Rafi & Kyle: 
Black Gives Way to Green (Part I)

Chapter XV - yx
Rafi had just finished saying it, was waiting to see what the magess might do next, when something caught his eye, out through his window. It was the one at the end of his hall, where he and Rasgar watched the young family of birds nestled beneath the vent in the side of the building across the alley from his parlor. At first, he thought that it might be some trick of the light, some reflection from the lights downtown that he hadn't noticed before. After all, it wasn't too long ago that he'd moved in; it was plausible enough.

But that wasn't it at all. That much became obvious as his eye lingered on it a moment longer.

Outside his window, at some distance judging by the way it entered through his window, there was a great wash of green light, scintillating and shimmering in quality. It was like a dim sodium sun had risen somewhere just above his flat and its light was trickling in through his glass.

It froze him where he stood.

Rasgar, deep in his throat, began to make a low, growling sound.

“I know, my friend” he answered the unspoken notice. Rafi immediately began to walk up to the window in a slight arc to avoid going directly. His moves became graceful and silent, almost catlike as he sneaked there, to get a better look at the green light and anything under it. 

Meanwhile, no more than ten feet distant: "Well?" Jennie asked excitedly. "Anything?"

"No. Nothing at all," he returned, his voiced tinged with disappointment. "More 'n more, I'm getting the feeling something is way not right here."

Invisibly, he heard her sigh by his side. It summed his feelings up about perfectly.

He knew three people had entered, welcomed in by someone. So that suggested there should be at least four people within the shop or loft. Not being able to sense anyone inside was a mystery that was definitely tugging at him. He wondered if he could manage to sense their physical bodies through their own shadows, maybe just hands or feet or some bit of skin..enough to let him know if they were indeed still within. Or perhaps he could try sensing for their lifeglows, if they had such and it wasn't being masked as well.

"I saw the light, too," Jennie said, as if to reassure him that he wasn't crazy. "I know somebody's in there. And all that does is make me more suspicious."

"Agreed. Doesn't seem likely they'd appear out of nowhere, walk into the shop, and then pop away from inside," he considered. "So it would seem to suggest they're still in there..."

And I'm being blocked then, he thought uncomfortably. Definitely not an encouraging thought, whether it was intentionally directed at his attempts or not. He figured he might as well give it another try.

But try as he might, no matter what aspect of his sensory gifts he used, extended through the darkness into the apartment's interior, he could sense nothing at all in the way of any presence. Whether it be through visual, audial...or by perceiving the light of their very lives, they simply defied his detection.

And that made Kyle more suspicious, as well.

"Alright, Plan B then," Kyle noted. "Stay hidden and watch my back," he asked of her.

At first, she made a grumbling noise like she was going to protest, but thought better of it. Kyle was glad of that, too. The situation was beginning to strike him more and more of something that could potentially explode into violence...and that was something he was terribly loathe to expose Jennie to. Better he should bear the brunt of it, to his palate.

He knew this was a potentially very dangerous situation he was going to be exposing himself to, but they needed to try and learn something about what was going on inside, and his discrete avenues of surveillance had availed him naught. For all he knew, this was going to lead to an immediate attack. At the moment, he was at a loss for any other way to attempt to gather intel. Hopefully, he'd be able to learn something of use, and not have this turn into utter carnage.

Into the proverbial lion's den, he mused.

Just before Rafi arrived at the end of his hall, Kyle floated back down to street level, resuming human form on the sidewalk off to the side of the shop windows so he wouldn't be readily observed by anyone within that might be gazing out. He shaped his costume into a simple black three-piece suit, something that hopefully wouldn't attract too much undue attention in this neighborhood for the short time he might be using it. If it did, well, then Jennie might get her wish to trash some dirtbags.

As it would have it, he missed them by a matter of moments. “This green light isn’t used to be here...” he whispered, unintentionally lowering his voice though he knew that May’s device protects them from being spied. He didn’t have any idea what it could be, but judging from the angle it must be something flying, or created.

He stopped as he reached the window-frame, and took a quick glance at the alley next to the parlor, and then at strange sun on the night sky.

Rafi looked out his window and saw nothing at all in the way of a strange green light. Like a phantom, it seemed to have simply disappeared. But even that, he found, didn't sit with him well at all. He knew that he'd seen something out there, strange and vibrant. And the fact that it just so happened to be green...he was sure it wasn't a trick of the light.

Rafi stood there, spying out of the window, mentally grumbling at the small device in May’s hand. If it wouldn’t here then he could look through his small animated spies, then perhaps he could catch the source of this strange green light. Then, if it wouldn’t here, anybody could look at them, without any barrier... So he looked out through the window, and searched any sign of reinforcement that he wasn’t crazy...

He was about to shake his head, turn away, perhaps...but then he saw something else. Something that confirmed his suspicions that he wasn't simply losing his mind to fear and stress.

“What the...” he began his question, but he didn’t finish it but let his voice trail off as he stared at what he saw outside.

Across the alley, Rafi noticed that there was something odd about the way that the hot air that rushed from the vent in the building across the alley poured forth from the small metal awning that housed it. It looked like it was being funnel, conveyed by something that he couldn't quite make out until he squinted, focused tightly upon it. When he did that...he noticed that something was actually formed over the top of the small family of birds that had nested below it. Like a hemispherical dome that had been built to protect them from the elements, it was impossible for him to determine what it was created of, from where he was. It wasn't typical construction, though, that was obvious...and it hadn't been there this morning, to be sure. It almost looked like it was made of some kind of semi-translucent haze, really.

Something was amiss, he knew for certain, then.

Something that obviously had a soft spot for small birds.

Rafi cocked a brow curiously, and made a half turn to look at Rasgar, who definitely noticed something, just like him. The look of his face was mixed between curiosity and marvel, as he couldn’t decide what happened there, a few feet away from his home. The young artist stared at his feline companion, to sense his opinion and behavior, sort of a control of his owns.

No more than fifty feet away from him, outside, Kyle stood waiting. Just above him, drifting in mid-air, he could sense Jennie's presence. His costume was slipping all around his body like so much living, darksome gossamer-thread, reconfiguring itself into a neat suit. There was a particular dry wetness to the sensation of it running across his flesh that was at once rather comfortable and a bit spooky...but amazing to watch, no matter how you sliced it. 

He was still getting a bit accustomed to the look and feel of the unusual costume as it slithered about him. He could understand Jennie's being weirded out by it, especially the way it seemed to respond to his thoughts. It was something he was curious and slightly concerned about himself, but the costume was also pretty damn cool, whatever the explanation was.

Absently, he figured Jennie was getting herself into position to give whomever was on the other side of the door, after answering, a face-full of ultrahigh wattage X-Ray laser, if they even looked at him funny.

It made him feel a little more confident, there on the sidewalk.

He was definitely glad to know she had his back. Stifling a shiver borne of the mixture of the sheer cold as well as the nervousness of the situation, he knew Jennie wouldn't hesitate to unload if she thought he were in danger. He just hoped nobody got jumpy enough to trigger a violent end to this if there were a calmer means to resolve it.

With his costume shades over his eyes, Kyle approached the tattoo shop door from the side, pausing briefly to glance in the window as if merely a potential customer who'd come down the street. Huddling a bit against the cold and biting wind, he knocked firmly but politely upon the shop's door with a gloved hand.

Within the house, he was still looking outside when his attention was suddenly wrest away from the night birds and the strange new addition to their home by the sound of the rapping. In the heartbeat before that, May had just asked: "Rafi?" in a slightly worried tone. "Is everything all right?"

At the sound, he wasn't entirely sure, himself.

He turned away from the window, and walked back to the room, to the direction of the stairs. “I dunno” he replied, scratching his head, and as he walked past next to Rasgar, he patted his head, with the intent to call the jade jaguar with him. 

Rasgar turned, stepping quickly to follow him as he went. "Rafi?" Damon asked, concern painting his voice. It sounded as if the Briton wasn't quite sure what he or the others should do...or perhaps, if somebody should be going with him.

“I saw some green glow outside, but when I arrived to the window, it was gone” he shrugged, and stopped at the top of the stairs to continue before he goes down. “Then, somebody -or something- placed a shady, semi-transparent cover over the bird’s-nest at the heater in front of the window. So I know there was something.” 

Rasgar was looking up at him as he walked, the light making strange, deep green pattern across the rosettes in his suedelike fur. He was in full-stalk mode as he walked, his body beginning to get lower to the ground and seeming to slink-sway rather than trot. He was looking up at him as if he were listening.

"A cover for a bird's nest?" Lise asked, cocking a pure white brow, as if in disbelief.

“Yup. You can see it, too, if ya walk up to the window” he pointed with a slight nod of his head at the right window. “She -or he- must like them” cracked Rafi a faint smile. “Or, she wants to divert our awareness...” he added.

Damon shifted in his chair uncomfortably. “Which seems more likely, do you think?” Judging by the way the others were looking at him in response, they all realized that it was a rhetorical question.

May frowned. "Hardly what I'd call Espionage 101," she mused. "Not a pro job. A pro--at least the kind I think we're dealing with--isn't going to want to disturb anything." She stood up, once again, the act more of a graceful unfolding of her slender limbs than a simple rising. "I'm coming with. The ole' Spider-Sense isn't giving me a bad read...but I wanna be sure."

Spider-sense, thought Rafi, and raised a brow, but not said anything aloud. Maybe later, when they’ll be alone. With Carm, for sure, he called up the main thought again. He didn’t let is sink, it was in his mind continually, as he knew that if he wants something deep and fiery enough, God will help him to get it. 

And now, there wasn’t any other thing that he wanted so much, like being with Carm again here in safety.

Damon looked like he might disagree for a moment. "Plus, I want to make sure there's a cavalry up here to come charging down to our rescue, if it turns out we need it."

The comment caused him to slump deeper into his chair. He fiddled with the jar of ladybugs nervously.

Rafi nodded at the comments of May, and looked at the others. “I hope I can handle the things fast and well, but who knows?” he asked at the end, and shrugged again.

He looked at May, and nodded to the direction of the small device. “I guess that whatnot worked and now she or he has chosen a more direct approach, judging from the knocking.”

“But who could it be at this time?” he asked his rhetorical question, and began to walk down to the parlor to get a better look. “I have to go down, as I couldn’t use my own gift to spy on as long as it is on. And it shall remain so.”

May nodded, following him and Rasgar down the dark corridor of stairs.

With these words Rafi jogged down to the parlor, without turning on the lights, as he wanted to keep some advantage for himself, looking out from a dark place to a brighter one. 

Strangely, after he started down the stairs, he suddenly stopped being able to hear May's footsteps behind him. He was aware that she was there, in the odd way that you can sense presences around yourself even silent and hidden, but he didn't stop to turn around. He was focused on what threat might have come to his doorstep, instead.

It was a good feeling, to know not only Rasgar, but the girl on his side, too. It made his steps a bit lighter, but another idea crossed his thoughts, too. What would be the feeling in such a situation if not May, but with Carm on his side?

Rasgar's ears were pinned tightly to his head. But he did not snarl or growl as they made their way through the dark. It was a good a sign as any, he supposed.

As reached the door, he unlocked it, and opened it for a palm’s width, glancing at the man at his door.

He was a darksome figure, Rafi thought, to look at him in such a way. He was a clean-shaven, young man, about his age and very nearly his height, wearing a lovely black business suit that seemed to rather become part of the shadows around them than stand out from them. He had on dark sunglasses that made his eyes impossible to see and wore a black rose upon his lapel. It made him nervous. In many ways, he reminded him very much of Keller--or whatever name he was going by at the moment--when he'd met him at City Hall. Behind him, the snow blew hard on the still near-gale wind, chilling him to the bone, just to have the door held open even a sliver.

The man outside did not seem to notice the cold in the slightest.

Rafi stared at the young businessman, with his shades, and tilted his head slightly, trying to figure out why he had the feeling that he knows him. 

As Keller’s picture swam onto the screen of his imagination, he shivered once; but if could be ‘coz of the cold, after all.

Kyle detected what seemed to be faint bits of movement from the person behind the door. It could've been nervousness, cold, sizing him up, anxiety over being interrupted in the midst of whatever might be going on within, or readying a weapon or preparing to attack. He tensed faintly, working hard to hold his ground, knowing Jennie was on edge as well; were he to suddenly flinch, she might let loose, assuring the inevitability of violence. With a silent prayer that he wasn't making a potentially fatal decision, he maintained his position and opted to try the friendly approach.

Kyle offered a warm smile as the door opened, being acutely aware of the darkness within and the possible reasons for the person answering the door wishing to conceal themselves. Behind his shades, he focused his eyes for a moment, seeing if his gift could reveal anything to him about the features of the person answering the door and hiding in the dark, as well as if he might be able to glimpse anything in the interior darkness behind said person.

The man that answered the door was young, with dark skin, he noticed immediately. His hair seemed to be worn in dreadlocks of the darkest green color and it looked like, of what he could see that was unobscured by the door's frame, he was wearing a yellow and green tracksuit top. His eyes were dark and expressive.

The combination of green hair and dark skin faintly toggled something at the back of Kyle's mind, the unusual pairing teasingly hinting at something that refused to settle into place right now. Small wonder, really, considering numerous other things were running through his mind about the situation. The man's cosmetic appearance wasn't even on the chart for consideration, though he could imagine Jennie grinning appreciatively at his hair color.

Far more important were the man's eyes. They were the potential window to gauging the man's likely actions, and seemed potentially telling.

And very nervous, Kyle thought to himself.

Nervousness wasn't good. Hopefully he could find a way to set the man more at ease.

But they also weren't the nervous glaze he'd seen in Kenneth Turlij's eyes, that night in Los Angeles, either, he mused. No, they weren't the eyes of a raving lunatic or a criminal...at least that wasn't the first impression he got. They still could have been the eyes of somebody with something to hide, though. Or maybe just wondering what a guy like him was doing at his door at an hour like this.

The apparent lack of a manic component to the man's nervousness was a good indication. At least, Kyle hoped it to be so. He could understand a bit of nervousness, being confronted by a mysterious stranger unexpectedly at night, in what was evidently considered to be one of Elysium City's somewhat less sterling sections.

Behind him--well, more off to the side of him than anything--Kyle saw what he thought was a greyhound, at first, lean and rippled with muscle. It was gone, hidden behind the wall, before he could make out its exact features, though. Standing there, in the moment before the young man spoke, he gradually became aware that it wasn't any kind of dog. It was like one, sure...but he'd never seen one--not even a greyhound--as sleek and powerfully-built as the one that was in the house with the man. Above him, the silhouette of the ceiling fan that he'd had on when he'd opened the door, that he had to've turned off on his way across the room, stopped dead in its place.

A solitary black eyebrow raised slightly at the glimpse of the mystery animal that lurked within. Initially, he'd presumed it to be a dog, which would make sense in many neighborhoods, and a guard dog more so for a shop. But dogs tended to be loudly aggressive, brazenly presenting themselves as they snarled, growled, and postured in attempts to intimidate strangers and intruders. But the animal had done none of that. For all that his brief glimpse had suggested something at least as muscular as the biggest pit bull or Rottweiler, whatever it was, it was being way too damn quiet and sneaky. And that was not encouraging at all.

He reminded himself that Jennie hung above him. Ready to blast away.

Knowing she was there was a bit reassuring. He just hoped she'd be able to get a good shot at the critter if it decided to lunge forth and try ripping his throat out. Or at least put it off balance enough for him to get off a shot of his own if it attacked.

“Hello. The parlor’ll open only next week” he began, trying to keep his voice calm and measured in spite of the cutting wind. He became even more curious and cagey as he noticed that the young man in front of him wore only a suit, nothing warmer and shades, in the night. What could he want here, he asked himself silently. “If you want a tatt, please return then.” he added.

"My apologies for disturbing you at this hour," Kyle began in reply, politely taking a step backwards so as to afford the gentleman lurking behind the door a better view of him, and perhaps set the man a bit more at ease with some added breathing space.

Of course, it also afforded his hidden backup a tactically better angle for firing if, gods forbid, things began to skew sideways into violence.

At Rafi's side, it seemed to make Rasgar much more at ease, with the distance. He didn't look like he'd quite made up his mind about the darksome young man yet...but if he was leaning one way or another, it was in the direction of dislike. The distance ameliorated that somewhat.

The young artist didn’t answer yet as he waited for a more detailed explanation of the man’s arrival, and he thought that his silence and look will carry the information about his curiousness.

Kyle nodded politely, taking in the man's expectant silence, then continued.

"I prefer to check out potential purchases and investments as best I can before committing to them," Kyle continued, keeping his gloved hands politely folded in front of him to hopefully help set the man at ease. "In this case, being that a tattoo is generally such a permanent thing, I thought to check out your shop and see how well maintained it appeared from the outside, as that might provide me an idea how well you run your business."

Rafi sighed quietly as he got the feeling that this conversation isn’t going to be a short one. “That is a very laudable habit, but as you said, it is a very unfortunate moment. I have other problems to take care of yet.” Hell yeah, he went on mentally, and his eyes became a bit shady as he thought about Carm, hanging there in chains.

"I certainly don't wish to take up too much of your time and keep you from other matters," Kyle offered. Unless, of course, those other matters are illicit, he mused behind his smile. "But if I might generously be afforded a couple moments or so more?" he inquired, noting the slight shift in the man's gaze.

Whatever he was apparently keeping this man from here at the door, he was evidently quite anxious to get back to it. So Kyle opted to try and keep him occupied a bit longer, to see if it might unveil anything about what might be happening inside.

"Again, I do apologize for disturbing you directly, but I had thought I'd seen a pair of people approaching this shop as I came down the street," Kyle explained. "The weather being what it is, I suppose I may have been mistaken, and they might have gone to one of your neighbors."

“They were my friends who you saw” replied the young artist, silently wondering who this guy, asking so much is...

"Ah, a personal visit then, rather than a business call," Kyle noted, lightly stroking his chin as he considered it. "My mistake, sir. Sorry to have troubled you," he apologized, turning slightly as if to depart, before slowly turning back to face the young man once more.

"One more thing..." Kyle began, holding up a hand somewhat apologetically.

"I realize this may seem overly forward of me, particularly given the circumstances, but might it be possible to arrange a preliminary meeting, a sort of interview as it were?" Kyle inquired, maintaining his friendly smile. "I know some tattoo artists have their own concerns about the sort of customers they deal with, preferring less impulsive patrons, and thought perhaps we might schedule a meeting, so that we might discuss matters and see if we can arrive at a mutually agreeable arrangement."

“I’m planning to open at Wednesday, as you can read it on this paper” gestured Rafi at the said text, written by hand but with nice calligraphic letters, with his sign at the end. “I already have one customer scheduled for that day, but I might have time after that. You wouldn’t mind to come back then, after the lunch, perhaps.”

"Hrm. Shall we pencil it in for, say, two-ish, then?" Kyle suggested. "Would that be amenable?"

Rafi nodded, and replied politely, in spite of his growing fretfulness. “Yes, but I’d say 3pm. I think that would be more accurate.”

"Three o'clock, then," Kyle conceded with a nod and a friendly smile.

“And if we’re talkin’ so much ‘bout me... may I have your name, mr. strange sunglasses-at-night businessman?” he asked not without some irony.

"Mr. Hart. Corey Hart," Kyle offered with a little grin.

At the side of the door’s jamb, whatever manner of animal lingered at the young artist’s side seemed to pace anxiously. In the shadows, above it, Kyle saw a tail almost as thick as his wrist whip back and forth. Though he could still not see precisely what sort of animal it was, one thing was for certain--it was as green as any growing thing that he had ever seen in his life.

And it definitely did not belong to a dog.

His first thought was how much Jennie would love that green, which brought another smile to his lips, a smile warmer than even the friendliness he'd been showing to the young man at the door as he momentarily gazed past him towards the direction of the bright green whatever within.

Then his mind snapped back to the situation, processing what more he'd glimpsed of the strange creature inside the shop. The very undoglike tail he'd noted ruled out not only dogs proper, but any of the related animals such as wolves and coyotes as well. His immediate thoughts about what sort of animals possessed long, slender tails of that sort brought him to the realm of cats. He couldn't think of any other animals offhand that might fit such a tail, but given its length and thickness, it'd have to be one big cat...one of the great cats. This guy certainly wouldn't be the first person in California to secretly have a mountain lion or something bigger as a pet.

Granted, given its apparent bright green coloration, and the level of the unusual in EC, it might be some sort of mutant animal, or even a Frankenbeast. In which case there might be nothing at all catlike about it. Hell, given the unusual in EC, it just might end up being the guy's girlfriend or something.

“Pardon me , Mr.Hart, usually I wouldn’t hesitate so much to let you in, and talk a bit more, but right now, it isn’t the right time for such things” said Rafi, opening his arms wide with an apologetic look, holding the door meanwhile with his foot. His eyes swept over the street, the roofs on the other side, and up, too; he didn’t want any more nasty surprise for the day.

"Understood," Kyle noted, taking a slight step further back and likewise spreading his arms and hands open, showing himself to be hiding nothing.

"Expecting someone?" he asked calmly, catching the way the man's eyes seemed to be scouring the streets.

The both of them looked back and forth outside the storefront. The wind was making little tornadoes of the fallen snow, swirling and rolling haphazardly down the street. There was no one to be seen as far as the eye could see. Truly, it was not a night to be outside for even the hardiest soul. Not if one’s own survival came into the question. Ironically, the solitude made them both feel more at ease than if any type of stranger happened to be passing by.

No random passerby. That's a small plus if this goes sideways, Kyle considered. No bystanders if a crossfire erupts.

As he saw noone, he felt a little more ease, but he knew, that perhaps the enemy could have some sort of cloaking device as well as May does, or they could have any gift which they got... still, as his senses whispered about peace it made him feel a bit more comfortable.

He turned back his vision to his talking partner, and shook his head slightly. “Not really. I have here almost everyone whom I wanted to be here” he answered mistily, and then shrugged and went on. “Just looking for interesting scenes of snow and wind, you know.”

"Ah, the eye of the artist, ever searching for inspiration," Kyle nodded, and there was the trace of something in his wistful smile that suggested perhaps he truly understood.

Throughout the conversation, Kyle kept his eyes and ears sharp, watching and listening to see if he could discern any other signs of activity within. He also took a moment to try sensing through the shadows within once more, just in case the door's opening provided any sort of break in the seal of whatever was apparently blocking him before.

The wind down the street howled like the restless dead across an ancient battlefield tundra. Within, but for the young man and whatever type of...pet lingered at his side, Kyle could see nothing. And that was something quite literal, too: a peek through the shadows revealed nothing in the way of young men or could-be greyhound's in the parlor's expanse at all. Through that form of sensory experience, all he saw was an empty room, quiet and still.

The lack of intel to be gained was beginning to seriously bother him. He wasn't used to being blocked; certainly not so absolutely. And knowing there were multiple people, and something, lurking inside the shop only heightened the notion that whatever was transpiring was something dark indeed. These people were evidently going to great lengths to keep their activities secret, and given that he was pretty sure he'd seen one of the arrivals carrying a staff, this setup was beginning to stink worse than a Seal Beach public restroom.

It brought to mind the notion of ghosts once more.

Ghosts with green hair and nervous eyes.

Once more, the feeling of some sort of deja vu pricked at the far corners of his mind, faintly suggesting there was something about this green-haired man he ought to know. A spectre of thought, hinting that he'd glimpsed him somewhere before. But, if so, under what circumstances?

The snow behind him brought with it the strangest sensation as it turned about the dark-clad stranger at the door and blew inside. It almost seemed as if it melted in mid-whisper, changing from the bitterest razor's edge cold to something significantly warmer. It was like a kiss of spring in the heart of winter. Certainly Rafi felt it, but he couldn't have known, as Kyle did, where the phenomenon came from. It was the light that was still springing from his sister, he was well-aware, high in the infra-red and low in the ultra-violet, invisible to the naked eye. She was getting every bit as antsy as Kyle was and it was becoming obvious.

At least, to him, it was.

He worried about Jennie's anxiousness, fearing it might prompt her to do something rash. In his mind flashed the imagery of her impulsively revealing herself, spooking the man and causing his mystery pet / friend / whatever to leap forward, precipitating violence and destruction. True, that was probably a worst case scenario, but even if she uttered something that the man or his animal companion heard, it could make the situation more tense and increase the chances of an unpleasant ending.

The young dancer eavesdropped inside the parlor, as he waited any sign from May, to know if she recognize any threat or the man itself, and he could change the flow of the conversation something more friendlily.

As Rafi felt the heat and noticed the melting snowflakes, he cocked a brow, and tilted his head, still staring at the stranger’s eyes, behind his glasses. He cracked a faint smile -Carmilla would’ve been proud of it- and made a comment about it. “It seems, I’ve found that phenomenon which I was talking about before... A kiss of the Spring, somehow, deep in the Winter...”

"A delightful image and worthy endeavor, to be sure," Kyle replied earnestly. "To see the sun shining forth from a blue sky, rather than one filled with dismal gray and white, to find a vibrant flower defiantly pushing its way past the snow to bask in the light, to feel a gentle Spring rain softly kissing one's cheeks..." he trailed off, his face turning skyward for a moment, as if hoping to witness just such a miracle.

But perhaps the only imagery of such was within his mind. Such a tapestry certainly didn't magically manifest in the cold, snowy night air around them.

His stance became less tense, but he still didn’t know what he shall do, as the young mans presence was unexpected. Maybe, if they had some hour to talk and get accustomed with each other, like he did with Damon or Deuce... but now... he just sighed helplessly.

"Would you mind if I retrieved my cell phone?" Kyle asked, gesturing to his pocket, remaining calm and friendly as he tried to ease the man's nervousness. "Perhaps we could schedule our meeting to coincide with lunch? Say, grabbing a sandwich or gyro or somesuch?"

He was hoping to keep the man engaged, maybe see if he could draw a bit more out of him. Something bad was definitely going down, something that had this guy fairly tuned up. And Kyle wasn't willing to let it go quite yet.

Before Rafi could answer, he felt her arm curl around his chest.

Kyle nearly jumped--nearly did something stupid--at first. He hadn't seen her at all and her unexpected appearance was something like her coming into being from thin air. But even before he could react and do something he might have regretted, he saw that she wasn't posing a threat. Her head simply appeared next to his, resting upon his shoulder and her arm slipped beneath his so that she could embrace him from behind. Softly, seductively, Kyle watched her fingers spread across the curve of his breast as she gently pulled the artist to herself, possessively.

Although she didn't seem to be posing a threat, Kyle nonetheless eyed her warily from behind his shades. Her sudden appearance put him a bit more on guard, leaving him wondering if she were the mystery maybe-cat he glimpsed within earlier, or if she were a completely new addition to the equation. He certainly hadn't forgotten that the guy had at least three friends within.

She was a lithe, fragile thing. That was his first impression. Built like a ballet dancer with short auburn hair, a bit of a spiked fringe at its front, she was absolutely gorgeous, he mused. She looked at him through his dark glasses with hooded eyes...though whether that had to do with sleep or desire, it was difficult to say. "Lover," she whispered in the artist's ear, just barely loud enough for Kyle to hear. "Come back to bed. I'm getting lonely."

Definitely a hottie, and athletically toned from the looks of her. If she were indeed attached to this guy, then he was a lucky man indeed. Still, there was the matter of the trio of friends that had entered the shop and not yet left apparently. She could certainly be one of the trio that had arrived; he hadn't gotten a good look at them after all. But that would still leave another pair of folks within, which made the presented situation seem less intimate and more suspicious to his mind.

She stared back at Kyle, as if to say: Are you quite done with my man yet?

"Milady," Kyle offered courteously, his gentlemanly nature rising readily to the fore as he bowed respectfully towards her, even as he politely removed his shades and folded and hung them upon his suit's breast pocket, thus revealing his solid black eyes.

"Hi," she replied simply. She did not seem bothered in the slightest by his appearance. A politeness, he was sure. The desire that hung on the simple syllable was unmistakable. Coupled with the hooded look in her eyes, Kyle thought that she looked like she might well, if he tarried much longer, take the young artist right there at the threshold.

Kyle simply nodded in way of recognition of her greeting, a slight smile upon his face. He didn't entirely buy the intimate scenario the lady was projecting, but she was certainly playing it to the hilt. And doing so quite well. He readily admitted to himself that he'd be quite distracted by her expert performance if he was on the receiving end, much more so if Jennie were playing her role instead.

Rafi, for his part, felt his heart skip a beat within his chest. Her body was warm magic against his and her fingers, softly tracing the underside of his breast, made something within his stomach seemed to fall away...go light and drop right through the floor.

She purred softly in his ear as she waited for the men to finish up their business.

If Kyle were in his shoes, he had to admit--he might've slammed the door in his face, about then.

Kyle smiled warmly as he watched the man's reactions. He knew exactly how it felt to have a beautiful lady draped upon you and making you the focus of her attentions. Were it not for the pretense of being alone here, he likely would've clasped Jennie's hand to more closely bask in her delightful warmth.

Rafi’s face lit up as he blushed heavily and his words were lost somewhere in his throat. The feeling of her arms around his body, and the quiet whisper next to his ear, where his breath tickled the skin of the young artist - it was an amazing sensation. 

The young lady certainly knew what she was doing, and was being effective as only a beautiful woman can in diverting the man's train of thought. Whatever suspicions Kyle held about her reasons, he knew her actions were driving this confrontation to a close. Which could be precisely the point. A not so subtle hint to convince him to shove off and leave them to whatever skulking schemes they were hatching within.

At first, he thought it’d be somehow Carmilla; that he wished so deeply to be with her, that his imagination created her phantom to ease his pain, but then he had to realize that it is May instead. He swallowed hard, shocked by the mixed feelings what swirled in his soul, but then decided that he’ll try to join to the deception.

He traced her fingers on his chest with his left palm, but still looked at Kyle. He didn’t have the courage to turn his head to the girl, as he feared that then their lips would meet. This closeness, this embrace just made all things harder, as the pain of missing Carmilla became bit deep in his soul.

“No, I don’t mind, do it if you like” he replied, clearly not really listening to what Kyle said. “I’d prefer meeting here, in my shop as I have every tool here, which could be needed.”

"And a few more, upstairs," the girl added with a sensual mirth. Rafi felt her kiss the bare flat of his neck and blow a bit of hot, ragged breath across his dark flesh. The act made him close his eyes and unable but to release a soft, pleasureful gasp. His knees felt like they might give way beneath him. "But those are just for us...Mr. Hart."

Kyle chuckled softly, his eyes taking on a faint sheen as of polished onyx as the genuine mirth rippled through him, "I understand completely."

Rafi shivered once again and all his skin took on gooseflesh, but not from the cold. He needed all his will not to turn back and kiss back the girl, as she hit one of the most sensitive areas of his body with this hot touch. 

He took a deep, spasmodic breath and glanced at the stranger in front of his door with misty eyes as if asking: would be this an answer for my hastiness?

The faint glimmer in the depths of Kyle's ebon eyes, paired with the sly grin on his lips, seemed to suggest that it was quite the understandable answer.

"That's fine," Kyle agreed, slowly and carefully withdrawing his cell phone from his suit pocket and deftly tapping in the prospective appointment place and time for reminders.

“Do you have any other question, or would you let me back to my own?” he asked finally, and let his voice carry part of how antsy he felt himself. He knew that his straightness could chase away the potential customer, but in this situation, he didn't care the slightest.

"Must be quite the little celebration," Kyle noted, looking back and forth between the young man and his female companion. "Especially with your friends apparently still here," he added with a thin smile, his voice calm and even, his featureless black eyes showing no discernible trace of emotion.

The lithe beauty behind him grinned darkly. "You've no idea," she said cryptically. Rafi could feel the tautness of her body crushed to his back, her small, firm breasts seeming to penetrate the fabric of his top so that he could feel her flesh beneath against his. It was his imagination, he knew, but for her warmth and the delight of her skin, he cared little.

Rafi stared at the black orbs what the young man bear in place of his eyes, but his warm smile which came with the girl’s embrace grew wider. He stroked again May’s hand, and nodded to Kyle. “She’s right” he offered only a short sentence for response as he couldn’t think anything else, his imagination running wild. 

Kyle nodded slightly, but said nothing in the moment, instead observing the pair's body language and reactions. Despite the woman's hinted intimacies, he got the impression her position was more protective of the young man, and to his mind her attention seemed a bit more focused on himself than her supposed paramour. He got a more distinct sense that the lady was sizing him up as a possible threat than he'd gotten off the man, and that she held a veiled sense of aggression ready to unleash upon him if provoked. He had a feeling she'd be the one to watch out for.

A faint chuckle escaped him as he considered the oft-quoted phrase, The female of the species is often deadlier than the male.

The young artist didn’t dare to turn his head, ‘coz so he could imagine Carm in the young agent’s place. He could see the smallest line of her body which he traced with his fingers or covered with his kisses last night. He could smell her shampoo with the hint of the green apple, and feel her unbelievably perfect skin under his palm. 

Again, faint body language that seemed to suggest all was not as it seemed between the two. Then again, Kyle had come into the situation suspicious from the start, so everything was apt to be viewed through that haze.

He had to swallow once. Ignore the thought of the stiff, pink buds of her nipples....

Kyle's soft chuckle as he regarded her suggested he might indeed have some idea after all, perhaps more than she might think.

"If you're into in such things, perhaps I can help you find some Violet Town parties you might be interested in," he suggested, deliberately seeing if he could bait them for further responses or reactions.

“I’m not really into French parties, but we’ll see how our meeting will turn next week.” Rafi shook his head and replied again, his voice trailing off as his voice became significantly deeper, almost to a tone which he used only when he was with his lover. He tried to resist, but May’s so close presence and his vivid mental images about Carmilla turned him on... 

"Fair enough," Kyle replied. "Perhaps I can find other manner of parties that would better suit you. Something beyond mere monetary compensation for any business we might conduct, as a way of expressing my gratitude for your gracious indulgence this evening."

"One last thing," Kyle noted with a wry smile. "I couldn't help but notice that you seem to have a very unusually colored pet in there. Might I trouble you for a better look at it? Animals fascinate me."

Rafi narrowed his eyes at the request, but it was only a quick moment, as he tilted his head and looked at the ebon eyes. Usually he’d proudly present Rasgar, to let him pouch the compliments, and the marveling glimpses, but now the only thing he wanted to get back up, and see what Tanya could figure out from his map. 

“You can see him at our meeting, Mr. Hart. Tonight, I think I can’t offer anything other than a farewell now and the assurance of our scheduled meeting” shook his head slightly the young artist with a mildly apologetic look on his face. If this black-eyed stranger is one of their enemies, then showing Rasgar to him wouldn’t be too wise. If he isn’t, then he could understand; and if he doesn’t then who cares, he asked himself silently. He was sure that his shop would run well even if he looses a potential customer now. But, taking in that they booked a meeting, he was half-sure that this Hart would come back at that time.

"Understood," Kyle conceded with a nod of respect. "I shall certainly be looking forward to when next we meet."

"I definitely look forward to seeing your animal companion at our appointment. Perhaps he can evoke some inspiration for me," Kyle added with a smile.

This way of thoughts made him wonder how they would solve the problem of the green-haired scary woman... at the same time, he thought that when they free Carmilla, perhaps they’d meet with her and her pawn, too. It could bring up a very extreme situation, he knew.

"You've got an appointment, Mr. Hart," the girl said, seemingly wearying of the conversation. "And so do I. How's about you not interrupting mine--and I'll be sure not to interrupt yours?"

"Actually, milady, I was hoping you might be persuaded to attend the appointment as well?" Kyle inquired. "So that I might have a better opportunity to apologize for my intrusions upon your celebration this evening."

She really never answered him. Instead, offering little more than a slight chuckle and narrowing of her blue eyes. He watched her retrace the curve of the underside of his breast with her fingers once more. It gave Kyle a sense of their definition; he was built pretty well for an artist. He looked like he could have been an athlete by trade, instead. In any walk of life, though, he'd be responding to the touch of the beautiful woman coiled around him as a spider delicately dances her thread. That, he could appreciate, too.

“I thank you for your visit, and wish you a safe trip home in spite of these awful conditions” he managed to say and stepped back, giving himself to the girl’s pull, slowly leaving the door. 

"And I thank you for your graciousness, sir, and wish you and your lady well in your celebration," Kyle responded, though he was unsure how much of his reply was heard.

And with one fluid motion, something that seemed apt for a ballerina, she simultaneously pulled the young artist in the threshold backwards and sneaked her foot around the front corner of the door's bottom, pulling it closed behind him. The wind, blowing so hard down the street caught it like a sail and slammed it shut with much more force than she'd intended. Probably, anyway, Kyle mused.

Perhaps a bit harder, but he figured she'd intended to make a point nonetheless.

Above him, his sister, an invisible star hung silently. But it was almost as if he could imagine her looking down at him helplessly, asking: What now?

Kyle found himself unable to resist offering a jaunty wave through the window, reasonably certain that somebody would still be watching him for a moment.

Turning his back to the door, but watching and listening carefully via his own shadow so as not to be surprised, he pulled his shades from his pocket and donned them once more. Tapping lightly at his cell phone as if he were calling someone, he put his other hand to his ear to help drown out the roar of the wind so he could conduct his conversation.

"Looks like this is a wash," he muttered softly to Jennie while appearing to talk on his phone. "I wasn't able to gather anything further even while the door was open. And about the only thing I gathered from the conversation is that I don't think either of them were directly responsible for whatever's blocking me; more likely one of the mystery guests within."

"Sorry for getting our first patrol off to such a wasted start," he apologized. "It doesn't look like we're gonna be able to do anything here, despite our suspicions. We have no probable cause, so barging in would make us the bad guys in the law's eyes. Besides which, we've no idea of numbers or abilities of those inside."

"Normally, I might suggest a bit of a stakeout, but given that their friends seemed to suddenly pop in on their doorstep, it stands to reason they could readily pop out again, likely from inside, leaving us out in the cold, literally and figuratively," he noted.

"Shall we just head on as we originally intended, leaving this place to be checked out later?" he asked.

Chapter XVI - The war begins

Just inside, May turned Rafi around to face herself. "You okay?" she asked. He could not help but notice that she was breathing hard, as if she had run a great distance in a short time.

It was okay. He was, too.

Rafi closed his eyes first, and played the music of the roda in his head, to find his way back to the peace and the flow, and be able to respond calmly to the girl. It took more time than it used to, but he didn’t wonder at all.

After a few seconds he opened his eyes when the jaguar headbutted his thigh and the stroked the jade fur on the top of his head, almost purring back. “Yeah, I’m okay” he replied.

May sighed, relieved. "Good," she said, looking up at him. Even in the dark, her blue eyes seemed to shine. They were still so close that their chests were almost touching, though their mysterious visitor had long since left. "Sorry about that," she said, breathily, as if her mouth had suddenly become dry. "It was, uhm, all I could think of."

“All you can think of?” glanced Rafi from the corner of his eye at May. “Lover?!” he raised brow stunned as he began to walk back to the stairs. “You scared the hell out of me when you embraced me suddenly...” he went on, shivering from the memory and from the cold which filled the parlor even during the short talk with the stranger. 

He thought he saw her wince slightly. She was blushing so deeply she almost glowed in the dark. "I'm really, really sorry about that, Rafi. But the guy wouldn't friggin' go away!" she chuckled under her breath and shrugged sheepishly. "It didn't look like you were having any luck shooing him off...so, well...I guess I just figured I should do something!"

“And you were right” nodded the young artist, blushing as well. “Something must’ve been added to my protesting, since it wasn’t effective enough” he said and squeezed the girl’s hand reassuringly.

”You...” he must stop and took a breath again, before continuing “you caught me on a soft spot previously, May” he whispered and glanced at the girl at his side. 

He saw her bite her lip gently. "Really?" she asked.

“You were amazing, girl” he complimented with still somewhat misty eyes and a warm smile. “Thank you for helping me to leave the guy sooner.”

"You're welcome," she said as the two of them made for the top of the stairs and made ready to enter the bedroom once again. "You were amazing, too," she said.

Then: "You, uhm...kinda caught me on a soft spot, too."

The comment made Rafi's heart skip a beat in his chest once again.

It was a good thing they were almost in the bedroom--amongst a crowd.

He looked at the young agent at his side, this time not so like before. He found her quite adorable and tempting, thinking back at their scene at the door, but he knew also that his heart was taken already. Rafi sighed, still blushing, and just nodded, accepting the comment, but unable to give word to his thoughts.

He looked at her, but he saw Carmilla’s lithe figure hanging on the chains, and he shivered again. He was so deeply in love, that even this short physical contact and another woman’s touch called forth the green haired beauty’s shape, her scent and her emerald eyes glowing in the darkness of his bedroom. He blushed by the thought, but forced himself to chase it away for the moment. 

“By the way, he was somehow familiar, but I don’t know why” he said with a slight shrug. “Perhaps I saw somewhere in the City, or somewhere else.” 

"Yeah?" she asked, Rasgar rushing past between the two of them to get to the bedroom before either. Rafi felt the short, soft fur of the jade feline brush past his leg as he did it. "Are you sure?"

“Yes” shrugged the young artist in utter confusion. “It was a busy day; I guess that’s why it fell out from my head.” 

“I don’t think that he bought this lover-party thing, anyway, so he prolly would lurk around until he gets something against us. I’d do that in his place, I think, so we must be cautious with the leaving.”

May nodded. She didn't reply though. Rafi wondered if that might have been because she wasn't exactly sure how they were going to cross that bridge, once they got to it.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Rafi walked up to the window from where Carmilla looked down to the entrance last afternoon, and he glanced down too, to look what the businessman did after their leaving. 

Down on the sidewalk, the shadowy young man still had his cell phone out. Rafi watched him walk idly along the way, carrying on a conversation with who-knew-whom. A statuesque beauty with green hair, perhaps? A German with a laundry list of fictitious names? His mother? It was impossible to say. And that thought made his stomach churn.

Rafi eyed the young man from upstairs, and the street around him, still looking for anything suspicious. He saw that he put back the sunglasses, and walks up on the road. He followed him with his eyes, until he heard a voice behind him. 

Damon was sitting on the edge of his seat, eyes as wide as saucers. "Well?" he asked.

He turned half to the others to look at them with one eye, and explained their short adventure. “It was some sort of businessman-looking young man, with ebon eyes, and he was very-very curious. I think maybe he’ll be around when we leave.”

He nodded. "Damn," he said, making a little face.

Lise wasn't nearly as put out. "So?" she asked. "He'll find an empty apartment."

Rafi tilted his head as he looked at the white-haired girl. “Hm?” he asked shortly. 

He turned his look at Tanya, and tilted his head, staring in her eyes. “Could you figure out something while we were down? Or May’s little whatnot prevents your magic to spy out as well?”

The blonde sorceress still had her staff across her lap, just as she had when he'd left. "You mean something like this?" she asked, and held out his map. She'd rolled it into a tight bundle, like a scroll, and letting one end loose, it unfurled before his eyes. To Rafi's amazement, it continued to do so well past its end...unrolling and unrolling and unrolling...traveling along his carpet until it almost came into contact with his toes.

“Wow” said the young artist as he nodded at the sorceress. “Definitely not bad.” 

"You should've seen it," Damon grinned. "It was bloody brilliant."

Tanya smiled lazily. "MapQuest--eat your heart out," she quipped. "Those are directions all the way from your apartment to the place marked on the map you drew. We should be able to find our way there with no problem, two things provided," she nodded. "One--that the map you drew is where your missing lover is, and two--that we find a way to get to Germany."

Germany?!?! Rafi thought.

May cut him off before he could articulate his surprise. "Hang on, gang," she said, getting a kind of glassy, faraway look in her beautiful blue eyes. "My Spider-Sense...it's going off the friggin' charts right now," she said, working her mouth as if she was becoming seriously concerned.

"Something's about to happen."

Rafi closed his lips and turned back to the street, half expecting a small army of neatly dressed businessmen, all in sunglasses and with automatic guns. Spider-Sense, he mused again. It seemed that he drew women who like insects... 

In spite his thoughts about the girls in his life, his dark eyes scanned the environment around his parlor.

All around him, Rafi's new friends seemed to be growing agitated and nervous. None of them really knew May, but the way she'd said it--with such concern and conviction in her voice--it was clear the believed her, nonetheless. Maybe, too, it was Rasgar, the fur on the back of his neck abristle and a menacing growl lingering deep in his throat that made it so. It was really difficult to tell.

Rafi didn’t turn back at first, still looking to the street to get a chance to notice what May sensed. The snow was blown by the harsh wind, almost nullifying the visibility, but since Rafi trusted May’s cloaking whatnot he stood up next to the window, almost touching the cold glass as he leaned up to it. 

Outside, the street was quiet and lonesome. From his place high above it, Rafi saw that his mysterious, darksome visitor had vanished on his way, even his footprints in the snow almost disappeared, filled with freshly-fallen snow. The wind was roaring angrily, blowing the ceaseless torrent of winter white in strange patterns all down the thoroughfare, its shrieking through the small, dark and hidden places in the alleys and gutters that lined it, everpresent, like the crush of the ocean in a storm. The only thing that seemed at all out of place was a van that had parked across from his parlor, in front of the store directly opposite his. It was two spaces ahead of his own vehicle, the space between operated by a cute little compact car that was a bright green shade, almost identical to his in hue. For the snow and the wind and the pervasive darkness, it was difficult to tell, but Rafi thought he saw the driver sitting behind the wheel. What he was doing appeared like not much of anything in particular.

The end of Tanya's stave was glowing. Lise had pushed off of her place, leaning against the wall. But, perhaps surprisingly, it was Damon that actually did something first. "C'mon, my beautiful ones," he said, screwing off the top of his jar and quickly dipping his hand within its tight confines. "We don't need to wait for them to come to us, do we?"

As the young artist heard his friend’s voice, he shifted his awareness back to the room, and turned halfway back again, to see who he were talking to. His eyes widened un surprise when he saw Damon’s hand wrist-deep in the jar. 

Rafi watched the ladybugs, almost in a rush to do so, fly forth from the bit of syrup that had gathered on the glass sides of the jar to land upon Damon flesh. When they did, it was like he was struck by a bolt of lightning. He seemed possessed by some kind of energetic spirit, his jaw going slack as he violently threw his head back and arched his back forward, shaking gently through the experience of what the young artist guessed was an invisible rush of power, all through his body. He made a nose someplace between agony and ecstasy.

Rafi watched the marvelous transformation in utter silence, watching the scene for the first time in his life. His eyes took on the smallest sparkle of the invisible -but made alive by his imagination- energy, and the softest move of the British singer. 

He found so amazing as his features suddenly changed as his gift became active, that even his jaw hung open slightly. 

The whole of it was over in less than an instant. He pulled his hand out of the jar, screwing its top back on carefully and hiding it behind the cover of the table. His features seemed to twist into a sly grin and he looked across the room at Rafi.

Damon's hair had become a jet black, as had his eyes and lips. The remainder of his body, beneath his light jacket and clothes, had turned a bright red, as if he had been dipped in whole in a vat of nail polish. The whole of that red was dappled in large black circle-spots. He literally looked, from head to toe, to have become a human ladybug.

"All right, then," he stood up, heading toward the door. "Who wants to have a go then, eh? Awfully rude, whomever it is to come barging in on us at this kind of hour. Don't they know we've got a damsel in distress to rescue?"

He intended to meet Rafi's unintended guests head-on.

Rafi managed to raise a hand with open palm, before Damon reached the stairs down. “Hey-hey, don’t be so reckless. Leave some time to me to tell what I saw on the street or to scan more deeply the area” he said with a small smile on the corner of his mouth.

He stopped where he was at Rafi’s urging. His wry smile reappeared once he had and he allowed a little exhalation. “I’m sorry,” he replied with a little laugh. “It’s…this,” he gestured up and down at his spot-dappled form. “The power kind of makes it hard to stand still. Quick metabolisms, they have,” he explained sheepishly.

Rafi nodded smiling at his friend, acknowledging the fact. “It’s okay, but please, try to keep yourself calm for a while yet.” 

“We don’t know nothing about our visitor, or visitors, just that May has some bad feeling on her.” 

Lise, across the room, nodded as if she agreed with him. It made some form of sense to the young artist; the pale-skinned dancer seemed exceedingly patient and practical.

May, on the other hand, still seemed nervous. She was standing there, her arms across her breasts, holding herself, and that worried Rafi. That was because, like Lise, she seemed well-centered and grounded. As an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., she likely had a very high panic threshold, too. If she was concerned…there was probably a good reason for it. “You don’t understand,” she explained. “It’s not just a figure of speech. My Spider-Sense…it’s a power, just like any of yours. And it’s telling me that something really bad’s about to happen. Soon.”

“No need to rush headlong into some trap or something, true?” he asked quietly, as he swept over with his stare on the small group.

Rafi tilted his head as he turned his stare back to May, and measured the young agent’s stance, and tried to figure some solution for the situation. “Okay, it’s a power, then we have to believe in; and we do it indeed. Could tell us something more precisely?” he asked while he raised an eyebrow, thinking about their possible actions and gathering information about the other’s gifts.

“The direction of the danger, or the amount of attackers - if any. Or could it be some natural disaster like a too strong wind which makes the building collapse? Anything?”

May shook her head quickly. "No," she said, and sounded frustrated for her own answer. "It doesn't work like that, Rafi," she explained. "It's just...a general feeling. It'll get stronger and stronger as what's supposed to happen gets closer and closer to actually happening. The only warning I'll get about a direction or anything like that's a split-second before it goes down. And even then--I'll only be able to react to it. Jump one way or another to get out of harm's way."

Lise had walked over to the windows now and was looking outside, her eyes slit in concentration. "Doesn't do us much good then, does it?" she asked.

“Perhaps if you take a look out on the windows?” he asked the lithe girl hopefully. “A visual contact could strengthen your instincts, doesn’t it?”

She didn't look like she was terribly hopeful about the prospects of the idea, but nonetheless, she started off in the direction of the windows. Damon looked increasingly nervous; he walked over and snagged his jar of ladybugs from beneath the table and held it protectively. Only Tanya seemed oblivious to the mounting tension in the room. Still levitating cross-legged above the floor, she seemed to rise above that, too.

“Coz’ all I can see outside, is two new cars -a green and a white- in front of my shop, and the swirling snow in the roaring wind...” he explained spreading his arms open. 

May continued to stare out into the driving snow and wind. "The cars..." she said, shaking her head...before her eyes fell downward, toward the foot of the shop itself. "The dager's not coming from the cars," she shook her head, then more definitely: "it's outside the cars!" she said to Rafi emphatically. "And I'm pretty sure they're coming this way!"

“Tanya, do you have any spell which might tell us more about any newcomer around my shop?” he looked at the sorceress questioningly. “If May’s, how did ya say?” he turned his look to the young girl, “Spider-Sense activated just now, perhaps that is a good way to find the real threat and its potency.” 

The young sorceress frowned. “I’m afraid not,” she shook her head. “Not unless they bear some kind of magickal aura…and I’m not sensing anything like that,” she explained, then commiserated, “I knew I should’ve prepared a pinch or two of Dust of Appearance before I left tonight. There just wasn’t any time, though.”

“Rats!...” he muttered under his breath. “That is unfortunate... but let see the bright side: now we know that our problem isn’t magic-based - which is very good thing for everyone, I guess, except you, Tanya.” The young artist flashed an impish smile at the blonde sorceress. 

She smiled and shrugged slightly. The way Rafi had said it even got Damon to chuckle nervously; it'd taken a bit of the tension out of the air....though there was still enough of that to go around for all them, to be sure.

“Meanwhile, to answer the former two question” he glanced at the street again by simple wariness before he went on, “Yeah, I’m sure that I drew that map about the complex where Carm is held.”

“Well, that’s good, anyway,” Damon said, eyeing his jar of ladybugs, just make sure it was safe, where he’d put it. “At least we know where we’re going, now. Now, the question’s just getting there, eh?”

Lise sighed. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “You know that’s too far for me to run,” she said, eyeing him before he suggested it. “By the time I took all the breaks I’d need to, in between bursts--the lot of you could’ve flown there yourselves in a proper jet.”

“Can you tell me how long can you run with one dash?” he asked the quiet girl. “At least you can leave quickly and far if anything turns awful, and that could be our chance later to break free or something.” 

"A couple dozen miles, at most," she replied, turning over her shoulder to Rafi. "Any more than that, and I run the risk of throwing myself into full systemic shock," she explained. "You need a lot of calories to go off on a tear like that."

“I can offer a dragon’s back to travel, but I never had the chance to test her speed, so I anyone has a more instant way of moving, then come forth with it” said Rafi with a wry smile. “I think I can talk with Skie to let us on her back, and I can place some sort of shelter there, too, but I guess that the Air Force wouldn’t let us simply fly through the country...”

“I can Dimension Door all of us, if need be,” Tanya volunteered. “But I’m afraid I’m a bit limited there, just as Lise is. That’s not a terribly long-distance spell. It’s something more accurately measured in meters, not miles. I wish I could be of more assistance, but maybe Lise is right?” she posed. “Perhaps we should just charter a jet, or something?”

“Hm, taking a regular flight to Germany?” grimaced Rafi wryly as he mused over the thought. “That’d take a lot more time than I’m thinking gladly on at the moment.” 

“Rafi,” May asked, looking up at him. “Why don’t you just…draw us something?” she posed. “I dunno…some kind of machine that can teleport people?”

The young artist froze in mid-step and stared at May. He never would’ve think to that, to draw and create something which could move them through the space instantly. A teleporter, like in the old sci-fi series Star Trek... he mused for a moment, thinking quickly with blank face. Or a gate, like in the Stargate... But all of those worked on planetary scale, and they needed to cross a much less distance... then of his favorite cartoons surfaced on the screen of his imagination: the Monsters Inc. A door into the proper place... one step, and they could be there... IF that’ll work...

Outside, the wind continued to howl. The snow kept falling.

“Can you do that?”

He still just stared at her with dim eyes. “That’d be the umpteenth wonder today... but I think I can give it a try” he replied quietly, being already far away from there in mind. 

Rafi jumped to his bed, and grabbed the relic again, spending a moment before to stroke it respectfully and with love. He then sighed, and closed his eyes, to murmur a silent prayer to the ancient tool and it’s creator as well as his faith, the ever present godly parents, the creators of the planet and everything.

He slowly began to form a picture in his mind, standing still meanwhile. It began with a small white dot on the utter blackness of his mind then it spread out and became a wall in front of him. A long, endless plain in both directions; he stood in front of it an arm’s length distance. He tilted his head, and eyed it curiously until he saw no failure on the texture then he reached out and stroked it softly with his fingertips to feel the perfectness of it, too.

He smiled.

In his imagined place Rafi lifted his right hand, and slowly drew a rectangle on the wall with his pointing finger. It left a black line after, with a slight reddish tone, like if the ink would come from his skin and his blood underneath. Perhaps it was so...

Once the frame was created he began to work with both hands, creating the ink from his soul and body, only from the purest intentions and sources. 

Slowly a door was formed on the endless white wall. 

"I'm, ah, not exactly an art critic," Damon joked, "but that's an amazing likeness of a door."

Tanya chuckled gently. "I think that's precisely what he was going for, dear," she said, shooting the Briton a cheeky little wink to punctuate the notion.

Its brown wood was polished as shiny as could only be a real Brazilian rainforest’s tree’s material, elaborated with love and care by a real artist. The smallest strand was visible in it, and it breathed... there was no artificial additions like varnish or pickle, there was only nature, art and intent.

After the door was done, Rafi sighed, and shifted his position slightly. With his mind and will, he drew a doorknob to the hatchway. It was bright silver, he could see himself on its surface, and it was chilly to the touch.

Rafi let it go, and took a step back to watch his creation. It looked nice, and it was made with will, so it must work, he hoped. He knew, if he can open it, it’ll lead them to the cell where Carm was held, or at least very close to it.

He took a deep breath, muttered Carmilla’s name as a prayer, and reached out for the doorknob...

Before he could turn it, he heard the noise.

WHA-THUMMP!

Everybody in the room looked up simultaneously. There was no doubting from which direction the noise had come--very nearly directly above the position in which they stood in the center of the bedroom. It sounded as if something--something massive and heavy--had fallen from a great height above...and landed directly upon the thick blanket of snow that covered the roof of the building. It was loud enough that Rafi had to look at first to see if there was any kind of cracking in the stucco that made up the studio's roof.

But there was none. And, an instant later, silence filled the air.

The young artist was curious what might happened on his roof, but he knew that he couldn’t check it now with his little spies, since the cloaker-device was on, and he had a doorknob to turn in his palm.

He looked up, just like the others, and tried to see by mundane means what could landed on the rooftop, through any of the skylights. 

Outside, all Rafi could see was the barest gossamer of drifting snow, melding into that which continued to fall from the leaden belly of clouds, hanging low in the sky. He was aware that it was probably that which had been kicked up by whatever dropped so loudly onto the roof, was now caught in the wind and gravity's sway to make its way back down slowly to ground. But to have been sent flying from the center of the building, over its edge? It had to be massive, he thought to himself and with the notion, was vaguely surprised that it didn't come straight through onto the carpet on which he stood.

But whatever it was, it was centered so directly in the middle of the roof that he was unable to see it in the slightest. And that made him even more worried than before--that vague fear of the unknown that could encircle your heart like some great spider of shadows, it's spindly legs enveloping it with its caress of terror.

Then: "How's that treating your Spider-Sense?" Lise asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Rafi didn't have to wait to know what her answer would be.

Nonetheless, May simply glared back at Lise by way of response.

Rafi glanced at May and called Rasgar meanwhile to his side with his free hand. The other still held the silver knob, and he felt it’s chillness as it tickled his fingers. “Could you grab my coat?” he asked quietly, never dropping the thought about the door’s reality, which he wanted to open.

Rasgar dashed across the room over to Rafi's heel, an excited look on his feline features, reflected in his bright green eyes. He could tell that he was more than anxious to investigate the new visitor in the house, sniffing with great interest at the base of the door that had spontaneously burst into being on the wall.

May grabbed his jacket, hung over the back of the chair Damon had sat upon, making haste herself to get going. All the while, looking up at the ceiling with growing discomfort....

He then turned back to his small gate which led to his love, created by his imagination and with the help of the relic of the Celtic Elder God. He closed his eyes again, took a look on the material and the aura of the entryway, took a deep breath strengthening his gift around the one which he touched, and then opened it wide.

In his mind, he saw darkness behind it, and heard the whistling of the wind at first. But then it became quieter with every heartbeat, until Silence has arrived. Rafi smiled at her, and raised a curious eyebrow, but as she looked back at him with an encouraging smile, he turned his gaze back at the darkness behind the door. 

And there was something else than before...

But before Rafi could turn back to see what it was--violence exploded within his apartment.

He froze in front of his opened gateway; hand still on the silvery knob, but the motion and the thing’s huge size which caused it turned his gaze away from it.

In the direct center of the room--a massive bulk suddenly dropped down, straight through the firm solidity of the room's roof. The shock of its appearance rooted him to the spot for an instant, like a terrible electric current had been run through his body, freezing it helplessly to see it. It was something like a hybrid of a man and an egg, he thought, in the way that fear seems to elongate time, allowing you to take in all the miniscule details around yourself. It was made of a snow-white metal carapace in an oval, attached to hoselike arms that terminated in great, powerful-looking metal claws, stood upon short, thick legs that were supported likewise by the same, though stouter, fatter, clawlike ends. It was clearly made out of some kind of thick metal and was covered in all sorts of seams that betrayed its sturdy build, like some kind of machinery designed for the purpose of construction. All around its circumference, Rafi could see that it was studded in grill-covered vents; the front face of the ovoid was a obsidian-black lens, where he presumed a human pilot was meant to regard the world from. He could see the same stamped eagle logo he'd seen on his bottled water earlier in small black face along the edge of that smoked window, along with the number 16 and the name CAPT. SCHLESINGER. Along the other side, there were more than twenty hand-painted red X marks decorating it, in much the same way that flying aces would paint their planes to represent their combat kills.

“SHIELD?!” he groaned it aloud shocked and took a quick glance at May. Perhaps taking out the squad without a small note wasn’t a too good idea, he thought, and that look on his face transmitted it to her. 

It had landed in the room like a translucent ghost; the ceiling was still perfectly intact. It was placed in such a way as to be directly in their midst, cutting the door of Rafi's creation off from Damon, Tanya and Lise.

As he noticed that, the vents on the thing began to whisper with a slow HISSSSS.

And with that, a brilliant white smoke began to fill the apartment's expanse.

May's eyes widened bright and blue in a mix of shock and fear at the automaton's sudden appearance. "It's a Phantom!" she shouted. "Run!!!"

“Damn...” he muttered under his breath, placing his left arms clothe over his nose and mouth. He was thinking fast what he could do to free the others behind this monster of metal, without hurting his home or them. The man in the shell, he cared little, it seemed that he can protect himself perfectly. A Captain, he mused for a fragment of a moment. They must’ve thought that he is very dangerous... perhaps that he is responsible for Carm’s and May’s disappearance... nay... that would be too lame from the SHIELD, he shook his head. 

Still, they attacked his shop with intent if May’s sense got out from the charts... So Rafi focused his will, somehow managing to maintain his will over the door which he held, and with quickly grabbed out one of his cards. He didn’t have to look down to do it, as he drew all of them, and with his mage-training he knew exactly where is it, which he wanted now. 

“Behind it, and through the door” he shouted, and motioned with his head the direction to May and Rasgar, while he held in front of him the card.

Rafi glanced down to it, and instantly a curtain hung around the eggshell, blocking both its vision and the flowing of the gas, too. It was a neat green thing, from a soft silk-like material, with some cats and plants on it and it hung directly from the ceiling all down to the carpet. Or it stood on the carpet, right up to the ceiling? Rafi didn’t know but not cared either. He hissed once, too, and gave it reality, which was more and more easy with every try he gave it today... 

The room had, in an instant, become a chaotic mess of sound and motion. The white smoke had billowed out into a pervasive fog that almost immediately had filled up the whole of the apartment. And in that second, Lise and Damon and Tanya, vanished within the thick, roiling clouds that spread forth from the trunk of the massive robotic monster in the center of the carpet. The only hint that they had ever been there was the sudden hacking and wheezing noises, choked-off screams that spread out like anguished wildfire within its still-spreading mass. He saw his three new friends flailing helplessly within its insidious embrace, making wild violent twists in the bright white smoke.

Rafi felt bad about the situation... he asked them to came here and help him, and now they’re in danger, not him. This smoke, which filled the room, seemingly had bigger effect on them... or at least made the effect mistier. All those noise what they made bite a bit away from his heart as he listened their suffering. 

And the truth was, he wasn't handling it much better, himself.

Rafi suddenly felt his head going light. Even with his mouth and nose covered by the cloth of his sleeve, he found that he was gasping for breath against the weight of the gas that filled the apartment's confines. Vision was starting to tunnel out at the edges and fill with stardust-twinkles. His limbs already felt heavy and wooden. What in the Hell was the stuff?

Still, he stood at the door, waiting for the others until the very last moment he can jump through, as he wasn’t sure that it’ll remain open once he walks in...

Rafi breathed through his cloth, and his thoughts ran wild. His eyes moved fast as he tried to get something which he could use as a base for his gift, a plain drawing or anything, which lights an idea in him. 

He wished some more effective power, not for the first time in his life, telekinesis or air animation, or anything more useful now than his... but he knew that he has to live and act what he got, and that made his will even stronger, to save his friends and leave enough to save his love, too.

Rafi was instantly aware, standing at the door's threshold, that he had a decision to make. His friends would never be able to make it to the doorway in their condition, cut off by the metal monster as they were. If he left, he would be leaving them to whatever kind of mercy filled the heart of the thing's pilot.

Leave no one behind, that was his rule always, but with all this dreamy feeling in his head, and with his slowing reactions he knew that he wouldn’t be able to do that now. Heck, he said Lise just a few moments ago that her speed could be their savior if she can run off, and later rescue them... 

He shook his head, eyes still wandering around to capture something which might help. He could create a hole under the mecha, using and dark spot around, but that wouldn’t help to clear the air... or, he could create a hole on the mecha, using the monster’s own SHIELD-emblem as a base, to let the pilot feel what he caused... or he could create a hole or two on the walls, to let the wintery wind do the job... but then again, that would take too much time.

And he -and Carmilla- wouldn’t have more time... 

The decision was: Abandon his friends...or stay, and suffer their fate?

As his eyelids drew heavier, he knew he had little time to choose.

And with that thought, his eyes finally fell on his coat in May’s hand... the familiar bright green and yellow stripes. The yellow stripes, he froze. Perhaps he can use them... 

The picture of a sterile corridor surfaced in his mind, what he saw in many disaster-movie which operated with viruses or in sci-fi movies with aliens... that could be the solution! He thought.

Rafi closed his eyes, and with a sigh he let out his power again. Suddenly a yellow stripe emerged from his coat, attached its end to the frame of the door, and then quickly dashed around the robot, to reach all three friends of him. It then extracted itself with a hiss, forming a yard wide closed corridor, with some transparent window on its wall, meanwhile it pushed the smoke with its material. It looked like a yellow cave, which ran from the door all down to Tanya, who was the most distant of them.

Instantly, Rafi knew that he hadn't been completely successful. Through the suddenly-extant yellow corridor, he could see that the stripe hadn't quite been so successful is pushing the soporific vapors that filled the apartment aside. Even worse, in the confusion and the weight of the gas, his three separated friends were having a hard time finding the open mouth of his tunnelway to the door. Damon stumbled into it and then Lise...but neither of them looked like they might make it to Rafi before passing into unconsciousness. And then there was Tanya, who was still nowhere to be found.

Rafi forced his eyes to find them, through the yellowy light which permeated the corridor’s texture, but he knew, that he will go back to them, prolly he’ll fall next to them to the floor, and then... all hope’ll be lost. “Come on, guys” he said it aloud unintentionally, “just a little bit longer...” 

He stood there for a second, and then another, hesitating what to do... It killed him inside to turn and run. But, in the end, there was no other decision.

The young artist then grabbed May’s hand, and stumbled into the door, pulling the young agent with him, coughing from the gas.

A single tear fell down from his eye, not from the smoke but the thought that he had to leave without solving the problem, and knowing what happens with his new-found friends.

He hoped that he can hold the door open from the other side, at least for a while to give them a chance to follow...

Through the semi-transparency of the yellow tunnel, Rafi caught a glimpse of the silhouette of the mechanized monster in his apartment, beginning to glow bright, as if lit by some type of neon fire all along the outside surface of its metal skin. He didn't waste another second to determine what kind of new threat the light brought with it.

He simply pushed May through the open door. And he and Rasgar fumbled behind her.

He had no way of knowing that, just outside, salvation arrived in the form of a shadow-man.

"Looks like I'm gonna owe this poor guy a new window," Kyle muttered, gently waving Jennie back. "Stand back while I see if I can get that crap outta there, and see if you can laser or microwave it, maybe burn it off," he suggested.

"On it!" she said, maybe a bit too loud. But Kyle wasn't so concerned any longer with the armored figures below hearing him, looking up at the blank space in the sky. There was no longer time to be concerned about any of the details...and besides, they were about to know that something was amiss soon enough, anyway.

He was well aware that his attempt was about to draw a lot of attention from anyone with a good viewing angle, but any worries over such attention were quickly and easily overridden by his concerns for those inside the shop and the agony they seemed to be going through from the gas. Knowing that Jennie had his back, should the cops take irritated notice of his actions, also helped lessen his anxieties over making himself a spectacle and a potential target.

Keeping himself in energy form, counting on that to shield him from the effects of the gas he was about to expose himself to, he emitted a minor little energy pulse to shatter the window, to send the entire thing crumbling from its frame.

It was easy enough. With but a flick of his wrist in the direction of the pane, Kyle sent forth a burst of his darksome energy. As it turned out, he never even needed to touch it. The simple air pressure that preceded the tenebrous column was enough to shatter the frosted glass into a hailstorm of glass that scattered into the corridor beyond. As the white smoke that had overtaken the small apartment began to waft out of the suddenly-opened framework, he hoped he hadn't hit anybody with it accidentally--or if he did, that they were the right people.

Well, it had been a very minor pulse, as he hadn't figured it'd take much to break the glass and had wanted to specifically avoid sending a stream of glass scattering too far inside. But it apparently hadn't been quite as durable as the double-paned reinforced storm windows he'd naturally expected, or at least certainly hadn't seemed so in the face of his power. It didn't seem like the glass flew inward with any great velocity, which was likely good on both sides of the equation. He certainly didn't want to hurt the folks he was trying to help, and if the mystery intruder were a fed, then matters would go a bit easier afterward if he didn't injure their agent.

With the window opened, and keeping his form interposed to help block any escaping gas from floating towards Jennie, he focused his mind and his engineering knowledge, marshaling his will and his power to create a large venting fan and piping.

He visualized the box shell of the fan, shaping the ambient shadows to mold and clamp themselves over the window, strengthening the shadows at the fundamental level to render them solid and durable. The fine mesh screening over the end of the fan against the window followed quickly, to ensure only the gas would be drawn through to the fan blades that began to mold themselves into place within his structure. Those blades, powered by a motor running on pure shadow energy as expressed through his power, would suck the gas from the room, drawing it into the piping he was shaping, which would carry it several feet up above the roof. There, after being filtered through another fine mesh, it would be directed out over the roof away from them, where it could be readily dispersed in the wintry air.

Or, even better, quickly burned off and neutralized by Jennie.

The trick, and the test, was whether he'd be able to successfully merge his knowledge, artistry, and force of will to bring his desired creation into fully solidified realization. He poured himself into it, giving of himself, defiantly struggling to bring his creativity to motorized, shadow-powered life. He had forced himself to the breaking point for the birds, and it had taken much of him, but he could do no less here. No, he had to do more. People's lives were on the line. He could not allow himself to fail.

With the focus of his powerful will and fierce concentration, Kyle brought a long wide mouth of utterly black ducting into being that ran from the shattered-open window out into the open air above the roof. Inside the ducting, just as he felt the construction with his mind--no, the entirety of his body, as if it was but a long extension of the very stuff of which he himself was composed--he could hear the powerful fan he'd willed into being suddenly roar to life, pumping out a torrential gout of whatever sort of gas had filled the apartment well into the frigid, snowy night sky. Almost instantly thereafter, another wash of heat--this one searingly hot, even to the shadowy composition of his body--flashed into life behind him as Jennie brought her own power to bear, saturating the air just above the end of his dark conduit with an invisible burst of incredibly-powerful radiation. Although he couldn't know yet, he hoped it would be enough to render it inert.

Even if the gas proved resilient in the face of Jennie's heated sterilization attempts, at least the heat generated should cause the gas to waft higher on the thermal currents, pushing it further up into the air to ideally disperse harmlessly. If not, well, then he'd worry about that in a little bit. Right now, he had an important task to focus on. And it seemed to be proceeding well at the moment.

The gas was being drawn out quickly enough that he was actually able to start seeing things within, a damn sight better than he'd been able to manage before.

Within the apartment, he could see a long yellow tube that ran from one wall of its expanse like a wide tunnelway, halfway across the carpet. At its end, a young woman swathed in what looked like peacock feathers, laying in the middle of the room like a marionette with cut strings. Where she was put her at the feet of a white metal monstrosity of an automation, vaguely egg-shaped, with long, serpentine limbs that terminated in menacing claws. Whatever piloted it was hidden behind smoked glass--glass that turned to face his dark pipeline and the fan that had sucked the gas so quickly from the room.

"Looks like I definitely got somebody's attention," Kyle muttered over his shoulder to Jennie as he focused on his fan to continue drawing out the gas. "Some sorta robot or weird armor suit by the look of it. One victim down in front of it, status unknown."

"I'm still frying the gas!" Jennie said. And this time, beneath them, Kyle was aware that some of the armored figures were looking up into the visibly-empty sky, vaguely in their direction at the sound of his sister's voice, raised as it was to cut above the howl of the near-gale winter wind. One of them was pointing in their direction and another looked like he was going for a shoulder-mounted mic, attached some kind of radio-rig at his hip. Ironically, she punctuated the thought with" "Be careful!!!"

He winced internally as he saw the officer pointing towards their location, while another radioed something in. He certainly hadn't forgotten that there were not only ten heavily-armed troops down below to add to the chaos, but that there were also two other entire vans and their contingents unaccounted for. Even if one took the overly generous presumption that the armored 'bot accounted for the entire cargo of one of the vans, that could still leave at least ten more troops who might descend upon their position in short order. An even more unsettling thought was if the second missing van also carried a 'bot, or if more than one could fit inside one of the vans. Either way, this could easily go fubar all too quickly.

"Keep an eye out if you can," he suggested. "We might have more company than we care for before long."

In his mind, there was no doubt. Anyone coming up here, whether troops or the 'bot inside, would have to go through him first.

"Be on guard," he advised her. "Now that it knows somebody's up here, it might turn its back on the downed lady and head up here... And maybe fast."

And, almost as if they were in some kind of action movie and Kyle was playing the part of both star and director--the armored behemoth did exactly that. He watched it rotate around on a swivel set into the thing's midsection and step right on over the fallen woman on the carpet, striding purposefully in their direction. Somehow, the fact that Kyle couldn't see the face or expression on the pilot within the thing made it seem that much more menacing. And as it drew closer, he began to get a better appreciation of its mammoth size. It was easily twice as wide as a normal man and build squat and powerful, like some kind of industrial construction equipment. It made the apartment shake for every step it took.

About the only good thing he could consider about its size and menacing approach, if there was any good to be found at all, was that it seemed unlikely they could cram two of those huge things into the back of a single van. So there might be only one more of these things lurking somewhere in the background, waiting to be dispatched to the assault. Not exactly the most encouraging of thoughts.

Yup. These were the kinds of situations Jennie got him into. Deep shit.

Cheer up, Mr. Brightside. It might only be twenty more lurking heavily-armed troops, he noted with a bit of gallows humor.

The young artist took a last look over his shoulder to his apartment, when he heard the noise of the broking glass. It has begun, he thought, and it filled him with sadness. His new-found home, a home which he began to build for his future, for his family... and it was ruined on the second day... another single tear dropped from his eye but then he set his jaw, and promised that he’ll return and build it again, this time with Carmilla.

As the end of the tunnel, May spirited through the doorway into...who could say where, Rafi saw a living silhouette through the shattered glass of his window. Saw Tanya laying prone on the floor at the terrible robot's feet.

He was sure if he did nothing...she would surely be lost.

Rafi narrowed his eyes, and turned back fully. He held his arm under his mouth and nose, to filter the gas somewhat, but that that he was able to locate Tanya on the floor, gave him the impression that the gas is leaking somewhere, and the room’s air began to clear up.

He fought to find the best decision, how he could help to the others; which of his drawings would turn out the better, but at the end he decided that his own quickness would be the best solution.

So he took a deep breath from the tunnel’s chilly air, and then quickly jogged back to the room, jumping over the pair at the end of the tunnel, right to Tanya.

To his astonishment, as he made his way down the length of yellow tunnel, dashing past Damon and Lise who were both crawling as quickly as they could in the direction of his drawn door, Rafi saw the massive armored monster pivot around on its midsection. It took a step right over her fallen form in the direction of the window by his kitchen and bathroom, as if it meant, perhaps, to visit its anger upon the birds nested in the small alley between his and his neighbor's building. Its inattention was the greatest stroke of luck he could imagine--but it made no kind of sense to him in the slightest. It had clearly had the advantage, he thought to himself. Why would it--?

As Rafi reached the end of the tunnel, before he could complete the confused thought--it all made a sudden sense. He felt the cold air from the everpresent snowstorm outside his home rushing inside as it filled the vacuum where the oppressive white smoke had once been. Now, that was all clear, the air only filled with small traces of the heavy and thick vapor. The armored combat vehicle was striding menacingly in the direction of the reason for that state of affairs: the man seemingly-composed of pure shadow that hung weightlessly just outside his window, defying the world's gravity above both the alley and the bird's nest, the snow and the street.

As Rafi saw the mecha walking away from them, instinctly silenced his steps, as much as he could manage in his hurry, trying to avoid that the thing notice his arrival. It was a good thing, a very fortunate one that somebody came and help them escape... he was thankful to the shadowy ghost, even if he didn’t know who he could be and why did he intervene.

At his side, Rasgar--not satisfied to be left at the doorway’s opening--crept alongside his master in an equal-absolute quiet, lowering his body close to the ground as cats of all stripe, great or small, were wont to do when they stalked their prey. His thin dark lips were peeled back, revealing his gums in an angry mask certain to terrify any that was so unlikely to come face-to-muzzle with the jade jaguar.

He took a deep breath, refreshing after the white smoke’s scratching smell, and he found good that too.

Rafi glanced down at the jade feline, and narrowed his eyes a bit. “You should be with May, protecting her...” he whispered to him gently, but with a slight reproof in his voice. “We shall work on synchronizing our thoughts for sure” he added with a faint smile.

He knelt down, took her into his strong arms, and with a groan he stood up. “Come on, you mage” he whispered to Tanya, lifting her carefully, and grabbed his map on her lap, too. He wondered for a second how surprised she could be, falling unconscious while levitating... but then he just shook his head with a faint smile.

She was not as heavy as he expected, he mused to himself as her swept her away, Rasgar, stepping in front of the young artist while he whisked the fallen sorceress into his arms in order to provide a spotted green barrier between them and any that might threaten them. Fortunately, the massive machine seemed preoccupied with the shadow-man hanging weightlessly outside his window, so he was able to turn with her in his arms, his faithful feline companion chasing at his heels as he hastily made back down the yellow corridor of his creation.

The young meta smiled as he watched his companion protecting him, he wouldn’t except less from him, in spite his former thoughts that he should’ve send him with May. He looked down at the fragile sorceress, and mused over her that she really is so light, or her spell is still in effect, at least partially, but he then delayed the question to more peaceful times.

He wasn't about to waste the chance he'd been given, to be sure.

Rafi didn’t spend too much time to look around, he eyed the metal monster only from the corner of his mind, to allow him to dance away if it chooses to attack him. He thanked the gods silently that Tanya was so close to the end of the corridor as he was able to walk back with her quickly. 

“Go, go, go” he said to Lise and Damon, standing right next to them, hoping that his presence would provide enough support to them to get up and walk a little longer. “Only a few more steps and we’re saved. Don’t waste the time we got from somebody.” His voice clearly conveyed his nervousness, as he knew that he hasn’t got enough hand to give to help them now.

Lise had somehow managed to overtake Damon and was very near to the edge of the threshold Rafi had drawn on the door. As he came up on Damon, his urging had the desired effect, spurring him to give forth the best effort he was capable of, shuffling on all fours as fast as he was able toward safety.

Rafi watched them crawl on his floor, with their uncontrolled movements, and it forced him to feel deep sorry for them. He was the one who brought this menace to them, he thought. They came to help him even that they didn’t know him, and what happened in the first hour of their partnership?! He was both angry and shocked, as he stood there behind them. 

Still, the artist in him couldn’t resist noticing the cat-like grace and the unnatural speed of Lise’s stride. To measure her sleek curves and the perfect bottom she had right before his eyes...

To notice the gentleness how Damon held the jar of his ladybugs even in his state, as he pushed it forward on the carpet with every trembling step he took.

It made him smile.

But then he turned his attention back to the menace, to the machine, as it walked up the window, and its heavy steps stopped. What will it do, that was the question, and that the shadow-ghost would be able to resist its attack or not. Rafi hoped that if he chipped in the scene, he did that with thinking... but then he thought on himself, and narrowed his eyes. He would prolly intervene in a similar scene and he didn’t know how to stop the thing, yet. That means, he have to hold an eye on them.

Kyle saw somebody dart over to the fallen young woman at the weird eggbot's feet; it looked like the young man he'd spoken with at the door. Apparently he was trying to take advantage of the 'bot's momentary distraction to fetch her out of harm's way. That seemed to indicate the eggbot was definitely not on the side of those inhabiting the shop, which marked it as the intruder. And a possible fed, if it's a suit, Kyle silently reminded himself.

The young man's tending to the fallen woman also seemed to indicate that she was still among the living, at least for the time being. Kyle chose to interpret that as a good sign. He hoped it would indeed prove to be so.

Kyle opted to try and keep the eggbot occupied, distracting it further from the folks inside, allowing them to withdraw out of range. Keeping a degree of focus upon the fan so that it would suck out every remaining trace of the gas, he strove to achieve another expression of his shadowy powers.

He had little in the way of time to actually do so. The ovoid mechanism was faster than its ponderous bulk would seem to indicate and it crossed the space of carpet between itself and the shattered window in little more than an eyeblink. As it drew nearer, Kyle watched the rings around each of the vents that ringed its midsection seem to spark; by the time it had closed near him, wild arcs of scintillating lightning-flashes were leaping angrily all over the metallic skin of the thing with violent and bright lashes.

That certainly did not bode well. Still, he'd gotten its attention, not that it would necessarily prove to be a good thing, distracting it from its intended victim. The fallen lady had been rescued by her friend, and he and the others within seemed to be discretely scrambling back away from the eggbot while it was diverted. At least he'd accomplished that much.

Now it remained to be seen if he could try to inhibit and contain this thing.

He barely had enough time to focus his power--and bring it to bear on the thing.

Drawing on the ambient shadows and darkness within the apartment, Kyle sought to pull them up and around the eggbot, attempting to cocoon it inside a shell of darkness. Offering up a silent prayer that the thickening shadows would dampen whatever weapon system the bot's glow might presage, he steeled his will to harden and solidify the shadows around it, encapsulating it within a full shroud for restraint. He strove to render the restrictive shroud as strong and hard as he could muster, hopefully as strong as thick armor plate to keep it contained until matters could be sorted out.

As he wove the shadows about it, Kyle's artistry and playfulness edged their way into the equation, shaping the shadowy containment vessel for the bot into a large egg, replete with Faberge-style etchings arrayed across its outer surface.

Both men--Kyle outside the window and Rafi from its opposite side--saw the massive ebon egg flash into being. All over its face, elegant curves and rises of shadow implying finely-crafted jewel and silk ornamentation, became apparent--the darkness of each making it seem like a relief-sculpture of pure onyx. It surrounded the armored vehicle completely, ensconcing its entirety from ceiling to floor; it seemed to make the thing vanish into the darkness for the way it swept over its ominous white mass.

Gotcha.. I hope, Kyle mused as his shadows enwrapped the target.

Rafi raised an eyebrow as he saw the huge eye became reality. Obviously, the shadow-ghost of a man had some nice power with the darkness, and he was able to solidify them, just like he did with his illusions lately.

This reminded him to the cover over the bird’s nest, and he knew that he found at least one of his visitors, but not the one with the green light, so another one must be hiding somewhere yet. The two of them would be enough to escape from the war-armor, hopefully.

But Rafi had seen how easily it had slid, like a pale ghost of a machine, through the ceiling. And while his mysterious benefactor seemed intent on concentrating on making sure its escape would be as impossible as he could manage....

...only the young artist knew that despite his power--it might well not matter.

Rafi took a glance at his friends, who were almost at the door, and decided that they’ll reach it within seconds. He let the yellow corridor fall into the nothingness from where it came from, and then focused his own power on the remains of the window. 

He remembered well how it looks, where the nails and screws were in it, just like the sealant. Those tiny things now became alive, and marched out from their frame, and then climbed down from the ledge, quickly forming a short message which the robot couldn’t see. 

“IT CAN SLIDE THROUGH WALLS AND ALIKE. BE AWARE AND THNX”

He then turned back to the door, and hurried through it after his friends.

The mysterious message struck a chord of anxiety within Kyle. He recalled how the intruder had left no obvious signs of forced entry after landing atop the roof. This confirmed his nagging fears, that it indeed had some way of slipping through the roof without breaking through. The message was not a good omen.

On the other hand, the message did reveal something of note: at least one person within was appreciative of the aid, and trying to render what aid they could in return by tipping him off where the 'bot couldn't see. He smiled internally as the thought brought forth recollections of the stories he'd heard as a child... Lot's excursion into Sodom and Gomorrah, if he recalled correctly.

And if I find but one good man within? the question had been asked of God. Then shall I spare them, for they will have been proven worthy, God had replied. In this moment, Kyle understood a slight bit of that. A single act of courtesy proved that the folks inside weren't all bad, and at least somewhat validated the side he'd chosen to aid.

With the touch of his mind, Kyle reached out and swept a bit of shadow across the displayed warning and gratitude, a subtle show that the message had been received, even as he braced himself for the prospects of attack from either the eggbot, or the troops below.

"Intel suggests this 'bot may be able to ghost through physical obstacles," he advised Jennie. "So stay sharp."

“Yeah?” Jennie snarled from behind him. “Well, it’s not alone.”

At first, Kyle thought she meant the 'bot had backup that had just arrived on the scene. He nervously cast about, anxiously searching for some telltale glimpse or waver to alert him to the incipient threat.

And from somewhere above and behind him, Kyle felt a massive wash of heat pass directly over his head, a tremendous fury of Jennie’s invisible anger sent screaming in a focused torrent directly towards the egg-shaped armor in the house, beginning to reach out toward Kyle, itself. It’s pilot had dared to threaten her brother and lover with its movement.

And that was a terrible, terrible mistake.

His emotions were awash in a mixture of relief and further anxiety as he realized Jennie was the source of the wave of scorching heat. He was definitely glad that there wasn't another looming threat immediately at hand; the eggbot slipping through his containment was bad enough. However, the fact that Jennie was riled up enough for such a searing blast worried him. She rarely got that pissed, and that did not bode well.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a little swell of pride over having such formidable backup. And he knew, were the situation reversed, his fury at anything that dared to threaten her would be frightening to behold as well.

It took him a second to realize what had happened, at first. In one moment, the metal monstrosity was reaching out for him--and in the next, it was holding up its hands, much as one does to protect their eyes from a bright light. Instantly, the white paint on the metal’s surface began to blister and peel, melting and cinching up on itself as it turned to a smoldering black. The smoked glass that protected its pilot began to pop and sizzle, cracking hairline all along its edge and the skin of it, electrified and arcing, started to spark even more violently, like tinfoil in a microwave.

Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark, he mused, even as he winced a bit for the thought of a possible pilot within the eggbot. He actually kind of hoped it was a remote-operated device. That way, the operator would likely only get a bad case of flash blinding. If it was an armored suit, then the person inside wasn't going to be very happy. As he watched the bot sparkle and sizzle, he hoped whomever might be inside didn't get singed too badly. It was a rather potent blast after all.

All of it, right through the wall, Kyle marvelled. And the engineer within him instantly realized that she’d shot the frequency of her light right through the roof; she’d bathed him in a flash of tightly attenuated X-Ray. And tangible or not…the thing still was vulnerable to the radiation that made it visible, to begin with. The same radiation that Jennie was using to poach the egg that had threatened him.

Quick, effective thinking on her part. Damn, he was proud of her.

The armoured vehicle was floundering, reeling, stumbling backwards in retreat.

His sympathies for the prospective pilot were somewhat mitigated by the fact they'd chosen not to identify themselves. Bad form for law enforcement, to be certain. It had been glowing and sparking with some sort of energy when it had reached for him, so it was understandable they'd react to the imminent and possibly lethal threat. Granted, the cops might not see it that way, but they weren't quite at that bridge just yet.

Kyle definitely had the advantage now, to be sure.

"Ease up," Kyle suggested to Jennie, though he was fairly certain she already was. "We're the good guys, so we wanna give him the chance to stand down... So you don't have to blast his armored carcass out the front door into his buddies' laps." His tone conveyed his pride in her quick and potent strike.

It was true, too. The eggbot, its pilot obviously reeling within its shell from the sheer ferocity of Jennie’s invisible wrath made manifest, was still staggering backwards, its arms limp and flailing as it went. If it weren’t for how squat and stout its legs were, Kyle was convinced it would’ve toppled right over; it was a good thing, considering how much it probably weighed, it might’ve gone straight through the apartment’s floor.

He already owed the guy for a new window, and for whatever weather-related cleanup costs might be incurred in the interim until it could be replaced. He certainly didn't relish the prospect of coughing up the cash for potential repairs from the bot stumbling about like a drunk and blinded rhino. Perhaps he'd simply let the fault rest on the feds for any damages of that nature, given it was a direct result of their over-aggressive tinker-toy.

At the sound of his voice, the popping and rampant sparking all along the armor’s surface ceased, as his sister cut her unseen assault short. The way the vehicle was reacting, though Kyle silently hoped once more that Jennie hadn’t just pushed the envelope too far in her protective rage. For now, though, there was no way to be sure.

He prayed the pilot within wasn't hurt too bad from the burst. That would be something he'd have to see about checking on at a later time, preferably when things had since been smoothed over. As for the bot itself, the feds would just have to chalk that up to learning a lesson the hard way.. Namely, don't piss off Crystal!

No more than fifty feet distant, Rafi was rushing through an opened door.

Headlong into mystery.

Bailing on us, after we helped? Cold... Kyle considered, as the last of the shop inhabitants seemed to be on the verge of vanishing.

Before he took the last step, he glanced back over his shoulder, to take a last look at his apartment, as he wasn’t sure that he cloud return here easily. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed the dark-covered mechanoid thrashing and retreat. That ghost at his window must’ve some nasty and strong powers, indeed, he thought. Again, he was glad that he arrived and gave them the opportunity to leave undisturbed - well, at least in whole.

Kyle noticed the young man look back and smiled, though no telltale line crossed his ebon features. Apparently the guy wasn't totally ignoring them on his way out. That was good. It reaffirmed his earlier notion that this particular guy at least might be a fairly decent sort. Even if circumstances were compelling him to leave quickly, he at least afforded them some consideration with that backward glance. And Kyle appreciated that.

“Wait!” Jennie yelled, trying to get his attention, though she still remained invisible. “We’re here to help--!” But the young man with the dark green dreadlocks just kept on moving as if it were a matter of life and death before him.

For all Kyle knew, maybe it was.

The young man had seemed anxious to tend to something when he'd confronted him at the door. Whatever it was apparently still loomed large in his thoughts. If these people turned out to be good sorts, and circumstances permitted, maybe he could see if there were any way he and Jennie might be able to help.

If it turned out to be a matter of ill repute, then they just might find a pair of dedicated heroes dogging their steps and watching them warily.

He turned his stare back to the cave he carved onto his wall, through the nothingness. The others were before him, he could sense them in an odd way, like you know where is your face and limbs even in the deepest darkness, coz’ they belong to you. He was alike with his creations as long they existed. They were his parts, distant and light, but they were there.

"Looks like the locals are cutting out," Kyle noted to Jennie. "We might wanna consider the same, so as to avoid being stuck here with a bunch of very pissed off guys with guns..."

Rafi stepped inside and began his stride after the group, with his faithful friend on his side, and carrying the unconscious sorceress in his hands. How will they awake her, he didn’t know yet, as he had no idea where his gift lead them, but he walked with straight spine on a manly way, to rescue the girl he loved.

Ahead of him, the others were gone, as if vanished into thin air. They had already crossed the threshold created by his power into…who could say where? Rafi himself wasn’t sure whether or not his power had worked as it was intended. All he could do was guess--and hope--that it functioned as it was intended. But one thing was for certain either way: he was going to follow his friends onto wherever the door did lead to.

Hopefully…that was someplace in Germany. Onto the trail of a beautiful green scorpion.

As Rafi strode forward through the short corridor behind the door, his thoughts swarmed around the situation. Did he heard some cry when he jumped into the door? He wasn’t sure about it, but this was the lesser amongst his problems.

So far the last hour of the day was amazing and shocking in the same time. He still couldn’t believe that anybody from the SHIELD attacked them, in spite that their own agent was there with Rafi. His gift reached new horizons as it negated the distance when allowed him to sense through the image on Carmilla’s back. And now… he was in the void, walking to somewhere in a real cave what was created by his gift… it took all of his will to focus on it, and not let cease the wonder.

Kyle cocked his head slightly, as if making certain he indeed saw what he thought he did. Sure enough, it appeared the green-haired young man who'd passed through the door just a moment ago had left it open. Obviously he wouldn't have wanted to leave such a sterling invite to their assailant, so that left the idea that he'd left it open for the mysterious benefactor who'd aided him and his friends.

"Looks like we might've just received an invitation," Kyle remarked to Jennie, nodding his head towards the open door on the apartment's far wall. "I'm thinking that might be a good way to scoot outta here, as well as maybe follow and keep tabs on our mystery shop folks."

"What say you, my dear? Shall we accept, and mayhap learn a bit more about the folks we just helped?"

She wasted no time at all in giving her response. “Hells, yeah!” she said, the wash of heat that rolled above him like an invisible flame hinting that she was already well on her way when she said it. When she spoke again, she confirmed it, her voice halfway across the length of the room. “I don’t plan on sticking around for the rest of the egg-brigade to show up--not to mention find out if we picked the right side or not!”

He chuckled slightly as he followed. Good thing he'd already planned on bringing up the rear, since Jennie had quickly stuck him with it.

Not that he blamed her. He sure as hell didn't want to wait for the damaged eggbot to recover its equilibrium, let alone return to the brawl backed by reinforcements.

It was a good point, he thought. If they had chosen unwisely, maybe the fact that they were pursuing the bad guys would look good in the wake of the inevitable fallout that he was sure to come. In any case, this was not a finished affair. Following them was the only thing that made any kind of sense.

One way or another, they had to follow the mysterious group from the tat shop. If they were innocent and good folks, then they might still need help in the wake of the bot's gas attack. If earlier suspicions proved true and they were up to no good, then they'd have to be brought down.

Either way, a better option than sitting around and hoping to assuage a bunch of ticked off feds with mere words.

"After you, of course," he offered courteously, allowing her to readily take the lead if she wished to follow the green-haired young man.

He thought she might be intrigued by his hair color at the very least, figuring she had to have noticed it.

As Rafi stepped into blackness, he saw a flash of green out of the corner of his eye. And then…he was gone.

Kyle and Jennie were only two steps behind.

Chapter XVII - The Final Gathering

The doorway slammed shut just behind him.

Any little thing that might help slow pursuit by angry cops was a good thing in Kyle's mind at this point.

The three of them stepped out of the apartment, and immediately found themselves surrounded by a circular wall of perfect white. Their feet crunched under frozen blades of grass and their breaths became long, rolling plumes of fog, like the whispers of ancient white dragons, slumbering in dreams of eternal winters.

Kyle looked about in surprise, blinking a bit as he took in the scene before him. Apparently someone in the group had teleportation powers, and a method of transit much less unpleasant than his own. Granted, the unpleasantness of his was likely due to his utterly minimal practice, since Jennie had appeared none the worse for wear after the series of jaunts. Aside from the whole ending up in the fountain routine they'd had to endure.

Damn good thing we followed 'em, Kyle mused. Else we'd have lost 'em completely.

Rafi froze on his tracks, quite literally, not far from the door which lead him here. “Snow?” he asked in surprise shivering in the cold as it struck him through his clothes. 

It took them a moment to realize that they were in a crater, after a fact. Somehow, it had been carved in snow so deep that it reached well over the tallest one of their heads, forming a small pocket in its depth. Above them, in that small refuge from the wind, dark grey clouds hung low over their heads; the only thing at all familiar about their new locale.

Kyle's first thoughts were that they were out of immediate sight of anything that might lie around the crater. So too, unfortunately, was everything thusly out of their sight as well. Surveillance was going to be needed in short order, if they could manage to come to some sort of truce with the folks they'd followed.

“Where the hell we are?” he glanced at the others, looking around to see if everybody had made it, and if yes, had made it as a whole.

Damon grinned, in spite of his chattering teeth. Kyle thought that the man, in spite of his red skin, polka-dotted in deep black spots, actually looked somehow familiar, though he couldn't place from where. "G-g-germany?" he asked. Rafi. "I h-h-hope?"

Kyle quirked a brow slightly as he regarded the man and his response. His brief considerations as to where he might have seen the man before were quickly rerouted by his evident expectations of being in Germany; apparently the location of whatever mysterious business they were up to. If they were indeed in Germany, then that meant their teleporter had at least as good a range as he did.

While he wasn't exactly relishing the idea, Germany was still within his general range if he and Jennie needed to get away from these folks fast. A sequential series of jaunts, and painful for him, to be certain, but doable should the need arise.

"Away from the bot, for now. So that's at least a small plus," Kyle commented, even knowing the question had not been directed at him.

As he spoke, he shifted back into costumed human form, complete with shades, hoping that it might prove at least a tiny bit more alleviating to the situation than being confronted with a walking bundle of energy.

"Yeah" he replied as at first he didn’t recognize the source of the voice, but then it fell for him, too, that it came from behind his back. It took few seconds until he counted the people in the pit.

Having calmly announced his and Jennie's presence with his remark, Kyle opted for silence in the following moments. He knew this would be the tensest and most anxiety-ridden time that followed, as the larger group took in the presence of their uninvited guests and decided how to react. He intended to act as calmly and politely as possible, to hopefully minimize the chances of provoking hostilities.

It took them a moment to realize that they were in a crater, after a fact. Somehow, it had been carved in snow so deep that it reached well over the tallest one of their heads, forming a small pocket in its depth. Above them, in that small refuge from the wind, dark grey clouds hung low over their heads; the only thing at all familiar about their new locale.

The five of them had become seven now. Rafi still cradled Tanya, the blonde sorceress, in her arms while faithful Rasgar sat at his heel, looking all around himself with wide green eyes at the new world that surrounded them. Damon sat at the edge of the small circle, cuddling his jar of ladybugs close to his stomach, under his shirt, in an attempt to keep them warm; Lise, pale as the very snow, was like a frozen lily at his side. Her eyes were fixed on the two newcomers into their midst with eyes that made it instantly apparent that she didn’t recognize them at all.

But Rafi, to his shock did. How could he forget the darksome man amongst them, seen only a handful of minutes before, at the front of his doorstep?

Or the breathtaking woman with hair as green as spring--from the Mall, just earlier?

“You” he managed to say it first as his stare fell on the young man, and with this word, he stepped closer to May and to the others, turning face to face with the two newcomers. His voice carried surprise and a bit uneasiness, as he couldn’t left his mistrust in this very little time.

May made a little face. "Looks like the jig's up," she determined, her voice turning into a long breath of frost on the air between them before the harsh wind swept it away.

Kyle wasn't entirely certain which was colder and sharper: the wind itself, or the tone conveyed by the lady's facial expression and words as her comment plumed forth. To forestall any sharp words issuing forth from himself in response to her seemingly tense and short remark, Kyle simply offered her a warm smile and polite bow of acknowledgment.

"Seems our next meeting is earlier than originally scheduled," Kyle offered to the green-haired young man with a warm smile, courteously maintaining his distance as he noted the man's suspicion and defensiveness.

Rafi nodded as a way of response, but his stance didn’t ease up yet. “I’d say much earlier than that, and in a much less comfortable environment as should be.” His breath created small clouds in front of him as he talked.

"Indeed," Kyle agreed, getting the feeling he was referring to more than the mere weather in terms of discomfit. Well, at least the weather portion might be handled a bit easier, thanks to Jennie's gifts.

"Any chance you might be able to help that gentleman keep his little friends warm?" Kyle inquired of Jennie, nodding his head towards the man who sat huddled with a jar of what appeared to be bugs of some sort -- Kyle could make out the tiny crawling forms a bit, but it was difficult to see much more, given the way the man's arms were wrapped protectively about the jar.

"Yeah," Jennie said, smiling brightly, adding cheerfully: "Winter sucks, anyhow." It made Damon utter a chattering little laugh to himself after she said it. For his part, Rafi was wondering at the girl's costume--a thin, bright green ensemble that covered precious little more than a risque bikini might--how it was that she wasn't freezing to death in the face of the falling snow and howling winds.

Kyle raised a single dark brow slightly as the man looked at Jennie, but said nothing, and his calm, relaxed smile remained upon his face. He was certainly not one to deny how captivating Jennie could be, nor was he ignorant of how easily she could oft set folks at ease. It was precisely for that latter gift that he'd asked her to help out, knowing many people tended to warm more quickly to her than to himself.

“I guess, we all could appreciate some warm… if that wouldn’t call more attention than it have to,” Rafi said at last, shaking his head slightly at the costume’s sight. It fit more at the seashore in his imagination than this frozen landscape, but he have to admit that the girl had a gorgeous body indeed.

"I might be able to weave a veil of shadow over us, to help lessen the chances of any potential wandering eyes spotting us," Kyle suggested. "We'd still be able to see readily in here; she'll ensure that," he explained, nodding his head towards Jennie.

An instant later, she explained it loud and clear. Without raising her voice a whit.

From all around her, everyone within the small circle of snow watched as a pale emerald light--soothing and gentle, not at all harsh or blinding--radiated into being, gradually growing in intensity with every passing moment. In no time at all, the cold from the surrounding icy walls, the wind and winterfall, was completely nullified. Instead, it felt like they had been immersed within a pocket of late springtime. Warm and comforting, it was a welcome respite from the normal clime. Kyle noticed that everyone began to creep in just that much closer to Jennie's position with not a little bit of pride at his beautiful jade star. "You're an absolute saint, darling," Damon sighed in his Londoner accent, extending his jar even closer to the source of the heat in their midst.

Kyle beamed with Jennie's accomplishment, watching the way she helped set the group a bit at ease with the gentle warmth she emitted. Given the way the green-haired man's proclaimed 'girlfriend' seemed to be regarding him, Kyle opted not to step closer, instead maintaining his distance back by the edge of the pit. At least in her eyes, he appeared to be the biggest point of contention, and he didn't want to risk making things any tenser by drawing closer.

She wasn't doing anything to dispel the established notion of their relationship, that was for sure. She seemed very insistent at remaining by the man's side, though it was hard to say if she was doing so in the role of the protector or the protected. Kyle decided that there was some quality in her deep blue eyes that made him lean toward the former of the two.

He had little doubt she'd prove a formidable protector. All the little things about her posture and behavior from the moment she'd first appeared from nowhere at the shop door seemed to suggest she had at least a bit of a hard edge to her. Whatever else she might or might not be, he had the distinct feeling she was definitely a fighter.

For Rafi's part, it was nice to have May so near...knowing that if there was trouble to be had, she would be quick to have his back. But just behind him, so close, it also brought back the way she'd held him, at the threshold of his parlor, only a few minutes earlier, to his imagination. The smoothness of her skin against his and the sensual contours of her body, pressed tightly to his own. The way that she smelled and the warmth of her flesh....

He had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. As the icy air filled his lungs, he held it back for a moment and cleared his senses with its freezing touch. May was an incredibly attractive woman, and her closeness and determination for that play made even harder to resist her. 

But he loved Carmilla so deep, as he never did with any of his former girlfriend. Something in the girl’s sadness and apparent loneliness lit a fire in his soul, the desire to comfort her and to be her bright side; to show her all the things that made him happy in the world. 

And with his drawing talent and love he could achieve that...

There was no mistaking the man's reactions from having the woman near, and Kyle certainly didn't fault him for that. She was very attractive, physically, and even if she were playing a mere role, he imagined she could provoke strong reactions from most any man. But the man's reactions also bespoke of other things weighing heavily on his mind, distracting him somewhat from the performance. Hardly surprising, since they'd been up to something serious back at the apartment and it continued here, only made more complicated by the sudden addition of strangers. There were ample distractions of several sorts here.

Then too, there was the jar carried by the vaguely familiar red and black gentleman...

He noticed, to his surprise, that it was full of ladybugs, all meandering about a small bit of sweet sugar paste at the the glass bottom of the thing. Instantly, it explained the oddness of his skin....

"Ladybugs?" Kyle muttered with surprise. "Fantastic! Been way too long since I've seen any."

He could well understand the man's protectiveness. A jar of living ladybugs was a rare and wondrous treasure these days; a bold act of defiance in the face of the winter to nurture such fragile life. And the man's unusual coloration suggested he had a deep connection to them. It made Kyle curious as to precisely what sort of connection, and what its extent was.

He laughed a little. "Thanks," he said. And as he said it, it struck Kyle that he had a very pronounced accent to his voice. It sounded British. "Yeah, they're my little friends," he confirmed his earlier thought by looking down at the coloration across the flesh of his arm before glancing up at him and offering a crooked smile. "And I'm their big one. We look after one another a bit, I guess."

"Good to hear," Kyle replied. "They should be taken care of. They're a rare and wonderful sight, especially amidst all this wintry gloom."

"We all do," the pale-featured woman, still sitting with her back against the wall of snow carved from the hollow in the vast field of winter white they dwelt in. "Take care of each other, that is. All of us." The was she said it, it almost sounded like a pointed warning from the slight wisp of a girl. Kyle wasn't exactly sure whether he should have been put off by it or admire her tenacity, the way she looked at him with her icy blue eyes, such a contrast from her ethereal and fine features.

"Understandable," Kyle conceded to her with a nod. "And admirable. One should always stand by one's friends, especially in trying circumstances. Such fierce loyalty bespeaks you well, Milady," he offered with a bow.

He arched a bow as he eyed the green-haired girl next to the man, and tilted his head with a faint smile. He remembered her low radiance, which made him thinking about a tattoo on her skin, made for perfect union with that green light. 

At first he thought about a roof to seal them away from the environment visually, to protect the small group from any unwanted observer, but then he remembered that May’s gadget is still in operation so he didn’t bother to mention that. “Thank you, miss, for this warm” he bowed a little, careful enough to not let Tanya move with him.

In his arms, he could feel that the spreading heat was beginning to have an effect on the slumbering sorceress. She was slowly beginning to fidget within his embrace, rising out of her smoke-induced sleep. She murmured something unintelligible before resting her head up against the solidity of his upper arm. In very little time now, he knew she'd wake. It was a good thing; soon, they'd need all the help they could get.

Rafi glanced down to the lithe sorceress’ face, as she moved in his embrace. The lovely sight of the sleeping beauty called up a friendly smile on his face, in spite of the situation. Her moves were a good sign that she’ll eventually wake up, indeed.

Kyle smiled slightly as he noticed the woman shift slightly in the man's arms. He was genuinely glad to see that she seemed to be recovering, even though it could well mean he might soon find himself facing down another icy stare.

With the young man's observation of Jennie, it all fell into place for Kyle. He suddenly realized why this guy had seemed vaguely familiar. It was the same guy who'd been scoping Jennie out when they'd entered the mall. And now, here the guy was, scoping her out again.

Well, he could understand that. And he knew he had nothing to fear from some other guy looking at Jennie. Plus, this guy didn't seem to be ogling her, as most were wont to do. It seemed more an appreciative observation, much as how he himself tended to view attractive ladies. Perhaps this guy strove to be a gentleman, as he did.

The young man's courtesy and effort to offer a bow, even while holding an injured comrade, spoke well of him in Kyle's eyes. He certainly seemed more and more the gentlemanly sort.

Ironically, in spite of Jennie's dazzling beauty and warm lightshow, the dark man with the green dreads and the breathtakingly sleek and exotic emerald jaguar at his heel were the only ones of them that seemed interested in Jennie. The man with the red and black skin was looking at her too, sure, but he was fixed on warming his jar of bugs much more than on his sister herself. The others--the girl he'd met at the door and a slight woman with features and hair as pale as the snow itself--were looking at him, instead. Probably trying to figure out how to take him, he presumed.

"Ladies," Kyle offered courteously to his two observers, favoring them with a polite bow and friendly smile as he kept his distance across the pit.

The darker of the two of them, just at the side of the man before him, offered him a nod and a little smile, though it was more cordial than truly welcoming. Across the length of the small circle in which they stood, the woman that seemed to be as sculpted from the very ice and snow that surrounded them continued to watch him intently with her sharp gaze, amazing for the quality of its blueness. She remained on guard and wary.

Well, even a fairly strained half-smile was at least a tiny bit of improvement. It offered some hope, however faint, that he might eventually be able to achieve a working truce with her. The other one, however, almost seemed as though she was trying to silently challenge him. Despite time spent in the harsh environs of the streets, he resisted the urge to match her icy glare with a steely one of his own. It would do nothing except increase tensions, heightening the odds of potential violence. It wasn't easy, as parts of him practically screamed for him to meet the challenge head-on, but sometimes it was better not to respond to such.

So, instead, he simply offered her another soft and warm smile, nodding politely to her and leaning back against the pit wall -- as much a withdrawal or yielding ground as was possible in this case.

The jaguar was less shy than the others. Right next to the guy warming the jar, it strode forward and began to sniff at Jennie's leg, seeming to be fixated on a spot just above her knee. It made her giggle as its whiskers tickled her bare flesh. "I think he likes her," the girl hed previously met offered to her erstwhile boyfriend. It might have been a good sign.

Given that most cats tended not to take immediately to strangers, Kyle hoped it was indeed a good omen. However, he did remind himself of two key facts. One, he had no real knowledge to gauge a great cat's behavior on, and, given its coloration, this one obviously wasn't a typical garden variety sort anyways. Two, just because it reacted well to Jennie didn't mean it would react well to him; Jennie might be getting a feline nod of approval here, but he certainly wasn't in the clear by any means.

Rafi followed with his eyes the jaguar, and his previous nervous stance lightened a bit. He trusted his companion more than anyone, and if he didn’t acted like the two were threat, then maybe he can look at them otherwise, too. “Yeah, it seems” he answered flatly to May as his thoughts were elsewhere now. Rasgar’s friendliness was only one point -though a heavy one, for his thinking at least-, he wanted to know more about the pair before he’d set himself at ease.

“Who are you, if I may ask again?” he asked the dark man point-blank, fully aware of the awkward situation. They were on a completely unknown place, with right after an assault that took out most of their strength, and they now nothing about these two.

"Crystal," Kyle offered as he gestured to Jennie. "And Obsidian," as he indicated himself.

The fine shape and nice smile didn’t mean much as he knew that it could be a deception, too. He shivered as the green woman’s snake-ish smile popped into his mind. Cold and yet ravenous… they didn’t look as her, but who knows…

“Miss Crystal” Rafi bowed again, this time his smile warmed up a little. 

Again with the courtesy. Kyle was definitely starting to like this guy more and more.

Jennie flashed him a smile as brilliant and dazzling as an emerald star. "Hiya," she said, a bit quietly, as if she were afraid to disturb the sleeping woman in Rafi's arms. She extended her hand out to shake his in a friendly, unafraid manner...but then, realizing that he had his hands quite full, it became something of an awkward gesture. She made a little face as she tried to figure out how best to go about it, first trying to grasp his fingers, then moving over to the other hand before realizing that it just wasn't going to work.

Finally, her eyes lit up as she discovered her solution. She reached out and grasped the right hand of the slumbering woman in the young man's arms, shaking it heartily. "Nice to meet you!" she offered with a little giggle. At the gesture, the man with skin like a ladybug's shell laughed to himself...and even his "girlfriend", just behind his shoulder did the same, snorting a little with mirth at the sight of the woman's arm, limp like a wet noodle as she did it.

With the simplest of gestures, his sister'd had them all laughing, defusing much of the tension in the air between the strangers. It was definitely a classic Jennie moment, Kyle mused.

Kyle chuckled softly to himself, ever amazed by Jennie's gift for getting along with most people and winning folks over more easily than most. It didn't escape his attention, though, that the pale ice queen at the far side of the pit seemed not to share in the humor. Instead, she seemed to still be sizing him up, prompting a regrettably classic Kyle moment: feeling on the outside looking in as Jennie maneuvered her way through social interactions with easy grace and charm.

The young black artist was startled at first by the girl’s touch on his fingers, but then he chuckled along with the others, realizing he funny side of the story.

At least Jennie seemed to be making a good impression, Kyle mused somberly.

“I think you have some advantage on me, as you know my name, and all you offer is some codename in exchange, but” he shrugged, looking back to the young man, who presented himself as Obsidian. “I can live with that now, Mr.Hart” he added with a wry smile, following their moves with aware black eyes. 

Kyle smiled in return, suspecting that the young man was well aware of the connotations of his proffered name from before. In a moment of impish humor, Kyle found himself gently humming the tune, Sunglasses At Night.

The man with flesh colored in sharp reds and blacks shook his head to himself. "Bloody dreadful," he smirked. "Though the tune's not too bad, I suppose."

Rafi raised a brow and nodded in agreement as he heard the friendly tunes of the song, but resisted the urge to provide the complete musical background to it with his sound imitation talent. This wasn’t a place for such things, not at now, anyway.

"Ouch," Kyle replied with a smile, playfully clutching at his chest. "Consider me duly wounded, sir."

“If you like, then call me” he stopped, musing about names, as he never thought before that he’ll need a hero-name ever, but then his stare fell on Rasgar, and a warm smile spread on his face, “Jade Jaguar” he finished the sentence with a light chuckle.

"A most impressive appellation," Kyle complimented him. "And truly a most impressive companion you have as well," he added, nodding towards the jaguar.

The young artist couldn’t resist showing his pride and nodded with a warm smile. “Yeah, he is my friend since long time” he replied to Obsidian. “He is the one and only jade jaguar I know” he added with a half-smile in the right corner of his mouth.

"One can never have too many friends," Kyle commented. "Hopefully, we can eventually prove ourselves, and thus work at one day being counted among that number."

“And why did you follow us?” he continued the former question which was on topic before the song and the feline came up, while he set Tanya more comfortably in his hands, and reached out with his thoughts to Rasgar, to sense his opinion about the strangers.

To brush across the surface of Rasgar's emotions, as if he were gently running a hand through the sleek feline's soft green fur, revealed a certain kind of calm. He seemed at peace and curious as to the newcomers, but not overly-agitated by their presence. Even as he turned his attention toward the darksome man and he felt a certain twinge of bewilderment from the animal, as if he was having trouble trying to make anything out at all about him, he still did not seem anxious. His emotions were like the soft purring the jaguar offered as he relaxed at the edge of Rafi's bed as he watched the falling snow outside his window. That, he determined, was a decidedly good sign.

He smiled at his companion, and let him feel more into himself, even as he knew that their connection ran deeper than he by himself could understand at the moment. Today it was raised to a new level which needed a lot more exploration than they had to date. He hoped that they’ll have their time, with Carmilla and with Jo, to further develop this wonder.

"Honestly? There's two main reasons," Kyle noted. "The first and more pressing being that we had no desire to stick around and wait for the eggbot to recover and renew hostilities, and the doorway being left open seemed as good an avenue as any for avoiding that."

"I'll agree with that much," Damon nodded, looking up at Rafi as he said it. "What was that thing, anyway?" he asked. By his side, May looked as if she might respond, but for the moment kept whatever kind of answers she might have to herself and a gambler keeps cards close to the vest.

The young artist arched a bow curiously again, as he pondered the statement. Could that be, he mused, that this pair of young metas helped them to escape from that automaton? He tried to measure their posture, the way they stood next to each other, and anything on their features which could be a sign of threat or falsehood, but he saw nothing. He opened his mouth for a moment as he wanted to reply to Damon, but then he let the others speak forth instead.

"Whatever it was, it just got a little lesson in manners, courtesy of Obsidian and Crystal," Jennie answered, grinning wryly. "I don't know if he'll be too anxious to pull a stunt like that, next time around. And one thing's for sure," she chuckled, "he won't need to set foot in a tanning bed for the next five or ten years, either."

Kyle winced slightly at the renewed thought of what injuries the person inside the suit might have sustained. "Hopefully they're not too badly hurt," he muttered softly.

He took a quick glance sideways at May and the others, to see their reactions, and get some help in the conversation. This was still a strange situation, after all, and they were strangers, too, even that he began to feel that both of them could be a great help in their rescue later.

May looked back at him, almost as if she had done the same thing at the exact same time he had. In response, she just offered a little shrug. "I'm not tingling, if that means anything," she said quietly. And in the moment, Rafi was apt to agree with the assessment. Rasgar didn't seem bothered by the twosome, reacting to them much in the same way he'd done with May herself, just earlier. Damon seemed much the same, though with his easygoing, friendly manner, it was hard to say if that meant much. Only Lise seemed to still but on her full guard, her back to the icy wall behind her and blue eyes warily looking back and forth between the strangers.

Kyle sighed softly as the pale woman continued to stare him down. It was getting harder and harder to resist responding directly to her in some way. But he steeled his resolve and held his peace for now. Last thing he wanted was another fight, especially if there were any hope at all that new friends might be made instead. And the prospects of even only one cordial acquaintance, ideally to be fanned into a friendship, well outweighed the cold shoulder.

As for Tanya--she wasn't up to voicing much of an opinion, it seemed.

Kyle just hoped there wouldn't be yet another cold shoulder when the unconscious woman awoke.

Rafi smiled at May, and nodded at agreement. “That’s good,” he mouthed to her, but not let a single voice came from his lips. Definitely a good thing if she didn’t tingle, he decided, as it was only one time when the girl’s said that her Spider-sense warned her, but after that came the ‘bot...

Kyle wondered if the man's reactions were indicative of some sort of discrete communication, perhaps silently suggesting to one of his companions to scan for truth or the like. Or perhaps seeking a sign of their results, if they'd already performed such a scan. He had no ideas what powers these others might possess. He didn't fault them for being wary. He was just glad he'd chosen to be honest.

"Secondly," Kyle continued, "To follow up after our initial aid and see if any more assistance might be needed. We were prompted to action by seeing people writhing in apparent agony from gases issued from an intruder that had come through the roof, so we wanted to see if everyone was alright, or if perhaps a trip to the hospital might be in order."

“I thank you for your help again, then. It came very handy as we had time to reach my door” he replied to Obsidian. Then he looked at the empty, white snow-wall, and narrowed his eyes.

Damon nodded. "Definitely," he said, apparently satisfied with the warmth of the jar in his hands. Kyle watched him unscrew the top of it and dip one of his hands into its confines. Almost instantly, more than a dozen of the tiny crimson and onyx insects flew from the glass sides of their confines to rest upon his skin. "We were lucky you decided to get involved," he nodded in gratitude towards them. "If you hadn't--we'd all probably be done for."

"An apparently flaming object plummeting down into the neighborhood, then witnessing folks being gassed and writhing in agony? I'd fear for my lack of a soul if I'd simply walked away," Kyle noted.

The Lord of Ladybugs simply nodded his assent. Kyle got the very distinct feeling that the comment had won him some points in the red-and-black painted man, judging by his expression as he did it. And that was a good thing. The tension in the midst of the seven of them was palpably receding. Every positive moment between them lessened it even further.

Kyle was glad that matters seemed to be easing slightly, at least with some of them. He wasn't as extroverted as Jennie, but he always tried to be friendly and sociable. Still, he was well aware there would yet be much ground to cover before friendship was truly established. But a step in that direction had been made, and, as the wisdom had it, every journey had to begin in such a manner.

Rafi nodded smiling as he mused over the sentence what Obsidian said. Perfectly just like him. He intervened in the park when he noticed the poachers’ suspicious behavior, even if he didn’t have any right to do it aside from his conscience.

“I can agree with that,” he said smiling, “usually I feel the same if I see something against the right way...” he finished. 

"Precisely. If one has the ability to help those who seem in need, then it follows that one has the responsibility," Kyle agreed.

“But we were talking ‘bout the travel through my door...” he turned back the conversation with the comment to the original route. 

Kyle nodded silently, allowing him to continue uninterrupted.

“Speaking of which… I think we’ll have to find another way back home... but as it seems, not from a more peaceful start place” he said wryly.

"You're quite welcome," Kyle told him. "And I'm glad to hear our efforts did prove helpful."

"As for returning home, there might be an alternative option," Kyle noted. "Of course, we quite understand that such discussions fully depend upon whether you and your companions permit us to remain."

Next to him, Jennie shot him a little glance as if to ask if he'd gone crazy. "Obsidian," she said, "of course they're gonna let us stay. Something's obviously wrong--otherwise they wouldn't have giant robots crashing through their ceiling, trying to gas 'em out."

"No doubts something's wrong," Kyle agreed. "But granting us leave to stay is hardly a given. Though I certainly don't doubt your odds at receiving that offer are notably higher than mine."

Rafi raised an eyebrow as he listened to the young man’s wry comment about joining their ranks. It seemed that the pair had some past together if they joked so with each other. The girl apparently was really self-conscious and spontaneous, and the guy seemed the more polite and strict.

"I wouldn't say that," the Briton replied, looking up at him with a gentle smile that looked odd for his absolute crimson lips, dappled with perfect black dots, curving into a little bow. "You both helped us, Obsidian," he replied. "And you're right, Crystal. We're kind of up against it, the five of us," he looked up at Rafi, trying to see if maybe he was stepping over his boundaries as he spoke. "I don't think we're in a position to turn away possible friends, are we?" he asked.

Behind the Jade Jaguar's shoulder, the darksome girl made a little face as if to agree, though the idea of their situation was clearly still wearing on her. At the far end of their circle, the nigh-albino neither assented nor dissented; instead, she retained her cool, neutral demeanor, obviously content to see which way the situation would play itself out.

Kyle smiled warmly at the thought of added friends, and was pleased to see that there might be a spark of hope with the dark-haired lady. He even felt a bit more warmed and positive that the pale-skinned woman hadn't overtly disagreed or complained. Maybe, just maybe, there was a faint hope of friendship there as well.

He mused over the thought to let them join to their quest. It carried some danger, as they didn’t know much about them, but the ghostly dark man definitely helped back in the shop, and that gave an explanation to his former enquiry... perhaps he wanted to gather more information before they intervened. Or, they were the vanguard before the attack, he asked himself mentally, but then shot the thought away. It was too complicated for a plan to place two agents within their rows during such an attack. Or not?

His stare swept over his friends, one by one, and then he nodded. “No, we aren’t. Every gift and the mind behind it might come handy now as we saw that a few minutes ago” he said, but didn’t tell about the details yet.

"Then we'll do our best to continue to help," Kyle vowed. "and to do our best to help ensure everyone makes it home safely."

She looked over at Rafi with green eyes that were so majestic in their pure and impossibly-deep quality that it was difficult to believe that they could actually be possessed by a real person and not some kind of springtime-goddess. "Whoever was in that armor wanted to take you guys alive," she reasoned. "They were using some kind of knock-out gas and the surface of the thing was electrified...definitely not the kind of thing they'd be going for, probably, if they wanted you dead. Any kinds of idea why that might be?" she asked.

Rafi sighed before the answer, and took a step to the direction of Damon, where he placed Tanya down gently. He then grabbed his coat from May’s hand, and spread it on the ground just to place the unconscious sorceress on it. He wasn’t too experienced on the field of first aid, just what he learned for the driving license, but did his best to examine her condition.

As he did it, the tiny insects with the jar, as if somehow knowing was expected of them, flew from the black and red flesh of Damon's hand, back to the glass sides of the jar. Once free of their presence, he withdrew from inside it and screwed the mesh-vented top back onto their mobile home, using his hands to support Tanya's head and resting a bit of its weight on his thigh. She was getting close to rising from her sleep Rafi could tell, but what kind of shape she might be in when she woke was still anybody's guess.

Kyle watched, hoping the lady's condition was just temporary, and that she would soon recover. Were he able to render medical assistance to aid her, it might help convince them that he posed no threat. Then again, they might refuse any assistance out of mistrust.

Rafi was delighted with the result, even as he didn’t know how well Tanya would feel herself when she wakes up. The sad thing was that he didn’t know that either, that when could they try to rescue Carm, as they couldn’t simply let her lay here long.

With that, Kyle calmly crouched down, resting upon the balls of his feet as he squatted. A warm and friendly smile remained painted across his features as he slowly held out his open hand, palm upwards. A mental thought allowed the costume to recede from his hand, whilst he issued a soft trilling purr to catch the bright green mountain lion's attention. He was well aware that his position was vulnerable, especially if the great cat opted to attack, but he held still, simply holding his hand out for it to come sniff at its leisure.

Rafi held his breath for a moment as he was surprised by the costume’s withdrawal from his speaking partner’s hand. “Nice trick” he dropped quietly.

Indeed, both men seemed to be vaguely impressed by the feat, as did the silently brooding woman at the far edge of their circle. The darker woman, next to the Jade Jaguar, though, visibly paled as she watched the material of the costume creep as a living thing across Kyle's skin. She looked like she might become ill; she looked like she might have seen a ghost.

"Cutting edge fashion from the L.A. underground," Kyle offered with a light chuckle. "Hasn't even hit the Parisian runways yet."

Rafi raised a brow, noticing May’s paleness, but he let it slip away, deciding that he’ll ask about later, when they’ll be a more safe and calm place.

Kyle felt his heart sink a bit at her reaction. Whatever faint bit of potential friendliness had seemed to surface with her earlier half-smile now seemed to rapidly rush out of her along with her color. Wonderful. I've seriously creeped her out without even trying. Brilliant move, he chided himself. Prolly a good thing I've still got the glasses on, else she might start hunting for torches and pitchforks.

His call succeeded in swinging the jade jaguar's attention over in Kyle's direction. It drew slightly closer, tentatively sniffing at his fingers. "It's super-hero names, is it?" the man with the jar asked. "Then I'm...ah, Beetlebum, I suppose," he chuckled sheepishly. Shuffling his jar over into his left, he extended his right hand out to shake Kyle's. "It's nice to meet you, Obsidian," he nodded.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Beetlebum," Kyle returned, reaching up to shake the man's hand as he maintained his crouched position so as not to startle the big cat.

The man returned the gesture, but the texture of his flesh startled the darksome artist at its touch. His skin felt like it was made of some kind of ultra-hard plastic, far too smooth to be human, to be sure.

Given the man's affinity and connection with the ladybugs, Kyle pondered the notion that there might well be more to his skin than merely a similar coloration. Perhaps the man had adopted a chitinous shell of his own. Assuming proportionate durability, Kyle's engineer mind surmised that it might not only serve protective enough to readily ward off small arms fire, but could likely serve as a strength-enhancing exoskeleton as well.

"Fascinating," he breathed, unconsciously adopting a Spock-like timbre to his voice.

"Thanks," he replied with a soft chuckle, brushing a lock of wayward brown-hair-turned-bright-red from his eyes. "I think. Takes a bit of getting used to."

"You're quite welcome," Kyle replied graciously. "And I know a little something about physical appearances that take a bit of getting used to," he added, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly before carefully reaching up to lower his shades a bit, granting a glimpse of his ebon eyes.

A risky maneuver under the circumstances, perhaps, but if these folks were to be eventual friends then they'd have to see him for what he was, sooner or later.

"Cor..!" he said breathily, his eyes widening as he looked into the utterly black pools that were Kyle's. The young artist was used to a lot of different looks from those that saw his eyes as they really were--a range of reactions that usually spanned from fear to utter revulsion. But in the man's glance before him, he saw neither. Instead, his reaction was more akin to wonder and a racing imagination. It made him smile to himself; it was one of the few times he'd actually been made to feel good about them. "I'd say so!" he added with a little grin.

Kyle smiled and chuckled lightly, "Definitely a better reaction than I usually get. Unfortunately, there's no off switch on that little aspect, thus making shades a recurring part of my wardrobe."

It certainly added another notch to the growing warmth he was developing towards this likable gentleman.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, if I were you,” he chuckled softly. “You’re standing in front of a seven foot long green jaguar and a guy with hard, red skin with black polka dots. Once we get Rafi’s friend home safe and sound and go out for a celebratory pint…I doubt seriously you’ll be the first one to get the funny glances, hm?”

She comment made Jennie giggle to herself. And though Kyle was usually terribly self-conscious about his particular…condition, he realized right away: Beetlebum was most probably absolutely right in that assessment. It made Jennie squeeze his hand gently, the green light scintillate in vibrant tones, as they spread out amongst them.

Rafi shook his head smiling, and skewed his hand through his braids, calling the attention at his jade hair. “I can agree with ya. Your eyes will be the less flashy in the group, I’d say” he said smiling at Kyle. “But we can change that, if you want to be in the first row, perhaps with a pet or mark on your face?” he asked with a wry smile.

"You may well be right," Kyle answered as he softly squeezed Jennie's hand in return. "And I certainly look forward to sharing a friendly drink, and building from there, with such gracious and sociable gentlemen as yourselves."

"As for drawing attention, I'll leave that bit to Crystal, while I keep to the shadows and avoid the spotlight," Kyle added.

"The name and face are vaguely familiar," Kyle mused, mulling it over. "You've not been through L.A. in the past year or so, by any chance?" he inquired.

He shook his head and smiled softly as he withdrew his hand and its amazing feel. "I get that a lot," he replied in his rich and mellifluous British-accented timbre. "But no. Just a familiar kind of face, I suppose."

"Fair enough," Kyle replied, though still taunted by the notion that he indeed knew the man from somewhere.

The young dancer glanced at Damon hearing the name, and offered a warm smile to him. „Beetlebum, eh”, he asked himself silently cheerfully.

He looked back at Rafi and grinned, laughing gently. "It was the first thing I thought of," he shrugged sheepishly, obviously well-aware of how silly it sounded.

Jennie flashed the dark young man in front of her a scintillating smile. Judging by the lack of obvious response from the girl at his side, Kyle guessed that the whole girlfriend routine was, as he suspected, a ruse. But for the way she did it, Rafi's knees almost buckled for the quality of her smile, almost magical in its simultaneous beauty and sexy innocence. She reached out her hand and ran long, pale fingers through a bit of his hair. "You've got awesome hair," she decided, her bright green eyes twinkly merrily as she said it.

Kyle sighed slightly. The way the pseudo-girlfriend seemed focused on him, he supposed it was a good thing she wasn't packing a gun, else he'd likely find himself staring down the barrel of it, or constantly painted with the laser dot. It seemed she and the pale lady were to be the most difficult. At this rate, an errant sneeze might have them unloading some energy blast or other assault upon him.

Still, the darker girl's frosty demeanor seemed to be melting--for the definite exception of the revelation of his costume's faculty--as the conversation went on. The other one...there, he and Jennie obviously still had some work to do.

Surrounded by winter--it somehow didn't seem nearly so cold out, in her company.

The comment about his hair made Rafi blushing slightly. “Thank you, yours is great, too” he replied embarrassed. Her touch was more warm and tickling than he expected, and it caught him deep. Her green hair and eyes called up Carmilla’s image in his mind, and he shivered unintentionally by the memory. They have to save her soon; it already took more time than he’d like to spent.

As she let his hand go, Rafi could feel the warmth and the soft tingling--like some bit of her gentle green starlight had clung to his skin, just to come into contact with her--linger upon his flesh for long moments after her touch left his. It was a pleasant thing, to be sure.

“As for hospital” he began as he watched the jade cat’s movements, “I don’t think we are at a place where we can get easily one” he added with the thought of his lover’s condition and the possible injuries they might get during the rescue, and with a sad look at Tanya. “I guess none of you is a healer?”

"Regrettably, no," Kyle responded, genuinely saddened that he had no way to aid the injured woman. And the woman at his head shook her head softly to indicate the same.

“How unfortunate” said Rafi with a sigh, still trying to think out something what could help Tanya.

"I think she'll be okay," Damon said, his voice a bit low so as not to disturb Tanya as he continued to look down at her and appraise her condition. "She seems like she's kind of coming out of it. Just give her a moment and I think she'll be right again."

The news warmed Rafi's heart to hear. He'd been so worried that he'd led his new friends into the teeth of angry enemies' fire...to hear that all would be well was definitely a relief.

"Thank God for small favors then," Kyle noted, glad to hear the pleasant diagnosis.

The young dancer looked into May’s eyes, searching for approval, and turned back to Obsidian and his partner. “You two jumped into a real dangerous quest without knowing, so I think I have to tell you some detail, if you want to help. After that you can reconsider that, if you’d like to” he said, his tone serious and the look on his face revealed his nervousness again. “But I have to say in advance that I can’t help you to go back home…”

"Your candor is greatly appreciated, sir," Kyle replied, staying crouched for now. He then kept silent, gently nodding for the man to continue.

"But if you need our help," Jennie smiled, reaching out to place her hand reassuringly on the upper arm of the young artist, warming it again with her twinkling emerald-starlight touch, "we're not going anywhere. Obsidian and I are super-heroes," she said, her eyes taking on an excited quality as she said it. "That's not the kind of thing heroes do--running out on people when they need help," she nodded.

“Heroes, hm?” asked Rafi with a tone of disbelief. He had more faith in his friends who acted without asking than somebody who openly call herself ‘hero’, forestalling the public’s opinion, in spite of the girl’s attractiveness and cheerful demeanor.

"I'm no hero," Kyle answered honestly. "Just a man with some odd powers, hoping and trying to do something good and useful with them, and striving to make a better man of myself in the process."

"But I can't readily turn my back on people in trouble, if there's a chance I might be able to help," he added. "I'll not force it, though. If you prefer not to have our help, then we'll respect your decision."

Jennie interjected with a big grin. "He's not a hero yet," she modified his statement for him. "We're still working on that part," she confessed. "The two of us are actually both kind of working on it, I guess. We're trying to help as many people as we can with our powers. Hopefully, by the time we're done--we'll have helped enough people that we can earn our way into the name, anyway."

"If a man can help his fellows, and encourage smiles and warmth along the way, then might his life be considered a success," Kyle noted.

“I think here we all have ‘odd’ powers in a way, and our goals are the same - perform good deeds with or without them.” he answered, and showed the brackets with his fingers when he said the word ‘odd’. 

"What?" Damon deadpanned. "Not everybody can turn themselves into a human ladybug?" Then, looking back at the pale woman behind him. "Or outrun the speed of sound? I wondered why I got all the funny looks!" he chuckled

Rafi let out a tiny laugh as he watched the theater what Damon played, and shook his head with a wide smile. This small talk definitely helped to ease the tension in the icy crater and it was a good thing, just like the similarity in their thinking and behavior.

Kyle quirked a brow slightly at Beetlebum's remark, mentally filing away the note about the pale lady's apparent speed powers. That would make her a formidable foe indeed. He certainly didn't care to think about how bad it could be to wind up on the wrathful end of supersonic speed.

"Indeed. Whether by metahuman power, or by other gifts, such as art or performance, to strive to brighten people's lives is a most worthy endeavor," Kyle stated.

“On my part, I try to live a normal life, and not searching for extra adventure, but it seems it found me through my love,” shrugged Rafi with eyes that became hollow from the pain which he felt because of Carmilla.

"Though the path of love may be rife with pitfalls at times, sharing of ourselves so deeply with another is one of the ways we truly live, rather than merely exist," Kyle reassured him. "And think not of this temporary separation, but rather of the joy and celebration when you are back in each other's arms, shutting the world away, becoming a private universe unto yourselves."

“And I’m not against any help we can get, I repeat” replied Rafi with a honest but faint smile on his face. “But you have to understand that our meeting happened in a very bad moment and I don’t know how much I can trust you yet.”

"I do understand, and hold nothing against any of you for that," Kyle replied with a gentle smile. "That you even consider the risk of taking us along on so important a mission means a great deal, and I hope that together we can begin to lay the foundation to build a solid and lasting friendship."

"At the very least, perhaps we'll all be able to share a friendly drink when this is all done and we're all back home," he added with a wry smile.

"I think I could use a stiff one now, myself," May bit her lower lip. "But what the heck--I'm up for that...assuming they don't throw me straight into the brig and throw away the key, the second we get back to Elysium," she mused with a little frown.

The young artist turned halfway to her, and put his hand on her shoulder gently. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll be there to save ya” he assured her, and then an elfish smile appeared on his face for a moment as he went on. “The only thing we need, is to stop somewhere and let me ink you up with another art of mine” he winked and retrieved his hand, “and I can follow you anywhere they try to hide you.”
She looked up at him and smiled gently. The comment genuinely seemed to brighten the lovely young girl’s mood. She place her small, soft hand on Rafi’s and squeezed it, holding it upon her shoulder as she did it. There was more to the gesture than simple solidarity…there was genuine trust behind it. And no small affection. “So this is why Carmilla fell in love with you, huh?”

Rafi blushed so hard, that even his ears gone red, and responded only with a shy smile, before he slowly pulled his hand back. He used to flirt on friendly terms with the girls he met; it was part of his nature, but May’s responses suggested some deeper connection, or at least the possibility, and he was definitely touched by it.

Were he not in love with Carmilla, he wouldn’t resist the relationship for a second, but now it was a test of his faith, and he wanted to pass on it. 

So he just smiled and let that smile talk instead of he.

"Tell ya what, after we get back, we'll help you stay a step ahead until you've had a chance to finish your drink," Kyle offered to May with a slight smirk and a wink delivered over the tops of his shades.

“Deal,” May grinned, nodding at the darksome gentleman before her.

Kyle smiled and nodded silently in affirmation. To his mind, his offer in this matter was as good as a vow sworn.

Rafi sighed, and searched for words, his long, agile fingers played with his cards meanwhile. His look was misty as he eyed the dark, gloomy clouds above them. “Since I’d like to get over it as fast as we can, I’ll keep it very short, if you allow me. Somebody kidnapped my lover, and we are here to save her. The only thing I know about her that she hangs chained in a cell, somewhere around here,” he gestured around hopelessly. “We have a map, but we didn’t have time to study it, coz’ that ‘bot attacked us before.”

Kyle's smile faded as he considered the man's words, "The woman you love is chained in some jail?" At his side, Jennie looked over at him, her mirth vanished for the revelation. Both he and Rafi could feel a gentle pulse of heat emanate from her body; a tell-tale sign that she was anything but amused by the thought.

"I can well understand the desire to rescue a loved one from imprisonment," he said, standing ever so slowly and keeping his hand down where the great cat could continue to sniff at it.

The beautiful jaguar that the man speaking to him had obviously taken his name from sniffed at him for a bit longer before turning around, in doing so, allowing his thick, suede-like tail to bush along his fingers. Then, walking over toward Damon, he sat down next to the fallen Tanya, as if to guard her sleeping body with the Lord of Ladybugs.

Kyle smiled as he took in the little scene, his artist's eye concocting a rendering of a pair of knights maintaining stoic vigil over a slumbering princess.

Rafi just nodded, either as a reply to Obsidian’s last answer, either to the jaguar’s voluntary taken guard-role as his throat totally stuck coz’ of the thought and the vivid picture which he recalled while he talked about his darling. It took some time from him to calm down and be able to talk again. “She was kidnapped by some organization, but I can’t tell you more as I don’t know more. The only thing what interests me now, is to get her back.”

Kyle nodded in understanding. He could sympathize with the man's plight. Were Jennie lost and captured somewhere, precious little else could hope to occupy his mind, and he would storm the gates of Hell itself to free her.

Rafi turned his eyes at May, raising an eyebrow questioningly, but his tone carried no reproof, just curiousness and friendship. “Could you tell us what… who was that guy? I saw the SHIELD emblem on its side and you called it “Phantom”…”

"SHIELD?!? You guys have pissed off SHIELD?" Kyle asked incredulously.

And we stepped right in the middle of it, he thought as he looked over at Jennie. This was beyond deep shit. There was apt to be nuclear level fallout from their little scuffle if SHIELD was involved. He pointedly reminded himself, however, that it was he who spurred to action first. Any blame for he and Jennie being mired in this had to rest squarely upon his shoulders.

Damon looked a bit nervous as he looked back and forth between the siblings--who obviously had a firm grasp of the gravity of the situation. "Uhmmm...I take it that's a bad thing, eh?" he said, before looking back at Rafi and May. As their expressions seemed to confirm it, he turned his attention back to Tanya and his jar of ladybugs. He reached out and began to pet Rasgar as a child might stroke a security blanket. He looked even more worried than before.

"Meaner, nastier, sneakier CIA? Yeah, not people you wanna be on the bad side of," Kyle confirmed.

He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping with the revelation. "Only in America," he opined.

"Never fear. We will triumph over all odds, because we're the good guys. We'll win through, no matter what.. It says so in Crystal's Superhero Handbook," Kyle chuckled in encouragement.

Jennie's mouth was slightly agape. There was no mistaking that she was well aware of the depths of the shit that the two of them had gotten involved in. For once, she was actually speechless as she listened to the girl next to the Jade Jaguar speak. May, Kyle thought he'd heard him call her? "Yeah," she sighed. "That was a Phantom Unit. They like to use 'em for extraction missions, when they want to take the principals they're after alive and relatively unarmed," she nodded in Jennie's direction, as if to confirm her earlier thought. "They can turn intangible, which makes them bad news in a fight, as you all saw. Especially because that gas they pack isn't."

Extraction missions, Rafi mused silently. Something that they want to do by themselves, too. The only difference, that they call it a rescue…

Kyle gritted his teeth slightly. For government agencies, extraction was often a euphemism for sanctioned kidnappings. Coupled with the armored agent's silently menacing behavior and refusal to announce himself as a fed, it tended to strike him more as the feds acting the villains in this tale.

"They're after me," she looked over at Kyle, explaining herself. "That's why they were there. I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. field agent and the Jaguar's lover is my partner and best friend," she said, looking back and forth between the two Haydens. "They wouldn't sponsor a mission to go after them...so I took it upon myself to do it personally. The agents you saw must've figured that I've gone rogue, since they weren't sure what to make of the Jaguar to begin with. So they came, probably angling to get us back to HQ to find out what was going on. Obviously," she finished, "we didn't have time for that."

"So you're off the reservation then?" Kyle inquired, a bit shocked to hear she was no less than a SHIELD agent. Fighter with a hard edge, indeed.

The young artist looked at May stunned. He never thought that she will reveal herself and Carmilla as an agent so openly. Then, his newly chosen name sounded strange from her lips at first, but it had a nice tingle as well. He didn’t have time to phrase his thoughts, as the green-haired girl -who reminded him Carmilla with her chosen colors- interrupted.

She looked back at him, making a short bit of eye contact before replying. "If that's what the kids are calling it these days, then yeah," she replied. The look in her deep blue gaze seemed to tell Rafi that she'd decided to put all--or at least most--of her cards on the table. "Shows you why it doesn't pay to cut classes in S.H.I.E.L.D. University. The Hall Monitors are a bitch."

The comment got a little rise out of Jennie; Kyle heard her snicker under her breath.

"And here I would've thought a rescue op to be a good pass. Guess that shows how skewed their priorities are," Kyle remarked.

"They've got bad intel," May replied, surprisingly, in their defense. "They think the Jaguar might be on the bad guys' side. And since I was so eager to run off to help him--defying direct orders in the process--" she added, "--they figure I am, too. With all the cards they're holding, I can see where they're coming from. So it's not so much a case of misplaced priorities as it is they're coming from a false premise."

Kyle nodded silently, accepting her reasoning, though he still held reservations.

Rafi pulled a long face while he listened that the SHIELD thinks that he is on the bad side. He suspected that Carmilla left him out from her reports, remembering well the girl’s original goal when they met at the first time, but it was surprising that they didn’t monitored their sometimes hour-long phone-talks. It was good and bad at the same time, and his frustration, the strange pressing feeling around his heart, and the embarrassing tingle remained in his body. 

“But I’m not bad” he muttered under his breath, just like a kid, who got a wig innocently. “and I’ll prove them” he stated on the same, almost inaudible, but very firm voice.

"One way or another, we'll clear ourselves of any wrongdoing, and prove that we're on the side of the angels," Kyle declared firmly.

"In either case," the quiet woman sitting behind them offered, "we're screwed. That's about the size of it, in the end, huh?"

May could not help but sigh and shrug. "Well...yeah," she confessed. "Pretty much." 

"Banding together, remaining strong in the bonds of your friendship, then I should think it would be any who insists upon placing themselves in opposition to you who would be screwed," Kyle posed.

"But now--they've got to really think you're working for somebody else, right?" Jennie asked, looking over at Kyle grimly. He thought she might have lost a little of the color out of her cheeks. "And us, too."

The possibility that SHIELD might now have them marked as criminals was unfortunately not lost upon him. But that was something to be dealt with later. For now, he simply reached out and took hold of Jennie's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, reassuring her that no matter what might befall, they were in this together.

May nodded. "Probably," she agreed. "But that's not going to stand in the way of us doing the right thing," she added. "And if you two are super-heroes...I figure you probably feel the same."

She looked at the two of them with a slightly-cocked brow. As if asking them to refute her.

Jennie looked over at Kyle and smiled wanly. It had to be killing her inside, he knew, to think that they may well have run afoul of the law on their very first patrol of the city. But she was trying not to let it on...and not doing a bad job of it, either. She also had to know they had done the right thing, helping them as they did. And at least for now, it took some of the sting out of the notion.

In his mind, the SHIELD agents had played their hand poorly at the tat shop and apartment, and so they deserved some of the blame for the misunderstandings. Regardless, he intended to ensure as little fallout as possible drifted Jennie's way over the events. He'd shoulder whatever he had to in order to keep it from her.

"As I said before, I'm no hero.. Just a man trying to make good choices and help where he can," Kyle answered. "Way I see it, the lady's in trouble and could use any and all help she can get. So our offer stands. If you want our help in rescuing your friend, you've got it."

"And if SHIELD has a problem with it, then they can go straight to Hell," he stated matter-of-factly.

The girl with the Jade Jaguar smiled a crooked grin. "Well, that's sort of what I told them, in not so many words," she quipped. "Just be careful, though. As you can see, they've got a funny way of handling that--and it's a whole lot rougher than washing your mouth out with soap."

Meanwhile, across the small clearing, Kyle noticed that the comment had brought an ever so slight smile to the lips of the girl whose features had been kissed by winter. Apparently, she was coming around to them as friends at last.

A smile? Perhaps there was indeed hope of possible friendship. That brought a bit of warmth to his heart, and another gentle smile to his lips.

"Are they the ones holding your lady?" he inquired calmly. This could get a lot stickier.

"God, I hope not," Damon shook his head. "Otherwise this is gonna get bad. Fast."

He looked at Obsidian and shook his head slightly. “No, they aren’t the jailers. But yeah, as it seems, we pissed them off a little.”

“Or not so little” he added with a grimace, thinking back to the smell of the gas and the huge eggbot. “But we’ll handle it after we got back to EC, until then I think it didn’t really matter.”

“At least as long as your whatnot is in operation,” he added looking at May with a faint smile. “I hope it doesn’t have any tracking device in it, hm?” he asked her right after.

Kyle caught the implications of the Jaguar's comment, and wasn't real happy with them. The prospect that there was a device that was responsible for blocking his powers was highly unsettling, because anyone capable of making one such device could readily make more. The fact that it was the apparent SHIELD agent who had the device only bothered him more, since she'd no doubt acquired it in their service, meaning they likely had a stockpile. He had a hard enough time trusting faceless government bureaucracies and shadow agencies without them packing hardware apparently specifically designed to neutralize metas.

"It won't matter even then," May replied, fixing Rafi's eyes with her cobalt gaze, warm and deep. "I told you I'm not bringing anybody down with this whole deal--and that includes you two, too," she added, looking over at Kyle and Jennie. "When we get back to the west coast, I'm surrendering myself into their custody. I was the one who made the choice to come help, against their wishes," she reasoned. "So I'm gonna take the fall for it, too. Alone."

“I’m not gonna argue with you over that now” said Rafi silently, barely loud enough to be hearable, but his voice clearly carried his opinion about the topic. He won’t let May take all the dues, whatever she said. She came to rescue her partner, but Carmilla was his lover, and that made him responsible, too. 

If she wanted to do it alone, then she’ll have to take him out once they get back to EC, he decided firmly, and even that he didn’t voiced that, Rafi tried to thicken it into his look and stance.

"Good," May replied with a wan smile. "Because it's not open for debate, anyhow."

The athletic black young man just returned her look and grimaced, and with that, he told everything. She could protest as she wants, he’ll go with her once they got back into the city. If not else, just because he won’t let Carm go without him anywhere once they’ll free her, and she prolly would have to show up at SHIELD...

Jennie shook her head. "Maybe when we bring your friend back," she said, before looking over at Rafi, "they'll back off. Once they realize that we're the good guys, that is," she said. It sounded more to him like wishful thinking, honestly...but he supposed it was a possibility.

"Your generosity is well appreciated, Milady," Kyle offered to May. "But mayhap we can find a way to wriggle free of such entanglements later, without a need for you falling upon your sword."

"I'm fairly certain that they'll be glad to have their lost agent back," Kyle elaborated. "And we will rescue her, as I doubt any of us are willing to accept failure as an option. With her return, perhaps we can convince SHIELD to see the benefits to them: a captured agent liberated, without risk of their active agents, by operatives whom they can honestly and completely deny any knowledge of or association with. Maybe showing them how they benefited from our unwitting use as deniable assets might help in smoothing ruffled feathers."

"In addition, we've a friend back home who might be available for consultation on what the best course of action might be for minimizing fallout," he explained. "We can have her see if there's anything she can think of that might help diminish repercussions for you."

"Roads to cross when we get there," he acknowledged. "For now, there's the much more important matter of your friend's well-being."

Damon nodded. "Right," he said. "Enough with all the negative talk," he smiled around the circle at the newly gathered fellowship about him. "Let's start talking about how we're gonna succeed here, eh? Because we're going to succeed, Rafi," he nodded again over to his friend. "We'll be in and out of that little dungeon with your lady safely in tow before they'll even know we were there. You'll see!"

"I'm with him!" Jennie grinned brightly. "We'll worry about the rest when we need to worry about it! For now, though--let's go get your girlfriend back home safe, 'kay?"

The was she smiled made it seem like a certainty, not just a rare possibility.

"And thus you have a most formidable weapon by your side: Crystal's determination. For when she sets her mind to something, nothing can sway her, nor hope to forestall her desires," Kyle noted with a grin. "Trust me. When she wants something, nothing can hold her back. And what she wants now is to help you bring your lady back home safely."

"Well, if they end up following us, maybe they can be useful as a distraction while we bust your friend out," Kyle suggested with a wry smile.

“Heh,” chuckled Rafi at the suggestion, somewhat relieved that they can go over and leave the former statement, “that would be useful, get some distraction to cover our actions, just like yours back at my loft” he said looking at the Haydens. “But we have to gather more information before that.”

"Agreed. Pool our resources and see what we have available to us for discretely gathering intel," Kyle noted.

He then looked at Lise, tilting his head slightly. “Are you well enough to look around where we can be?” he asked quietly, with a caring tone in his voice, considering the girl’s paleness. “You are the fastest one to do it safely now as I wouldn’t like to cease our cover yet.”

She nodded, adroitly pushing herself up to a stand where she was. "I'll be back soon," she said, confirming with the comment that she'd fully recovered from the affects of the gas.

Kyle nearly suggested an idea, but held his tongue for now. He could try a bit of shadow surveillance, but there was no guarantee he'd be able to ascertain where they were. Not to mention he'd much prefer more information about the overall situation, especially SHIELD's involvement. Cynicism and suspicion made for an easy road to travel, but he held onto the hope that maybe these folks would turn out to be good people after all. SHIELD's failure to identify themselves back at the apartment, and the apparent over-aggressiveness of their armored agent, didn't paint them in the best of lights.

"Wait!" Damon said, stopping her before she could get far. "You don't have to go anywhere."

He put his hand flat on the ground on which they all stood. "Your power was supposed to take us to her," he reasoned, looking up between all of them. "And I think it's aim was true, my friend. This piece of ground is hollow," he explained. "About a foot of frozen sod, covering a thick bit of metal--too big for me to really get a feel for," he said, brushing his finger slowly over the revealed grass as if a fortune-teller, reading tea leaves.

He grinned up at Rafi.

"I think you've led us right to their bloody door!"

"That certainly helps," Kyle noted.

Jennie playfully grinned at her brother. "Your mutant ability to capture the obvious in such florid terms never ceases to astonish," she quipped before reaching out to squeeze his hand gently--making it perfectly clear to all gathered around not only that it had been a joke...but that the two of them were together in more ways than simple company.

A pair of would-be superheroes, who are a pair in private, too, mused Rafi over the sight as he noticed the repeated squeeze and apparent harmony between the two. They where almost the perfect contrast to him and Carmilla, as he could saw after such little time together. A green haired girl, with cheerful and talkative demeanor, and a black guy, more silently and polite...

The thought made the space even colder in his heart, where Carm used to be. She must be rescued, by any means... he set his jaw, holding back his fears, and thinking on the problems instead.

"I'm going to look a veritable pincushion from all the barbs you sling, my dear," Kyle retorted, his smile and tone making it evident there was naught but love and affection behind his words.

She leaned over and placed a kiss on his cheek. From even ten feet away, Rafi saw the man's flesh seem to glow like starlight for the gesture, as if he were pecked lovingly by a fairy princess. "You'll be the sexiest pincushion in the world, then, lover," she said, a whisper into his ear that everyone in the small clearing heard loud and clear.

In his chest, Kyle felt the warmth bleed from his cheek to almost tangibly surround his heart.

He half expected the snow to melt beneath his feet for the rising warmth she engendered in him with that brief kiss. He was struck speechless by the passion in even so simple a gesture, with only a broad grin across his face. It was a look any who had ever been truly and deeply in love could readily recognize.

Such was his ecstasy from the touch of her lips that it took a couple moments for it to sink in that she had clearly spelled out the intimacy of their relationship, which might well cause complications later in socializing with these folks. But in that particular instant, he simply did not care.

Rafi turned his eyes from the happiness and harmony he saw on the pair as it shot an icy arrow into his heart. He is jealous, he recognized the feeling, but not at Crystal, or her partner, but at their moments at together, while he lacks his love from his side now... the thought made him both angry and sad, angry because he never thought that he’ll feel something like that against anyone, and sad that it reminded him to the goal of their presence in the pit.

When he did float back down to earth, Kyle couldn't help but notice how the Jade Jaguar turned away. He could scarcely imagine the pain the man was going through, his lover imprisoned away from him. He gently reached out and softly laid a hand upon the young man's shoulder.

"We will rescue her," Kyle vowed, a steely edge of determination in his voice.

He pulled a long face as he turned his stare to the ground. It was the umpteenth time today what caught him off-guard and he still couldn’t get used to it. He stared at Damon, as he asked him in disbelief “You say there is a door under us?”

Damon nodded gently. "Ladybugs sense their environment mostly through scent and touch," he explained. "Since I'm basically just a big ladybug right now, my sense of touch extends quite a way father than theirs does. Which is how I can tell you, yes," he smiled up at his friend, Rasgar sitting nobly at his side like the king of the jungles he was. "We're standing atop hollow ground. Hollow ground," he paused, to run his fingers over the top of it, "with a seam that runs along it right here. Just like a door's."

Rafi sighed and made a thinking face as he considered the thought, and making a note about Damon’s power for later use. “Cool, that information is a very good one. At least we mustn’t search for the entrance” he added with a wry smile. 

"Hrm.. Door's likely hermetically sealed, given the environs, likely duly shielded and insulated as well," Kyle mused. "Outside chance I could slip past the seal, but my method of doing so might trigger energy sensors within," he posed, thinking aloud.

Rafi nodded, considering that piece of information, too, but he wanted to get other possibilities as well before the final decision.

“I guess, you can melt the snow away with little effort, Crystal” he asked the girl and tilted his head, and turned to the others. 

"Definitely," she replied, looking down at the grass where Damon was still running his hand. "Just gimme the word and you'll think it's the middle of summer again!"

“I’m missing the summer, Crystal, so I’m very tempted to say that word” replied Rafi with a warm smile, before he went on the planning.

She looked over at Kyle for a moment, beaming with a bright smile before turning back in rafi's direction. "You and I need to talk, once we get your girlfriend back safe and sound, Mr. Jade Jaguar," she said, something in her voice like it wasn't negotiable in the slightest. "'Cause you just got signed up for Crystal and Obsidian's personal Operation: Bring Back Spring," she grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Don't even try refusing... Resistance is futile," Kyle teased in friendly good humor.

“Okay” replied Rafi sheepishly and cocked an eyebrow, but he left it that way for now.

From where he sat, Rasgar simply opened his mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and fangs. And yawned gently. Next to him, Damon recoiled at the scent of his breath.

The young artist repressed the urge to laugh out loud, and managed to make only a small smile. It was already on his to do list to make the jaguar’s breath better, but this sight was funny anyways.

Kyle chuckled lightly, feeling deeply for the man in the face of the dreaded cat breath.

“Anyone has any idea how can we go in, certainly the sneakiest way we could manage?” he asked the group.

"Tanya might be able to teleport us in," Damon mused. "But I don't know, either. I'm not sure she'll be up to it, once she wakes."

“Unfortunately we don’t know when will she wake up, and in what condition, so better not counting on her abilities for a while” shook his head Rafi, saddening at the thought, and looking down to the sleeping sorceress.

“I wish we could spy inside, but our cover blocks those powers not only to notice us, but ours as well, too, so we have to chose: spying in and possibly reveal our presence or remaining unnoticed, but walking in blindly?”

“I have a mixed idea: I could do the spying, but then I have to walk away from our group far enough to get out from the range of the device” he stretched himself fully, and grabbed his cards into his palm, while he looked at the others, waiting for their response.

"If I step out of the device's range, I might be able to provide some surveillance," Kyle suggested. "It could be time-consuming to try scanning the whole place, as we've no idea how extensive it is, but I should hopefully be able to at least scope out the area on the other side of the door."

He half expected the pale woman to leap at the chance to tell him to take a hike.

But she did not. Instead, to his mild surprise, she said something that sounded like she was agreeing with him. Apparently, with Jennie's light, their bit of Cold War had thawed. "It beats just popping in and not knowing what we're gonna find," she added.

"As far as sneaking in, I might be able to assist there as well," Kyle added. "It could be a tad risky, especially with a large group, but I should be able to manage a short distance. Though traveling blind is not a good idea, in my opinion. I'd much prefer to scout it out first, if possible," he admitted.

“I’d prefer the same,” nodded Rafi, “I mean about the other side of the door and the sneakin’ in.” 

“Either you or I can spy in, if we move out from the range.”

"Perhaps both, doubling up on efforts to minimize the chances of missing anything?" Kyle suggested.

“Could be useful” agreed Rafi with a nod.

“What can you offer to us for the sneaking?” he asked Obsidian with an arched brow. “If I guess you were the ghost in front of my window, and the one who covered the ‘bot with some dark substance.”

"Possibly teleportation for slipping in unobtrusively, and perhaps shadows for concealment and stealth once inside," Kyle offered up.

“We have concealment with us” he pointed with a nod at May, “but the teleport sounds good. I’m not too experienced traveling at great distances and skipping the road between the stops.”

“Actually, this was the very first time” he added, surprising even himself with his honest comment, too.

"I'm not a great master of it yet myself," Kyle admitted. "But a short jaunt to get us inside shouldn't be near as much trouble, and I'm willing to give it a shot."

As he was saying it, Rafi noticed Tanya's eyes fluttering open. The beautiful pale blue behind her eyelids showed for a moment before she slit them to a squint. "Ooohh," she moaned, reaching her hand up to massage her temples gently. "What in the world happened?" she asked. "Where are we?"

It didn't seem so much to be the question as...where were they about to be?

A relieved smile spread across the young artist’s face when he heard the question from the blonde girl. He knelt down next to her, and gently stroked her hair off from his forehead, and then put his hand under his back, to help her to sit up. “Good morning, dear.”

Damon stroked her brow like a father tending to his sick daughter. "Mornin', sunshine," he smiled down gently to her as he helped with the matter of sitting her upright.

She made a quick look around the clearing at the gathered personages all about--stopping abruptly when her eyes fell upon Kyle and Jennie. "Friends," Damon assured her in a soft voice. Instantly, she seemed to relax in his arms. She looked up at Rafi and chuckled slightly, the act seeming to give her headache new traction. "They helped us make sure we avoided learning what other nasty tricks our egg-shaped party-crasher had up his sleeve...aside of a welcoming gift of sleeping gas, that is."

She looked up as if to take the two of them in anew.

"Do our new friends have names?" she asked him softly.

“They are Crystal and Obsidian” answered Rafi, gesturing at the pair politely.

Kyle bowed politely as he was introduced. "Less formal names can come later, when we're all back home safe and sound," he suggested.

"We're only trading super-hero names," Damon explained to her. "For now, anyway."

She seemed mildly surprised. "Since when are you a super-hero?" she cocked a brow.

He chuckled gently. "I just started work today," he replied. "It's my first day on the job."

"Ah," she nodded, apparently slightly amused by the comment. 

"Having his friends' girlfriends abducted brings the best out in him," May added wryly.

That brought a merry chuckle from her. To see it was something of a relief for Rafi; it meant she was quickly regaining her life and spirit from the depths of slumber. there had been no apparent long-term damage from the gas. "And what," she posed, arching a blonde brow, "dare I ask, did you tell them your super-hero name was?"

He pet Rasgar's head gently, right between his ears. "Beetlebum."

She looked at him like he might have lost his mind. "Beetlebum?"

"You like it," he smiled wryly. "I can tell."

"It was all you could think of," she countered.

Finally, his smile arched into a laugh. The ladybugs seemed to reply excitedly within his glass jar, going aflutter in a black and red storm for a moment. "You're right," he laughed.

And she laughed right with him. "All right, then," she said, thinking for a moment. "Then I'm the Magess of Hinterland," she announced herself, bowing gently for their approval before the gesture obviously caused her some sharp headache. She straightened in an attempt to keep her bearing hinted at by her choice of noble-sounding names. "A pleasure to meet the both of you," she added with a soft smile.

Rafi smiled gently as he listened to the conversation between Damon and Tanya, or, he corrected himself mentally, between Beetlebum and the Magess, and smiled gently. It was good to see that they were such good friends, and he guessed that the girl knew Damon’s real identity as well. 

He would bet on it that this adventure would call some impression from the British guy for some good song, and if they wouldn’t be released for the open public, they can listen to them within the group.

"Hail and well met, Milady," Kyle returned to the Magess, offering a courtly bow.

"And don't worry about it being your first official heroic outing," he offered to Beetlebum. "It was our first EC patrol that landed us amidst this," he noted, gesturing to Jennie and himself.

“We are in Germany right now, right on the entrance of the complex we were searching for” he explained their position to her calmly, still holding her gently.

Tanya nodded. "That's...very good news," she decided with a little smile. "So I presume you figured a way around our little problem as it pertained to following the map."

Rafi blushed a little, but nodded. “Yeah, my door worked almost as I wanted... it took us to the entrance, or prolly more correctly, to one of the entrances of the complex”, he explained their position.

“At the moment, we are in the middle of the planning how we can get inside and how to explore it before stepping on some field mine or ambush.”

She nodded once again. "I see," she said simply, seeming to consider it for a moment.

"We're open to suggestions, if you've got 'em," the girl at the edge of their group said. And with that, now standing, she drew closer to its center, dragging her fingers across Rasgar's fur as she went, causing the massive feline to butt its head affectionately against her hand in return. Once she'd passed, the massive cat leaned its head down to where Tanya lay and rubbed the top of its nose up against the side of her face, as it might one of its own to make sure it was well. When she began to chuckle by way of response, he began to lick her cheek with its tongue, rough, wide and green.

"Perhaps," she replied, laughing merrily at the cat's slobbering affections. "After I get this damn noise out of my head," she moaned. "And this beautiful, wondrous creature out of my face!"

Rafi laughed at the affections of his friend, and only then placed his free hand at the feline’s shoulder when Tanya asked for it. “Its okay, Rasgar,” he said gently stroking the rich jade fur of the great cat, trying to pull him down. 

The cat did as his master bade him, seeming to almost realize that he his enthusiasm for her wakefulness had gotten somewhat out of hand. He sat back upright, on his tail, as if to listen intently to what sort of plan the seven of them might hatch.

“Please, let our sorceress speak, you can torture her once we get home and we’ll meet next time. I’m sure she’ll enjoy it,” he added with a wry smile, looking into the girl’s blue eyes, and then winking once.

She laughed softly. "I will at that," she agreed. "It's hard not to fall in love with such a magnificent creature, after all."

The young artist stroked his cat, and replied with a warm smile. “It’s a deal, then.”

Kyle had to agree with the Magess. The jaguar was indeed magnificent. Truly inspiring in the sleekness of its poetry. He tried to imagine how majestic the great cat might appear in a full run, its powerful, lean muscles rippling beneath its sparkling emerald coat in an awesome display of power and grace. This was definitely something worth immortalizing in art.

As his eyes took in the fabulous feline, studying it appreciatively and committing its beauty and majesty to memory, the shadows along the far side of the pit began to shift and waver slightly, resolving themselves into a variety of two-dimensional renderings of the great cat from differing angles.

“We have to arrange our map to the right directions, too.” he said and as he saw that the girl can hold her position on her own, grabbed the map which he drew and what Tanya’s spell eked out. He unfolded it, and showed to the others, trying to figure out where this huge door can be on it.

Jennie knelt down alongside him, furrowing her bright emerald brow as she tried to suss out the way in which it might be laid. "I think we're actually gonna have to be down there to figure this thing out," she mused. And it was true to Rafi's mind. Sitting in the crater-like well of snow, there was precious little in the way of landmarks to assist them in that goal. Once they went inside, though, a tunnel or open space would be just the thing to help them get their bearings.

Of course, he knew, that also meant venturing into the unknown....

"If teleportation is to be our avenue in, then the lady needn't strain herself, especially so soon. I may be able to shoulder that particular burden," Kyle offered.

"It's not that hard a spell," Tanya said, fishing around in her wide, brown leather belt for a moment. "And once I have one of these," she said, triumphantly brandishing a teardrop shaped crystal flask in her hand, "I'll be fit as a fiddle again!"

The flask, they saw by the light that sprung from Jennie, was a pale blue, almost the same color as the sorceress' eyes. Written on a white label affixed to its front, it read POTION OF CURE SERIOUS WOUNDS in an elegant, almost calligraphic script in india ink.

The pouch she pulled it from seemed much too small to fit the decanter.

Rafi raised an eyebrow questioningly, but then reminded himself that she was a mage, indeed. “I could appreciate such handy tricks in my cloakroom, too” he deadpanned, but noted that, too, that it shall come handy later if any of them would get some wound during the rescue...

"I do, occasionally, work on commission, you know," she smiled, nodding in the young artist's direction. "We'll speak when we're not quite so close to the enemy's clutches," she finished, adding a little wink in his direction to punctuate the thought.

Rafi nodded, and the sparkle in his eyes revealed how much he appreciated the offer. “Sounds good. Perhaps we can trade up some art of ours.”

"Heh. Who knew D&D was real?" Kyle chuckled, admiration in his tone. "Potions of Healing and a Girdle of Many Pouches.. Very cool."

"You have more of those potions, perhaps, should the lady we're here to rescue have need?" Kyle inquired.

"I do," she nodded, looking over in the shadow-man's direction with the confirmation. "And as for the form I've chosen my specific magicks to take," she informed him, "I'm afraid you'll have to either thank or blame my little brother, as you're inclined to do. But I can assure you that without his inspiration, I'd have never come close to making it out of the monastery as any sort of weaver of sorceries. So...Dungeons & Dragons it is," she smiled, blue eyes flashing with vibrant life in the assertion.

He watched the talk about this D&D thing, but he didn’t say a word as he doesn’t know much about it. He knew the game, as some of their artist created amazing arts into the books, but he was never interested joining to play. He spent his free time more likely in the park, dancing with the others, or in a loft, drawing some of his own pictures.

"I am in awe, Milady," Kyle responded. "To be able to shape and mold such energies, forming a tapestry from such primal, eldritch forces.. Like being granted a spark of the divine and sculpting it into something new and different. Art with a capital A, indeed."

"Regarding my teleportation capabilities," he mused, returning to the matter at hand..

"As I said, there may be risks involved, but Crystal should be able to help shield you against any possible discomfort. Ideally, there won't be any, as she seemed pretty much unaffected after our prior jaunt," he pointed out.

“Discomfort?” asked Rafi back curiously with an asking sparkle in his eyes.

"The transit can prove disorienting for some, especially given the general sensory deprivation attached to my particular brand of travel," Kyle explained. "Crystal's traveled with me before, and she didn't seem to suffer any adverse effects."

"Aside from my poorly judged landing at the time," he admitted.

She laughed. "You're only going a few feet, this time," she reassured him. "He'll be fine," she turned over to Rafi to do the same for him. "And like he said, I think it just disorients him. We practically hopped cross-country, last time he teleported--and I was fine!"

"Bit more than merely cross-country, at your persistent insistence," he needled good-naturedly. "Or were you perchance referring to crossing between countries?"

"Last time I let you talk me into a shopping trip," he muttered playfully, his tone reflecting his affection, and the knowledge he'd likely fold in the face of her insistence yet again.

Maybe not much discomfort for them, but I got a bad feeling it's gonna hurt like hell for me, Kyle mused grimly. Still, he was willing to endure it if it might help save the captive lady.

“Understood,” replied Rafi with a confirming nod. “As you can see, I should work on my aim, too, as I planned the other side of the door at the cell where my mistress is now.”

“If you can do it, then I’m with ya, let our Magess rest for a while now, perhaps she can be the one who’ll bring us out from the bottom of the pit.” Said Rafi, nodding both at Kyle and then at Tanya.

"I'd be happy to lend my services to the initial foray inside," Kyle volunteered.

"Course, 'porting blind is never advisable, so we need some intel first," he uttered, expecting Jennie to lance him with another playful barb about stating the obvious. "Hopefully, we can get a good visual reference for a target location inside, something for me to focus on and aim for."

The barb never came. Instead, May offered something much more...direct. "If I were handling this operation myself--and I know," she looked directly at Kyle, "before you say it, I'm not--I'd just find this seam you guys are talking about, and tear my way down into whatever kind of area it opens into. Basic Architecture 101: the size of the doorway almost always directly correlates to the size of the hall or foyer space it opens into. As big as this one is, it implies a sizable area...which probably means some kind of vehicle bay."

"True enough, but it may well be an occupied vehicle bay, which might still leave risky obstacles for 'porting," Kyle voiced.

"The thing is," she flipped the small black ball in her hand about the size of a cue ball, "you guys are a lot more worried about being caught that I am. As long as we've got this little baby in our hands--all we need to do is keep our entrance down to a dull roar, and chances are that nobody's going to see us. Just like you two couldn't see us from outside the apartment," she said, looking back and forth between the twins. "So that said, I say we do it however you guys want to do it...but we get in there as soon as we can."

She looked around the small group. A little grin on her face as she secured the enigmatic black ball back into her pocket.

"You guys with me?"

“You could be right at the first thought,” considered Rafi the idea, but then shook his head slightly as he stood up again. 

“I can summon Skie, and I’m sure as Hell that she is able to crack this door open with one single blow, but what about the alarms which were possible are set on this door?” opening his arms wide regretfully.

Kyle arched an eyebrow in surprise. This guy had yet more backup? And one he was confident could easily bust open sealed vehicle bay doors with a single hit? Certainly seemed they didn't need any additional help. In a way, though, that made it a warmer gesture they were extending by accepting his and Jennie's assistance.

"The Blackball should nullify the alarms," she informed him. "At least the local ones--which are probably all we have to worry about, since all we're planning on doing in hopping in and out of this place. That's why they're standard S.H.I.E.L.D. issue," she explained. "As our friend will no doubt attest--they're pretty damn effective."

"Indeed. Fortunately, we were able to see enough to move us to action," Kyle remarked.

“If you ask me, even that they won’t see us, if we set off the alarms right with our first step, we can get much tougher resistance than if we just sneak in, don’t you think?” he looked at May, and the wry comment swam up to his mind again: she talks like a real agent, she behaves like on, but sometimes she seems like she just grabs the first thing which comes into her mind, and acts without further planning. Perhaps it could be coz’ her strange spider-sense protects her from rushing into the direct slam, but even she confirmed that it wouldn’t say much about the indirect dangers. 

And their group will met some, he was sure, and the distant feeling disturbed him.

"Maybe," she said. "If we set any alarm off to begin with."

“What the tinklers say in your head?” he asked back with a soft smile. “I know, I know, only when we’re on the way...” he raised his palm before the girl could strike back. “I was just joking...” he added with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, don't wanna be charging headlong into trouble, especially when we're apt to have to fight our way out through far too much of it," Kyle agreed.

“So I’d take upon one of the teleport-offers, and only then activate the cavalry, when its really needed” he said with a wry smile. 

“Skie could take that role, but as long as I’m within your range, I can’t sense anything which comes from her, and I wouldn’t let her alone to provide distraction; even that I know that her scales could handle any low-grade bullet or other weaponry…” he finished his speech with a confused and anxious look on his face.

"If this Skie's that powerful, best to hold her in reserve as an ace up our sleeves," Kyle proposed. "That way, if we start to run into too much hassle, she can be unloaded as a nasty surprise."

“I’m afraid she won’t be able to help us when we got inside” began Rafi his contradiction with an elfish smile, waiting for the reactions on the other’s face, “as Skie is a mighty blue dragon,” he finished the sentence a moment later.

His eyes blinking behind the shades, Kyle's mouth hung slightly open in stunned silence as the man dropped that not so little bit of information.

“She is about 100 feet long, and a little under 50 tons...” he went on the explanation with a widening grin.

Kyle softly whistled a bit as he recovered his mental bearings, "Now that's some serious heavy artillery to be packing for backup!"

"Perhaps a quick jaunt out of the device's range so I might attempt some shadowy surveillance? Or possibly seeing if I can slip through the seams in energy form?" Kyle offered up as ideas.

"Or would the group as a whole rather simply 'port to the other side of the door and take it from there?" he asked. "Shunt inside and get this op rolling?"

"If I can get a visual on the interior, I might be able to 'port us further in than just inside this door," he noted.

"How far would I have to go to be out of the device's range?" he asked the dark-haired lady.

"A hundred feet," May replied. "But it conforms, more or less, to the area you're in. It fills up a volume, like water. Put my vote down for teleporting in on the other side of the door--and come what may."

“Wow” responded Rafi in his surprise. She told him at the apartment of his that the thing is powerful, but the huge range was new to him. “Quite effective, I should say.”

Kyle mentally filed away the device's range notations. Potentially useful info to know throughout this op, as well as good to know for simple future reference.

"I'm with her," the ethereal wisp of a woman next to Rasgar added.

"I'm for scrying, myself," the sorceress chimed in with a little grin. "But, I suppose you might expect that from me, hm?"

Damon looked around. "I'm for whatever's least likely to get any of us hurt," he looked around at them with a nervous look on his face. "So I guess that means skulking about."

"I think we should just go ahead in," Jennie said, nodding in May's direction, as if to give her idea more credence. "There's seven of us here," she reasoned. "We all have super-powers--and we're all freakin' awesome! I don't think we should be worried about what's on the other side; I think they should be worried about us!"

Rasgar, sitting at Rafi's feet, voiced no opinion at all.

The others, meanwhile, looked to him and Kyle to hear what they would say.

“Hm, then 3 against 2 so far on the side of rushing in,” counted Rafi up the votes. He bit his lower lip while he tried to think about the possibilities, and then glanced at the Haydens.

"My main concern is that even with the device shielding us from detection, there'll still be signs left behind to alert those within to the intrusion," Kyle noted.

"Though perhaps you can ensure that tiny puddles of water from melted snow tracked in is not one of those signs," he noted to Jennie.

She nodded back. "Check," she said, looking around at the ground beneath them. As everyone's attention followed her glance, there was no doubt that it had been a good call; the warmth that Jennie's light had brought into being had left the grass that they'd stood upon wet and slippery. If she weren't there to ensure it, that would certainly manifest itself in the form of sopping, watery footprints.

“Aw...” breathed Rafi, and patted himself on the forehead. “Good to have you two here... I’d never think about that by myself” he said shaking his head in disbelief. “Or, not from the start, at least”, he added.

"That's the benefit of working with professional super-heroes," Beetlebum quipped in his lovely British accent. "They pick up on the kinds of things we amateurs would otherwise miss," he mused, looking up at Kyle and Jennie with a wry little smile. They all saw the unabashed grin wash over the beautiful girl's features at the comment...something that seemed to delight her to no end, indeed.

"I daresay you just scored yourself some points there, sir," Kyle replied to Beetlebum, and while he was a bit flattered as well by the man's quip, it was easy to see from his sidelong glance at Jennie that he was much more pleased by the effect the remark had upon her; clearly, brightening her day brightened his as well.

Kyle favored her with a soft smile, glad to know she had them covered on that matter. The device would hopefully help mask any differing thermal traces from the ambient temperatures within. He just hoped they didn't make use of roving dog patrols or chemical sniffers inside; didn't seem to be much they'd be able to do about leaving behind minute scent traces.

“Could any of you tell us that the area inside of this door is lit or don’t?” he asked the pair and arched a brow. “You emits green light and warm,” he said to Crystal, “I guess you can do other things with the light then, or not?”

"I can," Jennie nodded. "But telling whether or not there's light in whatever kind of room's beneath us isn't one of them," she frowned. "I can't really affect anything I can't perceive somehow. At least not yet, anyway."

“It’s okay, I was just asking” shrugged Rafi with a smile, ensuring that he didn’t take it hard. It was a piece of information which could help him to make his decision, but it seemed that he’ll have to do it without any further sensory data.

Kyle clasped her hand reassuringly. There were plenty of things neither of them could do, but that was where partners and teammates helped immensely, granting a larger, more diverse overall pool of abilities to draw upon. Too, with time and effort, they would each expand upon their repertoire of tricks, and a cohesive group that grew in power and versatility would prove able to handle even more. There were superteams that readily proved that.

He knew Jennie was interested in gathering a group of heroes at some point, perhaps even forging her own team. And he certainly wasn't one to overlook the benefits of a tightly knit group of heroic friends working together. As he looked about the group, a smile played about his lips as he considered that bands of heroes and adventurers in fiction and legend always seemed to have a crisis of sorts that drew them together, something they couldn't face alone. He wondered if maybe the initial foundations for just such an alliance might be being laid right here, right now.

Still kneeling on one leg, Damon continued to massage the grass with the flat of his palm. "I can't tell either," he said, concentrating carefully as he did it. "But what I can tell you is that I don't feel any vibration in the metal. Now, it's awfully thick, but I'm relatively sure that whatever room its attached to--there's nothing moving inside it." He looked up at Rafi and then Kyle. "I think that's probably a good sign, no?"

“Indeed, my friend. Strange, that your senses work in spite of the blackball...” he replied furrowing his brows meanwhile. “But very useful in the same time, as we have at least one source, which provides some intel.”

"Maybe it's because they're natural?" the pale, mysterious girl, posed from where she stood, closer, but still at the periphery of their tight little circle. "If the thing killed everybody's natural sense, how would we see each other or hear each other talk?" she reasoned. "You're basically like a big ladybug, right? Maybe it's just reading what you're doing as your natural senses--and letting it slip right by?"

“Interesting idea”, Rafi agreed and scratched his chin. “But what counts as natural?” he asked Lise - and the others around as well. “I... we were born with our gift, I guess, so to us, it’s natural... or not?”

“Or you mean the natural attribute by that way that this whatnot it intelligent and sorts out the inputs, and decide by its programming that it’s natural or not, and then blocks them?” he mused over the thought for a while. 

"I dunno what I mean," she replied, obviously immediately a little uncomfortable, now that they had all turned their attentions toward her. She was probably wishing she'd never said anything at all. "I'm not a scientist. It was just an idea, I guess." And then she placed her hands into her pockets and sort of edged back behind Rasgar in what was obviously a psychological desire to be out of the direct limelight.

Not everybody was Jennie, after all. Not everybody was comfortable in the forefront.

“Hey, it’s okay; I’m no scientist at all, too.” Rafi smiled at her warmly, reassuringly as he tried to convey his friendship and gratitude to the girl. “I couldn’t know your civilian profession, Blur, we didn’t had time to talk about that yet” he added, before he continued his commentary.

Kyle offered the pale woman a slight nod and gentle smile of understanding. He knew well what it was like to be uncomfortable on center stage, and he certainly didn't want to impose that on another who seemed much more at ease back behind the proverbial curtains. He found it interesting that he and she seemed to share that one thing in common.

She looked over at Kyle, then back to Rafi. Seeing the way that they were both looking at her encouraged her to allow a bit more of herself to slip from behind her guard. "I'm a dancer," she replied. "With the Elysium City Ballet," she added. "This is all a bit outside the province of the barre and the stage."

Rafi’s jaw fell as he heard that Lise is a professional dancer, and in the Ballet. “Wow” he voiced his feelings, and looked at her with newfound admiration. “Very impressive, indeed. And to continue the former thought: you know, this is outside even a tattoo parlor, so we are on an even ground.”

"Looks like we're to be the Justice League of Artists," Kyle remarked, and though there was a bit of merriment in his attempted jest, there was also evident a sincere amount of admiration for the lady's revelation of herself as a dancer.

"You too, eh?" Beetlebum grinned. "I knew there was something I liked about you."

"Dabbler, mostly," Kyle offered modestly. "Working on expanding my repertoire and reach, with the assist of a talented agent. And having to work on my recalcitrance about entering the spotlight as well," he explained.

"An artist as well, hrm?" he inquired, looking at Beetlebum. "In what medium or media, might I ask?"

The Blur's face actually gained a bit of color to it, a small rose hue rising to her cheeks that was like the frost thawing from flowers on a cold winter's night. "League of Awesome," Jennie reminded him in no uncertain terms, by way of a whisper from behind him, into his ear.

"Of course, dear. How could I possibly forget?" he whispered back, a light hint of teasing in his voice.

Taking note of The Blur's apparent bit of blush, he simply offered her another gentle smile and respectful nod, otherwise avoiding calling undue attention to her. She seemed the shy sort for now, so he would respect that.

“In which art, Obsidian, if I may ask?” asked Rafi with a cocked brow, only slightly surprised by the revelation. “Later, when we’ll be at a more friendly place and time, we should visit each other’s performance and/or exhibition, I think”, he added with an excited smile on his face.

"Painting and drawing mainly, though I also work a bit in computer graphics as well," Kyle answered. "And I'd be delighted in sharing with fellow artists," he noted with a grin, looking about at the Jade Jaguar, Beetlebum, and Blur, "Though I've yet to engage a local showing. My lovely lady here and my agent are helping me emerge a bit more from the shadows in that respect, so I may have a small showing in the not too distant future."

"And this is a bit outside of normal for all of us," he added. "Or rather, most of us," he corrected, offering May a wry smile. "But we have the advantage of added shoulders to lean upon as we see our way through," he noted encouragingly.

The fastest ballerina in the world simply shrugged. "I think this is probably like building a house, out in that mess outside," she mused. "None of us really were ready for it--well, except maybe for you two--" she looked over at Jennie and Kyle before swinging her glance back to Rafi. "--but ready or not, you've gotta find a way. 'Cause you're sure as Hell not about to let your friends freeze to death."

“True” nodded Rafi simply, doesn’t really finding the fitting words for a correct answer. She pretty much summed up his feelings and thoughts, and that was even scarier, knowing that they’ve met less than an hour ago. He carried his eyes over the group of would-be heroes, and artists, carving all of them into his mind, with their pose and look, to revive later the moment, when this League of Artists were born.

"Don't know that I'd say we were ready," Kyle considered. "But, as you said, we're all of us in the midst of the situation, and girding up because we cannot do otherwise and remain true to ourselves."

Whether they accepted it or not, being there at that moment meant each of them had the potential for true heroism. No cameras to look good for, no stories to be written nor accolades earned. Only a lady in trouble, and them putting themselves at risk for love and friendship. This was when it truly mattered, and as he looked around at these new friends he found them all to be standing tall and shining bright.

He was already seeing The Forging being painted in his mind.

The lithe and graceful, beautiful woman--nearly an albino for her paleness--smiled gently. In a roundabout way, she'd let them know what she thought of them, without coming right out and saying it. "And my name is Lise," she said. "Actually it's really Lisanthnyjasurii," she said before offering Beetlebum a sly little smile. "But I guess you can call me The Blur, if you want to. Maybe it's kinda catchy, after all."

Across the room, Beetlebum simply grinned, by way of response.

Rafi smiled at her encouragely, appreciating her deed, that she revealed her real name to them. It showed that she began to feel comfortable within the group, and Obsidian’s perfectly placed compliments and gestures lured her out from her shell. It was a good, thing, he knew, and nodded to himself, musing over the thought.

"My name is Kyle, dear Lady," he offered to Lise with a courtly bow. "And I thank you for this grace you have granted us. The effervescent emerald-tressed sprite whom I am most fortunate to accompany is Jennie," he noted as he introduced his beloved.

Jennie didn't look like she minded having her name thrown out there like there a bit. "Heya!" she wiggled her fingers by way of a wave, the soft green luminescence that surrounded her brightening gently as she introduced herself.

"Although I think I shall have to refrain from addressing you as The Blur," Kyle considered. "Lest I be continuously haunted by Brit-pop strains of Woo-Hoo! echoing in my head," he joked.

Beetlebum nodded sagely. "I couldn't agree more," he shook his head. "What a horrid little song."

"Yeah, most pop's not really my thing, especially with the way they tend to pick one or two songs from an artist and play them to death," Kyle explained. "I do tend to like a little something from most musical genres though."

“Or, taking the simplest idea:, “continued Rafi his thoughts when the smalltalk ended, ”it looks for pre-programmed genetic codes, and when Beetlebum borrowed the abilities of the ladybugs, his code changed either to something new, what the thing doesn’t know, either to exactly to the ladybugs’ and ‘coz it’s an animal, it can pass freely?” he offered the idea as his solution for the phenomenon.

"An interesting and perceptive train of thought," Kyle noted, nodding and smiling in compliment to the pale lady and the Jade Jaguar both. "That an assumption of the ladybug's natural abilities thus causes their assumed natural sensory abilities to register as natural to the device, thus preventing their suppression. If that's indeed the case, then other enhanced physical senses might well defy the device's cloak."

"An added edge in our favor, with two such worthies amongst our number," he remarked with a smile, nodding in turn towards Beetlebum and the green jaguar.

The bespotted man just shrugged, looking down at Rasgar and running a hand across his fur as continued to caress the ground with his other. "You hear that?" he smiled at the beautiful feline. "Looks like they found a use for the two of us, after all!"

Rasgar, for his part, didn't seem much to care about anything but the petting. That, he liked.

“Why wouldn’t we?” asked Rafi smiling and tilted his head slightly. “Everyone has some gift here, and I know that everyone will be useful during this rescue.”

"Well spoken indeed," Kyle agreed with a smile.

May frowned slightly. "Could be," she said. "They really don't explain to you how they work, when the Quartermaster issues them to you. And I've never had a chance to take one apart. So that's just as good a working premise as I've got."

Jennie cocked her head, looking back at the girl who's idea it had been...who had spent most of their time in her enigmatic silence. "I, uhm...never got your name," she smiled at her, gesturing in an awkward way that was between going palms-up and shrugging. "What did you want us to call you?"

Rafi just raised a brow and looked at Lise, being curious by himself, too, to what name would the pale girl offer for Crystal.

She just looked at the shining young star in their midst with her cold blue eyes.

A small smile began to form on the young tattoist’s face as the silence began to grow. He expected something like that from the girl, and found it funny, in a way, but he was careful enough not to express his joy too much. Who knows how Lise would react...

Kyle shifted his position, moving slightly closer to Jennie and placing himself slightly ahead of her in the pale lady's periphery, silently interposing himself into her field of vision. His warm smile expressed that there was no challenge being issued, simply a gentle understanding that he'd not hesitate to offer himself up as a target first to protect Crystal from any threats that raised their heads.

She didn't look like she was going to say anything. Content to simply stare her down. "She's The Blur," Beetlebum finally said from where he crouched on the ground.

She slowly swung her gaze down to the red and black-spotted Briton. "I'm what?" she asked.

Kyle was a bit glad the British gentleman had diverted her attention. He didn't want any trouble with their potential new friends, but glaring at Jennie was a quicker way to risk pushing his buttons than doing so at him.

"The Blur," he repeated, grinning broadly, as if a bit proud of himself for coming up with the name. "You know. Because you can move so fast--you're not much more than a blur."

Once again, the girl with the lithe frame and delicate, pale features offered one of her rare smiles, something like a beautiful flower growing from a patch of ice. "You're a clever one," she said, almost admiringly, "Beetlebum." She might have actually been, astonishingly enough, on the edge of allowing a little laugh.

He practically giggled by way of response. "I'll take that as a compliment--especially coming from you," he smirked back at her. "Blur." The way he said it, in spite of the dire circumstances, almost made Rafi burst right out into laughter.

His repressed smile spread into a wide grin as he chuckled at the scene, and shook his head a little, watching the happiness of his friends. He found it funny that this rescue granted two new acquaintance to them, who prolly will become friends later, and all of them got hero-names in the same time. Well, almost all of them, he thought as he glanced over at May. 

She didn’t tell any name yet, other than her own when they were down at the entrance of the shop. His eyes carried over the question, and what about your name?, but he didn’t voiced it as he didn’t want to call the attention of the others to the fact. He shrugged slightly and left it that way. She’ll probably offer her SHIELD code-name, if somebody asks, but even that Rafi was curious about it, he didn’t ask.

Kyle felt like he'd missed an inside joke there...but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

For the moment, he was more than happy to simply enjoy the easing of tension with the playful retorts traded between the pale woman and Beetlebum. To further let the matter slide, for his own mind as well, he returned to the discussion of the pressing matter at hand.

"Given the size of the door, and the potential size of the vehicles that would likely use it for ingress and egress, lack of noticeable vibrations would certainly seem to indicate no major activity within at the moment," Kyle agreed encouragingly.

"And given the need to deal with the snow buildup each time the door's opened, that should make for a decent open space on the other side.. More than just the area immediately conforming to the opening itself, to account for maneuvering and shuffling of vehicles," he mused.

"They must not use it very often," May nodded in agreement. "If they did, you wouldn't see all this snow built up like it is." She looked around herself at the veritable walls of the stuff that surrounded them in a perfect white ring. "There has to be fifteen feet of snow and ice packed up here. I'm thinking that's a good sign, too."

“Sure” replied Rafi shortly. “Let’s hope that it’s an abandoned or rarely used hangar” he said before turned his attention back to the pair of young heroes within the group.

"I'll gladly take every advantage and break we can get," Kyle muttered.

“And you can turn into a shadow, and created an aura around the bot, back at my loft, and now said that you can spy trough the shadows” said Rafi, looking at Obsidian, moving on his list of persons who might be able to gather data about the room on the other side of the door.

“The spying is blocked by that whatnot, but what if you don’t want to see or hear through, just to know what’s inside?” he asked curiously.

“That could provide real help in the decision” he said at last.

"I imagine the device would likewise block even such a minute sensory attempt, but it'll only take a moment to check," Kyle offered with a smile.

"I would think it would too," May offered, making a little face as she said it. "I've seen it block some pretty impressive attempts at surveillance before. But you're welcome to try," she finished. "All you're risking is surprising me."

"Failure costs us only the moment it takes me to try, but the possibility of success, and the pleasant surprise it may yield, are certainly worth the attempt, no matter how slim the chance," Kyle noted.

Nods surrounded them. "Go on then," Beetlebum urged him. "Give it a go."

"If I fail, the first round of drinks are on me when we all get back home," he offered with a smile. "If I luck out and succeed, though, you're buying," he told May with a wink.

She laughed. It was something that look like it belonged on her face, he thought. A reminder of how stunningly beautiful a girl she was, when she did it. "You're on," she grinned. "And if they catch up to me before you make it to the bar--you're FedEx'ing me a tall pina colada right to the stockade," she assured him. "With an extra slice of pineapple."

"Pina Colada, extra pineapple. Got it," Kyle confirmed. "And if I don't get to the bar first, I'll make it a pair of 'em," he offered with a smile.

Smiles and laughter were much welcomed in the face of the potential danger and trouble looming ahead. Anything to help lighten hearts, rather than dwelling overly much on what might lie before them, or await when they returned home. Regrettably, they could not ignore it fully.

"I would personally be more comfortable with taking a moment or two to recon via the shadows, perhaps granting us a better grasp of the map directions and such before we enter, as well as availing ourselves of at least some idea what numbers and manner of opposition we might have to deal with," Kyle expressed.

"For the immediate moment, let me see if I can learn anything while yet within the cloak's boundaries," Kyle voiced, focusing his concentration, striving to see if he could at least determine whether or not the opposing side of the door yielded a lit or shadowy area.

Jennie drew close to Kyle's ear, placing a gentle kiss at the top of his neck, just beneath the sensitive bug of his earlobe. "Good luck, sexy," she whispered. Gooseflesh spread all across his skin, even in spite of her warmth.

"Thanks, beautiful," he whispered in return, shivering slightly for the delightful sensation awakened in him by her teasing, feathery kiss.

A ghostly smile appeared in the corner of Rafi’s lips as he watched the small scene between the pair of would-be superheroes. Though they’ve met only a few minutes ago, the two already revealed the depth of their relationship and the harmony within. It made him smile, as it was a good thing to see, brought some warmth to his soul, too. 

At the same time, his heart skipped a beat, too, as he wanted to hold his sad Scorpion in his arms, to show everyone how much he loved her, and lure one of her beautiful smiles on her face. 

With that, even without knowing what the shadowy man will say, he decided that they have to go inside as fast as they can, to shorten the time which parted him from his love.

Hopefully, it would prove to be manageable, and he'd find it to be a darkened bay. That would certainly help facilitate their discrete entry.

Kyle directed his power beneath himself, into the density of the ground under his feet. he instantly realized something was amiss as he extended his senses five, ten feet distant. Beetlebum hadn't given him a specific idea how thick the doorway was, but the engineer in him knew well that it couldn't be that thick and still be functional. Still he pressed onward, further and further until, at about what he guessed was a distance of fifty feet, he still saw nothing. It was as if he was trying to look through the darkness extant within the solid ground. Nothing to be seen at all.

Continuing his former thought, Rafi didn’t spend too much attention to the process of the surveillance, instead he pulled his ever present sketchbook from his beltpouch, knelt down next to Rasgar, taking composure from his presence, and he began to sketch out the room where Carmilla was held, from the perspective of the corridor. 

The jade jaguar, massive and sleek, took the opportunity afforded by his nearness to crane his head over and butt it up against Rafi's arm and shoulder, petting himself affectionately on the fabric of his shirt. It made it hard to draw properly...but the way that the soft brushing of his fur felt against him, coupled by the way he purred so comfortably as he did it, he didn't have the heart to ask him to stop.

Instead, it gave him the reassurance he needed, that everything will be all right. It was the kind of magic what cats could do with their partners - not masters as no cat will have one ever -, to clam them and to make them happy, while they pamper the cats in fact.

Damon turned as well, watching him begin his work in quiet interest. One artist watching another create a masterpiece in his own medium.

He tried to shut down his artistic vein, to draw as realistic environment as he could, so the passage was clear and sharp, like he saw when he glanced at it with the angel from the girl’s back. The thick metal door was open, revealing the dark, concrete pit behind with its simplicity. The chains were dim, just like the walls from where they spread down to the girl.

And then, the girl was drawn just like on a photo -only black and white, but still a perfect one-, as she hung there, hand surrounded by huge manacles, in her awkward, painful pose. 

Her head hung low, so as her soft hair fell forward, hiding most of her face, only a few ghostly line revealed her beauty... as the artist and the lover saw her...

But it was a static thing, stationary and still within the frame of the sketchbook. Truly something beautiful, but nothing like what he'd hoped to bring into being: a window into the world within the cell. Snow, kicked from the level of the plain high above their crater in its midst by a sudden rush of wind, tricked down from the night sky...a few flakes falling onto the white paper in his hands, staining it as they melted.

Rafi quickly corrected the spots where the snowflakes melted, and pulled it closed to him, to protect it from the further abuse. Though the event didn’t go unnoticed, as the small white crystals became water again... just like if even the sky cried for his love, frozen into perfection in the breath of the Endless Winter, and then revealing the teardrops again in the warmth of his love and the togetherness of the friends...

He sighed softly, disappointed. He'd suspected the device would block him on even such a basic sensory attempt. Still, he had hoped it would work.

"Well?" the pale girl asked from next to the crouching jaguar.

The voice brought back him to the reality, and he sadly punctuated the last dot on the picture, then took a deep breath, and raised his look at Obsidian, to listen his experiences, before he talks again. He needed some more time to compose himself as making the image shook him to his core...

"Regrettably, nothing," he explained. "So it looks like I'll indeed be buying," he added, trying to lighten the mood even a touch.

"Crap," May shook her head sadly. "I was hoping to have to eat some crow there."

"Guess you'll just have to settle for pina coladas," Kyle offered with a wry smile.

"Okay," The Blur said, impatiently kicking at a bit of the snow with the tip of her small white shoes. "Now what, then? The direct approach?"

"As much as I'd prefer to zip out of the cloak's range and try to scan inside, I have to weigh that against the possibility of being picked up by their sensors once I'm exposed," he conceded. "With that chance of inadvertently setting them on alert, I'm thinking it's perhaps best we go in quick and quiet."

"Visual reference to get us in closer?" Kyle asked, looking at the sketch the Jade Jaguar had rendered.

Kyle crouched down next to him to study the picture, focusing upon it and burning the details into his mind's eye. He studied it intently, until he could see it as clearly in his mind as he could there upon the paper. With this reference point, he just might be able to pop them in much closer to their target, enabling them to effect a quicker rescue and subsequent departure.

Some oblique part of the artist took in what the man before him had created and silently marveled at his skill. Sure he was a tattooist by trade, and though the so-called artist literati looked down their collective noses at such persons as not being serious creators, Kyle was not given to such biases. He understood the man's obvious skill before him and resolved, when the affair was completed, to see more examples of his work before him.

It was always nice to see the works of a fellow artist. They often provided inspiration, as well as opening one's eyes to other potential avenues of expression. While not a tattooist himself, it was easy to see amongst all the impressive inkings rendered by the community that they held a great many artists among their number. And to witness the skill of the man before him, one simply could not call him anything less than a master artist.

"If you'll all gather close together, hold hands for convenience's sake, I'll see about 'porting us all inside," he offered. "Just stick close to Crystal, if for no other reason than to have a much more pleasant view during transit," he joked.

Dear God, if You're listening, please keep them all safe in the transit, and let them prove able to save the lady and see her and themselves safely back home, he prayed as he took a moment to psych himself up for the attempt. It wasn't a great distance, at least it certainly shouldn't be, but it was considerably greater numbers and mass than he'd moved in his singular prior effort. He expected this was going to hurt, but his thoughts and prayers were solely for the well-being of the others, sparing no thought for himself.

As he did so, all of them stood from where they were to surround the glowing figure of the breathtaking young woman in their midst. "Should we close our eyes?" Beetlebum asked, a bit of a nervous expression crossing his oddly-colored features.

Jennie smiled gently. "I would," she replied simply.

At the recommendation, every single one of them--including Rasgar--shut their eyes tight.

Kyle sighed softly. People were often put off by his eyes, but his other realm? Therein lay a side of him that apparently truly no one wished to see. Even Jennie seemed somewhat put off by the emptiness within, and he found that it stung a little.

Focusing his will, he wove the shadows up around the group, shifting himself into energy form as a prelude to the transit. The darkness roiled in around them, though its deep, eternal bleakness was held at bay by Jennie's glittering emerald light and radiant warmth, providing comfort against the void as he wrapped them all in sheets of endless otherworldly night.

He focused upon the mental image of the captive lady in the cell and the corridor leading to its door, marshaling his resolve as he transited through the other realm he knew, gently pulling Jennie and his new-found friends along with him as he strove to deliver them all as close to their target as he possibly could.

From the start, he could feel aches and strain starting, but he ignored it as he pushed on, silently repeating his prayer, Dear Lord, keep them safe.

Chapter XVIII - Operation: Scorpion-rescue

When Kyle closed the circuit of his will, it was over in an instant.

Or, at least to them, it was. For the seven of them around him that surrounded him, the experience flashed by them so quickly that it was difficult to truly perceive what had happened. All that any of them felt was their whole bodies gripped by a preternatural cold--so all-encompassing, so complete--as to be unlike anything any of them had ever experienced before. It was as if a tiny fraction of the very essence of each of them had been leeched off from the cores of themselves, devoured utterly by the sudden, infinitesimally-short experience. It left each one of them chilled to the bone in a way that was impossible to replicate in a thousand winters.

Kyle prayed that the discomfort of the travel would not overly unsettle them. The thought of potential new friends opting to keep their distance after experiencing it was rather disheartening. He fought to push away such thoughts, focusing on the importance of seeing them safely through to their destination.

Rafi shivered from his core when the travel ended. It was an eerie experience, with the touch of the shadows, and something behind them, but Crystal’s warm presence eased it - just like how they foresaid it. 

Rafi - the cat and the artist within - was tempted to open his eyes, in spite of the warning, but the fact that even Rasgar obeyed to the bade, helped him to maintain his eyelids closed. Though he wanted to know, to see, to sense more, even with the unnatural chill, he decided that he’ll ask after later... when they’ll have to opportunity to talk more.

But that only took a second. For Kyle himself, it was much more.

As before, it seemed like trudging through a dark, endless ocean of ink, pushing himself through each labored step as though forcing his way past something of the consistency of molasses. At the same time, it was as if he were utterly immersed in a liquid night, feeling as though it infused and clogged his nose, mouth and lungs, even though there was no apparent intrinsic substance to it. He wondered if it was mainly due to his inexperience in transiting this place, if it would become easier as he became more practiced. He certainly hoped so.

For Kyle, it was the process of stepping into the open window of the shadow he cast up the ground behind him...falling through to the other side. And beyond that tenebrous threshold, everything was the most complete, utter black imaginable. Deeper than swimming in a sea of india ink, more complete than any kingdom of obsidian space, it was all that he could see around him. There was no end to the void, no solace in the abyss. Simply...nothing.

Gonna have to hire an interior decorator, Kyle mused, striving to keep his spirits up.

And in that world of endless bleak, even Kyle shuddered himself for the cold. Felt himself as if turned inside out. Not, for like the others, who had felt the cold drain away a bit of the light of their lives...but because he had no such light that flickered like a beacon for the soul within him.

The darkness within him was just as that without.

Was it a reflection of his soul? An emptiness here in mockery of a deeper emptiness lurking within him? No, it couldn't be that way. He knew he was no soulless shell of a thing, for he knew love and happiness.

Perhaps the strain was simply clouding his mind and perceptions at the moment. That was at least a somewhat more pleasant thought. He just had to focus on the task at hand, see this through. People were counting on him now. Jennie was counting on him.

And home, it sought to keep him.

A home of sorts away from home, perhaps. A place to visit. But the others belonged only out there, in the sunlit world; he'd not let them be stranded. Moreover, Jennie belonged out there, and he would not keep her from the light. He would see her home, no matter what.

It was a struggle for him to step through that other side of the shadow, that which represented a door back to a world of light and color. He had to literally fight hard against himself to do it. He found himself silently screaming out, a hollow noise in a world without sound, crawling out of himself through that window into the world that he was born in...and from that which he knew he was destined to return when he died.

But that day would not be today.

No. Not today. Not ever. Jennie was a child of the light, and he would always see her home, no matter how often she traveled through this realm. And with her out there, in the light, he would always have his focus for winning through. He would always return to her. His light, his life, his love...

The silence was the sound of the Devil laughing.

From the darkest corner of Hell, below.

Let the Devil laugh. To try to keep him from Jennie, or to dare putting her in any harm, even the Devil would find himself in for one hell of a fight. To keep Jennie safe and warm, even Hell would learn to fear the dark in Kyle.

·

When they opened their eyes, an instant later, the lights were still low.

The room around them was large, perhaps a hundred feet in every direction. It smelled of old diesel and dust, antiquated machinery long forgotten, left to disuse. The eight of them were in an empty corner of the place; across from them were a neatly-arranged stack of sealed wooden crates, massive things that were taller each one than any of them and equally as wide, three high and five across. They were stamped across their faces in dark, stenciled letters written in German. [b]WARMEKT: Zertrümmerer von Schädeln[b], then a series of numbers like a serial. The lights hung on short chains above them, circular, caged things like the kind in old gymnasiums. They looked as if they had intentionally be left at half-power. All around them, the room was ringed in old equipment that looked like they belonged in a motor pool. Large tool chests on wheels, dolly that held gas tanks, massive refueling cylinders.

On one end of the room, a hallway stretched out into the black distance. Everything was quiet as the grave. Except for the sound of Kyle on his knees, in the midst of vomiting. It gathered before him in a thick pool that was slowly spreading across the flat metal floor.

It could have easily been mistaken for spilled oil.

He wasn't sure which was worse: the vomiting itself, the interspersed dry heaves, or the sensation of his body on fire combined with the feel of icicles being driven through his brain. And were it not for the fiery aches in his legs, he might well have thought he'd lost them somewhere in the dark. He'd known it was going to hurt bad, but he'd lacked any sort of reference point to try preparing himself for just how much. Even though such a short distance, it was so much more mass than he'd managed before.

And the worst part was he might just have to do it again in the near future, and over a much greater distance as well. It did not escape him that such strain might just kill him.

Rafi looked around, and was about to push Rasgar forth gently with a stroke of his palm, to explore better the area, when he heard Obsidian’s painful noises. He spun there on his heel and watched the young man’s suffering in utter surprise and horror. In the next moment, he leapt over to him, and tried to help him to remain on his feet, and to avoid the substance which came up from his body, grabbing him with his strong arms. 

“What happened?” Rafi glanced at Crystal, silently asking both of them, but he didn’t really expected answer from the young man, only from his partner.

Kyle could only manage coughs and sputters in response for the moment, even as he struggled to settle the question in his brain so that he might try formulating a response. He was vaguely aware that someone had helped him up, but was as yet unsure just whom had done so. His brain hadn't yet connected Jade Jaguar's voice by his ear with the arms supporting him.

Even before Rafi had made it over to his side, his beautiful young partner was next to him, falling down onto her knees and holding him about his shoulders, close to herself. Kyle could feel the warmth of her light spreading through the entirety of his body, like a drink of ice water does on a hot day. Instantly, it began to make him feel better, though he knew it would still be some time before the experience was behind him. "Teleporting's...kinda rough on Kyle," she said, rocking him gently, whispering soothingly into his ear. "It's not easy...but it's never been this bad before, either," she explained.

The young dancer retreated a little when Crystal arrived, as if letting her to take the support. He remained near, in case he’d be needed, but not too close, anyway. “I see” he nodded politely and looked at them with a somewhat sad face. It was hard to see that a power strained so much its master that he became almost completely helpless after using it. Rafi was glad that his own gift wasn’t this stern to him. 

“I hope he’ll be better soon” he said on a calm, soul-stroking voice which brought warmth into the listeners by its tone.

Jennie's presence was a most welcome gift, helping to invigorate his mind and body at least a bit. He gently rubbed her back, silent reassurance that he was indeed aware and appreciative of her support, even though his voice was still momentarily lost to the bits of coughing that persisted. His spirit was further buoyed by the concern in the man's voice.

Kyle felt Jennie's hair, falling over the darkness of his shoulder like an emerald waterfall. Even each strand of green seemed permeated by light and life, like a river of quintessence that sprang from her very soul within her. "C'mon, baby," she assured him in a quiet, hushed tone. "It's okay. You did it," she said as she rocked him in her arms lovingly.

The fresh scent of her hair was delightful, particularly after the deprivations of the dark realm, and he gladly drank it in, savoring every bit as he inhaled. The aches and trembling seemed slightly further away for her loving closeness, granting him much needed strength to help it begin to subside. His hand affectionately stroked her hair as he happily let her love breathe new life into him.

After Crystal and the Jade Jaguar, Kyle was aware of the Magess, who wasted no time circling around until she was on her knees before him, almost eye-to-eye. She hurriedly opened another of her belt-pouches and withdrew another of her bright blue potions. It reminded him, in color, exactly of Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade flavored Kool-Aid, something he hadn't had since he was a kid.

Even the mere arching of a single brow that accompanied his initial quizzical expression seemed to feel like staples digging into and pulling at his skin, but at least it wasn't quite the hooks and chains sensation of just moments earlier. His voice was low and raspy, throat a bit raw from the vomiting, as he tried to ask if she still had plenty left for the woman they were here to rescue.

"More.. f'r lady?" he inquired weakly, his voice faint. Were she not virtually face to face with him, his words, jumbled as they were, might well have been lost completely.

Behind him, Rasgar had curiously walked up behind him. He could feel the massive feline's snout tentatively sniffing at the back of his head, as if even he was trying to ensure that he was all right. "Here," the Magess said, offering him her glass decanter of the fluid. "Drink this."

Rafi smiled at his companion, stepped next to him, and stroked its head between his ears, to let him know his pride on what he did now.

Kyle smiled weakly at the gentle nudging from the great cat, moving a hand behind him to try and gently pet it in a show of appreciation.

Rasgar bumped his head up against the flat of Kyle's back affectionately, stroking the side of his face up along his trunk in long stretches, a gesture he repeated several times. Though it might have been lost on a few of them, both Rafi and Kyle were both aware what such a motion meant. Both men had seen enough nature shows to know that it was what great cats did to their sick kits, trying to spur them to movement, to ensure that they were well. Apparently, Jennie knew it, too. "Oh, Rasgar," she whispered, cocking her head and obviously touched by the massive feline's concern.

Rafi watched as the feline caressed Obsidian, with a no small surprise in his eyes. Apparently it was a very quickly built friendship what the cat felt for the black-eyed guy. Rasgar presented some wonder today, and this was another one from him, indeed. The young artist cocked a brow and smiled proudly at his companion, then leant forward to stroke the velvet fur on his back shortly.

Kyle was quite touched by the great cat's gentle concern, his dark eyes glistening a bit in the light as a touch of moisture welled up in them. Although his words of thanks to the cat were low, and a bit raspy from his raw throat, the tone was unmistakably soft and friendly.

After a moment, he reached out with trembling hands to grasp for the drink the Magess proffered, grateful beyond words that Jennie was there to help steady his hands and ensure he didn't fumble it. The aches and shivers had subsided a fair bit, now being only akin to symptoms of a hellacious flu or fever, making it difficult to hold the thing on his own, let alone trying to work it up to his lips to partake of it.

As he drunk of the proffered potion, he was instantly aware that it was no mundane libation. The whole of it felt like a muted form of liquid Pop Rocks as it went down, twinkling and sparkling within him like a draught of aqueous starlight. Rafi, from where he was, could see the merrily glistening magick like fairy glitterdust where it met his lips, even in the darkness.

He followed the road of the potion as far as he could, always looking for inspiration for his pictures, and here he was, watching the consumption of a real curing potion. He shook his head slightly in disbelief, but his smile and aware eyes revealed that he was amazed by it.

Kyle's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he downed the tasty potable, amazed at its actually delicious taste as well as the sensation of a gentle spring washing over him as its effects began to rapidly spread throughout his system. Its efficacy was even more astounding, as it quickly revitalized him. The initial sensation was akin to a heady rush of oxygen or adrenaline perking him up, but it felt so much more substantial, like the best recharging from a relaxing soak in a warm mineral bath condensed into a mere moment.

Instantly, Kyle began to feel more himself. Accompanied by Jennie's light, rained down from beside him, it was as if the mysterious drink served to stoke the pale light of his very lifeforce within him, raising it from a low, inconsistent flicker, back to the shining mote of radiance that it was meant to be. The flask immediately stopped quivering as his hands ceased their trembling. His stomach settled to a placid and cool norm. Strangely, once that initial sensation had subsided, he felt as if he had only drunk but a cool glass of water.

But he knew there was much more to Tanya's magickal concoction than that.

He stared and blinked at the empty bottle in his hands for a couple moments, amazed beyond belief at what he'd just experienced. Sure, he was open-minded enough to accept the existence of magic; his own abilities were ready evidence that there were more things in Heaven and Earth than were dreamt of in one's philosophies, after all. But to have experienced the wonder firsthand...

The sorceress was still kneeling in front of him. Merry blue eyes level and close to his own, she smiled soothingly just below their intelligent curiosity. "Well?" she asked. "A bit better?"

It was a pale understatement, indeed.

"Quite a bit more than merely a bit, Milady," he responded with a smile. "Above and beyond the healing, you have granted me a gift beyond measure, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

As pumped and refreshed as he was feeling from the initial surge from the healing potion, he felt as if he could leap up and sprint, running up the nearest wall and backflipping into a joyous dance. He was not, however, mentally inclined to be quite so hyper and tax himself so quickly after the revitalization.

For the nonce, his efforts were focused upon trying to steady his legs beneath him so that they could move on, and trying to focus his vision so he could see. If he could at least manage to walk by himself, and prove able to see in the dark, then he wouldn't be totally useless.

Looking up, Kyle found that he could see in the half-light just as most would see in broad daylight. To him, the metal walls, high and undecorated, were distinct and sharp. He saw that The Blur was over by the mouth of the hallway that extended the room to who-knew-where, May and Beetlebum interposed between her and where the rest of them were, providing a formidable defense for their number, in the event that something had been alerted to their presence in the vehicle bay and came down the hallway to find out what it was.

But he could easily see--unlike the rest of them--that they were alone. Apparently, their intrusion had been, mercifully, undetected.

He was definitely glad to find himself able to see readily down here, now that the blurred vision and aching skull was receding into a thing of the past. It meant he could at least help keep watch for trouble as he continued to recuperate.

"Don't see anyone coming," he noted quietly, his voice stronger, his throat feeling warm and soothed after the draught.

With Jennie's light washing over him, he was increasingly feeling more and more himself.

"Rafi?" the bespotted man serving as their guardian asked. "Is he...all right?"

He sounded as if he were almost as scared for him as Kyle had been for himself.

He nodded at first, but then noticed that prolly it wouldn’t be enough for a normal answer, so he walked up to them, and answered there quietly. “I think he’ll be okay soon. As Crystal said it’s a short discomfort after the travel, though it’s somewhat worse than before. I think, because he carried the eight of us now, and prolly it strained more him.” After he said it, he nodded again, as if his own words calmed him down, too.

Damon nodded, though it was evident from his expression that he felt for their new friend's plight. "That's no good," he shook his head. "When we've got Carmilla and we're leaving, we'll have to maybe follow May's advice this time--and just push our way out, eh? The old-fashioned way."

“We’ll see when we’ll after the freeing of her” replied Rafi calmly. “And we agreed that Obsidian will bring us down here, and Tanya will carry us out, as she will be all right until then... in theory.” 

“If none of our quick travel-methods will work, then only old fashioned way will remain you mentioned.”

The spotted Briton, still clutching his jar of ladybugs tightly to his chest, simply nodded his assent. He might have been trying to mull over another way, but if he actually came up with anything, he said nothing of it.

"Fighting our way back out should indeed be the last resort," Kyle voiced in agreement. "If for no other reason than to avoid delaying your lady's release any more than necessary."

“Indeed” nodded Rafi seriously. “Nothing is more important than to get her free, and to get back to EC all of us in one piece” he said looking around on the group.

There seemed nothing more to be said in that vein, as Kyle was certain they all shared such priorities and concerns.

"And if quick transit is needed, I'm certainly not averse to letting someone else handle it, but..." he let it trail off, his features etched in a mix of reluctance to expose himself to such strain again anytime soon, and steely determination that if he had to he would not hesitate to push himself to help.

"For right now, I'll handle the teleporting, if you please," Tanya said next to him, sounding all the part of a bedside nurse, scolding him for considering overexerting himself. "I can assure you I'm quite fine right now--and I certainly didn't go to the trouble to memorize two quick-escape spells this evening, just to leave them unused by daybreak!"

"Fair enough," Kyle replied, holding a palm up as he yielded to her insistence. "I've learned the futility of trying to argue with a lady when she has her mind set. My batting average on that count's not even good enough for tee-ball," he playfully teased Jennie.

Jennie smirked with apparent satisfaction at the nod to her rather-persuasive charms.

"I am feeling quite a bit better, thanks to you though, Milady," Kyle noted to the Magess.

"Not quite a hundred percent just yet, but getting there," Kyle offered in reply, finding his legs a bit steadier beneath him now, working to stand and travel on his own so as not to encumber any of the others.

“Take your time to recuperate, my friend” replied Rafi with a smile. “We don’t want to push you over your limits; it is our common interest, to know that all of us can use their abilities at the top.”

Kyle smiled and nodded appreciatively in return, having no great desire to strain himself unduly at this point, even though he also didn't want to linger and hold everyone up.

The sorceress on one side and his sister on the other, despite his protestations, Kyle found himself the beneficiary of two shoulders to help support his way. "I think you'll be just fine," she said, over in his ear. "And if you don't, I can give you another in a few minutes. I always try and have at least three of those handy," she smiled, winking one of her bright blue eyes mirthfully for his approval.

"Appreciated, Milady, but best to hold 'em in reserve for now," Kyle suggested. "I don't want to indulge if others may need them more later."

"Since you've got the room, Tanya..." Beetlebum asked gently, offering her his glass jar full of all his tiny friends. "If you wouldn't mind, of course."

The Magess smiled lazily in response. "Of course not," she said, taking it from his grasp. He looked, perhaps a bit reluctant to give it up, but he did so, the same. "C'mon now, little dears," she said, before opening up one of her beltpouches and sliding the whole of the glass into its pocket. It was even bigger than the potion she'd given Kyle, they saw...but it disappeared easily into the wide leather belt. It didn't even leave a bulge in the material. "There," she looked up at him with a bright smile. "All safe and sound."

He still looked uneasy about it, but managed to grin back, anyway. "Thanks."

As Rafi watched the scene, his eyes went wide in wonder. “Magic, indeed” he muttered, looking up to the sorceress with a warm smile. He have to find a way to get a similar belt, and he won’t be looking as a repairman, if he packs all of his cards, irons, chalks, and inks onto his belt. He tried to keep as less amount of that equipment as he could manage, but it still occupied two haversacks... as he couldn’t leave his drawings on the wall, after they lost their meaning.

"Batman must be so jealous," Kyle offered in good humor, even as his mind percolated about the potential and possibilities of such a device, wondering if it adhered to any sort of physics limitations such as cumulative weight or maximum dimensions of an object to be stored.

She looked up at him and grinned. "As I said, I have been known to work on commission," she replied cheekily. "So if you run into him, do let him know I'm very available. If he mentions your name, I might even give him a discount," she winked with a merry little laugh.

"Actually, I'd be tempted to see if I could afford a consultation later," Kyle expressed, returning her wink. "I'd be very interested in any information you might offer on the aspects and foundations of such hyperdimensional topography, as well as any suggestions you might be able to offer for when I try manifesting similar deceptively expansive containments via my own powers. I've already got a growing list of questions regarding its ramifications and potential limitations."

Given she was stashing the jar of ladybugs within, he reasoned it might well utilize some manner of stasis, so as to keep the ladybugs healthy and well-preserved until brought forth once more. It was very intriguing, and he hoped to get a chance to ask her about it later when there was more time. Perhaps when this was all safely behind them, and they were enjoying their celebratory drink.

Despite the circumstances, and the still fresh memory of his pains, he was definitely feeling his normal self enough to smile and feel incredibly flattered by being aided by two such beautiful ladies. "Must be in a museum, to be surrounded by such lovely works of art," he muttered softly.

Tanya laughed out loud by way of response--maybe too loud: her merriment echoed all around the room and a short distance up the corridor ahead of them. Rafi, Kyle and May, well aware of the danger of such things, winced. "You're far too kind, I can assure you," she replied, seemingly unaware of what she might've accidentally done.

When the loud giggle echoed trough the room, Rafi intentionally turned his stare to the corridor, half-expecting that someone will step forth to catch them, but fortunately nobody arrived. They had luck; it seemed, for now, anyway. After a moment of staring he glanced back at Tanya, tilting his head slightly, and shaking it once, but said nothing as he didn’t want to shadow the mood.

Kyle slightly hung his head, offering the group an apologetic look, accepting the responsibility that it was his behavior that had elicited the overly loud response.

Jennie shook her head over at their new friend. "Yeah," she said. "He's always like that."

"You're a very lucky girl," she quipped back. "I can think of a good deal worse than being flattered by your handsome lover."

This time, it was Kyle's turn to evince a bit of a blush.

And blush he did, a soft pink hue rising to his cheeks, even as his skin felt decidedly warmer. "You flatter me greatly, Milady," he offered to the Magess.

As the girls helped him toward the center of the room, Kyle watched Rasgar lope slightly faster, skirting around him, back to his place at Rafi's heel. He looked up inquisitively as if he was listening intently to his namesake Jade Jaguar's conversation with Beetlebum.

“And the Magess gave him one of her potions, too” he went on, “if nothing else, that’ll help.” He smiled down at the arriving cat, and patted his head, letting him feel that he is proud on him.

"I'd say," Damon replied to him. "I almost broke my ankle in a circle about a month ago," he confessed, looking over to Kyle and his impromptu entourage as they made their way over in their direction. "She gave me a drink out of one of those blue bottles of hers--and when I woke up the next day, it was like nothing ever happened. A right miracle-worker, Tanya is."

"Better'n an energy drink," Kyle joked, trying to slip back into his good humor. "I am in your debt, Milady," he offered to the Magess.

"And much, much better on your constitution, I can assure you," she replied with a gentle laugh. "You can repay me by taking good care of yourself from here on out on this little adventure of ours, if you like," she quipped. "Here be tygers, and all."

"I shall certainly endeavor to do so," he replied with a courteous nod. "But it doesn't lessen matters. I'll have to think of some way to properly repay the debt I owe."

"And yours as well, gentlemen," he noted to the Jade Jaguar and Beetlebum.

"Just glad to see you yourself again," Beetlebum replied with a smile that looked almost eerie for the way the black bits of his body seemed to blend into the whole of the semi-darkness that surrounded them. It looked like his red flesh was shot full of holes.

“We thank you, that you carried us inside, even that you suspected what it’ll cost you” nodded Rafi to Kyle, with a grateful smile on his face.

"Someone in trouble, and it's in my power to help? How could I do less?" Kyle asked rhetorically.

"As for you, my friend," Kyle noted to the jaguar, reaching down to softly stroke his fur and offer a gentle scritch behind the ear, "Remind me to get you a nice steak when we get back, or chicken or fish if you prefer."

The jaguar brushed his head up against Kyle's palm again. Whether or not he actually understood the offer, he at least obviously appreciated the petting portion of the program.

“He’ll like it, sure. Looking at his size, he’ll take the whole chicken option, I’d say, but Li... I mean, the Blur can interpret between us then” said Rafi, stumbling over the girl’s name, but correcting himself in time.

"Of course. Whatever it takes to ensure this noble gentleman receives his due reward," Kyle responded with a smile, lightly stroking the jaguar's head.

“Are there any sign or marking on the corridor or the door?” he asked Lise, barely loud enough to be audible.

With this, he pulled forth the map again, and placed it on one of the vehicles’ hood, trying to figure out again, where were they. If their ideas were right on the outside, now he could find their position more easily.

"No," she said. And when Rafi looked up, he was almost startled by the sound of her voice. His eyes found her standing directly over his shoulder; the instant he'd asked her the question, she was a good twenty meters away, standing next to May. He'd never even heard her approach. "At least not in English. We've found a few things, written on the electronic panels by the door and such, but everything May and I've come across has been written in German. And unfortunately, the extent of my German begins with Wunderbar and ends in Kindergarten," she frowned.

Rafi stiffened at the sudden voice over his shoulder, and almost jumped away, before he recognized the speaker. He huffed once, and glanced at the pale speedster with a wry smile. “Don’t do that again. You scared the hell out of me” he noted to Lise.

She flashed him a delighted little grin. "Sorry," she replied, though he was pretty sure she actually found it kind of funny. Now that she was feeling a bit more comfortable around them, she was showing a bit more of her personality--and it was an impish one, to be sure.

The young meta cocked a brow, and stared at the pale girl for a moment, considering her answer, and then a slow smile appeared at the corner of his lips. “Sure” he replied wryly, his tone carried that he didn’t believe her, but he appreciated the response, on the same.

“My German is a lot worse than that. I don’t even know a bloody word on it” he added with a sad look, carrying his stare over the others, in hope that someone will volunteer for the role of the interpreter. “None of us can speak German, I guess?”

Nobody replied to the comment at all. It was as good as a resounding: NO!

Kyle shook his head silently to regrettably reply in the negative. Given that the extent of his German tended to encompass Der Wienerschnitzel, he certainly wasn't in any better position to offer help on that score.

"Um.. Babelfish on iPhone?" he offered weakly.

Kyle hadn't even seen her move. From his vantage point, it was as good as teleportation. She simply disappeared by the door...then reappeared by Rafi. He hadn't even felt a shift in the air, the pressure of the room. Instantly, the engineer within him went to work on precisely how that was possible...but ended up coming up empty. "But the good news is," she continued, "as far as we can tell, there's nobody close by. At least not for a couple hundred yards, anyway."

Rafi quirked a brow when Obsidian suggested the use of a translator software, and nodded appreciatively at him. He had to admit, this guy was very clever, coming up the second very good idea during this short time of their acquaintance. “You can give it a try.”

Kyle nodded and mentally directed his costume to produce his phone from its discrete internal pocket. Turning the phone on, and quickly muting it out of reflex, he checked to see if he could even get any signal to try calling up Babelfish.

Predictably, he saw that his phone was getting absolutely zero in the way of reception, wherever it was that they might be. He was relatively sure that was once again because of May's little surveillance-defeating device...but then, part of him wondered if, even without that hindrance, if he'd even get a single bar. They were a good distance underground...and in a facility ensconced in thick steel, to boot. Neither exactly lent themselves to clear communications.

Kyle sighed heavily, "I was afraid that would be the case. No joy." Lips pursed in disappointment, he turned the phone off and once more secreted it within the costume's manufactured pouch.

“And if you mentioned it...” he pulled his own phone from his beltpack, and turned it off, then looked up to the others. “I don’t know who brought his phone with him, but I’d suggest turning them off.”

None of them but Damon went for their phones. Quickly enough, he pulled a slender Blackberry from a pocket at his thigh, then promptly killed it. "Good thinking, as usual," he nodded back at his two friends with a little grin. "Got a long way to go, in this super-hero biz, I guess."

"Don't worry," Jennie flashed him a dazzler of a smile back. "We'll help you along. We're pros, after all," she smiled slyly over at Kyle, nudging him softly to ensure he knew she was merely having a little fun. As always.

Kyle sighed in exaggerated exasperation, rolling his eyes to add to the effect, before turning to Jennie with a soft smile upon his lips and bestowing a gentle kiss upon her cheek.

“As I figured out so far, this whatnot of May blocks any attempt to spy in or out with supernatural powers, and it blocks any indirect natural sensing as well. You couldn’t see us in the parlor until that mecha attacked us, but when I opened the door, we were able to see and hear each other.”

“Taking that into account, I think at the moment we get into the direct line of sight of one guard, and within the range, he’ll be able to see and hear us in spite of the device, so a poorly timed phone-call can ruin everything.” He smiled at the others at the end of his train of thought, waiting for the disagreements.

"Agreed, and it underscores our need to keep ourselves as stealthy as possible, without overly depending upon the device to protect us, as errant sounds might give us away even when locals might not yet see us," Kyle noted.

“These are very good news, indeed” agreed Rafi shifting back to the infos what Lise told before. “Then we’ll have time to find where we are in the complex, and perhaps figure out how to approach the cell where they keep Carm.”

The Blur indeed, Kyle considered. It seemed Beetlebum's comments on her speed hadn't quite begun to do her justice.

Kyle focused his eyes, seeing what he could make out on the corridor and door while the tattooist pored over his map.

From where he stood, the corridor was a surprisingly bland and generic affair. Though he supposed he wasn't sure what he should've expected, it was a plain causeway composed of flat panels of thick sheet metal, extending off as far as his vision would allow. It was illuminated by tiny circles that were set rather far between one another; dim, just as the lights in the room they were in, it would be barely enough for the rest of them to tell where they were going. The only breaks in that long steely surface were occasional panels that seemed built into the walls, some form of computer terminals, it looked like. He was far too distant from any of them to determine what their purpose might be.

"Possible terminals, or other form of utilitarian panels interspersed along the corridor length," Kyle pointed out. "Any chance somebody might be able to hack one without tripping alarms, to see if we can pull any useful intel from it?" he inquired hopefully.

Everyone tossed quick, inquisitive looks back and forth at one another. "Uhmm...guess not?" Beetlebum sheepishly offered.

"So it appears," Kyle noted. "Ah well, it was merely a thought."

"Maybe," May finally replied. "But I'm not gonna even bother trying. I'm, ah...not quite used to you guys' systems, yet," she tried to explain. "Chances are, I'd manage to screw it up and get us caught. I'd rather not take the chance."

"Better not risked then," Kyle agreed.

Lise cocked a white brow in her direction. "You guys' systems?" she asked curiously.

"We can talk about it later," she shook her head dismissively. "Let's just put it this way: I'm not exactly from here. And by that," she explained, "I mean 2009."

Kyle and Rafi both found themselves staring at one another, for the revelation.

Rafi’s black eyes reflected the wonder what was visible in Kyle’s ebon orbs, as he considered the young agent’s flat statement. He didn’t stare at him more than a second, and then turned his glance at May quirking a brow at the same time. “You drop more and more surprise about yourself tonight” he said shaking his head, but didn’t explain them more detailed. 

She offered Rafi a little smile. "What can I say?" she shrugged before adding with a fetching wink of the eye: "A gal's gotta surround herself with a little mystery!"

Rafi nodded enthusiastically. “A little, yes, and all the time, but not from this year?” he asked back in apparent disbelief, and all of his posture conveyed his curiosity, as he silently wondered about her Spider-sense, and the strange way she talked about her training, mostly in third person. 

“Definitely a thing which we have to talk about later” he said at last, smiling at her, and he knew that they’ll, once Carm will be on his side again. She was her partner, after all, so the green haired love of him must know about May’s background... the trio of them will have interesting hours and days together in the not too far future, he decided.

"My thoughts exactly," she replied. "And if I end up in the stockade at the end of this," she added with a little laugh, "you can just ask Carmilla. She knows all about my dirty little secrets, I'm afraid."

"Okay, we have definitely gotta keep you outta trouble until you get a chance to explain that one," Kyle noted to May, his eyebrow still arched in curiosity. "I'm thinking a trio of pina coladas might be a cheap investment for that tale."

"Oh, it's a doozy, believe me," she quipped mysteriously.

"In fact, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe a bit of it."

Rafi made a funny grimace, and shook his head. “Just think that you can keep me...” then he looked at Kyle, and quickly glanced at the others as well, “or us away when anything happens with ya.” 

"I think that's maybe the point of her dropping this little teaser," Kyle noted to the Jade Jaguar with a smile. "She's hedging her bets and counting on our curiosity to help ensure we haul her cute little backside outta here and any trouble that follows," he playfully teased May with a wink.

May laughed, some of the tension from the predicament that they were in obviously loosening. "Maaaaaybe," she offered. "Not a bad hook, is it?" she played.

Behind him, Kyle thought he caught Jennie checking out the perfect curve of May's behind. Cute indeed, her eyes seemed to say. And in her own words: not a bad hook, at all.

Rafi grinned at the notion, and nodded to the girl, glancing on her from head to toe slowly, as if inspecting the truth of the statement. “I can only agree, definitely not a bad one.” He said, and then his grin turned into a mischivious smile, returning the teasing, “either as I look at it now, either as you showed down at the door...” he finished with a wink, but a slight blush appeared on his face, as he couldn’t hide the fact, that the mentioned scene had big effect in him, too.

"Nope, not bad at all," Kyle added with a wink and a chuckle, gently shaking his head, an easy smile across his face at the light mood.

“I know that I can ask her, but I’d like to hear it from you, sitting at some nice place, with Carm on my side and with you on the other,” stated Rafi smiling gently, and winked at her. “As for believing... left it that to us.”

She laughed again. "Yeah?" she looked at him, her beautiful blue eyes seeming to smolder over a devilish smile. "So you think you're man enough to handle the both of us, huh?" she asked. Then, a heartbeat later: "Wait, never mind," she offered. "From what Carmilla says--you're definitely man enough."

The comment made Jennie and Tanya giggle. If Beetlebum could've gone any redder, though, his spots may well have disappeared right into the color of his blush.

You could have easily said the same for Rafi.

“What?!” he asked back with burning ears, slightly surprised by the comment, he never would’ve thought that Carm will talk out their first night together so openly with someone. On the other hand, he didn’t know about her partner, too, so the stalking little Scorpion apparently had some secret to explore later. “I...” he began protesting, but he began to chuckle embarrassed instead. “Nevermind... girls...”

“Lets talk about that later, okay?” he offered with red cheeks, and a fastening heartbeat, trying to divert the conversation from the topic, but he didn’t turn his dark eyes from the girl’s blue ones for a second meanwhile.

Kyle laughed anew at that. "Seems your lady's given you some serious props when chatting with her girlfriends.. Way to go," he complimented the young green-haired man.

“Yeah, gossipy scoundrels... oh, just wait until I got my hands on her again...” muttered Rafi under his breath, barely audible only but the keenest hearing. He was very embarrassed by the revelation as he liked to tease and flirt with others, but usually he avoided this particular topic, as he thought that it should remain between the bedroom’s limits. Though he couldn’t resist a proud smile, be it a small one, being complimented by Carm after their nights together...

"As far as the earlier comments about waiting, that much is areed," Kyle nodded. "An interesting tale shared over a nice celebratory dinner and drinks when we're all safely back home will definitely be something to look forward to," he offered to May with a polite bow.

"To hear her talk," Jennie whispered into Kyle's ear so he alone could hear her. "Maybe more. Gives a body some ideas, no?" she wagged her jade eyebrows mischievously.

He could feel his heartbeat race just for the thought of it. That, it certainly did.

"Planning to add to your collection, my dear?" he whispered faintly back into her ear.

He had to admit, May was certainly an attractive young lady, all the more so when she smiled and laughed. And he'd be lying if he were to say that similar thoughts hadn't crossed his mind. Little early to start thinking along those lines though. Besides, it seemed maybe May just might have a bit of interest in the man she'd claimed as her lover earlier.

She only replied by repeating the lithe beauty's own wods.

"Maaaaaybe...."

Kyle chuckled softly to himself, realizing that was the only answer he was apt to receive from Jennie at this point. He'd simply have to wait to find out if there were anything more to her sidelong comments.

"Let me get up closer to the front of the group when we're ready to proceed," he volunteered. "I can see fairly well in the dark, so I can at least aid with scouting and keeping vigil."

"Are you sure you're all right for that?" Beetlebum asked. "Feeling yourself again?" And though he could see the concern evident on his strangely-colored face, the truth was that he felt perfectly fine now. The magic--in this case, literally-speaking--held within the Magess' draught had seen to that.

"Well enough to help any way I can," Kyle answered him.

Jennie stood next to Rafi as he spread out the map on the flat of one of the nearby wooden crates, holding her fist up above it and willing it to glow with a soft white light--making herself the most beautiful lightbulb in the world, for the moment. Immediately, they found their first bit of good fortune as they inspected its surface. There were eight identical tunnelways that terminated in rooms just like the one in which they stood, to look down at the detail on the paper, that all led to what looked like a massive central atrium at the complex's center. From there, it looked as if there were multiple levels to the place, accessible by some kind of shaft located at that hub. What was fortunate was that, judging by the size of the room they'd found themselves in--there was only one square on the map they could possibly be located in. All the others were a uniform size and, apparently, significantly smaller.

The Blur looked over at the mouth of the room, leading to the hallway, where May stood by herself as a solitary sentinel. "Okay," she asked. "We know where we are--and we all seem to be pretty much in one piece."

"Now what?"

Rafi sighed, and studied the map further, trying to figure out where the cell could be in which he saw Carmilla.

Since there was nothing in the way of written language on the map--no legend or markings to determine what they might represent, even if there were--he promptly found himself at an impasse. It could have been any of the rooms on the map, he realized, much to his mounting frustration. They were so close, but they still seemed miles away....

“Now what?” he asked back then, and looked at May. “Only one of us is experienced in such infiltrations, so I’d ask her first” he said with a wry smile, tilting his head into the direction of her.

Rafi got to find out how sharp the lovely young agent's senses were; as soon as he'd said it, she turned over her shoulder from very nearly the length of the room away, walking smartly over to where the rest of them were gathered. Once she arrived at his side, she began to scan the map quickly. To his surprise, once she was done, she started to look up and down the walls of the room, her eyes tracing a long line around where they formed a seal with the ceiling.

Rafi was curious what May looks for, but didn’t voiced his feeling right now, instead he finished his own opinion, letting her search and do her job. He knew that she’ll share the results with them, of there’ll be any. “But I’d try to sneak in to the central hall, with a scout before us, around 100 or 150 feet, and when we’ll know what to expect from there, we can discuss the things further as long the blackball is active.”

"A good idea," Kyle noted. "If I precede the group just far enough to be out of the device's cloak, I may be able to scan about through the shadows for help in locating your lady. And I should be able to blend well enough in the shadows to escape visual detection."

"I'll be coming with you," The Blur met his eyes and nodded. "I'm a lot better out front, where it's not too cluttered. If I'm with everybody else, that'll cut down on my mobility--and I'll be practically useless."

Kyle nodded in understanding, gratefully offering a smile for any added backup.

"Me too," Jennie said, pulling both their attentions over to where she stood, next to Kyle. "Invisible, of course," she added with a grin.

Beetlebum looked stunned. "You can turn invisible?"

"She's not the only one," The Magess added. "Lise, dear, I'd be more than happy to render you unseen, too, if you're planning on being up at the front of this little party of ours. Just be careful what you choose to hit--once you strike something, the spell will end," she cautioned, as the pale young ballerina nodded in understanding.

"Invisible so long as she avoids combat or running into unseen obstacles?" Kyle posed. "Very useful indeed. Wonderful potential for scouting, and even a single high-speed strike from out of nowhere can be a devastating hidden weapon in our arsenal," he mused appreciatively.

“I’m relatively sure that we’ll find guards, armed and armored, and since we aren’t looking like them, they’ll attack us, if we couldn’t turn invisible and inaudible.” Rafi looked at the volunteering group, and tilted his head. “It seems that we have a quartet of scouts, two of them invisible, one under his shadows, and one on four legs...” he recited the members. “And the rest of us will follow you from some distance.”

"It could also play to our advantage if we're spotted. A single scout might well invite suspicion and alerts, but a small tactical group could be seen as the entirety for sneaking about, hopefully leaving them disinclined to look for anyone else in such an instance," Kyle suggested.

"Of course," Beetlebum sighed wearily. "Always guns, isn't it?"

"Not necessarily," Lise looked up at him with a little smile on her face. "There could be laser blasters, too. Or rocket launchers. Or maybe even disintegrator cannons!" she said, eyes going wild with excitement.

Rasgar, right next to the spotted man--curious as to what everyone was looking at on top of the wooden crate--went up on his hind legs, balancing his forepaws up on the edge of the box. he looked as if he were studying the map with the rest of them. "Go ahead," Beetlebum encouraged him, stepping away from his place around its perimeter. "I think I've seen quite enough."

He looked like he might be sick with worry. Lise almost started to giggle.

Damon wasn’t the only guy with a lot of worry for the others, and for the situation itself, though he handled much less good than anybody else in the group. Rafi placed his palm on his shoulder, and squeezed it reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it, my friend. We’ll solve the problem once we’ll know what it is. Until that, it’s useless to guess at the type of their weapons.”

"Indeed, and we'll certainly be trying to avoid all the weaponry we can," Kyle added in reassurance.

"With Crystal's assistance, we should hopefully be able to conceal whomever scouts ahead, whether myself or another," Kyle suggested. "And with Rasgar just inside the edge of the cloak, his senses could be a big help in picking up anything we miss."

“I hope it, too” agreed Rafi. “Rasgar’s smell and hearing is very keen, and he can be one of our scouts, as you said. Actually, I thought the same, too. Unfortunately I can’t borrow his senses as long as we are inside this bubble, but hopefully it won’t be a problem” shrugged Rafi with an apologizing smile.

"No worries. That's one of the many pluses of having a team, multiple talents to draw upon when one won't work for a given situation," Kyle offered reassuringly.

"And I'd like to get through this without any trouble as well, but as the saying goes: Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," he added.

“I can offer some distraction with animated images of any sort, either from my cards” he explained and showed the stack of the mentioned cards, “either found on the spot.”

"A handful of preselected ones that you think might do the most good down here, offensively and defensively, could come in very handy," Kyle offered. "Shields, energy blasts or weapons, insect swarms for diversions," he muttered, voicing some random ideas. "And I can assist with diversions and distractions utilizing the shadows."

And if the opposition gets too intense, they can get a taste of the energy flowing through the void, he mused grimly.

“I don’t have to preselect them” he replied with a proud smile. “I know every of them, and can pull the perfect one even with closed eyes.” The young meta shrugged sheepishly and spread his cards in his palm, making a fan from them, then folded them again. After that he divided them into three same-sized pack only with his fingers, and shuffled them, too, like a true stage magician.

"Definite added bonus," Kyle responded with a big smile.

“I have a horde of normal and fantasy animals, and a few natural phenomenon, like mist, small sun or moon and alike. There are some extra soldier from various movies, and a very few hero, drawn after their media appearances” he explained.

“Usually I control them, and use their senses, but I hope that the simple control will be enough for now...” shrugged he again, smiling.

"Are you telling me you could call up Superman for backup from your cards?" Kyle asked incredulously.

Rafi shrugged sheepishly. “Um, not really him, and they’ll be only illusions” he explained, and then lifted his palm defensively. “But very believable ones, I shall say!” he grinned elfishly.

"Aha," Kyle conceded with a nod. "But even an illusion is extremely effective if one's enemies are afraid to test it," he noted with admiration.

"Mmm," Jennie agreed. "You'd know, wouldn't you?" she offered Kyle a devilish smile. And, in the moment, he had a hard time keeping his mind's eye from the memory of banister-burn....

“You can bet on it” replied Rafi with an impish grin, but cocked a brow meanwhile, musing over Jennie’s question; it seemed that she asked that with intent, but what could that be? “They have enough fame that those whom I met, usually don’t even think about having a fight with them” nodded Rafi, still smiling wide.

"Firsthand experience," Kyle offered to the seemingly confused young man by way of explanation. "This conniving little green-haired minx," he wrapped an arm about Jennie's waist in a gentle loving hug as he placed a light kiss upon her temple, "can be quite the convincing artiste when she wants to be."

There was a slight flush to Kyle's skin and a minute increase in his breathing rate as he vividly recalled the cunning way Jennie had reeled him in, and everything that had followed as a result.

“All the girls can be very convincing when they want something” nodded Rafi coincidently, “only the method changes from time to time.” He then glanced at the girls, suspecting some smart retort, but they could notice a ghost of a smile at the corner of his eyes.

A slight, knowing smile from Kyle assured him that he understood that quite well.

“When I drew the previously mentioned heroes, I chose such individuals who could scare the bad guys off, either with their appearance, either with their fame, so I can call into arms Tigra, the She-Hulk and the Ghost Rider” listed Rafi happily his chosen heroines and hero, carefully leaving Spiderman out, as he didn’t know how May would react to his name and presence, be it only an illusion.

"Seven feet of Gammazonian feminine fury, or a flaming headed biker straight outta Hell? Yeah, I think those'd leave most any bad guys in serious need of a new pair of shorts," Kyle replied with a wicked chuckle.

“Indeed. I have some very great moment to remember, when a bad guy first glanced at one of these illusionary helpers of mine.” The young artist shook his head and chuckled at the thought, as he called up some of the mentioned memories. “Not that I used to act as a hero too often before I moved to EC, but sometimes you can’t avoid interjecting” shrugged he while his smile turned wry.

Kyle nodded in understanding. He and Jennie certainly didn't have a great deal of experience in acting as heroes. Certainly not successfully, he considered ruefully, the easy smile washed away from his features as he somberly recalled the events that drove them from Los Angeles.

A lot of folks would've gladly hung it all up after something like that, perhaps amidst a ton of therapy. God knows he'd been damn tempted to give up and seal himself away from pretty much everything. But Jennie had kept him from sinking irretrievably into despair, pulling his head back up above the waves. And, although it was oft hidden amidst her seemingly vain desire for glory, she'd reminded him of an important truth... You have to pick yourself up and keep fighting even after life kicks you down hard. Especially when you have the chance to help others. To turn your back on the world entirely is to cast away your humanity and soul.

And, as their new friend expressed, sometimes you just can't help getting involved. At least, not without turning your back on yourself as well.

Finally, May had apparently seen enough of the map.

"Or," she posed, "we can avoid all the guards entirely."

She swung her gaze up at the top of the room's far wall. There, as everyone's collective gazes followed hers, a wide mouth of grillwork lay--the sound of quietly rushing air pumped into the room by some kind of environmental handler purring only slightly louder than Rasgar from its protected vents.

Beetlebum grinned from ear-to-ear.

"I think we have a winner!"

“Good idea, dear. That’ll help avoid the guards on the corridors and at the elevator.” replied Rafi with a wry smile. “Do not misunderstand me, I’m with ya, and I’ll take this way gladly, if we can avoid the fight, and it helps to get faster to Carm, but I’ll take the role of the devil’s advocate again, I think” he grimaced, though his eyes flashed with a hint of humor, that was clearly visible.

“I guess, you can find and handle any trap placed in those air-ducts? I didn’t ask the alarms, coz’ the blackball sorts those out.”

May nodded. "I'm gonna say yes," she said. "Or, at least, I'd rather take my chances with static traps than armed, possibly armored, guards. Like you said, we've got the benefit of the blackball to neutralize the alarms--and I'll trust my Spider-Sense to take care of the rest. It's the best percentage chance we'll get of getting where we need to go while not getting people shot at. Which is pretty high on the priority list, right?"

Beetlebum nodded a silent assent.

“Okay, then” agreed Rafi with a smile, a stable credit in his eyes as he looked at May. “I was just asking. You know, I like to thing about everything before I jump into a wicked plan” shrugged the young dancer once. “I know that this isn’t a situation where we can plan on everything, but better answer a question than forget something very apparent.”

Kyle added his silently nodded agreement to that.

"I can cast a Knock spell, if we need to open up any pesky doors," Tanya added with a little smile. "I wish I'd have memorized Detect Traps," she mused with a little sigh, "but I suppose that's hindsight now, eh?"

“I’m afraid, yes” replied Rafi flashing a smile at the sorceress. “But as Ms.Crystal said a few times already, we are just at the beginning of the heroic road, so such mistakes are excusable” chuckled he and glanced at Jennie flatly and pulled back his neck, as he waited a wry comment as a response.

"Magic to bypass sealed doors can be more than invaluable enough," Kyle assured the Magess. "You needn't feel compelled to try to do everything yourself."

"Give the rest of us a chance, okay, Supergirl?" he playfully teased the Magess with a wink over his shades.

She laughed gently. "I'm hardly a Supergirl, believe me," she said. Laughter seemed to come easily to the fair-haired enchantress, rolling from the core of a playful young soul. "But your point is well taken: this myriad and wondrous group of ours poses a veritable mosaic of differing possibilities. We should explore them all, I think, before forcing our own potential boundaries."

“You can count on me, when that exploration of our abilities begins” dropped Rafi using the voice of Barry White, smirking meanwhile. “I’m sure we’ll spend some surprising moment with it and find out interesting and wonderful facts and possible uses for later...”, he added with a wink. All these pretty girls and polite men, in one group, blessed with such humor which floated high even during such a dark situation... they were the friends he ever wanted. And only one of them were missing from his side - the one he loved the most, his lithe, rueful, beautiful Scorpion...

Jennie made a face as if to connote that she was mightily impressed. "Pretty damn good impression," she mused, to nobody in particular.

"Definitely something to look forward to: exploring our abilities together, coming up with ideas and suggestions for one another to help improve ourselves, devising creative and useful ways for our powers to complement one another," Kyle mused.

"And I mean all of us, Barry," Kyle noted to the Jade Jaguar, evidently recognizing the vocal impersonation. Kyle's solemn nod and smile assured the young man that he likewise did not count their numbers complete until the lady was duly rescued and safely back home.

Rafi smiled faintly at the two Haydens, to Jennie for her comment, wich didn’t pass unnoticed, and to Kyle, for the support he tried to give him in these strange and solemn moments. 

It was a definite merit that they’ve came to his shop, and didn’t let themselves shook down by their play with May. Both of them proved to be very useful with their ideas and powers, and he hoped that will continue during the night, allowing them to save his lover.

"Wait just a moment," Beetlebum asked, looking back at May. "Did you say Spider-Sense? Like Spider-Man's Spider-Sense?" he cocked a quizzical bright red eyebrow.

She smiled at him, perhaps a little sadly. "Yeah, that's what I said," she admitted.

"Just like Spider-Man's."

Rafi thought at first that he should mention that she already revealed this gift of hers, back at the loft, right before the mecha attacked them, but then he just nodded instead, in agreement. It wasn’t too much time before his friends fell under the effect of the gas, perhaps that caused that he didn’t remembers her explanation. 

He had to admit that it brought up interesting questions about the girl’s heritage, and home, taking into account not only this direct reference to Spider-man, but the former comment of the year, too.

"Okay," Kyle responded. "Four pina coladas. But you're gonna have to explain that one later as well."

She sighed gently. "I should warn you that S.H.I.E.L.D. trains its agents on keeping their secrets under every conceivable condition--especially when they're dead-drunk," she flashed a little grin. "But fine, four it is. Never say I told you I was a cheap date."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want you drunk. You might leave out juicy details," Kyle teased. "Consider it more a proposal to encourage you to divulge the whole tale later, though I may have to parcel out the payment in installments to make sure we get it all," Kyle joked.

Given her earlier reference to not being from 2009, he was starting to get a curious idea of just where such a story might lead. Such ideas generally weren't considered as even being possible, but he himself tapped into an alternate dimension, and he was now personally acquainted with the very real existence of magic. Whether his pondering was on the right track or not, it would likely prove to be a very interesting story indeed.

Rafi chuckled at the bargaining, then glanced at Jennie, both being curious how she reacts to the joyful flirting, both to show her how funny he found the same thing. He was glad that the group got the fist obstacle on the road so well... but didn’t let his thoughts too far on the topic, instead continued on list of questions about the suggested way.

Jennie didn't seem put off at all by Kyle's flirtatiousness. In fact, if nothing else, she seemed rather amused by it. It did Rafi's heart good to see someone with such a free spirit and unburdened soul as the girl next to his new, shadowy friend. She seemed like a literal ray of light, brightening up any situation she found herself in, with little time for melancholy or sorrow. In that, she reminded him a great deal of his sister....

...who was scheduled to be at his door within but a short few hours, he reminded himself. He hoped fervently that the whole ordeal would be wrapped up and resolved, Carmilla once again safe and by his side, by then. But what if that turned out not to be the case?

What would he do then?

The thought washed away most of the joy he built up during the last few minutes, chatting with his new-found friends, during the planning. It was serious business, he knew well, but even so, the smalltalk and flirting made it a little easier to bear. 

But to think that they won’t be able to save Carmilla, or they get captured by her guards, too, that was more than he could handle at the moment. He couldn’t allow to myself to be caught; what’ll happen with his sister then? Who’ll guide her through the city and through the first steps of being a meta? She was so grim when they talked, and it was good to hear her cheering up with the offer that she can come down to him... if anything’ll happen to him, how will she handle that, he mused. No way could he let that loose, he decided.

Rafi sighed, waved the bad mood away, and though it wasn’t completely successful, he continued with his question, to get answers what will convince him that they will be successful indeed.

“The second question is: do you know where Carmilla is? Because I couldn’t figure out from my map, unfortunately” he sighed wearily and becoming sad for a moment.

"It doesn't matter," May shook her head. "S.H.I.E.L.D. training 101: ventilation ducts have to lead to every single man-occupied room in any given facility, by their very nature. There's some exceptions to the rule, but judging by your description, I don't think we're dealing with something like that," she explained. "Going this route should allow us to check out a lot more of the facility without being detected than walking around door to door, knocking."

He almost inserted his own question, but Crystal was faster, so he waited for a moment before he dropped his own concerns and other ideas.

"But you don't know?" Jennie asked, perhaps a bit skeptical about the idea. Kyle could see why. One of the disadvantages to the notion was that they'd all be forced into a relatively tight space...which totally cut down a lot of his sister's effectiveness. "Which room she's in, I mean."

"Nope," May admitted. "Which is why this makes even more sense."

“This type of exploration would be more effective if we would be a bunch of SHIELD agents, with our own blackballs, and then we could split up to shorten the time needed to find her”, replied Rafi to the answer.

Lise stayed quiet, content just to listen, but nodded sagely at the notion.

“With only one such device, we are forced to stay together, so basically we have to crawl through the entire complex in a relatively tight group, don’t we?” 

“Perhaps we can afford to us that if the Magess or Crystal renders Obsidian invisible, he shifts back to his other form what we could see at the apartment, he goes out from the range and then he’ll be able to find Carmilla. With that much needed bit of information our trip will be as short as we can manage, and with that, we can lessen the possible dangers and chances of being noticed.”

“What do you say?” he asked Kyle, looking at him, but asking the others as well.

"A very good idea indeed," Kyle admitted. "Cuts down on the odds of me tripping their sensors, while freeing me to scan through the shadows to help locate the lady. Could be a bit time-consuming, but not nearly so much as all of us slowly crawling about the ducts one locale at a time."

"We could always do both, right?" Beetlebum posed. "Obsidian goes down the halls while we take to the vents?"

"Nuh-uh," Jennie shook her head gently. "No way. They try that all the time on Scooby-Doo--and it's never worked once." she said flatly, in such a way that it was difficult for anybody but Kyle--who knew better--to tell if she was joking or not. "We need to keep everybody together," she looked across their number. "I like our odds a lot better that way, if something actually does happen."

Rafi nodded in agreement. “I didn’t mean that we have to split up in that way...” he protested. “I thought that he should go now, while we are in the ground, and we can wait him here... what about that?” he tilted his head and looked at Jennie.

"I think she's just concerned what trouble I'll get into without her watching," Kyle joked lightly.

"Let's try this instead," she offered after a pause. "It's a good idea by itself...so how about Kyle and May head off down the vent shaft first once we're in? Then, maybe Lise and I can follow, with the Magess, Beetlebum and Jade Jaguar--and yes," she looked down at his curious best friend, "--you too, Rasgar, following us up. Staggered at a little distance so we can't all get taken out by a sudden, unexpected single shot?"

The idea seemed sound, given the silence that followed her offering it.

Rafi considered the offered thought, revamping his plan and then nodded again. “Okay. But then May must leave her blackball at us, otherwise Kyle can’t use his extraordinary senses,” he said looking at the mysterious young agent.

“The thing has a 100 feet range, at average, then we shall follow them from, lets say around 70 feet, and they can always keep the distance since Kyle will notice when the ball’s nullifying effect ceases - that means something happened with us.” 

“This distance is big enough to remain unnoticed hopefully, but short enough to allow us being there very quickly.”

"Good consideration," Kyle noted, mulling it over. "Small scouting party to lead the way, checking for traps and scanning ahead, then a portion of the remainder of the group following at a bit of distance, safely ensconced in the device's cloak, with a rear guard with sharp senses to help maintain watch, said rear guard concealed towards the back portion of the device's area of effect."

“The third question: are all of us flexible enough to fit into those tubes without discomfort? I don’t know how big they are, but I guess there’ll be wider and sleeker parts of it...” went Rafi on his list of problems what he thought arguable.

May smiled wryly. "I thought you were all martial artists," she mused.

“I consider myself more a dancer, than a martial artist, but I didn’t talk about myself” grinned back Rafi at the lithe young agent.

"Was that a requirement for joining this expedition?" Kyle asked. "It's the fine print that gets you every time," he muttered, shaking his head.

Beetlebum had walked a little way in that direction. "I dunno if it's gonna be that big all the way through, like Rafi says," he said, loking back at the group from his position, "but the grate looks big enough that it shouldn't be a problem."

"See?" Jennie whispered over to Kyle poking him gently in the ribcage. "Now you know why I'm always with you to lay off that Carl's Jr!"

"Hey, I haven't put on that much weight!" Kyle protested. "Or are you telling me this costume makes my butt look big?"

She just giggled by way of response, shaking her head and leaning up against him. "You are so gonna get it when we get home, mister. I can barely wait."

"That could be very bad, or very good.. Or both, even," Kyle chuckled in response.

Rafi smiled at the pair, slowly accustoming to the thought that they show their love for each other so often, and banishing his jealousy to the back of his mind. It wasn’t an easy thing, but he tried, anyway. “I can offer a ladder to help our way up to that opening, so you can consider it done, but as we can see on the map, this complex has several levels downward, so we’ll need ropes or rope-ladder, to go down without problems.”

He looked into the young agents’s eyes, as he waited for answers, coming either from her, either from somebody else.

"A good series of questions," Kyle considered.

"If hacking those terminals in the corridor proves viable, then hopefully we can get a better fix on the lady's location from there. At least maybe the detention level, to narrow things down," he offered up.

"Fitting through the ducts isn't the only part of that particular equation; there's also the matter of drastically reduced mobility if we're detected," he pointed out for consideration.

"For traversing up and down levels, Jennie and I have some flight capabilities, but that'd limit us to carrying only a single person each," Kyle noted. "I might be able to manifest a solidified shadow disc to carry folks up an down, but let's not assume that as a given at this juncture."

"You could likely carry a person, whether flying or crawling, right?" Kyle asked of Beetlebum.

"You've not seen me fly before, have you?" he smirked by way of response, shaking his head quickly as to make no mistake that his answer was a definite no.

"Okay, scratch that notion off the list then," Kyle noted, offering Beetlebum a friendly smile.

“Hm” muttered under his breath Rafi, glancing at the Lord of the ladybugs. “This makes our pre-discussed lessons for Jo even more interesting” he dropped with a wry smile.

He held up his hands plaintively. "I only meant indoors, my friend," he explained himself. "I'm just fine when I'm outside and can stretch a bit--I promise. Inside...totally different story," he grinned cheekily.

“I look forward to it, my friend” he replied with a nod, musing over the statement that Damon dropped. Strech a bit, he said, thought Rafi, and a vision bloomed out on the screen of his creative mind as a ladybug opens her hard outer wings, to let her glittering, delicate inner ones to spread, and then slowly lifts off from the stem of a rose. The picture lured a lazy smile on his face, and made him even more curious to the flying lessons which he promised to give to his little sister once she got down to the city.

"Any levitation spells, perchance, Milady?" he inquired of the Magess.

Tanya walked over to the sheer face of the wall, blithely running her fingers across its cool steel surface. "No," she replied shaking her head. "I don't."

"Ah," he began with a bit of a sigh, before she dropped her little surprise.

Then she looked up at Kyle with a broad smile. "But Tenser does."

“Hm, who?” ran the short question out from Rafi’s mouth, hearing the unknown name, but he received his answer only moments later, when Tanya began to cast his spell.

The sorceress gestured at the foot of the wall, her long, delicate fingers bending themselves into positions that looked like they would be borderline-impossible for a normal human's hands. As she gesticulated in definitive, sharp motions with them in the air before her, she whispered into the still air of the room. "Tenser's Floating Disc," she intoned.

And there, right at the bottom of the wall, a small glowing yellow circle appeared, about the size of a quarter. Before their very eyes, in the space of a few seconds, it slowly began to expand, wider and wider...until at last, it had grown into a flat, translucent, vaguely-glowing disc.

"I am now officially jealous," Kyle remarked as he observed the manifest disc. "I have so got to practice that with my powers."

"I can recommend an excellent monastery just outside Big Sur, if you'd like me to provide you with a list of written references," she smiled gently. "Though I think we agreed to save story-time for later, it's where I learned all my tricks."

"Okay, now I'm seeing images of monks floating through the air at odd angles in the Lotus position, surrounded by dancing orbs of magical light.." Kyle mused.

Tanya grinned. "You wouldn't be far from wrong," she replied. "If you want a better idea, think the Dali Lama meets Hogwarts," she laughed gently. "Minus all the silly English school kit...and plus thick brown robes and severe haircuts."

"Not so sure earth tones are my friend," Kyle considered with a chuckle. "And if by severe you mean something like those old Friar Tuck bowl-cuts, I think I'll have to pass," he added with a smirk.

"Actually, they made us shave our heads," she replied, reaching up and pinching a lock of her shoulder-length blonde hair for Kyle's approval. "Two years," she bemoaned, "and this is all I have to show for it."

Rafi tilted his head slightly, listening to the conversation, and tried to imagine the blonde sorceress bald. Her pale skin was even paler on the spot where her hair should be, and the blue eyes of her shimmered with wisdom, but there were an unmistakable good humor, too. She wore the mentioned brown robe, which was slightly bigger than it’s needed to be... so the much younger girl seemed lost in it. Rafi found the picture so funny, that he almost laughed out loud, but he remembered their position, and the earlier echoes, so he managed to let only a tiny giggle out. 

He’ll give Tanya the image, once he’ll draw it at home, in a safe environment, decided the young artist with a wide smile, and an elfish glance at the sorceress.

"And a magic belt," Beetlebum added. "Not to mention enough spells to make Merlin blush."

Tanya laughed gently. "Well," I suppose," she allowed. "It wasn't a total waste."

"Spells and magic gadgets are a definite plus, but I just don't think I'd look right with the Patrick Stewart routine," Kyle noted, lightly running a hand over his hair.

"Though I must say, your recovery in that regard is coming along quite fetchingly, Milady," he offered to Tanya with a courteous bow.

“If every one of us has so much to tell, we must take a week off from our job, to listen every interesting story and nasty secret...” teased playfully Rafi the group.

"Cor!" Beetlebum shook his head like it was swimming. "I'll bring the bloody popcorn."

“I like the one with butter more, but I think Rasgar will enjoy to the bloody ones, too” inserted Rafi a bad joke, even that he knew that its bad, he couldn’t resist doing so.

Kyle just shook his head at the bad joke, glad someone else had uttered the idea before him, given the struggle to hold it back.

"And he'll bring the Pina Coladas," May grinned, nodding in Kyle's direction.

"With extra pineapple," Kyle returned with a wink.

“I’ll leave all the drinks to you, I’m not living with any alcohol, let it be the smallest amount...” dropped Rafi with a wry smile.

"A man after my own heart," Tanya nodded in the young artist's direction. Then, as if to explain to Kyle: "Part of the monastic vows, and all."

Rafi just smiled and made a polite little bow for agreement.

"Fair enough, Milady," Kyle conceded graciously. "Perhaps an organic berry tea, or honey and lemon, might be more to your tastes then?" he suggested.

"In any event, we'll make certain to have something suitable for you at the celebratory party," he offered with a smile.

"Well, I don't have a real job as yet, so a week of wouldn't be an issue for me," Kyle replied. "Though my agent might get a bit irate if I didn't at least show signs of producing something."

Lise seemed like she was getting impatient. "Not to be the killjoy," she looked down the length of the room to the empty mouth of the hallway. "But can we hurry up and get to where we need to get to? Preferably before these armed guards happen to accidentally trip over us?"

Kyle nodded silently in acknowledgment. There'd be plenty of time later for exchanging jokes and stories, amidst a much less stressful setting. Well, hopefully there would be, he reminded himself, before chiding himself and trying to keep thinking positive.

The comment spurred the Magess to action. "Well, now, everyone!" Tanya smiled gently. "Come along!"

The young artist watched as the magic became reality before his very eyes, and carved all details of the scene into his mind. He never saw something like that before, and so, all of Tanya’s spells, items were miracles on their own. He looked them inquisitively, both to remember them when he wants to create a fantasy art on somebody’s flesh, both to figure out how it is works. He knew that he couldn’t, but he tried anyway.

Kyle was one of the first to step up onto the floating disc, his faith in the strength and stability of solidified energy projections substantially buoyed by what he knew was possible with his own gifts. He had no problem trusting that if the lady mage felt confident it would readily support and carry them, then it assuredly would.

Setting foot on it, Kyle noticed that the glowing circle had a solid thickness to its substance that reminded him of the wood on a dance floor. And as he stepped up onto its surface, he realized that it did not give in to his weight even in the slightest.

Simple, yet highly stable and no doubt durable; Kyle was definitely impressed. He idly wondered how versatile and adaptable it might be, envisioning a variety of potential applications.

Once aboard, he courteously extended a hand to help Jennie up and onto the disc, making certain she was situated before likewise offering his assistance to the others in helping them board.

She probably didn't need the proffered hand--after all, she could fly--but she took it the same. Kyle watched her bunny-hop twice in place, just to see if it would continue to support them, which it did with no problem. "Kick-ass," she offered in a hushed whisper, grinning from ear to ear at the miracle of the conjuration.

Kyle just chuckled softly at her exuberant examination of the disc's stability.

The group quickly found their way onto the surface of the disc, Rasgar being last to clamber aboard. He seemed significantly less than enthusiastic about the thing's solidity, sniffing carefully at its edge before Rafi managed to cajole him onto its surface.

The young tattooist knelt down next to his companion, and placed his hand onto his back, lightly stroking the rich jade fur on his neck, to help the cat remain calm and measured.

Rasgar lowered his body as close to the disc as he could, looking around himself furtively as it began to ascend. Cats of all size and stripes seemed to universally despise movement outside of their own control. And though the massive jade jaguar took it relatively well, Rafi knew it was nothing he relished at all.

“Ssh, my friend, its okay,” he whispered into the jade feline’s ear, stroking the top of the cat’s head with his jaw, and with his hand his side at the same time. “It won’t last long, and you we can go.” He glanced at the entrance of the vent, and stayed close to his friend, though he emerged back to the kneeling posture.

His assurance seemed to put Rasgar a little more at ease. Though he wasn't completely sold on the idea of flying...at least he stopped growling in the pit of his throat. That much was an improvement.

Kyle gently ushered Jennie in front of him, towards the disc's central point, placing himself betwixt her and the outer edge. He then gently wrapped his arms about her waist to help steady her in preparation for the disc's upcoming motion.

She held his hands as they rest on her stomach, looking behind herself in such a way that she could whisper into his ear. "You ready for this?" she asked him gently.

"Ready, willing and able to do what I can," he replied, punctuating it with a soft kiss delivered atop her head.

"Me too," she looked at him and beamed, holding him tightly, her warmth spreading all across his skin, permeating still deeper to his very core. "We're really doing it," she said, as if caught in the middle of a dreamy fantasy. "Being real super-heroes." She said it like it was every dream in the world she'd ever had, come true. It probably wasn't too far from the truth.

"You were destined for it," he breathed to her, gently holding her close and enjoying the feel of her delicious warmth radiating through him.

"Of course, you're already a hero," he assured her. "Just like these folks. For making the effort here, in the proverbial dark, when it truly matters."

"Yeah?" she asked him. "Well...since you're standing next to me, I guess that makes you one, too?" Jennie offered. "Doesn't it?"

As much as it tried to demure from it...the logic was impossible to deny.

"Nah, I'm just the backup while the superstar struts her stuff on stage," he whispered lightly.

"One day," she flashed him her dazzling grin, every bit as brilliant and beautiful as the light that sprung from her as from the brightest star in the night sky, "I'll get you to take credit when you deserve it," she promised him.

He shrugged slightly, never being one to clamor to the spotlight, ever more comfortable to watching over matters from the background. In the stage play of their lives, he was more akin to a prop manager or the like, working behind the scenes to help ensure things went as smoothly as possible. Her flattery and insistence that he was worthy of a starring role alongside her was always welcome encouragement, eternally lifting his spirits.

"Until then," she kissed him gently, "that'll have to do."

"More than accolade enough, I assure you," he replied with a soft smile.

Once they were aboard--all eight of them, in a bunch--Tanya put her two hands waist-high in front of herself, palms-up. "Gooooooing up!" she whispered with closed eyes. And as she began to lift her hands skyward, the great glowing vessel began to rise up off of the floor into the air of the room, levitating without wings or pinions, until they began to close nearer and nearer to the ceiling.

Rafi shifted his position on the disc, as they went up, and he leant over the edge to see what is under them and how this thing works. As he saw nothing, but their shadows on it, he turned back, and his wide smile told about his happiness. “Cool” he added with an appreciative nod.

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Kyle agreed.

"Believe it or not," Tanya offered like it was something she'd done a million times before, "it's a rather simple spell. Very limited--but good for what it does, just the same." And who knew? She very well might have.

"Perhaps not so limited, depending how adaptable the basic application is," Kyle considered thoughtfully. "Possibilities to discuss for a later time, however."

She nodded. "Of course. Always eager to learn something new."

Again, Jennie wagged her brows at him gently, offering the sorceress a lecherous glance. Thankfully, she didn't notice it.

Kyle chuckled and shook his head once more at Jennie's mischief. Not that he could blame her at all. The ladies in this little group were beauties indeed. He certainly wouldn't mind seeing them in more private environs himself, even if only for a painting or modeling for a piece of graphics work.

Finally, she stopped once they were level with the grate. Now that they were close to it, it was easier to get an appreciation for just how large the thing was. It was a good ten feet wide, perhaps five feet tall; the slats of steel that composed it were each at least an inch thick. "Okay," Lise said, in what was beginning to become her mantra, "now what?"

Beetlebum grinned over in her direction. "Now," he said, "you get to see just how strong a ladybug really is." And centering himself in the middle of the grillwork, the bespotted man jammed his fingers into its substance, taking a few deep breaths, adjusting his grip for a moment--

And then--he yanked.

The result was every bit as spectacular as it was instantaneous. The screws and bolts that held the grillwork--which had to have weighed the better part of a quarter-ton, at least--stood no chance at all. They chirped loudly, a chorus of wrenching, snapping metal as it sheared off under Beetlebum's incredible strength. There was a slight popping noise as the metal within the ventilation shaft shifted and the sudden burst of dust, kicked up into the air by the sudden, violent motion. But that was all.

In his hands, held out in front of him at arms' length, he was holding the grillwork.

He looked, for all the strain it caused him, like he might've been holding a loaf of bread.

Rafi watched the sleek singer’s muscles ripple as he pulled the grill to him. It was more than awesome, to see a human pull such a feat with so small effort. “Astonishing, my friend” he breathed, and looked at Damon with widened eyes. “I have to immortalize the moment, in a picture, when I get home, that’s sure.” He nodded a few times to support his statement.

He laughed slightly. "Aww, it's not all that much." And if a ladybug could blush, Rafi was sure he would have, then and there.

By the look in the widened eyes of Lise, Tanya and Jennie...they would definitely beg to differ.

In front of all their astonished eyes, he summarily, with still not a bit of effort, folded the grillwork in half, bending it in on itself with the raw, brute power contained in his slender arms. Once done with the act, he folded it again and then again...until he was finally holding a tangled web of bent, twisted steel, just a bit bigger than an overinflated basketball. Which he delicately placed just within the metal corridor of the vent shaft, like a child might put away a favored toy.

He brushed off the dust from his hands and smiled at Lise.

"I'd say about 800 times it's own weight," he grinned over in the pale beauty's direction.

"Quite the performance, sir," Kyle offered in admiration, softly clapping his hands from where they remained gently wrapped about Jennie's waist.

His sister joined him, clapping gently with an astonished look on her face. "No joke!" she gushed. "That was amazing!!!"

“You mean that if you weights approximately 160-170 pounds, you can lift more than 50 tons?!” asked Rafi stunned, and his mouth hung open in awe. 

"I can't say I'm too terribly good at math," he replied. "But that sounds about right, yeah."

Then he swallowed, and winked at the Briton while commented the fact with wry humor. “Remind me not to piss you off…”

"You don't have to worry about that, my friend," he smiled softly in Rafi's direction. "Now these bastards that have your beloved..." he allowed his voice to trail off, leaving little doubt that, if they crossed paths, would have to deal with the might of the Lord of Ladybugs.

And that was no niggling thing, by any means.

Rafi stood up, and made a polite little bow to the Briton. “Thank you.” He said sincerely.

Damon just smiled back softly, leaving little doubt that it was his pleasure to help a friend.

And that was exactly what the two men had become. Friends.

"Definite advantages to having the proportional might of the insect kingdom," Kyle mused. "Or of spiders," he muttered more softly, glancing over at May, wondering just what all she might have in common with the legendary Spider-Man aside from the aforementioned Spider-Sense.

She met his gaze and wagged her brows suggestively by way of response.

Jennie looked at him like she had no idea what in the world he was talking about.

"Just an idle thought that perhaps our lithe and lovely agent there might also be a deceptively strong physical powerhouse," Kyle whispered to Jennie.

"Mmmm..." Jennie nodded eying her up and down. "With a cute behind," she added. Once again, Kyle was happy she didn't seem to have heard the comment.

"You're incorrigible," he playfully chided Jennie in hushed tones, depositing a light kiss upon the back of her head.

"Looks like we needn't worry about doors in any regard," he noted in more normal tones, nodding in acknowledgment to Beetlebum.

He chuckled. "That's me," he nodded back. "Official doorman to the League of Awesome."

Jennie's face, at his use of the term, lit up like an eight-year old's at a pizza party.

"Seems you're scoring major points with her," Kyle offered to Beetlebum with a smile. "Do I need to be worried?" he teased in good humor.

It was pretty evident that Jennie's happiness readily translated over to Kyle, his own face brightening as he regarded her joy.

Kyle watched the red tone of his flesh turn a deeper tone of scarlet. "No! I mean, I..uh," he stammered. "Not at all!" he replied, obviously caught flat-footed and sheepish by the question.

Jennie giggled again. "Ladybugs are cute when they're frustrated," she opined.

The retreating Briton looked like he wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide.

Rafi placed his hand at the Briton’s shoulder, and voiced his own thoughts. “Don’t mess with them... I mean the girls... I got my verbal defeat earlier, too”, he said with a wry smile, and then glanced at the young agent, lifting his stare from her ankles to her eyes slowly, admiring her shape with the artist’s eyes... oh well, and with a man’s eyes as well, after what he got earlier, he had to admit.

May didn't seem to notice the way that Rafi's eyes romaed over the delectible curves of her body, as sleek as his jaguar's and every bit as inviting as a beautiful woman's could be. In the dark, she gained a certain angle, a certain stance that made her look even more alluring for her graceful, mysterious way.

Carmilla was still his main concern, and he didn’t plan on cheat her in any ways, but yet he couldn’t forget the scene at the door of his parlor, and the strange intimacy how the girl’s talked him out...

"Aye," he nodded. "Add my name to the list of the proud defeated then too, Rafi," he smiled up at his friend, though his blush remained undiminished.

Kyle reached over and gently clasped Beetlebum on the shoulder, "Relax, my friend. You've brought a smile to her face, and that means a great deal to me," his smile warm and sincere.

When he did it, Kyle's hand audibly made a sharp CLIK! off of his chitinous skin. Beetlebum barely seemed to feel it.

But he did offer him a big smile by way of response. And that was enough.

The emotional recognition of the offering, and the reply in kind, conveyed everything that mattered, and Kyle acknowledged it with a gracious nod of his head and another smile of his own.

The vent shaft yawned wide for their entry, his voice softly echoing down its length.

It only remained to see who would enter it first.

He glanced inside, and gestured to the direction of the tunnel in front of them, looking at May and Kyle. “It’s your turn, according to the plan” he said with a wry smile, letting Rasgar jump to the shaft, at the same time.

Rasgar paused to sniff at the air in the empty, silent corridor, apparently a bit of the dust from their entry up his wide snout. Soon enough though, he hopped into the vent shaft upon his soft footpads; his landing made absolutely no sound at all.

"All clear?" Kyle asked May as he shifted into energy form in preparation for the invisibility and ascending into the ventilation system.

She seemed to think about it for a moment, then looked back at him with her bright blue eyes, giving him a single, firm nod in assent. From where he stood, the shaft seemed a great deal wider than he'd expected, almost ten feet both high and wide. It was either a godsend for them, he considered...or the most obvious trap in the world.

Well, a large vehicle bay such as this would certainly require serious industrial ducting to properly vent accumulated fumes and exhaust, especially if original intent had been to allow for leaving engines running to avoid seizing up from the cold, Kyle considered. Still, it seemed a little excessive even by those lines of thought. Best to go very carefully.

"Wait!" Tanya said, before he could get too far. She reached out with the flat of her palm and touch it to the edge of Kyle's collarbone. "Cat's Grace," she whispered. And with the utterance, he could feel a wave of energy rippling all throughout his body. It was as if he were an electric device, suddenly plugged into a wall socket; the rush of vibrant energy that coursed through him made him feel singularly alive and aware...like he could dance on the end of a pin for hours, if need be.

"Whoa! And here I thought that healing potion had a kick!" Kyle exclaimed, blinking in surprise.

"Good luck," The Magess smiled upon him.

"My thanks indeed, Lady Mage," Kyle proffered with a courtly nod.

"Though it might serve me well to know just what effects or other such to expect from this particular spell, being rather ignorant in these matters," he confessed.

"Well," she said, "it's what my little brother would probably call a buff spell," she explained to him. "Something designed to enhance your natural speed and agility--something that I suspect you'll be needing, on this particular mission."

"Um, how enhanced?" Kyle asked with a touch of concern. "I'm not gonna be so hyped that I'm climbing the walls, am I?"

"It shouldn't affect your perceptions at all," she assured him. "That is, after the initial rush of the spell's gone. Think of it as giving you an extra step when you want to get somewhere. And making sure that if someone draws wand upon you--you draw yours faster," she grinned.

And it was true. That initial shot of adrenaline was quickly fading, leaving him feeling spry and alight...but not in the slightest hyper or impatient. Apparently, the pretty young sorceress was quite good at what she did.

And that was, making miracles.

Kyle nodded in understanding, "Much appreciated indeed, Milady."

A bit quicker movement and improved reaction time, as he understood her explanation; welcome gifts indeed for the duration. These would aid him quite well, especially if he were to be on point. Hopefully the outdrawing hostile forces portion wouldn't have to be called into play too much though.

"Really?" May asked. "Any chance a gal could get a dose of that, over here?"

Tanya smiled wanly. "I'm sorry. I only memorized it once, today," she replied. "But--" she leaned close to the beautiful agent, "--I can give you this. Owl's Wisdom," she said, the effect once again surrounding her hand for the instant before she touched May's arm...at which point it seemed to tessellate across her skin before fading back to normal.

"Thanks," she grinned in her direction.

"Good luck," she bade her, just as she had Kyle.

“And what was that for?” asked Rafi curiously, looking at Tanya with a lifted brow. “If the Obsidian received a cat’s grace, then what gives the Owl’s Wisdom to our mysterious agent?”

"Things hidden should be somewhat more clear to her," Tanya tried to explain. "Perhaps I should be less oblique. That means in all avenues, our dear little agent should be much more perceptive. In both sense and with the respect to making sound decisions and judgments," she said. "Quite simply, she should be more wise."

"I wish I could have that all the time," Beetlebum mused.

"I think we all do," Tanya nodded sympathetically. "But these spells do have only a short duration. So we should hurry along as quickly as we can--in order to take advantage of the faculty while we can."

Nods fell all around her. It seemed wisdom in and of itself.

Increased alertness, insight and tactical assessment from but one of her potential arsenal of spells? Truly, the Magess represented a most formidable ally to have on their side, and a terrible foe to those who would choose to stand against them.

Once she'd verified the way was clear, and he was duly rendered invisible, Kyle floated up into the duct, slowly moving forward and trying to sense through the shadows, wanting to only proceed far enough from the group to put himself just outside the device's cloak so he could use his surveillance abilities.

The metal corridor, as far as he could see down its length, retained its full diameter for its entire course through the complex. It traveled perhaps a hundred yards forward before abruptly turning right. Kyle could see light in the form of vent ducts spaced evenly as he began his journey. Each of them fed back to the room in which they'd just left.

He knew, once he took the turn, that would change.

"Um, are we sure this isn't really the exhaust venting for a secret rocket base?" he called back lightly over his shoulder, being somewhat on edge about it maintaining such vast size, worrying just what might be sent through here to necessitate such large vents.

"You watch too many cartoons," Jennie chided him with a whisper. "Get going!"

"Okay, okay.. I'm going. I'm going," he muttered, unable to mask the cheerful tone in his voice.

Behind him, May looked around at everyone remaining on the platform. "Okay," she said. "Nobody tells tall, shadowy and handsome about this--'cause I plan on angling to win those Pina Coladas," she smirked.

Rafi nodded smiling, and gestured at May, as if letting her to do what she wanted; then lifted his left brow waiting what’ll happen.

And then, stabbed out her right hand, leaving only her thumb, index finger and pinky extended. As she did it, a single, dark silken cord shot out from someplace near the top of her wrist, quick as a bullet, affixing itself somewhere onto the ceiling of the vent shaft. May's entire body suddenly shot off like a rocket behind it, the sudden tension in the cord pulling her along for its ride.

When she hit the ceiling, she stuck to it. On all fours, the remainder of the group watched her hurriedly scurry away in that way--upside-down, until she vanished in the darkness.

Beetlebum's jaw was hanging open. "Bloody Spider-Man," he breathed. "She's--"

The last they saw of May, she flashed him a little grin.

"No," she replied. "Spider-Girl!"

She might have laughed to herself before vanishing entirely.

“Ah, that’s how she did” realized Rafi the way how May followed him back at the parlor, when she literally disappeared from his back. He mused over the various abilities and magic he saw by the time, and suddenly he realized, that if these will continue to come in this pace, he’ll never be able to draw everything he found admiring.

Once he was suitably distanced, he began casting his senses down along the shadowy lengths of the ducts, looking and listening as he used the vantage point of the shadows to peer down through the occasional grate to see what lay within each room below as they were encountered.

The remainder of them waited until they'd gained some distance on the greater group.

And like the song said: the waiting was often the hardest part.

Rafi sighed, looked at the others, and then stepped inside the tube, next to his companion. There he leant back to see the ground under them, and then he stiffened. “Damn... we forgot how to replace the grill once we go inside.” He muttered under his breath, and quickly waved the others inside.

After they all got in, he knelt down, and studied the folded bars which lay on the floor in front of him. Once he found the end of one, he took a deep breath, and while he expired, a new and whole grill emerged from the small pack, and as he gestured with his hand, it attached to the entrance with on his own, small hands grabbing the wall and then holding themselves in place.

He could see Jennie's eyes widen, even in the dark. "Awesome," she whispered.

Damon grinned over at him, thumbing his way. "That's my pal," he offered with no small pride.

It took only a few moments until the young meta opened his eyes again, and turned back to the others. “There, that’ll make it for a while.”

“Don’t worry, just an illusion” he explained moving his hand through the grill easily. “I can retain it for a while easily, but if we run into some other problem; I’ll prolly let it fade, to ease my concentration.”

"Hopefully," Tanya said, as their small group began to creep forward, "we won't be here long enough to need worry about such details."

“Yeah,” agreed Rafi, and his smile faded, as he began to focus on the mission. He stroked the jaguar’s head, and then leaned closer to his ears, whispering his wishes into it. “Go forward a little, and be aware, my friend. We’ll follow you closely.”

Rasgar slowly swung his attention away from the suddenly-appeared grillwork that seemed to block their exit just as sturdily as it had prevented it before, once again lowering his body close to the ground, flattening his ears as he went on his his way. Rafi could see his thin lips curling as if into a snarl; he knew enough about cats though to realize what he was really doing. He was using his Jacobsen's Organ, sniffing the air with it with a sense that went far beyond that of normal sense.

Slowly, he disappeared into the darkness until he was bit a vague sliver of movement, ahead of them. Silent as the grave as he walked the length of the duct.

Rafi followed him with his eyes as long as he could do, feeling a bit fear for the jaguar’s life, too, even that he didn’t know what was that life... and he missed their close link, which allowed him to borrow the feline’s senses in an instant. Only the less obvious contact remained, but his own instincts were good, too, at least that he knew well.

“Who’ll watch our back?” he asked then the others. “Should I remain the last, or your senses provide enough intel to skip that option?” he glanced at Beetlebum, thinking on his previously shown extra sensory input.

"I'll stay back," he replied, eyes meeting Rafi's in the gloom. The black spots that dotted his hard, red flesh seemed to be massive holes all cut through the surface of his body. "If somebody sneaks up on us, I've got at least a little protection that none of you have," he rapped with his knuckles against his chitinous skin, making the sound one would expect of hard ceramic as he did so. "And like you said, I should be able to feel anyone coming. This metal," he said, reaching down to touch its surface, "conducts vibration marvelously."

Jennie nodded. "Okay," she said, looking at Rafi. "Our turn then, I guess."

The corridor, lonely and eerie, yawned ahead like a tunnel into the heart of the Abyss.

“Let’s go, then” agreed Rafi, and headed into the shadowy tunnel almost as silent and graceful as his feline companion. He crouched down a bit, his left hand hung low while his right grabbed the beltpack where he held his cards, and he seemed like a stalking cat, just his ears weren’t pointed and his eyes weren’t cat’s eyes. That mysterious, black-clad girl, back at the shop was definitely right - there was something from a jaguar in Rafi...

Kyle was busily scanning ahead through the shadows, letting his shadowy senses precede him as he cautiously made his way down to the first turn in the ducting corridor. Peering ahead through the shadows to check for grates and other openings to scan through for rooms and hallways and their current uses, he began to ever so carefully edge his way around the turn, ironically taking as much caution as he would were he in physical form walking along, rather than gliding in energy mode.

"Spider-sense giving us the all clear to proceed?" he inquired of May, naturally expecting her to be right behind him.

Turning around, Kyle saw that the sleek and slender young woman was indeed there. She was creeping behind him, held close to the wall, in such a way that she almost seemed to be crawling along its very surface...silent enough to do any of the shadows at his command proudly. She turned to him, her blue eyes shining in the gloom for his eyes alone. Nodded once in assent.

At first he thought she was crawling along it, then realized she was likely just keeping herself pressed close to the side so as to better avoid any potential weak spots or unseen drop-offs in the vent's flooring. Her stealth was impressive, and extremely useful here. He only needed glance back at her and gesture briefly for her special input on safety ahead, and she needed only to respond with a simple nod or shake of the head, allowing them to maintain considerable silence as they proceeded.

In that way, the two of them, far ahead of the remainder of the group, continued to pass by slats of light in the form of grillworks in the hallway they traced, furtively glancing out through each one as they went...all the while being met by empty corridors from their point of view. They passed that way for what seemed like hours, though in the way that tension seems to expand time, Kyle knew it was more like only a few minutes.

Then, suddenly, at his side, May stopped dead in her tracks.

Held up a balled fist: the universal spook-talk symbol for freeze.

Kyle immediately halted, reflexively drifting back slightly. Her unique senses had been serving them well thus far, since they'd not yet heard any blaring klaxons to betray their presence, so he was well-inclined to trust when she indicated something wasn't right.

Nearly a hundred feet behind them, Jennie bade their small group do the same. "Hold up," she whispered, almost invisible in the lightless vent shaft. "They just stopped."

Rafi stopped dead in his track, and lifted a brow, looking at the green-haired beauty, who unhitched the nice green light she emitted before. “How do you know?” he asked Jennie, carefully lowering his voice into a whisper. “They are noiseless and I can’t see them either.” 

"He's my brother," she smiled back to him, tiny twinkles of green starlight playing over the entirety of her body with the admission. "I can tell these kinda of things," she mused with a little shrug.

Tanya seemed mildly confused. "He's...your brother?" She was probably considering the way they'd acted so far, Rafi thought; much more in the way that lovers did, rather than siblings. Truth be told, the thought confused him as well.

He lifted a curious eyebrow and regarded her with an asking look. He thought that the young pair of heroes are lovers, in the classical combination of light and darkness, as the old saying held - the opposites attract. To hear that they are more than that, actually they’re siblings... that was a shock to his thoughts. 

He was raised by lovely parents, and had two sisters, both an older and a younger one, but he never thought at them as women, only as sisters. He wasn’t nearly as religious as his mother, who was raised in a convent, and though she revolted later, she had faith in God; but this made his soul opposing the idea. 

Though, they seemed to handle it well, and who he was to judge them at first sight, he thought. They came to help him, and so far they did it well, they were good company... and furthermore, he was the one, who always thought that the bedroom’s secrets shall remain there, he mused over the information. But they were siblings..., he sighed, unable to shake it off so easily.

"Yup," Jennie replied. "And he's making a hole in the invisible light I'm painting this tunnel with, six-foot two-hundred pounds of dark deliciousness."

Tanya looked over to Rafi with a curious little look before chuckling gently.

"How...wonderfully odd," she finally decided.

He just stared back, apparently slightly shocked by the revelation, then he blinked, and turned his train of thoughts back to the mission, pushing the nature of the pair’s relationship to the back of his mind.

“What could they found in such a little time?” he mused over the possibilites, and as he waited for the answer, he glanced back to the tunnel, just to tranquilize his ruffled nerves.

"I dunno," she said. "But for now, I think we should just trust 'em. And wait."

“Okay. You’ll sign them, when we can go again” replied Rafi with a nod, and knelt down on one knee to the floor of the vent, placing his hands on the other knee. And then, he waited.

Outside the vent through which Kyle watched, he heard footsteps. Inching closer to the metal grid of its structure, he looked down into the hall to see what the sound was attached to. What he saw, through that small vantage point, was a small group of men. They all were marching down the hall, not walking, moving in single, syncopated time. The heel beat they made was loud, a clack-clacking that was smart and disciplined. Over their shoulders, they all held rifles--futuristic and menacing-looking things, to Kyle's eyes.

He reflexively held his breath, even though he didn't breathe in energy form; didn't even have lungs for it. Nonetheless, he kept as still and silent as possible, hoping the marching goons would continue without hesitation and quickly leave this area far behind. Their marching was military-like in coordinated precision, but the patterning of it brought images of old news footage of Nazis or Russian troops in formation, neither of which was very comforting if they were to be found out by these guys.

They all wore bright green costumes with hoods and full face-masks. Bright shocks of yellow making a vague "H" pattern across their chests. At the belts, the symbol of some kind of octopod leviathan with a grinning skull for a head.

Ominously crushing a globe in its mighty tentacles.

The garish grotesquerie of their uniforms only heightened his unease. It was something more instantly disturbing in imagery than even the old Nazi outfits he'd seen. And the skull design and coils crushing the world only added to the unpleasantness.

Again, he hoped they'd simply pass by unawares, but if circumstances during this rescue forced him to hurt some of these goons.. Well, he wasn't going to feel too terribly bad about zapping heavily armed thugs in a reptilian Klan motif.

The small phalanx of guards did exactly that--marching right past their position in the vent duct above and to their right, until they were out of sight. Behind where they held themselves still as statues, their number subsequently continued down the metal corridor, passing by the grillwork that Rafi, Jennie and Tanya positioned themselves by. Once again, the group of costumed soldiers seemed completely oblivious to their existence, passing them right by until only their heavy marching footsteps could be heard as wan echoes in the corridor. Soon, every member in their erstwhile League realized, they'd reach the end of the hall in the form of the garage in which they'd come into the compound. They'd certainly double back from there, with no other exits from that arm of the facility. They'd pass them once again, surely. Hopefully, they'd prove just as invisible, when that time came.

Kyle continued to remain still and silent, thinking it might perhaps be best to hold their positions until the patrol passed back by this way. Hopefully the troops would simply give the vehicle bay a quick cursory glance, given its apparent length of disuse, and find nothing to make them suspicious. Then they'd hopefully return whence they came, their goose-stepping footfalls receding into the distance, leaving the group to once more make its way stealthily forward in its search.

May looked at him from where she crouched, her bright blue eyes seeming to shine from out of the darkness that ensconced her. She quickly pointed between the both of them and made a flat gesture with her hand. Though he really get the gist of the hand jibe, she mouthed out the words We'll wait? which he understood well. After he nodded his assent that that was his desire too, she nodded back in agreement.

And so, they remained right where they were. Still and quiet.

Rafi began to imagine the layout of the map that he'd seen. With the eight hallways spreading out from the central atrium, it actually seemed to approximate the precise shape of the octopod emblazoned on the soldier's belts.

Could that mean Carmilla would be at the bottom? In the place where it seized the world?

Rafi sighed as the thought crossed his mind again. When they studied the map, down at the garage hall, he feared in advance that the cells would be at the bottom, in the most secure area, and he didn’t like the idea at all. He hoped that Kyle’s shadowy surveillance powers told him where they’d find his love...

And seeing that symbol on their belt... it made him stiffen right on the spot. It was the same symbol which was on the card what the SHIELD agent gave him at the Mall, and the same which was on the card of Keller or whatever was his real name.

Jennie must've seen the way he'd reacted. "What?" she asked nervously. "Something wrong?"

He fished out the two small cards from his beltpack, and looked down at them in the dim light. After a moment stare he raised his eyes to the small group. “This symbol...” he began, but had to swallow once, before he could continue, “they tried to kidnap me in the morning at the Mall - but one SHIELD squad saved my ass. And later today, a scary woman visited me in my shop, and ordered a special tattoo to her back... a magic one, if my guess is correct.”

Tanya slit her eyes, the mere mentioning of the word magic piquing interest in her.

"Well," Jennie mused, looking down at the backs of the costumed soldiers as they made their way down into the distance of the corridor, "there's no way it could be a coincidence," she shook her head, concern sweeping over her lovely features.

“I was thinking the same” he whispered back to her, musing over the strange feeling what surrounded him since that meeting with the hunter at the City Hall. Even that he didn’t know the true goal behind the contact, he felt that it held more than a mere talented tattoo. And that visit later... that made him to begin his search after Carm.

“What the hell we dropped into?” he asked rhetorically, not really expecting answers, but he had to gave voice to his concerns.

"First they try and kidnap you, you say," Tanya reasoned. "Then, they successfully kidnap your lover. They obviously want something out of you. They didn't think they could get it without some kind of leverage."

"It's about this magic tattoo," Jennie decided. "It has to be."

The thought of it sent a chill up Rafi's spine. Like the slithering of a beautiful, cold serpent.

The young tattooist shivered as the cold thought crawled up on his back, and set his jaw. Now he was sure that his instinct didn’t fail him then... that tatt could not be made, and he has to be the one who’ll prevent it by any means, in spite of his agreement to the work. He doesn’t care with the money she offered, nor with the fixed appointment, he’ll pay what it needs, but he couldn’t allow that serpent to born.

He remained silent as he counted their echoing footsteps, and waited to the soldiers to return or indicate any alarm, if they find the remnants of their presence in the hangar. But there was only silence and darkness around them.

"Not good," May breathed, only barely loud enough for Kyle to hear. "Not good at all."

It sounded like she was more than passingly familiar with the sight they'd just seen.

And, judging by the tone of her voice, that wasn't a good thing at all.

Kyle considered opting for a joke, to try and lighten the tension a bit, but then decided against it. Perhaps later, when roving enemy patrols weren't quite so near. Instead, he silently looked back at May, gesturing to the duct corridor ahead with one hand.

"Go?" came the ghostly whisper of an inquiry, as he continued to try and search further afield of his position, casting his senses through the available shadows.

May shook her head, apparently set on sticking to the original plan to wait until the soldiers came back from what seemed a routine patrol through their arm of the facility. Every moment that passed, anxiety began to ratchet up higher and higher within the young artist. What if they didn't come back? he began to wonder. What if they figured out somehow that somebody's infiltrated the compound? In Lise's words: What then?

Kyle silently nodded his head in compliance, retaining his position, floating silently there in the vent tunnel. Each second that passed seemed an interminable mass of anxiety, as thoughts and concerns flitted through his mind. Had they found something? Were they making a detailed assessment of the area? What traces might their fledgling hero group have left behind that might, even now, be prompting a potential alarm? Precious little time was passing in reality, but far more time than a worrisome mind was comfortable with.

Mercifully, he was relieved of his fears as he began to hear the tightly-measured clacking of the patrol's boots on the metal floor of the corridor. Marching in time, he could virtually tell exactly where they were in the hall as they approached closer and closer. Soon enough, they came into view, still apparently blissfully unaware of their presence above them. They'd only been in the vehicle bay long enough to ascertain that it was empty, it seemed. If they knew that there were intruders in their midst or had any kind of clue of their position...Kyle thought every single one of them should've won an Oscar, judging by their reaction.

He certainly hoped they weren't so impressively regimented as to maintain such a grand facade as a unit. That would not bode well at all for their rescue attempt. He preferred to hope they were more akin to Cobra goons from the old cartoons: unwilling to do more than absolutely required, not too bright or perceptive, and terrible shots in firefights.

He especially hoped for that last one if they ended up in a shootout with any of these goons.

Soon enough, the noise of their procession began to recede away from them. Until they were finally gone from sight, apparently to patrol one of the other arms of the building.

Once again, they seemed alone.

Rafi sighed when the last crack of the brogues faded to nothingness, only then looked up to the others again. He spun the thought in his mind first, what he should tell to them about the picture and the woman, but then he decided that they deserve the truth about the events, perhaps they can figure out something together; more than he did alone... But he glanced at Jennie at first, asking her, “Sign, if we can go after them, please. Until then, I’ll try and add some more detail about this job.”

The lithe and slender young woman simply nodded, her emerald eyes seeming to shine out of the darkness as she did it. It wouldn't have surprised him at all if it had been more than a simple trick of their shadowy surrounds. Light seemed to bend to her will as if she were its strict mistress. It might have been the physical world's simple way of highlighting her beauty.

Rafi tilted his head as he watched the play of the light around Crystal, and wondered about their unique connection - the light and Jennie’s that is. Like his with his images, close and intimate, as he brought them alive from their frozen moment, allowing them to act almost freely. Some of them could live with that, just as Rasgar and Skie did, some of them were simply a servant, moving and acting only if he and how he wanted it; and some were in between, acting how he wanted, but with rambling thoughts and instincts. How much of that was his own psyche and how much was his gift, he didn’t know, yet - he added mentally to himself, but he embraced it as it was good.

Tanya looked out of the grillwork at her side furtively, as if to make sure that the soldiers hadn't somehow doubled back on their position undetected. It was amazing the paranoia that even successful hiding was capable of breeding. She looked back to listen to the artist's tale once she was satisfied that the coast was clear and quiet.

Rafi nodded thankfully to Tanya, who did exactly what he felt the urge for, but he suppressed it, not wanting to be overly paranoid. But... perhaps he has to be one, counting all the events of this single day...

The young meta remained in his crouched posture, placing his hand on his knee, to support his weight, moving only slightly to allow his muscles to avoid the tiredness. He sighed, and arranged his information about the day’s events, before he began to talk in a very low voice, calm and measured, in spite his burning feelings.

It made him wish that he could feel Rasgar's presence, his feelings and wide-open feline sense, that typically lingered at the peripheries of his consciousness. But at his distance from his side, cloaked as he was by the envelope of May's blackball, that perpetual presence that accompanied him wherever he went was gone. It was a very lonely feeling, stacked up upon another, gloomier loneliness.

The young black artist glanced down in the tunnel, into the direction where he knew that Rasgar was, in hope that he’ll catch at least a sparkle in the jaguar’s eyes, but he saw nothing. He sighed, and wished that this device could be upgraded such a way what allow the protected ones to use their own gifts... as he missed the feline more than he could phrase it. After all, it was part of his soul, what he gave to Rasgar, to bring him alive, so the jade cat was much more than a mere animated image. Even that the cat wasn’t tangible before, Rafi always acted like he was. They had past together.

And that made his loneliness even deeper, that he wanted such experience with Carmilla... he wanted to grow old with her, wanted a family with her... he shivered as he noticed where this train of thoughts lead, and blinked, then returned to the here and how, continuing his story.

“As I know from May, they got Carmilla first, as she didn’t check in to the plane in New York, from where she was ordered to come into Europe, somewhere in Austria”, he paused for a moment, though he’d just began with his speech, but the fear for his love muted him.

“I was attacked in the Mall, during the mornin’ shopping, not long after we met at the entrance” he went on, smiling up to the green-haired young heroine. “I noticed your soft green glow, and because of that I followed the pair of you with my eyes, musing over some nice tatt, and that was my luck as I picked out my follower.”

"Really?" she said, gaining a slight glow to herself that made Rafi glad that she was sheathed within the masking range of May's device--otherwise she certainly would've given them away. "That's cool," she laughed gently, then added quickly so that there was no mistaking her intent: "That you noticed me, I mean. Not that you were attacked."

"I, uhm..." she confessed, shrugging gently, "...noticed you, too."

“Your soft green glow which you had then, and now here as well, started my imagination, so I couldn’t avoid that” he said, smiling at the girl sheepishly. Just like what he did when he first looked at her back at the Mall, the only difference was that now he had a tool to draw upon anything she allowed and what he could imagine, to create a perfect art which would use this ambient glow.

"I noticed your hair," Jennie admitted, smiling in such a way that he knew it was a compliment even before she finished the sentence. "The color's beautiful," she explained. "I knew it was natural, too. I could just tell."

A slight blush appeared on Rafi’s cheeks, as he nodded at the compliment. “Thanks, you’re too kind to me” he replied silently and smiled in return. “I used to dye it black, before I moved to Elysium City, so you’re amongst the few who saw it in its natural state.”

He shrugged sheepishly, “I like its color, too. It has almost the same tone as Rasgar’s fur... and as you can see, I like the color green and its shades.” 

He then looked back to the girl’s glowing, perfect skin, and dared to reach out to stroke her hand with his fingertips, as if to check and feel for it himself, before he went on. “I mused over about how I could make an art onto your skin, what would be able to use your lights to turn itself a wonder, but then I couldn’t finish that thinking... as that series of happenings began.”

"A tattoo?" she asked, something in her green eyes seeming to twinkle with excitement. "I...never really thought about getting one before," she said, and then: "I wonder if Kyle'd like that," though it was more to herself than to the artist. "Like...maybe his name over my heart."

She way she smiled when she said it, so obviously full of mad, unrestrained love for her brother and lover in one...Rafi was sure he would have melted at the thought.

If only he were close enough to hear it.

The young artist smiled happily, but shook his head gently. This feeling burned in her with so high flames, that he couldn’t think anything else than to like them for it, in spite of the siblingly relation. “We’ll discuss it later, but I don’t suggest the name, instead something more complex, in harmony with your light-emitting gifts”, he said finally.

Jennie laughed. "We'll definitely talk about it," she said. "You've got me intrigued, now."

Rafi simply nodded in agreement and a warm smile spread on his face. “I guess you can take Obsidian’s place in my schedule... as I guess he forced it only to get the chance to know more about me...” he winked at her.

After this little sidetrack he then returned to the original story, to let the group to know more about the depth of his problems. “The followers of mine changed each other a few times, but I managed to notice all of them, until the SHIELD came, and disabled the last one, who wanted to attack me... That was the time when I got this”, he showed the first card, what he got from the agent. “Then I noticed the green-haired snake-lady, but she moved out my sight... only to appear later in my shop.”

Jennie cocked her head, looking in the direction of the end of the vent shaft. She looked back at the two of them that lingered close to them and gestured in that general direction. Evidently, it was time to get moving.

Tanya's eyes lingered on the face of the card for a moment longer before they got going. "Looks like something from a James Bond movie," she decided. "Who was that group he used to fight all the time for the British government? S.P.E.C.T.R.E., I think?"

“These secret organizations tend to choose such names, as it seems” he replied with a faint smile, looking down at the small card.

"Heh," Tanya agreed with a little smile. "And S.H.I.E.L.D., too. We mustn't forget about them."

“Like if we could do that...” he sighed, and glanced at Tanya with a somewhat sad smile. But he stopped in the story when he noticed Jennie’s slight move, and stood up. “We can go, if they started to move again. I’ll continue during the next pause” he smiled at the small group of friends which surrounded him in the shaft. They’ll make it, he hoped and cursed the blackball as it prevented him to reach out to Carmilla, though he knew that it protected them as well...

Once it seemed quiet enough to consider proceeding anew, Kyle looked at May and gestured towards the vent corridor ahead, awaiting her signal to go ahead. With Spider-Sense augmented by a magic spell of wisdom, he definitely had no problem deferring to her judgments on when it was safe to move forward.

When she gave him the go ahead, he began to proceed slowly and carefully, continuing to reach ahead with his shadowy senses to look and listen down into rooms and hallways below before he and May physically reached the grates.

The lithe woman paused for a moment before continuing to move, guided by a preternatural grace that was almost haunting in its quality for its effortless grace. Like a black swan swimming on the infinite mirror of a perfectly still lake, she seemed to glide more than stride; it was something that he was convinced that he could have, under different circumstances, sat and literally watched all day, marveling at the sublime quality of her motion.

It brought to mind once more the notion of painting or sketching her, and enough of her grace and lithe beauty had been impressed upon his memory that he felt relatively confident he could do just that. Ideally, he would of course prefer if she were willing to sit for a in-depth study and work, as he would with the other lovely ladies in this group, but that was a matter and potential query for another time.

Here and now, effecting their rescue and getting everyone out safely was decidedly more important.

She continued down the dark, winding path that comprised the ventilation shaft in that way. They were rapidly approaching a massive crossroads; a junction where several other like passages met. A low rumbling from that direction seemed to herald the approach of a working air recycler. Soon, Kyle expected to feel the gentle breath of cool air push against the ephemeral darkness that comprised his body.

The differing sensations of air current upon his energy form was always interesting, more a gentle ripple-like caress against his personal energy matrix than the traditional breath of soft breezes tickling over bare flesh and whispering through his hair. And it would be a welcome respite from the regrettably normal harshness of the winter squall that raged on much too regular a basis outdoors. Again, this was a matter left to another, calmer time. Right now, the sounds of an air recycler bore more importance in their indication of an upcoming pathway that would be blocked to physical transit, thus marking off one route as impassable for the group as a whole.

He followed May on her way. But as he did it, he moved in more way that just the physical.

As he glided along in energy mode, making no contact with any surface of the ducts, he mulled over the recycler. It might or might not be fairly directly connected to the exterior, which might yield an alternate route if things went sideways and they were prevented from teleporting out by some means. Such thoughts were gloomy and pessimistic, to be sure, but sometimes worth considering for backup plans.

Kyle was reaching out with his invisible senses, touching the shadows that surrounded them and then those that touched those others. At first, that point of view was truncated, collapsed in on itself by his inability to visualize how the interior of the complex might fit together in its architectural scheme. All that he was able to do was blindly reach out and find those shadows that loomed in the corridor outside the vent shaft...which revealed nothing but an empty length of metal walkway. It was a frustrating experience.

Despite the frustration, he maintained his sense of composure, working with what was presently available, taking careful note of what he saw and heard through the shadows. Mentally etching such scraps of data as he could gather into his memory, he pieced together what little he could of the base's layout as he went, though it was still an experience fraught with frustration and annoyance.

He felt the thin slits that comprised the vents of the air recycler, flooding his shadowy fingers through them as water though a drainplug. Pushed them through a vent, then into some sort of cylinder that he presumed to be some type of cooling agent. But the recycler went no further, extended in no way into the vent duct he might have expected. The engineer in him realized that probably meant it was a satellite; one of a series of like machines that pushed air in a distinct way from a central source vent. A relay in the network, of sorts.

Well, it certainly wasn't all that encouraging. But, if things hit enough of a wall, then maybe it might prove some help if they had to quickly amend things later; at the very least, it might be good info on where not to go. Any little bits of info might potentially prove useful in this experience.

But it was one that changed as they neared the confluence of shaftways.

A nigh inaudible spectral sigh of relief issued forth from him as they reached a spot where a bit more began to be revealed to him through the shadows.

There Kyle could start to sense the darkness spreading out, branching away from the path they tread. In that way, he discovered and unraveled their tangle. He realized that, if they kept on their way, the air handler, a massive thing almost exactly the size of the grillwork Beetlebum had wrenched from its housing, would be on the leftmost wall, rumbling peacefully as it pumped fresh, cooled air into the facility they stalked. There, they could continue on their path forward or break off to the left. Too, he saw the the path broke off into a vertical plane, as well, making ascent or descent equal options.

"Recycler coming up on left, with options to move forward or left," his ghostly voice whispered, likely utterly inaudible were May not right beside him. His tone lacked the sepulchral resonance it sometimes evinced in energy form, instead conveying a feeling and warmth more akin to being bundled snugly in the safe dark of one's own bed and blankets.

May nodded from her position, creeping along the wall like a child's feeling of dread in the dark. She seemed to be feeling out from where she was on her own, though her own senses, strange and invisible. In her silence, what they were telling her was unguessable.

Kyle regarded her briefly with an arched non-existent eyebrow, then resumed his own brand of surveillance. If she was somehow gathering further intel through her exploration, then that was of benefit to them. He figured she'd share if she picked up anything useful or pertinent.

None of the ways seemed guarded.

Just black, echoing corridors.

"No guards apparent either way," he whispered in that same softly soothing tone, even as he maintained vigil through the shadows to be certain.

"What does your instinct tell you seems the better path?" he whispered softly in the dark, taking a moment to study the air recycler better in the event such a Plan D was needed, as he awaited May's response, hoping the combination of her extraordinary senses and the Magess' spell would help guide them true.

They had come close enough now that Kyle could clearly see the nexus of air ducts, the grillwork composing the outside of the recycler. As he did so, it confirmed his earlier notions about the device. Definitely a relay, he thought, something he became even more sure of when it came into visual range. Silently, he chided whomever was responsible for the building's design. It was definitely the cheap way out. They would have one hell of an electric bill to pay for it, too.

Ah well. It had been a passing thought. And it hadn't cost much to check it out, yielding information in its own way, even though it hadn't quite been what he'd hoped for. They still had the vehicle bay for a last ditch exit strategy, should it fall to that, and even this might prove of some value in distracting sabotage if things went south that badly.

It would be nice if the oversight with the recycler setup turned out to be indicative of a tendency for these folks to think short and limited. Given the emblem on their uniforms, their aspirations evidently ran high, or at least that of their leaders did. Perhaps the lower echelons weren't quite as forward thinking, and might be given to oversights in other areas as well. Nice to think about if they lucked out and it occurred that way, but definitely not something to count upon.

May extended her hand, splaying thumb, forefinger and pinky as another thin, spindled cord shot forth from the union of her wrist. Kyle watched it, a black lightning bolt, as it directly contacted the sharp angle where the duct going up met the one going forward. To his amazement it stuck precisely where it hit, as if it somehow were instantly welded to the spot.

Kyle silently clapped his hands lightly in appreciation of May's interesting trick. It seemed she indeed had more spider tricks up her sleeve..literally in this case. He knew from past childhood blunders just how exceedingly sticky and resilient normal spiderwebs could be, and it seemed May's line bore similar, if not perhaps proportionately stronger, properties for how readily and solidly it appeared to affix itself.

He wondered if it were an inherent gift, or yet another example of discrete and potent SHIELD gear. Given the handheld cloaking device, they certainly could create such wonders as a sleek bracer with a pneumatic delivery system for an adhesive chemical polymer. Then again, given her hints of association with Spider-Man, it could be a metahuman gift. Something to see about asking later.

Though he did wonder if that might cost him more pina coladas.

She pulled herself forward slowly until she reached the well of the shaft traveling directly deeper into the heart of the terra below. "Down," she whispered to him before crawling straight down the shaft wall--completely in disregard of gravity--as might an ant or beetle.

Or a spider.

And the web she spun, an excellent rope by which to lower yourself down.

"Showoff," he whispered in playful teasing as he drifted downward along the shaft beside her.

She took a furtive glance over her shoulder and laughed merrily, tossing him a wink before disappearing. "I know," she admitted.

And then, she was gone.

He chuckled softly in response, a faint and ghostly thing that was quickly lost to audibility a mere foot or so away. It was good to see her keeping the same bit of humor and teasing; it helped to keep the mood light in spite of the situation. And while he could not speak for her, it served to help bolster his spirits.

He kept his shadowy senses sharp, scouring ahead via the shadows to scope out their path, taking in every sight, sound, scent, and feel that might aid him in better assessing what lay ahead. It was said that fortune favored the prepared, so he did his best to remain alert and on guard for whatever might await.

Kyle began to follow May down the vertical shaftway. Somehow, despite the fact that he flew and she did not, she managed to make it difficult to keep pace with her in that graceful, almost supernatural way she tended to move. His senses were spreading out all around them, trying to find tiny crevices and footholds in the shadows around them. It was some time before he actually found something suitable; a ventilation grill in the right side of the wall. Following it outside through its slats, it appeared to open up into what looked to him like an office. The only door that led in or out from it was closed and no one seemed to occupy it.

True, he wasn't exactly zipping along at his top speed, especially given the confines and unknown territory, but that did nothing to diminish his admiration for the speed and grace she displayed. And it certainly seemed to confirm his earlier suspicions regarding her strength, as well as offer up an impressive view of her agility as well. He imagined it had to be rather difficult to maneuver like that, and could scarcely imagine the muscle tone and sense of balance required for such navigations, but she performed it with such fluid grace as to make it an artistry all its own. Something worthy of memory and render, to be certain.

Of course, thanks to his gift for seeing in the dark, her grace wasn't the only impressive view he observed, and such lovely sights were as well etched into his memory as the location of the office access they passed on their descent. The office, however, did not rate the same importance for being rendered for posterity later.

Chuckling softly once more to himself, he strove to keep pace with May, his nigh-invisible presence trailing her in the dark as he continued to scan through the shadows to note what he could of the upcoming environs before they encountered them.

They continued to go downward in that way. Into a seemingly bottomless depth of tunnelway.

He reminded himself that they had no external reference points against which to gauge their overall speed, nor was there much thus far to comparatively measure the depths of their descent, so it might not be quite the yawning abyss that it was seeming. Still, it definitely appeared to stretch on for some length, and that could be a grave concern if they were unable to teleport out once they'd performed their rescue. It also gave him some concerns about those in the group following; even an assisted rope climb could be taxing if it were too great a distance, even downward. And then there was the jaguar. How was the cat going to follow them down this shaft?

He spared a moment to shift his senses back up to the top of the shaft, to see if he might be able to verify that they were still following in good order. With the cloak in effect, he knew he might not be able to sense anything at all, but he still opted to give it a shot.

And it was true. As Kyle extended his senses up the length of the shaft, he could perceive aught but empty air--the confines of a long and lonely tunnel of sheet metal where he knew, cognitively, that his friends must have been. The blackball continued to confound friends and foes alike, he cursed to himself.

"Fraggin' spytech.. Treading dangerously close to Sugar Bear level annoyance," he muttered with a bit of a chuckle. He'd expected and mentally prepared for it, but that didn't do much to lessen the overall frustration.

He also hoped the Magess' spell upon May was still in effect, and that its wisdom was serving to guide her to exactly where they needed to go.

"Still on target?" he quietly inquired of the alluring arachnid agent as he drifted downward next to her, his soft whisper faintly resounding from over her shoulder.

He heard a little chuckle. "As far as you know," she replied.

And that was that.

"Tease," he shot back playfully, smiling in the dark.

Her voice, an echoing whisper within the confines of the tunnel, seemed to have a bit of a laugh at its edge. "Goes to show what you know," she returned. It sounded something like a unceremonious rejection of the claim.

"I see. I stand duly corrected, Milady," he noted, offering a courtly bow as he drifted alongside her.

"Or perhaps a challenge to be met," he suggested wryly, winking in the darkness.

"Take it how you want," she replied, unshrinking from the comment. "Always works for me." There were about a hundred different ways to construe the response...and just about all of them simply dripped with innuendo.

"Well, if it is to be a truly collaborative effort, then it's certainly not merely about what I might want," he mused in return. "I would much prefer to take it in stride together, so that we might come to something mutually enjoyable."

"Still, just for that, I might have to hold back on gifts," he teased in return, his faint whisper echoing from the darkness around her. "I'll supply the pina coladas, because I already gave my word," he assured her. "But the other gift I had in mind..." he trailed off.

The angle from which he viewed her was looking better all the time.

She chuckled again, the witty mirth that always seemed right at the tip of her tongue, off into the air between the two of them without a second's hesitation. "And I'll withhold the one I had in mind," she returned. "There. Now we're even."

She might've laughed to herself. It was hard to tell.

"Hrm.. Perhaps reconsideration is in order then," he mused, chuckling softly. "An exchange, mayhap?" he offered.

"Ah, parley," she replied. "Well, that would depend on what you would want, I guess. And, of course, what I'm willing to give up. Personally, I'm starting to suspect one outweighs the other substantially."

A soft chuckle. "I'll leave you to guess which one's which."

"What I would seek is indeed of great value, Milady, and something which cannot be bartered for, but ever only freely given," came the gentle reply, a response that was at once both gentlemanly in its courtesy and yet still possessed of subtle innuendo in its vagaries.

"And I cannot honestly say whether what I would offer in return is of remotely comparable value," he admitted. "As only you can make such a determination."

He was finding himself quite enjoying her humor and teasing. In some ways, she was reminiscent of Jennie. Not as effervescent, of course, but similar traces of a strong personality who generally wouldn't take shit, yet still took great joy in life when possible. He admired that. It made her all the more alluring when coupled with her beauty.

And he was certainly appreciating it. Hell, he already had a preliminary model study sketch of her half done in his mind. Being able to see clearly in the dark definitely had its advantages at times.

"Maybe I'll just save it for the gallery showing, instead of letting you see it first," he chuckled, the sound of his voice barely above breathing.

"A lotta cities have laws against that," she replied. "Better check with your alderman or city councilman before you air that thing out in public." He imagined her striking blue eyes offering a cheeky little wink with to go with the advice.

He chuckled softly at that. A quick, biting wit; yet another similarity to Jennie.

"Not, uh," she added, "that I mind, mind you. But being a big-time super-hero and all, you'd be better off having all your bases covered."

"Well then, I suppose the proper course of action would be to offer you a private showing, if you're interested.. Let you get a feel for the presentation, and see if it meets with your approval," he offered, continuing the playful verbal sparring and innuendo.

"Hmm," she said. "I'll have to think about it. Y'know, I've been told before I can be quite discerning. Most artists aren't up to the task of my...rigorous critique. In fact," she added, "I've been known to wear most of them out, long before I've been satisfied."

"I can but offer my intent to work hard to see to your satisfaction, Milady, should you be interested," Kyle noted genuinely, well aware of how carefully they were each dancing about their words, dropping flirtatious and salacious implications while continuing to leave it open enough for other interpretations.

"So I guess," she quipped, "I'll have to think about it. I'd hate to ruin another perfectly good talent."

"Fair enough," he conceded. "I'd not expect you to rush into such a decision anyway. We'll have further chances to discuss it later, should you decide your interest is sufficiently aroused."

Rafi fell into silence as they stalked forward in the vent-shaft after their scouts, keeping the right distance with Jennie’s aid. He tried to explore the map of the complex which he drew with the aid of the ancient Celtic goddess mentally, to figure out where he would put the cells, if he were in charge. The hangar at the end of the arm, where they entered was so big, that they simply couldn’t take a look all the rooms along the long arms of the multiple levels, and the main rooms, so it was a very critical point in the not too chiseled plan...

Why should these terrorist groups have such large underground buildings as hideouts, he mused frustrated... 

He hoped that May with her Spider-sense and with the boost she received from the Magess, would be able and lucky enough to lead their way near to Carmilla. 

And he hoped that they’ll reach her in time, before a tentacle from this HYDRA would grab her away again...

As he wanted to be more useful for the party, Rafi tried to recall his memories what he experienced when he was within the small angel’s body, brought alive by his power with the aid of Morrigan. He focused his inner vision to see clearly what he saw then, and hoped that it will reveal enough detail which will help them locate the cell. And the film started slowly on the screen of his imagination...

The small angel turned around, and flew to the door, until she dived into the material, just like the raven in their way into here. She poked through it slightly under the ceiling, in the corner, a place, where no normal man used to look up. Her small head turned down, glancing at the door, searching for a number or sign on it...

But what was it, he mused desperately, and zoomed on the mental screen...

To his utter frustration--that was it. That was the extent of what he'd been able to see...the featureless, anonymous stone interior of the tiny room that they had imprisoned his love within. To reconsider it gave him--

Wait. Stone.

Stone! he thought again. Everything they'd seen since the moment they'd first entered the complex had been of cold, homogeneous metal. But not the cell in which they had locked Carmilla away. That had been made of stone, grey and earthy. And that was a clue as to where they would find her. He could feel it in his very bones.

Rafi froze on his tracks for a moment, when the thought bubbled out to the surface of his mind. How could he forget, he cursed himself mentally, that concrete cell around his lover? He wanted to locate her to blindly, searched for obvious details, and thus, he missed the subtle one. Or ones, he corrected himself, and decided that he’ll think over all the events of that strange and sensational travel which he received from the goddess.

But he hasn’t got the time for it, as he casted his eyes forward, stepping out from his wondering.

Rafi ended up stopping for a second, noticing that both Lise and Rasgar, who'd been so far ahead of them at one point, had stopped in their place. And so, the rest of them began to close in on them...until only a few moments later, they arrived by their side. And saw what it was that had stalled their path.

“Now what” he whispered under his breath, and forced his eyes to take on more the background behind the girl and his companion.

The vent system brached off in mutiple ways from the corridor they traveled. Rafi could see that it continued on, branched out to the left and offered a way straight upwards, toward the surface. Directly behind Lise was another grillwork: one that filled the passageway with chilled, rushing fresh air, rumbling gently with the sound of some great hidden fan behind its construction. The pale, graceful ballerina was frowning when they all gathered together. Damon would complete their number soon enough, if they tarried, Rafi thought.

Directly in front of her, the shaft yawned directly downward.

Lise pointed down into the abyss before her. "They went that way," she sighed.

"Now what?"

“Uh-oh” responded Rafi unintentionally at first, and began thinking on ways how they can descend into the darkness with the less effort and danger.

“I can’t crawl on the wall, nor can I fly, so I need at least a rope, but a rope-ladder would be better” he said matter of factly. “The problem is, that Rasgar can’t climb down on such full vertical surfaces, even less chance if they made from metal, so somehow we must carry him.”

“I can try to draw a paternoster, but...” he paused for a moment, and grimaced wryly, “I never tried it before, so I’d like to choose that only as a last option” smiled Rafi at the others.

Then he glanced at Tanya. “How many of those floating discs you memorized for today?” he asked her hopefully while he tilted his head slightly.

She frowned. "Just the one I used before," I'm afraid, she confessed. "I try to only memorize one of each type of spell I know--two at the most. That way, I can carry a wider variety of magics at once."

Rafi sighed, as he wasn’t happy by the thought, but then he smiled at the sorceress friendlily. “No problem, I can understand you opinion. All I have are my images, whose can be pretty variable, given enough details and imagination, but now the ball blocks out my spying senses from them”, he grimaced wryly.

Behind them, Damon had finally caught up with the rest of them. "I can carry him," he said, the suddenness of his voice somewhat startling Rafi as he emerged from out of the darkness to their rear.

The young tattooist managed to remain far from the well, but glanced at Damon flatly. “You’re prolly spends too much time with Lise, silent scary-boy. Or, perhaps I’m too wired now” he added smiling.

He chuckled sheepishly, shrugging. "Says the man who walks alongside the stalking jaguar," he countered, giving him a little wink. "Sorry if I startled you, honestly. I'm just trying to be quiet, too!"

Rafi smiled at his friend happily, and shook is head, waving as if he surrender himself. “Touche, mister. And don’t worry, I didn’t jump into the shaft, so you have to practice a bit more...” he chuckled wryly.

"I can carry all of you," he chuckled. "As long as you find places to hang on from."

Rafi turned to Damon, and raised a brow. “Didn’t you say in the hangar that you can’t carry us?”

"Not out in the open," he explained, "where I can build up a little bit of speed to ram into something. But up and down that tiny shaft?" he said, looking down into the dark well of its depths. "I can just use the four walls as a guide. Shouldn't be too hard, that."

"Okay," Lise nodded. "Fine. But what're we gonna hold onto?" she asked. All of us, that is."

“But ah well, I can handle that” he replied with a wave, and knelt down, while he pulled out his sketchbook again. With a few quick lines a basket was formed on the paper, which you can see on the flying balloons, but it had a belt instead a balloon at the top. It looked like it can be attached to one single man, to carry all the weight of the others who could stand in the basket.

Rafi zoomed out a part of the belt, to give a detail to his gift, from where he could bring the thing alive. He then looked up at the others. “Step back, its gonna be big enough for all of us to step inside. I hope” he added with a wry smile.

He then stared at the paper, and focused his power on the enlarged detail until he felt the small tingle which signed the connection with it. After that he reached out to the belt, grabbed it, and slowly, carefully pulled it down from the sketchbook, in a steady pace, until the whole basket stood at the end of the shaft, only inches from the yawning shaft.

It was an amazing alchemy. Air became a long brown line, then long, sturdy cords...intangible, though apparently laying in his hands. The cords ran some way down the other end of the vent shaft, past Jennie and Rasgar, until they terminated in a large woven basket, deep and strong.

"Incredible," Damon shook his head.

Tanya nodded in agreement. "Looks like you can spin a bit of a spell yourself, my friend."

“This is my gift... to bring images alive” he nodded at the comment smirking, to show that he truly appreciates it from the mouth of a real mage. “It’s like creation... from the depth of my heart, formed by my imagination.”

Rafi smiled at first, but then sighed, and winked at the small group. “The next will be the hard part, I have to give them material...” he said, and while he did that, he began to focus his will on the thing. The young meta imagined the whimpering noises of the basket, the smell of the strong leather straps and belt, until he began to feel it under his touch and in his nose, too. 

He let his power flow out from his body, giving enough attention to the grillwork at their entrance, too, to not let it fade out yet. He felt Rasgar around himself, and even with the blackballs dampening effect, he knew where the jaguar’s presence should be... they spent so much time together, during his childhood, growing up, that he couldn’t think on any event which could separate their link fully. 

Once again, the rush of light-headedness that accompanied such an exertion took its toll on Rafi. He could feel as though a bit of his own substance--that bit of himself that made him alive, gave him feeling and character--slipping away, poured into the linework that formed their would-be conveyance. It left him reeling and exhausted. He almost fell up against the wall, when it was done.

The young meta took a few deep breaths, as he steadied his stance. He still didn’t get used to it, how the solidifying took so much from his soul, the core of his being. He hoped that it’ll be easier with more practice, and he wished that he would’ve the chance to do it before this most important mission of his life, but he knew that the gods aren’t always so gracious. Morrigan said that he’ll bring war upon his enemies... but now he brought one upon himself... as he fought against the loss and the verdancy, using his power in a way he never did before.

But as he looked on upon his work...it had been worth it, he decided. He knew that when he could feel the cool, strong leather of the belt in his hands. Knew it when he saw Jennie, holding a bit of the cord in hers, marveling at its strength.

It was done, he knew. And as he wordlessly handed the belt to Damon, and he began to strap it about his waist...he knew that they were getting close.

Close to the greenest eyes he had ever gazed into...and the frozen image of an angel.

Rafi watched silent as Damon prepared himself to carry their group into the depth, after May and Kyle, and wondered about them. They didn’t find anything strange yet, he knew, otherwise Jennie would already say something about their position. This was good as it meant that the path was clear; and it was bad coz’ it meant that they didn’t find the proper level yet.

The thought brought up his former remembrance about the cell. He looked at Jennie, then Tanya, raising a curious eyebrow. “Can we somehow send a message to Kyle or May? I have to tell them that they must look after a level where the walls are made from stone and concrete, not from metal like here.” He shrugged sheepishly, and then went on. “This detail popped into my mind as I tried to recall any detail about the cell where they hold Carm.”

Tanya shook her head. "Not that I'm willing to pit against that little trinket your friend brought with her," she said. "I think we'd be much better off trying to catch up to them," she countered. "Telling them ourselves. Damon?"

Rafi sighed, and shook his head at the answer, and glanced at the mentioned friend of him, too. “Just what I thought” he muttered under his breath. He didn’t like it, to go blindly after the pair of scouts, but he wouldn’t risk to create another illusion, be it the smallest, as long as they didn’t arrive again to a safer spot, and he need to focus most of his power into the basket. Somehow he knew that the jaguar didn’t eat up as much energy from him like this basket, though he didn’t understand that yet. It was a miracle on its own, a true art, born from his heart and soul, and that was enough for him.

He was testing the strong straps of the belt with a few tugs, setting it onto the width of his hips. "Almost ready," he said. "Everyone that's coming ought to get into that basket now. Then," he sighed, as his eyes found Rasgar, "all I've got to do is coax that pretty little kitty of yours into letting me carry him. Shouldn't be too hard," he said, in such a way that Rafi could tell he was being sarcastic, "right?"

“Hehe,” chuckled Rafi somewhat nervously, “I wouldn’t bet on it. Cats hate to be on moving platforms... but I’ll try to convince him.”

"I'll fly by myself," Jennie said, stepping down into the shaft and beginning to make her way slowly downward. "You guys'll need as much room in that basket of yours as you can get."

Rafi watched the green-haired beauty slowly descend in the shaft, bringing her lights and glow with her. They have to hurry, if they wouldn’t want to step inside in total darkness, so he knelt down next to Rasgar, and placed his hand on his friends shoulder. “Okay, my friend, this is our only way down, so please, come with us,” he whispered into the feline’s ear, stroking his rich jade fur gently.

The massive jaguar seemed reluctant, even in the face of his master's beckoning. He understood. It was so against his feline nature, he knew it would be difficult for him to cajole him into the basket with them. Still, he seemed to be tentatively entertaining the thought, sniffing at its edges with his nose, whiskers tickling its woven edges....

Damon gathered the cords into his hands, pulling them so that the wicker bowl fell slightly down into the mouth of the shaft. Bracing himself against their weight, he bade them inside. "All right, now," he said. "Let's see how well this works, eh?"

Lise stepped in first, testing the bottom of it. To all inspection, it was as solid as any floor in his home, Rafi thought. But then, she was so light and lithe.... "It'd better work just like it's supposed to," she quipped. "Otherwise, guards with guns are gonna be the least of our worries."

Tanya followed her into the basked. "Shh," she chided her. "Trust our artist," she said, looking back at him with a serene smile. "We've all got to trust each other, if we're going to win his lover from this prison." Once again, under her weight, the floor did not give a hair's breadth.

Damon was looking at Rasgar. "Uhm...nice kitty?" he asked, leaning low and gesturing with his fingers for him to come closer.

The jaguar looked as if he wanted no part of being carried.

Rafi sighed again, and continued his whispering into his ears. “I can’t let you here, and you can’t follow us any other way, pal. This isn’t the time when we can allow us to part as we don’t know where can we leave.” He knew that could be sound strange, to talk to the jaguar like he were a normal human, but he already saw his intelligence today more than once.

The jaguar ruefully looked up into Rafi's eyes with his own, a beautiful green that was shining and dark all at once. The animal intelligence in their quality made Rafi sure that he understood him, at least at some level. Though whether or not he'd actually heed him was something else altogether.

“You’ll get your price when we get home, I promise” he said, then glanced at Lise, and a wry smile appeared on his face. He lowered his voice to a level which was almost inaudible, and continued the persuading of the jaguar. “Come on in, and you can play with Lise, I noticed how you liked her when she arrived... for my and her own sake, please walk inside my basket,” he finished, and then stepped in by himself, turning back to the cat with open hands, to let him know that he’ll be there and protect him.

The jade jaguar that was his namesake walked over to the basket's edge, pawing at it gently, testing it. Then, as if he'd made up his mind, he brought his body low to the ground...stepping into the deep basket with an outstretched paw. Carefully, slowly, as all cats do when descending from a great height, he seemed to almost pour himself like a liquid into its confines until finally, he committed to jumping into it in full. He leaped downward into the wicker basket right next to Rafi, covering the last foot of the drop all at once. It made the whole of it give way a few inches for the sudden weight placed on its ground...but otherwise held strong and sturdy.

Rafi knelt down in the basket, carefully placing his legs through the other passengers’, to give as much space to his friend as he could do, and meanwhile he followed his body with his hands, gently holding and stroking the jade feline’s fur, constantly giving him reassurance and proof that he is there.

Rasgar looked up at Rafi with his green eyes like he'd never once been afraid of it.

Rafi hugged his companion, even though he knew that cats not really like this tight form of love expression, he felt that Rasgar needs that now. “It’s okay, pal. I’m here with ya, and the bug-man would take care of us,” he whispered into his ears, and touched his forehead to the jaguar’s for a moment, before looking up again to the others.

"All right," Damon said, like carrying all their combined weight at the end of the cords was equal to the weight of a wren's single feather. "Time to give to the chase once more."

Slowly, the basket began to lower down the length of the vent shaft as Damon began to inch his way towards its precipitous drop. The cords all became tighter and tighter until all their slack was finally gone. Then, all at once, Rafi--along with everyone in the basket's bowl--felt the gentlest breeze begin to waft to their skin from above. A gentle buzzing noise accompanied the soft kiss of air, like every beetle on a warm summer's night, singing in chorus.

The basket lowered with that much grace, into the darkness.

He remained crouched down, next to his friend as they began their way down, his hand on the feline’s back all the way, fingers deep in its fur. When he felt the gentle breeze, he turned his eyes up, to look at Damon, how he flies, and how he carries them along. It would be the first time he could do that and he wanted to remember the sight.

Looking up, it was difficult to really see him for the darkness. But straining his eyes, Rafi thought it looked like two parts of Damon's back had actually peeled away and akimbo from his spine--exactly like the shell of one of his precious ladybugs' might. Beneath that, it looked like he had sprouted multiple sets of thin, transparent wings. Like wide sheets of mylar, they beat themselves impossibly fast...far too fast for the eye to follow. And in that way, they had all gained flight. It was an amazing thing to watch, how the man had emulated all the characteristics of a beetle, by virtue of his gift.

“Marvelous” he breathed barely audible, as he watched his friend fly, not like an eagle, but like a ladybug. Those tiny, rounded things always made Rafi wonder, how can they fly with such a body, but now he could see that a slender man does it, just like them. 

He had to see this in a normally lit environment, he decided as he forced his eyes to take on the contours and even his ears, to hear better the gentle buzzing. Whatever Damon said, it was far from clumsy...

Rasgar continued to watch up, less worried about the fact that they were flying now and more enrapt by the man the provided the deed to them. His green eyes almost seemed to shine in the dark.

“You like it, too?” he asked silently the cat, stroking his back gently. It sounded like a stupid question as he knew that cats liked everything which moved before them, thee provided great opportunity to play and to perfect the hunting techniques, but he felt that too, that it was different now. His jade companion was as fascinated as him, by the Lord of the Ladybugs above them.

They were getting close now. Rafi thought he could almost sense it.

After a time - he didn’t know how much -, Rafi turned his stare down, to look at the shaft, might he able to notice their scouts, or something that would help them to know where they are.

Meanwhile, lower, May's voice returned up to Kyle. "Uh...we may have a little problem, here." And though she'd said it, the truth was, by virtue of his uncanny, preternatural eyesight, he saw of which she spoke well before the sentence even ended.

The vent suddenly, abruptly terminated.

Thin rays of light filtered through the thin slats of a vent, against the rightmost wall.

He glided down by her, keeping himself safely ensconced and hidden in the darkness within the shaft. From his vantage point, he studied the vent to ascertain possibilities of their group passing through it, particularly if speed needed to be of the essence.

May followed the general shape of his body as he drew near--more aware of his motion really, than any real contours of his body, for the lingering darkness. Above them, Kyle was aware of Jennie's gentle approach, as well as some large brown mass behind her that unthinkably looked like it actually was made of treated wicker. She didn't seem put off by its presence, so he assumed it had to be part of the program. Whatever that was, in the moment.

Must be another spell, or something one of the others whipped up to transport everyone, he considered. Which meant the others were right behind them, and they were at an apparent impasse. Hopefully they could figure something out with this vent and whatever lay beyond, and hopefully they were still being guided on the right track.

The thought crossed his mind, momentarily, to sweep over May's incredible curves on his way over to the grillwork, but considering the seriousness of the moment, he passed on the notion and went straight for the metal. Besides...there would always be later.

Of course he'd much rather slowly drink in her luscious beauty, but first they had to get out of here so they could get back to somewhere they could relax in peace. And the first step in finishing up here was dealing with this vent issue, one way or another.

After perusing the vent itself, he strove to look and listen through the shadows that might lie within the adjoining room or corridor itself, trying to discern what he could of the space's size and purpose. All the while whispering a silent prayer that the Magess' spell of wisdom hadn't worn off and left them making a seriously wrong turn.

The vent's construction itself appeared to be exactly that of the one they'd used to enter the duct system in the first place; made of strong, solid metal, it made for a formidable barrier, indeed. It would take the likes of Beetlebum's strength or a serious blast of darkforce energy, he mused, to free it from its housings. Those were definitely options...but noisy ones. And it remained to be seen who might be alerted on the other side of the grate.

Noisy definitely wasn't the route they wanted to go right now, especially with not knowing what lay on the other side. For all they knew just yet, it could wind up being a barracks or mess hall, with numerous goons ready to sound an alarm once they broke through into the room. Best to see what intel he could gather first.

Kyle slipped his senses through the filter-slats on the other side of the barrier. The room that the grate adjoined looked to be some type of office. A small affair, it consisted of a simple wooden desk, strewn with all manner of papers, a computer monitor topping it. It was no more than twenty feet on a side. Maps were posted on the walls of the place, composed of hewn and mortared stone that probably formed the bedrock of the German countryside. A single door served as an entrance and exit from the room.

As he slowly and carefully took in the room's contents, Kyle tried to see if there were shadowy patches from whence he might get better vantage points on the maps, to see if any of them might yield information of worth to their current excursion. It was hard to miss the most important bit of decoration in the small office, however...

It was a room that was not unoccupied.

Kyle saw that, at the desk, a solitary man sat. Wearing the same green and yellow uniform that the guards he'd seen before clad in, he was alternating from busily writing on one of the papers with a thin back pen to tapping a few notes on his computer, after which he would repeat the process. Gentle music drifted from the speaker of the terminal and he bobbed his head in time with it. He noticed the gun worn at his belt, dark and menacing.

It sounded like Wagner, to his ear.

As much as he liked some classical music, in the context with those uniforms and symbols, it just struck him as something more ominous, almost like a funeral dirge.

His senses once again extended into the room, this time, in the direction of the map on the wall. The shadows around it were arranged in such a way that, to look at it, he almost had too much angle to read it; it was almost too flat for him to get the proper perspective. But after allowing himself to linger there a bit longer, Kyle saw that it was a map of Germany. Although it was written all in German, he was able to notice that someone had circled several locations along the green landscape of the country.

There was a pasted star on a bit of countryside, not far from Leipzig.

He took a couple moments to commit to memory what little of the map he could readily comprehend. It certainly wasn't the best angle, and he almost felt as if he'd get a phantom crick in his neck from studying it from the skewed perspective, but he worked with what he had, even though it wasn't much. The circled locations about the German countryside, and the starred locale outside Leipzig, might turn out to be useful bits of information that might help smooth things over for them, or perhaps for May especially. A lot of if's and maybe's in the equation, to be sure, but still, it was good to hope.

At least it was only a singular figure in the room. If they were quick and sneaky, and could hit him from within the shaft, then they might be able to silence him before an alarm was raised.

"Single guy, seated at the desk," Kyle whispered faintly into May's ear from over her shoulder. "Any chance you can snare him with one of those strands and quickly yank him over here, face-first into the vent, to silence him?" he asked.

"I can try," she nodded, slitting her eyes and lowering herself to survey what she had to work with a bit better. "It's not gonna be easy, though. Those vent slats are pretty thin...."

Kyle gently cast his senses forth, getting a feel for the ambient shadows in the room, particularly those beneath the desk and chair as well as the man's own shadow. If he could tap into those, he might be able to bludgeon and subdue the man that way.. perhaps a treatment somewhat akin to the Sugar Bear Incident, but not quite as vicious, and without the apparent abyssal deportation at the end.

"I might be able to take him out via the shadows, if that might perhaps be a better option," Kyle mused softly, wondering if the Magess' spell still worked and might aid in the decision. "What concerns me most is the chance of him crying out an alarm. If you could hit him in the face with one of those strands, do you think it could help muzzle him?" he inquired.

Above the two of them, the basket had descended to just above their heads. Its edges were just far enough away from the walls of the vent shaft that Rafi could barely make out May's lithe and graceful form...little more than a shadow herself up against the back wall of the tight confines. Kyle was invisible, in his state.

Rafi wanted to greet her at first, but then he saw the bars on the wall, and heard the soft music behind it, so he decided to remain silent, and showed to others to do that, too, as he placed his index finger on his lips.

He then turned his head back to look at the young agent, being curious why they stopped at here. From this angle, a bit above them, he couldn’t see anything inside, but a very small part of the floor...

Both men watched her lean forward, close to the ventwork. Carefully, she slid her fingers in between the slats. Then, once she'd done so, she ever-so slowly began to clench her fist. To their astonishment, the thick, hard metal began to silently warp under the force of her grip. It looked like it caused her almost no exertion in the slightest.

Again, pure strength was the winner, he mused over the sight, and without any apparent sign on her body, just like Damon. It was interesting and fearful both, to see these feats they did, thanks to their gift. The increased physical attributes seemed to be common in their numbers, and it came very handy now.

Kyle nodded to himself in admiration and appreciation of her strength as he observed her. What she achieved with minimal leverage against the resisting vent slat was very impressive indeed. The lithe and lovely agent made for a formidable intrusion squad all by herself.

The bend in the vent was now just enough to punch your fist between its slats. Or, both men realized, to shoot a strand of webbing through.

She looked up at Kyle with a wry grin gracing her incredible features.

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Kyle couldn't help but spare an idle thought for their earlier teasing and innuendo. Evidently she'd be quite capable of dishing out more than most men could even hope to handle, especially given the traces of playful and vivacious attitude she'd evinced. It was an intriguing line of thought, but there were much more important matters to attend for now, so he wrested himself from the fancy and back to the task at hand.

"Now?" she asked.

Blue eyes twinkling in the dark with anticipation.

At first, Rafi opened his mouth to reply with a question, but then realized that she didn’t ask him, but prolly Kyle instead. The young artist shifted his vision around, now alit with Jennie’s soft glow, and tried to discover where his new shadowy friend hid himself, while he waited for the answer.

"One-two combo of muzzling and shadowy beatdown? Or you wanna give him a reverse bungee ride to come say Hi?" Kyle asked of May, a faint touch of mischief in his whisper.

May flashed him a grin. "How 'bout I show you what show you what I meant by rigorous critique before, stud," her eyes twinkled with delight. "Then, you can tell me if you think your portfolio stacks up." To Rafi, whatever they were talking about was a mystery--but whatever it was, Jennie, at least, seemed to think it was funny, covering her mouth to suppress a gentle laugh.

Rafi raised an eyebrow at the comment, but kept his questions to himself for now. It seemed that the two had great time down together; at least if his hearing hasn’t lied to him, the quirk was full of wry humor. Perhaps they’ll share it later with them... but if not, he could live that. He didn’t have to know everything, after all; he decided and shrugged with a faint smile in the corner of his mouth.

"Far be it from me to deny a lady the opportunity to showcase her talents," Kyle muttered softly, bowing slightly, even though his energy form was nigh invisible there in the dark, at least to normal vision. "Rest assured that I shall watch very closely," he offered in playful mischief, though his voice held a tone of genuine admiration and appreciation as well.

They all watched as the graceful young agent placed her fingers at the two bottom corners of the vent grill, where half of the metal grid was sunk into the wall's surrounding construction. Once again, she bent the hard, strong metal with the tips of her fingers like it was baker's dough, until it curled up free of its housing. Then, bracing her hand against its center, she did the same with the top two, one at a time, until it was clear that, without it--it would've fallen flat out onto the ground outside. "They train you to do this in S.H.I.E.L.D. school," she looked over her shoulder at Kyle with a little gleam in her blue eyes. "And I just so happen to pay attention in class. Now...observe."

Her incredible strength made the young tattooist wonder again, what else could be hidden in her lithe figure. She already revealed that she isn’t from this time - or not from this universe, he reminded himself -, she had some connection to Spiderman, who was one of the greatest heroes in the country before that day... and now she showed that she is almost as strong as Damon. He shook his head, and watched the show further, being curious what she had in mind.

"As I said, I'll be watching quite closely," Kyle whispered teasingly from very near her ear, before pulling back so as not to be in her way.

She had already demonstrated impressive feats of strength and agility in maneuvering down here, and had seemed fairly precise with her aim with the prior strand used up above. So whatever she planned here and now for snaring the unsuspecting target promised to be something well worth watching. And her confidence made him even more curious to see what manner of show she intended to put on for them.

Or was it a teasing intent to show off for him specifically? She had directed her initial comment at him, and seemed to focus on making sure he was watching. Given her reference to her earlier comment regarding rigorous critique, perhaps this was an extension of their playful and flirtatious exchange from before. This possibility intrigued him, rendering him even more attentive.

Still holding the vent up with one hand, she gently cleared a small space for herself, until her feet were wedged in the corner of the vent's back wall, opposite the grill. She looked coiled, almost like a spring as she leveled her hand in the the direction of her opening in the vent....

Kyle had a momentary image of a bullet, chambered and ready for firing, just before she exploded into action.

THWIP!

The thin black strands that shot forth from her wrist as she bent her hand in the now-familiar fashion flew forth like a dark laser--so fast that it was almost imperceptible to the human eye. It struck the man at the desk directly in the mouth...and as it did, like a thick, gummy liquid, it spread out on contact, forming a wide mess of tangled webbing that went from nearly ear-to-ear on him. Even if he'd had time to scream out--the sticky ebon mass would've precluded that, to be sure.

It all happened so fast that that notion only occurred to the rest of them when it was all over. The instant the webbing hit the costumed man's face, May jerked her end of the line with both hands--sending the man careening toward the vent like a green thunderbolt. Simultaneously, she used the momentum of the tug and the way she braced herself to send herself exploding out of the vent--in an unbelievable feat of preternatural grace melded with raw power--feet-first. She simply rocketed toward him, like she was dark lightning...shot out of a cannon, for the effect.

The green-clad figure hit the metal grillwork the precise moment May's feet kicked it out, yielding a muffled bwwwoonnggg! that was not nearly as loud as any of them might've expected. Her prey was unconscious at the instant of impact and slumped to the floor face-down like he'd been cut down by sniper fire. Rafi and Kyle were close enough to see that the move had carried May out into the middle of the room, standing straddled over the top of him. The vent, after hitting him, had been sent flipping end over end skyward, very nearly hitting the room's ceiling.

May caught it nonchalantly with one hand, scant inches before it hit the ground.

She looked back in the direction of the vent and grinned wryly.

"That," she said, "they don't teach you in S.H.I.E.L.D. school."

"Very impressive," Kyle intoned appreciatively as he drifted forth from the vent, gliding into the room and hovering ever so slightly above the floor without touching it. "I daresay you could most assuredly offer extremely rigorous critique, Milady."

May snickered--more to herself than to Kyle--flashing him a wry little smile. Didn't really reply to him, though. Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words. In that sense, she'd just written the equivalent of Lord Jim in the space of perhaps five beats of the heart.

Kyle simply offered her a bow and nod of respect in recognition of her capabilities. She likely had no idea that she'd provided him volumes of information for the model study sketches percolating in his brain. It wouldn't be easy, but he felt compelled to craft something worthy of her. If for nothing else, for the jovial camaraderie she had granted him thus far.

“Wow, indeed,” said Rafi amazed by the small show what the girl showed them. “I have to admit that you did it amazing precision and grace, May”, he nodded to the girl’s direction, and smiled at her. His smile then turned into a wry grin, as he went on the commenting. “It seems that these ‘break-in and stun the bad guy’ lessons were much interesting than the ‘scare the stranger from the door with a good play’ ones...” he chuckled, referring back to their lover-scene at the parlor, when May said that she could think nothing else out...

That brought an actual laugh out of her. When he said it, standing in the middle of the unfinished concrete floor, she tilted her head back and rolled her eyes, the merry little chuckle coming out of her freely and easily. "I knew that'd eventually come back to haunt me," she sighed before glancing back into the mouth of the duct to catch Rafi with her striking blue eyes. "At the time, I didn't hear too much complaining outta you," she remembered, her grin becoming a sly one.

“Who am I to resist such a nice attempt to help?” he asked back playfully, with a wry smile, but as he did that, his tone revealed that he was touched by that scene more than how he worded it. “And since I was raised to be ready to help the people, and now you’ve admitted that you need more practice, I’m volunteering to give you a hand in that...” he chuckled elfishly. 

May turned over her shoulder to offer him a stunning glance, her blue eyes making something in the bottom of his stomach bottom out and his knees go light for their almost unearthly quality. She smiled slyly. "That," she said simply, "I will mark down on my calendar."

Rafi had to remind himself to breathe, for the way she said it.

With the simplicity of the reply, he knew it was prolly something more than a mere tease; and that made him both happy and nervous at the same time. A beautiful, witty girl she was, and that touched something in his soul, what pulled him to her... for now, it was only a light feeling, but what’ll happen later, he asked himself mentally. Carmilla’d awakened another part of his soul and heart, but this flirtatious chatting --and the mentioned scene-- made him wonder that how will they handle this situation. May had already said that Carm shared all with her about the night with Rafi... and the faint possibility of how they meant that, tickled him inside. 

“I have to wait until we got back to my shop, to see what can I offer for date, but you don’t have to remind me, then” he smiled back finally at the girl, his eyes sparkling in the dim light what leaked to the shaft from the room, and from Jennie. 

Once more Kyle mused that there might indeed be at least the hint of something between May and the tattooist. Or perhaps it might be as simple as May enjoying the attention, basking in it while it was there. Of course, with the addition of Jennie and the tattooist's lady in the mix, things could get very interesting and complicated... Truly a complex web in the weaving.

Granted, he could find himself figuratively booted away, if May decided to focus on the tattooist. If it came to that, he'd admittedly be a bit disappointed, but so long as the budding friendship with them continued to evolve, everything would still be fine. And if she were still up for a bit of modeling, then that would be a wonderful added plus.

"Good thing she didn't literally give me the boot at the door," Kyle chuckled. "Or I might've been launched into low orbit."

"Probably not, shadow-man," she returned back, kneeling down at the side of the man she'd knocked into a slumber he'd not easily wake from to be sure. She gently placed her fingertips at the side of his neck to check his pulse. Apparently, she was satisfied with what she discovered as she straightened up. "Now that I've seen you in action--I'm glad I didn't," she shot Kyle an approving smirk. "It can be pretty embarrassing--when your foot goes right through the guy you're trying to kick."

Kyle afforded himself a small internal smile as he witnessed May tending to her fallen foe. Ensuring that the man wasn't critically injured moved the lovely agent up another notch in his estimation.

Lise snorted from within the basket. "They teach you that at S.H.I.E.L.D. school, too?"

"Not exactly," she replied. "You'll just have to take my word for that one."

“That I saw some”, inserted Rafi his comment, grinning at the memories. “The kick going through the enemy, I mean. It can be damn funny, from my angle of view.” He meant his illusions, and the ability to sense through them, but didn’t say it aloud, he was relatively sure that the others knew enough about him now that they could catch the comment.

"See?" she said, going palms-up for a moment. "Take it from an expert."

Lise smiled thinly and snorted a chuckle, nodding in assent.

"Could be more than merely embarrassing if you didn't get your foot back," Kyle teased May with a wink. "I'm very glad things didn't dissolve into hostility back at the door, and that we've been afforded the chance to proceed on more amicable footing."

"Me too," she replied. "I'm, ah, sort of attached to these feet, y'know," she quipped.

Rafi glanced at the mentioned limbs, measuring like an artist or an engineer, and then dropped his reply, though he knew that wasn’t addressed to him. “That we can fully understand, looking at them,” he said with a sly grin.

"Indeed. Keeping them intact maintains the enhancement of the overall wonderfully sculpted and toned curvature," Kyle agreed with a slight sparkle in the depths of his darksome eyes.

"I am in awe of your grace and power, Milady," he noted softly to May as he floated past her. "While I certainly cannot guarantee that I'd hold up to your level of critique, I'd be willing to grant you a preview of my talents, so that you might better determine if I may be capable of providing something satisfactory. If you find yourself interested, simply let me know after we're finished here, and then we can see about coming to an arrangement."

Now outside the narrow confines of the vent shaft, Kyle got a better appreciation for the size of the room. As he'd thought before, it was a tiny little thing, twenty-by-twenty at the biggest, though the ceiling was relatively high--maybe twenty feet above the floor, as well. "We can talk about it later," May quipped. "Either over those pina coladas--or when I call you from the pay phone at Fort Leavenworth for a conjugal visit. Nothing like those late-night booty calls from the Federal Penitentiary, nosiree!"

Behind him, he thought he heard Tanya chuckle at the joke. Normally, he might have been quick with a witty comeback of his own. But the height of the ceiling kept sticking in Kyle's mind. The construction was odd; obviously purpose-built. At first, he thought it had been created to allow head-room for something monstrous, and the ominous thought made him swing his gaze over in the direction of the door. But the entrance and exit to the room was only slightly bigger than what one might expect in their home--though it was made of thick metal. He wasn't sure why whoever had built the complex had created it so...but it was a detail that definitely stood out to him.

Rafi snorted at the playful taunting between May and Kyle, as a form of suppressed laugh, but he didn’t want to laugh out loud within the confines of the shaft, as it wouldn’t be too wise, even with the power of the Blackball. He shifted his vision to the background from the pair instead, to measure the room’s confines. 

"Is it just me, or does it strike anyone else as odd that the ceiling in here is so unusually high, given the scale of the doorway and furnishings?" he mused aloud.

May looked up in the general direction of the ceiling. "Not exactly," she said. With everyone else still inside the vent shaft, their opinions might have to wait, he realized, until they could get a better look at what he was talking about it. "I'm kinda grateful for it though, if truth be told. Makes swinging a lot easier on the shoulders," she played. Then, a little more seriously: "Why? Should it?"

“Perhaps they have meta agents as well, and one of them can grow?” asked Rafi, preparing to enter the room, and he decided that he’ll look around more precisely when he’ll get the chance. 

"A possibility. It just strikes me as incongruous overall," Kyle replied. "It may be nothing, perhaps just part of the suspicious nature that goes along with being the gloomy shadow guy," he offered with a wink.

He floated up to gain a better visual vantage point for inspecting the ceiling and the upper reaches of the walls, seeing if there appeared to be anything that stood out as a reason for the unusual amount of clearance. Keeping himself physically away from the walls and ceiling, he wove the ambient darkness to softly wrap itself along the ceiling and upper halves of the walls, striving to extend his physical senses through the darkness now caressing the surfaces, looking and feeling about for any potential clues or discrepancies that might explain things.

The stone construction of the walls gave way to a flat slab of concrete forming the ceiling, a veritable mirror of the floor. Using the darkness that collected as shadows from the light in the room, Kyle didn't feel anything that was necessarily out of place with it. The only thing that was really remarkable about it was that the ceiling light was wired up a metal conduit of tubing, a detail that piqued the musing of the engineering student trapped in the body and soul of the artist that he was. It meant that it was, at the time of its construction, hand-poured. That smacked of very old construction...maybe as old as the 40's or 50's. Nowadays, they would almost certainly use something pre-fab, molded and hauled in from off-site.

Pondering the possible age of the construction, Kyle considered that it could place its origins back in World War II, or slightly thereafter. Coupled with the locale, that leaned towards an old Nazi base or shelter, now apparently infested by rats of a similar world-dominating mentality...or perhaps even some paramilitary descent group of the Nazis themselves. Definitely not the most comforting of thoughts.

"Maybe it was just designed that way to allow for added air volume, in the event of sealing off the base," he muttered, his voice softly drifting back down from his vantage point.

Still, he couldn't fully shake the notion that there was something more to it. Jennie would likely just razz him for being paranoid, but he couldn't help but envision unsettling possibilities like hidden gas vents or mechanisms to lower the ceiling as a vicious compacter, especially now that the age of the construction had him considering Nazi origins.

Without the grillwork in the way, he was able to see more from the room, and so, his stare fell to the stone wall of the office. His eyes widened, and he rose from his former crouched position, grabbing one of the cords he made, as he stood up. “Stone walls” he said aloud, and then glanced at Jennie, gesturing at the newly-made entrance. “After you, Crystal”, he said with a gentle smile.

She offered him one of her smiles that could make the darkest night shine like the brightest, warmest day of spring. "Thanks," she said, using Rafi's proffered hand to balance herself for a moment before slipping out of the duct into the open area of the room. "I was starting to get a little claustrophobic in there!" she admitted, stretching herself once she was out and away.

“Me and my cat, too” he replied silently, watching the embodied spring in front of him, still amazed by her perfect skin and the hue of green light which constantly leaked off from her. He looked at her with the eye of the artist, ever searching for the inspiration and for the more perfect visualization of his ideas, to cover her body with inked art. 

Once she'd regained her feet, she shot him a wink with one of those dazzling green eyes. The smile that followed it was joyful poetry...something good for the heart and soul alike.

Kyle saw that the tattooist had matters of grace and courtesy well in hand with Jennie, so he could afford to remain in energy mode while she was duly assisted in exiting the vent. Thus, he drifted back down past May, taking up a position whereby anyone coming through the door would first be forced to contend with an ominous hovering black specter. The particular angle at which he interposed himself between May and the door meant that his form would essentially block her from sight to any intruders, yet still allow her to angle a shot past him easily enough with her snares, especially given her formidable display of accuracy moments ago.

He watched the graceful woman make her way over to the desk, coming around its side in such a way that she could see the papers that littered its top. "German," she disapprovingly muttered to herself before reaching into her pants pocket and withdrawing her cell phone. Quickly, she set about the task of taking pictures of the documents on the top of the wooden flat, then the maps on the wall. "Like dad always said," Kyle heard her mutter to herself, "always bring a camera. And sunscreen--whatever the Hell that means."

"Perhaps a subtle reminder to make sure you've got yourself covered for when things get hot?" Kyle suggested.

"I figured you'd know," she shrugged a little, continuing to snap away. "It's supposed to be some late nineties-kinda thing. I was barely alive," she smiled, though more to herself than to any one of them.

Curiouser and curiouser, Kyle mused. Her tale certainly promised to be very interesting indeed.

"And leave as little disturbed as possible, so they can't easily tell what's been compromised?" he mused, watching her careful and methodical perusal of the documents and maps.

"That's not dad." The camera clicked again. "That's my sweet ole' Uncle Nick talking."

It reminded Rafi of his bottled water, back at the Mall.

Late nineties and she was barely alive, he asked back to himself, musing over her age, but then he reminded himself that she already dropped one of her bombs, that she isn’t from this plane of existence. An intriguing story to hear, indeed, he thought finally.

Uncle Nick, that was more familiar as he guessed that that is a hint to Nick Fury of SHIELD. Though he wasn’t too experienced with the various hero-groups or organizations, since he met Carm, he read a lot about this one. You’ll never know when it will come handy, if you know something about the employer of the girl you love. 

"Uncle Nick? As in the infamous bottled water, available at fine gyro shops everywhere? Which seems to share disturbingly similar emblem patterns with obnoxious eggbots?" Kyle surmised.

"That's our guy," May confirmed. "Subtle, he ain't; persistent, he is. Both of which have their moments that have me in love with him and cursing his name, depending," she said, taking a final click of the map on the wall with her phone. She looked up to Kyle with a wry little grin. "You can guess where we're at on that cycle, about now."

"So it would seem," Kyle noted. "Still, perhaps at the conclusion of this, we might be able to somehow help mitigate matters so that less harsh disciplinary measures will be enacted," he offered hopefully.

Once she was inside, and Damon lowered the basket a little more, he grabbed the wall, holding the basket near to the hole, and looked at Rasgar. “Go, my friend, there’ll be ground for ya.” He didn’t have to say it twice, as the great feline shot out from the basket, through the vent and fell on the floor softly, without any noise in spite of their height and his formidable weight. 

A cat-spring, presented perfectly.

Rasgar stalked out into the open agora of the room, still for a moment to look around himself. But after the moment was passed, he casually walked up to the unconscious man in the middle of the room and began to sniff around his head with his great, flat nose.

Jennie wasted little time rushing up to Kyle's side, heedless that he'd placed himself in such a way to cut the room off from any unexpected guests. "You okay?" she asked, at first wanting to put her arms around him, he could tell--but stopping short of that, when she saw that he was in his darksome energetic form. She smiled at him warmly. "I missed you, sexy," she said.

The light that sprung from her body, a gentle emerald sun-shower warmed his dark form, filling him with a strange kind of sensation that defied easy description. How did it make him feel? Satisfied? Complete? Invigorated? Maybe it was some word that had yet to be invented, something that lay at the intersection of all three feelings. In any case, he was happy for her nearness, as he always was.

But for some reason, in the moment...perhaps even moreso.

It was love and happiness that she radiated, and whatever abyssal depths might lurk in the far corners of his soul or the darkness beyond, Jennie was more than enough to bolster and sustain him, ever dragging him back up into the light with her. Her love touched him in a way nothing else ever could, a way that nothing could truly dampen, stoking an emerald fire that would burn defiantly even in the cold, forbidding depths of the void itself.

"Missed you too, beautiful," he returned gently, resuming human form for a few precious moments so that he could savor the heavenly joy of taking her in his arms, tenderly embracing and kissing her.

The sensation changed to something more definable, more tactile, with his return to solidity. Then, he could feel the soft, magnificent warmth of her skin. He could feel his own flesh, drinking in the light that rained from her own, soothing and wonderful. And when she kissed him, she turned her head slightly, pulling him deeper into the gesture. Kyle felt her tongue tease his own, playing at it quicksilver within the shared bridge of their kiss. Her breasts crushed to his chest, she moaned gently through the display.

His arms gently wrapped about her waist, his hands softly rubbing up and down along her back as he held her so wonderfully close. It was so tempting to yield completely, lose himself utterly in the rapture, but this was not the time nor the place. Friends were in need, and there was a job to be done, so he forcibly restrained himself, pulling his arms from her waist to gently clasp her shoulders.

Parting slowly, she whispered for his ears alone. "All this flirting's making me so horny I can barely stand myself," she grinned. "Think anybody'd care if I mounted you, right there on the desk?"

It wasn't completely clear if she was joking or not.

"May did say she might be interested in a preview of my portfolio," he teasingly whispered back. "But we both know our friends come first," he continued in more sober tones.

"I know," she replied, every bit as seriously. "But it's the thought that counts, right?"

"And I'll definitely be thinking about it," he whispered softly into her ear.

"Besides, once we've helped rescue the lady, and we're all back home safe, we'll all have cause to celebrate. And the waiting can heighten it for later," he assured her softly, placing a tender kiss upon her lips as he very reluctantly pulled back so they could focus on the task at hand.

"I spent ten years waiting," she replied with a little smirk. "What's another few hours, right?"

Eccentric, but to the point. It was Jennie-logic, to a tee.

"True enough. We've only just barely begun our celebrations, and I can certainly hold myself in check long enough to ensure I can treat you properly later," he vowed gently.

It was a touch of sorrow indeed, finally parting from her, but there was also the joy and expectation in looking forward to the next time he held her. For now, there was another couple to help reunite, so once she'd withdrawn he resumed energy form, once more taking up his position as a darksome sentinel of coruscating energy to guard against possible intrusions.

Rafi was next to jump out, mimicking the arc of the jaguar’s jump, and he made it just as perfectly as his companion. His slender, elaborated body moved with cat-like grace, and precision, smiling all the while.

Two Jade Jaguar on the same hunt, with the same goals and abilities...

Rasgar had his head turned as he did it, watching the graceful arch of his leap all the way to his deft landing on the floor next to him. The sleek jungle cat, the fallen man forgotten for the moment, tracked over to Rafi and butt his head up against his thigh approvingly, stroking the side of his face and his smooth, soft fur across his pants affectionately. It was almost as if to congratulate him on his feline imitation.

The young tattooist steadied himself against the cat’s admiration, without any apparent awareness, it was like a second nature for him what he developed during the years when he acted like the cat were real, though he got real body only in this morning. This head butting always made him smile, and he returned the gesture with strong scratching on the jaguar’s neck, to show his feelings, too. It was good to have the cat on his side, even without their minds linked. 

The way the immense feline purred sounded like the gentle rumble of the engine of some performance automobile. It was soothing to the touch, to feel it through his fur, a soft vibration that made little mystery of his feelings for his master.

Rafi then smirked, and turned back to the broken went, reaching out to the girls to help them inside. “Ladies”, he offered his hand for them, though he suspected that Lise won’t accept it, being graceful and prideful enough to get inside on her own.

He was proven correct. Lise stepped out of the dark mouth of the thing with the type of grace that only a fellow dancer could appreciate. She did it without using her hands to provide her balance of grasping the sides of the duct, just stepping out of it with a kind of slither-shimmy of her lithe form. As she looked around the room, Tanya followed her out in such a way as to make herself look positively clumsy. She took Rafi's hand gratefully. "Thank you," she said smiling, her hand a soft, small thing in his. "Now--where are we?" she asked.

It seemed just as good a question as any, to start with.

“I think we’ve found a level with stone walls, just like the cell where they keep my love...” he said to the group, once they were all together again.

Tanya sighed. "That's good," she said. "At least we're on the right track, then." From over by the wall, May folded up her phone and placed it back into her pants, the information collection she'd worked at obviously done to her satisfaction. Meanwhile, back in the vent, Rafi heard the gentle buzzing of Damon's wings cut themselves short. He'd must have been five or six feet above the bottom of the shaft when it happened; he came crashing down to the floor of it with a dull thud. Although he didn't cry out, it actually sounded rather painful.

Rafi immediately jumped up to the hole on the wall, to take a look inside, and see what happened. “Damon? Are you okay?” he asked silently, with some worry in his voice. 

"Ugh," he moaned, his voice a hollow, tinny thing in the confines of the vent shaft. "I, uh...think so. That hurt too much to be dead."

Lise chuckled gently. At least his sense of humor had come out unscathed.

“Okay, then,” replied Rafi, falling back to the floor, allowing Damon to crawl out from the vent, but he couldn’t hide his own smile at the comment, just like Lise. They got their second injured comrade, and they haven’t even clashed with the enemy, thought Rafi. He couldn’t decide that he should be happy or not for this one. 

Kyle glanced towards the vent at the noise, what features there were in his energy form creased in concern. He was about to try casting his shadowy senses into the vent to see how bad things might be, as he hadn't liked the sound of that impact at all, but was halted as Beetlebum soon produced himself under his own power.

He crawled out on all fours out of the duct. His face, his exposed skin, had returned to their normal pale flesh-tones. "I'm all right," he groaned, making his way over to Tanya still on hands and knees before straightening. "My, ah...power kind of played up, right?"

“It has a limited duration, around a half hour, perhaps?” raised an eyebrow curiously Rafi, looking at Damon, trying to guess the limits of his friend’ gift. 

"It varies," he replied, dusting off the arms of his tan jacket from the legacy of his fall, at his elbows and chest. "Sometimes, it's longer...but you can never tell," he confessed. "This time, it was a pretty short one, I'm afraid."

“Understood, my friend” he replied, and helped to clear his friends clothes from the most of the dust. “Thank God, that it happened when we weren’t in combat,” he added. 

Kyle cocked his head ever so slightly, regarding the features of the man who crawled forth. Now deprived of the red and black coloration that was helping to mask his appearance before, there was definitely something very familiar about him. Although he still couldn't quite place it, he knew he'd seen him somewhere before. Ah well, it would come to him sooner or later.

The Magess smirked in his direction. Reached into the front pouch of her belt and produced his jar full of ladybugs. "You'd like to see your old friends again, eh?"

Blushing deeply, he nodded. "That, ah, might be good," he said, wasting little time in unscrewing the top of the jar, then thrusting his hands inside its glass confines. The instant the swarm of ladybugs rushed from its sides to kiss his flesh with an affectionate greeting, his skin regained its red hue, the black polka-dots dappling the slightly reflective sheen of it. "Ah...thank you, my beauties," he sighed contentedly. "Much better."

Rafi nodded at the scene as Damon re-gained the power from his ladybugs. He saw it the second time and it was a wonderful sight how his features shifted, and the perfect imitation of the bugs took over him. The Lord of the Ladybugs, indeed, he smiled. 

Kyle tried to mentally gauge how much time had passed since the Magess had pocketed the jar of ladybugs topside. Evidently Beetlebum had limits on how long he could maintain approximations of their powers when removed from their proximity. The fact that his prior coloration did not return until he actually placed his hand into the jar indicated a need for physical contact to effect the mimicry, which meant he'd made contact before first being seen by Jennie and himself. According to the tattooist's musing, it was perhaps roughly a half hour ago. That would be important to bear in mind for keeping him powered up and protected, both here in the remainder of this mission, and in future events.

From behind him, May returned to Rafi's side, meeting his eyes with her own, bright and blue. "Hey," she smiled reassuringly. "We're getting close," she said. "I can feel it."

"You holding up okay?" she asked him, with a concerned cock of her head.

Rafi stared back to the girl’s sky-blue eyes with his own dark ones, and remained silent for a moment, as the feeling of missing his love spread in his soul again. With their joyful teasing and the tasks needed to be solved at hand, he could banish the emptiness, but this short, single question it has returned unrestrained. 

“I feel it, too” he replied once he got his voice back, barely audibly. “She is somewhere near… within a small hole. It is too small to call it a cell,” he sighed, and hung his head for a moment, but then set his jaw, and looked back at the girl straight and prideful.

She nodded solidly. Something reassuring, but resolved, too. 

“Yeah, I’m okay” he said, and tried to put confidence in his voice, but without being too loud. “I just wanna be over this… with all my heart.” Rafi looked into the girl’s eyes, to see if she understands how he mean it, how he wants to get Carmilla back into his arms, and be on a safe place with all his friends, including her, too.

"Soon," May said simply. It bordered on a promise.

Rafi flashed a faint smile at her, thankful and sad at the same time, and reached out to squeeze her hand for a moment as a form of a silent thank you, before he turned his attention to the room, and the formerly mentioned unusually high ceiling. 

May squeezed his hand in return. Warm and gentle, it was somehow reassuring.

Beetlebum, in the meantime, was still staring up at the ceiling's lofty heights. "Who was it that said something about growing green-suited baddies?" he mused. It looked like, to look at it, he had a renewed appreciation of their sense of scope...and the kind of things that might need that much headroom.

Lise offered him a thin smile. "Relax," she smirked. "I'm sure it's all about air volume."

"Would certainly make sense, given the apparent age of the structure," Kyle offered in agreement, striving to help set Beetlebum at ease.

"There's eight of us," Jennie looked over at the uneasy Englisman, offering him another taste of her dazzling smile. "We've all got superpowers--and we're all awesome," she added. "Those guys--giants or not--should be afraid of us...not the other way around.

He chuckled briefly. He sounded a bit more encouraged for the thought.

Rafi listened the conversation in silence, Beetlebum’s comment came from his heart too. He wasn’t sure about their strength, because he never had the chance to test them out in reality, and now, they have to do it in a very dangerous and sharp situation, right in the middle of an old concrete complex, filled with green-clad goons of an evil organization...

But the girls were right. They can’t retreat now, and they don’t want to, either. They are the League of the Awesome -- how silly the name sounded, he thought smiling --, and no one can stand against them. 

"Trust me, my friend, the bad guys have much to fear for being on her bad side," Kyle noted to Beetlebum with a sparkle of humor in his ebon eyes as he nodded towards Jennie.

He idly wandered along the room’s walls, looking for a map or at least a sketch which can be an escape-plan. Though he couldn’t read a word, he was relatively sure that in similarly huge --and smaller ones, too-- complexes and buildings there used to be such plans. Perhaps that would provide some help to gather more precise information about the level. 

Rafi traced the walls and the desk, idly looking at the various maps and diagrams that he passed in doing so. He hoped for anything that might resemble a floor plan...even a picture that might serve to outline emergency exit routes. Unfortunately, all the maps were of places above-ground. Larger-scale things that seemed to indicate various important spots within Germany, rather than the complex itself.

Since May and Kyle measured those maps before, he didn’t spent too much attention to them, as he looked for more specific ones. But apparently, the inmates knew their labyrinth, and they weren’t so nice to post the map to the walls for any newcomer... he sighed, and then returned to the others.

As the rest of the group steadily filtered into the room, Kyle sought to extend his shadowy senses beyond the closed door, remotely casting his vision, hearing and sense of smell through the darkness to discern what might lie ahead in the adjoining room or hallway. It would aid their expedition all the more if he could provide details about forthcoming areas before they wandered into them.

Kyle's shadow senses took him to a spot of darkness on the ceiling of the hall just outside the door. That shadow was created by the shade of a conical light that hung from a thin, stout conduit from the ceiling. The hallway was a rather thin affair, perhaps no more than five feet wide--and all along it's length, in what he guessed were about thirty foot intervals, like lights were affixed, giving the place a dim, gloomy look to it. The walls were made out of mortared stone, rough and oddly-shapen; the floor was a smooth concrete, like the one they stood on within the room. The corridor seemed to stretch in both directions almost as far as the eye could see and was occasionally--once again, at the thirty foot spaces that made them open beneath a light, each one--broken by the same thick kind of metal door as the one that offered them security, in the moment.

The ceilings were just as high, there, as they were in the office.

Not a soul--aside of their own--was to be seen in the lonely hall.

"Roughly five-foot wide hallway outside," he announced in his ghostly whisper. "Same basic stone walls and concrete flooring as here, and the same similarly high ceilings, with lights arrayed about every thirty feet down its length. Seems to stretch on endlessly both ways from what I can see, with metal doors like this one," he nodded towards the door that led out of the room, "likewise about every thirty feet, corresponding to the hanging lights. Currently, no visible guards or patrols along the corridor, near as I can tell."

He took a moment to verify that bit, seeking any traces of lifeglow in the hall.

He saw nothing in the way of the tell-tale glimmers of light that reflected the anima of a life, all along the hall's length...or, at least for about a hundred or so feet in either direction from the door. By the time he was done scanning it in such a way, he was relatively confident that they were, indeed, alone.

For the nonce, anyhow.

"All right," Lise said, looking around at everybody. "We're here. And from all accounts, we're close. Now, we just need to find a way to start checking out these doors outside--without getting shot to pieces if those guards come along and happen to spot us this time."

"So," she asked, "what now?"

The question reminded Rafi to his own map... and he unfolded it again on the desk, without any care of those papers what were already there. He quickly pointed out the hangar where they entered, and stabbed it with his finger. “We came in here” he said and then went on, “here is the cell, where they hold Carmilla”, he pointed the small star on the map. 

Quickly, the others came around the two sides of the desk to look over his shoulders at the skein of his creation. A bit of silence fell over their number as each one of them began trying to formulate their own ideas about how the structure of the base might be laid out.

“All we have to do to figure out the route between the two spot,” he explained, and then followed the route along the main tunnel, searching for the spot where they descended here, and tried to measure the distance between their position and his lover.

Kyle drifted over to look over the map, seeing if there were any way he could help gauge distance on it, perhaps something to give him a rough estimate for teleportation purposes.

Both men's eyes followed the same basic route. The way that they had come, through the winding steel labyrinth of the ventilation system, seemed a great deal further than the distance at which its end was from the star's position on the map. A rough estimate might put it at ten times the distance. Assuming that they'd crawled a thousand feet through the guts of the facility's infrastructure...that would mean they might be only a hundred or so feet from the cell that held Carmilla. One thing was for sure, despite the exact proportions, both of them came to the same conclusion: the way they needed to go was directly left, once they left the room. The map, in that respect, had proven a Godsend.

In more ways than one, Rafi considered to himself, imagining the shape of the Phantom Queen, like a dark shadow across the face of the sky itself.

The young artist smiled once he measured the distance, and noticed that they were so close to his love. A quick walk and they’ll be there, and then only the door and the shackles remained as an obstacle in the way of her freedom. He sighed relieved and a faint smile appeared on his face. “Thank you, Queen of War,” he whispered under his breath as he lowered his head with the sigh, steadying himself with his outstretched arms on the desk.

“She is near,” he said, pointing their location, and the small distance to the cell, and then looked at the others. “Our main goal is almost accomplished. The question is, who can be in the other cells down here and should we care with them or not?” 

Some of them shared uneasy glances. "The enemies of our enemies are our friends?" Beetlebum mused aloud. "If whoever's got your lady happens to have a few others, as well, can they be all that bad?" he asked. "Besides...considering the picture you painted about the state they've got her in, I don't know what kind of heroes we'd be just to leave them like that, eh?"

The logic was hard to argue.

Logically, Kyle knew, Beetlebum's point about other captives was a simple one, from the classical heroic point of view. Realistically, however, matters were rarely that simple.

Rafi sighed silently, and nodded at Damon’s comment. “Yeah, that’s why I’m asking. I’m not sure about the mentioned saying, but if we have to take a look into all the cells, we can decide during that who should be freed, can’t we?” 

Kyle looked over to the tattooist, an upturned arc of slightly darker black hue crossing the energy features in what would be a smile on a flesh and blood face. "Seems your map has quickly narrowed the scope of our search," he remarked pleasantly.

"As for other potential prisoners, that becomes a risky issue," Kyle considered. "Some may be members of this group being punished for various infractions, which would then run a risk of them causing commotion or otherwise trying to instigate an alarm.. Though we could render them unconscious. Any captives discovered who don't belong to this group may prove possible hindrances if their goals don't match ours, and potential allies found may be in no condition to assist."

"But Beetlebum's got a point," Jennie made a little face. "How can we just leave 'em there?"

"We may not have much of a choice," Kyle replied solemnly. "We know nothing about their potential numbers or attitudes, and we might not even be capable of transporting them all."

Having laid out the basic cons of such a situation, he continued, "Personally, I don't enjoy the idea of leaving anyone else to these people's mercy. So after we rescue your lady," he nodded to the tattooist, "I say we see about any other prisoners and see what we can do for them."

Turning to the Magess, he inquired, "What weight or mass limitations, if any, does your teleportation magic have?"

Before Tanya could answer, May interrupted. "This is a bad idea," she shook her head flatly. "We need to stick to the plan. We're here to break Carmilla out of this place--and that's what we need to focus on, humanitarian considerations aside. That doesn't mean we're not going to do it period; it just means we to keep our priorities straight."

“I know, but...” opposed Rafi, but not too firmly as he felt the truth in her words. He began his journey here to free his love, and not anyone else, but now being here, and knowing much more about the capturers, something in his soul rose against leaving them without giving them a chance for escape. And as it seemed, at least some in the group agreed with him. 

"Agreed. We came here with a specific rescue in mind, and we can't allow ourselves to get too easily distracted trying to do everything, and end up accomplishing nothing," Kyle supported May. He understood the desire to help others who might well be in need; he felt the pull himself. But he also understood the need to focus and prioritize.

"Well...what do propose we do?" the Lord of Ladybugs asked.

"I'm saying that, once we get back home with Carmilla safe and sound," she replied, "we tip S.H.I.E.L.D.--who's probably going to be waiting for us the second we show up on Rafi's doorstep with more than a few questions and a whole lot of pointed guns, by the way--about the location of this facility. Considering all the agents and resources they can commit to an operation, along with involving the local polezei and probably the GSG 9, they can come down here with some serious thunder--the kind that, for all our powers, there's no way we can bring. Plus, with that kind of manpower, they'll have the luxury of making sure everybody that they're liberating is somebody who needs to be out on the streets, not jail themselves," she said, nodding in Kyle's direction. "To me, that's the safest, best option for getting as many prisoners--the kind we want to get out--out of here in one piece available to us."

Some heads nodded around the room. Even though Jennie nor Beetlebum seemed completely satisfied with it as an alternative, it was hard to fault the logic behind it...and so, they remained silent.

"Sometimes the hardest part about trying to be a hero is having to accept that you can't do everything and can't always save everyone," Kyle noted solemnly. "Sometimes hard decisions need be made. We don't have the intel and resources to ensure the best results for everyone who may be down here, so we have to focus on what we can do, and that is to get our friend and get out. We gather what intel we can as we go, so we can help SHIELD plan better, and we try to be as quick and discrete as possible so these goons have as little inclination and chance as possible to move on before SHIELD kicks in their door."

Jennie squeezed Kyle's hand tightly. The light that sprang from her skin warmed and soothed his flesh, as if brightening the very shadow from which he was composed. The way that it seemed to shimmer around her, making the air surrounding her an emerald aurora, he could tell that she almost burst with pride in him, in the moment. And he, himself, actually had to give some pause at the words--which had all come tumbling from his mouth, seemingly all at once. It sounded like something a hero might say.

He smiled slightly as he considered it. It had come out a decent bit of speech, and he had felt a bit stoically inspired as it flowed forth. Perhaps Jennie and Marina were right; maybe he did have some small knack for speaking at times. The fact that Jennie evidently felt so proud of him for it brought forth a subtly darker hue of black along his face, something that might well be taken for a shadow faintly blushing.

And as she beamed a brilliant smile in his direction, he had to wonder if just maybe his beloved sister and lover had begun to rub off on him, just a little bit.

She always did help to bring out the best in him. And with her help, maybe he just might have the potential to raise himself to greater heights. He certainly wouldn't call himself a hero, especially at this point, but he could definitely try to help as best he could; help save the one and get the group out of here safely, then provide information that might aid SHIELD in saving any others locked away down here.

And maybe that'll help get SHIELD off all our backs, and prove we're on the side of the angels, Kyle mused.

Again, the shadowy young meta spoke for Rafi, voicing his thinking almost perfectly. He knew that Kyle is right; he knew that they don’t have enough information, and possibly they haven’t got enough power, too, to rescue everyone in the prison, but his soul and heart protested against his mind. This was a hard decision indeed, leaving after freeing Carm, and then let the SHIELD handle the hideout, scoring some good point with the info, or trying to act by themselves, risking the failure of their original goal... 

Rafi mused over the offered alternative, and then nodded too. “Okay, it sounds good for me, with one exception,” he looked at May pulling a thinking face. “I don’t want to go back to my shop directly for two reasons.” 

She chuckled humorlessly. "Because you're allergic to automatic gunfire?"

Beetlebum raised a red, spotted hand slightly. "Err...that would make two of us, then."

Rafi snorted at the sarcastic comment coming from May, and shook his head with non-disguised humor in his eyes. “Not just that, miss agent o’ SHIELD. I’m not used to think about such things, so I have to voice them until they become my second nature,” he smiled at the young agent. “One, the SHIELD is there, and I’d like to have at least some time to tell them about our mission and our success before they point a gun at my head,” he stretched his little finger as he said that.

"I knew it," May quipped. "I break out in hives at the sight of muzzle-flash, myself."

Again, Rafi had to smile, he liked May’s comments what she inserted into the dialogue. They were tinted with such dry humor just like his own ones. “Two,” he extended his ring-finger next to the former, “I’d like to avoid to pull any potential chaser into my loft, or into my neighborhood. I know that they prolly know where I live, but that’s completely different than directly entering and shooting inside...”, grimaced the young dancer wryly. 

"Good thinking," Kyle remarked, nodding in consideration of the idea. "Ideally, we'll want our arrival point to be somewhere we have a tactical home turf advantage, whether facing pursuit or staring down SHIELD as we explain things. Our homes would be far too much a disadvantage. Perhaps somewhere open?" he suggested.

"Not the park, though," he quickly added. "I've heard it's a pocket of spring, and I'd hate to see something miraculous like that damaged in any way."

May shrugged. "Why not straight into S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ?" she asked. "Not only would that turn the tables on any uninvited hangers-on...but it'd save the U.S. Federal Government the expense of chasing me down," she smirked. "I'm told the deficit in 2009 already in the trillions."

"I'm not all that eager to give you up yet," Jennie shook her head. "I'd prefer popping up right on the front lawn of Maxx Law HQ downtown, instead," she grinned. "Not only would they be more than capable of helping us if we needed it...but Kyle and I've already made a few friends down there that know we're the good guys," she explained. "Plus, would even S.H.I.E.L.D. dare try to yank you out of their custody--right in broad daylight? I gotta believe that's against some kind of law...and I don't think even they'd have the stones to do something like that. Not in public. It'd be front-page news on every major media outlet from Elysium to Beijing in a half-hour. Faster, once Kyle and I told our agent," she added slyly.

“I never was there, so the building is unfamiliar to me...”, shook his head, grimacing unhappily - until the thought popped into his mind. “But I never was here, too, and the door has worked, after all. With a little deviation on the targeting”, he said, humming on his own train of thought. “We’ll see what the gods offer to us”, he shrugged finally, and sent a little prayer mentally to the pantheon of the relic’s creator, to be on their side. 

"Gotta say, I'm more in agreement with Jennie's option," Kyle noted to May. "We're not gonna casually hand you over to SHIELD, so if they wanna come after you we're gonna damn well make sure we at least have a chance to present our case on your behalf."

May held her hands out in front of her, lacing her fingers in front of her waist. "Awww..." she said retreatingly, playing at bashfulness. "Does that mean you guys...like me?"

The others laughed all around their circle. "I'd say you're definitely a keeper, Spider-Girl," Damon nodded in her direction with a big smile on his face.

That much wasn't in much question at all.

"Friends, especially ones who can help you relax and laugh in tense situations, are always keepers," Kyle assured May.

“What’d I say to Carm, when we arrive home, she wakes up, and asks about you?” asked Rafi with playful intonation. “That her partner saved her ass, and then we waved you goodbye and let you go to SHIELD jail?”, he went on the question, this time rising an eyebrow, and cracking a half-smile. “You can’t wish that to us, nor to the SHIELD... you know her when she’s angry...” 

The young tattooist was more into the playful teasing mood, than saying simply yes, as it would reveal more of his confused soul than he wanted now. And this playing fit more into the group, as he watched and listened to his new friends during their quest.

"Definitely best to try'n keep those feisty ladies in a much more pleasant mood," Kyle confided to Rafi, nodding towards May and Jennie both in emphasis of his point.

"And Maxx Law's a good idea, since there's a Sergeant Baker there that can attest that we've worked to cooperate with the law on our prior outing," he added. "That might help to calm things a little."

"All right then," May nodded her agreement. "Then that's what we'll do. And if they can manage to keep me out of the stockade--all the better," she decided.

For that, he simply nodded. Everything else was said already. Now they could only go on, and hope for the best.

Kyle simply echoed Rafi's nod for the nonce. There wasn't anything more to be said or done about that matter at present. When the time came, though, May would be able to rest assured she had several friends willing to go to bat for her and do what they could to help.

"If we do have to examine the rooms individually, we may not need to investigate them one by one the hard way," Kyle proffered. "If prayers are heard and responded to favorably, I might be able to scry through the shadows from here, peering into each room as I expand my senses outward. At the very least, perhaps I can do so from a vantage point in the hallway, enabling us to avoid playing 'What's Behind Door Number One?' and resolve this with greater speed and less hassle."

"Sounds like a decent enough idea," May suggested. "But keep in mind, as of about five seconds ago, I turned the Blackball off. Figured you'd want it that way, once I saw you throw that little scowl of yours down," she mused with a playful grin. "I notice you do that when you're trying to look through some shadows."

And as she said it, Rafi felt the jaguar’s presence slowly waving forth from the back of his mind, where the device’s power banished it. It was like coming up to the surface from under water, and taking breaths. The first few were just for living, but the more after, for the taste. He smiled down his feline companion, stroking his mind trough their link, for the latter. 

The sleek green jungle cat seemed to turn in his direction almost immediately with their renewed connection, leaning in and brushing by his leg affectionately with the side of his head and face. He too, there was little mistaking, was glad for the sensation.

"It's furrowing my brow in concentration, thank you very much," Kyle retorted to May playfully, a sparkle of humor in his eyes.

"You scowl?" Jennie said, glancing at Kyle, then over to the lithe young agent. "I never noticed."

"Pay attention, next time he does it," she replied with a gentle little giggle. "It's kinda cute."

"Chapter One of the Official Batman Handbook: All dark, brooding hero sorts are obligated to scowl," Kyle joked.

Jennie giggled. "It's true," she said. "He's got that thing memorized, I swear." May seemed to find it worthy of a little laugh and a smile, too.

"It works for you," she decided with a cheeky wink. "Keep it up."

Kyle nodded and bowed slightly in acknowledgment before moving on.

"Bear in mind, however, that I can only say to have glimpsed no living patrols. While I didn't seem to detect any, there may yet remain the possibility of robots or other drone."

A couple heads nodded around the room. "Maybe I should go first, then," Beetlebum mused, though it was obvious they were brave words masking a hesitant heart. "I'm armored...at least, sort of. If anyone's getting shot at, it should be me."

"I could blast down the opposite end of the hallway," Lise offered. "Somebody's bound to notice me...which would mean the rest of you would be free to go get Carmilla, while they're busy chasing me. Unsuccessfully, I might add," she flashed a pale little grin.

Tanya shook her head. "While I'm sure our dear Rafael is touched by your sentiments, dears, I don't think self-sacrifice is necessarily the order of the day," she said, looking around between them all. "No, I think we've gotten this far by using our heads and sound judgment. There's no need to deviate from that idea, especially at this stage of the game, hmm?"

Some more nods followed. It made all the sense in the world.

Rafi nodded at Tanya, appreciating her comment. “Yeah, you’re right, Magess, no need for self-sacrifice” he said with a wink, using her newly chosen hero-name. “I want all of us leave in one piece.”

"Agreed. We want to avoid notice and conflict as long as possible. Makes for a better op if we can get through it without brawls and firefights. And, if fights do come, then it helps ensure we're fresher and less haggard, leaving us better able to win through," Kyle pointed out.

“You got my vote, Obsidian,” agreed Rafi with a faint smile. The darksome meta pointed out his own thoughts about fighting and that was good, at least for his opinion. He’d like to stay a dancer and artist than to change into a warrior, though he knew that they prolly won’t avoid that... the statement of the Phantom Queen sounded too confident about the war... and... she was the Goddess of War and Fight, so she had to know, he mused over it for a moment, before the others put in their votes. 

May silently agreed with a nod. "I'm all for the not fighting, if we can help it," Beetlebum said, seeming to echo the sentiment.

"Right," Jennie flashed him a reassuring little grin. "We'd hate to have to hurt any of these bums, huh?" nudging him with a little jibe of her elbow, eliciting a sheepish laugh from the Briton.

“Since the Blackball is off, I can spy through my illusions,” he stated, and then glanced at Tanya and Kyle. “You two said that you can do extended searches, too, so we can stay here unnoticed and safe until we find the exact cell, and can plan on how to approach, open and unchain her.”

"That's a great idea," May nodded. "Maybe we can have Kyle, Jennie, and myself head up ahead, guided by one of your illusions, until we can actually find where Carm's located? Kyle and Jennie are practically invisible when they want to be--and I could sneak along with them, covered by one of Tanya's invisibility spell. The rest of you can stay back, to make sure nothing happens to Rafi while he's scouting with us. Sound good?"

"Small scouting and recon party with some good firepower if needed, with several big guns held in reserve for now," Kyle mused. "Works for me."

Rafi pulled a long face, as he listened to the young girl’s plan. “I’d like to be there when we find and free her...,” he said silently, with much hard feeling collecting up in his voice. “In my own body...,” he continued and something clenched its fist around his heart. 

He then looked up to May, and his eyes showed his perplexity, “Even though I know that your plan sounds the best way to use our gifts...” 

Kyle looked across at Rafi briefly, and though it could be hard to discern emotions across the energy facade, in the moment it was clearly evident in Kyle's eyes that he understood the aches and longing, and the desire to be united with one's love.

“What I saw in my vision, she was chained to the wall, with strange spheres around her arms, and the hole was no more than five feet in both directions.” Rafi turned his look at May, addressing his next question to her. “I guess they are some sort of power-blockers... can you disarm them, or we have to use sheer force?” 

"I'm not sure," she admitted by way of reply. "I'll have to see them to know. One way or another, though, if we make it into the cell--we'll figure something out," she said, determination creeping into her tone. "We sure as Hell didn't come this far to let some shackles--fancy or not--stop us now."

Rafi just nodded to that, he didn’t think otherwise, but he had to ask. Again, he was glad that she and the others were there, and helped him to free Carmilla, and he was thankful from the bottom of his heart already. 

"If they're designed to inhibit powers, then they're likely focused on the restrained prisoner, leaving them more vulnerable to external forces. Meaning we oughta be able to slice 'em loose or 'port her out of 'em, if need be," Kyle offered encouragingly.

That said, Kyle began to work to cast his senses outwards through the shadows, striving to look and listen via the ambient dark in each room as he sought to spiral his search outward, seeking what lay within each room as he quested for the tattooist's incarcerated love.

As Kyle branched his senses outward yet again, he found that he could sense the contours of the halls perfectly well. But the moment that he tried to make any kind of inroads into any of the rooms themselves--where he was sure the holding cells lie, he found that he saw nothing at all. Just vast, dead voids in the construction of the facility. Very similar, in a sense, to the image the Blackball had painted...though without the masking illusion the technological wonder provided. It made him wonder if he was somehow seeing the precise same machinery at play...or perhaps a crude, reverse-engineered version of it.

It certainly wasn't an encouraging thought that these goons had tech similar to SHIELD. It made a certain degree of sense, considering they'd made a move to abduct a SHIELD agent, but that didn't make him feel any better about it.

He was about to curse underneath his breath for the confounding development when Jennie's voice suddenly tore him from his concentration. "I got it!" she said, her eyes going bright and her lovely features lighting up like the Fourth of July. It was a mirror of the way that her light pulsed and played around her. Whatever idea she had--she was really excited about it.

Disco ball at two hundred watts, Kyle mused with a chuckle. Whatever popped into her head, she's majorly fired up about it. "Got what?" he inquired.

"Watch," she grinned from ear to ear. Jennie turned over to Beetlebum and furrowed her brow slightly.

Now there was a cute scowl of concentration in Kyle's opinion.

May caught it too, watching the bemused expression on his face and getting a little laugh. Both because of her expression and because she knew they were thinking the exact same thing, in the moment. He found himself sincerely hoping she really didn't end up having to go to prison at the conclusion of this little caper. There was an undeniable chemistry that was forming between all of it and the lithe Spider-Girl was a major part of that.

They'd just need to be sure that didn't happen. And that was that.

Kyle was determined to make whatever case he could to help minimize her punishment from SHIELD. May had already offered him a gracious show of burgeoning friendship, and there was no way in Hell he'd turn his back on that. Besides, if they got out of here with a rescued agent, and info on this base and its inhabitants, then that ought to count for something in mitigating matters.

And in an instant, the nervous Briton was suddenly clad in a bright green hooded uniform that completely obscured his face, but for his mouth and jaw. The yellow piping that emblazoned the front of his tunic and the wide octopod-appointed belt he wore made it the exact replica of the one the unconscious man on the floor beside them wore. Apparently, he was blissfully unaware of his appearance. "Uh, everyone?" he asked. "What in the world are you looking at?"

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?" Kyle asked Beetlebum with a clear touch of humor in his voice.

He looked down at himself. "You must be joking," he sighed.

Jennie giggled like a little schoolgirl.

"It worked perfect in Star Wars!" she said excitedly.

"It can work for the League of Awesome, too!"

Rafi chuckled along with the others, but then shook his head. “Ya know, my friend, the green isn’t your color, but Miss Crystal tried it on you anyway. You now wear the uniform of the goons,” he explained.

"So I see," he said, flashing them a little grin. "Hopefully, then...I look suitably goony."

"Oh, don't worry," Lise snickered devilishly. "You look goony all right!"

"You gonna be okay, keeping everyone cloaked like that?" Kyle asked Jennie with evident concern. He knew she was strong and tough, but still he worried over her.

"No," she shook her head. "Prolly not. But like May said, I don't have to do everybody at once. You can just blend into our shadows and Tanya can turn one of us invisible with a spell. That way, I should only have to do a few of us at once...and I can probably handle that. For a little while, at least.

"Alright," he reluctantly conceded, knowing he could no more keep her from pushing herself to help others than he could hold himself back. "But if you start to falter or weaken, get behind me and let me be the shield," he insisted firmly and lovingly.

"That won't happen," Jennie said, leaning over to place a small kiss right at the top of his nose. "But thanks. You're so unbearably cute when you play the shining knight, I can barely keep my hands off of you."

"I know you're tough, likely much tougher than even I give you credit for, but you can't stop your loved ones from worrying about you," he replied, his energy form once more taking the slightly darker facial hue of shadowy blush from her kiss and comment.

"I wouldn't dream of it. You think I play the role for the fun of it?" she said, all the while, never pulling away from him, remaining close to his lips at a tantalizing distance. "I just like hearing you tell me you care," she confessed with a sultry wink of an emerald eye.

"Aha! Your insidious plan stands revealed," he chuckled softly. "Rest assured, you are the most precious thing to me in this life," he whispered gently, lightly blowing her a kiss across the nigh imperceptible distance between them.

“If I have some time to study this outfit on you, maybe I can help to replicate it on someone, but only on one, or max on two people at once,” offered Rafi, musing over his own abilities. “But that should be the last option, I think”, he finished. 

"Makes a good ace to have up the sleeve if Jennie gets tired or strained. Another good idea," Kyle complimented him with a smile.

"Go ahead, Rafi," Damon said, stretching his arms out wide for his appraisal. "It doesn't look too complicated--unless there's something I'm missing." And as the young artist walked over to his friend, slowly making a path circling around him, he found that he agreed. The uniform was a relatively simple design, with little in the way of detail that might trip him up, were he forced to use his powers in such a manner. By the time he'd finished a couple of laps in such a manner, he was relatively convinced that he would be able to copy them with a high degree of accuracy, if need be.

Which brought a new question into his mind - if he’ll be able to copy this uniform from one friend to another, what if he’d try to create images from the screen of his mind instead of the sketches, like he used to? It was an interesting idea, which definitely worth the chance, but not yet, when lives hung on it, he decided, and put the note aside. For now, anyway. 

When he finally stopped his orbit, Rafi noticed that Rasgar had been following right behind him, all the time the'd been walking. His body low to the ground, he realized that he must have thought Rafi was actually stalking Damon...and eagerly followed suit. Once he turned around, the beautiful jade jaguar turned his emerald eyes up to meet him as if to ask: what? It was almost enough to make him laugh out loud.

Rafi chuckled when he noticed his friend behind him and the sudden look in the jaguar’s maw. He knelt down and stroked his head, smiling meanwhile. “No hunt after friends, pal. I was just memorizing his look, ya know.” The young artist shook his head, and stood up, turning back to the group. “I think it’ll go, when needed”, he said, but his thought swarmed around the jaguar’s abilities, and apparent intelligence. How smart could he be really, he mused over it. 

"This masking can come in quite handy, given that their own local cloaks apparently prevent me from scanning ahead into the rooms," Kyle noted. "Looks like we're gonna have to go door to door," he muttered softly, a tinge of frustration and disappointment in his spectral voice.

"It's okay, baby," Jennie smiled, something that was sure to shore him up even in the darkest of times. "You and Rafi are still gonna have to be the ones to make this whole thing work. The disguises'll just be enough to let us move around in here a little bit...so that going door-to-door won't be such a big deal.

His eyes shone like polished onyx, reflecting sparkles of her glittering light. She always knew how to bolster his spirits when life frustrated and annoyed him, her vibrancy and optimism always reminding him why he loved her so. He favored her with a gentle smile, even though it was difficult to discern in the ebon energy of his face, before returning to the matters at hand.

"You know enough about this outfit if we need to try'n bluff our way past someone?" Kyle asked of May. "Or would such attempts have to be relayed via a male for these goons to buy it?"

"How do they even tell each other apart?" Lise asked. "None of 'em seem any different from any of the others. Like they're clones, or something."

"I know enough," May nodded. "They've got a few female agents, so it shouldn't be a stretch to let me do most of the talking, if we do end up running into anybody. But just the same, if somebody does corner you into having to speak, just hit them up with a quick Hail, HYDRA!" she said, breaking into a serious-as-death Nazi salute. "As far as these jokers are concerned--that's always a good answer."

Kyle's eyes took on an impossibly darker shade of purest black for a moment, clear evidence that he did not care for the further Nazi connotations of this garishly green-clad gestapo in the least, a sentiment further echoed by a pulsing crackle of ebon energy arcing over and around his clenched fist. He nodded silently in recognition of May's advice as he focused upon reeling his anger for these goons back in. Allowing his growing hatred of them to continue to boil and froth would only serve them ill, compromising the rescue mission. A level head was needed instead.

“Don’t the SHIELD have some device for the language problems, too?” asked Rafi the young agent with a lifted eyebrow, and a small smile in the corner of his lips, as he smuggled some teasing into his voice as well. “Next time, we have to get one, before going abroad...” 

Kyle's mood lightened a bit with Rafi's sly remark, a faint chuckle wafting forth from his spectral energy form, "Never a Universal Translator when you need it."

She nodded. "Sure," she deadpanned. "And while I'm at it, I'll make sure I nab a couple of Phantom Units, too. If they don't end up helping us on our mission--maybe I can teach one to play Gin Rummy, to help pass my fifty to life bid faster."

Lise snorted a dark little laugh. Only then did May allow a sly little grin that betrayed her sarcasm.

Rafi eyed the slender agent for a moment after the joke, and admitted again, that she has a good humor, indeed and after this quest, prolly she’ll be amongst his best friends, if the life allows so. 

"Being passed over in favor of a card-playing eggbot now? I'm deeply hurt," Kyle teased May.

"You wanna be my cellmate?" she grinned back wolfishly. "Shouldn't we at least date a little while, just to make sure we're compatible, before we jump into a commitment?"

Rafi suppressed a chuckle, so he made a funny voice instead as he did it. His eyes smiled as he looked up to May and Kyle, and asked the lithe agent. “Are the SHIELD jails mixed at that level? Those are the dreamland of every prisoner, then.” 

“On the other hand, a beautiful spider can be a nice roommate, indeed”, he added with a wink.

"Well, I'm not averse to sharing a blanket to help ward off the chill of those stark cells at night, however, there is much to be said for going slowly and taking one's time," Kyle considered, a sparkling dark eye shooting May a wink.

"As to telling each other apart," May shrugged. "You got me. I never figured it out, either. And the reason most of them look alike is because a lot of them are from the same genetic stock," she explained. "HYDRA's supposedly had an underground eugenics programs since World War II. Some of their clone-babies are into their third and fourth generations, by now."

“I hate genetic experiments...,” muttered under his breath the young artist, shaking his head; “If they not for re-creating some extinct animal, killed of by humanity...” 

"Genetically engineered Nazi-spawn? Wonderful," Kyle muttered darkly.

Beetlebum groaned. "This isn't going to go well, is it?"

Jennie, by contrast, looked thrilled to be getting underway. "Relax," she grinned and shrugged. "We've got this covered. What could go wrong?"

Behind her, May and Lise shot each other uneasy glances.

As ever, she was simply unsinkable. "You guys ready, or what?"

Rafi looked at her, mildly amazed by her unshatterable optimism, and then smiled. He pulled out his cards, and pulled out one which seemed appropriate for the task. “I’m okay, if you are,” he said, and called on his gift, to give life to the animal from the card. A moment later, the image shivered and a sleek steel-blue leg appeared on its side, quickly followed by seven other. 

After a few seconds, a huge, palm-sized spider stood on his arm, placing itself comfortably into the curve of his elbow, and watching the group around. It had two larger and six smaller eyes, the bigger ones the deepest blue anyone can imagine which isn’t black yet, the smaller ones black, as the substance of Kyle. The sleek body looked like it was a small robot or something, but as the almost invisible hairs moved on his body, and how it moved his legs to steady himself, it was apparent that it lived.

Rafi smiled at it, and then slowly sat on the floor, leaning against the desk. “Well?” he asked.

"A spider.. How apropos," Kyle remarked, glancing from the creation over to May.

"Yuck," Lise made a face. "I hate spiders."

May caught Kyle's little glance and offered a bemused little grin in return.

Damon shook his head, marveling at the little arachnid. "It's a bloody good thing my jar's safely tucked away," he mused. "The bugger looks so real, I think he'd give my little friends an awful shock."

Rafi smiled proudly, and glanced down at his new companion. “But why? I like every animal, and I like everything at a level what I animate. They all have their lives and behavior, and as for spiders - they are, um,” he corrected himself quickly.

May gave him a little raised eyebrow glance, playfully suggesting he'd better choose his next few words carefully.

 “They were very handy in the room when the mosquitoes and flies were around during the summers...”, he explained his opinion. “and they’re perfect to scare both the younger and the older sisters you have,” he chuckled at the memory of his childhood.

"Scary?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Sheesh...not all spiders are scary. Haven't you ever seen the Charlotte's Web simstim?" she asked, then bowing grandiosely. "I'd say some of us are positively radiant."

"Simstim?" Kyle mused, perplexed. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone use that word, outside of a couple obscure sci-fi books. Alongside odd terms like holovids, braindance, and trideo."

"Simstim: three-dimensional, fully-interactive entertainment experience," May almost blithely spouted the definition--like the rest of them might have detailed the description of a toaster. "Don't worry," she smirked. "You'll get to see 'em not too far down the road."

“Really?” asked Rafi back un surprise. The description scarily reminded him to how his own gift worked, when he used the senses of his creations. With his ‘fully interactive’ attribute it was topped with those senses that he missed -- yet, he added mentally --, like the perfect touch or taste, but otherwise it sounded very similar.

"Hrm.. Fully interactive? That might take away some of the need for imagination," Kyle mused. "Not to mention requiring a whole new slew of ratings guidelines.. The idea of potentially having to endure medical exams or sign waivers just to enjoy a movie just seems like it might detract from the experience..." he muttered softly, shaking his head slightly.

Damon cleared his throat to politely interject. "Actually...they're already here," he said. "You haven't been in Elysium City too long, have you?" he asked Kyle. "Or, at least...you haven't gone to the movies, have you?"

"Only been in EC a couple of days," Kyle replied. "Still in the midst of getting settled in. That and initial meetings with our agent have pretty much occupied all our time thus far."

Jennie's eyes went wide at the prospect. "Wicked," she shook her head gently. If Kyle knew his sister as well as he thought he did...he imagined that she was probably about five seconds from asking if there was such a thing as simstim pornos. Somehow, she managed to restrain herself.

He was glad she found the strength to refrain from asking something like that. Not that it meant she'd necessarily refrain from wanting to check into it later. Or, God forbid, inquire if there were home setups available for making your own.

"Never mind that," May said. "Back to the topic at hand: the relative merits of spiders, hmm?"

“Hey, I wasn’t the one, who said that she doesn’t like spiders!” raised his palms Rafi defensively, smirking meanwhile. The blue-chitined arachnid moved up to his shoulder with the motion, and positioned itself there, mimicking his master with his two front-leg, raising them too.

Lise practically squirmed to watch it crawl carefully up his shoulder.

Rafi restrained himself from sighing, as he noticed that Lise shows how much disguest she feels against his small servant. He then decided, that he’ll continue his speech, instead, leaving the lithe ballerina for now. 
“I can see here two nice spiders, and one of them is truly luring with its web or without it, I should say.” The young artist winked at May, and after that he glanced at Lise, making a funny face, to distract her thoughts about the spiders.

May looked, for a moment like she was anything but convinced. But then, a moment later, she burst into a wide grin. "Nice recovery, boys," she mused, looking between the two men. Seemingly tickled by their appraisal of her.

Rafi bowed gently, and smirked. “Your welcome, Princess Spider”, he said on a polite tone, like a herald of a royal court.

Kyle simply afforded her a courtly bow of his own in response.

"You've definitely got a point there, my friend," Kyle agreed. "I daresay she could readily ensnare anyone she chose."

"Most impressive art, my friend," Kyle remarked in admiration. "Quite the gift you have."

"If we're ready, then let's do this," Kyle suggested. "Clothe May in the illusion and keep yourself hidden," he advised Jennie gently.

Jennie nodded. "Right," she said, steadying herself and taking a deep breath. Slowly, in their midst, both Kyle and Rafi watched her slowly shimmer and seeming to lose substance...almost as if her very body was composed of all the light that sprung from her endlessly. It took a few moments of her slowly fading away in such a manner before she disappeared completely.

It was a live bit of performance art in Kyle's opinion, so beautiful and captivating was her disappearance, like unto a mirage wavering in the desert heat, or perhaps a glimmering of fey magic in some fantasy realm. All the same, he worried over how much she might strain herself maintaining that in addition to the planned illusory disguises.

Behind her, more off to herself than anything, Tanya began to gesticulate in the air, a brilliant golden light trailing her hands. She wove a pattern all around herself, the brightness of her magics combining with persistence of vision until it seemed a bright skein, all around her. Finally, she raised both hands over her head--and the light seemed to explode into a shower of luminous sparks, like those created by a hot welder. As they slowly came to ground all around her, every place they passed by her substance disappeared, like the pattern fading from an old television set. By the time they were all gone--she had vanished completely. "Three down," the sorceress' disembodied voice came from the spot where she had once stood. "Four to go."

“Nice trick”, admired Rafi the process as the two girls faded from his vision. Though it was two completely different powers in work, both had the same effect, and he saw some similarity in his own gift, as it rendered blank the page from where he animated his creations. 

This journey brought more and more task onto the surface for future considerations and experiments, he had to admit.

As she said, it, suddenly, a dark green haze seemed to settle down over Lise, and May. It quickly coagulated in balls of pulsating, shimmering light. Kyle could tell that she was having a hard time keeping it all together, maintaining such a grand deception all at once. But the lights slowly began to settle, eventually coming to conform to the outlines of each one of them. The yellow strips rolled up each one of their bodies, as if applied by a paint roller. Finally the belt fell into place, each octopod buckle put into place like she had written their disguises with her power...and only then, dotted the "i" on each one.

"I...can...barely...move," Jennie warned, her voice hesitant and quiet amongst their number. "This...isn't...easy. Don't...expect...me...to...do...anything...but...follow...you...guys."

It might have been a struggle, but the costumes looked great, there was no doubting.

"You've done great, beautiful," Kyle assured her, his earlier concerns over her strain only exacerbated by the obvious signs of the stress in her voice. "You don't have to do anything more. You've already woven a masterpiece."

"Just stay behind me," he pleaded gently, more concerned about her welfare now.

He could imagine her smiling, though it was impossible to tell. But just like Jennie had said...he could almost feel it, in spite of her invisible state, nonetheless. It made him wonder if, perhaps, she was onto something with the notion that their relationship somehow when deeper than that of normal siblings. Maybe, in becoming intimate, they had made it so, after a fashion. It was definitely something to consider, later, at a less stressful time.

There did seem to be some sort of connection between them at times. As the more emotionally outgoing of the pair, it seemed Jennie had always been more privy to whatever such link might exist. She'd always had a knack for knowing when he needed a bit of emotional fortifying. Most times, he'd simply chalked it up to her eternal effervescence and pixie-like attitude. Now, though, he began to idly wonder if perhaps there were more to it. Were they maybe the opposite sides of the same coin, walking representations of yin and yang? And if so, then what might that say about him and the darkness?

Questions and thoughts for another time, he reminded himself.

"Let's focus on what we came here to do," he said, more to himself than anything. "Let's rescue the lady and then we can all get the Hell outta this cesspool."

As Kyle said it, only two figures remained in the room. The darksome shadow-man that had just finished speaking...and a beautiful green feline, sniffing with interest in the air around himself, eager to find out what had just happened to his master's friends.

As he glanced down at the jade feline, a thought surfaced from the swarm - and how will ya hide him from the goons, he asked from himself.

“Uh-oh” he muttered under his breath, and scratched his head behind his right ear. “Any idea how you can hide a huge, massive jade feline on a corridor without bushes?” he asked the others. He definitely won’t send back Rasgar to Dreamland, where from he came, in any event, unless he’d be hurt by someone... but that couldn’t happen. Even the thought made him uneasy. If he’d be hurt, that’s okay, he came here for Carm, and a bullet won’t stop him... but to let that happen with his friend... that wasn’t so easy.

Perhaps he can change the jaguar’s colorization with his gift... he mused over it, and then grimaced wryly. A chameleon-jaguar, he thought and found the thought funny. 

"Thought the idea was for May, Jennie and myself to locate the lady, accompanied by your remote creation, while the jaguar and the rest remained here for the time being, held in reserve if needed," Kyle put forth. "Are we all heading out instead?"

"That's what I thought, too," May said, looking over at Rafi with a cocked brow.

“I’m already sitting, I just thought forward, to that future time when everything remains silent, and we can go to the corridor, too”, replied Rafi, and looked over to his feline companion, waiting for his decision. 

"Good point in thinking ahead. Leaves us better prepared and less likely to be caught flat-footed by various concerns," Kyle noted.

Lise walked over to where Rasgar loped by Rafi. "You need to stay here, my brave hunter," she said, in a whisper that was just loud enough that the others could hear it. "Stay behind and guard your master. He needs you here just as much as we need you to lead the hunt."

The jaguar seemed to understand her, at least at some level. And so, he turned around, sauntering over to Rafi's side, where he laid down on his belly next to him. Vigilant. Watchful.

He smiled at Rasgar, and stroked the side of his maw with his hand, before he placed it back to his lap, helping his concentration. His other hand was in his beltpack, touching his relic, and stroking that gently, too, with prickling fingertips. 

Kyle watched the jaguar's devotion with admiration. Having such a loyal and formidable friend to guard your back when your attention was focused elsewhere was no small thing.

May nodded in Kyle's direction. "After you," she nodded in the direction of the door. Beetlebum strode over to it and nervously turned its knob, pulling it wide open. Out in the hall, all was silent, all was still.

You could cut the tension with a knife.

Rafi closed his eyes, and an instant later, he looked up to his friends from a much lower position, and through eight little eyes. It took few moments to accommodate himself to the new vision, but then he moved his new legs, and ran to the door, where he turned back, as if an eager house pet, who awaits for the master to let him out.

Lise watched him skitter past her, making another little face as the arachnid danced past her on his way to the door. Damon looked over at Tanya and flashed her a big grin. "Friends in low places," he joked. The beautiful young sorceress laughed quietly, but merrily, in response.

The imaginary spider ran a small circle at the door, bowed gently, and then waved with one leg to Lise, and though it was impossible, the refraction of the odd lighting made his eyes winking. 

She almost squirmed again. No matter what kind of friendly face he put on it--it seemed a spider, in her eyes, would always be a spider.

Now that was the moment, when Rafi sighed once, and then shrugged -- with the eight shoulder of the spider at once. It seemed that it’ll take much more time to convince Lise that not all spider is from the same heritage, and even more to show her that they’re beneficial. But not now.

"And here I thought I was gonna be watching your back," Kyle softly teased May, trying to dispel at least a small portion of the palpable tension.

"Really?" she asked. "I figured your eyes might be a little lower," she replied with a wry grin and a little wink, leaving little doubt that she was simply having a bit of fun with the comment.

"I'm not going to claim that I haven't taken notice," he admitted. "Though it's but part of an overall appealing package, particularly when combined with your friendliness and wit."

She looked at him over her shoulder. "Ooh, I do need to keep you around," she replied without missing as much as a beat. "You are so good on a girl's ego."

The small, blue arachnid turned its attention to the visible duo, who’ll accompany him on the corridor, and pointed out with one leg. The sign was unmistakable - go, and leave the talk later. Rafi knew and liked as well the teasing and flirt, but so close to his love, he began to loose his calm temper, and felt more and more eager to get her as soon as they could manage.

Kyle had been about to respond to May when he noticed the reaction from the spider-proxy. With a courteous nod towards the spider, Kyle held his tongue in check, returning his focus to the important matters at hand.

Keeping his dark form to the ambient shadows to render himself as invisible as possible, Kyle began to slowly and carefully proceed down the hallway to the left, the direction in which the cell they sought apparently lay. Floating above the floor, keeping the pace slow so as to avoid straining Jennie any further, he headed towards the first door down the line, praying they'd find Rafi's lady quickly. As he went, he kept his shadowy senses alert, shifting back and forth so as to peer and listen through the darkness ahead and behind them in the hallway, to minimize chances of being surprised by a roving patrol.

Kyle found that it was actually easier to hang as close to the ceiling as possible, where the shadows gathered at its junction with the wall. There, the hanging lights glared dimmest, and his presence was almost completely non-existent. Still, he kept a few feet back from where Rafi's tiny spider marched down the corridor. He had thought to himself that, in spite of his inconspicuous gliding, the motion of both their approach might tip off an especially-alert sentry that something odd was afoot.

Rafi navigated the spider close to the wall, where the wall met the floor, to help hide his small, fast-moving body. He’d chosen this figure for more reasons, and the open reference to Spider-Girl was only one of them. Usually the people didn’t care with bugs or spiders, as they were small and though they could be annoying, they used to just shrug, and walk by. More, the spiders could see and sense in the dark, and that was what they needed the most, to know what’s behind the doors. 

Unfortunately, that didn't help him a bit with his attempts at scrying. As they passed by their first door, Kyle's frustration with whatever Blackball-like devices were being employed within the complex. His vision, his senses, they were all stymied by the portal before them, a plain metal obstacle unadorned with any sort of marking or label. Simply bearing a handle on its anonymous face, just as the one they'd walked from had been.

Rafi, on eight short-furred legs, strode up to it, like the sheer wall of a massive cliff face from his perspective. He saw that it bore no space beneath it to slip through at all.

But, for one of his illusions, he mused--that was no problem at all.

Chapter XIX - Reunion

The young artist took a deep breath, and slowly, like David Copperfield at the Big Wall of China, he sank into the door. Step after step, the tiny arachnid disappeared from the corridor, to surface within the cell. He stopped at the door, when his eyes became free, and then he tried to measure from that position what he found inside. He knew, if there is something at a higher place, he can climb up on the wall, or even within the door, using the doorframe, but before that he wanted to get a general picture.

Walking in through the solidity of the wall, Rafi found that he actually had very little problem at all seeing the entirety of the cell's confines. Part of that was because it was so small; part of that was because there was little in the way of anything to block his view. What he found, crawling in as he did, was a man, naked but for a thin white cloth, draped over his form like a funeral shroud. Much like he had seen Carmilla, in his vision of her earlier, his hands were bound in thick, heavy balls of some sort of polymer-substance, chains trailing from them up to the corners of the room at the ceiling. He hung there almost crucified, his weight torturing his shoulders, as his knees were barely suspended above the stone ground, though his feet dangled behind him limply. He had long, stringy blond hair the color of sand and was bruised all up and down his wiry form. It was impossible for Rafi to tell, to look at him, if he was sleeping...or dead.

The spider looked around, searching for cameras and for other detection devices, though he was relatively sure that if only the direct watching works, then the electronic surveillance devices would be blocked out too, and so, they’d be useless. 

But the safety came first. 

As he had suspected, Rafi could see nothing in the way of any kind of obvious detection equipment. He looked in all the usual places you might see such, in all the uppermost corners of the small room, along the walls, and over the door...but saw nowhere that such devices might even be attached. It made him smile to himself, quotes about living by the sword and dying by the same, idly coming to mind. They'd done a great job of making their prisoners as invisible to the eye as humanly possible.

Now, if they played their cards right, they might turn that measure against them.

The small spider made a happy dance, coz’ the smiling was denied from his features. If it’s not a trap, then this HYDRA or what, made the typical mistake, what the evil organizations used to make in the movies, and watching that you think this couldn’t happen in the real life... and now, it was in front of him, he saw, he sensed.

If their group could manage to free any of the prisoners after his lovely Scorpion, without any apparent damage to the door, the goons will notice that only when they open the door next time, and that can give them a lot of time to get out and elude their chasers. 

And though Rafi didn’t think that they won’t follow them, if they’ll have time to arrive to the Maxx Law, what Crystal and Obsidian suggested, they’ll safe... for a while. About the future, they’ll think then.

Even he knew that this prisoner isn’t Carm, and wanted to simply walk off, he couldn’t do that... The plan was, to free them after they left with Carm, and gave the intel either to the SHIELD or the Maxx Law, it’d be useful to know that this prisoner is a known superhero, or just some miserable, and know about his condition.

And so, the spider ran through the small distance, in front of the man, and looked at his face, at his neck, to check on his lifesigns, be the smallest heartbeat, visible through the skin over the vein. 

Nothing about him, under closer inspection, seemed familiar to the artist in the guise of a spider. He had, once, obviously been strong and relatively young...but his captivity had taken its toll on him, to be sure. His shoulders were both dislocated and the muscle badly damaged from the way that he hung in place. He could easily count each one of his ribs through a trunk of flesh withered away through a forced fast. He was dirty and sweaty and his chest only barely rose and fell, his breaths terribly shallow from the labor of taking in air in such a position. There was no telling how long he'd been there; it was almost certain, without help in the next few days, he would die in the tiny little cell.

Rafi watched the prisoners with eight smoldering eyes, breathing slowly and measured. His studies for his drawing allowed him to know how wrong and painful this pose was, and he could imagine every misplaced fiber in his body, with his rich and visual thinking.

It was a cruel thing, looking at the young man hanging there, and doing nothing but watch.

His heart ached to see another human being in such a condition--deserving or not.

But could he risk Carmilla to try and stage a rescue?

His soul, the good one, boiled to help out the prisoner, and free him, too, but his heart placed Carmilla over any other human or non-human being within these cells, and his mind know, that they’ll have their highest chance for success if he sticks to the plan, explores, and then grab his love, and leave, letting the SHIELD handle the whole complex later.

But this didn’t make the decision easier, not on any ways, he could think about. 

A breathe, and then another, slowly on the skinny ribs in front of his eyes.

“Damn”, muttered the tiny spider, from his soul, and promised himself to try everything to help these prisoners from their cells.

Though he was still blocked in his attempts to peer beyond the doors, Kyle made use of what avenues of shadow scrying were available to him. As his gifts evidently worked up and down along the length of the hallway itself, he periodically looked and listened to and fro along the hallway, watching carefully for any signs of anyone approaching from either end.

He also spared a moment to try casting his shadowy senses back into the room they'd departed, seeing if he could look and listen within there. He'd been able to employ his gifts from within that room, so it seemed logical that it lacked whatever cloaking feature the other rooms and cells apparently possessed. In that manner, he could help keep an eye on their comrades, should anything suddenly befall.

Kyle's senses took him to a place just beneath the overhang of the desk, where a parliament of shadows gathered deep and dark. From that vantage, though he could not see all of him for the angle, he saw Rafi's seated body from just above his waist and down, noticed Rasgar hiding around his ankles--ready to give anyone who might barge in on his a very nasty surprise. His notion that the room they'd left might be unshielded seemed dead-on; he didn't have any problems sensing its confines in the slightest.

The positioning of Rafi's body seemed to suggest that he'd perhaps projected his consciousness fully into the spider he'd manifested. If so, that would certainly explain how he might expect to be able to spy within the rooms when he himself could not; the tattooist would essentially be there physically, utilizing his own natural senses as opposed to remote scrying. It was good they had a method to discretely examine the rooms, and good that he could readily scry back through the shadows to check up on their friends.

Once he'd considered that, he cast his senses out, down the length of the hall once more, as he continued to glide on along the flat of the ceiling. Again, everything seemed still, quiet--

No.

There, a little ways away.. Something called out to his unique perceptions.

Perhaps another hundred feet up the hallway...now, about four doors down from their position, Kyle sensed two presences, their lifeglows shining out to him like lighthouse beacons on the dark shores of a midnight sea. Swiftly zooming in on their location with his visual senses, sighting them from the very shadows on the ceiling that provided his cover, he saw that they were both tall and strong men, wearing them same garb as his friends masqueraded in, making them anonymous, all the same. Both of them stood still as statues, menacing-looking futuristic rifles in their hands. They were obviously sentries, wary and alert.

They stood bracketing a door, on the left wall of the corridor.

A pair of those neo-Nazi goons, armed and at attention, guarding a specific door amongst those in this stretch of hallway? Evidently whomever was incarcerated in that particular cell merited special attention. They had reason to suspect that Rafi's lady was indeed rather close by, so perhaps it might be in that room where she was being held.

After he checked the blonde man, the arachnid turned back to the door, and slipped through it easily again. Once he was inside, he looked around to locate May, and then ran to her to share the informations with her, before they head down further.

Kyle slowly and carefully slid his shadowy form down along the wall a bit, keeping to the darker places to help mask his cautious pace. Moving just a bit closer so that he could softly whisper to May, he relayed what he'd noticed.

"Two muscled guards, a hundred feet up, fourth door on the left," his ghostly whisper flowed forth. "Our girl?" he suggested.

He considered that it might be best to maintain their steady approach, with May perhaps seeming to be a goon simply spot-checking each door as she walked past to ensure all was well. It would enable them to provide SHIELD better intel after all. The slow approach would also likely be best for Jennie, minimizing the excess strain upon her, but he waited to hear May's thoughts on the matter.

"Almost definitely," she muttered back. "No way they'd post a guard unless they had a very special prisoner to look after. And even if it's not Carm, if it's some kind of VIP...it's definitely somebody we should be interested in."

"Noted," Kyle agreed in a soft whisper. Whomever was within might not be the lady they sought, but was still apparently the most important prisoner in this area, meaning it would likely be someone they'd want to relate to SHIELD upon their return.

“In the cell before there was a blonde, young man, in very bad condition. His face wasn't familiar to me. But he has only days left, prolly”, muttered the little blue arachnid to May’s ear, from her shoulder. 

"Then he likely wouldn't handle teleportation well," Kyle whispered softly. "Best we can do for him is pray he can keep holding out long enough for us to notify SHIELD and for them to return in force."

May nodded--though only slightly, so as to not betray the fact that she was doing anything but marching in time with the others, down the hallway. "We'll get to him," she murmured an assurance back to Rafi. "If he's got days, he's got enough time," she mused. "More than enough time for us to get him help--provided we manage to get out of here in one piece." There was no mistaking that it was her way of reminding them to remain focused on their task. And it was a point well-taken, too. They wouldn't be able to help anyone if they were in the slightest bit sloppy, now. Likely...they'd end up hanging in chains with him, instead.

“Sure” he responded ever so silently, under his breath, as he thought back to the plan, just like he did inside the cell. It wasn’t an easy decision, but Carmilla’s mentioning made him curious right at the moment, his soul burned from his emotions, so he jumped down and then skittered forward, to the direction of the guards.

Kyle well understood Rafi's sense of urgency. He doubted he'd remain so calm as the tattooist had thus far, were it Jennie locked away.

The group of them continued to march together down the hall. From both above and below, Kyle and Rafi thought that they did a pretty good imitation of the formation the goons they'd seen before, from the security of the ventilation shaft. Their footsteps made a solid, rhythmic beat on the stone floor beneath them that echoed as they walked.

Rafi couldn’t help, but thought on the classic joke about the mice and the elephant... “Do you hear, Jumbo, how we clunk?” he muttered under his breath.

From his position, with his tiny voice, none of them heard him. It was just as well; the humor might've been lost on most of his friends, anyway.

To Kyle, it seemed as if each step was overly loud, but then he was also hearing and feeling each footfall resound through the shadows. Of course, it wasn't actually any louder than the roving patrol of goons in the hall had been; it only seemed like it, due to tense situations always making one more acutely aware of every little noise they made, much as one's own breathing and heartbeat sounded unbelievably loud when trying to hide.

Twenty feet further, it was enough to attract the attention of the guards. Both green-suited sentries glanced in their direction briefly before resuming their discipline, staring straight ahead. On his tiny eight legs, Rafi had to run as quickly as he could, scurrying in a frenzy to keep up with them. From above, it seemed to Kyle like the guards might be perfectly happy to let them pass unhindered, if that was their intent.

"Rafi...Kyle..." May murmured. "We need a look inside as fast as you can get it for us."

"Preferably, before we're too far along."

When he saw them, he froze on his tracks in the shadows at the meeting of the wall and the floor. From his position, they were like giants, with mystical weapons. He knew enough about his creature that these guards would overshadow him in his real body, too. Typically the situation where he couldn’t allow them to land a single blow, or his chances would turn worse than he could imagine.

But even that couldn’t stop him now, so close to his love.

The slightly unearthly, blue arachnid sleeked forward within the shadows, far lower than the guards’ eyesight, until he reached the door. There he stopped for a moment, and glanced back to his friends, though he knew that they prolly can’t see him yet, it gave him courage.

It actually worked out rather well. Though the guards did not challenge them or even speak, their attention was focused on the small phalanx of disguised heroes. It was more than enough of a distraction that a tiny blue spider at the ground level went by unnoticed by their watchful eyes...or a looming shadow hovering near the ceiling, for that matter.

He watched the guards for a moment, considering their clothing and armory, searching for easy spots for Rasgar, and for him, too. It wasn’t like an ordinary robbing or something back at Frisco, here he must act with force, the illusionary heroes won’t be enough, he knew. The hard part will be to do it silently, without letting them utter a single syllable, to give them time. 

IF this will be Carmilla’s cell, certainly. But who else could be so important, to be guarded on top of the cell’s chains and the prisoner’s state, he asked himself. It was a question what cried out to be answered, so he turned, and stepped closer to the door, until he was only a hair’s width away.

Kyle was very glad that most people never tend to look up. Sure, his ebon form was nigh invisible against the shadowy backdrop, but eagle-eyed guards could have noticed the faint signs of movement if they'd looked, which would've resulted in more intense visual scrutiny at the very least. Fortunately, that little portion of events had seemed to play in their favor.

Kyle watched them all pass by the guards on either side of the door, on their way to the end of the hallway, in the distance. He was starting to get worried. What May had in mind--for them, when they finally got there, or him, left behind--wasn't entirely clear. Maybe she hoped that he'd ad-lib it from there, he mused. Or maybe she'd had something else in mind, but had never gotten time to tell him, for their proximity to the guards flanking the door. It made him more than a little uncomfortable, the stress and tension in the moment mounting even higher.

Luckily for him, energy forms had no intrinsic lungs or inherent need for breathing, sparing him the embarrassment of giving away his position and spoiling their plans via nervous hyperventilating. Still, he had to calm himself and try to figure something out, some way he might be able to assist.

Rafi slowly submerged into the portal’s material, just like formerly, to surface inside and to know, not just hope what’s inside.

Kyle wasn't sure what May was expecting him to do. He'd already told her he hadn't been able to scry through the shadows into any of the rooms. And the doors on the cells seemed airtight, so his energy form might not be able to slip past the seals either. Not to mention a large shadow slithering along the wall could end up drawing attention, even if he tried discretely sliding down the wall behind the guards. He didn't like the idea of presuming they would be that unobservant.

Blind teleportation certainly didn't seem too encouraging a prospect either. Sure, there was probably at least enough space immediately on the other side of the door that a ten-foot hop or so should see him safely inside. But what if he ended up disoriented from the 'port? The guards would almost certainly hear him inside if he collapsed, or started puking again...

The more he thought about it, the more it seemed there wasn't anything for him to do. Rafi's proxy could evidently slip through the doors easily enough, enabling him to report back on what lay within, so there didn't seem to be any need for him to do anything either.

Except, perhaps, to simply man up and try...

"Be ready to drop those guards if I draw attention," he whispered softly to May, taking the moment to try casting forth his shadowy senses, to see if he could scry within this particular guarded cell. Not that he was really expecting any success along that route..

Once again, he saw nothing. And they had come so close to the guards now that Kyle wasn't even sure whether she'd heard him and didn't dare answer or whether he'd tried to be so quiet that she'd missed what he'd said entirely. Everything was all starting to build up to a crux within him now, all the tension, the frustration...he though that even without the trigger mechanism of his teleport, he mind end up becoming ill.

Darksome eyes narrowed slightly, a thin sliver of ebon energy that might pass for a mouth if one were gracious drawn tight in the resolution of half-expected disappointment. He'd figured the cell would be shielded from his scrying, and so it had proven to be, further limiting the scope of his options. Whether May had heard him or not, he figured she'd be alert and quick enough to respond if things began to go awry. The main question was simply whether he'd lose his resolve and hang back to see what occurred, or if he'd try to do something to help.

They passed by the guards. Neither group exchanged words.

But Kyle, himself, had come to a silent decision on his own. Which amounted to: fuck it.

He couldn't simply sit back and let others take all the risks. He had to try.

Marshaling his will, and trying desperately not to screw up his courage, Kyle prepared himself for an attempt at a short teleport. He fortified his will by reminding himself that it was only a short distance, and that he was only transporting himself, not the assemblage he'd shunted earlier. With a silent prayer to the gods for success, he focused and strove to shunt himself through the dark and beyond the guarded door into the cell.

Whether it succeeded or not, it should at least reveal a small bit of useful information, namely whether teleportation or similar methods of transit might be blocked by the cells.

As Kyle tossed himself backward through himself--through the void of his own shadow--it would turn out that he would learn just as much about himself as he learned about the construction of the prison facility.

He fell through the other side of the two-faced coin that reality presented itself to him as. Once again, everything beyond that wide open abyss of a threshold was the most complete, utter black imaginable. An infinite vista of utter darkness that swallowed him up for its totality, it was staggering for its vast, bleak nothingness. It was so cold in that sea of darkness that even he as a shadow shuddered for it. But this experience was different than the one before it. Before, with Jennie, he'd dived deep into the forever-obsidian sea for the distance he'd tried to swallow up in the gesture. Then, he'd had to do so again, taking so many along with him on the desperate journey. This time, he did neither. And though he felt some bit of discomfort, it was not the all-encompassing nausea that had possessed him before. Once again, he could feel the darkness calling out to something within him, central and essential, but its siren song--bent upon keeping him forever within its infinite cloak--was easier to resist. This time, he had not dived nearly so deep into the shadows.

He'd figured it would be less stressful upon him, being a short and solo journey, and was certainly glad to see that it was playing out that way. There was still the sensation of something in the void, mayhap the void itself, beckoning to him. And, despite its cold and forbidding nature, he could see some appeal to the eternal dark. It was a seemingly endless resource, at once a great workshop and endless playground, apparently available to him alone, entrancing in its potential and power. But, for all that temptation, it could not hide what it was not.. It was neither warm nor loving in its comfort, instead more akin to the bleakness of space or the dark of the grave. And like those, it was comprised of a terribly solemn loneliness. It could give him much, but it couldn't fill his longing for his love and his friends, couldn't nurture his heart and soul.

And so, it was much easier for him to return...whole and himself.

He reminded himself to be wary and alert for Rafi's spider when he transited back through into the world of warmth and color. It'd be rather embarrassing if he successfully warped through, only to accidentally brush the proxy with his energy form and perhaps dispel it.

Rafi strode through the door on his eight delicate legs at more or less the precise moment Kyle appeared three feet within the confines of the room. One of them was remote and distance, far from the room, the other had just affected a harrowing journey of body and soul. Neither was entirely prepared for what they saw on the opposite side of the door.

The young tattooist in the spider’s body danced away in surprise when Obsidian popped in from nothing, he stared at the shadowy energy-form with at least six eyes, measuring the darker spot between the normal shadows, and the memory of the cold what he brought with him from his journey. “But how?” he asked from the shadowy hero.

"Same way I first got us in here," came the ghostly whisper from the living shadow, watching curiously as the spider scuttled back and away, then circled around to stare at him.

When he calmed, then he turned his attention back to the cell, to its prisoner.

Kyle turned his gaze to the unfortunate prisoner before them, his dark eyes narrowing in anger as he beheld the cruelty of the situation.

The woman within the tiny stone cell's confines was bound much as the man that Rafi had seen before had been. She was clothed in that same thin white fabric, like the dress of a dead woman. Her hands were bound in the same thick, heavy balls of polymer-substance, chains trailing from them up to the corners of the room at the ceiling. Too, she hung there almost crucified, her weight an agony unto itself on her shoulders, her knees suspended just above the stone ground in a like manner, her feet limp upon behind her. Like the man had been, it was impossible to tell if she were unconscious or dead.

With the cell's cloaking almost certainly preventing the use of his shadowy senses to feel along the woman's back beneath her prisoner's rags for telltale signs of breathing, Kyle had to rely upon his intrinsic vision instead. Still, he afforded himself a brief attempt at remote tactile sensation, even as he visually studied the tormented figure, trying to discern if she indeed still lived.

Kyle reached out with his darksome senses trying to utilize the forest of shadows created by her white shroud, making a beautiful scarecrow of her within the cold cell's confines. Once again, the device that its owners utilized to keep those within their possession hidden from prying eyes defied his tenebrous power. It was not unexpected...but now, faced with the horror of her condition, it no longer even frustrated him.

No, Kyle was a civilized man. He was too shocked by the sight of her for that.

He had not even the proverbial breath for a mild sigh of expected annoyance at being thwarted by the cloaking. The absolute viciousness of what was being inflicted upon this woman, the brutal mockery of what might once have been a strong and vibrant lady that they had reduced her to, produced a shiver where his spine would be, a sensation every bit as cold as the depths of the void itself. This was not a way to have to witness someone you knew, let alone one's beloved, and he desperately tried to grasp at the hope that this would not be Rafi's lady, that they might locate her in another cell in at least somewhat better condition.

In his soul, however, he had the chilling suspicion that such would be a prayer unanswered.

Her long hair, greasy and dirty, framed her hung head as it nearly touched the ground. It belied what they both knew were lovely features, under almost any other circumstances.

Even in the wan light of the cell--it was still a beautiful shade of shadowy green.

For Kyle, it was an exercise in horror and sorrow, his eyes glistening reflectively in sheer anguish as the scene all too easily summoned forth images of Jennie in torment. He had not even the words to ask Rafi if this were his lady, the cruel imagery before him tearing at his own heart and soul.

Rafi gasped, and barely managed to refrain himself from shouting, what burst up from his hurt soul. “No, no, no...” he muttered under his breath, his hand moved automatically back at the room, to reach out and hold her into his arms, but instead, only the spider moved. In an instant, the remote arachnid were under the girl, looking up to that face what he could draw perfectly, even with closed eyes.

Kyle still stared at her, even as the eight-legged extension of Rafi's senses crawled beneath her like some pale, macabre tarpaulin. It took them both some time, from either perspective, to realize that her chest did in fact rise and fall. It was only because of the pained labor of the effort that either man was able to notice; the gesture itself was too feeble, too weak for either of them to see in any other fashion.

Rafi would sigh relieved in any other situation, would he notice that the person is alive, but now, he could not do that. His throat was rutted, his heart barely worked from the fear that it would be Carmilla, indeed. The spider, created from his imagination and from his heart, shivered, as it sneaked closer and closer, until he saw perfectly the green-haired prisoner. Every step, every look was a pain; he clenched his fists in the effort to be able to do that.

While there was some small comfort to be taken in the fact that the lady yet lived and breathed, the obvious torment that ensued in each desperate struggle for another breath likewise made Kyle wince for the sight of it. No one with a soul or any ounce of human empathy could devise and enact something so cruel.

"Is... Is it.. her?" Kyle's ghostly whisper issued forth hesitantly, an echo of pain coloring its timbre.

Rafi gazed up at her face, a sinister pattern of dark shadows from his viewpoint beneath her. But even for the darkness, he had memorized the beautiful contours of her face, her every feature delicate as a dream, mighty as a rose. He would know his Carmilla were he a blind man.

And it was her.

“Yes” he breathed, and a teardrop appeared in the corner of his eyes, and slowly drifted down on his dark skin as he watched her lover’s angelic features, turned into the pale copy of her original beauty. She was like a dream, still, the most beautiful woman in his eyes, but her condition twisted his mind. The line of the sanity, what he balanced on became thinner and thinner with every moment what he spent looking at her, away from her, but he couldn’t turn his eyes away.

A single drop of something akin to oil trickled forth from the corner of Kyle's eye, glistening in the faint light for a moment before it dissolved into the shadowy energy of his being. The confirmation that this was indeed Rafi's lady was welcome for its heralding of the nearness of their goal, yet heartbreaking for the tragedy of the circumstances.

She was pale. Paler than usual, as if much of the blood had been drunk from the graceful curve of her neck by some hungry vampire. It might have been why she did not even stir in her unconsciousness; why her eyes did not flutter, even deep within the throes of a nightmare. To look at her in that way, chained and bound, Rafi remembered when he had first seen her in his vision. Remembered how his heart had broken a little, just to see her so.

What remained of it, a hundred yards away, shattered within his chest.

Through the angel from her back he didn’t see that she is in so terrible condition. He saw it, sure, but from this close, it was something what had eaten itself through his forced calmness, and began to endanger his concentration. The small spider’s image wavered for a moment or two, just like the holograms when something disturbs their signal, but the fear from possibility of loosing her sight moved Rafi to hold on. 

Another teardrop fell to his chest, after sliding along his set jaw.

Kyle could empathize with what Rafi must be going through, to see his lady so pale and drawn, heralding that she had not much time left to her if she remained subjected to such cruelty. And yet, to be forced to let her linger in such pain while they worked to devise plans to carefully and successfully spirit her away from this place. Every second that passed must be like another dagger, driven deep and coldly twisting in his heart. Kyle's own heart ached to see this, and she was but the beloved of a new-found friend to him at the moment. But he could imagine how much worse it might be for one connected to her by the bonds of love.

Though it was only an hour ago that he saw her in this state, and he remembered that she is alive, Rafi wanted to touch her with his own arms, to hold her close; he wanted to kiss and protect her from anything. But now, he could only watch... so the spider skittered up on her feet, to get closer to see slender neck, and to see her heartbeat.

Her foot was cold, like pale alabaster. Climbing higher and higher, it took him some time before her could see the pulse in the lovely turn of her neck. It was too weak to see it from any distance. Even with his concentration so focused on maintaining the illusion of his spider, Rafi felt himself tremble for fear and anguish.

The slow pulse made him relieve a little, she was still alive, and he should not bury her and their faith yet. It was painful to see and feel her in such state, but there was hope, too. And friends. And a war to unleash, just like it was promised.

“Easy, Rafael, easy” he muttered under his breath, and forced himself to slow his own breathing. It wasn’t easy, but he thought at the clapping in the roda, which was his leading strand, and it helped. The young dancer was still angry, he still felt the fear and pain, but he managed to see it from an outer position, letting them pass through himself, allowing him to think more clearly.

Another teardrop gathered in his eyes, but this stopped there, trembling and sparkling in the light of the office.

Kyle watched as Rafi strove to examine her via his proxy, checking to see if she lived and was strong enough to transport. He understood the pain that likely wrenched at the man, forced to see his love in such horrid straits, and to be himself tortured by not being able to immediately carry her away from it all. Though these were but newly made friends, and he'd not yet even met the lady herself, Kyle felt it like a dagger in his own heart to see them pained like this. His anger towards those responsible began to rise.

She lived still, he was sure. But though she did, he was completely unconvinced that she was stable enough to survive a journey through the darkness. It was a harrowing experience in the best of times, with Jennie at the side of his passengers to stave off its hunger with her light. In her condition and without the grace of his sister...what remained of the life within her, a tenuous matchstick's flicker, might be completely extinguished if it were to be immersed in shadow.

No, the cold embrace of the void would be all too eager to hungrily feed upon the faint traces of her spark, consigning her to dark oblivion, and that he would not allow. The Magess' healing draughts and her own teleportation magic would be the lady's best bet for being safely squired away from this infernal pit. If circumstances required transit through the void, then perhaps a double dose of healing potion and being closely guarded by Jennie's light might enable her to endure. Even then, were the void to be the mode of transit, Kyle swore to himself that he would give of his own essence to aid in shielding her.

Then he fell onto the floor again, moved out from her shadow, and glanced up to Kyle, with sorrow and pain in his eight tiny eyes, and shivering legs. “I’ll go, and tell May and to the others. Take care of her, please.” It was the hardest part, leaving like that, but Rafi was smart enough to know that his spider couldn’t do anything with her right now... so the faster he’ll get to the others with the information, the faster can he come here in his own body -- so he opted for the leaving.

"With my life," Kyle assured him, cold steel in his whisper, even as his eyes shone like polished onyx with an understanding of Rafi's own pain.

The blue arachnid moved to the door, reluctantly, glancing back once before he reached the portal, and began to walk through it again.

Rafi walked out through the solidity of the door, once again, bracketed by the two sentries outside. Glancing down the hallway, unnoticed by the twin jade monoliths, he saw that the group of green-clad soldiers that he presumed were May and the others were perhaps thirty feet distant already. Immediately, his mind began to race. It would be a problem. When he was completely astride them, he'd had to have the little spider run for all it was worth, just to keep up with them. Now, with such a head start, Rafi knew there was no way he was going to catch them. Even if his illusion were capable of it, the speed it would have to achieve in order to do so would certainly alert the guards with such movement.

Damn, he thought, measuring the situation, and trying to figure out something what he could and more importantly what he should do. He had a small, illusionary spider under the guards, and nothing more. Even if he shouts after May, or he drops the spider and walks out from the room, the goons will have time to call enforcements. If there were only one, he could bite him with the spider, and hope that venom -- if there would be any -- would be strong enough to stun the soldier, but they were two.

He didn’t remember the guards from his first vision, when he looked around with the angel, so something must’ve happened since, which called up the fear that they might’ve expect intrusion, and then they had even less time to succeed. 

He could try to enlarge the spider, and then enmesh them with its web, silencing and holding them in place at once, but that was risky, too. But this idea called on another... what if he uses their own armory to disable the guards? He saw them, their clothes and their green armor... perhaps he could animate it, and then solidify around their mouth and limbs, like an eggshell or an old full-plate, but without joints.

It sounded easier than the venomous bite... that was more Carm, than he. He mused over for it a moment, and then shifter his gaze to the guards, and hoped that May’s sense will tingle, and they’ll come back to help in time.

Kyle gently nodded towards the spider as he took up a sentinel's position watching over the lady. Arranging himself before her, and between her and the door, it was clear anyone intruding would have to go through him first. And the fact that his energy form seemed to deepen to an impossibly darker black seemed to suggest there'd be Hell to pay for any who dared to try.

Turning back in the direction of the door, he waited. And as he stood there, in that way, he imagined the woman behind her, the agony she must have been in for the manner in which she was bound. They had gone out of their way to place her in a position of slow torture--the kind meant to break both a person's body and soul alike. And as he considered it, with a bitter anger rising with every passing moment, he had something special in mind, to be sure, for whomever might....

He instantly stopped the train of thought. Rafael, he knew, had sent his illusory spider into the cell nearest their room from which they'd entered the prison level, hoping to spy out not only who might be held as a prisoner within that tight confine--but also to see if he might be able to determine what sort of device was being used to generate the cloaking effect within it. He seemed like a bright young man; he was sure that he had done a good job of it.

But bright or not, Rafi could not see in the darkness.

At least, not like Kyle could.

No, the dark was his home, standing as open and revealed to him as the sunlit world was to others. There was little, if anything at all, that the dark held in concealment from him. All it required was for him to look, and the dark was oft eager to present the treasures and secrets it kept hidden from everyone else.

And so, directly over the top of the door's frame, mortared into the stone, he saw a small black box. It looked like they had cut a square from the rock's substance, just large enough to slide it into. The thing was painted black, a camouflage so complete in the darkness of the cell that it was all but invisible.

Except to a man of living shadow.

A faint echo of a smile creased its way across the energy facade as he observed the device. He slowly resigned his original sentinel position before Rafi's lady, flowing like spectral ink up closer to the ceiling as he drifted and oozed his way over towards the top of the door frame so he might avail himself of a closer look at the cloaking device. He wanted to carefully scrutinize it, to see what he might be able to discern of its workings, and perhaps how to disable it.

Of course, it also didn't hurt matters at all that his new position of a lurking shadow, hidden in the dark up above the door, could present for a really nasty surprise for any intruders happening into the room.

Kyle ran his ephemeral shadow-fingers across the device's contours almost lovingly, sweeping across the darkness that ensconced it as if to claim it for the void. As he did it, he memorized its every nuance, it's construction and fabrication. It was a simple thing, really, upon his close inspection. It was set with a hinge that folded its top open and shut, affixed tightly to the remainder of the cube with a pressure-clasp, to keep it closed, no matter its orientation. It was not difficult for him to see that it was not designed in such a way so as to be trapped with an alarm, so he allowed a single finger to regain its solidity, pushing open the clasp that held it closed, then swinging the top of the box open to inspect its internal workings.

With the top gently and carefully opened, he peered into the darkness within, a faint shimmer in his onyx orbs akin to that of a child who's just been told he can open one of his Christmas presents early.

It would have been impossible for anyone but him, a man to whom darkness was day. For him, looking into the small confines clearly revealed what approximated a small purpose-built computer. He saw the tiny battery-operated power supply running up to a stripped-down motherboard, three sticks of RAM running in parallel to two cards of an unknown purpose. They ran up to what approximated a small keyboard that was little more than the pushbutton numerics of a pocket calculator. That was affixed and wired to a little digital screen.

"Cool," his ghostly whisper issued forth as he committed it all to memory, mentally diagramming and blueprinting everything, laying out the schematics exactly as seen before him.

It was more than he could've hoped for. It would be a simple thing for him to disable, he was convinced. But that was only a fraction of the possibilities that availed, as he gazed into the tiny box, primitive...but oh-so effective.

The keypad meant a source of input. And that meant it was reprogrammable.

And that made it infinitely more valuable than simply an obstacle to be destroyed, even for one who was hardly an expert, such as himself.

The darksome smile that crept across his shadowy face would have been sure to have given a child an endless supply of harrowing nightmares, to be sure.

Of course, the question of how best to exploit its reprogrammable nature was a difficult one, one for which Kyle himself lacked easy answers. Among the first thoughts to occur to him were attempting basic instructions to see if he might be able to carefully and safely shut it down without damaging it, as well as perhaps seeing about adjusting its range and efficacy.

For now, however, the likely best option would be to leave its programming alone. Removing it, intact and functional, would enable them to enjoy its benefits along the hallway, without having to rely upon May's device. It was always good to have a backup in case something happened to one.

Moreover, that would enable him to pick the brains of the rest of the group in regards to ideas for it, as well as give him a shot at getting it back home and being able to take time to try and reverse engineer it, with a particular focus on learning how he might be able to best such devices in the future.

With such thoughts in mind, Kyle carefully re-examined the device to see if it bore anything that immediately stood out as a tracking device, even though such glaring advertisements were rather unlikely. Making a mental note to have the others check it out and scan it as they might be able, he set about slowly and carefully liberating it, containment box and all, from its tiny alcove.

As he slid it from the small cut alcove in the stone, Kyle looked carefully within the shoebox-sized cabinet that held the cloaking device within it. He saw nothing that looked anything at all like a tacking mechanism. He was sure if he used one of its input/output devices to connect it to some kind of network, they might be able to trace it through its processor encoding or some on-die motherboard serial...but he had no intention of anything of the sort. At least, not yet.

No, as tempting as the device indeed was, playing with it would have to wait. At the very least, he'd prefer to discuss the potential with the others. Although some idle thoughts did percolate in his brain already, such as curiously pondering if the cloaking devices in the other cells were all stand-alones, or if they might perhaps be linked to one another in a dedicated wireless network. Granted, hacking one and using it to disable all the others was likely a bit much to hope for, but still an idea worth investigating.

It passed from within the stone wall almost effortlessly. Kyle had decided that what he was holding was HYDRA's ham-fisted attempt at reverse-engineering something like May's Blackball. Like most similar attempts, it was much bulkier and less-refined. But it still functioned well enough. Well enough that he fully intended on keeping it for himself.

Making off with this would certainly be a damn sight better than a I invaded a HYDRA base and all I got was this lousy t-shirt souvenir.

Another wicked smile crept across his shadowy features as a thought occurred to him. He might not be able to properly sense into the cells with the cloaking devices active, but it might still be possible for him to seize control of the shadows within the cells through his powers. If the cloaking devices were all ensconced in the same relative place in each cell, perhaps he could wield the shadows within to disable them. Sure, it'd more likely be destruction rather than deactivation, but it could still be quite effective if successful.

If he could neutralize the devices in such a fashion, then he'd be able to scry into the cells, thus gathering more intel on the prisoners.

It took only a moment to decide which plate he wanted to use for the stunt, he smiled wryly at the irony, and then he called forth his power. He imagined the green octopod moving on the one of the guards’ belt, once, slowly. A second later, another move, this time more visible. 

The man stationed to the left of the door, from his perspective, had been chosen as the unlucky one. The first time the tentacle moved, a little flicking of one of his eight tendrils, he didn't notice at all. Its second movement was much more flagrant however...and though he didn't see it, his fellow guard must've caught the bit of motion out of the corner of his eye. He turned to look down at his belt buckle, which in turn made his partner do the same.

By the time both men had looked--it was far too late.

Suddenly all the tentacles spread out from the belt, and lashed back to grab the two men tightly, pulling them close to another, and disabling their arms. Rafi tried to direct one of the tentacles to their mouth, to silence them, but the strain washed over him, and at the end, all he wanted was that his trick’d work.

The golden tentacles of the beast that had been painted so as to snare the entirety of the world in its unrelenting grasp shot forth like thin arcs of lightning. It leaped from the midsection of the first guard to encircle his waist, pinning his arms to his body--simultaneously reaching out to do the same to his partner, at his side. The guard who wore the image Rafi possessed with his power was helpless against the sudden strike, his arms held fast and strong and his mouth muffled by yet another golden limb before he could cry out an alarm. The flash of sudden movement was so violent that neither of them had the time to notice the small spider at their feet winking out of existence, the man who controlled it a hundred strides distant, unable to divide his attention so completely as to control both aspects of his gift at once.

Rafi struggled for the spider for a moment, but then he let it cease as the groove of the hydra’s controlling grabbed him within. It needed much more focus to control all the eight tentacle than the tiny legs of the spider in spite of their same amount. It was strange at first, to feel the suction-cups pull on the guards body and armament, and the tiny hooks around them, diving themselves into the goon’s body. 

And this happened within a second... in spite of his own training to be at more places at once, his fear and anger made him unable to pull that stunt for now. Still, he watched as the other guard evades his tendrils and saw his feet coming down at the once-existing spider...

The other guard jumped at the blue of motion, striking out at him. Even in the whirlwind-maelstrom of the moment, everything seemed to slow down for Rafi, as if he were in a car crash. He'd been quick enough, struck so suddenly and with such surprise, that the first guard hadn't had a chance. But the second guard was spinning, turning in a wild, flailing effort to escape the cloying tendrils, seeking him out. Rafi could see his lips about to form a scream. He'd been--

The young artist, this time within a world-consuming, mad symbol’s body moved its free tentacles to grab the other guard as well, but he knew that he’ll be late... even if he can made it. The time slowed down even more as he watched the emerging cry on the goon’s lips, and that’d be their end if it happens... but he couldn’t do anything against it.

Then, from the corner of his vision, another blur. This one too fast for even him to track.

“Wha...” the silly question formed on the lips of the skull, but he hadn’t the time to say it before the strike happened.

It was formless from the speed with which it had achieved. Like the light from the sky above, only visible long after it caressed the eye. But unlike any mere sunbeam--it brought with it a sound as it was upon him, faster than perception would allow.

KR-RUNNCH!

It made Rafi wince for the sound, that of bone shattering beneath layers of flesh. A red rain of blood exploded from the corner of the guard's mouth, spraying hotly across the golden tentacles he held his partner motionless within, dappling it with a hundred red freckles all up and down its length. The guard dropped to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut. He never had a chance for the scream to leave his throat.

The wind that followed the incredible velocity followed, sweeping down the hall like an invisible tidal wave. The guards' green outfits whipped at their end for its violence, quelled to stillness a moment later.

Rafi stared at the fallen guard; his eyes were wide, revealing dark blue lights in the brackets of the skull where the eyes should’ve been. Even in his shocked state, without his normal calmness, his imagination worked perfectly, thanks to the almost decade-long self-training. 

It was like in an action movie, he thought, the guard knocked down with a single hit from one of the heroes, broken and unconscious for a while, but hopefully alive. Anybody did this, was damn good and had to have strong fist, he mused over it, before finally the mystery was solved.

In the heart of the calming violence, Lise stood, appeared from nowhere as if by a magic trick. She was shaking her hand painfully, mouthing out a silent growl of discomfort. Rafi saw that the knuckles on her right hand, unfurling from a clenched fist, were red and raw. It had all happened so fast that he hadn't realized until just then, with everything returned to its quiet and still, what had happened: She'd crossed the hundred feet of hallway in a fraction of an eyeblink. And laid him out with her best right cross.

Damon had been right, he considered. She was good.

“DAMN FAST”, the skull muttered, on a voice like a huge bell ringing, deep and attention-grabbing, yet silent enough to not to overload the corridor. He wanted to ask at first that if it hurts, but he thought it’d be better to keep his mouth shut on that topic, as the apparent pain was enough answer. From a ballerina, that was a way to strong punch...

He could hear the others, turned and beginning to hustle back quickly in the direction of the door. Lise looked at the guard's belt buckle and grinned, still shaking her hand. "Next time," she hissed, "tell me before you're gonna pull a stunt like that!" Her short hair, the precise color of winter snow, had only just stopped blowing in the breeze created by her impossible speed.

“SURE” he answered, but then noticed the way he talked, and after a deep breath, he turned his voice back to normal. Well, almost normal - it was still deep, but this time filled with sorrow and pain. “Sorry, but she is in there... and you were too far for my spider to reach without notice. I had to do something, and I hoped that you’ll be able to catch the guards if something will fail.”

The mentioning of the others reminded Rafi that his captive is still conscious, so he put another tendril up to his eyes, and one to his throat. This had to prevent the guard to see the group, to report their appearance. The speed they got back was fast, and he didn’t know if Jennie could keep up the illusion, if Lise break out from the group.

As he considered it, his answer was apparent. Her short white hair and breathtakingly pale blue eyes were familiar, ever-reminiscent of winter. Her thin jacket and loose tan pants looked nothing like the uniform of one of the goons they fought. Either Jennie had dropped the illusion that had covered her--or, more likely, she had simply outrun it.

He wanted to put this guard unconscious, too, but he didn’t have the courage to choke it to that state. He’ll ask May for a kick or punch, he decided.

She looked down at the fallen guard, laid deep into unconsciousness, then up at the other, encircled in the thin golden tentacles brought to life by Rafi's power. Finally back at the skull emblazoned on the buckle he'd possessed.

"Okay," she looked back and forth hastily. "Now what?"

“Open the door, free Carm and then leave, as fast as we can,” replied Rafi, on a tone that a surprised parent use when his kid asks something overly stupid. He wanted to be there, to hold his love in his arms, in the real ones...

She realized how dumb it must've sounded from the tone in his voice. "Oh," she made a little face. "Yeah, right," she nodded. Then, looking over at the guard entangled in Rafi's golden tentacles: "What about this clown?" she asked. "Whaddya wanna do with him?"

“Oh, what I want to do with him, that I wouldn’t like to explain...” replied Rafi wryly, and the golden skull began to smile, scary and nasty at once. “But more with his superiors... he is just a soldier, after all,” finished his reply the young tattooist, creating excuses for himself, too. Sure, the guard was a member of a clearly evil and Nazi-like organization, but usually not the simplest soldiers were the responsible for the ideas and great plans, he shrugged as he thought that.

Once the remainder of the group arrived, the skull looked up to the lithe dancer, and one tentacle pointed at the captured guards head. “Would you please knock him out? I’d like to get here in my own body...”

Lise cracked a little grin. "No problem," she said, wryly.

And proceeded to go up en pointe, so that she was only a bit shorter that the man in Rafi's clutches. She grabbed both his cheeks with her hands, like a lover might and leaned into his chest ever-so slightly. Rafi had to move his tentacles as she pressed her lips just barely to his, kissing him, like might a lover.

The hydra, under Rafi’s control squirmed away from the girl’s path, though the skull followed her every move closely with interest. “What the...” he asked stunned, as he couldn’t think at anything what might need a kiss from the fastest ballerina he ever knew.

And then...she hiccuped.

Or, at least that's what it sounded like. Instantly, Rafi watched the man's eyes widen as if in sheer terror...before they rolled back into his head and shut limply. From his position on his waist, he felt the guard collapse into a heap, instantly unconscious. The way she'd gone about it, almost lovingly, sultry, had surprised him so much that it took him a second to realize what she'd done. Once she'd touched her lips to his, she'd simply inhaled--at about a thousand miles an hour. It had completely removed every bit of air from the agent's lungs in a split-second, leaving them little more than flaccid balloons in his chest.

“Wow” he said, looking up to Lise through the hydra’s eyes. “As I see, it’s apparently dangerous to kiss you...” he measured the pale girl, while the tentacles stroked over the limp guard, seeking for life signs, and Rafi was relieved a bit, when he found some.

Lise's ice-blue eyes seemed to twinkle with a devilish mirth. "Only when I'm not inna mood," she replied, tapping the fallen guard's head with the toe of her shoe, turning his gaze away from her. "And this one's hardly my type."

Which is, wanted Rafi ask without thinking, just like his other right off the shelf replies, but he caught it in time. He snorted instead, by way of response, silently marveling on his nature, which seemed to find the humor and the possibility of flirt even in the darkest mood, he ever felt himself in. The hydra shook his head slightly, and glanced up, right on time to see the others coming around.

It would be a very long time before he regained consciousness, he thought.

Once he hit the floor, May looked up at him and spoke. She was surrounded by the rest of his freinds, sans their disguises. Apparently, Jennie had simply decided to dispose with the characde entirely. "Sorry we're late to the party," she apologized.

Rafi shrugged which caused the hydra’s tentacles writhe around, and he smiled, though the latter was a sad one, they could see it. “Problem solved, for now, so I have no problem with that. We’ll need communication devices or tricks between each other if we’ll continue this path,” he worded his idea, as it came up to his mind.

"I'll run it by my brother," Jennie replied, furtively giving looks back and forth down the corridor to ensure that they were, indeed, still alone. "He could prolly build a working jet aircraft out of a toaster, if you gave him the time. But for now, maybe we should just worry about getting the Hell outta Dodge, huh?"

“Agreed” nodded Rafi enthusiastically, feeling as his forced calmness slowly drifts away as time the passed. Knowing that Carmilla was only a few feet away, and all they need to do is open the door, then free her before leaving... every second was like a needle in his heart.

The Lord of Ladybugs offered a nervous little expression on his red and black features. "I'm with her," he added. "The longer we stay here--the worse this little trip stands the chance of getting." Damon was down on his knee, feeling the neck of the just-falled guard. He looked up at Lise with a bit of astonishment. "Talk about the kiss of death," he shook his head. "You're lucky you didn't kill the bloke!"

With a satisfied grin on her face, she replied.

"Considering what he's done to Rafi's girl...he's lucky I didn't kill him, I'd say."

That much, in the moment, was difficult to argue.

“Killing is bad...”, protested Rafi, but without real intent, “some play, just like a cat with his prey... its more acceptable, I think,” he finished, musing over the thought for a moment, but he couldn’t really enjoy any joke right now, even if that came from him. Sometimes was hard being a prankster... it made the man to say stupid things even in the face of death or very serious situations.

She shrugged slightly. "Culture gap," she replied, though Rafi wasn't really sure what she meant by it. Whatever it was, it just made Damon roll his eyes to himself.

His voice transmitted the pain he felt for his lover; it wavered slightly by the wish to be there. “Obsidian is inside, too. I don’t know if you can communicate with him or not, but honestly, I don’t care. Crack that door, and leave”, he urged the others, and that he said in his own body, too. His heart raced by the adrenalin the fight brought up, on top of the formerly seen horrid scene, so the young tattooist wasn’t too patient from now on. And that was clearly audible.

Damon straightened up and opened the door. "I'm coming to get you, Rafi," he announced, looking down at the golden hydra, still clutching the unconscious guard. "If something happens while we're all in the room--I'd never forgive myself," he said, turning back and heading down the hall in the direction they'd come.

As he left the threshold, everyone looking through the door stared directly at Kyle.

Standing like an imposing sentinel. With a black shoebox in his hands.

The others standing there seemed to stiffen with a bit of a start, seeing him like that. Surrounded in the sinister miasma of shadows that gathered behind him in the cell, he could understand it. It probably made him look rather intimidating, after a fashion.

Rafi turned his octopod creature on the top of the fallen guard, and looked inside the cell, past Kyle’s knees. Or, where they should be normally. As his stare fell on his lover, he groaned and the golden tentacles became tighter around the green-clad goon, as the fury filled the young tattooist’s soul.

Kyle relaxed his posture a bit as the others in their group appeared in the doorway. Now that friendlies had arrived, there wasn't quite such a need for such a dramatic and combat-ready stance. He didn't relax completely, however, as they were still in very dangerous territory.

As he glanced across the assembled group, his gaze fell upon the animated image, which Rafi was evidently now possessing rather than his spider. He watched carefully as its tentacled grip reflexively squeezed the fallen guard a bit tighter. He could imagine the pain and anger that gripped the young tattooist's heart at seeing his love still shackled, and he knew that one could all too easily give in to such dark emotions without even intending to, so he kept a careful eye. Not the slightest words of chastisement, nor any stare of disapproval, issued forth from his shadowy form for now. Rafi seemed a generally gentle and polite soul, so it was likely unnecessary. Too, he'd probably shift his consciousness back to his physical body in a moment, so as to be able to rush down here to be able to hold his love in his arms as soon as she was freed.

Were he in Rafi's stead, Kyle knew that would indeed be his first thought.

"Turns out they have a gift shop," Kyle remarked, a touch of humor in his ghostly whisper.

Jennie grinned from ear-to-ear, to see him there, safe and unharmed. "You better've gotten me a t-shirt," she quipped back, before stepping up quickly to his side, giving him a hug across his arm so as not to possibly spill his find to the floor. With her so near, Kyle could feel the warmth of her light, filling and soothing him from within once more. He could have remained like that forever, if it was at all possible. "Or at least a shot glass," she said, turning her head and resting it on his shoulder.

It continued to amaze him that she could seemingly physically interact with his form without any trouble from the coruscating energy of which he was currently comprised. He suspected it had something to do with the glittering aura of light that tended to surround her, perhaps gently muting the minute effects contact with his form might otherwise engender. In the moment, the how of it truly didn't matter; all that mattered was that she could. And he certainly wasn't going to let slip by the opportunity to enjoy the warmth of her presence.

"No shirts or shot glasses, I'm afraid," he replied apologetically. "Although maybe we can come up with some practical uses for this later," he intoned, indicating the box.

"I, uh, liberated the local cloaking device," he explained. "Though I've left it active for now."

The comment and the meaning of it pulled Rafi back to the reality, and to his, to their quest. He nodded and replied wryly, on a slightly wavering voice, “That’s good. It could be useful later, both for home use in the future and for the SHIELD when they’ll come here.” He didn’t really drive the train of thought to the end, though, otherwise he would guess at that if they show Kyle’s attainment to any fed, they’ll prolly confiscate it. His stare continued to linger on the girl’s limp body, hanging on the back wall of the cell.

"Yeah. I figured maybe we could examine it later, see what sorta potential we can wring outta it," Kyle noted softly.

"And, with a little luck, maybe I can remotely trash the cloaking devices in the other cells around here, allowing us better scanning for passing intel along to SHIELD," he added.

May nodded, slipping past the two Haydens to inspect the center of the cell. As soon as she saw Carmilla, hanging there as she was, any of them that had enough of an angle that they could see her face could watch the beautiful young agent's features soften with a mix of shock and anguish. She looked like she was fighting back and urge to cry. "Oh, no...." she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Tanya sped to her side as well. Quickly, she raced to open one of her belt pouches, checking her neck for a pulse and her eyes for movement. "Animals..." she spit angrily under her breath.

“No,” he protested again from the corridor, his voice somehow filling the air everywhere but outside. “Animals aren’t able to be cruel, they just kill or teach or practice, but without this malicious plan...” he said coldly, feeling the anger wavering even higher than before.

Kyle nodded briefly in agreement with Rafi's assessment, understanding his growing anger. He was pretty infuriated by all the cruelty himself, sorely tempted to feed the villains responsible to the void, abandoning them to their horrific fate. But such thoughts were a dangerous path to travel, and potentially distracting here and now. As May had remarked earlier, they needed to focus on their immediate goal: freeing Rafi's lady and seeing her safely from this hellhole.

"Focus instead upon your love for her," Kyle uttered softly, directing his words to May and Rafi both, even as he tried transmitting his words through the shadows back into the room where Rafi's body currently sat. "That is what will help see you all through this," he added.

"Is she all right?" May looked over at her, her blue eyes wide and full of fear.

"The lady's gonna need at least one of the Magess' potions before she's in any shape for travel," he noted more seriously. "But she does live," he offered encouragingly.

It was enough for May. She nodded, setting her jaw with a steely, cold fury. To watch the way that she looked, Kyle was suddenly very glad that it had been he and Rafi that had found Carmilla and not their friendly neighborhood Spider-Girl. God only knew what she might have done to the guards outside the door, had it gone the other way.

He could well imagine, considering he could picture his own fury were it someone he cared deeply for treated like this. He was angry enough as it was, even though he knew the lady not. He just prayed May and Rafi both could focus on the importance of their love and concern for her, and the need to spirit her away as soon as possible, rather than sinking into the dark.

Lise saw that the other girls had the situation as well in hand as it could be, so the delicate speedster approached Kyle, looking down at his prize. "Will it help us make it out of here any easier?" she asked, making a face that gave him the distinct impression that she was not technically adept in the slightest.

"While it's of cruder construction than May's device, it has similar cloaking abilities, so it'll help mask us from detection on our way out," Kyle answered her, a gentle smile across his features as he welcomed the distraction from his own dark thoughts.

While they talked, Damon, turned and made for the other end of the hall. And Rafi.

Rafi struggled for a moment, should he stay there in the hydra, or return immediately to his own body, even that he’ll skip some talk then, but then he decided that he can do it at the same time. He eased his focus on the hydra, letting its material return to his soul, and this needed less and less effort from him with every occasion he used this new aspect of his gift. Perhaps it’ll become as easy for him as the controlling and spying did, during his teens, he mused over the possibility.

He blinked twice. The viewpoint of the cell and his friends within it from the hydra suddenly felt as if it were playing on a television, somewhere in his living room, while he was in the kitchen. He knew it was there and could obliquely get a sense of what was going on through it...but it was vague and rather indistinct. His senses, instead, filled up with the office around him. He was still sitting at the chair behind the desk. The green-suited agent that May had taken out continued to lay in the middle of the floor, the grill from the vent shaft they'd traveled to get to the prison level, discarded atop his prone body. The papers still lay spread out before him. Rasgar dutifully crouched at his side, guarding him with razor-keen focus.

With that done, the young tattooist opened his eyes in the office, and looked around. It took some time to accommodate himself after such determined focusing, but he made it, anyway. “Hey buddy,” he called out to the jaguar silently, and then moved forward to stroke him gently. “We’ve found her... let’s go and get her”, he said while he took a deep breath, and stood up, stretching himself.

Rasgar looked at him and sat up immediately, seeming to understand exactly what he meant. As Rafi stood, he found that the ends of his fingers and toes had fallen asleep, giving him an annoying sense of pins and needles at his extremities. That often happened to him when he was really focusing his concentration away from his body; he almost completely neglected his own, and in doing so, forgot to move and keep his circulation free and easy. It would go away soon, but in the interim, it was quite a nuisance.

He winced at first, when he stood up and his legs failed under him. He had to lean on the desk to hold himself, but this move reminded him that his fingers and palm are aching, too, so he groaned silently, and rolled his eyes. A moment later, he straightened himself, and took a step, letting the adrenalin of the anger suppress the pain, which he knew would pass soon.

As Rafi moved to steady himself, trying his best to channel his burgeoning rage into the concentration necessary to skirt the sharp pains in his extremities, he suddenly heard a voice, something hollow and darksome, calling to him seemingly from the very transient blackness of his own shadow. "Focus instead upon your love for her," it whispered to him, spectral and ghostly. Had he never met Kyle Hayden, he might have nearly jumped out of his own skin with fright for the gesture.

But he had. And the encouragement emboldened him. Rafi nodded to himself, pressing past his pain and forcing locomotion into his legs. Focused upon his love.

He mused over it while he took his first steps after only minutes, that how determined he became if he forgot his own body like this, in his deep wish to save his lover. As it seemed, he said the truth to his sister about Carm, he never loved anyone like this before. The reassurance of his shadowy friend, and the thought eased his walk, just like the confidence that she was every step, every passing moment closer.

He made for the door. On his way, he could hear footsteps rapidly approaching his location. A knot balled up in his stomach, but Rasgar seemed unbothered by it...so he was sure that it was his good friend come to meet him--and not some unwelcome guests.

He was out on the corridor, when Damon arrived, so he smiled at the Briton ever so sadly, and began walking up to the door where they found his love. He wanted to run like the wind, to be there in an instant, but he was reluctant to hurry, at the same, as he remembered what he saw only seconds ago. The twin feeling swarmed within his soul, and that forced his body to shiver, from their intensity. 

"We've got her, Rafa," Damon smiled thinly, nodding so as to reassure him. Turning so as to return to the cell with him.

“I know, my friend” he breathed, glancing at the Briton on his side, and cracking a faint smile again.

Finally, he began to jog, and then ran on the last few steps until he literally jumped into the cell.

Kyle watched the two of them as the swiftly turned the corner. There was no mistaking the worry and anxiety on Rafael's face, he thought. How could there be? Were he in his shoes, he reminded himself again, he scarcely knew how he'd be able to function, let alone keep himself together. They went right past he and Jennie and Lise--who closed the door so as to afford them a bit more privacy--making a beeline for Carmilla.

Kyle in fact gently drifted out of Rafi's way, knowing and understanding the need to reduce the time and distance between him and his love to as infinitesimal a point as humanly possible.

Rafi immediately fell on his knees when he arrived, and reached out to get the girl into his arms. He positioned himself so that he could lift her slightly, and in that way freeing her shoulder and arms from her weight. It was barely sensible, as she never had too much weight, and that was even lesser now. He placed her head on his shoulder, and stroked her hair from her face with his chin, placing a kiss on her temple. “It’s okay, Carm, I’m here now...”, he whispered into her ears, though he suspected that she couldn’t her him, and yet he hoped that she does.

There was no doubt that she was unconscious, not simply asleep. Lost behind the veil of that deeper kind of slumber, there was no way that she could hear him, he knew cognitively. Still, he was almost hysterical beneath his futile attempts at remaining calm on his surface. And so he held out hope, just the same.

"On some level, she knows," Kyle muttered reassuringly. "And that will help fuel the spark of her resolve, fanning it into a steadily growing flame to bolster her recovery."

Rafi just nodded at Obsidian’s helping words, enjoying her closeness, and stroked her back gently, rocking the girls body back and forth, in spite the shackles what held her, it helped him and her, too. Just like when someone is in coma, and the relatives talk to her, to lure her mind back to the surface. It’d be some kind of wonder... but with such friends and gifts, he was sure that it’ll happen.

Kyle gently handed the box containing the cloaking device to Jennie for the moment. "Something to study and play with later," he noted to May with a wink as he relinquished it.

She missed the gesture, having completely focused on Carmilla. "Whaddya want me to do with this?" she asked, looking down at it like it was some alien artifact.

"Make a working jet airplane?" Lise smirked. When Jennie cocked a jade brow at her by way of return, she simply shrugged. "Guess it doesn't run in the family, huh?"

"Just keep it safe for the moment, while I see if I can help safely release the lady," Kyle explained to Jennie, his energy brow warping in an approximation of a raised eyebrow as he realized he was completely missing something betwixt Lise and Jennie.

He was sure of it, to see the little look the two of them exchanged between one another, Lise's obvious mirth and Jennie's gentle roll of her eyes. "Okay," she agreed nonetheless, sighing slightly.

He smiled gently, eyes sparkling faintly. Even though she might not understand the precise why of its importance to him, he knew that she would watch over it while he attended to other matters simply because he considered it important in the moment. Just as she knew in her heart that he would do things for her simply because they were important to her. Part of the deeper connection and true intimacy between them.

That added to the warmth in his soul that had been brightened by the notion that Jennie and Lise's exchange had seemed to indicate that Jennie was once more bragging up his abilities. She was always willing to give him so much more credit than he granted himself. And, while he doubted he truly lived up to the high regard in which his beloved sister held him, such support and confidence brightened his very being. Her praise made him happy.

With that done, he began to take a good look at the restraints holding Rafi's lady in place, seeing what he might be able to discern about them. His first concern was finding the best and safest way to release her, so that she could be carefully set free and gently supported so she could start trying to recover her breathing.

"Thoughts on the best way to gently pop her loose?" Kyle asked of May, eager to get a second set of eyes and a second opinion on the matter.

May looked at the spherical bindings on her hands. Now, closer and not so much under the gun, both Rafi and Kyle noticed that they also held her ankles. "Brute force," she replied, reaching up to grab one of the manacles in her hand.

Kyle blinked in surprise and shock, shaking his head as he reached out to prevent that, finding the Magess to evidently be of the same mind on the matter...

Tanya stopped her before she could crush it. "Wait," she bade her. "You don't want to accidentally break her wrists. Besides," she looked back at Rafi and Kyle. "I have a spell just for this occasion. Rafi, hold your lover," she said. "She's been through quite enough to let her fall on her face just now, hmm?"

“You couldn’t stop me doing that,” he replied silently, holding her even closer, and then glanced at the Magess with a faint smile. “Do your spell, please”, he asked her, both with words and with the prayer in his eyes. Now, when he was together with her, and could hold her, nothing else really mattered. It was like finding the other half of you, after long time. The overrun of feelings called forth a single teardrop from his eyes again, and though he knew that the others could see that, he didn’t care the slightest.

Kyle simply nodded and smiled in response to the Magess' note that she had a suitable magic handy, politely bowing to her as he drifted back out of her way.

Jennie stepped up to stay at his side as he did so. "Can you believe this?" she murmured over into his ear. "Between the eight of us...is there anything we can't do?" she asked incredulously.

"A group of friends, watching each other's backs, and learning to work together and complement one another's abilities, always holds the potential to be greater than the sum of its parts," he replied. "And the strongest of groups are those of friends whose bonds further strengthen over time, to become more like family, ever there to support and help each other."

A faint sparkle appeared in the depths of his eyes, accompanied by a gentle smile, as he conceived an idea. After all the strain he'd put himself through today (Had it really been so short a time?), he wasn't entirely certain he had the strength for it, but for the friends he'd made in Rafi and May, he had to try.

Focusing his will, he pictured a nice, padded and comfortable wheelchair in his mind's eye. Reaching out with his powers, he strove to weave and shape the local shadows into the necessary form, struggling to pull it together and render it solid and real.

The Magess began to gesticulate, muttering some incantation under her breath, ghostly tracers following the two-fingered motions she was making with her hands. As she wove her spell, a different type of magic also took place within the cell. The shadows, dark and foreboding, that lingered in the corners of the cell seemed to gain their own sentience, slithering like jet snakes under Kyle's charm, gathering at the point of his focus before him. Rafi watched as they came together, seemingly piling up atop one another, seeming to gain texture and contour as they did so. One formed a great hoop and another a second, while a third connected the two in the form of an axle. They slid from the ceiling and floors by the hundred, stacking their density atop one another until they finally formed the shape and character of a wheelchair, right next to where Rafi stood. Once again, Kyle felt that strange sensation that he'd come to associate with making the intangible tangible, like he'd drained something of himself to form substance out of shadow. But, solid as any of them, as he realized it had worked as he'd hoped--it had been once again worth it. It made him think of the birds from before, and their shelter.

This was a benison of a different kind. And somehow, even more satisfying.

The slight sensation of draining, almost as if some bit of his essence wafted away, was largely forgotten and washed aside in the joy of creation, and the pleasure of once more being able to craft something that could be of use to one in need. A broad smile of happiness etched across his features, and a warm soul-comforting sensation arose deep within him, something that ironically might make the void itself shiver.

"Wow," Jennie breathed, shaking her head to herself and moving swiftly to steady him with her gentle, but strong, arms. "Correction, lover," she said, kissing him on his cheek in the form of a congratulations. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Quite a bit," he offered modestly. "But having you around helps me to achieve more than I would've imagined possible," he added, the shadows of his face deepening slightly in a darksome blush at her praise and affection.

Tanya finished her spell the moment he formed the chair. "Knock," she said simply.

All four fetters simultaneously clicked open.

"Impressive," Kyle whispered as he beheld the Magess' result, having missed the complexities of her incantation whilst he focused upon his own task.

And Carmilla fell directly into her lover's arms.

"Believe it or not," Tanya looked back up at him with an awkward little smile, "it's one of the simplest spells in the book. Perhaps we can talk about it later, over those drinks you were talking about," she mused. "But for now, I'd hate to interrupt a lovely reunion."

Kyle nodded softly, a silent assurance that he'd be very happy to discuss a great many things with her later. And while she didn't realize it, she'd given him more inspiration. Though it would require a lot of exacting practice at some later point, and would in all likelihood be much more difficult than her magic when and if it were mastered, it still gave him the idea and curiosity as to whether his shadow manipulation abilities could be turned to similar applications: sensing the interior of locking mechanisms through the darkness within them, then gently solidifying the shadowy equivalent of a pick release gun to pop tumblers loose.

For now, such idle fancy would be filed under the mental category of maybe one day. In this particular moment, there was something much more important to consider in the simple joy of watching Rafi reunited with his love.

And it was precisely that, all of them standing in something of a circle around Rafi, on his knees in the middle of the small cell, cradling his love, unconscious and oblivious. Rasgar had come to approach her, too, rubbing the fur on the side of his head up against her hand, dangling limply at her side, as if he hoped to somehow coax her back into wakefulness. Finally, May had rushed down to her knees, too, aside the young artist, brushing a hand though her long dark hair, more black than green, in the darkness of the cell. "Carmilla," she whispered, shaking her head gently. "What've you gotten yourself into?"

She looked over at Rafi and tried on a little smile. "We've got her," she said, nodding just a little bit in a wan attempt at reassurance. "Everything's gonna be okay, now."

“Thank you”, he whispered into Carmilla’s hair, but addressing his friends around them. And he said that with all his heart, he was thankful to all of them, for allowing him to get back his love. Without them, knowing what they went through, he wasn’t sure that he and May’d be able to free Carmilla from here. But at the moment, it wasn’t nearly as important than finally looking down at her lovely features, and feeling her body with his skin, and her soul with his own.

A few nods returned to him from their number. But Rafi was barely aware of them. In his arms, Carmilla's body felt almost nothing like that of the woman with whom he'd shared the most magical night of his life, only a two days ago. She was cold, almost frighteningly so, to the touch, and the much of the normally-lithe weight of her body seemed removed from her. It terrified him to hold her so, her dark hair spilling across his shoulders and back in the way that he held her--ironically almost exactly like the way he'd done so when they'd shared their very first embrace.

He swore to himself, in the moment, that it would not be their last.

Definitely not the last, he decided silently. It was strange, to remember everything in connection to her, to their first meeting, the endless phone-talks, and now, every second of that wonderful night... what turned his ears red in the moment he recalled them. He was glad that the relative darkness of the cell, and his posture hid his blush, it’d be hard to explain it, would somebody notice it. 

Kyle took notice of the deepening flush of his skin, but said nothing, instead only smiling gently as he enjoyed the warmth and nearness of his own beloved. He understood completely, and it stoked the warmth in his heart and soul to see Rafi and his lady together.

He shifted his train of thoughts away from that night, and took a deep breath, to release some tension. The young tattooist placed another soft kiss on her forehead, and whispered silly, loving words about their future and his feelings into her ears, barely audible for the others.

The young artist caressed her for a moment, now freed from her shackles, but then he stood up, and placed her gently in the wheelchair of darkness, which was formed next to them. He remained near to her, never letting her hand go, as he looked up to Tanya. “Can you hand your potion to better her state?”, he asked the blonde sorceress, and reached out with open palm, offering it to place the bottle in it.

She looked like it had startled her. She'd been so enrapt in watching their reunion, she'd all but forgotten. "Of course," she finally said, reaching down into her beltpouch once more and removing one of the oddly-shaped flasks they'd seen before, the same light blue fluid that seemed to bear little twinkling motes of starlight within it filling its glass contours. "Here," she said, placing it into Rafi's hand. "Get her to drink as much of it as you're able.

Kyle used his manipulative powers to gently turn the wheelchair around to face the Magess, freeing Rafi from the concerns of having to push it and enabling him to instead remain at his beloved's side.

“Thanx,” nodded Rafi with a warm smile to Tanya, as he removed the bottle cap, and then knelt back down next to Carmilla, positioning her head in a way which allowed him to trickle the potion into her mouth. He did that slowly, only a few drops at once, allowing them drift down on her throat, and unfold their miraculous curing ability.

Every single blue drop from the potion which slid down was a brick in his temple of hope, building steadily, as he continued watering her. Carmilla drank the potion, while Rafi drank the sight of her - completely forgetting the others around them, looking for the smallest sign of change on her skin, a flutter on her eyelids, anything which could be a notice about her state becoming better.

It was hard for him to characterize the transformation that occurred in the woman in his arms, pale and light, in that dark cell. As he tilted her head back and put the proffered glass to her lips, he found that it wasn't difficult to get her to drink; she seemed to do so reflexively, managing to take down the gentle trickle of its contents without spilling as much as a drop. His aching desire to see her well again made for the difficulty in perception. Rafi thought that she might have gotten some of her color back, maybe actually seemed to even somehow regain some of her lost weight, for every bit of the elixir that she drunk. But he knew that it could have just been his imagination, too--his wanting it to be so badly that he made it so.

He feared that his vivid fantasy would trick him, with all the new happenings and ways for using his gift... but he developed a solid self-control over the years since his power surfaced, too, so he knew that the fear itself made him to think and see that. He tried, oh, how hard he tried to hush away that, but it remained in the back of his mind, whispering into his ears from the darkness there. A small pixie, clad darkly with sparkling yellow eyes and hair like a dandelion, but colored dark purple. 

He couldn’t see him, but felt his presence, while he continued to dropping the potion’s drips into Carmilla’s mouth one by one, in a steady rate, and with that, he felt his fear lighten a bit. The personification of the negative emotion worked again. He couldn’t recall where he read it, but giving a body to it and looking, listening to that, helped to ease it as it lost its overwhelming presence. 

It was always easier to ignore a person, than a formless emotion... and so, he turned his attention back to his love.

She seemed to be breathing deeper as the last bit of it drained away, those breaths coming easier and bereft of the labor that made him hurt for her, just to watch it, before. He decided that that much was not a trick of the light and his desperation. And so he clung to it as a drowning man.

Rafi placed the bottle on the seat of the wheelchair, next to the girl sitting inside, and placed her head into his palm. His warm touch gently held her cheek; the end of his fingers lightly stroked her earlobe and brow. “Come on, girl, I need ya so...”, he whispered into the air. When Kyle drank the potion, it had faster effect, at least looking it from an outer eye. On the other hand, he had to admit that Carm was in a much worse state, and perhaps the magic drink needed more time to unfold its full effect.

At her side, May continued to stroke through her hair. She rest her head on Rafi's shoulder as she did it, her hair soft and silken as any one of the webs she spun.

There, in the darkness of the cell, they were all together. And more than in mere presence.

The young tattooist placed his free hand on May’s waist, pulling her closer as if to support her feelings, what were very similar to his own, he knew. And though he didn’t know the lithe agent from the future too well, he could imagine the girls’ closeness, hearing her talking about Carm, and looking her gentleness and caring now. 

It was like having a new family, Carm being his love and May being her adopted sister. He could readily imagine their presence in his days, though the green haired girl was the one, who he wanted on his side for the rest of his life. Her personality, her shape was perfect, he mused like every man, being deeply in love; the smell of her shampoo and soap... he took a deep breath, and all those came up readily.

And on top of that... May’s closeness and kindness, like a cherry on the top of a perfect cake. He laid his head onto the May’s head, resting on his shoulder, whispering down to her. “She’ll be ok from now, will she?”, he asked silently, eager to have some reinforcement in his observations.

He felt May's hand curl up from around the side of his head, running through the dark jade of his dreadlocks idly. "Yeah," she said, quietly, the sensation somehow soothing. "Yeah, I think so," she said. The first time, she didn't sound so sure of it; but the second time, as if gaining resolve under the scrutiny of consideration, she said it as sure as she drew breath.

And somehow, he was sure of it, too.

Rafi exhaled slowly and satisfied as May stroked through his hair, like an extremely slow sigh, as it was a very calming touch. It not only helped his nervousness to ease and supported his thoughts, but chilled his soul, too. All this waving between the high and low moments during one day... he wanted the calmness of his home, with family and friends, to rest it out.

It was a wonderful moment, one with which Kyle empathized greatly, and he was incredibly reluctant to interrupt it. Unfortunately, they were going to have to get moving before long. Still, there was a heart deeply ensconced within the darkness, and so he simply smiled as he watched them savor the simple, indescribable joy of their tri-fold reunion for a few moments more before he regrettably broke the spell.

"We should get going as quickly as possible," he noted. "But perhaps I should see if I can disable the cloaking in other nearby cells on our way out, so we can provide better information on other prisoners and their condition," he ventured.

Jennie held the box up for his renewed inspection. As Kyle looked down into it, he stared at the impassive face of the digital screen, just above the touchpad. Concentrating this time with the power of his intellect...not the fearsome shadows that were at his command.

He wracked his brain for a bit, working to come up with ideas for how to best exploit this device in the moment. Computers and the intricacies of their programming certainly weren't one of his key areas of knowledge specifically, but given the device's comparatively simplistic and narrow-focus design, perhaps there might be some basic computer and electrical engineering principles or such that might help him turn it against its fellows.

And then...he went to work.

Taking such ideas as he could come up with, he set about trying to see if he might perhaps reprogram or rewire it so that it would ideally function as transmitter, broadcasting a shutdown signal to other such devices nearby. If it worked, it was apt to be very short range, but that would still be something of worth.

As he found the button at the side of the touchpad that seemed to cycle the device through all its current settings, Kyle decided that he would have really preferred to have a few hours and a nice, steaming mug of hot chocolate with which to pore over the box at his workbench. Taking the thing out of its case and diagramming out its integrated circuits would have been nice, too. But those were all luxuries that he didn't have. Even though the thought left him with quite the taste for that hot chocolate.

Okay.. Focus. Drinks later, when we're back home, he chided himself. And no point wishing for what you can't have. Deal with the here and now. Still, he couldn't help but reflexively lick his lips a bit as memories of hot chocolate tickled at the back of his mind. He was able, however, to channel the vast majority of his mental drive into assessing and diagramming the device as best he could in the moment, bereft of a decently-stocked workshop and with precious little time to delve into the level of detail he would've preferred. Fortunately, he was finding information and ideas regarding the device gelling somewhat in his brain.

He had come to the conclusion that the device basically worked like a phased-array radar system: it basically took its group of internal antennas, situated in a nacelle on the motherboard that was beneath what looked like an old-school radome, varying the relative phases of the respective signals feeding them in such a way that the effective radiation pattern of the array was reinforced in a desired direction and suppressed in undesired directions. The radiation pattern, in this case, was the stealth projection envelope. That construction was good for him, in that it was a projective device...and didn't require him knowing the workings of the stealth mechanism. All he needed was to figure out the device's shutdown sequence, then wire it into the antenna array. If he could do that, he'd have in his hands a broadcast station that, within its range, would effectively knock out any like equipment, as that sequence was forcibly rammed right down its proverbial throats. That presumed, of course, that said antennae were capable of reception as well as emission...but it was a risk he was prepared to take.

He'd expected risks and such with this of course, as were inherent in every portion of this entire operation. And he knew that the surety of anything certainly wasn't guaranteed. But the chance that he could tweak and repurpose this cloaking device into something better suited to be of benefit to them was something very much worth trying. And if the gods were kind and continued to smile upon them as they had thus far, then maybe, just maybe, this idea of his might pan out.

Cycling through the series of line combinations on the touchpad, he determined that he was seeing frequency outputs, each one respective to its own internal antennae. The pound key to the left of the zero seemed to be essential to programming new, different frequencies, preceding each input. The star key, in contrast, seemed to serve as a form of dip switch, turning the integrated components on and off.

A smile etched across his face, and a tiny sigh of pleasant relief escaped him, as he steadily began to puzzle out its operation. This gave him a foundation from which to work. Closing his eyes for a brief moment to help him focus and keep his center, he then reopened them, focused upon the device and began to proceed.

He quickly keyed in six stars into all three of the antennae outputs. To his satisfaction, the device made a gentle powering-down sound, as the stealth field deactivated itself. Immediately afterward, Kyle removed the small faux-radome from the mobo and started to bend out each tiny antennae in its precise opposite direction. It was imprecise as Hell and wouldn't be laser-accurate, he knew...but as long as it provided his general envelope, it wouldn't need to be.

He had to pause occasionally to halt the faint trembling in his fingers as he slowly and carefully adjusted the delicate antennae. His brow furrowed in concentration as he struggled to get each tweaked antenna as precisely repositioned as he could with his eyeballing. A faint chuckle escaped him as he wondered for a brief instant if he was once again making the face that May and Jennie had remarked upon earlier.

He put the coup-de-grace on the device, stripping out the wiring from the touchpad and direct-lining it into the array's base. Instantly, he heard the device power back on.

Well, I think I got it about the best I can, he mused, looking over and double-checking his handiwork, then triple-checking it. He wasn't seeing anything different that he could've done, given the circumstances, so it was now what it was.

In theory, he now, in his possession, held an effective anti-stealth broadcast station. How far it extended to, though, was anybody's guess.

As to, of course, whether or not it worked, in the first place.

Rafi lifted his head and placed his palm to Carmilla’s shoulder, as he looked at Tanya, and smiled at her thankfully. “Your potion worked well, Magess. I can’t thank you enough for helping us out, with all these spells already, but I have to ask you another one”, he said, looking more seriously at the blonde sorceress.

She nodded, seemingly unperturbed by the request. "Another potion, perhaps?" she asked, looking up at him with her pale blue eyes as she, anticipating his answer, went to unbutton another of her beltpouches.

Rafi shook his head slightly, but with a gentle smile on his face and in his voice. “No, not yet. I think she is well enough for travel, and we’ll have to leave as soon as we can, to not to risk our luck more than needed,” he replied, and brought the question up, what they discussed once before, but now it was actual again.

“Can you bring us home? Or we have to risk Obsidian’s way of travel again, or shall I try my door again?” he glanced around the group, waiting for their suggestions and opinions.

"Um.. I vote for the door or the Magess' teleport," Kyle voiced with a soft chuckle.

Still in front of him, supporting the weight of the box as he worked, Jennie offered him a thin, knowing smile. "That's fine--if that's what you want," she allowed. "But it's okay if you do it, too," she added. "I've got faith in you."

"I'm not sure it's wise to subject Rafi's lady to the void after all she's been through, even after the wonders of the Magess' healing potions," Kyle noted. "Plus, I'm not fond of putting the rest of you through that again so soon," he added.

Jennie's faith and confidence in him meant a great deal, and his smile reflected how much he loved her for that. "Thanks for the support, beautiful," he whispered softly to her.

She seemed to glow with a dazzling green as she said it. And he could feel his sisters light warming even his intangible form with the gesture. "I can try," Tanya mused, though she was quick to add, "but I'm not terribly accurate, I must say. I, ah, have a spell that's rather accurate in my book...but I'm ashamed to say that I didn't think to memorize it today."

"So the door it is," Lise said, looking out at the door behind them furtively before looking back in Rafi's direction. "Think you're up to it?"

Rafi listened to the others’ comments, silently considering that his guess was right, and prolly he would have to try the new way of travel what he did so desperately at the first time. This was similar situation, from a moderately known place to an unknown, but this time he had more spirit and self-confidence, because he knew that it worked. 

Well, it did just once so far, so it was still risky, but there were two other options if he’ll fail - what he not planned to do. With Carmilla on his side, he felt much more complete and so, he could put a lot of effort into his gift - this time not from fear and anger but only love. 

When he finished his internal musings, he looked up to Lise’s eyes, and then glanced down to his love in the wheelchair what Kyle summoned, he nodded steadily. “Yeah, I am.” He said it, simply and without more doubt.

"Never said I wouldn't do it," Kyle gently interjected. "If it's our best bet for getting all of you out of here quickly and safely, then I'll do it, even all the way back to EC if needed." The calm, steely edge in his voice left no doubt that he meant it; his own welfare evidently wasn't a great concern when weighed against seeing his friends home. "But if you're confident that the doorway is a safer and more reliable option, then that's the way we go."

He was wracked with nerves as he stared at the device in his hands. He was always his own worst critic, forever chiding himself that nothing was ever perfect enough. here, too, he was haunting himself with pointless what ifs about what he might've done had he had a workshop at his disposal. But he hadn't, and instead had worked best with such time and effort as he'd been able to muster in the moment. It was certainly a sound idea, he reminded himself.

But did it work? The only way to find that out would be to try sensing into other cells nearby. And that was no guarantee, since he had no notion of what range his reconfigured device might have if it did work.

"As good as it gets," he muttered softly.

He then began trying to cast his senses outward through the shadows and darkness. His first stop on this particular journey was just outside the closed door, to see if the guards remained fallen and unconscious. If that yielded fruit, then he could try sensing into the next cell down the hall on this side.

To Kyle's amazement, as he cast his senses outward...this time, they actually worked.

A soft sigh of relief, mixed with a quiet utterance of "Cool" issued forth.

Jennie seemed to know precisely what he was doing as he grew quiet. "You see anything?" she asked. And the truth was: not only did he see, but he saw perfectly and in a clear, unobstructed fashion. Just outside the doors, he could see the fallen guards, two crumpled heaps of green costumes that held their bodies like piles of wet rags. Beyond, in either direction, the hallway extended out for hundreds of feet.

"Looking good so far," he answered. "Guards are still down, and no immediate sign of other patrols," he announced.

"We'll wanna prop up those guards before we leave -- stand 'em upright against the wall, complete with rifles, as if standing at attention and staring straight ahead," he suggested. "With a few small well-placed bits of spiderweb to help hold 'em in place and keep their mouths shut?" he asked of May. "That oughta hold 'em until we're long gone, and hopefully fool any casual looking-in views, to help add to our headstart."

He wasn't entirely certain if she'd heard him, wasn't entirely sure he'd spoken aloud, still focused somewhat on his remote search.

Kyle followed that path, back in the direction they'd come from, towards the air vent. He strung his senses along the shadows that collected in the corner of the ceiling and wall...all the way until he reached the door of the cell. Swallowing, refocusing his concentration, he determined to enter. This was the proof of the pudding, he told himself.

He was a trifle hesitant, worried that he'd find naught but failure. But what scared him more than merely failing was the thought of proving unworthy of Jennie's hopes and faith in him. The idea of not living up to her praise, falling short of her expectations, was a terrifying thing. But he reminded himself that he'd already succeeded some with his reconfigured device; failure here, if it happened, might just be an indicator of its limited range. Letting Jennie's sense of optimism infuse and buoy him, he proceeded.

"Well?" Lise mumbled, back in the cell, just at the edge of hearing.

A hundred-some feet away, he was met with success and failure all in one.

Within the confines of the cell, he could see with a crystal precision that made him unable but to smile darksomely...as he realized that his device had worked exactly as he'd hoped.

But to see the man within, broken and wracked...it seemed something of a hollow victory.

"I can see into one of the cells," he muttered sadly, the smile borne of his success with his tinkering fading rapidly in the face of the horror within said cell.

Lise cocked a brow white as snow. "And?" she asked eagerly.

"And," Beetlebum intoned, as if to answer her question for him, "he probably doesn't much like what he sees, to judge the look on his face."

Rafi sighed commiseratingly, and lowered his head. He could well understand the feeling what prolly pervaded Kyle at the moment. He felt the same, when he saw the broken young man in the first cell after he began his exploration in the body of the illusionary spider. 

It can’t be helped, only when they or the SHIELD will return here and free them. 
All of them. 

But until that, there was nothing they could do, but to leave and bring out the info.

"I don't like what I see at all," Kyle muttered softly in acknowledgment. "And I certainly don't enjoy the thought of having to ignore it... But I know that getting out of here quickly, with what information we can, represents the best chances for being able to help," he admitted in resignation.

To see the tormented shell of a man before his vision was a heart-breaking thing. And the knowledge that they'd have to leave this poor soul here longer was like an icy dagger thrust into his heart and soul. He struggled to focus on the task at hand, extending his shadowy senses closer to the tragically tortured figure, trying to see if he could find signs of life, even if it were just faint labored breathing remotely felt along the man's back beneath his tattered rags.

Jennie, still close to him, was a steadfast rock. His senses so far from his body, he could still feel the warmth of her light bathing him, then the feeling of her hands. One placed delicately on his hip, the other, just gently brushing his chest. "Shhh..." she bade him, as if she could, herself, sense what it was that he was seeing. "I'm here," she whispered her reassurance.

Jennie's warmth and presence buoyed him greatly, providing him wonderful support and reassurance, bringing a ghost of a smile back to his shadowy face. Still, the tragedy before him tore at him terribly, begging him to do something. But, though it wrenched at the very fiber of his being, he stayed his hand, reining himself in and avoiding rash action, no matter how well intentioned. He couldn't place everything in jeopardy at such a critical moment.

He had to remind himself that the best he could likely do for this man at the moment would be to gather what useful information he could to relay to the others here and now, and to pass on to SHIELD as soon as they got home. And he had to maintain his emotional strength, even in the face of such cruelty. There were more cells to explore after this one, each potentially holding a similarly tormented soul. Though it pained him at the deepest levels, he strove to reclaim his center and try to achieve a bit of emotional detachment so he could gather and relate as much intel as possible.

“Stick to the plan that was what you said...”, said Rafi silently, measuring the darksome hero’s facial expression, or more exactly the wavering in his dark energy form. 

Kyle nodded briefly in recognition of Rafi's words. They had to focus on doing what they could, rather than trying too much and pushing too far. For now, gathering a bit of useful information before escaping was their best path.

He then stepped away from May, and looked at the young agent. “Can you stick to the guards to the wall on the corridor with your webbing? They must look normal for a while, to give us time”, he asked with a raised eyebrow. “I’ll open the door meanwhile.” Again, no self-doubt, no musing over its possibility. He had put that away, there was no place in his soul now for such feelings. 

Kyle was vaguely aware of Rafi's words to May. It seemed he and the tattooist were on the same wavelength, which was good. If May hadn't heard his own words earlier, she'd hear Rafi's now. If she had heard his words before, then Rafi's would help reinforce the idea. Either way, the suggestion was made, with at least one other member of the group in full support; that was what mattered in the end.

The lithe agent nodded and began in the direction of the door. "I'd better give her a hand," Lise added, swiftly following her. "I hate just...standing here, jilling off," she snorted.

Rafi smirked mischievously, and tilted his head as he glanced at the lithe, white dancer. “Perhaps you shall give her four, and then she’ll have all the eight limb she needs”, he said and winked, and then stroked Carmilla’s hair gently, looking down at his love for a moment, before he turned his attention back to the girls.

Rafi watched the two of them arrive at the door, May pausing briefly as if to concentrate before opening it. He guessed that she was probably availing of her Spider-Sense, trying to get a good feel for whether it was safe to do so or not. Of course, none of them could know that Kyle already had that portion of the equation covered, using his ability to cast his senses through the point of view of any shadow within the reach of his power. He was doing precisely that, even as they carefully pushed the portal open and sneaked out into the hall. Reaching out as far as he could in either direction, he made sure the hallway remained empty and still.

That he spied no traces of guards ready to pounce upon them, or open fire as they emerged, strengthened his resolve in their course of action. It seemed they'd managed to get this far without raising any obvious alarms, so it was best to proceed as agreed, gathering what info they might on their way back out.

From down at its sound end, he could see the two women quickly prop up one of the guards. As May leaned him straight up the wall, she bathed his back in a copious wash of the webbing at her disposal, using it to affix him firmly to its face. As she moved on to the second guard, Lise grabbed his gun and placed it in a believable position, stepping back and appraising him before thoughtfully adjusting his head in an attentive position.

Much closer, Rafi watched the two of them work in much the same manner on the second guard, until he was posed in a like position. Clearly, he thought, studying their handiwork, anyone close enough to inspect them would immediately see through the ruse. But at a distance, it just might prove enough to fool the unwary.

For now, it had to do.

“Nice job, ladies” said Rafi, as they finished the task. “Though its not the best, but it’ll do for the short time we plan to spend here. I hope”, added the young tattooist at the end. After that, he began to work on the exit, which will hopefully help them out from this evil complex.

Although nothing was too likely to successfully endure close scrutiny, Kyle considered that their attention to detail should indeed help with any casual appraisals that might occur in the near future. Certainly, to those expecting to see a pair of stoic, silent guards standing attentively at their post, it fit the portrait well enough. Especially since they ideally only required it to work for a few minutes to grant them the needed time to effect their escape.

Rafi fished the relic from his beltpouch, and grabbed it with his left hand, then he leant to Carmilla and placed another soft kiss on her lips. 

She was cold, he thought, her lips dry and lifeless, even in spite of the Magess' eldritch potion. It was like a slap in the face to him, his love like the dead in his arms. The thought inspired a cold fury within the artist that sobered him, made it easier for him to focus on what he needed to do. He clutched her limp weight still closer to his breast and began to ply his gift.

The young dancer held her close for a moment, and tried to warm her with his own skin, but then he opened his eyes, and glanced at Tanya over Carm’s head. “She is still cold… is there any chance that you have another potion what you can share with her?” he bade her, eyes wide and misty with emotions he felt for the green haired young girl in his arms, sitting in the black chair what Obsidian made for her. “Just to ensure her successful travel…”

She swept a bit of her peacock-feather cloak aside so that she could kneel beside the two of them once more. "Of course," she said, trying on a gentle smile, meant to reassure him that everything would be quite all right--even if it didn't seem it, in the moment. Both Rafi and Kyle noticed, as she did it, each one of the individual "eyes" that comprised the dark spots in the majestic metallic blue-green feather-fabric turned individually, as if a vast landscape of eyes. Most of them seemed interested on keeping track of every single person around her...but more than a few focused on the girl in the artist's arms. It was such an organic reaction from the cloak--as if it were a living thing, or perhaps several living things--that it was somewhat eerie to behold.

Even in these somewhat desperate moments Rafi had eyes for the wonder what the cloak represented. It had to be a magic thing, just like many of the girl’s other clothes, but what it could do - that was a mystery for now, to be revealed later. The movements of the eyes were subtle enough, he thought, if he noticed only now, from this close, but he had to admit that, too, that he didn’t spent too much attention to it until now. Another thing on the list, they’ll talk about later, at a more peaceful place. Then Tanya move grabbed him out from the musing, so he turned his attention back to reality.

Kyle cocked an ephemeral eyebrow slightly as he observed the cloak's apparent reactions. The thought that it might perhaps possess some degree of presence or sentience in itself was a bit unusual, but there was much about their group that was unusual. And then there was the notable fact that the Magess dealt in matters of magic. With that in mind, the cloak was much more an intriguing object of curiosity for Kyle, leaving him to wonder if it helped literally watch her back, helping to keep her safe and alert.

There were so many things to potentially discuss and investigate with these new-found friends, and Kyle eagerly looked forward to the chance to engage in such chats later.

The Magess reached into her beltpouch and produced another flask of the light blue liquid, unstoppering it from an ultramarine wax seal with a soft popping noise. "Lucky last," she chuckled gently, looking up to meet Rafi's eyes with her own, virtually the same color as the potion within the glass in her hands. She put it to Carmilla's lips and Rafi helped lean her head back so that she could take it down more easily. A bit of it trickled from the corner of her lips, but she managed to finish nearly all of it after a long and careful draught.

"There," she said, placing the emptied glass back into her leather girdle. "That should do the trick," she pronounced, giving Rafi a little nod to emphasize her certainty of it.

He smiled at the sorceress, nodding gently and whispered a thank you to her, forming only the words with his lips. He already said everything in this topic, and the look on his face and his eyes told about his feelings. Rafi leant closer to his love and kissed the last bits of the potion away from the corner of her mouth, and stroked her hair meanwhile. “Soon”, he whispered into her ears, as he reluctantly pulled away.

He then straightened himself, closed his eyes, took a few deep breath as he began to focus on the task. He swept off every other thought from the mental screen of his mind and imagination, until only the blank canvas remained. After that he tried to recall the image of the Maxx Law building, what he saw in the articles when he searched about details of Elysium City, before he moved down there.

The high, mirror-like citadel, with the eagle-emblem and the Maxx Law caption, not far from the City Hall what he visited today. He could see the snow whirling around it, and imagine the dark cars in the parking loft, waiting silently for the command when they shall move and strike, like a silent, but deadly feline. 

His own silent and deadly feline was pacing back and forth just behind him anxiously. Rafi could feel Rasgar's short, luxurious fur brushing against his calves as he did it; the duality of both his guarding him and simultaneously reminding him that he remained there at his side making it impossible for him not to smile.

A true friend, born from imagination and becoming a part of his soul… smiled the young tattooist, and he saw him even trough his closed eyelids and in spite he was behind him. But this wasn’t the time for showing more of his attention, he had to focus, reminded Rafi himself to the task he began.

He shifted Carmilla's weight in her darksome wheelchair once again. Soon they would be home and everything would be all right.

He hoped.

A deep breath, and then another one. Everything faded from his mind, other than the gate he wanted to create, a leeway for the League, for his friends, to get out from here, and bring Carm to safety.

His hand moved on his own, again, as he let his gift flow through him freely, unrestrained but focused. It will be a great moment to surface down there, protected from the harsh winter and leading them right to that door what has helping hands behind. He drew the door slowly, just like the first time, from his own blood and imagination, only the color changed to green, somewhere between his own and Carmilla’s hair, to symbolize the hope he had, and the nature what he honored. There were brown lines, like the year-rings in a tree, or the twigs in a bush, and the doorknob was bright silver, just like before.

The young artist put all his heart and gift into his creation, and so the hydra ceased to exist, right after the first line was drawn, but this didn’t matter in that moment, when he reached out to open his portal to see what’s inside.

As Rafi focused on his own efforts, Kyle continued to scry throughout the various cells as much as he could, gathering information on numbers and conditions of prisoners held. They'd want to be able to provide as much key info as possible when they returned.

"Kyle..." Jennie's voice returned him to the confines of the cell in which his physical body stood, still aught but a fleeting shadow, haunting its cold confines. She had pulled him from what was turning out to be a rather fruitful search; he had managed to find at least six other prisoners, some men and some women--all in the same state of durance as the man he'd found first. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to spend as much time with them as he had with that initial contact, so their precise condition wasn't as easy to describe with certainty.

"Hrm? Yeah.. I'm here.." Kyle muttered, pulling himself fully back into his shadowy form, reacclimating his vision to the cell in which he floated, even as he strove to burn into memory what bits of info and detail he'd been able to quickly gather about the other captives he'd located.

When he blinked at the sound of her voice, there was but a single, simple change within the cell. A door had appeared in the midst of the small chamber, a swath of bright green in the looming darkness, a vivid woodgrain easily visible on its face and frame that held it in place.

The silver knob on its rightmost side beckoning for its opening.

A smile spread across Kyle's shadowy features as he gazed upon the door, and the tantalizing suggestion of escape that it offered. Hopefully, said suggestion would resolve itself as a promise, quickly fulfilled.

For Rafi's part, the creation represented that awful feeling of emptiness that he had come to associate with the new manner in which he was using his powers--something that the day's events had forced into doing much more than he'd otherwise might have liked. The feeling of being drained...more than simple physical fatigue. This was something more central and important, he knew; it was the feeling of his very self being drained away, somehow expended in the making reality out of nothingness. It was almost as if, every time he did it, he made himself a bit less real, like he transferred existence itself from himself to his creations.

He wondered what might happen, one day, if he pushed that expression of his gift too far.

He found that the notion made him shiver.

Fading from reality, after he transfers not only his consciousness but his inner self into one of his creations, in a crucial moment… and leaves his own body dry and cold - that was something from a horror movie, he shivered again at the thought. But his optimistic nature soon shone trough the dark cloud of these thoughts, and suggested that he would do that only if one of his friends would be in great danger or something other happens which needs extreme efforts. This calmed him down, and he hoped that it won’t happen in the near future… the experience of partial emptiness was fearful and awkward, after all. Better to care with the problems here and there, he thought.

The dark-skinned hand of the tattooist held the doorknob, and slowly turned it, pulling the door open. He couldn’t look behind the green wooden desk, it was beyond his hopes yet, so he glanced at the others, both asking them about his success and to walk trough it before him.

Concern etched its way across Kyle's shadowy features as he beheld Rafi's reactions and apparent moment of weakness and fatigue. Too, there was a sense of understanding resonating in the ebon depths of his dark eyes, as he suspected what might lie behind the tattooist's seeming fatigue. If it was indeed as he thought, then he understood quite well, knowing firsthand the sensation of pouring a bit of your very essence into your powers and creations, giving of oneself to bring forth one's gifts. In a way, it was as if it were a literal translation of the metaphorical act of an artist putting a bit of his soul into his work. 

In that way, he and Rafi were brothers of a sort.

He gently reached out a shadowy hand to help steady Rafi, a silent gesture of comprehension from one who knew.

“Go, gang, one by one, I hope it leads exactly where we wanted to go, to the parking lot of the Maxx Law building,” said Rafi, gesturing politely to the passageway. In normal circumstances he would be one of the first ones who pass it, but now he wanted to go with Carmilla, and he still wasn’t sure that it’ll be open long enough after he walks through it. The first time when they arrived to the snow over the entrance, he was a little hurried, who knows what’ll happen know.

“We shall not risk our luck, spending more time here”, he added, as he grabbed with his other hand the grapple of the shadowy wheelchair.

Rafi found the black grips to be cold, as if he held twin icicles in his hands. He ignored the mild discomfort that their texture brought; for Carmilla's sake, he could have endured the flames of Hell themselves. He reminded himself that they would allow him to rest his own weight against them until the wash of emptiness that had come with creating the door had passed, as a means of steeling himself against their chill.

Perhaps it left him a little sooner than before, but he didn’t notice it. From his point of view, it was good to have the doorknob and the handle of the chair to support himself and the cold actually helped to feel his body and recover from the shock. Still he was glad, that his trick worked… if it did, anyway. But that they’ll know soon.

At his side, Damon nodded. "Right," he said uneasily. "Guess somebody has to try it out now, right?" he asked, stepping forward as if to volunteer himself.

The shadow man in their midst interceded. "I'll go first," Kyle offered. "My shadowy form is somewhat less at risk, should tensions run high upon our sudden arrival. Besides which, Crystal and I have already managed a decent start with a particular MaxxLaw sergeant, and he's seen me in my energy state, which will hopefully help to quickly quell any suspicions."

Damon nodded again. "Right," he repeated himself. Though it wasn't clear whether he was more relieved that he'd have to be the first to go through or that he was simply agreeing with Kyle's logic, he stepped back, clearing the way for him.

Kyle offered the Brit a gentle smile as he wafted by. He wouldn't blame the man at all for not wanting to step through first. Truth be told, it wasn't something he was looking forward to, but it needed to be done, and he was best suited for this task.

And though he refused to voice it out loud, his shadowy form was a bit less at risk should trigger-happy sorts be those first encountered. And, gods forbid, should the exit point end up being a bit off target, his own teleportational abilities could come in handy in rectifying that, one way or the other.

And thus, Kyle approached the beckoning doorway, walking (or rather, floating) point.

Chapter XX – Into the cops arms

He took his first tentative step through the threshold....

Had he needed to breathe in energy form, that first step would have been preceded by a deep intake of breath and slow exhalation as he steeled himself for the transit. Instead, there was only the faintest waver of his shadowy form before he proceeded forward...

...and walked directly into the teeth of the blizzard.

Gods, I hate this damned winter! echoed in the back of his mind as he was once more exposed to its unforgiving bite.

He wasn't quite sure why it was--but seeing it surprised him. Stepping out through the nonexistent framework of the door through reality, Kyle was surrounded in the whirling lash of chill wind and thick snowfall that made it seem as if he were in the maelstrom of the hurricane at sea. Visibility would have been next to nothing at all, if it hadn't been for the light, he was sure.

The light beckoned to him, calling to him even as it seemed so antithetical to his very nature. But without the light, how could one truly define the dark? Despite their apparent opposition, they needed one another, ever dancing with one another in a tantalizing lovers' caress, with Jennie and himself the avatars of that poetic relationship.

Rafi's drawn doorway seemed to have affixed itself to one of the flat concrete supports that raised a parking garage up high into the air. In its long, deep shadow, the utter blackness that formed Kyle's body seemed to be a still-darker ebon heart. All out in front of him, he could see neatly-arranged rows upon rows of automobiles, each one parked before the long building to the left of the lot from his perspective, something that seemed to be made of polished silver for the way that it gleamed, even in the wan moonlight that poked its way through the impossibly-dense cloud cover above.

It was night time, he was instantly aware. The light shouldn't have been there.

He proceeded slowly and cautiously, keeping to the shadows as best he could for the nonce, reflexively gathering further faint wisps of darkness about him. Whether he had arrived at the intended destination or not, he had apparently arrived in a place of some activity. Given the parking structure and the nighttime sky (and damnable weather) bearing ample testament to his being outside, rather than accidentally shunted into a secured or private area, it provoked the foreboding sense that whomever lurked behind the light had been waiting..

It didn't come from any natural source, he realized. Instead, it came from a pair of large, portable floodlights that had been wheeled into position on thick, tank-like treads, set up about twenty feet distant from him and at the extremes of forty-five degree angles from where he stood. Like great cannons, they spilled a blindingly bright brilliance down onto him, making any kind of sight virtually impossible--especially for a creature of the night, such as he. Reflexively, Kyle found himself putting his hands up to shield his eyes.

The presence of the formidably bright floodlights, extremely so to be testing his innate resistance to such brilliance, only further cemented the notion that he'd somehow been expected. And their positioning so as to place him in the proverbial crossfire did nothing to help him feel at ease. He was sorely tempted to quickly fade back into the shadows, or even to teleport away, but he reminded himself there was something far more important at stake here than his own present discomfort. And so he very slowly drifted a slight bit forward, maintaining appreciable distance so as not to appear threatening, facing his upheld hands palms-out in passive form even as he shielded his eyes.

In doing so, he saw the silhouettes of a pair of riot barricades, maybe ten feet away. Twenty-some officers, behind them, pointed muzzles of long weapons from their cover, directly at his form.

Noting the array of armed officers, he scanned amongst them, seeking the telltale emblems of MaxxLaw as he had seen upon Sergeant Baker before.

Kyle would have had to have been well and truly blinded--not just caught within the glare of the powerful spotters--to have missed those. Virtually all of the officers behind their cover were wearing white pieces of what seemed to be some kind of ceramic laminate armor over their dark blue uniforms. Each one of them bore the distinctive blue and gold Maxx Law logo directly upon the centers of their chests. Although he remained at gunpoint, the sight of the emblems actually served to put him a bit more at ease. He'd appeared more or less where Rafi had wanted to put them and seemingly unharmed. Now, with the law spread out in force before him, it was a simple matter of convincing them that he he'd meant no harm with his sudden appearance. And while normally that might not have been so easy, given his darksome, eerie form--that was where he was hoping his and Jennie's earlier interactions with Sergeant Baker might pay handsome dividends.

Hoping, being the operative word, of course....

Okay.. Right area, wrong circumstances Kyle mused. While it was indeed encouraging to see the Maxxlaw symbols, the edginess of the officers behind those symbols made him nervous. He understood their anxiety under the circumstances, though. Having somebody suddenly pop up on your proverbial doorstep tended to unnerve folks, even if the unexpected guest weren't a spooky ebon specter.

He momentarily considered the idea of shifting back into human form, but cast that thought aside for the time being. He certainly didn't care to risk that causing a nervous finger to twitch, setting off a cascade of gunfire, especially towards his fleshly form.

"Stay right where you are," one of them, a stern-sounding woman, said through the end of a bullhorn that distorted her voice into something angry and authoritative.

He silently nodded in acknowledgment, even drifting a step back to reinforce his non-aggressive stance, keeping his arms raised before his eyes, palms outward in passive supplication.

The gun barrels all remained trained upon him, despite the gesture. Kyle found himself wondering if they truly might actually serve as any kind of real threat to him, given his only semi-tangible form--but it was hardly in his mind to find out, today. Behind the barrier, the woman with the bullhorn seemed to relax a bit for his newfound posture--a good sign, in his mind--though the remaining officers remained perfectly still, ready to squeeze off death at the slightest provocation.

As much as he didn't care for being painted by gun barrels, even if they might not hurt him, he understood the cops' wariness, and he respected their discipline in refusing to let their guard waver. That their commander seemed to relax even the tiniest bit for his accommodation was hopefully a good sign. Now he just needed to see if he could keep things heading along that path.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And what're you doing here?"

Even from his perspective, they seemed reasonable enough questions, he supposed.

"I am Obsidian, seeking the assistance of MaxxLaw in the aid of a captive recently rescued from a terrorist base," he answered succinctly, his voice echoing across the bit of distance like a ghostly echo issuing forth from a deep dark cave.

The officer nodded once. Kyle watched her turn her head gently to the left, as if she were whispering something into her lapel. He'd seen Baker do something similar before, when he and Jennie had first met him, and was fairly certain that the standard Maxx Law uniform must have had some kind of integrated communications device set into its fabric at that point. Aside of that, it was hard for him to tell how she might have taken his statement. She was wearing a dark sort of ski mask with integrated lenses of jet that completely obscured her face but for her mouth. He could only tell that it was a woman for the tone of her voice and the obvious way she filled out the glacis plate of her armor.

He was curious what she'd whispered into her comm, and what sort of reply might be forthcoming, but he steadfastly resisted the temptation to try listening through the shadows. He didn't care to risk that they might have methods of detecting his eavesdropping, in which case it could be construed as an aggressive action, thus ruining the friendly dialogue he was hoping to establish.

Besides which, he'd find out the gist of the conversation soon enough, by how the officers responded.

"Sergeant Baker of MaxxLaw can confirm that I strove to work cooperatively with MaxxLaw on a prior occasion," he offered additionally.

She glanced back up, stopping for a moment--as if the information had given her some bit of pause. Kyle watched her whisper something anew into the lapel. All around them, the snow continued to fall, settling atop the officers and their weapons, ever trained upon him. It seemed to make the lights from the floods grow even brighter, somehow, as if simulating the effects of snowblind in an extremely localized area. The wind kicked up, making it do strange things around the corners of the reinforced barricade; Kyle imagined that it was so cold that he shivered where he was, even though he couldn't scarcely feel its teeth.

At this point, he would've been hard pressed to distinguish shivers from cold weather from those brought on by nerves. Waiting to see how things developed was proving to be a tumultuous eternity of anxiety compacted into brief moments. At least his innate tolerance for light helped keep the bright floodlights and subsequent reflections off the snow from being as excruciatingly harsh as they otherwise might be.

He figured if Baker were presently available, then the Sergeant could verify that he'd been cooperative and friendly with MaxxLaw on their prior encounter, which would hopefully aid in quickly convincing them they were on the same side. He didn't add any specifics about the prior meeting because, to Kyle, it would've seemed a bit like boasting.

He waited with considerable trepidation to see how this was going to unfold.

Behind him, a world away, his friends were blissfully unaware of the standoff playing itself out no more than a few feet--and simultaneously a few thousand miles--from their location.

“Okay, ladies and gentleman, I hope we can follow Kyle soon”, said Rafi, watching the darkness of the portal behind the green door. He then glanced at the lithe agent, addressing his next question to her. “May, would you take care Carm? I want to be the last who leaves this cell.” 

The slip of a girl nodded her agreement quickly, moving to the grips of the wheelchair. "I'll go next," Damon looked behind himself, only a few inches from the door's threshold.

Rafi smiled at May, stroking her hand lightly, as if accidentally, as he passed the grips to her. She was the second in the line he listed the people whom he trusted to guard Carm, after himself. Or, as he mused over the thought for a moment, maybe she was the first, after the feats she presented during this quick rescue-mission. He was mildly sure that her true powers and abilities weren’t all revealed yet.

He then nodded at Damon’s comment, smiling at him faintly. “Okay, my friend. Be aware, one of you have to come back to alert us if anything failed. Which I hope it didn’t.”

Lise cocked a snowy brow. "You have something special in mind?" she asked. "A...parting gift for our new pals in green and yellow, maybe?" she smirked. The idea seemed to give her no small amount of delight.

Rafi chuckled at the notion, ever finding the brighter side of the things. “Not a bad idea, but I say no for now,” smiled sadly the young artist, and shrugged. “It wouldn’t be too wise to reveal our passage or powers to such an organization, especially when we’re planning on returning here. At least sending some reinforcements to rescue the other prisoners”, he added.

“And, finally, my powers usually have limited range,” he grimaced wryly, and glanced at the door, knowing that it’s the exception of these usual rules...

Damon stepped through the door....

Rafi suppressed a sigh, and watched anxiously as his friend walked trough the portal. He’d like to know what is on the other side, but he didn’t dare to try to spy on there, as the stability of the door was the main objective, until all of them could get trough it. 

“Lise, Jennie, you two the next, then May with Carm, after them Tanya, and finally I’ll go. Is that okay?” asked Rafi the remaining girls with a raised eyebrow. He didn’t want to sound like a commander, but being the last man there, he automatically shifted into the role, even that he knew that the girls are very good on their own, without a leader.

The two women--polar opposites, if ever there were such; one, the body of Spring and the other the edge of Winter--exchanged a quick glance before looking back to Rafi and nodding quickly. "Okay," Jennie said. May rocked the shadowy wheelchair back gently in a bit of anxiousness. Like Lise, she wasn't at all comfortable waiting, no matter the wisdom in it. As Rasgar continued to pace behind him, they shared something in common with his closest friend, he mused.

Rafi’s eyebrow climbed even higher hearing the simple agreement, as he wasn’t accustomed to that. With two sisters, one of them - the younger, on top of that - with bigger mouth than himself, they argued over everything, before settling on a fitting arrangement for all of them. But then he looked around them and smiled, perhaps they’ll be some other kind. Actually, he reminded himself, they were already. 

As his vision fell to the circling cat, his smile turned in a more gentle one, and he knelt down, to stroke the jade feline when he walked past by him. “Easy, boy. We’ll be off in no time”, said Rafi to the cat, holding his hand on his back, stroking all the way he went, until the dark spot at the end of Rasgar’s tail.

They started ahead. Meanwhile, the Lord of Ladybugs, before them, had already spanned that considerable distance between the prison and their adopted home in Elysium with a single step.

...and almost walked right into the back of Kyle's shadowy form.

"Kyle?" he started, before his hands went up to shade his eyes. All around, the man composed of night watched the gun barrels tense up, seeming to renew their angry posture in their direction. It took the Briton a moment to realize that there was anyone there at all; for him, the light proved absolutely crippling. "What...what the bloody Hell's going on?" he asked.

"Cops're a bit nervous over our sudden arrival," Kyle muttered informatively to the Briton, the ghostly whisper seeming to emanate from the back of Kyle's shadowy form, as if he were facing the man instead of facing towards the cops as he was.

He squinted and turned his head against the light's unyielding glare. "I'll take your word for it," he deadpanned.

"You could always stride forth to introduce yourself and verify it," Kyle playfully teased in shadowy whisper.

The bespeckled Briton laughed under his breath a little. "Wasn't it you that said something before about this little adventure being a good time to build trust between us all?" he asked. "I thought that was quite a lovely sentiment, if it's all the same."

"Fair enough," Kyle conceded with a faint nod. Ideally, they'd not have to discover whether or not he'd make an effective shield against the cops' weapons.

"Hopefully we're in the process of calming things down," he added, trying to softly and slowly weave a small patch of darkness before his friend's face to help cut down on the harsh glare of the lights. Kyle cut the gesture short before actually manifesting any real darkness, though. The situation was already tense enough; he determined that suddenly summoning anything--no matter how innocuous--might be something easily misinterpreted. Besides, there was a much easier way of affording his friend sight.

"Look into or through me if you need to," Kyle advised him gently. "Let me serve as your shades." 

The Briton seemed confused for a moment before he realized what Kyle had in mind. "Right," he finally said, shifting slightly behind him so as to protect himself from the angry glare.

"Better?" Kyle inquired as he carefully watched the assembled cops, hoping that Beetlebum's brief adjustment of position wouldn't be interpreted poorly.

Nobody squeezed off any shits; he supposed that was as good an answer as any. "Cor," he breathed as he got a good look at all the steel pointed in their direction. "I think I preferred the other view, myself."

"Often better when you can't see what sorta nastiness you're facing," Kyle agreed. "But hopefully there won't be any at all here tonight."

As a means of answer, the female with the bullhorn lowered the megaphone, putting it down onto the snowy ground next to one of the barriers. She said something to one of the officers next to her, who nodded sharply before standing. He walked over to one of the spotters and flipped a switch on the thin post that supported it.

The blinding light died; night reclaimed its rightful place.

Kyle resisted the urge to swell and stretch as he reveled in the return of the darkness, not wanting to get the officers even more nervous when they seemed on the verge of calming down. But the night felt so good, so invigorating. His shadowy form impossibly darkened further as he drank in the essence of the dark, though the stark void he painted against the snowy backdrop served to verify that he remained present and unmoving.

Beetlebum blinked twice from behind Kyle. Then: "Bugger," he breathed, finally seeing all the guns pointed in their direction.

"Guess we shoulda called first," Kyle whispered to Beetlebum with a light chuckle, trying to set his new friend a bit more at ease.

"I think I liked being blind better," he quipped to Kyle, stepping out from around him to a more natural position.

"The ignorant bliss of blindness can be a boon at times, but it's a testament to your courage to stand forth in the face of such uncertainty, my friend," Kyle complimented him.

"Or my rampant stupidity," he countered. "The two are easy enough to confuse, y'know."

"Given the courage displayed throughout this little adventure, I'd say it's definitely more bravery than foolishness," Kyle replied. "You risk much for your friends, even when fearing you may be ill suited to the situation; good signs of nobility and heroism. You give yourself too little credit."

The woman though whom Kyle had been working deftly circumvented the barrier, striding over to Kyle's direction. In a neat move, he watched her reach back behind her head and pull off the dark ski-mask that obscured her features. She had dark skin, tanned deeply; he thought she might be of mulatto heritage. She had deep, dark eyes and her hair was shorn close to her scalp in a military fashion. A tall and athletic-looking woman, she was attractive, he thought, after a fashion, in a rough kind of way.

Kyle responded to her by unmasking in his own fashion, settling silently to the snowy ground and reclaiming his costumed human form. Though his eyes remained hidden behind his shades, a gentle smile crossed his lips as he lightly nodded his head towards her in respect.

She extended her hand to him, offering a taut leather gloved palm.

He courteously took her hand, sliding his hand up to clasp her forearm in a friendly and hearty greeting as might be exchanged between fellow soldiers or warriors to demonstrate their camaraderie and respect. He then pulled his hand back slightly, softly bringing her hand to his lips as he bowed graciously and deposited a courtly kiss upon her gloved fingertips before releasing her hand.

"Sergeant Eva LaFors," she greeted him, surprising him with a thick accent that he guessed might be Cajun in origin. She seemed slightly amused by his courtly manner of greeting as he pulled away from the top of her gloved hand; probably something that any Cajun Queen or Southern Belle appreciated, at least in some small way, he decided.

Kyle gently offered her another genuinely warm and pleasant smile.

Damon grinned impishly. "Such a charmer, you are," he chuckled.

"Oft pays to be courteous," Kyle remarked. "And knightly tales always struck a chord with me," he admitted.

It was too bad Jennie wasn't there, he mused, as his friend simply replied with a subtle shrug of his shoulders. She would certainly have more than a short word or two to offer about the knightly tales that had bloomed into the current state of their relationship, that was for certain.

A soft smile crossed Kyle's lips as he reflected upon that. Their shared fondness for stories of knights and heroism had lain a foundation for a deeper connection and intimacy he would never have imagined. That shared escape and joy had planted a seed that took hold, slowly and steadily growing over the years, until it finally bloomed, flowering in indescribable beauty; something he could not now imagine living without.

The knight had rescued his lady fair, and she in turn had rescued him as well.

"Maxx Law Special Forces, #212. Your contact, Baker, he's off duty--but he's getting hisself outta bed to come meet y'all," she explained.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sergeant LaFors," Kyle returned with a smile, making an effort to properly enunciate her name as she had given it. "I appreciate your courtesy in contacting Sergeant Baker."

Cocking a little brow and offering a wry grin.

"Y'know, this's why y'all should register with us," she said. "Who like t'have a gun or twenty pointed at 'em, at this kinda ungodly hour?"

"I do apologize for dropping in unannounced," Kyle offered courteously. "But we figured time was of the essence for returning with the rescued individual, and for trying to seek out assistance for aiding those remaining captives we've not yet had the chance to rescue."

"Ah understand," she said, placing her sidearm back into a thick, black nylon holster at her side. Kyle's eyes followed it all the way back on its path; he hadn't even noticed that she'd had it in her hand. It was striking, in a sense--that wasn't the type of thing he was wont to not notice. "All the more reason why y'all hero-types need to take us up onna registration," she said. "'Stead 'o guns, we coulda had an ambulance waitin' for y'all."

"We are certainly considering it, but have not yet had the time to thoroughly read the related paperwork," Kyle noted. "And once we found ourselves immersed in the rescue mission, matters snowballed rather quickly, leaving us unable to grant the courtesy of advance notice. For that, I do apologize," he offered with a slight bow.

"We have further teammates waiting to join us here, along with the rescued lady," he explained to the Sergeant, so she might inform her officers and help avoid any renewed tensions. "If we might be permitted to bring them through?"

"That's fine," she said. "Y'all fit the description an' power sigs Baker mentioned--an' since he said he'd vouch for y'all, y'all c'n do as y'all please, far as Ah'm concerned. Teleportin' inta our parking lot's against Company policy--but Ah figure y'all shouldn't need more'n a warnin' not t'make a habit of it--especially considerin' the circumstances," she nodded.

"We'll certainly try to refrain from repeating that error in the future," Kyle assured her.

The sergeant simply nodded her assent. She knew he'd gotten the point and didn't belabor it.

He wasn't all that surprised to learn that Baker had evidently scanned and noted his power signature; general tech and advancement levels were substantially higher in Elysium City than elsewhere it seemed, and he'd already seen glimpses of the police riding high on the crest of it. He was more a bit surprised actually that Baker had apparently been so quick to vouch for him, especially so pointedly that LaFors was calmly willing to accept unknown numbers of teammates yet to arrive. He certainly hadn't thought he'd left a particularly vivid impression, aside from perhaps being that shadowy ghost guy. This spoke highly of Baker's attitude and willingness to extend some trust.

With a soft chuckle to himself, Kyle realized he was quickly amassing a growing list of folks to buy drinks for.

The armored and uniformed woman turned around. "All right, fellas, nice job," she said, turning back around to the other officers. "Y'all can stand down an' pack it all up. Everythin's clear."

She began back toward the armed officers, who were one by one beginning to raise their gunbarrels from their positions trained on Kyle and Beetlebum. Two of them broke off and touched small studs on the posts that constituted the spotlights. That activated their treads and lowered their heads downward, compacting them as they began to wheel slowly back toward the Maxx Law building proper. The same could be said of the barricades themselves, folding up like massive transparent accordions at the touch of a button until they were no more than the size of a loaf of bread. Some of the officers picked them up and carried them off, making their way back to the warmth and safety of the building as well. Only LaFors herself seemed as if she intended on remaining. Kyle noticed as they made their trek away from them, nothing seemed to be controlling the lights, even though they unerringly made for the front doors.

Some manner of remote operation, dedicated homing beacons, or perhaps even rudimentary AI, he considered, intrigued by the devices even as he was relieved by no longer having numerous weapons trained upon his person. He made a mental note to sit down in the near future and see what varieties of electronic toys, remotely operated or otherwise, were commercially available here. Then he'd likely have to prioritize the list as to what he could afford and what he might need to save up for.

Further incentive to produce the art, he mused.

Beetlebum watched the mechanized floodlights and the barricades disappear, the gunbarrels raised skyward as their wielders made their way back in the direction of the Maxx Law building off to their left, rendered aught more than a murky grey elongated shadow by the motion and the density of the snowfall. "Much better," he mused under his breath, obviously relieved not to be the object of so much armed attention.

Kyle empathized with him. They'd faced a lot of tension and looming danger in a very short time, and Beetlebum by his own admission had never attempted a foray into heroics before. When it came down to it, the man seemed to be handling it fairly well, something for which Kyle respected him even more.

Once LaFors had notified her command and given her assent, Kyle turned to Beetlebum...

"Make sure everyone gets through safely. While I see if Sergeant LaFors might be able to assist us with some tactical advice, given the base's locale likely being considered out of MaxxLaw's jurisdiction," he noted.

Damon didn't even have a chance to agree. The very instant he said it, he watched Jennie and Lise step from out of the door, his sister glowing a bright emerald as she levitated a good two feet from the ground. He was glad that she hadn't emerged looking like that a few instants before. It might have been enough of a sight to provoke gunfire.

He was glad to see her again, even after so short a separation, smiling for the beautiful sight of her. He was more glad, however, that the situation had calmed before she'd made her entrance. The mere thought of startled, trigger-happy cops opening fire upon her, and the terrors that could ensue because of it, elicited a cold shiver along his spine worse than anything the weather could cause.

She made a bee-line to his side as she detected his smile. "Heya," she grinned, lighting up her part of the night with her smile and the gentle brightening of the luminescence that came with the gesture. She reached out with both her hands and took Kyle's in them. Only then did she turn her attention over toward LaFors. "Making new friends?" she asked.

"That is indeed my hope," Kyle answered, softly squeezing Jennie's hands, breathing a contented sigh as he savored the warmth of her touch.

Lise watched the retreating officers. "Looks like the show's over, huh?" she frowned gently. "Doesn't seem to matter much how fast I am--I always seem to end up missing out on all the excitement."

Damon smirked and looked back at Kyle.

If she only knew.

"Next time, you can always volunteer to be first to venture through portals into unknown territory," Kyle suggested with a wry smile.

She shrugged. "Fine by me," she replied, stabbing her hands into her pockets in the face of the winter's onslaught. "You get to explain to the others why our resident Dark Knight let the five-foot ballerina lead them into battle."

Jennie allowed a sly smile and looked back at Kyle. "Got you pegged already, huh?" she asked.

"So it would seem," he admitted. "However, there is a certain tactical sense in letting a formidable speedster lead the charge, unchivalrous though it may seem; and I'd certainly never try to deny a lady the opportunity to prove herself equal to the men in taking the lead," he remarked, offering Lise a wry smirk.

She returned the grin with one of her own, sly and knowing. "If you had any idea where I came from--you'd know just how funny that actually was," she cryptically replied.

But left it simply at that.

Kyle cocked an eyebrow at her remark, curious what lay beneath it, but said nothing for now. She didn't seem inclined to be more forthcoming just yet, especially given the current circumstances, so he simply nodded and let it be. One more thing to add to the list of interesting discussions to be had by their newly forged group when they had time to relax and unwind, it would seem.

Off in the distance, he was sure he heard the sounds of approaching sirens. It might be an ambulance or Sergeant Baker. In any case, there was little doubt that their location was their destination. In his opinion, it mattered little; either would definitely be welcome.

Each would represent a further step towards helping Rafi's lady when they arrived in short order, which should help bolster the tattooist's spirit a bit. Though the relationship was of such a short span, Kyle found himself developing a deep concern for the welfare of these new friends.

Meanwhile, back in the lonely prison cell, May took a deep breath and pushed Carmilla in the ebon-night wheelchair over the threshold and a world away from Rafi. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to release his hold of her hand and let her go once more...but he managed to summon it, somehow.

It was a long moment, slowed down in his perception like the important moments in the movies, as he slowly let them go. He held his hand there for a while after they stepped trough his portal, into his soul, in a way, he mused for a moment or two. Carmilla was already there, occupying a considerate part of it, with her personality and their love, but May --and the others, on a smaller part--, was on her way to seize another piece. 

Rafi then stood up, and looked at the Magess, gently gesturing at the door with a small bow, like a herald to the queen, to let her trough.

She curtsied with her cloak of peacock feathers--each one an ever-vigilant eye--in a courtly gesture that might have made Kyle proud, where he there to see it. Another moment later and the Magess offered him a gentle smile. And with no fanfare at all, she followed the two of them through the doorway that truncated the distance of thousands of miles into the brevity of inches with the power of the Morrigan's magic.

Leaving he and Rasgar alone within the cell.

So quiet that he could hear the sound of his own heart, beating within his chest.

The young tattooist glanced down at his friend at his heel, where the cat positioned himself after the leaving of the group, and watched his tail to lash back and forth. He put his palm on his head, as if calming the feline, but in truth he wanted to calm himself, too. They stood there for a few seconds, but then Rafi looked at the door of the cell, the shackles on the wall, and his eyes narrowed.

Rasgar looked up at him with his vivid green eyes, as if he were trying to figure out why it might be that he wasn't following after the others. His eyes turned to survey the small confines of the prison to see what it might be that he was looking at.

But Rafi wasn't looking at anything in particular. More of a feeling than anything else, really.

Rumination upon those whom he owed a grim debt, indeed.

“As the Phantom Queen said, I’ll bring war upon you...” he said aloud on his normal voice, maybe a bit lowered with the determination he felt. He knew, it will be war, even if they won’t return personally, but the other prisoners must be freed, and what he saw today about the SHIELD, that made him think that it won’t be a nice and sneaky rescue-action.

He then took a deep breath, and walked after his friends, trough his own creation, trough his own soul. 

When he emerged on the other side, he shivered at the wind’s chilling touch. His second action was to look around, both to measure their position, to know who’s there, and to step next to his love.

With his back to the doorway and the dark cliff face of the concrete parking garage, they almost formed a perfect semi-circle around both he and Rasgar. Kyle and Damon made the far edge of it, Jennie and Lise flanking them and Tanya, still further away. The only one amongst them that was a stranger was a tall, dusky-skinned woman that wore the traditional dark blue Maxx Law uniform that he had seen earlier. She wore an angular set of bright white body armor in a sort of vest-like assembly...and just outside of their circle, where she stood, Rafi noticed that the two-foot deep snow had been disturbed by what looked like an army of footprints, all forming a large semi-circle that mirrored their own. She must have been there to greet Kyle when he'd emerged from the door, he mused. With more than a few friends. They were long since gone, though. Now, her only company was the gentle wail of a solitary siren on the winter's night air, at some distance--but rapidly approaching, the same.

Watching the tracks around them, and their amount, it was clear that the Maxx Law has at least the same level of sensors for metas, like the SHIELD, he mused. The door appeared only a minute or two ago, and they already waited for Kyle, that was a feat which cried for celebration, from the viewpoint of a law-abiding citizen, at least. But seeing that only one of the officers remained, Obsidian must’ve talked them out without major problems, which was good. In their present mental condition, Rafi wasn’t sure that they won’t react a bit more tersely to an insult than it’d be clever. He shrugged and smiled, nodding to the officer, who reminded him to the stormtroopers from the Star Wars, with her white armory.

Just inside that circle, close to him, was May. She was still standing behind the wheelchair in which sat a limp and unconscious Carmilla, vigilantly guarding her as she bore her along. From where he stood, in the gentle light Jennie shed, her eyes still seemed dark and distant. However, it seemed like she'd gained back a great deal of her color, the same; the Magess' potion at work, he presumed.

Rafi put his hand on Carmilla’s shoulder, searching for reassurance in the touch, and trying to ignore the bite of the cold, at the same. The fact that she regained some more color made him feel better, though he was still concerned about the tortures she went trough to got into that state within less a day… but it was over now.

They were all there, he saw. All had passed through the gates leading back from that proverbial concrete Hell, a continent and an ocean away.

And had made it back intact.

“We made it, friends. Thank you all”, he said, loud enough to be heard, but still silently, like a whisper, trough the freezing wind.

Kyle nodded briefly in Rafi's direction, glad that he'd been able to be of some help. Over at his side, Jennie squeezed his hand tightly and smiled broadly, mouthing out a You're welcome that was lost to the sound of the roaring gale. May sighed and replied with a weary little grin and Tanya offered a little bow...and even swift little Lise managed to turn her lovely features into a mute smile. "We're glad we could help, Jade Jaguar," Damon said, sure to use his adopted codename only in the presence of the officer amongst them. "That's what friends are for."

With the nods and chuckles that came from each of them--never was that more apparent. Rafi thought he actually felt something in his chest swell with warmth for the sentiment.

Rafi felt like something were stuck in his throat, seeing these responses from the people around him. He was a hearty, sensitive guy inside, behind his big mouth and politeness; this could give reason to the teardrop which appeared in the corner of his eyes. Either that or the freezing wind in the parking lot.

Kyle enjoyed the feel and warmth of Jennie's hand in his, smiling a bit more for the closeness. Looking around the assemblage for a moment, he considered that together they comprised a rather unusual group, seemingly cast alongside one another by the random whims of fate. And yet, they had banded together for the simplest and most noble of reasons: to come to the aid of one in need, standing by the side of those they barely knew, or knew not at all before this night.

They were all of good heart, worthy heroes in the making, to be certain. And Kyle was glad to have met them, and to be counted among their number this night.

Only then let he fade the door, made from imagination and ancient magic, back to the realm from where he summoned it.

"Everything well, my friend?" Kyle inquired of Rafi, concern evident in his voice.

Rafi looked back at the darksome young man, and nodded with a faint, but relieved smile. “It’s getting better, with every moment we spend far from that place. I could appreciate a warm room in place of this parking lot, though,” smiled the young artist at the end.

"A reasonable request, I should think," Kyle agreed. "So let us see what we can do to accommodate it."

"I actually have a spell for that," Tanya smirked. "But, ah, perhaps it might be best saved, considering our present company," she looked over in the direction of the armored officer at the edge of their small gathering.

Rafi glanced there too, and nodded in agreement. “Better to keep some secrets and tricks for later”, he said with a knowing smile.

"I've a feeling there will be many secrets and tricks to be shared later," Kyle noted with a smile. "But for now perhaps we can see about exiting the weather in a more conventional manner."

Although the notion of manifesting a large, solid shadowy umbrella to help shield the group from the bite of the cold winds and snow was extremely tempting. The main thing holding him back was not knowing how Sergeant LaFors might react, or how such a power manifestation might be interpreted so close to MaxxLaw. Likely to re-spark tensions a bit, he considered.

Looking at Rafi's lady, he made a decision. He moved and placed himself so as to help act as a human shield against the wind for her, doing what he could to cut down on her discomfort.

As Jennie watched what he did, she was quick to follow suit. Still holding his hand, she drew even closer to his side, the light that she constantly shed growing no brighter--but suddenly rising noticeably in temperature, until standing next to her was something approximating standing in the security of a warm fireside. Side-by-side blocking the wind, it made Carmilla's position significantly more comfortable, to be sure.

Kyle smiled gently upon Jennie, interlacing his fingers with hers as he clasped her hand. Her gentle compassion and warmth made him proud of her, urging him to gently hold her close by his side. He didn't need the warmth quite as much as others might, but he certainly wasn't one to forgo it, especially when it was Jennie's special brand of warmth.

Rafi tilted his head as he watched the more-than-human shield in front of them, and slightly shook his head smiling meanwhile. Jennie’s warmth was the most appreciated help in the parking lot, taking into account Carmilla’s state. There was no need for a cold or worse, on top of the already gotten problems. He took a half-step aside, to get a better look behind the Haydens, and nodded to them. He knew that they’ll see from the corner of their eyes, and he already said thank you during the night enough times.

Kyle caught Rafi's nod, and returned a smile and nod of his own. Words need not be spoken for true understanding, and enough had been shared amongst their group this night for simple gestures and expressions to more than suffice.

Kyle could feel the light she was radiating, so close to him, permeating his body in a manner that none of the others could hope to understand. To be so close to him was as if she was filling up an empty vessel with liquid sunshine; somehow, pouring out her light into the dark void of which his body was a walking threshold. To his senses dark and oblique, it was a sort of ecstasy difficult to quantify...and yet fulfilling beyond easy words.

It was as if his very soul were lovingly bathed in a warm and gentle mineral spring, tenderly easing and soothing every ache, carrying away every worry upon the soft ripple of its emerald waters. In his early days of adolescence, he had scoffed at the foolish notions of soulmates and finding one to 'complete' oneself. Now, he found he had grown immensely in a short span, knowing that such ideas weren't mere idle romanticism, but that there truly could be a mate who was very much the other half of one's spirit.

And, for him, she had ever been close by; so close that he had failed to see her for far too long. But he had awakened at long last, and having found her would never let her go.

She smiled upon him, nuzzling close in spite of the weather, placing a small kiss upon his nose.

It was Heaven in the face of wintertime.

He gently wrapped an arm about her, as if helping to ward the cold from her, though she of course needed such aid far less than even he did. Reaching up, he softly stroked her hair as he offered his shoulder for her to rest her head upon.

His face still bore a faint flush, retaining warmth from the brief kiss she had bestowed upon him.

"Sergeant LaFors here," Kyle noted, introducing the MaxxLaw officer, "will help us make sure the lady gets all the treatment and care she requires."

She nodded. Once Kyle had brought her up, she turned back and took it as an opportunity to politely insert herself back into the conversation. "That siren y'all hear is an ambulance," she informed them, striking Rafi somewhat with the thickness of a Louisiana Cajun accent that fell on his ears like a pleasant spice does upon the palate. "Comin' outta Elysium General, they'll get y'all's lady patched up right, don't y'all worry none," she nodded assuredly, fixing him with her dark eyes.

“It’s like music, to my ears” replied Rafi with a gentle smile, glancing at the officer. He then looked down at Carmilla, and back to the sergeant again. “I guess I can’t go with her to the hospital right away,” he said with a wry smile and sadness in his dark eyes. He knew enough about the law-enforcement companies that they probably will put the interrogation at the first place, and all other things following after that. He could understand that, but he didn’t have to like it.

"Greatly appreciated, Milady," Kyle offered to LaFors with a courteous bow.

She simply shrugged. "To protect and serve," she replied. "It ain't just a motto, y'know."

Here not, maybe, shrugged Rafi virtually. At home, where he used to hang with his gang-friends these weren’t too frequently heard words, and he could bet that this city already had blocks where this statement could stand on its own, too. It wasn’t the flaw of the police, sure, but mainly the gangstas, but he couldn’t trust blindly in the officer as of yet. They’ll see what they can offer, to save May from the SHIELD prison and the other victims from the terrorist base.

"A worthy notion to live up to," Kyle remarked to the sergeant. He'd seen some examples of police who failed to live up the noble sentiment. It was sadly human nature that some members of any large group would fail to maintain the group's standards. He hoped LaFors was one of those who honestly believed in it and felt it worth constantly striving to uphold.

"As an aside, I was about to ask the Sergeant if she'd be willing to supply some tactical advice, based on what we learned of the base and the captives, to aid in the more extensive rescue op."

"Yeah, 'bout that," she returned, looking back at Kyle. "Ah asked HQ how they thought we oughtta handle all that. Ah've been given instructions, once we get y'all's casualty onto the ambulance, to bring y'all in. Ah understand the Kommissar wants to talk to y'all personally, once Sergeant Baker shows up and we sort out that y'all're the folks he think y'all are."

"Understood," Kyle acknowledged.

"The Kommissar," May breathed glumly amidst a cone of frost. "Might as well get me suited for that prison cell already."

The dark-skinned tattooist raised an eyebrow, and moved his hand up to May’s, to squeeze it gently, musing meanwhile what that comment would call onto their heads, if it was heard. His concern soon get voiced support as the sergeant replied, so Rafi just smiled wryly, shaking his head slightly. These wry comments weren’t too wise to say most of the time; he knew… he used to say similar ones, mostly in the wrong times, like this.

Kyle simply offered May a gently stern glance over the top of his shades, his face etched with the silent assurance that they were not going to allow her to be shuttled off and incarcerated so easily. He followed it up by silently mouthing the words pina coladas across to her, accompanied by a brief wink.

May just chuckled by way of response, making a little face as if to convey that it was anything but a sure thing.

LaFors squinted her eyes at her. "Beggin' y'all's pardon?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Jennie brushed her off with an easy grin. "She said might as well get me set up for a prison cell already. So she's got someplace to store all the bad guys we ran up on back where we just came from!" she added amiably.

LaFors didn't look like she bought it entirely. Bust she simply nodded and said nothing.

Getting no obvious reply wasn’t bad at all, but the look in her eyes told Rafi, that she didn’t forget it either, which could cause troubles later, he thought.

"First things first, however. And that is seeing to the lady's well being and ensuring the best possible conditions for her recovery," Kyle noted.

As soon as he said it, Kyle could see the familiar red and blue lights he associated with emergency vehicles, drawing close from down the street. It was one of the kinds of conveyances that was bereft of any kind of wheels, he noticed--and it whipped towards them as if driven by the gale winds around them themselves, screaming down the thoroughfare in their direction. The driver must've turned off the siren, he was sure, as it was coming in with an almost eerie silence now. Not far behind it, he thought he saw a conventional vehicle, as well.

The hover-ambulance brought a smile to Kyle's face, partially for the curiosity and intrigue about its design that it piqued within him. But, far more importantly, he smiled for the visual confirmation of aid for his new friends that it represented.

"There they are now," LaFors mused. As they turned into the parking lot and made their way in their direction, they were a welcome sight, to be sure.

Especially to the heart of a particular emerald-tressed artist.

Rafi watched the wagons from the future closing on them with mixed feelings. It was a good thing to know that his love will be in good hands soon, but it meant that, too, that their adventure hadn’t ended yet. But fortunately now it was about to talk May -- and probably themselves, too -- out from the SHIELD prison and retribution, and not rescuing a beloved one from an unknown place, from the claws of unknown enemies. Not that he didn’t think that it’s less important, but he hoped that it’d be easier.

"She'll be fine," Kyle assured Rafi. "Great hospital care to support the healing potions... She should be up 'n around in relatively short order, and then you'll be able to celebrate the simple, wonderful joy of being together once more."

“I know” nodded the young tattooist, but judging by the look on his face, it sounded more I hope; as he seemed very reluctant to part from his love again. With this feeling he was torn between the duty, to provide information to the officer about their actions, to support May, and on the other side were Carm, to be there when she wakes up, or just guard her sleep on a white hospital bed. It was apparent, though, as the officer didn’t answer to his former note about going with her, that she wouldn’t allow it anyway, so this agony was rhetorical and pointless, he knew.

Kyle could well understand what was likely running through Rafi's mind. Were it Jennie, he'd be wracked with worry every moment until she once more stood and danced as her usual pixie-like self, and nothing at all in the world would seem nearly as important. All the assurance he could offer Rafi at this point was a friendly clasp upon the shoulder, and a slight nod to reinforce to him that his friends would stand by him throughout it all, helping him and his lady every step of the way as they could.

The ambulance pulled up to a stop directly next to where they had gathered, in the shadow of the parking garage. As it did, they could all see how it settled ever so slightly in the direction of the snow-covered concrete until it only floated a few inches from its surface. Both doors from the cabin of the vehicle opened up, white-uniformed men springing out and making for their midst immediately afterward. Almost simultaneously, the rear of the vehicle opened, revealing a third man, set behind some sort of controls along its inner wall. At the touch of a few buttons, a long metal ramp began to retract from within the substance of its floor. At the same time, a sturdy-looking stretcher floated out from inside as if carried by a pair of unseen servants, waist-high, until it came to a stop at the end of the ramp.

Rafi watched the supreme technology what the car and its accessories represented. Living in Elysium City was like you live somewhere in the future, on at least in a sci-fi movie, surrounded by all this development as the part of the everyday life. Sure, the world had awesome things, created by leading scientists, heros and villains, but that was unique and extreme... but here it became the part of his life.

Kyle watched the ambulance and automated stretcher with keen interest, managing to stoically restrain the urge to drool with delight. Behind his shades, his ebon eyes sparkled and shone as the devices tempted and tantalized the engineer within him, like works of art you were forced to admire solely from a distance, forbidden from experiencing and appreciating them truly firsthand.

Both men quickly saw the wheelchair within their vague circle and made haste to approach it. The first one there, a tall, spindly-looking man with rather effeminate features spoke up. The uniform he wore seemed almost armored after a fact itself, but bore thick, ribbed padding rather than any kind of hard plating on its surface. His name tag, above a large red cross on his breast, read JENKINS. "Is this your only injured?" he asked. The depth of his voice contrasted his features distinctly.

Rafi stared at the man with his black eyes and it was clearly visible as the skin tensed up around his eyes. “Yes, she is our only injured, dude” he said sharply, silently. His palm became tighter around the wheelchair’s grip, as he deduced his fury which flared up by this uncaring question; to his ears it sounded like, after all. “She was tortured by unknown means, were almost dead when we found her, so be the kindest with her that you can perform, please.” He added the plea at the end, but the intonation showed that it wasn’t really a question, but it sounded more like a command.

The medic nodded as his fellow white-uniformed partner arrived just behind him, bearing a red metal case about the size of a fisherman's tackle box in his hand. It bore white block lettering on its side, making no mistake about its belonging to the Elysium City General Hospital or that it was TRIAGE PACK #37. The second man, wearing a nametag that read KJELLBERG looked over at the first, who carefully took off his white leather glove and gently put it to the side of Carmilla's head. It looked as if he was trying to get as close as humanly possible to her skin without touching her.

"Sawyer," he asked, wincing a little in the face of the cold. "Whaddya think?"

Kyle watched curiously, wondering what interesting gadgets and such might be pulled forth from the triage pack, even as he awaited to see what powers or miracles the medic himself might manifest.

Rasgar’s stance stiffened at his side, too, as the jade feline heard the anger in his master’s voice, and he joined to the stare, ears turned back at his skull, like before an attack, bore from aggression. The motion at the perimeter of his vision made Rafi to look down, and the stance of his friend cleared partly off the angry cloud from his mind. He eased his stance a little, and touched his knee to the jaguar’s side, to calm him, too. It wouldn’t be too wise to attack the medical personnel who came to help, he knew, whatever he said.

Again, Kyle could well understand Rafi's feelings. The medic's words had seemed a bit too curt and detached to him as well, though they may not have been intended that way. He'd have responded similarly if he were in Rafi's place, and was actually tempted to comment anyway. But there was no need for him to say anything, as the tattooist's reaction, and that of the jaguar beside him, conveyed every bit of forceful elegance needed.

The medic closed his eyes in deep concentration. Just from the surface of Carmilla's skin, where his hand hovered above it, both Rafi and Kyle could see a gently reflected glow, as if light was being shed from his ungloved flesh. It was a radiance that defied description...some sort of light that held both black and white qualities in its substance, but somehow managed at once to be both and neither. It would have been invisible, had it not been for its reflection; none of them could say that they had seen anything like it before. "Badly dehydrated," the medic said from the depths of his concentration. "Subluxation of the shoulders seems to be the worst of the physical trauma. Mild concussion, some minor lacerations and contusions. Seems like she might have been in shock...but some substantial natural healing seems to've taken place."

Kyle's first thoughts upon glimpsing the reflected glow were intrigued ponderings as to whether the medic had generated some manner of personal x-ray scan, or possibly some more involved array of biomedical exam. Given the apparent numbers of metas in Elysium City, and the evident interest in finding vocations that complemented their gifts, it was entirely possible the man had an entire suite of powers suited for at least examining folks.

As the medic began to list her injuries, he suspected that subluxation referred to some manner of wrenching or strain inflicted upon joints, as he figured that to be the lady's most likely injury given how she'd been restrained. Of course, he was hardly expert enough to be certain; it might be substantially more than that -- dislocations and connective tissue tears were other possibilities. Although curious as to exactly what it meant, he held his tongue. Rafi needed no more anxiety right now. Besides, the Magess' potions should've ameliorated the vast majority of problems, so it was probably fairly minor.

Rafi listened as the medic listed the problems he sensed like if he would read up the components from a recipe. His eyebrow lifted again, but he just set his jaw, swallowed and then counted to ten. For Carm, he thought, and remained calm. Well, at least how he could now. 

“She was hung up with her arms, and in a pose where her knees couldn’t touch the ground, for unknown length,” he said instead, revealing more from the tortures she was subject, in hope that it’ll help the medics to treat her better.

He turned to him, listening intently, his dark goatee seeming to gain red and blue highlights in the flash of the ambulance's lights. "That's the subluxation," he explained with a subtle nod. "That means the joint's displaced, not fully separated. You tend to see that in slow, non-violent traumas, so that makes sense. It's probably where a lot of the dehydration came from. That kind of posture doesn't allow the body proper respiration, which makes it work harder for breath. You can burn up a lot of fluids, that way."

He looked back down at her for a moment, then back at Rafi. "That's good to know," he said. "It'll help us treat her a lot more effectively."

Rafi just nodded in return, with a ghost of a smile. He knew that he should be a bit relieved, but he simply couldn’t feel that way. These were only words, even from a medic’s mouth, but he wanted to see the results, not continue this conversation.

Kyle understood Rafi's annoyance. But he also understood that the medic's recitation wasn't meant to be cold; such jobs tended to require the ability to detach oneself, lest one get too emotionally distraught to do the job properly. Not that it made it any easier to bear when a loved one was being examined in such a seemingly cold and distant manner.

He looked up at Rafi, the glow fading. "She regenerate?" he asked, just as someone might ask if she drank Diet Coke.

"No," Tanya offered. "At least I don't think so. She's been offered some magical healing, via a potion," she explained.

Rafi nodded, and took a quick glance at May. He didn’t want to reveal all of Carm’s abilities, only those he thought important for the treatments. She was a SHIELD-agent, after all. But then again, not like it counted now for him too much. That’ll be a problem for later.

“No, I don’t know that she were able to regenerate. She resists toxins, even the highly poisonous or strong ones. I think some of the medicines fall into that category, too,” explained the young tattooist, while he stroked the head of his love gently. “And be careful with her left arm, it shall be covered all the time.” That he didn’t explain more, this should be enough for them to know what to do.

The medic's eyes fell down on Carmilla's arm, loosely swathed in a white, gauzelike material, thin and drawn. He nodded. Looked back over to Rafi. "She's going to be all right," he said, as if he was absolutely certain of it. He had a manner of speaking that was deadpan and serious. Now that he'd heard more of it, he realized he'd taken him the wrong way before because of his edginess. It wasn't that he didn't care; he could tell that now, for sure. It was just his way of speaking. "The worst of her injuries seem to be taken care of." He looked back at Kjellberg, to make sure he head him over the wind. "We'll get her an IV to take care of the dehydration on her way back to the hospital. They'll want to give her the once over when we get there, probably hold her for observation. You did good," he smiled thinly. "She was probably a lot worse off, maybe less than an hour ago. It could have been bad, if you wouldn't've been there to help."

“She was,” nodded Rafi in agreement, shivering both from the memory and the cutting wind. “The treatment is the Magess’ merit, her potions did very well,” smiled Rafi at Tanya, to show to the medic who he named from the group.

She nodded simply, returning his smile with one of her own. "All of us lent our skills to the cause in one way or another," she returned. "In the larger scheme of things, none was more important than another."

The young artist looked around in the small group of friends, what surrounded them, and took a deep breath. When he exhaled it made a long cone of fog, and the cold cleared not only his lungs but his mind as well.

They had worked fairly well together, especially for such a sudden and unexpected gathering, Kyle considered. And in the process they had already discovered useful complements of some of their gifts. He was looking forward to what better bonds of teamwork they'd be able to forge over time, learning more of one another and growing stronger together in the bargain.

The medic nodded again. "Well, somebody was responsible for your friend not having an accumulation of fluid in her lungs," he said. "When you've got somebody in the kind of position you're describing for a prolonged period of time, that's the danger. They end up drowning on their own bodily fluids." The thought chilled Rafi to the bone to consider, even without the help of the terrible winter weather at his back. They had been just in time, indeed.

As more and more small details became known about the girl’s status, the tattooist was more and more grateful to the ancient god who let them save her. Without the Phantom Queen, they wouldn’t be as quick as now, it was sure. He shall look after this entity, to express his thankfulness properly.

In the face of the medic's explanation, Kyle's face creased with worry for those yet to be delivered from captivity. At best, they had not much more time than Rafi's lady would have, and they lacked the grace of healing potions to forestall the slow death that continued with each passing moment. They needed to be able to wrap this up as quickly as possible, so that aid could be sent to those still held, whether by SHIELD's hands or their own.

Behind the ambulance, as Tanya began to answer him, Rafi and Kyle saw a large black pickup truck pulling into the parking lot. In the glare created by the ambulance's lights, the latter of the two men recognized Sergeant Baker's face in the window. He pulled the truck, smelling of a strange sort of diesel exhaust, not far from the ambulance and killed the engine, jumping out and making directly for LaFors. He was wearing Carhartt's, both jacket and pants, Kyle saw. He looked like he had literally--as the other Sergeant had said--rolled out of bed.

Kyle simply offered Baker a brief nod and smile as he approached, knowing he had to speak with the on-site commander first and foremost; basic police protocol and courtesy, as Kyle understood it. Besides, he wasn't certain Baker would even really know him in his human form. Not that it'd take a detective to quickly figure out which one of their group would be the one using the appellation Obsidian.

And there was the added fact of having Jennie by his side. Not too likely that Baker would've forgotten her...

As he'd expected, he caught sight of Jennie right away--which in turn cued him to which one of them was most likely Kyle. He gave the darksome shadow-man a bit of an up-nod in recognition, then made directly for LaFors. The two of them began speaking, but it wasn't clear over the wind and distance what was being said.

Kyle returned Baker's up-nod in acknowledgment. He was curious as to what might pass between the sergeants, but something else quickly drew his attention...

Before either of them could listen in on their conversation, a third car pulled into the parking lot, surprising them and it rather recklessly spun the corner, speeding to pull up alongside of their position. The dark black limousine's back windows were thick and tinted, making sight into the cabin impossible for them.

Kyle thought he recognized the limo's plates, but sought to afford himself a quick peek through the shadows within to verify the occupant or occupants.

It was all right. In the driver's seat, Rafi would have never recognized Boris, anyway.

As all eyes fell on the newly-arriving automobile, the two white-uniformed medics helped Carmilla out of her wheelchair with infinite care, settling her on the flat of the levitating stretcher. As her weight found it, Rafi watched it move not a hair, as if she weighed no more than a feather. Kjellberg began to push it in the direction of the ramp that led from the back of the ambulance. "I take it one of you'll be meeting us at the Hospital?" he partner asked.

The young tattooist followed the limp body of his love with his eyes, and didn’t care about that who sees his concern on his face. His friends already saw more, and the medics and the officers didn’t bother him. Now, that the medic, named Sawyer said that she’ll be okay, and he obviously had some sort of meta-power to support his statement, his worry began to ease a bit. He was still stressed enough to be lost in the sight and completely miss the question, until his friend replied instead of him.

"We hope so," Beetlebum replied. "I think we're about to find out."

He nodded. "When you do, we'll be in the Emergency Room," he said. "Come by and ask the nurse on duty for the patient who's just been admitted in Ambulance #24. That'll make finding your friend a lot easier." He made eye contact briefly with Rafi, then Kyle and Jennie, before turning back in the direction of the diver's side of the vehicle.

“We’ll do it as soon as I can,” strengthened the pronouncement Rafi with a nod, unconsciously placing himself before the others in his reply. When both of the paramedics left, he took a step, then another, as he began to follow suit, but then he arrived next to Jennie, and the bright light called him back to the Earth. As did the another big black car, arriving from behind the ambulance.

"Emergency room. Ask the duty nurse about the patient from Ambulance 24," Kyle repeated, showing the medic that he'd heard and understood.

Rafi raised an eyebrow at the sight of the limousine. “And who the hell is came in this?” he asked silently, still angry a bit, after the conversation with the ambulance man, and nervous to leave Carmilla alone.

"A friend," Kyle gently assured him, offering him a gentle smile in understanding of his current tension and edginess.

Both doors on the side of the limousine facing them opened up, almost in unison. From the front, Boris--wearing his thick black overcoat and small hat, just as before--emerged and went directly over to the two Maxx Law officers. Out of the back, Marina appeared. She looked like she hadn't taken much time in preparation of coming out to see them. She was wearing a long, heavy black coat and her dark red hair seemed to hang lower, longer down onto her shoulders. Even so, she still looked stunning...if more than a little unexpected.

Kyle smiled as he saw Marina, amazed by her natural beauty and glamour. He was definitely surprised to see her here, however. They'd thought about calling her for some advice, but they hadn't even had a moment for that yet. Still, her presence was reassuring.

She made haste to cross the bit of snowy parking lot--almost slipping and falling once--to Kyle and Jennie's side. "What's going on, here?" she asked, as if completely confused herself as to the scene playing out before her.

Kyle quickly approached her, offering her a hand in greeting as well as support to help steady her. "We made some new friends, and found ourselves in the midst of a rescue operation," he offered initially.

She grasped the proffered hand a bit more tightly than he'd expected. "So I see," she said, smiling gently as she met her reflection in Kyle's glasses. She didn't let go of the hand right away. "I might have known you would waste little time establishing yourselves."

Jennie giggled slightly, grinning from ear-to-ear at the notion.

"Seems we've a knack for winding up in the thick of it," Kyle noted as he brought his other hand around to gently clasp Marina's arm and elbow to further steady her.

He wasn't all that eager to release his gentlemanly grip upon Marina either, and not merely because he was waiting to ensure she was fully steady on her feet. She'd quickly come to mean a great deal to him, and he enjoyed her presence very nearly as much as he did Jennie's.

As she drew near to the Haydens, she explained herself. "What is happening?" she asked, a bit more of her accent slipping into her voice for her obvious agitation. "I woke up not long ago from sleep...and my gift told me that I was needed here," she said, her voice blowing a long cone of frost onto the air in between chatters of her teeth. Only then did she look around at the assembled group around her charges.

"My apologies for dragging you forth at this hour, Milady," Kyle apologized. "Things proceeded rather quickly, forcing us to react quickly in return."

She waved him off, obviously much more concerned about the matter at hand than in any discomfort she have have been in for the time. "It is nothing," she said. "As I said, it was my gift that awoke me. I suddenly found myself with the compulsion to have Boris take me across town for something small to eat. There is a Russian delicatessen, not far from here," she explained. "I should have guessed that there was more to my decision than simply filling my belly."

"We are quite glad for your presence, Milady," Kyle intoned, warmth evident in his voice.

"Is there some sort of trouble?" she asked, meeting Rafi's dark eyes.

It seemed the understatement of the century.

Rafi just nodded briefly to the red-haired woman, leaving the conversation to Kyle. If he know this lady, then he can handle the things, he shrugged. He was tempted to place an avatar of him into the ambulance, but he didn’t know how far the hospital was from here. And, a bit less importantly to him, he wasn’t sure that the officers would be happy, to see his trance, doing meta-things which they don’t familiar with yet. So he stayed, and just look, but it took a lot of willpower from him.

While Kyle and his newly-arrived friend were busy talking, the two Maxx Law officers seemed to have concluded their own conversation. Rafi noticed that they were approaching their small group with renewed interest.

At first he didn’t want to interject the barely began conversation, but then he decided to drop a short line about them. “Our officers in their way back here, but I think we have some time until they’ll hear us again,” he said silently.

"Noted," Kyle replied softly, nodding briefly in recognition of Rafi's alert.

"Crystal and I were on patrol, when we found our new friends here under siege," Kyle began explaining to Marina in more detail, courteously squiring her around to his side so that he could help ward her from the cold.

She nodded, smiling gently in appreciation of Kyle's concern as she continued to listen to his tale.

"We aided them, and learned they were planning a rescue operation to retrieve their friend," he continued, nodding towards the ambulance. "So we offered our assistance. In the course of the rescue, we discovered the facility held other captives, which we are now attempting to gather advice and other support so we can see about aiding those yet held."

Once again, she nodded. "She is...very special to you, нет?" she asked, fixing Rafi with her eyes, a striking shade of green in their own right.

Rafi recoiled slightly from the surprise, but then he eased his stance and nodded. He was more surprised by the direct question than its meaning. As he stood behind the wheelchair, where from the medics carried Carmilla away, it spoke clearly, at least how he thought, and he didn’t know what abilities the newly arrived woman had, either.

Kyle merely suppressed a faint smile, having already experienced what it was like to be on the receiving end of Marina's uncanny insights. Their new friends had no idea about the perceptiveness of the stately beauty before them. But they'd learn.

May lifted a dark brow. "How can you tell?" she asked, jamming her hands into her pockets against the cold, while she chattered out the last word.

"It is easy," she replied, before looking back in the young artist's direction. "There is a very certain type of concern that only a man can have when he fears for his woman," she explained, nodding once both to convey that she understood and was sympathetic to that very fear.

The young tattooist shook his head smiling, and then tilted his head, measuring the Russian. “I can’t say any words, being truer in this topic,” he spoke finally, but his eyes were fixed on the ambulance car, supporting the statement. There was nothing else he wanted more than be in there, too, with her, to hold her hand.

"There are also some complications that have arisen, which we'd like to get your advice on privately," Kyle whispered to Marina.

"I see," she said, turning over her shoulder at the sound of the two officers, behind her. "I think that it is very good that I came here tonight."

Both of them were staring at the lovely Russian as they stopped, just at the edge of their circle. "Excuse me, ma'am," LaFors said, something strict and authoritarian rising to the edge of her voice as she spoke. "Official Maxx Law business. I'll have to ask you to leave."

Kyle cocked an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing. Marina would reply to the officers far better than he could. It was her gift after all.

To her credit, she didn't budge an inch. "I am Marina Denishka," she introduced herself. "An attorney-at-law. I represent the individuals behind me," she said. "Their business is mine."

That was another surprise from the red-haired woman, and from the Haydens, too. They must be farer on the road of the heroics if they had a lawyer, he thought. Or if she is their lawyer in their private life, then she must be a helluva good one, coming down here. Sure, he heard what she explained about, but that wasn’t enough for him. Still, he remained silent, and let Marina speak. At least now he knew her name.

Kyle settled his features into stoic impassiveness, deferring to Marina's authority and expertise in such matters. It was always the first rule on all the cop and lawyer-related shows -- the client kept silent, letting the lawyer handle things, until such points as their direct input was required. If Marina was indeed extending her position to cover his new-found friends in this matter, as her words and tone certainly seemed to indicate, then he was going to owe her big-time for this.

LaFors looked over at Baker like she'd expected anything but that. He was looking at her with a little squint in his eye, like he thought he remembered her from someplace, and was trying to place her. "Sorry about that, Counselor," Baker nodded, apparently, unsuccessful in his attempt at recognition. "We were just about to ask these folks inside so we could ask them a few questions."

Kyle simply glanced towards Marina, silently awaiting his lawyer's direction in how best to proceed. He had every intention of being as cooperative as possible, but this was her arena, her area of specialty; it paid to follow the expert's lead.

Behind her, everyone was looking at Marina--who had come from out of the night like a guardian angel with a Russian accent. It was hard to tell if their collective shocked silence was more out of respect or the way in which she simply assumed command of the situation, like she was born to it. "My clients would be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have for them," she responded, a gentle smile on her face. "But as you can see, one of them is very gravely injured. Considering the situation, I would request that two of my clients be allowed to accompany her on her way to the Hospital."

Kyle nodded and smiled lightly towards Baker and LaFors, to show that he was indeed amenable to answering questions and trying to clear up matters.

She looked behind her at Rafi and May--the two that had caught her eye from before. "Aside of them, we would all be completely at your disposal for as long as you might require us."

Rafi lifted an eyebrow as he responded to her look, and then glanced at May, and a hoping smile appeared in the corner of his lips. The look on his face was like if he were asking the lithe agent, did you hear that?!. Either she was a telepath, empath or whatever, or she came on the solution on her own, it was a heart-warming thing to hear his wish from her. He listened to the conversation with a renewed attention.

May bit her lower lip anxiously. Rafi knew that she probably wanted to be anywhere but there, in the moment. Not only to see to her friend's well-being personally...but also as a means of not ending up in a S.H.I.E.L.D.-monitored jail cell. Still, she wasn't allowing herself to get too excited about it yet. But to say that, from that point onward, she was an intent listener to the discussion would be a gross understatement, to be sure.

As Rafi noticed the renewed concern on her lovely features, a gently smile appeared on his face, and he shifted his position, so as they not only stood next to each other like before, but their shoulders touched. Even if the young artist didn’t know May very well yet, he knew that the touch should help her to handle the things. He didn’t look at her again, instead he followed the conversation fully.

Kyle simply offered May a soft, reassuring smile, though she may not have noticed it in the moment. Whether or not she saw it didn't matter. What mattered was that Marina was working to see that they were granted permission to accompany their friend and stay by her side as long as was possible. And in that he was happy for his new friends.

Kyle wasn't entirely happy with the idea of 'as long as needed', given that there remained several prisoners in dire straits. Those people hadn't much time left to them, and needed help now. But he didn't want to seem rude to the officers, particularly in light of Baker having come out here at this late hour to vouch for him. So instead, he privately addressed Marina much as a client would in the midst of questioning.

"There are captives yet to be rescued," he whispered lightly into Marina's ear. "So we'll need to arrange some assistance for them as soon as possible."

She turned gently so as to both hide her lips from easy reading and cloister her words, both. "I will see to it that this happens," she nodded her assent. With that, it was as good as done; Kyle knew better than to question the will of the beautiful Russian. In the short time that he had known her...her strength of will had certainly been made clearly apparent.

Though Rafi didn’t hear the whisper in the wind, too, he had a good guess what it could be about. Their plan was, coming here, to get help to rescue all the other captives, and do that without the SHIELD, to avoid May’s untimely reproving. But now they have to wait, and let the Russian lawyer handle their negotiation.

Kyle nodded faintly in silent acknowledgment of Marina's declaration. She had given her word on the matter, and would hold to it to the utmost of her formidable ability. Her force of personality and determination should be more than sufficient to see that it would indeed become so.

He wasn't sure MaxxLaw would actually be able to offer much direct assistance, given the circumstances, but Marina would ensure they received whatever aid might be possible.

Once again, Baker and LaFors exchanged glances. After a bit of a pause: "Ahh...Ms. Denishka, I think we'd really prefer having everybody in one place," Baker countered. "It'll make things a lot easier on everybody involved."

She didn't budge an inch. "Have my clients committed any crimes?"

Rafi winced slightly as the question brought up the start of their adventure, the despaired fight with the SHIELD ‘bot and soldiers. That would fit into that category, he thought, but fortunately nobody asked him about these thoughts. Yet.

"Technically, yes," LaFors replied. "Teleporting onto Company property without explicit permission constitutes trespassing."

Well, that's certainly not encouraging, Kyle mused in disappointment. That was apt to make things a bit more difficult for them.

She looked around herself for a good, long time before answering. "You will forgive me, officer," she came back. "I do not see any posted signs forbidding such behavior. And perhaps I am incorrect...but I believe trespassing within the DEC public domain is only perforce when such is explicitly forbidden by means of posted signage."

Rafi fought off the urge to grin widely, but a small cough escaped from his lips, when he saw the look of the officers. He played it a bit more, to hide his original intention, but the talk turned to an angle where it became very interesting. He began to value Marina’s presence here, with her sharp comments and knowledge.

Kyle lightly bit his lip to avoid smirking or chuckling, neither of which would go over well at all with the officers. Marina's observation certainly served to highlight just how valuable her presence here was.

LaFors frowned. In response, Marina smiled gently. "In any case," she continued, "I can assure you that the remainder of my clients would be more than happy to cooperate with your Agency at such a time when their friend's condition has been stabilized. In fact, if you wish it so, I think that we might even arrange a meeting at the Hospital, once everything has settled down to some degree. But until then," she said, "I must insist that they be allowed to accompany her."

Please, was the bidding clearly visible in his dark eyes as he stepped forth from the wheelchair, and he looked at the officers. He compressed his feelings and desires into the look as if he could hypnotize the officers with it.

Kyle nodded silently once more, reaffirming that he was agreeable to sticking around and sorting things out for the moment.

Silence for a moment as Baker and LaFors stared at Marina. The lights of the ambulance began to flash again as it made ready to leave. The man in the Carhartt's sighed gently, looking past the Russian finally, directing his attention toward Rafi and May.

"You two'd better hurry the Hell up," he replied. "Or they're gonna take off without you."

“Cool! Come on” said Rafi grabbing May’s hand, and instantly began to jog to the ambulance car. 

The lithe young agent certainly didn't need to be told twice. As soon as Rafi grasped her hand, she was off like a shot; her incredible speed surprised him, in no more than three steps, she was practically dragging him along behind her!

He hasn’t even got time to groan as the lithe but incredibly strong agent pulled him to the ambulance car. And he thought that he’ll lead their way to there… shook Rafi his head grinning wide. But who cared now when they were allowed to go with Carm, he waved, and followed suit.

Kyle smiled warmly in the face of May's enthusiasm and bolstered spirits.

Once he reached the front of it, he turned back, and shouted back from there to the others. “I’ll try to report in when I’ll know something! Thank you, Ms. Denishka!”

Baker watched the two of them engage in a quick conversation with the medic in the driver's seat of the ambulance; Marina offered nothing but a soft smile as a way of response before he spoke to her. "I take it you can provide personal details and information regarding those two?" he asked. "The detectives are gonna want to know--in case they have to wind up chasing after those two."

Marina chuckled gently. "I can assure you that such will not be necessary, Sergeant Baker. Once all is explained, I fully anticipate that the only further contact you will need with those two young people is a phone call asking where you can send their letters of appreciation from your department."

Kyle lightly chewed his lip to avoid an errant chuckle escaping, hoping that it appeared no more than perhaps a bit of shivering or trembling in the cold.

Neither officer looked nearly so confident. But they did not protest her claim, either, simply watching as they continued to make ready to leave. It was good to have your own lawyer, Kyle mused to himself.

And even better to have one of the, if not the, most formidable in the city, he considered. That she had also quickly become a dear friend was a major added plus.

He then knocked on the driver’s door, trying to hold the car in place and pointed at the back, to show him that they’ll come with them. 

The medic--Sawyer--gave him a look at first like he didn't understand what he meant. Then, a moment later, with a quick nod of recognition, he mouthed out Okay! and flashed him a thumb's up sign. Rafi watched him turn his head to say something to the other crew member in the back; he heard the hatch pop unlocked in anticipation of their entry.

After that he jogged to the back, and opened the door, and literally jumped in, with May and Rasgar in tow. “Hello,” he waved to the medic, as he positioned himself to give place to the others, and trying to not to be in the way. “The officers allowed us to come by,” he explained their sudden presence, and his grin added volumes to it, as he stroked his love with his stare.

In his seat, by the side of the stretcher, the third medic nodded. He was a bald-headed man that wore the same uniform as the others had. The nametag on his breast read FEDOR. He watched the three of them clamber in, May reaching back to close the door tightly behind them. Rafi heard it lock tight of its own accord. The confines around the stretcher were tight, forcing the two of them to kneel and fit themselves in uncomfortably around its metal frame, Rasgar laying flat on his belly at its feet. It seemed to be locked in snugly with nylon ties and armatures; even as they could feel the vehicle beginning to pull forward, it didn't move as much as an inch.

It was still an amazing technology, but the young tattooist didn’t care the slightest now. In other times, he might’ve ask a few questions about the car, and its equipment, but prolly only from the view of an artist, who wants to know something about the soul of his model. The uncomfortable kneeling was a side-thing, too, as long as he was able to hold the hand of his love. He’ll stretch himself when they reach the hospital, during the waiting while the doctors will do their job.

Rafi beheld Carmilla, laying peacefully on the stretcher, under a thick, pale blue blanket. IV tubes had already been inserted into her arm, he saw. She looked like she was sleeping. "Ah...your cat," the medic said, looking over at Rafi. "He'll be okay, right?" he asked. Though he made it sound as if it were a question about allowing him into a sterile area, Rafi got the distinct impression that he was actually a lot more concerned with being locked in a moving vehicle with a fully-grown green jaguar.

For his part, Rasgar didn't even notice him. His attention was focused completely upon Carmilla...as if he guarded her while she slept.

Rafi watched the green haired girl long, before the question reached his mind, only then glanced at his friend, and after that up to the medic. “He’ll be cool, as long as everything goes well. He is my friend and the bodyguard of us, sort of,” he replied finally, and smiled at the man, both to calm him, but to show that he should take his words serious. Meanwhile he reached out to stroke the named feline, though he knew that Rasgar probably followed the conversation, the intonation and mood surely, if nothing else.

The driver looked over at Rasgar, his penetrating green eyes focused intently upon the sleeping beauty, just on the bed aside of him. He nodded, the explanation seeming good enough, as far as he was concerned. Absently, May stroked the feline's soft fur affectionately, just between his ears. Not even that was enough to sway his attention. He knew how important the moment was. Perhaps it was in the way that animals could sense such things; perhaps it was because he could feel it, like the dictates of his own heart, filtered through the invisible connection between Rafi and the great green jungle cat.

In either case, he watched. And for that, Rafi was ever grateful.

While his other hand still held the palm of his love; the young man stopped his stroking hand on the neck of the feline, grabbing May’s hand as well, enjoying the warmth and soft touch of the jade fur, and the feeling how they guarded Carmilla’s sleep. Like a family, holding each other in their arms, as they did back at Frisco, at the family gatherings. It was similar but new as well, having two young girl and a jaguar at his side, which summoned a light smile to his lips.

“How far are we from the hospital?” he asked, not having better question at the moment, but he didn’t want to listen to the silence, neither.

The driver looked out the back window. "About five minutes," he replied. And with his eyes cast in that direction, Rafi's own followed. To his astonishment, he watched the city and its streets retreating behind them as an almost indistinguishable blur of color. The speed at which they had to be moving was unbelievable; it felt, within the floating vehicle, as if they were standing still.

Rafi would have remarked on it, perhaps simply gasped in surprise...but no.

"Rafael," May breathed, the way she used his full name immediately gaining his attention.

He wasn’t accustomed to such callings; since he knew his mind everyone called him Rafi. Only at school and other formal places used he the normal name, what his parents gave him, sometimes he doesn’t even noticed that somebody talks to him. But not now… it was something more than the pure name, perhaps in the tone of the lithe agent, what clanged to Rafi’s sensitive ears.

"Carmilla--" He instantly looked down at the stretcher on which she lay and saw that she was beginning to move beneath that power blue blanket they'd put upon her to keep her warm. It was a slow thing, careful, like the way a person might stretch out upon waking, finding the use of their arms and legs anew with the rise of dawn.

Still it grabbed his eyes; he searched for such moves since he saw her hanging limp in that cell, through the tattoo angel’s eyes from her back. He held his breath back unintentionally as he watched the girl on the stretcher, so he had to gasp once the oxygen ran out from his lungs.

"--she's waking up!"

And before him, in the wan light within the ambulance, his lover did exactly that. Her bit of stretching slowly eased until a certain stillness filled her once again. And then, like a flower at spring's first caresses, shut tight under the spell of a long, cold winter, she bloomed once more.

Rafi leaned closer, gently stroking the cheek of the girl, until it rested in his palm, and then placed a soft kiss on her temple, before retreating to see what happens next. His somewhat wobbly hope strengthened with every small movement of the girl, what she did without help, and a waiting, loving smile sat on his face as he followed her wake.

He watched her blink her eyes twice before opening them. Hooded and sleepy, they cast off the darksome shadows that had lingered there so long. And the most beautiful shade of green Rafael Gurney had ever seen in his life reclaimed the depths of her gaze.

She looked up at him and offered a gentle, weary smile.

As he knelt next to the stretcher, the loving smile remained on his lips, and it moved to his dark eyes as well. The green from the girl’s ones mirrored in them as Rafi stared down at her, falling into the jade depths of her soul. He didn’t know how much time passed with silence, but it didn’t matter at the moment. She was there in one piece and finally awake, and that filled his soul with a warm sea of emotions.