"I doubt it'll happen any time soon," Kevin told her.  "Spider-dude and Goblin might be doing the heroes thing, but figure a lot of these people just want to be left alone to live their lives."

"Also, I have to admit that I'm a little concerned about who gets copied on the folks we find," he added.  "The last thing we wanna do is give Hydra or Belial a shopping list."

"While I'm sure they'd love to get their hands on our files, they'll have other sources. We are far from the only organization looking for persons of interest. By becoming aware of potential targets, we'll have the opportunity to recruit, safeguard, or the very least keep an eye on them. Can't do any of that if we are chasing after homicides and missing person reports, blind to who the next target might be." Galina explained. She suspected that Darkstar had of course already thought of all that, but sometimes having the obvious stated was helpful to keep things in focus.

Then changing topics she asked, "So those objects you create, can I see one?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:52, Wed 15 Aug 2018.

"I dunno," Kevin replied.  "Homicides and missing person might not be a bad place to start.  I mean, if part of somebody's power is 'breathe lightning from their mouth' there's a pretty decent chance somebody got dead when it manifested.  Especially since a lot of this stuff tends to come out when people are stressed or emotional.  And if somebody got killed, figure the killer might decide to vacate Dodge."

At her request, Kevin shrugged, though he was inwardly a little bit pleased at her interest.  "Okay," he said.

The darkness coalesced into a simple four-legged straight-backed chair that was pitch black.

"You can sit in it and probably even move it," he told her.  "It'll be a little heavy.  Whatever this stuff is, when it's solid it's generally as tough as steel.  And as heavy."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:25, Tue 17 Nov 2020.

"Perhaps." Galina replied.

When he agreed and summoned a chair, she hopped down from her broom with a broad smile and placed her hands on the top of the chair. Behind her, her broom slowly floated to the ceiling.

First she ran her hands across the top of the other-worldly chair, feeling its texture and solidity, then she lifted it, judging its weight and mass. She then placed it back down somewhat forcefully, perhaps seeing if it would shatter. Finally, she rested her hands atop the chair and closed her eyes. First a thin glowing thread extended from the chair and extended to Darkstar. After a second, it faded and a second thread appeared, this time connecting to the chair at the desk. Finally a thread drifted upwards and unraveled into blacked strands before fading. At this Galina recoiled from the chair, staring at it then Darkstar in terror. A moment later she collected herself, forcing a smile, then a wider smile as if to compensate for her earlier slip.

"Thank you." she said she she retreated back to where her broom had been in the hallway, reaching behind herself in vain. After a moment, she looked around and  founding it resting on the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked her, more than a little concerned, both for her and maybe a bit for himself.  "You looked a little freaked out for a second there.  I don't know what this stuff is, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't come from anywhere filled with hugs and puppies."

Abandoning her broom to the ceiling, Galina returned her attention to Darkstar and the chair. She took a moment to chose her words, her tension easing slightly as she considered. "I'm fine, just a bit startled. Your power looked like a spell I know, but the similarity is only in appearance. Despite the differences, I hadn't expected you to be drawing power from another dimension. Are you sure you aren't secretly a sorcerer?" She asked, only half joking.

"No," Kevin admitted.  "I'm not super-sure about anything as far this stuff goes."

"A really tech-smart guy I kno-, knew, told me it was from some other dimension," Kevin told her.  "I figure it's dark there.  I think it's cold there.  Anytime I switch duds it's like they've been in a freezer."

"But, I mean, whatever it is, I don't think it's, like, evil.  I don't feel much different that who I've always been when I use it.  I don't want to take over or blow up the world or anything," he told her.

"What about you?  You've pretty well embraced the whole Sabrina side.  How do you get into something like that?" Kevin asked.  "I'll warn you now that I'm probably gonna make some Hogwarts jokes.  Maybe even some Charmed jokes."

"Hmm. I am not an expert in other dimensions, but wouldn't expect you to suddenly change mentally from drawing power. Well, not more than gaining the power to alter reality normally changes someone. My understanding is that the concern lies in creating a connection from our world to another and potentially attracting the attention of otherworldly entities. Although who knows, that might be the general case with infinite exceptions I'm unaware of. So just give us a warning if you start feeling the urge to conquer mankind and bend all mortals to your will." She said with a reassuring smile.

"Among my order, training starts at a young age and and never really ends. I am still an apprentice, though that is partially my failings, some move up before they are twenty. I wish it was as adventurous as Hogwarts, I am big fan of the movies. My order is rather boring in comparison; more meditation and contemplation than spell slinging."

Kevin looked up at the broom.  "Can you, like, ride that thing?"

"If so, I kind of have an idea for some sparring practice, of sorts,"  he told her.  "I can fly and make a broom-like object, so we can do one-on-one Quidditch."

"Of course!" Galina answered. "That sounds like fun. We can get some Hogwarts robes too. Although I've no idea how we can make a snitch or blunders. If we add some poles to the field Spiderman can join us too along with Green Goblin. If we combine it with something like football, the others can join too; I imagine Dr. Octavius would be a formidable goalkeeper."

"I dunno.  Doc Squid didn't exactly give off a "playful" vibe back there," Kevin responded.  "On the other hand, if we end up fighting vampires and we need a stake we can always yank out that stick he's got up his ass and use that."

"Figure that dude who can go "Thorish" might want in on it, too," Kevin noted.  "Plus maybe the weird red guy with the MPD issues might have one personality who'd be into it.  Two could be a score-keeper.  As for the weird, serial-killer chick, I get the feeling she doesn't play with anyone except her victims."

The Green Goblin exits his new room towards the tail end of the conversation between Darkstar and the White Witch, and rubs his hands together.

"Quidditch?" he cackles. "I'm in! I call dibs on beater! I've got a Ballycastle Bats t-shirt in my wardrobe!" He thinks for a moment. "That reminds me. I'll need to move my wardrobe. Well, some of it anyway."


This message was last edited by the player at 14:58, Sat 18 Aug 2018.

"Everyone can join if they want and I think you are underestimating the others. Some of them have their quirks, but they were open minded enough to hear Mr. Naslund out. I think they are more than capable of surprising you." Galina replied before turning to Green Goblin.

"I can help you move stuff if you need a hand. Linking doorways makes moving things a breeze." She offered.

"You can do that?" Goblin asked, mouth agape. "That's wonderful! What do you need me to do? Hold hands? Burn incense? Sacrifice Harbinger? Because I'll totally sacrifice Harbinger."

"Nothing quite so dramatic. I just need to understand the fabric of space-time.. and touch both doors we want linked. Portals without doors are a bit trickier." She explained.

"Oh, you guys are talking about that game from the Harry Potter movies?" Spider-Man asks as he joins back up with the others in the conversation. "It'll be a bit different for me since I don't have a way to fly, unless someone can lend me a broomstick, but I'm up for a match if I can just keep a hand on one of the goals."

"Don't worry too much about it.  We'll figure something out," Kevin told Spider-man.  "Basically this is just way for us to practice working together as teams in a relatively non-violent way to start with while we get to know each other."

Listening in on the nearby conversations he leaves his room to get closer to the others. "I'm in although it's been years since I read the books or watched the movies so I'll need a brush up on the rules".

The 1st Day and evening dwindles down as some of the team either roam the halls continuing to get familiar with the base, the rooms  or just exchange stories and adventures.


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--------> From Aurora, Darwin, Mortis

And so, Alison looked upon her quarters for the first time.

And found them.....austere.

Well, what else would I expect?    She would spruce it up a little, was rather certain that it wouldn't be breaking any of the rules to do so.

She settled down on the bed, which felt reasonably firm and comfortable at least, and extracted her phone from her purse.    She frowned faintly, some wishing she didn't have to do this right now, then instructed the phone "Call Jason V."

It rang five times, before kicking over to his voice mail.   He had one of those annoying messages that made it seems as if the person had answered, but couldn't hear you properly:

"Hello?  Hello?  Hello...I can't really hear you;  could you speak up, please?"

"F--k!   You're twenty seven!   Grow up! F--king stupid."  she admonished the insensate recording.

"I can't hear you, speak up --  hello-?"   *Beeeeeeeep!*

She disconnected, and called him again, knowing he'd see her name in the caller ID if he had the phone on him.

The inane, so not funny, message again-  "Hello?  Hello?  Hello...I can't really --"

"Hey, Ali?"    It was him.    The older brother whom was far more like a younger sibling.    Her heart relented, hearing his live voice;   they'd both been tested, by the dysfunctional environment they'd grown up in.   And for Jason, it had proven too much.

"Yes, it's me.  How are things going, the last week?"   

"Oh, jesus shit, this job, you know, I'm either gonna kill my boss, or else q--"

"No, no, do not quit again.  We spoke about this!  No job is perfect.   You can't afford to keep leaving, every time things don't - "

"Yeah, but, I got my pride!  That man is a piece o' shit, pissed off 'cause all the girls he'd like to screw want me instead!   Not my fault if - " 

"Oh, no, listen to me!  F--k your pride!   Your pride has taken you no where but down.   And stop thinking with your dick.  You're there to do a job, you f--king need the money, and -- " 

"Hey, Ali, look, I don't want to argue with you.    I know you want the right thing for me.    And I really appreciate it.   I really do.  But, look, if you could just lend me -- " 

"Lend you?  I freaking told you, I'm still right next to f--king broke!   Did you not understand?   And, even if I wasn't, NO - MORE - LENDING!   We are DONE with that.   Now, listen:    I've got a new gig, okay?   Prospects are pretty good, I think this will --"

Jason had hung up on her.

"God damn it!  You little shit!"    She started to call him back, then stopped.    Placing the phone on the bed next to her, folding her arms about herself, tapping her foot.

Recollections:   Those spring or summer days, when their father was away, when they were still kids, before their mom began having her nervous breakdowns, and became a neglectful basket case.   Memories of Jason with a lighter, innocent, soul that he no longer had...

She wiped welling tears from her eyes, picked up the phone, and tried again.    The voice mail kicked in immediately, indicating he'd shut his phone off.  Typical.   She waited for the greeting to finish playing, then left a message:

"It's me.    I'm sorry.  I know it's rough for you...I'm sorry.   Please try to hang on to the job.   I should be in a better position to help you, but this is new, I'll have to see how it goes.  Hang in there, please.   I love you.   Talk to you soon."       

Alison set the phone down again, then lay back upon the bed.    Part of her was tempted to leave, and go see him.   She could it quickly, and be back before she missed anything.    But, she couldn't keep running to him, every time he acted like this.  He wouldn't care, would just want money.   She didn't have it, and had sworn not to play that game.  She was just facilitating his bullshit when she did.

She lay staring at the ceiling, wondering what this 'Task Force' would bring to her life, over the next few days.

* * *
Some time after Ali concluded her call with her forever wayward brother, she'd decided she needed to do something to liberate herself from the cage of her thoughts.

Right, so maybe I do think too much...but still, f--k you, dad!

She had decided to query Jacosta a little on some specifics about her new teammates, in particular the more experienced ones.   She didn't try and pry into data she'd want restricted for herself, but asked more general things, to get a better sense of power, training, field experience, and personality.   Sure, she could gather this by talking to them, as well --  and she planned to do that --  but, this was a little head start on who was who, and who was what.

Naturally, she was interested in knowing something about Darkstar, who seemed to be something like a deputy leader on the task force.

"Inherent meta human," Jacosta rattled off, meaning his powers had manifested without external factors, "wields and focuses extradimensional 'dark force' for a variety of effects and uses." She enumerated a number of examples.

Huh.  Darkness powers.   Like the opposite of her own light...though his was much more tangible; he could make all sorts of fields, objects, barriers, and so forth.   And teleport.   Wow, that would be cool!

Jacosta continued with info about tendencies, personality, and such- "Highly effective field operative.  Resourceful, clever -- end often justifies the means."   

Hmm.  Well that doesn't sound so superhero-y...


"Concerned with effective training of the new recruits," she went on.

Well, that's nice of him.

"Particularly Darwin and Mortis, and the potential covert opps usages of their powers and skills."      Alison could understand that.    She didn't know exactly what Lois could do, yet.   But based on the code name, and things that were alluded to, she was beginning to strongly suspect.

"Less impressed with subject code name Aurora.   Whom refers to as 'Rainbow Brite.'"

Wha - ??     "Say that bit again, please? "

Jacosta reiterated the very same words.   "Ok.  Sure.  Right.  What else about me-?" 

"Subject Aurora's common sense and intelligence held in question -- for becoming a 'lab rat' due to identity theft incident."   

Oh, the f--king nerve!   Like YOU know the full story, Mr... Darkstain!    

"Mission leader Darkstar has doubts that..." 

"I don't care who doubts what!   That will be all, Jacosta.  Thank you so much."


Rainbow Brite!    Alison stood up, folded her arms, and scowled.

They had a shooting range here.    Yes, they did -- she saw the access corridor on the way here.   She REALLY wanted to shoot something.  BAD.    And she didn't require any clunky firearm to do it.

Her annoyance and resentment fueled her next action, and in what would have almost appeared to be teleportation to anyone watching, she arrived close to  instantaneously at her destination.

And was still scowling as she went in...

<------------  To Shooting range
This message was last edited by the player at 23:58, Thu 15 Nov 2018.

From: The Hanger


Taskmistress entered her room and stripped down heading to the bathroom looking into the mirror she pressed her fingers to her temple and forced her implant to recalibrate after that shock earlier. She laid down on her bed her jaw moved almost unseen as she spoke soundlessly the vibration translating to ANNI the equivalent if thinking. "You worried me beautiful. I'm glad you're ok. If I lost you... " she looked pensive then shrugged. "But you'd find me one way or another if I didn't find you. So no sense getting emotional." she quipped.

Alison was glad to get to the sanctuary of her room, and just have some space to herself. She made her way to her dresser, and extracted a tube of vitamin K creme -- it would help with the bruise.

After applying some, she stretched out on her bed, and requested some music - Kings of Leon - from Jacosta. She was going to begin brooding if she let herself...but why not?

The Maggia were worth brooding about.  They surely weren't going to take this lying down, even if she was.   No, what the team did to them was likely akin to slapping a hornet's nest with a ruler. They were enemies, now.    A second confrontation would be a matter of when, not if.   And the team would make more enemies, the longer they were active.   That was something to think about.    Had she truly made the right choice joining-?    She wanted to help.  But, what would life look like after several years of this?     Assuming the next storm grate didn't take her head off?

She also checked her phone -  her brother had called, among others.  She checked the message:

"Oh, hey, it's me -- sorry to interrupt all the important shit I know you do, I wouldn't want to pull you away from the psychology books that are *supposed* to help you understand people, or bother you while you're on a date with some spoiled med-school ass hat, but I -- " 

She deleted it.  Nope!  No more of that.  He'd have to reach without antagonism.

Staring at the ceiling, thinking, beginning to brood, the back of her hand on her forehead, Alison had a change of mind:

This really isn't the best thing.   Being sort of an introvert's all well and fine, but I really do need to be more social with these people, who I'm facing life threatening - and casino destroying - situations with.

She decided to change first, and go casual.    In a very small amount of time, she'd done it, and made her way out to the rec room..

<---------Rec Rooms

Taskmistress slipped into her usual uniform glad to be in something familiar. "I suppose I should go spend time with the others but do some research into the potential Android body idea. That was a good idea after all. " she suggested heading to the Rec Rooms.


To: Rec Rooms