2008-02-01: Secrets in the Lair

Starring:

Cam_icon.gif KeLyssa_icon.gif Kory_icon.gif Tyson_icon.gif

and Leslie_icon.gif

Summary: Party in the Secret Lair! Not really, but yeah…

Date It Happened: February 1st, 2008

Secrets in the Lair


East Village, NYC - The Secret Lair

It's a quiet night at the Secret Lair. Most of the geeks who are usually hanging around have been kept home by their families to watch the Superbowl, much to their chagrin. There are still one or two milling around that have escaped their families clutches, for the time being anyway. KeLyssa sits behind the counter, reading a book about antidisestablishmentarianism, a quite enthralling read as there ever was one. She glances up every now and again to make sure that the store is still happy and that those around are fine. Though they know that they can always go to the pretty lady for help…if they're not too shy to talk to her, that is, which plagues a few of them once and awhile.

Kory pops her head in, humming to herself, that same tune she was singing out loud a couple days ago. "Hmm hmm…hmm… well I don't know just how I feel…all I know is that I love you, girl, it's so real, so real, so real…" She glances at the bouquet of flowers guiltily, then shrugs, and waves. "Hey, Lyssa. How's it been tonight? Crazy?"

Cam comes walking in from outside. His jacket is worn open, as usual. He tries to hide the fact that the cold doesn't bother him, but he isn't very good at it. He smiles as he sees both Kory and KeLyssa, walking over closer quickly. "Hey."

Everybody loves the Super Bowl, even Tyson, but he's not watching it. Ever since he started using his abilities, the ex-boxer has been more hands on; precisely the reason he was going to stop… for a while, at least… So, if watching other people dodging flying tackles was just going to make him anxious, Tyson decided to turn to his other favorite hobby that wasn't brawling… comics. Entering the Secret Lair, he first eyes the 9th Wonders but then his attention is drawn towards the familiar KeLyssa and Kory who he hadn't seen for a while. Making his way towards them, Tyson waves his right hand in a broad gesture- Only realizing that a kid had walked in before him, from behind he couldn't tell if he knew him, he spoke up anyway, "Oh!… Yeah, Good evening, Secret Lair Folk."

KeLyssa grins at Kory, shaking her head. "Nah, it ain't been busy one li'l bit! In fact, I've been able to catch up on some readin' I've been meanin' to do!" She holds up her book to show the title: 'Antidisestablishmentarianism: The Rise of Nineteenth Century Church Politics'. She smiles coyly. "It might not exactly look like light readin', but it's interestin' enough." As the doorchime goes off and Cam walks in, she gives him a wide grin. He has at least one up on her. She often forgets her jacket since the cold doesn't bother her either. "Why if it ain't my favourite customer, Cam. How're ya doin'?" Oh! And then there's Tyson! It's like a party in the Lair and there're actual outsiders invited! "Well howdy there." She giggles. "Haven't seen ya in a bit. Life treatin' ya fine?"

Kory turns around and beams. "Cam!" He gets a hug. To the dismay of the few geeks in the back, gaming. First the alpha geek, now the kid. It's an unfair world, to their experiences. "Hey, Tyson," she adds, agreeing with KeLyssa how festive the atmosphere is now. "Shoulda thrown a party, I guess. Didn't expect it to be busy here."

Cam smiles, waving to KeLyssa again and then hugging Kory back. He answers, "I'm doing ok. Niki's still not back, but not worrying as much since I know she's ok." He looks back to the newer arrival then, giving another small wave, "Hi."

Tyson's ears perk up at 'party', "What about a party? I'm down." He laughs heartily, because even with school the tomorrow, the boy likes a good time. Then when Cam turns to wave at him, Tyson struggles to remember if he had actually seen the boy before or if he had imagined it… Oh well, "Back at you, little man." Pretending to shoot an imaginary gun with his pointer finger, he nodded slightly before turning to Kory. "But seriously, party?"

The geeks will just deal with it like they always have. Or so KeLyssa hopes. The one 'lead geek' is the exception, though, it seems. "Well, really, it ain't been all to busy to be honest with ya'll." She shrugs lightly. "But, it ain't been bad. There're the guys in the back, and…well, a few people have popped in once or twice." She smiles.

The alpha geek has been in particularly high spirits since his date with Kory. Even though it was a platonic just-friends date. In any case, he's not here just this moment.

"Oh, good. I saw a recipe for a junkfood stadium made out of twinkies and guacamole. I should've made one for today if it'd been busy. Now I don't feel guilty." Kory turns her attention back to Cam. "She's safe? She's okay?" Relief travels visibly across Kory's features.

Cam blinks, looking up to Kory again. "You were the one that said she was. Said her memory was gone, but that she was ok." Now he suddenly looks worried again.

Tyson notes no further response about parties and does his best not to listen to the apparent drama going on with Kory and the kid, instead he moves over closer to Lyssa, "What's up, Kel? I take it things have been going well?"

KeLyssa gives Cam a small smile. "I'm sure Miss Niki is perfectly fine an' happy. Ya got nothin' to worry about, I'm sure." She tries to reassure him. Switching her attention to Tyson now, she says, "Well, they've been goin' as well as can be expected I suppose. Ain't nothin' outta the ordinary none. Just been workin' here an' that's 'bout it, really."

Kory pinches the bridge of her nose. "Well, yes. She was okay last time I saw her. I just thought you'd heard something new since the last time we spoke." She reaches an arm around Cam to hug him apologetically.

Cam blinks, and then shakes his head a little, but relaxes again as well, "Oh. Ok. No, ain't heard nothing yet. Sorry," he adds. He leans into the hug and then says, "Guess I'm more worried'n I thought still."

Tyson nods at KeLyssa's response, "Sounds like things have been good then… for you it seems…" Seems like he can't help but drawn into the conversation, "Someone's missing?- Not that it's any of my business… but still, that sucks."

KeLyssa smiles a little. "How're things for ya? Are they not goin' too well for ya?" She looks a little concerned for a moment before he enters the other conversation. "Oh…yeah. It was a li'l somethin', she's been found, though."

Kory glances at her flowers wistfully, and heads behind the counter to spell Kelyssa if she needs a break. "So what brings you out this evening, Cam? Looking for anything in particular?"

Cam follows Kory over to the counter, and says, "I dunno. Just wanted to visit, is all." He glances up to Tyson and says, "Yeah, my foster mom got kidnapped. She's away from whoever kidnapped her but now she's got amnesia."

Tyson goes from worried to calmed and back to the first emotion in less than a minute. "Oh…" He takes a deep breath, "Well… Congrats to her getting away, too bad about the amnesia though…. If-" But Tyson stops his suggestion and just shifts to KeLyssa's question, "I mean, I'm fine, Kel. Nobody getting kidnapped in my life. Amnesia neither. Nor anything else I can think of…" He shrugs, "I guess my life is too boring…"

KeLyssa smiles a little at Kory. She looks over to Tyson then, again. "Well, that's good at least. Can't get too many people having people in their lives bein' kidnapped an' losin' memories." She sighs softly. "'Specially not 'round this place. If I lost my memory, I don't know what I'd do! I'd have to relearn everythin', and that'd take a li'l while to do!"

"Not necessarily," Kory points out, as the door chime goes off again. There he is; the alpha geek. "A lot of amnesia victims remember how to drive their cars and how to cook and make their beds, but not who they are." She grins at KeLyssa. "I read a lot myself." She turns her attention back to Cam. "Always happy you stop by, you know that. No trouble with the social workers or anything like that?"

Cam grins again as he looks up to Tyson, "Don't sound boring to me." He looks up to Kory and KeLyssa again and says, "I dunno. Ain't seen her, dunno if she remembers that stuff or not. Know she doesn't remember me or Micah. Thought she'd remember Micah no matter what." Then he shakes his head quickly to Kory's question, and says, "Nope! Not yet anyway. Bet they'll be coming eventually."

"Frankly, I find it's easier if you don't know much to begin with…" Tyson jokes, before trying to imagine what it'd be like to lose his memories. "Maybe it's just me, but I feel like I could probably manage just fine if I suddenly lost my memories…" Or not, he second thought, once he started thinking about certain gifts of his. "Actually, I think I saw a store in the Village offering that exact thing… Then again, it's not like I've got dependants, this is a missing mother, her kid has got to be freaking out." He wasn't asking about the other boy because it really wasn't any of his business, Tyson has that much restraint.

Kory meets Tyson's gaze. "Micah, if I know him, is probably focusing all that nervous energy into trying to help find her." She grabs a pad, writes something down and puts it in an envelope. She tucks the envelope in the cash register. "If anybody can get Niki in here for a minute, have whoever's here open up the envelope and give her what's in it. It should help."

The alpha geek has waited politely for the serious conversation to slow down. When it finally does, he greets Kory with a gentle smile. "How's it going, pretty lady?" he asks.

"Pretty good," Kory says, blushing faintly. "Thanks for the flowers. You didn't have to go all the way overboard. Dinner and the concert was enough. After all, it was a just friends date."

The alpha geek shrugs, and says, "What can I tell you, I couldn't help myself," but there's hurt in his eyes that one date was apparently not enough to make Kory forget her ex and be swept off her feet into his arms.

KeLyssa smiles a bit at Cam. "You know, Cam, if the Social workers do come by, you could always tell them that you're being taken care of by me or Kory. I'm sure both of us would be happy to say that. And we both live in the same apartment buildin', so it makes it a whole bunch easier, ya know?" She glances between Kory and the neighbourhood head-geek and grins. Ain't they just cute? If it weren't for a certain Randall, they might make a good couple.

Cam looks up to KeLyssa at that and asks, "Really? That might work! Dunno, they'd probably wanna come and see and inspect and everything, and make sure ya don't screw up *at all*. They get really picky."

Tyson is very close to offering his modest skills in helping the woman with her memory problem and silences himself before speaking. "I'm really surprised I haven't been visited by social services, hoping not to jinx myself, but yeah, I hear they're like roaches. Aside from the trying to help people." Tyson shrugs, keeping an observational eye on Kory and the guy who had sent the flowers, apparently. "If we could catch my dad, I think he could probably be persuaded to let someone stay over, too bad that happens too infrequently unless you'd just want to stay over, Kid-I've-only-met-twice, I think…"

KeLyssa grins widely at Cam. "Well, I can tell ya for a fact, they'd probably have no problem with me. I'd just throw on the ol' Gallagher charm, an' they couldn't help but like me!" She grins widely.

"I think between KeLyssa, Monica and me, we could work something out," Kory murmurs, stretching and yawning. "Ooh. Sleeping in Nima's old bed isn't as comfortable as I remember." Even if it was only for two hours. "I think I'm gonna head home."

"At least let me walk with you," the alpha geek says solicitously. "It's late."

Kory shrugs, and tilts her chin in the affirmative. "Okay. If you insist."

The alpha geek re-dons his coat and walks out, holding the door for Kory, as he begins to whistle the same song she was singing when she came in.

Cam laughs at KeLyssa's words and says, "Hope so!" He looks back up to Tyson and blinks, then shakes his head a bit, "No thanks. I'm ok, got lotsa places I can stay, if they let me." He waves as Kory leaves.

Tyson shrugs, "I just figured I'd offer. When you can do something to help, why not?" He stretches, "That's the principle I live by anyway."

KeLyssa gives Kory a wave. "See ya later, Boss Lady." She grins and turns back to Cam and Tyson. "Ya know, Cam, I do hope it works out again with Niki, but for the time being, my door is always open. For…Micah? Is that his name? But for him too. You can let him know. At least until his mother is doing better." She takes a deep breath in. "Or if ya'll need anything else, too. Just gimme a call, and I'll be there in a moment. Cause Cam? There ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to ya…I'd even freeze it over and skate across if I had to." She says lightly, as to not arouse suspicion. But she does give him a little wink. She smiles at Tyson. "So…ya sure there ain't nothin' new an' excitin' for ya?"

Tyson catches the statement for what it could be and eyes KeLyssa with a surprised chuckle. "Nope, nothing. I've just been trying to keep things low key. Especially since I can't go to the BHQ any more. It sucks kind of bad…"

Cam smiles up to KeLyssa again and says, "Thanks! Promise, I'll call if I need anything. Monica's there for Micah anyway. She doesn't much like me, I don't think, but she's still nice enough." He looks up to Tyson and blinks, "Oh, yeah, you were the guy that gave me flyers to put up. How come you can't go there?"

KeLyssa nods at Tyson. "Why can't ya go there no more?" She asks curiously. She nods at Cam. "Well, no matter whether this Monica person likes ya none or not. I like ya plenty!"

Tyson sighs at the question and looks down at Cam, "New Management is Gang I have apparent beef with. Who knew thugs could think." He rolls his eyes. How the hell did he get to this point? This was not new, however, just trying to be repressed because it does suck. "So now, I have a whole lot of things to do with my free time and none of them are very appealing."

Cam smiles again at that and nods, "Thanks." He looks back up to Tyson and says, "Oh, yeah, know what that's like. Had a gang at school that didn't like me for ages. They're mostly gone now… or the ones that don't like me, anyway."

KeLyssa smiles and lets the two boys talk about their gang troubles.

Tyson sighs, "Really, it's enough to make me get a gang of my own. I know a couple people that have skills I would really find useful…" Taking in a deep breath, Tyson tries not to looks so intently when he looks back at the silent KeLyssa.

Cam makes a face and then says, "Long as your gang don't beat kids up just 'cause they mess up. That's how I got in trouble, they beat up a friend of mine and I had to tell so they'd take him to the hospital."

KeLyssa frowns deeply, shaking her head. "Beatin' people up…it ain't right. It just ain't right. Why would they do that?" She narrows her eyes. "Nobody should be subjected to bein' hurt!"

Tyson frowns at Cam's experience and then gets a different look once he sees Lyssa react. "I agree. Fighting should only happen in a controlled environment when both parties agree to it. Not at school or playgrounds." He shakes his head.

Cam adds, "Or using baseball bats or wrapped-up-wires." Obviously referencing his own experiences. He hops up to sit on the counter and says, "Be cool a gang that stops stuff like that. Not really a gang then, I guess, but a team." He indicates a nearby X-Men display.

KeLyssa nods slightly. "I don't like fightin' none, period. It ain't good and it ain't right." And she also has an insane fear of pain, beyond the normal measure. "Well, maybe one day there'll be a team. Like the X-Men, who'll stop that sorta thing. They'll have an Xavier, a Cyclops, a Storm, and an Iceman to boot!"

"That's it exactly. A team would totally kick ass." Tyson starts to bounce with anticipation before KeLyssa starts on about fictional characters and he stops, "Well, if this were X-Men, I wouldn't exist because I don't think there's a character made up that can do what I could do, I guess. I don't really know all about them." He shrugs.

Cam laughs again and nods quickly to KeLyssa. Then he blinks, looking back up to Tycho and asks curiously, "What can you do?" He looks to KeLyssa again and back to Tyson.

KeLyssa grins widely. "Ah, but there are so many in the X-Men that we don't know about. Especially the students at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Surely there's someone there for everyone!" She nods firmly. She gives Cam a knowing little smile.

"Hypothetically, my power would be like being able to see things really well- so I can dodge in a fist fight." He shrugs, mostly at KeLyssa's comment and the way she was looking at Cam, "Yeah, just like you said, we don't know. If there is, I'd like to read up on him." Nodding with sincere interest, he looks between Cam and KeLyssa, asking, "What about you two, put any thought into your X-Men selves?"

Cam considers that a moment and then shrugs, "Yeah, I don't know anybody like that, but bet there might be one. Especially before House of M." He then nods and grins, answering right away, "Iceman."

KeLyssa smiles and quietly says, "What he said." Only, in her case it might be Icewoman. She nods a little.

"Oh…" Tyson is thinking about something, looking at both Cam and KeLyssa very carefully; a smile forming on his lips. As he leans in and motions his partners in conversation to come in closer, "So… how does being Ice people fit in with your daily lives? Do you both live in furnaces or something?"

Cam should probably be more hesitant to speak, hedging his answer in some kind of 'pretend', but at the very prospect Tyson suggests, though, he seems repulsed, making a face. "No way! If the heat's turned up too high I can't stand it."

KeLyssa giggles at Tyson. "Nah. Furnaces are for Fire people. You should really check on you facts there, mister!" She giggles again. She's trying to be a little more cautious about what she says in the open, though. "Plus, we live with the penguins at the zoo."

"Really, I just meant that you'd gain ice powers because you were living in a really hot place… you know, to cope?" Tyson shrugs an explanation, squinting at KeLyssa as she snirks a response. "At any rate, I've got a hunch about something that, if you want to talk about later, it's cool. Really, though, I do want to help Micah and his mom, and I think I could probably help you out…" He looked a little shy, almost like he was about to ask one of them out. That wasn't the case, however.

Cam ohs, shrugging to Tyson at that and says, as if he's talking about comics again, "I think with ice powers, you feel the heat more, not less." He looks curiously a moment and says, "Dunno how. Dunno even where she is. Know she's supposed to be safe, but dunno anything else."

KeLyssa smiles sweetly at Tyson. "That's sweet of you to offer. I'll be sure to let ya know, alright?" She grins at Cam. "I don't know, kinda keeps me cool in the summer months…plus…well, there're some things I can teach ya sometime soon."

Tyson shrugs and sighs, "Well… that's a shame, because I don't think I have any way to beyond what is possible for me to see, as obvious as that sounds." Lyssa's statement disarms him, "Really though, if we're going to talk about unlocking super powers in the video game I think you're talking about. You should make sure your Secret Lair doesn't have a bunch of extra monitors. Maybe Lunch some time, or one our respective houses, if you're feeling trustworthy?"

Cam looks up to Tyson a moment and then nods a little, "Cool." He grins and then looks back up to KeLyssa and says, "It does? How?" Then he nods quickly and says, "Yeah, can't wait!"

KeLyssa smiles at Tyson and shrugs. "We'll see what's what with that, 'kay hun?" She nods and looks to Cam. "Yeah. It does. And I plan on teachin' ya a few tricks I learned along the way with that myself." She looks up at the clock that must be around here somewhere. "Looks like it's time for me to start on restockin' the shelves an' all. Ya'll will be fine?"

Tyson looks at the clock and notes it's time as well. "Yeah, fine or something. I'm probably going to head home, I didn't come in looking for anything today. Just people. And fun talks of overthrowing gangs." At that he looks at Cam, "By the way, I'm Tyson, if we hadn't been formally introduced."

Cam nods quickly to KeLyssa and says, "I gotta catch the subway soon anyway, to get back home without walkin'." He looks back up to Tyson and nods, smiling, "I'm Cam."
KeLyssa smiles at the two. "Good, I'm glad. And remember," She says to Cam, "Gimme a call if you ever need me. Even for the smallest, tiniest li'l thing. Kay?" She smiles at Tyson. "Night, see ya again soon, I hope?" And zoom, she's off.

"See ya later, Kel." Tyson waves as she goes before refocusing on Cam, "There's always fun to be had on the subway." He nods slowly, looking grave at his new friend. "I was joking, because the last couple times sucked. Still, where are you headed? Maybe I can help avoid that long and slow trek to your homestead?" Tyson offered, starting to head towards the exit.

Cam quickly moves towards the door after Tyson and grins, "Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes think if I don't find a spot where everybody can see me, they'll trample me when they leave and don't see me." Then he nods and answers, "I live over in Queens."

"Queens, huh?" Tyson thinks about that, holding the door open for Cam to exit out before him. "I think I can manage that, if nothing else, we'll get close. If you don't mind… a little turbulent travel…?" Hoping not to freak out his new acquaintance, Tyson's honesty shown through on its own accord.

Cam blinks, looking up to Tyson curiously at that, "Whatcha mean?" The way he asks, it's possible he doesn't even know the word turbulent. "But..um.. whatever, yeah, sure."

GAME: Tyson has rolled FOLDING and got a result of GOOD.
"Cool." Tyson says, putting his hand on Cam's shoulder as they exit the Secret Lair. What he does next however is kind of tricky in that he start mentally picturing the distance between the comic shop, over the bridge, and appear somewhere, Tyson hopes, in Queens. From there, he grips that space and litterally pulls it to their location so that when Tyson pushes himself and Cam through it, they ended up someplace different. "There we are? I don't know, I don't go to Queens often, do things look familiar?"

New York City - Queens

Cam blinks, looking around a quick moment as he takes in his new surroundings. "Oh, wow, that's so cool! You're a teleporter? Or can you do time travel too, like Hiro?" Then he nods quickly, "Yep, this is Queens. That's the house right over there."

Tyson nods, proud. "Cool… Yeah, I guess I teleport; but the whole 'time' thing is a bit of a mystery to me. I guess I've got a way to go, but you know somebody else that can teleport? Awesome, though really, I can do a bit more than just that. It wasn't even the first thing I learned to do." He shrugs, "And you're Iceboy?"

GAME: Cam has rolled CREATE ICE and got a result of POOR.
Cam nods quickly to that and grins. He holds out his hand and concentrates. A ball of ice forms on his hand quickly. It's slow enough that it can be seen growing, from a tiny speck to a hardball-sized chunk of ice, but it's formed within like a second. He grins.

Tyson stares at the forming iceball, "That is impressive. Probably not compared to what you /can/ do, but with something like that I'm wondering why you didn't handle the bullies yourself, or did you?"

Cam shakes his head, "Can't do more than that, really. Well, I can give frostbite. The first time I did that, but the other one kept hitting me, and I couldn't grab his arm like I did the first."

Tyson shrugs, "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually. Like reaching outwards with what you want to freeze. That's the way I do with my Holding. It's like reaching out and grabbing something with my brain or something. We're all learning for ourselves though."

Cam nods quickly, "I guess." He looks around and says, "I gotta get goin', but it was cool meeting ya!" He tosses the ice ball into a snowbank and starts for the house. Then he pauses, "Oh, um… got a phone number or something?"

"Yeah, I'll catch you later." Tyson waves, pulling out his flip phone and showing it to Cam as quick proof. "It does the job, I guess. 283-2785. Feel free to me up, I could be there in a moment."

Cam nods quickly to that and pulls a cellphone from his pocket, quickly programming it in. "Mine's 283-8521." Then he waves and hurries on inside.

GAME: Tyson has rolled FOLDING and got a result of MEDIOCRE.
Tyson waves Cam off as well and quickly goes back to trying to fold his way back home. He can't seem to get it this time. "Damn… Looks like I'm walking." Resolved, Tyson starts the long road home.

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