Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[malkboy]

Link looks to Vinnie and then to Slither as she reveils her reasons for heading for the fire.

"I tailed her to try and figure out what she was doing exactly. We hadn't been gone that long so I thought there was plenty of time left before the meeting. Once I got there, Junebug was in action so I stayed back and waited to see what happened. From there I think you got the gist of the situation from the phone call."

[ProfPotts]

Bahrain:

"I don't know.. but I'm probably not going to fight something you're gonna do to me anyway.. I mean, not deliberately, anyway.. What do you mean by.. discomfort?"

"It varies, depending on the subject & the specific tests involved." The warden's tone is flat & factual as he talks about the potential horrors that Glacier might be facing, "Your file states that you have a highly evolved constitution. I imagine that you'll be more resistant than most to the experiments - an asset to our research."

Montressor takes a moment more to fix the young captive with a somewhat unnerving gaze, then touches a button on his desk intercom'. Moments later Glacier hears a door behind him slide open - at least, it sounds suspiciously like a Star Trek-style audio effect that would indicate a door sliding open... John tries to shake the rather random thought from his mind as his 'highly evolved constitution', although somewhat impaired at the moment, manages to fight off the last of the haziness induced by the drugs in his system.

With a brief nod from Montressor to someone behind Glacier, the frame the young Nova is strapped to is tilted back & locked into a horizontal position. Now staring up at the ceiling, John catches glimpses of guards clad in rather futuristic-looking moulded plate armour - similar to that he's seen Masters International's security people wear - as he's wheeled from the office & through several corridors. At a few points he appears to be wheeled into an elevator of some kind & transported - down, he thinks - to other levels of the facility. The guards seem unwilling to talk with, or otherwise engage, their prisoner. Gentle testing of his bonds reveals that Glacier is still held firm - his head is clearer than it was, but he still appears to lack his usual great strength, & his aura of cold doesn't seem to be intense enough to damage his bonds...

... Eventually, a few minutes later - & after (from what John could tell) several security checks - he appears to arrive in a small room. The frame is again tilted upright - but then Glacier feels a surge of warm pain in the back of his neck, & everything fades to a kind of blurred white...

... It's hard to tell just how much time has passed, but John reckons that the 'white blur' wears off quite quickly. Although disorientated whilst the effect endured, he had a feeling of being manhandled off the frame - a sense that is now confirmed. Again taking a moment to gain his barings, the young Nova finds himself in the small room he'd been taken too just before the 'white blur' kicked in: it appears to be rounghly a three meter cube of a dull white material. The outline of a door is present in one wall, but there are no windows, handles, or locks obvious. Light appears to come from a sort of internal glow from within the white walls themselves. In one corner of the room (or, John realises, 'cell') is a small hole in the floor that is, he presumes, what passes for bathroom facilities. Apart from that, the cell is bare.

Finally free of his bonds, Glacier still feels weak & sluggish - no more powerful than when he's 'Dormed down' really, although his aura is still present, so he's obviously in 'Nova mode'. Stretching & trying to get feeling back into his cramped muscles, John's fingers brush over something on... no, inserted into, the back of his neck! It feels like a metallic disc of some kind - chilled by his aura - with a short tube sticking out of the middle - as he touches it, he can feel that the tube extends through his flesh & into his body. With a shudder he recalls that he felt the surge of warm pain that pre-empted the 'white blur' in the same location... ::nervous

[Prince of Boredom]

He slowly lands next to the PR man again.

"Anything more for us to do here?"

Mike looks around, and assuming everythins is under control, "Well, I figured I'd hang around here a for a little while and see if the press has any follow-up questions or wants an interview... other than that, I think we did some good today."

[ProfPotts]

PathFinder's Boudoir:

*I'm not sure...I think I might try to meet with Derek and friends later but I need to rest a bit first. I got a text message from Blaze earlier today, Masters may be trying to bait me into a trap. Either that or I'll go to Cairo and see if any progress was made... What about you? Got any plans other than bringing the sample to Zia?*

Seemingly happy to relax in Terry's embrace, PathFinder's thoughts also have a pleasant contented 'feel' to them as they softly seep into her lover's mind... despite the subject she presents,

*I'm going to try to find out how young Glacier is. Getting information out of Bahrain is close to impossible, but there are a few sources open to the Teragen; plus we could learn something from the people who transported him there in the first place.*

There's a brief pause, then the female Terat kisses Terry as in his mind she asks,

*Do you think you can handle those baselines? Epoch would be outraged if he knew I was even asking you such a thing - but then again, despite all he's taught me, his methods of 'seperating the chaff from wheat' of Novakind are a little too militant for my liking. In any case, I know I wouldn't like it if you were killed...*

The mental conversation is interupted by a brief bout of gentle, fun, love-making... ::blush

... Lying, a while later, entwined in bedclothes & each other's limbs, PathFinder finishes her thoughts,

*... I guess I'm asking if you'd like any of my friends to deal with the situation for you?*

Giovanni's:

...well, whatever you want me to do, I'll pretty much do...

At that comment from Slither, Marco can't help but break into a sly smile... ::sly His hand also strays back to the female Nova's knee,

"I'm sure we can work out some suitable penance if such a case presents itself..." ::wink

His younger colleague's cheeky comment having taken some of the edge out of the stern look of concern that was begining to form on Raphael's face at Slither's admission, he instead lets the incident slide. After listening to what she & Link have to report, the elder mobster leans back in his chair & steeples his fingers, his brow furrowing as he speaks,

"Okay - here's hows I sees things goin' down: Slither goes 'n pumps th' Masters boys fer information - see if they're involved in alla this. Link checks out what th' cops & the Feds have on th' Templars - our sources say not a helluva' lot, but it ain't gonna' hurt t' make sure. Ghost... Well, you know what you're gonna' be doin', right?" ::smokin

Marco nods, then adds,

"I've got some leads on that whole 'Hellfire Club' business back in the Twenties - I'll follow up on them."

Dinner with the Beautiful People:

"Hello, this is John Fabry again. I'm trying to contact one of your agent's handlers. I believe he goes by Lodestone...could you please put me in contact with the appropriate party?"

There is only a brief pause - testament to the company's efficiency - before the rich star is connected,

"Hello Mr Fabry, I'm Miss Cable, Lodestone's agent. Lodestone is currently on assignment in the Chadian region, but he is available after the conflict. Or, if you prefer, I could refer you to one of our currently available Elites."

The young female voice has a pleasant hint of South African accent.

Hail the Heroes!:

After checking that the local emergency services have gotten everything under control at the scene of the fire, & lending a further hand where needed, Blaze, Will, & Mike are finally approached by the soot-blackened fire chief. Stepping up to Mike (who appears to be seen as the group's spokesman), he offers his hand & his thanks for the help. At that moment the frequency of camera flashes from the members of the press reaches fever-pitch: & the front page of many of tommorow's papers is born!

Strangely, the Gothic Knight is no-where to be seen. Some quick questioning of witnesses reveals that he seems to have vanished some time after extinguishing the blaze & directing the Novas' efforts - although no-one seems able to say exactly when or how he exited the scene.

As the situation quickly turns towards 'clean up', the press - so far on their best behaviour (thanks, at least in part, to Mike), surge forwards towards the heroic Novas - asking questions & snapping pictures. Mike's memories of the briefings back when he first got his new job with Masters International leap into his mind - now would be the ideal time for a 'sound bite' to wrap things up, & make the Novas (& their sponsoring corporation, naturally ::sly ) look good...

[Archer21]

"Hello Mr Fabry, I'm Miss Cable, Lodestone's agent. Lodestone is currently on assignment in the Chadian region, but he is available after the conflict. Or, if you prefer, I could refer you to one of our currently available Elites."

Smiling into the phone, John winks at Janet across the table, and continues. "A pleasure to speak with you, Miss Cable. I have a very specific assignment in mind, one that I'd rather not go into details over the phone, but suffice to say your agent would be working with another nova, one already in my employ. Lodestone had already met him, so I was hoping to gain his services, for convenience sake. A shame to hear that Lodestone is already busy, but I understand completely."

He pauses briefly, then asks curiously, "And your other currently available employees? Anyone I might have heard of?"

[Prince of Boredom]

Hail the Heroes!:

After checking that the local emergency services have gotten everything under control at the scene of the fire, & lending a further hand where needed, Blaze, Will, & Mike are finally approached by the soot-blackened fire chief. Stepping up to Mike (who appears to be seen as the group's spokesman), he offers his hand & his thanks for the help. At that moment the frequency of camera flashes from the members of the press reaches fever-pitch: & the front page of many of tommorow's papers is born!

Strangely, the Gothic Knight is no-where to be seen. Some quick questioning of witnesses reveals that he seems to have vanished some time after extinguishing the blaze & directing the Novas' efforts - although no-one seems able to say exactly when or how he exited the scene.

As the situation quickly turns towards 'clean up', the press - so far on their best behaviour (thanks, at least in part, to Mike), surge forwards towards the heroic Novas - asking questions & snapping pictures. Mike's memories of the briefings back when he first got his new job with Masters International leap into his mind - now would be the ideal time for a 'sound bite' to wrap things up, & make the Novas (& their sponsoring corporation, naturally ) look good...

As the reporters start crowding in around them, Michael puts his arm around the Fire Chief’s shoulder, “I realize that a lot of you are here to get some good shots of us, the novas, but I want to take a minute to make sure that you recognize the true heroes of today, the men and women of the New York fire and police departments who truly risked their lives to save these people. (He gestures to Blaze and Will) We are proud to stand beside the true heroes of this city. That is what Masters International is all about, baselines and novas working together to make the world a better place for us all."

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Will's standing around clearly not used to the attention, ::blush *ahh shucks... Still not everyone made it out of there alive* ::closedeyes

but I want to take a minute to make sure that you recognize the true heroes of today, the men and women of the New York fire and police departments who truly risked their lives to save these people

*Nice touch*

That is what Masters International is all about, baselines and novas working together to make the world a better place for us all.

*Verry nice touch*

[Asbjørn]

"Okay - here's hows I sees things goin' down: Slither goes 'n pumps th' Masters boys fer information - see if they're involved in alla this. Link checks out what th' cops & the Feds have on th' Templars - our sources say not a helluva' lot, but it ain't gonna' hurt t' make sure. Ghost... Well, you know what you're gonna' be doin', right?" ::smokin

The Ghost quietly nods his agreement to the plan and his own part of it.

Marco nods, then adds,

"I've got some leads on that whole 'Hellfire Club' business back in the Twenties - I'll follow up on them."

Reaching inside his jacket the Ghost produces a card and hands it to Slither.

"Here. This number transfers directly to my cellphone. Call me if you need backup, info, or anything. Try to keep potentially dangerous situations in public, well known places. That way it's easier for me to get the cavalry to you if you need it."

He glances to Marco and Link, then adds

"If you should happen to come across info on Darcy and his schedule and whereabouts, that would be a nice bonus..." ::cool

Finally he turns to Raphael and says

"I'd like a word with you in private before I leave."

[Asbjørn]

As the reporters start crowding in around them, Michael puts his arm around the Fire Chief’s shoulder, “I realize that a lot of you are here to get some good shots of us, the novas, but I want to take a minute to make sure that you recognize the true heroes of today, the men and women of the New York fire and police departments who truly risked their lives to save these people. (He gestures to Blaze and Will) We are proud to stand beside the true heroes of this city.  That is what Masters International is all about, baselines and novas working together to make the world a better place for us all."

Silent - for once ::rolleyes - Blaze listens to Mike's words and smiles to the cameras.

*Hmm... I wonder how these pictures are gonna turn out? Hope I don't ruin all of them...* ::confused

Doing his best to relax in the excitement Nathan tries to dampen the glow surrounding him, an effort kinda like trying to stop sweating after a solid workout... ::blush

After only a few seconds he realizes that he's only making it worse, and reaches for his lighter and cigarettes. The lighter is halfway out of its pocket when the PR implications of lighting up right here and now hits him and he stuffs it back, then puts both hands in his - newly formed - pockets and looks from Mike to the reporters and back. ::lookaround

"So... er.. Mike? Do we give interviews as well, or is this where we make our dramatic exit?"

[Prince of Boredom]

"So... er.. Mike? Do we give interviews as well, or is this where we make our dramatic exit?"

Mike leans over, "Well I guess that's kinda up to you, but I think Master's prefers for the PR folks generally to handle the press... but you've been working for him longer than me... I think a suitably dramatic exit might make for a good wrapup, maybe give a quick salute so they know to get there cameras ready ::wink "

[phoenix]

"It varies, depending on the subject & the specific tests involved." The warden's tone is flat & factual as he talks about the potential horrors that Glacier might be facing, "Your file states that you have a highly evolved constitution. I imagine that you'll be more resistant than most to the experiments - an asset to our research."

Now free of the drug-induced stupor, Glacier's upper lip curls back to reveal sharp, feral-looking canines between the flawless incisors.

"Splendid", the nova snarls. "Just keep in mind that the fact that I'm not dumb enough to fight you doesn't mean I'm exactly cool with being part of this Weapon X knock-off for whoever 'authorized' this." His tone drips with sarcasm as he emphasizes the second-to-last word.

... Eventually, a few minutes later - & after (from what John could tell) several security checks - he appears to arrive in a small room. The frame is again tilted upright - but then Glacier feels a surge of warm pain in the back of his neck, & everything fades to a kind of blurred white...

Glacier howls at the top of his lungs (he'll attempt a vocal shockwave, but I assume he fails at this) at the first real pain he's felt since the fight with Tomahawk. Glacier, who has survived an avalanche, a terminal velocity fall, hand-to-claw combat with the Dark Matter Destroyer, nerve gas, and being practically incinerated by various mercenaries or henchmen of Project: Utopia or his own patron, has fallen into the habit of paying pain no more attention than he did mosquitoes when he a baseline, such as his 'highly evolved constitution' allowed him to do. The scream is more an attempt to intimidate his captors - to show his teeth in a more visceral way - than an actual reaction to the pain, such as it is. However, he quickly falls from consciousness..

Finally free of his bonds, Glacier still feels weak & sluggish - no more powerful than when he's 'Dormed down' really, although his aura is still present, so he's obviously in 'Nova mode'. Stretching & trying to get feeling back into his cramped muscles, John's fingers brush over something on... no, inserted into, the back of his neck! It feels like a metallic disc of some kind - chilled by his aura - with a short tube sticking out of the middle - as he touches it, he can feel that the tube extends through his flesh & into his body. With a shudder he recalls that he felt the surge of warm pain that pre-empted the 'white blur' in the same location...

As Glacier pulls up his upper torso from his curled position on the floor and feels the disk on his neck, and snarls loudly again. After a brief bout of oddly teen-ish cursing, he runs his hand over it again, pulling himself up to a sitting position. As he does this, his new weakness becomes painfully obvious. He curses again and starts doing push-ups for a while to see whether or not he can get tired while under the effects of these drugs.

[malkboy]

"Okay - here's hows I sees things goin' down: Slither goes 'n pumps th' Masters boys fer information - see if they're involved in alla this. Link checks out what th' cops & the Feds have on th' Templars - our sources say not a helluva' lot, but it ain't gonna' hurt t' make sure. Ghost... Well, you know what you're gonna' be doin', right?"

Link nods, "That works for me... "

"Here. This number transfers directly to my cellphone. Call me if you need backup, info, or anything. Try to keep potentially dangerous situations in public, well known places. That way it's easier for me to get the cavalry to you if you need it."

Pulling out a card of his own and slides it to Slither, "For non-immediate surveillence and security needs. "

He looks at Ghost, "You've got my number if something changes."

Tossing his bag over his shoulder, Link nods politely to Marco and Raphael before slipping out of the resturant and into the busy city. Link heads away from the resturant and checks for a tail. Once sure he's not being followed, he pulls out his cell, dialing in a number, "Special Agent Andrew Jacobs, please."

[ezekiel]

Seemingly happy to relax in Terry's embrace, PathFinder's thoughts also have a pleasant contented 'feel' to them as they softly seep into her lover's mind... despite the subject she presents,

*I'm going to try to find out how young Glacier is. Getting information out of Bahrain is close to impossible, but there are a few sources open to the Teragen; plus we could learn something from the people who transported him there in the first place.*

Terry nods

*Good...I still can't believe the incident hasn't been reported yet. You're positive that they've died? What are they waiting for?*

Terry sighs

*I hope he's alright...keep me informed.*

There's a brief pause, then the female Terat kisses Terry as in his mind she asks,

*Do you think you can handle those baselines? Epoch would be outraged if he knew I was even asking you such a thing - but then again, despite all he's taught me, his methods of 'seperating the chaff from wheat' of Novakind are a little too militant for my liking. In any case, I know I wouldn't like it if you were killed...*

The mental conversation is interupted by a brief bout of gentle, fun, love-making... 

... Lying, a while later, entwined in bedclothes & each other's limbs, PathFinder finishes her thoughts,

*... I guess I'm asking if you'd like any of my friends to deal with the situation for you?*

Terry smiles bitterly and shakes his head

*Haven't enough people died lately? The baselines I can handle...but they also had two Elites in their employ as well as Ghost... ::confused Look...let's just wait a few days. You can check on them later on, see what's happening. If they still feel like they've got to kill me for not sucking up to the don that didn't show up, maybe I'll pay him a visit. But if they won't listen to reason, then...*

Terry's lips tighten and he furrows his brows as his eyes darken into inky blackness. Small specks are revealed as stars in his orbs, forming constellations, reminding Pathfinder of the night in Tokyo. ::angry His eyes remain dark for only an instant before reverting to their normal emerald green...

*I just hope they will...*

[Heritage]

At that comment from Slither, Marco can't help but break into a sly smile... ::sly His hand also strays back to the female Nova's knee,

"I'm sure we can work out some suitable penance if such a case presents itself..." ::wink

It takes all of Slither's willpower (OOC: But not her Willpower! ::tongue) to not recoil from Marco's touch - she was begining to find the man more and more loathesome, but she forced a grin for his benefit.

His younger colleague's cheeky comment having taken some of the edge out of the stern look of concern that was begining to form on Raphael's face at Slither's admission, he instead lets the incident slide. After listening to what she & Link have to report, the elder mobster leans back in his chair & steeples his fingers, his brow furrowing as he speaks,

"Okay - here's hows I sees things goin' down: Slither goes 'n pumps th' Masters boys fer information - see if they're involved in alla this. Link checks out what th' cops & the Feds have on th' Templars - our sources say not a helluva' lot, but it ain't gonna' hurt t' make sure. Ghost... Well, you know what you're gonna' be doin', right?" ::smokin

The reptilian nova nods in agreement, while trying to figure out the logistics of meeting with the Masters flack - it occured to her that it actually might be safest to approach him dormed down as Carla Franklin, seeing as she had no criminal record to worry about. If she was careful, she might be able to keep Slither a secret from MI, at least for a while.

Reaching inside his jacket the Ghost produces a card and hands it to Slither.

"Here. This number transfers directly to my cellphone. Call me if you need backup, info, or anything. Try to keep potentially dangerous situations in public, well known places. That way it's easier for me to get the cavalry to you if you need it."

Slither nods, and slips the card into a newly-formed pocket.

Thanks.

Pulling out a card of his own and slides it to Slither, "For non-immediate surveillence and security needs. "

Slither arches a graceful eyebrow as she is handed her third business card of the day.

My, aren't I the popular girl? ::wink Thank you, Link, I'll be in touch.

The card joins Ghost's in her pocket, and she turns to Marco and gives him her best appraising look.

So...do you need me for anything else...right now? ::devil

[Asbjørn]

Mike leans over, "Well I guess that's kinda up to you, but I think Master's prefers for the PR folks generally to handle the press... but you've been working for him longer than me... I think a suitably dramatic exit might make for a good wrapup, maybe give a quick salute so they know to get there cameras ready ::wink "

Nate smiles a small, crooked smile and whispers back

"Actually, I don't think I'm too keen on this publicity stuff. Not right now, anyway. Besides I'd probably just mess up the impression from your speech... ::confused So if you don't mind I say we head for the batcave."

In a slightly louder voice he adds

"What's that phrase again? Oh, yeah..."

He steps between Will and Mike, posing for a group photo. Then he looks around at the reporters over the edge of his shades, gives them a wink as he puts his arms around his partners for a last shot and says

"Up, up, up and awaaaaayyyyyy......!"

And shoots off into the sky and disappears over the skyscrapers, carrying the rest of the team - unless they protest - to the top of the Masters' building.

[Prince of Boredom]

As the group lands on the top of the MI Building, Mike turns to Nate and Will, "Well all-in-all I think that went pretty well... we got to help some people, and our image at the same time... So what's the plan now?"

[ProfPotts]

Phone Calls:

"And your other currently available employees? Anyone I might have heard of?"

Ms Cable's answer is polite & professional,

"As you know, DeVries is the premier employer of Novas in the world - our list of employees is extensive. That fact, combined with your own request for confidentiality, suggests that it would be of more practical use for you to meet with me, or another DeVries representative, in person - so that we can arrange for the best possible Elite solution for your unique needs."

*****

"Special Agent Andrew Jacobs, please."

There is a brief pause, before a familiar voice comes onto the line,

"Hi there bro' - long time no see. How are things with you? Still seeing that girl, what's her name? Justine?.."

Family Issues:

"I'd like a word with you in private before I leave."

The elder mobster nods his agreement...

*****

So...do you need me for anything else...right now?

Marco grins & leans over to whisper something into Slither's ear (a suggestion of the... er... 'romantic' kind... ::blush ) - but (apart from the obvious) seems to agree that she's got work to be getting on with.

*****

[Okay - that seems a suitable place to skip forward in time a little bit... & to assign some XP (pried, no doubt, from the ST's cold, dead, fingers - along with that blood from a stone... ::tongue ::sly ). I'm thinking a day or so - feel free to post your character's general actions during that time.]

[Prince of Boredom]

Having arrived on the roof of the Master's Building, Michael heads through the service door and down to his office. Slowly walking past his assistant's desk, Michael pauses slightly, "Heather, could you come in here for a sec?" and continues into his office.

As Heather walks in and shuts the door behind him, he takes a seat and motions for her to do likewise.

"I realize that since I've been hired on here, things have been a little crazy and we haven't had much time to sit down and talk about what it is that I expect from you as an assistant... although you've been doing a great job so far. To tell ya the truth, I'm kinda new at this myself. That being said, don't be surprised if I lean on you a little more than normal to keep me out of trouble, at least until I figure things out around here ::wink. I do need you to do a couple of things for me today though. First, as you know Blaze, Mr. Henessie, and I were involved with helping out at that fire earlier today. After it was over I was able to give an interview to the press, and I just want to make sure that the publicity department is aware, and does their thing. On a separate note, I want you to help me out on something... I realize it's probably not strictly in your job description, but I need someone that I know can get the job done. I want you to try and find out everything you can about my Terry Nathanson... not the obvious, 'he's in league with the Teragen' crap, but more of who he is, where he came from. See if you can get his police service record, any IA investigations against him, his work with NASA, what he did for Mr. Masters. Bottomline is that I want to know what kind of guy he is, trustworthy, loyal, sinister, whatever. I'm sure the guys in research probably have done most of the work already, MI generally does background checks on all of its employees, especially the novas.

Ok, I realize that was a mouthful, do you have anything for me, before I go downstairs to change clothes, these smell like a fire?"

[Archer21]

Ms Cable's answer is polite & professional,

"As you know, DeVries is the premier employer of Novas in the world - our list of employees is extensive. That fact, combined with your own request for confidentiality, suggests that it would be of more practical use for you to meet with me, or another DeVries representative, in person - so that we can arrange for the best possible Elite solution for your unique needs."

A broad smile settles on John's face. "Indeed. You sound like just the person I need to talk to. In person, of course. I'm currently in New York, on business...would you prefer we meet here, or should I make travel arrangements?"

After a few more moments of polite conversation and agreement on where and when the meeting will be held, the handsome actor hangs up, slipping the phone into his pocket.

With a mischevious gleam in his eye, and seemingly more relaxed than Janet's ever seen him, he offers his glass in a toast. "To you, Janet." Glasses clinking, he grins at her. "And to whatever the night brings. Since we seem to be missing our guests, I say we make the most of it and enjoy ourselves. I'm all yours, beautiful."

::biggrin

((John will at this point pretty much make himself available for whatever Jan would like to do. Dancing, talking, carriage rides, trip to Rome, etc...all about making her happy. Then the meeting with Ms. Cable or another DeVries rep, preferably in New York, and hopefully Ms. Cable. John will push to keep the meeting in town, he does still have restaurant scouting to do.))

[Heritage]

Marco grins & leans over to whisper something into Slither's ear (a suggestion of the... er... 'romantic' kind... ::blush) - but (apart from the obvious) seems to agree that she's got work to be getting on with.

Slither laughs but politely declines for the moment, says her goodbyes and heads out, shifting into Liz Baxter before she steps outside.

*Well, I somehow managed to survive, despite all my best efforts ::rolleyes*

(OOC: Slither's future actions might be altered based on XP - I'll edit this post, possibly after PMing you, Prof)

[Ayre el KaBeer]

He steps between Will and Mike, posing for a group photo. Then he looks around at the reporters over the edge of his shades, gives them a wink as he puts his arms around his partners for a last shot and says

"Up, up, up and awaaaaayyyyyy......!"

And shoots off into the sky and disappears over the skyscrapers, carrying the rest of the team - unless they protest - to the top of the Masters' building.

::biggrin Once they finally touch down on the building Will grins at Nathan "I'll never get tired of that. I'm off for a shower and a change of clothes, damned Eufibre soaks up smoke something awful, I'll debrief later".

On the phone later that day...

"...Thanks Mom, yeah I'm proud of me too ::tongue ... No, I'm fine the fire didn't even singe me...." Just finishing his second apple "Nope, Dad hasn't called yet... Yeah I know, it's just we really haven't spoken much since I errupted ::confused it's probably the only thing he wasn't prepared for, I could have told him I was gay or dying and Jeff would have pre-prepared a speech for him, but a Nova... Sorry, I know that's not fair ::sleep ..."

"I don't know I might come by on the weekend unless Mr. Masters has something for me to do... No sis has been busy being a good little Hennessie keeping her grades up to call her big brother ::biggrin , tell her I'm proud of her but if I find out that Kelly boy is still visiting there'll be hell to pay... Hmmm, I think he needs reminding I'm a big bad nova maybe saturday ::devilangel... Mother I won't even touch him ::rolleyes ... Ok Mom I'll see you on saturday, yeah I love you too, bye."

Just as he hangs up the phone rings again. "Hello? Hi Janny... Yeah I saw myself on tv... Your friend saw me aswell eh? ::cool ... No I'm free tonight, Masters gave me the night off... No, no more blind dates, I'm not looking for a girlfriend at the moment Janny ::sarcasm. How about we all go out tonight, you can introduce me to whatshername and and some of your other 'friends'... ::biggrin Yes I know about Dale ::bigsmile ... Mother told me in her usual "you idiot" tone, she's still hell bent on us getting married ::laugh ... How about eight at that malasian restaurant you're always talking about?... Don't even try it Jan, if she thinks it's a date she's going to be sorely disapointed... Yeah it's to do with Natalia, so please just drop the match making... Ok, I'll see you later on, bye" *What a day*.

(OOC: In down time, Will resumes his study along with his usual physical training trying and failing to forget about Natalia, that's right this kid's pretty hung up about her. Also on ocasion tries to summon more visions leading to the distruction of at least 2 more beds.)

[Asbjørn]

Later that evening a taxi pulls up in front of SMOKE Jazz Club and Cocktail Lounge. Feeling a little awkward in his newly fashioned suit, Nathan steps out and holds the door open for his date. He gives her his arm and leads her down the stairs, and as the music of a long gone era flows towards them from the opening doors he smiles at her and whispers

"I hope the music hasn't changed too much since your time..." ::wink

Negotiating the crowded room - with the occasional stare and comment from the other guests - he finally finds them a table and they sit down and enjoy the atmosphere.

Nathan spends the night with Emma enjoying the music, drinking, talking, flirting, dancing and all the while doing his best to treat her like he believes a gentleman of the roaring twenties would...

Taking the night's events as they come Nathan focuses on the here and now, and particularly the beautiful woman he's with. The whole night he hardly spares a thought for the Teragen, Team Tomorrow or Masters' secrets.

[malkboy]

There is a brief pause, before a familiar voice comes onto the line,

"Hi there bro' - long time no see. How are things with you? Still seeing that girl, what's her name? Justine?.."

A smile crosses Ian's face as soon as he hears his brother's voice, "No doubt it's been awhile, bro. Things are moving, well, in a forward manner pretty much hit a few speedbumps in the last few months, but nothing major. And yea, I've gone and moved in with Justice... so I do see her and I don't regret seeing her every morning either. How's life for you, bro? Better yet, before you awnser that, how about we meet for dinner sometime soon? I'm in New York City for the next few days and it'd be great to see you!"

[brilyn]

Though Derek puts in for some time off to recover from the ordeal with Team Tomorrow, he spends most of his time pottering about in MI's engineering facility, tinkering with the bungled cuffs.

Sometimes they're stripped down, othertimes he reaches through the machine itself to it's innards to make an adjustment.

While generally easy-going, he's quite short with any who interrupt........

[Heritage]

(OOC: Just figured a new post made more sense.)

After a few days, Slither gave up - she'd been haunted by Ghost's inquiry about changing her appearance, and she'd been desperately trying to do just that for the last two days. Maybe she could go to Masters and look like a 'normal' nova after all. She'd spend an hour at a time in the bathroom of her Astoria apartment with a photo taped to the mirror, forcing her features to match the image, but it never happened.

Goddamn it! How could she 'go gray' or shift to Liz Baxter and not be able to copy people! It didn't make sense! All the effort did was make her sweaty and aggravated, and now for some reason her sweat was smelling funky, with a sweet musky odor that faded after a few minutes ::unsure

Great. ::angry Whatever. If she sat on this Mike guy's number too long, he'd lose interest - gotta strike when the iron's hot, as they say. Dormed down and in fact wearing normal clothing for the first time in weeks (she thought it might help her 'stay in character' ::rolleyes), she picks up her cordless phone and dials the number off the card.

Hi, Mike? You might not remember me, but I was the flying easter egg at the fire the other day? ::tongue My name is Carla, and I was wondering if you still wanted to get together and talk about Masters International, or anything else for that matter.

She was so nervous! Like calling up a boy in high school again ::blush

[ezekiel]

Terry lay in the bed staring at the ceiling. Pathfinder had just gone with the sample...He closed his eyes and chatted with her a bit, made sure she got there alright; like he needed to ask. ::rolleyes

With a deep sigh he sat up and dialed a phone number. Terry's powerful voice resonated as he spoke...

"Nathan...it's me."

[Asbjørn]

Sitting up in bed Nate reaches for his phone. It rings a few times as he fumbles through the pockets of his jacket before finding it and picking up.

"Nathan...it's me."

"Me? Me who..?", a tired voice yawns on the other end.

"Just kidding, Terry. What's up? When I woke up after the T2M stuff you were gone again. You almost had me worrying..."

Nate gets out of bed, rubs the sleep from his eyes and heads for the kitchen to put on some coffee as he speaks.

[ezekiel]

"Me? Me who..?", a tired voice yawns on the other end.

"Just kidding, Terry. What's up? When I woke up after the T2M stuff you were gone again. You almost had me worrying..."

Nate gets out of bed, rubs the sleep from his eyes and heads for the kitchen to put on some coffee as he speaks.

Terry smiles despite himself...maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"I've had you worrying? All this time I've been wondering if Masters and Utopia decided I should take the rap for the incident. I wouldn't be surprised..."

There's a second's pause before Terry changes the subject

"How is everyone? How's Emma?"

[Asbjørn]

"How is everyone? How's Emma?"

"She's fine. Same as always, I guess... We went to a jazz club last night, had a great time."

Picking up a lighter and cigarette from a half empty pack on the kitchen table he lights up and continues.

"And the rest of us are ok too. 'Cept John. I don't know what you've heard, but Glacier went completely berserk. Me and Will couldn't do squat, and even Tomahawk had his hands full taking him down. They arrested him. For murder. Don't know what's happened to him since."

"How about you? And your... is 'friends' the right word?"

[Prince of Boredom]

Great.  Whatever. If she sat on this Mike guy's number too long, he'd lose interest - gotta strike when the iron's hot, as they say. Dormed down and in fact wearing normal clothing for the first time in weeks (she thought it might help her 'stay in character' ), she picks up her cordless phone and dials the number off the card.

Calling the number on the business card, Slither/Carla hears a pleasant female voice answer, "Mr. Davison's office, this is Heather, how may I help you? (After she asks for Mike) Mr. Davison is out of the office right now, let me transfer you to his cell phone..."

Hi, Mike? You might not remember me, but I was the flying easter egg at the fire the other day?  My name is Carla, and I was wondering if you still wanted to get together and talk about Masters International, or anything else for that matter.

She was so nervous! Like calling up a boy in high school again

"Oh, right... Junebug wasn't it? Carla's a much prettier name. I'd love to get together, how about dinner tonight? Like Italian?"

[Heritage]

(OOC: Carla would thank Heather, but no need to roleplay that.)

"Oh, right... Junebug wasn't it? Carla's a much prettier name. I'd love to get together, how about dinner tonight? Like Italian?"

Carla groans.

Please, don't remind me! ::blush I plead temporary insanity on both the name and the costume, but we can get into that later ::laugh

I love Italian - do you have any place in mind? If possible, somewhere with a little privacy would be nice - I'm still not used to this whole 'being a nova' thing, and I have a public face. It's not like I'm famous or anything, but I might be recognized, and I don't want to wear any more tacky masks - we might not get good service ::wink

[Prince of Boredom]

Carla groans.

Please, don't remind me!  I plead temporary insanity on both the name and the costume, but we can get into that later

Mike laughs, "Don't worry, we all make mistakes..."

I love Italian - do you have any place in mind? If possible, somewhere with a little privacy would be nice - I'm still not used to this whole 'being a nova' thing, and I have a public face. It's not like I'm famous or anything, but I might be recognized, and I don't want to wear any more tacky masks - we might not get good service

"I've only been in the city a couple of months, so I don't have a favorite. How about you? If not, I'm sure we can figure something out..."

[ezekiel]

"She's fine. Same as always, I guess... We went to a jazz club last night, had a great time."

Picking up a lighter and cigarette from a half empty pack on the kitchen table he lights up and continues.

"And the rest of us are ok too. 'Cept John. I don't know what you've heard, but Glacier went completely berserk. Me and Will couldn't do squat, and even Tomahawk had his hands full taking him down. They arrested him. For murder. Don't know what's happened to him since."

"How about you? And your... is 'friends' the right word?"

The line cuts...

about a minute's time passes before Blaze's phone rings again

"Hi Nate, sorry, I just changed location. Listen, I'm sure you have plenty of questions but I won't answer them over the phone...I'm assuming you wanted to meet?"

[Asbjørn]

The line cuts...

"What the...?" ::huh

Nate looks at the phone for a few seconds, then proceeds to get dressed and make some breakfast.

about a minute's time passes before Blaze's phone rings again

Picking up, he answers between mouthfuls of cold chicken from the fridge.

"Hello again..."

"Hi Nate, sorry, I just changed location. Listen, I'm sure you have plenty of questions but I won't answer them over the phone...I'm assuming you wanted to meet?"

"Uh... yeah. We all did, actually. So... where do you wanna meet? I'm at home now. Anywhere in NY is fine I guess. You're a bit more mobile than me, you know..."

[Heritage]

Mike laughs, "Don't worry, we all make mistakes..."

If I had the amazing superpower to make you forget that outfit, believe me, I would, but thanks for understanding ::laugh

"I've only been in the city a couple of months, so I don't have a favorite. How about you? If not, I'm sure we can figure something out..."

Would this be on Masters' tab? 'Cause I can think of some really nice places if we're gonna be all naughty ::tongue

Carla thinks for a moment, idly tapping the phone with her finger.

Ooh, I know a great place in Jersey! None of my friends will ever cross the Hudson - losers ::rolleyes It's called Scalini Fedeli, in Chatham, and it's fantastic!

(OOC: Here's the menu, and here's the webpage - looks darn good!)

(additional note: Chatham is not just across the River like Hoboken - it's in the middle of frickin' nowhere, and least in the minds of a good Manhattanite - see this map! You'd actually have to drive to get there - horrors! Or, y'know, get a limo ::tongue)

[ezekiel]

"Uh... yeah. We all did, actually. So... where do you wanna meet? I'm at home now. Anywhere in NY is fine I guess. You're a bit more mobile than me, you know..."

"All of you huh? Well gather the troups then and go somewhere I know of...I'll provide transport to wherever I'm at."

[Prince of Boredom]

Would this be on Masters' tab? 'Cause I can think of some really nice places if we're gonna be all naughty

"Well, I suppose that depends on if this is going to be a business, or social engagement ::cool "

Ooh, I know a great place in Jersey! None of my friends will ever cross the Hudson - losers  It's called Scalini Fedeli, in Chatham, and it's fantastic!

"Sounds great. I'm sure I can borrow one of the company cars for a trip out there. What time would you like me to pick you up, and where?"

[Heritage]

"Well, I suppose that depends on if this is going to be a business, or social engagement ::cool"

Oh God! ::blink I meant...naughty like little kid naughty, not...naughty-naughty ::blush

Boy, was she ever nervous!

Well, you probably knew that, you were just...um, how pink is my face, 'cause I know you can see it from there ::blush ::biggrin

"Sounds great. I'm sure I can borrow one of the company cars for a trip out there. What time would you like me to pick you up, and where?"

*Have to remember, this is a job, even if you are liking it way too much.*

After taking a few moments to push down the giggles and butterflies, Carla continues.

Hmm, okay. Well, let's make reservations for...seven o'clock, to allow time for traffic or whatever? I live in Astoria, but I can jump on a train and meet you downtown, no reason to come all the way over here. Where's you office located?

[Asbjørn]

"All of you huh? Well gather the troups then and go somewhere I know of...I'll provide transport to wherever I'm at."

"Er... Ok, I realize this sounds suspicious, Terry. It's not like that. It's just that we all wanted to know what's going on, and how you're doing. That's all."

Draining the last of his orange juice he checks the contents of his fridge and sighs. ::confused

"You know... My fridge is totally cleaned out. I'll have to do some shopping and get something to eat... You'd think I'd at least manage to keep food in the house on my salary, wouldn't you?"

Silencing another yawn he realizes he's lost track of the oiginal conversation and stops his rambling.

"Anyway: I'll call Will and Derek. And Mike too, if you don't mind. I guess he's less concerned than the rest of us since he doesn't really know you, but he'll come if I ask him. I'm not gonna lie and tell you the boss doesn't know I called you, and Mike will probably come along at least partly to make up his own mind about you for a later report to Masters. It's up to you if you want him along or not."

"You know where I live? Or should I pick a more public spot?"

[ezekiel]

"Er... Ok, I realize this sounds suspicious, Terry. It's not like that. It's just that we all wanted to know what's going on, and how you're doing. That's all."

"Sure."

Somehow Terry manages to make this seem unpatronizing.

Draining the last of his orange juice he checks the contents of his fridge and sighs. 

"You know... My fridge is totally cleaned out. I'll have to do some shopping and get something to eat... You'd think I'd at least manage to keep food in the house on my salary, wouldn't you?"

"Mmm-hmm..."

Silencing another yawn he realizes he's lost track of the oiginal conversation and stops his rambling.

"Anyway: I'll call Will and Derek. And Mike too, if you don't mind. I guess he's less concerned than the rest of us since he doesn't really know you, but he'll come if I ask him. I'm not gonna lie and tell you the boss doesn't know I called you, and Mike will probably come along at least partly to make up his own mind about you for a later report to Masters. It's up to you if you want him along or not."

"I don't mind his being there."

"You know where I live? Or should I pick a more public spot?"

"No not public, I was thinking more in terms of familiarity...Since you're in New York anyway, go to my apartment and call me when you're outside my door...See you soon Nate."