FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX
Logan International Airport - Boston

[Finn Colvin and Lisa Chang, both newly manifested superhumans, have 
just averted one disaster- at the cost of a mad pyrokinetic's life- and are 
now trying to stop another. Finn has made mental contact with the 
airplane carrying a vengeful metahuman that will soon land at Logan 
International Airport...or rather, crash, if Phoenix gets his way.]


Lisa:

  " I hope I don't have to use my power to make it rain. If it comes to that 
... then we've failed. All I can do if the plane comes down hard is help 
contain the fire. At the moment I seem to be of little help. " She responds 
quietly.

  " There might be a way for me to make myself usefull. If either Finn or I 
have a power to get us near the plane it might be possible to board the 
plane in midair. I was thinking of teleportation or flight as a way to get 
near to the plane. We have some time, if either of us has such a power it 
would increase the options for getting the plane down safely. If not then 
all we've lost is a little time. " She says in a near whisper to Agent 
Gemann.

  " Ummm ... you may have noticed all I'm wearing is a fireman's coat. 
Everything I had on earlier was burned off by Jack, while I was fighting 
him. I could use some clothing that doesn't interfere so much when I 
move. Also it would help if what I was wearing was a little less drafty. ' 
Lisa puts in, embarassed at her admission of using violence.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Gemann listens to Lisa and nods. "That would be great- can 
either of you fly or teleport? If not, we're kind of back where we started."

Looking slightly amused at Lisa's discomfiture, he says "Let me talk to 
one of the airport rent-a-cops. I think we can get hold of a sweatshirt and 
jogging pants or something from one of the gift shops."

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " Agent Gemann, so far all I've managed to do with my powers is to 
airwalk. However I haven't tried to fly or as you mentioned teleport.
Either power would be of great use . And the only way to find out if either 
of us has a useful power is to try flying or teleporting. " She explains 
calmly and quietly.

  " I think the best way to do this is to find someplace here at the airport 
that's reasonably isolated and test us both for either flight or 
teleportation. If we do the testing discreetly no one need know but us. 
Also given the short amount of time that we have left there won't be 
much time for practice, if we do find a usefull power. The sooner we get 
started the more time we'll have to find out how to use any new abilities. 
" She adds.

  " Any help in getting some clothes that fit would be appreciated. " Lisa 
responds with a slight smile.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"An empty spot...well, we're getting ready to evacuate the terminal where 
our Caribbean flight is supposed to, uh, land," says Gemann. "If Ms. 
Colvin can't do anything right away, that is. I guess you can do some 
quick practicing there." He looks skeptical. "How are you going to learn 
how to fly or teleport if you've never done it before?"

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " If Finn can stop this metahuman from crashing the plane with her 
telepathy then we can capture him and leave. If she can't, then maybe 
we should look for a power that can help before the plane crashes. 
That's the reason I'm even suggesting this. " She explains slowly and 
patiently.

  She continues earnestly. " Agent Gemann I think you're missing the 
whole point. What I would like to do is see if either Finn or I have the 
ability to fly or teleport. If we don't then nothing changes. If we do then it 
might be possible to save that plane. " 

  " Using the terminal is a good idea. There won't be anyone else there 
to see me make a fool of myself when I try to find out exactly what 
powers I do have and how they work. Perhaps I won't find anymore 
powers but at least I will have tried. If you want to help you could try to 
be a little more positive. " She says.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Well, let's wait and see how our telepath does," he says, looking at 
Finn, who is still staring into space.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn frowned inwardly and outwardly, but made no comment to those 
around
her, her mind so intent upon feeling out the Jamaican, knowing his
weaknesses, his strengths.

What she had experienced with Jack flashed through her mind, but after 
the
fire was gone, one thought was left.

** where had someone gone wrong? **

Something hadn't been done with Jack, something was lacking, was
deficient.  He could have been better, so much more, but now he was 
gone
and there was no getting him back.  She couldn't help him.

But maybe, maybe, she could help the Jamaican.

She searched once more for a name, something to call this would-be 
mass
murderer, as she delved deeply into his mind again.  But this time, she
sought more than just a name.

Laideah, Sybilee.  His wife and child.  What he knew of them, of their
experiences, their lives.  What they meant to him.  Everything she could,
from *before* the accident.

She knew this was risky, but Finn thought it might be her only chance.
Would they wish for him to do this?  To kill the others, and himself, in a
fiery wreck of revenge?  She hoped not, desperately so.

Finn was going to attempt to use them, their images, their "voices", to
turn him away from his self-appointed task.

** they might be the only ones who could get through to him now **

<><><><><>

[GM]

As cautiously as you know how (which isn't saying much), you try to slip 
past the raging anger that blazes from the surface of the Jamaican's 
mind.

The image of his wife and child is there, all right, you can see them plain 
as day, just as he can...although their perfect features, their expressions 
of utter contentment, the halo that seems to surround them, you suspect 
is the idealization that is commonly attached to departed loved ones.

You can hear Laideah's voice...perhaps you can create echoes of it in 
his mind, even alter them to make "her" say what you want her to say... 
but you're not at all certain about how that will be perceived by her 
vengeful husband, now driven past the edge of sanity and consumed 
with a desire to burn, and ignite everything else around him as he goes 
down in flames.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " No problem ! If Finn can stop him I certainly won't object. " She 
responds.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Without realizing it, tears began to slip from beneath Finn's closed lids.

** this is futile!  i can't do anything i can't DO anything!! **

Everything she thought of was so risky, so fraught with oh-so dangerous
consequences, that she didn't want to try *anything*, for fear of it being
the wrong thing.  She was afraid to try and heal ** heal?? ** him, as she
had felt with the child.  His mind was so odd, so badly twisted and ...
bent ... that any touch might be the wrong one.  She was afraid to speak
with him, for fear of that setting him off, and the fire once more would
come.  She was afraid to use the images of his family within his mind,
because he was so far gone that it would be of no use.

Finn sincerely wished that he would just fall asleep, and stay that way
until the plane landed.  But that was as likely as ...

... as ...

** what if there is a doctor on the plane??  someone with a syringe, that
can get up close to him and sedate him?  jesus, mary, and joseph, it just
might work!  hell, the flight attendants might have something, to control
passengers who might get a little crazed during the flight. **

She chuckled darkly, and opened her eyes.

Finn's eyes remained closed [not staring off into space. <g>] while the
conversation went on about her.  Suddenly she chuckled darkly, and 
opened
her eyes.

One hand went up and wiped away the tears that had appeared on her 
face.

"I am afraid to reach him.  He's so far gone, I'm afraid anything that I
do might set him right off.  However, I've got another idea.

"One of the flight attendants is leery that something is wrong.  It's
possible that I could contact her, and maybe let her know something 
about
what's going on.  But what I'll need to know before that is if there are
any sedatives on the plane.  Do airlines carry such things, for 
passengers
who might have ... difficulties during the flight?  I *might* be able to
try and scan all the minds on there, to see if there's a doctor on board
who might have a sedative, but any sort of passenger list might help that
way too."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I believe they do have some kind of sedation on board most flights," 
says Agent Gemann. "I'll have to check. We can also try to find out if 
there's a doctor aboard. I guess you're going to try contacting him 
telepathically, if there is? I'm leery of using the radio...no telling if our 
Jamaican friend can listen to the plane's radio."

Gemann heads over to confer with the airport security agent again, 
leaving Slopes with Finn and Lisa.

"While they're checking on the passenger list and all, maybe you two 
should try what Ms. Chang suggested," the second fed tells them. "We 
can go into the terminal, since people are already being evacuated from 
that area. I'm afraid you're on your own as far as testing goes. I sure 
have no idea how to find out if you have powers of teleportation or 
flight."

<><><><><>

% Finn %

[so no chance of her possible power of sleep kicking in when she 
fervently
wished Jamaica-man asleep, eh? <g> -- Dazz]

Finn seemed pleased at what Gemann told her, and managed a smile at 
Lisa
while he left to deal with the passenger list and the medications.

Her eyes widened, however, at Slopes' mention of teleportation and 
flight.

"Excuse me?  What the heck happened while I was out of it?"  She 
smiled,
but definitely sounded confused.

"I suppose that we could try to will ourselves to ... fly or ...
teleport," she shook her head ... this was just the cherry on top of this
thoroughly *odd* day ... trying to figure out how to *fly* or *teleport*
by experimentation!  If her grandmother could see her now ...

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " Finn everyone doesn't necessarilly react well to hearing voices in 
their head. When you first spoke to me telepathically I thought I was 
losing my mind. You're going to have to be very careful with what you 
say especially when you first ' speak ' to anyone on the plane. "
She says with the utmost seriousness.

  " While you were telepathically scanning the plane I mentioned the 
possibily of finding out if either of us has a way to get to the plane. Both 
flight and teleportation would be very useful in this situation. Just in case 
your telepathy can't ... stop him. It's the only way I can personally think 
of to be of help. Even if we don't find any new powers; learning our 
limitations and more about what we can do may help bring that plane 
down safely. "

  " About the testing I have an idea that might work. I tried a few things 
while putting out the fires and I think most of our powers work by 
concentration on a desired result. You have to learn by accident or 
testing that you can use a power. Once you have it seems to become 
easier, from what I've seen, and can be done with far less effort. All we 
have to do is have a clearly defined idea of the power and try willing it to 
function. " She continues.

  " The pracice for your telepathy alone could be quite important. You 
can use some of the time left to improve your control. Who knows you 
might even find a way to take over his mind. " Lisa remarks with a sly 
smile. " An ability that might come in handy in other circumstances. " 

  " If you're ready let's go to the Carribean Air terminal. " She glances 
innocently at Agent Slopes.

  <><><><><>

[GM]

Slopes nods. "Sounds good. Let's go."

The Carribean air flight is coming in at a regular gate, in the same 
terminal as over a dozen other airlines, so the number of people now 
streaming out, as the PA system announces "electrical problems" in the 
terminal, causing all flights to be redirected to another gate, is quite 
large. Most of them look very unhappy.

Finn experiences a shock as she sees an attractive woman in a nice 
dress, with a beautiful little girl holding her hand and walking alongside, 
holding a gift-wrapped package. These two, Finn realizes, are the lives 
that the mad Jamaican wants to claim, in retribution for the loss of his 
own wife and daughter.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn looked at Lisa, her tone slightly cross.

"I *know* it's not that easy, Lisa.  It's not like I have a whole lot of
freakin' practice at this myself, you know!"

She shook her head as if to clear it, waving a hand at the oriental 
woman.

"I'm sorry ... it's just ..."

Her eyes locked on the woman and the little girl, and she froze in
mid-step.  She wanted desperately to run up to them and tell them to get
out, to get away, leave the terminal, to be safe.

** no, they're already leaving, they *will* be safe ... **

She began walking again, a determined look on her face.

** now it's up to you _you_ to make sure that their father/husband is safe
too **

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  Lisa waits until the terminal is cleared of people. She gives Agent 
Slopes and Finn a wry smile. " I'll try and look silly first, " she says then 
moves into the largest clear space in the terminal. Taking a deep breath 
she begins to concentrate.

  First she will try to teleport. She wills herself ten feet straight ahead 
into a clear area. She doesn't want to come in to high or to low. She 
visualizes as clearly as possible moving from where she is standing to 
where she wants to go without crossing the intervening space.

  Regardless of the outcome of the first test she will then try to fly.

  As long as she can remember she has dreamt of flying. She 
concentrates as hard as she can on her dreams. She wills herself to rise 
into the air slowly and move forward ten feet. Her every thought is 
focussed on flying.

  She will try each test for about one minute.

  [ OOC: I tried for more detail this time (g). ]

<><><><><>

[GM]

Lisa's attempt to teleport does nothing. Finn senses a tiny glimmer of 
energy sparkling inside the petite oriental woman, but whatever it is, 
Lisa isn't connecting to it with whatever she's trying to do.

When she tries to fly, the glimmer of energy pulses stronger, and that 
ethereal dragon image returns, manifesting around Lisa like a hologram 
of some sort...though from the neutral reactions of everyone else, it's 
obvious that only Finn sees it. Then a gust of wind blows through the 
terminal, whipping Lisa's hair around her face, and the air turns cooler 
and slightly moist. But, Lisa does not lift off the ground, or seem to move 
in any way.

The dragon winks at Finn.

<><><><><>

Lisa:
  
  She walks back over to Finn and Agent Slopes. " Well Something 
happened when I tried to fly. I just don't know what. Teleporting was a 
complete failure. Perhaps you should try Finn, maybe you'll have better 
luck than I did. " Lisa says in an agrieved tone.

  " I'm definitely doing something wrong. It could be some power other 
than flying that's trying to activate. Then again I may simply be going 
about this the wrong way. " She looks at Agent Slopes with a  puzzled 
expression. She then asks. " Any ideas on how to proceed ? About the 
only thing I can think of to try next might be some of the other 
superhuman powers that might be related to flying or ... have flying as a 
side effect. "

  She waits to see what Finn will do next.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn watched as the dragon once again reappeared, and then blinked as 
it
winked at her, obviously startled.

"Umm...Lisa?  I think it's just going to take a bit more time and
practice.  There's definitely ... something there.  Give it time."

She blinked again, coming back to herself a bit more.  "But 
unfortunately,
time is something we don't have a lot of right now.  Okay, I'll try, but I
don't have any idea if this will work......"

Finn looked across the terminal, settling herself on a point near the
chairs, perhaps 10 feet away.  Memorizing the point in her mind, she
closed her eyes and imagined herself standing there, willing herself to 
be
there.

[later...]

She resettled herself, then imagined herself floating, becoming lighter
and lighter, drifting off along the currents of her mind.  Willing herself
to become lighter than air, and flying.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Finn gets no result from attempting to teleport, and that preternatural 
awareness which keeps supplying her with unbidden information gives 
her the strong feeling that this line of experimentation will prove fruitless.

Something different happens when she attempts to fly, however;

Visualizing herself becoming lighter than air, the entire world seems to 
shift a little bit, and Finn feels herself indeed become lighter, as the 
weight of her body drops away from her-

Literally!

Lisa and the Justice Department agents see Finn sway, then suddenly 
collapse to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Slopes lunges forward 
to catch her, and succeeds in preventing her head from hitting the 
ground, barely.

[to Finn]

You're puzzled at first, when Slopes lunges forward to grab you. The 
looks of surprise and concern on the faces of Slopes, Gemann and Lisa 
mystify you.

Then you see Slopes catching your body....at your feet!

They are all looking at you, lying unconscious on the ground....while you 
hover in the air, where you were standing a moment ago!

Your perceptions have become subtley different...you can see vibrant 
auras surrounding all the people nearby, and more distantly, others 
down the terminal.

The "colors" you see aren't really any colors you've ever seen before, 
though your mind creates analogies for them....energetic reds, sensitive 
yellows, excitable purples....colors representing emotions, mental states, 
hidden facets of people's personalities.

Lisa's aura is a calm blue, overlayed with shifting bands of friendly 
yellows and other, less dominant colors. Sparks of distressed pinks and 
reds now color her aura as she watches Slopes trying to catch your inert 
form. Underneath the surface colors, a core of incandescent red and 
violet pulses within, ready to be unleashed in fury or panic or in other 
desperate straights.

Slopes' aura is nearly the reverse of Lisa's....red and orange 
predominate, showing energy and directness, with a slightly blue tinge 
keeping him in check, a calm center. And a shade of deep red pulsing 
within...you haven't completely failed to touch his more passionate side, 
though it's well under control.

Gemann is also a direct, honest character....but there's a hint of angry 
red and hostile dark green...it would be going too far to say that he 
secretly has it out for you, but his attitude towards you and Lisa is not 
entirely friendly.

None of them seem to be able to see the "you" which is the current 
center of your consciousness.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  Lisa runs to Finns' side as she falls.

  " What happened she shouldn't have collapsed like that ? Is she all 
right ? " Lisa asks nervously.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn's surprise shocked her down to her shoes ... not that she was 
wearing
any at the moment.  Well, she was, but her ...

** nevermind! **

It was almost becoming habit, which scared her.  These new ... powers
coming upon her without really trying.

She looked at everyone down ... below her, and saw the swimming 
colors
that surrounded them.

** auras! **

Lisa's didn't surprise her.  She half-expected the dragon to reappear and
being speaking with her, but since Lisa wasn't manifesting any powers, it
was unlikely.

** maybe her powers only really work when she's stressed.  Or maybe ...
she needs to be outdoors.  Maybe she could fly if that dragon could 
open
its wings ... if it has them ... **

Slopes, on the other hand, she felt secretly pleased about.

** oh-ho ... so there is a warm core beneath that professional exterior.
Glad to see that you don't mind me being around...you and Lisa are the
only people I think I can ever be comfortable with again. **

She looked over at Gemann.

** at least not until I can control these blasted ... powers. **

Gemann wasn't any surprise.  She was glad that he didn't know about 
Slopes
yet, though he might have his suspicions.  It would ruin their
partnership, Finn was sure about that.

She floated around them, but not even *thinking* about passing through
them, hoping that one of them might notice her ... ** what the heck do 
you
call this?  Out of body experience?  Astral!  That was it! ** astral form.
Finn also looked down at herself, wondering if she had an actual *form*
while she was like this.

Then she took a look around, and up.  She wondered about trying to go 
up
to the plane, about how far and how fast she could go, but realized that
now was not the time for that sort of experimentation.  She might go too
far away from her body and not be able to get back, or she might go on 
the
plane and *he* might see her, and that would be the end of it.

** now, how in god's name do i get back? **

Finn "floated" back down, trying to go back into herself.  She imagined
that she was within her body once more, that she saw out of her own 
eyes,
and then *willed* herself to be there.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Finn's body jerks for a moment, and she gasps as her eyes snap open.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " Finn are you all right ? What happened to you ? " Lisa asks austerly.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn's face was pale a moment, then flushed as she began breathing
slightly rapidly.

"Oh wow ... that was so ... odd.  Well, I can't fly.  But I can ... go
astral.  It was like you hear about with those out of body experiences.  I
could see you all, see *me* on the ground, and ... I was floating!"

She sits up, adjusting her position, and relaxing her breathing.

"Lisa, I think you might want to try flying outside.  You know how you
made it rain before?  Maybe you'll be able to fly if you can control winds
or something like that.  Or maybe you just need to be outside."

Finn smiled at Lisa, an odd glint to her eyes.

"After all, heavenly dragons wouldn't find themselves with a lot of space
to stretch in this terminal, would they?"

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " Astral projection ! Is the astral plane really silver gray or is it some 
other color ? Ummm ... never mind. I'm just glad you weren't injured. I 
thought for a moment that something had gone terribly wrong. So my 
idea wasn't a total waste you managed to find a new power. "

  " Controlling the winds at an airport might not be a good idea Finn. 
Though my range is rather limited I don't want to cause the very thing 
we're trying to prevent. Maybe as a last resort I might attempt it . The 
situation isn't critical yet, there are still other things to try. Your telepathy 
looks like it might be the best way to save the plane. "

  > " After all, heavenly dragons wouldn't find themselves with a lot of 
space to stretch in this terminal, would they ? " <

  Lisa looks at Finn genuinely baffled for a moment. * ??? * She thinks. * 
Why wouldn't I have room to stretch in this terminal ? Unless. Finn do 
you mean I could transform into a dragon to fly ? That's really ... 
awesome. I think I'll try it. Who knows it might even work. * 

  " Agent Slopes could we go outside for a minute ? Finn could be right , 
being outside might be exactly what's needed. I'll try not to attract any 
attention. " She says, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"If you think you might learn anything new, then sure, let's go outside," 
says Slopes. "But, um," he glances at Lisa with a skeptical expression. 
"If she's really going to turn into a....dragon..." he and Gemann clearly 
think this is an absurd idea, but considering everything else they've 
witnessed, not one they can dismiss out of hand- "well, I think that's 
going to attract attention, don't you?"

<><><><><>

% Finn %

"I don't think she'll turn into a dragon.  Oh God, at least I hope not!"
Finn spoke up.  "Lisa just gave herself a 'hero name' when we met, like
Paladin and Pulsar.  It was heavenly dragon ... but it was something in
Chinese....Tien Lung?  Something like that."

Finn wondered if she could "go astral" again, and maybe even be able to
speak with the dragon.  Provided it was intelligent, of course.  But it
*did* wink at her ..."

<><><><><>

Lisa:

[ OOC: Lisa didn't say she would turn into a dragon. She just thought it. 
Obviously they came to the same conclusion as she did. Not that I'm 
trying to be a continuity grouch (g)  but I thought I should explain. ]

  " No one said anything about turning into a dragon Agent Slopes. I 
think Finn meant my power might only work outside and not indoors. No 
matter what, any use of a superpower is going to attract attention. But 
only if it's seen , I intend to be as discreet as possible. "

  " Tien Lung means Heavenly Dragon. I picked it because at the time it 
seemed appropriate. Heavenly Dragons direct the weather you might 
say. That's how my powers seem to work so I decided it would make a 
great supername. " She says with a grin.

  " I'm not going to tamper with the weather , especially at an airport. All I 
want to try is to see if my power to fly works outside.
If it does work you have one more option available, if not then it leaves 
you with only one way to save the plane. "

  If no one has any strong objections . Lisa goes through the employee's 
exit down the stairs to the tarmac. She moves a short distance away 
from the building and begins to concentrate.

  One last time she tries to fly. She brings forth the same power she uses 
to control the weather. Only this time she imagines waking the power to 
fly. She wills herself to rise into the air slowly. She will continue the 
attempt for about one minute before giving up.

  If anyone does have a strong objection she will stop and hear them out.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

As Lisa concentrates, and Finn (hopefully) sees the dragon manifest 
once
more, she sits down on the ground and attempts to "go astral" at the 
same
time, taking care so that she doesn't hurt herself as her body collapses.

<><><><><>

[GM]

[Sorry, I got the telepathic conversation mixed up with what was spoken 
aloud- no, Slopes wouldn't have heard the discussion about dragons.]

Lisa calls on the same power that summoned rain and wind before. 
Wind picks up around the small woman, whipping the hair around her 
face and turning the air damp and precipitous almost immediately.

Finn, cross-legged on the ground, enters the "astral plane" more 
gracefully than before, just in time to see the dragon emerge once more. 
This time it glows brightly, almost becoming tangible from Finn's 
perspective....though the others still don't seem to see it.

Finn sees that the majority of Lisa's power is focused in this spectral 
dragon...Lisa, in her diminutive corporal form, is an anchor...a bridge 
connecting the physical realm and the psychic, where the dragon dwells. 
The woman benefits from the "leakage" of energy between the two 
planes.

But she's not merely a bystander at a nexus of power...the power is all 
part of Lisa. Despite impressions gained from some of the dragon's 
manifestations, Finn sees that Lisa and the dragon are really one and 
the same. Something like a metaphysical alter-ego. Bringing them 
together is the key.

Lisa feels even more power than before surging within her, but 
maddeningly out of reach.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

As the realization of the dragon and Lisa becomes clear to her, Finn
smiled in her astral form, then looked down at her body, to see if it
smiled as well.

** I wonder if I am linked like that ... **

She tried to speak, to see if any sound would carry in this form.

"Lisa?  Tien?  Can you hear me?"

And if that didn't work ... or even if it did ...

**>> Lisa ... I'm trying telepathy while I'm astral. Can you hear me? <<**

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  * Finn I can hear you. Umm, you know what I mean. Is something 
wrong ? There's something you should know. I felt even more power 
available but for some reason I couldn't get it to do what I wanted. Do 
you have any ideas ? Could you see anything from the astral ? * Her 
thoughts echo the frustration in her voice.

  " I'm definetly doing something wrong ! " Lisa says with great 
frustration. " When Finn comes back from the astral plane maybe she 
can tell me where I'm making my mistake. I'm done for now; I think. "

  She continues in the same discouraged tone of voice. " There seemed 
to me to be even more power than last time I tried to use my abilities. 
But somehow I can't quite get at the power I want. Its as if it's there just 
out of reach. Hmmm ... I wonder if it's just not fully awake yet. Perhaps a 
certain amount of power is needed before I can use it in the way I want. 
The power is there and building up but like an untrained muscle it takes 
time to train it. Unless someone else has a better idea I'm going to wait 
and try again later. "

<><><><><>

[GM]

Finn can hear her own voice, speaking astrally...it sounds flat and dull, 
without the slightest hint of an echo, and Lisa doesn't respond until she 
"speaks" telepathically. Finn's corporal form doesn't smile when she 
does...it just sits there, seemingly in a trance.

>>>Hmmm ... I wonder if it's just not fully awake yet. Perhaps a certain 
amount of power is needed before I can use it in the way I want. The 
power is there and building up but like an untrained muscle it takes time 
to train it.<<<

Lisa's words sound very accurate...your psychic "hunches", which have 
been giving you scads of (often extraneous) information, give you the 
impression that the dragon is indeed a nascent power, waiting until 
enough energy has built up in Lisa for it to manifest fully.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

**>> Lisa, it's okay.  I think what might be happening is that your power
needs to develop more, or you need to learn how to tap it.  It's just not
going to happen now, I think. <<**

Finn sighed, then returned to herself.

"We should go back in, before it really does start to rain.  Maybe they've
found out about the drugs.  I'll try and get a lock on him again."

Finn went back inside, and sat down once more.  Closing her eyes, she
skimmed the Jamaican's surface thoughts once more, bracing herself for
what she will see.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Gemann, just off the phone with someone at the airline 
reservations center, tells you "They carry tranquilizers on board the 
plane, in case someone is going into hysterics...but nothing like a 
sedative that could be injected involuntarily. Now, there IS a doctor on 
board...a Dr. Randall Metterling, from Rhode Island. It seems he was on 
vacation in Jamaica, so there's no way of knowing yet if he has his 
doctor's bag with him, complete with something to stick in our crazy 
metahuman friend." He looks at you and says "If you can contact this 
guy, mind-to-mind, maybe he could be a help."

Finn casts her mind out across the Atlantic, and once more is able to 
home in on the imperiled flight....still with the glowing web of psychic 
energy intertwined with the plane's electrical systems, and that 
flickering, flaming silhouette of a bird superimposed over the craft...not 
entirely dissimilar from Lisa's dragon manifestation, now that you think 
about it.

The thoughts you're able to pick up with a cautious surface scan are the 
same as before...anger and vengeance, and growing anticipation.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

"Maybe I can find out from Dr. Metterling's mind if he has a sedative that
can be injected before I go ... speaking to him mentally.  Give me some
time."

Finn slipped once more into the semi-trance, guiding her mind to that of
the plane's passengers, and skimming their thoughts lightly.  She looked
first in first class ... he *was* a doctor, after all ... before going
back into the coach area.

<><><><><>

[GM]

It takes a while, skimming over the minds of the first-class passengers-

*John Blume, investment banker, over-stressed and going to have a 
major coronary within three months, you see an image of the bright red 
porsche he recently bought himself...*

*Lisa Callais, bored wife of a millionaire real estate developer, returning 
from a "vacation" in Jamaica where she met her lover, a handsome 
blond professional golfer*

*Angela Canley, high-powered corporate attorney, also a black belt in 
karate, and worried that she's about to lose a major case, which will in 
turn lose her firm a multi-million dollar client*

*Wesley Dreeves, who owns a Carribean hotel chain, and is coming to 
Boston to meet his fiancee, who's a college student at Yale.*

And finally you find the mind you're looking for- Doctor Randall 
Metterling- a man in his late fifties, white thinning hair, a bit of a paunch, 
a powder blue suit...he's dozing right now, blissfully unaware of the 
danger nearby, or the unseen presence hovering "overhead"

<><><><><>

% Finn %

"I've got him," she said with a note of triumph in her voice.  "I don't
know if he's got anything with him, he's dozing right now.  Should I wake
him, or try to find out if he has anything in with him from a quick peek
around his mind?"

Finn looked around for opinions, her mind trying to visually place where
the doctor was in position to the Jamaican.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The doctor is sitting in the first class section, the Jamaican several rows 
behind him and on the other side of the aisle.

Slopes frowns and says "You're asking *us*? If you can find out what 
you need to know without waking him up, maybe you should...is there 
some way you can talk to him without startling him with 'voices in his 
head'?"

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  " I don't think you should wake him until you're ready to act against the 
Jamaican metahuman. There's no way to keep the doctor from making a 
scene if he suddenly hears voices in his head. If you can't get the 
information by reading his mind then go ahead and wake him. " She 
responds.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

"I don't think so," Finn replied.  "Not unless I tried to control someone
else on the plane to speak with him, and I'm not sure if I could do that,
or even if I'd be able to.  Let me try to do a quick look, skim his
surface thoughts with perhaps a probe a bit deeper, to see if I can find
anything."

Finn proceeds to do so, concentrating on his medical bag, and trying 
NOT
to look at anything else in his mind as best she can.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mostly what you see is a string of names, drugs that you don't recognize, 
though his mind provides some information associated with them when 
you concentrate on one or the other...antibiotics, tranquilizers, pain-
killers...he does have a set of syringes in his bag. You also see that he 
has a mild sedative that can be administered by injection, but you're not 
sure if "mild" is enough to put out a raging psychopath before he makes 
the jumbo-jet do barrel rolls. He does have stronger drugs...but they're in 
pill form.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn pounded her fist against the armrest of the airport chair she sat on,
and opened her eyes.

"It looks like nothing except a pill.  Damn!"

Bleary hazel eyes looked from the agents to Lisa, then back to the 
agents.

"I don't know if this is going to work, but I will try to contact the
Jamaican now.  You might want to tell the pilot to be prepared ... I might
be able to stop him, but I think it won't be immediate."

Finn closed her eyes, and whispered a quiet prayer, then once more 
tuned
her mind into the Jamaican and his power-hungry fantasies.

She skimmed his mind once again, trying to determine how much further 
away
from reality he had slipped.  A small part of her mind wondered if there
was a way for a quick-kill, a simple burnout switch, something she could
do to him to take him out in the blink of an eye.  If it wasn't sleep,
then it would have to be death.  His, or his and the entire plane, and
wherever he decided to crash the whole damned thing.

She didn't see any other choice.  Like Lisa ... she knew what she had to
do, and steeled herself for it.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Jamaican is no closer and no farther from reality than he was 
before....still raging silently in his own mind, still planning to go down in 
a blaze of glory, taking all these symbols of evil Babylon, the white 
civilization that oppressed him and killed his family, with him.

The surface thoughts are easy. Clenching her teeth, Finn tries to slip 
deeper, following her instincts, strange new instincts that accompany her 
new powers. Thought patterns seem coherent and alive to her, 
metaphysical representations of the mind appear in her own minds' eye, 
telling her where to go, what parts of the brain control what thoughts, 
and most importantly of all, where the seat of consciousness is located.

There! A glowing region at the center of his neural activity, shining much 
brighter than the less-intense areas that control involuntary functions 
like respiration, heartbeat...Finn can strike at those areas too. But his 
awareness gleams before her, and she's entered this deeply without his 
noticing.

Finn wills that glowing spot to dim, and obligingly, it does. 
Simultaneously, she senses alarm, as some part of his mind realizes it's 
under attack. And the aura of power around him intensifies, and she 
suddenly feels "static". He's erecting a barrier to block her!

But too late. Abruptly, the barrier falls as his conscious mind fades to 
black.

Finn sits stunned for a moment- after all this, it almost seems too easy. 
But a scan over the plane confirms it....the flaming aura is gone, the 
tendrils of psychic energy wrapping around the plane's electrical 
systems are gone.

The Jamaican is sleeping dreamlessly in his seat.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn's eyes popped open, and she shouted.

"YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!"

She jumped out of her chair and leapt forward, grabbing Lisa and 
drawing
her into a tight hug, twirling her around.

She shouted again and released Lisa, bouncing over to hug Slopes, and 
then
Gemann.

"He's asleep," she said as tears rolled down her face.  "He fought me, 
and
I'm not sure how long he's going to be asleep, but he *is* asleep!"

She bounced in place, eyes shining, as she looked at the trio.  "Get the
plane down as quickly as possible ... have it land at Green in 
Providence,
if you have to.  But I'm not sure I'll be able to do it again if he wakes
up."

Finn laughed, the first truly happy, joyous sound she had made today.
Plopping back down into the seat, she smiled and laughed again.

"I'll get a song out of this somehow..." her eyes stared off into space as
she looked at a spot on the floor, her mind obviously racing through 
some
sort of lyrical, musical arrangement.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  Lisa smiles and returns Finn's hug. Then looks to the agents.

  " Now is the time to call the pilot and tell him that there is a suspected 
terrorist on the plane. Maybe the flight crew can sedate or tie the 
Jamaican metahuman up. If you think that could be done without waking 
him. No matter what I do agree with Finn, land the plane as soon as 
possible. "

  " With a little bit of luck it's over. Now comes the hard part, deciding 
what to do next. " She says half jokingly.

  She goes over and sits near Finn, finally able to rest. Very happy that 
this time no innocent lives were lost. She looks out the terminal window 
at the planes and thinks longingly. * Sooner or later I'm going to figure 
out what I'm doing wrong and then maybe I'll be able to fly too ! *

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Slopes smiles, while Agent Gemann looks skeptical. But a few 
phone calls are made to the control tower, and soon the airport security 
officer reports that everything seems to be under control. The crew (and 
passengers) of Caribbean Airlines Flight 912 are a bit mystified when, 
after a whispered conversation with Doctor Metterling, the good doctor 
moves with one of the stewards to a sleeping passenger three rows 
behind him. He injects Mr. Lawrence Ajanina (from the passenger list, a 
name is finally put to the man who threatened to bring destruction down 
on Logan International) with a "mild sedative"...one that should make 
sure he doesn't wake up until after he's taken into custody on the 
ground.

"In fact," Agent Gemann says, reporting on these events to Lisa and 
Finn, "he'll be injected with an even stronger drug, and taken in a 
comatose state to our Virginia facility."

Gemann looks at Finn. "You realize, of course, that virtually everything 
we've done so far is on your word alone. We have no independent 
confirmation of *anything* about this *alleged* metahuman...it's on your 
word alone that we've taken this action against Mr. Ajanina. To 
everyone's perceptions but your own, the only thing that ever happened 
is a man on Flight 912 fell asleep, and a doctor then went and 
tranquilized him." Slopes looks at Gemann sharply, and the latter seems 
to realize how harshly that came out, and his tone softens as he adds, 
"So, umm, it would be nice if you'd come with us back to Virginia, and 
help us learn more about him."

"Of course," Agent Slopes adds, "there are a LOT of other things we'd 
love to have your help with. It would be nice to have a long-range 
metahuman detector on *our* side for once." He grimaces. Then looks at 
Lisa. "And of course, your help would be greatly appreciated as well." 
He smiles. "We can't pay you as much as Paladin gets for putting 
satellites in orbit, but I think we can beat an aerobic instructor's salary."

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  As Agent Gemann speaks to Finn, Lisa frowns at his rather blatant 
attempt at manipulation. Her frown fades as Agnet Gemann continues. 
She looks to Finn to see how she reacts to his recruiting speach.

  > "We can't pay you as much as Paladin gets for putting satellites in 
orbit, but I think we can beat an aerobic instructor's salary." <

  Lisa tilts her head slightly and gives Agent Slopes a wicked smile.
" I don't know, it isn't just the salary, I have a tremendous health benefits 
package too. However I do seem to be unemployed at the moment. At 
the very least I would be willing to let your scientists run their tests. 
When I know more about how your agency operates I might be ready to 
discuss steady employment. "

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn's happy mood never wavered as the agents informed them of what 
had
been done with the dangerous meta.  She sat back down for a moment, 
and
slipped into her "trance", checking again on Lawrence, after the sedative
had been injected into him.

[she'll do this occasionally until the flight has landed, just to be
*sure* that he's still out of it.]

Her mood shifted, and not subtly, when they spoke of bringing her with
them to Virginia.

"Hey, look ... I am not in this for the long haul.  I called because I
thought you all might have someone who could stop this, or maybe 
someone
who could train *me*.  I've no clue what I'm doing, I'm just flying by the
seat of my pants.  I'll testify against Lawrence, or whatever it is you
want to do about him.  I'll even give you all the images I saw in his
mind, right to yours.  But I've got a life, and a job.  And I'm happy with
that.  I can train myself, since that's what it seems I'll be doing
anyway."

She paused, her tone softening as she looked from Gemann to Slopes.

"Thanks for the offer, though."

Finn thought directly at Slopes, as hard as she could, hoping he might
hear her.

**>> So when are you going to tell him?? <<**

<><><><><>

[GM]

Slopes doesn't seem to hear Finn's broadcast message.

Meanwhile, Gemann protests. "Look, do you have any idea how many 
*more* psychos like this Jamaican guy there are out there? We 
desperately need someone with powers like yours...hell, at least maybe 
to help train whoever comes after you. I mean, our scientists can help 
you learn how they work, then it could be YOU training other telepaths."

Slopes seems about to intervene, with an admonishing look at his 
partner, when Finn's eyes go wide after another one of her checks on 
Lawrence. The plane is now coasting to a halt at the terminal, and over 
a dozen security officers and federal agents are there to meet it, with the 
drugged metahuman obviously about to come off the plane first.

Except Finn senses the drugs being burned out of his system...and 
flames flicker around his psychic aura as he begins to regain 
consciousness.

It's not only his aura she senses, either....a new spark of madness 
seems to have joined his vengeful bloodlust, or maybe it was there all 
along and she just didn't sense it. Finn shudders as impossibly, but 
unmistakably, something of Jack's aura manifests in Lawrence Ajanina.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn pouted for a brief moment as her attempt to pierce Slopes' barrier
was once more met with that infernal resistance.  But she was distracted
from any further pursuits that way by Gemann's outburst.  She started to
get geared up, ready to give Gemann a piece of her mind, when she saw
Slopes look at his partner.  She took that time to once more check on
Lawrence.

"HOLY MARY MOTHER OF GOD!  He's *WAKING UP*!"

Finn shouted near hysterically as she realized what was happening.

"Oh God oh God oh God ... he's burning the drugs out of his system!  
He's
not going to *stay* drugged, damn it all to hell!"

She closed her eyes in fierce concentration, shoving aside all of her
anger at Gemann, all of her frustration, all of her anxiety, and quietly
tried to slip into his mind, to soothe his consciousness *back* into
sleep.  Peaceful sleep, troubled sleep, *any* sleep, as long as he wasn't
conscious.

** oh god oh god oh sweet mary mother of god, please let this work go to
sleep go to sleep sleep sleep sleep ... **

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  She hesitates, for only a moment, undecided over what to do. " 
Someone should stay with Finn. " She says to the agents urgently. Then 
mind made up she begins to run towards the boarding passageway 
where the Caribbean Airlines plane was about to halt. 

  " Just when you think it's going to be a happy ending something just 
has to go wrong. " She hisses to herself in exasperation.

  Going to the very end of the boarding passageway she opens the 
doors and looks out at the plane. If possible she will try to board the 
plane by airwalking.

[ OOC: Is it close enough for her to airwalk ( air running ? ) over to it or 
is it moving to fast ? If she can't get to the plane she will stop here to try 
and figure out what to do next. ]  

<><><><><>

[GM]

As Lisa runs towards the plane, Finn concentrates. Lawrence is waking, 
all right, and the static barrier that started to interfere with her powers 
before is rising again.

His mind is blurred, his reactions are slow, but he dimly realizes 
something is happening...someone is attacking him. And goddammit, 
he's gone' make dose motherf***ers PAY!

The plane is just stopped at the terminal, the boarding stairs are rolling 
towards the jet, and Lisa is running through the air ahead of it, to the 
gaping amazement of the airport workers.

A glowing red circle suddenly appears on the body of the plane, above 
the windows in the first class section.

An instant later, a blast of flames spurts straight up, liquifying metal as it 
blows a hole through the top of the passenger compartment.

"S***!" Gemann exclaims, looking out the observation window. "Call 
airport security, call the Agency, call the goddamn National Guard!" He 
spins and stares at Finn. "You didn't say anything about this guy having 
pyrokinesis!"

"Cool it, David. She didn't know." Slopes sighs, and seems almost calm 
as he looks at impending disaster. "Great, let's trash *another* airport."

A dark figure rises on a pillar of fire, shooting up through the hole and 
rising to a point nearly twenty feet above the plane, where he glares 
down in confusion and anger. His glowing eyes fix on the diminutive 
Chinese woman who's running through the air below him.

Finn sees wings of wire encircling him...her head snaps back as rage 
boils out of him, eradicating sleep and blazing into a fiery psychic aura 
that dares her to attempt another mental intrusion. The last glimmer of 
thought she gets, before being thrust from his mind, is his white-hot gaze 
locking on Lisa, and the thought-

*SHE KILLED ME!*

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  She stops in mid air looking at the pillar of fire and the metahuman 
within it in complete shock. * THE JET FUEL ! If we fight here the 
passengers are dead. I have to get away from the plane. *

  She begins to run AWAY FROM THE PLANE out onto the airfield . * 
This can't be happening AGAIN!  How can he have the same powers as 
Jack? It couldn't be the same person could it? If it is then how can he be 
defeated. This is like fighting Freddy Krueger. Mental postit: never joke 
about happy endings ! *

  * Finn if you can hear my thoughts get them to shut the airport down 
NOW ! The only hope is both of our powers. Is there anything you can 
do ? I'll try to keep him busy while the agents evacuate the airport. *

  Lisa runs; descending to the ground, concentrating on her power. 
Every iota of her power focussed, bringing it to her full force. She wants 
it to RAIN HARD.   

<><><><><>

% Finn %

** sleep sleep sleep oh god it's not going to work oh god oh god! **

Finn's neck snapped back, almost knocking her out of her psychic trance 
by
the boiling anger emitted by Lawrence.  Then the full reality of the
situation hit her, and that broke her the rest of the way out of it.

"JESUS CHRIST!  IT'S JACK!"

Her eyes cast about for Lisa, and she ran over to the windows to look 
out
at the woman.  She pounded on the glass, tears running down her face.

"Lisa it's Jack be careful he knows oh god I don't know how but he's 
back
and he knows he knows ..."

Finn couldn't take her eyes away from the sight of the two out above the
tarmac.  But she knew that her words wouldn't reach the oriental woman,
that there was only one way to let her know.

**>> Lisa!  Jack is back he's alive somehow within Lawrence!  He 
knows, he
remembers that it was *you* that killed him! <<**

She watched with horror as the scene played out before her, unable and
unwilling to try to intervene.  The agents were not even part of her
awareness.

"...i can't do anything to help her..."

<><><><><>

[GM]

As condensation swirls around Lisa and the plane, building up into a 
thick mist, Lawrence flames brighter, then gestures towards the air-
walking woman. A column of fire erupts from his body, and roars down at 
an angle to engulf Lisa.

After a few seconds, he stops flaming.

Lisa has been blasted to the ground, and is sitting, naked (again) but 
apparently unhurt, in a puddle of melted concrete.

The air is still getting thicker and damper.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  She rises from the puddle of melted concrete, a surealists dream, and 
laughs at him. " IS THAT THE BEST THAT YOU CAN DO ? " She 
shouts amused by the absurd situation she finds herself in; again. 

  * I'm still to close to the plane. I need to get farther away or someone is 
going to die. Can't let that happen. I have to keep him busy. Finn will find 
some way to stop him she did it once already, she can do it again. I 
hope. * She thinks.

  She continues to back away from the plane and terminal. 
Concentrating she pulls more power to her in the hope of finding 
someway to stop or at least slow down this maniac before he burns the 
airport to a cinder. She lets the power build trying to bring a heavy 
rainstorm into being around her.    

  Finn's warning confirms her own suspicions. As she thought Jack's 
back. * How do you stop someone who can return from the dead ? *
Fear grips her heart with icy talons as she realizes that this time she 
can't kill him or he'll just possess another boby.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Jamaican snarls, and begins floating through the air towards Lisa.

"You laughin' at me, Wo-man?" he yells. "You t'ink dis is FUNNY?" His 
heavy Jamaican accent sounds nothing like Jack's ravings.

"I'll burn you, you and ALL dese people, make everyt'ing BURN, BURN, 
BURN!"

Flames erupt from him, hotter and brighter than before. He leaves a trail 
of fire behind him as he descends towards the naked Chinese woman, 
then both disappear as he blazes into a fireball that engulfs everything 
within fifty feet. Lisa feels a blast of heat wash over her, and last shreds 
of smouldering fabric still clinging to her turn to ashes immediately.

Somewhere in those white-hot flames, she sees someone moving, 
projecting more and more heat towards her.

From the airport terminal, Finn sees billowing mists surrounding the 
scene, joined by steam where the mist touches Lawrence's flaming aura. 
The flames easily hold the mist away, though. Water is starting to drizzle 
down in this small section of the airport....but if the Jamaican backs up 
towards the jet again, the rain probably won't be enough to keep the fuel 
tanks from igniting.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  * What the ... ? I thought this was Jack. * Confusion reigns in her 
thoughts, for only an instant, then she realizes what must be done. 

  She turns and runs out onto the airfield away from the plane. Lisa 
continues to concentrate on strengthening the rain. Desperately she 
draws on her power as never before hoping to save the passengers of 
the plane.

  * He's more powerful than I am. If I don't figure out some way to stop 
him he's going to kill me. Relying on my powers to beat him isn't 
working. I'm going to have to get sneaky. Think. There has to be 
someway to stop him, everything has a weakness. The only problem is 
he's probably more vulnerable to Finn than to me. Unless I try to kill him. 
* She loathes the thought even as it passes through her mind.

  * Finn I need your help. I don't think I can stop him alone. Not unless I 
use lethal force. That would be something I would do only as a last 
resort. Is there anything you can do to help ? * She thinks with growing 
desperation. 

[ OOC: Is he close enough for Lisa to get her hands on him ? ]

<><><><><>

[GM]

She'd have to close in on him- he's not immediately within arms' length.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

Finn watched as Lawrence/Jack engulfed Lisa in flames.  Her eyes went 
to
the plane, and to the jetway.

"We've got to get the people off the plane!"

She turned to look for the agents, pleading for them to do something,
*anything*.  Finn then turned her mind on the people in the plane, and
searching for the flight attendant who had earlier felt that there was
something wrong, concentrated on her full-force.

**>> you have got to be calm.  you *must* be calm.  get everyone off the
plane, as quickly as you can, as calmly as you can. <<**

She sought to calm the woman's anxieties, instilling, forcing if
necessary, the relaxed, self-assured attitude she wanted the woman to
have.  Finn then turned to the next flight attendant, and did the same,
using them as her focuses to help get everyone off the plane, as quickly,
and as safely, as they could.

**>> Lisa ... I can't do anything! <<**  Finn's mental voice was more of a
wail.  **>> Jack shut me out of Lawrence's mind, I can't get back in. <<**

** well, that's not true Finn ... you haven't *tried ... **

** yeah, right ... then he'll notice *me*, where *I* am, and I'm not
flame-resistant.  Or rather, I don't want to find out that I'm not *the
hard way* **

But perhaps, there was something she could do.

"Watch out for me," she implored any agent who might be standing near 
to
her, hoping it was Slopes, before she collapsed.  Finn went astral, and
looked for Jack on that plane of ... awareness.  If she could stop him
here, then maybe Jack's flames would vanish, and they'd be left with 
only
Lawrence.

It was worth a shot.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The flight attendants respond quickly to Finn's telepathic urging. They 
wonder, in the back of their minds, what this voice is and why they feel 
compelled to respond to it immediately, but Finn's power seems to 
sweep away such concerns for the moment. They begin an orderly 
evacuation of the plane.

Slopes says "Wha-? Oh sh-" and catches Finn as she topples, mumbling 
"Jeez, you *could* give a little more warning...."

Finn slips back into the astral plane. On this plane, the walls of the 
airport terminal, and the plane outside, seem hazy and less substantial 
than the living beings around her. Slopes, Gemann, the other airport 
security officers, the passengers on the plane, all shine brightly, 
compared to the inanimate objects around them.

Brightest of all shine Lawrence and Lisa.

The Jamaican radiates flames as bright on the astral plane as on the 
material, though Finn feels no heat from them. They take a more 
substantial form in this mental realm, however....the aura of a great 
flaming bird appears around Lawrence, somewhat like the one she saw 
earlier around the plane, but bigger and more alive. Lawrence's aura 
burns twice as brightly as before.

And Lisa, caught in the flames but unhurt, is manifesting her dragon 
aura again, but it's also becoming bigger and more dominant.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  * Finn I'll keep him distracted for you. But you have to try and stop him. 
I don't think he can deal with both of us at the same time. * She replies 
to Finn.

  * Running won't keep him distracted for long and it'll use up my air. 
This is far enough, I hope. Even if my powers can't defeat him directly 
they can help me survive. * She thinks forcing her fear back. 

  She stops and turns to face him. Lisa draws more of her power to her 
to survive his flames. In addition to the rain she tries to strengthen the 
wind to bring her air.  

  * If this works I'll be able to stand in his flames until I drop of 
exhaustion. Now all I have to do is keep his attention on me. That will 
prevent him from harming anyone else. *

  She begins to move towards him. If she gets close enough, she will try 
to grab him.

<><><><><>

% Finn %

She floated up, out of the terminal, out onto the tarmac, circling the
combatants.  Finn tried to be as inconspicuous as she could be in this
form, hoping that Jack/Lawrence couldn't see her until she was safely 
away
from the terminal.

Then she tried to distract him, sending to Lisa first.

**>> Lisa ... I'm going to try something, but I have no clue if it's going
to work.  Be prepared. <<**

"Jack!" she called out, knowing her voice wouldn't carry far in this
space, but perhaps, if he was truly here, she could reach *him* that way,
and not Lawrence.

A heartbeat later, she sent her mind out at Lawrence, imagining it to be 
a
sharp, needlepoint probe, heading directly for his brain, piercing the
shield he had erected.

**>> LAWRENCE!  STOP THIS NOW! <<**

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Jamaican doesn't respond when Finn shouts "aloud". He gives no 
sign that he's even aware of her presence on this plane. Nor does Lisa.

Lawrence DOES react to Finn's telepathic shout. He looks around in 
confusion, but it's apparent that he's looking on the material plane, not 
the astral.

The distraction allows Lisa to move closer, and grab him.

He immediately begins blazing even more intensely than before.

"LET GO OF ME YOU STUPID COW!"

Some invisible force lifts Lisa off the ground and tears her away so 
violently that Lawrence's shirt tears in her hand, her grasping fist still 
holding onto the scrap of fabric. She tumbles across the concrete, skids 
to a halt, and stands again, looking like only her dignity was injured.

The flaming bird image that engulfs Lawrence now is visible even to 
Lisa. Like a great fiery phoenix, wings of fire surround the mad 
Jamaican. That monstrous bird stares down hard at Lisa, and projects a 
firestorm at her.

Engulfed in white hot flames, Lisa feels herself becoming angry, 
frustrated...and *stronger*. Her limbs suddenly seem to possess even 
more power than before.

In the heart of the inferno, from the astral plane, Finn can see something 
moving within the flames...and senses Lisa *changing*.

<><><><><>

Lisa:

  She stares at Lawrence, a low growl rumbling in her throat, as the 
molten cement and sand boils off her superheated skin. Anger and 
frustration seethe as she realizes the danger to the passengers on the 
plane caused by this battle. Any fear she might have had is washed 
away by the growing rage in her heart. She recognizes that this fight 
must end soon or a lot of innocents are going to die.

  * You ... * The thought chokes off in her fury.

  Then it begins ...

<><><><><>

% Finn %

"Oh dear," Finn said to the dead emptiness of astral space.  She 
wondered
if it was a good thing, or a bad thing, for the dragon to be gaining in
strength.  But it was too late now.

"Trial by fire, Lisa.  I just hope you can forgive yourself afterward."

An idea came to her then, and she acted on it without considering the
consequences.  Finn floated closer and closer to Lawrence, and then
touched him, willing herself to go inside of him, as she had done to get
back into her own body.

** maybe, just maybe, I can control him this way ... **

Finn shuddered, but kept on going.

** i just hope I don't get toasted by lisa ... **

<><><><><>

[GM]

Finn approaches Lawrence, and finds that the flames do indeed radiate 
heat, or something like heat, even in this strange mental realm. But she 
feels more resistant to flames here than she would be to actual flames, 
"out there" where Lisa is indeed enduring the real thing.

The flames become *much* hotter when she tries to force herself into 
the Jamaican's body.

Before she can begin testing her willpower, a roar that echoes out over 
the airport, accompanied by a spectral flash of light visible only to Finn, 
heralds the completion of Lisa's transformation.

A moment later, Lawrence screams in shock and fear as a massive body 
pounces at him and, grasping him in its claws, finishes its twenty-foot 
lunge on top of him- and unfortunately, bringing him back closer to the 
plane. He's still flaming, but the heat has become more concentrated, 
immediately around himself and the creature that has him pinned to the 
ground.

A twenty-foot long Oriental dragon is perched on top of him, staring 
down with luminescent yellow eyes and apparently unperturbed by the 
flames.

Finn can hear thoughts from the evacuating passengers, and Agent 
Gemann and the airport security officers that are surrounding the scene, 
and there's no doubt, this time the dragon is not just an astral projection.

Rain is falling all around, sizzling as it falls on the dragon and her prey.