The Next Generation

[Lawshenk]

Geri stood up looking at the girl " I don't know who I can trust any more " she caught them up

Mymi looked at him " the full moon transforms me human I can't help you until then"

[Lady Jenn]

"Geri," she called after her. "I know what's really happening with Hero Corp, I also know that the girl has no idea what she is dealing with. The truth of that day is hidden from him for a reason, if you do this... bad things will happen."

"I'm not sure about this," Clint said, backing away slightly, unaware his sister was even nearby. "I have a bad feeling about this."

[Lawshenk]

" all I need is proof not more confusion" said Geri

" do as you must"

[Lady Jenn]

"Stop this and I will tell you," she said, trying to contain her anger. "But if this continues, I WILL protect him, and you don't want to test me."

"Geri, what's happening?" Clint asked, only seeing Geri and not understanding who she was speaking to.

[Lawshenk]

" I want you to stop, Mymi thanks for the offer but if as you said you need to wait till a full moon thats week away we will try it then"

[Lady Jenn]

"I'm sorry for this Clint," his sister said, waving a hand, causing him to black out and fall to the ground. "He's fine, but...as I said, he can't know what I'm about to tell you. He probably told you I'm dead, and...technically I almost certainly am, what you see before you is a fragment of me I left behind in his mind to try and protect him. You see...he wasn't the one the Hero Corp wanted, it was me they were targeting, and my mistaken belief I was protecting him nearly killed him. And all because I have...had a power set no-one else had and yet they wanted to replicate."

[Lawshenk]

" hero Orr don't want or take powers ladie " she starred at her in disbelief as Mymi joined them

[Lady Jenn]

"They want mine," she replied. "Although, considering my brother's state I fear they have it already. You see, I have...had three powers: healing, whatever the power is that allowed me to create this...fragment and the other...the other is more complicated. I can give people without powers abilities, and if I make contact with those with powers I can either change their powers or enhance them. The Corps wanted me to help them but they made it clear that using my powers would make my health deteriorate." She turned to look at Clint's prone form. "They threatened to hurt Clint if I didn't do as they asked, when the accident happened we were trying to escape. Clint..." she paused. "When I pulled him out of the car, Clint was on the verge of death, it nearly killed me just keeping him alive. But that is not the only reason I stop him from accessing his memory. He suffered an...injury to his brain, every time he accesses that memory his condition worsens, if I allowed him to see the full memory..." she stopped, wiping away a tear. "If you will not believe me there is another who would know, the one we were fleeing to, a retired hero called Skyspear. If you told him Luna sent you he will know to trust you."

[Lawshenk]

Geri stared at the girl and started to cry " hero corp has never before tried to take powers " she shook her head mymi sat with the broken heroine and hugged her she looked straight at  Luna whome she should not be able to see
" creature be gone look at what your words have reduced this great being too! You will shield your brother, but not others how heartless are you?"

[Lady Jenn]

"You think my brother is the only one they hurt?" Luna asked. "Did you ask him how he got that cut on his hand? I thought they enhanced my brother purely because he was too ill to resist, but before he came to Geri he fought a young woman with a power..." she thought how best to explain it. "This power, I had seen it only two other places: Skyspear before he retired, and me when he gave it to me to avoid it falling into the wrong hands." She sighed. "Fine, if you believe endangering my brother's life to find out what he knows to find out about what the Hero Corps is really doing, that is your choice. I will have no part in this, we should be working together, not fighting each other." With that she suddenly vanished.

"Ugh, the hell just happened?" Clint said, sitting up gingerly and rubbing his good eye. He suddenly saw Geri. "What just happened? I remember coming out of the water and then...nothing."

[Lawshenk]

Gerri stands up and blanky looks around crying

Mymi looks at him and really does not know what say she coyly smiled giggled a little and says " I think maybe I made a mistake I am sorry I should have not have spoken to the child that way"

[Lady Jenn]

"What do..." he started saying, before feeling a momentary sting in his head which reminded him of something. "Geri, I know what Hero Corps were really doing. At least...I think I do. While I was out I saw a memory I hadn't seen before."

[Lawshenk]

Geri stared at him " I am the wrong person for this I just don't understand life anymore "!She tool off at high speed

Mymi looked at him " what do you know about retired hero's "

[Lady Jenn]

"I have to bring her back," he said, trying to focus his telepathy. "Geri, if what I saw is right...if it means what I think it does...they aren't just a threat to us powered people, they're a threat to EVERYONE. We need to find Skyspear, we need to stop this, and I...I can't do this alone." He stumbled slightly. "Damnit, I can't maintain my powers like this."

[Lawshenk]

Mymi hugged him " Geri is looking for that sky spear I'm sure " she smiled " she wants to keep you out off this" she sighed " I read her mind with out permission "

Mean while

Geri lands at city hall and marches to the desk " I need to speak to he mayor now" she demanded

//Is skyspear a male or female?

[Lady Jenn]

(he's male, sorry, I should've made that clear lol. Gonna do what this lady is writing on her tablet in italic so you know the difference between what she's writing and saying)

"The mayor isn't here," the woman behind the desk said, before picking up a tablet computer.

"Can't talk, being watched," the screen read.

"I could see if there's a gap in his diary I could fit you in," she said, pretending to turn to her computer.

"Skyspear is in hiding, Hero Corps tried to raid the office and he only escaped because one of the few friends he had there warned him," the screen continued.

"There doesn't seem to be any free time I can see," she said, before handing her a card. "Phone next week and the diary should be a little clearer."

"His safe house address," she typed. "Take the boy with you. He knows more than he has even begun to understand, Hero Corps will kill him if they can find him, he's safer with you than he is alone."

[Lawshenk]

" thank you" she smiled " and erm do these gaps appear often? " She smiled and shortly left  and back to them you two with me and quickly she picked them up and headed for the address on the card

[Lady Jenn]

They found themselves at a small, one-storey cottage in the middle of a forest, the only sign of life a Chevy pulled up out front. Tim led them up the door, knocking quietly but firmly.

"Go away," came a gruff voice from within.

"Skyspear, it's Clint, Luna's brother," Tim called out. "We need your help."

"What?" the voice asked, before they heard the sound of a bolt sliding back and the door opened. Stood there was a tall Native American man, wearing a plain blue shirt and jeans with a battered old red cloak thrown over his back. "Clint, come in," he said, moving aside to let them in. The interior resembled a disorganised lumberjack's house.

"Sky, my sister..." Clint started saying, before the man put his hand up.

"The fact I did nothing to help you when you needed it is a thing of great shame for me," Skyspear said as he closed the door. "What could possibly bring you here though?"

"Hero Corps are planning something," Clint replied. "I don't know for certain what, but it's something to do with something called...the Azanti Incident?"

"Heaven help us," Skyspear said as he walked over to get them drinks. "Tell me, what do you two know of why the Corps was first started?"

"I know it started with a hero team," Clint replied. "Beyond that, not a lot."

[Lawshenk]

Gerri looked a him " you mister mayor you started it to protect and honour all heros from manifest to death " she recited like a school child And blushed a little " they made me the golden shot without them I'm Gerri the cafe owner, they also stoped me from joining the team for years ago I don't even get a comic"

[Lady Jenn]

"That is partly true," he said, getting up and picking up an old photo from a mantelpiece and placing it in front of them. "There were four of us, we formed it after being asked to stop a mad powered man who threatened to trigger a war in Europe. There was me, Lady Nightstrike of England, the Russian man mountain Bearman and...and Aniko," he said, pointing to the furthest right person, a woman in elaborate colourful armour. "The first powered person in Japan, and to this day the greatest love of my life. We were so successful that we were given free rein to form the organisation, and for a time we all trained promising heroes."

"What happened?" Clint asked. "I recognise you but I've never heard of the others."

"Life caught up with us," Skyspear replied. "Nightstrike's mother fell ill, and with her being an only child she decided family came first. Bearman had to retire after suffering an injury in his other favourite pastime of wrestling. Aniko...I've never been able to prove it, but especially after Azanti I am almost certain the Corps sent her to her death in what was supposed to be a hostage rescue but turned out to be an ambush by a group of terrorists armed with hero killer weapons the Corps maintain to this day don't exist. But that is not the Incident I refer to."

"I have a vague memory of it," Clint said. "If I remember right a kid went out of control in the centre of Hamburg and the Corps had to stop him to save civilians."

"Maybe by the end of this you two will stop believing everything the Corps tells you," Skyspear said, placing another photo in front of them of him, Aniko and a young man whose appearance caused Clint to let out a gasp.

"He's..." Clint paused. "Azanti...he was your son?"

"He was," Skyspear replied, struggling to hide his emotions. "He was a relatively unremarkable powered boy at first, but six months before he died he became seriously ill, to the point where the Corps became the only option to try and save him. I don't know what they did, but he came out...different. He claimed to be hallucinating, he became intensely paranoid...the day he died he was trying to link up with a contact who claimed they knew a secret that could destroy the Corps. I believe they found each other, but the Corps were not far behind, and they had...have you ever come across a type of powered person called an Accelerator?"

"The people who can send powers into overdrive?" Clint asked, before realisation dawned on him. "Oh my god, he wasn't a threat, they framed him and then murdered him to stop him getting back to you. I...heard something, I think they may be planning something similar."

"I can believe that," Skyspear said. "Before he died my son managed to tell a young woman who tried to save his life 'The Corps...they found the Key...everyone in danger...' It is possible you know more than I do Clint, but," at this he turned to Geri. "I must warn you, if this is what I believe it is you may not be ready to see what young Clint knows. If you wish to leave now there is no shame."

[Lawshenk]

" I am going nowhere at least not yet my team well bunch of misfits or wonnabes we are ready and would be honoured to fight by yourside "she smiled an empath, a mermaid, a few elementals, a shape shifter and another retiree from the corps if your have us " she paused " and a Clint what ever he is" she looked at him " the mermaid is out side by the way she is very shy"

[Lady Jenn]

"I'm not sure I know anyone," Clint said with a sigh. "I've been on the run so long Geri is the closest I've had to a friend in a very long time. What about Nightstrike and Bearman? If you're still alive is there any chance you could approach them?"

"I haven't spoken to them in some time," Skyspear said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose it is at least worth an attempt. Shall we take a look at this memory?"

"Everytime I try I have a fit," Clint said, looking alarmed. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"My powers work a little differently," Skyspear said. "I do not enter your memories, I draw your memories out, it will not harm you." He approached Clint, who seemed to relax very slightly, and placed a hand on the top of Clint's head which glowed for a few moments. When he removed his hand the scenery around them had changed, they were in the middle of a large operating theatre, two surgeons stood over a young man who, even with his injuries, was recognisably Clint. "Take a few moments to adjust," Skyspear said. "And remember, this is a memory, they cannot see or hear you."

[Lawshenk]

Geri started to call her team her inspirational friend lady night strike

[Lady Jenn]

"What's that?" Clint asked as the memory started to move, pointing to a syringe full of a strange silver liquid that one of the surgeons was preparing to inject him with.

"I'm not sure," Skyspear replied, looking at it quizzically. "I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" one of the surgeons asked. "Our experiment with Azanti failed so badly we nearly caused mass casualties, this boy doesn't even have powers to begin with."

"This is different," the other surgeon replied. "We didn't have the girl's blood then, we have ways to manipulate powers we didn't back then. Besides, we have him."

"Who is..." Skyspear started saying before he spotted the figure the man was referring to: perched on a wall as if he was magnetically attached to it was a middle-aged man, straggly grey hair barely covering his heavily scarred features. "Oh, this is worse than I thought. That man, that's who the Corps were originally sent to stop, I assumed he was either in prison or dead by now."

"Be careful," the figure said to the surgeons. "We need to get this right, if we're to bring down the President I must be sure these powers will work without killing their host, after all we must...neutralize potential threats first."

[Lawshenk]

Gerri's team start to arrive and she lets them in and welcomes them all in