Veiled Malice

Ren bowed again to Mrs. Parker as he leaves the home. "Thank you again. The meal was excellent." He then nodded to Lynn and Sean and followed along after them. The night was cold, even he could tell that from the way Sean and Grim's breath fogged as they exhaled. He tried to hunch up some and rub his arms like he felt the chill, but the other thing he couldn't duplicate. The only thing he could do was hope Sean didn't notice. "The Fens are that bad now? I guess I don't get out this way too much."

Ren bowed again to Mrs. Parker as he leaves the home. "Thank you again. The meal was excellent." He then nodded to Lynn and Sean and followed along after them. The night was cold, even he could tell that from the way Sean and Grim's breath fogged as they exhaled. He tried to hunch up some and rub his arms like he felt the chill, but the other thing he couldn't duplicate. The only thing he could do was hope Sean didn't notice. "The Fens are that bad now? I guess I don't get out this way too much."

Ren blushed from the kiss, but in a good way. He was getting used to the physical closeness Lynn seemed to prefer, and liked it. "I'm glad. I used to watch 'My Neighbor Totoro' all the time as a kid. Guess we're not so different. 'Course, it was a bit easier for me to get things from Japan, but..." he left off, just basking in the afterglow of her kiss. "I'm glad." "It's not lame," he insisted, though he had no idea where the quote came from. "It's special. Thank you." Summoning up every bit of his courage, Ren leaned down, kissed Lynn on the forehead and hugged her closely. "And more than that, you made it yourself. It's more than I can boast." He started to put it into his jacket, but stopped after a moment, having a better idea of what to do with it. "Hey, you wanna see something cool? Check this out." Ren held the card out in front of him so it was in clear view, then made like he was stuffing it into his sleeve. Before it got there, the nanomachines that made up his body broke the paper object up into it's component molecules, incorporating it into his body. When he pulled his hands back, they were empty. "Neat, huh?"

Ren blushed from the kiss, but in a good way. He was getting used to the physical closeness Lynn seemed to prefer, and liked it. "I'm glad. I used to watch 'My Neighbor Totoro' all the time as a kid. Guess we're not so different. 'Course, it was a bit easier for me to get things from Japan, but..." he left off, just basking in the afterglow of her kiss. "I'm glad." "It's not lame," he insisted, though he had no idea where the quote came from. "It's special. Thank you." Summoning up every bit of his courage, Ren leaned down, kissed Lynn on the forehead and hugged her closely. "And more than that, you made it yourself. It's more than I can boast." He started to put it into his jacket, but stopped after a moment, having a better idea of what to do with it. "Hey, you wanna see something cool? Check this out." Ren held the card out in front of him so it was in clear view, then made like he was stuffing it into his sleeve. Before it got there, the nanomachines that made up his body broke the paper object up into it's component molecules, incorporating it into his body. When he pulled his hands back, they were empty. "Neat, huh?"

And here we are!

And here we are!

Following a man proved to be far easier than following after a car. Perhaps it was because the man couldn't spare the time to look behind him, going as fast as he was. Or maybe he was just very sure he'd escaped Velocity to begin with. Whatever the reason, she was able to shadow the man all the way into Southside.

Following a man proved to be far easier than following after a car. Perhaps it was because the man couldn't spare the time to look behind him, going as fast as he was. Or maybe he was just very sure he'd escaped Velocity to begin with. Whatever the reason, she was able to shadow the man all the way into Southside.

Following a man proved to be far easier than following after a car. Perhaps it was because the man couldn't spare the time to look behind him, going as fast as he was. Or maybe he was just very sure he'd escaped Velocity to begin with. Whatever the reason, she was able to shadow the man all the way into Southside. The spaces between buildings got perceptively narrower now that they were out of Downtown. The urban sprawl spread out before her, complete with all the sights (and smells) of what happened when a city dumped it's human refuse in one place. Many politicos said that the situation had been getting better in recent years, but as she ran through areas that seemed more like demilitarized zones than city streets, she found that tough to believe. Finally the MiB ducked into an abandoned warehouse near Highway 4. The place had probably been a bustling place of business at one point, but now it stood derelict and empty, it's cavernous interior devoid of anything but a few boxes and packing crates left behind when the owners moved elsewhere. Velocity snuck around the exterior of the building and looked in through a badly stained window pane. The dark-suited man had ran into the place and stopped near the middle. He looked around, seemingly confused by something. It was clear from his expression and increasing ill-ease that he had been expecting someone to be there.

Following a man proved to be far easier than following after a car. Perhaps it was because the man couldn't spare the time to look behind him, going as fast as he was. Or maybe he was just very sure he'd escaped Velocity to begin with. Whatever the reason, she was able to shadow the man all the way into Southside. The spaces between buildings got perceptively narrower now that they were out of Downtown. The urban sprawl spread out before her, complete with all the sights (and smells) of what happened when a city dumped it's human refuse in one place. Many politicos said that the situation had been getting better in recent years, but as she ran through areas that seemed more like demilitarized zones than city streets, she found that tough to believe. Finally the MiB ducked into an abandoned warehouse near Highway 4. The place had probably been a bustling place of business at one point, but now it stood derelict and empty, it's cavernous interior devoid of anything but a few boxes and packing crates left behind when the owners moved elsewhere. Velocity snuck around the exterior of the building and looked in through a badly stained window pane. The dark-suited man had ran into the place and stopped near the middle. He looked around, seemingly confused by something. It was clear from his expression and increasing ill-ease that he had been expecting someone to be there.

Okay, that's it for right here. The story will pick up in Southside, seeing as how it's moved there. Look for "Speed Kills" in Southside.

Okay, that's it for right here. The story will pick up in Southside, seeing as how it's moved there. Look for "Speed Kills" in Southside.

Heard about that too. It seems HD-DVD is getting relegated to the space previously reserved for Betamax, Laserdisc and Minidisc. Fortunately for me, I have not yet made a choice. To the Audio/Video repository!

Heard about that too. It seems HD-DVD is getting relegated to the space previously reserved for Betamax, Laserdisc and Minidisc. Fortunately for me, I have not yet made a choice. To the Audio/Video repository!

Yea verily! :)

Yea verily! :)

Time slowed to the speed of cold molasses. Captain Wonder sped towards the SHADOW agent who was standing over woman and child, less than a second away from slaying both. Muscle groups shifted, bringing the two innocents into the line of fire. A finger curled around the trigger stud. Eyes narrowed in determination. And suddenly, the man was blown sideways as though hit by a freight train. He twirled through the air like a macabre puppet hurled by a petulant child before bouncing off the ground, skidding across the grass of the park, and coming to rest barely a yard from where Frederick Fawcett had been sitting. Katrina hazarded a look upward after a few moments when she didn't feel the piercing blast of a laser strike her. She gazed in awe at the majestic figure of Captain Wonder floating over her for a moment, then came back to herself and checked to see that her child was alright. "Matty! Are you okay? You're not hurt? Why did you run off? I was so scared!" Matty simply started crying, overwhelmed by the events he'd been in the middle of, and Katrina cradled the boy in her arms, crying along with him. She looked up at Captain Wonder again, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered reverently. "Thank you so much."

Time slowed to the speed of cold molasses. Captain Wonder sped towards the SHADOW agent who was standing over woman and child, less than a second away from slaying both. Muscle groups shifted, bringing the two innocents into the line of fire. A finger curled around the trigger stud. Eyes narrowed in determination. And suddenly, the man was blown sideways as though hit by a freight train. He twirled through the air like a macabre puppet hurled by a petulant child before bouncing off the ground, skidding across the grass of the park, and coming to rest barely a yard from where Frederick Fawcett had been sitting. Katrina hazarded a look upward after a few moments when she didn't feel the piercing blast of a laser strike her. She gazed in awe at the majestic figure of Captain Wonder floating over her for a moment, then came back to herself and checked to see that her child was alright. "Matty! Are you okay? You're not hurt? Why did you run off? I was so scared!" Matty simply started crying, overwhelmed by the events he'd been in the middle of, and Katrina cradled the boy in her arms, crying along with him. She looked up at Captain Wonder again, tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered reverently. "Thank you so much."

Feh. Infinite Crisis jumped back and forth between lethal and non-lethal damage so many times I didn't know if I was reading something from the Iron or Golden ages.

Feh. Infinite Crisis jumped back and forth between lethal and non-lethal damage so many times I didn't know if I was reading something from the Iron or Golden ages.

No, no worries about that. I just find it funny.

No, no worries about that. I just find it funny.

Yeah, I suppose. But I don't think the guy will be getting up again anytime... ever. :D

Yeah, I suppose. But I don't think the guy will be getting up again anytime... ever. :D

For the full +15 damage, I assume. It'll work, but how in the heck are you still doing non-lethal damage when you could crack a battleship in half with that hit? :)