The Academy of Super-Heroes Universe Presents E.U.R.O.P.A. Eurasian Union Ruling Order Paranormal Authority A Three-Issue Limited Series copyright 1999 by Tony Pi #2 - "RIDDLES AND TRAGEDIES, ACT II: Silence of the Sphinx" [cover is a homage to _The Silence of the Lambs_ movie poster, and shows Arc's face, with a tiny winged sphinx covering her mouth, wings spread.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- EUROPA ROLL CALL ARC Claire Auger, FRANCE Kinetic Energy Battery ACTIVE YMIR Erik Qvenhild, SWEDEN Cold Projection ACTIVE ONI Saori Taya, JAPAN Astral Form/Magnetism ACTIVE RASPUTIN Yevgeny Sosnov, RUSSIA Illusions MEDICAL LEAVE CASTOR Cas Ierulli-Kiris, ITALY Telepathic Twin PSYCHIATRIC LEAVE POLLUX Pol Ierulli-Kiris, ITALY Telepathic Twin DECEASED HOTSPUR Harry Keane, ENGLAND Metal-Melting PROBATION LLYR Daffyd Glwych Garanhir, WALES Photon Manipulation CANDIDATE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [NOTE: All conversations are in French, the official language of the Eurasian Union, unless otherwise indicated. Hotspur speaks a basilect, or "street level" dialect of Eurolac, not the more respectable acrolect of Eurolac that is steadily increasing in prominence in the Eurasian Union.] [NOTE: All scenes occurred on January 8th, 2024, with time indices based on Rome, GMT +0100.] CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 10 +Handcuffs.+ * * * * [1302h] Never listen to the prisoner. Never speak to the prisoner. Never free the prisoner. And never, never turn your back to the prisoner. Those were the four cardinal rules they taught at EUROPA on dealing with a routine prison run, and Arc remembered them all. When she saw Lorenzo Archangeli escorted aboard the prison transport jet EU-N3, she felt her anger boil to the surface. This was the man who killed her best friend, Pollux, the one who called himself Rebus, leader of the Conclave of Super-Villains. Arc found him less intimidating than when they first met in the depths of the Mediterranean. To her, Lorenzo Archangeli looked just like a short, average Italian man in his late thirties who kept his body in excellent shape. But appearances didn't fool her; training with Rasputin meant you relied less on outward appearances and more on your instinct. Arc's instinct told her that this man was a cold-blooded killer, a man who would use you to his own advantage. No fancy magitech for this Anchor. Even blindfolded, handcuffed, and chained, Archangeli was still one of the most dangerous Anchors in the world. He would render supertech items such as forcefield projectors useless. Their powers, at least the Active Violation Effects such as Ymir's ice and her kinetic force absorption, could not affect Rebus directly. Of course, it only meant that the EUROPA agents would deal with Rebus on a mundane level, should he escape. They were well-equipped for that possibility, loading up on Anchor-rated weaponry. As skilled as Rebus was, he was still 'human', and an old-fashioned bullet in the head could still kill him. Rebus was being uncharacteristically silent. No riddles, puns, or rebuses. Something about his silence frightened Arc to the core. "Keep your cool, Claire," said Ymir, now Acting Leader in Rasputin's stead. "Just stick to the rules, and nothing will go wrong." Arc nodded. "You too, Erik." Little did she know that she would be breaking all four rules. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 18 +Train.+ * * * * [1430h] Part of the deal with Peryton was that as long as he remained grounded, he would offer little resistance to where EUROPA moved him. Thus, Hotspur, Oni, two mundane agents - Sharma and Rivera, and the Anchor Krieger, found themselves accompanying Peryton on a regularly-scheduled train headed for the Swiss Alps. Currently Krieger and Sharma accompanied Peryton inside the non-descript train car attached to the end of the train, modified to be a prison car fortified against assaults from within and without. Oni and Hotspur stayed out of the Anchor's field, posing as civilians in the car in front. Rivera did his shift in the car behind. It was ironic that Viktor Von Wright, Peryton's true identity, was a German model. Now Anchored, Von Wright looked nothing like the winged monster the other members of EUROPA had fought. Hotspur remembered seeing Von Wright in those Spence Lewis cologne ads...what was the scent called? "Stag" or "Rampant?" Hotspur shrugged. He was dead tired from Castor's midnight escapade. "Honey, mind'ya iffen ich nappen?" he said to his "wife," not really asking but telling. Oni nodded, and Hotspur went to sleep. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 34 +Scepter.+ * * * * [1510h] Arc called up a few more windows on her palmtop, and frowned. "What are you working on?" asked Ymir, never taking his eyes off the prisoner in his cell. Their seats were facing the cell, and two other EUROPA agents sat along the side, weapons at the ready. "The Second Assassin Theory, again," said Arc. At her remark, Rebus tilted one ear towards her, still silent. She suddenly felt as though she was being stalked. "Ah. You still think there's a conspiracy?" said Ymir. "I thought you gave that up a year back." "No, the idea of solving an actual mystery really intrigues me. Ever read that docufic 'The Day of the Scepter' by Forsythe, about the paranormal assassin who was hired to assassinate Charles De Gaulle?" "They never proved the Scepter existed." "Still...a part of me loves mysteries and conspiracies. It takes my mind off things. If the Burnouts at the Academy of Super-Heroes were caused by a Khadamite template assassin [Editor's Note - see the Academy series], who's to say that we don't have another that's responsible for the Burnouts at ASIE?" "Couldn't it be 'Popper' St. James, too?" asked Ymir. St. James was the teleporter that the assassin masqueraded as. "I always thought that didn't hold water. Could he really teleport such a great distance from the Academy? How did he avoid detection?" "He was a shapeshifter, remember." "But there could still be a second assassin among us," argued Arc. "A lot of conspiracy theorists at the Institute agree with me." "Every student registered at ASIE was screened after the Academy scare. They Anchored everyone and did their medical tests on us. If there was another template assassin, he or she would have been fingered by their non- human characteristics." "Maybe. Maybe not. Look at this data I got from STRAFE just this morning." She highlighted some of the text on her screen. "Calling in a few favors? You've got Teller wrapped around your little finger, don't you?" "Erik! Pay attention. On January 19th, 2020, St. James was in an Academy production of 'Othello'. During the time he was acting, *that* was when Eduardo Ferreira died of neural overload. Autopsy confirmed the time of death, and given the timezone differences, there was no way Popper could have snuck out, not when all the attention's on him both on stage and off." Ymir frowned. "Could he have split himself?" Arc shrugged. "No students with such powers died of Burnout, in the EU or the North American Combine. Even if he did pick up such a power from elsewhere...we'd have reason to be worried. That would be a second assassin as well. One who might be one of us. Check this out too...." Arc and Ymir became so engrossed with discussing further details of the conspiracy, that they did not notice Rebus's knowing smile, not until he finally spoke, in perfect French: "I have solved your puzzle." * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 37 +Ball.+ * * * * [1556h] "Thanks for letting me use the gym and all, Rasp," said Jason Teller, dribbling a basketball in EUROPA's Rome HQ gymnasium. "I need to keep in shape." He tossed the ball across the court, and sunk a perfect basket. "Not a problem," said Rasputin. "Only...did you use your powers?" It was well known that Teller's telekinesis ensured him perfect aim. "Sorry," apologized Teller. "Force of habit. I've trained so much with to use my powers in combat, intuitively I can't turn it off during competition. I'm afraid a game against me will be frustrating." "So confident, are you? All right. Let's make a little wager, a friendly game of one-on-one. First to reach 100 points wins. If you win, I give you all the money you lost, and I will even double it. If you lose, you run errands for me, one entire day every week you remain under our good graces." Teller hesitated. "Did you...want to play?" The idea of Rasputin playing basketball in a wheelchair didn't bother him, but he didn't want to cause Rasputin any stress over his paralysis. Besides, it would be woefully unfair. "No, I'll pass. But I do have a perfect opponent for you." Right on cue, a young man with a crewcut came out of the changing room. Teller raised an eyebrow. "Don't think too hard about the timing of his entrance," said Rasputin with a smile. "I signalled him with an illusion. Jason Teller, meet Daffyd Garanhir, also known as Llyr, from the Institute. One day, he will join the ranks of EUROPA." The Advanced Sciences Institute of Eurasia was the Academy's European counterpart, Teller recalled. Teller and Llyr shook hands. "Good day, Lieutenant," said Llyr tensely. Frankly, Teller thought Daffyd looked nothing like the basketball type. If he had to guess, Daffyd was a thinker, not a natural athlete. This was going to be an easy one-on-one. "Relax. It's only a game. And don't call me Lieutenant. I'm only a couple of years older than you. Though I gotta warn ya, kid...I won't go easy on you." "Neither will I, sir." "Do we have a wager, then, Mr. Teller?" asked Rasputin. There must be some con going on, but Teller couldn't figure it out. What power might the kid have? He was too curious NOT to accept the challenge. "Okay, Rasp. Deal." "Excellent. Llyr, could you...?" said Rasputin. Llyr took Rasputin's wheelchair and pushed him to the side of the court. Rasputin whispered into Llyr's ear. Teller waited for Llyr to return to the court, but Llyr sat down instead. "You playing, kid?" asked Teller. "In a matter of speaking, yes," said Llyr. His eyes glowed white, and a beam of light flashed forth, coalescing in a spot two meters in front of Teller. The light became semi-solid, and took the shape of a humanoid figure, its features still indistinct. "Remember what I taught you about details in your constructs - think holistically, and focus on the essence of the creation. Learn to let the intuition fill in the details. Your powers rely heavily on what you absorb subconsciously," said Rasputin. Llyr nodded. Rasputin addressed Teller, a smirk on his face. "Did I fail to mention that Llyr is my protege? And that his constructs are more solid than my illusions?" "No, you didn't," said Teller. The light figure became much more detailed. Even though it was still recognizably made of light, Teller recognized the face. It was Dan 'Grind' Tracey, Mr. Perfect himself. "You set me up!" said Teller, knowing from the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he had been had. Rasputin only smiled. "Okay," said Teller, dribbling with his left hand. "Let's see if your Grind is anything like the real thing." * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 39 +Pill.+ * * * * [1629h] Cas Ierulli-Kiris told himself that he would only use it once. Just this once, so he would pass his psychic ability test. He swore on the grave of his twin, that if he could be reinstated to active duty, he would never use performance-enhancing drugs again. Cas did not consider taking the Emp until he finished his physicals, which took far too long. There was a slight chance that they might be scanning for Emp in his blood samples, but they shouldn't suspect anything. The critical Carlson Test was to be administered next, and he had no choice but to pass the gruelling three-hour test. He hid the Emp capsule in his fist, and pondered his options. He could take the Emp and boost his Tesla Index. He felt a residual telepathic power within him, but it was pitiful as it was: useless since he established a link between Ymir and Rasputin during the Haven affair, right after Pol died. There was no guarantee that the Emp would work for him, or cause his powers to backlash, as it did for that Tymmyte, Midas. Or, he could rely on a miracle restoring his telepathic ability, which was a long shot. Was he losing faith? Damn the general for moving up the prisoner transports! He wanted so much to be there to watch Rebus start his life sentence in Siberia. He could hear Dr. Nardini coming back. Now or never, he decided. He crossed himself and swallowed the Emp. "Forgive me, Pol," he whispered. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 45 +Fire.+ * * * * [1634h] "Never listen to the prisoner," Ymir had reminded her. "Don't open up that Pandora's Box." Try as she might, Arc could not get Rebus's words out of her head. "I have solved your puzzle." Did he truly know who - or what - was responsible for the Burnout deaths? She looked over at Ymir. Ymir looked uncomfortable, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Just a little dizzy," admitted Ymir. "Probably the altitude." She touched his forehead. "You have a slight fever." "Don't be ridiculous. I haven't ever had a fever before." "There's a first time for everything," joked Arc. "Why don't you rest for a while? I'll wake you at the first sign of trouble." Ymir yawned, and nodded. He closed his eyes. Arc watched Rebus. She should not care what he said. The man was a murderer, and she should just ignore him. However, she found herself unable to resist the temptation, just to ask him who he thought it was. Surely a killer knew the heart of another killer? If she could uncover the second assassin before he or she struck again.... "Spill it," said Arc, finally. "Hey! We shouldn't talk to the prisoner," complained Agent Burstynsky. Agent Mackinnon muttered the same. "My command decision, and I outrank both of you. It will be my responsibility. All right, Rebus," she said. "Don't keep us in suspense, oh brain-to-be of Siberia. Who do you think is causing the Burnouts?" * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 49 +Woman.+ * * * * [1638h] Cas felt giddy, yet at the same time the world was becoming sharper, and he more focused. He could smell the coffee on Dr. Nardini's breath, as though he were standing right next to him. His telepathic power seemed to be increasing by the second. A lab assistant with a low TI, Vittoria Scolieri, sat in the room next door. Cas could see her through the one-way mirror, and saw that she had a small scar under her left eyebrow. She had a computer notepad and light pen with which to record words and images that she believed she received. "Ready?" asked Dr. Nardini, holding a deck of flash cards in his hand. "Alpha series." Cas nodded and focused on transmitting the images to Vittoria. The first card was flashed. CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 1 +Pen.+ * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 78 +Skull.+ * * * * [1641h] "It's an interesting puzzle," said Rebus. "But not one that a neophyte like you could hope to solve. Just confirm two things for me, so I can prove my hypothesis." Arc raised an eyebrow. "You have a lot of convincing to do, bastard." "You will find that there has been collateral damage caused by Euro-Burnouts as a result of their powers going wild shortly before death, much more so than at the Academy. Cross-reference the reports, and check that for me, will you, Claire?" Still skeptical, Arc checked the data and was amazed at what she found. "You're right. Academy cases do not show as much collateral damage. However, when Riita died, she shorted out a lot of devices with her electrical powers. Just like when Ferreira died, he discorporated into acid completely instead of just his arms. Same with those with Active Violation Effects. No physical damage in those cases where the abilities are mental." "Good! Confirmation is good." "Those are symptoms of Emp!" said Claire. "But their bloodwork showed the absence of Empowerment in their systems. No good, Rebus. That's a dead-end." "Now, now, Claire..." the way he said her name sent shivers up her spine "...I am not finished. Can you access ASIE student and medical records with that?" Rebus asked. "Why should I?" "Ah, so you *can*. I will name two names. I want you to cross- reference the deaths with the attendance and medical records of those two." Rebus said the two names. Arc was stunned by the names. Almost afraid to, she punched in the cross-referencing command. A clear pattern emerged. "No! It CAN'T be! How...?" Rebus smiled. "Come closer, and I will tell you." * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 89 +Wheelchair.+ * * * * [1642h] "74 to 72, Teller's advantage!" shouted Rasputin. Word had spread about the game, and staff and students who were in the headquarters assembled to watch and cheer. Teller was sweating up a storm on the court, while the light construct of Grind executed its precise moves without showing any sign of slowing down. Llyr, however, was pushing his limits to keep the construct coherent, and playing the game naturally. "COME ON, JAY!" shouted Drake, who demanded to be wheeled in on a gurney and watch the showdown, if necessary. And so, he was. "This is the closest any of us will ever come to beating the real Dan Tracey!" The EUROPA crowd, on the other hand, cheered on Llyr's light construct, who stole the basketball from Teller and leapt for a slam-dunk. The crowd went wild. Rasputin was feeling hot. At first he thought it was the excitement, but now he wasn't so sure. He tried to focus on the game, but his mind kept wandering. Teller was about to throw a three-pointer when four new figures appeared on the court. Startled, he missed. Gasps went through the EUROPA spectators. The light construct of Grind dissipated. "You...but you're dead!" said Llyr. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 95 +Motorcycle.+ * * * * [1643h] Looking out the window at the countryside, Oni gasped. She nudged Hotspur, waking him up. "Whyzzafa! Twice in ein Tag..." muttered Hotspur. But when Hotspur saw what made Oni edgy, he perked up: a Vogue-ghoul biker gang, wearing Der Zepter colours, keeping pace with the train. What were German Vogue-ghouls doing off the Parabahn? "Merde," cursed Hotspur. Someone must have recognized them on the train, despite their disguises. Or else, there was a leak in EUROPA. Worst of all, it could be just blind luck. "I'll givemna V'ghouls tasta mein Feuer!" "Stay calm," whispered Oni. "Don't lose control. There are civilians on this train. Let me try more subtle ways." She close her eyes and projected herself outside the train. There were seven motorcycles with sidecars, trying to close in with the train so that seven of the fourteen Vogue-ghouls could board. She couldn't let that happen. She took her astral form closer to the motorcycles, and manifested her magnetic field. She caused one motorcycle to brake and swerve into an irrigation ditch. Moving to another, she used her magnetism to turn the ignition key off, then tugged the key out and flung it beneath the train wheels. With the third, she used her magnetism to disrupt the electrical systems in the motorcycle. Three down, four to go. Unfortunately, the other bikers managed to get their passengers onto the train. Rivera's voice came in on the nearly-invisible earphones that all the agents were wearing. "FOUR ASSAILANTS, NEED BACKUP!" A shot was heard, then maniacal laughter. "Scrot!" cursed Hotspur, racing for the rear cars. "N'mehr Monsieur Nice Gaij." * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 96 +Lightbulb.+ * * * * [1646h] Llyr thought he would never see his brother Pwyll again. His twin brother had died of burnout years ago. He'd watched Pwyll's shadow rise up and swallow him whole, right in front of him. But there he was, standing on the basketball court as real as life. "Pwyll? That you?" he said, suddenly afraid. Pwyll...and the others, all burnout victims...were not light constructs of his. Though his brother's real name was Peredur Artos Garanhir, his brother had chosen the name of the Welsh lord of the underworld as a handle. Whereas Llyr had the power to create semi-solid light constructs, Pwyll had the power to create semi-solid darkness constructs. Could it be that Pwyll's powers over darkness now brought him and the others back from the dead, as a shade? "What on Earth's going on?" asked Teller. "Rasp?" Rasputin shook his head, beads of sweat wetting his brow. "I don't feel so good." Pwyll and the other shades beckoned for Llyr to follow. Llyr reached out, trying to touch Pwyll. His hand passed through the ghost of his brother, and it chilled him to the bone to do so. The ghost ignored his touch. "Wait!" Llyr formed a semi-solid light wall to stop the spirits, but they simply passed through it. Teller grabbed Rasputin's wheelchair handles. "Come on, let's get you to Dr. Nardini." Llyr, Rasputin, and Teller left the gymnasium and the confused crowd behind. They saw more burnout ghosts in the hallway. Where were they all going? Llyr wondered. "You follow the ghosts," said Teller. "I'll get Rasp to the doctor. Hell, maybe we'll end up in the same place." Llyr nodded. The ghosts were heading for the stairwell, going up. He almost wanted to assume semi-solid light form and fly ahead to see what awaited them, but he didn't know what floor they were heading for. He climbed the stairs with dread. When the elevator doors opened on the parabiology level, Rasputin and Teller both gasped when they saw a man they thought drowned in front of them. It was Pollux. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 97 +Mirror.+ * * * * [1648h] "It can't be the Dioscuri!" said Arc. "They tested negative!" "Not the Dioscuri...just Castor. Fact: the Burnouts occur when the Dioscuri are mentally separated for a long period of time, but only when Pollux was cut off. Fact: five deaths occurred during the stress tests when Pollux was Anchored. Fact: no deaths occurred whenever Castor was Anchored." "Any more coffee, Mac?" interrupted Agent Burstynsky, shivering. Mackinnon nodded, pouring more coffee into Burstynsky's cup. "That could be just..." Arc continued, only to be interrupted by Rebus. "Coincidence? I think not. Fact: you said that Koskinnen died when you and Pollux were in India, which is well out of their telepathic range. Fact: Bergeron died, the only person to Burn Out away from ASIE, at the same time that Pollux was at the Institute, while Bergeron AND Castor were on a training assignment in Morocco, also out of their normal range." Arc couldn't deny it. It was there on the liquid crystal display. "You're saying Castor's a Khadamite assassin?" Rebus laughed. "No, that's not what I'm saying. You have it all wrong, the lot of you. Castor's powers are not telepathic in nature. He is a mimic, copying powers of others. Worse for you, he also augments the powers of the one he is, shall we say, reflecting? A parabolic mirror, focusing the power." "I don't understand." "When the Dioscuri were born, somehow Castor mimicked the DNA of Pollux, and enhanced his telepathy. That has been the predominant power he has mimicked in his life. Whenever he's cut off from Pollux's telepathy, the ignoramus unconsciously latches on to someone nearby, unintentionally magnifying their powers. Since his power is uncontrolled, it triggers an overload, both in the powers of the Burnout victim, and the neural networks of the brain. Result? Neural Overload Syndrome." "Why are you telling me this?!" shouted Arc. "Because I want you to know what killers you associate with," said Rebus. "Even he doesn't know it, consciously. And, I love gloating over a clever solution. And most of all," he said with an evil gleam in his eye, "I like you, Claire, and you profess to love conundrums. You will be an excellent pupil." * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 98 +Gun.+ * * * * [1654h] Hotspur stood on the roof of the prison car, facing two Vogue-ghouls. He felt the substance beneath his feet: several types of metal, but aluminum on the top layer. Good. He had something to work with. The Vogue-ghouls pulled out guns. Hotspur laughed. His eyes flashed red, and the gunmetal heated considerably, racing towards melting point. The Vogue-ghouls screamed and dropped the melting pistols. "Kinderplay," snickered Hotspur. "Si tu spielen vec Feuer," replied the largest Vogue-ghoul there, his hands healing rapidly, "dann nous spielen vec Feuer." Feuer was a euphemism in Eurolac for paranormal powers. The Fire. Hotspur smiled. So it was to be Feuer against Feuer. And he wanted them to burn. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 99 +Plane.+ * * * * [1654h] "Is it just me, or is it getting COLD in here?" said Burstynsky. Arc felt it too. "You're right." Her breath congealed in the cold air. She tried to wake Ymir. "Erik, are you all right?" Ymir didn't wake, but muttered, "I thought you were dead..." He was feverish to the touch, but waves of cold were emanating from his body. Everything in sight started frosting over with rime, with the exception of Rebus, who was untouched by the cold. "Ymir?!" shouted Arc, brushing ice off her body. Ymir was unresponsive, paralyzed with eyes open in his seat, the pulsing heart of the icy storm. Burstynsky and Mackinnon were shivering, unable to cope with the extreme cold. Only Arc and Rebus were free to move. She realized that she had to stay moving, and store up the kinetic energy. She could then channel that energy into shivering at an increased rate, and generate frictional heat with her hands at a paranormal speed. "Need a hand?" chuckled Rebus. "What did you do to Ymir, you bastard?!" shouted Arc. "Be nice, or I shan't help you at all. First, you must free me from my bonds. Only then can I help you out." The pilot's shaky voice came over the intercom. "E-E-Everything's icing o-over! Sent distress c-call...the w-w-wings...we're going to c-crash!" "Damn!" "Last chance, Arc. Free me if you want everyone to live. I want to live too. Think about it, but do it fast!" said Rebus with a mirthful malice in his voice. Arc realized Rebus was right. He could Anchor Ymir, make him stop. She had to choose between death and the devil, and she had to choose now. * * * * CARLSON TEST - SERIES A, CARD 100 +POL. POL!+ Dr. Nardini had slipped in a card with Pol's picture on it, no doubt as a trick to see if Castor was mentally capable of handling unexpected stress. Upon seeing the image, Cas could no longer contain the grief he bottled up inside. It was no longer simply that Pol was out of contact, it struck him like a brick that he would never see Pol alive again. He tried to deny it, deny that Pol was gone for good. All he could do was to cling on to the memory of Pol, and the tenuous telepathic power that symbolized his psychic brother. Unintentionally, he channeled all his anxiety, despair and hatred into his telepathy. * * * * [1654h] Vittoria screamed as the image of Pol burned into her brain. She had only ever manifested an ability to shrink a fraction of her size: now she was shrinking out of control, her flesh shrinking faster than her bones. Her entire body ached as skin stretched taut like a drumhead over unyielding bone. Dr. Nardini looked on in horror. "ANTONIETTA! BURN OUT! NEED AN ANCHOR, STAT!" he shouted into the comm-system in Italian. He turned towards Castor, who was as shocked as he was. Nardini grabbed a chair and shattered the one-way window, then leapt into the adjacent room to aid Vittoria. "I...I..." stammered Castor, following the doctor. As he approached Vittoria, the woman screamed even louder. "STAY AWAY! MAKING IT WORSE!" shouted Nardini. Something had gone dreadfully wrong with Castor's powers. Not only had he triggered Vittoria's Burning Out, he was seeing through Ymir and Rasputin's eyes as well: he saw Arc getting out the keys to Rebus's restraints; he saw Pol (*POL!*) walking in front of Rasputin's wheelchair. Then, the ghosts passed through the walls. All were Burnout victims, and they pointed accusingly towards Castor, their faces full of judgment. Rasputin and Teller were the first to arrive in the room, and saw the jury of ghosts point their fingers at Castor. Llyr soon followed, then General Pushparajah. Finally, the staff Anchor, pushed through the crowd, and knelt next to the doctor and the convulsing woman. With a touch from the Anchor, Vittoria stopped convulsing. Dr. Nardini breathed a sigh of relief. Dropping to his knees, Castor whispered to Pol's ghost: "What have I done?" "Not just her," said Dr. Nardini. "Him too." As the Anchor reached over and touched Castor, the ghosts all vanished. Cas watched his brother's ghost disappear, and howled with pain. "WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" * * * * [1657h] The plane was now descending rapidly groundward. Arc freed Rebus from his restraints, holding him at gunpoint. "No tricks, or I WILL shoot you." "Chill." Now freed, Rebus examined Ymir, and with his touch, Ymir stopped projecting coldness, but he was still delirious. "His fever's going down." He then looked outside the window at the wings. "But so are we. I can't do much about the ice on the wings." "What do you mean?" said Arc angrily. "It's the rain that froze when it came into contact with the plane," said Rebus. "That's not an Active Violation Effect." "Merde!" cursed Arc. An idea formed in her head. Could she absorb the kinetic energy from the plane? She had never tried to absorb so much energy before, though. Could she handle the capacity? "Pilot?" she shouted. No answer. The two mundane agents were also too cold to do anything. "You know how to fly a plane?" Rebus nodded. "Then help me land this thing." She escorted Rebus to the cockpit, where both the pilot and the copilot were out cold. She checked the altimeter: not much time left. Rebus pushed the pilot out of the seat, strapped himself in and started landing procedures. Arc kept her gun on Rebus, and began to absorb the kinetic energy of the plane, so that if it crashed, it would be a softer landing. She cradled the pilot in her arms, so that he would not be hurt when they landed. She felt her body fill up with energy, and it was charging up every living cell in her body. She felt as though she would explode. She felt the plane hit the snow, a much gentler landing than an all-out crash, but it still knocked the breath out of her. She needed to release all that pent-up energy, either in a burst of superspeed or superstrength, before she burst. She started channeling the energy into her speed, but she felt her control over the power starting to slip. It was Rebus, who was now extending his Anchor aura outward again, after reining it in to give her her full power. She tried to use her residual superspeed to dodge his attack, but he was more expert in martial arts technique. He kicked the gun out of her hand and tackled her. With his touch, he made the kinetic energy she stored up dissipate, leaving her without her bursts of speed or strength. He was the stronger, and now he placed her in a choke hold. Arc fainted. "A little learning is a dangerous thing, Claire. I will teach you secrets that will shape you to my cause, child. "You will be an excellent tool." TO BE CONCLUDED! ============================================================================ NEXT ISSUE: Hotspur fights the Vogue-ghouls, but will his lust for blood jeopardize his career? Rebus kidnaps Arc, and it's up to Castor to save her, even if it means fighting his inner demons and his own allies! How will the tragedy end? ============================================================================ Notes: EUROPA characters, with the exception of Oni, Hotspur and Llyr, created by Marc Singer. Llyr created by Matt Rossi. Drake, Teller and "Popper" St. James created by Dave Van Domelen. All other characters created by Tony Pi.