Author:
Audience Rating:
Publication:
Genre:
Character Age:
TG Themes:
Permission:
by Saless
Chapter 103
"Jill!" Mike yelled, running towards her. Erica moved much faster, but Sarah portalled to her side in an instant.
"Are you alright Jill?" Sarah asked. Jill had landed face down after hitting the wall and Sarah helped her to turn over.
"I'm...okay." Jill said, wincing in pain. "My telekinesis protected me when I hit the wall. It was only Erica's kick that I felt."
"I'm so sorry Jill!" Erica exclaimed as she knelt beside her.
"It's okay, we should have expected this with the chrysalis." Jill said weakly.
"Hold still. Let me see if anything's broken." Mike said. He pushed down lightly on the area where Erica kicked her and Jill moaned in pain. "I think you've got some broken ribs, don't move."
"I'll take care of it." Sarah said. She laid her hands on Jill and closed her eyes. Her hands glowed for a moment and then the light shifted into Jill and she gasped. "Did I hurt you?!" Sarah asked worriedly.
"No, I just didn't realize I couldn't breath properly until you healed me. I feel great now. Thanks." Jill replied.
"I can't spar anymore, can I?" Erica said.
"Sure you can. You're as stuck with me as I am with you, though. Without my telekinesis I would have been hurt a lot worse when I hit the wall. So I'm the only one you can spar against until you get better control." Jill said.
"But I could hurt you again! Maybe worse this time!" Erica protested.
"Yes, but Sarah can heal me. And I know you'll be more careful now. Just don't hold back too much, or I'll kick your butt!" Jill replied, grinning.
"Maybe you should use the gauntlets and boots." Erica said thoughtfully.
"Nuh-uh!" Sarah exclaimed. "If she uses those she could kill you! You're not that much stronger and faster than her, yet."
"They're both right Erica, you'll have to keep sparring with Jill and just be careful. That should be good for you anyway. If you're going to end up being that much stronger you'll need the control to keep from hurting people on accident, or exposing your strength in public." Mike agreed.
"Are you guys sure about this? I don't want to hurt Jill..." Erica said uncertainly.
"I'm sure." Jill said. "Now let's get back to practicing!" Erica reluctantly agreed. She was very careful at first, but after Jill literally kicked her butt a few times she got back into it, though she still held back to avoid hurting Jill.
Once they were sure Erica and Jill were going to be okay Sarah and Tiffany went back to it. Mike also kept a close eye on them. At first Jill was doing better than Erica because she was holding back too much, but she found her equilibrium before long and Jill was back on the defensive. Mike was quite happy with the match up between the two, as Jill was being challenged by Erica's superior skill and fitness, but Erica was being challenged by her need to keep her strength and speed down to a more normal human level.
The match of Sarah with Tiffany was proving a good one, as well. Sarah's magically fit body gave her an advantage, but Tiffany was learning the skills a little faster, so the advantage was nullified.
After a while he had Jill take a break so he could spar with Erica himself. "I don't want you to hold back this time." he told her.
"What?! I could hurt you!" she exclaimed.
Mike nodded, "That's possible, but I'm tougher than Jill, and a lot more experienced." He was adamant, and Jill offered to telekinetically catch Mike if needed, and Erica finally agreed. She quickly learned that being stronger and faster than before was as much a disadvantage as an advantage, as her reactions were all off. Also, Mike was still a lot better than she, and she ended up getting knocked around far more than he did.
"Ugh, we've still got a long ways to go, don't we?" Erica asked as she peeled herself off of the floor, again.
Smiling, Mike helped her up, "Of course! But you've come a long ways in a short time. Vash's help really makes a difference. And you seem to be picking it up even faster now than you were before. I guess the chrysalis is responsible for that. But you're going to have a hard time getting used to your improved strength and speed. I think you'll benefit a lot from sparring with both Jill and I, so you can learn both to use those advantages, and to control them."
"I guess I'd better be careful then, considering that I have to go back to school in a few days. I hope I'm able to visit often." Erica said.
"I'm sure you will, with Sarah's help. You might just end up seeing us almost as often as you have been these last couple of weeks." Mike replied.
"That would be nice." Erica agreed.
"I think we should stop for today." Mike announced. Sarah and Tiffany were happy to do so, as they were both exhausted and covered in bruises. Sarah took a moment to heal everybody before portalling them all back to her apartment.
"Ugh, I could really use a shower!" Jill complained as she stepped through.
"Me too. I think I'll head home and get cleaned up." Tiffany agreed.
"No way! You're staying with us until we get this FBI situation resolved!" Sarah said adamantly.
"But..." she tried to protest.
"I think that's a good idea, Tiffany. You shouldn't be alone until we've sorted this mess out." Jill said.
"Come on, let's get you some clothes." Sarah said, opening a portal to Tiffany's apartment.
"Okay, okay, if you insist!" Tiffany grumbled. Mike and Jill said their goodbyes and left by the door while Sarah and Tiffany stepped through the portal.
"Whoa, what happened here?!" Sarah exclaimed. They were in Tiffany's living room, and it had obviously been searched, rigorously. The cushions were off of the couch, the books off of the shelves, and every drawer opened and emptied.
"They must have been here looking for me!" Tiffany said fearfully, instinctively pulling the shadows in around herself.
"Looks that way." Sarah agreed grimly. Her hand began to glow blue and she raised it above her head to see better. The lights were broken or unplugged, so that was the only light in the room beyond the moonlight coming in the window.
They took a quick peek in the kitchen, and it was just like the living room. They moved on upstairs to the bedroom to find it in similar shape. "Let's get everything you want out of here Tiffany. We can come back and clean the place up once we've got the FBI off your back." Tiffany didn't argue, and they began chucking things through a portal to Sarah's. It took them quite a while to search through the mess and collect everything that was still usable. Many of her clothes had been trampled and torn. Even some that were usable would have to be washed first.
From there they moved on to the rest of the apartment. They had just sent the last things through the portal when the door was suddenly kicked in. "It's about time you showed up!" the agent from the previous night yelled as he stormed in. "You're coming with me to answer some questions!" He grabbed Tiffany by the arm and started to drag her out.
"Leave her alone!" Sarah yelled. He ignored her, so she flipped open her phone and called the police, simultaneously calling Erica through their bond. "I'm calling the police!" she yelled after them.
The agent glanced over his shoulder and saw that she had just finished dialing and was about to put the phone up to her ear. "Put that down!" he yelled, dragging Tiffany back towards Sarah. She took this opportunity to trip him up. He lost his grip on her and she ran back inside next to Sarah. Erica had by now joined them through the still open portal and put herself in front of Sarah.
"You don't have any right to be dragging Tiffany off like that! Get out of here!" Erica growled.
"I'm a federal agent, I have every right to take her in for questioning!" he replied angrily, showing them his ID.
"Do you have a warrant?" she replied.
"I don't need a warrant!" he said.
"I'm a law student, I know better! Unless you have a warrant you need to leave!" she said.
He muttered something uncomplimentary about lawyers under his breath and said, "Look, I can't explain everything to you, but I do have the right to take her in. Now get out of the way, or I'll arrest you for interfering in a federal investigation!" with that he drew his gun and aimed it at Erica.
Finish that call! Erica told Sarah. Just then there was a loud 'Bang', which was quickly followed by another, closer noise as the agent's gun went off.
To Be Continued…
If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudos!
Click the Thumbs Up! button below to leave the author a kudos:
And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks.
Comments
Since when is shooting
An integral part of 'arresting', I wonder?
Roaring Rampage of Revenge, anyone?
Because this... humanoid... just ruined any chances of Tiffany being the least bit friendly.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
And also...
Of his ever having any career whatsoever in law enforcement again, once he's out of prison for assault with a deadly weapon, and probably illegal search. Even under the (insane) "security" bills, they do have to have warrants, they just don't necessarily have to have them >in hand<. He really f****d up. Bad.
-Liz
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Here's your chance, folks,
Here's your chance, folks, to place your bets on who gets a piece out of him first! Will it be Sarah, Erica, or even Tiffany? Mana, Marvin, or some other law enforcement type? Vash? ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
I'm kind of hoping...
...that our intrepid heroes' good sense wins out a bit here, as this yahoo just handed them the perfect way to get Marvin and the rest of the feds off of them for a very long time. It looks really, really bad to the political types who hold Marvin's leash to have one of their people screw up that badly, and they are more than willing to jerk that leash unreasonably short to avoid more embarrassment. Marvin really won't have sufficient cause to expend more resources on what will look like a personal vendetta, especially when the civil lawsuits start draining the Bureau's funding, and his other, very valid investigations start racking up their costs.
I hope, but, human (or early trans-human) nature being what it is...
-Liz, who's loving the double entendre in the term "trans-human". ^__^
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Um, never?
Um, never? ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Scared
Because any agency is staffed by fallible humans and with all our faults we get scared, so does organizations and agencies. They can overreact and so some very stupid things although that is one reason for training is to prevent that and the potential abuse that goes with it. All the weirdness going on has some of them very spooked. Mysterious explosions, superhumans throwing cars, flaming humans setting fire to firetrucks are just not normal and governments depend on nice normal predictable events.
On the other hand that agent has crossed a line he shouldn't have and shot at Sarah's beloved. I wouldn't give two cents for that guy surviving the next few seconds. Of course he might be lucky and end up somewhere very bad like the Tyrannosaur's Rex Pen in Jurassic Park. That's just one of the many fun places he find himself. I'm sure Sarah can be Hmmm... creative. Great Stuff Saless!
Hugs!
Grover
Insightful
Hmm, yes, the possibilities are truly endless, aren't they? Thanks Grover! :)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
So we know the agents gun
has gone off, But more to the point was the gunshot caused by something Tiffany did ? Talk about cliffhangers, All i can say is thank goodness we will not have to wait too long too find out what happened next, ( i hope!!!).
Kirri
Nah, you won't have to wait long...
Just long enough for the aliens to swoop in, abduct our heroes, our heroes to fight their way through legions of enemies to escape, find their way back, and eventually get back to the whole FBI agent issue. You know, whenever. ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
He ain't really from the FBI is he?
Giving the matter a bit of thought he is perhaps with some outfit much more sinister than even the CIA? It's been known for years that certain agents can do a sneak and peek with out a search warrant. I know that I had something happen in my apartment about a year ago. It could have been the land lord or the police. Ah well, nothing was missing, and I don't write dangerous sounding poetry, or stories and I certainly don't have any plans laying around for illegal devices.
So, to me, the lack of a search warrant doesn't mean anything, and even before the new Nazi era, probably didn't either.
So, what are they really thinking? The goons probably want to make a weapon out of what our little group can do now. That's what it is all about init? The boys always want the biggest dick, huh?
Khadijah
Well, they won't get it with
Well, they won't get it with Sarah! In fact, they'll lose it! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Nice!
With Sarah's ability and the control she is gaining, she could portal those bullets right back at the Agent. Have him shoot himself in the foot or butt. The agent is lucky Tiffany does not have access to her knives. As a Shadowkin, she could cause serious irreversible harm to the agent. What was the first bang? Just before the agent fired?
Maybe it is time for Sarah and company to lay down the law to the FBI. They could graphically demonstrate the consequences of further attempts at harassing them. Some of the stuff they can do should scare the living s**t out of the agents. Maybe portal the agent back to HQ with the bullets.
You sure provide enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting. Thanks!
Hugs,
Trish-Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
Hugs,
Trish Ann
~There is no reality, only perception~
I think we have a situation here, Cue the Situation Room
Where DID FOX come up with that name?
Talk about hype but then I need to leave for a few minutes to the Situation Room, nature is calling.
>>>>>>>
-- Splush!!!! Gurgle gurgle --
>>>>>>>
Back now.
Seriously, yes I can do that, where in the stupid moron flatfoot storm trooper book does it say you can search a house without a warrant AND destroy property, IE her furnishings and the clothing? I believe the agent shot at Erica. But beyond Sarah and her portal tricks maybe with the chrysalis powers kicking in Erica is near bullet proof or fast enough to get out of the way. The best way to deal with the agent is to nail his ass with the law. He has gone WAY over the top and could spend time in prison. Oooooh, he'd be real popular among the population there for the hour or so he would live.
As I am sure Karen_J who was an officer would remind us, and common sense agrees, it is best not to argue with an officer, period, even when they are wrong ... they have the gun and the cuffs and, well you get the picture. Sort it out later and let the lawyers fight it out. In drawing a gun and shooting he has crossed a line. I would assume most law enforcement agencies have the equivalent of the military's *rules of engagement* regarding the use of deadly force, IE guns and the like. He will be very hard pressed to show reasonable cause for him to have shot.
Ka-girl might be appropriate or use portals to re-rout the bullets into some safer, harmless place, say his groin or spine, not that I'm the least bit vindictive.
This story need more gore!!!!!
Sorry.
Oh, any word on our mutant kitty cat lady and pals, Saless?
John in Wauwatosa
P.S. Nice chapter, Saless.
P.P.S. THis bit was odd, Saless are you playng with us?
I quote.
>>
Finish that call! Erica told Sarah. Just then there was a loud 'Bang', which was quickly followed by another, closer noise as the agent's gun went off.
>>
What was hat first "bang"? Two gunshots? The first him shooting a Erica, the second him shooting himself, gun pressed against his flesh, thus the muffled sound, due to Jill's TK lashing out instinctively?
John in Wauwatosa
Playing with you?
Me? Would I do that? ;)
Thanks John! My terror contest entry has been absorbing all my spare time lately (doesn't help any that, after writing the whole thing, I realize I've written it from the wrong perspective to get the right effect!). Once that's out of the way Kim's story is next. After that I'll get another Kittyhawk out, I think. And CoM. And maybe I'll even finish POWYHL some time this year? Maybe? I guess getting started on Aflterlife would be a bad idea with this lot already in the works, huh? ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Nail his ass with the law?
Unfortunately, these agencies also sometimes have an unofficial "our boys can't have done anything wrong" policy. Marvin may encounter problems with his superiors if he actually dares to prosecute one of "their own".
Definitely NOT.
--- Martin
Yeah, if she'd had her
Yeah, if she'd had her knives the agent never would have had a chance to draw his gun, let alone shoot it!
Thanks Trish-Ann! :)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
What caused the first bang?
Just then there was a loud 'Bang', which was quickly followed by another, closer noise as the agent's gun went off.
I don't know about the rest of you, but to me that means that something as yet unidentified went "Bang", then the agent's gun fired, causing the "closer noise".
The agent is probably one of Marvin's team, which indicates that episode 104 will probably come complete with a Watcher - and possibly a Watches the Watcher as well...
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what happens to resolve the rather obvious cliffhanger:
...he drew his gun and aimed it at Erica...the agent's gun went off.
Did the first bang distract the agent's gun, or will Sarah be performing some emergency healing in the next episode?
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
I'm glad it wasn't too
I'm glad it wasn't too obvious, I was afraid everyone would figure out what happened! Of course, there'd still be the suspense of finding out where the bullet went, but I like to have my fun! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
That Agent
Was totally wrong in what he did, and he knows it, too. Could he have been contacted by those from the Kitty Hawk story? After all, what's happening ib BOTH stories are very much alike.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
I agree, it sounded very similar.
Of two agents Marvin was given, he is the older one, mind you. And that may mean he is privy to more sensitive information, Black Ops, he may be an unmentioned replacement for Marvin... You get the idea.
I have once heard that any and every bullet shot from a police gun (and FBI gun, as I suppose), has to be explained by the agent. Like:
"I shot in the air to bring attention to myself and the power I represent, to demoralise the criminals and prevent their brawl from escalating. Their resulting surrender shows that the measure had merit"
Of course, it matters only when the situation did not immediately warrant deadly force. Like it did NOT in Tiffany's case.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
I've heard the same thing.
I've also heard they have to watch what's beyond their target so as not to shoot innocent bystanders by mistake (either by missing or by the bullet passing right through their target). Must be a pain, much easier to be the bad guy and just spray the area with bullets! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
They also...
...have to make a more-than-reasonable attempt to account for the final resting place of every round discharged, even ones fired "into the air" (which do always come down again). Failure to do so hands defense attorneys a potential "out" for their clients (on a brass platter, no less), and an embarrassment to whichever agency they represent and the prosecuting attorneys they work for/with. Further, if they >do< happen to hit a bystander, the agency's insurance takes a huge hit to pay off the lawsuit; a hit which then gets passed on to increased rates and tighter budgets, which in turn means fewer cops or agents who can be hired, et cetera. And that goes doubly so for an indoor situation, where they don't know who or what is on the other side of a (potentially very thin) wall, floor, or ceiling. This guy screwed up by nearly every number thought of. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
-Liz
-Liz
Successor to the LToC
Formerly known as "momonoimoto"
Even the bad guys...
Even the bad guys have to look out that they don't hit their friends. I'm pretty sure those kind of people have not much sense of humour when it comes to friendly fire.
Hugs,
Kimby
Hugs,
Kimby
Somebody is in deep du-du.
OK, so who got shot? I hope Erica's chrysalis, protected her, or can heal her -- if she's got shot. I wouldn't be surprised if part of the noise was Sarah protecting her beloved. If nothing else, I would expect her to instinctively put a portal between the gun and Erica as soon as the agent points it at her. It would be interesting if she put the exit portal in a position where the bullet hits him. Who can blame them if he shot himself? Ballistics would prove it, too.
I'm thinking, though, that the first shot came from elsewhere -- not the agent.
Or maybe it wasn't a gunshot. Sarah could have done any of a number of things, and wouldn't hesitate to protect her hunny.
Or Tiffany could have shadowed herself and simply taken the agent's gun.
So, tune in next week for another exciting episode of cliffhangers -r- us.
(Luckily, next week starts tomorrow.)
Nice not to have to wait
Nice not to have to wait weeks or months for the cliffhanger's resolution, huh? Not that I don't keep you all waiting to find some other things out! ;)
Saless
"But it is also tradition that times *must* and always do change, my friend." - Eddie Murphy, Coming To America
Wicked thought
Not that Sarah would have had the time or the inclination to do so, but since we're having a whale of a time speculating:
Paired portals: entry between the agent and Erica, exit behind the agent...
Gives a whole new meaning to "Getting a taste of your own medicine" :)
--Ben
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
She already did that
During her short trip to Whateley. I am more interested in an 'infinite loop' vertical Endless Fall of Doom technique.
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
My guess on what happened
The author gave us these facts
1) there was a loud BANG
2) next there was a closer noise (doesn't say it's a BANG) when the gun went off
My guess:
1) Sarah portalled the ammo out of the way and exploded it
2) the gun went CLICK because there was no longer ammo in it
Hugs,
Kimby
Hugs,
Kimby
Seems to Me...
...that the first "bang" -- which was NOT caused by the agent -- takes him off the hook to some extent for shooting Erica. If a federal agent has reason to believe he's being fired at in the course of his investigation, it's not an escalation of force for him to respond in kind.
He may well be held to account later for shooting at the wrong target, but I presume that the agent's national security claim will keep the case, and the improper search that preceded it, out of any public court or administrative hearings. Our heroes' response, whatever it turns out to be, may be the only serious punishment that he faces.
Eric