Cyroa

James sighed as the Other Jack talked. Oh boy. This sounds like its going to be sooo much fun. "Which Claremont kids are we talking about exactly?" He wasn't sure how much it mattered knowing. Everything could be radically different. If they were all vampires or something, it was unlikely they had the same personalities. If nothing else, maybe the Midnighters would get a clue on the numbers they'd be facing.

James flashed a grin at Trevor and Erin, at the others whispered comment. "At least we're not in super corny land," he whispered. It was a short lived grin of course. It did not seem to be going well and James doubted the robot guardians of all Centurion's domains would be pushovers. "Psyche? Can you tell if anyone else is here?" He eyed the 4 'bots curiously, slowly shifting a bit to be in a good position in case something went wrong. "And how long shall we wait before doing something rash? You know, typical for us," he said with a wry smile.

James nodded, still concentrating his power on the gate. "I'm working on it. Should have it closed in a minute. It's like sewing up a tear in a piece of clothing. It isn't hard for me to do; it just takes a little time and focus." He frowned at the gate once more before turning back to her. "Yeah, preconceptions are the easiest for everyone to handle. So what can you do? Or more importantly, what would you like to do?" Next to them, the gate slowly began to shrink and the color flickered a little.

James laughed. "Yeah, I can't say I'd be nearly as interested if I was the one cleaning up after all of these guys." He happily wandered the ship with her. The lengthy tour was probably the most relaxed and fun he'd had in a while. "Not quite the size of a city; though it certainly seems that way sometimes." He nodded a little as they moved into the next one. "Yeah. Persephone and I are pretty much it." He liked spending time with 'Seph and all but it wasn't exactly the same as socializing, dates and whatnot. None of which he'd really done in quite a while. It was time for a change. Which is partly why he'd gone down to see Erin in the first place. "I haven't really gone out much lately. Between work and stuff, I've just been busy and doing a lot of thinking. But hiding out up here isn't really me. Which is part of the reason I came to see you," he said. I hope you're right about this Alex.

He gave a wry smile. "I don't think field trips to the giant secret space ship are the best idea. I can't risk that all sorts of people coming up here. I'll leave it open to my friends but that's about it." Sure he was a little more paranoid and suspicious than a lot of supers but that didn't make his concerns any less valid. He recalled that evening at her words; it had sparked all of this really. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Well, mostly. Only for a couple species they can use. Nothing else up here can go down. But some of them we'll send down and reintegrate. I'll still leave a base group here though. But yeah, its a work in progress."

Dark Star let everyone relax and wander around for a little. Trevor and Erin were easily the more generally capable of the class but everyone here was on equal footing being their first visit to a new world. The over-sized fauna was everywhere. Occasionally movement could be seen in the forest. Small forest creatures, resembling some kind of lizard-monkey cross swung into view to stare curiously out of the group. Soon enough the 3 foot creatures faded back into the treetops to continue their daily life. Dual winged 'birds' the size of large dogs flitted through the sky as if they were humming birds. Eventually the sight seeing part was over for now and Dark Star gathered the class together for a short lesson on the differences of the alien ecology and geology and how balanced and connected this world was. The indigenous people lived in harmony with the world rather than using the world and its resources. Afterwards, the class walked down the hill towards those some people in the distance. Those 'people' were actually quite large; as the class got closer it became apparent how large. Standing on average almost 12 feet tall when hunched over, they looked remarkably like giant green sloths with an extra helping of long fur. They blinked in curiosity as the class approached but continued to move about the small village, built right in the trees. They generally moved slowly and steadily, seeming to be in no rush. Though from some of the leaping that was seen, it was obvious they could move far and fast if they wished. Smaller 'children' could also be seen moving about. About the same height as the humans, these furry fellows were far more agile and active; leaping and jumping between distances with little concern it seemed. Their village were huts built a good 300' up from the forest floor, right into the branches. However, there were no walkways or bridges that connected the trees. The native people used the multitude of vines or simply hopped onto nearby branches. For those that needed a lift, Dark Star levitated them high up onto a central platform. A kind of 'town square' in the center of a group of huts. For those that wished to climb, he had no objections. Finally, when everyone was gathered up top, he drew there attention back. "Now, theses are the Mai'yoa. Very nice people. A very kind and patient people. I want you to take the last half hour of class and do your best to learn about them and try to communicate with them. I am not going to give you any more help than that. After the this, we'll meet back together and discuss what worked best and what did not. One thing though. I must ask those who are not competent with or capable of high movements and agility to stay away from the edge. For your own safety. If you are however, please feel free to move about the village as he learn."

He gave a wry smile. "Yeah he's like that. Wander and Psyche are great though. Hey, as long as you're comfortable, who cares who else likes it? Everyone needs a place to relax and unwind." He nodded at that last one. It wasn't a problem he had, but he knew others had similar issues. Heck, there was a whole team out there that got paid. "Yeah, I hear that. Not a lot of hero types get paid for being a hero. Some do though. I've got some connection if you're looking for a job. Not superheroing but maybe something to make paying the bills easier so you can come out here and freeze the bad guys without worrying about the mortgage quite so much," he offered with a grin.

He shrugged a little, not really interested in watching the things behind the glass so much as what was on this side of the glass. Surreptitiously of course. "I don't think anyone has. Most of these are probably unique, not even existing is this timeline. When we went with Mark to the Centurion's base, I wanted to see what was there. If there was ever a chance for there to be more of these guys, it'd be there," he replied. He did grin and glance over at the little things. "Yeah they are. Think they're less than a month old." He couldn't remember exactly when and certainly didn't want to ask Persephone at the moment. "When they start rolling around and playing, it makes me crack up."

He shrugged one shoulder. "It's a talent I have," he replied, still in her native tongue. It didn't matter to him what language they were talking in. Speaking Russian was as easy to him as English; she certainly seemed to appreciate it so Russian it was. "I can imagine that would be disorientating, yeah. Never woke up in a big ice cube myself, but I can certainly understand needing to sort things out." He shrugged one shoulder just a little. "Actually I think you met some friends of mine. Wander? Has a bat, ridiculously good at beating things down? And Psyche, a telepath. Wander told me a Russian ice control had a...misunderstanding with this zombie fellow called Dead Head," he said with a shrug. "I'm not sure if I can help, but I'm willing if you need it."

He nodded with a grin. "It is pretty impressive. I think there are some cubs and younglings for some of the species that are only a couple weeks old at best. We're trying to increase their numbers. Well, mostly it was the Other Me and Persephone. I still know squat about genetics and all that," he said shaking his head as they entered a lift. "Still it is pretty cool. Most have no place on Earth but some do. The ones that can I'm trying to get the various ecological societies to step up for. Maybe we can restore them eventually. The others? Well, at least they won't die out here," he said with a shrug. He rattled off a bunch of the creatures in the zoo from memory as they headed into that section.

Dark Star nodded, making sure the small class was all set. He gestured and a large wormhole opened up, right there in the classroom, wide enough for two people to step through together. "Step lively now. We wouldn't want to dally and create a barometric anomaly here." Through the portal, a scene was clearly visible. It looked a lot like Earth really except the plants were significantly and brighter green in color. The students stepped through into clean air with a heavy earthen smell. They were standing atop a small bluff, a vibrantly green and healthy forest behind them. The trees were massive, like the Sequoya trees of California perhaps. Strange chirping sounds, animal calls and other noise could be faintly heard from the forest. Below them and off in the distance, the forest shorter, thinner, before thickening up into even larger and more massive trees than what was behind them. Both in the 'plains' (ie thin giant woods) and the forest beyond, vague shapes could be seen moving though not details could be made out at this range without some special accommodations. Dark Star waited until everyone was through before closing the portal. "Take a few minutes and look around." He knew better than to expect kids to focus on work when there was a plethora of fascinating things all around them. "We'll begin the lesson in a few minutes once you've had a chance to satisfy your interests."

"Thanks 'Seph," he said, doing his best to ignore the...snippier side of Persephone. He turned to Erin and noted her looking at the clothes. "You look fine Erin. But if you want to change clothes, we can get you something else to wear." He gestured towards the door and started walking side-by-side with her. "Sure. Anything you'd like to see first? There's the bridge though you've been there. The zoo, hangars, the pool and rec rooms, quarters, hydroponics, medical," he rattled them off as he walked. "I've even got an armory in here, though I've yet to touch any of it." He shrugged as they walked out the door. He didn't even acknowledge the automated robots in the hallway as he turned left. "Or we could hit them all," he said with a smile.

"Think nothing of it," he said with a laugh. Flinging the last of the frozen aliens through, he went over to the device. "Nope, never have. But I can across a probe of theirs a while back and did a little scouting to see where it came from." He studied the thing curiously for a moment. "Beyond making a bigger dimensional hole, I have not idea how this thing works." He shrugged his shoulders and created a black hole under it, sucking it into a little pocket dimension he had prepared. "I'll drop it off in some deserted really later. I don't want to send it back and I certain don't want to risk destroying it here." He looked over at her, brushing his heads off, trying to place the accent. He raised one eyebrow before speaking in fluent Russian, "You are new in town I take it? What brings you to Freedom City?"

James hid the wince well. He thought Erin looked fine, though he was likely biased, and he couldn't really fault Persphone. Erin was a tiny bit disheveled but...oh boy. He looked at Erin and nodded. "Mostly, yeah. I've still got the apartments and such. I was so busy it was just easier to stay up here. And the ship has got all sorts of dimensional sensors that 'Seph watches for me. Made my job a lot easier when I was running ragged there. Now its pretty rare that I crash somewhere else. After all, this ship has got it all," he said with a chuckle.

Given it was a summer class, it was far from required but it certainly helped give those students in attendance a leg up. Not to mention it was certainly not a class you’d find in any educational institution outside of Claremont. Xeno-linguistics, Xeno-diplomacy, astrophysics as well as a little smattering of other sciences were the focus of the class. Despite what some might consider the topic to be, the class was anything but boring. Nor was it exceptionally hard though it often went a little over the scheduled time. Dark Star was, and this was not entirely unusual given his busy schedule, a few minutes late for class. He floated down through the ceiling. “Good afternoon class. My apologies for my tardiness. There was a small earthquake in China.†He looked around, making sure everyone was present and telekinetically marking off his attendance sheet. “Now, today’s lesson will be a mix of topics. Please bring your notebook and something to write with.†He nodded to himself before continuing. “We’re going to a lovely little world just on the other side of the core. In fact we’ll be visiting this particular planet each class over the next week or so. The local geology is quite interesting. Rhysium is an extremely rare mineral that many species use in construction of starship weapons and armor. It doesn’t exist on Earth outside of the odd asteroid. On this world, it exists in abundance. If the planet wasn’t so far out of the way and hard to detect it would certainly have been a mined long before now. We’re going to study it in its natural environment.†“Now, the indigenous people will not be able to understand a word you’re saying. Part of today’s assignment, in addition to the mineral studies will be in Xeno-linguistics and diplomacy. The people are essentially non-violent. You will take some steps in basic communication attempts, learning to convey basic concepts. Learning to communicate without common ground is an enlightening experience.†He gestured, opening a wormhole. “Any questions or is everyone ready?â€

for the ooc stuff obviously This takes place on July 20th lets say...

Wanted to power attack but forgot to say it/put the minus in the roll. Ah well. stabbing in the back (1d20+10=26) w/ Strike 12 (Extras: Penetrating x3; PFs: Accurate x3, Affects Insubstantial 2) [20PP] link with Drain Toughness 8 (Extra: Affects Objects) [16PP] (The Black Blade)

James was far from being the heavy hitter of the team. He had plenty of tricks though. And none of them were the most 'honorable' of combatants. They were the Midnighters after all. Whatever got the job done, right? Which is why when the others seemed more interested in talking, James just shrugged. He stepped up behind the 'other' Avenger while he was looking at 'Bert' (Really? Bert?). He summoned the Blade to his hand even as he stabbing the evil vampire in the back without any warning.

He nodded at her with a charming smile. "Nice to meet you." He walked over to the portal and studied it while she began tossing the dense aliens back on through. "I can buy you a replacement if you like. It's the least I can do." He glanced over. "Yeah, the gravity on the other side is a good deal higher. Made them quicker here I think." He frowned at the thing for another moment before finally nodded to himself. "Ok, I can close this. First let me help toss these fine folks home. Didn't expect them to punch through. They got advanced awfully quick. Something to deal with later," he said to himself as he followed through with his own words. He wandered over and tossed them through without moving too far. Demonic strength had its perfects.

James wiped his face with one hand. Definitely not one my better plan I think. I really need to talk with Seph about this one. Later... "Be nice 'Seph," he said with a smile. This was going to be a rough visit. Still he was smiling when Erin materialized. And turned around. "I'd never forgot you, promise. There was just a communication problem." He grinned. "This is just a transporter room. The place is absolutely humongous. First though, let me introduce you to Persephone," he said. "She practically runs everything up here. Without her, I couldn't get anything to work," he said, complimenting his jealous AI friend. "'Seph, this is Erin," he turned back and forth between them, hoping that this didn't go horrible wrong. Make that more horribly wrong.

"Let me warm you up Alex," he said with a grin. With a little wave of his hand, he increased the ambient temperature, just enough to help her warm up faster. James wasn't really concerned, more curious, as they looked around. He look with interest down the hallway to the zoo. "I gotta check down there later. See if there's any duplicates," he said half to himself. He was curious if his zoo and this one had similar species... Of course, when Erin said she had bad feeling, he raised an eyebrow. This was supposed to be the most secure place in the world, in theory. But Erin was a survivor. So he looking around a little more careful now. Of course she did come from an odd background...still, better safe than sorry.

He didn't even blink as he was beam up. He did it all the time now. He hadn't really brought anyone else up here yet really. But he was certainly expecting someone to be up there with him this time. "Hey 'Seph." He paused and looked around. "'Seph...where's Erin? I did say two to beam up." He resisted the urge to sigh or frown in frustration. "Come on. Bring her up. And this is her first space ship, so let's impress her ok? And keep her happy? Please, for me?" This was going to make this even harder he realized. Perhaps the tour wasn't the best plan after all...

He laughed, never doubting for a second that chemistry was really an option. James shook his head. "Nah. No uniforms necessary." He gave a wry smile. "Besides, the ship can just make you whatever you need if something comes up. Did I mention it has these 'replicator' units? Makes just about anything really." He stood up as well. "I suppose if you want to get it to make you feel better you could but I don't think it'll be necessary." He turned on his comm as soon as she was set. "'Seph, two to beam up please."

He nodded. "Bottom of the class? Nah. You'll catch up and you'll be fine. I think I've secured the 'worst grade possible' trophy for the next decade or so." He shrugged. Sure she was behind but she wasn't a fool and she worked hard at it. He chuckled lightly. "Not exactly. Phantom's back up to speed so my life's slowing down a little. The dimensional adventurer will wait for another day," he said with a grin. "I figured I'd come see you actually. It's been a while after all." He shrugged. He hadn't seen much of his friends since everything went down the drain and he missed them. Some more than other obviously. He just hoped that the way everything went wrong didn't screw this up for him too. "You did say you wanted to go play and take a tour of the space ship. Unless you'd rather keep studying," he said with a grin.

"Hey." James crouched down on his heels grinning. "Homework, mm hmm. I can see that. I used to enjoy that method myself." He glanced at the book. "Don't look at me. I barely made it outta here alive, educationally speaking." He shrugged. "It's not for me. But depending what you want to do with your life after here, you might need some of it I guess."