DC Legends - Sunday, April 30, 2000, 11:28 AM
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University of Sunrise City - Sunrise City(#1359RF)

        Centered around a small lake, probably artificial from its shape, the 
campus sprawls amongst the green of grass and trees, a mingling of ancient red 
brick and modern glass and concrete. A central lecture hall almost seems to be 
suspended above the lake, looking more like a landed flying saucer than anything 
constructed on Earth. Ducks bob on the smooth water.

A crackle comes over the walkie talkie. "See anything yet, Psyche?"

Psyche is in a corner between buildings, wearing a trench coat over her costume 
and a hat to conceal her hair. It looks ridiculous. "Not yet, Templar."

Templar is hunched down between cars, dressed in a similar manner. It somehow 
looks somewhat more natural on him, but he's got that rugged Phillip Marlowe 
hero going for him. He fumbles for a note in the coat as you hear the click 
again. "Well, I drew a new chart.. about my theory to the pattern? I just 
noticed something else... remember the circle I mentioned?"

Psyche nods. "I remember." He can't see her, but she still nods.

Templar nods back as well. The sound clarity on the thing is clear enough it 
almost sounds like you're standing next to each other. "Well... it looks as if 
he's going clockwise around the campus... which means that if I am right... he's 
going to turn up in your area...."

Psyche nods. "Okay, I'm ready...I think."

Templar nods. "Of course that's asumming I'm right about all this... but it.. 
you ever taken a test and been totaly blank on a question and then just picked 
an answer that just SEEMED right?"

Psyche nods. "A lot of the time. It wasn't too long ago I was in High school."

Templar says "It was like that... I just had this symbol book in front of me... 
I was tracing stuff, seeing how it looked... and something about it just hit."

Psyche nods. "Okay. I'm watching...and trying to listen telepathically, too..."

Templar glances at the chart again. "Any one passing by there? I don't see 
anybody out here..."

Psyche hmms. "Nothing unusual. Random students."

Templar nods. "Oh crap... I just remembered... keep an eye on any blond students 
who pass... the way the lines connect..." (Assuming I'm right about the lines), 
he thinks "Then the next victim should be a blond..."

Psyche nods. "Okay."  She used to be blonde. Once.

Templar speaks into the Walkie-Talkie. "Psyche, it doesn't look like anything is 
going to happen here... I'm going to move into your area..."

Psyche is standing in an alley between two buildings in the science block of the 
campus. Templar is some blocks away, hiding between two cars in a parking lot on 
the northside of the campus.

Will wanders onto the campus, out in the open, as he's decided to explore a bit.

Psyche is wearing a trenchcoat over her costume and a hat over her hair. She 
looks like...an art student.

Templar gets up from behind the cars and starts walking. He too is in trench 
coat and hat. The Sam Spade getup.

Will is walking towards the lecture hall over the lake, looking awed.

Psyche continues to watch, quite intently, the students who pass. As if looking 
for something specific.

Will speaks quietly to his cat every so often.

Templar walks along the pathway toward the science buildings. He squints a bit 
as that tingle comes into his head. Something is about to happen. He begins to 
glance around, looking for anything odd... as he starts to run to the science 
building. The crowds there have thined out now, but there is one blond girl 
walking past.

Psyche might also sense any hostility. She takes one step backwards, and shrugs 
out of the trench and hat, unclipping her staff from her belt. Okay. This is it.

Templar ducks down an alley for a second and hits the talkie through his coat. 
"I'm feeling something.. something wicked this way comes" he mutters.

Psyche nods. "I'm getting bad vibes myself, I don't have the control to localize 
them. I'm ready to move...and I believe I see the victim."

Templar nods as he starts to undo his coat and throws off the hat. "You don't 
have a celphone, do you?"

Psyche shakes her head. "Drat. Not on me."

Templar shakes his head. "Not a problem... just thinking about calling the 
cops..."

Templar opens the coat, and making sure nobody is watching... starts moving 
again, hand going to the short sword he has strapped to his side.

Psyche is trying to stay out of view.

It happens in a blur. The girl, about the same age as Psyche has just walked 
past that alley when an obvious man, dressed in black, darts out of nowhere and 
grabs her. He holds some kind of rag in his hand, which he throws across her 
mouth... some kind of chloroform possibly. She does manage to get off one scream 
before he muffles her.

Psyche is moving...extending her staff as she runs forward. Don't freeze up, 
girl. Don't freeze up. There's a life hanging on this...and it's not a video 
game. She's obviously scared, obviously fighting to focus enough to get into the 
fight. Force field...damn...don't forget the force field. Hopefully it works.

Templar hears the scream as he too, begins to run. There are no casual 
observers, but if there were any it might appear that the man in the trench is 
running slightly faster than someone that large should be able to.

The Man in black drags the girl into the bushes bordering the path into the 
small park. You see him reaching to his side as he leans over the now, half-
conscious girl.

Will looks around in surprise, having heard the scream.

Psyche gets her focus back...except that she's angry. Somebody needs to teach 
her about fighting in anger...she leaps into the bushes and tries to whack the 
guy one with the end of her staff...except that she doesn't want to /kill/ 
him...she pulls the blow, perhaps too much.

The Man in Black groans as he is hit, grasping the back of his head. He spins 
around to regard who hit him and looks at Psyche. His regains his balance, the 
blow not being much, as he regards Psyche and reaches to his side, where a 
switchblade hangs from his belt. "We only need her for the ritual... but I can 
take care of you just as easy..." he mutters.

Templar is still running, that tingle having become a lot stronger.

Psyche holds her staff a bit warily. She's still finding it hard to believe this 
is real...even as she tries to get between the man and his victim. "You're not 
knifing any more girls. It's over, loser." . o ( Come on, Templar. Get here... )


Will is still trying to figure out where the scream came from. His cat is more 
on the ball.

Templar is nearly there. He throws off his coat and hat, exposing his full 
costume.

The Man in black shows pure hatred in his eyes. You can't tell much else because 
of his ski-mask, but it's more than obvious that this guy is dead serious. He 
strikes out at Psyche with one foot, attempting to sweep her off her feet.

Psyche has a force field up, but that doesn't brace her. She's unhurt, but goes 
down, scrambling back up to her feet and desperately clinging to her staff. Her 
self defense classes didn't prepare her for this!

The man in black stoops and raises his knife but then he stops. "Hey... you're 
the rich girl, right? The one everyone thinks is a Mellinal, or something..." he 
says with a slight grin. "Wait till the guys here I killed a superhero..."

Psyche is back on her feet, her staff ready. . o ( Good...if I can keep him 
attacking /me/...until Temp gets here. )

Will has, meanwhile, finally noticed what's going on, and is headed that way.
Well behind Templar, though.

"Nice little potato peeler you've got there..." a booming, heroic voice says 
from behind you. The Man in Black looks up and the anger in his eyes goes to 
astonishment, then fear. You recognize the voice as Templar's. He grins widely 
as he steps down the incline, moving closer to the men in black as he reaches to 
his side and pulls out a sword. "Wanna see mine?"

Psyche steps to the side, recognizing Templar's voice, and quite prepared to let 
the more experienced...sort of...person take over.

The Man in black then does something very unexpected. He drops his knife, gets 
up and starts running deeper into the park.

Psyche frowns, then, in typical rookie fashion, sets off after him.

Will does run right into the guy... of course, Will looks about as theateaning 
as a kid holding a lollipop.

Will blinks, "Uh...hey, you! Stop!"

The Man in Black rushes past Will, pushing him slightly as he tries to get away 
from those two.

Will glares, "I thought I told you stop! Come back here, villain!"

Templar stops for a second to check the girl. He feels for a pulse, and aside 
from being a little groggy, she seems fine.

Will pulses with light, and his appearance changes subtly, his garb 
dramatically, and he takes off running after the MiB with all speed.

Psyche manages to get her thoughts together as she runs. . o ( Just like the 
coin. Size shouldn't make a difference. Gah. I'm /stupid/. ) She tries to focus 
her mind, trying to grab the running man and levitate him from the ground.

While he doesn't levitate that high, you do manage to lift him high enough that 
he hovers a few inches off the ground running in place. He looks a bit like the 
coyote just before he looks down and realizes he's standing on air.

Will easily catches up, and draws his sword. "What sorcery is this? Come down, 
or I shall be forced to attack!"

Psyche is still running. "/I/ did that...he can't come down unless I drop him."

Will blinks, "Oh..." He grins, planting the point of his sword against the 
ground, "Well, then... we've got him."

Psyche hopes she has him, anyway.

Templar finally catches up. He grins widely as he sees the man running. It's at 
this point the MIB notices he's not going anywhere. That doesn't stop him from 
TRYING to run though.

Templar says "Got to admire the persistance there..."

Psyche says "We need to get the cops here."

Templar has his sword pulled as well, which he plants in the ground and leans on 
as he nods in greeting to Will and then turns to Psyche.  "Why don't you go call 
them... I think we can keep an eye on him..."

Psyche nods, and drops him. Rather hard...before running to the nearest call 
box.

Will nods to Templar, "Sir Knight, you surprise me... I did not expect to see 
something so familiar."

Byron has arrived.

Will puts Byron the cat down.

Templar looks at William. "Well, some of us still do practice the old ways... 
though in less than obvious fashion, William."

Templar raises an eyebrow. "Don't you know me from the other night? I am 
Templar."

Will nods, "Yes... but I did not realize you were a knight."

Byron steps out of the foliage, looking irritable. "Have you caught the 
troublemaker yet?" World, meet gryphon.

Templar shakes his head. "Not in the formally trained sense. I can use a sword 
and adopted the armor, but I have never been officially knighted." he says.

Byron glances down at the heaped crook, and places a large, taloned forefoot on 
the man's chest.

The Man in Black is still crumpled up in a feadle positon, he has begun to stir.

Templar looks at the gryphon. "Umm... is that?"

Templar looks at the gryphon. "Uh... hello." he says, trying not to look... 
well, preturbed at seeing a large mythic monster standing before him.

Byron nods his head amiably, "Hello, there."

Psyche comes back and sees gryphon. Stops dead in her tracks. "WHOAH! Is 
that...is it /real/?"

Byron looks insulted, "Of COURSE I'm real."

Psyche says "Oh...wow...he talks."

Templar nods. "I hope so... otherwise I've gone from Lancelot to Don Quixote..."

The MiB has come to and has started trying to crawl away from Byron very slowly.

Byron snorts, "Yes, I talk. I also speak French."

Templar looks at Will. "Friend of yours?"

Byron leans down over the MiB's face, and emits a sound that's... a frightening 
amalgamation of a lion's roar and the cry of an eagle.

Will smiles, and nods to Byron. "We grew up together."

Psyche wows again and looks upup at the Gryphon. "I didn't think Gryphons were 
real."

Templar nods. "Right now, they probably aren't.. but where Will is from...."

Byron snorts again. "Quite real."

Templar nods. "What is your name, Gryphon?"

Psyche moves a bit closer. "Well, he /feels/ real. He buzzes." She uhs. "I'm 
Psyche." Self-conscious. Silly hero names.

Byron straightens his neck a bit, and announces, "I...am called Byron."

Templar nods as he steps forward and puts and hand forth. Yes, he's going to 
shake han... paws with a griffin. "Good to meet you... I am Templar."

Byron extends a single talon, and regally shakes hands.

Psyche looks at Will. "So, where ya from?" A few deep breaths. Trying not to 
think about the fight just yet. She like...hit somebody. Ugh.

Will steps over to Psyche and bows, "My Lady Psyche, I am William of Benoic, Son 
of Peithan... though you may call me Will, if you like."

Templar nods to the Gryphon as he releases the talon and moves back to the far 
side of the MiB. "You may wish to hide yourself, Byron. I fear that the local 
authorities are barely going to be able to take the sight of a man in a knight's 
costume and a girl with green hair when they arrive...the sight of a gryphon may 
be a bit much for them to deal with."

Psyche smiles. "I think I will...as long as I can keep you straight from the 
other Will I know.

Byron sighs, "Very well... I see you have the matter in hand."

Byron the gryphon suddenly pulses with a flash of bright light and shrinks to 
the much more diminutive form of Byron the cat.

Byron meows.

Psyche jumps as the gryphon turns into a housecat. Oooookay.

Templar quirks an eyebrow. "Thank you." he says, trying not to laugh at Psyche's 
reaction.

The MiB's eyes go wide as the gryphon shrinks to a cat. Still, that's all he 
needs to jump up and try to start running.

Will attempts to trip the MiB.

Psyche whirls as he starts to run again, but is just a bit too slow on her 
focus.

The MiB sprints past Psyche and slows to dodge Will's outstretched foot. Still, 
negotiating between you two gives Templar enough time to run around you two and 
deliver a punch to the jaw as the MiB runs past him and goes reeling.

Which gives Psyche time to grab him again. "Stay /put/." She almost sounds 
angry. Okay, not /almost/.

The MiB goes down again, this time totally out cold.

Templar sighs and grins, panting a bit as he looks at Psyche. "Nice..."

Psyche frowns. "He said something about his friends, by the way...before you 
showed up.

Psyche flicks her wrist, and her staff shrinks back down into a short cylinder.

You finally hear the squeal of sirens nearby....

Templar sighs and looks at you. For the last few minutes, there's been something 
about him that seemed... happier. But the minute you say that, there seems to be 
something in his eyes that becomes darker. "You mean... that maybe there's a 
GROUP doing this?"

Will glances towards the sirens, and he shimmers... his unearthly good looks 
fade back to merely handsome, and his outlandish garb becomes normal once more.

Psyche frowns. "Possibly. He said 'We only need her for the ritual' and 'Wait 
until I tell the boys that I killed a superhero'."
 
Templar sighs a bit. "Good lord..." he thinks to himself. It is then that the 
police move in, a trench-coated detective at the forefront of them.

Detective Hammil looks around the scene and moves to the man in black. He then 
glances at Psyche. "Since you're the only woman around, I'm guessing you're the 
one who called us in..."

Will picks up Byron, looking at the police uncertainly.

Psyche nods. "He assaulted a student...and he had a knife. We were...thinking it 
might be connected to those other knifings."

Two uniformed officers move to cuff the MiB as Templar moves to the detective.
Templar nods. "I found a pattern of some kind between all the killing sights." 
he then pauses. "We also think there may be a group of them doing this... a 
cult, maybe... and the pattern seems so suggest..."

Psyche says "He specifically said that he needed her for the ritual. Whatever 
that means."

Detective Hammil stops Templar from talking. "Okay... but explain one thing to 
me... why are you dressed like you just got out of Camelot?" He then turns to 
look at Psyche "And what's with Miss Punk Princess 1982 over here?"

Will frowns, "Sir, what if he had come from Camelot? Is that so bad?"

Psyche smirks. "What, don't like my fashion statement, officer?"

Templar grins in a manner that suggests total heroism... or total insanity. 
"We're superheroes." he says simply.

 Hammil glares at Will. "Don't get smart with me, kid...." he starts as he looks at Templar. "A superhero? Oh yeah... you must be two of those mellinials right?"

Will frowns at Hammil, "I'm sorry, sir? I don't understand. You wish me to be f
foolish?"

Psyche nods. "Yeah." She shoots Will a 'be careful' sort of look.

Templar nods simply. "Well, we figured that if we were going to be able to leap
tall buildings in a single bound and all that stuff, we may as well look the 
part..."

Hammil nods. "Yeah. Nice to know one of you guys finally thought to call us. One 
of them keeps leaving muggers hog-tied on the precinct steps downtown..."

Psyche chuckles. "I can see the temptation to do that."

Will looks confused, "Hog tied?"

Psyche looks at Will. "Bound hand and foot, Will. Tied up. Sheesh."

Will ohs...

Templar nods. "I can see how that can be a tad annoying... especially, if they 
don't stick around long enough to tell you WHY they were tied up." Temp reaches 
into his tunic and pulls out a few papers. "Here's some copies of what I found 
on the pattern. Long story short, it looks like the murders traced a circle 
around the campus square.. and then formed a line pattern between the 
murders..."

Hammil looks at it. "And you said there may be a group doing this?", his eyes 
going wide as he sees the pattern. "Circles... never thought of that... looks 
pretty tight too..."

Psyche says "He mentioned 'we', that would imply either a group or multiple 
personalities."

Hammil nods. "Well, if this pattern thing holds up, more than likely it's a 
cult. Genreally, lunatics don't get involved in anything this complex..."

Psyche nods. "He mentioned a ritual, so I guess a cult would make sense."

Psyche glances at Templar. "Your spider sense isn't still tingling, is it?"

Templar looks at Pysche and then at the pattern, totally missing the Spider 
Sense crack.

Hammil says "Yeah... this does look kinda occult... not like a pentagram 
though....looks kinda like a.. that Jewish symbol... Star of David..."

Templar shakes his head at Psyche as he looks over at Hammill. "It's a Hexagram 
sir... it's not jewish... it's like a pentagram, but... six points..."

Psyche lets Templar do the talking. She's no occultist.

Hammill nods. "Oh yah.. those the lines cross... this, it's just a shape..." And 
it looks like the killings are going clockwise...."

Templar nods. "And there was a pattern to the time between them... even number 
spiral... the most recent before was four months ago... then 6 before that... 
then 8... then 10"

Psyche nods. "That's how we got this guy. Worked out where he was gonna hit and 
ambushed him." Hoo boy. This actually happened...

Templar nods "Had the pattern kept going, they'd have killed someone four months 
from now at the nextpoint... and then would...

Hammil nods and then he glares at Templar. "Wait a sec... how do you know all 
this?"

Templar shrugs. "Symbolism is a hobby of mine... I just read about the murders 
and started playing around with the shapes...'

Hammil seems to let this go. "Right... we'll worry about this cult stuff later. 
The Commish is going to want this stuff looked over, of course. Meantime well, 
the press is bout to ask about who caught this guy... who should I saw caught 
him. I assume you guys picked out names for yourselves, being "superheroes"?

Templar glances at Psyche. "She calls herself Psyche. I am Templar." He says 
this a bit hesitatingly, like he can't believe this is happening and he is 
dreaming....

Hammil nods. "Right... well..." he smiles. "Thank you..." And with that the cops 
all move back to their cars and disappear