Flicker smiles at Ava, "That was not my intent, please forgive me. I've given so many lectures that I sometimes tend to the pedantic without an appropriate incentive to do so. I'm afraid the particular image you chose is one of my pet peeves. The human-fly hybrid was much more logical than the original... how could there possibly be an interface between the human and insect anatomy that didn't involve the pain of one destroying the other, and how could the tiny human head on the fly make ANY noise without functional lungs to pump the air, spiracles don't impart any velocity to the air that passes through them."
"But the new one ends as the fly hybrid is destroyed, making no real comment of worth. While the one with the least real science finishes with one of the best lines in movies of my lifetime.
"'The search for the truth is the most important work in the whole world and the most dangerous.' When the movie premiered, that last line resonated with me in ways that I still haven't fully come to terms with. It was never my intent to imply that you were stupid, I apologize for giving that impression."
Flicker then turns to Redacted, "the notes weren't secret, they were private. Yes, we should have been more discrete with the communiqués."

  "My point is this. Save the city or don't. No other options exist. Since the public information trading is over then there is no point in the lot of us staying here. I planned on getting some of that brick analyzed and running that angle since you all can't. In the six months you were gaining weight I have been trying to get what is left of my life back after surviving VIPER torture for two years as a PRIMUS agent. So you will excuse me if I don't have time for high school antics."

Sharp nods at M.O.'s monologue. When she winds down, he finds himself agreeing. "It does sometimes feel like our lives are plotted like a comic book, don't they? I was perfectly content growing up as a kid in San Antonio. When you learn that you're related to an American Myth who turns out to be real, you almost have to take the heroic path, don't you? I won't be comparing 'crazy stuff' with you right now, but I figger some of the things I'vedone'll make great campfire stories. Just don't ask about details about the 26th century. My service with Timecorps was Flashed out of my memory."

Nightshade listens to the other responses and then turns to Redacted and replies in a calm voice,
“I'm sorry to hear about your time with VIPER. I've been their guest before, and the last time they tried to vivisect me with a high-powered laser.” Briefly lost in her memory, a grimace of pain crosses her face. Visibly shaken, she takes a deep breath before continuing to speak, “Redacted... I mean Red, there is more information to be found here. Despite the personal notes between two of us, that doesn't mean we're finished here. I was hoping that in revealing myself that I could create enough trust to bring all of us together to discuss what to do about our common enemy. I've provided information about myself without asking for the same from any of you. Furthermore, I very much appreciate what others have willingly shared. But there are still some very basic questions we need answered between us if we are to work together.”

Turning her attention back to the group she remarked, “I now know that Majestic Ocean and Flicker are willing to work with me, how about you Red? Sharp?”
This message was last updated by the player at 03:45, Mon 22 Mar 2021.

Sharpshooter says "I'm up......or is the phrase ' I'm Down'. Terminology changes every decade, it seems. Yeah I'll join. Some of y'all would make my grandpappy proud."

"We can work together sure but high school stops now. The city and the task at hand are more important than whatever personal matters there are at the moment. Fair enough?" he simply waits for the answer.

Flicker nods, "you are, of course, correct. The city and the task at hand are more important than our personal pleasure, or the pain we carry. That is fair."

In reply to Flicker (msg # 69):

Ooc:  until I see a spot to reply to. I remain quiet.   There are lots of things that you COULD do, but what do you DO?.  I can't even hint if you figured out something wrong or right.

In reply to Quozaxx (msg # 70):

OOC:
Of course all hints, suggestions, etc from the GM are appreciated. :)

In reply to Redacted (msg # 68):

Nightshade puts the note into a pocket and nods silently before speaking again. "Agreed. Just one last thing I want to be sure we're clear about. I'd like to be sure that we all have a clear idea of each others primary abilities, so we can work better together. If you have a question or comment about my abilities feel free to say so." she says looking around the room.

Looking at Majestic Ocean she says, "I'm pretty sure that Majestic is still basically a Water Elementalist besides all the skills and fields of knowledge she discussed earlier."

Turning her gaze to Sharpshooter she says, "Your alias seems to be a good description of what you do, but I have to believe there's more."

With a smile to Flicker she adds, "I'm seen you in action enough to know your abilities are temporal but if you'd care to give a better explanation, I'm sure we'd all benefit."

Finally, as her eyes come to rest on Redacted she looks at him curiously. "I'm sorry, maybe I should have been paying more attention, but I honestly have almost no idea what you can do. Please explain what you can."

 "I'm a mutant and my abilities tend towards the mental variety. Meaning Sharp shoots chances are he won't hit me and not for the obvious reason you might assume. I can hit people with mental attacks that can drop them, I have telekinetic abilities, I make people forget me; worked real well until Viper caught me and today with the news; I can create a mental communication between several people, and find just about any mind I want on the planet and solar system. I think that covers everything." he thinks for a minute "Oh and I can dig through your mind and project a telekinetic "lance" that can kill. That covers everything."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:15, Wed 24 Mar 2021.

Sharp chuckles. "Yeah, a bit more. I'm a pretty good detective, I have excellent vision and hearing, I'm as strong as an Olympian weightlifter, and a skilled boxer. I also have this little mental quirk that lets me mentally track and plot intercepts instantly for bullets and such. Combined with my reflexes, I can shoot down a full clip from an AK-47, make sure none of the bullets hit anybody."

In reply to Sharpshooter (msg # 74):

Tatiana and Wilton get a text from the chemist looking up information for them.    This is some crazy stuff that you had me research.  Call me ASAP.

In reply to Student (msg # 75):

Ooc:  Nightshade,  you just finished off the last of your stored blood.

Flicker looks at his phone, then says to Nightshade, "this is more information on Dr. Riley's machine, this time concerning the chemistry involved. We should look into this."

"It is correct that I, or my abilities, if you will, concern temporal issues. Technically, everyone and everything can be defined by a quantum wave function. These wave functions are composed of other functions which describe natural phenomena. My particular wave function seems to have had it's temporal component eliminated. As such, my movement and position, temporally, are no longer fixed. I can manage to affect my temporal movement and position, using this ability to move rapidly, and affect other people, as well."

In reply to Flicker (msg # 77):

"Where do you think Reilly and his machine might be?"

.oO( Or when, if the machine worked that way by accident?  But that sparks a whole 'nother discussion... )

Sharpshooter says "I'd imagine that any 21st-century device that essentially creates a wormhole effect has to draw on an awful lot of power to operate. Have you studied the city's power grid to determine 'hot spots'? Or does Dr. Riley's notes indicate a self-contained source?"

In reply to Sharpshooter (msg # 79):

"We can meet at Flicker's place in about, say, 4 hours"That's a good thought, plus Flicker, you said your temporal component was eliminated.  Maybe, if the power source was self-contained and he didn't eliminate the temporal component, even by accident...we might have a whole other issue."


"There's not a whole lot else we can do here.  Sharpshooter, why don't you and Redacted work on your end to trace the power source or surge around the time of his disappearance and since...as well as the chemical analysis of the rubble at the prison?"

"Flicker, if you can check with your contacts as to what they know, and if you have a schematic on how your powers specifically work, that may be useful.  If not, I can do it.  I'd say Primus, but no offense Red, what organization lets their operative go back into the field only a week after what you went through?  You should have had months of counseling and a debriefing, at least..."

"I have a possible inside source within AAI I can pump for information.  She JUST joined them last night, so hasn't been fully 'indoctrinated' yet.  I can get info on AAI itself if nothing else, maybe get a tour."

"Let's reconvene at Flicker's in about 4 hours?  That'll give Flicker time to also call his insurance about that bus in his yard / living room.  Maybe my contact can at least help us move the bus.  Plus I live two doors down."

"NightShade, do you have AAI's number?"

In reply to Majestic Ocean (msg # 80):

"Oh. I'm sorry about that. It takes extra concentration to add pauses. Of course, I mean when I speak."

"In any case, the quantum discussion was about my abilities. Dr. Riley's machine works in a different fashion, modifying the variables within the quantum waveform without eliminating any of them, more or less."

In reply to Majestic Ocean (msg # 80):

Nightshade downed the last of her water and tomato juice, then looked at Ocean with a teasing grin.
“There you go again being the shy and retiring type, Majestic.” Quickly retrieving a cell phone, Nightshade copies information from it to a sheet of paper which she eagerly hands over. “Those are all the numbers I have for AAI, the top three are common, the last two are internal.”
“As for meeting at Flicker's in 4 hours, if he's fine with that I'll be there.” she said with a smile.

“Ok, just a couple of things to add before we adjourn,” she commented while walking over to a clear area in the room. “First, I'd like to again thank everyone for joining me here for this meeting. I look forward to mutual cooperation in the future. Second, I have one more ability to share with those of you who didn't know me before. In this case, showing is better and faster than just telling you about it. Please bear with me.”

Nightshade spreads her arms and fingers apart at 90 degrees to her body and parallel to the floor. In less than a second, her fingers and arms have thinned and elongated with a membrane of skin between her digits and limbs, extending through the open side of her powder blue shirt and completing the conversion of her upper limbs into literal bat wings. Gazing at the faces of the others she flexes her wings to and nods as she quietly adds, “Yes, my wings work just like those of my smaller kindred. Yes, this means I can fly. I just can't do anything that requires deft manual dexterity when I do.”

Subsequent to the first conversion of her hands and arms, a slight shuddering motion returned them to the more common limbs they had been before. “That's my last neat trick for this meeting. So given that this meeting seems to be over, I'll see most of you in a few hours from now. Please take some remaining refreshments with you as you go, anything that's left behind will end up going home with me.”

She pauses for last comments from the group before reading her recently received note and then taking Flicker aside to speak privately.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:13, Mon 29 Mar 2021.

In reply to Nightshade (msg # 82):

Ooc;  I'll probably skip to closer to noon.  Is Sharpshooter going to see Reflex?

OOC: Nope. I'll let Flicker school the boy. Sharpshooter has no taste for gunning down kids.

Sharpshooter asks Redacted "hey, Red. We oughta get Fire 'n Ice's ID from the police. if he has an arsony background, there'll be a file on him. Something else we can run down. Say, anybody here know that fancy Ayekeedo stuff?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:31, Sun 28 Mar 2021.

In reply to Sharpshooter (msg # 85):

Ooc:  GM to Redacted and Sharpshooter.   Talk to Primus.   I tried to hint... more than once.

In reply to Quozaxx (msg # 86):

OOC:Been the plan for little bit. Do we want to shoot over to the old thread or start a new one?