Grog the Big

Defining Moments - Chapter 5 Even by superheroic standards, the man approaching Crystal was strangely dressed. He was a thin black man who might have been average height, if he would remove his platform shoes and white, wide-brimmed hat. He favored leopard-skin; there was a band around the hat of black and white leopard skin, his pants were black and white leopard skin and flared at the bottom, and he wore a short cape with a black and white leopard skin pattern inside and out. His white jacket was open at the front, exposing his lean torso, pendulous gold chains festooned with medallions, and massive gold belt buckle. The collar for his jacket was so large it needed its own zip code. Wing-like sideburns flanked his face and continued all the way down his jaw line. A tuft of hair dangled off of his chin. Despite his large dark sunglasses, Crystal could feel his eyes roam over her, scrutinizing every square inch to an uncomfortable degree. He walked slowly towards her, a curious sway in his step. As he looked Crystal up and down, he voiced his approval. “Mmm-mm! Girl, you lookin’ fi-i-ine,” he drawled, extending the last word by breaking it up into several syllables. “You a brick house!” His gaze traveled down. It stopped low, and he cocked his head to one side to get a better view. “And you got one seriously sweet-“ “Do I know you?” Crystal interrupted hurriedly, not liking where his gaze or his monologue was going. As she spoke, she snapped her body around and plastered her back firmly against the concrete wall. She tried unsuccessfully to remove the deer-in-the-headlights look from her face. The man continued his advance into her personal space. He slowly brought his head up to look into Crystal’s face. “Seriously. Sweet,” he repeated, punctuating each word with a nod. “What it is, baby! Supa Fly is my name, and messing up mofos is my game!” He extended his hand. It’s an act. It has to be! There’s no other explanation why anyone would dress up and talk like a 70s pimp! Crystal extended her hand and took his. “Well, hi, Super Fly, my name is-“ “Supa Fly, baby,” he corrected. “Right, Supa Fly, sorry about…” Crystal’s voice trailed off as she realized he was going to kiss her hand. She wasn’t keen on that kind of attention from him, but didn’t want to yank her hand away, either. Her stomach knotted. “What the [censored]?” Supa Fly dropped her hand and stepped back. He looked down at the offending hand, then back up to her face. Crystal frowned, then brought her hand up and examined it closely. The hand was fine, but the glove had worn through in spots. Pink sparks shot out through tiny holes, and the red glow was spreading out to erode more of the leather. “Ohh,” she groaned, “I’d hoped they’d last until the end of the week. Trash can!” Crystal shimmied along the wall and across the room to the waste can, grateful for an excuse to put some space between Supa Fly and herself. The gloves came off her hand in pieces, practically disintegrating as Crystal peeled and rubbed at them. Her hands felt a little gritty, but much cooler. Crystal dusted the last few pieces off, stood up, and announced with a smile, “Well, not much use for gloves on a rescue mission!” “How’s it help us if you destroy everything you touch?” carped the woman. She was young, a few inches shorter than Crystal, with dark skin that had a touch of gray to it. Her hair was grayish-purple, cut short, and styled so part of the front was colored pale gray and framed her face in an oval. She had full red lips, and wore glasses with red-tinted lenses. Gunmetal gray chains wrapped around her neck like a choker. Like Supa Fly, she also favored a color theme: red. She wore a red, tight-fitting, sleeveless shirt that, like Crystal’s didn’t quite meet up with the top of her pants. The pants were skintight, also red, and accented by a wide black belt with metal eyelets. Her red boots came up to her knees, and were topped by a band of black fur. It wasn’t blatantly a costume, but the effect was striking nonetheless. “No, it’ll be OK,” Crystal countered. “The energy only disintegrates non-living objects, and even then it takes hours.” Crystal walked around Supa Fly and up to the woman. She stuck her hand out. “Take my hand. It’ll feel tingly, that’s all.” The other woman narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but reached for Crystal’s hand anyway. Her grip was tentative at first, but more firm as she felt safer touching the energy. She slowly smiled as she said, “You’re right, it is tingly. Doesn’t hurt at all. I’m Bellona.” “Hi, Bellona! I’m Shining Crystal.” Crystal flashed a big smile as she gave a squeeze to Bellona’s hand. “Is that your real name?” “No! What idiot would use their real name?” She threw a funny look at Crystal. Idiot? “Maybe someone who had nothing to hide? I ask because it’s so pretty, and I could have sworn I’d heard it used as a name.” Bellona’s smile widened a fraction. “Maybe it is. It’s the name of a Roman war goddess.” “It’s the name of a sweet hunka woman!” Supa Fly interjected. Bellona’s eyes narrowed to slits as she fixed him with a venomous stare. She raised her right hand and pointed at the ceiling. Smoke wafted off of her fingers. She hissed, “I told you what would happen if you spoke to me again!” “Bellona? What are you doing?” Crystal inquired gently. “Oh, just setting off the sprinkler system,” she casually replied. “I’m going to ruin Undercover Brother’s fancy clothes.” The smoke thickened, and tongues of flame licked at her fingertips. Supa Fly stared back defiantly. Crystal earnestly whispered to Bellona, “Please don’t do that. He would look funny all soaking wet, but it’d probably make Vanguard freak out. I’m sure they’re nervous enough having heroes and villains under the same roof. Please, Bellona, power down.” She turned her attention to Supa Fly. “You shouldn’t bait Bellona, especially if she’s already asked you to stop bothering her. Please, Supa Fly, let’s make an effort to get along.” Crystal stepped away from Bellona, positioning herself to look at both simultaneously. “We’re here for a mission, and we’ll all have to work together to pull this off. Our lives are in each other’s hands.” Supa Fly grudgingly nodded in agreement. Bellona stared at Crystal. “You HAVE to be one of the do-gooders! No one else would spew that crap and expect it to work!” she blasted. “I am a registered hero,” Crystal confirmed, “and I guess that means you’re one of the destined ones.” She deliberately used the official Arachnos term for the villains of the Rogue Isles. “But that doesn’t make what I said any less true! You know why we’re here!” “No, I don’t,” Bellona shot back. She crossed her arms. Crystal’s brows knitted in confusion. “You don’t know why we’ve been brought together? Didn’t Lady Grey tell you?” “No. I haven’t met with her.” “Me neither,” piped Supa Fly. “Some cat shoved my righteous self in here an’ said there was some funky [censored] goin’ down. Said the team leader had the skinny. Never said anything about her bein’ a stone fox!” Note to self: get 70s slang dictionary as soon as possible. “OK, well, I just left Lady Grey’s office, and she told me what we’re supposed to do. I already said it’s a rescue mission, but do you mind waiting until everyone’s here before I go into details? I don’t want to explain it, like, another five times.” “Fine,” said Bellona. “Ain’t no thang,” echoed Supa Fly. “Great, thanks!” Crystal beamed a huge smile at them both. “Let’s finish the introductions!” She walked over to the remaining occupant of the room. Whatever it was, it was shaped and sized like a man, but entirely covered in white fire. Crystal approached slowly, feeling for any sudden increases in temperature. There were none. Relieved, Crystal stopped within arm’s reach. “Hello, StarDust! You remember me?” “I remember you, Shining Crystal.” The reply was polite yet flat. StarDust extended his hand. Crystal took it, and was pleasantly surprised to find the flames held no warmth. She gave it a short squeeze. “Good to see you again! It’s a shame we’ve never teamed before.” “Thank you. And, yes.” He kept his voice low as he spoke. “I didn’t think that thing could speak,” said Bellona. Crystal turned on her. “StarDust isn’t a thing, he’s a he! He’s normally a quiet person, too. That’s why he hasn’t said anything before. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Bellona stared at Crystal, a disgusted look on her face. “What a sap! You’re not the team leader; you’re the team cheerleader! What is your IQ, anyways?” “I don’t like to talk about it,” Crystal replied. Bellona smirked. Just then the door opened, and in strode the next member of the team. He was reptilian, lithe, with clawed hands and talons for feet. His legs were joined twice like a cat’s. Light purple scales covered his body, and massive leathery wings sprouted from his back. Sharp teeth glinted in his cruel maw. His thin scaly tail whipped around as if seeking prey to devour. He might have been terrifying to behold were he not also four feet tall. In the end, he was both cute and menacing in equal measure. Crystal left StarDust’s side to greet the newcomer. She bent over to get closer to his eye level, and offered her hand. “Hi! I’m Shining Crystal. What’s your name?” He spread his wings, stretching them to their full height and nearly touching the ceiling with their tips. Cold eyes with amber irises and vertical pupils fixed Crystal with an unwavering glare. “I am The Thunder Dragon!” he announced. Despite being indoors, a roll of thunder filled the room. He did not take Crystal’s hand; he clenched his own hands into fists and arced red lightning along his arms, head, and torso. Not so cute anymore! Crystal stared wide-eyed, her gaze following his wings up to their apex. She took a step back and composed herself. “Welcome, Thunder Dragon. I’m pleased to meet you. Allow me to introduce the rest of the team.” She moved off to the side, allowing Thunder Dragon a clear view of the room. Crystal pointed to each as she named them. “This is Supa Fly.” “What’s happenin’, man?” “Bellona.” “Please tell me you’re from the Rogue Isles,” Bellona sighed. “My temporary home on this plane,” Thunder Dragon responded. Everyone’s eyebrows rose at that last bit of information. “And this is StarDust,” Crystal finished. StarDust did not speak. Neither did Thunder Dragon speak to him. Instead, he turned his eyes on Crystal. “Is this everyone?” “Uh, no, I don’t think so. There might be as many as-“ Thunder Dragon launched himself at the back wall. He pivoted in mid air and reached out with his taloned feet, wedging the claws into the seams between the concrete. He spread his wings and hooked their claws on some structural supports. Suitably braced, he crossed his arms, settled on his haunches, and gazed upon the room from on high. His tail dangled down along the wall, twitching irritably. Perched up near the ceiling, it seemed that he sat on a winged throne, lord of all he surveyed. Everyone in the room, including Crystal, was so focused on Thunder Dragon that they did not notice the door open again. It was only when the newcomer shouted a greeting that their attention turned away from the spectacle. “Hey, someone said there was a crazy redhead putting a team together for a suicide mission! Anyone seen her? I’m here to join.” Crystal spun around in shock. As she recognized the newcomer, her expression morphed into a grin of delight. “No way!” she squealed. “What are you doing here?” Jenny stepped further into the room and spread her arms. “You know you’d be lost without me!” As the two friends embraced, she continued, “No sooner than I finished at the fitness center, I got a call from Vanguard. I hoped it was the same thing they dragged you in for.” “How lucky can you get?” Crystal released Jenny from the hug. “Well, let me introduce you. This is Supa Fly.” Supa Fly was well ahead of Crystal; he’d already walked up to inspect Jenny. “I’ve seen foxy ladies before, but nothing like you, girl!” “You got that right! My name’s Firefox.” “Aww, sooky sooky!” Jenny’s ears dropped along with her smile. “Uh, yeah…whatever that means…” Quickly moving along, Crystal pointed at Bellona. “This is Bellona.” “Hi!” beamed Jenny. “Hi.” Bellona’s response was frigid. “You know StarDust? He’s in the Legion, too.” “Never met him before, but I’m glad to know you.” StarDust nodded in greeting. “And up there is Thunder Dragon.” Jenny’s ears perked up as she noticed him for the first time. She walked a little closer; with her great height she was almost at eye level with him. “Comfortable?” she inquired humorously. “Very,” Thunder Dragon replied without a trace of sarcasm. “Well,” said Crystal, “there’s probably another two on the-“ The handle clicked, announcing the next arrival. A short man of Japanese ancestry entered slowly, his keen eyes taking in the whole room. His face was covered in a black mask that draped down to his shoulders, leaving only his piercing eyes and gray hair in view. He wore pieces of archaic samurai armor: shoulder guards, gauntlets, chest plate, and greaves, all in black with red trim. The rest was covered with a loose-fitting black bodysuit with a jagged pattern in blood red. Over his shoulders was a cape the color of dried blood; he wore it with a great deal of panache, clutching one side of it in his fist and pulling it around him. The new arrival made no effort to introduce himself or move further into the room. Crystal turned and approached to make him feel welcome. “Hi! My name’s Shining Crystal! What’s yours?” “You will address me as Tetsu Sensei!” he commanded imperiously. His accent was pronounced, but not so much that it clouded the meaning of his words. Another actor! “OK, Tetsu, let me intro-” The blow was almost faster than the eye could follow. Tetsu Sensei smashed the back of his armored gauntlet into the side of Crystal’s mouth. Blood sprayed, and Crystal spun completely around before collapsing to the floor. Dazed, she writhed on the ground, trying to bring her world back into focus. “Address me with respect, Shining Crystal!” he spat as he hatefully glared down at her. “Or you will find yourself unable to speak at all!” “Crystal!” Jenny screeched. She bounded over to her friend and knelt down to help her. Bellona smiled. Supa Fly admonished, “Dang! That’s some jive [censored], man!” Tetsu Sensei’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Supa Fly. “You wish the same for yourself?” Supa Fly squared his shoulders. “You’d best jump back, sucka. I’m so bad, I kick my own ass twice a day!” Jenny stood up, using her size to intimidate Tetsu Sensei as much as possible. She folded her ears back and snarled, “Vanguard rules be damned! You’re gonna FRY!” Great gouts of flame erupted around her hands, sending a shockwave of superheated air crashing into him. He took a half-step back, and for the first time since he entered the room, his eyes no longer radiated contempt. “M-m-n-no,” Crystal feebly groaned from the floor. She flailed one hand at Jenny, finally latching onto a leg. Crystal pulled herself closer, and tried to use Jenny as a support to return to her feet. Sensing her friend’s motives, Jenny powered down, hefted Crystal upright, and held on to her until she was steady. Crystal tried to clear her mind by focusing on Jenny’s face. It was difficult; not only couldn’t she properly focus her eyes, she couldn’t decide which face to focus on. Eventually, she regained enough strength to stand, albeit with her feet spread far apart and a lot of sway. She mumbled quietly so only Jenny could hear, “Moo’ ba’. Gon’ gi’ col’.” Jenny stepped away, though she kept her hands out, ready to catch Crystal if she stumbled. Crystal staggered around slowly to face Tetsu Sensei again. Swaying, she raised her right hand and pointed at him. She fought through the pain to fix him with a stern glare and declare, “Tha’ was uncall’ for. You ough’a be ashame’ve ‘erself!” With that, she took a deep breath, and formed around herself the biggest block of ice she could manage. It took less than a second, but Crystal was now completely encased in bitterly cold ice nearly a meter thick. Her injuries began to heal at a remarkable rate. Crystal took her time inside, not only to make sure the ice finished knitting everything back together, but also to calm herself and regain her focus. While Crystal was sealed away, Jenny looked daggers at Tetsu Sensei. After a moment of fierce glaring, her ears unfolded to their full height, and she stepped close to him, leaning over so they could talk with some privacy. “You’ve made a very big mistake,” she whispered, “hurting the friend of a kitsune.” Something flashed behind Tetsu Sensei’s eyes. “You’re not a kitsune!” he hissed. Jenny’s ears rotated forward. “Oh, really?” She pointed at her face and head. “The ears, the facial features, the fox-fire-” she brought her hands up and ignited them again “-what else could I be? Foxes are faithful protectors, and I won’t forget what you did to my friend. Make nice with her, or I’ll use my full power on you!” She stood back up to her full height and gave Tetsu Sensei an evil grin. The door swung open, and a man in powered armor clomped into the room. A white and blue paint scheme gave character to an otherwise unromantically functional design. A blue helmet with shielded antennas, armored slit visor, and reinforced faceplate protected his head. Layered plates covered his chest and abdomen. Simple articulated segments covered legs and arms, spaced by flexible black gaskets. His boots featured two prominent exhaust ports each. The one concession to aesthetics was his large, pointed shoulder plates that gave the impression of wings. Emblazoned on his chest was a large red skull. He stepped partway into the room, holding the door open. His helmet swiveled from Jenny, to Tetsu Sensei, to the large block of ice that sheltered Crystal. A synthesized voice exclaimed, “Did I miss something?” “Hi, Harm,” Jenny greeted him. She pointed at Tetsu Sensei. “You’re just in time to help me roast this piece of-“ CRACK! The mountain of ice exploded into bowling ball-sized chunks, clattering to the floor with the sound of an avalanche. Crystal blew out the breath she had been holding, shook out her hair, flexed her jaw experimentally, and ran her tongue over the inside of her stricken cheek. With her fingers she gently felt the spot where Tetsu Sensei backhanded her. Satisfied that the injury was gone, she looked pointedly at the shorter man and intoned, “Good as new.” Jenny squinted at her. “Not quite! There’s still some blood in your hair.” She pointed to the spot. Crystal sifted through her hair. Sure enough, some of the fiery orange strands were stuck together by a dark red liquid. She looked from the blood to Tetsu Sensei, and in a firm yet even tone ordered, “No more hitting, Tetsu Sensei; not me, not anyone else on the team. We need to focus on fighting Rikti instead of each other.” While Tetsu Sensei fixed her with a withering stare, she moved her attention to the new arrival. “Hi, Harm! You here for me?” “Maybe. I was ordered to report to this room to form up for a mission. The nature of the mission was not specified.” “Sounds like you’re in the right place. I’m glad you’re here!” She smiled at him. “Did this guy-” “Leave it be,” Crystal admonished. “It’s done now.” “Whatever you say.” He was probably being sarcastic, but the synthesizer didn’t duplicate the tones exactly. A gauntleted hand rapped on the door. Harm scooted out of the way as an accented voice said, “Pardon me, sir. Vanguard business.” Color Sergeant Barnes stepped into the room, wearing his usual grim expression. He studied the scene for a moment before producing Crystal’s cell phone. “Your phone is ready, miss.” “Oh, great! We can get started now.” Jenny backed up to let Crystal squeeze between her and Tetsu Sensei without taking her eyes off him. Crystal retrieved her phone from Color Sergeant Barnes. While Crystal’s back was turned, Jenny pointed to her own eyes, then to Tetsu Sensei in an unmistakable warning. Color Sergeant Barnes listed the modifications to her phone as he pointed to the tiny screen. “We’ve entered mission details, navigation data, and the current communication codes. You may contact us as needed, but your team will be unable to communicate directly with Vanguard while on this mission, so mind what happens to your phone.” Crystal gave him a wry grin. No problem. I only expect to be shot two hundred fifty times. Three hundred at the most! “I’ll do what I can, Color Sergeant Barnes. Thanks.” “Good luck to you, miss.” He turned to address the room. “Good luck to you all!” With that, he exited, closing the door behind himself. “Right, let’s get started,” Crystal said, quickly warming up to the task at hand. “We’re here because Vanguard wrecked the portal to the Rikti home world, and War Leader Hro'Dtohz thinks he can re-open it using captured human psychics. To do that, they’ve kidnapped Penelope Yin, and we’re going to get her back.” “Perilous Penelope?” Jenny asked, her ears perking up. “Yep. We have to do this quick; Vanguard’s pin-pointed her location, but they can’t get her out, and the Rikti have had her for a while. “First, let’s sync up. Get our your phones, and use, uh…23581321 as the team communication code.” Crystal held her phone out as she punched the numbers in. Almost everyone else followed suit; Harm and Thunder Dragon did not. Crystal looked at Harm inquisitively. He pointed at his helmet. “Internal.” “OK. Thunder Dragon, do you have a cell phone?” Thunder Dragon looked down at her. Electricity arced around his head, concentrated at his ears. On Crystal’s display screen, an icon appeared indicating that Thunder Dragon had connected to the team’s frequencies. Through everyone’s phones, his cold voice resonated, “I hear all your machines, and they will hear me.” His maw did not move except to show a grin filled with needle-sharp teeth. “Impressive,” Harm voiced. “Creepy,” Jenny muttered under her breath. Crystal continued, “Double check nav data once you’re outside and can see the zone. Now let’s find out what we can do for each other. Again, I’m Shining Crystal, and my Longbow classification is Tanker. For you destined ones, that means I’ll be doing my darndest to make sure the Rikti shoot at me instead of you.” She put a comical expression of horror on her face, which elicited a few chuckles from the team. After re-composing herself, she continued, “Now I’ll say your names, and you say your Longbow classification, if you know it. Firefox.” “Blaster.” She looked hard at Tetsu Sensei. “FIRE Blaster!” “Supa Fly.” “Defender. I takes care of what’s mine!” Crystal smiled. “That’s great! Thunder Dragon.” “I kill Longbow. I do not converse with them.” Crystal swallowed hard and tried to keep her voice from shaking. “StarDust.” “Blaster.” “Bellona.” “They call me a Corruptor. I think it’s insulting.” “I would, too. AGM-88 HARM.” “Call me Harm. I’m a Blaster, too.” “No shortage of fire-power here! Tetsu Sensei.” “Your commander!” he announced. The room erupted with furious cries of protest; only StarDust and Thunder Dragon remained silent. Crystal waved the noise down. Once she had re-established calm, she evenly explained, “Lady Grey made the choice of team leader, Tetsu Sensei.” Bellona made a gagging gesture. Oblivious, Crystal finished, “If you’re unhappy with that, take it up with her.” Tetsu Sensei continued as if no one had spoken. “Shining Crystal will monitor communications,” he declared as his hand swept the room in a grand gesture, “but you will all follow MY tactical commands! Obey, and not only will you live to see another day, but victory is certain. Fail to comply with my directives, and your doom is assured!” He grabbed the side of his cape and twirled it about himself, causing it to billow dramatically as he spun on his heel and strode purposefully out of the room. No one followed. Once the door closed, Supa Fly observed, “That cat seriously needs to mellow out!” Crystal shrugged helplessly. She stepped over to the door, opened it, and held it for everyone. “Well, let’s go rescue Perilous Penelope!” Jenny took off like a shot, zipping through the doorway and down the hall at highway speeds. Thunder Dragon launched himself from the wall, landing in front of Crystal. He paused a moment to look up at her, smiled a predatory grin, then continued out into the hall. Everyone else left in an orderly fashion. Harm hung back to lean over to Crystal as he passed. “23581321? Fibonacci numbers?” “Shh!” she urged, huddling in conspiratorially. “A closet nerd,” he chuckled, “I should have known.” He walked off, still laughing softly. Crystal made a sour face at his back. As she stepped out and shut the door behind her, a sudden gust of wind ruffled her hair, and the overhead lights dimmed. Crystal whirled around in panic, only to find Jenny looming over her, a silly grin on her face. “Grr!” Crystal waved her hand at Jenny as if shooing a fly. “I think I’ve been through enough already without you sneaking up on me!” “That’s what I wanted to ask about. Are you going to be OK?” The smile vanished, and was replaced by concern. “Yeah,” Crystal said quietly. Then, she looked hard into her friend’s eyes and repeated more forcefully, “Yeah, I will! I’m a little rattled, but I’ll work through it. If that jerk takes a swipe at me again, he’ll have to punch through the ice first. Thunder Dragon creeps me out, but at least he’s cooperative.” “So far.” “Come on! Don’t put thoughts like that into your head! Or mine, for that matter!” Crystal shuddered. “What about the bi-” “Bellona,” Crystal corrected, shooting a warning glare at Jenny. “I’m still not sure about her. We started off well enough, but now she’s being snarky. Funny stuff! And speaking of funny stuff, what did you say to Tetsu Sensei while I was iced up?” “Oh, nothing,” Jenny sang. “Just a little something for him to think about, next time he gets the itch to throw his weight around. Such as it is,” she finished coyly. Crystal frowned, and started walking through the hallways towards the exit. “Supa Fly and StarDust are still x-factors, too. I can’t fathom why a registered hero would dress and act like a stereotypical 70s pimp, and I don’t know anything about StarDust except he’s in the Legion, a Blaster, and very quiet.” She looked up at Jenny. “I’m so glad you’re here. I know I can count on you.” Jenny looked down, then bent over, took Crystal’s hand, and raised it over her head in a victory salute. “Redheads rule!” she crowed. “And their shoulders hurt, too!” Crystal complained. “Don’t forget you’re super-strong, and I’m not!” “Oh, I haven’t forgotten. I just need to borrow your hand for a little while longer.” Jenny shook Crystal’s hand back and forth, forcing her to wave a greeting. “Hey, Fallenz!” she shouted. Crystal looked in the direction Jenny shouted, then froze. Down one hallway at a Vanguard terminal stood Fallenz. He looked over at the pair. “Hey, Firefox! Yo, Shining!” He left the terminal and started walking over. “Not now!” Crystal hissed through clenched teeth and a nervous smile. Jenny adopted a matronly tone to her voice. “Now, dear, don’t dawdle after school talking to the boys. You know you have a lot of work to do.” Crystal turned to face Jenny and narrowed her eyes to slits. She yanked her hand free from Jenny’s grasp. “I’ll get you for this, if I can ever bring myself to do something mean to you!” Jenny giggled mischievously. “Well, I’ll let you two have some privacy!” As Crystal’s face turned red, she made another shooing gesture at Jenny. “Why don’t you go do something REALLY useful, like keeping the monkeys from killing each other before I get there!” “No promises,” replied Jenny as she folded her ears back and scowled. “There’s a Japanese shrimp who needs to be battered and deep fried!” She punctuated the declaration by smacking her fist into her palm. After receiving an appropriately disapproving look from Crystal, she turned away and sprinted off towards the exit. Boot steps moved up to Crystal’s back. She could feel the warmth of someone standing right behind her. A smooth, deep voice greeted her with, “Hey there, Ms. Paragon.” Crystal turned around. “Semifinal-aaa!” She was interrupted mid-correction by Fallenz’ arms encircling her and pressing her to his chest. Her face was smushed up against his blue and white Impervium chest plate. “Ow,” she complained, “your armor’s uncomfortable.” Fallenz seized her by the shoulders and gently pulled her away. He looked down, his glowing blue eyes widening to simulate surprise. “Trying to get me out of my clothes already? You move fast, girl!” Crystal turned two more shades of red. She worked her mouth, but could only manage a strangled sound. Her head shook back and forth for a few moments before she regained control of her voice and screeched, “NO!” She jerked her shoulders free and took off, covering her face with her hands. Laughing, Fallenz pursued her. As Crystal passed near a section of wall, he stepped in front of her and stuck a muscular arm out, blocking her path. The other arm also shot out to the wall, trapping Crystal. In response, she turned to face the wall, forcing Fallenz to look at her hair instead of her face. “Come on,” he teased, “you make it too easy! Tanks are supposed to be able to take anything!” Without turning around or taking her hands from her face, Crystal threatened Fallenz with her right elbow. “All right, that’s enough,” he said, more seriously. “No more innuendo, I promise.” He took her by the shoulders again. “I’m not talking to your hair, no matter how gorgeous it is. Turn around, Shining.” She almost had to be manually turned to face Fallenz. Crystal finally looked up at her tormentor and pried her hands away from her face. It had not yet drained of color, and her profound embarrassment was still obvious. In a voice that was less furious than it could have been, she blasted, “I can’t believe you said that to me! In public, no less! Take off your face guard so I can slap you!” Fallenz’ shaved head made it easy for him to slip his protective goggles off his forehead. He removed his blue and white faceplate as well, revealing a strong nose and chin. Thick lips curled into a mischievous smile. His skin was the same shade as the ice cream Crystal ate earlier. Close fitting armor in blue and white covered a wide chest, broad shoulders, and strong legs. As with his chest, his forearms were heavily protected with blue and white Impervium armor. High-tech articulated wings were mounted onto his back, and he wore boot jets. A tactical harness girded his waist; the goggles and face guard were added to the Talsorian energy sword that already hung there. Crystal brought up her right hand. Her fingers curled and uncurled as she struggled with the decision to hit Fallenz. After a moment, she lowered her hand again. Fallenz’ smile never wavered. “I knew it: an empty threat.” Crystal folded her arms and glowered at him. He shook his head, then continued, “Anyways, it’s good to see you again. You haven’t been to the war zone for a long time.” “I’ve been busy with other things.” Her fierce expression began to soften. “Finals are approaching.” Fallenz frowned briefly. “Be glad you can do that.” More pleasantly, he added, “Doesn’t seem to be too hard on you. You still look good.” “Thanks.” Crystal dropped her face at the compliment, then rolled her eyes up to look at Fallenz again as she continued, “Must be the new diet I’m on.” “Yeah? What diet?” “It’s a small change of habits,” Crystal deadpanned. “I stopped eating knuckle sandwiches.” Laughter exploded from Fallenz’ mouth. Crystal smiled. Still laughing, Fallenz observed, “Looks like you’ve been cheating on your diet!” He pointed to the blood in Crystal’s hair. “That yours, or someone else’s?” She pulled the offending strands free from the main body of hair and looked at them ruefully. “Mine. I had a…misunderstanding with one of the destined ones.” The transition was instantaneous; Fallenz’ facial expression went from mirthful to murderous. He growled, “Misunderstanding, huh? What’s the [censored]’s name?” Crystal pleaded, “No! Fallenz, no! He’s on my team-” “Should make the [censored] easy to find…” He swiveled his head around, trying to locate the object of his wrath. Crystal planted her hands on both sides of Fallenz’ face and literally dragged his attention back to her. “Let it go! I’ve already told him off, he’s on my team, and we haven’t even started the mission yet. I need him alive and intact!” She felt Fallenz’ jaw muscles work furiously. “Need?” he snorted. “You’re far too tolerant of these VILLAIN SCUM!” Several deadly looks were sent his way. Fallenz returned them with equal gusto. “Drop it!” Crystal barked. Fallenz glared at her. “There’s no excuse for hitting you, and no reason for YOU to defend HIM!” Crystal met and returned the glare. She shouted, “Yes, it was totally undeserved, but the mission comes first! I’ll be taking a lot of hits FOR the team, and I can take ONE hit FROM the team!” They stared angrily at each other for a long moment. Finally, Fallenz grumbled, “Oh, have it your way! If it happens again--” “You’ll have to get in line. Firefox is backing me up,” Crystal informed him, “and if there’s a repeat performance, the only thing that’ll make it to the Zig is a few scraps of cape and a small pile of ash!” The news placated Fallenz. He grimly announced, “Works for me.” “Fine.” “So,” Fallenz non-sequitered, “this mission… what’s going on?” “It’s a rescue mission, and everyone else has a massive head start. I gotta go now!” “I’ll walk you out, and you can tell me about it.” Fallenz offered his left elbow. One of Crystal’s eyebrows raised. She quipped, “Still flirting with me?” “Still. Don’t leave me hanging, Shining,” he finished, flapping his elbow. Crystal rolled her eyes, but took his arm anyway. They began the walk to the exit portal. She whispered, “You know you can use my real name, Fallenz.” “Bad habit to get into. Tell me more about your mission.” “Well, I got called in from the city to lead a team on a rescue mission. I met with Lady Grey, she told me what’s happening, and she put me in charge. Apparently, the Rikti kidnapped Penelope Yin, and want to use her psychic powers to restabilize the portal to the Rikti home world.” “Restabilize?” “That’s what Lady Grey said. She mentioned that Vanguard had destabilized the portal, and Hro'Dtohz thought he could fix it by using human psychics.” “So they nabbed Perilous Penelope to do it? I bet the portal has already blown up.” “From your lips to God’s ears! But we still have to go get her back.” “Of course, it’s just that…” Fallenz fell silent. I’ve heard that silence before! Crystal looked over at him and asked, “What is it?” “Not here,” he replied. “Fallenz!” Crystal scolded. “Not here,” Fallenz repeated, emphasizing the last word. With his free hand he pointed to his lips, an ear, and then the ceiling. Crystal rolled here eyes again. More secrets! The two walked in silence for another few steps until they nearly collided with a hunched, shambling man clad in poorly cured animal skins and a stench that defied description. Wild eyes peered out from under thick brows. His head darted to Crystal and surveyed her with unsteady motions. Rotten teeth showed through his large, unkempt beard as he smiled. His hideous teeth showed more prominently when he pulled himself erect, pounded on his chest, and thundered, “FLOG DRAG SHINING CRYSTAL BACK TO CAVE!” Crystal’s nose wrinkled reflexively as his fetid breath filled her personal space. She took a half step backwards. “Uhh…” Fallenz interposed himself, spreading his wings as a screen to further obscure Crystal from Flog’s view. “Hey, Flog, buddy,” he said in a placating tone, “I, uh, hear the Rikti have…some mastodons in their caves. Yeah, they’ve been breeding them down in the deepest caves. I think they’re just about grown and ready to eat.” Flog’s brow tilted as he considered what he heard. He grunted, “Food!” “Yeah,” Fallenz continued, “I heard a bunch of Rikti talking about how they were going to a mastodon feast. Said they weren’t going to share with anyone.” Flog panted, fouling the air further. “But I’m sure they’d let you in if you could…find the invitation. Yeah, I’ll bet there’s a whole bunch of Rikti with invitations. Just go smash them, take theirs, and they’d let you eat as much as you want.” “FLOG SMASH RIKTI!” He beat his chest once again. “That’s right, Flog smash Rikti!” Fallenz pointed to the exit portal. “They’re out there, Flog! Go smash! Take their invitations!” He rocketed off, repeatedly screaming, “FLOG SMASH!” The din cut off only when he entered the portal. Fallenz unhooked his face guard from his belt and re-covered his mouth, nose and ears. “I should never have taken this off,” he grouched. Crystal levitated a few inches off the ground, just enough to put her mouth at Fallenz’ ear. “My hero,” she whispered. “Thanks for the save.” The wings accordioned back in place. Fallenz turned around and boasted, “Too easy!” A brief pause later, he added, “‘So easy, a caveman can do it!’” Horrified, Crystal shouted, “Oh, Fallenz!” She flew up to the ceiling and looked down on him. Laughing, Fallenz pleaded, “Come on! It was right there! How could anyone resist?” “You might have tried harder!” Crystal primly replied, folding her arms. Fallenz waved her down, still chuckling. “No time for that. You have a mission, and I…never mind.” Crystal dropped low enough to look Fallenz evenly in the eye. “There you go again! Well, I’m tired of waiting for explanations!” She dashed off for the security portal, leaving Fallenz in her dust. Crystal flipped over in air and planted her feet onto the swirling green portal. The world dissolved, then reformed into the exterior checkpoint. Crystal spun around to find the exit, hopped out of the pit, and waited for Fallenz to materialize. He was only a few seconds behind her; as Fallenz exited the checkpoint, he spread his wings, ignited the boot jets, and flew up to the top of the building. Crystal soared into the air and joined him. The roof consisted of a helipad and four bunkers. Fallenz stepped behind one of the bunkers and motioned for Crystal to follow him. When she had joined him, Fallenz pointed to her phone, then at his own ear. He held his index finger straight, then made a twisting motion as he pushed the finger against his ear. Crystal caught his meaning; she pulled the earpieces out of her phone’s carrying case. She fought with her orange mane to completely uncover one ear, inserted the earpiece, then repeated the process with the other ear. Once complete, her phone beeped as Fallenz made a private call. Crystal tapped a button to accept. Through the tiny earpieces, she heard, “You read me, Shining?” “I hear you, Fallenz. Those are cool boots and wings!” “Thanks, Shining. I know they’re completely redundant, but I like the look. It’s important to look good on the job, and, like the song says, ‘Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man!’” Crystal cocked her head to one side. “What song is that?” Fallenz just shook his head. “You gonna tell me why you clammed up down there?” Crystal prodded. “I don’t have the conspiratorial mindset, so you’d better make things clear to me.” “Don’t worry,” he assured her, “I’ll make things Crystal clear.” “Good. So, what’s… did you just make another bad joke?” “No,” he lied. “I was thinking about how you were called, and how it reminded me of something I got involved with. “Not long ago, the Dark Watcher tapped me to help bring in a Nemesis defector. He didn’t make it, but I hear whatever he had to say made it back. Since then, I haven’t heard of any follow-up missions, the piece of intel vanished, and the only thing DW’s had me do since then is sewer crawls. Fallenz folded his arms across his chest. “It’s strange that someone from Nemesis wanted to defect to Vanguard. Longbow, the Freedom Phalanx, or anyone else I could understand, but not Vanguard. Nemesis is outside their scope of operations. It’s also strange that the Watcher would give me busywork instead of following up on this. Either he’s covering something up, or, more likely, Vanguard got something really hot, and they’re trying to decide what to do with it. “You met with The Lady Grey herself, the Watcher is her right hand, and you were only told to go rescue someone. Something else is going on.” Crystal pondered what Fallenz had said. “So Vanguard knows more than they told me. I’m not surprised; unlike nearly everyone we work with in the city, they run under that stupid ‘need-to-know’ philosophy. That’s one of the reasons I don’t like working with them. But that’s not useful information. I’m grateful for the warning, but if you don’t know how it applies to the task at hand, I can’t do anything with it.” Fallenz took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “OK, how about this; I think your rescue mission is part of something larger. Go rescue Penelope, but keep your team together after it’s over. When the other shoe drops, you’ll want them close by. “Meanwhile, I’ll see what I can find out about that Nemesis guy and what he had to say.” Fallenz broke eye contact with Crystal, and his gaze became evasive. “Don’t tell anyone,” he continued quietly, “and I mean ANYONE, but…the Dark Watcher and I have…a connection. I don’t know how good it is, and I haven’t used it yet, but if it works I’ll have access to everything he knows. If there’s been any follow-up, I’ll know about it. If there’s going to be any follow-up, I’ll be part of it. As soon as I know what’s up, I’ll tell you. That way, you’ll be better prepared for whatever happens next.” Crystal nodded gravely. She took Fallenz’ hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks, Fallenz. I appreciate your concern, and your support. But don’t go crazy trying to figure out the mystery on my account. You can’t call it a victory if you don’t come back.” Fallenz’ eyes locked onto Crystal’s. He brought up his free hand and cradled the side of her face. Her eyes widened slightly, and her pulse quickened. “This… is a little less flirty than usual,” she opined breathlessly. He held her for a few more heartbeats, seemingly oblivious to her comment. Finally, he intoned, “I’d tell you to take care of yourself, but I know what your job is. Don’t hold back, Crystal. Do whatever you have to do to finish the job and make it back alive.” With that, he released her face, squeezed her hand, and turned to go. Crystal swallowed hard. “Fallenz?” He turned back to face her. Crystal continued, “You’ve done so much already, but… there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you.” He nodded. “Name it.” “If things work out, and you get to follow your hunch, find Flog and take him with you.” Fallenz stared at her for a second, silent and unmoving. The skin around his eyes wrinkled, and then he exploded in laughter. The laughter died quickly once he saw the look on Crystal’s face. Incredulous, he accused, “Aww, no way! You’re serious!” “Yeah, I am. I’m grateful for what you did for me, but you sent him on a wild goose chase inside a war zone. That’s not right.” His voice took a hard edge. “So there’s one less villain stinking up the planet. Big deal.” “Suppose he figures out he’s been tricked? What’s the first thing he’s going to do? You think he understands the concept of a cease-fire? Even if you beat him, this place is a powder keg, and one brawl could ignite a firestorm that sends the whole zone straight into Rikti hands. “Or worse, suppose he finds something he THINKS is an invitation to a secret mastodon feast deep in the Rikti tunnels? If he goes down there, he’s not coming back! You say you’re cool with that, but I’m not. I didn’t send him out there, but you did on my behalf, and I couldn’t live with that knowledge.” Fallenz’ shoulders and head sagged. “Do you ever bend? You’ll be the death of me, woman!” “Don’t say that, Fallenz!” she shrieked. “Sorry.” He straightened up and pointed to his face guard. “I’m smiling under here. I’ll set things straight with Flog, but--” he jabbed a finger at Crystal “--I am NOT taking him with me!” “Fine. So long as he’s not chasing his tail anymore.” Fallenz shook his head. “You’d better go now. Good luck, Shining Crystal!” “Stay safe, Fallenz!” Fallenz hopped over the railing. His wings unfolded, slowing his descent so he landed in a crouch instead of a pile. Once they retracted, he looked back up at the roof of the checkpoint where Crystal stood. He winked at her, then ducked inside. Somebody needs a cold shower. Too bad they don’t work on me anymore! Crystal thumbed her phone back to the team channel. “Shining Crystal to team. Sorry I’m late, I got some last minute intel. I’m on my way now.” She launched herself into the air.

New chapter up. Color (Colour?) Sergeant Barnes is my own creation, inspired by Colour Sergeant Frank Bourne as portrayed in the excellent 1964 movie Zulu. Still haven't rolled him as a character in-game yet. The Lady Grey dialogue is taken as much as possible from the actual in-game dialogue. That's not just me being laz- ahem, efficient, but also trying to push the in-game feel of interacting with the character that we players would be used to. I forgot to give some credit last time to The Deadly Mime, a creation of @BuzzSaw/@Doc Plutonium (he changed his global). That incident recounted in the last update was one back before the aggro cap, defense nerf, and ED, so you can imagine how long ago this happened. I was getting PLd by my buddies in the Unai Kemen Freak-verse mission, and the Deadly Mime was the highest-level toon. He went and rounded up nearly the entire map of Freaks and led them back to us so we could smash the whole lot of them at once. After the aforementioned nerfs dropped I was a little sore but, because of the Mime being able to herd an entire map by himself, I understood why the devs felt them necessary.

Defining Moments - Chapter 4 Crystal stepped through the secure teleporter portal and entered the most depressing place on earth. The Vanguard stronghold in Rikti War Zone was designed along the same lines as the organization itself; to fight the Rikti whenever, however, and wherever was necessary. Reinforced concrete walls dominated the décor, accented by steel structural supports for catwalks and bare fluorescent lights. Painting was purely functional, telling personnel the location of important sectors of the base. Windows had not been installed as they would only compromise structural integrity. The base was hermetically sealed to guard against gas and viral attack. There was no way to tell day from night, nor winter from summer. From the inside it was impossible to know that there was even a world outside the stronghold. The sense of discontinuity augmented the pervasive atmosphere of quiet desperation. Vanguard personnel, clad in their gray and purple Impervium armor, strode purposefully through the corridors on their respective missions. Most wore half-helmets when inside the base, and each mouth was etched with the same expression of grim determination. The vehicle bay and infirmary dominated the view from the portal to Paragon City. Further in, the armory, firing range, and briefing theater were the only breaks in the omnipresent concrete and steel. Walls, rooms, and people; everything was geared exclusively for waging war. One could easily imagine that the outside world consisted only of conflict, bloodshed, and suffering. Crystal leaned around the corner of the portal room and surveyed the scene. The only color and joy came, oddly, from the heroes and villains. Wings flapped, capes flew, and energy crackled as each meta made the base more interesting and cheerful by their presence alone. Small groups stood around and chatted with each other. There were smiles and laughter, although some of the laughs were cold and sinister. Some conversed with Vanguard personnel. Others tinkered at workstations, redeeming Vanguard merits for coveted pieces of Impervium body armor, Talsorian weapons, and other restricted equipment. But whether they wore spikes and chains or bright skin-tight clothes, they were the only living things that did not share the grim visage that was as much a uniform as gray and purple. Crystal noticed a few curious glances thrown her way. Right! I’m out of costume, and not wearing Vanguard armor. Better let them know where I fit in. She levitated a few inches off the floor and slowly drifted into the main corridor. As she moved, she tugged her hairband loose and fluffed her hair out. Cascades of orange flowed down past the small of her back. When Crystal landed, she noticed that no one was paying attention to her anymore. She smiled. “Pardon me, are you Shining Crystal?” Almost no one; the voice carried an English accent, and originated from one of the Vanguard. Crystal looked to her left, and saw the source climbing out of the vehicle bay. It was a stocky man of average height, clad in Impervium armor and half-helmet. The chin and mouth that showed under the visor did not belong to a young man. He held up a PDA; a stubby antenna pointed at her. “I am,” she replied. “May I help you?” “Hold still for another second, please, miss.” True to his word, the PDA chirped one second later. The mouth that showed under the half-helmet changed from a frown of concentration to the grim smile of a job well done. He nodded faintly and lowered the PDA. “Identity confirmed. Welcome to Vanguard, miss. I’m to escort you to your briefing. Follow me, if you please,” he finished, gesturing to a nearby security portal. It was not a suggestion. “OK,” Crystal meekly replied. She waited as he passed by, then fell in line behind and to the right. It was only a few steps to the portal, a swirling circle of purple energy framed by emitters poking through a concrete wall. The PDA came up again as the man held it off to the side of the portal and punched a sequence of commands into it. The portal shifted colors. “Into the portal, miss. I’ll be right behind you.” Crystal touched the circle. Everything faded to black, then just as quickly returned to concrete and steel. She guessed she was in another part of the base, but had no idea where this place was in relation to the one she left. Before she dared to wander off and explore, her escort re-materialized right behind her in a flash of bright light. He took a moment to get his bearings, then commanded, “Please follow closely, miss.” The two of them marched through the base. Crystal looked left and right, trying to figure out where she was. Though one open doorway, she noticed supply crates. Another opening revealed rows of filing cabinets, desks, and computers. Most of the people she saw were in uniform, but not in armor. They still wore an identical grim expression as the Vanguard personnel outside this section. “Administration?” Crystal inquired. “And living quarters,” responded her escort. “It was decided that this section should not be part of general access granted to our special volunteers.” “Makes sense. We have homes of our own. Or, secret underground lairs, depending on which side of the War Walls you’re from.” She walked in silence a bit further, then asked, “This is kinda awkward. Would you please tell me your name?” “You may call me Colour Sergeant Barnes, miss.” The reply came over the shoulder without breaking stride. Again, the information was not a suggestion; there was clearly only one proper way to address him. “Color Sergeant Barnes,” Crystal repeated, trying out the name. “I don’t mean to pester you, but I have the impression you’ve been at this a while.” “I’ve served Vanguard and The Lady Grey for almost six years now, miss, and more than twenty years in the British Army before that.” “Oh. Wow. That’s a long time.” There was no response forthcoming, so Crystal followed in silence. The corridors were nearly devoid of distinguishing features, so by the time the pair arrived at their destination Crystal was thoroughly lost. It seemed like they walked down random passageways until reaching a random door that looked like every other closed door they’d passed. Only when the color sergeant stopped and gripped the handle did the door gain any special significance. “In here, if you please,” the color sergeant instructed. “You will temporarily surrender your cell phone, check through security, and then you shall be briefed on your mission.” He gave the handle a twist. “Wait!” Crystal held up her hands in emphasis. “I’ve never met The Lady Grey before! How do I address her? I mean, what do I call her when I’m talking to her?” Color Sergeant Barnes regarded her in silence for a heartbeat. “As you are a member of Vanguard, and she is its leader, you may call her “madam” or “ma’am”.” The last word came out sounding like “mum”. “OK, got it. Thanks, Color Sergeant Barnes,” she said as he opened the door. She flashed him a nervous smile as she entered. Color Sergeant Barnes closed the door behind her and marched off to his next assignment. His pace was slower than earlier. In his mind, the details of Crystal’s file played. Most heroes’ files held only cursory information, and, if they hadn’t been to prison, the villains’ were even less informative. Hers had everything; real name, address, names of parents, birth date, and so on. It was the last bit of information that repeatedly cycled through his consciousness. “Good Lord,” he breathed, “she’s younger than my children! Bloody Rikti War,” he finished, slowly shaking his head. Crystal stood in a sterile security checkpoint manned by Vanguard soldiers in full combat gear. One soldier sat at a desk behind bulletproof glass and armor plate. A sign on the glass listed all prohibited items. Crystal pulled out her cell phone, wallet, watch, and keys, then dropped them into the inspection tray. Just to be safe, she also placed her hairband, lip balm, and tiara into the tray. Her hair fell in front of her face like a veil. She pulled enough strands out of the way to see, and entered the security lockbox. The armored doors slid shut, trapping her inside to be scanned and, if necessary, incinerated. It was a long, tense minute before Crystal was verified as human, or, more accurately, not Rikti, and she exited the other side of the lockbox with no small sense of relief. Not normally a troublemaker, the whole process was so unnerving that she was practically cowed, and wanted nothing more than to be back in Paragon and forget the whole sorry affair. Crystal retrieved her possessions, minus cell phone, and waited to be escorted into the presence of The Lady Grey. The security station was attached to Lady Grey’s office, but might as well have been on the other side of the universe. Crystal transitioned from the antiseptic, intimidating security checkpoint to sumptuous wood paneling, aged paintings in gilded frames, thick carpet, and a real fireplace. The room smelled of wood smoke and antiquity. There were even leaded-glass windows looking out onto a carefully manicured English garden bathed in the afternoon sun. Crystal stood stock still, her eyes wide open, oblivious to the sound of the door closing behind her, and tried to reassemble her sanity. Her sanity took another blow as she finally noticed the figure seated behind an antique desk. The Lady Grey, founder and leader of Vanguard, rumored to be one of the oldest and most powerful meta-humans on the planet, center of a universe of her own making, scribbled some notes onto a sheaf of paper. Once finished, she waved her hand over the stack, causing it to vanish into shadow and emptiness. Only then did she take notice of Crystal. “Be seated, Miss da Silva,” she ordered. Her voice carried an unmistakable authority in her precise diction. The sound of her real name finally brought Crystal back to reality. She slowly moved away from the door, crossing the carpeted floor with soft footfalls, and eased into the antique wood chair placed opposite Lady Grey’s desk. She crossed her legs, and folded her hands in her lap, feeling like she had been called into the principal’s office. I can do this, she thought as she tried to fight her sense of awe. Sure, it’s The Lady Grey, but I can turn the mission down. One mention of hitting anything, and I’ll pass. I’m not a soldier, I’m a volunteer. “Let us begin.” Lady Grey leaned forward slightly, her dark eyes narrowing a fraction. “The Rikti, under the command of their War Leader Hro'Dtohz, grow desperate. Valiant efforts by Vanguard forces have destabilized their new gateway to the Rikti Homeworld, but already they look for methods to recover from this set-back.” I’m not smashing anything. I can call a half-dozen others who wouldn’t mind destroying some property. Thank you, no. Not interested. “The Dark Watcher informs us the Rikti Lineage of War believe they can utilize latent human psychic energies to re-stabilize their portals. The Lineage of War forces have captured one of the most potent psychics on earth in order to do so: Miss Penelope Yin.” Crystal squashed her internal pep-talk. “The Rikti were attempting to secret her back to their ship when we were able to pin them down en-route, but her rescue will require expert talents. Her safety now rests on your shoulders.” A rescue mission! I can do this! Her heart leapt in her chest as Crystal leapt out of her chair and gave a blazing smile to Lady Grey. “Yes, ma’am!” she exploded. “I’ll bring her back safely! You can count on me!” She mentally kicked herself for trying to back out before she even knew what the mission was. Lady Grey remained perfectly composed during Crystal’s enthusiastic outburst. “We expected nothing less from you, Miss da Silva,” she intoned, which only made Crystal feel more guilty. “We have set aside part of this facility for your team to assemble and embark upon this task. Some of them are waiting there as we speak. The remainder shall join you shortly.” “Yes, ma’am-- wait, MY team?” She looked incredulously at Lady Grey. “Indeed,” Lady Grey confirmed with a slight twist of her head. “Your concern for the well-being of others is known to Us, and We feel it is most appropriate to place Our trust in your leadership abilities. Your phone is being updated with the latest Vanguard communication codes so that you may contact us as needed.” “Thank you, ma’am, I won’t let you down. I’ll bring ‘em back,” Crystal repeated. “All of them!” She gave Lady Grey a confident smile. Lady Grey’s eyes softened, and her mouth thinned into an approximation of a smile. “Your enthusiasm does you credit. May your deeds match your will, for We believe the enemy will not easily yield Miss Yin, nor countenance trespassers within their domain.” Countenance? “It’s time. We shall return you now, Miss da Silva. Godspeed!” The Lady Grey rose from her chair and made a cryptic gesture at the door. Sensing the briefing was over, Crystal nodded her head at Lady Grey, then turned and walked out the way she came. Once the door closed behind her, she leaned back against it, closed her eyes, and shook her head dramatically. Now I know how Alice felt when she fell down the rabbit hole! “Sweet thang!” Crystal’s eyes shot open. The voice definitely did not belong to one of the Vanguard regulars. Her head darted to and fro, examining her surroundings. Crystal’s jaw dropped, and her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she realized though she exited through the same door she entered, she was not back in the security checkpoint, but a small waiting room. Moreover, she was not alone, but in the presence of three people: one man, one woman, and one humanoid shape composed of brilliant white flames. A quick check behind her also revealed that she was not leaning up against a door, but the ubiquitous reinforced concrete walls of the Vanguard stronghold. She swallowed hard as she ran her hands along the concrete, desperately looking for some sign of the doorway she was sure she had just stepped through. No, THIS is what Alice must have felt like! What have I gotten myself into now?

New chapter up. Jenny, a.k.a. Jennifer Feldman, a.k.a. Firefox is the creation of @Void Tyger. It was funny with the two of us having female toons in game and in the story as we're both men, kind of like that old joke about the Internet, where the men are men, the women are also men, and the children are FBI agents. Anyway, he was a good sport. The folks who donated toons that got a lot of screen time, so to speak, risked more than others who contributed toons for a cameo, so, many thanks to VT!

Defining Moments - Chapter 3 An exceptionally tall woman rushed up out of nowhere at superhuman speed. She halted between Crystal and the late morning sun, casting her in shadow. “Eeeee!” squealed the newcomer, hopping up and down like an excited child. “I can’t believe it! It’s Shining Crystal, the Ms. Paragon semifinalist! OMG, you’re soooooo gorgeous! I love you! Can I have your autograph?” Crystal hated being gushed over, but instead of complaining she made circles with the thumb and index fingers of both her hands, raised the circles to her eyes, and looked up at her companion. In her best mock-heroic voice, she deadpanned, “You are mistaken, citizen. As you can surely see, I wear glasses, and the heroic Shining Crystal does not. Move along now. Nothing to see here.” The tall woman doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. While standing, she was at least two feet taller than Crystal, with the proportions of a runway model. Her hair was bright red and cut short in the same style as War Witch, her skin was red like a bad sunburn, but her most distinctive characteristic was her ears. Large vulpine ears poked up from the top of her head. They were covered in short red fur the same shade as the hair, fading to yellow inside. The clothes she wore were predominantly neon green: dark sunglasses with neon green frames; neon green bodysuit with square holes showing the red skin underneath; thigh-high neon green boots with a red stripe down the front; neon green fingerless gloves; and a short neon green jacket with the sleeves rolled up and the front unzipped. Crystal rose from her chair and watched with amusement as her friend tried to catch her breath. She sobbed and gasped, raggedly gulping lungfulls of air as best she could. “Ow…that hurt…I think…I cracked a rib”, she croaked between gasps. “Hmph. It would serve you right for that ‘So I have until August?’ crack,” Crystal primly shot back. “I hate you,” sobbed Jenny as she propped herself with one arm. “Everyone hates Tankers. Hey, while you’re down at my level…” Crystal moved to embrace her friend. Jenny squealed again. “coldcoldcoldCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLD!” “Sorry! Sorry!” wailed Crystal as she quickly backed away and powered down. “I’m sorry, Jenny. I was preventing the ice cream from melting and I forgot.” “Sh-sh-sh-sure you d-did.” Flames engulfed Jenny’s body. Her shivering subsided. “Well, I think you’ll forgive me.” Crystal pointed to the ice cream. “You’d have seen this first if you hadn’t stopped where you did.” Jenny looked where Crystal was pointing. Her mouth opened, and her ears perked up and rotated full forward. She gasped, “You didn’t!” “I did. One Choco-blitz, and two spoons.” It was their nickname for the treat; there was so much caffeine in it that the sugar crash came and went without slowing them down at all. Jenny loved them, and facetiously claimed that the dessert was the source of her superhumanly fast running speed and reaction time. “Have a seat.” The flames died out, but Jenny continued to hug herself. “Technically, it’s still winter, and I’m still cold. Can’t we sit inside?” “I’ll have to call you Firefox. The store’s occupied.” “Yeah, I deduced that from the ice cream OUT HERE that’s usually made IN THERE!” Crystal stuck out her tongue. “OK, detective! You get the door, I’ll get the ice cream.” She gathered up the spoons, napkins, and the glass dish while Jenny opened the door and held it for her. After Crystal entered, Jenny ducked inside as well, folding her ears back as she went. “And what’s wrong with FIREFOX?” Jenny asked, striking a dramatic pose and nearly cracking her knuckles on the ceiling. “Foxes are pretty and clever.” As Crystal walked to a table against the back wall, she replied over her shoulder, “You score on both points, Firefox. It’s a very appropriate name.” She sat down with her back to the door, pushing a chair out for Jenny to sit against the wall; there wasn’t a chair made with a back tall enough for her. Jenny made her way to her seat, past the owner who had not stopped staring since she entered. She sat down, picked up her spoon, and went to dig in but stopped, looking expectantly at Crystal. “You gonna…” she quietly asked. “Already said,” Crystal answered as she scooped out a hunk of rich dark ice cream and popped it in her mouth. Jenny followed suit, taking time to savor the flavor. Once she finished the mouthful, she said, “Thanks, I appreciate the treat. I don’t know how much these cost, but I know it’s special order.” “Think of it as a bribe to get you to hold still and hear me out.” Crystal was already on her third spoonful. “Slow down!” Jenny commanded. “I still get brain freeze!” Crystal laughed. “Isn’t this a switch, you telling me to slow down!” “Foxes are fast, too, you know. So,” Jenny asked while taking another scoop, “what did you want to talk about?” Crystal set her spoon down on her napkin. “Well, as I said, I need your perspective. Something’s on my mind, and I want to know if I’m being over privileged and whiny.” Jenny paused thoughtfully. “I’ll try to help.” “Well, it’s …” Crystal lowered her eyes; once again, she couldn’t make eye contact while discussing her own troubles. She took a deep breath. “You know I haven’t been in costume much lately.” “I noticed. We haven’t teamed for over a month, but we see each other all the time.” “I’ve tried to keep three roles balanced in my life: superhero, student, and activist. Well, I’m feeling spread thin, and I don’t think I’ve been doing a good job at any of them. “As a superhero, I don’t feel like a contributor. I’ve never liked hitting people, even the really twisted ones, but every time I try to talk and calm them down it just makes them mad. I put teams in jeopardy when I follow my conscience, and I’m sick with myself when I do my job right. “And it’s not easy even then. I’ve gotten a killer rep for having a glass jaw, though it’s not totally undeserved. I mean, one minute I’m marching along, totally untouchable, and the next thing I know I’m waking up in the hospital, or the base, or you-know-who is standing over me saying ‘Arise, Shining Crystal, as my loyal zombie slave!’” Jenny snorted and rolled her eyes. “When the going gets tough, the heroes call someone else. I know everyone hates Tankers, but I’m really not feeling the love!” Crystal shook her head. “I thought it was ‘everyone hates mimes’?” “I don’t know many mimes. I couldn’t tell you.” “Hey, can you imagine if there was a Tank who was also a mime? Talk about limitless hate!” “I don’t have to imagine. It’s already been done.” Seeing the confused look on Jenny’s face, Crystal explained, “Back when I first joined the Forgotten Legion, one of the other Legionnaires was a Tanker-class hero called The Deadly Mime. You ever done any work for Unai?” Jenny nodded. “Well, the story goes, a few years back he sent a team to a dimension where the Freakshow took over and wrecked everything. The Mime was on the team that went in to clean up. They say he led an entire city block’s worth of them on a merry chase, straight into an ambush. The Freaks never gave up chasing him, they never noticed the ambush, and the Mime didn’t get a scratch.” “Wow!” Jenny’s eyebrows raised above the rim of her sunglasses. “What’s he doing these days?” “He retired. Getting back to my point, of the heroes who deliberately step in to take the hits, I’m not one of the best. It’s gotten worse since Wentworth’s opened. I have just enough cash to buy a used handkerchief on auction!” As Jenny giggled, Crystal continued, “I can’t afford all the nice inventions that make heroes stronger, but I could if I’d been out there full-time. “Then there’s the role of the student. I used to be a good- no, I was a great student. Now I’m barely getting by. Here I am, three and a half years into college, and I’m just now reaching the end of the sophomore year. If I hadn’t taken AP Everything in high school, I’d be even further behind. It’s not that I can’t do the work, it’s that instead of studying I’m running around putting out fires!” “Sometimes literally,” Jenny mumbled around her ice cream. “You know it! I need the good grades to get into grad school, then maintain them so I can get a job after school is done, ‘cause I know it won’t last forever even though it feels like it. But I can’t do any planning for the future because of the unpredictable and more immediate demands for a superhero to come and save the day! “Finally, there’s the role of the activist. I’ve just been spinning my wheels there. All that campaigning to get Wentworth’s to open a Kings Row facility? I thought it would bring security and jobs to the area. Well, the place is totally dead! Almost no one shops there, so the crime rate hasn’t dropped like it has in Atlas Park, Talos Island, or Steel Canyon. They have less than half the employees of the next lowest populated branch, so the local business owners aren’t reaping a windfall. I know Wentworth’s is losing money on the deal, and so’s the city thanks to the tax breaks they gave. “Meanwhile, Manticore swoops in with a truckload of cash and all the influence of the Freedom Phalanx, and the city breaks ground on the Cyrus Thompson Community Center. It’s everything I ever wanted for that neighborhood, but I was too distracted by the rest of my life to see how to get it. Not to mention I was out-influenced! That’s the only reason I entered the Ms. Paragon contest, so I could direct more attention and resources to worthy causes.” “I guess it didn’t work out like you hoped.” “Not so well. I got a ton of offers for product endorsement, even one from Icon.” “Yeah, I knew about that. Maddy told me.” Crystal nodded. “I figured you’d have inside knowledge. There were also pitches for reality TV show deals, book deals, speaking engagements, marriage proposals-- don’t you dare laugh-- and even some offers I didn’t think ANYONE would have the nerve to speak aloud or commit to print.” Jenny’s eyebrows rose again, and her ears rotated forward in obvious interest. She opened her mouth- Scowling, Crystal cried, “No, I’m not going to repeat what they said!” Jenny’s ears flattened out to the side as she crossed her arms and pouted. Crystal continued, “I turned it all down, all except for a few of the public speaking events. Anything where I thought I could encourage people to improve their lives and their community. Taking the money people offered would have been like entering the contest because I wanted to help myself.” She dropped her eyes to the tabletop. As she unfolded her arms and resumed eating, Jenny opined, “So, you’ve been feeling miserable and ineffective for a long time. You never mentioned anything to me before. What happened? Why’s this coming out now?” Crystal looked up. “I was invited to a wedding.” One eyebrow arched incredulously over the sunglasses. “A wedding invitation? That’s it?” “Yeah. A friend of mine who graduated from PCU two years ago is getting married, and she sent me an invitation. We kept in touch, so I got to vicariously live a regular life. She finished her degree, got a job, found a good man-” “Don’t!” Jenny warned. “-made a successful, normal life for herself, the kind of life I might’ve-“ “Stop it!” Crystal fell silent. Her eyes itched from the oncoming tears. She tilted her head back, blinked hard several times, and sniffed. Jenny watched her friend try to stem the flow and waited for the disturbing line of conversation to end. She was disappointed. Crystal quietly continued, almost in a whisper, “You know how I got my powers. I thought I could make some meaning out of the accident. I thought I might honor those who…” She swallowed hard. “But no matter what I do with my powers, no matter how many people I save, it’ll never make up for the fact that I profited from a tragedy. I don’t deserve them. I want them gone, and I want to retire. I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like an opportunist.” A single tear rolled down the side of her nose and fell to the tabletop. Jenny stuck her spoon into the ice cream dish. “Off with the gloves!” Crystal stared back uncomprehendingly through the haze of tears. Seeing her confusion, Jenny barked, “I’m not holding a glove, so c’mon OJ. Take ‘em off!” Crystal subtly tilted her head in the direction of the cash register, where she believed the owner would be standing. Jenny rolled her eyes and leaned forward. “If he hasn’t figured it out by now, he either can’t speak English or he’s dumber than a Troll. OFF!” she commanded, her eyes flaring. Gently, Crystal worked at the glove on her right hand. She took her time; she didn’t know how much damage the glove had sustained, and didn’t want to tear it. As she peeled, dust and tiny pieces of thread poured from the glove’s interior: the liner had already disintegrated. Jenny was much faster with hers. She slipped both of them off and dropped them on the table. As soon as Crystal freed her right hand, Jenny grabbed it with her own, and covered them both with her left. The energy aura peeked out between Jenny’s fingers, and what showed of Crystal’s hand was colored a very similar shade of red as Jenny’s. Jenny looked at Crystal over her sunglasses. Her red hair fell forward, framing her face. In a soft voice, she said, “You are the second-most principled hero around, and a he-” she checked herself, “-a lot nicer than Statesman. In and out of costume, you’re always working to help people. You’re my friend. When things get rough, there’s no one I’d rather have with me. This city would be a lot worse off without you, and so would I. “OK, you didn’t ask for superpowers, and that was an awful way to get them, but you’ve had them for years now. You’re a bona-fide, security-level-fifty Hero of the City. Everything you did since getting your powers was all you! All those times you stepped in and said ‘You’re not hurting them unless you go through me’? Seriously, how can you call voluntarily getting shot “profiteering”? Crystal laughed and cried at the same time. Jenny continued, “You asked if I thought you were being whiny. Well, if I took as many hits as you, I’d have second thoughts about being a hero, too! But I don’t think you’ve thought this through. Let’s say you just walked away from it all. You think Crey would ignore you? Let you finish your degree, get a job, have kids, grow old and fat and never try to take you to one of their secret labs and cut you into wafer thin sections?” “That’s not funny!” howled Crystal, laughing more and crying less. “Think of how much less funny it would be if you didn’t have powers when they came for you! And what about your charity work? You think you’ll have the same leverage when it’s just ordinary Cr- just you, unpowered, with no heroic accolades and no costumed community to back you up? They’d be like, ‘Look, it’s that annoying redhead again!’ instead of ‘So nice to see you! What can we do for you today?’” Crystal grumped as she futilely fought to keep from being cheered up. “They probably still call me annoying.” “Because you don’t back down from anything you think is worth doing. You see it through, no matter what gets in your way.” She let go of Crystal’s hand and straightened up in her chair. “This is one of those times. You’ll finish the semester, make a few speeches, pound Recluse’s flunkies into a coma, go to the wedding, get swept off your feet by one of the groomsmen, look back on the day you thought about throwing in the towel, and laugh.” “Just continue on.” Crystal sniffed. “Maybe I’m still being whiny, but that doesn’t sound like a solution.” “I say you haven’t given this enough thought. Take some time. If that prayer thing helps, do that too. Maybe you’ll come up with an alternative to retiring.” For a long moment, Crystal sat silent and still, staring at the tabletop. Eventually, she nodded her head. “You’re too good to me,” she said quietly as she raised her eyes to meet Jenny’s. “You sit and listen to me whine and cry…I don’t deserve a friend like you.” She dried her eyes with the unused portion of her napkin. “Who else would treat me to a Choco-blitz?” quipped Jenny as she picked up her spoon again. “Ohh”, she groaned, looking down at the ice cream. Her ears fell. “It’s melting!” She looked expectantly at Crystal. Crystal shrugged, and retrieved her spoon. “It’ll taste funny if I re-freeze it. Better eat it quick.” With that, the two women dug in and ate as fast as they could, slowing only to avoid ice cream headaches or crunch espresso beans. A few sticky minutes later, two spoons clattered into the empty dish. Crystal gingerly put her damaged glove back on while Jenny washed up. She pitched the napkins, gathered up the spoons and dish, and carried them back to the counter. The owner met her as she approached. “I didn’t know it was you!” he whispered. “That was the idea,” Crystal replied in a soft voice. “What your friend said about Crey Industries…” His dark eyes were wide, though Crystal couldn’t tell if it was from fear or incredulity. “I can’t tell you everything I’ve seen; Crey considers that sort of talk slander, and their lawyers are relentless. But, if you’re curious, go look up what happened at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut, on November 14, 2002. Thanks for the ice cream!” She walked back to the table and picked up Jenny’s fingerless gloves. Jenny re-emerged and stepped up to Crystal. “Ready to go?” she inquired at the top of Crystal’s head. In response, Crystal dangled the neon-green gloves. Jenny snatched them back. “Thanks.” She pulled them back on as they left. Outside in the sunshine again, the two women paused and waited as the Green Line train rattled by. Once they were again able to converse without shouting over the racket, Crystal exclaimed, “I’ll pay for it later, but that was good!” “Mm-hmm! Not a bad way to start the-“ Dramatic music began to play. Crystal grimaced as Jenny whirled around and stared at her. “Darth Vader’s theme? Your phone plays Darth Vader’s theme music?” she asked, surprised. “It’s John Williams’ Imperial March,” Crystal corrected, “and I set the phone to play it whenever Vanguard calls. Appropriate for the misery and sense of doom.” She sighed heavily. “Oh, come on,” Jenny chided her. “I thought you’d gotten over the retirement thing.” “Yeah…mostly…but it’s the kind of work Vanguard wants done that makes me tired of it all. They don’t want heroes; they want soldiers.” She switched to a guttural drill sergeant voice. “‘Go here, punch the Rikti.’ ‘Go there, defend this outpost, and punch the attacking Rikti.’ ‘Hold those other Rikti in place until we can blast them into itty bitty pieces.’” Crystal made a face, and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “I suppose I should see what they want.” “That’s the spirit,” muttered Jenny, not at all seriously. She shook her head. Crystal flipped her phone open. She saw that it wasn’t an incoming call, but a text message. Her fingers tapped away, calling it up. In a bored voice, she read, “Your assistance is requested for a mission of utmost importance. Please proceed with all deliberate haste to the nearest Vanguard facility for transport to the War Zone. You will be briefed on arrival by…no way!” “What?” Jenny crowded in to see the message. “Briefed on arrival by The Lady Grey! Ohh!” she groaned. “The Lady Grey?!?” Jenny’s ears were up and forward again. “What does she want with you?” “She probably heard me crying,” Crystal grumbled bitterly. Jenny giggled. “What are you going to do, Crystal?” “I’ll go see what she wants. It’d be rude to just blow her off. Heaven knows, maybe she’ll have something for me to do that doesn’t involve assault and battery.” “Yeah, good luck with that!” As Crystal stuck her tongue out again, Jenny inquired, “You gonna change first?” “‘All deliberate haste’, it says. Well, it’s not like this is the first time I’ve had to 'save the day' while not wearing a costume.” “Or not wearing clothes at all,” Jenny slyly observed. Crystal blushed beet red, and she buried her face in her hands. “Shut up!” she screeched as Jenny burst out laughing. “That wasn’t my fault! Who’d have thought the Hellions would try to burn my apartment building TWICE? Especially since they knew a registered hero lived there!” Jenny shrieked, “At least the towel stayed on!” “It was frozen in place!” Crystal reminded her, which only made Jenny laugh harder. Soon, Crystal started laughing, too. “But if it didn’t, who’d notice in this town?” she quipped. “It’s indecent exposure if you’re a civilian, but if you’re a registered hero, it’s a costume!” Now both women were laughing hysterically and leaning on the outdoor tables to keep from falling over. “The new spring line at Icon: Au Natural!” screamed Jenny. Crystal collapsed to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes. She rolled onto her back, and thrust her right fist skyward. “Towel Girl, fighting crime with the Rat-Tail of Justice!” Jenny slipped off the table and fell to her knees, hugging her sides, barely able to breathe. It was several minutes before they regained control of themselves. They laughed until it hurt, then when one or the other started to recover, inevitably they’d look at each other and begin the paroxysms anew. The lunch crowd stared, and gave them a wide berth; no one was brave or curious enough to inquire why two women, one of whom was a costumed hero, would be rolling on the ground cackling hysterically. Eventually, Crystal sat up, rubbed at her red and puffy eyes, and wiped away the tear tracks. She stifled another bout of the giggles as she said, “I should have taken a napkin to go. My eyes must look awful, and my face hurts! You big meanie, see what you started?” Jenny pulled herself out of a fetal position. She took off her sunglasses, made an attempt to dry them on the sleeve of her jacket, and returned them to her face. Through a big grin she shot back, “At least this time you’re not crying ‘cause you’re sad!” “I’d rather not cry at all!” Crystal grumped, smiling just as much as her friend. She took a deep breath to calm herself. “So much for ‘all deliberate haste’. Maybe they’ve found someone else for the job?” Jenny cocked her head and just stared in response. “Yeah, I don’t think so, either.” She dragged herself to her feet, then extended a hand to help Jenny up. “Well,” she continued, “now that you’ve had a good laugh at my expense-” which set Jenny off again “-maybe you could do something for me.” Choking back the laughter, Jenny replied, “So long as it’s not subbing for Vanguard.” Crystal pulled her backpack off and presented it to her friend. “There’s a lock and a set of keys in the outer pouch. Would you please take this to the fitness center and stash it in a locker? I’m not keen on bringing five hundred dollars worth of textbooks to a war zone, and you can get to the center much faster than I.” “Sure, no problem.” Jenny took the bag and slung it over one shoulder. Crystal floated off the ground until she was eye level with Jenny and embraced her. “Thanks. For everything,” she whispered into her ear. “You’re a real hero, you know that?” “Aww, don’t, or you’ll make me cry, too!” Jenny leaned her head into Crystal’s shoulder and stroked the back of her head. They held on to each other for another heartbeat, then parted. Crystal waved as she slowly lifted off into the sky. “I’ll call you when I’m done!” she shouted down. “Be good!” “Stay safe!” Jenny waved back, watching as Crystal flew over the buildings and out of sight. Only when she could no longer see her friend did she take off running.

New chapter up. Some credits from the first installment: Shadowspawn is the creation of @Shadowspawn. He was in the game right at kickoff, was one of the founding members of the HUB community, and, at one point, had the highest-level character on the Triumph server (Shadowspawn, naturally). He was also the founder of the first supergroup on Triumph, Family Force. His children @Too Cool and @Super Green played the game as well. All good people. G-Force Knight is the creation of @Spacio. There was once a SG-only TF that was only accessible through the Supergroup Mission Computer. It never made it to the live servers as the devs couldn't get the darned thing to work, but, while we were all on the test server trying in vain to get the mission computer to start the TF, @Spacio decided to try and fix the mission computer by dropping a Warburg nuke right on top of it. We all had a good laugh at that.

Defining Moments - Chapter 2 “Turning something in on time, Ms. da Silva? That’s not like you.” Dr. Leo Ott was not a nice man. Reviled by both student and faculty alike at Paragon City University, he maintained his position through a superlative talent at applied chemistry. Set next to his uncanny ability to push the boundaries of organic synthesis, bringing prestige and research money to the Chemistry department, his abrasive personality was deemed irrelevant. He expected a great deal from his students, yet never managed to convey what he wanted to see from them. Some called his style “sink or swim”; there were less charitable descriptions as well. He was also impervious to any student’s life circumstances that prevented the timely completion of assignments, or attendance of lab and lecture. Crystal found this last character trait especially obnoxious. Most undergrads would lose work due to a computer crash, or the dog, or they might get stuck in traffic and arrive late. She, on the other hand, had all manner of evildoers attack her as she went to and from class, and received calls for help day and night that couldn’t be delayed until it was convenient to her schedule. Still, she had signed up for his classes before, and would do so again for one reason only: Dr. Ott would not take money from Crey Industries, nor would he work with anyone who did. Ignoring the insult, Crystal dug into her backpack. “Here you are, Dr. Ott. Printed report, a copy on disk, and the remainder of the product”, she said, producing the named items as she spoke. “I sent you another copy of the report by e-mail.” She made to deposit the items on his desk. “Not here!” he barked. “Give the report to Iqram and put the sample in the lab.” Crystal retracted the report, disk, and vial. “OK, Dr. Ott. It’s exciting to think this work will clean up the contamination at Chernobyl and restore the land. Maybe something like this could work in Paragon.” “Don’t care,” he grumped. “I did my part. The cleanup’s in the hands of the chemical engineers and geologists now, if they can ever figure out what I told them. Close the door on your way out”, he commanded, dismissively flicking his hand. After quickly retreating, Crystal dropped off her materials and stepped outside into the early spring sunshine. The official start of spring was a week away, but the weather had already warmed up. The temperature was in the low 60s, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. She took a moment to watch the other students make their way around the courtyard of the Founders’ Falls campus, bundled against a stiff breeze coming off the water. The campus joke was that if the Terra Volta reactor were ever successfully destroyed, the campus would be converted into a wind farm. Crystal got a few quizzical looks from the pedestrians; she was underdressed for the blustery conditions yet suffered no ill effects. Her only visible concession to the biting wind was a pair of gloves. It looks so wonderful. No gunfire, no life or death decisions. I’ll bet not one of them is thinking about Nemesis or Recluse unless they have a paper to write. As Crystal walked down the steps of the chemistry building, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed. “Hi, Jenny. It’s Crystal. …No, no criminal activity here. …OK, I’m sure someone nearby is doing something they shouldn’t, but I’m not calling about that! Do you have a minute? I could use your perspective on something. …I’m on the Founders’ Falls campus, heading to Helados. …It’s not too cold for me! …Fine, my treat, but that means I get to pick! …OK. …Yeah, no problem, I have time. Just come when you’re finished. I’ll make sure the ice cream won’t melt. …Oh, ha ha ha! Very funny, you big meanie! …’k, see ya.” The phone closed with a snap, and Crystal picked up her pace. Flying would have been much quicker, but she wasn’t in a “super” mood, nor did she want the attention. She walked to the bus stop, fished her recently purchased bus pass out of a pocket, and waited patiently. The first bus that stopped was bound for Talos Island; Crystal passed on that one. The next bus was headed her way, so she hopped on board, swiped her pass through the reader, sat down, and prayed no one recognized her. Everything looked different at ground level. The historic buildings loomed on one side of the road, separated by the canals that made Founders’ Falls a popular and pricey place to live. Louis Park sloped up on the other. Out of habit, she kept watch on the park side for trees that weren’t swaying with the wind, or oddly shaped piles of rock that were too close to the road. Nothing threatened the bus though, not even as they made their way south past the more dangerous area of Hutchinson Park. The bus made its last stop at a small parking lot in the southwest corner of Liberty Town. Crystal exited and made her way to a footbridge that spanned the first canal she had to cross. This was one of the most popular tourist spots in all Paragon. Come June, this part of Liberty Town would be filled with visitors, students, and superheroes. The dock that formed the center point of the area was frequented by boaters and history buffs. During the first Rikti War, the dock was used as an emergency shelter and communication station by the then-newly-formed Vanguard. All around the dock were shops, tall brick buildings with colorful awnings, fountains, old-fashioned gas street lamps, and statues of praying angels in robes. The super-groupies preferred Atlas Park, and the party crowd went to Talos, but for the laid-back, there was no better spot to relax and unwind. Helados was visible from the parking lot across the canal. An outdoor café that specialized in ice cream and other summer treats, it was ideally located for boaters, motorists, and pedestrians. It occupied the lowest level of an historic brick building. Green and yellow awnings shaded the windows and matched the umbrellas that poked up through the outdoor tables. Summertime would bring a never-ending horde of customers, and the inside and outside seating areas were filled day and night. Today, though, it was early in the day, and about a month and a half too soon for tourists. Tan flagstones bordered by gray stone bricks marked the outdoor courtyard. Bordering the area were four statues of praying angels in robes, all facing towards the café. The plaque that chronicled the historical significance of the dock was mounted on a stand just opposite Helados. The outdoor tables would double in warmer weather, but were never completely removed. In a perverse quirk of fate, the villains that frequented this area had far grander and more malevolent schemes than vandalism, and their presence discouraged petty theft and property destruction more effectively than the superheroes could ever hope to match. Crystal crossed the last bridge to Helados and entered. At this hour, only the proprietor was at the counter. She walked up to him and asked, “I’d like a special order, please.” “Yes, of course”, he replied in a thick accent. “What can I get you?” “I’d like the dark chocolate ice cream with espresso beans mixed in.” Even the thought of eating that made Crystal feel better. She smiled slightly. “Medium sized, with two spoons.” “Ahh, it must be finals again!” He smiled broadly as he turned and rattled off the order in Spanish to the unseen workers in the back. “Your order should be ready in 10 minutes.” “I’d better pay for that now. I’m meeting a friend, and I’d like to sit outside while I wait.” “How will you pay?” Crystal dug her wallet out and handed over her “civilian” credit card; the other was good only in Freedom Corps, Wentworth’s, and the like. Moreover, it had her heroic alias on it, and she still didn’t like being called Shining Crystal, not even at Security Level 50. She signed the receipt, left the building, and sat down at an outdoor table. The sun was warm, and though the breeze was chilly, she couldn’t feel the cold at all. The only problem with the wind was how it tangled her long hair. Crystal took a minute to wrestle it back into a ponytail and fasten it in place. Once her hair was secured, she closed her eyes. Lord, I probably shouldn’t be eating it, but I’m thankful You made food like this possible. Watch over Jenny. Please see she makes it here safely. Help me to know Your plan for my life. Amen. She waited. The special order ice cream was done before Jenny arrived, and the owner brought it out. Crystal thanked him, and then went back to watching the docks. She switched seats so she would be upwind of the ice cream, touched the glass with one hand, and then dropped the temperature around her by forty degrees. Frost quickly formed on the glass, the table, and her chair. WHABOOM! A heat wave washed over her. Fire Blaster nearby. The crackle of high-energy weapons echoed between the buildings. Rikti rifles. Some pistols. Probably not Drones. CRACK! Something hit metal. Hard. SPLASH! No shouts, must have been a Rikti. Hope you can swim! Another heat wave crashed into Crystal. A few moments of silence later, she heard a familiar voice yell, “That’s right! Get back in your hole!” The sound of a high-pressure flame jet booming in the close confines of a sewer access hatch filled the air. Crystal smiled. Jenny had arrived.

Gentle readers, As promised, here is the thread for discussion and comment to the "Defining Moments - a City of Heroes novel" thread. I will read and reply as time permits. Enjoy! Grog the Big

Defining Moments - Chapter 1 This is it. One hour from now, it’ll all be over, one way or another. If I succeed, it’ll mean a chance at life for a scorched wasteland, and hope for the people who suffered the worst industrial accident in history. I fail… and I’ll have to take this class over again. “Servus, lab supervisor mode. Run Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance tests on loaded samples. Open chemical database and compare test results to known compounds. Activate mission computer and open word processing program. When samples have been identified, transfer results to the mission computer.” “Etiam, Shining Crystal.” She sighed. “Servus, use English.” On second thought… “Servus, text mode. Play Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah on the mission computer.” A trombone fanfare called from the command center. Crystal da Silva arched her back, stretched a few times, and then exited the workshop, pulling off her hairband as she went. She was tall, almost 6 feet if you included the mane of long, fiery orange hair. Fighting crime in Paragon City for nearly four years had improved her already athletic figure; her shoulders and arms were large for a woman, and were well defined, as was the abdomen that peeked out between her white t-shirt and blue jeans. The jeans were snug in most places, which was either a fashion statement or another sign that crime fighting was great exercise. Her trademark tiara sat on her forehead, dutifully keeping hair out of her pale blue eyes. Crystal might not have been recognized as a superhero were it not for her hands. They glowed red, and occasionally a spark would shoot off and pop like fireworks, a side effect of Professor St. John-Smythe’s treatment to enhance her powers. The treatment significantly boosted the amount of energy she could safely release, but it also prevented Crystal from fully shutting off the energy in her hands. At the lowest output, living creatures felt the energy as warm and tingly, but it would eventually eat away at any non-living substance, which is why she pulled a chair away from the Forgotten Legion’s meeting table and dragged it to the mission computer to type; after years of mishaps, the keyboard had been reinforced to deal with super strength typists, made water- and alcohol-proof, and even nuclear hardened after an incident when G-Force Knight tried to fix a software error with a “souvenir” from Warburg. It was the only computer she knew of where she could finish a lab report without, at the very least, scouring the letters off the keys. The baritone’s opening was over by the time she sat down, and the oratorio quickly segued to the second movement, which was all orchestral. Crystal typed to the music. It started fast paced but quiet, quickly growing louder and more emphatic as Mendelssohn illustrated the plight of ancient Israel going three years without any dew or rain. It was the perfect accompaniment for Crystal’s project; the report had to be completed today, and her fingers flew over the keys with the same desperation reflected in the music. A few minutes of feverish typing later, the crescendo built, intensifying as it transitioned to the third movement. “Help, Lord!” Crystal’s fingers faltered. The sound of typing died. “Help, Lord!” Her hands clenched, trembling. Little pink sparks shot away from her skin. “Help, Lord! Wilt Thou quite destroy us?” It was normally a powerful choral piece, but now the desperate pleas resonated deep within Crystal’s soul. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to drag her thoughts back to the task at hand. What am I doing? What’s wrong with me? “Is it only their prayer, or yours as well?” The sonorous bass voice came from nowhere. Crystal looked over her shoulder, did a double take, then shrieked. She rocketed out of the chair, pirouetting around to stop at the ceiling and look down. As she brought her hands up into guard position, their soft red glow turned into brightly shining spheres of immense destructive energy. They illuminated the command center, the intruder, and Crystal. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath and identify whoever had snuck up on her. “The harvest now is over, the summer days are gone. And yet no power cometh to help us!” The figure standing by her chair met her gaze, a slight smirk showing through his goatee. He was powerfully built, wearing black armor and cape with a gray flame motif. Spiked boots, gauntlets, and shoulder pads gave him a sinister look, but not nearly as much as the gray skin, ram’s horns, and red eyes that blazed with the fires of Hell. Crystal racked her brain trying to think of a villain strong enough or clever enough to break the base’s coded barrier, and then she noticed the symbol on his chest. It was the skull of the Legion. No, not quite the Legion’s insignia: the skull was gray, not red or black. Gray? Why gray? Wait, the Legion used to wear gray and black! He’s one of the old guard! What’s his name? Could that be… “Sh-Shadowspawn?” she asked. “Very good, Shining Crystal.” He winked at her. “You can come down now; there’s no need for you to fear me.” As Crystal descended he remarked, “It’s good to see the young members are learning their history. Pleased to meet you.” He extended his hand. Crystal powered down and took his hand, being careful to keep the handshake short. “You scared me! Wait, um… where did you come from? I don’t mean to be insulting, but aren’t you dead?” “I was. Immortals never stay dead. I’ve merely been away for a time. Traveling, you know.” Crystal finally caught her breath and commanded, “Servus, save document and pause music.” The chorus ceased abruptly. Now only the chirps of Servus, the Autonomous Expert System, were heard in the command center. “An interesting choice in music!” boomed Shadowspawn. “The story of a desperate people, crying out for salvation. Very appropriate selection for a hero.” More quietly, he continued, “But didn’t they bring their plight upon themselves by their own transgressions? Something on your mind along those lines?” It was impossible to look into his eyes indefinitely. Crystal lowered her gaze. “I’m under the gun with this project, and just needed some inspiration to help finish in time.” “Time is irrelevant! You will finish as you need. Look how much you’ve completed already!” Shadowspawn gestured to the monitor. Crystal furrowed her brow in confusion as she turned around and glanced at the screen. The pages were filled with text, equations, and diagrams, most of which she didn’t remember typing. She quickly scanned the document and saw that, except for the results and discussion, the report was complete. Even her typos and grammatical errors had been cleaned up. She turned back to Shadowspawn. “How… did you DO that?” she asked, her eyes open wide. Shadowspawn smiled broadly. “Fate has a way of taking a hand. You sought deliverance from your plight, and so…” He gestured again at the mission computer. “I’m intrigued by your work,” he continued. “It doesn’t look like crime-fighting, but still, it seems important.” Finally back on familiar territory, Crystal relaxed and replied, “Well, it’s a synthesis of p-tert butylcalix[4]arene. The synthetic process used here is new, something my Orgo professor developed, and for assignment we had to synthesize the chemical using that process and verify the results. See, if it works, it’ll mean that we can efficiently isolate and remove radioactive cesium from soil, preventing groundwater contamination and the associated health problems. The trick is making a 4-arene, not a 6 or an 8, ‘cause it’s the 4-arene that bonds to Cesium-137. “There’s a group of professors at PCU who’ve volunteered to help with nuclear waste cleanup at Chernobyl. I can’t go there myself, but I can help verify their techniques. Besides, it’s, like, the final grade for my Orgo lab class.” “I see," Shadowspawn intoned. “Would you leave Paragon City just to dig up radioactive dirt? There are many threats to public health right here. You can find their names and whereabouts on the police band, if you’re curious.” Crystal sighed. “I’ve visited dozens of alternate dimensions, gone on missions in the Shadow Shard, and even taken a trip to the Rogue Isles, but those all involved punching people and breaking things. It’d be nice to go somewhere outside of Paragon, do some good, and not get blasted or walloped, or to have to smash something. I haven’t even been home to visit my family, and they’re only an hour away!” Shadowspawn smiled broadly again. “I see you’ve not yet made the life you wanted for yourself. Be patient with this world and its rules, hero. You will find a way to do the good you seek," he finished, pointing a finger over Crystal’s shoulder at the mission computer. She turned around to look and saw her FTIR and NMR test results prominently displayed on the screen. Her jaw dropped. She whipped around and exclaimed, “The NMR was supposed to run-” Shadowspawn was gone. He had vanished as silently as he had arrived. “-for… another… never mind. Thank you!” she shouted into the empty room. Crystal sat heavily, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. So rattled was she that she forgot all about Elijah. After a brief pause to collect herself she resumed typing, all the while thinking about Shadowspawn and that secret, knowing grin that never totally left his face. A line from Mystery Men popped into her head; there was nothing more appropriate to describe her encounter. Well, he’s terribly mysterious.

Hello, gentle readers! Welcome to my City of Heroes novel, Defining Moments. More on the title later. A few notes before I begin: Some characters are from the game, and I incorporated their in-game dialogue as much as possible. Most of the new and unique characters here were created by other people; I only created a small percent of those represented here, and the rest were generously loaned to me from friends in the Heroes United in Brotherhood (HUB) player community from the Triumph server. Some trusted solely in my benevolence and creativity, and others supplied extensive notes on background and motivation. It was a fun project to tie the community together, and we all had a good time with it... until NCSoft pulled the plug and we largely drifted apart. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Blue Battler, whose excellent fan fiction (on the live boards, sorry) about a relationship between Penelope Yin and the Clockwork King inspired me further. You will notice that the timing of the novel is off, and character ages and established dates are off from the present. That's because inspiration struck waaaay back during Issue 11, so the setting is from 2008, not 2022. I have chosen not to update dates as most of the story is already written, and it's somewhere over 300 pages long; that's more editing than I care to do. I will post updates once a week, as best I'm able. This will give me close to a year of regular weekly updates... which, hopefully, will give me the time I need to get off my rear and write more. Family life is my great adventure now. I will open another thread for discussion. When I was posting the updates to the Forgotten Legion fansite I first put updates and discussion in one thread, and it made it hard to follow the story. I won't read or reply to comments here, but will do so there, time permitting. As I said, family life is my great adventure now. I hope you enjoy this tale. Your humble author, Grog the Big