SG: WCD 45 Desperado Kick Part One other Half or so of Several.

Wed Nov 8 12:03:07 PST 2006

EDITORS NOTE:  CALL THIS PART TWO.

"So, you've seen corpses before..." said Doctor Sloan, sliding closed 

his drawer. He clucked his tongue and continued to take notes, pausing 

to look at the data downloaded from Spectrum's armor, and to open the 

exam reports that Andy Awesome had forwarded to Aurora at Lawrence's 

request. Spectrum grinned absently, picking up a speculum and then 

quickly putting it back down again when he realized what it was.

"My Mom was a nurse. And I've always been fascinated with stage makeup 

and the technical aspects of horror makeup. I have a killer Frankenstein 

costume; it's won some awards." Spectrum chuckled and pointed at the 

other files on the Doctor's desk. "So how did it go with Foxy?"

"Very interestingly, but perhaps in not the ways you expected. I 

understand that you two are soon to be married?"

Spectrum nodded.

Dr. Sloan looked up from his clipboard.

"Congratulations. First time for you both?"

"I hadn't considered if it was Foxy's first marriage," replied Spectrum 

with a shrug. "I didn't think about that. I just assumed I was her 

first. I-I-I mean the marriage."

"Yes to both assumptions," said Sloan, leaning in to smile 

conspiratorially. "But that brings up another question. Have you two 

discussed having children?"

Spectrum reddened a bit.

"Well, I figured we'd get around to that discussion pretty soon. Did you 

see anything in the reports you got from Andy regarding my powers?"

"Ah ah ah... you're changing the subject. We'll get to that in a minute. 

But first, let me clue you in. You may not be thinking about having 

kids, but Foxy certainly is. Now, during an exam I like to be thorough, 

but Foxy was very concerned about getting a full medical work-up done. 

Blood typing, DNA indexing, X-RAY, MRI, skin, hair, urine and fecal 

samples, Spinnbarkeit production, the works." Dr. Sloan put down his 

clipboard and polished his glasses before continuing. "At the risk of 

sounding dramatic, you two are embarking on an inter-species experience 

that I have very little information to help you with. I could spend 

several years' writing papers about just your teammates and their unique 

makeup. For instance, Samuel's, ah, venom, and its regenerative 

capability is fascinating, but of course there may be dangerous 

consequences to anyone bitten. But I digress..."

"Samuel?" asked Spectrum, interrupting. "He told you his name is Samuel?"

"I tell you this information in confidence," replied Sloan, nodding. 

"Knowing that you are the leader of your teammates and therefore have a 

vested interest in their continued well-being. I have also obtained 

written permission from each of them to allow me to share patient 

details with you."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Now spill the dirt."

"The information was revealed while he was being examined by me and he 

had the opportunity to introduce himself to the Captain."

"Oy. That explains a bit... quite a bit."

"He has never told you his name?"

Spectrum rubbed his chin.

"He always told us to just call him TDSM or Trapdoor Spider Man. He 

hasn't even told me about how he came to be the way he is."

"I would think that kind of information would be important. You can't 

tell where a person is going very well without knowing where they have 

been. And again you have changed the subject. To answer your first 

question, Foxy has retained the innate abilities of someone from the 

cartoon dimension, including she relative invulnerability to physical 

damage. She is vulnerable to energy-based attacks, and I suspect that 

this along with her metamorphosis were largely due to the exposure to 

the--" Sloan paused to check his files before continuing. 

"--hyperspacial energies of the Qwintor drive that exploded at the Odd 

Science convention. But I can't be sure that that's the whole story. The 

energies you wield are, as Paul Harvey says, the rest of the story. When 

she saw the dummy corpse, I was treated to a full cartoon style squash 

and stretch take, including the bulging eyes, ahoooogah sound effects, 

and jaw dropping 3 feet. Whatever your powers made her, she still has 

fundamental 'toon abilities."

"My powers -- that's what I wanted to ask you," Spectrum began.

Dr. Sloan held up a hand.

"Ah! Stop. Are you normally this evasive? I've answered your question. 

Your turn. Are you planning on having kids?"

"I don't know. I guess so; do you think it is possible?"

"I'll take your reply as a cautious yes. And to answer your question I 

will need some time to analyze the data and get back to you. I would 

suggest being cautious until we know what your conception options are. 

She appears to be in very good health, and although I prescribed a 

vitamin regimen to help make sure she stays healthy, currently she 

appears to be physically ready, willing, and able."

"Woah."

"Emphasis particularly on the ready part. I think the big question is, 

are you ready?"

"I guess so."

"Get back to me when you -know- so. Having a child under the most normal 

of circumstances is a big responsibility and you're going to do her a 

big disservice if you don't think this through."

Spectrum rubbed his nose impatiently.

"Okay, now can we talk about my powers?"

"What powers?"

"Very funny doc, you know what I mean. My abilities to channel energy in 

whatever form I can think up. My ability to cause random things to 

happen when I say EDIT. My ability to fly. I'm a human gateway or nexus 

or something of all kinds of energy from all the different dimensions."

"Oh. Those powers. According to Andy, you're ready to go. Same 

conclusions by Dr. Science. You just have to want to access them, to 

turn them back on again. Somehow you've turned them off--"

Spectrum jumped to his feet and glared at the Doctor, interrupting him.

"What? You too? This is really starting to piss me off! You think I 

don't want my powers to work?"

Calmly, Dr. Sloan sat down at his desk and brought up multiple displays 

on his workstation. "You said it, not I. What other explanation could 

there be? All the work-ups we have done suggest that you are fully, and 

completely capable. No brain aberrations. You did mention there was a 

problem in a previous battle where you had to get your awareness 

transferred back into your body, and that the equipment was damaged, but 

all the tests show that was not the problem."

Spectrum leaned back on the exam table and sighed. "But it's not like I 

want to stop being super. I love this life."

Dr. Sloan picked up his notepad and wrote notes. "You have been to the 

moon, am I correct?"

"Yes, but what does..."

"If I recall my recent history correctly, you created the Magi crater, 

which happens to be so large that it's visible from Earth. That was a 

pretty incredible display of power. Why did you do it?"

"I was fighting an alien mage named Irving Gould. He'd just murdered 

some children in cold blood. I was trying to bust the force field around 

him and stop him from hurting anyone else."

"And did that work?"

"No."

Spectrum flopped back on the table and sighed loudly, "The little girl I 

was trying to save died, and I finally had to fling Gould into the sun."

"Again, a rather incredible display of power. Were you worried about 

what the impact, pardon the pun, would be?"

"What do you mean?"

"Doesn't having that kind of power scare you a little? You ever worry 

about going overboard with your powers and blowing up the Earth? Ever 

worry that someday you're going to be hunted down like Radian was?"

"I..."

Dr. Sloan put down his notepad and pointed his finger at Spectrum.

"Do you think that maybe deep down you want to be normal again? I've 

read the information Doyle was able to gather about you, I've reviewed 

the information that Andy Awesome and others have on you. You've just 

been knighted. You are wealthy. You have a unique, desirable woman who 

wants nothing more than to be with you the rest of her life. Maybe you 

just wanted an excuse to step away from the whole super-hero biz. Or 

maybe you are afraid of what could happen with your powers."

Tears began to form unbidden at the corners of Lawrence's eyes and he 

began to shake his head. He knew in his heart that Sloan wasn't right 

and couldn't be right; and yet there was something in what the good 

doctor had just said to stir up emotions inside of him.

"No. That can't be it. I love being a super-hero! I want my powers back! 

So why won't they work? Okay, maybe sometimes I worry about doing the 

right thing, but doesn't everyone? And yeah, I'm awed at times by what I 

can do in this world. But I'm just a guy. Maybe I am just a little 

afraid, but everyone's like that, aren't they?"

Dr. Sloan walked over and put his hand on Lawrence's shoulder as the 

hero wept in confusion. "You know, I remember someone saying, 'Our 

deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we 

are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most 

frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, 

talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of 

God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing 

enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure 

around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to 

make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some 

of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we 

unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are 

liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.'

Spectrum punctuated the quote with a loud blowing of his nose and wiped 

his eyes before answering Slone. "Wow, who said that? Nelson Mandella? 

Scholarman?"

"Neither," replied Sloan. "It was said by a young lady named Marianne 

Williamson. I met her while I was in college. Elvis knows we all need to 

hear that sometime in our lives. I didn't know if I could cut it as a 

doctor, but my friends kicked me in the backside and told me to get out 

there and help people, make a difference. I don't know what you were, 

back when you were supposedly in another dimension. But here, now, you 

are a superguy. You have a destiny to fulfill and when you are ready 

your powers will come back."

Spectrum brightened. Just as the doctor's words had previously touched 

something in him that brought about a deep sadness, his pep talk had 

somehow shifted the dark clouds that had covered his heart. Maybe they 

weren't gone completely, but he could feel a ray of hope finally shining 

through.

"You're sure?"

Dr. Sloan smiled, pulling a couple drinks from a refrigerator.

"Absolutely not. But I do know that as long as you keep being negative 

about this you will not break through to your powers. I'll keep looking 

through the examination files and you keep working on that breakthrough. 

And while you are getting your head around that one, don't forget to 

have a chat with your fiancé. Like I said, she is a special lady. I 

couldn't help myself but, I care about her situation."

"Thanks doc." Spectrum rose to leave.

"Oh, and Spectrum?" Sloan said, momentarily halting the hero. His voice 

turned grim. "Please get British Airwave in here. If I didn't know 

better I'd think he was deliberately avoiding me."

***

The main loading bay was a frenzy of activity. The chaotic din was music 

to TDSM's ears and he smiled at the melody that it sang to him. Of 

course the smile caused one of the nearby crew-members to faint dead 

away, which in turn did nothing but improve TDSM's mood. There was a tap 

on his shoulder and the man-spider turned to see British Airwave, who 

greeted him with a nod.

"Spectrum sends his apologies; he will be along to help a bit later. He 

is in the Tornado Armor repair labs. He asked me to ask you to please 

assist Colleen and her staff as much as you can. Parker will be along in 

a moment with his Dord and will do much of the "heavy lifting", shall we 

say? Foxy will be with Spectrum, and I regret to say that I have a 

Doctor's appointment."

TDSM glanced at the elderly super-hero with gimlet eye. Eyes. Whatever.

"You sssseem a bit out of ssssortsss, Randall. Don't worry, the Doctor 

isss a good man. He knowssss hissss ssstuff."

"That's what I'm afraid of..." murmured British Airwave, turning to leave.

"What?"

British Airwave saluted smartly and disappeared, teleporting next to 

Colleen near the other end of the bay. She started, almost dropping her 

pda-communicator in surprise, and then gestured wildly at the elder 

Briton before pointing around the room. Randall nodded, and then pointed 

to TDSM and then also to the Nikon Ninja who had just ridden his robotic 

rabbit Dord into the room. Parker Peterson muttered something into his 

wrist communicator and British Airwave teleported to his transmission. 

After a moment or two of discussion, the Brit strolled off waving to 

Colleen. She returned the gesture, then pointed at TDSM and waved him 

over. Samuel regarded the activity throughout the hangar, then leapt up 

to the wall to scuttle along the ceiling to her location, avoiding all 

the hustle. Dropping down beside little miss Colleen, he hissed,

"WCD moving, you tag it we bag it."

Colleen regarded him cautiously.

"Ach, ye big keelie. If ye can, please haul these pallets o' medical 

supplies to Dr. Sloan's lab. I think ye know the way. An' whae the de'il 

is that sound? Guitars?"

Nikon Ninja suddenly popped up from behind a crate, next to the pair.

"GO! WHITE GRANGER NINJA!" After a flurry of gestures, white body armor 

and a full face helmet magically appeared over Peterson's grey ninja 

togs. The cheesy guitar riff grew even louder, and the large furry 

mechanical bunny began loping towards the trio. "White Granger 

BattleRabbit Mode! Eeeyah!"

All heads turned as the rabbit and the granger leapt in an incredibly 

fakey sentai move, twisting and combining into a 20' tall armored 

battlesuit, with rabbit ears that scraped the ceiling. Inside the 

cockpit, the Nikon Ninja slammed his sword home into the control slot, 

and Soba, the head of his magical sword glowed to life. A wicked sword 

and equally dangerous chaingun glowed into existence in the armor's 

right and left hands respectively. Soba spoke, its eyes glowing, 

"BATTLERABBIT MODE READY!" and the battlesuit struck a combat pose.

"Crivvens!" Colleen gasped. "I jes need the big yin tae move the crates, 

nae blow them up! Be he always that dramatic?"

"Pretty much, yessss. I don't know, I think itssss kind of cool in a 

chaotic sssssort of way. Plusss the Author sssavesss a ton on sssstock 

footage expensessss."

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