ic Double Dutch

[Supercape]

GM

 

Monday, August 19th, mid morning...

 

A little book store in the West End...

 

"Good morning. May I have some service please?"

 

The man was only a few inches over five foot, and had a considerable belly. He was dressed in a fine quality suit, and had a hat that somehow seemed to be outrageous and conservative at the same time. 

 

His cheeks were red, as were his jowls, and he sported a pair of sideburns that looked like they belonged on a safari hunter from centuries ago. 

 

"I am looking for the owner, and have handsome money!" he declared without shame. 

 

His voice was neither high, nor low, but rumbled. It was hard to say how old he was, somewhere middle aged, but young and old too, all jammed into one squat body. His hair was flecked with grey and flowed long. 

 

Beside him stood a man almost two feet taller, and considerably broader. In his case, it was with muscle rather than fat. He wore a suit and dark glasses, and had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. If ever there was  a bodyguard, this man was it. 

[Heritage]

Gretchen was working behind the counter, and looked up from her smartphone for all of a millisecond before looking right back down to it; her voice sounded terminally bored. "Uh, yeah, she's in her office in back-" Finally the oddness of what she'd seen registered; looking alarmed, she hopped up off her stool, her eyes actually showing a touch of animation. "Yes, my boss...that is Lynn. I shall summon her forth for you, okay?"
 
She scampered off to the owner's office, where Lynn sat behind her grandfather's massive desk, checking her email. "Oh hey, Gretch, what's up?" Noting the odd expression on the bookseller's face, she sat up a little straighter in her chair. "What's wrong, hon?"
 
"There is an odd little Santa-like man asking for you, and he has a bodyguard who looks like a human side of beef."
 
"Oh, okay, uh...do they look dangerous?"
 
"Santa, not so much; Side of Beef, very much so."
 
"Okay, why don't you take ten, grab a cup of coffee in back and I'll take care of it, okay?"
 
"Great. Awesome. I shall flee."
 
Stepping out onto the store floor, Lynn approached the pair, who pretty much looked at Gretchen described them. "Gentlemen, hello! I'm Lynn Epstein, owner of Silberman's Books. How can I help you?"

They saw a young woman, on the short side but a bit curvy, with curly, shoulder length brown hair; she wore a No Doubt T-shirt, khaki shorts and Teva sandals.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ah yes! Miss Lynn Epstein, owner of books, I have done research!" he said proudly, elevating a waggling finger and then reaching up to pluck Lynns hand from the air, and plant a kiss on it. His cheeks seemed just slightly redder. 

 

"My name Is Duke Dooyeweerd" he said in an accent that was indeed touched with Dutch. 

 

"This is a most splendid place, I must say, full of paper, full of ink, full of mysteries, full of marvels, eh?" he said, smiling to himself as he turned around a full 360, scanning the trappings of the shop. 

 

"But, I come on a matter most grave in note, sombre in tone. My life, my land, my castle, is all under...under a spell! No, do not laugh! I do not know if it is sorcery or science that plagues me, but I do know that it is a plague, and is slowly killing me!" he said, more serious now. 

 

"I am perforce driven to inquire in all directions, in all lands, in all avenues be they shrouded in the secrets of occult, or lit by the vision of science, to find a cure. And hence, I come to this shop, to peruse and investigate!"

[Heritage]

Lynn fought to keep the grimace off her face when the Duke kissed her hand; it was unexpected and mildly unpleasant, but she knew it was supposedly a sign of respect and good breeding. The mention of a possible spell was also rather alarming. Bowing her head slightly, she addressed the Dutch peer.

 

"I am honored you've chosen my store to begin your quest, your grace. I can assure you I take magic very seriously; my great-grandfather Ira Silberman, who founded this store, consulted with the Liberty League on occult matters in his day, and I'd be happy to offer the same service to you."

Noticing that Lance was giving her a rather odd look from behind the espresso bar, she cleared her throat. "Uh, maybe we should go back to my office to discuss this delicate matter; Lance, can you hold the fort for a few?"

"Sure, Lynn, I guess-"

"Great, you're the best, call me if you need me! Gentlemen, if you could follow me, please?" She led them through the store and into her private office; closing the door behind them, she sat behind her massive walnut desk, which made her look much younger. Above and behind her head where a pair of vintage firearms, a lever-action rifle and a revolver of unusual design, mounted in a special frame on the wall. Various other odd bits of bric-a-brac lined the shelves around the rest of the office, and music and the sound of the espresso machine drifted in from the open transom She indicated two chairs with a wave of her hand.

"Now, what sort of spell do you think might be plaguing you, your grace?"

Edited August 20, 2014 by Heritage

[Supercape]

The Dukes eyebrows twitched at the name. 

 

"Ira Silberman! Really! I know the name!" he said, surprised and excited. 

 

"Then you are precisely the person I need talk to! If you have but a fraction of his knowledge on the occult!"

 

He paused to pull and stroke his magnificent sideburns. 

 

"I am a scientist, you see, a Doctor, in fact! And yet I can find no scientific way of reversing the slowing down. It is like...it is like swimming through mud, you see. Oh, you can't tell, of course, of course. But my mental faculties are not as fast as they used to be. Everything moves with pace, and I drag my heels. My neural kinetics are way below normal..." he sighed. 

 

"So in the absence of explanation, I turn to the occult, of which I am ignorant. Tell me, then, if you know. Is there such an elemental power as speed? can it be harnessed? Can I shock myself back to normal?" he asked, earnestly. 

[Heritage]

The bookseller furrowed her brow as she pulled a musty book off a shelf and began flipping through it's pages. "A 'speed force'? That's a new one on me, but nothing is out and out impossible with magic, assuming the practitioner knows what he's doing; it would just be sort of unusual." After a few seconds of skimming, she shook her head. "Yeah, usually with magic you're looking at portals, flight or teleportation as your preferred modes of travel, though like I said, nothing's impossible..."

Then she paused and looked at the Duke sort of sideways. "Although...I know someone, well, I used to know someone who was quite the expert on all things speedy. I just hope her number hasn't changed..." She pulled out her smartphone. "If you don't mind?" Once she got the go ahead, she went ahead and dialed.

"Hi, is this Megan? How's this for a blast from the past, it's Lynn Epstein!"

[Thevshi]

North Bay

 

Megan Howell was just finishing stretching in the dance studio she had installed in the mansion she and Robert had purchased shortly after their return from the Null Time with Lawrence.  It was almost identical to the one her parents had installed for her in their home when she was growing up, if slightly larger.  The room was sound proofed, with a all wood floor and full length mirrors along three of the four walls.  Two of the walls had permanent barre in place at about waist height, which Megan currently had one foot resting on as she stretched.

 

With Lawrence currently in his room, either building something with Legos or reading, and Robert busy in his study, Megan had some time before lunch in which to get some dancing in.

 

She had just finished stretching and was about to start the shuffle for the sound system that drew the database of songs she had collected over the years when she heard her smartphone ring.  Letting out a small sigh, the blonde haired young woman moved in a blur too fast for most to follow.  Reaching her phone, which sat on a small table along the back, windowless wall, she glanced at the screen, only to be surprised by the identified caller.

 

"Hi Lynn!"  She said in greeting as she picked up and heard a voice she had not heard in over three years.  "It has been a long time!  How are you?"

[Heritage]

"I'm good, I'm good! Sorry to drop off the face of the Earth like that; things have been kinda crazy."

Then she turned slightly away from her 'client' and lowered her voice a tad.

"Listen, I was wondering if you were still in touch with your fleet-footed friend; someone brought a situation to me that might require her specific talents."

Edited August 21, 2014 by Heritage

[Thevshi]

"I understand that."  Megan replied, her smile evident in her voice.  "Life can get really crazy at times, especially for...people like us."

 

The blonde haired young woman became a bit more serious as Lynn continued, mentioning her possibly need of Megan's assistance as Velocity.  "Yeah, I still keep in regular contact with her."  She replied, not sure if she should continue speaking in the vague code Lynn was using, but opting to do so just in case.  "Is there a particular reason you think her expertise would be useful?"

 

Even as she spoke, Megan was already running through in her mind what the rest of the day had scheduled.  Luckily, the day was open enough that Robert would be able to handle things if she had to be gone for an extended period of time.

[Heritage]

Lynn cleared her throat as she tried to figure out how best to explain the situation.

 

"Uh, well, let's see; I have here in the office of my bookstore - which, by the way, is totally awesome and you must come see sometime - one Duke Dooyeweerd of the Netherlands. This guy says both he and his castle-estate-type-thing are under the effects of some sort of slowness curse, and he's looking for help in jump-starting it. Oh, and if we don't help him, he'll die."

 

She shrugged and looked at the duke.

 

"I think that pretty much covers it, right?"

[Supercape]

GM

 

"That is about right, madam. Succinct and to the point. And rather mortifying too, to have ones mortality put in such blunt terms" he said, peppered with sadness, irritation, and frustration. 

 

"And I confess I have no wish to die. I have done everything I can to ensure I jump from that fate!" he said, with a glint in his eye, and a smile. 

 

"Oh come now, surely it is not foolhardiness or vain to avoid death? We all do it, some do it quick, some do it slow, but we all seek to avoid the scythe. Even if we do not admit it to ourselves!" he said, twirling his sideboards in thought. 

 

"I will of course pay handsomely for any aide. And I pay not just for myself, but for my castle, my lands, and even my country. I know not what is transpiring, but I know this, it is getting worse! worser and worser! Even with my best scientists, of whom I am one, even with a castle full of the most exquisite of apparatus and machines, I cannot stop it!"

[Heritage]

When the duke began to speak, Lynn pulled the phone away from her ear and held it out towards him so Megan could hear the fear in his voice; when he finished, she shrugged and spoke again.

"So yeah, that's it; I'm convinced at the very least that he thinks the threat is real. He's not just yanking our chain." She started gnawing on a thumbnail. "So whaddya think, would she be interested? I'm thinking of giving my old spritely friend a call..."

Edited August 22, 2014 by Heritage

[Thevshi]

Megan had listened closely to Lynn and the Duke as they gave a bit more explanation about what the situation was.  "It will be just like old times."  Megan replied to Lynn's last comment, her tone both happy and wistful at the same time.

 

"Well, curses are not exactly her specialty, but, she has had a number of recent experiences involving time and time control/travel.  Also, not to question the Duke's scientific expertise, but she and I happen to know someone that also had those recent experiences, and thus has become a bit of an expert in temporal physics.  If you just want our speedy friend, she should be able to be there in a minute or so.  If you want both, then it will take a bit longer as they will need to arrange a few things."

[Heritage]

"Oh, uh..." Lynn drummed her fingers on her desk. "Y'know what, send them both; even if it takes longer, it will probably save us time later, and time is literally of the essence. Do you have something to write with? I'll give you the address to pass on to Velocity..."

 

The call completed, Lynn set her phone aside and offered her 'client' what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "So good news! Velocity, Freedom's lovely speedster, is on her way, and it sounds like she's bringing along a specialist in temporal anomalies, so yay! I also have another friend in the biz I can get in contact with, but that will take a little longer; her name is Grimalkin, and I'm sure she'll be eager to help."

[Thevshi]

Megan almost laughed at Lynn's question about whether she had something to write with.  Even if she did not (and in fact, she did not have anything to write with in the dance studio), getting to somewhere where she did have something to write with took less time than it did for Lynn to finish the question.

 

Megan was already in a study in the wing opposite then one that held the dance studio, taking down the address Lynn gave her.

 

"Alright, got it.  They will hopefully be there within half an hour."  She replied before hanging up.  She glanced at the clock on the phone and then made another call.

 

About thirty seconds later....

 

Megan appeared inside Robert's office, now dressed in her Velocity costume, but without the mask or goggles in place yet.  Her sudden entrance kicked up some loose papers, but she caught them in a blur of motion before returning them to their place and ending up sitting by Robert on his desk.

 

"Soooo, something has come up."  She began, a smile on her face.  "An old friend called, needing my help with something.  But, it sounds like something you might be able to offer some insights into as well."  She added before explaining what little she knew thus far.  "I just spoke with my mom and she is able to watch Lawrence for us, even though she understands it could be awhile."

[Supercape]

GM

 

Robert was used to Velocity by now. The wind, the swoosh. He almost had a sixth sense about her coming. 

 

"Good afternoon to you too, sexy" he said with a smile, folding down his newspaper. Around him were various scrawls and books on physics. A couple of doodles. A couple of doodles of the stopwatch. 

 

"If its action and adventure you want, I'm your man! I happen to have a superhero as a girlfriend!" he said, giving her a passionate kiss. 

 

"I am proud of you, you know. Doing all this stuff. I just wish I didn't worry about you so much. Bad for my heart" he said rubbing the left side of his chest. 

 

"I suppose we are taking the express route rather than the conventional one?" he asked, bracing himself for...

[Supercape]

GM

 

A few seconds later...

 

the duke smoothed down his ruffled hair. The sonic boom and wind of Velocties arrival had damaged his comb over. 

 

"Amazing! Amazing! Quite simply Amazing!" he said with a broad grin as the couple arrived. 

 

"I have never seen such a prodigious display of speed! You are...velocity, correct? The super hero? Fastest woman...or even fastest human on the planet? The press clippings and TV shows do you a diservice, ma'am!"

 

His hair in place, he gave a deep bow and introduced himself. The beefcake by his side had tensed on her arrival, but he remained silent and still not introduced. 

 

"I am in need of particular help. I know not if you can give it, but...I can hope!" he said, trying to keep a cheerful face. 

 

"My home, my castle, my lands...but, to be frank, mainly myself...are slowing. Day by day, and I have measured this, I seem a little bit more decayed, and the world, just so slightly, faster..."

 

"He isn't lying there. I can sense it..." said a slightly uncomfortable Robert. The stopwatch had left him with an uncanny knack to know the time. Precisely know the time. He said he could sense the quantum ticks of the universe. The stopwatch, and his clock sense, had not left him without slightly frayed nerves. 

 

"The..ticks...are slower. Just slightly...but...getting worse" he said, pressing his hands to his temples. 

 

"Feels strange..." he said, slightly faintly. 

[Heritage]

"And there we go!" Lynn grinned as she held down her hair to keep it from blowing around and revealing her pointed ears (yes, she could easily smooth them down, but she liked to just be herself now and then). "Hello Velocity, it's wonderful to see you again." Then she turned to address the newcomer and held out a hand for a firm handshake. "And who is this? Lynn Esptein, welcome to my store."

At that moment, a wide-eyed Gretchen and a stunned Lance leapt through the door, his hair slightly ruffled and hers a crazy wind-blown mess; Lance was still wearing his apron which sported a large wet splash, and he was clutching a latte knife like it was a deadly weapon as his eyes darted back and forth between the various parties in the room. It was Gretchen who finally managed to speak, her voice possibly showing more emotion than her entire previous life.

"What...the HELL...was that?!"

Lynn rubbed her face with her hand, clearly embarrassed. "Ah, I'm sorry, guys, it's Velocity. I, uh...may have neglected to mention that I know some super-people." She shrugged emphatically. "But this is Freedom City, right? I mean, lots of folks probably know a super-person or two, so it's really not that weird when you think about it, right? Right?"

Gretchen just stood there, arms defiantly crossed across her chest as she scowled at everyone present; Lance had lowered his arm slightly, but still clutched the barista tool. From time to time the young man snuck peeks at Velocity, clearly somewhat taken with her. Finally the young bookseller, leveling her gaze at her employer.

"If this is going to happen again, I want hazard pay."

"Gretch, it's not-"

"I'm dead serious." She gestured at Velocity, her hand taking the whole of her in without making eye contact. "I have nothing against superheroes, miss, or people who have them as friends, but I just...wanted a boring job where I could get free coffee and occasionally sell some books."

Lynn sighed, then crossed her own arms. "Fine; we'll talk. But if one of you gets hazard pay, you all will. Now if you don't mind, I have some work to do."

Gretchen nodded curtly, then walked out; Lance backed out, offering a quick nervous bow towards Velocity, a big schoolboy grin on his face. "Ma'am."

Lynn sighed and perched herself on her desk. "Sorry about that; I guess it was only a matter of time before my two worlds began to collide. Actually, I'm glad it was a visit from a friendly and not a bad guy seeking me out for some reason." Shaking her head clear, she turned back to Robert. "So, you were saying you could sense something wrong about his Grace? Like, chronologically?"

Edited February 2, 2015 by Heritage

[Thevshi]

Velocity gave a warm smile to Lynn as she faced the Duke and gave a small nod.  "Very pleased to meet you your Grace.  Yes, I am Velocity.  I hope that we will be able to provide you some assistance."

 

When Lynn's employees had suddenly entered the office in the wake of her and Robert's arrival, Velocity had briefly (oh so briefly) tensed, but her goggles allowed her to see who had arrived without even turning her head, so she relaxed once more.  It all happened in less than a blink of an eye, so for most observes, the yellow clad speedster had appeared to merely stand there calmly at the sudden intrusion. 

 

She did turn and give Gretchen and Lance a small smile before focusing back on Lynn and the Duke.  "Lynn, your Grace, this is Lord Harrow."  She provided in introduction as she indicated Robert.

 

"Robert and I have had some….experiences involving time that have provided him a rather unique perspective."  She added.

[Supercape]

GM

 

Robert oscillated between frowns and smiles. The tick tick in his head around the Duke felt off kilter, irritating, disturbing even. But regal reflexes kicked in. He could chat about nothing and do so with interest for hours. 

 

"Ah yes, delighted to meet you all, yes it is a wonderful shop, ah yes, indeed..." he said to the respective workers. 

 

"I have had some *ahem* brushes with time travel, yes. Its left rather a mark on me, to be honest. Plus, I do hold a doctorate degree on quantum mechanics" he said, as modestly as he could. 

 

"Cambridge" he added, immodestly. 

 

"It does sound a fascinating phenomenon...may I ask your Dukeship some questions?"

 

And so it transpired that the Duke had noticed the effect several years ago, but initially thought it was an error. His knowledge of theoretical physics was reasonable, but he was no expert. And the help he had called in had no found an answer to his affliction either. And it was steadily getting worse. Accelerating, even. 

 

Not only was he personally affected by the local space-time around his home and his lands was beginning to feel the subtle effect. 

 

It was still very small. The Duke wasn't talking in slow motion, or feeling ill. But it was starting to be perceptible. 

 

Robert could only presume that the Netherlands was the place to examine the effect. 

 

"I would be most grateful for your help, Sir" bowed the Duke. "I had planned on getting some occult help, via this shop, and now I have a world class scientist and a superhero thrown in! One could not be happier!"

[Heritage]

Lynn gave Robert a slight bow. "A pleasure, Lord Harrow."

Then she turned back to the Duke.

"All the resources of my shop are of course at your disposal, your Grace, but I think the faster our little team is back on-site in your homeland, the better. I'll call my friend Grimalkin and see if she's free to help; she'll be of more use than me with your problem, and should be able to meet you at the airport or wherever your flight back leaves."

Edited August 24, 2014 by Heritage

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Grimalkin? Grimalkin..." murmured the duke, striking his sideboards. 

 

"Why you do have the most amazing friends, my dear. Another Superhero? I remember her from a couple of years back. Some pixie girl, wasn't she? Proper hero too, if I recall correctly. A proper magician! Freedom City has any number of charlatans and pretenders, I gather. Why, even that old french lunatic Rene deSaens has cultivated a rumor mill around him! He is the laughing stock of Europe now! hmph!" he said with indignation. 

 

"But my dear I hope you can tear yourself away from  this delightful shop of antiquities for a day or two? Grimalkin no doubt is a source of much wizardry, but I prefer some one with a more academic, scholarly outlook on the occult, such as yourself!"

[Thevshi]

Velocity had taken a seat to listen as Robert and the Duke had talked about how these strange events had been uncovered, and it quickly became apparent that they were likely going to have to travel to the source in the Netherlands.  The speedster was back up on her feet in a movement the others in the room could not follow.  "Well, sounds like a little excursion is in order."  She stated.  "Unless you have any objections your Grace, it might be best for us to make our way to Freedom Hall, where we can use one of the League's spaceplanes to get us relatively quickly back to the Netherlands, and certainly in a more comfortable manner for everyone."

 

When Lynn tried to give herself an excuse to sit this out to be replaced by her alterego, the Duke seemed intent on wanting both Lynn and Grim present.  "Well…your Grace, not to dismiss Lynn, but I can assure you that Grimalkin is a sufficiently scholarly expert on the occult, in addition to her practical experience.  She and I have known each other for several years."

[Heritage]

For a few seconds, Lynn just sat there on the edge of her desk looking gobsmacked; this fellow wanted Lynn Epstein's help more than he wanted Grimalkin's? Wait, he wanted them both? How the hell was she going to pull that off? But then thankfully Velocity came to the rescue! When she'd finished, Lynn cleared her throat and chimed in.

"She's right, your Grace; Grimalkin has been dealing with supernatural threats out in the field for years, as well as time travel and other dimensions. She might seem flighty at times, but she definitely knows her stuff."

Hopefully that would do it!

Edited August 25, 2014 by Heritage

[Supercape]

A while later...

 

The Netherlands!

 

The language was incomprehensible. The food was delicious. 

 

The League spaceplane was able to make short work of the flight, and the Duke found it marvellous. "For a man who is slowing down, this is a luxury!" he commented. It was not a fast as Velocity, but it was a darn sight more comfortable. Lord Harrow, Grimalkin and the Duke (as well as his burly bodyguard who treated everyone to a suspicious glare) sat in the back whilst Velocity piloted. 

 

The Duke was quick to quizz Grimalkin on occult matters. Matters in which he apparently knew very little. Every answer was met with a nod and a stroke of his sideburns. He didn't seem any the wiser by the time they had stopped. 

 

The Dukes Castle was a medium sized affair, beautiful, but not in the best of repair. It was still standing when they arrived, and no doubt would be still standing when they left. It had particular beautiful lands - green, rolling, gardens and forests. 

 

"I do hunting and riding here. My main pleasure! You may not think much of this old man" he said, slapping his robust girth, "But I am still a great shot with a crossbow, and a fine horseman! May I shall show you, if you have time!" he laughed. 

 

Robert frowned slightly when they exited the Leagues plane. 

 

"That ticking...its off again...not just the Duke....its the castle!" he said pointing at the large building. 

 

"Come inside, come inside! you are my guests!" beckoned the Duke, sweeping his hands towards the Castle where staff, food, and no doubt beds and wine waited.