"Heard...but I didn't want to truly believe until now. If she can spot us....things might become problematic."

He took out a clipboard and seemed to consider something.

"Do any of them suspect how it truly works though?"

Suddenly a voice comes over the hospital intercom. "Ladies and Gentlemen Please stay where you are, armed men have been posted at each exit and throughout the building. THe Mayor has been contacted with a price for all of your lives if he and you cooperate this will all go smoothly, thank you."

"Hotwire can, too, but his range is mere inches. Erinyes seems to be able... oh drat..." Rodger cut off, listening. "That isn't... that sounds like the same voice who held the condos hostage..." he said worriedly.

"OH fantastic....another of Weston's colorful denizens has made their way here," Dr. Owens added.

"Lovely indeed," Rodger's tone dripped with sarcasm as he sat there on the examination table. He reached up with one hand, for the tie that wasn't there, before remembering that he'd left it and his commlink button at home in case Iris could eavesdrop through the device. He didn't want her - or any of the kids, really, to overhear any suit discussions.

Returning to what they'd been discussing, he told Dr. Owens, "Considering that what I know about how any of this works could be boarded in a mustard seed and still find it roomy, I haven't a clue what any of them suspect about us. I know that Erinyes has seen three of us firsthand, maybe more."

"Well...Rodger...you know that we all depend on each other now...and our lifeforce is one...so if one of us dies...we all die. I think we've been through this before. Have you attempted any of your spells on your menu? I would have thought that you'd be dying to try things out..."

"I've been trying them, reluctantly. There's only two or three I could honestly say I'm comfortable with. Most of those I have cast, I'm struggling to understand WHY I have something like that, what use they could be. And a lot of them have names that scare me off. Erm, I've stuck with the green, red, and blue spells only. I'm too afraid that my black magic might really hurt someone, and I have so little white mana I'd rather not waste it."

"All in due time, Rodger. All in due time... But right now..you have the power to end the standoff, since you're the wizard. Use the spells to deal with this person.."

"HOW? I don't know what they'll do, and except for the one that somehow got a hotkey gem, I have to search all over to try to find the one I want. Which takes time, Doc. Plus, if I do somehow beat them, my registration card says I'm a supervillain. Not a hero. Won't I get in trouble for that?"

Dr. Owens shrugged.

"I don't know how the law will look on you in that regard. But...if you're needed...don't you owe it to the rest of us to act? After all...YOU are the Wizard...you're the one that's needed for this whole thing to work. So focus Rodger...find a spell that you feel that can deal with this situation...for the moment, you have time..."

"I owe it to you all to make sure I don't do anything that puts all of us at risk. Risking my own life to help save others is one thing, but now that we're all connected, I don't dare because I might be risking yours! I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the whole 'blow my friend up until he pops' idea without ending up in a straitjacket."

"Um...Rodger? In THIS situation...right now...we are BOTH at risk...either this Para psycho offs both of us while we cower in this office...or we can do something to stop him from imposing that kind of fate on us..."

"Than perhaps we should call those 'intrepid young heroes' for help? I don't have my commlink with me, but I have at least a few of their phone numbers."

"Well...then I suggest you get calling, if you're not going to try to tap into the potential within you...otherwise...we are all dead..."

Dr. Owens looked at Rodger. "You're going to have to let this...morality of yours go. It's hindering your development as The Wizard..."

"Development as the evil wizard? Why the Hell did I have to end up having to be him, anyway? I never volunteered for this game, never had a choice about joining it or not. Why couldn't I have just been another player, suffering at the hands of a properly trained evil wizard? I don't want this sort of responsibility, Dr. Owens, so forgive me for trying to keep from losing what little I have left of who I really am in here." he said, poking a finger at his own chest to emphasize his words.

He hopped down off the examining table and retrieved his coat from the chair in the corner of the room, fishing through his pockets until he found his cell phone. And fast-dialed Meg's number.

"Fate never comes to us at a time of our choosing," Dr. Owens replied. "The sooner you grasp that fact, the easier things will become for you."

"Still doesn't make it any easier to deal with, Doc," he answered while waiting for Meg to answer her phone.

"You don't want me to become just another 'Para psycho', do you?"

"No," Dr. Owens replied. "Of course not..you're destined for something far greater than just another Para psycho....you're the Wizard..."

"A wizard who changes chocolate into earwax and makes rubies that turn into poo-poo, big whoop. I've only even tried 2 that seem like combat spells, and one is completely worthless. Duckings that go off like firecrackers. The other one? I see myself in a mirror and it shuts down."

Hanging up, Rodger growled and practically slam-dunked his phone back into his coat pocket before sitting back down on the examination table with his head resting on both hands, annoyed and depressed.

"Erinyes is missing, kidnapped. That was Dragon Fist with her phone, and apparently he's not on speaking terms with Excelsior, either. I don't dare ask any of the other kids to come with all those thugs presumably out there, Doctor Owens, since only Erinyes and Ex can handle being hit by a bullet. And it sounds like Dragon Fist can't come, either... so, maybe you win. I might have to risk trying spells after all."

He didn't sound at all happy about it. Nor confident.

>>>>>>>>>The Dragon And The Tiger>>>>>>>>>

Dragon Fist flew towards the hospital...and saw the armed men posted at every exit. This was going to be tricky....very tricky...

Setting down on the roof, he began to sneak towards an air vent. Hoping to gain access to the inside through it...

In reply to Rodger Eskin (msg #59):

"How else can you realize your potential, Rodger, if you don't use what is at hand? Now is as good a time as any..."

He sighed morosely, not liking this. But given the situation, he had to admit that the Doc was right. Much as he feared his magic, he did have to learn to use it. But would he be able to maintain Ancient Spirits of Evil long enough to get any good done? Would throwing random spells do more harm than good? Could there be a silver lining in having She's Your Granny hotkeyed? What would he do if they started killing kids to discourage heroics? He didn't have the answers to any of those questions.

His gaze unfocused, as he began searching through his spells for Ancient Spirits of Evil once again. The only real combat spell he'd yet uncovered, and it had a ridiculous weakness of seeing his own reflection, but at least it was a spell that gave him other powers to work with. Powers to try to help with.

As Dragon Fist lands on the roof  Two menin body armor come out of the roof access door They have sub-machine guns strapped to their backs but their hands are hoolding lighters and ciggarette packs. ONe spots DF and reaches for his weapon.

Shit...

Dragon Fist leaped forward with a flying kick at the man who had reached for his weapon. Hoping to knock him out before he or his comrade could alert anyone to his presence.