[Fiction] Echoes of Thunder

[z-Sean McCline]

"It's not Wakinyan, Silvertalon," Sean said, feeling his heart sink. He's given bad news before, but it never got easier. "This is Sean McCline, of the Knights. I'm calling with bad news, and I'm sorry to have to be the one to give it."

Still no answer, and Sean quickly checked the number again. It was right. "Hello? Is this Silvertalon?"

There was more silence, and he added, "We met in Vegas - briefly. I sang on stage - Nickleback's Animal?" Sean almost sang a line, and stopped himself. Inappropriate. And also - awkward! "I have red hair, and green and black eyes?" Smooth, Sean. Now you sound like a personal.

[Silvertalon]

"It's not Wakinyan, Silvertalon,"

Silvertalons ears slowly flattened back upon her head as she listened careful to the strangers tone and voice wondering more so whom it is.

"This is Sean McCline, of the Knights. I'm calling with bad news, and I'm sorry to have to be the one to give it."

"Hello? Is this Silvertalon?"

"We met in Vegas - briefly. I sang on stage - Nickleback's Animal?" Sean almost sang a line. "I have red hair, and green and black eyes?"

A soft chuckle escapes her as she tilts her head slightly to the side finding his last reply amusing.

“Ah..... That strange human back in vegas with the red hair and green and black eyes. Yes.. I do recall such a man. Although it would be only in passing I have seen you....” A soft growl wells with in her chest some what annoyed she was awoken by a complete stranger. She listens closely to his breathing over the phone and the tone of his voice trying to determine is motive, “So... Knights you say..... What ever that is, what is your message Sean McCline?”

[z-Sean McCline]

Strange human... lady, you need to get out more, Sean grumped to himself, knowing that he was just trying to distract himself. Because now, he had to tell her the bad news.

"Yes, the Windy City Knights, the municipal defenders in Chicago," he said. "But I'm acting more unoffically today. I just came from your and Ptesan-Wi's... and Wakinyan's cave. Ptesan-Wi isn't there, because I had her moved." Damn it, just say it!

"I moved her because Wakinyan was killed just thirty minutes or so ago, and I was protecting her. If you'd like, we can move you into protective custody, too, though I suspect that you're fully capable of taking care of yourself." Wincing at his words, Sean waited for her reaction.

[Silvertalon]

Silvertalons ears flicker slightly as she listens closely to his words, she can tell he seams distracted and uncomfortable with what he was about to speak. Her long tail swayed back and forth waiting for him to get to the point and yet carefully she listened to closely.

"Moved Ptesan-Wi?"

"Why? What happened to...."

"I moved her because Wakinyan was killed just thirty minutes or so ago, and I was protecting her. If you'd like, we can move you into protective custody, too, though I suspect that you're fully capable of taking care of yourself." Sean McCline replys.

A long silence follows soon after Sean told her that her mate was dead. She sat stunned for a few long moments in shock having a hard time in trusting words of a stranger so openly. A deep inhuman growl begins to well with in her becoming loud enough for Sean to hear very clearly.

"Sean....." Her voice seams cold and devoid of emotion. "This... Better not be a prank for your own sake..."

A few long moments pass as that growl slowly lowers in tone. A deep breath comes across as she seams to collect herself. A part of her feels what this person is saying is true, strangely something seams wrong. Yet another part has a hard time accepting what he has said to be true. Her eyes close for a moment as she tilts her head to the side and speaks softly.

"How do I know what you say is true? Wakinyan isn't one to be beaten so easily and so quickly." Her growl slowly returns, "If you have Ptesan-Wi against her will, nothing would us from taking her back from you.." a snarl comes across the line clearly indicating she is clearly not amused. She doesn't believe him and at the moment is having a hard time trusting his word thus far until he can provide proof.

Quickly the Com is muted as she gives a few commands she learned a while ago the device goes to work in attempt to track if not recover a phone number she can use to track the caller.

A long silence falls allowing Sean to speak...

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

Codex was properly grateful for her cyberkinetic gifts when an alert on her OpMail informed her someone was trying to call Samhra directly. When she checked the number, it appeared to be a Chicago one: the Knights then, seeing as her aunt had done some work.

The young woman flicked back blonde hair (she'd dropped the brunette) and diverted the call with a thought, picking it up.

"Samhra here. This would be about the big beam of light on the Lakota rez, right?"

Her voice was a perfect facsimile of Samhra's last recorded vocalisation.

[z-Sean McCline]

"Silvertalon... dear god, I'd never make a joke like this," Sean said, fighting both anger and guilt. "No, Wakinyan isn't easily beaten, but... this wasn't another nova, it was some kind of weapon, something that shot him from above. But he is dead; I saw him, and I tried to heal him. I'm sorry, Silvertalon - you have my condolences.”

His phone beeped, letting him know she was tracking the number. Well someone was trying to track it, and Sean was guessing that it was her. If it was her, then she could have his number. She might need it in the days to come. “Ptesan-Wi was removed for her own safety, and she was unconscious, probably backlash from Wakinyan's death. I'm not kidnapping her; she can go back when she wakes up, if she requests it. I don't feel it's safe, but it would be her choice. But she's out cold right now, and I’m being super paranoid and assuming that this is an assassination attempt against all the novas associated with the Lakota, so you may be a target as well. Would you like us to evacuate you from your position?”

[Cade]

"Yes. Wakinyan has been killed and his wife Ptesan-wi has gone into Psychic shock. You're one of the best telepaths around and you've been requested by the Man onsite by name. Are you available to aid on this?"

He reads the printout of where Sean's locator was at the moment.

"If so, give me your location and I can transport you directly to where Ptesan-wi and the others are."

[Lou Anne Burgess]

While Sean was futzing with his phone - the door bell rang. “Well, I’m going to make some tea, does anyone want anything while I’m downstairs? Of course anyone that would like to accompany me downstairs is welcome.” Hurrying downstairs, but expecting no one to come with her, Lou Anne arrived at the door to find Virgil, one of the NRT Novas. “Hi Virgil, come in. Can I get you tea or coffee?”

“Coffee please, Preston and Selena are driving over, so they’ll be a little while.”

“Okay, thanks Virgil.” Lou Anne walked towards the kitchen. “Um, I think that the hallway upstairs appears to be the um, designated meeting place. Go figure.” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “Falling Star is in the guest bedroom up there. I’ll bring your coffee.”

Virgil headed upstairs, a momentary frown crossed his face as he wondered who the hell Falling Star was. He shook his head, he’d find out.

Lou Anne went into the kitchen preparing coffee and tea. Since she had time while the water got hot, she used her portable to check the Nprime! Forums, she dashed off a quick private message in reference to a question someone had asked and the back door opened. Rachel came into the kitchen smelling of her greenhouse. She looked hot and tired, but stopped when she saw Lou Anne standing by the brewing coffee pot. “You’re using the coffee pot, company’s coming?”

“Uh, company’s here actually. Oh, you haven’t heard the news yet.” Lou Anne looked at her watch. “Is that it?” She looked surprised. “Wakinyan was killed about forty five minutes ago. Falling Star is upstairs in one of the guest bedrooms, ...” Lou Anne ran through the litany of Novas either here or on the way, Rachel looked as if she had just been run. “Oh, and so far, we’re all meeting in the upstairs hallway.”

Rachel closed her eyes. “I’m going to get a shower.” Let me know when it’s safe to come out. With that Rachel left the kitchen. She ascended the staircase and surveyed the motley crew hanging out in the hallway. While she normally wouldn’t mind the company, she didn’t like having her home, particularly the upstairs, invaded. She motioned to Sean to cover the mouthpiece on his phone if he didn’t want what she was about to say transmitted. She gave him a moment and addressed the group.

“Sorry if I'm usurping someone’s position as the bitchy red head here, but this isn’t a hospital hallway. This is our home. Would you please move to the Living Room or that guest room,” she pointed irritably to one across the hall from where Sean had taken Ptesan-Wi. “Otherwise, when I come back from my shower, I may treat you all as proxies for the students I always want to cuss out for blocking traffic in hallways at the University; and if Lou Anne has a patient resting, that wouldn’t be good for her rest.” With that, Rachel made her way through the crowd with practiced ease.

A few minutes later, Lou Anne arrived with a coffee and tea service.

[OOC: Unless the doorbell rings again, in which case it's the coffee, tea and new arrival(s). And please let me know where Lou Anne's arriving if anyone feels inspired to move. If no one says otherwise, I'll assume still the hallway but the coffee/tea will probably go into the guest room Rachel motioned towards.]

[Silvertalon]

The deep growl begins to slowly fade as Sean explains to her what has happened. A part of her still refuses to believe him but another part beings to ponder on the fact what he says could be true. In his voice, the sounds and tones she picks up while he speaks. The anger, frustration, sorrow and sadness so many mixed emotions she knows all to well. Slowly her gaze looks turns towards the direction of home as her wings spread and she takes flight. The sound of a wing flaps over the phone is a clear indication she is on the move.

The com, beeps a few times as she obtains Sean's number, along with a quick check of whom owns the phone number. As everything Sean McCline has said has thus been true as the phone number provided enough proof for the moment. The com saves the information as it switches to the other lines status as she checks it.

--Wakiyan-- No Answer -- Trying to Connect -- Attempt 6 of 10.--

"Sean......"

"Where is he?..."

Her voice comes softly over the com, some what distant. As the sound of her wings can be heard beating in the back ground as her pace quickens. Sean's best guess is she would be heading home as quickly as she could or if he gives her the information she'd head directly to the place of her mates death.

[Iron Rose]

Rianna quietly makes her way downstairs and takes a seat on a couch. She's a guest in this house after all, and there's little she can do to help Thoughtwave at the moment in her current state.

[z-Sean McCline]

Sean tried to keep his expression neutral at Rachel's speech, but he was nearing the end of his patience. I guess the fact that we were invited her in the middle of a crisis doesn't count for shit, he snarked to himself. A quick head count showed him that Ptesan-Wi was alone with the guy who'd just come up the stairs, which wasn't cool. So he opted to duck into the room, watching the stranger - who, naturally, pinged as a nova.

"Silvertalon, I'll tell you, but before you go, I want to tell you it's not pretty," Sean warned, rubbing his forehead with a frown. "He's... I'm not sure you want to remember him like that. But if you must go, he's at Wounded Knee, in South Dakota. Do you know where that is?"

All the while, he kept a sharp eye on the man; seeing the stare the man was giving him, Sean snapped out his Knights badge, holding it aloft to show who he was.

[Lou Anne Burgess]

Virgil brought out his Boston Police Department and Boston Nova Response Team badges to identify himself. Reading the look of suspicion on Sean's face he explained. "Sorry, I was just finding out for sure who Falling Star was. You can call me Virgil."

He stepped back out of the room into the hallway waiting for Sean.

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

"Of course I am." The Project would love a first-person opinion on everything that mattered. So would certain other parties.

Tawny assumed the shape of her aunt, as last seen, just before the portal opened.

[Cade]

"Alright then I'll let the others know. Your portal should be open now. Good luck." He switched over to Sean. "She's on her way through a portal that should be opening up next to you. Tell her to come by Headquarters when you're done, We're going to need her here I think. I have some questions besides."

He hung up the phone and turned back to his own crisis. "Really Sean, we have our own problems here and you're off playing gallant knight to the widow of a nova We all wanted to Kill with our own hands. It's enough to make even me gag."

he switches modes quickly and first calls Access to pinpoint the "orbital weapon" in question. He then calls on Amped and Vali to assign them emergency patrol routes for the city. He then dials Clark to make sure she's alright and offer a portal into the control room for the tower. After setting all of his fellow Knights to their duties he himself converts his Eufiber into the Knight's duty uniform and makes his way to the roof and takes to the sky on his own patrol of the city. "Let's just hope that whomever did this can't track them to where they all went. Or further more, that they won't just start raining death on all of us. He waited uneasily for Acess's report so that something could be done.

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

The woman who stepped through the portal once Cade left was not the familiar amber-eyed, golden-skinned Samhra. The illusion shimmered and fractured to reveal a female with similar features to the way Samhra had once looked, her eyes a darker blue verging on navy and her hair a striking tawny-blonde. She wore a white t-shirt and jeans, walking without a limp, absolutely stunning in her beauty despite the plain attire.

"Before you take offence at this, Mr. McCline, I'd like to point out that one of my colleagues is a red-haired lady with a French last name who's in very bad odour with the Project," she said softly. "I hold the Project responsible for what happened to my aunt, much as I do the Teragen."

Tawny March, the new Codex, faced the green-and-black eyes of the leader of the Knights squarely. There was something in her of Regan, hauntingly familiar to those who knew the Terat nova, as she spoke again.

"I've been keeping track of my aunt's communications since she vanished. The Project knows I've come to investigate, but they don't know how I got here. You can take offence and kick my ass, or kiss any chance of helping Ptesan-Wi goodbye. My abilities are nigh-identical to my aunt's."

[Silvertalon]

"Sean, I have a hard time trusting novas, let alone humans..." She softly sighs, "I have been tricked a few times before I need to see for myself I hope you understand. But I will consider your advice."

"Yes, I do know that place... I should be there shortly."

The land below Silvertalon quickly passes by in a blur traveling at top speed, with in a few moments she has already entered wakinyans territory as the forest below wavers slightly in her passing. A few moments pass before her com starts to act strangely the sound of static starts to come across the line, as her words and Sean's begins to break up. Soon the line goes dead as the com turns itself off.

A few more minutes pass before she comes to a sudden halt, causing a sonic boom above Wounded Knee. Her senses quickly adjust to the space she is in. The smell of burnt wood, pants, earth and burnt flesh from many animals that happen to fall prey to the vicious attack. Her eyes are the second sense to take in the level of destruction as the area with in a good mile or so is laid to waist. The smoke, rubble and black baked earth screams out in pain. As her eyes travel towards the center of the blast area, she can see people and novas alike gathering. Her ears catch the sounds of choppers in the distance as she slowly flys towards the crowed that seams to be interested in what lays on the ground.

A few moments is all it takes for her to reach the area as she lands gently upon the ground. A few cops move in front of her to bar the way telling her to turn back. Her nose twitches catching the scent of wakinyan close, a low growl escapes her lips as she turns to the two men standing in front of her. As she looks at them for a few long moments glaring in such a way one seams to piss his pants on the spot. The other backs away slowly pulling his partner to the side, as she continues to move forward ignoring the other warnings and or protests.

It is only a few moments before she see's the fate of what has happened to her mate.........

[Iron Rose]

Rianna felt the opening of a warpgate and focused her senses on it. It was upstairs, in the same room where Ptesan-wi was now laying. She hears the newcomers introduction shoots up from the couch onto her feet. She ascends the stairs and opens the door into the room, her emerald eyes blazing. "OK you come in here telling us you're not who we wanted and say we have no chance other than you? Would you like to see how fast I can have the Top DeVries Elite telepath here instead of some wannabe? They'll do one hell of alot better job and they guarantee the work."

"You aren't going anywhere near my little sister girl. I say we punt her back through a portal and get a professional. At least with them, they are who they say they are."

[Lou Anne Burgess]

Lou Anne was coming from the kitchen with the tea and coffee when she heard the accented voice speaking from upstairs. “...You can take offence and kick my ass, or kiss any chance of helping Ptesan-Wi goodbye. My abilities are nigh-identical to my aunt's.” She stopped just short of the stairs when she heard Rianna rise to her feet and rush for the stairway, then followed the enraged woman up the stair case. “OK you come in here telling us you're not who we wanted...” Lou Anne opened the door to the bedroom across from where the confrontation was taking place and placed the trays on the dresser. “...At least with them, they are who they say they are."

Lou Anne walked back to the hallway and looked at Virgil, the set of his face confirmed that she had not imagined the litany of crimes that the strikingly beautiful, but apparently airheaded new arrival had just confessed to. She spoke quietly so as not to disturb her patient. “First, could we please move any arguments out of Falling Star’s room? I don’t want us to add to whatever torment she may be in?” She turned her attention to the new arrival. “Secondly, young lady, if you make more threats against my patient, or our ward, I may forget that you were apparently invited here by someone else who’s helping to protect Falling Star. If that happens, I'll be looking to have you either removed or arrested depending on just how offensive you become. I’m sure you’ve already said more than enough to warrant a cell with a constant Mox Drip.”

“On to less volatile things, there’s coffee and tea in the next room if anyone would like to collect themselves before we continue.” She looked at Sean waiting to see which way he jumped. He had been focused on Falling Star’s safety all day through both his raving and lucid periods. She wasn’t sure what to make of the new arrival, but the apparent duplicity and her contemptuous attitude didn’t predispose Lou Anne to trust her at all.

[z-Sean McCline]

"Let's quick fucking around here," Sean said softly, his voice low as he tucked away his phone. But there was no mistaking the anger that trembled in his voice like a scalding ribbon of hot air. "Next room. Everyone." He pointed at Virgil. "Except you. You stay here and watch Ptesan-Wi." He realized he was bossing the Boston police around, and added, "If you would, please."

His unnatural, hard eyes took in everyone else as he finished with, "We need to talk."

[Neil Preston]

Meanwhile, back in South Dakota ...

Neil came running up to the cave mouth full tilt. He had been running for several kilometers like this, fear eating at his heart and dread driving him on. There was no reaching anyone he knew in the area. Wakinyan was Not in Service Area, WhiteElk was mysteriously not taking any calls right now, and Ptesan-Wi was most ominiously silent.

To the west, beyond the peak, the world was wounded and angry ... and seemingly getting angier by the moment. The leather flap that warded the entrance was flung aside and Neil called out.

"Ptesan-Wi! Its Neil ... "

There was no sign of linger life here. Even the rodents that made this place home were absent. Something terrible had scared them off. Still, Neil looked around for any sign of where the woman he called sister might be. He found nothing his confused mind could use.

Was Wakinyan truly dead?

This time he called his Father. He didn't want to involve the Old Man in this. This mess was something way beyond Boston, but how big, he had no guess.

"Dad ..." he began.

"Come to Boston, NOW!" was all the response he recieved before his Father cut the connection.

Part of Neil's mind wanted to rebel against the order, but the greater part of him trusted his father in matter. This had to be more than a matter of just trying to protect his surviving son ... it had to be.

With a sigh, Neil left the cave-home behind and walked away from the mountain. He didn't go far. He didn't need to. All he needed was to reach back into the Stream of Life that tied all things together. He followed that stream until it become the Great River and from the river to Boston. He found a fracture in the life pattern there and reached toward it. Back in Dakota, he simply turned in on himself and vanished.

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

Tawny complied with Lou Anne's request, her gorgeous face absolutely serene despite the anger directed at her; she'd expected something of this reaction, and wondered if she should have kept up the illusion of being Samhra.

"I've come here, in part, to find out if you know what's happened to my aunt. I disagree with the way Ptesan-Wi styles herself, but it's really not my place to judge. Besides, any weapon big enough to do that... Well, you can see why my colleagues are worried."

The navy-blue eyes hardened a little. "I'm revealing damaging information about myself out of good faith. I know you have every right to be pissed with me for pretending to be Samhra, but would you prefer somebody without any emotional attachment whatsoever involved in this? Ptesan-Wi was a friend of my aunt's, and for all of her faults, Samhra made few friends. That alone makes her worthy of what help I can give."

[Stormwarden]

Chicago; 3:45 CDT

Lightning crackled in the overcast skies over Chicago. A snow-white owl swooped out of the electric anomaly and glided through the cross breezed down towards the WCK building. As the bird landed on the roof it transformed into a beautiful Native American woman ... not too unfamiliar to those who were watching. She walked over to the roof communications console and spoke.

"This is Kayla Ravenwing. I'm here to see whomever is in charge. I would like to offer my assistance."

Stormwarden had returned to the first place that had ever felt like a true home to her during the course of her nova existence. She felt a debt to this city and now she felt it needed her once more.

[Cade]

The comm unit buzzed in his ear just as he reached the Southern border of the city. "Cade, we have a nova on our roof offering her assistance, says she's Kayla Ravenwing. She wants to talk to whoever's in charge."

Well isn't that something....

"Ok Julia, I'm on my way back. I'll meet her on the roof." Julia relayed the message to the terminal Stormwarden had used that the team Leader was on his way and to remain where she was. Just like that Cade opened a warpgate and made his way to WCK headquarters exiting not five meters from where Stormwarden stood.

"Kayla Ravenwing, it's a pleasure to see you again, though the circumstances could be better. I've been told that you wish to offer your assistance. With our manpower stretched thin I'd be a fool to turn you away. Though I must ask, is this temporary or are you requesting reactivation as a Windy City Knight?"

His voice is far warmer than anything he's used today,, but still business-like. He could still remember the last time he'd seen her and the look she'd given him. Proceed carefully Michael, this is not the time for a battle or other nasty situation.

[Stormwarden]

"Just call me Stormwarden," Kayla replies with a smile. "I'm only here to help out during the crisis anyway I can. My home is in Boise now."

She looks past him over the city.

"What do you want me to do?"

Now that she was back, Kayla was a bit unsure of what she could do if there was trouble ... it was the sitting back and not being able to make any kind of difference that was eating at her. She looked back at Cade and hoped she could help him. She also hoped they were both up for the job.

[z-Sean McCline]

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Sean snarled when the door was closed, shielding Ptesan-Wi from his anger. Tawny, if that's who she was, hadn't even waited for the others to catch up before she started tried to convince Lou Anne to allow her access to Ptesan-Wi. "You parade in here, lie to my boss to get your free ride, and then assume that you have any right to help at all."

He shook his head. "We don't work that way; your fucking Project wouldn't work this way," he continued, his eyes boring into hers. "You have shown us nothing of disrespect by acting in this way, by assuming that we're morons who are going to let you anywhere near our friend."

Sean was shouting now, and he'd advanced until he was looming over the smaller woman. "If you'd come to us without pretense, telling us who you were and offering help because of your aunt's absence, that would be one thing. For fuck's sake - you're a member of the Project! Why in the world would you think that you have to lie to us? But you decided to fool us and treat us like base idiots." Sean opened his phone. "You're gone, lady. We'll find another telepath."

[OOC: Sorry, Samhra, but the situation presented thus far will not work. I hate to be the bitch, but I have to remain true to my character. Nothing personal. If that means PW never wakes up from her coma, we'll deal with that when it happens. Or doesn't happen. Or whatever.]

[Ptesan-Wi]

"AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!"

The scream cut through the house, raw agony tearing at the eardrums... and beyond; the anguished cry wasn't limited to mere vocalization, and a sharp lance of pain pierced to the very core of every unshielded mind present.

On shaking off the worst of it, Virgil looked at the frail Indian girl he had been left to watch, and his eyes widened as fresh blood poured from Ptesan-Wi's nose and ears, even as dark bruises formed as if by magic across her skin. Still, it was even odds whether that was as disturbing as the fact that the horrible cry of torment hadn't woken her from the deep sleep of shock.

Unable to tear his eyes away from the spectacle, he managed to call out, "Guys, you'd better get in here NOW!"

[Lou Anne Burgess]

Lou Anne walked to the other room and began to make herself a cup of tea. She was interrupted by the young foreign woman coming to plead her case. Lou Anne stopped what she was doing to look at her while she spoke. “... That alone makes her worthy of what help I can give."

“I’m afraid I don’t know ... ” She was cut off by Sean storming into the room. While he had been angry in the other room, it appeared he’d been stoked into a righteous fury. "What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Lou Anne listened while Sean chastised the young woman and made preparations to remove her.

Everything else was rendered moot with Falling Star’s scream. Years of trauma work had created well tuned reflexes. Lou Anne pushed past the rest of the people in the room, the door opening ahead of her. She heard others moving behind her but didn't pay them any mind. She was running into Falling Star’s room when Virgil called out. "Guys, you'd better get in here NOW!"

Falling Star had obviously moved during whatever had happened, but she was once again immobile. Lou Anne ran quickly through an examination, whatever Sean had done to stabilize her before was at least partially undone. Her pulse was erratic, her breathing labored but not showing signs of the infection from earlier, her blood pressure was dropping. “Sean, can you heal her again?”

He reached down touching Falling Star's hand, he held the contact for a few moments and then backed up while Lou Anne checked her again. She appeared to once again be stable. She announced quietly to the whole group behind her, "We all need to be calm, I'm not sure what caused this, but the argument couldn't have helped."

She motioned him closer again and said even more quietly. “I can't say I trust blondie, but if you’re still getting rid of her, do it fast. We may not have a lot of time before whatever trauma Falling Star's in kills her." Sean's face hardened and he left the room.

[MindFlayer]

A jolt from out of the blue rattled the senses and crystalized the world into a single tone of reflexively broadcast pain. It can’t be... Not after all this time... But there was no mistaking what had just happened. A similar soul had just made contact. It took less than a moment to respond in kind, a lighter and less pain filled signal going out into the world, and returning with the location of the kindred spirit.

Another moment later and the mindscape showed itself in all it’s horrible, dreadful pain. A robed figure appeared, watching. Hurricane winds tore at the robe, Thunder rent the sky and assaulted the ears. The fertile plain fused to glass and then fractured creating a landscape that would be expected on the slope of a volcano, or perhaps in hell.

Fire lanced from the sky drilling through flesh and bone and shearing rock beneath. The Indian maiden’s body thrashed as wave after wave of the lances drilled down from heaven assailing her. She roared in pain and grief as bone knitted itself together only to be laid waste again a moment later. Her body rebounded into the sky and the earth rebounded to be a grassy plain. She was flying along peacefully when suddenly the brilliant lance of fire skewered her again.

Yes, here is the symptom, now to find the cause.

Not knowing whether it would be heard or understood the figure spoke the Indian woman's mind. *I am coming to help you sister.*

Mindful that the nearby Novas had a telepath on call, the figure warily strode through the blinding clouds of dust looking for the root cause of the injury. It could not afford to be discovered and so, watchful for the presence of another, it took the form of a plains animal, ready to bolt should some other mind arrive.

[Cade]

"Alright stormwarden. The game plan is simple. Standard patrol of the city, if ANYONE needs help then help them. Eyes and ears peeled for anything suspicious and if you can keep an eye skyward. Everyone that can be out on patrol is. If you get into a situation you can't handle call it in. Amped or myself will be there as soon as we could." He hands her his own earbud.

"I can get another one quickly enough now if you would join the others on patrol. The Easter sector is currently split between me and Vali, it will make things easier if you go there."

[Iron Rose]

Rianna reacts to the scream and rushes out of the room andback into the one Ptesan-wi's screaming in. as she leaves she regards the newcomer. "I'll settle things with you when this is over." As she goes next door She pulls out her cell phone and dials the number for DeVries emergency Service department. "This is Rianna Connelly of Connelly Securities. I would like to hire your foremost telepath for an immediate service. I can arrange transportaion if need be, but this contract is for immediate action."

The operator on the other side quoted a figure and Rianna nodded. "That's fine." She turned to Lou Anne and smiled. "Do you mind if I bring someone here to your already crowded home?"

[z-Sean McCline]

Sean was back in the room in three steps. Grabbing Tawny by one slim arm, he yanked her after him, back into the bedroom. Hearing Iron Rose on the phone, he stated, "No time for that. She could die." As if agreeing with him, Ptesan-Wi shuddered again with a gargling moan, and her body showed more trauma.

"Do your thing," Sean snapped to the nova, releasing her. But as she looked to the bed, Sean grabbed her hair. It was an ugly, violent maneuver, and he made no attempt to soften it as he pulled the sweet curve of her ear to his warm lips. "But if I found that you've hurt her," he hissed, "I'll kill you."

He released her hair and shoved Tawny toward the bed with his super-human strength; every movement, every inch of his body was hard and harsh. Quantum flashed and flickered over his shoulders like heat waves coming off the desert, a silent testiment to the line he walked with his self-control. "I've been a fugitive before. I can be one again." No one was sure who he was talking to, at this moment. Whomever it was, Sean didn't seem to like them much.

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

Bruises began to already darken the tanned perfection of Tawny's skin by the time Sean let her go, but for one simmering glance of ill will directed the red-haired nova's way, she remained silent as she accessed her quantum powers and touched Ptesan-Wi's mind.

Being unfamiliar with the Indian girl's mind, she projected what she found as an illusion that everyone could see in the hope of finding some help. "I don't know her. I'll need your help to keep her here."

(OOC: She's using Holo (Sight).)

[Iron Rose]

Sean nodded darkly to Tawny's statement.

Meanwhile, Iron Rose closed the phone in anger crushing it to peices in her hand after being told the nova she was trying to contract was unavailable. She turned to Codex and sent out a very deliberate mental message. I second his threat, screw up and should you survive him, you will not survive the hunter I will set to your heels.

She turned to Lou Anne. "They do no t have any "A" Class telepaths available at the moment, though there are severa "B" class available. She might be our best chance now."

With that she sat back and watched, waiting to see if she could back up her claim.

[MindFlayer]

A wave of dark rage swept the mindscape. The screams of pain from Ptesan-Wi’s shattered body grew in volume and ferocity. Where before she had fought against the damage, now, she threw herself against the hammering blasts with abandon, trying to bite them, claw them, overwhelm them with the fury that tainted her mind. The fury was so overwhelming that for a moment, the animal ceased to concentrate on its work repairing a damaged piece of the fragile mind, and simply stood back on two legs returning to the hooded figure that had originally appeared.

What are those fools doing? Don’t they understand how delicate her situation is?

The figure resumed its task of repairing what had once been a shared bridge between Ptesan-Wi’s mind and another. It was not cleanly severed as death would have made it. It was hacked, splintered, torn; brute force had destroyed it and that in turn was destroying its hostess. Ironically, with what was probably a gesture to spare his wife his agony, Wakinyan had caused far more than he ever could have realized.

The link was almost repaired when the static arrived. There was far more to do, but with the link repaired, real healing could begin. The figure obscured itself in the wind born dust as much as possible and looked frantically, trying to judge whether there was time to finish before bolting to safety. No, that wouldn’t be fair to her. If I don’t finish and they don’t find this, she is finished. Hoping to stay hidden and staying wary enough only to avoid an attack, the figure worked.

In the background, Ptesan-Wi fought on as blasts of fire from heaven split her ravaged body.

[OOC: I’m partially following the template from PW’s earlier situation like this where hostility in the room made things worse. If you (particularly Tawny who was responsible for it) disagree with that, let me know.]

[Lou Anne Burgess]

Lou Anne stayed seated on the edge of the bed, monitoring her vital signs. Lou Anne's eyes were drawn to the patches of lividity that covered Falling Star's body. When she had first cleaned her up she had noticed them, but thought them nothing more than healing remnants from the Trauma that Sean had healed.

When she had come in after the scream though, they were angry, horribly bruised deep tissue wounds. Now she watched again as the flawless skin took on the livid marks in the exact same pattern as before. At the rate they were going, she was going to need healing again soon.

"Calm down Sean, I don't think threats or violence are necessary at this point. Rianna, I don't deal with telepaths other than to generally avoid them, so A and B classes mean nothing to me, but thank you. And Blondie, if you can hear me while you're working, I have no idea what your name is, but I'll look at your arm later." She looked around at the angry set on most of the faces in the room. "In fact, calm down everyone as much as you can. I feel like I'm in the middle of a paused war and we don't need another fight in here."

[Ptesan-Wi]

And then, an image from hell filled the room.

The creature at the center of the scene was an amalgam. Raven-black hair mingled with multihued feathers; slender red arms ran in an impossibly smooth transition to wicked talons. The face was a blend that would have driven Escher gibbering into a corner; it was Ptesan-Wi and Wakinyan, both and neither, blended in ways that shouldn't have been visually possible, but despite all reason was.

That face was twisted in hellish agony.

Bolt after bolt after brutal, blinding bolt rent his flesh, shattering her bones... bones that reformed only to be pulverised and splintered once again as hot death rained down from above in columns of fire. Over and over, the impossible and beautiful creature was beaten to the ruined ground of the blasted wasteland, struggling back to its feet with pure will only to be broken and battered once more by the merciless hail of pain and destruction, surrounded by an endless hot swirling wind of dust and death.

[z-Sean McCline]

"Oh, I am calm," Sean said, his voice firm and cold. It was hard to match the image of the smiling foster father with this creature brimmed with the ragged promise of violence. "You haven't seen me truly angry yet." He shot Lou Anne a grin that wasn't comforting. "Yes, the hair is a warning."

At the image that arose before them, Sean became completely serious. His jaw clenched harder, and his black and green eyes slid to Tawny, watching her closely. The onyx and emerald gaze waited coldly for her to fix the small woman on the bed.

[Iron Rose]

Rianna wasn't prepared for the image being broadcast from Ptesan-wi's mind. This is bad. She looked to Tawny and waited. Whether the young nova ended up in Orbit of a distant star or a smear on the ground seemed to be determined by whether or not she was as good as she said she was.

Rianna tried to still her own mind, knowing her thoughts could easily influence things. "Focus on nothing and empty your mind of all thoughts, all emotions. Set yourself at peace." The voice was familiar but she couldn't place it, yet she followed the instructions for her little sister's sake.

[Lou Anne Burgess]

The strange amalgam of the Indian Woman and the griffin was disturbing, even visually shocking; but nothing that really surprised Lou Anne given her theory as to Falling Star’s condition. As she overcame the shock of looking at it, she returned the main part of her focus to her physical body lying on the bed. She looked up periodically at the torturous tableau playing itself out in silence before them.

“I'm not sure what we're looking at. Is this just a show for our benefit? Is it like Wakinyan in that you have no control of what you see, if it’s too strong it just pops out into the real world as well? Or you’re doing this intentionally and you’re looking for input from us? If the latter, what are we looking for?”

[Tawny 'Codex' March]

Tawny's expression was remarkably serene for a woman looking into the personal hell of another nova. Though she wasn't quite so sure if she was a nova at all. Speculation for another time. Her navy-blue irises started to glow deep sapphire, the shadows of text flickering black through them.

"This is what's going on in Ptesan-Wi's head. She's obviously undergone what happened to Wakinyan, experiencing it. I need to know what will help to disassociate her from this, please - I have the skill, but I lack the knowledge."