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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 1377414" data-attributes="member: 16760"><p>[This was a short and somewhat muddled session. I was feeling under the weather (and proceeded to get genuinely sick the next day), SP was tired... We ended the session early by common consent, because we could tell that our gaming just plain wasn't clicking. We also extended an experiment of letting SP roll for me... which only proved that I can roll poorly even when someone else does it for me! Fear my mystical powers! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />]</p><p></p><p>Alex thought for a moment, tapping his pen idly on the table. The strategic possibilities are tempting, he said to himself... but face it, Alex, if you take the job you'll feel compelled to do it right, even if it is for Legion. "No, Bob, I don't think so." "Why not?" "I don't care for the smell of this job... It's a little too weird. Plus, I have too many other irons in the fire just now." That at least is no lie, he thought. Bob accepted that, though he was clearly disappointed.</p><p></p><p>While Bob was asking others, Alex used his waning mental powers (the drug producing his heightened awareness fading rapidly from his system) to lean on the ranking manager present, a Dr. Harris. (Who he felt would be an easier nut to crack than Bob.) He pushed a sense of nervousness, of uneasiness with the project, at the man, and thought he managed to make a connection. At any rate, Harris began to fidget a bit. Meanwhile, Bob had managed to get Wright - a highly skilled chemist with a reputation for ambition and expensive tastes - to agree to take on the challenge.</p><p></p><p>The chit-chat after the meeting was unusually acrimonious, with the staff splitting roughly into two camps. One took the position that the whole thing was unethical - the chemicals in question having no realistic therapeutic value (the literature said that the client wanted to move to human testing after animals) and - as one noted neurochemistry expert pointed out - probably even being toxic to the brain. Meanwhile the more bizarre details only added to the unwholesome flavor, hinting darkly at illegality. The other camp said (inevitably with a shrug) that the company was in business to make chemicals; if the stuff was dangerous it would never get approved for humans anyway. As for animals, don't lab rats die here every day? And if not us, someone else will make them - why not make the money ourselves? Several knots of discussion began to ramp up into shouting matches.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile Alex managed to extract from Bob the name of the "kid" (a "Mr. Montalban") and the company he worked for ("Cerebral Design") as well as one of the competitors that had also been approached ("BioGenics"). But then Harris drew Bob aside and began arguing with him earnestly in low tones. Alex permitted himself a slight smile, and did his best to support the opposed camp, dropping little barbs about the weirdness of it all. By the time people broke up to go back on the job, he had positioned himself with them - though the more fervent members regarded his "irons in the fire" comment as showing a certain lack of zeal.</p><p></p><p>Returning to his team's lab, he tried to immerse himself in the problem at hand, but was shortly confronted by one of the younger researchers. "Dr. Brighton, what the heck happened in that meeting?!" "I'm afraid I can't tell you." "It's like World War III in the halls today! Can't you give us a hint, even?" Alex considered briefly. "The company has been offered a... controversial... project. We had to sign a non-disclosure about it... I've already said too much." The man's jaw dropped. "That must be some project! Well, thanks for bending the rules a bit."</p><p></p><p>After knocking off for the day, Alex paused, as he often did, in the animal testing section of the lab. He preferred to work with the beakers end of thing himself, but he found the rats curiously compelling on some days - inspiring morbidly bitter thoughts about society that he chose not to burden anyone else with. He let his gaze rove over the cages full of sleeping, eating, mating, fighting rodents, all of them blithely unaware of their true status in the grand scheme of things. As often before, he asked himself quietly if the Shadow's war meant anything more in the end than one rat fighting another, in a cage. Only now I have to fight a rat who can be in many cages at once... I'd better start evolving a pair of wire-cutters.</p><p></p><p>Still thinking dark thoughts, he stopped at home - no messages - and then went to the base. Carlos was soundly asleep. Alex sighed. No sense sitting around brooding... perhaps I can check on the whole Twyla situation before I get sucked back into dealing with Legion. He dressed quietly in his costume, saving the hat for last; the dark avenger's sense of iron purpose and leashed fury came over him with quiet, reassuring strength. The Shadow dismissed his moody Alex-thoughts as irrelevant and went out into the night.</p><p></p><p>He decided to look Ricky up - he went to the same high school as David and his friends, and was, though not popular, at any rate notorious. If there were rumors floating around, he'd be one of the first to hear. After some trial and error, he found the boy lounging about chatting outside a dance club. He became visible for Ricky's eyes alone, then suppressed the impulse to roll his eyes when the boy started as if jolted by an electric shock and made the lamest of excuses to leave: "I just realized I need to talk to someone."</p><p></p><p>Once they were alone in an alley, he noted drily, "Smooth." The defensive reply came back, "Well, sor-ry! You surprised me." "I could tell." Ricky quickly got over his chagrin and stuck out his chest. "Anyway, what can I do for you, Shadow?" "Heard anything interesting lately?" "There's a buncha gang members dying lately. Word is that the bodies are real pale... some people actually say it's a vampire." "A vampire." "Yeah, how stupid can you get, right?" Then, plainly disturbed by the lack of immediate scorn, "Er, right?" "Stranger things have happened... but I think the vampire hypothesis is premature." "Huh?" "I don't think it's a vampire." "Oh. Glad to hear it."</p><p></p><p>"Anything else interesting making the rounds?" He proceeded to pump the lad as blatantly as he could without actually mentioning David's name... Ricky not being noted for subtlety or penetrating insight. The end result was nothing, to his relief. "What about you? Staying out of trouble?" Ricky shrugged. "No more'n usual." That meant he'd been in a fight. Again. "What happened this time?" Defensively, "This guy was picking on a girl, I told him to knock it off, and he didn't. So I slammed him up against a wall and punched him in the kidneys a couple times. He decided he didn't want to push it." At the Shadow's expression, Ricky said, exasperated, "You said to cut down on the violence, and I did! He probably won't even piss blood!" "Did you get suspended again for it?" "Nah. Off school property and after hours."</p><p></p><p>The Shadow seriously debated leaning on the boy again, but gave it up as a bad job. And in any case, Ricky WAS doing better than he had been. (He'd even given up drinking and smoking in response to his idol's disapproval.) "Well... Keep your ears open. I'm interested in any unusual news coming up in the next few weeks." "You got it, Shadow! Is that it?" "That's it." "See you around, then!" The Shadow watched with amused chagrin as the boy swaggered off cockily, proud of being consulted by the cloaked crusader once more.</p><p></p><p>Flying back to the base, he caught a glimpse of something something improbably large climbing a tree in the yard of a house in an upper-scale neighborhood. Dipping a bit lower, he couldn't make much out through the foliage except that it was really big and curiously ape-like in its movements. He tried 'pinging' it... and got back that it was either a really smart animal or an abominably stupid person. ... And also that there was a mind with mental powers nearby. A suddenly alarmed mind.</p><p></p><p>The thing, whatever it was, was clambering over a limb and into a window... but then abruptly clambered back and down to the ground, loping off toward the psionic mind the Shadow had sensed. Now that it was in the open, he got a good look at it... and had to take a second one before he believed it. It was like a large gorilla... but with the leathery hide of a rhino... and with numerous spikes projecting outward from its torso. It also wore an ordinary looking dog-collar around its neck, with studs and an incongruous heart-shaped charm hanging from it. What on earth?!</p><p></p><p>The psionic mind proved to be a man in dark clothing and a ski mask, opening the back doors of a large van for the ape-thing to get inside. Then he got in the driver's seat, revved the engine, and sped off. The Shadow decided to give pursuit without giving any further sign of his presence; perhaps the man would decide he was safe and get careless.</p><p></p><p>During this time, Carlos came online, saying cheerily, "Morning, sir! What's up?" "I'm not sure..." "One of those nights, huh? What is it this time?" Upon being told, he asked incredulously, "You're not kidding?" "No." Then, only half-joking, "And you haven't been drinking?" With a snort, "I don't drink, Carlos." "I know. It's just... wow." "Yes."</p><p></p><p>The van pulled into a parking garage. Rather than risking getting caught by the gate on his cycle, the Shadow dismounted and sent it up, entering on foot. There he found the man, and a woman, working together to change the van's plates. They clearly were quite practiced with the maneuver. While they worked, Carlos managed to track down both plates - the old one belonging to a fleet of vehicles with the California Department of Wildlife, the second supposedly to a private person. Then the two of them, plus the unnatural ape, got into a large car and sped off through a different exit.</p><p></p><p>The Shadow ran back to the cycle and got airborne, but lost the trail. He tried a spiral search pattern, to no avail. [Like I said, SP's dice-gift doesn't seem to work on my behalf. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" />] Sighing, he said to Carlos, "It's a mark of how surreal this week has been that I'm almost relieved. We don't need a distraction from Legion at this point." "Too true, sir! What now?" "I'm heading in. I have some calls to make."</p><p></p><p>Once greeted by Carlos and a fresh cup of coffee, he dialed Grace's number. "Grace, Shadwell. Any news?" "None of note, I'm afraid." He explained about the project he'd learned about at work, and she cursed tiredly. "You said your neighborhood was infested with FBI agents. Are you on good terms with any of them?" "You mean, can I get them to do what I want? Yes, within reason." "And do you know if the government does any work with our end of things, so to speak?" "I have my suspicions, but no solid proof. What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking that involving the government may be just the thing to put a stop to Legion's shenanigans."</p><p></p><p>"I won't be able to get an investigation going on the chemistry project without something solid." The dark avenger smiled without humor. "I know. That is why I'm considering carrying out OmniMetal's plan... only clumsily." "What do you mean?" "Suppose I plant the screamers and gas-bombs in the companies doing the work... but obviously enough that they'll be found. Cerebral Design's project will be the only connection; and when the police can't make head or tail out of the screamers, I suspect that elements in the government will start to get very intrigued."</p><p></p><p>"Hmm," Grace mused, "Not bad... but there's the risk of getting Legion's wind up. At least for now we know it's in LA... what if it moves?" "True. But we can't allow it to get the chemicals, either. Perhaps we can arrange a little surprise when it picks them up." "It won't pick them up with all its bodies," she warned. "Of course not. But it has also occurred to me that a captured Legion-body could be extremely useful. They're all one mind - and I suspect that could be as much a weakness as a strength. At any rate, it's worth trying." "True... What's the next step?" "I'm going to call OmniMetal and sound them out a bit." "Do you want me listening in?" "Certainly."</p><p></p><p>At the Shadow's cue, Carlos dialed OmniMetal and patched Grace's line through. "This is Van Helsing. Get me Torrance." Shortly after, "Torrance speaking. I must inform you that I have been instructed to apologize for attempting to trace your call." "Big of you." "I did not say I was apologizing, only that I had been instructed to do so." "I noticed that." "Now, why have you called?"</p><p></p><p>The Shadow said, "I have bad news." He proceeded to explain about the synthesis project, which got a phlegmatic "Unfortunate," in response. The dark avenger responded, "Yes, very. Tell me, does OmniMetal have any government involvement?" "No."</p><p></p><p>Not mentioning the plan to plant the screamers in an obvious fashion, the sable sleuth coolly outlined his idea to ambush Legion as the chemicals were delivered. "We are prepared to assist. If you give us three hours' warning, we can have a strike force on location." "I do hope they're armed with something better than tasers." "I did not say a security detail, Mr. Van Helsing. I said a strike force." "...I see."</p><p></p><p>"Will that be all?" "I did have one more question for you... tell me, are the screamer fields cumulative? That is, if the fields overlap, do they have greater effect?" "Let me check." The sound of typing came through the receiver, then the disgusted reply, "I am not cleared for that information. I will try to find out." "Thank you." "Is there anything more?" "No." "Good night, then." Click.</p><p></p><p>Pleasant fellow, the Shadow mused, but was interrupted by Grace's incredulous "Strike force?!" "Yes, that took me aback somewhat as well. One wonders what they use them for. Anyway, what do you think?" They discussed plans for a while; Grace pointed out some potential pitfalls, but had to admit the Shadow's idea was worth trying. "Where are we supposed to keep a Legion-body, anyway?" "Er. Good point. Your place or mine?" She didn't bother to respond to the rather weak humor of that, so he asked, "Can you arrange something?" "I'll work on it. Where do you want it?" "Not too far out of the city. Other than that, I don't see how it matters." "Got it. I'd better go." "Until next, Grace."</p><p></p><p>The Shadow stretched, then shook his head. "Well, Carlos, we would seem to have our work cut out for us."</p><p></p><p>[Like I said, it was a rather choppy session. If it doesn't seem that way in writing, it's because I've mercifully condensed many meandering scenes and cut out a lot of dead wood. SP was getting pretty monosyllabic and incoherent by the end, and I was feeling off my game as well. I called a halt because I have a major bit of scenage in mind very shortly, and I didn't want to tackle it in the state we were in.]</p><p></p><p>[Also, I think SP needs to learn to do one adventure at a time and not pile it on all at once. I mean, sheesh! It's almost like Villain-of-the-Week club! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 1377414, member: 16760"] [This was a short and somewhat muddled session. I was feeling under the weather (and proceeded to get genuinely sick the next day), SP was tired... We ended the session early by common consent, because we could tell that our gaming just plain wasn't clicking. We also extended an experiment of letting SP roll for me... which only proved that I can roll poorly even when someone else does it for me! Fear my mystical powers! :)] Alex thought for a moment, tapping his pen idly on the table. The strategic possibilities are tempting, he said to himself... but face it, Alex, if you take the job you'll feel compelled to do it right, even if it is for Legion. "No, Bob, I don't think so." "Why not?" "I don't care for the smell of this job... It's a little too weird. Plus, I have too many other irons in the fire just now." That at least is no lie, he thought. Bob accepted that, though he was clearly disappointed. While Bob was asking others, Alex used his waning mental powers (the drug producing his heightened awareness fading rapidly from his system) to lean on the ranking manager present, a Dr. Harris. (Who he felt would be an easier nut to crack than Bob.) He pushed a sense of nervousness, of uneasiness with the project, at the man, and thought he managed to make a connection. At any rate, Harris began to fidget a bit. Meanwhile, Bob had managed to get Wright - a highly skilled chemist with a reputation for ambition and expensive tastes - to agree to take on the challenge. The chit-chat after the meeting was unusually acrimonious, with the staff splitting roughly into two camps. One took the position that the whole thing was unethical - the chemicals in question having no realistic therapeutic value (the literature said that the client wanted to move to human testing after animals) and - as one noted neurochemistry expert pointed out - probably even being toxic to the brain. Meanwhile the more bizarre details only added to the unwholesome flavor, hinting darkly at illegality. The other camp said (inevitably with a shrug) that the company was in business to make chemicals; if the stuff was dangerous it would never get approved for humans anyway. As for animals, don't lab rats die here every day? And if not us, someone else will make them - why not make the money ourselves? Several knots of discussion began to ramp up into shouting matches. Meanwhile Alex managed to extract from Bob the name of the "kid" (a "Mr. Montalban") and the company he worked for ("Cerebral Design") as well as one of the competitors that had also been approached ("BioGenics"). But then Harris drew Bob aside and began arguing with him earnestly in low tones. Alex permitted himself a slight smile, and did his best to support the opposed camp, dropping little barbs about the weirdness of it all. By the time people broke up to go back on the job, he had positioned himself with them - though the more fervent members regarded his "irons in the fire" comment as showing a certain lack of zeal. Returning to his team's lab, he tried to immerse himself in the problem at hand, but was shortly confronted by one of the younger researchers. "Dr. Brighton, what the heck happened in that meeting?!" "I'm afraid I can't tell you." "It's like World War III in the halls today! Can't you give us a hint, even?" Alex considered briefly. "The company has been offered a... controversial... project. We had to sign a non-disclosure about it... I've already said too much." The man's jaw dropped. "That must be some project! Well, thanks for bending the rules a bit." After knocking off for the day, Alex paused, as he often did, in the animal testing section of the lab. He preferred to work with the beakers end of thing himself, but he found the rats curiously compelling on some days - inspiring morbidly bitter thoughts about society that he chose not to burden anyone else with. He let his gaze rove over the cages full of sleeping, eating, mating, fighting rodents, all of them blithely unaware of their true status in the grand scheme of things. As often before, he asked himself quietly if the Shadow's war meant anything more in the end than one rat fighting another, in a cage. Only now I have to fight a rat who can be in many cages at once... I'd better start evolving a pair of wire-cutters. Still thinking dark thoughts, he stopped at home - no messages - and then went to the base. Carlos was soundly asleep. Alex sighed. No sense sitting around brooding... perhaps I can check on the whole Twyla situation before I get sucked back into dealing with Legion. He dressed quietly in his costume, saving the hat for last; the dark avenger's sense of iron purpose and leashed fury came over him with quiet, reassuring strength. The Shadow dismissed his moody Alex-thoughts as irrelevant and went out into the night. He decided to look Ricky up - he went to the same high school as David and his friends, and was, though not popular, at any rate notorious. If there were rumors floating around, he'd be one of the first to hear. After some trial and error, he found the boy lounging about chatting outside a dance club. He became visible for Ricky's eyes alone, then suppressed the impulse to roll his eyes when the boy started as if jolted by an electric shock and made the lamest of excuses to leave: "I just realized I need to talk to someone." Once they were alone in an alley, he noted drily, "Smooth." The defensive reply came back, "Well, sor-ry! You surprised me." "I could tell." Ricky quickly got over his chagrin and stuck out his chest. "Anyway, what can I do for you, Shadow?" "Heard anything interesting lately?" "There's a buncha gang members dying lately. Word is that the bodies are real pale... some people actually say it's a vampire." "A vampire." "Yeah, how stupid can you get, right?" Then, plainly disturbed by the lack of immediate scorn, "Er, right?" "Stranger things have happened... but I think the vampire hypothesis is premature." "Huh?" "I don't think it's a vampire." "Oh. Glad to hear it." "Anything else interesting making the rounds?" He proceeded to pump the lad as blatantly as he could without actually mentioning David's name... Ricky not being noted for subtlety or penetrating insight. The end result was nothing, to his relief. "What about you? Staying out of trouble?" Ricky shrugged. "No more'n usual." That meant he'd been in a fight. Again. "What happened this time?" Defensively, "This guy was picking on a girl, I told him to knock it off, and he didn't. So I slammed him up against a wall and punched him in the kidneys a couple times. He decided he didn't want to push it." At the Shadow's expression, Ricky said, exasperated, "You said to cut down on the violence, and I did! He probably won't even piss blood!" "Did you get suspended again for it?" "Nah. Off school property and after hours." The Shadow seriously debated leaning on the boy again, but gave it up as a bad job. And in any case, Ricky WAS doing better than he had been. (He'd even given up drinking and smoking in response to his idol's disapproval.) "Well... Keep your ears open. I'm interested in any unusual news coming up in the next few weeks." "You got it, Shadow! Is that it?" "That's it." "See you around, then!" The Shadow watched with amused chagrin as the boy swaggered off cockily, proud of being consulted by the cloaked crusader once more. Flying back to the base, he caught a glimpse of something something improbably large climbing a tree in the yard of a house in an upper-scale neighborhood. Dipping a bit lower, he couldn't make much out through the foliage except that it was really big and curiously ape-like in its movements. He tried 'pinging' it... and got back that it was either a really smart animal or an abominably stupid person. ... And also that there was a mind with mental powers nearby. A suddenly alarmed mind. The thing, whatever it was, was clambering over a limb and into a window... but then abruptly clambered back and down to the ground, loping off toward the psionic mind the Shadow had sensed. Now that it was in the open, he got a good look at it... and had to take a second one before he believed it. It was like a large gorilla... but with the leathery hide of a rhino... and with numerous spikes projecting outward from its torso. It also wore an ordinary looking dog-collar around its neck, with studs and an incongruous heart-shaped charm hanging from it. What on earth?! The psionic mind proved to be a man in dark clothing and a ski mask, opening the back doors of a large van for the ape-thing to get inside. Then he got in the driver's seat, revved the engine, and sped off. The Shadow decided to give pursuit without giving any further sign of his presence; perhaps the man would decide he was safe and get careless. During this time, Carlos came online, saying cheerily, "Morning, sir! What's up?" "I'm not sure..." "One of those nights, huh? What is it this time?" Upon being told, he asked incredulously, "You're not kidding?" "No." Then, only half-joking, "And you haven't been drinking?" With a snort, "I don't drink, Carlos." "I know. It's just... wow." "Yes." The van pulled into a parking garage. Rather than risking getting caught by the gate on his cycle, the Shadow dismounted and sent it up, entering on foot. There he found the man, and a woman, working together to change the van's plates. They clearly were quite practiced with the maneuver. While they worked, Carlos managed to track down both plates - the old one belonging to a fleet of vehicles with the California Department of Wildlife, the second supposedly to a private person. Then the two of them, plus the unnatural ape, got into a large car and sped off through a different exit. The Shadow ran back to the cycle and got airborne, but lost the trail. He tried a spiral search pattern, to no avail. [Like I said, SP's dice-gift doesn't seem to work on my behalf. :P] Sighing, he said to Carlos, "It's a mark of how surreal this week has been that I'm almost relieved. We don't need a distraction from Legion at this point." "Too true, sir! What now?" "I'm heading in. I have some calls to make." Once greeted by Carlos and a fresh cup of coffee, he dialed Grace's number. "Grace, Shadwell. Any news?" "None of note, I'm afraid." He explained about the project he'd learned about at work, and she cursed tiredly. "You said your neighborhood was infested with FBI agents. Are you on good terms with any of them?" "You mean, can I get them to do what I want? Yes, within reason." "And do you know if the government does any work with our end of things, so to speak?" "I have my suspicions, but no solid proof. What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking that involving the government may be just the thing to put a stop to Legion's shenanigans." "I won't be able to get an investigation going on the chemistry project without something solid." The dark avenger smiled without humor. "I know. That is why I'm considering carrying out OmniMetal's plan... only clumsily." "What do you mean?" "Suppose I plant the screamers and gas-bombs in the companies doing the work... but obviously enough that they'll be found. Cerebral Design's project will be the only connection; and when the police can't make head or tail out of the screamers, I suspect that elements in the government will start to get very intrigued." "Hmm," Grace mused, "Not bad... but there's the risk of getting Legion's wind up. At least for now we know it's in LA... what if it moves?" "True. But we can't allow it to get the chemicals, either. Perhaps we can arrange a little surprise when it picks them up." "It won't pick them up with all its bodies," she warned. "Of course not. But it has also occurred to me that a captured Legion-body could be extremely useful. They're all one mind - and I suspect that could be as much a weakness as a strength. At any rate, it's worth trying." "True... What's the next step?" "I'm going to call OmniMetal and sound them out a bit." "Do you want me listening in?" "Certainly." At the Shadow's cue, Carlos dialed OmniMetal and patched Grace's line through. "This is Van Helsing. Get me Torrance." Shortly after, "Torrance speaking. I must inform you that I have been instructed to apologize for attempting to trace your call." "Big of you." "I did not say I was apologizing, only that I had been instructed to do so." "I noticed that." "Now, why have you called?" The Shadow said, "I have bad news." He proceeded to explain about the synthesis project, which got a phlegmatic "Unfortunate," in response. The dark avenger responded, "Yes, very. Tell me, does OmniMetal have any government involvement?" "No." Not mentioning the plan to plant the screamers in an obvious fashion, the sable sleuth coolly outlined his idea to ambush Legion as the chemicals were delivered. "We are prepared to assist. If you give us three hours' warning, we can have a strike force on location." "I do hope they're armed with something better than tasers." "I did not say a security detail, Mr. Van Helsing. I said a strike force." "...I see." "Will that be all?" "I did have one more question for you... tell me, are the screamer fields cumulative? That is, if the fields overlap, do they have greater effect?" "Let me check." The sound of typing came through the receiver, then the disgusted reply, "I am not cleared for that information. I will try to find out." "Thank you." "Is there anything more?" "No." "Good night, then." Click. Pleasant fellow, the Shadow mused, but was interrupted by Grace's incredulous "Strike force?!" "Yes, that took me aback somewhat as well. One wonders what they use them for. Anyway, what do you think?" They discussed plans for a while; Grace pointed out some potential pitfalls, but had to admit the Shadow's idea was worth trying. "Where are we supposed to keep a Legion-body, anyway?" "Er. Good point. Your place or mine?" She didn't bother to respond to the rather weak humor of that, so he asked, "Can you arrange something?" "I'll work on it. Where do you want it?" "Not too far out of the city. Other than that, I don't see how it matters." "Got it. I'd better go." "Until next, Grace." The Shadow stretched, then shook his head. "Well, Carlos, we would seem to have our work cut out for us." [Like I said, it was a rather choppy session. If it doesn't seem that way in writing, it's because I've mercifully condensed many meandering scenes and cut out a lot of dead wood. SP was getting pretty monosyllabic and incoherent by the end, and I was feeling off my game as well. I called a halt because I have a major bit of scenage in mind very shortly, and I didn't want to tackle it in the state we were in.] [Also, I think SP needs to learn to do one adventure at a time and not pile it on all at once. I mean, sheesh! It's almost like Villain-of-the-Week club! :)] [/QUOTE]
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