Club Meeting

"Oh..." Duane looked somewhat embarrassed at Pablo, and then realized something, and said, "We were just talking about some stuff we were investigating. Nobody here thinks Tom's really dead, you know. Something took him. But there wasn't any blood at the scene, and we've found a lot of stuff indicating he's just...elsewhere."

Duane breathed and thought of how crazy that sounded.

He probably sounded like he spent his time otherwise making conspiracy theories about dead staffers and cellphone towers.

He then looked at Jayden as he rattled off his own insane circumstances, "Are you...okay, Jayden?"

Dave DuVale, Don't Worry It's Just A Book Club

Jayden wouldn't get to the point where he was trying to wrestle the book out of Dave's hands. As soon as he expressed mild interest in the book, Dave tossed it at him. Hopefully he was a good catch.

After Duane explained the club's MO to this new guy, Dave piped up. "I mean I personally think Tom is actually dead, but also that some weird ghost shit killed him. Doesn't matter that much, though. I'm just the driver."

Investigation Club Meeting

"I didn't really turn up anything you lot haven't elaborated on, sorry!"

Heather shrugged from her seat next to the door. Her phone is in her hand, just in case someone texted or called during the meeting.

"I've mostly been keeping the ol' stress meter on the down-low and outright vibing in anticipation of learning, and I quote, 'to be pretty fucking anime'."

Edited by Pentigan on Jun 22nd 2022 at 9:07:17 PM

Mina Parker

Mina winced to herself and didn't really have anything to add to the conversation, so she just said "T-Tom's condition is in a c-constant state of f-flux, to be h-honest...one minute s-someone says he's dead, then my instincts t-tell me that he's alive...it's r-really confusing," and slumped over.

"Duane, wh-what's our order of business for t-today?" Mina asked, recovering and looking at the club leader. "O-Obviously, Jayden has some s-stuff he needs to t-take care of, but what is the r-rest of the club doing? Outside of Jayden's v-vision, we seem to be h-hitting a dead end in o-our investigations..."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 22nd 2021 at 10:34:46 AM

Club Investigations...

"Well, we should see what Matthew wants, but I wouldn't put too much stock in him. My brother Owen was...a problematic guy. And considering Owen mentored him..." Duane tried to conceal his feelings in regards to Matthew. He still remembered the line of questioning that he was asked during that whole "ghost" incident. That guy acting like he was some kind of cop...

"Jayden, is there anything up about that "Isabella" or what you saw in your vision?"

At that however there was a sound as a text message came in;

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 22nd 2021 at 10:29:22 AM

Mina Parker

"M-Message," Mina said nervously as she turned on her phone and checked her texts. "It's from M-Matthew...L-Let's go, we d-don't have any time to lose h-here. Every second we d-dally is another second that w-we're not finding out the truth b-behind everything."

With that, she got up and started to leave for the old factory on the outskirts of town. There was a metal and a wooden bat stuck in her backpack specifically for the occasion, as she didn't know which kind would be better. Hopefully the others would follow her in due time.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 22nd 2021 at 10:35:43 AM

Investigation Club Meeting

Heather regarded the message with an absolutely giddy grin and put her phone in her pocket.

"Heck yeah. Bought some sunglasses all special-like and I am so pumped to my superpowers!"

With that (and a bit of a flourish) Heather stood up and strode out of the meeting room to head to this factory for the training sesh.

Edited by Pentigan on Jun 22nd 2022 at 9:07:30 PM

Investigation Club Meeting

"Oh, sweet." Merry muttered while reading Matthew's message. She puts her phone back into her pocket.

"Cya, fellas. I'll see you in the factory." She said, before grabbing her bag and leaving for the factory.

Dave DuVale, Actually Useful For Once

"Wait!" Leaving the book in Jayden's hands, Dave ran out to meet the three people who had left for the factory...on foot, apparently. He pulled out his car keys. "You guys need a ride?"

Mina Parker

"Y-Yeah, I think I c-could use a ride," Mina admitted sheepishly. "We m-might have to squeeze t-together really tightly, but it c-could work..."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 23rd 2021 at 10:06:04 AM

"I could also use a ride if that's alright. I don't fancy walking along the road by myself." He said to Dave. "I hate to be a wet blanket but we ought to be very careful about this, we know absolutely nothing about this Mathew fellow. It could very well be a trap."

Jayden

"Yay!" Jayden happily hugged the book to his chest, a goofy smile on his face. "Thank you! I promise to take good care of it!"

At Duane's question, he looked up and cleared his throat. "Well, it all started when—"

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to explain before Matthew's text came in and everyone ran off to go meet up with him. For a few moments, Jayden sat there, staring after them.

Then, he let out a long sigh. "Okay. Guess no one wants to hear it."

And here I thought they might actually listen for once.

He got up from his chair, stuffed the book into his backpack, and dashed off after them. "Hey, guys, wait up!"

Merry Winston

Merry looks back at Dave.

"..oh. Sure, I don't mind hitching a ride."

Investigation Club Ride Offer

"Mmmmm, sounds like your car's gonna be hella crammed. I might as well make my own way there."

Heather wobbles her head from side to side as an idle twitch, her mouth slipping into a goofy broad smile.

"Probably gonna beat ya there anyways~!"

Edited by Pentigan on Jun 22nd 2022 at 9:09:45 PM

"Well, wish you luck in whatever this is" Pablo said, walking out. He had no idea of what they wanted to do and it felt like they were setting themselves up for disappointment and a lot of trouble.

He already has some issues with some teachers and cops can be assholes, so there was good reason to keep the distance.

And maybe call them a therapist with access to some goods.

Abandoned Factory

At first, as the group arrived at the abandoned factory, it would indeed look...well, abandoned.

The place was two stories tall, a waiting room at the front full of old chairs, and then a further room through there with a number of pillars inside alongside conveyor belts and old staircases going up to the top floor, evidently including the management suite and other locations.

Just as the teens took in the sights of the factory and the rusted steel fences that for some reason seemed cut open enough to enable them to easily enter, Matthew made his entrance. Jumping down from the roof and landing on his feet, dust blasted out from where he landed.

Where any normal person would've been injured by the experience, Matthew just walked out of the dust not even slightly injured and looked at everyone gathered there, "Alright, everyone here ready to learn how to do that and more?"

Pablo - After School

As school ended for Pablo, it looked like the air was getting crisp and the way the sun crested on some of the surroundings seemed odd. The students seemed to be very eagerly heading home by any means available, and making good haste in that regard. After all, few people wanted to be out these days when it got so dark. What happened to Tom lingering in the subconscious...

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 24th 2021 at 10:03:51 AM

Pablo knew things changed since Tom's disappearance. Just the walk home looked different like the sky couldn't shine so brightly. As if the world got darker.

Saying goodbye to his friends, he started the walk home, even if it's looking more forceful, he had to get to another place, even if it's just a noisy home.

Could sure use the bike now He thought Or could just finish repairing some old bucket of bolts to keep it. Need some speed

Whatever else there is in this town, he'll have to handle it with whatever he has.

Even if it's a monkey wrench to the face of some fool.

Edited by Blueace on Jan 24th 2021 at 9:27:11 AM

Heather did a little happy applause as their tutor did the cool landing thing.

"Heck yeah, let's get this super-training montage un-der-way!"

Edited by Pentigan on Jun 22nd 2022 at 9:15:23 PM

Abandoned Factory

Merry also clapped to the tutor's landing.

"Impressive! Now, what should we do?"

Mina Parker

"Hmm..." Mina mumbled, looking at Matthew with a critical eye. "D-Do you know s-some skills that would work more in the v-vein of support? I f-feel like jumping off a b-building right away would be a l-little unsafe, no m-matter which way you swing it..."

"Anyways, I b-brought two baseball bats. I'm on the b-baseball team, so I'm a l-little athletic already, and I have a m-mean swing," she continued, dropping her gaze to her boots before lifting it again to Matthew's eyes. "So whenever y-you're ready, because I s-sure am..."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Jan 27th 2021 at 12:06:58 PM

Jayden

Jayden's eyes widened as Matthew jumped down from the roof, somehow managing to land without destroying his kneecaps. "Awesome," he breathed, staring at him in absolute awe.

"I'm with everyone else! Can we start now? I wanna find out how you did that! What else can you do? Who taught you how to do that?"

James tried to remain placid, suppressing a slack-jawed expression of awe at Matthew's entrance, he had figured training meant lots of exercise whilst somebody yelled at him but Matthew clearly was offering to teach them supernatural faculties. "Most definitely, I'm not even sure why you had to ask."

Dave DuVale, A Very Different Reaction From Everyone Else

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you can jump back up onto the roof."

Let's Get Down To Business

Matthew surveyed the assembled teens of the Investigation Club, looking at all of them lined up there. Smiling slightly, he started to walk over - and noted as he did a certain spot in the middle of each of their backs. "Well, first and foremost, one thing my teacher taught me was that people coming out from the mundane into the magical tend to have their circuits crossed at a certain spot. See, each person has their own different magical network crisscrossing their body. It depends on genetics, your parents' specialties slash affiliations and your fitness to a degree. This network changes how readily your Internal Mana recharges..."

He then said, "Sorry in advance," remarkably quickly and then suddenly delivered a sharp, sudden punch at the middle of each teen's back, one after another...but halting at Jayden. "Huh, seems you've already had some experience more recently, though not much. Once I get you caught up, it should be easier for you."

Meanwhile, each of the teens who took the punch at the middle of the back would feel something like a painful cramp undoing itself - one they didn't even know they had until that moment.

Duane outright fell forward and gripped the small amounts of grass on the ground, groaning in pain, "W-What...Whah...what the fuck was that, Matt!?"

Before long it would feel to each of them like their senses were becoming clearer, stronger, sharper.

Matthew then paced back around to the front, and looked at Mina, "Alright, first and foremost, Mina, I want you to take out that baseball bat, and whack me one with it."

Pablo - Sandfield Evening

As he walked home, Pablo would notice there was nobody outside as the world got darker. The wind whistled through the empty streets and through front lawn trees and fences, and the latter spread long shadows. Light bore down from lamp posts at each corner of the blocks he walked down, almost making the surrounding areas darker by contrast.

Few people waited at the bus stops there, and when the bus did come by, it outright ignored the bus stops completely. Roaring past like it was an animal...

As he continued walking, the first inklings of the Phantomwood Forest showed in distant, sparse trees along the side of a road. The leaves seemed to drift down slowly from the trees, and nothing seemed to scurry about. It wouldn't take a genius to notice the feeling of being watched.

Like something hiding behind tree trunks.

Like something slithering between the far fence posts of a large nearby property.

Pablo would see something dart in his peripheral vision.

Maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him.

Maybe it wasn't an erratic, cruel hiss on the edge of his ear, and it was just the wind...?

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 26th 2021 at 8:50:06 AM

Abandoned Factory

"OW!" Merry grunted. "Goddamn, that hurts.."

While she obviously felt pain, she felt a little relieved as well. Something one might not expect from a punch in the back. "Weird," She thought. "What's with that?"