Rangers of Earth: Stars and Steel, Mind and Mettle

[RipNTear]

Rangers of Earth: Stars and Steel, Mind and Mettle

The Earth gracefully and perfectly orbits the Sun, as it has for eons before and eons to come. The warming light of the star thousands upon thousands of kilometers away blesses a sleepy town on the northwestern coast of North America. It rises over the mountains to the east, on the morning of July 1st, 2017.
That sleepy town was Starbeach City, home to the Adventure Lane beach strip (you can guess the name of the beach), the Chief MoonSpeaker Native History museum, Starbeach Public Highschool (“Goooo Beach-o-nauts!”) , the Soaring Eagle rock formation, and occasionally the Liberation Park Annual Expo, which coincided with the end of the school semester, and the start of perfect beach season.

It happened to be the starting day of that very festival, and it was fast becoming the center of town, with carnies and entrepreneurs bringing their latest wares, rickety rides, and questionably fair games of skill, stopping by on the way from San Diego to Vancouver. For every teenager, the Expo was always a reliably good time right at the end of the school year, as they flocked from the usual youth haunts in the area: the imaginatively named Malt shop(same shakes for over 70 years), the Superteam Pizza Parlour (better than Pizza Pizza), and the Neon Sunrise Arcade (Is this whole town living in the past? The burgers are still incredible though, and they never close, but seriously though).

You, a youth of the town, find yourself visiting the carnival. You have reasons of your own, but you also partly have an obligation to fulfill. An old friend of yours, the “eccentric” science teacher Dr. Jeremy Moon is attempting to demonstrate his findings to the public, since the scientific community at large has been rejecting his research, and he was hoping you’d be there at least for moral support. Public education had always been his passion (and cornball alien invasion movies), but people had trouble getting over the Doc’s obsession with finding the mysterious “Zamma Waves”, and so did he. He was sometimes seen driving around in a van laden with satellite dishes and sensors strapped to a van and overladen utility vests.

But still, he was inarguably a brilliant and kind hearted man, flawlessly demonstrating sanity and competence every time it was called into question. Beyond that, he’d always been eager to help you and your families out, taking a shining to you young pups in particular. You’ve gotten roped into helping out with a few of his Zamma Wave experiments, but it never really seemed to lead to much (And yes, he’s seen Back to the Future).

You set out on the Expo grounds, aware that Churro Burgers have made their way from California, and that there was bound to be something silly on the fairgrounds. You have almost an hour to kill before the Doc’s presentation, and you might be able to meet up with some mutual friends before the show. He said there was gonna be something BIG at the demonstration, so he probably invited everybody and their mother. To be fair, the man rarely disappointed when he wanted to put on a show.


****

Meanwhile, on a lavish palace anchored to asteroid 2013 TX63.

Sansone (The Magnanimous, The Radiant, The Revered etc.) yawns as he recline in his throne. He did not feel tired, but the stretch of his jaw muscles helped relieve the interminable boredom he felt in every aching bone. The performers his chief commander had brought before him did little to entertain, their unliving motions were mechanical and had long since ceased to amuse.

“Lilith, my pet, tell me when we shall reach the gem I so desire.”

A woman of otherworldly beauty leans close above Sansone, materializing from the shadows behind him.

“We shall arrive in less than a full tilt of your precious jewel, little prince.”

He bristles, and makes a mental note of the mutual vendettas he and his tenuous ally had accrued in their voyage, one of the few remaining distractions he cherished.

“However, we should be within range to feel her glory in our souls within the hour, I’m sure that would please you, my liege.”

She smiles, eyes alight with magic fire as Sansone leaps to his feet.

“Show me! Show me where I can raise my hand in righteous fury!” He commands, placing a hand on a brass and crystal contraption as he does so. After a moment, a smoky apparition obeys, and an image of Earth is rendered for Sansone’s Court in glorious detail.

“At last, after ten thousand years. Terra, Gaia, Sacred Birthplace, our forgotten mother, our shining beacon, the object of my quest and for all our kind. We're Home.”

[Just_Ice]

"Too hot," thought the youth as he sweltered in his long-sleeved shirt and jeans, meandering through the expo's temporary market stalls, "It's too darn hot by half."

He kept unchecked his unruly brown hair, which matched his eyes. Beads of sweat moved down behind his sunglasses, over gaunt cheekbones to a chin as smooth as a child's bottom. The teen was lanky, adopting poor posture and eyeing those around himself suspiciously in case they were thieves or grifters.

Liam hadn't meant to go to this- he'd rather be doing anything else right now- but he couldn't go home, and he owed money at the arcade. As he passed by a booth attempting to sell Recliners of RAGE and another selling timeshares, the young man thinks he spots someone he knows from school through some sort of overpriced fusion dessert atrocity tent.

"Oh, no," he mumbles, realizing they've made eye contact for just a second, "Wait, I'll just pretend I'm on the way to the washroom. I can avoid everyone in there!"

Liam had not thought his plan out very well. One minute later, he's gasping for air outside the foul stank that is the public restrooms near the beach, and closer to the professor's booth than he'd intended to ever be.

"How does this keep happening?" He asks himself, and perhaps God.

[RipNTear]

"Too hot," thought the youth as he sweltered in his long-sleeved shirt and jeans, meandering through the expo's temporary market stalls, "It's too darn hot by half."

He kept unchecked his unruly brown hair, which matched his eyes. Beads of sweat moved down behind his sunglasses, over gaunt cheekbones to a chin as smooth as a child's bottom. The teen was lanky, adopting poor posture and eyeing those around himself suspiciously in case they were thieves or grifters.

Liam hadn't meant to go to this- he'd rather be doing anything else right now- but he couldn't go home, and he owed money at the arcade. As he passed by a booth attempting to sell Recliners of RAGE and another selling timeshares, the young man thinks he spots someone he knows from school through some sort of overpriced fusion dessert atrocity tent.

"Oh, no," he mumbles, realizing they've made eye contact for just a second, "Wait, I'll just pretend I'm on the way to the washroom. I can avoid everyone in there!"

Liam had not thought his plan out very well. One minute later, he's gasping for air outside the foul stank that is the public restrooms near the beach, and closer to the professor's booth than he'd intended to ever be.

"How does this keep happening?" He asks himself, and perhaps God.

As if to answer his prayers, his phone vibrated with a text message in his pocket. Turns out it was Dr. Moon: "Zamma Waves unusually high, prior theories wrong? Concerned, pls see me after show, need 2 show you something"

Slightly unusual, if anything he was usually super chipper and texting to see if Liam wanted a ride to the arcade for burgers, or to hang out at Eagle Rock Point, watching sentai shows on a little flatscreen in his van while collecting data, or something else vaguely-bonding.

He'd always been, or at least tried to, act like a father, which might be weird for Liam. His wife died in a freak accident about four years ago, and he was always a fixture in Liam's family, helping him out even in rough time, but his status as a satellite family member was never really well explained. He tended to be a little overbearing, even for Liam's folks, but at least he backed off when it came to school or when somebody wanted to be left alone.

Suddenly, a peculiar scent of cinnamon follows a big neighborly fellow out of the portapotty, scratching his ass in loose fitting beach shorts, and also suffering from the heat with his scruffy beard. Liam recognizes Mr. Greg Hedgehill, owner of the arcade and "Spatula Samurai" (His wife's nickname for him). Him, his wife Crissy, and his daughter Lucinda run the Neon Sunrise Arcade. He grumbles something about the calorie count on churros before ambling onwards, not seeming to have noticed Liam yet. The thought occurs to Liam that he could confront Hedgehill about his problem, or sneak off.

Behind you, through a gap in the porta-potties alleyway, you notice some sort of altercation going on. Fred Grunderson, a broad shouldered and hook nosed kid, and his stooges Flick and Bob were cornering Jessie Clatsop. Fred's family owned most of the forest (River Emissary National Park) surrounding Starbeach City, but it wasn't quite as big as his titanic ego, and his hanger-ons seemed to be happy with the rewards of polishing it. Clatsop on the other hand, never got quite as much out of life, and kept to himself and the other Native kids in school, except for regular "donations" to Fred's lunch money racket.

Fred and Co were notorious amongst the high-schoolers for their intimidation and pranking prowess, and throwing around his family's considerable influence, so most just let them bully whoever they wanted, usually Clatsop. Also, if we can be real, is a bruised nose worth it just to stand up for the wimpy kid? There's er, midway games to play and classmates to avoid, including the one Liam recognized.

Also, for some reason, he notices one of his classmates, one of the more charming and interesting girls in the school, taking part in some sort of magic show, looks like it'll be an elaborate trick in store. If Liam got closer, he might be able to see all of it unobserved by others. He's still got a bit of time before the prof's demonstration.

[Just_Ice]

Liam's lips scrunched as he attempted to fathom what the professor was on about. Still, he reasoned that he would get the aftershow and avoid the crowd a bit. Lackadaisically, he took a few steps while considering just whether or not a septuagenarian should be texting a highschool student quite so much, even considering their tenuous connection and the obvious convenience of having a ride to wherever he needed.

His ruminations are interrupted by another close call- turns out he probably could have gone and drained the hours away at the arcade, since the Samurai himself is in front of him, probably wondering if he's wiped enough. While for an adult Mr. Hedgehill is approachable, he still finds conversations with the down-to-earth man a bit one sided without the very tolerable Lucinda around. For now, the boy doesn't have enough money on him to pay much of the tab, so he keeps out of sight. Unfortunately, he sees another eyesore.

He can't think of a single time he's spoken to Jessie, but Liam's had the unfortunate experience of having to sneak around Fred's shakedowns plenty of times. Even just seeing this crap makes him want to go home. Suddenly, he thinks of something. "If switching the professor's meds to something more severe to knock him out and stop him from drinking on Sundays has taught me anything, it's that sometimes two wrongs do make a right. Or something."

Liam catches up with Mr. Hedgehill, faking a pleased look as well as he can. "Oh, just the person I was hoping to see! You got my payment for the arcade, right? I wanted to deliver it in person, but I was just swaaaamped with homework, and Fred Gunderson told me he'd pay you for me. I think he's doing the same for Jessie Clatsop right now,"

The shifty boy points his thumb behind the porta-potties, "I saw them right over there!" He explains, snickering inwardly.

"Well, seeya, I promised I'd go watch that magic show for my classmate," Liam lies swiftly, slinking away before there's much chance to respond. He wipes his brow again- pretending to be pleasant is more work than walking through the heat. At least the ****ty magic tent is shaded.

[RipNTear]

"Well, seeya, I promised I'd go watch that magic show for my classmate," Liam lies swiftly, slinking away before there's much chance to respond. He wipes his brow again- pretending to be pleasant is more work than walking through the heat. At least the ****ty magic tent is shaded.


Liam quickly slips inside the tent, as the chain of events set in motion behind him quickly spirals into motion, sadly without him to witness its conclusion. But in the meantime, the magician’s show is about to start, and he quickly adapts the social camouflage of a passive audience, likely enough to hide him from any acquaintances nearby.

A few other folks pipe up with random chatter, some directed towards Liam, others possibly not:
“I heard Sephira’s gonna be the assistant, she’s so cool! I hope she notices me.”
“Wait, Tammy’s participating in the magic show? I thought she quti after last time!”
“I don’t think this trick is gonna work, I’ve got my camera ready just in case!”

He realizes too late that he may have made a mistake, but the lights dim in the tent, and Liam hears some sort of commotion involving Freddie G outside, so he’s made his bed for the moment, now he’s gotta sleep in it.

True to the bill, Tammy Lightfoot was running her own magic show, yet Sephira was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Tammy was certainly unique, but not in all the ways she wanted to be. A sweet and petite blonde girl with a penchant for nerdier pursuits, trouble making her weight what she wanted it to be, glasses that were suffering from her clumsiness, and she was usually too nervous to realize that she was wearing her shirts inside out more than half the time. Sadly, not all were destined for stardom, but bless her heart she tried, though Liam could have chalked it up to pity by committee if he chose to look at it that way.

Stepping up to the stage, it's almost outwardly obvious that she’s fighting back titanic amounts of stage fright, but she manages to suppress it long enough to introduce herself and release some doves from her hat, then without letting the crowd catch their breath, she takes a sheet of fabric and with a few magic words, makes her assistant materialize from thin air. This happened to be the popular and divisive figure, as well as Tammy’s fiercely loyal best friend, Sephira Najem. Unlike Tammy, Sephira was tall, athletic and competitive, pretty, exotic looking with bright auburn hair in a stylishly untamed ponytail over a tanned complexion, confident and humorous, and with a fiery and whiplike temper to boot (and which was also a good description for her fists). To say the least, she broke the mold when her parents made her (but don’t mention her dad to her, rumor was that he died in the line of duty).

Sephira, to Tammy’s chagrin, received a generous applause, and more than a few catcalls from admiring boys, who were very happy to see her dressed up to perform. Sephira, for her part, dismissed the attention with a casual flipping of the bird, before giving Tammy the stage.

Working at a quick pace, the duo worked through the standard tricks in rapid succession: levitating woman, disappearing assistant, sawing the assistant in half, and transmogrifying the assistant into a rabbit (and back, though Sephira reappeared sporting a pair of dollar-store bunny ears).

Liam would be cynical to say that there wasn’t skill involved in the show, but something else started to catch his attention while the magician was setting up the knife throwing (while blindfolded) act. He noticed that the tent next door must have been Professor Moon’s tent, since he spied the prof bustling about through a slit in the side of tent, privy only to Liam. Moon’s backstage equipment was, to say the least, puzzling. A fire hydrant, a Jaws-of-Life, a defibrillator, and a brightly coloured looking bodysuit with what might be a discount superhero helmet, complete with greaves, boots, and gloves.

After bustling about and fiddling with a few more emergency services technologies, he delicately lays out some things that look like costume masks, and starts nervously pacing back and forth. He looks the same as you had always known him, the seventy something year old man ravaged by time, but rather than being characteristically bubbly and excited, he looked rather sad and lonely.

He stops and with a sigh, pops a pill that looks to be an anxiety medication, and after swallowing it dry, he takes a furtive glance about, and stands straight up, putting away his pill bottle while staring into the distance.

In one fluid motion, he closes his eyes and drops to the ground, immediately doing full fledged one handed pushups with incredible ease, switching to the other hand without stopping after about thirty reps, with no sign of difficulty.

As far as Liam knew, being a four year veteran of high school, seventy-something year old science teachers didn’t cart around heavy equipment on their own, then drop and do pushups like it was no big deal.

Suddenly, as if just to spite Liam, the magician act went wrong while he was distracted. A wide throw by Tammy had knocked over a hat full of doves and rabbits, who proceeded to escape and cause a ruckus, while Tammy ran back and forth, trying to free her assistant from the restraints and stop the doves from nesting in the hair of the audience members (unusual, but not unforeseen for magic doves, who must have long dreamed of such minor revenge on humankind). And she also accidentally reveals to the audience that the knives were dull, magnetic, and attached to strings. The poor girl was on the verge of tears. Freeing Sephira for the extra help would have been her best option, but she was too frazzled to see that, so Sephira more or less had to watch things spiral into antics while tied to a comically large bulls-eye.

Liam has several options, he could go up and help the two girls in the aftermath of the disaster, slip into the next tent and see what the business the professor had being more fit than the gym teacher, or slip out the back, except that last option suddenly became more complicated.

He saw out the rear of the tent that a scuffle had broken out. He had a clear view, and he could tell that it was Freddie and the gang vs a bear, no wait, vs the “kid” in his class that you’d have to be crazy to take on. The guy who insisted that you call him by his people’s name: Cheveyo Ituha. He was only 18, but the guy was shaking the life out of Freddie by the scruff of his shirt, while holding Bob in a headlock as the heavier (but not stronger apparently) guy was struggling to get out and raining punches into Chev’s gut, and then he slammed Freddie into Flick, sending the rat-like kid flying.

Liam could go out and help out with that… Chev almost never went about thrashing bullies, unless there was a really good reason why, and it usually involved standing up for those weaker than himself. Plus, Chev always remembered those who helped him out, if the had a good reason too.

So, four options: go confront the prof, go help the magic show, get involved in the fight behind him, or sit and wait for disaster to come to him.

[Kaidinah]

What a disaster! In the blink of an eye the magic show Reese had been enjoying had turned into a scene from a comedy movie! As the birds and rabbits scattered, the roar of laughter could be heard all throughout the tent. A dove quickly entangled itself in a woman's beehive hairdo, warranting another wave of laughter. Reese was on the verge of joining in the cacophony when he got a face full of dove himself. Not funny anymore.

Soon after wrestling the wayward dove under his arm Reese realized he might be able to help the situation. He began to squeeze his way to the front of the show, nearly losing grip of his avian friend in the process. After much effort and copious sweat bathing, Reese made it up front. Despite how silly he looked and felt Reese was proud of this accomplishment. "Oy Tammy! Oy! I got one of the birds. Where does it go!?" He wanted to wave at her, but the struggling dove needed both of his hands to keep in check.

[Just_Ice]

Being further towards the back of the tent, Liam was more free to snicker at the unfolding events. Instead, however, he was mostly irritated by the development ruining his comfort. Still, the commotion inside had helped clue him into to that which was outside- as if he hadn't had enough trouble today. Then he spotted someone he knew from school helping out; Reese wasn't the apathetic boy's favourite person in the world and seemed a bit too excitable and assertive for his liking, but with him helping out the athletic girl it probably wouldn't be too long to clean the mess up.

He also considered how "doing his part" would work in his favour of getting further away from whatever trouble he'd caused outside. Ostensibly keeping the doves from escaping, Liam gripped the tent flap behind himself and pulled it to another, tying a rope towards the bottom. Then, he stepped through the gap to Professor Moon as well, closing that flap behind him. Someone might have seen him do it, but Liam wasn't really concerned about seeming suspicious.

Now backstage, he could question the professor about his uncharacteristic text. "Yo, doc," he greets with a lazy wave and display of his phone, less interested about Moon's worry than his own curiousity, "Looks like you're waist-deep in the weird today, Uncle Moon. Think you can keep those hands from shaking long enough elaborate on just what the hell a Zamma Wave is, or why you feel compelled to tell me about it?"

[RipNTear]

"Oy Tammy! Oy! I got one of the birds. Where does it go!?" He wanted to wave at her, but the struggling dove needed both of his hands to keep in check.

As Reese fights his way to the front, he sees a bunch of folks from his school pulling out their phones to capture the moment, maybe they’re excited for what comes next… maybe for the start of Reese’s career as a STAR?!? This is all so sudden! But alas, there is a task at hand! And lots of stuff happening.

Tammy’s caught a few of the doves already, unceremoniously scooping them up in a hat, but as she looks up to see Reese, she notices the phones being brought out, and freezes up. Reese is close enough to see that she’s scared, like how Reese might feel if his teacher handed him a math assignment with a …. B (gasp! So low!) .

She starts to tear up, glancing at the sources of laughter in the crowd and rooted to the spot, clutching her hat full of (angrily) cooing birds with shaking white knuckles.

But a lot of possibilities are open to Reese! He might be able to do a trick, for the whole crowd! And Sephira over there (Hi Sephira! She looks a little busy, trying to just tear her restraints from the bullseye, with the expression of somebody who will succeed or try harder until they die)(She is cute though). Tammy seems like she might use some cheering up.

“Yo! Ten seconds or the show’s over!” shouts a stage hand, ready with hands on the ropes to control the curtain, and pure disdain on her face. She’s probably not having a great day, probably working off her community service hours requirement before the absolute deadline of the civics course assignment.

Reese could try to convince her to give them some more time, or he could try to get the crowd to quiet back down, after all, it’s rude to interrupt the performer when they’re trying to concentrate. Or, he could try to save the show, with a magic trick of his own!






Now backstage, he could question the professor about his uncharacteristic text. "Yo, doc," he greets with a lazy wave and display of his phone, less interested about Moon's worry than his own curiousity, "Looks like you're waist-deep in the weird today, Uncle Moon. Think you can keep those hands from shaking long enough elaborate on just what the hell a Zamma Wave is, or why you feel compelled to tell me about it?"

As Liam reveals his presence to the professor, the professor leaps to his feet, a little embarassed to be caught doing his secret workout, quickly slipping on his labcoat again and glancing about to make sure nobody else saw.

“Waist deep doesn’t cover the start of it. Also try not to tell anybody that I’m not as feeble as I look, the principal’s been dying for an excuse to call me a quack for years, and staying under that crab-mentality lackey’s radar been preferable for many a year, though that might be changing soon.”

He quickly strides over to his table with the masks on it, picking one up and placing it on a high tech pedestal of some sort. He moves and talks in a very energetic manner, bustling about while he runs some sort of test on a laptop, the sadness and loneliness gone with the opportunity to talk to somebody again.

“So, Zamma waves eh? Well, your intial theories about “The Force”, although maybe joking at the time, have some weight. We know it to be an emitted byproduct of life, and it has positive and negative charges, and it only seems to be present on Earth.”

While he’s working, you notice that the top of the pedestal starts to glow, the mask as well.

“However, roughly half an hour ago, my sensors located around the town - the ones we set up at Eagle Point, as well as the ones at my lab and in my office - started reading massive spikes in the strength of the radiation emitted in the area. Which invalidates some of my prior theories: Increased activity is not a natural occurrence.”

The air seems to glow around the mask. Lines of light streak to a point in the center of the mask like shooting stars burning in the night. The lights in the rest of the tent dim as it seems to draw the power out of the whole tent.

“Also, initially it seemed like it wasn’t possible to utilize these fields in any way, at least in their passive state. However, I’ve been able to confirm, just recently, that these waves can be channeled for incredible purposes…”

With a flash, the power coalesces, into a clear gemstone on the center of the mask, and the light returns. The professor gently picks up the mask with his hands, and holds it out to Liam.


“Would you do me a favor and hold this please? Also, do you have a favorite color?”


----- Aboard Asteroid 2013 TX63.

Sansone examines the globe, on one particular segment of the coast.

“Here.”


Lilith raises an eyebrow.

“There?”

Sansone nods, a sadistic grin growing on his face.

“I sense fear. Hope. Anger… Loss. This will do nicely.”

“There are others, realms full to the brim with such things. Why here?”


He ignores the question.

“Prepare the beacon. I will lead the first attack.”

“At this range, you will be fighting at a fraction of your full strength. You expect so little of these humans?”

“They are weak, as scattered and threatening as a herd of deer… there is one source of resistance that we must crush before all else. After that, we will adapt this place to our purposes very nicely.”

[Just_Ice]

The somewhat misanthropic teenager leers at the mask, knowing better than to trust the man implicity even under normal conditions. When it doesn't spark, he grips it warily and loosely. "Periwinkle," He answers with a somewhat mocking tone.

"But anyways, your head seems to be up with your name there, professor. I think you made me actually understand LESS things with that explanation," he admits with some derision, shaking the mask around and seeing what sound it makes. He goes to sit on a table or speaker or something back stage- he didn't come here to stand around, after all.

He clears his throat, the feeling he gets from holding the item of his Uncle's attention getting more and more foreboding. "This is... it's all science fiction stuff, right? I thought you said harnessing Zamma waves wasn't possible in this universe unless it was like, in a Big Crunch or somethin'."

[Kaidinah]

Reese really could empathize with Tammy. Getting anything below an A- was basically the scariest thing Reese could comprehend, and it looks like she was about to receive a B! Do you know what Bs stood for in Reese's house? Neither does Reese. Bs don't happen.

"Settle down! On the brink of destruction, this is when the magic happens! Don't you know Tammy has a great trick up her sleeves! Settle down and shut up or you might miss it! That means you guy with the Galaxy S7! Put it down!" Reese yelled at the crowd, almost releasing his dove in the process. Wow, these things can really struggle!

[RipNTear]

The somewhat misanthropic teenager leers at the mask, knowing better than to trust the man implicity even under normal conditions. When it doesn't spark, he grips it warily and loosely. "Periwinkle," He answers with a somewhat mocking tone.

"But anyways, your head seems to be up with your name there, professor. I think you made me actually understand LESS things with that explanation," he admits with some derision, shaking the mask around and seeing what sound it makes. He goes to sit on a table or speaker or something back stage- he didn't come here to stand around, after all.

He clears his throat, the feeling he gets from holding the item of his Uncle's attention getting more and more foreboding. "This is... it's all science fiction stuff, right? I thought you said harnessing Zamma waves wasn't possible in this universe unless it was like, in a Big Crunch or somethin'."

Moon rolls his eyes and chuckles at Liam's teasing. "Yep, you got me, crazy Jeremy, talkin' nonsense again. Though if you'd seen a fraction of the things I'd seen you'd call my theories tame. The big crunch on the other hand, you are correct about, though I'm hoping that this new technology will give us another chance to-"

Suddenly, the mask catches his attention.

"Wait wait wait, look! Look! Its working!" He exclaims, pointing inside the gem in Liam's hands. Slowly, a color of deep periwinkle (which looks like a violet blue) fills the gem like dye in water. A humming noise emanates from it, as the gem starts to glow.

At the same time, inside of him, Liam feels something subtle, alien, and spiritual inside of him, like his senses all turned themselves up a notch higher, just for a moment. But suddenly, he realized he felt something odd, like he wasn't all completely himself anymore. An out of body experience, but he thought he felt, the presence of a deeply familiar 'other' that there with him. A little chill touched his spine. http://i.imgur.com/kcpRRRr.jpg

But suddenly, it was gone. In his hand, the gem fizzes, makes a popping sound, and with a flash, the gem turns a murky shade of grayish periwinkle, like a burnt out lightbulb.

The professor looks back and forth from Liam to the mask, and snorts before giving in to a gentle laugh.



Reese really could empathize with Tammy. Getting anything below an A- was basically the scariest thing Reese could comprehend, and it looks like she was about to receive a B! Do you know what Bs stood for in Reese's house? Neither does Reese. Bs don't happen.

"Settle down! On the brink of destruction, this is when the magic happens! Don't you know Tammy has a great trick up her sleeves! Settle down and shut up or you might miss it! That means you guy with the Galaxy S7! Put it down!" Reese yelled at the crowd, almost releasing his dove in the process. Wow, these things can really struggle!


As Reese chastises the crowd, the birds scatter from his voice and leave the crowd alone, who quiets down in the sudden peace that Reese brought. A few still have their phones, but the classmate with the Galaxy S7 gingerly puts it back in the fireproof case he brought it in.

Tammy look at Reese with grateful adoration, her eyes practically sparkling. There's a cracking noise in the back, as Sephira, after being noticed, attempts to discreetly place a piece of the broken bulls-eye back where it came from, evidently after she ripped it off in her escape.

Tammy clears her throat, and speaks into a little microphone, in an endearingly polite voice. "T-Thank you Reese! I'm sorry about the commotion everyone, but thank you for staying! I'll be doing our final trick now! Also, big round of applause for our brave volunteer!"

She glances back at Sephira, who gives her an encouraging thumbs up, before she tips her hat to the crowd. And Before Reese loses a grip on the bird, she darts in and scoops the bird up in her hat, where it seems to disappear.

She leans in and whispers up towards Reese.

"u-uh, mister? I mean, Reese, would you like to be a part of the big finale? Uh, only if you want, its ok if you say no." She bashfully asks.

[Just_Ice]

Liam's eyes go wide and his lips purse as goosebumps form on his skin from the uncomfortably foreign experience. He nearly drops the mask, but instead just looks at it, aghast. Seeing the professor's expression, he tries to smile, and lets out a very half-hearted laugh.

"Ha, ha... ha. Yeah, uh, is this supposed to be, like, funny? That was really weird, Uncle Moon," He says, mumbling somewhat as he slumps down again, the mask practically touching the ground.

[RipNTear]

Liam's eyes go wide and his lips purse as goosebumps form on his skin from the uncomfortably foreign experience. He nearly drops the mask, but instead just looks at it, aghast. Seeing the professor's expression, he tries to smile, and lets out a very half-hearted laugh.

"Ha, ha... ha. Yeah, uh, is this supposed to be, like, funny? That was really weird, Uncle Moon," He says, mumbling somewhat as he slumps down again, the mask practically touching the ground.

The prof, realizing that Liam's not alright, quickly gets up and tries to comfort him, taking the mask out of Liam's hands and holding them in his own.

"Liam? Hey, what happened? Did you see something? I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you, I was laughing at what the Transformer Gem did. It normally doesn't act like that."

While talking, the Prof examines Liam's eyes, concerned for his nephew's safety, before he tries to nervously laugh to lighten the mood.

"Normally, its supposed to turn the pure color that you identify with, and make you feel stronger, smarter, faster, more alive. It awakens your Psyche, and makes you able to draw upon deeper parts of your mind. But if your subconscious was stronger than normal that would explain why it made its presence felt to you so quickly."

He looks ashamed of himself, and tries to come clean with Liam.

"Hey man, I'm sorry. I forgot that this kind of thing didn't come to everyone naturally. You don't have to participate if you don't want to, I'll always accept you no matter what."

"... did I get around to explaining what these these masks are meant to do?"

[Kaidinah]

"I think that would be magical. I will follow your lead Tammy!" Reese agrees. At this point, Reese already felt like part of the show anyway. He might as well step on stage!

Reese climbed over the dividers quickly, nearly eating dirt in the process. Guess he fit right in on this stage huh? Recovering from his near fall, Reese looked to Tammy and Sephira for any cues. Reese was a little nervous, but the excitement of being part of the show definitely overshadowed that.

[Just_Ice]

Liam perks up a bit as his headspace stabilizes, speaking plainly but not entirely agreeably, "No worries, professor. You didn't say what they do- but I think I'm more interested in what you want to do with them."

He adds with a bit of knowing brow, " 'For science' ain't going to bail you out if you fry brains again after the last time. The guy that took care of that went so far off the grid that they could be on another planet."

[RipNTear]

Reese

Tammy gasps in fear as Reese nearly tripped and fell over the dividers. When he comes up stage, she reaches out and helps him climb up onto the raised surface (which creaks under his weight). Seeing how tall he is compared to her, she suddenly looks and feels so small, coming up only to Reese's chest. After a moment of staring at what's at eye level for her, she hastily averts her eyes and holds up Reese's hand, like she forgot what she was doing and introduced him to the audience again. The effect is a little silly, as she holds up her arms like a prize fighter (and trying to force herself not to blush somehow), but Reese's hands are only halfway lifted by her reaching. The crowd gets a little laugh out of this, and the girl who was controlling the curtain (Her name might be Audrey? Ashley?) rolls her eyes and goes back to her phone.

Wheeling a crate out from the back stage on a dolly, Sephira leans into Reese's ear and thanks him before filling him in (Her breath smells a bit like cinnamon).

"Thanks for helping Tammy out there, I appreciate it a ton. Let me know if we can do anything for you after the show. And don't worry, the next trick isn't too hard, just stand still and look surprised. And don't panic, its not as dangerous as it looks." She whispers, flashing a grin and a wink before passing by. It was hard not to watch her go, and several boys in the crowd glare Reese's way, jealously scrawled all over their faces.

"Alright! Thank you everyone!" Tammy announces. "For this last trick, I will -"

But before she could finish, there is a giant flash of light through the tent, and the tent is suddenly torn loose from its anchors, kicking up a titanic gust of wind, nearly knocking everyone over. Pulled upwards, it hurtles up into the sky...

Towards, in plain sight about a hundred feet from the ground, daring you to not believe your eyes, is a flying saucer, spinning in the air. Easily fifty feet in radius, the enormous craft almost blocks out the sun. It sucks up the tent into a central docking bay, which bunches up like a sheet getting pulled in through a vacuum cleaner.

From a distance, and muffled by the tent canvas, you hear a man's voice yelling "What? Why? HOW IS THE TRACTOR BEAM STUCK."
"... WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW?!"
"... ITS JAMMED YOU INCOMPETENT IMBECILE! MUST I DO EVERYTHING MYSELF?!?"

All the bystanders look up in shock and awe. Sephira, Audrey (or was it Ashlyn?), Tammy, the crowd, and outside of the tent, every fairgoer, a very surprised Mr Hedgehill, Cheveyo Ithuha, and every stall owner stand transfixed. Almost before Reese realizes it, or Tammy seems to notice, she starts getting lifted up as well, rising up into the air.

The flying saucer, surely, has several reasonable explanations, which aren't coming to mind at the moment, though he has a few choices . Reese could try to hold onto Tammy and keep her anchored to Earth, or he could play along (perhaps this is an elaborate trick, because if so, what a show!) and act surprised. He could also book it, because while Sephira reassured him that it was perfectly safe, she also said that right before the tent flew off (and once before, when she was combining potassium and sugar water in science class, and once when hurling a dodgeball at 30 m/s, so she might not be an expert in safety). He could also try to divert attention from it, after all, this could be a rival magician's work. Maybe he stumbled upon a magician turf war, and this was all a convoluted scheme by Madeline, the token rich girl in town.


Liam

With Liam's remarks, the Professor tilts his head in confusion for a moment, then bristles at the remark.

"I wouldn't test these devices on anybody without making sure they're safe first! I tested them myself! Lots of times! And 'For Science' is a great reason when the fate of the planet could be on the line!" He sputters, puffing his chest out in indignant pride. Then he shakes his head when a painful memory seems to jab him in the brain.

"And old Freddy? His brain wasn't fried, he didn't have the guts to tell me that he turned chicken, so he put on that big show in front of you. Tried to make me look like a loon. He was a good friend, we used to do this kind of thing all the time, but he lost the nerve. He's good at performing and disappearing when he wants to. I bet he's off hiding in the big city somewhere. Maybe Vancouver."

"And as for what these things do, I had trouble not telling you, because its not just for anybody. But these devices would let you become a part of a super human fighting team." He says with rock solid conviction, steel in his eyes and in his fist.

"... but I know that sounds ridiculous. And its a great responsibility... So I can refresh that one in your hand, and you can forget all about it if you like. I just figured that given your past..."

He perks his head up, hearing something and freezing in place, before leaping into action, grabbing Liam by the wrist, and barking "Get down!", dragging them both under a table, before the entire tent gets pulled out from over their heads, causing a giant blast of air, howling winds, and enormous commotion.

On the ground, four masks fall to the ground. One has Liam's Periwinkle, but three are not filled with a color yet. They fall to the ground from on the table that Liam and Moon are hiding under.

From their hiding spot, Liam and Moon see the flying saucer floating in the air above the Earth. They witness the same series of events that Reese does, with the shenanigans and the mysteriously audible man's voice coming from the UFO.

Professor Moon leans over whispers. "... Liam? Don't panic, it's all going to be ok. The superhuman fighting team I mentioned? That's going to come in handy, we just need to find four young fighters of strong character. But I would like to ask a question first."

He turns and faces Liam, Moon's bright blue gaze holding onto Liam's. Completely serious, though with only the faintest hint of a wry grin, he asks: "Do you want to defend the earth, fight aliens, and be a part of a superhuman fighting team? Its alright if you don't want to... and also I'm sorry if I've been rambling."

Liam say yes.
Liam could say no.
Or he could take an issue with the concept of a superhuman fighting team, after all, that's ridiculous, and not real.
Or Liam could curl up and hyperventilate for a little bit, flying saucers are a special occasion after all.
Or Liam could try to seize matters into his own hands, and steal the three masks on the ground for ... some reason.

[Just_Ice]

Liam's expression is thankless and blank as his brain fails to turn over a few times. "...Huh. Well, you carelessly left all of these masks out for just anyone to take, Professor."

He flips up the four masks, holding them like a hand of cards, "If these are as important as you say, I don't think you're the best person to be holding onto these."

[Kaidinah]

"Sorry Sephira! I don't think this is part of the show!" Reese apologizes before dashing after Tammy and grabbing her by the ankle. "Brace for impact Tammy!" He shouts to her, before putting all of his strength into pulling her back down to earth. "We should probably run!"

[RipNTear]

Liam

Prof Moon's intense gaze on Liam is broken as the masks are held up before him. A moment of trepidation passes through his face, as if this had happened to him before. A moment of consideration, and then he snatches the masks from Liam's hand, quick as a flash.

"You're right, little buddy. I'm not. But I think I have an idea about who will be."

He thrusts the Periwinkle one back in Liam's grip, curling Liam's fingers around it himself for good measure, and giving him a pat on the hand.

"Stay here and don't move, you'll be safe. If you wind up in trouble, call for me and you'll be fine."

And with that, he takes off running, with a satchel flapping behind him.

That leaves Liam all on his lonesome. He notices that there's some emergency services equipment lying around, and some expensive computer equipment. He can't be sure what all this stuff does, but he might some thing useful if he goes looking. There's also plenty of folks staring up at the flying saucer. Some were unable to move their feet, and some were making use of them to back away. Everybody he'd seen and then some could be found in that crowd, save for Jessie and the bully patrol.

There wasn't a voice in the crowd to be heard. Fast food stands, carnival rides, presenters, magicians, all still as a grave.

He could also stay and wait. He could try messing around with that mask, see what he could get out of it. The world is his oyster, as he crouches beneath a folding table, clutching a magitech mask, at the epicenter of an alien encounter.

You can't say the Expo was boring this year.


Reese

As Reese seizes Tammy's ankle, and with a titanic heave, the young magician is dragged earthbound, falling neatly into his arms, green eyes a flutter. But, a situation develops and Reese fills himself rising. There's often good to be having an enlightening experience, or a lifting sensation in your body, but hardly at this particular time.

Suddenly, Reese's ankle is grabbed, and Sephira is grabbing onto him by the shoelaces, and anchored to the ground by a curtain rope looped around the stage supports. All three are held in place just long enough for the alien tractor beam to let go. In their place, the magician hat, stuffed with doves, hurls skyward.

Collapsing into a heap, Reese and Sephira and Tammy all in a tangled heap, before Reese drags the two ladies along, running as fast as they can before Tammy ditches the heels (or loses them in a silent panic).




Meanwhile

The tent canvas is suddenly set aflame, and consumed in an instant, eliciting a frightened cry from the crowd.

Sansoné, (The Magnanimous, The Radiant, The Revered etc.) descends from the center of the flying saucer, floating in the air as his magnificent coat billows about him.

He stretches out his hand, and the contents of the tractor beam are delivered to him... a hat stuffed with doves.

The words 'what in the' form on his lips, and he turns it upside down and raps the side of it. He looks down and around, looking for whatever else he was expecting.

"Is it too much to ask for a single stupid human for my twisted means? Is it? Or do the spirits still hate my guts."

"Alright, very well. My loss, I'll be the one laughing." He mutters to the horizon.

"So, you feathered little rats. How do you feel about... hmm... being co-owners of the entire world."

He shakes the bag, listening close.

"Do I hear a yes? I think that's a yes."

[RipNTear]

Sansoné waves his hands, and a troop of doves come floating out of the hat, twirling and flapping their wings stupidly in an attempt to figure out which way is down.

“My verminous soldiers, Humanity has been a failed steward to this world. Their status as the chosen inheritors has made them corrupt and weak. Their time is over, and your time is now.”

As he speaks, an array of stars blinks into life around him, each above a helpless dove. They phase into existence with angry sparks of fire, looking like hateful eyes, burning a deep crimson.

“With the powers of vested in me, by envious eyes from afar, take new forms! In my name, destroy what came before! Pledge allegiance to me, and the earth is yours! Steal, destroy, wreak havoc, deliver to me a broken world!!!”

And with his declaration, the stars each dive inside of a bird. A great sparking and crackling of lightning and fire happens, and with a great puff of smoke, a man shaped bird emerges. Bodies coated in feathers, arms elongated and outstretched, legs ending in clawed chicken feet, and a head of a man-sized dove on top, tilting its head and cooing in a confused manner.

“Do as you please, for none shall oppose you!”

The dove-men are released from the levitation, and they fly earthbound while Sansoné roars in triumphant cackling.

They scatter, and start doing as they were instructed: wreaking havoc. Diving headfirst into bystanders and beating them with powerful arm-wings, tearing holes in tents with their powerful claws, smashing food stands by ramming into them, and cooing in a threatening manner while doing so.

While the magically transformed doves cause general violence and disorder, Tammy, Reese, and Sephira are caught up in the middle of it all. All around them, townsfolk are being attacked, food is being stolen, and things are being knocked over willy-nilly.

To cap off the madness, "I need a hero" starts playing from the loudspeakers wired to what's left of the Magic Show's tent. It might have come from Audrey's (Ashley?) iPod, which might be being pecked at by a curious man-dove.

[Just_Ice]

Chaos erupts around Liam, screams and cooing on the outside of the tent as the temperature rises. He stands there dumbfounded for a second, trying to figure out just cartoonish his life had become in less than five minutes.

"Looks like the professor got out while the getting was good. The worst part is this is probably the best thing that could have happened this year." He heads over to rummage through the emergency services kit, thinking that he'll let things settle a bit outside before he decides to do anything.

[Kaidinah]

Reese can't help but chuckle at the ensuing scene. Truly this was the perfect sound track to the pigeon apocalypse. Well, Reese was not the type to just do nothing. Thinking fast, Reese dove into wreckage of a trashed food stall, quickly finding the remains of their spice rack. He would never forget how his great uncle taught him to get rid of those pesky pigeons!

"Cover your noses ladies!" Reese yelled to Tammy and Sephira. "Pigeons can't stand spices!" He said as he began to unscrew the caps of pepper, oregano, and other spices, then began to shower himself with them. Before handing the spices to Tammy, Reese pocketed a few of them. He then waved goodbye and dashed into the mayhem, adding a dash of pepper to the a nearby pigeon-monster's face.