alderwitch

"I'm not so certain that the best tactic to take is training or weaponry. Law enforcement is already well equipped to deal with the majority of, pardon the phrase, non-meta villains. In addition, there already exist special forces units to deal with situations above and beyond the normal street officer." Alex spoke up once she'd caught up to the current topic of discussion. "Not to mention, in any sort of arms race, everyone loses and were we to equip any sort of law enforcement force with weaponry, armor and training for combat it would be a matter of time before the criminals quickly matched their capabilities." Alex linked her fingers together, "Really, if we're going to be tackling a way to help, wouldn't it be better to go to the source of the problem and start combating crime rather than powering up law enforcement. I mean, tackling the problems that contribute to increase in crime. Poverty, socio-economic divides, public schooling and racial bias? Wouldn't that in the end be a better use of time and effort than creating even non lethal solutions for police offers to use in stopping crime?"

"Or someone could fix her brain for her." Taylor responded quietly, putting the idea out there before she went to change the subject and silently hoped that it was the right choice as she provided the idea of sneaking into one of the more near earth dimensions for a Hail Mary attempt. It nagged her conscious both as Phantom and as a mother but the children - barely children anymore - and certainly they'd earn the right to call themselves heroes. "So what holiday plans do you have? Any winter formals at school or does Claremont not do that?"

Phantom bobbed in the air, finally shifting as if in impatience. "Which world, little faeling. Have you chosen one? You are mortal born but the magic of faerie runs through your very being. So, have you claimed a home or are you still in flux?" Phantom was indeed impatient. Not only was she ever more busy these days, but her family worked in the hospital and it would have been awkward indeed to run into one of them while on the job so to speak. Nothing undermined an inter-dimensional guardian like a good 'where have you been?' scold.

"Who said I was talking about clothing, sweet boy?" Bombshell responded with a quick grin before she turned to pay their fare into the snobby little art gallery and picked up a brochure. It was one of those wine, cheese and arrogance affairs, with waiters circling with small platters of both and people who had likely little awareness of what they were looking at save for the dollar and bragging value of the work. "Now, banter aside for the moment. This little affair is a private collection owned by a rich recluse. Always a bad sign first off. He wishes he'd been able to afford Édouard Manet but he had to settle for a meager collection of Georges-Pierre Seurat's mixed in with a few less well known impressionists and post impressionists. So, of this collection, you would think that the Seurat's would have the best security on them, n'est-ce pas?" Bombshell's French accent was impeccable and faintly Parisian to the trained ear. Which was unsurprising, really, as she'd spent years as a wartime spy. If anything, Bombshell had time to perfect another language or three. "Instead, the only one of these oh-so-very expensive paintings that happens to actually have state of the alarms and a tracking device hidden in its frame... is a rather amateur and tiny painting that was created by a painter that had the ill-grace to die of cholera before he acquired any talent. Funny, don't you think? Oh, I do so love a good mystery."

"Ah, but where would the fun in that have been? The look on your face was absolutely priceless!" Bombshell informed him, a wicked little grin playing about her lips and she gave his hip a little bump. Still amused, she looked forward and pressed the button for the crosswalk before looking back up at him. "Elena has many rules for me but fidelity has never been one of them. More like 'grand theft is not a game, Talya'. To be perfectly frank, Elena finds the effort of keeping me entertained exhausting and is pleased to outsource it in order to be the busy little hero. She is quite secure in her place in my affections." She stepped into the street and added, "So, your brain matter is quite safe even if you continue to have naughty thoughts. I do hope you are having naughty thoughts, or I will have to reconsider my wardrobe. Have you wondered yet just what I've got on under this coat yet?" Bombshell tilted her head at him, almost as if she were asking about the weather. "Ah, there it is then." The gallery was a coverted warehouse from the facade, with a few people trickling in and out in the twilight fall weather, bundled up much like the disguised heroic couple.

"Oh, good," Bombshell beamed at him and took his arm, swaying against him as she headed down the stairs with her hand lightly on his arm. The nails, like her lips, were a crimson red, "I do so prefer company. Not to mention Elena gets just a touch fretful when I'm left to my lonesome in large buildings filled with old and expensive things. This one has paintings from turn of the century France which I rather thought would be right up your alley. We'll be there right at closing time but that won't be a problem. Finding somewhere to hide might be. How do you feel about supply closets?"

Is there any way to figure out what is going on with Doc between arcane lore and my detect magic spell?

Taylor sighed and gave her a disappointed look at her defeatist attitude. She looked away again planning out her next woords very carefully. She was not going to encourage bringing another interdimensional refugee. Taylor moistened her lips and said slowly. "Well, that's a possibility but that sounds like psychic conditioning more than malice. I don't know that much about that arena but you might at least examine the option before settling for prison or death. You have to think outside the box if you're going to take on the ills of the multiverse."

"Hello, sweetie," Bombshell smiled at him, looking far too pleased with herself. If the Scarab had been here, she would have been immeadately suspicious. However, Elena was busy and while the cat's away... "Fancy a walk? There is an absolutely delightful exhibit at this charming art gallery. It's only a few blocks away. I think you'll really be... blown away. Shall we?"

Alex had tucked herself into one of the large chairs and swivvled it around to face the small group, her heavy backpack between her knees. She unzipped and fished out an e-reader since she'd have needed far too many books for a week long trip that would have had to fit in a single backpack. She heard Trevor's soft question and beamed at him, "I don't know about you but I packed my birthday gift. No reason we can't celebrate on the trip! Right?"

Phantom floated in her cloak, intangible and ghostly, with its billowing folds flowing over the floor and writhing as she watched the man sleep and his guest. She was even more still than the man in a coma as his chest still rose and fell. Hers did not. She didn't breathe or move restlessly as humans were wont to do. She floated still and silent, patiently waiting for the woman to open her eyes. "So," Phantom intoned, her voice an oddly hollow echo. She spoke as if this was a continuation of a conversation rather than the start of one. "Have you chosen?"

Taylor didn't say anything for a few long minutes as she played with her son and stared up at him and the dappled canopy above him. That wasn't unusual. The mystic was prone to long silences, especially if the question was difficult, and this question was certainly that. On the one hand, the rules were clear that the girl should stay in place. On the other, it was a cruel life to keep her in. But one girl would lead to two and then ten. There were countless beings suffering torment and the lines were hazy. Too hazy sometimes. She floated JJ up a few inches and then let him drop back into her hands, smiling faintly as he squealed and shook his fists, arching his back for more play. He was going to be a flier someday. Taylor could just tell. "Would a prison that she has no hope of freeing herself from beat a prison that someday might let her break free?" Taylor turned her face to Erin finally, answering a question with another question. She continued on, "I'm not trying to lead you to the answer I want. I'm trying to make you think. You were brought here for a reason. She was brought there for a reason. Someday, she might help free that world from the evil that has a grip on it, and here she would only ever be another monster in a cage. It's a gamble. It's always a gamble. You choose what you can live with and you pay the price for those choices in the cost it takes from you. Neither of those are good options. Being a hero, it usually means finding a third path. It's not easy, but that's what sets us apart. Not metahuman ability, its the ability to find the right path. That's what Summers is teaching you, really."

For JoaB, does November 2nd work for you?

Bombshell (Bombshell since she was on the job even if not in costume) stepped up the stairs of the Interceptors Brownstone. She was dressed like the heroine in some old spy movie, from the over-sized sunglasses to the trench coat belted at her waist. She took the steps quickly despite the silly high peep toes that probably cost Elena a pretty penny and tapped on the door with the back of her knuckles. She knew full well that it was their secret headquarters, after all, she'd been to the pool party. But it would have been rude to show dressed up in 'work clothes'. Secrets, after all, were important. She pulled the glasses down to wink at the peep hole, figuring that there was a video relay. Everyone had video relays these days. "Can Jack come out to play? I do promise to have him home by bed time. Thieves' honor." She slid the glasses back up to her nose and smiled a Cheshire cat's smile. "Or should I just let myself in?"

Let's put this at Nov. 6th if that works for everyone. DC20 notice check to notice the left pinky thats just a faint outline on JJ's hand for those who wanna try making it.

"It's a gamble. It's always a gamble." Taylor said, tickling JJ's sides as she looked over to watch the girl and asked baldly, "So, who is it? We've gotten too specific for it to be hypothetical. Who are you thinking of rescuing and where do you want to rescue them to? You never have easy questions. Last time it was the layout of the that hospital and this time its a dimensional refugee."

Wander was warned about Dead Headbeing a regular.

That.s fine. This is more of a puzzle plot than a bad guy plot

Also, JJ gets an HP for the Void being inaccessible to him.

Red rover, red rover, let Wander, JJ and Dead Head come over Okay, onto the Main Event!

"The rules..." Taylor sighed and flopped down onto her back, shifting the baby so that he was laying on her stomach and could start smacking on the Eye of Heshem that hung around her neck, leaving sticky fingerprints on it. "The rules say that no one should stay, everyone goes back. It's cold and cruel but the rules are hard and fast. It's a very big multiverse, though, and sometimes we can look the other way but that mostly has to do with how much weight the person puts on the walls between the worlds. Some have very big footprints and some have very tiny ones but too much and holes tear. More of an art than a science."

Init: 5 Woo...

"I have served, at great personal price. Unquestioning and unwavering only to find you've torn me away from my family for manufactured crisis. Crises that You have caused!" With some serious will, Taylor turned her face back towards the light although squinting. "Why? Why would you repay my service with deceit? You've stolen months of my life, time I will never get back and all to put right problems that You caused!" Her tone was bewildered and hurt and very, very angry. Taylor had dealt with the disapproval and outright disdain of other heroes. Of refugees who had no place else to turn. Her work took an incredible emotional toll and until Jack had kept her very much alone. "It is not YOUR life. You are My servant, My Chosen, My tool. The time you have, is what time I choose to allow. Perhaps you needed to be reminded of that." The cold clarion tone robbed Taylor of the ability to breath or speak for a few moments and she staggered back as if physically struck, struggling under the weight of the mystical chains of her oath that bound her. "Your servant," Taylor agreed, her voice ragged before it strengthened. "But never your slave." She lifted her hands once again and reached for the Eye with her gloved hands, holding it between her palms. "I may have been unaware when I swore to keep the balance, but I am no untutored child. I know the Pact, I know my Oath and I know, Heshem, that by your actions, you've opened the door for me to un-weave it. You betrayed my trust. That is not without consequences, even for the gods. Especially for the gods. It has a price, everything has its price, but I'll take mortality if that's the price I have to pay. I will not be used." Taylor looked up then and switched the ancient amulet into one hand. "In layman's terms, I QUIT!" With all of her mortal strength, Taylor hurled the eye into the jagged glowing crack. For a moment, time seemed to hold still and then it shattered outward while reality screamed. The light in the library was blinding and when it faded, Jack would be alone. The library was once again restored to it's orderly fashion, pre-Taylor's temper tantrum and the only sign left would be a razor sharp shard of Eye of Heshem glinting sinisterly on the carpet. Taylor, however, was no where to be seen. Jack would hear in his mind rather than with his ears the fading and vaguely satisfied tone of the goddess. "Sometimes, little vampire, it takes just one mortal to change the world." ---------------------------------------- OUROBOROUS: For the adult JJ, wherever he was and whatever he was doing, the time displaced dhampyr would find himself knocked to his knees by a gut wrenching pain the likes of which he'd never felt in all of his unusual life. Once he'd recovered enough to remember that he didn't need to breath and gasping for air was really exceptionally pointless, he'd notice the oh, so very disturbing trend of the pinky of his left hand fading in and out of existence. The timestream - his time stream - was threatening to jump the tracks and write him out of existence entirely. This was, in fact, a very urgent problem. ---------------------------------------- WANDER: Erin was once again on baby sitting duty, the baby currently working on pulling up on everything he could get his chubby hands on - usually Erin herself - and babbling up a stream when his face crumpled and he started to fuss. It wasn't the usual baby fussing, more "something is very wrong and you should fix it RIGHT NOW" fussing. Erin had gotten used to his hungry and teething cries and this seemed to be none of the usual before he let out a frightened shriek and faded even as he was holding onto her hands. Erin had seen his teleport to the Void before and this, this was nothing like that. ---------------------------------------- DEAD HEAD: The house on the hill was always open to Dead Head and, with it's very own graveyard and horde of not-so-restless dead was more friendly than most vistas to the revoltin' revenant. This time, however, there appeared to be a light show going on in the tower library. Now, the neighbors were used to creepy events from the house on the hill as were the ghostly residents. This time, however, all of the spirits were hiding in their graves. It was eerie - at least to one used to the presence of the supernatural, for it to be entirely quiet in the grave yard. Upstairs, it went suddenly and ominously quiet.

Okay, so the 'main line' story is going to be: Wander, Ouroborus, Dead Head, Avenger if they're all up for it. That will be tracking down Phantom and her son before JJ the time displaced vanishes completely. The mystic storyline will be to stop the cracks from forming. Right now I have Robin and Etain for this one. Any supplemental stories will be the intersection of two dimensions, prime and somewhere else. Either the heroes trying to clear the problem back to its native dimension or getting themselves 'home'. I have one request for a medieval earth setting which I can do. Who wants into that one? You can start a storyline of your own if you'd like with the same crack/schism but I am also happy to run them. PM for more details if there are spoiler-type questions

"Thank you." Taylor said after half a second of reminding herself that it was a good thing to have JJ attended to by someone who loved him, even if that someone made Taylor feel like the worst parent ever. "I know we're not getting him a puppy. I don't think we really need to encourage the stalking instinct tendencies and that sounds like a recipe for disaster." She nodded her head and tickled the baby's tummy until he giggled, smiling automatically in response. "If you need time off, just let us know and we'll schedule it in the calendar. I'm sure that we'll have holiday plans to take the baby too. We celebrate Christmas... in our own way." Last time it had been with drug runners. The memory made Taylor smile.