Kelly Lamb/The California trip
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Paragon City Dept of Probation office, Kings Row.
The dregs of society sat on a bench outside the office, waiting to check in. Skulls sat next to Hellions, who sat next to Warriors, all of course having stashed their jackets, masks and other things that would identify them as still being in the gang, cause after all that would violate the terms of their probation. They normally avoided each other, but today they sat clustered together as if trying to avoid the notice of the other person sitting on the other end of the bench, a short little sheep hybrid who would be lucky if she weighed 100 pounds sopping wet. It wasn't every day thought Timmy, also known as Marrowsnap, that you see the hero that put you in jail sitting next to you in the probation office .His jaw ached in memory of their last meeting months ago, and he did his best to avoid eye contact.
“NEXT!” barked the voice from inside the office, and to the relief of the thugs Kelly slipped off the bench, polished hooves clip clopping along the worn tile into the Probation officers office. Sighing with relief the hellion next to him shook his head “man, wonder what she's here for?”
Ron Franklin was tired of his job, everyone it seemed who came through here was just going through the motions, not willing to change their ways in the slightest. Some days he wondered why he bothered, it was just a revolving door throwing the scum back out on the streets. He had a couple cases though that did cheer him up, one of them walking into his office. Kelly Lamb probably wouldn't have even gotten probation if Longbow had anything to say about it, but she did plead guilty at her trial for the things she did while she was a villain. Mind control was a legitimate defense, and she could have gotten off, but the sheep hybrid was too honest for her own good sometimes. He smiled as she closed the door behind her, pulling her ever present iPod earphones out. “ Hey Kelly, heard they raised your security level again, congratulations.”
Kelly blushed at that “It no big deal, couldn't let those people be killed by the Silly hats.”
He chuckled “you know every time you call them that , the Circle of Thorn's blood pressure goes up another point.” Looking down at her file he made a note “how's your school coming?”
“Should finish with my GED in another month or so. Not bad for never being taught. There is something I need to ask though.”
“whats that?”
“I need permission to leave town for a couple days.”
He looked up at that. Arachnos had a sizable bounty on head. “the Rogue Isles, some mission there?”
“No, Burbank.”
“you mean, as in California?” He relaxed a bit at that, Arachnos didn't have much of a presence on the west coast “why are you going there?”
She blushed a bit “remember that producer that I recorded that song for? He works with a group that will be on a show there, their normal singer is having a baby, and he recommended me. They gave me plane tickets and everything.”
“Kelly, I don't have to worry about you.” He smiled “just call me when you get there, and each day like normal, and have a good time.”
She nodded and got to her feet “thank you!” she said, turning for the door.
“just one thing.”
“what that?”
“let me know what show and when, so I can set my Tivo to record it.”
She giggled and nodded, waving merrily as she headed out. Putting her folder away, he pulled out the next case, and went back to the scum.
LAX, Los Angeles, California.
Kelly spent most of the flight pressed against the window. While she could fly herself, 3000 miles would take her a lot longer than flying on Delta, plus whoever got her the ticket was thoughtful enough to tell the airline that she needed a vegetarian meal. It was really neat seeing other parts of the country, she really wanted to go back to that big hole someday, Grand canyon the pilot called it when they flew over it. It was weird as they came into LA seeing a city without war walls surrounding it, though parts of it were still damaged from the Rikti war.
As the plane stopped at the gate she got her carry on, not really having enough to check baggage, wearing a pair of jeans and a blue and white shirt, and her red and yellow scarf. The terminal was packed, making it hard to maneuver through the crowd for someone of her size, having hooves and ram horns evidently no weirder than anything else in LA. Finally in exasperation she jumped up, hovering over the crowds head to see which way to go. Ignoring the looks she bypassed the masses heading to baggage claim where her ride would be waiting, scooting overhead of the crowd.
The driver from NBC held a sign with his passengers name on it. He was told he'd be able to recognize her, boy they weren't kidding he thought as she floated a full 3 feet over everyone else in the mass of humanity coming down the arrival escalators.
Ten minutes later they were sitting in traffic on the way to the hotel. Traffic was snarled, up ahead he could see lights from CHP cars, accident or something maybe, the entire highway was stopped. He was pleasantly surprised, unlike many of his passengers she was actually friendly, nor did she want to sit in back with the divider up, instead riding up front with him She was surprisingly easy to talk to as well, full of questions about the area.
“why is the traffic so bad? Don't they have trams out here?”
“We have a subway, and some rail, but people prefer their cars out here. It's more spread out than on the east coast.”
She thought about that “That's true. Plus you don't have clockwork taking your cars apart at night to make new robots like we do.”
“yeah, for some reason super crime isn't as bad-WOAH!” He ducked reflexively as something from up ahead threw a CHP cruiser, red and blue lights blinking crazily as the car soared overhead, impacting on the side of the road.
Kelly was already out the door “Stay here!” she said as he vainly protested, as she ran to the crumpled wreck. The cruiser was upside down, weak moaning coming from inside it. Reaching down she grabbed the frame, using that as a handle as she pulled it over on it's side, then on the wheels, setting it down gently. Ripping the roof off she found an unconscious trooper, hand still clutching the radio microphone. As bystanders gathered round one wearing a hospital badge started checking on the injured officer. Narrowing her eyes she leapt into the air, the little lamb starting to glow visibly as she sped towards the commotion ahead.
Khem-Set was angry. Simple job, drive a truck of Dyne to LA, pick up a fat wad of cash, party hearty. But no..they got stopped for speeding, and the driver, a new kid who hadn't earned his metal yet (making it easy to blend in on the trip here while the rest rode in the trailer) got spooked when the cop approached and shot him. No matter, unlike back east, there weren't heroes covering every square inch of this city, so he and his crew didn't have to worry about real opposition. Bullets fired by the panicked cops bounced off of the freakshow tanks armor, his juicers and shockers making short work of the unlucky cops who stopped their truck.
Still, this was beautiful carnage, and it was even on film, news choppers circling the area. Tossing a CHP motorcycle at one he smirked as they darted clear. Nothing the California cops had could stop them! He'd have to suggest maybe moving operations west might not be a bad idea when he got back. They were about ready to get the truck moving when one of the enforcers yelled “#$% me! Cape inbou-”the last of his sentence was cut off with a thud as Kelly hit him so hard he went through the trailer, leaving a freak shaped hole in the side.
With a crunch and acrid smell Khem-Set knew of course he landed on the Dyne...close to a million dollars of the stuff. Turning he didn't see at first who had hit Lam3r, then looked down and blinked.
“aren't you a bit far from your scrapheap?” taunted Kelly. Freaks, she had enough problems with these back home. Khem-Set growled and raised one of his massive hammers, the tank charging “Take her down!”
She just smiled, and hit play on her iPod. As the freaks advanced she started singing, all the while shrugging off massive blows that should by all rights have drove her into the ground like a tent peg. {oh yeah, it was like lightening, everybody was frightening, and the music was soothing, and they all started grooving} She dodged a tesla cage from one of his stunner chiefs, then let fly a blow that knocked poor Hohmer out {and the man at the back said everyone attack, and it turned into a ballroom blitz}
Khem-Set didn't' know what annoyed him most, the fact that the little sheep was hitting through armor plate like it was tin foil, or her cheerful singing along with her iPod. He was down to one juicer and himself, the juicer tried to get some altitude to get her from above, but she simply flew up and literally swatted him out of the sky. “Dreck ain't paying me enough for this job” he thought as he turned, hoping he could grab a hostage or something in one of the cars.
As he started to run Kelly reached down and picked up a chunk of concrete from a broken slab, hurling it at the fleeing tank {And the girl in the corner said boy I'm gonna warn ya it'll turn into a barroom blitz, barroom blitz} The chunk hit Khem-Set right in the back of the noggin, leaving him splayed out unconscious on the hood of some poor couples Toyota Prius.
It took another hour to get out of there, after giving statements to the police, and waiting for something capable of holding the freaks. Fortunately despite the destruction no one was too seriously hurt, the worst being the cop in the cruiser that was thrown. Unlike Paragon City, the media wasn't used to things like this, and were almost in a frenzy wanting to talk to her. She answered as many of her questions as she could until her driver reminded her she had a deadline. With that she gave a wave and climbed back into the car, heading off for the studio.
Later that evening.
Kelly was nervous. She'd rehearsed the song they wanted her to do several times, but she didn't really realize what a big deal it was until after she called Paragon City to tell folks she made it here alright. The story of what she did on the 405 had made CNN, super powered battles were relatively rare in LA (while in Paragon City, they were more covered as a delay on peoples commutes) The host of the show was really friendly too. So there she was in a makeup chair backstage on the Tonight Show, more terrified than the time Emperor Xanatos drug her along when he met with Lord Recluse back when she was just Lambchop. Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax. After all , they liked her singing enough to fly her all the way out here to fill in, and they were nice people. Just do like she did in rehearsal and it will be fine.
She didn't even know why they had to put makeup on her, she'd never worn it before, though three of the band had it worse than her, wearing blue greasepaint totally covering their faces, all dressed in identical grey jumpsuits. One of them tried to get her to relax, smearing a bit of blue on her nose. That got a giggle out of her, and an annoyed glare from the makeup artist who cleaned it off. “Five Minutes” came the producer, and then it was time.
The lights came on again signifying the end of the commercial break Jay Leno stood on stage as the red light went back on the cameras “We haven't had them here since back in 99, and they've really been on a roll since then. With shows in New York, Chicago, and now Vegas, plus two record selling Albums , and their How to be a Megastar tour they've been painting the town, well, blue. Ladies and genetlemen, Blue Man Group!”
the cameras switched as the curtain went up on the other part of the stage, as the band started their intro. It was the full set from their tour, complete with the drum wall and the screen overhead. As the intro went on the screen and over the speakers said “Rock Concert movement number 14. Bring out a suprise guest singer. Miss Kelly Lamb”
That was her cue. With one of the blue men escorting her she stepped on stage as he led her to the microphone. Just like they rehearsed, it was set several feet above her head. He comicly tried to bend it lower, then she just shrugged and hoverd up in reach of it, then started singing.
“All I see is not for me.
What I want you have not got.
Tried to use things you sold me, no matter what the cost
Tried to go the way you told me, but each time, I got lost
The stairs didn’t lead me anywhere!”
They were right, it was easier than she thought it would be. The lights made it hard to see the crowd, or the cameras. it was just her and the musicians as far as she could tell.
“I’m taking the fire escape up to the roof.
Don’t care if it’s not the way you find the truth.
Time to make this right: to rise above.”
Back in Paragon City the main base of the Defenders of Paragon was packed. Not for a meeting or an emergency..just because the wall monitor was the biggest screen they had. They sat in front of the montior, watching their teammate on national TV. “hope someone's recording this, she's pretty good” said Kozzma quietly as he watched.
“This room and all of you
Who say I should do like you would”
(not that she did what I said really) thought a very angry man. Emperor Xanatos had been randomly looking through the channels, finding his ex-lackey on national television. He unconciously rubbed the side of his jaw, rembering their last meeting in Sirens Call, where she had made it clear she was not a tool to be used anymore. This was live, but California was too far to get there fast enough. Still, he'd let this go too long...
“Tried to live the life you sold me, no matter what the cost.
Tried to walk the way you told me, but each time I got lost
The stairs didn’t lead me anywhere!”
Other eyes watched as well, in the Rogue Isles, technicians who routinely monitored mainland broadcasts for any mentions of the so called 'heroes' on Lord Recluses watch list recorded the performance. Luckily one thought their dread Lord wasn't watching this, he prefrered Letterman, though he would be angry enough when he saw the recording of the defector. One of them shuddered a bit at the thought, Lord Recluse was annoyed enough lately, she had a pretty voice, but he'd probably raise the price on her head so far after this both villians and her fellow heroes would hunt her down.
“I’m taking the fire escape up to the roof.
Don’t care if it’s not the way you find the truth
And when I get up that high, I don’t know what I’ll find
But I’d rather look at the sky than wonder why I let you take my time
Time to make this right: to rise above.”
As the music picked up she detached the mic from the stand and flew higher into the air, they had already planned that part and had cameras at the perfect angle as she hovered in front of the screen, close up shots of the Blue men playing behind her. It was not everyday they had a guest singer who could fly After all, might as well use it to it's full effect.
“I’m taking the fire escape up to the roof.
Don’t care if it’s not the way you find the truth
And when I get up that high, I don’t know what I’ll find
But I’d rather look at the sky than wonder why I let you take my time.
Time to make this right: to rise above.
Time to make this right: to rise above”
The song ended , and Kelly lightly landed on the stage, blushing at the cheers from the audience. The host was back on camera “We'll be right back after these messages” as they cut to a commerical.
