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

Lucas soon arrived at the Legacy's new digs, walking in after using the access code (and making sure he wasn't seen). He then made his way to where Hotwire and Knight Errant was.

"Gentlemen....good to see you. What do you guys have going on?"

"Have to love it when armor acts up like that."

He nods a little, looking to Lucas when as he walks in.

"Making coffee.  Other than that, not much."

Then something Knight Errant said finally clicks.

"Wait...  who died?"

Lucas looked down when Zeke asked him who died.

"You've been gone a long time, Hotwire. It was...Mirage..." he said, looking away, his voice seeming to quiver, but then reasserting himself.

It felt like his stomach managed to drop out of his body and he wasn't even sure where he was.  It took all of his concentration to not just get lost in any number of electrical systems or equipment as he just breathes.  It takes him a while just to find his voice and be sure he was talking in English.

"What happened?"

  Knight Errant looked down, staying silent as he had not been there when the heroine died.

Lucas crossed his arms, still looking away.

"There was a scientist from the future....a Dr. Taylor....he blamed the Legacy for the deaths of his family and his timeline. So he orchestrated a trap at, of all places, Above And Beyond Investigations. We went there to confront him, and he had a Gene Bomb in place....one that was configured to destroy our specific genetics. We all would have died that day if Meg hadn't come in when she did. But...Mirage died.."

It had taken a while for Lucas to finally stabilize his emotional self, but so many emotions were rushing to the forefront: anger, sadness, and loss.

His shoulders slump as the news is told to him.  He remembered the name, it was something he was working with before he ran off to the Feds.  A day became a week became months.  It was the time that Machinesmith died, too.  Pouring himself a cup of coffee, he puts the container back down and walks off in the direction of the main labs without saying another word.

Machinesmith had been bouncing from place to place since his latest resurrection. He spent some time staying at the kattakara's some time in a few of his old bases. Now that he was back he felt restless like he needed to do something, he just had no idea what that was. He'd gotten word from the systems he'd set up in the Legacy's base that Zeke, his friend and former apprentice, was finally back in town. The door beeped as a long haired blonde man with a lean muscular build dressed in a pair of slacks and a short sleeved blue button up. He nodded at Lucas as he entered. "Hey there Dragon Fist, my alarms told me Zeke's back, is he in the labs?"

"Hello there...Zeke was here just now, I think he may have headed to the labs," Lucas replied, his voice still quivering slightly.

Malcolm nodded as he continued towards the lab walking in. "Your a damn hard guy to get a hold of."

For a change, Zeke had actually walked.  He could have taken the coffee with him into the power grid but, it just didn't come back out tasting the same.  Drinking the liquid slowly he turns, expecting Lucas and seeing someone else new.  For a building that was out of use it was certainly filling up.

"Not difficult enough it would seem."

There wasn't any of his trademark banter or 'good' nature annoyance.  It was the tone of someone that had just had all the energy to live sucked out of them in one fell swoop.

"I would make a Tony Stark quote right now referencing Consultation Hours but not really in the mood.  So, you found me.  Now what?  And who are you?"

As he talks he sets a hand against a nearby keyboard, bringing up the plans for the jet Huntress gave them.

  Malcolm chuckled, and said "Yeah, I forget, I look a BIT different.  It's me, MachineSmith.  I got a bit of a makeover with my last round of cheating death."

This was certainly a red letter day.  For the second time he was caught speechless, even to the point that the rush of data and images across the screen came to an abrupt halt.  A shaking hand and arm slowly setting the coffee cup down.  There was just a flood of emotion and doubt that washes over him.  He swallows, forcing the knot in his throat to join the one that had already formed in his stomach.

His weight shifts and finally he gets a little energy, moving to hug his friend and mentor.  That knot returns as he tries to speak, even opening his mouth but nothing comes out except for a sob as a few tears start to form at the corner of his eyes.

  Malcolm hugged him back, and said "Yes, I made it, again.  That's twice I've cheated death now.  And this . .  . Makeover . . . Is due to Ozzy and his wife. I look like his brother now.  When he's looking human, anyway.  He's got his full growth now, both when he's in his human skin, and when he's in his true form.  Which has to be seen to be believed."
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:07, Wed 17 July 2013.

"No matter how hard you steel yourself, it's not an easy thing to get over the death of a friend and teammate," Lucas told the Knight Errant. "Forgive me....what can I do for you?"

He holds the hug just a little bit longer, before finally finding his voice.

"I... didn't get to say good bye to you.  I.."

The debates, the disagreements, his own typical banter beyond all that.  Closing his eyes he just takes a steadying breath.

"I'm glad you're back.  You're the closest to a father that I've ever had."

Slowly pulling away from the hug he swallows and he just wavers a little.

"Ozzy's married?  I really have missed a lot.  I just found out about Mirage."

He looks back to the screen and just cracks his knuckles a little.  Picking up his cup again, taking a drink.

"So what brings you here today?"

  Malcolm hugged Hotwire for a moment, and said "Partly because you're like a son to me, and I wanted to tell you personally that I managed to get out of being a ghost in the machine again.  I look like I'm related to Ozzy now, but that's probably because the person who fixed me this time, well, wanted to get me anatomically correct, and she hadn't been looking over any naked guys BUT Ozzy.  So I sort of ended up looking like Ozzy does now.  At least, when Ozzy's in his humanskin."

"TMI.  Just, not enough coffee in the world for that amount of TMI."

It at least gives him a little chuckle, as his hand reaches out for the keyboard again.  To his knowledge the jet hadn't even been given a name yet.  That could be easily remedied.  Phantasm.  He smiles a little at that, it fit.

"Glad to see you are up and around again then.  I've been working with the government lately, thinking about this jet from the future we got but didn't give it a lot of work.  Reverse engineering it to build back up to what it is at.  How about yourself?"

As for the human form of Ozzy, he'd just deal with that situation when he runs into him again.

  Malcolm chuckled, and said "Well, I can think of worse.  Ozzy coming home that first time, and having not ONE STITCH of clothes that actually FIT . . . "  He smiled, and said "I'm just glad I got to cheat death again.  Iris was all sorts of tickled with me.  And I'm very glad to see you again."

He has to grin at the mention of Iris, his younger more energetic counterpart for the New Age Defenders.

"How is Iris doing?  I should let Meg know I'm back in tow, too.  Not something I should just do over the network."

He gets a little chuckle about Ozzy's situation, too.  The problem not what has happened with him.

"Why do you call it his human appearance?  Just what happened to him?"

   Malcolm leaned against the table, and said "It's sort of a long story.  You recall he was a bit skinny, and about five two?  Well . . . there's some nasty new drug out, we haven't been able to stop it yet, and it's pink.  Pepto pink.  Anyway, this shit gets injected, and for MOST people, it's a temporary mutation.  Ozzy just so happens to have gotten it permanent, somehow.  And Clarissa, his wife, looks like an anthro-cat-girl.  Sometimes, anyway.  The rest of the time, she looks normal.  In any case, his 'natural form' is now twelve feet tall, and dusky green with a scorpion tail, horns, and bat-wings.  Iris is doing well, although she's always a bit hyper.  Would you like me to have her drop over?"

Shaking his head, he almost wished he was back with the Feds.  Almost.

"Never a dull moment.  And if she isn't busy, that'd be great.  The more minds in on this process the better."

He was flipping through the information for the jet, the specs, the materials.  The materials.  If he could get the materials, the rest might fall into place.  He winces a little.  He couldn't remember how he did it but, it was there.  The memory of it all.

"Twelve feet tall?  That would take a lot of getting used to.  How's he dealing with it?  And any idea what the drug is made out of?"

He never did like Pepto.

  Malcolm admitted "I haven't gotten ALL the details on it, but I know Masks Inc is working on it.  And he seems to be perfectly okay with it.  He looks like a big brother for Andy when he isn't wearing his humanskin.  I'm still fuzzy on the details of HOW some of that works, since Clarissa's rather close-mouthed about it, but he's got some new tattoos to go with it.  Clarissa's the one that pulled me out of the computer.  Wiped her out, and it's sort of Ethan's fault.  Mysterious bastard kept telling me 'go bother Ozzy and his wife . . .' and wouldn't tell me why.  Next thing I know, Ozzy's watching his wife do SOMETHING and I'm back to flesh and blood, and standing there looking like Ozzy's brother when he's looking human.  I'll give Iris a call, see if she's free at the moment."  He flipped open his cell, dialing Iris' number, seeing if she would answer.

Lucas knew better than to intrude on Zeke's conversation with Machinesmith. He would expect the same respect, and would also give it.

He then turned to Knight Errant.

"So....what brings you here today?" he asked the fledgling hero.

  He gave Dragon Fist a slightly embarrassed smile, and said simply "You asked if I might like to help out the Legacy.  I decided I do, and I would.  Want to teach me more on how to fight?"