[Outer Space, Location Classified]

Tommy looked back towards the screen then back to Crucible.  Tommy's tone was rarely anything but friendly or at the verry least aloof.  Right now it wasn't  "If you could really do that, then you would already know the answer to the question.  Just about anything but not at the cost of makin deals with villianous D-bags like you."

Tommy hit a few buttons on the control pannel.  He could by no means fly the ship but Myth had put in a few preprogrammed coordinates Tommy could adjust to.  He entered some that took the ship a bit further away from earth.  His hope being the shift away from earth would would make things uncomfortable for the Demon and also alert Myth that something was going on.

[Outer Space, Location Classified]

Crucible sighed and waved his hand, pulling a goblet with a dark liquid out of thin air.

"Perhaps my earlier assessment of you was too generous. While my earlier incarnation was only interested in tempting you into some Faustian deal, my interests lie within different realms," he said, taking a sip from the goblet and smiling a bit, "However, you have at least answered my question in a satisfactory, if insolent manner. I am not offering you a deal. I'm offering you a chance, no strings attached, so they say. If you accept, you will be given the chance to return her to existence, hale, hearty and unchanged save for again being a living breathing being. So, will you take this chance or will you continue in your impudence?"

[Outer Space, Making Deals With the Devil]

Tommy narrowed his eyes slightly.  It was obvious he didn't trust Crucible but if there was even a chance what the Demon was saying was true he had to know.

His tone was perhaps more serious than it had ever been before. "Alright.  I'm listening."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:16, Tue 13 Apr 2010.

[Outer Space, Location Classified]

Though one might expect a smile from Crucible, what Tommy received was a grave look, one of total seriousness few humans could match.

"Good. First, it's very simple," he said, standing and extending a hand, "Just take my hand."

[Outer Space, Making Deals With the Devil]

Tommy extended his hand but stopped just short. "What about the worm holes?" Tommy wasn't completely sure what was fixing to happen but he had the distinct impression that they were fixing to travel somewhere.

[Outer Space, Location Classified]

The edges of Crucible's mouth tilted up.

"I assure you, your purpose here will not be impacted," he said, continuing to hold his hand out, "As it falls within my current sphere of influence, the Hardradians will find themselves unable to open any portals for the duration of our... enterprise."

[Outer Space, Making Deals With the Devil]

Slipstream shrugged.  What ever Crucibles game Tommy had to believe the Demon didn't want the Hadradian's taking over any more than anyone else. "Cool."  Who knew maybe there would even be a chance to get some sleep on this.  Enterprise, but the most important thing of course was there was a chance to save Bell.  Tommy took Crucibles hand.

[Outer Space, Location Classified]

Crucible gripped Tommy's hand in a firm, but not painful manner, like two businessmen shaking hands. His eyes glowed yellow as the room began to shimmer and seem to melt around them.

"Hang on. This may be a bumpy ride..."

Tommy suddenly felt a sudden sensation of moving fast... faster than he'd ever moved before... and they were gaining speed...

[Somewhere, Sometime]

Tommy snapped awake, his head swimming, his stomach roiling. The world was rather fuzzy and muted, like when he'd taken a good knock to the noggin. He was standing next to a road. It took a few moments for him to realize there was no traffic. It was another few before he realized why. There were cars on the road, but they were all stopped, abandoned.

As his head cleared, Tommy noticed three things in short order... the first was that he was shorter than he remembered. The second was he was wearing a costume... one he hadn't worn in a relatively long time.

The third? A huge ship hung in the sky, its design agonizingly familiar... Hardradian.

[Who freaking knows]

"No freaking way."  His voice crackled some and Tommy shook his head a little as he looked at the uniform.  Kid Lightning then took off at, what felt like to Tommy, slow motion.  It wasn't until after the war that the Slipstream experiment had given the speedster the powers he had grown use to.  Assuming they were somewhere in the mid west Tommy guessed it would take almost a full thirty seconds to make it to DC, but first he had to figure out where he was.  Heading down the road towards the oncoming ship Tommy checked to see if he had his old communicator and looked in the cars to make sure no one had been left behind, as he looked for clues as to where he was.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:31, Mon 19 Apr 2010.

[Somewhere, Sometime]

Tommy ran down the highway, passing numerous cars in various stages of abandonment. Some, it seemed, had kept their heads enough to close and lock the vehicles. Others had remembered to close the doors, but forgotten to lock them. And the rest had any number of doors open to the world, their occupants fleeing the scene in what was probably sheer panic. Tommy remembered the fear of the populace when he'd fought all those years ago. The terror on the faces of civilians caught between a Hardradian Pentad and safety was forever etched into his memory.

Soon enough, though just a moment in "real time," Tommy found a sign.

Washington D.C.   150

His proximity to his goal stunned him a moment. He'd figured on having to work just a little bit harder to get there.

He then noticed the flash ahead and five figures suddenly stood on the road. Somehow, he understood them as one spoke.

-Humanoid, designation Kid Lightning. Aberrant identification. Subject already contained. Terminate impostor.-

[Somewhere, Sometime]

"Terminate Imposter?  Good to see you bitches too."  Tommy smiled a little an zipped towards the Pentad.  He might be a little slower but Tommy had a whole bag full of tricks that he didn't have the last time he wore the Lightning Kid uniform.  Dodging in Tommy attempted to disarm the Hadradians.  He contemplated replacing the weapons with super soakers of nerf guns but the closest store was miles away and he doubted he was fast enough to pull it off without wasting precious seconds.  Instead he decided to snatch the weapons and send them flying off towards random members of the Pentad a few ticks under his current rate of speed.


OOC: Just a fancy way of doing his normal area attack.  BTW Although the Old Kid Lightning wouldn't use killing attacks Slipstream will be.  He knows that just putting these guys down gets people killed.  With that said he would prefer to just leave them badly wounded (Broken legs and stuff) and will not cou de gras any of them.  He just won't be leaving them bruised so they can get back up and continue fighting a few minutes after getting put down.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:17, Tue 20 Apr 2010.

[120 Miles from D.C., During the Hardradian Invasion]

Tommy sped back up, the Pentad suddenly moving as if on a high speed camera set to 11. Their weapons were relatively easy to grab and with a (relatively) casual toss and quick exit from the scene, he set off a chain of explosions that left several nearby autos on their sides and the Hardradians lying around a shallow crater. The shockwave hit Tommy a moment later and was powerful enough to stagger him a bit. The Sniper and Grenadier had landed near each other, both impaled on the same spear of metal. The Sergeant lay in several pieces, being inadvertantly in the center of the blast. The Stormtrooper was beginning to stand unsteadily. The Bulwark, however, seemed only lightly scorched and was already rising, looking around for his prey.

OOC: That's fine, obviously. I'm not going to get too into mechanics (to hit and damage and such) in this particular thread. You get to be the lucky one, because I'll not be so 'nice' in others. ;)

[120 Miles from D.C., During the Hardradian Invasion]

"Allright you big ape, I got places to be so lets make this quick." Picking one of the "Weak points" Doctor M had taught him to target Tommy began striking the lone hadradian with a barage of hits.

[120 Miles from D.C., During the Hardradian Invasion]

The Bulwark staggered under the assault. Normally, the punches, kicks and jabs would have next to no effect on the massive alien. Its physiology had been carefully crafted to withstand the rigors of battle and it literally acted as a shield against the worst an enemy could dish out. Except the Hardradians hadn't counted on the amazing variation of enhancements the parahuman population of Earth could bring to bear.

Striking at hundreds of nerve clusters and weak armored points, the Bulwark was driven back into the dazed Stormtrooper, colliding when they met and falling to the ground in a heap. The Bulwark's weight was sufficient to hold the Stromtrooper down as it feebly twitched, its body betraying itself as it tried and failed to compensate for the damage Tommy had inflicted. A few more smacks at the base of the skull to both aliens put them down. Two final, very specific strikes put them out... for good.

[120 Miles from D.C., During the Hardradian Invasion]

Tommy felt nauseous.  Around him an entire Pentad lay dead or dying.

During the Hadradian invasion, before Bell’s death, Tommy hadn’t been able to bring himself to kill one of the Aliens.  It was a trait shared by allot of heroes of the time, and it was a trait that got a lot of people killed.  Had it not been for the Old Timers, as Tommy called them then, Earth may have well been lost.  Heroes who had seen war like the Veteran and the original Patriot saw the event for what it truly was.  They reacted accordingly.

Years after the invasion Tommy still struggled with the idea of taking a life, even that of Aliens responsible for the deaths of so many.

The moment Tommy had arrived back in this time and saw the Hadradian ship he realized exactly what he had to do, and he had done it.

None of his rationalization and justification made it any easier.  Moving the back of his hand from his mouth Tommy got it together.  As much as he hated the Hadradians he thought a small part of him might enjoy killing one.  It didn’t.

There would be time for reflection later the Pentad was out of action whether they lived or died before the Hadradians found them they were out of this fight.  Tommy was a blur as he gathered first aid kits from the nearby cars.  Treating the fallen Hadradians as best he could Slipstream then Bolted for DC.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Mon 26 Apr 2010.

[120 Miles from D.C., During the Hardradian Invasion]

The miles sped by. Tommy's mind raced faster than his feet. The images of the Hardradians floated to the top of his mind again, but he forced them down. Now was not the time for dwelling on such. His focus was the time... how long? How long before she faced him down? Even now, was he too slow? Would he make it in time to save her? Could he save her?

The questions continued to roll as he raced through the devastated city. Several times, he used precious time to save an innocent... moving someone from the path of falling debris, pulling someone out of a burning car or building, and countless other acts, most of which would remain mysteries to those rescued. Seconds ticked by, an ever present counter in Tommy's head. A countdown with an unknown ending. Most of the clocks in the city were either dead or malfunctioning due to the electromagnetic interference from the hovering Hardradian ships. He was still hoping to see some indication of the time when he rounded the corner.

For the second time today, Tommy was stopped in his tracks, stunned beyond speech or thought. Time moved slowly for the speedster when he needed it to, the normal flow compared to his perception of it a vast gulf. Though it never seemed to fully stand still, it almost seemed like he was moving through a picture someone had taken, watching the world wait as he moved through it. He could slow his perceptions down so that time flowed normally from his viewpoint, but right now, Tommy desperately wished it could freeze solid.

She was on the lawn, her costume torn and blood flowing from multiple wounds. Her hair was disheveled and the cape had already been torn to shreds. But, her eyes were bright and her face defiant. She was already moving, her body tilted forward, fists raised and mouth parted, flinging a final war cry at the sparkling alien nearby. She was the most beautiful sight Tommy had ever seen. And Tommy knew what was about to happen.

He'd managed to arrive just before Liberty Belle's final charge at General Diamondback. And he was the only person on the planet who had any chance to do anything about it.

[Washington D.C., White House Lawn, During the Hardradian Invasion]

Tommy’s mind was moving even faster than his feet as he bolted towards Diamondback and Bell.  The first time this happened Tommy had been thousands of miles away helping to fight of a particularly well trained Pentad. When he had arrived in DC, Diamondback was gone, and Bell was dead. ”Not again.”

Tommy knew that the Hadradians were already sounding the retreat.  Every hero capable of surviving in space was successfully fending of the Hadradian's last ditch effort to simply lay waste to the Earth.  Very soon Diamondback would be forced to withdraw.  All they had to do was keep him busy

Heading towards Bell with the intent of snatching her up and moving her out of harms way Tommy moved faster than he ever had before, as the Lightning Kid.  He could only hope it was fast enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:36, Wed 28 Apr 2010.

[Washington D.C., White House Lawn, During the Hardradian Invasion]

Tommy moved forward, time seeming to slow down even further. As he raced across the lawn, he could feel the sudden speed increase straining his body. He wasn't accustomed to moving this fast yet and wouldn't be for some time. But, he pushed past the pain, the feeling of muscles tearing, the creaking of bones pushed to their limits. He moved like his namesake.

As Tommy reached Belle and Diamondback, he reached out to grab her. The feel of her brought back a wave of memories and conflicting feelings. Soft as silk, strong as steel. As he pulled, he found it difficult to move her, Belle's strength far beyond his own. But, he knew he didn't have to move her far... just enough... He pushed, pulled, and strained. He could feel his muscles tear and felt the warmth of blood running from his nose. He could taste copper. And still he fought on.

He watched as they moved together, Diamondback's fist hurtling towards them, moving almost as fast as Tommy's perception. Belle drove on, her own fist moving at a similar rate. Tommy pulled one last time, an effort that he could feel break his arm and snap his left leg. The pain became too much and he had to slow again... and he heard the thunderous boom of an impact. As he fell back, he could see Diamondback's head snapping back... and Belle standing, arm outstretched, stance still defiant.

And alive.

Tommy didn't try to move.  In spite of the pain the vision of bell standing there alive made Tommy smile.  He spoke in his trademark smart ass way though the pain was evident in his words. "Hey blondie, long time, no see." He half winced half groaned through the growing pain. "You know you, really,"

"really, need to work, on that whole, duck and weave thing." He groaned some more cursing under his ragged breath, coughed, and noted more of the copper taste in his mouth.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:29, Wed 28 Apr 2010.

[Washington D.C., White House Lawn, During the Hardradian Invasion]

Belle blinked a couple of times, her hand bleeding rather badly where she'd impacted Diamondback.

"Tommy? What... how did... oh, god!"

She crouched down, trying to gently feel where he was injured. It was painful... excruciatingly so. And yet, it felt wonderful. She was here, living, breathing and speaking to him. Consciousness began to fade as she sat down beside him, lifting his head into her lap. She gently caressed his head.

"You crazy idgit... you're gonna be fine. How did you even get here so fast? You've gone and pushed yourself too damn hard," she whispered, keeping a wary eye on the direction Diamondback had flown.

Tommy could hear the snapping sound of a camera nearby. His vision was slowly beginning to narrow and the world began to sound like it was coming from far away. But, she was still there... still real...

[Washington D.C., White House Lawn, During the Hardradian Invasion]

Tommy groaned in pain but he was still smiling ear to ear.  With darkness closing in Tommy reached up with his good arm, placing his hand on Bell's cheek. Running his thumb across her cheek there were so many words Tommy wanted to say, but as the world around him faded he only managed two. "Love you."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:46, Thu 29 Apr 2010.

[Somewhere Sometime]

Tommy woke up to a bright light shining in his face. Oddly, though it should've been painfully bright, there was no pain at all. As he sat up and looked around, he noted several things in rapid succession... he was sitting in a circle of light in an area of dark... he didn't hurt all over like he was sure he should after the encounter with Belle and Diamondback... he was naked.

"Impressive. Most impressive. And, no, before you ask, you aren't dead" a familiar voice sounded from behind him.

[Somewhere Sometime]

Tommy remained sitting while he tried to get his bearings.  Tommy raises his hand as he replies to the voice. "Yep, that's me, mister impressive." Slipstream then lowered his hand but didn't turn yet to look in the direction of the voice. "Yeah, I'm pretty much a bad ass at what ever I do." he shrugs.  "Well you know, obviously with the exception of strip poker."

Tommy stood, stretching his arms out and letting out a yawn.  Lowering his arms and rolling his neck from one side to the other Tommy then turned toward the voice.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:17, Sat 01 May 2010.

[Somewhere, Sometime]

Crucible sat in a simple wooden chair, just at the edge of the light. He steepled his fingers in front of him.

"Actually, your accomplishment is one that has never been done until now. You are the first to change the fabric of your reality on such a fundamental level. To most, that would be considered quite an impressive feat."

[Somewhere, Sometime]

Tommy hadn't thought much about the implications of success, or more to the point he hadn't let himself think about it too much.  He had told himself that it was one more hero to fight the good fight.  Still, doubt was starting to creep in.

Tommy studied Crucible trying to read him, but he didn't say anything.  Which most certainly spoke volumes.