Part 21: Sisters of Green, Red and Yellow

The jet had just touched tarmac and as its body jostled my insides felt uneasy. Festus has brought me my favorite Italian messenger Bag. In it was my passport. My name would be Stephanie Pembroke. I first refused and asked for my real passport, but he assured me that this was how I must travel to the Rogue Islands. My father, uncle, and grandfather all traveled there under assumed names. There were a lot of people on those Islands that would love nothing more than kidnapping a billionaire industrialist. Also in the bag were several $10,000 rolls; it seems that American currency greases the wheels rather well in the Islands. He had already called ahead and arranged the families regular driver/security in Cap au Diable. He was a personal friend of Festus' and someone I could trust. He implored I listened to the drivers instructions and paid whoever needed paid the rest I leave for him. I asked Festus why he arranged so much for me since he didn't even know why I was going. He stated it didn't matter but if I wanted to be safe and return to Paragon City that I needed to take these precautions. Festus isn't just the family butler, he's also a "specialist": versed in organization, planning and security. He arranges all official travel, security details, pretty much anything the family doesn't want to do. Since its just me now he attends the monthly board meetings and reports back to me so I only have to go to the big yearly meeting. I hate those meetings. So did Daddy.

I wasn't surprised when the in-flight phone rang and it was Smitty. Festus called as soon as the jet left Paragon City airspace. I had asked (well told) him not to call Smitty and him letting me get on the plane first showed his loyalty to me (letting me get on) and to my father (calling the man who took his place). And I didn't mind, in fact I laughed when Smitty said hello, even if he sounded a bit displeased. I tried apologizing for the expense of the trip and he told me it was my money and I can do whatever I like with it. Except get myself killed.

After a few minutes of how my father entrusted him with my health and how next to Tess he loved me more than any other person on Earth, he told me," No matter what you do, do not use your powers. You are traveling as a civilian who works for a construction conglomerate. If they know you are a hero from Paragon they will jail you or kill you. The Arachnos usually have Fortunatas in most groups you encounter. They are powerful psychics, use your concentration exercises to block out your powers and your intentions on the islands. Can you do that?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good just come back in one piece." and he hung up.

I waited in the G-4 for my driver Mr. Wolfe. He was a large man with a scarred face and a noticeable limp. He's been through it all but it was obvious that he was more than competent.

"Ms. Cambridge, its a pleasure. From this point on I will refer to you as your alias for this trip. Miss. Pembroke correct?" I nodded "Now the Arachnos Visitors Liaison is outside, Arbiter Freeman, I will hand him $20,000 and he won't even look at you funny. But if asked by anyone you represent a northeastern construction group looking into steel from the islands. Got it?" I nodded again. "Let's go." he winked and he grabbed my arm with his beefy hand. I would be safe with him, I could tell.

We got past the Visitors Liaison easily, though I did notice the Fortunata playing around in my brain. She was no match for Mother Mental's techniques. Her hard training has always paid me well. When we got to the limo he scanned for bugs and once clear he asked me what I needed in the Islands and motioned to a pad of paper to write just to be safe. I had indicated that I wanted to find Dr. dier Schepper that he worked out of a secret Longbow lab and that I thought it was in the Nerva Archipelago. He made a few stops at some local taverns each time carrying one of the $10,000 rolls. After a few hours of traveling around to a few of the other islands by ferry we were on our way to the location.

"This is a hard man to find, ma'am. But with the right price you can buy anything here." he laughed. "We'll be in Nerva in twenty minutes the location in 35. Do I need to go in armed or anything?"

"No, Mr. Wolf that won't be necessary, he's just an old man. The meeting is informative not confrontational anyway. You should be able to stay in the car and relax. You've worked hard today." I smiled.

Once in Nerva we parked the limo and boarded an old house boat and sailed for about 5 minutes to a remote island with a single wooden shack and two trees. A lab. Here?

I left him on the boat and approached the shack a little nervous. What exactly was I going to do when I found the old man. Is he guarded. Will he even talk to me? Will they shoot me?

The door was padlocked. Great! Now what?

"Scuse me ma'am." the large man had sidled up to me completely undetected. In his large hands were a pair of bolt cutters and before I could say thank you he'd ripped the lock from the shack's door.

"Sure you don't want me to come?"

"No Mr. Wolfe. I don't want there to be any misunderstandings. And I afraid your presence may come off.......um....Intimidating."

He nodded. "I'll be on the boat. Any trouble just yell." I smiled back and went inside. The shack was merely a facade. Inside the shack was a stairwell down. This must have been an escape exit. The stairs and the very long tunnel that followed aimed right toward the Longbow base on the next island over.

After a quarter mile of walking I came to a lab door. A very heavy locked door. What now? I started to rapidly bang on the door. "Anyone there? Anyone? I lost my keycard and I can't access. Anyone?"

Within seconds I heard the electric bolt open on the door and was face to face with the very man I came to find. He looked startled and tried to shut the door but I had beaten him and was already half in the door.

"Doctor please don't. I just have some questions for your. Please, it won't be a minute."

He ran as best his old legs could take him towards a cluttered desk. He grabbed a file, my file, from his desk and shook it at me. "I looked at it again young lady. I looked at it again....."

"You said you knew me. Did you do something to me? Just please tell me."

"I was mistaken, you merely looked familiar."

"But do you know what happened to me?" I said right before a rifle butt hit me in my back knocking me to the ground. He'd tripped an alarm; the crafty old man. The wind was knocked from me as I was greeted by six longbow officers who didn't look too happy I'd made it into their lab.

"You are under arrest for trespassing. I recommend you cooperate, Miranda rights don't mean much here. Not much does honestly"

"But please I just wanted to ask the doctor a few questions..."

"Tell that to Warden Nelson." he said as he grabbed my arm and placed it behind my back. I could hear the handcuffs jingle behind me as the door I'd entered flew from its hinges and hit my captor in the head. Flames filled the doorway as a pulsing jet black orb landed at our feet exploding into a pool of negative energy. Suddenly my head was spinning feeling completely disoriented and nauseated. I turned and saw the other people in the room were also reeling around unaware of what was happening. Then as my head cleared I heard a voice.

"Sister, secure them!" I turned towards the door and saw the outline of three women and felt something tighten around my feet. Suddenly I couldn't move my arms. I turned my head and saw the Longbow covered in heavy vines creeping from the floor. I felt the vines tighten on me. I looked forward and saw my captors.

Three women stood just inside the doorway each dressed in the same mini dress (each a different color) , fishnets, combat boots, and identical red marking on the right sides of their faces. The one to my left (the one that seemed to be controlling the vines) was reed thin and tall; she wore a yellow dress. The one to my right was covered in flames and smoke was Amazonian in stature (she's obviously broken the door in); she wore red. The one in the middle seemed to be the one giving orders. She was slighter of build but carried herself like a battlefield general. She wore green.

"We mean you no harm. But if you try to make a move toward us, we will kill you. This can be over quickly or painfully. Your choice. I'd choose wisely though; we are threat level 50. And if you think of calling in reinforcements, trust me so can we. We just want the scientist and we'll be on our way." she looked over at Red. "Singe get the Doctor."

The flames disappeared on Red and she picked up the doctor (still unconscious) ripping the vines from their fresh roots on the floor. She carried him to the door. Green looked at the Dr. dier Schepper and grabbed half a handful of hair and vine. She looked into his still dazed eyes, "Hello, father. Your little girls have come for you. Sister's let's go!" As they walked out the door Green turned to us again and lobbed another ball of negative energy into the room. Everything went black. Just before I blacked out I thought "Mr. Wolfe, what happened to......."

Part 20: Chasing the scientist

"He's in Paragon City?" she asked "Mandy, I don't think you should meet with him. I called around to some people in the Rogue Islands and he has a pretty shaky reputation."

"I know, Tess. Noire told me his methods have been questioned for years, but she said he is the single best resource for meta powers in the states maybe the world."

"I don't know Mandy, think about it. I'm worried you are in over your head here. I just think your powers are changing and you were exhausted....."

"And my apartment just happened to be completely robbed of everything at the same time...yada yada yada. I know something happened and so far the city has no information and could quite honestly care less, the police know nothing and I'm DATING the detective in charge of my case! This may be my last hope and I'm going to find out no matter what the danger...."

"Mandy...."

"Tess, I'm here gotta go. I'll call you." I hung up the cellphone and parked the car.

The facility was hidden among the many buildings in Brickstown inconspicuously placed between a gyro shop and a music Store. The outline of the Zig, Paragon's maximum security prison, sat in the background like a great pyramid. The sign on the door stated it was an import/export broker and inside the door looked like a normal reception area. The office was decorated so noone noticed the almost vault like security door to the rest of the business. It was a covert laboratory for Longbow and their genius scientist was making a housecall.

"May I help you?" the completely pleasant receptionist asked me. She looked to be in her mid forties very well dressed and coifed. I handed her my Hero Identification (Mental Maden2 arghhh). I was not in uniform due to the secret nature of the facility. She looked it over then scanned it on what looked like a credit card machine and stared at her computer screen reviewing the details.

"Hmmm this is a 40+ securtity level facility but I see here you have a special dispensation for your meeting. Ok, an operative will be with you in a moment. You may have a seat. Would you like a magazine?"
"No thank you." I smiled. I had barely sat down when the hiss of the opening security door caught my attention.

"You may enter now." a disembodied male voice summoned.

After I entered and the door shut a man in Longbow gear appeared to my right. He was a Spec-Op, Longbow's stealthy secret operations division, and he grinned. "Sorry we never know if someone is in the lobby and today we are on high alert so we are in uniform. There's talk of a potential Freakshow Breakout in the Zig so we have to be on the ready."
He continued to talk as we walked down the hall, "Now I'm going to take you to Dr. dier Schepper's lab. I don't know what you know about him but he....we.....request your utmost discretion in meeting with him. Not only is he hated by pretty much every bureaucrat involved with the City, Longbow and the Freedom Corps but he has some very dangerous enemies as well. His methods have come under question for 50 some odd years but he's brilliant and he's done more for meta research than anyone. Now, he's known to be working on several things at once and he....well, he's easily distracted. He's a very sweet old man but he is known to be a little aloof. Don't take it personally."

I hadn't noticed before but now I had a female spec-op trailing behind me. We took an elevator to a lower floor. (The kind that requires a key not a button to access.) We rode for a few seconds when the door opened to a room that was taken out of any 1950's B Sci-fi movie. It was cluttered with books and devices that looked more like museum pieces than new technology. But if you looked closer you would see mixed in with the relics very high end servers and computer equipment. The doctor sat with his back to us at a desk with no less than three LCD screens and three keyboards. He went from one to the other at a fractic pace and it appeared that he had been at it for a while.

"Dr. dier Schepper, your appointment is here."

"The power loss case?"

"Yes, sir"

"I read the files you sent to me." he was talking to me but it took a few seconds for me to realize this.

"Oh great you got them good, I wasn't sure if you...." I said startled.

His back remained turned. "I'm not sure if you know this young lady but powers change all the time. I've counted 651 cases alone where powers were completely lost. Gone without a trace. But I couldn't tell you how often powers alter as a meta matures. And the nature of your gaining the powers in the first place lends itself to later alteration in my experience. Did you draw this up? You obviously have a knowledge for science."

"Yes sir, I have a phD from Brown. Microbiology."

"Research or teach?" he asked in his heavy Dutch accent.

"A little of both. I've set up a lab at Paragon University and I teach a few classes a semester...little stuff."

"What do you research?"

"Childhood cancers, glioblastomas mainly"

"Cambridge, right. You are published, I've read your work. You use good methodology, your writing is good....concise. some of your conclusions are shit though."

"Don't pay attention to him, he's just like that sometimes." the female spec-op whispered.

"Anyway your case. I don't think its that significant. I'm not sure I have any answers for you. Your powers changed thats all."

"I had a gamma-knifed tumor scar move from one side of my brain to the other, Doctor. What would your conclusion be to that? I asked in a voice louder than I wished I'd used. He quickly spun around in his chair.

"I might remind you that I'm doing you a favor. And I don't........"

We made eye contact and quickly he looked down at some papers.The blood drained from his face and his expression was that of pure shock and nervous recognition.

"It can't be. You? No it's not you." He began scooping up papers and putting them in a cardboard box including my file. He started shutting off computers and monitors. "I am afraid I cannot help you young lady. I am sorry but I think we must end this here."

"But wait! You know me?"

"No, no the light...I was mistaken. As for your case, I have no answers. I am so sorry. I was mistaken." he said nervously. He turned to the operatives. "Get me a car and call ahead. Have a transport ready for me. I'm going back to the Nerva base."

"But sir, you aren't scheduled to go back to the Islands for a few more days."

The female spec-op was leading me into the elevator.

"Just get me a transport. Now." I heard him shout as the elevator doors shut.

The receptionist thanked me as I left still in a daze from what had just happened. Whatever it was that just happened. I took my cellphone from my purse and dialed.

"Festus, its me. I need you to get my passport and meet me at the airport. Call ahead and have the G-4 fueled and ready to go........I know I never take the private jet but this is an emergency....no I won't need any clothes; I'm not staying that long.........Where? The Rogue Islands. I need to go to the Rogue Islands. And Festus, do not tell Smitty I'm going."

Part 19: Lessons from the past 2

It was a ritual we'd repeated so many times before. She would place her fat hands on either side of my face and look into my eyes or was it my soul. It felt that way. Then she'd ask, "Have you used your powers this week?" I had tried several times but I soon came to realize that I could not lie to her. She always knew; in great detail. No matter what my answer was she neither scolded nor praised me. She just stared into whatever it was she stared at. During the visit I would go over the lessons she gave me and learn new ones. All of them centered around concentration skills. At the end of our time she would give me something she'd baked and kiss my forehead. "Don't use your powers this week." she'd say "Mother Mental loves you."

She was very structured in her lessons and I fell into the pattern of it very easily. Children need structure and at that point in my life things were unraveling quite a bit. One day I entered obviously upset. My mothers depression was getting worse and it was beginning to take a toll on me. That day Mother Mental looked a little longer, a little deeper. She didn't ask me her usual question. She just smiled and pointed towards my chair. "Sit lil' maiden, sit. Mother Mental is going to show you something."

"Yes ma'am"

She sat in her usual plastic covered easy chair just oversized enough to fit her large body quite tightly and smiled even wider.

"I don't normally do this but I think you need to see this. You are a good little girl and a great student. Maybe the best I've seen and I work with adults as well as children. It's not easy being special and repressing the urges to perform, but trust me my maiden, you will gain so much more by learning to control these things. We aren't ready for this. Not yet, it's too early" I thought she just meant I was too young to have powers but later I would realize she was talking about mankind taking the next step in evolution. We weren't ready and she was there to teach us to control it. "I want to show you what I can do. Would you like that?"

I nodded enthusiastically expecting her to play "read the mind" with me; then something wonderful happened. At first I thought a train was going by the neighborhood as the house trembled ever so gently then stopped. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a teacup still on its saucer floating to my left. One by on every little bobble and knickknack in the clean but cluttered room became airborne and began circling me like the most beautiful mobile. After the small objects made a few passes some larger objects began to dance like the others until everything in the room was orbiting my little body. I could feel my mood become sunny and my face hurt from smiling and I laughed for the first time in a while. I was even more amazed when the room itself began to spin only to be more amazed when I realized it was me that was spinning in an orbit opposite the content of the room. The feeling was so wonderful I couldn't get sick to my stomach, which in hindsight I realize now I probably should have. Then suddenly I stopped spinning and I was facing her again, her fat face with a smile of pride as wide as mine. I watched as everything floating began returning to the exact place they came from. Books were shifting around making sure they were in alphabetical order. Blanket were folding themselves and pillows fluffed up before settling back down. All under her control. When the cup and saucer (the first to move the last to land) settled on the shelf where they were stationed she looked at me.

"I don't show that to people very often..."

"But, why Mother Mental....."

"Shhh child I'm tired and I have something to say." she was spent. I could see it took a lot from her to do this. "I am going to teach you how not to use your powers and you have to trust me that as you get older you will be tempted to use them trust me, girl. I've seen it dozens of times. It never fails, but you must understand that you are here because your momma and your daddy and you yourself asked me for your help. Trust me my little maiden you are better off never using them. Because once you do there is no turning back. Your life will forever be attached to them and that life leads to loneliness, suffering and maybe death. And Mother Mental wants to see you die an old lady with your grandchildren by your side. You are special in so many ways, so smart, so beautiful. You don't need what this old lady has seen. No you don't." And then as if the earth began to turn a little slower and her voice became more clear she said this. "If you do ever decide to use your powers you must learn to control them or they will control you. And you must promise me you will only use them to help people." Her voice became more demanding and her brow furrowed. "Promise me this maiden or our lessons will end today." I nodded. "Promise me!" she yelled her voice shaking me like the house before her earlier display.

"Yes ma'am" I said almost in tears.

She came over handed me a cookie, kissed my forehead and said, "Don't use your powers this week." And she led me out the door. "Mother Mental loves you."