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Steelback and Spandex - Part 1
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Dasher runs through the street, seemingly alarmed about something.
Volker sees a streak rush by. He yells out, "HEY!!!"
Dasher skids to a halt, then runs next to Volker, "Yes? You need help?"
Volker shakes his head. "I you seem to be alarmed about something. What is going on? Should I go for cover?"
Dasher shakes her head, too, "No no. Well, not for you." She bites her lip, "The, um, fabric place is out of spandex, and I can't get any, anywhere. I use it for my costume."
Volker nods. "Oh.. Ok. Um.. Sorry to interupt you. Good Luck, then." He waves goodbye.
Dasher looks at Volker, "Say, can you do me a favor?"
Volker blinks. "Me?? Um. Sure. What can I do for you, Miss Dasher?"
Dasher asks Volker, "If you hear of any other supers with the same problem, can you leave a message for me at Zober's?"
Volker nods. "I'll put it up on the board, If I happen to see any other people with the same problems." He then waves good bye again and takes his briefcase down the street.
Dasher waves to Volker, then sprints off, a wake of wind behind her.
Volker finds a hiding spot and changes to his Super Hero ID!!!
During the time that Volker changes, Dasher manages to zip off westbound and return, heading up from the south.
Lodestone meanders down the road wondering where he should be going.
Dasher skids to a halt near Lodestone, the wind whooshing past them. "Oh! Lodestone!!"
Lodestone stops on the sidewalk. "Dasher.. How goes?" The stone man is just walking along it seems with no particular place to go? He smiles and tells Dasher, "I was heading to the base.."
Dasher looks at Lodestone's pants, then nods, "I was thinking of going there, too. Maybe some of the others will be there."
Lodestone looks down at his pants. "Um.. What's wrong?"
Dasher blushes, "I was just checking what they're made of. Sorry."
Lodestone scratches his head. "Well.. I use up a lot of pants this way.. maybe I should get a costume... or something.."
Dasher winces, "It's a bad time.." as she stands on the corner with Lodestone, "I need to get more fabric..but there's none to be had!"
Lodestone blinks. "You need more too, huh? So I guess that fabric isn't that durable... Darn.."
Altura Altera is walking along the street, occationally his neck will stretch to incredible lengths so that he can look down darkened alleys.
Dasher starts circling around Lodestone, "This is horrible I mean what can I do about it and where can I you know cotton is different I can't go around with no costume!!!"
Lodestone looks around getting dizzy as Dasher runs circles around him. He decides to sit down. "Hmm... This is certainly troublesome..."
Dasher stops circling and folds her arms across her chest, "I mean, we have to find out what happened. Right?"
Altura Altera stops and looks at the conversing superbeings.
Dasher looks at Altura, "Hey!!" She rushes over next to him, checking his costume, "Is this spandex when did you get it if it is are you having trouble too?"
Lodestone looks over to Altura. "Hmm..."
Altura Altera looks at Dasher nervously, "Si, um I mean yes. Some of it is spandex. I bought it in a store in Liberty Corners a few weeks ago. All I could get was green."
Dasher winces, "Ewww. I don't want green. Did you get the last batch?"
Lodestone scratches his head. "Green is a good colour. My name is Lodestone... Who are you?"
Altura Altera says, "Me? Call me Altura Altera. Nice to meet you. Problem with green is it makes me look like a tree." Then he says to Dasher, "No, they had a little bit of purple left then. But that was a while back."
Lodestone smiles and gets up. "Maybe you can take us there. Is that the only store in town? I may need some new pants.."
Dasher places her hand on her forehead, "Oh where are my manners I was so put out by not being able to get more fabric for my costume I didn't introduce myself I'm Dasher. I go fast."
Lodestone laughs. "I just weigh a lot."
Altura Altera says, "Very nice to meet you as well, Senorita." He smiles at Lodestone, "Yes, I know how that can get. Do you ever get nervous when walking over the subway tunnels?"
Lodestone nods. "Yes, of course. I have to be very careful where I go. I end up destroying more property than I save."
Dasher tells Altura, "Lodestone's not -that- bad. He just gets footprinty."
Lodestone sighs, "I guess Im not good for being stealthy."
Dasher pats Lodestone on the shoulder, "It's okay. You're good for not being stealthy. Sometimes we need that."
Altura Altera says, "I've been trying to practice at that kind of thing but I don't what I'm doing, honestly."
Lodestone nods and looks at Altura and Dasher. "Shall we go check out the store?"
Dasher rubs her chin, then asks Altura, "You said they had more? Oh, and what do you do? I forgot to ask."
Altura Altera says, "Well, this was a while ago. They might have some. Might be easier to call. That is the other side of the island and I don't have a car or truck I guess." He smiles again at Dasher, "I try to help people."
Dasher tells Altura, "I don't need a car. I'll be back in a jif." She looks at Lodestone, "Hang loose." Suddenly, there's a whooshing noise and a gust of wind as she sprints off northwards. In a brief second, she's gone.
Altura Altera watches for the brief time he can still see Dasher, "She's right. She is fast."
Lodestone nods and continues walking in the same direction as he was before. Very slow he is. He is being careful to not make indentatations in the sidewalk.
Altura Altera says, "I guess you can't turn that off. That must be hard to deal with.""
There is a whooshing sound building from the distance. Mere moments after she left, Dasher is back. She skids to a halt near Lodestone and Altura, debris and wind continuing on a bit after she stops. She grumbles, "They sold out last week."
Altura Altera thinks . o O (Dios, that would be horrible. I would probably die if I got stuck in another form.)
Altura Altera says, "I'm very sorry, bonita."
Lodestone has only taken two steps. He nods at Altura and then at Dasher...
Dasher looks at Altura, "It's not your fault." She frowns and rubs her chin, "But why is it suddenly not available?"
Altura Altera says, "Maybe someone needed to buy a lot of it. If a super couldn't adjust their costume and could become very large they could use a lot."
Dasher nods to Altura, "That could be it. The guy at the store in Liberty Corners said a shipment is supposed to be coming in this week."
Lodestone shrugs. "So we wait for a week?"
Dasher bites her lip and the mask over her eyebrows moves a bit, "Well, I mean, what else can we do?"
Altura Altera suddenly grows to stand over 30 feet talk, "Nylon is nice. I concidered making my costume this size first but that was too expensive.
Lodestone looks up at the towering Altura. . o O (Wow... He must be stronger than me..)
Dasher's jaw drops, "Holeee..."
Altura Altera looks around and blushes when he sees an apartment window. He then shrinks down to stand a few inches tall. "Aye, I have to be careful where I look like that."
Dasher chuckles, "I know what you mean. El Cid keeps telling me to not run so fast because of the wind."
Lodestone chuckles, "I guess we all have our little side affects."
Altura Altera looks up at Lodestone, "Is that a short joke?"
Dasher nods to Lodestone, "I can't even run full speed a lot. If I do, I make sonic booms."
Altura Altera says, "Too bad you can't run over water. That fast you could be in Miami in no time." He grows back to his normal size his cheeks still a touch darker than previously, "Sorry Lodestone, I couldn't resist. Size jokes are always running through my head."
Dasher tells Altura, "I can run over the water. Miami's a bit far, and I'd have to make sure to not stop."
Altura Altera nods as if almost comprehending.
Dasher looks at Lodestone, "Hey, we should show him the hangout."
Lodestone nods. "I was heading that way.."
Altura Altera says, "Hangout? Not that beatnik place over on 9th is it?"
Dasher shakes her head and runs circles around Altura, "No we found a cool place where people like us who like to use our powers to help people can hang out and sleep maybe and eat and get first aid if we're hurt and it's a groovy place!"
Altura Altera says, "That does sound like a good place to know about."
Lodestone suggests, "We should buy lots of spandex and have a good storage of it there..."
Dasher laughs, "I wish I'd thought of it, back then." She speaks softly to Altura, "Follow us down into the subway."
Lodestone begins following you.
Altura Altera says, "Lead on, Bonita. I will gladly follow."
Dasher quietly leads the other supers into the station, then waits for a passing train to mask them as they head west into the tunnels.
Dasher leads the two men past the Government sector station, and down into a dark tunnel. She stops and places her hand on the wall, turning what looks like a rock.
Dasher leads them into the hangout, then holds out her arms, "Her we are! The groovy goodguys pad."
Altura Altera says, "Secret room. Very cool."
Altura Altera says, "Is that the official name? Groovy goodguys pad?"
Lodestone says, "El Cid's Bordello."
Altura Altera says with a shocked look on his face, "Bordello?"
Dasher coughs, "Oh yeah. Right." She pokes Lodestone, "You know, Phoenix is scultping you a nice chair."
Lodestone nods. "Oooh. That should make El Cid really jealous..." He smiles and pats Altura on the back. "I was just joking.."
Altura Altera staggers slightly at the pat on the back.
Altura Altera thinks . o O (El Cid? Phoenix? There are a lot of supers on this island.)
Altura Altera says, "It's got that nice bomb shelter feel to it. So, how much do you weigh Lodestone? If you don't mind saying?"
Lodestone shrugs. "I never weighed myself... "
Dasher runs into the Mess Hall, then comes back with a big bowl of plantain chips. She sets it down on the table and sits down, "Dig in." She takes a handful, then apologizes, "..I get hungry a lot."
Altura Altera looks at Lodestone as if trying to guess his weight.
To Dasher- Altura Altera says, "I think Lodestone and I need to watch our weight. I don't think we need to gain any more."
Dasher grins to Altura, "Okay. I guess I can eat, though?"
Lookout comes in and looks around.
Altura Altera is looking at Lodestone as if trying to figure out his mass.
Altura Altera smiles at Dasher, "Don't worry, Bonita. I'll be glad to watch for you as well."
Dasher waves to Lookout, still having a mouthful of chips, "..mmff..rookout..hi!"
Lodestone grabs a handful of chips. He doesnt need to eat them in this form.. But it's just so yummy. The stoney hero eats them like the cookie monster with pieces falling out of his rock mouth everwhere.. I guess he hasnt mastered eating yet...
Lookout blinks. "Hello, uh... am I interrupting anything?"
Altura Altera stops and looks at Lookout, and says in his accented english, "Aye, Another superhero. Maybe he knows where to find spandex."
Lodestone waves at Lookout with a handful of chips. "Hi Rookrout."
Dasher shakes her head and swallows, "Nope. But we have a problem, sort of. All the stores are sold out of spandex. You use cotton for your costume, right?"
Altura Altera thinks . o O (Nice folks. Awful table manners but nice.)
Lookout looks down. "I'm not really sure what mine is made of."
Altura Altera looks around and approaches the lava sculpted chair, "Is there a fire hero that needs this?"
Altura Altera thinks . o O (Fire hero at a wooden table? How dumb am I?)
Lookout points at Lodestone. "A stone hero needs it."
Lookout looks around. "We still need some closets though."
Altura Altera says, "Closets? Do people live here?"
Lodestone nods. "Sometimes. Sometimes we stay here for extended missions.."
Lookout says, "And we need a place to put the Monopoly set."
Altura Altera says, "Oh, Where are my manners? Mi Madre would never forgive me." He extends a hand toward Lookout, "Call me, Altura Altera.""
Lookout shakes hands. "Muchas gracias."
Lodestone takes more chips to munch on. "Can I call you AA? Or double A?"
Altura Altera says, "If it is easier for you. Double A is good."
Lodestone nods and sits down on the Phoenix carved chair. He smiles. "It holds my wieght." *Munch* *munch*
Dasher tells Altura, "We have a doctor on call, too, if we need."
Lookout gets some chips and chews on them. "Mmm. Salt."
Lodestone shrugs.
Altura Altera says, "That is very good. Is the number posted somewhere?"
Lookout looks at the coffee table on a corner. "Who put that there?"
Dasher nods and says, "There's a paper on the fridge." She turns to Lookout, "El Cid insisted."
Lodestone scratches his chin which knocks some chip bits off. "Hmm El Cid. How is he doing? Did he ever fix up the radio thing yet?"
Altura Altera says, "Smart man." He looks over to where Lookout is looking. "What is wrong, muchacho?""
Dasher shakes her head, "No, not yet. He says it's going to be kind of hard. He has to upgrade world war two stuff to modern."
Altura Altera says, "Mind if I look around?"
Dasher gets up and tells Altura, "I can give you the tour, if you like."
Lodestone nods at Dasher. "I wish I could help.. But I am not an expert on those things.."
Altura Altera becomes hazy and semi-transparent then walks through the table towards the messhall, "No Bonita, enjoy your siesta. I'm sure I can find my way."
Dasher blinks, "Neat trick!" She sits back down, "Okay. If you get lost, holler."
To Dasher- Lookout says, "Can't you do the same thing?"
Dasher waves her hand faster and faster, until it's transparent, then sticks it through the table, "Yeah. I can. It's still a neat trick."
Lodestone sighs. . o O (If I tried to do that I would just make holes in walls.) The stoney hero imagines the walls around cities from various buildings with Lodestone shaped holes through them...
Altura Altera becomes solid again and his neck stretches into the messhall. An arm later extends into the room as well.
Altura Altera's head and arm come back with a bottle of pepsi in the hand, "I hope it's alright. I'll try to bring some down to replace it."
Altura Altera says, "Looks like you are prepared to feed an army."
Dasher grins, "Well, we figured to stock up."
Lookout nods. "Easier than go to the supermarket every day."
Lodestone nods. "Now we know to stock up on costumes too."
Altura Altera takes a seat at the table, "Is that really a problem? How long do your costumes normally last?
Lodestone sighs. "I need a new pair of pants everytime.."
Lodestone thinks . o O (Luckily.. Im pretty well off..)
Lookout says, "You could try bellbottoms."
To Dasher- Altura Altera says, "Did I hear that you can walk through things as well?"
Lodestone shakes his head at Lookout. "I don't like that style..."
Dasher sighs, "Mine don't last -quite- so long. They wear out every other month, just from the running." She nods to Altura, "Yeah. I can vibrate fast enough to move my atoms apart."
Lookout says, "Uh, Mine just tears down whenever I get hit."
Lodestone chuckles and replies to Lookout. "Just stand behind me, next time!"
Altura Altera says, "Get hit? Oh, by villains or criminals?"
Lookout nods. "Will try to remember that!"
Altura Altera looks around at the others, "I've never really fought a criminal. Is it scary?"
Lookout says, "It's pretty nice until they start fighting back."
Dasher shakes her head and then nods, "Well, yeah. Depends."
Lodestone chuckles. "The scary ones are the ones who enter your brain and try to control you.. "
Altura Altera looks at Lodestone wide-eyed, "Enter your Brain!?! They can do that?"
Lodestone thinks for a moment and rephrases that. "Well. I mean like mental powers and stuff. Those who can physically enter your brain are scary too."
Dasher nods to Altura, "It hurts. That's when I get afraid."
Lookout says, "Exploding stuff. That's bad, too."
Altura Altera says, "Sounds very dangerous. But I guess better us than some poor innocent bystander."
And so, they chat for a while...
NEXT
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