angrydurf

Her great uncle slowly stood with a warm smile, "I have seen stranger things in my years Zee." he said kindly, "You have a difficult path ahead and are family." he said simply though she could tell he was less certain of her course than she was he was willing to let her choices stand regardless. "Now lets get back down there your father will never forgive me if I monopolize his grandson all afternoon.' he said with an easy smile and followed her down stairs to the rest of the family.

Mike smiled warmly to James as he approached, "Hey James good to see you it's been awhile." he said with a laugh "You even manage to look comfortable in yours, impressive." he joked as he tugged at the slightly too tight collar of his own tux. He looked down to Alex with a wide smile and agreed with James, "She really does doesn't she." he murmured with a happy smile. After a moment he looked back to James, "So do my eyes deceive me? Is James Prophet dateless?"

Huang smiled and let out a small laugh, "That it is." he agreed. "Well you have many more resources than even the Mad Empress at your disposal so I'm sure a way can be found." he said confidently. Huang then settled back into his chair and pulled out a small notebook that he off handedly scribbled in, "Just let me know when the little guys ready to return and we'll come up with a suitably longwinded tale for me to have bored you to tears with." he says with a warm smile.

Ace shrugged, "I find it safe to assume that they'll be back eventually in this business." he replied nonchalantly. "At least until you know for certain." he added with a grin. "Then again I don't think even our recurring friend could really keep you on the straight and narrow for all that long in the end." he said with a wry smile, "After all here you are."

Huang nodded slowly in response with a small smile on his lips, "As young Master Danger used to say, Be Prepared." he said with a laugh. He glanced over his shoulder studiously keeping his eyes to her face, "You may have a better way, and he was not wrought with blood sorcery so he may have a better chance." he shrugged as he looked away once more. "I'm sure you'll manage." he added with a gracious smile.

Ace smirked defenses still fully deployed, "I dear lady am made of sterner stuff." he replied with a wink. It was a lie but one so old Ace almost believed it. It was likely that he'd fall again but not any time soon. Ace accepted their drinks seamlessly passing of a generous tip and offered Bombshell her drink, "We all did he played it very close to the vest last time around. Probably for the best everyone would have been looking for him and who knows what would have happened."

Ace grinned, "You have the best ideas Talya." he replied and steered her over to the wet bar and easily caught the barmans attention, "Scotch on the rocks." he requested and gestured to Bombshell, "And a dirty Martini for the lady." he added with a waggle of his brow her direction. He turned to wait for the drinks and smiled to the lovely thief, "So have you caught up with you know who since you got out?" he inquired uncertain how the young lady would take Alexanders replacement.

Huang nodded slowly as she began to shuffle through the papers letting her read for herself what he had found. As she looked over the pages she saw a painstaking transcription of the notes and journals of the alchemist responsible for not only Empress Wu's 'childrens' creation but also much of their early care. It also included much of the grisly details of them falling to their baser instincts. "It was deep in the imperial archives and as I said I do not know to what extent it will hold true for your son." Huang said appeasingly once the shuffle of papers ceased, "The creature the empress captured eventually broke free and destroyed the progeny before vanishing into whatever dark realm they had pulled it from."

<= has a Plan.

"They are often the kindest." Ace agreed taking her arm once more. "All of us were young." he said solemnly, "Some of us even managed to stick around long enough for that to end." he said with a nonchalant shrug that hid the true emotion in his words. He smiled to Bombshell that same winning smile that broke hearts all those years ago, "I would say the world grew older after the war." It had really been the end of the worlds innocence well an end at least.

Ace smiled at the memories the case brought back eyes artfully dodging the trailing end of the nameplates of those old allies. He glanced down then to Bombshell with a wicked grin, "I am the master of many things, few of them petty." he said with a wink. He turned then away from his exploits, he had all the memories after all and the case was but a pale shadow of the truth. He turned to her as they broke away, "Hardly just for those occasions my dear." he said solemnly as he stepped aside to reveal the more public of her teams exploits. "You had every opportunity." he said with a shrug, "But we all make choices we regret one day, some of us are just unlucky enough to live to see that day come."

Huang made a few noncommittal noises as he dug around in his satchel and a small cluck of distaste at her mention of the babies more alien dietary desires but no real surprise. "MmmmHmmm," he murmured as he pulled and aged sheaf of paper from the satchel, "I suspected that might be a difficulty." he acknowledged. "Unique mostly in his manner of creation rather than nature unfortunately." he said with a sigh, "Or perhaps fortunately." He turned slightly in the chair to ease his passing of the papers to Taylor without risking seeing anything though whether he was more concerned about catching sight of Jack odd eating habits or just the intimacy of normal feeding was a mystery. On the papers she could make out her uncles neat hand listing off his own research on the matter. "There was a period during the Tsang Dynasty." he explained, "Only referenced obliquely in the official histories of course," he elaborated, "Empress Wu, seized control of the courts, her children had all fallen to a sickness as had her husband." Huang let out a sigh, "Through alchemical reactions she was able to bear children for a creature she had captured. Children she could never lose." he explained uncomfortably, "Her creature was not of the same breed as your husband that is assured, and perhaps it will be easier due to that but ..." he trailed off with a sigh, "Instinct is a powerful thing, and fighting it is no easy task."

Phalanx Save Tonight Cry Havok! High Noon Old Friends and New Friends I See What You Did There At the Mountains Shall We Dance Lights At His Back Stars In His Eyes Ace Danger All things End What was old is new again Childhood Dream Monsters in the Streets-AEGIS HQ SHADOW over Freedom Happy GrimDay Imma Bee Concert Auditions Jack Jr. Questionnaire +2 Twenty Questions +1 Reputation +1 Das Wiki! +1 News Thread 1.21 Gigawatts A Case of Mistaken Identity And That's The Way It Is GM Posts Cry Havok! GM and PC posts Darkness Rising Faceing the Music The Games Afoot Three Generations

Surveillance Logs June 8th 2010 Energy detection array established. Still no signs of Terminus contact nor of Terminus leakage. Project Phalanx exhibiting abilities beyond even the projected limits. Some form of energy projection has been confirmed. Durability may well be beyond the Centurion at this time though without staging an attack with high explosives we are unlikely to confirm this supposition. Subjects public demeanor has changed drastically. See updated photos for new appearance. With growing powers confidence level has grown. Appearance of normal socialization for his demographic at this time. Much of free time however spent in active pursuit of criminal elements as well as disaster response.

Surveillance Logs May 31 2010 Have re-established surveillance. Alpha Teams logs seem incomplete for last several months. Analysis suggests team may have been compromised by outside actors. Project Phalanx seems to be much more open in display of powers. Confirmed as hero "Phalanx" of "Young Freedom", in addition to team actions surveillance suggests expansive active crime fighting. Still no signs of Terminus contact new energy detection array will be in place within a month. Relationship with Project Psyche has expanded, Possibility of sexual contact high given average of demographic. No confirmation possible without on campus surveillance.

"A little of both." he admitted as he turned the other chair in the room at an oblique angle to taylors own and sunk into it. "My little trick with the tea will cover for some things but I get the feeling your little one shares some of his fathers appetites?" he inquired carefully. He did pull his ever present satchel from his side and begin carefully sorting through it as if looking for something while he awaited her reply.

Ace rolled his eyes at her antics and plucked back the wallet. "I take back the not petty comment." he replied snarkily as he tucked the wallet back away. He didn't bother checking to see if anything was missing if she really didn't want him to know what she had gotten he wouldn't find it anyway. "Well you did return it." He retorted, "I'd say my sparkling personality has won out again."

Jackson rolled his eyes at her gentle ribbing as she wove her way through the throng of well wishing relations. Jack Jr. Mewled happily as Taylor took him back in her arms and looked around with all to tight a focus at the still gathered family members. Little Jack it seemed was getting hungry and some of the vital relations hovering around were staring to look like a good option. Huang too seemed to take note and in his gentle way suggested that Taylor and the baby accompany him up to his room where he could give them a little gift he had prepared. There were a few complaints but in the end Huangs age and associated filial gravitas won out and he guided Taylor over to the stairs.

Mike smiled as he easily caught his future daughter, "Way better than a limo anyway." He said with a grin. With that he surged skyward rocketing well past the speed of sound with his passengers tucked close against him protectively. They shot through the sky leaving a swirling contrail in their wake as Mike steered them at breakneck speeds toward the mall. He came to a landing in a secluded corner of the lot and gently set Zoe and Alex on their feet once more, "Alright lets get something to eat!" he said eagerly, Zoe may have inherited her mothers mind but she got her fathers appetite.

Mike rolled his eyes, "I'll just have to find a way to make do." he said with a wink and looked over to Zoe, "You in Zoe?" he asked with an easy smile. It was an eerily familiar tableau in many ways. It seemed that Her arrival had done little but accelerate Mike and Alex turning into her Parents. Mike gently patted Alex's arm as he waited for Zoe's response.

Ace shrugged, "The world shifts around all of us some of us jet cope better than others." he replied with a wry grin, "And though thief you may be you are in no way petty." he complimented expertly, "Though delusions of grandeur may be apt." he added with a cheeky wink. The legendary hero laughed his same airy laugh from all those years ago, "Same category definitely I'm just best in class." he goaded her once more.

Jackson nodded comfortingly, "Yea well between the new baby and work and all I'm sure you both must be." he said with a nod. Then a bit of the old Jackson crept back in, "I was more wondering how he managed to avoid the throngs." he joked gesturing to the just now beginning to get overwrought Jack Jr. "An don't say have a baby." he teased, "We both know that's not in the cards."

Jackson looked honestly shocked at that revelation, "Fangs?" he whispered for her ears alone. He paused thoughtfully for a moment his face shifting through assorted stages of discomfort with the news be fore settling on a nervous, "Does that mean he drinks uhm...?" he asked cautiously not sure he really wanted the answer. Her brother then shook his head muttering, "Never mind I really don't need to know do I." before she could respond. "So Jack busy then?" he inquired as even her undead husbands escapades had to be a better subject than a dhampirs dietary restrictions.

Ace shot her a guarded look his exploits of late had been less front and center despite his membership in the league. "Not exactly." he replied with a wry smile, "I have been working on more personal matters of late however." he explained with a suggestive wink. "Besides people like us never really retire. Try as we might the siren call of the next grand adventure calls." he teased, "After all here you are right?"

Jackson shrugs, "Well I mean the Dangers are like family friends practically." he said honestly, "I mean I didn't meet Ace till your wedding but none the less I knew he was within the familial sphere ya know?" he asked trying to clarify. Jackson shrugged as Huang looked over at them chatting in the corner and caught Taylors hurried shushing as he laughed quietly to himself, glad she opened up to some of her family despite her new responsibilities. Her youngest brother smirked at her, "You ever stop and listen to what you're saying and think how weird it all is?"