Log:Takaga Teen Tour

2020/05/11 	 Felix Phantom Rei Union

1

Bluejay flies back from Japan to meet the teen heroes for a scheduled tour of the mansion. The place is immaculately maintained. The landscape gardens in perfect order. She waits by the door.

Phantom and Felix scoped out the mansion from afar the night before to check for traps. So far, they're satisfied with what they find. Or more accurately, what they didn't find. It was enough to soothe the concerns of some of the fam, and three of them show up on time. Phantom waits with Blockbuster and Felix outside the gates to the mansion, hands in his jacket pockets as he keeps his senses alert to the area. << I didn't forsee death or disaster, so I think this is (as unbelievable as it seems) legit.>> Some of Phantom's real thoughts break through as an undercurrent in thoughts.

Phantom and Felix scoped out the mansion from afar the night before to check for traps. So far, they're satisfied with what they find. Or more accurately, what they didn't find. It was enough to soothe the concerns of some of the fam, and three of them show up on time. Phantom waits with Blockbuster, Kid Tengu, and Felix outside the gates to the mansion, hands in his jacket pockets as he keeps his senses alert to the area. << I didn't forsee death or disaster, so I think this is (as unbelievable as it seems) legit.>> Some of Phantom's real thoughts break through as an undercurrent in thoughts. 

Bluejay is by the gates of the estate. The gates are open and the security offer by the gates is un-manned. The place is immaculately maintained. The landscape gardens in perfect order.

Bran comes down from the MagLev and looks over at the mansion...and then hte invite...and then the mansion. "There must be a mistake." He sighs and walks over toward the entrance, "Guess I'll find out shortly enough."

Blockbuster isn't floating along today. The light might tip any ambushers off too soon for the teen heroes. She looks around slowly, considering the area around the Takaga Estate while she continues to follow along toward the front door. Looking over at Bluejay, Blockbuster cheerily smiles and waves toward her.

<< This place seems... Extra nice, >> mentally mumbles the pink-clad heroine.

Phantom looks to the gates opens and hesitates a moment before walking to the door and giving a polite wave to Bluejay. "Hello, Ms. Takaga, ma'am."

Union comes down the street from the direction of the High School, breaking into a jog when she spots the group gathered outside the gates. When she arrives, she's not breathing hard in the slightest. "Hi guys!"

Felix wanders along behind the other teen heroes he usually associates with. He's wearing a set of stemapunk looking goggles today as he sweeps his gaze around.

<>

Bluejay smiles and waves back. She reaches up with one hand to press a spot on the underside of her battlesuit helm, and the armored suit retracts, gloves into arms, boots into legs, helm into neck, and so forth, until the suit is not to be seen and Rei is standing there. "Hello. Welcome. Any more coming?"

KT slide to the side and follows along with the other Outworlders of Code Dark. He keeps his head swiveling- still not quite believing what they've found out so far though he does beleive Phantom enough to have come along.

<> KT says as he follows Phantom's lead and waves too. "Thanks for having us." He says to Bluejay.

Felix glances around at the people he knows, Union and then spots Bran coming along. "Well, if he's with us, yeah, looks like this is all, Ms Takaga," he murmurs.

Bran gets closer...and actually sees people in costume. He's only about 10m away when he stops again, feeling out of place.

Union bows to Rei in the manner Ryosei had shown her, "Thank you for inviting us."

Bran takes a deep breath and walks up to the gate. "Umm...I...uh...got this invite. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place."

Phantom waves to Union. "Uhh, one more of us is running late. Don't know if they'll even make it, but they can catch up." Phantom isn't exactly in costume. But he does look different. His body is sheathed in pure back energy, his eyes pure white. But other than that, he has a racer jacket with gray paneling down the sleeves, a black tee with Vurig's logo in white, black jeans, and white high-tops with black and gray accents. He looks at the new gathering an offers a wave to Bran. "You got the weird invite, too?" he grins.

"Like, um, hi there," intones Blockbuster. She may or may not be using Kid Tengu and Felix as meatshields at the moment. Or perhaps she's just covering her team from an attack from the rear. It's tough to say. Blockbuster smiles politely and looks over at Union and then onward and backward toward Bran. Her attention drifts back to Rei and Blockbuster smiles politely, waving again, "Nice to meet you."

Felix pointing out Bran draws KT's masked face towards the newcomer. He leans towards the other Outworlder and whispers, "I like his style." Of course he does.

Bran smiles at seeing Phantom's shirt. "Nice. We should chat later. I know the band personally."

Rei waves to assumed late comer, "Hello and welcome. Come on. Let's go to the mansion. She leads the way up the driveway. The block of six garage doors are open. showing a Deloran, a Lamborghini Huracan, and three SUVs. As she approaches the mansion door it swings open. A young girl's voice says, "Konnichiwa Takaga-sana. Wagaya e yokoso. "

"Seriously?" Phantom's eyes grow wide and round at Bran's comment. "Crash. We def should talk after this chocolate factory tour," he laughs.

Phantom leans over and stage whispers to Blockbuster as they start to get led along, "Don't eat the everlasting gobstopper."

The grey clad Felix turns to look at the expensive cars in the garage as everyone ealks by. He then looks over at Bran murmuring softly as he points in turn to people, "Phantom...Kid Tengu...Blockbuster...Union, I think...and I'm Felix."

Phantom stiffens at the young girl's voice. << I saw this in a movie once. Young girl AIs are always murderous. I can already hear it saying "You're all going to die in here".>>

He then adds as an afterthought, "And the nup is Bluejay, Ms Takaga, this is her place."

"Like, blueberry and violet-violet are so not my colors," replies Blockbuster as she keeps pace with the others. At the sound of her name, Blockbuster turns and wavies in a random direction.

Bran nods to Felix. "Thanks. My name is Bran." He still looks uncomfortable, but he follows along with the others anyway.

Phantom doesn't really turn his head, but he's able to covertly eye the Delorean. <>

Rei smiles, "Imouto, we've had this discussion before. English when we have guests." she says toward the door.

Union says, "And snozzberries don't taste all that great."

The girl's voice answers, "Sorry. Hello guests and welcome to Takaga Mansion. My name is Imouto."

KT leans forward and nods upwards at Bran. "Sup." He says simply, silently hoping Phantom isn't being prophetic.

KT fights the urge to transform into various monochromatic versions of Blockbuster in blueberry & violet.

<> He says over their connection, still not understanding humans' obsession with outmoded forms of technology.

Bran does take a keen interest in the cars as they pass, whistling quietly to himself. "Wow."

Felix strains up on his toes to see if he can see anyone is there speaking to Bluejay. "Virtual personality or AI, Ms Takaga?"

"Are use of the cars part of the, uh, offer to use this place?" Phantom asks.

Rei decides which order to answer those questions, "Virtual expert system. My sister and I are hoping she will evolve into a full AI but as yet it hasn't happened. As you may know, only a handful of attemptes to create an AI have succeeded." She looks at Phantom, "That depends. The answer could be yes but these classic cars lack the safety features of modern vehicles. You'll have to pass an advanced riving course before you can use them. Which we'll pay for of course."

Rei adds, The SUVs are modern and you can use them as desired. But I suspect that's not the cars you are most interested in."

Felix murmurs something under his breath about 'the poor bastards on the road'.

Phantom shrugs his shoulders noncommittally. <> IF anyone was crazy enough to let the blind one behind the wheel and ride with him.

"The SUVs seem the most suitable for our needs." KT agrees despite the fact that he's interested in these advanced driving courses. Sometimes you've got to get away /in persona/ and that'd sure help with that. He watches Rei with renewed interest, wondering if she's perhaps got more information on them than they think.

"So, um... Miss Takaga? What are, like, the terms and conditions of us," starts Blockbuster. She pauses for a few moments, frowning a little bit as she looks around at the other teens. Looking back at Rei, Blockbuster carefully inquiures, "Making use of your, um, mansion?"

Rei also adds, "There's a 100ft yacht in an Italian boatyard you can use too. I bought it on a whim and then was called away before I could make arrangements to bring it here to Colinial Bay."

Rei looks at Blockbuster. Her voice becomes somewhat more serious. Be heroes. Do that and you will honor me by using the Mansion. I will have fulfilled a duty that has been a burden on me for several years."

Phantom glances Felix's way, since Rei's comments touch on a conversation they had last night.

Felix looks back at Phantom then with a soft sigh, raises a hand as if in a clas.

Rei looks at Felix expectantly.

Felix says in a mild tone, "I know that you expect the teens be ros, Ms Takaga, to use this place a, well, resource for getting along together, to train, to hangout, and all that, pos? But, I know that sometimes that pup vils sometimes, not always, can change if given someplace they can just not be stress-zoned at. A neutral palce they can just be, ken? Can you're offer extend to them as well or is it a ro-only club, belike?"

Bran's eyes go wide at the mention of 'being heroes'. "Umm...I'm not a hero. I mean...umm...I barely understand what I can do."

Felix points a thumb over at Bran. "So, case in point, Bran's a meta, but not a ro or a vil. So, can he hang here?"

Bran blinks again and looks over toward Felix...who clearly knows more about him than he thought.

Phantom looks over to Bran. "Oh? And you got an invite? So...what do you understand about it? Or like...what's happened with them?" he asks in a friendly, supportive tone.

Bran flinches and gets a little more defensive, backing up a couple of steps. "Don't walk to talk about it."

Phantom holds up his hands, palms open and forward. "Sorry. You don't have to. No anx," he smiles reassuringly, then drops the topic and his hands before turning back to Rei so Bran can feel more comfortable.

"Well, if you ever do," intones Blockbuster, looking over a shoulder at Bran, "We're, like, totally hear to help you."

Felix looks over at Bran and says in a quiet one, "And ya don;t have to, Bran. I'm just guessing you're a meta given you got an invite, pos? It's a no anx stich."

Rei doesn't answer immediately. She takes a few moments to think about it. "I would not expect active villains to be welcome here. I would certainly hope that many if not most of the teen metas who use this mansion will not extend a welcome to those actively engaged in villainous acts. If a teen meta who has engaged in such acts in the past, acts that are not beyond the level at which forgiveness without... I'm looking for a word. I mean, if a teen has killed, that would be hard to forgive. But if a meta is truly seeking redemption then if those here allow I suppose it would be acceptable."

"So like...you won't let a teen on the outs in unless you interview them?" Phantom asks for clarification.

Rei turns to Phantom. "That would be difficult. In a few weeks I'll be leaving on the Takaga Explorer for a survey mission to the rim. A five year mission. So, no. Any such 'interview' would have to be conducted by those using the mansion. Although in extremity Imouto might decide to lock down the facilities."

Felix turns his attention back to Rei. "And if they're just confused and a need a place to get their shick straight, Ms Takaga? Cause, let's face it, a lot of teen vils are either being groomed to be by nups or because shick went sideways in their lives for some reason." He shrugs. "I mean there are certainly some who are just @s...jerks. But, some rest need someplace to not be stress-zoned so they can get their shick together, pos?"

Rei focuses on Felix. "I'm not going to be here. I'll be thonsands of light years away. Assume you are here using the Mansion. Would -you - want such people here? Because it would largely be your decision."

Phantom listens carefully. << It can lock down the facility? That means it can lock us in! I knew it!>>

<> says Felix over the mindlink between Code Dark.

"I'd want to give people the chance," offers Blockbuster with a little shrug.

Felix looks back at Rei for a moment then shrugs slightly. "Since likely I'd be robbing and killing alongside my mother right now if I hadn't found a refuge when I was younger? Yeah, I'd make that decision, Ms Takaga."

Rei shrugs, "Then do so. An enemy you defeat remains an enemy. An enemy you make into a friend is an enmy no more."

KT holds his shape perfectly still so as not to give away what he was thinking too.

<> He thinks as he continues on the tour. "That seems like a perfectly reasonable answer. A little flexibility goes a long way. We will be sre not to press your goodwill needlessly." He says looking to Rei. "Good advice, Miss Takaga."

Rei leads you all into the mansion, down the hall to the great room. "I would offer you tea. But I doubt you have time? We do not do instant tea in this mansion. I could take a few shortcuts, get it down to two, maybe three, hours?"

Bran follows after the others, remaining quiet for the time being, until the mention of 2 to 3 hours for tea. "I'm afraid I can't stay that long. I have to be back home in a couple of hours."

Phantom follows along and smiles to Felix and Blockbuster, then looks surprised by the tea offering. "Uh, maybe skip the tea." <>

Rei moves to a tapestry and pulls it to one side to reveal an elevator door. "Imouto, add those present to the Code Blue List."

The girl's voice answers, "Complying... Done."

Blockbuster shrugs at Phantom. She looks back to Rei after a quick glance around the great room. Eventually she looks at the tapestry itself and frowns a little bit. That's not a good way to handle a tapestry!

Rei puts her hand on the panel at the side of the elevator door. It slides open to allow acces to a large elevator. Abhout 12 person capability.

Rei steps inside.

"Perhaps next time- it sounds interesting. But I'm afraid we've got patrols to return to, Miss Takaga. But your offer is appreciated." KT says with a slight bow, appreciating some of the formal charm of the Takaga clan's emissary. His mask of course betrays nothing.

<> He suggests, ever suspicious but clearly intrigued.

He follows to the elevator almost fearlessly, putting on a good show after Rei gets inside first.

Bran follows into the elevator, but definitely looks a little twitchy. He keeps his eyes on the floor.

Phantom walks into the elevator slowly, trying to stay casual. "How many floors does this place have?" he asks. <>

Felix files inside with the rst of the teen heroes. <>

Rei says, "Just one. This goes from the great room down to the base lobby and back again."

Phantom slides his hands in his pockets. << I don't think that's totally on you. The invitation kind of outed him, and I don't think he realized it yet. Give him time. He doesn't know any of us.>>

Blockbuster files into the elevator as well, clasping her hands together in front of her. Lightly she leans against the wall and sighs, smiling to herself as she listens for the moment.

Union steps into the elevator

Rei presses the down button. The elevator descends for about ten seconds. Then the door opens, onto a brightly lit firing range ^H^H^H^H^H^H^H lobby. There are doors on each side. The end wall has banners hung up between suits of boweer and battle armor. Five of the six suits are clearly progressive versions of the Bluejay battlesuit. The sixth is a crudely made exoskeleton with obvious car parts used in it's construction.

<> KT says with a grin as he steps into the elevator. He grows an extra appendage to feel out his immediate area- his finger tips splitting to better feel the elevator wall and paneling. He's looing for anything out of place- like trap door triggers or anything else his paranoia can persuade him might be possible.

Once the elevator opens he cocks his head and looks down the lobby.

<> He says at the revealed battlesuit evolution in front of them. He looks to Mr. Fix-It (Felix).

Phantom steps out into the firing range/Lobby calmly, catching the view from his friends. "Whoa..."

Rei points to the five Bluejay versions. "That's my sister's design. Cost a little over ten million dollars for the first version." Then she points to the exoskeleton, "That's mine. Cast 27 yen. That's about one dollar forty cents."

Bran is silent as he looks around at the room, taking in the various suits of armor. He remains to the back of the group, watching everyone's reactions.

Felix looks at the battlesuits and exoskeleton and, unconsciusly it seems, drifts over to look at the exoskeleton. "Arid," he says after a long moment. "That's brilliant!"

"Wow," murmurs Blockbuster as she steps off of the elevator. Blinking, Blockbuster looks around slowly at the lobby/firing range.

"That's dirty cheap. You're saying a cup of coffee is more expensive than that thing?" Phantom motions in the direction of the suit.

Rei nods, "It would have cost more if there hadn't been a hole in the fence around the scrapyard."

Union says, "Sounds like the kind of person we'd like to be able to hang out here."

"Pretty impressive return of investment there." KT admits as they discuss the suits' designs.

He steps out and looks about - seemingly interested in everything but the empty battlesuits. He tries not to look like he's looking for something- luckily he masked face helps.

Felix nods absently. "Scavenged parts are the best. You know the parts work beucase they have once. Easy to coax them back to life."

Rei smiles, "Ever thought of becoming a starship engineer?" she asks Felix.

Phantom keeps looking about. Felix shrugs. "Not really. Never occurred to me as an option."

Rei nods, "You're a thousand light years from the nearest civilised planet and something breaks. Scavenged from the rest of the ship is all you have. You need to know what you need, and where you can get it without wrecking something else. Like life support. The attitude you just expressed is exactly what is required. Give Takaga Corp a call if you every consider it."

"Oh you guys would be lucky to get someone half as handy as Felix." KT says appreciatively. <<But how do you get your foot in the door without giving up your ID?>>

The mask raises its eyebrows rapidly with the thought but returns to its stoic, hardcast gaze immediately thereafter.

Phantom swallows hard. "Sounds like a position I wouldn't want to be in, even as a passenger," he grins.

Felix gives a nod. "I'll think about it for the future."

Rei smiles, "Anyway, the tour. Sorry. I get easily distracted." She goes to the first door on the left as you exit the elevator. "Utilities room. Power systems, communication hardware, and security systems. There's no active measures. Too easy to have a cyber genius turn them against you. But there's an excellent internal sensor array."

"Internal? Like cameras and sensors on the inside watching us?" Phantom asks.

Bran looks around slowly, trying to get a feel for what security measures he can see.

Rei nods. "Yes. That's not the intent. It's the side effect of watching for people who don't belong in here."

The security isn't hidden. There are visible cameras and motion detectors.

KT instinctively rearranges his internal organs into a more human configuration. His skeleton follows the same pattern but much more slowly.

Rei leads on the next door on the left. "Weapon test room. Collapium plated walls, floor and ceiling. "

Phantom makes an effort to look like he's glancing around. "Collapium? So can this handle meta powers, maybe?"

Phantom says, "Y'know...practice in mostly privacy?"

Rei nods, "It can handle any of the weapons systems on the Bluejay suit. I'd still advise working up from low power on any new weapon. Nothing except Questinite is indestructable."

Bran doesn't have any idea what 'Collapium' is, but he gets the gist, more or less. Besides, it's unlikely he could actually do anything to it anyway.

Moving on the the last door on the left. She opens it to reveal a roon filling device. "Nanotech fabricator. Just supply the right materials and this little thing will make anything you want."

Bran continues following along, "Huh. Umm...why are you doing all of this again? Why open your home up?"

"Arid. Super arid!" KT says sounding genuinely excited about the nanotech fabricator.

Rei tells Bran, "My sister lived here while creating the first of the Bluejay suits. She was a teen herself at the time. he wanted to pay forward some of the help and assistance she received from other heroes in this city. So when she returned to Japan to take over the Takaga Corporation she asked me to come here and see this mansion was available for the teen heroes here."

Bran nods. "Ah. Thank you."

Union says, "Maybe we could put up a sign: "Super-Hero Club House"."

Phantom smiles at KT's excitement. "Totes. Could make some arid stuff here," he comments.

Rei switches the fabricator on. "I mean anything." She activates the control panel, "Backplate for the Mk III suit." It takes about a minute before the requested backplate is complete. "Strawberry ice cone." This is quicker. About twenty seconds. Rei picks up the ice cone and licks it.

Union says, "What raw materials are required?"

Rei says, "Anything with sufficient mass for the item being fabricated. The grav compressor inside breaks down all matter to quarks and rebuilts whatever material is required. Particulate solid material is best. LIquids can get very messy. Cleaning this is a thorough chore."

Phantom shares with the others <<Okay, so we're -not- putting a sign saying 'attack us here', right?>>

<< We could just keep this as the party base? >> suggests Blockbuster, looking curiously over at the gravity fabricator.

<< I"d certainly hope not.>> KT replies as he continues looking around.

<<Oooh. Party base sounds fun! What kind of parties will we throw here?>> KT inquires as he ventures a bit further afield to look things over 'up clsoe'.

<<Dance parties? But I think Blockbuster's got the right idea. There's also cameras all over, and apparently advertisements we'll be here. So we just gotta be careful what we say here, like as if we're in public>> Phantom adds.

That finishes the left hand doors. Along the right side of the lobby, the auto-doc room. Three medical style beds. "Auto-Doc. Automatic healing. They work fine. Unfortunately I've had to use them a couple of times. Bring a book." The next door opens to a large Olympic standard swimming pool. "Heated of course."

The final two doors on the right open to a large well rquipped gymnasium, and a spacious common room.

Phantom sounds impressed. "Wow. Amazing they got all this hidden down here."

"You'd be, like, surprised by what you can get with the right amouunt of money," intones Blockbuster, shrugging a little bit. She curiously peers around the interior of the exercise room.

Rei comes out to the lobby, "Well there it is. I'll be in the common room if you have any question. Have a good look round. Imouto will explain what everything is and how it works."

After the tour...

Felix decided to stay in to check the equipment, and Blockbuster and Kid Tengu were inside talking with Phantom went outside for a breather. He walks down the driveway towards the gate, rubbing the back of his hair. He takes a deep breath and sighs it out, like it was all a lot of take in.

Bran had stepped out to the street only a few minutes earlier. The invite to the mansion just...made him a bit uncomfortable. He starts on his way toward the MagLev, but he's walking slowly, thinking about hte conversation with Rei.

And that is when Heather's little baby blue Beetle variant pulls into the driveway. It is a bit out of place in such a ritzy home as this one. She has money, but just... doesn't show it off so extravagantly. But she pulls in and stops, turning off the car and stepping out. She shuts her door and glances up at the house. A soft whistle leaves her lips, "I thought I was rich. But -this-... is rich." she mutters.

Phantom 'spots' the blue beetle and the girl with a grudge and...keeps on walking for now. Though given it's still daylight outside, Phantom is easy enough to spot. As he reaches the sidewalk, he feels Bran on his way to the Maglev. "Oh, hey, Bran, right? Sorry if Felix was a bit forward, man. He's actually pretty antisocial and was trying to be all friendly and welcoming," he apologizes with a half chuckle.

Bran sees the car pull up in the driveway, and he stops. Another meta invited to the house? This all feels so weird. Then he gets a look at Heather, who he recognizes in passing from school. "Huh." As Phantom speaks to him, he turns, "Oh...umm...it's okay. I...uh...I'm going to have to get used to that, if people suspect that I'm a meta."

"Well, I think I have an idea why you were invited. But if I tell you, I think it's going to freak you out," Phantom offers cautiously.

Bran snorts, "I have an idea why I was invited. But sure...tell me."

Stretching to get a crick out of her neck. Hearing Phatom's voice, she grimaces. But not the way some might think. Sheknows that she made a bad impression on him. he was trying to help out and she was so focused on the objective that she brushed him off. So she turns and heads that way, "Hey." she says. But then she realizes it's a conversation, so she trails off... approaches but tries not to interrupt.

"Okay, let me see," Phantom says as he puts two fingers to his temple and pretends to concentrate. "Hmmmm. You're name is...Bran Black, right?" he says with the psychic act. It's just a guess and a guess put together.

Bran blinks, "Yeah. Great...so what happened at my old school is known here, huh?" He shakes his head, "< Bleep >."

Bran takes a deep breath as Heather steps closer, "Uh...hi. Umm...sorry."

"Now you've got me curious. But obviously, you don't want to talk about that so I won't ask what happened at your old school. I was just hoping to talk to..." and she gestures to Phantom. "This guy, but I can wait. I'll be over here." she says as she backs out of conversation range so as not to intrude.

Phantom lowers his hand and glances over his shoulder, then waves over it. "Hey there." He looks back to Bran. "Huh? Shick, no...I don't actually know anything about that. Sorry," he rubs the back of his head. "There's some bad guys with a list of people's names on it...people they are trying to kidnap. Some of them metas...some not, from what we can tell. 'Bran Black' was one of the names, and I just guessed your last name. I figured that list is somehow how you got invited here. But maybe that rich snoot had more details than I did." He double takes to Heather. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asks in surprise.

Bran takes another deep breath and says to Heather, "If you want to talk to Phantom here, go ahead." He then says to the guy, "It's Phantom, right? I think that's what Felix called you?"

Lifting her hands, Heather shakes her head, "I don't want to be rude, and I don't want to intrude." She inclines her head and asks, "You did say he was Bran Black?" to Phantom. And then she nods, "Cuz if that's true, you.." she turns to regard Bran, "Are in some serious danger. And... most likely you're a metahuman, or a potential metahuman."

Bran sighs. "I'm a meta. Just...I'm not completely sure about what I can do."

Nodding, Heather continues, "But I -wanted- to make peace and apologize to you." she says to Phantom, "I was so caught up in trying to help Tanisha that I brushed you off when you were just trying to help. That was wrong of me... so I apologize."

"Yeah, Phantom," Phantom confirms. He glances to Heather and gives her a small shake of his head with a hinting expression that...is honestly hard to read because of being cloaked in dark psionic energy. He looks back to Bran. "Uhh, she's on the list, too," he explains to Bran. "But this Next Generation group is like ...I dunno, a bunch of DNA collectors." Phantom is caught by surprise by Heather's apology and looks back over to her. "Hey, we were all trying to help Tanisha. And figure out how they knew to find her. Sorry if my hypothesis came off as an attack, but it was just something to potentially consider."

Bran blinks. "Wait...I'm on some list? Next Generation?"

"It is a long story. But first..." says Heather as she holds a hand towards Phantom, "Look. Can we start over? I'm Heather. Reporters got silly and call me Knockout. I heal real fast and I'm strong. That's it. Not like I can do what -you- do." she says to him.

Then she turns to regard Bran, "And yeah, Next Generation, apparently some organization that does genetic research of the criminal variety, has a list of metas they want to acquire. They apparently accidentally -made- me a meta. But your name was on their list too. We are trying to help keep anyone on that list safe."

Bran rubs his face with both hands. "This...what? This makes no sense. I'm just a kid. I haven't even really...like...done much. No code name. No costume. And heck, I've only been in town for like...two weeks?"

Phantom smiles and shakes Heather's hand, looking happy to bury the hatchet. "Phantom. And I can't do much. I drink coffee and know things," he says playfully with a shrug, then turns back to Bran. He listens to Heather and looks over at her in surprise. "Whoa. They gave you powers?" He looks to Bran, and he gets more serious and sympathetic, speaking calmly. "The other person who was targeted didn't have any powers from the looks of things. So...the list may just have people they suspect of being metas for some reason. It's not about what you've done. We still don't know how they made the list, but if I could have a moment with one of the agents next time, I might be able to get an idea." He rubs his chin in thought. "They haven't been hitting very hard...yet. Maybe they think getting young targets means less practiced powers they can harvest?"

Bran blinks as he thinks about it. "Do you...have a copy of this list? Can I see it?"

Phantom's white eyes blink a few times. "Oh, totes, sure." Of COURSE he'd ask for that. He takes out his phone and traces his thumb over the screen.

Phantom navigates something while looking down at his phone, pulling open his photo album and pulling up a photo of the list. He turns it to show Bran.

Bran takes a look at the list, scanning it quickly for a particular name. Thankfully, his sister's name isn't there. He seems to noticeably relax a bit, "Thanks. I appreciate it. I...don't really know anyone on there. But...well, I'm new in town.

Whatever it was she heard, Heather doesn't say anything about it either way. She just shrugs her shoulders, "Well, apparently... from what I gather, the ... unknown quantities of unknown serums that jabbed into my arm a while back... in an unknown mix ratio, were all from their labs. Somehow, they combined to do this to me."

Phantom nods to Bran, not sure if he wants to give away that he and his whole team are new. It'd give them away too much in their secret identities. "Well, welcome to Colonial Bay?" he says awkwardly, knowing it must not feel very welcoming. Or maybe it's just overwhelming. He notices the relaxing. "So far, there's been people who show up for an attempted snatch and grab for people on the list. There's been some...vague connection on the list of someone knowing someone, even if indirectly. You seemed...I dunno, kind of relieved after reading the list." He glances at Heather. "Wait, what? Holy shick..."

Nodding her head, Heather shrugs, "I know. I'm like the most unlikely metahuman ever. Any other ratio and I'd have died. But no, I became this... well I worked hard at -this-.." she says, indicating her form, "But I got strong and super healing. I think I used up every lucky break for my life to get this."

Bran nods to Phantom. "I was afraid that there was someone else I know on the list. But they weren't there, so...at least that's okay, I guess?"

"Heavy. Sounds like you got the jackpot of stuff," Phantom looks at Heather's indicated form, but really can't see it except for what Bran sees. He just has a psychic sense of where she is, and quickly tries to not appear as if he were staring, looking back to Bran. "Well, glad to know they weren't on the list. But you're still on it. We're all trying to look out for the people on the list, so if you want, we could give you contact numbers or something. But honestly, if you see them coming, I'd say run and call 911."

Bran thinks about it for a moment. "Uh...yeah. Exchanging contact info sounds good. Thanks. That would help."

Nodding her head, Heather shrugs, "I definitely think I am pretty much done with trying to bet on anything for the foreseeable future. At least since that was such a lucky break but.." she shrugs, "It's pretty evident why they want me. I guess they figure they NEED to know what the blend was, so they can try to reproduce it."

Phantom gives Bran his phone number. "You think this mansion tour thing was crazy, there was another bazillionaire who took us all to her penthouse and offered us these secure comm units to keep in touch with each other. Then took us to a private beach. Is this...like...normal here?" he asks. He leaves out that the beach was in Hawaii. He nods at Heather's explanation. "Makes sense."

Bran points to the mansion, "I'm pretty sure that offer wasn't normal. I'm living in Harrisburg. I got kicked out of my old school for having powers. Everything up until today has been...a punishment for being different. And that lady...wants to create a home for teens with powers? It just feels...weird." He puts Phantom's contact info in his PDA, and hten shares his own.

Phantom glances over to the mansion as he listens, then nods slowly and looks back to Bran. "That blows, man. Felix, Blockbuster, Kid Tengu, and I know what it's like to be punished for being different. If you ever feel like talking to us, door's open. No judgements. We're all weirded out by this mansion offer. We don't plan to live here. Just maybe meet up here once in a while. I don't really know Union all that well, so I can't speak for her. But she's...weird. Kinda pushy."