Meanwhile in Hollywood, Jeffery Wexler our pet movie producer meets with flying girl and makes the movie contract we order him to give her, after which he contacts Lorean and asks to be patched into the link. "Gentlemen, and beautiful Lorean, I am still meeting with the girl but I have to say, you told me this would be an easy sell and that the girl was not terribly bright. No offense, but what kind of nova crack have you folks been smoking. She's the hardest bargainer I've ever dealt with, I'm going to be lucky to come out of this making any profit. Before I realized what was happening she had me agreeing to giving her all of the merchandising rights, and making this a 3 movie deal." He pauses to let that sink in before continuing in a near breathless pant, "This girl is not only not the dumb blonde you guys sent me to deal with, she's some kind of freakin Einstein. What gives?"

Jeffery goes silent and Lorean adds, "Apparently the girl returned to the room and he can't talk openly anymore over the link."

"Absolutely wonderful," Ulric says with sarcastic wit. "If she is that intelligent, it means she has both purposely baffled the people at Aeon, plus purposely gone against our code of secrecy for her own personal advancement. Wonderful."

How are we going to deal with her? Will we have to meet her in person? If she really is that smart, how can we use that to our advantage? After all, they brought me in ...

In far off, distant England he steeples his fingers.
"Can she be checked to make sure she isn't currently being controlled by the Sphynx before we act out of hand?"

Listening to the reports about the flying girls sudden increase in intellectual acumen, Omar's dark bushy brows furrow. What if she is the sphynx? What if she is part of a group seeking to root us out into the open? he says to himself before setting out to inform the others.

"I had a few things occur to me that we might be wary of." he speaks to the others over Lorien's comm device. "She is more that she seems, and she might still be more than that. What if she is manipulating everyone? Even us."

"I am not trying to minimize Cody's abilities, but what if she has certain abilities which allow her to resist..or mislead him in his scans? Then she could be anything. What if the info she gave Cody was what she wanted him to believe?"

"She might be the true sphinx...or one of several. All of them conspiring to bring us out into the open."

Omar let his questions and warnings sink in. I hope it is just paranoia.

"We're dealing with Novas, Omar, anything is possible. Indeed it is possible that this woman is not even the same that was seen in New York. I'd be suprised to find that there isn't at least one other nova with abilities like mine. It's also possible that her eruption was not yet complete, that her increase in intelligence is a recent thing." Andrew shakes his head, this was a most difficult situation.

"Perhaps we need to pay closer attention to all facets of this situation. As Omar says, we may be getting played far more than we yet realize."

Steve says,

"Having a good mental shield isn't the same as being a Sphinx, and I seriously doubt she's him. As far as he knew, our reaction could have been to have both novas killed. Given that his mental abilities let him remain behind the scenes, it's unlikely that he'd..."

Steve chuckles,

"OK, wait. Assume she has a mental shield where anyone reading her comes back with *Airhead*. Our mystery Sphinx would have checked her out mentally, just like we did. And he would have found out exactly what we did, that she's an easily manipulated airhead."

"So, it's not only possible but likely he made a mistake or two with her, just like we did. Our mistakes cost us a three movie deal and more profit than we were expecting. I wonder what she picked up dealing with him?"

Andrew nods, "Just the same though it may be a good idea for us to not be alone in the next few days. Correct me if I am wrong Cody, but these kinds of mental manipulations are not possible on two people at once? As such we should make sure that none of us in the know is alone, that will make it harder for the Sphinx to get to one of us. I can easly take some time off from the University to facilitate this if you all agree."

Without announcement Lorean opens the link to allow Jeffery's words through, "Gentlemen, I think we have a problem. Miss Walters is demanding answers that I think only you can provide. I don't think she will take no for an answer either." Lorean interjects, "I'm detecting elevated stress levels from Mr. Wexler. I believe he might be in some trouble. Would you like me to teleport him out, or would you prefer to attend the situation in person?"

"I'll go," Andrew says. As he speaks his forms shifts to that of a bland, paunchy, greying middle-aged man. His clothes are well cut now and his fat face displays the kind of shrewd eyes one would expect of a powerful man.

Andrew thinks a moment, "Lorean can you print me transcript of everything Wexler said? Also I'll need a pair of small 2-way radios. Miss Walters is about to meet Wexler's silent partner." Andrew's voice finishes an octave lower with a gravel like rumble in his throat, the sound of a man who smokes far too many cigars and enjoys more than his fair share of alcohol at times. With a thought a slight sheen of sweat erupts from his forehead and his face flushes somewhat.

"How do I look?"

Inwardly, Ulric sighed. He wasn't the best man to go. Far from it. If the situtation became physical, it would be he who needed rescuing, but it just wasn't in his make up to leave a Brother Soldier in the Cause in danger.

"I'll go. Lorean, I'll get Wexler out of the room. Teleport him away once he's out of sight. I will talk to this Ms. Walters and call for back up if needed."

He checked his Luger and put it in his shoulder holster. Ulric put on his leather trenchcoat. He used the office-phone to tell his aide he was taking a walk.

"Lorean, I'm ready."

Cody puts his hand on Ulric's shoulder.

*Wait. Your sudden appearance in the United States would be hard to explain. Even with our control of the media, anyone with a camera is potentially a papaazzi. Let Andrew handle this one. I know he has been itching to get involed more directly and furthermore can handle a Nova-level fight if it comes down to that.*

*You and I should proceed to London. I have arranged a meeting with our Sphynx there in a wek's time and it will be easier to explain your presence in Europe. Steve can accompany Andrew, right Steve?*

Ulric nods his understanding. After all, what is important is that they rescue their man on the spot, not who gets the mission.

"I look forward to England," he grins. "Anything to get me out of another dull meeting."

Lorean answers, "I will, and I wouldn't worry about being recognized, it will be a secret meeting. I will teleport us all in to his home, there will be no need to be viewed by the public."

Ulric waits for the others to get ready.

"Just to get it straight, what are the limitations of what I can tell him? I'm assuming that we are going to sell this thing as an EU organization and not our true Global reach. Suggestions?"

Omar sends a message to the others. "Good luck! If you run into any problems or need my help, feel free to give me a hollar. I will have Lorien send me over there ASAP."

*I thought the plan was to precede Ulric's presence with some sort of official meeting which he would then steal away from. DO we want to reveal our teleportation technology? As for Ulric's question, I believe it is a good one. Fortunately I will be able to read his mind on the fly and communicate over the link...so we won't have to worry about making unintentional slip-ups or revealing more than he already knows. I've already dug fairly deep. I will also know if he is lying at any point.*

Cody looks over Omar's proposed costumes.

*Nice.*

*With the teleportation, there is no need for anyone to even know Ulric is gone from his hotel as long as we have someone reliable guarding his door, which we do.*

Andrew, now fully in the guise of the fat rich executive, turns to Steve, "Shall we pose as business partners? Have Lorean drop us near the hotel and walk on in? Or do you have something else in mind?"

Steve comments,

"The Mexican fully face masked wrestler is pretty popular right now, you'd fit right in."

Steve answers,

"Works for me, but it's not a pose. We are business partners, and we do control the studio she's dealing with. I figured she might be an ongoing problem so picking a studio we had a lot of control over seemed like a good idea."

Ulric looks over to Cody,
"Maybe we should ask Omar to come along with us? It would be nice to have someone with physical abilities with us and not hae to teleport them in. I, for one, would be more happy to have him with us on the first meeting. The mask should help with the intimidation aspect of the thing."

"I would like to be nice until its time to not be nice," he adds with a smile.

Andrew nods, "It's no less a 'pose' than myself at the university then. Good enough. Lorean please drop us in a conviently empty room at the hotel, we'll join Wexler and Ms. Walters from there."

Andrew waits for the familiar teleportation feeling. Something akin to the sudden drop of a roller coaster and the chill of walking through a cold room. A flash of light and he looks around to see a plush hotel room, empty save the two of them. Andrew takes the small radio and drops one into his pocket, the other he hands to Steve.

"I'll try to drop this into Wexler's pocket, it'll help our cover, otherwise ... well I guess we'll figure it out as we go." Andrew rubs at the thick drooping jowels, and removes a hankerchief and dabs at his sweaty brow as he opens the door. "Shall we?" he asks heading out into the hallway to go meet their new starlet.

Omar listened to suggestions and agreed with the full facial mask. The Mexican wrestler motif was worth a shot. The eufiber shaped itself to the mental image he put in his mind. When it was bone, is face looked like a skeleton, and his body suit was also black and white in the circus strongman style. He picked a Dia de los Muerta theme. It should be sufficient for the time being. For now, he sat back and waited for the others to call on him. Hopefully the starlet would not be much of a problem.

Steve nods and follows Andrew.

Joani tensed her grip around Wexlers shoulders as the two men entered the room. Almost reflexivly she scanned both men with her X-Ray-Vision for any sign of weapons or odd looking devices.
(Hi-End EM Scan active)

She lets the two men barely enter the room as she speaks out to them "That's close enough, gentlemen." her eyes focusing on their faces.

The fat man stops, his beadey eyes going wide as he sees this beautiful young woman. He grins an easy half smile that makes what little chin he has disappear into the folds of fat at his neck, "Come now young lady, we can't rightly start off business this way. Let Mr. Wexler go and we can hash out any problems with the contract offer that you may have."

Andrew waits for this all to sink in, watching the girl with the small, dark, vaugley rodent like eyes of the fat-man persona. "Heh, look at my manners," he starts again jovially, "I've forgotten to introduce ourselves. My name is Phineous Smythe and this is Howard Johnson. Not that Howard Johnson, mind you, but a man can't help what his parents name him." He chuckles and gives Steve a friendly slap on the back. Andrew makes as though this little joke is something he says everytime he introduces the pair.

A little bit surprised Joani lets go off Mr. Wexler, as if she just saw something she had never seen before. She eyes Andrew suspiciously, trying to measure what this man could be capable of.

"I must confess - you are not who or should I rather say what I suspected to meet."

Then she takes a step forward, as if she wanted to protect Mr. Wexler and crossed her arms across her chest defensivly. "I suppose you already know who I am?"

Steve blinks at the impact of the attractiveness of the young woman, that's something that never gets old, and lets Andrew introduce them while he just observes her and the situation.

Steve answers,

"Sure. You're Miss Joani Walters, also known as the Flying Girl, soon to be our newest actress."

Steve looks at Mr. Wexler and says,

Jeffery, maybe you should wait outside?"

Joani smiles as she registers how both men check her out. "I must object - Mr. Wexler stays right here with me.", then she hesitates for a moment. "Unless you can make me agree against my will."
(She obviously is ready and prepared for a fight)

Jeffery Wexler gets up quickly and nods to Howard Johnson. "Yes sir. Shall I wait, or will you gentlemen be finishing up the negotions? I do have other things I could be doing." Wexler looks as though he would just as soon not see Joani Walters again any closer than her image on the big screen. He waited for Steve's answer just long enough not to be impolite and then practically fled the room.

Phineous chuckles, "Not too bright of us to sign on a new star with your contract unless we do know who you are eh?" He pats his round middle and says, "Now how's about we sit down and discuss this like civilized people, I'm sure we can respond to whatever complaints you have about the contract. We have in fact been far too generous already. Perhaps I should just give you my wallet and car keys as well?" He finishes the jest and laughs heartily as he takes a seat in one of the well upholstered wing backed chairs.

“Come, sit down, Howard and I will do what we can to make you happy … whatever that may be.” Andrew adds the last and allows himself a subtle leer at the young lady, she was more attractive than anybody he had been around in a long time save for Lorean.

Joani cursed under her breath, as she led Wexler literally escape - she was too confused about the fat mans... interiours?

Maybe I'm absolutely wrong about this, she thought to herself and slowly took a seat. "I'm sorry for all this, but I've been through some strange days lately. I apologize for my behaviour. Have you ever felt like being constantly in a state of Deja vu?"

"Deja vu? No I've never even been to France," Phineous chuckles at his own joke some, at least the young nova has finally stepped down, he allows himself to relax some more as he tried to determine just what the young woman knew and how it was that Cody had been so very wrong about her.

"Now Ms. Winters, may I call you Joani? We're to employ you for ..." he reaches for the contract and quickly scans it despite not really needing to, "yes, three pictures with us and ... wow... that's quite a share of the profits that Mr. Wexler contracted you for, this will make you quite weathly I should think. Now then, please tell us what the problem is, everything was going well when we spoke to Jeffry just a short time ago."

Steve says in a friendly manor,

"Joani, please relax. The answer is 'no', we can't force you. That wasn't us. Is that what happened?"


(Lie Detector & Mental Prodigy: Investigative on)

For the first time Joani seems to actually relax a little and switches her attention towards Steve.

"I might aswell tell you what I know. Either way - IF you are the one who is behind all this, then you'd probably could do it anytime again. IF not, well... to be honest I haven't really thought about that." she sighes giving the situation a dramatic pause.
(She is being honest but not too trusting)

"Someone or something is messing with my mind and that person is definitely not human. I can't explain why, but I just recently found out, that I've been toyed with and I don't like that." (truth)

"But you aren't business man as such, I can tell that. So maybe you could tell me why you're really here?"

Steve says,

"We're investigating whoever or whatever did that to you. And it wasn't just you by the way. Someone or something has been busy."

"Wait, 'controlling'? This has happened more than once? We'd figured your bit in front of the cameras flying around was the only time?"