In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 644):

Darja is drinking a Grape Fanta Zero...who stocks these vending machines anyway?..and holds out your Mr. Pibb.

"I know he's glad to see you.  I'm glad too."

She glances down the hallway towards the Program guards.  She then speaks sotto voce

"Jack...something's weird.

"First when that Kinslayer guy showed up.  Something was off.  The fight wasn't...right.  I can't explain it.  It was hard to throw punches at the guy.  It was like I didn't want to throw punches at him.  I checked up on that guy.  He doesn't have psychic powers.  And it felt like...I dunno. Someone else was there.  I don't think it was Roger either.

"And speaking of...Roger wasn't the one who hurt Colby.  I think he was actually trying to protect him.  I was still fighting Kinslayer when Colby and Roger got ambushed.  And I couldn't hear the people who attacked them.  There was this weird chirping sound.

"I think they had some kind of device that masked their voices.  I'm saying that because the Program people have the same device.  I've been hearing it when they talk.  If I try to listen in to conversations between Gut Shot and Hemi, they both sound like they're chirping. "

She takes another drag off her Fanta.  After swishing it in her mouth a moment, she swallows and throws this little bombshell.

"Jack.  I did hear one thing.  Red Tiger...the guy from the Paladins? He showed up.  In fact he was the one who kiboshed Kinslayer.  And I heard him say to one of their other guys

"It's that woman again. She's trying to snatch the Manitou."

Listening, Jack thinks about it while he sips at his Mr. Pibb.

The psychic effect or person is a new one, so he stows that away for later. “Where did it happen? Can we get some footage of the area? Maybe we can figure out who it was if they made you forget them, by looking at some cameras?” he suggests.

“Roger has some plan for Colby, but I’m not sure what  it is. Though that he’d protect him until that plan is realized, makes sense. Though it’s odd that both groups would show up at the same time, maybe one was watching him to wait for something or someone?” he shares idly as he sips at his Mr. Pibb and moves to lean against a wall and stay out of the way of the nurses and other staff moving up and down the hospital hallway.

Listening to the explanation about the people who did the attacking and the chirping sound, he does wonder. HT would never be on board, but the others he doesn’t know so well.

“Huh..” he sort of just stares off into space, replaying memories of past events, trying to make sense of some of the clues.

The Manitou.

“Weird,” he says, he has some ideas on what it could all mean and not one of them really makes for a coherent whole. He needs to hear from Kevin. "That name keeps on popping up, and there's this whole psychic attack that went with it the first time."

(All whispered.)
This message was last edited by the player at 18:31, Fri 15 Sept 2023.

Let's just assume you and Darja as whispering unless otherwise specified

"Honestly I've been too busy to check into cameras.  And I can't talk to HT.  Every time I try to get near him, someone from the Program seems to get in the way.  I...maybe I'm being paranoid about that.  They've been asking me a lot of questions.  And doing a lot of checks on me.

"I dunno about the timing.

"I think I've heard that name before.  Manitou. But..."  She shrugs.  "Maybe it's the pain meds.  I can't seem to focus on it."

Did you have anything else for Darja or Colby?  If not, I will move us along to Kevin

Thanks

From Colby, Jack has only one last question: "Did you recognize anyone who cut on you? Anything you can tell me, but you don't want anyone else to hear?" he asks, getting close to his friend so that his voice can be heard.

Jack walks over to a nearby nurse's station and speed procures himself a pen and a piece of paper from their printer which he promptly uses to write out HT's address for her: "HT's home address. Just call for me if you figure anything out. I can have the Monkey check into the sneaky aspect if you want him to get the video, he's keen on Roger's case, so I'm sure he'd be up for it," he mentions quietly and hands the paper over.

Leading her up to the roof, he suggests, "Let me go get something for Colby. It'll have lots of movies for him."

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 648):

Colby blinks no.  He seems rather stressed when you ask him that question.

You drop off the thumb drive and head out.

You find Kevin wrapping up a fight with two guys dressed as jesters in the middle of a junkyard.  He nods at you and tosses the second one into the first one.  The two jesters groan and stay down.

Kevin slaps some restraints on them and walks out of their earshot.  "Those two have been a pain in the ass for a while.  Glad I got 'em.

"So I got some news.  Not sure if it's good or bad.  But I found out a bit about this whole 'Manitou' thing.

"First, there was some kind of project called "Project Manitou" over at the University.  It was back in the 90s.  Someone has done a real good job of stripping all records of it.  But they missed one thing.  There was a mention of it in the records of the Religious Studies department.

"According to what I could tell from that record, Manitou was some kind of cross departmental experiment between the Physics Department, the Religious Studies Department, and the History Department.  It must have had a big budget too.  It looks like the Frankner Science Building was built just for this project.

"The record was from a professor named Lebowitz.  He apparently was a Rabbincal Scholar.  Was is the operative phrase.  He's dead.  Died twelve years ago.

"I looked into him.  Which is where I found the second intersting thing."

Kevin seems to hesitate, but takes out his phone and calls up a picture.  "Found this picture in the University Archives.  It was some kind of faculty party."

He shows you the picture.

A guy with curly hair and a thick beard is standing there, smiling at the camera.  The legend says he's Liebowitz.

It doesn't identify the man and woman standing on each side of him, smiling at the camera as well.  But you don't need anyone to tell you who they are.  You know them very well.

Mom and Dad look very happy in that picture.

Listening to the tale of the Manitou, he nods slowly as he digests, looking at the phone when it is produced Jack nods his head.

In response he segues to begin by quickly explaining about Colby’s recent attack and what was overheard by Darja, the mention of the Manitou and how ‘the woman’ was after it. Simply passing the information along, and adding that “Princess” could use help locating if there was any footage of who had been doing the cutting on the victim. That passed along, he leaves it at that. She hadn’t asked him to include her, but he figures he can try to improve relations between his fellows—he also warns that Roger might have a new bodyguard in the form of Kinslayer, something the Monkey might want to keep an eye out for.

Finally, he points at the picture and says, “Mom, dad,” and then warns again, “Be careful with them. Super intelligence is like wizardry, you can beat them if you can surprise them, but the longer they have to prep the worse it gets, and I wouldn’t be surprised if every word I’m saying right now is being overheard.”

There might be a bit of over-estimation on his part, but Kevin looking into things he’d normally look into is one thing—him getting killed by Jack’s parents would be devastating.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 650):

Kevin frowns, studying you for a moment.  He then scratches the back of his head.

"I'll look into Kinslayer.  And try to find out about who attacked your friend.

"So...it sounds like you suspect your Mom as well as your Dad?  I'll be blunt.  I do too.  But  in case you didn't, I'll tell you this upfront.  I don't make judgements until I have evidence.  But the circumstantial is weighing pretty heavy against her.

"Do you think she's involved here?"

Jack tilts his hand back and forth.

"I guess that depends on what you mean by suspect her. I know she's involved in things, that's beyond a doubt," he doesn't expand on her connection to Pale Image or Victor. That is done. Pale Image is clear and he certainly isn't going to heat-vision his mom for being a whack-a-doo scientist back in her youth. Though he will almost certainly be looking to throw her in a secure facility before all is said and done.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 652):

Kevin nods after a moment.  "Alright.  I'll get on it.  Or...ya know...more on it."

That leaves you with Lydia.  She's texted you a few more times.

So we should talk.  Not a I-don't-think-this-is-gonna-work type talk.  But I do need to talk.

Do you have time for a date?

Unfortunately, Ooter has not contacted him back. A fact which he quickly reminds Kevin of, to see if he has any further details, in any case, it means he can't do any of his planned date ideas with Lydia--

Anyway, texting her back his fingers whip over the keyboard as he flies to Aunt Marlene's to take a shower: Sure. When?

Walking in,  he takes in the current status of the neighborhood, looking through walls, checking for signs of upgraded wiring or security. Any sort of steps his parents might need to take to do things--like put in secret vaccuum tube transportation inside of the house across the street.

He apparently needs to learn to spot this sort of thing better.

Marlene is at work.  From your scan of the neighborhood, everything seems to be in order.  The Program has a couple of people watching your apartment.  Saul is out, but he could be off doing volunteer work, so nothing surprising there.  No signs of a struggle in his apartment.

Kevin texts you while you are in the shower.  Ooter has bugged out.  I'm trying to track him down.

Lydia texts back.  After school.  Peony's Pizza.

You get the address off Peony's website.  Lydia is already there, saving a booth.

She waves at you, giving you a big, adorable, goofy grin.

The waitress comes over and gets your drink order.  Lydia is just having soda water with a twist of lemon.  Which you don't recall her having before.

"Thanks for meeting me.  I wanted to see you.  I...

"...I wasn't sure how I should tell you this.  Or even if I should.  Cos it's all worked out now."  She holds up her hands, as if telling you to calm down.

The waitress sets your drink down as well as your order of Crazy Breadsticks.

Lydia picks one up and nibbles on the end, frowning, and then setting it down.

She takes a deep breath.  "So.  I was late.  But I'm not...that.  But...I did get scared."

Jack makes note of the different drink and checks her over for anything hidden. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, but on the off-chance, and given their recent issues with Roger he has to be prepared to save her if the nut-job tries something. As he settles in and places his order for his drink and a pie, he checks out the rest of the restaurant--in case of something explosive.

"If we're going to do anything else, in the future, you might want to consider something, patch or pills or IUD, if your parents wouldn't freak out," he suggests, being his usual unflappable self as he listens to her explanation. Not looking too worried. Ever supportive.

Though he has to search back through his memory for a moment, hadn't he not risked it? He does have rather impeccable control of all of his muscles. Superhuman, even.

Odd.

"How are you otherwise? Sorry I missed school, anything happen?" he asks.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 656):

She's her. As far as you can tell.

She stops drinking when you bring up birth control. Then says' "Uhm...'secure me. You were there too. Condoms. Heard of 'em?"

She moves on before you have a chance to respond. "No.school's been weird since Homecoming. They made us Doan assembly and told us it's okay to cry. Yeah. I didn't get it either.

"Are you coming back? To school I mean"

Jack laughs. He does like Lydia. "Yes, I will- uh, if you want to, you know, again," he tells her and glances around, studying the others in the restaurant and the various items in the walls, the kitchen, and the neighborhood. Sort of just absorbing all of the information in every direction.

The question about school gets a nod.

"Once things stop being crazy. I've prevented an apocalypse and stopped a guy who kills kids in the past few days," he tells her.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 658):

Lydia looks at you with a neutral expression, then starts sipping her soda water.  "Most girls have to listen about video games.  My BF talks about the apocalypse."

She cocks her head and gives you a cute, inquisitive look.  "Are you religious?"

"Fact of the matter is, the world is always just one or two steps from falling apart. Just the nature of things," Jack mentions softly as he pushes his hand through his hair again, glancing around idly between peaks of conversation. "No, if I were born 4000 years ago I could have handled a lot of, if not all of, the various pantheons over the years like kittens, and I imagine a lot of the other stuff is just interdimensional.."

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 660):

That seems to give her some pause.  Lydia fiddles with her straw and mutters, "That's kinda heavy."

She shakes her head.  "I don't know about any of that.  You're my boyfriend.  You're nice to me.  That's all I know."

Lydia finishes off her food and looks at you directly.  She has a kind of slight pout, as if she's trying to think of a word.  She then says, "This woman who said she was your Mom came to see me.  Actually, she kinda came in through my bedroom window.  I'm not making that up.

"She said she wanted to get a look at me.  She asked me a couple of questions and...I don't think I answered right.  They weren't anything weird.  What did my parents do for a living.  Do I make good grades.  What was I planning to study when I went college.

"She showed me this picture of you as a kid.  Your Dad was in the picture.  I could tell cos you look just like him.  Well mostly.  Anyway.  Your Mom said something weird.  She said

"Why is he screwing someone in this instance

"Then she just left.  Went back out the window and left.  It...was weird."

There's a small pause, and then leans closer and whispers, "Did you tell your Mom we had sex?  Cos...that's kinda weird."

Jack nods when she mentions that it's 'heavy' though he resists the temptation to quote Back to the Future at her.

"My mom is super-smart, you shouldn't try to puzzle over her, or my dad's behavior, if you ever meet either of them. Just be polite and yourself, you've got nothing to prove. Just remember that it's sort of like you're talking to uh.." he inserts an appropriate pause to appear to think of a relatable personality for her, "Sheldon from Big Bang Theory, but smarter and with access to super-tech. She probably just figured it out.."

He makes that clear by more clearly stating. "No, I didn't tell her. Though I wouldn't have avoided it if it'd come up, I'm not ashamed of you and, at least before, I'd have said that mom was a rational person about that sort of thing. But now, I'm not sure."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:57, Sat 18 Nov 2023.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 662):

Lydia blushes and looks away.  She fiddles with a stray strand of hair, finally pushing it aside and peeks back at you.

"I can't really decide if that's really nice of you to say, or really weird of you to say.  I guess I gotta get used to these things.  And...I'm not ashamed of you either.  In fact...I guess you should meet my folks soon."

I need to catch myself up on your game.  Will post more to move us along when I am back on 11/27.

Thanks

"It's possibly both? Something can be both nice and weird. Like someone complimenting your gums," Jack jokes with a smirk as he reaches across the table to take her hand.

In reply to Jack Sharpe (msg # 664):

Your cell vibrates at that moment.  Your official cell. Not your Monkey/Kevin cell.

It's HT.

Hey.  On a plane heading for Salt Lake City.  Been reassigned.

Wanted to say adios, for now at least.  Hope to be back in a few months or so.  I made sure to drop off the school assignments you missed with your Aunt Marlene.

Red Tiger will be working with you all.  He's good and you'll learn a lot.  So pay attention.  You're good but you aren't that good.

Keep your nose clean and tell Darj I told her to keep hers clean too.  Also, can you keep an eye on the other kids?  I know you haven't had much interactions with them. But they're good people.  They could use a helping hand.

Keep on your toes.

Jack reads the message and immediately relays the message to Darja, since he doesn't want to forget and end up not passing it along before turning his attention back to Lydia. He'll need to follow up with finding the others at some other point, probably once he goes back to school.

"So, want to go see a movie or something?" he asks.

Lydia grins and nods.  The two of you make plans for a movie later.

You kiss your goodbyes and watch her walk towards her Mom's car when your cell rings again.

This time it's a call.

"Is this Jack?  This is Cal.  Red Tiger.  I understand Hard Time sent you a text about the reassignment.  I'll be your trainer for the next few months.

"I'd like to meet with you and the rest of the students, sooner rather than later.  I'd like to take you all on a patrol as a bit of a training exercise.  A chance for me to assess your level on my own.  Are you free this evening?  I know you've been juggling a lot of events over the past few days."

Jack replies to Red Tiger a bit more tersely than he needs to: "I can do a night patrol for sure." He does have a lot of things seemingly happening all at once and while with his eidetic memory and superhuman brain, he can keep track of it all, it is rather a full plate at the moment and he'd rather not have to squeeze something in to make it work. A night patrol would be preferable.

He's going to do his best to treat 'Cal' like he isn't responsible for HT's reassignment, but he is going to take a few days on it, since he's sort of annoyed at their decision. It was a stupid decision.

Great.  Looking forward to working with you.  Here's the address.  I'll see you at 7

That's only in four hours.  You have time to rush back home. Marlene is making bean soup.  She seems a bit stressed, but passes it off as work.  "We've got a new professor starting in the department.  And getting him set up is just a little bit much.  I'll be fine.  You staying in tonight?"

---

Kevin pings you.  Onto something.  Will give you details later

Darja pings you.  Did you get the IM from Red Tig?  Are you going to be there tomorrow night?

The address Red Tiger sent you is a rooftop of a seven story office building on the outskirts of downtown.  To the west, across the interstate, starts the projects.

There's a hawk on the rooftop as you touch down.  It glares at you, shimmers, and changes to Odeila.  She crosses her arms and looks you up and down.

"Ho.  The High an' Mighty doing night duty, huh?  You slumming it?"