Lone_Star

Prime Mover Owen grinned broadly. He was starting to get the hang of being with her, and learning how to be witty was just one part of the job! "Well, maybe I'm more'n just a flatterer, my lady," he said, and gently took one of her hands in his and softly kissed it. He was briefly perplexed by her suddenly summoning duplicates of herself! "Hmm, I suppose if there were that many of you, it wouldn't really matter, would it? They're all equally beautiful as the 'real' Kadene," he said with a wink, sincerely hoping he was continuing to charm her. Conversation with her was like a dance, and he was starting to get the rhythm of it. "But I agree, it is a beautiful day, and you're just as radiant as the sun in the sky. My lady," he said with an exaggerated bow. He took the sandwich she offered and chomped a big bite out of it. "But yeah, the beach sounds great! Don't figure either of us will be up for a swim, but it'll be good to see our friends down there. Figure everyone'll be there eventually, it's gorgeous here." He mentioned to her in passing that his "condition" required him to wear his power vest at all times, or else catastrophe would strike if he used his powers. Kadene's aversion of the ocean and swimming was understandable as well, considering!

Replaced by RocketLord Could I have the two pictures of Ghule replaced with these two? Special thanks to @Jack for the pics! Vik Piks

Prime Mover "Wow, that's awesome Renee," Owen said as she pulled out King Cole I's original journal. He listened to her explanation of magic's personal nature, and nodded in understanding. Though he would never truly understand magic in the way he did mechanics and science, there was a certain commonality that magic shared with art, music, and any creative expression. "Guess that's kinda like most things, I suppose. Some things you're just good at without really tryin', and some things you gotta learn over time. Well, let's hope these journals are bonafide!" Owen nearly fell on his face as Jack patted him on the back. He had already hit his embarrassment threshold, but still managed to blush bright red. He picked himself up and gently punched his arm. "Dude! One thing at a time!" he said, notably not discounting the possibility. He had only just gotten his first girlfriend! He was glad that everyone enjoyed the gift bags he passed out, and smiled when Sarah commented the museum was beautiful. "It really is, Sarah. I've never been here before, but this might have to become a regular stop. Or a good place to go on a date," he said boldly, indicating Kadene. "Maybe dinner and a museum visit?" "But I don't know too much about magic either, Sarah. It's neat though. Kind of one of those mysteries of the universe kinda deals."

Prime Mover Owen's heart went out to each of them, and he could not help but wipe a tear from his eyes. He angrily ground his fists into the corner of his eyes, frustrated with his emotions. "Ah, geez. Sorry, you guys, I just...you've opened up so much, and you all have so much tragedy in your lives, and here I am with loving parents an' all." He accepted Jack's fist bump with a smile, glad to know his bro had his back. He knew Kadene needed a moment, too. "Whatever I can do to help you get home, Kadene, I will. I'll study hard and learn all the super-science I can to contribute. You're a great gal, but I know you're ready to get back to your homeworld. And that's okay." Owen knew that one day, his roomie and his now-girlfriend would leave Freedom City forever. But after their heartfelt talk at Pizano's Pizza, he knew he needed to cherish every moment he could with the Luckstorm Pirates. Though selfishly, and he felt terrible for even thinking it, Owen hoped they could stay a little longer. Owen smiled as Lynn addressed him and Kadene as her friends. "I think that's all we can do, Lynn. Try our best to do good with the circumstances and abilities we've been given. We're definitely in the right place to learn, though, and I'm grateful to have such awesome super-friends as you guys." Owen shed a few more tears, and he laughed a little as he wiped them away. "Geez, I guess I'm a bit emotional today." Owen's stomach rumbled as Jack mentioned. "Huh, don't know why talking about giant crab monsters makes me hungry. Maybe we should head inside?"

Ghule Maybe I should have skipped the snacks...hope no one was offended. She turned to Deadbolt, and smiled. "Well, I haven't played gin rummy since high school, but I bet someone who was alive during the Old West could teach us a trick or two. We could use your expertise hunting the undead, well...you know. The bad ones. That's exactly what I'm trying to say: we all have experience that we bring to the table. And I love that name, by the way! That's cool as hell." She was grateful for the cowboy's enthusiasm. This was working! "Dust Devil, you count as much as any of us. You don't have to be a zombie, or a vampire, or a ghoul, you just have to be...well, let's put it as 'alternatively alive'. What you are doesn't matter as much as what you can offer to the team. Look, we've all worked alone before. I'm guessing that you all have felt alone quite a bit in the past. I'm not saying that we have to work together all the time, but we're stronger together." She nodded to Deadbolt. "Like, if one of the 'big ones' comes up, you can assemble the team and we'll help out." Vik sensed she was losing Dust Devil, and was grateful for Lucy and Deadbolt's support. "Exactly! Besides, I'm not exactly a zombie myself...I mean, in the technical sense, I was created by Baron Samedi, but I've become something more than just a Walking Dead extra. We are all more than just what people see us as. And maybe we can show Freedom City that we deserve as much respect as living heroes." She punctuated her last statement by slamming her fist into the palm of her hands, looking at the three of them with determination. "So what do you say?"

Prime Mover Owen smiled as Kadene gently squeezed his hand, and Owen gently kissed the top of her forehead. "Well, maybe you could teach me a little French, mon cheri?" he said, waggling his eyebrows. His moment of levity ended quickly as his friends each spoke about how they gained their powers, and how it affected their lives. Kadene was happy she gained her powers, as it made her a better pirate. Lynn's entire timeline was wiped out, her powers being the only reason she was alive, and her powers were always a part of her normal. And Jack's comment about how his parents probably wished he was normal...his heart went out to all three of them. "Lynn, I can't imagine how horrible that must have been. Can't say much else other than we're all here for you, and for what it's worth, we're darn glad you're here." Owen smiled at the three of them. "That took a lot of guts to share. All a' you. I agree with you, Jack...if you're not living how you choose, you're not really living, are you? However we got here, whatever led to our powers...we're superheroes, and that's what matters now." "Huh, guess I should tell you how I got my powers! I've done a fair bit of research into my condition, and it seems I was born with a superpower mutation, a pretty rare one, too. The odds of me having powers and neither of my parents being superhuman was...well, I don't remember the exact odds, but they were pretty low. About the time I accidentally blew up the family tractor with my kinetic powers was when my second mutation emerged. I started understanding science, mathematics, an' engineering at a way higher level than was bein' taught to me at school. Geez, I guess I'm sort of a super-scientist too, weird huh?" "Guess I was born under a lucky star, 'cuz my folks never had too much of a problem with it. Bit of an adjustment, fer sure, but they just want me to be happy. That's why movin' all the way to Freedom City was so tough fer me, but like I said, it's you guys that make it feel like a second home."

Prime Mover "I'll talk to you all in a bit, and sorry about the noise!" he said to the others, and took off immediately. A blast of sound followed behind him as the laws of physics were stretched to their limit as he forced momentum beneath his feet. In moments, he was hovering right next to Kadene a thousand feet in the air, grinning like a fool. "Hey Kadene," Owen said, suddenly very self-conscious of his football-centric swimming outfit. "I must say this everytime I see ya, but you look gorgeous." Though Owen was a gentleman, he couldn't help but check out her swimsuit. He was only human, after all. "An to answer yer question, no, of course I didn't forget I could fly! I just figured you wanted a little time to yourself. Yer a fiercely independent woman, don'tcha know, and I like that so much about you. If nothin' else I didn't want to smother you as soon as ya got here." Any subtext about her wanting to be chased was completely lost on Owen. After all, he was just a country guy dating for the first time!

Prime Mover Owen took the opportunity to catch his breath. This was really fun! It was difficult to remind himself that he was being held captive by...something. But until they had an opportunity to escape, the best thing to do is keep everyone in their roles as much as possible. At least then they would have enough time to think about how to get out of this situation before being thrown into a completely new one. "Ah agree wi' the ensign, Captain. Only an away team with every single one of your senior officers can we possibly find enough bitumacite to keep this old bird in the air. Let's hope we don't encounter any more EM radiation on the surface, though," Owen said with a sly wink to the Captain. They were always in situations where they couldn't teleport out, because that would be too easy! "As long as we keep th' crew together, we'll find it and be back on the Constellation in no time!" Owen said, patting a wall of the ship protectively. He played his part the best he could, knowing that the Chief Engineer's true love was the ship. But seriously, how are we going to get out of this crazy situation? As Owen rest his hand on the wall, he ever-so briefly tested his powers. A slight buzz travelled up the hull, and he stopped using his powers immediately. "Oh, guess there's some work I've got ta do when we get back!" Owen said to cover for the unexplained sound. Mmkay, so we have our powers...that means that Iris has her powers too. "Say, Captain! Let's make sure we bring our wireless communicators on our away mission, right?" he said, looking directly at her.

Ghule Vik grinned at the blue-eyed cowboy. Who said the dead couldn't be easy on the eyes? She hopped off the mausoleum to greet him, storing her iPod in her leather jacket. "Yep, and I figure you're Dust Devil, pardner," she said with a little wink. "Seriously, thank you for coming. It's hard enough to track down people who've been...well, in our condition for some time." Speaking of dust, the second living-impaired showed up out of the blue. Given his chosen name, that was no big surprise... "Wait, you're both zombie cowboys? Is it weird that that's kinda awesome? I wish I had thought to bring my Stetson 'n six-shooters!" Lucy showed up shortly thereafter, and the four undead were together at least. "Hmm...a horde of undead? Does that feel too stereotypical to you? I mean, a horde can be a powerful thing, like the Mongolian Horde...anyway. Lucy!" Vik ran over to embrace her. Having met her at the Christmas Party, Vik was excited to see her friend again. She looked over at the two zombie cowboys, and coughed a little, slightly self-conscious at this display of comradery. "Thank you all for making it out tonight...this felt like the most appropriate place to have a meeting." She pulled open the door to the mausoleum and bid them enter. The inside of the small mausoleum was a comfortable and somber place to honor the memories of the dead: a small skylight on the ceiling and windows on the far wall made the space as inviting as it could be. Vik had set out a table and four chairs for everyone. She busied herself with unpacking a Wal-Mart bag, stuffed with sodas, candy, chips, and other snacks. "I didn't know what everyone liked, so I just got everything. You know...'or-durves' and all." "I guess you're wondering why I asked you to come here. When I met Lucy at the Freedom League Christmas party, it made me feel like I wasn't alone in this world. I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean...to be treated differently, ostracized, or even hunted for who you are. But I think the four of us can do a lot of good for Freedom City if we team up as one...our own undead super-team. What do you think?"

Prime Mover Owen noticed Ryan's guitar case. He recognized the young man from orientation day, and was pretty sure he had a guitar then, too. "Hey, man! It's been a while. I'd love to hear you play sometime, if you're feelin' it." He smiled as the twins teleported in, too. He had gotten to know them quite a bit better with their recent experience with Quirk. "Daniel, Iris. Good ta see you two under better circumstances." Although he would never admit it, it was a weird kind of fun being trapped in various TV shows. Stressful, but fun. Owen could definitely see Lawrence's resemblance to his sister as he shook his hand. "Well this'll definitely be one of the best vacations I've ever been on," he said with a big smile. Other teens were starting to arrive rapidly as well, among them a young man in a black bathing suit he had seen but not met before. There would be time to meet everyone soon enough - his class was full of interesting people! Speaking of interesting, the other twins, his roomie Riel and twin sister Kadene just arrived. He walked over and clapped Riel on the shoulder, grinning broadly. "Well, Captain, does this feel more like home?" His gaze softened as he turned towards Kadene. "Hey, Kadene - oh" he said as she took off. "...we'll catch up later."

Prime Mover Owen stammered when Renee took a picture of him blushing. Dang it, gotta stop givin' her good opportunities to embarrass me, but she's not the only one... He was a bit surprised when she suggested some of the exhibits were fake as well, and nodded when Maddie said the museum would say if it were a fake or a reproduction. "Yeah, Renee, I'd think they would put a sign up or somethin', but I guess you'd know better than we would. You'll have to let us know." He grinned at Jack's comparison - the giant teen have a knack for good description. "Yeah, well, you haven't met my mother. She's got babushka written all over her. Well...someday. You know what I mean. She cooks a lot!" he said, suddenly realizing he compared his own mother to a grandmother! "Well, Renee, let's hope those books aren't copies then. That magic stuff goes way over my head, but super-science, now that just plain makes sense to me. Not sure why." He walked along with his friends, looking at the art pieces as they made a beeline for the Freedom City exhibit. It was better they check out the new stuff, anyway. There was time to see the old classics later!

Prime Mover Owen was a little leery of going through the portal, but he knew that his date (they weren't quite a thing yet) would prefer that over the alternative, taking a supersonic spaceplane. He took a deep breath and walked through the portal, reminding himself that it was just like Battlespace 2000. "Warp me up," Owen said quietly to himself. He arrived on the other side, and smiled as he realized he was okay! There were...rumors about the last time the teens tried to use the portal. But his budding relationship with Kadene had taught him much in their short time together, and Owen was willing to try it. Hell, he couldn't imagine himself wanting to go to Fiji, of all places before he met her. He had learned so much and experienced so many new things since moving to Freedom City, and gotten so far outside of his comfort zone that it would be surprising if there was even one left at the end of his schooling. As it looked like he was the second student to arrive, he took a moment to look around. It was truly a paradise, and the warm weather was a balm to his senses. They sure don't have weather like this in Badger Bluff! Owen was dressed in a Packers swimsuit with a matching Hawaiian shirt and comfortable sandals. He had one small suitcase he brought with him, having decided to pack light. For once, he was less aware of his power vest concealed beneath his shirt, he was having so much fun. He listened carefully to Lawrence's instructions, as he was a guest in his home. He hadn't met him before, but had become good friends with his adoptive sister, Lynn. The other student, whom Owen presumed was Lawrence's girlfriend based on their interaction, offered pool toys. He smiled broadly, grateful for their hospitality. "Thanks, both of you. This is gonna be a lot of fun! I'm Owen, by the way. Owen Akerlund," he said, extending his hand to both of them. "I think the hard part's gonna be figurin' out what I do first!" His enthusiasm (hopefully) covered up any nerves he felt being in a different part of the world. But the vibe was good, his friends were here, and there was a whole lot of sun to soak up.

Prime Mover Oh, geez...Owen knew this one. Just as he heard the familiar klaxon sound, he braced for impact, knowing he and the other officers on deck were about to be thrown around like ragdolls. Why couldn't they put seatbelts in this thing? This show was familiar to him too, his parents watched it as it was on in the 80s. He even remembered them having the entire series on VHS tape. Memory was a strange thing! Anyway... He looked down at his uniform and sighed aloud. Let's see...O'Dooley is the chief engineer, so he basically gives a bunch of techno-babble that another crew member explains with a simple metaphor for the audience. Let's start with the techno-babble... Owen pointed at Jack, and put on his best Irish brogue. "First Officer Li! Transfer all engineering controls tah my console. We cannae make the jump unless ye want a leaky ship! Ye'll tear the hull right off-a her! Lemme see if I can rig some kinda plasma shield to counteract the EM radiation, or else we'll be dead before we reach the planet's surface!!" he said with appropriate dramatic urgency. "Everyone just push buttons and act busy!" Owen said under his breath.

GM Afternoon gave way to evening as the three young heroes talked and laughed. Owen found himself learning more about the twins, nodding excitedly as they told him tales of the high seas. He traded more earthly tales of Wisconsin: birthing cows, chasing chickens, and backfiring tractors. His stories were mundane by comparison, but he was happy to share them. It made him feel like he was home. Eventually, they made their way back to Claremont, but decided to walk. The cold November air did not deter them, they just buttoned their jackets and continued on their way. Their studies, the training, and the pressure of Claremont Academy faded away, if just for a moment. Today, Owen, Riel and Kadene were just teenagers hanging out. With a grin, Owen shouted to the heavens "Luckstorm Pirates forever!!" THE END

Prime Mover "Ah, well, y'know...we're just two young guys learning how to use our powers! I told Coach we could bend the bench press back, but he wasn't too happy about that. I'd love to have you help me with my pronunciation - after all, you learned English which is hard enough!" Owen had enjoyed working out with Jack, even though he was much, much stronger than he by leaps and bounds, he was still glad to have his help. Even if his powers didn't make him stronger, lessons at Claremont taught Owen that you had to be ready, no matter what, and if he lost his powers, he would be in big trouble. Besides, having a nice physique wasn't a bad side effect, he thought as he glanced over at his pretty date. Owen walked over to her, and softly lay his hand on her shoulder, hoping that he could help her feel better. He couldn't imagine how strange this world must be for Kadene, but he at least hoped to be a source of comfort to her, "It is. But...maybe for our second double date we could sail together?" He looked over at Lynn and Jack, hoping they would chime in. It was too soon to say how this date would go, much less plan another one already, but maybe thoughts of sailing would get her mind off her discomfort. "That restaurant, that...sounds about right for your world, from what you and Riel have told me." Owen smiled back at Lynn. She was good people. Her and Jack seemed to get along really well, too. He had heard a lot about Lynn, all good things from Jack when they hit the gym together, and though he had seen her here at there, it was his first time really getting to know her. "I think we're all a little unusual. Not in a bad way, a-course, it's just that every superhero comes from their own situation, their own circumstances that led 'em to choosing this life. It's not for everyone." He paused, realizing that he might be getting a bit too introspective. "But hey, at least us all being supers means we don't have to make excuses on dates, like you said. Let's hope we don't have to fight a giant crab monster or nothin' at the restaurant!" he said, half-joking. As many superheroes as there were in Freedom City, there seemed to be monster or villain attacks to handle all the time!