Needing only a few hours in the way of prep work, Quentin worked on other projects for a while before heading off to New York City. He arrived several hours before his model predicted the next attack. It would be best to patrol the city first. He could update his model based on the flows of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, any recent construction projects, and the current weather - as well as any other relevant variables. On foot and by air, he narrowed down the range of his predictions as he checked streets and alleys, abandoned or nearly abandoned buildings, warehouses, and anywhere else that seemed likely.

Then there was only one thing to do. He waited.

The little man doing all the talking nervously took a step back, belatedly realizing that antagonizing a man who could litteraly move mountains might not have been the best of ideas.  To his credit however, his voice was even when he spoke.  "Nothing serious, I mean we're just tryin' ta make an honest living here.  But there are jams that it'd be helpful to have someone like you around for.  Maybe an a good word to the right people, maybe when people get the idea that we're doin' something wrong, you let 'em know we're ustanding guys.  Or maybe you help with novas givin' us trouble.  We had a couple o' nutjobs tear up a rental property the other day, and then there's always some nova that's not above taking a loan, but then thinks they're too high and mighty to bother with payin' when it comes time.  You know, things like that."

At the bar, Terrence leaned forward and placed his head in his hands.  Dillon knew that look, he'd seen it in the mirror more than once.  Frustration, anger, fear and shame were at war for dominance, but it looked like shame was winning at the moment.

---

Jimmy looked confused for a moment, then had a look of dawning comprehension.  "Oh, yeah, you wouldn't know.  Mom moved out a couple months ago, went to stay with Grandma until Dad 'got his shit together.'  It was almost as weird hearing her swear as it was seeing her pack the suitcase."  He thought a moment before continuing.  "I guess I should update you.  Dad got layed off when the nova boom went into full swing, and he got real down.  Looked for jobs, but they were all lower paying, or jobs where he'd be taking orders instead of giving them.  So anyway, I guess his pride wouldn't let him go and do anything but the occassional job his friends threw his way, and he spent most of the day watching TV on the couch.  Money was tight, but I think they had money in savings so it wasn't that bad, especially after Mom picked up a job at the donut shop in the mornings. He was depressed, we both saw it, but there wasn't much we could do.  Then he started being... Well, just a jerk.  Miserable to be around, always on everyone's case, treating Mom bad, that sort of thing.  Mom finally had enough, and left.  She said I could go with her, but I wanted to stay with my friends and stuff.  So I stayed until the latest blowup, and here I am."  He gave Gale a large grin as he finished, then looked at the oven.  "So uh, how long do those usually have to cook?"

---

The look of surprise on Paul's face would have been comical under other circumstances.  He was at a loss for words as he stared at his former teammate.  "Suzukaze.  Suzuka.  I want to help you, I really do.  But what you're talking about is crazy!  I can't just leave, I'd be hunted.  Like you, but without big brother Utopia to watch my back and keep the wolves at bay.  And you would be hard pressed to take over the team with the new members Fire found for us.  And you've never been-"  He breaks off for a moment, seeming worried.  "I apologize for any offence, but you have never been that stable Suzuka, and with all that you've been through I'm not sure if even Earth would support you.  You would be welcome back on the team, at least by the two of us, but not in a leadership role."

Paul grimaced a bit as he explains things, fearing Suzukaze's reaction.  When immediate response wasn't forthcoming, his brow furrowed in contemplation before he continued.  "Perhaps there is another way.  If you would be willing to come back, I might be able to take leadership myself, with your support.  Earth suggested it long ago, but I was never willing.  But if it would bring you back and end our current-"  He breaks off again, a look of distaste showing clearly on his face.  "Our current working conditions, then I would be willing to do so.  And then we could find Shiro.  Who did you have in mind to replace him and fire by the way?  All of this is in part contingent upon that."

---

Scripture was keenly interested in Impetus' words despite his readily apparent grief over Caroline.  "Impetus, all I can tell you is that we are living in a time of Marvels, and you are one of them.  You could be experiencing mental distortions, and if this is the case I am certain you will move beyond them; you have already felt the transformative touch of chrysalis once.  But it is also possible that what you are experiencing is far grander.  Quantum energy is a unifying force, it underlies and connects the universe.  You may be touching the divine, or your spirit may be in contact with Caroline.  There is no way to answer your question with any certainty, but I feel this the far more likely option.  Novas are miracles my friend.  Despite the doubt of even the other terats, this is truth.  And I believe your experiences are further proof of this."  A look of rapturous, crazed intensity that was the province of the fervently faithful and of the mad accompanied Scriptures words as he continued.  "This revelation makes it all the more important that we find your Caroline.  What is our next step on the path?  Did you have further plans in motion?"

---

Gravitas sat down on a park bench as nearby pigeon confusedly attempted to reach escape velocity and break his orbit.  Were his calculations wrong, or was he merely missing something?  It had been hours, and the window for the next occurance was closing quickly.  It was a large city, and he could have missed it already despite his vigilance.  Doubt was beginning to gnaw, as were the dozens of other projects occupying the recesses of his consciousness.  But as the window closed and his mind turned toward returning to his lab, fortune (or quantum synchronicity) finally provided Gravitas with the what he was searching for.

A mugging, simple in it's violence, was unfolding.  Two men, well dressed and holding hands, were stopped by a vagrant for change.  They searched, and were distracted enough to miss the three men emerge from the alley immediately behind them.  A crowbar lifted, a baseball bat swung.  Gravitas analyzed the situation, and realized that though the first hits would not kill, the muggers were not going to stop.  They were angry, perhaps at their victim's wealth, or perhaps by their lifestyle.  But whatever the reason, this would end in death.

There was never more than a single hit however.  A rusted brown van passing by skidded suddenly to a stop, and as the door slid open the muggers looked up.  "Keep outa this, or get fucked up!" was all the warning the third mugger gave as he pulled out a revolver and fired into the woman emerging from the van.  But she kept walking toward him, despite the spray of blood that indicated she was hit.  Then the man behind her emerged, and then another man.  Nova sight pierced the darkness and gave a clear look at them: ragged, dirty, torn, unhealed injuries rotting.  And they gave off no heat signature at all.  But their quantum signature, that was a thing of complex beauty, a matrix of energy twined through each of them and tied to the man only now getting out of the vehicle, his form further decayed than the bodies of his companions.

The muggers shifted from aggression to fear, and the man with the gun fired rapidly.  He missed several times, but two solid hits went unremarked by the rapidly approaching throng from the van.  The muggers turned to run, but their new onlookers were faster than their shambling gate would indicate.  Rotting hands reached for the muggers, and dead flesh held them to the ground as they struggled.  Then they fed.

Simultaneously, the most decayed among them approached the stunned vagrant, pinning him to the wall.  The corpse spoke, turning to look at the men he had just saved.  "Run, tell no one."  Then he bit off the fingers of the homeless man's hand.

She listens to Paul's comments and suggestions. She raises her right arm running her hand through her hair. She then places her elbow on the table resting her head in her hand. She thinks for a moment then straightens and looks Paul in the eyes.

"Ok so we have two options. You leave the team and join me in Utopia. You'd have their backing. Plus we could probably use a porter of your expertise on the new team. There's other things that I'd prefer to have someone I could trust by my side." She pauses slightly to see his reaction. "Or I go back to the assassins which may or may not work out as we both would like it to. What if Earth doesn't support us or they just capture/kill me and turn on you? If it does work out then I'd support you as team leader. As for the two replacements. For Water I have a certain someone we'd have to bust out of prison. However there is a implantation in her head I'd like to have someone try to deal with first. Fire's replacement unless we can talk Tragic into getting involved would be trickier and need a little more time possibly. We'd have to kidnap one of my comrades on T2M, keep her drugged up on what ever power dampening stuff we can get. If she won't willingly join us then we break her. We break her mentally either forcing her to join as our puppet or go as far that she won't be of use to anyone."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:52, Thu 23 June 2011.

"Oh, um, just a couple minutes.  Let me check on them real quick."  She used the chance to turn away and collect her thoughts.  Pulling the steaks out of the oven and checking to see if they were done was easy.  Getting a plate and putting the food on and getting silverware was easy.  Dealing with the news that her family had fallen apart in her absence was not easy.  She tried to think quickly while she worked.  There probably wasn't much she could do to fix this.  Probably not much she could have done to fix it when it happened either.  Which meant, all she could do now was offer Jimmy her hospitality.  Let him know that she still cared.

After everything was ready, she turned back around, offering him the plate with a smile.  "Did you want anything else?  I could whip up a salad or something if you wanted."  Once he had started eating, she took a seat from across from him.  "So why come see me?  Grandma's is much closer than Vegas."

No luck with the wires.  What was the man saying?  The words sank in.

"Oh.  Is that it?"

Despite the simplicity, he could not kill this man.  "You're recording this right now, right?  I'm not angry, I just want to understand.  You think that that," he pointed to the camera, "will ruin my reputation.  Because I came down here to look after my family."  He spoke loudly, loud enough to make sure a microphone could pick up what he was saying.  "Okay.  I'll tell you what I'm going to do.  You bring me his tab and I'm going to pay it.  And I want you to have this."  He produced one of his cards and scribbled one of his extra numbers on the back.  "If anyone bothers you, novas looking to skip out, that kind of thing, you let me know.  I don't like people making trouble in my neighborhood for honest folk doing legal business, you know?  I'll see who I can talk to.  And if they're novas and they're getting punchy or making a mess, you call me first, alright?  I'll settle them down without getting bringing in Utopia or trouble like that."

For accounting purposes, his check books all came with transfer paper, so when he wrote out the check he was very careful to write down exactly what the check was for.  Covering his brother's tab and expenses on that night.  "I'll need, *ahem*," commanding reverb crept into his voice.  He coughed and tried to get rid of it.  "I'll need a copy of the receipt too.  From his tab.  Just for my records, you know, some someone doesn't think I was buying drugs or paying you off or anything."

"Oh, and one more thing.  Let me see your IDs.  I'm not narcing on you, I just want to make sure I know who I'm dealing with.  Met this guy in Africa who could just change his face all around, you know, and he's got it out for me real bad so I check this kind of thing."

"Plans?  The only thing i have right now is plans.  I have vague half remembered images of an old woman holding my baby saying that the drugs aren't working and that he can never know, and of Marcel with 13 pieces of silver.  For now, I need to run down both, but I can't be seen doing so, I'm to visible, to easily tracked.  I will have to use proxies, like whoever organized this did.  I will keep you informed of my progress, my friend."  Imp gave the man a hug, then left.  Soon he was sailing high above the Earth, outside the atmosphere. Just over 2 hours later he was streaking down towards the southern tip of Africa.  He landed clear of the no fly perimeter near Anna's compound, no sense riling up the locals, and walked openly over to the gate house.  "Hello, I'm here to see Anna, no I don't have an appointment."  He was let in shortly afterwards.  As he walked through the lobby he had flashbacks to the last time he had come here, seeking answers.  Nothing had changed, the decor was the same, the receptionist, also, the same.  What was different was the lack of visible nova security, Anna probably figured you'd have to be insane to start something here.
He was ushered into her office and received a warm hug from one of the richest novas on the planet.  "Impetus, it's been too long!" Anna exclaimed, smiling happily.  He smiled back, "And you, Anna, as ravishing as ever." Pleasantries were exchanged, drinks were offered, then business commenced.
"I need two things from you, the first is to go back over a year and track one Marcel, the Apostle, Delorimier.  All his movements, all his communications, all his dealings.  Banking information, everything.  Second," he took a piece of paper and pencil from her desk and drew quickly with surprising skill, "I need you to find this woman.  I don't know who she is or who she works for, but she has something to do with novas.  maybe in R&D, maybe in Utopia, maybe with a government organization.  I have no idea.  Can you do this?"

Jimmy looked up from his food when Gale asked if he wanted anything else.  Not quite mature enough to really understand politeness just yet, he rattled off a list of requests.  "Uhm, yeah, do you have any soda, and a glass of ice?  And maybe some salt, and some A1?  Thanks."  He filled his mouth with food a few times before answering her other question.

Mostly done chewing, he looked up from his plate again.  "I don't know exactly.  Maybe it was the way dad said it, and how he'd always talked about things with you.  Maybe I wanted to get back at him a little.  But I think mostly I just missed you, and wanted to see you again.  And I wanted a break from the family drama back home, find a new place, new opportunities, that sorta thing."  A look of uncertainty showed on his youthful face before he shoveled in more food to hide it.  Talking around a mouthful of steak, he asked "So uh, can I stay with you for a while maybe?  You don't mind do you?  I can just go if you do, just find my way back to Grandma's or something..."

---

Paul looked thoughtful for a moment before replying.  "I think you could come back, I really do.  I know earth would be there for us, and if we could convince Tragic... but we would have to eliminate the others.  Fire and his new recruits.  As for your proposed replacements, I am interested, but unless the woman you intend to replace Fire is a great threat, I want nothing to do with breaking anyone.  There has been too much of that lately."  A haunted look overcame him then.  Apparently recent missions involved more than just killing, things Paul viewed as both troubling and distasteful.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Paul continues. "As to my leaving and joining you, that is something I had never even considered.  I will not lie, it is tempting.  But can they really just wave their hands and make a place for me, let me leave my old life?  If so, I would consider it, but i find it difficult to believe that I could ever leave my past behind."
---

Dillon's senses took a moment to adjust, but he eventually sensed the electric fields of the recording device and the opnet cable connected to the nearby computer.  The camera was wireless, feeding into the computer, which in turn sent it's data to some remote location.

The men looked a bit confused at the nova in front of them.  They had expected at least a bit of strong arming would be required, but instead they were met with an amicable man making a reasonable request.  They complied with Dillon's requests, the boss producing a receipt and the men pulling out their ID's with slightly shaking hands.  They weren't the smartest of criminals.

Terrence was also confused, but he could tell that the tension was leaving the room.  Getting up from the bar, he cautiously approached his brother and stood behind him, clearly hoping they would be leaving soon.

---

Anna was smiling with her mouth but not her eyes as she replied.  "You want me to involve myself in teragen politics by digging up a year of this man's movements, and then find one woman in 7 billion.  Hmmm.  You never make things easy do you?"  She contemplated a moment, swirling the ice in her cup as she did so.  "If you can make me a reasonable promise that the teragen won't be a problem, or at least run interference if they become one, I'll find all the info on Delorimier.  The woman might be as easy as running your picture through a face recognition program, or it might take months of searching.  I make no promises other than to try."

She made several notes on a nearby data pad before looking at Impetus inquisitively.  "You don't have to tell me of course, but what is this all about?  First, all the information you requested from me before, and now this?  I keep trying to understand your place in things, and it keeps eluding me."

---

The corpses continue to consume the nearby criminals as the men they saved run in stark terror.

"Rest assured, the Terragen won't come after you, save for those loyal to Delorimier. And those that are loyal to the man aren't the ones you need to worry about doing anything violent, Geryon most certainly isn't on Apostle's fan club list, and he's alienated most of the other radicals, and much of the Pantheon. If anybody does start anything, just let me know, I'll talk to them.  The people you'll have to worry about are his fan club and baseline sycophants. He's almost as good as I am at manipulating people and attracting followers.
The woman you need to be careful about, I don't know who she is or who she works for, but she's trouble, serious trouble. Be very careful with this one, my friend."
"Agreed, beautiful. She has the power to drag everything and everyone down into madness and death." Car's voice whispered in his head.
Imp kept the shock from his face, was this what it was like, going mad? Regaining his train of thoughts after only the slightest pause, he continued. "My place in all this is at the middle, it'll be far more satisfying for you to figure it out without my telling you, you probably have some very good guesses. Know that nothing I ask of you is done frivolously, and should any harm come to you because of what I ask, I will move Heaven and Earth to make amends. Which reminds me, don't trust Carrington farther than you absolutely have to, his ambition is well hidden, but it may drown out his better angels if the correct opportunity presents itself."

The situation was fascinating. Were these corpses animated by some sort of necromantic nova power? If that was the case, the one their signature was tied too was almost certainly the nova in question, and that nova had developed a severe case of what many of the younger Terats simply called 'Taint'. His rotting appearance and the fact that he was biting fingers off of people was evidence enough of that.

Quentin stood and dusted off the back of his pants. There really wasn't anything he could do to save the muggers at this point, but he supposed he should do something to stop the zombie horde from leaving the scene, at least before he could question them. He brought up his matte black shielding in order to ward off hungry zombies if they decided he was a snack. He walked over to where they fed and spoke. "I thought I might find you here," he said, keeping his voice carefully neutral. "I have a number of questions I'd like you to answer," he continued, "and I'll have to insist that this... incident be the last of its kind."

"They took me in didn't they." She gestures to herself. "As I said your a better person than I ever was. I have no doubt that you could do it. I did, and yes I'll always remember the past. I can't change what I did, but I know now I'm doing the right thing."

She lets Paul take it in for a moment. "Even if things were borderline. You'd be able to supply some valuable information. And we could use a new porter for the team as well. I'll be there for you." She stands up and and looks him in the eyes. "You want to give it a try then come back to base with me. You don't like it or it doesn't go well then you can just port out of there. If it does then we'll be together again in a better place. And together we'll go find Shiro."

She extends her hand to him...

Salt and A1.  Ouch.  Guess her cooking still didn't stand up to their mother's, no matter how much she practiced.  After getting his requests, she settled back at the table.  "No, no, of course you can stay.  As long as you want.  I said I had a spare bedroom, didn't I?"

There was a long awkward pause.  Gale's claws clicked on the table, before she finally folded her hands.  "But, um, you have to know that I have a pretty public life now.  And, um, not everybody likes me.  My life isn't exactly drama-free either."  Man this was awkward.  She wasn't sure Jimmy understood just how much she was watched these days, and how much the Michaelists hated her.  She was grateful that he hadn't freaked out about the blue hair, or the scars from the nuclear blast she'd been near.  Did he notice?  Was he being polite?  Did he even have any idea of what she had gone through?  She didn't know.

Her first encounter with one of her family after 6 years, and she had nothing but questions.  Questions she was too afraid to actually ask.

A few thousand bucks later, he had everything he'd need to look these guys up, find out if they had rap-sheets, and hopefully just keep an eye on them.  The computer wouldn't be a problem.  He'd disclose everything to his friends straight away and ask them to keep it quiet for the sake of his brother.

There would be tabloids, but there would always be tabloids.  He'd survive.

Once Terrance and Dillon were back in the truck and the door was shut, he started the engine and pulled out.  "Alright Terry, you mind telling me what all of that was."  He drove slow and careful, as calm as possible.  "I've got all night."

Anna seems taken aback by his final comment.  "I... Thank you?  How do you know?  You know what, never mind.  You're the master of that game, you would know.  I'll trust you, we've seldom lied to one another in the past.  And I'll help you find what you're looking for.  But Impetus..."  Looking him in the eyes as she moves closer, she whispers in his ear as she presses against him.  "...You have to let me in.  On everything.  We could be good for each other, in so many ways."

---

The "zombies" milled about as their leader's brow furrowed in confusion.  Finally, it spoke in a throaty rasp.  "I... I know you.  Quentin?  What are you... doing here?"  The rotting nova's gaze shifted erratically as his addled brain tried to process what was happening.  "This can't be the last.  I must punish those that... That do bad things, hurt people.  And I need friends, people to protect... me.  And I'm so, sooo hungry..."

---

Paul took the offered hand.  He wasn't necessarily a trusting sort, but 'Kaze had seldom been one for complex manipulations, and he was desperate for a change.  "I'm tired of the old life.  But I warn you, if you sponsor me, it will go even worse with the rest of the assassins.  We will be at the top of their list after this, and your team may not be enough to protect us."

A look of deep self-hatred passes over his features before settling into a resigned peace. "But they can come for me, I don't care any longer.  This fight has been long in coming.  I simply hope we don't get anyone else killed in the cross fire.  Where do we go, and who do we speak to about this?"

---

"Hey, that's cool sis', no worries.  I'll stay out of the way, and when you have free time you can show me around.  I've seen you on TV and stuff, it looks like you have a pretty cool life, it'd be pretty awesome to see some of it..."  Jimmy let his words hang awkwardly.  Gale could tell that she wasn't the only one with questions, and it dawned on her that there might be more reasons that Jimmy had gone to her instead of their grandmothers.  The life of a nova was exciting and luxurious, with access to things that the common baseline could only dream of.  Not that her brother was there for the money, of course that wasn't it... but the nova lifestyle would certainly be an added incentive for a young man with big dreams and small opportunities.

"Ah, anyway, I don't mean to be a jerk, but I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open.  It was a long trip.  You mind if I crash for a few hours?  Then maybe we can talk some more, catch up and all that."  He stretched and yawned as he scooted back from the table, leaving his empty plate behind.  His fatigue was beginning to show heavily now that the edge of hunger was gone.  Groggily, he mumbled, "So uh, where'd you want me?  Oh, hey, is Impetus as cool in person as on TV?"

---

"That was Dillon the hero, coming into rescue his fuck up of a brother."   Terry grimaced in anger, then hung his head in shame.  "Ah shit Dillon, I'm sorry.  You don't deserve that.  I appreciate the rescue, I needed it.  Those guys..."  His eyes roved around the truck, avoiding Dillon's as he searched for words.

"I didn't mean to go into debt like that.  It was just gonna be a few bets, and they were sure things, I knew the guys running the fights and they said... Eh, doesn't matter.  Point is, sure thing turned into a lot of money I didn't have.  I took out some loans to pay some other even meaner people.  Then those guys decided to up the interest, and that's when I got mad.  I never hit any of them, just waived the bat around when they came tryin' to get double their money off of me.  Then some guy grabbed me from behind, and here we are."

---

El Dragon was world famous.  New member of Team Tomorrow, Columbian War veteran, U.S. armed forces celebrity.  Fame he had in abundance, but sadly money was a different matter.  His position as an officer prevented him from taking any endorsement deals or advertising jobs; appearances at military-industrial events like plant openings and showings for the latest technologies were simply part of his job as the face of the U.S. military.  Utopia paid him per diem, but he was technically a consultant provided by the U.S., and thus they recieved the pay that he deserved.  In short, though he made a reasonable salary for an average military officer (and a few bonuses besides), he was among the poorest of novas.

But Angelo wasn't a complicated man.  He didn't need the most fashionable clothing, or to party in Ibiza or Vegas.  He was a soldier at heart, and the simple things generally sufficed.  But it sure would be nice if he could afford to pay the bank that was about to foreclose on his family's ranch.

"Oh, um,"  Gale stood up, standing on formalities that weren't really necessary, given the circumstances.  "Go down the hall.  It's the door on the left.  Each room has it's own bathroom, so you can wash up there if you want."  The second question caught her completely off-guard.  "Um, I guess.  He can be very charming."

She watched Jimmy enter the spare bedroom, waiting for him to shut the door.  Then she went to sit at the table again.  Her lips rested against folded hands, and she stared out the window at the city.  "Oh god, what am I going to do?"

"Ah shit, Terry," he sighed.  "I've heard this before, don't drop all this on me.  You grow up around Vegas you aren't supposed to gamble, you're supposed to know better than that."  He ground his teeth together.  "You sure you didn't actually hit anybody?  Because if something comes of all this that's going to make one hell of a difference."

"Sonuva...!" the curse was punctuated by a deep thud as El Dragon's fist impacted the newly repaired concrete wall, leaving a fist-sized dent and a crack.  Shoot, he thought, I used to have to work to dent a wall with a punch...I'll have to watch that.  Then he turned back to the email he had gotten from his Tia Carmen.

She wrote to tell him that the bank was threatening to foreclose on the mortgage on the ranch.  At first he couldn't understand it, they had been making all their payments, then reading on, he discovered the source of the problem.  The main source of income for the rancho was a herd of Limosin cattle that they had built up through hard work.  They could sell enough cattle to the beef market that when combined with what Dragon sent home of his paycheck they made their payments.

Apparently, last year, without telling Dragon, his father, younger sister, and brother decided to sell most of the herd and "invest" it.  Now the money was gone, the cattle were gone, and if they couldn't think of something, the ranch that had been in his family for more than 200 years would be gone as well.

With Paul taking her hand and agreeing to come Suzukaze pulls him into a hug. "I don't care if they come after us. All that matters is I get to be beside my best friend again. We'll head over to the base right now talk to either Impetus or Frostburn. Hopefully they'll be able to start the process or get in touch with the right people."

"I've been looking for you, Ben," Quentin responded to the first question he was asked. "You need help, Ben. I don't know what they did to you exactly, but it is clear that there were side effects." He pointed meaningfully at the body still being ravaged by his brother's minions, "I can't really fault you for attacking people like that - frankly the world is probably better off without them - but there are better ways to handle them." He would have sighed if he were still prone to that sort of display, but he wasn't, so he was just silent for a few moments to let his addled brother take in what he'd said.

"I can get you help," he continued, "Help you need to master your abilities and, I hope, treatment for your... hunger." He was less certain about the later, though he tried not to let it show. Nova physiological studies were still trying to understand the entire 'Taint' issue and treatments had met with mixed, and mostly negative, results thus far.

As she sat at the table, it occured to Gale that she had no word from either of her parents.  Did her mother now that Jimmy had left?  Did her father care where he'd gone?  What was she supposed to do with the mess that had fallen into her lap, and how was she to mend relationships long broken?

Jimmy spent a full 12 hours asleep, oblivious to Gale's emotional turmoil.  After a large breakfast, he sat staring across the table at his big sister, waiting for the next step in his grand new adventure.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
This can be taken slowly, on a day to day basis, or we can speed things up and hit the high points.  Your call, on your next response set the pace you prefer for this particular story and I'll try to match it. 

---

---

"Well, I uh, not really..."  Terry definitely seemed to be hedging, and he finally stuttered out the facts.  "I did take a swing, but that was only after they came up to me, threatening me.  And yeah, I should know better.  Look, I know the lecture, I gave it to myself when I was sitting at the bar.  I'm... I'm real sorry I drug your reputation down into this, I know how important it is to you."  It was hard to tell from his tone if that was actual regret, or just resentment coloring Terry's voice.  Perhaps both.

---

In the weeks following the email, Angelo recieved several more calls from his family.  They never asked for money directly, but they made it clear where things stood with the family ranch, how precarious things were.  And Angelo's duty was all too clear.  But there was simply no money available.

What were the options?  By all rights, the world should have been his playground, given his powers and fame.  But he was locked in by his commision, and his fame made it all the harder to work around his military status.  There were small jobs he could take on the side, but they wouldn't pay enough to solve the problem, or the legal ones wouldn't anyway.  There was DeVries, they'd pay well and probably even cover the fact that he'd worked for them, at least until it was useful to let it slip.  Or he could borrow the money from his new friends in Utopia, they were all quite rich, but the hit to his social standing and pride would be intolerable.  Ha, maybe he could go put on a mask and join the XWF, take some hokey stage name and fight for pay.  None of the options were terrribly appealing...

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Paul nodded, and returned the embrace.  "Tell me where to go, and I'll take us there.  Lets do this now, before I realize how crazy this is."

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You can pick who to do this with, and where, just let me know in your next post and we'll pick the scene up at the meeting.

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"It is you... So confused Q-ball, can't remember what happened.  They shot me, then I woke up on a table, needles and cutting and pain... OH GOD MAKE IT STOP!"  Ben curled in, hunching over and dry heaving.  A finger fell from his mouth as he sobbed. "Then it all went black again, before I woke up in a different place, a hospital.  They'd cut me open further, I should have been dead, but I wasn't.  Quentin... Why am I not dead?  Am I like you now?"

Ben's entourage of former victims stared blankly as they swayed slightly, unnerving gazes locked onto Gravitas.  Ben clearly wasn't well, but more than that, there was a part of him missing.  Part of his personality, memories, even his quantum signature, just gone.  And that void was filled, at least temporarily, by consuming the quantum signatures of others.  Quentin could see it happening as they spoke.

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Anna continued the role of seductress if not stopped, gently running her hands through Impetus's hair.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:26, Wed 27 July 2011.

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totally missed Anna coming on to Imp. Musta skipped past it in my morning pre coffee fugue

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"Not pulling away yet, my love?" Car's voice whispered in his head "I understand the biological drive, it's been some time for you, yes? Think of the consequences, if you take her up on her offer you'd have the ear, and other things, of one of the most powerful women on the planet. If you don't, you'll have to be very careful or you'll ruin a very useful relationship." never had the voice in his head sounded so real, so aware of what was going on. His mind raced, wheels spun. It was true, it had been quite some time, but he had learned to distance himself from those more animalistic urges, for the most part.
"Sorry, beautiful, but I made a promise to someone," he said gently, "if the situation was different I'd have made a play for you long ago." he smiled that impossibly charming, definitely rakish grin that was his trademark, or had been before Colombia. "Think of the scandal we'd have caused, that and the assassins we'd attract." He finished seriously. "If there's anything I can do that doesn't involve sex, I'm in." Imp had a long history of breaking up with women. He'd been with hundreds that first year after his eruption, and had mastered the body language, the tone of voice, the inflection necessary to let people down gently but firmly. The rub of it was that he would have genuinely been interested in Anna: she was smart, ferociously capable, confident and beautiful, but until he figured out if he was going crazy, or if Car was actually in his head, there was no way he was going to start a relationship where he might hurt someone he genuinely cared about.
OOC: used social-Fu to defuse the situation.

Gale sat across the table from him, hands folded carefully.  "Ok, Jimmy.  We have to talk seriously about this.  Does Mom know you're here?"  She had a feeling she already knew the answer to that.  "You're gonna have to tell her at some point.  She'll be worried sick.  That's not fair to her."

"Here's how this is going to work.  You can't be my brother.  Not officially.  I made a promise when this all started, and I've carved out a new identity for myself.  I can't change that right now.  It would be too much."  She took a deep breath.  That had been hard to say.  But it was true.  It needed to be said.  "We need to come up with some excuse for you to hang around me so much.  People will ask questions.  You could be an environmental activist, a student maybe.  That's the biggest thing I work on these days.  Or maybe I can hire you as my personal assistant.  You wouldn't have to do anything, it would just give you an excuse."  She'd thought hard about this.  She might have been able to dump him at the bungalow in Hawaii.  That would have kept him out of sight.  But she didn't want him to think she was ashamed of him.  It was just very complicated.

It was going to be a PR nightmare.

"You also have to be aware that I have enemies.  The Michaelists hate me.  So, I want you to keep a cellphone on you at all times, and try to keep in touch with me when you're out and about, ok?"  She sounded like a parent.  How fitting.

Assuming that he agreed to her terms, she'd set about putting the plan together.  She expected it would be a week or so before he told their mother.  In the mean time, she needed to integrate him into her public persona.  A few shopping trips got him a new suitable wardrobe, as well as additions to her usual grocery bill.  She did keep come things from him, at least for this initial tryout.  She didn't introduce him to the team.  She didn't tell him about the secret window exit.  She still wasn't sure this would be permanent.

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I hope this gets across the pace I'm ok with.  I don't want to go day by day, unless significant things happen.  When stuff does happen, I want more detail then.

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His brother's quantum signature was odd, it was true, but then again baseline humans pretty much never had one to begin with. "Yes, I think you've erupted. Your altered physiology is most likely what kept you alive." He would have gone on further regarding the likely alterations that had led to his brother's continued life, but decided it was best to simply stop there.

"There are sometimes side effects to eruption," he pointed at his own eyes by way of illustration, "and clearly you are suffering from some. Come with me. We can get you treatment."

"Goddamnit Terry, forget the nova shit for a minute and listen to your little brother!"  He was shouting now.  "What's it gonna take?  What's it gonna take to get your ass back in the saddle?  Mom and Dad have to come asking me what's going on in your life since you're not talking, and you haven't held down a serious job since the trucking company let you go."  He could feel the steering wheel compressing under his grip.

He sighed.  "What's it going to take?  You want me to find you a job?  You want me to set you up someplace else?  You want to take a swing at me?  Help me understand.  I'm dying to know."

Suzukaze tells Paul where to go to get back to headquarters. "I think we'll meet with Frostburn. She's a little higher up in Utopia. However we should probably meet with Impetus as well or include him in the meeting as he is the team leader. Let's get going."

Anna pulled away slowly, dissappointment but not defeat showing in her eyes.  There would be other opportunities...

"We'll talk again.  Things change.  In the meantime, I'll help you of course.  Just make sure my people don't get caught in the crossfire and that you've got my interests in mind when talking to those nice people you work with in the U.N. and Utopia.  And a sizable paycheck of course."  She smiled, winked and looked down at her computer to start typing private emails.  Impetus would get his information, but Anna DeVries would present a problem in the future, he could feel it.

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Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Consider this the first of many wonderful manifestations of your negative backgrounds... Anna is your number one fan, and she just KNOWS you would make the perfect power couple.  Enjoy ;)

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As Gale broke the news to her brother, she saw a bit of sadness, but when he heard "personal assistant" he perked right up again.  "I could be great at that, I mean I'd be so much better than some random person that doesn't even know you.  Hey, you still like you're ice cream with marshmallows and coconut?  I can make it happen...  And all for the low, low price of room, board, and half what you'd normally pay someone like that."  He smiled cleverly, hoping to get a bit of money out of the deal, an some money of his own to spend in the new life he'd thrust himself into.

He was unhappy at calling Mom, but with big sister looking over his shoulder he finally broke down and made the call.  It was short and to the point, but by the end of it she knew he was alright, and had a contact number.

Gale was just starting to think things were getting settled in, when her mother called.  She halted any attempts to get Jimmy.  "No, I wanted to talk to you.  I'm... I'm glad you took in your brother.  I just wanted to say that, and that I'm sorry.  I finally left your father after all that Michaelist crap he'd been buying into, it was just the last straw.  I couldn't make your brother see reason either, your father and he were so close after you left, but I guess a little time on his own with the man gave him some perspective.  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know... well, I'd wanted to contact you after I finally left, but I didn't want to mess up the new life you'd built.  But now that your brother gave us an opportunity to talk again... Well maybe we could get closer again.  You have my number if you need anything.  Just... Just call me if you need anything, or even if you just want to talk."

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Ben was confused, and torn by the options in front of him.  He started to shuffle forward, but then a memory flashed across his face, horror and pain at the procedure that had forced his eruption.  "NO!  No experiments, no help, no labs, no medicine!"  Ben ran, and his puppets stumbled towards Gravitas.

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"Yeah, I'd love to take a swing at you, but my hand wouldn't make it out in one piece.  You know what I want Dillon?  I want the goddamned world to make sense again.  You get all this, it just drops in your lap, and I worked damned hard for what I have, too hard to have it all fall out from under me.  And sure, you help, but it's all charity, and I'm sick of having to take your help.  And what pisses me off the most, is that I don't even get ta be pissed off at you.  Saint-Fucking-Comstock, savior of the world.  They don't know the nights you came in drunk off your ass and I covered for you, they don't know the fights and the bullshit I've pulled you out of, they don't see that but for a random roll of the dice it could've been me instead of you."  There were tears in his eyes as he spoke, and he looked quickly away to hide his shame.

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Paul nodded, and the two disappeared.

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I'll leave it to you to set the scene.  Set the meeting when and where you want, invite who you want, and I'll follow up with responses in my next post.

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I'll get more going for flare and dragon in my next post as well.  Maybe Kraken as well if he has some things he'd like to explore?

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