Chicago:Sessions:20040925
September 25, 2004
GM: Bobby J.
Bill was unavoidably detained [translation: he was OUT PARTYING!] so Bobby had us catch up on the past six months or so in Alternate Chicago.
This world's Moana Loa Hilton opened on April 1. Rathbone claims he had nothing to do with choosing the date.
The Infinite Solutions Foundation owns two jets now, procured by Rathbone. Joking(?) discussion is made of how heavily to arm them.
Jessica gradually eased up on the Trifocus Academy lockdown, at first allowing groups of students to go off-campus with staff chaperones. Current requirements include going with at least one other person, carrying a cellphone, checking in at intervals, and reporting anything at all that arouses uneasiness or suspicion.
Warpath (John Whitetop) was invited to become a regular Irregular. He gets the specialized weaponry he requested from Miracle Tech.
The contest to rename Brunette Brain, secretly initiated and initially bankrolled by Megan Starling, is a big hit, drawing thousands of entries. Since Brunette Brain has power over insects and can throw energy blasts, fully one-fourth of the entries suggest the alias "Bug Zapper". (Megan herself firmly squashes this idea, despite Travis and Reg's enthusiastic "Just think of the endorsements and marketing tie-ins!") Other decent entries include Dragonfly, Scarlet Scarab, and Madame Butterfly. Reg and others do talk with Brunette Brain, and she graciously agrees to at least consider using the winning name. Joel Valdez does an exclusive interview with her a few days before the announcement. Megan contacts internationally-famous fashion designer Stella McCartney to design and prototype a new costume. There's a big outdoor bash on April 17th with rock bands and all kinds of fun. There's a drawing from among the 30 entries that had the winning name; the grand prize winner gets $25,000 and a new Mercedes, and the 29 first-place winners receive $1000 checks personally made out to them by Joe Lampton (Chairman of the Board of Trifocus). The winning name: Firefly. Valdez, of course, gets the first interview with Firefly.
The Irregulars are using Team Infinity's old HQ, rent-free. The publicity and sponsorships from the name contest help bring them more funding.
Megan spends the weekend of March 26th back in San Francisco with her family. Her brothers Trevor and Bradley and her sister Deirdre are there; Lynette, who's a police officer, isn't able to take off work.
Troublemagnet (Travis) turns his attention to busting up Mafia protection rackets. Neko (Brodie Cates) deals similarly with the Tongs. Frank Andrelli calls Reg for the first time since the events of mid-March, wanting to know why "your people" are running them out of the rackets. Reg replies, "He doesn't like the idea of you charging people not to hurt them." Frank puts up no resistance; he says they will voluntarily get out of the "insurance business". In fact, Frank informs on "other guys" involved in "insurance". Reg learns that the way the Andrelli hierarchy shook out left Frank and Tim as co-capos.
Later, Tim (we think he needs a new name as well) Andrelli talks with Reg, who explains to him, "What Troublemagnet was objecting to was the fact that you were hiring supers." Tim: "We definitely take the lesson." They will continue to have no contact with The Exchange.
The media continue to buzz for a time about the appearance and now non-appearance of "Shining Knight". Since Thaemon has not made any more forays in that form, the papers are calling it a one-knight stand. Thaemon, meanwhile, attains his 4th level of Magery.
Jessica has been very busy running Trifocus Academy. Using the Starling Foundation and Trifocus as search firms, she brings in a couple dozen candidates for teaching positions, and winds up hiring four - liberal arts, hard sciences, and two meta. (In interviewing the four candidates for meta, she decided there was something "fishy" about one of them; he seems like a "mastermind" wannabe. Blue Star (Darr) volunteers to investigate him.)
After a two-year hiatus, the Black Moon Society has reared its head in suburban Chicago. Thaemon, hoping to capture one of their number for questioning, attempts to bait them into stealing a fake magic item, but they avoid the trap. Perhaps they have a good seer.
Reg found out that on the day Yang last phoned Earl, the "moon mage" was staying at a certain hotel. Witnesses say that moon mage was in the lobby and almost fainted during a "major magic event"; when he recovered, he pulled out a cell phone and departed hurriedly. Whitetop learns that about the same time, certain surveillance contracts were abruptly ended. Thunderbird pays a visit to some of these parties. Giving them cash as a memory aid, he tells them that if they're ever hired for that job again, take it... and tell him.
At the beginning of June in central California comes a report of a big fight where five meta-villains (of mid-range power) were killed. One of them was one of the missing students from the old Wildwood Academy. Apparently someone was trying to collect the million-dollar bounty on Mark Yang. The Los Angeles metateam investigated the incident. Reg gave police some background on the ex-student.
Though it has been a couple of years, there has been no word from Tiffany Vance, her mother, or the unicorns.
On June 8th, Trifocus Academy holds commencement ceremonies for its first eight graduates. The commencement speaker, the lady who is a member of the US House of Representatives from the Chicago area, gives a stirring speech that is well-received.
Jessica arranges to have several seminars given at the Academy over the summer months. One of them is taught by Dr. Adrian Paul, another by Shabaz of Justice Patrol. Also, Shabaz is willing to continue allowing students to tour his private laboratory.
Brodie takes several students (who have no family to go home to) to Hawaii for their summer break.
Anthony Darr continues to build his intelligence network, extending into Europe and Southeast Asia.
The 2004-2005 school year opens at Trifocus Academy with 57 returning students (including 12 seniors) and 23 new ones. Jessica continues to oversee construction and expansion; she hopes to admit 250 students next fall.
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