Log:Sins of the Doctor, Part 3

2008/09/19 	 Dark Horse Golden Halcyon Lorelei Sable Dr. Emil Szasz 1

Bits of debris float downward from the sky in the aftermath of an explosion that ripped open a three story home. Larger bits hit the ground with audible thwacks. Most people who were witness to the explosion are cowered on the opposite side of the street, including a man dressed as a Colonial Bay Gas and Electric worker, and Dr. Emil Szasz, who's home was just destroyed. There are a number of heroes on the scene, but others who were undoubtably drawn by teh sound of the explosion.

Golden hears the explosion and quickly changes into hero costume. Then she flies at best speed to offer what assistance she can.

Lorelei is across the road from the blast, with the gasman and Szasz. Though she took cover from the blast she was watching Szasz's reaction to it carefully.

Sable stirs slightly from where she has collapsed after ploughing into the side of the gas company truck, clearly still in dreamland after taking the brunt of the explosion.

Dr. Szasz slowly stands up and peers at the wreckage of his home. The corners of his mouth turn upwards slightly into a slight smile.

Tumbling down from the above with other debris comes the charred and twisted remains of a PDA. It's the same model that Lorelei and Sable have seen Mystique using.

Lorelei says sternly to Szasz (not even having noticed the PDA), "Now what are you smiling at?"

At a glance, Dr. Emil Szasz is a kind looking man in his sixties. He's still got a full head of hair, although it's uniformly gray, matching the color of his full moustache. He's got dark eyes and heavy eyebrows, though both are partly obscured by glasses rimmed in heavy black plastic. His stands about 5' 9" with a slight build, wearing khakis and a pale blue button down shirt.

Golden flies down to the street golding with a golden aura that fades as she lands. "Hi. Can I help?" she asks everyone in general.

Dark Horse appears to have been in the general vicinity on his Kawasaki, whipping along on the roads. Very fortunate of him to be in the right place at the right time. He slows to a stop outside of the area of debris, and kicks down the stand, getting off his bike.

Dr. Szasz says, "I had thought that they had forgotten me. I feel like old father who's children have reached out to him -- however awkwardly. It's a pleasant feeling."

Lorelei says, "Please, Dr Szasz, stop talking in riddles. Who are 'they'?"

Thankfully, no one seems to be hurt, outside of Sable. At least no one who can be readily seen.

Lorelei says to the new hero, "Hi - can you make sure everyone got out of the house ok? I mean, unless that would put you at risk, but you look the sort who could take it..."

Dark Horse takes off his helmet, and looks around curiously. But he makes his way over to where the other heroes appear to be gathering.

"Tsk." The old man says. "Such impatience. Real learning comes from not from simply having the answers, but from the path you take to come by the answers..."

Dark Horse raises his brow as he gets close enough to hear, catching that last comment from the doctor. "Great...sounds like my teacher."

Lorelei says, "Well, I'm not really trying to learn. I'm trying to stop people getting killed, and such."

Sable rolls onto her side with a low moan, her gloved hand rising to her forehead as she slowly drifts back to the land of living. Her head twists slightly to gaze at the building as she hoists herself up on her elbow.

Dr. Szasz, "Before, I tried to tell you a simple lesson -- everything has a cost. And I seem to be paying for my previous debts now."

Sable gazes around slowly, her breathing slightly ragged as she curls her arms around ther knees. "Where's Mystique" She asks a little groggily.

Lorelei says, "And is Yolanda paying for your mistakes too?"

Bearing a parasol, Halcyon appears on-scene, looking around bewilderedly and a bit worried. She kneels by Sable, offering her a hand up.

Dr. Szasz's smile cracks. "Yolanda.. what's happened?"

Sable gingerly brushes some ash and concrete dust from one bicep as she uncurls slowly, rising smoothly to her feet, one gloved hand bracing against the car. The other taking Halcyon's hand as she hauls herself upright. "Hey" She says to Halcyon, apparently not remembering her being here. "Where's Mystique. Have you seen her?"

Lorelei says, "I don't know. She's disappeared, abducted presumably. She'd told us of your recent release so we thought it might be worth seeing if you had any idea about this."

Halcyon's reply is a shrug, apparently not familiar with that name. This is only reinforced by the words 'whos that?' forming above her head.

"Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear..." Szasz mutters to himself, shaking his head. He's thinking, eyes lowered to the pavement. After a moment of deliberation he looks back to Lorelei. "Alright. I'll tell you what I know, on one condition."

Lorelei says, "What condition?"

"That you'll take me with you."

Lorelei says, "Take you where?"

Sable's lips purse. "The good black witch." She glances over at Golden, her attention resting there for a long moment before she turns back to the rubble and lifts her voice "Mystique!"

[To Sable] Lorelei says, "Did something happen to Mystique?!"

Dr. Szasz says, "I think I might know who's kidnapped Dr. Simmons. All I ask is that you take me with you what you go to rescue her."

Dark Horse just listens quietly for the moment, taking things in, as he realizes he's trying to piece together what's going on.

Sable looks over her shoulder to Lorelei. "I don't know, where is she?"

[To Sable] Lorelei says, "I don't know, I've been busy watching these two."

The child who seems to be shrouded in darkness waves to Dark Horse, looking enthusiastic.

Lorelei nods to De Szasz. "I don't see why not. Do you know what happened to this guy? He seems to have blown up the house under some sort of mind control and now he can't remember anything - do you know who did this?"

Dark Horse waves to Halcyon in return, nodding his head.

Dark Horse looks from Lorelei to Sable, and then to Golden, and whispers to himself. "Definitely my lucky day." He smiles, and looks back to the doctor to make sure he hears the conversation.

Sable moves over to the wubble of the building and begins picking her way through it. "Mystique, where are you?"

Dr. Szasz nods. "The same people who have kidnapped the Doctor. It goes back to after I was fired from Mens Sanus. I needed to continue my research, and I didn't particularly care where my funding came from. Eventually I found my match.. an institution called in Biological Research Foundation. At the time I didn't realize that they were a front for Next Generation, but even if I did I don't think I would have cared. I could continue on with my life's work..." Szasz pauses glances over to Sable and then back to Lorelei. "If there's something the you need to take care of, I can wait..."

Sable looks to Halcyon. "She's a tall magic user, is there anyway you can tell where she might be?"

With her ability to notice the obvious, Halcyon chips in with the search for Mystique, using her shadows to lift rubble and distinctly notice things that are concealed under dark.

Lorelei shakes her head. "There's not much I can do. But it looks like one of my friends maybe be trapped in that rubble. Another of the consequence of your actions." Her words may be stern but her voice is tinged with worry.

Golden goes into the ruin to help look. "Who are we looking for?" She asks Sable. Golden light seems to form an aura around her each time she lifts up a massive fragment of concrete and rubble.

With efficiency that belies her apparent age, Halcyon continues moving things. Assisting Golden, the work appears to be a breeze. The girl wears her parasol continuously, shaded by it.

Sable blinks to the young woman as she hoists up the boulder. "We're looking for a stern looking dark-haired woman who uses mist-magic. who may be trapped in the rubble.

Golden nods, lifting up a block of rubble weighting tons and setting it down to the side. "I'll keep looking but I haven't seen any sign of her or anybody else."

Lorelei would go to help, if she thought she would be any use at all. BUt as it is she stays and watches the two men, which is likely an important task too, even though she'd much rather help with the search.

Sable says, "well, she was here before the explosion and I don't think she'd just leave us fretting like this."

Dark Horse says, "But...if she has mist powers, don't you think she'd be able to become...insubstantial?""

Lorelei does call 911. Though it's not unlikely the explosion has already been called in!

Sable says, "Not if the explosion caught her unaware."

Dr. Szasz replies. "I've paid the debt that society says that I owe, which was too high, in my opinion. But that's a different discussion for another time. Where was I? Yes... Next Generation. With their help my assistant and I were able to create a formula that would activate psychic abilities in normal humans. I think that now the organization is afraid that I know too much about them, and they are trying to keep me quiet, forever."

Sable herself is able to move reasonably substantial pieces of rubble but nowhere near as large as though

Lorelei says, "And how does Yolanda fit in?"

Sable herself is able to move reasonably substantial pieces of rubble but nowhere near as large as those Golden is hoisting about with such ease

Dark Horse looks to Dr. Szasz, "Wait a second...so are you a mentalist?"

Dark Horse had started to move to help the search, but stopped in his tracks to look at the doctor.

Sable answers for him. "Not any more, he's been fixed."

Dr. Szasz says, "I am a mentalist of significant power. Or rather, I was until I volunteered to have my abilities locked away. I doubt that Next Generation would find me to be an easy target if I had my abilities, and the only way that that can happen is if the person who locked them were to undo her work."

Dark Horse mutters, "Great...just when we could have used someone able to scan for minds under the rubble. Figures." He nods to the doctor, and moves over to help search the rubble.

Lorelei nods, and wanders a bit over toward the rubble. and out of earshot of Szasz, while keeping an eye on him.

Dark Horse shakes his head, "My gut's telling me she isn't here. Anyone with a way to contact her? PDA number? That kind of thing?"

Lorelei goes back over to Szasz shaking her head.

Lorelei says, "I have her number. She did some work for me a few weeks back."

Lorelei tries calling the demolished PDA. :)

From the street there's a single plaintive beep from the ruined PDA before it expires totally.

Lorelei goes over to the PDA, frowning. "This doesn't look good. But she can turn into mist, right? Maybe she got out?"

Golden says, "Well there's no body to be found in the rubble."

Lorelei nods. "First rule of superheroing. Never believe anyone's dead until you see a body. If then." She tries to sound opimistic, though she doesn't feel that way.

Sable's lips purse slightly. "It's possible she teleported or something, I don't really understand."

Sable says, "If her PDA is here, why isn't she?"

Dark Horse says, "Well, she probably either turned to mist, or was completely disintegrated. I'll go with the former of those two options."

Lorelei says, "I don't know. I wish I did."

Lorelei says, "But I like to think she got out. See seemed resourceful. I can't imagine she let herself get blown up."

Halcyon makes the simple point: 'she isn't here, and that's all we know' out of darkness-letters.

Dark Horse says, "This was a conventional explosion. She wasn't vaporized. Unless she did it to herself."

Lorelei nods, accepting that as a belief for the moment anyway. "RIght then. Let's wait to the emergency services get here, then go after the people who did this."

Sirens can be heard approaching.

Golden flies out of the rubble and brushes her costume with her hands. "I'm sure she'll be all right. We would have found her if she had been injured or.. well, you know."

Lorelei nods.

Lorelei returns to mind Szasz, and see if the other guy can remember any more now.

Szasz waits patiently. One of the other survivors asks him a question. "Is it true that you're a doctor?" "Why yes?" "What are you doing living in a place like this?" "I was caught experimenting illegally on humans." "..."

Dark Horse walks back over to Dr. Szasz, "Okay...so, you were claiming that Next Gen took Dr. Simmons. Any idea where they might be?"

Halcyon looks around, putting the words 'who is this guy?' above Szasz's head.

Lorelei says, "This is Yolanda's - what, mentor? He's just come out of prison for experimenting on people."

Szasz doesn't notice the letters as they're just out of his vision. "Biological Research Foundation was the old front organization. I think that if you do some poking around that organization you'll find some interesting details. And to be fair, I experimented on myself, first."

Dark Horse pulls out a PDA, and starts to do just that...looking to see if the foundation has an address locally.

I can't find who you're trying to page with: Horse

Unable to page: Horse

Halcyon grows a distasteful look as Szasz speaks and Lorelei explains.

Golden stands close by looking a little lost. She only knows one person here and that's only because she's seen Lorelei in movies and the media.

Lorelei sees Golden looking lost, and goes up to introduce herself. "Hi - are you a new hero? I'm Lorelei."

Golden nods to Lorelei. "Yes. Well I'm new at this. I'm not really a hero yet. I haven't done anything heroic. I call myself Golden."

Lorelei smiles. "Well, everyone has to start somewhere. Welcome! Are you new to Colonial Bay or just to superheroics?"

Golden says, "Oh, I was born here in the city."

Dark Horse nods to himself, smiling underneath his mask, "I think I found it. There's a warehouse that remained unsold by the Foundation...it's still in their name. Down on the waterfront." He looks up at Golden, and nods to her. "I apologize for not introducing myself earlier, miss. My name is Dark Horse."

Lorelei says, "Well - looks like we have a place to look at - darn! And Mystique isn't here to have a peek inside...."

Halcyon raises her hand, sheepishly.

Dark Horse shrugs, "I'm sure Sable and I could get inside and poke around without being spotted. So could she." He motions to Halcyon.

Dr. Szasz nods. "I've heard of it, but I've never been there before."

Lorelei says, "Oh, of course, Halcyon. I didn't think."

Dr. Szasz looks to Lorelei, "So you'll keep your part of the bargain?"

Lorelei says, "I will. I don't see why not."

Dark Horse says, "To bring him along?"

Lorelei nods.

Szasz claps his hands and rubs them together. "Delightful. Like I've said before, I feel somewhat like a father, and I think that I'll be able to see my children soon!"

Dark Horse raises a brow, "Uh...yeah."

Lorelei says, "THough I'm surprised you want to go. Walking up to the people trying to kill you seems a little foolhardy."

Dark Horse looks over to Golden, and smiles. Or at least it looks like it under the mask, "So...what was that aura around you when you were lifting things, if you don't mind me asking?"

Golden grins, "Oh, the golden glow? That always happens when I use any of my superpowers, just like in the comics with Superwoman in them."

The old man says, "If I must die, then I will. Not knowing how they've all turned out, now that would be the real tragedy. I suppose you would need to be parent to understand."

Dark Horse nods, "Is that what the 'S' stands for?"

Dark Horse motions to Golden's chest emblem.

Golden nods. "Yes. I was going to call myself Supergirl. But someone else was already using the name. I didn't find out until after I'd made the costume though."

Dr. Szasz examines Golden with a heavy stare. A confused look comes across his face, and then he sighs, frustrated.

Lorelei can't help laughing at that. "Ah, wardrobe problems.... Couldn't you make another costume? Or is that one special somehow?"

Dark Horse chuckles quietly. "Well, you'll have time to adjust the costume. You said you were just getting started, so...it's normal to have costume issues initially. Lorelei here had similar problems, if I remember correctly."

Lorelei says, "Back before I had money - yes."

Golden tells Lorelei, "It's made of some special material. Costs loads. I can't afford to buy enough material to make another costume. Anyway," She brushes the 'S' with her fingertips, "this is what Superwpmen used to have."

Dark Horse nods. "Probably some kind of super resistant cloth that doesn't shred or burn, right? Hmm. Well, there's time to think about it. It's not like it's that important, honestly."

Golden nods, although it's not clear which part of Dark Horse's comment she is nodding to.

Lorelei says, "Not really. Or you could think of another name that begins with S! At least it's not X...."

Sable glances to Golden. "I'm Sable, nice to meet you."

Golden giggles, "Hi. Can I borrow your name, Sable?It begins with an S."

Dark Horse looks to Sable, "I'd been meaning to ask...are you up for sparring at some point?"

Sable smiles and nods to Golden. "So does Shimmer."

Sable nods to Dark Horse. "Certainly, it would be my privelege.

Dark Horse smiles, and nods, "Excellent. After watching you in action a couple of times, I wanted to see how I fared."

Golden nods to Dable looking thoughtful.

Halcyon nears Golden, seeming to smile (but it's hard to tell since she's enblackened). The word 'hi!' appears over her head.

Sable says, "Or sunspot or solar or snapdragon."

Golden smiles back at Halcyon. "Hello."