I went to Ron's today, we were going to be working on some plans to deal with Pyopas.
However things didn't go as planned, as when I arrived, I found the house empty. I was only able to get a basic look around before I had to leave thou.
Because the police dropped by not long after, and at the present time I still am being looked for, thanks to Pyopas.
As I find out more I will post it here.

He invited me over tonight too, Shadowstalker. I must have gotten here after the police chased you away. I saw your post in the cab ride over, so when I arrived I just started looking for clues.

The first thing I noticed was the lighting in the yard. It was angled so people in the house could clearly see anyone outside while staying invisible themselves.

I used a spare key and let myself in. In the living room, I saw the sofa had been moved to prop up a fence he uses to block the windows from the inside. Only one of the walls was still damaged from the raid last month.

I walked through the dining room and kitchen to the laundry room. There is a door to the backyard that can be secured by sliding a board through slats on either side of the frame. It was. Heading back to the dining room, I noticed a few shot shells on the kitchen counter, and Mr. Fluffers food dish had been spilled.

I went downstairs and checked the basement armory, but the gunsafe was shut and locked and I couldn't learn anything. On the workbench, I saw a battered armored vest and a few parts from a disassembled Piece.

I walked back upstairs and headed for the front door. There was nothing out of place in Sarah's room (except the paint cans), but as I passed the living room I realized Celeste's urn had been taken down and was tucked in a corner.

I went upstairs to check the other bedrooms. Hannah's room was messier than I expected. Her school uniform was crumpled beside the closet, a bra was dangling from a dresser drawer, and books and papers seemed to have been stacked on any horizontal surface convenient at the time. I also saw the sword I sent her for Christmas was missing from the wall hooks.

I passed the bathroom and entered the master bedroom. The closet was open, and the dress Loni wore to the Mermaid's Arms was draped across a chair. Her nightstand had a bottle of Eau De Garlique on it, his had The Art of War on it. Both had wooden stakes on the shelves underneath. One of hers appeared to have been used before.

I left the bedroom and entered the study. Vic Lazlo's Splintered Souls & Broken Auras was open on a desk. Hannah's report cards were in a drawer, along with a Blade. The ladder to the attic was down, so I went up.

The hatch was very sturdy. This part of the attic appeared to have concrete walls, a CB radio, a gun rack, and numerous water and canned food. It also had an escape window that was unlocked. I opened it and looked out. Beside the window a slender rope was dangling from a piton embedded in the bricks down to the grass below. I pulled up the rope and left it in a coil in a recessed area near the window, then locked the window and came down from the attic.

I didn't see fresh damage in the house, no bullet holes or anything, so I don't think they fought something ... but then ... what made them flee?

Hmm. I hear someone downstairs.

I found out two things Clarity. First, I found out that Shadowstalker didn't take all the police with him when he left Friday night. I walked out of Ron's study and started down the stairs. I didn't get halfway down them before my T-shirt was painted with more tac-lasers than I felt were strictly necessary. I turned my palms toward the commandoes and slowly put my hands up. I gave the first commando a mile-wide smile. "Morning, Jack," I said, "I didn't hear ya knocking."

That giant Ron mentioned started shouting orders, and things were briefly unpleasant. Once I was cuffed and hooded, they shoved me outside into a waiting van and we raced across town.

"How 'bout those Phillies?" No answer. "What department are you cats with?" No answer. "Looking for the Caliburns?"

The giant's roaring voice demanded, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

I laughed and didn't answer. The professionalism of my captors went downhill. Al Sharpton, to pick a name at random, would have been displeased at some of the terms they used to describe me, the frequency with which I was thrown around the van during turns and stops, and the unfortunate number of sharp objects I encountered during this time.

Eventually we reached our destination and got out of the van. After dragging me through a labrynth of hallways and stairs, they put me in a room, sat me down and shackled me to the chair. "Hey, yo, can one of you make a run for the border? It's time for Fourth Meal, dawg."

They slammed the door as hard as they could, leaving me cold and alone. I began to meditate.

Some time later, I smelled her in the air. The hood flew off my head and landed somewhere behind me. I opened my eyes and saw a dusty room half-lit by a lamp sitting on a table. Sitting behind the table was a blond librarian; standing behind it was a commando with an MP-5K. The librarian spent several minutes going through my wallet before she tossed it aside.

"Mr. Long, my agents discovered you in the Caliburn house. What were you doing there? Where are they now?"

"I bet that'd make a great TV show, lady," I said. "I was visiting my friends for Halloween. D.C. hasn't made that illegal yet, have they, Ms. Pyopas?"

She concealed her surprise well -- it was only a flicker across her face -- but not her irritation. "Where are the CALIBURNS, MR. LONG?"

I grinned, "Call me Willie."

She came slinking around the desk. Her skirt had ridden about halfway up her thighs and her hair hung down like a curtain as she came nose to nose with me. In an altogether different tone she asked, "Where are the Caliburns, Willie?"

(Incidentally, I think it's cute when Concrete Angel acts flirty. It's harmless and I know she doesn't mean anything by it. When monsters do that, I find it ... less than cute.)

I tried to conceal my revulsion. "I don't know, Lace," I said, rolling my eyes. "They were gone when I arrived. And by the way, I liked you better when you looked like a vice-presidential candidate. This 'slut look' doesn't work for you."

The librarian jerked back as if she'd been slapped. "No man can resist me."

"No man am I..."

Puzzled, they left the room. I waited for awhile, but they didn't come back. "...I'm a god," I told the room. I stood up, snapping free of the shackles. I grabbed my wallet off the table and smacked the steel door a few times until the deadbolt snapped. "Time to see what's behind door number one."

I emerged midway down a concrete hallway. The air was damp and smelled of mold, and the lighting was poor. From the left, I thought I heard a woman say, "No pwetty pweety, he's ovah this way." I crouched down and prowled closer to the corner, ready to spring.

Mr. Fluffers slipped around the corner and froze. We stared at each other, then both of us stood up straight. "Do you know the way out?"

"Meow."

"Let's go."

We went.

Yeah I can be there shortly.

Mr. Fluffers and I are actually in the town you and I visited last Halloween, Ron. Turns out her commandoes brought me to the building where you and Gabrielle used to live. But I can be back in DC in no time.

Off and on -- you know how cats wander.

What does Mr. Fluffers look like? This morning when I was walking to the car, I found out the cat that has been coming to my house is not my neighbors cat Grover.

Ah...the cat that I thought was Grover is a big ol' furry tom also, but hes a calico with long hair and shows lots of battle damage.

Hi Everyone

When we go to Faerieland it was late fall, and there was soem sort of celebration going on. Apparently to the Faeries, Hallowe'en was as an important date as it was to us. Most of the folks running around were the ugly kinds, goblins, imps and such.

We approached the great oak tree and it turned to face us.

Mom and I both cutsied before the King, Dad just kinda glared up at him, I could almost hear dad thinking about chainsaws and a nice warm fire.

The Oak King stared back into my Dad's face. I don't think he liked it when mortals didn't pay him the proper respect. Mom saw it too and she gave dad a whack in the back of the knee, which made him kneel.

Satisfied the Oak King melted into his human form. For some reason he seemed older and almost . . . well kinda tired really. Looking at Robin he seemed that way too.

The Oak King smiled armly at me and said "Rise child, it is unseemly for my future daughter in-law to remain bent before me."

I stood up. "Actually, I have come here to discuss that with you. There's been a mistake and I can't marry Robin."

I could have sworn I heard a gasp run through the collected elves and boggarts.

The king of the waxing year clucked his tongue a few times and placed his hand softly on my shoulder. "Dear child, there is no mistake. Your father promised you to my son and a promise made must be kept."

Here goes I thought to myself. "Well you see, that's what the mistake was. The man you thought was my father,w ell he really isn't." Another gasp ran through the gnomes and trolls. "That man," I pointed to dad, "is my father."

Robin howlled at me with rage.

Trickery, lies and falsehood
Tonight you become Lady of Greenwood


The Oak king held up a hand to Robin. "Silence Goodfellow." Robin came up short like a dog at the end of his leash. "This is a serious development. If she is not the child promised, then we must return her to her family."

"[color=yellowYou'd better beleive she's not staying.[/color]" Dad strode up face to face with the Oak King. "Now me and my daughter are going home, you got that?" For emphasis he tapped the king on the chest.

"Dad no!!!"

The Oak King's rage thundered over the hillside. "INSOLENCE!!!" A blast of light flash from the Oak King's hand and dad disappeared.

Mom was screaming, Robin was laughing, I was pleading. "Please your Majesty. My father doesn't know or understand our ways. Please bring him back. I promise he won't do anything like that again."

The Oak King looked at me, his eyes were so kind . . . "Do not fear Hannah, he is unharmed. I merely sent him to a place where he is protected from himself. You shall see him shortly."

The Oak King turned to address the multitude of fey who had gathered. "The Betrothment of Hannah Grant and Robin Goodfellow is postponed pending the resolution of this dispute. We shall go to the Seelie Court and let their wisdom decide the matter."

There was a crackle of thunder and a cold wind. The world blurred for a momment and we found ourselves deep in a faerie burgh. We were in some sort of audience chamber, my mother and I were seated in front of a table. Opposite from us, at another table, sat Robin. Dad, frozen in position with his finger out stretched was beside us. All around the cjhamber were dozens upon dozens of elves wearing formal robes. They rose as the Oak King appeared in the center of the chamber.

"As the Seelie Court has settled disputes between the fey for millenia, so shall it settle this dispute between fae and mortal. I call the court to session to decide the righteousness of the arranged marriage between Hannah Grant of Montanna and Robin Goodfellow, Lord of Greenwood." The Oak King thumped his great staff on the ground 3 times and the elves around the outside returned to their seats.

Hannah

PS: More to come.

This is one of the reasons I am not fond of the Fey folk.

The little buggers are more trouble then they are worth.

The fae are easily dealt with. Cold-forged iron.

Still, many of them have strange powers worthy of further study.

That's quite the daughter you have there Mr. Caliburn.

Preach it Hannah.

GhostSpider wrote:Preach it Hannah.

I'd rather just listen to the rest of the story myself. Very interesting, if true...

Raphael? The bloke that Skinner talked about, or the other Shadowguy?

Most interesting.