Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[ProfPotts]

Hog squares up against the onrushing bear ::angry ...

... then it all hits the fan ::shocked !

As Glacier hurls himself bodily towards the biker Elite, The Stranger appears - seemingly out of no-where. The masked Nova may not be the fastest anyone has seen by a long shot, but his reactions are incredible - it's not so much their speed, but the fact he seems to be in perfect position. Before Hog realises it, he & Glacier have been engulfed in a cloud of pepper-spray. Glacier's anima does, indeed, brush the spray aside with no effort. Hog, however, tough though he may be, doesn't have that luxury. Blinded by the spray at a critical moment ::blink , he fails to prevent Glacier's tackle. With a brief flash of white light & a rush of cold air the bear Nova smashes into Hog - then rolls across the tarmac as he glances off the Elite. Hog didn't move much, but he grunts in pain, & is unbalanced...

... Enter Blaze & Terry! Timing their efforts, Blaze flies down & grabs the unbalanced Elite by the arm. As Nate spins the biker, a look of concentration passes over Terry's face - fragments of tarmac rise into the air, which is itself distorted (as if there was a heat-haze in the area). With a yell, Blaze completes his throw, hurling the suddenly lightweight Hog as hard & far as he can - as Terry pushes his powers to the limit to keep them focused on the Elite. The results are impressive, as Hog sails way beyond the boundries of the airport, & impacts in the hills beyond ::shocked ! Flying after the biker, Terry is able to confirm that Hog is well & truely knocked-out ::wacko (although still very alive) ::thumbsup .

Back at the airport Glacier regains his feet, looking for new targets (& the group realise they may have traded one crazy ::crazy Nova for another... ::sly ).

Beltaine's Boudoir:

Then his eufiber costume shifts, becoming his usual all black covering, while he sits up.

... Beltaine looks round at the sudden movement, then takes a step back, eye's wide ::nervous ...

As this happens, three tentacles writhe out from it, one wrapping around her legs, the second around the arm and hand holding the phone, freezing it in place, and the last one around her head, completely covering her mouth.  Shaking his head, he says, "You're one sick puppy, you know that? It's actually rather sad that you need to resort to mind control to get laid. Now, if you promise to stay nice and quiet, I'll let you talk. Do you promise to stay quiet?"

The girl's eyes narrow momentarily as they focus on her former pet, then again go wide as nothing seems to happen ::blink . Nullifier feels her petite body go limp as he drains what little strength it possessed in the first place. As he does so his eufiber costume continues to writhe across his body - a few seconds later the various piercings Beltaine had added are spewed out in a small pile by his feet.

Beltaine appears to make a descision, but can only blink & mumble into the black tendril, not having the strength to nod or shake her head...

[Nullifier]

Beltaine appears to make a descision, but can only blink & mumble into the black tendril, not having the strength to nod or shake her head...

Coming to a decision himself, he reaches out and takes her limp body in his arms, and begins to concentrate, the glow and sparks coming from him turning an even deeper black, sucking in all the light around them like the black holes the sparks seem to have become. ::ninja Muttering under his breath as this happens, "You messed with the wrong nova..." ::angry

[ezekiel]

With a yell, Blaze completes his throw, hurling the suddenly lightweight Hog as hard & far as he can - as Terry pushes his powers to the limit to keep them focused on the Elite. The results are impressive, as Hog sails way beyond the boundries of the airport, & impacts in the hills beyond  ! Flying after the biker, Terry is able to confirm that Hog is well & truely knocked-out  (although still very alive)  .

Terry lets out a sigh of relief when he realises that Hog is out of action (for now ::unsure ) He flies back to the airport:

"Someone inform the authorities that Hog is unconcious and ready for detentio..."

and realises that Glacier is still a threat ::crazy . Terry floats over Glacier:

"John...its over John. Stay calm. Glacier, you won, let John go. Keep it together John"

"keep it together...keepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogether!" sorry, I just watched Bowfinger a couple days ago..

[Asbjørn]

With a yell, Blaze completes his throw, hurling the suddenly lightweight Hog as hard & far as he can - as Terry pushes his powers to the limit to keep them focused on the Elite. The results are impressive, as Hog sails way beyond the boundries of the airport, & impacts in the hills beyond ::shocked !

"YEAH!! ... and stay there!!", Blaze shouts after the rapidly disappearing nova. Another thought strikes him when he hears Glacier getting back on his feet. *Some day you'll thank me...* , he thinks half to himself half to the unconscious Hog... ::confused

Turning his attention to Glacier, Nate sees that the raging nova is about to lose it. ::dry ::rolleyes *I knew it. You have got to take some anger management classes, John...* Sighing, he scans the nearby area, trying to anticipate which target Glacier will go for. *Which ever is closest, of course. Hmm... ::sly Maybe we can confuse him a little...* ::devilangel

Landing on the tarmac in a position that forces Glacier to choose between him and the Stranger (and anyone else who might be on the ground nearby), Blaze flexes his muscles and rolls his shoulders a little and is prepared to fly way over the bear if he should charge this way. *Bring it on, Teddy...* ::smokin

[Archer21]

Skidding to a halt, The Stranger nimbly changes direction mid-stride and turns himself around to see the results of his actions. Idly noting Hog's arc into the distance, he snaps his attention back to Glacier. Watching the white bear carefully, he readies himself for any indication of attack.

[phoenix]

OOC: This is unless Glacier gets a chance to recover from the fury due to the sudden loss of his target and Terry's megacharismatic soothing.

The bear roars in fury and charges Blaze with preternatural speed! Enhanced Movement on for a turn to get the jump on him. As he lunges, he sees him heading up and jumps for him, trying to drag him back down to earth!

The part of Glacier that isn't desperately trying to reign in the bear idly notices that this is the second time today he's had to jump for something.

[brilyn]

Derek simply watches from a distance, waiting for the madness (all of it) to end....

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Seeing Glacier charging, Will shakes his head ::sarcasm "Damnit John, not again! We don't have time for this." He mumbles the last part as he continues to help the passengers of the damaged liner.

[ProfPotts]

For some reason Glacier chooses to target the guy with the glowing aura around his body instead of the sneaky guy. Go figure... ::sly ::wink

The bear roars in fury and charges Blaze with preternatural speed! As he lunges, he sees him heading up and jumps for him, trying to drag him back down to earth!

Blaze leaps at the last moment, powering into the sky. For a few seconds the onlookers think that Glacier has him, as the bear leaps high, claws grasping... ::nervous Then Glacier's leap returns him to Earth, as Blaze continues into the sky untouched (although it was so close he could swear he could feel the cold through his force field).

Landing, Glacier is faced with a tough choice - the really annoying target of choice is out of reach (a few more jumps confirms that), but he really needs to smash someone... He whips his head round, following the scent of The Stranger, then charges! Prepared for such an eventuality, The Stranger nimbly leaps to the side, sending Glacier sprawling across the airfield as his own momentum unbalances him. This doesn't improve the bear's mood any... He's on his feet a moment later - although this time he circles the masked Nova more carefully before taking a swipe (after all, the bear's feral, not stupid... ::sly ).

At that moment, Terry returns from checking on Hog...

... "Someone inform the authorities that Hog is unconcious and ready for detentio..."

and realises that Glacier is still a threat  . Terry floats over Glacier:

"John...its over John. Stay calm. Glacier, you won, let John go. Keep it together John"

As the bearded, robed, Nova speaks, Glacier begins to float into the air. At first the bear struggles, growling, but eventually the inspiring words of the impressive gravity controller begin to break through ::blink . After several tense minutes John can feel the feral rage slipping away - driven by the sheer force of Terry's personality - & his (more) rational mind again taking over.

The battle concluded, eventually the local police enter the airport & approach the Novas. Finding everything back to (relative) normal, they make quick work of the official reports (it seems that this sort of thing is far too common in Ibiza town - the police have pre-printed forms to record Nova-powered destructive acts... ::wacko ::wink ), & hasten to re-open the airport. Time is, after all, money.

During the clearing-up, Masters' pilot manages to find Nate, & regrets to inform him that the flight back to the States will be delayed about a day - due to the closing of the airport, required repairs to the runways, needed safety checks, backed-up traffic, etc., etc.. If only there was a quicker way... ::wink

[phoenix]

Glacier slowly calms down, suspended in the air by Terry and looking ashamed and not a little ridiculous.

"Sorry about that, guys.. I'm fine now, Terry, you can put me down. Uhh... thanks."

As he returns to earth, Glacier looks around and, combined with the lack of further threats, deactivates his Force Field. His tall human form is now visible under the anima as its snowy texture leaves it. He rubs the back of his neck.

"So, uh.. now what?"

[Nullifier]

...In front of Nullifier and Betaine, a warp in space opens to a dark space on the other side. Several tendrils whip out from his eufiber at this moment, grabbing handcuffs from around the room and retracting back against his body. Holding her limp, unconscious form in his arms he steps through immediately, and the warp snaps closed behind them.

As his eyes adjust the darkness of the large, nicely finished basement room, a tentacle snakes out from his eufiber and flicks the lightswitch. This reveals a large, carpeted room with a number of couches, chairs, an OpNet terminal, and even a bar. Before putting Beltaine down on a nearby chair he mutters, "Thanks Max." Taking a couple sets of handcuffs from the eufiber holding them, he handcuffs her hands and feet, then handcuffs the handcuffs to the chair, blindfolds her, then walks over to a cabinent behind the bar. Opening it shows that it's a mini-fridge. Reaching in back, he pulls out a box of bottles of Moxinoquantamine, as well as several syringes...

...Several hours later Betaine is awake and aware as ever, though so full of Mox she might as well be a baseline, and without any quantum to use anyhow. Suddenly a voice breaks the silence around her, she recognizes it as Nullifier's, "Now, as I see it, you've got a couple of options. You could try to convince me to let you go, and no, I don't mean sexually, this whole bondage thing isn't really my game. Your other option is to be stubborn and silent, in which case I'll get whatever information you might have out of you anyhow. Oh, and screaming won't do you any good. No one will hear you. So, you ready to talk to me, or am I going to have to try out some sensory deprivation on you?" ::devil

[Poised with Disrupt, just in case she somehow resists the Mox and tries something.]

[Asbjørn]

During the clearing-up, Masters' pilot manages to find Nate, & regrets to inform him that the flight back to the States will be delayed about a day - due to the closing of the airport, required repairs to the runways, needed safety checks, backed-up traffic, etc., etc.. If only there was a quicker way...

Realizing that he's not getting away any time soon, Blaze realizes that he might as well join up with the other guys on whatever it was they were planning on doing.

"So, uh.. now what?"

"Now we get back to normal. Or whatever was passing for normal at the moment. I was going back to the states, but the plane isn't leaving until tomorrow, so I guess I'm stuck with you guys. ::wink Could be worse, I guess." ::biggrin

His broad smile fades as he faces the disappearing polar bear. "I hate to break it to you, John, but you really need to control that temper. I wouldn't cry if either of those clowns got killed, but you could have wasted one of us as well. And that would make me cry, especially if it was me..."

Turning to Terry he smiles again. "Terry!" , he says. "Good to see you, man! Talk about perfect timing... How you been? Hey... we're a pretty good team, by the way. You'd almost think we've been practicing that stunt." ::biggrin

,,

Looking around at the other guys he asks whoever is willing to answer "So? You guys said you had some things to look into before we leave. What's happening?"

[phoenix]

His broad smile fades as he faces the disappearing polar bear. "I hate to break it to you, John, but you really need to control that temper. I wouldn't cry if either of those clowns got killed, but you could have wasted one of us as well. And that would make me cry, especially if it was me..."

Glacier gets serious as well. "I know; I'm sorry. I just have no idea how to go about controlling it.. it would be all right if it was just extreme anger, but it's not. Throughout the entire thing, I was perfectly calm. I just lost the reigns - as usual - on the bear, and it's so much more powerful than I am.. I can feel it.." Glacier looks a bit grim, and withdraws into himself for a while to think it over.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Will gets to the rest in no particular rush (OOC he's quick without activating his powers) a thoughtfull look on his face. Giving Terry a smile and nod in greeting, he gives all the others a look to see if they're ok then says evenly "I saw the plane explode... I saw that idiot throw the bolt, miss... Then I watched and ::hmmm smelled all those people burn", he stops to adress Nate and Terry. "They're doing things to Natalia, I saw one of them injecting her at the base of her neck in a dungeon type cell. We need to find where these Harvesters are, with all that's happened there's no way Path..." He stops and stares at Terry, a broad grin spreads across his face ::halo . *He doesn't know what we've done*.

[ezekiel]

Glacier slowly calms down, suspended in the air by Terry and looking ashamed and not a little ridiculous.

"Sorry about that, guys.. I'm fine now, Terry, you can put me down. Uhh... thanks."

As he returns to earth, Glacier looks around and, combined with the lack of further threats, deactivates his Force Field. His tall human form is now visible under the anima as its snowy texture leaves it. He rubs the back of his neck.

"So, uh.. now what?"

Glacier gets serious as well. "I know; I'm sorry. I just have no idea how to go about controlling it.. it would be all right if it was just extreme anger, but it's not. Throughout the entire thing, I was perfectly calm. I just lost the reigns - as usual - on the bear, and it's so much more powerful than I am.. I can feel it.." Glacier looks a bit grim, and withdraws into himself for a while to think it over.

Terry lands next to Glacier and lies his hand on his shoulder

"Its ok John, I'm just happy you didn't hurt anyone this time. You need to learn to control the bear though. Keep in mind that as strong as it may be, its still a part of you and without you its nothing."

Turning to Terry he smiles again. "Terry!" , he says. "Good to see you, man! Talk about perfect timing... How you been? Hey... we're a pretty good team, by the way. You'd almost think we've been practicing that stunt."

Terry smiles and shakes Blazes hand

"Good to see you too Nate, I just happened to be in the neighborhood. We did manage the situation pretty well, didn't we? - Terry looks around with a satisfied look on his face. - I've a promise to keep, I'll be right back."

Terry's robes meld into normal travel clothes as he enters the Airport. A few minutes later he's out through the main entrance in front of a crowd of reporters answering questions.

"The situation has been taken care of. Perhaps next time Mephistofaleez and Hog can settles their scores in less crowded areas..."

"What happened to them?"

"Mephistophaleez walked away peacefully once the crowd broke and hopefully Hog was arrested. As of a few minutes ago he was unconcious a few hundred meters away from here."

"How does it feel to lift a whole plane with a thought?"

"Good. It feels better to save the lives of those inside and know they're safe."

"We love you Terry!"

"Thank you"

"Why the beard?" (etc.)

After a half hour of answering questions Terry excuses himself and returns to the novas. Terry's eyes narrow at the sight of the group:

"Where's Emma?"

[ezekiel]

Giving Terry a smile and nod in greeting, he gives all the others a look to see if they're ok then says evenly "I saw the plane explode... I saw that idiot throw the bolt, miss... Then I watched and  smelled all those people burn", he stops to adress Nate and Terry. "They're doing things to Natalia, I saw one of them injecting her at the base of her neck in a dungeon type cell. We need to find where these Harvesters are, with all that's happened there's no way Path..." He stops and stares at Terry, a broad grin spreads across his face  . *He doesn't know what we've done*.

"You mean you can actually see Natalia? I'd heard that she's been kidnapped. I was on my way to Masters when I saw "this" - he gestures at the scene around him- on the news...what do you mean "harvesters"?

[phoenix]

"Its ok John, I'm just happy you didn't hurt anyone this time. You need to learn to control the bear though. Keep in mind that as strong as it may be, its still a part of you and without you its nothing."

Glacier smiles at Terry, but Glacier's sharp, chiseled features make the expression look almost sardonic. As he speaks, he closes his eyes, and the temperature rises a few degrees as he dorm's down. His anima loses integrity and then vanishes completely, and the predatory face of Glacier seem to melt into the guileless visage of John Walker. Terry puts his hand on his shoulder, and John smiles genuinely.

"Thanks, Terry."

He withdraws into himself and broods.

I do not hurt others unless I have to. The bear, when in control, hurts others. So, what mental circuit, as it were, is working for me that isn't working for the bear?

The only thing the bear has that I, or rather, Glacier doesn't is a complete lack of fear. John is not sure how he knows this, but he is certain of its truth. That would seem to imply that the only thing that stops me from hurting people, even as John, is an intrinsic fear of the consequences? John winces, but has to admit that the idea makes sense. Meaning that I need to learn what it means like to feel pain. After all, the worst pain I've ever felt was going without food for about a day when a racoon stole food from my mom and I in a paddle-in campsite.. Maybe I just need to get someone to beat the crap out of me! ::laugh John laughs out loud as he pictures himself throwing a punch at Blaze in the hopes of provoking a violent reaction. Think fast!

John comes back to reality in a better mood, having come up with some stuff to mull over for the next few days. He gives another laugh, a slightly more pleasant one, when he realizes something about what Terry had said: he, too, is happy that he didn't hurt anyone. This cheering thought in mind, he trots off with a bounce in his step to go thank Terry.

A few minutes later he's out through the main entrance in front of a crowd of reporters answering questions.

"Mephistophaleez walked away peacefully once the crowd broke and hopefully Hog was arrested. As of a few minutes ago he was unconcious a few hundred meters away from here."

"How does it feel to lift a whole plane with a thought?"

"Good. It feels better to save the lives of those inside and know they're safe."

"We love you Terry!"

"Thank you"

Terry sees a flash of platinum hair and a wide, mischevious grin in the throng of reporters. "Mr. Nathanson, question! Is it true you get really nervous around beautiful women?"

[ezekiel]

Terry sees a flash of platinum hair and a wide, mischevious grin in the throng of reporters. "Mr. Nathanson, question! Is it true you get really nervous around beautiful women?"

Terry eyes the women in the crowd, grins and answers in mock seriousness:

"Oh yes, I get dreadfully nervous around women..." ::sly

[Asbjørn]

After a half hour of answering questions Terry excuses himself and returns to the novas. Terry's eyes narrow at the sight of the group:

"Where's Emma?"

"She's in one of Masters' facilities. I don't know which one, but she's in a safe place. Kane's taking care of her." Probably seeing Terry's eyes narrow even more as Nate says he doesn't know where she is, he explains "One of Natalia's kidnappers is a telepath."

"You mean you can actually see Natalia? I'd heard that she's been kidnapped. I was on my way to Masters when I saw "this" - he gestures at the scene around him- on the news...what do you mean "harvesters"?

"The Harvesters are some kind of teragen scientist group. Pathfinder, the main kidnapper, claims that they liberated Natalia from her maniac grandfather to help her realize her nova potential. She also said she's at the Harvesters' facility by her own free will." ::glare

"We met Pathfinder and this Count Orzaiz guy last night and tried to negotiate Natalia's release. It didn't work very well, and now we're basically wasting time. Kane's been briefed, eventually, and the decision is now in his and Masters' hands. When Masters wakes up, that is... I was just waiting for the plane to get ready to get back to the states and talk to them when this mess started."

[ezekiel]

"She's in one of Masters' facilities. I don't know which one, but she's in a safe place. Kane's taking care of her." Probably seeing Terry's eyes narrow even more as Nate says he doesn't know where she is, he explains "One of Natalia's kidnappers is a telepath."

Terry doesn't seem convinced

When Masters wakes up, that is... I was just waiting for the plane to get ready to get back to the states and talk to them when this mess started."

"What do you mean "when Masters wakes up?" - Terry doesn't wait for an answer - Gather 'round guys we're going home..."

Once the others are near Terry looks ahead and light seems to converge away from in front of him. A black spot appears and grows into a swirling three meter circle. A white spot appears in the middle and grows leaving only a black aura around what looks like, to those familiar with it, the New York Masters facility conference room.

"Step in, quick." Once everyone's in Terry follows.

[ProfPotts]

At Nullifier's place:

...Several hours later Betaine is awake and aware as ever, though so full of Mox she might as well be a baseline, and without any quantum to use anyhow. Suddenly a voice breaks the silence around her, she recognizes it as Nullifier's, "Now, as I see it, you've got a couple of options. You could try to convince me to let you go, and no, I don't mean sexually, this whole bondage thing isn't really my game. Your other option is to be stubborn and silent, in which case I'll get whatever information you might have out of you anyhow. Oh, and screaming won't do you any good. No one will hear you. So, you ready to talk to me, or am I going to have to try out some sensory deprivation on you?" 

The petite, child-like, Nova gently tests the bonds that hold her, & moves her head slightly, as if trying to make-out what's going on past her blindfold. She then grins ::biggrin ,

"Oh yeah - I can tell you're not into bondage - what with the girl handcuffed to a chair & all. And that outfit? Full body, skintight, black - really, there's nothing fetish about that at all is there?"

She giggles,

"It's ok, really, I don't mind playing switch. Sensory dep' sounds good for a start, but I usually like my partners to be a little more stringent."

She wriggles a little in the chair... ::halo

At the airport:

Through the warp the Novas can make out a several startled looking MI businesspeople, who rapidly get up from the table, & back away from the hole in space-time ::blink ::nervous ::blink . At least one flips open a 'phone & hits speed-dial...

[Nullifier]

She wriggles a little in the chair... 

In a flat, emotionless voice, "These little games aren't going to do you any good. Either I'm going to kill you, or not, and the only thing that will convince me not to is if you provide me with something useful. I'm not your partner, your pet, or your friend. I am, however, quite capable of dispensing with you if it seems expedient. So, convince me not to kill you, or don't and suffer the consequences. "

[ezekiel]

Asbjorn posted:

(ProfPotts @ Sep 14 2003, 09:41 PM)

Through the warp the Novas can make out a several startled looking MI businesspeople, who rapidly get up from the table, & back away from the hole in space-time    . At least one flips open a 'phone & hits speed-dial... 

"Hey... Nice trick!"

Blaze leads the way through the warp hole. Turning to the startled people in the other end, he says to one of the guys on the phone "Relax! Call security all you want, but relax. I'm Blaze. Nathan Wade. Have security check it, and get the guy in charge up here."

If the people calm down (as they will at least when Terry gets through) and call the security guys, Blaze states his clearance code if necessary, then asks the ranking security officer to contact Kane.

Archer21 posted:

The Stranger addresses Terry. "I still have some things to take care of here, but I need some equipment from the States. Would you be willing to bring me back here, if I came with you now? My errands in Ibiza are important to finding Natalia."

(Provided Terry agrees, The Stranger also steps through. If not, he says he'll stay behind and catch up when he can, giving a communicator to Derek before walking away.)

Ezekiel posted:

The Stranger addresses Terry. "I still have some things to take care of here, but I need some equipment from the States. Would you be willing to bring me back here, if I came with you now? My errands in Ibiza are important to finding Natalia."

Terry really doesn't look like he wants to discuss things at the moment

"If its for Natalia sure, just go through...now!"

Terry steps through and the portal closes behind the group

"Ladies...gentlemen...I'm sorry to intrude but we'll be needing this room. As Mr. Wade has suggested, please call Ms. Ash or Kane and tell them we're here."

Archer21 posted

Mentally noting Terry's strained tone, The Stranger nods and steps through into the warp into the room. Quietly making his way next to Derek, he stands and studies their new location, trying to determine where exactly they are. While doing so, he nudges Derek and speaks to him quietly.

Asbjorn posted:

(ezekiel @ Sep 15 2003, 09:12 AM)

Terry steps through and the portal closes behind the group

"Ladies...gentlemen...I'm sorry to intrude but we'll be needing this room. As Mr. Wade has suggested, please call Ms. Ash or Kane and tell them we're here."

Stepping close to Terry, Nathan quietly says "Er... As I was about to say... Masters and Miss Ash were knocked out in the kidnapping attack... They'll live, but we don't know exactly how soon they'll be on their feet. Kane said something about a day or so, but for now, he's the man in charge."

Looking a bit worried he adds "What's the problem? Why are you suddenly acting all freaked out?"

Ezekiel posted:

Looking a bit worried he adds "What's the problem? Why are you suddenly acting all freaked out?" 

Terry waits 'til the people leave the room sighs and turns back to Nathan:

"Look, I'm sorry if it seems like I'm overreacting. I was told that Natalia was kidnapped but apparently someone forgot to mention that Masters was out of it...and Ash too! Geezus, what the hell happened? You're sure Emma's alright? I think its time you guys told me what's going on..."

Asbjorn posted:

"That's exactly what I was going to do."

Blaze produces a pack of cigarettes from somewhere on his person, lights one and says "OK. Short version. After you left the pool party, we were attacked. Pathfinder, a telepath with warp gate powers, was outside while some freak called Virus jumped on us. He split up into several copies of himself and we generally had a few problems dealing with him. In the chaos, Masters and Ash got infected by him, and if Derek and Will hadn't done some emergency antidote production, they would have been dead."

"It was only later that we realized Natalia was missing. We had a talk with Kane and a guy called Irons, and ended up going to the Amp Room, a place Pathfinder apparently hangs out a lot. They're connected to the Teragen, and based on our conversation earlier I figured Emma would be safer not going with us. She wouldn't have been let in to the Amp Room anyway." ::confused

Nathan goes quiet a moment, looking for words before he continues. "Pathfinder is a telepath and she has no problems using that gift as often as she can. I was afraid that if I talked to her, I'd reveal too much about my... the job I do for Masters. Emma. That's why I don't know where she is. I told Kane to keep her safe and not tell me where. I know I wouldn't have been able to keep the thought out of my head if I knew it." His voice trails off a little, and Nate looks a bit uncomfortable. ::blush

"Anyway" , he continues, "Pathfinder wanted to make a deal. A book that Masters has in exchange for Natalia - and without Masters' knowledge. We agreed to consider it, we never really reached a decision before Kane called and got the whole story. More or less, anyway."

It's blatantly obvious to anyone with a shred of knowledge of human behaviour that Nathan is still frustrated and pissed off at something relating to the last part of the story.

Ezekiel posted:

Terry looks disturbed

"I'm sorry, I had no idea...this all happened at the party? - Terry slumps into a chair - You made the right choice regarding Emma, I guess...This Pathfinder would there be any way to convince her to give us the location without handing over the book? Which book is it? What does everybody think about this? - Terry looks over towards the Stranger - and whats this lead in Ibiza you were talking about?"

Phoenix posted:

"I'm sorry, I had no idea...this all happened at the party? - Terry slumps into a chair - You made the right choice regarding Emma, I guess...

John comes up. "Actually, now that I think about it.. while we don't know where Emma is as such, we know that Kane knows and we know where he is.." He sighs. "I think there's still a chance that Emma has already been taken."

[ezekiel]

John comes up. "Actually, now that I think about it.. while we don't know where Emma is as such, we know that Kane knows and we know where he is.." He sighs. "I think there's still a chance that Emma has already been taken."

Worry flashes through Terry's eyes but quickly disappears

"As of yet they've only attacked at parties where it wouldn't be too hard to guess where we were. If she's been placed under Kane's care I'm sure Nathan at least would've heard about any changes in circumstance. - Terry pauses - I'll still want to see her as soon as possible though."

[phoenix]

OOC: You're the man for saving me (and everyone) the trouble of doing that, Ezekiel ::smokin

"As of yet they've only attacked at parties where it wouldn't be too hard to guess where we were. If she's been placed under Kane's care I'm sure Nathan at least would've heard about any changes in circumstance. - Terry pauses - I'll still want to see her as soon as possible though."

"You're right. Still, the fact that they have Pathfinder is letting them hold way too many cards for my comfort.."

[archer]

- Terry looks over towards the Stranger - and whats this lead in Ibiza you were talking about?"

Breaking off his conversation with Derek, The Stranger looks over and answers.

"A former love interest of Raoul Orzaiz was recently murdered. I have reason to believe that she actually faked her death. The Count may or may not have been involved, but any information that can possibly used against the Teragen would serve us well. I will need to return to Ibiza, and soon, if I'm to gather the evidence I need. First, however, I need to retrieve some forensic equipment. Depending on where we are right now will control how quickly I can get that equipment. Where have you transported us to?"

[ProfPotts]

Nullifier's place:

In a flat, emotionless voice, "These little games aren't going to do you any good. Either I'm going to kill you, or not, and the only thing that will convince me not to is if you provide me with something useful. I'm not your partner, your pet, or your friend. I am, however, quite capable of dispensing with you if it seems expedient. So, convince me not to kill you, or don't and suffer the consequences. "

Beltaine its still, & faces Nullifier's voice. Cocking her head to one side she asks, in all seriousness,

"Which would you prefer?"

The Masters' Building:

Blaze leads the way through the warp hole. Turning to the startled people in the other end, he says to one of the guys on the phone "Relax! Call security all you want, but relax. I'm Blaze. Nathan Wade. Have security check it, and get the guy in charge up here."

Terry steps through and the portal closes behind the group

"Ladies...gentlemen...I'm sorry to intrude but we'll be needing this room. As Mr. Wade has suggested, please call Ms. Ash or Kane and tell them we're here."

Security hardly needs calling, arriving moments after the Warp first appears, & the Novas step through. They hasten the 'suits' out of the room & make a few radio calls as the highest ranked steps over to Nate & Terry,

"Blaze, Mr Nathanson - the identities of your group have been confirmed... as far as they can be...", he gives a meaningful glance in the direction of The Stranger.

"Ash is... indisposed... right now. Kane as been informed of your presence. You're welcome to the room, & any other facilities you require. Maybe it'd be an idea to set aside somewhere for you to... er... 'arrive' in the future, though? Chances are those guys", he gestures roughly in the direction the 'suits' went, "will use this incident as an excuse for having the rest of the day off - & they'd paid far too much to get that sort of perk." ::sly

When things have been sorted out, the security also depart, leaving the comfortable conferance room for the Novas. After the conversation has continued, & explanations have been made, Kane's disembodied voice comes across the room's speaker system,

"Welcome to the Masters' Building, gentlemen. Mr Nathanson - you wished to talk?"

[Nullifier]

"Which would you prefer?"

Looking at her he says, in all seriousness, "I'd prefer you'd tell me your 'True Nova Story', a Reader's Digest version of your life up to the point we met. "

[archer]

"Blaze, Mr Nathanson - the identities of your group have been confirmed... as far as they can be...", he gives a meaningful glance in the direction of The Stranger.

Looking at the guard, The Stranger rolls his eyes beneath his mask.

"Welcome to the Masters' Building, gentlemen."

*Masters Building...which means New York. Wonderful.*

Moving to a corner of the room, the masked nova leans against the wall, casually reaching into his belt and switching on the audio recorder within, concealing his actions beneath his coat.

[ProfPotts]

"I'd prefer you'd tell me your 'True Nova Story', a Reader's Digest version of your life up to the point we met. "

"I was born Monica Bellemead to parents who enjoyed punishing me - nearly as much as I enjoyed it. The beatings were the best - I eventually called Social Services & had them convicted of child abuse - which allowed me to move on. I took up the black arts age ten, & bounced around various foster homes until I was cast onto the streets when I was about fifteen."

"I tried drugs - heroin mostly, & lived by selling my body - which was fun for a while. After that I joined a coven & furthered my education into the worship of Satan. Having more conviction in my beliefs than the others in the group I agreed to all the harshest & most humiliating trials & rituals - would you like the gory details? In any case, I was near death when they abandoned me in an alley, & I erupted."

"Since then little has been able to hurt me. After a winter on the streets I took to the scene - sometimes as a sub', but mostly as a dom' - as you know, the other talent I was granted at my eruption was the ability to make people do what they were told. That & the ability to inflict pain with a thought."

"Mammon - the Heart of the Beast - introduced me to the other Domitori & I took over as high priestess & queen of the Black House. I'm now seventeen."

"I was at The Amp Room when I saw you & thought you looked interesting. The rest you know."

[archer]

Moving from his position in the corner, The Stranger address Kane through the speakerphone as he walks towards the table. Sitting down, he arranges himself more comfortably. "Kane, this is Stranger. I need to go get some equipment from another location here in the city. I'll be leaving shortly after this meeting. Will there be a problem with my departure?"

[ezekiel]

Breaking off his conversation with Derek, The Stranger looks over and answers.

"A former love interest of Raoul Orzaiz was recently murdered. I have reason to believe that she actually faked her death. The Count may or may not have been involved, but any information that can possibly used against the Teragen would serve us well. I will need to return to Ibiza, and soon, if I'm to gather the evidence I need. First, however, I need to retrieve some forensic equipment. Depending on where we are right now will control how quickly I can get that equipment. Where have you transported us to?"

"New York, if you wish to investigate I may be interested in going back with you depending on what's said and done during this meeting."

"Welcome to the Masters' Building, gentlemen. Mr Nathanson - you wished to talk?"

"Good morning Mr. Kane, I'm sorry to drop in unannounced like this, it seemed like the best place to go to at the time. Is Emma alright? How about Masters and Ash, where can we see them? When the Stranger returns we'll be investigating a lead in Ibiza with may give us some breathing room to work with, more on that later."

[ProfPotts]

"Kane, this is Stranger. I need to go get some equipment from another location here in the city. I'll be leaving shortly after this meeting. Will there be a problem with my departure?"

"Is there any reason why there should be?"

"Good morning Mr. Kane, I'm sorry to drop in unannounced like this, it seemed like the best place to go to at the time. Is Emma alright? How about Masters and Ash, where can we see them? When the Stranger returns we'll be investigating a lead in Ibiza with may give us some breathing room to work with, more on that later."

"Emma is fine. Mr Masters & Ash are recovering. You can't see them yet. Explain this lead & how it helps us locate Natalia."

[archer]

"Is there any reason why there should be?"

The Stranger chuckles. "No, I suppose not."

"Emma is fine. Mr Masters & Ash are recovering. You can't see them yet. Explain this lead & how it helps us locate Natalia."

Remaining silent this time, The Stranger looks at Terry expectantly.

[ezekiel]

"Emma is fine. Mr Masters & Ash are recovering. You can't see them yet. Explain this lead & how it helps us locate Natalia."

"A love interest of Count Orzaiz has been murdered but apparently there's reason to believe that her death was faked. If we can find her perhaps we can tell Orzaiz where to find her in exchange for Natalia...which would mean keeping those who find her away from Pathfinder obviously. Orzaiz can probably arrange some way for me to know where Pathfinder is taking the group. I could then take everyone, including Natalia, out. If we don't find anything I'll try pleading our case to Pathfinder myself...I'm sure even Teragen can feel compassion every now and then."

Edit: Was calling Natalia Natasha...I think I worked too hard today, brain feels like mush...

[Nullifier]

"I was at The Amp Room when I saw you & thought you looked interesting. The rest you know."

::blink ::blink ::blink There's silence for a moment as Nullifier absorbs the horror of what he's just been told. Then another instinct takes over, and he asks in a strangely business-like tone of voice, "So even though you've been granted the powers of a god, you choose to follow a mythological fallen angel?"

[Asbjørn]

"Or", Nathan points out, "It may be that she faked her death to get away from Orzaiz, in which case she might be able to tell us a few things about him and these harvesters. Either way, it's a lead that probably won't lead us directly to Natalia, but might give us an angle on the kidnappers. Which we'll probably need now that the original 'deal' most likely is off."

[ezekiel]

Which we'll probably need now that the original 'deal' most likely is off."

Terry looks surprised at this

"Why? Why would the deal be off and what's this book you were talking about?"

[brilyn]

Derek raises an eyebrow at the frothing going on around him.

"Ahem. I would like to point out that all of this is rampany speculation at the moment. While I do agree that it's highly unlikely that a human would completely vapourise in a car explosion, we cannot begin to decide on motives prior to finding the woman and having a polite conversation. To leap to conclusions at this juncture is more than premature. It's, frankly, idiotic.

"For example, I can suggest, with as much reliance on proof as Will, that she faked her own death to escape from her flesh-eating serial killer of a sister, who is her father's lover-child with her other sister. This is less valid than any other hypothesis that I've heard so far. So please, let's gather more data first."

Derek pauses in the hopes that people calm down.

"In addition, we do not know that the deal is off. The deal is off when Masters refuses to give up the book. You all appear to have forgotten that the deal was to simply retrieve the book. Secrecy was advised, but not demanded."

Turning to Terry.

"And finally, Terry, sorry you have been out of the loop. The book in question is a medical journal from Dr William H. Maxwell. The Harvesters believe that it will shed some light on Natalia's condition. The book has never, to their knowledge, been transfered onto any electronic medium, & only one copy exists. That copy is held by Masters, but where exactly is unknown. We were asked to find this book & turn it over to the Harvesters, and then we will be allowed to meet with Natalia.

"The Harvesters believe that Natalia is a Nova who has had her Node suppressed somehow, they presume by Masters and believe that this journal has some connection."

[ProfPotts]

"So even though you've been granted the powers of a god, you choose to follow a mythological fallen angel?"

The bound girl smiles ::smile ,

"You said it yourself - we have each been granted the powers of a god. It just so happenes that mine is a dark god. What sort of god are you?"

After a brief pause she adds,

"I presume you know that in the original 'mythology' the beings later identified as 'angels' were, in fact, refered to as gods - each ruled a part of the Earth? Do you honestly believe that line they feed you about this being the first time in history there have been creatures such as we 'Novas'? Where do you suppose 'mythology' comes from?"