Mirror_Man

"You're getting sloppy, Mr. Wrath." Mr. Greed sighed as he watched Mr. Wrath emerge from the Regeneration Tank on his monitor.
Mr. Greed had (amongst MANY other facilities at his disposal) several special Medical Facilities in place at various undisclosed locations all around the world. These top-of-the-line clinics were located underneath stores, banks, libraries, and other such buildings, and only Mr. Greed's highest-ranked subordinates knew of their existence.
Mr. Wrath took a towel from one of the young nurses on staff and wiped himself clean, turning towards the Mobile Camera Mr. Greed was using to communicate with him.
"Shut the hell up." Mr. Wrath hissed, throwing the towel at the camera and knocking it about in the air.
"Your temper is as lovely as ever, I see." Mr. Greed chuckled to himself as he took a sip of wine. "At least you've regained your strength; I have a feeling you'll need it for what's to come." Mr. Greed ended the transmission.
I can't believe that Hero made me hesitate, even for a moment... Mr. Wrath thought as he began to dress himself. I've killed Heroes more powerful than him before... I was just too overconfident... Mr. Wrath flung his trenchcaot around his shoulders, his anger rising. NO! He should be DEAD! Mr. Wrath slammed his fist into the wall, causing several pieces of it to fall to floor and explode, causing the nurses on staff to cry out and duck in cover. I will NOT make the same mistake the next time we battle. Mr. Wrath clenched his right fist tightly, causing it to glow with red energy. He WILL die by my hands!

"Such an unexpected turn of events. But oh well." Mr. Greed sighed, rising from his office chair and walking silently through the marble halls of his island retreat. Still, Mr. Gluttony and Ms. Lust might not be able to keep me up-to-date by themselves... Mr. Greed thought to himself as he walked into one of the larger rooms of his mansion. The room itself was simply a large, luxiorious bedroom, but Mr. Greed's bedroom was on the other side of the mansion. No, THIS bedroom was for the express use of Mr. Sloth who, as Mr. Greed entered the room, was fast asleep on the bed.
Mr. Sloth was actually quite old, presumably in his late 50's or early 60's. He was a tall, lanky man, and his appearance at the moment was horribly disheveled. He had no footwear to speak of, and was only covered in tatterred black shorts and a red T-shirt. A long, gray beard ran across the bottom of his face and continued to the center of his chest, and was the ONLY hair on his otherwise bald head. Since Mr. Sloth spent approximately 20 hours a day sleeping, he was by far the least-informed of ALL of Mr. Greed's subordinates.
"Time to earn your keep." Mr. Greed said flipped a switch on the wall of the bedroom. Immediately, a long, loud alarm rang out through the room. This would cause most people to bolt upright from their sleep, but Mr. Sloth (who had been subjected to it many times in the past) only mildly stirred awake.
"Mmm... what is it this time?" Mr. Sloth murmured as he rose to a sitting position.
"Surveillance." Mr. Greed said, folding his arms across his chest. "I need you to keep an eye on a certain laboratory in Paragon City."
"Jeez..." Mr. Sloth sighed heavily. "That sound like an awful lot of work. FIRST I have to FIND this place... then I have to stay there for DAYS on end... THEN I have to report back to you... and THEN-"
"I always find your complaints so amusing." Mr. Greed chuckled to himself, taking another sip of wine (he had brought the glass with him). "Just remember that surveillance is much easier for you than most people in this world, Mr. Sloth." Mr. Greed turned and opened the door to the bedroom once more. "Wait for my signal, but inform me of ANYTHING unexpected that occurs. That is all." Mr. Greed walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

When Mr. Greed arrived back in his office, a transmission from Mr. Gluttony and Ms. Lust was awaiting him.
"Another Hero has appeared in front of the Physiks Lab... she appears to be a young girl." Ms. Lust began, Mr. Gluttony wolfing down several bags of snacks in the background. "Also, members of Legion retrieved the injured Hero who fought Mr. Wrath."
"Good, good... keep me updated of any other events that occur." Mr. Greed said.
"Of course." Ms. Lust smiled, ending the transmission.
Mr. Greed leaned back in his office chair and turned his attention to his specialized chess board, moving several pieces across it. At that moment, he received a transmission from his "business partner".
"You've been doing surprisingly well." Mr. Greed's "business partner" said, his tone stern. "I'm impressed."
"Not EVERYTHING requires a direct assault, you know." Mr. Greed smiled inwardly, rotating his wine glass in his hand. "But I guess that's something YOU learned from experience, isn't it?"
"Don't grow overconfident." Mr. Greed's "partner" snarled. "Or would you rather not learn about what I'm TRULY planning?"
"Oh, very well." Mr. Greed sat his wine glass down on his desk. "I don't like being kept in the dark, as you know. But after all you've asked of me, I'm afraid my expectations are quite high. I sincerely hope it's worth it."
"Oh, don't worry." Mr. Greed's "business partner" smiled. "If all goes as planned, you and your subordinates will be the LAST people on every Hero's mind..."

[ QUOTE ]
I'll give this party a few more minutes, then I'll ask Ms. Parker and Angelstryke to debrief me, would you care to join us?

[/ QUOTE ]

"I apologize, but we have... other matters to attend to." Christopher said, turning his attention to his sister. Christina nodded, then smiled as she focused her attention on Clarisa.
"We'll be in touch." Christina said politely, and with that she and her brother hurried out of the banquet.
"I don't like this." Chronos sighed after the twins were several blocks away from the lab.
"What's not to understand?" Gaia asked. "Mr. Greed wants Crey Industries and Physiks Technologies out of the picture. It sounds like normal business-"
"But WHY?" Christopher said, his tone harsher than he had intended. "He's already the wealthiest man in the world, and he's got most of the politicians at Washington in his pocket. What could he POSSIBLY gain from a corporate war between Crey and Physiks?"
Christina sighed and looked up into the night sky. "Maybe we should pay him a visit."

Mr. Gluttony observed Angelstryke as he continued stuffing his face.
He's tensed up... does he know about us? Mr. Gluttony thought to himself as he watched Angelstryke's posture. Well, maybe it's for the best... I AM in the mood for some sweets. Mr. Gluttony smiled. A box of chocolates? Hard candy? Or maybe I should turn him into a nice, caramel-
"Ahem." A young, feminine voice came from behind Mr. Gluttony. Mr. Gluttony recognized the voice, and turned to the young woman standing next to his table.
The woman (about 20 or 21 years old) was drop-dead gorgeous. She was wearing a ravishing, strapless black dress that made no attempt to hide her... VERY well-endowed... chest. The dress draped over her incredibly slim waist and continued down her noticeably wider hips, resulting in a perfect hour-glass like physique that caused wide-eyed stares from almost every man she came across. Her dress came to a stop well above her knees, allowing her to showcase her long, bare legs above her black, high-heeled stillettos. Long, blonde hair bounced lightly on her shoulders around her impossibly beautiful face; her beauty was, for lack of a better word... perfect.
"If you've had your fill, I think it's time we left." The woman said as she took Mr. Gluttony's arm, turning to Angelstryke as she did so. "I apologize from my friend; his social skills are sorely lacking." She flashed Angelstryke an enticing smile. "See you later... Hero."
"Now why did you have to go and do that?" Mr. Gluttony asked the woman after the two were outside of the lab. "That Hero looked like he would've been tasty..."
"Yes, I also would've like to have a 'private session' with him..." The woman said, smilng to herself as several thoughts involving Angelstryke ran through her head. She sighed and turned to Mr. Gluttony. "But until we get the word from Mr. Greed, we DO NOT make a move."
"Alright..." Mr. Gluttony said, rubbing his massive, rumbling stomach and chuckling to himself. "A good meal is always worth waiting for. And I've found that Heroes make the best meals of all."

[ QUOTE ]
Welcome to the lab. I want to thank you for responding so quickly to the potential infiltration. I would be most interested in your thoughts on the matter too. Just a few days ago, you brought me information and now this happens. Do you believe the incidents to be related?

[/ QUOTE ]

"Ms. Feynman, we're still..." Christopher sighed deeply, thinking the situation over carefully. "...We're still investigating the situation, so we can't say for sure if these scientists had anything to do with Crey's plans."
Christina narrowed her eyes at her brother upon hearing the words "Crey's plans". I guess he doesn't want to tell her until he has more information... Christina thought to herself, sighing and shaking her head.
"There IS another company you might want to look into, however..." Christopher said, his tone becoming sterner. "Have you ever heard of Greed Inc.?"

"So delcious..." An extremely overweight man chuckled to himself as he helped himself to the buffet in the main hall of the banquet.
The man wasn't wearing a shirt; in fact, it could be safely assumed that his body was so massive that it would take a custom job from Serge to make a shirt that fit him. His incredibly large, obese gut jiggled slightly as he wolfed down plate after plate. Underneath his gut, the man wore loose, red pants and well-polished black boots. Wild red hair adorned his head, and it appeared as if the man had never washed or combed his hair in his entire life. Needless to say, his grotesque form and... uncivilized... eating habits drove almost everyone away from the table. Unphazed, the man continued to systematically clear every plate, as if his stomach was a bottomless pit.
The man turned his attention to Angelstryke as the Hero appeared in the banquet hall, smiling as he did so.
"Care to join me?" He asked Angelstryke in a surprsingly gentleman-like voice, gesturing to the (remaining) food spread out at his table.

It didn't take Christopher and Christina long to realize that whatever had occurred at Portal Industries had affected the rest of Paradox City. From Titan Park to Iron Canyon to Pelican Island, entire city was... disappearing.
At first, it was small. A small void would open up on a streetcorner, or show up in someone's apartment. The Freedom League was sent to investigate, where it was determined (with help from former Portal Industries scientists) that the voids were actually tears in the very fabric of the time/space continuum. The legendary Heroes of Paradox City were quick to try and calm the populace, most of whom were beginning to leave the city in droves. The mysterious voids, however, soon began appearing in every corner of the globe. Not soon after that, astrologists reported seeing similiar voids forming in the far reaches of space.
While the Freedom League contemplated possible solutions, the size and frequency of the voids were rapidly increasing. Soon, it became an everyday occurrence for voids to suddenly appear in a city or swallow up a house, where those unfortunate enough to be at the same location of the voids would be sucked in, never to be seen or heard from again.
After lengthy testing and researching, the best Portal Industry Scientists in the world informed the Freedom League of their horrifying conclusion: the Universe was coming to an end.

"Should we tell her what the Crey Scientists told us?" Gaia whispered to her brother once the two were inside the banquet.
"It's more important that we tell Clarisa." Chronos said, observing the obvious conflict between Soul Train and Angelstryke.
"I thought you didn't want to get involved in a corporate war between Physiks and Crey." Christina smirked.
"I still don't. But keeping Physiks in the loop-" Christopher stopped suddenly and turned to look out the still-open side door. He then snapped his fingers quickly, activating his Time Stop ability. Instantly, everyone and everything froze except for the twins. Christopher then proceeded to rush out the side door and down the alleyway, finally stopping where the alleyway opened up into the street.
"What are you doing?" Christina asked, teleporting next to her brother.
Christopher gazed around the area once more, than sighed and shook his head, turning to his sister. "Sorry. Just thought I saw something."
The twins hurried back to banquet, and Chronos made sure they were standing exactly where they had been when before restoring normal time.

Outside, on a balcony several blocks away from the new Physiks Technologies lab, a young man stood, smiling inwardly as he watched the events unfolding at the new Physiks Lab.
About 21 years old, the man was wearing a red trenchcoat, underneath which he wore a black shirt and long, black pants, his feet sporting black combat boots. Although he was very physically fit, the man was in no way "bulky", like many of the Heroes in Paragon City; in fact, he was somewhat short for a man his age. His well-trimmed blonde hair was tucked neatly underneath a black beret that rested on his head. While this gave the impression of a soldier, his body and face told otherwise; they were flawless, without a single wound or scar. Indeed, he was quite handsome.
"Mr. Wrath, report." A voice crackled on the communicator the man had with him. "Have you been spotted?"
"You know me better than that, Mr. Greed." The man responded, chuckling to himself. He narrowed his eyes as Soul Train and Angelstryke made their way back into the banquet. "I've been watching them construct this Lab from the beginning." The man's eyes shook with excitment as he closed his fist tightly, red energy forming around his fist as he did so. "Thinking about it's destruction, the beautiful cries of anguish those trapped inside will scream just before they perish..." The man smiled a cold, wicked smile. "I don't think there's anything more pleasurable in the WORLD than that!"

Christina jumped back in surprise as Angelstryke emerged from the side entrance; she calmed down as she recognized the wild-haired Hero from last week.
"I guess you feel like an outsider here too, huh?" Christopher sighed, observing the Hero. "Oh, that's right... we haven't been properly introduced yet, have we?" Christopher flashed a smile and extended his hand. "My name's Chronos, pleased to meet you."
"And I'm Gaia." Christina said, also flashing a smile. "And you're name is... Angelstryke, correct?"

It shattered. A huge flash of light erupted from the Portal, a single, blood-chilling scream reverberated in the Portal Room, and then... the world shattered.
The two siblings were engulfed into the light before they had any idea what had occurred. They screamed deafening, silent screams as their bodies were tossed into the abyss of nothingness that encompassed everything, the incredibly bright void of darkness. They pleasurable pain encompassed every nerve as their bodies swung back and forth, to and fro while never moving an inch. They remained in that never-ending stream of dark light for a brief eternity. And then...
Christina opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her ears as she finally recognized the machines that cluttered the observation deck of Portal Industries.
"What...?" Christina mumbled, holding her head in her hands and breathing heavily.
"Oh..." Christopher groaned, making Christina jump in surprise and spin around to face him. Christopher was lying on his back, rubbing his head with his right hand as he slowly rose to a sitting position, turning to face his sister. "What... where... what happened? Where are we?"
"I think we're still in the Observation Room..." Christina said, rising to her feet and helping Christopher to his. "But... where is everyone else?"
Christopher scratched his head and gazed through the window into the Portal Room... and froze.
"What? What is-?" Christina's voice caught in her throat as she followed Christopher's gaze into the Portal Room.
Nothing was left of the Portal Room that they remembered. There were no scientists, no chairs, no computers, no floor and no walls; an endless white void had replaced what once was the Portal Room. But that wasn't what the twins were looking at: In the center of the void was a large, metal ring (the same type of ring that formed the gateway for Portal Industries' Portals). In the center of the ring was a hideously deformed beast; it's arms and legs were detached from it's body, suspender in mid-air only inches from it's main torso, which glowed with a hideously dark light. Long, black hair covered it's face, and as the twins looked on in horror the beast turned to face them. And, to their great surprise and terror, the beast (which was in all other ways inhuman) had a very normal, very human, very recognizable face...
"MOM?!" Christopher and Christina cried in unison.

"Look, it's been over a WEEK!" Christopher sighed, kicking a can lying in the dark alley behind Soul Train's new laboratory. "And there has YET to be a SINGLE attack by Crey on ANY of these laboratories!" Christopher impatiently checked his watch and turned to Christina. "You know, we might have better luck if we check out what's going on INSIDE the-"
"I've got it covered." Christina said, pointing to the several Portal-Windows she had opened up. Hovering in mid-air, each Portal-Window acted as a type of "Security Camera", showing various patrons attending Soul Train's banquet as they talked leisurely amongst themselves.
"You just want to get something to eat." Christina smirked. "How many times do I have that our responsibilities sometimes mean-" Christina was interrupted by a long, loud growl that erupted from her stomach.
"You were saying?" Christopher smiled.
"On the other hand," Christina blushed as she spoke quickly. "It's important for a Hero to keep themselves properly energized in case of trouble. And besides, we can't fight on an empty stomach after all, can we?"
Just then, the two heard the scuffling of feet come from across the street. Christina covered Christopher and herself in a Cloaking Field just as two Crey Scientists entered the alleyway they were patrolling.
"We don't have much time." One of the Scientists hissed as his partner dropped to his knees and started to affix a small device to the outside of the new laboratory.
"Actually, you're time just ran out." Christopher said as he walked out of his sister's Cloaking Field.
"HEROES!" The two Scientists yelled in surprise, reaching inside their lab coats for their weapons.
Christopher, however, had already activated his Acceleration ability; so he was upon them well before they could pull out their weapons. In less than a second, Christopher landed over three dozen well-placed blows on each of the Scientists, felling them easily.
"What is this?" Christina asked, pulling the device the two Scientists had been attaching to the laboratory off of the wall and presenting it to them.
"None of your busin-" The Scientists' words caught in his throat as Christopher cracked his knuckles. "ALRIGHT! It's a monitoring device! The Countess sent here so she could stay on top of the latestst developments from her competitors!"
"Is that why she's planning to destroy over half of all the labs owned by Physiks?" Christopher asked, staring coldly at the Scientist. "To remove her competitors?"
"What are you talking about?" The Scientists asked, obviously confused.
Christopher began to walk forward, but was stopped by his sister, who quickly moved ahead of him and grabbed the Scientist by his collar, picking him up off the ground and staring straight into his eyes.
"We're talking about the plans that were found on several Paragon Protectors last week." Christina said, her tone as cold as ice.
"There wasn't..." The Scientist's pupils shrank as he was overcome with fear and confusion. "There AREN'T any plans to do that! The Countess would NEVER authorize such a tactic to take out her competitors! It's too messy, and could easily be traced back to Crey Industries!"
Christina narrowed her eyes as she studied the Scientist's expression. He seemed sincere. "Fine." She finally sighed, dropping him to the ground.
"I knew there was more to this than simple corporate politics..." Christopher said to his sister after they handed the Crey Scientists over to Physiks Security.
"Someone wants a war to occur between Crey Industries and Physiks Technologies..." Christina thought deeply. "Throw Legion into the mix, and you've got three of the four largest corporations in the WORLD involved in what could be one of the largest corporate wars in history."
"And the one corporation that would profit most from that war is..." Christopher and Christina came to the conclusion at the same time. "Greed Inc."

"They're not idiots, you know." Mr. Greed sighed, turning his clockwise in his gloved hands as he talked to his "partner" via Satellite Security-Encoded Transmission. "Even such... simple-minded corporate executives like Ms. Feynman and Ms. Crey will probably figure out what you're up to."
Mr. Greed was currently staying in his luxiorious and secluded villa, located far, far away from Paragon City. The villa was located on an island estate, the island itself roughly half the size of Texas. The incredible white-sand beaches on the outskirts of the island reflected the crystal-blue waters that ran along it's shores, as well as the dense, green junle that ran along most of the island itself. Situated in the middle of this otherwise-untouched paradise, however, was one of Mr. Greed's many private mansions, it's man-made beauty an astonishing reflection of the natural beauty that surrounded it. White-marble walls and floors seemed to melt into an Olympic-sized pool (as well as a large Jacuzzi directly adjacent to it) on the southern end of the mansion, while good, sturdy brick and wood supported the northern half of the mansion. A large, concrete heliport was situated next to the mansion so Mr. Greed could go and "compose himself" when he wasn't busy running the International Corporation of his own name. And the many dining rooms, bedrooms, professionally-designed kitchens, countless number of Televisions, computers, leather couches, satin curtains, crystal chandeliers, and many other features that adorned Mr. Greed's estate were in and of themselves worth about HALF of the ENTIRE company assets of Physiks Technologies. Yet to Mr. Greed, 21-year old TRILLIONAIRE (yes, I said "Trillion"), it was "a nice place to relax on the weekends".
Mr. Greed himself was in the mansion's conference room, talking to his "business partner" and sipping some of the finest red wine in the world (which was, incidentally, grown on this very island estate). He wore a hand-crafted, white velvet suit, complete with stainless white gloves and custom white shoes that cost just a tad over $500. He smiled to himself as he adjusted his crystal-encrusted glasses and ran his gloved fingers across his slicked-back brown hair. To top everything else off, not only was Mr. Greed young, smart, and the unquestionably the richest man in the world... but he was also one of the most handsome bachelors in the world.
"It matters not if they figure out my plan." Mr. Greed's "business partner" said, narrowing his eyes. "Just be ready to make your move on my mark."
"Oh, don't worry..." Mr. Greed chuckled, turning his attention to the chess board lying on the desk he was sitting at. On the chess board, rather than the usual chess pieces, were small statuettes of Clarisa Feynman, Soul Train, Angelstryke, Countess Crey, the top executives at Legion, and several other Heroes. "With my help, there's no way you can lose."

"I would like to thank everyone for coming." Dr. Lucidity said to the hundreds of scientists seated in front of his podium. He took a deep breath before continuing "As you all know, for the past 10 years Portal Industries has worked towards increasing our knowledge and understanding of the Universes that exist outside of our own..."
"Why did Dad have to drag us here, anyway?" Christina sighed as she looked outside the window of the Observation Room, situated high above the Portal Room, where Christopher and Christina's father continued to deliver his speech. Christina gazed down at her father as he continued his speech, then shifted her gaze to her mother, who was seated in the front row, nodding her head and beaming with pride as her husband spoke. In the opposite corner of the room, humming loudly and giving off a continuous white light, sat an enormous Portal.
"Yeah, it's always the same thing whenever he brings us here." Christopher sighed, running his hands along the machines that ran along the far end of the wall in the Observation Room. "He makes a speech, Mom and Dad and several of their friends go into the Portal, we wait here for several HOURS until they come back, and they they talk about ad nauseam about how INCREDIBLE the place they went was." Christopher stared longigly at the Portal. "I just wish that they'd at LEAST bring us along with them, just ONCE."
"You know what Mom says." Christina laughed, extending her finger out in front of her and mimicking her mother's voice. "'You're both far too young for this sort of thing! When you're older and know all there is to know about THIS Universe, you'll understand the types of dangers that can occur when your father and I blah blah blah blah.'"
The two chuckled quietly between themselves, then turned their attention back to the Portal Room. Their father had finished his speech, and the scientists were already making preparations to enter the Portal.

The sun was already setting low in the horizon when Soul Train and Angelstryke finally finished their business with Ms. Feynman.
"See, this is why I told you we should've investigated on our own first." Christopher sighed as Angelstryke got up and left the room. "Look at all the time we've wasted here!"
"I don't see how you could possibly care about how much time we've wasted." Christina said with a smirk.
Christopher rolled his eyes, then turned his attention to Clarisa. "I'm sorry, but we're not really here to make money, or apply for a job, or anything like that..."
"The thing is, we recently came into possession of something that concerns not just you, but your entire company." Christina raised her hand in the air and opened a small, black Portal. Reaching into the Portal, she pulled out the several papers and documents that she had placed in the Portal earlier. After everything was removed, the Portal closed.
"These were found on a small squadron of Paragon Protectors earlier today." Christina said, handing the documents to Clarisa. "The documents contain the results of a recent Board Meeting inside of Crey Industries that projected the net losses of Physiks Technologies should several of their laboratories become... unusable."
"There are also schematics of the interior of several Physiks Technologies labs scattered throughout Paragon." Christopher said, tapping his foot impatiently. "We felt that it would be best to inform you of this before investigating it first. Now, I do apologize for being so abrupt, but it's getting quite late and our duties at Portal Corp. prevent us from-"
"What duties? We're not on call tonight!" Christina whispered to Christopher.
Christopher sighed and turned his attention to Clarisa for a moment. "Excuse us for a moment, would you?" He snapped his fingers, and the entire world stopped. The sun, which had been setting at a rather fast pace, stopped in it's tracks; several birds that were flying by the window froze in place, perfectly motionless; and Clarisa herself was frozen in place, under the spell of Christopher's Time Stop along with everything else.
"Now, I thought we had rules about what powers we could use or couldn't use outside of battle." Christina sighed, turning towards her brother. "And I DISTINCTLY remember-"
"Christina, I'd rather not get involved in a corporate war between Crey Technologies and Physiks Technologies." Christopher explained, his tone and expression stern. "We've
already informed Ms. Feynman of what we wanted to, let's leave the counter-attack to her and Physiks Technologies." He lowered his eyes, deep in thought. "Besides, I'm more worried about WHY those Paragon Protectors were carrying the documents with them when they were NOWHERE near ANY Physiks Technologies laboratory..." He returned his attention back to his sister. "Let's make our exit now, so we don't have to deal with any unnecessary questions. I'd prefer it if we didn't waste any more time that we have."
"You really need to learn some manners." Christina sighed, shaking her head. She narrowed her eyes. "Where were you thinking of going?"
"That's easy." Christopher said, narrowing his eyes. "Back to the where we those Paragon Protectors were found..."
Christina nodded, and in the next moment, the two were gone from the office. A moment later, the world came back to life, and Clarisa found herself alone in her office.

"So this is the place?" Christopher asked, gazing up at the office building. The title Physiks Technologies ran across the side of the building in large, bold letters. He sighed and shook his head, turning to his twin sister. "Are you sure about this? I mean, we still don't know who-"
"We don't have any choice, do we?" Christina asked, narrowing her eyes at her brother. She sighed and focused her gaze towards the building. "With everything that we found, these people at least have a right to KNOW what's going on."
"I still think it's smarter to investigate it ourselves before getting anyone else involved." Christopher said under his breath.
"With something as big as this, we'll probably need some help." Christina put her hand on Chistopher's shoulder and smiled. "Besides, we always wind up in trouble when we rush head-first like you always want to do."
Christopher turned to Chrsitina, smiling as he placed his hand over hers and smiled, forcing a small chuckle."I guess you're right. I mean, we can't always save the Multiverse by ourselves, can we?"
Christina's eyes widened in shock for a moment, and there was a silence between the two for several minutes before she responded. "No, I guess we can't."

Both Christopher and Christina were extremely young in comparison to most Heroes in Paragon City; truth be told, they were both only 16 years old.
Christopher wore a long, blue trenchcoat, on the back of which the silhouette of an hour-glass was embroidered in white. Underneath the trenchcoat, he wore a white T-shirt and long, black pants. His short, blonde hair was neatly trimmed, save for a single extra-long bang, which ran down his forehead and hovered to a stop just in front of his left eye. Like most Heroes in Paragon, he was surprisingly attractive, and his face (unlike most teenagers) didn't contain a single blemish or mark of any kind.
Christina's outfit was remarkably similiar to Christopher's, save for several features. Her trenchcoat was red, and the back of it contained the silhouette of a galaxy rather than an hour-glass. Her white shirt was slightly shorter than her brother's, allowing some of her mid-riff to be exposed. She wore tight, black shorts rather than pants, the legs of which ended considerably higher than her knees. She shared her brother's blonde hair, but her hair was long and unbraided, flowing wildly about her face in the wind. Indeed, she was also rather attractive and her face blemish-free.

"So..." Christopher asked, looking up at the building, then back at his sister. "Do you want to use the door, or...?"
"No, they'll probably put us on some waiting list or give us the run-around if we do that." Christina said, already concentrating. "And this can't wait."
"Uh..." Christopher chuckled nervously as his sister formed her Portal around themselves. "Do you have any idea which room to aim for, or...?"
"Well, you can always go back and fix any mistakes I make, right?" Christina asked as the two were enveloped in the black void.
Almost instantly, the two found themselves in the middle of what could only be an office. Looking around, they saw that there was a young woman (obviously a Hero) straddling a chair and a young man with wild hair (also an obvious Hero) sitting quite leisurlely on another chair. Due to their sudden entrance, both of the Heroes attentions' had turned to them.
"Um... sorry if we're interrupting anything..." Christina chuckled nervously, trying to be as open and non-threatening as she could. "Do you know where we could find a 'Clarisa Feynman'?"

((Yeah, sorry about that, my fault

I just couldn't get what I had planned in my mind down on my word processor right I swear I must've erased and re-written the scenario at least 5 or 6 times, but I couldn't come up with anything that wasn't:

A) Offensive to some Posters
B) Long-winded and COMPLETELY off-topic to this RP
C) Just really, REALLY horrible writing and awkwardly-placed characterization (in my opinion, of course)

Throw that in with the fact that this last week has been a nightmare with some RL issues, and I kind of just decided to trash the entire idea

So, my apologies. I'll be busy for the rest of today, so I'm not going to be able to Post again until tomorrow Try and keep this Thread alive until then!))

((OK, re-reading my last Post, I'm pretty sure alot of people in this RP are going to get the wrong idea about it. So BEFORE anyone gets the wrong idea about my previous Post, allow me to explain...

It was NOT, I repeat, NOT meant to set-up an "Attack" on the Big Brother House; in fact, I have NO intention of setting up ANY ATTACK on the Big Brother House using ANY of my characters, nor do I plan on introducing any of my "Villain" Characters into this Thread outside of Flashbacks and events occurring OUTSIDE of the Big Brother House.

I ASSUME this what everyone else in this Thread wants, too. If this assumption is incorrect, please tell me either in this Thread or via a PM. I don't want to get any of the other Posters in this Thread annoyed at me (as I have unintentionally done with other Open RP Threads in the past), so I'm going to make this next part PERFECTLY CLEAR:

The previous Post was ONLY meant to set-up my NEXT Post, which will help further characterize Varon. The reason I ended it as abruptly as I did was because QueenEtheria hadn't sent Kegen to bed yet, and in order for the "comedic ending" I'm planning in my next Post to work, I need ALL the other characters in the Big Brother House to have already gone to bed. In other words, my next Post ends in the morning, and I don't know how back-tracking or fast-forwarding (in terms of time of day) in Open RP works (or if it works at all, for that matter)

The reason I'm writing all of this OOC is to avoid the inevitable "What the...?!" questions that many of you will have after reading my previous Post. Sorry for all the confusion ))

"Please..." Alexandria pleaded, tears streaming down her face as she stared at her assailant. Her eyes moved down the man's arm to the blade that had once been his arm, hovering inches from her neck. "Please... don't do this..."
Alexandria, Samantha, and Crystal had been captured in their homes and taken to what appeared to be a large laboratory, where they were shackled to the wall with high-tech shackles. The surprisingly attractive man that had captured them had immediately set his sights on Alexandria once they had awoken. Crystal and Samantha were paralyzed with fear, yet at the same time couldn't look away as the a hideous, wicked smile spread across the man's otherwise incredibly gorgeous face.
And the man WAS gorgeous; comparable to the male supermodels seen in magazines, even. He wasn't "built" like many of the male Heroes in Paragon City; quite the opposite, he was rather lean and effeminate-looking. However, underneath his red trenchcoat, one could easily see the rather impressive set of muscles showing through his skin-tight black shirt. The flawless skin on his face, his sapphire eyes, and his long, black, wavy hair looked as though it had been chiseled by God Himself.
"Oh, don't worry..." The man said, his tone soft and gentle, the type of tone a parent would use to sooth their child. As he ran the tip of his blade gently across Alexandria's face, he looked deep into her eyes. "I'm not going to harm you." He chuckled as he saw some relief flow into Alexandria's eyes, his pupils widening and his tone suddenly becoming undeniably harsh. "Don't misunderstand me. There's nothing I'd like more than to tear open your flesh, to watch your blood spill onto the floor and to hold onto your hand as I watch the life drains from your eyes." The man inhaled deeply and he quickly turned away from Alexandria, his entire body shaking as he buried half of his face in his right hand. Breathing deeply, his body ceased shaking, and he turned back to Alexandria, a polite smile on his face as he brushed his long hair away from his face with a flick of his hand.
"I apologize, I sometimes lose myself like that and..." The man sighed deeply, his expression changing to one of concern for only a moment before reverting back to a polite smile. "Where are my manners; I haven't even properly introduced myself." The man backed away from Samantha and gazed over his shoulder at Crystal and Samantha. He made a quick motion with his arm, causing his red trenchcoat to flap behind him dramatically as he bowed to all three girls. "My name is Natas; I'm the 2nd Ranked Member of the Science Coalition."

Varon bolted upright, his eyes darting quickly around the women's bedroom as he regained his thoughts. Sighing deeply, Varon rose to his feet unsteadily.
That happened three years ago... Varon thought to himself as he made his way out of the women's bedroom. I shouldn't be letting my life as a Hero interfere with my life here... I brought us all here to RELAX... He glanced quickly at Micaela, who was already asleep on the couch. Varon smiled to himself as he continued to the men's bedroom. I have to rely on Alexandria and the others to handle the Science Coalition while we're- Varon was pulled from his thoughts as he realized he was no longer in the men's bedroom, nor was he in the Big Brother house at all. Rather, he was on top of a warehouse, and the sudden blare of hospital and police sirens made Varon jump several feet in the air.
What the-? Darn, I must have been force-Teleported; and that can only mean... Varon turned around to see Alexandria standing behind him, her arms crossed across her shoulders as she narrowed her eyes at Varon, and Varon immediately recongnized her "deadly serious" tone.
"We've got problems." She said.

[ QUOTE ]
"Couldn't sleep, buddy?"

[/ QUOTE ]

"Ha!" Varon declared, dropping his plates as he tried to maintain his composure; fatigue, however, was starting to show as he attempted a pose. "Staying up all night... *yawn*... is a simple task for... the Trinity..."
"Oh, Varon..." Samantha yawned, her eyes drooping slightly as she desperately tried to maintain her enthusiasm. "You're so... *yawn* great!"
"We can..." Crystal tried to keep her eyes open as she spoke, bus she and Samantha were soon leaning on each other's backs as the two girls began to sink to the ground. "Stay up... as long as..." Crystal's eyes closed completely, and the two girls were soon sitting back-to-back on the floor in a deep sleep.
Varon smiled to himself as he walked over to the girls. He was so tired that he forgot that there were other Heroes in the house as he gently picked up Samantha in his arms and carried her to a bed in the women's bedroom, then came back to the kitchen and did the same for Crystal.
After tucking each girl into bed, fatigue finally overcame Varon.
"Goodnight, girls..." Varon smiled as his eyes closed. "I'll just keep watch over you two... from here..." Varon collapsed on the floor of the women's bedroom and was soon fast asleep.

((Sorry about the long abscence; I've been busy with other things ))

[ QUOTE ]
"Uhm . . . Jason, do you think you would mind teaching Ash how to act more . . . well, civilized? Unless, that is," she said, grinning slyly, "You think Varon or Arden would be better role-models?"

[/ QUOTE ]

Crystal and Samantha had kept to themselves (as well as helped themselves to the food) while the other Heroes had been socializing. Micaela's comment, however, resulted in the two girls dropping their plates and pouncing on the white-haired female Hero almost instantly after Micaela's comment left her mouth.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?!" Samantha demanded, pointing an accusing finger directly in front of Micaela's face.
"I'll have you know that Varon has saved our lives a COUNTLESS number of times!" Samantha said, fire in her eyes as she looked directly at Micaela.
"He's an incredibly caring and loving Hero and is MORE than capable of teaching Ash the PROPER way to be 'civilized'!"
Varon heard the commotion from inside the men's bedroom, and moaned slightly as he got to his feet.
It seems like I'm not the only one having a hard time forgetting about what might be happening outside this house... Varon thought, smiling to himself. They're always so protective of me... Varon shook his head. But I guess they feel like they need to do that as a type of compensation for what goes on during our battles. Varon sighed as he walked to the door of the men's bedroom. I keep telling them: "It's important to keep your life as a Hero seperate from your normal life." But I guess they learned more from me than I EVER thought they would; I guess it's no surprise...
Varon burst through the door and headed straight for the kitchen.
"What is this?!" Varon asked in a bold voice, posing as he came upon the other Heroes. "A feast of pie and ice cream? A small midnight get-together for Heroes to bond?" Varon grabbed a plate of pie and a bowl of ice cream and raised them in his hands as he struck yet another pose. "YES! Let us sit together with this delicious PIE and ICE CREAM and discuss our past battles as HEROIC SIBLINGS!!!"
"Varon, you're the best!" Crystal and Samantha giggled as they burst into applause.

Just have them stick a half-naked female character on the cover

Bam. Your sales just tripled

Meh, easy enough to find one way or another to explain Archery Heroes for RP purposes.

Now the new Blaster DEFIANCE ability... try explaining THAT "In-Character"

Varon sighed to himself as he lay in bed, his eyes gazing at the ceiling as his mind wandered.
Most of our missions are so dangerous... Varon thought to himself. It's nice that the girls can have some time to relax while we stay here. Varon turned his eyes away from the ceiling, his pupils shaking slightly as he recalled their past adventures. I owe them that much, at least. A smile spread across Varon's face as he heard Crystal and Samantha in the kitchen. They seem to be enjoying themselves...
Varon turned to see Arden walk into the room, quickly disrobing out of his armor and into some lighter clothing. He didn't seem to notice that Varon was in the room as he did so, and as such Varon got to see a side of Arden he hadn't exactly wished to see.
Not to scale... Varon closed his eyes and turned away until he heard Arden leave.

"Well, ain't this just a nice lil' welcomin' commitee." B.L.Z. Bub chuckled under his breath. Throwing the headless body of the scientist in his left hand on the floor, he turned to face his attackers.
B.L.Z. Bub had been given orders to retrieve certain materials from one of Paragon City's laboratories. The scientists had been less than cooperative, which is why the central room of the complex B.L.Z. Bub was in had a new crimson paint job.
B.L.Z. Bub was a man of modest size and build; he wore a large, red trenchcoat over a black shirt and black pants. His feet sported black metal boots, while black, fingerless gloves covered his hands. His short, blond hair was surprisingly well-groomed, and his face held a surprisingly small amount of blemishes; in fact, if it weren't for the blood and bodies that surrounded him, he would seem to many people to be a normal young man.
"Oh... my... God..." A young, female Hero gasped as she came upon the central room. At her side was an older, male Hero carrying an Assault Rifle, and a large, LARGE man who looked like he could bench-press a city bus.
The three Heroes had only responded because the young, female Hero's super-sensitive ears had heard screams coming from the complex as they were passing by; but even SHE had not been expecting such a sight.
"Now why do ya'll have to do that?" B.L.Z. Bub smiled, withdrawing a blade from inside his trenchcoat. "Prayin' to some false deities, and all that..." B.L.Z. Bub smiled as he steadied the blade in front of him. "Allow me to introduce ma'self: I'm B.L.Z. Bub, 4th Ranked member of the Science Coalition!" B.L.Z. Bub chuckled as he lowered his body slightly, preparing for battle. "And I haven't killed any Heroes in some time, so it's a good thing ya'll came when ya did!"
The Hero with the Assault Rifle aimed and fired at that moment, missing B.L.Z. Bub by mere inches. B.L.Z. Bub responded by leaping in the air, where he seemed to disappear.
"Where did he go?" The female Hero asked as the three Heroes huddled close together.
"Did I forget ta mention?" B.L.Z. Bub's voice seem to reverberate around the entire room. "I'm somethin' of a collecter, ya see. The way I figure it, it's pretty wasteful to kill a Hero an' just leave all a' his little gadgets and what-not just lying wit' his corpse like that." B.L.Z. Bub chuckled once more. "Let me show you one of ma' favorite lil' toys."
At that moment, a several ninja stars flew out and hit the Hero with the Assault Rifle in the chest. They exploded on impact, and the Hero fell to the ground.
"Roger!" The female Hero immediately tended to the fallen Hero, the larger male Hero still looking around the room in confusion.
"Why isn't his Emergency Medical Teleportation Unit working?" The female Hero sobbed, trying desperately to activate it herself.
"Those are called 'Shinjuku Stars', an' they came from a Hero who had already made it into the Freedom Phalanx Reserve." B.L.Z. Bub chuckled. "An' you can stop tryin' to activate that piece a' junk; those units are a joke."
"You'll pay for that!" The larger male Hero charged around the room wildly. "Show yourself, you coward!"
"Alright." B.L.Z. Bub appeared behind the large Hero.
"YOU'RE MINE!!!" The Hero yelled turning around and swinging his fist at B.L.Z. Bub. B.L.Z. Bub ducked under the swing and impaled a clawed hand into the Hero.
"HA! Is that all you-" The Hero's voice caught in his throat as he felt his body start to fall apart. He yelled out in pain as his limbs fell off one by one, his yelling finally ceasing as his head fell from his body.
"THESE lil' babies came from a rather powerful mystic Hero; found a way ta tap into a person's inner bein' and slice him up from the inside out, or somethin' like that." B.L.Z. Bub turned just in time to see the female Hero fire a large energy blast at him, which engulfed his entire body.
"Die, you [censored]..." The female Hero panted heavily as her attack continued, destroying half of the complex and blowing a large hole through the wall of the complex as her attack ended, the entire area in front of her engulfed in smoke. Falling to her knees, she wiped her forehead. "That took all I had, but..." She gasped, her eyes widening in shock as B.L.Z. Bub walked out of the smoke, his body encased in a Force Field.
"I got THIS from a pretty famous Tech-Head Hero." B.L.Z. Bub said as he walked up to the Hero, picking up the Assault Rifle from the dead hands of the first male Hero he had killed. "You wouldn't BELIEVE how many of these I have." He said, examining it in his hands. He lowered the muzzle of the Rifle into the female Hero's forehead, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "What the hell; I'll keep it." B.L.Z. Bub said as he pulled the trigger.

"OK, so we're going to get up extra early tomorrow." Samantha said, brushing her red hair as she kneeled on her bed.
Both Crystal and Samantha had changed into their night-gowns. Samantha's night-gown was red, while Crystal's was blue.
"It's been so long since we've slept anyplace other than our apartment..." Crystal said, pulling her bed sheet over her body as she lay in bed. "The last time we did, I couldn't get ANY sleep."
"It's alot easier to sleep when you know there's no chance of getting killed while you're sleeping." Samantha yawned, putting her brush away.
"Yeah, I guess..." Crystal's eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. She shot up in bed and turned to Samantha. "Wait! What about the Science Coalition? When they find out that Varon is staying here..."
Samantha yawned again and rolled over in bed. "Don't worry, Crystal. Varon's already spoken with Alexandria about that. If anything happens, she'll let Varon know." Samantha closed her eyes and smiled. "That's just like Varon. He's always one step ahead of everyone!"
"Yeah, he's so great!" Crystal laughed slightly as she tossed slightly in bed.
Crystal and Samantha were silent for a moment, hearing muffled voices coming from the kitchen.
"It's so great that we can meet new Heroes like this..." Samantha said, her eyes still closed.
"Yeah..." Crystal said, her blue hair sprawled across her pillow as she lay in bed, her pupils shaking slightly as her mind wandered. "Say, Samantha... Do you remember the first time we met Varon?"
Samantha turned to Crystal, a smile spreading across her face. "How could I forget?"

3 Years Ago...

"Crystal!" Samantha said impatiently, checking her watch as she yelled up the stairs from the living room of her foster home. "Crystal, we're due in school in 15 minutes! Hurry up or we're going to be late!"
Samantha, only 15 years old, was wearing her normal school dress; a red, short-sleeve blouse over a short red skirt. Her crimson hair was tied back in a ponytail that extended down her back to the back of her waist.
"I'm coming!" Crystal shouted, barreling down the stairs and jumping to the floor, schoolbooks in hand. "Sorry about that!"
Crystal (also 15 years old) was wearing a similar outfit as Samantha was wearing, except her blouse and skirt was blue instead of red. Crystal’s blue hair was cut short, stopping just below the base of her neck, where it frequently flowed freely around her face.
"That's OK, but we have to go NOW!" Samantha said, opening the front door.
"Wait, you two!" Crystal and Samantha's foster father, David, stopped the two girls half-way through the door. He held up two matching bags in his hands. "You're going to be awfully hungry during lunch time if you don't take these with you."
Though he was much older than both Crystal and Samantha, David was much more unkempt than both girls. David’s short-sleeved, red T-shirt was wrinkled, and his blue jeans were torn with large holes at both knees. His short, black hair was matted and unclean, and his complexion sported an obvious 5 o’clock shadow.
"Oops..." Samantha blushed, taking one of the bags from her foster parent.
"Thanks a lot, dad!" Crystal said happily, taking the other bag from David.
David's eyes widened in shock for only a moment, but he quickly replaced it with a smile. "Don't mention it. Now you two better get going or you're going to be late!"
"Bye!" Crystal and Samantha said together as they quickly left for school.
David watched the two girls run off from the doorway of his home, sighing to himself as they ran to school.
Dad... David thought to himself. I never thought I'd ever be called that. A smile crept across David's face as he went back inside his house, closing the door behind him.
Crystal and Samantha had been placed into the care of child services since their birth. They had never known their parents, and as a result, they came to rely on each other for support as they were shifted from foster home to foster home. Even though they weren't related to each other by blood, their devotion and loyalty to each other was just as strong as if they were actual siblings.
"Did... did we make it?" Crystal huffed Samantha as the two girls ran into their school.
"With a couple seconds to spare." Samantha gasped a response as they made their way through the hallways and rushed into their first class.
"Wow, you two look exhausted!" Alexandria said as Crystal and Samantha took their seats.
"Crystal slept in." Samantha said, catching her breath.
"But we're not late!" Crystal pointed out.
Because Crystal and Samantha were constantly changing families and schools, they very rarely had the chance to make any other friends. Fortunately, Alexandria was one of those exceptions.
Alexandria wore a plaid green mini-skirt below a white sleeveless blouse. She wore black pantyhose on her legs, and her feet sported green sandals. A black bow was affixed to her long, green hair, which flowed freely around her head.
"Attention, class!" The teacher declared boldly as the class began. "We have a new student joining us today." The door to the classroom opened as the teacher continued to speak. "I would like to introduce you all to..." A young boy, a couple years older than Samantha and Crystal, walked in front of the class. "Varon Volt!"
"Hello, everyone!" Varon said, raising his hand and smiling as politely as possible.
"Hello, Varon." The class replied in a monotonous tone.
Crystal and Samantha eyed the blonde-haired boy. Varon (17 years old) wore a simple blue jacket and pants over a white shirt, and his eyes were covered with blue sunglasses.
He's kind of hot... Crystal and Samantha thought to themselves.
"Now, Varon, take your seat so we can make our other announcement." The teacher instructed.
"Right!" Varon nodded, and instantly went to the unoccupied desk next to where Samantha, Crystal, and Alexandria were seated.
"Alright, class..." The teacher said, picking up a pamphlet on her desk and reading it aloud. "A very prestigious organization in Paragon City has begun a reach-out program to look for 'unique individuals' who may qualify for 'incredible opportunities' once they graduate. Several representatives from that company have come to our town, and have given our school board a list of students who qualify for this program. Based on how these individuals perform in this program, 'incredible employment opportunities may be waiting for you in Paragon City'."
"Excuse me?" Alexandria called out, folding her arms across her chest. "But what kind of 'employment' are we talking about here?"
The teacher sighed. "I don't know. But I can tell you this; we didn’t have these kinds of programs when I was in school." The teacher shook her head and turned her eyes back to the pamphlet in her hand. "If I call your name, you've been accepted into the program, which currently takes place after school in room 215-C." The teacher cleared her throat and began calling names. Among the names called out were those of Samantha, Crystal, and Alexandria.
"Wow, they want US in the program?" Crystal asked in shock.
"I don't know about this..." Alexandria narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, come on!" Samantha said, placing her hand on Alexandria's shoulder. "I bet it'll be a lot of fun!"
At that moment, Crystal noticed that Varon was looking at the three girls with a concerned look on his face. As soon as she turned to him, however, Varon quickly stuck his head in a school book and pretended to read.

"Yeah..." Crystal and Samantha sighed, preparing to go to sleep. However, at that moment, the aroma of the pie that Micaela and Jason were making reached their noses. Two loud growls erupted from the stomachs of both girls.
"That..." Samantha said, rising from her bed.
"Smells like..." Crystal added, already at the door of the bedroom.
"PIE!!!" Crystal and Samantha declared, bursting out of the bedroom and rushing into the kitchen, their eyes locked onto pastry that was still being prepared.
"What a heavenly aroma!" Crystal said, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.
"Do you need any help making that?" Samantha asked Micaela, grasping her hands and looking into her eyes pleadingly. "We could really use the practice for tomorrow!"

Samantha, Crystal, and Varon watched as the other Heroes played around with the oranges. Varon noted that the overall tone had become much less manic than it had been.
"Fellow Heroes!" Varon declared loudly, rising to his feet. "It's time that we... the Trinity..." Varon yawned loudly, shaking his head as his tone softened."Amaze you... with..." Varon yawned once more, rubbing his eyes. Varon's tone returned to normal, and he sighed. "Actually, it's been a long day, and I'm tired. We'll amaze you tomorrow." Varon turned to Crystal and Samantha. "How are you girls?"
"Oh, we're fi-" Crystal began, but was stopped as Samantha clamped her hand over her mouth.
"Actually, if you're going tro bed, we should go to bed, too! After all, we girls need our beauty sleep!" Samantha laughed nervously, then rushed into the women's bedroom, dragging Crystal in tow. She closed and locked the door behind them.
Varon was a bit surprised at his teammate's actions, but was too tired to think about it.
"Goodnight, everyone." Varon said, making his way into the men's bedroom.
"Samantha, what are you doing?" Crystal asked, wrenching her arm out of Samantha's grip.
"Crystal, don't you realize that this is the FIRST time in over a year that we'll be sleeping under the SAME ROOF as Varon?" Samantha said excitedly.
"But we already live right next door to him in our apartment building..." Crystal pointed out.
"Yes, but so far we've only REALLY socialized when we were out fighting Villains! Now that we're in the Big Brother House, we can FINALLY show Varon just how much he means to us!" Samantha said, placing her hands on Crystal's shoulders.
"You're right!" Crystal said, closing her eyes and sighing longfully. "I can picture it now..."

"How do you like your meal, Varon?" Crystal asked, smiling as she bowed slightly in Varon's direction.
Varon was seated in at the head of a large dining table, on top of which sat the finest food and drink. The room was dark, the candlelights on top of the table with the food providing the only illuminatioin. The girls themselves stood on either side of where Varon was seated, wearing pink aprons over their normal outfits.
"We made sure to make the BEST food for the BEST Hero!" Samantha added, smiling as Varon wolfed down the food eagerly.
"Girls, this is by far the best meal I've EVER had." Varon said, looking at each girl longfully. "I now see both of you in a new light!" He rose to his feet and quickly scooped up both girls in his arms. "My love for both of you is intense enough to unsettle Heaven itself!"
"Oh, Varon!" Crystal and Samantha whispered, closing their eyes puckering their mouths as they awaited the kiss of their lover.

"Yes! Yes!" Crystal and Samantha giggled uncontrollably, clasping each other's hands together as they danced around the bedroom. "It's perfect!"

"You're finished, Statesman!" Requiem laughed, landing a hard right punch to the legendary Hero's face. Statesman fell in heap alongside all the other memebers of the Freedom Phalanx that had fell to the Council's hand.
"At last!" Requiem laughed maniacally, his minions standing victorious over the piles of unconscious Heroes littering City Hall. "Finally, the Council has taken the city!"
"Oh no!" Statesman grunted, barely able to lift his head off the pavement. "What are we going to do now? Who can we turn to!"
"You're finished, Statesman! FINISHED!" Requiem began to laugh, but was interrupted by a large explosion that came from the far side of Atlas Park. Smoke soon poured over the area, and three silhouettes began to form through the smoke.
"What was that?" Statesman looked up in shock.
"Who's there?!" Requiem demanded.
"I knew you were low, Requiem..." Varon said, Crystal and Samantha at his side. "But to attack the Freedom Phalanx on a Sunday morning, knowing FULL WELL they sleep in today?!" Varon shook his head. "You're dispicable!"
"It's the Trinity!" Requiem shouted in shock.
"The Trinity!" Statesman shouted with joy.
"That's right, Requiem!" Crystal yelled in defiance.
"We're here to put a stop to you!" Samantha said, pointing her finger at Requiem.
"For we are..." Varon, Crystal, and Samantha broke out into incredible poses. "The Trinity!"
"Get them!" Requiem commanded, and his minions charged the three Heroes.
"Crystal, Samantha, show them your Double Pretty Pose Attack!" Varon said.
"Right!" Crystal and Samantha said in unison, and the two girls flashed an ubelievably pretty pose. Instantly, the hordes of Council minions fell to their knees.
"It's... too... CUTE!" They yelled, utterly helpless.
"Why, you...!" Requiem yelled, charging towards Varon. "I'll get you!"
"Take THIS!" Varon declared boldly, striking his strongest pose. "The Pose of VICTORY!!!" Varon yelled loudly.
"AAHHHH!!!" Requiem yelled, falling down on the ground and shaking uncontrollably. "Curses! You've defeated me!"
"The city is saved!" Varon declared, and Crystal and Samantha yelled in jubilation.
"Varon, Samantha, Crystal..." Statesman said, slowly getting to his feet. "How can I ever repay you three? You truly are the best Heroes to ever have graced Paragon City!"
"Think nothing of it, Statesman!" Varon said, flashing a "thumbs up" to the legendary Hero.

"...and THAT was how we saved all of Paragon City from the Council's nefarious plot!" Varon concluded, looking around at the other Heroes in the Big Brother house.
"Huh?" Samantha asked in confusion, looking at Varon.
"But Varon, I don't remember-" Crystal began, but was interrupted by Samantha.
"Why don't we tell them about how we met?" Samantha asked, suddenly very excited.
"YEAH!" Crystal said, her expression changing from confusion to joy. "THAT'S a much more interesting story than any boring old Council story!"
"Tell them about how we met?" Varon began to blush slightly, and he once again looked around at the other Heroes. "Well, if they don't mind..."

((So, where is everyone? I thought QueenEtheria's idea about "sharing origins" was interesting, but it seems like this Thread has been forgotten ))

"I'm home!" Varon smiled as he burst through the door of his house, throwing his schoolbooks on the floor. "Huh?" Varon looked around the house; it was empty.
That's odd... Varon thought as he searched the house. He checked around for any sort of note, but found nothing.
Where could... Varon's thoughts were interrupted as he heard noises coming from his father's laboratory in the basement. Of course! Today's the day of Dad's Performance Review!
Varon opened the door to the basement; he was immediately greeted by an odd, unfamiliar scent. As he made his way down the stairs, Varon could hear his father, who seemed to be talking incoherently.
"This doesn't make sense..." Varon heard his father whisper. "How could... it SHOULD have worked..."
"Dad?" Varon asked as he finished his descent. Varon turned to see his father standing in the middle of his laboratory.
The walls of the laboratory were lined with shelves that housed various mult-colored liquids; in each corner of the basement, four large tesla rods stood, the ball-like tip of the rods conducting enormous amounts of electricity. In the center of the room, Varon's father stood in front of a large metal table, with various equipment situated around it.
Samuel turned to his son, and Varon was immediately taken aback at the sad, desperate look on his father's face; he had never seen such a look from his father before.
"Varon!" Samuel said after some time. "What are you... you shouldn't be here!"
"Huh?" Varon was confused. "Dad, what are you-" At that moment, Varon glanced at the table, realizing there was a person on it. In the next instant, Varon realized WHO was on the table.
"MOM?!" Varon cried out, running towards the table. Varon's father caught him before he could reach the table.
"Dad, what's going-" Varon's cry died out as his father took out a syringe from his lab coat and injected it into his son, knocking Varon unconscious.
"I don't know WHY it didn't work with her..." Varon's father said soothingly as he placed Varon's body on the floor. Turning to the table, he replaced the lifeless body of his wife with that of his son. "But MAYBE..."
Varon awoke to IMMENSE pain. Coming to, Varon looked to find that he was hooked up to various equipment in his father's lab. An immense pain shot through Varon's body, and he looked up to see his father's face looking down at him, Samuel's expression filled less with concern and more with curiousity.
"Dad, what's-" Varon's words became a groan as he underwent another surge of pain, and upon further observation Varon found the source: his father's hand was on a machine next to the bed, a machine that was monitoring Varon's life signs. With a push of a button on the machine, the electric rods at the corners of the lab shot immense amounts of electricity into Varon's chest.
"Varon, I'm so sorry about this..." Samuel said as his son cried out in pain. "I... never meant... for it to come to this..." Samuel looked over at his wife's lifeless body, sitting in a corner of the room; even in death, her eyes seemed to focus on Varon as he cried out in pain over and over again.
"Dad..." Varon said weakly, his vision blurring. He looked at his father's face, not knowing whether to scream or cry or just sit back and give into the pain.
Is he... Varon thought, watching his father's face. Is Dad... crying?
"What's this?" Samuel cried out as the monitors on Varon's body began to spike uncontrollably. "It's happening..." Samuel turned to his son. "It's REALLY happening..." Samuel wiped his tear-soaked face. "After all this time, I finally-"
In that instant, Varon's body emitted an incredible amount of electrical energy, knocking out Samuel's monitors and sending such a huge electrical shock through Samuel's body that he fell over, unconscious.
A couple hours later, when the police finally arrived at Varon's house, the first officers in found Varon cradled in his dead mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

[ QUOTE ]
"We might as well get a feel for each other while we are here."

[/ QUOTE ]

"That sounds great!" Samantha said, jumping onto the couch.
"How exciting!" Crystal agreed, joining Samantha.
Varon looked at the others, realizing the implications of such a discussion. He looked at the group with a distant expression for only a moment, then quickly smiled.
"Of course!" Varon said, smiling inwardly as he took his seat on the couch. "It's always a pleasure to tell the many exploits of the TRINITY!"
"You're the best, Varon!" Crystal and Samantha said in unison.

EDIT: ((I only saw the offer to "share ideas" later, so if you saw what I wrote before I edited this Post, ignore it))

Samuel Volt opened the doors to the Private Conference Area of his superiors' laboratory. The room was dark, the only illumination coming from a small flood light from the ceiling, centered above a chair and desk in the middle of the room. On the far side of room, at a large, elevated pedastal, the three most high-ranking scientists (all of whom had an interest in Samuel's research) in Samuel's company sat, their eyes glued to Samuel. Their faces and bodies were hidden in shadow, but their voice rang out loud and clear, the resonance of the room making them sound all the more intimidating.
"Have a seat, Samuel Volt." One of the scientists said, gesturing to the chair and desk in the center of the room. Samuel quickly complied.
"As you know, your Annual Performance Review is tomorrow." Another one of the scientists began, reading off a clipboard in his hands. "It was originally scheduled to be last month; however, you convinced us that you 'needed more time', and against our better judgement we complied with your wishes." The scientist put the clipboard down and clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes at Samuel. "Samuel, are you prepared to finally give us something worthwhile?"
"Sirs..." Samuel began, fidgeting slightly in his seat. "I am very grateful for allowing me more time to complete my research, but..." Samuel looked down, gritting his teeth slightly. "...I cannot guarantee that it will be fully ready by tomorrow."
Samuel watched as the three scientists began to confer with each other, whispering among themselves while a cold sweat broke out on Samuel's forehead.
"Samuel Volt," The third scientist spoke. "We have been very patient and very understanding with you for some time now. You asked to conduct your work in the privacy of your own home, and we allowed it. You asked for an extension of your Annual Performance Review, and we allowed it. We have given you IMMENSE leeway in your area of expertise, DESPITE the fact that in your ENTIRE career, you have YET to provide a CONCRETE MODEL for your work."
"Please..." Samuel Volt clenched his fists to his knees as he sat, his legs shaking uncontrollably. "This is my LIFE'S WORK. If you give me just ONE more week, I SWEAR I can-"
"We have already given you MORE than enough time to prepare for this." The first scientist said, his voice solemn and filled with finality. "Your Review is TOMORROW. If you can't give us a WORKING MODEL by then, your project will be discontinued and you will have to start looking for a NEW CAREER."
"SIRS..." Samuel raised his head up to protest, but when he looked into the eyes of the three scientists, he knew that it was pointless to argue. "Tomorrow..." Samuel said softly, closing his eyes. "You will have something, I PROMISE."


[ QUOTE ]
"You'll have ta fergive me fer interupt'n but I'm afraid proper introductuns haven't been done. I be called Arden Deepforge, Adventurer and Forgemaster." he held out his mailed hand (complete with trace bits of earth on it), to Valron, "And who might ye be?"

[/ QUOTE ]

"Oh wow!" Crystal said, staring at Arden.
"Look, Varon! A real live dwarf!" Samantha said breathlessly, both of the girls pointing at Arden.
"Girls..." Varon said, placing his arms around each of the girl's shoulders. "We agreed to come to this house with an open mind, remember?" He flashed a smile to both of his teammates. "We'll probably see FAR stranger things than this during our stay here."
"You're right, Varon!" Crystal said apologetically.
"Sorry about that, Varon!" Samantha agreed, and the three turned to Deepforge and introduced themselves.

Samuel Volt sighed as he made his way up the stairs to the main area of his home. He had located his lab in his own basement because he felt he didn't need or want outside help; he had always managed just fine by himself.
Walking into the living room, Samuel came face-to-face with his wife.
Here it comes... Samuel thought to himself.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Varon's mother asked, her arms folded across her chest and her foot tapping softly on the carpet.
"Honey, I'm sorry. I'm on the verge of a break-through, and I need all the time I can get!" Samuel looked into his wife's eyes.
Varon's mother sighed, uncrossing her arms. She shook her head. "Dear, I understand how important this is to you, but you CAN'T do something like this every night. It's not fair to me and it's CERTAINLY not fair to Varon."
"Honey..." Samuel walked over and embraced his wife in hug. "I'm not trying to punish you or Varon. It's just that after ALL this time I'm FINALLY close to achieving what ALL my colleagues called 'impossible'. I'm SO close now, and if you just give me a little longer I can FINALLY start giving you and Varon the life I never had."
Varon's mother returned her husband's embrace. "How much longer?" She asked, her voice a bit distant.
"Just until my Annual Performance Review in two days, I PROMISE." Samuel disengaged from his wife. "This is my LIFE'S WORK. Just give me that and trust me, our lives will be better from now on."
Varon's mother looked into her husband's eyes once more; after some time, she sighed and nodded. "OK."
"Don't worry; we'll be fine." Samuel said as the two started up the stairs of their home.
Varon, who had been listening from the top of the staircase, quickly ran back to his room and jumped back in bed.


[ QUOTE ]
"There is one female missing. She is probably running late like most of us were. I'm Ash, by the way."

[/ QUOTE ]

"Nice to meet you!" Varon said, assuming his big opening had been enough of an introduction to Ash.
"Look at that armor!" Crystal whispered into Varon's left ear.
"Have you ever seen it before, Varon?" Samantha whispered into Varon's other ear.
Before Varon could answer, the door to the house burst open once more and a female Hero entered.

[ QUOTE ]
"Sorry about that. I'm Micaela. Nice to meet all of you."

[/ QUOTE ]

Crystal, Samantha, and Varon turned to last member of the Big Brother house.
"Finally!" Varon declared, shaking his fist in front of him. "The last member has arrived! Now the show can officially begin!"
"How exciting!" Crystal and Samantha giggled in unison.
"Girls, go and pick out your beds in the girl's room!" Varon said, looking around the house.
"Right!" The girls quickly complied, and Varon made his way to the men's bedroom and picked out a bed for himself.
"Alright!" Varon said, emerging from the bedroom, his two teammates doing the same. "Now, it's time to..."
Crystal and Samantha clasped their hands together and waited with bated breath at Varon's next action.
"Wait... what are we supposed to do now?" Varon asked, scratching his head in confusion.
Crystal and Samantha fell down in surprise.
"We could look around the house..." Crystal offered, picking herself up off the floor.
"We could watch T.V.?" Samantha offered.
"Those are both good ideas..." Varon said, sighing slightly. "But I think the best thing to do would be to talk with the other members of this house until we get further instructions."
"That's a great idea, Varon!" Crystal said, clapping her hands together.
"You're always on top of the situation, Varon!" Samantha said, giving Varon a "thumbs up".
Varon decided to introduce himself to the Hero who had just walked into the house, and his two teammates quickly joined him.
"Hello. My name is Varon Volt, and these are my two teammates, Crystal Cold and Samantha Spark. Pleased to meet you." The three Heroes extended their hands to Micaela in friendship.

"In other news today, the Freedom Phalanx successfully infiltrated a Circle of Thorns base. In a press conference following the mission, Statesman described the mission as..."
Varon was laying on the floor, eagerly following the tale of his favorite Hero team.
"Varon, it's time for dinner!" Varon's mother called from the kitchen. After several minutes, Varon's mother walked into the living area and shut off the T.V. "Come on, Varon. You're food's getting cold."
"Ah, Mom!" Varon complained, jumping to his feet. "They were just getting to the good part!"
"I'm sure it will still be there AFTER you finish eating." Varon's mother shooed her son into the kitchen, where Varon quickly took his seat.
"Why don't you ever force Dad to come to dinner like this?" Varon asked, quickly wolfing down his meal.
Varon's mother was silent for just a moment, then smiled. "Varon, you know that your father has very important work to do. Alot of very important people are relying on his work, and it would be wrong to interrupt him while he's busy."
"How come I never see him on T.V., then?" Varon asked, looking up from his plate. "If his work is so important, and helps so many people, why isn't he ever on T.V.? Statesman and the other Heroes help others all the time, but Dad helps people and no one else knows it!" Varon looked back down at his food. "It's not fair."
Varon's mother smiled and moved her chair closer to her son, wrapping her arm around Varon's shoulder. "Varon, just because your father isn't on T.V. doesn't mean what he does isn't important. The Heroes that you see on T.V. are amazing, yes, but believe it or not, your father is working on things that are even more amazing than what the Heroes are doing!"
"Really?" Varon asked, looking into his mother's eyes.
"Yes, Varon." Varon's mother squeezed Varon lightly in a warm hug. "Now, come on, finish your dinner."
Varon continued his meal, smiling to himself.
When I grow up... Varon thought to himself, I'm going to be a scientist, just like Dad.

"We're here!" Varon announced, barging through the front door of the Big Brother house. "Our home away from home for the coming weeks, at last!"
"That's great, Varon!" Samantha said as happily as she could, trembling under the weight of the bags around her shoulders.
"Can we pick out our room now, Varon?" Crystal asked, also shaking as a result of carrying heavy bags.
"Of course, but first..." Varon smiled as the other Heroes filed into the house. "We MUST formally introduce ourselves!"
"That's a great idea, Varon!" Crystal laughed, dropping the bags to the floor with a loud THUD!
"You always know just what to do, Varon!" Samantha agreed, also dropping her load.
Crystal and Samantha jumped in front of the other Heroes who had just entered the house.
"Hello, my name is Crystal Cold!" Crystal said, twirling about and striking a pose.
"And my name is Samantha Spark!" Samantha said, also twirling about and striking a pose perfectly symetrical to Crystal's.
Varon yelled loudly and jumped in between the girls, striking an incredible pose himself. "And I'm Varon Volt, and together we are..."
"The Trinity!" The three Heroes said in unison, extending their hands in friendship.
"And it is our pleasure to welcome you five..." Varon stopped for a moment, counted the number of other Heroes and scratched his chin with his hand. "Hmm... you four? Wasn't there supposed to be one more Hero in this house?"

What be this utterance unto the Hero City?

Forsooth, doth be an Orc in yonder plain!

Go forth, ye Champions of Justice! For the Fellowship must destroyeth the ring in the mountain of fire!

(I'm sorry, am I the only one getting a "Tolkien" feeling when looking at this next Issue?)