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Colin dials the number.  The phone rings a few times and Bobby answers.  The sounds of children laughing and playing in the background can be heard, and the barking of a dog followed by giggling.  "Hey Crow.  What's up?"

"Hi Bobby. Is everyone at home all right? Can I bother you with a couple questions, or are you busy?"

"Busy watching the girls chase the dog, but not too busy to answer...Not the lamp!"  but his warning comes too late and Colin can hear a crash and the twins say _'Sorry.' and then the clatter of feet on the floor.  "Anyway, what's up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry about the lamp too. Well, I'll get to the point. Something stranger than usual happened at school. We had the visit of some of our doubles form another dimension, they caused some trouble, and then disappeared in a portal. Have you ever heard of anything like that? I'm not sure, but the portal looked like it was opened from this side, almost as if someone wanted to cover up as quickly as possible sending them back. Or elsewhere, at least. The only think I'm sure about is that it wasn't magic. I was kind of wondering if you or Sky had any advice to give about this."

Bobby laughs, and then manages to stifle it.  "Oh, man I'm so sorry.  Ah, yeah we've had some experience with that stuff.  Sky more than me.  I can have her give you a ring in a couple minutes if you want?"

"Only if it doesn't cause the destruction of more furniture." Colin can't help but chuckle "Thank you, Bobby."

"No problem."

Bobby hangs up and a few minutes later Sky calls Colin.

OOC: And this is Cassie's cue.

The susurration of an air-conditioner creates a layer of aural static behind the sound of Sky Six-Killer's mellow alto.  "Hi, Colin.  Bobby tells me you could use some help?"  She sounds concerned, as if one of her children has called home from summer camp with a case of homesickness.

"Hello, Sky! It's nice to hear you. I'm not in any trouble, but something peculiar happened, and I thought maybe you two could help me figure it out."

He takes a seat, grabs a pen, and starts sketching idly.

"A couple friends of mines received the unexpected, and rather unpleasant visit of their doubles from another dimension. One in particular pretended to be the 'resident' one, stirred up some trouble messing with my friend's personal life, and this lead to a confrontation. We had bested them, and were about to turn them in, when a portal opened and... something shoved them through. that's pretty much everything I know. I've got a sort of sixth sense about magic, so I'm rather sure it wasn't used magic to open the portal. It's probably something more scientific in nature.
Some, well, for lack of a better term, 'feds', showed up at school, but they didn't answer any question, and I can only hope they listened to me. Or that they're competent enough on their own.
When we met, you said you have friends in Eagle force. Do you happen to know anyone who could come and take a look into this matter?"

Almost as an afterthought, he also adds "I've read that something similar happened in Port Angeles, Washington, about thirty years ago, but it didn't go into details, and I haven't been able to find anything about it. Have you ever heard of anything like this?"

"I do, but the squad that investigated your school specializes in this kind of thing.  They're a scientific unit.  The friends I have on Eagle Force are familiar with interdimensional travel but only in an experiential way--"  She seems to smile as she says it.  "--and they'd prefer to stay as far away from your breach as possible."


Sky's fingers fly over a computer keyboard, and after a few seconds she says, "Yes.  It was a situation a lot like yours.  Teenage heroes and the thinning of the dimensional barriers.  The analysis I have chalks it up to 'convergence of improbability,' which essentially means they can't explain it except to say that strange things happen all at once.  I have a friend who hypothesizes that the thinning barriers cause anomalous events, something to do with the harmonics of closely related universes, but I can never get him to explain it in a way that makes complete sense to humans."

"Oh." He thinks about that for a moment. "How much should I be worried? I mean, someone around here is able to open portals, and, apparently, to to pull and push people through. What if he pulls here something worse than our doubles? Or pushes someone from this world to another? Can the squad that came here prevent something like this from happening?"


Colin is fascinated by the idea "So, according to your friend... we could be this universe's reaction to this cosmic event. Antibodies, in a sense. When the barriers start thinning, destiny makes sure there's someone able to deal with it. Or is it the other way around?"
He thinks about it a little more, then gives up.
"What happened to Port Angeles' heroes?"

"They're working to strengthen the barriers.  They'll have finished doing so in a couple of days."


"They grew up," she says.  "They have jobs, homes, and families.  Are you worried about your future?"

"Uhm. I see. Thank you."


"Not really worried. Curious. Our lives are rather peculiar at the moment. A few days ago, we went to a museum, and a mummy woke up. Now this. It's kind of difficult for me to picture how I'll be in thirty years, since I have no idea what's going to happen to me in thirty minutes. I was wondering if, at some point, our ability to attract trouble will dissipate. Or if the world is so full of possibilities because we're together, and when we'll go our separate ways things will change." He sighs.

"Maybe I should just relax and enjoy the ride."

"Nietzsche says that what doesn't destroy us makes us stronger.  I'm not sure I believe that, but you could see life as a series of challenges, opportunities to grow and to learn."  She pauses and confides, "I would not have chosen the things that have happened to me, but I don't regret where and what I am now."

"I have something many people would envy greatly. I... Well a part of me knows that there is something, that there are... forces that mean us well. Sometimes I can almost see how things are interconnected, and how what we do may actually effect the whole. If I don't let the enormity of it swallow me, I'm able to see it for what it is. A privilege. Sometimes, it's like our faith makes things true. It's all so new to me. But I like this feeling. It makes me feel a lot less helpless, if anything. There might be trouble ahead, but it isn't all on my shoulders. I just have to do my part, and try to do the best with it."

There's a pause.

"Did what I just said make any sense?" he asks, suddenly a goofy teenager again.

Sky seems warmly amused.  "Yes.  With every passing year that makes more sense.  How do your friends feel about your role?"

Colin hesitates.

"I'm not sure. I mean, they have so many things going on of their own, it's not like they can focus on me. I'm not that different. We all have to deal with stuff much bigger than us, that is quite difficult to understand. I might have a slight advantage, though. I know I'm not alone. that's the best part of what I am. When things go the right way, I can feel a connection with everyone. With everything. That is the real magic."

"It does give you a sense of serenity, doesn't it?  I used to dread that part of Bobby's life--the prophecy, the sense of obligation--but that was when I saw it as nothing more than a warning of impending doom.  Now I know--"  She pauses.  "Well, I feel that their warnings are really a way of saying that you can make a difference, that you have it in you to change things for the better."  She laughs wryly.  "It took me a long time to get there, though."

"It weighs a lot on my mother too. We used to care after each other, since we only had each other. Now it's more complicated. Fortunately..."

A thought suddenly crosses his mind. What if... He stares wide eyed at the wall in front of him for a moment, until she hears Sky call from the phone.

"Sorry, it was nothing. Fortunately we're not alone anymore, I meant."

"You're not alone in any sense.  You have a lot of people looking out for you, even if they're far away.  I hear a lot about you from my father, from Bobby, and from my friends."

"Your father?"

"Dr. Banner.  He said you called him right after the dimensional barrier incident."

Colin for a moment is utterly confused.

"Dr. Banner is your father? I had no idea."

He tries to picture her as a hulking green woman, but it doesn't fit. The impression he had of her aura doesn't go with that. Not that it means anything. Just because John has the same powers of his great-aunt, it doesn't mean powers are always genetic. Sky could very well be different.

"I didn't call him. A friend of mine probably did. We had already asked him and... your mother I guess?- for help in a previous situation. They've been very helpful.

Anyway, I know I can count on many people, I meant that now my mother has someone who helps he feel less lonely. And while their meeting was totally accidental, it's changed our lives for the best."

"That's wonderful.  I think I met him, actually.  We went to lunch with Kevin."

"For a moment I had the strangest thought. I mean, what if it was not an accident? What if they were supposed to meet so that my mom could be happy and not worry too much about me while I go about doing what I have to do?" He chuckles. "You see, that's the problem when you start thinking the universe has a plan. Everything you say seems insane."

Sky seems to contemplate that.  "While I'd caution most people against delusions of grandeur, it's possible that fate, or whatever you care to call it, has brought these things to pass.  Bobby and his grandfather tell me you have a role to fulfill, but they're vague as to what that role is."  She sounds mildly displeased about that, as if it were the source of some fruitless grousing on her part.  "You're blessed, in a way."

"I guess they don't want to ruin the surprise." He chuckles.

"I do have many blessings. Not the least of which is some friends I can call when I need a hand or a bit of advice. I should let you get back to your work, now. Oh! I almost forgot. It wasn't Zoe's fault. Well, she did play with it, but she didn't take it or lose it. It just accidentally fell behind the chest of drawers. If you just pull it a little far from the wall it should fall down, so you can retrieve it."

A moment of silence.

"I have no idea how I know this. But I'm usually right. Thank you again, Sky."

Sky's voice is rich with dry irony.  "Thank you."  Then her tone softens with sincerity.  "Watch out for yourself and your friends, Colin.  Don't hesitate to call for help."