Dane nodded. "Registered and everything. I was in Afghanistan, and we were pinned down in a Taliban ambush, and it was not going to go well. Meaning, we were all going to get killed. They had numbers, position, and firepower. And then? Something happened. I thought I had gotten really strong, but apparently it was something else. At any rate, I started lobbing huge rocks at the enemy encampments, and closed with them and turned the tide."

Serena laughs and happily takes the extended paw. "Hi, Maggie. It's wonderful to meet you. I'm glad you'll be..." She pauses for a moment. "I'm glad you'll be coming home with me."

Her voice becomes a little hoarse at the end.

Maverick may not have super powers.  But what he does have are a very particular set of skills.  Skills that make him a nightmare for people like that.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZOywn1qArI

Mits is getting all fan-girl over masculinity central, wishing she could be a part of that conversation.  Probably for the best she isn't.

With a quick flip of the smartphone, Mits summons a voice modifier app then answers Maggie in a modulated voice, "Meow!  Hello, Maggie! Pleased to meet you!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Thu 16 Nov 2017.

Maverick smiles. "Woah... I'm sure while it was welcome timing, you didn't really think about how cool it was until later. So what is it exactly? Geokenesis? Super Strength?"

If Mav only knew what Mittens was thinking about, he would be so happy. XD But then, he already is happy what with meeting Dane.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:58, Sun 19 Nov 2017.

Maggie licks Serena with a not-wet robo tongue. "Arf! That is correct! I will go home with you." Antoinette is smiling and watching.

When Mittens says her robot bit, Maggie stops wagging and is frozen for two seconds before wagging again and says, "Arf! Mittens is funny!"

Antoinette says, "Three friends already, Serena. Mittens, Maggie and I. I am happy to have met you."

“So am I, Antoinette. So am I. Thank you.” Serena says with a slight hitch in her voice. She looks like she may cry again but no tears come this time.

In reply to Maverick Sargas (msg # 201):

Dane shrugged. "Doesn't much matter. I leave those distinctions to the folks who care about that sort of thing. Which is not me. I need to understand what I can do, and any limitations on that."

Then he smiled a little, and said, "But yeah, that was an opportune time to develop powers. My entire company would be dead without that happening."

Mits flails about with a huuge smile, overwhelmed by the scene.  "Ohmygosh!  Soo cuute!"  (( https://zippy.gfycat.com/FearlessAthleticHarrier.gif ))

Having forgotten that she's got a puppet on her other hand, Mits' puppet gets flung about as well.  (( https://thumbs.gfycat.com/Dimw...edCirriped-small.gif ))

She clears her throat and tries to calm down.  "Ahem.  Meow.  Maggie, Serena, and Antoinette are adorable.  Mittens is happy to have met you!"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:45, Fri 24 Nov 2017.

Maverick nods to Dane. He decides to put the super power topic aside for now. "Yeah. I'm glad you and your guys survived." he says with a smile.

His smile gives way to a look of curiosity. "How did you come to join the military?"

Maggie says, "Ahem. Arf. Thank you, Mittens." then looks back at Serena, wagging enough to make its hips sway before pouncing her! "Arf! Do you want to play?"

Antoinette looks in Mav's direction, then to Mittens'. "I made friends with Maverick twenty days ago. He told me about you, Mittens. He said you are fun. That is why I knew you would make Serena happy."

Serena is about to tell Maggie that she doesn't want to play right at this moment when her new pet pounces on her which was completely unexpected. She gets knocked down and begins to laugh again as the robot dog begins pouncing and barking at her which makes her start to laugh even harder.

She doesn't think about it but a part of her, buried deep in her subconscious, knows she has laughed more in the past 15 minutes than she has in the past several months, since Ian died and she was released from hospital.

In reply to Maverick Sargas (msg # 206):

Dane shrugged. "Wanted to serve my country, like everyone else. Turns out, I had a talent for this type of work. A little stronger, a little faster, steadier hands, I guess. I was always a good shot."

He chuffed a laugh. "The powers that be saw something in me, and nudged me towards special forces."

Maverick says with a smile, "Well, thanks for your service."

Maverick ponders. "Special services? Cool... What all is involved in that? Errr... sorry if I'm asking too many questions. If you have any for me, please ask."

In reply to Maverick Sargas (msg # 210):

Dane replied, "United States Special Forces, not 'special services.' We're trained to be better than General Infantry soldiers. We're the army's elite fighters, like the Navy Seals or Marine Force Recon."

Mits smiles to see Maggie tackle Serena.  But in spite of the distractingly adorable sight of those two playing, Mits can't help but wonder how on Earth the space cadet that is Antoinette befriended the shadow that is Maverick.  First silly thought: Well of course space cadets are familiar with darkness!  Second silly thought: Maverick was star-gazing and Antoinette floated by in her space suit, waving hello.  Third silly thought: ask.

"So how'd you meet?  Mav's not very..."

Not outgoing!?  That's hardly true.  No problems striking up conversation with Commando Hardpec Manmuscle over here without the slightest hint of being intimidated.  With thoughts of space on the brain, Mits is beginning to worry that the testosterone levels will soon be reaching critical mass of Shark-Bear-space-explosion-high-five!  ( https://i.imgur.com/JcxXO.jpg )  ...not that she'd mind too much if such epicness was the last thing she saw in this life.

"He's a ninja.  Pretty rare to know he's around."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:46, Sun 26 Nov 2017.

Mav puts his hand to his head bashfully. "Oh! Heh... I meant Special Forces.. I guess it's because I just said thanks for your service and it got mixed up in my head... but yeah, what all is involved in that kind of training?"

Antoinette looks at Mittens. "Maverick found me when looking for people who are in the science community. He introduced himself. Then he asked me to be his friend."

If only Antoinette knew Mittens' thoughts.
For that matter, if only Mittens knew Antoinette's thoughts.
But then, Mittens often voices her thoughts...

....it won't take long for those two to become best buddies.

In reply to Maverick Sargas (msg # 213):

After a word from his Father, Donnie got up from his family's table and headed towards Maverick and Dane. "Hi Maverick, are you coming to training this week?" Donnie greeted Maverick enthusiastically, he really looked up to the older kid who got to train with him and his sister. After a moment he added, almost sheepishly. "And do you think you could stay and play videogames after?"

Donnie looked over at Dane. "Oh, and Granpa said to tell you to be at our house on friday at eight, Sergeant Sinclair."

Maverick smiles over at Donnie and offers him a fist-pound in greeting. "Sure thing, Donnie. I am able today if you are training today. If not, I could still come over for video games."

He glances over to Dane to see how the man will react, both to Donnie's approach and the request to show up next morning.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:06, Tue 05 Dec 2017.

Serena seems oblivious to the other conversations around her, playing with and petting her new friend and feeling, for the first time, a slight easing in the tightness in her chest and the self-imposed solitude that she has lived in since The Event.

Mits smiles to see Serena enjoying her new friend so much.

To Antoinette's explanation, she ohs.  "Science community..."

Thoughts of an advanced race of sentients being overrun by machines of their own creation, the only remaining scraps of their history and culture encapsulated in V.R. recordings embedded in holo-interfaces race through her mind.  Yeah.  That was a wild couple of days on planet Horizon.

"So Mav's going full-on Batman, then.  Cool!"

Mittens' cat puppet peeks up from beside Maverick.  "Did I hear 'video games?'  Would a frazzled cat be welcome?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:53, Wed 06 Dec 2017.

Dane nodded. "8:00 PM, roger that."

He hesitated a moment. "Go ask your grandpa about the dress code for the evening. I don't often get invited to nice homes."

"Grandpa says to wear whatever you don't mind being seen in, he's gonna take you on his 'old guys night out' with Uncle Ethan and Uncle Malcolm." Donnie told Dane matter-of-factly.

 Donnie smiled at Maverick returning the fist bump. "I don't think we're training today. I think Granpa's going with Daddy today after lunch, but I can ask if you can come over."

Donnie Jumped slightly as the puppet appeared, peering past it at the portal. After a moment or two Donnie's little hand shot through the portal and grabbed at the arm holding the puppet with a remarkably strong grip for a five year old. "There's a trick here, this is like what Di does. It's not a real magic puppet." The five year old declared to the rest of the group as he held onto Mittens' arm.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Fri 08 Dec 2017.

In reply to Donald Derring Jr. (msg # 220):

Dane thought about this for a brief second before a huge grin broke out on his face, and he said, “Tell your grandfather I said, ‘Oh, it’s on!’”

Maverick looks at Donnie. "It's my friend Mittens. She's just pretending. She is a grown-up who likes to play as much as kids do. Especially since she recently returned from her adventures in outer space... and yes, please do ask if it's OK for me to come over today."

He leaves it to Mittens to say whether or not Donnie should let go of her.