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Dave gives everyoneone a sheet of paper and an envelope as they arrive.  He explains it's the names of the witches and their fake ID.

Felicia Alden - Junior
Nancy Downs - Senior
Alexandra Medford - Sophmore
Sara Bailey - Senior
Laura Lizzie - Freshman
Sukie Ridgement - Sophmore
Jane Spofford - Junior

"From what I've been told if we had to pick one as being the ring leader it would be Sarah.  Rumor is she's always been a little wierd and has been getting her own little secret clique together over the last four years.  I already gave the list to Sarah who was going to see if she could get the yearbook crowd to give her pictures of them."

The evelope contains a State issued driver's license.  The first names are the same but the last names on them are different.  All the IDs have your ages at 17.

Donnie laughs at the ID. "Should I grow a moustache and goatee now? Then again, I would be an evil version of myself, if you followed comic/South park rules.."

Sylvia glances at Donnie's face and looks sorely tempted, but resists.

Colin arrives with deep lines on his forehead, as if he expected something else bad happening any moment.

"Sorry I haven't been around yesterday, I had an idea for the newspaper, and I got carried away. Give it a look, please. I'd like your opinion."

He hands his friends a couple printed pages. It's a comic, wordless, and set against a black background. Characters and objects are shapes and silhouettes of color that jumps out of the black. Colin has done a great job of representing the situations and the mood of the main character changing only his outline and the color that fill his shape. It's the story of a rather normal guy, who at the beginning has some friends, a girlfriend, some people who make fun of him, and is not too good in sports. Then he takes a red pill with a golden 'S' etched on it. He becomes bigger and stronger, his color becomes brighter, he scares some of the people who made fun of him away, and impresses his coach. But when the effects stop, he becomes somewhat smaller than before, and his colors start to gow cold and dim. He takes another, and this time the people in a stadium applaude, and beats the rest of the people that didn't like him. Only, with this comes also a fire, that burns within, an anger he can't stop. He scares his friends away too, his girlfriend dumps him because he throws a punch to another boy that was only helping her, his grades fall and the coach puts him out of the team. In rage, he breaks his guitar and most of the things he loves. In the end, slowly, the boy fades into the darkness, the only things that remain of him are the blinding white of his tears, and the sick crimson of a pill crashed in his hand.
At the very end of the page some letters appear form the blackness, filled in color in the same way of the comic, and they say "Be a man - not a superloser".

"It's my first attempt at something like this. Do you like it?"

He lets out a deep sigh.

"It looks like we got plenty of things on our hands today. Will it always be like this? While we figure out how to deal with a problem five more come up?" He takes a look at the list of the witches and frowns "Dave, Greg, is this Laura Lizzie, freshman, Rob's Laura?"

Sylvia looks the comic over, eyes wide--beginning to end, beginning to end.  "It's, uh, very . . . um . . . very. . . ."  She clears her throat.  "Colin, are you feeling okay?"


"I knew it," Sylvia hisses.  "That--"  But she catches herself.  "Burning at the stake is starting to look better and better."

"Yeah, I... I just tried to find a cool way to tell people how not cool using superman really is. I guess I failed, then." he hangs his head down in frustration.

"Laura. The little biatch. I got something I'm workin' on for the witches. Something they are not going to like..

Interesting, Colin. Are you going to market it for the junior high kids? They will probably need it. Hey! We could put it in the school paper!"

"It does that in spades," she tells him.  "It's just really depressing.  Like literary-magazine depressing.  Like I-can't-publish-this-next-to-the-ad-for-the-computer-club's-bake-sale depressing."  She pauses.  "I've been reading about the long-term effects of the Columbine High School massacre.  Are you in need of psychological counseling?"  She looks dead serious when she says this, as if a little psychological counseling will set them all right again.

Sammy waves a nonchalant greeting in the general direction of the Usual Suspect's table, but keeps on moving to her own usual group of friends.

"Thank goodness Sylvia here is a board certified sigh-Collar-gist. Hey do you have a couch?"  Donnie waggles his eyebrows outrageously suggestively. He throws out his hand dramatically and sing-songs the lines from West Side Story: Gee Officer Krupke

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke,
You gotta understand,
It's just our bringin' up-ke
That gets us out of hand.
Our mothers all are junkies,
Our fathers all are drunks.
Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks!

Gee, Officer Krupke, we're very upset;
We never had the love that ev'ry child oughta get.
We ain't no delinquents,
We're misunderstood.
Deep down inside us there is good!

Sylvia glances at the motion and waves in return.  But she knows Sammy has already gotten her requisite psychological counseling.

Donnie also waves at Sammy, a big smile on his face.

Sylvia blushes like, well, a school girl, but maybe Donnie's subsequent serenade keeps the others from seeing it.

Sammy cracks a smile in return, then suppresses it.  Who knows if the evil witchie poos are watching...

Colin waves at Sammy too, and turns to face Sylvia, as he considers her words.

"The effect that superman had on Billy was really depressing. Maybe I felt it more, because of the way that I am now, but I'm not making anything up. What happened saturday was very depressing too. It's still nothing like Rory's story. Or Seth's one, for that matter. That is really depressing stuff. I've only tried to be sincere. What's cheerful in drug addiction?
Now do I feel depressed? No, I don't. I do sometimes feel like the world is crumbling all around us, but I'm still trying to do my best to keep everything together. To do my part. I thought I could draw something that could be cool and at the same time be a punch to the stomach of everybody who thinks taking superman is cool. In the corridor I heard some older boys talking about how they planned to take back the drugs that the principal confiscated, and they were grinning like it was a great adventure. Don't you think they need someone telling them a bit of depressing truth? Am I disturbed for thinking this?" he says,looking in her eyes.

"Besides, a far as counseling goes, I talk regularly with my spirit guide. Would a shrink give me better advice?" he shrugs.

Kel arrives late as usual, perspiration still evident on his face as he settles into his seat, then looking at Colin's comic, his jaw drops and he says, "Damn...we're putting this in the paper right?" He looks at Colin, Sylvia, and Donnie.  He then smiles when he sees the fake id, sliding it into one of his coat's inner pockets.

"What do you think?  Are you disturbed for thinking this?"  But it's like Sylvia's parroting something she read in a psychotherapist's textbook:  make the client answer his own question.


"No offense, Colin, but didn't you say he was a bird?  Like, with feathers and a beak?  What does he know about the long-term effects of post-traumatic stress?"

Donnie raspberries everyone for ignoring his attempt at levity.

"Everyone needs to lighten up a bit. We're gonna kick some ass, right Kel?" For once he thinks that the ninja Kel and he might see eye to eye.

Donnie wanders away to get lunch.

Sylvia flashes Kel the usual sunny (infatuated) smile.  She declines to answer the question about Colin's comic strip, having dodged editorial responsibility by a technicality.  She's probably the one who writes potential story ideas on the whiteboard (because she likes to play with the colored markers) in the newspaper room and who chases the others down when the weekly deadline comes up, but it's still mostly an egalitarian and anarchistic process.  The kids write what they want, Gretchen patches things together in the lay-out process, and Colin's extra pictures fill in the holes.  It ain't the New York Times, but they get the news out.

Kel finally takes notice of the list of ladies names and nods at Donnie, "An ass kicking is what they'll want when we're all done with them."

Sammy examines the contents of her lunch bag and announces that she Simply Cannot Survive the rest of the day without some  chocolate milk to drink with her sandwich, and she goes to the lunch line.  She sidles up behind Donnie.  "Hey!" she says, in a very chipper tone. "Anything I need to know about?"

Colin thinks about it a bit. "If I am disturbed, and should not worry about them, then who will? Who's gonna tell who haven't tried it yet what a monumental error taking superman is, and what a monumental bastard they're making rich?


"He's not really a bird... Well, yes, he is a bird, but he's a spirit. He's what the bird stands for, the concept behind it I think. He's probably as old as the world, and he knows a whole lot of things. He's not exactly forthcoming about it, but he says it's for my best, and I have every reason to believe him."


"I was hoping you could tell me. I'd like to, but if you think people won't get it, or that they'll just make fun of it, then it'd be useless."

Kel smiles and says, "The line at the end is corny but most people won't get the full depth of it without it."  He shrugs.

"Yeah I thought it was corny too, but I couldn't come up with anything better. I'm open to suggestions, though."

Megan made her way into the lunchroom not sure what to think given what had happened in the last period.  The word was already going around that Lisa and John had been sent home, but not what other repercussions there might be from what the whole school had seen.   The blond teen felt so badly for her friend.  For a rumor to go around that you were having sex with someone was bad, this was humiliating.  The whole incident was slightly puzzling, for last Megan had known, Lisa and John had broken up, though neither had seemed have moved on yet. 

As if the thing with Lisa was not enough, Megan was also wondering about her phone conversation with Kevin about Katie’s case when she had gone for jog last night after the oh so fun dinner with the family.  He had told her how he was to meet with someone from the Comet Biotech today to look around some and follow up the leads they had.  After the news she saw this morning about what had happened last night, she had to wonder if that would still happen.

Taking a seat at the table, the teen looks around at the other cheerleaders, who were all seeming a bit down by the latest event.  First Fern, now Lisa, like the rest of the school in general, things had been better for the squad.  “So, anyone heard whether Lisa is getting suspended or not yet?”  Megan asks, trying to break the silence as she reaches into her bag and takes out her iPod, complete with the tracking device she had placed inside it this morning, and the latest copy of TeenCosmo.

Sarah strolls in and finds a seat at the table with a round of hi's and hellos and an extra helping of smile for Colin before she notices he is in sad, thoughtful mode.  "Whats up?  Did anyone ever come up with a solution to the worry about spying on us?  I mean, should we start talking in code or pig latin or just passing little notes?  Or are we just talking about how much better the student body as a whole smells after only a day of no sports?  I'm totally against it mind you but.. well its nice to sit in a class and not choke on stink." 

She hugs Dave, "You are the great provider Dave!  You always come up with the best information!  Thanks for the list.  Now I have a fun project!"

"Hey. Yeah. We know the names of all the you-know-whos. I am working up a plan to make sure they don't hurt anyone again. Kind of a kharmic thing. I don't wanna talk too much about it out here. Flying man can fill you in later, or I can email you. Whatever you want."  Donnie places three Cokes on his tray after fiddling with a napkin, and exchanges the forlorn looking piece of apple pie on his tray with some sugar free jello. "I am trying to keep my girlish figure, you know?"  He smiles and walks away, leaving the napkin where his tray was sitting. On it is something scribbled in pen.

A couple of arcane symbols, and an email address.

Donnie comes back to the table downs half a coke after greeting Sarah, and pulls a sheaf of printouts from his pack. His smile is gone.

"Some notes for the upcoming test. I'd like them all back please before we leave, ok?"

The printout says the following:
The Witches use mostly Sun/Moon magics.  My guess for spells and powers would be:

All of them should have:
Glamour (Illusions) We've witnessed this
TK also
Mind Link (to each other)

The more powerful will have:
Flight: Like when the bitch took off incredibly fast and none of you saw it, and quickly ended up in the principles office
Mind Reading: This one *&%^ing frightens me alot. My only hope is that they don't know what I am going to try to do. It's better off no one else knows until just until. Well, maybe Colin.

The Oracle will have:
Precog: Yeah COlin knowsthis.

The most powerful of them might have
Mind Control: This could be the source of the Attacking Teen Thugs With Bats.
Possibly some Weather Control/Influence Powers.

Individually they should be easy to stop, if they are in a group they will be very hard to stop. This is why I am working on something a little bit different froim my last attempt.

PS: Lets not talk about this right now, until I figure out a way to make some 'interferance of some sort so our conversations aren't evesdropped. Oh, and Sarah, you're really you ytoday, right?

Donnie ignores everyone while he eats his pizza, his only concession to health is mopping up the surface grease with about five napkins, leaving them stained horribly orange. He is humming to himself as he sketches strange symbols into his tattered notebook.

Diane, the teams gossip monitor looks around as if she's looking for secret agents then leans in to whisper, "My friend who works in the office said they got suspended and they have to go to the discipline board and might get expelled.  Their folks had to come and get them and everything."

OOC: Megan make a Notice check DC 18

Sammy stares with some confusion at the napkin.  The email address is cool, she understands that part.  What are these symbols though?  She dips her finger in some condensation off the glass surface of the refrigerator case, and traces the strange looking figures with the damp digit.  She hopes that maybe Donnie used some sort of invisible ink and she will be able to read what this really says if she can reveal the rest of the message.

Sylvia whips her little pink notebook out of her bag and gives Sarah a stern witchfinder's glare.  "What's the challenge rating on a tarrasque?"  Donnie might then realize that, when Sylvia was messing with his D&D books the other day, she might have had more on her mind than looking at the pretty pictures.

“Expelled?”  Megan asked in a shocked, but quite tone.  “That would majorly suck!  I can imagine Lisa’s parents were really pissed off.  I don’t even want to think what mine would do if that had happened to me, but then, I would likely die from embarrassment first.”

(OOC, you sure you don’t mean acrobatics check?  Or perform: dance?  Kn: popular culture maybe?  :)  Yeah, a 4, far too busy gossiping.  http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=715107

Sarah looks up at Sylvia with a confused look before comprehension slowly filters its way in.  "Oh right.. um.. actually I don't know that one but I can tell you they're ridiculous.  I mean seriously you have to what hit it for over one hundred points of damage every round just to start beating it down though if you're playing 3E you can just use Harm on it provided you can get through the magic resistance.  Or did they fix that Harm thing in 3.5?  I forget.  That's why I always play fighters in Donnie's games.  Too many rules otherwise.  Just remembering all those feats and skills are bad enough.  Last time I tried playing a wizard I felt like I was studying for a test."  Sarah winds down and gives Sylvia a return witchhunter look.  "Though it is possible that we might not be the only geeks in the school?  I mean there is even a certain element that would dismiss even Donnie as a mere hobbiest gamer.  Such as they might delve as deep as any into things better left alone."

"Hobbiest gamer with a dragon for Pelor's sake." Donnie mutters, concentrating on convincing a square of rubbery lime jello to stay on his spoon.

Kel tries to listen to the conversation about tarr-whatsits, and just shakes his head after his eyes bulge for a moment and he attempts to concentrate on the list of girls and his sandwich.

"Fair enough, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway."  If Sarah didn't say anything Donnie found suspicious, Sylvia's willing to let it go.  "We should come up with a secret handshake or something.  I'm guessing Colin's won't do it."  She has the tact of a four-year-old sometimes, and she's thinking about the fact that Colin may possibly have done something embarrassing with a witch and couldn't tell the difference.

[Edit:  Certainty of kiss to possibility of kiss (or worse).  Whoops.]

"Ooh!  Secret handshakes.. nah.  If you screw it up a little we might get suspicious just because someone's uncoordinated.  Maybe a codeword for every day?  We'll have to figure something out.  Just not right now." 

"Random test of knowledge.  Anything else can be found out."  Dave says between bites of his sandwich.  "When you line up all the things they can do the only safe counter measure is a random test of knowledge.  In Sarah's case we have that covered.  What we have to worry about is everyone else.  So, those of you that know each other well just have to think of things to ask if there is ever a suspicious moment.  The key is, not to have any suspicious moments."

"We could always ask to see the magic wand," Sylvia suggests.  "And Donnie's got Pip.  And TJ. . . ."  Still wigged out by that, she shudders.  "Dunno about the rest of us."

"Except that can all be faked by you, with illusions.  Right?"  Dave seems to be eyeing Sylvia now with some suspicion.

"Yeah, but if I faked it with illusions, wouldn't that put me beyond suspicion?"  She frowns thoughtfully.  "Unless I were secretly a witch who'd been infiltrating the group from the beginning.  I am the new kid."

In Sir Bedevere's tone, "What makes you think she is a witch?"  Sarah gives a grin.  "Okay random knowledge is a good idea.  Everyone can ask someone they know a question.  So Dave... what is your WOW nic?"

Colin's mood brightens when Sarah arrives and smiles at him. He shows her his comic and asks for her opinion, then he takes the notes Donnie's handing out. He looks up with a hundred questions in his eyes, but doesn't ask anything.

"Sylvia, my zapping days are over. Actually, I think that now I am possibly the safest one. I don't think auras can lie, or at least I could see right through Jane's illusions, so it should just takes a... special look at you to know who you really are. A pity it doesn't work the other way around. I don't have many secrets. I hope you can come up with something to ask me. It does feel weird though. They had to do the same thing in Harry Potter."

"I... I have an update about the Vandross case. Maybe a lead. It's something best left to the police, probably, but you'd better be very careful if you happen to meet..."
He writes the name on Donnie's note and passes it around.

Logan Darklighter

DAVE: "I refuse to answer on the grounds that it will force me to ask you something equally embarassing."

GREG: "Cupcake is not embarassing."  Greg says as he sits down, "Well, okay, maybe it is a little."

Megan and the other cheerleaders continue their discussion about what might be the possible repercussions of Lisa’s latest tryst with John.  In some ways, the blond teen wondered if expulsion might not be better, would Lisa really want to come back to the school after everyone in the classes seeing them having sex?  After awhile, the girls turn to other topics, such as the latest couple gossip, which, given the unusual hookups that seemed to be happening in the last few weeks, was incredibly more numerous and interesting than one would expect.  They also went over some new fashion trends, which ones seemed cool and which ones were lame.  All the while, Megan left her iPod sitting beside her, glancing down with her eyes ever once and awhile to see if it was still there or not.

Sammy crumples the napkin with the now blurry symbols and shoves it into a front jeans pocket.  She buys a carton of chocolate milk and pauses for a moment to look across the cafeteria at the table full of  her band buddies.  She isn't quite sure what she'll do with herself if the marching band is broken up for the rest of the year.  She had pursued the extracurricular program with hopes of using it to get some sort of university band scholarship, but now, who knew?  And who knew how things would pan out if her paranormal genetics became public knowledge; she might not be eligible for any scholarships at all, unless there were special ones for paranormal kids.   Her dad and her sisters still didn't know the secret either, and it was getting more and more difficult not to talk about it.  Dad was starting to notice that she had become quieter at the dinner table.  While she had not exactly lied when she tried to reassure him that nothing was wrong, she hadn't exactly told him the whole truth either.  She knew that he knew at least that much by the sad look on his face when he hugged her and said something about her suddenly growing up on him.  Heaving a heavy sigh, she slowly weaves her way through the dining hall to rejoin her friends.

Greg makes quick work of his lunch and gets up, "I'm heading back to drama.  It's amazing what having actual actors to read my lines has done for my writing."  He says with a smile.

DAVE: "Yeah, that wasn't subtle."  Dave says, bouncing a cookie wrapper off Greg's head as he leaves.  Looking back towards the table, "You guys need anything else as far as the witches go?"

The conversations at the cheerleading table had pretty much run the gamut of their typical topics when Megan noted Greg getting up from the “Usual Suspects” table as he started towards the exit.  She wanted to get the information about the probable drug tests and possible genetic tests for the teams to him so it could be passed along to Sylvia and Kel, and this seemed like a good time to do so.  Besides, she didn’t seem to be having any luck with getting the bugged iPod taken her, maybe out in the halls might be easier.

“Well, I have a couple things to go take care of.  See you all later.”  She said to the other girls as she gathered her things and then started towards the exit Greg took.  Going at a normal pace, she left a good bit after he had, but she had a general idea where he was heading and once outside, picked up her pace a bit and was able to catch up about two thirds of the way to the drama room. 

Coming up beside him, she saw he was looking over his handwritten notes of the script or something he always seemed to be working on.  “You know, there is an amazing invention called a computer that would make that so much easier to read.  And even before that there was something called a typewriter that wasn’t too bad either.”  She said with a smile.

As Sammy sits down Heather leans over, "I may know who my admirer is.  This boy I have World History with, Jim Cunningham.  He stopped me at my locker today and asked if I'd go to homecoming with him, if we have it that is."

Greg smiled.  Both of these are true, but scripts can be very fluid.  There is something to be said for the feel of a pen in your hand as you craft.  Besides, I'm really aiming to be a director.  I'll leave the script writing to the people who really dig it."  Greg looks around for a second, "Would you be interested in a fake ID?  We got the gang some, in case they need them.  If you want I can score you one too.  I'll tell the guy I'm trying to impress you so you'll date me if he recognizes the photo of you."

Megan shrugged at Greg’s response.  “I guess there is that.  But if you want it typed up at some point, I suppose I could help you out seeing as I am an extremely fast typist.”  She said with a smile.  “You are after all keeping my secret for me.”  She added in a much lower voice.

When Greg mentioned getting her a fake ID, the blond teen’s brow furrowed some.  She realized that one could be useful, but there were some serious potential problems she could see.  His comment about his possible excuse for why he would be getting her one if asked was somewhat interesting as well.  “Well, one could be useful, but I’m kind of afraid what sort of fallout there could be if I was ever caught with it.  My dad is planning to run for the US Senate, last thing I think he would want is a story about his fourteen year old daughter having a fake ID.  So for now I guess I will pass, but I will think about it some.”

“I have something for you to pass along to Kel and Sylvia.  Had a little business dinner with the parents last night, it’s almost guaranteed there will be drug testing for all the athletic teams now.  There might also be some genetic testing, particularly for competitive teams.  The squad doesn’t enter any of the cheerleading competitions, so it might not be an issue for us, but still might be good for them to have some fair warning.”

"Consider it done."  Greg hands Megan a copy of the list with the witches names, "These are the names of the girls that are in the witch coven.  In case you run afoul of any of them.  I also heard that Laura found a fourth for the Con Debate team, congrats."

Megan takes the list without looking at it for the moment.  “Thanks.”  She replied, both for the list and the comment about the Con debate team.  “No idea who the new person is, guess I will find out soon, likely tomorrow.  Well, see you later.”  She finishes as she starts away, stopping after just a few steps to look back over her shoulder to add.  “And by the way, impressing me isn’t the only way to get a date.”  She then is off down the hall.

"So... do you know him?"

Sammy looks at her friend, and with almost frightening sincerity says "I really hope that's all there was to it, and that the rose was safe, and had nothing to do with those stupid bees."  Then she smiles and asks "So, have you talked to him before?  Do you like him?  Are you going to go with him, or are you going to hold out for a better offer?  Can I have your throwaways?"

"I totally forgot to ask him about the rose."  Heather says, "I was just so freaked out that he talked to me at all.  I've been trying to find a good reason to talk to him, I heard that he's into some of the same music as me, so when he came over I was totally floored.  I so said yes to going with him, so find your own date."

This comment makes Sammy laugh.  "Nope.  I'm probably not going.  I don't have a date and don't know anybody who's likely to ask me.  I figure I'll just stay home and watch old mystery movies with my dad; it'll distract him from thinking about what my sister might be doing on her Homecoming date."

Sylvia's been taking pains to put herself in Donnie's way whenever she gets the chance, and today is no exception.  As soon as he sat down, there she was, grabbing the seat beside him, and even though they're supposed to be busy strategizing, she keeps glancing at him like she's waiting for him to say something.

Not just anything, mind.  Something specific.

Even now, as she leans in to look at Colin's note, she's close enough that she and Donnie are  sleeve to sleeve.  "Who doesn't know him?  What does he have to do with everything that's been happening?"

Sylvia slides in next to Donnie as he sits, and he feels a bit surprised, and a little off-kilter. After the way she stared so.. lustfully at Kel the other day, he figured his chances were dead. But here she was, arm brushing his, slender hands pushing an errant dark lock behind her ear showing a smooth expanse of neck. Gah! Concentrate, Mr. Douglas..

"Yeah, uh. Everyone knows Logan Darklighter, right? Geek gone mainstream and cool?"

He pops open a coke and winces slightly, noticing his hand shake slightly. Does she know she has this effect on me? She acts so clueless sometimes, but other times..

Sarah smirks and offers, "With a name like that how can he not be up to something?  Seriously it sounds like he should be the bad boy in a soap opera.  Or maybe a superhero.  Darklighter.  Is that even a real name?  Are either of his parents in the movies or something?" 

"Shush! The point of writing was not to speak his name aloud. In some kind of magic name have powers. Now come here."

Colin waits for his friends to lean in so he can speak in a very low voice.

"On friday I went with Matt to check on Rory's room. We found the talisman that killed him. It was a CCG card, that L.D. gave him. We don't know yet how involved he is in this story, but just in case, be careful around him."

Sylvia's expression turns bleak.  "Why would anyone want to do something like that to Rory?  Why would--"  She fumbles over the name.  "--Loathsome Dork want to hurt him?"  She pauses and tries to explain herself.  "When I thought it was just witches, I figured they were doing wicked things because that's what witches do, casting spells just because they could.  But L.D.?  What's his angle?"

Donnie's face was stoney. "What if he was the local disseminator for all the crap of whatshisname, the guy with all the fake PO Boxes and stuff who bought that book with the hate-talisman infusion spell and could be behind the Superman?"

"Please don't jump to the conclusions. We also found out that Vandross has a way to make you do things for him and then make you forget you did them as well. L.D. maybe was just an unwitting pawn. The police is on the case, I just wanted to be sure you'd be careful if you happened to meet him. Vandross is much worse than any witch. I... I still find it hard to think he could be a student."

Kel nods then for once seems to propose something rational, "He might be an unwitting pawn, and I think we should go in assuming that and maybe hear him out we have no evidence beyond the magic card.  But if he is involved willingly," the rationale goes out the window, "We're kicking his ass into next week."

"No,  Kel. If he really is Vandross he's got all the resources of a forgotten book of black magic at his disposal, a horde of thugs, death ray weapons, and this strange hypnotism power too. We'd be fool to face him before knowing what's going on. I wouldn't want to have to fight any of you just because he mindtricked you into doing it. There's no one that wants him stopped more than me (well, maybe Matt) but we've got already enough powerful enemies without going to look for more of them. Let's let the police work on it for a while. Then we'll see."

"I forget -- when is your world history class with this guy?  Maybe I can walk by sometime and sneak a look at the new studmuffin"

Matt's not to be seen at lunch because he skipped school once again, this time because he didn't want to know what would happen if he happened to run into Logan Darklighter randomly in the hall. Comics just doesnt seem to do the trick for him this time however, so instead he just ends up wandering around aimlessly all over Oak Park and the surrounding area, his mind awhirl thinking about everything that had happened over the last few short months. He was wondering if maybe he could possibly have super powers, like Sarah had said that time that he'd never actually believed for some reason, and he wonders what he would have done with those powers if so...

"It's right before lunch.  I think he's got a lit class right next door to your next class."

Colin takes a look at his watch.

"Sylvia, if you don't veto it, and if Gretchen can squeeze it into next issue, I'd really like my comic to be in the newspaper. Oh, I've got another thing to show you."

As he reaches for his album, he flashes a wide grin at Sarah. He gets out a photo of a couple adorable golden retriever puppies, and their mother lovingly licking their heads.

"I'm trying to find a home for some puppies. Any of you interested?"

Sylvia shakes her head.  She doesn't veto things.


A little squeal of delight erupts, and Sylvia considers her unfenced yard, Bell Jar the cat, and Virginia's rabbit, Blue Roses.  "Maybe," she says wistfully.  "I'll ask my parents."