Disco Fever [1972]

[Heridfel]

Mr. Parker pauses in the middle of pulling over a chair by the couch.

"Louie Silberman? Yeah, I know him. I don't get to go out his way much anymore, but I remember when Sean would take his allowance and get some of those Analog magazines every month. Louie was the only guy around here who'd order them for him. I thought he didn't have any brothers or sisters, though. Are you related to him through Maggie?" he asks.

He takes a seat in the chair and relaxes, letting some of the tension drain out of his body. "Thank you both, for not telling Mary how close a call I had today. She worries enough as it is. But I think there's something you're not telling me. Ren, you don't even look as old as my son. That suit you were wearing, though... I recognize fine craftsmanship. That thing is better than mine, and maybe nearly as good as Daedalus'. You're using gravitons for propulsion, and I'm pretty sure that there's only a few people besides me and him who know how to do that. Who gave you that suit, and why?"

---

Icarus takes a deep breath. He's still not used to being out of his suit, but he's already made enough news for one day. He chuckles to himself, "At least this is before cheap closed-circuit cameras and cell phone cameras; probably didn't get any pictures taken of me."

The pieces of it are disassembled and placed behind some lumber on the roof. Icarus chose this one because it's fairly out of the way, and because the fire escape looks like it hasn't been used in months. Rust covers it, and he isn't about to test his weight on it (especially if he should use his power). Instead, he looks down into the alleyway below. Seeing it empty, he floats down and lands on top of a couple trash cans. He smiles at that simple act. It's different, flying when he isn't in the armor. It feels freer. Granted, the ability of the suit to block out bad smells would come in handy right about now. He wrinkles his nose and walks out to the sidewalk.

It's the old neighborhood, and he marvels at how little it will change over the years. The Terminus Invasion didn't hit this place very hard, so a lot of the buildings are the same. One in particular catches his eye.

"Silberman Books" the sign proclaims. Icarus smiles to himself and walks inside. The man behind the counter looks up and smiles.

"Hello there Sean. That is you, isn't it? It's been a while since I think I've seen you in here," Mr. Silberman says.

[Veiled Malice]

Renichi tensed up suddenly at Mr. Parker's question. "Ah... that's kind of personal, sorry. I'm just... I'm just not comfortable talking about that with you." He knew he was being evasive, but revealing himself to one person today was more than enough. And he didn't even intend to do that with anyone, ever again.

But it was different with Grim. Although he'd only met her today, less than a couple hours ago, he felt he'd come to know her better than nearly anyone else in his life. If that wasn't love...

Well, he'd need to figure that out for himself at a better time.

[Veiled Malice]

Renichi tensed up suddenly at Mr. Parker's question. "Ah... that's kind of personal, sorry. I'm just... I'm just not comfortable talking about that with you." He knew he was being evasive, but revealing himself to one person today was more than enough. And he didn't even intend to do that with anyone, ever again.

But it was different with Grim. Although he'd only met her today, less than a couple hours ago, he felt he'd come to know her better than nearly anyone else in his life. If that wasn't love...

Well, he'd need to figure that out for himself at a better time.

[Veiled Malice]

Renichi tensed up suddenly at Mr. Parker's question. "Ah... that's kind of personal, sorry. I'm just... I'm just not comfortable talking about that with you." He knew he was being evasive, but revealing himself to one person today was more than enough. And he didn't even intend to do that with anyone, ever again.

But it was different with Grim. Although he'd only met her today, less than a couple hours ago, he felt he'd come to know her better than nearly anyone else in his life. If that wasn't love...

Well, he'd need to figure that out for himself at a better time.

[Heritage]

"Louie Silberman? Yeah, I know him. I don't get to go out his way much anymore, but I remember when Sean would take his allowance and get some of those Analog magazines every month. Louie was the only guy around here who'd order them for him. I thought he didn't have any brothers or sisters, though. Are you related to him through Maggie?" he asks.

Lynn nods, making a few mental notes to herself.

"Yeah, Aunt Maggie is my mom's sister, but I'm closer to Uncle Louie; he always gave me books on old movies and stuff when I was little."

When Mr. Parker's questions become a bit too probing, she scoots a little closer to Ren on the couch and takes his hand and holds it in her lap, and starts gently stroking the back of it with her thumb as she turns to face their host.

"Um, not too be rude, but can we take a pass on the twenty questions for right now? We've been through a kind of crazy day, and a lot of stuff is happening really fast; I think Ren and I would really appreciate, y'know, normal stuff for a little while. Like, what do you when you're not being Gravitor, Mr. Parker? Have you lived in Freedom City all your life, or did you grow up somewhere else? Y'know, that sort of thing."

[Heritage]

"Louie Silberman? Yeah, I know him. I don't get to go out his way much anymore, but I remember when Sean would take his allowance and get some of those Analog magazines every month. Louie was the only guy around here who'd order them for him. I thought he didn't have any brothers or sisters, though. Are you related to him through Maggie?" he asks.

Lynn nods, making a few mental notes to herself.

"Yeah, Aunt Maggie is my mom's sister, but I'm closer to Uncle Louie; he always gave me books on old movies and stuff when I was little."

When Mr. Parker's questions become a bit too probing, she scoots a little closer to Ren on the couch and takes his hand and holds it in her lap, and starts gently stroking the back of it with her thumb as she turns to face their host.

"Um, not too be rude, but can we take a pass on the twenty questions for right now? We've been through a kind of crazy day, and a lot of stuff is happening really fast; I think Ren and I would really appreciate, y'know, normal stuff for a little while. Like, what do you when you're not being Gravitor, Mr. Parker? Have you lived in Freedom City all your life, or did you grow up somewhere else? Y'know, that sort of thing."

[Heritage]

"Louie Silberman? Yeah, I know him. I don't get to go out his way much anymore, but I remember when Sean would take his allowance and get some of those Analog magazines every month. Louie was the only guy around here who'd order them for him. I thought he didn't have any brothers or sisters, though. Are you related to him through Maggie?" he asks.

Lynn nods, making a few mental notes to herself.

"Yeah, Aunt Maggie is my mom's sister, but I'm closer to Uncle Louie; he always gave me books on old movies and stuff when I was little."

When Mr. Parker's questions become a bit too probing, she scoots a little closer to Ren on the couch and takes his hand and holds it in her lap, and starts gently stroking the back of it with her thumb as she turns to face their host.

"Um, not too be rude, but can we take a pass on the twenty questions for right now? We've been through a kind of crazy day, and a lot of stuff is happening really fast; I think Ren and I would really appreciate, y'know, normal stuff for a little while. Like, what do you when you're not being Gravitor, Mr. Parker? Have you lived in Freedom City all your life, or did you grow up somewhere else? Y'know, that sort of thing."

[Heridfel]

Mr. Parker remains silent for a moment, looking towards Ren with a face devoid of any expression. Finally, he nods.

"I can't force you to tell me, and I wouldn't want to. Still, I know teenagers a little better than you think. I think I know why you're not telling me. You haven't been in town for a few months. I would have heard about it by now - a contraption like that gets noticed quickly. But you did know my son, and you said he was from the future.

I'm pretty sure that there aren't any other people in the world who know how to control gravitons," Mr. Parker says. "Even Sean's suit looked better than mine. He was never much for designing, but he's good with his hands." He lets out a deep breath. "I think Daedalus or I might have given you that suit, but we haven't even made it yet," he says with a wrinkled forehead.

"Time travel is definitely possible - I still remember the stories about Tom Tomorrow - but the math makes my head hurt. I know you asked me not to ask any more questions, Lynn, but Ren wouldn't have come if it wasn't important." He turns to Nanowire, "Why did you come back here to your past?"

---

"Uh, yeah, it has been, Mr. Silberman," Icarus says. "I just sort of ran out of free time, but I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd come by."

Mr. Silberman smiles, "Well, it's good to see you. I still remember when you weren't even half that tall. Look how big you've gotten now," he shakes his head disbelievingly. "You still reading those sci-fi magazines? There's a new editor at Analog this month, goes by the name of Ben Bova," he says.

Icarus smiles back, somewhat surprised. "I thought you only got those magazines for me, Mr. Silberman. Are you still reading them?"

Mr. Silberman shrugs, "I read a couple of them while waiting for you to pick them up, and some of them weren't half-bad."

"I never knew that," Icarus says. He pauses before continuing. "Actually, can I ask a favor? I need to write a letter, but I left my wallet at the shop where I work. It's Joe's Auto Body Shop down in the Fens, and I don't want to walk back down there. Could I borrow the stamp and envelope and paper? I'll pay you back later; I promise."

Mr. Silberman bends down and reaches below the counter, "Here, just take them. I can afford to write off 8 cents."

Icarus just stands there for a second, savoring the human kindness. No one ever feels sympathy for a man in a battlesuit. Then he remembers where he is, and what he needs to do.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Silberman. I mean it," he says. He steps forward and takes that which is offered. Mr. Silberman even threw in a pencil stub. "Have a great day." Icarus is out the door before Mr. Silberman even has a chance to respond.

He stands facing a wall, writing against the bricks.

"Sean,

I remembered something that should help you out later. There's a few stocks and stuff that you can make good money on. There'll be a computer company called Microsoft in the '80s. When it goes public, buy all the stock you can get. Later, there'll be another computer company called Google. Do the same thing for them. Heck, offer them money before they go public in exchange for future stock if you can. I figure if I go back in time, I might as well have a lot easier of a life.

P.S. Visit Mr. Silberman at the old bookstore, and if you do end up rich, make sure he gets some of it. He gave me this paper and stamp for free. He's a real mensch."

Icarus seals the envelope, addresses it with his own name and home address, and sticks it into a nearby mailbox. Whistling, he walks back to where he had stashed his suit. He'll need to get into the auto shop after it closes, but there's still plenty of daylight left.

[Heridfel]

Mr. Parker remains silent for a moment, looking towards Ren with a face devoid of any expression. Finally, he nods.

"I can't force you to tell me, and I wouldn't want to. Still, I know teenagers a little better than you think. I think I know why you're not telling me. You haven't been in town for a few months. I would have heard about it by now - a contraption like that gets noticed quickly. But you did know my son, and you said he was from the future.

I'm pretty sure that there aren't any other people in the world who know how to control gravitons," Mr. Parker says. "Even Sean's suit looked better than mine. He was never much for designing, but he's good with his hands." He lets out a deep breath. "I think Daedalus or I might have given you that suit, but we haven't even made it yet," he says with a wrinkled forehead.

"Time travel is definitely possible - I still remember the stories about Tom Tomorrow - but the math makes my head hurt. I know you asked me not to ask any more questions, Lynn, but Ren wouldn't have come if it wasn't important." He turns to Nanowire, "Why did you come back here to your past?"

---

"Uh, yeah, it has been, Mr. Silberman," Icarus says. "I just sort of ran out of free time, but I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd come by."

Mr. Silberman smiles, "Well, it's good to see you. I still remember when you weren't even half that tall. Look how big you've gotten now," he shakes his head disbelievingly. "You still reading those sci-fi magazines? There's a new editor at Analog this month, goes by the name of Ben Bova," he says.

Icarus smiles back, somewhat surprised. "I thought you only got those magazines for me, Mr. Silberman. Are you still reading them?"

Mr. Silberman shrugs, "I read a couple of them while waiting for you to pick them up, and some of them weren't half-bad."

"I never knew that," Icarus says. He pauses before continuing. "Actually, can I ask a favor? I need to write a letter, but I left my wallet at the shop where I work. It's Joe's Auto Body Shop down in the Fens, and I don't want to walk back down there. Could I borrow the stamp and envelope and paper? I'll pay you back later; I promise."

Mr. Silberman bends down and reaches below the counter, "Here, just take them. I can afford to write off 8 cents."

Icarus just stands there for a second, savoring the human kindness. No one ever feels sympathy for a man in a battlesuit. Then he remembers where he is, and what he needs to do.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Silberman. I mean it," he says. He steps forward and takes that which is offered. Mr. Silberman even threw in a pencil stub. "Have a great day." Icarus is out the door before Mr. Silberman even has a chance to respond.

He stands facing a wall, writing against the bricks.

"Sean,

I remembered something that should help you out later. There's a few stocks and stuff that you can make good money on. There'll be a computer company called Microsoft in the '80s. When it goes public, buy all the stock you can get. Later, there'll be another computer company called Google. Do the same thing for them. Heck, offer them money before they go public in exchange for future stock if you can. I figure if I go back in time, I might as well have a lot easier of a life.

P.S. Visit Mr. Silberman at the old bookstore, and if you do end up rich, make sure he gets some of it. He gave me this paper and stamp for free. He's a real mensch."

Icarus seals the envelope, addresses it with his own name and home address, and sticks it into a nearby mailbox. Whistling, he walks back to where he had stashed his suit. He'll need to get into the auto shop after it closes, but there's still plenty of daylight left.

[Heridfel]

Mr. Parker remains silent for a moment, looking towards Ren with a face devoid of any expression. Finally, he nods.

"I can't force you to tell me, and I wouldn't want to. Still, I know teenagers a little better than you think. I think I know why you're not telling me. You haven't been in town for a few months. I would have heard about it by now - a contraption like that gets noticed quickly. But you did know my son, and you said he was from the future.

I'm pretty sure that there aren't any other people in the world who know how to control gravitons," Mr. Parker says. "Even Sean's suit looked better than mine. He was never much for designing, but he's good with his hands." He lets out a deep breath. "I think Daedalus or I might have given you that suit, but we haven't even made it yet," he says with a wrinkled forehead.

"Time travel is definitely possible - I still remember the stories about Tom Tomorrow - but the math makes my head hurt. I know you asked me not to ask any more questions, Lynn, but Ren wouldn't have come if it wasn't important." He turns to Nanowire, "Why did you come back here to your past?"

---

"Uh, yeah, it has been, Mr. Silberman," Icarus says. "I just sort of ran out of free time, but I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd come by."

Mr. Silberman smiles, "Well, it's good to see you. I still remember when you weren't even half that tall. Look how big you've gotten now," he shakes his head disbelievingly. "You still reading those sci-fi magazines? There's a new editor at Analog this month, goes by the name of Ben Bova," he says.

Icarus smiles back, somewhat surprised. "I thought you only got those magazines for me, Mr. Silberman. Are you still reading them?"

Mr. Silberman shrugs, "I read a couple of them while waiting for you to pick them up, and some of them weren't half-bad."

"I never knew that," Icarus says. He pauses before continuing. "Actually, can I ask a favor? I need to write a letter, but I left my wallet at the shop where I work. It's Joe's Auto Body Shop down in the Fens, and I don't want to walk back down there. Could I borrow the stamp and envelope and paper? I'll pay you back later; I promise."

Mr. Silberman bends down and reaches below the counter, "Here, just take them. I can afford to write off 8 cents."

Icarus just stands there for a second, savoring the human kindness. No one ever feels sympathy for a man in a battlesuit. Then he remembers where he is, and what he needs to do.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Silberman. I mean it," he says. He steps forward and takes that which is offered. Mr. Silberman even threw in a pencil stub. "Have a great day." Icarus is out the door before Mr. Silberman even has a chance to respond.

He stands facing a wall, writing against the bricks.

"Sean,

I remembered something that should help you out later. There's a few stocks and stuff that you can make good money on. There'll be a computer company called Microsoft in the '80s. When it goes public, buy all the stock you can get. Later, there'll be another computer company called Google. Do the same thing for them. Heck, offer them money before they go public in exchange for future stock if you can. I figure if I go back in time, I might as well have a lot easier of a life.

P.S. Visit Mr. Silberman at the old bookstore, and if you do end up rich, make sure he gets some of it. He gave me this paper and stamp for free. He's a real mensch."

Icarus seals the envelope, addresses it with his own name and home address, and sticks it into a nearby mailbox. Whistling, he walks back to where he had stashed his suit. He'll need to get into the auto shop after it closes, but there's still plenty of daylight left.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren almost started to relax as Lynn and Mr. Parker related a bit on the topic of mutual acquaintances. It felt normal. That, and anything he could learn about her was fantastic. They'd had so little time to get to know one another, after all.

Then Lynn took him by the hand. It wasn't the physical closeness that he nearly yanked his hand out of her grip for; that was great. But for a moment, Ren thought she might be able to tell where his synthskin stopped and his inorganic endoskeleton began. From the look on her face, though, that wasn't the case. He placed one hand on top on hers and gave her a smile.

By the end of Mr. Parker's Sherlock moment, however, Ren wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, he'd been getting visibly nervous during the part about his "suit". No matter what, this guy was not finding out what he was. He'd almost begun to pick out likely escape routes when Gravitor finished with,

"Why did you come back here to your past?"

Ren sighed heavily and sagged back into himself. Well, sh*t, guess the secret's out.

He looked to Lynn for a moment and gave her a helpless shrug before starting with the truth. "Alright, yeah, I'm from the future. You caught me. But this wasn't my idea, that's the first thing you have to understand."

"Sean - your son, that is - we know each other back where I come from. I can't tell you how. We're screwing up causality too much as it is. I only hope that the plasticine parachronic theory is correct - deterministic development relying on symmetrical Poincar group types and all."

Ren suddenly realized he was leaving his audience in the dust, understanding-wise, and chuckled uncomfortably. "Sorry. I read a lot. Anyway, we - by which I mean your son and I - do not belong here. Something went wrong with his suit while he was transporting us and... well, here we are. We need to get him back so we can get out of here. But for right now, I have no idea where to start. I had hoped he'd have come back by now, you being his father."

"As it stands, though, I'm stuck here." Well, he didn't lie exactly. Details were left out, but Ren had kept to the truth faithfully. As to why Icarus had transported away, and Lynn's involvement, well... let him use that brain of his and figure it out.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren almost started to relax as Lynn and Mr. Parker related a bit on the topic of mutual acquaintances. It felt normal. That, and anything he could learn about her was fantastic. They'd had so little time to get to know one another, after all.

Then Lynn took him by the hand. It wasn't the physical closeness that he nearly yanked his hand out of her grip for; that was great. But for a moment, Ren thought she might be able to tell where his synthskin stopped and his inorganic endoskeleton began. From the look on her face, though, that wasn't the case. He placed one hand on top on hers and gave her a smile.

By the end of Mr. Parker's Sherlock moment, however, Ren wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, he'd been getting visibly nervous during the part about his "suit". No matter what, this guy was not finding out what he was. He'd almost begun to pick out likely escape routes when Gravitor finished with,

"Why did you come back here to your past?"

Ren sighed heavily and sagged back into himself. Well, sh*t, guess the secret's out.

He looked to Lynn for a moment and gave her a helpless shrug before starting with the truth. "Alright, yeah, I'm from the future. You caught me. But this wasn't my idea, that's the first thing you have to understand."

"Sean - your son, that is - we know each other back where I come from. I can't tell you how. We're screwing up causality too much as it is. I only hope that the plasticine parachronic theory is correct - deterministic development relying on symmetrical Poincar group types and all."

Ren suddenly realized he was leaving his audience in the dust, understanding-wise, and chuckled uncomfortably. "Sorry. I read a lot. Anyway, we - by which I mean your son and I - do not belong here. Something went wrong with his suit while he was transporting us and... well, here we are. We need to get him back so we can get out of here. But for right now, I have no idea where to start. I had hoped he'd have come back by now, you being his father."

"As it stands, though, I'm stuck here." Well, he didn't lie exactly. Details were left out, but Ren had kept to the truth faithfully. As to why Icarus had transported away, and Lynn's involvement, well... let him use that brain of his and figure it out.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren almost started to relax as Lynn and Mr. Parker related a bit on the topic of mutual acquaintances. It felt normal. That, and anything he could learn about her was fantastic. They'd had so little time to get to know one another, after all.

Then Lynn took him by the hand. It wasn't the physical closeness that he nearly yanked his hand out of her grip for; that was great. But for a moment, Ren thought she might be able to tell where his synthskin stopped and his inorganic endoskeleton began. From the look on her face, though, that wasn't the case. He placed one hand on top on hers and gave her a smile.

By the end of Mr. Parker's Sherlock moment, however, Ren wasn't smiling anymore. In fact, he'd been getting visibly nervous during the part about his "suit". No matter what, this guy was not finding out what he was. He'd almost begun to pick out likely escape routes when Gravitor finished with,

"Why did you come back here to your past?"

Ren sighed heavily and sagged back into himself. Well, sh*t, guess the secret's out.

He looked to Lynn for a moment and gave her a helpless shrug before starting with the truth. "Alright, yeah, I'm from the future. You caught me. But this wasn't my idea, that's the first thing you have to understand."

"Sean - your son, that is - we know each other back where I come from. I can't tell you how. We're screwing up causality too much as it is. I only hope that the plasticine parachronic theory is correct - deterministic development relying on symmetrical Poincar group types and all."

Ren suddenly realized he was leaving his audience in the dust, understanding-wise, and chuckled uncomfortably. "Sorry. I read a lot. Anyway, we - by which I mean your son and I - do not belong here. Something went wrong with his suit while he was transporting us and... well, here we are. We need to get him back so we can get out of here. But for right now, I have no idea where to start. I had hoped he'd have come back by now, you being his father."

"As it stands, though, I'm stuck here." Well, he didn't lie exactly. Details were left out, but Ren had kept to the truth faithfully. As to why Icarus had transported away, and Lynn's involvement, well... let him use that brain of his and figure it out.

[Heritage]

Lynn's eyes go a little wide as Ren spouts off some high-level time travel...stuff, which makes sense; since his powers obviously have a lot to do with technology, it probably means he's pretty smart. He was probably strike by lightening while he was fixing a computer or something equally bizarre.

Once the cat is out of the bag, she nervously holds up her hand.

"I'm, uh, from the future too, actually; we both got sucked in along with your son."

[Heritage]

Lynn's eyes go a little wide as Ren spouts off some high-level time travel...stuff, which makes sense; since his powers obviously have a lot to do with technology, it probably means he's pretty smart. He was probably strike by lightening while he was fixing a computer or something equally bizarre.

Once the cat is out of the bag, she nervously holds up her hand.

"I'm, uh, from the future too, actually; we both got sucked in along with your son."

[Heritage]

Lynn's eyes go a little wide as Ren spouts off some high-level time travel...stuff, which makes sense; since his powers obviously have a lot to do with technology, it probably means he's pretty smart. He was probably strike by lightening while he was fixing a computer or something equally bizarre.

Once the cat is out of the bag, she nervously holds up her hand.

"I'm, uh, from the future too, actually; we both got sucked in along with your son."

[Heridfel]

"Causality isn't all it's cracked up to be, son. Without Tom Tomorrow's help, the Nazis might have won the Second World War. I was in boot camp when they announced the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki..." he trails off, going down memory lane. He then shakes his head and looks back to the two of them.

"My point is, you're already back here. It might be that you were supposed to end up back here, for the future that you come from. I understand that you want to be careful, and that this is probably already pretty awkward for you. I'll think we'll take Lynn's suggestion and keep to things that you probably already know about me anyway," he says with a smile.

"I've lived in Freedom City just about my whole life, except for that time in boot camp. It was on the army base that I found out that I definitely would rather design weapons than fire them. It's also where I met Mary. She and I were engaged by the time I was released from the army, and we got married just after I came back to Freedom."

"I was an engineer with an aeronautics company for about fifteen years. In 1960, I was tinkering around at home, and I had a flash of inspiration. I figured out how to detect gravitons, and from there, it was possible to use them separately from the rest of the subatomic mess they're usually associated with. I quit my job and went to try to patent the method. Before I did, Daedalus came to me," he says with a distinct sense of pride. "He'd figured this out long before I did, but he wanted to keep it a secret so that it didn't get misused. I agreed. That was when I was first thinking about becoming a superhero like him. It took me about seven years to build the suit you saw out there. I've been retrofitting it as I go along, but I'm not real good with my hands. It can do a lot, but it doesn't provide as much protection as what it should."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out, "Phew. I've done entirely too much talking. It's your turns now. Stick to the parts that don't 'threaten causality.' I want to know more about you than you know about me when I meet you for the first time," he smiles.

There's a rustling at the front door, like someone is fiddling with the lock. The door opens, and Sean is standing on the other side. He looks like he ran most of the way home. He's a little younger and less muscled than the Sean that Nanowire and Grimalkin met, and his face looks more like when Nanowire first met him than now, but it's clearly the same person.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

[Heridfel]

"Causality isn't all it's cracked up to be, son. Without Tom Tomorrow's help, the Nazis might have won the Second World War. I was in boot camp when they announced the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki..." he trails off, going down memory lane. He then shakes his head and looks back to the two of them.

"My point is, you're already back here. It might be that you were supposed to end up back here, for the future that you come from. I understand that you want to be careful, and that this is probably already pretty awkward for you. I'll think we'll take Lynn's suggestion and keep to things that you probably already know about me anyway," he says with a smile.

"I've lived in Freedom City just about my whole life, except for that time in boot camp. It was on the army base that I found out that I definitely would rather design weapons than fire them. It's also where I met Mary. She and I were engaged by the time I was released from the army, and we got married just after I came back to Freedom."

"I was an engineer with an aeronautics company for about fifteen years. In 1960, I was tinkering around at home, and I had a flash of inspiration. I figured out how to detect gravitons, and from there, it was possible to use them separately from the rest of the subatomic mess they're usually associated with. I quit my job and went to try to patent the method. Before I did, Daedalus came to me," he says with a distinct sense of pride. "He'd figured this out long before I did, but he wanted to keep it a secret so that it didn't get misused. I agreed. That was when I was first thinking about becoming a superhero like him. It took me about seven years to build the suit you saw out there. I've been retrofitting it as I go along, but I'm not real good with my hands. It can do a lot, but it doesn't provide as much protection as what it should."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out, "Phew. I've done entirely too much talking. It's your turns now. Stick to the parts that don't 'threaten causality.' I want to know more about you than you know about me when I meet you for the first time," he smiles.

There's a rustling at the front door, like someone is fiddling with the lock. The door opens, and Sean is standing on the other side. He looks like he ran most of the way home. He's a little younger and less muscled than the Sean that Nanowire and Grimalkin met, and his face looks more like when Nanowire first met him than now, but it's clearly the same person.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

[Heridfel]

"Causality isn't all it's cracked up to be, son. Without Tom Tomorrow's help, the Nazis might have won the Second World War. I was in boot camp when they announced the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki..." he trails off, going down memory lane. He then shakes his head and looks back to the two of them.

"My point is, you're already back here. It might be that you were supposed to end up back here, for the future that you come from. I understand that you want to be careful, and that this is probably already pretty awkward for you. I'll think we'll take Lynn's suggestion and keep to things that you probably already know about me anyway," he says with a smile.

"I've lived in Freedom City just about my whole life, except for that time in boot camp. It was on the army base that I found out that I definitely would rather design weapons than fire them. It's also where I met Mary. She and I were engaged by the time I was released from the army, and we got married just after I came back to Freedom."

"I was an engineer with an aeronautics company for about fifteen years. In 1960, I was tinkering around at home, and I had a flash of inspiration. I figured out how to detect gravitons, and from there, it was possible to use them separately from the rest of the subatomic mess they're usually associated with. I quit my job and went to try to patent the method. Before I did, Daedalus came to me," he says with a distinct sense of pride. "He'd figured this out long before I did, but he wanted to keep it a secret so that it didn't get misused. I agreed. That was when I was first thinking about becoming a superhero like him. It took me about seven years to build the suit you saw out there. I've been retrofitting it as I go along, but I'm not real good with my hands. It can do a lot, but it doesn't provide as much protection as what it should."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out, "Phew. I've done entirely too much talking. It's your turns now. Stick to the parts that don't 'threaten causality.' I want to know more about you than you know about me when I meet you for the first time," he smiles.

There's a rustling at the front door, like someone is fiddling with the lock. The door opens, and Sean is standing on the other side. He looks like he ran most of the way home. He's a little younger and less muscled than the Sean that Nanowire and Grimalkin met, and his face looks more like when Nanowire first met him than now, but it's clearly the same person.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

[Heritage]

When she hears Mr. Parker talk about the war, Lynn gets a chill and tightens her grip on Ren's hand; of course she had heard countless stories from relatives, both from the Old Country and here in the States, passed down as part of her family's oral tradition, but nothing as powerful as her Grandpa Lou's tales of fighting the Germans in Italy. He never sugarcoated it, and she always appreciated that.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

The young heroine stiffens and sits up a little straighter when Sean comes in, her whole body taut in anticipation of any possible confrontation.

[Heritage]

When she hears Mr. Parker talk about the war, Lynn gets a chill and tightens her grip on Ren's hand; of course she had heard countless stories from relatives, both from the Old Country and here in the States, passed down as part of her family's oral tradition, but nothing as powerful as her Grandpa Lou's tales of fighting the Germans in Italy. He never sugarcoated it, and she always appreciated that.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

The young heroine stiffens and sits up a little straighter when Sean comes in, her whole body taut in anticipation of any possible confrontation.

[Heritage]

When she hears Mr. Parker talk about the war, Lynn gets a chill and tightens her grip on Ren's hand; of course she had heard countless stories from relatives, both from the Old Country and here in the States, passed down as part of her family's oral tradition, but nothing as powerful as her Grandpa Lou's tales of fighting the Germans in Italy. He never sugarcoated it, and she always appreciated that.

"Dad!" he shouts. He doesn't even seem to notice the other people as he rushes into the house, letting the door slam behind him.

"Sean, wipe your feet!" his mother yells from the kitchen.

The young heroine stiffens and sits up a little straighter when Sean comes in, her whole body taut in anticipation of any possible confrontation.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren tensed when Mr Parker brought up the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Very diplomatic, bringing that up in the presence of a Japanese person, whether American or not. He was about to point out that the only reason the US had dropped those bombs in the first place was as a sabre-rattling measure against the Soviet Union when Lynn squeezed his hand tighter. Ren looked over at the girl and somehow, all the tension drained out of him.

"Well, there's a problem with your supposition that causality is overrated, Mr Parker. While it is your present we live in, we still have to go back to our own. Basic Chaos Theory provides for a system of delineating probabilities concerning the topic, and the fractal geometry alone tells me whatever changes we've already wrought will have broad reaching changes in our time."

He was about to school the man more about the inherent dangers of changing even the smallest things in the past when "Sean" burst in. Ren tensed again, wary of Mr Parker's warning the his son had come back from Vietnam recently, (however incorrect that identification was) but it seemed he didn't care all that much.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren tensed when Mr Parker brought up the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Very diplomatic, bringing that up in the presence of a Japanese person, whether American or not. He was about to point out that the only reason the US had dropped those bombs in the first place was as a sabre-rattling measure against the Soviet Union when Lynn squeezed his hand tighter. Ren looked over at the girl and somehow, all the tension drained out of him.

"Well, there's a problem with your supposition that causality is overrated, Mr Parker. While it is your present we live in, we still have to go back to our own. Basic Chaos Theory provides for a system of delineating probabilities concerning the topic, and the fractal geometry alone tells me whatever changes we've already wrought will have broad reaching changes in our time."

He was about to school the man more about the inherent dangers of changing even the smallest things in the past when "Sean" burst in. Ren tensed again, wary of Mr Parker's warning the his son had come back from Vietnam recently, (however incorrect that identification was) but it seemed he didn't care all that much.

[Veiled Malice]

Ren tensed when Mr Parker brought up the bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Very diplomatic, bringing that up in the presence of a Japanese person, whether American or not. He was about to point out that the only reason the US had dropped those bombs in the first place was as a sabre-rattling measure against the Soviet Union when Lynn squeezed his hand tighter. Ren looked over at the girl and somehow, all the tension drained out of him.

"Well, there's a problem with your supposition that causality is overrated, Mr Parker. While it is your present we live in, we still have to go back to our own. Basic Chaos Theory provides for a system of delineating probabilities concerning the topic, and the fractal geometry alone tells me whatever changes we've already wrought will have broad reaching changes in our time."

He was about to school the man more about the inherent dangers of changing even the smallest things in the past when "Sean" burst in. Ren tensed again, wary of Mr Parker's warning the his son had come back from Vietnam recently, (however incorrect that identification was) but it seemed he didn't care all that much.