SupersQuickPace (IC)

[LemmingLord]

"Good evening Mills City, I'm Barb Bayers with this breaking news at Mills Asylum. Four men are in critical condition today from stab wounds during an escape from Mills Asylum tonight."

Footage: A policeman blocking most of the shot. Behind him a pale sickly woman with bandages covering much of her face and forehead is being lifted onto an ambulance.

"Authorities have not yet released a statement..."

A screen showing the Mills News Desk Logo up top and with pictures of three men.

"but I have it on good authority that Lord Chaos and two [other mental patients) escaped their secure ward some twenty minutes ago leaving these injured."

Barb "Bad News" Bayers describes the assailants describing some of Lord Chaos's previous capers... which usually include vast plots to start riots while using his spare time to kill people who happen to be on his pet peeve list of the day. "The three were last seen stealing the laundry van, let's go to eye in the sky weatherman Nick Saint Thomas, Nick?"

Live Camera Footage from a news helicopter: a traffic jam on the Mills Bridge where a van is partially blocking traffic.

Yelling over the helicopter roters,"Yes Barb, it seems clear that the laundry van Lord Chaos was last seen driving swerved in the middle fo the Mills Bridge just a few minutes ago... the ensuing chaos caused many cars to slam on their breaks producing this pile up... Oh look... I see men are geting out of the van..."

Banged up people are getting out of the van.

"They seem to be talking something over.. oh there's Lord Chaos..."

Zoom in on one of the men, his hair is quite Einsten-esque in its wildness. He is calmly pointing to the railing of the bridge. He gets less calm and gestures again.

"Is that a knife??"

Zoom in shows Lord Chaos has something shiny in one of his hands.

The two other men line up beside Lord Chaos. Then all jump into the lake below.

"Oh my God... They've jumped... That's a 200 foot drop, Barb."

Back to Barb: "Well, it looks like this chase is over before it really had a chance to begin. It looks like the three escaped mental patients have plummetted to their death... What a spectacle."

News footage shows the men leaping off the bridge several times.


Short Term Goal: Figure out that Lord Chaos did not die.
Short Term Goal: Figure out what Lord Chaos is up to.
Short Term Goal: Protect loved ones from Lord Chaos's retaliation against those who put him in the asylum.
Long Term Goal: Put Lord Chaos back into the Asylum.

[ladyarcana55]

Gina is in the park, drawing a family of tourists. she has her easel, a large drawing pad, a box of pastels and colored pencils...and an audience. She hears the report on the radio she has and sighs

Sucks to be them. Oh well, don't affect me so whatever.

She finishes up the portrait and, while the family oohs and aahs over it, she cleans her hands with the wet wipes she has with her, then carefully rolls it up and hands it to them. They happily give her the ten dollars she had asked for and they leave.

She packs her stuff away in the duffel bag by her side and walks away. She enters a public restroom and, once she knows she is alone, she animates her favorite birds, Bernie and Arthur. She sends them both off to check out the site of the suicide then leaves the restroom and heads to a coffee shop.

She orders a coffee then breaks out her small sketch pad and concentrates on what her eyes in the sky see.

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

Gina is in the park, drawing a family of tourists. she has her easel, a large drawing pad, a box of pastels and colored pencils...and an audience. She hears the report on the radio she has and sighs

Sucks to be them. Oh well, don't affect me so whatever.

She finishes up the portrait and, while the family oohs and aahs over it, she cleans her hands with the wet wipes she has with her, then carefully rolls it up and hands it to them. They happily give her the ten dollars she had asked for and they leave.

She packs her stuff away in the duffel bag by her side and walks away. She enters a public restroom and, once she knows she is alone, she animates her favorite birds, Bernie and Arthur. She sends them both off to check out the site of the suicide then leaves the restroom and heads to a coffee shop.

She orders a coffee then breaks out her small sketch pad and concentrates on what her eyes in the sky see.

The coffee shop barista hands Gina her a coffee while most of her mind is far away seeing from the vantage point of birds soaring through the sky towards the Mills Bridge. There is lots of honking on the bridge. Rush hour would be over if it weren't for the spectator slow downs. One police officer is on the scene using hand signals, orange cones and his light flashing vehicle to warn and direct people away from the scene of the apparent suicide and the four car pileup that happened to result.

Mills NewsCopter #1 is flying in slow circles to get good camera angles at the traffic congestion and the van.

One of Gina's birds lands on the bridge not too far from the crashed van. Gina's no forensics expert, but as an artist is quick to notice that the van's impact seems to have disrupted one of the "street" attractions of the eight lane Mills Bridge: "JScram's Serpent," a fifty-two foot long red and green serpent spray painted on the side of the bridge, its coils are painted on the sidewalk while its body is spray painted like it is serpentining its way along the concrete barrier with a magnificent head, jaws open, spray painted with menacing fangs. The tagger's signature is coiled up in the serpent's coils.

It is clear from Gina's bird's eye view that the van crashed right into the serpent's head. Gina wonders if the seemingly suicidal mental patients intended on heaving a headon collission (van to snake head) or if it was just a coincidence. Whether intentional or not, it is a shame.. but knowing taggers, someone will be by to touch it up when the van has been removed and the cops have been gone.

Of course it is getting late and Gina's foster parents will want her home soon.

NEW Short Term Obstacle: Gina's foster parents' curfew.
Short Term Goal: Figure out that Lord Chaos did not die.
Short Term Goal: Figure out what Lord Chaos is up to.
Short Term Goal: Protect loved ones from Lord Chaos's retaliation against those who put him in the asylum.
Long Term Goal: Put Lord Chaos back into the Asylum.

[ladyarcana55]

It's been a few minutes and already her sketch pad now has...

The police officer with the cones and the hand signals
The newscopter, and you can see the people inside
The van and the sight of the crash, and how it crashed into the serpent's head
And the spot where they jumped.

Gina is curious, and it would be an interesting exercise to draw the dead bodies, she sends her birds down to where they should have landed. As Bernie fluttered about, Gina saw movement in the water nearby. A moment later, the broken body of one of the inmates surfaced. Even though Gina was prepared for it, it took her by surprise regardless. She wasn't expecting it to be so...disturbing.

She drew what she saw as Arthur found the other body washed up on the shore. Since this one was face down, it wasn't so bad.

But then she saw footprints near the second body leading out of the water...

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

It's been a few minutes and already her sketch pad now has...

The police officer with the cones and the hand signals
The newscopter, and you can see the people inside
The van and the sight of the crash, and how it crashed into the serpent's head
And the spot where they jumped.

Gina is curious, and it would be an interesting exercise to draw the dead bodies, she sends her birds down to where they should have landed. As Bernie fluttered about, Gina saw movement in the water nearby. A moment later, the broken body of one of the inmates surfaced. Even though Gina was prepared for it, it took her by surprise regardless. She wasn't expecting it to be so...disturbing.

She drew what she saw as Arthur found the other body washed up on the shore. Since this one was face down, it wasn't so bad.

But then she saw footprints near the second body leading out of the water...

Gina has gone to the beach from time one or two of her former foster parents... One thing she notices controlling the actions of her bird Arthur is that the footprints leading out of the water are completely dry... so did someone walk backwards into the water or...was...someone walking ON the water earlier and didn't get their feet wet....

Sending Arthur to follow the footprints on the off chance that someone COULD actually walk on water or something crazy like that (because, hello, super powers happen ok?) she finds the foot prints lead up to someone's beach house and then to a clothesline on that beach house property and then right up to the beach house's guest house.

It is at that moment that Gina hear's a familiar voice, "Hey kiddo. I thought that was you." It is Jeri Dean, one of Gina's foster brothers for a time. He is maybe 20 years old but he looks at least 30 with the bags under his eyes and the gauntness you see in the undernourished or the drug addicted... He has obviously seen better days!

Gina is temporarily brought back to the coffee shop where she sees Jeri looking at her and then at her drawings of death...

"Woh... are you going all goth chickie or are you thinking of being a police sketch artist or something..."

He smiles. His mouth of teeth could use some dental work STAT.

Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Foster Parents
Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Jeri Dean.
Short Term Goal: Figure out that Lord Chaos did not die. COMPLETE
Short Term Goal: Figure out what Lord Chaos is up to.
Short Term Goal: Protect loved ones from Lord Chaos's retaliation against those who put him in the asylum.
Long Term Goal: Put Lord Chaos back into the Asylum.

[ladyarcana55]

"Nah, just doing a drawing exercise. Imagining what it would look like if those guys were found."

She closes the notebook

"You okay? You don't look so great."

She chats with him as she sends both birds to the beach house to look around.

I don't know if this is such a good idea, but oh well

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"Nah, just doing a drawing exercise. Imagining what it would look like if those guys were found."

She closes the notebook.

"What guys?" Jeri Dean asks and it is clear that he seems distracted, tired in some kind of final way.

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"You okay? You don't look so great."

"Me? I'm fine.. You know me..." and his words echo a hopelessness almost beyond his facade.

Gina does know Jeri Dean.. A little bit... A foster kid not unlike Gina.. Single mother raised him until he was eight and then she died of something or other with no relatives who would take him in... And so many foster parents.. He tried to love them... but they passed him along... never to be adopted... Could this be Gina in five or six years? Was it really that hopeless?

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

She chats with him as she sends both birds to the beach house to look around.

"Are you still playing music?" Gina asked to chat him up.

"Oh a little.. Actually sold that old practice guitar for rent and stuff... Oh well. Hey I have a few things I've got to do, catch you later?"

The birds fly around the house several miles away from Gina's position. The front and back doors are closed. Through a window, one of the birds can see a man with wild einstein hair with a beach shirt a few sizes too big for him looking in a mirror and shaving. He cuts himself and swears.

Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Foster Parents
Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Jeri Dean.
Short Term Goal: Figure out that Lord Chaos did not die. COMPLETE
Short Term Goal: Figure out what Lord Chaos is up to.
Short Term Goal: Protect loved ones from Lord Chaos's retaliation against those who put him in the asylum.
Long Term Goal: Put Lord Chaos back into the Asylum.

[ladyarcana55]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

"What guys?" Jeri Dean asks and it is clear that he seems distracted, tired in some kind of final way.

"Some nutbags who broke out of an asylum or jail or something."

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

"Are you still playing music?" Gina asked to chat him up.

"Oh a little.. Actually sold that old practice guitar for rent and stuff... Oh well. Hey I have a few things I've got to do, catch you later?"

"You take care of yourself. Hey, listen...if you can get your guitar back, maybe you can play while I draw in the park. Okay?"

She gives him $20

"Here, just to make sure you have food. I'll catch you later, okay?"

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

The birds fly around the house several miles away from Gina's position. The front and back doors are closed. Through a window, one of the birds can see a man with wild einstein hair with a beach shirt a few sizes too big for him looking in a mirror and shaving. He cuts himself and swears.

Gina thinks about it after Jeri leaves. She orders the birds to keep an eye on the guy but stay back. Then she gets up and walks towards the house she shares with her foster parents. She throws a piece of paper into a trash can by an alleyway as she passes it, and a strange man walks out of it.

He goes to the nearest pay phone...

"(11, how may I direct your call?"

"Lord Chaos did not die. He is at a beach house near the site of the jump, changing his appearance. You should see the footprints when you get there to recover the other two bodies"

Then he hangs up and walks away. He enters another alley, but does not go out the other end.

Gina didn't think they would do anything but she had to try. There is also one more thing she can try...

She calls another bird, Charlie, a large crow. She tears out the drawing of Chaos in the beach house and gives it to Charlie, who flies off.

Minutes later, Barbie is at her desk writing her story when a sound near her grabs her attention.

Is someone outside my window? That's impossible...I'm on the 7th floor!

She looks and she sees a crow tapping at the window. She can see it has a piece of paper in its claw. Curious, Barbie goes and opens the window. The crow lets go of the paper and flies off. Barbie stares at the crow in wonder for a few seconds, then her attention is drawn to the paper. She never noticed the crow disappear. Curious she opens it and sees a very realistic drawing of...is that Lord Chaos? On the back is a map.

Meanwhile, Gina let herself in the door with her key

"Maddie? Bob? I'm home!"

[LemmingLord]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"Some nutbags who broke out of an asylum or jail or something."

"You take care of yourself. Hey, listen...if you can get your guitar back, maybe you can play while I draw in the park. Okay?"

She gives him $20

"Here, just to make sure you have food. I'll catch you later, okay?"

Jeri Dean seems to get a twinkle in his eye of nostalgia, "thanks for this. I'll pay you back... someday.. i'll write a song about you. Hey I think I may have already offered that... Two songs for you if I make it big.."

And Gina thinks... maybe.. slim chance... but maybe...

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

Gina thinks about it after Jeri leaves. She orders the birds to keep an eye on the guy but stay back. Then she gets up and walks towards the house she shares with her foster parents. She throws a piece of paper into a trash can by an alleyway as she passes it, and a strange man walks out of it.

He goes to the nearest pay phone...

"911, how may I direct your call?"

"Lord Chaos did not die. He is at a beach house near the site of the jump, changing his appearance. You should see the footprints when you get there to recover the other two bodies"

Then he hangs up and walks away. He enters another alley, but does not go out the other end.

(that was very cool)

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

There is also one more thing she can try...

She calls another bird, Charlie, a large crow. She tears out the drawing of Chaos in the beach house and gives it to Charlie, who flies off.

Minutes later, Barbie is at her desk writing her story when a sound near her grabs her attention.

Is someone outside my window? That's impossible...I'm on the 7th floor!

She looks and she sees a crow tapping at the window. She can see it has a piece of paper in its claw. Curious, Barbie goes and opens the window. The crow lets go of the paper and flies off. Barbie stares at the crow in wonder for a few seconds, then her attention is drawn to the paper. She never noticed the crow disappear. Curious she opens it and sees a very realistic drawing of...is that Lord Chaos? On the back is a map.

Barbie's eyes are filled with excitement.

Birds are dropping off clues... there is definitely going to be a super hero fight... I've go to get this information to someone... a big hitter... maybe... Confusciousman?

Poof! Confusciousman is laying down in Barbie's cubicle on her desk naked except for a strategically placed stapler, "what in the world?"

Barbie writes a note, "read this in fifteen minutes and do what it says. I promise you won't regret it."

Barbie storms into her bosses office, "I have it on good authority that Lord Chaos has made it onland somehow... he's alive... get me back up in that copter boss and we'll scoop our competing news agencies once again on the supers beat!"

The editor raises his hands, "get your butt on the copter, if this pans out you are getting that raise we talked about... " (and if not... the gas cost is coming out of your salary...)

Barbie boards the helicopter while Confusciousman is still in her cubicle pulling out his superhero costume out of thin air.. unfortunately he has to go through several versions as he doesn't seem to get exactly what he wants with each attempt.. so there's a scuba suit and a hockey varient and a dominatrix crossdressing varient... no no, there it is, his standard bulletproof with a mask protecting the skull an face varient..

Barbie is now onboard the helicopter with eye in the sky reporter Nick Saint Thomas piloting when she calls the police lieutenant, "Hey, you might want to head for 2244 Winchester, and make it snappy... Lord Chaos has been sighted. and don't tell other news organizations. Bye now."

"Why did you call the police.. I thought you said they were incompetent," asks the pilot.

"That's why I call them. No story better than watching people do stupid things."

Confusciousman is in the break room for the news outlet having some coffee.

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

Meanwhile, Gina let herself in the door with her key

"Maddie? Bob? I'm home!"

Bob is on the internet on his laptop and looks up, "Gina.. I'm so glad you're home... I was beginning to get worried.. I made a casserole! Its cooling on the counter there."

Bob puts his laptop away and pulls a chair out for Gina to sit down in.

"Maddie's going to be late at work again. She says there's a riot or something going on on the Mills Bridge and the ER is expected to be standing room only."

Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Jeri Dean. COMPLETE
Short Term Goal: Figure out that Lord Chaos did not die. COMPLETE
Short Term Obstacle (Gina): Foster Parents
Short Term Goal: Figure out what Lord Chaos is up to.
Short Term Goal: Protect loved ones from Lord Chaos's retaliation against those who put him in the asylum.
Long Term Goal: Put Lord Chaos back into the Asylum.

[ladyarcana55]

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

Jeri Dean seems to get a twinkle in his eye of nostalgia, "thanks for this. I'll pay you back... someday.. i'll write a song about you. Hey I think I may have already offered that... Two songs for you if I make it big.."

And Gina thinks... maybe.. slim chance... but maybe...

Maybe there's something I can try to do to help...not sure what it is but I'll figure something out

Originally Posted by LemmingLord

Bob is on the internet on his laptop and looks up, "Gina.. I'm so glad you're home... I was beginning to get worried.. I made a casserole! Its cooling on the counter there."

Bob puts his laptop away and pulls a chair out for Gina to sit down in.

"Maddie's going to be late at work again. She says there's a riot or something going on on the Mills Bridge and the ER is expected to be standing room only."

"Oh no! I heard about what happened, what's going on? Is it really crazy there?"