Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[B4UTRUST]

Negator threw himself into Mindborn, being careful not to touch his bare skin while trying to hold him still. Prophet grabbed the nailed hand and began to pry Mindborn's fingers open to remove the nail.
"Get medical in here pronto," came Prophet's yell as he drew the nail from Mindborn's flesh. The wound oozed blood, the hole going all the way through.

The convulsions slowed though Mindborn's breath still came in ragged gasps. His pupils became visible again, though they were wide and scared. A trickle of blood leaked out of his nose.

"What this is, Ghost, is Mindborn's power. It's a form of psychometry known as touch clairvoyance. He's one of the best object readers that Ultima has. Downside is, well... you've seen the downside. He doesn't just read the object. He lives things through objects.

"In fact you're looking at the most valuable hands in Ultima. Something they don't take lightly. They had to surgically reattach them one time. Really bad case involving a serial rapist who specialised in young children. After the third object we had him read off the bodies he broke.

"As good as he is, I think it's more of a curse then a blessing."

Medical hurried through the door, med kits in hand. The pair began working at repairing the hand. The nail had missed the bones, scraping them and pushing them apart rather then breaking them. The only real damage was some torn skin and muscle. They cleaned out the wound, injected him with a immunization booster and sprayed some liquid bandage over the wound and wrapped it. It would probably leave a scar or two. But what was another scar to Mindborn's hands? Even a quick glance at them showed what amounted to a medical nightmare of criscrossing scar tissue ranging from the shiny smooth white to puckered pink. The scars that stood out the most were the two that encircled his wrists, proof of Prophet's story.

[LadyTevar]

Li Na shook her head at the two ancients, walking into the kitchen to check on the steaks. Still frozen solid. Damn.... how did Ember thaw these?

She ran the sink full of warm (not hot) water and dumped in the long roll of individually-wrapped steaks. Hope one of the guys knows how to cook them, she thought with a slight smile Ember never let me touch the grill. Crazy pyromaniac.

One thing she could do, and which her shadows were already helping set up, was offer drinks to her guests. This early in the day, she was not unlocking the booze; the shadows poured glasses of green tea and set them on a tray. Li Na picked it up and carried it into the family room where she could hear Tasat and Tholos talking.

Perhaps some customs were universal. "Forgive me for leaving you to yourselves for so long. Please, drink and be welcome to my house."

[Hotfoot]

Hotfoot had really been tired, and his last burst of speed was enough that he could use quite a bit of sleep. He awoke from his place on the bags, wiping of a small bit of saliva that had escaped his lips. Everyone else had already moved on, leaving him to wander around the house on his own. He stumbled around, finally finding his way into the garage.

The hotrod he found was...excessive. A convertible with bright paints with a definitive fire motif, giant spinner rims, and a huge exhaust pipe. He took one look at the thing and was immediately torn. Cars were cool, custom cars were cool, but something felt strange about this one. Maybe it was just so over the top, built for speed, covered in flames, he wondered if this was fate or just pure, dumb, luck.

He turned to another door and opened it, hobbling down the stairs as he searched for a light. He finally found the switch and looked around the room he had discovered. He blinked once...twice, then turned around and shut off the light. He didn't know, he didn't want to know, but right now, all he wanted was a nap. And food. Lots of food.

As he wandered through the house, he wondered if he should warn Tachyon what he was possibly getting into. He snuck into the green room and shut the curtains before flopping down on the bed. Maybe later he'd ask Argent what was going on in that basement, but then maybe later he'd tell Legacies to eat him...

[Marcao]

He spent some time lost in thought, inwardly contemplating what had transpired in Chicago. Ultimately it was futile, he did not have enough information to definitely say one way or another if they had been tracked to Chicago and if they had been tracked, how they had managed it. He groaned softly, his body moving atop the very comfortable bed beneath him. He had to stand up or he was going to wind up taking a nap, and that was not exactly what he wanted at this time. He took a deep breath and held it before he sat up, his eyes sliding over the room around him for a moment before he stood.

He stretched for a moment as he considered his next course of action and settled on waiting for the time being. He was not really hungry; he was still in the process of digesting the multiple slices of pizza he had eaten earlier. His clothing had all been arranged in a manner that suited him, so he found himself walking over towards the balcony which his room offered him. He stood in the balcony and allowed his eyes to take in the sights, the city in the distance seemed to be encased within fog.

Would they bring conflict and death to that city as well he wondered. If they were found here, there would be little doubt that something or someone was indeed tracking them. He shook his head for a moment, reminding himself to worry over things that he could control. His eyes left the city and slid over the surrounding area. They eventually settled on the pool. He had always enjoyed swimming and had he not been blessed or cursed with his meta-human abilities he could see another path for his life. It had been his sense of obligation that got in the way of things. He had power, why not use it?

In the end, he settled on sitting down on the balcony and enjoy the moment that had descended around him while it lasted. The air was cool, the temperature was just right. He could get used to this. His head tilted back and focused on the sky. He hoped it did not rain.

[Haizu]

"Forgive me for leaving you to yourselves for so long. Please, drink and be welcome to my house."

Smiling warmly, Tholos replied "Δεν βρέθηκαν λέξεις." Seeing the blank look that Li Na gave him, Tholos realized that he had just spoken in greek. "Oh, my apologies." chuckling as he said it. "I said... Many thanks, gracious host." Taking the tea being offered, he sipped from it. "This is very good, what do you call this?"

[Marcao]

In the end, he did not spend nearly as much time as he had expected enjoying the scenery around him. He had heard someone leave the room next to his sometime ago and considering blackheart's condition he thought it was Li Na. They really had to find a way to talk, Legacies had rushed things but what had been said could not exactly be taken back. No, the sooner that they both reached an understanding the better as far as he was concerned.

He controlled the urge to blink to the first floor. It was unlikely that he would be seen but he could not guarantee it. This was one of many situations where it would be easier if he just walked. He left the balcony, slipping into the room he had claimed as his own for the time being and closed the glass sliding door behind him. A handful of breaths later, he was exiting the room and walking down the stairs which led to the first floor.

He moved with purpose although each step was graceful and controlled. He had worked hard to exert a great deal of control over his movements, he had medals to prove that. In the end, he came to a stop watching Li Na and Tholos exchange words. He barely recognized the man. It was a welcome change. A part of him wanted to interrupt their conversation, but politeness prevailed. He would wait and watch, although his eyes lingered on Li Na almost to the exclusion of everything and everyone else.

[LadyTevar]

When Tholos translated, she smiled back, giving him a slight bow. "It is tea ... although English speakers call this variety 'green tea'. A touch of honey makes it sweet." She turned to give Tasat his glass, and realized she was being watched. Intently.

It was a little unnerving, as she had no idea how long Elias had been there. It didn't help that she couldn't read his emotions, so all she had to go on was the casual way he stood and the appreciative(?) look in his eyes.

She needed to do something, say something....
Luckily, there was a third glass on the tray. She'd meant it for herself, but in this case. "Tea, Elias?"

[Marcao]

It was when she turned to give her guest the glass of tea that he noticed that she knew he was present. He had not been staring at her, not in the usual sense and the moment that she seemed to be actively aware of his presence he offered a reassuring smile. There was very little he could do to hide the fact that he did appreciate what he saw, only a fool would not.

There was something about her that hinted at her state of mind. Perhaps it was the way that she had ceased talking with Tholos and was at that instant caught like a fish out of water. It was as if her train of thought had been derailed and all because of him? He would like to think so. It was nice to know that he had some sort of effect upon her.

"Yes, please." He spoke gently a moment before he found himself closing the distance between them. It was her house and as much as he would have enjoyed to watch her hips as she walked, there were a few limits that he did not wish to cross. His left hand reached for the glass, his fingers brushing against her own as the glass was offered. The contact was brief, lasting only a moment but it bore with it the promise of more.

"You have a beautiful home." He brought the glass to his lips, taking a small sip before he continued. "I hope that you will have the time to give me a guided tour of the property in the near future." Perhaps he should have said that they had things to discuss, but that would have sounded wrong to his ears. Maybe he should have said that he wanted to talk to her, but they were talking now weren't they? No, this was best. He doubted that she would refuse his offer and by doing so he allowed her the flexibility to choose the time. It was her home, she had home field advantage afterall.

[LadyTevar]

When'd he get so tall? Was the first, stupid thought in her head, followed quickly by Idiot, you're at home, so you took off the high heels. You shrunk! That was the cause of the blush... not the way her fingers seemed to tingle after he touched her.

"You have a beautiful home." He brought the glass to his lips, taking a small sip before he continued. "I hope that you will have the time to give me a guided tour of the property in the near future."

"Thank you... although.. you've pretty much seen everything..." she managed to say, hopefully without sounding too stupid or giving him the idea she didn't want to be with him. Just not the basement. Soon as I can, I'm emptying Ember's little playroom down there, dammit.

To cover her wandering mind, she handed the drink tray off to a shadow, which carried it off quietly. "Although, I will have to make a run to the grocery store or something, if you'd like to join me." There! A way to have privacy, without Collin or Legacies making comments.

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost nodded. He turned to Mindborn. "So, what did he look like?" He asked. The old spook knew it sounded callous, but he was quite eager to find who killed Frank.

[B4UTRUST]

Mindborn glanced down at his bandaged hand, grimacing. When he turned his gaze to Ghost the whites were still too large, too haunted, too scared.

His head dropped, hiding his face.
"I... I don't know. I couldn't see. J-just shadows. They were all hidden somehow."

[Marcao]

She seemed to him a bit shorter than he remembered, his eyes were about to sneak a peek at her feet in order to try and ascertain why exactly that was the case when his eyes settled on her cheeks. The color that he saw there appreciated in silence for the moment. He did not really believe that she would respond to a teasing comment just then, not with their guest right there next to them. It could wait. He offered her a smile when she responded to his comment about her home.

“I doubt it. There is the basement for one, as well as a few other things.â€

[LadyTevar]

[quote="Marcao"]“I doubt it. There is the basement for one, as well as a few other things.â€

[Charon]

Legacies stepped into the kitchen after having been examining the grounds, he'd briefly examined the basement as well, but left it alone for now. He smelled meat thawing in the kitchen, and that is what led him there, stepping up to the sink and looking down at the meat. He then glanced up at Argent and Tachyon as they entered. He'd heard her talking about leaving for a while to get more food.

"If you want, we can finish the cooking. We have some experience with it."

[LadyTevar]

"If you want, we can finish the cooking. We have some experience with it."

"I was just talking about you..." Li Na said wryly, picking up the cheese platter and the carafe of green tea.

"I'm taking Elias to the store to get more food, because I can't drive the car," she explained to Legacies quietly. Anyone who'd been inside the garage would have seen it: a riced-out, barely street-legal muscle car.

"This tray is for our guests," a nod to the family room where Tholos and Tasat were waiting. "If you know how to use the grill, be my guest. Ember never let me touch steaks after I turned one to charcoal."

She gave Elias a smile. "Hope you know how to drive a stick..," she teased as she breezed past him into the family room. She did not wait for an answer, but entered the family room and presented Tasat and Tholos with the tray.

"Gentlemen, please help yourselves to the cheese and tea. My companion Marcus will be nearby if you need anything while I'm off to market." Marcus sounded better than 'Mark' or 'Legacies' at that moment, so she ran with the impulse. The two ancients seemed to know Romans, so the name would be familiar at least.

[Charon]

Legacies' facemask pulled back, revealing his scarred face and short, roughly chopped silver hair. He raised an eyebrow at Argent.

"Marcus?" He seemed to sigh for a second as the rest of his suit shifted into normal clothing. He glanced at the two ancient dead men before going over to the refrigerator and rummaging through what was in it.

[Bloody Good]

"Perhaps you should ask to borrow something from one of the men."

"Why? This is more comfortable. It is almost what we wore in my day. The only real differences is that this is not made from sheepskin."

He kept quiet as the hostess kept busy. When she paused to flirt with Elias, Tasat snuck an amused look to Tholos, along with a very slight head-bob in the direction of the pair. When Li Na retrieved food from the kitchen, Tasat had to remind himself to watch his manners. Cheese is not a face-stuffing food.

He began counting off on his fingers. "So, Mike is the one who talks too much and tosses around that odd crushing magic. The silver man is Marcus. That one is Elias. And I believe our hostess called the angry, burned one David. That leaves us without names for the man who looked startled when I spoke of the godchild, and our dark-eyed hostess."

[Cynical Cat]

Hours passed and Blackheart awoke. He slipped out of bed and entered the bathroom. He peeled off bandages as his wounds had healed closed for now, although it would be a while before he was completely recovered. He entered the shower and let the spray remove all the dried blood and puss from his body.

After the shower he threw on a pair of slacks and a t-shirt before heading down stairs. He was hungry. Very hungry.

[LadyTevar]

((Ok, you're right, we'll skip ahead a few hours.
Marcao, PM me))

The air smelled like grilling steak and roasting kebobs as David got to the bottom of the stairs.

Li Na was in the kitchen, wearing yet another playful shirt that warned she was "NSFW", and busy chopping up salad with the aid of two shadow hands, staying out of Legacies' way as he manned the (outside?) grill.

"I told them the steak would wake you up," Li Na grinned at David. She was obviously in a much better mood than before, as if purged of any darker emotions. "Glad you're feeling better ... There's snacks on a tray in the nook, but you'll have to ask Leg -- Marcus when the steaks will be done. Beer's in the fridge, blame Elias if you don't like it, he picked it out when we went shopping."

As an afterthought, she added a rundown of the team as she walked around the kitchen. She seemed shorter clad in flat-heeled sandels, not her usual 3in-high-heeled boots. "Grav... Mike's on the livingroom ceilng, Elias chatting with our guests, Tasat and Tholos. Collin and (Blast) were napping, but they should be up soon."

[Cynical Cat]

"Thanks," said Blackheart. He pulled a beer from the fridge and popped the top before heading to the snacks tray. "My body is screaming at me. GIVE ME CALORIES AND PROTEIN. Long standing rule: super tumor has dibs on killing me." He took a long drink from the beer and set about making a sandwich composed of three kinds of meat with cheese, mustard and mayonaise.

He gulped in down in large bites, washing it down with the beer. "Gods above, I almost feel human again."

[LadyTevar]

"Thanks," said Blackheart. He pulled a beer from the fridge and popped the top before heading to the snacks tray. "My body is screaming at me. GIVE ME CALORIES AND PROTEIN. Long standing rule: super tumor has dibs on killing me." He took a long drink from the beer and set about making a sandwich composed of three kinds of meat with cheese, mustard and mayonaise.

He gulped in down in large bites, washing it down with the beer. "Gods above, I almost feel human again."

Li Na chuckled as she brought in the finished salad, piled high in a huge bowl. "I can tell," she teased. "Even the tumor's not as bitchy."

[Cynical Cat]

"Looks great," said Blackheart. "I'll try not to steal more than my fair share." He filled up a bowl with salad. "Nice place, by the way."

[LadyTevar]

"Looks great," said Blackheart. "I'll try not to steal more than my fair share." He filled up a bowl with salad. "Nice place, by the way."

"Thank you. I wanted to grow old in comfort," Li Na replied with a grin. "Still looks like I needed more bedrooms, tho."

"Don't worry about your share," she added, grabbing some baby carrots from a veggie tray that looked nearly professional. "I planned on you and Collin to be starving. There's about a dozen steaks, plus everything else I made." She'd bought triple her normal shopping list, and hoped it would last two weeks. "I'm actually having fun feeding all of you. I don't get to cook like this normally."

[Cynical Cat]

"It's a nice change of pace," he agreed. "It seems to suit you. Need a hand with anything?"

[LadyTevar]

"It's a nice change of pace," he agreed. "It seems to suit you. Need a hand with anything?"

"Elias has been helping out," she said casually grabbing from the relish tray that held pickles, olives, and even pickled ginger, which she ate with delight. "And I have hands whenever I need them that don't need express instructions." This was said teasingly as a shadow tendril rose and waggled at him. "The salad was the last thing, really. Now it's just another pot of green tea, and wait for the steaks."