The Three Demons

[albatross]

"Oh, I don't know if it was a waste of time," Tiger muses. "Her head is filled with mush, I grant that, but I get the feeling she could be useful in her own way. I don't really see her as a viable candidate, but she might be able to support a team."

"When did her power fade?" She asks Kris and Peacemaker. It was gone before the van got to the front gate, but that was a few hundred meters from the house.

[dakota]

Khris thought for a moment, then looked to Peacemaker for her answer," Quite a ways. We were headed out the drive when I stopped feeling it. Before I stopped sensing her though."

[albatross]

Peacemaker nods and Tiger thinks about this for a moment. "Maybe. I'm not sure that is far enough...."

Back at the airplane after only a few hours away, Jeckle has barely had time to start anything on the next stage of the project.

"Don't suppose you know any single guys amenable to arranged marriages," Tiger jokes. "The meeting didn't go very well...."

Tiger gets the plane ready and looks at her list. Only three names left. She hasn't been able to locate Shards, so it is off to Miami to find Shade. She charts a course and gets the plane in the air.

It will be a long flight from Olso to Miami and she has plenty of time to think.

[dakota]

Once they were airbourne, Khris made his way to the cockpit, where he tapped Bel on the shoulder," You want a chance to get some rest? I don't need to be psychic to know Dante is steamed at me from the meeting and I know he'd sooner have your company than mine. The two of you can spell us off in a while." The mission wasn't going as well as hoped, and he got the impression it was bothering Tiger.

[albatross]

Bel winks at Kris and makes her way back to find Dante, who is currently being questioned by Peacemaker and Dancer about meditation techniques.

Tiger smiles warmly at Kris as he sits down in the cockpit, "Are you sure?" she jokes. "I might decide we should have a debriefing and everyone discuss their feelings about marriage."

Then she turns back to flying the plane.

[dakota]

Khris shrugged. "Been engaged, got the bulletholes to prove it wasn't gonna work." He tried to make it sound like he was kidding. " I thought maybe you needed some company you could blow off some frustration with."

[albatross]

She nods, "I am very pleased with Dancer and Peacemaker. Dancer needs some training, but she learns quickly."

After a brief pause, "Still, there are only two candidates left on our list that we have locations for. And those two are in the United States. If SCRET has already been to Nepal, then they have already contacted as many Americans as they possibly can."

[sasqaricious]

Akane just sits back and relaxes and just sits there and observes. But only after she changes out of the outfit she had already donned and into her regular clothes. If any one approaches her she will speak but seeing no need to communicate otherwise.

[dakota]

"Look, they knew that was a possibility when base dumped this in our laps." Khris replied, reassuringly," If they expect any more than that, too bad. We're good, but not perfect." He flashed a cocky smirk.

[shiivster]

'other than a marriage by proxy to my brother? .. nope. but i wouldn't do that to him. proxy it out to someone else. even one on their way out of life . . then no one will remain married and she'll be a happy widow without all that marriage stuff'

Jeckle returns back to her section and sits down and starts to study the plans once again and really wishes she had the brains to whip this reactor together with her eyes closed.

[Dome]

Dante who had been trying to be polite and answer all the questions he could about meditation while silently stewing over the days events was please to see Bel heading his way.

He says to the girls, "girls, I know you have alot of questions, for now I want you to practice what I have already showed you. I need to take a break and talk to Strongbow. OK? So go ahead and try what you have already learned. Keep your focus, you never know if I may decide to check or not," he says tapping his head.

He then gets up and heads towards Bel, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a passionate kiss before pulling her off to a quiet sequestered portion of the plane.

He says to her, "I was so upset at the proposal they made today. I was furious at Tiger for even considering it." After a short pause he stands in front of her and takes both her hands in his, "but it did bring to mind an important topic. You know these demons have so far been unstoppable, they keep coming no matter what, and I fail to see what a bunch of super powered Olympics are going to do to help. But I do know one thing Bel, I haven't been as happy as I am when I am with you since my parents were alive. I love you Bel."

He looks into her eyes as he kisses the backs of her hands in a tender kiss. "Time may be running out for for everyone, even for us, especially when we go and fight those things, so I don't want to waste another moment. I know that this wasn't the way I wanted to do this, and this may not be the way you want me to do it, but everyday that passes could... Well every day passes is a day wasted. I don't want to waste anymore time. Bel, will you marry me," he concludes as he drops to one knee still holding both her hands and looking up into her eyes his love for her evident in his eyes and on his face.

[albatross]

Bel's eyes tear up a little, and a complicated sort of joy spreads across her face.

She steps close to him, savoring the moment and nods. "Of course." She repeats herself, "Of course. Just... can we marry in secret? I think Tiger might have an aneurysm if she has anything else to think about."

"And then maybe a ceremony with more people when this is over?"

Bel stands very close to Dante, peering into his eyes and smiling.

[Dome]

Dante stands and kisses her, his face filled with joy and shows in his smile. He nods, "of course we can my love. I understand, but I don't want to wait. We're going to ask for some time when we land, and we'll go. Is that ok," he asks as he moves the hair out of her face with one hand while holding her close with the other.

[shiivster]

Jeckle sits on the bench in the impromptu workshop and wonders why she's even along? if she had been left stateside with this, she would have most of hte parts finished. as it is with the starts and stops, it's a big hope that a second unit MIGHT be finished IF she had time with the reactor.

now she's virtuly hopeless with finishing it the way it needs to be done in the time left to her. thank fully she has finished MOST of hte pieces. all that remains now will be the reactors the boxes and that other tricky part. 3 pieces each and only 1 week left to finish, IF that .. not in her lifetime it seems

[albatross]

When the plane lands in Miami, Tiger sends Strongbow and Dante on a fact finding mission to see if they can discover the location of Shards, a meta on Tiger's list whose exact location eludes them at present. Unknown to Tiger, Bel has already remotely done the research Tiger is requesting and already knows the search will be fruitless. She brings along her nice dress hidden in a bag.

Tiger takes Jeckle, Peacemaker and Dancer aside and asks them to rotate practicing with the one working machine. "Jeckle, give them a half hour each. They are to try to use the meditation techniques Dante taught them to increase the output. Take notes if you notice any differences. Long term we will need to start measuring them against some kind of absolute scale."

"Peacemaker, Dancer, you have a half and hour. Watch the other person to see if you can learn anything, and after your half hour is up, practice meditating until we return or until Jeckle takes a break. Do not interfere with Jeckle's work on the other testers."

"Kris, Akane, we are going to a hotel to meet up with Shade. It shouldn't be a long ride." Tiger dresses in her UN uniform again and goes armed, getting out of the plane and into a waiting rental car, a Mercedes.