Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[General Havoc]

"Ar'see'ee..." said Hydro carefully, not recognizing the term as an acronym. All of this information was new to him, and some of the place terms were unfamiliar "Shikahgo" for example, and "New Meksicko".

"You said... that Blast and Blackheart were on the team that responded to the attack of this "Abaddon", and that you participated in this conflict due to the demise of your... partner?" He wasn't sure what meaning of 'partner' she was using, but decided against asking. That would come later.

"I... understand that you metafleshbeasts and this organization Ar'see'ee are at odds at present, and have engaged in multiple conflicts, but... how is it that you were in positions to respond to Ar'see'ee in the first place? You and others here have claimed that you engage in conflicts of this nature for the sake of safeguarding amorphous collective entities such as 'the world'. Are you in their employ? Is there an arrangement made in this regard? For what purpose do you engage in such pursuits? And for what purpose will you request that I do so as well?"

Hydro did not sound like he was making demands or threats, but simply befuddled. Given the most recent events, he could be perhaps forgiven for it.

[LadyTevar]

Argent sighed, taking a comfortable seat in the floor as she looked at Hydro. WTF did he have to be so LITERAL?

"R. C. E. are initals, Hydro," she tried to explain. "They stand for the name of the company: Raising Cain Enterprises. That was who had you captive." And created Abaddon. And created the assassins in Chicago. And the endless monsters that she had Legacies had fought off in repeated waves .. until the last one died with him.

"As for the next question, Hydro, it's simple. The human government set up training facilities to take in metas and teach them how to best use their gifts. They're the ones paying us," or they'd better be, I'm not financing this whole thing myself. "There are several teams similar to ours. Team Mirage just happened to be up for patrol the day Abaddon made his attack."

Now, to head off more questions. "Before you ask, no, not all metas join the government, thus the need for patrols. Just like normal humans, there's always a few that find they can make a good living by robbery and other less-than-savory means. Or, they just want the thrill they get from breaking the rules." Argent sighed softly. Ember had been a thrill-seeker like that. Argent just wanted ... .

.... well, thought she wanted this house on the hill, and money enough to never worry about being hungry or hurt ever again. Then the house had been her quiet refuge. Now, it was busy and noisy with Blast and Hotfoot playing vidgames, Blackheart filling the rooms with his mere presence as well as the barbed wit between them, Gravitas watching them all like an amused paternal figure....

... and Argent had to admit she liked it. She liked cooking for them, liked having them around, even Blackheart at his most prickly. And then there was Elias.

Yes ... it was all worth it.

[Marcao]

He groaned and opened his eyes the ceiling of the room staring back at him before he turned his head and noticed that Li Na was gone. His right arm moved and reached out, sliding lightly against the bed and feeling the residual warmth that remained.

"Where did you run off to?" He muttered as he sat up. He could feel her in the corner of his mind faintly. That was promising, it meant that she had not gone far. He moved to the edge of the bed, his left arm complaining as he did so. He was going to have to put up with such complaints for days. He did not possess any healing ability and the bruise that dominated his forearm was still as fearsome looking as ever.

He sighed and stood before stretching for a moment. His nudity did not bother him but there was no one to see. That certainly helped. He made his way to the bathroom and turned on the lights, his eyes narrowing for a moment before they adjusted. He took a moment to look at his reflection in the mirror before his head turned and his eyes darted about the bathroom. He could see nothing missing. Li Na had left in a hurry. Which begged the question. Why?

He reached for one of Li Na's robes and put it on. He looked ridiculous with it, but his plan was not to go looking for Li Na with it. He would use it to make his way to his room and once there he could choose more appropriate clothing. He left the bathroom and made his way out of the bedroom, bare feet making little sound on the floor as he did so. He made his way up the stairs and disappeared into his room, reappearing a handful of minutes later.

He had chosen a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Li Na's robe draped over his right arm as he made his way down the stairs and sought out the meta that had absconded from her own bedroom. Once he found her, he blinked for she was not alone and her topic of discussion was an interesting one. His interest in the topic of conversation promptly died however once his eyes caught sight of her dress. That couldn't be...

Shadows.

He watched in silence for a moment before he spoke.

"And here I thought that I would play the role of knight in shining armor, you may not even need this." He said, the robe in his arm suddenly seemed rather inadequate.

[LadyTevar]

"And here I thought that I would play the role of knight in shining armor, you may not even need this." He said, the robe in his arm suddenly seemed rather inadequate.

Her head turned instantly upon hearing his voice. "Elias! You should be resting," Li Na childed gently, rising from her seat in the floor with effortless grace. Her black-on-black eyes drop to the robe held in his hand, and she both flushes slightly and gives him a shy smile. "Thank you."

She crossed to Elias, the shadow-stuff gown clinging to every curve before draping to the floor in a inky pool. Pausing in front of him, noting the change of clothing, Li Na slipped her arms around him, hugging him close without jarring the massive bruise on his arm. "You should ... bring your clothes downstairs," she whispered softly, not quite able to ask him to move into the master bedroom with her with the others around. "Let one of the others ... have your room?"

Whatever Alexander, the newest member of the team, had thought of Argent and Blackheart, it was suddenly clear they weren't the couple here. However, the dark hair and similar builds shared by Blackheart and 'Elias' might cause other confusions, especially with Blackheart's eyecolor hidden behind mirrored shades.

[rhoenix]

For now, while he ate ravenously at the excellent food, Alexander acted as a scientist might: observing available information before forming a hypothesis, particularly regarding how the personality dynamics appeared to work. For now, he simply observed how they acted around one another, body language, terms of endearment, and the like.

For now, he'd simply observe, and answer honestly and directly if asked any questions. He almost felt as if he'd gone tumbling down the rabbit hole, so to speak, since he left for work this morning, and current events hadn't convinced him otherwise quite yet.

[Marcao]

"Probably." He admitted as she offered her words. "I am feeling better and since I am going to be having to deal with this for many more days, I decided I might as well get used to it." His tone changed in mid sentence, her rising from her seat managed to do that all by itself. Still, he did an admirable job of not staring. The color that danced along her cheeks and her smile a moment later were his reward in of itself.

"You are welcome" He said between breaths as she seemed to glide towards him. She paused in front of him and he could not quite deny the temptation to reach out and touch her, the fingers of his right hand brushing against the shadows which formed her gown. It was an unique experience although something assured him that this would not be the last time he would see such a construct. Her arms slid around him and he moved into the embrace, his own arms managing to snare her to him.

Her words were impossible to miss, her soft whisper did not give her inner turmoil away but there was some leakage especially at her current distance from him. He could hardly argue with the logic behind the request. "I won't argue with that." It made sense. They could talk about it later. Giving up his room was expected even if he liked the view. Then again, he would only be trading one view for another and he knew which one he would rather see.

He leaned down enough to brush the tip of his nose against her temple, his lips brushing against the skin there a moment later before he said anything. "Oh alright. I will need a bit of time to empty it out, we can talk about that tomorrow."

[LadyTevar]

As he nuzzled her, a warm wash of *happy* drifted throughout the room, muted a bit by Elias' shroud, but revealing Li Na's emotions just the same. Her arms tightened slightly more around him, her face lifting to brush a kiss over his lips. "Please... I'd like..." you with me, waking up to you "... that." So many things she was hesitant to say to him, for fear of jinxing it all.

She stepped back a little, so he could help her put on the robe he brought. Only once it was knotted securely did she let the shadow-dress drop, the shadows sliding back to their proper places. She should tell him what was going on.. who the new person stuffing his face behind her was, but there was something far more important in her mind. "We need ... to give Legacies his funeral." Her eyes looked up at Elias questioningly. "Could you.. cremate him?"

[Marcao]

He felt something push against the shroud and felt only a trickle of it all. It was moments such as that one that he wished he had the ability to mitigate or control that particular aspect of his gifts. Still, he was observant enough and empathic enough to understand what was occurring. The tenuous link between Li Na and himself was just the icing on the cake. He missed her lips almost the second that they left his own. "it will be done." he said.

She moved enough to allow him to help her with her robe. He had questions and he knew that she had answers, but before he could offer any questions she changed the discussion to a more somber topic. The loss of Legacies was still something fresh in his mind. His eyes met hers when she looked up at him, how could she believe that he would deny her such a request.

"I can do so." Cremation was the way that he himself wanted. The idea of rotting in the ground was not an appealing one to him. Had this been what Legacies wanted? he hoped so. He hesitated for a moment his eyes losing themselves in her familiar ebon pools.

"When would you like it done?" He asked.

[LadyTevar]

"I can do so." Cremation was the way that he himself wanted. The idea of rotting in the ground was not an appealing one to him. Had this been what Legacies wanted? he hoped so. He hesitated for a moment his eyes losing themselves in her familiar ebon pools.

"When would you like it done?" He asked.

Now that Elias had agreed, to both propositions, Li Na gave him a second kiss, a little longer this time. Then, she asked the one person who had final say in matters. "Blackheart? When is the funeral?"

[Cynical Cat]

"I don't think anyone has mentioned a date," said Blackheart. "We've been busy."

[LadyTevar]

Still in Elias' arms, Li Na turned slightly to look at the swaddled body on the couch, with the candle burning at his head and the incense smoking at his feet.

"Tonight," she said quietly. "We should do it tonight."

[Cynical Cat]

"I'm fine with that," said Blackheart. "You should talk to everyone else."

[LadyTevar]

Li Na looked up to Elias, and knew he was willing. She then looked over to Blast. "It's up to you, Blast. Hotfoot's passed out in his room, Gravitas has that crystal cocoon around him."

She did not look to Hydro or Alexander for responses, as they were too new to the team to have known Legacies well. This was a decision for those who knew him best.

[rhoenix]

Having almost lost himself in thought, Alexander had realized he had eaten no less than five tacos. Looking down at the swiftly dwindling supplies for making more, he decided that he shouldn't be greedy as a guest.

Making his way slowly and carefully back to the room that held the majority of this team of extraordinary people who had saved his life and the others who managed to get out alive, Alexander hoped that even those people who had been taken by the cyborg legion could be saved, but given what he had seen and felt today, he logically felt compelled to doubt it.

Sitting carefully, he listened and watched the others for now. Realizing a good portion of his mind was still left back at the OmniTech office, he took slow, quiet and deep breaths, concentrating on his breathing to bring himself fully into the present.

One of their own had fallen, to be given a funeral soon. The way early talk sounded to his ears, both he and the intelligently animate collection of water were evidently being considered to join. He didn't hold his breath, though - right now, he was simply glad to be full, patched up, and out of danger for the time being.

[LadyTevar]

Argent had turned in Elias' arms, her back against him, his arms around her as she spoke to Blackheart and Blast. She needed to be held as they discussed Legacies. She noted Alexander as he got up from the nook and stepped into the Family room, and invisibly extended her Empathy to judge his mood.

He didn't need to hear this, really. "Alexander? If you follow the hallway behind us, there's two bedrooms at the end." her head indictated she meant behind Elias and herself, deeper into the house. "The one on the left is empty... it's the White Room." Tuck him away, let him rest, and Blackheart could deal with him tomorrow, that was her thoughts.

[rhoenix]

He didn't need to hear this, really. "Alexander? If you follow the hallway behind us, there's two bedrooms at the end." her head indictated she meant behind Elias and herself, deeper into the house. "The one on the left is empty... it's the White Room." Tuck him away, let him rest, and Blackheart could deal with him tomorrow, that was her thoughts.

Alexander nodded. "Thank you - a good nap sounds wonderful."

With that, he followed the indicated direction, and found himself in a pastel white room with a very comfortable-looking bed. As he sank down upon it, he could already feel himself falling fast asleep, and gratefully so. As he fell into the depths of dreams, his last coherent thought was to idly hope that his ex-girlfriend from the lab, and the three women he'd tried to rescue were okay.

[frigidmagi]

Blast sighed. He had been concenrating on drinking water and powerade. He didn't want make such a big decision at the moment. Still you do what you gotta. Legacies deserved a heroic funeral, something that would mark how he died and lived. But, they didn't have time for that. There was never enough time...

"Alright. Let's do it tonight then." He said.

[B4UTRUST]

It was a solemn affair. Patio torches flickered and danced, lighting the backyard and illuminating the body, still wrapped in the sheet. Each in turn stepped forward, speaking some final farewell. There was no holy man preforming funeral rites, no music, no family. Just friends, teammates, gathered to pay their last respects.

When it was all over, when everyone had said what they needed to say Blast and Tachyon stepped forward. Argent swept forward, shifting into her shadow form and enveloped them. They disappeared as the shadow passed.

They reappeared a moment later, atop a bridge facing towards Millenium City. The body was lifted, and in a brief flash of light and heat was gone. The ashes picked up by the wind swept over the bay towards the city, spreading them.

The trio disappeared again and returned to the house. Argent, her head hung whispered to the group.
"It's done...he's gone."

Fade to black...