Sweet Sixteen [IC]

[Electra]

"You know, I was joking about Candyland," Erin pointed out as she got up and went to look at the attic haul as well. "If you're going to play a little kid game, might as well make it an interesting one like Operation or Hi-Ho Cherry-O. And the last thing we need is fighting over who got who caught in the Molasses Swamp. Board games and cake and presents beats sitting around and watching television for any birthday." Draping her towel over her shoulders, she joined the group looking at games.

[quotemyname]

"Hey that stuff's pretty neat!" Eddie said, gesturing to some of the super hero relics. "Might want to keep it away from Mark before he wets himself with excitement, though!" Eddie threw Mark another buddy-buddy slug in the arm.

[Cyroa]

James chuckled as he moved over with Erin to check out the haul of games. "Or maybe we'll have to make some rules up to make it challenging or something. Any game of random chance is gonna be a little weird with Mark playing."

[alderwitch]

"We should probably put that back... Hey, what's that?" Alex broke off as she pulled an old and very wrinkled paper out of the box. Unfolding it despite her better intentions, she puzzled out that it was some sort of schematic for a base of some kind. "Hey, Chris, are you good at reading these things?"

She pushed the map at the only member of the team to pilot an airship.

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris pondered over it for a second. "Looks like some sort of secret lair or some sort. Didn't you say your parents were superheroes? Did they have some kind of lair? I mean, if you found it in your house, it stands to reason they'd know something about it."

He looked through it more carefully, front and back. "Maybe there's a location..."

[angrydurf]

Mike paused uncertainly when he saw the costume come into view not sure if he should cover it up before anyone saw. Of course that merely served to draw attention to his find. He shifted uncomfortably and kept glancing back to see if Mrs. Albright was coming as she would definately not be too happy about this birthdya or no.

"So uhm, you want me to run this stuff back up to the attic Alex?" He asked uncertainly.

[quotemyname]

"Naw, come on!" Eddie said in a mock whiny voice "Don't put it away just when it's getting fun! Let's try and find where this place is!"

[alderwitch]

There wasn't a map but there did appear to be a cypher in the bottom of the schematic.

"We'll put it back in a minute," Alex promised her friend, no more eager than he was to get caught.

[Cyroa]

James looked over at the map curiously, seeing if he could read or decipher it over Chris' shoulder. "Hmm...I bet if it's in range, I could just 'port to the entrance," he said half to himself. "Might be an easy way to find the exit. 'Course if it's more than a mile from here, we'll have to do some driving to find it. Unless someone's got a better plan?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark peered at the map, a curious look on his face. He stroked his bare chin, his eyes briefly glowing. "Hmm, I think I can puzzle this out," he said thoughtfully. "I saw a cypher like it in one of my dad's old books once. It's something heroes used to use...back in the day." He hmmed. "I think the map starts somewhere that way. That symbol...maybe St. George's Cathedral out in Midtown?" He frowned. "But that would mean we'd to put on some pants."

[quotemyname]

"Sounds like it's time for a road trip!" Eddie cheered excitedly. "I call shotgun!" He ran to grab some of his stuff as well as shut down his DJ equipment. Inaudibly under his breath he added "Beats the heck out of board games, anyway."

[Cyroa]

James grinned at Eddie and Mike, as they had been dunked clothed. "Well, I know my clothes are dry," he said with a chuckle, moving to slip said clothes on. The joys of heat and fire control. Better than a dryer. He took his keys out. "One vehicle or two. Can hold 5, 6 if people we squish a little."

[Electra]

"You know, it's Alex's party, and Alex's mom's stuff," Erin broke in over James and Eddie's plans. "She should get to decide if and how we go looking for whatever might be on that paper. Maybe we should just leave well enough alone, since none of it belongs to us anyway." It wasn't that she herself wasn't curious, but digging into other people's secrets was rude, as was ruining other people's parties. "There's plenty of stuff to do here."

[alderwitch]

Alex hesitated, torn between her mother's wishes and the possibility of a base. After a long moment, she finally spoke, "We'll go see if we can find the base. I mean, we need one. And if it's not in use, that's just a waste. The rest of this stuff is mom's memories to share or keep away if she wants to. We really will need a headquarters other than the school, though, and we might as well see where the map leads."

She looked up at her friends to gauge their thoughts on the matter.

[angrydurf]

Mike schooled his features to nonchalance with a little effort and sent his thoughts to Alex 'You sure about this? Your moms already pretty upset you're doing this at all.'

Oout loud he merely shrugged and said, "I'll put this back before anyone notices, your call Alex."

[quotemyname]

"I'm down for it!" Eddie chimed in. "Your right about the fact that we need a base. We might not be able to effectively operate without one. I'm sure your mom wouldn't mind giving her daughter something to keep her safe." He stood and returned to the group, all of his things back on his person. "Besides, if no one is using it, like you said..."

[Avenger Assembled]

Given Mark's interest in history in general and the heroes of the past in particular, there was really no doubt what advice he'd offer. Though on the other hand, he did feel bad for having read quite so much of what was on that page, and explaining how to read all of it to the others. That was fairly private stuff on there. Putting that out of his mind, he said, "Hey, I agree with Alex. Let's go do this thing." He nodded, gently handing the map back to her. "I think this belongs to you. But first, I suggest we all change into traveling clothes. Or at least get some cargo shorts on or something."

[Electra]

"Can't hurt to see where it goes," Erin agreed. "If Chris can take up there, it'll be a pretty quick trip anyway. We can be back here before your folks get home. And if we take the airship, we can even take the snack table along. But yeah, clothes first." She headed off to the poolhouse and changed back into her jeans and blouse, giving her hair a vigorous scrubbing with the towel before taming the frizzed tangle back down with a headband and rejoining the others.

[alderwitch]

Alex headed off to change after closing the box up for Mike to return it to storage. She came bouncing back down the steps, pulling her hair up in a wet pony tail as she did so and turned her face up to Chris and Mark, "So are we taking the Pitchoo or a car? Or just doing the super-hero thing over?"

[angrydurf]

Mike quickly stowed the box back away in its corner of the attic and grabbed his spare set of clothes hurrying into a bathroom to change. He grimaced slightly at the look but shrugged figureing it was better than his still sopping wet clothes down by the pool.

When he returned minus his signature black duster it was clear he hadn't updated his spare wardrobe here in awhile. Unlike his normal baggy ovesized clothes his current outfit was a much more fitted pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt tight across his chest and arms.

"So where to first again?" he asked.

[Avenger Assembled]

"St. Georges' Church in Midtown," said Mark, who'd changed back into his regular clothes, leaving only his hair wet. "Traffic shouldn't be too bad this time of day." He grinned. "Probably even less traffic if we take Chris' airship, but that may get more attention on us than we want. This should probably stay on the down-low."

[Cyroa]

James agreed. "Yeah, we're looking for an old 'secret base'. Being unsubtle while looking won't help that. I vote regular car." He shook his keys. "I've got the car. Should be able to squeeze all of us I think." He pulled his shirt and and slipped on his shoes. He was eager to get going. This sounded like fun after all. "We good to go?"

[Ecalsneerg]

Chris had reappeared clad in the clothes he had arrived in, sunglasses back on. "Subtlety is our forte! Just make sure nobody throws a car or something. Nothing's more noticeable than a car flying through the air."

[angrydurf]

"Well that sounds like its settled." Mike said looking around non-chalantly before calling out, "Shotgun!" with a smile.

Then followed James and everyone out towards the car.

[quotemyname]

"Dang!" Eddie said, striking the air with a fist. "I was totally about to call that! Oh well. Shotgun not middle seat!" He gathered up the last of his things including the iPods he carried with him wherever he went.