Electra

It was small consolation that Wail didn't recognize any of the members of the crowd, who didn't necessarily seem to be local characters. Many of them were wearing masks or helmets anyway, so they could be anyone. He couldn't make out the words the speaker was saying from his post by the window, but he could observe the body language of the crowd. They were paying close attention, but many of them darted glances now and then towards the furnace. Some of them seemed merely interested, but some were nervous, even afraid. Inside, Wander wasn't having much more luck deciphering the purpose of the gathering, despite being privy to the speaker's word. He sounded a lot like her chemistry teacher when he was off on an enthusiastic explanatory kick that left the class behind. Something about the release of endorphins and adrenaline triggering unused portions of the brain, and how a bunch of different brain chemicals were stimulated by danger and excitement. A glance around her seemed to indicate that others were absorbing the explanation way more than she was, in fact the atmosphere was almost electric. She tuned back into the speaker just in time to hear him say "And it is the release of these chemicals that triggers the latent superabilities in normal human beings. With my secret patented formula, any exposure to danger will cause a chain reaction that can change your entire life!" He looked towards the furnace, which now looked like it was most certainly exceeding its design specifications.

Erin nodded curtly, but said nothing more as they pulled into the long driveway that led to the Hunter mansion. She parked the truck and got out, then dawdled around taking a chamois cloth and wiping smudges off the shiny blue paint. Even after everything that had happened the past couple of years, the truck still looked like it had just rolled off the lot. She wondered suddenly if that would have to be checked as well, since she'd driven it to work more than once, but didn't mention it for now. The thought was almost more depressing than getting herself scanned. "All right," she said finally, folding the chamois and setting it aside. "I've never had to get scanned for nanites before. What do we have to do?"

"Thought that was your job," Wander muttered with a half-smirk, even as she turned towards the oversized entrance doors. Rolling her shoulders in preparation, she took the bat from her belt and palmed it, then headed in. It was a few moments before she became visible from Wail's window view again, approaching the rear of the group. Two of the watchers broke off to confront her, while the rest didn't seem to pay much attention. Compared to Wander's professionally crafted morphic-molecule attire, the guardians' clothes looked rather shabby and homemade. A few words were exchanged, before Wander glared at them and simply turned to pay attention to the speaker. They didn't seem inclined to press the issue further. In the sullen heat of the summer night, the air began to smell more strongly of the smoke from the factory chimney.

"Yeah, I guess," Erin allowed glumly. The drive back to the manor was mostly silent until Erin flipped on the radio to her rock music preset. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel and lifted a hand to brush away hair that wasn't actually there anymore. Finally, she said, "As long as we're scanning, I don't know if a nanite scan will be enough. He had access to psychics and stuff, psychics he could fool. Maybe he had more mind power than we give him credit for. Someone like Eve could probably take a look and make sure things are like they're supposed to be." The idea of asking Sage to go through her mind made her profoundly uncomfortable, but Erin was damned if she was going to let her desire for privacy make her a security risk.

"They should, I've only been wearing them a week, and I haven't done anything really exciting," Wander whispered back, looking at her costume. She looked like she was going to ask where he was going with that, but caught his glance towards the door and understood. "You want me to go in there?" she asked, incredulity and interest mixed in her tone. "Just waltz in and try to blend in?" She considered the idea. "I guess it could work, or it might just start a fight faster. Which could also work."

"Honestly, I'd rather get lunch," Erin muttered, but she sounded resigned as she headed for her truck. "You don't really think he's still got sleeper agents, do you?" she asked as she slid behind the wheel and tossed her knapsack into the rumble backseat. "I mean, it would be stupid for him to be lining things up for another try. Nobody's ever going to trust him again, even if he's rich and has a lot of friends and manages to stay out of Blackstone. Hell, being out of her mind doesn't get Singularity a free pass to run around and do what she wants, why should Dr. Archeville get away with killing a bunch of people because he was nuts at the time?" She was scowling straight ahead as she started the truck and buckled her safety belt.

Erin furrowed her brow at him. "That sounds kind of unpleasant," she replied. "You mean nanites like what the Interceptors got infected with, that made them go nuts? Why would I have any of those in me? I mean, I worked at Archtech, but I never had any physical done, or any medical work done on me by Dr. Archeville. Well, I did when I first came to Prime, but that was years ago, way before he was evil. And if I had nanites in me, I'd have just started attacking people and... done whatever he said..." She trailed off as she remembered the moment in the house when she'd bought the evil lizard genius the time he needed to escape. It wasn't a pleasant thought. She scratched her scalp, feeling a sudden itchiness under her hair that was probably entirely psychological. "What would I have to do?" she asked.

Wander nodded and stepped towards the high window. She put her hands on the sill and levered herself effortlessly off the ground to look inside. She watched what was going on for a minute and then cocked her head, frowning. Drawing back from the window, she waved Wail forward to look inside. She didn't know what to make of what she was seeing, but perhaps someone with a few more decades experience could parse it. Inside, the dilapidated factory was awash in shadows, but for the very center of the empty production floor. More than a dozen people of varying ages, races and sexes were gathered together, listening to a speaker on a makeshift platform made of an old flatbed. It could've been any slightly illicit meeting, except that everyone there was dressed in skintight uniforms in bold colors, some with masks, some with capes. Some seemed to be carrying weapons. Off to one side, the factory furnace had been activated and was burning very hot, its fire casting an orange glow over the proceedings.

Erin nodded at the description. "Sounds perfect," she told the tailor. "I should be all set after that, and the costume looks great. Thanks so much for all your help, Frank. I really appreciate it." She shook his hand and gave him a full-out smile that she only rarely used with anyone besides her close friends. Picking up her knapsack, she turned to Trevor. "You want to grab some lunch on the way home? I think we're kind of out of groceries again." That wasn't exactly unusual around Hunter Mansion, for all she was trying to change that.

"I don't know much either," she admitted. "Just saw some people acting strange, heading in this direction. It doesn't look like this place is open for business, and it's pretty hot for people to be running around in long coats. Thought I'd check it out. Could probably use a hand, if you're not busy," she offered. Depending on the situation, a big imposing-looking guy could be a lot more effective at breaking up a situation than a young girl, no matter how talented a fighter she was. It was too damn hot to start mixing it up tonight. She nodded her head in the direction of the window she'd been heading towards.

"Beats the traffic, and it's great exercise," Wander replied in a murmur, stepping back from the window. She was a little surprised to see anyone else out tonight, much less a sort-of familiar face. "You're Wail, right?" she asked, taking another step closer to the big man with no apparent concern. "I forgot that this was your beat. Haven't seen you since the thing with the alien raptor guys. Wander," she thought to add at the last minute. She wasn't the most memorable-looking hero around, even before her costume change. "You know anything about what's going on here?"

Erin laughed, both at the comment and at Frank's disgusted expression. "I think I'll get by with using the glasses you made when I need to," she told Trevor. "I like the idea of a mask that's not too big," she told Frank, pointing down at one part of the design, "just kind of enough to make me look different, but easy to take on and off, and that's not gonna shift around." Frank gave her the sort of expression that said she shouldn't be telling her grandmother how to suck eggs, but a few more strokes of his pencil had both of them nodding. "Yeah, that's cool," Erin said approvingly, then looked to Trevor for agreement.

Erin frowned, looking from Frank to Trevor as she tried to follow the technicalities of the conversation. It sounded a lot like they'd talked about this before. "So... nothing fancy?" she hazarded. "Just, like, a mask to cover part of my face? It'd have to be cut so it didn't block my peripheral vision, or fall off." She slanted an amused glance in Trevor's direction. "Probably means no fedora either, I guess. I'll just have to be cool by association."

Wander was intent enough upon her destination that she didn't notice the shadow pacing her from the ground. She stopped on the roof of the building next to the factory and watched another group of nondescript figures in hats and heavy coats going into the factory. She couldn't see a darn thing from this vantage point, though. Whatever was happening, it wasn't being done on the roof. She stepped off the edge of the building and dropped silently to the ground, looking for a window from which to get a look inside the factory.

"The fedora looks way better on you," she told him soberly, the smile only playing around the edges of her lips. "Don't think it would work so well for me. My hair's not even long enough that I could pin it down for flips and jumps. Besides," she added comfortably, "if I had my own, I couldn't wear yours. But maybe a second opinion..." Turning her head, she called over to the tailor. "Hey Frank? If I wanted to do up more of a disguise thing, how should I accessorize this outfit?" Under her breath, low enough that Trevor could barely hear, she murmured "Please don't say new uniform, please don't say new uniform."

Wander had no idea why she was patrolling tonight. It was way too hot for anyone to be committing any sort of crime. Even up on the rooftops where there was a bit of a breeze, she was about to melt into a puddle inside the very sturdy, very long-sleeved and long-pantsed new uniform Frank had made her. She definitely preferred winter patrols. Normally she wouldn't have been out at all on a night like tonight, but with the city still unsettled from the latest world-shaking threat, who knew what could be going down? Not to mention the fact that Trevor was sleeping and every goddamned time she closed her eyes she was back on EZO1 and that wasn't where she liked to spend her evenings. Even Freedom City in the melting summer heat was better. Late in the evening she found herself down near Lincoln, not her usual territory, but a place where she'd spent some time. She'd patrolled every neighborhood in the city during her training, just to get familiar with them. There seemed to be something interesting going on here, at least. A lot more guys than usual wearing a lot more clothes than seemed necessary on a night like this were walking furtively down the streets, heading towards what looked like some old factory. Her nose caught the scent of smoke on the air, and dimly against the sky she could see puffs coming from the big old brick chimney. Curious, she began to draw closer.

For Broseidon Satyr: Welcoming Committee

For Godiva Lotus Cole+Caresse Hangin' With the Roomie The New Batch Jade Dragon Perchance to Scheme (5 IC, 5 GM) Itsy Bitsy? Nope. Hippie Power (3 IC, 5 GM)

She relaxed into the embrace, resting her cheek against his as she watched them both in the mirror. "I don't worry for my sake," she told him. "I am the one who can take on the Terminus. But Erin in Seattle can't, and if someone sees her face and thinks she can, that could cause big problems. And if the Erin in Blackstone were to escape somehow, and someone were to see her and think she's me... well, it would cause big problems in the other direction. Stuck on the idea of thinking up a new name, though," she admitted with a soft laugh. "Coming up with Wander took forever, and it's not even very good." She slid a hand up to run her fingers through his dark hair. "You're lucky," she teased. "Never had to worry about a hero name."

"Exactly," she agreed, tucking her clothes away into the battered knapsack that no longer carried her schoolbooks. "I mean, there might be a lot of reasons. Just basic security is a good one. But then there's also changing the perception of you if you don't like your old image. Or just giving yourself some anonymity." She zipped up the bag, then took another moment to study herself in the mirror. "It'd be different if it were just me, you know? But now it's me, and it's Erin in Seattle, and Erin in Blackstone, and even if we all get our own identities, we still have to share a face for the rest of our lives." She smiled ruefully into the mirror. "Least if I got a mask now, it could be black instead of blue or gold."

"That's just because I was the only one who wore my gym clothes to work," Erin pointed out with a chuckle. "Someone else gets those colors now, they're not mine anymore." She returned the kiss just as lightly, then did a quick spin to show him the entire costume. "Maybe tonight we can go out on patrol and test it out. Probably still plenty of cleanup left to do." Even with the villainous Doktor Archeville contained, there were still reminders all over the world of his terrible works. Taking his hand, she stepped off the pedestal and picked up her neatly folded pile of street clothes. "I've been thinking," she said, "how easy it would be to just take another name, put on a mask, and be a different hero entirely. It's a little funny, isn't it? Hardly anybody would ever know."

Erin raised her arms above her head, testing the pull and give of the fabric. She wouldn't know for sure until she took it through its paces in the training room, but it felt good for now. It fit close enough to give opponents nothing to grab onto, without being tight enough to constrict her movement. "It feels good," she told Frank. "And it looks good. Thanks." She stood on one foot, checked the fit of the cuff to her uniform shoes, and smiled ruefully at the comment about the dress. "Why would I need another dress when I've already got one?" she asked, only half-joking. "I haven't even worn it in a fight yet." She left unspoken the fact that she'd need to be working another year to pay for a tailored formal dress, when she wasn't at all sure she'd be going back for another day at her new job. She and Trevor had already gone round a few times about the uniform, but she didn't have a lot of room for pride when it came to an essential like a uniform. Dresses were different, though. She switched feet, checked the other cuff, and nodded with satisfaction.

Erin wasn't really comfortable undressing and dressing for an audience, but in this case part of the audience was Trevor, who'd seen her naked often enough already, and Frank, who seemed totally disinterested in her body except for how it filled out the uniform he'd created. At the moment, he had her standing on a pedestal in front of a five-panel mirror, spinning around like a very slow merry-go-round while he hummed and muttered and made adjustments. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but it seemed important to him. Honestly, she was really happy already with the black and purple uniform he'd designed for her, bold without being garishly bright, and with strong lines that looked a lot cooler than the gym-uniform style her Claremont getup had always had. Frank had also assured her that this was more durable fabric, a definite plus. As she spun, Erin used Trevor's face as a spotting point to keep herself from getting dizzy. "What do you think?" she asked.

Wander- Vignette Graduation Day: The Earth Died Screaming Graduation Day: There Won't Be A Next Time Graduation Day: Summa Cum Laude Graduation Day: What You Leave Behind ArchEvil: Revelations Fleur de Joie- Vignette Back in the Saddle Any Port in the Storm Welcoming Committee Miss Americana- Vignette Far Side of the Moon World Tour: Welcome to the Real World Gorgon:Science For The World (Lab) Supersonic, Superhuman, Supernatural Site Service:Don't Interrogate A Fairy

Fleur de Joie How My Light is Spent The Lands Beyond It was quiet in the little plant house as the evening dripped away into night and the sun slipped behind the curtain of the forest. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the quiet breath and murmurs of sleeping children. Normally Stesha loved the quiet at the end of a long day, but tonight the quiet was ominous, serving merely to emphasize the isolation in which she'd chosen to live. Sanctuary was a safe place, a secluded little alcove of a world far off the beaten path for dimensional travelers, but that didn't mean it was inviolable, especially with the Scarab's warning still ringing in her head. Suddenly a peaceful evening of grocery shopping had turned into a nightmare, not for merely herself and Derrick, but for the world. Doctor Archeville, a supervillain? She found she could hardly credit it, even after seeing the images herself, even after the warning in her mind. Viktor was her friend, her teammate. He'd recommended her doctor to her, and they had an appointment made already for him to examine Amaryllis! She shuddered as she looked at her green-haired daughter, swaddled peacefully in her flower-lined cradle, and then over to the improvised playpen of vines and couch cushions where Jack Jr. had finally gone to sleep. She wondered what the message from Scarab had meant. What could Archeville want with the children? Stesha suspected the answer wasn't anything she wanted to hear. Whatever the reason, neither the Farettis nor the Lumins had lost any time heeding the warning. Taylor had been in such a hurry when she dropped JJ off that she hadn't packed so much as a spare diaper, let alone food or sleeping arrangements. She and Avenger were holding the line in Freedom City, while Dark Star put out fires all around the globe. Stesha wanted to be there and help! Maybe she hadn't been a good superhero at first, but she was now, and there was sure to be plenty she could do. Except she couldn't. Someone needed to defend the vulnerable babies, someone strong enough to take action if the unthinkable happened. By staying behind, she freed up three more powerful and experienced heroes to go to work. "They also serve who only stand and wait," she murmured, her voice sounding unnaturally loud in the silent room. Jack Jr. twitched in his sleep, his preternaturally acute senses still attuned to the world around him, and Stesha wisely shut up. It had been hard enough getting the little terror to sleep in the first place. JJ had inherited fortunate genetics from both parents that made him both adorable and durable, but he'd also inherited his father's sharp teeth and bad attitude. Overtired and overstimulated, he'd toddled around the living room for more than an hour and tried to bite everything in reach, from the coffee table to Ammy. Finally Stesha had put herself in reach of his teeth, with the resulting unpleasant taste putting the toddler off any more oral exploration. She'd pinned him into one of Ammy's cloth diapers and sung both babies to sleep, and eventually it took. That had been a relief, except now there was nothing to do but wait and wonder. She thought about making food for when everyone returned, but she was the only one who'd be eating it anyway. There didn't seem to be much point. She didn't even know when they would all be back. Was the fighting on Prime going their way yet, or was it going to be a long and brutal campaign? Were things ever going to be the same after this? She remembered Derrick's stories of how the Knights of Freedom had collapsed over one member's unthinkable actions. Could that happen on a larger scale here, with all the terrible things that were happening? A Freedom League member going rogue on this scale... could there be a return to the Moore years? Surely not, but she couldn't help but worry as minutes of silence ticked into hours. Sometimes peace and quiet was a wonderful thing, but other times it just seemed like the ominous lull before a storm. Stesha was perversely relieved when Ammy woke suddenly with a full diaper and an empty stomach, her cries rousing JJ to a wail as well. At least it gave her something to do!