Brief Glimpses 3 by Morpheus

When it Rains it Pours

Whateley Academy, Thursday Dec 20th, 2007

Emily Tran, ouch, this is Downpour, poor girl. Meeting with Bunsen to buy something, oh no. I knew it, drug dealer, this is bad. Drugs to make her feel good, nooo! There are so many ways this could go wrong.

They all seemed excited and happy, though Emily couldn’t quite relate. She wasn’t even sure that she even remembered what those things felt like.

Please say this severe depression isn't because of her powers and can be treated. That talk from Iron Rose and Hippolyta, the good alternative that Hippy thinks of has to be the Amazons, and their training team name is what leads to Gen 2's Amazons! Rose asks Downpour how she is doing today. She says she is fine. Please, someone stop her from using those drugs!

Home

Home Montanna, Sunday Dec 23rd, 2007

Darqueheart in Home, staying with Sapphire's family for Christmas.

“Norman Rockwell meets Frank Kafka.”

Sounds interesting. Mrs. Henderson, a 7-foot-tall tree woman who runs the gardens, just perfect. Huh, tunnel system and red flag days just like Whateley, good way to keep people safe.

Darqueheart had been here for a couple days already, and she was still surprised by how large and spacious the tunnels and caverns were. Unlike with the tunnels at school, she didn’t feel claustrophobic in the least.

Now that is a great place to live underground. Ruby, Opal, and Emerald are precocious little kids, asking if they have any treats, then once getting the treats, dash off. None of them have manifested yet and are already that fast. Please, for the sake of their mother and everyone else, don't let any of them be a speedster!

Ebon Scale, I wonder if Diamondback will get close to that big when she is finished growing.

“At least they have Sapphire as a role model,” Darqueheart offered, only to have Ebon laugh.

“My little Sapphire was every bit as energetic when she was their age,” the large snake woman said with an amused look. “You should have seen the time she decided she was an anaconda, and tried to wrap around nearly everyone in town. Most of the time, she could only wrap around their legs or tails.” She swished her own tail for emphasis.

Aww, young Sapphire sounds adorable.

“Oh really?” Darqueheart asked with an evil grin. “Tell me more.”

“Don’t you dare,” Sapphire hissed.

Sapphire’s mother seemed even more amused by that reaction. “Fear not, I will keep your secrets…for now. However, I reserve the right to share the story should you bring home a romantic suitor.”

Bwahaha, a parent who warns you first; you are lucky for that, Sapphire.

“Yes,” Sapphire agreed. “I will not bring any boyfriend home. Ever.”

“Monkeywrench will really miss out,” Darqueheart commented, only to see Sapphire blush.

“What about you and Chris?” Sapphire quickly demanded before her mother could jump on that comment. “Aren’t you a couple now?”

“I’m not quite sure what we are yet,” Darqueheart admitted, knowing that if it hadn’t been for her black skin, she would have been blushing furiously. “We’re still…figuring things out.”

Teasing each other, true friends. Hot cocoa and cookies, no better treat in wintertime.

Darqueheart smiled at that, pleased to see that even someone as scary looking at Sapphire’s mom could have a nice family and a somewhat normal home life. That gave Darqueheart hope for her own future.

Aww.

Dinner Conversation

Chicago Il, Monday evening Dec 24th, 2007

Edward Garrett, someone new, at Christmas Eve dinner. Ouch, suit and tie that don't fit right, poor guy. Uncle Roger, hhm.

“A couple,” Edward answered with a polite smile. “And last month, we even had an MCO agent show up on campus to give a seminar on our legal rights and responsibilities in regards to the MCO.”

Yeah, Whateley only lets the good ones do seminars like that, ones they can trust. Oh boy, trying to push him into becoming a lawyer like his father, old family business deal.

“Chemical engineering, to be specific,” Edward continued with a sincere grin as he got into the subject. “I’ve already developed an industrial grade lubricant that works better than anything on the market, and it’s completely biodegradable. In fact, it breaks down completely just a short time after being exposed to air, making environmental cleanup fast, easy, and inexpensive.”

Wait a minute, this is Monkeywrench. Edward Garrett is his real name; never had it stated in a story before now.

“Oh, that won’t be a concern,” Edward assured his uncle. “My lubricant is completely proprietary and can’t be replicated by anyone else. I’ll have a monopoly on supply.”

Definitely Monkeywrench.

Aung Maggie, GSD is not a disability; it is people's attitudes towards those who appear different that need to change. Ugh, the hypocrisy of Aunt Maggie, Edward knows how to keep the peace when needed, not to call her out.

Sure, they were usually polite, but polite didn’t always mean kind or friendly.

I've lived in the South long enough to know that is something everyone down here seems to learn how to do, unless they are kind and friendly by nature. Suit and tie, whoever invited that combination for fancy events needs to be brought back to life so they can be tortured for inventing that torture combo. No wonder he lets loose so much at Whateley; it is the only place he can truly be himself.

When it Rains it Pours 2

Vancouver Wa, Tuesday morning Dec 25th, 2007

Crud, Emily is home with her family and still feeling like everything is pointless. This is severe depression. She needs help now before she tries to commit suicide again. Parents and older brother Tommy are opening presents, and Tommy tries to get Emily to join in.

Socks. Pants. A necklace that she would never wear. None of it mattered.

Crud, a raincloud starting to form; this is bad.

“Do you think you could at least keep it in theme?” Tommy teased her. “I mean, at least make it snow in here instead of rain.”

“Thomas Tran,” Emily’s mom stated, making her brother deflate a little. “Leave Emily alone. You know she’s trying.”

“I know,” he muttered in response, though he still gave Emily a look of resentment.

Resenting her for something out of her control when her powers first manifested, Tommy is a piece of work. Oh, so that is why she is in Poe and not Hawthorne, I've been wondering. Buche de noel aka Yule log cake, hot pot, and roast duck, yum. Emily hasn't used the drugs yet. Please, someone stop her in time.

Going out into the yard and she pops one of the pills.

“Anything to end this,” Emily whispered to herself. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Crap! Is she trying to kill herself again? Her cloud disappates. The natural clouds began to move; what the hell did Bunsen give her!?!

Tears began to pour down Emily’s cheeks as she stared at the sight above. She couldn’t quite comprehend was she was seeing…what she was feeling.

Oh god, please don't let her die. Emily's mother rushes out, asking what is wrong and if she is alright.

Emily stared down at the pill bottle in her hand and at the label that was printed out on the front.

ANTIDEPRESSENTS- DEVISOR GRADE

-FOR USE BY REGENERATORS, EXEMPLARS, AND MUTANTS RESISTANT TO NORMAL DRUGS

-DIRECTIONS: TAKE ONE PILL BY MOUTH EVERY TWELVE HOURS.

“I...” Emily whispered as tears of relief and awe continued to run. “I can see the sun.”

Good lord, I know her mutation made it where her old medication doesn't work, and they can't pin down the right dosage because it doesn't have an effect before getting through her system. But the doctors at Whateley should have given her this, a low-level version of this, not Bunsen. Why didn't the staff give her this sooner?

Side Effects

Columbus Oh, Saturday Dec 29th, 2007

“Your hair looks awesome,” Traci stated.

Lina Samhurst blushed at that and ran a hand through her hair, which was shoulder length, brushed back, and most importantly, was bright blue with heavy green and purple highlights.

A side-effect of her powers, interesting. Hehe, nice try at changing subjects, Lina. A game room would be awesome. Lina is an avatar. Why doesn't she think that is impressive?

“Let’s see,” Lina mused as she ran a hand through her hair. “It’s sort of like being possessed…but not. Avatars can sort of bond with different kinds of spirits, and those spirits can give us powers. In my case, my spirit is a peacock, and my powers are mostly useless. And they come with a few side effects.”

Ah, it is Peacock. Been a while since I've seen her real name, I forgot.

Sort of make people want to stare at her; that is the ultimate distraction and a good thing to have on a team.

“I get these…urges,” Lina reluctantly admitted. “I get these urges to show off and get attention. Fortunately, they’re not too strong and I know other avatars with way worse side effects.”

Don't let Traci ask about the other side-effects. Deacon, Traci's older brother, shows up with his friends Jack and Eddie. Ugh, Jack, never hit on a friend's sister, and Eddie, when you first meet a girl, don't talk about taking them as if they are an item.

Jack and Eddie need to be clobbered. They just exposed themselves to Traci and Lina to try and brag about penis size. Darn you, peacock spirit, for pushing Lina into doing that too! Jack thinks it's fake, Deacon thinks she is pranking them. The boys leave, and Lina is embarrassed and turns bright red.

“My spirit is a peacock,” Lina explained with a wince. “Not a peahen. It’s a boy, so he gives me boy parts and makes it so that I like girls now.”

Darn side-effects, I wish Diedre hadn't freaked out on Lina. Good response from Traci, she is taking this all well.

“Understandable,” Lina responded with a weak chuckle. She was a little stunned by how well Traci was taking this. “And besides, I already have someone I like back at school.”

“Okay,” Traci said, looking Lina over again before giggling. “I want to know all about her.”

Lina stared back at her friend, remembering the way that they used to gossip about boys that they liked. She giggled at that and nodded agreement. “Sure.”

Thank you, Traci, for being a true friend to Lina and not ending the friendship over something she has no control over.

Lost Self

Sacramento Ca, Sunday afternoon, Dec 30th, 2007

Cindy Jones trying to maintain her friendship with Jenna McCormack despite being away at Whateley for a big chunk of the year. Oh, Sylver Stryker, the poor kid who was a powerful telekinetic, but burnout reduced her to a very weak version of TK.

Then Cindy deflated and let out a long sigh. “I guess I’m not really a superhero…and it looks like I never will be.”

At least you didn't die from the burnout. Not sure why she is still going to Whateley, they see something in you that you don't see in yourself anymore, Cindy.

Ouch, asking if a villain's costume was made by Jericho, if that villain knew how bad an insult that was... The Eliminator and he has a devisor ray gun, oh brother. Blasting a parked car to make a point, poor impulse control, and thought processes as he just alerted any nearby superheroes to his presence. Cindy is ticked at the villain for endangering her friend, he plans to make an example or two, this guy is a psycho! Firing at another parked car and one driving past, he needs to be stopped before someone is killed!

“Some kind of concussion blast,” Cindy muttered.

Great, and no PFG available right now. He is going to kill Jenna! Cindy uses her power to yank the gun out of his hand and then knocks it underneath a parked car.

Then she smiled faintly, realizing that for the first time since she’d lost most of her powers, she didn’t feel scared or overwhelmed by the idea of fighting someone. Instead, she felt…determined. She might be weak, but she wasn’t helpless. She wasn’t useless.

Yes, it isn't the strength of your powers that matters; determination and training matter more. Nice way to announce yourself, Sylver Stryker.

Enough training in BMA to handle a clumsy fighter, and she can launch an empty beer bottle to cause that kind of damage; that isn't weak to me. A punch to the solar plexus and a sweep of the legs, and the Eliminator is down. He is just some nutbar who bought a devisor ray gun and thought it made him unstoppable, pathetic.

However, she’d learned that the real world didn’t work that way. If she faced the police now, without even so much as a costume, it could only lead to trouble. It was best to avoid that kind of thing for now.

“Wow,” Jenna exclaimed once they were far enough away. “That was…exciting.”

“Yeah, it was,” Cindy agreed as she flashed her friend a grin.

Jenna stared at her in surprise, then cautiously asked, “How are you feeling?”

Cindy considered that for a moment before answering. “Honestly, I feel great. I feel like… I almost feel like my old self again.”

Glad she knows not to deal with the police when she isn't prepared. And very happy she is almost feels like her old self again, she needed this.

Left Behind

Crystal Hall, Friday afternoon Dec 28th, 2007

Boojum, appropriate codename with his appearance; Taken from Lewis Carrol's The Hunter of the Snark, right? Bunsen, Iron Rose, and Porcelain, that is some group for cards.

If any of their new neighbors caught so much as a glimpse of him, it would likely be that whole lynch mob situation all over again.

Forced to move the whole family, and afraid of a lynch mob coming after all of them because of him again, I hope he gets to visit his family sometime soon. Yeah, Porcelain is one of those people who it is best to judge by their actions, not by their appearance, for how dangerous they are.

Porcelain has the perfect poker face, and a better hand than Boojum. Aww, don't leave, Iron Rose. Boojum is a good judge of character, it seems.

Bunsen seemed to puff up a little under the attention. “Well, I am the best biochemical devisor on campus…”

“Jobe,” Boojum coughed, earning a glare from the devisor.

“I couldn’t have anyone think that Shine could possibly beat me with my own specialty,” Bunsen continued.

“Booze,” Boojum stated with a grin. “He’s making booze.”

Oh boy, those are strictly regulated on campus. Absinthe with enhanced hallucinogenic properties, crud, I don't want to imagine how some students would react to those hallucinations. Darn, inspired by Absinthe's little green fairies. Boojum, don't drink it, you'll be sorry. A New Year's toast, I hope the staff are ready.

Not a Superhero

Santa Fe NM, Saturday Jan 5th, 2007

What the, who is trying to get Mina Maxwell, aka Filter, of all people, to act like a hero? Adept, an exemplar paragon superhero, so why does he need Mina's help? Wallbreaker and Fuerza, 3 heroes, and they need a girl with a PK field that can only filter out germs and poisons, including gases.

“The Anti-Doctor’s doomsday weapon developed a leak before he could deploy it,” Adept explained for the third time. “killing him and all of his henchmen. They didn’t even have a chance to activate his containment failsafe.”

Crud, she is the only one who can do anything about this. A highly corrosive and extremely lethal toxin, this is Mina's time to shine.

A gas mask, protective suit, and everything didn't stop it! Mina, you have to go in to turn on the containment, or a lot of deaths will happen. Know people who know people. Want to bet Ms. Hartford was one of them who was contacted? A thick green fog, like something out of a horror movie. Crap, they said corrosive, and they weren't kidding. Part of the time limit is getting to the containment to activate it before too much of the facility is destroyed, leaving you no way out.

That poor superhero, you know some of them die on the job each year, but to see it like this. Oh, good, a lair with a simple design so she can find the containment easily. So this is the doomsday device. Never build something like this without a dozen or more failsafes at a minimum! Please say Mina is being sarcastic about Jericho being a fashion genius, please. Yes, give in to that urge, push the big red button.

Pull the big switch and push the big red button, only 15 feet from the Anti-Doctor, and he wasn't able to activate it in time, seesh. A portal to suck in the doomsday device and any of the deadly gas that escaped. But it doesn't shut down; it is sucking in all the air! Run, Mina, run! Dropped into a pocket dimension and sealed away for good, we hope.

“We’ll still want to quarantine this place good,” Wallbreaker said. “Until we can get a proper cleanup crew to go over everything.”

“How did you even know about that failsafe button?” Mina asked.

“The Anti-Doctor had someone else build that part,” Adept explained. “Someone who specializes in installing self-destructs and emergency failsafes for villains.”

Wallbreaker added with a chuckle, “Someone who also leaves good notes.”

Mina nodded at that. “I guess that’s good then.”

Why am I thinking of a particular scientist and hearing his jingle right now? "Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated."

“That’s awesome,” Mina exclaimed with an excited grin. “Wait till I tell everyone at school…” Then she paused for a moment and deflated. With an exasperated sigh, she said, “Nobody will believe me.”

Ask the heroes to write you a note explaining what you did.

A Bitter Drink

Saturday evening Jan 5th, 2007

Whoa, what is wrong with this man? What woman took everything from him twice? Roland Williams, it is Barney. Don't tell me the evidence of what he did finally got him fired from Whateley, thanks to Imp. Jack, not Jackalope, aka the former Jack Rabbit, you were never a superhero, you child brainwashing psycho! Great, recruiting Roland into the Imp Revenge Squad. Oh, that last part, so not fired, but going undercover to root out the Imp Revenge Squad by infiltrating their ranks from the sound of it.

Emily Tran, it hurt to see how depressed she is, so desperate she would buy drugs like that. I hope the school can help her with this and give her a regulated dose of the medicine in the future so she can live her life again. I know what it is like to have depression. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Darqueheart is having Christmas with Sapphire and her family. I'm glad she gets to see that GSD doesn't dictate the kind of life you will have nor the happiness in it. Plus, Ebon Scale teasing Sapphire shows it doesn't matter your appearance or form; a parent can still find a way to embarrass their kids.

Monkeywrench home for Christmas. Now I see why he was dreading it; his extended family is not people you want to be related to. And now we know why he acts the way he does at Whateley, free to be himself.

Traci and Lina were great; I still can't believe the peacock spirit made Lina do that in front of Traci, Traci's brother, and his friends. At least now Lina knows not everyone will freak out and lose her friendship over things she had no control over. She and Traci are adorable together. I hope we get to see more interactions between them in the future.

Cindy Jones needed this. She needed to realize it isn't how strong your powers are, or how powerful a superhero you are, that makes you a hero. It is your determination, your willingness to risk yourself to protect others, and training more than anything else. If she tries to rejoin the Capes and they brush her off due to her 'weak' power, they need to seriously evaluate what makes a true hero.

The kids stuck at Whateley over the holidays for various reasons. Boojum's reason, I can't stand those who judge based on appearance, who treat others like monsters while acting like monsters themselves. I hope soon, he and his family can live in peace together again.

I did not expect Mina Maxwell, aka Filter, of all people to be a hero. You never know when a power you have will be exactly what is needed to save the day. Especially in a world with mad scientists and nihilists like the Anti-Doctor. I hope the other students believe her, or she has some proof of what happened. She deserves to be recognized.

Okay, I never expected Roland Williams to go undercover to infiltrate the Imp Revenge Squad. After everything that has gone down between him and the Imp, what brought this on? Did something happen we don't know about yet? I'm really curious now.

Thanks for the great stories with everyone. I can't wait to read future stories. I hope to see more of everyone in the future.

When it rains, it pours.
Almost certainly a Downpour story. Who hurt Poe's little Eeyore this time?
Ah. Covert meetup. Naive assumption is that it's a search for something to help with her depression. Of course, it could also be some more strawberry extract. But if it does help with the depression, perhaps the involvement of Doyle could remove the need for such meetings.
Still wondering what the package was, but it's obviously something for the road given the datestamp. Perhaps we'll come back in a few scenes?

Home
Winter break, Saphire and Darqueheart I believe. Assuming the later got a ride along.
Looks like she did. And she seems to be fitting into the town just fine.
Enter the noodles. On their best (5ish year old) behavior.
A bit of gentle teasing about finding significant others. Monkey Wrench would fit in just fine. Aegis, not so much (though he could act as a face for Home). And even if her favorite snack is live rats, Ebon Scale knows how to make Darqueheart feel like she's home.

Dinner Conversation.
Edward Garret. Not a phone booth name I recognize/remember. Probably an exemplar from the reference to a changing body. I don't think he's Grit, as we got a last name for him at some point.
I can see how the family would be surprised about the MCO lecture. Dad's a Lawyer, I can see where the pressure would come from to go down that path.
Chemical Engineering - Bunsen? Reference to GSD. Could be Greasy. Brass Monkey - Got to be Monkey Wrench. (and I suppose that would be a logical transition from the previous story). And the lubricant description would fit the banana peal grenades.

When it Rains, It Pours 2
Back to Downpour. Home is in Vancover WA - I suppose that fits with her special power.
Little brother pushing her to open her gift. Practical gifts. I can see where there might be a lack of excitement about them, but the mundanity didn't help.
Complaints about the cloud. She's trying her best to keep the cloud under control, though pushing it out of the house could attract unwanted attention.
Opening up the item from Bunsen to end it. I hope it's not a suicide pill.
Ok, it is an antidepressant, but I think the dosing needs some calibration. And I worry about the crash effects.
Control over actual clouds, not just the manifested cloud. Power wonks will have fun once they learn about it.
Really need to talk to Doyle about it when you get back to school.

Side Effects
Columbus OH - Aquerna? Though she's probably with Kariko (sp).
Nope. Peacock. And a friend who isn't at the big W. Incoming uncomfortable conversation?
Traci's family had to move. Hopefully not due to H1. Nice house though.
Traci is the curious sort. Will Peacock be able to deflect enough from the big change?
And a serious cringe moment from the boys. Why would they think that showing off their junk to younger girls is a good idea? I hope Peacock doesn't die from embarrassment, as her spirit is probably going to demand she join in the contest (and possibly crush the competition).
Competition joined, and crushed. Hopefully Traci has certain leanings that won't result in an end to the friendship.
Let the fallout commence. Peacock got burned the last time she shared that side effect of her mutation.
Well, no leanings, but Traci is able to see beyond the surface to who Lina is.

Lost Self
First thought was Scarylet, but she's gen 2.
Sylver - Cape who had a burnout and derated? Yep. Interesting that she used her codename so much at school, her legal name kinda fell by the wayside.
And with all the talk about heros, she becomes afflicted by the POV character curse of being a bystander. The fact that she isn't even phased by the costume's fashion crimes says something about her experiences.
Ditto about the weapon.
If the Imp heard the Eliminator's lines, she'd be asking what C move script he stole them from.
Power isn't just about what you can do, it's how you wield it. Sylver may not have much strength with her TK, but she could still come up with creative ways to deal with the bluster.
And that's exactly what she does. There's a reason BMA or Survial are mandatory - and it seems that Sylver is pulling out all the dirty tricks she can think of.
I wonder what tale the Eliminator will tell about the girl who took him down.

Left Behind.
Thornie? Ah - Boojum. Playing Zombie Horde or Killer Rabbits, perhaps?
I can be on board with Christmas candies for betting tokens.
Bunsen, bit of an ego there. And running in the same field as shine, just with a bit more of a kick. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything else from a dylian. 
Boojum, you have no clue what kind of fire you're playing with there.
New Year's is going to be a blast. Just a bit ominous there.

Not a Superhero
Back to Sylver? Nope. Mina Maxwell. PK shell, filters out noxious gasses, I think. What did she get dragged into? Hopefully not the WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant).
A leaking superhazard. I can see why she'd get tapped. I don't think the local heros like bringing you into this any more than you do.
At least the perp got what they had coming, even if they left one hell of a mess behind.
First time in an active scene. I can see why the distractions, as unwelcome as they might be.
And philosophical debates about big red buttons. Hopefully this is the containment button and not the release button. Not that it probably matters, as the stuff is going to release if nothing is done. Yes, Trixie would press it in a heartbeat.
Disposal via portal. I wonder where the stuff got dumped. Don't want to be anywhere near it. I do wonder how the heroes knew how to deactivate it, but plotonium.
Ah - And there's the answer. Interesting thing to outsource (and more questions about how they learned about the failsafe, but I could see the syndicate having standards).
Security will believe you, as they probably provided your name. But quite the tail to tell in the crystal hall.

A Bitter Drink
Back to Bunsen? Or Absinthe.
Nope. Got to be Barney. And I'm suspecting he is no longer employed by Whateley from the way he's speaking.
Jerk Rabbit(?) goes in for the recruitment. How did the IRS get out of the pen? I suppose Heavenly may have tapped her finances to pay for bail. Who was the point of contact when Barney last worked with the IRS? Memory's saying it was Crimson Kid (Seems confirmed in Imp 7.4). Was this supposed to be early to mid Nov, rather than Jan?
Is there another party stirring the pot?