Iron Station Savage Masks IC

[ImperialTM]

As if Keith's offer was heard by Will's stomach it let's out a loud gurgle and growl. Will let's out a laugh rubbing the back of his head. "Food sounds like just the thing I need. Gosh, I haven't eaten since this morning I dont know how I havent noticed until now."

[Roguewolf]

Keith chuckles as Will's stomach growls. "Guess it should be about food time then! Still, I gotta finish a few sets on this plan Ryker set up for me, but I'll be in the kitchen soon!"

Keith is about to walk back to the weights and then turns back to Will. "Oh right, might also be talking Burnout to lunch tomorrow." Keith smirks, winks, and goes back to the machine he was on to start back up. He puts in his headphones soon after and starts to get on a roll with Ryker's plan. I can do this, I can get strong enough to protect my new team. My new family. If Will continues after him and follows up wanting to chat more, Keith takes his headphones out.

After the hour passes, Keith goes to grab a quick shower and then food from the kitchen. He still had some time before meeting up with John.

[mmdeforrest]

John
A few seconds after John’s knock the door slides open to reveal the tall blonde. He’s wearing some large Bose headphones around his neck that are playing an interesting mixture of jazz, funk, and metal.

He smiles as he reaches up and turns the music down on his headphones. “Hey John, what can I do for you?”

“I owe you an apology, Aeryn,” John replied. “Two actually. The first is for not having thought through the possibility of teleporting the time capsule to us before you and Keith flew out and got ambushed. Then second is not thinking to directly apologize in the kitchen when the topic came up and you were standing right there. I should have said something then.

“I’m sorry and I will try to think things through better before hatching a plan.”

John left it there, remembering his father’s advice from years in consulting for various Federal agencies: “Keep it simple, direct, and uncomplicated, John,” he had told him on more than one occasion — usually after having received a poor apology from one dignitary or another. “Don’t weaken it by explaining it away. Own up to your fault and promise to do better. It’s all anyone can do at that point so it’s not worth trying to do more than that.”

[PK-Leon]

Night Shift II

The owl screeches at the sight of the nullifier and spreads itÂ’s wings made of knives threateningly, but stays in place on the table.

Sidney raises her head, looking between Ryker and Louis. “You promise you won’t send me back?”

Ryker takes her hand in his and squeezes. “Sidney, I swear to you, I’ll fight with everything I’ve got to keep you from goin’ back to the Pit. I trust Louis though. He means what he says. All he wants to do is get you help.”

She nods after a moment and lets go of Ryker before crossing the room so that she stands in front of Louis. “I think that it’s for the best. I don’t… want to hurt people anymore. It’s horrible not being in control of yourself.”

"I couldn't even begin to imagine. I'm sorry you've had to go through this so long but we're going to figure out what's happening, I promise." He glances at owl staring wide eyed on the table. "If you want to recall the rest of your birds I'd do it now before you put this on." Louis presents the nullifier collar to Sidney to put on. "I don't think I've ever asked Ryker but how is it that you control your machines? Do they require manual control or are the capable of operating independently?"

[InTheMachine]

Keith
When Keith reenters the gym, Ryker is back at his 700 pound barbell squats. He gives Keith a brief nod before he gets back to his set.

John
“Oh,” Aeryn says. He rubs the back of his head as he breaks eye contact with John, looking down at the floor. “It’s not a problem. You didn’t have to come apologize to me. It’s not like you did it on purpose, right?” he finishes, glancing back up at John.

Night Shift II
“Knives, deactivate,” Sidney says as she the nullifier and puts it on her neck. The collar shrinks to fit her and activates as the owl’s eyes go dim.

“I can talk to machines on certain frequencies,” she explains. “All my birds have subroutines that activate when I can’t talk to them, so they’ll be fine without me.”

She blinks slowly, her gaze sliding down from Louis’ face to the floor before a small amount of blood leaks from her nose before her eyes snap back to Louis. Her hands fly up to her neck. “What the ****?” Her hands go down to her waist, where a gun would normally be holstered, but she finds nothing is there.

She looks at the owl and sees that it’s no longer functioning and backs away to the window that leads out to the fire escape, away from Ryker and Louis.

“Sid,” Ryker says, taking a few steps toward her. “C’mon baby. It’s okay. We’re not gonna hurt you.”

She blinks again and looks at Ryker before she reaches up and touches her nose. She shakes her head and looks at the floor as tears spring up in her eyes once more. “It happened again, didn’t it?”

[mmdeforrest]

John
“Oh,” Aeryn says. He rubs the back of his head as he breaks eye contact with John, looking down at the floor. “It’s not a problem. You didn’t have to come apologize to me. It’s not like you did it on purpose, right?” he finishes, glancing back up at John.

“If I had planned it, I would owe you a much different kind of apology,” John offered Aeryn with a smile. “And I did have to come and apologize. I wronged you and Keith. You deserve an apology — even if it was an accident on my part.”

He was beginning to explain.

“The point being,” he said, quickly changing tack, “that you deserve my apology. It’s important for both of us that I offer it. And thank you for accepting it. It’s good of you to do so.”

John glanced down the hall. “Well, I don’t want to disturb you any further than I have. Thanks again,” he said, extending his hand.

[HIDA]

Calvin sets his books down and let out a quiet sigh before hearing John's voice in the Hallway. He follows the sound further down until when he spots John At Aeryn's Door.

"Hey John. Hey Aeryn." Calvin says, nonchalantly "Didn't mean to interrupt." He says noticing John's hand Extended. "I'm around for a bit if you still want to talk. I'll probably be studying."

Calvin turns and leaves the two to whatever they were doing. He heads to the kitchen to brew some tea to study with.

[big teej]

Pizza Stroll II:

Raphael blinks a couple of times at Stella's question, his normal quick lies failing him in the moment. "uh - ah- a-ca- A Castle?" He says somewhat embarrassed."

He clears his throat as the gears start turning again.

"I lived on the family estate, somewhere in Germany, until very recently." His eyes lose focus. "It was a very sheltered life. Until it wasn't. I drifted around and quickly landed stateside and AEGIS picked me up and put me under their thumb." He shrugs with his free arm.

"I guess I've been in Iron station.... maybe six months?"

[InTheMachine]

John
Aeryn tilts his head at John, but takes his hand after Calvin leaves. "Sorry for not being clear. In my homeland, I would be chastised for not checking with a superior before an official plan of attack had been established."

He inclines his head to the magician. "So I'm also sorry, and I appreciate your apology."

Calvin
Entering the kitchen, Calvin finds Drake and Harbinger sitting at the table, talking quietly. There's a napkin in front of the angel with a rough drawing on it. Harbinger is leaned back in his chair, tilting it back on two legs as he sips from a mug.

Raphael
Stella looks sideways at Raphael. "A castle? That's... really cool, actually. What happened to make you come here?"

[big teej]

Pizza Stroll III:

"It's not a happy story, are you sure you wanna hear it today?" Raphael asks, looking up and down the street for traffic before stepping through the crosswalk.

"I'm not... It's the kind of thing you should know, given how much I've learned about you in the past week. But there's no reason to rush things, right?"

Raphael tilts his head to the side and smirks before looking into Stella's eyes. "How many secrets do I owe you? I feel like we're not keeping even. Put's me at an unfair advantage." He says, growing mischievous. He leans over and plants a kiss on her lips. "and you need all the help you can get." He says laughing.

[InTheMachine]

Raphael
Stella blushes as Raphael kisses her but quickly controls it as she smiles at him. "I'm not keeping score, bouille." She walks with him in silence for a few moments.

"I... I want to know more about you. I do feel like there is a vast gulf between us, as far as knowledge of each other goes. You're so mysterious, which I suppose is part of your appeal," she says with a teasing smirk as the pizza place comes into view.

"If you don't want to talk about it tonight, we don't have to. I can wait. There's a few things I can't share with you either, because of the curse. It wouldn't be fair."

[PK-Leon]

Night Shift II

“Knives, deactivate,” Sidney says as she the nullifier and puts it on her neck. The collar shrinks to fit her and activates as the owl’s eyes go dim.

“I can talk to machines on certain frequencies,” she explains. “All my birds have subroutines that activate when I can’t talk to them, so they’ll be fine without me.”

She blinks slowly, her gaze sliding down from Louis’ face to the floor before a small amount of blood leaks from her nose before her eyes snap back to Louis. Her hands fly up to her neck. “What the ****?” Her hands go down to her waist, where a gun would normally be holstered, but she finds nothing is there.

She looks at the owl and sees that itÂ’s no longer functioning and backs away to the window that leads out to the fire escape, away from Ryker and Louis.

“Sid,” Ryker says, taking a few steps toward her. “C’mon baby. It’s okay. We’re not gonna hurt you.”

She blinks again and looks at Ryker before she reaches up and touches her nose. She shakes her head and looks at the floor as tears spring up in her eyes once more. “It happened again, didn’t it?”

"Yeah... it did, but you didn't hurt anyone. Why are you bleeding though?" Louis asks in a worried tone. "And how long has that been happening?"

He looks over to Ryker. "Let's get ready to head out. I'm going to make a call. Can you help Sidney pack up whatever she needs? As soon as you're finished we'll ride out."

Louis activates his communicator and contacts Mimi. "Hey Mimi, do you know Seraph and Dee's present location? If they're available can you ask them to meet us in Aubrey Park near the fountain? Let them know that we're bringing Songbird with us and that we need their help assessing her current condition."

[big teej]

Part IV: The Foreshadowing Flashback:

Raphael gauges the distance between them and the pizza place, takes stock of the mostly empty sidewalk and says, "Well if the mystery is part of my charm, maybe I should limit myself to like, one reveal a month."

He considers for a moment. "It's not that I mind talking about it. It's that a lot of my secrets are very...." He holds up his hands like he's trying to grab something before tightly interlacing his fingers. "...connected to each other. I don't think many of them kinda stand on their own."

He holds the door open to the Pizzeria for Stella, collects their trio of cardboard boxes, pays, and leaves. Once they're several dozen yards away from the place, Raphael picks up where they left off. "I'll answer what I can. Have we talked about how I got ...." He pauses and frowns.

I'm not really interested in weaving that particular tapestry of lies with her. He glances at her. Maybe that's an even bigger reason why I should.

Raphael looks up at the nearby rooftops. "I'm really bad at this." He muses quietly.

[InTheMachine]

Raphael
"It's okay, bouille. Maybe we should start with the beginning. You don't have to tell me everything tonight, just the start of it," Stella says. "If the beginning's not a good starting place, then... umm... Just pick something cool to tell me. That can be your one secret for this month," she says with a small smile.

Night Shift II
"Just the last few weeks," Sidney replies as she wipes her eyes and nose. "It happens sometimes when... when I can't remember what happened."

"I found blood in the sink the first time we came here," Ryker says as he opens a slotted closet door to the right of the bathroom, pulling out a duffle bag from the top shelf. "Let's grab your stuff, babe." He takes Sidney's hand and leads her back to the bedroom to gather clothes and other essentials.

Three beeps sound in Louis' ear before there's a background roar of wind in his comm. "You found her?" Seraph asks on a private channel. "That was faster than I expected. Did she put up a fight? Is everyone okay?"

John- 2:15am
The lights in John's room come up just a little. "John," Mimi says, waking him. "Louis is asking for assistance in assessing the condition of Songbird. He would like for you to meet him, Ryker, and Calvin in Aubrey Park, at the fountain. Seraph will also be there to assist."

Spoiler: CCM TN 4

Show

Songbird

[mmdeforrest]

John
Aeryn tilts his head at John, but takes his hand after Calvin leaves. "Sorry for not being clear. In my homeland, I would be chastised for not checking with a superior before an official plan of attack had been established."

He inclines his head to the magician. "So I'm also sorry, and I appreciate your apology."

“Just remember,” John said with a smile, “I’m not a superior. We’re equals in this and will muddle through together and do a little better next time.” With that, he took his leave of Aeryn, walking past the kitchen on the way out. “If we don’t catch up tonight, Calvin, we can talk tomorrow,” he said as he gives a nod to Harbinger and Drake.

John looked at his watch as he left their warehouse headquarters. He had an hour and a half before he was scheduled to meet Keith in the library. (He hoped he didn’t find him carrying a candlestick.) That was plenty of time for him to walk the five blocks and pick up his car.

The modifications promised by the Q division were minor things, as far as an AEGIS technical branch were concerned. Indeed, most of it was off the shelf technology using designs they already had prepared. But he did not want something elaborate. He was looking for something that could get him into and out of an area with a minimum of fuss and attention.

His head was turned by some of their supercar conversions, of course — doubly so when they let him take a lap around the track in one. But that would attract nothing but attention on the streets of Iron Station — even if he could have afforded to buy it now.

Arriving at the self park, he showed the screenshot of the prepaid ticket and the bored attendant handed him his keys. John tipped him well but not so well as to be remembered and made his way to the indicated space on the second floor.

The car was absolutely nondescript. The AEGIS designers had taken the averages of a Honda Civic, and a Chevy Cruze so that, at a glance, people would see form of sedan. Other than that, the car had been anonymized. There were no dealership marks and no logos — although a vague oval had been placed where those should be. They had even gone to the trouble of making sure there was a film of street dust, which made it look like it was almost ready for a wash.

He opened the door and got in.

The interior was comfortable, although not exceptional from the outside. All the screens and controls looked like nothing more than your average commuter sedan.
He pressed the on button and the car came to life. It was an electric drive, with a small but super-efficient range extending gasoline powered engine of the kind found in a Chevy Volt. Of course, Chevrolet did not have the super efficient engine technology available to AEGIS so the Q division was able to get by with a less heavy engine block, which extended the battery range to that of a high-end electric model.

“Good afternoon, 007 Mark 2,” Montcrieff’s voice said from the speakers. “We thought you might like the option of a familiar voice and we are certain Henrietta wouldn’t mind.

“Just don’t tell her we set this up,” added the synthetic voice, with a small amount of disgust. “We aren’t that certain.”

John smiled, pretty sure she would be glaring at the screen were she here.

“Per your instructions, the finish of the car is an advance on the e-ink paint BMW previewed with its iX model at CES. If you look at the screen, you can select from a series of options using black, grey, and white in both solids and patterns. In addition to the standard configurations offered to our agents, we have three customized designed just for you. Phyllis in design rather insisted.”

John looked at the screen and saw the three base colors with the Hieroglyphic Monad displayed prominently on the hood. He also noticed the license plate had also been masked by a plate with the same symbol.

“Sync with your phone is complete.”

John started at that and then remembered he had authorized that with the control unit while still in London.

“Should you ever make it back our way, the steering wheel can swap sides. Oh, and mind the acceleration. The electric motors are non-standard and can produce a good bit more power than any Tesla you pull up alongside.

“We were careful to regulate that to your fingerprint. If anyone else presses the start button and/or shifts into drive, the car will be regulated to standard speeds.

“By way or reminder, the self destruct is voice activated and requires you to press the start button three times in rapid succession. After that, you gave five seconds to leave the vehicle before the batteries overload and begin to burn. Our tests all but guarantee that no one will be able to determine that AEGIS technology was used in the vehicle and an insurance adjuster will find nothing more than a battery fire.

“We welcome any feedback you might have,” the voice continued as he pulled out of the parking space. “We don’t get many custom jobs and are interested on how it goes — especially from any American AEGIS agents you might pick up.

“You have one text from Calvin: “Busy tonight but tomorrow is fine, barring work. Anything you want to speak about specifically or just want to chat?

Reply to Calvin: “Just to chat, John texts back. We have some things in common and I thought it worth discussing them.

“Message sent,” the voice of Montcrieff replied. Q Division out. Drive safe, John.”

John smiled, wondering what he would do about the voice. Knowing the Q division, they likely had the voice set to change to something more generic if Agent Montcrieff were in the vicinity.

The drive back took only a few minutes and, before long, he had pulled his car into one of the parking spaced and plugged it in. Walking in, he glanced at his watch and noted there was still 45 minutes to go before he was scheduled to meet Keith. He made his way back to his room and retrieved his iPad Mini then went to the library, where he looked over the local area for places like alleyways and connecting streets where one might be able to drive a car and, without being observed, change its colors.

[HIDA]

Entering the kitchen, Calvin finds Drake and Harbinger sitting at the table, talking quietly. There's a napkin in front of the angel with a rough drawing on it. Harbinger is leaned back in his chair, tilting it back on two legs as he sips from a mug.

"Sup." Calvin says with a nod to acknowledge them before starting the kettle.

"Who's the model?" He asks, pointing to the sketch after sipping his Earl Grey.

[PK-Leon]

Night Shift II

"Just the last few weeks," Sidney replies as she wipes her eyes and nose. "It happens sometimes when... when I can't remember what happened."

"I found blood in the sink the first time we came here," Ryker says as he opens a slotted closet door to the right of the bathroom, pulling out a duffle bag from the top shelf. "Let's grab your stuff, babe." He takes Sidney's hand and leads her back to the bedroom to gather clothes and other essentials.

Three beeps sound in Louis' ear before there's a background roar of wind in his comm. "You found her?" Seraph asks on a private channel. "That was faster than I expected. Did she put up a fight? Is everyone okay?"

"I'm not entirely sure whether that's good or bad right now but it's something to go on at the very least." Louis comments.

He puts a hand up to his ear, listening intently to Seraphs words. "Yeah, we finally caught up to her and she willingly surrendered herself without incident." Louis looks back at Knives and breathes a sigh of relief. "Everyone's fine with the except Songbird. I don't know what's going on but I really think needs our help. Though I figured it would probably be best for us to access her condition before bringing her back to HQ. We should be en route to Aubrey Park shortly."

"We ready to roll?" Louis calls out down the hallway.

[mmdeforrest]

John- 2:15am
The lights in John's room come up just a little. "John," Mimi says, waking him. "Louis is asking for assistance in assessing the condition of Songbird. He would like for you to meet him, Ryker, and Calvin in Aubrey Park, at the fountain. Seraph will also be there to assist."

Spoiler: CCM TN 4

Show

Songbird

Spoiler: CCM Roll

Show

CCM: 1d4o4 6

John sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. “Mimi: Did you say Songbird? Wait, that was a rhetorical question. I know you did.”

John briefly glanced at the hamper and considered pulling out his tee shirt but, given the circumstances, decided to choose a less subtle approach. “If we are considering trying to reform another villain, I’d better dress for the part.

The Amulet of the Hieroglyphic Monad glowed briefly against his chest and his costume materialized around him as he walked towards the door.

“I suppose it would be too much to hope that you can have a cup of coffee in a to go cup ready by the time I get to the kitchen, Mimi?”

John prepared to quietly opened his door. “Another rhetorical question, Mimi,” John said quietly, turning the handle. “I haven’t seen any robotic arms. When I get to the kitchen, please give me an update on Louis’ ETA and how long it will take me to get to the park on foot or by car.”

John stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him quietly. He hoped the travel time was long enough to include making a cup of coffee — or at least an espresso.

[InTheMachine]

Calvin
“That’s our Greater Demon,” Harbinger says with a satisfied grin. “Had a vision earlier of him.”

“John found what the demon seemed to be looking for at the memorial,” Drake explains. “Long story short, he teleported a time capsule here and we found some kind of demonic gem inside, which triggered Harbinger’s vision.”

Night Shift II
Ryker and Sidney come out of the bedroom with a stuffed duffel bag slung over Ryker’s shoulder. “We’re ready,” he says. Sidney holds tightly into his arm. She now has a leather motorcycle jacket on over a dark gray t-shirt and jeans on.

“I’m glad no one was hurt,” Seraph says in Louis’ ear. “My ETA is twenty minutes. I’m currently East Side.”

Ryker has Sidney follow up out to the fire escape and he picks her up bridal style before he jumps down to the street below. He lands with slight grunt and a flex of his knees, and lets Sidney get her feet under her before he lets her go and turns to Calvin. “Cal, Sid. Sid, Cal.”

The auburn haired woman smiles at Calvin. “I’m guessing you’re one of his hero friends too?” There’s a hint of blood under her nose.

Ryker scratches the side of his face. “More like a friend of Louis’.”

Sidney shoots Ryker a look before she returns her gaze to Calvin. “It’s still nice to meet you. Thank you for helping them find me.”

John- Night Shift
“I can have the coffee maker warmed and ready,” Mimi says. “Everyone’s ETA is around twenty minutes. It will take you less than a minute to get to the park by car and then a five minute walk to the meeting place. It will take eleven minutes if you go entirely by foot.”

[PK-Leon]

Night Shift II

Ryker and Sidney come out of the bedroom with a stuffed duffel bag slung over Ryker’s shoulder. “We’re ready,” he says. Sidney holds tightly into his arm. She now has a leather motorcycle jacket on over a black dark gray t-shirt and jeans on.

“I’m glad no one was hurt,” Seraph says in Louis’ ear. “My ETA is twenty minutes. I’m currently East Side.”

Ryker has Sidney follow up out to the fire escape and he picks her up bridal style before he jumps down to the street below. He lands with slight grunt and a flex of his knees, and lets Sidney get her feet under her before he lets her go and turns to Calvin. “Cal, Sid. Sid, Cal.”

The auburn hair woman smiles at Calvin. “I’m guessing you’re one of his hero friends too?” There’s a hint of blood under her nose.

Ryker scratches the side of his face. “More like a friend of Louis’.”

Sidney shoots Ryker a look before she returns her gaze to Calvin. “It’s still nice to meet you. Thank you for helping them find me.”

"We'll see you soon." Louis says as he ends the call.

Louis steps out on the fire escape and takes one last look back into the apartment before he teleports down to the street. He smiles at Ryker's comment but

"Cal, Sidney's willingly turned herself in and is coming with us for the time being as a part of our investigation. She even agreed to wearing a nullifier for now. We're meeting Seraph and Dee at Aubrey Park in twenty. You and your battle buddy ready to ride out?"

Once everyone is ready to leave Louis will lead the group back to their bikes and horse. "We're meeting up with Seraph and at Aubrey Park near the fountain. Ryker take the lead, Sidney should ride with you. Try to keep talking but I donk that'll be a problem seeing as you two have a lot of catching up to do. We'll be right behind you guys."

He waits for Ryker to take off before following on his motorcycle, keeping a close eye on Sidney's body language as they ride.

[HIDA]

Calvin
“That’s our Greater Demon,” Harbinger says with a satisfied grin. “Had a vision earlier of him.”

“John found what the demon seemed to be looking for at the memorial,” Drake explains. “Long story short, he teleported a time capsule here and we found some kind of demonic gem inside, which triggered Harbinger’s vision.”

"Great Job. Also, what the **** was that thing doin' in a time capsule? We're talking about the ones we did as elementary kids, right? Crazy."

Night Shift II
Ryker and Sidney come out of the bedroom with a stuffed duffel bag slung over Ryker’s shoulder. “We’re ready,” he says. Sidney holds tightly into his arm. She now has a leather motorcycle jacket on over a black dark gray t-shirt and jeans on.

“I’m glad no one was hurt,” Seraph says in Louis’ ear. “My ETA is twenty minutes. I’m currently East Side.”

Ryker has Sidney follow up out to the fire escape and he picks her up bridal style before he jumps down to the street below. He lands with slight grunt and a flex of his knees, and lets Sidney get her feet under her before he lets her go and turns to Calvin. “Cal, Sid. Sid, Cal.”

The auburn hair woman smiles at Calvin. “I’m guessing you’re one of his hero friends too?” There’s a hint of blood under her nose.

Ryker scratches the side of his face. “More like a friend of Louis’.”

Sidney shoots Ryker a look before she returns her gaze to Calvin. “It’s still nice to meet you. Thank you for helping them find me.”

"Nice to meet you too, Sid. And it wasn't an Issue at all. Anything to help my buddy Ryker out." He says, slapping him on the shoulder.

Night Shift II



"We'll see you soon." Louis says as he ends the call.

Louis steps out on the fire escape and takes one last look back into the apartment before he teleports down to the street. He smiles at Ryker's comment but

"Cal, Sidney's willingly turned herself in and is coming with us for the time being as a part of our investigation. She even agreed to wearing a nullifier for now. We're meeting Seraph and Dee at Aubrey Park in twenty. You and your battle buddy ready to ride out?"

Once everyone is ready to leave Louis will lead the group back to their bikes and horse. "We're meeting up with Seraph and at Aubrey Park near the fountain. Ryker take the lead, Sidney should ride with you. Try to keep talking but I donk that'll be a problem seeing as you two have a lot of catching up to do. We'll be right behind you guys."

He waits for Ryker to take off before following on his motorcycle, keeping a close eye on Sidney's body language as they ride.

"Thanks for the Report. Louis" Calvin says, with a mocking salute.

"Let's Ride Bastion." He says, and a burst of flames produce a glorious warhorse. Calvin mounts up and rides, tailing behind Ryker and Louis.

[Roguewolf]

7:00 P.M. Library Time

Following eating, Keith heads back to his room before stopping by the library. He walks over to his desk and takes out an old bound notebook from one of the drawers and starts flipping through it on the couch. "Where did I put the phrases in this thing......" He couldn't help but think aloud. After a couple of minutes, he finds the pages he was looking for, though another thought popped into his head.

He took out his phone and read the text from John again. What is he wanting to apologize for? The thought began to taunt him. "Guess I may owe him an apology too if he's not a part of them. Maybe there's another way around it." He got up and made his way to the library early.

A few minutes later he walks in and sees John already there. "Oh, hi John. Guess we're both a bit early." Keith takes a seat opposite the magician and places the notebook on the table. "I have a bit of a philosophical question for ya. And would also like to apologize in advance." His face goes serious.

"What is life's greatest illusion?"

Spoiler: If curious

Show

The notebook is leather bound, oddly reminiscent of a grimoire. A raven takes place on the front cover that is facing upwards.

[InTheMachine]

Calvin
Drake nods. “Same kinda thing. The stone was in a necklace that apparently belonged to a Smithe, one of the founder’s of Iron Station. She’s the one the memorial was built for.”

Night Shift II
Dee is the first to arrive at the fountain. The quiet gurgle of the water breaks the relative silence of the night, along with a little bit of wind rustling through the trees. He hears the rumble of two motorcycles in the direction of the entrance of the park, and a few minutes later, Louis, Calvin, Ryker and an auburn haired woman he can assume is Songbird walk up to the fountain.

Ryker nods at Dee as they come up to the fountain. “Thanks for meetin’ us out here so late. This is Sidney,” he says gesturing with his free hand to the woman. His other arm is occupied by her holding tightly onto the inside of his elbow. “Sid, this is Dee. He’s gonna try to help you.”

The woman’s eyes are extremely dilated and glaze over for a moment before she blinks and seems to focus again. “Dee? It’s nice to meet you. I hope I’m not causing too much trouble for you,” she says quietly.

[PK-Leon]

Night Shift II

Louis parks his bike and walks to the fountain with others. "And I apologize for asking so much from you when we've barely spoken to each other but I think you may be the only person who might have an idea as to what's going on in Sidney's head." He explains to Dee.

Louis walks up to Dee and takes out his phone to show him a photo. "Hopefully this note can help explain what Sidney's going through."

Spoiler: Photo of a handwritten note

Show

I don't know what's happening to me. One second I'm in one place, and then I close my eyes and I'm in another, doing something that I can't remember starting. It's like I'm stuck in some perpetual dreamland. I want to find you, but I can't risk it.

* **** **** ******* *** ***** ** *****

* **** ***

(The contents of the last two lines have been edited out digitally)

"She's exhibited these symptoms for over a year but the bleeding's recent." He looks back to Sidney. "There are gaps in your memory too right? Can you remember when this all starterd? It's probably best if you explain it from here."

[InTheMachine]

Night Shift II
Just as Sidney starts to explain, there’s a rush of wind as Seraph lands next to the fountain. She shrinks away from the hero, looking up at Ryker, betrayal and confusion in her eyes. “You said you weren’t going to send me back.”

“He’s here to help too, Sid,” Ryker says earnestly. “He’s the team lead for the West Side Provisional Team, Louis and Cal’s team.”

“Hi Sidney,” the angel says, folding his wings. “I’m Seraph. James, if that makes you feel more comfortable. I’ve heard most of the conversation through comms. You were about to explain what you’ve been going through? Dee and I are here to try to figure out what’s going on in your head. Please, go ahead and try to explain.”

Sidney looks between Dee and Seraph, gathering herself. “I don’t remember exactly when it started. I guess it was over a year ago now. I remember feeling like I was constantly dreaming. Nothing seemed real because everything was just small flashes. I’d be in one place for five minutes, and then I’d blink and be in a totally different place. I’d check my phone and see that two days had passed.”

She tightens her grip on Ryker’s arm. “One day, I woke up and I was in a cell. The guards were talking between themselves and I guess they didn’t realize I could hear them. They said that they could believe that I would give up my partner to Coldfront so easily. I didn’t know what they were talking about until I saw the news a few days later. Apparently, we ransomed the mayor’s daughter, and then I gave up where Ryker was hiding to Coldfront. But I don’t remember that! I wouldn’t have…” she trails off, looking at the ground.

“I don’t remember most of my time in the Pit. When I was awake, everyone was afraid of me. And then I remember being told I was getting transferred out of state. Then, an explosion. It’s been… four days since then? I remember maybe an hour out of each day. This is the most lucid I’ve been.”

[mmdeforrest]

Night Shift II

Spoiler: Is she alone in there?

Show

Occult Roll to Gauge Possession: 1d10o10+2 9

Dee sipped his coffee and listened as Songbird told her story, trying to keep an open mind. That she did not show any signs of possession appeared to rule out demonic possession which, until he arrived in Iron Station, he would have considered the least likely option. The Mother Church’s exorcists always reached for mundane explanations first. He chided himself for not following their institutional expertise and weighing mental illness and tumors before considering possession, dimensional transfers, and alien abduction.

Occupational hazard, he supposed.

But there was, in the middle ground, her connection to her mechanical birds to consider. One cannot touch without being touched and he had no way of knowing if the mechanical birds she communed with were influencing her back.

“I’m not sensing any possession, Seraph,” John observed. “There are other possible causes from the outside, so I don’t want to rule a supernatural origin entirely, but I don’t want to overlook a medical issue or something connected with her birds. Would your healing seek out a physical concern with her brain or would you need to know what and where it is?”

[mmdeforrest]

7:00 P.M. Library Time
A few minutes later he walks in and sees John already there. "Oh, hi John. Guess we're both a bit early." Keith takes a seat opposite the magician and places the notebook on the table. "I have a bit of a philosophical question for ya. And would also like to apologize in advance." His face goes serious.

"What is life's greatest illusion?"

John resisted quoting The Princess Bride and asking Keith if he always began conversations this way as he closed his iPad Mini’s cover and considered the question. “I’d have to say Interpersonal Power,” John replied. “Most of the time, people think they know someone who has power over them. It isn’t true. People only have power over someone if it is allowed. They always have a choice on whether to submit or not. The consequences may be horrific for them, but they are always in a position to choose, meaning it requires acceptance.

“I’m interested in why you ask,” John said standing, “but before you explain I’d like to offer you an apology. I should have thought through our plans — and my options — more carefully this afternoon. My mistake could have gotten you seriously hurt. I am sorry that I inadv…that I put you in that position and I promise to try not to do that again.”

[Roguewolf]

John resisted quoting The Princess Bride and asking Keith if he always began conversations this way as he closed his iPad Mini’s cover and considered the question. “I’d have to say Interpersonal Power,” John replied. “Most of the time, people think they know someone who has power over them. It isn’t true. People only have power over someone if it is allowed. They always have a choice on whether to submit or not. The consequences may be horrific for them, but they are always in a position to choose, meaning it requires acceptance.

“I’m interested in why you ask,” John said standing, “but before you explain I’d like to offer you an apology. I should have thought through our plans — and my options — more carefully this afternoon. My mistake could have gotten you seriously hurt. I am sorry that I inadv…that I put you in that position and I promise to try not to do that again.”

Keith blinks a few times at John's response, a surprise clear on his face. "That was..... certainly not the answer I was expectin'." Keith also stands after John makes his apology. "I owe you one as well, most likely two now. There is nothing to apologize for on your end since I did go out on my own accord ahead of everythin'. I do accept and appreciate it, we wouldn't have figured out who this greater demon is without ya." Keith offers his hand to John for a handshake. "I should apologize for my responses back in the kitchen after returning as well. You didn't deserve that. More so now that I've learned something else. Suppose I can also make the assumption that Raph flew out like he did thanks to you?"

Keith's expression slowly turns to guilt. "As for the other apology, somethin' you said the other day stuck with me. Mostly about the 'me avoiding social media' talk. I don't like to explain with apologies either, but this one does somewhat require one, and I would prefer this be out in the open considering you may already know some of it. I am so sorry for bein' suspicious of you John, my years runnin' from the empire have made me a bit more than paranoid." Keith takes a deep breath. "You're someone worthy of trust, and once again, I deeply apologize for my disrespect." Keith points to the notebook. "This notebook has all my notes of the Magatsuhi Empire, how familiar are you with that particular secret society?"

[InTheMachine]

Night Shift II
“My powers fix what’s physically broken,” Seraph replies. “It helps if I know what I’m looking for, but if I’m unaware of the problem, it just takes a little longer.”

Seraph glances over at Dee. “I can’t heal a mental illness though.”

Ryker squeezes Sidney’s arm. “Let Seraph try. He’s healed me before. It doesn’t hurt.”

Sidney nods as she lets go of Ryker’s arm. “Okay.”

“There will be a little fire, but it won’t burn,” Seraph says to her as he holds out his hand.

Sidney takes it, and gold fire flows from the angel’s hand over her body. The flash lasts less than a second and Seraph lets go of her hand.

“I didn’t feel anything,” Seraph says, stepping back.

Sidney’s face falls, and Ryker puts his hand in her shoulder.

[mmdeforrest]

Keith's expression slowly turns to guilt. "As for the other apology, somethin' you said the other day stuck with me. Mostly about the 'me avoiding social media' talk. I don't like to explain with apologies either, but this one does somewhat require one, and I would prefer this be out in the open considering you may already know some of it. I am so sorry for bein' suspicious of you John, my years runnin' from the empire have made me a bit more than paranoid." Keith takes a deep breath. "You're someone worthy of trust, and once again, I deeply apologize for my disrespect." Keith points to the notebook. "This notebook has all my notes of the Magatsuhi Empire, how familiar are you with that particular secret society?"

“I think ‘know of’ rather than ‘am familiar with’ would be the safest responses,” John replied, shaking Keith’s offered hand. “I’m most familiar with secret and occult societies of the late 15 and early 1600s. After that, much of my knowledge becomes academic rather than intimate.” He smiled ruefully at Keith. “An unusual wrinkle caused by my mentoring. I am more familiar with a distant past than I am the present day.”

John glanced down at the journal Keith showed him. “That having been said, from what I do know of the Magatushi Empire, I suspect what you call paranoia is closer to prudence. Based on that,” he said, clapping Keith on the shoulder and looking him in the eye, “I can’t accept the apology because you have done nothing to offend. Indeed, I’m flattered you have trusted me enough to reveal your antagonists’ name. Even most AEGIS agents’ tones grow hushed when they talk about the Empire.

John’s attention returned to the notebook. “I know some people in London who would give a lot to have five minutes with that book. Be careful who you let know that you have it.

“I assume you have a copy somewhere?”