Log:Golden Ticket

2020/04/24 Lightray Phantom 1

Travis feels the need to get out and see explore, maybe find that Russian kid with the alcohol again. As Phantom sneaks out of the hidden outdoor exit from Cosmos, he hears a voice, up ahead and higher up than his head say in a deep baritoine, "Are you responsible for the graffiti in there, young man?"

If you glance up, you can spot Lightray hovering in the air about 10 feet off the ground a dozen or so feet ahead of you. Gives you a good view of him...and of his three sets of wings that extend into the astral beyond normal sight. Probably the source of the soft sound of many wings beating. Only the barest bones of one set are visible on the3 maerial wings.

Phantom freezes as he's called out by a voice just as he was leaving the base. He can't let others knows his friends have been here, but this person saw the graffiti inside, which means he knew about the base all along. "Shick. Figured this place wasn't safe." He isn't looking directly at Lightray, but in his direction, his pure white eyes widening at the wings display. "Morningstar," he utters in utter fear, mistaking Lightray for his evil self on the teen's world.

He curls his hands into fists and starts running for the Oceanarium exit as his head stays locked on Lightray, his mind trying to lance out at him.

The illusion is crafted. Phantom extends a hand at Morningstar and fires a blast of holy energy at him.

The bolt of 'holy energy' strikes 'Morningstar' directly in the chest. While it looks like it /should/ hurt him, given his well known diabolic aversion to holy areas and attacks, a look of confusion instead crosses his face as apparently he shrugs off the effect of your illusion.

Instead of lashing out with demonic brilliance in some form, the winged villain instead simply speeds ahead of you with a few lazy sweeps of his wings, turning gracefully in the air to face you again.

"Let's try this gain, son. Can we talk?" His tone is almost paternal as he folds his arms over his chest to look down at you.

Phantom skids to a halt along the slick tile flooring, falling back onto his butt with his hands braced behind him. His feet kick, sneakers squealing against the tile. He manages to crawl backwards a bit in a panicked scramble. He's much more terrified of Lightray than anyone should be. You'd think he was staring down Dr. Destroyer. He sends out a psychic alert to all the others. << It's Morningstar! He's here! Blink, get everyone away from here and save yourselves!>>

Phantom's heart is pounding in his chest, and he's trying to gather his wits and focus past the terror. "You're too late. The others are gone," he says, trying to convince Lightray of this with mental control.

'Morningstar' seems to take your statement as the gospel truth. "Well, I am sorry that you have invovled others in the vandalism, son. Now then, it is obvious you are a meta, so let's start again: I am Lightray. And you are?

Phantom backpedals a few more feet, but slows down. His chest rises and falls deeply with scared panting. "L...Lightray? You're not...whew." He collapses back on the tile floor, spread eagle as he stares up towards the ceiling. "Not Morningstar," he sighs out in relief.

A smile grows on Lightray's lips despite him trying to stay stern. "Well, while I look angelic, I am not Lucifer even if I am lightbringer," he murmurs. Upon nting that you are scrambling to gt away any longer, he lightly lands a half dozen feet from you, his wings unconsciously flexing as they pas harmlessly through the material world.

Lightray seems to remember something then says in a firm tone, "Now then, young man, I think I deserve your name and an explanation?"

Phantom lifts just is head as Lightray explains and lands. "Not -the- Lucifer. Just someone who took the name who looks a lot like you. Almost exactly. Right down to the astral wings." He sits up using his core strength alone rather than his hands. His breathing starts to slow down. "I'm Phantom."

The statuesque figure nods to you, allowing you to note one difference from Morningstar: the lack of the black emptiness in the center of his eyes that make Morningstar's eyes a living eclipse. "I would say it is a pleasure to meet you, Phantom, but you did attack me with that mental illusion. So, I will instead say thank you for your name."

He adds after a moment, "May I guess that this 'Morningstar' is a monster given your reaciont to me? From an alternate Earth?"

Phantom nods. "S-sorry. Morningstar is merciless. He wouldn't hesitate killing anyone who crossed his path or crossed him. Sometimes slowly, just for his amusement," Phantom explains apologetically.

"Well, that does sound like a shadow version of me, I must agree. I would be scared of someone like that if I were a teen as well," Lightray mumurs after a moment's consideration. "Did you think the base back there was one of his? Hence the grafitti?"

Phantom is quiet a moment as Lightray realizes he's a teen. His voice does give it away even with the reverberation. "No. The place was pretty dusty. We thought it was abandoned and forgotten so we could hide out there. The tag was already there," he lies about the tag.

"Well, that means someone else found it not long before you and your friends then. It is quite fresh." He looks at you for a moment then says, "I have no objection to you and your friends using the base, Phantom. I have just been watching after it since the last team to use it disbanded."

He smiles gently. "I would ask that you speak to your friends about treating it well. And that I get to meet them at some point."

Phantom gulps as he realizes the hole in his stories. Silly teenagers! "They...aren't very trusting of nups, but I'll talk to them. Who was the team that owned this place?"

"A group called Safeguard. It did not last very long. I believe others have squatted there from time to time since then but none for long. To be frank, I was not aware anyone still knew it was under the Oceanarium." He smiles slightly. "I come by from time to time to make certain it is not flooded or destroyed. Turn on the lights, make certain the fridge is empty, that sort of thing."

Phantom pulls his legs in to sit crosslegged. "We accidentally found it. Completely rando."

Lightray nods as Phantom speaks then remarks, "So one of your friends is a technopath then? To overcome to the security?" He holds up a hand. "Never mind answering that, Phantom. It was rhetorical and not something I need to know."

He smiles a bit wryly, "But do remember that not all nups are mega dim, Phantom. In a change of subject, would you like the security cards I have for Cosmos?"

Phantom shakes his head. "Not...exactly." Well, yes, Evan is very skilled with tech. That's as much as he gives away. His eyes widen a bit as Lightray proves he knows some slang. It sounds awful, but he's aware enough. "Security cards? What, for real?"

Phantom also laughs. "So that's what it's called?"

Lightray nods slightly. "For real, Phantom," he murmurs in his rich deep baritone as he smiles gently.

As he reaches into a his half 'tunic' to pull out a half dozen or so security cards, he adds, "And yes, that is what the base is called. Cosmos. Whoever first built it named it. I have never been certain who that was." He holds the secuiryt cards out to you. "I will hold onto my personal card, Phantom. But, I will not enter Cosmos unless you and your friends invite me to do so."

Phantom blinks and stands up to properly accept the cards. "So...Safeguard kind of took over it, too?" he asks after a moment of silence after accepting the card. He's still not sure if this is for real.

"Our team leader, such as she was, was not clear on how she came to know of Cosmos. As I was only recently, hmm, active again, I did not question her further. The original builder of the base is likely somewhere in the computer database somewhere." He smiles self-deprecatingly. "But, as I am a relic, my computer skills are barely up to using computerized testing software."

Phantom bets if it's in the files, Evan could find it. He smiles faintly. "So who are you, exactly? I mean, you said Lightray...and a relic. Like what's your deal?"

"I am a meta, Phantom, like you. But my powers are derived from another source. You do not feel of the supernatural or magick after all. I am." Lightray states all this like 'the Sun is bright' or 'water is wet'. To him, it is a certainty it seems.

"As to a relic, well, that is a long story. And for another day when we know one another better." He looks at you. "A meeting spot for many metas, nearly all but not all heroes, is the (Fill in name) coffee house in Bridgend. It is not unusual to find one or more meta heroes there day or night, Phantom. I would be happy to meet you and your friends there some day. Just leave a message on the bulletin board there, either the phyiscal one or on the electronic one that links to HeroNet." He chuckles. "I can at least log in."

Phantom puts away that coffee ship name for the future. "Sounds like a safe place to gather. I'll, uh, yeah, make a post on HeroNet." All the kids got a mysterious invite even though they only just set up email accounts recently. "I got to talk to the others first. But these may convince them," he holds up the cards. "Pretty cray. You don't even know me but gave away all access passes anyway."

"Well, it is a risk on my part, Phantom, but then I tend to belive Rousseau was right about people." He smiles brightly. "I believe in taking chancce to prove my view is correct. And yes, I realize that all is bit weird sounding."

He rubs a hand over his eyes as he adds, "And, as I have finally shaken off your mental hold, well, I can realize you used it to protect rather than harm. That speaks well of you I think."

He gives a nod to you. "Hopefully we will meet again soon, Phantom. Be well." And with that, his wings opens again and, with the quiet beat of mighty wings, unfurl to lift him towards an open skylight.

Phantom gulps, having forgotten the mental suggestion he put in Lightray's head. He watches in awe and still a little terror as he watches Lightray fly away. He still watches the skylight even after Lightray's gone. And then he starts as he realizes he forgot to tell the others he's okay. He can sense the panic over the mindlink. "Shick!" << It's okay. I'm okay. All clear. Have I got a story to tell you.>>