Electra

Miss A's focus shifted completely as the agent on the holoprojector spoke, building projects temporarily forgotten. "Agent Irons is an android field agent working for AEGIS," she explained for the benefit of Eira and the others in the room. "I've repaired his systems before, but he's a legacy model and not an easy fix." She flattened her lips as though making an admission that hurt. "I'm sure I could use your expertise on this one, Dragonfly." She addressed the projection. "Director Bonham, I'm currently in a meeting with a number of other heroes who could be useful in working with Agent Irons or securing your supertech. I know you have concerns about the sensitivity of your agent's position. How bad is the situation we are looking at?"

"There are some funds left from winding up the first iteration of the Lab," Miss A told Scarab, "and ArcheTech has been holding the building itself in trust with an eye towards someday perhaps reviving the concept. Reopening and renovation is going to require additional capital as well," she allowed, "along with the necessary staffing that cannot be automated." She cast a quick glance towards the small robot in the corner who was supervising another pot of coffee. "That funding can come from a number of sources. I have a preliminary list of possible funding that includes AEON, HAX, ArcheTech itself, of course, the Atom Foundation, UNISON, and the Freedom League, among others." As she took her seat again, Miss A began passing around the binders. "As Terrifica pointed out, the Lab if done well can become an essential resource to the superhero community, and to all the local players in the tech industry. I believe several of us also have enough personal wealth to make contributions, but finances or the lack thereof should not be a deciding factor in participation."

"Although that was a good thing about the Lab," Miss A added thoughtfully, "it provided us with a centralized location where any of the heroes of Freedom City could come to find help with scientific problems. I know that when I used my lab space there, I often wound up working with heroes I didn't even know, and who might not have been able to get in contact with me otherwise. I have tried to position ArcheTech to stand in that gap to a certain extent, and there are other companies doing so as well, but none of us are designed to ensure the kind of rapid-response science we often need to field in a crisis." She looked over to the new Scarab. 'And yes, like Dragonfly said, secret identities shouldn't be a problem at all. And if you'd prefer not to have any public connection with the collaboration but just contribute behind the scenes, I'm sure we could make some arrangements for that." Miss A touched a button on the table and the schematic grew, turning from pictures into diagrams. "The hologram is fully interactive," she told the group. "Any ideas you have, toss them right in."

"Thank you, Angelic," Miss A nodded to her assistant when the schematics came up. "This is the design of the original lab, which had a lot of good things and some issues that could use improvement. One major issue we had," she said frankly, "was that most of the security was handled by my predecessor here at ArcheTech, Doktor Archeville. Now of course he was an incredibly talented and visionary scientist who contributed a huge amount to the scientific community and who founded this company," she added, "but unfortunately when he was compromised through very little fault of his own, the Lab was compromised as well. One thing I would like to bind into the DNA of any new project is a true spirit of collaboration. Everyone who uses the Lab should be a part of designing, running and maintaining it. There should be no irreplaceable parts."

"The human element is the most important part of what we do," Miss Americana agreed. This conference room was round with a large holographic display in the center, so there was no real head for anyone to sit at. This was by design, of course, when hosting a meeting among superheroes rather than subordinates. Miss A sat with her back to the large bank of treated windows, a pile of binders in front of her and her new intern in the next seat. If she noticed the irony in what she'd just said, given the revelation of her own artificiality a few years back, she gave no sign of it. "And it's actually one of the things I hoped to discuss today. Most of you hadn't yet arrived in Freedom City when the communal lab building was open, so I don't know how much you've heard of it. It was a joint project between many of the scientific and technical heroes of the city to give us a space where we could work together for the improvement of the city and the world, rather than isolate in our own personal spaces. I was rather sorry when it shut down, and I think there's a space for it in Freedom City still."

"Oh, no, not really," Danica explained, making her way slowly to a table. "The tortoise spirit is me, I'm an incarnation of the spirit. I don't really understand it all," she admitted with a little shrug as she sat down, "but the master mage thought that I would probably "expand my consciousness" as I get older and more powerful, that it wouldn't be good for my poor developing brain to know everything a tortoise spirit knows. I guess I've got plenty of time, at least!" She laughed and slurped a bit of the whipped cream off her cocoa. "But I know that I was smart when I was the tortoise spirit, because I made sure that my parents wouldn't get old while I was growing up. They're still pretty much as old as they were when I was born, even though I'm thirty-five now. So what's the story about the marines and the space princess?"

The fight had been quick and simple enough that Singularity wasn't even winded, but she came distressingly close to taking a swing at her erstwhile allies when they joined her on the field, especially the yelling kid. She purposefully took two big steps away from everyone else to avoid any accidents, then kept a blank and watchful gaze focused on the ghostly boat from which the zombies had come. Ships tended to have either no zombies or many zombies, with little in between. Their luck was not good enough for the in-between.

"Uh-huh," Danica agreed before turning to the student worker. "Hey Carrie, could we get two large hot cocoas with extra whipped cream, please?" Carrie didn't seem particularly interested in putting down her phone, but she did eventually set it down and pull out two insulated cups. While they waited, Danica added "My mom was the most intense worshiper of a tortoise spirit in the entire world, and she didn't even know it! She just really loved studying tortoises a lot. So when the tortoise spirit decided to take on an incarnation, it chose her! My folks were pretty upset when it took me a year and a half to get born, but once they figured it all out, it was okay. I'm probably going to live a really long time, but growing up is kind of taking forever," she explained. "The master mage says that when I get older, I'll probably have more powers. Your wife sounds rad, does she work in Freedom City too?"

Wander and Singularity (Uncredited for Wander) Jessie was having a good dream that night, a circumstance rare enough that it was extra-disappointing to be woken by a sudden fall from the sky. It couldn't have been from too high up, no more than thirty or forty feet, because by the time she woke to the feeling of wind on her face, she was also experiencing the feeling of grass in her mouth and painful impact on her body. The whole thing was enough to stun her for a few moments, so that she was still immobile when something next to her started moving. And swearing. “Goddamn you Mark Lucas, if I find out you've been messing around again I'm gonna-” Jessie tensed until she recognized the voice, her own voice but not, growly and crabby but not hurt and not particularly scared. Erin's voice got softer as she came closer, feet sounds quiet in the wet grass. “Jessie? Hey Jess, you okay?” Jessie pushed herself up to all fours and then to seiza posture, brushing grass off her blue flannel pajamas. “I'm okay,” she assured her double. “Are you?” Erin didn't look too much the worse for wear aside from a grass stain on one cheek and crunched leaves in her hair. She was wearing little shorts and a men's dress shirt that had probably been black before all the grass clippings. It was hard to tell since it wasn't quite dawn and there weren't many streetlights wherever they were. “What happened?” “I don't know,” Erin said grimly. “But I don't think it can be anything good. Look where we are.” Jessie rose and took a closer look at their surroundings, her breath catching in her throat. “Home,” she murmured. Even after all this time, it was still the first word that came to mind when she saw the pretty blue two-story house on its nice neat lawn, basketball hoop over the garage, a trio of painted pumpkins on the front stoop. “How are we in Seattle? I was in Freedom City, I swear it.” She tried her best not to get nervous. Technically she wasn't on parole anymore, and the suggestion that she always let someone know if she were going to travel was just that, a suggestion. “I was too,” Erin agreed, her voice still flat and tight. “We didn't just get moved across the country, though.” She flicked a glance Jessie's direction and looked momentarily unsure. “What was the date when you went to bed?” That was sometimes a hard question, but not today. “January 2, 2021,” she rattled off immediately. “The day after New Year's.” There had been a party at Eve's house at the top of the tower, and it had been fun! Jessie had managed to last all the way until midnight too, with only a couple of long breathers in a bathroom to collect herself. On New Year's Day she'd showed Aquaria how to make black eyed peas even if the Deep One would not try more than a taste, and they'd decided not to take down the Christmas tree quite yet because it was so pretty. She'd spent the rest of that day and most of the night painting it so she'd remember it, which was probably why she'd been so tired this evening at bedtime. “What about for you?” “Yeah, me too.” Erin blew her breath out in a huff. “Look at the house. It's got Halloween decorations on it. Not to mention they took that hoop down years ago and put new shutters on the upstairs windows.” “It looks just how I remember,” Jessie admitted. “Yeah, I know,” Erin agreed grimly. “That's what I'm worried about. Come on.” (Spoiler-cut for length, click for the rest of the story!)

"Everybody is really nice about it," Danica assured Ellie as she rolled into the elevator, "or at least they try to be. But it's like, we do fight training and people are having to turn themselves inside out to not admit they think I'm a liability. I can't walk very fast, or do anything very fast," she admitted, "so half the time somebody else is picking me up and dragging me along like luggage if I can't use my scooter. Or they forget and run off without me. It's okay because hardly anything can hurt me so it's not like they're leaving me in danger, but it's just frustrating." The elevator rose up to the second floor and slid open with a ding to let them out into the student lounge and snackbar area. Danica led the way towards the serving window where a student employee was deeply engrossed in their phone. "But that's one good thing about me, I'm really tough, and immune to a lot of stuff that would hurt other people. I can make my shell big enough to get other people into, and it has a dimensional pocket inside that will keep them safe. Um, I'm good at talking to people, most of the time. We got accidentally kidnapped to space a couple of months ago, and I was able to convince some alien pirates that we were just little kids, and then got another one to not turn us in by convincing him he didn't want a fight with superheroes of Earth. So he just walked away and let us go!" She gave the menu board a quick scan, then turned to Ellie. "What would you like?"

Just a place to park this extremely old character sheet while I work on it! Player Name: Electra Character Name: Wander Power Level: 12 (232/250pp) [374] Trade-Offs: None Unspent Power Points: 18 Older Version In Brief: A survivor of plague and apocalypse in her home universe, Wander began as a shell-shocked dimensional refugee, but has worked hard to recover and make a place for herself among the heroes of Freedom City and the people of Earth Prime. Wander graduated from Claremont Academy with honors and went to work as chief of security at HAX. She currently lives in North Bay with her husband Trevor, Midnight II. They fight crime! Alternate Identity: Keeley Erin Hunter-White (Her original name was Erin Keeley White, but it was legally changed to distinguish her from her Earth Prime doppelganger, and again when she got married.) Identity: Secret, though she does little to protect it. Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, Earth EZO1(e) Occupation: Head of Security at Halloman Advanced Experts (HAX) Affiliations: Liberty League, Young Freedom (alumnus) Family: Erin married Trevor Hunter (Midnight II) in 2014. She also claims a (somewhat fraught) sisterly relationship with her dimensional double Jessie White (Singularity). Other family: Father: Roger White (1962-2007), Mother: Clarissa (Anderson) White (1967-2007), Sister: Megan White (1999-2007), Paternal Grandparents: Martin and Cecily White (1937-2007)(1942-2002) Maternal Grandparents: Donald and Eileen Anderson (1942-2007, 1945-2007) Description: Birthdate: November 11, 1992 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5'8 Weight: 175 Eyes: Brown Hair: Auburn Tall and solidly built, Erin's average appearance allows her to blend into the background more easily than many superheroes. Her eyes are medium brown, her hair auburn and shoulder-length, held back by a band when she works. Her physical invulnerability gives her the pale, smooth skin of someone who's never gone out in the sun or worked with her hands, but it also means she never gets acne or freckles anymore. She moves with the smooth purpose of a veteran soldier on a mission, and can often be intimidating without intending to. Erin's wardrobe is appropriate to her civilian identity, a mixture of casual jeans and t-shirts suitable for working on cars and formal clothing that can be worn to Hunter family social obligations. The family's tailor, Frank, ensures that everything she wears is suitable for fighting in if necessary. Her uniform is a purple and black bodysuit with a partial face mask to conceal her identity. When she is on duty at HAX, she wears a simple gray jumpsuit with an identifying patch on the arm and a badge. Power Descriptions: Wander's powers are less flashy than many of the heroes of Freedom City, but nonetheless quite effective. She is strong and resilient, healing quickly from injuries and with a metabolism that allows her to do a lot with very little. She is a superlatively trained fighter, either barehanded or with her specialized bat, and is able to leap great distances horizontally and vertically. She runs at tremendous speed, and when going all-out can even run up walls and across water. History: Erin was born in an Earth-variant universe that would eventually be classified Earth-EZO1(e). Her universe split off from Prime in 2006 when a contagious and fast-acting disease arose that began wiping out huge swaths of the world population. A vaccine was quickly developed and widely distributed, but instead of curing victims, it destroyed the higher brain functions of all vaccinated individuals and rendered them superpowered and homicidal zombies. Erin, who at the time time vaccine was distributed was sequestered on the ranch of her eccentric genius uncle, was protected from its ravages. Instead she received a vaccine her uncle devised, one that gave her enhanced immunities and superpowered strength, speed, and endurance. It was enough to keep her alive, even as the rest of her family and her world died. Eventually she reached Freedom City and was able to contact Prime, with the help of Doctor Atom, and was brought over as a refugee. Once on Prime, Erin was placed into quarantine for several months, then spent more months trying to acclimate to the world. She was introduced to the Prime counterparts of herself and her family, but although they are on cordial terms, the decision was made that she should not live with them permanently. Instead, she was given a place at the Claremont Academy, where she worked very hard to catch up on a year and a half of missed schooling, as well as training her powers for a world where survival usually didn't require lethal force. She made friends at school and joined Young Freedom, the second Claremont superteam, where she has had many adventures. At the climax of her career with Young Freedom, Wander was part of a mission that required them to face off with Omega, Lord of the Terminus. Wander went toe to toe with him and, against all the odds, not only survived but came away triumphant. In the aftermath of the battle, her cat Oliver revealed his true nature as a sorcerer and a guardian of the multiverse, who had chosen and empowered her as a champion specifically for the battle she had just fought. With the battle won, he offered her the choice to go with him to fight battles throughout the multiverse against the powers of the Terminus, or to stay and take advantage of the life she had earned for herself, but without the powers he had granted her. Erin chose to stay, and gradually learned to live with the loss of many of her powers. It took a long time for her to disclose her “disability†even to those closest to her, which resulted in more injuries and stress than if she'd come clean to start with. Just as she was becoming acclimated to her powers, a fight with Madrigal's Hounds for the amusement of the Terminus resulted in a nearly life-threatening injury. The Furions healed her, and in the process, revitalized her with some new abilities that she is still trying to get used to. At the same time, she is continuing her long-term relationship with Trevor Hunter, Midnight II, and working full-time as chief of security at HAX. Personality & Motivation: Erin is a serious young woman with a strong tendency towards single-mindedness, though she shows occasional flashes of an offbeat sense of humor, especially around her friends. Her reputation as a vicious fighter is well-earned, though it brings with it an unflattering characterization as a loose cannon. In reality, she is extremely concerned with not hurting anyone who doesn't deserve it, and trains constantly and thoroughly to ensure she is battle-ready on all counts. The past year has been a difficult one for her, losing many of her powers and questioning her own fitness as a hero, but by overcoming her own doubts and learning she could still be a hero without Oliver's loaned power, she's turned a corner in her self-perception. Erin is a grown-up hero now, for good and bad. She's less plagued by doubts and nagging feelings of worthlessness, but beginning to perceive greater problems in the world outside herself. Luckily, she is a hero and can try to do something about it. Powers & Tactics: Wander's style has mellowed from her school days, partly from necessity as her powers have fluctuated over time. Rather than rushing headfirst into combat, she will usually look for ways to get a tactical advantage, whether that's sussing out the situation with surveillance or reconnaissance, or by using her impressive acrobatic skills to confuse her opponent before delivering a blow. If a teammate is threatened, she's generally the first to throw herself in the path of danger, and when pressed into a corner, will fight with uncompromising ferocity. Complications: Triple Threat: Erin is an extra copy on Prime, there is already one perfectly serviceable Erin Keeley White going about her non-powered business in Seattle. Legally, Erin has new papers as Keeley Erin White, but there's still tons of room for confusion. Things have only gotten more complicated now that the Erin White who was trapped on Anti-Earth, codenamed Singularity, is also on Prime, and may even be released into Freedom City eventually. Overprotective: After one miserable failure to protect someone she cared about, Erin isn't about to let it happen again. She will step in front of a teammate or a civilian whenever possible, even if it would be objectively unwise or unnecessary. She may also underestimate peoples' abilities to take care of themselves, something that can cause friction when working with her peers. Post Traumatic Stress: Violence and death in Erin's past has resulted in PTSD that tends to express itself mostly in combat situations. Therapy has allowed her to overcome the worst of her instinctive reactions, but when her life or the life of a friend is threatened, or when she is very afraid, she may lose the ability to modulate her attacks or correctly read situations. Growing Up: Wander has a secret identity as Keeley Erin White, one that's gotten more important now that she needs it to do grownup things like pay rent and bills. She has neighbors now, and a cat who can't fend for himself. She's also got a full-time job that, while flexible with the needs of her hero career, demands lots of energy and attention. That comes with subordinates to worry about, and a whole new potential rogue's gallery. Love and Loyalty: Loyalty is extremely important to Erin, and for those people who have earned it, she will extend herself far beyond convenience or even practicality. There is virtually nothing that Erin would not do for her boyfriend Trevor, (Midnight II), whether he would want her to or not. She also has deep and abiding loyalty to her friends from Young Freedom and her Liberty League teammates. She takes her job at HAX very seriously as well, and would give her life to protect Dragonfly or Jill O'Cure in particular, and to protect the facility as a whole. Abilities: 6 + 4 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 22PP Strength: 34/30/20/16 (+12/+10/+5/+3) Dexterity: 20/14 (+5/+2) Constitution: 34/30/20/16 (+12/+10/+5/+3) Intelligence: 12 (+1) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 20 + 20 = 40PP Initiative: +9 Attack: +10 Base, +12 w/Cosmic Power Grapple: +27/+13 Defense: +12 (+10 Base, +2 Cosmic Power), +6/+5 Flat-Footed Knockback: -11/-9/-1 Saving Throws: 0 + 4 + 6 = 10PP Toughness: +12/+10/+5/+3 (+3 Con, +7 Enhanced Con, +2 Cosmic Power) (10/8/2 Impervious, Reflective 2) Fortitude: +12 (+3 Con, +7 Enhanced Con, +2 Cosmic Power) Reflex: +9 (+2 Dex, +3 Enhanced Dex, +4) Will: +7 (+1 Wis, +6) Skills: 96R = 24PP Acrobatics 12 (+17) Skill Mastery Craft (Electronic) 4 (+5) Craft (Mechanical) 6 (+7) Drive 10 (+15) Knowledge (Tactics) 6 (+7) Intimidate 10 (+11) Skill Mastery Notice 14 (+15) Skill Mastery Perform (Dance) 6 (+7) Sense Motive 13 (+14) Stealth 6 (+11) Survival 9 (+10) Skill Mastery Feats: 19PP Acrobatic Bluff All-Out Attack Challenge (Fast Acrobatic Feint) Defensive Attack Equipment 2 (10EP) Evasion 2 Improved Initiative Interpose Luck 2 Move-by Action Power Attack Quick Draw Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Survival) Takedown Attack 2 Uncanny Dodge (Audio) Equipment: 2PP = 10EP Share of Midnight Manor [10EP] Powers: 18 + 11+ 16 + 3 + 14 + 6 + 14 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 8 + 5 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 6 = 117PP Cosmic Power 3.6 (18PP Container [Passive, Permanent]) [18PP] Enhanced Attack 2 (to +12) [4PP] (cosmic speed) Enhanced Constitution 4 (to CON 20 [+5] or 34 [+12]) [4PP] (cosmic toughness) Enhanced Defense 2 (to Defense +12 [+6 flat-footed]) [4PP] (cosmic speed) Enhanced Impervious 2 (to Impervious 2 or 10) [2PP] (cosmic toughness) Enhanced Strength 4 (to STR 20 [+5] or STR 34 [+12]) [4PP] (cosmic power) Cosmic Power Array 5 (10PP, Power Feat: Alternate Power 1) [11PP] Base: Damage 0 (Extra: Autofire [10]) {10/10} AP: Enhanced Speed 3 (to Speed 7 [1000 MPH/10000' per move]) {3} + Super-Movement 3 (Water-Walking, Wall-Crawling 2, Flaw: Limited [Only While Moving]) {3} {3+3=6/10} Device 5 (Wander's Bat; 25DP, Flaws: Easy-To-Lose [-2], Power Feats: Subtle [Collapsible]) [16PP] Damage 0 (Power Feats: Extended Reach 2 [15'], Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Improved Throw, Stunning Attack, Drawbacks: Non-Lethal Only) [5DP] Impervious 0 (Extras: Duration [sustained, +0], Reflective 10 [2, all ranged]) [20DP] Device 1 (Sunglasses and Earrings from Midnight; 5DP, Flaws: Easy-To-Lose) [3PP] Immunity 2 (Auditory Dazzles) [2DP] Super Senses 3 (Infravision, Visual Counters Obscure [fog/mist]) [3DP] Enhanced Constitution 14 (to 30 [+10]) [14PP] (chemical enhancement) Enhanced Dexterity 6 (to 20 [+5]) [6PP] (chemical enhancement) Enhanced Strength 14 (to 30 [+10]) [14PP] (chemical enhancement) Features 1 (Temporal Inertia) [1PP] (dimensional refugee) Immunity 2 (Disease, Poison) [2PP] (chemical enhancement) Immunity 2 (Sleep, Starvation/Thirst, Flaws: Limited [1/2 Effect]) [1PP] (chemical enhancement) Impervious Toughness 8 [8PP] (chemical enhancement) Movement Array 2 (4PP; Power Feat: Alternate Power) [5PP] Base: Speed 4 (100MPH/1000' per move) {4/4} AP: Leaping 4 (x25, Running Long Jump: 550', Standing Long Jump: 275', High Jump: 137') {4/4} Quickness 4 (x25, Flaws: Limited [Physical Tasks]) [2PP] Regeneration 6 (Recovery Rate: Bruised 3 [1 round/no action], Injured 3 [1/minute]) [6PP] Super-Senses 2 (Normal Hearing, Extras: Accurate [+2]) [2PP] Super Movement 1 (Safe Fall) [2PP] Super-Strength 3 (effective STR 49; Heavy Load: ~12 tons) [6PP] Drawbacks: 0PP DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC27 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Bat Touch DC27 Toughness + Autofire (Staged) Damage (Physical)

Singularity did not seem bothered by the fact that the zombie was still talking, or that the ghastly crew was now close and closing in. Without a single wasted motion, she punched the nearest one in the solar plexus hard enough to have it flying apart in several directions with no chance of getting up soon. A second met a similar fate, though with a sweep of her foot that sent it crashing down just as hard. The violence and its effects made no obvious impression on the blank-faced powerhouse, who looked merely intent as though entering a tricky password on her phone.

Well I mean, there is theoretically a whole boat of them, plenty for all.... but okay. Singularity has perfected the art of zombie smashing so she will take 10 on these minions. That hits the first with a 20 and will require a DC 29 toughness save. She will then use Takedown attack to move on to a second and do the exact same thing.

"It is boring sometimes," Danica admitted, "but in my second year of a class I usually get a different teacher and different stuff to do, projects to go more in depth on what we're learning, or more books to read. Sometimes I tutor other students if they need it, but not usually." She shrugged with an embarrassed little grin. "It's kind of weird enough with other kids, you know, realizing that when they were little I was already halfway through school, and by the time I finish, most of them will have graduated. There's no reason to make it worse, right?" She considered the other questions. "We should definitely go to the snack bar," she decided. "I've got a bunch of credits, we can get cocoa. Freedom City is so cold!" Nudging her Segway into an expert turn, Danica waited for Ellie before heading towards the elevator. "I guess what I'd really like is to talk to somebody else who mostly does, um, like, protecting people. My powers are all about defense and trying to stop a fight before it starts, but the training we get is all about how to fight. I'm really bad at it," she admitted, almost in an undertone. "The team I've got this year is better because they like the fact that I can play defense, but nobody really can, you know, show me how to do it?"

Singularity goes on 30. Are the zombie throng minions, by any chance?

Danica tugged off her mittens and pushed them into the neckhole of her shell before shaking Ellie's hand enthusiastically. "It's so nice to meet you! Ms. Summers told me how lucky I am that you're available because you're so busy, so I really appreciate you coming here to meet me!" In the safety of the indoors, she tugged off her hat as well, leaving a chin-length bob of staticky brown hair. "My classes went pretty well today, this year is harder than last year because last year I was just repeating all the stuff from my first sophomore year, but it's so much more interesting to not do the same stuff over again, right?" She looked around the lobby area. "Um, I don't know exactly what to do with mentoring," she admitted. "Do you want to go to the snack bar?"

Danica slid out of her shell, always a slightly odd thing to see, then opened it up very large indeed, big enough that Ashley and Judy could both walk in while bending over instead of having to crawl. Judy had been in Danica's little shell bedroom enough to know where the snacks and drinks and extra blankets were kept, so they'd be snug as bugs in rugs during the escape. She helped carry in some of the little kids, tucking them into her bed and turning down the light to comfy dimness. "Don't worry Ashley," she assured her friend in a murmur, "any trouble at all and I'll get you." It did occur to her to wonder how complicated it would be to let somebody out of her shell while she was actually trying to wear it, but hopefully that wouldn't happen. "Okay, that's everybody, I think. We ready?"

Two minutes before the appointed time, Ellie heard walking steps, a faint whirring noise, and the sounds of girlish giggling. Just a little bit away on the path, a young teenager rode into the quad on a Segway scooter with two other girls walking beside her. They were having some sort of lively conversation, but it broke up as the two on foot headed for the dorms while the one on the scooter headed Ellie's way. Up close, it was easy to see the effects of Chelone's sponsoring deity in her green-tinted skin and what had looked like a backpack but was actually a black and gold shell. Despite the fact that it wasn't particularly cold for January, the girl had on matching pink mittens, hat, and scarf, plus puffy white boots. She was very little and almost stupidly cute, and if she was disappointed in her mentor, it was not at all evident from her cheerful smile. "Hi!" the girl called. "Are you Dr. Espadas?"

Singularity's entire affect flattened when the zombie pulled its weapon and made its threat. She didn't even look nervous anymore, just very determined. Brushing past Aquaria, she took two bouncing steps through the soft sand and then leapt like a dancer, going impossibly high and far over the heads of the onlookers and the other heroes, coming down right in the middle of the zombie throng. Before any of them could react, she spun the leader to face her and aimed one surgically-precise blow at the base of its bony neck. Decapitation didn't always kill a zombie, but it would certainly interfere with this one's ability to aim. Dropping it, she turned to face the rest of the intruders, her face empty and cold.

Singularity is going to take this opportunity to start something because that is just how she is. Charge to increase her attack, and he should already be flat-footed if he doesn't have uncanny dodge. She rolls a 23 If that hits, he will need a DC 29 toughness save to avoid damage from a severe punching.

Jessie took a few big steps back and away from the shore, trusting Aquaria to make the call in this situation. The Deep One didn't always have the best tactical instincts but she wasn't stupid, and she was definitely in a much better frame of mind to be making judgment calls right now. There were real heroes here, she told herself, and government agents, and people generally much better suited to- but zombies! She hesitated again, waiting for the terrible wailing to start in her brain, but it was all still quiet. Her bat was a comforting weight in her hand as she watched the dreadful creatures.

Danica grimaced, looking around at the kids, most of whom were pretty small for their respective species. "I mean, theoretically they'd all fit just fine. I've got lots of room in my shell, but I can't just put them in there unsupervised! They could wreck things! What if they break my laptop or flood the bathroom or something? Somebody would have to be in there to watch them."

Miss Americana (I have taken a couple of liberties with this time-travel related prompt, but there is definitely time traveling! Also, for anybody who was not present for our last time travel vignette in 2011, this story will make more sense after reading this vignette.) The worst thing about having an inhumanly gorgeous superpowered robot as one's public face, Gina decided as she put a third coat of fingernail polish on Miss Americana's perfect digits, was definitely the maintenance required. It was easy enough to get Miss A's wardrobe professionally tailored, now that the money was no kind of problem, but she couldn't trust that a manicurist might not notice imperfections in the finger joints while paying such close attention. And of course ding removal and paint touch-ups were out of the question. Sure, people knew now, but it was a matter of principle. Gina had gotten surprisingly good with tiny little paintbrushes over the past decade or so, much better than she'd ever been at using makeup brushes on herself. To occupy herself while she worked, she had the robot reciting its diagnostic results while it ran self-scanning subroutines. There was nothing particularly interesting, but it was still just a bit odd to hear the information come from a voice she thought of as her own. With all ten nails finally done, Gina set her curling iron to heating up and then turned to enter a few notes about possible upgrades. Tucked away in her basement lab, with Steve working a night shift and Jonathan Coulton playing softly in the background, it was all very quiet and peaceful... until it wasn't. The flash of light made Gina jump but failed to blind her, but the accompanying boom was not at all kind to her ears. The immediate whooping of her intruder siren also didn't help. Without even needing to think, she brought every camera and defensive weapon in the lab to bear... on a couple of Great White Hunters straight out of classic Hollywood, except nerdier and with some very weird-looking steampunk gadgets fixed to their khaki suits and pith helmets. “What the hell?” Gina demanded. The man, taller and definitely nerdier of the pair, jumped as she addressed him, then raised an honest-to-god vacuum-tube raygun on her. Gina was so delighted she almost forgot to wonder if it could hurt her. She wanted to see it really badly. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask when he shouted “Vile kidnapper! I've come for my wife!” “What the hell?” Gina said again. “I haven't kidnapped anybody! Who's your wife?” “Marcus!” Gina jumped again, then spun to see the goddamned bot sitting up on the exam bed, smiling at the newcomers. She was not supposed to be doing that. “Anna, darling!” The man, Marcus apparently, shoved the raygun into his female companion's hands and ran over to Miss Americana. He cupped her face in both hands, and rather than activating a proximity subroutine and shoving him away, the damn bot allowed it. “We were so afraid for you! Louise and I have been searching since the moment you disappeared, but at last we've found you and you can come home!” “That's so sweet of you!” Miss Americana trilled, one of a few dozen programmed responses. The Miss Americana AI was closer to Siri than to Sharl, designed to cover any lapses if Gina were to fall out of gestalt with the robot during use. It was not exactly a sophisticated interface. “Tell me more about that.” This didn't seem to bother the man any, who grabbed the bot up and hugged it. “What...is...happening” Gina asked slowly, looking from the crazy man cuddling her robot to the possibly-slightly-less-crazy woman with the pith helmet and raygun still standing near her. The woman handled the raygun like she was more used to a conventional weapon, but almost certainly knew how to shoot. She looked kind of unhappy with the whole situation, Gina, Marcus, robot and all. “Who are you people?” Marcus was pretty busy either feeling up the robot or checking her for injuries, so the woman took over introductions. “My name is Louise Morgan and that is Marcus Wainwright, my... associate.” That word was packed with enough feelings to raise Gina's eyebrows. “We're here to collect Anna, and you will not be standing in our way.” “I think it's pretty likely I will be,” Gina countered, not getting up from her stool, “but I'm desperate to know the story here.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh my god, does this have something to do with the ring she came home with after the time slip? Have you been looking for her all this time?” “I have not eaten or slept in five months,” Marcus declared grandly, half-turning from the robot. “Not until I perfected the mechanism to track this poor lost lamb through time and space!” “Five months, huh?” Gina asked. “It's been ten years on this end, so... nice try, I guess?” His jaw dropped as he looked to Miss Americana. “Ten years? It cannot be, she looks the same!” “Marcus, you have not eaten in five months,” Miss Americana said warmly. “You should take a break and have a meal.” Gina's eyes narrowed. “You... wait a minute. You married her, right? You've gotta know she's not human. Didn't you notice the-” She made a vague gesture towards her own torso and hips, vaguely suggesting all the nonstandard anatomy that would be pretty obvious without the robot's elaborate wardrobe. “The lack thereof? Didn't you guys ever get naked?” Marcus drew himself up, looking offended but also weirdly nervous as he glanced at Louise. “My Anna and I enjoyed a relationship of the purest platonic love and affection! To sully that bond with vulgarity-” “Wait just a moment!” Louise cut in, looking offended. “I- that is, I mean... in this particular case,” Marcus stammered. “What you and I have is totally different, which is to say... nothing we have together would be possible without Anna...” Louise cut him off again, the raygun wobbling for just a moment as though she weren't sure she wanted to keep it trained on Gina. It was Gina she addressed, though. “Of course we know she isn't real, even if it took this brilliant fellow nearly a month to catch on. The repeated phrases were odd enough, but the way she lost power after staying in a dim room for too long was a bit of a giveaway. He's just hoping that if you believe in the power of love, you'll let us have her back without a fuss.” “Louise!” Marcus cried, dismayed. “How could you?” “How could I?” Louise demanded, the gun dipping in her hand as she turned to face him. “How could you, Marcus? I never should have gone along with your farcical idea in the first place. I love you, and I don't care what society thinks of me having a career! You didn't have to marry some... some automaton just because your parents approved and she wouldn't get in our way! And then, just when I thought we could finally be free of her, you became obsessed with getting her back and starting all over again! Is it me you love, or her?” The pith-helmeted woman was yelling now, the gun waving wildly. Gina watched in complete fascination, but made sure to nudge the lab's defensive fields to nullify whatever the raygun might shoot, whoever it might be aimed at. “Louise, my darling, you know my feelings for you are deeper than the seas and truer than the north star!” Marcus proclaimed. “My parents' backing is vital to the continuation of our work? Would you have me support our research as a coal miner or a penniless tutor?” “If your love for me is so deep, then why is 'Anna' your beloved wife while I remain your “associate?” Louise demanded. The robot was watching the byplay as well, Gina noted, with a vacuous sort of delight. She was going to have to tinker with those facial expressions some. “Are you so ashamed of me, even in the farflung world of two thousand twenty?” “Of course not!” Marcus suddenly abandoned Miss Americana entirely, bounding back across the lab to seize Louise by both wrists. The gun fell, making Gina dive out of the way, but it merely clattered to the floor and made a sad little “phoo” noise as something inside it shattered. “I could never be ashamed of you, my darling, not in two hundred years, not in two thousand! I believed that you approved of my plans with Anna; had I but known how I would make you feel-” “I thought I could bear only loving you in private!” Louise cried passionately, “but I was wrong! Every loving word you speak to that clockwork woman is a dagger in my chest! I don't know how I can bear it any longer!” “Then you will never have to!” Marcus promised. “We shall leave her in the future and never speak of her again!” “Are you leaving?” Miss Americana asked. Gina thought she might look, impossibly, slightly offended. “I apologize for intruding on you, strange future-person,” Marcus told Gina, sketching an awkward little bow. “I see you have taken fine care of the clockwork woman who helped my beloved and I find happiness, and I thank you for that. I beg of you to give her a good home here, while we return to ours.” He turned to his companion with a tender smile. “Are you ready, my love?” “Oh, more than.” Louise pulled him down for a passionate kiss, just as another bright light and loud boom stole the pair away. In the echoing silence, Gina sat very still for a moment, then looked at the robot. Miss Americana looked back, her smile blank and banal. “You, young lady, are grounded.” “Okay,” the robot chirped.

Under the mud and muck from the ceremony, Jessie had blanched white at the arrival of the strangers. She grabbed Aquaria's arm with one hand while her other hand went to the baton holstered discreetly at her side. Both hands were shaking, but not enough to loosen her grip any. "Zombies," she whispered, a thread of ragged panic in her voice. It had been such a long time, and so many of her memories were lost, but she remembered the zombies. Her brain could've been scraped out like the inside of a mixing bowl with a spatula and she'd still have remembered that. Any second now the crying would start, the frightened little-girl voice screaming her name, and everything would be red... She sucked in a gulp of stinking air and tried to center herself. "Do we need to fight them?" she managed to ask Aquaria. If they didn't, she needed to leave, right the hell now. Very bad things might happen otherwise.

"Well that's... not fantastic," Danica decided, looking up towards the speaker. "Both because yeah, definitely a buttface, and because what are we supposed to do with these kids?" She waved an arm at the nursery. "The babysitter just took off, and also he was apparently not a great guy to start with." She turned her attention to the children remaining in the space with them. "I don't suppose any or all of you are also actually adults just pretending to be kids and could take charge of this whole situation?"