SunfallE

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Sakura][COLOR=Navy]Oh my goodness! I can't believe we won the challenge (technically we came second...but...)[/COLOR][/QUOTE]I?m shocked as well. Because to be honest without the additional scenes to build up our characters, I thought we were going to end up losing. The parts I wrote weren?t truly fleshed out and were horrible rushed since my whole week was insane. I kept having things come up that kept me from being able to work on the script. And the last part was me adding a bit of dialogue to some ideas I had written down but hadn?t had a chance to get to. I was literally working with White on that with the deadline for me only an hour away. The only thing I?m sad about is that the music does not work for me. I get an error when I try to load it. >_< Anyway, all in all, great work team! [/COLOR] :catgirl:

[center][/center] [center][url=http://www.midi4u.com/artists/e/elo/Jeremy.mid]Click here for music.[/url][/center] [center][img]http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/2325/coverro5.png[/img][/center] [size=1]A loud chattering came from a large population of senior students who stood waiting outside a monolithic research facility. None of them were especially thrilled to be having a field trip at such a place but they had few other choices, the marks they got from the work they filled out was worth 20% of their year grade. Ms. Beth: The students in my group are JJ, Stephen, Tiana, Mary and Mike. A small group of teens split away from their friends and gathered around the teacher. A slender, tall auburn haired Greek, Mike, sneered and crossed his arms as he looked at who he had to be stuck with for the whole day. Mike: Why do I have to go with them? Ms. Beth: I?m sorry but it?s not my choice, everyone was split up into these groups for a reason. Stephen (a pale, blonde-haired nerd-type dressed in uncharacteristically preppy clothing): I don?t think this group is bad at all. Everyone stares at him for a while before Mike breaks the silence again. Mike: Whatever, let?s just go already. Tiana (a small, dark haired Hawaiian with tanned skin, dressed in casual feminine clothing): Do you have to be so rude? Mary (an lithe Asian tomboy dressed in jeans and a hoodie): Hmph, what do you expect, that?s all he?s good for. Ms. Beth: Now now, keep calm. And?.JJ-? Mike: I?m Mike! Ms. Beth: Sorry. Mike?s right, we should be heading in now. We?ll be starting at a different point to the other groups. Ms. Beth consultes her map of the facility, and leads the way in through the large glass-and-steel doors. Ms. Beth: Here we are. This is the Main Testing Area. The group of six walks into a large, sterile white room, seeing plenty of cages filled with test animals, from simple lab rats to large monkeys and orangutans. JJ (a tall American boy with glasses and dark hair): This place is horrible. Does animal welfare know about this? Mike scoffs, walking around and looking at all of the different animals in disinterest. Ms. Beth: Don?t forget to do the page in your workbooks. The teens sigh and begin flipping through until they reach the correct page. There are a couple of scientists in the room who are busily flipping pages on their clipboards and typing things on a computer. Stephen takes curious notice of six corked test tubes in a rack. He bends down until they are at eye level. Making a small noise of amazement as each is filled with a vapour and a coloured haze, each looking different to the other. He reaches out a hand to touch it? Scientist: Hey you! Don?t touch that! The shout startles Stephen and he spins around clumsily, hands still outstretched, sweeping the rack of test tubes onto the floor with a smash. Ms. Beth, JJ, Tiana, Sakura and Mike all run over to see what has happened, each happening to inhale a different coloured gas. Tiana: (inhales navy blue fumes) Does anyone else feel light headed? Mary: (inhales purple fumes) Ugh, I do. I feel like I?m gonna be sick? Mike: (inhales maroon gas) You?re all weak?AHHH! *feels shooting pain in abdomen* JJ: (inhales black gas) I don?t feel sick, but my skin?s all tingly. Ms. Beth: (inhales pale blue vapour) I feel itchy? Stephen: (inhales greyish vapour) I don?t feel anything. Scientist: What have you done?! Years of research! Destroyed!!! GET OUT!!! Ms. Beth quickly ushers the students out of the room and outside into the open air. A few of them are coughing, not noticing they had inhaled the gas. They stand in the front entrance together in a small circle, Ms. Beth eyeing each of them carefully with concern. Ms. Beth: Is everyone alright? There are muttered ?yes?s and smothered coughs from the group as they all out to sit on a patch of grass outside the facility. The students and Ms. Beth gather together in the front, Ms. Beth turned around, attempting to apologize to the security guards leading them out. The students all appear indifferent as they individually stare off into the sky. Close ups to their faces reveal expressions of ignorance, each one ignoring the other and patiently daydreaming. Ms. Beth (turned around towards the students) Very well, students.... Due to this unfortunate accident, I?m afraid we must all leave. I suppose you may all board the bus and we?ll leave. Mary So what are we going to be doing the for the rest of the day, then? Stephen (crossing his fingers, he whispers to himself hopefully) Early dismissal, early dismissal... come on. Ms. Beth (eyes Stephen slightly) I suppose you may all go home early today. Nothing else is planned for you all. Mike and Stephen in unison Yes! Ms. Beth BUT! You must all use what you saw today in an essay to be written and handed into me by next week. The groups of students begin to moan and groan together, Mike cursing aloud and ignored by Ms. Beth. The group begins to walk away unmotivated towards the bus, Ms. Beth making a head count before giving a thumbs up to the driver and boarding herself. We fade to black. We have a montage of each character. First we see Ms. Beth returning to a nicely decorated apartment. She turns on the apartment lights and sighs. She begins to rub her eyes as she enters further to reveal a japanese-influenced decoration style, several antiques spread out in various places. She greets a small short-haired gray cat at her feet and then sits down her bag and sits down onto a plush red couch, crossing her legs. Stephen is seen frantically swinging the controller of a Nintendo Wii. His enthusiasm is apparent in laughs and taunts towards the video game. Mary is seen typing at a computer, her attention focused on the screen. Very little light enters the room, and she seems to be enthralled by the piece of writing she is currently involved with. We turn the camera to see her typing the essay that is due. Tiana is seen at a large drafting table lit by a lamp to her right. She is elegantly drawing some large picture with long strokes of a pencil. The creative spirit glistens in her eyes as she admirably glares at the drawing. JJ is seen sitting at a desk chair, body spread out as he swerves around and speaks animatedly into a phone. Laughter and importance are involved in his silent conversation. Mike is seen at a public gym, his fists wrapped and shirtless, he pounds on a hanging punching bag with his fists and legs. His concentration is completely taken by his work out. We fade to black once again and show each character in similar fashion, but now in bed. Each one slumbers uneasily, as if plagued by some pain or nightmare. Ms. Beth seems to be in a state of disbelief as she sleeps. Mary has an expression of shock and terror. Stephen looks as if he is mystified or in wonder. Tiana covers her ears with a pillow, as if trying to stop some unwanted noise. JJ desperately scratches his skin all over in his slumber. Mike wears an expression of fury, anger and internal pain. The next day, a sunny Saturday morning, each character is involved doing something or another. We see Mary awaken, slowly she opens her eyes and takes in her surroundings. Slowly, she realizes where she is. In her bed, but now several times smaller. Wrinkles in the sheets seem like tidal waves, her pillow like a mountain, she begins to scream. Mary Oh God.... W-what!? This is a dream... yeah of course. It?s gotta be a dream!!! We slowly move away to see just how small she is, hearing her desperate cries against reality in a small, squeaking voice. Ms. Beth is in her kitchen, watching as her coffee machine works itself bored, she looks down to a small novel in her hands. She is dressed in a night robe, her hair up in a towel and skin wet from a shower. For a moment she sits, enthralled by her novel. Then the phone rings. She steps out to answer, but screams in suprise as she trips over her pet cat. She begins to fall and attempts to grab at the air, but fails to save herself. She continues to scream and clenches her eyes, but then realizes the lack of pain. She opens her eyes to stare at the floor below her, turning her head, she looks around her body and realizes that she is floating gently in the air. At this realization she drops to the floor with a loud THUD! She slowly gets up and looks around in disbelief. The phone continues to ring, but she is too mesmerized and white eyed. Slowly she gets up and answers the phone. Ms. Beth Can?t talk.... right now... She then hangs the phone up without care. Stephen is up playing his video game in his pajamas. He hears a distant call from the distance, his mother. Mother Stephen! I need some help! Stephen scoffs One sec! I?m busy! Mother Now Stephen!!! Stephen ALRIGHT! After his yell, he drops his controller and mumbles to himself Stephen (in a whisper) Can?t wait a damned minute, God.... He makes his way down stairs and calls to his mother. Stephen What is it ma?.... Ma? MA?! He begin to look for her, annoyed, and then finds that she is standing in a still pose, as if frozen. Her mouth open in a mid-call, hand raised to her mouth while her other holds a basket of laundry. Stephen (softly now) Ma....? Tiana sits alone at a breakfast table eating a piece of jelly toast. A glass of orange juice sits away from her, as does a TV remote. A small television sits off at a counter a few feet away from her. Her eyes seem lazy and she reaches for the orange juice. It?s too far for her reach, but she tries hard anyway, concentrating on the glass as she leans her body over to it. The glass begin to edge along the table by itself slowly. Unnoticed at first by Tiana, the glass lunges at her and into her open hand. She leaps back shocked and spills the glass. Tiana ....whoa.... As if testing herself, she raises her eyebrow and pokes her tongue from between her lips. She begins concentrating on the TV remote in front of her. As if by magic, the remote trembles at first and the flies across the air and into her hands. Tiana Awesome! Haha! Looking to the TV, then back the remote, she relinquishes the object and concentrates on the television. To her delight, the television blinks on. She begins to clap happily. JJ is outside of his home, sitting on a stoop as he ties his shoes. He hears the sound of a car horn, and is startled by the noise. As he jumps, he loses his balance on the stoop step and falls over, and onto his forehead on the hard granite sidewalk. For a moment, he sits, then slowly raised up unfazed. Visibly confused, he raises his hand up and wipes his forehead only to brush off small particles of concrete. JJ Huh.... lucky me. JJ begins to ponder, and wonder. He looks over to his stoop?s hand-guide, a stone-slab leading up the stairs. Balling up his fist, at first hesitantly. He rids his mind of fear and takes his hand, ramming it into the stone at full force. He cringes at first, and then his face takes on an aura of wonder yet again. He looks to his hand to see it is undamaged. JJ ....huh? Mike is walking down the street in a visibly rough neighborhood. Graffiti-ed walls and cracked sidewalks abound as he makes his way down the block. His attention is taken away quickly by a fast motion behind me. A rough looking Caucasian man dressed in layered clothing is behind him, a pocket knife poking into Mike?s back. Thug Give me all ya cash and you won?t get hurt, kid. Mike is obviously unafraid and spins around, grabbing the man by the wrist (which is holding the knife). Mike How about not? Yanking the man towards him, Mike sends a knee into the man?s sternum and releases him. The blow sends the man flying back into an alley way at great speed and with heavy force. He slams into a brick wall, causing pieces of rubble to fall onto his head as he lands into a pile of garbage. He lays unconscious without so much as a groan. Mike Damn... where?d that come from? Fade to black. Mary runs across her bed, staring at the now large gorge between the bed and her bedside table where her mobile phone is sitting. She scratches her head, wondering how to get across. She eyes her lamp and the power cord that stretches to the ground. Mary slides down her sheet, hitting the carpet with an inaudible thump. Running the distance to where the cord starts as she makes her ascent, walking up the dresser, holding the cord tightly. Mary finally makes it to the top, bending over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath. She looks at her huge phone and climbs on top of it, jumping on the buttons to access her phonebook. She looks up Ms. Beth?s number and hits ?Call?, sitting on the screen beside the speaker as the dial tone rings. After a long time she picks up only to answer? Ms. Beth: Can?t talk?.right now?. *click* Mary: What?! She hung up before I said anything! She jumps on the redial button, determined to get a word in. Mary: Ms. Beth! Don?t hang up. Ms. Beth: ??Hello? Who is it? Mary: It?s Mary. Ms. Beth: Mary? It doesn?t sound like you?Why does your voice sound so squeaky? Mary: This may be hard to believe but I?ve shrunk. Ms. Beth: Shrunk?! How?! Mary: I don?t know?but I think we should meet up?Can you come to my house? Ms. Beth: Yes, I?ll be there soon. Mary: Ok, I?ll call the others. Fade to black. Half an hour later? Mary is now waiting for everyone to arrive, after unlocking the door with some trouble since she?s so small. She is currently sitting on the table in the hallway, having scaled up there by using another power cord. Ms. Beth stands with the others outside Mary?s house. She knocks on the door with no response from inside. Carefully she tests the doorknob, watching the door swing open as she pushes gently. Ms. Beth: ?Mary? Mary: *shouting* I?M HERE!!! Tiana hears the squeaking and sees Mary standing on the table, jumping up and down and waving her arms frantically. Tiana: *pointing* She?s on the table. They all gather around the table, looking down at the downsized girl. Ms. Beth picks her up gently, bringing her to eye level. Mike: Heh, I think I like her better this way. Mary glares and shouts at him, but it comes out small and squeaky as usual. Mary: Grrr, I don?t care. Just find a way to make me big again!!! Ms. Beth: The first question is?has anything weird happened to any of you? Ms. Beth looks at the other students who suddenly remember their experiences earlier in the morning. Flashbacks for each character. All: Yes? Silence? Stephen: *first to speak* My mom called me, and when I mumbled to myself about wanting more time, I found her frozen? JJ: *holds his right arm up* ?I hit my head on the sidewalk and didn?t get hurt?then I punched through a stone slab?. Tiana: Uhhhh. I moved things with my mind? Mike: I...uhhh....like, almost sent a guy through a brick wall... Mary: *yelling from her position in Ms. Beth?s hand* Well obviously I shrunk! Tiana: What about you, Ms. Beth? Ms. Beth: ?I flew. JJ: Where do you think these sudden powers come from? Ms. Beth: Do you really think they?re powers? Maybe we?re just imagining it. JJ: No way. I felt my head hit that concrete, and my fist smash through the stone. Mary: And I clearly know I?m small. I can?t be imagining this. Tiana: Maybe they came from that research place we went to yesterday. Stephen: Now that you mention it. I think about it?there was gas in the tubes I knocked over but it disappeared after I smashed them. The team is gathered at Ms. Beth?s house several weeks after the initial incident at the research lab has happened. They have been coming over to her home on a regular basis as they learn to cope with their new abilities. Something that they have been reluctantly doing at Ms Beth?s request. They are gathered around the table in Beth?s kitchen. Ms. Beth: It?s great that all of you are using your newfound abilities to help others. She runs her right hand through her hair nervously as she addresses the teenagers who are looking in any direction but her. She sighs. Ms Beth: But don?t you think it would be better if we started working more like a team? The newspapers are already referring to all of us as the Titans and you could do so much more if you worked together. Mike: Get real teach. I don?t work with anyone. Tiana: Don?t you mean no one can stand you? JJ: (groans) Gods can?t you two ever quit squabbling like idiots? Mary: If Mike wasn?t such a moron there wouldn?t be anything to argue over. Stephen: Come on guys? Why can?t we just get along? Mike, Mary and Tiana turn to Stephen and tell him to shut up at the same time. Mike: (laughs) Honestly Ms Beth, teach or not I?m sick of this. I?m out of here. Everyone watches as Mike heads for the door to leave. Mysterious voice: Oh my, and here I was worrying over nothing. Everyone looks for where the voice came from but other than themselves the room seems to be empty. Ms. Beth: (both frightened and annoyed) Where are you? Show yourself! Mysterious voice: (laughing) Oh dear, I guess you can?t see me. A tall blonde man dressed in a rather outlandish outfit seems to suddenly materialize right in front of Ms Beth who shrieks in fear and stumbles backwards tripping over a chair behind her. Only to halt as in midair as JJ grabs her left arm and helps her back up. Mysterious Man: (smiling mischievously) My name is Sandy; I am the owner of the research facility where your students so rudely destroyed years of delicate work. Ms Beth: (turning red from embarrassment) I don?t understand, I already issued a full apology to the director of the research facility and he assured me that I was not to worry about it. Sandy: (tilts his head to the side as if in thought) Well that is true, but you neglected to inform him about the unexpected side affects that occurred. He shakes his head back and forth and waggles his right forefinger at them as if scolding naughty children. The others start protesting but Sandy cuts them off. Sandy: (in a tone of regret) I?m sorry but that just won?t do. If word gets out about how you acquired your abilities it would interrupt my beauty sleep. JJ: (incredulous) Your beauty sleep? Just what kind of freak are you? Sandy: (in a hurt tone) Now that was sooo not necessary. [center][/center] [center][url=http://www.midi4u.com/artists/e/elo/Believe_Me_Now.mid]Click here for music.[/url][/center] He appears to vanish once again and a moment later JJ doubles over in pain as something strikes him with incredible force in the chest throwing him back into the kitchen wall. A long metal piece protruding from him right where his heart was. A moment later Sandy reappears at the same time the front door is smashed open and a couple of the notorious members of the Mercenaries enter the home. Sandy: (In a bored tone) Do take care of that mess *he points to JJ* Along with the other rejects. *he sighs melodramatically* Good help is so hard to find these days. In the next moment Sandy has vanished and Ms Beth, Mary, Mike, Tiana and Stephen are all standing there in shock over the death of JJ as the Mercenaries approach them with smiles on their faces. Stephen: (in anger) Goddamn you Sandy! Come back here! Everything seems to freeze but other than the Mercenaries Sandy is already out of the reach of Stephen?s power. Mike in a lightening quick change of mood charges the Mercenaries taking advantage of their frozen state to deliver crippling blows. Forgetting that just moments ago he had planned on leaving everyone to go his own way. Time begins to flow again and the Mercenaries are sent flying through the air to slam into the walls of Ms. Beth?s house. Tiana who is also angry frowns in concentration, a moment later the cabinets to Ms. Beth?s kitchen fly open and her dishes come flying from the cabinets aimed at the Mercenaries who are battered by the flying kitchenware as it hurls at them at unbelievable speeds. A moment later it is over, the Mercenaries unconscious on the floor. Ms. Beth: (walks over to JJ with tears in her eyes) Oh my God! What have I done? Mary: (confused) What are you talking about? Ms. Beth: He was just a kid I should have done something. Tiana: (she walks over and examines JJ?s Body) He really is dead isn?t he? Ms. Beth: (sinks to the floor) Yes. (she covers her face with her hands and begins to cry) Mike: Shit! (angry he punches a hole in the wall) Uh, sorry about that Teach. The students gather around Ms. Beth. Stephen: (still angry) Pull it together Ms. Beth! The others look at him in shock. Stephen: (shouting) You didn?t do anything! It was that Goddamn Sandy?s fault! Mike: Yeah Teach, for once the nerd is right. Stephen: (glaring at Mike) Stop calling me a nerd! Mike: Don?t get excited, I?m just saying that for once I agree with you. Teach, it?s simple you were right we need to work together. (he looks away uncomfortably) If we hadn?t been so busy squabbling among ourselves JJ might still be alive. Ms. Beth: (removes her hands from her face and looks at Mike in surprise) What? Mike: I?m saying I was wrong Teach. And I?m saying we should take that bastard down. The others nod in agreement. Mike reaches over and helps Ms. Beth stand back up. Tiana: (in a sarcastic voice) Wow, so you actually can be nice. Mike: (growls) Don?t read more into it than there is twit. Mary and Tiana both stick their tongue out at Mike but say nothing in return. [CENTER][url=http://www.midi4u.com/artists/e/elo/Fire_On_High.mid]Click here for music.[/url][/CENTER] Mike: Come Teach time to go teach them a lesson. Ms. Beth: What about JJ?s body? Mike: We?ll take care of it later, if we wait, once that freak Sandy realizes that the Mercenaries failed to kill us he?ll send his goons in force and we?ll be vastly outnumbered. Stephen: Gods, I can?t believe that we actually agree on anything, but he?s right. The Argo?s and the Laugh Out Louds? will be out in the city doing their usual shake down of the population. If we go now we can slip in before they even realize what?s happening. Ms Beth: (looks at the two girls) What about you two? Tiana: I agree, the longer we wait the harder it will get. Mary: I just stood there and did nothing while JJ was murdered. I have to try. Fade out: The group, known as the Titans stand before massive doors at the top of the huge crime corporation run by Sandy. Mary her hair singed from when she shorted out the security system from within, Ms Beth is windblown from having carried a tiny shrunken Mary to the top of the building so she could enter the building through the air vents. Tiana, Mike and Stephen, though a bit tired look triumphant at having reached the top of the building. Each of them sporting the occasional bruise and torn bit of clothing. They look at one another and then with a nod, Mike slams the door open. Sandy is calmly waiting, sitting behind an enormous desk with a bored expression on his face. Behind him the wall is a one made entirely of windows showing an expansive view of the city. Sandy: Goodness, if you all had really wanted me to take you out along with your friend, all you had to do was ask. It was hardly necessary to tear up my property when my receptionist would have shown you to my office. Sandy gets up and starts to slowly walk around the desk towards the group. Mike: JJ was right you really are a freak. Sandy: (with a pained expression) I wish people would stop calling me that. Honestly, you barge into my office and all you can do is insult me? That just won?t do. Once again he seems to disappear. Ms Beth: Stephen! Stephen: I know! I know! But damn he?s quick! All I?m catching is a tiny blur of movement. A slight movement of air is all that warns them he is about to strike Mary. Mary: (vanishes from view as she shrinks) Now Tiana! Tiana is already concentrating and the closest window shatters and sends shards of glass flying where Mary had just been standing. Seconds later Ms Beth snatches the tiny Tiana before the shards can land on her. Sandy: Well now, wasn?t that clever. Mike: Shut up freak! He slams his fist down on the huge desk causing it to go flying towards the window and where Sandy?s voice is coming from. Sandy reappears as he is dealt a glancing blow from the flying desk. Stephen: (shouting as he freezes time) Now Mike! Quicker than any of them could have expected Mike rushes in laying punch after punch on Sandy?s frozen body. Then seconds later when time started flowing again, Sandy?s body slumped to the floor, his neck broken. Ms. Beth: I can?t believe we beat him. Mike: Me neither, he really was a freak if he thought no one could ever touch him. Tiana: Lets go, we need to take care of JJ Nodding the others agree and they leave Sandy lying there on the floor. [/size][center][b]CREDITS:[/b] [url=http://www.midi4u.com/artists/e/elo/Last_Train_To_London.mid]Click here for music.[/url] [img]http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5397/credsxq2.gif[/img][/center]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Celestia moved her chair closer to Jason and put her head on his shoulder when he sighed. Something he seemed to do a lot lately. ?[B]You need to stop worrying so much Jason. It?s not good for you.[/B]? ?[B]Easier said than done. I know it?s necessary, but I can?t help but worry about Sara being out in Denver.[/B]? Celestia lifted her head and turned to face him, ?[B]I know, I feel the same way. Just as I worry about will happen to us now that we are stuck here on Earth.[/B]? Jason turned back to the program he had up; they had been working on tracking down a possibly defective unit in the sensor program they had set up. It was a bit challenging when open broadcasts couldn?t be used. The very nature of the way things were set up made it hard to test the equipment without revealing themselves. Celestia changed the subject. ?[B]Do you think Kim will be able to find the sensor unit that is off?[/B]? ?[B]I?m not so sure, the only time we detected the surge was when the fleet arrived. I?m beginning to wonder if it was just an artifact and not a real transmission. Especially since there was only one instance of something being sent when it shouldn?t have been.[/B]? ?[B]If we didn?t have the fleet here, I would agree with you. And I?ve told Daniel that, but since he was going to send Kim to check out the other facilities anyway, he figured it was best to be on the safe side, and I agree with him.[/B]? Jason turned back to the screen and pulled up another project that they had been working on. ?[B]Forgetting the sensor?s for the moment, I want you to take a look at this. I?ve been working on the calculations for increasing the transport distance. If we include the newest movement factor, it just might be possible to double the range. [/B]? Celestia moved forward to take a look. ?[B]That much? Are you sure?[/B]? Jason nodded. ?[B]Unless I?ve made a horrible mistake somewhere it should work, the only drawback is that with the fleet here I have not been able to test it to see if it actually would work.[/B]? Celestia looked through the information on the screen before responding, ?[B]Damn! I?d love to test this out. It looks solid and an increase like that would only work in the resistance?s favor.[/B]? ?[B]I know, at that distance, even with the Creator here William would be able to get close enough for us to transport out. The thing is if I test it they will know what we are up to and all they would have to do is start patrolling out so far from Earth to prevent us from using it.[/B]? ?[B]That doesn?t matter Jason, even if we can?t test it we can at least run it through simulations and double check the program. And we still need to improve the encryption for secure transmissions. Daniel was telling me that William detected the Creator attempting to hack their conversation when he spoke to him.[/B]? ?[B]All right, lets get started then.[/B]? Jason pulled up both programs; with Celestia?s help he began to double-check all the calculations for the transportation door improvements. Even if he was worried about Sara, he wasn?t going to let it stop him from doing everything he could to help. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][QUOTE=Sakura][color=navy]Sorry but it's just not as simple as it sounds. It's obvious that Mike and I didn't purposely not want to get this done on time or whatever. It was a fault on all of our parts because we took too long to make decisions before starting. And Mike and I both have outside lives.[/color][/QUOTE]I think it?s safe to say that all of us have outside lives. ^_~ And unfortunately mine has been a pain in the butt this week. >_< In more ways than one. Still we?ve got some good material here and I think we can pull it together from the standpoint of going from where I ended into the final battle since the first two parts lead up to my opening statement of how my character has had them coming to her house on a regular basis. We could put in the phrase...weeks later and move right into my last post. And with that in mind I took a whack at writing the first fight with the Mercenaries. [SIZE=1]Stephen: (in anger) Goddamn you Sandy! Come back here! Everything seems to freeze but other than the Mercenaries Sandy is already out of the reach of Stephen?s power. Mike in a lightening quick change of mood charges the Mercenaries taking advantage of their frozen state to deliver crippling blows. Forgetting that just moments ago he had planned on leaving everyone to go his own way. Time begins to flow again and the Mercenaries are sent flying through the air to slam into the walls of Ms. Beth?s house. Tiana who is also angry frowns in concentration, a moment later the cabinets to Ms. Beth?s kitchen fly open and her dishes come flying from the cabinets aimed at the Mercenaries who are battered by the flying kitchenware as it hurls at them at unbelievable speeds. A moment later it is over, the Mercenaries unconscious on the floor. Ms. Beth: (walks over to JJ with tears in her eyes) Oh my God! What have I done? Mary: (confused) What are you talking about? Ms. Beth: He was just a kid I should have done something. Tiana: (she walks over and examines JJ?s Body) He really is dead isn?t he? Ms. Beth: (sinks to the floor) Yes. (she covers her face with her hands and begins to cry) Mike: Shit! (angry he punches a hole in the wall) Uh, sorry about that Teach. The students gather around Ms. Beth. Stephen: (still angry) Pull it together Ms. Beth! The others look at him in shock. Stephen: (shouting) You didn?t do anything! It was that Goddamn Sandy?s fault! Mike: Yeah Teach, for once the nerd is right. Stephen: (glaring at Mike) Stop calling me a nerd! Mike: Don?t get excited, I?m just saying that for once I agree with you. Teach, it?s simple you were right we need to work together. (he looks away uncomfortably) If we hadn?t been so busy squabbling among ourselves JJ might still be alive. Ms. Beth: (removes her hands from her face and looks at Mike in surprise) What? Mike: I?m saying I was wrong Teach. And I?m saying we should take that bastard down. The others nod in agreement. Mike reaches over and helps Ms. Beth stand back up. Tiana: (in a sarcastic voice) Wow, so you actually can be nice. Mike: (growls) Don?t read more into it than there is twit. Mary and Tiana both stick their tongue out at Mike but say nothing in return. [/SIZE] If you guys like that then we just need to work in some fights with the other teams as we head for the main place where Sandy is to take him down. ^_~ [B]EDIT:[/B] It's up everyone, great work! ^_~ Sorry the ending is so flat, I'm sure you can understand how hard it is to try and force something into a very tiny time frame. I wish we had more time, but at least we finished! [/COLOR] :catgirl:

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]All right I took a wack at writing some of the script. I've never done it before so I don't know if it's any good or not. [Is nervous] Also I don't know if anyone has written the death of JJ. Either way I wanted to at least give it a try. Hopefully at least part of what I wrote will be useful. ^_~ Especially how Sandy seems to just appear. He doesn't of course, he just moves so fast the others are not seeing him. Anyway.... [SIZE=1]The team is gathered at Ms. Beth?s house several weeks after the initial incident at the research lab has happened. They have been coming over to her home on a regular basis as they learn to cope with their new abilities. Something that they have been reluctantly doing at Ms Beth?s request. They are gathered around the table in Beth?s kitchen. Ms. Beth: It?s great that all of you are using your newfound abilities to help others. She runs her right hand through her hair nervously as she addresses the teenagers who are looking in any direction but her. She sighs. Ms Beth: But don?t you think it would be better if we started working more like a team? The newspapers are already referring to all of us as the Titans and you could do so much more if you worked together. Mike: Get real teach. I don?t work with anyone. Tiana: Don?t you mean no one can stand you? JJ: (groans) Gods can?t you two ever quit squabbling like idiots? Mary: If Mike wasn?t such a moron there wouldn?t be anything to argue over. Stephen: Come on guys? Why can?t we just get along? Mike, Mary and Tiana turn to Stephen and tell him to shut up at the same time. Mike: (laughs) Honestly Ms Beth, teach or not I?m sick of this. I?m out of here. Everyone watches as Mike heads for the door to leave. Mysterious voice: Oh my, and here I was worrying over nothing. Everyone looks for where the voice came from but other than themselves the room seems to be empty. Ms. Beth: (both frightened and annoyed) Where are you? Show yourself! Mysterious voice: (laughing) Oh dear, I guess you can?t see me. A tall blonde man dressed in a rather outlandish outfit seems to suddenly materialize right in front of Ms Beth who shrieks in fear and stumbles backwards tripping over a chair behind her. Only to halt as in midair as JJ grabs her left arm and helps her back up. Mysterious Man: (smiling mischievously) My name is Sandy; I am the owner of the research facility where your students so rudely destroyed years of delicate work. Ms Beth: (turning red from embarrassment) I don?t understand, I already issued a full apology to the director of the research facility and he assured me that I was not to worry about it. Sandy: (tilts his head to the side as if in thought) Well that is true, but you neglected to inform him about the unexpected side affects that occurred. He shakes his head back and forth and waggles his right forefinger at them as if scolding naughty children. The others start protesting but Sandy cuts them off. Sandy: (in a tone of regret) I?m sorry but that just won?t do. If word gets out about how you acquired your abilities it would interrupt my beauty sleep. JJ: (incredulous) Your beauty sleep? Just what kind of freak are you? Sandy: (in a hurt tone) Now that was sooo not necessary. He appears to vanish once again and a moment later JJ doubles over in pain as something strikes him with incredible force in the chest throwing him back into the kitchen wall. A long metal piece protruding from him right where his heart was. A moment later Sandy reappears at the same time the front door is smashed open and a couple of the notorious members of the Mercenaries enter the home. Sandy: (In a bored tone) Do take care of that mess *he points to JJ* Along with the other rejects. *he sighs melodramatically* Good help is so hard to find these days. In the next moment Sandy has vanished and Ms Beth, Mary, Mike, Tiana and Stephen are all standing there in shock over the death of JJ as the Mercenaries approach them with smiles on their faces. [/SIZE] And there you have it. I'm not good at writing fight scenes so if you guys want to use this perhaps someone else could write the part where they fight with the Mercenaries?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well if it?s not too clichéd, I just realized that being the slick bad guy that he is with his super-speed, Sandy could be the power behind the genetic research in the first place. Which would be why the other groups would have any powers to begin with. Sandy had them altered to better serve his organization. That being the case he would know that we were exposed in the research facility and would decide to have us taken out whether or not we got side benefits to keep that little tidbit of information from coming to light. Though since at this point we will have fought some crime elements he will know. [us being reffered to as the Titans in the papers and all] Thus he would know what possible powers we would get and would actually know what would kill JJ. This act uniting us in going after the bigger criminals who up to this point we had avoided while we were getting use to our abilities. ^_~ I don?t have time to work on it right now, but I?ll be back later this afternoon or early evening. But I figured I'd toss the idea out there incase someone else wants to use it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The cover image looks great. It's so beautifully done. ^_^ As for the script, I thought of another idea on combining our powers, if I can fly, when White is controling time a bit my character could take advantage of that to take out airborne threats, or if in a building, security cameras or automatic machine guns up higher on the wall while Mike's character is putting the hurt on the bad guys. Once my character has dropped off a shrunken Sakura that is. Do we have more of the script that I can take a look at? Because so far it looks totally awesome, but I'm a bit unclear as to how we end up to the point where JJ ends up dying. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Shy][size=1]Anyway, that's not the whole point of this thread. This thread is to call into question why someone else hasn't started this thread already. myOtaku.com's community came to aid of Adam almost immediately. Meanwhile, I'm not sure anyone here but Panda or Kei were even aware of the situation.[/size][/QUOTE]We know about it. ;) [QUOTE=Shy][size=1]theOtaku.com and OtakuBoards have never been united in anything, at least not in recent memory. Over the years the two sites have drifted apart, and it has gotten to the point where this connection has little meaning anymore. Just as we are so oblivious to the day-to-day happenings at our parent site, if James hadn't put so much work into OB already, it's likely that theOtaku.com wouldn't have a message board [i]at all[/i'].[/size][/quote]I haven?t been around long enough to know if the sites were ever deeply connected, I joined myO and immediately moved over to OB and didn?t become active at myO/theO until much later. They are connected, but in the last year a lot of those connections have been disappearing, at least in terms of more tangible ones in that a lot of the links from theO leading to OB have been removed. When I joined the connection was from my viewpoint pretty slim other than it was fun to see that members here had a blog over at myO and occasionally I click on those links to check out other members here. [QUOTE=Shy][size=1]Where, if at all, does OB fit in under theOtaku's network of anime sites? Is calling the site 'OtakuBoards' simply a throwback to the early days, and what exactly does this disconnect mean for OB's somewhat-distant future? Post your thoughts and stuff. -Shy[/size][/QUOTE]I kind of wonder about the level of disconnection since theO is taking very different directions than what it had when I first started over there, most noticeable the removal of the articles and reviews last year as it?s switching over to a more art based site, something that though fun I find a bit stale without the other stuff to make it more balanced. Right now it seems like it?s become more of an affiliate instead of part of the same network of sites. Not quite there but definitely leaning that way. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Sounds good to me. ^_^ And I'm sorry I haven't been around, I had some dental work done earlier today and the pain meds sort of made me really loopy for a while. But later tomorrow I'll have time to hop back in and help more. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Excellent work everyone. I'm loving how each of you are handling your part of the story. :catgirl: Now the invasion has begun and everyone has recieved their new objectives. Let me know if I left anything out. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][CENTER][IMG]http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/5697/silveronebanner001xi2.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=1]Banner by [URL=http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?userid=19869][COLOR=RoyalBlue][U][B]Aaryanna[/B][/U][/COLOR][/URL] [/SIZE][/CENTER] In what could be considered an excessive display of force the fleet under the command of the Creator dropped out of hyperspace and joined the Crimson, the Tempest and the Catalyst in their orbit of Earth. Nearly thirty ships strong it was an intimidating sight, one that was easily visible to the inhabitants below, as all pretenses at hiding had been dropped. The arrangements already made, the Creator immediately broadcast an audio and visual signal to all nations on Earth. The message clear, Earth and it?s inhabitants were now the property of the Versilan Empire and any and all resistance would be dealt with. No time to comply or for them to surrender was given, merely a declaration that many of the major countries in the world would shortly receive a visit with instructions on how to proceed and that the others were to wait for their turn. The transmission ended and minutes later teams of two ships began to descend to preset coordinates. Each of the groups consisted of a full battleship like the Crimson along with another one that was a transport ship. Canada, Russia, China, Japan were but some of the first ten destinations. Then the Commodore of the Creator sent out additional orders to those who had been at Earth all this time. Orders given to him by the High Council to be delivered to them upon their arrival, then another moment to send the confirmation signal to the Conqueror: [I]Phase Three has begun[/I]. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]As stupid as this whole thing was, it?s not like the city could see that the devices were harmless, real terrorists aren?t going to make devices that are clearly marked bomb or other such things. And the person who installed the device did nothing to let the police know they were not real, staying completely silent. If the information is correct about e-mails that were sent in regards to this, Turner Broadcasting waited over three hours before they could be bothered to disclose that it was a marketing campaign gone awry. Giving the impression that the creators of the marketing blitz were trying to hide their involvement. And even then they called Cartoon Network instead of alerting any of the law agencies in Boston. If any of those allegations about the e-mails stating they delayed revealing what was happening are true, Turner Broadcasting needs a swift kick in the rear when they could have prevented most of the scare by simply letting the authorities know what was going on.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Mariskah][COLOR=Navy']I have a short post that I plan on putting up before the invasion if you don?t mind. I?ll have the post ready either today or first thing Monday. [/COLOR][/quote]I most definitely do not mind. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='Sakura][color=navy']Beth, I'm not really sure what you want to do. First thing is how much time have you got? I don't know if you're working or whatever. If you don't have free time I can handle a load, being still on holidays.[/color][/quote]Not as much as I would like unfortunately, but I was thinking I could be an additional proof reader. And not just to look for typos but to suggest ideas as well. I?ve never written in screenplay format, but I?m positive I can help with reading to see how the story flows and such. And I still have ideas like the initial one where my talent combined with yours makes it possible to take down one of the crime syndicates from within. ^_~ And even the screenplay format is probably something that I can easily learn since Sandy does not require it to be like a true screenplay. Once I?ve seen how Mike writes it I?m sure I can do the same. And I'm sure he could fix any mistakes I made to make it match. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue][quote name='The Boss][color=darkred][size=1]Hm.... how about impentrable skin? That way his death will be all the more dramatic, when his body is finally destroyed. Good?[/color'][/size][/quote]Works for me, it would make his death even more surprising since we would be thinking he couldn't be killed. ^_^ Hehe, this is gonna be fun![/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]No we are not skipping straight to the invasion. Even if Takuya hasn?t posted yet so long as you take it from the standpoint of you arriving to pick up the humans after they are done destroying the ship it should be fine and if not, you can always edit your post if Takuya needed you to. ^_~ Shortly after that event, the next phase will begin though so if anyone wants to add something now's the time to do so. [quote name='Aaryanna][COLOR=DarkRed']But more important...I want to know what the twist is! [/COLOR][/quote]That would be telling. :p[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The whole thing sounds way cool Mike. ^_~ Especially this part: [quote name='The Boss][color=darkred][size=1]Maybe we could work Sandy into the story as possibly the head of the criminal's councel or something. The final bad guy with extreme power (possibly super-speed like The Flash/Quicksilver).[/color'][/size][/quote]We defiantly need a main villain to take down. And it fits perfectly with some of the ideas I had for taking out one of the enemies by using our powers together. It gives us a common goal, but to make that goal even more shared I propose this: I was thinking it could be the death of our former comrade JJ who was cruelly struck down by Sandy that motivates us to act as a team that is determined to wipe out his lackeys to get to him for what he did. ^_~ [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Jason wasn?t sure what to expect when Daniel called everyone to the main mess hall for an official meeting. Since he had joined the resistance, he had never been on a base where they actually held meetings. They had some level of a command structure but it seemed far more loosely based than the actual military. When he and Celestia got to the mess hall it was already jammed with people, crammed together in an effort to fit into to room. He could see Daniel standing on a small storage crate so that he was up where everyone could see him and about in the center of the room he could see the back of Sara?s head as she had already arrived. He smiled at that; pleased to see that she had recovered well enough that she was up and about. He was about to start working through the crowd to get to her when Daniel raised his hand for everyone to be silent. Something that happened immediately, Jason had his own suspicions about what was up and Celestia agreed with him. The invasion had to be coming, and soon. He and Celestia had been working overtime along with the programming specialists at the other two bases since the announcement that the naval forces would be destroyed. Something that would happen today, which was probably why Daniel had called the meeting so early this morning. ?[B]Thank you for coming everyone. I?ll get to the point immediately since we don?t have a lot of time. I?m sure you?ve noticed how the Versilan military has been neutralizing Earth?s defenses and shipping capabilities as well as eliminating a good number of politicians, religious leaders and powerful businessmen. A standard tactic used to prepare for the actual invasion.[/B]? Daniel paused for a moment to look around the room and then he continued. ?[B]I?ve just received confirmation that a sizable fleet is only four days away from Earth under the command of the Creator.[/B]? He paused as everyone began talking at once. He let them continue a moment before raising both hands to get everyone?s attention. A moment later he had it. [I] The creator? Is that a ship? [/I]Jason wondered. He turned his attention back to Daniel when he spoke again. ?[B]I don?t have time to explain the details people, I?ve already issued the order to the other two bases to begin locking everything down and getting all the safe houses completed. From now on standard top-level stealth will be required for everything. I want to plug any holes in our defenses before the fleet arrives. So lets get to work and make that happen. If you run into any problems or have questions run them through Kim. Dismissed.[/B]? Jason grabbed Celestia?s hand and pulled her inside the room and then to the side of the door, waiting for the initial press of people leaving to die down before he headed over to catch Daniel before he too left. ?[B]Daniel I need to talk to you.[/B]? ?[B]Yes Jason? What do you need?[/B]? ?[B]What happened to William? I thought Celestia and I along with Sara were suppose to be leaving Earth.[/B]? ?[B]You were, but unfortunately that?s no longer an option.[/B]? Daniel replied. ?[B]I see,[/B]? Jason paused and then spoke again when another thought occurred to him. ?[B]Is William dead?[/B]? Daniel smiled. ?[B]No Jason, he was the one who informed me that the fleet is coming.[/B]? Daniel turned to leave but stopped when Celestia spoke. ?[B]Wait Daniel, William told me and Jason that he would be back in a week and yet he did not make it. What?s going on?[/B]? Daniel sighed. ?[B]William was investigating what happened to a number of resistance members in another sector. Unfortunately, most of them are dead and the few that are missing may as well be dead, as he has found no trace of them. By the time he confirmed that it was too late for him to get here before the fleet does and once they are here he will not be able to get close enough to transport you off Earth.[/B]? ?[B]What else are you hiding from us Daniel?[/B]? Celestia asked. ?[B]Celestia, there are things that you are better off not knowing. Should either one of you fall into the hands of the military it would endanger far too many members of the resistance if you had that kind of knowledge.[/B]? Celestia crossed her arms across her chest and fixed Daniel with an angry look. ?[B]Stop being melodramatic father. Anyone with that knowledge would endanger the rest of us if caught. I can understand that you want to minimize the risks, but leaving us in the dark doesn?t help things either.[/B]? ?[B]I am not being melodramatic Celestia,[/B]? Daniel said coldly. ?[B]There?s a lot going on and a lot at stake here, even my second in command Kim doesn?t know the whole deal. Whether or not you like it everyone?s safety is more important than you knowing what?s going on.[/B]? Celestia started to interrupt but he cut her off. ?[B]I am not going to tell you anything else Celestia, you have been given the information you need to be able to do your part and I suggest you do so, our lives depend upon your programming skills keeping us hidden. Don?t let your foolish desire to know more distract you from your true goal.[/B]? Celestia wanted to say more, but Daniel turned his back on her and left, ignoring her. She started to follow him angry at his refusal to speak but stopped when Jason grabbed her right arm. ?[B]Jason! What are you doing?[/B]? ?[B]Let it go Celestia, Daniel is right and you know it.[/B]? ?[B]But?[/B]? Celestia started to protest. ?[B]I want to know too, but we don?t have time for that, didn?t you want to work on improving the scrambler for the grade B sensor equipment to keep them from using the data feed to locate the base? You told me you were worried that someone could eventually hack the routine.[/B]? ?[B]Well yes?[/B]? Celestia started to say. Jason smiled. ?[B]Then lets get to work since we don?t have a lot of time before the fleet arrives.[/B]? ?[B]All right.[/B]? Celestia finally said. ?[B]We?d better contact the other two bases so we can do all three at the same time then.[/B]?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]Well if our powers are suppose to be more unique, then mine will be the ability to fly, not like superman or into outer space, but to be able to fly to the top of the crime?s building to deliver say a shrunken Sakura so she could sneak in the building and disable the security from within would be handy. ^_~ Having our powers work well together would make the story even better. Anyway, I say we go with your idea Mike. Let me know how I can help with the plot and actual writing though I?m going to start coming up with possible scenarios that I can send to everyone later so we can hammer out the plot more. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I have a question for you Sandy, and that is in relation to the screenplay format. I'm assuming you want it written in that style, but after doing a little research I came accross all sorts of contridictions as to what was considered the correct format to use in a screenplay. For example: [CENTER][B]SunfallE[/B] (sitting at her desk reading a report) We need to put an end to the Mercenaries.[/CENTER] [B]Or:[/B] As she is sitting at her desk reading a report: [CENTER][B]SunfallE[/B] We need to put an end to the Mercenaries. [/CENTER] I saw many different ways and I've already run into more than one saying each way I just used was the correct one. So I'd like to know if this is something this will factor into our presentations. Because the last thing I want to do is lose because we didn't present it correctly. >_< So if you could clear that up for me I'd appreciate it. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]The only problem I see with using paragraphs is if this is required to be written in script format, which isn?t the same. I?ve done plenty of writing, but never in script format. And since Sandy specifically provided a link to information about writing a screenplay I wonder if this is exactly what he is expecting us to do. Also if The Boss is good at action, I'm pretty good at covering the emotional side of what's going on in how the characters are feeling. ^_~ As for me helping with music, I have never hosted or done anything music related online, ever. So I don?t even know where to go to host music or how to write the code to get it to actually play, so it might be better if someone else does that if we have music in our screenplay. ^_^ But the writing and some of the basic graphics I can help with, though in the end since I only have Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 [which cannot do some of the things White?s program can do] we would be better off with someone who has a better program than I do. As for the ideas so far, I love the names you thought of White and I love the idea of us going against the other teams as if they were Crime Syndicates. ^_~[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]It had taken every bit of self control Jason had to return to the Command Center and continue working the programming assignments he had with Celestia after seeing Sara?s battered and bruised body through the observation window in the sickbay. And even then he fought all day long to keep from crying. And the turmoil in the base due to report after report of military facilities and transportation facilities of both ground and air being destroyed didn?t help things at all. It was total chaos out there. Riots, panic and a real sense of doom was in the air as Earth?s authorities scrambled to try and make sense of how someone could effectively strike world wide and yet elude their grasp. Daniel had finally turned the alarm off since the harsh glaring noise became more of an hindrance than anything else. And then finally the destruction stopped and though things on the surface were far from calm, at least things in the base settled down. Jason wanted to head back to sickbay but Celestia had convinced him to stay until the doctor called them. He knew she was right but it didn?t change the fact that he didn?t want to work on programming at the moment. And he was certain that Daniel was hiding something from them. His reaction, even though he controlled it well, to the surge of destruction had Jason wondering just what he was thinking. He had seemed surprised and then as the reports flowed in he had looked almost sad and resigned. Jason wanted to drag him aside and demand some answers. He still had said nothing about William and Jason was beginning to wonder just what the hell was going on. When Daniel got up after receiving a message and left the Command Center, Jason got up and moved to follow him, only to be stopped by Kim. ?[B]What?s going on Kim,[/B]? Jason said angrily. ?[B]What are you and Daniel hiding?[/B]? Kim fixed him with a stern look of her own before responding, ?[B]I?ll answer that question but you have to agree to hear me out first.[/B]? [I]Hear her out first? What does she mean by that? [/I]Jason thought about it and finally nodded his head agreeing to what she said. ?[B]Come with me then,[/B]? Kim said turning to leave for the room just off the command center, not bothering to see if Jason actually followed her. Moments later when they were both in the room and the door had shut behind them, only then did she speak. ?[B]Daniel is going to speak with your sister.[/B]? She saw the flash of anger in his eyes that he had not been told she was awake and ignored it. ?[B]It?s better if he talks to her first. Daniel can find out what happened and as much as you want to help your sister, you of all people know that he will understand her frustration.[/B]? Jason looked away from Kim, he didn?t want to say it but after what Jared had done to Daniel?s mother he couldn?t argue with Kim, she was right, he would understand his sisters feelings of rage towards Jared. He had been lucky; William had rescued him before Jared had finished what he had started with him where Daniel?s mother and Daniel himself had not been so lucky. He fought to hold back the tears and lost and when Kim simply moved forward and put her arms around him to comfort him, her embrace undid him completely. Kim simply held him until he cried himself out. And when he pushed away she let go. ?[B]Feel better?[/B]? She asked. ?[B]I?ll feel better when Jared is dead.[/B]? Jason replied. ?[B]I understand. And as soon as Daniel is done briefing Sara you can see her okay?[/B]? Jason nodded reluctantly he would wait. ?[B]Good, now you stay put and take a moment to compose yourself. Would you like me to get Celetia to join you so you can both go together when Daniel is done?[/B]? Jason took a deep breath, ?[B]yes.[/B]? ?[B]All right, I?ll take care of that immediately.[/B]? Kim said before she left. Once she was gone Jason sat down, bending over to put his head between his hands. [I]Pull it together idiot! [/I]He admonished himself. [I]Sara will recover.[/I] But most importantly, he acknowledged to himself. Jared did not managed to capture her. Just thinking about how Jared would have used that to force him to surrender was something he didn?t want to think about. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I positively love having [spoiler] Albel the Wicked [/spoiler] as one of my party members. His sayings in battle and when he levels up still never fail to crack me up and he?s wonderfully aggressive, making him a good front line character in battle. If you haven?t used the book that grants a character the ability to use healing symbology yet, Albel is an excellent choice since unlike Nel and a few others; he actually will pull back and use it before it?s too late. I usually do not have Nel in my final party since she simply will not use her healing spells effectively and dies all the time. Where Albel, Cliff and Fayt can and do use them effectively in battle when you are not controlling their character. And now that I?m on the hard level, that really makes a difference. Speaking of customization, I finally got to the point where I could upgrade my weapons with both attack and a defense boost. I really missed having that. lol! You actually aren?t that far off from reaching that point and if you find yourself ready to go after [spoiler]Croswell and haven?t upgraded yet. [/spoiler] Be sure to pester me for tips since you will want to upgrade before you take on that battle. You can still do so a little later, but some of the upcoming battles before you can will be a total pain in the butt if you haven?t upgraded them at that point.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]We have decided Sandy we invite [B]The Boss [/B]to join our team.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue] [quote name='Sakura][COLOR=Navy']So it's decision time, and we still haven't heard from Tiana in a while.[/COLOR][/quote]And since we have not heard from them for a bit the decision is made. We will invite the Boss and if for some reason they cannot, then we will invite the next person listed. [B]EDIT:[/B] Also even though the mercenaries are down to three members, it would be a mistake to underestimate them. Gavin and indifference may have been their oldest members, but I would argue that Aaryanna is equally if not stronger regardless of her age and Darren is showing quite a bit of determination as well. [/COLOR]