Secret Diary - Keep Out! Game 8

Mon 24/01/2022
 
I dunno, I was so stressed about talking to my parents and it ended up like a bit of an unevent really. They really really hated it that I had snuck out of the house to go into danger, and although they could understand that I wouldn’t sit and watch people getting hurt, that was different to going out and seeking danger. I just figured they wouldn’t approve (which they don’t, duh) but after suggesting that I hold off until I was in college or had more training, they just said they would get a tutor for me who could keep an eye on me and teach me. I dunno, I’m kinda willing to give that a go, especially if they are cool. Like, I know I need more training, our run in with Mirage very much proved that, and I guess I am kinda jealous of the others who have parents who at least get what it’s like to have powers We’ll see though… I guess I’m definitely thinking that I should tell at least the twins and Sharky who I really am. Well, dunno if the twins really care, but I know Sharky wants to know, and I guess if something happens I would want someone to be able to tell my parents.
 
Saph and Gabe were on me about what was going on and why I needed that excuse. I just told them that I’d snuck out to meet Zion and a couple of his friends on a spur of the moment thing and they had realised I wasn’t in my room and were waiting for me. Saph didn’t look too convinced but good old Gabe settled her down. Told them about being grounded as well, so not going to be a fun week. Evening sucked, still feeling a bit raw from our talk so a quiet dinner and then listened to music and did some research on Glomco. Turns out they have their fingers in a lot of pies, including military stuff like missiles, but most of the bigwigs have those totally manicured social media accounts, including that Austin Dexters. Apparently it was set up by a dude called Omar Cooper, who actually profited so much from the invasion that he got investigated, he doesn’t even have a social media account!
 
Tue 25/01/2022
 
Well, that was boring. Like, nothing happened at school, then I went home and waited there. Dunno, stuff is still tense with my parents, but I just feel itchy to do something and actually live rather than exist. This sucks!
None of the others were up to anything in particular either, and not really hearing a peep out of Velocity at all, guess he’s still hiding.
 
Wed 26/01/2022
 
Urgh!
 
Ok, well today sucked, there’s no other word for it. Morning was the same normal drone as always, but just after school finished I got a message from Sharky, who had apparently been scouting out the hideouts we’d heard about relating to Dr Otaku. He broke in and grabbed a computer, then got stopped by a couple of atlanteans in armour who flustered him into giving up the laptop to them while they began to “document the break in”. After he left he realised he’d been duped but by then there was no sign of them – however there were a few vehicles leaving the area.
 
So… I tried! I went to my parents, said that one of my friends needed my help and where it was… and they said yes. So… guess that’s something.
 
We all split up, the Doll took the Glomco van, Impulse took the stolen car and Sharky and I went after the unregistered boat… that said we weren’t super coordinated with this and I’ll admit I probably should have given Sharky some warning, but I made myself look like Mirage and just teleported on board. Guy steering freaked out, but after I just said “Did you get the stuff? Come on, haven’t you seen whose following?” and he just seemed to accept it and prepare to dive (lucky I’m Atlantean since I wouldn’t have had breathing apparatus, though had to pretend I had with an illusion!) … until Sharky bust through the submarine boat and tore a huge hole in it! I yelled that we needed to protect it and followed the guy, entering a room with another minion… and Sharky … who recognised my form! I just made a tonne of Mirage illusions to cause confusion and yelled at the minions to hand over the package and I had a way off this boat. And they did! Suckers! I just teleported away and messaged Sharky to let him know Mirage was me and I had it.
 
Gotta admit I felt pretty proud of myself after that, figured I was a quick learner… but not quick enough as it turns out.
 
Anyways, pretty shortly after teleporting away Sharky called and said there was a guy from the hero association who wanted to “have a word”. They had seriously only just pretended to be authority figures TWICE to hookwink us so I just went nope, I’m not part of the hero association and hung up, but ported to the Doll, who was clearing up after the Van incident (apparently someone *cough Velocity cough* had just stepped out in front of the truck and effectively the Doll saved him, but caused a big crash, so a bit of collateral damage. Anyways, rather than take it herself, she gave me coordinates and I headed over to this amazing cathedral of plant life that she’d hidden away in the botanical gardens. Stashed it and headed over to Sharkey.
 
When I got there I got to meet “Buzzkill”, and boy is he one! Crazy stripy costume and a swarm of bees, including ones with little recording devices and stuff. He immediately greeted me as “Trickster, my new student” … so I guess I fricking found my tutor, and he sucks. Seriously! I did a little bit of checking and yeah, he’d been contacted in the last few days, guess that’s why my parents wanted to know where this was going down. He totally waffled on and on like a pompous windbag and started on us on the best way to deal with criminals who we’d captured. Pretty quickly I made an illusionary copy of myself and ported away just to stop having to deal with him, though once the Doll sent a message about some androids I ported over there to try and make myself useful.
 
Apparently he realised since Sharky rang and told me that he’d they were heading over to us since he knew where I was … he’d planted a fricking tracking bee on me! Apparently he’d just turned to Sharky, waved his hand through the illusion and said “Does she do this all the time?” The Doll helped me get rid of the bee, but rather than bail at that point I decided to try and stick it out, so we watched the ridiculous bee car approaching with a loud buzzing sound (at least he’s not going to be creeping up on me!). While waiting for my fate we had a quick look at the androids, but not really sure if there’s anything we could do about them as it’s not really illegal since we know they trade in that stuff. As soon as the buzzing annoyance arrived, the Doll fired into action and started talking appearance and clothing at him, not too long before I give up yet again and teleport again, this time to the Scrapyard to check for bees. I also met Velocity there and disguised him to look like his normal self before we teleported to the hideout.
 
Turns out that Impulse had taken out the car, but it was driven by a load of teenagers who were apparently borrowing their parents car without permission … so yeah, bit of a bust there, though I think Impulse had fun telling them off and making them squirm!
“The Doll” turned up, and I was suspicious – when I asked her where it was, she said she though Atomic Justice had it…. But she knew I was the one who picked it up. I asked her what the last message she’d sent me was, but she did say it was the coordinates, and just sounded a bit confused so I kinda dropped it…. Don’t I regret that!
 
So yeah, topic of conversation was Buzzybody, Sharky was optimistic that I’d learn something, and I’m certainly going to get better at sneaking around with him around so there’s that, but yeah, not optimistic. “The Doll” suggested a plant to eat the bees, but instead I was more interested in something that would keep them off of me so “she” got to work and created a little plant that sat on my shoulder … and then the ACTUAL Doll walked in with the laptop.
 
My suspicions snapped into focus and I went for the laptop but that fricking plant came to life and started strangling me before Velocity ripped them off so I could breathe. Meanwhile it all started to go crazy, with AJ busting out of the building entirely, Impulse getting slapped aside by a huge vine that the fake doll created, who started to gloat, she even got a fricking call from some dude called Dr Nole? Something like that at least. The Doll had tossed the laptop bag away from her, but she just scooped them up in her vines and then pulled them in towards herself, covering herself in vines. I rushed forward and teleported them into the river but yeah, by that time she’d clearly already gone, as we were left with a fake fake doll, turned away from us and full of pollen and plant petals once Atomic Justice punched through her making her explode.
There was a hole in the floor but by the time I’d gone down it to take a look I couldn’t see any sign of her, even plunging into the water.
 
Turns out that the Doll had actually made a copy of the hard-drive, so we weren’t completely screwed but one thing we were is paranoid! Started checking for trackers and bugs, Sharky called up Alison to make sure she'd not told anyone about where our hideout was, and the Doll and I talked about how she could have known about the coordinates.