[IC] X-Wives

[David Johnston2]

If there was one thing Legend loved, it was fighting robots. Flesh and blood, even superhuman flesh and blood was tricky. He had to figure out just how much he had to pull his punches to disable without killing or crippling or what he could wrap up in that would be enough to hold them. With a robot, no need to mess around. He could go all-out. Even if it was one of the rare self-aware ones, he could pull off all their limbs with the sure and secure knowledge that he wasn't doing anything that couldn't be fixed or would traumatize the kids watching the live coverage. Back in the old days, smashing up Doctor Prometheus's contraptions had been a regular part of his routine, and the endless creativity of his opponent always kept it fresh although most of them weren't huge challenges in the end. If anything was ever going to kill him, it wouldn't be a robot.

Perhaps it was because he liked it so much and had done so much of it that he was so sloppy this time, and just flew headlong at the rampaging metal giant, hoping to take it out with a single hit. Maybe it was because he was in a rush, already thinking ahead to the appointment he would be late for if this took much time. Either way, he only knew he was in trouble when his flight power conked out as soon he got within 50 feet of the thing.

He immediately started to tumble and veer off course, which was just as well since if he'd kept going in the same direction he would have experienced what it's like for the insect when it hits the windshield. Instead, he got to feel what it was like to be swatted in mid-air as the robot swung one Buick-size palm and barely clipped him.

Even under the influence of red mercury catalyzed radiation, he could still take more punishment than a normal human being. His breath was knocked out of course, blood streaming from his nose and his body would be one big bruise in a few minutes, but as he was knocked away like a limp rag doll, the robot had already lost. When Legend hit the ground, he was a good 80 feet away from the robot, and his powers were back.

Long experience had taught the superhero how to deal with red mercury in all of its forms. All he had to do was snipe from long range, making sure to avoid its own range weapon and whittle it down to size. Of course that was the slow way. He knew he would be late but really...what can you do?

Three hours later his body was staring sightlessly up at the ceiling of the tunnel that led to his secret sanctum underneath the city, a fist sized hole where his heart used to be.

[the_matrix_walker]

Nicolette had arrived back in Isola, or the Crimson Mist did more accurately. Her energy form gathered over the center of the city. She could feel the traffic moving through the streets like blood in her veins. She soared unseen through the city, feeling nostalgia for the days when she would help Legend battle evil in these very streets and in the skies above them. No one walking below could see her, she knew, but she smiled inside with the knowledge that the paragon of heroes would have certainly sensed her by now. He would not come, and she would not seek him out. Their unspoken agreement would only be broken if the most dire of threats should emerge.

Their love was cut short. She had become lost in that place and he had mourned her and moved on. All the while he was the one thing that kept her fighting through hell to get home. She'd always believed they would be together again, but the timing was never right... But what did they have if not time, she thought? She was returning to Isola for her 100th birthday, and hadn't aged a day since she said "I do". They had all the time in the world.

She was excited to see Gabrielle. Nicolette had not visited her child since the incident with her grandson Ricky, with his self replicating toys threatening to take over the suburb where they lived. Nicolette was at a crucial part of her training. She came to help immediately when called, but disappeared just as quickly when the threat was dealt with. They had spoken on the phone, but Nicolette still didn't like running off like that.

She drew her essence together in a sky-rise, resuming human form in the ladies room adjoining her daughter's office. "I'm in the lavatory dear." she calls out softly while turned to the mirror touching up her lipstick. Nicolette had surprised Gabriel before, and her daughter had chided her for shocking her with unexpected arrivals. Nicolette was delighted to hear her daughter's quick steps to the door. Nicolette tucks the lipstick away in her tiny purse and opens the door to see her daughter. The family resemblance would be obvious to anyone, tall and lovely with fine elfin features and skin like pale honey.

Gabrielle embraced her mother, but not with the exuberance of being reunited after her long absence... Gabrielle was upset, she had been crying.

"I'm so sorry mother. I just can't believe it."

Nicolette meets her daughter's state with concern and confusion "Are you alright honey? Slow down and tell me what's happened."

Gabrielle is momentarily startled..."You don't know? Mum... Legend is... he's dead."

Nicolette's look of concern sours to pain, but only for a moment. before easing to relief "Oh honey, I'm sure he's not. He's Legend!"

[LemmingLord]

Cass's eyes teared up. She hated herself for it. Legend had been declared dead or missing on hundreds of occasions, yet the news this time that the father of her son was gone seemed to be weightier. Cass turned on the shower to maximum hot and let it pour on top of her. She scrubbed away the emotionalism and the top layer of hurt with hand soap and a metal scrub brush.

[roguebfl]

Francine was between teaching assignments volunteering with her environmentalists connections Appalachian area, analyzing water samples they had sent her in her home lab when she heard the news of Legend's passing.

Barely remembering to secure her samples she's quickly head up to her attic and out of her false aviary as a native hawk and off to Legend's sanctum in disbelief of the report Sure she will find himself home probably just laying low.

[the_matrix_walker]

"No mom...not this time. They... they ripped out his heart!"

The relief drained from Nicolette's face. "But? No..." Acceptance was rushing at her like a freight train. Nicolette was desperate not to let it touch her. "It must be a clone, or a fake of some kind... maybe it's magic... I have to check this out... are you ok if I go? I'll check in later."

"Sure mom, I understand."

Needing a place to start, Nicolette takes out her smart phone and quickly reviews the media coverage, finding out who's in charge of the investigation.

Nicolette says "Give Ricky a kiss for me, and tell him I'll try and make bedtime. I love you." She becomes translucent and then seemingly burst likes a soap bubble filled with red vapor that quickly dissipates, leaving Gabrielle alone in her office. She lets out a sad sigh.

"I love you too mom."

[LemmingLord]

Cass comes out of the bathroom in her bathrobe. She pulls up some old planks from the closet and two hand lifts a large metal chest from the space below. She opens the unlocked chest lid to reveal the Rosie the Riveter outfit she hasn't worn in years, her wig and her metal riveter.

She pulls on the armored undershirt, a blue collar work shirt with the large worker name badge "Rosie" prominently displayed. She puts on a pair of work jeans, orange socks and good work shoes.

Cass forgot her clothing bill.. Even when she wasn't being blasted by evil energy beams or heat rays or alien disintegrators she was still a woman with a dense molecular structure wearing and tearing the clothes.

She put on her wig and found that it "woke up," moving and fiddling on her head until it looked as natural as could be.

Cass pulled the wig hair back with a red kerchief and looked in the mirror. She looked vaguely different then she did twenty years ago, but she would definitely be recognizable for what she needed to do.

A honk outside.

She pulled the wig off, put on a rain slicker, and headed out to meet it; her two handed riveter in a guitar case. She had the taxi take her the inner city. She went into an alley and was putting her wig on when a couple of gangers decided to get fresh.

The gangers grabbed her. She said, "bad choice of targets boys."

And the brawl ended with the men riveted to a large garbage bin.

Cass (as Rosie) heads for the police office where she had been called in for questioning concerning...or to identify the body of...her ex husband..

[David Johnston2]

"Not how I expected the big man to buy it," the first plainclothes detective comments. In the inevitable movie, maybe they should get him to play himself. The most unexpected thing about him is how much he looks like what Hollywood tells us to expect a detective to look like, the young leading man variety. His partner not quite so much since seeing as how she's a good 40 pounds over weight and maybe 55 or so. Not really the leading lady type.

"We haven't exactly confirmed it's him." she points out. "Could be this is just a double, which could explain how our victim got punked like a tourist in Tristan Heights. Could be mistaken identity or someone sending the real McCoy a message."

"If it's a message then our anonymous tipster is probably the doer. She wouldn't want to wait around a couple of days for someone to stumble over the body in a place like this." He gestures at the storm sewer opening now fenced off with crime scene tape. "But if Legend was still...around...he would have showed up by now."

"Our tipster could still be the doer. Of course right now we need someone to make or break a positive I.D."

"Can we call the Squad for that? We might need them anyway to take someone who could do this."

She shakes her head. "He might be a founding member but the modern day Squad has barely even met the guy. All the ones he actually worked with are gone with the wind. Maybe we can get one of his ex-wives to make the I.D."

Above them, a hawk cocks it's head.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

She shakes her head. "He might be a founding member but the modern day Squad has barely even met the guy. All the ones he actually worked with are gone with the wind. Maybe we can get one of his ex-wives to make the I.D."

Above them, a hawk cocks it's head.

After a long internal debate as Francine having never publicly took on a crime fighter role before had the one of the lowest profiles of the Ex-wives, at least in her connection to Legend but in end their mutual need for for confirmation drove her to action. So the hawk flew to where she would not be seen but would plausible be approaching from and transformed into her human form as she landed. before she walked over to where she had seen the officers.

"Hello officers, I'm Dr. Wolfe. Are you here to investigate the rumors too?"

[David Johnston2]

The two detectives who were on their way back to their car pause, looking confused. The chunky female one says, "I'm Sergeant Maldonado and he's Detective Bryce. Mind showing us some ID and telling us you are to be investigating anything?"

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

Cass (as Rosie) heads for the police office where she had been called in for questioning concerning...or to identify the body of...her ex husband..

When she arrives she sees a familiar face but not a welcome one. The midlife crisis that walked like a woman. Legend was over a century old when he married her, but the nigh-immortal can have their midlife crises when they get around to them. Blonde, blue eyed, Shawna. Born rich and always willing to pose for the paparazzi she was famous for being famous before Legend hooked up with her and of course she has a flock of media fluttering around her.