Anne Friedland, code name: Network
Now

Unconsciousness was worse than being awake; I was having a dream about scrambling through a maze, hunting for a huge wedge of sickly, yellow cheese.  All the while, a giant cartoon mouse with a bow-ribbon kept chasing me, telling me to rescue the dragon and slay the girl.

“You can do it, if you only make the sun go down,” she told me, just as she grabbed me and started to lower me into her mouth.

“Fuck,” I thought, “I’m gonna die in a dream, and it’s going to be a stupid one!”

And then I woke up again.

I tore the IV feeds out of my hands, yanked the various sensor feeds off of me, and forced myself to stand up next to the bed.  Just that little activity left me gasping for air, but I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

“Anne,” Minerva chastised me, “you should be in bed!”

“No time,” I panted, “I think I have a plan!”

*****

Now

Professor Stearns examined the woman Moe had brought back with her.

“I think you may have overdone it, a little, my dear,” he remarked to his charge, “she appears to be still unconscious.  She may have a head injury.”

“Sorry, Prof- she got in the way.”

He waved it away.

“It will be alright,” he decided, “they will come for her, of course- that’s what heroes do.  We should prepare.”

“We don’t even know where the witch took them,” Moe protested.

“It doesn’t matter- we have attacked them in their homes twice, now- they will be expecting us a third time; it is better, I think, that we wait for them and lay a trap.”

Moe grumbled and the Professor arched an eyebrow at her.  “I’m sorry, my dear.  You have an objection?”

“No,” Moe sighed.  After a pause she added, “Yes!  I don’t like being passive- we’re handing off the initiative.  It’s bad tactics.”

“Perhaps,” Stearns agreed easily, “but it is good strategy.  So long as they are focused on us here, they will not be looking to discover our other activities.”

“You’re an optimist,” Moe snorted.

“Indeed,” the Professor agreed.  “It will also give us a chance to test my newest toy.  I based it on the power neutralization devices we learned about from Tarterus Prison.”

*****

Now

Ellie chewed on the cap of her pen.

Something didn’t add up.

She had only been working this case for a few days, now, having been brought in when Apollo called, but the information Kramer and the vice squad had compiled actually didn’t look like a traditional scatter.

She picked up her phone.

“Captain- this is Martinez.  I’m working the Boost case-”

She paused and smiled.  “Thanks, Cap’n.  I appreciate it, but that’s not why I called.  Kramer made me lead; can I read someone in on this?  I’d like an expert opinion.”

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************

My roommate says that I like placing my heroines in peril... which, honestly, is not my fetish.  Sadly, I cannot think of a way to demonstrate just how tough my characters are without having them take their lumps.  Sigh.

This picture- and all the artwork for Shooting stars- is brought to you by the amazingly talented and lovely .

Shooting Stars is an epic tale (okay, maybe that's pushing it, but I've always wanted to call something I wrote an epic) taking place in  and will feature characters by , , and an appearance of Esau by .

Apollo, Will-O-Wisp, Network, Minerva, Professor Stearns, Magnum Opus, and Sergeant Ellie Martinez all belong to .

You can find the previous section here: 



Mature Content

.
The next section is here: 



Mature Content

.