EternalPhoenix

Those nanobots are shifting everything down there into a giant computer matrix. It’s…beautiful, in a way. Elegant. And the computational power will, if it doesn’t already, outstrip my own. Terrifica smiled, disturbingly pleased considering the situation. Where did these come from, and where can I get a small amount to play with? Then she sighed. Unfortunately, this neither the time nor the place. Two hours, perhaps a little less, before this gets somewhere that has people. She shifted around to speak into Citizen’s…ear, one supposed? “You find the center and deal with the inevitable resistance once we get there. I’ll shut this…processor down.†Well, once I understand how it works at any rate. Two hours is plenty of time. Shouldn’t need even a tenth of it.

Vonnie had been around teenage girls for long enough to know when to keep his mouth shut. Honestly? He really, genuinely, did not care about Sara Quincy’s group. Sara herself was spectacularly hot and Vonnie was a heterosexual teenage boy, so of course she grabbed his attention. That said, now that those seven were gone, he spoke up. “Well, you guys know I swing around pretty fast, but Casey’s probably faster. If we’re in a hurry and she’s strong enough, she should carry us all. But…I’d rather swing, honestly. I mean, it’s not gonna take that long to get to Lincoln, anyway.†His reluctance to be carried had nothing to do with Casey being a girl, and everything to do with him being self-reliant to a fault. Not that he’d admit such a thing so easily. Even to himself.

Terrifica wanted to verbally take this poser apart, but she was committed to her role. So she ducked her and stepped slightly behind MG, speaking softly in Mandarin, as if she was bashful. “<Can’t you see we’re busy? Go look for your penis’s next sheath somewhere else, fool. You won’t find it here.> So sorry. English bad. Meg, help?†She shot a pleading look at MG. Kindly get rid of this idiot, Miracle Girl. We lack the time for his foolishness. She glanced around surreptitiously, looking for the android. It would stand out somewhat, after all.

Red Rat & Revenant Ferretti was battered to hell and gone. He had two black eyes, several cracked ribs, and a probable concussion. Not to mention the pair of broken fingers or the severely sprained ankle. He’d been worked over by a pro, who was careful not to do critical damage to the man while he was beating the crap of him. When he spoke, his voice was strained with pain. “You’re heroes, right? I don’t owe you money?†Even his breathing was labored. “Because I think I’ve paid enough debts for the day.†He tried to chuckle, but went pale with agony and subsided. “You gotta…be here…about…Hannah. There’s…a warehouse…on…the Waterfront. Address’s…upstairs. My phone.†A coughing fit seized the lawyer, and from the looks of things he almost passed out from the pain. He weakly spat out some blood. It took several seconds for him to muster up the strength to speak again. “I’m a screw up…I know that. But I swear to God…I never wanted this…I never…she’s just six years old…six years…†Unconsciousness claimed him at last, and he spoke no more. Blue Jay The warehouse was in a disused portion of the Waterfront. It wasn’t all that large, as warehouses go, but more than large enough to contain a small army of thugs. As it stood, a few rough looking gentlemen stood outside of the only lit door. There were other doors, but they were (literally) boxed in. The wooden boxes were large and looked quite heavy. However, there was always the roof, where as it turned out a couple more rough looking gentlemen just happened to be whiling away their evening. Joe Schmoe wouldn’t have noticed them up there, but Jay’s keen eyes were more than good enough to spot them.

I'll just take 10 on that disguise check for an 18 result. http://orokos.com/roll/242613 Notice is 25.

I'll have something for you guys tonight. Vonnie first, and a post for after responses to that.

Terrifica remained on Citizen, electing for the safer aerial surveillance route. I think I know this material from somewhere. Her brain sped around through the voluminous material stored within it, search for that one obscure reference that linked the disparate memory segments together. Despite the overall excellence of her memory and brain, Terrifica remained human. Memories that remained unused for long stretches of time could be misfiled, or temporarily lost. It wasn’t that she forgot anything, it was just that her memories could…wander away, if left untended for long stretches. Unfortunately, this was one of them. Picture a mini-Terrifica ransacking a massive library for one book that was moved without permission, and you’d have the general idea. “I do appreciate not being squashed, but that landing lacked anything approaching subtlety. You’ve likely gotten us noticed. While that may be fine for the androids and super strong behemoths of the group, I am only flesh and blood.†Ah, there is it. What was it doing with 17th century Russian poetry? I swear, I have no idea how people with unenhanced brains ever find anything. “And if this is what it looks like, I’d have really rather not been noticed.â€

Terrifica regarded MG with a practiced eye. “Very good. I have an idea. However, you could say that I’m shy. Could you leave me alone while I do this?†Her reasons were twofold. First, SECRET. IDENTITY. STAYS. SECRET. Second, not having anyone besides her husband know how the suit came off seemed to be of a similar level of wisdom. “No need to be alarmed, Miracle Girl. I will meet you inside. Go and have a look.†Once the two had been shooed out, Terrifica went to work. She’d done this a time or two before, but she didn’t have the most practice at disguising herself. So she essentially didn’t bother. In short, the mask and gloves came off and went into the longcoat’s pockets, which then was reversed to its gray side. A long straight black wig, oversized glasses, a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, and an adjustment to her manner later, and she was virtually unrecognizable to anyone who didn’t know Samantha Carson. A walking stereotype of a shy Asian nerd girl entered that library and didn’t catch a second glance from anyone, least of all Casey. So when said girl spoke to her, it had to be least a little surprising. It was one of the rare times when Terrifica let her rural Chinese accent out to play. She was still understandable, but so very obviously foreign. “HÇŽo jiÇ” bú jià n. My friend was supposed to meet me. She said she wanted to show me a miracle.†Terrifica couldn’t quite help herself. A little smug slipped out with the next sentence. “Have you seen her?â€

Cerwyn nodded. “Right. Sometimes I forget. My world’s made an…understanding with the Fair Folk. Since deities aren’t merrily jogging down the street, I assume you have the Pact as well? It’s…a bit like that, but with a thousand times the complexity.†He stepped forward, took hold of the sword’s handle, and began to speak. “I swear upon all the gods that I have always been Cerwyn Pefr, even if I haven’t always borne that exact name. I am Blodeuwedd, whom rogue spirits and gods alike must fear. I am one of the Defenders of Lleu Law Gyffes, and while I breathe, Wales will not fall. Even if the order and I aren’t on the best of terms at the moment.†Nothing overly dramatic happened. It was like Cerys herself was holding Dyrnwyn. Well. There was one small difference. The flames were silver. “Ah, I wouldn’t worry overmuch about that.†He handed the sword back to her. “Mine does the same thing. Maybe it’s a gender thing, eh? Boys get silver, girls get blue?†He reached into his own bag and pulled out his own version of Dyrnwyn, which did in fact have silver flames as he held it. He offered it to Cerys. “Want to give it a go?†If she did, the flames would as blue as her own sword’s flames. While he was busy with Cerys, Kit took the opportunity to speak with Lynn. “Oh, yes. She’s got some power to her, all right. Talk about unexpected. I mean, the lady’s run Silverman’s for years. You’d think it’d have gotten out at some point. Now she’s vanished. And, of course, she’s part of the magic we’ll need to get back again. I swear, Hell was easier than this. At least you knew where you stood.†Toni gave her a dope slap. “Sure, scare the civvie more why don’t you?†She was behind the bar in a flash. She crouched down and stripped off her mask. She was black, with black cornrow style braids in her hair. She smiled reassuringly. “Don’t you worry. The Arrow Ace will protect you. Er…that’s me. Weird things happen, that’s true. My best friends are a Welsh ninja and a person who crawled out of…well, you heard her. But me? I’m a girl from Lincoln. And while I’m faster than I was a month ago, that much hasn’t changed. So if the other two get too weird on you, tell me and I’ll smack ‘em.â€

http://orokos.com/roll/241984 22 for everything but Physical Sciences, which adds only 1. So yeah.

Oh, then forgive this tired soul. Let's go with what you've got, then. I haven't slept much in the past two days. Work, hurrah.

Dude. Mental Quickness 8. 500 times the amount of time to read, deduce, and think. Throw in a personality obsessed with solving mysteries. And INT 38. She's not omniscient, but she can seem like it some times. She looks into anything and everything. That's what I'm saying. The easiest in short of Foreshadow.

She's an obsessive investigator. She has the easiest in to any thread short of Foreshadow.

Would you hate me if I told you Terrifica was perfect for this?

To her credit, Maybelle was quick on the uptake. Though…she seemed sad, somehow. Can’t have one Christmas without trouble brewing, can I? “Pack? Don’t be silly, sunshine. I have a go bag ready. Gimme that minute, though. Need to change.†She stepped off the roof, dropped down in back of the Queen, and dashed inside. About a minute and a half later, she floated back up sans chef gear and with an overnight bag. “Managers. What can you do?†The question was rhetorical. “Anyway, anyone want a snack before we go? I’ve got extras.†A quick turn indicated she had a hiking backpack on as well. “I was gonna take this to the homeless shelter up the road, but it sounds like it’ll be more useful with us. Psychics and superheroes alike gotta eat, and there might not be time to hit the taco stand, you know?†She adjusted the straps on her backpack. “Robot psychics, huh? We’ll take ‘em down.†Her right hand drifted behind her as her left foot edged forward. She glowed a translucent silver and looked about as serious as a heart attack. “Nobody dies today if we can help it. Let’s go.†There was a hint of a teasing smirk. “You gonna run, Mister Forward, or we gonna combine powers and fly there?â€

Christmas at the Southern Queen was a madhouse. Half the waiters and kitchen staff were off. The place wasn’t packed, exactly, but Maybelle McQueen was being kept on her toes. The Head Chef flittered this way and that, doing a dozen things at once. Simmering, sautéing, baking, mixing, frying, and even serving the odd dish to a surprised customer. She smiled as she went, pleased with herself. She ran a demanding kitchen, it was true. But the woman herself was sweetness and light, and her team respected her for that. Even the Queen’s manager deferred to his star attraction. She knew their names, of course, but they weren’t her friends or even all that close to her. The ones that tried to remedy that situation found themselves frustratedly fairly quickly. Chef McQueen just didn’t do friends. This was how it was supposed to be. No guns. No giant monsters. No cackling villains. No pain. No terror. Just people, family, and the food of one Maybelle McQueen. Comfort and joy. The rush slowed. The dining room had stopped filling a while ago. Orders had ceased shortly thereafter. Everything that needed her personal attention while it was made was finished. So, Maybelle slipped out the back door and floated up to the roof. She had bolted an awning and a couch up here a while back. The couch was near a vent that let her hear the happenings in the dining room. She settled onto the couch, and shut her eyes. She was a little tired, but it was the good kind of tired. The tired that comes from working hard at something you love. She drifted, just a little. She would still hear if something happened.

Nope. Whenever you'd like to get in, do so. Errant does have a habit of popping up out of nowhere, doesn't he?

Happy Birthday, Tiff. May Wales be blessed with many more years of you.

Through gesturing and lots of smiles, Queenie managed to communicate that she in fact here to help. Yes, the big saucepan was safe to be inside. No, it wouldn’t abruptly disappear. Queenie idly wondered if the ring had translation abilities, but did not ask the VI. More important things to get done today. And so they were off towards that glow in the distance. Which turned out to be a glowing person, of all things. Like Maybelle was one to talk. The ring’s powers glowed a bit, too. The glowing person was carrying a truck. So he was kind of strong, then. She thought about hitting him first, as he seemed more like a looter than someone who was helping, buuuuut…it’d be too rude. So she came up with a different plan of action. While Asad pondered his dilemma, the wind and rain that had been hammering against Asad’s body eased. A blonde angel decended from the heavens. “Hi, sunshine. Why are you carrying a truck?†Wait, she wasn’t an angel. Just a beautiful woman encased in transparent silver. The same transparent silver that was all around the two of them and the truck. Wait again, the five of them. The man with Asad and those two in-was that a saucepan? And what was shielding them from the weather? “That’s a bundt pan. You can make bundt cakes with it. What? It’s umbrella shaped.â€

TA asked if he could be back when this thing started. Maybe pester him if you see him today? I'm at work all day.

For reference. The Rivals. Sara Quincy, aka Lovechild. Caucasian. Short black and pink hair. Brown eyes. Fan of leather and belts. Archer. Charismatic and a natural at talking people into things. Can morph general appearance. Most popular sophomore. Used to getting her way. Wants to be a reporter. Angel Rodriguez, no codename. Hispanic American. Long brown hair. Brown eyes. Big fan of jeans. Super strong, super fast, and invulnerable wings. Responsible and goodnatured. One of Sara's two best friends. Wants to be a police officer. Madeline Spencer, aka Lodestone. Caucasian. Short blonde hair. Blue eyes. Fan of tight fitting clothing. Magnetic controller who can fly. Egomanical jerk. Wants to be a doctor. Naomi Ellison, aka Invisigirl. Ambiguously brown. Long brown hair. Bright blue eyes. Fan of loose fitting, non descript clothing. Invisible girl with equally invisible telekinesis. Shy, with a tendency to stutter the first syllables of sentences. Crazy rich. Wants to be a professional artist. Ming Li, aka Shadow Girl. East Asian, unknown which, but American. Medium black hair with reddish streaks. Fan of baring her midriff. Non powered martial artist with a quarterstaff. Eerily calm at all times. Wants to be a reporter, as well. Portia Whitfield, aka Techna. Caucasian. Has dwarfism. Lavender dyed hair in twin ponytails. Lavender eyes with use of contacts. Doesn't care about fashion. Genius techie with battlesuit. Is overconfident in her abilities. Wants to be a private detective like her father. Caitlin Ferguson, aka Omnia. Hispanic American. Medium black hair. Dark brown eyes. Big fan of leather and short skirts. has super strength, toughness, heat vision and the ability to fly, but not bulletproof. Brash hothead who lacks empathy for others. Wants to be a more than internet famous rocker.

Samantha Carson was profoundly bored. She’d read about the contents of this conference online. Because everything gets leaked beforehand these days. Everything. Seeing it in person? Nope, didn’t care. Had all the info already, thank you very much. But her best friend and MIT’s science department head, Dr. Benjamin Beardly, had all but begged her to go after he caught the flu. Networking or some such. So, here she was, listening to the most boring Arabian scientist who’d ever lived, giving her one those “hungry dog eyes†she’d learned to spot before she’d grown breasts. Were Asian-American women really that rare in the sciences? Or was it that she was so young? Did he think she was some easily impressed sorority girl? Or was it that this guy simply had a fetish? Oh, sure. Seeing Citizen in person was interesting enough, but a robot was a robot. It was his programming that fascinated her, and that could not be seen on the outside. Hold on. They’re here? And with such panicked actions. With a few quick, razor sharp words she silenced the man who was both ogling and speaking to her. Leaving him stunned at the turn from generally pleasant young woman to hellcat, she vanished into the crowd. As always, her battlesuit was in her bag. She had scouted out a good place to change upon arriving today, and now she slipped quietly there. Off came the civvies. On went the suit and the belt. And the wonderful longcoat. It just made her feel so badass, you know? Terrifica seemed to emerge out of nowhere near Asad, Citizen, and Maxima. She answered the robot man’s question for Asad. “You never know. Another one could just pop up without warning.†She’d seen the news on the way by, processing the images with her usual impressive cognitive speed. “I don’t have enough information to be sure, but anything that spreads with that kind of speed and provokes that kind of reaction from you, Citizen, has to be a problem. I’m an expert problem solver, among a legion of other things.†She paused for just a moment, and ditched the smug self assurance. “Tell me, what did you see? What are we dealing with?â€

Oh, don't tempt me, you.

Sara Quincy held up a hand, and both Angel and Madeline shut up. Her voice was…compelling. Melodic. Beautiful. Virtually mesmerizing. And it didn’t hurt that Sara was jaw droppingly attractive. It was a continual wonder that no modeling or talent scouts had scooped her up already. “Nope, don’t think we have. But I know who everyone in this school is, Sakurako Hino. We’re kind of busy right now. The power going out has Angel concerned, and she’s usually right about these things.†A frowning Madeline stepped in and boxed Endeavour out of visual range of Sara. Sara herself did keep half an eye on Endeavour, though, in case she had more to say. There are some people who you can’t rely on first impressions to tell you what they’re really like. Madeline Spencer was not one of those people. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and just about the biggest ego on the planet, if a certain half Chinese physics professor did not have it herself. She was pretty, she was smart, she had real power, and worst of all, she was well aware of it. Her general disdain for anyone that wasn’t Sara Quincy or Angel Rodriguez was near legendary. Ming gave Casey a look. “If this was just team organization, we wouldn’t be out in the rain. We’ve had a few discussions about something like this in the dorm. Tonight we’re putting it into action. Sara’s text said Angel didn’t like the power outages. She’s not usually wrong, per se. So here we all are.†Endeavour’s suggestion got both Sara and Angel’s attention. The young winged woman mere extended a wing over the genius’s head. It was large enough to serve as an umbrella for all four girls in the area. Endeavour, Naomi, Sara, and Madeline. Sara smiled, and all seemed right with the world. So to speak. “Thanks, Rako. But Linâ€-she flicked her eyes at the still annoyed Madeline-“Says she can feel the electricity shifts. If we get stumped off of that, I’m sure your idea will be perfect to make everything easier.†Sara turned and faced the entire group. Her voice rang out to everyone under the tree. “Okay everybody, here’s the plan.†“We’re gonna do some damage control tonight while Madeline traces down that source of the electric issues. She’s got it narrowed down to either The Fens or Lincoln. We’ll do The Fens first, and sweep through Lincoln on the way back. Portia’s got comms all squared away, and I think the ratio of flyers to non flyers is just right.†A person sized mecha stood up behind her, and Portia’s voice came out of its speakers. “Yes, we do. With thanks to Miss Spencer for carrying my armor for me, You, Miss Li, and Miss Ellison can be effectively carried.†“You heard the lady. Get out of here. The three of us will catch up.†She hopped on Portia’s mecha’s back and the machine lifted into the air on pink foot repulsers. On the other side of her, Angel flapped her massive wings and took off. Caitlin let Hanako’s hand go. “Seriously, call me sometime. I will have your voice on my record. You can’t find me, Ming’s my roomie. C’mon, Ming.†Ming glanced over at her. “I’m sorry, Casey. It looks like it’s time to go. Sara did intend for it to be just us seven, after all.†She took the arriving Caitlin’s hand and they blasted off into the sky. Perhaps a little too fast, if Ming’s gentle but loud rebuke was any indication. Naomi stripped of Endeavour’s rain cape, folded it nicely, and set it gently on the ground. Portia put a metal hand on her should. “Are you ready, Miss Ellison?†“A-almost.†Naomi bowed a bit to Endeavour. “T-thank you for the cape. I-it was nice not to use my forcefield for a while. Miss Ellison is me.†Said forcefield was on the job, as rain appeared to just be sliding right off of her as if she was slicker than a duck’s feathers. Wait a moment. Naomi Ellison? As in Ellison Hydralics, the biggest supplier and maintainer of pipes, valves, and related equipment in the world? Her family was regularly in the top 25 of the Forbes 500. She was rich! Not just fancy mansions and Swiss vacations rich, but nobody in this family will ever have to work for a living ever again rich. “O-okay, Techna. I’m ready.†“Then here we go, Invisigirl.†Portia’s mecha hands gripped Naomi under both arms, and off they went into the sky. Leaving Sara, Angel, and Madeline as the last three. Angel spoke so that the others could hear. “We should let them help. More heroes isn’t a bad thing.†Annoyance quickly flashed across Sara’s face. “I have a plan, Angel. I chose who I wanted on my team. We don’t need anyone else.†Madeline chimed in. “Yes, we don’t need any newb losers getting in our way. It’s better that they stay here, nice and safe while we get the job done.†Sara glanced at her friend. “That isn’t what I said. They don’t have to stay out of it. It’s a free city. They can do as they please, aside from joining up with us.†Angel seemed momentarily uncomfortable with that, but nodded and took Sara’s hand. Madeline gestured, and Sara’s bow started to float instead of hang. Sara addressed the group again. “If you guys want to go to Lincoln and save us some time, I would appreciate it.†She flashed an absolutely dazzling grin. “Thanks.†As if on cue, Angel moved her wings and Madeline floated into the air. A moment later, and all three were off.

Present and accounted for.