(no subject)

[wifeandpartner]

February 10, 1935
4:27 PM

It's been nearly a month since Tyler Marlocke took up residence in the Panda Lair--a month of increasing frustration both for the junior hero and his hosts. That frustration is being expressed in a number of ways. For Tyler, it's expressed through long, rambling journal entries, increasingly violent training sessions with the Squirrel, and an obsession with recreating his Moon Shadow gear down to the tiniest detail--'just in case.'

For Kit Baxter, the frustration manifests itself in a somewhat different manner.

"Kit," sighs her employer, "glaring at the report from Dr. Chronopolis is not going to make him find a solution any faster."

"Well, it should," Kit grumps. She stands up and paces to the far end of the study and back again. "This is drivin' me crazy, Boss! Dr. C's thrown everything he's got at that coaster, and he's still comin' up goose eggs! I thought he was supposed ta be the smartest guy in Toronto, how can he have nothing?? An' meanwhile poor Tyler's sittin' in the Lair for weeks on end... we might as well have left 'im in police lock-up for all the good we're doin' him."

"He has been making progress on his costume," the Panda comments. "But you're right. I really have to wonder how much longer his patience is going to last." Not to mention yours, he thinks, but doesn't say out loud. "A boy who can turn invisible isn't the easiest person to keep track of."

"You're tellin' me." Kit grabs the notebook full of Tyler's latest journal entries off of the desk and starts thumbing through it--more out of a desire to do something with her hands than anything else. "I swear, if we hadn't fixed a lock on the door up to the mansion I..." She trails off, staring at the page.

The Panda gives her a wary look. "Kit...?"

Kit shoves the open book into his hands and points mutely at one particular entry.

I wish I could use the coaster to get home, but I remember what Ray told me about it and using it in dimensions other than my home world. It'd be like running into a brick wall. The walls of each dimension would just bounce me back inside since I'm a... a forieg froreign FOREIGN body. The only way for me to get back home is for someone from this world to open the door there using the coaster...



For a long moment, the two incognito superheroes just stare at each other.

Then, as one, they turn and head for the first-floor spare bedroom at a pace just shy of a run.

Comments

[basic_powers]

A predicted, the hero-in-training is at the short end of his pool of patience and currently working on recreating the last piece of his gear. Sadly the boy is no tailor, but he did learn how to sew his own pj's at summer school. (he had one course he could choose for himself. It was the quietest one available.) Thus he has a pair of draw-string pants, a small long-sleeved tunic with elbow and shoulder padding, kneepads, simple gloves, and a rather sloppily stitched cowl that just fits.

Currently, he's painting a crescent moon on the chest of the tunic and touching up the leather football helmet that the Red Panda gave to him.

It's not entirely perfect, but it's a start for training gear...if they don't find a door soon he's going to sneak out the air tubes and practice roof-hopping!

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

Brace yourself, Tyler. You've got two very annoyed superheroes bearing down on your position.

[basic_powers]

...Uh-oh. He doesn't know what he did exactly...

But those expressions do not mean anything good.

"eep?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Flying Squirrel waves the stick-figure-bedecked journal page in Tyler's face. "Mind tellin' us why you never mentioned this?"

[basic_powers]

There is peering at the journal before Tyler looks at the squirrel.

"The drink coaster? I already gave it to Dr. Chronopolis!"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"She was referring to the description of how the coaster is used, actually."

[basic_powers]

There might be a Look involved here, but..

"I dunno, why did you guys never ask?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

If he wasn't getting a Look before, he certainly is now.

"You've been stuck here for how long? An' you never thought ta mention that you know how ta get back??"

[basic_powers]

"I thought you knew! You were in the bar for how long before the Arctic expedition?!" Plenty of time to collect intel on the place, especially since you're friends with Ray!

He may be raising his voice a bit at that.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"I was Bound! I wasn't exactly worried about how to get back to a place I was stuck in!" The Squirrel's voice rises several decibels. "You're the one who's been complainin' about bein' stuck here this whole time--didn't it ever occur ta you that maybe the reason we didn't get you home is because you never told us how?!"

[basic_powers]

"So was I the first time I got there, and I asked questions so I could figure out what was going on!" Tyler may be flailing a bit now and waving his arms. "I don't mind being stuck in another dimension I just mind not getting to go out and play outside!"

It might be noted that he is in third grade, and kids his age do not always have the best judgement. He's exceptionally mature at times, but in all things, Tyler is still a kid. They do not get to make the calls very often or for big important things like this.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Red Panda's look grows even darker. "We have made it abundantly clear that 'going out to play' is not an option. You are confined to the Lair for your own safety. You know that. And apparently your confinement to this universe has been of your own creation. You have no one but yourself to blame for this situation, Tyler Marlocke."

[basic_powers]

There's the other reason he hasn't brought it up.

Let's face it sir, you're frikking scary.

And you're scaring the kid who faces cultists with flaming hands, tentacled things in his locker and bullies who have superpowers on a regular basis!

The young-boy's face now reads entirely of 'I'LL BE GOOD.'

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Red Panda is the scourge of the underworld, hunter of those who prey upon the innocent. Being scary is his job.

"Come along, son. We're going for a drive."

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

One music sting and possibly a commercial break later...

"Oh, my." Dr. Chronopolis gapes at the journal page. "This explains so much! All this time, I've been approaching the problem from entirely the wrong angle..."

[basic_powers]

...

"How were you approaching it?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"I was attempting to harness the interdimensional energies within the, ah, object in order to create a semi-permanent interdimensional gate," Dr. Chronopolis explains. "From what you've told me tonight, I would estimate that such is impossible. And yet..."

"What is it, Dr. C?" asks the Flying Squirrel.

"Well, child, I have attempted to use the 'key' to open a door to Milliways myself, but to no avail. The mystical energies seem to... reject me, somehow, as though I were a foreign body myself. Most curious."

[basic_powers]

"Well....maybe you are. I mean...Milliways is a universe that's never seen you before...I mean you've never seen it."

Forgive him for saying the universes think.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"Oh." The little man scratches his head. "We do have a dilemma, then."

The Red Panda looks thoughtful. "So, we need the assistance of someone who is native to this reality and has been to Milliways before. Which means..." He looks meaningfully at his partner.

The Flying Squirrel nods. "Gotcha. What do I need to do?"

[basic_powers]

"You just hold the coaster to your skin, and try thinking of Milliways while opening a door." Tyler says, looking up. "Any door will do, but the more stable doors happen in out of the way places. I don't know why."

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Squirrel pulls off one of her gloves. "Dr. Chronopolis?"

"What? Oh, here you are, child." He carefully hands the coaster to her. "If you'll permit me to make a few scans while you work--"

"Sure, but I dunno what you expect ta find. If everything works like it should this ain't gonna take long." She looks down at Tyler. "Whaddaya say, Short Pants? You ready to go home?"

[basic_powers]

See this face? This face is saying yes in 3 languages right now. "Yeh!"

English, human body and canine!

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Red Panda nods. "Squirrel, why don't you help Dr. Chronopolis set up his equipment?"

"Help him with his--" The Squirrel cuts off abruptly when he sees the look on the Panda's face. "Yes, Boss."

As soon as the scientist and the sidekick are out of sight, the Red Panda turns to Tyler. "Tyler Marlocke, you have been entrusted with a great secret--one which, against my better judgment, I have allowed you to retain the memory of. You've made a few poor decisions, but those can be chalked up to youth and inexperience. I feel I can continue to trust you with our secret, but you must promise me that you will never reveal this information to anyone, in this or any other universe. Ever."

[basic_powers]

The young boy looks up at the much larger hero with a very quiet look on his face. Then he looks at where Miss Baxter and Dr. C went before turning to the Red Panda and speaking very gravely and quietly for a kid his age.

"Sir...maybe it's safer if you alter my memories anyway." A pause. "Because I know there's all kinds of ways someone could get that info out of me, without my permission or me actually saying or thinking it... ...and then it wouldn't be safe for you or Miss Squirrel."

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Red Panda is silent for a long moment.

"There is... another option. One that would allow you to retain your memories and still keep them save from outside intrusion. It's not perfect, but if the risk is acceptable to you..."

[basic_powers]

The boy is quiet for a moment as well.

"...what's the other option?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"A mental trigger. A post-hypnotic suggestion which can be used to wipe your memory after the fact, should someone attempt to force the information out of you."

[basic_powers]

"Understood, Mr. Red Panda, sir." Tyler says with a very small smile. "...I do have another question though."

"...This won't trigger any superpowers will it?" Tyler will face the wrath of the Red Panda rather than recieve superpowers any day.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

...there's a new one. The Red Panda quirks an eyebrow. "I've been able to block people's superpowers occasionally, but it won't give you any powers you don't already have."

He drops to one knee, his blank masked eyes locked with Tyler's.

"Are you ready and willing to begin?"

[basic_powers]

"Yes, sir, I'm ready and willing." Tyler doesn't even blink looking back at the superhero.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"Then... open your mind to mine." The Panda's voice has taken on a strange sing-song quality. "Your mind to mine."

[basic_powers]

Tyler's face just goes slack within a few syllables of the Red Panda's words. He was fairly right on his part about there being very little defenses in his mind. ".....yessir..."

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"My mind is in your mind. Your will is my will..."



The next thing Tyler knows, the Panda is standing up again and pulling a tiny envelope out of an inner pocket of his suit.

"If you are in danger of revealing our secret, open this envelope and read the card out loud. The phrase written on it is your mental trigger."

[basic_powers]

"I'll always keep it on me sir." The envelope is tucked in close to his chest kept there by the Power Ranger armor. "Thank you for putting up with me all this time. Did Miss Squirrel get the memo about the silver waiting for her in my notebook?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"She did." A smile tugs at the corner of the masked hero's mouth. "I think she was more eager for you to get home than you were."

"My ears are burning..." That would be said squirrel returning with Dr. Chronopolis in tow. Both of them have their arms full of assorted machines of indeterminate function.

[basic_powers]

She doesn't have to put up with his parents and super-powered bullies on a regular basis, which is another good reason.

"Hi Miss Squirrel, I was just asking if you got the memo in my notebooks about the silver."

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

"Heck yeah, I did. Why d'ya think I agreed ta go with you?"

[basic_powers]

"Because you're the only one who can open the door to Milliways apparently?"

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Squirrel quirks an eyebrow. "When ya get home, Short Pants, ask your teacher ta tell you what a 'rhetorical question' is."

Dr. Chronopolis clears his throat. "Miss Squirrel, if you're ready? I believe the broom closet door should suffice..."

[basic_powers]

Tyler just pulls up his backpack, all 3 notebooks inside and the clothes he came in packed inside. He's wearing clothes from this era as a 'just in case' of other time-travel incidents later on. He'll change when he gets back to Milliways.

He does however look up at Miss Squirrel to see if she's gonna get going.

[trustydriver.livejournal.com]

The Squirrel looks down at Tyler. Looks at her boss. Looks at Dr. Chronopolis. Then, finally, she looks at the door.

She takes a deep breath. "Well... here goes nothin'."

She takes Tyler's hand in hers, and with her free hand reaches for the doorknob. (http://community.livejournal.com/milliways_bar/19736936.html)