Electra

Eventually the strength of the trees was exhausted, as might be expected of trees asked to walk around on their roots. They made their way over to the door nearest the power core and collapsed into a pile of lumber and leaves that quite obscured the door. In front of a second door, a flower yawned wide and disgorged a very large and heavy wall console recently uprooted from the other side of the room. "Good," Fleur called, actually seeming rather exhilarated as she hurried over to the rack where Tona was perched. "Tell your captain we're ready to discuss the terms of his surrender," she shouted through the door the first pirate had tried. "He's got sixty seconds to come in here alone or this power core is going on an interdimensional vacation!"

"Twenty," she said with great certainty in her voice. It might have been difficult to believe, but she knew for a fact it was true. "I was eighteen when I went to Blackstone, and then I had two birthdays." She didn't remember much of the first one, since her mind had still been very confused then, but she had vague memories of a cupcake and a picture book from Erin. Alex had been there too, she'd come often then, and she'd given her a rainbow-colored shirt for her bear. It had been a long time now since Alex's last visit. Once her mind was put back together, Jessie kind of got the feeling that Alex was glad to not have to come anymore. But Alex had helped her a lot, Alex and Eve both. And Eve had kept on visiting, bringing her books and playing games with her. That was good too, kind of like having a friend. Maybe now that she was out, she could go visit Eve, instead of the other way around. That idea was worth exploring. "Do you know Eve?" she asked Mark. "The little one, with the mind powers?"

"Oh," Jessie replied, thinking about that as she turned to look out the window again, heedless of social propriety. It had been a long time since she needed to worry about being rude. She stiffened slightly when the bus came to a stop and the door opened, then watched intently as two older women got on. They saw her staring and gave her odd looks before seating themselves in the very front of the bus. Jessie blinked then, and returned her attention to the conversation she'd abandoned minutes earlier. "How old are you?" she asked Mark abruptly.

Erin returned the look and gave him a minute shrug of one shoulder. Edge knew enough of her family history to know that she, and by extension Jessie, had a younger sister who'd died along with the rest of her family. Even though they'd been teammates for years, she'd never been able to tell him the details of that. He was her friend, but some things were too hard to share. If she'd lived, Megan would now be as old as these girls were, or as Dorothy at Claremont was. Erin knew firsthand how hard it could be to see a stranger under the right circumstances and not draw parallels to the past. But Jessie's grasp on time was mutable at best, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking. For her part, Jessie seemed at the moment to be the most relaxed of anyone in their little group. Safely bracketed in and with no one else too close, she felt free to gawk at the world as it went by, and at their fellow passengers as well. Some girls almost her age got on the bus, but they sat near the front of the bus in their own little group. They were speaking a different language, too, and all wearing the same school uniform. They were probably friends. No, she thought, interrupting herself. They weren't her age, they were much younger. Why couldn't she remember that? Lowering her eyes, she scowled and scrubbed at an imaginary smudge of dirt on the side of one thumb with the other. She'd marked her twentieth birthday on her calendar this past winter and looked at it for ages. Jason the nice guard had even put a fake candle on a pudding container for her, and other-Erin brought her a book of word puzzles. She could just look at the other Erin to know almost exactly what she looked like, but it was still hard to believe. There was so much missing time, and memories that were still there, but hazy and disconnected. She knew it was better that way, far preferable to remembering, but it was confusing! "Doing all right, Jessie?" Dr. Franklin asked her in a friendly way. "If you need a break, we can get off and center for a little while." Dr. Franklin was very big on centering. "I'm okay," Jessie replied, with perhaps just a bit less certainty than last time. Looking for a distraction, she turned to Mark. "She said you're her friend," Jessie began, obviously referring to Erin as the "she." "Are you a hero too?" Something about him tugged at her memory, but it was elusive and she couldn't quite get hold.

Fleur sat with her hands folded neatly on the table, listening to the briefing with a look of concern. There was fresh dirt on her hands, as though she'd teleported in from working in her garden, a not at all unlikely scenario. Spring was a busy time for plant controllers and gardeners! "It's obvious that Gaian Knight is going to be our main asset today," she finally said, "with the rest of us acting as support. If Gabriel and Velocity are finding the missing people, I can go with Gaian Knight and Tiamat and do what I can to bolster their efforts. Depending on what the soil conditions are like, some deep-rooted plants could help stabilize the ground. At the very least, if something goes wrong I can teleport us to a safe distance."

The middle section of the bus was made up of facing benches six seats across, which meant Erin and Mark could flank Jessie while the doctors sat opposite. Once on board the bus, Jessie forgot about everything but looking out the window, turning all the way around in her seat for a better view. Kneeling on the seat with her face all but pressed to the window, she watched the world roll placidly by. She'd seen Freedom City in the simulator before, but it was so different in real life! In the simulator, the people had seemed real but the buildings were fake and the sky was absent, so it had seemed almost like being in a play. This was very different, and different too from the vague memories she had of the other city, Empire City... She grimaced and shook herself clear of those thoughts. Those were bad thoughts and she was just going to forget them right now. "Lantern Hill... this is where Lantern Jack lives, right?" she asked Erin and Mark. "Does he come out in the daytime? Do you think we'll see him?" Lantern Jack was a friendly ghost, a hero ghost. Jessie was interested to meet more heroes. She was going to have to learn how to be one, a daunting prospect, and it seemed like learning from others was the easiest way to go about it. And she could always ask Erin, but that just seemed... strange. She checked her watch, relieved to find it was not quite noon yet and they weren't late for lunch. "He lives here," Erin confirmed, looking over her shoulder to see what had her counterpart so interested, but not seeing much unusual. "But he doesn't typically show up in the daytime. Besides, it's quiet now. You don't see too many superheroes unless there's trouble."

That got a grin from Erin, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she pretended to consider that. "A list of benefits, hmm?" She rested her face on her palm, neatly keeping his fingers pressed against her cheek as she did so. Maybe it was a little mean to enjoy seeing Trevor so discombobulated, but it was a rare thing in someone so organized and decisive. And it meant that what he was saying was especially important, and that was good to know. "I'm willing to be persuaded," she decided, settling in to listen to his pitch.

"Move into the manor?" Erin blinked, her brow furrowing as she thought about that suggestion. It wasn't an entirely novel idea, she'd lived in the manor for a little while after graduation, while she was still getting on her feet and putting away money for her apartment. She'd had a guest bedroom with plenty of room for her few possessions, and it had worked out all right, for all it hadn't really been a place of her own. It was hard to tell whether Trevor was suggesting that as a higher-security living arrangement for her, or if he meant the offer as something more. "Do you mean like we did after graduation?" she asked tentatively, "sort of a housemates kind of thing? I mean I guess it would be more secure..."

"If you count at least two hours on the bus and a transfer at City Center to be lucky," Erin retorted, mostly in good humor. She'd had her share of riding the bus before she'd gotten the hang of leaping without drawing attention, and could've done without the tour. But it would certainly give them plenty of opportunity to see whether Jessie was ready for the outside. For her part, Jessie snapped to attention the moment a stranger appeared, giving the old man an appraising stare that would've been rude if he'd been looking in her direction. Everyone else certainly was, Erin and the doctors all ready to intervene if something went wrong in these first critical moments. She'd had months of therapy, simulation and desensitization treatments all designed to make her safe, but there was always that one bit of uncertainty... After five seconds of restrained tension, Jessie obviously filed the stranger into the "harmless" category and looked away, more interested in the scraggly winter grass and patchy gardens around them. "I feel okay," she finally answered Dr. Ellis. "It's almost lunchtime. "Are we going to be there in time for lunch?" "If we're not, we'll get something along the way," Dr. Franklin assured her. "What time does the bus get here?" he asked Erin. "There's one scheduled in about two minutes," Erin replied. She, too, had given the old man a once-over, but she liked to think she'd been much more subtle about it. "A piece of luck there," she added with a sardonic look at Mark.

It occurred to Gina that Steve had been staying over a lot more nights recently than he hadn't, to the point where she was almost starting to get used to seeing him in the morning. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that. In the immediate aftermath of the Curator's plot, she'd needed him there where she could keep an eye on him, and where he could chase away the imaginary bogeymen that stress and panic dreamt up in her overstimulated brain. Things seemed to be back to normal now, and maybe it was the right time to start nudging him back to a safer distance... but she found herself oddly resistant. It wasn't really hurting anything to have him around, maybe just for a couple more nights. "Fajitas sounds good," she told him. "Don't forget to pick up some tortilla shells after work."

The single potted palm tree looked rather out of place on the deck of the ship, and even in a position shielded from the wind, it didn't seem well-suited to the windy conditions. It looked like an afterthought, something put on board at the last minute on a whim... or as a door. Even though no one was near it and no gust of wind hit it, suddenly the little tree bent forward, its broad leaves falling forward like a fan and lengthening till they brushed the ground. After a moment they rose again, sweeping aside like a curtain to reveal the arrival of Fleur de Joie. She was in her uniform but had eschewed the mask today, as she often did. It just wasn't very comfortable and seemed a little silly. After all, when she was recognized, it wasn't because of her face! Walking across the deck, she saw Gaian Knight and Tiamat and began to head in their direction, right up until she saw that Comrade Frost had insinuated himself there already. She turned her steps and headed to the other side of the deck, wondering where they ought to be meeting up for the mission.

Abandoning her food for the moment, Erin scooted her char around to bring it up next to Trevor. She put her hand over his and squeezed lightly. "Hey, I would too," she agreed wholeheartedly. "When we were on the ringworld, I was hardly worried for myself most of the time, because it was just urban survival and I know how to do that. With Steve and Jill and Blue Jay there too, it was practically a camping excursion. But I couldn't stop thinking about what was happening on Earth, whether I'd been taken out of the way so something could get to you, or if my doppelganger was wearing my face and trying to hurt you. But I don't know how we stop it from happening again," she admitted. "All of us took precautions with our own safety, except maybe Dorothy, who had them taken on her behalf. I wouldn't call any of us easy marks, and we still all got pulled right from our beds." She sighed for that, then lifted his hand and pressed the backs of his fingers to her own cheek. "Sometimes you've got to roll with what happens. But we did a pretty damn good job there. I still remember watching you send those Grue ships packing." Her lips curved. "I don't know if Grue can wet their pants, but if they can, I bet they did."

"Eden?" Fleur repeated, startled. She glanced at Willow, paling a little. "The herald of the dominion of the Mother?" She moistened lips that had suddenly gone very dry. That sounded all too familiar to anyone who'd been closely involved in the arrival of the Gorgon. Surely the Gorgon couldn't be coming back, not already! "I may have heard something like that," she told the woman very carefully. "Can you tell us more about the Mother's glorious return? We really want to know." Idly she rolled seeds between her fingers,a nervous habit that meant she had a weapon close to hand if necessary.

Erin, who was completely used to Edge's teleportation, was unfazed by the transit, looking around to place their location. "And at a bus stop too, very neat," she said with slight amusement. "Though at perhaps the furthest possible point on the bus route from Project Freedom without actually taking a Greyhound." She strolled over to the bus shelter and studied the map while the others collected himself. The two psychologists seemed rather more befuddled by the sudden change of scene. "Yes, we're fine," Dr Ellis said, tugging on the lapels of her jacket. "Is this Lantern Hill?" "Yes, it looks like Lantern Hill," Dr. Franklin agreed, both doctors keeping a close eye on Jessie as they got their bearings. "A bit further from Port Royal than I expected, but that's perfectly fine," he assured Edge. "It will be a learning experience. Jessie, meanwhile, didn't seem to be paying attention to any of it. She remained standing in the exact spot where she'd teleported, duffel bag dangling limply from her fingers as she tipped her head back and stared at the sky, openmouthed as a baby bird. "It's so big," she marveled. "I forgot."

Looking rather put out, Fleur brushed a few cinders off her cowl and looked around the engine room. "My reflexes are off today," she muttered. "I really ought to start putting in a little more practice time." She flicked her fingers, and some of the vines scattered around the engine room began moving again, wrapping themselves around consoles and computers, mummifying them and disappearing them like hungry little plant beasts, leaving nothing but holes in the decking in their wake. The trees began exploring, getting a good look at the engine room and the surrounding area, smashing anything that dared be lit up in their path. "They obviously have no intention of negotiating, and a fairly good idea where we are. Why don't you find a good perch where you can pick off anyone who comes in, and I'll work on putting their engineering room out of their reach. If I really need to, I'll pop out their battery," she added, nodding towards the massive engine core, now being ringed by vines like a green and blue barber pole, "but I'm not entirely certain what that will do. I'd like to force them to ground, rather than crashing the ship, if at all possible. But the less functional it is, the better." She closed her eyes, and for a moment all plant movement ceased. "We're about a hundred feet in the air right now. The ship surely has some kind of inertial dampening and would probably survive the crash, but we don't know for sure."

Erin grinned, surprised and gratified that her off-the-cuff suggestion had gone over so well. But it did make a lot of sense, Redbird was more comfortable as a vehicle than she'd probably be in a biped body, and taxiing would let her meet lots of interesting people. Rather pleased with herself, she doused an egg roll in sweet and sour sauce and ate it while listening to Trevor. "That should keep him busy awhile," she agreed. "I'll just toss his stuff in the fridge." She sat back in her chair and cocked her head when he started talking about the house, clued in by the tone that this was something he'd been thinking about. "It's a lot of space," she agreed. Trevor and Travis didn't use a lot of it, and though they were both neat people, a general air of musty neglect pervaded a lot of the areas they didn't use everyday. "A lot to keep up for two people, but it's worth it for the furnished basement. You ever thought of getting a team in here to really go over the place, do all the carpets, steam the curtains, touch up paint and all that? You know, spring cleaning sort of deal. Maybe it would feel less empty."

"Actually, we just need to get to the mainland," Franklin replied affably. "We're going to take the city bus to Project Freedom, to give Jessie a first real look at Freedom City." He looked to Jessie again, who was still twisting her hands, but finally nodded that she was ready to go. "Erin, do you have the paperwork?" "Yeah, I've got it right here," Erin confirmed, digging into her knapsack for the dogeared folder with her counterpart's identity and discharge paperwork in it. "I think the people in the records office at Freedom Hall are really sick of me after the past few years, but they came through eventually." She and Franklin stepped to the head of the hallway, switching places with the guard who came to open the door. He was a younger guard, lanky and dark-haired, with the pale skin of someone who spent his working life deep underground. He seemed surprisingly friendly for a prison guard, but maybe he hadn't been at it too long. "All right Er- Jessie, you're almost out of our clutches," he said teasingly. "Let's see those bangles one more time. You gonna miss me?" Jessie obediently held out her arms, turning her wrists from side to side to display the power inhibitors, then hiked up the cuff of her left pant leg to show off her new tracking anklet as well. "Maybe a little," she said, and if her skin weren't so white, it might have been easier to hide the slight blush. "But I'll write to you." "Well, that's okay then." Inserting an electronic key, the guard tapped in a code and pressed his palm to the scanner next to the cell door. In moments, the forcefield flickered and disappeared, the doorframe glowing a safe-to-cross green. Jessie stepped out into the corridor, twisting the straps of her duffle bag instead of her fingers now. "You take care, all right?" He patted her on the shoulder, a touch that made her hesitate slightly but not flinch anymore. "I will, you too." She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and running her fingers through her hair in a movement that made her look just like her counterpart for a second. "All right, I'm ready."

Gina stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, battling the urge to just spin on her heel and retreat to the cocooning safety of her basement and its welcoming LED warmth. She hadn't meant to say as much as she'd said, a typical hazard when her brain could go so much faster than her mouth. Sometimes the two streams just got disconnected. Ultimately, though, she couldn't just leave him standing there reaching out to nothing, so she extended her own hand long enough to brush his fingertips with her own, like a very halfhearted high-five. "You and Sharl are kind of weird," she pointed out with a ghost of a smile on her face. "But when I did go out, nobody paid much of any attention to me, which was... not too bad, I guess." She jerked her shoulders in an uneasy shrug. "Just don't get kidnapped again anytime soon, okay?"

"It's from a book," Erin-now-Jessie told Mark. "I thought about naming myself after someone real, but then... then I decided not to." She trailed off for a moment, twisting her fingers together, the power-dampening bracelets on her wrists glowing amber to show their partial activation. "Dr. Franklin says I have to go to the halfway house now, because it's good for my rehabilitation. But there are a lot of people out there." Between one thing and another, it had been a very long time, a third of a lifetime, since she'd had to deal with large numbers of people in anything but combat. "You'll do fine," Erin said with a slightly overplayed confidence as she approached the barrier. "Dr. Franklin and Dr. Ellis both say you've made a lot of progress here. You can't just sit in prison forever, you know. They need the space for people who are still causing problems." She tossed a glance over her shoulder at Stratos, who was still pouting. "You all packed up?" Jessie nodded, pointing to the blue duffle bag on the bed, nearly the same shade as her prison uniform. "Yes, they gave me some clothes. I can put them on when we're at Project Freedom. I didn't have any," she admitted, sounding embarrassed, "but there were some extras around somewhere." "We'll figure something out," Erin told her, resting her hands on her hips and looking towards the door. "I wonder where the doctor is."

"No," Fleur murmured back to Tona, "stay close to me. If they attack, we'll teleport to a more defensible position. This is a bad room to fight in." Raising her voice, she addressed the jovial captain. "The first thing you'll do," she said evenly, like a teacher talking to an unruly five-year-old, "is provide compensation for the valuable animals that you destroyed, and other damage that your pirates did to my planet. You'll allow my engineer to disable your long-range weapons systems and alter your mapping software so that you will neither be able to attack us from space or find the way back with your pirate friends. You will also give me your word, for whatever that is worth, that you will never return to Sanctuary, or attempt to cause harm to any of its inhabitants. In return," she continued implacably, "I will release your ship, and any of your crew members who wish to be repatriated to you."

Player Name: Electra Character Name: Fleur de Joie Power Level: 15 (244/250) [262] Trade-Offs: -5 Attack / +5 Damage, -5 Defense / +5 Toughness Unspent Power Points: 6 In Brief: A plant-controlling heroine who is rehabbing a planet and single-parenting a toddler in her spare time, Fleur de Joie believes in the power of networking to get the job done right. Alternate Identity: Stesha (Madison) Lumins Identity: Secret, but not well-kept Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois Occupation: A florist by profession, currently busy with planetary rehabilitation, parenthood and hero work. Affiliations: Sanctuary, Freedom League Auxiliary Family: Derrick Lumins (Dark Star): husband, Amaryllis Lumins: daughter, b. 06/03/11. Father: Paul Madison, Mother Annie (Lispzyanka) Madison, Sisters: Grace (b 1975), Chloe (1987), Brothers: Basil (1978), Jasha (1980), David (1983) Description: Age: 27 (DoB: May 1, 1985) Apparent Age: 27 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'3 Weight: 160lbs Eyes: Blue Hair: Green, thigh-length, kept up in braids and crowned with flowers Under normal circumstances, Stesha is about the most harmless-looking person you're ever going to see in your lifetime. Small in stature, with a soft-edged, curvy body and an open, guileless face, she's the person most likely to be ignored or overlooked in a fight. Her most distinctive feature is her extraordinarily long green hair, which she generally keeps in intricate braids pinned close to her head, and accented with a plaited ring of live flowers. In her civilian life, she favors blue jeans and sweatshirts or t-shirts, depending on the weather, with soft makeup whenever she can manage the time. Her costume is a loose green tunic and matching slacks, brown boots and gloves, a belt with many pouches, and a brown cowl-coat that buttons to the bottom of her rib cage in front and hangs to her calves in back. Power Descriptions: All Stesha's powers are of the magic descriptor, and can also be affected by anything that affects plants. History: Stesha's childhood wasn't idyllic, but it was reasonably close. She grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and the home of Northwestern University, where her father was a professor of botany. Her mother was also an avid gardener, as well as a complementary medicine practitioner and midwife, so growing up, Stesha had plenty of exposure to the science any mysteries of plants. With five siblings, she also had plenty of company and competition in every walk of life. All those brothers and sisters meant someone was always around to share the work or the blame, to tell a secret to or take on an adventure. Most of the time she enjoyed her big family, but as she grew up, the problem of dating when one has three overprotective brothers became increasingly annoying. An avid learner, Stesha followed in her father's footsteps and studied plant biology at Northwestern. She enjoyed biology and did well, but soon discovered that her passion was elsewhere. Science was great, but she preferred the magic of a gorgeous flower in full bloom to the colorless data extracted from a crushed and dissected plant specimen. She got her degree in biology, but her minor was in art, and as soon as she graduated, she decided to become a florist. She was able to get an apprenticeship at a highly-regarded shop in Chicago, and discovered a knack for it that she'd never had for lab work. Before long, she was caught up in the life of her community, providing flowers for celebrations and consolations, gifts and gardens, parties and patios. It was very rewarding! She'd been working at the shop for about a year when a shipment arrived that would change her life. Called the Fleur de Joie blossom, the rare specimen was said to bloom only once ever hundred years, and then only for a matter of hours or days. In order to fully capture the event, Stesha and her coworkers set up round-the-clock watch to be on hand for the opening. When it did finally open, very late one night, Stesha happened to be standing right in front of it. The blossom heaved, then released a cloud of shimmering pollen, all over her! She choked and passed out, and when she woke, she felt... different. When her hair began turning green days later, it sealed the deal. The plant had given her powers, and she wanted to know what to do with them! After some cautious experimentation in Chicago, she decided that the best thing to do would be to move to Freedom City, where she could become a real superhero. It didn't take more than a few days in Freedom City for Stesha to realize she was in way over her head. Her powers were useful and fun, but they didn't take her very far if she got into trouble. Luckily, she started making friends almost immediately. With allies like Phantom and Divine, she didn't feel nearly so vulnerable in her hero work, and gradually became braver and more skilled. Divine also introduced her to a friend of hers named Dark Star, who in civilian life was a shy, gawkily handsome man named Derrick Lumins. Stesha and Derrick hit it off right away, an affection that quickly deepened into love. Stesha knew that Dark Star was a cosmic hero who did a lot of his work off Earth, but in those early days he took pains to be around as often as possible, and she convinced herself it wouldn't be a problem. Practice and training broadened Stesha's skills, and eventually she discovered the ability to reach other dimensions through the plant life common to each. While training with Phantom, she came across an Earth that was blasted and dead, obviously from some kind of war decades ago. She thought it looked like a great place to get away from Earth Prime and practice all the plant-growing techniques that just didn't work in the middle of a city. She christened it Sanctuary and made it her home-away-from home. It wasn't long before a situation arose where her nemesis, Beekeeper II, unleashed a swarm of giant bees on the population, then got himself promptly thrown into jail. Once pacified, the bees had nowhere to go, so Stesha took them in on Sanctuary, creating a meadow full of giant flowers for them and asking her friend Gaian Knight to build them a hive of earth to live in. Later on, she discovered a small group of human survivors on the planet as well, and began working with her friend and neighbor Gabriel to give them a better quality of life in a village on her reclaimed land. As the number of inhabitants grew, the Sanctuary project began to take up more and more of her time. Back on Earth Prime, things were busy for her as well. She and Derrick were engaged to be married, but a series of emergencies in deep space kept him off planet for months, to the point where she called off the engagement. He returned with promises that he wanted to be close to Earth and close to her, and the wedding was back on. A rather surprising result of their reconciliation was Stesha's pregnancy, but it was a good surprise for the most part. Stesha wanted children ,and when Derrick finished freaking out, he seemed very excited too. His missions off-planet continued calling him away, though, and his nights on Earth were few and far between. After calling off the wedding once, Stesha was too embarrassed to walk it back again, plus there was a baby to consider now, so despite some misgivings, everything went ahead. It was a lovely wedding and Derrick managed to attend, which was quite a relief. Stesha was surprised and honored to be tapped for membership in the Freedom League Auxiliary, along with her friends Ace Danger, Freedom Angel and Dr. Archeville. She had to dial back her participation in dangerous missions for awhile, but luckily she wasn't the sort to be mixing it up in combat anyway. Her participation in the League, as well as her ongoing project to beautify Freedom City's parks and bolster the spirits of the new heroes who could often be found patrolling there, were ties that kept her very active on Earth Prime, but eventually she moved her main residence to Sanctuary. She built herself a home of leaves and plants, with help from some friends on the fine work that couldn't be done with the local flora. It gave her space, peace and quiet, and most importantly a second bedroom for a nursery. Derrick's presence had decreased from "sporadic" to "all but nonexistent," but they still kept in touch by phone, at least. The work he was doing was very important, and she tried to be understanding. Stesha was haunted by a brief trip to the future she'd taken during a Freedom City timestorm, when a Derrick from a thousand years in the future wept to see her and told her he was sorry for what was going to happen between them. Futures are mutable things, but it didn't bode well. Stesha's daughter Amaryllis was born in June, 2011, after a memorable final encounter with Beekeeper II. Ammy had green hair and a sunny disposition like her mother, and despite Derrick's continuing near-absence, Stesha's many friends meant that she rarely lacked for a helping hand or a babysitter. Sanctuary continued to grow by leaps and bounds, and Stesha settled into a comfortable routine in both her worlds, content if not entirely all the way happy. Personality & Motivation: Stesha is a very sociable person with an optimistic outlook and a generalized desire to make the world a better place. She enjoys meeting new people and making friends, and takes particular pleasure in befriending and mentoring brand new heroes. She takes her many responsibilities seriously and works very hard taking care of them all, but she also tries to take time for fun and relaxation whenever possible. Although she makes herself available as a sounding board for others, she is reticent to discuss her own concerns, and is much more comfortable hiding her personal problems than sharing them with anyone but her closest friends. Powers & Tactics: A plant-controller through and through, all Fleur's powers involve the manipulation of greenery. Oftentimes she'll start out by throwing a handful of seeds wherever she wants to work, then growing them instantly into mature plants she can use. Her powers are often subtle and indirect; she is a fan of keeping a villain distracted with words while a vine creeps up behind them. Her first impulse is generally diplomacy, a fight avoided is a fight won in her book. If diplomacy doesn't work, she typically moves to attempting to clear the field with her snares and dimensional pocket. Despite her subdued fighting style, she can definitely put on a heck of a show when she wants to. In her element or on her planet Sanctuary, her displays of power can be awesome and landscape-changing as she raises forests in seconds or turns acres of scrub into piles of mulch with a wave of her hand. When she was pregnant with Amaryllis, she began forming fairy rings of flowers and mushrooms wherever she stood or sat, even indoors, but that has tapered off, much to her relief. Complications: I Need You, Baby: There are a lot of people counting on Stesha for their very survival. First and foremost is her little girl Amaryllis, who is still a toddler and wholly dependent on her mother. The giant bees also count on her to provide the giant flowers that are their primary sustenance, and the humans in their village need her healing powers and plant magic to help them survive and grow their small population. Getting away from it all is not really an option Caught in a Bad Romance: Stesha loves her husband Derrick, but he is literally never around anymore. This fact can be depressing and distracting, especially when she is reminded of it by seeing other happy couples. With Flowers in Her Hair: Stesha's long green hair is actually alive, and an important component of her powers. The last six inches or so are dead cells and can be cautiously trimmed, but anything above that is part of her body and will cause pain and damage if cut. If too much of her hair is damaged or lost, she will not be able to use her immunities to food and sleep, nor will she be able to regenerate her health. Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Stesha technically has a secret identity, but it's a very poorly kept secret. There isn't much she can do to hide her highly distinctive coiffure, and she's not great at maintaining an air of mystery. She doesn't always even need to be in uniform for people on the street to know who she is, one more reason she spends a lot of her downtime on Sanctuary. Let Them Not Pass Like Weeds Away: A naturally compassionate person, Stesha's first inclination is to safeguard all life, even of people who are trying to kill her. It is also very hard for her to accept that sometimes you can't save everyone. What You Give is What You Get Returned: Stesha is friends with many, many, many superheroes, and she knows that if she's in trouble, she can call on them for help. On the flip side, if one of them calls her for help, she will do anything she can to assist. She's also a member of the Freedom League Auxiliary, which carries a whole other set of responsibilities that she strives to live up to. But there are only so many hours in the day! Abilities: 0 + 0 + 14 + 4 + 4 + 10 = 32PP STR: 10 (+0) DEX: 10 (+0) CON: 24 (+7) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 20 (+5) Combat: 16 + 16 = 32PP Attack: +8 (+10 Flower Power) Defense: +10 (+2 Dodge Focus, +4 Flat-Footed) Initiative: +8 Grapple: +8, +28 w/Move Object Knockback: -10/-3 Saving Throws: 3 + 10 + 8 = 21PP Toughness: +20/+7 (+7 Con, +13 Protection) Fortitude: +10 (+7 Con, +3) Reflex: +10 (+0 Dex, +10) Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8) Skills: 112R = 28PP Bluff 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 15 (+20) Skill Mastery Gather Information 16 (+21) Skill Mastery Knowledge (Life Sciences) 8 (+10) Skill Mastery Medicine 8 (+10) Skill Mastery Notice 13 (+15) Skill Mastery Profession (Florist) 3 (+5) Skill Mastery Sense Motive 13 (+15) Skill Mastery Stealth 5 (+5) Survival 8 (+10) Feats: 28PP Accurate Attack Benefit (Freedom League Member) Connected Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 10 Improved Initiative 2 Inspire 5 Interpose Luck 2 Skill Mastery 2 (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Knowledge (Life Sciences), Medicine, Notice, Profession (Florist), Sense Motive) Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Well-Informed Equipment 10PP = 50EP Headquarters: 47EP Size: Planetary (18EP), Toughness: +20 (3) Features: Animal Pens, Computer, Defense System 3 [blast 15 [bEES], Snare 15 (entangling vines), Stun 15 (stun flowers)], Gym, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Isolated, Living Quarters, Personnel, Pool, Power System, Sealed, Self Repairing, Think Tank, Workshops Powers: ESP (3), Impervious Toughness (1), Super Senses (1) ESP 9 (visual and auditory; Extras: Duration [Continuous], Simultaneous; PFs: Rapidx10, Subtle) Impervious Toughness 15 (Active/Sustained) [15PP] Super-Senses 1 (Communications Link w/ Fleur) Masterwork Commlink: [1EP] Masterwork Flashlight: [1EP] Masterwork PDA: [1EP] Powers: 2 + 63 + 3 + 3 + 14 + 2 + 6 = 92PP Feature 2 (Distinguish Seeds By Touch Instantly, Instantly Make Flowerpots) [2PP] Flower Power Array 24 (48 pp, PFs: Accurate, Alternate Powers 14) [63PP] BE: Snare 20 (entangling vines, PFs: Indirect 3, Obscures Senses 3 [Visual + Audio], Reversible, Subtle) {48/48} AP: Create Object 15 (plant shapes, Extras: Duration [Continous/Lasting], PFs: Precise, Selective, Subtle) {48/48} AP: Dimensional Pocket 5 (inside Flora, Extras: Duration 3 [Continuous/Lasting], Range [Ranged], Feats: Indirect 3, Progression [Cargo] 10 [1,000 tons], Subtle) {44/48} AP: Damage 13 (Extras: Linked +0, [Drain], Range 2 [Perception], Flaw: Limited 2 [plants]) {13/13} + Drain Toughness 13 (Extras: Affects Objects +1 Linked +0, [Damage], Range 2 [Perception], Flaw: Limited 2 [plants]) {26/26} (PFs: Incurable, Precise, Reversible, Split Attack, Subtle) {13+26+5=44/48} AP: ESP 8 (Flora's gaze, Visual + Audio Senses, 2,000 miles ["Same Continent"], Extras: Duration [sustained], No Conduit, Simultaneous, Flaws: Action [standard], Feats: Dimensional 3 [Any Dimension], Subtle) {44/48} AP: Healing 13 (medicinal plants, Extras: Action [standard], Total, Flaws: Distracting, Feats: Persistent, Regrowth, Stabilize) {42/48} AP: Healing 13 (plantsboon, Extras: Area [Targeted, Burst, 65ft radius], Range 2 [Perception], Total, Flaws: Distracting, Limited 2 [Plants], Feats: Persistent, Regrowth, Stabilize) {42/48} AP: Move Object 20 (mobile vines, Effective STR 100, Heavy Load: 12288 tons) (PFs: Indirect 3, Subtle) {44/48} AP: Nullify 10 (photosynthetic mastery, All "Air" Powers, Extras: Area [General, Burst], Effortless, Selective, Flaws: Range [Touch], Feats: Progression [Area] 3 [500ft radius], Subtle) {44/48} AP: Snare 15 (nature's grasp, Extras: Area [General, Shapeable], Selective, Flaw: Distracting) {45/48} AP: Stun 20 (stunflower, Extra: Range [Ranged], Flaw: Action [Full], PFs: (Indirect 3, Sedation, Subtle, Variable Descriptor 1 [any plant]) {46/48} AP: Super-Movement 3 (plant dooors, Dimensional Movement 3 [Any Dimension], Extras: Duration 2 [Continuous], Portal 2, Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Portal Size] 5 [250ft x 250ft], Turnabout, Subtle) {28/48} AP: Teleport 9 (plant doors v.2, 900ft per Move Action, 20,000 miles per Full Action ["Anywhere On Earth"], Extras: Accurate, Affects Others, Flaws: Medium [Plants], Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Cargo] 12 [500 tons], Turnabout, Subtle) {44/48} AP: Teleport 9 (plant doors v.3, 900ft per Move Action, 20,000 miles per Full Action ["Anywhere On Earth"], Extras: Accurate, Linked [super-Movement], Flaws: Medium [Plants], Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression [Cargo] 14 [2,500 tons], Progression [save DC] 5 [DC24]) [40PP] + Super-Movement 2 (Dimensional Movement 1 [To/From Earth-Fleur], Extras], Flaws: Medium (Plants)) [4PP] {40+4/44/48PP] AP: Transform 10 (plant mastery, 1,000 lbs., Extras: Duration [Continuous/Lasting], Feats: Innate, Subtle) {42/48} Immunity 3 (ambrosial, Aging, Disease, Poison) [3PP] Immunity 2 (plant physiology, Critical Hits, Sleep) [3PP] Immunity 1 (photosynthesis, Suffocation [CO2], Extra: Affects Others) [2PP] Protection 13 (lignin skin, PF: Subtle) [14PP] Regeneration 2 [ambrosial, Resurrection 2, 48 hours] [2PP] Regeneration 10 (botanical rejuvenation, Recovery +2 [+9], Recovery Rate: Bruised 3 [No Action], Staggered 1 [20 minutes], Injured 2 [5 minutes], Disabled 2 [1 hour], Flaws: Source [sunlight], Feats: Regrowth) [6PP] 32 + 32 + 21 + 28 + 28 + 93 = 244/250PP ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage Dissolve Plants Perception DC23 Fortitude (Staged) Drain Toughness Perception DC28 Toughness (Staged) Damage Entangling Vines Ranged DC30 Reflex (Staged) Entangled/Bound Grow Plants Ranged DC20 Fortitude Transform Magic Flower Ranged DC20 Reflex Dimensional Pocket O2 Burst Ranged/Area DC20 Reflex 1/2 Effect Ranged/Area Contested vs Power Rank/Will Nullify Step Through Plants Touch DC24 Reflex Teleport Stun Flower Ranged DC30 Fortitude (Staged) Dazed/Stunned/Unconscious Vines (Thrown Object) Ranged DC35 Toughness (Staged) Damage

Complications: I Need You, Baby: There are a lot of people counting on Stesha for their very survival. First and foremost is her little girl Amaryllis, who is still a toddler and wholly dependent on her mother. The giant bees also count on her to provide the giant flowers that are their primary sustenance, and the humans in their village need her healing powers and plant magic to help them survive and grow their small population. Getting away from it all is not really an option. Caught in a Bad Romance: Stesha loves her husband Derrick, but he is literally never around anymore. This fact can be depressing and distracting, especially when she is reminded of it by seeing other happy couples. With Flowers in Her Hair: Stesha's long green hair is actually alive, and an important component of her powers. The last six inches or so are dead cells and can be cautiously trimmed, but anything above that is part of her body and will cause pain and damage if cut. If too much of her hair is damaged or lost, she will not be able to use her immunities to food and sleep, nor will she be able to regenerate her health. Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Stesha technically has a secret identity, but it's a very poorly kept secret. There isn't much she can do to hide her highly distinctive coiffure, and she's not great at maintaining an air of mystery. She doesn't always even need to be in uniform for people on the street to know who she is, one more reason she spends a lot of her downtime on Sanctuary. Let Them Not Pass Like Weeds Away: A naturally compassionate person, Stesha's first inclination is to safeguard all life, even of people who are trying to kill her. It is also very hard for her to accept that sometimes you can't save everyone. What You Give is What You Get Returned: Stesha is friends with many, many, many superheroes, and she knows that if she's in trouble, she can call on them for help. On the flip side, if one of them calls her for help, she will do anything she can to assist. She's also a member of the Freedom League Auxiliary, which carries a whole other set of responsibilities that she strives to live up to. But there are only so many hours in the day!

Stesha is readying an action, she will teleport herself and Tona back into the engineering room if anyone starts something.

Stesha walked into the galley, the trees following behind her and spreading into a semi-circle as the room opened out. Even if pirates jumped from the balcony, at least they wouldn't be able to jump on her and Tona from behind! "My name is Fleur de Joie," she responded with firm politeness, "and Sanctuary is my world. You trespassed there, stole my property, and when I attempted to speak with your crew members about it, I was informed that you and your crew are pirates, and that your intent was to plunder the entire world." She gave the snake pirate a look at that, and continued. "As a hero by trade, I don't hold with piracy, of my world or any other. Since you and your crew seemed far more interested in fighting than talking, coming aboard your ship and stopping you seemed the most expedient method."

Singularity gave Mark a frankly appraising look from behind the forcefield that secured her cell, but didn't seem afraid of him. She didn't seem to have any recollection of him at all. Ignoring Stratos' catcalling from the other cell, she ventured a small smile for the charismatic stranger. "Hi," she said back. "My name is Erin, but they told me I should pick a new name, because it would be too confusing otherwise," She looked over at the other Erin, who was giving Stratos an exasperated look. "So I'm going to be called Jessie now, but I still haven't got used to it. I guess it'll take awhile." She shrugged. In the corridor, Erin turned aside to face Stratos, looking at him in an extremely unamused way. "I forgot they dropped you off here," she told the deranged weather controller. "But even you have got to know who he is," she went on, jerking her head in Mark's direction. "Don't you ever watch TV? He's so completely not my boyfriend I don't even know what to say. So just shut up and be quiet, all right?"