The Cast-offs.

November 17th, 2007
Whateley Academy
Whitman Cottage.

Valentina DuMont, exhausted from just finishing class, and her roommate is just waking up. April May gets a call from her father, and Valentina is stuck listening in due to her exceptional hearing. Dropping off Holly tomorrow, who is Holly? Ask if Bailey and Momma are coming along, ouch, chicken pox, poor little Bailey. Oh, Holly is her service dog. Why does April May need a service dog? That answer about Bailey, is Bailey a transfemme, a changeling, or is there some other reason April May answered that way about her being a little sister?

At that moment.
The Quad, Whateley Academy

Lyth Ath Tel'Ora, I'm calling her Lyth from now on. Why is she staring at a red-haired girl? Unprovoked attack by a crazy girl, blind teleport to avoid ex-boyfriend, and ends up in the Grove, Lyth has had some bad luck. Crying on her bed in her dorm room, she might need to see a counselor just to help her deal with that visit to the Grove.

Seesh, losing a boyfriend after they manifest, then manifesting herself only to be attacked by her father; someone give this girl a break. Hhm, her changes almost sound like Lyth is turning into a dryad. Bullying, poor girl is going through these unwanted changes, and the other kids think it okay to make things worse, it sickens me. Wait, beings like her dwelled, and she almost lost herself completely by blending in.

Blurry, cloudy shapes appeared to her in a vision, and these somehow familiar beings warned her that those who had taken her in were using ancient magics to influence her to become as they were.

Shit, she is going to have trust issues for a while after that. Afraid of going to Whateley because people she knew before go there, and she doesn't want them to see what she has become. Good grief, give your friends a chance at least.

A little while later…
Melville Cottage
Freshman showers

Ashleigh Hedgeworth, this girl has issues thinking of Fey and Tansy that way, just because they have more noticeable figures. Jealous of her sisters and the figures they might have by now, a rage simmering inside over this, she has serious issues. She can harm herself to cause harm to others, and does so to a freshman girl just because she has a better figure than her, this girl is a psycho. Oh god, I just remembered who this girl is. Pin Cushion, the psycho who is obsessed with her brother, the creep who psychically manipulated Inaba and raped her, then died while fighting Paul Bunyan and his ox.

Lyth is the one whom Pin Cushion used her power on. I wish that psycho would be locked up instead of at Whateley. Her roommate is Jolene, and I already don't like her; she doesn't even notice her roommate is in pain and only cares about finding some boys to have sex with. Lyth can only wear clothes made of plant-based fibers, which is worse than the no synthetics issue that Sidhe have.

Across campus, at Doyle Medical.

Valentina getting her blood drawn, and paid for it.

When the researchers learned that she disproved assumptions about the nature of the Body Image Template, they were beside themselves. Not only had her Template been altered by Regen cloning, but she had gained a form of shifter power, a power thought impossible for someone with an Image Template to possess.

Okay, what the heck? Are the rules of how powers work changing, and are they just learning it as they go along? Is this something that was possible in the past, but has never been seen before, or is Valentina unique somehow in this aspect? Great, the researchers call her in, let the girl rest when she needs to!

Sunlight sensitivity sucks. At least you have a mostly human appearance now. Hemovore, I wonder how many of those are at Whateley. Nearly bumps into Raptor, introduces herself with her codename of Sanguine. Ack, Pin Cushion is one of the last students you want attention from for any reason. That psycho wants to go after UpBeat, Downtrodden, and Inaba, she needs to be locked up for everyone's good. That is why she is after Raptor, good grief, there is no escaping her if you oppose her even once, from the sound of it.

A short time later,
Whitman Cottage.

Val is finally in her dorm room and overdue for sleep, April May is reading a book with the lights off thanks to her powers. Absinthe shows up to drop something off for Sunshine, aka April May. Berlin, MCO, I hope it isn't bad news. April is blind and reads using her power, they sent her a book that isn't in braille, the Berlin MCO showing they are still assholes.

Val reads the read for her, a clerical error, codename already in use, request she make a new appointment to get a new MID. *string of curse words bleeped out*

Agent Leslie McAddley.

Administrations and Logistics Department.

Why do I get the feeling she is an anti-mutant bigot, and this is a trap to lure April May to their office to disappear her. Yes, go with her, Val, for her safety. I hope they can have a fun day of shopping and other things.

Interlude
The night before.
Lancaster, NH

Joy Saundersen, oh crap. An eldritch brace on her arm, run!

Suddenly, Joy was no longer in control. Only Ambivalence.

Someone get that thing off this girl and banish or destroy the entity trapped inside it! 2 dead in a way that makes police officers vomit from seeing it. There has to be a way to stop Ambivalence and save Joy.

Once again, November 17th
Poe Cottage.

Nikki watching Leanne and Koehnes as each waits for the other to start something; Jade is off with Wondercute, Wallflower is with Hank, Billie is sitting on the ceiling, Toni is doing homework, and one-handed handstands, while Ayla is reading a newspaper. Rats, heavy snow, and a red flag flying.

“That would be Ashleigh Hedgeworth, no doubt. My family has had run-ins with her family over the years. Hedgeworth Enterprises has many divisions that are in direct competition with the Goodkinds, however it seems their latest efforts have been to try a hostile take-over of Richmond Industries. Given that the Richmond twins are on campus, it seems highly likely that her parents put her up to harrassing them.”

Dang, that family just makes trouble for everyone. Nikki knows Steven, a creep to the Venus Inc. girls is a good way to blacklisted by all the girls on campus. Dang, Ayla's sources of information are spot on for what happened with Steven.

Inaba is starting school next semester. Ayla knows she is an avatar of a lunar spirit with rabbit features, just how good is Ayla's intelligence network?

Ayla put aside the paper. “Four, and in each case they have had a… negative experience with Jade. The same holds true for five of the catgirls."

Oh, crud. Inaba, avoid Jade and Wondercute at all costs.

The Quad.

Tori Richmond is being tailed by Tiffany Cobb, a shifter who can take on a rat form. Telepathic communication with her brother James Richmond, and he has had it with Ashleigh. Aww, Aquerna always has the best stories to tell.

Ever since the accident and the big changes to their lives, she had lost more than just their parents, she had lost who she was. She was having trouble dealing with it, but James seemed to be having an even worse time.

Lost both their parents and who they were, what happened in that accident, and was it really an accident? Ouch, having to sleep more to escape the turmoil in his own head, I can relate.

February 6th, 2007
Somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains, New York.

Driving along a snowy road in an SUV, Tori and James in the backseat, why are they speeding, or at least not slowing down due to road conditions?

Her parents screamed, and everyone started to panic as another car took the inside lane, and shoved their SUV to the outside edge of the road. He remembered gunfire, and his father turning the steering wheel over sharply. His sibling closed her eyes and hugged him tightly. Then there was silence, the sensation of tumbling through the air overwhelming them. There was an impact and pain, and then nothing.

That is not an accident, that is a murder attempt on the whole family that killed only the parents. I wouldn't be surprised if the Hedgeworths are behind it.

They had to drag themselves through the snowy woods, injured, for miles. Break into someone's summer home and collapse, waves of pain as James' body changed, Tori begins to change as well, the pain is more intense the closer they are to each other, what the hell. Tori wakes James up through their connection, then goes to find her, stupid nightmare memory.

A short time later, the end of lunch service.
Crystal Hall

Aww, James watching a catgirl eat.

James blushed as the catgirl looked over and winked. Looking down at his sandwich, he intently concentrated on it as the girl finished and left.

Aww, she likes him. The nightmares continue, can't get used to it all, used to what? Did they somehow turn into each other? Is that what the physical changes from the nightmare memory are about?

His sister walked over and hugged him. “It’ll be okay. We’ll get through it. Everything will get better eventually. I’m starting to get there, but there are still times that I remember him… but you and I agreed we would do things this way, and people wouldn’t believe it if we told the truth anyhow.”

Okay, now I'm even more confused as to what is going on and the source of their nightmares. Darn it, Tiffany Cobb was spying on them the whole time.

November 18th, 2007
The Quad

Megan Stone hiding in a tree from Springbuck, why does he want to be a thorn in her side? Crud, wind shifts, and he picks up her scent. Ugh, an incel who won't take no for an answer, and now thinks he needs to teach her a lesson, this creep needs a beatdown. Great, he rams the tree and causes Megan to fall, even with her feline agility, she hurts herself on the landing.

A girl with long white hair slams Springbuck with a punch that knocks him backward, a black haired boy causes him to fall to his knees with his power, and Raptor dives in to slash him across his back. UpBeat is the girl, Downtrodden is her brother, so they are bully busters, no wonder Ashleigh is targeting them. Ah, so Springbuck is being paid by Ashleigh. Tori and James know the Hedgeworths are most likely responsible for what happened that killed their parents. Is Tiffany Cobb's actual codename Ratface? If so, she sucks at picking codenames. Tori, with Springbuck involved, Saber was going to get dragged into this anyway.

Melville Cottage
Ashleigh Hedgeworth’s room

Ashleigh, just because someone is a known troublemaker and frequent detention-earner, it doesn't mean they will work with you. Eww, she is using sex to get Springbuck to work for her, I thought she had some standards. Ashleigh, you learned a horrible lesson from your mother. Oh shit, she followed her mother to something she shouldn't have seen, is this one of the reasons she is so messed up? *tries not to throw up* Her mother is evil!

Ashleigh had run back to her room, sitting in the dark, crying and utterly terrified. She wet the bed for the next two weeks, and her father beat her for it.

The trauma of witnessing that horror with her mother involved warped Ashleigh's mind; it doesn't excuse her crimes, but it sure does explain why she is so twisted.

Great, so she is going after the Richmond twins, tormenting them, all at the behest of her father. Crap, nevermind, she considers it fun. The Bad Seeds have some members who might go along with your plans, but I doubt you will like the price they will ask. You leave Lyth alone!

November 18th
Whateley Front Gate

April May has a right to be nervous, turning down Val's offer to go with her because of her sunlight sensitivity is nice, but you need a friend with you. Dang, her father, is there to drop off Holly and leave. April May needs her family now. All those things for Holly, and April May needs help putting things away. Val gets to meet Holly and is told about things back home. Aww, Holly likes Val, that is rare for an animal.

Across the Campus
Beck Library

An email about rules for service animals, familiars, and non-combatant associated entities was sent out across campus. And Ashleigh considers it taking away her rights, the psycho. This is great, if she harms Holly, or any other such animal, familiar, etc., on campus, she can be expelled and prosecuted. Who is the girl lounging on top of Ashleigh's bookshelf, watching her?

Ah, Megan Stone, does one of her powers make her hard to notice, I forget. Yes, Megan, the Richmond twins don't realize how truly dangerous Ashleigh is.

November 23rd, 2007
Berlin, New Hampshire

The thing that was once Joy Saundersen, crap, don't tell me it is too late to save her. Whatever is inside that eldritch brace has left her little more than a feral creature.

Joy sat in her room, banging her head on the padded walls. She had been in ARC for what seemed like forever, but in reality it had been only two and a half years. Thoughts came unbidden to her. Horrible thoughts. Officially, her diagnosis was Depression, PTSD, and severe schizophrenia. She was once a normal, happy girl...

But that was before the car crash.

ARC, she was sent to ARC because whatever has latched onto her is that bad. How did she escape?

August 8th, 2006
Methodist Hospital
Peoria, IL

Above it said two and a half years, it would have to be 1 and a half years if this date is right. A drive to a fun day at the circus, a slick road, a semi truck with a load of lumber, forced off the road, slamming into the semi and flipping over several times, good lord, this is the kind of thing I have nightmares about. Joy was impaled on a broken piece of wood. How did she just blackout and wake up in the hospital? Why do they think she wasn't injured in the accident?

Crap, mother and sister in surgery, low on blood of their type. She says the board went through her stomach, the doctor cuts her arm with a scalpel, but it heals as fast as he cuts. They used her blood, shit! Oh god, this is why they treat regenerator blood as a biohazard, this is nightmare fuel. Her poor sister and mother. Depression and PTSD, Joy wishes for death, but her regeneration is too fast to let her; no wonder they sent her to ARC. Otherwise, her regenerative blood could spread with each attempt she makes on her life.

Who freed Joy when she was in that mental state? She goes out of her cell, and a figure is lurking ahead of her.

Saturday, November 18, 2006
Arc, Black Section
High Security Prisoner Storage Vault

Who is this insane individual who can turn others into zombies so rapidly after they are killed? This is beyond creepy to watch.

Alarms are going off as Joy wanders without purpose.

Thus it was that she stumbled into the mystical artifact lock-up.

Shit, someone who is near-unkillable with her broken mind and an artifact dangeorus enough to be locked up in ARC. It called out to her in her mind, a mysterious golden cuff. It possessed her. And all this happened when Fey and others were at ARC and helped deal with Maelstrom, crap. It has been so long that I forgot Maelstrom can do that to those he kills.

November 23rd, 2007
The Gates of Whateley Academy.

Genevieve Hedgeworth is waiting for her daughter. The gargoyles' heads turned towards her!

The fact that such high-level magical guardians were in place at the front gate truly impressed her, They might even be a challenge for her, if she ever decided to forcibly enter the campus. That was not her intention this day, however and seeing the Headmistress flying towards her seconded that thought.

Only permitted on campus with prior clearance, glad to see Mrs. Carson takes such measures with some of the more dangerous parents.

A day of shopping with her daughter, sure that's all you are here for.

Carson glared but didn’t take the bait. “The sophisticated act won’t get you anywhere, I know of your history. Circe filled me in.”

“Ah, yes. How is my old friend?” The interloper questioned.

She is that big a threat. *gulp* And she is the one who Mrs. Carson had a battleship backing her up to deal with last time, okay, she is an extreme threat. Evil Eye, darn, I would have realized sooner if I just remembered her codename. Fey and Tennyo, those two are more than enough to deal with Evil Eye. Good, they only had to deal with her for 5 more minutes until Ashleigh arrived, and they left.

Thirty minutes later, in front of Schuster Hall.

Rosalyn Dekkard is assessing the kids she is escorting today. Saber, Sanguine, Raptor, Sunshine, UpBeat, and Downtrodden, I wonder why they are going today. Hehe, Val having that effect on Rosalyn, watch yourself, Rosalyn.

Donna Feidler is right, these kids need better disguises so they don't stand out. Ah, so most of them are going to the mall, while April and Val are going to the MCO office to deal with the MID and the new codename mess with April. I hope the MCO appointment isn't long so April and Val can enjoy the mall. 7 PM is a lot of time for trouble to spring up. 9:30 am appointment, boy, they have a long time to enjoy the mall and trouble to find them.

Idiots try to bar their way due to Holly, April knows all the laws pertaining to service animals, don't screw with you, MCO creeps. Irritated, yet they have to let her in or break the law. Ugh, tries to throw the intern under the bus about the communication not being in braille.

Valentina cleared her throat. “If you were about to try to throw that girl with the green hair that delivered the letter under the bus, I suggest you rethink that. An intern wouldn’t be in the position to handle such an important communication, beyond the task of delivering it. Now I’ve heard that there are many good agents in this office, but likewise I’ve heard there are also those that are not so inviting to my kind. It’s my understanding that the girl you are trying to throw under the previously stated bus is close to the director of this office, and handles complaint forms from Whateley Academy. Now if you don’t want her to learn that you tried to blame this on her, I would suggest putting your prejudices aside, and actually do your job.”

In other words, don't try to blame Absinthe for your screwups or deliberate acts of bigotry. Corona, a good codename for a light wielder who is blind.

Good, they are finally done with this BS and dealing with bigots. I wish the good agents had been around to read the bad ones of the riot act.

Valentina gave a habitual nod, and responded. “Yeah, but you handled it much better than I would have. If it had been me, I would have had to resist the urge to flash my fangs and ask ‘can we hurry it up, I’m getting hungry’…”

I'm with Val, I wouldn't be able to resist doing such a thing to get to the bigots. Ack! Donna likes 1950s music, the torture!

The food court, near the Walmart entrance.

Bwahaha, I can't believe Val said that line after sitting by the others after finding them in the food court. Oh, good, Rosalyn knows the rumors about Pin Cusion having it out for a couple of them, mutual alliances being a good thing to have. Yikes! That is what happened to Rosalyn, aka Blackrose, old training team. I knew BMA could be dangerous, but someone dying from an awkward fall. Safety in numbers, trust her on this, a lot of students at Whateley have had to do this due to bullies and worse, teaming up.

Yes, pet Holly, she deserves all the pets. Raptor knows about the ones Pin Cushion has already gathered to her. Awkward, that is some way for a girl to manifest her powers for the first time. April is so upbeat despite it. Raptor, aka Annalea or Lea, has had it rough; the organization behind turning people into cryborg mutant-killers needs to be stopped. Valentina or Val, and her tale of woe, she turned into a 'monster' and fled into the sewers of New York, meeting the woman she considers her sister and drinking her blood.

gained the ability to shift into this form. The scientists think that my subconscious influenced the change with pop-culture references like Morticia Addams, Lily Munster, and Elvira, among others.

Huh, I wondered about her appearance.

The way Tori stalls before saying brother, there is a lot they aren't saying about what happened to them. The loss of their parents, the changes and pain, how they survived in that cabin, and then leading the rescue party to the SUV. Tori needs all the support she can get right now; Holly is a very good dog. Megan, aka Meg, tells the tale of being a small kid and picked on, her mother working at the LaBrea Tar Pits Museum, and what the bullies did that led to her getting the spirit of a Smilodon.

“I’m unfortunately stuck with a very strict diet. I’m a hemovore. I can handle water and the occasional liquid dairy product, but that’s about it. My digestive system can’t handle regular foods. It’s fine though, my taste buds changed as well. Things like this cherry water are okay, but blood actually tastes good to me, and I can tell the differences between species and even blood types.”

Boy, that is a sharp sense of smell and taste. Val's mother has a new kid and has moved on, I remember that, ouch. Megan's father, I wish more of these kids had good, loving parents who could accept them no matter what.

Nearby, at the Starbucks in the food court.

Crap, Ashleigh and her mother are here, all because Genevieve sensed something interesting was going to happen here. Crap! Very old magic approaching, I knew trouble would find them.

“Perhaps I would, if you would be more honest with me. We celebrated your thirty-sixth birthday this spring, but I’ve been hearing stories around school about you fighting the head of the Mystical Arts department during World War Two. Also, there is the whole thing about you and the Headmistress getting in a fight, and you being shot by the Battleship New Jersey. That story has been floating out there a long time… but the ship was decommissioned in 1991. I can't believe you fought her when you were a teenager. If the stories about you fighting Circe are true, you are more likely at least 136 years old.”

With a chuckle Genevieve looked to her oldest daughter. “You are a couple thousand years off, but close enough.”

A couple thousand years, crap, what was she known as in the past?

Ewww! Ashleigh, that is beyond sickening. Blood sacrifices of young girls regularly, her mother is a monster. Demon Azazel! Shit, this is far worse than I could have imagined.

Ignoring the eye-rolling, The elder Hedgeworth continued. “In exchange for a thousand years of servitude, he healed me and brought forth my dormant mutant powers, enhancing them while doing so.”

And for the next thousand years, I traveled the world in his service, doing his bidding. After he released me from his service, I continued my journey. I mingled with so many famous people, and witnessed so much of history. I was at the Sermon on the Mount, witnessed the black death as it spread across Europe. I saw the rise of the Catholic Church, and saw the Crusades. I shared a bedchamber with Napoleon as he planned his conquests, and predicted the persecution of religious minorities by Isabella the First and Ferdinand the Second.”

Ashleigh was astounded. “You slept with Napoleon?”

A smirk crossed Genevieve's face. “Napoleon, Beethoven, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Leonardo DeVinci, Henry the Eighth, Otto von Bismarck, there have been so many.”

Okay, she is far worse than any of the previous stories led me to believe. Ancient, evil, and twisted.

“Your little sisters are the five hundred thirteenth and five hundred fourteenth children I have birthed. I loved each one, and I love you.

All those children over the ages, lost to her because they don't share her longevity, how has she not lost her sanity from the repeated loss? Jean D' Arc was a descendant of hers and she dealt with her, crap. And she could sense all that about Fey and Tennyo, she is crafty, ancient, powerful, and twisted, just what we don't need right now, with the plans to deal with the Bastard looming in the future.

Office of the Headmistress
Whateley Academy

Carson thanks Fey and Tennyo for their help; Tennyo's family is away on CIA business, while Fey's dad was called to Washington. Now, for Carson to fill in the girls about Evil Eye and the past encounters Circe and she have had with the wicked woman. Because these two might face Evil Eye in the future.

Seeing the girl’s apprehension, Carson continued. “Miss Reilly, she is rumored to have mentored Darrow early in his career. She must NEVER find out about the world tree sapling.”

She would storm Whateley to steal the sapling for her schemes if she found out.

Starbucks Coffee
Berlin, NH

Ashleigh asks why her mother revealed all her secrets to her now.

“That is true, however there are always exceptions. With your regeneration as high as it is, as well as being an exemplar, your aging will probably slow down by a considerable degree, so you will likely be around for several hundred years. Given that I don’t age, we will be together for a long time. Plus, I have a task for you, one that should benefit both of us in the long run.”

Ashleigh around for centuries, nooo! Emmanuel, the son of Francis Fitzgerald, and one of the few children not to inherit the mutant gene from their mother. Born in 1920, he is still alive and in a memory ward of a senior citizen facility. That is why immortality is a blessing and a curse, you outlive the ones you love.

Across the food court.

Rosalyn suggests they pick a name for their mutual protection group and make it official. Aww, April can't be a part of a combat training team, but she can be a part of their mutual protection group since they are all friends. Yes, listen to Rosalyn, don't let a cute girl with puppy-dog eyes and a genki girl rope the rest of you into a name that sticks and confuses others.

They all lost something, even Megan lost her innocence about her father and who he is. So this is how they get the name Cast-offs, highly appropriate for this group. Oh, good, Val and Saber know about Ashleigh and her mother being in the food court, also being there before they arrived, so not stalking them.

Meanwhile, across the food court.

Ashleigh is curious about the job her mother has for her, uh oh.

“Don’t be afraid, It’s nothing dangerous. There is a girl that will be arriving during winter break that I’ve been… helping with some issues with her appearance. There is a final magical treatment she’ll need. However if she gets it before she arrives at the school, it might be used as a reason to prevent her from entering. Additionally, Since I’m not allowed on campus, the wards and mystical security would keep me out.”

Crap, the innocent soul being twisted by this monster into a weapon against Inaba. Good, the wards and mystical security prevent her from doing something stupid like trying to break into Whateley to steal the World tree sapling, even if she found out about it.

“Yes,” her mother replied “If I were to try to cross the threshold into the campus, there would be some very dangerous results for me. But, back to the task. I need you to simply act as a courier, taking the final spell past the wards and guardians. It should be undetectable within you. You will know when and how to give it to her.”

Crap, Inaba and the school are in serious danger if this plot succeeds. Too late, Evil Eye has already placed the spell and knowledge of how to pass it on into Ashleigh.

Meanwhile, roughly fifty yards away…

Rosalyn, April, Annalea, and Val were at the tables, while Megan, Tori, and James went to get more food. A packed food court, and suddenly a loud crashing sound as the exterior glass doors shattered. Wait, shambling, shit, it is Ambivalence, everyone, run!

Sanguine is right, Rosalyn needs to get April and Holly out of there and call the school. And Rosalyn is right, help evacuate people and escape yourselves, that creature is too powerful.

Nearby.

Genevieve, you call this interesting, you are nuts.

“My dear, things are about to get interesting. Do you see the bronze-colored bracer on the girl’s arm? That’s what’s known as an armor mimic. It is said that long ago, before I was around, there was a great war with a monster known as the Bastard on one side, and the Humans, Sidhe, and others on the other side. In this great war, the Bastard had many skilled artisans and mages producing weapons for him. One such creation were the mimics. A sentient piece of armor, they are a parasite. They take over the wearer and use them as a host, consuming them. The fact that girl looks to be keeping pace with the damage inflicted to her body means that she must have regeneration greater than yours. A Mimic will bond to a host, sending tendrils into their body, manipulating it. As they control it, they slowly drain it of all nutrients and minerals. Nobody knows if the host’s consciousness remains, as they have no control over their body, and to the best of my knowledge, no telepath has ever been able to breech the parasite’s mental shielding.”

Okay, that description almost made me puke, only the Bastard would have something like armor mimics made. I knew that thing was bad, but this goes beyond even nightmare fuel. Darn it! Don't fight the creature, girls, listen to Rosalyn! Ugh, using this as a chance to study them as they fight so Ashleigh will know how to better deal with them in the future, you make me sick, Genevieve.

Back in the food court.

Sanguine has some good advice for the team's tactics against an unknown foe. All that work and the damage has already healed; they need to flee.

A short distance away.

Evil Eye asks Pin Cushion about the team starting with the twins. So she is filled in on what Pin Cushion knows, starting with UpBeat. James can cause mental fatigue and physical fatigue, now, those are some serious debuffs. Ack! The mimic turned into a lance and got Saber in the shoulder. Targeting Raptor over that, so petty.

Sanguine in bat form and in the fray, Pin Cushion sure knows a lot about her. Sanguine is thrown into the ceiling, now she is down, I knew they should have run. Now, about Saber, she suspects she is probably an Avatar.

“Well, they have overlapping powers. Lack of ranged attacks. Too much redundancy, not enough variety.”

Her mother says to think about this when recruiting. Pin Cushion thinks they are doomed, but is told not to count her chickens.

Darn, they were starting to overpower it, but that darn mimic made Saber lose her grapple, and UpBeat kicked at. Crap, Saber's knee is dislocated. Raptor slams their foe, narrowly avoids a counterattack, and takes to the air to distract them. A distraction by UpBeat lets Saber get their foe into a grapple again, only for her to lose her grip. Their foe uses Saber to attack Raptor, now, both are unconscious, UpBeat is the only one left standing.

Crap, UpBeat has hit her upper limit on absorbed kinetic energy. UpBeat readies to be killed, only to be rescued at the last moment.

Looking up, she saw the zombified girl laying across the parking lot, a silvery man stood over her. Overjoyed, Tori mumbled. “It’s the Silver Surfer. We’re safe.” Then she collapsed to the ground, totally spent.

Man, she is really out of it, I hope their stays in Doyle won't be too long. Langley Paulson, so that is who rescued her. We rarely get to see him in his armor. Elyza Grimes is there, casting a healing spell on Tori, while Caduceus deals with the others.

Liz Carson, Lillian Dennon, and Langley Paulson, now that is a powerhouse lineup. Bound and a call for ARC to deal with her, I hope they can get the armor mimic off her. Carson is upset that Evil Eye did nothing when she could have contained the armor mimic easily.

Raising her hand and holding it out in front of her, Evil Eye invoked a sorcerer’s oath. “I do swear by the law of Soloman that I had no part in the creation of this Mimic, the bonding of it to this girl, or any part of it being here. It was long ago, but I grew up in a village smaller than this charming little hamlet. I came here for… nostalgia, it’s not often that I get to enjoy a quiet day in the country. That being said, It’s time my daughter and I left. We have shopping plans in Boston. I will have her back to the campus Sunday night.”

Boy, swearing a sorcer's oath just to get Carson off her back on the matter, she really doesn't like dealing with Mrs. Carson, does she. Poor Holly, that armor mimic is so unnatural it would scare humans if they had an enhanced sense of smell.

Doyle Medical Center,
Whateley Academy.
The next day

What is the secret of the Richmond twins? Will we find out soon, or will it be many stories from now? Tune in next time for possible clues.

This was a great way to get to know so many different characters and for them to join together as friends, and for mutual protection. I loved learning more about the characters introduced in their own stories and the new characters as well.

I knew Pin Cusion was bad, but not this bad. Nor did I realize why she is so twisted; her mother makes her look like a saint. she never had a chance at a normal life, or even sanity, with a mother like Evil Eye. I can only hope that her schemes against the Cast-offs backfire and Evil Eye's scheme for the poor friend of Inaba backfire as well.

The MCO seems to think they are the law sometimes, they need to learn all the laws before they try even bending them. Not knowing the laws about service animals, even I know the basics of those. I hope April doesn't have to deal with any more idiots trying to bar Holly from places she is allowed as a service animal.

The Richmond twins; I'm most curious about their secret and why they are so scared of the Hedgeworths finding it out.

Genevieve, from previous stories, we knew she was evil and manipulative, along with being at least a century old. What was revealed in this story blew that all away. I could have never imagined she was thousands of years old and made a deal with Azazeal to serve him in exchange for saving her life and power.

Joy, I know she was probably just made to be a threat for the story, but I can't help but wish they could do something for her.

I can't wait for future stories with each of the Cast-offs and their foes.