Anna tried to make her knuckles snap and stretch her arms for emphasis.

(ooc: Anna has nil intimidation-skill but she'll try anyway to look like she means business)

(To Raider) *Get a bored tone of voice and tell me to back off. Then tell the guard that you have wasted enough time with him and your going to give him three chances to kill you and then you'll take your one.*

Raider smiled at the incoming thought from Doug. He allowed the smile to look as cold and evil as possible. To the guard he said, "Tell you what, if you insist on barring my way, I'll let you take your three best shots at killing me and I'll only take one in return."

Doug sends to Anna,

*Anna, on my mark you and I will turn around and walk several steps away.... do you understand*

(If she says she understand Doug will give the signal and make an about face and walk a few steps back. If she doesn't he'll repeat and/or rephrase the message until she does).

Anna nodded barely to herself and sent back to Doug,

*I understand. Doug, I'm scared...

The guard gives Raider and irritated look as he tries to listen to whomever is on the other end of the line. Finally after a few minutes he hangs up the phone. "Ever heard of manners?" He rolls his eyes before continuing, "Somebody will be down shortly, I suggest you don't try and Quantum funny stuff." He palms the door which scans his hand and then after a series of massive clicks and whirs opens like a massive bank vault door.

Raider didn't acknowledge the guard's comment and just waited for the door to open. Once it did he led the way inside ignoring the guards completely. He sent to Doug, *If this is a trap, pass on to Anna that she will have to revert to normal size for me to pull her out of it. I couldn't possibly bring her out with the mass she has right now.*

Anna nodded again and braced herself for the worst. Her heart pounded fast and she was getting more nervous with every breath she took.

*I'm ready* , she sent back.

When Gregory sees the others head through the sealed door, he flinches. Then he remembers that Raider can pass through walls, and he relaxes.

Doug sends back

*Understood, and forwarded.* and follows Raider in side.

The door swings wide and you are all able to see that it is quite massive, nearly one foot thick. Massive round cylindrical holes stud the side of the door, allowing for a massively strong locking mechanism. Raider heads inside followed closely by Doug and Anna. Though the door is large Anna is forced to stoop over due to her height. Within they find themselves in a large open lobby. From here it is clear that the building was once offices, the thickening of the walls and the addition of the door are readily apparent on the inside. Sections of wall have been built using concrete Jersey barriers as stone in a massive masonry wall that rises thirty feet to the arched ceilings. A mis-mash of assorted lights illuminate the darkened interior as the door swings shut and the bolts slide into place with a foreboding "thunk".

*****

Outside Gregory crouches in a nearby building. His second story perch providing him a clear line of sight to the area. He watches as the massive door closes, swallowing up his friends and leaving him alone once more.

*****

Inside a voice above greets them, "So, you believe that you can aid us in preventing an earth strike?" Although none of you can yet see the source of the voice, Doug and Raider are immediately sure of it's owner. "Brother, had you wished to help I would think you would not have made such an effort to confound my plans as you so recently did. Perhaps you have stopped allowing that foolish old man to fill your head with lies about me? No I would not think so, you strike me as the type to treasure his as a father without looking to see what he has become."

James' voice stops and silence once more descends on the three of you. Then from somewhere else he speaks again, his voice echoing around the largely empty lobby making it difficult to pinpoint his location. "Mr. Courier, how is your dear Kelly? Quite the lovely lady, it was a shame that she fought so hard, it would have been easier for all involved had she not simply cooperated with us." He chuckles, "Worse still that her sacrifices went without worth for your actions those months ago.

"And you, you are new to me, clearly a nova of great power, have these men persuaded you to help them destroy me? Or perhaps to protect them from me? Regardless, do not think me rude for hiding, these men have caused me great harm recently, I am understandably hesitant to put myself at risk once more. I am James, and your name is?"

*****

Outside Gregory shifts his weight from foot to foot, blended nearly perfectly with the crumbling brick walls of the building he suddenly hears the crunch of footsteps on the broken stone behind him. His natural danger sense does not trigger. He is clearly unnoticed at the moment.

Doug thinks,

*Of course if you'd just asked her rather than trying to rape it out of her you'd still have your space ship.*

Doug says evenly,

"She's still healing from that number you did on her. Do you have any idea how strange it is to talk to you knowing that your spaceship was you doing the right thing? A month ago I thought I'd be trying to kill you right about now... and instead we're here to help."

Anna looks around nervously unsure whether to say something or remain silent. At first she thought they were trying to stop some evil Aberrants but now she wasn't so sure anymore. As if she could hide she moved closer to Doug and Raider and said hesitantly, "I'm Anna..."

Gregory froze when he heard the sound near him. Slowly, he turned his head in the direction of the noise. Just to be safe, he pictured a large tentacled beast that would hold someone.

He knew this was going to happen, he just didn't know it would happen first thing. He'd expected James to be at the other site. Wonder if the loss of the rocket caused him to lose enough face that he's stuck here instead of at the center of power now.

He didn't bother to look around, but he answered, "Brother, until we accidentally crossed paths over the rocket I didn't even know you existed, and that didn't exactly inspire warm filial feelings. You set a trap that caused us to attack our father, then your minions tortured and killed people we knew. Again, not exactly inspiring those warm feelings. If you had come to us and explained what you wanted and why you needed the rocket, we would have offered our help then instead of working against you. I'm not exactly happy knowing that the rocket we destroyed might have been instrumental in helping to save the world. You've been too smart for your own good trying to manipulate and using the hammer when a carrot would have gotten you exactly what you wanted."

Looking to Anna he said quietly, "I think you can relax a little, but keep a wary eye out." He turned back to the front and addressed James again, "We're not here to kill you. For now I offer a truce, and I offer my aid in stopping this asteroid. After the crisis is over perhaps we can sit down and hash out our differences, but until then we either need to work together or we're both likely to die. Well, I won't die, but I'd rather not live on a lifeless rock."

Gregory turned slowly, his head swiveling in agonizing slow motion until at the edge of his perception he could see a young man, dressed in what looked like little more than layers of rags. To Gregory it did not occur that the cold affected people, let alone that the recent weather was enough to kill a baseline without protection. The young man picked his way slowly across the rubble strewn floor toward Gregory clutching an old rifle in his hands. Gregory still sensed no danger to himself, and the way that this man paid such careful attention to keeping quiet as he picked his way across the floor led Gregory to believe that he had as yet not been noticed.

*****

Inside James was laughing, "Awful shy for a big girl eh?" he asked with a chuckle before Raider spoke. Quiet descended once more as Raider finished speaking. For a few moment it was as if James had just wandered away while Raider spoke.

"You expect me to just let bygones be bygones? You are a fool." James spat out, breaking the silence. "You cling to baseline society and it makes you weak. It's true that I tried to get you and father to kill each other. At the time I was unaware of our connection, I was just hoping to eliminate one threat, if not two. You need to take a long look at our dear old dad though, I think you will find he is not the man he claims."

Silence once more and then from elsewhere in the room, "Father twisted you against me, had he died we wouldn't even be having this discussion. I know it was he who sent you here and from here you somehow found our facility. And now here we are once more. I can only assume you made yet another foolish guess and that led you here."

James is quiet for a moment, "You probably think that I somehow sent that storm your way don't you? Tell me, does Newborough still stand? I can only imagine the fury that he unleashed on your pathetic little town. But you see brother, I did not send that storm. My only hand in it was the hiring of the nova who became that storm. It was your foolish rescue mission that created that insane being. You reap what you sow brother.

"As for accepting your help," James's voice all but dripped with scorn, "What could you possibly offer?"

Things click for Doug and he says,

"The Dominator. When KB made the storm he must have tried to get inside her head again, and instead he ended up inside the storm."

Anna just nodded at Raider but couldn't relax as he said. The whole situation made her realize that she has gotten herself into something way over her abilities.



Hearing James talking to her she couldn't suppress a flinch, as if his words could hurt her. Her heart pounded with anxiety and she subconsciously made fists with her hands which made her arms bulge ominously.

"No dear brother, I don't expect bygones to be bygones, but it really doesn't matter right now. I didn't stumble on your secret or make any guesses. I came here in the first place to thwart your evil plans. The problem is after I arrived I discovered they weren't evil after all. I saw the light in the sky and I went there to investigate. I've seen it up close. I know what is coming for us and I have at least as much knowledge of science as anyone alive. More than most people had even before the burn. Shall I start spouting talk about trajectories and velocities? I can tell you what I know, but until you show me what you are preparing, I can't do anything to help."

He paused for a minute the added, "I don't like your methods, but I understand now what you were trying to do. Let me help."

Gregory watched in silence. The young man reminded Gregory of himself, dressed in rags and skulking through the rubble. It was fascinting to watch the stranger work. I made Gregory wonder what he looked like sneaking about.

After a few minutes, Gregory decided that he would let the sranger know that he was not alone. And have some fun while he was at it.

In a barely audible whisper he tries to throw his voice. He didn't want to give away his position to the stranger or anyone else who might be around.

"I can see you?"

The you man froze, clutching his gun as he sweapt the area. After a moment one hand left his weapon and drifted beneath the layers of ragged cloth. He began moving once more, more slowly this time as he made every effort to be even more quiet and avoid any chance that he would appear above the ragged outline of the shattered walls. From under his rags he produced a ball, his fingers clutching it were white from the tightness of his grasp.

*****

Something like clapping echoed out of the shadows. "For a brute you do have a sharp mind Mr. Courier. Yes indeed, Jack somehow merged with the energy being thrown into the atmosphere. He described the process as if it were his eruption from baseline to nova. Of course it drove him utterly mad. We were unable to help him and, as his control was initally quite poor, he was carried away by the natural weather patterns. It would seem he figured it all out though by the time he returned."

He pauses and the room falls silent once more. Finally from yet another location he continues, "You have been there? So your powers have grown scince our last reunion. So no doubt you are aware that long ago, possibly during the burn or after, I know not which, some nova sought to cleanse the earth. The comet Halley was pushed, redirected by some means, into a collision course with the planet. Whomever this nova was must have had incredible power to alter the comet's trajectory in the way he did. Had it not been altered in it's course we would not have seen it for nearly twenty more years.

"Tell me brother did you know that? Do you know how long we have? I do not doubt your intelligence, you are my brother after-all, I would shudder to think you a dunce. But really, have you actually put thought into this? Time? Research? I think not. It was chance that we found it as early as we did. And by your sudden change of heart I can only assume you are just now playing catch-up."

He was sure the stranger had heard him. Gregory smiled that the man had not seen him yet. It did look however, that the man was becoming progressively worried and alarmed. Just once more, and then Gregory would reveal himself. Provided the man proved harmelss.

Again, Gregory whispered quietly. "I am watching you."

The man let out a barely stiffled yelp and spun around looking for the source of the voice. Unnerved he loast all sense of caution which caused him to lose his footing on the loose debris scattered about the floor. His feet went out from under him and he fell to his back his gun skittering across the floor and the ball flying out of his hand. As the ball arced through the air toward Gregory he could see that it wasn't actually a ball at all. Instead it had the appearance of a metal egg with a seam around the middle and an odd cylindrical top.

The egg landed and the cylinder pushed inward with an audible click. The man, eyes wide stared at the egg for a mere second before he began to scabble halfhazzardly away his weapon discarded and forgotten in his panic.

Doug sends to Raider,

*If he's using baseline slaves for wiring the ship then he's got to have a use for a mega-intelligent nova. This is dickering, he's trying to stay in charge.*

"Damn right I'm playing catch up. If you asked for my help months ago I could have really been useful, but as it is I hope there is something I can do to help right now. No, I did not know of it's origin, but that's irrelevant as you well know. I do know the makeup of the comet and that can be very useful information when dealing with it, can you say the same?" He suspected that James didn't have that information, but it didn't really matter anyway. The point was to let James know he wasn't so ignorant and that he couldn't be pushed around.

"Besides, the nova who altered it's course back before the burn would not have had to be very powerful at all. A gentle nudge at the right moment with sufficient advanced notice would be enough to send the comet on any trajectory I wanted. The problem right now is that we have almost no time to respond, therefore the effort needed will be proportional to the time that has elapsed since the original incident." He went on to give a rough estimate on when it would strike, which should be pretty accurate.

"Now stop posturing and accept my help. I'm not here to dethrone you, I'm here to help you save the planet, unless your pride is too much to accept help."

(You've never told me specifically how much time before the strike, but that is something that should be child's play for Raider to have worked out.)

Gregory watched in rapt couriosity as the man began to scramble away from him when he dropped the ball. His initial reaction was to grab it and hand it back to the man. Then he realized that the stranger was fleeing from it. A memory flashed in his mind of an exploding case, and the subsequent burned flesh and crippling pain. Gregory found himself erecting his force-field out of instinct.

He ran to shield the stranger with his shielded body.

Gregory leaps forward and crashes into the man as he scrambles on the loose debris unable to gain proper footing. The two of them tumble through the broken doorfram just as the ball/egg/grenade explodes propelling them on wings of fire down the rotting stairs and through the first floor into the building's basement. The pair of them landed with a painful thud against the mouldy concrete and were promptly buried under debris as the building, having long since reached an agreement with gravity and decay, suddenly found that gravity had once more renewed it effort to tear it down and with the help of decay and the exploding ball the remnants of the first two floors and part of the west wall folded down into the basement burying the two men.

*****

"Brother I am no more posturing than ...."

BOOM!

Outside the explosion of one small metal ball rocked the immediate area. Though the building hardly shook the noise was more than loud enough to be heard within cutting off James before he could get going. "What the duce? Is this your doing? Have you come once more to sabotage my efforts?" The anger rising in James' voice was as plain as an accusatory finger.

Anna winced as she heard the explosion and her eyes widened fearfully. She didn't want to fight, she was scared enough already. She turned around crouching slightly preparing herself for immediate danger. Her stance described clearly that she wasn't expecting anything like this.

Doug draws a spike head at the sound and says,

"Us?! I'm guessing you leave friends everywhere."

Uh oh! Gregory's mind raced while he began to pull himself from undernteath the rubble. He felt around for the stranger to see if he was still ok. Why do this stuff happen to me? He figured that there was no sense in trying to be quiet.

"Are you ok?" Gregory yelled, hoping to get a reply.

Somewhere in the rubble and debris beneath him Gregory hears a groan of pain. With great effort he manages to shift the detrius off of him and begins to dig down to the man. Gregory's ears are ringing from the blast and outside he can hear popping sounds. After a minute or so he hauls the limp form of the young man out of the debris. There is blood in his hair and he appears unconscious. Stuff muffled by the ringing he is unable to here the clatter of dislodged wreckage behind him, his only warning comes from his danger sense.

****

Inside the sounds of gunfire are reduced to little more than the sound of popcorn being prepared a room away. "This isn't you after all is it?" James states as much as asked, his voice incredulous. "Come along, if you really mean to help we need to protect this building."

The lights come on dazzling the three of you momentarily. You see a large central stair that rises up to a balcony that rings the lobby. Illuminated for the first time you all see what has become of James. His left arm, previously normal human-like in appearance had been severed by Courier's attack at the launch facility. From his left shoulder a tentacled arm my like his right now hung. Through the wire of the balcony railing you can see that his leg, nearly torn off by Calypso's water blast, has regenerated in a similar fashion, the upper thigh turning into a mass of smooth seemingly boneless flesh ending in a handfull of smaller tentacles splayed out like toes.

"I will trust you for now, but know that this is not finished between us."

Gregory sets the man down on the ground, as his danger sense goes off again. He felt bad that he hurt the man, and hoped he got better. Right now, someone was shooting at him. At least his armor field was still up.

Gregory looked around for who was shooting at him. He couldn't call a monster to do his bidding if he didn't know who was after him.

Ashley chanced a peek out from behind the crumbling old wall she and a few others had taken cover behind. The rattling of assault rifles littered the air, along with other, stranger sounds of quantum powers coming to bear.

"Goddamnit," she muttered. It'd all gone to hell. The blast had come while her troops were spread out and trying to sneak in. Their only real defense against abberants was surprise and concentrated firepower...and now they had neither.

She ducked back behind the aged concrete and leaned closer to Barret, one of the two men huddling there with her. "The op's blown! Take Usher and fall back to the regroup point!"

The man, not much more than a boy really, nodded. He'd make a good soldier, if he survived. "What about Charlie?" he yelled over the sound of bullets. Something blue and bright howled past overhead. When it hit the mouldering house behind their position, it exploded. All of it.

Ash shielded her face as splinters and sparks spattered over them and answered, "I'll swing past his route and check on him! Fall back!"

Then she was off and running, crouching low as she went. Something exploded behind her; she heard the sharp CRUMP of it going off, felt the air push her from behind with a hard shove. Grenade maybe, or some quantum jiggery.

God, she hated abbies.

Charlie'd been on point recon, making sure they weren't running afoul of patrols. It was dangerous work. That's why he'd had one of the team's few grenades. It wasn't hard to find where the thing had gone off either. The ginormous hole in the ground full of rubble pretty much summed it up.

Carefully Ash prowled to the edge and peered down. Her heart sank. Too much detrius...didn't look good for Charlie. At least he'd taken one with...

Sound. Falling rock. Ash looked over, and spotted movement. It looked like a man...young, probably not much older than Barret. It