Kelly wakes from a light sleep with a start. She hears a gasp come from Calypso and the wet sound of somthing dripping into the snow. Rolling over she looks up to see Courier standing near the fire, the crushed remains of a man outlined in blood on his chest. She stares horrified as he drops the remains to the ground almost casually. "My god ... what what have you done!?"

She listens in horror to his explanation, her eyes wide like saucers, a cold shiver running down her spine despite the fire. Finally she nods, resolving herself to the issue, Doug says it was one of that monsters cohorts, he got off easy, it was a quick death. She steel herself to the scene as Raider searches the body then drag it below ground to a final frozen grave.

KB nods he eyes now hard and dry, there is no emotion in her expression except for barely controlled rage. "He reaped what he had sown."

Oh No! He's trying to think with me?! Gregory was a mixture of confusion and fear. He was not sure he wanted to respond. The image of Courier crushing the life out of that man was making his stomach clench. Better to follow and see if he hurts any others. He would grab his clothes once Doug had moved away from them. If I think something back, he might find me.

Gregory turned off the link from his end.

Courier's sudden move caught Seven completely by surprise. She lept to her feet, keeping herself between Courier and Calypso, fingers lengthening into sharp claws as her tail lashed the air. Why did he crush the stranger? Was that really Courier?

His explaination did nothing to calm her. If this one found them, could others be far behind? Especially now with the smell of blood in the air?

Once he is done hiding the remains Raider will address everyone, and speak loud enough for Gregory to hear. "I think we need to discuss what we've learned so far. We did find a good hiding place under the city, but we heard from Adam that our home is being evacuated because the storm rather than following us like we expected decided to throw it's full force against the city in revenge. Doug can fly us back, but Adam won't be available for at least a day if not more to open a gateway for us."

He gives a quick look at the blood stain in the snow considering for a moment then continues, "On the bright side we just eliminated one of Squidward's lieutenants so the trip hasn't been a complete loss." Looking at everyone in turn, "The question is do we want to stay here and see what we can learn and possibly sabotage their plans, or head back to help with the evacuation? Also, do you see that bright light in the sky, brighter than most of the stars?" He points to the object in question, "I believe that is one of the orbital space platforms and it is my understanding that Squidy is trying to reactivate it which would give him more destructive power than anyone has had since the Burn. I can't let that happen."

Doug watches KB for a while to see how she's taking it... but he looks tired. This took more out of him than he was likely to admit. Cleaned off he walks over next to her to see her reaction up close.

Doug nods and says,

"Justice. Vengenance. Pest control. Pick any or all. He was a dangerous man. I didn't warn anyone because I didn't want to give him the chance to be dangerous."

"Squidward deserves to die for what he's done." There's both a force and a tiredness to those words. Doug obviously considers continuing but doesn't bother.

Calypso looks uneasily at the ground where the body was taken. Had it changed when it died? Wouldn't shapeshifters change?

Then again...would it matter now?

She closes her eyes, trying to get the memory of that gruesome sight out of her mind, and says, "For the storm, you can take me back to the city. I think it wanted me."

She doesn't add KB's name.

"It's rage is from knowing I escaped. Take me back, and perhaps it will spare the city. I won't be much help dealing with things in the air anyway."

Doug says,

"It'd take me two hours to fly you back. Wind friction would be intense, wind chill would be intense, the storm will be awful. I'm immune to my own power but I can't attune worth jack. KB could go." Doug nods to KB, "She's immune to the weather."

"I'm tough enough to deal with the storm, but we already saw what a direct lightning hit does to me. Having gotten there I don't see what we try to do to stop the storm that we didn't already try."

"Or... we could stay here and try to deal with Squid. We found that place, if the dead guy hangs out there then Squid probably does too. We could try to raid the place, or play it sneaky."

Doug looks at Calypso and says,

"Cal... could you survive the trip back? You immune to wind and cold?"

Calypso shrugs with a wry smile.

"I am only human, except for calling the water. I could try to make some kind of insulation around me, maybe. Or perhaps if I try to tamper with the weather here, it will signal the storm and tell it where I've gone."

Doug thinks for a moment and says,

"120 mile per hour windchill for two hours... I think it'd kill you. We could drop that down to 40 miles per hour but the trip would take 6 hours and it'd be over by then."

"Heck, in two hours I hope everyone is out of there. You're more than welcome to try to pull the storm here, that was the whole idea of coming. But we're like 400 kilometers away, if you've got that kind of range and power maybe you could level this city here while you're at it?"

Doug is only half serious about that last part. Novas do exist with that kind of power, and it's possible she's one, but the odds don't favor it.


"The one think I think we need to do is get out of here. What's his name found us, maybe Squid knows too, we should change locations big time. That pool... it may be that we've stumbled on Squid's back door. The whole set up looks like a forgotten bolt hole. Something someone set up in case the cops come through the front door."

Dangerous?! He was still alarmed by Courier's conduct. The entire situation started him thinking. What if man was a twin?! The thought of that made Gregory even sadder. What Doug did made him want to retch. Maybe he came here to ask us for help, looking for brother. A brother who was killed in caves...and Doug kills him!

Gregory began to wonder if him staying in one place was the right decision. Were 'regular' people no better than the raging monstrosities of the Blight? Doug's actions told him no.

Gregory pictured a horse in his head. A fast horse that could carry him leagues in a short time. He was going to gather what little he owned from Newborough, and flee. He survived on his own in the past. It was easy for him to do it again. The energies began to coalesce into a form.

((OOC: Q. Const. w/ Hypermovement))

As the others spoke about the possibility of return, the danger of winter travel and the weather in general Gregory inched away from the circle. Forming in his mind the image of a horse he formed a field of energy into that shape and poured quantum into it. Shimmering into life was a great black horse, sleek and proud the animal looked at Gregory with eyes that betrayed it's true nature. Wasting no time Gregory leapt to the animal's back and threw his arms around the great beast's neck willing it to run back home, back to Newborough.

*****

Meanwhile the others discussed the situation noticing Gregory's actions only when the horse shot off noisily through the underbrush.

Raider looked up puzzled at the blur of motion. "What's gotten into that boy this time?" He called the other nova a boy, but in truth he wasn't that old himself. He frowned and looked at the others questioningly.

Doug says,

"Probably me. He's not taking my calls since he told me about shifty and I took that info and killed him. He didn't see the Doc, but he did see shifty's latest victim."

Gregory holds on for dear life as the quantum forces that imitate a horse speed through the forest. Though the cold and wind quickly cease to bother him, the constant whipping by the long hanging branches and shrubs is painful despite causing no lasting harm. Within a few minutes Gregory is miles away and the forest begins to thin somewhat. The space between the trees allows the starry night sky to peek through and shine down illuminating the snowy landscape with the blue-white light of thousands of stars.

Gregory looks up into the night sky, trusting the horse to avoid obstacles and stop if it come upon a ravine or body of water it cannot cross. As he looks up he see two extraordinary things above. The first is a bright point of light, brighter than any other star and outshone by only the moon. Gregory did not recall seeing this object before and though he recalls Raider saying that sometime objects in space would fade from view before coming back to be seen later.

The second was a window in the sky much like Adam's doorways. Through the window Gregory could see bright sunlight as though from late morning. For perhaps three seconds the gateway was still, the sunlight filtering through silently, then a single human shape was flung through the gateway. The person, arms and legs flailing, plummetted from the sky as the gateway closed. Gregory could hear the sound of the person crshing into the trees nearby as they fell to the ground. They were close, perhaps a few hundred feet at most.

What the....!? When the man hit the trees, Gregory was stunned. A man falling from a hole in the sky was not normal. He knew it was not Adam, because he was in Newborough and it was snowing there. He had to remember to let Raider know about the sky lights. Gregory had the horse trot to where the man fell. Hopefully he was still alive.

If there is any sign of danger, he will jump from his 'horse' and blend in with the snowy background.

With a labored groan the person stood up obviously disoriented and confused. Taking a few steps the large shape clothed in linen rags stumbled and collapsed to its knees breathing heavily not aware of its surroundings. A good observer could tell that the clothes were designed to hide the wearers shape and size but nonetheless it had to be well over 7 feet tall and broad.

"Wo zum Teufel bin ich?" said the person in a strange language, its voice sounding more female than male.

--------

OOC: Sorry, I kept it "neutral" to make it more suspenseful. If Gregory understands german - "Where the hell am I?" is the translation.

Dispersing his mount, Gregory watched the figure brush snow off itself. It was a large, and dressed in rags like him. it opened its mouth, and in what sounded like a female voice, strange noises came forth. Maybe that was how it talked.

He moved closer, his naked form completely white. It was necessary to be careful. This woman? might be hostile. But then again, she was in a strange place, and fell out of a hole in the sky. Did Adam send her here?

As she began to look around, he croutched behind a nearby tree and spoke to the stranger.

"You speak funny."

(OOC: Gregory is Uneducated..he has a hard time just speaking English.)

Still numbed by the fall the woman Gregory saw dug her hands into the ground and after a few seconds her labored breath calmed down.
(using Heal on myself)

Then she heard a voice and turned to face the man, but couldn't see him. Reflexively she pulled the hood of her rags a little deeper to cover her face.
"I - not danger. I... hmm... ah... peace. Don't scare you.", she answered with a heavy german accent at the same time stepping backwards ovbiously scared herself. Gregory could tell that she must've been really poor. She didn't even have shoes to wear.

Gregory didn't move. She might have been able to se him. Quickly, he realized that she could not see him, and there was no need for him to be silent. He was also grateful that she spoke 'Inglish'. "I'm Gregory. I don't want to hurt anyone." He stopped to think for a second. "Did Adam send you? I saw you come through hole in air like he makes."

The tall woman shook her head and looked selfconsciously to the ground. "I must leave home. Not welcome there." Raising her arms defensively, which made her appear even larger she added, "Me not monster. I can help. I not hurt."

She was still trying to locate the strangers voice, prepared to be attacked any moment. Her voice trembled with fear and desperation.

She seemed nice enough. And she looked to be upset about being forced to leave home. Gregory changed the coloring to his head and upper body, so that she could see him.

"I believe you." His mind raced. So much had happened since the storm hit Newborough. An idea began to form in his head.

"How can you help," Gregory said, cocking his head to the side. " B'cause I need help."

She focused the stranger and lowered her arms, slouching a little bit forward to reduce her height.

"I can heal you, I can heal earth" she knelt down on one knee sifting with her huge hands through the earth.
"I friend with animals"

She tried to estimate the strangers intentions and kept prepared to be jumped any second, though her voice sounded sincere.

Meanwhile, back at the camp...

When Calypso sees the 'horse' fleeing, she calls out, "Gregory!" but to no avail.

She looks at the others angrily.

"I'll try to catch up to him. You should stay here, Courier...you may be fastest, but he is fleeing you, I think." She pauses then adds, "I hope that man is who you thought he was. I suppose we'll never know now."

Then snow swirls around her feet and lifts her up on sort of platform. Assuming no one stops her, the frozen pedestal rushes off with her atop it, following the hoofprints in the snow.

Raider frowns, "Good idea. I hope you catch up to him quickly. We still need to decide what to do next."

Doug opens his mouth back to retort but Cal is gone before he can form a message.

Doug says,

"I'll keep in touch with her. As for what to do, it's easy. If we aren't going to go back home, and I don't see how we can or why we should..."

Doug glances at KB to make sure and then continues,

"We should hang out here, well, not 'here' here."

Raider nods, "I can take one person at a time past the guards to the hide-out. From there we can explore, rest and sabotage as the mood strikes us." Looking thoughtfully at the bright light in the sky, "I really need to get a closer look at that soon, but first we should find out just what these people are up to and how deeply Squidward is entrenched in their power structure."

"I like animals too. I had a friend. His name was Dog. He died." Strangely he felt a connection with this tall and broad woman. "Now I make animals and other creatures to help me."

He was getting sidetracked. He had a plan to move foreward with. "Are you strong?" He asked her, his naked body fully now it's natural color. To Gregory, being naked was as natural as being clothed. No one had ever taught him it was wrong.

The tall woman nodded hesitantly and added "Yes, but I not hurt. Don't want to hurt." She was still stepping backwards, as if getting nearer to her was dangerous... or as if she was scared of the stranger.

"Please... don't hurt. I go away. I not fight. I not fight for barter or amusement." This time she sounded more confident and her voice was bordering on disgust and anger.

"I want help - but not for you only benefit. I also benefit - want peace."

"I need to you to come with me. I have food and shelter. I want peace too, but..." She was not what he expected. His plan had involved someone who didn't mind getting themselves a little bloody. He had to change his scheme. "...there is a bad man who is guarding my clothes. He has my friends too. I..I'm not strong enough to take him on my own. Plese...I'm so cold it hurts." As he spoke, he gave his words a tiny nudge of Quantum, while he started chattering his teeth.

((OOC: Trickster))

She nodded at him, a little bit confused.

"I not hurt anyone." She stepped forwards towards the freezing man. "You cold? I can make earth warm - shelter." Then she seemed to consider something but withdrew the thought.

"I come with you... maybe man gives clothes for help? I not hurt him, I not do that." she shook her head defiantly at the same time drawing closer to Gregory. The woman didn't seem to be dimwitted, she just had difficulties with the language.

"If you think he will... then follow." Gregory had no idea how far he had travelled, but he knew that he had left hoof prints in the snow. In the distance, he looked for the city to tell him is he was close or far. He wanted to stop before he got to Doug.

"You been on horse before?" He asked in case he needed to make another mount.

Doug forwards this idea to Cal and attempts to do so to Gregory.

She shook her head moving carefully closer to the naked man.
"I too heavy for horse - not good for horse." She stretched to her full height which came closer to 8 feet to emphasis her point.

"You not cold?" she wondered. The man wasn't scared of her which was good for a change, maybe she could trust him enough.

"I can give you my coat - I not freeze"

"I can make horse that can carry us. It will not care. It will be special horse." Gregory smiled at her empathy towards animals. "You would have liked Dog."

"Come, I show you." Gregory pictures a large, strong and fast creature, and begins to bring it into existence from the ambient quantum energies. Onec the mount is there, he turns to his new compatriot. "We ride?"

Surprised by Gregorys ability to call forth a mount she hesitantly moved forward to touch the horses head. It was large... large enough to carry her which was rather unfamiliar for her. Making some strange noises she tried to talk with the horse her voice sounding low and serene but she didn't get any response. She wondered what this "horse" really was and gave Gregory a quizzical look. With a faint smile she accepted his offer.

"We ride" she acknowledged. "But this is no horse... what is it?"

"I make it. They not real animals and stuff. Made from....I not know what it made of... I just make." Gregory climbed on top of the animal and grabbed a hold. "Hold on. It goes very fast."

Gregory and Anna mounted the great beast, a horse that would dwarf a Clydesdale. With a thought the beast shot off through the snow. Maneuvering amongst the trees once more Gregory quickly locates the hoof prints in the snow and begins to backtrack. Minutes later he sees Calypso up ahead riding on a platform of snow and ice and headed directly toward them. A minute later they are both stopped Gregory and Anna looking down at Calypso from the back of the mighty horse.

*****

Back in the shelter Raider and Seven prepare to head down into the tunnels with Courier Staying behind with KB and to await Calypso’s return. Raider takes Seven’s hand and the two quickly become insubstantial and begin to drift away from the fire, floating through trees and rocks as they go.

KB looks up at Courier and says quietly after Raider and Seven are gone, “There was nothing we could do. Whatever it is that is controlling that storm is using it as though a body, and it wields the energies that Calypso and I poured into that storm initially. Perhaps if we could have attacked its mind or if Buzz was still with us to negate it’s control over the storm.” She shook her head, too many “ifs” and “maybes” clouded their recent actions. “Adam and the others will keep the people safe and the town can be rebuilt it is only wood and stone.”

"You leave too?" It hadn't occurred to him that someon would come after him. The arrival of Calypso could complicate things. "I need my clothes. You want to help me get them too?"

He looks over his shoulder. "I found woman who fell from hole in sky."

Calypso, more or less accustomed to Greg running around starkers by now, gives 'the woman who fell from the sky' a narrow look.

"Really. Well, hello. You're lucky. The skies are not as friendly as they used to be."

She then turns her attention on Gregory.

"I came to try to convince you to come back. He shocked the rest of us too, but he explained why he did it. I don't agree with what he did even now, but this isn't the time to run away."

She waves her arm in the direction of the city.

"We're in enemy territory here. We must stick together until things have gotten calmer. Then, if you still wish to go...so be it. But I couldn't let you run around by yourself with that...squid...thing...around."

The woman just nods towards Calypso drawing the hood of her rags deeper into her face, underneath she smiled unsure but friendly. She wasn't sure if she understood the other woman and braced herself for danger.