Zero Hour MUX Logged by Impulse, 11/18/99 (4 PM) Players: Impulse Secret The Habitat: Main Central Dome Large and circular in shape, the center dome is the largest, having no inner walls to seperate it into various rooms. Instead, the structure is a single vast chamber with a high, curved ceiling. Clear windows line the walls high above, midway between the highest point and the floor, allowing light to filter in during the day, or dim moonlight at night. At set intervals along the outer perimeter lie carefully crafted statues made of stone, placed within small outcoves and dimly lit by a single light that is embedded above it. Each statue is a tediously hand crafted piece of artwork done in stone, representing one hero, which all face the center of the room. On the floor in the center is a large symbol, with 'The Seven' written across it. Three tubes lead off into various other domes, which are all empty, dark, and abandoned. Bart Allen is sitting at the table, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. There's a half-finished Soder in front of him, and his hands are clasped across his chest. ---Bart Allen The tallish, lanky kid in front of you slouches and looks preoccupied, amber eyes distant and very likely unfocused, until you deliberately try to catch his attention. His hair is longish - kind of, oh, Ramones-length - and thick, sticking out a bit in wiry waves. It generally behaves badly, finding its way back into his face whenever he pushes it away. It could definitely use a trim. He has the calm, careless face of a child, delicate features pale and sharp. The boy wears a pale green bowling shirt, made of a shimmery polyester-like fabric. Across the front, and edging the collar and short sleeves, is a bold black and white checkerboard pattern. His black jeans are relatively baggy: long, lazy folds go from the bunched-up hems to his pockets, making a couple of stops along the way - they offer him freedom of movement. His shoes are relatively understated, as quiet as size 13 Docs can possibly be. And, of course, trendily enough, his wallet is connected to his belt with a long chrome chain, making a wide arc down the side of his leg. --- Secret floats in from the entry way having been out and about for most of the day. Not needing to eat or sleep making it difficult for her to really tell the passing of time except for clocks here and there or the darkening or lightening of the sky ---Secret Before you is a brown smokey mist, amidst the smoke however you can make out a seemingly young girl in what could be her early teens. While its hard to discern much detail of the girl as the mist billows about her, she is a small girl of maybe 4'8" in height and a slender build. Her shoulder length hair color is a lighter shade then the mists she appears to be formed of hinting at a light brown color and her eyes play the same trick though of a blue color. While it is hard to imagine her clothes are any more real then the apparition of the girl herself, she appears to be dressed in white sneakers and pants which seem to meld from one to the other with no break as real clothes would. She also apears to be dressed in a brown coat a shade darker then the smoke about her. The coat has a high collar covering her neck and sleeves that pass down over a good portion of her small hands. The back of the coat is longer reaching halfway down to her knees, while in front the length shortens considerable to a midrif length revealing either a white shirt below or that her pants are in reality a jumpsuit. --- Eyes following Secret in, Bart raises a hand in greeting, then drops it back to his chest. "Heya," he says quietly, then sits up, swinging his legs down from the table and taking a sip of his soda. He stands, straightening his shirt and running a hand through his hair. "An agent of the DEO was asking Robin, Dol and I questions." He pauses. "Don't worry, we won't let anyone know where you are." Secret's eyes open wide for a moment before the girl just disappears before your eyes at the mere mention of the DEO. It is several minutes before you know she hasn't just left the Habitat as it takes her that long to find her voice. From where she had previously been floating you hear the girl's quivering voice, "Please don't let them take me back Bart... they want to send me to WABE and no one comes back from there" Bart Allen narrowly avoids rolling his eyes. "Look, Secret, I said we wouldn't. We won't. Not only do you have the TMS looking after you, you also have the Justice League backing us. YOu have nothing to worry about." He finishes his soda and puts the cup back on the table, then stuffs his hands in his pockets. "It would be nice, though, to know your story. And I don't want to rush you, but if people're gonna be asking us questions - scary people - then we're gonna need something to tell them." You can hear the sound of a heavy sigh behind you as if the girl is moving about searching just to make sure after all before she finally becomes visible again slightly to your left, "I don't know what I can tell you Bart... I don't know where I came from or how I came to be at the orphanage... I just know what goes on there, or atleast went on there. Its not that I don't trust you Bart, but they'll do anything and I thought I'd lost them for good", the last words trailing off into quiet Bart Allen looks over his shoulder, not moving, trying hard not to startle the ghosty girl. "I understand," he says quietly. "But what we really need to know is what you *do* remember. What did the DEO do to you? What happens at the WABE? You know what the DEO is telling people about you, right? We don't believe it, but we need to have a counter-argument." He falls silent momentarily, then adds as an afterthought, "If you have trouble talking about it, I understand that, too. But think about it." Secret watches you taking note of your care in movement after all you're the boy who ran to New York for a hot dog. When she speaks her voice is stronger and slightly more relaxed as a result, "There are some kids who live in rooms and stuff kinda like you guys here. But then there's a whole 'nother side to the orphanage where they experiment on kids and some adults... you can hear the screaming down there at times... The staff were scared of me I don't know why, I didn't do anything to them I swear to you" Finally turning to face Secret, Bart nods. "Don't worry, I believe you." He pauses again before continuing, perhaps to underline his next words. "It's very important that Robin also hear this. We need a matching story to give the DEO woman. I want you to try and remember as much as you can about what your life was like before the orphanage. And I want you to remember as many details as you can about your life *inside* the orphanage." He pauses again, watching Secret intently. "Can you do that for me?" Secret sighs softly as she nods her head, 'I can try Bart. The orphanage is easy enough sometimes I think I'm there again.. But before that I really don't remember much a memory here and there and they don't make much sense seperate or together. But I will try Bart. And thank you.." Bart Allen nods. "Good. No problem." He relaxes, laughing slightly; runs a hand through his hair again. Naturally, it just flops back down, but hey. "And we'll keep them away from you. If at some point you feel like you're ready to make a defense for yourself - y'know, like, talk to that agent Chase we were speaking with - we'll back you up." Secret shakes her head quickly sending bits of mist floating away, "They'll take me back Bart and then send me to WABE... The DEO isn't nice like all the folks I've met since meeting Miss Canary in that warehouse" Bart Allen lets out a low whistle. "Mmm. Right. I'll keep that in mind." He leans against the table, tilting his head and crossing his arms again. "I'll drop it for now. But - yeah. Thanks. The more you can remember, the better." Secret swollows a bit sharply as she looks over at you, her whole demeaner one of fright more so then normal, "I'll go think? Outside?" she adds as she secretly wonders if her freedom is only fleeting Bart Allen sighs, relaxing again. He nods to the girl, "G'head, do whatever you want. You can, remember? And trust me, Secret," he says, face serious, "We'll back you up." He watches her float off.