[Issue] Go West

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Of course a corporation would discover something scientifically mind-blowing and use it just to make drugs," Tosh sighed. Such a waste.

"So the protein is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg jutting into the plane of existence we can measure. And that contact alone is enough to spawn a rampaging monster. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if more of this energy source manifested."

[Acala]

"I don't think you have to imagine anything. I can make some educated guesses as to how this energy might manifest..." Acala chirps perhaps a tad ominously.

The projection dissipates only to be replaced by a similar one with a slight difference in the outer shell of the protein, next to it the vague outline of a person morphing into a bipedal shark with little lightning-bolts animated around it.

Another variant of the molecule and another cartoon of a person, wavy lines extending from their head and to the rendition of a floating rock of some kind.

A third pairing of MGH and cartoonish display, a person splitting apart into numerous birds.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Holy shit... you're saying this energy is what makes both natural and produced MGH work? That would mean it's touching every mutant. That's... that can't be. Mutations are genetic, not cosmic gobbledygook."

[Acala]

"I think MGH is an evolutionary adaptation to this. Your eyes produce structures that can absorb certain spectrums of light. This is a protein that aligns with..."

"...cosmic gobbledygook."

[Samantha McManus]

"So you think I'm genetically predisposed to all this, Tosh?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Well, I kinda did... mostly," he admitted.

"More importantly, is it one source for everyone? Or are there more? Sam, tell us everything you saw, no matter how trivial."

[Samantha McManus]

"I told you, it was like a person minus the person. Like the powers just... lingered afterwards. A spark looking for something to catch on."

"It tried to reach out to you, but I think Will had... more potential, somehow."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Are you sure? Me turning into a second rock monster is a big coincidence."

[Samantha McManus]

"Do you want me to tell you what I saw, or do you want reassurance that the third creature living in your head was put there by cosmic space gods?"

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I just want to know what happened now that I know there could be more to the story."

[Acala]

"We will do our best to get to the bottom of this. There is some research and data on theories about powers shunting mass and energy to and from pocket dimensions. I have---

"---dimensional research files. From---"

"---the Point's mainframe. I will try to work on the piles of garbage data Cerebra generates, see if any of it makes sense in light of this.""

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I'll read up on those theories too. Maybe my slow meat brain will make some connections your machine logic would otherwise overlook."

[Samantha McManus]

Sam sighs as the boffins just keep on sciencing.

She slumps into a chair and opens her mind, trying to reach that odd place she perceived when she was in the ground.

[Cailleach]

It's always hard to do something when you don't really have a good idea as to how, but she has a vague idea of what she's looking for at least. And Tosh's and Haley's minds are right there as... beacons maybe? Points to orient herself by? It was one thing to grasp at the equivalent of a roaring bonfire before but now it's hard to determine if what she's seeing is flickers of sparks or just the non-sense your eyeballs try to make of the inside of your eyelids. Maybe it's more noticeable when powers are being used? Or her own powers work better when there's struggles, fighting, a battle?

At least the isolated fragment of MGH doesn't appear to be doing anything, so it seems unlikely there'd be a resurgence of the Rock Monster.

And then there's a voice in her head that she probably wishes she's only imagining.

"Oh whatsoever might you be grasping for, my lost little bird?"

[Samantha McManus]

"Thought you'd leave a little something in here? I wouldn't count on getting lucky twice." She frowns.

[Cailleach]

"Have you not realized it yet? Oh I do wish I could see your face when you do."

"We might not be the same but we're bathed in the light of the same star. Isn't that what you were reaching for just now?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm trying to help my friends, and right now I don't have time for you."

[Cailleach]

"T'would seem you didn't learn as much as I did in the merging of our flesh. Shame, really."

[Samantha McManus]

"I know what you're talking about, and I've seen them. I saw them even before that."

[Cailleach]

"Seeing and understanding aren't the same or you wouldn't be pawing at them like a child. Or wonder if I'm still inside your flesh. 'Spose I am but not any more or less than you're in mine."

[Samantha McManus]

"Then I shouldn't be hearing you. The psi dampers should be keeping you... oh no."

[Cailleach]

Cailleach cackles. Or rather, there's the emotional impression of laughter.

"Does she understand it now? It shines brightly in us both. Our Spark."

[Samantha McManus]

"This shouldn't be happening. There should be alarms going off..."

"...we may have another problem, Tosh."

[Cailleach]

"Run, run little Raven for we've flown the coop. Mayhap you can catch the others yet!" she laughs, which makes the odds of that seem rather slim.

[Toshiro Narumi]

Hearing the worry in her tone, Tosh quickly turned to look at Sam.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I think... Cailleach is out. And I don't think she's the only one."

[Toshiro Narumi]

"Shouldn't there, um, be an alarm?" he asked with growing worry.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm not bloody making this up, Tosh. They bypassed it somehow!"

[Narrator]

And that's when an emergency light on the wall starts flashing and a speaker crackles to life.

"Code Silver, I repeat, Code Silver. All hospital and research personnel are recommended to move to their designated safety areas. North and South Wing will seal off in T minus 10 minutes. All Security Response Units to the containment facility."

"Code Silver, I repeat, Code Silver..." the message begins to loop.




Somewhere in the distance an emergency evacuation boat is skimming across the waves and into the brewing storm, carrying Conduit beyond the reach of her power and letting security systems slip free, the little technopath bouncing in place and clapping wildly in the rain until a hulking shape of a sharkman nudges her below deck where a whole host of villains is already settling in. Next to the boat a sleek shadow rises from the depth and breaches the surface, splaying her fins triumphantly before diving back beneath the waves.

[Toshiro Narumi]

"No, no, no... this is bad. Very, very bad. We've gotta help!" he said, starting to freak out at the idea that his grandfather or Thresher or... shit, was Finn there?... might be one of them.

[Haley Crusek]

Haley was in enough pain that most of the conversation sort of just blended into background noise as she sat on the edge of her exam table, eyes closed.

Background noise that was suddenly broken through by an odd sense of a cackle at the back her her head and then a palpable feeling of concern from first Sam then Tosh. Her eyes snapped open as the conversation shifted to that of escape. She was about to hop off the table and move herself closer to the others when the alarms started. She winced at the lights, klaxon and PA system and nearly fell off the table.

“God fucking damnit, it’s always something,” she grumbled, rubbing her temples before just ripping the leads from the monitoring equipment off and moving towards the others.

“What do we need to do and where the fuck are my clothes?” She asked the room as she stood in front of them in a hospital gown.

[Samantha McManus]

"Are you sure you're up to this, Haley?"

[Haley Crusek]

“The sooner we fix this, the sooner that fucking alarm shuts up,” she replied, “besides. Maybe throwing around some shit with my brain will make it hurt less. Not like *not* using it for the past weeks has helped me.”

[Toshiro Narumi]

"I just hope it's not already too late to help," Tosh said impatiently as he hurried to the door.