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ABERRANT: WEIRDER STUFF – CHAPTER VII "AND THERE WERE GIANTS IN THE EARTH IN THOSE DAYS"


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Lilly shot through the wall of the whirlpool like a bullet into the open air. Piercing the wall had bled off most of her speed, but she still had enough inertia to make do as she reflexively altered her body again, growing a series of large fins, a pair of which might be called wings, along her limbs and from her back, much like those of a fish. She used the fins, and her inertia, to fight through the chaotic air caused by the half dozen tornadoes, and guide herself to the gigantic creature's back, landing at it's dorsal fin. She grasp it's dorsal fin, the thick, rubbery flesh felt odd in her grasp, but she latched on and then swung back her right hand, delivering two tremendous punches it it's spine with lightning speed, sounding like two rapid fire thunderclaps amind the lightning of the storm swirling around her.

If her strikes did not kill it, then with luck, she would at least break it's spine.

 

Spoiler

 

Taking 4 actions (not activating Multitasking yet) so at -4, -5, -6, -7

Growing wings/patagia (again)

Trying to maneuver through the air to land at the orca thingy's dorsal fin.
Dex + Athletics (-5 dice), +3 Difficulty.
Burning 3 M-Dex dice to reduce difficulty by 3, leaving dicepool of 6+ 3 Megas
4 sux. Easily made it.

Holding on with left hand (and Compression) and punching with right hand (twice).

Punch #1
Dex + MA (-6 dice) leaving pool of 5 + 6 Megas
7 sux to hit

Damage
Str +2 (Punch) = 7+[25] = 30 Bashing damage

If the first punch does not seem to do much, then she will activate Claws for the second punch, otherwise she will just punch like before (and save the quantum).

Punch #2 
Dex + MA (-7 dice) leaving pool of 4 + 6 Megas
5 sux to hit

Damage
Str + 2 (punch) +1 (Claws) = 8+[25] = 26 Bashing damage (27 Lethal damage with it's Lethal soak reduced by 10 if using Claws)
I just dropped a damage success to reflect the 1 smaller dicepool if not using Claws

 

 

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Lilly punched as soon as she landed and frowned when her fist bounced of the black hide, it was like a child punching the huge rubber tires on an Earth mover, with about as much effect.  The beast didn't even seem to notice. Gripping the fin with one hand Lilly put all of her strength into a second punch with the same results.

Lilly can feel the quantum energy pouring off the monster and realizes that this isn't just some sort of giant beast. Looking around she sees that they are still rising but at a faster rate and the tornadoes were acting odd. They seemed to be circling the creature about 100 meters away almost like they were in formation lifting it...

Spoiler

The creature soaks both hits. damage is rolled after soak so Lilly can roll two damage dice.

 

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Circling higher, Kia was clear of the tornados and vortex, but this thing was so big it seemed impossible to really hurt it! It was time to try something crazy.

More and more, she'd been aware that she was not just the tiny piece of flesh that she 'felt' as being herself. Kia was the only vessel with senses, so it was where her mind was focused, but her true body was much vaster, tucked away in some other place. Seeing Lilly's clones had always made her wonder if there could be more than one of her too. A similar end arrived at by a very different means.

The Asheen had engineered its war creatures...created them and 'birthed' them en masse from some machine or organism they'd never seen. Traces of its work remained in its creations though. Kia thought maybe she could do something similar. But since the work would be done in the bulk of herself, the part she couldn't sense, it would be hard to know it if was working until she tried to move the results through.

And of course, the only way she knew how to 'move' herself from the bulk to the rest of the world. Her body could freely exchange mass. They would have to come 'through' her.

The surface of Kia's broad-backed shape shivered, and large 'blisters' formed in its surface. Each one started out about as big as a human head but swiftly grew larger still. 

The first of the blisters got to about the size of a horse before it finally burst with a little explosion of goo, exposing a creature clinging to Kia's back. It looked kind of like a gigantic wasp, albeit more sturdily built and lacking the long tapered abdomen with a sting. It spread three pairs of thick, translucent wings and dropped off of Kia with a loud droning buzz. Then another blister burst, and another one followed suit. And another. Another. Eight of them in all.

They spiraled out like fighter craft, assuming a wedge formation and arrowing towards the dark mass of the orca-creature!

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Rising on the currents of air, the beast's small eyes tried tot follow the speeding blur above as it circiled and circled, enitcing it with the smell of food. Suddenly. a new scent caught its attentioned.

Staraining it's great neck it looked back over it's massive shoulders and spied the small creature that had attracted it to the surface. Now that creature was in the vortex with it and it was brinning with food, shining the smell drawing the Monster like a moth to a flame. As the beast begane to turn towrdsKia, several...things seperated from her, these things, these wasps, each smelled of food as well.

The Beast was confused but only for a moment as the wasps moved into a formation and began to fly toward the beast. The beasts simple mind didn't know what they were but instinct recognized a threat. It opened it jaws wide and let loose a roar the drowned out the sound of the raging vortex as it summoned the fire from deep inside.

Lilly on the beasts back felt the surge of quantum energy felt the semi pliant skin grow rigid as a line of blue energy flowed over the black skin. Her eyes widened as four of the tornadoes peel off and speed toward Kia and her brood.

Spoiler

Kia and her brood are attacked by the tornadoes the winds whip in and must be dodged. The tornadoes have 9 sux to hit. each sux you get on the dodge reduces theirs by 1. any sux left over do 2 automatic levels of bashing damage which can be soaked in addition any wasp who fails to completely dodge the tornadoes is thrown out of formation in a random direct for twenty meters per sux. Kia is not attacked only hte brood are so she does not need to dodge nor does she take damage. see the combat thread for other information

 

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< Shit! > she thought and exclaimed aloud simultaneously as she saw the beast seemingly command four of the tornadoes at Kia and her... Brood? Swarm? Minions? Pets? Let's go with "pets".

< Looks like it commands the tornadoes somehow, and it feels like this thing's hide just got tougher too! Time to take off the kid gloves. > Lilly thought to the others, trying to warn them and prepare them for the changes to the beast and its apparent abilities.

Lilly focused and let everything fall away. She had to act and act fast. Maybe she could make a big enough pain of herself to distract the thing from the others. Jaunt was running low, Sara and Sean were out for this fight. At least Abel was rapidly approaching and she assumed Kia still had plenty of reserves, but her current form looked a bit... squishy. If there was something Lilly was good at it was taking a hit, and she willingly did it to protect her friends.

<Let's see if I can grab it's focus. >

Lilly reared back her arm and cliched a fist. At the speed of thought, ripples of of energy raced down her arm and coalesced in, and around, her fist as she brought it down on the thing's back several times, each swing leaving a lingering, glowing streak in the air for a moment. She struck it hard, each punch sending a visible ripple in it's hardened flesh as the kinetic energy from her strikes raced through the tissue, and with luck, fractured bone. 

< THAT outta get it's attention! > 


 

Spoiler

 

Activating Multitasking for the scene (-3 q)


Taking 4 actions w/ Multitasking = -2, -2, -3, -3 Multi-Action Penalties

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Action #1) Activate Claws (-2 q, Maintenance: 8 rounds)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Action #2) Punch w/ AP Claws
Attack
Pool: 6 Dex + 4 MA + 6 M-Dex +1 Auto-success -2 MAP = 8 + 6 mega +1 Auto-success 
Total: 3 successes +10 successes +1 auto-success = 14 successes = Hit 
AP: 45 Lethal Soak -28 AP = 17 Lethal Soak

Damage
Pool: 5 Str + 2 Punch + 1 Claws + [25] Lethal = 8d10 + [25] Lethal vs 17 Lethal Soak = 8d10 + [8] Lethal
Total: 8d10 + [8] = 3 successes + [8] = 11 Lethal damage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Action #3) Punch w/ AP Claws
Attack
Pool: 6 Dex + 4 MA + 6 M-Dex +1 Auto-success -3 MAP = 7 + 6 mega +1 Auto-success 
Total: 5 successes +6 successes +1 auto-success = 12 successes = Hit
AP: 45 Lethal Soak -24 AP = 21 Lethal Soak

Damage
Pool: 5 Str + 2 Punch + 1 Claws + [25] Lethal = 8d10 + [25] Lethal vs 21 Soak = 8D10 + [4] Lethal
Total: 4 successes + [4] = 8 Lethal damage

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Action #4) Punch w/ AP Claws
Attack
Pool: 6 Dex + 4 MA + 6 M-Dex +1 Auto-success -3d10 MAP = 7 + 6 mega +1 Auto-success 
Total: 3 successes +4 successes +1 auto-success = 8 successes = Hit
AP: 45 Lethal Soak -16 AP = 29 Lethal Soak

Damage
Pool: 5 Str + 2 Punch + 1 Claws + [25] Lethal = 8d10 + [25] Lethal vs 29 Soak = 4d10 Lethal
Total: 0 successes = 0 damage

 

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Quantum fire continued to burn him away.  The pain was so immense now that he'd stopped speaking all together so he could control his thoughts and dull the pain.  The purple comet that was his form continued to lash and whirl along the walls of the water arena he'd made to trap the beast, slow it, and give the others a dry spot from which to see it and attack it.  Lilly and Kia took the cue, he had no clue what everyone else was doing...

He wasn't as strong as Lilly, yet, but he had a few tricks to try that would, hopefully, work.  He had the juice, burned from his own life force, so he may as well use it.  In an explosion of purplish force Jaunt sped up even faster!  The comet that was his body burst into a even brighter and larger corona as he amped his speed to the very heights it was capable of.  If the creature wanted to play with powerful gusts of wind, Jaunt would oblige, after all, there was only so much wind it could take before it was nothing more than a cow in a tornado.

Then he disappeared.

He reappeared within the creature's blowhole as it languidly tried thrash about.  He wasn't worried, Orcazilla may as well had been standing still for all the time the teleporter had.  He concentrated as he slid down the beast's windpipe, almost sorry for what he was about to do.  "Dick move," he said in his inhumanly ascendant voice.  "I know.  But you have it coming big guy."  He let go with his node and an iris formed, anchoring itself to the blow canal.  Water poured in through the portal, like slamming a water hose of someone's nose, Orcazilla's lungs begun filling with water from the Mariana Trench.

Jaunt reappeared on its back, escaping the deluge as it rushed into the beast's lungs.  Faster than any eye could see he vaulted and twisted in the air in purplish streaks, each time he landed with the fullest impact he could manage.  His feet slammed down, his fists crashed into its back, 'Jaunt was here' he too the time to scribble in Sharpie and even stopped to take a selfie with Lilly.

"#savingtheworld, #supersayan, #runningthisbitch, #momdontbeangry." all were Tweeted by the time he reappeared along the 'wall' of water and continued his running to maintain the arena for his comrades to battle in.

Spoiler

Jaunt's speed has increased to 12,400mph (Enhanced Movement, already active for the scene)

Main turn - Accelerate Time (7sux) +10 turns gained (Duration 12 turns). (2 sux wasted)

1. Combat Teleport (Movement).  Power use: Warp (Duration 8 turns) down the blow hole.  Since it's not in water, the hole is 'open' so it can breathe.  The portal has been opened past the point where if it tried to constrict it's blow hole closed it would be too late.  Water is filling its lungs.

2-7. Combat Teleport (Movement). Lots of attacks.  Total: 4 Bashing

8. Write in Sharpie.

9 Selfie with Lilly. Combat Teleport (Movement)

10. Running along the water wall again, sending Tweets.

11. ?

12. Profit

I only post the way 'real world' science would affect this thing.  If the water doesn't work, it don't work.  I always post in the assumptive to save time and energy.

Jaunt burned 4 quantum and did 4B ping damage.

Jaunt burned another health level.  He had burned -0,-0,-1.

He has 2qp remaining.

All that happened in 3 seconds.

 

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Sean might not be able to stick to walls like Spider-Man, but she was just about as strong and more agile by far, with greater reflexes and balance. The fastest path between two points being a straight line - barring Jaunt-like shenanigans, of course, in most cases - she scaled the outside of the building supporting the telecom tower, as easily and swiftly as sprinting down a racetrack. In seconds, she surmounted the building and clambered up the struts of the telecom tower itself, until she locked her leg around one of the struts, supporting herself in front of the control panel.

From this vantage, with her superhuman senses, Sean could see the swirling wall of water beyond the bay, the incandescent purple streak that was Jaunt, and Chimera's wing of broodlings being assaulted by tornadoes that were obviously being directed with intent. A shift of focus, with the understanding that all points of reference were one and the same and Sean could see inside the whirlpool, the huge Orca-zilla being pounder on by Vanguard with blows that held nearly the concussive force of atomic bombs.

Orca-zilla was clearly being affected. Just as clearly, it still had a great deal of fight left, and even an accidental outburst from the quantum-powered monstrosity could cause Cape Town considerable devastation. They were slowing it, distracting it, but if it got it into its mind to tromp over Cape Town, Sean wasn't sure they could stop it in time. Let's see if I can change its mind long enough for the Irregulars to deal with it.

Sean smirked at the secured, tamper-proof control panel as she slipped the canvas sack of electronic goodies from her back. There hadn't been time to waste, so she had gone for the brute force method of procuring the supplies - an overly sexy strut, a direct look, and a sensual plead that she just needed a few things. The dumbstruck clerk manning the counter barely had time for his jaw to go slack at the fantasy woman in front of him before Savant was blurring around the store filling a canvas sack with parts and tools. The clerk just had time to take a shuddering breath, his pants growing taut, when Savant was darting out the door again, giving him a peck on the cheek in passing and promising to return to pay for everything if Cape Town was still standing.

The secured, tamper-proof covering on the control flew off and Savant got to work, cognitive thought operating at orders of magnitude beyone what super-computers were capable of. It wasn't that she was moving faster than the human eye could follow - though she was - it was that she was moving with such supreme economy of motion and clockwork precision that every pass of her hand seemed to accomplish a dozen things at once. It was like she painting the technological equivalent of a Renaissance masterpiece in a single brushstroke. Bob Ross, eat your heart out.

Savant might have been able to redefine human understanding of physics, but she couldn't completely obliterate it. She still had to respect the limits of what she had to work with, but she could supersede those limits for a time. Which meant, while she couldn't turn the telecom tower into a Kaiju-killing death-ray (at least not in so little time) or completely disrupt its control of quantum forces, she could possibly mess with its concentration on those quantum forces and make Cape Town seem unappetizing.

Her elegant fingers flew over the control panel, the intricate microchips and wiring as easy to manipulate as Mega-blocks to her eyes as she rewired and replaced key components with a precision beyond anything industrial machining could accomplish. She plugged in her tablet and wrote new code, text scrolling at an indecipherable blur to any but her.

In moments, Savant had managed a feat of electrical engineering and software coding that would have taken Google (all of it) months to accomplish, if they even could have. She pursed her lips, then pressed the red button that reactivated the telecom tower. She felt the pulse in the depths of her chest as she watched the new radio waves expand towards the battle in the ocean.

She was reasonably sure it would work... for a time. The pulse operated on a level that was beyond the telecom tower's capabilities - she could override those limits, but only for so long before the tower burnt out under the stress. She had altered the frequency and intensity of the radio waves emanating from the tower to specifically work on something with the mass of Orca-zilla with the estimated sensory capabilities its size and genetic derivation would likely possess. Savant was well acquainted with the quantum signatures of the rest of the Irregulars - other than possibly Jaunt and Sage - they shouldn't be able to perceive the disrupting frequency, let alone be affected by it.

To the Orcazilla however, the pulse of electromagnetic, infrasonic, and ultrasonic waves should fill it with subliminal dread as well as hopefully mess with whatever concentration it required to fully utilize any quantum tricks it possessed beyond its physicality and ignoring the square-cube law. I hope it didn't hit it with its own particular brown-note...

Spoiler

Using Fast Tasks and Hypercognition

Engineering Roll (including Inventive Genius and Engineering Prodigy and Calculating The Odds): 21 successes

Computer Roll (including Inventive Genius and Computer Prodigy and Calculating The Odds): 20 successes

Spending 1 Willpower on Inventive Genius to come up with a particularly brilliant idea or inspiration (Brainwaves, p.48)

So, okay, maybe she could have turned the telecom tower in a Kaiju-Killing Death Ray... :P

 

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It had taken him longer than he liked to bring the plane safely to the beach.   His friends were fighting hard against the creature that had attacked them, and he'd left to deliver the people within to safety.   upon setting the plane on the beach, he dropped the barrier field over the hole in the plane, and released his telekinetic hold upon it, once he reassured himself that it wouldn't come apart at the seams and collapse if he did so.  Having never touched the ground, he then took off like a bright blue streak, heading back for the battle.  He could feel the flurry of mental activity from Sean, knowing his friend had his end he continued on, and brought up his own personal defenses, preparing for the battle at hand.


His arrival at the swirling vortex was largely unnoticed, exactly what he wanted,  He could feel the power radiating from the beast, and kept his distance, He could feel only a primal instinct, an intense hunger radiating from the mind of Orca, and satisfied his features set in a grim mask.   It was markedly tough on the outside, but he wasn't constrained by a need to attack externally.

 

 

Abel has activated his impervious forcefield granting him an additional 23 B/L/A soak, and will start his psychic assault next round.

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A hot looking girl landing down and punching the orca, a swarm of locusts - no, Charlie reevaluated, wasps, a purple acrobat? Right, this was either the End Times, or perhaps God deciding to suddenly make his life a cheesy special effects laded movie. Or something. At least the whirlwind was gone. So he rather blankly (half blue-screened really) watched and decided to ask (scream frantically) what the hell was going on.

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The insectile creatures that Kia had spawned arrowed in towards the levitating leviathan, and the tornado it had pitched at them struck dead-center in their formation...scattering them like bowling pins! Only a few managed to get back on course and reach the whale-thing, though the others recovered momentarily and relentlessly returned to their previous approach. They were uncommonly tough, these creatures, putting lie to their somewhat fragile appearance.

Though they couldn't really get through to the vast creature's vital organs, they hit hard and started burrowing into the blubbery flesh of its skin with a multitude of spiky, jointed arms! The hurt to something that big couldn't be much, but like a contingent of bees, they were definitely not comfortable to just leave there.

Meanwhile, Kia's fluffy, friendly form began to dive down towards the terror from the deeps. Steam exploded out from under the plates of armor under her feathers, and obscured her in a white, winding contrail. The nucleus of her cometary mass suddenly expanded dramatically, and her descent slowed...and halted. From within the mist cruised something bizarre, even for Kia.

At first glance it resembled something like a forest floating on a small island. A closer look revealed that the 'island' was actually some kind of armored, bloated sac of gargantuan proportions. On the back of it spread brilliant green fronds that looked like trees at first, but were made of the same plating that covered the gasbag, with green tendrils reaching out towards the sun and spreading wide to catch the wind. Dangling from beneath the 'island' was an array of slim, long tentacles. Of course, they only looked slim in comparison to the total size of the creature. Up close each one was about as thick as a full grown man and lined with squidlike suction cups; each one ringed with cruel hooks that dripped black venom. As it rose once more vents opened between armored plates and hissed as gasses inside were vented to give the creature thrust.

All in all, it was perhaps a hundred and fifty or more feet in diameter. The tentacles were nearly that long again.

As a few of her creatures gnawed and burrowed like ticks on the monster's skin, the rest of them swarmed back in...and behind them loomed the unspeakable thing that their creator had become.

Kia joined the fight.

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Lilly's fists piston'd into the beasts side with lightning rapidity, the shock waves rippled through the beasts soft tissues damaging as it went. The beast bellowed more in anger than pain, anger and frustration that try as it might it couldn't reach it's new tormentor riding it's back. The wasps and Kia were forgotten as it started to buck and twist in an effort to displace Lilly.

Then Jaunt entered the fray.

The beasts thoughtful bucking became wild thrashing as it's lungs began to fill with water, water jetting in at over 15,000psi, doing even more internal soft tissue damage.

In the vortex more tornadoes spawned, the wind grew more powerful and was now flowing in opposition to the flow of the vortex itself, and lightning began crashing as wild bolts shot from side to side as the beast writhed and convulsed unable to breath.

Spoiler

The beast is incapable of action for the next 8 turn so you can pretty much do what you want. the +5 diff to hit is still in place since it is part of it's armor, however if you can bypass it's armor you can hit automatically. starting next turn it will begin to descend toward the bottom of the vortex picking up speed as each turn ends. If you stay in the vortex you will be subjected to hurricane force winds and possibly multiple lightning strikes. if you wish you guys can get together and consolidate your actions in to one climactic post. but that's up to y'all

 

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The pair of Vanguards at the park in Capetown both had their work to do. To any outside observer, they were simply twins... who where standing in the middle of a group of unconscious and dead passengers. One did her best to perform triage on the passengers, separating the dead (or likely dead) from the others as she checked vitals and looked for any life-threatening injuries that she could heal.

The other Vanguard looked over Sara, checking her vitals as she sensed for any injuries. She could sense the quantum energy radiating off of her, building more and more, and then suddenly, it was gone. It was ALL gone. She did not sense any quantum radiating from Sara's body at all. Quickly she checked her vitals, preparing herself for the worst, but strangely, they seemed fine, though she was unconscious. She looked her over and could note a change in her, as if she had shut of her node. Carefully she concentrated and sent out a small ripple of quantum, but the only other node she detected was the other Vanguard.

< Uhhh.. Sean? You know how you gave me Sara to take care of? Well, she is still unconscious, and unhurt, but it's like her node shut off, or is gone, or... something. She looks normal, or I guess 'un-enhanced' would be a better term, like she did from before the night at the lake. And I do not sense her node, like, at all. Like it's gone, or she burned it out or something. I don't know, but I cannot detect any quantum radiating from her, or her done, and she looks totally dormed, but she is unconscious with good vitals. > she thought privately to Sean as her friend worked atop the telecom tower.

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From her perch atop the telecom tower, Sean watched the pulse expand beyond the bay and the battle at sea. The Irregulars seemed to have the Kaiju in hand and the pulse should ward it away from Cape Town if it tried to flee... it or its offspring or other members in its pod still unseen below the surface of the water. She was nodding in satisfaction when a Vanguard contacted her.

An eyebrow twitched when the Vanguard explained the situation, but Savant's mental voice was clear and crystalline and sure when she replied. <Thanks for apprising me of her condition. I'll be right there. The rest of the Irregulars appear to have Orcazilla contained, as the situation now stands.>

Savant gave the tower, its altered components and the flow and amplitude of energy coursing through it, calculating how much longer it could continue broadcasting the pulse, then leapt out into mid air.

Elegant fingers caught the cornice of the building the telecom tower rose from, catching and redirecting her momentum with inhuman agility launching her towards a lower roof across the street. She landed in a perfect roll and came back to her feet in a sprint to challenge a cheetah. With entrancing fluidity of motion, she jumped from building to building, getting closer to the ground, until she cleared the last street and entered Hanover Park once more.

In moments, Savant was at the Vanguards' sides, giving them a nod and smile of gratitude as she crouched on her heels to study Sara. Her dusk-and-dawn coloured hair glistened under the sun, and though she seemed cool and collected, Lilly knew this Sean enough to detect the concern in slight narrowing of her uncanny eyes and the faint frown of her lips.

"This is not quite what I was anticipating," Sean admitted as she studied Sara on the cellular level and several spectra beyond human capacity. Vanguard had conscientiously commandeered some blankets to give Sara some to rest on and pillow her head. For an instant, Sean had considered Sara was undergoing something akin to a 'reboot', reinitializing after an 'update' caused by the quantum wave, but just as swiftly, discarded the idea. The medical charts - including her own - and scientific papers she'd read on base suggested this isn't how it would happen. "Then again, while I may be an expert in many fields, biology and medicine aren't some of them, beyond first aid and paremedic training. I can see changes in her, but can't decipher what all them portend."

Sean tenderly brushed a lock of blond hair from Sara's cheek before standing back up and giving the park a quick appraisal, so see if panic was beginning arise that could put Sara, or anyone else, in danger, and if she would have to set herself to curtailing and redirecting their anxiety in a more constructive manner. She sighed, her only sign of stress, where a falling plane and a giant sea monster hadn't been able to ruffle her.

"I'm going to have to get her back to base for more in depth analysis to find out what's happened to her and how she's being effected." Sean nodded towards the plane passengers, still largely unconscious. "Good job with getting them off the plane, Vanguard." <Good job, all of you.>

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Jaunt ran. He had done pretty much all he could to distract and hurt the monster now he had to see to the one he had created. Zipping back up the pain of his quantum burning now just a numb sensation, damn he was gonna feel this later, Jaunt began running a zig zagging course opposite the way the vortex rotated, his energy counteracting that of the monstrous environmental anomaly, bleeding away it's strength, slowing it, slowly shrinking it.

Lilly was amazed at how fast Devin was moving. She was used to him teleporting, even doing it casually, but right now he seemed like it was blinking into existence for a fraction of a second and then vanishing, only to appear someplace else, trying to convince Lilly's mind that there was more than one Devin. He appeared next to her and snapped a selfie so quickly that she barely realized he was there, her face in the photo an expression of exertion.

< Dude. Seriously? > she thought at Devin, semi-teasing.

Then she saw Kia's pets attack, at least some of them anyway, after fighting their way through the tempest. Lilly shuddered as she watched them begin to burrow into the orca-zilla's flesh. Kia was her BFF, and a super sweet and caring girl, but something the things she could come up with just creeped Lilly the fuck out, like the thought of wasp-thingies burrowing into her flesh.

< Kia, I love you like a sister, but damn girl! Did you get into Devin's tentacle porn anime stash or something? > she teased her friend.

Kia, not in a bantering mood, ignores Lily's jests and floats down from above, blotting out the sun, jellyfishian tentacles reaching down as she goes. They twine around the orca-monster's arms and shoulders and tighten...clenching with inhuman strength to try to pin the monster's arms to its sides and keep it from being able to attack. The toothed suckers on those arms chew their way into its flesh, making deep round ringed marks...and inject a potent venom in the process.

Meanwhile her strange little wasp-creatures keen and wail as they try to work their way deeper into the whale-creature's skin!

The sun dimmed and Lilly glanced up just as Chimera blotted out the sun and entangled the Orcazilla thing. The sight was sobering and horrifying all at once. Lilly let it go though and returned her thoughts to the task at hand as the storm picked up, the beast began to writhe and bellow in frustration as it tried to grasp her, but could not reach Lilly in her spot clinging to it's Dorsal fin with a force that could nearly turn coal into diamonds. She was not going anywhere, and could see that she that it was not going down like she had hoped. She needed to turn up the heat.

Lightning crashed in the tempest, and if she was being honest, was the only thing that actually scared her a bit. She knew there was little on Earth that that could truly hurt, or even kill, her aside from a nuke... or maybe a lightning strike. With luck though, she figured, if she were strike then the charge might pass on into the beast, even if Science was not her best subject.

Regardless, she held on and sent a single to a little lump of flesh in her brain. Her node opened and sent a flood of quantum through her body as she let out a grunt of exertion. Her tissues, muscles and nerves all surged with quantum energies, making her stronger, tougher, faster. Her muscles flexed with newfound strength that dwarfed her already considerable might and her nerves felt awakened, carrying signals at unbelievable speed. Even the constant, mildly annoying sting of the rain in the tempest lessened as her flesh became more resilient.

She clenched her fist, sheathing it in kinetic  as she reared it back once again.. and then her arm seemed to vanish for a moment. Her arm was still there and attached, of course, but now she strike the beast many times faster than a jackhammer, her arm moving so fast that even Devin, with his quantum enhanced senses, lost sight of it for a moment.

If one were able to perceive it, they could see her fist struck the first time, making a depression and sending a ripple through the flesh as she drove the kinetic energy deep into it's body, searching for bones to break, organs to rupture and any other harm it could inflict. Her arm then raised up and struck again, hitting the depression that had not yet rebounded from her previous strike, adding more energy to the mix. Then she struck again and again, and again, each time pushing that depression deeper, almost like she were burrowing through the thick flesh, sending even more energy and ill intent into the creature, each strike hitting hard enough to demolish a row of tanks.

< "Sorry big guy, but Capetown isn't your buffet!" > she thought and yelled aloud as she kept pummeling the beast, trying to stop it.

The beast tried to scream as it's insides were shattered the pain now unbearable but its water flooded lungs held no air and so no sound escaped. Inside the beast the shock waves ripped tissue and muscle as they passed and just as quickly quantum knitted the damage back together in a vicious cycle of agony and renewal.

Abel had a fair number of options open to him, but given the way events were already going, simply trying to command the creature to be calm was quickly discarded.  He had a sense that he could pick it up, but to what end, he certainly wouldn't be able to hold it long, though as things were, it wouldn't be needed.  He could only feel the instincts of an animal, its fear and desperation evident now.   He continued to fly around it, not wanting to make himself an easy target, in case it lashed out at any of them.   Sensing no defenses to speak of, Abel knew his path.    His face set into a grim mask of a young man forced to put down an animal because it had become a nuisance, he assaulted the mind of the colossal creature, chipping away its ability to defend itself, and its sense of self.

There was a part of him that hated this, as in truth the Orca had done nothing wrong, it was simply being the animal it was.   Even knowing that, the creature's potential was nearly limitless.  The destructive capability it could possess, given that it was even stronger than the irregulars themselves, it was simply too great a threat to be allowed to roam the seas as it would.   It would attack again, and without them around to deal with it, how many lives would be lost?

He attacked again and again, until there was nothing left to attack.

 

The assault wore away the beasts primitive mind what little intelligence it had remaining after it's atavistic transformation was erased by the mental energies slamming into it's mind in a few breaths all that remained were simple automatic functions which kept it's heart pumping na dit's lungs, now filled with water, working. Then those too were wiped away under Sage's mental assault.

The beast ceased to move. It was dead and it sank as the vortex swallowed it.

It only took a moment for everyone to realize the danger they were now in. Kia detached her self and grabbed Lilly as she expelled gas from her jets and rocketed up out of the collapsing vortex. Abel rose under his own power and watched as Jaunt faltered and missed a step as his own power threatened to consume him. Sage reached out with his mind and gently lifted The still Jaunt from the raging waves. Then floating above the storming sea the heroes watch as nature reasserted itself.

Sage sighed. They'd killed it for the Greater Good, and silently he wondered how long they'd be able to claim their actions truly fit that. But then Sage felt another mind other than his friends one in shock one registering disbelief, thinking he was insane … a passneger from the plane but not at the plane or in the park but here with them. In a second Sage had located him a man, boy really about there own age, floating near the surface of the roiling ocean. A boy seemingly made of air.

 

Sean knelt down by Sara, her hand brushing the hair from her lovers face. She couldn't believe it, what she was seeing. This was Sara but not Sara the Avenger, this was Sara with all the imperfections and appearance of a baseline. Sean couldn't find any sort of Quantum signature beyond the normal put off by everything. This was Sara as she had been when they first met. Normal.

 

He passed his hand over the large silver bowl full of water, as his hand passed the image it had been showing faded. He had learned much that he had never suspected, but still he had failed. The plane hadn't been destroyed, his enemy still lived. A flash of anger and the water vaporized in a cloud. Still the thing with the orca, that....that held potential.

Spoiler

this ends part one of this chapter. Jaunt is collapsed from self inflicted damage but not in mortal danger i think. Sara is in a coma and seems to have lost her quantum powers. All of the passengers are accounted for with only 1 fatality, charlies father. Charlie has been discovered by Abel. While there are witnesses to what happened it is all from long distance. the Orca was never actually seen by anyone on land and the video of the vortex which show up any where is from long distance and very grainy. How ever there is video and pictures of the Vanguards and the portals and of the wrecked plane being flown to the beach by Abel as well as video of Abel flying. there is grainy long distance video of Kia as the thing rising from the ocean.  pick this up a short time from the end of this post where all of you are gathered probably at the park. If anyone is carrying their Emergency phones those phone will be going off as the base which has been alerted by cnn tries to get a hold of you. none of you are aware of the last paragraph it's just there for dramatcs. I will be awarding XP so keep an eye out.

 

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Jaunt felt his body slowing down.  He felt himself rise from the water.  Lazily he tried to focus his thoughts and his senses to what was going on around him, but there was nothing.  His node, reflexively shut down out of a last ditch effort for self-preservation once the teen was no longer concentrating on keeping the 'flood gates' open.  The fires calmed as Jaunt lie there in Sage's mental grasp, floating above everything as they approached the beach.  He could see Cape Town.  He smiled softly as the last thought that ran through his mind was 'we did it'.  Hundreds of thousands of people were safe because of what the Irregulars did today.  It was time to rest, he'd earned it.

"Devin!"  Mari shouted at the screen.  Frantic as that was her brother down there, burning up and possibly dying, or drowning, or a whole slew of other things.  "Devin?  Oh, god... oh god.... Devin.  Laurie... get me down there.  Get me to my brother!"

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Reaching the park, Abel was finally able to divide his attention between the multiple things that needed doing again.

Privately he sent to Sean <Sean, contact Laurie if you can and have them beam us all back to the ship.   It's best for us to not linger here long, not with Sara in her current condition, as well As Devin being drained.   Of course, though there is another issue.  I'm going to ask the newest Key if he wants to come along, because leaving him here is probably a bad idea in this situation, if he says yes, then he'll be coming too.>


Across all of guildchat, he quietly sent  <Someone answer their phone and find out what they want.   Once we're somewhere safe, I'd like to take a closer look at Avenger, and if we can keep that sample tissue from the orca, also good.  I know it's gross, but this is the second animal we've seen enhanced, and it could be worth some time to research it.>


Only after that did he look over to Charlie, who had seemed dumbstruck and in shock, even as he flew back to shore, following him as it were.   "Charlie, I know absolutely none of this makes a lick of sense, but I can only ask you to trust us.  I'd like to ask you to come with us, and if you do, I promise I will answer what questions I can to the best of my ability."   There was something to his voice as he spoke, an effort to calm the other young man, as he moved towards him.  "You've had a very rough day, and seen and experienced alot of strange, impossible things."
 

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"Well, yes," Charlie got out, "because sure, who doesn't want to know WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?! I didn't set out to give Alice a challenge in seeing the most impossible things before breakfast. The plane suddenly went down, a giant orca thing showed up, and now I'm literally air. You're right I want answers..." He cut off, as something he'd been studiously ignoring before flashed across his mind. "Ok, and since you're reading my mind or something... is my Dad all right?"

It was hesitantly spoken, but well, his dad was his dad, and Charlie wasn't sure how to react if the worst had come to pass.

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Lilly walked over to Charlie and waved before extending a hand.

"Hi there." she said with a warm smile. Charlie was sure it was the same hot looking girl who was on the back of the orca monster, punching so hard he could hear the impacts Now though, she was standing before him and lacked the gills and fins she had before. She looked to be around his age, slightly taller and her damp clothing clung to her in various places, hinting a shapely and very toned body.

She grasped side edge of her shirt and wrung out some saltwater from it as she spoke,

"Um, I'm Vanguard. And we're here to help, but I am pretty sure you already know that. First things first though. Your dad. To our knowledge there is only one fatality, and it was a male." she said as she raised her hands, urging him to maintain calm. "That does not mean it was your dad though." she reminded as her twin sister walked over and handed her a wallet.

"What's your father's name?" she asked as she opened the wallet and looked at the driver's license.

The wallet looked uncomfortably familiar to Charlie, but still, other men had to have the same or similar wallet. Right?

""Uhh.. Lucius. Lucius Cole." he answered, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

Lilly looked back down at the drivers license before looking back up at Charlie. "Dude, I am soooo sorry." she sighed as she offered the opened wallet to Charlie, for him to inspect. 

"Wha?" he said as he looked down at the wallet and reached for it as his form re-solidified and returned to normal, whatever that was now. He took the wallet and shook his head. "No. This just.. No." Charlie said as he began to pull out credits cards, checking the names on them too with tears welling up in his eyes. Lilly stepped closer and lifted an arm, slipping it around Charlie, leching him hug her as he began to sob into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, dude." she said, trying to console him, resting her cheek against his head, offering what comfort she could. "I'm.. I'm not sure if it helps, but it was probably instant, and he was probably already blacked out too, like all the others." she tried to comfort and assure as Charlie sobbed.

"We have him though, so he can be taken back to the US for a proper burial, if you would like. And hey, that stands independent of the offer to come with us. So no pressure. The choice is yours. If you do want to come with us though, then we can offer some answers, help you out, and give you a chance to help stop anybody else from going through this, and more." Lilly explained.

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Meanwhile, off in the background, the gigantic floating thing that Kia had become settled onto the water gently...then sank into it, expelling gas to lose buoyancy with the sound of distant gales of wind. Finally it vanished under the waves. There were a series of other splashes as well, when the eight 'smaller' creatures each plunged in after her.

A moment later Kia, now looking perfectly human, came out of the water, squeezing out her long hair as she made her way towards where the others were now speaking. And because Kia was Kia, she saw a hug and couldn't resist running over and throwing into it even if she was still damp from coming out of the ocean.

"That must've been so scary," she commiserated, having missed what the hug was actually about, "I hope you're okay!"

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While Lilly broke the unfortunate news to the new Key, and tried to comfort him with the late arriving Kia's help, Sean gently scooped up Sara in her arms, feeling a frisson of worry flutter through her, which she kept hidden from her body language and surface thoughts. While she had been considering how to suppress or negate quantum-based abilities - so encounters with their unrestrained or catastrophic use wouldn't have to be ended in a purely lethal manner, such as had just happened - if what had occurred to Sara wasn't temporary or reversible, it meant there was the potential it could happen to the rest of them.

Sean didn't want to lose what she had become, to go back to what she once was. To regain her original gender wasn't worth what she now had, and honestly, it hardly ever crossed her mind. A mind capable of processing information on the order of enough petaflops to challenge or surpass the world's greatest supercomputers, a thread of thought couldn't help but analyze and simulate millions of scenarios on how her and Sara's relationship would change if she remained enhanced and Sara did not.

On how Sara would react to once again needing to eat and sleep out of necessity. To no longer being able to to fly under her own power or feel compelled by the global consciousness of the world. Sean knew Sara well, and knew how to influence with a word, a smile, a glance, and what she would do in response to how Sara took the situation and reacted to it. The spiraling outcomes caused her more concern than did the possibility of losing her all encompassing enhancements.

<On it, Abel.I know where the Orca fell, and I can account for any drift. We can get a sample later,> Sean replied with a flawlessly affected calm, turning her mental channel to the one she shared with her sister. <Has the quantum irregularity subsided enough for the Qeeg to get a lock on us and effect an Evac, sis? Remaining here will only cause a growing disturbance and Devin is down.> Sean could already the sudden spike in Laurie's tension at the revelation and continued with mental tone of assurance, certainty, and fondness to calm her down. <Don't worry sis, he just strained himself doing something stupidly heroic that I'm sure he'll boast about to no end. And in this case, some boasting won't be unwarranted. He'll recover with no adverse effects.>

I'm reasonably sure, Sean amended, but didn't add. <If the Qeeg can accommodate, we while also likely have a newly manifested Key with us, as well as a casualty to be treated with dignity. I presume the Qeeg's sensors can pick them up.> But to sure, Sean shot Laurie the relevant details so mistakes occurred. <Give us a few minutes before enacting the Evac.>

Sean turned, appraising the murmuring, starting, wondering, amazed, and/or gawking onlookers in the park. They hadn't witnessed everything, but had seen more than enough to realize what they had seen was unprecedented in their experience. Sean could see the mob mentality brewing on the faces about the Irregulars, whether they should freak out, run in terror, drop to their knees in worship or fear, clamor for answers, or any number of other responses and combinations of responses.

With a calculated motion, Savant silenced her phone and drew attention towards her, and even with Sara limp in her arms, Savant's bearing was professional and regal, derailing the rising chaos. Then she spoke, her silky, melodious voice a breakwater against uncertainty, perfectly clear to most turned their way as she modulated her tones precisely to convey cool assurance and friendly, non-threatening authority as she switched fluidly between English and Afrikaans.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are worried and concerned by what you have seen. Air France flight 721 was struck by an unforeseen event resulting in catastrophic failure. In all but one case, we affected a complete rescue. As well, we are grateful that we were able to forestall any further danger or damage this event could have caused Cape Town."

Her perfect lips curved in a rueful, sympathetic smile. "I know, the details are sparse and vague and unfulfilling. When we know more and the local and national authorities can be contacted, you will learn more as well." Savant shrugged, Sara shifting in her arms, and tossed her head over her shoulder, where Abel was still supporting Devin. "But as you can see, we have not gone unscathed and we have to report to our own superiors so that your government can get the information they require."

Sean scanned the crowd closest to them and turned her penetrating, turquoise gaze stolid black man with a seamed face with short, salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed goatee, who didn't seem as phased or bewildered as most of the others. She nodded toward him then towards the passengers of Air France flight 721.

"Sir, if you would be so kind, could you contact the local emergency services?" Savant asked, with just a hint of deference, acknowledging this was their city, not the Irregulars. "They have been through a trying ordeal, and while we will be making our departure shortly, they will still need tending to by professionals."

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Before the last words left Savant's lips the now familiar tingle of the T'Tauri transporter engulfed the Irregulars, and with phones and cameras pointing (mostly at Sean by this time) the Irregulars faded from view. Before the heroes were even fully materialized ont he great starship, pictures and video was flooding social media.

Within minutes the world, while not knowing who or what they were, knew for certain of the existence of the Irregulars.

 

Spoiler

you are all now on the Qeeg

 

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Charlie just stayed silent and still in the hug, with unshed tears. Then the tingle jolted him, and the flash. And now they were in... what looked like the kind of set for a sci-fi starship, except for all he knew, this was one. "I, ok. You promised, help, answers... well, start with the answers! Where am I, what was all that, what happened to me... You know!" Charlie burst out, giving Lily an arch look (and a fraction of a lookover).

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"Dude, you have super powers,"  Devin said quietly as every muscle in his body felt like it was still on fire.  The fires that were had burned away most of his clothing, leaving him with just enough to preserve what little modesty they all knew he lacked.  "Oh, and I have a terrible headache from helping these guys battle a giant, mutant killer whale off the coast of Cape Town... so could you please, stop yelling.  Reach down, feel the pair you have dangling, and try to get a grip so we can explain all this to you."

He caught the look-over Charlie gave Lilly and smirked.  "Yeah, I know, right?  Wait til workout day when she wears her really tight spand-"

Abel let go of Devin at that moment and with little strength of his own, Devin plopped to the floor with a loud 'thump'.  "He seems to be doing better," Abel said deadpan.

Devin groaned in pain.  "Ow."

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Charlies mind almost snapped when the aliens stepped into view.

"The captain apologizes but we were unable to disrupt the electrical communications in the region without disrupting the entire world. Do any of you need medical assistance." the tiny uniformed creature spoke perfect English as he gave a worried look at Avenger in Savant's arms. "Is Avenger going to be alright?"

Charlie was in the twilight zone. The alien spoke English, knew who these super powered humans were and called one of them Avenger. And his father was dead. It was too much.

Charlies eyes rolled up into the backs of his eye sockets and the world went dark.

When Charlie the new kid collapsed everyone just looked on in shock

Then Jaunt spoke, "I think he does."

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Abel sighed, and nodded.  "Captain if you would we'd like to take a look at Avenger, and check her out in your medical bay.   Something has happened, and Savant and I need to see about her condition immediately."  

He looked to Sean and nodded, then opened their own private channel.  <Sean I want to check on her mind, and I know she may not like it when she wakes.   I am asking your permission to do so, as you're her partner, and probably the only person she'd let make this call.  if you say no, I won't do it, but I think we need to, and this is something only I can do.>  

The concern in Abel's mental voice was evident, not just because she was comatose, but because of what happened to her.   <Perhaps the effects are only temporary, if so, maybe I can jump start her, but I don't know right this moment.  We need to pool our resources and run every scan they can on her, as well as our own.  At least then we've got a starting point.>

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Kia hurried to Charlie and hunkered down on her knees to take his pulse...or at least verify that he had one. She looked around, torn. Sara's predicament was horrible and concerning, but she didn't know what to do to help her. Charlie's problem was a bit more down to earth.

She carefully lifted the unconscious man up and asked, "Is there someplace with a bed I can take him? Infirmary or something? I mean...maybe even transport him back to Earth so he wakes up somewhere familiar?"

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And at this moment, the fainting spell was over, and Charlie's eyes opened. "Ok, still on the spaceship. Are there still aliens around?"

"Umm, yes?" Kia said, surprised at his quick recovery and putting him down lightly.

"Ok." Charlie said, looking at the cute girl hefting him like it was nothing. "So you can please start with the actual explaining?"

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"Uh...well, we have super powers. You have super powers now. This is an alien ship. They're friends who helped us defeat an invasion by other, bad aliens. Annnd...we've tried to keep it all secret." She gently set Charlie down on his feet.

"We're not actually sure what happened to your plane, or what the giant whale monster was. Sorry."

She paused, then said, "This would probably be easier if you started with asking questions. There's kind of a lot to sum up."

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"I have an idea about that," Jaunt said, getting to his feet and tossing Abel a bird, which he accepted with a dry smirk.  "Right before that whale appeared, Avenger was hit with something, hard.  Then the whale appeared right in the same spot, give or take, that Avenger was when she was struck.  Mutant whale appears right as she looses her powers and the whale was controlling weather patterns, just like Avenger does.  Shot in the dark, but something to consider: whatever hit Avenger, took her powers.  Those powers had nowhere to go and ended up in the whale.  The surge of quantum power slammed into the plane, imbuing drama king over there."

"And Christ dude, get a grip," Jaunt motioned to Charlie.  "Quit acting bitch made.  You're on an alien ship, you have super powers.  That's it.  He don't have a whole lot of time to sit and explain everything to you because one of our own took one for the team trying to save yours and three hundred other asses in that plane.  So sac up, learn as you go, listen as we talk, or go find an air lock, bro.  This isn't about you."

He sighed a bit, still in pain, geez, it even hurt to talk.  "Savant, let's get Avenger to the infirmary, I know where it is.  I've spent a lot of time on the ship."

"Since when?"  Savant asked.

"Since I'm the one of us that can get to it, and your sister hasn't had the time to return my calls."  He groaned back, sounding a bit more dickish than he attended.  "Thes eguys ar epretty cool, been teaching them how to play Poker and they're really big Rainbow Six fans..."

Vanguard chuckled.  "Wait, you've been throwing LAN party's on the Qeeg?"

"Hey, doing my part to keep up relations."  He smiled, or tried to.  She could tell he was in a ton of pain and trying macho up and hide it.  "Charlie, I'm Jaunt.  Come with us, we're gonna get you looked at while we make sure Avenger is alright.  We could send you home, dude, but really, 'weird' is your new standard of living, so you might as well hang out and steel your nuts to it.  Chimera, could you keep an eye, or several, on Chuck?  Make sure he doesn't panic us all to death."

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On 1/14/2018 at 10:44 AM, AWS ST said:

the tiny uniformed creature spoke perfect English as he gave a worried look at Avenger in Savant's arms. "Is Avenger going to be alright?"

"We'll see," Sean replied coolly with a slight tightening of her lips as she nodded towards Abel, acknowledging his request for the medical bay then gave Devin a grateful nod when he boasted of knowing the way. "Thanks, Jaunt. Lead the way. There might be something to what you said about Avenger and Super-Shamu, but cause and effect might be backward. Something caused the catastrophic failure of the plane, which isn't as simple as some might believe. And give me a shout when you all get around to Overwatch."

Laurie gave Devin a baleful glare as she fell in step with him on one side, Mari on his other. "Her sister is right here, you know! And trust me, there's nothing more I'd like to do than take your calls, but I can't give the greybeards in Washington an inch if I want them to take me seriously. Bitching for time with my boyfriend isn't to help." Her glare subsided and she chewed a lip as one of her arms floundered dithering between taking his hand or getting a shoulder under his arm before she settled on linking an arm with his as a pretext to give him some support. "You could visit me there too, y'know."

Sean softened Devin's brusqueness by giving Charlie a nod and small smile. The girl holding Charlie was cute. The one who had told him about his father was hot and fit. This woman was something else altogether, something out of a fantasy or comic book that left his mouth dry and his mind blank of any adjective or superlative adequate enough to describe her.

"Jaunt might be a little tactless about it," Sean commented, "but you do grow used it. It doesn't get easier, no, but you grow used to it. We'll tell you what we can, but at the moment, I have other priorities." She hefted the blond girl in her arms slightly. "As I'm sure you understand. But Vanguard and Chimera will give you the 4-1-1. Later Charlie, stay strong."

Leaving the bridge, Sean looked down at her girlfriend in her arms, at Sara - manifestly not Avenger. <I understand and appreciate the offer, Abel,> Sean replied directly to him over their unique channel. <But I don't think the need is critical as yet. You can scan for mental activity, to see if there is any - to see if she is merely unconscious or in some manner of coma - but no deeper, not at the moment, if you please? In her state, probing any deeper may have more of an effect on her than is prudent. Uncertainty Principle and Observer Effect and all that. But I will definitely keep it in mind if other analyses prove unfruitful.>

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The Irregulars gathered in the Qeeg's medical facility, a series of rooms and bays full of strange High-tech equipment and different sized beds that again looked like they came from a Hollywood sci fi move set, complete with monitor screens that showed in great detail what was going on with a patient.

Both Jaunt and Charlie were being looked over and checked out by alien doctors one a T'tauri, the other a species none of them had met before. The rest of the irregulars were gathered around a bed where Sara was lying unmoving.

The T'Tauri doctor had been examining her and her vitals were on display above the bed.

"Avenger is stable physically but her metabolic rates are low. I cant find any brain damage but she is in a coma and her brain activity is almost non existent. She is putting out zero quantum radiation, not even the normal amount that every material object generates. And well her MR Node is no longer functioning like the rest of you. It appears to have hardened into an unknown substance with a crystalline structure and it is absorbing quantum, but my scans can't determine where that quantum is going." He looks at Savant and Sage, "Thats all i can get with scans. I'll need to go invasive to make any further assessment of the node."

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Charlie wanted to snap at Jaunt that, well, his father was dead, you insensitive ass, but a long pause reminded him that his father was a womanizing asshole and thus had tacked on a measure of karma all the same. And besides, surrounded by attractive girls. Did super-powers make females have a baseline level of hotness? And true, super-powers, but turning into air wasn't much... wait...

It was true that Quantum-Enhanced Humans knew instinctively how to exercise their powers. It was also true that the previous state of freaking out in Charlie's conscious mind had interfered with those realizations. No longer.

He tapped the bed he was being examined on, and began to shift. Charlie went from a figure of flesh and blood to a figure of steel. He felt... stockier. More compact with power. He examined his stainless steel hand and shifted back. "Ok, I can get to like this more now."

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"Well, you'll not die," S'Hlora told Jaunt as she looked up at him as she replaced a sylus to whatever device she was using to scan him.  She was, by Earth standards, a nurse.  "Whatever you did, Jaunt of Earth, you've managed to induce severe damage to your muscle tissue, joints and ligaments are all showing signs of tear and minor burns.  You should recover, but until you do, I highly recommend you rest.  I've also requested more appropriate attire for you, those have, how do you say it on Earth... 'seen better days'?"

"Hey," he smiled.  Feeling a little better after she gave him something for the pain.  "Good job, you've been reading that book I got you?"

"I have, yes," she smiled at him, blinking her four eyes all at once.  "I admit, no offense, but I find your language very clumsy, but the stories you write are every interesting to read.  The character of Bella, however... she is very, how do you say... 'bland'?"

"Eh, go easy on her...," Devin shrugged.  "I mean the poor girl is basically stuck between a choice between necrophelia or beastiality.  It's obvious she has some serious issues."

"And these vampires and lycanthropes, they are like you?"  She asked.  "Are you more powerful than them?"

Devin laughed, shaking his head.  "Vampires and lycans aren't real.  They're myth."

"As were super beings, until a few months ago."  She smiled again and winked with her left eyes and walked off.

Devin turned to Laurie, and smirked.  "I think she wants me."

She rolled her eyes.  "I'd hit you, but you're already hurt."

Devin put his arm around her and moved in closer to her.  She flushed slightly, as he was missing his shirt and his pants were shredded displaying his Pikachu boxers.  "I'm grateful for your mercy.  By the way, I didn't come to visit you because they wouldn't let me see you.  Did you know you had a list of people the Presidents people hand picked and approved for visitation... and I was not on that list.  I considered jaunting in, but, I thought it might be wise to avoid any incidents that avoided me 'breaking into' the oval office, or where ever you were.  It's okay, I knew you were busy."

"Look at you, using that melon of yours," she mocked him in a snide voice, then kissed him on the cheek.  "I'm so proud of you.  I thought maybe we could, y'know, go on an actual date after all this.  Like you said earlier.  I mean, we pretty much had the dance and that was it... we've not really had time to talk about... y'know."

"Sex?" Devin blurted out.  "I mean, we could, but really that's something your parents should have already covered.  You see, when a man and a woman fall in lo-" His with was cut short by MArissa slapping him in the back of his head, Gibbs style.

"She means the two of you, dick wad," his sister was ever so eloquent.  "As in you haven't had the chance to discuss being a couple and if your compatible, and all the details.  Take something seriously for once."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you miss the part where I just helped save a plane full of people and defeat a mutant whale?  Did ya?"  He cocked his head to mock his sister with his inquiry.  "Cuz that's my day to day now, oh sister of mine, get on my level pleb."

"Yeah, I saw,"  She said calmly, not riled up by his antics.  "I saw you acting like a retard, doing retarded things without thinking and almost killing yourself before the monster could do it for you. You were reckless out there De-"  She caught herself and looked over to Charlie sitting on the table, looking all steel-like and resigned herself to use his code name.  She rolled her eyes and sighed.  "Jaunt, turbo-gay name by the way.  You're the only brother I have and I was scared to death that you weren't coming home tonight.  I get it, you were being the hero, but weren't thinking of anyone else but yourself."  She walked off away from the medical bed so Devin and Laurie could have some time together.  "I'll let you think on that for a bit, pleb."

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She approached the new guy, Charlie, while the Doctor alien dude was looking him over.  Once he became steel a whole new battery of tests began, including the doctor 'plincking' him a few times with a flick of his finger to make a 'tink' sound.  So much for the scientific method.  Charlie saw her approaching and added one more 'hot chick' to his list.  Did they grow on trees in space or something?

"Hey," Marissa said, offering him a charming smile.  "Look, I know this is all weird, I just found out about all this like ten minutes before you did.  I'm a little overwhelmed too.  So, if you need to talk or anything, my name's," She paused for a moment.  Everyone used code names and she wondered if there was some sort of standard or rule around here that she wasn't aware of.  Erring on the side of caution she decided on her own code name.  "'Tease', because I mess with people's heads.  You know, tease them.  Jaunt, is my brother, twin brother, actually.  I heard what you said when you were freaking out, about wanting to know everything from the beginning... but, this is the beginning.  Your beginning.  Jaunt, me, Chimera... none of their stories are gonna help you, Charlie.  From this point on it's up to you to write your own.  Sometimes, things just are, and no one knows why."

She flicked his cheek with her finger.  Her glossy finger nail 'tinked' on his metal surface.  "Wow.  Pretty cool by the way."

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"Thank-you for your time and diagnosis, Dr. Mek'koi," Sean replied calmly, her face smooth as she looked down at Sara, standing close to her side. The cool, clinical part of her mind urged her to agree to the procedure, to study the aberrant response of Sara's node, as it could affect them all, the Irregulars and other Keys, but the more tender part of her couldn't be so cavalier when it was her girlfriend and her health. She twined Sara's limp fingers with her own.

"But I would prefer we avoid anything invasive for the moment, instead resorting to observation. She doesn't seem to be in immediate danger and Quantum Enhanced Individuals seem to universally possess extreme recuperative abilities. The crystalline structure may be acting as some manner of scar as she recovers. If her vitals destabilize, we can resort to more drastic measures." She nodded at Abel, giving him a brief smile. "Including yours, Abel. In the meantime,  I'll remain and monitor her, until my presence is absolutely required elsewhere. I believe I understand your medical devices well enough if you have other duties to attend to."

With casual strength, Sean pulled over a cylindrical plinth made of what appeared to be ceramic, but when she sat down on it and crossed her legs, its surface shaped itself to her exquisite contours. Sara's node was still absorbing quantum energy, even if what it was doing with was still unknown, but the personal quantum fields of Keys had a distinct interaction on other Keys, hence one of the reasons they could often sense their presence. Hopefully, Sean's own proximity, as well as mental and audible voice would have a positive impact on Sara's condition. There was plenty of anecdotal and empirical that the presence, touch, and voice of loved ones could help those in a coma.

She bent her thoughts to considering all the disparate facts she knew about quantum enhanced individuals, quantum mechanics, biology, every report and study she had read as part of Guardian Shield, every conversation she had had with Pandora about the phenomena of being like Pandora and her kindred and what the Irregulars were becoming. Her thoughts branched down multitudes of paths and hypotheses, endless permutations, trying to find the one that would reveal what was actually happening to Sara and whether she was in actual danger or not.

Sean snorted wryly, a minute amount of attention noticing Charlie starting exploring his new capabilities and Marissa went over to talk with him. "The new guy seems to be adapting, despite his rough introduction to the fantastic, Sara," Sean said softly. "Then again, it could be the abundance of eye-candy distracting him. So, I was thinking, the next place I'd like to see... Pandora."

Savant straightened on her impromptu seat, growing slightly taut as she cast out her mental thoughts... elsewhere. <Pandora. Apollo. Could I have a moment of your time? Something has... afflicted Sara, and I want to know if you've ever heard of anything like it before and whether Sara is in danger and if - what we can do about it.>

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"Yeah, better than having powers that looked rather silly during the plane... event." Charlie agreed.

"What do you mean?" Tease asked, confused.

"I mean when the plane flung everyone around, apparently I was thrown out and that's when I first changed. Into the air, becoming air... I mean, if it were just that, I would have been stuck with the power to become literally full of hot air."

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Meanwhile...elsewhere...

The Waldorff-Astoria Hotel in New York, a 5 star lodging for the elite, the upper crust. It was well known for its service-at-any-cost business model. The concierge was busy filling out some forms when his phone rang. And for a moment he hesitated. His eyes roved over the panel on the front to find the room number. His heart sank.

"Yes?" the young man asked after picking it up. This wasn't the first...eccentric...client he'd had to deal with since working the concierge desk. But there was something different about her. Something he couldn't quite pin down. She was a little scary for some reason.

Okay, maybe a lot.

"PISSBOY!" came the shout. Then, at a much more reasonable volume, "Hey. Hey listen. Listen. I need network cable. Like...fifty feet. No. FUCK NO. Yards. Fifty yards. Cat five is fine. More tools. Like, not this shit you brought up last time. Real fucking tools! Soldering iron! And...adjustable...this fucking wrench is bullshit. It needs the little wheel thing!"

The concierge struggled to keep his tone neutral and deferential. "I'll be happy to get you some different, ah, tools, miss. The soldering iron may be a problem, as there is a policy on fire hazards..."

"FUCK YOUR POLICY. FUCK YOUR PROBLEM. I NEED..."

"...but I'd be happy to provide you with staff to handle any soldering issue you may have?"

There was an ominous pause.

"So wait, you have guys who can solder my shit?"

He nodded, then realized she couldn't see it and quickly added, "Yes. Yes we do."

"Awesome, that's way better. I've got like a TON of stuff to do, AIN'T NO ONE GOT TIME TO SOLDER, BOOOOOOYYYYY."

The concierge managed not to heave a relieved sigh into the receiver. "All right, so...an adjustable wrench, and I'll open a service request with technical about your soldering needs. Will that be all?" No sooner than he'd asked, on sheer habit, than he winced.

"Sandwich," was the immediate reply. Then, "Three sandwiches. Meat. Cheese. Don't care what kind. Milkshake. Sixpack of Mountain Dew." Her voice trailed off, and the concierge could hardly believe he was getting off so easy. Then...

"Do you know what time it is?"

He glanced at his watch, "It's..."

"TIME TO DO THE DEW MOTHERFUCKER! DO! THE! DEW! BRING IT TO ME, PISSBOY! BRING ME THE PISS!" Then there was just laughter. And then she hung up.

 

He brought up the sandwiches and sodas on a little wheeled cart, and turned down the offer from one of the servers to take it up. He wasn't going to subject anyone else to her. As concierge, dealing with this sort of thing was his job. For anyone else...well...the potential for some kind of lawsuit on the hotel for unsafe work environments wasn't entirely off the table.

The door opened halfway through his second knock. The occupant of Room 1705 was a young woman, hair dyed a tangle of red and violet, with pale complexion and skinny figure. Which was puzzling considering how much she ATE. And all through room service. This endeared her to the management, earning her 'high performing guest' status. And the concierge was actually happy about it too, because it meant she wasn't prowling through the restaurants or halls constantly. She was dressed in a black T-shirt that had a pirate flag skull on it, and a pair of shorts.

When the door opened, her eyes were wide and full of wrath. Then she sniffed and looked down, said "Oh yeah. Pissboy. Get it in here," and walked away from the door into the suite.

He followed her in, wheeling the cart in front of him. For some reason he felt like it might present some kind of meager barrier if she decided to suddenly charge and stab him. She'd never been actually violent before, but...something in her eyes, or in the indecipherable spin of her emotions, made him feel like she was constantly on the brink of it.

The room was a disaster.

There were parts of the walls, and one spot in the ceiling, where she'd apparently cut through the drywall and fished cables out. She'd then spliced them to other cables, or to each other, making long snaky tendrils that looped and twined along the floor and up and down to the ceiling. His eyes bugged, his mouth fell open. "What..."

"Shh. News. Oh this? Needed faster internet."

"We HAVE high speed..."

"SHUT IT!"

And the concierge's mouth snapped shut. It was hard to explain. He'd tried once, in the staff room. It was like, when you were in the room with her, you felt overwhelmed. Everything she said, and did, kind of filled your eyes and ears until it was hard to think of anything else.

The guest. Octavia Dee, waved at the screen. Well, no...screens. She'd demanded two more flatscreens...yesterday? Two days ago? They were starting to blur together. Each one showed a different channel. Footage of crazy stuff, people flying around or something. A movie? She'd said it was news though. God when was the last time he'd watched news?

Octavia was swaying slightly, giggling as she watched the goings on. Then she singsonged, "But I won't cry for yesterday, there's an ordinary world, somehow I have to fiiiiind..." Then she looked at the concierge, the kind of sudden switch of attention one saw in a cat reacting to an unfamiliar sound.

He felt himself cringe, felt a flush of hot shame in the pit of his stomach. Why was she getting to him like this?

"They're going public, looks like. Part of it at least. There was a time that woulda pissed me off, you know? I'd have been like GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!! They saved a plane or a city or some fucking thing JUST TO SPITE ME! And I'd probably start pissing and moaning about having dumped those 90210 fuckwads I sort of recruited back when...is this boring?"

"What?!" the concierge blurted, alarmed.

"This is boring," she concluded. "I'm boring myself. YOU LET ME BORE ME HOW DARE YOU..." Octavia burst into laughter. "Just fucking with you. I'm not mad. These kids...they got no vision, right? All the power, but no vision. What are they going to DO with it? Fuckall. That's not just, but who fucking CARES about what's just! You don't roll down a hill by standing at the top and BITCHING. You have to fucking THROW yourself off the edge! You have to TUCK AND ROLL, SON!"

He found himself closing his eyes, trying to tune her out. Trying to keep the mental image of himself hurling himself off a hilltop from taking shape, from seeming like a wise and good thing to do. When he opened his eyes, she was close. Like really close.

"Hey," she said. Sometimes she sounded normal. Conversational. That was almost worse than the rants. "Hey, I need to borrow you for a second. Will those sandwiches keep? Like...for...fuck, I don't know. An hour? Maybe two, tops."

His throat locked for a second. Borrow him for an hour or two? "I...uh...of course. They might be room temperature by then, not the best flavor, but..."

"Fuck flavor. Do you know what flavor is?"

The concierge hesitated, trying to work out what she meant.

"DO YOU KNOW?!"

He shook his head frantically.

Immediately her flash of fury subsided. "It's just the body telling you something's not spoiled. Because the body is a stupid fucking thing that still believes the brain exists just to keep it out of trouble. Is that what you believe?"

Hesitantly the concierge shook his head again. She was getting closer now. Too close. Her eyes were too wide. Laughing silently at a joke only she was in on.

"Well. Maybe it's right about your brain. But not mine."

"Not mine."

 

The concierge emerged from her room, wheeling the cart ahead of him, now empty. His pace was quickened. He had, like, a TON of shit to do tonight. Not nearly enough time to tell anyone about the stuff in her...room? Eh, not important to do that. Other things to do. He'd need the car. No, a van. They had a van? FUCK YES. He felt a surge of elation ram through him, hot and primal. Pizza. He could bring some back. With the other shit. Images of electronic parts rotated in his mind's eye...where had he seen those before? Why did he even know what they were? Didn't matter! TOO MUCH TO DO.

As he hurried down the hall he started singing to himself, "...and as I try to make my way, to the ordinary world, I will learn to surviiiiive..."

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Jaunt tried to take a few steps and almost collapsed, clutching his side and wincing in pain.  Laurie helped him from falling over.  For the first real moment the rest of the Irregulars realized that Jaunt wasn't playing around, he was legitimately injured and was feeling it.  Granted, it was his fault, but he did it with for the right reasons, more or less, so there was some sympathy to be had.  "Alright, Irregualrs, listen up..."  His voice was weak and strained from pain.

"Chimera," He looked to her and as always offered up a glowing smile and a 'yeah boss?!' hop to her step showing she was paying attention.  "Hit the ocean.  We need you to salvage any sort of DNA you can off that thing.  It'll be gross, but... well, you're kinda gross, in a beautiful way.  Sage and Savant will coordinate with you on where it is and what they need.  Then dispose of it, like seriously.  Consume it, drop it down a trench, launch it into space... I don't care just make sure so ass hat agency can Lex Luthor that thing and Doomsday our asses with it later."

"Points for movie reference," the perky Asian nightmare queen smiled and fist bumped him.  "Nice."

"Savant, Sage," he looked to the two of them.  "We need intel.  The plane, the event, the monster.  Everything.  If that monster existed before today then I want to know how, why, when, next of kin, credit history, what arm is wiped it's blow hole with.  Everything.  Once you are done I want three reports.  One for us.  One for the Qeeg, and one for our friends back home in Overwatch.  Network, let them help us find out what happened.  Surely Captain K'Irk will get us the data the Qeeg recorded during the battle.  Once you're done, you'll brief us what you've found."

"But," Savant motioned to Sara.  "I was going to help Sara by getting Pandora to see if she can help her.  I need to be with Av-"

"No, you don't need to be with Avenger, Savant.  You're emotionally involved, which why I'm separating you.  Your mind is needed elsewhere, not huddled over a bed staring goolgy eyed at your girlfriend.  We have work to do."  Jaunt was harsh, Savant was used to it, but it didn't make her not want to slap him any less.  He sighed and continued.  "We will get help for her.  But right now I need you working with Sage and Chimera."

"Once I get her-"

"It's not up for debate, Savant!"  He rose his voice and for the briefest of moments Sean remembered Devin the bully from school.  For the glimmer of a second her confidence was shattered.  "The world and it's people come first.  One Avenger.  Seven point six billion people down there!  Trust me, if it were your sister on that bed, I'd have the hardest time not wanting to hang out and find answers.  Avenger would want us fawning over her and hangin around whining.  She's want us to find the person responsible for all of this and feed him or her a boot to the face via their ass.  I'm not asking you to walk away from her, I'm telling you that there is a team still standing that needs your mind  focused on the problems we can deal with while Pandora handles the problems we can't."

She folded her arms under her PFDs and they elevated slightly.  "Fine,"  she glared at him with the devil's malice in her eyes.  Oh, there would be fall out later, but for now...

"Thank you.  I knew I could count on you."  He patted her shoulder with a proud curl in his lips.  "Vanguard.  Return to Overwatch and tell them what's going on but remind them that it didn't happen on American soil, so fuck them, it's none of their business.  They're in the loop as a courtesy." He smiled wide.  "Since you have, 'contacts' there," he meant her dad, but with Charlie sitting over there he didn't want to put to much of their personal information out here until they could trust him.  "Speak with the Colonel and all the other muck-a-mucks and play diplomat for a day, smooth things over."

"Have fun with that girl friend." Laurie said with a sarcastic tone of 'bout time someone can feel my pain for awhile'.

"Oracle."  Jaunt said and everyone got a strange look and sort of looked around for the invisible team member he was addressing.  He sighed and looked to Laurie.  "Oracle."

He eye brows popped up past her hairline and she pointed to herself with her free hand, the one not refusing to let go of Devin despite him not appearing to need any assistance with standing.  "Me?  I'm Oracle?  I just got code named!?"  Her  excitement was apparent.  She played a cool game of level headed girlfriend, but she was still fifteen and geeking about about all the cool things going on in her life, when the hours weren't killing her slowly.

"You're our eyes and ears up here, girl.  You got this.  The Captain likes you, he's always been an ally, and he's got the best and hottest damn ginger on the planet getting his back.  Not to mention, you got our back.  You know things before we do, what with all the tech up here.  Keep in communication with all of us, let us know what's going or monitor the planet for more irregularities."

She pursed her lips in a tight straight line and offered him a mock salute.  "Aye, aye."

"So," Vangaurd asked, folding her arms and giving Jaunt a disapproving glare.  "You just sit around and bark orders now?"

"Fair question," Jaunt said, wincing again.  Talking was starting to hurt.  Gods, how could talking hurt?  "Guys, I'm of no use to any of you right now.  I'm injured and I'd only slow you down.  I need time to rest and heal up, but that doesn't mean I need to be useless.  I can still facilitate mass transit for everyone as well as correlate and coordinate information about where everyone is in handling their business.  Keep us all on the same while miles apart.  I mean, this is what we talked about right?  Doing things on our own?  Our own base, or own rules, our own terms, right?  Let's show Overwatch we can do this.  We're capable of taking care of the world, guys, I know it.  We got the ball, let's run with it."

"And Avenger?" Savant asked with an icy tone.  She was still pissed at him, probably would be for awhile.  "How do we get her to Pandora, Mien Fuhrer?"

Jaunt cocked his head at her like' seriously', "Oh, cute, real cute... very mat-"

"We'll take her!"  Tease hopped up, raising her hand.  "Charles and I can do it.  You have a ton of stuff going on so let us help out.  Being back on Earth might help Charlie cope a little bit, and it'll give us time to chat away from all the weirdness that is... you." she offered a blanket gesture to the entire group.

"You sure?"  Jaunt asked.  "I mean, this guy when psycho propane cocaine crazy and fainted just a few minutes ago.  He's not really pushing a strong argument for testicular fortitude.  I'm not happy with my sister being involved in all this."

"And I'm not happy with seeing my brother run off and almost die," she said flatly with a hint of growing compassion in her voice.  "But I get now why he does it.  Why all of you do it: because you're the only ones who can.  I get it.  You guys were amazing today, like seriously amazing.  So, come on, let us help.  Charlie and I will get Avenger to this, Pandora lady."

Jaunt took a deep breath and choked back the pain it caused him.  He had planned on doing it himself behind everyone's back just so he could feel useful.  "Fine, Tease," he finally conceded.  "Turbo-gay name by the way, will handle the Avenger issue.  Charles.  I'm trusting you with my sister.  Shit has a bad habit of going sideways around us enhanced, so she better come back in exactly the same condition she's in now.  If you have a stainless steel pair under all that fainting and whining, now's the time to make em' clank."

After a long silence Jaunt finally looked at everyone and gave them a wide eyes sarcastic look.  He waved them all away.  "What?  You all have your tasks... go on, get out of here... go... get out of my face."

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Despite the jarring manner with which Devin spoke to them all, Abel found himself going along.   Someone did have to take the lead or they would never move forward.  He moved to take Sean's free hand.  "Come on Savant, we've work to do.  IF you and I cannot unravel these mysteries no one can.   The sooner we know what happened, the Sooner we can Help Avenger.  Nothing will come from us worrying over her."

He looked to Kia and gave her a  knowing smile.  "We need to get you back down there  quickly, before all the authorities show up.  We should work with the Captain to set that up and your retrieval with whatever remains you can find.  Like Jaunt, I'd rather have all of them, so that we don't leave anything for other entities to get as research materials."

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