Avenger Assembled Posted September 23, 2010 Posted September 23, 2010 When Jack Jr. hissed at him, Jack hissed back, fangs growing and eyes reddening to match the baby. The infant was uncowed, though, and hissed all the louder, producing an escalating cycle of reptilian exclamations that suddenly ended when Jack blew a raspberry right on Jack Jr's stomach! That produced a shriek of happiness from the baby, who flailed his arms and looked pleased with himself as his father pulled back. "Very well, both natural and artificial foods. His mom is sending what she draws naturally even when she's away, so he's still fully breast-fed even through the bottle." He didn't mention what Erin knew about: the pile of punctured rubber nipples in the nursery trash.
Electra Posted September 23, 2010 Posted September 23, 2010 "Um, they're fine," Erin said, watching Avenger's odd way of dealing with his son. Was that some kind of warped vampire thing? She was suddenly glad that she rarely saw the Farettis actually interacting with their son, or she might have been more worried about babysitting. At least it didn't seem to be hurting the baby... well, maybe his social development, but nothing worse than that. "Just getting into senior year at Claremont." This whole situation was giving her the creeps, father and doctor and baby all together.
Dr Archeville Posted September 24, 2010 Author Posted September 24, 2010 Though he maintained a professional attitude through his examinations, it was clear something about this entire arrangement disturbed him deeply. Which must be why he kept talking to Erin. "Good, good... any plans for college?" College? Her? They don't have programs for hyperviolent PTSD nutjobs! They do have gymnastics scholarships, an- And what? She's gonna go and study dance? Yeah, she'll fit in real well at FreeSA! She might... but for now, let us focus on the reason we came here. He tuned back to Avenger, "Artificial -- haff you tried him on de substitute I gave you? Vould a... a vampire baby even be transitioning to soli- er, to different liquids by now?" 'Vampire baby'... still hard to say. BURN THEM ALL!
Avenger Assembled Posted September 24, 2010 Posted September 24, 2010 "His mother and I agree that we want to keep him breast-fed as long as possible," said Jack, gently stroking the fussy baby's fuzzy little head, the caring father a second after being the hissing monster. "It's healthier for him to stick with natural products, especially when he's at this age." He shot a look at Archeville and said, "It's not that we're rejecting your supplement, mind. I'm certainly taking it myself with Phantom out of the house so much. But this is our baby, and we want to make sure he grows up healthy. Come here, little guy." He scooped the baby up for a moment, gently bouncing him up and down. "You're usually more awake at night, little man!"
Electra Posted September 24, 2010 Posted September 24, 2010 "No, I'm not going to college," Erin muttered, feeling obscurely embarrassed about the fact despite the fact that a college education wasn't really required in the field of beating people up. "I'm going to apply to join the Freedom League, start working right away." She watched Avenger interact with his son with an eagle eye, as though analyzing the danger posed even by her employer to her charge. "I think the blood's just like... an accent, right? There's not much of it."
Dr Archeville Posted September 25, 2010 Author Posted September 25, 2010 Oh, even better! She'll be just what the League needs! The League could be what she needs. It'd be better than those hormonal twerps at Claremont, sure, and maybe Lady Liberty can help her come to terms with some things, how's she going to help us? You mean aside from the super-soldier treatments and combat ability? You know perfectly well she's a better fighter than most of the League. "I... vish you luck mit dat, Fraulein Vhite," the Doktor replied in a muted tone. "Alright, little von," he chirped at the baby while retrieving a tiny reflex hammer form his black bag, "just von more test, und den de vaccinations, und den I vill leave you alone for a couple of veeks! Does dat sound good?"
Avenger Assembled Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 Jack winced, shooting the Doktor a look. Well, surely getting one little tap on the knee couldn't hurt. "Okay, little man, just one more little poke, and then the doctor will be gone and you'll be back in bed." He kissed the baby's soft little head and added, "Tucked in with your little stuffed dragon, chewing on the foam again..." He set the baby down; Jack Jr. responding by turning his head to peer at Dr. Archeville. His toothy smile and red eyes suggested a very tired baby.
Electra Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 Erin could tell that the good doctor wasn't exactly impressed by her choice of career path, but what did he know, anyway? It made a lot more sense for someone who was actually smart to go to college than for someone who was only really good at fighting. She wasn't going to spend another four years as miserably behind and struggling as she had the past two, that was for sure. She took a few steps back to let the doctor work, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the clock disapprovingly.
Dr Archeville Posted September 26, 2010 Author Posted September 26, 2010 A few gentle taps of the rubber mallet showed Jack Junior's reflexes to be in excellent condition. "Alright, little von," Archeville sang again as he placed the hammer down and brought forth the vaccine hyposprays, "just a few qvick injections, den you can drift off to sleep." Wait, no, that sounded far creepier than I intended! Heh heh heh. "Er... ah...," the Doktor hemmed and hawed a moment, then turned quickly to Avenger, "so you are still using de blood substitute, ja? Dat is good! Do you dink ozhers vould take to it?"
Avenger Assembled Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 "It's been tried with some success," Avenger conceded. "Truthfully, much of the supply you give me goes to supporting my people. If you can arrange to have more sent my way, I think many of Freedom's vampires can be removed from a permanent relationship with human blood." He frowned, studying the doctor. "What are you injecting him with, again?"
Electra Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 Erin shuddered visibly at the doctor's words, taking a step forward before she pulled herself back to reality and made herself hold still. He wasn't going to kill the baby with a vaccination, that was stupid paranoia and fear talking. The baby was going to be fine, he was going to be protected from diseases and safe in his bed within a matter of minutes. That didn't mean she didn't want to go grab him away and take him someplace safer, but she was able to keep her peace at least outwardly and just watch.
Dr Archeville Posted September 26, 2010 Author Posted September 26, 2010 "Second doses of de Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcal PCV13, Rotavirus, und Polio immunizations," the Doktor repeated. "In two more months, I vill administer de third dose, as vell as his first flu shot, if you und Taylor decide you vant it." And a nanotracker! No Spy-Babies! The hyposprays was painless, though they did startle Jack Jr. as he applied it to his upper arm for the intramuscular 'injection'. "Dere, now, dat vas not so bad, vas it, little von?" He tickled the babe's feet, then tuned to Wander, "all yours." He then tuned back to Jack, with a very excited grin on his face. "I can do dat, und possibly much, much more! Dis is actually someding I vished to talk to you about -- do you haff a few moments?" Oh, you're not going to ask him about your 'Outreach Program' now, are you? Why not? I will need his help if it is to work, and his is one of the few times I have his ear!
Avenger Assembled Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 "Certainly," said Jack, briefly distracted. "Erin, if you'll put him down?" Jack Jr. was in a squirmy mood, and would probably do his usual "fuss-fuss-fuss-comatose" sleeping routine before actually getting in his nap that night. "I'll check in on him later." Erin was a great sitter, but as usual he felt a soft pang of guilt seeing his little boy go off with someone else. "Night night, little hunter," he said with a big smile at the baby.
Electra Posted September 26, 2010 Posted September 26, 2010 "All right." Erin scooped up the baby with palpable relief, cuddling him to her shoulder as she checked over the injection site, which was nothing more than a little red. She headed for the door, Jack's little face peeping out from behind her hair, a lock of which he was grabbing and hanging onto like a rope. "Goodnight, Doctor Archeville," she said belatedly as she reached the door. It was very good to be able to close it behind her and leave those two to whatever they wanted to plot about.
Dr Archeville Posted September 30, 2010 Author Posted September 30, 2010 "Good night, little von," he sang to Jack Junior. He then gave a curt bow to Erin, "guten ancht, fraulein Vhite." Yes, yes, get out, the men must talk! Wow, that is low even for you. Once the two had left, the Doktor began slowly pacing, which did nothing to soothe Avenger's predator mind. "I am considering a project -- a series of projects, really -- to, ah, explore de so-called 'supernatural.' Part of it vould be doing vhat you yourself haff done: providing blood substitute to de city's vampires, so dey do not haff to hunt to feed. But dat is just de beginning!" he cried. Yes, it will begin in giving them blood substitute, and end when I switch it to a time-delayed poison! No, that is not the plan! Education, aid to those in pain, and preventing the spread of contagions, those are the goals. He paused a moment to recompose himself, "I am hoping some vould come to me, to ArcheTech, razher, so dey could be studied, in a detailed fashion. Not just vampires, mind you -- all sorts of supernatural beings. I have been on speaking terms mit a local werwolf -- de von you fought at de Fisticuffs ding, after de Grue Invasion -- und he has expressed an interest in learning more of his condition from a scientific view. I haff plans to approach some faeries, too, dough I haff a feeling dey vill be de most difficult to approach. I vould like very much to study some mages, too; I know Phantom is busy, but perhaps some of her associates..."
Avenger Assembled Posted October 4, 2010 Posted October 4, 2010 "I know fewer people than you'd expect, Viktor," said Jack with a little shrug. "But as always, I'd be happy to help your research. Truthfully, it's nice to have something to do with the super-community. These days it feels like I spend all my time just trying to keep the vampire powder keg from exploding. We're actually making some real inroads into building a stable community." He smiled a little. "When did you start believing in the supernatural, so-called or otherwise?" he asked teasingly. "Anyway, I can send a few your way, though some may prefer that you meet them on their own ground."
Dr Archeville Posted October 6, 2010 Author Posted October 6, 2010 "I believe you are standing dere before me," he replied with a slight smirk, leaning against one of the library walls, "even if many of mein sensors cannot read you. Und I believe your lovely vife is able to channel und manipulate some form of energy, dough de nature of dat energy, und de means she uses to do so, remain unknown to me." I will ferret out your secrets, and expose you for the ignorant fools you are! Or we could help them to better harness their abilities and become more productive members of society! "It has long been mein desire to aid de metahuman community, help ozhers to understand und explore deir abilities," he continued, pacing a bit more, "for so many haff been victims of ignorance und misunderstandings. Not as bad as it could be, of course -- dat is von of de dings I love about dis city, how accepting it is of everyvon! -- but furthering education is alvays a noble goal, as it helps everyvon involved. Und, why not expand dat to de..." He paused and smirked at Avenger again, "de so-called supernatural, de inhuman or unhuman, community?" Vile Untermenschen! Pot, meet kettle. "Surely dere are some vampires und verevolves who vish to be rid of heir hungers, heir rage, heir bloodlust, ja? Und surely a more scientific approach to de 'spellcaster's' art, cutting through de archaic jargon und codifying dings in a logical und comprehensive manner, vould be of benefit to all, ja? I mean, even if de 'spell formulae' encoded in de spellbooks are just mnemonic exercises for particular manifestations of some existing metahuman talent -- if only certain people can use dem, dose mit de active 'magic' genes -- den getting ozher experienced metahumans to look over sem, as vell as a few cadres of behavioral scientists to unlock de logic behind de symbols, vould help future generations. Und if dose 'magic' genes can be isolated... vell, it vould probably be as difficult to handle as de 'standard' metahuman genes, und heir's still lots of trial und error dere, but it vould be a start!" "Und before you say 'but, Herr Doktor, people haff tried studying it before, und all failed!'," he went on, still pacing and gesturing wildly, "I vould say 'ah, but never before did dey haff de resources I do!' It vould not just be me doing dis, I vould devote whole sections of ArcheTech to it, in branches all over de vorld! Und before you say, 'but magic is not like dat, anyvon can use it, mit proper training und discipline'... vell, you mean to tell me dat anyvon can pick up dis book, und mit enough study chant de vords-
Dr Archeville Posted October 6, 2010 Author Posted October 6, 2010 Two things were very, very wrong here. One was that Jack Faretti and Viktor Archeville saw two different things. Archeville saw himself pick out an old, leatherbound book from one of Phantom's many, many shelves, scanned the pages as he flipped through it (thanks to his superhumanly fast mental processes), and read aloud a passage of doggerel Latin from a page describing how to summon a minor air elemental. Avenger saw Archeville reach into nowhere -- into one of the extradimensional pockets his wife kept the really dangerous tomes, the ones she hadn't yet figured out how to destroy -- pull out a black-bound tome, and read aloud a passage that was in no language he had ever heard. The fact Archeville was able to pronounce the stomach-churning syllables so proficiently was even odder. The second very, very wrong thing was that the spell Archeville cast worked, despite the fact that A) it shouldn't work in Phantom's warded library, and it shouldn't work for him. But work it did, as a sound like wet burlap ripping echoed through the chamber, and five swirling vortices opened. Out of each flopped a huge squid-thing, looping, twitching and twirling on slimy, membranous wings, wings clearly insufficient to hold such bulks. They were black as sin, streaked with putrid yellows, greens, and browns, and each held a single, twin-pupiled eye, cloudy and yet focused with mad intent. The things somersaulted through the air, shrieking in mad ululations, then suddenly bolted, blasting their way out the windows and flopping off into the night. Archeville remained standing, barely, the eldritch tome in his hands still smoldering with power. His jaw hung loose, and his eyes were unfocused, seeing hideous vistas man was not meant to know. Far off, in another part of Freedom City, Blake Salazar felt a white-hot railroad spike stab the back of his brain.
Lone Star Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Blake fell to the ground, screaming in pain. What the hell was going on? His back arched in agony, and he tried to right himself. He stood up, and reached out to locate where the disturbance in the Force was occuring. He reached out blindly with his senses, and found a small apartment not too far away. Having been hit by the pain in a public restroom, he dusted himself off and shouted the words aloud that would transform him once again. "Cthulhu f'thagn!" Although it was more for fun than it was necessary at this point, he still gained a small amount of pleasure having a catchphrase. He stepped out of the Border's bathroom, his cape flowing the in air conditioned breeze. When he was out of the door, he spread his leathery wings and flew off towards the source of the mishap.
Electra Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Moments after the thing burst out the window, the library doors burst inwards. Erin was standing there, her bat out and ready, looking for the source of the racket. "What's going on?" she demanded, looking from one to the other, then to the broken window. "I was putting the baby in his crib, and I heard screaming. Did someone try to break in?" She stared hard at the doctor, who seemed decidedly off somehow, then at the vampire, with a hint of suspicion.
Avenger Assembled Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Jack Faretti knew one thing more than anything else. Superhero or not, his family came first. If that meant he wasn't a very good superhero, well, maybe it was time to do some thinking about his career. "Wander!" he barked. "He's gone crazy and into the magic! Get the things he summoned; they flew out the window! I'll get the baby, smash the library if you have to, but stall Archeville!" And with that, he was gone, disappearing right round Wander!
Electra Posted October 6, 2010 Posted October 6, 2010 Wander didn't hesitate, too conditioned to take orders in a fight to question a logical-seeming course of action. Besides, she'd known there was something terribly creepy about the doctor! Using her bat like a pole vault, she swung herself in a circle and then vaulted over the table, bringing the bat up to smash the most cushioned part of the bat right behind the doctor's left ear! She didn't really want to hurt him after all, Avenger had just said to stall him. Erin only knew one way to stall people. Doctor Archeville was definitely stalled, he slid in a boneless heap to the floor. Close enough, Erin figured, and ran for the window.
Dr Archeville Posted October 7, 2010 Author Posted October 7, 2010 Archeville slumps to the ground, battered to unconsciousness. The flopping hordes continue their mad writhings though the sky. Two dive for a well-to-do matron out walking her champion purebred poodle. Shrieks and howls pierce the scene as the innocent bystanders are hefted into the air by hideous tentacles, and examined like bugs under a microscope by intelligences vast and inconceivable to them. A third pursues a yuppie jogger, waving its tentacles at its prey while it sommersaults through the air. The jogger feels his feet pedal air as he is lifted up by arcanokinetic force; he struggles against the force but find nothing to push against! The other two veer away, one headed south and one east.
Lone Star Posted October 7, 2010 Posted October 7, 2010 KC sees them. The horrible, squamous things from another dimension squabbling over Freedom City. Well, he was glad to say he knew it wasn't his fault this time. He flapped his nightmarish wings, and aimed at the one picking up a jogger. "Don't worry, sir, I've got you!" KC gestured with one of his hands, and a blast of eldritch fire raced towards the shoggoth. He wondered who was foolish enough to summon them to the earthly realm. No matter though, he would take them down.
Dr Archeville Posted October 7, 2010 Author Posted October 7, 2010 Kid Cthulhu, still far from the scene, loosed a blast of eldritch fire, but the distance was still too great, and the blast was off by quite a bit. As his weird energy bolt sped out, the young hero heard strange whispers in his mind, giving him brief glimpses of what he faced. He saw these things, which he somehow knew on a gut level were called Squrms, soaring through alien skies and commanding hordes of thralls, human and otherwise. One waved its tentacles, and the ruins of a building crumbled; another made strange gestures, and the rubble lifted up and arranged itself into a crude obelisk-like pile. Some of the thralls, not quite fully conditioned, tried to fight the Squrms, with fire and with talismans (bearing symbols which hurt the hero to look upon); these held the things at bay for a time, but their number were too great, and all who were not enslaved were picked up and consumed by serrated beaks concealed within the writhing masses of tentacles.
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