[Kaewin]

John Smith arrived in Seattle on a Wednesday. He looked around and made himself familiar with the area. He looked at the reports of an armored hero and a flying man circling the city. And then it happened, a disaster at Hexacore Research. It was on the list he had but that was not what was interested him. Three people formed together to stop a man from destroying the nearby area. One was an armored man, another a caped flying man and the third was a werewolf. They called themselves Sentinel, Quantum Knight and Dark Streak. He was then instructed to find them. He spent the better of two weeks watching. They had become active and there were many sightings. He then sorted through his information and found out Brand Industries had the use of Theta Tech. They were supposed to be building advanced combat armor for the troops. That would be a good place to start. He took his gear, badge, cell phone, ceramic gun and other items and drove over to the place.



It was a nice place consisting of five buildings spread over a good campus. When he was stopped at the gate he explained he was there to talk to Mr Brand. He showed off his credentials and after a minute he was let in. He drove up to the main building and was greeted by a man in his early thirties. He said his name was Paul Cantor who was Mr Brands personnel assistant. Smith was lead across the main room to a rear elevator with a card scanner near it. They entered and were lifted up a few floors. Cantor led Smith into a large room and then into a waiting office. Johnathon Brand was a neat man in his early forties. He was nicely manicured and groomed. He sat at a large desk busy with paperwork. Smith was shown to a chair and Cantor went and poured drinks. After twenty minutes Brand looked up and the meeting began. Smith implied he was here for Theta Tech and wanted to examine the work being done on it. He handed over some papers for Brand to examine. He scanned it and looked at Cantor and arranged a chance to examine the Tech. Smith thanked and started to leave. When he got to the door he turned around and said he was really looking for Sentinel. He said that it was important to meet as the man may have some lost Theta Tech. Brand said he met the person before so it should not be a problem that he possessed it. Smith said he would feel better if he could talk to Sentinel. Brand thought for a bit and looked at Cantor who suggested that they meet at 9:30 pm at the ferry dock. Smith agreed and then left.




When the man was gone Cantor looked at Brand, "Are you sure that is wise?"

"Yes, we knew it would happen at some point." replied Brand.

"But this soon?"

"I think it has a lot to do with Silver Guardian. They are desperate for that Tech they will look for any hint of it."

"You are right. I do wonder what they really want."

"Most likely to possess or control it. It was bound to happen."

"Are you going to let them know you pilot it?"

"Nope. Also don't think I want to go alone. It is time to contact my allies. If they are looking for me they will be next."

Cantor nodded his head and pulled out the helmet from the wall safe and handed it to Brand so he could call his allies. He then called for the car to be brought around and then cancelled the afternoon meetings.

Alexander Starr was working hard in his class when the comm unit Sentinel game him beeped. He answered and found out about the meet. Thinking it might be a trap he agreed to meet up before hand and watch the situation. Sentinel thanked him and Starr went back to work. After half an hour Dean Wormser came by and proceeded to annoy Starr with the usual pettiness but to his surprise Wormser wanted him to go meet a woman who might be giving some government money to the school. Also rumor had it she had some special research that might needed to be done. Starr nodded and gathered his bag and headed over to the main building. He headed to a conference room and saw Aaron Davis there. He was sweating as two men, who looked like bean counters, grilled him tersely. A beautiful woman sat nearby looking at her laptop and glancing up now and then. When Starr walked in she smiled and closed the laptop.



She looked at Davis and said,"You may leave. Come in Dr Starr, I am Robin Contreau from the Department of Astronomical Observance Commision. We have been waiting for you." Feeling a little nervous he sat down. She gazed at the bean counters and began to talk. She was well versed in what he had done. She had examined his record so much that he felt she knew him better. After twenty minutes she then handed him a large bundle of paper. She told him that that was his thesis from the last conference for physics. She informed he she read it, which impressed him, and then she corrected him, which annoyed him. She interrogated him a bit more hinting she knew something about what happened in New Mexico a couple years ago. She smiled and after a bit she agreed to the grants. She also noted that NAOC was looking to open a facility north of the city and he might be a candidate for work there. He smiled and thanked her, he took her card and a data stick she slipped him. She then dismissed him when in came another Professor from the chemistry department. Davis was from biology, Starr from Physics/Astronomy and now a chemist? He would have to dig something up. As he walked away he looked down and saw it was almost 5 pm and he needed to meet his friend Mark Sherington a colleague he often dined with. After that it was into the costume and off he would go. But her eyes seemed to haunt him.

Sentinel was puzzled, he paged Dark Streak earlier and some woman answered. She seemed spacey but understood what was going on. She did agree to the meet so he felt better he was still unsure. At 8pm Quantum Knight and Sentinel were waiting and talking when a blur ran up to them. It was brown and when it stood up it was shorter than they expected. The looked at each other because the figure was thinner and slight of build and.......well.....umm..."he" had breasts. Also she was a cat, a large feline. Her eyes sparkled green and deadly but playful. Quantum knight spoke up, "Uh well....hi...ma'am." She growled a throaty almost seductive growl and said, "Dark Streak can't make it. I am Grey Streak a friend. We are .....close." The two men took her at face value and revealed their plan. GS and QK would sneak onto a ferry while Sentinel waited. If anything happened they could be there in a minute. She smiled and purred a bit and licked her claws. QK felt a but nervous being all alone in the dark with her.




End issue 3