I know there are a few, just wanted to get a head count. I may have an oppurtunity for some of you.

Sometimes.

I just can't wait to hear this one.

I...doubt you'd be interested Charr. I'm just going to go out on a limb here. Not telling you your business or anything, but I doubt this is for you.

Go ahead. Spring it on me. Who knows, I might want to take a swing at it.

Ahem...well this didn't go like I planned at all. OK, well here goes. I got the job recently in Chicago's rescue services. With Sakurako's invention of the Eufiber netting, and her help in that helicoptor rescue. They were pretty impressed and brought up something I hadn't expected. They're interested in forming a municipal defender team, and they expressed interest in me being a part of it.

I said I'd think about it, the way they came off it sounded like they wanted me to make the team, being a Chicago native and all. That's not exactly my specialty though. So I wanted to look around on the Opnet, and send out a few feelers.

That's why I kind of figured it really wouldn't be your thing.

Well, I'm getting tired of this backwater ISP here. I'd be willing to relocate if you need yourself a teleporting/hacker/inventor type. Though, I'm not really sure how well my abilities would work in the field.

Damn, I am a native of the Chicago area (as much as anywhere else). What to do, what to do?

Interceptor, what would be the size, area, and scope of this Municipal Defender Team?

Bear in mind, nothing's set yet. They said they had initially approached Kikjak on leading an expansion team, but he refused due to contractual obligations. They were thinking of having a team that would be responsible for the greater Chicago area, as well as into Indiana, Wisconsin and Lake Michigan port authorities. Mainly those three states and their respective nearby population centers. Ideally based out of Chicago itself, and from there able to provide services to a decent sized area. From Chicago to Milwaukee to Gary, that's pretty decently sized, so the team wouldn't be used for traffic problems or cats stuck in trees .

I don't have much to go on just yet, like I said, I'm mainly putting out feelers, and I wouldn't have the ability to approve or deny anyone. Heck, I might not get approved. However, if I could get a perspective line up, that might help get the ball rolling.

Some of the perks mentioned:

Decent Salary
Marketing and License control
R&D budget
Living space provided by the city
Hover Emergency vehicle access and licensing
Full insurance
Advanced Weaponry Training and Licensing

Again, nothing in stone of course. That's what I have so far. Let me know if you're interested.

So Jager? Bandwidth? Anyone else interested? I was hoping to hear from Dr. Preston as well, as he seems to have a lot of experience in Nova police actions.

Anyone?


...Charr?

Hell, you could have had me with the hover vehicles and the R&D budget. I just need my toys to keep me going, but I'll take the other stuff as well. I'm in if you need me.

Ooops

Alright, that's great! I'll send you a PM in a little bit to help get the ball rolling.

Anyone else?

Me? Or does my unsavory past count against me?

Hrm, what you have in mind? I gotta see if it'll be worth all the trouble with Immigration and what not.

Excellent! Let me send you both a PM and give you more details. Glad to hear from you again Sakurako!

To be honest, I'm not sure about your past, so I don't know if it would be a problem or not.

I live right in Chicago, but I don't know if I'd be useful. I've been training with Utopia lately, but I'm still pretty new to all of this.

Im pretty green too April, I wouldn't let that stop you. Let me send you a PM.

You know, I do have a way to get the HM-II to Lake Michagan. It'd be a long trip, but I feel it's worth the effort.

I may not like the publicity, but the cause is at the very least honorible.

At the very least worth me handling the paperwork for a Green Card.

I've been meaning to return to Chicago anyways. There's alot to see and the last time I was there I didn't get the chance to see anything.

I think this might be a new thing to several of us, but I better work on some of my skills a bit. But damn, this will be so much better then sitting on my duff scaring away script kiddies.

Sign me up.

What, you know about the project?

I have the understanding, at least on my part, that by showing us for what we are, not what the baselines want us to be, that there would be more of an understanding of the Nova.

The work I would be doing is, in some part, right.

Forgive me for being cryptic, but I do not want to Jinx this. Interceptor sent the idea to me, and I'm definitely interested in his plan.

Not to mention it's wide-open. I could leave at any time. Big bonus there.

No, no. Nothing about the project. I know not a thing. My response was aimed more towards your claim to disliking publicity.

So, the Squad/Team is Interceptor, Bandwidth, Sakurako Hino, April Rice, Ashnod, and Jager?

Great Lake Avengers, we ain't!

Well,I spend a lot of time in Denver.If that counts. I hang out with the other,and my son there. The wonders of children will never stop, nor will the hope you can see in there eyes.

Consider me perplexed....
Ashnod, I don't doubt your intentions but I have to say I am curious as to your motivation.

I am completely sincere.

As for motivation, it is simple, my fine-feathered friend. Dr. Smith's dogged perseverence has given me new insight into my evil ways, and I figure that if I spend a few months around true heroes and doing heroic deeds, I shall likely return to the path of righteousness.

I never figured you for having a sense of humour, Ashnod.

But hey, if you're going to do this, good luck with it. Watch out for the novaphiles though. They annoyed the hell out of me when I was with T2M.

Just going on record that I took Ashnod's desire to team up with Interceptor and Co. to be sincere from the get-go.

If you look pass the thin surface distortions, her reasoning should be obvious.

Now, as to the persuasive properties of the Good Doctor Troll ... mmmmm .... no.

Good luck Ashnod.
Can't wait to see you on the news.

Hrm, you're right. That did sound hypocritical.

I guess there is some part of me that likes the attention. I'll admit that. Although that is only a small part of why I was interested.

You see...

There is always something that drives me to do good things. To help others, Nova or Human. I'm just the type of person to run into a burning building to save a baby.

It's all that there is to it.

And Ashnod, even after all the times we've butted heads, I look foreward to meeting you in person.

I think this works as a new handle. After all, my old name had too much negative baggage. If I'm going to be a hero, I need to be more user-friendly.

--Continuum Girl

Jesus Lord Christ on a pogo-stick, you're serious.

So, ah ... I'm guessing you didn't go to one of the consulting firms for that?

By the way, this is supremely surreal.

Not Ashnod, Continuum Girl please address her correctly!

O_o.....

Now I'm afraid.

Yeah, I caught that, Totem. Just kinda slipped out.

Wow! Sorry I haven't responded in a bit, but I'm back now. Glad to see that this is so well received! Ashnod er..Continuum Girl, wow, I was not expecting this. I'll send you a PM with the details right away.

I don't know what you expect Continuum Girl to find that Ashnod could not.

However, Interceptor, the fact that you're advocating people whose philosophies diverge so greatly from yours and what this team is trying to do, by putting on costumes and adopting new names and letting people play superhero, it gives me an idea.

If people like Ashnod and Jager can dress up and play superhero, maybe I can dress up and play supervillain.
Maybe...maybe I could even get a whole supervillain team.