Her mind twists with a variety of thoughts, recrimnations and guilt. She moves quickly to help one person after another, using her strenght and agility to it's best use to get to, free and move the injured as needed. For now, she had a use, a purpose. Later, she'd have recriminations and morn the loss of freinds and the innocent.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 29, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie keeps walking down the street, barely noting the portal as she steps though it and into the ruins of the city beyond. Her mind twists with a variety of thoughts, recrimnations and guilt. She moves quickly to help one person after another, using her strenght and agility to it's best use to get to, free and move the injured as needed. For now, she had a use, a purpose. Later, she'd have recriminations and morn the loss of freinds and the innocent.



_There are no people to help... yet._


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## Hammerhead (Apr 29, 2007)

"The rest of Legacy popped in the wreckage of the Institute; they're still dealing with the shock, but I expect them along shortly. I'll head to my school and see what I can do, send them my way if you see them," Ryan says with a nod before taking off towards the University.

_I'm never going to get to go to class. Or attend a frat party._


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## Tokiwong (Apr 30, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "The rest of Legacy popped in the wreckage of the Institute; they're still dealing with the shock, but I expect them along shortly. I'll head to my school and see what I can do, send them my way if you see them," Ryan says with a nod before taking off towards the University.
> 
> _I'm never going to get to go to class. Or attend a frat party._



The university, it looks nothing like the beautiful campus.  Just a smoking wreckage;  if someone, anything survived, then they are damn lucky.  The city, the university, and the Institute are all gone.  

Then Ryan feels the message in his mind, _”Help…”_

*Downtown Mudaba Adin*

Tina lifts a wreckage that resembles a vehicle and tosses it aside in frustration.  She shakes her head, “If someone survived this… I would be surprised.  I don’t understand.  I don’t understand any of this, what could she gain from this?  These people did not deserve this.”

Sami kneels down shaking his head speaking in his native tongue, “This is hell.”


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## Agamon (Apr 30, 2007)

Anika searches the wreckage, but her frustration grows when there is little to be found.  The more she looks, the harder the task becomes.  Her mind begins to interpret what has happened.  Thousands and thousands of people, people that she interacted with, spoke to, knew, all of them were dead.  And Kelly, Kelly was dead, too.  She could feel her legs begin to give out beneath her before she colapses onto a broken chunk of wall and begins to cry uncontrollably.


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## Mimic (Apr 30, 2007)

Meditation and his dedication to studies help Gilden remove himself from most of the devistation that he observes but not even those can fully remove the revoltion and saddness from this situation.

"I do not understand why Cardinal would do this," he thinks quietly to Jun Min, "what does she expect to get from doing this?"

He views the building that may contain survivors and the scene shifts quickly to the inside, if there is anyone there, he will have to act fast to help them.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 30, 2007)

"Yes, there just happens to be a survivor who spontaneously developed telepathic powers," Ryan comments to himself as he fills his body with cosmic power. "Ta-rap." 

_Umm, you're communicating mentally with me? Can you hear me? Where are you? I can help you._ Ryan tries to follow the mental voice as best he can, relying on instinct if nothing else.

"God, I feel like such an idiot."

_Ryan uses Boost +16._


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## Aenion (Apr 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Downtown Mudaba Adin*
> 
> Anika make her portal, Tina enters without a word.  Robbie looks at Anika and then follows through with Sami following.  The other side is a war zone, a building or what is left is burning.  Burned in shadows of the dead, the remnants of corpses, this place is now a graveyard.   Twisted hunks of metal and concrete litter the streets that were perhaps maybe even minutes ago alive with energy and people.
> 
> ...




_This is a nightmare. It has to be a nightmare. I must have fallen asleep and I'm gonna wake up any minute now. I want to wake up now! This can't be real,_ Karen repeats these thoughts in her mind as she stumbles towards the doll, her body had become visible again, what was the use anyway, everything was gone, the restaurants Claire took her to, the skyline she and Kal used to fly over, the university she barely had a chance to go to, all the people, living breathing people... all gone. A tear splashes on the face of the doll in her hands.

_No! I can't just give up. She can't have destroyed everything. There has to be some way to stop her, to stop this from getting worse._ The doll falls apart in her hands, five pieces sliding between her fingers, the weight of the doll enough to cut it to pieces on her razorsharp fingers, her crystal hair rising in jagged spikes. She takes a deep, cleansing, unnecessary breath and her body visibly relaxes as she kneels beside Anika, "We can't give up Anika. Cardinal can't have destroyed everything. We have to do everything we can to find survivors, to stop her. You are Legacy remember? If you give up who will stop her? We have to keep trying or else everything is lost. I'm not just gonna let that madwoman open the way for Overseer," she hugs her friend, "We can't give up hope."


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## Agamon (Apr 30, 2007)

"B-but, it just seems like everytime we do something good, something worse happens," Anika says, stifling her tears.  "I can't take this anymore."  She looks at the others and shakes her head.  "Gods, what a great leader I am.  Tina's right, Ryan's probably not sitting somewhere crying."

She stands with a sigh, wiping her face with the back of her hand.  "Okay, let's keep  looking.  I hope the others are having more luck than we are."


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## Tokiwong (Apr 30, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> She stands with a sigh, wiping her face with the back of her hand.  "Okay, let's keep  looking.  I hope the others are having more luck than we are."



Tina gives Anika her hand, “Ryan’s strength is his ability to find the worst in anything good, and his heart is just as weak as ours.  He just never let’s anyone get close enough to see that chica.  But I know he has to feel something from this.  We, and by we I mean the team ain’t asking for you to be a heartless machine.  We just need you to do the right thing for the team, even if that means putting up with my crazy ass from time to time.”

Tina pauses looking around, “We may not understand each other, but we got to work together.  But don’t think this makes us friends.”

Sami shakes his head, “I don’t understand… I don’t understand… I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”  He slams his fist into the ground with so much force the ground itself shakes, causing some of the rubble around the teens to collapse even more.

Tina catches herself, “Whoa…”

*Gilden*

Gilden cannot hear anything but he can see, and he scouts the building carefully until he pauses at what looks like a window.  He sees something moving behind the fogged and dusty window.  Movement of a person maybe?  Could someone be alive inside?

*Ryan*

_“I am trapped inside my vehicle in the underground parking garage… you can hear my thoughts?  Wow… I didn’t think anyone was close enough to hear me… my abilities are so limited.”_  The mental voice has a feminine touch to it.


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## Hammerhead (Apr 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“I am trapped inside my vehicle in the underground parking garage… you can hear my thoughts?  Wow… I didn’t think anyone was close enough to hear me… my abilities are so limited.”_  The mental voice has a feminine touch to it.




_Alright, I'm coming. Do your best not to die,_ Ryan tells the voice. He then rolls his eyes, looks upwards, and fires a blast of cosmic energy into the sky. _Maybe someone would have seen that. Like the bad guys, if there are any around. Let's go see if I'm being paranoid,_ Ryan thinks to himself as he wracks his brain, trying to remember the layout and location of the parking garage on campus, and the amount of rubble and wreckage within before coming up with a solution to clear it and save the woman inside.


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 30, 2007)

Cassie moves further into the city, straining to hear any possible victims of this latest disaster. Her thoughts are focused on finding survivors, as she knows if she thinks of what she heard at the school that she'd retreat into recrimination and regret.

"Hello? Anyone hear me?" She calls out as she looks around for any clues to where someone might be trapped.


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## Tokiwong (Apr 30, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> _Alright, I'm coming. Do your best not to die,_ Ryan tells the voice. He then rolls his eyes, looks upwards, and fires a blast of cosmic energy into the sky. _Maybe someone would have seen that. Like the bad guys, if there are any around. Let's go see if I'm being paranoid,_ Ryan thinks to himself as he wracks his brain, trying to remember the layout and location of the parking garage on campus, and the amount of rubble and wreckage within before coming up with a solution to clear it and save the woman inside.



_“THANK YOU SO MUCH!”_ the mental voice replies before a string of mental thoughts in French hit his mind like a flood.  It finally ends, _“I am sorry, I am just so happy… I thought I would die in here!”_

From what Ryan remembers he is standing over the underground parking and the nearest entrance was not too far away by the administration buildings.  Or at least what used to be the administration buildings.

*Cassie*

Only silence answers her.

And a loud sound of rubble from where her friends are, she although she heard someone shouting.


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## KaintheSeeker (Apr 30, 2007)

Cassie looks back, torn between looking further abroad and going back. She shakes her head, it wasn't like she was needed back there. Ryan and the others were more than capable of moving the big damaged sections of buildings. It was quite possible that thump had been Ryan moving a collapsed building. She was faster, more mobile and agile than most of the others. Perhaps she could look inisde some of the buildings for the wounded. 

All good reasons not to return, but truthfully she knew the real reason. She didn't want to deal with the others,.


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## Agamon (Apr 30, 2007)

Anika is surprised by Tina's words, but it works to help her get it together.  She even smiles a bit when Tina tells her they aren't friends.  "For the team, you're right."  She steadies herself to continue the search when Sami creates his spectacle.

"Sami?!" Anika says in confsion and worry.  She runs over to him.  "Um..."  He was obviously feeling he same way she was.  She wanted to try comforting him, but obviously something else was going on.  She wasn't sure what to say.  "Are...you alright?"


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## Hammerhead (Apr 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“THANK YOU SO MUCH!”_ the mental voice replies before a string of mental thoughts in French hit his mind like a flood.  It finally ends, _“I am sorry, I am just so happy… I thought I would die in here!”_
> 
> From what Ryan remembers he is standing over the underground parking and the nearest entrance was not too far away by the administration buildings.  Or at least what used to be the administration buildings.




_"You might want to calm down some. If you survived the explosion and the collapse, then your biggest risk is suffocation, assuming you aren't bleeding anywhere. What's your story, anyway?"_

Ryan quickly takes to the air, flying to the entrance near the administration building as quickly as possible. _If this is closed off, I'm going to try going straight down. With luck the rest of the team at least caught sight of my little flare._


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## Tokiwong (May 1, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> _"You might want to calm down some. If you survived the explosion and the collapse, then your biggest risk is suffocation, assuming you aren't bleeding anywhere. What's your story, anyway?"_



_“I am not terribly hurt, my windows shattered and there is rubble I guess all around me.  I don’t even know what happened, I have been trying to call people but I can’t get a reliable signal.  Was there an earthquake?”_ the voice replies.


			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan quickly takes to the air, flying to the entrance near the administration building as quickly as possible. _If this is closed off, I'm going to try going straight down. With luck the rest of the team at least caught sight of my little flare._



_“The rest of the team!  I am so thankful that you heard me… I really thought I was going to die.  There may be more people down here, but I can’t feel anyone, if that makes sense,”_ she replies.

Ryan reaches what was the administration building, he could use his prodigious strength to pull the rubble aside but that could take some great time to find the actual entrance…

*Cassie*

Cassie sees a bright purple flash in the sky to her south, she thinks.

*Rest of Legacy*

Sami stays silent for a long moment, he does not move.  He finally speaks in a soft tone, “None of this makes sense.  Why would she murder all these people!  Why am I alive!  I should be dead!  What is happening to me… why me?  I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

He grabs his head, “I DON’T UNDERSTAND!”

Sami’s right arm spasms, and his muscles underneath ripple unnaturally.  He grabs his arm, “What is happening to me?” he shouts as the skin on the arm starts to darken, taking on a blue black hue…

The teens also see a purple flash in the sky some distance away.


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## KaintheSeeker (May 1, 2007)

Cassie frowns at that sight. Can't be good to have a flash of light like that. She shakes her head and continues leaping from damaged structure to damaged structure, aiming for the most direct route there.  It was times like this, she thought to herself, that she could learn to MISS having Ryan's flight power.


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## Samnell (May 1, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Sami’s right arm spasms, and his muscles underneath ripple unnaturally.  He grabs his arm, “What is happening to me?” he shouts as the skin on the armor starts to darken, taking on a blue black hue…
> 
> The teens also see a purple flash in the sky some distance away.




Mark gaped, Sami's sudden change shaking him from his stunned contemplation of the ruins. _Is that what it looks like?_ "Uh...I think you're getting powers.


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## Hammerhead (May 1, 2007)

_Damn, if only Tina was here...she could ghost through pretty easily. Legolas could probably do something too.

"I'm having trouble finding the entrance to the garage,"_ Ryan tells the trapped mentalist. _"So I'm going to try going straight down first, at least until someone else can get me some more information. You can't by any chance input your mental map of the garage and the like directly into my head, can you?"_

Ryan quickly flies back to where the voice told him he was directly above, focusing his disintegration beam straight down, atomizing the rock and debris.


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## Agamon (May 1, 2007)

Anika stares in horror as Sami begins to painfully change.  "Getting powers?!?  What's going on?!"  She kneels down and puts her arm around him.  "It's okay, honey, calm down, you'll be okay," she says, though her eyes desperately plead for help from the others.


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## Tokiwong (May 1, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika stares in horror as Sami begins to painfully change.  "Getting powers?!?  What's going on?!"  She kneels down and puts her arm around him.  "It's okay, honey, calm down, you'll be okay," she says, though her eyes desperately plead for help from the others.



Sami stops talking and just holds his arm as it pulses with strange spasms.  He looks away from Anika, “This isn’t normal…” his voice barely above a whisper.  His skin starts to go back to normal, “I should be dead.”

“I am sorry everyone, I should be fine… lets get back to searching,” Sami says finally calming down.

*Ryan*

_“You want a what?”_ the voice replies.

Ryan decides to blast his way through the concrete and rubble.

_Using Corrosion +11, the stone rolls a 12 save, fails and gets a 15 total.  He blows a hole clean through!_

Ryan blasts his way into the underground parking lot with ease.  Emergency lights flicker on and off.

_“I see light, is that you?”_ the voice asks.


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## Mimic (May 1, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Gilden cannot hear anything but he can see, and he scouts the building carefully until he pauses at what looks like a window.  He sees something moving behind the fogged and dusty window.  Movement of a person maybe?  Could someone be alive inside?




_"I think I might have found some survivors," _ he thinks to Jun Min,_ "I am going to investigate."_ With a thought he sends his senses through the window to see what is on the other side.


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## Agamon (May 1, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Sami stops talking and just holds his arm as it pulses with strange spasms.  He looks away from Anika, “This isn’t normal…” his voice barely above a whisper.  His skin starts to go back to normal, “I should be dead.”
> 
> “I am sorry everyone, I should be fine… lets get back to searching,” Sami says finally calming down.




"Why do you keep saying that?  You're not dead, that's what matters.  I should probably be dead, too, if not for Ryan.  That's how we get through these things, but helping each other...um, Ryan healed you, right?" Anika says.  Then she shakes her head.  "No, it doesn't matter.  You're okay, that's what matters.  We need to keep searching."  She turns to the others.  "That purple light in the sky must have been Ryan.  We should make our way that way, it could be a signal."

As they leave the area, Anika stays close to Sami.  "Once we get a chance, we'll figure out what's going on.  And if you are one of 'us' now, it's not really all that bad," she tells him, efforting a smile.


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## Hammerhead (May 1, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“You want a what?”_ the voice replies.
> 
> Ryan blasts his way into the underground parking lot with ease.  Emergency lights flicker on and off.
> 
> _“I see light, is that you?”_ the voice asks.




"I hope so," Ryan calls into the hole he blasted. He widens the hole if necessary, then jumps through, searching for the telepath's car. _Sometimes this damn glow does come in handy._

"Hey, anyone alive down here?"


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## Samnell (May 1, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika stares in horror as Sami begins to painfully change.  "Getting powers?!?  What's going on?!"  She kneels down and puts her arm around him.




"Well, I don't know..." Mark told Anika, confused.



> "Why do you keep saying that? You're not dead, that's what matters. I should probably be dead, too, if not for Ryan. That's how we get through these things, but helping each other...um, Ryan healed you, right?" Anika says. Then she shakes her head. "No, it doesn't matter. You're okay, that's what matters. We need to keep searching." She turns to the others. "That purple light in the sky must have been Ryan. We should make our way that way, it could be a signal."




"Yeah, you said it. Since Sami's ok," Mark agreed. _If he is. For now._ "I'll, uh, I'll go ahead." Mark shot off towards the purple light.


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## Aenion (May 1, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "Well, I don't know..." Mark told Anika, confused.
> 
> 
> 
> "Yeah, you said it. Since Sami's ok," Mark agreed. _If he is. For now._ "I'll, uh, I'll go ahead." Mark shot off towards the purple light.




"Mark could be right. Stressful situations seem to trigger the change... So I guess this shouldn't be too surprising... Ok, we probably should..." Karen begins as Mark speeds of in the direction of the light, _Stick together..._


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## Agamon (May 1, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Mark could be right. Stressful situations seem to trigger the change... So I guess this shouldn't be too surprising... Ok, we probably should..." Karen begins as Mark speeds of in the direction of the light, _Stick together..._




Anika gives Karen a funny look when she says this shouldn't be too surprising.  _"Sami's an elite?  Surprising to me..."_ she thinks.

"It's okay," she says to Karen as Mark speeds off.  "Ryan's by himself, I think, he might need the help."  She looks around.  "Looks like Cassie took off on her own, too.  Now _that's_ not surprising."  She shrugs.  "Okay, let's get going."

As they head off, she looks over at Robbie.  "How are you holding up?  Sorry about all this.  Things aren't usually this...this," she tells the boy, waving a hand at all the destruction.


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## Tokiwong (May 1, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Mark could be right. Stressful situations seem to trigger the change... So I guess this shouldn't be too surprising... Ok, we probably should..." Karen begins as Mark speeds of in the direction of the light, _Stick together..._



Sami shrugs standing, “Don’t worry about me… I am sorry for losing control.  I am not sure how any of you have been able to keep it together.  But I will try to do better.”

Tina nods, “It ain’t the end of the world, well,” she looks around, “bad choice of words.”

Sami starts walking, “Let’s hurry and find Ryan.”

*Mark and Ryan*

Mark spends what seems like precious minutes trying to find exactly where Ryan is, but really it’s just a few seconds, maybe almost fifteen, maybe.  How ever long it seems too long.

But he arrives just in time to see Ryan dropping down into a freshly smoking hole in the ground.  Ryan to his credit catches a blur just out of the corner of his eye as he drops down.

His voice echoes and the only reply is his echo and the shifting of rubble.  A moment later he hears a feint accented voice call back, “Over here!”  It sounds like it is coming from behind a wall made up of the collapsed ceiling and crushed vehicles.

He sees some corpses of people who were not quick enough to make it to safety…

*Cassie*

Cassie makes her way towards the light, using her abilities to move quickly through the ruined landscape.


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## Hammerhead (May 1, 2007)

_What the? Oh. That must have been Mark. Good to know someone's watching my back.

God, this place is a tomb._ "On my way," Ryan yells back hoarsely. He stares at the macabre wall for a second, as if daring it to continue standing. When this dubious tactic of intimidation fails, Ryan attempts a different tactic. _I can't be too careful...this pile might be the only thing holding the ceiling up._ He first transforms parts of the wall into solid stone to act as support columns, then disintegrates a hole through the center. 

"I'm almost there. I think."


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## KaintheSeeker (May 1, 2007)

Cassie continues moving, focused on the light and hoping it was either something tangible she could fight or someone she could help out. She wondered what Chance would have thought of the recent events, she knew her sister would have taken Cardinal on her offer without a second thought.

OOC: leaping back and forth. Still listening for clues of survivors.


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## Samnell (May 2, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> His voice echoes and the only reply is his echo and the shifting of rubble.  A moment later he hears a feint accented voice call back, “Over here!”  It sounds like it is coming from behind a wall made up of the collapsed ceiling and crushed vehicles.
> 
> He sees some corpses of people who were not quick enough to make it to safety…




_That's a lot of dead people... How many made it?_ Mark started towards the voice. "On my way!"

_Toki, slight confusion. Is the voice Mark heard just now coming from the same way Ryan went?_


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## Tokiwong (May 2, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> _That's a lot of dead people... How many made it?_ Mark started towards the voice. "On my way!"
> 
> _Toki, slight confusion. Is the voice Mark heard just now coming from the same way Ryan went?_



_Yes._


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## Samnell (May 2, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _Yes._




_Then after Ryan Mark goes.  _


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## Agamon (May 2, 2007)

Anika walks with the others, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sound or movement coming from the rubble around them.  She then realizes that the group could use a bird's eye view of the area as they move through it.  "I'm going to take to the air to get a different viewpoint.  Mighty Thor, grant me the power of flight," she says before leaping up into the air.  She flies stright up about fifty feet, stops and scans the area.  She slowly circles, moving with the group and stopping once in a while to get a good look at the surroundings.


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## Hammerhead (May 2, 2007)

"Nice of you to drop in," Ryan says, turning his head back to look at Mark. "What? It's kind of required!"


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## Samnell (May 2, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Nice of you to drop in," Ryan says, turning his head back to look at Mark. "What? It's kind of required!"




Mark looked blankly at Ryan. _What's required?_ "We'll have you out in no time," he called out to the trapped person.


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## Tokiwong (May 3, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark looked blankly at Ryan. _What's required?_ "We'll have you out in no time," he called out to the trapped person.



 A woman replies back, “Thank you,” her native accent is strong, “I can hear you… is the earthquake over?”

Meanwhile creates a hole straight through the now transformed rock with ease.  He can see darkness on the other side punctuated by flickering light on the other side.  In that light he sees rubble sitting on the hood of a vehicle.  

A flashlight flashes back at him, _“Can you see me?”_

*Rest of Legacy including Cassie*

The teens make their way towards where Mark ran off to, and most likely where Ryan is as well.  The city is quiet except for the sounds of rocks shifting, or rubble settling.  Overhead rescue craft skitter to and fro frantically.

*Gilden*

Inside the building, Gilden finds several wounded people holing up, at least about seven total.  This looks to have been an office or hardened facility of some type.  Many of them look to be injured but alive.


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## Hammerhead (May 3, 2007)

"Yeah, we can see you," Ryan calls out, holding up his hand to block the light from hitting his eyes. "Watch it Mark," Ryan mutters from the corner of his mouth. "This might be a trap." 

He strides over to the source of emanation, waving his hand. "Hey there. I think you should know that this wasn't an earthquake; it was a terrorist attack." Once again, Ryan renews the cosmic energy flowing through him, in case his paranoia was proven correct once more.


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## KaintheSeeker (May 4, 2007)

Cassie moves cautiously but keeps alert for any hint of survivors. With every passing minute though she fears that there are none. _Well sister, this is the sort of world you would wish for_ She thinks bitterly to herself as she moves to join any others that are in view.


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## Tokiwong (May 4, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Yeah, we can see you," Ryan calls out, holding up his hand to block the light from hitting his eyes. "Watch it Mark," Ryan mutters from the corner of his mouth. "This might be a trap."
> 
> He strides over to the source of emanation, waving his hand. "Hey there. I think you should know that this wasn't an earthquake; it was a terrorist attack." Once again, Ryan renews the cosmic energy flowing through him, in case his paranoia was proven correct once more.



_“I think the door is stuck…”_ she says mentally.  The two young elites can hear the young woman hitting the door.  She shouts verbally, “The door is stuck!”

She finally reacts to Ryan’s comment, “A terrorist attack!  Why would they attack the school?  That is just crazy!”  She continues on in frantic French.

The vehicle has rubble lodged around the door, and it looks to be leaking fuel from a punctured tank.  The lights flicker here giving them a good look around, other vehicles in similar states can be seen.

*Cassie*

_“And you think this is what I wanted?  How small minded of you.  I didn’t choose this, Cardinal did.  This is our reality Cassie.  You and I, we thrive in this environment.  She did this because she thinks this is the only way to fulfill her destiny.  But besides that fact this woman is insane,”_ Chance replies.

_“This is a golden opportunity for us though, sister.  I know where she is, we know her weakness… and more importantly Ryan’s weakness.  Why not kill two birds with one stone?”_


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## Samnell (May 4, 2007)

As Ryan seemed to have things under control, Mark watched his back.


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## KaintheSeeker (May 4, 2007)

Cassie blinks, thinking to herself and gettign Chance was annoying. _Kill Ryan? That might be counterproductive Chance, give Overseer his powers that much easier? And I don't see how knowing that Cardinal thinks she can help me recover my powers as Hope will help. neither of us are particuarly positive in outlook_


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## Tokiwong (May 4, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie blinks, thinking to herself and gettign Chance was annoying. _Kill Ryan? That might be counterproductive Chance, give Overseer his powers that much easier? And I don't see how knowing that Cardinal thinks she can help me recover my powers as Hope will help. neither of us are particuarly positive in outlook_



_"But you would jump at the chance to give Ryan exactly what he deserves, yes?"_ her sister replies.  _"Cardinal is a monster, we both can see that, I may be a murderer but I would like to think there is a method to my slaughter.  She wants nothing short of destroying Overseer and then the Eternals.  Besides she killed Kelly, despite how weak she was, I had an emotional attachment to her.  I want some vengeance.”_


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## KaintheSeeker (May 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _"But you would jump at the chance to give Ryan exactly what he deserves, yes?"_ her sister replies.  _"Cardinal is a monster, we both can see that, I may be a murderer but I would like to think there is a method to my slaughter.  She wants nothing short of destroying Overseer and then the Eternals.  Besides she killed Kelly, despite how weak she was, I had an emotional attachment to her.  I want some vengeance.”_





_I dont' want to deal with Ryan anymore. Period. He's wasting his gifts, he whines about having to heal most of the time, he's rude and disrespectful and enjoys nothing more than walking over others. To paraphrase others 'don't waste the calories to hate him'. He's small though he had the potential to be someone great._ Cassie continues her patrol and strains her ears for any hint of wounded folk in the ruins. _And as for Cardinal, yes I wouldn't mind shoving my hand into her chest and pulling her heart out. I'm not entirely moved past my instincts as a killing machine. Kelly was among the best of us, I want to avenge her._


----------



## Hammerhead (May 4, 2007)

_She's survived all of this, and she can't open her damn door? Now that would be a stupid way to go._ Ryan wanted nothing more than to tear the door off it's hinges, fling it somewhere, anywhere, but his actions were paused by the smell of leaking fuel. 

"You know," Ryan comments as he bends down to transmute the fuel into flame-retardant foam, "There might be other garages or underground structures that made it too. You want to check out the other vehicles here, see if anyone else is still alive?"

After minimizing the risk of some errant spark setting the entire complex ablaze, Ryan then indulges his whim of tearing off the car door, offering his hand to the lady inside to help her out.


----------



## Samnell (May 4, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "You know," Ryan comments as he bends down to transmute the fuel into flame-retardant foam, "There might be other garages or underground structures that made it too. You want to check out the other vehicles here, see if anyone else is still alive?"




Mark nodded and started checking the other vehicles.

"Anyone else in here, yell if you can?"


----------



## Tokiwong (May 4, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> After minimizing the risk of some errant spark setting the entire complex ablaze, Ryan then indulges his whim of tearing off the car door, offering his hand to the lady inside to help her out.



Ryan easily rips the door off and the young woman takes his hand gladly.  She is of mixed descent and has an exotic look to her face and piercing green eyes, if it were not for the blood and the dirt, she would be quite attractive.  She hugs Ryan tightly shaking, “Thank you… thank you… thank you!”  Showering him with kisses of joy.

Mark finds more people but they all look dead not from the blast or the damage, their eyes are wide open in shock and drying blood trickles from their noses, ears, and eyes.


----------



## Samnell (May 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mark finds more people but they all look dead not from the blast or the damage, their eyes are wide open in shock and drying blood trickles from their noses, ears, and eyes.




Mark tried not to look at the staring, dead eyes, "These guys didn't make it...something happened to their brains."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 4, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark tried not to look at the staring, dead eyes, "These guys didn't make it...something happened to their brains."



 The woman starts crying even more... "They are all dead?"


----------



## Tokiwong (May 4, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> _I dont' want to deal with Ryan anymore. Period. He's wasting his gifts, he whines about having to heal most of the time, he's rude and disrespectful and enjoys nothing more than walking over others. To paraphrase others 'don't waste the calories to hate him'. He's small though he had the potential to be someone great._ Cassie continues her patrol and strains her ears for any hint of wounded folk in the ruins. _And as for Cardinal, yes I wouldn't mind shoving my hand into her chest and pulling her heart out. I'm not entirely moved past my instincts as a killing machine. Kelly was among the best of us, I want to avenge her._



_“Your idea of best is rather dubious, sister.  I would say she was at best a mascot for all things elite, good and bad.  But that is besides the point.  I have a plan if you so care to indulge me, but we are going to need to work together,”_ Chance replies.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 4, 2007)

"I'm Ryan, and this is Mark. It wasn't just the school...the entire city got hit by a terrorist attack." _And so far, you're the only survivor. And the damage Mark observed suggests that the explosion had some kind of brain affecting component. Odd._

"Maybe the explosion was like some kind of Elite neutron bomb?"


----------



## Mimic (May 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Inside the building, Gilden finds several wounded people holing up, at least about seven total.  This looks to have been an office or hardened facility of some type.  Many of them look to be injured but alive.





_"We should let them know that help is coming." _ He thinks to Jun Min, as he quickly scans the survivors seeing if they need help right away.

Once Jun Min has informed him that rescue is on the way he will continue his search of building and surrounding area.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“Your idea of best is rather dubious, sister.  I would say she was at best a mascot for all things elite, good and bad.  But that is besides the point.  I have a plan if you so care to indulge me, but we are going to need to work together,”_ Chance replies.




Cassie picks up a small stuffed bear as she looks around at the ruin. She considered the options. Ryan and the others would never trust her, and perhaps she could moderate her sister's more violent nature.

_Tell me_ She thinks to her as she brushes the dust off the bear and wonders what it would feel like to intentionally kill. She had no doubts she had killed before, and she had never followed up her attack on the elite in China. He could have died from her attacks. Still she saw no reason to allow Cardinal to continue breathing at all.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 8, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"We should let them know that help is coming." _ He thinks to Jun Min, as he quickly scans the survivors seeing if they need help right away.
> 
> Once Jun Min has informed him that rescue is on the way he will continue his search of building and surrounding area.



Jun Min replies, _“Got it, thank goodness some people survived.”_

Gilden can see that some of the people need immediate attention, but others have injuries that are not life threatening.  The people are doing the best they can to comfort those in need but obviously they have limits to what they can do with what they have on hand.

*Ryan & Mark*

The woman shakes her head, “The entire city?  That is impossible… who would do such a thing?  Is this what happened to Mexico City?  Is this Pantheon trying to kill everyone?  I am the only survivor?”

The young woman starts sobbing even more laying her head on Ryan’s shoulder, “I am the only one…”

*The Rest of Legacy*

Anika gets a message in her mind from Jun Min, _“Gilden found survivors… some of them need immediate help.”_  She gives her the approximate location, _“You need to hurry.”_

*Cassie*

_“I need to know that you are committed to this dear sister.   Your lack of conviction often worries me, and when the time comes I must know that you are willing to do what must be done,”_ Chance replies.


----------



## Agamon (May 8, 2007)

_"Understood,"_ Anika mentally replies.  She lands near the others.  "Gilden found someone to help, let's go give him a hand."  Once more she opens a portal, this time to the location Jun Min gave her.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 8, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _“I need to know that you are committed to this dear sister.   Your lack of conviction often worries me, and when the time comes I must know that you are willing to do what must be done,”_ Chance replies.





_Tell me your plan Chance, you're the one who is waffling now. If you want me to go along you'd better to totally honest with me._ Cassie thinks back as she continues to sweep for survivors, though she's beginning to think she'll only find those past need for her help.


----------



## Aenion (May 8, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> _"Understood,"_ Anika mentally replies.  She lands near the others.  "Gilden found someone to help, let's go give him a hand."  Once more she opens a portal, this time to the location Jun Min gave her.




Karen felt helpless amid the ruins, she recognized the places she used to visit with Claire and Kal, where they used to be anyway, _Claire! Oh god, I hope she's still alright. I hope she's safe. We were in such a hurry to search the rest of the city, we didn't search the institute,_ Karen's thoughts are interrupted by Jun-Min's voice in her head, _Thank god!_ She is one of the first through Anika's portal.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 8, 2007)

"You're the only survivor we've found so far," Ryan says, embracing her uncomfortably.  "We're going to find more, and you can help us with that. But first, let's get the hell out of this tomb."

He walks through the parking garage obstacle course, still half-expecting some demonic agent to pop up and eat him. _She's a telepath. They had some kind of brain damage, according to Mark. There could be another reason why they're dead...and it's not because of the bomb._ This thought chilled him to the bone. "We're pretty sure that Pantheon was behind this attack, but it's not the same as what happened to Mexico City."

"What's your name, by the way," Ryan asks, as he prepares to fly everyone out through the hole he disintegrated.


----------



## Samnell (May 8, 2007)

Mark followed Ryan along, not wanting to leave him alone with the victim just in case.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 8, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "What's your name, by the way," Ryan asks, as he prepares to fly everyone out through the hole he disintegrated.



“Sariyah,” the women replies, “my name is Sariyah.”

As Ryan comes out he sees Kensai floating down, “Are there any more survivors Ryan?”  A UNJE rescue craft is touching down near the hole.  Kensai looks hopeful, “You should get her to the evacuation site. Mark your team is heading to another site where Gilden found some survivors, they could use your help.”

*Cassie*

_“Good.  It is about time you grew a backbone.  We have to sacrifice Ryan on the altar of survival, but he should live… if your friends are as good as they think they are.  But we will need to call in some assistance.  There is one individual that may have the resources we need to deal with her permanently.  The Red Witch.  She is interested in you, in us… we could use that,”_ Chance replies.

*Legacy*

On the other side of the portal the teens stand before what used to be a state of the art secure research facility for a VSC owned military contractor, Universal Omega Weapon Systems; one of the main suppliers for the spider tanks and warp suits.  The fact that the structure seems somewhat intact owes much to its construction.


----------



## Samnell (May 8, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> As Ryan comes out he sees Kensai floating down, “Are there any more survivors Ryan?”  A UNJE rescue craft is touching down near the hole.  Kensai looks hopeful, “You should get her to the evacuation site. Mark your team is heading to another site where Gilden found some survivors, they could use your help.”




Mark nodded and sped off for the others.


----------



## Agamon (May 8, 2007)

Anika was conflicted.  She was happy something survived the blast, she wasn't all that pleased of the reason, though.  "I guess this is what money and power buys you."  The spitefulness was short-lived.  The people working in the building weren't rich and powerful.  Lucky maybe, but that's about it.  "Okay, let's move through the buidling floor by floor and round up the injured for the rescue crafts," she tells the others as they enter the intact building.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 9, 2007)

"Nope, no one else. I'll take her to the evacuation site, wherever that is, but I need to talk you first," he says, pulling the Justice Elite team member aside from Sariyah. 

"First of all, I need to know where the hell we're evacuating too. Second, have we found any other survivors, and are any of them Elites? And has there been any sign of internal bleeding or whatever inside their skulls, like with blood coming out from their eyes?"


----------



## Mimic (May 9, 2007)

Gilden mentally nods to Jun Min as he searches the rest of the building. _"I feared that no one was left alive, such senseless death..."_


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 9, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _“Good.  It is about time you grew a backbone.  We have to sacrifice Ryan on the altar of survival, but he should live… if your friends are as good as they think they are.  But we will need to call in some assistance.  There is one individual that may have the resources we need to deal with her permanently.  The Red Witch.  She is interested in you, in us… we could use that,”_ Chance replies.




_Like he'd trust either of us enough to let us put him in that sort of situation. He thinks I'm a useless whiner and you're psychotic. No, we'll have to force him into the situation. And as for the Red Which, I agree she's the lesser of two evils, but there is the matter of contacting her and coordinating with her. Not to mention we.. well I have.. foiled her goals in the past._ Cassie pauses as she shifts a massive pile of rock to check under and behind it. _We have to do something though. This dissent will not help us prepare for our true battle with Overlord._


----------



## Tokiwong (May 9, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> _Like he'd trust either of us enough to let us put him in that sort of situation. He thinks I'm a useless whiner and you're psychotic. No, we'll have to force him into the situation. And as for the Red Which, I agree she's the lesser of two evils, but there is the matter of contacting her and coordinating with her. Not to mention we.. well I have.. foiled her goals in the past._ Cassie pauses as she shifts a massive pile of rock to check under and behind it. _We have to do something though. This dissent will not help us prepare for our true battle with Overlord._



_“Exactly his lack of trust is what we need to use.  He won’t let you settle the score on your own, but what if you know where I am, tell the team that you want to take me down.  They will either help you, or tell you to stay out of the business.  More importantly not only will I be there, but so will James.  If Cardinal just happens to show up… all the better,”_ Chance replies.

_“As far as the Red Witch is concerned, she will be the trickier of the two to manipulate; but we just need to find what she desires and use it as a bargaining chip.  But we have the loose outlines for a plan of action, don’t you think?”_ Chance asks.

*Ryan*

Kensai replies, “Oh you hadn’t been informed.  The Evac Site is the Institute, although the surface structure sustained heavy damage the bulk of the Command Center and Research facility underground is intact, Paragon has the UNJE setting up temporary shelters for the survivors of which we have not found many.”

He shakes his head no to Ryan’s other questions, “Brain damage?  No, but we have found that the majority of survivors are displaying elite abilities.  I reported the oddity to Paragon, not all of the survivors a surprising number.  If this is tied to the blast then we have some bigger problems to deal with.”

“Is she an elite?” he motions with his eyes to Sariyah.

*Mark & Legacy*

Mark shows up with the rest of the legacy team, he didn’t exactly know where to go, but considering he can cover so much so ground so quickly he found his friends just the same.

Sami replies to Anika, “At least they survived.”

As they enter the facility they see people looking up at them with grateful eyes.  They are assaulted with tons of questions, “What happened?  Why can’t I contact anyone?  Are we at war?  Why?  Is there more help on the way?”

The voices are varied but the confusion is the same.  Everyone wants answers, everyone wants to get to safety, and everyone is suffering from the realization that hundreds of thousand people are gone.

*Gilden*

Jun Min replies, _“I don’t want to even think about what happened in those other cities.  Millions of people dead in an instant.  This is insanity.  The world is going to hell… we have to find a way to make all this right.”_


----------



## Samnell (May 9, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> As they enter the facility they see people looking up at them with grateful eyes.  They are assaulted with tons of questions, “What happened?  Why can’t I contact anyone?  Are we at war?  Why?  Is there more help on the way?”




Mark stepped forward. "Everyone relax. We're going to take care of you and get everyone to safety. Questions can wait until then," Mark told them with a confidence he didn't feel. "You're all going to be ok."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 9, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark stepped forward. "Everyone relax. We're going to take care of you and get everyone to safety. Questions can wait until then," Mark told them with a confidence he didn't feel. "You're all going to be ok."



“Hey you are with Legacy, why didn’t you stop this!  Isn’t that your job?  What the hell is the UNJE paying you for?  To look pretty?  I lost my family, my wife, and my kids!  And you are telling me to keep calm, how do I not know the rest of the world didn’t blow up too!  Why the hell did you let this happen?” a man shouts raising his fists at the elite.


----------



## Aenion (May 9, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Hey you are with Legacy, why didn’t you stop this!  Isn’t that your job?  What the hell is the UNJE paying you for?  To look pretty?  I lost my family, my wife, and my kids!  And you are telling me to keep calm, how do I not know the rest of the world didn’t blow up too!  Why the hell did you let this happen?” a man shouts raising his fists at the elite.




"Please calm down sir. We've all lost family and friends. My parents and brothers are in Chicago and I have no idea if they're safe or if they're even alive," the crystalline teen says empathically, "This was an unexpected and unwarranted attack, no one could have foreseen this. We've gotta stay calm and work together if we want to get through this."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 9, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Please calm down sir. We've all lost family and friends. My parents and brothers are in Chicago and I have no idea if they're safe or if they're even alive," the crystalline teen says empathically, "This was an unexpected and unwarranted attack, no one could have foreseen this. We've gotta stay calm and work together if we want to get through this."



 “Stay CALM!  How can I stay calm at a time like this?  You tell me!  How?  We can’t contact our families, I don’t even know if my daughter is alive or dead!  My wife!  Do you even know what happened?  Why did this happen, we want answers, you elites need to stop making problems and start fixing them!  Isn’t that what the UNJE is paying you for?” the man shouts.  Several of the survivors echo his sentiment.

“You got a doctor with you?” a woman says, “We have several injured, we have done what we can but none of us are trained beyond basic first aid.”

A monitor on the far wall starts to flicker on and off with a vague image.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 9, 2007)

"Hmm...looks like Jun Min's guess was right. People aren't going to like that elites are the ones who survived the blasts. If I were you guys, I'd keep that a secret. And yeah," he says, glancing back at Sariyah, "She's a telepath. So I figured either elite or Jedi," he says with a shrug. "So I guess I'll take her back to the Institute."

"Hey, Sariyah, I'm supposed to take you to the evacuation site. So, umm, how long have you been an elite?"


----------



## Tokiwong (May 9, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Hey, Sariyah, I'm supposed to take you to the evacuation site. So, umm, how long have you been an elite?"



Kensai is already taking off again as Ryan turns to Sariyah.

Sariyah looks away nervously, “I didn’t even know I could do this till after everything happened.  It was all so fast, the attack and then I was trapped in my vehicle,” she shakes her head.

“Then I could hear everyone else down there shouting, screaming… but I could hear and feel them, as if they were right next to me.  I tried to cover my ears but I couldn’t shut them out.  I kept shouting for them to stop,” she closes her eyes, tears streaking out.

She opens them, “I shouted so loud they finally stopped.  But I could not feel them like before… my god… do you think… do you think they ended up that way because of me?  Do you think I killed them?” Sariyah collapses in a wreck, “I killed them…”


----------



## Hammerhead (May 9, 2007)

"Yeah, you killed them, and you're going to have to live with that for the rest of your life. Of course, it's not really your fault...I mean, you were scared and had no idea what the hell you were doing. But take yourself out of the equation: those people are still dead. I would have seen the collapsed entrance, assumed everyone was dead, and headed off somewhere else." 

_Okay, that argument is completely worthless. Although really, there are millions of people dead right now, the world's facing annihilation from some arrogant jackass, and some very hard choices are going to be in our future._ 

"Sariyah," Ryan says, kneeling down beside her, "You're a good person. You were just scared, and it's not your fault. There's nothing you can do about it now. But what we *can* do is help the people who are still alive. You found me. You can find the other survivors here. Okay?"


----------



## Agamon (May 9, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Stay CALM!  How can I stay calm at a time like this?  You tell me!  How?  We can’t contact our families, I don’t even know if my daughter is alive or dead!  My wife!  Do you even know what happened?  Why did this happen, we want answers, you elites need to stop making problems and start fixing them!  Isn’t that what the UNJE is paying you for?” the man shouts.  Several of the survivors echo his sentiment.




"We are here to help, alright?  If we had had even the slightest clue that this was going to happen, we would have done something about it before.  We didn't, and now we're doing the best we can to help.  As for what's going on..." Anika paused.  She wasn't going to lie, the people deserved some answers, or at least as much as she knew, "...we think it was an elite terrorist attack.  To what end, we don't know.  I want answers just as much as you do, sir.  We all lost people close to us today."



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “You got a doctor with you?” a woman says, “We have several injured, we have done what we can but none of us are trained beyond basic first aid.”




"We're here to help evacuate those that aren't critically injured.  Is anyone here too hurt to be moved?  I can..."



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> A monitor on the far wall starts to flicker on and off with a vague image.




Anika pauses when she sees the screen flicker.  She simply points at it for the others to see.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 10, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“Exactly his lack of trust is what we need to use.  He won’t let you settle the score on your own, but what if you know where I am, tell the team that you want to take me down.  They will either help you, or tell you to stay out of the business.  More importantly not only will I be there, but so will James.  If Cardinal just happens to show up… all the better,”_ Chance replies.
> 
> _“As far as the Red Witch is concerned, she will be the trickier of the two to manipulate; but we just need to find what she desires and use it as a bargaining chip.  But we have the loose outlines for a plan of action, don’t you think?”_ Chance asks.



*Cassie*

_I think you're right Chance, my time with Legacy is at an end. I can't fool myself anymore in thinking they trust me. I'm not sure your plan is that wise, but I'm willing to hear more. We have to break this chain of death that Cardinal seems set on and I doubt that Paragon and the UN are willing to see their course of action is just as destructive to humanity as a whole. What is your plan? All of it sister._ Already she started looking for options and routes to get her where she needed to go. If she left, Ryan would follow, sure that she couldn't take Chance , or more likely she'd be too weak to stop her. 

Not to mention, she mused as the looked around the ruins of this city and the school in the distance, home wasn't here anymore.


----------



## Samnell (May 10, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika pauses when she sees the screen flicker.  She simply points at it for the others to see.




Mark happily let Anika take over dealing with the survivors and turned his attention to the screens. _What's his problem? We can't be everywhere._


----------



## Tokiwong (May 10, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Sariyah," Ryan says, kneeling down beside her, "You're a good person. You were just scared, and it's not your fault. There's nothing you can do about it now. But what we *can* do is help the people who are still alive. You found me. You can find the other survivors here. Okay?"



Sariyah looks away, “I don’t understand what is that I can do to could help you?  I murdered those people,” she whispers bitterly, “I didn’t mean to, I just wanted them to stop.  Is this what being an elite is all about… hurting people?”

“How can you be so cold?” Sariyah asks.

*Legacy*

The man relaxes his temper, still angry but not so much violent.  He follows Anika’s gaze along with the rest of the room as the image starts to come into focus.  A woman’s face, or part of her face since she wears a hood but the purple glowing eyes emanating from the darkness in the hood give the elites a clue to her identity.

The woman starts speaking, but it does not seem like the audio stream is working but once the picture finally resumes some sense of clarity the audio blazes to life, “… this is the only the beginning of a campaign to usurp the current powers that be.  Elite society will no longer be restrained by the chains of bondage placed upon it by baseline society.”

“Today countless baselines lives were erased in seconds.  An act of cruelty perhaps if we elites were to consider baseline humanity our peers.  But this is not the case, I feel no more sympathy for their demise then I would for the termination of an infestation of vermin.  Elites will no longer be puppets and prizes to be paraded for the enjoyment of baselines.  Evolution has come, humanity has reached the end of its dominance.  Extinction or servitude are your only choices left.”

The stream is cut into by emergency broadcasts already in session as the news tries to relate the damage done worldwide by Pantheon’s attacks.

A survivor grumbles, “It’s all their fault, its all the elites fault!”

*Cassie*

_“I am building the plan as we go dear sister.  I don’t have any grand scheme besides what I have designed while discussing with you.  Maybe we should try and track down the Red Witch… we can’t take Cardinal on by ourselves.  That much is clear, and she could cause more damage then Overseer if she succeeds,”_ Chance replies.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 10, 2007)

"Look around you, Sariyah. This is a ruined city. There are hundreds of thousands of people dead. But there might be a few dozen people who are still alive, and I'm focusing my efforts on them. I have to be cold, if I want to give those people a chance." _Plus, I've shared a meal with people who've done far worse than you...although amazingly, the rest of my team just doesn't seem to realize it. Seriously, do they think Bishop got his status as international terrorist in punishment for writing bad checks?_

"You were able to sense me telepathically. You can sense other people telepathically, people who might be trapped in some building or underground, people that otherwise wouldn't be found."

"Being an elite doesn't change who you are. You're not a murderer. You were just scared, and made a stupid mistake. You can't change that, but you can start making a difference now."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _“I am building the plan as we go dear sister.  I don’t have any grand scheme besides what I have designed while discussing with you.  Maybe we should try and track down the Red Witch… we can’t take Cardinal on by ourselves.  That much is clear, and she could cause more damage then Overseer if she succeeds,”_ Chance replies.





Cassie nods to herself as she slips awy from the others. She moved quickly and silently. She was sure that no one would notice her missing. And she had no doubt that the Red Witch would find her quick enough. RIght now she had more important matters, evading detection and acquiring transport. _Where do you suggest we meet to coordinate? Ryan will sure to follow, since one of us is vital for his continued existance. He might not be big on altruism, but his survival instinct will serve._ She doubted things woudl be as easy as Chance said but she needed to find out what her role was in the comming conflict.


----------



## Agamon (May 11, 2007)

Anika stares at the broadcast, anger slowly creeping over her features.



> A survivor grumbles, “It’s all their fault, its all the elites fault!”




"What?" Anika replies in disgust.  "Don't you dare lump us in with that sick, twisted bitch.  She speaks for no one but herself and her braindead lackies.  Now, who is too hurt to be moved?" she demands, perhaps a bit too loudly.


----------



## Aenion (May 11, 2007)

Karen is taken aback by Cardinal's broadcast. She was having a hard time fathoming how someone could be capable of causing such destruction. Maybe Ryan was right, maybe some people just don't deserve to live.



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> A survivor grumbles, “It’s all their fault, its all the elites fault!”




Karen doesn't blame them for their reaction, "No, none of us wanted this to happen. None of us wanted anything to happen. We all had friends here, normal people we cared about. Some of us have family in cities that were attacked. Cardinal has declared war on the world and now she's trying to divide us."


----------



## Mimic (May 12, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Jun Min replies, _“I don’t want to even think about what happened in those other cities.  Millions of people dead in an instant.  This is insanity.  The world is going to hell… we have to find a way to make all this right.”_




_"I am not sure if we can make it right, Cardinal has placed us on a very dark path and I can not see any way other way then to walk it and face the trials ahead. I can not even imagine the repercussions of what she has done."_ Gilden thinks back as he desperately continues to search for more survivors.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 15, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"I am not sure if we can make it right, Cardinal has placed us on a very dark path and I can not see any way other way then to walk it and face the trials ahead. I can not even imagine the repercussions of what she has done."_ Gilden thinks back as he desperately continues to search for more survivors.



_“This is war Gilden, that is all there is to it.  Today everything changes and tomorrow is not a certainty anymore.  But we can focus on is trying to save as many people as we can.  We can’t try to understand her, or those that follow her.  I don’t ever want to understand what could make someone a monster.  Many innocent lives have been lost, and that is what matters most.  Our legacy will be in how we respond to these actions,”_ Jun Min replies.

*Legacy*

The man sighs, “You are right we need to focus on the wounded.”

Kensai lands outside the building, energy arcing across his body.  He speaks to Mark, “Ryan is escorting a survivor to the evacuation point back at the Institute.  Rescue crews are turning up a lot of corpses and a high percentage of elites, many of them new elites.  Meaning their powers manifested recently, perhaps during or in the fallout of the blast.  We can suspect that this may be the case at the other attacks.”

He turns to Anika, “Get the critically wounded first.”

*Ryan*

“Okay…” she says after a lengthy pause, “I am not sure how I am supposed to do this… but let me concentrate.”

She closes her eyes, “I don’t… wait… I can hear people.  It is feint, but there are other people alive.  Rescue crew… Legacy… they found people… wounded… I can feel them, see them all at once.”  Sariyah collapses to her knees, “Disorienting, but there are survivors.  Maybe if I had a map, I could find them, we could save them.  We can keep them alive!”

She opens her eyes and looks up at Ryan, “We have to help them!”

*Cassie*

Chance replies, _“Well where are you… still at the Institute?  Are you in the city.  I am not omnipotent, so perhaps if you need a lift or help I could put you in touch with Pantheon, Hidalgo should be nearby, his villa should have been outside the blast region.”_


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## Samnell (May 15, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Kensai lands outside the building, energy arcing across his body.  He speaks to Mark, “Ryan is escorting a survivor to the evacuation point back at the Institute.  Rescue crews are turning up a lot of corpses and a high percentage of elites, many of them new elites.  Meaning their powers manifested recently, perhaps during or in the fallout of the blast.  We can suspect that this may be the case at the other attacks.”




Mark nodded. _Great. A bunch of new, confused elites on top of everything._ "It looks like Sami's one of us too, now. I hope they're all keeping control of themselves."

_Because the one Ryan found didn't. How many of those people were dead before she came around?_


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## KaintheSeeker (May 15, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Chance replies, _“Well where are you… still at the Institute?  Are you in the city.  I am not omnipotent, so perhaps if you need a lift or help I could put you in touch with Pantheon, Hidalgo should be nearby, his villa should have been outside the blast region.”_





Cassie nods as she turns to look around _And how would you know how to do that? you've only got my life experiences and a few days past it._ She wonders if the aerodyne field is as bad off as the rest of town as she moves to a high point to check and to get her bearrings for reaching the villa. _Where is it?_


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## Tokiwong (May 15, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie nods as she turns to look around _And how would you know how to do that? you've only got my life experiences and a few days past it._ She wonders if the aerodyne field is as bad off as the rest of town as she moves to a high point to check and to get her bearrings for reaching the villa. _Where is it?_



_“I learned from looking in the dark places you fear to tread dear sister.  Besides it was fairly easy to find an organization that wants to be found by people like us.  Getting in was the easy part, I had no problem convincing a few lesser members that I was fit for service.  Unfortunately some of them are no longer with us, but natural selection is a cruel mistress,”_ Chance replies.

_“How do you plan to leave the city then?”_ Chance asks.

*Legacy*

The survivors are doing their best to comply and start gathering the seriously wounded folks for the emergency rescue personnel.  Kensai nods, “I agree this could get terribly worse if a few elites lose control and run amok so to speak.  Mark, Anika can your team handle getting these people to safety?”


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## KaintheSeeker (May 15, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“I learned from looking in the dark places you fear to tread dear sister.  Besides it was fairly easy to find an organization that wants to be found by people like us.  Getting in was the easy part, I had no problem convincing a few lesser members that I was fit for service.  Unfortunately some of them are no longer with us, but natural selection is a cruel mistress,”_ Chance replies.
> 
> _“How do you plan to leave the city then?”_ Chance asks.




*Cassie*

_ You know I'm not afraid to go there chance, I just didn't wish to instigate conflict. Now, I fear that the establishment has no desire to mediate and they have no clue how to handle cardinal we must consort with those who can deal with her. And yes, I am going to leave the city._


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## Agamon (May 15, 2007)

"Yes, we can handle this," Anika responds.  She then moves to help with the wounded and escorting the others to safety.


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## Hammerhead (May 15, 2007)

_Finally, she's gotten control of herself. I was afraid I was going to have to take another page from Jun Min and try slapping her next._

"Can you at least sense their relative location...the ones who aren't getting helped by Legacy, that is? Wait, hold on, I know where we can get some road maps, at least." _A car. And I know at least one car that survived this blast in relatively good shape._ Ryan takes to the air, flying back to the garage where he first rescued Sariyah and retrieving a set of maps from one of the glove boxes. Leaving the garage, he glances backward.

_Yeah, she killed them. But it wasn't her fault. And after this series of attacks, people will want blood. They won't be in a mood to forgive, especially a murderous mistake made by an Elite. Who could blame them?_

Ryan fires an energy blast at one of the support pillars, hoping to collapse the underground structure, then restores the hole he first used to tunnel in to the structure. Flying back to Sariyah, he spreads the maps on the ground. "Find the survivors."


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## Mimic (May 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _“This is war Gilden, that is all there is to it.  Today everything changes and tomorrow is not a certainty anymore.  But we can focus on is trying to save as many people as we can.  We can’t try to understand her, or those that follow her.  I don’t ever want to understand what could make someone a monster.  Many innocent lives have been lost, and that is what matters most.  Our legacy will be in how we respond to these actions,”_ Jun Min replies.




_"I understand,"_ he says with a small nod of his head,_ "but it is difficult, it is my nature to study things, understand how it works and why. She is an enigma in both action and thought, its hard to just let go of it."_


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## Tokiwong (May 17, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan fires an energy blast at one of the support pillars, hoping to collapse the underground structure, then restores the hole he first used to tunnel in to the structure. Flying back to Sariyah, he spreads the maps on the ground. "Find the survivors."



Sariyah nods and starts pointing at different spots on the map, between bouts of concentrating; as time passes she becomes more and more adept at using this power to find power with increasing levels of competence. 

This in turn allows Legacy to find more survivors then any other rescue team; all in all the team is able to save several thousand people over the course of the next fourteen hours or so.  A long brutal day on top of an already brutal schedule.  The fallout is as to be expected violent, world agencies have put Cardinal at the top of the list as a high profile target, even more so then before.  Her manifesto sets off a fire storm of anti-elite violence across the world, although the UNJE and other Pro-elite groups do their best to mitigate the damage already done… it does not help that rumors have hit the web that the attacks may have increased the number of elites worldwide.

An amateur video of a so-called terrorist setting off a bomb takes the web by storm.  Although connectivity is spotty in some places the communications networks are recovering from the massive attack on their infrastructure by what is believed to be Pantheon backed hackers.  The video itself shows a normal person, or at least they look normal walking into a plaza square in Mudaba Adin.  The male individual suddenly falls to his knees starts praying and then his body radiates a feint purple glow and then explodes in a burst of light.  That is how the video ends.  Where it came from is unknown, it was posted anonymously and as much as world governments have tried to contain it, the message is out there.

It is evening time and the students are in essentially an underground bunker, the bulk of the UNJE and local government agencies have taken over caring for the survivors allowing the students and Legacy members a chance to unwind and actually deal with everything that has happened.

They have been segregated from the baseline populace in case of reprisal…  They are also sharing a joint facility with the Justice Elite and students from the school.  Those that survived anyways… which was the vast majority.

Cassie is missing during much of the rescue efforts and definitely at the end of the day.

_Shalimar, Clover is one of the surviving students.  Legacy and the students are all sharing large open bay dorms with beds set up, but not much privacy at the moment.  Very military like, and not very fancy.  The boys have been separated from the girls for obvious reasons.  There is a joint cafeteria and recreation room, the quarters are a little cramped, or maybe they are just used to having their own rooms._

*Cassie*

_Obviously earlier in the day…_

Chance replies, _“If you want to meet then we may need to use unconventional means.  We have an elite that is capable of maintaining a network of pathways… i.e. portals and the like.  I would suggest you take it, or the UNJE will find you very quickly.”_

_If Cassie decides to not go, it is unlikely she will escape the city without being caught or easily tracked down by the UNJE, especially with Sariyah’s assistance._


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## KaintheSeeker (May 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _Obviously earlier in the day…_
> 
> Chance replies, _“If you want to meet then we may need to use unconventional means.  We have an elite that is capable of maintaining a network of pathways… i.e. portals and the like.  I would suggest you take it, or the UNJE will find you very quickly.”_





_Tell me where to go. I have misgivings, but I can see my words will fall on deaf ears here. Cardinal is crippling the efforts of all to coordinate for the upcoming battle. As much as I dislike admiting it, we will have to ally with others if she is to be stopped._ Cassie replies as she mulls over her options and finds little that she can do here.

The UNJE and it's sponsors will crack down even harder on Elites. Ryan and the others will be forced to enforce those rules, the schism was going to widen between humans and elites. If something was to be done it would require her to approach things from another angle.  Chance and her represented a potent amount of leverage. They had to learn what they were, and it was doubtful that the UNJE would trust either of them with the results of anything they found out.l She sighed, the city and institute might not be not be home anymore, but she'd miss it.

_Give me a location. I'll send Anika a message when I leave, but other than that, there is no one here I want to talk to._


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## Tokiwong (May 17, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> _Tell me where to go. I have misgivings, but I can see my words will fall on deaf ears here. Cardinal is crippling the efforts of all to coordinate for the upcoming battle. As much as I dislike admiting it, we will have to ally with others if she is to be stopped._ Cassie replies as she mulls over her options and finds little that she can do here.
> 
> The UNJE and it's sponsors will crack down even harder on Elites. Ryan and the others will be forced to enforce those rules, the schism was going to widen between humans and elites. If something was to be done it would require her to approach things from another angle.  Chance and her represented a potent amount of leverage. They had to learn what they were, and it was doubtful that the UNJE would trust either of them with the results of anything they found out.l She sighed, the city and institute might not be not be home anymore, but she'd miss it.
> 
> _Give me a location. I'll send Anika a message when I leave, but other than that, there is no one here I want to talk to._



_Chance gives her some directions and a time._


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## KaintheSeeker (May 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> _Chance gives her some directions and a time._





OOC: Okay..she's headed to the rendevous then.


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## Shalimar (May 18, 2007)

Clover had only barely arrived at the academy a half hour before the terrorist strike began and the flame haired British girl had been in the midst of unpacking her belongings.  At this point in her life Clover was used to moving from place to place.  A year in Egypt, two in Japan, four in Belgium, and various military bases in Britain itself, she had it down to an art form.  A heavily used duffle bag held the majority of her clothes, and the matching foot locker held various mementos and other things that would fit in the bag.  The rest of her things were in storage at a home she rarely had the chance to visit, a family estate outside of London that was almost perpetually empty.

All of the clothes that the girl unpacked were folded neatly with great precision, and they slid easily into the empty drawers leaving a good bit of space besides.  A gold etched ceremonial tanto, that she had received while attending a state function in Japan a few ears back, was placed on the night stand.  Next Clover hung a pushpin board displaying a large world map with red push pins in all the countries and major cities she had been, Europe was a red tide with pins in every countries capital, and a lot of the larger cities, the same with North Africa, and Japan as well as a few in the United States.  The red head was adding a pin to Mudaba Adin when all hell broke loose.

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion Clover had put her training to good use against one of the prowling Pantheon members, with her powers he never laid a hand on her or the girl that he had been threatening.  After Pantheon retreated she worked to get all of the students that she could find calm and organized their efforts to work together and find as many of the missing as possible.  The red head seemed to be everywhere at once, doing her best to wring every last jot of effort from everyone, pushing herself the hardest without any complaint even though she’d been awake for almost 29 hours with the travel.

It was only half a day after the Pantheon attack that she finally halted her efforts for the day.  The military brat didn’t mind the close quarter sleeping arrangements, it was simply what soldiers did, she had always wanted to be a soldier like her father and she was no stranger to military life.  She ended up with the cot closest to the female team members of Legacy, alternately trying to connect with her Mother and Father trying to learn what was going, to learn if her little brother Mustang was ok.  After the latest failed attempt she sighs and looks at Anika and the others.  “Hughes, Clover Hughes.  Some first day isn’t it?  I wasn’t off the aerodyne for more then 45 minutes before all of this happens.”  The British girl says with a sigh.


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## Hammerhead (May 18, 2007)

"This is idiotic," Ryan whines as he lays back in the mess area, playing catch with his cell phone. "For my own protection," he quotes scornfully to anyone within earshot. "Given the long list of people who have tried to kill me and are now dead or locked up, I don't think some jackass with an antiquated slugthrower is going to punch my ticket. We should be in Cairo doing *something.*" 

_This sitting around and waiting for orders is getting to be intolerable. I'm not some little sheep like Mark who just does what Paragon tells him to do. And I'm going to have to listen to a lot of the others whining about how Cardinal deserves to pay, blah blah blah.

I at least need to talk to Sariyah, make sure she doesn't do something stupid._

 Sighing, he gets up and searches through the chaos looking for her. "Hey," he says, then leans close and lowers his voice. "It would not be a good idea to tell anyone about what happened in the garage. With things the way they are, there wouldn't be anything resembling justice. It wouldn't be pretty."

_Was Cleveland among the destroyed cities, or any other city that a Legacy member grew up in?_


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## Samnell (May 18, 2007)

Even with all of the rescuing done, Mark could find no peace. He was glad he didn't have to be the one to find Giuseppe or Kelly. Everyone else he knew lived. But none of that helped, and now he was shut up with everyone else. No privacy. No pool. All of his things were gone. Aside his bank accounts, which hardly mattered now, all Mark owned at the moment was his Legacy uniform.

Mark wanted to get out of there. He doubted anybody would stop him. He could say Paragon was sending him off to pick something up. Then he could just take off and go... Where? Thailand? Cities seemed like a bad idea, and Mark would be recognized anywhere. He had nowhere to go.


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## Agamon (May 18, 2007)

Anika sat on her cot, paying little mind to the goings on around her.  Aside from her initial breakdown, she had remained focused and determined during the rescue effort throughout the day.  But now she had nothing to occupy her mind but the events of the day.

Kelly was dead.  So were a lot of other fellow students, some of whom she knew, some she didn't.  As well, the people of Mudaba Adin, a few she knew, a lot she didn't.  The loss felt like a black, clawing hole in her chest.

Sami was an elite now, it seemed.  In her crazy, weird, upside-down world as a member of Legacy, Sami was normal guy that grounded her and gave her hope that someday she could lead a regular, plain-old, normal life.  It didn't feel like that anymore.  Her feelings for Sami didn't change, but the way she saw him did change, and that depressed her.

Ryan's 'dark gods' statements were weighing on her, too.  She didn't truly believe it; she had faith in her gods and what they stood for, but the thought entered the back of her mind occasionally.  And the fact she let it bug her made her sick to her stomach.

And to top it off, her trip into Mark's drug-addled body brought back horrible feelings she thought she had quelled a long time ago.  But despite everything weighing on her, she resisted any urges she may have felt.  But it didn't change the fact that it only made her feel worse.

The redhead on a nearby bed brings her out of her stupor.  She gives the girl something of a blank stare and replies, "Consider yourself lucky if you didn't know anybody here, Clover."


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## Aenion (May 18, 2007)

Karen had been constantly flitting about, helping out here and there. Distributing blankets, clothes, food, setting up beds, helping the wounded, doing any heavy lifting that was needed, ... She had to keep busy, she wouldn't and couldn't stop working. If she did she felt like she would collapse. If anyone asked or told her to take a break and clean up, she just shook her head and continued.

Everything had happened so fast, so many people dead, so many families broken. Her first and best friend here at the institute had been brutally thorn away from the world by Cardinal. The girl she'd tried to help and protect so many times over the past two years, was gone now. And why? So Cardinal could start a war between baselines and elites? So she could force the transformation and have more soldiers to fight against Overseer? Soon there wouldn't be anything left to fight for.

Someone had ordered the tireless crystal girl to take a break and given her a change of clothes, she couldn't really remember who but she hadn't been able to refuse this time. She'd found herself in the bathroom section of the bunker, washing away the dirt and blood. She barely remembered how she got here, the world just didn't seem real to her. She changed into the military pants and the top, the pants were too big and the top was too tight but she just couldn't be bothered to care.

It's in this daze that she enters the dormitory, tapping away at a tablet PC she got a hold off, desperately trying to get a connection to Chicago and Verona. She doesn't look up from her search to greet anyone. She sits down on one of the beds and promptly crashes through it with a surprised yelp, her body had become too heavy for it to support the extremely dense teenager. Instead she gets up and finds herself a quiet corner to sit on the floor as she continues to tap away on the PC searching for any bit of news about her family and Kal.


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## Shalimar (May 18, 2007)

"My parents both work for the UN, so I don't know that they were much safer then this place was.  Or my little brother."  The red head says, studying Anika intently.  "How are you doing with everything... Legacy has had a hard couple of weeks.  Are you guys still going to be able to function after all of this?"  Clover asked, reading Anika gesturesand motions to the tiniest detail tocome upwith the best phrasing for her question.  She didn't want to antagonize the co-leader of Legacy or to make her feel worse but she did want to get a sense of her, her and the other members of Legacy.

The red head gave Anika an encouraging smile that seemed to say you can talk to me, open up, it'll help, but didn't verbally push her, it wasa delicate balance to strike, and probably impossible wthout the insight into others that her eyes gave her, with those she always seemed to know just what to say when talking to someone, to know just what they wanted to hear.

[CHA Bonus, not mindreading]


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## Agamon (May 18, 2007)

Anika shrugs.  "Still function?  Yeah, probably.  Honestly, I sometimes wonder how we've managed to function before today."  She looks back at Clover, her expression no longer blank or disinterested, but far from happy.  "So you're new here?  Talk about bad timing.  So what can you 'do', if you don't mind me asking?"


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## Shalimar (May 18, 2007)

Clover nods understandingly at Anika's answer, it was about all that they could do, it wasn't as if Pantheon would just go away if Legacy curled up in a catatonic ball.  "Legacy has had a lot of hard assignments, hard for soldiers let alone students.  My mother is a UN ambassador so she keeps up to date on everything.  I've been following you guys for awhile now."

"Yea, today was my first day, like I said everything started going boom before I even had a chance to settle in.  I did do for one of those Pantheon blokes, but mostly it was finding students and getting things organized and calmed down.  It was absolutely shambolic."  the red head said with a brash grin.

"My powers are actually the reason I'm here, I've already graduated secondary but I've been planning on joining up for a hitch with the UN Forces like dad, lord knows he's been training me for it for long enough.  When I told my parents about me powers they suggested I come here for a wee bit o' trainin up before I sign on.  I'm not technically old enough to sign on for a few months and the Academy signing off on my abilities can only help, right?"

"Its my eyes, they let me read everything down to the smallest detail, a good tthing for a lass who wants to be a soldier.  They let me read people's movements and unconscious gestures so well that I know what they are going to do before they do it.  I'm a fair shake myself in hand to hand combat, it'd be hard not to be what with me da sweating me and my brother til we could pass the entrance exams for the bloody SAS, but since my powers came up once I get a read on someone no one has been able to land a blow.  If I focus on it I can also use them to just about read someone's mind, their surface thoughts at any rate."   Cloveer says with a grin.

"Oh, and if I really focus on an elite I can see the way their nanites direct their body's energy and I can force mine to match it for awhile letting me try out their powers for a bit."


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## Mimic (May 18, 2007)

Gilden sat crosslegged studing the "book" that Chaos had given him, it seemed like it was months ago but really it was just the other day. They all needed some down time but it didn't look like it was going to happen now. Retrieving it was the first thing he did when he returned to what was left of the institute, leaving it out in the open where anyone could find it was just asking for trouble.

He sighs quietly as he closed it, reading the book for more then a half and hour gave him a headache, probably always would but this was the best chance he had in defeating the Red Witch. If he could find the Ebon Thorn and somehow take it from her should reduce her powers and let them finally defeat her.

He laid back stretching out, feeling the grass under him. He was in his extra-dimensional space having to retreat there for some privacy, once it got out that he could scry distant locations he was mobbed with requests from the remaining students wanting to know if friends, family and loved ones were ok, he wanted to help but there was just so many that he couldn't, he had asked Gadget to come with him but she had refused stating that she had work to do, her refusal didn't really surprise him, it was one of the things he liked about her. Although he did worry about her, she would literally work until she dropped, he wondered if he could convince her to come have some food with him.

But that was in the future, it was time now to rejoin the real world and see what had to be done. He stands and makes a gesture creating a portal between dimensions and walks through.


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## Agamon (May 18, 2007)

"Oh, uh, I see," Anika replies, suddenly feeling vulnerable.  Then she realized the girl could tell.  But then with her reaction, you didn't need to be hyper-perseptive to figure it out.  "Sorry," she apologizes, "I'm actually getting used to mind readers and stuff, but that's just...different."

A bit embarrassed, she tries to change the subject.  Thinking a moment, her eyes widen as she realizes something.  "You can detect the ninites?  Um, I know this may sound strange, but I'm not completely convinced I'm actually an elite.  Elites' abilities are a part of them, but my powers come...come from somewhere else.  Any chance you can shed some light on that for me?" she asks, her heart skipping a beat as it dawns on her that she might finally have at least a partial answer to a question she's wondered over for years.


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## Shalimar (May 19, 2007)

"If it makes you feel better Its not really telepathy."  Clover offeed trying to reassure Anika, she didn't really have a good sense of the other girl yet, not in such a short time period.

"I guess I can try to copy your powers, if it works...hmmm I haven't tried to copy a non-elite so I don't know what that would say.  I just copy the way that energy flows through your body and make mine flow the same way.  Lets see if I can copy you and we'll go from there."   Clover answered, looking a bit puzzled at the idea that Anika wasn't an Elite.  The UNJE certainly knew about the nanites and they would know that Anika had them, mayb she was just losing it under the strain.

"Your the one who does magic, right?  Thats fairly broad, show me how you cast a spell, I'll see if I can copy you and cast it, and then I'll try to do it again in a different way."

[Mimic (all elite powers) 25pp to copy Anika's elite powers, also she does have detect elite powers to go along with the mimic.  So can she detect Anika as an Elite and can she mimic her?]


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## Tokiwong (May 22, 2007)

_Targeted cities: Cairo, Berlin, Dallas, Chicago, Mudaba Adin, and Montreal, and Seoul.  Reports are sketchy though about failed attacks, hoaxes, or even outright copycats in the wake of the tragedy._

*Ryan*

Sariyah looks up after a lengthy pause as if lost in thought, “Oh… yeah.  We saved people, but so many more died,” her voice and demeanor are distant, “it’s all so surreal.  One minute I am just finishing class, I was going to meet my boyfriend… the next I am trapped in hell.  I thought I was going to die down there.  I just don’t understand why anyone would do this to so many innocent people.”

*Mark*

While Mark sits there wallowing he feels a not so gentle shove on his shoulder, “Mark… hey you listening to me?  Hey… have you seen Ryan?” looking up its Tina.

*Karen*

Details are still forthcoming from Chicago, it was hit hard, not as hard as Mudaba Adin but there was a substantial loss of life in the Windy City.  Karen is unable to get into contact with her family and has not seen their names yet on the missing person’s lists, but that does little to put her mind at ease.

Jun Min sits near her, _“I had to pull myself away from trying to find my mother and father, my relatives back in Seoul… and there is Kelly… there are many different pieces for us to pick up.  Times like this we could use a little mood weather.”_

*Gilden*

Just as Gilden is about to leave the book flips open, untouched.  The tome in question opened by an unseen had many peculiar qualities.  Pages could move, not so much visibly, but you could turn a page, and then turn back to the page you were just on and that page would be gone replaced by another.  As if the book was truly a “living” document.

If the Red Witch was anything she was a meticulous chronicler, her notes are extensive.  It would take a lifetime for most normal men to even decipher their erudite structures, but for Gilden the path is far less obstructed.  Grasping the knowledge was the easy part… only the temptation to fully utilize the dark arts described within made the process all the more difficult.  Many of the spells are incomplete experiments, or passages on observations of lore thought lost before time had any meaning… 

But the page the book is currently opened to is ominous.  It is the notes for an incomplete spell, a spell that if one could achieve the proper incantations could rewrite time and space, allowing one the ability to change the past.

*Anika & Clover*

_Clover can pick up that Anika is an elite, or at least that is what her senses are telling her.  But her abilities just don’t seem to work for Clover, or at least Clover has no ideas how they should work._

Robbie looks at the two girls, “Anika,” he looks at a monitor turned to CNN for continued coverage of the disaster, “is this the end of the world?”

*Cassie*

Cassie follows the directions and finds at the appointed time a portal opening for her.  Once through she finds herself high in the mountains, snow, ice, and wind assail her violently.

She is only on this rocky face a chasm beckoning to her far below in the darkness of the evening sky.  The sky is lit up with a brilliant array of stars, or it would be, if the clouds of the storm did not obfuscate the wonderful show above.

It is only then that her keen senses pick up that she is not alone… someone is nearby.


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## Shalimar (May 23, 2007)

"Well, youre an elite, I could tell that straight off."  The British red head offers with a shrug. "As to your powers themselves...I can't really seem to find anything to grab ahold of and work with, so who knows. Ye could really be a prophet for all a me, but I'll be blasted if I know what it means."   Clover did add a caution on at the end though so Anika would have all the information.  "I haven't really done much in the way of copying Elite powers though, not much of a chance was there?  I didn't tell anyone til I had a handle on the things, didn't want anyone to be relying on me for something I couldn't control."  the way Clover said it left the distinct impression that she found the idea of being unreliable to be abhorrent.


"No, this isn't the end of the world, its just a loon being naughty til we get off our duffs and smack her about the head til she thinks about what she's gone and done.  The UN will set this to rights.  It wont be easy, but will do it ause it needs doing."   Clover told Robbie with conviction.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 23, 2007)

*Cassie*

She turns into the high winds, her hair flaring about as she takes in the naunces of her enviorment. As she senses the presence she looks to it. Had her sister betrayed her? Or was it a contact? No telling to the next few seconds passed.

"Hello?" She calls out above the wind, her body already coiling to strike out if needed. Of course her tactical position wasn't the best, she was clearly in an enviorment of their choosing.


----------



## Agamon (May 23, 2007)

Anika was a bit alarmed when Clover told her she wanted to actually copy her powers, but let it go, her curiosity getting the best of her.  The result wasn't unexpected.  "Yeah, I kinda figured that.  I'm an elite because I can channel the power I do, but the actual power doesn't come from being an elite, so I can see why you can't copy me.  Thanks, though, that helps," she says with a smile to the newcomer.

Turning to Robbie, she nods, affirming Clover's reply.  "It's bad, really bad.  But it's not the end of the world."  She stares at the monitor, taking in the scenes of carnage.  "Her plan is insane and she's not going to get away with it."


----------



## Samnell (May 23, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Mark*
> 
> While Mark sits there wallowing he feels a not so gentle shove on his shoulder, “Mark… hey you listening to me?  Hey… have you seen Ryan?” looking up its Tina.




Mark very nearly decided to ignore Tina, once he noticed her. But he had enough problems without adding more, and Tina would certainly make it a problem.

"Not since we got here. What do you need him for?" he told her in a voice that couldn't help but be troubled. _How many people died today? Not just people with powers that the Cardinal turned to Ash at Eden. Not just someone who signed up for it. Ordinary people going about their lives that never did anything to anyone, except live. Hundreds of thousands? Millions?_


----------



## Tokiwong (May 23, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark very nearly decided to ignore Tina, once he noticed her. But he had enough problems without adding more, and Tina would certainly make it a problem.
> 
> "Not since we got here. What do you need him for?" he told her in a voice that couldn't help but be troubled. _How many people died today? Not just people with powers that the Cardinal turned to Ash at Eden. Not just someone who signed up for it. Ordinary people going about their lives that never did anything to anyone, except live. Hundreds of thousands? Millions?_



“Because I am looking for him, isn’t that reason enough fearless leader?” she softens her normally hard attitude, “but yeah… I was just worried about him, I don’t know if he had family in those cities that were hit and you would know Ryan better than me but he does not seem to show his emotions…”

Mark’s phone starts to buzz, it’s Star.

*Anika & Clover*

Robbie nods, “I think it is the end of the world, but not the end of existence.  The world you grew up with is dead.  This brave new world is something altogether different.  For some reason I can’t help but feel slightly responsible for it.  But it seems altogether expected.  With great evil comes great good… with disaster comes change.  Through change we have adversity… with adversity we see true heroism.”

“What would you know about heroism?” Robbie’s twin, well it could be his twin asked.  Where he came from the girl’s don’t know but there he is sitting next to the original.

Robbie sighs, “Hey I know plenty!”

“Yeah, prove it!”  He then looks at Clover, “hey you funny talker, why do you talk so funny.  I don’t like the way you talk.”

“Hey I think she talks nice, I like it,” the original replies.

“You would.”

“Hey you apologize to her you jerk,” Robbie threatens.

“Make me,” the twin puts the original in a headlock.

*Cassie*

Cassie makes out a silhouette in the biting winds and snow it waves for her to follow.


----------



## Samnell (May 23, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Because I am looking for him, isn’t that reason enough fearless leader?”




Mark stiffened, preparing for the fight he tried to avoid. _What is her problem?_



> “but yeah… I was just worried about him, I don’t know if he had family in those cities that were hit and you would know Ryan better than me but he does not seem to show his emotions…”




Relaxing with a slight sigh, Mark nodded. He favored Tina with an understanding look, "Uh, I don't know either. I don't think so. Ryan's... he's a good guy. I guess he's probably shook up like the rest of us. He might like somebody to talk to."



> Mark’s phone starts to buzz, it’s Star.




Having forgotten he even had a phone, Mark jumped even as his hand blurred reflexively to seize and answer it, the small screen blurring past his face just slowly enough for him to catch the name. "Star? W-what's up?"


----------



## Hammerhead (May 23, 2007)

Ryan laughed bitterly. "Yeah, it's been a hell of a day. This sickening insanity is just the capstone of it all. Why...well, that's a little complicated. Jun Min thinks that Cardinal hopes to divide the elites and baselines of the world, so that all the elites will follow her, and nuking everyone was the way to bring this wonderful dream to life. It sounds kind of crazy, but you don't survive for too long as the UNJE's most wanted if you're not clever."

"These days, I guess you just have to do what you can. I'm just pissed that we're stuck here instead of out doing something."


----------



## Shalimar (May 23, 2007)

Clover peers at Robbie curiously, she didn't generally try to read people's minds that she came into contact with, they might get mad, and it was rude besides, even if most people would never know she had done anything, but Robbie really was an interesting boy.  "That is one way to look at it I suppouse.  Things can always stand some improving and mostly they never get it til something shows off the need for them to change."   The British girl says in agreement with the boy.

"Uh wow...is that a power of yours? Or is he your twin?"  Clover asks Robbie when the other Robbie appears.  She smirks at the comment about her talking funny.  "I speak the Queen's good English, its not my fault you yanks have been polluting for going on a 5 centuries now.  I also grew up speaking 4 languages, so the syntax and sayings do sort of mix around a wee bit.  Its all just part of my charm luv." she says with a shrug.


(OOC: Is Robbie an Elite or rather showing up as an elite?)


----------



## Aenion (May 23, 2007)

Karen continues to skim the missing person's lists and hospital records for even the slightest bit of information. Her normally bright saphire eyes only have a dull glow to them. She barely notices when Jun-Min sits down next to her. She's a little startled when she suddenly hears Jun-Min's voice in her head.

She stares blankly at the screen at the images of the ruined city she used to call home before finally replying, _"I... I need to know, I need to know if they're ok ... i-if something happened to them... I-I can't lose them too... I don't want to lose anyone anymore..."_ she thinks back as tears begin to well up in her eyes, _"There has to be a way we can make things right again... there has to be..."_


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 23, 2007)

*Cassie*

She sighs and follows, not that she had much choice. Barely able to feel her extremities and definitely not dressed for the climate, she had to get under quickly. She just hoped that she hadn't made a mistake.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 23, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> She sighs and follows, not that she had much choice. Barely able to feel her extremities and definitely not dressed for the climate, she had to get under quickly. She just hoped that she hadn't made a mistake.



The figure leads her to a cave, providing shelter from the biting winds and cold.  Now that she is closer it is larger in size, stooped at the shoulders.  This creature, this elite looks more like a caveman then a man, with long ropy hairy arms, and a long sloping brow.  It turns to Cassie, “Are you cold?” speaking in a rumbling tone.

It sits undeterred by the cold, with three books set out before it and begins turns pages swiftly, “If you are cold I can prepare a fire for you.  Here take this,” he tosses her some heavy animal pelts, “this will keep you warm.”

*Karen*

_“If you want to know, ask Sariyah, she can find anyone… I am not sure how that works but she helped us a great deal finding people in the city.  I am not sure how far she can search but her abilities are pretty remarkable for someone just manifesting elite powers.  But I doubt that does little to abate your worries.  I am sorry.  I don’t have the answer to how we can make this better, but I do know that we will do our best to make it better… for Kelly, for Yoshi… and for everyone that lost their lives today,”_ Jun Min replies.

*Anika and Clover*

Clover collapses and gets a nosebleed from trying to copy Robbie’s abilities.  Whatever he is, he isn’t an elite.  Robbie furrows his brow, “You shouldn’t try and do that without my permission.”

His twin mimics, “I think she hurt herself.”

Her head throbs with a dull pain as the curious boy offers her his hand, “Did you hurt yourself; you are bleeding?  I am sorry if you did, please be ok.”

His twin mocks, “I bet her brain explodes.”

Anika notices Sami standing in the doorway, just watching the people.

*Ryan*

“You seem so brave, none of this scares you?  I mean what you do if you could do it… and what is stopping you?  I mean you are an elite you can do anything you want, why don’t you just go do whatever it is you want to do?  I don’t understand, why sit here and wait to do things when you can just go do the right thing right now.  If Cardinal was behind this, then lets make her pay right now… what if I could find her, could we get her then?” Sariyah asks.

*Mark*

Tina is about to respond when mark starts into his phone conversation.  Star replies, “Sorry Mark, I am sorry I was not there to help Mr. McCallister and I have been busy and then after everything happened I was needed to help with rescue operations; are you okay?”


----------



## Shalimar (May 23, 2007)

Clover shakes her head blearily, before pinching her nose closed to stop the bleeding.  "I wasn't trying to copy your powers; I was just looking to see if you were an elite.  Nanites alter how a person's energy flows through their body that’s how I can copy it, but in your case the energy was just way too different...I must have focused my concentration on it too much or something."  Clover tells Robbie, starting to get irritated at his twin or whatever it was.

"I'm alright, at least I think I'm alright...you are a very unusual boy." the red head says, wincing at the dull throbbing in her skull.  'note to self: self your abilities can overwhelm you and make your head hurt.' the girl thought to herself.  "My head isn't going to explode, least ways I hope not.  Do you mind if I ask what you actually are, you’re not an elite whatever else you may be?"

OOC: In the future I'll be more careful to say when she is using the detect: Elites instead of Mimic: Elite Powers.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 23, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie wraps the pelts around herself and sits down by the fire. Curiously she looks at the books the man is reading. 

"I was told that I would be able to meet with my sister." She says after a while, wondering if she had moved in something other than just space. The man in front of her looks quite a bit the neanderthal man she had seen in her science classes. She runs a hand though her half blonde/black hair, ruefully wishing she had either washed it off before the attack or at least had some more hair coloring to cover the regrown blonde hair. Then she mentally 'smacked' herself. There were many other things to consider that were far more important than her hair.


----------



## Agamon (May 23, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> Clover shakes her head blearily, before pinching her nose closed to stop the bleeding.  "I wasn't trying to copy your powers; I was just looking to see if you were an elite.  Nanites alter how a person's energy flows through their body that’s how I can copy it, but in your case the energy was just way too different...I must have focused my concentration on it too much or something."  Clover tells Robbie, starting to get irritated at his twin or whatever it was.
> 
> "I'm alright, at least I think I'm alright...you are a very unusual boy." the red head says, wincing at the dull throbbing in her skull.  'note to self: self your abilities can overwhelm you and make your head hurt.' the girl thought to herself.  "My head isn't going to explode, least ways I hope not.  Do you mind if I ask what you actually are, you’re not an elite whatever else you may be?"




"Um, Robbie isn't from around here," Anika tells Clover.  "And he's not an elite.  It's a long story, though.  Let's just say he's really powerful and leave it at that," she adds with a smile to the Robbies.  Noticing Sami, she stands.  "Excuse me for bit," she says and makes her way to her boyfriend's side.

"Hi.  How are you doing?" she simply asks, concern in her voice.


----------



## Samnell (May 23, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Tina is about to respond when mark starts into his phone conversation.  Star replies, “Sorry Mark, I am sorry I was not there to help Mr. McCallister and I have been busy and then after everything happened I was needed to help with rescue operations; are you okay?”




Mark gave Tina a shrug. _I didn't pick the time for her to call. Sorry._

"Yes, I'm ok. I guess," he told Star unconvincingly. "It's pretty nuts. Everything's gone and we had a lot of bodies."


----------



## Aenion (May 23, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> _“If you want to know, ask Sariyah, she can find anyone… I am not sure how that works but she helped us a great deal finding people in the city.  I am not sure how far she can search but her abilities are pretty remarkable for someone just manifesting elite powers.  But I doubt that does little to abate your worries.  I am sorry.  I don’t have the answer to how we can make this better, but I do know that we will do our best to make it better… for Kelly, for Yoshi… and for everyone that lost their lives today,”_ Jun Min replies.




A tear drops on the screen in her hands, _"I-it's all so meaningless... Why shouldn't we just let Overseer or the Eternals destroy the world? If they don't we'll do it ourselves anyway..."_ the pc slides from her hands and she hugs her knees to her chest, _"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't... I-I've always told others everything would be alright, but ... but it's hard to keep hoping right now..."_


----------



## Tokiwong (May 23, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> A tear drops on the screen in her hands, _"I-it's all so meaningless... Why shouldn't we just let Overseer or the Eternals destroy the world? If they don't we'll do it ourselves anyway..."_ the pc slides from her hands and she hugs her knees to her chest, _"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't... I-I've always told others everything would be alright, but ... but it's hard to keep hoping right now..."_



“Nothing to apologize for Karen,” Jun Min replies verbally, she puts her arms around Karen to comfort her, “these are the times, when everything seems darkest when our true characters are tested.  We could give up right now, wash our hands of this and just let the world slide into oblivion… but maybe we shouldn’t care too much about saving the world and focus on what really matters living.  I never set out to save the world Karen, I only set out to make things a little better for those close to me, one person at a time.”

“Saving the world is what super heroes do, making things better because it is the right thing to do is what real heroes do.  It may seem meaningless but there a lot of people who lived today because you took it upon yourself to care and help,” Jun Min adds.

*Mark*

“I am not convinced, but at least I can hear your voice,” Star responds, “Kal is doing better, it is almost impossible to keep him in the bed to rest.  I try to understand what I should feel about this incident and all I can come up with are the logistics of the death toll.  The number seems staggering, early estimates are in the millions… how can we stop someone that has no qualms killing so many people?  Are you scared?”

*Clover*

Robbie watches Anika walk over to Sami and then turns back to Clover, “I just showed up earlier today but I am not sure from where.  They think I am an Eternal, but I am not quite sure what that means or why that should be important.  Can you tell me?”

His twin laughs, “You are so dumb, of course she does not know.”

“hey at least I am trying to find answers,” Robbie responds.

“Yeah, in the wrong places,” his twin chortles and then snaps his fingers and disappears.

“Hey how did he do that?” Robbie asks.  Robbie starts snapping his fingers but nothing happens.

*Anika*

Sami barely registers a nod, “They told me I should hang out here away from the baselines, just in case people might get violent,” his eyes slowly shift looking like that of a predator and the air about him gives off the feeling of a predator, but worse.  His eyes quickly go back, “I feel different now.”

He puts his hand slowly to her chin, “You look beautiful.”

*Cassie*

One book seems to be written in Russian, the second in Chinese, and the third looks to be English; the Bible.  The caveman-like humanoid responds, “Your hair looks fine you are a beautiful young woman, just like your sister.  More a classic, earthy beauty.  In more classical times men would spend their nights writing poetry to celebrate your charms.”

“My name is Ignatius do you require sustenance?  I have tea and I can prepare you a meal.  It will be hours before it will be safe for us to move again,” the gentle giant replies.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 23, 2007)

"Of course this scares me...millions dead, my own home destroyed, and with no idea of what's coming next? I'd be an idiot not to be. But finding Cardinal...well, first anyone going after her would have to go through all of the elites she keeps around her, and then there's the matter of fighting her, the toughest woman around." _And, of course, there are other matters at hand. Like Overseer. Killing Cardinal helps Overseer win. Not good._

"So you can find people? Like anywhere on the globe," Ryan asks incredulously. _Hey, we could rescue Mrs. Mitchell, or find Red Witch. Or rescue James. She needs to talk with...Anika? No, probably too busy with Sami. And that little kid...wait a minute? Who the hell is that little kid? Mark? Not unless Paragon says so. And he might guess the truth about what happened in the garage. Tina would be up for something I'm betting. Gilden's cool as ice, he'd go. Probably not Kiyana, unless we're rescuing James. And I haven't seen Aya, Kal, or Gadget around._

"Besides, I can't really just leave. I might lose my job or something. That's not much of an excuse, but stil..." Ryan says, trailing off, getting up, and heading back towards the male part of the shelter. "*Hey! Tina! Gilden!*"


----------



## Tokiwong (May 23, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Of course this scares me...millions dead, my own home destroyed, and with no idea of what's coming next? I'd be an idiot not to be. But finding Cardinal...well, first anyone going after her would have to go through all of the elites she keeps around her, and then there's the matter of fighting her, the toughest woman around." _And, of course, there are other matters at hand. Like Overseer. Killing Cardinal helps Overseer win. Not good._



“Is she really that tough?” Sariyah asks.


			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "So you can find people? Like anywhere on the globe," Ryan asks incredulously. _Hey, we could rescue Mrs. Mitchell, or find Red Witch. Or rescue James. She needs to talk with...Anika? No, probably too busy with Sami. And that little kid...wait a minute? Who the hell is that little kid? Mark? Not unless Paragon says so. And he might guess the truth about what happened in the garage. Tina would be up for something I'm betting. Gilden's cool as ice, he'd go. Probably not Kiyana, unless we're rescuing James. And I haven't seen Aya, Kal, or Gadget around._



“Well I can sense people, I am not sure how far or what my limits are.  To find someone specific I need to see them, I can pull the images out of someone’s mind to do so, but I have to be able to see them.  I think… finding people is easy I can sense everyone in this room… but someone specific is a little more involved if that makes sense?” she furrows her brow.


			
				Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Besides, I can't really just leave. I might lose my job or something. That's not much of an excuse, but stil..." Ryan says, trailing off, getting up, and heading back towards the male part of the shelter. "*Hey! Tina! Gilden!*"



Tina turns, “Ryan…” she walks over with measured steps, and she opens her mouth to say something and then just lets it slide away.  She finally says, “You got a plan… don’t you?”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 23, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> One book seems to be written in Russian, the second in Chinese, and the third looks to be English; the Bible.  The caveman-like humanoid responds, “Your hair looks fine you are a beautiful young woman, just like your sister.  More a classic, earthy beauty.  In more classical times men would spend their nights writing poetry to celebrate your charms.”
> 
> “My name is Ignatius do you require sustenance?  I have tea and I can prepare you a meal.  It will be hours before it will be safe for us to move again,” the gentle giant replies.





*Cassie*

"I wouldn't be adverse to a meal." She replies, it had been a long day. "I dyed it, my hair I mean. Then got half of it burned off, only to grow back in my orginal color." She stops realizing she was rambling due to nerves. "So you know Chance?" She says calmly leaving an opening for him to fill in things.


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## Hammerhead (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Is she really that tough?” Sariyah asks.




"I...umm...hit her with a power drain. It would have crippled me, but she still had the power to take on a Delta class Elite. So yeah, she's really that tough." _Assuming she wasn't lying, and she's that powerful all the time._



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Tina turns, “Ryan…” she walks over with measured steps, and she opens her mouth to say something and then just lets it slide away.  She finally says, “You got a plan… don’t you?”




"Not really a plan, but I don't feel like sitting around here feeling helpless and sad, locked in for our own 'protection,' do you? Assuming you're up for it. I was lucky enough that all of my family and friends live in Cleveland, thank God."


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## Mimic (May 24, 2007)

Gilden stared at the page, reading it over and over again. It was almost unbelievable, with this spell he could undo the destruction that Cardinal had done, he could saving the lives of millions of people as well as Kelly and Yoshi, he could... he could save his home world.

He closed his eyes and shook his head briskly, this book and the spells within were corruption incarnate. Why did Chaos give it to him, did he see what Cardinal was up to? Was this some sort of sick test to see how far he would go to make things right? At this moment it didn't really matter why Chaos gave it to him, he had it and now he had to decide what to do with it. How far would he go? Was his morals more important then the lives of millions?

He memorized as much as he could, in case the book decided not to show him this particular passage again, he closes the book but this time he keeps it with him when he leaves his sanctuary.

"Sarah? Are you on line?" If she doesn't answer he will fish out the cell phone that they gave him message both Anika and Mark telling them to meet him somewhere private as well as requesting a meeting with Paragon stating that it was important.


----------



## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

"Eternal huh?"  Clover asks puzzled, from the information she was able to gather through her UN contacts and from that Kelly Mitchell girl's press confrences he didn't really seem all powerful, then again just looking at him to see if he was an Elite had given her a head ache like an Aerodyne falling on her head.  "I really don't know much of anything about Eternals so I couldn't tell ya either...way."  she says pausing when the evil twin made his quip and disappeared.

"I don't know Robbie, just looking at your energy flow makes my head hurt, trying to understand it probably would make my head explode like he said."  The red head offered in amusment as the boy started snapping his fingers.  "I think I'm going to go wash up a bit, it was nice meeting you Robbie."   Clover tells the possible eternal indicating the dried blood on her hand and face from the nose bleed as she excuses herself, a little unnerved at how the boy had made her power go haywire, she didn't like not being in control, and her mother would probably pitch a fit if she saw her standing around with blood on her face.

The girl headed to one of the sinks in the common area.  Washing her face to get herself looking presentable the girl looked around for other members of Legacy that she could hopefuly get to know.  The UNJE was going to want to put its best face forward after everything that had happened, would want to show people that it was only a few Elites that were corked in the head, and that there was a veritable parade of elites doing what they could to help people.  That could mean that the UNJE would be looking for a lot of new elites to show off, if they were Clover intended to be one of those new faces.  She had been hopeful on the way to school that she might have been selected, and after everything happened, well she was a pragmatic girl.

Spotting Comet, Clover meandered in his general direction, she wanted to get a sense of him the most of anyone on the team...he seemed to be the most...practical member of the team from what she had heard of him, and she had been following the team for awhile.  Mark seemed to just be a pretty boy that was put in charge for the photo op though she wouldn't mind having a romp with him, and Anika seemed nice enough, but the whole priestess thing made her a little wary.  If she was going to get along with anyone on the team she was betting on it being Ryan.  She stood watching Comet for a moment trying to assess what was up with him before approaching him.

(OOC:  Sense Motive taking 10 for a 25 to assess his mood and the situation, she is just trying to figure out if he is approachable at the moment so I guess thats up to HH)


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## Samnell (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “I am not convinced, but at least I can hear your voice,” Star responds, “Kal is doing better, it is almost impossible to keep him in the bed to rest.  I try to understand what I should feel about this incident and all I can come up with are the logistics of the death toll.  The number seems staggering, early estimates are in the millions… how can we stop someone that has no qualms killing so many people?  Are you scared?”




"I don't know. Yeah, I guess. It's...millions of people. Cities... One of the guys we were trying to rescue freaked out and started blaming us. What did we have to do with it? This guy actually saw us come to help him and started screaming about it."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> "Sarah? Are you on line?" If she doesn't answer he will fish out the cell phone that they gave him message both Anika and Mark telling them to meet him somewhere private as well as requesting a meeting with Paragon stating that it was important.



SARAH replies, “Hi Gilden, yes I am back online now thanks to Gadget, how may I assist you?”

*Ryan & Clover*

Sariyah looks away thinking, “Wow… power drains?  I don’t even know what all that means but okay, she sounds bad.”

Tina shrugs, “I think the more we sit on our ass the more time we give Cardinal and her hit squad time to attack another city.  We should target every public asset they have and hit it hard… no prisoners.”

“You mean kill them?” Sariyah asks.

“No, I mean tickle them till they give up the will to resist.  Of course kill… this is war chica, they hit us first now we gotta finish it before things get way out of hand,” Tina says bitterly.

*Cassie*

Ignatius nods, he spends the next few minutes reading the pages flipping the pages quickly on each book finishing them in minutes.  He sighs, “I will cook now.”  He stands works his way to where some game is hanging and begins to prepare the food using hand fashioned tools and primitive methods.  He says nothing while he prepares the meal.

He pours Cassie tea and takes a seat while the food cooks, “I do not know Chance directly; I only know what I have heard from the Doctor.  The Doctor does think very highly of Chance, but sees her as a valuable asset to be kept close in case she turns out to be useful.”

The tea has a sweet taste with a slightly bitter aftertaste, but is soothing at the same time.  Ignatius stares at Cassie, “You should eat the Doctor will be here soon, then we can leave.”


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "I don't know. Yeah, I guess. It's...millions of people. Cities... One of the guys we were trying to rescue freaked out and started blaming us. What did we have to do with it? This guy actually saw us come to help him and started screaming about it."



“He was scared Mark, humans get scared.  When they are afraid from my observations they don’t see things the way they should.  They want to blame someone else for what is happening to them, they want to have a target.  Being a public figure you should be used to that by… well I guess in your case you don’t see much negative press.  Do you think other people will think like him… and say that this was somehow your fault?  That does not sound logical to me, the UNJE is doing everything they can to make this right,” Star replies.

“I just know they are.”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Ignatius nods, he spends the next few minutes reading the pages flipping the pages quickly on each book finishing them in minutes.  He sighs, “I will cook now.”  He stands works his way to where some game is hanging and begins to prepare the food using hand fashioned tools and primitive methods.  He says nothing while he prepares the meal.
> 
> ...





Cassie nods. "I imagine the right sort of folk would find her useful. Given her bent towards violence." Cassie says as she sips her tea. "Who is this doctor?" she asks as she looks to see what the book in English is about.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie nods. "I imagine the right sort of folk would find her useful. Given her bent towards violence." Cassie says as she sips her tea. "Who is this doctor?" she asks as she looks to see what the book in English is about.



The English book is the Bible.  Ignatius replies, “The Doctor takes care of me.  I cannot exist in normal society looking the way I do.  I tried once.  They tried to use me; make me perform my tricks for them.  Study me.”

“But the Doctor made them stop.  The Doctor made it better and brings me books to read.  The Doctor brought me here and told me that I would never have to worry about being used again.  I make things for the Doctor, to help the Doctor.  I am not dumb, I look dumb, but I am not dumb,” Ignatius replies.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> The English book is the Bible.  Ignatius replies, “The Doctor takes care of me.  I cannot exist in normal society looking the way I do.  I tried once.  They tried to use me; make me perform my tricks for them.  Study me.”
> 
> “But the Doctor made them stop.  The Doctor made it better and brings me books to read.  The Doctor brought me here and told me that I would never have to worry about being used again.  I make things for the Doctor, to help the Doctor.  I am not dumb, I look dumb, but I am not dumb,” Ignatius replies.





"I never assumed that you were stupid. After all, you've got 3 different languages there." She says as she cntinues to sip her tea. "And as my foster father would say, 'anyone who can make a good cup of tea has to be civilized'" she smiles as she considers where she is in the position of things. "And who is the Doctor?"


----------



## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

Clover watches the group intently, listening as Tina advocates a wave of assassinations, she looked to see the reactions while thinking about herself.  Setting aside the killing part of the plan since the UN were the good guys, and had to be seen as the good guys especially at the moment, the idea of striking at specific Pantheon members wasn't a bad one, use localied overwhelming force to deny those agents to Pantheon would certainly be a good thing if they had a way to locate the bad guys.  It'd also be a good sourceof intel on future Pantheon operations, and with Telepaths getting the information out of the terrorists would be fairly simple, it was at least a good rough outline of a plan.  On the other hand she had the sinking feeling that Tina from her brief observation of her was a hot head who might jump in without actually thinking her way through things.

"Killing Pantheon agents would be counter productive when you have telepaths to pick their brains."   the British red head comments, she didn't sound like she was objeting on moral reasons but more on practical ones.  "If you could get that Traveler kid's help you could pop in with a bunch of elites subdue the target and return in short order.  It'd be a pretty good plan with enough resources." she says nodding to the other girl.  "I'm Clover."


----------



## Hammerhead (May 24, 2007)

Ryan laughs at Tina's comment, then sobers. "I think things are already more than a little out of hand. But from what we've seen, Cardinal's hit all the cities she's planned to...I mean, with an operation so perfectly executed, why attack a few hours after your initial strikes, when you've lost the element of surprise? And I'd also guess that any kind of public front for Pantheon would be pretty damn expendable."

"I was actually thinking we could go after some of our enemies who probably aren't expecting a counterattack, especially in the wake of the bombings. Let's not forget that we still have that jackass Proxy breathing down our neck. But when we get the right chance, we will make Pantheon pay." 

_As long as it doesn't jeopardize our fight against Overseer._


----------



## Hammerhead (May 24, 2007)

_Who is this? One of the elites we picked up in the wreckage of the city? Wait...Clover? Were her parents hippies?_

"James was kidnapped during the attack, and he was near death before that. Umm...I don't think we've seen you around here before. Were you in the city or something? I'm Ryan, by the way."


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## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> _Who is this? One of the elites we picked up in the wreckage of the city? Wait...Clover? Were her parents hippies?_
> 
> "James was kidnapped during the attack, and he was near death before that. Umm...I don't think we've seen you around here before. Were you in the city or something? I'm Ryan, by the way."



 “Who the hell are you?” Tina asks, “why don’t you go back over threw with stick girl and stay out of our business; I don’t know you and I sure as hell am not going to take advice from some stranger who thinks they know what is what.”

She then turns back to Ryan, “So wait your plan is to not go after Pantheon?”

*Cassie*

“I told you who the Doctor was, did you not understand or was my wording incorrect?
Reading is not difficult, understanding what you read is,” Ignatius replies.  

Ignatius prepares a hearty yet earthy meal, he prepares three plates.  He takes a seat, a portal opens behind him and a woman steps through wearing jeans and a t-shirt.  But the face is unmistakable… the cold eyes.  Or they were cold the last time she saw them, but they are vibrant with life as the Cardinal greets Ignatius.

Ignatius smiles, “Doctor, thank you for coming, I made you a meal will you eat with us?”

Cardinal nods, “Of course Ignatius.  Cassandra, will you eat at our table?”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

*Cassie*

"Why should I eat with you?" Cassie says, her anger at Chance's manipulation building. "I asked for peace, and you divided the world more than any living human since Adolf Hitler. Exactly what we didn't need. And then there was .. Kelly. Why did you kill her?" She sits down despite herself, best to bide her time and strike at a moment when victory was more easily assured.


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## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

"No, I wasn't in the City, I was here at the school during the attack.  I'd just arrived, I'm going to be signing on with the UN forces when I turn 18 in a few months, and I wanted to have the Institute sign off on my powers first.  Maybe join Legacy if thats where the UN thought I could best serve."  Clover said, letting her accent strengthen a bit so they could tell she was Englsh.

"My parents are both with the UN so its never been much of a question that me and my brother would join up.  My father is a Colonel, and me mum is an ambassador.  He's been teaching me and my brother what we'd need to know if we wanted to follow in his foot steps self-defense, teamwork, and tactics since we were little."  she offered with a bit of a grin.

Tina's rudeness confirmed to Clover her earlier assessment of the girl, though she did raise an eyebrow at the whole stick girl thing.  "I do well enough with gathering information." she says calmly shrugging at the hot head


----------



## Agamon (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Sami barely registers a nod, “They told me I should hang out here away from the baselines, just in case people might get violent,” his eyes slowly shift looking like that of a predator and the air about him gives off the feeling of a predator, but worse.  His eyes quickly go back, “I feel different now.”
> 
> He puts his hand slowly to her chin, “You look beautiful.”




Anika smiles.  "Well, you should be hanging out with me anyway.  I like being told I'm beautiful," she quips.  "I'm glad you're okay and...this elite thing isn't so bad.  Looks like you might need some practice with it, but it gets easier as it goes."  She continues to smile, but she felt sorry for him.  Her power took some practice and study, but it wasn't difficult to control.  She wasn't sure what that was like, but she knew it probably wasn't much fun.

Her smile tightens as her expression turns more serious.  "I don't know what to do.  I feel useless just sitting here, but what can we do?  The obvious thing would be to take the fight to Cardinal, but I had a vision a while ago that showed Overseer getting what he wants while we fight with Pantheon."  She stops and shakes her head.  "Sorry, I don't need to pile Legacy problems on you, too.  I'm sure Paragon will have something for us soon.  Though part of me wishes I could just stay here with you."  She puts her arm around his waist and leans her head on his shoulder, sighing.


----------



## Mimic (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH replies, “Hi Gilden, yes I am back online now thanks to Gadget, how may I assist you?”




"Contact Anika and Mark as well as Paragon, if he is unavaliable then Jun Min instead. Tell them that I need to talk to them in private, right now. It is extreemly important."

"Oh,"  He says after a moment, "tell Gagdet hello and ask her is she is avaliable if she would like to have a bite to eat later."


----------



## Samnell (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “He was scared Mark, humans get scared.  When they are afraid from my observations they don’t see things the way they should.  They want to blame someone else for what is happening to them, they want to have a target.  Being a public figure you should be used to that by… well I guess in your case you don’t see much negative press.  Do you think other people will think like him… and say that this was somehow your fault?  That does not sound logical to me, the UNJE is doing everything they can to make this right,” Star replies.




"People aren't always logical," Mark sighed. "And something like this could really screw you up. You're right. I'm not used to it. People like me. They want to be around me. They want to give me money to use their stuff. I don't like this. I'm supposed to be the hero, right? Not the guy people blame for being too slow."


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## Hammerhead (May 24, 2007)

_At least she *might* know what she's talking about, instead of some armchair general who thinks he knows tactics because he beat Dynasty Warriors 10. On Hard, even. _ Ryan glances at Tina, raising an eyebrow. "Do you hate *everybody*? I mean, I at least like to get to know people before I find out they're idiots." _In fact, the fact that she was talking to Anika, then left to start talking to me might be good news. She didn't seem taken aback when Tina suggested the total destruction of Pantheon.

Although, damn, that would probably feel great to take out all those bastards._ "Pantheon is obviously expecting some kind of reprisal. Besides, they've got more numbers and organization than most of our other enemies, whereas we can probably catch some other people by surprise. Although taking out some part of Pantheon might work," Ryan says with a shrug. 

"So you're supposed to be good at gathering information," Ryan asks Clover, a hint of challenge in his voice. "Anything else?"

_I suppose the first thing I would want to do would be to find and then go after James. Yoshi was able to get away with an independent rescue mission, after all. Plus, flying places sucks._


----------



## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

"Gathering information is a hobby, I like to stay up on things, I know the right people in the UN through growing up as a UN military brat, if the UN knows something I generally do unless there is something thats decided to be so top secret no one wants to share...at the moment with everything like it is I'm not sure how quickly I could getthe info, but the info I do get is pretty reliable."

"Gathering Intel isn't my main function though, I've been trained for fighting for the last 10 years or so, and my powers only make me better at it.  I can read people down to the smallest detail, I know what they are going to do and how to counter it before they can get it off.  I can also use my powers to read people's surface thoughts and to detect and copy other elites' powers for a short time."   Clover told Ryan thinking that she was making a good impression though disliking that it was coming off in her own head like a sales pitch.

"If your going to go forward on this I'd like to help, but only if you do it right.  Going in without enough resources or a solid plan to get us out again is just going to throw away lives and possibly give the bad guys prisoners."


----------



## Aenion (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Nothing to apologize for Karen,” Jun Min replies verbally, she puts her arms around Karen to comfort her, “these are the times, when everything seems darkest when our true characters are tested.  We could give up right now, wash our hands of this and just let the world slide into oblivion… but maybe we shouldn’t care too much about saving the world and focus on what really matters living.  I never set out to save the world Karen, I only set out to make things a little better for those close to me, one person at a time.”
> 
> “Saving the world is what super heroes do, making things better because it is the right thing to do is what real heroes do.  It may seem meaningless but there a lot of people who lived today because you took it upon yourself to care and help,” Jun Min adds.




"It just doesn't feel like we did enough, so many people still died... I-if we had been here, m-maybe we could have stopped Cardinal, maybe we... maybe we could have saved Kelly," the crystal teen sighs, comforted a bit by the human warmth radiating from Jun-Min, a soft glow has returned to her eyes, "I just feel so helpless... I want do something to make things better somehow, but I... I don't know what..."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan glances at Tina, raising an eyebrow. "Do you hate *everybody*? I mean, I at least like to get to know people before I find out they're idiots."



Tina cocks her head to the side, “Really?  You think I hate everyone?  This from the boy that considers everyone around him to be a spy… she just seems too eager to jump right into helping us, throwing her pedigree at us like its supposed to impress us.  The world goes to crap and little bright eyes here just happens to have the plan to put the pieces back together?”

Her voice gains venom, “I don’t think so.  I don’t like her, I don’t like her type… mommy and daddy giving her a silver spoon.  And that isn’t even counting the timing.  I don’t like her.  She seems too clean, too perfect; this isn’t a chance to help anyone but herself.  But I am glad that daddy paved the way for your success.”

Tina focuses back on Ryan, “We will talk later about this.  If the girl scout wants to skip along with us, she can.”

*Anika*

Sami is about to reply when SARAH cuts him off, “Anika, Gilden needs to speak with you immediately.  It sounds very urgent.”

Sami adds, “Go on, Legacy has a job to do.”

*Mark*

SARAH jumps in, “Mark, Gilden needs to speak with you immediately.”

Star replies, “People do like you, people love you Mark, they were just scared.  Don’t let it get to you.”

*Cassie*

“Peace?  I am bringing peace, but peace means change.  Change is violent.  There will be those that resist change.  Humanity is an obstacle.  Given the chance they would serve Overseer rather then face utter annihilation.  I am just removing them from the equation,  not through genocide, but through conflict.  Not every elite deserves to survive in the new world, some are fit only to die creating that brave new world.  Others like me have to be the monsters that instigate change,” Cardinal replies.

“You are not a monster Doctor, don’t say that,” Ignatius replies.

“Of course Ignatius.  But as far as why Kelly had to die, she chose to die.  It was an active choice.  I could lie to you and say that I felt regret for taking her life.  But I saw the look in her eyes, she wanted me to die, and that I am afraid will not do.  My job here is not done, our job has just begun,” she adds.

“So will you join Ignatius and I for dinner?” Cardinal asks once more.

*Karen*

“The best thing you can do right now, is to not give up hope,” Jun Min replies.

*Gilden*

“I keep telling her to take a break but she won’t.  She will work till she passes out I am sure,” SARAH replies, “but I will inform her that you would like to have dinner with her.”


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Peace?  I am bringing peace, but peace means change.  Change is violent.  There will be those that resist change.  Humanity is an obstacle.  Given the chance they would serve Overseer rather then face utter annihilation.  I am just removing them from the equation,  not through genocide, but through conflict.  Not every elite deserves to survive in the new world, some are fit only to die creating that brave new world.  Others like me have to be the monsters that instigate change,” Cardinal replies.
> 
> ...




*Cassie*

She didn't really have a choice, Chance's betrayal had pretty much closed down her options to nil. She sat down and returned to her tea.

"Your way wasn't the right way, merely the expedient one. I expect more of a woman of your intellect." She says, "We can debate that arguement for a later time though. Can you really activate Hope's powers or at least her memories?"


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## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

"It isn't my plan, it was your idea." Clover pointed out calmy in the face of Tina's anger.  "It was a good idea, it just needs more refinement.  There is a difference between people dying and people dying because someone was careless or lazy.  If you manage to pull this off there is going to be a lot of risk to everyone involved.  The UN is important to me, so I'll try to impress youu if thats what it takes to get you to think this through.  But your personal opinion of me isn't really that important to me.  Think about it, if its important enough to do thenits important enough to do right."

At the menton of a silver spoon Clover does grin.  "Not exactly a silver spoon, PT daily at 0600 for an hour, school,  another 2 hours of self defense, an hour of class work on tactics and war gaming and everything else a prospective officer could need.  Weekend survival trips in all kinds of different environments.  The only silver spoons were at Diplomatic functions and I avoided those like the plague, lasted for hours and hours of boring.  My has been pretty much military school since I was little, I wasn't handed everything without working it."  Clover replies.

"Look you can feel free to check up on me, I know I would check up on you, and I have, on all of you.  All the rest of Legacy seems wishy washy and not very professional. Mark is a pretty boy, Anika is a... high priestess."  she said sounding faintly amused at the idea.

"The point I was making is that I can handle myself and I am going to help." she says looking at Tina.  "The timing of my arrival is just a coincidence, I graduated from high school, and instead of wasting time until I'm 18 and able to join I came here to actually do something useful.  As I said, feel free to chek up on me."

OOC:  activating my subtle Mind Reading 10/ Enhanced Charisma 12 to pick up on what Tina is thinking.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> She didn't really have a choice, Chance's betrayal had pretty much closed down her options to nil. She sat down and returned to her tea.
> 
> "Your way wasn't the right way, merely the expedient one. I expect more of a woman of your intellect." She says, "We can debate that arguement for a later time though. Can you really activate Hope's powers or at least her memories?"



 “Why is Hope so important to you,” Cardinal replies.

*Clover & Ryan*

“Strike two chica, it’s one thing for Ryan and I to knock on Mark and Anika, it is a totally different thing for some stranger to come waltzing in here acting like you are part of the crew.  Pretty boy or not Mark has put his ass on the line so your folks could make you PT in the morning to make you little miss soldier.  And Anika?  High priestess or not, that girl has conviction and strength and she don’t back down to anyone.  Who the hell are you to start calling them out like you know them?”

Ryan can see that Tina is on the edge to explode.

_Clover can feel the surface thoughts, there is uncontrolled rage, and she does not like Clover not just because she is trying to sound important but because her background at least from what she can tell seems similar to what Tina has experienced._


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Why is Hope so important to you,” Cardinal replies.





*Cassie*


"I think her memories are vital to the resolution of the coming battle. Her power isn't as vital as knowing WHAT happened to her. She was a pivotal point of Overseer's life before he went power mad." She shrugs. "I doubt anything I could do would be as pivotal as knowing what happened.. or giving others a second to strike by opening him up in a way no one else can."


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## Hammerhead (May 24, 2007)

_That's not fair. I don't think everyone is a spy...I just think that maybe one or two people might be, and I don't have much way to determine who is. But the timing on Clover just isn't right.

Maybe Tina doesn't hate everybody, just someone like Clover in particular. Why? It's like this that make me wish I'd read her student file._

"Tina, after today's events it makes sense that the students at the Institute will want to join up and make the enemy pay. Either that or run home crying to mommy and daddy, which would show just how worthless they are. Who cares if Four Leaf tries to impress us with her own domestic boot camp; she said she wants to help, and she seems competent." 

_Although Tina's right, badmouthing the rest of the crew is probably not the way to go. Only we get to do that,_ Ryan thinks, smiling to himself.


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## Aenion (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> “The best thing you can do right now, is to not give up hope,” Jun Min replies.




Karen nods, taking a deep useless breath, and whipes the tears from her eyes with her hands, "I-I'll try ... Th-thank you," she sits up a bit, feeling a little better. Her cellphone slips from her pocket as she sits up, the message signal blinking, hoping that maybe someone from her family has managed to send a message or maybe something from Kal. She didn't expect to find a message from Cassie though, "Oh god, Cassie has run off again... Why? Why would she do that? Why now?"


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## Samnell (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH jumps in, “Mark, Gilden needs to speak with you immediately.”
> 
> Star replies, “People do like you, people love you Mark, they were just scared.  Don’t let it get to you.”




Mark sighed, "Sorry Star, SARAH's paging me. I have to go."

"Where is he, SARAH?"


----------



## Agamon (May 24, 2007)

Anika sighs once more and gives Sami an apologetic look.  "This hopefully won't take too long, if he only has something to tell us.  If it's something we need to act on...I'll come find you again when we're done."  She gives his hand a squeeze and moves off to find Gilden.


----------



## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

Clover revised her opinion of Ryan up another notch and dropped her opinion of Tina yet again, the girl was running hot, probably hot enough to take a swing at her if Ryan wasn't able to chill her out, and he was trying.  She didn't take any of what he said to heart, it was just trying to slow things down so whatever worked, she admitted to herself that what she said about Mark and Anika hadn't been quite diplomatic, but she doubted that anything she said wouldn't cause Tina to blow a gasket.  She wondered what psych officer had screwed the pooch on her acceptance.

Sighing, the British girl shrugs, "You obviously need to blow off some steam, are you up for a bout?  We can go up topside and off a ways so as not to be bothered.  I'm not in the best mood my own self, only got to tangle with one of those Pantheon blokes and he just didn't have no stamina."  Clover offers calmly.  She looked at the other girl intently trying to get a read on her possible fighting style.

“If you would care to ref the sparing match Ryan?  Whatever rules you want are fine, 3 hits, 5 hits.” Clover asks of Ryan still looking at Tina intently, studying her.  “Its not good for someone to keep in anger like that if it means they are going to lose it in a fight and maybe get their teammates hurt.  Just to be clear about this: I don’t not like you or anyone else, I don’t really know anything beyond some initial impressions.”

OOC: Clover initiates her Attack/defense drain as she is looking at Tina while she is talking, its subtle so there isn’t any evidence of it.  DC 20 will save, roll twice and take the lower, it’ll last for 10 minutes.


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## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

*Ryan & Clover*
 Tina sighs as if releasing a valve on her rage.  She turns to Ryan, “Fine, lets give the girl scout a shot, she wants to get her hands dirty then let her.  Nothing personal,” she says looking at Clover, “but I don’t like you, I think you are just here to impress mommy and daddy at how good you play soldier.  This isn’t the army.  We don’t march around looking pretty, with some silly training regimen chica.”

“Other then that, welcome aboard,” Tina finishes.  

Tina rolls her eyes at Clover’s comments, “Cute, yeah because every time I go into the field my team is scared I am going to let them down.  Sorry honey, we don’t have time for silly sparring matches.  Lets save that aggression for our real enemies.  Ryan, I think we should either go after James… or put the hurt on Red Witch… I think saving James would get the team working together instead sitting around here moping.”

*Anika, Mark, and Gilden*

SARAH brings the teens together away from the general populace of the students.  Paragon is not there but a thin tall and severe looking native woman is present with braids in her hair and a very conservative yet sharp power suit on.  She introduces herself as Mrs. Obana, a representative of the UNJE Human Defense Committee.  She gives the teens a practiced smile and speaks in impeccable English, “Paragon is currently busy, just think of me as his representative.  Gilden you said you had important information for us?”

*Cassie*

“How far are you willing to go to stop Overseer?” Cardinal replies.

*Karen*

Jun Min shakes her head, “I don’t know what gets into that girl… you would think we beat her as much as she tries to run away from here.  We can’t waste time on her anymore, Cassie has her own path to walk.  She has chosen to take that path alone.”

Bishop interjects, his shadow looming over Karen, “I think its time we all become shepherds.”  He puts a hand on Karen’s shoulder.


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## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

*Cassie*

"I'm willing to die to stop him." Cassie says calmly. "Though I fear that you and others have done counter productive actions in the time before his arrival. I cannot see, given the talent we have on the planet, any way direct use of power on it's own will be suffiecnt to defeat him."

She sips her tea and thinks for a moment. "And our two best assets in the fight are at counter points. You and Ryan are the two strongest elements in this battle, without common ground we can't find a way to use you two."


----------



## Mimic (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH brings the teens together away from the general populace of the students.  Paragon is not there but a thin tall and severe looking native woman is present with braids in her hair and a very conservative yet sharp power suit on.  She introduces herself as Mrs. Obana, a representative of the UNJE Human Defense Committee.  She gives the teens a practiced smile and speaks in impeccable English, “Paragon is currently busy, just think of me as his representative.  Gilden you said you had important information for us?”




Gilden studies the women before him before giving a mental shrug. Sometimes you just had to accept what's in front of you.
"I am not surprised that Paragon is too busy to meet with me, I hope you understand the nature of my ablities and my history on how I got here." He replies to the woman, although its not really critical that she did or not.

"This book," he says address his two team mates, "was given to me by Chaos before our mission to capture Genocide, it is from the Red Witch or at least that is what he told me. It has notes and fragments of spells, one of which is the ablility to manipulate time and space. If given the time and the resources to complete it. I could literally change history, I could undo what Cardinal has done..."


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## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden studies the women before him before giving a mental shrug. Sometimes you just had to accept what's in front of you.
> "I am not surprised that Paragon is too busy to meet with me, I hope you understand the nature of my ablities and my history on how I got here." He replies to the woman, although its not really critical that she did or not.



“Of course I am aware of you history and your abilities you are the head of the UNJE Arcane Division, I would be remiss if I did not know these things.  Paragon is never too busy for Legacy, but events are in place that have put a time constraint on everyone, I do apologize for his absence though,” she smiles.


			
				Mimic said:
			
		

> "This book," he says address his two team mates, "was given to me by Chaos before our mission to capture Genocide, it is from the Red Witch or at least that is what he told me. It has notes and fragments of spells, one of which is the ablility to manipulate time and space. If given the time and the resources to complete it. I could literally change history, I could undo what Cardinal has done..."



“What kind of assets would you require to complete this spell?” Mrs. Obana replies.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> "I'm willing to die to stop him." Cassie says calmly. "Though I fear that you and others have done counter productive actions in the time before his arrival. I cannot see, given the talent we have on the planet, any way direct use of power on it's own will be suffiecnt to defeat him."



“Only a fool is prepared to die for a cause they don’t understand.  And only martyrs’ die for what they believe in.  Are you a martyr or are you a fool?  Either is the weakling’s path.  That is your ultimate weakness, you rely on hope.  Hope is the recourse for those too weak to make their own destinies.  I assure you hope was nowhere to be found when I crushed the life from Kelly.  Hoping to survive does little, dying for what you believe because you hope to make things better is a fool’s errand.  It is a noble course of action but ultimately futile,” Cardinal replies.


			
				KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> She sips her tea and thinks for a moment. "And our two best assets in the fight are at counter points. You and Ryan are the two strongest elements in this battle, without common ground we can't find a way to use you two."



“But we have you, we have Hope,” Cardinal replies flatly.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Only a fool is prepared to die for a cause they don’t understand.  And only martyrs’ die for what they believe in.  Are you a martyr or are you a fool?  Either is the weakling’s path.  That is your ultimate weakness, you rely on hope.  Hope is the recourse for those too weak to make their own destinies.  I assure you hope was nowhere to be found when I crushed the life from Kelly.  Hoping to survive does little, dying for what you believe because you hope to make things better is a fool’s errand.  It is a noble course of action but ultimately futile,” Cardinal replies.
> 
> “But we have you, we have Hope,” Cardinal replies flatly.





"I'm neither fool or Martyr." Cassie says as she meets Cardinal's eyes, the usual sparkle to them fading and she loses all of her 'humanity'. "I'm an engineered killer, everyone points that out and more than a few rub my face in it. I am designed to approach problems and come up with solutions to them. If that involves my death, so be it. Odds are if we succeed I'll cease to exist anyway, the very point of being a paradox means that history can be changed.. but it could undo my existance."

She looks at the old woman, "I just want to leave the world a better place than I found it if that is the case. You don't, but I don't always have a choice in who I must ally with. You can do things and help me in ways that the UNJE can't. Help me figure what I can do."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 24, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "I'm neither fool or Martyr." Cassie says as she meets Cardinal's eyes, the usual sparkle to them fading and she loses all of her 'humanity'. "I'm an engineered killer, everyone points that out and more than a few rub my face in it. I am designed to approach problems and come up with solutions to them. If that involves my death, so be it. Odds are if we succeed I'll cease to exist anyway, the very point of being a paradox means that history can be changed.. but it could undo my existance."
> 
> She looks at the old woman, "I just want to leave the world a better place than I found it if that is the case. You don't, but I don't always have a choice in who I must ally with. You can do things and help me in ways that the UNJE can't. Help me figure what I can do."



“We both want to leave the world better then we found it.  That is our common ground.  Millions may die so that a whole reality can survive, it may sound monstrous but I am willing to be responsible for that.  Unity is not paramount to success against Overseer.  I don’t need everyone to fight Overseer, I just need them to fight…” she replies.

Ignatius adds, “The Doctor will create a better world.”

“You think you are the only one living in the shadow of a paradox?” Cardinal adds.


----------



## Shalimar (May 24, 2007)

Clover looked satisfied when Tina sighed releasing her anger, that was her goal after all, not a fight though she did enjoy a good one well enough.  The red head let the criticism wash right off her back, it wasn't for her parents she was doing anything, but she doubted it would be possible to convince Tina of it, and it really wasn't worth the effort.  That girl really had a hate on for her, that or for people she assumed to be rich, it'd be interesting to get a peak into her file but it'd probably have to wait.

"I never assumed Legacy did much marchin love.  Who it is that fights a war though, soldiers or super heroes?"  Clover asks, "You were 100% right earlier when you said we have to take them Pantheon out.  Two organizations as big as the UN and Pantheon fighting is a war."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 24, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “We both want to leave the world better then we found it.  That is our common ground.  Millions may die so that a whole reality can survive, it may sound monstrous but I am willing to be responsible for that.  Unity is not paramount to success against Overseer.  I don’t need everyone to fight Overseer, I just need them to fight…” she replies.
> 
> Ignatius adds, “The Doctor will create a better world.”
> 
> “You think you are the only one living in the shadow of a paradox?” Cardinal adds.




*Cassie*

"I don't know of any others." Cassie says as she picks at her meal. "I know I can play a role. I suppose if there are others. Do you?" She takes another bite. ""If I may, what do you want with me.. if you've already got a paradox you don't need me."


----------



## Hammerhead (May 25, 2007)

"No one here is a super hero, thank God. Although some people seem to think they are," Ryan adds, rolling his eyes. "But make no mistake, we're the people who win the wars. The Justice Elite was invaluable in overthrowing that one dictator guy. And believe me, no one worries that Tina is going to get her teammates hurt." _Unless she's the one doing the hurting, of course. Although Tina wasn't the one who started that little brawl between herself and Anika._

"Sariyah," Ryan says, walking over to her. "I want you to pull the image of James from my head, then find him, if you can. He was kidnapped by Pantheon."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 25, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "No one here is a super hero, thank God. Although some people seem to think they are," Ryan adds, rolling his eyes. "But make no mistake, we're the people who win the wars. The Justice Elite was invaluable in overthrowing that one dictator guy. And believe me, no one worries that Tina is going to get her teammates hurt." _Unless she's the one doing the hurting, of course. Although Tina wasn't the one who started that little brawl between herself and Anika._
> 
> "Sariyah," Ryan says, walking over to her. "I want you to pull the image of James from my head, then find him, if you can. He was kidnapped by Pantheon."



 Sariyah nods and Ryan feels as if fingers are crawling under the skin of his face, she closes her eyes, “Okay give me a moment… let me try this…”

Tina glances at the girl then Ryan, “So when we find James, who we taking with us to bust heads?”

*Cassie*

“I am a paradox,” Cardinal replies flatly.


----------



## Agamon (May 25, 2007)

"Undo..." Anika looks at Gilden in surprise.  "That would be..."  She stops and thinks a moment.  "Wait, is that really a good idea?  What would you do to stop her?  And how do we know things won't end up worse?  This could just be Chaos creating havoc, or maybe even Red Witch setting us up.  I'm not against looking into it, but we shouldn't be jumping into it with both feet.  We should have all the time we need to make sure this is the right thing to do, right?"


----------



## Samnell (May 25, 2007)

_Make all of this never happen? Sign me up!_



			
				Agamon said:
			
		

> "Undo..." Anika looks at Gilden in surprise.  "That would be..."  She stops and thinks a moment.  "Wait, is that really a good idea?  What would you do to stop her?  And how do we know things won't end up worse?




"Well," Mark mulled it over, "Don't we make decisions all the time without knowing if things will end up worse than they could be?"

_Everyone could be alive again. Yoshi. Giuseppe. Kelly. We have to do it._


----------



## Agamon (May 25, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "Well," Mark mulled it over, "Don't we make decisions all the time without knowing if things will end up worse than they could be?"




"I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that we need to make sure that it's good one."  Anika felt bad playing devil's advocate, but something wasn't sitting right with her.  "If this is Red Witch's book, why hasn't she used this spell?  And we need to consider that changing the entire world to make it suit what we think is right is what we're trying to stop both Cardinal and Overseer from doing themselves.  And I still don't know what we're going to do.  Is this going to be another assassination mission?"  The more she thought about it, the less she liked whole the idea.


----------



## Aenion (May 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Jun Min shakes her head, “I don’t know what gets into that girl… you would think we beat her as much as she tries to run away from here.  We can’t waste time on her anymore, Cassie has her own path to walk.  She has chosen to take that path alone.”
> 
> Bishop interjects, his shadow looming over Karen, “I think its time we all become shepherds.”  He puts a hand on Karen’s shoulder.




Karen nods at Jun Min, "I... I tried to be her friend, to make her feel at home here, but... but it's like she doesn't even want our help," she looks up at Bishop, an actual smile creeping on her face and her eyes regain their 'natural' blue glow, "That's the first bit of good news I've heard all day," her smile fades a bit, remembering he had lost his daughter,"I-I'm really sorry about Kelly..."


----------



## Samnell (May 25, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that we need to make sure that it's good one."  Anika felt bad playing devil's advocate, but something wasn't sitting right with her. "[/COLOR]




"But we could save everybody. It's worth a shot."


----------



## Mimic (May 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Of course I am aware of you history and your abilities you are the head of the UNJE Arcane Division, I would be remiss if I did not know these things.  Paragon is never too busy for Legacy, but events are in place that have put a time constraint on everyone, I do apologize for his absence though,” she smiles.




"I just wanted to make sure you knew that I am serious in what I say and no appologize are needed, he must be very busy at this time." He says returning the smile although it is somewhat strained.



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “What kind of assets would you require to complete this spell?” Mrs. Obana replies.




"Time and a place to research, all of the arcane lore that the UN can get ahold of as well as people that have actual knowledge in the arcane, which includes Anika"



			
				Agamon said:
			
		

> "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that we need to make sure that it's good one." Anika felt bad playing devil's advocate, but something wasn't sitting right with her. "If this is Red Witch's book, why hasn't she used this spell? And we need to consider that changing the entire world to make it suit what we think is right is what we're trying to stop both Cardinal and Overseer from doing themselves. And I still don't know what we're going to do. Is this going to be another assassination mission?" The more she thought about it, the less she liked whole the idea.




"There may be many reasons she hasn't used the spell, it is incomplete to begin with. It might even be that it is a one time spell or that the energy needed in shaping the spell burns out the caster." He says with an even tone. "But for a chance to save all those millions of people its worth researching it further."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 25, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "But we could save everybody. It's worth a shot."



“We are in the business of saving lives, I don’t a see reason to at least not put further study in this area.  The UNJE has a duty to pursue every avenue to save lives.  Gilden you have our full support,” she pauses putting a hand to her ear.

“But I also agree that some caution be taken, you should not use this spell without the full consent of the UNJE, we can’t risk another disaster.  Use every precaution from what I have read about the Red Witch she is nearly as dangerous as Cardinal, am I correct in that assessment?” Mrs. Obana asks.

*Karen*

Bishop replies, “Thank you, I appreciate it.  I feel like there was still so much to say to her, and now, I wonder if I said enough.  But I know that she is in a better place, and her legacy will live on.  She never faltered in trying to do good.”


----------



## Shalimar (May 25, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "No one here is a super hero, thank God. Although some people seem to think they are," Ryan adds, rolling his eyes. "But make no mistake, we're the people who win the wars. The Justice Elite was invaluable in overthrowing that one dictator guy. And believe me, no one worries that Tina is going to get her teammates hurt." _Unless she's the one doing the hurting, of course. Although Tina wasn't the one who started that little brawl between herself and Anika._
> 
> "Sariyah," Ryan says, walking over to her. "I want you to pull the image of James from my head, then find him, if you can. He was kidnapped by Pantheon."




Clover didn't comment on Ryan's pronouncement that Elites were the ones to win wars, not soldiers.  The boy had a major superiority complex going on, she wondered breifly if he subscribed to Pantheon's idea that having powers made people better, more important than everyone else before deciding probably not.  The red head continued to listen as Tina and Ryan talked to Sariyah about finding their teammate wondering if the pair would go off half-cocked the second they knew where he was or whether they'd try and do things the right way by getting a team together with UN backing and support to rescue their teammate.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “I am a paradox,” Cardinal replies flatly.




"Please, explain." Cassie says. Cardianal was a paradox too? "Are you from the same timeline I was brought from?" She thinks on that a bit more, Cardinal was one of the few who could actually have the talent to create her.


----------



## Agamon (May 25, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “We are in the business of saving lives, I don’t a see reason to at least not put further study in this area.  The UNJE has a duty to pursue every avenue to save lives.  Gilden you have our full support,” she pauses putting a hand to her ear.
> 
> “But I also agree that some caution be taken, you should not use this spell without the full consent of the UNJE, we can’t risk another disaster.  Use every precaution from what I have read about the Red Witch she is nearly as dangerous as Cardinal, am I correct in that assessment?” Mrs. Obana asks.




"She's very dangerous and very manipulative.  I wouldn't put it past her to 'let' Chaos take the book.  But, then Chaos could have probably taken it whether she wanted him to or not," Anika says before thinking, _"And now I think I know why we have Robbie with us."_

She turns to Gilden.  "Alright, I'll help you research the spell.  Hopefully we'll be able to discover more about the specifics of it.  While I can imagine the good we can do with it, I can't imagine how bad it could turn out.  That's a bit scary."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 25, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Please, explain." Cassie says. Cardianal was a paradox too? "Are you from the same timeline I was brought from?" She thinks on that a bit more, Cardinal was one of the few who could actually have the talent to create her.



“I will give you the best answer that I know of.  I don’t know, I just know that my whole life I have known that I would leave a legacy of death behind me to create a better world from the ashes.  The future was as clear to me now as I see you at this moment.  But I knew that world that I create I cannot live in that world.  I am a monster and there will be no place me in that world I create.  The only thing I have not seen is success.  But perhaps that is why I cannot see you or Ryan, or those that you have affected,” Cardinal replies.

“Each of you exists as blank spots in my vision, images outside my vision,” she sips her tea, “perhaps I was not meant to see you.”

*Mark, Gilden, and Anika*

“Then she is as dangerous as I have been lead to believe, she is a priority class alpha threat, just behind Cardinal and Bishop.  Although Bishop won’t be a threat for too much longer.  The UNJE is ratifying the paperwork for his execution, followed by a total crackdown on Pantheon cells and sympathizers,” Mrs. Obana says in controlled tone.

“Oh and the UNJE will require daily updates on your progress Gilden, we want this to be your top priority.  Is there anything else we should know at this time?” she asks.  She then smiles, “Of course all spells and/or technologies that you create will be the exclusive property of the UNJE, but you will be properly compensated of course.”


----------



## Agamon (May 25, 2007)

"What?  Bishop is being executed?"  Anika stares slack-jawed at the UN executive.  "I understand that he needs to be held responsible for what he did as a member of Pantheon, but he had nothing to do with this.  He realized Cardinal was crazy and left Pantheon.  In fact, he's helped us in our last couple of missions.  Why the hell is he being executed?"


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 25, 2007)

*Cassie*

"I see. Are you assuming that I create a simular gap in perception to Overseer and the others?" She wonders about that. This must be another factor of her paradox condition and Ryan's must...she thougth on that a bit, trying to see how it could happen. She recalled somethig Ryan had said earlier.

"Your powers interfer with Ryan's correct? Does his interfer simularly?"


----------



## Hammerhead (May 25, 2007)

"Ugh," Ryan says with a shudder. "Creepy. Who to bring? Me. You. Four Leaf here. Kiyana, if she's up for it. We're going to need to some kind of transport, and conventional travel will be grounded. Unless they're keeping James in some ruined bunker near town, I guess, but that's probably not going to happen. Gilden, Kal, and Aya are always handy to have around. Basically, whoever's available, willing, and competent."

"So where are the bad guys keeping him?"


----------



## Samnell (May 26, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "What?  Bishop is being executed?"  Anika stares slack-jawed at the UN executive.  "I understand that he needs to be held responsible for what he did as a member of Pantheon, but he had nothing to do with this.  He realized Cardinal was crazy and left Pantheon.  In fact, he's helped us in our last couple of missions.  Why the hell is he being executed?"




"She's right. If what Bishop did wasn't worth executing him for then, there's no reason he should be getting an execution now. So we can look tough against the Pantheon? That's not worth it. We can get someone that's still with them. Someone that's actually done something lately. Pick somebody and send us after them."


----------



## Shalimar (May 26, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Ugh," Ryan says with a shudder. "Creepy. Who to bring? Me. You. Four Leaf here. Kiyana, if she's up for it. We're going to need to some kind of transport, and conventional travel will be grounded. Unless they're keeping James in some ruined bunker near town, I guess, but that's probably not going to happen. Gilden, Kal, and Aya are always handy to have around. Basically, whoever's available, willing, and competent."
> 
> "So where are the bad guys keeping him?"




"If you want transportation, why not just ask the UNJE?  Its not in their best interests to allow Pantheon to hold members of the UNJE teams hostage and they could probably provide more people to go with us.  Success is more important then ego so we should take as many people as we would need to give us good odds of it.  If they are holding him they have to be expecting some kind of rescue attempt.  Cardinal may be daft be she isn't stupid.  Get all of Legacy if you can, as I doubt they'll make it easy for us."


----------



## Aenion (May 28, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Bishop replies, “Thank you, I appreciate it.  I feel like there was still so much to say to her, and now, I wonder if I said enough.  But I know that she is in a better place, and her legacy will live on.  She never faltered in trying to do good.”




Karen nods, "I know what you mean, Kelly was like a little sister to me... She knew you loved her and she loved you back for it," she squeezes Bishop's arm, "She always tried no matter the consequences, the world will be a darker place without her. But we'll always a bit of her light inside us..."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 29, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "She's right. If what Bishop did wasn't worth executing him for then, there's no reason he should be getting an execution now. So we can look tough against the Pantheon? That's not worth it. We can get someone that's still with them. Someone that's actually done something lately. Pick somebody and send us after them."



Mrs. Obana looks taken aback, “Well I did not know that you would feel so strongly about sparing his life.  The fact of the matter of is he still a terrorist despite his most recent actions.  It was felt a strong public message against a public member of Pantheon would test well with most markets and show that we have a strong stance against elite terrorism.”

She pauses and puts a hand to her ear, as if listening.  She then gives the teens a professional smile, “Well perhaps we were hasty in moving to execute him then, it may be more prudent to simply keep him under our thumb so to speak.  As far as targets we find that the public isn’t too keen on the idea of young people used as violent enforcers.  The young people love it, especially the males ages 13 to 25, but overall it sends a poor message to the world populace.  We will be shifting the majority of your operations to a more peacekeeping and public service role.  The Justice Elite will be our premier anti-elite unit.”

*Cassie*

“Our abilities for whatever reason are inimical to each other, reducing the potency and raw power of abilities greatly.  I don’t have a good reason for why this is occurring.  It requires further study and experimentation… a luxury I don’t have at the moment.  Time is our enemy,” Cardinal replies.

“That is the best answer I can give you as to why.”

*Karen*

Bishop thinks on her words, “Her light will continue to glow in all of us.”

Jun Min smiles genuinely, “That was a sweet thing to say about Kelly, Karen.”

*Ryan & Clover*

“Mountains… in the mountains…” Sariyah looks at a map, “Iran… in the mountains.”  She points to a spot on the map, a mountain range separating Iraq from Iran.  “I can see him, he is alive.”

She comes back from the vision, “I saw him, and he is alive.  He is in some kind of tube with a liquid, there were others but they were hazy I can’t give you any details about that.  Do you think you can save him, that sounds dangerous, they will try to kill you won’t they?”

Tina grins, “We can only hope they will, or they wouldn’t be much of terrorist now would they?”  She then turns to Clover, “Sure you go ahead and get the UNJE to okay this little operation.”


----------



## Shalimar (May 29, 2007)

"Expecting them not to try to resist a rescue operation would be a bit niave, fatally so I think."  Clover says answering Sariyah.  "I doubt they think of themselves as terrorists so much as freedom fighters, though most freedom fighters aren't really fighting to enslave their opponets...either way dead is dead."

Looking at Tina for a moment after her...suggestion, Clover just shrugged, the other girl obviously expected that she wouldn't have the guts to do it, or didn't have the skill to convince the UNJE to ok the mission.  Self-doubt wasn't part of Clover's make up, but she wasn't particularly foolish either.  Her thoughts had run to having all of Legacy pull the mission instead of the 3 or 4 people Ryan and Tina were thinking.  If the UN said yes then Legacy could be the ones sent and they could maybe expect some back up so they'd probably pull it pff.  If the UN said no and sent in another team that would be fine too since the goal was getting back the kidnapped Legacy members.  The thing the red head worried about was that the UNwould say no and then not do anything feeling it was too risky, but she doubted that would happen.  Even if the UN wanted to leave James, she knew that Ryan and Tina probably would ignore the directive so nothing was really lost by asking.

"The request should probably come from a member of Legacy since you guys have a direct link to the people who'd approve your missions, that might actually help in getting it approved, though I'll ask them if you feel that would make them more likely to agree."   Clover said sounding neutral on the idea of her being the one to ask.


----------



## Agamon (May 29, 2007)

Anika would roll her eyes, but she's too flustered to even do that.  "What?  I didn't sign on to smile for cameras.  We've already proved ourselves time and again.  Have you seen what's going on out there?  PR is the last thing we need to worry about right now!  You suits need to get you heads out of your asses!" she spits angrily.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 29, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Our abilities for whatever reason are inimical to each other, reducing the potency and raw power of abilities greatly.  I don’t have a good reason for why this is occurring.  It requires further study and experimentation… a luxury I don’t have at the moment.  Time is our enemy,” Cardinal replies.
> 
> “That is the best answer I can give you as to why.”





Cassie nods thoughfully. "That is an interesting facet to your powers." She clearly has something on her mind. "Am I right to understand that you, Ryan and Overseer share some portion of the same powers?"


----------



## Samnell (May 29, 2007)

> She pauses and puts a hand to her ear, as if listening. She then gives the teens a professional smile, “Well perhaps we were hasty in moving to execute him then, it may be more prudent to simply keep him under our thumb so to speak. As far as targets we find that the public isn’t too keen on the idea of young people used as violent enforcers. The young people love it, especially the males ages 13 to 25, but overall it sends a poor message to the world populace. We will be shifting the majority of your operations to a more peacekeeping and public service role. The Justice Elite will be our premier anti-elite unit.”




"Peacekeeping? We've got regular soldiers for that. What the hell? We're doing good work. We don't need to be reassigned," Mark spat. "And if you bench us now it's only going to undermine confidence in us anyway. What's it say when we have a huge disaster and the UN wants to put its elites on baby kissing duty? There's more important work for us."

_If I want to smile for cameras, I can just phone Reebok._


----------



## Tokiwong (May 29, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie nods thoughfully. "That is an interesting facet to your powers." She clearly has something on her mind. "Am I right to understand that you, Ryan and Overseer share some portion of the same powers?"



“Interesting is not the word I would choose, but that will suffice,” Cardinal replies.  She listens to Cassie carefully before responding, “That is a complex question, and I don’t know what the truth of it would be.  To be honest I never conceived that my own power was not my own, but I had to rethink that hypothesis when I encountered Ryan for the first time at Eden, although encounter is a loose term.”

She closes her eyes, “Our abilities are linked but the truth of the matter is probably more complex then what we can conceive of.”

*Mark, Anika, and Gilden*

“Well Anika that is not my problem for what you believed you signed up for, this is the reality of the situation.  The UNJE is under intense scrutiny of our operations and assets.  Your abilities make each of you very dangerous elites, but this Institute was not created to create an army of elites to do our bidding despite the evidence to the contrary.  This facility was created to help young elites use their abilities in a safe and controlled manner.  After reviewing reports, student curriculum, and disciplinary actions over the last year and a half alone there are glaring deviations from policy,” Mrs. Obana replies her smile fading becoming replaced by poised and seasoned face of business.

“In short after this current situation is dealt with, this facility will be rebuilt and the majority of the support staff will be administratively separated.  It is obvious that there is too large an emphasis placed on using your abilities to cause violence more so then making you productive members of society at large.  This is a failing that we at the UNJE recognize,” she finishes.

“We understand that not all of our decisions you will agree with but your public face must show one of solidarity, also as leaders,” directing her statement to Mark and Anika in particular, “I expect you to lead the way with this paradigm shift.  We need one team all on the same page.  I expect you can handle this?”

*Ryan & Clover*

“I was joking,” she shakes her head at Clover, “I guess there wasn’t room in daddy’s boot camp for humor.”


----------



## Tokiwong (May 29, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "Peacekeeping? We've got regular soldiers for that. What the hell? We're doing good work. We don't need to be reassigned," Mark spat. "And if you bench us now it's only going to undermine confidence in us anyway. What's it say when we have a huge disaster and the UN wants to put its elites on baby kissing duty? There's more important work for us."
> 
> _If I want to smile for cameras, I can just phone Reebok._



"Like killing people?" Mrs. Obana retorts.


----------



## Agamon (May 29, 2007)

Anika calmed somewhat as Obana responded.  In truth, it's what she'd wanted for sometime now.  Legacy missions were too centered on violence, something she didn't like about the job.  There were other ways to use their powers to make the world better without always having to beat up a bad guy in the process.

She nodded in response, though reluctantly.  She still didn't like the idea of becoming a PR machine for the UN, but she'd follow orders, to at least see how it all would all turn out.  "Alright.  I understand that with what happened we need more than just people that bash heads.  Just so long as we're still doing important work."


----------



## Agamon (May 29, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> "Like killing people?" Mrs. Obana retorts.




"Hey, that's not fair.  We follow orders as best we can."  She looks at Mark.  "I'm sure there's something that we can do that falls somewere in between kissing babies and killing people."


----------



## Aenion (May 29, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Bishop thinks on her words, “Her light will continue to glow in all of us.”
> 
> Jun Min smiles genuinely, “That was a sweet thing to say about Kelly, Karen.”




"I'm going to miss her," Karen smiles sadly, but her gemlike eyes have regained their full brightness, " But it's like you told me, the world needs more people who are willing to just do the right thing. Not because they'll benefit from it but because everyone will, just like Kelly tried to."  _Even if her methods weren't always well thought through,_ she has to admit to herself, "I...I should go see how the others are doing," she squeezes Bishop's arm once more and then walks off towards the mess area, figuring that at least one of the others would be there.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 29, 2007)

"We really can't ask the UNJE, Clover. First of all, they ordered the team to hide in this little shelter despite the fact that we could be helping the rescue efforts in Cairo. They want us here, out of sight, for PR. Second, anyone with the authority to okay this mission is busy, and all the cool UNJE resources will be tied up to help lots of people, instead of helping just one. Third, the last time we had this kind of rescue thing, it ended up being a test for some new technology, which got some UN soldiers killed. Fourth, this needs to be about rescuing James, not making some kind of statement." As Ryan talks, he ticks off his points on the fingers of his hand. 

"Around here at least, it's better to ask for forgiveness than to seek permission. We can probably convince all the Legacy members plus a few other reliable people, so manpower is not an issue. In fact, with a UNJE authorized mission, assuming they approved it, it's more likely we'd have to leave the civilians behind. Convinced, Four Leaf?" _If not, I'm not going to waste any more time arguing.

And dear God, for being some sort of hyperaware Elite, she's not very good at detecting sarcasm. Who to bring? Me, Tina, Four Leaf, Legolas if he's not hiding in his love shack, Aya, Superboy...Karen? Anika wouldn't report us, so it's safe to ask her. Mark probably would. _

"Tina...I'm thinking the usual team, minus Mark. He's the UNJE poster boy, after all. And I'm not sure Karen would be the best, since...you know. Chicago."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 29, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Hey, that's not fair.  We follow orders as best we can."  She looks at Mark.  "I'm sure there's something that we can do that falls somewere in between kissing babies and killing people."



“It is an unfair question but one that would be poised of you by your critics.  There is no doubt that legacy is an effective and lethal fighting unit, despite your leadership shortcomings and lack of experience you have pulled off some impressive operations.  You are in the business of saving lives and making this world a better place, it’s my job to facilitate that and make sure that everything you do is a shining example of what our organization represents.  As much as we want to send your team to the disaster zones, there is unrest, there is violence in the wake of these attacks, nothing that you could not handle given your range of abilities and capabilities but we have to think of the baseline populations.  Many of them blame elites, good or bad, for the current situation,” she responds giving each teen equal face, meeting them with her eyes.

“I agree with Anika that we need to find the middle road between violent enforcer and _kissing babies_.  It is not our attention to turn you into a pure PR machine, but more as an example of what young and older elites should aspire to, moral upstanding examples of the world community, be they baseline or elite.  We want people to believe that any problem we face as a world community can be overcome by _human_ ingenuity, regardless of your actual capabilities.  The more we tap that violent aspect of your lives the more we, the UNJE as a whole, fear that you will effectively dehumanize yourselves in the eyes of the public.  At that point hasn’t Cardinal won?” Mrs. Obana asks the teens.

*Karen*

Karen enters the common area and sees several young people sitting about, most likely discussing the events of the day.  She spots Ryan though with Tina, and two young women she has not or at least does not recognize from the Institute.  Given the small student populace, that in and of itself makes the encounter a little peculiar.

*Ryan & Clover*

“Sounds good to me, how we getting to there,” Tina points to the map.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 29, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Sounds good to me, how we getting to there,” Tina points to the map.




"If we get Anika on board, she can open up a portal or three to get us there. If not, well, Iran isn't *that* far away. We could grab an aerodyne or something, if not." _Too bad none of us can fly one of those things._


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## Agamon (May 29, 2007)

"She's right, Mark," Anika concedes.  "Legacy wasn't created to whoop ass.  Sure, trouble has found us as much as we've found it, but the point is, we need to try and help set things right, and finding members of Pantheon is only a small part of that right now.  I hate how Cardinal is trying to turn this into 'us versus them', I don't think I'm any better than a baseline.  I sometimes wish I could be one again, in fact.

"But we need to believe this is the right thing to do before going to the rest of the team with it.  Because if we don't believe it, they sure won't."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Interesting is not the word I would choose, but that will suffice,” Cardinal replies.  She listens to Cassie carefully before responding, “That is a complex question, and I don’t know what the truth of it would be.  To be honest I never conceived that my own power was not my own, but I had to rethink that hypothesis when I encountered Ryan for the first time at Eden, although encounter is a loose term.”
> 
> She closes her eyes, “Our abilities are linked but the truth of the matter is probably more complex then what we can conceive of.”





"The reason I asked was that if you two interfer with one another on some intrinsic level that you could perhaps do the same with Overseer." Cassie says calmly. "That could be of a great tactical value, though I cannot see how to verify it before a final confrontation."


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## Shalimar (May 30, 2007)

Clover just shrugs, any previous orders were naturally outside of her knowledge, she had thought that was so obvious it hadn't needed to be pointed out to them, then again they were the product of the Yank school system.  "I was aware of the sarcasm, but without knowing about Legacy being ordered back here it seemed like a valid suggestion."  the British girl said sounding unperturbed by the pricklishness of the pair.

Well, this place is a school, not a military base so asking forgiveness would probably work, though she did find it slightly objectionable that Legacy would disregard orders so easily.  Then again the orders weren't specifically with regards to retreiving James, and retreiving a member of the team should have the highest priority.  Besides she wasn't a member of Legacy so the orders to Legacy weren't binding on her, even if they weren't wuestionable in this situation.

"Can you narrow down where in the mountains it is?  Or anything more about the facility itself?" she asks Sariyah, thinking about what she knows is going on in Iraq and Iran at the moment, and just how they look at Elites overall.

(OOC: Knowledge Civics and a Knowledge Current Events check I guess?  Looking for background information, she'll most likely look up news on Iran and Iraq when/if she gets a chance to go online.)


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## Mimic (May 30, 2007)

"I would have to agree with Mrs. Obana as well, there are more ways to help then through direct conflict, although I don't think that all of our members will feel that way." Gilden adds in to the conversation.


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## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> "I would have to agree with Mrs. Obana as well, there are more ways to help then through direct conflict, although I don't think that all of our members will feel that way." Gilden adds in to the conversation.




"Yeah, I already thought of that.  They're on a team, though, and they need to play by the rules or not play at all," Anika says.


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## Samnell (May 30, 2007)

Anger turned to embarrassment. _Why do I screw up every time I try to stand up for something? We've been doing the right thing. This is stupid._

Mark kept most of the shock off his face when Anika took the UN's side. "Fine, ok. I can live a more normal life for a while. We've earned it. I thought we were being taken completely off the lines. This is different."

Mark looked at a spot somewhere between Obana and Anika. "I guess we're done here, then. I need- uh, I've got some calls to make. Water to find," he half-muttered. _Not that I have anything to wear in it._

His excuses made, Mark wasted no time finding as private a place as he could. He sat down in a corner and pulled his legs up, staring at his knees for a moment before digging out his phone and calling Star.


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## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

Anika watches Mark leave.  She wanted to say something but bit her tongue, letting him leave.  "Great, so much for that," she says.  "Mark obviously doesn't really agree with this and like Gilden says, there will be others that won't even pay it lip service.  Ryan and Tina, in particular.  I can almost guarantee that those two at least will leave the team to do their own thing."


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## Aenion (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Karen enters the common area and sees several young people sitting about, most likely discussing the events of the day.  She spots Ryan though with Tina, and two young women she has not or at least does not recognize from the Institute.  Given the small student populace, that in and of itself makes the encounter a little peculiar.




_Oh great..._ Karen thinks when she spots Ryan and Tina, those two weren't really the people she wanted to be around right now, but she was a bit curious about the two strangers, she didn't think she met them before, "Uhm hey Ryan, Tina ... Have you seen Anika around?"


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## Hammerhead (May 30, 2007)

"You know," Ryan says off-handedly to Tina, "I'm beginning to think I'm not the popular one." _Christ, do I have a sign or something that says I know where she is? I wonder why she wants to find Anika anyways._

"I suppose you could ask Sariyah, but it would kind of be a waste of her talents. Sorry, but I don't know. I was just about to go looking for her myself." Ryan pauses, biting his lip. "Karen...are you okay?" _If it happened to Cleveland, I know I wouldn't be. I would be in a murderous rage or something. Losing pretty much everyone you know like that..._


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## Aenion (May 30, 2007)

"I'm fine...I think... M-maybe not ... I haven't heard anything from my family yet. They're not on any of the lists... No news is good news right?" Karen replies with a sad but hopeful look. Jun-Min had said Sariyah could find anyone, maybe she'd be able to find her family, "Sariyah? You can find anyone right? Could you do me a favor? Cou- could you try to find my family? They... they should be in Chicago," she asks uncertainly, _Do I really want to know?_


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## Tokiwong (May 30, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika watches Mark leave.  She wanted to say something but bit her tongue, letting him leave.  "Great, so much for that," she says.  "Mark obviously doesn't really agree with this and like Gilden says, there will be others that won't even pay it lip service.  Ryan and Tina, in particular.  I can almost guarantee that those two at least will leave the team to do their own thing."



“I agree, perhaps with careful positioning of the situation we could reach them, but I doubt it is worth trying to salvage.   Our only concern is to keep Ryan accessible as a consultant when it comes to Overseer,” she says pausing to think on her words.

“We still consider him to be a credible threat but we also have to focus on events more close to home, but take some time to think on it.  Give Mark some time to think about it,” she stands adding a professional smile, “Once things have cooled down in Cairo, and expect to be headed that way.”

She turns to Gilden, “I can’t wait to see your progress on the spell; it could become critical to our developing strategy.  Good luck.”

She leaves.

SARAH speaks aloud, “Anika, both Karen and Ryan are looking for you, they are currently in the common hall in the mess area.  Might I add that I do not think you are a stick-girl.”

*Mark*

After a single ring Star answers her line, “Mark?  How are you, you had to leave pretty quickly is the team mobilizing?”

*Clover, Karen, and Ryan*

Tina hakes her head, “SARAH where is Anika?”

SARAH replies, “Anika is in a meeting, or she was it seems to have concluded, shall I message her?”

“Yeah tell her Karen is looking for her, and Ryan as well, hell just tell her to come see us at her earliest convenience,” Tina responds.

SARAH complies, “Of course.”

“There stick-girl should be on her way,” Tina says to the gathered group.

Sariyah turns to Clover, “I would need a better map, I suppose but I could but my power… ability does not work that way.  I can just see the person everything else is sort of hazy, but I know exactly where they are in relation to myself… if that makes sense.”

After Karen voices her concern, “Yes of course I could!  I am so sorry, let me find them… I can try… I want to help!”

*Cassie*

“Even if that is the case we can’t count on that unless you have encountered Overseer before.  I would be hard pressed to believe that you would survive such an encounter unless he chose to allow you to live, in which case he does not see you as a threat to begin with,” Cardinal replies.


----------



## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

"Thanks SARAH," Anika says, adding with a smile, "S'okay, the stick-girl thing doesn't bug me much anymore, but I appreciate the observation."

"Let me know when you're ready to get started with the spell, that's our top priority right now.  I'm interested in how this thing will work," she tells Gilden.  "I better go find out why I'm so popular."
She then makes her way back to the common area and finds her teamamtes.  "Hey, what's up?"


----------



## Aenion (May 30, 2007)

Karen rolls her pupilless eyes at Tina's need to insult Anika, she ignores her for the most part and focuses her full attention on Sariyah, "You...you really can? What do I need to do?"


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Even if that is the case we can’t count on that unless you have encountered Overseer before.  I would be hard pressed to believe that you would survive such an encounter unless he chose to allow you to live, in which case he does not see you as a threat to begin with,” Cardinal replies.





"True enough." Cassie admits, "But it wasn't my power I was discussing. If I can borrow an analogy, you and Ryan work on the same frequency but out of synch with each other." She draws two sine waves out, each alternating with the other. "So you and he are cancelling out each other, at least partially. The converse of figuring how to interfer with Overseer would be to see if you two could be in synch. Two of you working together might be stronger than Overseer if that is the case." She sighs and shurgs. "A shame that this idea only came up now, too late most likely."

She looks at her meal for a long while as she thinks. "Do you belive that I am the reincarnation of Hope?" she asks after a while.


----------



## Tokiwong (May 30, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "True enough." Cassie admits, "But it wasn't my power I was discussing. If I can borrow an analogy, you and Ryan work on the same frequency but out of synch with each other." She draws two sine waves out, each alternating with the other. "So you and he are cancelling out each other, at least partially. The converse of figuring how to interfer with Overseer would be to see if you two could be in synch. Two of you working together might be stronger than Overseer if that is the case." She sighs and shurgs. "A shame that this idea only came up now, too late most likely."



"The idea has merit," she admits.


			
				KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> She looks at her meal for a long while as she thinks. "Do you belive that I am the reincarnation of Hope?" she asks after a while.



"I don't believe in hope," Cardinal responds.

*Karen*

“I can, I can do it, I just have to pull the memories from your mind; I guess it isn’t a pleasant experience but I can do that.  I can find them, I know I can,” Ryan can see that Sariyah seems more eager to use her abilities, armed with the knowledge that they do work.

Tina adds, “She found James.”

_Oops I forgot this in my last post for *Clover*, but that region is unstable politically.  Iraq is a democratic state on paper but is controlled by varying Islamic fundamentalist groups vying for power.  Iran is a divided extremist state with very anti-elite views on one side and a pro-elite religious movement on the other, and both nations are in constant conflict.  That coupled with the once American-led peace keeping forces, now replaced by UN forces leads to daily violence and conflict.  In short the region is a powder-keg, perhaps even more so after the attacks._


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## Mimic (May 30, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Let me know when you're ready to get started with the spell, that's our top priority right now.  I'm interested in how this thing will work," she tells Gilden.




"As am I," Gilden replied, more worried then he let on. Spells of this magnitude were difficult at the best of times and performed only by the top achmagi, something he was definately not. Especially considering that he was going to be fundamentally changing time and space, so much could go wrong. There was a good chance that he could make things worse then they are now. Part of him wondered if he had done the right thing in telling them about it.

As Anika walked away he was going to warn her not to mention this meeting to anyone but he figured she already knew that, it would get out sooner or later though. The fall out from both decisions weren't going to be pretty.

"Sarah, were is Gadget?" He asked as he took a round about way to the cafeteria, he didn't want to become involved with what ever they wanted Anika for, he gathered up some food, enough for two people, and headed to where ever the pink haired girl was. If she wasn't going to stop to get food then the food will just have to come to her and for the first time in a while he smiled.


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## KaintheSeeker (May 30, 2007)

*Cassie* 

"Then why seek me out? You're already a paradox and you don't really need a lightly powered supersoldier." Cassie asks curiously. "My state as a paradox is only of marginal use if you're already one and we both know my talents as an Elite are only marginal at best."


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## Aenion (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> “I can, I can do it, I just have to pull the memories from your mind; I guess it isn’t a pleasant experience but I can do that.  I can find them, I know I can,” Ryan can see that Sariyah seems more eager to use her abilities, armed with the knowledge that they do work.
> 
> Tina adds, “She found James.”




"You did? So I have to let you into my head?" Karen asks, seeming to get second thoughts for a moment, she didn't like the idea of someone snooping around in her thoughts and memories. But the chance to find out anything about her family was too big to let it pass by, "Go ahead I guess..."


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## Tokiwong (May 30, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "You did? So I have to let you into my head?" Karen asks, seeming to get second thoughts for a moment, she didn't like the idea of someone snooping around in her thoughts and memories. But the chance to find out anything about her family was too big to let it pass by, "Go ahead I guess..."



Sariyah nods, and then Karen feels a prickly sensation just under the skin of her face, a tingling of the skin as if something is crawling there.  Sariyah is in her head, and pulls out the images she needs to find her family…

Sariyah then closes her eyes, “I need some time to find them… okay?”

Tina turns to Karen, “She will find them.”

*Cassie*

“Because I believe that it will take more then just brute force to win this conflict.  Overseer will not only attack us directly he will work to undermine every institution we have.  He will attack our will, our bodies, and our souls.  Mankind is weak, we have to break them to deny him a resource.  The fact that I cannot see you, that fact alone is important,” Cardinal replies.

*Gilden*

SARAH directs Gilden to the control center of the underground complex.  Several engineers, scientists, and support personnel are scrambling about working away furiously.  The central hub is abuzz with activity as several technicians monitor several video feeds from around the world.  Two UNJE Field Agents stand outside the control center in full warp armor.

The ceiling has several panels’ opens with cables of varying lengths and thickness hanging down like a jungle of technological vines.  Gadget pokes her head down, suspended by the very same cables in the ceiling.  She sighs speaking to a technician, “Looks like we got some issues with the main power conduits, going to have some issues in the expansions wings until I can sort it out.  My poor babies will be all cold and alone out there.”

SARAH replies, “Gilden is here, and I am not sure what you mean by poor, the power grid is working well under limits with a peak of 82.1% efficiency.”

“Unacceptable, nothing but the best for my babies, I demand at least 90%, I want  a total breakdown of- wait did you say Gilden is here… where?” Gadget quips


“Behind you.”

Gadget turns around and adjusts her glasses hanging upside down, but now eye level with Gilden.  She has grease stains on her overalls, and smudges on her face, she squeals with surprise seeing him there, “You scared me!  What are you doing here?”


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## Hammerhead (May 30, 2007)

"So what was the meeting about?" Ryan asks Anika nonchalantly, putting his hands in his pockets. "The UNJE counterattack against Pantheon? Is it urgent? If not, we've got something to do."

"James was kidnapped by Pantheon during the attack. Sariyah found him. We want to go in and bring him back. Since the UNJE thinks we're children, we're just going to have to break curfew, sneak out the window, open up a portal, and conduct a daring commando raid on their hidden base. Karen, if you're feeling up to it, we want you to come along too."

"And I don't think we need to mention this to anyone who isn't part of this little gathering, plus the Teen Titans. You guys in or out?"


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## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

"You found James?" Anika asks, surprised.  She watches the new girl concentrate and speak with Karen.  It takes her a few moments to clue in on what's going.  She puts a hand on Karen's shoulder.  "I really hope your family is okay, Karen."  She had told her own family to leave Stockholm a few weeks ago.  Maybe this new girl could help her locate them, as well.  Hopefully they stayed away from the troubled areas...that wasn't a great thought.  She took a deep breath and refocused.  Odds were good that they were safe.

"So, where's James?"


----------



## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "So what was the meeting about?" Ryan asks Anika nonchalantly, putting his hands in his pockets. "The UNJE counterattack against Pantheon? Is it urgent? If not, we've got something to do."
> 
> "James was kidnapped by Pantheon during the attack. Sariyah found him. We want to go in and bring him back. Since the UNJE thinks we're children, we're just going to have to break curfew, sneak out the window, open up a portal, and conduct a daring commando raid on their hidden base. Karen, if you're feeling up to it, we want you to come along too."
> 
> "And I don't think we need to mention this to anyone who isn't part of this little gathering, plus the Teen Titans. You guys in or out?"




"Um, you want to break the rules, so you tell me?  You still don't take me seriously as a leader, do you?" Anika says, not impressed.  "Look, the fact of the matter is, we're a UN sponsored team, and we need to follow the UN's rules.  Now James is one of us, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let Pantheon have him, especially if we know where he is.  But I need to run this through official channels.  There's enough chaos out there without us adding to it."

Anika sighs, thinking about how such a request will likely go.


----------



## Hammerhead (May 30, 2007)

"Evidently not," Ryan says with a shrug. "That doesn't mean I don't take you seriously as a person." _When you start signing my paychecks, then we'll talk._

"The fact of the matter is that the chaos out there means the UNJE will get in our way if we try and help James. They don't want us doing anything...it's why we're stuck here instead of in Cairo. But you already knew that. Since when did you need the government's permission the save the life of a friend?" _If this is what being Legacy's number two is, I'm glad I got passed over._

"The real question here is whether or not you're going to act as Anika the co-leader of Legacy, or Anika the priestess of Odin and Thor. Me, I'm betting that you'll end up acting as a decent human being. If you're not going to go with us, you could at least help us get there with a portal." _I never thought I'd *want* Anika to act like a crazy pagan. Who knew? _


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## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

"Why would the UN not care about James?  He's still a member of our team, and Pantheon wants him for some reason, so it's that much more important that we get him back.  Why is it such a big deal that we do this the way we've done most of our other missions, the way we're supposed to?"  Now obviously wasn't a good time to bring up what Mrs. Obana had told her, but if they wouldn't let them at least rescue their friend before instituting their lighter duties, then they could have her spot on the team.  "Look, I'll okay this with one person, and we'll make it official instead of some sneak-out-the-window-in-the-middle-of-the-night mission.  And if it's not okayed...well, I'm not letting them have James any longer then they already have."


----------



## Aenion (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Sariyah nods, and then Karen feels a prickly sensation just under the skin of her face, a tingling of the skin as if something is crawling there.  Sariyah is in her head, and pulls out the images she needs to find her family…
> 
> Sariyah then closes her eyes, “I need some time to find them… okay?”
> 
> Tina turns to Karen, “She will find them.”




Instinctively Karen takes a step back at the tingly sensation under her skin, she catches herself and forces herself to stay put, "Th-thank you," Karen says, her shoulders sag a bit at the news that it wasn't instantaneous, but she hides her disappointment quickly and forces a smile, "I hope so," she replies to Anika.

She hadn't paid much attention to Ryan's and Anika's conversation, she was too preoccupied with Sariyah's search. Until she hears Ryan mention her name, "Uhm? Yes, of course I'd like to help, but I agree with Anika, we should at least try to get the UN's support."


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## Hammerhead (May 30, 2007)

Ryan rolls his eyes dismissively. "Of course. The UN cares about James, but not about the hundreds of people we could help in Cairo, which is far less dangerous than some Pantheon fortress in Iran. And when whichever daycare counselor in charge here says no, you're going to ignore *that* order, which specifically relates to you going and has no deniability." 

Ryan frowns, staring down at Anika. "Just like you're ignoring the fact that, you know, we've kind of taken you into confidence about this. But hey, feel free to ignore that all you want."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Because I believe that it will take more then just brute force to win this conflict.  Overseer will not only attack us directly he will work to undermine every institution we have.  He will attack our will, our bodies, and our souls.  Mankind is weak, we have to break them to deny him a resource.  The fact that I cannot see you, that fact alone is important,” Cardinal replies.




"I disagree about the first, breaking an ally or at least a force opposing our target isn't a sound tactic, but that isn't anything we can fix now. Your actions, which are foolish in my opinion are done and now we must suffer the consequences." Cassie says as she finishes her meal. "Now, what do you have planed for me? I am curious, though I hope you'll at least allow me to pursue the investigation into my past. Jun Min was reluctant to explore further into my mind after Chance's first appearence, but mental defenses that strong point to something repressed or hidden. Even if I am not some lost reincarnation of an Eternal, I want to know my past."


----------



## Mimic (May 30, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> She has grease stains on her overalls, and smudges on her face, she squeals with surprise seeing him there, “You scared me!  What are you doing here?”




Gilden's smile gets bigger as looks at Gadget hanging upside down from the ceiling, somethings never change and in this case it was a good thing."I came to see you, I assumed that you probably haven't eaten in some time so I brought some food with me. Unfortunately,"  he says looking around at the other people, "I only have enough for the two of us. I didn't realise how many people would be here."


----------



## Tokiwong (May 30, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden's smile gets bigger as looks at Gadget hanging upside down from the ceiling, somethings never change and in this case it was a good thing."I came to see you, I assumed that you probably haven't eaten in some time so I brought some food with me. Unfortunately,"  he says looking around at the other people, "I only have enough for the two of us. I didn't realise how many people would be here."



“Oh what a sweetheart,” Gadget replies.

Her head and upper torso disappear up into the ceiling’s tangle of cables.  A moment later she drops down from another open panel, carefully landing on her feet.  She adjusts her glasses, “How did you know I hadn’t eaten?  Okay I guess we can use a break, take fifteen minutes and then we get back work!”

The crew relaxes visibly some continue working, others lean back in their chairs closing their eyes and some stumble off to get some much needed nourishment.  Gadget is already tinkering with a control oblivious to the self imposed break, “SARAH keeps telling me I need to take a break, but I am pretty sure that there is so much work to be done, we can’t possibly stop now.  Don’t you think?  Plus Paragon wants this control center secure and fully operational… it is secure… it is operational… but it could stand to use a little more tweaking.  I mean look at this,” she gestures to the now open panel exposing the vital electronics underneath.

“It’s like they don’t even care about my poor babies,” she sighs looking wistful, “What have they been doing to them?  Wait did you bring me food?”

*Cassie*

Cardinal stands, “Humanity as our ally?  Humanity is many things, a tool, a source of cheap expendable labor, and perhaps even fodder; but they are not our allies.  They were planning to exterminate us, if our numbers became too numerous.  Their need for self-preservation far exceeds any other desire.”

“Do you believe in destiny?” she asks. 

*Ryan, Clover, Anika, and Karen*

Tina looks at the interplay between Ryan and Anika and throws in her two cents, “We want to help James, and you want to help James.  But you are the boss, so if you want to do things the _legal_ way then I am all for it, as long as you can promise results.”

Sariyah looks up, “I found them… they are not in Chicago,” she looks at the map running her fingers across the states, pointing to where some relatives live.  Sariyah points, “Right here…”

_I will allow Karen to pick where said relatives live…_


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## Agamon (May 30, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan rolls his eyes dismissively. "Of course. The UN cares about James, but not about the hundreds of people we could help in Cairo, which is far less dangerous than some Pantheon fortress in Iran. And when whichever daycare counselor in charge here says no, you're going to ignore *that* order, which specifically relates to you going and has no deniability."
> 
> Ryan frowns, staring down at Anika. "Just like you're ignoring the fact that, you know, we've kind of taken you into confidence about this. But hey, feel free to ignore that all you want."




"And who's problem is that?" Anika says defensively.  "Going to Cairo would be a public mission, getting James isn't, that's a big difference, trust me.  Besides, if we all openly defy orders, we're in trouble.  I'm sure there are a lot of elites that are willing to do whatever they ask for the money they pay, so I'm sure they'll just tell us adios.  However, if we at least ask if we can go, there's that possibilty that they'll let us go.  If not, we get to tell them adios ourselves and then they can't tell us what we can or can't do.

"And having the UN to back us up in case we get in over our heads isn't a bad thing," she adds.



> Tina looks at the interplay between Ryan and Anika and throws in her two cents, “We want to help James, and you want to help James. But you are the boss, so if you want to do things the legal way then I am all for it, as long as you can promise results.”




"My teleport spell works just as well no matter what a UN suit tells me, so no worries there." she replies to Tina.



> Sariyah looks up, “I found them… they are not in Chicago,” she looks at the map running her fingers across the states, pointing to where some relatives live. Sariyah points, “Right here…”




Anika beams at the news about Karen's family.  "Alright, hey, you're better than MapQuest,"  she quips.  "I'm Anika, by the way," she tells the girl, offering her hand.  "You wouldn't happen to want to take any other requests, would you?"


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## Shalimar (May 30, 2007)

Clover watched queitly as Anika and Ryan argued back and forth about getting authorization for the mission.  She agreed more with Anika's arguement but whichever way it turned out she would be happy to help if she was allowed to, and that wasn't really a given.  The UNJE had no reason to allow her to accompany them, she wasn't a part of the team and even if she was put onto the team immediately an extremely valid arguement could be made not to include her until some training exercises were run to get all of Legacy to Jell since the roster seemed to be continually changing.

"Getting possible backup from UN forces in Iraq if its needed would be worthwhile.  That area is retty much a keg just looking for a spark what with half the area hatin on elites and the other half luvin us."   she finally comments.  Going back to listening she watches Sariyah use her owers to try to find the crystal girl's family paying particular attention to the flow of energy through her body.

OOC:  I fixed an earlier typo on clover's sheet, she can copy 20pp worth of powers not 25pp.  If Sariyah's an elite she can copy 20pps worth of powers of my choosing.  She'll use the powers to ook for her family.  They'd theoretically be in some embassy or other.


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## Hammerhead (May 30, 2007)

"Don't be so dramatic. No one in the UNJE is going to fire me...between Overseer and Pantheon, they can't. Not that they would for going on some little private rescue mission. And maybe you didn't notice this, but we're kind of the best this school has...so unless they want us to get our asses kicked all the time like Justice Elite Beta, they're kind of stuck with the talent."

_Mapquest. I was going to make that Sariyah's new nickname too. I can't use it now. That would be too unoriginal. Although seriously Anika, I'm not going to forget this. Now despite the fact that I asked you not to, and gave you a fairly convincing reason, and that this was my idea, Anika Knows Best decided to swoop in and involve the UN. In the future, I'll have to remember that you're just as unreliable as Mark.

I never would have called Paragon a suit. Therefore, the suit is whoever the hell she was meeting with earlier. And apparently during this meeting there's some kind of problem with us getting publicity. And we've never worried about getting replaced before, so it's possible that this meeting discussed that. _ Ryan smirks bitterly._And now Anika is placing following the rules above friendship._

"While you call your boss, why don't you tell us what that meeting was about?"


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## Hammerhead (May 31, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "Getting possible backup from UN forces in Iraq if its needed would be worthwhile.  That area is retty much a keg just looking for a spark what with half the area hatin on elites and the other half luvin us."   she finally comments.




"Is it? I really only pay attention to the sports scores. But that's an equally strong argument why any kind of official UN mission is off-limits...why risk further destabilization?"


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## Shalimar (May 31, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Is it? I really only pay attention to the sports scores. But that's an equally strong argument why any kind of official UN mission is off-limits...why risk further destabilization?"




Clover smiles indulgently at the joke, she hoped it was a joke, planning something and not knowing what was going on in the area was a good way to get blindsided, especially an area with high sentiments on both sides.  As to his pointing out that it was a reason why an official mission would be a bad idea, that was faulty thought, but there was no need to point that out.  Elites acting on their own could run into major trouble depending on which side of the border it was, but acting as members of the UN it shouldn't be an issue especially going against Pantheon in a UN member nation.


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## Tokiwong (May 31, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> OOC:  I fixed an earlier typo on clover's sheet, she can copy 20pp worth of powers not 25pp.  If Sariyah's an elite she can copy 20pps worth of powers of my choosing.  She'll use the powers to ook for her family.  They'd theoretically be in some embassy or other.



_To be honest I have not actually statted her powers up in any realistic way... so yeah... umm lets skip that for now._


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## KaintheSeeker (May 31, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie looks thoughtful for a moment, a line from a movie she had watched with Yoshi comes to mind. "There is no fate but what we make." she says simply. "We make our own fate/destiny/karma whatever you call it."


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## Samnell (May 31, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Mark*
> 
> After a single ring Star answers her line, “Mark?  How are you, you had to leave pretty quickly is the team mobilizing?”




"Uh, no," Mark told the phone as he curled farther into the corner, "I think I just got myself fired. Or suspended. Whatever."


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## Agamon (May 31, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Don't be so dramatic. No one in the UNJE is going to fire me...between Overseer and Pantheon, they can't. Not that they would for going on some little private rescue mission. And maybe you didn't notice this, but we're kind of the best this school has...so unless they want us to get our asses kicked all the time like Justice Elite Beta, they're kind of stuck with the talent."
> 
> "While you call your boss, why don't you tell us what that meeting was about?"




"Okay, so let's see if I've got this straight.  We can do whatever the hell we want, but that's okay, because we're just that damn good.  Gotcha," Anika says shaking her head.  "And even if they don't fire you, they'll do something about it, they won't let you get away with murder just because you're Ryan.

"What was the meeting about?  Here's a clue.  Go and do this without the UN's consent and we'll see how valuable to the team they think you are.  Honestly, what's the problem?  I think we all agree that if they don't let us go, we'll quit.  And wouldn't that make a nice headline in tomorrow's paper?  Of course they'll let us go.  James isn't just a friend, he's one of us.  They drilled the idea of team into us, they can't really think we'll just forget about him.  

"So why do you have to be all sneaky?  What's the point?"  She looks at everyone else.  "If the rest of you really think Ryan's way is best, then fine, go ahead, I won't stop you.  But I really think the reason they haven't let us go get him yet is because they don't know that we know where he is."  Anika knew that last part may not have been totally true, but she still believed her point.  They'll let them go.  Or they'd better.


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## Aenion (May 31, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Ryan, Clover, Anika, and Karen*
> 
> Tina looks at the interplay between Ryan and Anika and throws in her two cents, “We want to help James, and you want to help James.  But you are the boss, so if you want to do things the _legal_ way then I am all for it, as long as you can promise results.”
> 
> ...




"Oh thank god! They're at gran's in Bloomington," Karen beams with relief. She gives Sariyah a hug, easily lifting the other young woman of the ground, "Thank you! Thank you!"

"I'm with you Anika, I'd like to know where we stand with the UN before we burn our bridges behind us," she adds in, "Why risk alienating them by running off on a secret mission? The least we can do is ask them, saving James will be a lot easier to pull off with their help than without. I'm pretty sure Paragon already tagged my name with that Bishop-thing. I'd prefer not to make it any worse if I can help it."


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## Hammerhead (May 31, 2007)

_Gosh, good thing I haven't committed any murders in a while,_ Ryan thinks, staring daggers at Anika. _And I seem to recall Mr. McCallister grilling the idea of a team into us...you know, the same guy who the UN later accused of being a member of Pantheon? I guess Anika must have been asleep during the lecture that talked about how attacking your teammates was wrong. At least I remember hearing that. And considering how dangerous I am, this must mean that the UN is playing public relations instead of preparing for war. In a war against Pantheon, I'd be the best one on the team. Damn it._

Ryan desired to throw his thoughts right in Anika's face, but he knew nothing would convince that self-righteous wannabe on an ego trip. "Yoshi got away with it. But hey, let's go back to whoever's office, get the rest of the team in there, and see what happens. SARAH," Ryan says, glancing up at the ceiling. "Could you please ask Mark, Gilden, Aya, Kiyana, and Kal to assemble in...whoever-is-in-charge's office? Thanks, and nice to have you back, by the way." 

_The vote was a foregone conclusion. Me and Tina vote no, Anika and Karen vote yes, sadly no one really cares what Clover and Sariyah think because they're so new, and they don't want to start by upsetting authority._


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## Aenion (May 31, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan desired to throw his thoughts right in Anika's face, but he knew nothing would convince that self-righteous wannabe on an ego trip. "Yoshi got away with it. But hey, let's go back to whoever's office, get the rest of the team in there, and see what happens. SARAH," Ryan says, glancing up at the ceiling. "Could you please ask Mark, Gilden, Aya, Kiyana, and Kal to assemble in...whoever-is-in-charge's office? Thanks, and nice to have you back, by the way."




"Yoshi got away with it? Maybe Yoshi managed to pull off that little stunt then, but if it hadn't worked, he would've been the one needing rescue. If any of us get hurt, get captured or, god help us, die without the UN's backing, no one's gonna come rescue us. I will go through with this if the UN supports us or not, but I'd like to at least try to get their support first," Karen defends Anika's concerns. She interrupts Ryan when he lists the people SARAH needs to contact, "Kal's still in Verona, in a hospital bed..." _He'd better be anyway._


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## Tokiwong (May 31, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Yoshi got away with it? Maybe Yoshi managed to pull off that little stunt then, but if it hadn't worked, he would've been the one needing rescue. If any of us get hurt, get captured or, god help us, die without the UN's backing, no one's gonna come rescue us. I will go through with this if the UN supports us or not, but I'd like to at least try to get their support first," Karen defends Anika's concerns. She interrupts Ryan when he lists the people SARAH needs to contact, "Kal's still in Verona, in a hospital bed..." _He'd better be anyway._



Sariyah adds, “This sounds dangerous maybe we should ask for help… I don’t know how you do things but all this talk about death scares me just a little… it does not scare you?”

Tina stays silent, watching the argument.

*Mark*

Star replies in the phone, “Got fired?  What happened?”

*Cassie*

“Terminator,” Cardinal replies, “a good film.  I like the second as well.  Not so much the third.  Tell me about this Red Witch.”


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## KaintheSeeker (May 31, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie shrugs. "It was one of Yoshi's favorites." she says and starts going though what she knew from the meager breifings on the Red Witch she had been in on, what she had seen in her fights with the villan and finally what her last encounter had been like. "All in all, possibly the most unpleasant being I've ever met."


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## Tokiwong (May 31, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cassie shrugs. "It was one of Yoshi's favorites." she says and starts going though what she knew from the meager breifings on the Red Witch she had been in on, what she had seen in her fights with the villan and finally what her last encounter had been like. "All in all, possibly the most unpleasant being I've ever met."



 "And yet you called me worst then Hitler," Cardinal replies.


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## Agamon (May 31, 2007)

_"I swear to the gods, if I said the sky was blue, Ryan would start arguing with me about how it's green.  How infuriating,"_ Anika thinks as she glares right back at him.

"Our new contact's name is Mrs. Obana.  And as much as I appreciate you wanting to do this all together, we might get better results if it's just Mark and I.  Speaking of which, I guess you were going to do this without even asking Mark?"  Anika sighs.  "Ryan..."  She pauses, at a loss for words.  "Let me talk to her, and we can just get on with this, okay?"


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## Mimic (May 31, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “How did you know I hadn’t eaten?  Okay I guess we can use a break, take fifteen minutes and then we get back work!”




"Because if the situation was reverse and it was me with a mystical problem, I wouldn't have eaten anything yet. Our ways may be different but we are similar in other ways." He replies as he pushes up her glasses that had slipped down nose again.



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “SARAH keeps telling me I need to take a break, but I am pretty sure that there is so much work to be done, we can’t possibly stop now.  Don’t you think?  Plus Paragon wants this control center secure and fully operational… it is secure… it is operational… but it could stand to use a little more tweaking.  I mean look at this,” she gestures to the now open panel exposing the vital electronics underneath.




"You will not achieve much by pushing your self and your team to the point of exhaustion Gadget. There is a lot to do but you can't do it all yourself. There are others that can and will help. I know you want to help, you are a kind and caring person but you need to take some time off for yourself." He says looking at the open panel not really knowing what she was trying to show him



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “It’s like they don’t even care about my poor babies,” she sighs looking wistful, “What have they been doing to them?  Wait did you bring me food?”




"Yes, I did," he says hesitantly, not sure if he had upset her some how. "I got some food from the cafeteria, I thought maybe we could relax and enjoy each others company."


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## KaintheSeeker (May 31, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> "And yet you called me worst then Hitler," Cardinal replies.





"Casual indifference and the apparent inability to take anything but the most expident route to your goals without any concern about how much you're harming the Elite's status in the world doesn't make you Ghandi." Cassie retorts back. "Elites are indivigually powerful, but we're not invulnerble. Kelly ran into a faction inside the US who found a way to negate our powers. They have numbers and while they might not be as intelligent as some of the smarter Elites they can be quite innovative when pushed. And despite our mutual foe, I do consider you dangerous and unstable at times."


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## Samnell (May 31, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Star replies in the phone, “Got fired?  What happened?”




"I guess the new plan for us is to do a lot of appearances and pretty much no missions. We're supposed to- I don't know. I told them I thought that was a stupid idea. Then the new lady from the UN yelled at me and Anika decided the new plan was a good idea too."

"I gave up on arguing it and said I'd go along, but I don't know. I like PR stuff, but how can we be doing that now? It's stupid."


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## Hammerhead (May 31, 2007)

"I think everyone here deserves to be at the meeting with Mrs. Obana. I mean, why not? I promise I won't be rude," Ryan says with a smile. "Besides, I want to meet my new boss." _And I'll be able to translate the BS if she starts saying how 'While rescuing James is an admirable goal, we already have assets in place, political considerations, blah blah blah blah._


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## Agamon (Jun 1, 2007)

_"Yeah, right.  Not rude, that'd be cause for a celebration,"_ Anika thinks.  _"Dammit, they'll start getting suspicious if I insist.  I really, really hate this position I've been put in."_

"Fine.  SARAH?  Can you give me the location of Mrs. Obana and tell her that I and few of my teammates would like to speak with her?" she asks the helpful computer.


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## Shalimar (Jun 1, 2007)

"Does Legacy get along with each other better when your out in the field?"   Clover asks mildly when Anika caves in and agrees to take everyone to see the new boss.  Teasing and pulling each other up short is one thing but if they always argue this much its a wonder the whole bloody mess of them haven't been wiped out by a flaming scout troop.  Its not a military unit, but it is a paramilitary one with a clear chain of command, and they seem to buckit as easiily as water flows down hill.  Mayhaps joining Legacy might not be such a strong survival move let alone career move.

Then again, with all their power if someone just trained them to work together and got them past these personality clusterhumps they coud be really good.


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## Agamon (Jun 1, 2007)

Anika turned her angry glare on Clover, but instead of telling her to mind her own beeswax, she calmed herself enough for a rational response.  "It's been like this from the beginning, honestly.  We've got a lot of...strong-willed members.  But when we're on a mission, we've got each other's backs and do what needs to be done."


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## Aenion (Jun 1, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> _"Yeah, right.  Not rude, that'd be cause for a celebration,"_ Anika thinks.  _"Dammit, they'll start getting suspicious if I insist.  I really, really hate this position I've been put in."_
> 
> "Fine.  SARAH?  Can you give me the location of Mrs. Obana and tell her that I and few of my teammates would like to speak with her?" she asks the helpful computer.




"No it's not fine. Ryan'll wait here with us while you and Mark talk to Mrs. Obana," Karen looks at Ryan as she speaks, knowing he'll want to object and probably call her another childish nickname. Why does he keep insisting on antogonizing the rest of the world? "You said you take Anika seriously as a person? Then start doing so and stop undermining her authority. By insisting to come along you're just gonna make things worse."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 1, 2007)

Ryan glances at Karen, giving a short chuckle. _Undermine her authority? Ha! That's about as funny as Karen's strange attempt to tell me what to do. I hope that wasn't some strange attempted manifestation of precognition, because that failed miserably._

"Chill, it's not like I'm going to start a fistfight just because I don't like her," he says with a quick glance in Anika's direction. "Besides, I assert my right to meet with said UN representative who has authority over a mission that was partly my idea, and puts my own life at risk. Hardly unfair," Ryan says with a self-satisfied smirk. _Plus, James is my friend...no doubt the Blonde Patrol here would assert their friendship as well, despite never sharing more than two words if not necessary. Just like how Yoshi became everyone's best friend once he get killed.

I just hope that I leave enough of a legacy that my eventual eulogy is an honest one. Ryan Praloski...a vexing ally, a deadly enemy. However, I don't see that coming for a long, long time. I'm not going to die to stop Overseer or Cardinal or whoever else is public enemy number one...I'm going to stop them by making them die, just like my buddy Patton said,_ Ryan thinks with a smile. 

_Although this place is taxing me. If the UNJE is seriously headed towards the warm and fuzzy instead of the grim and gritty, I don't think it's for me. I don't play politics. I defeat my enemies, lethally if necessary. I don't have the patience for Karen's incessant patronizing moralizing speeches nor Anika's pagan beliefs, ego trips, brawls, misplaced idealism, and whatever other dysfunctions she's managed to cook up in the last hour.

I could see about getting a transfer...but I'd be in the same boat with Charlie, except I wouldn't be as cool. Beta is straight out, and Alpha or whatever the hell they call it is kind of out of reach. Screw that though. If Anika was telling the truth about whatever new direction we're headed in, I don't want a part of it._


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## Aenion (Jun 1, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> Ryan glances at Karen, giving a short chuckle. _Undermine her authority? Ha! That's about as funny as Karen's strange attempt to tell me what to do. I hope that wasn't some strange attempted manifestation of precognition, because that failed miserably._
> 
> "Chill, it's not like I'm going to start a fistfight just because I don't like her," he says with a quick glance in Anika's direction. "Besides, I assert my right to meet with said UN representative who has authority over a mission that was partly my idea, and puts my own life at risk. Hardly unfair," Ryan says with a self-satisfied smirk. _Plus, James is my friend...no doubt the Blonde Patrol here would assert their friendship as well, despite never sharing more than two words if not necessary. Just like how Yoshi became everyone's best friend once he get killed._




_It's like reasoning with a wall! Fine let's see where his expert negotiation skills get us. One day his 'my way is the only way'-attitude is gonna blow up in his face. Doesn't he see that we need to do this together?_ Karen thinks, grumbling a frustrated, "Fine."


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## Agamon (Jun 1, 2007)

Anika raises an eyebrow at the fistfight comment.  A quick glance at Tina then back to Ryan, with a knowing smile teasing her lips.  _"He's hung up on that fight.  Maybe he doesn't realize how well it worked.  TIna and I both respect each other more now.  I didn't see getting less respect from Ryan because of it, though.  We'll need to talk..."_

"It's alright, Karen.  He's right, the rest of you have the right to speak on this, it's important to all of us.  It might help if I actually do have to threaten to quit to have you guys to back me up."  She pauses before continuing.  "Mark and I were supposed to wait and think about this before bringing it to the rest fo the team, but you'll find out soon enough.  The UN wants us to move away from violent missions for a while.  Not because we're incapable, but because, after the bombings, there's a lot of work to be done aside from rounding up Pantheon members.  And because we're younger than the other UN teams, we drew the short straw.  It's a public perception thing, and the baseline public has a big hate-on for elites in general right now.  They need us to help change that.

"The way I see it, as long as we're helping make things better, I don't need to be punching someone's teeth out to be satisfied."  Anika stops and waits for Mt. Ryan to blow.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 1, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> _"Yeah, right.  Not rude, that'd be cause for a celebration,"_ Anika thinks.  _"Dammit, they'll start getting suspicious if I insist.  I really, really hate this position I've been put in."_
> 
> "Fine.  SARAH?  Can you give me the location of Mrs. Obana and tell her that I and few of my teammates would like to speak with her?" she asks the helpful computer.



SARAH responds, “Mrs. Obana is in her office, she is expecting you.”

*Legacy at Mrs. Obana’s Office*

Mrs. Obana is standing her makeshift office, in the midst of sorting paperwork.  A metallic robotic drone, looking more like a shiny trash can is situated near her desk, interfaced with her workstation.  She welcomes the teens, “You will forgive me if I don’t offer you a place to sit, and I really don’t even have a chair myself at the moment.  SARAH has informed that we have found James’ location and I have already contacted UNJE forces in the area to begin mobilizing for a rescue operation.  Paragon is personally leading the operation.”

“Justice Elite will rescue James.  Legacy will be heading to Chicago.  We have US permission to assist with their clean up operations, and we believe this is the best usage of your abilities.  As UNJE representatives I expect you to show the world that we are premier world citizens.  Most importantly the public must see that elites were victims in this attack as well, everyone suffered but we can’t give up.  This may not deal with fistfights and violence, but this is just as important.  Cairo is just too volatile at the moment,” she smiles.

*Mark*

Star replies, “I agree there are more important things to be focusing on then trying to look good right?  We need to be hunting pantheon down before they do something worse… we need to find Tommy… Kelly’s mother… there are so many things to be focusing on.”

“What do you want to do?” Star asks.

*Cassie*

“Time is not a luxury anymore.  I don’t need time, I don’t desire love, and I only need soldiers.  You came here seeking answers, I don’t have all of them, but I believe we can find them.  But I desire loyalty, and I am not above taking the expedient path to get it.  Join me, or join Kelly,” Cardinal says.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Jun 1, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Time is not a luxury anymore.  I don’t need time, I don’t desire love, and I only need soldiers.  You came here seeking answers, I don’t have all of them, but I believe we can find them.  But I desire loyalty, and I am not above taking the expedient path to get it.  Join me, or join Kelly,” Cardinal says.





"I thought I already had." Cassie sayss as she stands. "I am here aren't I? You give me the answers, and point me in the direction of Overseer. You've an ally in me. For that fight. We disagree on too much for me to be a serf sworn to your cause wholeheartedly. I can't lie to you. But I have made my choice. You're going to help me kill the Red Witch and Overseer, becasue the UNJE can't focus enough to do that job that needs doing."


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## Shalimar (Jun 2, 2007)

Clover moved along at the edges of the group as they headed off to see their new liason officer, not wanting to get stuck on the outside if she could help it but willing to bend to the reality that she wasn't a member of Legacy even if she felt she was fully qualified, the higher ups at the UN didn't know that and probably wouldn't have the chance to evaluate her for awhile as busy as they were.

When the other teens enter the office, Clover stands just on the inside of the door not wanting to draw attention to herself.  She does watch the woman rather closely, but then again all the teens were looking at the woman anyway.  The red head raises an eyebrow at the 'we have found out James location' bit, it appears that everything said on campus was recorded and could be played back to the people in charge at any time, a disturbing feeling, especially since it meant all comments about just doing it and not getting permission were already known to this woman and the rest of the staff.


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## Samnell (Jun 2, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Star replies, “I agree there are more important things to be focusing on then trying to look good right?  We need to be hunting pantheon down before they do something worse… we need to find Tommy… Kelly’s mother… there are so many things to be focusing on.”




Mark nodded into his phone. "Yeah. I miss Tommy a lot.  This just- It's stupid," Mark sighed.



> “What do you want to do?” Star asks.




"Whatever they tell me to do," Mark admitted. "I hate it, but I can't just leave. She said we're not completely benched... I guess... Star, Cardinal blew up the school. My whole life was in there." Mark pinched some moisture out of his eyes and pulled even further into the corner, back straining as he wrapped his arm around his knees.

"Legacy is my life. It's all I've got left. I don't have something from before this I can go back to. I just- I have to convince myself this is the right thing to do."


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## Agamon (Jun 2, 2007)

Anika tries to get a word in edgewise, but Mrs. Obana had a forceful personality that was difficult to interrupt.  She huffs a bit in frustration when the liaison finally ends her speech.  "Mrs. Obana, I agree with what you want us to do, and I think it is important work but you have to understand, James is our teammate.  I know Paragon's team is capable of completing the mission, but that's not the point.  We can't sit back when one of our own is in trouble.  This isn't going to be a public mission, the public won't know we were involved.  And I see it as a search and rescue mission only.  We'd only fight any resistance if absolutely necessary to get James out."  She pauses, awaiting a response.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 2, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika tries to get a word in edgewise, but Mrs. Obana had a forceful personality that was difficult to interrupt.  She huffs a bit in frustration when the liaison finally ends her speech.  "Mrs. Obana, I agree with what you want us to do, and I think it is important work but you have to understand, James is our teammate.  I know Paragon's team is capable of completing the mission, but that's not the point.  We can't sit back when one of our own is in trouble.  This isn't going to be a public mission, the public won't know we were involved.  And I see it as a search and rescue mission only.  We'd only fight any resistance if absolutely necessary to get James out."  She pauses, awaiting a response.



Mrs. Obana nods listening to Anika.  She finally responds, “I understand, this is a personal matter.  James will be saved but the situation is a bit more complicated.  I will need to ask any non-Legacy member to please leave the room; anything from the point on is classified.”


----------



## Shalimar (Jun 2, 2007)

Clover nods and pulls an about face shutting the door behind her once the other non members had left, it was about as expected.  She doubted the teens would be able to convince the woman to give them the mission after she had said that Paragon and his team were personally carrying out the mission.  Paragon was the most experienced field commander, and the mission had the best chance in his hands.  Once they know the UN was handling it insisting that a lesser tram replace a better one was unproductive regardless of the feeling involved.  She'd probably feel the same as Legacy if he was her teammate but for the present she was outside looking in and able to ignore personal feelings.

The red head walked away deciding it was best to find a teacher to talk to.  She wasn't really here for the classes, or rather they weren't the main reason, so she decided that it was best to find out if after everything that had happened whether or not the power training classes would even be run in the near future.  "SARAH, could you point me towards one of the teachers in charge of power training?"


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## Aenion (Jun 2, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mrs. Obana nods listening to Anika.  She finally responds, “I understand, this is a personal matter.  James will be saved but the situation is a bit more complicated.  I will need to ask any non-Legacy member to please leave the room; anything from the point on is classified.”




Karen didn't mind stepping outside, she already felt like she wasn't supposed to be there anyway. To her the issue was resolved. Paragon was in charge of freeing James, as much as she disliked Paragon and wanted to help James herself, he was the person most qualified to do it succesfully. The word that convinced her most though was 'Chicago', Legacy was gonna help rebuild her home and she was gonna volunteer.

But on the other hand she's curious what needed to be discussed without them being there. While she thrusts Anika will fill them in if they need to know, she also feels like they've been keeping a lot of info from them because 'they didn't need to know'. She's the first to exit the room, but in the split second she's out of sight, she lets her body become transparant. She slips back in just before Clover pulls the door closed behind her, _No more secrets._


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## Tokiwong (Jun 2, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> The red head walked away deciding it was best to find a teacher to talk to.  She wasn't really here for the classes, or rather they weren't the main reason, so she decided that it was best to find out if after everything that had happened whether or not the power training classes would even be run in the near future.  "SARAH, could you point me towards one of the teachers in charge of power training?"



SARAH replies, “There are no instructors in charge of that at the moment, Jun Min used to run the program, but currently the curriculum is being restructured.  Do you need any other assistance?”

Sariyah stands outside, “I am not even sure I want to get involved with all this secret stuff, it all seems a little intimidating.”

*Mark*

Star replies, “Mark you have tons of friends, everyone loves you, and you are doing the right thing.  The UNJE is many things but first and foremost they want to help people, the whole world.  Right?  I mean even if they “bench” you, they still want you to help people right?”

*Cassie*

Cardinal replies, “Then I have a task for you, take this to James and wait for the UNJE to arrive.  This will aid his recovery, I need your eyes on the inside.  After observing him I have what I need to begin the next phase of my plan, the tools of humanity will be there undoing.”

She offers Cassie a small bag,  “You will need to inject this directly into his neck, then let nature takes it course.”

“Doctor, I have something for you, I did it.  I did what you asked,” Ignatius hands Cardinal a data disk.

“Good job Ignatius,” she appraises him, “this will be quite useful.”

*Gilden*

Gadget smiles and starts to eat taking a seat on the floor, “You are so thoughtful.  I am sorry I am so stressed, with everything going on… I have just tried to stay busy to not think about.  I mean with the…”  

She trails off and then leans in close to Gilden whispering, “I mean with the attack on our data systems here, a prime class hacker stole plenty of information not just from here but from the UNJE Core Database, I don’t even know anyone with the clearance to get in there.  Well I guess maybe Paragon… but it was bad.”

“I have been following the route they took but, whoever did this is either smarter than I am, or just so wickedly that I am having trouble trying to fathom how they pulled this off.  They won’t tell me what exactly was stolen, but whatever it is… can’t be good,” Gadget sighs.

*Mrs. Obana’s Office*

“We have reason to  believe that capturing James was the ultimate objective on the attack at the Institute.  Now as you are aware your friend was sick, he was suffering from a deviant form of the No Return virus.    This virus attacks the building blocks that make humans elites, even those humans carrying the elite genomes but are still baselines.  If he has it, and if Pantheon has the technical know how to do so they could reverse engineer the virus to attack humans without the elite genome… in essence she could turn James into a carrier for perhaps the most deadly virus ever created.  The UNJE can’t take that chance.  For obvious reasons we can’t ask you to kill your friend, but his very presence could be a threat to billions, especially if he has an airborne strain of the virus,” Mrs. Obana says.

“You may consider this heartless or inhumane, but Cardinal is more than just a madwoman bent on destroying our way of life.  I was doing my best to spare you this harsh reality, but this is where we stand.”


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## Agamon (Jun 3, 2007)

"...kill James..." Anika's shocked at what Obana tells them.  "No, there must be another way.  Why can't we try to cure him, eliminate the virus strain altogether?  You can't do this," she pleads.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 3, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "...kill James..." Anika's shocked at what Obana tells them.  "No, there must be another way.  Why can't we try to cure him, eliminate the virus strain altogether?  You can't do this," she pleads.



 Mrs. Obana pauses, "We don't see another way, as much as I want to try Ryan's healing touch, if it is airborn, you could all become carriers.  I know this may seem like supposition, but we have credible evidence that Cardinal is capable of creating it, and we can't rule out that she may even want us to find James, just for that purpose."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 3, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cardinal replies, “Then I have a task for you, take this to James and wait for the UNJE to arrive.  This will aid his recovery, I need your eyes on the inside.  After observing him I have what I need to begin the next phase of my plan, the tools of humanity will be there undoing.”
> 
> ...





"What does it do?" Cassie asks as she takes it, "And I assume you'll take me to my friend." She might be a momentary ally, but she doesn't trust Cardinal enough not to blindly do what she says. Though she doubted the insane eliite would bother to lie to her. Didn't seem her nature. "I'd  supposed to go back to the UNJE?"


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## Shalimar (Jun 3, 2007)

Clover bites back an unladly-like explitive and then sighs.  "Could you point out Jun Min's current location SARAH?  I'd like to speak to her."   the ritish girl says to the school AI again noting the need to be very careful about what she says anywhere on school grounds, lest it be recorded.

"If we have the ability to protect people through our actions then we have a duty to do so.  Not in all the same ways, but there is generally something that everyone can do to help other people.  Its what the UN is all about.  I actually think your gift would make for a relatively pain free way to help other people, you could help with search and rescue operations, or with finding bad guys before they could hurt people."  Clover says with a shrug.  "You don'thave to help out through the UN though, there are other ways to use your abilities so its really up to you with how much you do for others."


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## Samnell (Jun 3, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Star replies, “Mark you have tons of friends, everyone loves you, and you are doing the right thing.  The UNJE is many things but first and foremost they want to help people, the whole world.  Right?  I mean even if they “bench” you, they still want you to help people right?”




"You're right," Mark agreed. "I guess I just needed to hear it from someone I wasn't fighting with. I mean, I should be happy. We could all use a few weeks without fighting for our lives."

"The UNJE isn't perfect, but it's got a lot of good going for it." _Except for the sterilization. And wanting to kill Bishop...but he is a terrorist..._


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## Mimic (Jun 3, 2007)

"No need to say your sorry, we are all busy." He says sitting on the floor and starts to eat as well. "How can you find someone who took something if you don't even know what they took?" He replies in a whisper as well.

He pauses for a minute, eating before continuing to talk in a whisper. "Do you think we are doing the right thing by working with these people? Don't get me wrong, I believe that they mean to do the right thing but the line between right and wrong is so blurred in this reality. It is hard something to know what the right thing is here."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 3, 2007)

_Kill James? I don't think so!_ Ryan frowned, enjoying the feeling that he was right, that they should have just left before Obana started complicating things, but aghast and angry at the cold-blooded solution to what was only a possible problem. Still, Ryan knew that if it was anyone but a friend, he could justify the decision. 

"Here's a solution," he interjects sharply. "We go there and rescue James before they manage to complete their little supervirus. Wow, that's one hell of a solution, and it doesn't even involve murdering innocent people." Ryan glanced sideways at Anika, raised an eyebrow, and tapped his watch.


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## Agamon (Jun 3, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mrs. Obana pauses, "We don't see another way, as much as I want to try Ryan's healing touch, if it is airborn, you could all become carriers.  I know this may seem like supposition, but we have credible evidence that Cardinal is capable of creating it, and we can't rule out that she may even want us to find James, just for that purpose."




"Then quarantine us when we get back.  I don't care.  I am not letting James die without a fight.  He may be just a name on a piece of paper to you, but he's our friend and teammate.  And he's the nicest, happiest, most giving one of us and if any of us deserves this the least, it's him."  Anika thinks of Kiyana and thanks the gods she's not here to hear this.  "No, it's unacceptable.  You obviously know what we were talking about before we came here.  You have to let us do this."  She does her best to keep her emotions in check, but there's no question from the tone of her voice that it's no longer asking for permission, it's a demand.


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## Aenion (Jun 3, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "...kill James..." Anika's shocked at what Obana tells them.  "No, there must be another way.  Why can't we try to cure him, eliminate the virus strain altogether?  You can't do this," she pleads.




Karen needs every bit of willpower to not give away her presence at Mrs. Obana's revelation, _Kill James?! No they can't just do that. If he's infected with Cardinal's virus, he should be rescued and put in quarantine until they can come up with an antidote. If he isn't infected yet, he needs to be treated for this No Return,_ she was once again shocked at the UN's willingness to harm innocent people because of what 'might' happen.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 4, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Here's a solution," he interjects sharply. "We go there and rescue James before they manage to complete their little supervirus. Wow, that's one hell of a solution, and it doesn't even involve murdering innocent people." Ryan glanced sideways at Anika, raised an eyebrow, and tapped his watch.



“The decision is made, I know that you have concern for your friend, and he isn’t just a name on a paper.  But this isn’t a conventional opponent, this is an individual willing to kill millions on a whim.  She has no regard for human life, baseline or elite; we have no choice.  Quarantine is an option if you wish to see your friend suffer, and die a painful albeit slow death.  There is no known cure for No Return, it begins breaking down the  elite genome, shutting down the life processes almost immediately, although in James' case this process seems to be going slower than the norm.  Besides Paragon’s team is already en route,” Mrs. Obana replies.

“This is not an easy decision for anyone but you can still do your part by assisting with the devastation in Chicago.  I am not naïve and I understand that there is no way I can force you to comply, this team has a detailed history of discipline problems.  Wouldn’t you agree Karen?  Now given that I can’t force you to comply with this order, at least not personally, any team member or student that decides to go rogue, or disobey direct orders can consider themselves on their own.  I don’t think I have to make anything much clearer than that,” she adds folding her arms across her chest.

*Clover*

SARAH replies, “Jun Min is in the mess hall shall I inform her you are looking for her?”

Sariyah replies, “An obligation to help other people?  I would like to believe that, but the real world does not work that way, everyone just wants to get something for themselves.  I guess I am a little pessimistic, but I want to help but I am not sure it will do any good.  People are still going to die anyway.”

*Cassie*

“It is a cure,” Cardinal replies.

Ignatius speaks to Cassie, “I can take her Doctor, you should stay and rest, you look tired.”

Cardinal  gives Ignatius a smile, “Today was rather eventful.”  She turns to Cassie once more, “return to whatever life you wish, when I have need of you I will find you.   If you do not give James the cure, he will die, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.  This weapon withstands even my own abilities, it was designed with one singular purpose, to kill my children.”

*Gilden*

“Well…” Gadget thinks, “I think the UNJE wants to do the right thing… but maybe they have so many interests that the right things gets watered down to doing the most effective thing?  I don’t know I try not to think about it, this universe or reality is so different from our own that I wonder if good and evil even have any meaning here?”

“Sometimes I wonder if Overseer wins, would this world really be any different?” the pink-haired teen asks, “Scary thought I guess.”

*Mark*

Star responds, “The UNJE is the best defense we have against Cardinal and Overseer and all the other dangers in the world.  Sometimes they don’t always make the right decision but I guess maybe they are trying their best?  I don’t know, I just feel that you need to do what you think is right.  I mean I guess you have to make sure that anything you do, you would not be ashamed to tell your friends or teammates because you know it was the right thing to do.”


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## Hammerhead (Jun 4, 2007)

"Then I guess I'll see you in Hell," Ryan spits. "Anika, if their team is already en-route, we need to start leaving *now*. And you do not want to try and stop us," Ryan says, turning back towards Obana. 

"Tina, you want to track Sariyah down? We might want to get a little better directions than somewhere in the mountains in Iran. And Four Leaf, I guess..." _Yeah, that's gonna happen. Little Miss Military disobeying orders? I don't think so._

"Anika, I'm going to try for Mark while you start casting, then head for Gilden, wherever he is. Probably with Gadget. Okay?" _We're going to have to hurry._


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “It is a cure,” Cardinal replies.
> 
> ...




Cassie nods. "I hope so." she says as she take the pack. "He's a good person, and kind. I know you don't think much of empathy, but it's possibly our greatest abilty, not any power a human or elite might have can match it." She looks at Cardinal. "Thank you for saving him, though I doubt you have any altruistic goals for doing so."


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## Shalimar (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Clover*
> SARAH replies, “Jun Min is in the mess hall shall I inform her you are looking for her?”
> 
> Sariyah replies, “An obligation to help other people?  I would like to believe that, but the real world does not work that way, everyone just wants to get something for themselves.  I guess I am a little pessimistic, but I want to help but I am not sure it will do any good.  People are still going to die anyway.”




"Getting yourself ahead and helping people aren't mutually exclusive."  Clover points out, "Legacy gets paid a lot of money to help out, but they do a lot of good, they could probably make just as much without risking their lives, but they do try.  No one is perfect except for the SAS, all we can do is our best and trust in the fact that bad things will still happen but our actions will lessen those bad things."  

"SARAH please tell Jun Min I would like to talk to her if she is up to it and that I'm on my way to see her."


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## Samnell (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Star responds, “The UNJE is the best defense we have against Cardinal and Overseer and all the other dangers in the world.  Sometimes they don’t always make the right decision but I guess maybe they are trying their best?  I don’t know, I just feel that you need to do what you think is right.  I mean I guess you have to make sure that anything you do, you would not be ashamed to tell your friends or teammates because you know it was the right thing to do.”




"Are you saying I should quit?" Mark asked, confused. "I don't know what's right. My track record sucks."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 4, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> Cassie nods. "I hope so." she says as she take the pack. "He's a good person, and kind. I know you don't think much of empathy, but it's possibly our greatest abilty, not any power a human or elite might have can match it." She looks at Cardinal. "Thank you for saving him, though I doubt you have any altruistic goals for doing so."



Cardinal shrugs.

Ignatius creates a portal, waving his hands in a circle, tearing a hole between spaces.  Ignatius turns to Cassie, “This will take us to where we need to go, we should hurry and leave the Doctor to rest.”

*Clover*

Sariyah replies, “I am just not as sure as you are about all this.”

Finding Jun Min is easy, she is talking with students and tending to the strange student Robbie.  Jun Min speaks to Clover, “Hi, Clover right?  Sorry I have not had some time to properly introduce myself but as you can tell, things have gotten a little hectic around here.  But that isn’t an excuse so sit down and eat with me, and Robbie here?”

Robbie smiles, “I am eating a corndog.”

*Mark*

“I don’t think so?” Star asks, “I am sorry if I am confusing you, I am not used to doing this.  What would Paragon do?”


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## Samnell (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “I don’t think so?” Star asks, “I am sorry if I am confusing you, I am not used to doing this.  What would Paragon do?”




"Well...I guess he'd go along. Obana's right, I'm not a good leader. I can't figure this stuff out."


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## Agamon (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “This is not an easy decision for anyone but you can still do your part by assisting with the devastation in Chicago.  I am not naïve and I understand that there is no way I can force you to comply, this team has a detailed history of discipline problems.  Wouldn’t you agree Karen?  Now given that I can’t force you to comply with this order, at least not personally, any team member or student that decides to go rogue, or disobey direct orders can consider themselves on their own.  I don’t think I have to make anything much clearer than that,” she adds folding her arms across her chest.




"Clear as crystal," Anika replies resolutely before turning to leave the office.

She nods to Ryan, telling him, "I'm on it.  But like you say, mountains between Iraq and Iran is a bit vague.  I'll take us to the general vicinity for now."  She then begins her spell there in the hallway, forming the portal to their destination.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 4, 2007)

"Alright," Ryan says, flying up in the air to find Mark as quickly as possible. He grows frustrated, as he realizes he has no idea where Mark is. Not expecting much in the way of results, he glances up at the ceiling to ask SARAH "Where the heck is Mark?" as he heads towards the guy's area.


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## Shalimar (Jun 4, 2007)

"I'm pleased to meet you ma'am.  Hi Robbie, its nice to see you again."   Clover says to the strange little boy.  She returns to the table shortly with a tray of food and seats herself with the teacher and former eternal.

"Things have gotten very hectic around here."  Clover agreed, cutting up her food, "That was actually what I wanted to talk to you about.  SARAH said power training is on hold for awhile, and that it was going to be restructured too.  I was wondering how long classes are going to be on hold, I know everything is a mess right now, but power training is the reason I'm here.  I just wanted to know what I could expect...if it was worthwhile to stay here instead of trying to get admitted to the UN forces early."


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## Aenion (Jun 4, 2007)

_You created a weapon that can whipe out all Elites? And you didn't even create an antidote? How does this make you any better than Cardinal?_ Karen wanted to yell at the woman, but she didn't want to give away her presence, _Poor James, even if we manage save him he'll probably still die in the end or... he's been infected with Cardinal's version of No Return and more people will die... How did he get infected anyway? And why didn't the UN create an antidote? Are we that expendable to them? To be used and thrown away when we're no longer useful? Are they planning on just whiping us all out? Like Cardinal wants to do with baselines?_

Mrs. Obana startled her when she interrupted her thoughts. Karen hadn't expected it but she wasn't entirely surprised either, there were too many ways to find someone who can only become transparant, "I understand Mrs. Obana and thank you for reminding me why I didn't sign on in the first place," she speaks angrily as she becomes visible again, "Are you surprised this team lacks discipline when we are ordered to kidnap a pregnant teenager and her boyfriend for their own 'safety' when they're perfectly safe? When we have to sacrifice a teammember who got infected with *your* weapon? A virus designed to destroy Elites?" the crystal Elite bristles, "Thank you for your time and reminding us of the UN's hypocrisy Mrs. Obana," Karen leaves the room, slamming the door closed behind her with more force than the average door is meant to withstand.

"Anika, wait. I hate to say it but that...that..." she searches for a word, or she knows it and doesn't want to use it, "That woman's right. Even if we manage to save James, what then? We can't cure him and if he has been injected with Cardinal's version he might endanger every baseline on the planet," she sighs, shaking her head. She felt herself forced to make an unacceptable choice. She couldn't believe she was even thinking it.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 4, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Alright," Ryan says, flying up in the air to find Mark as quickly as possible. He grows frustrated, as he realizes he has no idea where Mark is. Not expecting much in the way of results, he glances up at the ceiling to ask SARAH "Where the heck is Mark?" as he heads towards the guy's area.



SARAH replies with Mark’s location.

*Mark*

Star replies, “Don’t say that, you have done a good job, the team has had a lot of success, and they would not have done it without you right?  This Mrs. Obana lady does not seem like a nice person if she said you were not a good leader.”

SARAH chimes in, “Mark, Ryan is on his way.”

*Clover*

Jun Min gives her a half-hearted smile, “Well everything is on hold until we have an actually Institute to use.  The UNJE isn’t even sure they will rebuild here, the plans are in constant flux at the moment.  If your goal is to get in the UN forces then there are other avenues available to you then just here.  If that is your only reason for being here I would suggest trying to get in early.”


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## Shalimar (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Clover*
> 
> Jun Min gives her a half-hearted smile, “Well everything is on hold until we have an actually Institute to use.  The UNJE isn’t even sure they will rebuild here, the plans are in constant flux at the moment.  If your goal is to get in the UN forces then there are other avenues available to you then just here.  If that is your only reason for being here I would suggest trying to get in early.”




"My plan is to join the UN Forces, and originally I just wanted to come here to have your powers teachers sign off on my abilities, but since I've gotten here things have changed quite a bit."  Clover says making a gesture towards the mess that was the school.  "Now I'm a bit curious about things, and while I might be able to get early entrance I don't think I'd be as good as I could be without learning more first."

"Do you know what my powers are?  I know you are probably too busy to read over anything right now, but beforehand?"  Clover asks and then shrugs, it wasn't important since she was going to explain what she was talking about anyway.  "Well, I can tell if someone is an elite by looking at the energy flows through their body...I can even copy that flow to let me use their powers for a while.  Thats just one part of my power but its the part that I wanted to come here to learn about.  I haven't really had the chance to use that much at all, and before I'm called on to use it I want to be able to.  I don't want to let anyone down."

"Since I've been here I've used that power twice and both times it failed, once with painful consequences.  Anika wanted me to use it to see if she was an Elite and she was, but when I copied her power I couldn't actually use it.  She was happy about that, but I found it a little odd.  I'd be fine with it if that was the only thing, I mean I haven't a real chance to practice after all, but it wasn't the only thing."  Clover said sighing.  "Then we have this adorable fellow here."  she says smiling at Robbie.

"I was just looking at him, curious if he was an elite since he had a duplicate pop out of nowhere and I almost blacked out and my nose started bleeding.  Still have a head ache from that one, whatever Robbie is his energy flow is way too complex for an elite.  I'll serve the UN however it wants me to serve ma'am, but I do also want to know whats going on with my power."  Clover comes off as a bit brash, but very sincere in wanting to serve the UN and learn about her powers.


----------



## Agamon (Jun 4, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "Anika, wait. I hate to say it but that...that..." she searches for a word, or she knows it and doesn't want to use it, "That woman's right. Even if we manage to save James, what then? We can't cure him and if he has been injected with Cardinal's version he might endanger every baseline on the planet," she sighs, shaking her head. She felt herself forced to make an unacceptable choice. She couldn't believe she was even thinking it.




"What?  So just let him be killed?  You heard what she said, maybe Ryan can cure him.  She's just not willing to try, we are.  And as for that airborne stuff, we were all around James when he started getting sick, so if that's the case, we already have it.  Besides, I'm going to bring him back to an isolated area of the building and have it sealed off.  If Cardinal has made this virus and put it in him, we'll make sure it doesn't spread," Anika replies, doing here best to create theportal and talk at the same time.

"SARAH, is there a part of the institute that is currently not in use that we can seal off for quarintine?"


----------



## Aenion (Jun 4, 2007)

"I don't want him to die either, especially not for some mistake made by the UN," Karen replies, "But what if we can't contain it and we bring it here? I don't think what he has is airborne either, but Cardinal's version might be or it might be transferred by something else entirely," she sighs, she couldn't live with allowing James to die, but she wouldn't be able to live with being responsible for helping transmit Cardinal's virus either, "I'm gonna help but I just want to be sure we've thought everything through. Let's at least pick up Star and Kal if he's up for it before we rush in..."


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Cardinal shrugs.
> 
> Ignatius creates a portal, waving his hands in a circle, tearing a hole between spaces.  Ignatius turns to Cassie, “This will take us to where we need to go, we should hurry and leave the Doctor to rest.”





"Thank you Ignatius, for the meal and courtesy." Cassie says as she steps through the portal. She hoped that this cure worked as advertised, though she feared that this one moment of kindness will not matter a whit in the end. She wondered if there was any way to avoid the future she came from now that Cardinal had so sharply drawn the lines between humanity and Elites.


----------



## Agamon (Jun 4, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "I don't want him to die either, especially not for some mistake made by the UN," Karen replies, "But what if we can't contain it and we bring it here? I don't think what he has is airborne either, but Cardinal's version might be or it might be transferred by something else entirely," she sighs, "Look I'm gonna help but I just want to be sure we've thought everything through. Let's at least pick up Star and Kal if he's up for it before we rush in..."




"Think it through?  We have, and we don't have time to waste debating it.  And we don't need numbers, either.  I was honest when I told Obana that we're doing this just to get James, not fight Pantheon.  As soon as we have him, we're outta there.  Let Paragon and his buddies clean up the mess."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 4, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "SARAH, is there a part of the institute that is currently not in use that we can seal off for quarintine?"



SARAH replies, “That information is classified at the moment Anika, is there anything else I can help you with?”

*Clover*

Jun Min blinks at the torrent of words, “Umm okay, well, I am not sure what you are asking me for if anything?  I admire your desire to test your abilities, please don’t copy my powers if you could, most people would not be prepared for the mental strain it could cause.”

“But I think that you shouldn’t have an issue joining up if that is your intentions.  You seem earnest enough,” she adds.  

Robbie shrugs, “I am not an elite; I am just special.”


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 4, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Thank you Ignatius, for the meal and courtesy." Cassie says as she steps through the portal. She hoped that this cure worked as advertised, though she feared that this one moment of kindness will not matter a whit in the end. She wondered if there was any way to avoid the future she came from now that Cardinal had so sharply drawn the lines between humanity and Elites.



Ignatius nods and follows through the portal.  On the other side Cassie steps into a dusty chamber with several armed men sitting about a room.  They stand as Cassie and Ignatius enter but make no moves.  Ignatius and the men converse in what seems to be Arabic, or some derivative.

Ignatius turns to Cassie, “Follow me.”

He walks into an adjacent room, and then into a hall.  At the end of the hall is wall.  The wall slides to reveal an elevator.  Ignatius speaks again, “We go down.”

The elevator moves down quickly and comes to a gentle halt.  The door slides open and there is a large circular chamber, Cassie spots the rhino like elite from the attack earlier in the day.  But there are other individuals in the room, most of them look to be armed baselines, natives armed with cheaply produced small arms.  

Cassie sees James, lying on a bed and he looks heavily sedated behind a curtain of plastic.  This round chamber seems to be the only room in this facility.  One side of the room has supplies and munitions stacked in crates, while the other side has a makeshift living area.


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## Agamon (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH replies, “That information is classified at the moment Anika, is there anything else I can help you with?”




"Classified?  For what level?  SARAH, let whoever has clearance know that I need a secure location to bring James back, and I need that info now," Anika growls.  "Actually, forget that, SARAH, she's not going to help us."  She looks at Karen, frustrated.  "She's doing her best to make this difficult.  Dammit.  Where are we going to take him?"


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Ignatius nods and follows through the portal.  On the other side Cassie steps into a dusty chamber with several armed men sitting about a room.  They stand as Cassie and Ignatius enter but make no moves.  Ignatius and the men converse in what seems to be Arabic, or some derivative.
> 
> Ignatius turns to Cassie, “Follow me.”
> 
> ...





Cassie notes the personell and weaponry, particularly any weapons markings, more on instinct than any particular intention. She reached into the gear she was given and pulls the syringe that she was given as she sees James. She moves the curtain aside and kneels by him.

"Hello James, hopefull this will work." She whispers to him as she looks around for the best way to inject him with it. 

(If he has an IV shunt she's going to injust it there otherwise she's going to give him a shot in his arm)

Once the shot is given she sits by the bed and waits for the drugs to take effect. She hoped that she hadn't been lied to again, she was tired of losing freinds.


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## Aenion (Jun 4, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Classified?  For what level?  SARAH, let whoever has clearance know that I need a secure location to bring James back, and I need that info now," Anika growls.  "Actually, forget that, SARAH, she's not going to help us."  She looks at Karen, frustrated.  "She's doing her best to make this difficult.  Dammit.  Where are we going to take him?"




"I doubt she'll even let us back in here without a lot of guns aimed at us if we go through with this. We need a place where we can provide medical attention," Karen ponders, "Maybe the Vanguard tower? Or maybe Bishop knows a place that's still secure from both the UN and Pantheon?"


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## Agamon (Jun 4, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> "I doubt she'll even let us back in here without a lot of guns aimed at us if we go through with this. We need a place where we can provide medical attention," Karen ponders, "Maybe the Vanguard tower? Or maybe Bishop knows a place that's still secure from both the UN and Pantheon?"




"Then we need to find Bishop, and find him fast.  Crap, I wish our comms weren't down, this going and looking for people is taking too long.  I guess we'll just have to wait for Mark."  Anika turns back to concentrating on forming her portal.


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## Shalimar (Jun 4, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Clover*
> 
> Jun Min blinks at the torrent of words, “Umm okay, well, I am not sure what you are asking me for if anything?  I admire your desire to test your abilities, please don’t copy my powers if you could, most people would not be prepared for the mental strain it could cause.”
> 
> ...




Clover laughs at Robbie's statement and smiles at him.  Special was a valid word for it considering just looking at him knocked her wacky for a bit.  "You certainly are, and I wouldn't mind hearing about it if you want to tell me about it."   she says before turning back to Jun Min.  "I wanted to know when power training classes would resume, and you did answer that question. I was just giving my reasoning as to why I didn't want to just join up before I figured out why the one part of my power isn't working since you have experience working with students on stuff like this."

"I figure the reason it didn't work with Robbie is he is like he said special... is there a reason it might not work on Anika?"


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## Hammerhead (Jun 4, 2007)

"Mark!" Ryan rushes into the room, looking angry. "I don't have time to fully explain, but we found James, and we learned that the UNJE is trying to kill him because he might get sicker and cause a worldwide plague. We're trying to save him."

"The UN team is on its way, so every second counts. You need to make a decision now on whose side you're on."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "I figure the reason it didn't work with Robbie is he is like he said special... is there a reason it might not work on Anika?"



“Ask the difficult questions,” she shakes her head, “well without delving too much into their personal files, Anika seems to be a special case, one of many special cases around here.  I know that is vague and intentionally so, but I can’t really get into it more than that, all student records are classified, UNJE policy.  Legacy members doubly so.”

Robbie adds, “Anika is a very special case, because she is so pretty.”

Jun Min smiles, “I suppose you could put it that way.”

Bishop clears his throat, “Mind if I sit here ladies, and gentleman?”

Robbie shrugs, “I don’t care.”

Jun Min speaks, “By all means.”

Bishop turns to Clover.

*Cassie*

James coughs, but does not stir from his sleep after the injection gets into his bloodstream.  Ignatius stands over Cassie, “Will you be alright here?”

Cassie can count fifteen baselines, or at least they appear to be baselines in lose fitting clothing with wraps covering their heads and dark skin, obviously natives.  They murmur to each other in Arabic, and watch the newcomer with cold eyes.  There are what look to be possibly five elites.  The rhino woman, a thin almost skeletal figure of indeterminate sex wearing a loose fitting robe, a normal looking woman of native descent pacing back and forth across the ceiling, and a Caucasian male playing with knives sitting with another man that looks like his twin.

*Back in Mrs. Obana’s Office*

“SARAH monitor the students but do not interfere with them directly, the last thing we need is an incident here on campus.  Also freeze the assets  and discontinue any security access for any student that involves themselves with this rogue operation,” she sighs holding a picture of her children, two young girls, ages six and nine.

_”Well done, have you observed my toy?”_ a voice sounds in Mrs. Obana’s mind, sultry and seductive.

_“He continues to show growth in his abilities, but nothing overt yet.  It is only a matter of time I suspect before he carries out his objective.”_ Mrs. Obana replies while filing papers.

_“How fortuitous, with this much confusion in the UNJE ranks I have no doubt we will be safe from investigation for some time,”_ the voice replies.

SARAH replies, “Affirmative, will you require anything else?”

“Not at the moment, I would prefer to not be disturbed unless it is Paragon,” Mrs. Obana says aloud.

“Understood,” the computer system replies.

_“I know where your journal has gotten off to, by the way,”_ Mrs. Obana replies mentally.

The voice clucks in her mind, _“Do tell…”_


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 5, 2007)

*Cassie*

"I'll be fine Ignatius, thank you again for the Tea and dinner. I am sorry that you had to see me and the doctor differ so much. It wasn't the proper way for a quest to act." Cassie says as her eyes scan over the room, watching for any sign of overt threat to her or James. Purely instinct, since they had watched over him for sometime now clearly. Not that she had a lot of distractions while she waited for her freind to recover. Till he could get them out of here, she had to protect him and something seemed like an impending storm.

She shrugged, perhaps she was just on edge from her close encounter with one of the deadliest beings on the planet.


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Then we need to find Bishop, and find him fast.  Crap, I wish our comms weren't down, this going and looking for people is taking too long.  I guess we'll just have to wait for Mark."  Anika turns back to concentrating on forming her portal.



SARAH quips, "Bishop is in the Mess Hall shall I message him?"


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## Shalimar (Jun 5, 2007)

"I understand, privacy is fairly important, though she hasn't been very shy about where she believes her powers to come from.  Then again with SARAH being such an accomplished eavesdropper that it never occurs to anyone that she is listening privacy is a moot point."  the red head says but doesn't sound too upset about it, at least outwardly, she knew SARAH probably pored over every little thing the students did trying to ferret out every last kernel of information to pass on to her masters.

"You really are a charmer Robbie."  she says ruffling the boys hair before sitting back.

"By all means,"   Clover said politely before turning to look at who was asking the question.  The girl didn't quite let her shock at seeing a terrorist, and one of the worlds most infamous ones at that, show too used to being surprised at customs and culture she simply mimiced the behavior of the others at the table.  She did however sharpen her focus upon him, attempting to read the man comlpletely, glad that her powers were invisible even to those looking for them.

OOC:  Mind Reading +10 (Subtle 2), Enhanced Charisma 12


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## Agamon (Jun 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> SARAH quips, "Bishop is in the Mess Hall shall I message him?"




"Duh, SARAH," Anika says smacking herself in the head.  "Too much stress.  I'm not even eighteen yet," she sighs.  "Yes, SARAH, please tell Bishop that Legacy needs his assistance and ask if he'll meet me at my current location.  And can you do the same for Clover, Sariyah and the rest of Legacy, too. Thanks."


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "I understand, privacy is fairly important, though she hasn't been very shy about where she believes her powers to come from.  Then again with SARAH being such an accomplished eavesdropper that it never occurs to anyone that she is listening privacy is a moot point."  the red head says but doesn't sound too upset about it, at least outwardly, she knew SARAH probably pored over every little thing the students did trying to ferret out every last kernel of information to pass on to her masters.
> 
> "You really are a charmer Robbie."  she says ruffling the boys hair before sitting back.
> 
> ...



_Clover rolls a 13 and fails to read his surface thoughts._

Bishop is about to sit down when SARAH chimes in, “Bishop, Clover; Anika is requesting your presence.”  The computer system relates Anika’s current location.

Bishop sighs, “I wonder what it could be now,” he is already heading that way without another word leaving his tray behind.

*Cassie*

Ignatius nods, “No apologies needed.  I hope to meet you again someday, I so rarely get visitors.”  He then disappears.

_“So did you survive?”_ it is Chance’s mental voice.


----------



## KaintheSeeker (Jun 5, 2007)

*Cassie*

_I wonder, if this feeling is what most folks in the stories feel after selling their soul?_ Cassie replies as she watches Jame's breathing settle back. _You do realize that she has long crossed the line between genius and madness? Why didn't you warn me?_


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## Shalimar (Jun 5, 2007)

Clover groans and slumps for a second and then rises to her feet along with Bishop.  "I have a feeling I know what it is, and I don't think you'll like it,  I know I don't."   the girl mutters looking to Jun Min, hoping for a bit of advice, but she just shrugs and polices the two food trays and then hurries to catch up with Bishop.

They wont have shifted the woman, she seemed about as set as stone and the mission should rightly have been left to the most senior field commander and team.  That meant that more then likely Legacy was going to ask her and bishop to go directly against UN orders, something that would put a permanent black mark on her record and could possibly stop her from getting a team of her own to command down the line.  She didn't know what Bishop's deal with the UN was, but going directly against them was likely to drop the axe that was hanging over his head.  Bloody fool girl, I hope she at least has the sense not to talk about it where that SARAH program can over hear...but judging from the fact that she is using SARAH I'd say decidedly not.


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## Samnell (Jun 5, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Mark!" Ryan rushes into the room, looking angry. "I don't have time to fully explain, but we found James, and we learned that the UNJE is trying to kill him because he might get sicker and cause a worldwide plague. We're trying to save him."




Mark looked up from his phone, "They what? He's?"



> "The UN team is on its way, so every second counts. You need to make a decision now on whose side you're on."




_Why do I have to have this conversation with Ryan, of all people? At least Anika wouldn't be a jerk._ Mark rose wearily, making quick excuses to Star.

"Did you take it up with Obana? They probably can't-" Mark stopped himself. _They were going to kill Bishop for less. Sure James was sick, but is he contagious?_ "Hell with them. I don't care. Let's go."

_So much for doing what the UN wants..._


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## Hammerhead (Jun 5, 2007)

"Cool. Run and find Gilden, and tell him what I told you. He's probably with Gadget, so sign her up too. Anika's creating a portal outside Obana's office, and we need you there fast."

Ryan nods, then flies out back to Anika. _Mark could search this entire place before I even scan the room. I just hope he can convince Gilden, which shouldn't be too hard._


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## Samnell (Jun 5, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Cool. Run and find Gilden, and tell him what I told you. He's probably with Gadget, so sign her up too. Anika's creating a portal outside Obana's office, and we need you there fast."




Mark ran to find Gilden and Gadget.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _I wonder, if this feeling is what most folks in the stories feel after selling their soul?_ Cassie replies as she watches Jame's breathing settle back. _You do realize that she has long crossed the line between genius and madness? Why didn't you warn me?_



_“I would have if I was able, but Cardinal is much smarter or perhaps much more perceptive then she let on.  My little plan fell apart pretty quickly and then after some painful justice, she is easily crossed.  But she didn’t kill you, so that is a plus.  What did she do?”_ Chance replies. 

*Clover, Karen, and Anika*

Bishop arrives with Clover following.  Sami follows those two looking confused, “Anika I heard SARAH is something wrong… what is with the portal?”  the rest of the Legacy team shows up in due course equally confused at the request and looking for answers.

Bishop shakes his head, “This should be interesting.”

*Mark and Gilden*

Mark finds Gilden and Gadget pretty easily.


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## Shalimar (Jun 5, 2007)

Tell me you aren't about to facilitate the escape of an infamous mass murderer and terrorist from a UNJE facility, Clover thinks to herself as she looks at the portal and then Bishop.  Even bringing him into a place with a portal like this that he could make a break for is a bad idea.  He has to know his execution could happen at any minute, this is either really cruel or really stupid.

Clover takes a step forward to examine the portal coincidentally putting her between it and Bishop in case Anika was just not thinking things through.

"Is this where you tell us that Obana authorized Legacy to replace Paragon's team in going to rescue James?  And that she also authorized you to have non-legacy members accompany you including Bishop?"  Clover asks smirking, playing with her ear to indicate they should at least be mindful of who was listening.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "Is this where you tell us that Obana authorized Legacy to replace Paragon's team in going to rescue James?  And that she also authorized you to have non-legacy members accompany you including Bishop?"  Clover asks smirking, playing with her ear to indicate they should at least be mindful of who was listening.



Bishop quips, "Then we save Father Christmas and help Hell with their ice storm."


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## Agamon (Jun 5, 2007)

Anika glares at Cover but doesn't respond.  If she didn't like it, too bad for her.  Her expression becomes more sympathetic when she looks at Sami.  She obviously can't leave him here, but he's not nearly in full control of his powers, so bringing him would be dangerous.  Or maybe not...

"I'm glad you came, you need to come with," she tells Sami without getting very specific.  Looking at Bishop, she glances back at the portal and then back at him again.  "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?"


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## Samnell (Jun 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mark finds Gilden and Gadget pretty easily.




Mark didn't waste any time, "We're going to save James."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "I'm glad you came, you need to come with," she tells Sami without getting very specific.  Looking at Bishop, she glances back at the portal and then back at him again.  "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours?"



Bishop nods glancing to Karen, “I am a wolf no longer, but a shepherd.”

Sami nods, "Wherever you go, I am going."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 5, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie leans back and runs her hand though her hair as she considers where to start. _I wish I had time to fix my hair, it feels lopsided with the two colors. Anway, I'll tell you my misadventures and you do the same. We both can use another view point I'm betting._ Cassie starts with her depature from the school and the full meeting with Ignatius and Cardianl.

_She says she's not got any plans beyond assuring the primacy of Elites, but if you bellived that I have a nice Ski Chalet in New Orleans I want to sell you. All I have to say is if you and I don't watch her carefully, her actions will almost totally assure our own future will come to be. She has to be a signifigant factor in it. That is easy to see, but I can't see who are the prime factors on the other side yet._


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## Aenion (Jun 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Bishop nods glancing to Karen, “I am a wolf no longer, but a shepherd.”
> 
> Sami nods, "Wherever you go, I am going."




"Thank you William," Karen offers Bishop a smile, "I wish we wouldn't have to rely on your knowledge as a wolf to rescue a teammate. But I guess there are still many wolves in sheepsclothing," she glances back towards Obana's office.


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## Agamon (Jun 5, 2007)

_"Wolf and sheppard?  Alrighty, then,"_ Anika thinks, pleased enough that it was an afirmative.

"That's really brave of you," Anika tells Sami with a smile.  _"But I'm not going to let you get hurt,"_ she adds to herself.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 5, 2007)

_What a stupid analogy metaphor thing. And just great, we have some totally green loser tagging along with us, with no idea of the stakes. Just because you learned that you have Elite powers a few hours ago does not mean you can play with varsity.

MapQuest will be pretty useful though._

"Aww, how touching," Ryan says as he cocks his head to the side. "Four Leaf is right, you can't seriously be thinking of engaging in our daring rescue with a terrorist at our heels? Sorry Bishop, but people don't change."

_Although that quip to Clover was pretty funny, even if I'm not entirely sure who Father Christmas is. And Paragon is a tough old bastard, it would be nice to have someone at his level to fight him in case the worst happens and Legacy fights Justice Elite._

"Screw it, whatever, the more the merrier. If everyone else thinks it's okay, that is. Oh yeah, Mark and Gilden are coming." _Is Four Leaf going to be a problem? We outnumber her like ten to one, not counting our sheer awesomeness.

Although part of me does wonder how the Justice Elite fight would turn out, assuming Paragon and Bishop duke it out. Mark vs. Redline, Tina and Karen vs. Atlas, Anika and Gilden vs. Oracle, Me and Aya vs. Kensai...I wonder if Doctor Whatever will be there?_


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## Mimic (Jun 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Sometimes I wonder if Overseer wins, would this world really be any different?” the pink-haired teen asks, “Scary thought I guess.”




"A scary thougth indeed, but you are right, good and evil are not absolute like in our old reality, there seems to be a whole lot more shades of grey as it were. None the less it makes..."

Gilden never finishes his sentence as Mark interupts them.



			
				Samnell said:
			
		

> "We're going to save James."




"What they found James? When did this happen?" Gilden responds as he stands up.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 5, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> "What they found James? When did this happen?" Gilden responds as he stands up.



“Actually not that long ago, Sariyah found him using her cool find people powers,” Gadget adds, “SARAH does not keep many secrets from me, if any.  I am not going though, SARAH needs me here.  Besides if you guys decide to go through with what I think you are going to go through with… you will need me here.  Don’t worry I will be fine Mark.”

*Anika’s Portal*

Sariyah listens to everyone, “I don’t think I should go… I am scared, and it sounds like you are going against the rules of the UNJE is that right?”

Bishop listens and replies, “I was thinking the same of you Ryan.”

*Cassie*

_“Well as long you don’t trust her we should be fine.  She didn’t kill me, but she definitely let me know that she does not handle betrayal, even perceived betrayal lightly.  I wanted to warn you sooner, but if she gets one of her cronies to inject James with the cure definitely stop them… it is some kind of weapon,”_ Chance replies.

_“Best thing we can do is probably try and take it for ourselves, maybe get it to Gadget or someone super smart, what do you think?”_ Chance adds.


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## Mimic (Jun 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Besides if you guys decide to go through with what I think you are going to go through with… you will need me here.  Don’t worry I will be fine Mark.”




Gilden studies both Mark and Gadget for a moment before he says anything. "Why do I think that there is more to this then just a simple rescue operation?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 5, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie goes cold at that. _She gave me an injection for him._


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## Shalimar (Jun 6, 2007)

"You may be an infamous terrorist but with a sense of humor like that you can't be all bad."  Clover says grinning at the older man.

"Having me along will be worth the minute or so it takes to explain why exactly you don't trust Paragon and his team to bring James back safe.  Not everyone here was privy to the second half of your meeting with Mrs. Obana.  Can you fill us in on whats going on?"   Clover asks.


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## Agamon (Jun 6, 2007)

Anika sighs.  "Okay, everybody just shut up and listen," she says rather loudly.  "This portal leads to the mountains in Iran, not to James' location.  Sariyah, I need you to pinpoint his location more precisely when we get there.  Sami, I'm not sure if I'm going to be welcome back here, so I'm not leaving you here."  She looks at both of them.  "But neither of you are going to be a part of the actual mission."

She looks at Bishop.  "We need a place to take James when we get him.  I was hoping you might know of such a place where we won't be interrupted and where we can quarintine him and ourselves until we figure out it's safe.  I need you to come with because I don't want you to tell me about it here.  You're free to help us get James if you like, but that's your call.  If you can give us that location, you're free to do as you like."

"Everyone else, we are going to rescue James from Pantheon, hopefully before they can use him to create a virus to wipe out the world's baseline population and certainly before Justice Elite gets there to execute him in case the anti-baseline virus is already in his system.  Anyone that comes with will likely become persona non grata to the UN and won't be coming back here.  Also, there's a chance anyone coming in contact with James could contract either the elite-klling or the baseline-killing virus.  We'll need to quarentine ourselves until we're sure it's safe.  Lastly, we could end up in a fight with both Pantheon and/or Justice Elite.  This may not end well for anybody.  That said, if you want to help save James' life," she says, stepping aside to allow access to the portal, "we don't have any more time to waste."


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## Shalimar (Jun 6, 2007)

Clover whistles, "When you step in it girl you really step in it." she says admiringly at how everything had managed to go precisely wrong in just the right way to make an utterly dreadful mess, absolutely shambolic.  At least Anika tried to take care of her people, in the worst way possible maybe, but she did try, and she certainly had a pair on her solid, brass ones.

Going or not going Clover was in a horrible position, if she went she'd most likely be giving up on what she wanted for herself and more importantly betraying the UN and common sense.  The teens weren't scientists, they would be risking the whole world if they tried to bring James back alive if he were infected already, and certainly risking themselves.  She'd dismiss the possibility of going out of hand if she didn't have a suspicion as to how he got hit with No Return in the first place, the UN was semi competent, she doubted they'd let No Return out Willy Nilly.  Fighting to get in to save someone infected with a virus that could kill her wasn't a tasty prospect, fighting against the UNJE to do it made it worse, and doing it with people stating they were going to free a mass murderer in the process...

"Sariyah doesn't want to go and I'm not going to let you force her.  I can't stop all of you from going, and I don't really want to though I think its an incredibly bad idea, saving your teammate is important.  Is Paragon going to kill him regardless of whether or not he is infected?"   Clover asks sounding conflicted.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 6, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cassie goes cold at that. _She gave me an injection for him._



_“Holy ****, okay, don’t panic… um did it do anything to James?”_ Chance replies.

*Gilden and Mark*

“Well if you go with them, you may lose your position here as the Arcane Specialist for the UNJE,” Gadget adds, “but if you don’t go with them, James could die… so yeah tough choices there.”

*Anika’s Portal*

Tina replies, “If Paragon won’t kill him, I am sure one of the UNJE’s hit squad will… I don’t know the guy that well, but even I think it may be a little rash.  But I have to see what Clover is saying, this could get us into some really big trouble.”

Sariyah stays silent, not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Bishop smirks, “Most likely returning here will not be an option, once we are free of this place I can provide us with ample resources and safe houses.”


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 6, 2007)

*Cassie*

_He's resting easier. Why would she have me poison him? Her whole plan hinges on us helping her and she has to know that I, at least, won't if she makes me kill my friend._ Cassie leans in to check his pulse by placing a hand on his throat. _Though I'm stumped on how we could kill her, she'd be as hard as Ryan to kill given their powers, though she did say that being close to Ryan disrupted her power. _


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## Aenion (Jun 6, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "Sariyah doesn't want to go and I'm not going to let you force her.  I can't stop all of you from going, and I don't really want to though I think its an incredibly bad idea, saving your teammate is important.  Is Paragon going to kill him regardless of whether or not he is infected?"   Clover asks sounding conflicted.




"They will kill him, it's how the UNJE solves their mistakes. It looks bad for them to have one of their own infected with their weapon and if he's infected with Cardinal's version... Let's hope we get there first," Karen turns to Sariyah, "If you don't want to go, we'll understand. We won't force you."

She nods at Bishop, "Thank you."


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## Agamon (Jun 6, 2007)

Anika looks at Sariyah, remembering that used to feel the same way.  But they really needed her help.  "Sariyah, you're a civilian, the UN won't punish you.  And I have a place to hide you once you can tell us where we need to go, you won't be a part of the fighting.  Unless you think you can tell us exactly where to go from here...please help us.  James is the nicest guy you'll ever meet.  Give us a chance for you to meet him," she pleads with the girl.

She looks at Clover.  "Just like we won't have time to do anything but get him out of there, JE won't have time to do anything but...what they're supposed to do.  I know this is a big decision, but every second we waste here decreases the chance we'll succeed."


----------



## Samnell (Jun 6, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Well if you go with them, you may lose your position here as the Arcane Specialist for the UNJE,” Gadget adds, “but if you don’t go with them, James could die… so yeah tough choices there.”




"No one's losing their job over this," Mark said with conviction. "We're doing the right thing."


----------



## Hammerhead (Jun 6, 2007)

_What the hell is with all the UNJE hate? Since when did we...well, they now, I suppose, start killing their mistakes? Umm, never? Is that a time?

I really don't have time for this._

"Clover, we need you because you're able to detect the nanites, which means that you should be able to tell if our friend James is infected or not. That minimizes our downside risk."

"Tina, I think that you might have the most to lose," Ryan adds as he stands in front of the portal, looking back. "I'll admit that I hadn't yet gotten the chance to snoop your file, but I know you mentioned that your attendance wasn't entirely voluntary. Going with us might violate the agreement you originally made, and I know that no one will hold your decision against you. But if only for selfish reasons, I hope you come. And Sariyah, you owe me."

With those words, Ryan flies through the portal. As he moves forward, he smiles to himself. _No more indecision. Looks like I'm free now. Feels good._


----------



## Shalimar (Jun 6, 2007)

How will my abilitiy to detect elites detect a virus that affects non-elites?  Clover wondered.  Looking at Sariyah she was adamant about Legacy not Kidnapping her and dragging her into the middle of a fight.  If she had to she'd fight and lose, and they'd just take the girl anyway.  She needed to come u witha way to use Sariyah's power remotely.

"Sariyah, use your power again to try and narrow down where in the mountains James is, if I can I'll try to copy your power and you can stay.  Its a better solution to kidnapping a non-combatant and pulling her into a fight, lord knows your already going to be in enough hot water over freeing Bishop.  If it works, you can take me in place of her since I do know how to defend myself and don't have any qualms about doing so."

OOC:  at this point Clover really does need to copy the power instead of just doing it as a whim.  We can go with the write up I did or something else, but this is the way Clover is going to be able to justify this whole thing,substituting herself for a civilian who was at risk.


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## Aenion (Jun 6, 2007)

Once Ryan steps through the portal,  [color]"'You owe me'? I swear if he survives this I'm gonna kill that smug ... that..."[/color] Karen lets out a frustrated groan, "Sariyah, we really could use your help, but it's not because he saved your life that you have to throw away yours. Let's try Clover's trick while you wait for Mark and Gilden to get here and Ryan and I scout the area..." she says, her body turning transparent and her clothes following suit as she steps through the portal after Ryan, weary of what she might find at the other side.


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 7, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> How will my abilitiy to detect elites detect a virus that affects non-elites?  Clover wondered.  Looking at Sariyah she was adamant about Legacy not Kidnapping her and dragging her into the middle of a fight.  If she had to she'd fight and lose, and they'd just take the girl anyway.  She needed to come u witha way to use Sariyah's power remotely.
> 
> "Sariyah, use your power again to try and narrow down where in the mountains James is, if I can I'll try to copy your power and you can stay.  Its a better solution to kidnapping a non-combatant and pulling her into a fight, lord knows your already going to be in enough hot water over freeing Bishop.  If it works, you can take me in place of her since I do know how to defend myself and don't have any qualms about doing so."
> 
> OOC:  at this point Clover really does need to copy the power instead of just doing it as a whim.  We can go with the write up I did or something else, but this is the way Clover is going to be able to justify this whole thing,substituting herself for a civilian who was at risk.



_That sounds fine to me, list the relevant ability stats in your game post, so I don’t have to cross reference them in the other thread._

Clover is able to utilize Sariyah’s ability as the young woman in question replies, “I don’t want to go, and I don’t think this is the right way to do this.  I am not a soldier, I am not going to go.”

Tina stays silent not meeting anyone’s eyes.

Kiyana says resolutely, “I am not going to standby and let them kill James.  He does not deserve this.”

Aya nods, “You guys are the good guys in my book, so if you think this is the right thing to do, then I say we should go for it.”  She walks into the portal her powered armor suit forming around her as she walks, “Upgrade by Gadget.”

*Other side of the Portal*

The mountainside is rugged, dirt, rocks, and scrub brush is all that awaits the teens.  The night air is cool and a howling wind blows, but the ground is still warm from the baking sun earlier in the day.  There is a silence in the air, only punctuated by the winds and the sound of  dirt and rocks beneath one’s feet.

Signs of civilization are not readily apparent.

*Gilden and Mark*

“You don’t have much time to lose, Paragon’s team was dispatched from Baghdad and he is flying to meet them en route.  It isn’t Justice Elite though, they are in Cairo handling the chaos there.  I tried to get some information on the team, but there isn’t any information about them yet… just have to delve deeper if I find something I will pass it on you.  Right SARAH?” Gadget adds.

SARAH chimes in, “Of course, we will help as best as we can.”

*Cassie*

_“Well if he is alive and not dead, then maybe the weapon isn’t harmful to James?  I am not a scientist though so I have no idea…”_ Chance responds.

James’ pulse seems normal, his mouth slowly moves, “Ki-Ki-Kiyana?”


----------



## Mimic (Jun 7, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Well if you go with them, you may lose your position here as the Arcane Specialist for the UNJE,” Gadget adds, “but if you don’t go with them, James could die… so yeah tough choices there.”




"Sorry Gadget, but it looks like I will have to cut our meal short." He says to her giving her a smile before turning to Mark. "Lets get going, you can fill me in on the way."

Once they reach Anika's portal as Aya is walking through. He address both Mark and Anika.

ooc: this is assuming that Mark lets him in on all the details -If not I will edit this post.

"Have you two lost your senses? This is foolhardy. We have no intelligence on the enemy, we don't have an exact location on where James is located and plus you want to bring along people that are not even trained and have no combat experience at all." He says pointing to Sariyah, Sami and Clover. "Are their lives less important then James? Paragon might be cold but I can not believe that he would kill someone just because they may become dangerous in the future. And if we were to get James out without most of us getting killed or injured what then? Where do we go? Who do we get to help James? None of us are even remotely qualified to do that."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 7, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> _“Well if he is alive and not dead, then maybe the weapon isn’t harmful to James?  I am not a scientist though so I have no idea…”_ Chance responds.
> 
> James’ pulse seems normal, his mouth slowly moves, “Ki-Ki-Kiyana?”





Cassie smiles as he speaks and she takes his hand and pats it reassuringly. "No James it's me, Cassie. How do you feel?" She asks calmly. "I know you're sick but we need to move you as soon as you're strong enough." Her eyes glance back at her 'companions'. "I very much think it would be better if we left." She leans in to whisper in his ear. "If you can make a portal it would be even better. We're not among friends."

_I worry about this now. Cardinal is a brilliant woman, a psycho path but very brilliant. What if she's using him as a weapon against normal people? Racial Genocide isn't anything I want to be part of. You know the world we are in now is infinitely better than the one we came from Chance. Got any ideas where we can take him? I very much doubt that the institue would be prudent at this point. At least for me._


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## Agamon (Jun 7, 2007)

Anika looks more disappointed than angry at Gilden's outburst.  "I have thought things through, considering the time table.  I'm not forcing anyone to come with.  Sariyah doesn't want to come, that's completely understandable.  Clover and and Sami do, so they can.  I've already spelled everything out for everyone.  The option is there for you, too, of course.  I can think of a couple reasons why you'd not want to do this, but we could use your help."

She says no more, waiting foe everyone that wants to go to do so, before following, herself.


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## Aenion (Jun 7, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Other side of the Portal*
> 
> The mountainside is rugged, dirt, rocks, and scrub brush is all that awaits the teens.  The night air is cool and a howling wind blows, but the ground is still warm from the baking sun earlier in the day.  There is a silence in the air, only punctuated by the winds and the sound of  dirt and rocks beneath one’s feet.
> 
> Signs of civilization are not readily apparent.




Karen takes in the area, marvelling at the landscape. She was glad that for once there was no landscape of destruction, no hypermodern underwater city greeting her, just nature. She was also glad to be out of that bunker. The feeling didn't last long though, her mind quickly jumped back to the task at hand, rescuing James. By stepping through the portal she'd probably declared herself persona non grata to the UN. She'd been thinking of breaking with them for a while but never found a really good reason to do so. She'd even thought about reapplying to Legacy until she tried to eavesdrop into that meeting. Now she was here, in the middle of nowhere with the one person in the world she'd never get along with. As she scanned the area around the portal she hoped the others'd follow soon.


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## Mimic (Jun 7, 2007)

Gilden took a few deep breaths before continuing on, getting angry wasn't going to be helping his situation, although considering Anika's stubborness he didn't know if logical thought would either.

"I can think of multiple reasons why I and the rest of us shouldn't be doing this. If the UNJE is going to try and kill James then we should let people know, Jun Min for one, news services for another. Gadget could help us spread the word. They wouldn't dare do anything once the word was out. This is the same reckless behavior that we used to chastise Kelly about, do you want her fate to happen to Sami?"


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## Agamon (Jun 7, 2007)

Now Anika was angry.  She very nearly slaps Gilden at the last statement.  "First of all,  we have one person's word that Paragon is going to do this.  So, no, were not going to broadcast it and spread further panic.  That is, if anyone actually believed us.  That doesn't change the fact that we need to get James back in case it is true and because Pantheon has him and wants to use him to kill every baseline on the planet.

"Second, we are wasting time with this pointless arguing.  Now go or stay, but I'm done discussing it and I'm stepping through this thing and closing it behind me in 10 seconds," she growls.


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## Samnell (Jun 8, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Now Anika was angry.  She very nearly slaps Gilden at the last statement.  "First of all,  we have one person's word that Paragon is going to do this.  So, no, were not going to broadcast it and spread further panic.  That is, if anyone actually believed us.  That doesn't change the fact that we need to get James back in case it is true and because Pantheon has him and wants to use him to kill every baseline on the planet.





Mark shrugged, "I've screwed up my life for a lot worse reasons."


----------



## Mimic (Jun 8, 2007)

Gilden slowly shakes his head. "Two wrongs do not make a right. This is not the way to do this. I wish you luck but I am not going." He says sadly.


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## Agamon (Jun 8, 2007)

"Sitting here and letting him die is right?  Sorry, I don't see it that way," Anika tells Gilden impatiently, disappointment tinging her voice.  "Good luck with the spell.  I wish I could have helped you with it."

She looks at Mark, "After you."


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## Shalimar (Jun 9, 2007)

"Your fine to stay here Sariyah, I've copied your powers so I can go in your place.  I may not be able to stop them but I can save you from being kidnapped."  Clover tells the girl putting a reassuring hand on the other girls shoulder before she steps through the portal.  The military brat trusted SARAH's keen ears to have recorded the conversation, her objections to the plan, and ultimately that she had been coerced into going to protect Sariyah.

Coming out on the other side the British girl was running forward to clear sace behind hr for anyone else coming.  She slipped her hands into the pockets of her jumpsuit and pulls out a pair of reinforced gloves and puts them on, working her fingertips until the fit was perfect.

Before closing her eyes to concentrate on locating James, Clover looked around at the area around the portal not wanting to be caught unawares by anything.  Once she was satisfied she closed her eyes and pictured James from the files on JE Legacy she had read over before coming to the institute, she always did her homework on people that she might want to get to know.

[OOC: Notice +15, taking 10 to get a quick glance at the area around the portal so check = 25
Telelocation 9(Quickness 15 (limited to Telelocation); 9+5 14pp) [Its a full round action] ]


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## Samnell (Jun 9, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> She looks at Mark, "After you."




Mark smiled sadly, "Here goes." He went through the portal.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 9, 2007)

Ryan frowned, glancing at his broken watch every few seconds. _This is taking way too long. You just walk through. It's not that hard. Damn it, I hope Tina comes. Although that might get her in trouble with the United Nations, at least according to her imaginary biography I wrote._

"Where the hell are Legolas and Pigtails," Ryan asks impatiently as Mark finally steps through.


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## Samnell (Jun 9, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Where the hell are Legolas and Pigtails," Ryan asks impatiently as Mark finally steps through.




"Not coming."


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## Agamon (Jun 10, 2007)

Anika steps through the other side of the portal once everyone that is coming is gone. It closes behind her.  She glances around at her surroundings before walking over to Bishop.  "I'm going to need to know where we're going after we get James ahead of time.  I don't expect we'll have time for planning afterwards," she tells him expectantly.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 10, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden slowly shakes his head. "Two wrongs do not make a right. This is not the way to do this. I wish you luck but I am not going." He says sadly.



Tina finally speaks, “I can’t go I have my reasons.  Anika good luck over there… tell Ryan I am sorry.”

Anika goes through and the portal closes with those that have decided to stay behind and those that have decided to defy the UNJE on literally two different sides.  There is a stillness in the air as Tina turns to Gilden, “So now what?”

*In the Mountains of Iran*

Bishop finally speaks, "I know where the stronghold is, shall we get started, I do not think we are far.”

Meanwhile Clover focuses his powers on James, she can see James laying in a bed with another person sitting near him, from her knowledge this is probably Cassandra Prophet, although her hair is a different color, so she may be wrong.  But she can’t see any other details to really get a location, her vision is just fixed on James, but she knows, she can feel where he is in relation to herself.

The teens hear a sonic boom followed by the sounds of two aerodynes, and their own respective booms.  The sounds seem to be heading north of their position the same way Bishop is directing and the same direction Clover knows James to be.

*Cassie*

“Huh, where am I?” James mutters weakly, “Cassie?”


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## Tokiwong (Jun 10, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika steps through the other side of the portal once everyone that is coming is gone. It closes behind her.  She glances around at her surroundings before walking over to Bishop.  "I'm going to need to know where we're going after we get James ahead of time.  I don't expect we'll have time for planning afterwards," she tells him expectantly.



"Any of you have a phone?" Bishop says.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 10, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “Huh, where am I?” James mutters weakly, “Cassie?”





"I'm here James," She whispers as she pats him on the arm. "We need to leave, can you access your powers yet?" She furiously thinks of someplace they can go that would be safe. "The institue was hit by terrorists, could you take us somewhere else. LIke..Yoshii's grave in Japan?" she asks, the marker being the first place that comes to mind. "I very much doubt this place will be safe for us much longer."


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## Shalimar (Jun 10, 2007)

Clover tells the other teens where James, and by extension the base is in relation to themselves, how far they'd have to go.  She looks up as the Aerodynes go roaring past.  "If you can get another portal up put it up (distance) miles that way."   she says pointing towards James presence in her head.  "Otherwise we need to get moving right now."


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## Agamon (Jun 10, 2007)

Anika's eyes widen as the aerodynes jet past.  "Somebody get the man a phone," she yells, gesturing at Bishop before beginning her teleport spell again, setting it at the location Clover tells her.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 10, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "I'm here James," She whispers as she pats him on the arm. "We need to leave, can you access your powers yet?" She furiously thinks of someplace they can go that would be safe. "The institue was hit by terrorists, could you take us somewhere else. LIke..Yoshii's grave in Japan?" she asks, the marker being the first place that comes to mind. "I very much doubt this place will be safe for us much longer."



 "Terrorists?" James replies, "What happened to Kiyana?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 10, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> "Terrorists?" James replies, "What happened to Kiyana?"





"She was fine when I saw her a while back, ah.. a few hours." She looks around. "Now we need to get moving before more trouble comes our way." She really didn't like the look of the elites here.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 10, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika steps through the other side of the portal once everyone that is coming is gone. It closes behind her.  She glances around at her surroundings before walking over to Bishop.  "I'm going to need to know where we're going after we get James ahead of time.  I don't expect we'll have time for planning afterwards," she tells him expectantly.




"Not coming? What a bunch of sissies." _Note to self: punch Gilden._

"Why not use your little dimension to store him until we can figure out how to cure him, assuming I can't fix him right away." _If worse comes to worst, we might need to do what Paragon and his lackies originally set out to do. Great._ "Failing that," Ryan continues with an absent shrug, "One of those ruined cities that Cardinal nuked might suffice, or just some God-forsaken wilderness." _Like Canada.

Why the hell does Bishop need a phone? So he can call in his own little crew, and stab us in the back?_


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## Agamon (Jun 10, 2007)

"I have other plans for my d-space," Anika says, not looking away from her growing portal.  "Sami?  Gilden was right.  You don't have control over your powers yet.  I can't let you fight, you'll get hurt, or worse.  As soon as we get through this portal, the first thing I'm doing is getting you into my extradimensional space, alright?  Clover, you might want to do the same.  I have no idea how well you can control your powers or fight, but this is not be the best way to find out."


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## Aenion (Jun 10, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika's eyes widen as the aerodynes jet past.  "Somebody get the man a phone," she yells, gesturing at Bishop before beginning her teleport spell again, setting it at the location Clover tells her.




Karen fishes her cellphone out of her pocket and hands to Bishop, remembering that he probably can't see her she takes his hand and puts the phone in it, "I hope you can get a signal here."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 10, 2007)

"Clover is going to do fine, Anika. And if you want to emasculate Sami any more, I could do it right now and save all of us some time. Not everyone gets a nice cushy training mission in the Black Room. Some of us get ambushed in the food court by cybernetic terrorists," he says as he shares a smile with Mark. _Damn, she is bossy. Besides, he can regenerate._

"Both of them have already survived a Pantheon attack on the Institute. We're not in any real position to turn away volunteers."


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## Shalimar (Jun 10, 2007)

"I'll be fine, lets just get this done, I'd prefer to get back to the institute as soon as possible."


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## Agamon (Jun 10, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Clover is going to do fine, Anika. And if you want to emasculate Sami any more, I could do it right now and save all of us some time. Not everyone gets a nice cushy training mission in the Black Room. Some of us get ambushed in the food court by cybernetic terrorists," he says as he shares a smile with Mark. _Damn, she is bossy. Besides, he can regenerate._
> 
> "Both of them have already survived a Pantheon attack on the Institute. We're not in any real position to turn away volunteers."




"Cardinal and Paragon aren't exactly food court terrorists," Anika huffs.  _"Moron.  He's not comparing that and this, is he?  Gods, I want to pluck out my own eyes every time I think that I actually dated this guy."_  She nearly loses concentration on her portal, but refocuses to complete it.

"Sami, It's up to you," she says with a mental sigh.  _"Dammit, now I'll have him to worry about, too..."_


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 10, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "I'll be fine, lets just get this done, I'd prefer to get back to the institute as soon as possible."



Bishop presses in a text message and then tosses the phone back to Karen, “I know where we can go, once we are done here.  James will be safe there, and we can plan our next course of action.”  He turns to Clover with a shake of his head, “I do hope you don’t we will be returning to the Institute.  Despite your noble intentions you are guilty of aiding a wanted terrorist to freedom, at the very least.”

“Anika be careful with your portal, Cardinal has a powerful elite that is capable of bending pathways to undesirable locations, moving quickly may benefit us better then ending up someone in the arctic… or worse…” Bishop adds.

Sami turns to Anika, “I can help; I didn’t come all this way to be a spectator.”  His eyes take on the look of a predator and an air of menace grows around him… as black feathered wings sprout from his back, his skin going black and coarse.  His voice is deeper and more menacing, “I can help,” as he stretches his wings.

*Cassie*

The rhino-like elite walks over to Cassie, “Okay?’ she says in heavily accented English.

“Who the hell are you?” James says aloud, clinging to Cassie, “Where am I?”


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## Agamon (Jun 10, 2007)

Anika drops the portal after Bishop's warning.  "Alright, we don't need to be shunted off somewhere else at this point.  But, we're officially behind schedule now."  She changes her prayers to generate her force field and flight.

She turns and steps back in shock at the sight of Sami.  "Uh, okay.  Ryan's right, we sure could use your help."

Looking to everyone else as she begins to hover off the ground, she asks, "Ryan, can you carry Karen?  Does anyone else need help getting to our destination quickly?"


----------



## Shalimar (Jun 10, 2007)

Clover shrugs at Bishop's warning that she wouldn't be welcomed back at the school.  She knew exactly why she had done what she had done, and the UN had telepaths that could prove it.  She was acting as a hostage in place of Sariyah, that was in keeping with the ideals of law enforcement and the UN forces.  The questionable bit was as Bishop had said, helping him escape, and on that she didn't feel particularly guilty, there was nothing she could have actually done to stop Legacy since they were already planning on fighting, her against just Bishop was iffy on her best day, against Bishop and Legacy was just not going to be productive.

With Sariyah's power she was free to locate him again at any time the UN wanted and it could lead the UN to even more Movement members, and if worse came to worse by substituing herself she made sure the UN still had Sariyah's powers availible to find them.  She could also just borrow Mark's power and run to the UN and tell them where the team was hiding out with James and Bishop.  If she couldn't stop it, she could at least give the UN intel that they wouldn't otherwise have.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 10, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie slides between James and the Elite. "He's fine, back off please." She turns and looks at James. "Can you get us out of here James? We really need to get gone." Something about this didn't mesh right. Cardinal helping her, these elites. Too crowded, too confusing. She needed a retreat, someplace to redeploy from. Her first thought was Tommy's sanctum, but Legion had eliminated that as an option.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 11, 2007)

"Well, the UN wasn't exactly keeping you locked up Bishop." _Which was probably a mistake. And we can always bring you back once we're done here. I know I have no intention of joining Bishop's own little group of terrorists. I'm sure Karen would probably want in._

"I can lift a nuclear submarine," Ryan says as he grabs Karen's arm. "Anyone else need a lift?" Ryan then takes off towards the Pantheon base. 

_Super Strength +16_


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## Shalimar (Jun 11, 2007)

"I could copy someone's powers but I'd lose the ability to track James."  Clover comments, grabbing Ryan's other arm.


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## Aenion (Jun 11, 2007)

Karen becomes visible again when Bishop tosses her phone back. Her understanding for Anika's concern fades at Sami's transformation, she involuntarily takes steps away from him. She looked weird herself and Charlotte could change into creepy spiders but this was something different altogether.

"I hope you're not comparing me to a submarine," she replies, sounding a bit insulted and selfconcious, when Ryan uncerimoniously grabs her arm, _I wish Kal was here._


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## Hammerhead (Jun 11, 2007)

"No," Ryan snaps as he takes off, flying towards the Pantheon base. He tries to keep his flight as low as possible, to minimize the chances of some kind of detection. 

_After all, I like nuclear submarines. _


----------



## Samnell (Jun 11, 2007)

> Looking to everyone else as she begins to hover off the ground, she asks, "Ryan, can you carry Karen? Does anyone else need help getting to our destination quickly?"




Mark shrugged, "I can't take passengers. Well, I could. But it would be ugly."


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## Agamon (Jun 11, 2007)

"Alright, let's move," Anika says, racing off after Ryan.


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 11, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cassie slides between James and the Elite. "He's fine, back off please." She turns and looks at James. "Can you get us out of here James? We really need to get gone." Something about this didn't mesh right. Cardinal helping her, these elites. Too crowded, too confusing. She needed a retreat, someplace to redeploy from. Her first thought was Tommy's sanctum, but Legion had eliminated that as an option.



One of the twins’ looks over, “Oy, the lad is awake is he?  You best keep your distance there, he got the No Return infection; you know what that can do to a bloke?”

The other twin shakes his head, “If don’t kill him, it scrambles the brainpan right good, it does,” he says making a crazy motion with his friend hand.

“Cardinal has us here to watch him to see if he show any funny sides,” the first twin says standing, “is he-”

There is the sound of an explosion, it is faint.

Both twins turn invisible instantly.  The rhino woman grumbles, “You fight?” directing her question to Cassie.

James curls up into a fetal position, rocking himself, “This isn’t happening…” he repeats over and over.

*The Calvary*

Ryan leads the charge as the team tries to keep as best as they can, it turns out the portal was actually not that far from what looks to be a stone walled complex of homes, towers, and defensive positions.  One of the towers is a smoking wreck, the flames visible in the night sky framing the attack that is already underway…

The structure is a rough square some several hundred feet on a side with four towers at each corner, there are three small homes/buildings in the interior with a more heavily fortified structure towards the center with vehicles and a well out front.


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## Samnell (Jun 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> The structure is a rough square some several hundred feet on a side with four towers at each corner, there are three small homes/buildings in the interior with a more heavily fortified structure towards the center with vehicles and a well out front.




_Did we lose the race?_ Mark sped into the buildings in search of James.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Both twins turn invisible instantly.  The rhino woman grumbles, “You fight?” directing her question to Cassie.
> 
> James curls up into a fetal position, rocking himself, “This isn’t happening…” he repeats over and over.





Cassie shakes her head at the rhino woman. "My job is to look after him." _And I don't intend to help you kill anyone else_ She thinks to herself as she leans over and gently slaps James on the cheek. "Snap out of it James, we can't stay here. CAN YOU TELEPORT?" She asks with a clear sense of urgency.


----------



## Aenion (Jun 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *The Calvary*
> 
> Ryan leads the charge as the team tries to keep as best as they can, it turns out the portal was actually not that far from what looks to be a stone walled complex of homes, towers, and defensive positions.  One of the towers is a smoking wreck, the flames visible in the night sky framing the attack that is already underway…
> 
> The structure is a rough square some several hundred feet on a side with four towers at each corner, there are three small homes/buildings in the interior with a more heavily fortified structure towards the center with vehicles and a well out front.




Karen shakes herself free from Ryan's grasp as he descends. She barely touches the ground as she leaps forward toward what seems to be the main building. Her body becomes transparant in midair, intending to scout ahead of the group while Mark searches the other buildings.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 11, 2007)

"We're in a hurry," Ryan says crossly as he sets himself and Clover down in front of the main building. _Which means that if we're smart, we're not going to waste time scouting. We'll just bust in and take everyone out before they know what hit them.

Too bad we're not smart,_ Ryan thinks as he shields himself with his protective force field and energizes himself with cosmic power. "Don't try and copy my powers," he whispers to Clover as he sneaks towards the door of the main building as well. "And unlike our friend Karen, neither of us has any desire to see a terrorist walking free. Right?"


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## Tokiwong (Jun 11, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> Karen shakes herself free from Ryan's grasp as he descends. She barely touches the ground as she leaps forward toward what seems to be the main building. Her body becomes transparant in midair, intending to scout ahead of the group while Mark searches the other buildings.



*Inside the Fortress*

The teens get a good look at the chaos up close and personal.  Several UNJE Field Agents are warping to the ground with and taking out baseline insurgents with frightening accuracy and precision.  A team of soldiers’ breaks off and takes cover behind smoking heaps that were vehicles training their weapons on the teens, fifteen strong in all.  One of the soldiers speak with an electronically modulated voice, “Stand down!   You are interfering with a UNJE operation, stand down, lethal force is authorized.”  The voice repeats the same sentence in several languages.

Another two teams of field agents proceed towards the burning tower, a tank casually tossed aside as Paragon prepares to lead the UNJE soldiers inside.  Casualties are high on the insurgent side.

*Anika*

[sblock]She can make out the blue outlines of two spider tanks positioned around the burning tower.  Both of the aerodynes float overhead, equally cloaked.  A second team of cloaked agents is moving to flank the teens on the ground around the main building.[/sblock]

*Cassie*

“I CAN TELEPORT!” and then James is gone.

The rhino woman curses, “Not good?”

“Oy!  We got UNJE soldiers piling in the place, won’t be long before we got them blokes down here.  Christ on a trike, they got Paragon with ‘em…” a disembodied voice calls out.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> “I CAN TELEPORT!” and then James is gone.
> 
> ...





"Why thank you James, you just won a spot on my 'As reliable and trustworth as Ryan list'." Cassie mutters to herself as she shakes her head. Time to leave, smack James hard later.

She looks for a way OUT of this mess, moving to keep in the shadows while looking for some option on a way out. An aerodyne or perhaps just running she thinks as she peeks out to see what choas is going on outside. Tactically, she thought to herself, this had to be one of the WORST situations she'd been in.


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## Mimic (Jun 11, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “So now what?”




Gilden stands for a moment watching the space that the portal had been. Disappointment is easy to read on his face, whether it is because they went or he didn't go is hard to tell.

"The only thing we can do at this moment," he replies coldly. "Inform the one person that I think we can trust... Jun Min." He states as he turns and heads down the corridor. Getting directions from Sarah, he will find Jun Min and tell her everything about Mrs. Obana, Paragon, as well as the other students decision to save James.


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## Shalimar (Jun 12, 2007)

Clover looks at the UN troops and nods in compliance.  This was about what she had been expecting, Paragon's team had a head start and was more experienced.  Honestly she thought the teens were being extremely stupid in trying to get James before the UN could when they could infect themselves and the world with a virus capable of killing all the base lines on the planet.  "Thank God." she mutters standing very still.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 12, 2007)

Ryan smiles, holding up his hands nonchalantly. _Only fifteen? For all of us? What an egregious insult. I wouldn't have sent fifteen to go after me, much less all of us. Of course, there might be more cloaked somewhere..._

"This fight is pointless, and we can render it even more so if we can just find James," he says softly, hoping Clover will be able to hear over the noise of the conflict. "Where *exactly* is James in there?"

_Of course, this all depends on Little Miss UN Military being on our side. I really should have thought of that beforehand. Damn it all. We might have an actual fight on our hands if she turns._ Ryan hopes to catch Anika's eye as he cocks his head slightly to the side.


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## Samnell (Jun 12, 2007)

Mark ignored the UN's orders to stop and began his search, counting on speed to protect him.

_If they're going to shoot me, let them shoot me. I threw my stupid life away for this anyway._


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## Shalimar (Jun 12, 2007)

Clover has been maintaining her lock on James, so she'd know when his distance increases dramatically.  She will take another turn to attempt to find him again.


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## Agamon (Jun 12, 2007)

"There's more than meets the eye here, people," Anika yells out as she flies into the compound.  "I count 2 cloaked tanks and another squad of troops trying to outflank us.  The aerodynes are still in the air, too."

She lands next to Ryan and Clover, glaring at the girl when she notes her quick acquiescence.  "Are you kidding?  Was this your plan all along?" she asks her, now regretting letting her come along.  "Just tell us where he is, Mark will find him in a few seconds anyway.  We don't want to turn this into a fight."


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## Aenion (Jun 12, 2007)

Karen ignores the troopers for the most part. Counting on her bodies ability to bend light waves, she quietly makes her way into the main building in search of James.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 12, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "This fight is pointless, and we can render it even more so if we can just find James," he says softly...



“I am glad we can agree…” he trails off looking at the gathered elites, “Clover!  What the Bloody hell…” he pauses once again, “This is a restricted area, we are aware of your obvious defection and the UNJE is prepared to offer you amnesty if you submit willingly to arrest and detainment.  Your actions,” he turns  looking at Clover in particular with that same electronically modulated voice, “speak very poorly of yourselves and the UNJE as a whole.”

Sami lands next to Anika and Bishop is nowhere to be seen.

**BONG!**

_Mark gains one HP for GM’s fiat but he smacks headlong into one of the cloaked spider tanks, he is momentarily stunned by the self-injury._

Mark smacks headlong into an invisible wall of sorts with comical though painful results.  For a brief second the teens can see the towering form of a spider tank before the cloak system once again shield’s it from sight.

Meanwhile Karen makes her way into the central structure, there are several holed up men inside, natives whispering to each other in Arabic or perhaps Persian Farsi it is hard to tell, nor is she skilled enough to recognize the difference in the two languages.  The lights are out and they are scared, but the soldiers are not assaulting this building at least not at the moment.

*Clover*

[sblock]James just left, but tracking him is proving difficult, she can feel him at different points around the globe as if he is constantly moving from one space to another just when she gets a bead on him, poof he is somewhere else.  It is very erratic.[/sblock]

*Gilden*

Jun Min just listens, having stopped eating her salad.  Robbie listens as well, he seems attached at the hip of the Korean elite.  She shakes her head, muttering something in Korean before continuing, “Has the whole world gone insane?  Okay, I will talk to Mrs. Obana… are they crazy?  Paragon is many different things but he would never kill James, I can’t believe that.”

Jun Min grimaces, “This isn’t going to end well.”

SARAH chimes in, “Jun Min, Mrs. Obana wishes to speak with you immediately concerning the recent defection.”

“Now is it a defection?  Tell her I am on the way,” she turns to the teens gathered around her, “let’s get some answers.”


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## Tokiwong (Jun 12, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> She looks for a way OUT of this mess, moving to keep in the shadows while looking for some option on a way out. An aerodyne or perhaps just running she thinks as she peeks out to see what choas is going on outside. Tactically, she thought to herself, this had to be one of the WORST situations she'd been in.



Considering the only way out is back the way she came, Cassie does not have many options.  The rhino-like elite shakes her head, “We not die here,” she says in her own special form of broken English.

There seems to be a pause in the explosions though.


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## Aenion (Jun 12, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> Meanwhile Karen makes her way into the central structure, there are several holed up men inside, natives whispering to each other in Arabic or perhaps Persian Farsi it is hard to tell, nor is she skilled enough to recognize the difference in the two languages.  The lights are out and they are scared, but the soldiers are not assaulting this building at least not at the moment.




Karen's eyes easily adjust to the darkness inside, it seems like she's the only one who made it in. The language the natives are speaking sounds like gibberish to her, middle eastern gibberish anyway, _If they fight the UN they're gonna die. Maybe if they surrender the UN'll spare them..._ she makes her way past the bulk of the natives and then speaks up without revealing herself, hoping she makes it sound more convincing than she felt, at the very least it'd spook them, "You are surrounded. Surrender and your lives will be spared," she waits a moment to see their reactions and then continues her search for James.

ooc: intimidation attempt +2


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## Hammerhead (Jun 12, 2007)

"Obvious defection?" Ryan queries with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. "Hell, you guys hired us, and I don't recall lying too much on my psych tests. Can you honestly say our actions are some kind of surprise, risking our lives to help a friend?" 

_Come on, Four Leaf, give me his location. Oh look, our buddy Bishop cut and run. Big surprise._

"Anyway, assuming we resist, I can't say gunning down your coolest team would be the best option. And all your toys have to be pretty expensive too."

"So where is he," he whispers harshly to Clover, as he scans the area, keeping his hands in the air.


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## Samnell (Jun 12, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> **BONG!**
> 
> _Mark gains one HP for GM’s fiat but he smacks headlong into one of the cloaked spider tanks, he is momentarily stunned by the self-injury._
> 
> Mark smacks headlong into an invisible wall of sorts with comical though painful results.  For a brief second the teens can see the towering form of a spider tank before the cloak system once again shield’s it from sight.




Mark got up and kept going.


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## Mimic (Jun 13, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Now is it a defection?  Tell her I am on the way,” she turns to the teens gathered around her, “let’s get some answers.”




Gilden will follow along behind Jun Min


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## Shalimar (Jun 13, 2007)

"Anika, why exactly did you think I was here?  I'm here because you were going to kidnap Sariyah.  It was a hostage exchange, her for me since I can take care of myself.  It was the best I could do in the situation, I couldn't fight all of you and Bishop, you'd kill or incapacitate me and kidnap her anyway.  And now since she is still safe at the school thanks to me the UN can undo your treason of freeing Bishop by tracking him down with her powers."

"I don't know why they made you a leader of Legacy, but it wasn't for brains.  You were risking the lives of every baseline on the planet for someone who already had a terminal illness, regardless of how he got that way, he is going to die, if you suceeded he might have taken millions of innocents with him...he still might."

Turning to the UN trooper addressing the teens the British girl says, "Dad, James is no longer in the compound, he is a teleporter so thats what must be happening, but right now he is popping from place to place around the globe barely staying in a spot for a few seconds before moving again.  Its too hard trying to keep up with him, should I try to find Bishop or not?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 13, 2007)

*Cassie*

She looks to the rhino girl and shrugs. "It's looking like everyone for themselves." She waits for the gap to open up and dashes forward, looking for a place to take cover and hide.

OOC: Looking for a way clear to hide (Stealth +15)


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## Agamon (Jun 13, 2007)

Clover's words are so ludicrous to Anika she nearly forgets where she is or what she's doing.  "What?  Kidnap?  Hostage?  You have absolutely no clue, do you?"  She looks at Ryan and shakes her head in disbelief.

When she announces that James has teleported away, she's not sure if she's relieved, horrified or just confused.  "That's not good."  Then noting the absence of Bishop, she sighs.  "What now?" she asks Ryan.  She wasn't going to flee, and leave Mark and Karen behind.  They didn't know James was gone.  She sure as hell didn't want to surrender, but she wanted to fight for no reason even less.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 13, 2007)

"And here I was, inviting her along to be nice," Ryan says in answer to Anika. "For someone with supposedly enhanced perception, she sure does miss a lot," he says as he casually steps behind her, putting her in between himself and the UNJE commandos. _Just in case; they're less likely to fire if they might hit her._

"Well there's no sense in throwing down if James isn't here. If he's out teleporting around, then that means he's probably infected. Damn it all. But, FYI, I am not going to be arrested. So I think evac might be our best bet now, then run damage control on James."

_If it's not too late. Good God, this is going to be horrible. I am going to find whoever is responsible and Make Them Pay._


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## Shalimar (Jun 13, 2007)

Clover moves off to the side of the formation of the teens so she wouldn't be caught in any crossfire.  She ignores Anika and Ryan's questioning of her intelligence.  They were freeing an international terrorist at the time, expecting the benifit of the doubt on forcing Sariyah too accompany them was ludicrus.


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## Agamon (Jun 14, 2007)

"If you're lying about James, Clover, we'll find out how well you can take care of yourself," Anika threatens, very frustrated over the dilemma facing them.

"I'm not leaving Mark and Karen to fend for themselves.  You two get out of here," she tells Ryan and Sami, adding with emphasis to Sami, "I mean it.  Stick with Ryan, I'll be fine."  With that, she looks back at the main building Karen and Mark entered, muttering a prayer to Loki to hide her.  She then invisibly flies for the entrance of the building.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 14, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "If you're lying about James, Clover, we'll find out how well you can take care of yourself," Anika threatens, very frustrated over the dilemma facing them.




_Translation: I just might kill you. That said, I do not think that Clover is lying. Though you're still on the list of people to hit, right after Gilden._



			
				Agamon said:
			
		

> "I'm not leaving Mark and Karen to fend for themselves.  You two get out of here," she tells Ryan and Sami, adding with emphasis to Sami, "I mean it.  Stick with Ryan, I'll be fine."  With that, she looks back at the main building Karen and Mark entered, muttering a prayer to Loki to hide her.  She then invisibly flies for the entrance of the building.




"Yeah, okay, don't mind me," Ryan says, rolling his eyes as he walks over to Sami. "Look, with this most recent and depressing development, I think priorities have shifted. If James has been infected, then...we're screwed. He's teleporting around like a maniac, spreading disease like a Typhoid Mary on speed. Solutions, anyone?"


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## Tokiwong (Jun 16, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Yeah, okay, don't mind me," Ryan says, rolling his eyes as he walks over to Sami. "Look, with this most recent and depressing development, I think priorities have shifted. If James has been infected, then...we're screwed. He's teleporting around like a maniac, spreading disease like a Typhoid Mary on speed. Solutions, anyone?"



The commander, although he has no discernable markings that make him stand out from the rest replies, “It would be in your best interests to return to a UNJE facility and stay out of this matter.  Besides we have no evidence besides her claims that James is teleporting anywhere, until we can verify for sure that he isn’t here no one should go anywhere.  I suggest you stand down-”

There is a ruckus coming from the central buildings as gun-fire erupts inside the building, muzzle flash plainly visible through the boarded windows.

*Inside the Central Structure*

The moment Karen starts speaking the native fighters turn in shock, and before anyone can get a handle on the situation gunfire erupts.  Bullets bounce off Karen with ease and end up hitting someone else, causing more chaos and more gunfire before there is a brief calm some seconds later.

Outside she hears a UNJE soldier shout in the native’s language with that unnerving electronically modulated voice.  The words do little to ease the nerves of the insurgents, and several sit clutching injuries from the brief and almost comical firefight.

*Back Outside the Central Building*

“Bloody hell, who is shooting… we have specific rules of engagement,” he pauses, “I see, it seems Karen has gotten herself inside the structure… is this your idea of a precisely planned rescue mission?  Or do you just do whatever you want because you think no one can stop you?”

Kiyana changes into her watery form, “If James is not here then he is safe from them, they can’t kill him if they can’t catch him.”

“Kill, what in the bloody hell is wrong with you idiots,” the commander retorts, “I suggest you all calm down before you make some very serious mistakes.”

*Mark*

Mark gets back up and zooms inside past several UNJE Field Agents who only have a chance to briefly turn as the teen zooms by only to find Paragon ripping a large chunk of the wall, revealing a hidden door.  He speaks without turning easily forcing the door open, “You do realize I will have to fire you Mark?”

*Cassie*

Cassie is able to find some modest cover in the eerily silent chamber as the insurgents, baseline and elite alike prefer for a showdown with the UNJE forces.  She can literally taste the fear and adrenalin in the air.

*Gilden*

Gilden follows Jun Min as she walks into Mrs. Obana’s office, “Just what is the UNJE thinking trying to kill James!  Paragon would never do that, you can’t tell me he agreed to that course of action!”

Mrs. Obana sighs rubbing her temple, “You should take a deep breath, and I believe I was in error when I related the particulars of the mission objectives to the team.  But it was the best intelligence I had at the time, Paragon as usual has flouted the wishes of the Oversight Committee.  His cavalier style of leadership is out of touch with the needs of the baseline and elite communities at large.  Although I express a sigh of relief that James would not be terminated, I have never agreed with draconian tactics but in this new world I understand their place.”

Jun Min blinks, “What are you saying?”

“Paragon never intended to kill anyone, I have the mission outline right here, his team was to break into the facility found by Sariyah, rescue James and transport him to a secure off-planet site for observation and rehabilitation.  It seems this message came in approximately three minutes ago, I am just as shocked as you are.  But,” the woman clucks, “that really does not matter now does it?  Legacy has gone rogue, they have helped free a terrorist, who might I add should have been under a proper escort or perhaps locked up somewhere… but then again security practices have been quite lax.”

Tina growls, “You lied to us!  You bitch!”

Jun Min whispers, “Quiet Tina,” and one look from the older elite silences Tina.  She turns back to Mrs. Obana, “Why wasn’t Legacy informed of this change?” 

“Once they decided to take the law into their own hands, my hands were tied.  Besides they seemed overly eager to engage in their own style of vigilante justice at the UNJE’s expense.  Simply put, Legacy is a liability.  But then again given their instructors and the guidance and examples you have set for them it is a wonder they are not all sociopathic monsters at this point,” she replies.

“You bitch!” Jun Min replies.

“Case in point,” Mrs. Obana replies.  She turns to Gilden, “We will have to find you another partner for your spell Gilden, sadly there are not many people on this planet who are qualified to assist you.”


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## Shalimar (Jun 16, 2007)

"The solution is what its always been, leave it to te UN, they have the resources to deal with it on a global scale, Legacy on its own doesn't.  I may not have agreed with Paragon's mission to come in and kill James, but I can understand the reasoning that went into it.  Legacy came to get James and keep him quarantined somewhere safe.  Thats no longer possibleso you guys need to stand down."

When the shooting starts Clover's words echo her dad's, "Bloody Hell!  He isn't here so we need to all just stand down until we figure out whats going on...just calm down."


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## Agamon (Jun 16, 2007)

Anika holds short of the building, returning visible.  "Where is Paragon?"  she asks the commander.  She wasn't too worried about the bullets.  They wouldn't hit Mark or hurt Karen.


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## Samnell (Jun 16, 2007)

> Mark gets back up and zooms inside past several UNJE Field Agents who only have a chance to briefly turn as the teen zooms by only to find Paragon ripping a large chunk of the wall, revealing a hidden door. He speaks without turning easily forcing the door open, “You do realize I will have to fire you Mark?”




Mark stopped cold, his speed dying in a skid across the floor. For a moment he couldn't say anything.

"What else could I do? How'd- I can't just let you kill James. I don't- We can still fix this. It's a mistake..." Mark told Paragon, unconvincingly.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 16, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark stopped cold, his speed dying in a skid across the floor. For a moment he couldn't say anything.
> 
> "What else could I do? How'd- I can't just let you kill James. I don't- We can still fix this. It's a mistake..." Mark told Paragon, unconvincingly.



“Kill James?  Why do you think I would do that?” Paragon replies looking down the shaft, “A better question is why aren’t you leading your team and doing the right thing, like helping those people in Chicago?”

*Back Outside*

Clover’s father replies, “He is talking to Mark currently, if you submit to being detained I think the UNJE may give you a pass, although I am sure some type of censure is in order.  Now where is Bishop?”

Kiyana growls, “I am tired of waiting… I am not going to lose James too… Anika we can’t go back the UNJE won’t do anything to make this better!  They can’t help James, but maybe Ryan can, we can’t waste time here!”


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## Agamon (Jun 16, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Clover’s father replies, “He is talking to Mark currently, if you submit to being detained I think the UNJE may give you a pass, although I am sure some type of censure is in order.  Now where is Bishop?”
> 
> Kiyana growls, “I am tired of waiting… I am not going to lose James too… Anika we can’t go back the UNJE won’t do anything to make this better!  They can’t help James, but maybe Ryan can, we can’t waste time here!”




"Kiyana, we can't go after James if he can be anywhere on the planet.  Where do you want us to go?" Anika tells the frustrated girl.

She looks back at Clover's dad.  "Wasn't the UNJE's mission to eliminate James before Cardinal made him dangerous?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 16, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie stays crouched low, trying to utilize any and all cover  avalable to keep out of sight. _Great, I just turned James into the biggest Typhoid Mary on the planet, and I seem to have found a war to fall into._ She thinks to herself as she looks for any options to escape. 

_I wonder, this is a nomral UN attac. Maybe they have Aerodynes staged clear of the initial assualt area._ She tries to figure, given what little she sees of the assualt, where they might land the aerodynes.

OOC: Stealth +15, trying her best to keep out of the fight.


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## Samnell (Jun 16, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Kill James?  Why do you think I would do that?” Paragon replies looking down the shaft, “A better question is why aren’t you leading your team and doing the right thing, like helping those people in Chicago?”




_Who's lying?_ "That's what we were told was going to happen. If one of my people is in danger, my place is with him."


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## Shalimar (Jun 16, 2007)

Grunting in annoyance at James' erratic movement Clover turned her concentration to Bishop, someone she at least had a chance of finding in the somewhat immediate area and for more then a second or two at a time.

OOC: Full Action to locate Bishop.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 16, 2007)

"I *had* a plan," Ryan mutters. _It just didn't involve Four Leaf turning on us, or everyone deciding that they're the Sisters of Mercy and Peace or whatever. Seriously, Karen, if you found James, what could you possibly do? Hug him? 

I suppose a general goes to war with the army he's got, not the army he wishes he had. I wish this commander guy stopped acting like he was the top dog around here...I have my hands up because it's funny, and I don't need to waste a a tenth of a second aiming upwards at the aerodynes overhead before I knock them out of the sky with a cosmic blast, sending their battered remains all over your heads._

"You may note, jackass, that I haven't made any threats towards you, whereas you've done nothing but. So spare me about staying calm. I suggest that you guys get your stories straight with Obana. If you want to talk 'censure,' " Ryan adds, raising his fingers into quotation marks, "That's pretty laughable." _What are they going to do, ground me?_

"You'll excuse me for the presumption, but it logically follows that some official with the UN must be lying, and you're the more obvious candidate. Especially considering how I'm the badass healer guy, and I wasn't even invited. Not to mention the phenomenal negligence that somehow caused one of the UN's own to be infected with your little pet project."

_If Clover was lying, then I need to stall. And if she wasn't, well, at least they haven't started shooting yet._


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## Aenion (Jun 16, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Inside the Central Structure*
> 
> The moment Karen starts speaking the native fighters turn in shock, and before anyone can get a handle on the situation gunfire erupts.  Bullets bounce off Karen with ease and end up hitting someone else, causing more chaos and more gunfire before there is a brief calm some seconds later.
> 
> Outside she hears a UNJE soldier shout in the native’s language with that unnerving electronically modulated voice.  The words do little to ease the nerves of the insurgents, and several sit clutching injuries from the brief and almost comical firefight.




"Stop!" Karen shouts desperately when bullets start flying all around her and they start hitting other people. Why won't anything she tries to do, turn out the way she intends them too? While in a sense the firefight might have been comical, she never wanted anyone to get hurt.

She doesn't even bother to try to avoid the bullets actually flying her way as they flatten themselves on her crystal body as she reaches for the closest gunner's weapon and snatches it out of his hands. She becomes visible again and tears the weapon apart with little effort, "Stop shooting and drop you weapons!" she throws the remains of the weapon on the ground to accentuate her words.

ooc: Disarm on the nearest native from invisibility
All-out attack, +11 to hit, +14 on the opposed roll


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## Tokiwong (Jun 19, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> _Who's lying?_ "That's what we were told was going to happen. If one of my people is in danger, my place is with him."



Paragon crouches down, “Quite a ways down, Alpha and Bravo squad head down, be prepared for heavy elite supported resistance.”  The sounds of gunfire filter into the hallway.

“Commander, report?” Paragon says putting a hand to his UNJE issued shades.

“I don’t think we have time to argue about…” he trails, “Wait can you confirm that Commander?  I am not about to call this whole bloody operation on the account of your daughter.  Standby and keep Legacy from making a mess of things.”  Paragon glances over his shoulder at Mark, “Mark your sentiment is noble, but you picked the worst possible time to act on your misguided instincts.”

Paragon pauses once more, “I see.  Take him out, we need to salvage something out of this disaster.”

There is a sound of an explosion and a blast of concussive force, powerful enough to make both elites stumble.

*Outside*

Clover’s father replies, “I am not at liberty to discuss mission details, but rest assured we have only the best interests for all parties involved.”

“I am sure you do,” Bishop’s voice calls down, the British terrorist looking down from one of the towers, “But I guess that would depend on the parties involved.  Legacy isn’t one to be trifled with, and by your show of restraint it is obvious you know that you are outmanned and outgunned.  There is nothing you can do short of calling Paragon that could stop them.”

Kiyana shrinks slightly from the rebuke, “But I just ant to find James, if he isn’t here then why stay, Bishop is right they can’t stop us.  They know it, we can leave her with them… she isn’t one of us,” she says gesturing to Clover.

Bishop continues, “But why be so evasive Commander, if the UNJE has nothing to hide then let Legacy help, save yourself the trouble and avoid any unwanted violence.  Unless you do have something to hide, which given the UNJE’s track record is the most likely course of action-”  

**KRAKA-BOOM**

There is an explosion as one of the aerodyne’s becomes visible long enough to launch two air to surface missiles directly into the portion where Bishop was standing.  Now is just a flaming wreck of stone, slag, and smoke.

Commander speaks, “Remain calm, we just need to retrieve the body.”

Sami looks wide-eyed, “Did they kill him?”

_The teens are knocked off their feet from the concussive shock of the blast… though uninjured thankfully for the moment._

*Inside the Bunker*

Dust falls from the ceiling as the structure shudders from the sound of another explosion. 

*Karen*

Upon seeing Karen rip the weapon apart with her bare hands and the ineffectual bullets against her diamond skin the men throw down their weapons in fear and awe.  Of course the force of the blast knocks them down as the night goes bright for a brief moment, after Bishop’s impromptu and now cutoff speech.

Karen of course is not fazed, and stands like a rock amidst the storm of chaos.


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## Shalimar (Jun 19, 2007)

"The UNJE are not the bad guys, and neither is Legacy Bishop.  There is no reason for them to fight here, their objective is gone, and its just a misunderstanding.  If my father says they weren't sent here to kill James, then thats that, he doesn't lie."

*KRAKA-BOOM*

Clover slowly picks herself back up off the ground after th exposion looking for any sign of Bishop, and then follows it up by looking for him with Sariyah's borrowed power, wanting to confirm he was down, or know otherwise.


----------



## Aenion (Jun 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> Upon seeing Karen rip the weapon apart with her bare hands and the ineffectual bullets against her diamond skin the men throw down their weapons in fear and awe.  Of course the force of the blast knocks them down as the night goes bright for a brief moment, after Bishop’s impromptu and now cutoff speech.
> 
> Karen of course is not fazed, and stands like a rock amidst the storm of chaos.




Karen was relieved when they dropped their weapons, no one else had to get hurt. But her relief is short lived when the bright flash of an explosion momentarily disrupts her darkvision and the blast blows the men of their feet. She reflexively raises her arms to cover her face, but it's a halfhearted gesture. She fades from sight again as she rushes back towards the entrance of the building, _Oh god, they're attacking the others!_


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## Hammerhead (Jun 19, 2007)

While prone, Ryan takes advantage of the distraction to once again fill himself with cosmic energy. As he picks himself up, he remarks "Nice shot." 

_Okay...Bishop is likely a Delta level Elite with absorption powers that can negate almost any direct attack, while fueling superhuman strength or the like. If he was killed by that attack, then I've clearly underestimated the UN's weapons, which means I should probably get out of here. On the other hand, if Bishop isn't dead, then he's going to be pissed, and I'm not sure his little heroic stand was totally pointless...which means there might be some serious trouble here anyway, involving some of Bishop's cronies. It also means that the Commander is a god damn idiot.

I also think that the UN's actions suggest some kind of subterfuge._

"Commander, no offense, but I'm a lot tougher and more mobile than your men. Let me check it out, see if he's dead." Ryan then flies cautiously to the smoking wreckage, scanning the area.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 19, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie's eyes go wide as the detonation goes off. The tower was rubble and flames. _Hand held RPG, antitank/structure warhead. Definitely a UN strike team equiped with anit-elite weaponry and tactics. _ She thinks as she looks for more cover to use to hide and sneak away, if it was a full team there would be outfited with optical camo. That would make it harder to steal an aerodyne.


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## Agamon (Jun 19, 2007)

"What the hell?" Anika exclaims getting back to her feet.  "He wasn't being threatening at all, and you hit him with missiles?"  She wondered to herself if missiles could actually kill Bishop, but the act was extreme and unnecessary, regardless.  She jumps into the air and follows Ryan into the wreckage.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 19, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "What the hell?" Anika exclaims getting back to her feet.  "He wasn't being threatening at all, and you hit him with missiles?"  She wondered to herself if missiles could actually kill Bishop, but the act was extreme and unnecessary, regardless.  She jumps into the air and follows Ryan into the wreckage.



Clover’s father nods with approval, “Would you rather we tickle him with feathers, he is a murderer.  Besides those missiles should not kill him, but hopefully take him off-guard.  It is advised you stand back, though.  The next attack will be far more lethal and deadly for your kind.”

Meanwhile Ryan and Anika descending into the smoke and flames with ease and find Bishop smoking crouched on one knee.  His clothes are burnt away leaving behind a skintight suit, he shakes his head and casually tosses aside a large stone slab.

_Clover can sense that Bishop is still alive._

Bishop stands cracking his neck, “They shot me with missiles.”

*Karen*

As Karen rushes out she sees the smoke from the blast and six UNJE soldiers arrayed around the entrance of the building weapons trained on her.  One speaks, “Stand down, everything is under control.”


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## Shalimar (Jun 19, 2007)

"He is definitely still alive."  clover calls out, moving to stand by her father.  She sn't quite enamoredof the words 'your kind', but it was technically accurate, and she thought he probably meant a No Return weapon of some sort was on its way.  "Anika, Ryan, I think you should definitely move out of the line of fire."


----------



## Mimic (Jun 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Case in point,” Mrs. Obana replies.  She turns to Gilden, “We will have to find you another partner for your spell Gilden, sadly there are not many people on this planet who are qualified to assist you.”




"You are wrong Mrs. Obana, Jun Min has been nothing but helpfull, caring and exceedingly patient, especially considering the wide array of students, extra-dimensional and other wise." He says with a scowl. "What the others have done is wrong but they did it for the right reasons. But they wouldn't have been put into that situation except for your manipulations."  He says taking a step around the desk.

"I don't believe that Paragon would have told you to do something like this so it begs the question as to why you did it." He stares at the woman for few minutes as he silently sends a telepathic message to Jun Min. _"We may be forced to use our abilities to pull the information from her mind, do you condone this?"_ once finished he continues talking to Ms. Obana. "As for the spell, if this is how the UNJE is going to operate. I may be forced to resign my position."


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## Agamon (Jun 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Clover’s father nods with approval, “Would you rather we tickle him with feathers, he is a murderer.  Besides those missiles should not kill him, but hopefully take him off-guard.  It is advised you stand back, though.  The next attack will be far more lethal and deadly for your kind.”
> 
> Meanwhile Ryan and Anika descending into the smoke and flames with ease and find Bishop smoking crouched on one knee.  His clothes are burnt away leaving behind a skintight suit, he shakes his head and casually tosses aside a large stone slab.
> 
> ...




"And it sounds like they want to shoot you with something worse.  All because you dared show your face.  I have to admit, I'm not a really big fan of upper management right now."  Anika quickly whispers a prayer and opens the portal to her pocket dimension.  "I know this isn't your style, but a fight here does no one any good.  If you go in here, they won't be able to find you.  And don't worry, I'll let you out, ASAP," she promises.  She didn't think Bishop was the type to hide, but he was far more use to them than the UN, and she didn't want to lose him.


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## Samnell (Jun 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Paragon glances over his shoulder at Mark, “Mark your sentiment is noble, but you picked the worst possible time to act on your misguided instincts.”




"I didn't think James had any more time," Mark answered. "If I did, I would have tried to get in touch with you."


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## Aenion (Jun 20, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Karen*
> 
> As Karen rushes out she sees the smoke from the blast and six UNJE soldiers arrayed around the entrance of the building weapons trained on her.  One speaks, “Stand down, everything is under control.”




Karen stops dead at the sight of the UNJE soldiers, while the weapons of the men inside were useless against her, she didn't doubt these guns would be able to hurt her, "This doesn't look like it's under control! The men inside surrendered without casualties and you start firing missiles. What's going on?" she looks around for her friends, hoping they're all safe.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 20, 2007)

_Actually, they want to shoot him because he's a dangerous terrorist and criminal who seems like he's escaping from UN custody. But hey, whatever. _

"Nice jumpsuit, Bishop," Ryan snickers, a derisive smile playing on his lips. "I wear mine because they make me...you just look stupid. Good thing they shot you with missiles, instead of something actually dangerous to you. Those idiots," he adds, raising his voice. 

"Anika, you're a fool," he hisses. "First of all, Bishop didn't reappear suddenly just to make his speech. Second, they're just going to shoot him again, Bishop's going to fight back, blah blah blah. And you really think it's a good idea to help him escape? Shouldn't we be working on helping James right now, or failing that, *ourselves*?"


----------



## Agamon (Jun 20, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Anika, you're a fool," he hisses. "First of all, Bishop didn't reappear suddenly just to make his speech. Second, they're just going to shoot him again, Bishop's going to fight back, blah blah blah. And you really think it's a good idea to help him escape? Shouldn't we be working on helping James right now, or failing that, *ourselves*?"




Anika scowls at Ryan.  "I know, helping yourself is what you do best," she snaps back.  "James is out of immediate danger and we will be, too, if Bishop 'disappears'."  She looks back to see if the smoke is still concealing them and then turns to Bishop.  "He's helped us more than once, I'm just trying to return the favor."


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 21, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika scowls at Ryan.  "I know, helping yourself is what you do best," she snaps back.  "James is out of immediate danger and we will be, too, if Bishop 'disappears'."  She looks back to see if the smoke is still concealing them and then turns to Bishop.  "He's helped us more than once, I'm just trying to return the favor."



Bishop looks at the obscuring smoke, “Not my style, my dear young lady, the best victory I can hope to achieve is to survive despite their best if misguided efforts.  Just don’t get yourselves killed in the process.”

He enters the portal.

*Mark*

“Is that your excuse?” Paragon replies incredulously.  He pauses putting a hand to head, “Commander is Bishop down, if so capture him for transport…”

“WHAT!  I did not authorize usage of that level of weaponry, where are these orders coming from!  Commander, stand down immediately… damn it Mark, come with me, this whole mission has gone south,” with a pulse of energy he is gone flying back out of the hallway towards the commander.

*Back with the Rest of the Teens*

Commander Hughes replies to Karen, “I will remind you that your interference has cost us a vital military objective not to mention aiding and abetting an international criminal.  You have given me no choice, stand down Legacy or lethal force will be used to neutralize you.”

Paragon appears in a gush of wind standing next to Commander Hughes, “Who gave you authorization to bring in Delta Class Weaponry?”

“That order is classified Paragon, now if you will excuse me, we need to focus on salvaging this disaster.  Bishop is gone, most likely with the aid of your people, James is gone, and we have nothing to show for our efforts,” Commander Hughes replies with that same electronic voice.

“I am still in charge here,” Paragon replies coolly, “Commander.”

*Cassie*

There is more silence, the rhino-like elite seems perplexed, “Why they take long?” she directs her question towards Cassie, although it could be to just about anyone in the room.

One of the twins speaks up, still invisible, “Maybe they got scared, or they just trying to starve us out…”

*Gilden*

“Now Gilden, please understand at no time did I want any of this to happen.  There is no single person we can blame for this, this is the reality of the vulnerabilities of our system.  Communication is slow and inaccurate, with several networks still recovering from the worldwide attack, coupled with the last minute changes to the mission details, I can only make the best decisions off the information I am aware of,” Mrs. Obana replies.

_“Careful Gilden,”_ Jun Min replies, _“we tread down a dangerous road, I am all for seeing just what this manipulative bitch has in her mind, but anything we discover will only damn us further.  None of it could be used in any legal proceedings and for all intents and purposes we would be raping her mind… which is just as vile as the more physical version.  I won’t cross the line, but you are more then welcome to, if you can stomach that thought.”_

Jun Min says aloud, “I have compromised my morals enough, I don’t care who is or is not at fault.  Because as far as I am concerned, the blame falls squarely on your shoulders for your actions.”

Mrs. Obana shakes her head, “Blaming each other won’t solve the matter at hand.  We need to focus on the big picture, which is protecting the free world from a mad woman, and trying to restore faith in the UNJE and other elite based agencies.”


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## Shalimar (Jun 21, 2007)

OOC: Clover is actively trying to detect Bishop, can she tell when he leaves the earth?


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## Tokiwong (Jun 21, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> OOC: Clover is actively trying to detect Bishop, can she tell when he leaves the earth?



_She loses him._


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 21, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie doesn't reply, heading towards the elevator to see if she can open the doors and at the very least jump up the shaft to get clear of the lower levels of the bunker. She didn't trust the elevator with the shock and impact going on below.


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## Aenion (Jun 21, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Back with the Rest of the Teens*
> 
> Commander Hughes replies to Karen, “I will remind you that your interference has cost us a vital military objective not to mention aiding and abetting an international criminal.  You have given me no choice, stand down Legacy or lethal force will be used to neutralize you.”
> 
> ...




"And I'll remind you, sir," Karen spits out the word, her crystal hair lifting from her back as it turns rigid and sharp, "That you are threatening minors with lethal force. You're endangering the lives of prisoners of war as well as threatening the life of the biggest possible source of information concerning Cardinal. Bishop is critical in locating and stopping Cardinal. By attacking us you'll never be able to maintain the facade of being a peacekeeping organisation. Your actions go against all that the UN stands for," her anger only grows stronger when she hears Paragon was kept out of the loop as well, but she stands down waiting to see how much influence he still holds.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 21, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Cassie doesn't reply, taking advantage of the missle strike on the tower, and the conflicting elites approaching. As Bishop vanishes, she dashes out of the bunker, bolting full speed for cover to get out of the camp and into hiding before she is spotted.
> 
> ...



_The Bunker is underground the only way out is the elevator... is Cassie going to climb up the shaft?  I am very confused, I thought I had explained the layout much earlier._


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## Shalimar (Jun 21, 2007)

"This may be pertinent to your fellas discussion, but uh...Bishop isn't just not here, he's gone.  I can follow James bouncing around the Earth but Bishop is just gone, not on the earth.  If its classified or some such, fine but could someone tell me how people can just disappear off the planet in less then a second?"  The British girl interjects trying to get her father and Paragon thinking towards the same things as opposed to arguing and possibly fighting.  Military men had big fragile egos and were want to get into pissing matches.


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## Mimic (Jun 21, 2007)

_"You are correct as usual, Jun Min. As much as I would like to it would be wrong to pull out the information without due reason."_ Gilden replies mentally while still scowling at Mrs. Obana

"Since it was the communication systems failure, although I would think that Gadget would disagree, I don't see why the others should be condemned for their actions. After all, like you said the big picture is stopping the Red Witch and the UNJE will need all the help they can get. Not to mention the public relations nightmare that would come with the dismissal/punishment of most of the Legacy team. Wouldn't you agree Ms. Obana?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 21, 2007)

deleted and prior post editied.


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## Agamon (Jun 21, 2007)

Anika closes the portal and looks at Ryan, but says nothing as she flies and back into view of the others.  Spotting Paragon, she lands near him.  She didn't speak to him with the usual formailty and respect.  "What is going on?  Who is that woman you left in charge at the institute?  What was going to be used to kill Bishop and why kill him?  And were you actually going to kill James, or did that bitch lie to us?"


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## Hammerhead (Jun 21, 2007)

Ryan matches speed with Anika's flight, speaking softly and urgently. "If things get ugly, those cloaked vehicles will be tough. Create an overlapping illusion of the vehicles so we can target them effectively."

"Secrets, secrets are no fun" he sings as he lands. "Secrets can hurt someone. Looks like you're being cut out of the loop," Ryan remarks to Paragon. "And Karen...chill. You're seriously overstating Bishop's knowledge and value. Suffice to say, he is alive, safe, and inescapably imprisoned courtesy of our actions." 

"Commander, I thought I asked you to refrain from your threats. Maybe you can explain exactly who is giving you these super secret orders, and what you really planned to do with James."


----------



## Samnell (Jun 22, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “Is that your excuse?” Paragon replies incredulously.  He pauses putting a hand to head, “Commander is Bishop down, if so capture him for transport…”




"It's not a-"



> “WHAT!  I did not authorize usage of that level of weaponry, where are these orders coming from!  Commander, stand down immediately… damn it Mark, come with me, this whole mission has gone south,” with a pulse of energy he is gone flying back out of the hallway towards the commander.




"Great," Mark told the space Paragon had just vacated. _Let's see what other way I can find to screw up my life today. James probably wasn't in any danger at all...from the UN. Anika just overreacted and Ryan... Why knows why Ryan does anything? Maybe he just figured it would annoy us._

_And I'm still going to run after him and make things worse. Or at least find out that things are worse. I think I made more sense on drugs. Does this country have a pool?_

With a sigh, Mark sped after Paragon.



> “I am still in charge here,” Paragon replies coolly, “Commander.”




_Is he? With how today is going he'll end up on our side, but the UN will nuke everyone from space._



> Anika closes the portal and looks at Ryan, but says nothing as she flies and back into view of the others. Spotting Paragon, she lands near him. She didn't speak to him with the usual formailty and respect. "What is going on? Who is that woman you left in charge at the institute? What was going to be used to kill Bishop and why kill him? And were you actually going to kill James, or did that bitch lie to us?"




_Oh perfect. Wonderful. Good. She can do the damn talking. Let someone else piss Paragon off. I've done enough. Wait- The liaison back home told them James was going to die? We were sent here. Somebody must have planned this._

"I think we got some very bad information," Mark told no one in particular. _Or Paragon's out of the loop. Which would also be very bad information._


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## Tokiwong (Jun 22, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> Anika closes the portal and looks at Ryan, but says nothing as she flies and back into view of the others.  Spotting Paragon, she lands near him.  She didn't speak to him with the usual formailty and respect.  "What is going on?  Who is that woman you left in charge at the institute?  What was going to be used to kill Bishop and why kill him?  And were you actually going to kill James, or did that bitch lie to us?"



Paragon does not lose his cool under the assault of questions, derisions, and comments.  He pauses taking a slight breath, “I never intended to murder James, and these men were under strict orders to subdue and detain any Pantheon operatives, resorting to lethal force as a last resort.  Or if conventional weaponry proved ineffective; I can’t get any deeper than that.  Now as I told Mark, this team should be on its way to Chicago if not already there, the fact that you disobeyed orders no matter how noble the motivation you still broke protocol.”

“If Clover’s intelligence is correct then we can add aiding and abetting a known international fugitive, murderer and all around Renaissance man of mayhem to the list of infractions,” Commander Hughes adds, “Anika where have you hidden Bishop?”

“I wasn’t finished Commander Hughes, your actions beg the question of just who you are taking orders from and why I was not fully informed on all the small details.  If this is anyway tied to the misconduct of Mrs. Obana back at the institute as Legacy claims then I will have your commission and her job by the morning,” Paragon replies rubbing his bald head.

“That information is classified sir,” the commander replies.

“Mark I have one last order for you, take your team and get out of here.  Track James down, while I handle some business back at the Institute,” Paragon orders.

“You are going to let them go?  This is against regulations, who are you to make blanket pronouncements like that!  Men, belay that order-”

“I am Paragon, and if you intend to stop them you will have to get through me.  And then deal with them, and despite all your scenarios Commander, Legacy won’t be nearly as forgiving as I will be.  Stand down, before you start to piss me off bloke,” Paragon replies.

*Meanwhile inside the Bunker*

Cassie forces the doors open with her brute strength and then uses her nimble agility to ascend the shaft upwards.  She is silent as she moves upward reaching the elevator doors ripped open by Paragon earlier.  Three men in UNJE hard suits stand at the entrance but none seem to notice the stealthy weapon in their midst.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 22, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"You are correct as usual, Jun Min. As much as I would like to it would be wrong to pull out the information without due reason."_ Gilden replies mentally while still scowling at Mrs. Obana
> 
> "Since it was the communication systems failure, although I would think that Gadget would disagree, I don't see why the others should be condemned for their actions. After all, like you said the big picture is stopping the Red Witch and the UNJE will need all the help they can get. Not to mention the public relations nightmare that would come with the dismissal/punishment of most of the Legacy team. Wouldn't you agree Ms. Obana?"



“I agree and if Legacy returns here of their own accord with Bishop, then I think we can find an amicable solution to all of these problems.  But if they continue to run, hide Bishop, or even worse attack UNJE assets this will only serve to undermine their position.  I fear that they are paving a road to hell, and there is precious little that can be done to stop them.  Legacy is a dysfunctional although elite fighting unit capable of great success despite themselves.  I want to focus on the big picture but when the UNJE has to allocate funds and resources to cover for Legacy the main focus becomes lost in the minutiae of containing a rogue military unit with the power to collapse world governments at their finger tips.  I am not saying that Legacy will resort to this, but we have to be prepared that Legacy may not wish to return, and then what?” Mrs. Obana replies.

“I trust them, they will do the right thing,” Jun Min replies.

“That still remains to be seen, but I hope you are correct,” the UNJE exec adds.


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## Shalimar (Jun 22, 2007)

"I guess this is your Burn Notice Paragon.  Part or all of the UNJE wants you out, so your being left out of the loop and actively being interfered with by that Obana woman and whoever she can control or is controlling her.  Legacy was lied to so that they'd go AWOL and possibly start a fight with UNJE assests getting all of them imprisoned, or at the very best making them outlaws and fugitives."

"Someone may be trying to clear house of Elites after Pantheon's attack. They may not trust Elites anymore.  Bloody hell!" she curses, the last part under her breath, not liking the way things are going, Paragon was right, if they wanted to Legacy could tell her dad''s detachment to sod off and mop them up in detail.  She wished that she dared to let go of Sariyah's power so that she could get a good read on her father and on Paragon.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 22, 2007)

*Cassie*

Lurking in the upper shadows of the shaft, Cassie watches the soldiers guarding the entrance. She pulls a small coin out of her belt and thinks for a moment. With her talents she could hit one with the force of a bullet with the coin. Or, she mused, she could be a bit more subtle.

A flick of her wrist sends the coin down the shaft and richocet off a pylon halfway down the shaft.


----------



## Tokiwong (Jun 22, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "I guess this is your Burn Notice Paragon.  Part or all of the UNJE wants you out, so your being left out of the loop and actively being interfered with by that Obana woman and whoever she can control or is controlling her.  Legacy was lied to so that they'd go AWOL and possibly start a fight with UNJE assests getting all of them imprisoned, or at the very best making them outlaws and fugitives."
> 
> "Someone may be trying to clear house of Elites after Pantheon's attack. They may not trust Elites anymore.  Bloody hell!" she curses, the last part under her breath, not liking the way things are going, Paragon was right, if they wanted to Legacy could tell her dad''s detachment to sod off and mop them up in detail.  She wished that she dared to let go of Sariyah's power so that she could get a good read on her father and on Paragon.



Paragon just gives Clover an incredulous look, but dismisses her by focusing on the Commander.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 22, 2007)

_Renaissance man of mayhem? Damn that sounds cool. I'm jealous._

"Could you stop us from leaving if you really wanted to, Hughes?" _Bring. It. On._

"You know, Paragon, giving us orders like that means that we're not AWOL or anything (although we really couldn't be since we're not military), but instead doing our job and standing up to some rogue faction within the United Nations. You know, so no negative repercussions once we've sorted this thing out," Ryan adds with a smile. 

"You know, Clover, if they're burning Paragon in some kind of power play, what chance do you think you have of making a career in the UNJE?"


----------



## Mimic (Jun 22, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> “I trust them, they will do the right thing,” Jun Min replies.
> 
> “That still remains to be seen, but I hope you are correct,” the UNJE exec adds.




"One moment and I will contact them and inform them of the error." He says making a few subtle gestures sending out a quick mental message to Mark.

"It would seem that there was a communications erorr,"  Mark can almost see the air quotes around the last two words. "If you return now with Bishop there should be no ramifications to your actions."


----------



## Shalimar (Jun 22, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Could you stop us from leaving if you really wanted to, Hughes?"




"No, with Paragon and Legacy they probably couldn't stop you, even if I helped them and was copying Paragon's powers.  That is probably why someone might fear and want to get rid of you guys, Legacy pretty much does whatever it wants, and makes no bones about not caring for orders."

"If the base lines are trying to purge the UNJE of Elites, odds of a career aren't too great, then again they may just be purging wild elements.  Helping Bishop escape isn't something I'd do either way, and you guys don't have the ability to treat James, abilities the UN does have."


----------



## Aenion (Jun 22, 2007)

"Maybe it was an overstatement, but he still is our best link to Pantheon," Karen replies to Ryan.

_AWOL? How can I be AWOL or breaking protocol? I'm a civilian... If they're trying to get rid of Paragon, this could be worse than it looks. I might not like Paragon much, but this commander is following orders without the least bit of common sense,_ she positions herself near Anika, in case things went wrong, "If the UNJE is intent on winning the war with Pantheon, you shouldn't be working so hard to get rid of valuable allies," she tells the commander. She didn't want this to escalate into a battle, but she was more ready for a fight then ever.

"Do you really believe they have those facilities?" she asks Clover, "To say it in the commander's words, he is a vital military objective to them. Not a human being, an object, a weapon. They don't care about his well being..."


----------



## Agamon (Jun 22, 2007)

"For what it's worth, I apologize, sir," Anika tells Paragon, shamefully.  "I should have known you weren't a part of this.  I'll accept whatever repercussions you believe should come of this.  And despite that, thanks for giving us the green light to try and find James.  We'll get him back."

She simply gives Commander Hughes a dismissive snort.  Maybe Ryan's cockiness was rubbing off on her, but maybe not.  With the heavyweights on their side, especially if she let Bishop back out, the result would be fairly one-sided, anti-tank missiles or no, that was fairly plain.

"Wow, we try to help a friend and all of a sudden we're completely irresponsible and won't take orders?  It's like you know us so well," she says sarcastically to Clover.  "Look, I know helping us is probably low on your list of priorities, but honestly, you're our best chance at finding James right now.  He could be infected with who-knows-what, and the sooner we find him, the better it is for everybody.  But we can do it without you, so don't confuse this with coercion, we're not holding a gun to your head."


----------



## Samnell (Jun 22, 2007)

> "It would seem that there was a communications erorr," Mark can almost see the air quotes around the last two words. "If you return now with Bishop there should be no ramifications to your actions."




Mark nodded to himself. _So someone is trying to isolate Paragon from the chain of command and frame us up. Great. Well, at least he's not firing me._



			
				Agamon said:
			
		

> "For what it's worth, I apologize, sir," Anika tells Paragon, shamefully.  "I should have known you weren't a part of this.  I'll accept whatever repercussions you believe should come of this.  And despite that, thanks for giving us the green light to try and find James.  We'll get him back."




"Me too," Mark agreed. "And thanks." _Let's get out of here before something else goes wrong._

"Let's move out."


----------



## Shalimar (Jun 22, 2007)

> "Do you really believe they have those facilities?"  she asks Clover, "To say it in the commander's words, he is a vital military objective to them. Not a human being, an object, a weapon. They don't care about his well being..."




"I think you are missinterpriting the statement, getting James contained is a vital military objective.  The longer he is free the greter chance there is of him spreading a human killing virus.  Stopping him from doing such is the major objective of this operation.  Look, I don't know James, but I'm more concerned with the well being of all the people he could be infecting with the virus than with his personal health."  Clover tells Karen honestly.

"Anika, unless you or that Gilden kid can magic him healthy again its better for the UNJE to find him since they have the labs and the scientsts that Legacy doesn't.  Not that that isn't all academic since he is teleporting around the globe every few seconds, there is no way anyone but another teleporter could keep up, and the teleporter would have to be carrying me or Sariyah to know where to go and we'd need a way to disrupt his powers to stop him from just teleporting away again.  If you guys can do any of that, yea, I'll help since the less time he is out there possibly infecting people the better, but if you can't, leave it to the people who can."


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## Agamon (Jun 22, 2007)

"So, are you saying we should disregard orders again?" Anika replies, shaking her head.  "If he's teleporting around like that, it's probably disoreintation.  He'll eventually come to his senses, or at least tire out.  Until then, we can go to where he's been and try to find out what's going on.  When he does finally stop, you don't need to come with us if you're afraid you'll catch something.  But I was around him while he was sick, and I'm pretty sure I didn't catch anything, so I wouldn't worry too much."  She shrugs.  "Like I said, your choice."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 22, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> *Cassie*
> 
> Lurking in the upper shadows of the shaft, Cassie watches the soldiers guarding the entrance. She pulls a small coin out of her belt and thinks for a moment. With her talents she could hit one with the force of a bullet with the coin. Or, she mused, she could be a bit more subtle.
> 
> A flick of her wrist sends the coin down the shaft and richocet off a pylon halfway down the shaft.



The UNJE soldiers pause and look down the shaft, curiously before looking up.  They look back down again not noticing the stealthy elite hiding above the entrance.

*Outside*

“Anika get a portal going, you need to leave here now,” Paragon orders.

Commander Hughes adds, “Hmmph, this is a mistake but I won’t stop you, not that I currently have the means to do so.  But there will come a day when your recklessness will cost more lives then you intend to save.”

The aerodynes become visible dropping lines for the soldiers to attach themselves to and be pulled up into the aircraft.  The Commander turns to Paragon, “Oh and my men found your wayward student, Cassandra Prophet, hiding in the elevator shaft.  I wonder how she got all the way out here?”

Paragon stays silent.

*Back at the Institute*

“Are they returning?” Mrs. Obana asks.


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## Agamon (Jun 22, 2007)

"Alright, hopefully Gilden is willing to help now that the mission is official.  He might be able to find James," Anika says, before recreating her portal back to the institute.

"Cassie is here?" she says, surprised.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 22, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Alright, hopefully Gilden is willing to help now that the mission is official.  He might be able to find James," Anika says, before recreating her portal back to the institute.
> 
> "Cassie is here?" she says, surprised.



 Paragon quips, "Official is a strong word, I wouldn't assume that you have the official backing of the UNJE until I sort things out.  But James needs our help now, so handle it."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 22, 2007)

_Of course, it couldn't be me that can fix James up. Of course not,_ Ryan thinks with his customary sarcastic gesture. "Gilden's a coward," he mutters. _Oh, and Cassie's here. With Pantheon. Am I surprised? No. Of course, these idiots will probably assume she's some kind of prisoner, and actually trust her.

Hopefully Cardinal didn't offer the number two spot to Cassie...that would really diminish my previous job offer. Heh. So the idiot doesn't go with Cardinal during the attack, when it would actually make sense to do so, but instead seeks her out after the attack is over? _

"In between our powers and some people we know who are currently unconnected to the UN, we should be able to help James. It's not like they were able to help James before his disease mutated, so why the hell would they be able to now?"

"And why would we be heading back to the Institute? There's a Pantheon base *right here*...you know, the same guys who blew up our home and killed millions of people today? The place where they kept James, that might hold people who know what's going on? Hell, if Bishop was telling the truth, Anika, you could just grab the body of the teleport redirector and we could stop James that way. In any case, there's valuable intel down there for the taking."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 22, 2007)

*Cassie*

As soon as the soldiers look away and back down the shaft, Cassie moves. Leaping down  behind them she sprints for the exit, her eyes skimming over the landscape for a hint of cover as she sidesteps out of the line of sight of the two soldiers behind her. Now she had the hard mission, get clear of the combat zone without being notice.


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## Shalimar (Jun 22, 2007)

"You may have been able to be around James before and not catch anything, but if Cardinal designed and infected him with a base-line killing virus assuming that you wont catch that and become carriers now is reckless."   Clover answers, shrugging. She turns to her father "Care to offer any advice?  I can help anyone track James, and at the moment minimizing his exposure to non-elites is critical."


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## Agamon (Jun 22, 2007)

"You actually think the Pantheon agents are still here?  I'm willing to bet the 'teleport redirector' can teleport, too. Besides, let these guys handle mopping up here, we need to get to James," Anika tells Ryan, ignoring the insult to Gilden. She didn't see Tina here either, but she wasn't petty enough to call her a coward because of it.  In fact, she was almost wishing Tina was here and Ryan wasn't.  Her opinions of her two teammates were beginning to switch places.

To Clover, she says, "Let's hope James isn't infected with a baseline-killing virus.  If he is, who knows who and where he's infected people already by 'porting around.  I think that point is moot right now."


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## Shalimar (Jun 23, 2007)

"Hoping he isn't infected is fairly useless at this point.  I doubt Pantheon would have released him without infecting him or finding some other way to make use of him.  Legacy and whoever else should proceed with a worst case assumption and be ready to quarintine him immediately when he is found, and themselves as well until they can be checked to see if they are all carriers for the disease.  As it is right now, depending on how virulent it is, we may lose entire countries of people dead before the UN is able to get a handle on any outbreaks."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 23, 2007)

"Anika, those commandos were leaving...they're not handling anything anymore, other than running to tattle to Mommy. And yeah, I'm going to bet that there are Pantheon agents still here...all I see are a bunch of unconscious or dead guys with outdated weaponry...no Elites. Therefore, they're still here. And there's no real harm in checking, other than wasting a few minutes of our time."

"Unless James was able to summon the strength to use his powers and escape," Ryan notes, addressing Clover. "And I think you're significantly overestimating the strength and virulence of biological weaponry...but that's not really important." _And dear God...stop acting like the UN is so damn awesome. It's not. I suppose in her reasoning, it would also be impossible for Pantheon to attack a well-guarded UNJE facility._


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## Aenion (Jun 23, 2007)

"Cassie's here?" Karen mimics Anika's words, sounding equally surprised, _How did she get here? And what's she doing here? Did she defect to Pantheon? That would be more like Chance... God! Why does she keep listening to the wrong people?_

"I'm with Ryan. We should at least try to find Cassie and see what she's doing here and how she got here. Maybe she knows something about what happened to James. If she doesn't there might still be someone here who has more information. If we let these cowboys handle this, they'll just start shooting people and forget to ask questions. If we want to help James we'll need information."


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## Agamon (Jun 23, 2007)

"Yeah, I suppose we should at least find Cassie...though I doubt she wants to be found.  Let's go, the longer we waste talking, the longer it takes to find James."  Anika leaps into the air and makes for the main building of the compound.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 25, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Yeah, I suppose we should at least find Cassie...though I doubt she wants to be found.  Let's go, the longer we waste talking, the longer it takes to find James."  Anika leaps into the air and makes for the main building of the compound.



The soldiers are already moving, Commander Hughes comments, “Cassie is coming this way, my men are tracking her movements.  Given her skills we will probably lose her, but that isn’t my concern.  I won’t waste any more assets here; you have five minutes before we turn this area into one large sheet of glass.”

He grabs hold of a chord and goes upward to an awaiting aerodyne, “Advice?  Do your duty and obey orders, put your personal feelings aside and act as a respected member of the profession of arms.”

Two additional craft come over the horizon and attach themselves to the two tanks and take them airborne.  There is a cable for Clover as well.

*Cassie*

Cassie can see the multitude of Legacy, and also strangely enough Paragon.  It looks like the UNJE soldiers are leaving the scene, which is odd since they were close to finding the location of the elite agents.

*Anika*

The central building is quiet the insurgents inside do their best to maintain some decorum of defense but it is obvious they are outmatched.  The interior is dirty and smells of gunpowder and sweat.  

Sami is also in flight at her side, “Are we going to save them before the UNJE wipes this camp off the map?”


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## Shalimar (Jun 26, 2007)

Clover watches as her dad moves upward on the line, and then turns to face Paragon.  "I'm not a member of Legacy, but now that their mission is semi-official, if you as headmaster order me to help them find James as quickly as possible I'll do so, with Sariyah's ability to telepathically locate elites.  Otherwise I'll leave with the soldiers, your call sir." Clover says to Paragon her hand close to the rope.  

_It'd be easy to do as you say dad, if I actually was a professional receiving orders.  I'm fairly bolloxed in this limbo here._ the girl thought, not letting it cross her face.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 26, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie evaulates the scene. It was clearly unlikely to be feasible to steal an aerodyne now. Time to  retreat and recover. She hunkers down, noting her freinds. Still, Ryan was there..and she had her doubts on the chances of her remaining free after this. The UN forces were growing consitently more hostile to Elites and the other side was using it. She wasn't going to find middle ground with either.

Time to move on she decided, more than likely while she would be unseen, the UN forces had her on a variety of sensors. Sonic, Millimeter-wave radar and or Thermal imagery.

She turns from the Legacy team and Paragon, and moves away as fast as she can. More than likely they will follow the assualt with a saturation strike.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 26, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> Clover watches as her dad moves upward on the line, and then turns to face Paragon.  "I'm not a member of Legacy, but now that their mission is semi-official, if you as headmaster order me to help them find James as quickly as possible I'll do so, with Sariyah's ability to telepathically locate elites.  Otherwise I'll leave with the soldiers, your call sir." Clover says to Paragon her hand close to the rope.
> 
> _It'd be easy to do as you say dad, if I actually was a professional receiving orders.  I'm fairly bolloxed in this limbo here._ the girl thought, not letting it cross her face.



"Semi-Official?  Any action taken by Legacy is not sanctioned by the powers that be, I won't order you to do anything, they want to help James because they believe it is right.  I want them to help James because I know it is right, but I can't make anything official," Paragon replies.

"Do what you need to do, I have to get back to the Institute," with those parting words he jets off into the sky as a blur.


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## Shalimar (Jun 26, 2007)

"Wanker," Clover mutters under her breath as Paragon speeds off.  The British girl reaches up and grabs the cable to ascend up to the Aerodyne with the UN forces.


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## Aenion (Jun 26, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Anika*
> 
> The central building is quiet the insurgents inside do their best to maintain some decorum of defense but it is obvious they are outmatched.  The interior is dirty and smells of gunpowder and sweat.
> 
> Sami is also in flight at her side, “Are we going to save them before the UNJE wipes this camp off the map?”




Karen follows Anika inside, furious at the commander's unwillingness to consider a peaceful solution, "We have 5 minutes to evacuate them. Do any of you speak Arabic?"


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## Hammerhead (Jun 26, 2007)

"Bye Clover," Ryan waves as the aerodyne lifts off. "If you meet the Wizard, be sure to ask for an independent will." _Wizard of Oz. A little dated, but it works. I'll take what I can get._

With that biting comment, Ryan flies off after Anika, arriving just in time to catch Sami's last comment. "Sure," he says off-handedly. "We're not going to let those soldiers kill any of them." 

*"Surrender or die,* Ryan yells into the central building, focusing his energy on his arm as he prepares to fire a powerful blast inside.


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## Hammerhead (Jun 26, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> Karen follows Anika inside, furious at the commander's unwillingness to consider a peaceful solution, "We have 5 minutes to evacuate them. Do any of you speak Arabic?"




"Yeah, it might be faster if we spoke their language. We could always try the universal language of mathematics." _Or other universal languages. These guys have guns. They might understand violence. _


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## Agamon (Jun 26, 2007)

Anika nods to Sami, "Yeah, I don't think killing them when their not really putting up a fight is pretty stupid."

"Does anyone here speak English?  This complex is about to be destoryed by UN Forces.  I suggest you surrender now," Anika says, following up Ryan's threat with something a little easier to swallow.


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## Mimic (Jun 26, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Back at the Institute*
> 
> “Are they returning?” Mrs. Obana asks.




"He did not say, he did seem quite agitated though, perhaps I should try again with Anika."  He once again gestures slightly, mentally contacting his ex-girlfriend repeating the message that he had sent to Mark.


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## Agamon (Jun 26, 2007)

Aniak is surprised to hear Gilden in her mind.  _"The error was in talking to that woman.  Paragon is trying to do the right thing, but someone higher up in the UN obviously wants a lot of people dead, Bishop included.  So, no, I won't be returning him just so he can be executed.

"James got away from here before all the trouble.  It sounds like he's teleporting around at random.  That might be another elite doing that to hiim, or he just might be disoriented from his sickness.  We don't know what he's infected with at this point and we need to find him.  Clover bailed out on us, so if we're going to stop James from posibly infecting the whole world with this anti-baseline virus, we need your help."_


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## Mimic (Jun 27, 2007)

_"Becarefull Anika, Bishop is a wanted terrorist and has commited multiple criminal acts. I do not doubt that he would use you any way that would benifit him. If you distrust the UN that much we can turn him over to another government body, but he should pay for his crimes."_ Gilden replies back mentally. _"As for James, I will help you locate him, Jun Min will more then like want to help as well."_


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## Tokiwong (Jun 27, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> "He did not say, he did seem quite agitated though, perhaps I should try again with Anika."  He once again gestures slightly, mentally contacting his ex-girlfriend repeating the message that he had sent to Mark.



Mrs. Obana replies, “It looks like we have ourselves an impasse, the mission is scrubbed and James is lost.  Not to mention the fact that Bishop has simply _disappeared_, I think we can take this as a sign of noncompliance.”

Jun Min furrows her brow, “Legacy is doing the right thing, it just may not be the right thing _you_ want them to do.  But then again I really don’t care what you want.”

Mrs. Obana reaches for her head and then collapses into her chair.  Jun Min frowns, “I shouldn’t have done that, Gilden stay in contact with Legacy.  SARAH contact Gadget, I am going to need her help, I guess I might as well do something good before I get fired.”

Gadget’s voice replies, “Sure thing JM, one superb hack coming up.”

*Clover*

Clover’s Father removes his helmet as the compound dissipates in the distance, the bay doors closing.  His face is grim, hardened by years of field duty and _special operations_, although his skin and eyes look genuine Clover knows that her father is a synthetically enhanced soldier, just like the rest of his team.  He speaks calmly though firmly, “The UNJE was correct in believing that Legacy was compromised along with Paragon and probably much of that Institute.  But I am surprised that you would involve yourself with this foolishness, you could have gotten yourself killed and you endangered countless lives.”

“Sir, what about Paragon shouldn’t we have tried to stop him and Legacy?” his second in command asks.

“No, the UNJE won’t risk outright warfare.  Not yet, we need to make sure that elites that are loyal to humanity,” he turns his gaze back to Clover, “understand the stakes.  Loyalty, Selfless Service, and Dedication to protecting the freedoms we all hold dear are paramount and are under attack by rogue elite elements.”

“What about Legacy, simply leaving them there, we could have eliminated them easily,” his second in command replies.

“_Easily_ must be a relative term to you Captain,” Commander Hughes responds.

“But you gave them five minutes to vacate the area, you are letting them go?”

“I know, too bad the orbital strike is in three minutes,” he replies coldly.

*Cassie*

Cassie bounds away from the structure into the rocky landscape, away from the structure that is quickly going dark as the UNJE retreats from the location.  There is an eerie silence, but nothing of notice.

*Legacy*

Although the actual words seem lost on them, the actions of the elites make them understand that if they resist death is probably imminent.  They throw down their weapons in fear at the virtual gods before them.

Sami responds, “What will we do with them?  Take them with us?  And then what about the UNJE, they don’t seem so nice anymore…”


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## Agamon (Jun 27, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"Becarefull Anika, Bishop is a wanted terrorist and has commited multiple criminal acts. I do not doubt that he would use you any way that would benifit him. If you distrust the UN that much we can turn him over to another government body, but he should pay for his crimes."_ Gilden replies back mentally. _"As for James, I will help you locate him, Jun Min will more then like want to help as well."_




_"Give me a little credit, Gilden.  I wasn't born yesterday," _ Anika replies.  _"But honestly, since he's come to the institute, I haven't seen any proof of the monster the media and the UN have made him out to be.  Has he done bad things?  Yes, and he needs to answer for them.  But since he's turned his back on Pantheon, he's done nothing bad, and I don't expect that to change.  But I'll still keep my eye on him, nonetheless.

"I've got a number of baseline Pantheon members that will be incinerated by UN forces in less htan 5 minutes.  If they are willing to surrender, I'll 'port them to the institute.  Where does Obana want them?  Tell her I need an answer fast, or it'll be her office."_


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## Hammerhead (Jun 28, 2007)

"You see," Ryan explains with a satisfied smile as he flies forward into the Pantheon base. "As long as you sound scary enough, it doesn't matter if they speak English." 

Ryan gestures with his thumb at the insurgents, motioning for them to leave the base. _Anika's gone all trancy. I hope she's making a portal. If the UN is going to bomb this place in five minutes, I want to be out of here in four._ He looks down the shaft that leads deeper into the structure. "Damn it," he calls out loudly to the rest of the team. "We need to rush in there, see if there's any other prisoners or other drugs they may have zapped James with, interrogate who's left about the teleport-redirecting guy, and get the hell out of there."


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## Tokiwong (Jun 28, 2007)

_The actual shaft, although I suppose misleading was actually in the ruined tower, the central building just had the baselines.  Considering the teens have free run of the place, they would be able to find that out pretty quickly.  Plus Mark was just there._


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## Mimic (Jun 28, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "I've got a number of baseline Pantheon members that will be incinerated by UN forces in less htan 5 minutes.  If they are willing to surrender, I'll 'port them to the institute.  Where does Obana want them?  Tell her I need an answer fast, or it'll be her office."




_"Bishop is also very charismatic and clever at making other people do what he wants and Ms. Obana is indisposed at the moment."_ Gilden replies looking at the unconcious woman in the chair and then glancing at Jun Min. _"I will confer with Gadget and get you coordinates."_

"Gagdet, I need a containment area for multiple baseline Pantheon members, and I need it as soon as possible, please."


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## Samnell (Jun 28, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "Wanker," Clover mutters under her breath as Paragon speeds off.  The British girl reaches up and grabs the cable to ascend up to the Aerodyne with the UN forces.




Mark watched Clover seize the cable to run off with the UN and made note of it. _Don't trust Clover. Ever. With anything. At least she's not a teammate._ It took him a moment to process that Cassie was supposedly present. He zipped off after Anika and Ryan.

"So no more Clover locating people for us, James is gone and Cassie is here? Anika, can you use your magic to find them?"


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## Shalimar (Jun 28, 2007)

"Bollocks, I took the place of a hostage and made sure her power to track people would still be in UN hands.  I couldn't stop them from freeing Bishop, but I could make sure you could hunt him down no matter where on earth he was, so that is what I did.  Mitigate since I couldn't stop, I don't have anything to feel guilty about."

Clover listens not really believing what her father was saying, Legacy might not be a shining example of order and discipline, but here were UN Agents, including her father planning on killing them, the lot weren't even of age yet.  And doing it eagerly to boot.

"Are you saying that Elites should all be subservient?  Is the UN declaring war against all elites who aren't in their service because of what Cardnal has done?"   Clover asks warily, dropping Sariyah's power without hesitation, switching to her own to read her father's thoughts, she absolutely had to know him.


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## Agamon (Jun 28, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark watched Clover seize the cable to run off with the UN and made note of it. _Don't trust Clover. Ever. With anything. At least she's not a teammate._ It took him a moment to process that Cassie was supposedly present. He zipped off after Anika and Ryan.
> 
> "So no more Clover locating people for us, James is gone and Cassie is here? Anika, can you use your magic to find them?"




"Gilden's going to help us,"  Anika tells Mark.  "But I need to start making the portal as soon as know where to put it.  This place isn't that big, you could probably find Cassie in less than a minute...if she wants to be found.  If not..."  Anika sighs.  The last thing she wanted was for Cassie to be caught in the blast, but she was going to hide from them, there wasn't much to do about it.  "If you can make it back here right away, then you should.  If it takes you a while to convince her or takes too long to find her, then just take her and run away from here, I'll come back for you."

She sighs again at Gilden's response.  _"Sheesh, both Ryan and Gilden had so little faith in my ability to make decisions...but I guess I can't blame...wait, you can hear this can't you?  Oy.  Just hurry up with those coordinates, please,"_ she mentally says, outwardly blushing in embarrassment.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 28, 2007)

*Cassie*

Cassie focuses on the terrrain and pushes full out. She figured either a tactical grade weapon, Fuel Air or Nuclear, or if the UN REALLY wanted to sanatize the area a strategic nuke or orbital strke.

Of course knowing that pushed her even harder. She would worry about surviving the enviroment AFTER the strike. Assuming she wasn't dead. 

Till then, she pushed her engineered form to it's fullest extent. Time to figure how to apply herself later on. And possible who to kill.

OOC: Full out move, AWAY.


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## Samnell (Jun 28, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> "Gilden's going to help us,"  Anika tells Mark.  "But I need to start making the portal as soon as know where to put it.  This place isn't that big, you could probably find Cassie in less than a minute...if she wants to be found.  If not..."  Anika sighs.  The last thing she wanted was for Cassie to be caught in the blast, but she was going to hide from them, there wasn't much to do about it.  "If you can make it back here right away, then you should.  If it takes you a while to convince her or takes too long to find her, then just take her and run away from here, I'll come back for you."




"Good idea," Mark agreed. He sped off in search of Cassie without waiting for an answer.


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## Tokiwong (Jun 28, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> "Bollocks, I took the place of a hostage and made sure her power to track people would still be in UN hands.  I couldn't stop them from freeing Bishop, but I could make sure you could hunt him down no matter where on earth he was, so that is what I did.  Mitigate since I couldn't stop, I don't have anything to feel guilty about."
> 
> Clover listens not really believing what her father was saying, Legacy might not be a shining example of order and discipline, but here were UN Agents, including her father planning on killing them, the lot weren't even of age yet.  And doing it eagerly to boot.
> 
> "Are you saying that Elites should all be subservient?  Is the UN declaring war against all elites who aren't in their service because of what Cardnal has done?"   Clover asks warily, dropping Sariyah's power without hesitation, switching to her own to read her father's thoughts, she absolutely had to know him.



 Clover’s father cocks his head, “Reading my surface thoughts is not a good idea,” he replies, although subtle her mind fails to penetrate his or any of these men in the room, “Upgrades after that debacle with the Brass Orchid, it just would not do with elites mind controlling the UNJE’s finest.”

Commander Hughes looks at his daughter for a long moment, “Declaring war?  The war began approximately twenty six hours ago.  The moment Cardinal silenced millions of people with her madness, the war was on.  Subservient?  The first rule of dealing with elites is that you can’t force them to do anything, but you can give them a choice, to do the right thing for the right reasons.  The UNJE is purging rogue elements; it is a necessary shakedown and ugly fact of the world we live in.  Paragon and his personal security force of elites are the past, joint human and elite operations are the future.”

“This is the reality of the world we live in.  Elites and baseline humanity making a future together, free from elite induced tyranny.  Making that world a reality is worth fighting for, it is worth dying for, because War is not a nice affair.  The goal of war is to kill your enemy, break his toys, and shatter his will to fight back.  Men do horrible things in war, and war does horrible things to man.  War, child, war never changes,” her father adds.  He looks into her eyes, “The UNJE and every world government that has the will to resist is united in one voice, and we will not hand over our freedom to Pantheon.  If elites resist and join her side then so be it.  They made a choice.”

*Mark and Cassie*

Mark is just plain faster the Cassie could ever hope to be just as she starts to get to a quick running speed, Mark finds her zipping by her as if she is standing still.  The terrain is rough though for both, all out running would only end in them falling and probably hurting themselves quite badly.

*Gilden*

SARAH replies, “There is a containment area here in the facility for dangerous refugees, that would be your best point of delivery.”

Gadget arrives out of breath, “Okay… one second… okay…”

Jun Min turns to Gilden, “Where are they going, where is Legacy heading, and more importantly do they have a plan?”

Gadget moves the chair aside and starts clicking away the keys, “Mundane interfaces are so… so lame.”

*Back in Iran*

The baseline humans don’t understand the teens but they seem compliant which for the moment should suffice.


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## Shalimar (Jun 28, 2007)

"Admirable idea dad, don't need a repeat of that fiasco, but how do you induce such stillness?  It has to be an implant, no one has that much control over their involuntary movements, even in UN soldiers and the UN forces are the best."  Clover says, sounding genuinely curious, but not really upset or unsettled, she seemed to genuinely believe it was a good thing.

"Do exactly as we say or we'll kill you?  Ayup I can see where everyone would be lining up to help the UN."  she half jokes in the moking tone that the father and daughter usually banter bank and forth in.  They really did get along pretty well most times, more so then with her mother at any rate.

"Enemies to be crushed, not possible friends to be conviced, do you reckon?" she asks.  "So long as its a future free of baseline tyranny too I'm sure most wouldn't mind 't'all.  Love ta know which most people are fighting for though, Elite Tyranny, Base-line tyranny, tyranny in general, or none o' the above."

"Were you guys there to kill James, or to rescue him?  The UN has the resources to have done either."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 28, 2007)

"Great," Ryan comments, watching Mark speed off. "Now he's gone too. I love this team." While speaking, Ryan flies out of the main building, heading towards the ruined tower with the shaft. "I wonder if it's too late to try ruling with an iron fist," he wonders idly as he peers down the shaft.

"Okay, here's the secret Pantheon hideout. Does anyone *else* want to go down here, hurt the bad guys, free any prisoners, and find out what they did to James," he calls out to the others.


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## Aenion (Jun 28, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "You see," Ryan explains with a satisfied smile as he flies forward into the Pantheon base. "As long as you sound scary enough, it doesn't matter if they speak English."




Karen rolls her eyes at Ryan, _Not to mention they had already surrendered when I was inside..._ She follows him to the tower, moving as quickly as she can by leaping over any obstacles in her way, "That was the plan. We don't have time to get into any fights with other Elites, let's try to make them surrender quickly ok?"  _Without killing anyone..._ she adds in thought before she jumps down the shaft, digging her razorsharp fingers and toes into the wall to slow her descent.


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## Samnell (Jun 28, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mark is just plain faster the Cassie could ever hope to be just as she starts to get to a quick running speed, Mark finds her zipping by her as if she is standing still.  The terrain is rough though for both, all out running would only end in them falling and probably hurting themselves quite badly.




"Cassie!We'reheretohelp?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 28, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "Cassie!We'reheretohelp?"





Cassie is suprised by her fast freind's appearence but keep running. She figured that at BEST she had six minutes left before the UN hit the camp. 

"We have to get clear of the camp, I estimate that we have at best six or seven minutes before a strike hits it. And more than likely less than that."


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## Hammerhead (Jun 28, 2007)

"Good idea, I'll rely on Pantheon's commitment to peace and justice," Ryan responds, jumping down as well, using his flight to slow himself at the last millisecond. _Damn that was cool._


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## Samnell (Jun 28, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "We have to get clear of the camp, I estimate that we have at best six or seven minutes before a strike hits it. And more than likely less than that."




"Plentyoftime. Anika'smakingaportal. Where'dJamesgo?"


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 28, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> "Plentyoftime. Anika'smakingaportal. Where'dJamesgo?"





Cassie reanalysed his comments. It was like listening to one of her fosterfather's antique records at the wrong speed. 

"Don't know. I was there with him, he yelled 'I can teleport'..and left me." She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, along witht he worry that he was hurt or that Cardinal had broken her word. Though it didn't make sense, she could have infected him on her own and never used her to do it. And insane as she was, Cardinal knew that she'd never help Cardinal after than.


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## Mimic (Jun 29, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> She sighs again at Gilden's response.  _"Sheesh, both Ryan and Gilden had so little faith in my ability to make decisions...but I guess I can't blame...wait, you can hear this can't you?  Oy.  Just hurry up with those coordinates, please,"_ she mentally says, outwardly blushing in embarrassment.




_"Its not that I don't trust your decision making skills," _ Gilden replies with a mental smile. _"Its that you are a trusting person and tend to look at the good in people, something that people like Bishop will try to manipulate. Will you all be coming back before we begin searching for James?"_

He will pass on the coordinates when Sarah gives them before turning to Jun Min.



> Jun Min turns to Gilden, “Where are they going, where is Legacy heading, and more importantly do they have a plan?”




"They are presently evacuating some baseline prisioners to our compound. I beleive that they will group up here before we start our search for James."


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## Agamon (Jun 29, 2007)

_"Aw, how sweet of you to say...erm, think.  I'd rather give people the benefit of a doubt when possible.  If he's honestly trying to change his ways, we need to trust him a least a little.  And he's trusted me enough to let me hold him in my dimensionsal space for now.  Anyway, I better concentrate on getting this portal made.  We'll be there soon."_  Anika begins to concentrate on the area Gilden gave as she speaks the words fo a prayer to Heimdall to create a portal once more back to the institute.

"Alright, we've got a place to take these guys.  I dunno about you guys, but I don't think I want to be sticking around for the fireworks,"  she says as the blue glowing portal grows wider.


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## Samnell (Jun 30, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "Don't know. I was there with him, he yelled 'I can teleport'..and left me.".




_Great, so he's teleporting random. Maybe he is sick?_ "We'regoing tofindhim."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jun 30, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> _Great, so he's teleporting random. Maybe he is sick?_ "We'regoing tofindhim."





"I was planning on it." Cassie says as she keeps running. "I'm not going back Mark. They are as bent as Pantheon. No one wants to find the middle path. I can't side with the UN when they see Extinction as a viable concept."


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## Tokiwong (Jul 5, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Good idea, I'll rely on Pantheon's commitment to peace and justice," Ryan responds, jumping down as well, using his flight to slow himself at the last millisecond. _Damn that was cool._



Both young elites come face to face with a woman that towers over them, bristling with obscene muscles and dark skin.  Her skin is almost leathery, and a massive horn just from her forehead.  Ridges grow on her shoulder as she senses danger and she steps back at their sudden arrival.

*Gilden*

Jun Min thinks not replying for a long moment, “Well they can’t come back here, not for any extended amount of time.  But there isn’t anywhere they could go that they could not be found either, especially with Sariyah’s power.  We are seriously screwed, especially if the UNJE is willing to cast Legacy aside.”

Gadget blinks, taps at the keys and blinks again.  “Umm Legacy needs to leave there like now… I mean seriously like now.  If this is correct there is an orbital strike planned for approximately two minutes and twenty-two seconds.    Any longer then that and they will be vaporized…”

Jun Min shrieks, “What!? Gilden warn them!”

*Clover*

“Now child, I know you better then you know yourself, you can’t help but try and read a situation and turn it to your advantage.  The first rule of any engagement is to know your enemy.  As far as whole sale slaughter, that isn’t our goal, those that resist violently will be crushed; there is no middle ground.  If they choose to surrender then they will live if they continue to resist then they chose their fate.  This isn’t about who is going to be in charge this is about the survival of the species,” Commander Hughes responds.

“Then tell me Clover how would you handle this elite threat?  Appeal to Pantheon’s sense of humanity?  How do you assuage the fears of the common man Clover?  Millions of people died today.  Millions of innocent lives lost, so forgive me if I don’t give one fig about the _intentions_ of spoiled elites.  This is not about supporting _tyranny_, this is about making those millions of deaths mean something more then just a number, child.  Every one of those victims had a name, a family, they had dreams, and a right to exist.   The moment Legacy decided to break protocol they became the enemy.  That enemy is the hubris of elites that believe their abilities give them the right to choose the fate of mankind.  But again I ask you, how would you handle this threat?” Clover’s father replies.

“And as I said before the details of the operation are classified, you do still remember what classified means don’t you, Clover?” her father answers.


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## Hammerhead (Jul 5, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Both young elites come face to face with a woman that towers over them, bristling with obscene muscles and dark skin.  Her skin is almost leathery, and a massive horn just from her forehead.  Ridges grow on her shoulder as she senses danger and she steps back at their sudden arrival.




"Damn it, Karen," Ryan remarks sarcastically, never taking his eyes off the dangerous Elite. "Anika was supposed to take us to the secret Pantheon base, not the Iranian zoo."

"Let me put it this way, lady. You and all your troops need to surrender now, or you're all going to die. That means you need to cooperate with us. Do you have a guy who can redirect portals, any copies of the virus you hit James with, and any other subjects for your sick experiments here?"


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## Aenion (Jul 5, 2007)

Hammerhead said:
			
		

> "Damn it, Karen," Ryan remarks sarcastically, never taking his eyes off the dangerous Elite. "Anika was supposed to take us to the secret Pantheon base, not the Iranian zoo."
> 
> "Let me put it this way, lady. You and all your troops need to surrender now, or you're all going to die. That means you need to cooperate with us. Do you have a guy who can redirect portals, any copies of the virus you hit James with, and any other subjects for your sick experiments here?"




"Just don't give her any reason to attack us," Karen whispers, showing her empty palms to the aggressive looking ... woman before them, "What Ryan's trying to say is that we need to get out of here now. The UN is gonna bomb this place and if we don't get going right now, we're all gonna die. Is there anyone else still in here? Do you know anything about what happened to our friend?"


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## Hammerhead (Jul 5, 2007)

_I swear, why does she just give away information to these murderous jackasses? Why is she so naieve?_

"She should, since she's one of the people who injected him to begin with," Ryan says scornfully. "As well as being responsible for the deaths of millions of people just hours earlier."

_And I'm not going to die. Although if they cut the countdown, I'm going to fly up into space and start breaking all of their little toys. To start._


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## Mimic (Jul 6, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Jun Min shrieks, “What!? Gilden warn them!”




Gilden nods in response as he reconnects to Anika's mind. "You must leave now, Gadget says there will be an orbital strike on you location in under two minutes. LEAVE. NOW."


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## Samnell (Jul 6, 2007)

KaintheSeeker said:
			
		

> "I was planning on it." Cassie says as she keeps running. "I'm not going back Mark. They are as bent as Pantheon. No one wants to find the middle path. I can't side with the UN when they see Extinction as a viable concept."




Mark lost enough speed for Cassie to gain ground on him for a moment, "Oh. Ok. Uh...you gotta do what you gotta do." That didn't come out quite right. "Uh, good luck, Cassie."


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## KaintheSeeker (Jul 6, 2007)

Samnell said:
			
		

> Mark lost enough speed for Cassie to gain ground on him for a moment, "Oh. Ok. Uh...you gotta do what you gotta do." That didn't come out quite right. "Uh, good luck, Cassie."





Cassie nods as she gets the impression she's about to be left on her own. Not unexpected, but she felt a bit betrayed by it all the same. "Don't feel guilty Mark, I'm sure the UN will get you another sporting good product to advertise." 

She wondered if Anika and the others would be able to get clear. "Better get moving Mark, I am not sure I can get clear of the blast, but you can." A lot of the sting and sarcasm from her prior comment is gone and only concern is left. She gave herself only a 50-50 chance to survive. Anika would get the others out.. if she was warned.


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## Agamon (Jul 6, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> Gilden nods in response as he reconnects to Anika's mind. "You must leave now, Gadget says there will be an orbital strike on you location in under two minutes. LEAVE. NOW."



_
"I already know about the orbital st...UNDER TWO MINUTES!?  That sunuvabitch said we had five minutes!"_  Momentary panic almost causes Anika to almost stop growing her portal, but that quickly gives way as she focuses even more strongly on it.

"Get everyone ready to go, sounds like we have less time than we thought!" she yells to the teammates still with her.  _"Gods, Mark and Cassie and Karen and Ryan, they don't know...Gilden, you have to tell them, too!"_  She shakes her head and concentrates on getting everyone present out of harms way.  It was the best she could do...hopefully the others were able to get themselves to safety.


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## Shalimar (Jul 8, 2007)

OOC: Has the aerodyne closed the hatch and started moving yet?  If it hasn't then Clover'd be jumping backdown the line she had climbd up to go and warn the teens.  If they are already underway she can't.


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## Tokiwong (Jul 8, 2007)

Shalimar said:
			
		

> OOC: Has the aerodyne closed the hatch and started moving yet?  If it hasn't then Clover'd be jumping backdown the line she had climbd up to go and warn the teens.  If they are already underway she can't.



_Been moving the whole time._


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## Shalimar (Jul 9, 2007)

"Not everyone can be a soldier, even elites.  Trying to force it will just send them over to Pantheon, or Bishop's movement.  I would just go after members of Pantheon.  With Sariyah's power, or if I could learn to permanently copy it, with me the UNJE woud be able to locate Pantheon members and systematically hnt down each and every member of the group.  Once the major players are gone, offer probation to the minor members, the ones that will be joining Pantheon out of fear for their lives from base-lines over what's happened."

"I'd assauge peoples' fears by apprehending or neutralizing Cardinal and her inner circle, the people actually responsible.  Not by rounding up scapegoats, whats next?  Looking to the Germans for some ideas?  Grandpa Elric would have something to say bout that"  Clover says, naming her father's own grandfather who had been a Officer in the RAF during world war II.  "We are not Pantheon, we do not resort to state sponsored terrorism to get our way.  Once you cross that line, once you blacken the cloth, it wont be white again.  There is no bleach for the soul dad or  for honor, you taught me that."  Sighing, Clover sits down and puts her back up against one of the walls.

"Are mom and Mustang ok?"


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## Mimic (Jul 9, 2007)

Agamon said:
			
		

> _"Gods, Mark and Cassie and Karen and Ryan, they don't know...Gilden, you have to tell them, too!"_  She shakes her head and concentrates on getting everyone present out of harms way.  It was the best she could do...hopefully the others were able to get themselves to safety.




_"Cassandra? What is she... never mind we don't have the time for questions. Move quickly save as many as you can and be carefull."_ Gilden responds as he breaks the connection only to reconnect with Mark. _"Be warned there is an incoming Orbital strike coming in under 2 minutes."_ He will quickly shut down the connection and repeat the process with the others.

Once that is done, he will turn to Jun Min. "Cassandra is there as well."


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## Agamon (Jul 9, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"Cassandra? What is she... never mind we don't have the time for questions. Move quickly save as many as you can and be carefull."_




_"I'll see you soon,"_ Anika mentally replies, not sure if Gilden caught it.  Her portal always seemed to take a while to complete, but it felt like an eternity this time.  But she was calmer now, the shock from the info Gilden gave her subsiding, determination taking its place.

_"No problem. Open the portal,  get everyone through.  More than enough time for that.  Gilden's warning the others, they can get away from here in time.  No problem,"_ she thinks to herself.

As the portal nears completion, she looks back at her teammates.  "Get everyone in line and ready to go!  We're almost ready!"


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## Samnell (Jul 10, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"Cassandra? What is she... never mind we don't have the time for questions. Move quickly save as many as you can and be carefull."_ Gilden responds as he breaks the connection only to reconnect with Mark. _"Be warned there is an incoming Orbital strike coming in under 2 minutes."_ He will quickly shut down the connection and repeat the process with the others.




Without stopping, Mark made a check of the terrain, trying to see if things were going to level out in the distance, or if he'd be better off running back over the broken ground to Anika's portal.


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## Aenion (Jul 10, 2007)

Mimic said:
			
		

> _"Be warned there is an incoming Orbital strike coming in under 2 minutes."_ He will quickly shut down the connection and repeat the process with the others.




_What?! Less than two minutes?! How? He said 5 minutes,_ Karen sends back a panicked shout, "We have to go right now. Is anyone else down here?" she asks again with even more urgency.


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## Tokiwong (Jul 17, 2007)

Aenion said:
			
		

> _What?! Less than two minutes?! How? He said 5 minutes,_ Karen sends back a panicked shout, "We have to go right now. Is anyone else down here?" she asks again with even more urgency.



The rhino woman looks at Ryan and then Karen flexing, her muscles tensing for a fight.  She glares at Ryan, “Inject? I no understand?”

A disembodied voice speaks, “Looks like the UNJE sent in their second stringers and here I thought we would get paragon or at least the Justice Elite instead we get the kids… well if you blokes are itching for a fight then…”  

Another identical voice speaks also invisible, “Now that is hysterical, bloody funny that is… we are all going to die… and you just came down here to help us… you traitors to the one true race… bloody funny that is.”

*Clover*

“I am not forcing anyone to do anything, the lines are drawn.  Debating that fact is pointless,” her father replies.

“Elite abilities are not infallible, and to rely on them as our only method of investigation is suicidal,” he does glare at her for her further comments, “you might want to watch your tongue there, because you are going to say a few things that you will regret.”

“I won’t debate this with you, Clover.  There is nothing glamorous or righteous about armed conflict, at the end of the day it comes down to killing your enemy before they kill you,” he takes a seat.

The pilot speaks over the cabin communication’s line, “ETA to Forward site Bravo is 3 minutes.”

Commander Hughes speaks out loud, “The UNJE is not the enemy, even if your so-called friends believe that to be so.”

*Gilden*

Jun Min sighs, “That girl… I have jumped through more hoops for her then she will ever know.  Forget her, she wants nothing to do with us and we can’t waste time trying to protect her.  Gadget, I am not sure what you plan to do, but thank you for helping me.”

Gadget smiles, “Are you leaving now too?”

“I don’t think I have much of a choice,” Jun Min replies with a half-hearted smile.  She turns to Gilden, “What are you going to do?”

Tina shrugs, “I don’t know… I am not sure what I can do.”

“Only thing you can do… is do what you think is right,” Jun Min adds.

*Rest of Legacy*

The baselines follow direction easily enough or as best as they can understand them.  Sami speaks to Anika, “These men are criminals, why not let them suffer their fate… they would not do the same for us, why help them?”

Kiyana replies, “We are better then that, our job is to help people!  Right?”

Sami growls, “Some people are not worth helping…”

*Mark*

Mark looks for an easier path back but in the essence of expediency races back the way he came, finding his friends standing and arguing around the portal.  And time is growing slim…


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## Samnell (Jul 17, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> Mark looks for an easier path back but in the essence of expediency races back the way he came, finding his friends standing and arguing around the portal.  And time is growing slim…




"Notimegetthroughnow!" Mark followed his own advice, not waiting for an answer.


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## KaintheSeeker (Jul 18, 2007)

Cassie frowns as she watches Mark dash back towards the base, and if she believed in any of the creationist myths she had read of she'd pray that he would be okay. Most likely he'd be more likely to survive than she would. She was faster than any Olympic athlete, but she'd never been trained for avoiding an orbital strike. She concentrated on the rocky terrain, most likely she could find something to get behind from the ground wave, then it would come time for her to find the UN forward base or some other way out of the country.


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## Hammerhead (Jul 18, 2007)

_He cut *two* minutes off the time, instead of just one? That empty-headed uniformed monkey...he's on the list. Prepare for an ass-kicking._

"You know, I would assume that by your reaction, you don't intend to cooperate with the nice Elites who are offering you a chance to escape with your miserable lives. Just so we're clear," Ryan explains, moving slowly so that he can fly directly up the elevator shaft, "We don't need to help you. In a couple of minutes, the UN's gonna hit with this place with a nice bomb or two, which will probably kill you. And just to make sure, I'm going to flood your entire complex with poisonous gas and then seal your only exit shut," Ryan says harshly. "So...samples of virus, prisoners, teleport redirecter guy. Answer my questions."

_Second stringers? You thinks punks like you are going to impress me? I helped kill Genocide. The worst case scenario here is that Karen stops being such a damn wimp...you think having Chicago wiped out would make her a little more willing to use the necessary measures._


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## Agamon (Jul 18, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> The baselines follow direction easily enough or as best as they can understand them.  Sami speaks to Anika, “These men are criminals, why not let them suffer their fate… they would not do the same for us, why help them?”
> 
> Kiyana replies, “We are better then that, our job is to help people!  Right?”
> 
> Sami growls, “Some people are not worth helping…”




Anika is shocked speechless by what Sami says.  "What...?  You...you don't really mean that, do you?" she asks, looking incredibly hurt by his words.

She almost doesn't notice Mark's return.  "We're getting..."  She doesn't get to finish that thought before he races through the portal.  "Ladies and gentlemen, our heroic leader," she says snidely, no longer in a very good mood.  "He's right.  Everybody get the hell through, we're running short on time."

She looks back at the entry to the building as she waits for everyone to get through the portal.  _"Gods, I hope the others will be okay..."_


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## Aenion (Jul 18, 2007)

_Gas them? What's wrong with him? We want them to cooperate and he's trying to pick a fight?_ Karen glares at Ryan, but she does take a step back to stand closer to him, hoping that if he flies out of here, he'd at least take her with him, "Look, he's right and he'd probably do it too. We didn't have to come here to warn you, but here we are, 'kids' risking their lives for your sake. You call us traitors, but at least we're not leaving you to your fate. Please we have less than two minutes to get out of here alive."


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## Mimic (Jul 19, 2007)

Tokiwong said:
			
		

> She turns to Gilden, “What are you going to do?”




"I am unsure, it is clear that there is something wrong with the UN but I don't know if just leaving is the answer. Besides," he says looking over at Gadget, "there are somethings here that I do not want to leave behind."

"If I do leave I am not sure where I could go, I don't exactly blend in with the crowd."  He says gesturing to his ears


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