Search the Community

Riverside District, Pier 4, US Navy Warehouse September 14, 2015, 0720 HRS, Eastern Daylight Time A mix of FCPD, US Navy NCIS, and Coast Guard officers were milling about, some looking dumbfounded and others tripping over jurisdictions. An area of Pier 4's floor was cordoned off by security tape, but a combination of the MPs trampling over the scene, The FCPD's being shuffled about by the nose, and the fact that whatever happened happened well before the crack of dawn had caused the scene start to go cold. The back of the pier warehouse was open, enough to accommodate a small ship used for moving cargo around that the Navy used. As well as there was already several crates stacked, and seemingly untouched. "So, when is the cape arriving? Not that we haven't gone over this area with a fine-toothed comb." One of the NCIS investigators said, his arms crossed. "We're hearing there's two inbound, one the Navy asked for specifically, and someone that is being called in. Not sure which is comin' first." One of the MPs mentioned, before telling a FCPD officer to keep back from the cordon. There was a couple of FCPD detectives talking to some of the NCIS investigators, going over their notes, and actually showing some coordination. Something was knitting together. What was noticeable is within the milling group of investigators, was an Admiral... one in charge of the fleet in this part of the Atlantic... and he didn't look happy.

Date: September 19, 2015 Taylor hadn't exactly given Elis all that much choice really. Oh, she'd promised that it was a nice, normal meeting with nice, normal people who just happened to have super powers. Other than that it was just a barbecue with friends who happened to be super parents, at least that was what she'd conveyed on the phone. In Taylor's defense, she really did feel that it was important for the relatively new super hero to have something like a support network. She certainly would have appreciated having had more of a network when she'd first started. Also, her definition for 'normal' might have gotten steadily skewed over the years. After all, Stesha was the most normal person that Taylor still knew - she just happened to be a goddess running her own nature planet preserve these days. Taylor's lack of sympathy for any attempts to cry off might have also been in part in her expectation that it took some strong arming to get people to attend parties. Jack certainly wasn't ecstatic about Taylor's 'we're all going as a family to this barbecue on Stesha's planet before dark hits. No, really. It's important to me' explanation for why everyone was being rousted on a Saturday, side dish in tow. With a soft 'pop' of displaced air, Taylor showed up in Ellis' living room. Huang had his after school job to keep him busy and Taylor didn't think that he'd enjoy a barbecue with mostly adults and the under ten crowd in attendance. Jack and JJ had already been dropped off with Jack entrusted with delivering the side dishes of potato salad and a cooler full of steaks for the barbecue. That she showed up inside the house rather than on the porch was in difference to Ellis secret identity but he might not see it that way. Except for the sudden appearance, Taylor looked normal enough - at least she wasn't in costume. With her hair pulled up in a bun and in a light shirt and denim shorts she could have been any fresh-faced college student. Well, except for the fact that she was still translucent.

The Year 20101 Earth ???? "We don't have much time, get it working!" The sounds of explosions and energy pulses were getting nearer. However, Dr, Greenwald they seemed far away as he was in and out of consciousness due to the drugs. "Doom-Bringer squads have breached the perimeter" a second voice, he could barely see it was a masked man wielding facing a huge door wielding some sort of yellow energy from his hands. "Two minutes until Transfer..." a third voice came from a man wearing a lab coat and bi-focal glasses said. there were more explosions and soon cries of anguish and battle, though muffled, were herd from the behind the reinforced door. Thoom! the door had a dent in it "you've got one" the first voice said with came from another masked man wielding a transparent shield and glowing sword who took position at the steel door. Dr. Greenwald could feel him self continue in and out of consciousness, each time awoken by a loud ground-shaking noise followed by another dent in the door. "20 seconds!" the Bi-focal-ed man yelled. a few seconds later a humming noise began to drown out the sounds of battle, but not the continued banging noises against the door. Soon a bright light ignited around the room. THOOM! At that moment the door flew of it's hinges followed by a wall of fire as an explosion filled the room. Before Dr. Greenwald disappeared from his realm he had just enough time to see a dark figure standing among the flames before he lost consciousness completely The Year 2015 Earth Prime Ashton Mall 10:30Pm The dark silence of the food court lot of the Ashton mall accentuated its lack of life. The sea of chairs and tables had long since been abandoned by patrons heading home for the night. The stillness was suddenly and violently obliterated as electricity crackled through through the air. It soon was followed by a blast of force created a wave of chairs and tables flying everywhere shattering windows overlooking the outside. In the center was a small crater; occupied with a single figure clutching a large metallic briefcase. His clothing was nowhere to be seen and his skln had smoke coming off it as if it had been singed. He opened his eyes wide and let out a deafening yell that ricocheted down the corridors of the mall and into the darkness of this new world.

?????????Monday, June 8th, 2015???? Time had become a distant memory. Day in and Day out the three teens had been dragged out to fight for the entertainment of an alien audience. Never as a team. Always one on one in a staggered order until they were left exhausted. Their clothes were torn, their bodies battered. And worst of all they hadn't spoken to anyone in a week. At least not out loud. Errant, had been acting as a communication relay from his cell when it wasn't his turn to fight. Perhaps serving as the only saving grace in keeping a measure of sanity. Each of their cells remained completely unlit. There was no mattress, the food in their trays were flavorless gruel. They were essentially in completely sealed 4' x 4' rooms. There were guards posted outside of each of their cells, sight unseen. All armed with staves that acted as blasters. Despite their imprisonment, their spirits had not been dampened in the slightest. Escape was on all four teen's minds. Ranked slightly ahead of revenge.

Ocean Heights Amusement Park Port Regal, Freedom City, New JerseyMonday. September, 7, 20152:04 PM It was closing day for the Ocean Heights Amusement Park. Labor Day always marked the point in the year where the park would open only to private events. And with that knowledge came special promotions to try and get as many people to visit the waterfront property. 80% off astronomically overpriced food, live concert by local bands, even tickets were at reduced price. The park wasn't operating at a loss by any means, but on this day they were relying on numbers for profit. And it worked. The amusement park was filled to the brim. Mostly families looking for one last big excursion before the school year really got going. It was a restful a day as any for many. But, then again many people weren't at the pier area overlooking centenary narrows when the two Atlantean princess rounded the corner. The larger woman pointing at into the crowd yelling out without warning, "Hold Fiend!" Those with a keen eye could easily forgiven for assuming that the person she was yelling at came from Atlantis based on appearance alone. In fact, it would have likely made the situation less explosive had that been the case. But, Aquaria Innsmouth was no Atlantean.

The Atlantis Casino Boardwalk, Freedom City, New JerseyTuesday. September, 1, 201511:24 PM Armed Robbery wasn't a new concept to the Freedom City's less than affluent Southside. In fact the recent string of robberies had a familiar air to them for the past three weeks. A group of thugs in gladiator clothing had been showing up throughout the area. Assaulting various civilians, robbing, and outright vandalism. Despite the public nature of their crimes the police had found no leads in tracking down the assailants. At least until 30 minutes ago. When the gladiators very publicly stormed the Atlantis Casino swiftly cutting through the well equipped security team and making their way inside. News of the attack spread quickly on every local media outlet. Police cars surrounded the entrance of the establishment. The flashing red and blue lights illuminating the street. A burgeoning crowd looking on in horror. With the FCPD trying their best to keep the civilians back as far as they could to no avail.. Out of direct sight from the commotion below, Foreshadow and Echo were looking down from the roof of a nearby Luxury hotel.

Early September Common Room, Boy's Floor Riley sat alone in the common room, shoulders hunched, sharpening his hatchet. The jacket he wore was one size too big, a bulky, heavy outdoors jacket that had been a gift from his other self before leaving 'home' for Claremont. It was a nice enough jacket - it was certainly like nothing he'd ever worn back in his real home. Nothing this nice would have gone unpatched in fifteen years since the end of the world. The other boys were doing boy things; playing video games, watching television, and talking to each other. Riley, with keen ears and keen eyes, was intimately aware of every whisper of his name; every glance his way. Everyone on their floor had heard the yelling when Lubis had caught him in the bathroom - and they'd smelled the stink bomb afterwards, and seen the RAs coming back and forth and separating the two boys. Lucky I didn't make him eat that arrow. Divine avatar or not, he was pretty sure 'Garuda' wasn't tougher than impervium. Crossbow, and the duffel bag containing all his Earthly possessions, were at his feet under the table. He had only one companion there. "You ever thought about going double-headed?" Riley had the idea that John Smith had been one of the more elite students at Claremont in years past. In his early twenties, the crimefighter was still active traveling between dimensions, but in Freedom City mostly occupied himself with his duties as a combat instructor and RA at the Claremont Academy. He was the one who'd gotten Riley and Tyler Lupis separated, and made sure Mr. Hawke and his wife had put Riley up for the night in the faculty apartments across the campus, while Lupis had bunked with Smith himself - after some calisthenics. Garuda wasn't there right now, but Riley could see his buddy Gomera off brooding in a corner about how hard it was to be rich and well-fed every night. "Nah," said Riley shortly as he hefted the hatchet. "Not just for throwing, 'Sfor working, too." He pointed to the flat, weathered rear of the blade. "Use this for hammering and stuff." "Makes sense," agreed Smith before looking up as the common room door opened again. "Hey. There's the guy I was telling you about."

Date: early September, just after the field trip After restlessly trying to settle yet again in her bed like a perfectly normal person, Robin gave up in short order. Sitting up smoothly and silently, she reached for the tattered black backpack that was never all that far from her fingertips, pulling it close. Her fingers ran over the fabric, checking in the dark to make sure the zippers were all closed and nothing might slip out in her escape. As she stood, all Robin had to do was find her sneakers with her feet in the dark. That was as far as she'd gotten in stripping for bed and even their absence was an uncomfortable one. Intellectually, she knew that the room was closed and safe - that no one would come take her meager possessions in her sleep but instinct was slower to follow. On quiet feet, she crept to the window and let herself out. The short climb from window to rooftop was at least beginning to be familiar passage, where to find her handholds and footholds in the dark and how to slip to the side to not be noticed in the windows along the way to the roof. Yes, perfect. The one thing that feels normal to me now is escaping to the roof of the dorm. Not the hot showers, not the bed, but the clambering up a wall in the dark. Robin's mouth curved in a smile that held little humor as she flipped up onto the dorm's roof, her feet light on the shingles as she dropped into a crouch. One knee pressed down as she reached for her backpack and swung it forward to feel for the hard edges of the book she'd uncertainly borrowed from the library. Rising slowly, she pulled the thick book on astronomy from the tattered black backpack and hugged it to her chest. With her backpack once again slung over both shoulders, she began to move across the rooftop on quiet feet with every intention of finding one of the better nooks to curl up and nap in until daybreak.

There was a field trip. To the Hunter Natural History Museum no less, which was basically from what Huang guessed a visit with his namesake minus the chance at decent dim sum. Reasonably enough he found both reason and means to evade the buddy system and do some research of his own. It was like ferris bueller's day off meets the craft, so bound to be full of awesome right? The sun overhead was still too bright as he slipped unseen out the employee entrance to the Hunter museum and jogged across the street toward the park. Pulling his sunglasses from the void, with some aid from the ever helpful denizens that allowed him to find his things despite his corner of the void looking precisely as one would expect a realm of chaos and shadow imprinted by the mind of a sixteen year old boy, he gathered his bearings. Finding a likely gate he began to make his way through the tree lined paths towards heroes' knoll hoping to use the sympathetic energies of the hero statues therein to trace a theory he had developed about the mysterious Hepcat. Of course keeping his eyes from the sky avoiding the brightness of the sun he took no notice of the gathering of unatural shadows over the knoll nor the slow thrumming build of dark magics in the heart of the monuments.

Freedom City Historical Museum September 7, 2015 It had been nearly a full week since most of the new students had moved into their dormitory rooms at Claremont Academy but to say the acclimation process had been going smoothly might have been a bit misleading. Fortunately enough the school's headmistress was known for her impressive foresight and instead of their normal classes the sophomore students of the girl's dormitory were ushered onto a bus and carted off for what was as much a team building exercise as a field trip. As roommates Raina and Cathy had already been partnered up in the 'buddy system' as had been outlined by the students' chaperone in an explanation that had been as cheerful as it was unnecessary. As the girls were assigned to groups for the day Robin and Hannah joined the familiar faces from their first day, the latter being given a sheet of questions about various exhibits that the quartet were to find answers for by the time they had to leave. With a friendly - if slightly condescending in Raina's opinion - reminder to keep a low profile so far as metahuman powers went they were left to their own devices by the sprawling scale model of Freedom City, circa the early 1900s.

August 15th, 2015 0800 Hours In the South China Sea, In route from the Phillipines to Vietnam The sun was rising on the water, as a small cargo ship that had been re-purposed as a transport started making its way by islands that stood between the passengers and Ho Chi Minh City. The passengers, a group of college students and humanitarian-minded individuals are part of a effort to clean Agent Orange in the backwaters of Vietnam, as well as some trained for mine removal training as well. What makes this special is three individuals on the boat, each metahuman, there on their own reasons. Emily was there to work with the representative of Archetech, an unusual woman by the name of Naomi who was playing bodyguard for a Claremont Student. Casey Blankenship, who was there on a community service trip. In fact, Naomi was asked personally to assist in that role as bodyguard not just for Casey, but for the whole operation. Naomi had called around a few contacts, and Emily's name was prominent on her list. While they hadn't worked together in the past this she thought would be a good way to build contacts, not just as an Employee of Archetech, but as a superheroine in general. It didn't matter much as people were thinking of getting breakfast that the host of the trip, a kindly old man who kept to himself but was a known humanitarian in the region, was providing. That should be whipped up in a hour...

September 1, 2015 10:00 AM The first day of class was a day or two away, but the faculty always managed to give the students enough time to settle in. In a cruel move of mother nature it was unfairly hot. Humid. It was like nature was taunting the soon to be slaving over a desk students of Claremont. Even with availiable pools and air conditioning, the weather would keep a student in a summer mindset. Sakurako wasn't one to complain. She hovered over the Academy testing out a new bouy system. The bouy itself floated in the larger pool, sending back info on the water, any vibrations, etcetra, while Sakurako was tethered to a balloon as she experimented with transmitting wi-fi across the campus. She wanted to make sure the system would work when she did her extension courses with a local Oceanographic organization. From her vantage-point, her red and white balloon stood out, although with Sakurako's recently wreckless streak in science and engineering was expected, and she usually had enough fail-safes to prevent property damage. Which would be needed today. *PAFF... TSSSSHHHHhhhhhh* She looked up and saw one of the struts to the light frame of the wifi-transmitter punctured and tore into the balloon. Her weight would not help matters for everything to make a safe landing. Extra internal airbags aside, she would need to remove herself and quickly. Grumbling she pulls a toggle and cuts away from the damaged balloon and in moments is under a parachute as she drifts towards the front of the school. Seeing her balloon was going to land into a empty athletic yard harmlessly near the school, she breathed a sigh as she landed herself. What she didn't realize is the first shipment of new students were showing up at the front drive, just as she was unceremoniously poking her head out from under her parachute. "Ohhhhh boy. Some first impression this'll make."

The minivan might not have gone with the whole 'supernatural aesthetic' of the rest of the haunted manor but there was a surprising number of times that Taylor had to get around Freedom City, family in tow, and not have it be reasonable to stick the whole family in her cape for the ride. The minivan, however, was growing on her. Not only could she stuff all sorts of supplies - or unconscious bodies - in with the seats down but there was a built in vacuum. The Void did not have a built in vacuum. "Huang, come on! We're going to be late to the bus stop if we don't hurry," she called as she hustled JJ down the stairs and towards the side of the van. The five year old was yawning as, like the rest of his family, he was by and large a nocturnal creature. Sadly, he was forced to a daytime schedule with his own classes starting. "In the back with you, kiddo, we have to pick up one of Huang's classmates along the way." At least the little boy was fairly biddable when tired as all he wanted to do was get into the car and nap until he was stirred once more. Taylor stepped up in to the van to buckle him into his seat and glanced into the back... which was apparently empty. "I swear I told him to put his things in the car this morning..."

Typically, when one had a five year old that complained of a few nights of nightmares, most parents would perhaps leave an extra light on or, maybe, adjust the night time routine. However, normal was a little different in the Farretti household. That was why instead of an extra light, or a beloved stuffed animal to ward off bad dreams, Phantom was currently floating ephemeral and half hidden in the shadows above her sleeping son's bed. Her cloak shifted soundlessly, but Phantom neither moved nor drew breath as she waited with an unnatural patience. The first nightmare hadn't drawn her concern. When JJ had come thundering down the hall, his eyes gone glassy red and his hair stuck every direction with sweat, she'd scooped him up as any mother would have and soothed him back to sleep through his ramblings about the bad dreams. The second night, she'd checked the wards just in case and gone through what he might have watched or read that would have shaken their usually calm offspring. The third night, however... JJ kicked his covers off, whimpering once in his sleep and Phantom's expression softened. She gestured, magic tendrils gently tucking the sleeping dhampir back in but the restoration of his blankets didn't stop the tossing and turning as JJ slipped from peaceful REM sleep to the throes of nightmare once more. Show yourself, you little... With another gesture, this one much sharper, the glow of Phantom's gaze sharpened as the magic in the area was revealed to her. Unfortunately, casting that particular spell in their house was always full of a fair amount of static - from the supernatural protections and spells woven throughout the manor to its supernatural denizens. At the moment, however, Phantom was only concerned with whatever was working their fell magic on a helpless child. Well, mostly helpless. The little creature was as ephemeral as Phantom but far more hidden. Still, her spell revealed it with its ghostly fingertips half through JJ's sleeping mind and in the next breath, she struck, wrapping it in coils of eldritch light and swallowing it to the void of her cloak. A minor nightmare was no match for Phantom, after all, although she was surprised it had worked its way through the words. Concerning... With a soft thump, she landed on bare feet - her costume banished once more. This time with solid hands, she tucked her young son back in, smoothing back his unruly hair and tucking the soft blanket around him tenderly. JJ's expression smoothed out as she settled him, turning peaceful once more as he rolled back to his side to settle in for the night. Looks like I have work to do tonight after all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A few minutes later - having explained in brief the situation to her spouse, and tightened up the wards - Phantom appeared floating above a cemetery. Over one grave in particular. Ghosting down slowly, Phantom turned solid once more, her boots leaving faint impressions in the wet grass. The grass was well grown in now and the stone had seen some weather. This was no fresh grave. Had so much changed while she was gone? Should it concern me that I've learned to tell the differences between 'grave aging'? The inscription read, 'Barbara Breska-Sanford. 1981 - 2014 Beloved wife and mother. Dreams Can Never Die.' Phantom bent down, touching the flowers at the base. The grave wasn't fresh but the flowers were. Forget-me-nots, Queen's Anne lace, and tulips. Perhaps someone knew their flower meanings. A promise...? Standing up, Phantom brushed the moisture from her gloved hands and turned her head up towards the sky. Mourning for a fellow practitioner could wait. If no one had taken up the legacy, that might explain the nightmare in her pocket. Now... to find the inheritor of that particular strain of magic. It might be a very long night.

Hunter Manor was quiet that evening, stately as ever in the waning summer light, with the sort of dignity that belied its crimefighting secret identity. The peace was marred momentarily by a rush of black inkblots appearing from nowhere, swirling into a vortex, and then disappearing, leaving behind three people on the front porch. Erin smoothed her hair as the last dots disappeared, finally used to the weird method of transport after all these years. "Come on," she urged the others. "Not likely anybody's going to notice you here, but why take chances?" She opened the front door wide and walked in, automatically checking to make sure all was well. The doors opened onto a handsome foyer, slightly dusty, with the air of a place that was pretty well cared for, but could use a housekeeper once a week. "Hey Trevor, you home?" she called into the house. "Mark and Mike are here, Mike needs a place to hide out!"

Date: Late August, 2015 "Just a minute!" Alex called out from behind her closed bedroom door and where she was eyeing the articles of clothing already discarded across her bed. "Almost ready." Now, she'd never been one to really debate a clothing choice. Alex, after all, embraced her own aesthetic with a whole hearted cheerfulness but apparently the one thing she didn't own was something fit for crime fighting in muted colors. She wasn't sure which of them had brought up the entire idea of getting 'back on the horse' so to speak of super-hero'ing but as it was a chance to spend time together with her best friend and, also, a chance to fly - passing it up had never even crossed Alex's mind. Of course she could wear her old costume. It wasn't like she'd grown much since high school, but Psyche's short skirted ensemble would probably have read very differently on a twenty-something lady. Alex really didn't need to see that appear on a magazine cover. Ever. "Okay, I think I'm ready." She stepped out after pulling the turtleneck on over her head and grabbed a light sweater, giving Erin a hesitant look. "Is this okay?" At least the jeans were dark blue but over that she'd put on a turtleneck that could most charitably be described as 'pumpkin'. The sweater was black, at least, but shot through with a sparkly silver yarn. It would have been perfect for Halloween but since it was August, it was really just Alex. "It's a black sweater!"

Aboard the Kavaca, Kuiper Belt, Terran System The Praetorian craft zipped through the various objects at the very edge of the Terran Solar system. Everything had seemed to have recovered from the Communion attack but the station near the Pluto wormhole kept picking up stray signals from beyond Eris. Terran equipment was struggling to pinpoint anything solid, so they’d asked the Praetorians to come take a look with these more sophisticated sensors. With the general rebuilding of the Praetorians and their base they could only spare a one craft and crew, though with the Praetorians that was normally more than enough.

28th August 2015 Casey Blankenship, 17, Born Colorado Springs, CO but now a resident of Freedom City, NJ As a proud member of the Girl Scout I enjoy outdoor activities... It was an accurate description but the thing was Casey didn’t write one word of it, in fact she wasn’t aware of the Young Women of America show until the brochure was hand delivered this morning. Yet here was a photo of her smiling at the camera and detail of her as a contestant in this show. It seemed that somehow she’d been entered in what appeared to be a more modern take on the pageant without her even being aware of such a things. In fact the event was about to start this weekend in Freedom City itself.

Saturday, September 5th, 1:13 PM Eve Martel's Chambers, DuTemps Building Even at her most human there were certain aspects of Becky Shuster's physiology that had been changed irrevocably by her possession by a wendigo spirit. Her appetite for raw flesh was one she could done without, for example, but the contented jungle cat purr that reverberated throughout her whole body as she snuggled closer to her girlfriend's back was alright. With the silk sheets below them so smooth that they turned the mattress into a reasonable stand-in for a cloud and the pair of alpaca wool blankets tangled around their legs forming a toasty cocoon it was hard to think of anywhere else she could possibly want to be. Even so, as she nuzzled her face into snow white hair and tightened her embrace around the Frenchwoman's waist she murmured, "Mmh... We should probably leave your castle at some point before I have to head back on Tuesday. Probably."

September 5, 2015 9PM (local time) (3PM Freedom City time) Dahab, Egypt Nina floated in the dark waters of the Red Sea, only her bare shoulders visible beneath the surface, as she looked up at Mark. Her voice was dark, too, and liquid like the sea that was her home, and the waves churned and thrashed around her with unnatural energies. "I will pull you down beneath the waves, Mark Lucas, and keep you prisoner in the depths of the sea to use for my own wicked ends. Come to me, and know my true power." Mark looked down over the side of their rented skiff and was in love. "That is really, really, hot, babe," he told her with sincere pleasure. Lying on his stomach, he reached down and took Nina's hand. In the darkness of the late night, he didn't worry about his admittedly hilariously fair skin burning - not that he'd have worried that much anyway. "But what if I break loose from your watery chains and subdue you, my tempestuous princess? What are you going to do if I-" The beeping of his alarm interrupted their conversation; and right when they were about to get to the part where they didn't talk, anyway. Muttering a curse, Mark rolled over and found his UNISON communicator underneath the black polo and slacks he'd been wearing as a Sinai Force civilian observer just a few hours earlier. He held up the text communicator, read the short message, and cursed with enough force that Nina slid right out of the water and onto the small boat with him. Mark looked over at her, the faint green glow from the comm casting strange shadows on his bare, sculpted chest. "Horus is attacking Egypt," he said, horror and disbelief mixed in equal measure in his tone. "What!?" Nina exclaimed in reply. - With the ongoing situation in Washington, Egypt barely merited a mention on the late-night news. "And in breaking news, superheroes working for the United Nations are today engaged in a battle with someone who claims to be the reincarnation of Horus, the Egyptian solar deity who served as a member of the Freedom League in the 1960s and 1970s." A grainy cellphone-shot video, with the tag "St. Catherine's, Egypt," depicted a conflict that pitted a woman in blue and white and a man in gold and blue against...against what certainly looked like the Avenger reborn, a darkened town illuminated by the glowing ankh in his left hand before a brilliant glare blinded the phone's camera. "Sources say Horus appears to be directing his rage towards St. Catherine's Monastery, the oldest religious organization in the nation. Both Egyptian and Israeli metahumans have taken up defensive positions outside the peninsula, with their respective governments promising to allow the United Nations to resolve this situation."

Ocean Heights Amusement Park August 22, 2015 "But I do not carry mortal firearms," Sekhmet pointed out with rapidly growing irritation, crossing her prodigiously toned arms across her chest and glaring at Set with the smoldering golden eye not covered by her asymmetrical hair. It had been hard enough to convince the warrior goddess to waste time at a location so frivolous it was literally called an 'amusement park' and so far the shorter Heliopolian hadn't done much to convince her otherwise. Sighing theatrically, Set lifted the novelty tank top higher to make the text more clearly visible. "I sometimes suspect you are in truth She Before Whom Metaphor Trembles, Sekhemt," she clucked, meeting the glare with stormy grey eyes full of amusement. "Your arms are the guns, you see, and being a solar deity the sun be forever 'out' in your presence! Eh? Eh?" When a positive reaction was not forthcoming, she jutted out a brown-black painted lip in an exaggerated pout. "Fine. If I cannot persuade you to don the hilarious and I dare say flatteringly fitted garment, at least hold still whist I take a self portrait." Without waiting for permission the chaos goddess produced her smartphone from somewhere in her cross halter and held it at arm's length, artfully managing to get the tank top, Sekhmet and her own broad smirk into the frame all at once. Tossing the shirt back on the rack she tapped away quickly, uploading the photo and tagging it appropriately. "Now! Corndogs! I am positive you shall enjoy corndogs!"

Taylor had apologized first to her family for the sudden vanishing act. The worst part was they had been more resigned and disappointed than all that surprised. She couldn't blame them. Oh, the Farrettis had continued to do the monthly dinners at her parents place but as JJ had gotten older - as there had been more and more threats to his young life, Taylor had seen the logic of vanishing from the public eye. Over time, they'd become ghosts, with Jack's vampiric politics ever further buffered from his young family and Taylor's pretense at having a 'normal life' vanishing until one day, they just... vanished entirely. Taylor understood the necessity - but she regretted the damage it had caused. Now that they'd returned, though, Taylor hoped to if not repair it, at least apologize for it. It was with that in mind that she appeared as suddenly as she'd vanished, standing on Stesha's front porch - still incorporeal because who knew if the defenses of Sanctuary would recognize her at this point. She blinked, taking in the changes and growth... significant growth that had taken over in her absence. It was lovely, that she'd expected, but far more cultivated. And the bees! Taylor eyed them in the distance before turning her attention to the door. Except for her hair, Taylor looked the same as she ever had, wearing a simple sundress and sandals. Her hair was longer but other than that, the immortal guardian was unchanged. The eye of Heshem still glittered darkly in the hollow of her throat. In her hands, she held a white box that looked to have come from a bakery.

Date: 8/21/2015 Taylor paused in front of the bookstore, tipping her head to look up at the sign for a moment. She'd heard about the grand opening but avoided the crowd. It would be just her luck that there'd be some cross dimensional entity looking for a magic trinket and needing a smiting. After all the history here, Taylor would rather not get things off on the wrong foot by throwing some demon through the storefront window. Sure, she could fix it but that wasn't the point. She took a deep breath as she stepped through the door, pausing to admire the entrance. Taylor had always enjoyed a good book store, especially those of the more esoteric variety. It was nice that she could dovetail catching up with an old friend and browsing for new additions to the library at the same time. Taylor looked like she hadn't aged a day, which was the literal truth. But for the fact that her hair had grown, Taylor looked exactly like the last time Lynn had seen her; fresh faced and dimpled and dressed in worn jeans and a tank top with the incongruous amulet glittering in the hollow of her throat. "Hello?"

Date: Monday, two weeks before the start of school in September, 2015 Pushing one of the bright red carts through the open glass doors of one of those corporate big box stores, Taylor had the briefest moments of existential horror of questioning how her life had come to this. "I thought we were getting a start on this early! This place is packed," She muttered to the two boys as she reached into her purse to fish out the small stack of lists and her wallet. As JJ made an early break for the clutter of cheap impulse buy toys at the entrance, Taylor reached out to catch him by the back of the shirt, "We're not here to look at toys. Your Father's sleeping so we're all sticking together today." She looked at the slouching teenager and added, "All of us." With a pointed look at the disgruntled youth. Taylor gave the cart a little shove forward and muttered something rude under her breath as she tried to maneuver it through the crowds without knocking into anyone. From her side, JJ gasped and said, "I heard that! You said a bad word!"

*The TV screen in the small midtown bar flashes the same footage of a brave FCPD officer diving in front of a fusillade of automatic weapons fire as the well equiped would be bank robbers opened fire on the crowd of bystanders. The reporter can be heard screaming in terror until it becomes clear the bullets are pancaking against the muscular chest of the officer in question at which point her voice rings out, "Tell me you are getting this Earl?!" as the footage freezes and snaps to the uper right corner and the anchor weighs in. "We're still waiting on official word from the FCPD on the identity of the individual from this exclusive footage." she explains as they slide a comparison picture of the officer cropped from a recent Acadamy graduation, "However our sources tell us this is rookie officer Mathew Bright, now we go to our panel." and the screen fills with the usual round table of talking heads when new heroes emerge.* Mike sits quietly at the bar knocking back shots with a sure and steady rythm wincing with the burn of each potent liqour bomb sliding down his throat. Around the bar the other patrons glance from him to the screen giving him a wide berth just in case. One wild haired panelist is insisting the officer must be the secret identity of the long unseen hero Phalanx only to be laughed off the screen as Phalanx unlike the officer in question clearly did not wear glasses. Mike had changed out of the tattered uniform that he had put on for the first time just earlier that week, but the simple if slightly too tight blue polo and jeans he wore now was not exactly a far cry from the explosize footage being replayed all over town. "Another." he requests flatly taping the bar lightly with one finger the bartender looking at him somewhat incredulously and pulling down a fresh bottle to get the man another shot. "Thank you." the big man politely intones as he knocks back another with a wince of distaste but without a tremor in his speech or tightly controlled movement despite the prodigious amount of high octane liquor he'd been downing for the last hour.