Chapter Three: To Hell and Back

[Capin]

Charlie sat in first class, looking idly out the window. His job, maybe his last big job, was over and he was looking forward to getting back to Garrison. He had plenty of money stored away in his retirement fund and he finally had a reason to live a more honest life. A smile played across his face as he thought of the deep blue eyes and dazzling smile he was a plane trip away from seeing again. So engrossed was he in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the gentleman in the dark jeans and coal stripped black suit coat that walked up the aisle.

The man stopped in Charlie's row and looked down into the open plush seat beside him, not taking any notice of the man seated at the window. He unslung a worn bag from his shoulder and dropped rather unceremoniously into the seat before gingerly setting the carry-on between his feet. He unbuttoned that single button that held his coat together and leaned back, letting it split over the crisp white button down beneath.

It would be hours before the plane would land in Garrison City. Aaron, Spence and the others would be back by then. Aaron's face would likely still be all over the news. Still, almost home. It was that thought that let the relaxing sigh fall from Ryu.

Turning away from the window, Charlie looked at the new arrival. Purely on instinct he scanned the newcomer with his x-ray vision. There was something unusual about him, unusual and familiar. Charlie had only seen one other person whose veins showed up in his see-through vision before, and that person had kicked his butt.

"'Scuse me, sir. Have you ever been to Edinburgh? Seen the Gladenbeck edition of Rheinhold's Affe mit Schädel they have there?" he asked, remembering the reason for his beating.

Ryu lazily opened his eyes. "Chimp with the skull?" His head rolled over on the comfortable first class headrest and his gaze dropped onto the passenger beside him. It had been years since he'd seen the man, but lead by the less than subtle clue he recognized him with relative swiftness. "Yeah," his feet tightened onto bag in front of him. "While back." He sighed a little, wondering if fate wasn't done trying to screw with him. "Wasn't there some excitement when it arrived there? They delayed the unveiling or something..."

"Yeah, something like that," Charlie laughed. "And if I'm not mistaken, you're the only reason it was unveiled at all.

The Dapper Detective's lip curled a little. "I don't recall you being mistaken often." He'd always appreciated the thief's candor. His humor too. "Makes for bad planning, I suppose, planning being everything and what not."

Charlie paused as the captain went through his usual spiel and then the stewardesses began the safety instructions. When they finished, he spoke to his seat-mate. "I haven't bumped into you since Lisbon. Almost didn't recognize you without the mask and cape."

"Heh," Ryu chuckled a bit. "Crazy what you see with a second glance." He leaned over onto the armrest, shifting his attention over to Charlie. "I've been kept busy. Despite some grand exceptions, there's been much less globetrotting the last few years." Ryu's shoulder's shrugged just a bit. "But when you gotta, you gotta."

His brow rose a bit, still curious as to his old acquaintance's intentions. "Keeping busy yourself?"

"Pretty much. Although I've been staying on the fence, occasionally visiting both sides. Which isn't bad. I'm thinking about retiring. Moving to a little city in Michigan and, if anything, being a more or less good guy."

"You don't say." The flight attendant stopped at their row, and the pair ordered a a couple drinks. As she continued on so did Ryu. "One big score and your done? The stuff of legend?" TAROT had already sent an army, a team of villains, and their best assassin. He could only imagine what they would pay for the pot.

The thief nodded. "Stuff of legend, maybe. But hardly one big score. It's been a hundred little ones since the last job you interrupted. Granted, some bigger than others, but..." he sipped his champagne. "I'm pretty sure not even you can stop my last big score, since I just made delivery and the money's in my bank account."

Coincidence could be an uncanny beast. Still, a small bit of relief relaxed his muscles. He could feel Enry ease back a little as well. "I spoze congratulations are in order." He lifted the squat glass of light amber liquid and raised it up.

"Thanks. I appreciate that," the Desolidified Delfactor replied, lifting his own glass. "Altho' for a moment, when I realized who you were, I was afraid I was going to have to drop out of the plane before takeoff." He took another sip of the sparkling wine. "But as soon as I get home, I'm out of the stealing-for-hire business. Not that I'm planning on petitioning Doc Midas for a spot as the Eight Wonder, but I'll probably do some freelance heroing back in Garrison." His thoughts drifted briefly to Faith, hoping her dangerous mission had gone well.

"Really?" Ryu laughed and took a slow pull from his scotch. "Well, if there's one town that could use the help, it's Garrison. Seems to work well for the Man of Gold, but there's not a lot of money in freelance heroing tho." His brow furrowed just a little with that smirk of his as he examined his glass, running his thumb over the condensation. "Unless I missed something along the way."

Charlie laughed. "Really? Some of the gadgets your side throws around, I'd guess there had to be a pretty good revenue stream..." the thief trailed off, then gave off another chuckle. "Of course, some of the morons on the other side spend 10 million on a raygun they can use to steal a hundred grand, so..."

"Yeah, well... Some of that is bound to be brilliant intellect with little sense." There was a little bit of a pause. "On both sides of the fence." He looked around their first class setting, with its plush seats, wide aisles and expensive free drinks. He thought about the boat he'd worked on to get across to Canada all those years ago. "Of course, it helps to know a couple of the right people."

"Or at least know where the right people keep their valuables."

"Spoken like a true thief on the straight and narrow." Ryu chuckled and drained his glass.

"Not entirely reformed yet." Charlie muttered, almost to himself. Looking back to Ryu, he asked, "So, where is the Spiffy Hero headed? Or is that a trade secret?"

Ryu settled back into his chair. "Back to Garrison." He set the emptied glass on his thigh, his eyes dropping to the carry-on bag between his feet. "Home sweet home."

Charlie's eyebrow raised. "Home to Garrison? That's a coincidence." He hesitated, then continued, "You don't by chance know of an invisible redhead playing hero there, do you?"

The Dapper Detective thanked the attendant as she swapped his empty glass for a full one. "Nope." His one of his eyebrows raised, pulling up the corner of that lip with it. "Can't say that I do. But then again I've been out of town for..." he stalled a beat, unsure of how long it had actually been, "a while."

"Ah."

The conversation died for a bit, and Charlie went back to gazing out of the window. For his part, Ryu ordered another drink and then feigned sleep, vigilantly guarding the bag as he did. Finally, the thief broke the silence. "Got another one, Roo. Grumpy, distrustful guy, black suit, black tie, black cape... dresses like you, but without the style and with a hat. Does shadows. Ring a bell?"

"No one has this style," Capin replied without opening his eyes. "I know him. I don't remember him being all that grumpy or distrustful, but I know him."

Invisible redheads. Corin grumpy and distrustful. Just how much had happened in Garrison over the time they were gone. "If the next question is if I know Kardiac - sparky guy, goggles, attitude, thinks he runs the town - the answer is yes." Capin sat up a bit, shifting his weight along with his attention. "Something you're getting to here, Charlie?"

"Just trying to think of somebody to vouch for me when we get back to town." An eyebrow popped up. "Unless not stealing that old vase you've got in the knapsack is enough for you."

"That's asking for a painful, painful death." Though it had been some time since the two had crossed paths the tone was uncharacteristically chilly. "For a lot of people. Not just you."

Charlie was taken aback. "I was just kidding, man. Had no idea it was full of such bad juju...

"It's alright. Just..." he shook his head a bit, "don't look inside." The thief simply nodded. Ryu continued. "I dunno that you need vouching for, Charlie. But alright," he picked up his glass, "You mean it about the straight and narrow, I'll vouch for you. Of course, if you don't, well..." Capin smirked that smirk of his and took a sip from the glass.

His smirk mirroring Ryu's own, Charlie drained the last of his champagne. "You might have beaten me... several times... but you've never actually caught me."

"Could be that I just like the challenge," he replied, though both of the men knew that wasn't true and their expressions showed it. Ryu raised his glass in mock toast. "But it was the beating I was referring to."

The thief rolled his glass between his hands. "So, that thing is really dangerous? Ancient vessel covered with inscriptions and sealed?"

Ryu nodded a bit, looking down at the bag. Still unable to feel much lightness in the events that had passed, his tone dropped back into that uncomfortably frosty coolness. "End of Days dangerous, Charlie."

"Ah crap. There wouldn't possibly be other ancient containers, would there? With end of the world, Ragnorak maybe, implications?"

His head turned slowly. "Maybe..." After all the things since he left Garrison, traveling through hell, lobotomizing an ancient demi-god from the inside out, anything was possible. It would stand to reason that there would be others. "Charlie... What did you do?"

The usually collected thief slouched in his seat. "A few months ago, I nabbed a sealed viking drinking horn from an archaeological dig in iceland. Sold it to a guy in Windsor who collects Viking antiquities." He held his hands about a foot apart. 'Bout this long, plugged with silver at both ends, covered with runes filled with silvery-grey metal of some sort."

The first thought was wondering if TAROT knew. The second imagined some idiot showing it off and accidentally dropping it and the world splitting in two. "Crap..." Capin looked down to the man beside him, arms draped across his knees. "You're not kidding are you..." Charlie shook his head. "Crap."

"Look," Charlie said, trying to put a good spin on things, "I've seen this guy's vault. Most banks don't have walls that thick. It's on a secure mount. It should be safe there, right?"

"Could you get it out?"

The self-assuredness returned to Heist. "I could walk out of Fort Knox with all the gold I could carry if I wanted to," he said cockily. "Getting in and out of a private vault shouldn't be a problem."

"It's not safe." He sighed. Most people chose their hobbies. Simple things like collecting stamps or comics. Playing baseball on weekends or jogging. Feeling a bit more like a players piece on a board, Capin was beginning to wonder if his hobby was going to be collecting ancient artifacts of evil and keeping them safe, keeping them hidden. At least Windsor wasn't so far. "We have to get it back."

Charlie blinked. "If I steal it back, I'm going to have to give him a refund." The thief sounded unsure as to whether this was something he could handle.

The noble thief... Ryu ran his fingers back through his mess of brown hair. "There's no 'if' here, Charlie. We have to." With any luck at all that could be done without an army and unleashing the pandora within it. The Dapper Detective wasn't so sure that he would be qualified to lock this one back up. "You need the money you earned, that'll be taken care of."

"Plus expenses?"

Ryu smirked. "What'd I tell you about freelance heroing?"

"Damn." the thief replied with a head shake. "Guess that means I do it for free."

"There are other rewards," he told him, picking up his glass for another drink. "Sore muscles. Cuts and bruises. Broken bones." He flagged down their attendant and ordered another set of drinks for them both. "Unhealthy drinking habits. And you keep the life of intrigue."

"Great. Just what I need." Charlie mumbled. "So when do we do this?"

"I need to take care of a few things first." He let his weight fall back against the cushions. "Dig up some info. Did this guy hire you directly? Anybody else bidding for the item?" The more eyes that were on the prize the faster they would have to move, assuming it hadn't already been removed by the competition.

Charlie thought about it for a second. "Well, I'd gotten a few other things for him so he knew how to contact me direct. Mostly all Norse and Viking stuff." He chuckled, thinking of the contact method. "Most of my regulars contact me by posting a specific item listing on ebay. My account searches for those listings and I get an email when one goes up. We go from there. Of course, there were archaeologists at the dig site."

"Get me a name," Ryu replied. Before anything happened they needed to see who this guy was, to make sure it wasn't a clever cover for TAROT to surreptitiously acquire their goods. "Whatever you've got on the guy, on the dig. We'll go from there."

"I'll have to get it from my records. He slipped a card out of his jacket and handed it to the Dapper Detective. It listed Charlie Simons as an "Acquisitions Specialist" and included his contact information.

He read the card, thumb running across the embossed lettering. "Cute."

"You know," he slipped that card into the inside pocket of his coat, "There is one more perk to working on the other side of the fence."

Charlie's eyebrow raised. "What's that?"

When it came right down to it and the cards had been played, Capin was the last person to call himself a hero. He just did what he thought was right. "Every so often," he lifted that glass, staring through it as if watching the recent weeks in the amber liquid,"if you're really unlucky. You get a shot at helping save the world."

Deflated by that bit of news, the thief shook his head. "Maybe. But my old job paid better."

[Dreamer]

Garrett hobbled up the stairs to his apartment. Normally he loved being on the top floor as it was easier to weave in and out for his night career. Today was different, Garrett was still nursing his two injuries and steps were becoming his enemy with every floor. He didn't live in some place glamorous it was in the Lourds after all, but with his career that top floor was a luxury. So he bit his lip and bared every second before making it to the door.

"Hi, stranger. " The light voice came from the right side of the top step.

A smirk came across Garrett's face as he continued up the stars. He looked about knowing a familiar face was there despite not being able to see it. As his eyes scanned he said loud enough for Faith to hear, "Must have been some good drugs Jamie and Corin gave me, now I'm suddenly hearing friendly voices. That or my job has finally gotten me to crack, and I am just hearing those voices inside my head," he shot the area a smile.

"So, how'd that whole 'working alone' thing work out for you?" she teased.

"Better than I thought...I hear women dig scars, now I have two of them. So maybe I'll attract a real girlfriend soon, whether or not she shoots me like the fake one did remains a mystery," he teased back smiling at Faith for a moment before looking away while digging for his keys.

Rising to her feet, Faith brushed the dust from her pants as she reappeared then held out a hand to take the keys from him. "Women don't dig scars that much," she disagreed with a sparkling smile.

He smirked and had a look that read, "figures", as the keys were tossed to Faith. "Well...in that case looks like I'm going to be single forever with my face. Eh, I'm kinda married to my job right now anyway...Nothing would work out I think."

With a roll of her eyes, she opened the door for him. "Home sweet home." Turning back to her friend, one hand resting on her hip, she gave him a skeptical look. "Do you need any help, Garrett?"

"Always," he said slowly working his way up the steps leading to his door. A nod of thanks was given to Faith, "I'm still getting over getting shot, it was an eye-opening experience in a lot of ways." The door wasn't shut until Faith was securely inside and as soon as the door was locked the private part of the conversation began. "I'm going to have to wear my uniform from the Ranger days until I get something better...The cloth did little to stop the bullets," his words were bitter as he spoke. Having to wear the uniform worn during the Ranger days was a step back for him in someways. Everything it represented disgusted him, but it provided more protection in comparison to his previous uniform.

Blue eyes very serious, Faith nodded in understanding. Making herself comfortable on his well-worn couch, she let out a sigh as she thought of what they'd both been through separately. "You don't have to go back to that if you don't want to. I'm sure we could find something else." Those full lips curled in a smile as she attempted to lighten his mood. "I've already promised to quit trying to stop pointy objects with my body. Maybe you should do the same for bullets."

He looked at her with the same serious tint in his own eyes, "Won't be made fast enough. Gotta do what I gotta do. You do have my word I won't stop bullets with my body anymore, or at least a promise to try. I'm not sure how far I can guarantee that..," he smiled at her trying to lighten the mood as she was.

"Well... it'll have to do." She smiled at him again. After all, for Garrett, that was a fairly big promise. "So what's next for recovering heroes?"

Everything jovial about Garrett faded away instantly when she asked that question, "That's a long story for me I'd rather not get into. Hopefully, some new cases with the team but I have to settle a score too," he spoke with hate filled words that oozed venom. Constance was still out there and he wanted to cut the rest of the strings she claimed to have on him.

She hated that tone in his voice. "Garrett..." But she didn't know what she wanted to say. She doubted she was even the right person to be giving advice on this subject. Surely someone more experienced would be able to offer something helpful. "Maybe now is a time to focus on healing and growing. You know, with the team. Settling scores is..."

"She did something worse than shoot me, Faith!!" he interrupted her letting Faith see the rage that now burned in his eyes. This was more than a personal vendetta for being shot. Constance threatened his family and his friends on a personal level that he couldn't put into words.

"What did she do?" She didn't particularly like being yelled at. Lacing her fingers together in her lap, Faith managed not to glare at him as she waited for an answer.

Slowly he hobbled to a desk and in a drawer pulling out a piece of paper that laid on top part of the inside of a manila folder and two pictures toward the back. Faith was handed the paper first that read:

You've let me know a few things about you Sid Meyers, or should I say Garrett? Or is it Dreamer? I don't know which to call you, but I know you hate who you are. You created yourself an identity with your costume and mask, a second one that some people look up to. There are risks with it, but you need it. You're so unhappy and held back that you never excelled within the system for so long that you lashed out at it creating a new persona. Sure you do enjoy saving people, but you can't deny the fact you feel more alive with your pale red-eyed face than your normal fleshy one. If not, then how did Sid Meyers come to be? He was more than just a means to keep me off your trail, whether or not you want to admit it.

Dance for me darling, dance for me. I'll be watching for you.

Looking up from the letter, she bit her lip. "Garrett, I'm sorry..."

He nodded taking back the letter that Constance had left in his inside jacket pocket the day he was shot. Pictures replaced the note in Faith's hand. They were of Garrett's mother and siblings. Each shot was taken from a distance and thanks to the variety of scenery, plant leaves up close and out of focus in one, and parts of a closed window in the other, showed the eeriness behind the photographer's intent. Both of the pictures looked like amateur paparazzi work except these were of no one famous, just Garrett's family. On the back was a "C" in the lower left corner written in red. An identical picture of Faith was in the folder that remained in the drawer, away from the redhead's eyes. "I can't help but settle this score Faith. She knows where my family is....They live a few hours out of town...I never introduced them to her..." Panic, hurt, and fear filled Garrett's eyes as rage started to take over his face, "Like I said...I have to settle this score."

"And how are you going to do that?" she asked coolly, handing the pictures back to him. "Take creepy pictures of her family and friends?"

"As far as I know she has no family and most of her friends wind up dead somewhere. Remember your father's friend?" Garrett said looking toward her while being a little thankful he didn't wind up like several other friends of Constance had. Sitting down his eyes looked into Faith's, "I'm going to need to smoke the woman out."

"How?" She didn't mean to be difficult. As his friend, Faith truly intended to support him... as soon as she figured out a way to do it that didn't include his likely death.

He sighed hard really not wanting to let Faith this far into his plan. "She's keeping tabs on me, in a weird passive stalker way...Wouldn't be hard."

Those blue eyes rolled toward the ceiling. "So your plan is to let her find you? And then what? You already know she's watching you. How do you intend to protect your family?"

By now Garrett was beginning to sink in his chair, hating how Faith could always do this to him. She had a way of getting through the cracks of his story and dragging out most of the details he tried to keep hidden. Those blue eyes couldn't pull all of them but damn near. "She wants to convert me into her way of thinking. Somehow she finds all the attention I gave her as 'Sid Meyers' was some big compliment or psycho way of saying I like her. Right now I have to play her game to keep people safe and to bring her out so I can see the woman drug away in cuffs. She's killed at least five men in Garrison alone, that's capitol murder, conspiracy to commit murder for each case. That's at least a few lifetimes in a nice high security cell," he said sounding too much like a reality show on one of the many cop stations out there. In a few brief moments Garrett tried brushing up on certain aspects of law.

With a sigh, Faith reached out to place a gentle hand on his arm. "Garrett, that still doesn't tell me anything about your plan..."

"Become the monster all the papers wanted me to be in the beginning, stay in the public eye like she wants. Eventually she'll want to see more and more, as things escalated the woman will slip up and I'll be there," after saying it Garrett even admitted it wasn't much of a plan, but it was still all he had.

"That's a horrible plan!" She clearly remembered how things were when they first met, how everyone thought he was the monster. "You are so beyond that."

Another sigh came from him as he stared at her, "What else can I do? She knows who I am, where I am, and who my family is. I got too close, messed up big, and I'm paying for it. I cleared your family friend's name showing he didn't kill himself. That's the only comfort I can take out of the Constance case, Faith.....I'm out of ideas and my back is against a wall," he confessed with defeat resonating in his voice.

She put her hand over his, looking up into his eyes with with genuine compassion. "That's because you're trying to think of everything yourself. You're not alone in this. Didn't you see the chairs at that table? There's not a single one of them, of us, who wouldn't jump at the chance to help you if you asked."

Guilt had now finally consumed Garrett and he sat up suddenly heading toward the desk the held the manila folder. His hand rummaged to the back pulling out the candid photo of Faith and he handed it to her before hobbling toward his bedroom. When he made it into his room Garrett went toward his closet moving a hidden door that was installed long ago. Inside was another closet that held up his hero uniforms a sigh as the old Red shirt that had been battered, tattered, and bloodied now had a fresh new bullet hole in it. A similar reaction was had when his eyes went to a pair of black slacks that were beat up in nearly the same fashion and also sported their own fresh bullet hole. His hands pulled out a the red and black uniform from the ranger days and he set it on the bed.

Staring at the picture, Faith teetered on the edge between anger and understanding. "When exactly were you planning on telling me about this?" she yelled, tired of waiting for him to come back into the room. She looked at the picture again, surprised at how... exposed it made her feel. It was one thing to risk her own life. But to have some crazy woman try to use her as a weapon against her friend? It was disturbing, to say the least. "If you don't tell someone about this, I will."

"It was my screw up, my cross to bear for not making my alias concrete enough. I was going to tell you, once you were out of the cross-hairs Faith," he said walking back this time in uniform. His movements were jerky and not one-hundred percent. His eyes looked into hers filled with guilt not wanting her to be in any trouble especially because of him.

She raised an eyebrow at the change of clothes, letting it go without comment... for now. "Well I'm glad I know." Looking away, the petite girl let out a long sigh. "Garrett, no matter what you say about it being your cross or responsibility or whatever... I can't let it go. And I can't keep it to myself."

He nodded understanding, "I compromised a member of the team. I'm not sure how well the rest of our partners will take it...especially Kardiac," fear lingered in Garrett's voice as thought of Kardiac pummeling him into a bloody pulp for harming Faith danced about in his head. "I really don't want to get kicked off the team.."

The smile finally returned to her face as Faith crossed the room to give him a gentle hug. "You're not going to get kicked off anything." Pulling back, she looked him in the eye. "But I can't lie about this either..."

"I'll tell Jamie..."

Nodding, she went back to her seat on the couch, ready to move on to new subjects. "That's a good idea." Of course, she was still going to tell Eddy. After all, he was her mentor, and infinitely more experienced with this sort of thing than anyone else she knew. But, more than that, telling him would make her feel safe. Because no matter how calm she was trying to sound, the little redhead was totally creeped out by that picture. "So... um... how do you feel?"

He looked at her with the utmost sincerity and asked, "Will you ever forgive me?"

"Hey." Her hand stretched out toward him. "This is me. Remember? I did that before you even asked."

Black gloved hands went around her face and his lips pressed against her forehead. His head lingered against hers for a moment before he slipped away to get his mask and coat, Garrett whispered, "Thank you" before heading to his room to retrieve the last of his uniform.

Shaking her head, Faith sighed and watched him go. She was fairly certain that only bleeding to death, or something equally dramatic, would make him sit down and rest. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be. "I can stay for a little bit if you need help getting around or something. Otherwise I'm gonna head out to do some practicing." She drew an invisible bow across strings, mimicing playing her cello. A frown creased her brow to discover some lingering stiffness.

"I'm still recovering, but I can't stay down for too long right now. Rest isn't a luxury I can afford," he said looking at putting on his mask since the sun had yet to set.

"I see." Blue eyes narrowing, she clearly remembered how difficult the steps up to his apartment had been for him. "Then I'm afraid you leave me no choice..." Holding her phone like a weapon, she moved between him and the door. "Either you take a night off or I call Corin and Jamie right now."

"I could gas you before your finger could hit speed dial, just letting you know...." there was a seriousness in his voice like part of him was ready to do it. Then slowly everything started to crack "..If you were someone else.." Shaking his head, as she had down to him many times today already, "Why do you have to be you?" His question was filled with frustration before he yanked mask off angrily.

Her smile was gentle. "I can't be anyone else," she chuckled. "I'm your friend, Garrett. And, as your friend, it's my job to watch out for you... even when you'd rather I just look the other way." She took the mask from him and set it down on the far end of his kitchen table.

Garrett plopped down on the couch staring down at the floor still dressed in the uniform, "She was right you know..."

One fiery eyebrow raised ever so slightly. "She who? And about what?"

"Constance and the note," he said low still staring downward.

Faith crossed her arms over her chest. "Explain."

"What kind of worth was I ever as just Garrett Sanders before the costume and powers came along? I feel so useless right now..It's even hard to get up the damned stairs! I was hoping a night out could dispel some of that.."

She was out of her depth here. Faith stared at her friend helplessly, unsure of what to say. She hadn't known him before he got his powers, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't matter. He was just Garret, not Garrett-the guy with powers. But how did she make him see that? Especially when he was already in this mood. "No one could ever doubt your dedication to this... stuff. Giving yourself time to heal doesn't make you useless; it makes you smart. What kind of night out are you going to have if you can't even make it up the stairs?" She wanted to be honest with him, no matter how brutal it sounded.

He nodded knowing the woman was right, as she had that tendency to be, but the helpless feeling would still linger no matter how right Faith was. "I just hate feeling useless, helpless, and sidelined, especially when my friend is in trouble."

"Don't let my recent time in the medbay fool you. I can take care of myself. And when I can't... I've got a whole team at my back." She smiled again, glad that he was listening, or at least pretending to. "And in case you haven't realized it yet... so do you."

"I just figured my mess, my responsibility," he said in the same low tone before his confession about feeling useless.

"Nope. Not when your mess effects someone else's life." Despite the weight of her words, Faith's smile was still warm.

Despite the warm smile the weight came crashing down on Garrett's shoulders and it showed physically as he slumped in the chair more. "Sorry..," he said.

A small hand came to rest on his knee. "I wasn't saying it to make you feel bad, Garrett. It's just... the truth. And it's okay. You're not going to sit here and beat yourself up about it. You're going to move on and make things right... with help." A twinkle lit her blue eyes as she continued to smile at him.

"Will the help want me after they hear I compromised you?" he said looking at her giving his best effort to smile despite the sadness that lingered in the dark eyes staring into the happy blue ones looked back at him.

"Of course they will," she answered immediately. "That's what teams do."

[Kardiac]

Kardiac sped towards the Doghouse, his bike roaring through the dark side streets between the Wells and the kids' funhouse. He took the back streets hoping to find someone breaking a law so that he, in turn, could break some faces, but he's so far proven unsuccessful. He needed better dark alleys.

He always got a little antsy when he knew a conversation might go to sensitive places, and he had just such a conversation left unfinished with Faith. She'd asked him to fill her in on some things, and he knew that the answers she sought would just lead to more questions... questions he didn't want to answer.

That's why he'd called Aaron. There were only four people he could call who knew the dark road he may have to navigate and Aaron was the one he'd chosen to have at his back. He hadn't told Faith that he'd called Blue in on the conversation, but considering he hadn't fully debriefed their "fearless leader" on the Tower incident, the conversation could serve double duty. He just hoped she'd understand.

Jenna, on the other hand, had been understanding when he told her they'd have to skip dinner tonight. She'd been unusually tentative with him since Marcus had told her about the "passing out" incident. She was, more or less, treating him the same way she had after the Sharp Dressed Man ran him through, so he lived in comfort that, eventually, he'd get the old Agent Fairchild back. She was, after all, the one he wanted.

Flipping a switch on his bike's left hand-grip, he cut in the engine's silencers. They were a gift from Jenna, and damned handy if Eddy had to say so himself. The roar of the engine became a low hum as he sidled up next to the Doghouse. Kicking to stand, he parked the cycle in shadows, cut the engine, and slipped inside.

His body still ached from the fight with Justice, but he'd spent the last couple of days focusing his metabolism on healing himself, so he was farther along than most would be. He was still worried about Faith and her GSW's, since he knew she didn't have quite the same advantages he'd been re-born with. Sometimes, he wished rapid healing was a power he could share.... Even so, she seemed to be doing well enough the last time he'd seen her. Of course... she was good at playing cheerful even when reality pointed otherwise.

Nevertheless, she'd told him she'd meet him here, and he hoped it wouldn't pain her too much to do so. Bypassing the bulk of the Doghouse's security with practiced ease -- just for the amusement of it -- he slipped into the Meeting Hall and crept up behind her chair. She wasn't in it. He was cursing himself for showing up early and not getting to scare her when a finger poked him in either side, just below the ribcage. Eddy nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd been so absorbed in thought, that he hadn't yet thought that maybe she was just as eager to scare the hell out of him.

Turning to face her heartbeat, he smirked as she faded into view, her giggling preceding her. "Well done," he said, proudly. "It's not many people who can sneak up on me... you must have a brilliant teacher."

"I do have a brilliant teacher," she told him, mischief dancing in her eyes as she flashed that 'Eddy' smirk right back at him. "Brilliant and humble... and stuff..."

Wolf stepped into the room opposite from where Kardiac and Faith stood. "Damn. And here I thought there might be a slight chance of deprogramming the poor girl." He was in his 'work' clothes, but his visor was off and his cowl hung loose around his neck. Not standing on any ceremony, Wolf pulled one of the chairs away from the table and sat down, propping his boots up on the edge. "What's up?"

Eddy swung Faith's chair around for her, then half-sat on the table. "We never did a proper debrief on the Takahashi and TAROT situation," he said, in answer. "And while I got a good run-down of what happened to Sylph while she and I were separated, she had some questions about my part of things... so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."

"And from what I hear, Strat didn't find Justice in the building... which means she's still 'at large,'" he continued, masking the slight shudder than ran down his spine at the thought of dealing with her again. "And she's one you'll need to be damned good and ready for if she comes back to town." He shrugged slightly. "Though I'm hoping our in-line on their bolt-holes and safe houses is enough to keep them at bay for a while."

"Something I'd like to start moving on soon," Aaron said. He'd watched Eddy carefully in the brief meetings since they had returned home. And while there were some things Aaron knew would always be a constant with his friend, he'd noticed a few subtle differences as well. "I don't want you to think that I was glossing over your takedown of Tower, I just figured those present already knew what they needed to know, and if there was anything else..."

Eddy smiled. "We've been working together a long time, now. If you had offended me," he said, his smile turning into his usual smirk, "You'd know it."

"As far as taking down the cells and safe houses goes," he added, eyes narrowing, "We started on that last night. You can check the first two locations off the list."

With that said, Eddy began to tell Aaron what he'd been doing since Bluewolf and Capin's "bromantic" getaway had begun. He told him of his closer operations with Strategoi, glossed over the Haywire incident (since Bluewolf seemed to have found his own way to be "involved" in that one, anyway), and told him about meeting Faith. He went into more detail when he began talking about the Tower infiltration, touching on each step of the operation and putting special accent on Sylph's contributions.

There was an unusual tone to Eddy's voice when he talked about the girl, something Aaron noticed almost immediately. Kardiac dumped most people into two buckets: "useful tool" or "useless impediment." A rare few fell into "ally" or, rarer still, "friend." Viv, Jenna, and even Lexa seemed to be in a club of their own, but Faith was something unique... something new. Aaron couldn't help but smile to himself when he realized just how deeply Faith had managed to "reprogram" Eddy... even while he reprogrammed her.

Eddy stopped his debrief on his part of the Tower operation when he got to the part about escaping from Tower's brig. His last words on the subject where, "That's when I ran into Justice." Rather than go into those details just yet, he broke off to cover the information Faith had given him about her experiences with Leland and Takahashi, checking his facts with her as he continued. When he got to his arrival on the scene and her departure, he carefully skipped over his interrogation of Tower and jumped into their recent medical adventures.

Having said that, and knowing that both Aaron and Faith had stewed long enough without asking questions, he stopped talking, punctuating that action with a simple. "Well?"

Aaron tucked his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat. "I suppose congratulations are in order, then." He directed a warm smile towards Faith, "You've done more in three months time to make Sparky a team player than I've been able to do in... well, far too long."

Though she beamed at the compliment from someone so important to Eddy, Faith immediately shook her head. "I didn't do anything." Somehow managing to keep the blush from spreading across too much of her face, she pulled her legs up into the chair and sat cross legged as prepared her list of questions.

"You're not going to tell me what happened after I left the room." It wasn't a question. She knew that in this case, pushing him on the subject was a waste of time. Turning her head to let her hair partially hide her face from Aaron, the redhead looked up into Eddy's eyes. "I just wondered... They've got him, right? I mean, Tower's locked away and they're not going to let him get out. Right?"

"I questioned him," Eddy said, not looking her directly in the eye as he spoke. "But he's in Federal custody... and he's not gonna see sky again for a very long time." He smiled weakly. He's not gonna see anything for a long time, he thought his eyes flicking over to Bluewolf. Takahashi would recover... eventually. In the meantime, his powers weren't going to be helping him escape.

That was enough to ease her mind. For now. And, since the king of evasive answers had spoken, she knew it was time to change the line of questioning. "You said you'd tell me about Justice," she reminded him, leaning her chin on her hand. "In fact, I think you promised..."

Eddy nodded. He knew she'd let him go on the interrogation, but this was the question he'd wanted to avoid. Still, Justice was at large... and her powers were incredibly dangerous. "Justice... woman, blind-folded, scale-necklace, and sword. Oh yeah, she was also wearing a toga." He smirked at the last comment. "But her power was... intense."

His eyes flashed to Aaron. "She was a psychic," he said, eyes narrowing. "I hate psychics!"

Bluewolf frowned. Given the situation in which Mistress Psyche left Capin and him, he wasn't too fond of them himself. "What flavor?" he asked, his face showing his concern.

"I've never seen anything like her," Eddy replied. "I'd have to call her a... transgressional empath," he continued after a moment, his eyes clearly searching for a way to define the villain. "She could turn your past sins against you... the worse the crime, the worse the punishment." He glanced at Faith, his eyes soft... then looked away from both of them.

"The more damage you've dealt, the more she can deal out to you.... It almost killed me...," he said, finally. After a heartbeat, he looked at Aaron, his eyes hardened. "And we both know that a power like that could have."

Faith shuddered. It sounded horrible. How did a person even develop a power like that? Did they have no choice but to be someone mean when their talent was something so painful? But as bad as she felt for this Justice lady for being stuck with something like that, she felt for Eddy. "So how did you...?" Biting her lower lip, she reached out to touch his arm. "How do you stop something so... bad?"

Eddy frowned, letting his gaze drift off into space. "Her power feeds on emotion... specifically guilt," he said to no one in particular. "If you know, and I mean know, that your actions were were fully justified, you can push through it," he added, "But any doubt... a hint of concern about the righteousness of the sin that it latches on to, and whatever you did gets done right back to you."

"Wow..." Her lips curled in a little smile. It was somehow very fitting to picture him using righteous anger against a creepy bad guy. "I'm officially never going to complain about being in the room with Takahashi again." That brought her to another line of questions but this time she paused. Looking up at Aaron, she waited to make sure he didn't have any questions or comments of his own. After all, they were the experts here. She was just the amateur.

Aaron knew Eddy, and he knew the 'sin' that Justice must have visited upon him. The idea of it made him shudder, though he managed to show no outward signs. What he didn't know was how much Faith knew about her mentor and his origins and why Justice would have such a strong weapon against the verdant vigilante. "Is she the type that would take up solo operations, or do you think TAROT keeps a tighter leash on her?"

Eddy smirked, which practically answered the question before his words did. "She was the strong, silent type... the kind that follows orders, not the kind that gives 'em. I expect that, if we see her again, it'll be in an official capacity." He snorted, "I don't exactly see her as a freelancer."

"It's a shame, really," he added. "She'd make one Hell of a 'good guy' with a power like that."

Aaron grunted, "Not so sure about that," he mused. "Folks with abilities like that tend to develop a warped sense of what justice means. Too easy to cross that line. Still, it's our advantage to know that if she does make her presence known again, there will be someone nearby calling the shots."

Aaron's eyes traveled back to Faith. "I can tell you still have questions, so it's back to you, kiddo."

With a pout, she turned to Eddy and flashed him her best 'melt the hearts and get what she wanted' look. "You're not going to let him call me that, are you?"

Eddy smirked. "Seeing as how we've never fought each other past a stalemate, I doubt I can stop him." He chuckled softly. "Besides... he's the 'boss.'"

"Not fair." Her pout dissolved into a grin. Aaron, it appeared, would need some appropriate old-guy nicknames just like Eddy.

But she really did have questions. "Leland," she said, her face growing serious. "I haven't heard anything. Of course, I've been hiding out up here to avoid the chance that someone in my family will stop by my place and see the bandages and stuff... Oh!"

Train of thought derailed, Faith pulled the collar of her shirt to the side to show off a good expanse of shoulder. "Corin says it's healing really nicely and they've promised no scars... so I don't even have to throw away my bikinis or anything."

Eddy laughed. "We couldn't allow that," he said, his smile turning into his usual smirk. "Robbing the sighted world of you in a bikini would be TAROT's greatest crime of all," he added, just the slightest hint of a facetious tone sneaking through.

"Leland's strong," he continued, his voice dropping its electrical resonance. His face, however, grew more serious. "The doctors won't say he's 'out of danger' just yet...," he continued. "He's comatose... but I can't give you too many details, because my sister isn't too enthusiastic about me visiting at the moment. Despite the fact that I had no idea Leland was involved -- and that I wasn't in the room -- she's chosen to blame me." He paused for just a beat, then shrugged. "And for now, I'm choosing to let her. She needs someone to blame right now..."

"But..." She bit her lip again. "It's so not your fault." Technically, if it was anyone's fault, it was probably hers. It was her presence that changed the room. And she was the one Leland had tried to protect.

Eddy narrowed his eyes and looked straight into hers. "I don't need to be a telepath...," he said, flatly. Putting on his most lovingly authoritative voice, he continued with "It is not your fault." His arms folded over his chest. "Leland chose to act. It was a heroic action... and it shouldn't be diminished through self-blame or loathing. I'm letting Deanna blame me, but I don't blame myself... and I'm surely not blaming you, either."

She was out of her seat and hugging him before she even stopped to think that sudden, large movements might not be the best idea. "Ouch." But she squeezed him anyway. Takahasi was gone and not getting out... and Eddy didn't blame her. That was all she needed. For now.

Eddy slid one arm around her under the auspice of helping her support herself, then looked over at Aaron. "So... anything else we need to cover?" While asking the question, he clicked his comms to Corin's frequency and double-tapped the transmitter... better safe than sorry. She was, after all, still recovering... and although Eddy would never admit to being overprotective, his instincts spoke otherwise.

"I don't think so," Aaron replied. He had been studying the interaction between Eddy and Faith since the first meeting with growing interest. "I think we've covered enough."

"What's up," the Starlight Sleuth's voice crackled to life from the other side of the comm.

Eddy nodded to Aaron as he raised the comm to reply to Corin. "I've got a patient here who just over-stressed herself," he said, smirking down at Faith as he helped her back to her seat. "I don't think it's anything serious, but I thought you'd want to give her the once over." He clicked the comm off, then turned back to Aaron, ignoring the playfully-ignoble look he was getting from Faith for telling her doctor on her.

"I've got dinner with Sil tonight, but it'd be nice to catch up at some point," he said, standing up from his seat on the table. "I'm going to swing by the hospital tomorrow and check on Leland, but I'm free after... you got any plans?"

Faith stopped pouting long enough to interrupt, "I'm going with you to the hospital this time."

Aaron stroked his chin, mostly to hide his smile. He was beginning to think that Eddy may very well have bitten off more than he can chew with this one. He'd be sure to tell him so, but later. "One of the perks of being recently returned from the dead, my social calendar is pretty wide open."

Eddy nodded. "Cool 'nuff," he said, smirking. "I'll give you a shout in the A.M." Seeing Aaron nod, he turned back to Faith.

"You're not going with me to the hospital," he said, flatly. "You'll be there when I arrive, and my sister will be introducing us for the first time," he continued. He smirked. "Or did you forget that you have a secret identity to maintain... and Deanna knows about my nocturnal activities." He smiled, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And she's smart... it wouldn't take long for her to figure it out."

Though she blushed for having forgotten such an important detail in front of the boss, Faith hadn't quite forgiven Eddy for calling for Corin. "It's your lot in life to be surrounded by smart women," she told him. But her merciless smirk gradually gave way to a true grin. "Right. I'll get there first. Because it's perfectly natural to be concerned about a family member... no matter how distant they are. I just have to make sure I don't say anything bad."

Her head tilted to the side as she looked up at him, her brows knitting in a small frown as she thought it over. "You know... it's going to be strange pretending that I don't know you."

"Someone call for a doctor?" Corin stepped out of the shadows.

"I'm fine," the redhead protested without even bothering to answer the question.

Corin looked up at both Eddy and Aaron, "So why are they calling me in." Corin laughed.

"Senility?" Faith suggested with a wicked little smile.

"Well they are both over thirty, I can see that," Corin nodded, "I could run some tests?"

"You can test for that?" Faith asked in mock surprise.

"Oh yeah," Corin played along, "Basic motor function tests, reflexes and the like. Then we start a battery of cognitive function tests-"

Corin stopped short when he noticed the sparks dance between Kardiac's fingers. "Blue, you recall that charge I hit you with right after we first met?"

"It's not a thing a person is likely to forget."

"How well do you think the good doctor's cognitive functioning would be if I hit him with something at that level?"

Kardiac's grin was positively vicious, but what Corin and Faith found most unsettling was how Wolf's mirrored it. "Not so well, I'd imagine. In fact, I'd lay a hefty wager that there would certainly be a loss of control of certain bodily functions." The 'elder' looked Corin in the eye with a raised brow. "You do have a change of clothes handy, though, don't you Doc? It'd be a little embarrassing to send Jamie home for a clean pair of drawers."

"I caught Corin in his underwear once," Faith began conversationally, curling up in her chair to watch the boys play. "But I was invisible... and he wasn't my doctor yet."

"When was that?" Corin's eyebrows raised.

"Oh." A faint blush colored her cheeks. She really hadn't been planning on telling Corin this story. Ever. But if it meant avoiding her check-up... "It was back when you were treating my dad. I was sorta following you when you went into a closet. But I didn't know you were going to be changing clothes in there."

"Wow," Corin's head rocked back with laughter as he checked Faith's ribs, "that seems like forever ago."

"While I'm leaving before the subject turns to boxers vs. briefs." Kardiac said, making for the door. He pulled it open and was halfway through before turning back to Aaron and Faith, "See you both tomorrow."

[Capin]

Ryu Kokezaru stood outside the old brick building that held the Peking Bookhouse. The closed sign still hung in the window, and it was dark inside. He was fishing keys out of his bag as he rounded the corner to the side entrance. It had been so long since he'd needed them he'd gotten accustomed to not bothering to carry them but before long he was pushing his way through into the home he hadn't seen in over a year.

The Bookhouse wasn't truly his; it was Melody's. In his heart he was only keeping it warm until she was ready to come back to it. Even so, having lived so much of his life before Garrison on the road it was as close to a home as he'd ever really known since the Ashram. And he'd spent years in this town before he ever settled in there. But home it was.

Despite having been abandoned for over a year it was pristine. Not a bit of dust had collected over time. Probably one of the many charms Melody had put in place. Just because it was safe, didn't mean it couldn't be clean. But it wasn't just clean. It was empty. It was quiet. "I need a dog or something..." He said to the empty house as he lugged his bag over and dropped it on the couch.

"Alright my little hellspawn cuttlefish," still holding the satchel with its precious cargo, he looked around. "Where do we put you?" He couldn't think of a place that would be safer for it than in Melody's home. She'd spent years keeping that book store hidden and safe with powerful protection charms. While Capin whipping up a geospatial anomaly to hide the pot wasn't in his skillset, he could at least borrow a little help from somebody who had known what they were doing. "Probably not a good idea to put you in a fish tank, so..." He carried it over to the pantry. Melody had put a surprising number of what she had called 'troublesome items' in the pantry for safe keeping. It was a term that he found to be rather appropriate for this package. He hid it neatly away on the floor in the corner.

Opening the fridge out of habit felt good, even if it was empty. "Shopping," He smirked, "Joy." Life was already beginning to feel a little more normal. The one thing that would complete that feeling was stretching his legs, reintroducing himself to the city that was home. Touching base with Eddy and Corin.

"Eddy..." The name came with a grinning cringe. "Can't wait to hear how that went..."

He trudged up the steps to the second floor. Before anything else could happen he just had to shake this jet lag that had been following him around for months on end.

---

Morning came late. So late that when Ryu rolled out of the bed and looked out the window he was pretty sure that it was early evening at best. Despite the yawn he stifled with the back of his fist, he stood feeling more recharged and refreshed than he had in ages. Arms over head he let that yawn stretch out from head to toe.

He stood by the window and looked out over the dusk of Garrison. "Home again, home again," he said. He felt Enry stir with a similar content and eagerness.

Looking back over his shoulder he returned to the bed and picked up the silver comm that had laid on the nightstand. He'd kept it off since parting company with Aaron and the others back in Hokkaido. He lifted it, running his thumb over the embossed mon on its top. "Hey Eddy. Sorry I didn't call sooner, was kinda busy with stuff... Yeah. It was crazy. I see the city didn't burn down in our absence, so that's good." He shook his head, calling out of the blue was probably not the best idea.

He flipped the communicator open and powered it back up. His thump darted across the buttons and in moments there was a familiar tone. "Hey."

Hey, Aaron's voice answered back. Welcome home. The sounds of muffled gunfire and explosions fed through the background, as though Aaron was playing a video game.

"Thanks." A curl came upon the edge of Ryu's mouth. The somewhat familiar sound was almost comforting, and Capin was already standing in front of the closet fishing out a fresh coat and a pristine white shirt. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

Nothing important, just a little exercise. Ryu could hear the smile in Aaron's voice.

"That's some gym membership you've got there."

Come on over, I can get you in on a visitor's pass.

Without even buttoning up he was slinging the black jacket over the white shirt. The cape bled through the weave and cascaded down his back. "Where you at?" His fingers threaded each button through their holes and he tucked the shirt in as he trotted down the steps. "Warehouse?"

Not exactly. Generally, Ryu found Aaron only to be evasive when he was about to spring some sort of surprise. Ryu chalked it up to boyish charm, even though it was annoying sometimes. There. Got you... You haven't had a big meal today, have you?

"Wait. What? Got me? What does it mat-" Ryu's words cut off as the world around him went impossibly bright, then impossibly dark. He felt like he was being sucked into a whirlpool through a silly-straw. He found it to be a wholly unpleasant experience. But as soon as it had started, everything returned to normal, and Aaron stood before him barely containing a grin. "-ter."

"Welcome to the doghouse. I'll give you a minute to make sure you're not going to hurl before we start the nickel tour."

Capin's skull pounded and suddenly it felt like all of his weight had dropped into his stomach. He stumbled back a few steps. Bluewolf stood back and waited as Capin paused doubled over a little. He held up a finger, and after a moment took a tentative breath more than half expecting it to spark that throwing up his friend had so casually mentioned. It didn't happen.

"Good?"

The Dapper Detective shook his head. "What the hell?" He held his skull as the throbbing died down a little.

"A little something Doc borrowed from the Wonders. It's not as flashy as a 'wolf-jet,' and the range is limited to just outside the city, but it can put us where we want to be and bring us back again." Aaron explained, then added, "Takes a little getting used to."

"You don't say." The black and white clad man shook his head. "I think I'll stick with the train, thanks."

Finally things started to come back into focus, though Ryu wasn't quite sure if his eyes were sending the right signals to his brain. The smooth steel walls, the industrial flooring. The first thing that ran through his mind was Stragegoi, but he knew that wasn't a bed that Aaron would be climbing into.

His exploring gaze fell back onto Bluewolf. It had been a while since he'd seen him in the full get up. "You've been busy." Whatever this was, there was no way Aaron had put it together that fast. And he could tell that much just by standing in that room. "Doing what, I'm not sure..."

"Sometimes death has it's upside," Aaron said, pulling off his mask and hooking it on his belt. "This is, like I tried to explain to Eddy, plan B. With Strategoi nipping at our heels to start working for Uncle Sam, I figured we needed to establish some boundaries. I was going to start on this once we got back from Montana, but..."

"Right." Ryu nodded, neither of them needing to go there. They'd been there for the past year. He looked around. "Plan B," he repeated. Aaron knew how uncomfortable Ryu had gotten with Strategoi's interest in them. "Big plan for the couple of us."

Aaron shrugged. "I blame Doc for some of the embellishments. A teleporter wasn't exactly in my original plans. He's a bit of a 'go big, or go home' kinda guy. Besides, we managed to pick up a couple of strays on our travels, and Corin inducted a couple of kids who show some promise and might otherwise have gotten themselves killed. C'mon, we can talk more while I show you around."

Charlie's comments on the plane were making a little more sense. "I suppose it's been a while." Things clearly had changed. "I bumped into a guy on my flight home who was," he paused trying to figure out the best way to describe Charlie, "in the business and, for better or worse, has been spending some time in town." The cowl bled away as the two men left the transport room and headed down one of the hallways. "I think he described Corin as 'grumpy' and 'distrustful'... Doc been hanging around with Sparky too much?"

"I don't think so," Aaron opened the door to the meeting room, "but the kid's certainly done some growing while we were gone."[/capin]

"How did Kard take it?"

Wolf chuckled softly, the t3 bulbs flooding the room with light. [wolf]"Surprisingly well..."

"He didn't hit you?" His eyes flowed around the room, falling onto the large table in the middle.

"No..." He watched Ryu as he took the room in. "He hit me." They moved through one of the doors leading out of the meeting room and into a short hallway. "He was nice enough to make it a body blow, what with the potential interviews and the like. It's hard enough explaining the disappearance without having to do so with a shiner."

At the end of the hall, they were met with a blank wall. After a moment, a small panel slid up, revealing a keypad and biometric scanner. Aaron punched in a sequence and removed his glove to place his bare palm on the scanner. The light on the pad went from blue to green and the panel slid closed. As Aaron slid the glove back on, a seam that had been imperceptible before broke the surface of the wall and it parted. Inside, Ryu took in a sight that could have come from the set of a science-fiction flick. He looked at Aaron with a raised brow.

"Monitor room," Aaron replied to the unspoken question, leading the Dapper Detective from the hall. "I prefer to call it 'The Cave.'"

"I can see why." The room was truly cavernous, with it's main lightsource seeming to come from the bank of screens - some holographic - and the arrays of hardware that filled the room with a steady hum.

"Access to the non-public areas is controlled by a host of bio-scanners," Aaron explained, "some technological, and some... not. More of Doc's embellishments. We should probably get you into the system while we're here so I don't have to keep scanning in with the secondary system."

"Public?" Ryu followed him over to one of the stations, a smaller set with its own little screen, far less impressive then the massive one at the central computer. "Are there employees and tours?"

"Roll up your sleeve."

Capin tossed his coat onto the back of the swivel chair. The black glove disappeared into his skin, and he pushed the white sleeve back up to his elbow. "Urban Legend looks kinda silly on a ID lanyard."

Aaron laughed, "Yes and no. The above-ground levels of the fort are still open to the public, historical landmark and all. The only folks that see what's going on under the surface, are the folks that we allow in. This might sting," Aaron pressed a hypo-gun to Ryu's forearm and pulled the trigger. A pop-hiss issued from the gun and Ryu felt like he'd be stung by a bee. Aaron placed the gun back into it's carriage and motioned for Ryu to stand on a small pad, the size of a bathroom scale next to the station.

As he did, Ryu found himself bathed in multi-colored light that seemed to have no source. The shiver of a shock traveled up his spine, causing Enry to prickle with a discomfort his host shared.

"Ahhh..." Capin smirked, shaking off the tingle as the scan completed its survey. He gave the cave an other look. It certainly had that underground feeling, and judging by the scale it the whole place seemed to have, there were few places in Garrison city that you could hide such a thing. The land beneath Freedom Eagle was already occupied. So that just left the Fort. "That explains Midas offering to fund the restoration project..."

"Doesn't it?" Aaron gave a somewhat proud chuckle.

"Very clever," he nodded, "Nobody suspects the Man of Gold to do anything untoward."

"That's because no one knows him like I do," Aaron said, moving back across the Cave. Scooping up his coat, Ryu followed towards another seemingly blank wall that slid open without all the fuss that they had to use to enter the room. Another short hall, and they entered into what looked like a smaller version of the monitor room. "The man has the soul of a scoundrel, albeit a noble one. That's what makes him so appealing in the public eye. That, and the fact that he's possibly the smartest man on the planet."

Low light filled the room, illuminating a control console and a pair of chairs. A curved wall of glass was set above the console, but everything beyond was set in total darkness. "Funhouse, lights." The voice command revealed an area outside the control room that had to be every bit the size of the Garrison Aero-Dome. Triangular plates formed into hexagons that honeycombed across the floor, up the sloped walls, and overhead to form the ceiling to give the effect of being inside a gigantic beehive.

"The training room, or Funhouse, as Corin has come to call it," Aaron said in introduction. "Like everything else here, it combines real world and not-so-real world technology to provide highly variable and adaptable scenarios, both conventional and un-."

"Jesus..." He ran his hand back through his hair, a little more than stunned by the room. As bizarre as their trip had been, with its hell and its ancient black beast, this seemed far more surreal. The things beyond their world didn't seem to need a rhyme or reason. They just were. This place, however...

His thoughts hearkened back to that dark cave and the first conversation that he'd had with Aaron after they'd found him, after he was back. "You were right. Things are different."

He looked back to Aaron, grinning. "So, a clubhouse-"

"Doghouse," he corrected.

"Doghouse. Monitor Cave. Training room..." He slipped his arms back through the sleeves of his coat. "Are you putting together the Wonders MidWest?"

"Nothing of the sort," Aaron scoffed. "We needed a place to call our own. Lights." The lights flickered off, once again bathing the arena beyond in inky blackness. "We were starting to become too reliant on Strategoi. That reliance breeds complacency, and once we become complacent, we might as well be working for them instead of with them."

Aaron lead the way back to the meeting room with its huge round table. Ryu noted, with passing curiosity, that even though it seemed like they had walked the same hall that had led from the Cave to the Funhouse, their return bypassed the Cave altogether.

"So..." Capin walked around the table. He spied all the little symbols on the chair backs. "Without becoming reliant or complacent or employed, how do we make sure we don't become them?" He stopped and leaned on one of the chairs, his hands dangling over the Eye of Horus that was etched into it. "It was easy when we were just running around the streets, linked up on a couple comms and playing it by ear. Don't get me wrong. You and I know better than anybody that this is bigger than any of us, but..." He shook his head a little and looked around the room once more. "I'm not Doc Midas."

"But I hear you're a great dancer," Corin's voice echoed through the room. The Starlight Sleuth appeared from out of the shadows. He was mostly in costume, his tie was completely undone and hanging around his open collar and he carried his fedora in his hands. "I was wondering when you were gonna show up," Corin grinned at the Dapper Detective, "How you been, fancy pants?"

Smiling, Capin gave a lazy glance to Aaron. He wasn't sure how much he'd related to the others. "Had a few loose ends to tie up," he crossed over the room and met Corin with a viking embrace. "Good to see you, Doc. Wolf says you've been doing pretty well for yourself."

"Somebody had to hold the fort down, so to speak." Corin returned the hug, "Glad to have you all back though."

"Wasn't an actual fort to hold down when I left." He laughed.

"Fair enough," Corin nodded as he set his hat down on table. "So have you gotten to meet any of the new additions yet?"

"Can't say that I have. Heard the roster's grown."

"From like the moment you guys left," Corin smiled, "All of them pretty good kids too."

Corin's interruption had been a timely one. Ryu's question had caught Aaron off-guard, and he didn't have a ready answer. Sure, they were an independent, privatized group, where Strategoi was founded and funded by the government. Their cast of characters fought the good fight because it was the right thing to do. But then, so did almost every Strat team member he'd met, and they drew a regular paycheck. It was all well and good to say that they would confine their operations to Garrison, but would that always be the case? Could they, in 'fighting the good fight,' simply chase criminals to the city limits, dust off their hands and be thankful that now they were someone else's problem? Aaron, of all people, knew it didn't work that way.

"Well," Ryu pulled out one of the chairs, oblivious to the waning moon symbol with its clock hand pointing to midnight.

"Actually that's-" Mid-Night raised his hand as the Dapper Detective dropped into his chair. "Never mind," he finished, chuckling a bit as he slid his hat over and depositing himself in Daylight's seat.

"It looks good." He gave another small look around. "I take it Sparky want's nothing to do with it so far."

Corin's head tipped back in laughter. "How'd you guess," he asked, once he'd recovered.

"Please," Ryu folded his hands in front of him. "We both worked this city for years before ever crossing paths once." He shot a smirk toward Bluewolf, "Not till this guy comes to town. And then I wouldn't say the team-ups were exactly forthcoming right away. Aaron may be the Wolf. Kardiac's the loner."

"What're you?" Aaron smirked and took his seat at the great table.

Ryu winked. "I'm the handsome one."

The Starlight Sleuth laughed again. "Well, with you two back, and Sylph being under his wing, I'm sure he'll come up with some reason to utilize the place. Now if we could lure Sil away from Strat..."

"Under his wing? Really?" Capin settled back in that chair looking somewhat impressed. He rubbed his chin. "The more things change..." He chuckled, mostly to himself.

"Yeah."

Capin sat quiet for a moment, letting it all sink in. Slowly a curl pulled at the corner of his lip. "So..." he slid his chair back a little, giving a glance at both of the men, "about this Funhouse..."

[Faith]

Though few would consider the evening's weather to be a good temperature for sitting outside, Faith couldn't take another minute indoors. Bundled up in her favorite chenille blanket, the dainty redhead stared out over the lake in silence. The lights from the gazebo twinkled back at her from the water, distorted only slightly by the ripples of the small waves. For the most part the night was clear and still, the perfect night to simply enjoy being at home.

A pair of suede-clad arms wrapped around her waist. "Hello, beautiful."

Startled, Faith was swinging before she even looked. The blanket fluttered to the ground gently as her little fist passed right through the figure who had come up from behind. "Charlie?" she gasped, her fingers automatically itching to check her hair as the realization of who exactly she'd tried to punch sunk in.

"Surprise?" he said with a chuckle. "I'm back."

Any lingering confusion left behind by Riordan's sudden return vanished at the sight of that smiling face. "You're back!" She managed to get two full words out before rushing at him again. This time her arms wound around his neck in a hug that nearly knocked him back a step.

The thief returned her embrace. "Hey, lady," he said with a smile. "Seems like it's been almost three months since I've seen you."

"Oh it's been longer. So so so much longer." Eyes reflecting the glow of the white lights above her head, Faith grinned up at him. Letting him go just enough to make sure he continued to breathe, the little redhead leaned her head against his chest and threw the idea of playing hard to get into the middle of the lake. "I missed you, Charlie."

Charlie held the redhead and stared out at the lake. He thought about the freedom he had enjoyed, and what he had here in his arms. The decision he'd been mulling over while he was on the plane, talking to Roo, really since leaving for Kyoto didn't seem to be all that hard. "I missed you too, Faith. More than a lot."

He pulled away from the girl. "I'll be right back." He jogged over to his car and pulled a stack of boxes out of the passenger seat. Carrying them back, he smiled at Faith. "I did pick you up a couple things. Four gifts, to be exact." He handed over the first two boxes, one large and flat, the other slender.

"You didn't have to get me anything... but you don't get to take them back." Feeling ecstatic simply to have him near again, she attacked the flat box first. Her fingers brushed across the delicate silk as she drew forth an exquisite blue kimono. "Thank you," she whispered, holding it up against her body. "It's perfect."

It was almost hard to put the kimono aside, but there were more presents to be opened. The slender box yielded a pair of jade hair sticks. Setting the empty boxes aside, Faith lifted her wealth of fiery hair off her neck and pinned it up with the slender sticks. "I could model the kimono for you too," she suggested with an arch little smile.

He handed a third package, this one wrapped simply. She tugged once on the bow, lifted the lid, then gasped softly. "Oh..." Blinking back tears, the redhead lifted the sheets of staff paper out of the box. In the dim light of the gazebo the delicate rice paper seemed as pale and beautiful as the moon. "This is..." Words failed her as she imagined one of her compositions on such a beautiful canvas.

It only took a fraction of a second to set her gifts aside, then her arms were around his neck again. Her lips found his in what was only the beginning of a proper thank you.

Their kiss broke, and Charlie sat down on the low bench running around the gazebo, pulling Faith along with him. "There is a fourth gift."

"I'm not sure I can handle anymore," she chuckled, running her fingers along his cheek.

Taking her hand, Charlie smiled. "This one is the hardest thing to do," he said softly. "But I did a lot of thinking on my trip home. Bumped into an old friend on the plane, and it got me thinking. About you, about my life, about everything." He paused, looking into the twin azure pools that were Faith's eyes. "And I decided. It's time I retired. No more being a crook. I've made enough money to live very comfortably for the rest of my life. And I can't let it define my life." Another pause, this time punctuated by a slightly crooked smile. "Although, I can always steal for the good guys..."

Once again she was silenced, caught and held by the light in his amber eyes. "Charlie..." She didn't bother blinking away the tears this time; it wouldn't have done any good. "This is..." Sitting beside him wasn't good enough. Straddling his legs, Faith took a moment to make herself comfortable on his lap then kissed him again, putting her amazement, her absolute faith in him, and her heart into that kiss.

---

Charlie was lying on the floor after falling through the piano. He looked up at Faith above him, still on the piano. With a wickedly content little grin, she leaned her head on her arm as she gazed down at him. "I think I'm craving frozen yogurt. Let's get dressed."

Looking up at the lady, Charlie smiled. "Oh, I don't know... the view is awfully nice down here."

Swinging her legs over the side of the piano, she hopped lightly to the ground. "You can enjoy the view again after we get some yogurt." Rewrapping the kimono around her body, she gave another wicked smile. "Since I don't intend to let you leave anytime tonight."

---

The convertible Beetle zipped into a parking place in front of the Orange Orange Yogurt Emporium. "Do they have key lime shakes here?" Charlie asked the driver as he piled out of the little red car.

Cocking her head to the side, Faith thought about it for a minute then had to shrug. "I'm not sure actually. I'm so addicted to Cake Batter that I haven't really looked at the other choices." Locking her car, she waited patiently for him to come around to her side of the vehicle before working her way into the circle of his arm.

"There's always a line," she told him as she led the way inside. "But it's so worth it. I promise."

As Faith had said, there was a line, and as they waited their turn, Charlie looked over the menu. "There," he said, pointing to the flavorings. "Right under Hazelnut. Key Lime. I know what I'm getting. Wonder if they can add an energy shot and protein boost to it," he mused, figuring he would need to keep his energy up tonight.

One fiery brow arched at his choice, but Faith somehow managed to smile sweetly. "Do you want to stay here to eat?" She figured she should at least give him the option... though a semi-crowded restaurant was the last place she wanted to be for any extended period of time.

"We could but..." Charlie grinned at his, well, his girlfriend. "Your car has cupholders. Seems a waste not to use them."

"Yes. Yes it does." Stepping up to the front of the line, Faith gave their order, allowing Charlie to request his own add-ins. Reminding herself that this was her idea, she waited as patiently as possible as the helpful employee filled the order. As her fingers closed around the chilled styrofoam dish, Charlie placed a hand on her shoulder. She felt a warm tingle run through her as he made the both of them intangible.

"This is a hold up. Everyone stay cool and I'll be gone in a couple minutes. With your cash"

Letting out a whimpering sigh that in anyone else could have been mistaken for fright, Faith looked up at Charlie. "Just one normal date. I just want one. Is that so much to ask?" she whispered. Her blue eyes flicked back to the man with the gun. "Can't we just make him go away?"

"Well, I could phase him out, but any bullets that left the gun are going to become solid again. So that doesn't really help." The robber walked up to the counter and climbed over, now standing right in front of the hero and the thief.

"Everyone down on the floor!" The robber fired a shot into the ceiling for inspiration. Apparently it had the desired effect. All of the Orange Orange's patrons quickly did as instructed.

With a sigh, and care not to spill her yogurt, Faith did the same. "This is so not how we're spending your first night back..."

Charlie looked at the floor, his eyes going going sort of unfocused. "They have a basement."

Despite the still-shouting gunman, the redhead's eyes lit up. "We could..." She left it hanging, flashing him a wicked smile.

Again Faith felt the warm tingle of intangibility flow through her. "Hold on tight," Charlie said with a frown. "This won't be fun." He reached through the floor and pulled them downward.

They fell through the floor and regained solidity just in time to crash to the cement floor of the basement. Letting out a quick grunt, Charlie quickly pulled himself to his feet and offered a hand to the redhead.

It hurt a little more than she expected. Well... a lot more. Wincing, Faith took his hand and allowed herself to be helped to her feet. "Did you spill?" She asked, checking her own frozen yogurt. She popped the lid off, took a quick lick, then gave a relieved smile. "Whew. Still good."

"Hold mine please?" Charlie held his shake out to Faith. She took it as he walked around, looking at the ceiling. "Can you find anything to tie him up with?"

Setting the cup aside with an arch little smile, Faith started to look around the storage room. "You know... that's an idea we may save for later." Standing on tiptoe to peer at the contents of some dusty shelves, she gave a triumphant little laugh. "Will duct-tape work?"

Sliding a solid crate across the floor, the thief gave his girlfriend a glance. "Perfect."

He climbed up on the crate and watched, waiting. Slowly he slid his hand into the ceiling. Seconds ticked by, seemingly stretching into hours. Suddenly, his arm jerked downward and the gunman dropped to the floor, his gun clattering on the floor beside him.

Now she could finally show the would-be robber how she felt about having her night interrupted. Stunned from the fall, he didn't even see her fist coming. His head snapped back and he stared at her in confusion for a second before she hit him again. "First of all... I should be doing unspeakable things to him right now..." She pointed at Charlie. "And second... who robs a yogurt store anyway?"

Since he wasn't putting up any sort of fight, Faith decided against hitting him again. Glaring at the dazed man, she let Charlie go to work with the duct tape while she continued to lecture him. "You need a job. And maybe an education because you're clearly not too bright."

Charlie wrapped the thug up like a Christmas gift, the opened a box and pulling out a napkin, picked up the gun with it and placed on the trussed-up robber's chest.

"Now we just need a means of egress," Charlie said, smiling at Faith.

Taking her precious bowl of Cake Batter in one hand, Faith held out her other hand to him. "My turn," she whispered with a smile, lacing her fingers through his. Her blue eyes stayed locked on his until they both faded from view. Then, with a little squeeze of his hand, she began to lead the way to the stairs.

They slipped out the door as the police were coming in and didn't reappear until they were safely in Faith's car. Sipping his shake, the thief looked over at the beauty behind the wheel. "Well, what now?" he said with a grin. "We can always head back to my place... it's quite a bit closer."

"That's the best idea I've heard all night." Her grin mirrored his as she suddenly found herself in a hurry to get there. After all, they'd only satisfied one craving. "I have to admit, I'm dying to see your place."

---

Charlie sat up and looked down at Faith. "That was a welcome home."

The redhead gave a slow, luxurious stretch as she smiled up at him. "I'm pretty sure that was a welcome home, welcome to being a good guy, and welcome to having a girlfriend who finds you irresistible... all rolled into one." Rolling onto her side, she fixed her blue eyes on him with a mock-glare. "But you so can't use this as an excuse to go away and come back again."

He laughed as he leaned over to kiss the Invisible Vixen. "Would you like a drink? Or a tour?"

"Both would be nice." Reaching over the side of the bed, she retrieved his shirt from the floor and slipped her arms into the sleeves. "Lead the way."

The first place they went was the living room, the liquor cabinet to be exact, and Charlie poured a pinot grigio for Faith and a single malt scotch for himself. He showed her around the penthouse, pointing out the spectacular view of the city from the wall-sized windows, and then ending up back at the bedroom. "Too bad I'm going to have to find a new place in a couple of weeks."

"Wait. Why?" She gently placed her glass on the table beside the bed before flopping back down among the rumbled sheets. "It's so beautiful here."

Sitting down next to her, Charlie smiled. "It's a bit of a long story. The actual owners of the penthouse are gone for the month. I've been... borrowing it while they were gone. He smiled at the redhead. "It's fairly easy. Especially when you can walk through walls. I stroll in, grab the spare key, come back for real and tell the doorman or security guys that I'm a cousin who's visiting and promised to watch the place."

She stared at him in shock for a moment then threw her head back and laughed. "That's the most you thing I've ever heard." Still laughing, she looked around the apartment again, seeing it through different eyes. "Well the owners have nice taste. But what do you plan to do? Find another place like this?"

"No, I don't think I can do that. It's not really the straight and narrow thing to do." He smiled and shot Faith a sideways glance. "Maybe I could stay with your fowks. Your old room should be available since you've got the guest house..."

With a shudder that was not-entirely feigned, Faith shook her head. "You'll meet them soon enough, Charlie. And then you'll see why I choose not to live under the same roof. But..." She scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Your girlfriend has exquisite taste when it comes to apartments, furnishings, and fun stuff like that." Her lips curled in a dazzling smile. "And she really seems to enjoy calling herself your girlfriend."

Charlie gave the girl another kiss. "And I enjoy that too."

[Mystery Man]

"So... what is a lady lump? I am unfamiliar with this term..." The blonde had been asking questions ever since she and Spencer had gotten into the car. Her questions ranged from innocent questions like a child would ask, "How does GPS work?", to hard to explain ones like she had just asked about a song on the radio.

Flicking off the radio, Spence wheeled the car into the parking lot of S-Mart. "Here we are. S-Mart. If they don't have it here, you don't really need it."

One frosty brow arched towards her hairline. "You didn't answer my question..." She had already come to recognize that when Spence just outright ignored something, it was probably something embarrassing.

"Oh, I know. I'll pick you up a dictionary of urban American slang." He got out of the vehicle and walked around the Eclipse and opened the door for his friend. "Come on. And welcome to the real America."

Katia looked at the overweight woman eating parked in the car next to them. "This looks more like what I have heard." She got out of the car and kept close to her companion.

As they walked into the store, Spence grabbed a cart. "So what are we looking for? Just the staples or do you need to grab some new clothes?

"Everything I own is just outside of the most northernmost city in the world... clothes would not be a bad idea." The tone in her voice could either be completely serious or very very dry humor.

Spencer nodded. "Fair enough. You shop for clothes, I'll check my messages." He pointed the cart in the direction of ladieswear and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Looking at the racks before her, Katia's lips pursed. For how unbearably hot it was in this part of the world, the clothes seemed to be preparing for a cold season. "Maybe American women get cold easily..." She looked at the other's in the area, noting how they dress so she could match accordingly and blend in.

Meanwhile Spencer flipped open his phone and turned it on for the first time since entering Hell. "Wow. Mailbox full."

The first seven messages were from his dad. "Spence! Where are you? You were supposed to get back from Mexico two days ago." Spence thumbed the delete button.

"Where are you, Spencer? I'm..." Delete. "Spence! You need to pick up this phone right..." Delete. Delete. Delete.

"What is the function of this?" Katia held up a little white plastic hanger that held a red thong.

Shaking his head, Spencer took the hanger from the Russian and returned it to the rack. Masochistic underwear," he quipped.

Turning his attention back to his phone, Spence clicked to the next message. His buddy Doug's voice rang through the phone. "Dude! You're on TV! With Doc Midas! You're on TV with Doc Midas! That is so awesome! Call me when you get a chance."

Katia peeked at the device in Spencer's hand. "And that?"

"Telephone. Well, telephone, pocket email, internet and text message thingy," he said, flipping it into the air before sliding the phone in his pocket. "Surely you've seen a cel phone before."

"A cellular phone? Yes... It was considerably larger though." While he had been otherwise distracted, the girl had collected several items of varying climate appropriate styles. Katia frowned as the pair was passed by a girl in a short skirt and sherpa boots. "What... what season is it?"

Spencer stopped. He was not sure. Between their journies, through the underworld and real world, he'd lost track of the date. Giving his phone a glance he said, "Well, late autumn. So it will be winter. Why?"

Shrugging slightly, she returned her eyes to her companion. "Because people usually get suspicious if I walk out in cold weather in shorts and a tanktop..."

"You'd be surprised. I worked at a used book store with a guy who wore shorts and short sleeved shirts year-round."

With a little snort, she rolled her eyes. "Americans..." The woman draped the clothes over her arm and began to walk towards the Health and Beauty area of the store.

Spencer followed along, pushing the cart in front of him. "What about Americans? We're an ecclectic bunch of folks, sure, but that's what makes us awesome."

"I'm not saying Russia is any better. I am here instead of there aren't I? Kat stared at the wall of tooth brushes. Brushes that vibrated, with tongue scrapers, different angles, different shapes. Her thin fingers held in the air, moving just slightly as she tried to make a decision. "What... what kind do you get?" She looked back at him.

Reaching up, Spencer grabbed the cheap store brand. "I always just grab one of these. They're not fancy, but they do the job."

With a little shrug, Katia took the brush and dropped it into her basket, selecting one of the many tubes of toothpaste to accompany it. "Are there any other things I need to help me blend in?" She looked doubtfully at the aisles of toiletries. "There was not much popular culture that made it to Noril'sk..."

"Truthfully? There's deodorant and shampoo and soap and loofas and shaving items and" his mind went to all of those commercials he fast forwarded through while watching DVR'd television. "Some sort of lady items..."

Gesturing to the aisles, Katia looked to Spence for help. "Show me?" She was asking for help, which was uncommon for her. She had been asking for help a lot lately.

Spence sighed. "Okay." He grabbed shampoo and conditioner, then some body wash with a fairly high price tag. Popping the soap lid open, he sniffed it. "That's not bad. Wanna smell? he asked, holding the bottle toward the Russian.

Leaning in, the little blonde tested the smell of the soap. "It will do... I suppose." Kat looked unsure and took the bottle, dropping it into her basket. "If you have something you need to do... I'm sure I can finish up here myself."

"No, I said I would help you. And I don't want you to run into any weird products or have any questions. It's just that..." He rubbed the back of his neck, somewhat embarrased. "Well, there is the whole issue of, uh... feminine hygine products?"

"That I can do myself if you are uncomfortable." She glanced at the aisle a few rows down. "I know what I need."

"Good deal," the detective said with a grin. "By the way, how are you set for shoes?"

"Shoes?" She put on a dumb look as if he had just spoken some new language she had never heard before. "What are these shoes you speak of?"

The corner of Spence's mouth twisted upward. "Right. There's a Shoe Storm right down the street. I'll even help you carry them out."

She nudged his shoulder. "You go get the car. I'll get those terrifying feminine products and meet you out front."

---

"What?" Spencer said into the phone as Katia climbed into the passenger seat. "I take a trip through Hell and come back in time for our High School reunion?" he shook his head. "If I wanted to go through that, I would have stayed in Hell."

"A what?" Having never gone to a 'high school' she had no idea what a 'reunion' entailed. "Is there a problem?"

Spencer shook his head. "Call you back, Doug." Hanging up the phone, he glanced over at his passenger. It's a High School reunion. Where you go see people you went to high school with but you didn't stay in contact because you really didn't want to talk them anyway.

"So why are you going?" The question was simple as the blonde's head tilted to the side just slightly.

Pulling the car out of the store's parking lot, Spencer laughed. "I wasn't planning on it, to tell you the truth. Although..." There was an odd sensation at the base of his skull. "maybe I should. Want to come along?"

Raising a frosty brow at him, Kat shrugged. "I suppose I am not doing anything else..."

"You could neet new people, like my best friend Doug. And it would help you acclimate to American culture." He smiled. "Plus you'll need to buy cute shoes. And there'll be punch."

The corner of her mouth twitched in amusement. "What is your thing with shoes?" Her good-natured teasing was showing her more and more at ease.

"I thought girls liked buying shoes," he said with a grin. "If you don't, then maybe you need to acclimate to the United States more than I thought."

She looked a little dismayed at her inability to properly fit in. She had been trained to do just that."Almost everything I have had since I was eight was assigned to me by whatever facility I was kept at." It seems her banishment to Noril'sk has impeded her contact with the modern world.

"No worries. You get to decide what stuff you get here. In Russa, stuff decides it gets you!" He chuckled a bit at the Yakov reference.

[Bluewolf]

It was surprising how much one could miss the tar and chip rooftops of the city. It felt good to stand silent vigil, letting the sights and sounds wash over him. It had taken a few nights to get back into the swing of things, but for the first time since touching down at the airport, Bluewolf finally felt at home. He'd managed to reconnect with everyone important to him, save one. As much he'd been concerned about the reception he'd get from Eddy, he had a feeling that the reunion with Jenna would be even more painful.

"Thanks for making time in your schedule," Bluewolf said, without turning around. "I realize it's a busy time, what with debriefing Tower and all."

"And here I thought changing the scent of my shampoo might throw you off," she said as she walked up behind him. "I can't say that I'm surprised to see you alive, but then I've been spending a lot of time with a man who refused to believe you were dead."

"Not that you or your new posse bothered to forewarn any of us that you were back among the living." There was a bitterness in her voice that seemed to come from more than feeling a personal slight. Her anger wasn't for her feelings... it was for Eddy's, and that sealed what he'd already expected after talking with his high-voltage friend. There was a lot more to this thing between the two of them than had been there when he'd left.

That was going to make things even more complicated.

The hammers were already cocked. He knew it would be a waste of time to dance around the issue, so opening up for both barrels at once seemed the best option. "I'd say there wasn't enough time to fire off an advanced warning, but we both know that isn't true. There were certain things that needed to be in place beforehand, though. I know you understand that from a strategic point of view, at least."

She stepped around in front of him and sat on the edge of the rooftop. "Strategically, I do, but I also recognize that friendships are lost on the battlefield all the time. Be glad Eddy's resolve and faith in you are as strong as they are," she said, bluntly.

"As for me, you were under no obligation to inform me, and I respect the strategic necessity of radio silence." She brushed her wind-blown hair, shorter than he remembered it, from her face. "But I also get the feeling that this was as much a business call is it was 'catching up with an old friend.' So before I deliver the rest of my lecture, why don't we get 'business' out of the way."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "I suppose you're aware of Doc's... construction efforts?" Jenna's silence was answer enough. Aaron wanted to try and keep the 'us vs. you' to a minimum. At least as much as possible. He was also conscious of using the word 'my.' It was bad enough for Eddy to refer to him a their 'fearless leader' all the time.

"It was concerning to us all - including Sparky - how dependent we were becoming on Strategoi. Speaking for myself, I've been under the thumb of one shadow organization before, and I don't intend to be in that position again." His tone was even. This wasn't a sales pitch, but a statement of fact.

Fairchild's eyes darkened. "I seem to remember your little troupe coming to us, not the other way around," she said, locking her eyes on his. "If you recall, I was against the little arrangement given my previous experience with 'capes'."

"I put myself on the line with the expectation of cooperation," she said, frowning. "Despite my better judgment. And I went from being a field agent to being 'comms-central' for the spandex set... not exactly a promotion."

She stood up and crossed until she was standing right in front of him, eyes up to remain focused into his. "We're the reason that the local police have never come down on the bunch of you for operating outside of the law. You think you're ready to throw off the security blanket?"

"Operating under Government sanction is all fine and dandy until Uncle Sam wants to collect on his looking the other way while you play deal. Again, speaking for myself, I'm more than willing to work with Strategoi, but not for them. Our facility will provide the means to cover our home. You guys can watch the world, we'll handle our own back yard."

"This isn't just your back yard, Bluewolf," she said, putting undue emphasis on his working identity. "You think we're going to just pack up and abandon a major international port to civilian authority on your say-so?"

"No offense, but you walked out. We didn't." Her words were deliberate and terse. "You bailed on the city and the people in it. And don't give me the 'I died' crap, because this little sojourn of yours was never going to be a quick weekend in the woods! And when you jumped ship, you left one of your best friends broken in your wake."

"Eddy was recovering, but he was far from recovered, but that didn't matter to the great superhero, did it?" she took a step towards Aaron, her eyes blazing with an intensity he hadn't seen in them before. Apparently, the rant wasn't going to wait until after business as she'd implied.

She kept advancing, her hands folded over her chest. "After all, TAROT was routed and Mr. Phaoroh was beaten down, so the job was done... time for a vacation. Only the job wasn't done! We've been tracking TAROT activity since the day you left, and if it wasn't for 'Sparky' getting over his anti-Government cooperation attitude, they'd be half way to taking over by now!"

"I don't know who you think you are coming in and thinking you're in charge here," she said, bluntly, "But you're not! You haven't been for a long time." Her face had shifted three shades towards red. "Eddy lets you give the orders because he doesn't want the responsibility... he's as much an agent of Strategoi as he is a member of your little club these days. And at least one of the new kids will always take your orders after clearing them with him, because he was here to help her when she needed a mentor."

She took a deep, deliberate breath. "Where were you? She waited through a short pause, just until it looked like he was finally going to answer, she interrupted him. "If you want Strategoi staying out of your clubhouse, you don't have to worry about that, because we could care less what you and your little troupe are doing... but this is my city as much as it's yours, so don't you dare to imagine that I don't have just as much interest in its security as you do, and as I see it, I've got even more right to protect it at the moment!"

She reset her stance, hands on her hips. "And as for 'Uncle Sam wanting to collect on his looking the other way', well you're damned right you owe us... and when we do need to call in one of the dozen or so favors you've got on your tab, you'd damned sure better be ready to help, because it'll be your city's security at stake!"

"Do we understand each other?"

Aaron was wrong. Jenna hadn't opened up with both barrels. In fact she hadn't bothered with the proverbial shotgun. She brought along a howitzer. Much of what she said, he had already thought about more than was probably healthy. But while she blasted him, Jenna had also provided him with ammunition.

"Are you done?" Aaron asked in a quiet voice. It was taking every ounce of his self-control to maintain an even keel right now. He took a deep, calming breath, letting it out slowly. "'Where was I?' In case you forgot, the whole point behind our 'weekend in the woods' was to start investigating the lead that Roo got from the Sharp Dressed Man when we 'routed' TAROT. And here's a little debriefing for you, Agent Fairchild: I gave my life trying to keep Vivian and Ryu from being killed themselves by a pack of TAROT's goddamned genetically engineered creatures. You want to see the souvenir I picked up on my summer break?"

He lifted up his shirt to reveal the sideways U of angry scars that traced their way over his abdomen. Only this time the show didn't come accompanied with cheeky comments. Jenna knew full well the extent of his healing abilities. There was the briefest of change in her eyes before returning hard once again.

"Oh, and here's another little tidbit for you." he added, tucking his shirt in, "TAROT's scouring the globe, hunting ancient relics. Objects of power. Vessels of containment. We had quite the little reception with SDM and a regiment of his closest friends at the end of our vacation. We did manage to bring home a trinket from that dance in the form of a nice little jar of Evil. We had a little trouble getting it out of the country though, after one of TAROT's goons shattered the original jar. I think I'd rather let Ryu explain the intricacies of how we got it stuffed back in."

"I don't know about you," he continued, "but I consider my tab paid in full." He took a step closer to her, a gloved finger coming up between them, "And don't pretend to lecture me, or any of us on what's at stake for this city or the rest of the world. We all know what's at stake, and we all know the risks and sacrifices that go along with it. Your boyfriend the best of anyone."

They just stared at each other for a moment, and for a second, the city seemed to go silent. It was the sounds of Garrison, however, that first spoke, echoing the arguments, motors, horns and sirens through the stillness of the night air. There was time for both of them to mull over what had been said as well as what had been heard.

It was Jenna who finally broke the silence. "He wanted to be invited, you know," she said, her eyes turning away from Aaron's for the first time in several minutes of tennis-court ranting. "He'd never admit it, and he'd never have gone, but I know he felt... alone. I know it's strange, thinking of him of all people feeling that way... but I could feel it from him."

She paused for just a heartbeat. "He was angry with you and didn't know how to deal with it... then you went and got yourself killed, and he couldn't cope with the idea of you dying without things being 'right,' so he never let himself believe you were dead." She sighed, turning to look out over the city.

"And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I may have been a little pissed off at you for the way he was hurting...." She turned back to face him. "And maybe I'm a little sorry for chewing you out... but that doesn't mean I'm not at least partially right."

"I understand not wanting the Government directly involved in your team's affairs, but severing all ties would be a mistake."

Aaron nodded, a gesture that acknowledged much of what she'd said. "Things happen for a reason. I shudder to imagine the possibilities of what Eddy would have done had he been there. It might have been a trip he could never return from, and that, I think, would have been a greater loss."

"I'm not suggesting we go our separate ways, Jenna. Hell, I consider you just as much a part of our team as anyone else. You just have other obligations, is all."

Jenna put on a crooked smile. "And those obligations aren't going to change, if that was your idea of a subtle job offer," she said, her mood appearing to improve. "So how about I offer you a compromise."

Aaron cocked an eyebrow. "What kind of compromise do you have in mind?"

"Eddy," Jenna said, with a dubious look in her eyes.

"Gee, thanks... and what would I give you?"

Jenna punched him in the arm, not the kind of punch Kardiac had given him, but the kind he deserved for the joke. "You know what I meant... we make Eddy the liaison. He can't say 'no' to me if I bring it up, and this way we have a layer of separation between the Feds and the capes."

"It doesn't mean we can't still 'hang out,'" she added, smirking, "But we both know he'd keep the Government out of your affairs, and he's actually starting to get a good reputation in Strategoi, so they'd probably go for it."

She shrugged, "It's not like he doesn't have a direct line into the base, and now that he and one of our retrieval specialists have become 'buddies,' I may even be able to get some time in the field again once in a while."

"I've got to get out more often... they've been talking about giving me a... a...," she shuddered visibly as she continued with the word, "Directorship."

"Well, if that's the case, I'm sure between us, Eddy and I can come up with something suitably embarrasing to make them change their minds." Aaron grinned. "And who knows, if it's bad enough and you find yourself suddenly unemployed..."

Another punch to the arm. "Don't. You. DARE. Do you realize the pension I'd have to give up?"

Yeah. Things - while never the same again - were going to be just fine.

[Hardboiled Evil]

He arrived in the fullness of time, neither early nor late. It left no time for pleasantries, but such things were unnecessary. His people knew where his loyalties stood. He strode into the room, his eyes scanning the room. The four individuals therein, his lieutenants, his most loyal servants, leapt to their feet upon seeing him... all save one. She was, of course, already standing.

They said nothing, but fell into line behind him. She was to his right, two paces behind. To his left was her counterpart... the one who fancied himself "bodyguard." The others fell into step behind, as was to be expected. His cloak whipped behind him as he walked, the speed of his stride taking it so high that his knees were nearly visible underneath.

His face was concealed, as it always was, but his servants knew his eyes... a darkness within darkness that seemed to swallow hope as well as light. He could hear her breathing accelerate. She was excited by his presence -- she always was -- but tonight there was something more to the sound than her worship of him. Tonight, she knew that death walked with them... and that was the only thing she revered above him.

He could also hear the buzz of the crowd. Their anticipation of his appearance, of the words to come, fueled the power he felt stirring within him. As he stepped out onto the stage, they fell silent. It was a courtesy born of fear, but also of reverence. They knew not to speak over his entrance, but he doubted they could truly even make the attempt, such was his presence.

Stopping behind the podium, he turned to face them. There was a long silence before he gave them the pleasure of hearing his voice. When he finally spoke, his voice was like quiet thunder, echoing unaided throughout the throng, though his volume was neither excessive nor his tone elevated. "Brothers and Sisters of the Shining Night," he began, pausing briefly to allow the echo of the thrumming floor to pass as the multitudes fell to their knees before him.

"We have waited, and patience has been our champion," he continued, his voice even, unmarred by emotion. "Now, the time approaches. You have your assignments, and I grant you my blessing in all of your endeavors."

He listened to the silence for a moment, quietly celebrated the culmination of three decades of faithful waiting.

Finally, what seemed like forever to those anxiously awaiting the sound of his words, he continued. "Soon, this world will see its final dawn. Soon, this world will see its final day. Soon, this world will see its final sunset!" With each declaration, his voice rose to greater heights of adulation, his joy at this moment finally being allowed to creep through.

"The Coming Darkness shall ascend, and we, its faithful few, shall revel in its Gifts!" He spread his arms wide, their signal that his blessing was falling upon them. They raised their right arms in unison, and their voices rang out as one.

"Overshadow!"

"Overshadow!"

"Overshadow!"

Within the deep hood of his cloak, he smiled. Soon, evil would prevail, the final night would come, and the power he had sought for so long would be within his grasp. And the populations of the world would kneel before him. And those who chose heresy over his glorious blessing, would be forever damned. He turned and left the stage, still reveling in their chant. His lieutenants fell in behind.

He could feel the pride, love, and faith welling in her breast. Perhaps, when they arrived at their destination, he would allow her to look upon his countenance. Perhaps he would allow her the pleasure of his caress. Perhaps. Perhaps. But first, there was a journey awaiting them. A journey to the heart of his plan -- to the place of his birth... and his Destiny. Soon, he would once again stand in the shadows of its glorious towers... and Garrison City would tremble at his touch.

[Dreamer]

Night consumed the city and the moon look like it had taken the shape of a half-closed eye over Garrison. Dreamer stood a few building downs and made sure everything was set for tonight. People walked toward Garrison City Museum of Natural History dressed in fine suits, the kind clothing that could have been described as anything from Sunday’s best to Business casual. There wasn’t a t-shirt, or a pair of jeans amongst the crowd. The majority of these art goers were the kind of people were stereotyped from their appearance alone to leave twenties in the suggested donation box without a second glance.

Dreamer overlooked the crowd while his red eyes stared at the silver disk in his hand. Black gloved fingers traced over it and moved about it before he sighed. All of the standard noises happened when he pressed the button, "Jamie. If you're hearing this after tonight I have to confess something, Dreamer out," he said right before the communicator was shut off. Jamie deserved to hear the truth and Faith needed it said. A second sigh filled the night air as Dreamer tried to shake out all the feelings that conflicted with one another, "I hate this. I got my friend caught up in a mess I created and I''m back in the ranger uniform...If the team decides to keep me I need to talk to someone about a new uniform," he said toward no one in particular. Dreamer continued forward with tonight's plan. A few nights ago he stumbled upon this plan about the museum heist. A few broken fingers to was all it took to get all the details about tonight's plan. Sure everything from that particular gang banger came in a bunch of "he said", "she said", and other ambiguous terms. It was plenty to worth with even if he didn't implicate anyone with his confession.

Black boots lightly moved across the various rooftops as the hero readied himself. Tonight he had to be like the people that planned this heist, calculated. Most of yesterday night was spent figuring out a countermeasure for the several ways that a group of people totting guns would have used to barge or sneak in. It was very hard to ignore the gleam of the silver communicator out of the corner of his eye resting on the table, but he did it somehow. At the time he had to remain focused on the heist. Civilians were his top priority; there would be plenty of them about this big event. As the old saying goes, the hero was only as good as the villain. So the good guy's actions had to be as good as the bad guys'.

Tonight’s big event was the Hestia Tour which started in Washington D.C. This was all started as an attempt to bolster Garrison City more commerce, the city and various associated government officials helped secure different events and features. A spot for the Hestia Tour was just one of many events that was in the works for the city. Various officials at Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection agreed to let some of its collected works go across country now that several institutions paid to be a part of this one of a kind school. The particular piece that is going across the country is “The Hestia Tapestry.” A wool tapestry depicting the Greek goddess Hestia.

One of the museum curators Matthew Chevrier was most excited about the recent good fortune of insert museum name here. Dumbarton Oaks is one the few places in the states that offered scholarships specifically in Byzantinology, the study of the Eastern Roman Empire from its religion to the people and culture. Every little aspect of the people were studied when it came to Byzantine studies. Matt was there with his blond hair slicked back, glasses kept on tight, and with an expensive yet simple looking tux that he rented yesterday. His attire was the typical black jacket, with pants that matched, white shirt, all topped off with a red tie that sealed his professional appearance in his mind.

Guest were gathered around a large glass case that was air tight which held the tapestry, and was currently shrouded by a velvet curtain in the growing Greek and Roman wing of the museum. A podium was standing proudly in front of the piece and quietly Matt made his way up toward it with a small smile draped across his face. “If I could have your attention please,” he said while his voice carried over the small speakers by the podium toward the guest's ears. After all the guest looked in his direction they were given a polite smile before Matt spoke again, “I can not express enough how pleased and humbled I am by our attraction tonight.” Matt's elated green eyes looked over the crowd while he gave them a friendly look that intertwined with the pleased, and happy tones on his face in perfect harmony. “Before I moved out here to Garrison I was a student at Dumbarton Oaks and never in my wildest dreams would I have expected to see a part of Dumbarton here,” a small tear grew in his eye as he was truly pleased by this. To him it was like having his cake and eating it too. Everything truly came together for him in his mind. “On a personal level it’s like bringing a small piece of my old home to Garrison, and without further adieu I bring to you The Hestia Tapestry!” Red velvet gave away to the glass container that showed off the wool interpretation of the Goddess Hestia.

As people marveled at the tapestry with admiration, a door on the other side of the museum the door burst open. Barging into the museum four men, and one woman that came through armed with two AK forty-sevens, a desert eagle, three nine millimeters, and a pump action shotgun with a sawed off barrel. They were armed and all but one of them was dressed in black, with black bandanas that covered most of their faces. The team of four looked like a mixture of a gang members and members of a swat team. The fifth man was dressed in a security guard uniform identical to the ones that were hired tonight by the museum. Each of them moved with precision while the guard called out signals to the group. One of the men went to the donation box toward in the front. He opened it with the key that was taken from the security guard that had the misfortune of being stationed at the monitor post in the front.

Dreamer watched all of this from various glass openings in the roof, luckily the lights being on in the museum shattered any moon light that would have gave away his silhouette in complete darkness. For once the light had given him cover instead of the darkness, an irony that wouldn’t be lost on Dreamer later on.

After bounding and doing away with the front desk personal the man in the security guard uniform took his position at the front entrance. It was easier to convince future guest that security was running the front desk instead of someone that looked like they were ready to run an assault. Future guest could be corralled into the wrong section of the museum and the surveillance cameras hidden by the front desk gave the guard the perfect opportunity to provide recon for the rest of his team. Being a security guard for the event came with another advantage. Tonight the museum wanted to make sure the night went without any hitches so they decided to go with a privatized security team over the GCPD. The inside man radioed in fake disturbances and alerts which started drew other guards away from their post. Everything was going to plan at least until a glass vial shattered on the desk from the rooftop.

A startled yelp escaped the guards lips and then the sands from the vial started to do their work. Up his nose the sleep sands went and the world started to slow, blur, effects similar to sedatives like Morphine and Droperidol . Trying to rely the message to his team that something had gone terribly wrong the guard tried to clench his walkie talkie. Sadly, it was too hard to focus. By now the world was spinning thanks to the anesthetic effects of the sand the guard saw two red beady eyes glaring at him from the roof top. The guard did his best effort to scream, but it came out a slow whimper right before his body gave in to sleep.

The group went further blissfully unaware that one of their members had already been taken down, and there was a man on the roof looking to do the same to each of them. Guards fell in to few traps the man in the front laid out as they went for the bait, and investigated the false disturbances. As the different personnel scattered toward fake calls, the group progressed forward unhindered. Dreamer shook his head before muttering, "Maybe next time they'll trust the tax payer's funds going toward the real boys in blue." People couldn't have been everywhere at once, but the police would have been harder to fool than this. There would have been more men and made more progress at snuffing out all the bad calls.

Suddenly the group entered the main room with guns at the ready and pointed directly toward the general direction of tonight's art guests. "Hands up!" cried out the woman pointing the shotgun about, her eyes burned with a savage intensity that was fueled by the greed and desire to finish the job. She wanted what they all came here for, money. One of the men carrying the AK 47s moved about and made sure no one did anything stupid as his gun went between several people. The only person in the group with hand guns at the ready pulled out a large sack as guest were instructed to put valuables in the bag.

Matt looked at the group with his hands raised he calmly approach them, "Isn't there a way we can work this out?" he asked and attempted to start negotiations. His first concern was the hostages and their safety, next came the artwork, and finally his own life came last. He could have exchanged information where the Garrison City Museum of Natural History kept money in exchange for the safety of others and the artwork. History meant a lot to the man.

"Everyone willing to give out their money and whatever else of value they got?" grunted one of the men with the AKs.

"Of course!"

"Then there ain't no problem."

A warning shot echoed in the room as the woman pointed her weapon skyward, "Do what the man says and no one will get hurt!" she said with patience that began to wear thin and aggravated tones that showed in her voice. She wanted the money now, and people would be more swayed to do the things a testy person with a gun ordered instead of ask questions.

Glass broke and shattered on the roof as the warning broke through a nearby window from where Dreamer stood. He figured this was his cue and readied five glass vials that went down in the newly created hole thanks to impatience and greed.

The sound of more glass breaking into pieces and alerted everyone to look where the rising smoke cloud began to take shape in the room. One of them cursed before the smoke got close, it was strange. Whatever this stuff was, one thing was clear it wasn't tear gas. There was no metal canister, all that rested at the bottom where it came from was more glass. He breathed in a sigh of relief and then everything started to blur. Like the corrupt guard before him, the man eventually fell to unconsciousness and a few guest followed suit shortly after.

"Gas!!" cried out the man with the AKs, and several people in the room stared up at the roof. They all took in details of the top of the museum and noted the broken glass.

Working in the darkness Dreamer pulled off the chest strap that was special for tonight's occasion. In happier times Dreamer would have said "Well everyone else dressed up extra fancy tonight, why shouldn't I?" He smiled at his hand work last night seeing all the glass vials tucked in where shot gun shells or any heavy slug should have been. As he prepared phase two of his plan familiar words echoed in his mind.

"You are so beyond that."

Dreamer knew Faith wouldn't approve of the next few steps, but for the moment there was no other way in his mind.

"Garrett!"

Despite the ring of Faith's voice that reverberated in his head, Dreamer threw the chest piece though another glass window while he avoided the gunshots that went to his first position. He knew there would be enough sleep sand for everyone in the room and so all he had to do was wait for the sounds of chaotic screams. Once the frantic yelling and fear soared in the air he knew it was time to go down and see everyone personally. With grapple gun in hand he prepped everything to slide down into the room after he kicked open a nearby window large enough for him to move in. The hook was firmly set on one of the outer bricks to the museum and slowly Dreamer descended into the hysteria.

Everyone's vision was distorted, blurred a few people gave off lazy screams as the red eyes of Dreamer pierced through the smoke until he found target number one, the girl. Her eyes were glazed as many others so it was easy to discard her weapon before pushing her to unconscious with a first to the face. He hated hitting women but this one had threatened people with a shot gun, so sometimes exceptions had to be made. Black boots slowly went about the room and he moved through people until the man holding the desert eagle came into view. The guy was out cold on the floor already amongst the various guests. One of the men with the AK was assisted to unconsciousness by meeting a stone pillar face first as Dreamer pushed him hard into it a short time later. Dreamers assessed the room and saw the last member of the team out cold with many others. Suddenly Dreamer jolted as he was startled by a man that bumped into him. The red and black clad man jumped back as best he could without loosing his footing thanks to a sleeping body. It was Matt the curator that bumped into him. He stared with his green eyes that were now filled with fear instead of happiness. All the curator could see was the glowing red eyes and bits of the pale face before he joined the rest on the floor.

Like many times before Dreamer sighed letting out a hate filled breathe. He knew with the shots, bits of broken glass, would have notified some of the guards and if they weren't passed out already they would be once they arrived. Once on the roof he grabbed everything that belonged to him and disappeared into the darkness. When Dreamer got far enough away his communicator was turned back on. Now it was time to wait for Jamie to get back to call him back.

[The Mid-Night Man]

Dreamer stood in the alleyway several blocks away from the museum. "Dreamer reporting in, Daylight do you copy?" he reported into the communicator trying best to muster up all the personal reserve and strength he had. Sirens had yet to sound off, meant no one discovered the Greek Exhibit to the museum just yet which meant there was time to report in to the boss, about everything.

"mmmGarrett?" The voice on the other end said sleepily.

Breathing in and out Dreamer started to build up his courage. It took a few moments but he blurted out what needed to be said, "I compromised Faith's identity, on the Constance case, inadvertently!"

"You did what and who and where now?" Jamie's still asleep brain was having issues keeping up.

"I compromised Faith. Someone knows her identity, along with my own."

Jamie sat up in bed, "What the hell happened?"

There was nothing from Garrett's end for a few moments before he chimed back in, "Meet me somewhere and I'll explain everything in detail. This is a conversation better suited face to face, ma'am. Where can I meet you?"

"Corin and I will meet you at the Doghouse in ten."

"I'll be there," he said turning off the communicator. Once there was silence he kicked the nearest trash can before screaming, "DAMN IT!!!!!" The last place Dreamer hoped to go was the Doghouse. Logically speaking it made the most sense, but all the other heroes were in and out of that place. Now he hoped Kardiac would be no where to be found as Dreamer started to head toward the expressed meeting place.

---

Corin stifled a yawn as he and Jamie waited in the conference room, "I wonder what the heck Garrett is talking about?"

"He said something about Faith, he sounded pretty upset."

Dreamer made his way into the Doghouse slipping in through the appropriate doors for a late night arrival. He walked in seeing Jamie and Corin waiting on him before taking a seat. Red eyes stared into Jamie's after saying his hello's to each of them. "I inadvertently compromised Faith's identity working on the Constance case."

"What happened exactly?" Corin said trying to calm Garrett down as much as he could.

Guilt still ran through Garrett heavily about causing Faith trouble on this level. He stared at the two of them, with an upset tone hanging in his voice. "At some point during the Constance case, she followed me somewhere and got my identity. Then used it someway to trace back Faith to her alter ego," he said looking at the two of them. His eyes were focused on the two of them, "During the case I set up an alias to get close and I got too close. She found out who I was at night and then used it against me. Constance knows who I am, my family, and pieced together who Faith was," he said looking at the duo unsure how they would react the news.

The two doctors shot each other a look and then returned their attention to Garrett, "Does Faith know this? And what should we expect from this Constance?"

"Yes and no. Faith knows, we talked about it. I was expecting to arrest her on my own after my failed apprehension. Constance is a black widow killer that's now a little obsessed with me...So I doubt it, plus the three of us haven't gone out to lunch outside of costumes yet. Faith and I in the past have made time to go out to lunch. That's probably how she made the connection between me and her," he said looking at them.

"So where is this Constance at, and do we have enough real evidence to take her down?" The Starlight Sleuth folded his arms across his chest.

"Evidence, I've got lots of that. Enough to put her away for a few lifetimes and was able to change a coroner report of at least one of her victims from Suicide to Homicide. Finding Constance will take a little more...The original plan I had was to smoke her out, but...I've been told it's a horrible idea," Garrett said really hating the fact of how amateur he sounded right now at the costumed heroics game.


Corin's lips curled into a smile, "Don't worry about Garrett. You had our back before now we'll get yours. Do you think she'll try to find you?"

An eyebrow was raised at Corin, "I kept out details in my report at the meeting where everyone was present, and I exposed Faith's identity by messing up. I thought our identities were some of the most valuable things we had. By letting Faiths out of the bag didn't I commit a cardinal sin in our line of work?" He was expecting more anger than this. In his mind Garrett expected something far morre dramatic, yelling, screaming, maybe some tears, sayings like "you're a disgrace", and the inevitable "you're off the team!" Maybe Faith was on to something when she was on her "That's what teams do," mantra.

She had always defended the idea of teams are great and moments like this were probably why. The only experience Garrett had on a team was with a man called Ranger and those were times he tried to forget. The time spent with the man resulted in some bad times including Faith getting shot by a crossbow. Maybe all of this would be different seeing as everyone was, for the most part, trustworthy and level headed. Heck the two people across from him helped save his life, why shouldn't he trust them?

"I think she'll watch me when it amuses her. The woman weaseled herself into a lot of coin over the years, which is probably helping her stay under the radar. Probably easier to slip into places by paying strictly cash. Add in certain people's greed and willingness to do anything for it, I'd say fun times are in store for me, as she'll try to get a hold of me by proxy."


"Ok no big then," Corin nodded, "Faith is a hell of a lot tougher than she looks and if Constance comes after her she'll be able to take care of herself, and I can be almost anywhere at any time so we've got her covered."

"So you're saying I should smoke her out, but lean on you guys when she shows and everyone nabs her together?"


Jamie nodded, "Pretty much. We all lean on each other to get the job done sometimes."

A nod came from Garrett as he started to finally unwind. Stress left his shoulders and face, and a smile formed at the corner of his lips. "So...I'm not getting punished or kicked off the team?" the question was asked free of stress as comfort returned to him. The tension that was there started to disappear.

Corin laughed, "No."

"I thought for having someone figuring out Faith's identity once the likes of Wolf, Kardiac, or Midas would have me kicked off the team for causing danger to another team mate," he said still in shock over the outcome of the meeting.

"We all make mistakes Garrett," Jamie said as she placed her hand on his shoulder, "We just need to correct the mistake before it goes too far. We need to put this lady down before she does you or Faith harm."


"The second I see her you'll be the first on the team to know," he said firmly looking at the two of them. Garrett wouldn't let his actions harm his family or friends, the next time Constance would show her head he wouldn't be alone like on the rooftops. This time there'd be help and hopefully a little less bullets.

[Faith]

While Garrison couldn't contend with New York as the 'City That Never Sleeps,' or with Paris as the 'City of Lights,' she did have her bright and shiny places that bustled with activity 24-7. On the west side of town, The Golden Strip accounted for fifty percent of the city's light pollution, with the entertainment district did a fair job of keeping the downtown area from ever seeing a starry night. It was a rooftop overlooking the Ebon Cat dance club that Bluewolf found himself awaiting the arrival of his patrol partner.

He couldn't help but feel a certain sense of irony. Had Faith not chosen to walk the path of a costumed hero, she might very well be dancing the night away in the club below instead of roof-hopping with him. The steady beat of heavy bass carried up to his lookout point, the rhythmic heartbeat of a Garrison City night.

She could feel the music in her veins, calling to her, drawing her footsteps into perfect rhythm with the beat. Not that anyone heard them. Faith had been practicing silencing her steps since her early teens. And now, with her new boots, she was confident in her ability to arrive unheard as well as unseen. Or, at least, mostly confident.

Pausing at the far edge of the rooftop, Sylph chewed on her lower lip as she watched Bluewolf for a moment. She still didn't know exactly what she thought of him. But, much like Agent Fairchild, it was beyond important that he like her. So she kept moving forward, slowing her steps to minimize the distortion that always hovered around the edges of her invisibility.

Despite her feelings of apprehension, a grin pulled at her full lips as she slowly approached. There was just something exhilarating about sneaking. Especially when she was doing such a good job of it.

Bluewolf smiled, but didn't turn around. Sylph - Faith - had certainly learned well from her mentor, but there were still a few lessons to be taught. He let her get perhaps ten feet away before acknowledging her presence.

"You're pretty good," he said, still not turning to face her, "but you scrapped your right toe coming up over the cornice. And I must say, you smell wonderful." He finally turned, activating the IR scanner in his visor. The red-orange-yellow glow of her head floated about five feet above the rooftop.

"Excellent," he said. "Your suit masks body heat. That a gift from Doc or Kard?"

Since he could see her heat, Faith didn't bother becoming visible as she did a quick little turn for him. "Technically, I think it's from Stragegoi... but it was Kardiac's idea. And thank you. I do smell good." Since they weren't on a huge stealthy mission, she wasn't going to feel any guilt over using her shampoo instead of the boring, non-scented stuff.

Drawing a step or two closer, Sylph finally faded into sight, hoping she didn't look as intimidated as she felt. "You really heard me?" she asked, sounding somewhat deflated.

"Yep," Wolf nodded, "but don't beat yourself up to much." He tapped the side of his head with a finger, "Canine ears... and nose."

"Doesn't that get noisy? Or smelly?" she asked before really stopping to think.

Wolf laughed, unconcerned that anyone would hear him twenty stories up in the heart of downtown. "Some times are certainly worse than others, yeah. But I've trained myself to deal with the noise; to pick out what's important from what's noise. The tech helps a bit," he tapped his visor again. "The nose works the same, most of the time. Everything mixes together, but stronger scents stand out. You know, like lavender and peppermint."

A grin pulled at her lips. He was much less huge and scary when he laughed. "Hey... it happens to be my favorite scent." She rose on her tiptoes to get a closer look at his visor. "How does it help your nose? Or your ears for that matter?" Her head tilted to the side as she studied it. "It must do a lot more than mine."

Wolf leaned against the duct-work of one of the huge HVAC condensers. He pulled off the silver metallic mask and handed it to her. "It doesn't do much for the nose at all. That's all bio- and neurological. Let's just say I have a strong gag reflex." The red head nodded as she held the mask up to peer through the azure lenses. "The headset has noise canceling and sound amplification to protect or augment when I need it. Similarly, it covers the range of IR, UV, and nite-vision, with flash-suppression so I don't get blinded by some fool with a laser pointer."

"Wow." She was pretty sure she knew what all of that meant. She ran her thumbs across the smooth surface of his mask before handing it back with a shy little smile. "So it's not just a neat sounding name? You really have the whole canine thing going on."

Wolf set the mask back in place. "Something like that," he said. "And how about you? The disappearing act come with the suit or did you wake up one morning and couldn't see yourself in the mirror?"

The little redhead blushed behind her own mask. "Close. It actually didn't happen all at once. I used to lose parts of myself. I think the first was my arm... or maybe it was a foot." She chuckled softly at the memory. "You should have heard my mom scream when she saw me."

"I would imagine it was a little unsettling, to say the least," he smiled warmly. "I'm sure I'm kicking a dead horse here, but why did you decide to do this?"

"What else would I do with this?" She held her hand up between them and let it disappear from view. "I'm a good piano teacher, I do great things with charities, I'm even a fair composer... but I have a gift beyond that, you know? It would be pretty irresponsible not to use it."

Faith turned away from him slightly, looking out over the dazzling lights of the city. "I imagine that coming back from the dead is the exception, not the rule. So I need to make the most of what I have." Biting her lip as she worried over whether she was making any sense of not, she turned those blue eyes back to Wolf. "I mean, you came back and jumped right back into all this and no one would have blamed you for taking time off or something. It's just... important."

That she hadn't spouted off any cliche reasons for running around the city in long underwear was certainly to her credit. Still, he wanted to try and find what made this girl - this woman - that had affected such a change in Eddy - find what made her tick. "I can respect that," he said after a moments pause. "But why not the other side of the street? A power like yours would come in real handy for a thief."

Those fiery brows arched up toward her hairline. Maybe he'd never been told her last name. "Why would I steal things? I have more than any one person could ever need. What could I possibly want that I couldn't just buy for myself?" She absently rubbed her shoulder, searching for any sign that her uniform had fairly recently been pierced by a knife. But, of course, there was nothing. "And it's not like I need the excitement. This side of the street has plenty of that, thank you very much."


"There's always the path of the noble rogue," Wolf offered, "robbing from the rich to give to the poor... but them the family foundation certainly does a handy job of that. And legally too. In fact, I'm pretty sure a fair number of KenTECH tax write-offs were the result of some fleecing on your family's part."

Wolf caught the warning look and held up a hand. "A very worthy fleecing, I might add, for the type of investment I'm most willing to buy into. You do good work, Faith. Both here in the shadows and out in the spotlight."

She wasn't quite sure how to take the compliment after all that. "My family's not perfect." Understatement of the year. "But I don't imagine that anyone out here is either. Maybe that's another reason to keep doing it. Just... a different sort of legacy to outweigh the bad stuff."

Wolf pushed himself off the HVAC duct and lay a hand on her slim shoulder. "Didn't mean to put you on the defensive, kiddo. We all have our reasons for doing this... thing we do," he paused as if there were more he was going to say, but instead cocked his head in a manner that struck Faith as yet another oddly canine trait.

"Duty calls." he said, sprinting for the edge of the building. "C'mon..."

He moved impossibly fast, too fast for any questions, and was over the side before Faith had crossed half the distance. She was certain that Eddy would have at least let her know that Aaron could fly, since she didn't hear the tell-tale paff of a grapnel being fired off. Once she reached the blocky edge of the rooftop, looking over, she understood. Bluewolf was literally bouncing back and forth between the two buildings. Powerful legs caught the briefest of ledges as the blue-clad hero ping-ponged down to the alley.

"Um... sure. I'll be right down," she muttered, easing herself onto the fire escape. Though nowhere near as fast as Bluewolf, the little redhead managed to make it to the alley with grace and reasonable speed.

"You're a showoff," she told him as she finally caught up to him. Then a new idea hit her. After all, he had just come back... "Or does it just feel good?"

"You have no idea."

Any trace of Aaron had been left on the rooftop and for the first time since they'd met, Faith found herself in the presence of Bluewolf. Where Eddy altered his voice - either to become Kardiac, or become Eddy, she still wasn't sure - there seemed a complete character shift in Bluewolf. She hurried to keep pace, and soon could hear the sounds that had drawn them down to street level.

Since she couldn't try to figure him out and concentrate on the disturbance at the same time, Sylph put the rest of her questions aside for later. He certainly wasn't Eddy. And while that probably wasn't a bad thing, it definitely made figuring out her place with him much harder.

Taking two steps for every one of his, she faded back out of sight. He knew she was there anyway. Nearing the mouth of the alley, but still well enough in the shadows, Faith saw three figures. Two standing and one lying on the pavement. Flipping on her low-light filters, Faith was able to get a better view.

And almost wished she hadn't.

The girl was probably close to Faith's age. Her fashionable clubwear was torn and tattered, and there were visible bruises on her arms and legs, and swelling on her face. The redhead felt a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. That girl could have been Sarah, or any number of her friends. If she was honest, she'd have to admit that it even could have her. Not now, certainly, but a different Faith of a not so distant past...

And then he was upon them with all of the fury Faith imagined a pack of wolves to have. For a second she could only watch in amazement. But, while Bluewolf didn't need her help to take down two men, there was someone else who did need it.

Reappearing at the girl's side, her flawless face showed nothing but honest compassion as she reached to help her sit up. "You're going to be okay now," she said softly, holding her hand out like she would to a frightened animal.

The girl looked from Sylph to the violence being visited upon those who so recently had done violence upon her. One man was already down, one arm jutting away from his body at an unnatural angle. Without making it obvious, the little redhead moved slightly, putting her own body between the girl and the action. It was enough to know something was being done; she didn't need to watch.

"Is... is he going to kill them?" the girl asked, staring through Sylph as though she were still invisible.

"We're the good-guys, we don't do that."

"Damn."

"Not damn," Faith told the girl, a hint of iron creeping into her compassionate tone. "My blue friend is teaching them a lesson... then they'll go to jail. At least she hoped that was the way this would work.

"And you're going to take some self-defense classes after this," she added firmly.

Sylph helped the girl to her feet while Wolf secured the two unconscious men. "The authorities are already on their way," he said to both of them. Then he looked at Faith, "For obvious reasons, we can't be here-"

"Please..." the girl pleaded, her voice quivering, having lost the edge of moments ago, "I don't know if I can be alone right now. Not here, anyway..."

Wolf's voice softened, "We're not going anywhere until you're safe," he explained. "I'll be topside, and Sylph will be right here, just out of sight."

The sounds of sirens could already be heard in the distance. Before the girl could say more, Bluewolf was leaping up into the shadows of the side of the building. "Don't worry, I'll be right here," Sylph assured the girl. As she faded from view, the street lit up with the blue strobe of Garrison City's finest, shortly followed by the red of an EMT wagon. "You'll be fine."

[Bluewolf]

Back on the rooftop, Aaron crouched at the building's edge like a gargoyle, watching as the ambulance pulled away with their survivor safely inside. The police were loading up the attackers, both of whom having readily confessed about the girl, and trying to make statements about their condition. The cops listened patiently, having already mentally filed their reports that the fellows must have tripped and fallen, alleyways being the dangerous places that they were.

"Sorry about not letting you in on the action," Wolf said, without turning away from the scene below. "There were only two of them, lightly armed and all."

"You realize I'm going to make it my mission now to sneak up on you," Sylph replied, fading into view. Her lips settled into a little pout as she crossed her arms over her chest. It wasn't the lack of action that bothered her. "You so didn't need any help patrolling, did you?"

"Quite the opposite... especially tonight." He still hadn't turned away from watching the street. "Victims of violent crimes, like sexual assault, go into shock. They shut down, close off during questioning by the authorities. You managed to keep the girl focused on you, and not her immediate circumstance."

"Oh." Silenced, for the moment, she came to stand beside him. For a long moment the redhead simply watched the city with him. Then, as that dazzling smile returned to her face, Faith glanced up at him from the corner of her eye. "So... you approve?"

"Of course I do," the corner of Wolf's mouth twitched upward. "But isn't that a little inconsistent?"

He slipped of his visor again, pulling the cowling down around his neck and running a hand through his hair. Aaron looked at Faith for the first time since climbing back to their perch. He could tell she was confused by the question and more than a little put out. He swung around, settling down on the ledge. Half his face was illuminated by the city, the other cast in shadow. "Only moments ago, you were saying how important it was for you to be doing this, yet you're still seeking approval."

One fiery eyebrow lifted as her smile shifted into a smirk, a smirk she'd picked up from a mutual friend. "So this wasn't a see what Kardiac's sidekick is made of night?"

"Hardly. That Sparky has taken you under his wing is more than enough for me. Having been... out of touch for as long as I have, I wanted to get to know the girl that's gotten inside his armor. It's an exclusive club, though I have to admit the dress code is a little funny," Aaron said with a smile. "And," he continued, "if I wanted to see what you were 'made of,' we wouldn't be out here tonight, we'd be back in the gym at the doghouse."

Faith bit her lip but didn't look away from his gaze. "So I've been worrying about whether or not you like me for nothing?" She had to pout again at that. "I don't meant to sound inconsistent," she confessed. "Because I know I don't need your approval... but it does make things nicer."

Aaron made the sign of the cross, as if he were a Priest giving communion. "Go then, my child, out into the city and bring justice upon those that would bring injustice upon others," he said in a teasing voice. "I'd say I was going to Hell for that remark, but..."

She giggled, loving that he could joke about something so serious. Then, because he really did deserve it, she punched him in the shoulder. It was a little like punching a wall... but it made her feel better. "So... about that whole jumping down buildings trick... do you give lessons?"

"You'll probably want to stick with jumplines and the like. I usually reserve the jumping off roofs for ten-stories and under, but I was in a hurry. Another one of my abilities," he said, bouncing his feet on the rooftop, "there's a little extra spring in my step."

"Right," Faith laughed. "So don't try this at home." Settling herself on the ledge beside him, she didn't even try to pretend that she wasn't studying him. Finally, pursing her lips to the side, she gave a little nod. He was still a little bit intimidating... but it was okay to like him.

"That would be a big negative..." his voice trailed off.

"What?" she asked tentatively, afraid she'd said the wrong thing.

"Nothing really. Just hearing ghosts now, is all." Aaron replied after a moment.

The redhead bit her lip, quickly looking back out over the lights. "I'm sorry." She wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for, but something had changed the tone of the moment and she didn't know how to undo it.


Aaron lay a hand on her shoulder, giving Faith a reassuring squeeze, "No need to apologize, just something that happens from time to time. When you've been doing this as long as I have, you build up your fair share of specters."

She thought about that for a while. "That seems sad," she said finally. "Not that it's a reason not to do it." Her lip curled in a half smile, reassured by his touch if not by his words.

"No, but it doesn't make it any easier," Aaron admitted. He pulled his cowl back on a set the silver mask back in place yet again. He pulled a small silver disk from his belt and thumbed the latch. "Hold on."


Before Faith could ask, 'What for?' she felt a tingle run up her spine. Everything when light, then dark, then swirly, and suddenly they were on another rooftop in a much darker part of the city. It took Faith a moment to get her bearings, but soon realized they were in the Lourds. "Second stop for the night," Aaron said, answering the quizzical look on the girl's face.

"Wow. I want one of those," she told him with a grin. But her levity didn't last long. Though this was about as far from the neighborhood where she lived as they could possibly get, she knew what the streets were like here at night. "Don't leave me behind this time."

"No chance of that. Not here." Bluewolf assured the red head. "If you thought Sparky's welcome home was rough, just let something happen to you on my watch. And I don't need to add another shade to the ranks."

"Another one?" she asked before stopping to think of how intrusive that question really was.


"You ever wonder if a single action could change the course of events for the rest of your life?"

Of course she had. But Faith still found herself confused by another change of direction, "I didn't realize I would be spending the evening with a warrior-philosopher."

"I suppose you could say that," Wolf said. "Maybe I've been spending too much time running around the world hanging out in mystical monasteries, and not enough time busting heads here at home."

He looked out over the rooftops of the Lourds. It was a quiet night here, in this most desperate area of the city, and thankfully so. But it was also here that his question could be answered simply by looking around. The residents of this area were ruled by single actions, be it the loss of work, the theft of a candy bar, or the pull of a trigger.

"For example, take the girl from earlier. If we hadn't been there, what might have happened to her?"

It wasn't something Faith particularly wanted to dwell on. Still, she considered the question. "Worst case, I suppose, she could have been killed. Best case, she survives."

Wolf nodded and gave her a sad smile, "Sure, I suppose you could say that. Looking at the big picture, anyway. But what would you say if I told you that for her, the best case could be that she was killed?"

"I'd ask if you'd lost your mind. You don't actually believe that do you?"

"Of course not," Wolf replied, waving a dismissive hand. "I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here. But, focusing in a little closer... Had we not arrived, and she survived the attack, one: there's the physical trauma," he began ticking items off on his fingers, "two: there's the psychological trauma. Cuts and bruises heal in a short time compared to potential months or years of counseling. Can she ever trust a man again? Why would she want to? Abnormal thoughts have already started working in her mind when she asked if I was going to kill those men and was genuinely disappointed when you told her no.

"But I wanted to."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Why?" This time she was perfectly aware of how blunt the question was. But she'd had enough of trying to follow his moods; she wanted to know what was behind it.

"I became the custodian - for lack of a better word - of these abilities in my late teens, but it wasn't until I was in college that I discovered what they really meant." Wolf heaved a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "My freshman year, there was this girl... we were pretty serious. Well, as serious as two ninteen year olds can be."

He'd never told this story to Eddy or Ryu. In fact, Kaye was the only one who really knew when and where Bluewolf was born, and it wasn't during a family vacation turned tragedy. Once he started, however, the words came tumbling out. "One night, we were supposed to go to this big party on campus, but I had an exam the next day and begged off to study. She went anyway... Too many drinks and a couple of roofies later, and she's in the hospital. She had an adverse reaction to the drugs, and slipped into a coma that she never recovered from. DNA not being what it is today, the case went cold, and I found out that it takes a lot of liquor to get me drunk."

Behind her goggles, her blue eyes glistened with tears for him. Though she wanted to say something reassuring, she was afraid to interrupt. This certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting from the night. "But you didn't stay drunk," she prompted, feeling that there had to be more to his story, more that was hanging over him.

Wolf laughed, in spite of himself, "I don't know if I'd go that far. I'm pretty certain I was responsible for the better part of old man Murphy's pub renovations. Two semesters tuition at Northwestern buys a lot of whisky."

"Then what changed? You did something more than drink. You had to... right?"

Bluewolf reached up an tapped his nose, "What the crime scene folks couldn't find, I could. Even after being cleaned up at the hospital, I could pick up an odd mix of scents, but I wasn't sure what they were until later when a group of frat boys wandered into my watering hole. Cologne, or several colognes to be exact. So I did what any self-depricating super-powered person would do: I followed them.

"Waited until we were in a nice dark alley - much like the one from earlier - and I let the know how much pain they'd caused me and my girlfriend's family. Whether I've blocked them, or my brain was too adled with drink, I don't know, but the details are fuzzy. I do know that I woke up to a phone call the next day with a raging headache and a lot of blood on me, none of it mine."

"I'm..." Her fingers covered her lips to keep from telling him she was sorry. She thought of Eddy and the question she'd never asked about how it was that Justice should have killed him. Did they all have these big tragedies in their past? "Who was on the phone?" she asked finally, wanting to hear the end.

"My girlfriend's father. There was a break in the case. Apparently while at the hospital being treated for assault and battery, a half-dozen men confessed to drugging and... assaulting my girlfriend. Well, those that could speak at the time. Full confessions didn't come about until everyone regained consciousness." There was no hint of sarcasm, nor any trace of a smile. Just plain and simple facts. "It was at that point I had a choice to make."

Faith hadn't realized she was inching closer to him until she found herself looking up into his face, listening intently to every single word. "What to do with... the wolf?" she guessed.

Wolf looked down at her an nodded once. "It's no coincidence that we came back to the 'real world' in the tomb of Genghis Khan. What's in here," he tapped his chest, "hasn't always been used for the right thing."

"But it is now." Her hand came to rest gently on his arm. "I mean... that was a long time ago..."

He covered her hand with his own and gave it a squeeze. "Still, it's enough to know it's there... thanks."

It looked to Faith as though Aaron was about to say more, but in the space of one moment to the next, the night air was filled with the staccato ringing of an alarm. And in that moment, Faith could tell that the switch had been flipped back to Bluewolf. "Building alarm, not far. Ready to get back to work?"

"Um... yes. Of course." She looked up at him curiously, deciding not to ask if he was okay. He was in work mode again. But maybe there'd be time for conversation again later. She hadn't been expecting to get to know him on this level, but it was nice. And it made going back to work feel... well... right.

"Excellent," the smile had returned to his face. "I think this is the chance to see what you're made of. I'll tell you the plan on the way..."

---

The plan was a simple one as plans go. A little role reversal from earlier. This time Bluewolf would do all the talking and Sylph would handle all the thumping. The closeness of the buildings and their low height - barely anything above five stories - made the the three-block trip to the crime scene an exercise in urban cross-training. Once they reached the building in distress - a small mom and pop electronics repair shop - Sylph took to the alley, while Bluewolf hit the street.

There were four of them; one working emptying the register, while another worked on the safe, and two more ransacking what few higher-end items they could find and trashing the rest. "Manny, you done wit dat safe yet?" The one at the register called out.

"Almost done," Manny replied. He was working on the safe door with a drill and a pry-bar.

"You best be hurrying up, man. The cops gonna be here soon."

One of the others yelled from the other side of the shop, "Man, the cops don't waste no time with this part of town."

"The cops might not - though I know that to be false - but you're forgetting the neighborhood watch program," Bluewolf said, stepping through the broken door. "And by the way, Manny, that safe is rated to last at least thirty man-minutes... how long do you think you have?"

Though it was killing her to be quiet, Faith managed to keep her comments to herself as she entered through the back alley door. The fact that these men seemed just as happy breaking things as they did actually stealing made her angry. But angry wasn't such a bad thing... especially since she was going to be able to do the hitting this time.

Invisible and not at all concerned about the odds, she smirked to herself as she waited in silence for the thieves to start wetting themselves when they realized it was Bluewolf in the front doorway.

"Yo dude, you just missed Halloween," the punk at the register said, pulling a beat up Glock from the waistband of his pants. "I suggest you best be steppin' off before somethin' unfortunate happens to you."

Wolf smiled. Sylph was already in place, just waiting for her queue, which he was about to provide. "Yo, Joey, that's one of them capes... Bluedog or somethin'."

"You boys are obviously in need of some remedial civics. A bluedog is a member of the fiscally conservative Democratic coalition, formed in the House of Representatives in 1995, who are committed to financial and national security, favoring compromise and bipartisanship over ideology and party discipline." Even as Wolf delivered his lecture, Sylph positioned herself closer to the greatest threat, Joey, holding the gun. "I, on the other hand, go by Bluewolf, and I would very much appreciate it, Joey, if you would drop the gun."

"Yo man, fu-" The rest of Joey's reply was lost in a howl of pain.

There is a tendon that runs along the back of the thumb and down over the wrist bones and under a wide band of tendon that covers the wrist before if connects to a muscle group in the forearm. Sylph knew this from her training with Kardiac, and it was at this precise point where she brought one of her 'hittin' sticks.'

His shout, even with the curses, was highly satisfying. But even better... there were gasps and more curses as she caught the gun before it hit the floor, letting it vanish as her fingers closed around it. Then, because he was annoying and basically deserved it, the invisible redhead finished Joey off with a series of quick blows. He sank to his knees then pitched forward to lay face-first on the floor.

One of the other thugs decided against talking altogether. Dropping the DVD player he'd been holding, he made a mad dash for the backdoor. Since she wanted to make sure Bluewolf had time to sound as impressive as possible, Faith settled for simply tripping him. His feet tangled around her unseen leg, sending him crashing to join Joey on the floor.

Wolf tsked as he looked around at the two men still standing. "Your boys seem to have a little trouble keeping upright, Manny. It is so hard to find good help these days."

Manny stared at his fallen crew with wild eyes, the prybar still in his hands. Wolf knew things could go one of two ways: either Manny would do the smart thing, drop his weapon and surrender; or, he would do the not-so-smart thing, and attempt an attack. The percentages always leaned toward the latter, and given the boy's demeanor, it seemed like he too would be in that majority. Still, Bluewolf always gave them an opportunity to do the smart thing.

"Manny, you're looking a little unsettled," the big man said calmly. "Why don't you set the prybar down before you wind up on the floor with the rest of your boys?"

It was fight or flight, and the look in Manny's eyes at that moment chose fight. Wolf sighed, "You can't say I didn't warn you. It's time for you to fall down now."

There was no way she could resist a perfect setup like that, even if she'd wanted to. With a grin on her invisible face, Sylph gave Manny the once over before deciding what to do. Touching him was really not an option... not when it didn't take an enhanced sense of smell to realize that he was in desperate need of a shower.

Hooking the prybar with her stick, she forced his hand down then delivered a swift knee to the groin. Though Manny's surprised groan of pain echoed through the now quiet room, he didn't fall. But, with an unseen shrug, Faith remedied that problem by cracking her other stick across his head.

Finally the sounds of sirens could be heard over the ringing alarm. Wolf turned to the last man standing. He too was wide-eyed and standing stock still. The look in his eyes, however, suggested that he was smarter than his partners. Or at least too frightened to do anything. Wolf folded his arms across his chest. "Well, son, seems you have a choice to make."

The boy looked at the big man standing in the doorway who had yet to move from his spot, yet had dropped three of the boy's gang. Good sense won over as the boy carefully set down the PC chassis he'd been holding and held up his hands. "There may be some hope for you yet, son."

---

From the relative safety of the repair shop roof, Bluewolf and Sylph watched the results of their handywork as it was escorted from the store. "I'm telling you man, he didn't even touch them. The just fell down!" the last thug was saying as the cops led him to the back of a cruiser. "It was like he was some kinda Jedi or somethin'."

Though her hand was over her mouth to stifle a delighted giggle, Faith's blue eyes sparkled with laughter. "Wow... you're a Jedi now." She pushed the tendrils of flaming hair away from her face as she listened to the boy go on and on. "You know... that was a lot of fun."

"It was, indeed," the big man laughed. The end of the evening had done well enough to balance out the beginning, but there was still one more stop on their route. Bluewolf pulled out the communicator once again. "And now for the reward..."

Once again, Faith experienced that briefly uncomfortable moment that accompanied being moved from one place to another in the blink of an eye. She found herself standing atop the old fort, the choppy expanse of lead-gray water surrounding them. Chilly wind drove frothy combers against the island's rocky shore, and Faith made a mental note to thank Eddy again for insisting that she cover her midriff.

On the horizon, the sky began to pale with the faint colors of dawn. There was a marked and sudden transition from the gray-black of the water and the pale orange and yellow that seemed to rise up from it like a mist. They watched in silence as the sun peaked up, merely a sliver at first, but slowly growing into a yellow-white disc hovering in the sky. Off to their right, the light reflected off the glass and steel of Garrison's skyscrapers, looking for all the world like a massive golden fountain had erupted in the heart of the city.

"Wow," the redhead whispered. She'd thought she'd seen Garrsion from every angle possible, but this was a new one.

"Gives a little different perspective on what we're working to keep safe, doesn't it?" She nodded, but remained silent, taking in the view. "I want to apologize for earlier," Bluewolf said after a while. "That was some heavy information to lay on you so early in this partnership."

Tearing her eyes from the sunrise, Faith smiled at him. Then, because it just felt like the right time, she put her arms around him in a gentle hug. "Please don't apologize. Sometimes things have a way of coming to the surface even when we're not expecting them. If something about tonight made you feel the need to share then I'm glad I was there." The morning light caught the darker red tones in her hair and stained her cheeks as that smile grew into a grin. "Besides, I wanted to get to know you."

Aaron was taken aback by the sudden show of affection. Still, he returned the hug saying, "You know, I'm sure there is against this in the superhero handbook."

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Nice try. But if Kardiac can get used to this, so can you."

Silence fell between them once again as they watched the sun climb higher in the sky. Across the water, city residents were starting their days, just as the heroes' was coming to a close. After a while, Aaron nudged Faith in the arm, "So, you ready to hit the funhouse?"

The redhead nodded and waited for him to poof them away. After the night's activities she was tired, a strangely satisfying feeling. "So what's the best way to learn how to function on so little sleep?" she asked suddenly. "It's not like you can go back to bed and sleep all day now."

"Sleep? Who sleeps?" Deciding to forgo the teleporter, he led her, instead, to a circular panel set in the roof. "Endurance of a wolf, remeber?"

Faith's eyes went hard as she stepped into the circle with him. She jumped slightly when the disc started its decent. "No... you forgot to mention that."

"Did I?" Aaron affected his most innocent look. "Huh. Fancy that. Well, you did just say you wanted to get to know me."

The redhead's eyes rolled skyward. "Great. Another devious old man."

Aaron smiled as the hatch closed above them. "What? I can't let Sparky have all the fun."

[Capin]

It felt good. The wind in his cape. The rumble of the train below his fingers as it chugged along the dark track between stops. The sounds of Garrison's nightlife. It felt good to be home, to just hit the streets without all that heavy weight on his shoulders. Somewhere in the distance he could hear the sounds of sirens echoing off of the buildings, and a smile played beneath his cowl as the wind whipped against his face.

Garrison had always been a troubled city, dark and dangerous. As bad as Garrison had seemed, he now knew just how bad it could be, how bad things really were. He knew what was at stake. It all could have simply detached him from it all, but this city instead made him feel grounded. It kept that bigger picture in perspective. Somethings were just as important as the whole world. Things like riding the train through the city and keeping your eye out for trouble.

Trouble was rarely far off; you just needed the practiced eye to find it.

A curl pulled at the corner of his mouth as he spotted a sleek black moving truck cruising north down Pelster avenue. It was conspicuously inconspicuous with its shiny paint job and the "MGH Industrial Delivery" sign on the side. The dead give away was the subtle antennae on the top. "A little late for delivery..." He kept his eye on the speeding truck as the train chugged ahead of it, speeding into a curve that took them across Pelster, giving a perfect view of the windshield. It was tinted. "Lets take a closer look, shall we?"

The truck rolled on straight as the train curved about. Ryu used its momentum to hop clear of the tracks and leaped across to the scaffolding built up along the apartment building across from the train. He climbed up to the roof with the swift agility of a spider monkey, all the while never loosing sight of those red tail lights. When he reached the top he hopped into pursuit as the truck rolled through town.

The mystery vehicle rolled to a stop at the back gate for Lakeview. Capin slipped down the fire escape and into the shadows of one of the buildings that had been converted to "barely off campus student housing". "Okay..." He kept his safe distanace as the guard at the booth stepped out to approach the truck. In that moment of question an arm reached out and jammed a tazer into the man's chest.

"Bad guys..." Capin groaned, checking the cover that would get him to the truck fast and unseen. Besides the cover of night, there wasn't much. "Awesome," he said without any of the enthusiasm appropriate for the word.

Sparks arced and the guard fell to the ground with sharp groan and a lifeless thud. Before he hit the ground the back of the truck opened up and a man in identical garb hopped out, adjusting his hat. He walked around the side and dragged the lip security guard into the booth and out of view. In seconds the gate rose and the truck rolled in.

---

This was the sort of night just made for sneaking. The air was crisp and just clear enough for a few stars to outshine the ever-present lights of the city. And if the night was made for sneaking, the Lakeview campus was perfect for some solo patrolling and practice.

Following drunken frat-boys posed no challenge at all. They wouldn't have noticed her if she was visible. But campus security? Faith smiled to herself as she closed the steps between the security guard and herself. She was now certain he hadn't heard a thing, but the presence of a body so close--even though he coudn't see it-- seemed to make him nervous. It probably meant he was a very good guard. But it also meant she had more work to do if she wanted to be truly invisible in situations like this.

Her guard turned left, heading toward the science buildings. And, though it wasn't her favorite part of campus, Sylph followed along. If the increased speed of his footsteps were any indication, the security guard spotted the odd black van at the same time as the invisible redhead. It was far too late for normal business hours. Not to mention, a creepy van at a creepy deserted lab just screamed trouble.

With a renewed appreciation for the dedication of campus security, Faith bit her lip as she watched him approach the driver's side of the vehicle.

"Hey there," the guard said with a casual tone as he watched up to the suspicious vehicle with his heavy maglite trained on the window. "Lab's closed for deliveries. Dr. Weston's been gone for hours."

"You're joking..." The driver tipped his ballcap back on his head, looking rather exasperated. "They just called for an immediate delivery. Must be a mix-up back at dispatch."

With all his attention on the driver, the guard never heard the doors silently open around back. He never saw the black clad figure step out and slip around the corner. "Must be..." The man was tall, covered head to toe, the black material seemed to eat the light that fell upon it, moving almost like a shadow. Even his face was obscured by a strange goggle-like mask. The one thing that truly stood out was his chest, a black metallic armor piece covered with strange round ports. Like a cat the imposing figure snuck up behind the guard. "Wait... How did you get through the gat-" Before he could finish his thought, the an grabbed him, a surge of electricity running through his body that tensed every muscle before the man went limp and was laid out.

---

Capin watched the truck speed away. Whatever they were there for, he couldn't let them get far. The next unsuspecting person that crossed their path might not be so lucky as to simply get a shock treatment. Keeping to the dark as best he could, he moved across the street, watching the stand-in like a hawk. To his advantage, the man seemed wholly interested in guarding anything, despite the uniform he so proudly wore.

The Dapper Detective slunk around the little brick building, keeping out of the line of sight till he was able to slip around the back. He couldn't just leave their scout to his job. Or to run off when things went south, as they would very shortly. He inched toward the door, giving quick look back to keep an eye on the mysterious truck.

"Evening!" He said, popping into the door way. The imposter spun round, reaching for his sidearm. Instead his chin found a strong right cross first, dropping him like a sack of potatoes. Capin crouched down tied him up. The inky black cape stole the handgun and made quick work of it, depositing it in little pieces. "You wait here for the cops. I'm going to go look in on your friends."

He was already losing ground. Capin dashed back across the campus grounds after the red lights. For good or bad the truck had pulled in and parked. Too far to do anything, he saw the man climb out of the back. "Crap." He watched as another guard was put down. "On a cracker..."

---

"Ohmygosh... bad guy." Sylph didn't exactly like the idea of hitting someone without at least a little warning. But, then again, hadn't exactly been nice to the poor security guard. With silent steps, she inched closer to the creepy man in black and reminded herself firmly that Eddy would yell at her for not taking advantage of an easy opening. The weight of her hittin' sticks was somewhat reassuring as she swung one in a quick, controlled arc toward the back of the man's head.

"Argh!" The voice had that altered sound of a voicebox or a phone. He stumbled forward, hand going to his head. Clearly the suit had cushioned the blow more than Faith had expected. "What the?" Came back around fast, his arm seemingly instinctively knowing right where her follow up blow was coming from. It landed on landed hard on his forearm. He was looking right at her. His head was cocked to the side, but somehow, he was looking right at her. "Who the hell are you?" He swung around, tucking that stick under his arm, trapping it. His free hand came up, and one of those round ports in his palm lit up with a blinding flash of light.

"Hey!" Though her goggles helped somewhat, Sylph still found herself with spots before her eyes. But worse, Mr. Creepy-black-clothes had her stick pinned. She brought her knee up in an instinctive attempt to put some space between them.

The kick seemed to take him by surprise. Flashbang let go of the escrima stick a. "Hey yourself, sweetheart." despite the cool tone in his automated voice, clearly he was irritated. He lunged forward swinging a tight hook punch.

If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was block. But Sylph didn't stop there. She was quick. And now that she was free to move again, she used that to her advantage. Stepping back out of his reach she appeared for a moment --long enough to let him get a good look-- then disappeared again. Pivoting on one heel, she came at him from the other side this time, bringing her stick down hard on his arm.

Like a fly on the wall coming in to land, Capin watched the strange dance as the stealth suit clad man stumbled and swung at the ghost. "Curious." It didn't take considerable detective skills to put together that he wasn't swinging at a bee, but judging by the way he fell back whoever it was stung pretty hard. But life was about to get more complicated as the driver was climbing out the back and armed with a P90 SMG. Whoever the ghost was, Capin wasn't going to let them take a bullet in the back.

The driver was raising his rifle to his sight. "What is it?" He was dangerously twitchy on his gun, swinging that snub barrel nervously.

"Goddamn heroes." Flashbang recovered swiftly. He pressed in close to her with surprising speed.
"Back off, Jambi." His head came and landed hard against hers and without the flash of lights she was seeing stars again. Suddenly the image of a woman appeared out thin air.

"I'll take that," The black cape wrapped up the end of the gun and worked further up toward his hand, crunching the weapon into an oversized paperweight before yanking it out of his grip. Capin grabbed the man by the head and used it to put a sizable dent into the side of the truck with a dull thud. "Needs a tune up."

Faith staggered back, adding a new pain to her list of things she never wanted to feel again. "You need to watch your language," she scolded the man in black, too distracted to notice that she wasn't alone anymore. The sudden headache kept her from concentrating enough to return to invisibility, but it didn't keep her from moving.

She rushed in at him again, keeping her sticks in front of her, but this time he was out of reach before she could even come close. It seemed all he needed to do was see her. He ducked around the advance letting Faith plant her attack square on the van with a hard clang that vibrated up to her elbows. "And you need to mind your own business, sweetheart." Before she had a moment to recover Flashbang had swung about with a kick that sent her flying to aside

While the driver was falling to the ground Capin got an eyeful of an airborne redhed. Stepping up he caught her in his arms, "Hello." He gave her that trademarked smile, "Nice of you to drop in." Enry was buzzing in his head about the impending attack, as if he hadn't heard the villain griping about how there were two of them. With Sylph cradled to his chest he ducked and bent out of the way of every punch and kick Flashbang made with an almost elaborate flourish. But with the fourth punch, Capin swung about, letting the cape catch it and swing the black clad man about and send him arcing across the parking lot behind them.

"Wow." Proving herself to be his equal when it came to heart-melting smiles, the little redhead stared at him in amazement. "You've just been promoted to my favorite person ever. Or you will be after a proper introduction." With a gentle push, she disengaged herself from his arms and dropped lightly to the ground. It was somewhat depressing to find that she was breathing hard. Either the jerk in black was better than she'd thought, or she was still recovering. The problem was, Sylph couldn't decide which was worse.

"Aren't you sweet," The Dapper Detective replied with the requisite pleased sound in his voice as his attention turned to their problem. Having skidded across the asphalt, Flashbang had managed to roll back up onto his his feet. "Wish i could say the same for your playmate here. He seems positively cross." As if Capin needed that statement backed up, the black clad intruder pulled a manhole cover and hurled it at them with disturbing speed, sending the pair dodging in opposite directions.

Capin slid to the side, evading the heavy frisbee. "That's no way to make friends," he called back at their charging attacker.

"Maybe you should give him a hug," Sylph offered. "He's been awfully prickly with me. And I'm really quite likeable." With a wink, she faded back out of sight. "If you have some neat power that you can shoot at him, now would be a good time. Otherwise we're going to have to get in close." It was about as much of a plan as she'd come up with.

"Nope." Capin never saw Sylph disappear from sight. He instead watched as the man charged forward toward him, watching how he moved. There was so much you could tell by the way a person moved. Their companion was good. He was fast and strong, and he'd been trained. "No neat shooting here." His lip curled a little. "But I kind of excel at up close."

"This was going to be a simple job." Flashbang turned his attention completely to the man he could see, swinging with tight punches. "In and out. No problems." The well dressed interloper's arms rose block after block. Never letting a blow land. "Then you two come along..."

"I know." Every punch, Capin learned something about his foe. "Terribly rude, right?"

"Yes." This time as the Dapper Detective pushed his fist to the side Flashbang followed through with a quick cross that rattled the cowled man's jaw hard.

An invisible fist, baton and all, collided with Flashbang's jaw as his own blow fell on the stranger. "Hitting people is rude too," Sylph told him as she moved out from behind Capin's shoulder, completely unphased by the rudeness of her own actions. She did however, feel mildly guilty about using her new friend's body as a shield... but since the bad guy seemed to be able to see her, it had felt like a good idea at the time.

He wasn't calling her sweetheart anymore. With a curse that made the invisible girl frown, Flashbang swung at her. Pushing her away from the man in the suit with punch after punch. Then, his irritation showing more with every second, his hands came up. "I'll show you rude." Both palms lit up in a blinding flash of light. She stumbled back, arms raising to block the light that already took her sight. "Spades of it." She had filtered into view and he grabbed her by the hair, holding her up and landing a hard smack to her belly.

Capin had recovered swiftly and spun about but their playmate was more than prepared. The Dapper Detective smacked him hard in the kidney with an Open Paw Tiger strike which brought a hard groan from the man, but he took the hit. He let the force that swung him about, shift his hold on the redhead. He let go her mane taking her wrist and pulling her back against his body, holding her between the two men. "Nice try. Move and I break your girlfriend" His other hand came across her neck fast, holding her jaw.

They were close. "Actually we just met." As fast as Capin was he knew that he wouldn't get there in time. "Though she did say I was her favorite person, but I kinda suspect that was a heat of the moment thing. Still, it's very touching." He raised his hands, palm up, indicating his surrender. "I don't suppose you want a hug..."

Despite her blurred vision, Faith couldn't help but grin. Her body was moving on instinct, falling back on instruction that went back much farther than her time with Eddy. Her delicate fingers wrapped around Flashbang's wrist, finding the nerve cluster then pressing down with almost clinical precision. She didn't need his curse to tell her she'd done it right, even after all these years. As his numbed fingers fell away from her neck, the redhead swung around under his arm, twisting it behind him.

"ARGH!"

Having watched that move, Capin's head tilted back. He knew that move well. He knew it very well. And it wasn't exactly the sort of thing that was taught in self defense classes. "Wow." In fact Ryu generally kept those special pressure points a trade secret, save for the one person he'd decided to pass this one along to when she needed it. An old friend. "I..." He looked from the the red mane down the cut of her jaw below the goggles, the subtle curve of her satisfied smirk. "Wow..."

In Capin's dumbfoundedness, Flashbang found an opening that he was getting tired of needing. His irritation with everything had taken over his patience. He swung back with his elbow loosing Sylph's grip so he could throw her back. She landed against his chest and the cowled man seemed in that moment to barely notice that the black clad villain was still there. "Screw this." Flashbang's hand stretched out and those round ports on his chest went bright with a white hot light accompanied by a loud bang.

Everything went white. Ryu stumbled off his feet, landing hard on his shoulder as the dizzy disorientation took his balance. He felt his skull bounce off the pavement first and then the hard kick against his chest. His ears were ringing. He rolled over, feeling the cape wrap him into a cocoon. Flashbang continued his assault undeterred.

Sylph hit the ground hard, her hands coming up at the last second to avoid doing a faceplant. The lack of vision was annoying, especially since this was the third time in one night. But the thought that he might have damaged her hearing was enough to cause just a bit of panic... and some growing anger. "That does it. No hugs for you." Except she couldn't see him to hit him. And she really wanted to.

"You both talk too much." He pulled her up and slammed her against the side of the truck, letting her crumple to the ground as the scene slowly came back to her eyes with stars. She saw him return to the stranger that had come to her aid, the black wrapped around him as he rolled with another kick where his chest would be.

She couldn't shut up, not now that she knew it irritated the bad guy. "But he's got such a nice voice," she groaned. Now that she thought about it, he really did. There was something about it...

Pushing herself back off the concrete, the Vanishing Vixen reached for her secondary weapon. She'd almost given up using the shock-staff now that she had her hittin' sticks, but she carried it anyway. After all, Corin had given it to her. Expanding the collapsible staff, she used it to help gain her footing then stretched out and jabbed it into one of the glowing ports on Flashbang's back plate. The taser crackled to life, shorting out the light and sending a shock through the man's body. Again he cried out in pain, his body stretching out as the sparks flew from metal socket.

At his feet Capin kept rolling away, finally rolling to his feet. The black unfurled from around him as he locked onto the attacker with restored vision. The man was rounding to knock Sylph down, but the Dapper Detective was too fast. The cape closed around his wrist and yanked him back. "C'mere..." His fist cracked across the thief's face with jaw shattering speed. The mask took the brunt of the blow, denting and cracking a little but the Capin didn't relent this time. The second and third and fourth attacks came swift and relentless, and Flashbang was tossed about as each one landed faster than he could react to block.

"I think you should look the nice young lady in the eyes," the inky black cape wrapped around the figure's mask, turning him about as it peeled it from his face like an orange rind, "And apologize for making a scene." He knocked the man forward onto his knees, landing feet from the Vanishing Vixen.

"And you have to mean it." She jabbed her staff into the port on the man's chest, sending a second shock racing through his body. Seeing his body tense and jerk nearly made up for the blindings and the ringing in her ears. Flashbang slumped forward on his hands and knees, looking as if he didn't have the strength to rise. But Faith wasn't going to risk it. With a satisfied smirk, she hit him over the head then watched happily as he fell flat and lay still on the ground.

Pushing the red hair away from her face, Faith stepped over the body at her feet and crossed to where the security guard's body had fallen. Gently turning him over, she wiped some dirt from his face and reached for his radio to report in... and call the police. "I'm Sylph, by the way," she told the well dressed man behind her as she turned from the guard.

"Sylph, eh?" He smirked a little as he regarded the young woman. He had her at a disadvantage. He already knew her name, although it wasn't Sylph when last he saw her. And she wasn't turning invisible then either. Not that he knew of anyway. He looked back over his shoulder. "We should make tracks." He was looking for a place where they could chat. A quiet spot without any worry of company. "Come on." He dashed across the lot and headed for the far fence.

With a grin, she raced after him. "Not that I don't love chasing strangers, but don't I get a name? It's only polite, after all." The shadows closed in around them as they skirted the fence and ducked down an alley behind the science offices.

He stopped, turning as she joined him in the dark. She wanted a name. That smile played across his face as he wondered which to give. "Capin," he replied finally, holding his hand out to her. "It's nice to see you... Sylph."

A mischevious smile tugged at her lips as she shook his hand. "Capin," she repeated. "You're the other part of the man-date. It's very nice to finally meet you."

"God..."The man laughed a bit. "You have been taken under Sparky's wing." His head tilted to the side, still holding her hand. He smiled as he looked upon her face. "God..." He was still struck by the disbelief of seeing her in action, that it was actually her. But there was no mistaking it. "I hope your attitude rubs of on him more than his does on you, Faith."

Despite his smile, and the fact that he hadn't given her hand back, Faith had to wonder if the use of her first name was a sign that she was in some kind of trouble. But no... there was something in his voice. Something almost familiar. "Um... have we met before?"

"Oh yes," he chuckled again, clearly aware of far more than she was. "We've met. Though when we first did you weren't quite the young lady you've grown into. Can't say this surprised me. I mean, yeah, I'm surprised. I had no idea you had such translucent talents. But now that I think about it..." He gave her hand a little squeeze, "This is really quite... you." The smile was almost prideful. "You always did have that sense for adventure. Probably why I took to you like I did."

Her head cocked to the side, disheveled red hair falling across her face. "Okay, who are you?" Her gaze traveled from his smile down to the hand that still held hers. From everything she'd heard, he'd been out of town for over a year. So, he wasn't a recent aquaintance. "This is going to drive me crazy."

"Oh," he replied as the black cowl began to crawl back from his face and it's wry smirk, "it totally is..."

Faith's jaw dropped. "Ohmygosh..." She stared into that familiar face, the face of a crush who'd become so much more. He was a friend, a true friend. "No way." Everything about him made so much sense now. She never would have guessed... and yet it seemed so obvious. "No. Way." But she was done staring. With an amazed little laugh, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Awww..." His arms closed around her back and hugged her tight, lifting her off the ground. "Have a little faith, Ginger." He didn't let her go quite yet, despite her feet touching the ground again. "How fitting that the young lady nobody could keep their eyes off of figures out she can turn herself invisible..." He laughed and squeezed her again, this time putting a little kiss in her fiery mane.

If he'd done that four years ago, she would have melted into a puddle right there in his arms. Now that she was a grown-up Faith managed to only blush a little. "Roo... you're Capin! They talked about you and everything you guys did and even said your name. I just never imagined. I mean... that was so amazing." She was laughing and hugging him... and babbling all at the same time.

There in the dark of the alley the laughter of the pair mingled and lifted off the brickwork. "One in the same." He took a step back, taking her in once more. "How many "Roo's" can there be in Garrison? And gone for a year or so after I took a sabbatical from work." He was still just as taken aback to see her like this as she was to see him. He shook his head. "Looks like we've got a bit of 'splaining to do, huh?"

She blushed a little. "I know I know. I should have figured it out. But in my defense, I never actually knew about your sabbatical. After Mr. Hansen bought my father's part of The Hot Hut it felt kinda wrong to go back there. I mean, I totally missed you... I just..." Running a hand through her hair, she flashed him an irresistible smile. "Do you want to get out of our work clothes and like catch up or something?"

Ryu smiled at her. He reached over and cupped her cheek. His fingers felt warm despite the black glove that touched her skin. "Ginger..." He shook his head with that lingering disbelief before his eyes and laughed again. "I've spent enough time out of my work clothes. But I've got a better idea..."

[Faith]

High atop the Kentech building was possibly the greatest view of the city. From there you could see the whole city. The light of the Golden Strip to the coast, back to the shadows of the Lourds. The pair sat perched shoulder to shoulder, both of them holding a steaming cup of coffee between their hands. Capin's cape pooled down the edges of the shelf. He had been retelling the story of how he'd been raised in the Ashram until they had all disappeared that one last time he had gone sneaking off on his own. How he had found the strange companion he carried with him ever since and how he learned much later it had turned out to be something far more than he had ever imagined. How they had taken on a new name, the name she knew, and traveled. He filled in all those the little cracks in his life she didn't know, the little tangents of his time trotting around the world on the trail that had lead him to settle into Garrison City.

He sighed, smiling as he looked back over the twinkling lights. "A long strange journey." He took a sip of the warm black drink. "Not a life I'd suggest to many. But it's been mine."

Her eyes glistened as she watched his face, putting his story together with Aaron's recounting of the story of his return. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Ryu. "And it's incredible. What you've done... it's mind boggling. I like to think I've done a lot lately but you're so far beyond that." She nudged him with her shoulder. "If you ever get tired of being the handsome amazing hero, you could always sell your story. It would make one heck of a movie."

The Dapper Detective chuckled, shaking his head. "Not my style, love." He gave a little look her way. "I operate below the radar, let the others take the headlines."

She grinned. "That is so you. But what now? Now that you're back and things are back to normal... so to speak."

"Not sure..." He shrugged his shoulders a little. "Still haven't seen Sparky. Need to do that." He said this almost more to himself than to her. "Get back into the swing of a normal life. I missed this place." He leaned his weight into her shoulder a little. That familiar curl came to the corner of his mouth. "And there's all these new things to get used to."

"Awesome new things," she corrected with a little giggle. "And you should go say hi. He talked about you and Wolf a lot. Well, not a lot for a normal person, but a lot for Kardiac."

"Sounds about right," Ryu nodded with a chuckle.

"Enough about me." He shifted toward her. "I wanna hear about these awesome new things that I never new about." Capin gave her a playful wink. "Specifically Sylph things."

She laughed again, looking away from the city lights and into her nearly empty cup. "Well it wasn't exactly something I talked about. My dad spent a lot of time, and money, trying to keep my um... power quiet. I wasn't planning on doing anything with it." Crystal blue eyes suddenly very serious, she turned her head to look at his face. "In fact, I think I can blame some of it on you."

"Me?" He drank from his paper cup. "What'd I do?"

"You were you," she said as if that explained it all. "You always did more. Like helping me. You didn't have to step in at all, but then you went beyond it and actually taught me to protect myself if it ever happened again." It was a little embarrassing to remember back to being so young and naive. "And you did it with other people too. They may not have noticed, but I did."

This brought a soft, humbled laugh from the man. "To be fair I didn't tech anybody else that move you used on our friend tonight." He looked on at Faith, clearly the young woman he'd kind of always known she would become and so much more. She gave a little shiver as the high altitude winds pushed on them. That inky black cape wrapped around her shoulders and she no longer felt that chill. It was warm, just as his hand had been back in the alley, soothing. "But I'm glad I could help."

"You so did. And..." She paused, suddenly noticing that she was warm... but his arm hadn't moved. "Wait. How did you do that?"

"This?" He smirked, looking over as the black cape that clung to her gave a little hug. "That's how we work. We barely have to think anymore, we just kinda... do."

Reaching up to touch her shoulder, she ran her fingers along the cape in a gentle little caress. It was so soft to the touch, warm and comforting. Lifting her shoulder up to her cheek, she snuggled against it with a happy little sigh. "It's nice. Did you say it had a name?"

He thought a moment. He'd always known it as Enry, the name that, for lack of a better description, he felt. But His time away had brought a different name to light. "His..." Capin tried to think of a way to put it, "given name is Ketsueki no Ryuujin...." Ryu held his hand out, the black glove rippled with life. The tips of his fingers grew long and thin with the substance, like little branches growing from his hand. "But his true name is Enry."

She stretched her fingers toward the inky black branches, stopping just short of actually touching them. "It's very nice to meet you, Enry," Faith addressed the cape. It didn't seem to bother her at all that she was talking to something that most people would consider to be just an article of clothing. "Thank you for being such a good friend to Roo."

The branches grew over the small space to touch her. It poured up over her fingertips and up her knuckles, wrapping across over her hand and squeezing it gently. As he always did, Capin could hear his constant companion in that strange way they communicated. The Dapper Detective laughed. "He says it's a pleasure." He shook his head a bit, grinning. "And a few sarcastic comments at my expense which I'll leave out."

Giggling, the little redhead squeezed Enry back. "You do realize that it's the most fitting thing in the entire world that you have a friend in your head who makes fun of you when no one else can hear." Blue eyes sparkling with laughter, she took her hand back and snuggled into the warmth of the cape once again.

"The thought has occurred to me." Enry bled back reforming the simple black glove. "You need to keep your sense of humor when you've been hearing voices no one else can hear for most of your life."

"I can imagine. Of course, a sense of humor is important anyway." Remembering that he had been asking for Sylph things, she gave another little giggle. "I caught Corin in his underwear once."

"Doc? I'm sure that pinked his cheeks so to speak." Capin's shoulders shook with a small laugh. "Do we need to get you a set of bells to wear when you're walking around the Clubhouse?"

"Not really. Unless you're offering to buy me jewelry," she teased. "But he didn't even know I did it. Well... until I told him about it the other day. It was before I really started doing this thing... He was treating my father and I was feeling grumpy and ignored so I decided to follow him. Boy was I surprised when he started to change clothes. Then poof! he went off into a shadow."

Leaning her head against his shoulder, she took in the view for a minute before continuing. "That's when I saw he was like you. He was already helping people as a doctor... but still doing more. After that it just kinda snowballed and pretty soon I was trying on uniforms and trying to figure out a neat hero name."

"Sylph." He repeated the name she'd taken. Most of them took up a new moniker when they entered the business. As far as he knew, Capin was the only one who had made one to use out the cape and cowl. He rested his head down atop hers, thinking over the steps that had brought her here. it wasn't hard to fill in some of the blanks. He knew how it worked in the beginning. They sat quiet a moment and then laughter cut the silence, "What the hell is a Sylph?"

"Oh." She blushed as she began to explain. "It was hard to think up something that fit and my boyfriend at the time was helping out and he said that a Sylph is this air spirit thingy and it seemed like a good idea. Or at least better than anything else we'd come up with."

"Huh." He tucked his arm around her waist and gave her a little hug. "I like it. Seems to suits you."

The redhead laughed softly as she leaned against him. "I think so too. The problem is, now I have to think up something that can be put on the back of a chair. Everyone else has something easy." Her lips settled into a fake little pout. It felt so good to be sitting here with him. She could remember nights like this back at the club but the conversation had never been so open. It had been good... but now she knew what had been missing.

Ryu started chuckling. "what about a ghost? Like, one of those It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ghost costume ghosts." The chuckle started to border on a giggle. "Ooo..." He pulled back to look at her. "Or one of the ones from Pac-Man."

"That's so not funny." She elbowed him in the ribs in an attempt to keep herself from laughing. "Be nice or I'll use my fancy hittin' sticks on you." Her eyes lit up as she pulled out the batons to show them to him. "Aren't they neat?"

"Very." He took one of the sticks from her. It had a nice heft to it and unlike a traditional escrima stick as he twirled it between his fingers he could feel the way the weight subtly seemed to shift with a slick fluidity. He swung it, letting it whip through the air with that hiss. He rolled it about and held it back toward her. "A very graceful weapon. And you handle them pretty good." Capin smirked, having recognized quite a bit of Kardiac in the way she had handled herself against Flashbang. "Obi-Wan has taught you well..."

Her fingers curled gently around the baton as she put it away. It was probably foolish, but she loved her sticks. "He gave these to me, you know," she told Ryu proudly. She conveniently left out the part about them not being useful to Kardiac. "He's a good teacher. Not gentle or anything. But he pushes me in all the right ways. He's just... good."

"No," the man chuckled and shook his head, "I don't think gentle is a word anybody would use to describe Sparky. Abrasive perhaps," he was laughing again, "but that's his charm." He'd missed Kardiac. It was quite possibly the fact that the pair couldn't have seemed more opposite that had made Ryu and Eddy the friends they had become. Garrison's Odd Couple. "I'm glad he's taken you under his wing. Says quite a bit about you, you know."

Those bright blue eyes narrowed in thought. "Bluewolf said something similar to me. But it's not like I did anything." Leaning against him, Faith launched into the whole story of her time with Kardiac. All the interactions... the training, the sweating, the mission, and spying in Takahashi's office. Listening to herself talk, it seemed almost incredible to think that she'd done all that. "I thought things might settle down after the mission-thingy was over. But then you guys came home..." The smile grew on her lips again. "Not that I'm complaining. At all."

"I should hope not." The wind whipped Ryu's hair around as he looked at Faith. His eyes regarded her with that pride of a big brother. He'd always seen her in that light, but what she'd done in the time he was gone, the things she'd accomplished. "You've gotta contend with me around now."

The din of garrison at night carried up on that chilly breeze. "It never really settles down though, Ginger." Capin's thoughts were pulled to that conversation he had with Charlie on the plane and that piece of apocalypse sitting in some collectors vault over in Canada. "It's like hydra. You take one head down, there's eight more heads you need to contend with. And while you do another grows back in the space of the first." It sounded so defeatist, but the man smiled in spite of his words. "But that's just why we do it. If we don't, the beast just grows and grows."

The little redhead nodded solemnly, taking his words just as seriously as she would any of Eddy's. After all, Ryu may have started out as the crush she got tongue-tied around, but he'd become the sort of big brother a girl actually wanted to have. "But did you ever think I'd be fighting the beast right alongside you?"

"No, ginger," the Dapper Detective laughed, throwing his arm around her shoulders under the cape, "that thought never crossed my mind. After all, as a general rule most people don't do what we do, so... No." He put a little kiss on the top of her head. "But it's a really nice surprise." He looked down to the streets, chuckling again. "Although from what I hear from the Doc, that rule has gotten considerably more gray while I was gone." Ryu chuckled.

Her brow furrowed as she tried --and failed-- to follow him. "Wait. What?" Finally, with a silvery laugh that echoed in the night air, she made the connection. "Oh... did you mean all the other new people? I've met nearly everyone, you know.... I think."

"Yeah. Well, I'd expect nothing less. You always were quite the social butterfly." Capin gave her that little grin of his. "The big roster will be a strange change, but a pretty welcome one. Providing everybody works well together, of course. The Doc's only had good things to say so far, but he's not exactly a stick-in-the-mud."

"Of course he's not. He's definitely up there on my list of favorite people." But even as she said those words, a slight pout came to her lips. "Except I don't think he really approves of my new boyfriend." Of course, though she wouldn't admit it out loud, she did understand. But it still felt good to tell on him.

"Boyfriend, eh?" His brow rose slowly as his gaze found her. "Should I be getting all big brother concerned abo-" He cut short, almost like the chilly air had frozen him solid. In truth his own memory had caught up with him, putting pieces of a puzzle together. "Waaaiit..." His brow knit together as he looked at Faith. "Charlie Simons?"

"Yes... wait... how did you?" This one one shock too many and Faith wondered if her brain was starting to shut down. "I didn't say his name..."

"They don't call me the Dapper Detective just because I fight crime like it's a black tie affair, ginger." He'd picked the pieces of his conversation with Charlie on the plane. A redhead playing hero. Going straight. The way he'd described Corin. It just made sense. And she closed the case. "I know Charlie." He shifted his weight to look at her. "Like... know Charlie."

She bit her lip. "He's good, Roo. And he's done being a thief." Her blue eyes met his with an almost pleading look. "And I like him so much."

The somewhat hardened hazel eyes of a big brother softened. "You misunderstand me." He reached over and tucked a windswept red lock behind her ear. "I know Charlie. Sure, I know Phase too," he put a the emphasis on the thief's name but didn't dwell on it, "but I know Charlie. You could do a lot worse." Ryu smiled, watching the moonlight catch the blue in her eyes. "He may be a thief, and maybe once a thief always a thief... But he's always been a noble one."

"He is noble." The relief that came from having someone approve surprised Faith a little. It was becoming crystal clear that no matter how long he'd been out of her life, Ryu was still someone who's opinion meant an awful lot to her. "He's charming and funny and talented and makes me..." The hint of a blush stained her pale cheeks as her words trailed off, deciding at the last minute that there were some things a brother probably didn't want to hear about.

"That's okay," his hand rose, their minds on the same track, "I don't need or want to know somethings." he gave a teasing chuckle "If he makes you happy," his shoulders shrugged, "I'm happy for you." Ryu's eyes narrowed a little in that brotherly way. He may have known Charlie better than the others, but that trust would never replace his affection for the young woman that sat beside him. Not when it came to the best interests of her heart, which the thief had clearly already taken possession of. "And your boyfriend knows he can't sneak away from me."

"Really?" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "He makes me very happy. And you've made me very curious." Her laughter filled the air again as she snuggled in close to her friend. "Was he trying to steal something when you met him too?"

This brought a laugh from the man. "Only almost every damn time." He shook his head, thinking back on the several occasions that Charlie and Ryu crossed paths over the years. "Ireland. London. Toronto. Barcelnoa. New York. Detroit. Chicago. Your boyfriend was always trying to steal something," he paused a beat before adding, "for somebody else."

Her grin could have lit the night sky. "Well he did say he might steal for the good guys. I guess he didn't want to be totally retired." She giggled again, loving that she had someone to share this with. While she made it her mission to tell Eddy more than he could ever want to hear about her life, it was different knowing that Ryu actually liked Charlie. "I beat him when we first met. Well... kinda. It was more of a lucky accident... but I won."

"Hey, don't discount luck," He gave her an overly serious face, as if imparting great wisdom. "Don't rely on it by any means either. But luck is often the greatest tool in our bag of tricks."

That mock seriousness faded as quickly as it came. "I think Charlie was still a little green when we first met." Ryu smirked remembering their first encounter at the museum. "Not that I was the dashing expert you see before you. But Charlie was my first, um... arch-nemesis? super-powered antagonist?" He shrugged his shoulders, idly tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "We had good banter. And for the record, yes. I beat him." He gave the girl a wink. "Soundly." The serious face returned with a certain grumpiness. "And he promptly escaped."

"That's my Charlie." She leaned her head in toward his fingers. "He escaped from me too. Well... sorta. He did get out of the building, but I had him hooked not too long after that."

"I dunno, ginger," he smiled a little. It was that teasing older brother smile. "Sounds like he didn't really get away at all."

Her head made its way back to his shoulder, fiery hair fanning out across Enry's inky blackness. "I'm hard to get away from. After all, you came back."

He nodded feeling a little quiet as he thought about coming back to the city. "Indeed I did. Of course the alternative is pretty unpleasant." Ryu rested his head against hers.

It felt good to sit there with Faith, looking out over Garrison City. To have this part of his life open to a friend who knew him this long, longer even then Aaron or Eddy, who had been a part of what most people would consider their normal life was a fresh sort of comfort. Sitting there with Faith in her Sylph getup and wearing one of his tuxes, Capin knew something that only a precious few understood. This was his normal life. "You know," he chuckles softly, sliding his arm across her shoulders, "it's kind of awesome how small the world can be."

[Dreamer]

A man sat on his perch, which was in the form of a big plush and very comfortable red chair, inside his office. He was diligently taking notes before his next session began. He had salt and pepper hair that was more pepper than salt. The gray was still there and gained more steam with each passing day. There was the occasional passing thought of Just for Men hair coloring in the few moments he could have actually spared one. His eyes glanced to a mirror that showed off the very same hair he worried about. The man's hazel eyes went downward over the bits of his own attire attire that showed in the reflection of the mirror. There was a green sports jacket with brown leather elbow pads, a white shirt, brown pants, and a brown bow-tie that sat proudly on his shirt. In the movies his clothing would have been worn by mad scientist and crazy doctors. In a university setting people would have called him a professor with bad taste. He looked like he was a few decades behind his time when it came to style, but clothing never really mattered in the world of Psychiatry. Dr. Saison was one of the best psychiatrist in town even if he had a tendency to wear bow-ties.

“Are you still suffering from the dream Matthew?” Dr. Saison asked his patient after he came in and settled down. Before this particular question was asked they did the usual exchange of pleasantries like, "How are you?" "How's the wife?" "Anything new and exciting?" etc.Today the doctor thought it was best to cut right to the chase.

“Yes and no, Doctor. The same one still happens, but there are others now,” Matt said. His blond hair was disheveled as ignored the alarm clock with the hope that a few extra moments of sleep came. Sadly, they did not. He tossed and turned until a restless eye looked toward the clock and saw he needed to leave then in order to make the appointment.

Dr. Saison jotted down a few more notes on his paper before he looked at Matt, “Tell me about them.”

Matt breathed out deeply. If it wasn't for the fact he needed this kind of help, Matt would have kept quiet about the dreams normally. They were too real, too vivid, and even when he took his own notes on them, they sounded crazy to him. Still, Matt figured there was some psychological issue he now suffered from thanks to a robbery that became chaotic at the Hestia Tapestry unveiling. “I was in a hallway, it looked like a hall of champions. Instead of seeing victorious war-like figures, the Oneiroi stood tall.”

“The what?”

“The Oneiroi, they're a group of Greek gods that were personifications of the different types of dreams one has like death, sexuality, and nearly anything that could be traced back to a source.”

More notes were jotted down. Already the Doctor's conclusion echoed his conclusion from last session. Matthew Chevrier, in his professional opinion, was an overworked man that needed a little time off, for rest and relaxation. In other words Matt was a workaholic and needed of a vacation desperately. Dr. Saison looked at his patient, “What else happened?” Yes, the man endured something traumatic at work, but he overworked himself prior to the incident. Now he needed to separate himself from work more than ever. The mind needed to heal and a vacation would distance him from work. This distance created by the vacation would have slowly allowed his mind to heal. More sessions were probably needed, not many, but it was an incident like many others that happened in every city across America. Until Matt was well Dr. Saison's door was opened to him and all others like him.

Matt breathed hard as he tried hard to push aside the anxiety this dream caused. Everything about this dream, if it could be called that, felt different, like it was an omen, a sign, and that was the part that scared him the most. Professional help was a necessity in Matt’s mind as any psychiatrist could have given him a diagnosis to put this thing, this dream in its place! It was only a dream, he told himself often, and despite whatever feelings it brought with the proper counseling and mediation by Dr Saison, the dream was destined to be just a dream again. After he told himself that the dreams were just caused by the aftermath of the museum he resumed from where he left off, “Out from the darkness came a man dressed in Greek robes. And for a brief moment the figure had bat wings.”

“Bat wings?” inquired Dr. Saison.

“Yes, bat wings, but only for a second. They were only there for a moment before they went away.”

“Hmm,” Dr. Saison commented aloud before he made more notes.

The Doctor was given a concerned look that tugged at every aspect of Matt’s face, “Is everything okay Doctor?” he asked with panic racing in his eyes. Any "hmmm" made by a professional doctor, regardless of practice, usually made their patients extremely uncomfortable. He was ready to scream at the doctor "I'm sane!" It was bad enough a few friends gave him problems about even looking for a psychiatrist. Their taunts became once they found out his first appointment was made.

A soft smile came to Dr Saison’s face as he nodded, “Everything’s fine. Please, continue.”

"Well....," Matt paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, "The figure came closer to me. I tried hard to wake up, but I couldn’t. Have you ever had a dream you were aware of, but couldn’t wake up from?”

“Who hasn’t?”

“This was one of those dreams and despite all my efforts, I couldn’t wake up,” Matt said with anxiety begging to creep into his voice. He looked at the Dr. Saison with twinges of fear in his eyes, “It felt like something kept me there! Forcing me to have this dream and no matter how hard I tried to break away! I really wanted to wake up!!" Fear had filled Matt's voice, something the doctor noted in his personal notes on today's session. Matt spent a few moments calming down. When the heavy breathing and fear left him, he continued, "The figure came closer to me until we were face to face. He said one thing to me before the dream ended.”

Dr. Saison looked at his patient with the utmost concern, “What was it?”

“Ikelos,” Matt said gravely.

“What does that mean?”

“It’s not a what, it’s a who...It’s a god, the Greek god of nightmares.”

---

Garrett sat up in bed a few days removed since the museum incident and now it was the third night in a row that sleep was less than pleasant for him. The dream powers were a curse, in his opinion, but they did have their advantages. Sleep was one of them. His body required far less sleep than any normal human. This made things easier on the superhero lifestyle. Ever since he changed sleep was either vast and empty, or a wonderful vivid dream that made it almost painful to wake up, especially when he dreamed about being normal. More than once he shed a few tears when the morning sun greeted him. Despite all the pain his dreams caused the sleep was sweet and never interrupted...until three nights ago. The first night was just a night of tossing and turning, the second a vague dream about someone that lurked about, but the third one that figure started to take shape. As the dreams formed into more tangible images the associated rest became worse.

He sleepily rose up and rubbed away the sleep crust from his eyes. A long yawn filled Garrett's apartment as he went to straight to the phone book. Pages were thumbed through quickly. Everyone from A. Aaronson to Z. Zykes were met with a tired, "no," as he continued to turn the pages. Finally the yellow pages greeted him first flip took him to somewhere in the "D" section, blue eyes went about the page. "Maybe later," he said to the diner listings and kept onward. Home security met with a similar "no," that all the residential listings were given with the same sleep riddled tone. Today it was just so hard to wake up. Next came Grocers, then Home Security, both received a "no," and he went on. "No! No!! No!!! NO!!!!" Garrett screamed and he practically jumped away from the page he stumbled upon. The neighbor below him banged on the ceiling as the screams were too loud to handle at 7:34 on a Sunday morning.

Fate was fickle and Garrett cursed her name out several times over prior. Before the dream that changed him into Dreamer concepts like kismet and gods were believed, but not with a full heart. Now he believed in a good chunk of them wholeheartedly. He had just seen too much for the concepts not to be real in any fashion and right now fate was giving him a message Garrett really wished could be forwarded to someone else. The phone book rested in the start of the "P"s. There was a quarter-page ad and it was the last thing he wanted to see in a phone book.

THE DRAOI: SUPERNATURAL/PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION AND DEFENSE

Have a problem with a deceased pest? Are those wacky dead people keeping you up at night? What does go bump in the night and how can you get it to cut it the hell out? Does the monster in your closet refuse to pay rent?

You need The Draoi!

Paranormal Investigator extraordinaire, the mystic’s mystic, Merlin schmerlin. The Draoi was instrumental in the de-poltergeistation of Garrison City General Hospital and more recently was honored by some of the most influential of Garrison City’s denizens for his part in uncovering the Richmond blackmail scandal.

Lovcraftian entities and Dimensional travel expenses cost extra.

JUST CALL: 555-3903

His heart pounded like jackhammer and blue eyes were wide awake. Deep down Garrett really hated fate's sense of humor right now. "Couldn't have there been anyone else in the city that could help with this?!?" Garrett thought to himself. He desperately tried to think of another person that could have helped. A sea of images flooded his mind of different people that had different ways to help him. Sadly, each of them were con artists and bad actors, at least The Draoi had real experience in the supernatural and what he said could be trusted. One of the last things Garrett wanted was to have some "psychic" use their "abilities" to tell him what was happening. Slowly he lowered his head in defeat, "If this keeps up....I'll have to see him," Garrett muttered and tried to start the morning routine while deep down he prayed for a good night's rest tonight. A good nights rest that seemed very unlikely, even to him.

[The Draoi]

The old sign hung wearily, looking like it had fallen a few times since the place opened up, Garrett walked up to the building dressed in casual black trench coat that hadn't seen one too many rough nights like the leather one had, a matching fedora, and black circular sunglasses. His hat helped conceal the shaved head that looked the standard fleshy color thanks to the daytime. From a distance Garrett may have looked like the Mid-Nite Man rather than his usual pale self. A small knock came from Riordan's door once he was there, waiting for the magic man to answer.

"Come in."

The Draoi's voice called out from his office.

Stepping cautiously into Riordan's office Garrett entered slowly. The last four night's of sleep hadn't been kind to him but he tried to be chipper, "Welcome back to Garrison," said the familiar voice. After he took off the fedora and sunglasses, Garrett sat himself down in the chair opposite of Riordan's. Tired eyes looked toward the paranormal investigator, "I need your help," Garrett admitted hoping there wouldn't be too much bad blood between them given the last time they interacted. He really didn't want to be here, but this was the only game in town when it came to "Paranormal Research" in the phone book.

"Garrett was it?" Riordan asked as he rocked baby Martin on his shoulder, a baby blanket separating the little boy from Riordan's classic Celtic tree shirt.

"When did you become a father!?" Garrett asked waking up a bit as he saw the baby being rocked by Riordan. This was strange, even before seeing the investigator rock a small child, now it was just plain weird. Still when it came to magic and creepy, this was the only place in town to go.

"I haven't...you're business please?...time is money." Riordan's eyes narrowed at the Dreamer.

"It's my money on the line with this case too, let me say a few personal things, and then we can get to business. Charge me for it all you want," Dreamer said firmly knowing that more than just some increased charges were deserved here. He stared at Riordan, "If you want to slug me, zap me, do something to settle the score between us before I ask for your advice...," Garrett bowed his head for a moment before staring back at Riordan, "go ahead. I won't stop you."

For a moment Riordan just stared at Garrett and shook his head. "This is what I never liked about you, what kind of person settles an argument by offering to let someone maim them? I never even knew why we had a "score" to settle to begin with, so I was dating Faith...you her personal guardian? her dad? no? Didn't think so."

"I treated you unfairly back then and I wasn't in the right," Garrett said while rubbing his temples slowly from the mixture of annoyances this conversation generated and the exhaustion he had been enduring recently. Part of him wanted to say, "So how is your relationship going now?" but he decided against it. Sure it would have been a good comeback for the guardian comment. Sadly, it was never good to insult a person that will hopefully be employed by you. "I wasn't sure how you would take my presence here and I wanted to somehow clean the slate between us. If there's anything still bad between us, before I asked for help in your area of expertise."

"Well trust me there's nothing bad between us, I didn't lose any sleep over you disliking me and I am not about to soundly kick your ass with an impressionable child watching. So just spill it, what do you need my highly priced services for?"

"Because of whatever I am, I don't require a lot of sleep. Usually rest is dark and peaceful, but not lately...I've been having bad dreams."

"Well let me break out the hot cocoa and marshmallows, you're having nightmares...marshmallows cost extra you know." Riordan rolled his eyes.

"Not normal dreams jackass. The last time I woke up from a dream like this my face was white and eyes completely red. It was vivid, real, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't wake up. This was by far not a normal dream. It felt like something was probing into my mind and watching me from afar." By now Dreamer was becoming annoyed with the magic man that sat across from him. Only game in town or not, Riordan still needed green to pay the bills and support a child now. Garrett's head rose up to stare Riordan directly in the eye, "I don't know what you did when you took off and don't take any anger out on me when it comes to Faith. I was busy setting myself up to get shot by a psychopath while you were away...doing whatever it is you were doing. So please, stop taking your anger out on me, I need your help and that's why I'm here!"

"Okay calm down there easy rider. I'm not taking anger out on nobody for starters but you gotta be more descriptive about these dreams than just "they were bad", I mean there's bad and than there's scary guys with bat wings." Riordan laughed referencing a dream that had been troubling him of late.

"There was a man laughing in one of them. The setting shifted as it went on going from what could have been so long ago to well...now. Guy was blond in one dream with normal eyes and then for a moment I thought I saw dark eyes. Looking into them was like staring into the vast darkness and at one point I thought I saw bat wings in fact...Strange that you mentioned that," Dreamer said a little curious that Riordan had mentioned bat wings out of the blue like that.

"Well they could be maybe that your patron god is displeased with you, or maybe another dream god is pissed at yours and is using you to make a point."

An uneasy eyebrow raised toward Riordan, "My patron what?"

"Did I stutter? Your patron god... Hypnos? Remember him?" Riordan continued rocking Martin as he looked bitterly at Garrett.

The eyebrow continued as Dreamer never really got a crash course as to what he was, just a cryptic message in a dream that changed him. "I was never told what I was, just had a weird dream that went back to Roman or Greek days judging by the togas. There was a man sleeping inside a bedroom, and outside was another person. They told me, "He must not wake," and then the next thing I knew my body was white, eyes were red, and people were going to sleep around me. There really hasn't been a guide to any of this," he confessed to Riordan feeling a little good about that for some strange reason. A smile started pull at the corners of his mouth as he continued to look at the paranormal investigator, "And can you drop the look please? I'm paying extra for marshmallows not dirty looks."

"Well now you know, you are a champion of the god Hypnos...congrats."

"Umm...thanks. May I ask a question before we talk about the recent dreams again?" Dreamer asked, as he was skeptical of the whole "champion of a god" theory Riordan mentioned. "What kind of a champion gets shot when trying to take down a regular person?" he chided himself. There had to be another reason for the powers.

"Shoot."

"Actually, two questions before we get back to the dreams."

"Hey it's your money." Riordan smiled as he made faces at Martin.

Dreamer stared hard at the duo really unmoved by the child no matter how cute he looked. Garrett felt Riordan gave him a lot of attitude which rubbed him the wrong way. Some of it was deserved but not all of it in his mind. "What happened to you? You left everything to care of some supernatural stuff, and come back with attitude and a child that's not yours. I know this is my dime, but eventually we're going to run into each other again because of the circles we run in. And well to be honest, I could do without all the hostility next time we meet. Heck, we could even get a bite to eat after if you want, I know a good diner in the Lourds. Open at all strange hours," Garrett said with concern. Faith talked about this guy a lot...too much, but it was all good stuff. If the magic man had this kind of attitude with her he would have been dealing with an outlandishly priced shoe shoved somewhere dark, and very unpleasant. "So what happened?"

Riordan put Martin down in his playpen and handed him one of his toys. He than slowly turned back to face Garrett. "Listen to me, you pigmentally challenged oaf, you've done nothing but jump down my throat since we first met, you mock me, you investigate me, you even vandalize my home. You know nothing of where I've been and what it cost me and you think you have any right to get on a high horse cuz I give you a little attitude? What I should have done was throw you out on your ass the minute you stepped through the door! But I didn't and you wanna know why? Because I care about what happens to people god forgive me even you, and the fact that you came her asking for my help after all you've done let me know that's pretty big and so I decided to help but you don't get to tell me how to act or question my attitude, you who create feuds where their should be none or stalk girls and punish their boyfriends for loving them."

Toward the end of the statement Dreamer felt bad and then irony dawned on him. Laughter started to flow from Garrett's lips and he gave Riordan a look, "Karma's a bitch," a long breathe escaped his lips before before he continued. "I can't take back what I did and when you spell everything out in every detail...I can see I got off light. Let me explain a few things since we last talked and if you feel like telling me your story, go ahead. If not, that's fine too and you're still getting paid. Since we last met I was shot, twice and left to die on a rooftop. The experience has humbled me...a bit. The shooter's name was Constance and she was a black widow killer that made her victims look like suicides. Their coroner reports now read homicide instead and it cost me my identity. She knows who I am and has threatened me in someways that has me sticking my neck out for people that don't deserve it, just to keep them safe. So I know the violation that you felt then, now and in spades. So I'm truly sorry for everything I ever did to you, you can take the apology if you want, but I understand if you don't. Either way it doesn't change what I did and how I feel like an @$$#^%& about it now," he explained the story in detail including the parts were Jamie and Corin patched him up, the weakness he felt afterward, all of it. When all was said and done blue eyes looked at Riordan and tried to show, the magic man wasn't the only one that went through hell.

"Okay, okay I accept your apology and I'm sorry about the whole left for dead on a roof thing. Now what was your original question?"

"Are you sure I'm a champion? I've nearly been killed at least once...Any idea what being a champion includes? Like I said I'm clueless and you've been the closest thing to a user's manual I've gotten."

"I never said champions couldn't be killed, in fact I'd say they have a higher likelyhood of it happening," Riordan said with a knowing nod, "Just ask Mid-Night Man and Daylight, who are also divine champions."

He nodded a little wide-eyed forgetting to put the connections with Jamie and Corin. "I'll have to ask them a few questions then....So back to the dreams, they felt like the one I had before becoming...well the champion. I couldn't wake up no matter how I tried and I knew it was a dream, but it felt realer and more vivid than any normal dream. It was like something was forcing me to have it," Garrett said it all in detail from the person that moved, the settings, and everything else all over again just in case.

"I've been having similar dreams, as I said before it sounds like your god or another dream god is trying to give you a message. I'd say, mostly based on what I've felt in my dreams, it might have to do with the birth of another champion, one who is to be linked with you either in a good way like Jamie and Corin or...in a not so good way..."

He nodded, "So whether I like it or not, there's another one like me out there now....Or will be, perfect...just what my life needs," Dreamer's fingers were working feverishly on his temples yet again. After his fingers stopped he looked at Riordan, "Thanks for your help. How much do I owe you?" Garrett asked still sounding as exhausted as ever.

"Aww it would seem petty if I actually charged you...300 should cover it." Riordan paused with a smile, "Well I do have a baby to feed." he winked.

"Four-hundred, it is," Garrett said putting down four hundred on the table. Rent was going to be late this month.

[Capin]

Garrison at dusk was a beautiful sight, the way its tall buildings jut up into the sky as it bled ocher and purple to form its familiar skyline. In all the cities Ryu Kokezaru had seen, none of them really could compete with with this town. Not really. And it kept a smile on his face as he strolled up the familiar small street of brownstones.

He had made himself somewhat scarce since returning to town, keeping the mystery of just where he might have been since parting company with Bluewolf and the others. But he was back now, officially back, and while he'd checked in with Aaron and subsequently been introduced to the new clubhouse there was still one thing left before he would really be back. One person he still needed to see.

He stood outside the old brick house, looking up at the dark windows reflecting the silhouettes of the buildings across the street. The sight was more appropriate than most people would ever know. He jogged up the steps and jammed his thumb into the buzzer.

"Not interested," came the voice he knew well, even after all this time.

Smirking, Ryu leaned into the squawk-box. "I came halfway around the world for nothing?"

"Fine," said the voice, electronic modulation of the speaker cracking as it spoke. "But you'd better have Thin Mints with you." There was the sound of footsteps from the stairs and hallway beyond the portal, then finally the sound of a sliding chain and turning deadbolt. When the door finally opened, Eddy stood in uniform from the waist down and street clothes from the waist up.

Seeing Ryu, he smirked and added, "Hey... you're not a Girl Scout."

"Good thing too. You could scare a young girl answering the door looking like that. Scar them for life." He leaned on the door frame. Despite the smiles and pleasantries there was a bit of silence that fell over them. "We just gonna stand here?"

Eddy smirked. "I dunno... dad always told my sister not to let strange men in the house...," he said, his smile broadening. "Sounds like good advice, all-'round." Nevertheless, he entered the brownstone and left the door open behind him in invitation. He crossed the small foyer and started up the stairs. "I was making dinner... you hungry?"

"I could eat." Ryu gave a look back over his shoulder and followed suit up the steps.

The second floor of Eddy's brownstone was different than Ryu remembered it. Something seemed... wrong. To begin with, there were not art supplies scattered around the living room area, but through the open door to his "office," it was obvious that Eddy was well-stocked and actually working. The main area had been rearranged, and the sofa now directly faced the TV instead of the lounge chair. And there were books on the end table, the kind of modern urban fantasy that involves a healthy dose of romance... not something Ryu would have expected to see on this man's bookshelf.

And, strangest of all, the place was clean... no clothes strewn about, no week-long accumulation Chinese food containers, and somebody had run a vaccuum!

"So..." Ryu looked around with a curiously raised brow. It was true that time could change a person. Time. People. Events. But even over the time he'd been gone he couldn't fathom Eddy going through quite this sort of a metamorphosis. Even so, when he looked back to his friend it was with a look that possibly had been double-checking for a pair of wings. "When did she move in?"

Eddy smirked from the far side of the kitchenette counter. The smell of teriyaki sauce accompanied the sizzle of a pan as he tossed a handful of vegetables into a wok. "She hasn't," he said, matter-of-factly. "But they're here enough that I'm inspired to keep the place looking respectable."

He looked across at Ryu. "Welcome home, by the way... I was wondering when you'd get back after the little get together at the Doghouse. Your absence was rather conspicuous." He smiled, flipping the stir fry in the wok. "It'll be good to have the help keeping the city in one piece. These new kids, short of Faith, are all manner of a mess. I mean, there's potential there, but their growing pains are gonna get one of 'em killed if they're not careful."

"I've been keeping tabs on them, but I'm only one guy... and Faith is the only one I've spent any real time with."

"Thanks," Ryu opened the one of the cabinets and found a stack of plates and bowls. He closed it and opened the second cabinet, retrieving two glasses.

"Next one over."

That was where Ryu found the young bottle of MacKinnon he used to half fill both of the squat glasses. "I had one last thing to take care of." He set one glass on the counter beside the range and leaned back. "It's good to be home."

Leaning back he took a sip, thinking about the night before and his encounter with Faith. "Haven't really met any of the fresh faces." He decided to leave that there for a moment and took a sip of his drink. "Saw the new clubhouse though. Fancy digs. Seems a good way to put some of the new kids on the block through the paces. From what I hear MnM's been doing a pretty decent job of keeping it together, coming into that candy-coated shell of his."

Ryu smirked a little, staring at his reflection in the amber glass. The pleasant smell of stir fry and spices filled the kitchen. "At least you were able to bring out the potential in one of them. Almost makes me wonder what could happen with a little more." He took another drink. "But I'm sure I know better. How've you been?"

Taking the rice out of the steamer, Eddy started dishing out lunch. "I've been surprisingly good," he said, shrugging. "I guess when your life goes completely to crap, the only things you can do are drag bottom or pull yourself up. Me... I've been on the upswing lately."

"Good to hear," Ryu replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Thanks," Eddy replied, bringing a couple of plates out to the table. He sat down, taking his drink in one hand as he slid a plate in front of Ryu with the other. "Between Jen and Faith, I've been plenty busy. Been trying to get back in my sister's good graces too, though recent troubles with her husband getting shot by Tower and me being there but not being in the right place at the right time has strained that attempt... still, giving it the old college try."

"So... I found a lot of what I needed right here in Garrison," he said, telegraphing the coming question. In all the time he'd known Ryu, he was probably the most cheerful of the lot... but Eddy was never certain that he was really as happy as he appeared on the outside. He was hoping the trip with Aaron might give him what he needed to recharge. "Did you find what you needed on your world tour?"

Capin thought a moment about the question. He hadn't been positive what he'd been looking for when he and Aaron had left town. It was supposed to be a simple trip to refocus. It could never have ended up more different. He never imagined discovering half of what they had. No one could. "Found a lot of things. Crap I wasn't even looking for. Eddy, it was..." he shook his head and poked at the food on his plate with his fork, searching for that word, "insane. The things I learned..." He shook his head.

Eddy nodded a little, but didn't say anything.

Looking at his plate Ryu felt his appetite wane a little. Finding out what the people had raised him were about, who he was supposed to be. It hadn't all been good. But as he thought about standing over the body of the monk in Hokkaido he knew he'd remembered who he was. "But To answer your question, yeah... I did." And on his own terms. "And I'm glad to be home."

"We're glad to have you back," Eddy replied after swallowing the food he'd been chewing. "Considering how long we operated separately in this city, how long I operated alone, it was kind of strange being on my own again. I think part of that strangeness is why I brought Faith into my world... to fill the gap."

Eddy smirked. "But I'm still not signing on as a full-timer at Aaron's clubhouse," he said, a spark in his eye hinting that he already had, despite his assertion otherwise.

He finally took a bite of the lunch. "You know, I'm all but positive now that TAROT had their hands in eradicating the monks that raised me. They took everything I had when I was just a kid." Ryu sat back in his chair. "Me. Aaron. You. Before we ever met, before we were ever us they've been sticking their fingers into our lives through one means or another."

Eddy shook his head. "Those guys really cheese me off!" he said after a second. "But given the information I got off of Tower before dropping him in Strat's lap, I don't think they'll be bothering us for a while... We can take the fight to them for once, and rout the rats that we have left in the city before they know what hit 'em... Hell, I emptied out two more of their safehouses last night."

"Heard about that. Nice work." Ryu smiled. "Nice of us to score some for our side." He declined to vocalize some of the concerns he'd been having lately. As much as they protected Garrison, TAROT would just crawl to another city. Hell, they already were in other cities; Garrison was far from alone in being one of their strongholds. It just seemed to be their favorite, and Capin couldn't help but wonder if that was just because they were there. For better or worse, how far would they be willing to take it to them? "It's good to be ahead of the game for once, not just playing keep up."

There was another quiet as the two of them ate. He was right the other night, sitting up on the skyline with Faith. He'd missed Eddy's company both on and off the field. Eddy never was the heart-to-heart one. He was more inclined to bottle something up until it had to pop. Ryu, not so much. lifted his glass. "I'm sorry I didn't call while we were gone..."

"Call me from Hell?" Eddy said, chuckling. "You must have one heck of a calling plan." They both laughed a little, but Eddy straightened himself up again pretty quickly. "Let's face facts... you had a job to do, recovering Aaron. I had a job to do, keeping the City in one piece. If you'd have called me, I'd have come to help, and where would that have left us?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure Hell would let me leave," he continued, "And truth be told, I'm not sure I'd want to visit in the first place." He smiled wanly. "This is where I belong... and if anything had happened while I was gone, and given my activities while I was here something would have, you, me, and Aaron all know that I never would have forgiven myself."

Ryu nodded. He did know. "This is true." It was exactly the reason why he never did call. He was grateful Eddy understood. If their roles were reversed, Ryu wasn't sure if he would.

Eddy smirked. "That mystical mumbo jumbo isn't my cup o' joe anyway... I have trouble dealing with the one sorceror/demon thing I've already got in my Rogues' Gallery." He finished his drink and reached to refill it. "And he works for me half the time."

"Speaking of magic, though... how's your lady friend? I checked in on her a few weeks back and she was nowhere to be seen."

He was pushing the stir-fry around again. "Yeah, she's," he paused a bit, "gone." During their time together Melody had always been more than vague about her history. He did know that she had been hiding out from something, someone. She wouldn't say but when she evaded the questions he could always see the fear behind her strong emerald eyes. "Has been since the day after we danced with the dogs of Doc's friend."

Ryu still carried plenty of guilt over her having to uproot her life after so long. Even if he hadn't known the consequences, she'd done what she had because he asked. "Helping us find where Ak-Fet was holding MnM seemed to have attracted whatever attentions she'd been hiding here from. I dunno where she went, but," he shook his head, "I don't think she'll be back."

"Sorry to hear that," Eddy replied, not knowing what else to say. "But hey, the more things change, right... who knows." He raised his glass and held it out towards Ryu. "To the old and the new." Ryu returned the gesture, and they drank together. It felt like the way people want to remember old times feeling, though deep down they know "old times" were never quite as good as you recall.

Eddy put his glass down on the table. "Speaking of the city... the Yakuza have been strengthening their hold over the Strip. With the Italians pulling back into the East side of the city to tighten business after their recent losses, street crimes in casino row have been down, which means organized crime is up...," He smiled, eyes on his friend's. "You might wanna look into that."

"I think I might." Not one to dwell, Ryu let that chilly melancholy pass and let a more refereshing feeling take its place. "I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to a little old school skull rattling." He shoveled a mouthful and chewed it in thought. "Is it sad that taking down organized crime is like downtime? It's a little sad." He picked up his drink, swirling it a bit in the glass before finishing it off. "People wish they had it as good as we do."

He took up the bottle and refilled it the glass a few fingers worth. "So..." that familiar twist came to the edges of his mouth as he sat back in his chair, away from the plate. "Jen and Faith, eh?" He chuckled a little. "I'm so proud of you, Eddy."

"Hardy har har," Eddy said, laughing in reply with a roll of his eyes. "I needed Faith's powers for an op, so I decided to train her... turns out she can grow pretty thick on a person." he said, trying to sound snarky but Ryu could hear a strange fondness in Eddy's voice that he didn't hear very often. "She's a good kid... and the best of the bunch if I do say so myself."

He took a quick sip of his drink. "And as for Jen...," he continued, smiling, "Sometimes you find something you're not looking for in the place you're least looking for it. 'Course, I didn't let things feel 'real' until she stopped trying to recruit me." He chuckled, "I've been giving them from freelance support though... when we've got the same goals."

"But we make it a habit to not talk work except through official channels."

"That's great." Ryu smiled. "I'm happy for you, Eddy. I really am. You deserve it." Although he wouldn't say it out loud, happiness rather suited Eddy.

"You're right, though. Faith is a good kid." That smile turned into a smirk behind the rim of that glass as he raised it to his lips. Eddy's brow rose slightly, a curiously questioning expression. "The Hot Hut," he replied, as if it would be enough of an answer. Unlike Eddy and Aaron, Ryu had bounced around jobs to pay the rent. Their real job never paid the bills. Hot Hut had been the one that he had managed to stick around in. He continued. "Her dad owned a big chunk of it till, I guess recently. She spent a lot of time there."

Eddy gave him an "Ah" look, then leaned back in his chair and relaxed. "I like to think that I've been a bad influence on her," he said with a chuckle. "Since everybody seems to think she's been a good influence on me, I figure it's only fair."

"I'm headed to the hospital in a bit to visit my brother-in-law, he said, flipping subjects. "Turns out, he's got a hero complex... went and got himself shot trying to protect 'Sylph' during an op." He finished his drink and set the glass down on the table. "Supposed to grab dinner and drinks with Aaron tonight, if you want to come along... be nice to get the gang together again without work being the cause."

It had been so long since the three of them spent anytime together, no masks or strategic planning- just three friends hanging out. It had been one of the probably unexpected outcomes of the way the three of them had come together. Once they had let the door open it had given them a sort of normalcy they all seemed to need, all for different reasons. "Sounds good to me," he replied, draining his glass and retrieving his plate.

"Thanks for dinner." he stood up, stacking the plates. "It was a nice surprise. You're a pretty good cook when you're not ordering in."

Eddy smirked. "Blame my dad... he taught me to cook," he said, adding, "He assumed I'd never be able to 'catch me a woman to do it for me'." He laughed softly. "And if you've ever eaten Jenna's cooking, you'd know he was right."

[Dreamer]

Wrist broken on one, slammed his head into a brick wall before he could scream. His buddy got a dislocated elbow after it was hyper-extended, the crossbow bolt pointed at him got him to shut up quick. I asked the few things I needed to know and he spilled his guts out. I gotta say, Ranger, tonight's been a good night, the masked man thought to himself as he made his way over rooftops. Sometimes vigilantes could only thank themselves for their jobs done. Ranger wasn't an exception to this, but his night was about to become stranger. Glass shattering nearby told him he wasn't alone in Garrison this evening. His eyes glanced seeing a man dressed in a uniform that looked similar to his. There was a smile underneath his mask, "If you're trying to be my partner again you're too late there, that shipped sailed the night you turned on me," he said moving close to the man.

Dreamer stood readying another glass vial filled with sand in his left hand with a smirk on his face. Days had passed since he visited Riordan and he needed to let out some frustration. Luckily for Dreamer he came across the right target tonight. "Yeah, I'll come begging back to you the second I start to become like you. I was out on patrol and saw you were up to what you would call justice. There's still a bunch of people that want to talk to you about shooting a girl," he said to Ranger starting to move closer now that the sand vial was ready to be thrown. In the back of his mind Dreamer made a note to talk to Midas about developing new containers for the sand. The glass vial bit was starting to wear thin on him, but they would do for now.

"Really? What makes you think you can take me in? I taught you nearly every damn move in your arsenal, but hey I'm still up for a fight," Ranger said getting in a fighting stance. He waited for dreamer to get in a stance of his own. A black gloved fist went toward the Grey and Purple vigilante who wanted Dreamer to take the first swing. It was an easy block and opened up his former partner to receive a good shot to the ribs.

A sudden breathe was let out from Dreamer as a good shot to the ribs would hurt anyone. Quickly the hero pushed his pain aside and struck suddenly with a hammer blow to Ranger's jaw. If it weren't for the extra padding in his costume the ex-military man would have had a dislocated jaw from the blow. A purple glove held his face for a moment before Ranger leaped across to a nearby roof trying to control the distance between the two of them. Wanting to take down the vigilante that shot his friend, Dreamer gave chase going across to the same rooftop moments later, but all Ranger needed was a few moments to prepare. The second his black and red counterpart made it across, a thrust kick knocked Dreamer down.

"You're forgetting your lessons, control the distance," Ranger said while moving close to his former partner getting ready to drive a knee down into Dreamer's chest. Just as the right knee started to bend a sudden strike to left one caused Ranger to stagger and stumble across the roof only breaking his fall with a diving roll. Promptly Ranger stood up to see Dreamer on one knee with both hands up and ready. Shaking his head Ranged moved in close again, "Please, I taught you all the ways you can take down a person like that. Get up," he gestured for his opponent to rise.

The duo continued to go at it over the rooftops causing some attention from the various residents of the city. Phone calls flooded the 9-1-1 describing two masks system describing two masked men fighting. Some callers called them "masks" others "super-heroes," and another batch called them "crazies". Sirens started to slice through the night's silence, but the two still traded off several blows, blocks, kicks, and the occasional throw.

Blood ran out of Dreamer's now split open lip, and he knew there'd be bruising in the morning on his cheek, left sides, shoulders, and a few other places. He smirked at Ranger when the sirens started up, "Looks like we're getting some attention."

"Yeah. Going to call it a night?" Ranger asked tauntingly, holding his jaw for a moment. There was a tooth missing underneath the mask and bruises litered over his like Dreamers.

A side kick was thrown in toward ranger which was deflected with a block from his left hand. Dreamer smiled while speaking, "Not until I drag you back to the base with me restrained, or unconscious."

Beneath his mask Ranger smiled again moving back slowly, "You've impressed me tonight Kid, now I see why I called you partner."

Another kick from Dreamer, a turning kick aimed toward the knee, which was easily avoided. A counter punch went towards the white face with red eyes which was blocked. Both men were in close and staring at each other. If their hands changed positions they would be in a basic tie up used in wrestling. "You're holding your own tonight, and the Museum impressed me too. You're finally doing what I taught you to do, don't take chances. Face it kid, you're becoming just like me."

Those words hit hard and were really delivered home, "just like me," it echoed in Dreamer's mind with disgust and filled him with rage. Wild swings were taken at Ranger who blocked them all moving back more. His body slipped downward a few times while covering his head with each blocking motion. Now Ranger was smiling, "You're even in the old suit. Why deny what you are?"

More anger filled swings that were sloppy, poorly aim, and easily lost power when the range was extended. What came next for the vigilante was easy. Blocks and dodges continued from Ranger until they were in position, both of them near the edge. One final dodge avoiding a blow by turning to the right left Dreamer open for a jumping kick from Ranger. It wasn't anything fancy, but being able to use the black and red clad body to push off as it was being sent over the edge was great. Tumbling over the edge went Ranger's old partner, the former teacher turned his head not bothering to see where the person once called student landed.

"You still let your emotions control you kid. Maybe next time you'll know better." By now the sirens were close and Ranger sprinted off in another direction knowing reports would send the police his way, but they were easy to loose. It wouldn't be the first time he lost them in the city and it wouldn't be the last. His crossbow bolts were at the ready and it was easy to hit police tires to parked patrol units while they searched. Part of ranger was happy that none were wasted on Dreamer, it meant more could be used to keep fighting tonight. Although his body would be sore in the morning the adrenaline it was running on kept him going and there was still a few more hours before sunrise.

---

Tonight had been busy. It was probably the most active night of patrolling since he'd returned. He had no complaints though.

"That'll do it..." Capin propped up the unconscious man back up in the alley, leaning him against the brick. He gave a quick smile to the gentleman who had been the perp's victim, explaining that the cops would be by shortly and to give them the statement. He only added that he would kindly prefer to be left out of it, offering that the cops would then likely only find him a bit crazy.

And with that he hopped up onto the fire escape and scrambled up to the roof. He moved swift and agile. The night sky had lit up with sirens and colored lights. "Smoke" they called it. And where there was smoke there was usually some sort of fire. Given the volume, there was a block burning down nearby. Capin gave a look around, listening to the wind getting a feel for the center of attention, where everything was heading. He caught the trail and took off for it.

He vaulted over them with practiced ease, hands planting and throwing his weight from building to the next. Capin's eyes were keen, and even his time away hadn't dulled his memory of the rooftops in this city. All the parapets and firewalls, the chimneys, he knew them like a kid knew the branches of the trees in his backyard. His memory and momentum carried him forward until he caught the hooded silhouette standing at the next building's edge.

Capin landed with a quiet that would have made a cat jealous. The figure wasn't anyone he recognized, but that didn't mean anything one way or another. Capin still hadn't had the proper introduction to half the crew that had started running around the rooftops. "Black Hat or White Hat?" It made for a little confusion in where you should stand with people wearing masks and standing on rooftops, standing at ground zero of 9-1-1 central.

The man spun swiftly, drawing the bow from his back knocking the arrow back taunt. "What?"

"Black Hat or White Hat?" He repeated himself, watching the man. His body was tense, every muscle held tight, waiting to move. The charcoal mask held tight to hard expression. "You know, like in the old westerns? You see, you could always tell the good guys from the bad guys because of their hats. Lone Ranger, white hat. Snidely Whiplash, black hat. It's been a bit since I was in town, so..." His arms folded across the white V open across his chest, his smirk firmly in place. "Black Hat or White Hat. And don't lie. I'll know. I know things."

"Please." Self-righteousness dripped from his tone. "You really see the world in black and white?" That was enough of an answer for the Dapper Detective. He could put the archetype pieces together from his body language and that first word.

"Nah. Not really." He stepped forward. "I see the world in full color."

Behind the dark mask in the shadow of the hood the man's eyes narrowed. "Take another step and you're going to be seeing one color in particular." His thumb brushed back through the fletching. His patience was thin to begin with and sirens were louder and louder.

The tuxedo clad man was undeterred. "So maybe next time who will know better?" He took another step. "Maybe the reason all those emergency vehicles are closing in on you."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

He loosed the arrow and it whizzed through the air, its spinning blade glinting in the moonlight. He didn't know it, but he'd warned Capin long before he opened his mouth with the threat to make him bleed. The Detective wanted to see how he would move. He'd been aimed right for his eye, but before his fingers let it go he made an almost imperceptible shift to land the arrow in Capin's shoulder. He wasn't going for the kill. He just wanted to prove he was serious. And probably escape.

As fast as the arrow was, Capin was faster. He bent to the side, his body curving like a wave and his cape billowing around him with the motion. He plucked the shaft from the air with his fingers and spun with its momentum. When he stopped, the black was coiled up around him and he was holding arrow in his hand. "Bad form, man. Not cool to shoot people." His lip curled in a grin.

There was a well hidden smirk hidden behind the charcoal mask, "Not bad, not bad at all." He continued to stare at the Dapper Detective while his mind wandered over options now. The guy's good. Gotta give him that even if he wants to coddle the world with his views of a world being more than what it is, wrong and right, black and white. Ranger gripped the shaft of his bow in both hands, holding it like a curved staff. Only one way out of this,There was no doubt in his body language what he expected and hoped would happen next. "Even pooled together you guys aren't that impressive. But I could use another work out. "

"No?" Ranger swung the bow across his body. Hands folded at his back, Capin bent like a blade of grass in the wind. The compound bow whizzed above his face with a hiss as it cut the air. "You really wanna make that call about a guy you've never met? I might not even know this royal "you guys" that you've lumped me in with." He rose, ducking around the swinging fist the Ranger followed up with. "You may carry a lot of pointy objects," that grin of his was showing some teeth, "but you're not very sharp, are you?"

Ranger stared hard at Capin letting their eyes meet before taking a few quick jabs with the left hand, which did nothing more than connect with air. This was done in boxing and other forms of combat to get a feel for an opponent. A right cross followed which wished across the air as Capin took a small step backward just watching the purple gloved fist whiz by. "You see what I mean?" Sensing that fist wasn't the answer Ranger tried a kick to the knee, which met the same fate as the punches as it too connected with nothing but air. His opponent seemed to simply step back as if the attack was telegraphed long before he threw it. Next came a standing side kick which didn't even graze Capin as he bent back again. "Are you sure you've done this before?" The grin never left Capin's face even as Ranger knew the man with suit across from him had the perfect opportunity to do major damage with simple counter strikes.

"HOW DOES HE MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY!!??!" Ranger's mind screamed as every strike, swing, and kick he threw was so easily evaded. He was trained, trained to harm and kill, and there was a man standing across from him that made all of those years feel wasted in just a few moments. A primal scream ripped through the silence of the night as wild swings were thrown in Capin's direction and like everything else, avoided. All of them until in his blind rage he swung a simple cross and felt his knuckles connect on something hard.

With widened eyes he looked on. Capin's head turned back, cradling his jaw in his fingers. That smile never fell from his face. "Did that make you feel better? You were getting kinda frustrated there." He knew what kind of man this stranger was. All rage and anger fueled by his own self worth. A skilled fighter, but no real head. "Thought you could use the pick me up." He stood up, squaring off against the hooded man. "Last one, though."

By now Ranger knew the man with the never ending grin was toying with him. He started to calm down and focused on a new approach. "So there's a team of you, isn't there? All like-minded deluded souls wanting to see the world in colors and grays. How cute," he spat at Capin letting anger and sarcasm drip from his words.

"Sorry, buddy." He stepped forward. "I'm one of kind." He heard the sirens closing in. Play time was over. In a flash, his finger swing out and caught him in the throat. They seemed to mold through the protective padding catching the soft pocket above his sternum. Ranger doubled over as he stumbled back, choking. "And while I am pretty cute, I kinda prefer "dashing" or "handsome"."

Although hacking and wheezing thanks to Capin, Ranger was still able to speak between gasps. "I should have ran into you first. Haven't had a fight this good in years. You're not easy to fool, nothing like the last guy I came across tonight. You're actually a challenge..." There was a laugh trying to form, but the coughing stifled it, "He went over a roof's edge so quick, but the guy had it coming. Partners shouldn't turn on each other..." He slowly stood, continuing to hack from the throat poke. "Should've seen the look in those red eyes before his pasty-skinned hide was tossed over the edge too. It was priceless..."

He stared at Capin, mask twisting in a grin to rival the dapper detective's from earlier but colder, warped by the mask. "How high up do you think one of these buildings are? On average, I mean. A few stories up? And if the black and red guy doesn't catch anything to stop his fall... How bad do you think he is?" The coughing finally stopped. He gave a less than subtle look to the ledge of the rooftop. "You're not really doing much about a fellow hero. The guy's probably bleeding pretty bad on the street right now."

It was a distraction tactic. "Bitter much?" He knew he was beaten, and this was his out. But even so, the man didn't appear to be lying. With his eyes locked on his opponent he took a step toward the edge. "I've had 3 in the morning coffee at the Golden Nugget that was easier to swallow." He gave a look down and found the limp figure of a man bent over the fire escape across the alley.

Whatever had transpired, this man had beaten someone and tossed them off a rooftop, leaving him to die without a care. "Hero" or not that didn't sit well with the man in the black tuxedo. "We're not done, you and me." The smile had fallen from Capin's face. He stepped up on the parapet, cape billowing back. When he looked back, Ranger had backed himself to the far side of the building. "You can rabbit, but we're not done."

He seemed to hesitate a moment, but then he slung his bow across his back. "Whatever."

Capin however did not hesitate. He dropped from the building without another word. The cape spread out to bear his weight as it latched onto the brickwork across the alley. Mortar and brick sprinkled around him as it swung him about to the metal framework of the fire escape. The athletic adventurer moved through the grid work artfully until, clinging to the rail, he was able to scoop the unconscious figure up into the folds of his cape.

The man groaned as his body was moved, head lolling to the side. His skin was an ashen pale in the moonlight that filtered down to the alley. Time short before they had more company, Capin gave him a quick once over to make sure he wasn't too injured to be moved. "Well, Snowflake," he gave a look around as the red and blue lights started bouncing up the street, "time to move." The limp body was secured tight in the cape, the warm material holding him in a solid cocoon for travel, and Capin slipped out of the framework of the escape and climbed up to the top of the small apartment complex. "Of course, if it turns out that you're actually the bad guy here, which judging by your dance partner would make you a real pain in the ass, we'll be making a quick trip to the precinct."

He put some space between them and ground zero. The quicker they moved, the more his human cargo groaned. He crouched down over the rippled silver bitumen roofing, letting the cape lay the prone figure down. "Yes, I see the similarities, he replied to the tickle in the back of his skull, "The guy did say something about partners..." The cape retreated from the body, curling up and draping around Capin's knees. The dapper detective reached down, placing his fingers over the man's chest and pressing lightly.

Garrett felt a soft sting in his chest that roused him from that unwelcome slumber. His eyes slowly opened and as they consumed the details of the new surroundings Dreamer rose promptly. Pure red eyes glared at the sharply dressed man that crouched beside him. "Five seconds to tell me where I am and where Mr. Gray and Purple went," he growled despite the ache that came from his left arm. That arm was useless, and it was apparent to the Dapper Detective as it dangled from his body, "I owe him..." The right arm dipped inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the silver communicator that looked very familiar to Capin. "Dreamer to the Doghouse."

Whoever he was, if he had one of the comlinks that was enough evidence to give more than the benefit of the doubt. "Easy, snowflake," he put a firm hand on the figure's shoulder, keeping him from sitting up any further. "You're not gonna be making any payments on any debts with a dislocated shoulder and a concussion." Those white eyes dropped from the silver com in the man's palm to the way his arm slumped loose at his side. "Besides your dance partner is long gone."

Part of Garrett wanted to scream and curse, but right now there was a bunch of questions that needed answering. "Who are you, and how in the hell did I get back on a roof top?" If the man tried anything he'd learn first hand why Garrett called himself Dreamer. His good hand was at the ready just in case.

"I carried you." He smirked. "Your friend tossed you off a building. I picked you up before the cops did. Hold still." Capin gripped him by the burning shoulder and the wrist. He felt Dreamer's muscles tighten for that thrust before his fist moved. Without letting him go the cape caught his fist, wrapping it up tight and stopping it cold even as the glass vial in palm cracked. "If you really want another go at least let me take care of your arm first. Then you can swing both arms to your heart's content. Deal?"

As he spoke, Dreamer felt that burning pain cool to an almost numbed tingle. Capin knew how parts of the human body worked in ways that would mystify even the most learned doctors. The right jab in the right spots could leave a man paralyzed like a statue. A light touch in another could just ease the pain or put a limb to sleep. "Hold still," he repeated just before firmly popping the joint back into place. "There." As he let go his hold, feeling eased its way back through the limb.

Capin stood, letting the black material loosen and fall too as he did. "Better?"

"Yeah. If you could do the same for my head, I'd be perfect."

"No such luck," he was smiling as he dusted off the satiny lapels of his black coat and smoothed the wrinkles out. "Now. Wanna try that swing again?"

"No," he grunted again. His body ached and was in need of rest and some pointers from this guy, whoever he was. He looked toward Capin as he began to stand, "I owe you. What's your name again?"

"I didn't say." Capin adjusted his tie with a little lopsided smirk.

"I know. That's why I asked."

He chuckled. "It's Capin. And don't worry about the bill. Sound's like you've got enough owing going on tonight as it is. Still, you should have the Doc take a look at it. Your noggin too."

"Do Mid-Night and Daylight offer a frequent customer reward program? I just got out of there not too long ago..."

"I dunno. I've been out of town for a while." Capin took a step to the side, walking across to the edge. His cape hung heavy from his shoulders, not bending much in the wind. "Did you get a note from one of them for falling off buildings?"

Dreamer smirked, "No, but I thought I overhead them telling Sylph the tenth stay is free last time she was in there. I think she's on her fifth," he said as he watched Capin move about. "What happens after the doctors give me a clean bill of health?"

With his back to the other man, Capin's face fell a little. He hadn't told her when she told him about that night with the Tower, but Sylph being injured had been disconcerting. He knew getting hurt was a part of the trade, like it or not. But when it was your little sister... He shook his head, letting the thoughts fade as he did. "Generally that's when you start with the fisticuffs again, snowflake. You jump back into it before your body's ready and you wind up, well..." He let the sentence dangle, looking back over his shoulder with that grin set back in place. "Who was your friend tonight?"

The smirk never left Dreamer's face "Wind up back in a hospital bed to do it all over again."

He moved away from Capin and tried to take in the sights and sounds the city had to offer. Sounds of the boys in blue rang through the streets, but aside from that the night had fallen pretty quiet. Stars were bright and were welcoming to Dreamer's friendly gaze, "My former mentor and ex partner, Fancypants. He shot up our alliance the second he put a crossbow bolt through Sylph's leg. I was hoping to brighten up her day and settle a personal score by bringing him in tonight..." The sentence dangled while he turned back to face Capin again. "And you know enough to figure out how that went."

"I do." He nodded.

Capin could feel that irritation for the mad he had encountered growing it a thick disdain that grew in the pit of his stomach. He could hear the static tenor of Kardiac's voice in the thoughts that started running through his head. As things were finally pulling together in Garrison a wildcard like this man was dangerous. He was dangerous to a city that always had at best a fragile grasp to its own stability. Between what had happened to Dreamer and what he'd said, he was a danger to the others as well.

Those white eyes turned to meet the pale adventurer. There was a lot he was able to take away from his fight with the man earlier. He studied Dreamer with that same look. The way his brow creased as he stared back at the dapper detective could tell, while the man's head my have not been in the right place, his heart seemed to be. "What's his name?"

"Calls himself Ranger, don't know where the name came from really. Maybe before he got involved with the military he played D and D too much, or maybe the guy is lamenting for a military position that was unobtainable," Dreamer said nonchalantly before he shrugged, "Don't know for sure. Either way the guy has had some training, I can personally vouch for that and he favors anything that can shoot an arrow. He's like Garrison's deeply disturbed answer to Robin Hood," he smirked while red and white eyes met for a moment as Garrett looked directly at Capin. "Any ideas of how we can capture Ranger?"

"Maybe." He turned about. The cape folded over his shoulders, closing off that cut of white and leaving a long smooth black figure.

Ranger was arrogant. That was his first weakness. He seemed most inclined to rely on pain through harsh and extreme measures as his answer to his problems. It was his first response, and it was his last response. There wasn't a line to cross, and not realizing that was a weakness to exploit in his opponent. Since that was the solution he seemed most ready to accept, what made him dangerous made him predictable. It made him an easy target.

"Do you know where to find him? Where he hides out?"

Garrett shook his head, "I did. After the attack I went after him in each of his hiding holes and cache's across the city. All of them cleared out," he said to the fellow hero. After Faith was attack Garrett went after him on his own and came up short. Ever since then Ranger had eluded him or remained pretty quiet until recently. An idea came to the pale skinned hero as he thought about Ranger's activity, "He's been quiet until now. Do you think the return of heroes like Wolf brought him out? And can we use that against him somehow?"

"Wolf and who?" He and Wolf were the only ones who returned and Capin wasn't exactly a known quantity on the map. Even if word was already on the street was that Bluewolf was back in action that wouldn't deter this sort of player. Ranger was too bold to roll over. It might have been possible that he might have wanted to prove himself or test his mettle against a known quantity. The old "make my mark" routine. But his encounter this evening didn't give him the impression that Ranger gave a crap about proving his superiority. He just assumed he was. Capin shook his head. "It's possible, but I kinda doubt that. But if he's been keeping his head down and now he's not, finding him might not be too hard."

Capin cradled his chin a moment, thinking. This wasn't something he wanted to sit on, to wait for this Ranger to leave a trail of bodies back to him. "We won't find him again tonight," he said after a moment with a small sigh of resignation. "I'm pretty sure after our little tango he's climbed back into his hiding hole."

He looked back to Dreamer and gave an encouraging smile. "You should head in. Get that noggin looked at."

"I should, I really really should, but Sylph will vouch about how stubborn I am," Dreamer said while he smiled at Capin and walked to a ledge of the building. A look went about his face, and he gave the idea of a second run to find Ranger some thought. He looked back towards Capin quizzically, "Why do I get the feeling if I tried something stupid like trying to find Ranger again you'd stop me?" Dreamer asked.

"There's stubborn and there's stupid," Capin crossed the space between them. "You yourself just said it was stupid. You had your ass handed to you, your shoulder pulled out of socket, and you're running around with a head wound. You play reckless when you need to, not when you don't." He shook his head a little as he regarded the other man. "I'm not your dad, Snowflake. I'm not your boss, and I'm not giving you orders," He put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I'm giving you friendly advice. You're hurt. Take care of yourself. Even if you manged to find this guy, what then? Are you going to fare better the second time around?"

"I do what I do to help people from the things that are outta their control." The black in his cowl furrowed over his brow as he looked on the pale figure, "If you've got an issue and you feel you need the punishment for it, sure. I can stop you. You can take the beating right here and now. I promise you'll live." He came in close and tapped the man on the chest lightly with his fist. "Carrying around the guilt from Sylph getting hurt or your partner being a real bastard, whatever it is. If that's what you're gonna let drive you to make bad choices, you're gonna get yourself killed." His head tilted the side and the creases in his brow smoothed away. "You wanna die, Dreamer?"

One of things Garrett was able to do was admit when someone was right. Even if it meant going against something he believed in at the moment, "You're right, Fancypants. I just owe Sylph for the wound and something else. Ranger delivered to a jail cell or the doghouse with a nice big red bow would make me smile a little. You're right though, I was fresh with round one...and now I've taken a beating. Yeah... It wouldn't be pretty." He moved away from the ledge and turned back to the dapper detective and sighed, "I want to bring Ranger in... He nearly killed her that night. If it wasn't for me maybe they wouldn't have met. I wonder about that sometimes," a black glove rubbed across his chin. This was the first time Dreamer had to admit guilt probably formed from these thoughts, "I guess I'm hard on myself about it... He was my partner, and I should have stopped him the night everything happened."

"It happened. Learn from it and move forward." He gave Dreamer's shoulder a squeeze and let his hand fall back to his side.

He turned and walked in the other direction to the far end of the rooftop. He stepped up onto the ledge. "Oh, and by the by, Snowflake," he looked back over his shoulder, that grin tugging back up, "I know you wanna play it cool. I get that. But you might wanna save the cute nicknames for your bad guys and the reckless youth you pull out of the frying pan. If you try calling Bluewolf 'Boy Blue' after he saved your ass you'll have a broken nose to match your concussion. And Sparky, well," he laughed, "you'd be better off with Ranger. Just another piece of friendly advice."

"I have no intentions of addressing either of them except by their code names. What would you like to be called?" he asked making sure Fancypants was an acceptable term after some time was taken to let Capin's words truly sink in. Dreamer wanted the team to work, and that meant trying to curb his own attitude and assumptions. Although he wasn't a fan of Snowflake, it didn't bother him too much, but Dreamer was unsure how the Dapper Detective took to the moniker Fancypants.

"Capin. Cap. The Legend of Kung Fu." Those white eyes cut in the black cowl seemed to look up in thought, "That one doesn't really roll off the tongue in a hurry but neither does Utsuwa Ketsueki no Ryuujin...." He chuckled to himself as if this were some sort of joke. "Cap is fine."

Garrett considered saying that last bit, but declined against it. The whole thing would have been butchered beyond belief and would have sounded like something that came out of, Klingon for Dummies. He extended his good arm out towards Capin, "On the clock, you can call me Dreamer."

Capin stepped back down and took the man's hand with a firm shake. "So I gathered." He wrapped a knuckle on his own skull as if for luck. "Take care of that head." As their arms fell back, Capin returned to the ledge. His cape pooled over the edges, gripping the brick a little. "Good luck out there. If you need a hand I'm in the sliver squak-box."

"I will. If you ever need a friend just chime in and I'll be there. And thanks for the advice about Wolf and Kardiac, I'll try to stay on their good sides!" He looked back towards Capin and then pulled out his "squak-box" as Capin put it and buzzed in, "Dreamer to med bay. I got a nasty bump on the head from the night's activities; someone should take a look at. Over," he spoke into the silver communicator and wondered who was working in medical tonight. When the red eyes went back to Capin, he was gone. Dreamer smiled and waited for a response. The city is in good hand's tonight, he thought and made his way down to the doghouse.

[Kardiac]

An orange hue ran across the skies of Garrison City as the Sun started to set. The colors were vibrant and worthy of any picture local artist could have attempted. Moments like this garnered many viewers in different places and Garrett Sanders sat amongst the onlookers. He was alone on a park bench that featured an ad for Palmer Reality, and dressed in a long black coat, black button up shirt with white pine stripes, blue jeans, small black boots, all topped off with circular rimmed sunglasses with a long maroon scarf. His hidden cobalt blue eyes lingered at the beauty the sun left which caused a small smile that tugged at his lips. The expression was short lived as moments like this were a double-edged sword to the man.

Night was destined to come, like it had done everyday before, and that meant Garrett had to change in the Dreamer. Part of his "being a champion of a god" as Riordan put it, the powers only came out at night. Another night meant another opportunity to wind up in the medical wing like his recent romp with ranger. His head still gave a dull throb from the excursion that happened the night before last. A slow sigh left Garrett's lips and it danced in the wind while he decided to wait for a moment or two more. It was just too beautiful of a sight to ignore. But the beauty of the sunset was broken as a large, tan envelope landed with a slap on the bench next to him. A voice from behind the bench said, with a vibrating, almost electrical tone, "Open it."

Garrett knew the voice without looking... he'd heard it in the Doghouse before. He knew that not doing as he was told would be a pointless gesture, so he opened the envelope... not the first he'd received of the type recently, and dump into his hand a small pile of pictures. But unlike the pictures he'd received recently of his family, these were all pictures of him at various ages. Familiar pictures that he'd seen a thousand times before.

"You were a cute kid," Kardiac said from behind him, wearing a long coat over his fully-uniformed self. "Kind of makes me wonder what happened."

"What do you mean?" Dreamer asked Kardiac with a fully raised and very curious brow. The man was getting at something and the few ways a conversation like this could have gone weren't good. Especially when they came with old photos like the ones in his hands.

The vigilante frowned. "Christopher doesn't have a whole lot of pictures of you, so most of those came from your mom and dad... they're good people," he said, with a deliberately-cold tone. "The kind that let you in to use their phones when your motorcycle breaks down outside their homes. Your brother was even easier... he's heard of my good friend Eddy Lane, and was more than interested at the prospect of having a local artist put in a good word for him at the galleries around town."

Simon Jr., aka Christopher, Sanders was the artist in the family and really the man wasn't that good, at least in Garrett's opinion. Talented or not, there was a bitter taste growing in Garrett's mouth as Kardiac started to describe members of the Sanders family. "Why did visit my family Kardiac?!" Cobalt blue eyes revealed themselves as the glasses lowered slowly. His eyes hardened as anger and disapproval started to build up in Garrett as the conversation continued.

"Because I could," he answered, bluntly. "Anyone can take pictures with a long lens...," he continued, "But I wanted to make it perfectly clear that it's just as easy for someone to get close when they have the right information." He dropped to one knee and leaned over the back of the bench, his voice dropping in volume. "But I don't think this is news to you... I think this is something you've been thinking about a lot lately."

"So despite my little unnecessary demonstration," he said, sharply, "That's not why I'm here." He pulled back slightly, his voice increasing slightly in volume... his tone growing darker. "Do you know why I'm here, Mr. Sanders?"

"As if life couldn't get any worse..." Garrett thought to himself while he knew in the back of his mind this day was bound to happen. Faith's identity was inadvertently compromised and with his recent confession to Jamie, and Corin, he knew word would have gotten around sooner or later. The glasses were slipped off and placed directly into a jacket pocket. Garrett stared at Kardiac, "I take it this conversation has nothing to do with Vargas. Or a mutual friend of ours.." Garrett said as he tried to stop himself from digging his grave any further. He wanted to end that statement with, "getting stabbed on your watch," but the Vargas comment probably ticked Eddy off enough. The hard glare from Garrett continued although part of him was a little fearful for that low blow and the corresponding repercussions. "Enlighten me, Edward."

Kardiac's hands started to crackle, and one of them stopped short of Garrett's throat. Apparently, the vigilante had learned some restraint, but he'd still put it close enough that the younger man could feel a sharp prickling on his neck and the pulsating heat of a powerful electrical charge. "You really don't get it, do you? This had to do with a girl we both know, but it just got worse!"

The vigilante glared back into Garrett's eyes. "If you ever use that name to address me again while I'm in uniform, your little stalker will be the least of your worries! And if you think for a second that I won't follow through with that promise, ask our fearless leader just how serious I am." The electricity in his voice was suddenly almost as lound as the words themselves. "Just so we're clear, I appreciate your attempt and 'toughening up' and standing up to me, but while I understand it, it does not impress me."

"I've been doing this for nearly two decades, uncompromised, and if you think I cannot or will not put you down in order to keep me and mine safe, then you really don't know the first thing about me."

"As to our mutual lady-friend," he continued, "You compromised her out of uniform, you compromised her identity in uniform, and in doing so, you compromised the identity of every single one of us that she associates with out of uniform." If he'd been angry before, it was clear in his body language and his voice when talking about Faith that his ange had not reached its capacity... nor had his electrical charge. "And for the record, if anything, anything, untoward happens to my girl as a result of your ineptitude, I. Will. BURY. You!"

He let Garrett have the stare that he usually reserved for those he was about to bring to justice. "Are we clear?"

"Then do something reasonable about the problem, Edw--," before Garrett finished off the first syllable to Kardiac's name everything went numb. Like many times before darkness had taken him away from the land of consciousness.

---

As Garrett began to regain consciousness, he thought he heard distant, muffled voices. He was laying on something... hard. As his eyes began to perceive light, he felt an intense pounding in his head, and there was an annoying "pins and needles" effect over his entire body. "...kid... a chance...," said one of the voices. "...mistakes... matter what... you."

The other voice answered, his voice sounding suddenly too-familiar, a bit more clearly than the last. "...don't care... needs... ...learn respect." That voice sounded angry -- very angry. "...compromised his own identity... ...nks he can just compromise mine!?" Things were becoming clear now, light and sound more in focus. Except that he wasn't seeing the world through his own eyes, but through the eyes of the Dreamer. The sun, it appeared, had set.

He could make out a green-clad figure in the distance, but the other man was nowhere to be seen. It was Kardiac that he could see... and there was something just on the edge of his memory... something had happened. The other voice echoed again, but this time it sounded a bit tinny, electronic. But then, Kardiac's always sounded that way. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Just leave it to me," came the voice of the vigilante. As he continued, his eyes drifted to Dreamer, almost as if he knew he was awakening. "You're here to make sure I don't cross the line and kill the punk." As Dreamer's eyes took in the world around him clearly for the first time since regaining consciousness, he saw the room he was in... plain and sterile floor, ceiling, and walls, but fully seamed as if they could open at any place at any time with unknown dangers behind every hatch. They were in the Funhouse... the training room of the headquarters complex beneath the garrison.

He was beginning to regain feeling in his limbs when he heard Kardiac's voice again. "Looks like he's coming around."

As his eyes began to flutter open. Garrett jerked away as he tried to distance himself with any potential threat that loomed. Although his feet were able to move for a split second the rest of his body was non-responsive; he fell like a sack of potatoes dressed in dark clothing. His body reminded him of what happened before everything turned to black. Muscles everywhere ached and there was a level of numbness that slowly faded with each twitch of movement. "Son of a...."

He tried sitting up and promptly fell back down to the floor a moment later. Movement was limited at the time being. Garrett was able turn his neck to see the vast white, empty, and sterile room. As the numbness went away he was able to roll from side to side like a turtle that had been turned over on its shell. It took a few moments and it wasn't a pretty, fluid motion like normal, but he was able to do it after some effort.

"What am I doing on a set of Dexter?" Everything was clean and sterile here, like the way a room would be before Dexter Morgan killed someone on the television show. If it wasn't for Wolf being here along with Kardiac, Garrett would be very scared. Wolf's presence was a comfort as between the few bits and pieces Garrett saw of the two heroes; he was the sane and rational counterbalance to Kardiac.

"Welcome to the Funhouse," Kardiac said, his coat now gone leaving him in his normal uniform. "The training facility of the Doghouse. I've had Blue retract all of the toys, so it's just you and me in here." He nodded up at the reflective surface of a one-way observation window. "But the boss is watching... and I'd give him a solid thirty, forty percent chance of getting down here before I have time to do anything rash."

He walked over toward Dreamer, stopping at about the halfway point. His arms were crossed over his chest. "I warned you not to use my real name while I was in uniform... you've compromised enough identities already," he said, his face a cold glare. "I came to talk to you about being more careful, and you flaunted your foolishness to try to make a point... to try to stand up to me, prove you had guts."

"Personally, all that machismo and posturing doesn't impress me... it would appear that all you've accomplished is pissing me off." Electricity began to arc across his body in patterns that appeared random. "But Bluewolf wants his team to work, so out of respect to him, I'm giving you one chance... show me the respect I deserve, stop the macho 'challenging the big dog' crap, and try to learn something... or I teach you my way!"

He glared at Kardiac, "You started it by going to my family's house! Seeking out my family to prove a damn point! If anyone's putting on a machismo act, it's you Sparky!!" Garrett stood up while he forced all of his stiff muscles to work together. He ignored the friendly advice that would have saved him much grief later on. "You're as much of a hero as you are a jerk, Kardiac. As a team mate, I will respect you, but right now I question your methods as much as you question mine. But hey, you get the job done," Garrett was breathing hard still slightly reeled from the earlier shock.

"I admit I screwed up Kardiac, but don't act like you've never missed a detail, never messed up in the hero game before. No one's that perfect at this, especially starting out. I tackled the case as best I could, and if you have a problem with the outcome as much as I do, then do something about it!" Garrett was screaming now. His voice filled with anger carried throughout the room, he had enough of Kardiac's attitude. Garrett waved his hands toward Kardiac as he mvoed backwards. Sleeping sands went toward Kardiac. This wasn't done as an offense, just a means that helped create distance between the two of them.

Red eyes stared hard at Kardiac, "I took on a case that came to my attention while a majority of the more experienced heroes were gone! I had to muster up all of my training and do something new to help right the wrongs of the deceased. What could I have done? Midas is hard to touch, the nicely dressed one, Wolf, and a few others were away, and you're nearly as difficult to find as Midas! So who could I have asked for help? Just a few of the new heroes that came about around the same time I did..." He knew this speech would eventually get another black out treatment, but there was more to say.

"And right now I'm not about to put the blame on Faith's identity becoming exposed by a psychopath on anyone but me! If you have a problem with the way things have turned out then teach me! Hell, teach all of us new comers to the hero game! Because nothing will change what has happened and nothing will change what we are! I didn't ask for this power. Hell, I wasn't even told what happened to me when I got it...it just happened and for reasons beyond all of our comprehension it picked me..."

Garrett sighed and let out part of his anger as he turned around toward the direction of the observation station that Wolf currently resided in, "I'm ready for another black out now, sir. Just promise to teach me something when I come to," he said fully expectant of a shock treatment that made the first one look mild and tame compared to this one. There was no attitude that lingered in his voice the second time around, just an honest willingness to learn...after he came woke up.

"You want me to teach you... fine."

Kardiac stepped into the sleeping dust, and then through it, closing on the Dreamer. "First of all, your power is pretty nifty, and would be dangerous if I didn't have complete control of my body's cardiovascular and metabolic functions," he said, smirking. "I sleep when I want to sleep... so the first thing you have to learn is this: your powers aren't going to work on everyone, so don't rely solely on them to keep a psychopathic nutjob at bay."

"Lesson two: If you want to find me, Mid-Nite Man could have contacted me," he continued. "And even if you weren't trying to find me, you could have found him easy enough... he practically lives here."

He continued his slow advance. "Lesson three," he said, pulling a strange device out his leg-pouch that looked sort of like a modern smart-phone. "Never assume my intent is macho posturing!" He threw the datapad to Dreamer, pausing for a second as the pale-skinned man caught it. "That receiver is tuned to the sensor/transmitters I placed in and around the homes of your family members while I was proving my 'damn point.' If anyone comes within thirty feet of any of their homes, you'll not only know about it, but you'll also be able to take a peek as to whom."

"Don't worry, I scanned your family, so it won't get set off any time they come or go of their own accord."

"And fourth," he continued, eyes hard, "I'm not your team mate. You may be on Bluewolf's team, but you're not on mine until you prove your worth it. I'll help you, because I respect Blue... and he's asked me to help. But I will not put up with your attitude! I've been at this for over fifteen years, and I've more than earned the right to demand respect."

He glared at the Dreamer. "And finally, lesson five," he said, sucker-punching the Dreamer with enough force that it would send him back a few steps but not enough to incapacitate or seriously injure him. "I am a jerk!"

"But you're stuck with me."

Bluewolf's voice came over the intercomm. "Kardiac has volunteered to personally oversee your combat training."

More coughs from Garrett filled the room but he stood up, and ingored all the pain, "Thanks," he said while his eyes remained focused on the datapad. For a moment Garrett thought if this were a cartoon a depiction of a jackass would have replaced his pale skin by now to television viewers across the country. He swore under his breathe as he hated looking like a jerk. Still this revelation wasn't going to stop what was happening. Kardiac still would have stood across from him and it couldn't have stopped the Vargas comment. The datapad was set down cautiously before Garrett got into a fighting stance, "I know the powers don't work on everyone. I'm screwed power-wise when a gas mask is around, learned a few things from another psychopathic jerk," he said while his body prepared for another shot.

"Good," Kardiac replied, smirking. "Let's see what you've got?"

Tomorrow was a good day to try taking Capin's advice when it came to Kardiac.

[Faith]

Digging her toes in the plush carpet beneath her feet, Faith sat in a chair across from her father's desk. As always, his office was a place of comfort and safety, the heavy scent of leather and old books evoking some of her earliest memories. She used to play by the fireplace, listening to her father's records and staring into the flames until her eyes grew heavy. Just looking at the spot made her smile.

Following his daughter's gaze, Shaun Kavanaugh gave a soft chuckle. "I'm not sure I could carry you to your room anymore. I'm an old man now, you know." He made a show of stretching his back.

"Don't be silly. You'll never get old," she giggled, leaning on the armrest.

"I don't know about that. You've given me a fair share of gray hairs lately." It was a gentle reprimand and Faith immediately looked down at her knees, feeling strangely conflicted about her lack of apology. "But that's not why I called you in here. I want you to listen to something."

Her head rose slowly, a curious frown creasing her flawless brow. "Drop the needle? We haven't played that in forever."

Her father chuckled again. "I do believe that game died with the invention of the CD. So just listen and identify," he instructed, pressing the play button to let the the soft music fill the room.

"Miles Davis," she said within seconds of hearing the smooth muted trumpet. Furrowing her brow, Faith had to listen longer before she could name the song. "Um..." Crystal blue eyes studied the ceiling for a moment longer before answering, "Green Dolphin Street."

"That's my girl." Lowering the volume slightly, Shaun picked up a small item off his desk and tossed it to his only daughter.

Her fingers closed around the smooth glass. Proud of her reflexes, the petite girl looked up with a growing sense of curiosity. Suddenly a wicked little smile came to her lips. "Ooo... please tell me you're buying me an aquarium, daddy," she begged in her best spoiled rich-girl voice as she traced a finger around the delicate dolphin figurine in her hand.

"For you, Princess? It's almost tempting."

Faith laughed, holding the glass dolphin up to the light. "So no aquarium? Drat. But you have to have a reason for this whole aquatic mammal theme today." Picking her feet up off the floor, she crossed her legs in the chair and leaned in. Her father wasn't widely known for his ability to keep secrets from her. Whatever he was planning had to be big.

Shaun's smile turned somewhat teasing, masking the glint of fatherly concern --or disappointment-- that touched his hazel eyes. "I'm a bit surprised you haven't noticed the construction, actually. There were detours and traffic backed up all along Infantino."

So, in other words, she would have noticed if she'd been going to class lately. But she wasn't going to flinch or start making excuses. Not yet, at any rate. "Construction on...?"

Her father simply smiled. "Let's go for a drive."

---

Even without the promise of a dolphin themed surprise, Faith loved the area near the waterfront. Near enough to the University to have a tangible energy, the whole area pulsed with life. Trendy shops and small cafes all sat within a few blocks of the lake. But Green Dolphin Street stood apart from them all.

A three story cement and steel structure was surrounded by construction barricades. Workers were putting the finishing touches on an aged brick facade, giving the relatively new building the look of something from the Old Bridge district.

"It's beautiful." She grinned at her father, trying to envision the inside of the building. "But what is it?"

The smile on Shaun's face made him look far younger than his years. "Don't you know an up and coming jazz club when you see it?"

For a moment she could only stare at him. "Ohmygosh... you're serious. Now that I'm finally almost done with school, you go and buy another club. Not fair." As she teased her father, Faith couldn't help but notice the fleeting shadow that fell across his face. Though her smile never faltered, she found her excitement waning. The timing wasn't a coincidence. "Do we get to go in?"

"Of course." Offering his arm to his daughter, the elder Kavanaugh walked up to the black double doors and slowly ushered her inside.

As Faith entered, she was struck by the immense stained glass window. Light was streaming through the beautiful depiction of a green bottle-nosed dolphin leaping into a light blue sky while darker waves filled the frame beneath it. "Wow..." she breathed, crystal blue eyes reflecting the scene in the glass as she stared in awe. To the left of the stained glass she saw a staircase, to the right a wider opening. Walking to the right, she found herself in the club's main room. A massive granite bar, railed with brass, took up the whole wall to the right. Opposite the bar, across a wide seating area filled with tables, was an elevated VIP lounge overlooking the rest of the club. Spanning the front of the club was a large stage, big enough for a seventeen piece swing band, but with adjustable acoustic dampeners to make it suitable for a trio. In front of the stage, between it and the tables, was a slightly lowered dance floor.

"Daddy... this is..." Turning in a circle, she tried to take it all in. She could practically hear the music already. And, of course, picture dancing with Charlie. Maybe she'd even be able to talk Eddy and Agent Fairchild into it... someday. "This is incredible."

"I was hoping you'd think so," he confessed. Their footsteps echoed in the empty building as he led her past the tables and up the stairs to the lounge. Taking a seat, Shaun looked out over the club. It was nearly finished, waiting patiently for that crowning touch. And full of so much potential.

His gaze shifted to his redheaded daughter. So much potential. Faith was his shining star. His princess. The youngest child but the one that he saw so much of himself in. And, though he'd never admit to playing favorites, the future of the Kavanaugh legacy. With a gentle smile, he reached out and took her hand. "I'm glad you like it, princess. Because I'm going to need someone to run the place. I can't be everywhere at once, after all."

Despite her lack of surprise, couldn't hold back a sigh of irritation. He was so transparent. "And you don't want me everywhere either, right daddy?"

The answer came as he looked away, studying the mahogany paneling behind her instead of meeting her eyes. "I love this place already," she told him, her tone firm... but sad. "But I can't spend my nights here."

The father in him wanted to raise his voice, to forbid or give orders. But, to his great despair, Faith was an adult. "I really think you'd enjoy running it. Green Dolphin Street needs you." Though he felt her pulling away, he didn't move his hand.

"Dad..." She looked out over the club, seeing beyond the walls and down to the water. "It's going to be a success. People will come from all over Garrison for good food and good music. I would do a fantastic job running the club, making people happy..." The pause hung in the air, prompting her father to open his mouth to object. But before he could speak, girl continued. "But I can do more. And I need to do more."

"I don't..."

But she cut him off again. "I know. You didn't want this for me and you worry. But I have this..." Faith held up her hand between them. Starting at her fingertips, she let her hand fade from sight. Her fiery brows furrowed as she watched her father's face pale slightly. Had it really been so long since she'd used her power in front of him? "I have this gift. And I'm going to use it to help people, to help this city. I can't do any less."

Shaun sighed, feeling that strange mixture of regret and pride. She was his daughter through and through. And apparently he'd taught her too well. "So I need to look for a new manager. Will you at least help me with the entertainment?"

"Of course I will." She knew the conversation wasn't over, but at least they were moving on. For the moment. "Ooo... I know. You could let Logan run the place." She fell back against the seat, laughing at her own joke.

"Actually..." The smile, though forced, slowly made its way back to his face. "I considered it. And now that you've turned me down... I think the responsibility could be really good for your brother. Especially if we're both there to help him. And you are going to help. No arguments, Faith. I won't take up all of your time for... other things, but you're going to be a part of this as well." The iron in his tone softened slightly and he smiled again. "After all, there are two lofts upstairs that we're going to have to rent out too."

"Really?" Since helping with the club wasn't any sort of punishment at all, the redhead did her best to hide a grin. "Two of them? You know, I have a friend who happens to be in need of a new place to stay," she told him in what she thought was a perfectly innocent tone of voice.

Apparently it wasn't innocent enough. "A friend?"

"Um... yes..."

Her father gave a little chuckle. "As long as he's not another magician, I'm sure your mother won't mind at all. Would you like to see the lofts?"

"No no. No more magicians." Smoothing the creases out of her favorite pair of jeans as she rose, Faith waited for her father to lead the way again. "Charlie's an Acquisitions Specialist," she explained easily. She was serious enough about her sandy-haired thief that she'd planned out exactly what to say when it came to the dreaded 'what does he do for a living' question.

The elder Kavanaugh nodded. "Good to know. I may actually have to have a talk with him one of these days." Ignoring his daughter's curious look, he proceeded to wrap up the tour. "Speaking of friends, do you have any plans for dinner?"

She smiled as she linked her arm through his, leaning her head against his shoulder like she had since she was very young. "Not tonight."

"Good. Since your mother is off at her book club tonight..." He chuckled slightly. They both knew that very few literary discussions actually took place at those meetings. "How 'bout you let me spoil you with something greasy and bad for us?"

"I'd love that, daddy. A lot."


(Extra huge thanks to Mystery Man for helping with the building!!)