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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 5439746" data-attributes="member: 16760"><p><strong>15 - Mounting Discord</strong></p><p></p><p>[And here's the last bit of the marathon session, supplemented by an email exchange and a phone call or two. The last half of this is unusual, in that I had to write it almost entirely from scratch. A lot of the details were glossed over in play in the form of 'You find this out'; but that wasn't at all satisfying from a writing perspective. I think it turned out all right. SP says everyone's in character, anyway, and he's the expert!]</p><p></p><p>Photon waited impatiently as the hospital dithered over clearing him to see Sirocco. The interactions of patient privacy laws with secret identity issues made for some 'interesting' bureaucratic snarls as he struggled to see his teammate... In the end, they checked his registration number, verified it with the BSA, and called Captain Smith for approval before finally escorting him to Sirocco's private room.</p><p></p><p>The bandanna had been removed to make way for various tubes. Sirocco just lay there in a hospital gown with an IV in his arm, breathing very slowly. (Jon was reminded of Mike with a sudden pang.) A doctor explained to him that Sirocco was in a coma of unknown etiology. "How long will he take to come out of it?" Jon asked, and was told with a helpless shrug that there was simply no way to tell - perhaps in a few minutes, perhaps in years.</p><p></p><p>Jon nodded somberly. "I will be coming frequently to visit him." It wasn't a request. "And I expect to be informed immediately when he wakes. Call this number." He gave Alpha's number, which the doctor accepted.</p><p></p><p>Jon sat next to the bed and took Sirocco's hand as the doctor left the room. "They say it's good to talk to coma patients. I'm not sure what to say, though. Except I'm sorry. I should've postponed the operation until after Tex came up here and performed the ritual. VIPER had been building up a presence here for at least a couple years, a couple more days wouldn't have mattered." He sighed. "Used to be when I made stupid rookie mistakes, the worst that would happen was Erebus would chew me out. Now when I make them, people get hurt."</p><p></p><p>He continued to pour out his heart to Sirocco's inert form, describing his hopes, fears, and anxieties. When he'd run out of things to say, he felt drained but at peace. "It's weird, caring this much about you when I don't even know your name. I can see already that you're going to give me plenty of headaches, but it just doesn't matter."</p><p></p><p>"...Well, I guess that's not so strange. My brother Jason gives me almost nothing but verbal abuse when I visit him in prison, but I love him too. And the weird thing is, I know he loves me back, in his own dysfunctional way. He'd feel terrible if I didn't visit him. Abandoned. Lost. The insults and put-downs are his way of dealing with his fear of needing me, of being vulnerable. I'm the only family he's got except for Cindy, and she can't visit him - she's in prison too." He chuckled wearily. "Visits with her are much more civil - and I suspect it's because she doesn't have much of a bond with me any more. How messed up is that, huh?"</p><p></p><p>"I wonder, are you afraid in sort of the same way? Don't get me wrong, you're a much better man than Jase! Just a feeling I've gotten, though - that you push people away sometimes. Well, whether you are or not... I'm not going to abandon you either."</p><p></p><p>"I really hope we can get back to the high-trust place Shadow-Force used to be in. It's bizarre, trusting someone with your life but not your name."</p><p></p><p>Jon yawned. "I really should go, sorry. A hero's work is never done - you'll find out soon enough." He zipped home and tried to sleep. His body had more sense than his mind; after a wakeful hour, thoughts tumbling randomly, exhaustion claimed him.</p><p></p><p>----------------------------</p><p></p><p>He woke up early to spend some time with Sirocco again. But when the hour grew more civilized, he sped in to talk to Smith as promised.</p><p></p><p>Smith normally frosty demeanor was almost perky this time. He actually smiled as he shook Photon's hand. "We're getting a wealth of information from the VIPER sites. Still a lot of interrogation to be done, but it's clear we've hurt them here. ... It turns out that the marina base was their barracks for this region, while the office building was central command. Their coded link to VIPER High Command slagged itself automatically - their SOP is to put them on a hair-trigger - but there's still a lot to be gotten off their computers." He shrugged. "It would have been better to hit the building first, but there's no way you could have known that at the time. All in all, a fine day's work, Photon."</p><p></p><p>Jon nodded somberly. "Thank you, Captain." "I thought you'd like to know a few details we've uncovered. The Seattle nest leader got out in the rocket, no surprise there. But Hybrid was with him. Our source says he'd been really pensive since your fight, the way he gets when he's getting inspired to go off and invent things. So we may not see him for a while, but when we do, brace yourself. Oh, and the same guy says Hybrid's on a sonics kick lately, for whatever that's worth."</p><p></p><p>Photon absorbed that. "All right, definitely worth knowing. Was the rocket tracked by satellite?" Smith shook his head. "No, it didn't show up at all - and nobody knows how they worked it. I'll bet the NSA is freaked." "Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer guys." Smith actually smirked. "Amen to that." "Anything else?"</p><p></p><p>"Yeah. The DA is going to want you to confirm that a-" he glanced at a sheet on his desk, "Dr. Jeremiah Williamson helped you contain the reactor." "If his middle name is Lucas, then yes he did." "He'll probably call you about that." "All right." Smith added, "That Williamson guy is singing like a canary. I think he's pulling for Witness Protection, and he'll probably get it." "He'll need it. And really, it's the least we can do. ... Did Espinoza and Doyle spot anything interesting I don't know about?"</p><p></p><p>Smith shrugged. "Not really. When you hit the marina, a bunch of lights went on, a number of cars left in a hurry, and then you showed up. By the way, please hold off on talking to the media. We want to keep VIPER guessing a while; we'll release a statement later this week." "All right, I will."</p><p></p><p>"How's Sirocco doing?" Jon sighed. "He's in a coma. No timeline on recovery, but there's somebody coming tomorrow or the next day who can possibly tell us more." "We're pulling for him." "Thank you. Is Captain Struthers feeling better?"</p><p></p><p>Smith shrugged. "Haven't heard from him..." A phone rang on his desk. "I should take that." Photon nodded and got up to go. As he was heading out the door, Smith suddenly said urgently, "Photon, sit back down."</p><p></p><p>Jon did so, brows raised. "Yes?" After a few more moments of listening, Smith hung up the phone and said gravely, "Captain Struthers has vanished. No sign of struggle at his house, no note, he's just gone." Jon blinked. "And his wife?" "She's gone too." Jon struggled to process that. "Who would want to do that?" "At this point, you know everything I do." "...Wow. If there's no objection, I'll take some steps to try to find him." "By all means. Just let me know whatever you find." "I will."</p><p></p><p>Jon headed in to the base, mind whirling. He filled Alpha in, adding, "See if you can dig up anything on Struthers - old enemies, that kind of thing. It's a longshot, but it can't hurt." "Will do. Oh, and Tex called - he's flying in this afternoon." "That's something." "Yeah, no kidding. And Demeter showed up for her scheduled patrol with Beta. She seems really on edge, but otherwise fine."</p><p></p><p>"Alpha?" "Yeah?" "Does it ever get less crazy than this?" The computer sighed. "Not often - enjoy the lulls when you can. Though this Eris witch isn't the sort of thing you see every day." "Tell me about it."</p><p></p><p>"Oh - and I guess you haven't read the papers yet, have you?" "No... why?" "Heh. You'll get a kick out of it."</p><p></p><p>The workday once again passed in a blur; Jon zipped to the hospital frequently to check if Sirocco was awake. He picked up a paper at lunch and did indeed get a laugh out of it: The front-page headline blared, "Mystery Super!" and featured a grainy photograph of his own space-suited form hovering and extending its arms toward the building. The article was full of breathless speculation and Jon shook his head, chuckling. Naturally, they wouldn't guess it was Photon.</p><p></p><p>On a whim, he checked a few super-blogs - just as breathless, with even wilder speculation. As usual, Pagemaster at Seattle Supers was a step ahead of everyone else - Photon was his first guess, followed by Mystra, then by an unknown. (His fourth and fifth guesses were Technoid and Beta, respectively - in fairness to him, largely because fans clamored for them to be considered.) His conclusions were being openly scoffed at elsewhere; Jon wryly noted that his wasn't going to be the only reputation to get a boost.</p><p></p><p>Jon turned up at the airport invisibly again, but this time Tex was prepared. He grinned up at Photon's floating form. "Didn't really reckon on foolin' an old man twice in a row, didja son?" Jon chuckled wearily. "Worth a try." When they got back to the base, Jon broke the news that the ritual wasn't going to be needed. "The situation has... changed." He went on to give Tex a complete briefing.</p><p></p><p>Tex was grave when he'd heard Photon out. "That's some powerful hard news, Photon. Ah cain't conclude much afore checkin' 'em both out." "Well, Sirocco isn't going anywhere. How about we go visit him, and Alpha can call Demeter in to be ready for when you return?" "Ah concur."</p><p></p><p>Flying to the hospital, Jon had little patience with the bureaucratic nonsense. When they finally got to Sirocco's room, Tex checked the young man's pulse, counting beats with a somber expression. Then he touched a rune on his duster and spread his glowing hands out over Sirocco's still form, concentrating. Jon waited with patient trepidation.</p><p></p><p>Tex brightened visibly after a few minutes of scanning, then touched another rune and laid his hand on Sirocco's forehead. After a moment, he nodded. "As Ah thought! He should be raht as rain in a few days. Maybe even to-morrah." Jon sighed in relief, slumping as the air left him. "What exactly is wrong with him?" "Wail... there ain't really any mundane words fer it, Photon..." Jon sighed again. "Well, if you can't paint me a picture, at least give me the crayon stick-figure version. Anything's better than knowing nothing."</p><p></p><p>Tex nodded. "Wail... His... innate, uh, magical energy, Ah guess you'd say, is lower'n a snake's belly. He's got to... build it back up?" He chuckled ruefully. "Ah feel almost dirty sayin' it that way, but there y'are." Jon managed to chuckle with him. "Thanks for making the effort for the unwashed natives. There shouldn't be any lasting effects?" "Nope. But if he'd worn that-there Amu-let much longer, he'd be a goner for shore."</p><p></p><p>They headed back to the base; Demeter had already arrived. (According to her, Eris had been keeping a low profile in the meantime.) They sat down in the lounge and after introducing them and putting some coffee on, Jon started to leave... but to his mild surprise Demeter said, "No, I'd like you to stay, please." Tex debriefed her carefully, asking her many arcane questions about her experiences - he seemed to dwell at great length on seemingly minor nuances, while glossing lightly over things that Jon would have thought important.</p><p></p><p>Finally he said, "So, Miss Demeter, you feel, uh, comf't'ble letting this Eris talk to me direct-like? Or would y'rather relay mah questions to her?" Demeter shrugged. "No, it's all right. Here..."</p><p></p><p>Abruptly, her eyes glowed green, and she stretched, then crossed her legs sinuously. "Ahhhh. It's so good to be out and about." She seemed amused with the whole situation. A rune flared on the sleeve of Tex's duster, and he touched it, not taking his eyes from her face; his own was unreadable. "So, pleased to meet ye, Miss Eris."</p><p></p><p>She grinned. "Wrong on several counts, mageling. We met before, in Dallas. I believe you compared me to a woman who was 'PMS-ing'? And spare me the 'Miss' - I assure you I'm not a virgin. For that matter, I've been married before." Tex shrugged, but there was nothing casual about his manner otherwise. "Jest Eris, then." "That's one of my names."</p><p></p><p>"What would some of t'others be, then?" "You won't recognize any of them; Homer may have been a liar, but he's a widely-read one." "Try me." "Oh, please. Even if you did manage to winkle my truename out of me, it wouldn't do you the slightest good."</p><p></p><p>Tex raised a brow with sarcastic curiosity. "Really now." Eris grinned at him, slowly, showing teeth. "Nope. Not even a li'l bit." (She mimicked his accent.) She gestured at his duster with contempt and added, "You rely on runes. I predate the invention of writing, Cowboy. We didn't use your pathetic little symbols. We delved deeper than you can even imagine."</p><p></p><p>Tex laughed heartily. "I dunno there, Eris! Like that Han Solo feller said, Ah kin imagine quite a bit!" "Keep telling yourself that." She looked at Photon. "Turns out he's even more boring than you are. What's the good of banter when you know what the opposite party's going to say? Shall I tell you what he thinks he knows?" Jon glanced at Tex, a little alarmed, but the older man nodded minutely to him. "All right, Eris. Go ahead."</p><p></p><p>Eris grinned. "There's been whole dimensions of this conversation that went over your head, Science. He's figured out that I'm indeed human, and that I'm inextricably bound to your Demeter. He's decided I fit into the artificial pigeonhole he calls 'sorcerer' and he's trying to work out just what sort of spirits I work with - good luck with that, mageling! And he's determined that my power is tightly constrained by not being in my native body. He is just beginning to be afraid of how powerful I must have been before - how'm I doin', Cowboy?" Tex yawned elaborately. "Not too bad, Ah reckon. 'Cept for the bein' afeared part." "Wow, you're even dumber than I thought."</p><p></p><p>Jon asked cautiously, "So if you're not a sorcerer, Eris, what are you?" She laughed. "It's quite funny, really, that he thinks I summon spirits. In his mind, that's the only genuine alternative to pushing symbols around. You see, what you moderns call 'spirits' are just the foam on top of a very deep sea. Back in my day, there was no foam. Just the sea." Tex scoffed, "Pull the other one! That ain't poss'ble." Ignoring him, she told Jon, "So we dove in. We dove deep, seeking the depths of the abyss. Many of us perished. But those who survived, why, we entered into the raw primaeval concepts of Creation itself."</p><p></p><p>Tex shook his head. "Im-poss'ble. Ain't nobody could live through that, much less stay sane!" Eris finally looked at him, smiling an unpleasant smile. "I said nothing of being sane, Cowboy. Nor am I insane. I transcend your categories." Her voice rose. "I am a facet of Chaos Itself, little man. It transformed me, but in my tiny way I also transformed It. When I finally perish, a small but integral part of Seamless Reality will perish with me."</p><p></p><p>Tex was shaking his head, visibly pale now. He repeated flatly, "Im-poss'ble." She laughed. "You keep using that word! I do not think it means what you think it means." Jon froze, remembering the time he and Sirocco had used that quote, and she actually winked at him.</p><p></p><p>After a long silence, Jon cleared his throat and asked, "So just how powerful were you, Eris?" She laughed. "That Diabolus fellow you lot were going on about last year? I'd have eaten him for breakfast." Jon asked, honestly curious, "So how'd you end up in that Amulet?" Tex's eyes flew wide at that question, and Eris scowled.</p><p></p><p>"None of your... Oh, you can't be serious! That's not FAIR!" Eris folded her arms and sulked before saying, "Sharing a body with Demeter is going to be more tedious than I thought. ... I, well. I fought somebody even bigger than me. An Atlantean necromancer. I realize you don't like me much, Science, but trust me, this guy was the baddest news you've ever heard of. He killed me, but I hurt him. Badly. ... Anyway, my Amulet wasn't designed for soul-transference, but let's just say I was strongly motivated to improvise, given the circumstances."</p><p></p><p>"That necromancer couldn't still be around, could he?" Eris sat up straight, alarmed. "Sweet Chaos, I HOPE not!!" She thought about it, hard. "...No, in his weakened state, he surely couldn't have survived the destruction of Atlantis. And surely he would've popped his head up by now, if he'd gotten out in time..." Jon blinked. "So Atlantis really did exist, then?"</p><p></p><p>She looked at him with utter exasperation. "SCIENCE! Of course it existed! Plato WROTE about it, didn't he?" "Well... yeah, but most people think he was making it up. We've never found any geological evidence..." She rolled her eyes. "Look, Science. Let's pretend for a second that you have an imagination."</p><p></p><p>Jon frowned. "What, you think it doesn't take imagination to do science?" "Frankly, no." "And you accuse Tex of making category mistakes? Sheesh. Enigma said I had the creativity to be the making of a master wizard!" Eris shrugged. "Yeah? If he was so good, how'd YOU beat him?"</p><p></p><p>Jon grinned tightly at her. "I disrupted his teleport." She actually shuddered. "Yikes! Do you have any idea how much that STINGS?!" "Some. I got a sense of him through our contact. ... Tex thinks he had to make a quick sorcerous deal to make it out at all." "OUCH!"</p><p></p><p>Eris looked Photon up and down, clearly reassessing her opinion of him. "There's more to you than meets the eye, Science. You're cruel." She licked her lips and purred, "I like that."</p><p></p><p>Jon cleared his throat. "So... imagination?" "Fine, fine. Let's pretend you dream." Jon rolled his eyes. "I do!" She sighed, exasperated. "You may have night visions, you may have ambitious personal goals, but you don't <em>dream!</em>" "I'm plugged into the universe, Eris. I think it counts." "Big deal! I'm plugged into the MULTIVERSE, Science!"</p><p></p><p>She broke off and said in a pouty, singsong voice, "Demeter says I have to apologize." Jon said with genteel irony, "Accepted in the same spirit it was given." Eris sighed. "Okay, look. Let's pretend you're a MAGE, okay?!" Jon waved his arms and said facetiously, "Look at me, everybody! I'm a MAGE!"</p><p></p><p>Tex stifled a chuckle while Eris gave Photon a jaundiced look. "So, you're a mage. You get good and scared, and you decide you want to vanish off the face of the earth. What do you do?"</p><p></p><p>Jon thought about it. "I suppose I create some enchantments to hide the place I'm living. Don't the Atlanteans do that with telepathy, though?" Eris rolled her eyes. "You're thinking too small. They didn't just not want to be found; they wanted to make sure nobody would ever come looking. How'd they do that, Science?" "Hmm. I guess I'd try to pass off my previous existence as just stories. But I don't know enough about magic to guess how to go about that... even though I am a mage."</p><p></p><p>She grinned triumphantly. "Precisely. You can't even guess. They <em>erased</em> themselves from history, Science. They destroyed all evidence that Atlantis even existed; all the traces in the rocks, almost all the traces in people's minds. After their ritual, all that was left was legends."</p><p></p><p>Jon wondered, "They erased an entire sunken continent? Where did it... go?" Eris laughed. "No imagination. It didn't 'go' anywhere. It <em>ceased to exist</em> - in memory as well as in physical state." "So how was there anything left for Plato to know about, then?" She shrugged. "Their spell wasn't perfect. Just really, really good." "If it just vanished, why wasn't sea level affected?"</p><p></p><p>"You still don't get it, do you? The Earth itself forgot! They made it to be as if their entire continent <em>had never existed.</em>" Jon stared at her. "...They could DO that?" Eris grinned. "Yup. It just goes to show that magic is better than technology, hm?" Jon looked over at Tex, who seemed less shocked than himself... but not by much.</p><p></p><p>After processing that for a time, Jon asked her, "So if you're as powerful as you say, how come you're the junior partner in Demeter's body?" Tex winced a bit at that description, but Eris sighed. "I told you, my Amulet wasn't designed for soul-transference. I've been improvising at every stage... Without going into technicalities, it's <em>her</em> body, and nothing I can do can change that. If her subconscious mind gives me an opening, I can... reach through... in small ways. But as she gets used to me, she'll be able to shut even that outlet off if she chooses."</p><p></p><p>Jon nodded. "Okay. Now, you said before you were interested in being part of the team. That still the case?" She nodded, so Jon asked her point-blank, "How can I trust you?"</p><p></p><p>She sighed. "In general? You can't. <em>I</em> don't even know what my whims will be from moment to moment. But you can trust me to keep Demeter alive - if she dies, I die." "How can I trust you not to sell us out?" "If nothing else, Demeter won't let me! And anyway, what motive could I possibly have?"</p><p></p><p>Jon shrugged. "The offer of a body of your own?" She shrugged back. "I'd take it in a hot second. But good luck with that; I couldn't have done that at my height. Not the genuine article, I mean. There are people who could offer me a vessel to dwell in that'd give them power over me, but that'd be worse than what I have now. Demeter can deny me body-access, but she can't touch my mind."</p><p></p><p>"Okay... I'm still not sure how I can trust you on the team, though." She sighed. "Look, Science. I know we... got off on the wrong foot. But believe me, I'm motivated to be helpful - so I get body-time, if nothing else."</p><p></p><p>Jon mused, "It occurs to me that's not quite the same as being trustworthy, though." Eris tossed her head. "Fine. Ask me anything. I'll do my best to answer." She grinned. "That's not an offer that comes by every century, Science." Tex for his part looked like he was doing his best fly-on-the-wall impression.</p><p></p><p>Jon considered. Since this is apparently a team interview, let's start with a softball question. "Where are you from originally? I gather you're not Greek." She nodded. "From what's today called Algeria, I think - or maybe Morocco, I'm not sure which. We had a small kingdom there." "'We'?" "The mages, of course. We ruled over the unwashed, unshaven peasants." She paused, then said to the air, "Because we knew more than they did, of course. 'Wizard' just means 'wise', you know. ... Yes, of course I bathed. What do you take me for, a barbarian?" She rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't shave my legs, razors hadn't been invented yet! Besides, tastes were different back then. Oh, fine. Yes, yes, democracy, uh huh. They were a little too busy not starving to deal with politics. And I haven't even mentioned what some of our neighbors were like!"</p><p></p><p>Jon cleared his throat, and she started. "Oh, right. Did you say something?" "So I gather that mages tend to have specialties. You've mentioned you're a Chaos mage - what does mean about what you can do?" Eris grinned nastily at Tex. "Modern mages have specialties because they're <em>weak</em> and narrow-minded." Tex rolled his eyes and waved that off, and she added, "There are things I have... philosophical objections to doing, you might say. But it's all about imagination, Science. Name it and I can at least try to do it."</p><p></p><p>Jon nodded, then asked point-blank, "Did you arrange for the Amulet to get shot?" Eris shrugged. "Maybe." "That's not a yes or a no." She laughed. "Have you stopped beating your wife? Chaos, Science, remember? That question doesn't even admit of a definite yes or no answer. I don't expect you to understand... No imag-"</p><p></p><p>Eris and Tex both stared blankly as Jon cracked up into helpless laughter. After an interval, Eris finally said in irritation, "What?!" Jon wound down to snickering. "I just can't believe you had the gall to say that to a certified Quantum Mechanic... and expect me not to understand. We know from chaos these days, lady! Okay, so you engaged in Schroedinger's Plot, got it. Want me to go into technical detail about mixed states? Squeezed states? Decoherence? I deal with this stuff every day."</p><p></p><p>They were both staring at him. Eris contracted Demeter's brows and studied him as if he were a rare and unusual insect - with a poisonous bite. Jon grinned at her. "What's the matter, Eris? Can't have the hoi polloi knowing the esoteric secrets? That's why technology is better than magic, you know - why it's transformed the world in ways you guys never did. At it's best, it's for everybody." Eris shook her head, murmuring, "I knew I should have gotten to Newton earlier." She paused, then added grudgingly, "Maybe you're not quite as boring as I thought."</p><p></p><p>Jon laughed again. "Why gee, thanks!" He was about to ask another question, when Eris' eyes abruptly faded back to brown. Demeter said, "No offense, but I've gotten an awful lot to process out of this conversation." Tex rose at once and swept off his hat. "Of course, Miss Demeter. We'll take it up again when yore ready."</p><p></p><p>She smiled gratefully to him. "Thanks." Jon asked, "One more thing? I need to know if it's possible to have a private conversation with you - without being listened in on." Demeter sighed. "Not really. Eris says she can do the equivalent of sticking her fingers in her ears and saying 'Lalalalalalala,' but that's about the extent of it."</p><p></p><p>"Okay. Hang in there, Demeter." "I'll do my best. Thanks for coming out, Tex... Tell me straight. Is there any way this can be reversed?" The older man said honestly, "Ah'm raht sorry, Miss. There ain't none Ah've ever heard of - at least, none that'd not leave ye worse off than y'are now." She sighed. "I was afraid of that." After a few more pleasantries, Eris' eyes manifested again, and she teleported out.</p><p></p><p>Jon and Tex looked at each other. Tex wiped the sweat from his brow while Jon asked, "You were awfully quiet there for a while... I wasn't sure what I was doing." Tex nodded. "Jest as well. You handled her better'n Ah could've." Jon blinked. "Oh? Why's that?" Tex said matter-of-factly, "Because yore too ignorant to be terr'fied."</p><p></p><p>Jon winced. "So you really were scared, then?" "Oh hail yes, son! Ah didn't let it show, 'cause Ah wanted her to under-estimate me. If she thought Ah was stupid, she might let somethin' slip." "So she was telling the truth about all that stuff, then?"</p><p></p><p>Tex snorted. "Ah didn't say <em>that.</em> She's a terr'ble braggart, that's certain. Some o' what she said was exagger-ation. Some was outraht lies - at least, Ah shore hope so. But... enough was true to make mah hair turn white, as opposed to its current manly gray." "Okay... so which was which?"</p><p></p><p>Tex scratched his head then put his hat back on absently. "Wail... Ah don't think she was good enough to et Di-abolus fer breakfast. A mage that c'do that wouldn't even FIT in this-here dimension. But Ah do think she could'a gone two falls out'a three with him. An' that's more'n skeery enough!" Jon nodded. "Agreed... And all that stuff about the foam and the sea?"</p><p></p><p>Tex sighed. "That's the worst part, son. Ever'thing Ah've been taught, ever'thing Ah've seen fer mahself says it's dead im-poss'ble. But... What she said made more sense than anythin' else Ah can come up with in regards to the current intol'rable situ-ation. If she's raht... Wail, the multiverse is one Hail of a lot more int'restin' than Ah ever thought. Int'restin' in the terr'fyin', dangerous, run-around-screamin'-an'-carryin'-on, Chinese-curse fashion, if'n y'catch mah drift."</p><p></p><p>Jon rested his face in his hand. "Oh joy." "Amen." "Well... I do need to know for certain. Is Demeter really in control? Or can Eris pull a fast one when we least expect it?" Tex nodded. "She really is, of that Ah'm dead certain. Their... union... is downraht bi-zarre. Eris plainly was improvisin', like she said."</p><p></p><p>"Okay. So what's the plan from here?" Tex shrugged. "Ah'll stay another day or so, make sure Sirocco and Miss Demeter are squared away as much as Ah can. But Ah don't reckon there's much else Ah can do."</p><p></p><p>Jon nodded and extended his hand. "Right. Thanks so much for coming, Tex." Tex shook hands firmly. "Mah pleasure, Photon. Ah do think Seattle's in good hands."</p><p></p><p>Jon suddenly laughed. Tex asked, "What now, son?" Jon shook his head, chuckling. "I just caught myself thinking we could get 'lucky' and have Mirror Mask show up while you're here!" Tex threw back his head and roared with laughter. "That much luck Ah'c'd do without!"</p><p></p><p>Then he looked at Jon keenly. "Yer thinkin' like a team leader now, ain't ye, son?" Jon simply nodded. "Yes." "Ah reckon that means yer blamin' yerself over Eris." Jon nodded again. "Yes, and rightly so." Tex shrugged. "Wail... mebbe so. But Eris an' her Schroedinger Plots maht'a done fer Demeter despite anythin' you could'a done. Don't be lettin' it get under y'skin, hear?" "I'll do my best."</p><p></p><p>"Where'c'n Ah spend the naht?" "Well... We have guest rooms here, but with the move happening in a matter of days I don't know what shape they're in..." Alpha piped up, "You'll be better off with a hotel. We've got a petty cash fund for that sort of thing."</p><p></p><p>Jon saw Tex off to a hotel, then returned. "Migraines again?" "Yeah. At least Eris doesn't seem to be affecting me the way... whatever it was... did." "Oh, that's good." "And Jon... Tex is right." Jon sighed. "We'll talk about it at the next team meeting."</p><p></p><p>"I... All right." "I'm taking Sirocco's patrol. Beta around?" Alpha sounded resigned. "Yeah."</p><p></p><p>Jon flew off into the night, scouring his city for those that would break its peace.</p><p></p><p>[Incidentally, regarding Jon's brother Jason, I actually have a short-short I wrote to feel out how their relationship worked and to set up an arc down the road. Thing is, SP felt the arc as presented was tilting things in too dark a direction for this game... But I think it's still interesting as character study. If anyone's interested, I'll consider posting it.]</p><p></p><p>[That's the way things work with me. I've got another vignette that doubled as a retrospective on Jon's time with Shadow-Force, while also setting up a future arc... SP had mixed feelings about the arc, which probably won't get used, but he absolutely loved the glimpse into the relationships in Shadow-Force's past.]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 5439746, member: 16760"] [b]15 - Mounting Discord[/b] [And here's the last bit of the marathon session, supplemented by an email exchange and a phone call or two. The last half of this is unusual, in that I had to write it almost entirely from scratch. A lot of the details were glossed over in play in the form of 'You find this out'; but that wasn't at all satisfying from a writing perspective. I think it turned out all right. SP says everyone's in character, anyway, and he's the expert!] Photon waited impatiently as the hospital dithered over clearing him to see Sirocco. The interactions of patient privacy laws with secret identity issues made for some 'interesting' bureaucratic snarls as he struggled to see his teammate... In the end, they checked his registration number, verified it with the BSA, and called Captain Smith for approval before finally escorting him to Sirocco's private room. The bandanna had been removed to make way for various tubes. Sirocco just lay there in a hospital gown with an IV in his arm, breathing very slowly. (Jon was reminded of Mike with a sudden pang.) A doctor explained to him that Sirocco was in a coma of unknown etiology. "How long will he take to come out of it?" Jon asked, and was told with a helpless shrug that there was simply no way to tell - perhaps in a few minutes, perhaps in years. Jon nodded somberly. "I will be coming frequently to visit him." It wasn't a request. "And I expect to be informed immediately when he wakes. Call this number." He gave Alpha's number, which the doctor accepted. Jon sat next to the bed and took Sirocco's hand as the doctor left the room. "They say it's good to talk to coma patients. I'm not sure what to say, though. Except I'm sorry. I should've postponed the operation until after Tex came up here and performed the ritual. VIPER had been building up a presence here for at least a couple years, a couple more days wouldn't have mattered." He sighed. "Used to be when I made stupid rookie mistakes, the worst that would happen was Erebus would chew me out. Now when I make them, people get hurt." He continued to pour out his heart to Sirocco's inert form, describing his hopes, fears, and anxieties. When he'd run out of things to say, he felt drained but at peace. "It's weird, caring this much about you when I don't even know your name. I can see already that you're going to give me plenty of headaches, but it just doesn't matter." "...Well, I guess that's not so strange. My brother Jason gives me almost nothing but verbal abuse when I visit him in prison, but I love him too. And the weird thing is, I know he loves me back, in his own dysfunctional way. He'd feel terrible if I didn't visit him. Abandoned. Lost. The insults and put-downs are his way of dealing with his fear of needing me, of being vulnerable. I'm the only family he's got except for Cindy, and she can't visit him - she's in prison too." He chuckled wearily. "Visits with her are much more civil - and I suspect it's because she doesn't have much of a bond with me any more. How messed up is that, huh?" "I wonder, are you afraid in sort of the same way? Don't get me wrong, you're a much better man than Jase! Just a feeling I've gotten, though - that you push people away sometimes. Well, whether you are or not... I'm not going to abandon you either." "I really hope we can get back to the high-trust place Shadow-Force used to be in. It's bizarre, trusting someone with your life but not your name." Jon yawned. "I really should go, sorry. A hero's work is never done - you'll find out soon enough." He zipped home and tried to sleep. His body had more sense than his mind; after a wakeful hour, thoughts tumbling randomly, exhaustion claimed him. ---------------------------- He woke up early to spend some time with Sirocco again. But when the hour grew more civilized, he sped in to talk to Smith as promised. Smith normally frosty demeanor was almost perky this time. He actually smiled as he shook Photon's hand. "We're getting a wealth of information from the VIPER sites. Still a lot of interrogation to be done, but it's clear we've hurt them here. ... It turns out that the marina base was their barracks for this region, while the office building was central command. Their coded link to VIPER High Command slagged itself automatically - their SOP is to put them on a hair-trigger - but there's still a lot to be gotten off their computers." He shrugged. "It would have been better to hit the building first, but there's no way you could have known that at the time. All in all, a fine day's work, Photon." Jon nodded somberly. "Thank you, Captain." "I thought you'd like to know a few details we've uncovered. The Seattle nest leader got out in the rocket, no surprise there. But Hybrid was with him. Our source says he'd been really pensive since your fight, the way he gets when he's getting inspired to go off and invent things. So we may not see him for a while, but when we do, brace yourself. Oh, and the same guy says Hybrid's on a sonics kick lately, for whatever that's worth." Photon absorbed that. "All right, definitely worth knowing. Was the rocket tracked by satellite?" Smith shook his head. "No, it didn't show up at all - and nobody knows how they worked it. I'll bet the NSA is freaked." "Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer guys." Smith actually smirked. "Amen to that." "Anything else?" "Yeah. The DA is going to want you to confirm that a-" he glanced at a sheet on his desk, "Dr. Jeremiah Williamson helped you contain the reactor." "If his middle name is Lucas, then yes he did." "He'll probably call you about that." "All right." Smith added, "That Williamson guy is singing like a canary. I think he's pulling for Witness Protection, and he'll probably get it." "He'll need it. And really, it's the least we can do. ... Did Espinoza and Doyle spot anything interesting I don't know about?" Smith shrugged. "Not really. When you hit the marina, a bunch of lights went on, a number of cars left in a hurry, and then you showed up. By the way, please hold off on talking to the media. We want to keep VIPER guessing a while; we'll release a statement later this week." "All right, I will." "How's Sirocco doing?" Jon sighed. "He's in a coma. No timeline on recovery, but there's somebody coming tomorrow or the next day who can possibly tell us more." "We're pulling for him." "Thank you. Is Captain Struthers feeling better?" Smith shrugged. "Haven't heard from him..." A phone rang on his desk. "I should take that." Photon nodded and got up to go. As he was heading out the door, Smith suddenly said urgently, "Photon, sit back down." Jon did so, brows raised. "Yes?" After a few more moments of listening, Smith hung up the phone and said gravely, "Captain Struthers has vanished. No sign of struggle at his house, no note, he's just gone." Jon blinked. "And his wife?" "She's gone too." Jon struggled to process that. "Who would want to do that?" "At this point, you know everything I do." "...Wow. If there's no objection, I'll take some steps to try to find him." "By all means. Just let me know whatever you find." "I will." Jon headed in to the base, mind whirling. He filled Alpha in, adding, "See if you can dig up anything on Struthers - old enemies, that kind of thing. It's a longshot, but it can't hurt." "Will do. Oh, and Tex called - he's flying in this afternoon." "That's something." "Yeah, no kidding. And Demeter showed up for her scheduled patrol with Beta. She seems really on edge, but otherwise fine." "Alpha?" "Yeah?" "Does it ever get less crazy than this?" The computer sighed. "Not often - enjoy the lulls when you can. Though this Eris witch isn't the sort of thing you see every day." "Tell me about it." "Oh - and I guess you haven't read the papers yet, have you?" "No... why?" "Heh. You'll get a kick out of it." The workday once again passed in a blur; Jon zipped to the hospital frequently to check if Sirocco was awake. He picked up a paper at lunch and did indeed get a laugh out of it: The front-page headline blared, "Mystery Super!" and featured a grainy photograph of his own space-suited form hovering and extending its arms toward the building. The article was full of breathless speculation and Jon shook his head, chuckling. Naturally, they wouldn't guess it was Photon. On a whim, he checked a few super-blogs - just as breathless, with even wilder speculation. As usual, Pagemaster at Seattle Supers was a step ahead of everyone else - Photon was his first guess, followed by Mystra, then by an unknown. (His fourth and fifth guesses were Technoid and Beta, respectively - in fairness to him, largely because fans clamored for them to be considered.) His conclusions were being openly scoffed at elsewhere; Jon wryly noted that his wasn't going to be the only reputation to get a boost. Jon turned up at the airport invisibly again, but this time Tex was prepared. He grinned up at Photon's floating form. "Didn't really reckon on foolin' an old man twice in a row, didja son?" Jon chuckled wearily. "Worth a try." When they got back to the base, Jon broke the news that the ritual wasn't going to be needed. "The situation has... changed." He went on to give Tex a complete briefing. Tex was grave when he'd heard Photon out. "That's some powerful hard news, Photon. Ah cain't conclude much afore checkin' 'em both out." "Well, Sirocco isn't going anywhere. How about we go visit him, and Alpha can call Demeter in to be ready for when you return?" "Ah concur." Flying to the hospital, Jon had little patience with the bureaucratic nonsense. When they finally got to Sirocco's room, Tex checked the young man's pulse, counting beats with a somber expression. Then he touched a rune on his duster and spread his glowing hands out over Sirocco's still form, concentrating. Jon waited with patient trepidation. Tex brightened visibly after a few minutes of scanning, then touched another rune and laid his hand on Sirocco's forehead. After a moment, he nodded. "As Ah thought! He should be raht as rain in a few days. Maybe even to-morrah." Jon sighed in relief, slumping as the air left him. "What exactly is wrong with him?" "Wail... there ain't really any mundane words fer it, Photon..." Jon sighed again. "Well, if you can't paint me a picture, at least give me the crayon stick-figure version. Anything's better than knowing nothing." Tex nodded. "Wail... His... innate, uh, magical energy, Ah guess you'd say, is lower'n a snake's belly. He's got to... build it back up?" He chuckled ruefully. "Ah feel almost dirty sayin' it that way, but there y'are." Jon managed to chuckle with him. "Thanks for making the effort for the unwashed natives. There shouldn't be any lasting effects?" "Nope. But if he'd worn that-there Amu-let much longer, he'd be a goner for shore." They headed back to the base; Demeter had already arrived. (According to her, Eris had been keeping a low profile in the meantime.) They sat down in the lounge and after introducing them and putting some coffee on, Jon started to leave... but to his mild surprise Demeter said, "No, I'd like you to stay, please." Tex debriefed her carefully, asking her many arcane questions about her experiences - he seemed to dwell at great length on seemingly minor nuances, while glossing lightly over things that Jon would have thought important. Finally he said, "So, Miss Demeter, you feel, uh, comf't'ble letting this Eris talk to me direct-like? Or would y'rather relay mah questions to her?" Demeter shrugged. "No, it's all right. Here..." Abruptly, her eyes glowed green, and she stretched, then crossed her legs sinuously. "Ahhhh. It's so good to be out and about." She seemed amused with the whole situation. A rune flared on the sleeve of Tex's duster, and he touched it, not taking his eyes from her face; his own was unreadable. "So, pleased to meet ye, Miss Eris." She grinned. "Wrong on several counts, mageling. We met before, in Dallas. I believe you compared me to a woman who was 'PMS-ing'? And spare me the 'Miss' - I assure you I'm not a virgin. For that matter, I've been married before." Tex shrugged, but there was nothing casual about his manner otherwise. "Jest Eris, then." "That's one of my names." "What would some of t'others be, then?" "You won't recognize any of them; Homer may have been a liar, but he's a widely-read one." "Try me." "Oh, please. Even if you did manage to winkle my truename out of me, it wouldn't do you the slightest good." Tex raised a brow with sarcastic curiosity. "Really now." Eris grinned at him, slowly, showing teeth. "Nope. Not even a li'l bit." (She mimicked his accent.) She gestured at his duster with contempt and added, "You rely on runes. I predate the invention of writing, Cowboy. We didn't use your pathetic little symbols. We delved deeper than you can even imagine." Tex laughed heartily. "I dunno there, Eris! Like that Han Solo feller said, Ah kin imagine quite a bit!" "Keep telling yourself that." She looked at Photon. "Turns out he's even more boring than you are. What's the good of banter when you know what the opposite party's going to say? Shall I tell you what he thinks he knows?" Jon glanced at Tex, a little alarmed, but the older man nodded minutely to him. "All right, Eris. Go ahead." Eris grinned. "There's been whole dimensions of this conversation that went over your head, Science. He's figured out that I'm indeed human, and that I'm inextricably bound to your Demeter. He's decided I fit into the artificial pigeonhole he calls 'sorcerer' and he's trying to work out just what sort of spirits I work with - good luck with that, mageling! And he's determined that my power is tightly constrained by not being in my native body. He is just beginning to be afraid of how powerful I must have been before - how'm I doin', Cowboy?" Tex yawned elaborately. "Not too bad, Ah reckon. 'Cept for the bein' afeared part." "Wow, you're even dumber than I thought." Jon asked cautiously, "So if you're not a sorcerer, Eris, what are you?" She laughed. "It's quite funny, really, that he thinks I summon spirits. In his mind, that's the only genuine alternative to pushing symbols around. You see, what you moderns call 'spirits' are just the foam on top of a very deep sea. Back in my day, there was no foam. Just the sea." Tex scoffed, "Pull the other one! That ain't poss'ble." Ignoring him, she told Jon, "So we dove in. We dove deep, seeking the depths of the abyss. Many of us perished. But those who survived, why, we entered into the raw primaeval concepts of Creation itself." Tex shook his head. "Im-poss'ble. Ain't nobody could live through that, much less stay sane!" Eris finally looked at him, smiling an unpleasant smile. "I said nothing of being sane, Cowboy. Nor am I insane. I transcend your categories." Her voice rose. "I am a facet of Chaos Itself, little man. It transformed me, but in my tiny way I also transformed It. When I finally perish, a small but integral part of Seamless Reality will perish with me." Tex was shaking his head, visibly pale now. He repeated flatly, "Im-poss'ble." She laughed. "You keep using that word! I do not think it means what you think it means." Jon froze, remembering the time he and Sirocco had used that quote, and she actually winked at him. After a long silence, Jon cleared his throat and asked, "So just how powerful were you, Eris?" She laughed. "That Diabolus fellow you lot were going on about last year? I'd have eaten him for breakfast." Jon asked, honestly curious, "So how'd you end up in that Amulet?" Tex's eyes flew wide at that question, and Eris scowled. "None of your... Oh, you can't be serious! That's not FAIR!" Eris folded her arms and sulked before saying, "Sharing a body with Demeter is going to be more tedious than I thought. ... I, well. I fought somebody even bigger than me. An Atlantean necromancer. I realize you don't like me much, Science, but trust me, this guy was the baddest news you've ever heard of. He killed me, but I hurt him. Badly. ... Anyway, my Amulet wasn't designed for soul-transference, but let's just say I was strongly motivated to improvise, given the circumstances." "That necromancer couldn't still be around, could he?" Eris sat up straight, alarmed. "Sweet Chaos, I HOPE not!!" She thought about it, hard. "...No, in his weakened state, he surely couldn't have survived the destruction of Atlantis. And surely he would've popped his head up by now, if he'd gotten out in time..." Jon blinked. "So Atlantis really did exist, then?" She looked at him with utter exasperation. "SCIENCE! Of course it existed! Plato WROTE about it, didn't he?" "Well... yeah, but most people think he was making it up. We've never found any geological evidence..." She rolled her eyes. "Look, Science. Let's pretend for a second that you have an imagination." Jon frowned. "What, you think it doesn't take imagination to do science?" "Frankly, no." "And you accuse Tex of making category mistakes? Sheesh. Enigma said I had the creativity to be the making of a master wizard!" Eris shrugged. "Yeah? If he was so good, how'd YOU beat him?" Jon grinned tightly at her. "I disrupted his teleport." She actually shuddered. "Yikes! Do you have any idea how much that STINGS?!" "Some. I got a sense of him through our contact. ... Tex thinks he had to make a quick sorcerous deal to make it out at all." "OUCH!" Eris looked Photon up and down, clearly reassessing her opinion of him. "There's more to you than meets the eye, Science. You're cruel." She licked her lips and purred, "I like that." Jon cleared his throat. "So... imagination?" "Fine, fine. Let's pretend you dream." Jon rolled his eyes. "I do!" She sighed, exasperated. "You may have night visions, you may have ambitious personal goals, but you don't [i]dream![/i]" "I'm plugged into the universe, Eris. I think it counts." "Big deal! I'm plugged into the MULTIVERSE, Science!" She broke off and said in a pouty, singsong voice, "Demeter says I have to apologize." Jon said with genteel irony, "Accepted in the same spirit it was given." Eris sighed. "Okay, look. Let's pretend you're a MAGE, okay?!" Jon waved his arms and said facetiously, "Look at me, everybody! I'm a MAGE!" Tex stifled a chuckle while Eris gave Photon a jaundiced look. "So, you're a mage. You get good and scared, and you decide you want to vanish off the face of the earth. What do you do?" Jon thought about it. "I suppose I create some enchantments to hide the place I'm living. Don't the Atlanteans do that with telepathy, though?" Eris rolled her eyes. "You're thinking too small. They didn't just not want to be found; they wanted to make sure nobody would ever come looking. How'd they do that, Science?" "Hmm. I guess I'd try to pass off my previous existence as just stories. But I don't know enough about magic to guess how to go about that... even though I am a mage." She grinned triumphantly. "Precisely. You can't even guess. They [i]erased[/i] themselves from history, Science. They destroyed all evidence that Atlantis even existed; all the traces in the rocks, almost all the traces in people's minds. After their ritual, all that was left was legends." Jon wondered, "They erased an entire sunken continent? Where did it... go?" Eris laughed. "No imagination. It didn't 'go' anywhere. It [i]ceased to exist[/i] - in memory as well as in physical state." "So how was there anything left for Plato to know about, then?" She shrugged. "Their spell wasn't perfect. Just really, really good." "If it just vanished, why wasn't sea level affected?" "You still don't get it, do you? The Earth itself forgot! They made it to be as if their entire continent [i]had never existed.[/i]" Jon stared at her. "...They could DO that?" Eris grinned. "Yup. It just goes to show that magic is better than technology, hm?" Jon looked over at Tex, who seemed less shocked than himself... but not by much. After processing that for a time, Jon asked her, "So if you're as powerful as you say, how come you're the junior partner in Demeter's body?" Tex winced a bit at that description, but Eris sighed. "I told you, my Amulet wasn't designed for soul-transference. I've been improvising at every stage... Without going into technicalities, it's [I]her[/I] body, and nothing I can do can change that. If her subconscious mind gives me an opening, I can... reach through... in small ways. But as she gets used to me, she'll be able to shut even that outlet off if she chooses." Jon nodded. "Okay. Now, you said before you were interested in being part of the team. That still the case?" She nodded, so Jon asked her point-blank, "How can I trust you?" She sighed. "In general? You can't. [i]I[/i] don't even know what my whims will be from moment to moment. But you can trust me to keep Demeter alive - if she dies, I die." "How can I trust you not to sell us out?" "If nothing else, Demeter won't let me! And anyway, what motive could I possibly have?" Jon shrugged. "The offer of a body of your own?" She shrugged back. "I'd take it in a hot second. But good luck with that; I couldn't have done that at my height. Not the genuine article, I mean. There are people who could offer me a vessel to dwell in that'd give them power over me, but that'd be worse than what I have now. Demeter can deny me body-access, but she can't touch my mind." "Okay... I'm still not sure how I can trust you on the team, though." She sighed. "Look, Science. I know we... got off on the wrong foot. But believe me, I'm motivated to be helpful - so I get body-time, if nothing else." Jon mused, "It occurs to me that's not quite the same as being trustworthy, though." Eris tossed her head. "Fine. Ask me anything. I'll do my best to answer." She grinned. "That's not an offer that comes by every century, Science." Tex for his part looked like he was doing his best fly-on-the-wall impression. Jon considered. Since this is apparently a team interview, let's start with a softball question. "Where are you from originally? I gather you're not Greek." She nodded. "From what's today called Algeria, I think - or maybe Morocco, I'm not sure which. We had a small kingdom there." "'We'?" "The mages, of course. We ruled over the unwashed, unshaven peasants." She paused, then said to the air, "Because we knew more than they did, of course. 'Wizard' just means 'wise', you know. ... Yes, of course I bathed. What do you take me for, a barbarian?" She rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't shave my legs, razors hadn't been invented yet! Besides, tastes were different back then. Oh, fine. Yes, yes, democracy, uh huh. They were a little too busy not starving to deal with politics. And I haven't even mentioned what some of our neighbors were like!" Jon cleared his throat, and she started. "Oh, right. Did you say something?" "So I gather that mages tend to have specialties. You've mentioned you're a Chaos mage - what does mean about what you can do?" Eris grinned nastily at Tex. "Modern mages have specialties because they're [i]weak[/i] and narrow-minded." Tex rolled his eyes and waved that off, and she added, "There are things I have... philosophical objections to doing, you might say. But it's all about imagination, Science. Name it and I can at least try to do it." Jon nodded, then asked point-blank, "Did you arrange for the Amulet to get shot?" Eris shrugged. "Maybe." "That's not a yes or a no." She laughed. "Have you stopped beating your wife? Chaos, Science, remember? That question doesn't even admit of a definite yes or no answer. I don't expect you to understand... No imag-" Eris and Tex both stared blankly as Jon cracked up into helpless laughter. After an interval, Eris finally said in irritation, "What?!" Jon wound down to snickering. "I just can't believe you had the gall to say that to a certified Quantum Mechanic... and expect me not to understand. We know from chaos these days, lady! Okay, so you engaged in Schroedinger's Plot, got it. Want me to go into technical detail about mixed states? Squeezed states? Decoherence? I deal with this stuff every day." They were both staring at him. Eris contracted Demeter's brows and studied him as if he were a rare and unusual insect - with a poisonous bite. Jon grinned at her. "What's the matter, Eris? Can't have the hoi polloi knowing the esoteric secrets? That's why technology is better than magic, you know - why it's transformed the world in ways you guys never did. At it's best, it's for everybody." Eris shook her head, murmuring, "I knew I should have gotten to Newton earlier." She paused, then added grudgingly, "Maybe you're not quite as boring as I thought." Jon laughed again. "Why gee, thanks!" He was about to ask another question, when Eris' eyes abruptly faded back to brown. Demeter said, "No offense, but I've gotten an awful lot to process out of this conversation." Tex rose at once and swept off his hat. "Of course, Miss Demeter. We'll take it up again when yore ready." She smiled gratefully to him. "Thanks." Jon asked, "One more thing? I need to know if it's possible to have a private conversation with you - without being listened in on." Demeter sighed. "Not really. Eris says she can do the equivalent of sticking her fingers in her ears and saying 'Lalalalalalala,' but that's about the extent of it." "Okay. Hang in there, Demeter." "I'll do my best. Thanks for coming out, Tex... Tell me straight. Is there any way this can be reversed?" The older man said honestly, "Ah'm raht sorry, Miss. There ain't none Ah've ever heard of - at least, none that'd not leave ye worse off than y'are now." She sighed. "I was afraid of that." After a few more pleasantries, Eris' eyes manifested again, and she teleported out. Jon and Tex looked at each other. Tex wiped the sweat from his brow while Jon asked, "You were awfully quiet there for a while... I wasn't sure what I was doing." Tex nodded. "Jest as well. You handled her better'n Ah could've." Jon blinked. "Oh? Why's that?" Tex said matter-of-factly, "Because yore too ignorant to be terr'fied." Jon winced. "So you really were scared, then?" "Oh hail yes, son! Ah didn't let it show, 'cause Ah wanted her to under-estimate me. If she thought Ah was stupid, she might let somethin' slip." "So she was telling the truth about all that stuff, then?" Tex snorted. "Ah didn't say [i]that.[/i] She's a terr'ble braggart, that's certain. Some o' what she said was exagger-ation. Some was outraht lies - at least, Ah shore hope so. But... enough was true to make mah hair turn white, as opposed to its current manly gray." "Okay... so which was which?" Tex scratched his head then put his hat back on absently. "Wail... Ah don't think she was good enough to et Di-abolus fer breakfast. A mage that c'do that wouldn't even FIT in this-here dimension. But Ah do think she could'a gone two falls out'a three with him. An' that's more'n skeery enough!" Jon nodded. "Agreed... And all that stuff about the foam and the sea?" Tex sighed. "That's the worst part, son. Ever'thing Ah've been taught, ever'thing Ah've seen fer mahself says it's dead im-poss'ble. But... What she said made more sense than anythin' else Ah can come up with in regards to the current intol'rable situ-ation. If she's raht... Wail, the multiverse is one Hail of a lot more int'restin' than Ah ever thought. Int'restin' in the terr'fyin', dangerous, run-around-screamin'-an'-carryin'-on, Chinese-curse fashion, if'n y'catch mah drift." Jon rested his face in his hand. "Oh joy." "Amen." "Well... I do need to know for certain. Is Demeter really in control? Or can Eris pull a fast one when we least expect it?" Tex nodded. "She really is, of that Ah'm dead certain. Their... union... is downraht bi-zarre. Eris plainly was improvisin', like she said." "Okay. So what's the plan from here?" Tex shrugged. "Ah'll stay another day or so, make sure Sirocco and Miss Demeter are squared away as much as Ah can. But Ah don't reckon there's much else Ah can do." Jon nodded and extended his hand. "Right. Thanks so much for coming, Tex." Tex shook hands firmly. "Mah pleasure, Photon. Ah do think Seattle's in good hands." Jon suddenly laughed. Tex asked, "What now, son?" Jon shook his head, chuckling. "I just caught myself thinking we could get 'lucky' and have Mirror Mask show up while you're here!" Tex threw back his head and roared with laughter. "That much luck Ah'c'd do without!" Then he looked at Jon keenly. "Yer thinkin' like a team leader now, ain't ye, son?" Jon simply nodded. "Yes." "Ah reckon that means yer blamin' yerself over Eris." Jon nodded again. "Yes, and rightly so." Tex shrugged. "Wail... mebbe so. But Eris an' her Schroedinger Plots maht'a done fer Demeter despite anythin' you could'a done. Don't be lettin' it get under y'skin, hear?" "I'll do my best." "Where'c'n Ah spend the naht?" "Well... We have guest rooms here, but with the move happening in a matter of days I don't know what shape they're in..." Alpha piped up, "You'll be better off with a hotel. We've got a petty cash fund for that sort of thing." Jon saw Tex off to a hotel, then returned. "Migraines again?" "Yeah. At least Eris doesn't seem to be affecting me the way... whatever it was... did." "Oh, that's good." "And Jon... Tex is right." Jon sighed. "We'll talk about it at the next team meeting." "I... All right." "I'm taking Sirocco's patrol. Beta around?" Alpha sounded resigned. "Yeah." Jon flew off into the night, scouring his city for those that would break its peace. [Incidentally, regarding Jon's brother Jason, I actually have a short-short I wrote to feel out how their relationship worked and to set up an arc down the road. Thing is, SP felt the arc as presented was tilting things in too dark a direction for this game... But I think it's still interesting as character study. If anyone's interested, I'll consider posting it.] [That's the way things work with me. I've got another vignette that doubled as a retrospective on Jon's time with Shadow-Force, while also setting up a future arc... SP had mixed feelings about the arc, which probably won't get used, but he absolutely loved the glimpse into the relationships in Shadow-Force's past.] [/QUOTE]
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Life and Light: Shadow-Force Reborn (Updated May 8, 2019)
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