The Course of Superhero Romance

8/14/2019 The Course of Superhero Romance

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Acknowledgements

Amazing to think how in just a few short months, what started as a quick one-off amusing idea

turned into a full-blown novel. But this certainly would never have happened without thefollowing people, so time to give credit where credit is due:

First and foremost, Matt Positron Miller, for creating what has become one of my threefavorite NPCs in the CITY OF HEROES universe, the inimitable Dr. Raymond Keyes,

a.k.a. Positron.

Sean Manticore Dornan-Fish, for creating one of my other favorite NPCs in the CITYOF HEROES universe, the hyperactive Steven Berry, a.k.a. Synapse.

Joe Hero 1 Morrissey, for generously badgering Matt when I needed backgroundinformation on his character, or world information about the CITY OF HEROES

universe.

Troy Hickman, whose interpretations of Positron and Synapse in his comic book story arcSmoke and Mirrors helped shape my own presentation of them.

Robert Silverberg and Robin D. Laws, whose novels Web of Arachnos and The FreedomPhalanx, respectively, provided significant backgrounds for the world of CITY OF

HEROES.

RC and DeAnna Craigo, for founding the Justice server-based SuperGroup known as theStar Patrol, whose adventures were the inspiration for the creation of Sorina Tavarischand Andrea Blake, and for being vastly supportive friends during this storys creation.

The Star Patrol members who so generously gave me permission to feature theircharacters in my story, and for providing insight into their characters.

@TalynDerre, for a fateful in-game invite from Leading Lady to Sorina Tavarisch to beatup on Anti-Matter, which led to the joke that started this whole thing in the first place.

Curt Uziel21 Allen, of Hero Portrait Studios, for a knockout rendition of SorinaTavarisch and Raymond Keyes, as seen on the cover.

The countless readers of the Roleplaying section on the CITY OF HEROES forums, forproviding endless support, proofreading, feedback, enthusiasm, humour, well-wishes, andgeneral clamouring for MOAR NERD FLIRTING NAO!

Last but not least, my husband John, for founding the Star Patrols nemesis, the Justiceserver-based VillainGroup known as the Nova Dominion, creating its lead villain

(Banestar), providing story ideas and suggestions, and generally putting up with me while

I wrote this book.


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ContentsChapter One ................................................................................................................................ 4Chapter Two................................................................................................................................ 7Chapter Three............................................................................................................................ 11Chapter Four ............................................................................................................................. 14Chapter Five .............................................................................................................................. 17Chapter Six................................................................................................................................ 20Chapter Seven ........................................................................................................................... 23Chapter Eight ............................................................................................................................ 26Chapter Nine ............................................................................................................................. 30Chapter Ten ............................................................................................................................... 35Chapter Eleven .......................................................................................................................... 39Chapter Twelve ......................................................................................................................... 42Chapter Thirteen ....................................................................................................................... 45Chapter Fourteen ....................................................................................................................... 49Chapter Fifteen.......................................................................................................................... 53Chapter Sixteen ......................................................................................................................... 57Chapter Seventeen .................................................................................................................... 61Chapter Eighteen ....................................................................................................................... 65Chapter Nineteen ...................................................................................................................... 70Chapter Twenty ......................................................................................................................... 75Chapter Twenty-One ................................................................................................................. 80Chapter Twenty-Two ................................................................................................................ 84Chapter Twenty-Three .............................................................................................................. 88Chapter Twenty-Four ................................................................................................................ 93Chapter Twenty-Five ................................................................................................................ 97Chapter Twenty-Six ................................................................................................................ 103Chapter Twenty-Seven............................................................................................................ 108

Chapter Twenty-Eight ............................................................................................................. 112Chapter Twenty-Nine.............................................................................................................. 118Chapter Thirty ......................................................................................................................... 123Chapter Thirty-One ................................................................................................................. 128Chapter Thirty-Two ................................................................................................................ 132Chapter Thirty-Three .............................................................................................................. 136Chapter Thirty-Four ................................................................................................................ 141Chapter Thirty-Five ................................................................................................................ 146Chapter Thirty-Six .................................................................................................................. 152Chapter Thirty-Seven .............................................................................................................. 157Chapter Thirty-Eight ............................................................................................................... 162

Chapter Thirty-Nine ................................................................................................................ 167Chapter Forty .......................................................................................................................... 172Chapter Forty-One .................................................................................................................. 176Chapter Forty-Two .................................................................................................................. 181Chapter Forty-Three................................................................................................................ 186Chapter Forty-Four ................................................................................................................. 192


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THECOURSEOFSUPERHEROROMANCEA Positron Story by Michelle Samuraiko/Dark_Respite Travis

ChapterOne

POSITRONS PLANS

So, any other business before we adjourn?

Statesman glanced at each member of the Freedom Phalanx in turn, waiting to see if any of them

would speak, but most seemed inclined to remain silent. Not surprising, considering it had been

another long day for them, what with dealing with back-to-back-to-back fires in Steel Canyon,rescuing a few less experienced heroes after getting in over their heads during a battle with the

Kraken in Perez, and then the impromptu Tsoo-Freakshow gang war that had erupted in Talos.

No? Then I declare this meeting adjourned.

To Statesmans surprise, as well as the other members of the Phalanx, Positron was for once the

first one out of his seat.Whoa, whats the rush? You pretending to be Synapse? Manticore asked, eyebrows raised, and

Positron looked away in embarrassment. He hadnt meant to get up that fast and draw attentionto himself.

Im, um Ive got plans.

Oh, really? In a red and blue blur, Synapse zoomed around the large table to drape one arm

across Positrons shoulders in an exaggeratedly casual gesture. And would theseplans happen

to include a certain dark-haired researcher turned superhero? Positron barely managed to stifle agroan, and Synapse laughed aloud. Oh, yeah, the uber-geek finally scores!

WHATS this? Manticores mouth fell slightly open, and Numina gave a slight chuckle as she

leaned back in her chair.

I was wondering what had you so distracted during this meeting, Positron

Sister Psyche also grinned. Distracted is not quite the word Id have chosen.

Positron did NOT want to know what word the psychic would have chosen instead.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out. Are you saying that HE- Manticore pointed at Positron -has aDATE?

Positron was now looking like he was wishing the floor would open up underneath him. Its

not really a date

Riiiiiiiight, Synapse teased. And Ill bet youre gonna fly right home and get all spiffed outover this not-a-date. Hey, you might even take off your armor!

Manticore smirked. Doesnt that sort of thing usually happen at the endof the night?

Its not like that! Positron protested in frustration, trying to ignore the grins that now nearly

every member of the Phalanx was wearing.

Thats enough, you two, Statesman warned. What Positron chooses to do with his own time is

none of our business.


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Positron nodded slightly to Statesman in thanks, but Synapse wasnt quite ready to let the matterdrop.

I was wondering when you were going to work up the guts to ask her out, Oppenheimer. Youd

think that for someone willing to go toe-to-toe with the citys biggest villains, asking a woman

out would be a cakewalk.

Actually, she asked me out, Positron blurted out before he could stop himself, then hereddened.

Who is she, anyway? Citadel asked in his slightly rumbling voice.

Positron mentally gave up his vain hope that hed be able to just leave and escape the barrage of

questions. Her names Sorina Tavarisch.

That got even Statesmans attention, and he turned to the armored superhero in surprise. Dr.Tavarisch? The Vanguard scientist?

Yes. And guys, I really do need to go. And with as much dignity and haste as he could

manage, he quickly left before the questions could resume.

*****

The whole way home, Raymond was kicking himself for not having managed to keep it a secretfrom the rest of the Phalanx. If hed only managed to play it cool for five minutes longer, they

wouldnt have found out about it, and now to make matters worse, not only did they all know,

but he was running late. With a scowl, he kicked in some additional power, accelerating past the

skyscrapers of Steel Canyon.

As it was, he was still nearly ten minutes late getting home, only to find that Steve was already

there, sprawled on the couch with a beer and obviously waiting for him to arrive.

Raymond only grunted and ignored him as he headed to change clothes.

Ahhhhh, now I KNOW this is serious, he heard Steve laugh. Youre leaving the armor athome well, she certainly is hot, so I cant say I blame you.

Steve, to you, EVERY woman is hot, he grumbled, almost reluctantly starting to set aside hisarmor. Since his death and resurrection, his powers were once more fully under his control, but a

trace of fear still lingered, the gut-wrenching sense of helplessness of feeling his powers surgefree of his control

Not my fault the ladies love me. So where are you taking her?

The question jolted him out of his darkening thoughts. What? Oh small place in Steel near

the University. She recommended it. And Im already late, so save the questions, will you?

Then Raymond became aware of a familiar rushing sound in the living room, which meant thatSteve was doing one of his Flight of the Bumblebee impressions, and he stuck his head out the

door of his room. What the hell are you doing now?

The blur of movement abruptly stopped, and he suddenly realized the living room looked

cleaner.

Just getting the place presentable for later.


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What later? Raymond asked before he caught on, and he gave his roommate a frown.Steve

You want me to clean up your room, too? I can have your sheets changed in four seconds.

Steve

Or how about running to the drugstore?

NO! Raymond stomped back into his room and slammed the door, grumbling under his breath

while trying to ignore Steves laughter.


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ChapterTwo

THE DATE,TAKE 1

After making sure his armor was carefully stashed away, Raymond stalked into the bathroom

and turned the shower water to just shy of scalding. Standing there under the water, scrubbing

himself clean of his earlier heroic exertions, he tried to tell himself that he wasnt nervous aboutthe upcoming evening. He could keep this professional - he knew he could. They were bothscientists, after all. And both of them had been around the block a few times. He frowned to

himself as he washed away the soap. How old was she? Thirty-five? Only a bit younger than

himself, that was for certain.

Damn Steve for making him think there was another way this evening might end. There wouldbe no adolescent pawings this evening although as he turned off the water and stared down at

the tile, he couldnt tell if he was more relieved or saddened by the idea.

It also didnt help that while hed been showering, Steve had apparently decided to continue his

silent ragging and had cleaned up Raymonds bedroom and changed his sheets. Unfortunately for

Raymond, though, Steve had wisely left the premises to avoid getting yelled at.

Twenty-five minutes later, feeling extremely uncomfortable in a suit and tie, Raymond arrived

almost breathlessly at the small restaurant, then he ran his hand over his scalp, squared his

shoulders and entered. Once his eyes adjusted to the muted lighting, he made his way over to thehosts station.

Um, Im supposed to be meeting Sorina Tavarisch here, but

The matred glanced up and gave a slight bow. Ah, you must be Dr. Keyes. Welcome. Dr.

Tavarisch is already here. If youll follow me, Ill escort you to her table.

Raymond mentally grimaced and followed the matred through the restaurant - notthe most

auspicious beginning for him to show up fifteen minutes late.However, when he saw the look of genuine pleasure - and relief - on her face as she glanced up

and saw him, he wondered if things might still go well. Had she honestly thought he was going

to stand her up?

Raymond!Dobriy vyecher! I was starting to wonder if youd changed your mind. She rosefrom her chair and held out one hand to shake his.

Apparently, she had, and Raymond shook his head, momentarily distracted by the slight Russian

lilt to her voice. No, just swamped with Phalanx business. Its been a hectic day.

For you, too, hmm? she commiserated. Quickly he moved to hold her chair for her as she sat

back down, and she thanked him with a smile. Raymond was hard-pressed not to stare at her - he

was accustomed to seeing her in either a lab coat or field officer camo gear. To see her in acocktail dress with her long black hair twisted up like that Resolutely he dragged his mind

back under control, and looked around with interest. Ive never eaten here - what would yourecommend?

Everything Ive had here is good. It just depends on how adventurous you feel like being.

He tried not to think about the different ways that statement could be taken, and turned his

attention to the menu. Do you eat here often?


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Sorina shrugged elegantly. Whats life if you cant indulge yourself? I enjoy it here, and I cancertainly afford it.

It was true, he knew - like himself, Dr. Tavarisch earned royalties on several lucrative patents,

allowing her to continue her research while avoiding the need for government subsidy or private

fundraising. Raymond briefly wondered if the gossip were true that the scientist was on Creys

aggravation list because of her refusal to sell her patents to them, but he decided now was not thetime to ask.

After theyd ordered their drinks and appetizers, she rested her elbows on the table, steepled her

fingers, and studied him, her dark eyes half-hidden behind her spectacles. So, tell me aboutyourself - what do you do when youre not saving the world with the rest of the Phalanx?

Raymond stared down into his water glass, twirling it idly between his fingers. Not much,

actually. I tend to keep rather busy with my research.

Thats it?

Im not exactly what youd call social. The admission surprised him.

Sorina blinked in confusion. Whyever not?

He shrugged uncomfortably at the question. It was something of a sore spot between himself andSteve, who was always teasing him about living the life of a monk. Time and again, Steve would

try to hook him up with some woman or another, and time and again, the evenings would end

somewhere between nice and disastrous.

Slowly she nodded, seeing the look on his face. Ne obrashhajte vnimanija. I withdraw thequestion, then. So what are you researching at the moment?

At first, he was ready to launch into a discussion of the schematics of his armor, but then he

closed his mouth again. Id hate to bore you.

She laughed and gave him a long look over the rim of her own water glass. Bore me? Im ascientist, Dr. Keyes. I can take it when a man talks techie to me.

He grinned before he could stop himself. All right, you win. Im currently working on

improving the circuitry of my armor to see if theres a more efficient way to handle the flow ofanti-matter.

She looked intrigued. What metals are you using as conduits in your circuitry?

While waiting for their drinks, Raymond was surprised to find himself opening up to Sorina and

her questions. It quickly became clear that she was well-versed in the latest scientific research,

and was involved in quite a bit of it herself. Her questions about his work were insightful, and hesoon began taking notes as their conversation sparked ideas for his research.

Youre amazing, he told her as their drinks arrived, and he lifted his glass to her in a toast.

How long have you been studying electrical engineering?

Double doctorate, along with theoretical physics, she replied, looking slightly smug. But mytalents lie in adapting existing technology, not developing original technology.

And you used to be with Vanguard, doing research for them.


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Yes, she said slowly, looking down at her wine glass. I started out as a civilian consultant tothem during the Rikti War they needed all the help they could get. I later formally joined

them, served with them for five years. She shrugged again, her eyes somber behind her glasses.

And not just research - I served on the front lines as well.

Youre serious

Da. When they found out I could field-adapt Rikti technology, I would accompany teams onalmost every raid they managed. Weapons dumps, assault strikes, raids on the pylons Sorina

gave a faint smile.

So whyd you leave? he asked in curiosity, and was surprised to see her eyes turn sad.

I had my reasons. He thought she seemed to almost force herself to cheer up. But enoughabout that. Shall we order dinner?

Before he could respond, however, an almost deafening ZISH sound had them clapping their

hands over their ears and wincing in pain. The windows rattled for a moment and the ground

shook, then things went still. For a split second, their eyes met, identical horrified expressions on

their faces, then they both leapt to their feet and ran toward the door of the restaurant, skidding toa halt outside.

An almost sickly greenish cast had come over the evening sky, but that wasnt what held their

attention.

The War Walls, Raymond whispered. Oh, God, the War Walls are down

He turned to look at Sorina, and was astounded to see her dashing back into the restaurant,running for their table. Quickly he pulled the door open and followed her. What in the worldare

you?

She reached into her bag, grabbed some money, and tossed it on the table, then raced back

toward the door, one hand to the side of her head. At first, Raymond thought shed lost her mind,then he realized that what he had thought was jewelry was actually a communicator in her ear.

Yes, I saw, Andrea, she was snapping angrily, brushing past other diners on her way outside.Warn the other members of the Patrol that the Rikti are hitting Steel Canyon. Im on my way to

the base now. She paused for a second outside, and Raymond nearly cannoned right into her,

then he heard her howl, Zatknis, its not like I PLANNED this, Sharpe, so stop laughing! Tava

out!

Where are you going? Raymond asked her, and she whirled around, looking at him as though

astounded he even had to ask.

The Rikti are invading! You think Im just going to sit and have dinner with thatgoing on?

With a frustrated growl, she stomped both of her feet like a child. Dlja ljubvi k Bogu! Couldntthey have attacked on ANY OTHER NIGHT?! She threw her head back and screamed up at the

sky. I WAS ON A DATE, YOU INVADING IDIOTS!!!

But you you He stopped, at something of a loss for words. This wasnt happening this

was just nothappening. His first date in God-knows-how long, and now this. He blurted out thefirst thing that came to mind. Youre going to fight the Rikti dressed like that?


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Sorina glanced down at the elegant blue and black dress she was wearing, along with her highheels. No. My powers are not nearly as strong without my armor. Thats why Im heading for

the base - my uniform is there. And I cant evenfly like this! Prokljate! she growled. A

moment later, sirens began to wail, and the two of them glanced up to see a line of Rikti assaultdropships began making their way across Steel Canyon in a bombing run. She turned and started

running as fast she could toward Blyde Square, hampered by her heels, and swearing in loud andvehement Russian the whole way.

Raymond let out a sigh and covered his face with his hands.

Steve is nevergoing to let me hear the end of this.

He reached into his pocket and triggered the remote-summon for his armor. In a flash, he felt thefamiliar metal begin encasing his body, and sensed the circuitry synching up with his nervous

system. Thirty seconds later, the process was complete. Then he kicked off from the ground,

flew after Sorina, and before she could protest, swept her up into his arms, and acceleratedtoward Blyde Square.

What are you-?!

Youll get to the base portal faster if I fly you there, he said simply, looking down at her. It just

wasnt fair, damn it. If he was going to be so lucky as to be able to hold her, it should have been

while they were dancing or something, not while carrying her to her base so she could changeinto her uniform to fight off an impending invasion by the Rikti. Its too bad, though

About what?

Your dress you looked lovely.

To his surprise, she blushed and looked away. Spasibo and for what its worth She

glanced back at him. Its too bad you had to get back into your armor. You look good in a suit.

Now he was glad he was wearing his helmet, because it hid his own blush.


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ChapterThree

PREPARATIONS FOR COMBAT

Moments later, Raymond and Sorina arrived at the shimmering base portal access in Blyde

Square, and he carefully set her down. The second the ground was under her feet, Sorina dove at

the portal, vanishing in a haze of blue, and Raymond knew that the portals system had scannedSorinas DNA and hero identification information, then routed her to the correct base.

About two minutes later, she re-appeared, and at first, he almost didnt recognize her. He hadforgotten that since leaving Vanguard, she had been recruited by one of the specialized branches

of the Freedom Corps. Now she wore a red-and-white uniform and mask, what looked like

shoulder braces, gauntlets, and a belt of a titanium alloy, plus high-tech goggles. A closer look ather hands and belt revealed the faint glow of microcircuitry engraved in the metal, and as she

turned her head to look at him, he saw a sophisticated tracking laser system attached to the left

side of her goggles.

She looked good in uniform, he thought, before he abruptly figured out he was staring at her.

Even though it covered her almost completely from head to toe, there was no mistaking thefeminine form beneath that skintight outfit he mentally cursed and glanced away.

Then she tilted her head as though listening to something, and Raymond suddenly realized she

was listening to the radio broadcasts throughout Steel Canyon. Quickly tuning in himself, hecould hear various heroes through the city communicating with one another, calling out locations

of bombs that needed to be neutralized, or escorting civilians to safety. However, he could also

hear several younger and less experienced heroes trying not to panic.

Damn it, theyre hitting heroes just as they leave the hospital!

We got a rallying point yet?

Brass Cannon, reporting for dutyBombs here by the University

What the hell is going on?!

Weve still got Outcasts and Tsoo over in the Copper District, they wont leave

Auramancer, you in Steel yet?

GET BACK, THAT BOMBS ABOUT TO-

Oh, hell, reports are coming in that theyre hitting Talos as well

Latvian Lass, you okay? I saw you get nailed by that dropship

Raymond then heard Sorinas voice come over the channel. This is Commander SorinaTavarisch. Do not panic - heroes in Steel Canyon not currently assisting with UXB removal

should report to Blyde Square. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to engage a dropship in combat.

Tava! came another voice over the radio. Hey if youre looking for help, let me know!

Good to know youre here, Agent Tavarisch were on our way.

Greetings, Agent Comrade! Want a hand or three?


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Raymond looked at her in surprise. It seemed that quite a few of the superheroes on the sceneknew who she was, and were interested in joining her efforts to repel the Rikti. She gave him a

faintly sardonic grin. You up for helping?

Try and stop me, he replied. You think Im going to miss the chance to see a Vanguard

operative take on the Rikti?

A moment later, two other heroes, a man and a woman dressed in uniforms similar to Sorinasdropped out of the sky to land beside her, and she glanced over at them in surprise. That was

fast.

We were just over in Brickstown, taking out a few Council soldiers that were getting out of

hand, the man replied, looking with interest from Sorina to Raymond and back.

Positron, meet Agent Sharpe and Agent Blake. Ray, Andrea, this is Dr. Keyes.

Ohhhhhhh, thats right. That was tonight! Hell of a way to spend your date, huh, Tava? Sharpe

teased, and Sorina gave him a look while Raymond again reddened. Remembering his own

teasing at the hands of the Phalanx, he couldnt help wondering what sort of comments the other

members of Sorinas group had made when theyd found out.Blake, on the other hand, gave Raymond a long appraising look, then turned to Sorina.

So much for getting him out of that armor Blake winked at Raymond, a slow smile

appearing on her lips.

Shut UP, Andrea! Sorina growled, but Blake just chuckled.

Thankfully, several other heroes then arrived, and Raymond watched as Sorina, Andrea, and Raybegan forming teams, providing support and direction while coordinating their efforts with other

veteran heroes. The warm, open personality hed seen in Sorina earlier was gone, replaced with

the cold professionalism of a veteran soldier. It was almost as if shed forgotten he was there, so

busy was she with making sure the heroes were ready to repel the Rikti.

Sharpe, Blake, Ill leave you two to each coordinate your own teams. Sorina glanced around,

nodding to some of the heroes standing around before lifting one of her gauntlets and speakinginto her wrist computer. Command. Accept Ally Identification Signal: Soviet Garden. She

briefly winked at the other Russian hero, then went on. Spasibo, tovarich. Accept Ally

Identification Signal, repeated command:Divine Scourge; Lustrious; Downcast; Hinomizu;

Galebringer; Taek M. Down. At that last, she paused for a moment, but the hero just grinned ather.

Raymond saw her look all of them over, then she nodded slowly. Right - most of you know the

drill. Once theyre done bombing, theyll start teleporting in. Stay together, its the best way to

make sure that the healers can keep you alive. Andrea! The other petite Star Patrol member

turned around from where she was forming her own team. Think you can keep an eye on thisgroup as well?

Dont I always? You just turn stuff into piatas, and Sharpell blast them into next week.

Raymond frowned, wondering what that comment was supposed to mean, but an ominoussilence suddenly fell over the square, and the heroes all looked up at the sky.

Bombing run is just about over, Sharpe said quietly. Which means that


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Sure enough, five seconds later, the sharp tang of ozone filled the air as the first wave ofteleportation portals opened.

INCOMING! Blake shouted, lifting one hand and materializing a large patch of dark energy

on the ground under the incoming Rikti troops to slow them down.

At first there were only a handful, but as if realizing that the heroes intended to make a stand,dozens more opened virtually on top of them. Raymond tensed, and began sending the mentalcommands to his armor to start tracking targets as soon as they fully appeared.

For a split second, he was surprised to admit that he was actually glad- because if his date had to

get screwed up, at least now he had something to vent his frustration on.


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ChapterFour

INCOMING!

The chaos of the attack was almost overwhelming - no matter where one turned, Rikti seemed to

be teleporting in. Soon the air was filled with the hums of drones and the cracking sound of Rikti

cannons, but the heroes gave as good as they got, refusing to back down from the incursion.Their job was made harder, though, when Guardians began appearing and creating forcefieldsaround their allies, but Raymond was relieved to see there were healers among the gathered

heroes as well, using magic or technology or raw talent to keep their own allies on their feet and

in the fray.

Although riding the familiar adrenaline rush as his armor blasted away at the Rikti, Raymondsmind was all too familiar with the concept of multi-tasking, so while laying down some cover

fire, he found himself watching Sorina as she led her own small team against the Rikti.

Downcast, Galebringer, keep them off their balance, we need every advantage we can get! She

immediately ducked as a drone targeted her and nearly blasted her off her feet. Damn it, I

REALLYHATE DRONES! With a growl, she raised one hand, pointed it at the drone, andclenched her fingers into a fist. To Raymonds astonishment, a shimmering energy field seemed

to surround the drone for a split second before it collapsed on itself in a ball of flame.

Keep them locked down, Tava! Sharpe yelled over the noise as more Rikti materialized andimmediately began opening fire. He suddenly let out a startled yell of pain as two Rikti infantry

brought their swords down with vicious strength, but Raymond unleashed a series of concussive

anti-matter blasts and hurled the Rikti several feet away, giving the hero some much-needed

breathing room. Sharpe gave him a quick thumbs-up, then mystical energy surrounded his fistsand he started beating on the nearest Rikti.

Sorina, however, was busy directing her own team. Taek, Scourge, you heard him! They and

Sorina lifted their hands, and moments later, the Rikti quickly found themselves on the receivingend of several restraining powers. Buffeted by tightly contained snowstorms, gravity wells, andenergy fields, the Rikti were powerless to move, and several of the more hands-on heroes

quickly waded in to pound on then. Sorina never seemed to stop moving, her hands darting

around her like birds - one moment gesturing toward three Rikti and lifting them off the ground,the next moment slamming one of the Riktis few mentalists facefirst into the pavement.

Suddenly the ground began to shake underneath their feet, and Raymond looked up to see six

enormous energy fields begin to materialize over their heads.

BOHZE MOI, WEVE GOT INCOMING HEAVIES! Raymond heard Sorina yell over the

fracas, and sure enough, six Rikti Heavy Assault Suits appeared above them, their fusion

cannons opening fire on the crowd of heroes below. Several heroes went down from the sheerferocity of the Assault Suits attacks, screaming in pain and frustration and anger, and a sick

feeling of helplessness twisted in his stomach. But before he could react, he saw Blake nimblydodge between several Rikti soldiers to stand in the very middle of the heroes, and raise her

hands as if in offering.

No sleeping on the job, you guys! she laughed, and as Raymond watched, darkness seemed to

coalesce around her hands, then flow from her body to a nearby Rikti Communications Officer,which had been right in the middle of summoning reinforcements. But at the touch of the dark


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energy, it stopped and reeled as though struck, and now the darkness was radiating from itinstead toward the fallen heroes.

Who, one by one, were lifted off the ground in a swirl of darkness and light before landing on

their feet, fully healed.

Raymond wasnt sure what chilled him more - the sight of that Netherworld energy surroundingBlake like a mist, or her laughter over the sounds of battle.

Thanks, Andrea, Sorina called out, her voice filled with relief at seeing that the other heroes

were all right. Blake flashed a quick victory sign before pivoting on her heel and unleashing a

painful psionic scream straight into the minds of a group of Rikti, doubling them over in pain.

Raymonds attention was yanked back to Sorina, however, when he heard her suddenly screamin agony, clutching at her head and rocking back and forth.

SORINA! he shouted, and whirling around, he saw a Rikti priest pointing at the woman, waves

of psionic energy pouring off it and pulsing around its hand. Sorina was howling in pain from the

priests psychic assault, until Raymond snarled, raised his own hands, and blasted the priest into

nothingness. As the mental connection was severed, Sorina staggered briefly, one hand againsther temple, then she lifted her head to dazedly look around her. Noticing him watching her, he

saw her nod and mouth the word thanks before focusing her attention on the battle once more.

Tava, you all right? Andrea turned back to her comrade, but Sorina waved her off.

Im fine dont worry about me!

We need to take down those Heavies! another hero shouted, but as if on cue, two moreappeared over them, their lasers sweeping over the crowd and blasting heroes off their feet.

All right, you Rikti bastards! he heard Sorina yell. Dovolno!

Sorina raised both hands over her head as if reaching for the Heavy Assault Suits brutally

assaulting the heroes, and the circuitry that ran from her shoulders to her fingertips glowed withpower. Instinctively, Raymond triggered his armors scanners to start analyzing what was going

on, and he realized that she was somehow folding space/time in on itself in some sort ofgravitational anomaly. A second later, all eight Heavy Assault Suits were surrounded by reddish-

gold energy, and Sorina closed her fists and yanked downward, and the Assault Suits briefly

flickered out of existence, only to re-appear much closer to the ground, their weapons systems

offline and their forcefield protections down.

Nice one, Comrade! Soviet shouted as he and several other heroes began attacking the

vulnerable Assault Suits.

Thanks! she called back. And for my next trick

Carefully positioning herself to get a clear line of sight on the nearest Assault Suit, she flung onehand out at the machine, and for a split second, Raymonds armor picked up what appeared to bea stream of energy moving from Sorinas hand to the Assault Suit. He blinked in surprise as pale

blue energy seemed to suddenly radiate from the Rikti Assault suit, only to be suddenly absorbed

by the heroes battling nearest it.

Oh, yeah, Tava, thanks for the recharge! Lustrious and Hinomizu, who only moments ago hadbeen panting for breath, suddenly seemed reinvigorated, and quickly rejoined the fight.


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Its not possible Raymond whispered to himself. Its just not possible

But it was - God only knew how shed done it, but somehow Sorina had figured out a way toexert a fantastic control over the forces of gravity and kinetic energy. What hed done with anti-

matter, shed done with dynamics. He channeled his power through his armor, focusing it and

adapting it through the suits circuitry, but hed had no idea that Sorinad had a similar power

within her - it was almost too much to take in.

As the battle wore on, Raymonds mind was divided between taking out the Rikti and the

implications of his discovery. Between blasts, he wondered what exactly Sorinas true power

was it wasnt control over anti-matter, that much was for certain, and his armors scannersconfirmed that. No this was something different. But where did her raw power come from?

And was that why shed left Vanguard? With effort, he forced his speculations to the back of his

mind and focused his attention on the combat.

The War Walls are back! he heard Divine Scourge call out, and glancing to his left, he saw thefamiliar bluish-green haze of the War Walls forcefields once again stretching up toward the sky.

As if realizing that theyd soon be trapped, the remaining Rikti began teleporting away. The

slower ones, however, were quickly dispatched by the heroes, who chased down any that tried torun.

A few moments later, it was over.

An hour ago, this all seemed so much simpler, Raymond ruefully thought to himself, watching

Sorina conferring with her friends, issuing orders, and congratulating the other heroes on their

courage in battle. An hour ago, hed thought hed known Sorina Tavarisch just anotherresearcher, another hero in a city full of heroes just another woman.

But as she turned and glanced at him over her shoulder, giving him a rueful and chagrined smile

before turning back to the other heroes shed been teamed up with, he felt a slight shiver run

down his spine. No, he thought, he might not know what she was

but he didknow that he wanted to find out.


17/199

ChapterFive

THE SILENCE AFTER BATTLE

Now that the battle with the Rikti was over, Raymond found himself facing a bigger problem

what to do with the rest of his evening.On the one hand, he was tempted to see if Sorina might be interested in trying to finish the date

theyd started earlier, before the invasion had completely derailed their plans. She had certainly

seemed to be enjoying herself earlier at the restaurant, and he was looking forward to continuing

their earlier conversation.

On the other hand, though maybe shed be too tired, or frustrated, or just not interested in

continuing their earlier plans. It was just so damn hard to tell.

As he watched her talking to her teammate Sharpe, he noticed that Blake had come sidling over

and was standing next to him.

Yes, you should ask Tava if she still wants to have dinner, Blake murmured quietly, also

watching Sorina and deliberately not looking at Raymond.

Behind his helmet, Raymonds eyes went wide. Howd you Oh, hell hed forgotten that

during the fight with the Rikti, hed seen Blake using psionic attacks against her opponents. He

blushed, grateful that she couldnt see his face.

Dont feel embarrassed, Blake went on, still not looking at him. Im just teasing you. And Iknow its none of my business, but its just that Tava hasnt had a date in ages. I swear, all she

ever does is work.

He wasnt sure he knew what to make of that comment - although in a weird way he was glad

that he was the first person that the researcher had actually wanted to go out on a date with.

I know, Blake replied to his unspoken comment. Youd think, as pretty as Tava is, shed haveguys lined up around the block, but she intimidates a lot of them, what with her being a scientist

and all, plus the whole war hero thing. But I guess you and she have a lot in common, so you

should go enjoy yourselves. God knows both of you deserve it.

Then Blake turned to look at Raymond, and he almost flinched from the intensity of her eyes.

Or you could plan to just take off after this and thatll be the end of it

Would you mind not doing that? he asked her in a low, almost harsh voice, momentarily hating

her for being able to see into his thoughts like that, especially when he was already frustrated

with himself for being tempted to end the evening early.

Youre broadcasting, she said simply, shrugging her shoulders. Its hard to ignore. Besides,considering you hang out with Sister Psyche, you should be used to it by now. Then suddenly

she smiled, and he was struck by just how young she looked. Anyway, if you leave now, Ill

have nothing to rag Tava about. So come on, make sure she has some fun. Please?

I get enough of that from Synapse, he grumbled, looking away. Id hate to wish it on Sorina,too.


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Blake laughed and waved one hand dismissively. Yeah, whatever. You should have heard thehard time some of us were giving her earlier, oh, I thought Tava was going to blow her stack

when Jen wouldnt stop giving her fashion advice. But Tava gives as good as she gets when it

comes to teasing. This one time, Sharpe had been getting on her case about something oranother, and then he made the mistake of falling asleep in the base. Too bad for him when he

woke up and rolled out of bed, he found out the hard way that Tavad levitated the bed eight feetoff the floor.

In spite of himself, Raymond grinned, then he was reminded of something Sorinad said earlier.

My powers arent nearly as strong without my armor

Something about that bothered him, but he couldnt quite put his finger on it. Then he noticedthat Blake was again looking at him, a faint frown on her face.

What am I broadcasting now? he said, his voice slightly defensive.

That nothing. Youll figure it out eventually, anyway. She seemed to deliberately banish her

earlier frown, a sunny smile re-appearing on her face. Of course, I could really make your lives

difficult and orderTava to go with you.As if, Raymond scoffed. Judging by her appearance, Blake was barely in her early twenties.

Shes got, what, ten years on you?

Eleven, to be exact, but as far as the Star Patrol is concerned, I outrank her, Blake said blithely.

Besides, Synapse might be right and you could get lucky. Before Raymond could get past thesudden rush of embarrassed chagrin, she tossed him a quick salute, then turned and headed over

to Sorina and Sharpe. Yo, Ray, weve still got a lead to follow on those Council. You ready to

hit the sky?

The blue-haired hero turned and nodded. Yeah, were just about done here. Tava, you needanything else from us?

No, I think thats all. Watch your backs over in Brickstown, you two. With Crey swarming all

over that place, Id hate to have to scrape the two of you off the sidewalk.

We will, comrade, we will, Blake said, rolling her eyes. Have fun on your date, Tava! And

thats an order!

ANDREA! Sorina said in exasperation, but Blake just laughed, then she and Sharpe took off

toward the Green Line tram that led to Brickstown, leaving both Raymond and Sorina standingthere looking uncomfortable.

There was a long, drawn-out pause where neither of them said anything, then Sorina gave a

sudden and gusty sigh, under which Raymond heard her mutter, Prokljate.

She turned to look at him, and tilted her head to indicate that she wanted him to follow her. Asshe took off into the sky, he followed along behind her, until they finally came to land on thebalcony of one of Steel Canyons taller skyscrapers. Sorina moved to lean against the railing,

looking down at the lights of the city as things slowly returned to normal.

Not exactly what Id had in mind for this evening, she said at length, and he quietly laughed

and moved to stand beside her, also leaning his elbows against the rail.

To be honest, me neither. But I guess for heroes, the job never stops.


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Nyet, she said softly, gazing off into the distance. It doesnt. By the way, do I even want toknow what Andrea was saying to you?

Er, probably not.

I didnt think so. She turned to look at him, and for a long time, just studied him, her eyes

inscrutable behind her goggles.What? he asked her at length, wondering if Sorina was psychic like Blake.

I I was just wondering if He could see her face turning red beneath the edges of her mask,and she looked away in embarrassment. I was wondering if I if I could interest you in trying

this again. She gave a slightly awkward laugh. Without the Rikti invading, this time.

Behind his helmet, Raymond closed his eyes, not certain if he was more uncomfortable or

relieved that shed confronted the issue so directly. It would be safer to say no to continueleading the monk-like existence for which Synapse was constantly teasing him. But he

couldnt help thinking of earlier, when theyd been sitting and talking and laughing together.

How long had it been since hed let himself enjoy life?

For several long moments, he was silent, then quietly, he said, Yes.

She started in surprise. Y-yes?

Yes. Id like that. He reached up and removed his helmet, then turned to face her, leaning one

hip against the railing. But youre right this time, no Rikti.

She smiled at him, a slow and shy smile. Da.

They stood there and looked at each other for another minute or so, then he looked down at his

feet. Although were not exactly dressed to go back to that restaurant, unless you dont mindgoing in uniform.

Sorina looked down at herself ruefully. I look a mess now, she sighed, pushing her disheveled

hair back from her face. And after I spent an hour getting ready for tonight. Then she blushed.Ja ogorchenn, I cant believe I said that.

Sorina?

Da?

You look fine. Before he could give himself time to talk himself out of it, he held one hand out

to her in invitation. Lets go.


20/199

ChapterSix

THE DATE,TAKE 2

Good evening, and welcome to The voice of the matred trailed off as he looked up and saw

Raymond and Sorina, still in full hero uniforms, come strolling into the restaurant. For a

moment, he blinked in surprise, then drew himself up with aplomb and slightly bowed.

Ah, forgive me, Dr. Tavarisch. I didnt recognize you. Your table is actually still available, if

you and Dr. Keyes would care to follow me.

Thank you, she said, managing to keep the amusement out of her voice as she removed hergoggles, hanging them from her belt.

The matred led them back to the table theyd been seated at earlier, politely holding the chair

for Sorina as she sat, then bowing again before leaving them. Raymond, however, was

uncomfortably aware of the stares they were getting from the other patrons.

Maybe we should have stopped off and changed clothes first, he mused as Sorina then

removed her gauntlets, setting them in her lap to leave her hands bare.Bah, theyre just surprised that you actually EAT, Sorina replied, giving the staring patrons a

dark-eyed glare that made many of them suddenly decide to memorize the patterns of theirtablecloths. Freedom Phalanx members tend to be viewed as rather lofty individuals, above

such needs as food.

Youve obviously never seen Synapse eat, then, he said frankly.

No, but I can imagine. Let me guess, he consumes his body weight in food at each meal.

That much was certain, Raymond thought - Steves hypermetabolism was an absolute nightmare

on their food budget. Put it this way - this date would cost five times as much if he were here.

One more reason, then, Im glad Im here with you, she said with a soft smile.

Before Raymond could get his brain back into gear after her comment, another voice cut in.

Dr. Keyes, Dr. Tavarisch, would you care for something to drink before ordering?

The two of them glanced up to see a waiter standing discreetly to one side.

The way this evening has been going, vodka, please, Sorina sighed, rubbing her eyes. Then

suddenly her eyes opened wide and shot to Raymonds face. Oh, God, Im sorry, I didnt mean

it like that- But Raymond was already laughing.

Dont worry about it. And Ill have what the lady is having.

Will there be anything else, sir?

Raymond looked over at Sorina. Youre the expert on this place, what would you recommend?

She gave him a slow smile. Are you feeling adventurous enough to try Russian food?

Theres a first time for everything, I suppose.

Sorina turned and looked up at their waiter. Well start with the borscht. Then a tray of the good

things - mushrooms, caviar, blini. Pirozhki and shashlyk for dinner.


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Yes, maam.

I leave the choice of meat for the shashlyk to the chef.

Yes, maam. He nodded politely, finished scribbling, then left.

Its strange, she said softly a few moments later, her eyes slightly distant. Ive lived in

Paragon City for five years now? Six? And I still get homesick for Moscow.

So why not go back? he asked her, leaning back in his chair. At least for a visit, the Freedom

Corps cant be thatstrict about its members taking vacation time.

Oh, I still go home from time to time. To visit my brother, if nothing else. A smile of pride litup her features. Stefan is a member of the Valiant Defenders.

Really? Is he a scientist like you?

Stefan? Oh, no. Hes much more into the um active side of things. Which is how he earned

the nicknameMolotov Svobody. At Raymonds blank look, she clarified, It means FreedomsHammer. Her smile turned slightly rueful. He often jokes that he received the brawn in our

family, while I received the brains.Raymond grinned at her. Older brother or younger brother?

Older by two years. Hes talked of coming here to Paragon City for a visit, but sometimes I

think it would be better if he stayed in Moscow.

Why?

Hed be constantly telling me, Sora, you dont eat enough. Sora, you work too hard. Sora,you should find a nice young man. Im thirty-five, but he still sees me as his sestrenka, his little

sister. Then her lips curved in a wicked smile. I can just imagine if my brother met you,

knowing youd gone on a date with his little sister.

Raymond looked down at his armor. I hope my armord be up to the task of fending off thathammer of his, then. Id hate for him to try and pound me to a pulp just for going on a date.

A minute later, the waiter returned with an elegant cut-crystal vodka service, which contained a

decanter and two slim fluted shot glasses. He poured them each a measure of vodka while asecond waiter arrived with the tray of appetizers that Sorina had ordered. Enjoy your food,

maam sir.

Raymond looked at the vodka warily, and Sorina chuckled.

Sip it, she advised him. I wont hold it against you.

I thought you were supposed to drink vodka fast, like doing shots.

Usually, yes, but if youre not used to it, it can be intense. Of course, it depends on howadventurous you want to be. Her dark eyes were sparkling with mischief over the top of her shot

glass, and he felt his cheeks go slightly red. Not for the first time did he wish he had Stevesability to banter, to come out with just the right thing to say to a woman. But with the way she

was looking at him it was hard to even form a coherent sentence, let alone anything intelligent.

He almost wanted to laugh, all of a sudden - earlier at dinner, when they were both there as

civilians, theyd been almost formal, professional colleagues, despite their evening clothes. Twoscientists, amicable but proper.


22/199

Now here they were, in the exact same place less than an hour later, this time slightly disheveledand wearing their uniforms, and she was actuallyflirting with him. Or was she? He briefly

wondered if she was just teasing him, until he looked her in the eyes. No, he thought, she wasnt

teasing she was genuinely flirting with him.

Covering up his sudden nervous exhilaration at the idea, he lifted his own shot glass and met her

eyes directly.

To adventure.

To adventure, she echoed softly, clinking her glass against his, then they both tossed back their

drinks.

Then Sorina began laughing as Raymond nearly choked when the fiery liquid seared his throat.You know, itd be extremely undignified if you died from this after surviving the Rikti

Holy sh- He gasped, his eyes nearly watering as he fought for breath. With a shaking hand, he

reached for his water glass, but accidentally knocked it off the table. However, even as the water

spilled, before the glass itself could hit the floor, Sorinas eyes swiftly moved to follow its path,

and the glass halted in midair. She reached out and caught it, then set it back on the table beforehanding him her own glass of water.

Breathe, Raymond breathe, she teased, fanning his face with the drinks menu. Come on,

dont pass out on me now.

Ill be fine just as soon as I remember how to breathe. Raymond shook his head anddrew in a deep breath. Whoa you werent kidding that it could be intense. He gave her a

faint glare as she continued to fan him. And you can cut that out.

Sorina laughed and set the menu back down. While I am all in favor of having a man breathless

for me, inhaling vodka is not the way Id suggest going about it.

Ill keep that in mind. Of course, he had no intention of telling her that if she was going tokeep looking at him like that, shed have him breathless anyway.

Good caviar?


23/199

ChapterSeven

WHAT A MAN WANTS

It was much later in the evening when the two of them finally left the restaurant, both of them a

little more relaxed after having consumed most of the decanter of vodka.

Thank God the management here was understanding, Sorina was saying as they stepped

outside, pushing her hair back from her face and enjoying the night breeze.

It had not been until the end of their meal that Raymond and Sorina had belatedly realized, to

their mutual horror, that between her having changed into her uniform, and him wearing hispower armor over his clothes, neither of their wallets were exactly accessible. After the initial

freak-out session, Sorina had quickly excused herself, her face nearly as red as her uniform, and

dashed back to the Star Patrol base to retrieve her wallet, leaving Raymond sitting at the table,torn between embarrassment and amusement.

Fortunately, the restaurant management had been gracious about the matter, but he could tell that

it would be a long while before Sorina would feel comfortable going back there.

Well, it all turned out all right in the end, he said, stretching and tilting his head back to look

up at the stars. Then he looked over at her. However, I do intend to cover my half of dinner.

I didinvite you, she pointed out as she pulled on her gauntlets once more. Theoretically, that

does make tonight my responsibility.

But what kind of gentlemen lets the woman pay?

One whose wallet is currently underneath several pounds of body armor, she replied tartly.

Then she gave him a smile, folded her arms across her chest, and leaned back on her heels.Unless, of course, you intend to take your armor off to get at your pockets.

From the grin on her face, he had the feeling that she wouldnt mind that idea in the least, and

damn it all if he didnt all of a sudden hear Synapse and Manticores earlier teasing about her

getting him out of his armor.

But before he could respond, he became aware of a beeping sound from his helmet, indicating anincoming transmission.

Sorry, just a second, he apologized, quickly donning his helmet. As the connections linked up,

he stated clearly, Play message.

Synapses cheerful tones suddenly blared in his ears. Noticed your armor disappeared, man - I

gather your dates not quite going as planned. Hope youre both all right - you probably are, if

you havent called for backup. Unless youre just trying to impress her. If so, good luck. And

dont forget to try and kiss her good night! Or better yet, offer to show her your etchings. Orcircuitry. Or whatever. Synapse out.

Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN, Raymond thought, his eyes going to Sorinas face as shewatched the people passing by as she waited for him. He was going to kill Steve for this when he

got home. Thank God Sorina hadnt heard the message, he didnt think he could have survived

the humiliation.


24/199

Blushing fiercely, he removed his helmet again, staring intently at the sidewalk. Sorry aboutthat.

Everything all right? she asked in curiosity, noting his blush. Or do I not want to know?

Just Synapse checking up on me, since he noticed my armor was gone.

Oh. Well, it must be nice to have someone who worries about you, she said after a moment,but Raymond shook his head.

More like having someone to rag on me. He deliberately locked away any further thoughtsinspired by Steves message. But its getting late, and weve both had really long days. Ill

escort you home.

Sorina gave him a slightly arch look. I am capable of flying alone, even after having had a few

drinks, you know.

Call it chivalry. You bought dinner, you have me as an escort. Then he immediately coveredhis mouth and stared down at the pavement as she burst into laughter.

I didnt mean it like that, he muttered when she finally stopped laughing.I know, she chuckled, I just couldnt help it. You in a hurry to get home? Or do you mind

taking the scenic flight to Founders?

No rush.

Follow me, then.

He put his helmet back on as she slipped her goggles back over her eyes, then the two of themkicked off from the sidewalk, hovering in midair for a few moments. He briefly wondered what

she was thinking as she turned to look at him, but her eyes were inscrutable behind her goggles.

Then he thought he heard her murmur, Pity before turning and flying toward Atlas Park.

It probably would have been faster to take the Green Line train to Founders Falls, but he couldntreally blame her for wanting to fly. Even after years of being a superhero, there was still a part of

Raymonds soul that loved the feeling of soaring over Paragon City, and judging by the look on

Sorinas face, it was something she enjoyed as well.

Together they skimmed through Atlas Park, cut across Skyway City (where they narrowly

avoided one of the areas infamous Troll Raves), then took a quick shortcut across Talos Islandbefore heading into Founders Falls.

Where do you live? he asked her, drawing alongside her as they flew.

Just up ahead, she called back as she veered southeast to follow the Red River, and soon they

arrived at one of the taller buildings that lined the river, an area that Raymond realized was near

one of the entrances to the interdimensional dance club known as Pocket D.

Nice location, he commented as they landed by the double doors, removing his helmet andrubbing the back of his neck.

Da, she replied simply, entering the building and crossing the lobby with him at her side. Its

convenient to both the college and Vanguard.


25/199

They rode the elevator in silence to one of the topmost floors, then he followed her down the hallto one of the corner apartments. He could tell it was one of the larger ones, but he suspected that

shed also wanted her own research or office space rather than renting a separate facility.

As she unlocked her door, she hesitated, and Raymond saw her briefly bow her head. Her lips

moved silently, as if in prayer, and then slowly she turned to him, pushing her goggles up on top

of her head.

Would would you like to come in? Her voice was soft, and for the first time since theyd left

Steel Canyon, her eyes met his directly.

God, it was tempting, even without Steves earlier teasing about trying to kiss her good night

or anything else, for that matter. But Raymond couldnt ignore the old familiar doubts thatstirred inside him, and although he was even more loathe to admit it the fear.

Sure, it had been years since hed regained control of his powers and his body, thanks to the

Dark Watcher. But before that hed had years of being nothing but energy, locked away inside

his armor, cut off from the world and everyone in it. Years of never feeling the sun on his face,or the movement of his own body, or the warmth of someone elses touch.

Years to get used to being alone.

A difficult thing to get over. And it hadnt helped that both before and since, hed never really

had the greatest luck with relationships.

So as much as he wanted to, he slowly shook his head. Thank you, but I think I should begoing. He held one hand out to her, and she clasped his in her own, following his lead toward

polite distance. Thank you for a wonderful evening even if the Rikti did crash the party.

Sorina gave him a slightly wry smile. Thank you for coming with me, and for escorting me

home. Have a safe flight home and if youd like to discuss electrical engineering again sometime, give me a call.

She almost managed to pull off keeping her voice and expression casual, but he was suddenly all

too aware of the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Had she wantedhim to kiss her? Shouldhe try, after seeing that look in her eyes? Or was it because he hadnt asked her earlier if shed

like to go out again?

Ill do that. His own voice became quieter. Good night, Sorina.

Good night, Raymond. She turned and entered her apartment, closing the door behind her. Butas he pulled on his helmet once more, his audio sensors picked up a faint thump on the other side

of the door, as if shed slumped against it, followed by a long, drawn-out, and surprisingly sad

sigh.

That sigh haunted Raymond the whole flight back to Steel Canyon.


26/199

ChapterEight

THE RECORDS OF A LIFE

He should have been exhausted after the day hed had, but Raymond was too distracted to sleep.

For a while, he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling through the darkness and thinking of her, but

he eventually gave up trying to fall asleep. Instead, he climbed back out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt and jeans, brewed himself some coffee, and took the pot and a mug into his ops center.Shoving papers out of the way, he set down the pot, poured himself some coffee, and started

keying commands into the main computer one-handed.

A moment later, a new screen appeared.

FEDERALBUREAUFORSUPERPOWEREDAFFAIRS

Part of him was hating himself for doing this, but as a member of the Freedom Phalanx,Raymond had access to some of the more restricted databases of the FBSA, so he entered his IDand password, then waited.

ENTERSUBJECT

FOR

INQUIRY

Taking a sip of coffee, he typed in:

TAVARISCH,SORINA

SEARCHING

Given the sheer number of heroes operating in Paragon City, he knew it could take a while, so he

leaned back in his ergonomic chair, put his bare feet up on his desk, and continued to drink hiscoffee. It wasnt until hed started on a second mug that a new screen finally appeared.

ONEMATCHFOUND.DISPLAYRECORDS?Y/N

He selected YES, and watched as text began to fill the screen.TAVARISCH,SORINA

SUPERHEROALIASES:NONE

DUALCITIZENSHIP:RUSSIAN/UNITEDSTATES

DEGREESHELD:

DOCTORATE(THEORETICALPHYSICS/DYNAMICS),CONFERREDBYMOSCOWINSTITUTEOFPHYSICSAND

TECHNOLOGY,RUSSIA;

DOCTORATE(ELECTRICALENGINEERING),CONFERREDBYUNIVERSITYOFCAMBRIDGE,ENGLAND

KNOWNAFFILIATIONS:

FREEDOMCORPS(DIVISIONSTARPATROL,RANK:COMMANDER)2007PRESENT;

FREEDOM

PHALANX

(RANK:

RESERVE

MEMBER),

2007

PRESENT;

PARAGONCITY UNIVERSITY(FACULTY/RESEARCHER,SCIENCEDEPARTMENT),2003PRESENT;

VANGUARD(DIVISIONSWORD,RANK:COLONEL),20022007

POWERS:CONTROLOVERGRAVITY/KINETICFORCETHROUGHTECHNOLOGICALDEVICES

INHERENTPOWERS:NONE

SECURITYLEVEL:50

CLEARANCELEVEL:OMEGA

RECIPIENTOFATLASMEDALLION


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RECIPIENTOFVANGUARDMEDAL

RECIPIENTOFRIKTIRESISTANCEMEDAL

RECIPIENTOFTASKFORCECOMMANDERHONORARIUM

There was a brief pause, then another line of text appeared.

FURTHERINFORMATION

AVAILABLE.

CONTINUE?

Y/N

Raymond frowned, then selected YES.

SUBJECT:ASSASSINATIONATTEMPT,PERPETRATOR(S)UNKNOWN,2008



SUBJECT:PATENTDISPUTE,BROUGHTBYCREYCORPORATION,DISMISSED,2007

SUBJECT:RESEARCHDISPUTE,BROUGHTBYCREYCORPORATION,DISMISSED,2007





So, the gossip was true. Sorina had indeed gotten on Creys bad side if shed refused to sell her

patents and work for them, but as usual, the Countess had been able to cover her tracks too well

to prove anything. Gulping down the last of his second mug of coffee, he shook his head.

So how was your date, Romeo? he heard, and Raymond nearly spat his coffee all over hisdesk. He glanced over his shoulder to see Steve lounging in the doorway, a sly grin on his face

and his hands shoved in the pockets of his bathrobe.

Despite himself, Raymond blushed. I already told you, its not like that.

Sure, you just keep telling yourself that, Oppenheimer. So howd it go?

It was He tried to think of a word that Steve wouldnt misinterpret. nice.

Steve shook his head. You are hopeless, man. Telling a woman that the evening was nice is

second-date-suicide.

Well, what was I supposedto say? Raymond said in exasperation, trying without success to

keep the embarrassment off his face. We barely even got to dinner before the Rikti showed up-

Yeah, I kinda figured things werent going too hot for you two after your armor vanished from

the ops center

-and after that, things just sort of well He looked down at the floor. The evening

certainly hadnt ended BADLY, but it wasnt quite what hed hoped if he even knew what

hed been hoping for.

As though reading his mind, Steve chuckled. Did you kiss her?

Raymonds blush deepened. No.

Did she kissyou?

Steve

Not even a hug?


28/199

STEVE! Raymond was almost certain hed pass out if any more blood rushed to his head.

Even after I called you and told you to go for it? You are hopeless.

Oh, shut up.

You gonna see her again?

I dont know its kind of complicated. He wanted to, but he wasnt certain what shed say ifhe asked herout this time. Maybe shed been put off by his lack of response maybe hed bored

her over dinner it was just so hard to say. He sighed and stretched his shoulders as he lookedaway from Steve, briefly wishing that women were as easy to understand as computer

schematics were.

So whats got your circuits in a twist? Steve wandered into the ops center and looked over

Raymonds shoulder. Her FBSA records, huh? He let out a low whistle. Do I even want toknow why youre looking her up in there?

Steve momentarily vanished as he headed for the kitchen to grab himself a mug, then reappeared

and poured himself some coffee as well. While he was drinking it, the computer beeped again,

and both men turned to look at another set of monitors. Raymond recognized the data as what hehad downloaded from his armor once hed arrived home, a habit hed established years ago as

part of his mentality that there was no such thing as too much information.

During the attack on Steel, there was something strange about Sorina when she was fighting the

Rikti, Raymond mused as data began filling the screen.

Big shock there, Steve scoffed, knocking back the last of his coffee and pouring himself somemore. You of all people should know that you cant throw a rock without hitting a superhero in

this town. They come in all shapes, sizes, and powers.

Raymond, however, leaned forward and traced his finger along lines of code that were scrolling

past. No, THIS is whats odd. According to her FBSA records, her abilities only come fromthose gauntlet things and such that she wears.

Like you with your armor?

Raymond shook his head. No I can generate anti-matter on my own, but with my armor I cando much, much more.

So?

So He pointed to some more data. If Sorina has no powers of her own why did my

scanners detect this?

Steve wandered closer and looked at the monitors. My specialty is amortization charts, notnuclear physics, Einstein.

Raymond sighed and rubbed his eyes. Come on, even you should have learned some of this

stuff by now. Open your eyes and LOOK.

Steve took another sip of his coffee and followed one particular series of jagged lines. Looks

like an energy spike of some kind.

And its not from her equipment. That power is hers.

Slowly a frown appeared on Steves face and he leaned back on his heels.


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Which raises an interesting question Raymond sat back in his chair and gazed at thecomputers pensively, remembering how last night at dinner, shed caught his water glass in

midair with nothing but a thought even though her gauntlets had been removed and resting in

her lap.

Steve, as usual, was far more willing to put things bluntly. You mean like why she lied about it

to the FBSA.

The thought was troubling Raymond as well. But it doesnt make sense. Why wouldshe lie to

the FBSA?

You think that Vanguard knows the truth?

Id be surprised if they didnt and they dont have to answer to the FBSA, or to FreedomCorps for that matter.

So what happens now? Steve asked after a long pause.

Raymond stared moodily at the computer monitors. I dont know I wish I did.


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ChapterNine

SORINAS SECRET

It had been only a week, but to Raymond, it felt like much, much longer since hed last seen

Sorina. For his part, hed picked up the phone almost a half-dozen times, wanting to call her, but

had always decided against it at the last moment. He told himself that hed just been busy withPhalanx business, and that she was probably busy with her own life.

But still, he wondered why she hadnt called. And he wondered if he should be relieved. Andunderneath it all, he wondered why she hadnt told the truth about her powers.

Finally, after another long day of fighting villainy with Synapse, the other superhero cornered

him before he could take off.

Look, dude, this has got to stop.

What? Raymond asked, confused.

This moping stuff. Just call her already. Youre driving me nuts with this brooding melancholy

attitude.

I dont remember this being any of your business, Raymond said coldly, glaring at him, but

Synapse shook his head.

Youre my teammate, youre my friend, and you live with me. That makes it my business.

Raymond turned to leave, but with a red-blue blur, Synapse moved in front of him. Listen, Ray- I know why youre upset. But unless you just come out and ask her, youre just going to be

miserable.

It doesnt matter, Raymond protested. Its not like she and I are in any kind of serious

relationship - it was just one date and thats it.

Thats not true, and we both know it. You and she might not be dating, but she was, and still is,your colleague and your friend. And finding out that shes not quite the woman you thought she

was cant be an easy thing to deal with especially if one or both of you has been wondering if

you could be more to each other.

Raymond looked away, extremely uncomfortable with the implications of that, and Synapsesighed.

Just just talk to her, okay? When Raymond still didnt say anything, Synapse put one hand

on his shoulder. Please?

That surprised Raymond - Steve wasnt usually one to ask for anything, so he finally nodded.Okay.

*****

He thanked his lucky stars that Steve hadnt insisted on escorting him to the base portal system;

this was going to be hard enough as it was.

Using the communications system in his armor to access the SuperGroup Registration System,

he quickly searched for the code for the Star Patrol, then called them. A moment later, a small


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audio/video feed appeared on his internal viewers, and Raymond recognized the features ofAndrea Blake.

Star Patrol Headquarters, Agent Blake.

Um, hello, Agent Blake, this is Positron.

Her eyes widened slightly and a smile spread across her features. Hey, Dr. Keyes! Surprised tofind you on the line howd your date with Tava go?

Um. He should have been expecting the question, considering his previous conversationwith her, but he was still caught off guard. It was nice. Er, at any rate Im actually looking

for Dr. Tavarisch is she there?

She nodded. Yeah, actually, she got in about twenty minutes ago from the RWZ hang on a

sec, Ill grab her.

Wait! he said quickly before she could turn away. I I actually wanted to talk to her face-to-face. If thats all right.

She nodded again and he saw her reach toward a panel just out of his line of sight. Sure, giveme just a second to allow you access.

As he waited, watching the portals glowing energy, a new signal came in via hiscommunications system, indicating permission to be routed to Star Patrols base.

Okay, come on in.

He stepped into the rings blue light, felt the quicksilver chill of the identification systems DNA

scan, and then he appeared in a well-lit and spacious base, decorated in the familiar red and

white of the Freedom Corps.

Standing near the portal was Blake, holding out a hand to Raymond, who shook it.

Welcome to SP Headquarters.Thank you. He removed his helmet and looked around for Sorina.

Sorinas actually in the computer lab, Blake explained. If youll follow me

The two heroes headed down one of the hallways into a brightly-lit computer room and researchlaboratory, where Sorina was bent over one of the bases supercomputers. She hadnt changed

into her regular uniform upon returning to the base, Raymond noticed - she was still wearing her

field officer camo gear, although shed tossed her jacket onto a nearby chair. She had removed

one of its panels and had her arms stuck inside the thing all the way to her forearms, her glasseshalfway down her nose and a flashlight suspended in midair beside her head. As Raymond

watched, he saw one of the computers screens dissolve in a blaze of static, and Sorina let out a

torrent of furious Russian before reaching up, taking the flashlight in her hand and sticking herhead inside the panel.

Hey, Tava! Blake called out as they entered.

Da? came her muffled response.

Youve got a visitor.

Kto ono?


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Blake blinked in confusion. You wanna say that in English, comrade?

With a sigh, Sorina pulled her head back out of the computer and whacked the side of themachine with the flashlight she was still holding.

Sorry who is it? She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes tiredly, still studying the

computers open panel. Then she turned around and saw Raymond standing there, and took asurprised step backward.

Raymond! What are you doing here?

I was hoping to talk to you. Do you have a moment?

What? Oh of course.

Blake said quietly, Ill leave you two some privacy. As she left the lab, she touched one of the

controls on the wall, and a forcefield flickered into existence.

*****

At Raymonds look, Sorina explained, Sometimes I do some pretty volatile work in here, so we

had to find a way to cordon off the lab. It also helps when one of us is working and dont want tobe disturbed.

Oh.

For a moment, they both just stood there, then she gestured to a chair. Would you prefer to sit?

He shook his head, wondering how to broach the subject, and in the end, he just took a deep

breath and plunged ahead. Sorina youre telekinetic, arent you. It was a statement, not aquestion.

The scientist went absolutely still, her face pale. For several moments, she didnt say anything,

then she closed her eyes and turned her face away.

Prokljate, she whispered. Then she opened her eyes again and locked gazes with him. Doesit matter?

It does when your FBSA records say that you have no inherent powers of your own. He saw

her expression change to one of dismay, and he hurriedly explained, I wasnt doing it to checkup on you, I did it because because I wanted to know more about you.

Sorina looked away again, but Raymond went on. Why would you lie about it? Its not like its

anything to be ashamed of - sometimes I think half of Paragon City has metahuman abilities.

Its not that, she said, her voice low and her eyes troubled. Its its

She closed her eyes, her voice dropping to barely a whisper. Its because Im not a hero.

Raymond frowned. Whats that supposed to mean?

She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, still not looking at him. Im not a hero,Raymond. Not like you.

I dont understand, he said at last, and she abruptly whirled around.

Im notlike you, Im notbrave, Im notspecial, all right? she cried. Cant you understand

that? I never trained, I never tried to develop my powers, because thats not what I wanted to be.


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I never wanted to be a hero, the world has enough of those. All I wanted was to be a scientist.That was it. Because that, at least, I could do well.

Sorina-

But when the Rikti came, and Vanguard recruited me, they were thrilledto find out I was

both until they learned I wasnt strong enough to do anythingmeaningful

.Raymond was astonished to see tears of frustration in Sorinas eyes, but before he could speak,she went on, the words almost pouring out of her.

My powers are pathetic on their own - I can barely do anything with them. And no matter how

hard I tried with them I couldnt save anyone with them. I watched thousands of people die

during the Rikti war, soldiers, civilians, heroes and my powers were useless. I was withVanguard for five years, Raymond. FIVE YEARS. But no matter how hard I trained, no matter

how hard I tried, my powers stayed insignificant. So as part of my work for Vanguard, I

helped design most of their gear that boosts a metahumans powers. But not just because I was

trying to help other heroes, although it certainly has done that. In truth its because it was theonly way for me to be the hero Im supposed to be.

He took a step toward her, but she violently shook her head, and he stumbled as though she had

physically pushed him back. He tried again, but again he was pushed back, and he realized that

she was instinctively using her telekinetic powers to keep him away. Sorina, listen

She shook her head again, ignoring him while the tears spilled down her cheeks and she wrapped

her arms around herself. But I still couldnt keep up with the other heroes of Vanguard. I

After a while, I couldnt stand it anymore, I couldnt bear seeing my own failures result in the

deaths of others oh, not directly, but because I couldnt use my powers to save them. Nomatter how quickly I researched and developed technology, it was never enough, and I I just

couldnt take it any more, Raymond. So when I finally left, and joined the Freedom Corps,

Gaussian helped fake my Vanguard service records to hide any trace of my natural powers. The

FBSA used that information to generate my records with them. And the only reason Im anythingnow is because of my inventions - its not me.

Sorina lowered her head in shame. Sorina Tavarisch, war hero, Vanguard scientist is nothing

more than a failure in heros clothing.

Raymonds mind was whirling as all the pieces fell into place. Her fierce concern for her

teammates, the sadness in her eyes when shed talked about serving with Vanguard, her obvious-in-retrospect worry that he wouldnt want to spend time with her and underneath it all, a

desperate need for acceptance.

Her research, her skill, her learning, all of it all the result of a woman yearning to make a

difference in the world, while believing all the while that she was unable to do so because shewasnt what she thought she should be.

Sorina, he said at last, stepping forward to rest his hands on her shoulders, and this time, she

didnt stop him. You remind me so much of myself its almost scary.

How so? she asked bitterly as she finally looked up at him.

We may be two of the most brilliant scientists I know, but we are both such idiots.


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She gave a half-laugh, half-sob at that, and before he could talk himself out of it, he gentlywrapped his arms around her, holding her as she rested her head on his shoulder.


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ChapterTen

DOUBLE DATING

Neither of them was certain how long theyd been standing there in each others arms, but soon

Raymond became aware of a quiet sensation in the back of his mind, like a memory he couldnt

quite recall or a half-forgotten feeling.

Sorina sighed and lifted her head from Raymonds shoulder, then addressed the air around them.

You can stop eavesdropping now, Andrea, were both fine.

Then the sensation changed slightly, and he abruptly realized that Blake had been mentallychecking up on the two of them.

Sorry, Tava, he heard inside his mind, Andreas voice sounding concerned,I just needed to be

sure.

Sorina sighed and threw a glance toward the door of the lab, and Raymond glanced over in timeto see the forcefield switch move of its own accord, and the field flickered and vanished. A

moment later, Blake entered the lab and leaned against the wall near the door, her young facesomber as she looked at Raymond.

So now you know, she said quietly. Are you planning on ratting Tava out to the FBSA?

No, he replied, looking back at Sorina and then again at Blake. I think I understand herreasons, and if you and the other Star Patrol leaders are willing to respect them, I can, too.

A slow smile spread across Blakes face as she turned to face her teammate. Told you so, Tava.

And you were so worried that he was going to hate you if he found out the truth.

Do you blame me? Sorina asked, meeting Blakes gaze directly. Not everyone is as

understanding as you and Bowman. Nor as perceptive, for that matter.

Blakes eyes were slightly mischievous as she glanced over at Raymond. Yeah, but you two areso much alike that the odds were pretty good hed figure out it eventually, and be cool with it,

too.

Raymond gave a slight chuckle. You sound a lot like Steve. Then his own smile turned rueful.

Who is probably going to give me a serious ragging when I see him later for str

The Course of Superhero Romance

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