ic And Two More Shall Take Its Place

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo had frozen when the shadows started attacking, having been of the...well, the place he was before rising as the dashingly-dressed undead do-gooder of daring deeds.  He wasn't going to admit that, though...thank God the others had handled it quickly. 

He tensed up, took a step back, and conjured a razor-sharp playing card when Racer took on her demonic form, but then relaxed when she was humanoid again. "Nice trick with the transforming, duckie! No hard feelings, then?" He flicked his wrist and the card vanished into thin air - or rather, back into the pocket dimension where he summoned his little parlor tricks from, but tomato, tomato. "Before we continue, mind filling us in as to why you were going all...rharrg?" he mimed a monster. 

He 'ported over to the young Racer and held out his hand. "Bollocks, how rude of me - Phantasmo...THE UNLIVING, at your service. Hope you won't mind limiting that demonic sh*t when I'm around, duckie." He shuddered a bit. "Nothing against a little showmanship, just you don't need to go all out, eh?" 

 

Edited April 30, 2015 by MisterShoebox

[RobRX]

"O-okay, hold on!" Cho said, raising her hands, making a gesture as if saying to everyone 'settle down' as she tried to think. Something a bit more difficult than it looked given a splitting headache still being a leftover from the power meltdown which hapenned earlier. She did some very quick introductions: "Okay we got...uh...Phantasmo, right. Glamazon. Toughtspeed. Terrifica. This is Racer Konchu." Cho breathed in: "We're going to start back at the beginning. So, a psychic...another airport, what else? I'm just trying to piece everything together here. Right, teleporter. And it's not anyone we know, Racer?"

Edited April 30, 2015 by RobRX

[Avenger Assembled]

"And that was it, yes!" declared Racer, throwing up her hands in disgust. "I wasn't really paying attention, Cho, They showed us these videos of...of horrible things. Of you and your friends at your school, snorting cocaine off a baby's stomach, and then some kind of crazy party where..." Her voice breaking into a halting, awkward stutter, Racer Khonshu described what had happened on WYRM's last night. The team had been called into the central conference room late at night, when everyone was supposed to be sleeping, where their adult handlers had told them it was time for the kids to learn the real truth about the world. 

What had followed had been authentic-looking documentary evidence of a grim, terrible underbelly of superheroing in the World of Freedom. It had all been there; the drug use, the racism, the violence, the violent, drunken orgies during the so-called "invasions", Captain Thunder casually throwing a car full of tourists into the ocean, a smile on his face - proof that the Terminus, the Grue, and all the other so-called threats that had menaced the World of Freedom were nothing more than the creations of the corporate masters whose super-formula had secretly created all superheroes. 

"I knew that couldn't be true about you, though," said Racer fiercely to Cho, still not yet having apologized for the deep, bloody lacerations she'd inflicted on her friend. "I knew they must have done something to you, changed you, and so I wanted to cut that out of you..." She turned and looked at Phantasmo as if seeing him for the first time. "Are you a suppressive person?" she demanded. 

[RobRX]

"You know, when you put it like that it sounds like the most half assed, half baked sensationalist bullsh**! No really, as far as evil plans go, that's...uh I don't know about you guys but it just sound flat out ridiculous. No subtlelty there." Cho shook her head almost...dissapointed? As far as master plans went, that didn't seem like the best one. The fake murder, fine, that had been detailed enough to really get her but these terrible and overblown videos of 'the evil truth behind the superhero world' seemed far-fetched given the description. "I'm sorry, I just don't buy it and I don't buy anyone in our team buying things this ridiculous. At best maybe Magmatic because she's unfamilliar with the surface world, but Saboteur and Bestia? No, neither of them would buy something this blatant, that sounded like somekind of bad PSA about kids doing drugs or playing Dungeons & Dragons and turning satanic."

[MisterShoebox]

"And that was it, yes!" declared Racer, throwing up her hands in disgust. "I wasn't really paying attention, Cho, They showed us these videos of...of horrible things. Of you and your friends at your school, snorting cocaine off a baby's stomach, and then some kind of crazy party where..." Her voice breaking into a halting, awkward stutter, Racer Khonshu described what had happened on WYRM's last night. The team had been called into the central conference room late at night, when everyone was supposed to be sleeping, where their adult handlers had told them it was time for the kids to learn the real truth about the world. 

What had followed had been authentic-looking documentary evidence of a grim, terrible underbelly of superheroing in the World of Freedom. It had all been there; the drug use, the racism, the violence, the violent, drunken orgies during the so-called "invasions", Captain Thunder casually throwing a car full of tourists into the ocean, a smile on his face - proof that the Terminus, the Grue, and all the other so-called threats that had menaced the World of Freedom were nothing more than the creations of the corporate masters whose super-formula had secretly created all superheroes. 

"I knew that couldn't be true about you, though," said Racer fiercely to Cho, still not yet having apologized for the deep, bloody lacerations she'd inflicted on her friend. "I knew they must have done something to you, changed you, and so I wanted to cut that out of you..." She turned and looked at Phantasmo as if seeing him for the first time. "Are you a suppressive person?" she demanded. 

​Phantasmo did his version of a blink. "Um...I beg your pardon?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion. "I'm just trying to be friendly, duckie, not "Suppressive." He still had his hand out. "So...what do we say, bygones? No hard feelings, etcetera?" 

He grinned hopefully. "We're going to be colleagues - might as well be mates, too, eh? It's a bloody fact." He snapped his fingers and conjured a small buisness card. "Tell your friends, dearie - I do birthday parties."

He 'ported back to Cho's side and leaned against a wall, waiting for everyone to continue...then what the young woman had said finally caught up to him. "Wait a minute, duckie - someone was showing you something like that and you were taking it at face value?" 

Edited May 2, 2015 by MisterShoebox

[Brown Dynamite]

Glamazon eyed Racer closely. It was the second time in the year her sexual proclivities had been called into question by a crazed person.  Raising a hand in the air the Atlantean princess spoke out with far more enthusiasm than the following statement required.  "I, personally, have not participated in any such violent orgies."

Pleased that the most pressing accusation was dealt with, she continued.  "If you truly think so little of a Princess of Atlantis, then be grateful to the gods that our battle has already come to an end..  Racer, surely,  you wish to prove the validity of your words?  To shame us in front of Cho, if you would rather not try and eviscerate my friend further.  If so lead us to the location your comrades have been taken to."

Glamazon huffed before cracking her knuckles.  She wanted to make it especially clear that she had no intentions for sit down diplomacy.  Once everything was clear someone was going to get punched.  "Another airport or city means little to I, if they revealed to you such misinformation surely they revealed to you their plans.  But know that the Daughter of the Seas will not hesitate to rain destruction upon the fiends whom have crafted such lies.  Once, their machinations have been brought to light that is.  A life has been taken.  Are you so sure of your stories that you are willing to risk having blood on your hands?"

Thaelia considered running over to Racer.  It'd take no effort to cross the distance in the blink of an eye.  And even less to hoist her up into the air.  But, she stayed still.  If only for the moment to look at her hands.  Wondering who it was that killed the receptionist behind the cover of lies they had been fed thus far.

[Avenger Assembled]

Racer looked down at Cho's blood all over her hand, then back at Glamazon as if not entirely understanding the Atlantean princess. "I...Cho...you..." She stared at Rampart, her eyes widening, nostrils flaring. "You don't believe me!? But you were the one who told us about this!" She swore, violently and fearfully, in Japanese, before she went on. "Who sent us the undercover footage of the secret baby-killing clinics! You came in and told us about Raven getting her sidekicks addicted to PCP, you even showed us the pictures of Geckoman and Nevermore with Urallos, pimping themselves out for more drugs! You were our hero, you were the brave one, who went out and walked in the darkness! The world is full of people seeking to murder anyone trying to improve the strength and intelligence of the human race - to suppress the real heroes!" She spread her arms wide. "And now you just deny all of it? Are you crazy!?" 

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica slammed her staff’s end into the ground hard enough to crack the pavement. “Why, pray tell, would Cho’s good friend lie to her?” She glanced at the rest of the crew. “Can you tell me? I’m quite curious.” She waited a moment. “I don’t know anyone who is a member of the Freedom League. I have met precious few of their associates. As a scientist and a detective, I cannot dismiss possibilities out of hand, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous they may seem on the surface.” She paused one moment more. “This is not me insulting anyone’s honor, Glamazon. This is not me believing what you say without question, Khonshu. This is me saying simply that I do not know. This is me saying that this bears investigation. There was also a psychic involved. Anything could be possible.”

[RobRX]

"Okay, seriously, Racer. I-I don't know what the hell got to your head but you're clearly not thinking right. You of all people should know better than that. Hell! Saboteur and Bestia were both trained as assassins, I think it would be hard for them to believe any of that stuff. Magmatic and 'Clay aren't even human, one is a rock-person and one is an alien...come on! This is bonker!" Cho grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook her, gently (or as much as she could). "SNAP OUT OF IT! This is nonsense! You know better than that!"

[MisterShoebox]

 

Racer looked down at Cho's blood all over her hand, then back at Glamazon as if not entirely understanding the Atlantean princess. "I...Cho...you..." She stared at Rampart, her eyes widening, nostrils flaring. "You don't believe me!? But you were the one who told us about this!" She swore, violently and fearfully, in Japanese, before she went on. "Who sent us the undercover footage of the secret baby-killing clinics! You came in and told us about Raven getting her sidekicks addicted to PCP, you even showed us the pictures of Geckoman and Nevermore with Urallos, pimping themselves out for more drugs! You were our hero, you were the brave one, who went out and walked in the darkness! The world is full of people seeking to murder anyone trying to improve the strength and intelligence of the human race - to suppress the real heroes!" She spread her arms wide. "And now you just deny all of it? Are you crazy!?" 

​Phantasmo listened to the conversation, desperately wishing he had some popped corn. Note to self, bring popcorn next time, he mused to himself - wait a tick. He looked over to Racer.  "Oi. Pardon me, duckie - did you just say that CHO told you about this?" He glanced over at Cho. "Young-lady-me-Cho - what's the last thing you remember before we found you in the middle of the fake massacre and the remains of that unfortunate receptionist?" 

He conjured up a small coin and rotated it around his fingers in thought. Clink-clink-clink-clink-clink! "...Riiiiight...okay..." The zombie mused to himself as he thought. 

"Question: Are there any rogues in your rogue's gallery that have both psychic powers AND can turn invisible?" he asked Racer and Cho. "Or is a shapeshifter?" 

[KnightDisciple]

This was a serious discussion. Major accusations being thrown about. Traumatic memories being dragged forth. Events that sounded a lot like brainwashing. 

 

Which was why Thoughtspeed dropping to the ground, gripping his sides as he peeled out booming laughs in his occasionally-cracking still-deepening teenage boy voice was all the more egrarious. 

"Hahahaha man WHAT that is some hilarious stuff! Pfft, seriously guys I can't have been the only one to meet that Nevermore guy. He probably doesn't even know what 'pimping himself out' means or requires! All that stuff is baloney, Racer."

Suddenly he was standing up, his voice serious. 

"I have it on good authority the Freedom League and other heroes are clean and on the straight and narrow. The most they are guilty of is being boring squares."

He was using "squares" without irony; his father was probably feeling a surge of sudden pride. 

"And even if Miss I Am So Smart over there can't recognize how this is all a setup I can. Seriously Racer think about it. If things were really that bad wouldn't there be more proof than a bunch of wacky tapes? And if the conspiracy was that big why train you guys and gals in the open at all?"

[RobRX]

Cho breathed in and out, massaging her forehead. "I-I don't know, there's just so much going on that make no sense and Racer here, and sorry I'm saying this, is really not acting normally. Look, I'm your friend. I-I don't know what's going on here but you have to work with us on this and right now what you're saying make no sense...um...unless...unless..." Nervous, Cho moved around, all fidgety and full of nervous tic. "I guess you've been messed with. Someone's been messing with your head the same way they were messing with mine a while ago. Maybe even more. I never told you anything about that. Someone's been messing with you."

"Will...you're...you're psychic, can't you read her mind? Maybe see what really hapenned. There are answers I need and maybe those are answers I'd rather not know but there WAS a psychic in our team and they weren't exactly the most trustworthy. I worry they might have gone rogue. I don't know, I mean, I never managed to get a read on Brainclay. So I hope it's someone else and not them."

Edited May 5, 2015 by RobRX

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica, for once, didn’t know how to react. Thoughtspeed’s every action left her confused. She just couldn’t get a read on him. And it was starting to drive her nuts. She sighed irritatedly. “Fine. What, exactly, was I supposed to say to the teenage girl panicking because no one believed her?” To hell with it. She collapsed her staff and put it back on her belt. “Of course it’s nonsense. Of course the evidence is pathetically thin. One would have to be either immensely stupid or under psychic influence to believe any of it. I prefer to think the latter is the case.” She looked directly at Thoughtspeed. “Yes, I am smart. Aren’t you a perceptive one? Kindly refrain from mocking it. I don’t like it.”

 

Terrifica sighed again, wearily. I despise teenagers. She turned back to the group as a whole. “What was the last thing I said? There’s a psychic involved. Anything could be possible. Does anyone listen when I speak?” I really, really despise teenagers. Maximum emotion, minimal logic, and the active listening abilities of a rock. Except Nevermore. He was excellent. She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger and fervently wished the quiet teenager was here now.

Edited May 5, 2015 by EternalPhoenix

[KnightDisciple]

Thoughtspeed shook his head slowly at Cho's question. 

"I...not really. I can talk mind to mind. But I can't read minds. It's...um."

His helmet had retracted, so they could all see him frown. 

"I can call or text other brains but I can't check browser history or apps or photos or anything like that if the other person doesn't sent it. And even then pictures don't work well. Racer and I could talk really fast, mind to mind, but right now I can't say if any one memory is psychic tampering or really good special effects and smoke and mirrors. I could get a hold of people who can do that but it's outside my...range, I guess you could say, at least right now."

He gave a helpless shrug and a wan smile. 

"Seems like right now I sacrifice depth and power for variety and options. Ask me in a couple years if I can pull some of that off. Or sooner. Who knows with super-powered puberty."

A bit crudely on the nose but not an inaccurate observation. 

[RobRX]

"Oh that's just...j-just great." She shook her head, as the nervous tic came back in full force. She wasn't sure where to go from there; someone had tried to frame her and had presumably altered the mind of Racer, leaving her in this current, unhinged state disconnected from reality and logic. The next step would be to go find her team, or at least what was left of it but could she trust anyone? "Hnng..." Thoughtspeed's little control trick came undone as she collapsed on her knees. It all dawned on her that perhaps there was something about the WYRM she had not considered. That perhaps someone or something had been pulling the strings all these months.

[Brown Dynamite]

Glamazon shrugged at the going ons.  Not sure entirely what Terrifica expected as a result.  "I trust that you mean no insult.  But, still you expect the daughter of the seas to sully her name with fabrications.  I do not spin falsehood.  If I do not believe someone I will tell them.  Simply because Racer believers the merits of cutting Cho open to free Cho or that a princess of Atlantis would partake in the cocaine on an infant does not give merit to her words."

Glamazon didn't really care if it was a psychic at work.  Or simply naivete.  Either conclusion would still end with someone in need of punching.  And while it was fair to say that person was currently not Racer.  They were still out there.  Free to continue filling someone's head with that poison.

[Avenger Assembled]

Eventually the comforting shadow of a Freedom League spaceplane fell over the unhappy gathering; proof that there were still people out in the world that cared - and they probably weren't in the middle of drug-soaked orgies, whatever certain people might claim. Even heroes need heroes to come to the rescue - and so it was, after their distress call was finally answered, that the Freedom League descended on the little warehouse scene to help out the troubled young heroes. 

- 

The Claremont kids, back at Freedom Hall, found themselves in the company of the Raven, who from behind the heavy blue cowl of the armored costume she'd begun wearing recently had many questions for them about WYRM, their friend Rampart, and their investigation at the scene of the 'massacre' at DeWitt. In all-too-familiar power nullifiers, Cho was able to join the conversation; even if their one-on-one debriefings (while the others waited in the hall outside) felt as much like talking to the headmaster as talking to a fellow superhero. It was hard to tell if the Raven was angry or not - but it was absolutely clear she wanted everything. 

-

When Terrifica was halfway through describing the scene of the crime, she realized that Daedalus (whose office they were using) was giving her not the usual stare of a would-be genius who had met his match; but the fascinated look of a man who'd finally met someone on his level. "Fascinating! Were you able to determine the chemical composition of the false flesh in situ?" 

-

In a rooftop conversation behind where the spaceplane had parked, Seven gamely dealt with Phantasmo's gamey scent, not seemingly put off by the zombie's general funk. "And there seemed to be nothing magical on the site?" 

[MisterShoebox]

 

Phantasmo, who smelled a little like rotting shoe leather - one of his few flaws, or one of the few he'd actually acknowledge - shook his head. "Not even an errant bit of pixie dust, duckie." he told Seven. He was leaning against a wall, rotating his usual "Thought coin"; the small coin he rotated around his fingers whenever he thought. 

"But! That doesn't necessarily mean there wasn't any hoo-doo or dark magic nonsense floating around, just that all residue had faded. S'like...weeeell, I don't have a good comparison, but you know what I mean."  He stroked his beard and hmm'ed. "On another note, wish I had thought to scoop up some of the fake blood or whatever was spread around the scene. You could have used your...I don't know...Absolutely Wizard Detective Computer - assuming you have one of those -  or something to find out who specialized in ,making it."

 

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica knew of Daedalus, of course. He was a Freedom Leaguer, one of the very first. Unlike many, though, she didn’t idolize the man. She knew full well she was more intelligent than he was. He’d made mistakes she never would have, but impressively, he’d learned from them. So…she had a healthy respect for the man and what he both had done and could do. With this in mind, she spared no technical detail of her investigations and was rewarded with the respect of the League’s tech maestro. “Unfortunately, time seemed pressing. There were-and still are-missing children. That took priority. That said…I’m familiar with all of the polymers possessing the properties I’ve described, and it isn’t a particularly long list at that. I did collect a few small samples for later testing.”

 

Terrifica reached into her belt and retrieved the samples. They were in tiny plastic baggies, and she also pulled out a few small vials of what appeared to be blood. “If we have time now, I’d be happy to perform the tests.  Convincing professional grade false flesh requires a skilled professional chemist to both create and shape properly. It isn’t something an amateur can often fake, even with detailed instructions. Some of them could have been purchased from retailers in the city or on the internet, however I did note a few custom made pieces. One of which I have here.” She sighed. “Honestly, I’m more concerned with where the blood came from. Even if it isn’t human, that much animal blood isn’t easy to come by. In fact, it’s more difficult to come by than the false flesh, unless you own a meatpacking plant or three. That much blood being purchased from butcher shops would have been noticed. “

 

Terrifica frowned, displeased by her thoughts. “Someone went to an immense amount of trouble for no known benefit. The children could have just vanished without a trace. Instead, clues were purposefully left. A young woman was murdered, posed, and abandoned where she could easily be found instead of in the middle of Wharton or the sea. Clues are supposed to narrow an investigation, not broaden it. It’s…irritating.”

 

Edited May 10, 2015 by EternalPhoenix

[RobRX]

For Cho, the whole thing turned out to be quite a mess which would, presumably, end up putting some 'friction' between her and the Freedom League. At least from her point of view, anyway. The Freedom League had no business prying into her life and that of her team, despite everything. For all she knew, they could arbitrarily decide she was a 'villain' if it suited them or if they needed a convenient scapegoat for this whole mess. The fact was she had not played part in anything technically wrong and until proven otherwise, neither had any of her fellow team member. Sure she had once admired them but after the mess she had just gotten herself in, she figured she was the poorest judge of character possible and so decided to start making adjustments right away.

"So no." She said. "I don't know where the rest of the team is. Either somewhere being told lies and manipulated or scattered all over."

[Brown Dynamite]

"What will become of the one called Racer?"  Thaelia asked openly wondered.  Frankly, she wasn't yet at the point of actually being curious about what the.  Her situation was pitiable.  But, the only one who had apologized for anything thus far had been Cho.  And even that was not a warranted apology as Cho was not the one at fault.  Even Racer wasn't at fault.  Other than the whole attempted evisceration.  That was definitely on her.  Still, Cho would most likely enjoy the comfort of some knowledge..

The fact that they were grilled for information in turn meant that both sides of the table were lacking info on the situation.  If not for that freakishly all knowing headmaster-like gaze the Raven held Thaelia might have held on to that assessment.  As they spent more time waiting she wasn't even sure.  The whole day was a confusing mess.  Whatever the case may be, the Atlantean suspected 

The last time I was on these grounds, I struck a deal with Medea.  This hall is not to my liking.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Her situation will be difficult," said Raven, her cold voice full of banked fire, setting down the pen she'd been using to make notes - but surely the Raven had a photographic memory, or even recorders watching the conversation. "She had the willpower to resist whatever suggestions they were using on the others, but it's clear she'd been the victim of extensive brainwashing. But that's not something you need to worry about," she told Glamazon with a direct tone of reassurance, as much like a teacher's as another superhero. "She'll get the best of care, both medical and psionic. You did the right thing in going to her aid - and in giving her time to explain what was going on."

-

"It's pretty clear what they were planning, at least for you," said the Raven reflectively, looking up from her notes to look at Cho through the eyepieces of her armored cowl. "Jonathan Grant has been a cause celebre for anti-metahuman journalism ever since that Wander robot broke his neck during the Day of Wrath. If _another_ young metahuman went for him, he could use that to restart that political bid of his. Seems he's a man of...ambition." 

-

"It's a sign of what they prioritized," said Daedalus grimly. "Brainwash the young people into believing they had the secret knowledge of the masters of the world and that only they could fight it, manipulate another one into almost going on a mass destruction spree that could have caused a war, and leave the baseline humans as collateral damage. I despise those who use children for their own ends." He steepled his fingers for a moment, dark eyes burning with intensity, before going on, "As grim as the situation was, you and your team resolved it without allowing it to explode into further violence - and without doing further harm to that poor foolish child. You did well." 

-

"Believe it or not, I'm not very good at stage magic," said Seven with a shrug. "I tried it a couple of times when I was in school, but having all those strangers watching me perform just gave me the jinkies." She grinned. "Doesn't explain what I'm doing on the Freedom League, but at least there I'm focused on my team, the mission, or the monster, and not on everyone watching." She hesitated a moment, then sighed, "This was bad, but I've seen these situations get a whole lot worse. At least, as far as we know, the kids are alive and they're not actively causing trouble. Small mercies." 

[EternalPhoenix]

Terrifica’s eyes went cold and her sudden smile was almost disturbingly predatory. “Well. I’ll just have to put a stop to that, won’t I?” She shook her head, and did a short breathing exercise. “Forgive me. I’m not fond of those who use children, either. My childhood could have been a great deal happier. I’m sure you understand how such things go.” She picked an imaginary piece of lint from her longcoat. “I’ve been overanalyzing their motives. Incompetence is always more likely to be an accident than a trap waiting to be sprung. At any rate, I have Jonathan Grant, the plastics, and the blood. More than enough to trace this to a source and put a stop to it.” The compliment washed over Terrifica without leaving a mark. “I did not do well enough, Daedalus. That is what matters. And they are not my team. I would have chosen much more emotionally stable and cautious individuals. Too many heroes believe in reckless courage and violence, especially heroes of the teenage variety.”

[RobRX]

Somehow having Racer under the care of the Freedom League did absolutely nothing to calm Cho's anxiety. She had been played like a fiddle once. While on one hand she had no reason to distrust the Freedom League on the other hand she also previously had no reason to distrust the World Youth Rescue Movement. Sure, it was true, they had shown themselves to be quite the mess as a team but that hardly qualified anyone as untrustworthy just because they had some issues. At worst they had shown themselves to be a little but unscrupulous in their methods but it hadn't bothered her. Now after these events, Cho just couldn't bring herself to fully trust the Freedom League simply because they appeared to be. She hadn't even bought the ridiculous propaganda Racer had been fed but the seeds of mistrust and skepticism had been planted in her.

Unsure of what to do and where to go, she simply stayed in Freedom Hall, sitting in the lobby.

[MisterShoebox]

Phantasmo patted Seven on the shoulder - it wasn't as gross as it could be, as his silk glove covered his zombie hand. It felt like a baseball mitt, actually. "Indeed, duckie! Thank God for small favors!" 

He rubbed his chin and thought. "...You know, Seven-me-dear, a thought occurs to old Phantasmo. I've been considering many a possibility to the dastardly bastards inciting the the little shi-er,heroes into tantrums and acting all - " He twirled his finger next to his head in a "Cuckoo" gesture. "Are there any villains out there with illusion-based powers, not just mind control or shape-shifting? Take it from a performer, duckie, a good special effect can make all the difference." 

He conjured up a small coin and rotated it around his fingers as he thought. "Alternatively, and this is a bit of a stretch but I'm still going to ask - is it possible that the poor young heroes are seeing scenes from alternate realities where the heroes actually ARE villainous monsters?" 

The zombie started to pace, feeling antsy. "A few months back, I helped out Fast Forward decipher a diary that I THINK mentioned alternate realities. D'you think it'd be worth a peep to see if there's anything useful in it?" he asked Seven.