School House Rumbles 3: Act 3. Warriors and Liberators.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"You won't be disappointed." He smiled. Breaking the news that he was dating her daughter might go a bit smoother now that he'd given her a ring, promised to tell her he could make diamond, and Josef was still going to give her the earrings.

Had to love it when a sort-of plan, went sort-of well.

"Any idea when it'll be time for dinner Mrs. Lindström?"

"Soon, I hope. Tandra is preparing a delicious cheesecake, so I believe she is waiting on that to finish before calling us up."

He had no idea what the bro code was, he'd never been a 'bro' himself. But nodded in understanding anyway. "She's right, you know."

Then addressed Madelyn. "But there's really no need to worry, she's attempted several beatings and has only managed it twice, once back when I was much weaker... I'm sure she left that little tidbit out when and if she mentioned it, though." He grinned.

"What 'several' are you thinking about? We only fought three times, which is hardly several. And one of those times was with Sloane back you up."

She smirks as Maddy giggles. "Don't worry, babe. I'll avenge the sanctity of our relationship."

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"Soon, I hope. Tandra is preparing a delicious cheesecake, so I believe she is waiting on that to finish before calling us up."

"Hm. Well, if that's the case you can start the questions now if you like," he smiled. "It'll pass the time."

"What 'several' are you thinking about? We only fought three times, which is hardly several. And one of those times was with Sloane back you up."

She smirks as Maddy giggles. "Don't worry, babe. I'll avenge the sanctity of our relationship."

"Huh," he looked up at the ceiling, "I thought there'd been more... My mistake." He admitted easily enough. "But I earned this one, so I'm not going to stop you from trying. I'd rather you did, considering." He paused. "But really, I hope you didn't think I was actually trying to steal her from you.."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Hm. Well, if that's the case you can start the questions now if you like," he smiled. "It'll pass the time."

"I would, but I think I have a better idea. How would you two like a tour of our home? There is much to be found, and it will also pass the time until Joey comes back from picking Maxana up," she says with a slight eye roll at the last part.

"Huh," he looked up at the ceiling, "I thought there'd been more... My mistake." He admitted easily enough. "But I earned this one, so I'm not going to stop you from trying. I'd rather you did, considering." He paused. "But really, I hope you didn't think I was actually trying to steal her from you.."

"In your nightmares, there may have been more, but no, only those three."

She huffs. She didn't think that he was trying to her steal from her. Frankly, she had no clue what he and Maddy were doing, other than fucking with her for the sake of fucking with her. "No, Maddy knows what she has going on. But I'm not sure what you were trying to pull."

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"I would, but I think I have a better idea. How would you two like a tour of our home? There is much to be found, and it will also pass the time until Joey comes back from picking Maxana up," she says with a slight eye roll at the last part.

"Sounds wonderful, actually." He smiled. "If your living room, hallway and this lab are anything to go by, the rest of your house must be brilliant."

"In your nightmares, there may have been more, but no, only those three."

"My nightmares are much worse, love." He smiled.

She huffs. She didn't think that he was trying to her steal from her. Frankly, she had no clue what he and Maddy were doing, other than fucking with her for the sake of fucking with her. "No, Maddy knows what she has going on. But I'm not sure what you were trying to pull."

"Well... You and I have an interesting relationship," he started. "And after what happened today.. and coming out of it knowing you're still alive, and will be for sometime.. Well, I guess, in addition to the promise I'd made earlier, I just felt the need to show how much I care by ribbing you a bit."

He frowned slightly. "You know I'd never actually... you know..." He trailed off. "Though I will say I was completely caught off guard when she agreed to go along with it, I was expecting a slap or three."

[Rhyvurg]

Takeshi lands on a building overlooking the formerly industrial wasteland, content to wait for Irie to find him. She always does, afterall.

[Eternal Torment]

She nods once. "Understood. I am sure it is none of my business and would not ask you to divulge that." Hmm, I wonder what he is hiding, though?

"Thank you for the discretion." Sloane nodded.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

With the meeting now officially over, Joey steps toward Hunter Snow with his harddrive. "Hello, Ms. Snow. U guess you can go ahead and transfer all that data now, and then I'll be on my way."

In case Cleric missed this.

[Tami]

Arriving back a little late, Rivia watched as the others vanished one-by-one. She then felt a hand on her shoulder, "Don't feel too bad, your friends, they are busy people." Alysa Tristian gently turned her daughter to face her, "Now might be a good time to have that talk I promised you before you left for the Academy."

Rivia gave her mother a slight smile then nodded. "I'll find us someplace quiet." Rivia scanned the area and found a park bench nearby, untouched by the damage. They walked silently over to it and sat down, Rivia with her mother and father on either side, her Uncle standing just off to one side, and Brianna falling onto the grass and laying down, looking up at the sky.

Looking over at her Mother, then at her Uncle, "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why ddi you keep is a secret?"

Alysa looked over at her brother, Andrew, then back at Rivia, "There is something you must understand. For generations, it has been virtually illegal for an empowered to possess more than 2 powers, and unheard of for anyone to possess psychic abilities. We couldn't risk anyone knowing about it, even you, until you were ready. Then Volkov started going crazy and it became even more dangerous."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"Sounds wonderful, actually." He smiled. "If your living room, hallway and this lab are anything to go by, the rest of your house must be brilliant."

Norda smiles and nods slightly. "I do take pride in making sure my home is as lovely as I can possibly make it. Sloane, will you be joining us?"

"My nightmares are much worse, love." He smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sure they are," Ramilia says, believing him fully. "I was actually referring to the time when you were weaker, but okay."

"Well... You and I have an interesting relationship," he started. "And after what happened today.. and coming out of it knowing you're still alive, and will be for sometime.. Well, I guess, in addition to the promise I'd made earlier, I just felt the need to show how much I care by ribbing you a bit."

He frowned slightly. "You know I'd never actually... you know..." He trailed off. "Though I will say I was completely caught off guard when she agreed to go along with it, I was expecting a slap or three."

"...What?" There are 'good natured jests', as Mr. Lindström put it, and then there's this. Sighing once, Ramilia shakes her head and walks off. Madelyn also sighs and looks at Casimir.

"I'd better go after her. Nice too meet you," she says, frowning deeply, before hurrying off after her.

[FarBeyondC]

Takeshi lands on a building overlooking the formerly industrial wasteland, content to wait for Irie to find him. She always does, afterall.

"Do you like seeing the world from above like this?"

The voice of the one who spoke to him, a presence who didn't exist until she made herself known, both sounded like and unlike Iriesia; her voice carried a more mature, yet somehow more playful tone, than that of her daughter. The woman would be found at the edge of the building, looking at the destruction below.

"I can certainly understand the attraction," the woman continued as she almost languidly moved towards him. "My eldest daughter convinced me long ago of the beauty extant in a world seen from above, though even she may be hard pressed to find beauty in what lay below. Tell me, what does the scene below speak to you?

OT: Though currently dressed more conservatively than in the picture, this would be the one currently speaking to Takeshi. Congratulations, Takeshi has just encountered Iriesia's mother. Good luck.

---

"How is she?"

Nearly 30,000 feet below the surface, several men and women- already exhausted from the work that defined their secret purpose- were resting. Of those who weren't there were three: the young man who asked the question, an older man who watched the third work in silence, and a young woman who was both relieved to see an old friend again and horrified at the state of the same.

The third was humming, her voice filled with power; it served to stabilize the one of whom the young man requested knowledge of the status of, even when the other healing methods tried and applied failed.

The question would continue to be unanswered for a few more minutes; the young woman could not both speak and hum her existentially preservative tune at once, and even the most foolish of people could see which was more important at the moment.

Then, as the last of the physical wounds closed on the sleeping Irie, the humming stopped and the young woman began to speak.

"Physically, she should now be fine," Auranoi said in-between breaths. "Mentally, I have no clue; when she, Lady Galimany, and I spoke mind to mind she refused to tell us anything that was going on within, saying 'This is something that has be done alone, else I'll one day be consumed from the inside out.' When her mother demanded an explanation, she kicked the both of us out, telling us to find someone named Takeshi Sato and tell him not to worry about her before doing so."

"Who- or what- is a Takeshi Sato, and why would she even care about him worrying about her?" Janias asked, curious rather than dismissive despite the normal interpretation of the words he spoke.

Now that all crises that she could deal with at present over, Auranoi took the opportunity to sit and collect herself; seeing nothing that they could do there at present, Janias and Garland left- the latter to let his other daughter know it was safe to go in, the former to see to the primary reason they were down in the depths.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

Norda smiles and nods slightly. "I do take pride in making sure my home is as lovely as I can possibly make it. Sloane, will you be joining us?"

"I've no doubt in my mind this house is the loveliest I've seen."

And most expensive, furnished, largest, and most expensive. He knew he thought expensive twice, but it really felt that expensive.

"Yeah, I'm sure they are," Ramilia says, believing him fully. "I was actually referring to the time when you were weaker, but okay."

"Well, you are pretty terrifying when you fight full out." He chuckled.

"...What?" There are 'good natured jests', as Mr. Lindström put it, and then there's this. Sighing once, Ramilia shakes her head and walks off. Madelyn also sighs and looks at Casimir.

"I'd better go after her. Nice too meet you," she says, frowning deeply, before hurrying off after her.

He resisted the urge to cringe. Sure fucked that one up..

"Yeah... you too."

After they walked off, he just waited for Norda to start the tour.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"I've no doubt in my mind this house is the loveliest I've seen."

And most expensive, furnished, largest, and most expensive. He knew he thought expensive twice, but it really felt that expensive.

"I do not know about that, but I am certain it is the biggest," she says in an attempt to be humble.

"Well, you are pretty terrifying when you fight full out." He chuckled.

He resisted the urge to cringe. Sure fucked that one up..

"Yeah... you too."

After they walked off, he just waited for Norda to start the tour.

"What was that, Casimir," Maxana says with a twinge of annoyance. She is currently fiddling with a black briefcase she found on a nearby table.

"I think she is mad at him, Maxana," Savannah states the quite obvious in a helpful tone.

[Tami]

Looking over at her Mother, then at her Uncle, "Why didn't you say anything to me? Why ddi you keep is a secret?"

Alysa looked over at her brother, Andrew, then back at Rivia, "There is something you must understand. For generations, it has been virtually illegal for an empowered to possess more than 2 powers, and unheard of for anyone to possess psychic abilities. We couldn't risk anyone knowing about it, even you, until you were ready. Then Volkov started going crazy and it became even more dangerous."

Rivia's Uncle Andrew knelt down on one knee next to her, "Back in the beginning of this city, our ancestor, Francois Alexander Roux, brought his family here with the promise that they would be safe from the destruction and devastation of the Great War. Francois was an exceptionally talented psychic, one of the most powerful on the planet at the time."

Alysa continued, "The promise of safety was kept, but at a high price. Within ten years of living here, his psychic powers and those of his children began to wain. When they grew up and had families of their own, their children showed no sign of powers at all. The dome proved to be a massive genetics crucible, controlled by Canis and his people. But with the massive number of people having sought refuge here, it was an imperfect experiment. At first it seemed that he was trying to wipe out all powers, then over the generations children were born with highly selective powers, and always no more than two. That was when they created the Academies, to control these manifesting powers."

Then Andrew spoke, "The power inherited from our ancestor was still there, but transformed. Often internalized, my strength and your mother's speed both examples of the effect the eugenics played on us. For generations our family produced Class B and A empowered based on the rules set down by Canis. Until your Great Grandfather. He was the first to begin manifesting psychic powers again, along with his other powers. Our family realized the danger and kept it a secret, yet the government always viewed our family with suspicion. His psychic powers were weak, but his son and daughters all manifested stronger psychic powers then him."

Alysa, "Both of his daughters died in their twenties, under suspicious circumstances. His son, our father, passed on the talent to us. And I, in turn, passed it on to you. I always knew you would manifest it eventually." She smiled sadly at her daughter, "It was the hardest thing I ever did, keeping this from you. But I was afraid that what happened to our other relatives might happen to you as well."

Andrew, "Gulliver was one of the few who knew our families secret, and we knew he would protect you if you manifested it in training."

[Eternal Torment]

"What was that, Casimir," Maxana says with a twinge of annoyance. She is currently fiddling with a black briefcase she found on a nearby table.

"I think she is mad at him, Maxana," Savannah states the quite obvious in a helpful tone.

"She really is, Savannah." Sloane confirmed.

You should've told me earlier, Cas. I only piss people off when I try.

[Cthulhu_of_R'yleh]

"I do not know about that, but I am certain it is the biggest," she says in an attempt to be humble.

He smiled, "well it's the best I've ever seen, and I haven't even seen all of it."

"What was that, Casimir," Maxana says with a twinge of annoyance. She is currently fiddling with a black briefcase she found on a nearby table.

"I think she is mad at him, Maxana," Savannah states the quite obvious in a helpful tone.

"I messed up big, is what that was." He replied softly. "It's not something I think I can fix right now, either."

He had a feeling that Ramilla actually needed to hurt him now, not as payback for a prank, but to right a wrong. And when she did he wouldn't bother trying to stop it.

He'd earned it.