Interview with a Wolfguard

Past Time's Coffee Shop 

The smell of fresh coffee is the first thing that assails you. The next is the very old style. It seems the owner has gone for the Edwardian style from early last century. Lots of imitation wood panelling and prints of old English countryside. There are many partitions between the tables, affording some privacy and the sound seems hushed in the room, this has been achieved mainly through very good design, which muffles sounds. At the counter service is quite quick and cheery, conveying a welcoming and friendly attitude. The menu boasts the fact that for a little extra real coffee is served along with light hot and cold meals and snacks. All in all a pleasant place to pass a bit of time.

The Interview

Jennifer is seated at a table out in the main area of the coffee shop instead of a booth. Lorelei is with her. Jennifer is looking a bit nervous at the prospect of an interview.

Jennifer smiles a little nervously, "Right, Lorelei, if I tap the tabletop twice give the press guy one of your befuddling smiles to make him forget what he was asking."

Jason Lord. A relatively good looking man in a shirt and tie. Interestingly enough, he also has suspenders. Perhaps an old-school affectation. He has a jacket with him as well, which he is carrying over his shoulder. He walks into the shop, and looks around the room. He notices Lorelei first, not surprisingly, and secondarily whom she's with. He walks over to the table with a smile on his face. "Miss Markham?"

Jennifer stands and offers a hand, "That's correct. Jennifer Markham. And you must be Jason Lord?"

Jason shakes Jennifer's hand. "That's correct." He smiles, and offers his hand to Lorelei as well. "Good to see you again, Lorelei."

Jennifer smiles, "I guessed you would already know Lorelei. Thank you for coming Mr Lord. May I call you Jason? I'm fine with Jennifer as well."

Jason takes a seat at the table. "Of course you may. So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" As if on reflex, he pulls out a PDA...not too surprisingly.

Jennifer glances at Lorelei as if for moral support. Then she faces Jason. "I... Uh... I was wondering if you would like to interview me? There are some details that I think... ought to be revealed about who and what I am. My history. How I came here. Uh.. stuff like that."

Jason smiles and nods. "Absolutely. So, where would you like to start?"

Jennifer takes a breath. "With the big one I guess. I'm originally from Wolfguard. There's a story in that, going back a number of years."

Jason raises a brow. "I had wondered about that. But had no real proof one way or the other."

Jennifer looks concerned, "Does everyone know about that? I've been trying to hide it for years, but everyone I mention it to just says, 'Oh, I thought that was the case'."

Jason grins, "I'm a reporter. It's my job to find things out. But...to not report them unless I'm sure. If it makes you feel better, I didn't know."

Jennifer nods, "It goes back to the time Joey Bolt and Fortitude were active. My ... Oh, before that. A Wolfguard agent was hired by Dorian Gray, the villain who started the Harrisburg Clinic originally as a source of organ transplants. He was captured by the city's heroes and jailed. My sister was sent to break him out, but she encountered Joey and Fortitude and got taken into custody. However Joey and Fortitude talked her into changing sides."

Jason makes some notes on his PDA, nodding. "Definitely quite a while ago, then."

You say, "Then, a couple of years later, the rest of us, her siblings, were visiting the Best of the Best to see her there. She talked to us and after a bit of discussion we surrendered en mass to Starguard. To Random Factor in fact."

Jason takes some more notes. "While Starguard Gamma was active?"

Jennifer smiles. "Yes. As you might recall, I was on Starguard Gamma for quite a while until just before the local office was closed

Jennifer adds, "I called myself Amber and Azure back then."

Jason nods again, "I remember. I'd ask your opinion about the UEMS, but I don't want to get off track just yet." He smiles. "Okay...so you surrendered to SGG. What then?"

Jennifer nods, "Have you heard of Lord Markham's School for Talented Children? Over in England. We were children but hardly normal children. So we were sent to the school, and agreed to being given mental controls to stop us hurting anyone."

Jason shakes his head, "I'm afraid I haven't heard of that. Well, until now."

You say, "It's a school for meta children. We have problems fitting in. Even children with more normal backgrounds. The school is a place where those children can find freedom to develop while also learning to integrate into normal society."

Jason nods again, "So, what was it like, at this school?"

Jennifer smiles, a little dreamily lost in recollection. "Much like any school really, except all the pupils have some type of meta ability. I enjoyed my time there. Most of my siblings though, were bored silly. We'd gone from the ruthless brutality of Wolfguard training to an English school. Quite a culture shock."

Jason takes some more notes. "So, you gradutated from there, presumably?"

You say, "I want to be as open as I can, but some details are not mine to reveal. After about six months it was clear the many of my siblings were not settling in. We're genetically engineered, and part of that was a urge, almost an addiction, for danger and excitement. The decision was made to transfer us to a government facility where that need could be filled in a productive and legal manner."

Lorelei sits quietly, listening. Some of this is new to her, too.

Jason nods. "Hmm. What kind of work did you do for the government? Assuming you can tell me that. In general terms. I'm assuming that specifics would be classified."

You say, "We were trained as soldiers. Even at our young age we'd had more training than any special forces trooper in any armed service in the world. Plus we were designed from the genes up to be exceptionally capable soldiers. That was the function we served in."

Jason makes a couple more notes, and then asks, "And after that?"

You say, "I was injured quite badly in a training exercise. Sufficiently badly that I was discharged from service. With nowhere else to go, I requested a move to Colonial City. That filled several needs. First, there were many heroes in the city, so if I went rogue I could be stopped. Having left the service I needed to learn how to get on in a civilain role. And Random Factor was the head of Starguard Gamma and knew about us. I could join SGG and still contribute, getting my needed dose of danger in that fashion."

Jason nods. "So, you joined SGG until it effectively shut down?"

Jennifer nods, "And attended the Colonial Heights High School. And joined the New Blood team when that formed."

Lorelei smiles.

Jason looks up from his PDA, and says, "New Blood basically disbanded a while ago, if I remember correctly."

Jennifer nods, "Yes. We remain very close but after most of us graduated from high school our careers took us in different directions and scattered us across the globe."

Jason nods. "So what did you do after high school?"

You say, "Before we move on to that point, I'd like to mention my time at the high school. When I started there I was a total misfit. I'd been under military style discipline and the structured environment of a military base for all my life. I had no idea how to fit in. In fact my nickname in school soon became the Weird Sisters. I cried myself to sleep on many nights. Then someone stepped in and helped me. She taught me how to, if not fit in, at least not stand out too badly. That was Lorelei, and I want to take this opportunity to express my deep and enduring gratitude for dragging me back from the abyss of being an anti-social misfit and showing me how to live in civilian life."

Jennifer looks over at Lorelei, "Thanks."

Jason smiles and looks to Lorelei, "Anything you'd like to add?"

Lorelei says, "Just that I couldn't have a better best friend. We're an unlikely pair, but... well, that's the thing about socialising. You meet and become friends with the most unlikely people, and both learn from the experience."

Jennifer smiles nodding. "I mustn't forget to mention Howl. He coached me, encouraged me, and occasionally outright bullied me, into putting in enough effort at school to graduate."

Jason nods, looking at Lorelei perhaps a few moments longer than necessary before tearing himself away, and looking back to Jennifer. "You mentioned something I should ask about. You said, 'In fact my nickname in school soon became the Weird Sisters.' Seems like an odd nickname for a single person."

Lorelei thinks. o O (Hm, he suspected her of being Wolfguard *without* knowing about the twin thing?)

Jennifer thinks, "He must know. He's asking for the readers. "Yes. That's part of the Wolfguard inheritance. Each of us is a single person in two bodies. My supposed sister, Jessica, is actually as much a part of me as Jennifer's left hand. There aren't individuals Jennifer and Jessica, only me."

Jason nods, and takes a couple of notes. He smiles, "Ah. Makes sense." He waits a moment, finishing up a note, and then says, "So, that takes us to the end of your schooling. What about after that?"

Jennifer nods, "Well for a while I was at a loss. I'm not college smart so going to college was out. I was a member of Starguard Gamma and that became almost a full time job. In addition I was acting as an instructor to various organizations at Steel's Gym, such as a number of American military branches and the local SWAT team."

Jason listens attentively, and then adds, "And that takes us to the present day, I assume?"

You say, "Not quite. I left Starguard employ shortly before the local branch was closed. There was a case in which I choose a humanitarian response rather than the approach decided on by the head of Starguard Gamma. Random Factor had been transferred to another post before that time. I don't regret that decision. I was and still am convinced what was being done was inhumane and seriously damaging to the wellbeing of a child. But Starguard can hardly accept their operatives going against their superior officer's decisions. So I was dismissed...."

Jennifer pauses for any response...

Jason nods slowly. "What was the incident, exactly? Assuming you're willing to talk about it?"

You say, "It was the so called Auntie Rotter case. I don't think I ought to talk about it without Roger being here to give his side. But there was an inquiry into the incident by Starguard which is probably on public record."

Jason nods. "Fair enough. So, what did you do after that?"

Jennifer smiles, "Set a thief to catch a thief. In the less than tender care of Wolfguard we were trained in military and assassination techniques. The training was intense and brutal. Looking back it's amazing we didn't rebel even earlier. But what it gave us was superb training to a standard not matched by any other group. So I put that to use as a freelance bodyguard and special operations consultant. That lasted for about a year and a half, until I was approached by someone in the FBI who I had worked with while I was in Starguard. Since then I've been an FBI special agent, rushing around putting out bushfires."

Jason smiles, making a few more notes. "So, now we're caught up. Which of course brings up the question: Why did you want to let people know you're former Wolfguard?"

You say, "Because Wolfguard is no more. Not as a functioning organization. There are still ex-Wolfguard members out there. Probably now selling their skills to the highest bidder. And there are my brothers and sisters, members of the British armed forces. In many parts of Europe and the rest of the world, to be Wolfguard is to be hated and feared. In the past that was only sensible. But I want all of my family out there, estranged or not, to know there are other options. That we can fit in. We can make a positive difference. I'd like to think I'm a living example of that."

Jason nods, making a note. "Anything else you want to add?"

Jennifer nods, "I'm not sure I qualify to be called a hero. I've been trained and genetically designed to do the kind of things I do. And now I'm being paid by the FBI to do them. It was the example of such people as Howl, Rebound, Lorelei, Spirit, and many others, which guided me on the right path. Those are the heroes. Also the police, paramedics, who go into danger to serve others. Normal people who face adversity each day and get up the next morning to do it again. We are surrounded by true heroes on every side."

Jason nods, and smiles slightly. "I'm sure there would still be no shortage of people who would call you a hero. But there are clearly going to be those who mistrust you after this. What would you say to each of those groups?"

You say, "I cannot change what I was born as. I am ex-Wolfguard. I can only change what I do. Judge me, judge my siblings, my wayward older family members not by what we are but by what we do. And to my family I say, look at what you are doing and know that there are choices. We make our own destiny."

Jason nods again with another smile. "Reminds me a bit of when Black Mamba joined the SoJ." He looks to Lorelei. "Lorelei, was there anything you wanted to add?"

Lorelei shakes her head. "I think Jenn's said it all very well."

Jennifer looks to Lorelei, "Whew... I don't know how you cope with doing interviews several times a day. I think I'd rather go a couple of rounds against Doctor D."

Jennifer looks over at Jason, "I'll tell you what I said most often in my school years. I'm not trained for this!"

Jason grins, "Well, Lorelei wouldn't have to go over her full life story. Most people know a lot about her already. Though...I'd be happy to sit here and listen if she chose to do so."

Lorelei nods. "Amazing what people know about me. And some of it is even true."

Jennifer laughs.

Jason nods, "Oh...before I forget. One more question for you, Jennifer."

Jennifer nods.

Jason continues, "You were rumored to be romantically linked to another hero in town. A guy named 'Riot'. Are you two still a couple? He hasn't been seen in quite a while."

Lorelei frowns slightly.

You say, "The rumors were true. But he dropped out of sight. I haven't seen him for quite a while either. We didn't break up, life just got in the way."

Jennifer sighs heavily...

Jason nods. "Sorry to hear it. I hope that it works out for you two."

Jennifer nods, still a little down as she recalls the absence of Riot.

Jason smiles, trying to change the subject, "At any rate...you don't have to worry about how I'll spin this. But it's for the best that you spoke to me, and not someone like say...Knox."

Jennifer chuckles, "Oh, Knox doesn't seem to like us metas, but I'm sure I'd have gotten off light because he'd blame everything that ever went wrong on Silver Spider."

Jason grins, "Well...I think this gives me plenty to work with. Thank you again for giving me a call."

You say, "Thank you. If this makes even one of my family stop and think, and maybe make a change for the better, I'll be very pleased."

Lorelei nods. "Let's hope so!"

Jason shakes Jennifer's hand...and then Lorelei's. He then stands up, and gathers up his things. "If I can help again in any way, please let me know."

Jennifer nods. "It's odd, Jason, Lorelei. I feel like we've been talking for hours. Yet so many things either didn't get mentioned or were quickly passed over. No mention of Caleb, who kept me from being suspended at school at least a couple of time by being in the principal's office getting dressed down so I was sent back to class. Or Bubba. Nils. Phil just got a mention in passing."

Jennifer stands to shake Jason's hand. "I wonder, who reports on the reporters? I suspect you have a few stories to tell if you were asked."

Jason grins, "Those stories usually end up in memoirs toward the end of a reporter's career."

Jennifer smiles, "If I'm still around I'll buy a copy. And read it."

Jason waves, and with one more longing look back toward the pair, he heads out.