Daily Logs 2006 - Present
6/25/06: An old friend comes to visit.....
PARTICIPANTS: IRONIC, GREEN LANTERN, ZEPHYR
Awakening on what he hoped would be his last day at the hospital, Ironic came to a stunning realization. There was something not... right about his room. He studied the room and finally, his eyes came to rest on a vase of flowers sitting on the table next to his bed. Those weren't there when I went to sleep last night.
He reached over and pulled the card attached to the vase and read, "To: Rex Hoping you feel better soon. Love, A Friend"
As he puzzled over the whole thing, his doctor entered the room and they had a discussion of his case, how he was feeling, and if he was feeling well enough to... go home. The doctor stated that he was going to be sending Ironic home but that he first needed to make sure his chart was up to date for the records people. He moved to the foot of Ironic's bed, got a confused look on his face and called out to one of the nurses. "Rex's chart is missing." Ironic began to recognize a theme. Flowers with no record of delivery appearing in his room the same night that his medical file disappeared. Someone must have a problem with AlertForce, he thought. I don't have anyone in my history... that I can remember... who writes like that and is after me.
Ironic was released from the hospital and an AlertForce car was waiting to take him to his apartment. When he got home, as he was pushing the key into the lock, he heard a few strange tumbles. The greatest odds of why he heard that was that there had been lock picks in that bolt recently and they had kinda messed the system. His key still worked, but he was sure that the place would be trashed when he opened the door. When he did open it, he was surprised. The house was exactly the same as he left it, but he was sure someone was here. Everything had been picked up and searched through but put back a fraction of an inch off (sometimes more. The couch centered between front door and bedroom door was not 4 inches closer to the bedroom).
He contacted the superintendent and asked if anyone new had been spotted around the building. The super responded no. Rex then phoned the police to ask them to come and check out his apartment. While he waited for them, he contacted AF to let them know that there may be someone after them. He spoke with Zephyr and Green Lantern about a possible threat on AlertForce which has chosen him as his opening contact. As he was waiting for the police and Green Lantern to show up, he noticed a folder on the table in front of the couch. It was his folder from the hospital. A stick-on note on the inside of the folder had the following note: "Rex, I didn't know you medical problems like this. I thought you were just nuts. Love, A Friend." As he read the note, he realized that the structure of the letters of this note and the note with the flowers matched each other TOO perfectly. The notes were not hand written. They were composed on computer and printed with a font designed to simulate hand writing.
"Wow. Someone took your file at the hospital and then left it with a note in your apartment? Weird." Green Lantern's voice shocked Ironic. He was so engrossed in his own medical history, he didn't notice that GL had been reading over his shoulder for the last 3 minutes. Before the conversation could continue, the intercom buzzed and the police had shown up to start forensics. Ironic asked the technicians to dust his medical folder for finger prints but nothing was found. Not even the prints of the medical staff at the UCLA Medical Facility. The same was found around the whole apartment. That is... nothing was found. No prints. Not even those of the superintendent, who had fixed the air conditioning 6 weeks earlier.
Ironic decided to find out who had sent him the flowers. There was an envelope holding the note with the flowers that had the address of a specific florist on Hollywood Ave. When Ironic showed up at that flower shop, he saw that the doorway was barred by police tape. He asked an officer standing nearby what had happened and was told that the night before, someone broke in and stole money and flowers from the shop. Oddly enough, there were no fingerprints in the entire shop.
Ironic started walking, then. He thought that if this guy was after him, he would have to make himself an open target. As he walked, he turned towards the beach. There was a bench there he often sat on to stare at the sea and think. But nothing happened. When he gave up he stood up and noticed that the people who were, earlier, frightened by his iron skin were now laughing at him. He had a message on his back He looked at the bench he was sitting on and saw the message in the paint that was left there. It said, "I have found you. Now it is your turn to find me." That was when Ironic had a flashback to Arkham Asylum and a patient there named Jack Smyth, aka Trapper Jack. Jack was on considerable medication but he was still able to move with astonishing speed. And the number of nurses and attendants who reported stolen watches, wallets, what ever shortly after encountering Jack in the hallway illustrated his habit of.... acquiring things from people. Jack often came in to Ironic's room and tried to get him in to a game of Tag. But Ironic's basic paralysis prevented him from playing.
Ironic began to do a little research on Jack. His first attempt did not go well because the LA Public Library does not have microfiche anymore, depending on the computer for news research. And Ironic and computers do not mix. So he went down to the LA Times office to talk to crime reporters, hoping to learn more about his opponent. The receptionist directed him to Steve Robinson, who knew little about Jack's history but did have a frat brother who worked for the NY Times who probably covered that case. He gave Ironic the card of Edmund Bergison. Ironic called him and learned that Jack was a very talented thief.... who is insane. There is also a record of this man having "running powers." Ironic asked Bergison for any records he had on the case. Bergison informed him that, while he has a few articles he can send him, they would give him very little additional information. If he wanted a case history, he would need to talk to the PTA.
Not having any contacts with the official PTA, Ironic spoke with Stanley Mortimer, an AF associate who was, until recently, a director of the LA PTA and previously worked in NY.... though for some group OTHER than the PTA (he will not discuss his previous work). Mortimer knew about Jack's case. Though he could not produce the PTA file, he did remember this man's history as a very talented thief. The one oddity that sticks out about this man is that, in his history of breaking the law... being a super villain.... he has never... killed anyone. He did, however, generate binding material which would, if needed, entrap an opponent. He would then taunt his opponent, and run (at a very astonishing speed).
His first day out of the hospital and Ironic is facing a super-villain who thought that they had... a history, and was now in the LA area, hoping to restart a friendship that never existed.
AWARD: 4 points, Ironic. 2 points, Green Lantern and Zephyr.
Awakening on what he hoped would be his last day at the hospital, Ironic came to a stunning realization. There was something not... right about his room. He studied the room and finally, his eyes came to rest on a vase of flowers sitting on the table next to his bed. Those weren't there when I went to sleep last night.
He reached over and pulled the card attached to the vase and read, "To: Rex Hoping you feel better soon. Love, A Friend"
As he puzzled over the whole thing, his doctor entered the room and they had a discussion of his case, how he was feeling, and if he was feeling well enough to... go home. The doctor stated that he was going to be sending Ironic home but that he first needed to make sure his chart was up to date for the records people. He moved to the foot of Ironic's bed, got a confused look on his face and called out to one of the nurses. "Rex's chart is missing." Ironic began to recognize a theme. Flowers with no record of delivery appearing in his room the same night that his medical file disappeared. Someone must have a problem with AlertForce, he thought. I don't have anyone in my history... that I can remember... who writes like that and is after me.
Ironic was released from the hospital and an AlertForce car was waiting to take him to his apartment. When he got home, as he was pushing the key into the lock, he heard a few strange tumbles. The greatest odds of why he heard that was that there had been lock picks in that bolt recently and they had kinda messed the system. His key still worked, but he was sure that the place would be trashed when he opened the door. When he did open it, he was surprised. The house was exactly the same as he left it, but he was sure someone was here. Everything had been picked up and searched through but put back a fraction of an inch off (sometimes more. The couch centered between front door and bedroom door was not 4 inches closer to the bedroom).
He contacted the superintendent and asked if anyone new had been spotted around the building. The super responded no. Rex then phoned the police to ask them to come and check out his apartment. While he waited for them, he contacted AF to let them know that there may be someone after them. He spoke with Zephyr and Green Lantern about a possible threat on AlertForce which has chosen him as his opening contact. As he was waiting for the police and Green Lantern to show up, he noticed a folder on the table in front of the couch. It was his folder from the hospital. A stick-on note on the inside of the folder had the following note: "Rex, I didn't know you medical problems like this. I thought you were just nuts. Love, A Friend." As he read the note, he realized that the structure of the letters of this note and the note with the flowers matched each other TOO perfectly. The notes were not hand written. They were composed on computer and printed with a font designed to simulate hand writing.
"Wow. Someone took your file at the hospital and then left it with a note in your apartment? Weird." Green Lantern's voice shocked Ironic. He was so engrossed in his own medical history, he didn't notice that GL had been reading over his shoulder for the last 3 minutes. Before the conversation could continue, the intercom buzzed and the police had shown up to start forensics. Ironic asked the technicians to dust his medical folder for finger prints but nothing was found. Not even the prints of the medical staff at the UCLA Medical Facility. The same was found around the whole apartment. That is... nothing was found. No prints. Not even those of the superintendent, who had fixed the air conditioning 6 weeks earlier.
Ironic decided to find out who had sent him the flowers. There was an envelope holding the note with the flowers that had the address of a specific florist on Hollywood Ave. When Ironic showed up at that flower shop, he saw that the doorway was barred by police tape. He asked an officer standing nearby what had happened and was told that the night before, someone broke in and stole money and flowers from the shop. Oddly enough, there were no fingerprints in the entire shop.
Ironic started walking, then. He thought that if this guy was after him, he would have to make himself an open target. As he walked, he turned towards the beach. There was a bench there he often sat on to stare at the sea and think. But nothing happened. When he gave up he stood up and noticed that the people who were, earlier, frightened by his iron skin were now laughing at him. He had a message on his back He looked at the bench he was sitting on and saw the message in the paint that was left there. It said, "I have found you. Now it is your turn to find me." That was when Ironic had a flashback to Arkham Asylum and a patient there named Jack Smyth, aka Trapper Jack. Jack was on considerable medication but he was still able to move with astonishing speed. And the number of nurses and attendants who reported stolen watches, wallets, what ever shortly after encountering Jack in the hallway illustrated his habit of.... acquiring things from people. Jack often came in to Ironic's room and tried to get him in to a game of Tag. But Ironic's basic paralysis prevented him from playing.
Ironic began to do a little research on Jack. His first attempt did not go well because the LA Public Library does not have microfiche anymore, depending on the computer for news research. And Ironic and computers do not mix. So he went down to the LA Times office to talk to crime reporters, hoping to learn more about his opponent. The receptionist directed him to Steve Robinson, who knew little about Jack's history but did have a frat brother who worked for the NY Times who probably covered that case. He gave Ironic the card of Edmund Bergison. Ironic called him and learned that Jack was a very talented thief.... who is insane. There is also a record of this man having "running powers." Ironic asked Bergison for any records he had on the case. Bergison informed him that, while he has a few articles he can send him, they would give him very little additional information. If he wanted a case history, he would need to talk to the PTA.
Not having any contacts with the official PTA, Ironic spoke with Stanley Mortimer, an AF associate who was, until recently, a director of the LA PTA and previously worked in NY.... though for some group OTHER than the PTA (he will not discuss his previous work). Mortimer knew about Jack's case. Though he could not produce the PTA file, he did remember this man's history as a very talented thief. The one oddity that sticks out about this man is that, in his history of breaking the law... being a super villain.... he has never... killed anyone. He did, however, generate binding material which would, if needed, entrap an opponent. He would then taunt his opponent, and run (at a very astonishing speed).
His first day out of the hospital and Ironic is facing a super-villain who thought that they had... a history, and was now in the LA area, hoping to restart a friendship that never existed.
AWARD: 4 points, Ironic. 2 points, Green Lantern and Zephyr.
posted by C. Cicconi at 1:32 PM
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