RKMBs Forums .::Important::. Writer's Block Hero Revolution # 9 (Greetings From Sunny La Perdita!)

"...and then there was this dancing turtle dude," Mick said enthusiastically as he ate his fourth slice of pizza, spilling cheese all over the table, "and then I became M-X-Y so I can't remember, and then the guys returned from their mission with new guys but they were too tired so they went straight to bed, and then I propossed to Shirley... dude, can you believe I'm getting married...?"

"I'm still processing that," Edulcore answered with a smile, properly having his pizza.

"...and then there was this big fight," Mick continued, "but I was M-X-Y so I don't remember most of it... except that part where I visited my old room as a kid... and that part where Larry ate a mountain of fish sticks... and now we are here!"

"Thanks for filling me in, Mick," Edulcore said, and then turned to Danny, noticing he had been silent most of the time. "What can you tell me about the new guys, Dan?"

"Well, there's Turkish who's like 10 feet tall and freaky..." Mick answered, "...not to mention bald, and then there's Dirk who likes guns and stuff... maybe a little too much if you know what I mean, and there's Chance who's also a little creepy, but looks like a decent guy... and good old Sammy of course! But Danny should tell you about him! They're HUGE PALS, right, Dan?"

"...right..." Danny replied awkardly, and then added, "And there's also Grimm"

"Grimm. Yes." Mick said, suddenly getting quiet... and a little pale.

[ 08-28-2002, 08:46 PM: Message edited by: I'm Not Mister Mxypltk ]

Not Too Long Ago

Shirley returned to her desk a bit bewildered. She'd just witnessed Edulcore Cicciotto, a founding member of the MBL Consulting company jump out of a window on the thirteenth floor, sprout feathers from his arms and glide off into the sky. And while, granted, Shirley was more than accostumed to seeing weird things (after all, she was engaged to the man who was inhabited by a fifth-dimensional imp), it was more than she'd been prepared to see, to be totally honest.

Lucky Kit, she thought to herself as she descended in the elevator to the main level. Wish I could give myself a day off every once and awhile... but, then again, I live here... never mind...

Sighing as she exited the elevator, Shirley Francis ran her fingers through her hair and rounded the corner into the office area of MBL Consulting...

...only to find a complete stranger sitting at her desk, looking through a stack of potential mission assignments drafted by prospective clients.

"Excuse me!" Shirley cried out in surprise upon seeing the man, who had some slightly dissheveled sandy blonde hair and wore a white T-shirt, tan vest, and khaki shorts. "What on EARTH do you think you're doing here?!"

The man looked up slowly, tossed the stack of papers back onto the desk and took a glance at his wrist watch.

"Seventy-five minutes!" he said triumphantly, looking Shirley over.

"What?" the woman asked, furrowing her brow and cocking her head slightly to the side.

"I've been sitting down here, absolutely unnoticed, for seventy-five minutes!" the man clarified, an indignant smile spreading across his lips. "You guys don't even have so much as a bell or beeper on your front door! Are you aware of that?"

"Uh... who are you?" Shirley asked, not precisely sure of what to say or do next.

"Oh, forgive me, miss," the man said, rising from his seat and offering Shirley his hand. "The name's Grissom Montag. I called here earlier about a business venture...?"

"Oh!" Shirley said, suddenly remembering and taking Grissom's hand. "Yes, of course!"

"You, of course, my dear, can call me 'Griss'..." As the slick Englishman stooped to kiss Shirley's extended hand, he noticed a large ring on her forth finger. "Oh! Forgive me, miss! Didn't realize you were married!"

"No problem," Shirley said, manuevering herself around Griss and taking a seat at her desk. "You'd be surprised at how often that's been happening to me lately..."

"So," Griss said, leaning against Shirley's desk, "is Piper in?"

"Sadly, Mr. Piper has left for the day," Shirley said apolegetically. "Did you have an appointment?"

"Well, I talked with him earlier," Montag answered, shrugging. "I thought it was pretty well understood that I'd be coming in and wanting to talk to him. Would've been here sooner had customs not given me the run-around like they did..."

"Well, I happen to know that Dr. Henry Quantos, the company's science advisor, is staying in one of the apratments somewhere in the building. Would you like me to try to contact him?"

"Uh... yeah, sure..." Grissom said, sinking into a chair opposite Shirley's desk. As Shirley picked up the phone and dialed in Quantos' pager number, Grissom spoke up again. "You know why I think your security system sucks?"

Taken aback a bit, Shirley hung up the receiver and blinked before she responded with, "Uh... no..."

"Well, hon," Griss said, leaning back in his chair, "I'll have to enlighten you..."

Oh, no... Shirley thought as Griss started up.

Turkish Stringfellow continued to sit in quiet thought up on the roof, his face exhibiting nothing but a quiet, determined resolve. Above him the sun shone brightly with not a cloud in the sky. The cool sea breeze regulated the hot wafts of air coming up from the paved streets of Puerta Mibela, but the greenhouse itself was particularly humid and muggy this day.

He turned his head, his eyebrows furrowing subtlely, as if he noticed something different suddenly. After a moment of quiet watching, despite his eyes being nearly closed, he stopped and resumed his position, the only change in his demeanor being a subtle, Mona Lisa-like smile upon his face.

Turkish sat as if listening to something. No, not listening. Perceiving something not based upon sound at all. A gentle nod of his head and a smile followed as his perceptions widened.

"Ah. Ahh. I see," he breathed. "I think I understand... The loss of your life has gone unmourned by almost all who knew you. You feel like everyone's forgotten about you, brushed you under the rug. You do indeed deserve a memorial... a... a wake. Yes, a wake. I agree completely."

He frowned once more and assumed a listening posture, though again it was less for sound and more for perception.

"You don't mind being a spirit, a ghost? Never have to worry about being harmed again, yes, I can see that. Not so unlucky a fate as it would seem then. You don't want Kristofer to know yet, either, do you? He needs to feel guilty about it a bit more, after all. I understand. Yes, I'm glad I was here for you to talk with as well. We may have more talks like this in the future, at least I hope we do..."

Turkish rose from his seat after a moment and smiled a kind, brotherly smile as he walked back into the greenhouse. "Farewell, Pete..." he whispered, his eyes glancing over to a tropical flower with blue petals as he thought of another lost friend. As he did so, a look of sadness came over his face.

[ 08-28-2002, 09:35 PM: Message edited by: TheTimeTrust ]

Turkish Stringfellow returned to his meditation, a small flowerpot in front of him, seemingly unmindful of the changes in the weather.

Turkish extended his senses out over the immediate area, searching, searching, but for what he did not know. The wind suddenly began to pick up blowing harsher by the moment. Still Turkish sat in his meditative state. The small flowerpot began to sway in the breeze, back and forth, forth and back, until it began to fall over. . .then stopped moments from spilling its contents out onto the rooftop, and righted itself, remaining in a fixed position. Stringfellow smiled pleasantly to himself.

Static began to fill the air. Turkish's eyes opened wide. The event horizon of a miniature black hole appeared in front of him. He lifted his head as a slight "boom" filled his ears. And a familiar face peered out from inside of a swirling spatial wormhole.

"Stringfellow! About time! Come on, we don't have much time!"

Turkish looked agape at the young female faced framed in short, blond hair. "Z. . ." he said, as all his memories flooded back to him in an instant.

"Yes, Stringfellow, now hurry!"

"But, Z, I have yet to-"

"No time, let's go!"

"Very well, Z."

Grimm stepped out onto the roof in time to see Turkish vanish into the wormhole, which immediately collapsed afterward. Anoher small "boom" and everything was silent. The wind was gone as well.

"Hmm. Guess he has other plans." He muttered, to no one in particular.

Ed Cicciotto sat and laughed with his friends, once again, the feeling of home overcame his body and soul. Boy did he miss this.

"Don't forget about the puggy guy who gets us jobs!" Mick blurred out with a mouth full of pizza.

"Yeah," Danny replied, "That would be Kit Piper"

"I still can't believe that we get 'paid' to help people." Ed responded unsure of his true feelings on demanding money to help others.

"You will never guess who I became friends with-" Ed began when Danny interrupted.

"It will have to wait for a little later," Danny stood and moved away from the table, "We got trouble."

Mick attempted to hastly get to his feet, but instead got his shirt caught and fell to the ground, "Mxy!"

Ed turned around to see Danny walking directly towards Turner. Before he could tell him to stop, he heard the words, "Bear Claws"

“Bear claws!” shouts Danny, and then he falls, flat on the ground, hit by the pizza dish I threw at him, without even taking aim.

“What the fuck” he begins, but my eyes are on Turner. His eyes, which were lit, turn normal, and I smile, glad to have avoided a fight that would have proven deadly for my young friend.

But just when Danny stand up, a giant hand, at last one yard wide, wave toward Turner.

"Ehi, Turner, gimme five” shouts Mxy, and Turner is catapulted out of the restaurant, out on the wet street.

I throw a roll of dollars to the waiter, and run outside, behind Mxy and followed by Danny.

“Why did you stop me, Ed? He’s that wacko that attacked us on the way to Thunder!”

“He’s my friend, now!” I try to explain to Danny, while on the road Mxy, disguised as Franklin, keeps capturing every lighting bolt from Turner with a giant kite.

“I don’t care if it’s your friend. He surely is not ours!”

“He saved my life, Danny. More than once!”

“And he threatened mine, Edulcore. And Mxy’s Larry’s, Naecken’s and all the others. You want me to take his hand and shake it? No way”.

“He would have killed you in a moment, Danny. I know what he’s able to do”.

“Mxy would have backed me, you know Ed. Maybe you were afraid for Turner!”

I suddenly stop. Should I impose my friendship for Turner over my other friends? The trust that was born among the two of us, by means of many adventure throughout America, can be translated to the other members of the MBL?

“OK. Fair, Danny. I can’t tell you to trust that man. But I can’t let that you tore the city to settle a thing that I am sure is behind him.”

I go in the middle of the street. “Mxy, Turner! Stop. For. A. Moment!” I shout.

“Ehy, Eurovision, wassup!?” says Mxy, returning to his traditional top hat and coat look. Turner, on his own, is sweating.

“Mxy, you are stealing all the fun from Danny!” I say.

"Ohhps, Danny-boy, I am sorry” says Mxy, with a sad look. Turner gives me a puzzled expression.

I take Turner for an hand, and Danny for the other, and quickly head for a narrow alley, away from the wide street.

“Ok, guys. This is the place to settle your arguments…” I begin.

“What arguments? I was going to order a pizza!” says Turner.

“You fucking bastard! You tore our van and harmed us at Thunder!” shouts Danny.

“That was…” reply Turner, but I silence him with a gesture of my hand.

“I believe there are arguments, Turner. Things not settled. Settled for me, but not for my friends, at last for some of them. That’s why I have brought you here. Now you will settle all like gentlemen.”

“You mean?” says Danny, but Turner has figured the situation and is rolling up his sleeves.

“I mean, that if you want to fight, it must be a fair fight, WITHOUT superpowers. Plain fists with bare hands. I hope that some words to explain what happened there would be sufficient, but if you want to fight, I want that everybody will survive the fight. OK?”

[ 08-30-2002, 04:15 PM: Message edited by: The Eurostar ]

The clouds from the sea had moved closer to the island. Dirk decided that it was best that he headed back towards the apartment before it began to rain. As he headed up a back alley, an attempt to avoid the parade that seemed to do nothing but circle the whole damn island, the gunslinger stumbled upon what looked like a brawl.

Two men were swinging punches at one another; one of them was actually connecting his. Dirk thought that he might have recognized one of them. Don? Donny? Danny? Danny! That was it. He was the punk in the team that decided he was going to be a big boy and play tough by demanding to know who Dirk is. Well, he's getting his ass kicked pretty good. he thought to himself. Guess I better do something to help him.

In a flash, a small Deringer pistol materialized out of his pocket and into his hand. Danny thought that he heard a firecracker go off as Turner's left leg went out from under him. Danny saw the tiny gun in Dirk's hand only for a second before it was returned to its rightful place.

"You don't have to thank me," Dirk yelled at them. Ed just stood dumfounded, not knowing how to react. "Better get back to the complex before the rain comes," the gunslinger yelled as he hobbled down another alley and out of sight of the rest. Maybe that will make him happy and off my ass, he thought.

Danny slowly shook his head, "I just don't know about that guy."

Grissom Montag rolled his eyes as he glanced out the window at the slowly greying skies above Puerta Mibela.

"Well, don't that just bugger all...?" he muttered to himself, as Dr. Henry Quantos looked up from his laptop computer.

"Er... excuse me, Mr. Montag?" he said. He was a bit uncomfortable with the situation that Shirley had presented him with. The doctor now had to oversee the hiring of a new member in Kit Piper's stead. However, it was a necessity in this case.

"It's bloody gonna rain," Montag said, running his three-fingered hand through his sandy blonde hair. "I thought these tropical islands only got rain durin' hurricane season..."

"One of the many common misconceptions about the Carribean, Mr. Montag," Quantos said, leaning back in Piper's high-backed leather chair. "Now, about these proposed 'renovations'..."

"A complete overhaul, Doc!" Montag said excitedly, immediately diverting his attention from the window to focus on his audience. "This place needs new security like Margaret Thatcher and Prince Charles need some dental work, y'know what I mean?"

"I... fail to see what you mean, sir," Quantos said, fighting the urge to chuckle at the Englishman's joke on the hygiene of his national leaders.

"Check your security tapes from the last two hours for any problems or break-ins..." Grissom said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

"Okay..." Quantos quickly uploaded the desired files onto his hard drive and began scanning them silently and thoughtfully. After about a half hour of silent review, Henry shrugged his shoulders and turned to the prospective employee. "I see nothing wrong..."

"Precisely my point, Doc," Grissom said triumphantly. "Precisely. Y'see, I snuck in here about two hours ago... and managed to not be picked up by one security camera... managed to not set off one alarm. How did I do it, Doc? How?"

Quantos scratched his chin thoughtfully, milling several options over in his head. "You're a teleporter," Quantos said, not quite a statement, but not quite a question either.

Grissom chuckled a bit and cocked his head to the side. "Not in the way you'd think. I'm only able to teleport non-living organic matter. Works best if I'm either touching it or have touched it before. Can't teleport people, though, mate...

"Truth of the matter is, Doc, that I know security systems," Griss continued after a short pause. "Better'n just about any man alive, I'd say. Know how to get past 'em undetected. Know how to pick a lock, crack a safe, or even evade a succession of laser beams. I'm specifically trained to judge a building's security before I even set foot in the door.

"If Malvan-X or Tri-Vex had taken up my offer for a consultation, I can guarantee you that both buildings would still be standing today..." Grissom finished, leaning onto Piper's desk and looking Quantos directly in the eye.

"I can make sure that no more bizarre mystical trolls will show up without your foreknowledge. I am also working on a few precautionary measures, such as telepathic blocks and other such typically metahuman and psionic attacks. Basically, Dr. Quantos, I can offer you the best security the world has to offer..."

"What's the catch?" Quantos asked suddenly, after a few seconds of uneasy quiet.

"All of my security," Grissom said, "and even the use of my own personal mechanic, Charley, who should arrive later this evening by helicopter, in exchange for your group's services. On a specific 'mission', I believe?"

"Just one mission?" Quantos asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit of a one-sided trade?"

"Listen, I know what your Piper bloke charges for one of these 'consultations'... trust me, this is a fair bargain."

"Well," Quantos began, "what happens when your mission is over? Will you stay behind and finish the work you've already started?"

"Chances are, Doc," Griss responded, "my work'll be done before my mission even sees light of day. I know you've all got other things to do that were scheduled long before I show up. When I finish my work setting up the security system, I'll join the mission team full time. Trust me, this isn't something I'm leaping into blindly..."

Dr. Quantos silently ran his hand through his hair and looked up at Grissom. After a few moments of deliberation, Quantos raised his arm towards Montag, his palms inward.

"I've nothing more to ask, Mr. Montag," he said, a smile on his face. "Welcome to MBL Consulting..."

“Who’s that freak?”

“Dirk, one of the new guys. Maybe he was thinking about protecting me?!” explains Danny, shrugging. Turner is kneeling on the ground, looking at his wound. His eyes lit up.

“Wait a moment, Turner. Don’t make this messier”.

The man in grey is strolling fast toward the complex. I wonder how can people be so easy with guns. And just when Turner had not fight back for most of the time, because, I bet, he thought he was deserving that . Just when he pushed away Danny, to avoid more damage, that loon shoot him.

I take the top from one of the garbage bins that fill the narrow alley. Without even aim, like I now I am used to do, throw it toward that Dirk. Hit him on the back of the head. The man fall. On the ground, his hand goes to the head, than turn back, looking at me. Guess he’s harder than I though. Without even noticing, there is a big gun in his hand, and he is aiming at me.

He fire.

And a little flag with BANG written in capital letters appears.

I sigh of relief. Good old Mxy. He is smiling next to me, while Danny is helping Turner to stand. Funny how dire situation settle any difference.

I walk slowly toward the man in grey coat, my feathers all sprout out to give a somewhat more imposing look. He is wondering at the little flag, still sitting on the ground.

I lend him a hand, but he refuse to take it.

“Dirk Bell, I suppose” I say. “I am Edulcore Cicciotto. That is a friend of mine, Turner” I say, pointing my thumb back, over my shoulder.

“He was harming a friend of mine, Danny”.

“THEY were settling their arguments like gentlemen. YOU shot him from behind. That is not what a gentleman does”.

“Who the fuck you think of being?”

“Just a friend. A friend that doesn’t like guns. A friend that thinks gun are only symbolic replacements for something I bet you are lacking.”

He turns very angry, and his right hands quickly move toward my jaw. he is fat, maybe the fastest man I ever meet. But I am no man, I am metahuman. I was the fastest meta around, before Tobias showed up. And altough I have lost the supervelocity, I am still faster than any human. My fist reaches his face just a moment before his own reaches mine.

And he falls to the ground.

[ 09-06-2002, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: The Eurostar ]

Don't know what got into me, Dirk thought as he raised his cast swiftly into the crotch of the weird bird-guy who made the mistake of turning his back on the gunslinger. Edulcore felt a sharp pain as he fell to his knees.

Dirk made his way to his feet quickly, especially considering his broken leg. "I don't need a gun to kick your ass," he said as his cast smashed into Ed's face, causing blood to flow from the man's "beak" like water from a faucet. "And, as far as shooting someone from behind," the gunslinger continued as he picked his opponent up from the ground, "his back was to me." He tosses Mxy and Danny's pal into a dumpster. "Plus, you didn't seem to mind when you threw that lid at me," with a swift movement, the lid came crashing down.

Turner came to his senses and began a charge for Dirk. "Mxy!" he called out to the two team mates who were now captivated by the event. "You and Danny might want some shades."

Mxy, not quite understanding, materialized lamp shades onto his and Danny's heads instead of the sunshades that Dirk had meant with his warning.

Almost as though they were one in the same movement, Dirk produced two grenades that he tossed in the air as his body spun around so that his back was facing his attacker. Turner had no time to respond before two bright orbs flashed in front of his face, temporarily taking his sight.

"So," Dirk said to Turner after a moment, "you two are friends, eh? Why don't you share a room together?" As Edulcore had just lifted the lid on the dumpster, Turner's body hit him, knocking both men in and slamming the lid closed again. "And I'm not even going to make some cliche 'taking out the trash' comment, either." Dirk returned to his room at the complex.

"Is it over now?" Danny asked with his voice muffled under the shade. Mxy just shrugged. "Well," Danny asked again, "is it?"

[ 09-04-2002, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: thedoctor ]

Grimm sat on the edge of a boulder in the rock quarry, staring out out over the abandoned place. He looked at nothing in particular, just stared out over the area. He slid down off the top of the rock and walked over to the nearest boulder. Shrugging off his leather jacket, he pulled back his left arm and made a fist. He took aim, measuring his right arm, and. . .

. . .did nothing. "Ah, crap. It's just not the same." He picked up his jacket and began walking back to the apartment complex.

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

Sam walked down the streets, drunk, hurt, frustrated, embarrassed, and more than a little confused. He walked aimlessly, little noticing or caring where he went. He walked right up into Michelle before even noticing her.

"Sam!"

"Uh, hey, what's going on. . .?"

"Sam, I've been looking for you all day! It's Clark, he's been missing since the party-"

"Is that ALL you want me for? To find your new boyfriend, my old pal, Clark, probably lost on another bender, I swear he-"

"Sam! What is wrong with you? Your breath smells like alcohol, you never used to drink."

"There's lotsa things I never used to do. I never used to think my best friend and my girlfriend would cheat on me either."

"Hey, you left me without a word, remember, asshole?! Two freakin' years, I cried over you and then you just come back into my life without so much as an apology!"

Sam's face suddenly morphed into Michelle's.

"Oh, Clark, I don't know what I would do without you." Sam mimed a hideous parody of Michelle's voice.

Without warning, Michelle slapped Sam hard across the face, shocking him out of his morphed state.

"That was really rude and disgusting. Don't ever speak to me again." Michelle stormed off down the street.

Sam leaned over against the wall of a nearby building, holding his face. Rain, slowly began to trickle down on him.

"Oh, great. That's ALL I need right now. . ."

Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run

Funny how the lyrics from a song can resurface in your mind when it's more than fifteen years that you don't hear it.

I slid out of the bin, dusting away rotten pieces of garbage from my clothes.

Turner is on his legs, I wonder how he can stand with that bullet in the leg. His eyes are looking around in search of the bastard, which have left quickly the place.

"It's all for you", I whisper.

Millions of volts of electricity erupted from Turner’s eyes. Flowing freely into the air, parting the thick clouds above and evaporating the rain miles above the very ground.

Danny froze as Mxy looked on in silence, an expression much like a kid watching fireworks on the forth of July. Ed covered his now sensitive eyes, his other hand firmly holding his aching crotch. It would be a pleasure to watch Dirk get his just do.

Turner’s body lifted off the ground.

“Ed, what floor does he live on?”

Turner’s voice was loud and almost godlike. Ed whispered the floor number and Turner was gone in a puff of smoke and ash.




“What just happened?”

Danny’s voice cut through the silence, the rain once again pounding on the darkened streets. The sun was setting. The nightlife would soon begin. But first, Turner was going to take his revenge.




Dirk finally made it into his room. He dropped his body to his bed and clutched his leg, the pain had fully returned when he used it as a weapon against Edulcore. But it was worth it; someone had to shut that guy up. And that other one. What a pussy-shit!

Taking off his coat and throwing it onto a chair, something didn’t seem right. Turning around, all three-glass windows shattered in his direction, with cat like speed Dirk dropped his body to the ground, Taking the mattress over as a shield.

Fucker

Peeking his head around the corner of the mattress, smoke blocked the spaces between the windows. He had no view of his attacker, but he knew it was one of the two fuckers out for more. Damn metas.

Sliding to his dresser, Dirk pulled two Colt .45s from the bottom. He needed the big guns for this. Sliding his body behind the dresser he looked over again.

Things were silent.

A little

too silent.

Before he could calm his breathing the whole far wall of his apartment, his floor, was ripped off whole and flouted in mid air, each brick still in place.

Shit.

Dirk jumped for the door, his bad leg in cast hitting the ground hard, cracking, breaking. Holding back the pain he pulled his body into the hallway as the stone wall flew across the room crushing everything in its path before slamming against the room’s divider. Dirk looked around, the hallway was empty.

Turner entered the collapsed apartment room, his body surging with energy. Smoke filled the air. Steam raising from his footsteps.

Dirk turned to the doorway and let shots fly. Turner smiled as the bullets were turned to ash feet from his head. Turner shot a ball of electricity toward Dirk who quickly hit the ground, rubble collapsing over half his body. Quickly shaking his body free, his chest was met with a powerful blast from Turner. His shirt singed off as he hit the hard stone wall behind him. Shaking off the pain. Dirk reached into the back of his cast, pulling a flat blade from it.

Turner picked Dirk up with one hand, holding his back flat on the wall, electricity surging throughout the ‘perfect’ human’s body, pain filling every cell in his body. With a swift move, Dirk swung the blade into Turner’s side, blood flowed from the open wound. Dirk’s elbow met Turner’s jaw cracking the bones in both men. Dirk swung the blade at Turner’s head, but a streak shot from Turner’s eye’s melting the blade and badly burning the man’s hand.

Dirk spun out of Turner’s grip and hit the ground. After a brief daze, he smirked. And nodded his head to behind Turner.




Turner turned and was met with a ghostly stare from Grimm, then the side of his axe landed square on Turner’s side, sending him through the stone wall.

“You’re lucky mate, Ed and Danny filled me in as I was returning.”

Grimm turned as Turner flew across the room, taking them both out of the apartment and spiraling to the ground.

Dirk got to his feet and spit up blood, “I was doing fine on my own, ‘mate’”

Grimm and Turner landed with a thud heard across the island. Getting to their feet, both men paused. Grimm’s expression was cold and stern. Turner with one of rage and vengence.







“The name’s Grimm,”

“Turner.”

Both men shook hands as Danny, Ed and Mxy finally arrived. The sun had now fully set. Dirk looked on from above.

“I think it’s time for some fun.” Grimm said, a crooked smile letting on that he had already made plan’s for the team this night.

"Hal...?"

<Danny.>

"What do you think of all this?"

<What? You mean all this shit with Dirk and Ed and the agent?>

"Yeah."

<If I were you, I would've stabbed Turner in the eye with a truckload of snake venom the first chance I got. But then... I'm not you. Yet.>

"...right..."

This is not going away easily.

For now... there seems to be some sort of truce, however uneasy it may be.

But still... this is not going away easily.

Ed. Turner. Dirk. There's issues there... issues that will need to be resolved before we can call ourselves a team.

But damn it, if I have to kick all their arses to do it, they're going to resolve them. This is my team. My home. Hell, my friends. I'm not going to let them fall apart because of some clashing egos.

I walk to my room.

Danny walked to his room on the seventh floor, to get ready. It looked like the team was getting set for a night on the town, and that was something Danny was yet to fully experience since he came to the year 2002. He'd been on the occasional social jaunt, but never just headed out for a night of fun.

He sat down on the bed.

I sit down on the bed. I wince as I do so as paint shoots up my torso.

Here I am, recovering from a broken rib and a stab wound. And I volunteer for a fistfight with an ex-EPs agent. Fucking pride.

Fucking Turner. I couldn't have walked away, though. Not from a chance to make my point.

Turns out Dirk made it for me. Still... all that fighting from before Dirk showed up REALLY isn't good for the healing process.

But for now... I have to put up with Turner hanging around. Apparently. Because Eurostar vouches for him.

Speaking of which... Eurostar is back.

Things have to get better now. Eurostar is back. There hasn't been many of the originals left... Larry is gone. Tobias is gone. Pete is gone. I'm living in a house full of strangers.

But now... Eurostar is back. The first meta I met when I came here. The man who helped me out. If it wasn't for him, I would never have hooked up with the team.

Eurostar is back.

I get dressed.

Danny got dressed. Plain jeans and a plain t-shirt. He looked down at himself, then looked in the mirror.

I look in the mirror.

Plain jeans. Plain t-shirt. Hell... I've been here a couple of months now... and THIS is all I own?

I think that's a tomato sauce stain on the jeans. This just won't do.

Fashion never seemed all that important, but now I'm actually going to do something social... I feel like I should be in something slightly nicer. Slightly cooler.

I'm gonna go see if I can borrow some clothes from someone.

[ 09-06-2002, 09:25 PM: Message edited by: Danny ]

The group slowly filed out of their cabs and began making their way down the street towards he bar, Grimm leading the way.

Danny, following quickly behind while trying not to dirty up his borrowed clothing, asked "What do you mean "underground meta bar"? La Perdita is open to metahumans. That's why we came here in the first place."

"Is that some kinda code for "gay bar"?" Dirk bellowed, from the back still limping.

"They're open to the more photogenic among the meta and posthuman populace that have come here. But there are some here whose lives are not much better than what they sought to escape. Even the more open-minded among the citizens shun most of the people here. I think it will do most of you good to experience this. Welcome to Jake's place." Grimm said, ignoring Dirk.

They walked past a window filled with flyers for tonight's show. The flyers read: Tonight! The sensation of La Perdita! Bahhghhhruptha, Lord of the Flies! With Wumb!

"Hey, Bahhghhruptha's here tonight. Wonder how he's doing?" Mick mentioned to Shirley.

As the group made their way inside, they were astounded by the wide array of physically diverse metas inside the bar.

[ 09-07-2002, 11:23 PM: Message edited by: Grimm ]

"Greemm! Good to see you again." Came a loud voice, with a thick russian accent. It belonged to a large man dressed in biker leathers with purple skin.

"Wulf." Grimm addressed the man. "No trouble tonight, I hope. My friends are here to have a good time."

"No trouble, Greemm. No trouble. I do have a business proposition for you though, comrade. Come see me after you get situated."

"I may just do that."

Dirk Bell limped all the way over to the far corner of the bar, sitting with his back against the wall where he could keep an eye on everyone in the place.

"Paranoid nutjob. . ." Danny muttered under his breath.

"H-heh hooah hah hahah hahahahah. . ." The group was startled by the sound of the bizarre laughter. Even more startling was the source: Grimm.

"Mind telling us what's so funny?" Ed said, not knowing what to make of this newcomer.

"Dirk just sat in Octavia's section."

"Who's Octavia?"

"You'll see."

Danny wandered up to the front of the bar, where the opening band was playing.

"Wow. Live music." he thought to himself.

< Yeah, who would've thought. It's very loud, isn't it?" >

"Yeah, it is."

< You want me to alter your ears, so that they're not adversely affected by the noise level? >

"No, I want to experience this the way it meant to be."

Danny walked by the stage area, noticing the female bass player, she was pale skinned with long, dark hair, wearing a short black leather dress with fishnet stockings, black cowboy boots (complete with spurs) all topped off with a black cowboy hat. As Danny, passed by, she smiled widely, showing off her sharp, gleaming inscisors.

"Um, I think I should experience this with the others. From a distance, yeah."

< Smart move. >

"Shut it, Hal."

Suddenly, a walking bear, dressed with shorts and a hawaiian shirt, approached the team.

"Oh my God..." he said, "Shirley?"

Mick looked at his fiancee, puzzled.

"Uncle Otto?" Shirley said.

"Uncle Otto...?" Mick repeated, as Shirley jumped foward to hug the bear-man.

"My lil' Shirley!" Uncle Peter said as they hugged, "What on earth are you doing on La Perdita?"

"We... Well, it's a long story..." she said "What about you?"

"Well honey, this is the only place a meta like me can live peacefully..." he answered. "I'll get us a table and we'll catch up, okay?"

"Okay," Shirley replied as she gave him a kiss.

"That's..." Mick said, still a little bit shocked, "...your uncle Otto...?"

"Yes," she answered, "I told you about him, remember?"

"He's a walking bear," Mick stated.

"Yes, I noticed that..." Shirley said with a smile, "Come on, lets go sit with him"

"Yes, Mick," Danny said, "Go sit with your uncle in law"

"I..." Mick said, scratching his head.

"Awwww, but I had something special prepared for the two of you!" Grimm said, "You know, to celebrate your engagement, buddy!"

Grimm put his hand on Mick's shoulder, causing him to chill.

"I-I think we'll go with Shir's uncle, thanks..." Mick excused himself.

And they did precisely that. As soon as Shirley announced to her uncle she was getting married, the big jolly bear placed his paws around Mick and gave him a bear hug. Mick just tried not to scream.

"So, what have you done, honey?" Uncle Otto asked to Shirley after letting Mick go, "I haven't heard from you since you left Mandelovia..."

"Oh, we have a lot of catching up to do..." Shirley said.

"Get me a scotch..." Mick said to the winged two headed green waiter/waitress.

"But, honey, you don't drink..."

"Make it double"

[ 09-17-2002, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: I'm Not Mister Mxypltk ]

Dirk Bell sat in the corner, watching the place. He felt uncomfortable in so crowded a situation. He damn sure wasn't gonna sit with the two assholes he'd been fighting with earlier this afternoon. That one in particular, the one Dirk had shot, no one but his friend seemed real keen on sitting by him anyways.

"What can I get you, handsome?"

Dirk looked up from his thoughts to see a seven-foot, four-armed, bald, androgyne, with smooth, pale skin standing in front of him.

"Hi, my name's Octavia, I'll be your waitress, or anything else you want, hot stuff."

"Just a beer." Dirk said, cooly.

"You sure, sexy?"

Dirk raised his right eyebrow, eyeing the "waitress".

"Just a beer." He repeated.

“If you are a wanted man in America, maybe you should change your code-name. Your look is enough different from before” says Doc Quantos, which is sitting right near me.

“Yes, something unrelated to your past, exclusively tied to your present. You must be a totally new man” explains Kristofer Schanz, the Swedish guy with superluck.

“Well, but Eurostar is not only my code-name. It’s more, it’s a reminder of my past, of what I have accomplished…” I say, but with a glance Turner makes me to silence.

“You really want to remember?” he says.

That man read inside me better than myself. He’s right, what I have to remember? The Revolution?

“Ok, a new code-name. But what? Bird-man? Sounds a little corny”.

“Why not Raptor?” suggest the skull faced one, Grimm, I think it’s his name.

“Uhmm. Raptor. I like it. It’s what I am now. Ok. It will be the name on my fancy new suit, when I finally get one. I have seen your new uniforms, guys, they are cool”.

I drink my cold beer. This place is very cool. I feel like when I was nine or ten, at the premiere of Star Wars, amazed at the bar scene, with all these incredible beings.

In Chicago I saw, I met, many people similar to the costumers of this place. But they were persecuted people, living in the sewers, I never saw any of them smiling. Here, everybody is laughing and having fun.

Yet, from what Grimm said, even these people have to disclose themselves from the people at large.

Even here, fear for the different.

No norms are here, at last, if any is present, is not easy to recognizes.

I don’t like this. And I don’t like the food this place sell.

I miss being a cook. Well, at last now I can cook for my friends. But… I have the money to start a new activity, now. I could create a restaurant… or better, a club… a place for eat, drink, dancing and singing. A place where metas AND norms could meet and meddle.

“Euro? Euro?”

It’s Danny. “Ed, you were staring at the wall…” he whispers.

“I was dreaming, Danny” I say, smiling.

Octavia returned with his beer. Dirk wasn't liking the looks that thing kept giving him. There was something that he needed to do about it. "Hey!" he said to her as he handed over the money for the beer. "See that guy over there?" He pointed to Euro, and she nodded. "What do you think about him?"

"Well," the creature blushed (or maybe something else that he didn't want to know about, but he took it as a blush), "he's kinda handsome himself."

Just what I wanted to hear, the gunslinger thought to himself. "He just so happens to be an aquaintance of mine. As a matter of fact, it was his idea to come here. Do you know why?" Octavia shook its head. "To see you."

Octavia looked surprise (either that or something/one it ate was coming back on her). "Yep," Dirk continued, "it seems as though he's developed quite an infatuation with you. You're all he talks about, his sweet Octavia . He'll never admit it, mind you. He's a bit on the shy side. That's why he hasn't made the first move. He's just too damn shy."

"What should I do?" Octavia's emotions were running away.

"Now's your chance. Make the first move. Don't give up your man without a fight," Dirk said just a moment before she took off for the back of the bar (probably in an attempt to pretty itself up before going for her admirer).

This ought to be fun to watch , Dirk thought to himself as he took a sip of his beer. Too bad the beer tastes like shit.

"This is silly. I shouldn't have come," said Chance.

"Kris, take it easy," said Henry Quantos. "Relax for a while, let the others get to know you, and try to get to know them a bit more, too."

"Y'know, Doc, I never really made any close friends on the team, well, except for Shirley. Kristogar Velo and I had a professional respect for each other, but we could hardly have called each other our 'buddy.'" Kristofer Schanz turned to Edulcore Cicciotto, the former Eurostar, and said, "Ed, Kristogar is the reason nobody on the team except my old friend Dr. Quantos here calls me 'Kristofer,' since sounds too much like 'Kristogar.' That's why I took to calling myself 'Chance,' which is more of a nickname than any kind of code name. But it seems to work as both."

Edulcore nodded, sipping at his drink and still awed by the strangeness of this bar. "Ehy, sorry to change the subject, but... Have the rest of you noticed that this place seems to be a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside?"

"Hm?" said Quantos, sipping a shot of brandy. "Oh, I hadn't really noticed. There are so many walls and columns impeding the view."

"You obviously didn't look up, Doc," said Danny. The group looked up and gasped as they realized how high the ceiling ran, and that there were other levels to this bar they hadn't seen.

"But -- but that's impossible!" said Quantos. "The building Grimm brought us to was only one -- or possibly two -- stories high!"

Edulcore grinned and chuckled. "Sort of like our old tesseract, eh, Danny?"

Danny nodded and took another sip of his drink.

"Interesting," said Chance. "I've read the files about the team before I joined up in Mandelovia, and I remember that the part about an actual tesseract existing was enough to 'blow my mind,' so to speak. Never thought I'd see one for myself, though."

"Where did they -- or you folks, for that matter -- get ahold of tesseract technology?" asked a bewildered Dr. Quantos. This type of technology had still been in development stage at Malvan-X when he was head of the Research Department there, and it was well above Top Secret. Yet it seemed that here it was being used for commercial purposes. "Will wonders never cease?"

"So you never really explained what happened to Pete, Chance," said Danny. The table became suddenly quiet and uncomfortable. "Uh... did I say something wrong?"

"No, Danny," said Dr. Quantos, "it's something we have to talk with the group about soon, anyways. Pete is... well, he's--"

"Pete is dead," said a grim-faced Chance. The others said nothing. "Really dead. Not a dream, not an imaginary story. But that information can't leave this table." He looked into the eyes of the others at the table: Dr. Quantos, Edulcore, Danny, and the very quiet Turner. "The others are here to have a good time, tonight, and relax for a few moments after the hectic last few cases we've had."

"What do you mean by 'dead,' Chance?" asked Danny. "You mean dead-dead?"

"Yes. Dead."

Danny was quiet for a moment. Besides Dr. Quantos and Chance, he was the only other one at the table who had known Pete "the Chimp" Glover.

"I-I guess I found it hard to believe," he said. "After all, none of us has really died before. We thought you were dead, Eurostar, but of course you came back. And even though Sonja looked like she'd been murdered, according to Nae she wasn't dead either. And Naecken himself: Who knows what death and life means to a composite being who's half angel and half demon? Although they told me he was dead I never really believed it. Same with Pete. But you're telling me he's not coming back?"

"This isn't a comic-book, folks," said Dr. Quantos. "The dead -- those who are truly dead and not only missing -- just don't come back."

"But where's the body? And the proof?" said Danny.

"There is no body, and there can never be any proof where this is concerned, Daniel," said Chance. "It all happened at the Castle of Crossed Destinies." Edulcore frowned in question at this name. "I'll... tell you about it later, Ed."

"But can't we try to get him back? The Castle of Crossed Destinies is a mysterious place. Mysterious and spooky. Very spooky. I mean, if YOU can come back from the dead, Chance, why can't Pete?"

"It's not that simple, Danny," said Dr. Quantos.

"I never came back from the dead, since I never died in my reality," said Chance. "There's something about the Castle that it is able to somehow tap into alternate realities. Every millisecond of every day things happen which could have happened somehow differently, ever branching off into separate threads of possibility, never to be reconciled again -- except through the Castle. Somehow, the Castle accessed the possible alternate timeline in which I never died but Pete did. Our destinies were crossed."

"That makes no sense," said Edulcore. "Was Pete not the luckiest man on Earth before you? That doesn't seem like a lucky fate to me."

"The only way I can explain it is that luck can only take you so far in the Castle. It's run by sheer chance itself, so powers of chance don't make much of a difference in matters of fate there. Anyways, for some reason I came back into reality in the timeline in which I had died and Pete had lived. Only now Pete was dead. And I am still alive."

"So why don't we try to get back to the Castle?" said Danny, getting more upset every moment. "Our teammate -- our friend -- could still be out there somewhere!"

"How?" asked Chance sadly.

"Well, I don't know..." Danny stared into his drink for a few moments, and then looked up. "Doc, can't you invent something to tune into the wave pattern of the Castle, or something like that?"

Dr. Henry Quantos raised his hands. "I wouldn't even know where to begin, Danny. I'm just a research scientist. I'm not God."

"But he's missing, he's not dead. There's no body!"

"He is dead, Danny," said Chance. "And there's nothing any of us can do about it. Believe me, it's all I've been thinking about today. And neither Dr. Quantos or I can do anything by scientific means to save him."

"Then get a magician or something," said Danny, exasperating by their apparent apathy. "I mean, he's trapped in this ghost-like state; that's not really dead."

Chance looked up. Edulcore and Turner looked puzzled at this statement. "I suppose I should explain. This is probably going to sound strange, guys, but... I've seen Pete. He -- he haunts me sometimes. I even saw him this afternoon laughing at me over my concern about somehow bringing him back. He seemed to say something to me. Something about how only the living want to bring back the dead due to their fear of death, that unknown final step in life. But death's not anything like we imagine it to be. It may be a loss for us, but for Pete it's more like a reunion with everyone he cared about and lost.

"Anyways, that's how I know he's dead. And from what Danny's said, I'm guessing that that's how Pete saw the spirit of the dead Kristofer Schanz of this timeline. That's how I know he's not coming back. Outside of a comic book or the movies, nobody can bring back the dead..."

"Also, folks, we'd like to keep this quiet until the night's over," said Dr. Quantos. "No sense in spoiling the rest of the team's fun. Er... sorry, Danny."

Danny shook his head. "That's all right," he muttered, sipping a bit more from his drink.

"It was also the idea of Doc and I to hold a Wake for Pete," said Chance. "He was from Newfoundland, so it's traditional to do so upon one's death. We figured that tonight, before we head back to the apartment, we could all raise our drinks to Pete's memory. And we'll finally be able to grieve in peace, each in our own way. But we'll wait until later on. Just try to have fun for the rest of the evening."

"Here's to Pete," said Danny, raising his drink. The others raised their own and clinked their glasses together.

several Minets earlyer

"Greemm! Good to see you again!"the Boysterous Voice cam thundering down the bar like the rolling waves of the sea.

"Come Have a Drink it is on me !"The Giant said in a much lower voice.

"Wulf you said you have a propasition fro me?"Grimm said.

"In a bit! Firts We have Drinks and than the Wemon and then around dawn we do buisness."Blackwulf said, and seamed to mutter some thing in incohearent Russian to the bartender.

"But sire you know we dont serve that to normal people."the pale blue bar tender had a sort of discontent in his voice.

Grimm turn around and "and would you like that in your usual decanter Mr.Black Wulf?"

the bartender disapaired into the back.

"Gremm, you are going to love this comerad!"Blackwulf responded.

"What did you order? Wulf What did you order?"Grimm Asked.

"New Drink that i am loveing very much."Blackwulf replyed grabbing a pack of Russian Black ciggerates.

"So who are your New Comrads?"blackwulf asked.

The Bartender returned with two rather large flaggens filled to the brim with a disgusting looking liquid, that seemed to be eating the pewter that made up the flaggins.

Passing them about he said "you Owe for the Bar from the last one. Now pay up in advance."

Blackwulf slimply pointed at a dark black attacha case and the bar tender simply shruged.

"I am NOT drinking that shit unless you tell me what it is." Grimm said, staring at the slowly dissolving decanter.

"Is good. Is drink of my own invention, I am calling it "Chernoble Sunrise", I think." Blackwulf said, chortling, before downing his decanter in one gulp.

"I think I'll pass. . ." Grimm muttered.

"About this business proposition," Grimm was stopped in mid-sentence.

"Greemm, I am hearing something about a bounty on skull-faced man. You are being only skull-faced man I am knowing of. You are seeing those two men at the table on the left?"

Grimm slowly peered over at the table in question, and saw two large simian-like fratboys, drinking and arguing with each other, and poorly attempting to flirt with their waitress.

"Those goons? They don't look like much."

"They're not. But they are being bounty hunters the same. The Gorilla Brothers, they are calling themselves. They are just, how you say, "tip of the iceberg" in the bounty business."

"But, Greem, I am having another party wanting to go into business with. Start collection agency, we are working together. We could use someone as formidable as yourself. And backing you up, we would be if there was trouble."

"Hmm. See, I'm sort of already employed by this Consulting business, those are my partners I came in with."

"No probleems, Greem, there could be time for both! Perhaps you introduce me to your friends and we all do business together! And the WOMEN!"

"I could use some backup. . .I have unfinished business at home that needs tending to."

"GREAT! It's settled then, barkeep! ANOTHER ROUND!"

Sam walked around the empty streets, the rain pounding his body. He splashed his feet which dragged on the pavement. Sam's face shifted into that of Michelle.

"Don't ever speak to me again."

His face shifted back to that of his own.

"I don't fucking care."

Not noticing the unleveled pavement, Sam hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

"I just don't care anymore."

As he tilted his head up, a flyer met his face and stuck until he pulled it away. The running ink, Jake's Place: All Metabar Bar.

Moving into a sitting position, Sam shrugged his shoulders, how bad could it be?

"Excuse me, fellas," said Dr. Henry Quantos as he rose. "I believe this old country doctor needs a bit of fresh air. Be right back."

"Want us to join you, Doc?" asked Edulcore.

"No, thank you, Ed. I may be one of the few 'norms' in this place, but I don't think I'm in much danger. There seems to be a healthy respect between everyone in here. Very refreshing to see."

Dr. Quantos walked away from his table and down one of the corridors he had seen. In truth, he had to find a washroom, and he looked upon this as an opportunity to explore and gauge about how large this place was.

He was taken aback at the sight of a bat-headed man groping a furry cat-woman in a lounge-like area. Hmm... those sure didn't look like costumes.

Finally he found the bathroom/toilet, and he was impressed to find it written in more than one language. Ah well. I guess La Perdita is a very international destination.

After he had done his business, Quantos stepped out and began looking for a door. Due to the utterly chaotic way the place was set up, however, it was impossible for him to find his way back to the door the group had come in through except through some kind of homing sense -- something Quantos had never been gifted at.

The bar was a jumble of odd angles, pipes jutting out from nowhere, jagged walkways, strobing lights, differently-sized booths, ceilings, and many other things no normal bar he had seen had ever had. There seemed to be stairways leading up, stairways leading down, and corridors in the strangest places. It was almost impossible to navigate unless you were used to everything. And the people -- if you could call all of them people -- were too bizarre for description.

He wandered off, wondering if there WAS any end to this place. No matter how far he walked, he never saw an end to it. A couple of times he thought he saw a final wall, but they only proved to be a barrier beyond which lay more of the bar. They had certainly used this tesseract technology to their greatest advantage.

Finally Quantos spotted a doorway and sighed in relief. It almost felt like he had been going in circles the whole way, and perhaps he had been.

As he stepped out to the door, however, he realized that this was not the same entrance the group had entered by.

"What the heck is going on?" the doctor breathed to himself as he stepped through the doorway, a bouncer nodding to him and stamping his hand for reentrance as he went.

At first he thought that this must be a back entrance to Jake's Place, but everything was wrong. Just... wrong.

Quantos walked out from the alleyway he was at. He had a strange feeling of surrealism, and part of him was conscious of someone shouting at him from the doorway. The man was shouting something about getting back in as quick as possible. But Dr. Quantos was stunned and unable to move, his eyes fixed on the skyline. Finally a large hand grasped him by the shoulder and pulled him away and back into the bar. The bouncer shut the doorway behind him, saying some words of explanation to Dr. Quantos. But Quantos was not listening to any of this. He only continued to frown at what he had seen there on the skyline of what was supposed to have been La Perdita but could not possibly have been.

He had seen the Eiffel Tower.

In a few moments the door opened again, and Quantos was let out. By this time his knees felt like they were going to give. He looked out to the horizon but did not see any Eiffel Tower at all. It appeared, moreover, that he was now in a completely different city.

He had been here many times on business trips for Malvan-X, so he recognized it right away. He was in Tokyo.

"Good grief," Henry Quantos said to himself as he walked back to the door. He had had enough air to last a lifetime.

"Too much for you, eh, Norm?" he heard the huge, walrus-tusked bouncer say as he laughed and slapped him on the back.

Dr. Quantos smiled politely and started wandering back vaguely in the direction of his table...

[ 09-10-2002, 02:13 AM: Message edited by: TheTimeTrust ]

Doc is returning to the table, a strange look on his face.

“How are the toilets, Doc?” I ask, smiling.

“Forget the toilet, Ed. I just found something unbelievable. It’s not just a tesseract. This bar it’s connect to multiple place on Earth. I came out two times, and first I was in Paris, and then I was in Tokyo!”

Chance’s eyes widens, him beginning to elaborate on the finding, in scientific terms. Danny dismiss the things with a shrugs, being the thing nothing special in his own times. Me, much to my surprise, the first things that comes to my mind is: “Paris? I have an appointment in Paris right for this night!”

“Mind if I accompany you there, handsome?” The voice is screeching, like a chalk over a blackboard. One of the waitress, an androgynous tall bald four armed... thing... is smiling at me.

“Sorry, miss... do I know you?” I ask, coldly. It’s like all those years ago, when I never could walk in a bar or a restaurant without dozens of teenager coming to ask for signatures.

The smile on the face of the titan suddenly fade out.

But she doesn’t leave with tears on her face, like I was expecting. She’s a tough nut.

“OCTAVIA, GO AWAY!” A voice that is like the roar of thunder comes from behind me. I turn, and my jaw drops.

There is huge being, with a slight resemblance to a giant bipedal turtle, all composed of decaying matter, clouds of insects flying around him.

“THE LITTLE EDULCORE! HOW MUCH TIME HAS PASSED FROM THE LAST TIME? YOU WERE ONLY A TODDLER BACK THEN!”

“Who... who are you?” I ask, startled.

“BHAGHHH-RUPTH, LORD OF THE FLIES AND OF THE ROTTEN LANDS, ED! HAVE YOU FORGET ABOUT YOUR UNCLE?”

The streets of La Perdita quickly emptied as the rain pounded the streets, the sounds of drums in the distance. The Parade was quickly ended as to not risk harming any civilians, after all, the PSI-Unit (Psychic Security and Intelligence Unit) were heroes first. Fame just sorta came with the territory.

Devlin, the elder of the group leaned against the wall of their government-sponsored building, a headquarters if you will. He brushed back his long dark brown hair and opened the door for his teammates. Guida-Sofia let her wet reddish-brown hair fall in front of her eyes, with a cute smile she whispered “thank you” Her interest in Devlin much more than just being teammates.

Next through the large steel doors were Daniela and Stefano, already cuddling and giggling to themselves. Stefano nodded a “thanks” to Devlin, who he looked up to like an older brother.

Devlin was happy how well the team had worked together recently. The public had really accepted them over the last few years. To bad some metas, like the one with the top hat from earlier in the day still put out a bad rep for the rest of the metas, who are beneficial to the public. No matter what there will always be bad seeds.

Brianna and Kevin were fighting in the ran. Kevin used his telekinesis to splash a puddle of water at his sister. She was able to block it with a thought bubble but than proceeded to tackle him to the ground. It was all in good fun, but Devlin knew that this wasn’t the right time.

“Brianna! Kevin!”

He was replied with a “He/She started it.” in unison from the Irish twins. After they were inside Devlin looked around, Axel was no where to be found.

“Brianna.” Devlin called back.

“Yeah?”

“What happened to Axel? I thought he was right behind you.”

“I’m not sure, I guess he just got excited about the rain and went to play in it.”

Devlin thought to himself, it’s not like Axel to just run off with out notifying him. Although he is only 10, he is very mature and wise for his small amount of years.

Devlin took one more look before moving inside and shutting the large doors. Axel is powerful. He can handle himself.

Plus, no one in La Perdita would even think about messing with the PSI-Unit.

No one.

[ 09-10-2002, 10:54 PM: Message edited by: GoozX ]

Grimm and Blackwulf sat at the bar drinking, when the girl from the opening band walked up. Leaning up against the bar next to Grimm, she said, "Howdy, handsome. What's a girl got to do get a drink around here?"

"Keep up with the compliments, we'll see what we can do."

"Hey, Greemm, why is birdboy talking to wall?"

"Eh?" Grimm looked over to see Edulcore speaking to the wall. "Ah, probably one of the hallucinogenic metas has had too much to drink again. No telling what those guys are seeing right now."

Suddenly, Octavia still standing behind Edulcore, grabbed him by the arm, turned him around, slapped him with one arm, then squirted him with a black liquidy substance from another arm.

Edulcore, still not sure what he was seeing began to reel. Octavia stormed off to the employee section of the bar.

Dr. Quantos and Schanz continued their discussion about how impossibly high the ceiling kept getting when a voice startled them out of their reverie. "Evenin', gents. Hope Octavia wasn't bothering your friend, she's a little skittish, you know."

The two men looked over to see a humanoid bipedal catfish wearing a pair of overalls with two female metas hanging off of each arm. "Hi there, my name's Jake. I own the place."

Dr. Quantos stood up and took the man's hand. "Hello, my name is Dr. Henry Quantos, and I must tell you this place is a remarkable achievement! However did you find this tesseract technology and the bathroom door opening out onto different areas of the world. . ."

"Okay, hold on there, fella," Jake said, laughing. "I don't think you understand. You see, some of our regulars have a peculiar ability to secrete certain substances, which cause people to, you know, see certain things. Sometimes people can't deal with it, we had to start supplying nose filters for some people. Here you go." Jake reached into a pocket and pulled out some nose filters for the group. "If you need anymore, just ask the bartender. Gotta go check up on some other customers, make sure they're ok. You guys have a good time now, all right?" And with that, the large catfish-like man and his entourage walked off.

Dr. Quantos and Schanz, nose filters in place, walked over to the bathroom door. "It was here, I know it was!" Quantos exclaimed. He looked around hurriedly, but all he could see was a small photo of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, looming large, and another of Tokyo, hanging on the walls.

"Beautiful, ain't they?" The walrus-tusked bouncer asked. "Jake's lived in a lot of places around the world. Swell guy."

"EXCUSE ME PLEASE, EXCUSE ME, MY FRIENDS!" said Bhaghhh-rupth, Lord of the flies and of the rotten lands. "IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR MY SHOW! I'VE GOT TO GET MYSELF READY. TALK TO YOU AFTER THE SHOW!"

"Ehy... All right," said Edulcore Cicciotto, smiling politely and still having no idea who or what the giant turtle-demon was.

Dr. Quantos and Chance walked back to their table, the doctor shaking his head the whole way. "Don't that beat all," he said, chuckling. "It was all an hallucination."

"An hallucination?" said Cicciotto. He looked up at the ceiling and said, "Strange."

"Hm? What's that, Ed?" said Quantos.

"If it was only an hallucination, why did we all see the same thing?" pondered Cicciotto. "Remember how we were talking about the tesseract? And yet, if you look up now, the ceiling's no higher than 16 feet at the most! We all saw it, though! It rose several stories high!"

"It's a mystery, I'll grant you that," said Dr. Quantos. "But probably something that could be easily explained away through the powers of one of the metahumans walking around here. Well, they should bloody well refrain from using their powers in an enclosed place like this, especially if this has happened before."

"I'm getting another drink," said Danny, who was tired of sitting there, bored in what proved to be just a normal early 21st-century pub.

"I don't buy it," said Chance after a few moments of idle chatter between the three (Turner had likewise left the table for a drink, and only Quantos, Schanz and Cicciotto remained seated at the booth as the rest of the team was fraternizing with the other patrons of the bar).

"Hm? What was that, Chance?" asked Cicciotto.

"It doesn't make sense," said Chance. "Doc, you're... well, you're a doctor. Wouldn't you be able to tell if you were having an hallucinogenic reaction or not?"

"Certainly," said Dr. Quantos. "And you're right, come to think of it... If I had been exposed to an hallucinogen excreted by someone in this bar, I would've been able to tell. The side-effects of hallucinogens are unmistakeable as such."

"Well, I know I had some kind of hallucination a couple of minutes ago," laughed Cicciotto. "I've used drugs enough years to tell when I'm having a bad trip. But Danny was completely unaffected by anything, and neither of you seem to have really been affected by any kind of hallucinogens at all!"

"Yes, I'm sure I haven't been exposed to any chemicals. My luck powers keep me from succumbing to anything I don't wish to succumb to. If I had been drinking alcohol it may have been a different story, but all I've had tonight is ginger ale. So... what if it really happened?" Chance finally asked.

"Howso?" asked Cicciotto. "Didn't you and Doc just come back having seen nothing but some photographs of the Eiffel Tower and Tokyo?"

"Yes... therein lies the mystery..." said Chance, frowning as if in thought.

"Heh. The game's afoot, eh, Kris?" chuckled Quantos. He had seen the glint in his young friend's eye before whenever he had been captivated by a mystery such as this one.

"Suppose," began Chance slowly, "suppose old Jake didn't want us to know the truth about what you saw, Doc? Or about what we all saw? It's obvious to all of us that this place looked much, much bigger on the inside than the outside. Very much like a tesseract, as Ed noted."

"Then you think the photographs you two saw may have been planted there before you went back?" asked Cicciotto.

"I'm beginning to think so, yes," said Chance.

"But for what purpose?" asked Quantos.

"That I don't know." He stopped talking for a moment. His voice went to a very low whisper. "Don't look now, gentlemen, but the bartender's keeping a very close eye on us right now." As soon as Chance had said that, though, the bartender averted his eyes and pretended to be busy polishing the same mug that had been in his hand for several minutes by that time.

Chance stood up, got out of the booth, turned around and bent down at his friends and said, "Follow me, gentlemen. This bears investigation." Dr. Quantos and Edulcore Cicciotto did so and walked behind Chance.

The tall Swede was a chemist by trade, but he had always been keenly interested in forensics and the detective trade, having been practically raised on Sherlock Holmes stories. He circumnavigated the entire bar as if merely checking it out, and discovered that indeed the bar was no larger than the dimensions they had seen looking outside.

"Hmm. This is indeed a puzzle," he finally said after checking all the doors, walls, and ceiling in the now-ordinary-looking bar and finding nothing out of the ordinary. "Doc, the explanation that you had suffered an hallucinogenic reaction would still seem to be the most probable explanation, except for the fact that we had all seen how high the ceiling had been from our booth. No hallucinogenic reaction could account for that. However..."

"Could it have been some kind of psychic hallucination?" asked Cicciotto.

"That's what I was thinking," said Chance. "But if so, why would the people who work at this pub claim it was caused from an actual secreted hallucinogen? Why not just explain it as a psychic interference of some sort?"

"What's the explanation, then, Kris?" asked Quantos. "It can't have been real, can it? These walls are solid!"

"I believe it was real," said Chance, "but it was something that isn't seen very often and is always covered up by the ownership of the bar. The only question is: why?"

"Excusssse me, gentlemen..."

The three men turned to see a slithering, snake-like man who wrung his hands as he talked and had a cowering, groveling demeanor that made one intensely dislike him.

"Yes?" said Dr. Quantos, smiling disingenuously but politely at the repulsive snake-man though. "Can we help you, sir...?"

"They call me Mr. Yssssaparoth. I couldn't help but overhear your... converssssation..." At this his reptile-like eyes seemed to light up, and his forked tongue slipped out a few times as he spoke. "You have... sssseen it, then...?"

"Pardon me, sir? I know not what you mean," said Quantos as the others remained silent. "Please excuse us, we're having a private discussion."

"I think you will want to hear what I have to... ssssay," Ysaparoth said. "You are very fortunate. Very fortunate indeed to have sssseen what you ssssaw, my good ssssir. Only a few people to have walked into this esssstablishment have ever sssseen... the Metatithenai."

"Meta... tithenai?" repeated Chance.

"My Greek is rusty," said Dr. Quantos, "but I believe it means to transpose... to transfer from one place to another."

"Yessss... yessss..." Ysaparoth whispered, cackling quietly. "That issss what the... 'placccce' that you have sssseen issss called."

"What is it?" asked Cicciotto. "This Metatithenai?"

"And, moreover, why would the pub owner lie about our friend seeing it?" asked Chance seriously, looking for any signs of untruth by the snake-like man.

Ysaparoth seemed to laugh in his quiet, unique way once more, and he finally answered, "Jake issss a good bussssinessssman. He would not want to losssse a cusssstomer to the Metatithenai. He issss not really looking out for your own ssssafety, although the Metatithenai can be very dangeroussss, moresssso than thissss pub itsssself, but he would hate to get ssssued by a patron damaged in the Metatithenai and come back to ssssue him. And of coursssse he would not want anyone to sssspend their money there rather than here..." And at this he started cackling quietly again in his unique way.

"So... this Metatithenai is some kind of... transporter machine in the form of a bar or a club? asked Chance.

"No, no, no, it issss not a placccce, not really. It issss a living creature. You were very lucky to have gone into it from here. You ssssee, it doessssn't like Jake. That'ssss why it ssssometimessss comessss by here briefly to ssssteal away some of his cusssstomerssss who are looking for more than jusssst the pleasuressss of an ordinary bar. It temptssss thosssse it choossssessss with glimpssssessss of itssss inssssidessss, and thosssse it hassss chossssen who have a sssspirit of adventure enough to sssseek it out will find it."

"Well, that explains why we all saw the roof as being so much higher than it is, and all those tantalizing glimpses of other, higher levels," said Cicciotto. "Some kind of psychic vision, I guess."

"But what about the walrus-tusked bouncer I saw?" asked Dr. Quantos. "If he exists in this... Metatithenai, why did I see him working here in this bar?"

"Ha-ha... ha. Yessss... yessss... Chewy'ssss twin brother, Gummy, workssss in the Metatithenai. It wassss Gummy that you ssssaw there, and Chewy who workssss here. They are very competitive brotherssss."

"Strange names," laughed Dr. Quantos.

"Only nicknamessss," laughed Ysaparoth. "Ah, but I musssst go now, gentlemen... I only wanted to tell you that the Metatithenai hassss not forgotten you, and that you may wander itssss hallssss once again at the most... unexpected of timessss..."

"Well, I doubt I'll be returning to Jake's anytime soon, though," said Dr. Quantos. "So tell him I said 'hello,' then."

"You can tell... 'him' yoursssself, ssssir. The Metatithenai issss not confined to Jake'ssss Placccce. It choossssessss when and where it wantssss to go. Jake hassss no authority whatssssoever over it. When you next sssstep upon itssss tiled floorssss it will not be from thissss placccce."

And why are you telling us all of this? thought Chance suspiciously.

As if guessing his thoughts, Ysaparoth said, "I am merely the humble sssservant of the Metatithenai, good ssssirssss. And it issss time for me to return to my masssster."

The snake-like man walked away from them in a cowering manner, off into a dark corner. Chance and the others followed him surreptitiously, until Ysaparoth could be seen walking to what looked like the door leading to the back alley. When he opened it, however, they all glimpsed what appeared to be a very large and lively club. Ysaparoth closed the door behind him, and the three men saw his grin through the dwindling crack of the door as it shut.

Chance immediately walked over to the door and opened it. All he saw there was the wet pavement of a back alley and a couple of homeless men huddling in a doorway next a trash can across the way and trying not to get soaked from the rain. "Wow," he gasped. "You all saw it, didn't you?"

"These kinds of things never cease to surprise me, Chance," said Cicciotto. "Even considering all the things I've seen in the last year."

"Well, that was quite the small adventure," said Dr. Quantos, laughing. "And certainly enough for tonight. Let's rejoin the rest of the guys. We wouldn't want to miss Mister... er, uh... Bhaghhh-rupth's show. Oh, and fellas...?"

"Yeah?" the two answered at the same time.

"I take back all that stuff I said about this not being a comic-book. As the kids say nowadays, my mind is getting blown every minute I spend with you young folks." Dr. Henry Quantos laughed as the three men walked back to rejoin the rest of the team.

[ 09-21-2002, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: TheTimeTrust ]

The ashes from his cigar landed in the ashtray sitting next to him. Dirk had pretty much given up on the beer. Jake came walking by, "Is there anything I, or my friends here, can help you with?" The two girls on either side of him giggled.

"Nope," he said as he inhaled. "I'm fine."

Jake started to walk away, but was stopped short by the site of Quantos and the others. "Didn't you come in with those gentlemen?"

"Don't remind me," Dirk replied while giving a side glance that collected more information than would be expected at the girl nearest him.

"I'm afraid that Yssssaparoth is taking advantage of them," Jake said, losing his usually cheery demeanor. "They're no longer under the effect of the hallucinagine, but the side-effects are kicking in." The gunslinger meerly puffed away on his cigar. "You see, people are really susceptable to having ideas planted in their heads. It only takes a mention of something, and everyone sees, or thinks they see the same thing. With the after effect of paranoia added to the mix, there's no telling what story Yssssaparoth is weaving and inplanting."

"Sure. Whatever," Dirk said still not really paying attentions to Jake's words.

"Are you not experiencing anything.... unusual?" the fish-stud asked as the lone gunman shook his head. "You must be one of the lucky one's who are immune. Very few and far between. You should be proud that it doesn't get to you."

"With all the things I've done in my life, that is the last thing I should be proud of." As Jake and his female companions walked away, Dirk gained a bit of a thirst. He grabbed his jewel encrusted, golden goblet and drank. The ale inside tasted a lot better than the beer he had been handed earlier. He kicked his boots up on the silver table and watched all the cowboys, knights, and warriors walked back and forth.

[ 09-11-2002, 09:46 AM: Message edited by: thedoctor ]

As Jake walked back to his office, the girls in tow, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the key.

"Ol' Jake's got somethin' special for all you lovely ladies tonight, yessir. . ." He was stopped short after opening the door to his office. There was a dark figure sitting in his chair. A look of recognition crossed over Jake's face, as he gulped.

"Got a moment, old friend?" the dark figure asked.

"Uh, you ladies leave ol' Jake and his buddy alone for a few minutes. Seems we have some business to discuss."

"Awwww. . ." they said in unison as Jake uncharacteristically hurried them out the door and closed it behind them.

"Did you do as I asked?"

"Yes. Mona spread the hallucinogen. No one should notice you. Have I done enough for you yet? Will you leave me be now?"

"It's only enough when I say it's enough."

"Please let me have my bar. . ."

The dark figure just laughed.

In a warehouse down town.

"Shraek is every thing ready ?"Claus asked.
"Yes master it is Ready. If the Harbringer is here than he will be drawen to you, but are you sure your ready for this Master ? he could realy harm you."the thraul Shraek said.
Claus said nothing but gave a stern look as if a warning to his thraul .
"Just make sure that things go as planned tonight! and you may gain that favor you have so long wanted."claus scolded.
"yes Master i will ." was tha only retort.

Exits – Part 1: Disjunction

Sam stumbles down the wet streets, the rain still pounding the pavement with the force of boxers connecting with their opponent’s faces. In his hand is a liquor bottle half covered by a brown paper bag.

His grip is tight.

His eyes blinded from the rain. Glancing across the street he finally notices the flicker of a neon light.

“Jake’s”

Shaking his head clear, he moves into the street, stopping to let a car pass by before advancing. Slipping on the pavement he falls on his back in the middle of the street. Staring to the dark clouds above as the rain pounds on his weak body he doesn’t even attempt to get to his feet. Suddenly a loud horn breaks through the deafening sound of the islands furious weather. Sam feels an abrupt jerk and the sound of a bus speeding by and narrowly missing him. Looking around he notices that he is now on the sidewalk, his bottle smashed.

“Fuckers.”

Sam brushes him self off and gets to his feet. Making his way to the front doors, he is greeted by a large half mastiff-human bouncer. Sam stumbles into him.

“I don’t think so ‘mate.”

The large man’s grisly voice commands.

“Look you.” Sam notices the man’s name under the “Jake’s” logo on his shirt, “Look Mr. Bogart. I just wanna have some fun.”

“I have strict orders.”

“How does. A. Crisp Ben Franklin sound?” Sam asks while pulling money out of his back pocket.

The bouncer looks at it than back to Sam’s face, which is now shaped like Ben Franklin.

“N-“

The bouncers’ walkie-talkie interrupts him. After a moment of whispering and waiting for a reply, he continued.

“Right this way Sir, you failed to tell me that you were on Jake’s personal guest list.”

“I waa-“

Before Sam could finish he was already pushed inside the bar.

Outside:

Two figures lean against the wall in the darkness. One stays hidden in the darkness, hiding from the world and the other steps forward.

Clark, only different.

His dark features are now more defined and his skin is tight, almost clutching his bone structure. His eyes are red, serious and focused. The other man is smaller in size; his hair bleached blonde and face clean. With a wife-beater and an old pair of jeans on he could pass for the real slim shady.

“Why did you help him? This night could be done with already.”

“That’s not the plan.” Clark never even looked back to the man he was with, his eyes focused on the bar.

“Plan? Fuck the plan. I’m hungry. But instead Claus has me out here for the newbie’s grudge. What a joke.”

“Trust me. The payoff you will get will be worth it.”

After a brief pause, Clark continued “Virgin’s blood.”

Inside:

Sam looked around with amazement; he had no idea about this place back in the day. That girl with lioness features was cute, or the glowing chick. Turning around Sam stared directly at the group. Quickly he shifted into the form of Bruce Campbell as Danny passed by. Danny paused for a moment.

“Hey aren’t you-?”

“No, that’s some other guy.” Sam/Bruce’s voice was a bad impression way off of that of the real Bruce’s voice [being that Sam was never able to touch and get a genetic imprint of the man].

Danny looked confused for a second, “Okay.”

Sam/Bruce rushed toward the bar and ordered a drink, “Why are they here?” he asked himself. After a few moments, Grimm sat next to him and ordered a drink for himself.

Grimm looked at Sam/Bruce for a second and sipped his drink.

“Hey, aren’t-“

“NO!”

“-you Samuel?”

“What?” Sam asked, “How did you?”

“I saw you enter little buddy. Why the disguise?”

Sam/Bruce shifted into Grimm’s form, “It’s been a long day.”

Sam/Grimm took his drink and attempted to take a sip. The liquor poured right through his bone mouth and all over his shirt. He tilted his head up toward Grimm.

“It takes some getting used to.”

Finally, Sam shifted back into his own appearance.

“You need to talk?”

Sam was hesitant at first, but than began blurting everything out at once.

“Ineed to start todayall over an dchange whative beendoing.” Sam took another sip, “Michelle, over andi I I killedwhatever might have beeene left. I’m such afucking dickhead.”

“Ah, woman troubles. Boy have I had my fair share of those.” Grimm took a sip of his own, “I’m sure everything will work itself out.”

“Really?”

“So, Michelle was it?”

“Yeah.”

“My true love was a Michelle.”

“Reallyy? Did it endgood…She be?”

“She died.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanksfar the upliftin storypal.”

Grimm shrugged his shoulders and took another sip. Glancing across the bar, Sam looked into Dirk’s eyes. Dirk tilted his head to the side and paused for a second, before flipping Sam his middle finger.

Elsewhere:

Turner sat uneasy at the bar. His face bruised from the ass whopping he let Danny give to him. Cracking his jaw, he took a sip of his beer. Ed joined him at the bar.

“Strange day.” Ed commented, which was met with a nod from Turner.

Ed ordered himself a drink.

“Ed.”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been following you to get the location of the revolutionaries for Walker.”

Ed took a sip and was silent, letting the news sink in.

“Ed.”

Ed turned and decked Turner across the face. The ultimate agent didn’t see it coming and hit the ground with a loud crash, the place went silent. Turner looked back toward Ed, who just sat there. Turner’s eyes turned red and energy surged from them striking Ed in the head and knocking him onto the bar. Turner kept the energy flowing as Ed grinned his teeth in pain. Three huge bouncers grabbed Turner from behind, but he easily pushed them away and kept the intensity on Ed. In just seconds, it was over. Ed was passed out over the bar, smoke rising from his head.

Grimm jumped away from his convo with Sam, Chance and Doctor Quantum also were quickly on the spot.

Two waitresses went right to Ed’s side, to see if he was ok. The bouncers got back to their feet, one with a weapon drawn.

“What did you do to him?” Doctor Quantum asked, anger in his voice.




“When he wakes up, tell him that he is finally free.”

“What?”

“He’ll know what I mean.”

Turner brushed off his suit and turned towards the bouncers, “You can put those away, I’m out of here”

With those simple words Turner turned and left the bar. Not even looking back as he exited.


Sam now sat alone, his head pounding. Danny hesitantly approached him. Bad choice of timing.

“Sam, about what happened at the castle, I just wanted to say, don’t worry about it. I know that-”

Hundreds of visions rushed through Sam’s mind; Danny taking advantage of Michelle, them kissing, having sex. Sam slammed his glass on the counter, shattering the glass and slicing his hand.

“Who says that I give a shit what you think or know?”

Sam got in Danny’s face, the anger taking over.

“You never even trusted me anyway future-boy, why don’t you just go back to where you came from?”

“Sam, this isn’t you speaking.”

“Oh, trust me, this is the real me. You of all people should know that, ‘friend’.”

The bouncers who were still near-by from the Turner/Ed situation were ready to step in.

“Now get out of my face”

Sam pushed Danny hard in the chest and than stormed off and out of the bar. Danny paused for a moment and looked back toward the others.

He took a deep breath and followed where Sam had gone.

Things were quickly falling apart.



[THE END OF PART 1]

Dr. Henry Quantos held Edulcore on the ground with his head held back. A couple of waitresses brought him a flashlight, which he was using to check the dilation of his pupils.

"This doesn't look good. And that madman was supposed to be Edulcore's friend? With friends like these..." he trailed off as he continued to check Ed's condition.

"I'm going after him," said Chance angrily. In the few hours since he had met him, the Italian was quickly becoming his friend, especially his being the only other European on the team.

"Stay right here, Kris!" ordered Dr. Quantos. "I don't want to attend your funeral a second time in my life."

"He can't harm me," Chance said evenly, promptly walking straight out of the bar with a grim determination on his face.

Outside of Jake's, however, the rain continued to pour. And there was no sign of Turner anywhere. After several minutes of futile running around in the vain hope of spotting him, his usual luck not serving him well, he finally gave up. For now. He returned to the bar and to the side of his newfound friend. It was really up to him to decide how to proceed, since the dispute was probably only a personal matter... after all, it couldn't affect the whole team... could it...?

Grimm's thoughts: I knew it. I fucking knew it. I should've wasted that asshole back at the apartments. Never ignore your instincts! That fucking rat, he's probably on his way back to whatever scumbag he calls "master" right now, HE'S DEAD, THE NEXT TIME I FUCKING SEE HIM, HE'S DEAD!!!

Grimm's hand closes on a beer mug, crushing it and spilling glass and beer all over the floor.

"Greem? Are you ok?" Wulf asked. He got no response.

Grimm pered left to see some thing that was very strange. Even in his state of rage he couldn't help but find it odd to see Blackwulf Mutate.

Grimm:"what the fuck is happening to you?"

Blackwulf:"it is Mutation from the lead in Pewter, i am haveing forgot about it.."
with that said the long hair that Blackwulf had begain to form a large Pleather mohawk.

[ 09-15-2002, 12:43 AM: Message edited by: Blackwulf ]

Michelle sat on her bed in her pajamas. She had been crying since her fight with Sam. What had gotten into him? Maybe he wasn’t the man she had fallen for all those years ago. She held a picture of her and Sam from before he had left; they both smiled, his arms wrapped around her body. It was from before their petty break up at her parent’s party. Than, they spoke, and of course everything was better. No matter what happened between them, after one talk everything was always fixed and they were together again. But the fire changed all of that. As Sam healed he locked himself away from her. Wouldn’t accept her calls. Didn’t return her messages. Than, with out so much a word, he was gone. Never calling, never writing. Didn’t know whether he was dead or alive. With that, a part of her died as well. Whipping her tears away, Michelle crumbled the picture up and threw it onto of her wastebasket.

Her phone rang. She cleared her voice, “Hello?”

“Mich! I need you, please...” the voice was frantic

“Clark?” Michelle was surprised and jumped up, “Are you ok? What’s going on?”

“I need you, please. Meet me off 3rd…please.”

“Of course,” before Michelle could finish, a click sounded the end of the conversation. Nervous. She quickly got up and put on a raincoat.

Jake’s

The bar had barely clamed down since the events that seemed to piggy back each other. Jake had enough troubles on his mind, locked in his office with a very dangerous man. He pressed a button on his office intercom, “What’s the hold up?”

“Sorry sir, we were not sure if we should continue the show so soon after the brawling.”

Jake’s voice was angered, due to the stress on him that he needed to get out, “Just introduce him, I don’t have time to argue this.”

“Ok Sir, right away.”

Outside Jake’s office, a short man in a suit stepped onto the small stage, a tail followed behind him.

“Ladies and gents. I welcome tonight to Jake’s Place, once the LORD OF THE FLIES AND ROTTEN LANDS, now singing for you one of the greatest ELVIS songs of all time, BHAGHHH-RUPTH!”

The lights dimmed and a spotlight shinned over the bar stopping on a large figure on the stage. A hat covered his face as background music began, he stomped his right foot and threw his hat away. The spotlight reflected off little mirrors on his white jumpsuit, a gold chain wrapped around his huge turtle shell. Bhaghhh-Rupth winked toward Octavia, who fanned herself with a towel to stop from fainting. With a snap of his finger and a shaking of his waist he began signing:

We'reeeee caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Becauseeeee I love you tooooooo much babyyyyyyy

Sam wondered down the wet streets aimlessly, tears in his eyes. His head felt as though it would explode. Pulling out his cell phone he somehow was able to dial Michelle’s number.

Why can't you seeeeeeee
What you'reeeeee doing to meeeeeee
Whennnnnnn you don't believeeeee a worddddd I sayyyyyyy

The answering machine picked up; Sam was able to shake the pain for a moment, just enough time to leave a message. He didn’t notice as a darkened figure followed him.

Weeeeee can't go onnnnnnn together
With suspicioussssss mindsssssss
Weeeeeee cannot build our dreamsssssss
On suspiciousssssss mindsssssss

As Sam talked on the phone, a figure jumped out of the shadows and hit him across the back, sending him onto the wet pavement. The phone hit the ground and slid to a stop on the sidewalk. Sam‘s hands glided across the wet pavement, trying to grip onto some thing to keep his balance and to notice his attacker. Finally clearing the rain water from his eyes, he saw the blurred image of Clark, his one time best friend.

So, if an old friend I knowwwwwwww
Dropsssss by to say hellooooooooo
Would I stillllllll see suspicious in your eyesssssss?

“Clark?” Sam asked.

Before getting a response, Clark kicked Sam in the stomach, sending him on to his back. Clark kicked him again and again.

Here we gooooooo again
Asking where I've beennnnnnnnn
You can't see theseeeee tears are reallllllllll, I'm crying

Danny cursed himself. The rain still pouring above. His borrowed clothes soaked and his night wrecked. He had no luck finding Sam.

“Stupid Island”

Why don’t we just go back to the bar?

“Shut it Hal. I can’t let Sam hurt himself.”

After what he said before?

“Look he’s still a friend... And I just can’t-“

Whatever

Before Danny could respond to himself, he hears screams from down the block.

“Tiger Claws.”

We can't gooooooo oooooon togetherrrrrrrr
Withhhhhhhh suspicioussss mindsssssss
We cannot builddddd our dreamssssssssss
On suspiciousssssssss mindsssssss

Sam spit up blood, which swirled down the swear drain with the rainwater. “…Clark? Why are you doing this?”

Clark laughed and smiled.

“Why am I doing this Sammy?”

Clark slammed his foot down on Sam’s back and grabbed his hair, pulling his head up; blood flowed from his nose and mouth.

“No matter what, you have always gotten your way.”

Clark punched Sam directly in the face.

“Always.”

Clark punched him again.

“Money. Looks. Popularity. A perfect family.”

With ever word spoken, Clark hit him again and again.

“And worse of all, the perfect girlfriend.”

Sam could barely see.

The rain fell, washing the blood away from his face.

Slowly his vision cleared.

“Now, I have the power.”

Sam stared Clark directly in the eyes. They were red, a slight glow through the rain and darkness. Clark smiled revealing too long fangs.

“Clark? What’s going on-”

“I’ve been given a gift.”

“You’re a monster.”

“No meta, you’re the monster. I am higher than both you and the norms now. I am imortal.”

“…a vampire…”

“You had to come back? Didn’t you. Everything was perfect. I had the popularity, I had Michelle!”

“She’s not a possession-”

“SHUT UP!”

Clark jabbed his elbow into Sam’s back and lifted him up with one hand, choking him.

“Before I kill you, you should know that as we speak she is being beaten, raped and drained dry. But we will not let her pain end tonight; we will extend it for as long as possible. Weeks, maybe even months.”

Oh let our loveeeeeee surviveeeeeeee
Cause I'll dry the tearsssss from your eyesssssss
Let'ssssss not let the good thingsssssssss dieeeeeeeee

Michelle screamed at the top of her lungs and was running for her life from a monster. Only a few blocks away from her apartment, she hoped that she would be able to make it in time. A figure with great speed jumped in front of her.

Causeeeeeeeeee honey you know
I never lie to youuuuuuuuu
Never lie
Oh yeahhh

Michelle was thrown to the ground hard; she attempted to run from her attacker but fell right into the arms of another ‘monster.’ He slapped her causing her to fall back onto the ground. The rain covered her tears as the two “men” came closer and closer. She screamed at the top of her lungs once again.

Another figure appeared in the shadows, claws extended from his hands.

“Get away from the girl!” the stranger’s voice commanded.

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love you toooooooooo much baby
Whyyyyy can't you see
What you'reeeeee doing to meeeeeeeee
Whennnnn you don't believeeeeeeee a word I say

Sam closed his eyes as Clark choked the life out of him. Slowly his hands shifted into blades.

He knew what he must do.

Never opening his eyes Sam used all his remaining strength to let his arms fly around and take off Clark’s head. Both men’s bodies dropped to the ground. Clark’s body turned to ash, the rain quickly washing it away. Sam lifted the ash into the air towards his face. The last remains of his once best friend. Tears flowed from his eyes.

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love you too much baby
Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
When you don't believe a word I say

The two vampires jumped at Danny, with quick reflexes Danny side stepped one and let his tiger claws swipe across the chest of another. He quickly turned and kicked the first one in the stomach and followed with a kick to the head. The other jumped high in the air at him.

“Venom”

Danny turned and shot black venom in the vampire’s face. As it fell to its knees, Danny swiped his claws across its neck, almost taking off its head.

The other vampire hit Danny from behind and than lifted him off the ground and slammed him on the sidewalk. The beast’s strength was great.

“Ox muscles”

Danny’s joints locked and his muscle’s tightened up. Danny traded punches with the vampire, causing it to fallback a few steps. Another punch cracked its skull.

“Let’s get out of here,” its friend said, wiping the venom from his eyes, “Claus is gonna be pissed!”

Both vampires quickly ran off into the shadows. Danny whispered to himself, “…hal…”

All animal elements retracted and he was back to normal. He walked towards Michelle.

“Hey, are you ok?”

“You- saved me.” A smile seeped through Michelle’s tears and she hugged him with all of her strength. Danny hugged her back. With the pain she has felt recently, she needs this... she needs him.

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love you too much baby

Sam ran down the dark wet streets, gaining speed and momentum as he went. He had to get to Michelle before it was too late. Passing block after block it felt like a lifetime passing before his eyes.

Him mind began to clear.

He ran. His heart racing; almost pounding out of his chest.

Faster and faster.

Never letting the pain take over. The rain slowly let up.

His feet hit the ground and he slid to a stop in front of her apartment. Everything seemed calm. Maybe Clark was lying, just trying to hurt him. Just to make sure, Sam ran to the window. He glided his hand across it, whipping away the rain water and condensation.

Wiping clean his eyes, he saw movement.

In her bed.

Michelle was having sex with someone.

Not being raped nor attacked. Her face showed that she was enjoying herself.

Sam’s heart stopped for a moment.

His eyes widened as he saw the face of the person she was with:

Danny.

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love you too much baby*

Inside the bar
Blackwulf smelled the air as if he had noticed something.

"Hay Wulf some thing isn't right!" Grimm said.

"Greem I am Smelling something foul. Something!"with that said the Giant russian disappered into the back of the bar.

" Wulf Where the fuck are you going"Grimm recanted but the giant russian was swept away into the crowd.

"Damn it, What the fuck is going on?" Grimm asked as if talking to the barkeep.

BHAGHHH-RUPTH seemed to be intranced and didnt even notice the tall dark figure take the stage with him.

"Well well it would seem like I have found a rather large Meta Populace here."the Dark figure said.

"How rude of me, I have not introduced myself. My name is Claus Von Feznek, but you can all just call me God." Claus spat.

"For you see I have come here for a reason!"

"And that reason is to become your god, and how will I do that you might ask?"

"One of you is the Harbringer Of Doom. the Great Devorer, the lord of consumption."

"And when I find and kill you we the vampire Populace will never have to worry again about he who walks the days."

"Your rein of Terror will be over. and I will be Crowned King of all Vampires. Lord of the Night and God of darkness." claus said in a less then disdained voice.

as that was said the doors of the bar slamed shut.

"If you are not him than you dont have to worry for he is the only one that I want he is the one that I will have, there is a great distaste for your kind in the world of my ............"claus's voice trailed off, as a large Purpleish grey hand piled throu his chest holding his now severed heart.

"You have found me ! Beast do you not like the taste of what I Bring."

"I give you what you seak , Immortal Ha! More like Immoral! I waste nothing on you!"

"Begone for you are not of this world."Blackwulf said as he droped the heart to the ground and steped on it.

Watching the now Limp body of Claus Von Feznek turn to swirleing ash and wisk away.

Blackwulf jumped down from the stage and moved to the bar again.

"So Comrad Gremm another round ?"

[ 09-15-2002, 03:01 PM: Message edited by: Blackwulf ]

I open my eyes.

My head hurt.

Badly.

It’s raining.

The stone pavement of the street, wet, is glowing from the light of the town.

A man is holding me.

It’s not Turner, he’s Chance.

I stand up, still not steady on my legs.

There is also Quantos, near me, talking to me.

Too much confusion, I don’t get what he’s saying.

What happened?

Turner... betrayed me?

My hand goes to the back of my head. That’s where it hurt.

Suddenly I understand.

The chip!

The chip that is a tracking device and also a mean to keep every EPS member in check. It can cause unbearable pain, and can also explode, like Walker had with Vidalia’s cadaver.

I was the only one not to have that. With my “elemental” body there was no way Walker could have implanted it. But then... after the Revolution, when I got my old body back... Walker did not only reduced my powers, he implanted a chip on me!

And I, foul, never suspected it!

“How could you have trusted him, Ed?” It’s Chance, talking to me.

“It’s OK” I whisper.

“...”

“Really. I know now. Although he has followed me to spy on us, he has freed me from Walker. I guess he’s still a friend” I say, smiling slightly.

“But... where is he gone, now?” asks Quantos.

“I don’t know... I really don’t know.”

“But if he really helped you, why he is gone?” ask Chance.

“Maybe he was feeling guilty for the treachery” suggest Quantos.

“Guilty? I don’t think. He is a professional, he has been for his whole life. But we have learned to trust each other, during our escape. I never though that he would have settled with us, and I was very surprised when he asked to come to the complex.”

“Do you thing he has returned to his own business?”

“Sadly, he has not a life on his own. Well, he had not, when he found that his life was a fake. I guess that the EPS is the only place he can call home”.

“The EPS? But they are criminals!” shouts Chance.

“Well, more or less I think the same. But if not for them, Chicago would not exist anymore, I guess. Until we will be able to take that kind of matters into our hands, and we are very far from it from what I have seen, the world, sadly, need an EPS.”

“...”

“But Turner is a different man, just like I have changed, too. I guess life will be different for Walker, now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, with Walker nobody can be sure of anything!” I say, and laugh.

My two friends laugh, too.

“Well, I feel better, now. Let’s get inside, I don’t want to miss the show of my uncle!”