Perched high atop the Phoenix's statue's head, Amerikatt scanned the scenery, watching for any Naughty Spawns who might disturb the slumber of her adopted city.

Noting an early morning denizen throwing his gum wrapper on the street, just inches from a trash can, a purple and pink blur grabbed the litter bug by the back of his shirt collar and deposited him in the wire basket.

"HEY, man ... um ... cat! What's the deal?!"

Amerikatt chattered at the fellow, shook her head side-to-side, and pointed to the gum wrapper.

Then she was gone in a purple and pink blur, back to her perch atop the Phoenix statue, watching as the litter bug attempted to extricate himself from the litter basket!

"The guys are never gonna believe this", he said, finally escaping, then bending down to pick-up the gum wrapper and dispose of it properly.

He ran down the street same as he had always done, well, at least when he wasnt busy with other more pressing matters. The same looks from the same people. Early in the morning its the same people. He knew almost every one by name, though none knew him. He had almost stopped noticing the stares.

Five miles there, five miles back he thought. After that, combat training, then to work. Thank goodness everyone at work knows not to talk to him about anything other than work.

Sometimes he would get a friendly greeting from the Vic, the owner of the news stand at mile four. He hated that greeting and never responded to it. He hoped the stern expression on his face would deter any of this rediculous goodwill.

Young and old would be running and excersizing down the streets. Same young, same old. Occasionaly someone new, but they never kept up that long.

Sometimes he would pass a new person on his jogging route. William Thickle just moved into the area and started working at Edentech. Everyday the same bus stop at the same time he waited.

Sheep, he thought to himself. No purpose but what is right in front of them. No one using their brain. The thought made him curse under his breath as he passed Janice. She finaly stopped staring as she ran by. Stupid kid! Never saw a mirror she didnt like. In college, for what?

As he ran past the shops, stores, and buisness, his reflection in the windows told nothing of who he was. He liked it that way. He liked the solidarity of looking like everyone and looking like no one.

He looked at the clock as he passed Titan City Bank, 5:37. Same time every day. He kept his pace. Invisible in plain sight. Thats the way he liked it.

One mile till turn around, five back, then combat training.

Gideon Cross wrote:

The Ghostwalker then opened the can of tuna and left it by the statue for Amerikatt.

*reads the label to make sure it's dolphin-safe*

"Mew-mew!" Amerikatt said to Shepherd, rubbing her cheek against his leg and then walking around his feet in a Figure-8 pattern*

*nibbles daintily on the tuna, sips the fish-flavored spring water, then nibbles daintily on the metal can, a golden light emanating from inside her mouth!*

Walking out of City Hall, Sarah Holt would be toting a fresh salad container, and would ease herself onto the bench beside Shepherd and Amerikatt, as she would smile...

"Well if it isn't the Imp of Impervium and Shepherd, it is a pleasure to meet such stalwart Paragons in person, I am Assistant District Attorney Sarah Holt, and I want to thank you for your work defending our city.."

As she would smile at them, it would appear her eyes briefly glow...?

No, it's merely a trick of the light, an illusion surely...

((It would not be clear that Lady Nova and Sarah Holt are one in the same, comic book shield of logic...:) ))

Sarah would smile, and nod...

"I spent mine holding a get together for Titan's social elite..." She would offer a look of disgust, it is clear she has no love for the rich and 'superior'

"Almost made me wish something did attack the party, at least I would have had an excuse to leave.." She would then smile, before standing suddenly, eyeing her phone quickly..

"I'm afraid that's the end of my lunch break, looks like the DA is aiming to have starved workers...it was a pleasure talking to you!"

With that, she would take off, leaving them alone briefly..

*About 30 minutes later*

Lady Nova would streak before them in a blinding flash, bearing her signature grin, her golden bracers and belt reflecting both the sunlight and her own subtle aura adding to an air of majesty and power..

"Hey Shepherd, Amerikatt, great to see you guys here..."

She would offer the imp of Impervium a quick hug, and can of premium grade salmon

"I hope this isn't too low quality, I'm not exactly a cat, but you don't strike me as high maintenance"

She would smile back at him, taking a gentle seat...

"Likewise, it's nice to be able to relax for once, actually take some time to enjoy ourselves...how are you both since the Anemiator at TCU?"

The question would initially catch her off guard, but she would respond regardless

"He threatened to kill Rose, and while 'killing' him wasn't what I intended, he had to be neutralized before he harmed anyone else or worse...."

Shepherd gave Lady Nova a reassuring smile before he responded again.

"What you did was brave. Not alot of people can do what you did and die in the process, because they don't want to accept the fact that the creature lost it's humanity a long time ago and is more monster than human.

Shepherd sighed.

"Doing what you did gave you a glimpse into my world, and what i must do every night to keep the mortals safe. It's not an easy job, but it has to be done. there are some that can be saved, but most times they are too far gone."

Shepherd nodded when he saw Rotten He hope with Rotten being their Lady Nova would understand what he meant about those creatures who could be saved. The Dark Savior then picked Amerikatt up and put her on his lap as he gently scratched her behind the ear.

Back in Phoenix Plaza, another woman was also taking advantage of the sunny day. Happily strolling along the pathway as she soaked in the warm light, the woman happened upon a strange-looking cat sunning on top of the Phoenix statue and two heroes chatting with one another. She knew she stood out compared to the other visitors of the plaza. As a pale-skinned woman with silvery white hair and an equally stark, snow white hair, she was clad in a strangely simplistic ensemble of white babydoll dress with flared sleeves, a pair of bootleg jeans and light brown boots.

Looking at the gathering presences, she seemed to be more interested in the cat than in the other two heroes. She couldn't help but be glad that she was in the presence of superhuman beings. Otherwise, what she did would easily attract too much attention. She began to float away from the ground, carried by a strong psionic force, and smiled as she casually sat in the air next to Amerikatt and the Dark Savior. "Hello, colorful feline and mystical presences," she greeted, her voice thick with a British accent. For some reason, to those with heightened sense of smell, she would smell like a live snake and, to those with aura-sensing ability, the pale-skinned woman would emit a strong, mystical presence.

Lady Nova would first laugh and hug Amerikatt, before turning to their new arrival, who's scent pricked her enhanced senses...

"Greetings, welcome to Phoenix Plaza, I'm Lady Nova, this is Shepherd, and Amerikatt, as well as Mr Bolton..."

She would gesture to each of them in turn...smiling at their visitor...

"What brings you to Titan City?"

"Greetings and thank you for your warm welcome. My name is Alaika. Alaika Balta," Alaika replied with a polite nod towards both Shepherd and Lady Nova. "My presence here is merely one of casual purpose. I am 'sight-seeing', if you will." The way she talked seemed odd and almost archaic, but she found comfort in the unusual company. "I hope I am not intruding on any urgent discussion. I was merely curious about the presences of so many enhanced beings, but I am glad to be within a benevolent company."

Impact swung between the buildings of Titan City, Phoenix Plaza being his destination. He'd always enjoyed spending time there and he'd heard through the hero grapevine that Lady Nova had been spotted there just a few minutes earlier. Smiling, he thought about the past week, specifically about the two dates he and Sarah had been on. Not counting the lunch at Titan Taco, that is.

Their first date had been a nice dinner where they were able to sit and talk as Sarah Holt and Sam Beckett. The second had been a more fun date. Once a month, Astro Lanes held a "Bowling for Heroes" night to raise charity. Sam had talked Sarah into attending as their alter egos. They'd had a blast.

The sound of gunshots pulled his mind away from musing and he swung to a stop to locate the source. One block over, an SUV was tearing down the street, the cops in hot pursuit. Two men in masks were leaning out the back windows, trying to blow out the cop cars tires. Impact shook his head and swung in the SUV's direction. At first, he kept pace with the SUV, then he took off up the street, pulling ahead of it until he was several blocks ahead. Like a spider building a web, he built a star-shaped pattern of elastic energy strands. Then he waited in the center. As the SUV approached, he fired a strand at it's roof and then connected that strand to the "web". The strand recoiled like a bungee cord and yanked the SUV right off the street. He could hear the men inside screaming as it swung back and forth like a wrecking ball before finally settling to a halt, ten feet off the ground.

With perfect timing, four cop cars converged on the scene and screeched to a halt. They quickly got into a formation that would box the SUV in, so Impact lowered it until it was only a foot off the ground. The cops waved that they had it under control, so he dropped it the rest of the way, waved to the bystanders, and swung off.

Impact reached Phoenix Plaza quickly and spotted the group of heroes over by the Phoenix. He landed nimbly on the Phoenix, then shot a strand from the top off it's wing to a nearby building. Like a spider, he lowered himself swiftly but silently so that he would be right behind Lady Nova. If anyone spotted him, he'd quickly make the Shhhh! motion. He gradually came to a halt, a foot and a half behind Lady Nova as she sat on the bench. He hung upside down so that their heads were at the same height.

"BOO!"

Sam kissed her back and then grunted at her list of the ways she'd known he was there. "Show off."

He contemplated sitting on the bench, then had a better idea. The benches at the monument were set just forward of a line of poles that mounted spotlights used to light the Phoenix up at night. He began firing strands between the two poles that flanked the bench. Once he had a thick bundle of them, all that was needed was a little bit of manipulation to create a hammock, which he hopped up into. Stretching out, he hung one hand over the side and stroked a finger back and forth along Nova's upper back.

"Think I'll just hang around for awhile. But there is room for two up here..."

Shepherd couldn't help but smile at Lady Nova and Impact and laugh at what Rotten said. He then looked at Alaika.

"So you sound like you came from Britain. been here long?"

Alaika Balta wrote:

For some reason, to those with heightened sense of smell, she would smell like a live snake

Amerikatt was greatly enjoying the ear scratching when an unusual silver-haired woman hovered near her, psionic energy brushing the outermost perimeters of Amerikatt's consciousness.

Shepherd suddenly felt Amerikatt tense-up as the woman drew nearer.

[i][b]This one reeks of snake[/b][/i], Amerikatt thought, her body becoming rigid, her newly-converted solar energies flowing through her, ready to be unleashed at an atto-second's notice.

[b][i][color=green][size=14]Be wary of this one if you wish, Child[/size][/color][/i][/b], a gentle, mellifluous voice said in Amerikatt's mind. [b][i][color=green][size=14]Do not take any hostile action at the moment, though. Allow her to show herself for whom -- or what -- she is.[/size][/color][/i][/b]

[i][b]Are you sure, Great Mother? Um ... I mean ... yes, Ma'am![/b][/i]

Shepherd felt Amerikatt tense up at the arrival of Alaika and wondered if it was due to that snake smell. As he pondered his mind began to drift and think about the female vampire that was his rival. Her moniker was that of a serpent. He looked down at Amerikatt as he started petting her again.

"There there, calm down"

A messenger bikes up to the group, a box on the back of his bike. Stopping near the group, he pulls out a picture, looks at it, and then back at the group of heroes.

"I've got a delivery, and I think you guys are the ones I'm looking for." Pulling out a small clipboard, he looks over the group. " 'Amerikatt', 'Lady Nova', 'Rotten', and the other amazing people who were so kind". I'm assuming that's you guys?" Untying the package from the back of the bike, he places it on a free space near the group.

"Who wants to sign this for me?" He holds out the clipboard.

((In the box is a letter from Rose, thanking them profusely, along with packages of cookies, candies, and spicy fried fish. All are homemade. along with this is an invitation to a picnic in the Plaza at 1pm.))

A head peeked up over the edge of the hammock, just enough for the eyes to clear the edge. It was quickly followed by two fingers which fired a strand and snagged the bag of candies, yanking them back into the hammock.

Impact gripped the edge of the hammock and vaulted out of it, sliding smoothly onto the bench beside Lady Nova.

"I'm not entirely sure, actually. I think about what I want the energy to do and it does it. Although, I do know I can't do anything super complex with it, like form machines. Simple tools like hammers and wedges are possible. The strands are the easiest thing to make. Then I can decide if I want them to be loose, stiff, elastic."

He thought about it for a few more seconds. "I can also channel energy into my arms and legs, making my melee attacks hit with greater force. You saw that several times in the bank."

"I don't know if it's something that can be taught."

Shepherd stopped petting Amerikatt for a second as a wicked mischievous smile came over his face while listening to Impact and Lady Nova. The Ghostwalker had begun gathering what ever spiritual energy he could gather from the area and made two transluscent clones made out of glowing blue spiritual energy. one of Lady Nova and one of Impact that began to mimick them. The heroes knew little about hm and he doubted they saw when he was in the park creating things for the children out of spiritual energy or as many considered magic or supernatural energy. He thought he would have a little fun. The Holy Warrior then went back to petting Amerikatt as he watched for their reaction nonchalantly.

Shepherd smiled. As the years passed he learned how to make more complex things out of spiritual energy. he would train regularly as he would with his sword or fighting unarmed learning to master his abilities.

"It usually depends on how much spiritual energy I use or as others call it magic energy, chi or even mana the source of all life. being that i used the energy surrounding me and Rotten, should be about an hour till it fades."

Shepherd turned his attention to Alaika as she spoke to him. he continued to pet Amerikatt to ease her.

"She's been like this since you arrived."

Shepherd did not want to mention the snake smell as not to be rude.

Gazing up at her boyfriend, Lady Nova would call out...

"Please don't hit the statue as you swing, I'd hate for you to get a concussion, not to mention it'd make headlines.."

Shepherd had gotten up as he set Amerikatt down on the floor. He then looked at Alaika.

I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. Anyway I gotta go. No rest for the wicked, so I shouldn't rest too long either.

*Amerikatt's ears perk up at the mention of a picnic, and she trills serenely as Shepherd pets her, which helps to alleviate a bit of the angst generated by the silver-haired female who stinks of snake*

*Amerikatt ponders if she should be a good kitty and share the fish or take it all for herself*

*ponder*
*ponder*
*ponder*
*ponder*
*ponder*
*ponder*

*Decides to keep being Miss Goody Four-Paws and waits to see if other people want any of the fish*

Alaika noticed that the cat was offering fish to the group. Although tempted to tease the feline, she decided that Amerikatt needed none from her. "May I have a bit of the fish, little feline?" she politely asked, cautiously reaching to gently rub her head. She was hoping to make friends, not alienate any heroes with whom she could possibly work with in future encounters.

Alaika Balta wrote:

Alaika noticed that the cat was offering fish to the group. Although tempted to tease the feline, she decided that Amerikatt needed none from her. "May I have a bit of the fish, little feline?" she politely asked, cautiously reaching to gently rub her head. She was hoping to make friends, not alienate any heroes with whom she could possibly work with in future encounters.

*Amerikatt growls at the silver-haired woman who reeks of snake smell and snaps her fangs very close to the woman's outstretched hand*

*Amerikatt moves the fish away from the silver-haired woman and continues to growl, her amber eyes becoming more and more luminescent by the yoctosecond!*

*hisses at the silver-haired woman*

*looks up at Impact*

"Mrrrrrrrrrrr!!!" ["She stinks of snake!!!"]

RottenLuck wrote:

He stands up and looks over at Amerikatt "Yeah I know she smells off. That don't mean she's someone to hiss at after all I smell like a dead man." He turns and walks off to his waiting bike.

"Mzzzzzz!" ["Better to smell like a dead man than a live snake!"]

*makes a furball gagging sound in the significantly snake-smelling woman's direction*

Gladatoria wrote:

Noticing Amerikatt's rude behavior, and remembering her Ancient Egyptian studies, Lady Nova would calmly approach the Imp of Impervium, gently reaching out to stroke her...
"Does this maybe have to do with the Cat as the Eye of Ra facing Apophis...The Lord of chaos, a giant snake...or the enmity naturally between the two species...because I don't know, something tells me that as Amerikatt you are above stereotypes...I mean, you are the mighty Imp of Impervium....our new friend has not shown signs of any hostility...should we to her?"

*nods to Lady Nova about enmity with Apep*

*gives a baleful glare to the silver-haired woman and just barely holds in the nuclear and cosmic energies which are making her fur stand on end*

*lets out a low, (hopefully) intimidating growl, but otherwise tries to be as polite as she can be under the circumstances*

Alaika chuckled softly to Rotten's remark, acknowledging the truth behind it, and noticed another man now taking his spot in the group, a man with black eyes and what seemed to be black tattoos. Something about his aura seemed a bit unusual, almost alien, but she sensed no malice within him and nodded as he came and joined them. "I do believe this group is open, so come and make yourself comfortable around us," the white-haired woman said to him politely. She glanced back at Amerikatt and noticed that she suddenly curled up in fear for no reason and then calmed down and nodded towards no particular person, making her wonder if she was communicating with something unseen, but she decided that it wasn't her place to start poking her metaphorical nose in and left the feline in peace.

Flying swiftly through the skies of Alexandria within a golden hue, Lady Nova was a warm and welcome sight among the many other heroes patrolling the area around Phoenix Plaza, before landing with the park around it to rest, taking the time to lounge on a bench before the greenery, waiting placidly for those who may require her assistance or attention as she soaks in the Sun's warm rays of light...

She blinks, clearly surprised by his entry, but offers a nod as she speaks cordially...

"Alright, that is good...what do you wish to know?"

She takes a moment to respond...

"If humans never opted to work together this planet would have remained a a desolate rock, no cooperation would mean no advancement...and I am afraid I don't know why villains exist or continue their misdeeds...but we also can't remain reactive over proactive"

She blinks at that, nodding...

"I am sorry to hear that, and if you so desire perhaps I can see what I can do about aiding in your job search? And on that note, do you require anything else of me?" Inquires gently