CHICAGO - EVIL IN CHICAGO

[Heading back to their hotel after meeting Pulsar, Mike and Nancy 
Hartwick, Kim Brenner and Ashiya were ambushed by the sadistic 
telepath that Kim dubbed "EuroNinja". Ashiya telepathically compelled 
Mike to run away, but she, Kim and Nancy were soon subdued by their 
enemy.

Meanwhile, after a failed attempt to track down the people who 
employed two Columbian agents to capture the child-metahuman Falling 
Star, Harvey Jones, Walter Shindell, Mitchell Langstrom (aka "Mystery"), 
and Agents Donnay, Mahon and Hackley all headed for the hotel to 
locate the above group, wishing to speak to them about Pulsar, 
EuroNinja and other matters.]


[GM]

Agent Donnay heads for the hotel front office, to find out if any unusual 
activities have been reported. Meanwhile, Agent Hackley and Agent 
Mahon lead Harvey, Walt and 'Mystery' into the courtyard, warily looking 
around for signs of activity. Hackley already knows where their subjects' 
room is.

As the four men and one (current) woman approach, they see a car 
sitting down the row a ways, with interior light on and trunk open. It looks 
as if a couple checking in late were in the process of unloading their 
suitcases from the car to their hotel room.

That couple is now standing over two unconscious figures, staring at 
them in horror. The man is just turning towards the office, obviously 
about to run for help, when he sees the group approaching.

"Call the police!" he yells. "There's been a...a mugging or a murder or-" 
he seems at a loss for words.

Rushing over, the group finds one woman, an attractive blonde, lying in 
front of a door with blood staining her hair. The other is a teenage girl, 
completely naked, also covered with blood. The door hangs open, the 
room inside dark.

"Jesus Christ!" Mahon exclaims. "This is them...Ms. Hartwick and Ms. 
Brenner. Christ, where's the other woman, Ajiza? Or Mr. Hartwick? Oh 
Christ, we should never have let them take off on their own!"

Just then, a man comes running around the corner of the building, skids 
to a halt, then screams "NANCY!" and comes charging forward.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "We need the paramedics, again, at this rate we'll know them all by 
first name!"  Harvey steps into the open hotel room (briefly turning 
unsolid as he enters the darkened room, paranoia making him suspect 
every shadow) and grabs the phone dialing 911 and the realizes he 
doesn't know the address.  "Hey, where are we?  I don't know the 
address."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I've already radioed for paramedics," Agent Mahon says. Meanwhile, 
Harvey finds the room empty, though there are things knocked off the 
dresser by the door, and a picture frame is cracked and tilted. There 
seems to have been some kind of commotion inside.

Agent Hackley tries to restrain Mike Hartwick as he rushes to his wife's 
side. Mahon checks her and says "She took a blow to the head of some 
sort, but she's still breathing and has a steady pulse."

The only injury apparent on Kim Brenner is a bloody, possibly broken 
nose, and assorted bruises, which are nicely visible all over her naked 
body. The back of her left hand is a lovely shade of purple. As Mahon 
tells Harvey to grab a blanket from inside the room to cover her up, 
Kim's eyelids flutter open. She's sore and a little groggy, but she's 
awake.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

age: 29, 5'10" average height and build. brown hair and eyes (hair looks 
like it's due for a trim).

Harvey is already working on getting the spread off the bed when Mahon 
calls.  He silently curses the hotel's efficiency in making hotel corners 
and then cheats and simply desolidifies the spread off the bed and 
bundles it up. Carrying it out he gently drapes the spread over Kim.  On 
the way out he hopes he isn't destroying evidence or something, but 
there isn't a lot he can do about it.

<><><><><>

Kim:

"Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" says Kim, sitting up. Then, she remembers what 
happened.

"Euroninja, where- Ashiya, where's Ashiya?"

She looks for the alien woman, concerned. She also wonders if 
Euroninja has left any nasty bombs in her mind.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Ashiya?" Kim recognizes Agent Mahon, who looks genuinely concerned 
as he leans over her. "You mean Ajiza? She's not here. What 
happened?"

<><><><><>

Kim:

"Ashiya was here" says Kim, a worried look on her face, "We were 
attacked by Euroninja and his two goons. The goons might still be in the 
hotel room. Nancy! They shot her!"

Her words come out in the tangled rush of someone who is concerned 
about several things at once. She struggles up to have a look round, 
apparently unaware that she's currently lacking something that decent 
people normally possess... until Harvey drapes the bedspread around 
her.

"What? Uh, thank you" she says, giving a smile but clearly distracted by 
other problems, "Who are you?"

Kim is a teenage girl, about 5'7". She has the build of a traditional 90lb 
weakling, but her frame has wirey muscles that suggest such an 
assessment would be inaccurate (on the other hand, doctors can tell if 
she has a broken rib without needing an X-ray). She's freckled, with 
untidy short brown hair and green eyes; at best, she's cute rather than 
sexy (even when naked <g>). Her accent is mildly Californian.

<><><><><>

Harvey

  "You're welcome.  Hi, I'm Harvey.  Pleased to meet you", says the 
average looking man with slightly shaggy brown hair; who is now trying 
desperately to keep his eyes where they belong by staring at Kim's 
eyes.  Keep telling your self she has nice eyes, he tells himself, and 
decides she does have very pretty eyes.  Harvey may have a bit of a 
California accent also.
  "er, Maybe you shouldn't move around too much yet.  You've got a nice 
collection of bruises, it doesn't look like any serious damage but you 
were knocked out.  Better take it easy until the paramedics can check it 
out and make sure there isn't any hidden trauma from the blow that 
knocked you out."
  "Take it easy and we'll check out the room, carefully, on the off chance 
someone is still here.  Be nice if we could figure out how long you were 
out for".

<><><><><>

Kim:

"I wasn't knocked out by a blow" replies Kim quietly, "It was an attack on 
my mind instead. I'd finally managed to hurt him, but he'd hurt Ashiya 
enough that she couldn't block him any more. Now he's got her."

It's the last point that distresses her more than anything. She goes over 
to Nancy, hoping that at least one of her friends is still here. And finally 
also thinks to take stock of her own injuries.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "Oh.  I guess a mind blow doesn't do neck damage then.  But since 
you do have a bunch of conventional bruises, take it easy, O.K.?  And 
since you think there might be someone around, while you check your 
friend I'll check the room."
   "Say, does being knocked out with a mind hurt as much as the regular 
way of being knocked out?"  (Just realizing how hard it is to duck a 
telepath.)

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim shudders.

"It's more a sort of rapid fade-to-black. But he can do things to your 
mind, play with it. Make you hate your friends, or give you a compulsion 
to do or not do certain things. Sort of like hypnotism, except it works."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Nancy is still there, still bleeding from a head wound (though the blood 
seems to be mostly coagulating now). As Mahon reported, she's 
breathing and has a steady pulse.

"She just took a head wound two days ago" says Mahon. "She was lucky 
to avoid a concussion last time." He looks at Kim. "So it was that 
telepath again?" He looks grim. "And he took...Ashiya." He looks around 
at Harvey, Walt and Mystery [who is about to become an NPC again if I 
don't hear from Star Fire soon....] "We need to track this guy 
down....fast!" He looks back at Kim. "Do you have any idea how to do it? 
Can you use your telepathy to find your friend?"

Kim feels bruised and sore, especially her hand, but really not much 
worse than after a rough sparring session at her karate school. Mahon is 
applying first aid to Nancy and treating for shock, as you see an 
ambulance rolling into the parking lot.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim nods.

"I don't know if that'll work - I've never tried it. And I might find her captor 
instead."

She manages a slight grin.

"If I suddenly turn hostile, lay me out quickly."

Then she sits calmly on the ground, and attempts to open her mind as 
fully as possible, trying to catch the faintest telepathic emanation - 
preferably from Ashiya.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "Great", in a tone that means it's anything but.

<><><><><>

Walt:

Walt looks bleak at the damage that he sees arrayed before him.

"Well, I don't rightly know how we're gonna find this *bastard*" he snarls, 
"but I reckon we could try the map 'trick' again..."

"...and then maybe we'll try the 'pain' trick when we do find him!"

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kim sits and concentrates....and finds Ashiya nowhere within her range.

There is, however, the faintest trace of Ashiya's mental presence. When 
Kim tries to focus on it, she finds a mental imprint of sorts...not anything 
that alters the mental processes in her mind, but more like a telepathic 
construct placed there. Something like what Ashiya projected into Kim's 
mind back in the Sebth ship, when Kim had to focus her own power 
against the Sebth guard using a "weapon" that Ashiya gave her.

This construct, however, seems to be incomplete.

Nearby, she can sense Nancy's consciousness submerged beneath pain 
and shock, Mike's, panicked and fearful, Harvey and Walt, concerned, 
and the federal agents, also concerned but in a more impersonal 
manner. And the attractive Indian girl, who has yet to be introduced. 
From her, Kim senses some kind of mental projection...and 
accompanying that, Kim herself feels a remarkable attraction for this girl!

<><><><><>

Kim:

*That's odd*, she thinks, *I've never felt that way inclined before. 
Perhaps it's some side-effect of Shabaali powers*

She smiles at the mysterious, silent Indian girl.

Aloud, she says "I can't pick her up - but I've never tried more than a few 
feet, before."

Kim concentrates on the partly finished construct, trying to sense what 
she can about it. Was Ashiya trying to leave some sort of message, or is 
it more like the remnants of a psychic battle, the mental equivalent of a 
burned-out tank?

<><><><><>

[GM]

It seems to be neither a message, nor a "burnt out" remnant, but 
something that was under construction and not quite finished.

While Kim is exploring this intriguing phenomenon in her own mind, 
paramedics carefully lift Nancy onto a stretcher...then one makes a 
startled gasp as the injured woman half-floats off the ground. Nancy 
groans, becoming semi-conscious, and her power activates in response 
to the jostling (although it was minimal, as the paramedics were naturally 
being very careful.) She has one HELL of a headache! Even Kim senses 
the pain immediately.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim enters Nancy's mind, trying to ease her pain, maybe even let her go 
back to sleep.

*Relax, Nancy. You're safe now*

[OOC: Will Nancy reply "This is obviously some strange new usage of 
the word `safe' that I wasn't previously aware of"? <g>]

Kim walks over to the injured woman, in case she wakes up fully, and 
reflects that they're not doing a very good job of concealing their 
identities!

She thinks about Ashiya's construct again. Are there any features about 
it at all, that might suggest a purpose? Is it designed for a telepath to 
contact it (in which case she will do so), or was it intended as a weapon 
or a defence?

<><><><><>

[GM]

Nancy senses Kim's "voice" in her mind.

As Kim concentrates, the construct seems to reverberate in sync with 
Kim's mental efforts...and sends signals outward. Nothing returns, 
however. Kim has the feeling that there is supposed to be some 
reaction...externally.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   "If one of you could stun the telepath or something, maybe I could 
mimic him and provide protection...it looks as if I mimic a meta's powers 
totally, so far as I can tell, since I was able to make Juan's green lantern 
style force fields."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "Unfortunately, the map trick didn't work... Hey where are we?  
Anywhere near Cabrini Green?"

   Harvey gives a grim smile at the reference to the 'pain trick', but it 
turns serious almost immediately, "We might need something a bit more 
serious than the pain trick, something that will really stop him and fast.  
Frankly I can't even figure out how to get close."

[to Mystery]

   "And if you could absorb his power and give us some defense we 
might be able to stun him!  Circular solution."

   "Sorry but I haven't figured out how to sneak up on a telepath...I also 
haven't figured out how to duck a telepath.  This does not look really 
good."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Awareness comes back with an almost blinding intensity.  Her pretty 
features contort in agony from the pain of her wound, eyes still closed.  
She manages to mumble, "Mike...where are you, Mike...?"
    She seems to ignore the telepathic contact for the moment...or maybe 
she didn't hear it.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Calm down, Mrs. Hartwick," a familiar voice says. Mike pulls free of 
Agent Hackley's grip and kneels by Nancy. "Sweetheart...darling...it's all 
right, I'm all right, just lie still, we need to get you to the hospital."

"Again," sighs Kim. 

[Apologies to Zebekiah, as I play Kim until Thursday. Make allowances 
for the possibility that he might want to change something I have Kim 
say or do, though I'll try to avoid letting her do anything particularly 
critical. <g>]

Her mind-voice comes in stronger this time; **You were shot in the back 
of the head...your powers must have kicked in and saved your life. But 
EuroNinja beat me-** you sense deep chagrin **and seems to have 
escaped with Ashiya.**

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    She reaches out to take Mike's hand.  "You're...alright," she murmurs. 
"Wha...what happened?"
    When Kim's mental voice finally gets through, she struggles to rise.  
"Got to...find her...before...he hurts her...again...."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike protests. "No! Honey, you aren't in any condition to go 
anywhere..you've been shot in the head, for God's sake!"

"I have to agree," Mahon says. "You just got hit in the head two days 
ago, now you have *another* head injury. Concussions are nothing to 
fool around with."

Mike looks around at the other people. "She's right though," he says 
softly. "Ashiya...the things that monster did to her last time. I don't think 
she'll survive another experience like that. Her sanity definitely won't."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

 [Her sanity definitely won't] <Gulp>

  "We'll help" Harvey offers, speaking for the group and then glancing 
around to make sure they don't object.  "The only problem is we have no 
idea how to find him yet."  'yet?' thinks Harvey to himself, 'what makes 
me think I'll come up with an idea even eventually?'  "We've been 
discussing nasty things to do to him when we catch him.  Personally I 
think we're all too ethical to do any of them but accidents, and desperate 
situations, do happen".
  "Anyone see anything that would give us a clue where he was going?  
Maybe a car or something?  We could ask around for witnesses and 
hope we get 'lucky' but it doesn't sound too efficient."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "I'll...make it," she says, gritting her teeth and trying to stand. 
"I've...got to....can't...let him...hurt Ashiya again!"
    She tries to ignore the pain, concentrating on her gravity sense. 
"Is...probe...still here?", she asks Kim.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"The probe!" Kim says. She looks around.

She doesn't know how to detect it, though. She looks hopefully at Nancy. 
"Can you sense it?"

Mike explains to the others; "Ashiya had...these invisible probes, like 
flying metal donuts. They fly by using some kind of anti-gravity 
technology, and...Nancy, with her powers, can sense them. Ashiya had 
one that followed her overhead wherever she went...maybe Nancy can 
track her that way." He looks at his wife and adds "But you are NOT 
going to participate in any kind of fight!"

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "Relax, relax, she's more likely to get in a hospital than in a fight" 
Harvey tells Mike, even though he really hopes that if a fight break out 
they'll have every available meta and he knows he's lying.
   Harvey steps over to the paramedics, "She seems to be awake, is that 
a good sign that she isn't seriously injured?"

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   Mystery slaps her forehead. "I forgot! I've got one heck of a major way 
to stun and disorient the telepath. I may not be able to telepathically 
control people, but the desire aura should scramble his circuits severely! 
-- and one kiss, hug, or handshake, and he's telepathic toast."
   She smiles wickedly. "You and Walt remember how...stunning...I can 
be."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    [What are you asking me for? <g> Does Nancy detect the probe?]

    She doesn't say anything to Mike, concentrating hard to overcome the 
pain.

<><><><><>

[GM]

While the paramedics bandage her head (and try to get her to lie down 
and let them load her into the ambulance), Nancy reaches out with her 
gravity sense. The probe doesn't seem to be within her immediate 
range.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "Yes, I remember how...stunning... you were.  It isn't exactly 
forgettable", a tremendous case of understatement.  "So if we put you 
out front it would sort of distract him and let us get close.  Very nice 
tactic. But telepathic toast? [ooc: first mindcontrolling telephones, now 
telepathic toast, what next?]  Will it really do that much damage?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Mahon looks thoughtful. "You think that probe is still following 
Ashiya?" he asks Kim. Then he turns to Nancy, gesturing to the 
paramedics to hold on. "How far away can you sense this probe thingy?" 
he asks her.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "It...follows her," Nancy says, shooing the paramedics back after they 
finish with the bandage, "if she doesn't tell it...to do...something else. 
Since...it's not here...must be...with her."
    "Not...far," she admits.  "Could only sense it...a couple of blocks...at 
most.  But the probe...it feels...unique.  Maybe...if I concentrate...and 
we...get lucky...it leaves a trail...I can pick up on.  Maybe it's...one in a 
million...but I've got...to try!"
    She closes her eyes again, tries to block out the pain, and 
concentrates on any "residue" that the probe might have left.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Nancy senses the faintest ripple in the gravity field, at the limit of her 
range...then it disappears.

Mike hovers near her, anxious. "Honey...you can't do any more," he 
whispers. "Just rest, maybe these other people can figure out a way to 
track her down."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

When she detects the ripple, she is GONE.  "This way!", she yells, 
taking to the air and moving as quickly as she can in that direction, 
hopping from roof to roof with short jumps to minimize the stress from 
her power.

<><><><><>

Kim:

"Come back!" yells Kim, hurrying after her, "Let's think about what we're 
going to do, first."

(Kim would also like the opportunity to get dressed at some point!)

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   When Nancy jumps up so suddenly Harvey is both startled and 
aghast. Considering how much pain she was just in such strenuos 
activity i definitely not conducive to prolonged good health.  Besides, 
she might get away and then he won't know where to go!  "Hey, Slow 
down...or at least wait for the rest of us!"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    She lands on the rooftop and turns to face the others, even though 
her eyes are still closed (to force her to concentrate on the gravity 
impressions).  "We can't wait!", she yells back.  "The trail...fading...even 
now.  Can't risk...losing him!"
    She pauses a moment, seeing if moving any closer to the distant 
glimmer improves the contact.  It looks as if she's going to keep going, 
though, unless something (or someone) stops her.

<><><><><>

Kim:

With a sigh, Kim makes a grab for her clothes (hoping they are mostly 
still in a pile) and runs after Nancy.

*We can't all fly, you know* she sends up to her. And takes a moment to 
sense if there is any other telepathic presence in Nancy's head.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Nancy feels dizzy, and a wave of nausea sweeps over her, almost 
enough to make her tumble from the sky.

The gravity ripple continues to recede from the edge of her sensing 
ability.

"NANCY!" Mike yells. "Come back! You can't chase that lunatic on your 
own!" He sounds frightened and desperate, and looks around at the 
others. "Please, stop her! Bring her back!"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    [I had her land on the edge of the hotel roof so she could still talk to 
the others, so she's not in the air...but I get the general idea.]

    Nancy sways drunkenly, almost falling back down to the parking lot 
before she drops to one knee to steady herself.  "Can't...let go," she 
mumbles, fighting to stay awake.  "Must...find...Ashiya.  
My...powers...only way...."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "It would be a lot easier if you took a car, you know!"  Harvey is 
alarmed that she appears to be about to fall off the building, and starts 
'walking-on-air' towards her.  Unfortunately he looks a lot like someone 
trying to run on ice,  his progress seems painfully slow for someone who 
is trying to go as fast as possible while being as precise as possible.  
Harvey keeps talking to Nancy trying to get her attention, and slow her 
down.  Silently he curses himself for not putting in some time practicing 
this running on air maneuver.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    With her struggles to keep awake, she gives Harvey the time he 
needs to arrive on the roof next to her.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim stands on the ground beside the building, hurriedly trying to put 
some of her clothes back on before Nancy goes dashing off again!

"Can you give a direction?" she calls up, hopping on one leg as she tugs 
on her sweatpants, "Even better, a range and bearing?"

She makes a final effort to get the construct to do something. Either it's a 
way of contacting her probe over a longer range, or it's some sort of 
distress beacon. If the latter, there's nothing much she can do about it, 
so she concentrates on calling out to the probe, using the construct... 
and listening carefully with her mind, in case the receiver is the part 
that's incomplete.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kim tries to project her thoughts out through the construct, seeking some 
kind of connection to the probe, but gets no response.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy points vaguely in the proper direction, still battling to hold on to 
consciousness.  "That way," she moans.  "Edge of...my range.  Getting 
farther...have to...keep...going...."

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim nods, and continues to hurry in the direction that Nancy points. She 
stays at ground level, though - she doesn't feel she can leap tall 
buildings in a single bound!

"Any idea of range?" she calls up, her voice muffled as she pulls on her 
sweatshirt. At least she can run, she reflects, and keep running; all that 
early-morning training will be useful, though she doesn't normally start 
with the feeling that she's just finished a hard metric mile.

[OOC: Amadan, I assume that Kim's scan of Nancy's mind was negative 
- she isn't being controlled?]

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kim didn't sense a foreign presence in Nancy's mind. She did sense that 
Nancy shouldn't be flying around and fighting in her condition- that bullet 
may not have blown her skull open, but it's a heck of a lot more than just 
a knock on the head.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    Harvey stands near the edge, closer to Nancy than he normally would 
with someone he's only just met but hopefully not so close as to be 
threatening (even to someone who's just been shot in the head and is 
probably pretty paranoid).  He's somewhat crouched down and poitned 
towards the edge of the roof.  To jump and try to catch Nancy if she 
loses her balance and starts to fall.
   "Um, could you move a couple of steps away from the edge?  You're 
sort of scaring us all that you'll topple off, the guy on the ground seems 
really concerned" pointing at Mike.

   "Now, about following this invisible probe.  It's following AY-- er ASH-- 
er what's her name. And since I doubt this telepath is running down the 
street carrying an unconscious lady, he's probably got her in a vehicle.  
We can't catch him on foot and you're not steady enough to chase him 
this way; so how about we, very carefully, go back to the ground get a 
car and chase in an EFFECTIVE manner?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Unfortunately for Harvey, Nancy wasn't watching...or particularly 
listening, for that matter.  She was totally involved with her gravitic 
sense...and when the desolidifier reappears out of thin air fairly close to 
her, Nancy freaks.  "YAHHH!", she screams incoherently, flying up and 
away (back over the parking lot) from him.
    It takes a moment or two for the panic to die down...and the nausea to 
reassert itself.  She stops and begins to float back down...jerkily, since 
she has to fight to keep control...but she does make it back down to the 
ground.
    And then she drops to her hands and knees, vomiting.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Nancy yells and jumps, which causes Harvey to yell and jump also, in 
panic over the fear that he's startled her and she's falling.  Once it 
becomes clear that she's controlling her descent Harvey calms down, a 
little.  He then proceeds to follow her, arriving slight after she does, 
since he can't fly and has to move slower.
   Coming up beside her Harvey tries to express his concern, a little bit of 
the after effect of fear from when she jumped leaking into his words.  
"You've got to take it easy!  You could have killed yourself on that roof 
and I nearly had a heart attack when I thought you had fallen off!"  
Looking at her condition Harvey changes his assessment to that she is 
really hurt.  "We've got to get you some medical attention.  At least 
checked out by a doctor. I know you want to find you're friend but you're 
in know condition to go looking for her. And you're in know condition to 
fight if we did find her." Harvey pauses and considers, "There might be a 
way you can get some medical attention and find her at the same time, 
sort of by being in two places at once, but you'll have to give you're 
permission".  The he turns and makes a small gesture to Mystery, then a 
big gesture, singalling for her to come over.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim runs over to her, and puts an arm around her (unless Nancy's force 
field keeps her away).

"Gently, Nancy. You're badly hurt - you *need* medical care. You're in 
no condition to chase anything, at least not yet."

"Maybe we can get a idea where he's going. What's out in that 
direction?"

[OOC: Specifically, was the probe going in the direction of O'Hare, or a 
major freeway?]

She looks up and smiles, with a slightly puzzled expression, as Mystery 
comes over.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "Whatever...it takes," she moans through gritted teeth.  "Just...do it 
now...before she gets...any further away."

<><><><><>

Walt:

"Oh man," Walt mutters to himself, "this is just *way* outa my league!"

Nonetheless, he struggles gamely to keep up with them, literally and 
figuratively.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "Let me introduce a person we affectionately refer to as Mystery. The 
mystery<G> of why we call her Mystery should clear up very soon.  
Mystery is quite versatile but one interesting ability ought to let you, Mrs. 
Hartwick, be in two places at once, so you can simultaneously get some 
medical attention and track that probe thingy.  Er... Normally I think it is 
inappropriate to go giving away another meta's secrets, since in 
removes the element of surprise, but Emily Post hasn't written an 
etiquette book for metas yet and Mystery might be embarrassed trying to 
explain this, so I'll make it easy on her and do it for her, embarrass her 
that is.  Mystery can, _With Your Permission_, borrow your powers 
without borrowing your concussion" (I hope) "and follow the probe while 
you go to the hospital.  After you get your injuries looked after you can 
join us whereever we track that probe to, and frankly, I hope you'll get 
there soon because I think we'll need all the help we can get when we 
find your friend."  After finishing that sentence, Harvey realizes he 
referred to meta-abilities as powers, again, he hates it when he does 
that because it seems conceited but he seems to be doing it more and 
more; he mentally kicks himself for his choice of words.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   Running quickly over to Nancy, hearing her agreement, the american 
indian girl extends a hand. "This will just take a second...quick, tell me 
what powers you have, and what to do in order to follow whatever you 
were following!"
   Grasping Nancy's hand a moment, Mystery concentrates on mimicking 
form and powers.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Harvey's explanations seem to go right by Nancy, who's concentrating 
far too much on her own perceptions to listen to his speech.  She does 
notice Mystery, though.
    "Have...gravity powers," she manages to gasp out.  "Ignore...other 
senses. Can feel...lines of...gravity attraction.  Probe...like nothing else."  
She gestures in the direction she'd already indicated.  "That way.  
Hurry!"
    She lets the girl take her hand, waiting to see what happens.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mystery takes Nancy's hand...and begins changing.

Before Nancy and Mike's amazed eyes (the others, having seen it 
before, are somewhat less amazed, and Kim isn't amazed by much of 
anything <g>), the slim Indian girl grows a couple inches taller, her build 
fills out to match Nancy's more curvaceous form, her skin lightens, as 
does her hair.... in a few seconds, an exact double of Nancy, minus the 
bleeding head wound, is standing there. Her clothes are stretched rather 
tightly at the bust and hips.

Mystery doesn't immediately immediately sense anything at all...nothing 
to indicate the powers Nancy was talking about. She concentrates on 
absorbing Nancy's complete genetic code, as he did with Juan....and 
Nancy feels what little energy she had drained away. The schoolteacher 
blacks out instantly.

In a rush, Mystery feels an entire new spectrum opened to her 
senses....all around her, she feels invisible waves of gravity, gently 
pulling everything against the surface of the earth, and she senses the 
minute distortions in the gravity field that each person and object makes.

She does not, however, sense anything like what Nancy was referring 
to...nothing unusual seems to be disturbing the gravity field.

"Holy s***!" says Mike, with uncharacteristic profanity, staring at the 
double of his wife. Then he notices the *real* Nancy has collapsed 
again, and he kneels next to her. "Is she all right? What did you DO to 
her?" he demands.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   Blinking at the sudden acquisition of gravity senses, Mystery looks to 
Mike. "Sorry, it's a kind of side effect, but she will be fine. It's just a little 
draining...I'm a lot like a cross between Rogue and Mystique in the X-
Men series. Nevermind that now though! Must go!"
   Mystery intently concentrates and tries to use the gravity abilities to fly 
and accelerate in the direction Nancy had been headed, trying to pick up 
the trail by closing distance.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim whistles.

"That's some power."

She sets off at a gentle run in the same direction.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike looks at Mystery blankly when s/he starts talking about the "X-
men".

"Hey, wait a minute!" yells Mahon, as she takes off (with an abrupt lurch 
straight up; Mystery neutralizes the effects of gravity on herself and finds 
herself shooting straight up- it take a few moments to alter course, 
during which time she spins about rather comically.)

"Christ, back where we were a few minutes ago," grumbles Donnay. 
Speaking to Mahon, Hackley, Kim, Harvey and Walt, he says "Try to 
follow that damn kid. I'll accompany the Hartwicks to the hospital."

Meanwhile, Mystery, shooting out over the neighboring block of 
businesses, senses something rippling in the gravitic field, perhaps a 
couple blocks away.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Unless someone is on the world's fastest yo-yo dieting spree, that 
rippling has to be the probe in question,* Mystery thinks, heading in that 
direction while staying in sight of the others.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mystery finds herself tumbling over the city with nauseating speed. It 
takes some work to stabilize herself.

The rippling effect has almost faded. It becomes apparent that Mystery 
can't keep up with it and still remain in sight of the people on foot behind 
her.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   "Oh, to heck with it," Mystery mutters, and speeds up again, to keep up 
with it regardless of the others. *Have to save the alien!*
   Mystery heads for the signal source, intent on catching up with it -- 
discretely if possible, getting it in sight.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "We're going to need to borrow the car", turning towards the car they 
came in.  "Walt, you better drive, you're a professional and a car has two 
more wheels than I'm used to.  Hey, Donnay, if you've got a spare 
walkie-talkie we'll be able to keep you informed."

   "Wait a minute! stop. Hold it, we need wheels!"

   " Great, now we have to try to follow mystery."

<><><><><>

[GM]

As Mystery zooms out of sight, she realizes she's actually "seeing" the 
edge of a wavefront, not the source of the ripples themselves.

As she pursues the ripples, she realizes that the flight path of whatever 
is causing them is pretty odd- it's moving fast enough that if it's following 
Ashiya, she must be in a vehicle. However, from the circular path 
Mystery is taking in pursuit, it seems unlikely the vehicle is traveling 
along city streets.

When she starts doubling back in the direction she was heading before, 
and actually reaches the ripples and feels them washing over her, 
Mystery realizes she is following something that's making irregular orbits 
above the streets of Chicago, with a radius of perhaps ten blocks.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim continues running in the direction she saw Mystery heading, moving 
up a gear. She tries to ignore the dull throb in her hand, and her various 
other aches and pains.

*Must... try... to... keep... up* she thinks to herself.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Oh no. The telepath must have made the alien cut the probe loose,* 
Mystery decides, but moves in for a closer look at the ripple source just 
in case, while careful to avoid being struck by whatever is moving.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mystery soon comes within range of the ripple source. Gravity waves are 
pulsing from it steadily, at a strength far greater than that necessary to 
hold it aloft, immune to the pull of Earth's gravity.

"Invisible" was no exaggeration; while Mystery can sense its presence 
hovering in the gravitic field, about the size of a trashcan lid, when she 
looks in the spot that her new gravitic senses tell her is occupied by the 
object, she sees absolutely nothing.

She follows it in a wide arc over the streets. It seems to be cruising in a 
constant, slightly elliptical circle, at a speed of about forty miles per 
hour. And when at times a building or telephone pole is in its path, it 
smoothly veers around the obstacle, then returns to its previous course.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Wait, why is it going in circles and radiating that gravity ripple, if it is 
just lost from the alien?* Sudden realization comes. Mystery tries to find 
the exact center of the aerial circle described by the probe, and looks 
down at the location from high altitude.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Rising to a higher altitude, it becomes more apparent that the probe 
seems to be orbiting a moving object- though it's hard to tell which of the 
many vehicles that are in the approximate center of its radius it could be.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *That's them allright,* Mystery decides, and remains at high altitude to 
follow discretely, and watches which vehicles turn away from that 
gravitic bullseye, and which one remains with it, while staying safely out 
of sight.

<><><><><>

[GM]

After about five minutes, Mystery thinks she has her prey pinned down. 
She continues following a dark van as it heads south down 94. After a 
few miles, it leaves the highway and heads into a residential 
neighborhood in southwest Chicago.

Shortly, it pulls into the driveway of a dark two-story townhouse.

* * * * *

Back with the others...

Kim races ahead of the two metahumans and two federal agents. While 
easily outdistancing the men who huff and puff behind them, she soon 
loses sight of "Nancy". She's run about four blocks in record time, and 
isn't even winded.

As she contemplates what to do next, a car pulls up. Walt and Harvey 
are in the back seat, Mahon and Hackley in the front. (Mahon insisted on 
driving, rather than Walt. "Regs.")

"Kids," Mahon growls.

"Get in, and let's see if we can figure out how to find our over-
enthusiastic shapechanger before he screws up and gets nailed by- 
what'd you call him? 'Euro-ninja'?"

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim piles in the back with Walt and Harvey [OOC: Nice 'n Cosy <g>], 
and massages her sore feet. she is still only partly dressed - whilst she 
hastily put on her sweatshirt & pants as Nancy tried to escape, her 
underwear and trainers are still in the heap on the ground back by the 
hotel.

"`Euroninja' - I know it's corny, I just tagged him with it until he identified 
himself. Which he never did. For all I know, he might call himself `Mental 
Man' or `Silas P. Montague the Fourth'."

"I'll see if she's still within range," she says, then suddenly Mahon's 
words penetrate.

"`...before *he* screws up'? You mean Mystery is a man?"

She smiles.

"And I thought *my* life was confusing!"

Kim opens her mind, trying to sense where Mystery is.

[If she succeeds]

*Mystery* she sends telepathically, *We're coming. Don't close on him 
by yourself - he's too powerful. And I can't hear your thoughts at this 
range, so don't try to reply yet*

[If she fails]

"I can't sense her," Kim replies to Mahon, "She was last seen heading in 
this direction, though."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"'Mystery's' name is Mitchell Langstrom," says Agent Mahon, "and he's 
about your age."

Mystery doesn't seem to be within telepathic range.

<><><><><>

Harvey

[replying to "you mean mystery is a man?" " and I thought my life was 
confusing"]

  "Remember I said the mystery of why we called her 'Mystery' would be 
cleared up soon?  I think it just was.  And if you think YOU'RE confused, 
think about how Mystery's parents feel!  As for being a man, I seem to 
remember her joking 'on major holidays and alternate weekends'.  But 
her heart is in the right place...well, as a shape changer, usually in the 
right physical place always in the right emotional place."

<><><><><>

Kim:

"Keep going in the direction we last saw her... er, him" says Kim, "I'll 
keep trying to locate him."

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Have to signal the others...then move in.* Mystery thinks, and quickly 
looks around for any sizable clouds. If any are in sight, Mystery will gaze 
at one and concentrate on forming a gravitational well in the center of it, 
to distort its shape into a sphere, and if necessary and possible, pull it to 
a position over the house.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Any clouds you see are too high; you reach out with your gravitational 
powers, but nothing happens.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *This is hopeless,* Mystery decides, rather than trying to fly up to 
snare a cloud at a higher altitude. *The alien...she could be dead before 
they were arriving here even if I signaled them successfully.* Slowly, 
falling in altitude out of sight of the house, then maneuvering at near 
street level to the other side of a house a street away, Mystery lands and 
keeps watch for movement of the ripple.
   *I have to help her. Would Jubilee, Rogue, or Wolverine wait and 
maybe let the telepath have his way with her again, just because the 
other X-Men were out of contact? Would Spiderman? Sure, they're 
comic book characters and this is really dangerous...but its a question of 
balance of power. What are my shapeshifting, seduction, and draining 
powers for, if not to take on such creeps? If I have to count on others 
every time...* Mystery sighs, conscience battering at her. *I've got to do 
it...I don't have any choice.*
   *How, though? I need a plan. The Seductive Doppleganger versus the 
Evil Telepath. Mystery Desire versus The Mind...Mystery Desire...*
   A sudden thought strikes. *Mystery Desire. Not a mere name...but a 
method of operation!*
   Swiftly, Mystery walks to the edge of the house being hidden behind, 
just out of sight. *The form is easy...pretty much what I did to Miguel. 
Sheesh, I guess I'm about to find out just how strange a body can feel, 
and just what kind of mental effects it can have.*
   *Well, here goes something Superman does not do very often...*
   Ignoring such petty concerns as modesty in the face of a real, live 
alien to rescue, Mystery, with a bit of a blush but an odd exhibitionist 
excitement, proceeds to quickly remove every shred of already 
overstressed clothing, and drops it to the ground in a pile, shivering 
slightly at the sudden elimination of coverings.
   Then Mystery begins work.
   Returning to Mitchell Langstrom form as a base, Mystery first switches 
the gender variable to female, letting genetics take care of the details as 
with the creation of the amerindian girl form, then switches hair colour to 
golden blond, hairstyle to full bodied and wavy, and skin to a golden but 
very, very light tan, and with blue eyes and full red lips, adjusting age to 
eighteen.
   After waiting a few moments, she closes her eyes and concentrates on 
utterly and absolutely removing every trace of masculinity from body and 
genetic code, to the inhuman degree applied to Miguel and beyond, 
concentrating particularly on mind and brain structure as well due to the 
nature of her opponent. Then she concentrates on increasing female 
hormonal production and actual usage very drastically, and enhancing 
bust to an impractical 60EE range.
   Overall, willing an inhumanly attractive and lust-designed body.
   Then Mystery waits a few moments, and increases the level of desire 
output steadily as she walks toward the front door of the house the van 
pulled up to, ramping it up with the intent to go to absolute maximum 
once she knocks on the door or is seen.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Looking like something out of an X-rated comic book, Mystery 
approaches the house.

The van parked within a foot of a side door. You walk up to the front, 
and a tall, muscular man in a black sweater and black jeans slides out of 
the shadows by the van and moves to intercept you. In the darkness, he 
was almost invisible until he moved. He has dark hair in a short crew cut, 
and a nose that looks like it's been broken at least once.

His posture is wary and threatening, his expression a mixture of 
amazement, lust and caution, but as you boost your attraction factor, lust 
replaces everything else, and he lunges for you, one hand grabbing an 
enormous breast and the other seizing your shoulder as he throws you 
down to the ground.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Too easy,* Mystery decides calmly, giggling at the exuberance of the 
criminal, and casually pressing upward to him intently, hands running 
across his skin -- then planting a kiss on him and concentrating on 
rendering him into a very, very small and young infant, with the birth 
defect of no vocal chords.

<><><><><>

[GM]

As he gropes you, you touch his skin, and concentrate on altering his 
body.

He jerks back, sensing that something happened...but not what you 
wanted. For whatever reason, he fails to change.

He forces you back down on the ground with one hand, clutching your 
throat in a steely grip, and draws a pistol from beneath his dark sweater 
with the other, pointing it at your face.

"What...what you did?" he mutters breathlessly, in a voice with a distinct 
foreign accent. His eyes still roam up and down your inhumanly 
exaggerated curves, but now it seems to be questionable which weapon 
he means to use on you.

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   Renewing efforts at the desire aura, Mystery pretends to be 
unbothered by the gun, and whispers, "I am Nymph. I have bonded to 
you, and am yours forever; what you feel is my flesh becoming yours to 
command. My very body will alter to your spoken command, from this 
day forward, to enhance your every pleasure. Now put away the gun and 
let us enjoy ourselves," she suggests in a seductive voice, pouring on 
the persuasion intensely. "In the van, maybe, so we are not disturbed? 
This ground is very uncomfortable, and must be for you also."
   "Make love to me," she breathes, gazing into his eyes, utterly ignoring 
the gun, seemingly.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Uuhhh...." he seems more than a little bedazzled. But finally, his brain 
kicks out a decision, and he lifts you roughly by the throat and thrusts 
you towards the van. "Yes...yes, OK. We go to van..." he pants.

With his gun in the small of your back, you move towards the dark van. 
But as you're opening the door, you see someone else sliding out of the 
shadows down the driveway. The side door is open; someone emerged 
without your noticing at first.

Someone stands there, a dark shadow with no skin visible. The man 
behind you steps away, and looks a bit confused.

"So," the newcomer says, in a voice with a slightly more fluent, 
sophisticated accent than the first man. "Mitchell Langstrom." A chill 
goes through you. "How ironic, to have missed you in New York and find 
you here in Chicago!"

<><><><><>

Mystery:

   *Uh oh.*

   Mystery sighs, returning to Mitchell Langstrom form. "So, you have me. 
Why do you want a shapeshifter in your employ, anyway? Why not go 
after Legion?"
   The instant the telepath answers, regardless of how he answers, 
Mystery will turn up the anti-bullet shielding telekinesis, and attempt to 
take off upward and backwards at an angle away from the telepath, at 
absolute full possible speed, intending on putting a lot of distance 
between them in a short time.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"A shapeshifter will be *very* useful," the darkly-garbed man says, "and I 
think you will be a little more malleable than Legion." Behind him, the tall 
man with the pistol looks more than a little disconcerted as you 
transform from a naked hyper-sexed vixen into a naked teenage boy.

"Oh no, I don't think so," the faceless one says, as you lift off.

A terrible grip closes on your mind, and you black out.

* * * * *

[Back in the car]

Agent Mahon drives in the direction Mystery was last seen, but it's clear 
s/he's disappeared from sight. Mahon swears.

Meanwhile, Kim has no luck scanning for Ashiya. Of course, she hasn't 
ever used her power at any great distance, so has no real idea what her 
range might be.

"Great. Now what? Damn that kid!" Mahon snaps, pulling the car over. 
"Any ideas, folks?"

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Sigh, "No.  The only idea I have is to make it easy for Mystery to 
contact us, but she has the number in Virginia or can call the FBI office 
and they'll let us know.  Somehow I don't think asking people if they saw 
a woman fly by by will get many people willing to admit they did."
   "Where are we, anyways?"

<><><><><>

Kim:

[OOC: She was scanning for Mystery, not Ashiya - I assume that was 
unsuccessful too?]

"I can't think of anything except to keep heading in this direction and 
hope we overtake them" replies Kim, "Is there anyplace significant out 
here? Somewhere that might be attractive to a super-powered 
kidnapper?"

She starts.

"Ashiya left something in my mind, I don't know what it is. It isn't 
complete, and I don't know what it's supposed to do. But perhaps it can 
help in some way."

Kim falls silent, and begins to concentrate on the imprint that Ashiya left 
in her mind. Can she get any clue about it at all? Can she sense what 
about it is incomplete?

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "Heading in the same direction won't work for very long, we'll 
accumulate too much error even if they don't turn.  But I don't have any 
better ideas." Harvey seems a little nervous about Mystery now, and it 
seems to be getting gradually worse.

  "Huh?  Left _Something_ in your mind?  ...You mean like a message?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

[Sorry for the mix-up. No luck finding either of them.]

"South Chicago," Agent Mahon tells Harvey. "East is the South Side, 
which is an area I hope we don't have to go into; it's not much better 
than Cabrini Green. West is a little better. But you're right, just driving 
aimlessly won't help."

Kim senses a fragment of Ashiya's consciousness in the telepathic 
construct, or so it seems. Like a little piece of her mind [eeeew! <g>] left 
in yours, for some purpose not immediately obvious to you.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim continues to fiddle with the imprint, her telepathy returning to it like 
a tongue to a loose tooth.

"I don't know what it does" she murmurs, to no-one in particular, "It might 
be a message, or some sort of defence, or some means of 
communicating."

"Where has that b****** taken you, Ashiya?" she whispers softly.

Then, louder,

"We can either drive round, and hope I can pick up something, or return 
to the hotel and search the area for some sort of clue. I left his two 
buddies pretty beaten up - they may not have been too careful in what 
they were doing as they left. People kicked in the head can become 
clumsy and careless."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"If this is some kind of telepathic thing, we're probably better off letting 
you keep trying to sweep the area," Mahon says. "You tell me, I have no 
idea how your power works."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "If we assume that he'll be staying in the area we could use a search 
pattern to improve the odds of getting close; but he could just as easily 
be heading out of state so searching wouldn't help too much."
   "Hmmm, if we head back we could look for clues, assuming any of us 
would recognize one.  We could leave it to the experts to check for 
clues.  Ahh! " Harvey sounds pleased, he's finally found a  reason to 
pick a choice. "There are other good reasons for heading back and 
looking for clues:  It will make it easier for Mystery to contact us.  The 
only way she has now is to call either Virginia or the FBI, if she heads 
back to where we were we can meet up. AND, we might get 'lucky' and 
find a clue, you never can tell.  Unless someone has a better idea it 
sounds good to me; of course, I'll admit it is a bit of a long shot, but what 
else do we have?"  He smiles at Kim for simplifiing things by stating the 
options.  He feels better now that they have something that at least has 
the possibility of working, he was getting tense between not having 
anything to do and worring about Mystery.

   "You don't know what does?  The half thought left in your head?  How 
can a thought _do_ anything??"  Harvey obviously doesn't understand, 
but then he isn't a 'path so his confusion is understandable.

<><><><><>

Kim:

>Mahon says. "You tell me, I have no idea how your power works."

"Neither have I", says Kim, "I just know I can sense thoughts. Ashiya's 
probably the only one with any idea how it works; even then, it might be 
like asking me how my liver works."

She sighs.

"Let's go back to the hotel and look around. I don't think my powers have 
a great deal of range, otherwise I'm sure I could have sensed Mystery - 
for all I know, a one street error might make the difference between 
being able to detect someone and being unable to."

Turning to Harvey, she adds:

"The mind controls what we do as well as what we think. It could be 
something that would make me do something at some point" - she 
shudders at an unpleasant memory - "but I don't think Ashiya would do 
something like that. It could be some sort of locked-away message. It 
could be something intended to help us link minds. Maybe it was even 
intended as a refuge for her own mind, so she could flee the battle if 
need be. I don't know."

On the way back, Kim continues to concentrate on the imprint. If it 
contains a fragment of Ashiya's mind, perhaps she can meld with it, in 
the way she could meld with Ashiya herself, and thus find out what it is 
for. What was it Ashiya called it again? A gestalt?

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    Harvey is still confused after Kim answers, but at least his confusion 
doesn't bother him as much. "Whatever it is, it was probably something 
that would be useful sooner rather than later.  I don't think your friend 
would waste effort on something not directly related to the fight at hand."  
He muses, "...maybe a telepathic defense." "Or a tracker for her, so you 
could find her! ", suggests Harvey, pleased with that idea.  "Sounds like 
the sort of thing to set up during a fight."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Communication" seems to be the best hypothesis you can come up 
with; when you concentrate on the construct, you do get a vague sense 
akin to what you felt when within telepathic range of Ashiya, though 
much dimmer. However, pushing your range doesn't seem to achieve 
any results; you can't contact Ashiya, or sense her anywhere.

When you return to the hotel, the Chicago PD has already roped off the 
area, much to the hotel manager's irritation. They've also retrieved a 
bullet from the wall in the building facing the corridor along which the 
Hartwicks' room was located. They traced its path from its alleged 
ricochet off Nancy's skull, to another ricochet off the wall adjascent to 
their door, to where it impacted ten yards away.

A detective walks up with the bullet in a plastic bag. "Looks like a .308" 
he says. "This guy was using a goddamn hunting rifle!" He looks around 
at the other cops on the scene and says "We're goin' over everythin' for 
forensics, but it don't look like a lot right now. Most of that blood," he 
gestures at a stain on the walkway "is the Hartwick woman's. We did find 
a few drops on the carpet inside; you said someone clobbered a couple 
of the assailants in the room itself?"

"Other'n that, we're dustin' for prints- did any of you see if the other guys 
were wearin' gloves? I know you said the guy with the rifle was. We ain't 
found any witnesses yet, big surprise. Hotel manager says all the keys 
were in place, so the intruders either picked the lock on the room, or 
snatched the keys, opened it up, then returned 'em without the bum 
behind the desk noticin'."

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim attempts to grab her trainers and underwear before they're removed 
by kinky forensics people!

"I found two of the assailants in the room, and made a bit of a mess of 
one of them - might be worth checking the hospitals for a new arrival 
with a smashed jaw. I don't know if they were wearing gloves or not."

"How is Nancy... Ms. Hartwick?" she asks, concerned.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"She was taken to the hospital", Agent Hackley tells Kim. "We'll check 
on her condition soon."

The agents also check all emergency rooms and clinics in Chicago and 
tell them to be on the lookout for someone with a broken jaw. No one 
fitting the correct profile has checked in this evening, however.

Mahon paces back and forth. "That DAMN kid!" he snaps. "Donnay told 
me he's a comic book nut and a showoff. Probably tried to play lone 
superhero. &$#@! Now we've got not only the alien, but one of our own 
metahumans in the clutches of some telepathic psycho!" He looks grim. 
"There's crap going on all over the country right now, but something 
about this whole situation REALLY bothers me. We lost everyone who 
could've tracked our subjects. We have another woman who can detect 
other metahumans, but she's in a hospital in New York. I'm gonna call 
Virginia, though, and see if they've got anything new. Worst comes to 
worst, we might try to fly Agent Donovan out here, bandages and all, 
though it'll probably be too late by then."

He spends some time talking on the phone, but doesn't return with 
anything encouraging. About half an hour later (total elapsed time since 
the fight in which Ashiya was abducted: just under three hours), Agent 
Donnay returns, with Nancy and Mike Hartwick in the car with him. Mrs. 
Hartwick has bandages on her head, and looks rather pale.


[interlude- Nancy at the hospital]

[GM]

Nancy wakes up back in the hospital.

"Maybe we should just save a room for you," a doctor that Nancy 
recognizes says. You're in an examination room with Mike, who doesn't 
seem too amused.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy gives a wan smile to the doctor and reaches out for Mike's 
hand. "It'll be okay honey," she says softly.  "Don't worry...I'll be fine.  
Did they find Ashiya?  Is she all right?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"No," says Mike, "I think they're still chasing her. Umm, one of them, that 
Indian girl, the one that...uh, never mind." He blushes. "Anyways, 
she...she had your powers, when she turned into you. I guess she's 
going to try tracking Ashiya's probe." He looks very worried, both for you 
and for Ashiya.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "Indian girl?", Nancy asks, her brow wrinkling in confusion.  "I don't 
remember a whole lot of what happened after I woke up...I was so 
fixated on going after Ashiya that I wasn't paying attention to what was 
around me.  And you say she turned into me?  Well, I hope they have 
better luck than I did." She sighs in despair.
    She looks into his eyes, communicating on that subliminal level that 
people in love have.  *I know you're hurting inside...and so am I.  We'll 
talk later...when we're alone.*
    She looks back over to the other man.  "So...Doctor [whatever], how 
badly am I hurt this time?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

The doctor says "You're extremely lucky- apparently the bullet just 
grazed your skull. There is a very small fracture, and you have a mild 
concussion- it could easily have blown through your skull like-" at Mike's 
expression, he refrains from any further graphic descriptions. "At any 
rate, I want you to stay here for a couple of days."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy nods gently.  "Well, I hope I'll have the luxury of taking those 
few days, Doctor.  With my luck, I probably won't...at least not the way 
things have been going this last week or so."
    She looks back to Mike.  "Is Agent Mahon here or is he watching the 
others?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Agent Mahon went with Hackley and those other...superhumans, trying 
to find Ashiya. Kim went with them. There's another Justice Department 
agent waiting around here, an agent....Donnay, I think his name is."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     "Mike," Nancy asks, "would you go and get him, please? I'd like to 
know whether they've heard back from the others yet."
     She turns back to the doctor as he leaves.  "I have to go back out 
there," she says, a grim look in her eye.  "I need something for the 
pain...to help with the nausea.  I'm well aware it's not a good idea...but I 
have this feeling that if I don't get there soon, Ashiya is going to suffer 
horribly.  Please...can you help me?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike and the doctor both protest. "No!" says Mike. "Nancy...there are at 
least three federal agents and four more supers out there looking for 
her. You're going to get *killed* if you go out there again!"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     "And if Ashiya goes insane or dies," she answers angrily, "then we're 
ALL doomed.  We have to rescue her from this horrible man before he 
gets control of her...because I don't want to think about the 
consequences if he does."
     She sits up, wincing.  "I'm going back...one way or the other.  If you're 
going to do something to help me, fine...otherwise, please stay out of my 
way."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"*I* don't want to think of the consequences if YOU face him again!" 
Mike says. He stands in your way, and puts on a firm expression you've 
rarely seen in your twelve years of marriage. "Leave this to the others. 
You are NOT going!"

His face softens, and his voice becomes more pleading. "Nancy, do you 
think *I* want something terrible to happen to Ashiya? Do you think I 
won't be agonized for the rest of my life if she suffers at that monster's 
hands again? But you....you're my wife! The mother of my children! I 
*can't* risk losing you! And for you to go after this man again would be 
suicide!"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy is obviously moved by her husband's plea.  She goes up to him 
and wraps her arms around him, hugging him fiercely.
    "I know it's dangerous," she finally answers in an emotion choked 
voice, "but it has to be done.  Two of those 'supers' out looking for her 
are children, for God's sake!  What would I tell Mr. Brenner if Kim gets 
hurt while I'm here?  How could I live with myself if THEY died because I 
wasn't there to help them?"
    "There's something else too," she continues after a moment.  "We 
both know that this madman knows who I am...but now that he's got 
Ashiya, he's probably going to know very soon that the kids...", she 
looks around the room at the various strangers, "might be special too."  
She hopes he remembers that the alien had been much more emphatic 
since she didn't want to get too specific with people outside the family 
circle around.  "If he's collecting supers, he's going to come after them 
sooner or later...and we're only delaying the inevitable.  And if I have to 
confront him, I'd rather do it now and have the others with me."
    "I don't even know if I'll be able to pick up the trail," she pleads, 
looking up at him desperately, "but I know if I wait a couple of days I 
definitely won't find it again.  At least let me go and TRY to find her.  If I 
actually do locate them, THEN we can worry about whether or not I'm up 
to facing him again.  Somehow, I think it'd be much different if he had to 
actually face me...instead of being some kind of coward."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike shakes his head, murmuring "No...no..." tears forming in his eyes 
as he holds you.

"Look," he murmurs finally. He glances over his shoulder, but the doctor 
has tactifully withdrawn from the room for the moment. "You want to 
track Ashiya by that flying donut of hers, right? Can you 
just...accompany the others, use your powers to locate it...then back off 
and let THEM go in to actually confront that madman?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "I'm sorry," Nancy replies softly in answer to his anguished denials.  "I 
don't mean to make things any more unpleasant than they already 
are...but problems don't go away by ignoring them.  This madman has to 
be dealt with, once and for all."
    "Actually, I'm hoping the combination of the probe and that girl flying 
around with my powers will leave some kind of a lingering trail that I can 
follow," she answers.
    She pauses a moment...definitely not wanting to lie to him, but she 
also doesn't want to abandon the others if they really need her.  "I'll stay 
back," she says, "but if he starts beating them, I might have to get 
involved in self defense, if they bring the fight outside.  That's about as 
safe as I can be, given the situation.  Can you live with that?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"If he can beat four superhumans and a bunch of cops, I doubt you'd be 
able to make much difference," Mike says grimly. "If you're in danger, I 
want you to run away. I don't give a damn if it's not very heroic."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "I might have made a difference before," she says in a hurt voice, 
pulling away and turning from him as she hugs herself.  "He thought I 
was dangerous...dangerous enough to try and kill me before I could do 
anything against him.  But fine...if you don't have any faith in me or what 
I can do...I promise I'll run away if he beats the others."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike looks frustrated, pulling you back into his arms. "Sweetheart, it isn't 
about what I think you can do. Maybe you COULD take him out all by 
yourself! You KNOW I have faith in you, and anything that's within your 
power! But I don't want you to take the risk!"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    She turns in his arms, laying her head (somewhat gingerly) on his 
shoulder. "I'm sorry, sweetheart.  It's just...these past three days have 
been nerve wracking...and the week before wasn't much better.  I just 
wish all of this would be over so I could go home...or at least wear some 
fresh clothes."
    She sighs.  "I promise I'll do my best to stay out of the line of fire and 
not get involved.  That's about the best I can do."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike nods glumly. Over the objections of your doctor, you leave the 
examination room.

Agent Donnay looks at you skeptically. "Do you really think you're ready 
to leave?"

He reluctantly takes you back to the hotel. You arrive to find Mahon and 
Hackley, Kim, and the two men who you didn't really get a chance to 
meet before, standing around with the Chicago PD.

Ashiya is nowhere in sight.

<><><><><>

Kim:

[OOC: That should have been "dislocated knee", not "broken jaw" - I 
meant to go back and check, then forgot - sorry]

>"I'm gonna call Virginia, though"

Kim bites back an immediate "Virginia who?", realising that Mahon 
would be unlikely to appreciate it. All the talk of hospitals reminds her of 
something, though.

"I need someone to look at my hand" she says, "I think I broke it during 
the fight."

***

When the Hartwicks arrive, Kim goes over to them, looking concerned.

"How badly are you hurt?" she asks gently.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     [I forgot to post a description of Nancy.  (Bad CM, Bad CM!)  She's 
about 5' 4", probably 110 lbs. or so, and has shoulder length blonde 
hair.  She's rather cute and perky looking (at least when she's not 
suffering from aggravated head wounds <g>), and she gives the 
impression of a very well aged high school cheerleader (latter 20's or 
early 30's). She's wearing a green and white sun dress that defintely 
seen some better days.]

* * * * *

     Nancy appears to have been resting during the trip and gets out of 
the car slowly.  She takes a moment to ask Agent Mahon whether 
they've found anything significant yet.
     When Kim comes over, she says, "I'm fine.  I just need some 
rest...but that can wait."  From the pained tone in her voice though, she 
doesn't sound all that well.
     When the other supers join them, she says, "Hello...I'm 
Nancy...Nancy Hartwick.  I'm a friend of Kim and Ashiya's."
     She sighs and continues, "I'm sorry about this mess we're in.  I hadn't 
intended to rush off so fast that you couldn't follow.  Unless the police 
have a lead we can follow, like a license number off the car that took 
them all away, we need to get back on the road.  I'm hoping that the 
combination of the probe and your friend flying off will have left enough 
of a trail so I can trace the path they took.  I know it's a slim chance, but 
it's the best I can do at the moment.  I have another idea...but I'd rather 
try this first."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Oddly enough, Kim's hand still feels a little sore, but not broken. The 
swelling is nowhere near what she expected, particularly after she heard 
a distinct "snap!" when her opponent seized it. Agent Donnay looks at it, 
probes gingerly with his fingers, and says "You sure it's broken? Are you 
in a lot of pain, or can we wait to take you to the hospital later?"

"I'm afraid we lost Mystery," Agent Mahon says to Nancy. "He's 
disappeared; I suspect he may have run into more than he could handle. 
Which means I'm particularly reluctant to have you follow immediately, 
though we may have no choice."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Something about what Mahon says bothers Nancy, but she doesn't 
feel like concentrating on it now.  "I don't know how long I'll be having 
this headache, so I'm probably not going to be much better than this for 
a while.  Besides, I...promised my husband that I wouldn't fight 
Euroninja...so even if I was better, I wouldn't be able to be with the 
others when they go in.  If we're lucky, I might be able to lead you to 
him...but that's about it."
    She pulls Mike close and whispers something to him, then turns her 
attention back to the others.

     When Nancy brings Mike to her, she whispers to him, "Dear, would 
you go to the car and see if we still have that healing box of Ashiya's?"  
(Or where ever they were keeping it.)

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim looks puzzled, and flexes her hand uncertainly.

"It certainly *was* broken - I heard something snap. Now, I'm not so 
sure. But unless adrenaline is deadening the pain, I don't think I need 
the hospital yet."

She wonders for a moment if the broken bone was something put in her 
mind by Euroninja during the fight, then remembers something else.

"Ashiya said I had some sort of healing power. Maybe this is what she 
meant."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"You mean like regeneration?" Mahon asks. "Mystery can do that, 
except he does it instantly. In fact, there was an...incident, earlier 
tonight. He was shot through the chest, probably a mortal wound, but he 
managed to make it disappear completely. It seemed to have a severe, 
albeit temporary effect on his system, though."

He gets a bright look on his face. "Mystery can also heal OTHER 
people, though he can't seem to affect other metahumans. You think you 
can affect others as well?"

Meanwhile, Mike went into the hotel room after Nancy spoke to him, then 
comes out looking agitated. "Agent Mahon...did your people, or the 
police, take any....equipment from our room?"

Mahon raises an eyebrow, and confers with Hackley and Donnay, then 
speaks to the police detective in charge of the forensics team. Finally, 
he answers "No, nothing's been taken away."

Mike looks at Nancy with a troubled expression. "They...those thugs. 
They must have taken Ashiya's....things."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy looks rather unhappy at Mike's news as well.  "That is not 
good," she says quietly.  "It's possible that he'll use the healing box on 
himself...so we probably can't count on him being injured the next time 
we meet...though the fact it puts you to sleep might make him a little 
hesitant.  If he lets his flunkies use it too, then we'll need to watch out for 
them too."
    She glances over at her husband.  "Did they take the stun gun too?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike nods. "The box, the gun, her computer, and that communicator 
thingie she was using to speak to her probes. All gone."

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim shakes her head.

"I've tried to affect other people, last time Ashiya was hurt, with no luck. 
Though perhaps it just doesn't affect metahumans."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "How big is all this gear?"

   Harvey steps up and extends his hand.  "It finally occurs to me that I 
didn't formally introduce myself, I'm Harvey, Harvey Jones.  Yeah, I 
know, someone working for the government named Jones isn't really 
believable, but I was named Jones before I started working for the 
government", harvey explains ruefully.  Physically Harvey is pretty 
average height and build with a straight posture that looks like it was 
learned in the military and brown hair just on the shaggy side.  He looks 
like the kind of person who tries to smile at the world but right now his 
face looks rather tense.
   "Mrs. Hartwick..Nancy, you going to be okay?  You didn't look too 
steady before, although you seem to be bouncing back well, do you 
want to sit down?" ask Harvey, concernedly.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     "Wonderful," she sighs.  "Now we need to worry about him having the 
stun gun too.  As if he didn't have enough advantages already."
     Nancy takes Harvey's hand when he greets her.  Her grip is weak, 
though whether it's from her injury or just sheer exhaustion (it's 
somewhere around 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, right?) is anyone's 
guess.  She manages to muster a small smile in response to his greeting 
which makes her look better...though she's far from looking well.  "Mr. 
Jones, I'm Nancy Hartwick.  This is my husband Mike."
     She shakes her head as he asks if she wants to sit down.  "What we 
need to do is get on the road...as quickly as possible.  To be honest, I 
don't even know if there are any gravity traces we'll be able to 
follow...but every minute we delay makes the odds slimmer and slimmer.  
I'll do my best...though I'm afraid I'm going to need a miracle to pull this 
off."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Mahon hands you a radio.

"I want you stay in *constant* radio contact with us. Whatever you do, 
DON'T fly off out of sight and out of radio range!"

Meanwhile, Mike Hartwick approaches Harvey and Walt.

"Look, I don't know what kind of powers you have, but you're obviously 
trained federal agents." [<g>] "PLEASE, don't let Nancy or Kim put 
themselves in harm's way! Nancy isn't the reckless sort at all, but she 
has taken TWO serious head injuries in as many days, and now she 
feels terribly responsible for poor Ashiya. And Kim...she's the most 
overconfident and impetuous teenager I've ever met! She really seems 
to think she's immortal!" He looks at you pleadingly.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy looks to the agent and smiles grimly.  "Don't worry...I don't 
think I'll be setting any air speed records tonight.  In fact, I'm not sure 
that I'm going to be able to fly...I almost passed out the last time.  I'd 
better try and make sure that I'm up to it."  She gestures for Mahon to 
step back a bit, closes her eyes, and tries rising a few feet off the ground 
and hovering there to see if using her more overt powers still causes her 
pain.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Negating gravity on herself causes a momentary wave of dizziness, but 
as she floats in the air, the nausea fades and Nancy actually feels a little 
better, not having to hold her own weight up.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

  (Alarmed as Nancy 'lifts off') "Not again" he says almost to himself. 
Then he calls to Nancy, "Are you SURE you wouldn't rather go by car 
this time? Please?"

   Harvey isn't sure how to react to Mike's request.  Unfortunately that is 
probably something they TRAIN trained federal agents how to handle.  
He figures he has a choice of bluffing or making Mike even more 
nervous.  He decides that while he won't _really_ lie to Mike, he may 
imply he's more confident and capable (not to mention trained) than he 
really is.  "We'll do our best, Mr. Hartwick, we want Everyone to come 
out of this safely.  I do have to admit that where meta-humans are 
concerned, no one has a lot of experience and we sort of depend on 
intuition and flexibility. But, we'll try to make sure no one tries to exceed 
their limits."  He hopes he's smiling confidently.  He hopes he can live up 
to it.  He hopes someithing goes right for a change, considering they've 
already lost, correction-misplaced, one agent and the enemy seems to 
have a lot of advantages. (better quit before I scare myself, Harvey, 
decides and tries to think about somethign else).

<><><><><>

Kim:

"I'm coming by car" says Kim, "It's faster than running, at least as long 
as there are streets."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy looks down at Harvey and answers, "I'm not at all sure that 
flying this way leaves any kind of a trail.  If it does, it's going to be faint, 
especially since I've waited so long.  I should be as close as possible to 
the flight paths to pick them up, which means I've got to be up flying 
where your friend was."  She sees the concern on the other's faces and 
adds, "Don't worry, I plan to take this nice and slow.  Why doesn't 
everyone get into the cars so we can get started?"
    As they start moving towards the vehicles, Nancy floats over to Mike 
and picks him up (if she can...if not, she'll sink to his level <eg>) and 
brings him into her arms.  "Don't be afraid darling," she says softly so no 
one else can hear.  "I'm not trying to throw my life away...I'll be careful.  I 
know you can't help but worry...but have a little faith.  Pray for us, all 
right?"
    "I love you," she whispers before kissing him softly.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Harvey scratchs his head and then comments "I'm not sure I 
understand all this, but won't flying along tend to erase any old trails?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "If it works," Nancy answers a bit impatiently, "which I'm not at all sure 
it's going to, it'll probably be something like footprints in the sand on the 
beach.  Yes, if I swim (or fly) over the traces, that will probably cover 
them up.  However, if I carefully scan ahead of where I'm flying, I might 
be able to perceive them...assuming we ever GET there."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Shrugging, "You're the expert", but he sounds doubtful.  Then he jogs 
over to whatever car the agents are taking.  He's interested in getting 
going too, it seems.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mike smiles, but doesn't look as if Nancy's admonishment "don't be 
afraid" is going to work.

The schoolteacher takes off, floating gently over the streets of Chicago 
at a slower speed than Mystery, with Agent Mahon maintaining regular 
radio chatter with her in the car below.

After heading in the same direction taken by Mystery earlier, she passes 
the University of Illinois, and just south of the campus, she starts 
detecting gravity ripples. Unlike the last time, they now seem to be 
coming from a stationary location.

This neighborhood is starting to look awfully familiar to Kim...

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy lights on a nearby roof and radios in.  "Agent Mahon?  I'm 
starting to pick up some gravity ripples.  It feels like the probe...probably 
within a few blocks of my location.  I'm at the corner of [wherever & 
wherever].  I'll stand by here until you arrive, then we can make a plan 
from there."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon and the three metahumans with him arrive within minutes.

And Kim no longer has any doubts; you're in the same neighborhood as 
the house that "EuroNinja" took her and Ashiya to the first time.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy floats down to meet them, hovering a few inches off the 
ground.  "How do we want to handle this?", she asks, mainly looking 
towards Mahon.  "Right now, I just have a faint contact...I'm not sure 
exactly where the probe is.  I didn't want to go rushing in without you."
    She moves over to the front passenger door.  "I'm close enough now 
so I can be with you in the car and still sense it.  If you'll make room, I'll 
get in and we can drive a little closer."

<><><><><>

Kim:

[OOC: This had better be a big car!]

"We're in the same area that Ashiya and I were held prisoner" remarks 
Kim, "Perhaps he didn't move away after all."

As they get closer, Kim tries to sense either Mystery or Ashiya with her 
mind.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "Before we get any closer maybe we should make a few plans.  That's 
something Walt would usually say, but this time I agree.  Unfortunately, I 
still can't figure out how to sneak up on a telepath!  And maybe we can 
scout around a little and see if Mystery is somewhere in the area, it 
doesn't seem likely, hope springs eternal but even I don't have really 
high expectations by now."  Harvey seems to have lost some of his 
enthusiasm, and be rather nervous, but he isn't giving any consideration 
to backing down ont his.

   To Nancy, "Sorry I doubted your expectation, I figured your power 
would erase everything in an area; shows what I know about gravity", 
Harvey apologizes ruefully.

   Then he brightens slightly, "Kim, did you every figure out what that 
thought Ashiya left meant"?

<><><><><>

[GM]

The car is getting VERY crowded, with Agents Mahon and Hackley and 
Nancy up front, and Harvey, Walt and Kim crowded in the back.

Following Nancy's directions, Mahon drives the car down a street that is 
chillingly familiar to Kim, turns off his lights, and parks a few houses 
down from the very townhouse that Kim and Ashiya escaped from 
earlier. There are no lights on, and no vehicles in the driveway. Nancy 
senses the probe hovering directly above the building. Kim can't sense 
Mystery or Ashiya.

"This is the place, isn't is?" Mahon asks Kim. "I recognize the address." 
He picks up his radio. "Time to call in MAJOR backup."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy's face furrows with worry.  "Something's wrong here.  If he'd 
went to all this trouble to kidnap her, why would he leave her here?  He 
couldn't be so confident that we couldn't find him that he'd go to 
bed...not while we're still looking for him.  Kim, do you think this might be 
a trap?  Do you feel like you did before at the hotel?"
    She sits back and takes a moment to concentrate, focusing again on 
the tides of gravity.  She tries to go beyond the shell of the house, into 
its contents, to perceive what, if anything, might be inside.  After all, 
gravity isn't impeded by solid objects.  *It's worth a shot,* she says to 
herself.

<><><><><>

[GM]

But Kim doesn't sense impending danger, just anxiety and a cold 
foreboding.

Nancy can't make out much inside the house; her gravity sense doesn't 
have enough "resolution" to make for very efficient "x-ray vision".

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    "I can't get anything inside the house," she mutters.  "He might have 
the Marines or a ton of dynamite in there for all *I* can tell.  We might as 
well just wait for your backup."  She sits back and glowers darkly at the 
house, brooding.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"We'll have this entire block surrounded by the Chicago police," Mahon 
says. "And a chopper will be here in minutes. But that presents a 
problem." He turns in the seat and looks back at Harvey, Walt and Kim.

"If he doesn't know we're here already, he surely will once the cops 
begin cordoning off the neighborhood. A hostage situation would be very 
messy."

"What do you think the chance are of Jones bringing Shindell into the 
house with that 'insubstantial' power of yours, and Shindell maybe 
neutralizing 'EuroNinja' soon as he sees him?" He looks at Kim. "I'm not 
sure about you. You're a minor, and I shouldn't let you get in the middle 
of a potential firefight. And Mrs. Hartwick is NOT going in; she's injured 
enough as it is. But she could certainly provide a distraction; can you 
use your gravity powers to tear the roof off the house or something?"

"Meanwhile, Hackley and I can't do much against a telepath- but if Jones 
and Shindell take out the telepath, we can provide fire support against 
his goons." He pulls out a large pistol. "Frankly, I think our best chance 
is hit 'em now *before* the whole place becomes a circus."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy looks horrified when Mahon suggests tearing the roof off the 
house. "That's too dangerous!  What happens if I lose control and hurt 
someone? Besides, I don't know if I could affect something that large.  
But I'm pretty sure I can jostle things around a little on the inside 
though...just providing a distraction, like you said."

<><><><><>

Kim:

"I don't like this either" mutters Kim, "I can't sense anyone we know, yet 
the probe's circling. Either I can't detect Ashiya when she's asleep, or..."

She leaves the morbid thought unsaid, then turns to Mahon.

"How about I take a closer look? I don't need any light, and I can always 
bug out at the first hint of trouble. It would be better to know what we're 
up against."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon looks at Kim uncertainly.

"What if the telepath detects you and takes you prisoner as well?"

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim shrugs.

"Hopefully there's a limit to how many people he can control at one time 
- otherwise, he wouldn't need to be secretive at all. In any case, I've no 
intention of showing myself to him or his goons, if I can avoid it. If there 
is some sort of trap waiting for us, then going in openly will be very 
dangerous, no matter what the backup. All he'd need to do would be to 
take control of one of your men and get him to start shooting the others. 
Unless you've got the capability of suddenly filling the house with 
knockout gas?"

[If Mahon gives permission, Kim will creep into the night, and approach 
the house as stealthily as she can]

"I'm not going to hang around if a firefight develops round me" remarks 
Kim, bridling slightly at being called a minor (however accurately!), "I've 
got no illusions about being bulletproof. But if he has any warning of 
what we're going to do, he can get away. Get the police to start shooting 
innocent bystanders, that sort of thing. He was behind some of the local 
gang wars, and I don't think he was doing it for any reason other than his 
own warped amusement. Setting up the police to start a riot would 
probably seem like a great joke."

She gives a faint smile.

"Of course, we might be enormously lucky. When he fought me, he got 
hurt" - there is a trace of pride in the teenager's voice - "and perhaps he 
tried to use Ashiya's healing box. It knocks out the patient while it works. 
That would also explain why he hasn't gone anywhere."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon looks doubtful.

"Maybe," he says reluctantly. "Can you use your telepathy like a radio, 
talking to us the whole time?"

He looks at the other metahumans. "And I think you all should be ready 
with a distraction, in case something goes wrong." To Kim, he adds, "No 
matter what, do NOT engage this man or his thugs on your own! Don't 
try playing hero- just recon, then come back and report, and we'll take 
the next step."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Harvey turns to Kim, "Since we can't stop you from going in, the best 
choice is to go in with you.  At least, I can't any more think of a way to 
stop you than I can think of a way to sneak up on a telepath" Harvey 
jokes. Although his words are perhaps grudging, there is something in 
his tone that says he strongly approves of Kim's willingness.  Harvey 
smiles as he thinks of an old saying, 'If you can't beat them, have them 
join you!'

  Harvey turns to Mahon, "There are tactical advantages to three of us 
going in.  He'll have to spend more time figuring which to mind to hit first 
and he'll have to spread his attention more.  I don't think an additional 
person will incease the likelyhood of his noticing us before we get 
close,... and we may need the help.  But Kim," he warns, "If I was in his 
shoes and saw three people heading for me, I'd attack you first since 
you've already fought and hurt him, so if he spots you move FAST."

   "You game, Walt?  Cause if we want the element of surprise we'd 
better go Now."

<><><><><>

Kim:

"It depends" says Kim, "Are you any good at creeping around? I've, er, 
had a bit of practice."

"OK, come on", says Kim, getting out of the car. Moving quietly, she 
approaches the house (and listens to see how quiet Harvey is!). From a 
vantage point behind a suitable tree (if there are any in this part of 
town!), she observes the house. Are there any vehicles in the drive? Are 
there any lights on? Is anyone visible?

*Wait here* she telepaths to Harvey, and proceeds to climb the tree to 
get a better look at the upstairs rooms of the house.

Once she has some inital results, she attempts to send the information 
telepathically to Mahon.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   After the first few feet, which are rather tentative, Harvey makes no 
sound whatsoever.  Which is surprising, until you notice that Harvey isn't 
leaving footprints but rather his shoes go through the grass without 
touching it. Meanwhile he is silently praying that using his power like this 
isn't sending out a beacon...and trying to even think quietly, so he can 
sneak up on a telepath.

<><><><><>

Walt:

Walt just listens as the group throws ideas around.  He knows about as 
much about tactics and planning for this sort of activity as a snake does 
about calculus.

"Well Harv, I know about as much about this sort of thing as a snake 
knows about calculus, but sure, why not!  I don't have any better ideas, 
and if the cops swarm the place a whole passle of folks might get hurt in 
the fracus."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "I like to think common sense and a clear mind will get you pretty far. 
And I'd say your right, having the the cops swarm this place is not 
tactically a great idea.

   Sneaking around?  And what does she means she's had a bit of 
practice?  But Harvey replies, "Well, I haven't had a lot of practice lately 
but I think I can sneak O.K., even if I can't sneak excellently", and starts 
to consider how to be stealthy. (Of course sneaking up on a telepath still 
sounds like it has its own problems.)

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim pauses.

"I don't think I can use telepathy `like a radio'; it requires some 
concentration, and I'm not even sure what the range is. But I can send 
frequent messages back. And I've no intention of tangling with them."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kim stealthily moves towards the dark house. She makes no more sound 
than Harvey, though her feet are actually touching the ground. 
Somewhat less stealthy, Walt trails behind.

Kim is able to maintain contact with Harvey (who experiences having 
someone 'speak' to him mentally and read his thoughts in return for the 
first time), but finds it more and more difficult to reach Agent Mahon as 
she approaches the house.

No sound and no light comes from within. Kim circles the building, 
cautious and alert, but still senses no sign of anyone within. There are 
no vehicles in the driveway, particularly not the dark van that was there 
when she and Ashiya escaped the first time.

There is no tree conveniently situated for spying on the upstairs, but it's 
easy enough to hop a fence, climb the stairs to a balcony on the building 
next door, and look in the windows of the townhouse from there. But Kim 
still sees nothing, even with her enhanced night vision. To all outward 
appearances, the house is empty.

<><><><><>

Kim:

*I think they may have gone* Kim telepaths to Harvey *I'm about at the 
limit of my range for sending back to Mahon*

She tries to send a simple message back to Mahon: *HOUSE LOOKS 
EMPTY*. And she hopes that this isn't the telepathic equivalent of 
yelling at the top of her voice!

Kim looks for signs of a way in - an open door or window.

[If there is a way in]

She will climb up to it if necessary, take a good look inside, then sneak 
in.

[Otherwise]

*No way in* she sends to Harvey, *Can you use your power to get in and 
open the door? Or should we go back to Mahon?*

[OOC: Kim is communicating with Harvey because she has no idea what 
Walter's powers are - or what he looks like <g>]

<><><><><>

[GM]

The house does appear to be empty. And when Kim sneaks in through 
an unlocked window, she confirms it.

Empty.

No one is here. Not 'EuroNinja', not his minions, and not Ashiya.

Even the basement, that chamber of horrors, is empty, all the dreadful 
equipment gone, and only the bloodstained mattress left behind.

<><><><><>

Kim:

Puzzled, Kim comes out via the front door and returns to Harvey & Walt.

"It's empty" she says quietly, "Let's go back."

When they get back to the car, she passes the information on to Mahon 
in a subdued voice.

"The birds have flown. The house is empty, no sign of anyone."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon swears, profusely and at great length, until Nancy's cheeks are 
flushed.

Soon, he, Hackley, and about a dozen Chicago PD detectives are 
combing the house. The police are more than a little embarrassed, 
considering that police tape is still lying in many of the rooms. The 
telepath just walked right back to his old hideout, and no one noticed.

"They came back here," says a detective. "Opened the locks, threw 
away the tape...spent some time down in that torture chamber, too. We 
can tell by the new scratches on the floor, and the frame...but the whole 
damn place is pretty well picked clean. These guys don't leave a lot of 
clues behind. Very careful, very good."

"Ballsy sonavabitch," Hackley mutters.

"Do you still sense that floating invisible probe thingy, Mrs. Hartwick?" 
Agent Mahon asks. [She does.] "If it's still around, can you grab it and 
bring it down?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy is extremely upset and disappointed by this new development.  
As the Chicago PD begins to look over the house, she finally falls into a 
fitful sleep.
    When (if) Mahon wakes her up, she verifies that it is there for him, but 
immediately balks at his request.  "Why do you want it?", she asks 
suspiciously.  "If she wanted you to examine her technology, she would 
have let you keep the healing box and the stunner when you had them 
the first time."

<><><><><>

Harvey,

    "Kim, that invisible thing we tracked here,  is that thought that got 
stuck in your head an operating manual on how to use it to loom for 
Ashiya?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Mahon rolls his eyes, as if summoning patience.

"Fine," he says. "We'll leave it floating up there until your friend comes 
back to collect it. Gee, I sure hope it isn't anything that might be useful in 
finding her."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    Nancy looks up at Mahon, a chilling contempt in her eyes.  "Useful?  If 
you want to talk about being useful, what have YOU done that's been 
worth anything? You come parading around as if you're God's gift to 
superhumans, but when push comes to shove, you screwed up.  You still 
haven't got a clue as to who this Euroninja really is.  And then, when you 
had your big chance to catch him, your agent messed up too and got 
herself caught as well."
    "I've had enough of this tomfoolery.  I want to go home.  NOW."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon struggles with a surge of anger that crosses his face, then calms 
down and tries to speak in a reasonable tone.

"No one knows anything about 'EuroNinja'. Finding out who the hell he is 
is our second-highest priority, after rescuing Ashiya. *I* didn't screw up, 
that damn overconfident teenager did. But you're right, it was my fault for 
letting some kid run off like that by himself." He seems to be ignoring 
Kim at the moment.

"If you want to run home, fine. I'll have one of the cops drive you back. 
We'll figure out a way to get the probe ourselves- keep in mind, our 
friend EuroNinja already HAS your alien friend's technology. And we'll 
keep looking for him and Ashiya and Langstrom. You can go back to 
Crystal Lake and use your powers to push pencils around your desk."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

    The soft blue eyes reflect her scorn.  "Two wrongs do NOT make a 
right. Just because Euroninja captured Ashiya's stuff does not mean that 
you have some kind of right to what's left behind.  She felt we weren't 
ready for that level of technology and I'm inclined to agree with her."
    She continues, "Look...I'm not the one who's supposed to be the 
professional here.  I'm a teacher, not one of your agents.  Since I've 
gotten these powers, I've been beaten up, shot at, harranged, and 
abused in way that I couldn't have imagined a week ago.  I'm not cut out 
for this.  I wish I'd never even found out about these stupid powers."
    "I'm tired, my head hurts, and I haven't seen my children in three 
days.  I just want to go back to the real world."  She sighs and closes her 
eyes.

<><><><><>

Kim:

"Perhaps *you* could do something constructive, rather than indulging in 
your continuous hand-wringing," says Kim to Mahon, her voice cold, 
"Get the police looking for those three b******* and Ashiya - Euroninja 
surely can't blot out everybody's minds, and they'd certainly make a 
distinctive group. How about cameras? Put out descriptions - some 
security guard may see them on a monitor screen. Have you made 
arrangements to get hold of some sort of powerful tranquiliser or 
knockout gas, so that if he's found he can be dealt with?"

Privately, Kim wonders why the probe is here. Is there any sign of 
freshly-dug earth, a possible hasty grave? And why did they return - 
what had they left behind?

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Mahon looks at Nancy and sighs.

"Unfortunately, none of us got to choose who gets these powers," he 
says. "So we have ultra-powerful psychopaths running around, and too 
often, our only hope of stopping them is people like you who 
unfortunately got saddled with powers of your own. You're right, I 
shouldn't be expecting you to function like a professional in this 
situation. You should probably sit down and rest."

"But look- it was my understanding that you had talked Ashiya into 
helping us anyways, with her technology and her knowledge of 
metahumans? Now EuroNinja has her AND her technology. Her probe is 
all we've got left at the moment; it may be our only hope of catching up 
to him. And it followed her before. It has to have some sort of computer 
and sensor system attached. Our scientists may be able to figure it out, 
and then send it after her. Or maybe she can communicate with it 
telepathically...hell, I don't know. I DO know that it does no one any 
good just sitting up there."

His look become a little more edgy, and he points out "As for your being 
tired and abused...I DO sympathize. But I'm sure Ashiya feels a lot 
worse. Whether she's an alien or not, I'm not about to turn away from 
any lead that might help me find her. If you want to give up and go 
home, I won't stop you. But either help us or leave." *And stop whining* 
Kim picks up the thought, though he doesn't add that part out loud.

Kim senses fatigue and despondence from Mahon as well...and flashes 
of other kidnapping and hostage situations he's worked on, during his 
career in law enforcement. He's seen too many dead innocents. There's 
also the thought of what Ashiya can do for their department, what they 
might learn from her, particularly as far as stopping metahumans, whom 
he mistrusts and wishes didn't exist. But his concern for Ashiya's well-
being is genuine.

To Kim, he says "Of *course* we're doing all that! Thanks for telling me 
how to do my job, kid." Then he frowns, and rubs his forehead. "Sorry. 
But we do know what we're doing. And yes, we do have tranquilizer 
darts, though frankly, we tend to use conventional firearms, just as we 
would when trying to capture any criminal. If bullets won't stop him, 
tranquilizer darts probably won't either."

Kim doesn't see any hastily dug graves, and the police detectives 
combing the area would probably have found something like that.

Mahon looks at Harvey and Walt. "Any ideas from you two?" he asks.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "First thing we ought to do is get some rest, Mrs. Hartwick needs to 
see her children, it's been a long day and there's nothing more we can 
do right this instant anyways, unfortunately.  After that, I guess it is time 
for some old fashioned detective work, not that I know anything about 
that but it sounds good.  How did Euroninja get this house?  Did he sign 
a lease?"
    Harvey turns to Mahon, "Maybe we SHOULD just leave that invisible 
thing alone.  If that thing is powered by anti-matter, it's an invisible bomb 
if we tamper with it, very dangerous."  Then it sinks in, "AH, did you say 
contact the machine by telepathy?"
   "Kim, you're a telepath, can you actually toalk to that thing?"

<><><><><>

Kim:

"I've tried before" says Kim, "But I don't know how to contact it. I 
suppose that, even on Ashiya's homeworld, they were sufficiently wary 
of a rogue seizing control of equipment that they built in some sort of 
telepathic lock. Maybe this thing in my head is the key... if it is, I don't 
even know which end to hold."

Kim sighs.

"I only suggested a tranquilizer because a hit in the arm would be more 
certain of putting him out of action, and some sort of knockout gas would 
be less likely to miss. If the first hit doesn't work, there may not be 
another."

She returns to studying the construct that Ashiya left in her mind. Does 
her probing sense anything about it at all, or is it just the mental 
equivalent of a large rock with the word "Ashiya" scrawled on it? <g> In 
particular, she'll see if it allows her to contact the probe in any way.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kim continues to be frustrated by the mental construct. It doesn't seem 
to have any connection to the probe; at least, Kim can't discern one. The 
best guess she can come up with is that it might facilitate her ability to 
contact Ashiya....but if so, it's either incomplete and thus non-functional, 
or else Ashiya is beyond her reach, even with whatever help this 
telepathic "tool" might provide.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Harvey smiles at Kim's comment about not knowing what end to hodl, 
then gets a confused look on his face as he tries to imagine how a 
telepathic whatsit can have ends.  He finally shrugs hugely, admitting his 
complete lack of comprehension.

   Harvey goes back to pondering what to do while Kim tries to figure out 
the 'key' (or whatever it is).  Finally he ask, "Kim, did you get a look at 
any of euroninja's henchmen?  They might be easier to track than 
Euroninja himself, it's all I can think of off hand."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy shakes her head.  "You're thinking of things in black and 
white...and the situation isn't that clearcut. Yes, she did say she'd help 
us...but I think that was more to avoid more arguing than anything else.  
I was hoping to convince her that she could show us certain things, 
some of her less dangerous technology, while we helped to accomplish 
her goals...studying our people, helping earthlings who developed 
Shabaali powers, and eventually making contact with her people.  I 
hadn't quite convinced her yet, though.  She hasn't really been in a state 
to make decisions with those implications yet."
     "I don't see how the government getting its hands on the probe will 
help to find her.  Kim can't communicate with it and even Pulsar wasn't 
able to trace its communications.  I am not going to be responsible for a 
bunch of government scientists blowing themselves up by playing with it 
just because they're playing the odds, hoping to find out what makes it 
tick.  What if there's some kind of self destruct device on it?  Then we 
lose everything."
     "And you needn't bother trying to make me feel guilty," she finishes 
coldly.  "I already feel badly enough about this whole situation...I don't 
think you can make it any worse."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Fine," Mahon sighs wearily. "Like I said before...be helpful, or leave. If 
you won't get the probe for us, we'll figure out a way to get it without you. 
And spare me another lecture-" he cuts Nancy off as she looks ready to 
admonish him again. "You don't think we should mess with it. Your 
problem. I think it might be useful, and if nothing else, it's evidence at a 
crime scene. I really don't want to argue with you anymore, Mrs. 
Hartwick. I would really appreciate your help in this situation, but if you 
won't be helpful, we'd both be better off if you'd just get out of the way."

He turns to the other metahumans. "We're doing all we can...the police 
are going door to door, trying to find anyone who might have seen 
anything, and the entire Chicago PD has been alerted with what very 
little information we have about the perpetrators...a few details haven't 
been disseminated, of course, like the fact that the woman they've 
abducted is allegedly an extraterrestrial."

"But," he finishes grimly, "until something new turns up....I think we've 
lost them- for the moment."

"DAMN that kid!" he mutters again under his breath.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     "Evidence?!?", Nancy screeches.  She stares in disbelief for a 
moment, then forces herself to be calm.  "All right, Agent Mahon, if you 
refuse to listen to reason, then there's nothing more I can do.  I'll go 
home now...and I'll be glad to be rid of this whole affair.  Have a nice 
life."
     "Kimberley!", she says in a loud voice (unless the teenager is 
standing near the car).  "We're going back to the hotel now.  Get in the 
car, please."

     After Mahon has finished harranging her, Nancy sits back and closes 
her eyes...ostensibly to rest.  Instead, she grabs ahold of the probe 
gravinometrically and moves it so that it hovers over the house next 
door. She'll then let it go to see if it's just keeping station or if it goes 
back over to where it was before.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    "Hey! Wait a minute!  You may be ready to throw in the towel, but I'm 
not ready to give up on Mystery and your friend.  Let's at least make 
sure we've exhausted every idea before we break up.  Frankly I'm 
stumped, but there's got to be something we can do, or try or at least 
seem to do."  Harvey sounds desperate, and frustrated by his inability to 
come up with any feasible approach.
   Harvey looks at each of the others in turn, HOPING one of them will 
have an answer.  But his mind remains a blank as he cast around for a 
plan, no matter how hopeless.

<><><><><>

[GM]

[to Nancy]

The probe resists being pulled away from its location, and you have to 
intensify your power before you can drag it away. As soon as you 
release your gravitic hold on it, it zips back to the exact spot it occupied 
before.

[to Kim]

Agent Mahon looks at Kim, with a neutral expression.

"You can go with Mrs. Hartwick or not, as you prefer," he says.

Mentally, Mahon is furious at Nancy, but knows there's no point in 
arguing with her. *If she won't help, we're better off without her. She has 
too much power for her own good anyways.* He hopes Kim will stay, 
although she can tell he has no intention of letting her take much of an 
active role in the search. *One missing teenager is enough.*

Meanwhile, Kim senses Nancy exerting her power, and can tell by her 
thoughts that the older woman is doing something to the probe.

<><><><><>

Kim:

"I'll stay", says Kim, with a thoughtful expression on her face, "Ashiya 
may find me easier to contact than someone else."

She treats the silent, unhelpful probe to a stream of telepathic abuse. 
Not that it's likely to achieve anything, but it makes her feel better!

<><><><><>

Harvey:

    Harvey seems to suddenly be considering something, staring up at 
the sky where he figures the invisible probe would be (but actually 
looking 50' low and 20' to the left).  "you know, that invisible thing is 
probably pretty nice from Euroninja's point of view, and he may have 
only abandoned it so we couldn't track him by following it.  Since he just 
came back to this house and walked right in...you don't supposed he'd 
just come back and pick it up, do you?  It's not like anyone is going to 
notice that an invisble thing is missing."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"A good point," Agent Mahon says, "though one that seems lost on Mrs. 
Hartwick." He gives the schoolteacher, now sitting in a patrol car, a 
disparaging look. "You think you can float up there and feel around for 
the damn thing? Ms. Brenner, can you sense it at all?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

*You realize,* Nancy thinks to Kim, *that I can't let Mahon have the 
probe.  I'm going to be taking it with me when I leave.  If you want to stay 
here, that's your perogative...I'm too tired to argue with you.  I do think, 
though, that you have an obligation to your parents which won't be 
served by you gallivanting off with these government people.*

<><><><><>

Kim:

*Ashiya was my friend. I don't run out on my friends* replies Kim 
reproachfully, *While I can still help find her, I will. The probe may not do 
much here, but it won't do much as a Christmas decoration in Crystal 
Lake, either.*

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     When Mahon looks at Nancy, she gives him a withering glance right 
back.
     She will move the probe back over a couple of houses before Harvey 
can float up to find it.  She'll indicate to the policeman driving the car that 
she wants to wait a little longer.

*She was my friend too!*, Nancy protests.  *And in lieu of her physical 
presence, I think we should respect her wishes.  She obviously didn't 
want the government getting ahold of her technology.  And if you think 
you're going to see the probe again if they do get ahold of it, you're 
fooling yourself. It'll be taken to some top secret government lab...and if 
they don't kill themselves dismantling it, it'll be scattered into so many 
pieces that it'll probably never work right again!  If Mahon cares about 
Ashiya, it's strictly secondary to his patriotic fervor.  We're nothing to him 
except a resource, Kim, it's plain and simple.  I think it's best for us to 
keep it, have you continue trying to communicate with it, and keep it 
away from the people who don't have Ashiya's and our best interests at 
heart.*
     The teenager can also sense bitter disappointment towards her, as 
well as a fair amount of anger towards Mahon and the super who 
"borrowed" her powers and got herself captured.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

  [float up there and feel about]
  "You're kidding, right!?"  then he starts to consider the possiblilty that 
Mahon is NOT kidding.  He figures he'd look incredibly silly walking 
around on air feeling for an invisible thingy, and he'd be awful obvious 
about it; he's reluctant to end up on the evening news or whatever.
   Anyway, how does one find an invisible object in mid air?  A search 
pattern?  Possible but hard to keep track of ones position.  "I wonder if 
we could spray paint it or something so it became visible.  Or tie a piece 
of string or wire to it that we could see.  Hmmm, sounds like who will bell 
the cat, I might be able to bell it if I could find it but..."
   Harvey realizes he's not even sure he can walk on air and be 
substantial enough to feel something rather than waslk through it.
   Harvey continues to think over the possibilities while waiting to see if 
anyone can offer a better suggestion.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Hmm. A net or something?" Mahon suggests, only half-serious. Then 
he snaps his fingers. "A fire hose! We'll call a fire truck out here. You 
can carry a hose up there, and spray the water around- the probe may 
be invisible, but I'll bet it can't turn all the water splashing off of it 
invisible!"

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Harvey hopes Mahon isn't serious, but he's so short on alternate ideas 
that he _has_ to consider any plan, but he does raise on point.  "What 
would we do after we find it?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"We'll take it back to Virginia, of course!" Hackley says, as if it's perfectly 
obvious.

"FIRST-" interjects Mahon, with a look at his partner, "we'll examine it as 
best we can- with Ms. Brenner's help- and see if there is any way to use 
it in our search for Ashiya."

"If that doesn't work," he sighs, "then we'll wait around for a couple of 
days in case new leads turn up. If not, it's probably back to Virginia until 
we get a break in this particular case. And Hackley and all his techie 
friends can have a ball trying to figure out the alien toy."

Hackley notes the worried looks of the others, and says "Look, we're not 
stupid. She claimed the thing is powered by antimatter. Obviously we're 
not going to just take a hammer and chisel to it."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Harvey is not relieved, they aren't kidding about finding the probe.

   Harvey mutters out loud "It's a machine using antimatter, antigravity 
and telepathy: all we have are hammers, chisels and bone knives and 
bear skins <<to quote spock>>.  And you know what they say about 
when all you have is a hammer."<G>  But it's the only plan that has been 
suggested so Harvey will go along until something better is suggested.  
He isn't too happy about being expected to walk up and chase an 
invisible thingy (since he hasn't seen it yet, not surprising, the only thing 
he can call it is a 'thingy') with a glorified butterfly net (at least Hackley 
didn't actually come up with a high-tech, DOD, stealth butterfly net for 
just this problem).

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon isn't kidding. Soon a fire truck is parked in front of the 
townhouse, and the rather puzzled firemen are hooking up a hose.

<><><><><>

Kim:

[to Nancy]

*I just think that Crystal Lake is a bit far* replies Kim, *If Ashiya is 
anywhere near, she won't be able to get at it. If this thing in my head 
unlocks, and can make use of the probe, it won't be nearby. Why not just 
move it to some identifiable spot in Chicago and leave it there.*

*Perhaps hovering 10' above the police headquarters* she adds, with a 
trace of amusement.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy realizes that it wants to stay, but unless her power gives out 
(or she passes out from exhaustion), the probe is NOT going to be 
anywhere near the water.

     *I can't just leave it,* Nancy replies patiently, *because it won't stay 
where I put it.  It keeps wanting to go back to that same spot above that 
house.  I'm going to have to take it someplace and then weigh it down so 
it can't escape.*
     *The reason I can't let you have it,* she continues, *is that if I put it 
anywhere that you'll be able to access it, Mahon and Hackley will find it 
too.  I can't let that happen, Kim.  It's not what Ashiya would have 
wanted.*
     *Speaking of what people want, are you sure you've thought through 
staying with Mahon?  I don't want to tell you what to do, but I told your 
parents I'd watch over you...and I'm sure they're not going to be thrilled 
about the company you're keeping now.  They aren't...responsible.  I 
mean, they let that other girl going running off all alone and look what 
happened.*
     *At least come back with me until we can give them a call and make 
sure it's all right with them.*

<><><><><>

Walt:

Walt stands off to the side, just shaking his head slightly as he watches 
the spectacle unfold before him.  It does not seem that his powers are 
going to be of any immediate use here, so all he can do is stand by and 
watch first hand a prime example of the universes quirky sense of 
humor...

"...federal agent, truckdriver, and fireman battle to capture invisible 
'probe'; film at 11:00" he mutters, slightly amused even in the face of the 
fact that an innocent woman (and a wierd kid) lay in the clutches of an 
evil maniac.  Frustrating as it was, all he could do was stand by and 
hope that he and those he was with 'lucked' out.

<><><><><>

[GM]

[to Nancy]

You begin pulling the probe away from where it hovers above the 
townhouse....but even as you're bringing it to a halt above the next 
house over, and Mr. Jones is beginning to ascend into the hair, holding 
a firehose, you suddenly lose your "grip" on the probe!

No, not just your grip....your powers just shut off. Not completely, 
because you can still *dimly* sense the gravitic field around you, and 
you can *dimly* sense the probe zipping back to where it was, as if it 
had been held at the end of a very long rubber band and then 
released....but you concentrate futilely as you attempt to reassert control 
over it.

[to all]

As Walt watches, bemused, the firemen hand Harvey a hose, at Agent 
Mahon's command.

"OK Jones," says Mahon. "Put it on wide spray, I'll have them pump 
water at relatively low power. I figure if it's really hovering up there, a 
sheet of water should reveal it...then we find out if you can go grab it or 
not."

Of course, this will be a very problematic operation, Harvey realizes, 
because while he can carry things and solidify or desolidify them while 
he himself is mostly intangible, he hasn't gone to this extent before, 
desolidifying enough to airwalk, while holding onto a solid object that 
connects to the ground. It should be interesting...

<><><><><>

Kim:

*No, Nancy* sends Kim, *I'm staying in the chase until it is definitely 
useless to remain longer. If you feel that tethering the probe to your 
house like an invisible weather balloon is remotely constructive, I don't 
see that there's anything I can say to dissuade you.*

Nancy gets the sensation of the mental link being shut off.

[OOC: One advantage of being a telepath talking to a non-telepath - Kim 
can always arrange to have the last word <g,d,r>]

[Kim is staying]

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   Looking at the fire hose with some confusion (never having had call to 
use one before) and tryibng to figure out how to set the spray for wide 
angle, "Pump the water real _slow_, at least at first, because you don't 
get too much traction on air and I don't want to get blown all over the 
place by the reaction force."  then he pauses and considers for a few 
seconds, "And don't expect miracles until I get some practice at this, I've 
never tried anything this complicated before and there are some things 
that could go wrong, like the hose becoming desolid but not the water 
being pump ed in and leaking out on its way up.  Sigh, this may be 
complicated."  The Harvey takes a deep breath and steps up onto the 
air.
  Harvey still isn't too happy with this plan, but also he still hasn't come 
up with a better one.  So here goes nothing!

<><><><><>

Kim:

Kim stands and watches. Concern for her friend is mingled with the 
thought that this could be entertaining <g>.

"Have you asked anyone to check their security cameras?" she asks 
Mahon quietly, "Ashiya's kidnapper may be able to play with people's 
minds, but he may find it harder to control a video camera. At the very 
least, cameras either here or at the hotel may better identify the vehicle 
they're using."

Kim does, however, have mixed feelings about the possibility of a 
security camera in the hotel!

<><><><><>

[GM]

Hauling the hose into the air requires a bit of effort, but the easiest 
solution seems to be simply desolidifying everything but your hands, 
then "airwalking" while holding the hose. This proves to be more difficult 
than it sounds, since the solid hose acts as a considerable anchor to 
your massless body. But with exertion, you can drag the hose along with 
you. This seems to be some kind of a violation of the "equal and 
opposite reaction" law, but you're not sure- maybe it's best not to think 
too hard about the physics behind your powers.

It becomes even more difficult to hold onto the hose when water starts 
coming through it. If it was pumped up to full intensity, you have no 
doubt it would go flying in an instant, and possibly whip you through the 
air like a slingshot projectile, but at about a quarter power, you can hold 
on...barely.

And as you spray water haphazardly around the space above the 
townhouse, sure enough, something materializes in the cascade. It's 
only half-visible, when a sheet of water rolls down one side, and then for 
a brief instant as water droplets sit on something in the air, then spin 
away, as if repelled. But it definitely seems to be something invisible 
that's reflecting water that splashes against it.

You find that you can't "highlight" it by spraying water directly at it. When 
you do, the stream of water shoots through empty space, encountering 
nothing, until you hold the hose up and let the stream come down in a 
wider dispersal again. Then you see that the invisible object has 
changed position, though it's already moving back to the spot you first 
discovered it when it's revealed in the fountain again. A couple more 
tries confirms that the thing moves, avoiding attempts to spray it directly. 
It can't avoid falling water raining over a small area, but it becomes 
invisible again so quickly that it must have some highly efficient method 
of repelling water.

So now you know that there really *is* an invisible flying object up here. 
And it can take evasive maneuvers, and foil attempts to "mark" it. 
Catching this thing may be quite an interesting endeavor.

<><><><><>

Harvey:

       Carrying a spraying fire hose up into the air leads to all sorts of 
complexities concerning the physics that would make Harvey's head hurt 
if he tried to figure it out.  Harvey concentrates on holding onto the 
slippery fire hose instead of concentrating on the physics.  Maybe the 
doctors in Virginia can determine if this is breaking the laws of nature, 
but unless he's about to be arrested for it immediately, it will have to 
wait.

       The invisible thing, whatever it is, is extremely clever.  It's almost as 
clever as Mahon for coming up with this idea; if it was just a little clever 
this wouldn't work at all.  Catching something as elusive as the probe 
will be quite challenging.  Since it dodges the only thing that comes to 
mind to Harvey is to catch it the way the spray does, by surrounding the 
probe- then even if it moves it won't do any good.  Of course what to 
surround it with is more challenging.  Some sort of net perhaps, and 
hope the thing doesn't act adversely to being trapped.

      "Can I come down now?  My hands are cold" calls Harvey, leaving 
out the fact that in addition to making his hands cold the water has made 
him very wet and he now needs a towel.
 <<sorry about the slow response rate.  I'll try to do better>>>

<><><><><>

[GM]

"OK, we know it's up there," Mahon says. "Now we just have to figure out 
how to get it down." He glares at Nancy, as the police car in which she's 
sitting is about to pull away. "Fine," he mutters. "She could probably pull 
the damn thing down here in a second, but screw Ashiya, so much for 
your concern for your friend, if you don't get things your way, you pick up 
your marbles and go home."

Even Kim is a bit startled at how angry his thoughts are. Nancy won't be 
getting a lot of cooperation from Agent Mahon in the future.

He calls up to Harvey, "Yeah, come on down. I'm going to see about 
getting us a big net."

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Left to herself in the squad car for all this time, Nancy's been 
pondering this whole fiasco.  Not by choice, of course...the pain in her 
head won't let her get any rest.  As the policeman opens the door to get 
in, she says, "Wait.  I'll be back in a few minutes."
     She gets out of the car and trudges wearily over to the small group of 
agents.  At Mahon's hostile glare, she announces, "I still think that taking 
Ashiya's property is wrong, but right now you're our best hope for getting 
her back.  I just hope she can forgive me for this."
     She sighs and looks speculatively up at the probe.  "Unfortunately, 
something's negating my powers now...or at least diminishing them.  But 
Mr. Jones didn't seem to be having any problems.  That's very odd...."  
She muses for a moment then shakes her head.  "Anyway, I'll help if I 
can."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Mahon looks at you sullenly. "Negating your powers? What do you 
mean?" Then, as Nancy turns to look up at where the probe is, he 
glances at Walt with a slightly suspicious look.

"Exactly how did your powers come to be 'diminished'? Are you saying 
you were trying to use them and they suddenly failed?" Now his look 
becomes more suspicious, and hostile, as he turns back to the 
schoolteacher.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     She notices Mahon's sidewise glance...and gives Walt a curious look 
of her own before turning her attention back to Mahon.
     "No, I'm NOT saying that," answers the teacher, starting to return a 
bit of the agent's ire.  "If I knew HOW it happened, I would have told you.  
They just seemed to fade somehow."
     She makes a visible effort and controls herself.  "Look, Mr. Mahon, I 
had a chance to think this over and I decided that your way is right...at 
least for the moment.  I'm willing to help if my powers start working 
again.  This bickering isn't doing Ashiya any good.  If you want to sit 
here and freeze while we're discussing motivations, I'll do that too...but 
it's all just a waste of time.  I want to get this over with so I can get some 
sleep."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I don't want to argue anything," Mahon replies cooly enough. "If you've 
decided to help us again, great. You can start by trying to pull that thing 
down here." He turns away from Nancy and goes over to confer with 
Walt.

[to Walt]

Mahon approaches you and mutters, "Did you have anything to do with 
her powers shutting off?"

<><><><><>

Harvey:

   "O.K. You don't know how your meta-abilities are being interfered with, 
do you know when they started to be interfered with?"

  And looking contrite, "We'll wrap this up fast so you can get some rest, 
you deserve it and I didn't mean to keep you here.  Did the doctors at 
the hospital say anything about checking back with them?"

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy is about to ask him exactly HOW she's supposed to get the 
probe down with her powers barely functioning...but she doesn't want to 
waste any more time talking to Mahon.  With a sigh, she turns to the task 
at hand, remarking to Mr. Jones, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'd rather 
just get this over with and leave, if you don't mind."
     First, she concentrates and reaches out for the probe, trying to at 
least get a grip on it.  She'll then try to pull it away (but not towards the 
ground in case her powers suddenly kick in), gradually increasing her 
efforts to the point where she's straining.
     If that doesn't work, she'll take a moment to rest, then try to see if she 
can still fly.  If she doesn't meet with immediate success, she'll gently 
pump up the power as before.  If she does fly, she'll ask if someone can 
get her a rope.
     If not, she'll rest some more.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Oddly, Nancy feels her gravity awareness return, along with her powers. 
Whatever was inhibiting her before seems to have faded.

She is able to pull the probe down with little difficulty, though it remains 
invisible, and continues to apply constant resistance in an attempt to 
return to where it was.

<><><><><>

Walt:

Walt looks surprised.

"Heck no!  why would I want to monkey around with the powers of a 
*good* guy?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I'm a little suspicious about Mrs. Hartwick's sudden change of heart" 
Mahon says, but doesn't clarify.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     A suspicious look creeps into Nancy's eye as she waits for Mahon to 
turn his attention back to her.  When he finishes, she asks, "Let's get 
this over with.  Where do you want me to put it?  You're going to have to 
tie it down or something, since it seems to be programmed to stay in that 
spot over the house.  Every time I let it loose, it heads back up there."

<><><><><>

Harvey:

Surprised, "it does?"  Not surprised that it heads back but that she's 
moved it, since he still can't see it.  He starts trying to follow her eyes to 
see where she's looking to know where it is, but since she can't see it 
with her eyes either it doesn't help much.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Agent Mahon looks where Nancy indicates, trying to somehow make out 
the probe. Finally, he cautiously reaches his hand out, and encounters 
some kind of resistance. His hand seems to slide around in the air.

"I'm not actually touching the...thing, I don't think," he says. "It feels more 
like a repulsion field, kind of like when you hold two magnets close 
together, with their polarity reversed? The damn thing has some kind of 
force field- I guess it'll repel any attempts to grab it, not just rain. We'll 
need to anchor it down somehow, though. You said it's actually shaped 
like a donut, Mrs. Hartwick? If we can somehow run a chain through the 
center..."

Agent Hackley looks at the schoolteacher. "Is the force field gravitic in 
nature?" [Nancy thinks so- it automatically resists proximity with other 
objects by intensifying its contragravity field.] He also asks "How strong 
is it?" [Fairly strong, though Nancy's power is stronger. She doesn't 
*think* it could float away with a grown man holding on, but as long as it 
keeps trying to return to its stationary position, it will require a pretty 
solid anchor.]

"Can't you just shut it off- the gravity field, I mean?" Mahon asks.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy answers his questions truthfully, though she's not very certain 
of how strong it is since she doesn't have much basis for comparison.  
All she knows is that SHE can hang on to it.
     She shakes her head at his last question.  "It's bad enough that we're 
'borrowing' Ashiya's property.  The only way I can think of to shut it off 
would be to try and overload its gravity field...and I don't want to damage 
it.  Then we'd really be up a creek without a paddle."
     "Besides, why don't you ask your other 'friend'?", she asks in a 
carefully neutral tone.  "He seems to be the resident expert on the 
subject." [She would refer to him by name, but he seems to have 
neglected to introduce himself. <g>]

<><><><><>

[GM]

[Actually, I believe Agent Mahon did introduce him- his name is Walter 
Shindell.]

"I wasn't asking you to burn out its drives, or whatever," Mahon says. "I 
thought maybe since you have gravity powers, you could just shut off its 
gravitic field. But I don't know any more about this technology than you 
do. Do you think you can at least suppress it enough that we can thread 
a cable through the center?"

He looks at Kim. "Now that it's up close, any more inklings from 
that....thing Ashiya left in your head?" [No.]

He sighs. "We'll take this thing back to Virginia one way or the other. 
Jones, Shindell, we'll be leaving tonight if we don't pick up Ashiya and 
'EuroNinja's' trail again. The police and the FBI will have to continue the 
investigation. There's nothing more we can do here. Our scientists might 
be able to figure out something by studying the probe, in a lab."

Then Mahon looks back at Kim. "We need to have a talk, too."

"As for you, Mrs. Hartwick...I *do* appreciate your help. Really. I'm not 
going to bother trying to justify my methods. I'm not a schoolteacher, and 
you're not a federal agent, so neither of us is in a position to be 
criticizing the way the other one does their job. We *will* do everything 
in our power to find Ashiya, and if you like, we'll contact you should we 
learn anything. As for whatever you choose to do now...if you want to 
just return home and keep your powers to yourself, that's your choice. 
We're not going to try pressing you into government service. I would 
recommend you be very careful about whatever you choose to do on 
your own, though. There's beginning to be an ugly sentiment against 
metahumans. And the law is still more than vague about the use of 
metahuman powers. So if you won't work in cooperation with the 
government, you'd be highly advised not to do anything to call attention 
to yourself as a metahuman."

<><><><><>

Kim:

"No, I still don't sense anything", replies Kim. She looks disappointed, 
but resigned, as Mahon talks about handing the investigation over to the 
police and FBI. Unless they're very lucky, `Euroninja' will have no 
problem evading pursuit.

"Have you suggested that the police and FBI pay more attention than 
usual to stories that sound like insanity or drunkenness? `Euroninja' may 
get clumsy, and leave someone with a false memory that clashes with 
reality - especially if he decides to switch vehicles. And an insane or 
drunk story from someone who is neither insane nor drunk might just be 
a lead."

[OOC: eg "You mean it wasn't a gin goblin?", from Quatermass <g>]

Kim still wonders why the probe was left here. Perhaps it wasn't so much 
following Ashiya as being steered by her, and she was drugged 
unconscious. She hopes the forensic people can turn up *something*, 
however small.

She turns her attention to the mysterious invisible probe, and attempts to 
make contact with it - first by trying to talk to it telepathically, and then by 
opening her mind to it, the way she opened her mind to Ashiya.

<><><><><>

Nancy:

     Nancy sighs.  "If you give me a piece of rope, I'll see what I can do.  
But I think you're going to end up having to put a tarp over it and secure 
it that way."
     "If they don't blow themselves up first," she mutters when Mahon 
mentions the scientists.
     The swirl of emotions in her eyes is difficult to read as she restrains 
herself from interrupting the agent several times.  Finally, when he's 
done, she composes herself and replies, "I still want to talk to you about 
a few things...but now isn't the time.  I'll call you tomorrow. But before I 
go, I need to remind you to call Kim's parents and let them know that 
she's under your...supervision now." A pained look crosses her face.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Brenner are going to want assurances from you that you'll 
take care of Kimberly.  Make sure that you don't forget."
     With that, she turns and heads to the squad car assigned to take her 
to the hotel.

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I won't forget," Agent Mahon says. He gives Nancy a small business 
card with nothing but the Justice Department seal and a phone number 
on it.

Nancy finds that she is able to suppress the probe's repulsion field 
enough to pull a metal chain through the center. It then takes the 
combined efforts of Agent Mahon and Agent Hackley to pull it into a 
van...until they think to ask Harvey. Harvey promptly increases his 
density and pulls the probe along like a balloon.

Nancy rides away in the squad car, and Agent Mahon, Agent Hackley, 
Agent Donnay, Walt, Harvey and Kim go to wait in the federal building, 
while they sort out who will be going where next.