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That morning started out like any other. Poopsie was up at
the crack of dawn, woken by a clock radio that sat on her bed.. she turned it up before she got up and let it blair so that
she could hear it in the shower. She always liked to be the first one up because that way she would be assured a nice hot
shower to wake herself up. Of course, her marathon showers rarely left much hot water for anyone else, but she simply told
everyone that it was their own fault for sleeping in so late.
After her long shower, Poopsie came downstairs in her little blue
gingham jumper, pigtails bouncing behing her and ready for another day at school... she knew that today would be busy.. she
would get to school and as soon as she did she would hand out the ADDs and the DLRs for the students and keep them under control
while they watched the morning news and she tried to make them copy down the agenda for the day. Then it would be on
to math groups. - - - - - - - -
Tonya yawned again as the pick found another snarl. She glared
at the
offending tangle before carefully picking it out. Finally her hair was
brushed smooth and she braided it
into her usual rope. Glancing at the
mirror she ran the comb through her unruly bangs.
Speaking to the sleepy girl in the mirror, she complained,
"Why did my
Genetics recitation have to be moved to 8:30? Couldn't they have their
meeting at some other time?"
The mirror girl didn't response, but looked
sympathetic.
Glancing at her watch, she groaned again. "Five to eight.
No time for
Lucky Charms this morning."
Flicking out the light, Tonya left her room, grabbed a package
of Pop
tarts and her backpack, and headed down the driveway.
- - - - - - - - -
At 9:00 the students came back to the room and Poopsie began to work
with them on the ADDs and DLRs, and then brought them up to the board to do the daily language review. It was an easy one
that day and only took a few minutes. Then it was time for reading groups. The teacher seperated the students into 3 groups,
leaving one for Poopsie to be in charge of. Her group was reading a book called "Pirates don't wear Pink Sunglasses". And
that too went very well, even if the kids did complain about having to do a worksheet after reading the chapter.
Finally it was time for her to leave, so she picked up her yellow
bookbag and headed down the hall, but before they could leave, interns had to sign out, so instead of going out the door,
she stopped in the office just inside the building. Usually when she came into the office, the tv that hung in the corner
was off, but today, it was on and the secretary was watching it with wide eyes. One hand was on her heart and the other over
her mouth.
After filling out her timesheet Poopsie finally looked up at the television.
A building had been bombed but in the first few seconds she was watching it she didn't know where it was. Figuring it was
in another country, probably the middle east, she watched it for a little bit, and her expression turned to the same as the
secretary had when she realized it wasn't in the middle east, it was had been one of the twin towers of the wtc that had been
it. The same buildings she had seen not even a year ago on her trip to new york. She watched for a few moments, and saw the
second plane come in. A scene that would be replayed for the rest of that day, and for months to come.
- - - - - - - - -
Techno awoke early that Tuesday morning. He stretched and
yawned before getting out of bed. He showered and put on his usual black ensamble. Before heading to the kitchen
for breakfast, he flicked on the supercomputer. As he rubbed a towel over his still damp hair he hooked up to the television
satelite.
Already preset to CNN, Techno's hands stopped in midstroke upon
his head as the picture became sharp. His eye widened and his jaw dropped.
There before him on the massive screen a single plane flew into
one of the World Trade Center Towers in New York. He blinked as the footage replayed itself again and again. Crazy
drivers, he thought to himself. Can't keep them off the road, can't keep them out of the air. He was still
watching the screen when the massive screen was filled with live footage of a second plane crashing into the tower.
With his eye still on the screen, Techno reached for the PA button.
In a grave monotone voice, Techno's voice rang through the mansion.
"Everyone to the cave."
- - - - - - - - -
Jessica groaned as she rolled over in her bed.
She felt something hard pressing against her butt. Frowning, she rolled back and felt her bed where she had just been
lying.
"Stupid remote," Jessica said as she pulled the remote control to
her TV out from under the sheet. Not even giving the TV a glance, Jessica flipped it off and burried her head once again
in her pillows.
Her breathing began to become even and shallow as she started to
go back to the dream that she had just had. At that moment, Techno's voice resounded through the mansion.
She didn't know what was going on, but the strain in his voice sounded serious.
Jessica groaned for the second time that morning as she rolled
off her bed, half-asleep, and slipped her feet into her slippers. Taking a throw from her rocking chair, she padded
out of her room and down the hallway, down the stairs, and down into the Cave.
- - - - - - - - -
No one had made it down there yet as Jessica walked up to where
Techno stood.
She yawned and said, "What's so important?" Techno just nodded
towards the TV monitor that was on above him. Jessica looked up and saw smoke pouring out of one of the World Trade
Center's Twin Towers. "Oh my God," she whispered, grabbing a chair and sitting down in it. Her eyes remained glued
to the screen of the monitor.
"What are they calling it?" Jessica asked Techno, her eyes wide.
"It was an accident, until a few moments ago," he said quietly,
taking a sip from his mug of coffee. Jessica watched the screen.
"What in the hell..." she trailed off as her eyes narrowed.
Jessica and Techno watched as replay footage of the other plane flew straight into the other Twin Tower in New York.
Techno rolled his chair over to the control panel and began
bringing up news websites and the AP Wire.
Jessica's eyes began to fill with terror.
"Dammit...The AP Wire is saying that Washington is saying that this
is a terrorist attack," Techno said from in front of the many monitors.
"I can't believe this," Jessica said, shock and fear gripping her
heart. But then, the anger began to set in. "We've got to do something to get their sorry asses!" she exclaimed,
her eyes narrowing in anger as she watched the events unfold before her.
- - - - - - - -
Finally after 10 minutes of watching, Poopsie pulled herself away
from the screen, and started to walk towards campus for her next class at 10:30. It wasn't a long walk, but it seemed it that
day. She was in shock as she walked away from the school, only being able to think.. "the towers are gone... they're gone.."
When she had finally reached the school, the bombings were all anyone
was talking about.. Poopsie learned that the planes has supposedly been hijacked and that there were still two more.. one
that would hit the pentagon and one that was aimed for the white house.
- - - - - - - - -
Sally was ready to fall asleep; she had been in class since 7:30.
Just a couple more minutes and she would be able to enter her 9:30 class. She hated getting up early, but it paid to
have the afternoons off. A couple of students were talking as they walked through the hall: something about collapsing
towers. She couldn't quite make it out.
The bell rang and Sally headed into the classroom. Ten minutes
later, as the bell rang, in walked the professor.
"If you don't already know," he told the class. "The World
Trade Center was the recipiant of a terrorist attack; two planes have crashed into the towers." He looked around the
room, a determined yet compassionate look upon his face. "Just a few minutes ago the towers collapsed." He took
another deep breath before continuing. "This is a definate act of war against the United States."
Sally's heart
stopped. Act of War? The words resonated in her mind. Her fist thought was of her brother, Andy.
As a naval officer he would be called upon to fight for his country. She tried to swallow the lump in ther throat as
the professor continued to talk about how we should stand for our country and be proud enough and angry enough to stand together
against this threat.
As the bell rang again, ending the class, Sally rose slowly.
She headed casually home, thoughts realing in her head.
- - - - - - - - -
Class was rather uneventful for Tonya, just the usual review and
quiz. Walking back to the mansion, she realized that there weren't as many people on campus as there usually was at
10:30.
Everyone must have decided to sleep in today, she
thought. Tonya spotted Sally and called out to her friend, then ran to catch up to her.
"Good morning." Tonya grinned, "How's it going?"
Sally turned to her roomate. "Didn't you hear?"
Tonya cocked her head.
"The World Trade Center was crashed into by planes; and the Pentagon,
too, by terrorists. I was heading home to watch it on the news."
"What?!?" Tonyas eyes widened. "How? Why didnt someone
stop them?"
Annoyance flashed through her mind at the thought that she couldnt lend
her powers to the cause. Then,
anger at the thought of people forcing
others to die for a cause they didnt believe in.
- - - - - - - - -
Zarbon was waiting on the porch when the girls walked up.
His hair was
uncombed, and he was wearing the tank top and shorts he slept in. Stepping
up on to the porch, she
looked at him curiously. He looked quite upset.
"Zarbon?" He wrapped his arms around her and buried his
face in her hair.
She returned his embrace.
- - - - - -
In light of the events that had happened on that day, the professor
cancalled class and Poopsie was the first one out the door and into her car. Her cell phone read that she had missed 2 calls.
Both from her mother. She called her on the way back to the mansion, and promised her mother she would stay inside the rest
of that day. When she got to home, she saw everyone was home, but no one was in the kitchen which is where everyone usually
congregated, so she went down to the cave where everyone already was.
All five girls, Bowie, Techno, Zarbon, and Alec were gathered around
the supercomputer watching the panic in the midst of NYC.
"We've got to help," stated Sally as she stared at the mass distruction
on the screen.
"I bet I can find those cowards who did this in less than an hour,"
Tonya stated harshly.
"No," Techno turned to face her. "Let the government handle
this."
"But we can't just sit here," added Poopsie, terror in her voice.
Alec wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "All those poor people." She glanced at the screen as the cameras scanned
the rubble of the fallen towers.
Jessica covered her face as the image changed to mangled victims
being helped to the nearest red cross station.
With a growl, Tonya turned from the computer. "DAMNIT!" She
shouted.
"Why can't they get the facts straight? The plane hit the Pentagon. The
plane didn't hit it.
It hit the helipad, no it didn't!" She started to
punch the table then didn't because she didn't want to break it.
"Argghh!
I can't take this anymore! I've got to do something or I'll go crazy
from this crappy reporting."
Sally looked over at Techno. "Let us go to New York, Techno."
Her voice was flat and commanding. "Our powers can be helpful to these people." She turned back to the screen.
"We fight for America, now let us stand up beside our countrymen to restore the dream before it's too late."
"You won't be able to fly," he stated calmly. "There is a
ban on all flights; anything unauthorized in the air will be shot down."
Sally's eyes found the ground. Then Poopsie spoke up.
"We can teleport," she said determinedly.
Techno opened some doors that ran along the walls of the cave.
"What are you looking for?" Tonya asked with a raised eyebrow.
"These." Techno pulled out a fireman coat. "You can't
go unprotected. And they won't be letting just anyone into ground zero." He walked back over to the desk as the
girls suited up into the fireman gear. "Take these, too." Techno said, producing six plastic ID cards.
"Six?" asked Dee.
"I'm coming with you," Zarbon stated as he pulled on a heavy rubbery
coat.
"These cards identify you with a rescue team called 'Liberty
5.' All rescue personel are familiar with this group, and they have headquarters all over the globe. Keep
them with you at all times and there should be no problem getting in." He handed them out. "Good luck and be careful."
- - - - - - - -
Before Sally even opened her eyes she could smell the clinging dust
in the air and hear the sirens that lingered. She looked around her. There was a dusty cloud that seemed to hang
onto everything. All colors and shapes seemed to be dulled by it adn yet there was a certain sharpness in the danger
and urgency. She turned to her comrads. They all had the same shocked look upon their faces.
"Join hands." The words came not from her mouth but her heart.
"Dear Lord. This is bigger than anything we have encountered. Only with your help can we succeed. Now is
the time to put our gifts to thier ultimate use. Please show up how to best serve your purpose amidst this chaos.
We are your humble sevants, Lord. Thy will be done. Amen."
"Amen," the others repeated softly.
Jed, looking down at the ground, saw a small beetle. "Please help
us," she told it. "We're trying to rescue the people in the rubble. Will you help?" She picked it up in
her hand and the girls walked into ground zero, flashing their ID cards to the security detail. Jed set the bug down
and it scurried into the mass of concrete and steel.
Sally, Tonya and Zarbon began picking up large slabs and tossing
them aside. Poopsie immediately ran to a first aide station, laying her hands on as many people as she could reach.
The bug returned to Jed. "There!" she called out upon hearing
its message. "Under that large slab there!" she pointed.
Tonya and Sally ran to the place. Joined by a couple firefighters
they lifted up the rubble, revealing an elderly woman. She coughed against the dust as Dee and the parametics rushed
to aide her.
"There's another one over there." Jed pointed. She was now
surrounded by hundreds of bugs and insects, each bearing the message of a sighting.
- - - - - - - - - -
Before they knew it, they had worked through the daylight hours
and the sun was begining to set. They were covered in ash and dust, streaked by sweat and tears.
Jed called out again. "There." She pointed to a large
pile of pipes and steel girders.
Sally looked at Tonya. The stress of the day was wearing on
them. "This is going to be heavy." Then her face grew determinded. "Let's do it." Tonya nodded.
Zarbon and ten firemen gathered around as they all placed sweaty
hands upon a huge girder and they gave their best, it raised a few feet off the ground.
Dee rushed in, squeezing beneath the cool steal. She groaped
in the dying light. She called out, "Hello? Can you hear me? We've come to help you." Her hand touched cool
flesh and then a hand gripped onto hers. "I've got someone!"
Above her the steel was slowly moving, as the brave firemen, Zarbon
and the two girls put their strengths to the limit. Soon Dee could see the open night sky above her. Paramedics
and some firemen rushed to the man whos hand was grasped in Dee's. They surrounded him and began to call out their medical
acronyms.
Meanwhile, the monsterous steel was being slowly lowered to the
ground. Sally felt a tremor under her feet. Suddenly the oposite end of the mighty beam collapsed to the ground
as a chunk of depris caved into an underground floor of the tower. Four rescue men yelled in horror as the girder crashed
upon their limbs. Zarbon and two others had fallen through the hole with the debris.
Despite the terror, Sally and Tonya gripped the girder anew. They
heaved as hard as they could, but it only budged slightly.
"Shit!" The word escaped Tonya's lips in desperation.
"Try again, on 3." Sally concentrated as hard as hse could
upon the humungous mass of steel and bolts. "1...2...3.' This time she lifted with the strength of her whole body and
the strength of her mind. She gritted her teeth against the pain and the resisting force.
Slowly it began to rise, then they began to move their feet away
from the fallen men. With a bang the girder fell from their grasps as they reached the discard pile.
Sally suddenly felt light without the weight of the object.
Her body seemed to stretch toward the sky and for a slight moment she thought she was going to float away. The stars
twinkled brightly in the sky then began to dart around. Slowly the whole sky went dark as she fell over completely exhausted.
Tonya closed her eyes and tried force herself to remain standing, but she sank
to her knees. Her
entire frame shook, her muscles felt like jello, and she
thought she might be sick. Taking deep breaths, she finally
got herself under
control and she looked up at her friend.
- - - - - - - -
She looked around frantically. "Sally?" she called, fear sitting in.
Dragging herself to her feet, she
spotted Sally were she had fallen. Tonya
staggered to her side, quickly checking for a pulse, and sighed with relief
as
she found it. Then she remembered the men who had been hurt by the beam and pulled out her walkie-talkie.
"HQ, this is the second in command of Liberty five. We need medical personal at site 24, ASAP.
My commander is unconscious and several are severely injured. Over," she said quickly.
"Roger, that Liberty five. Help's on the way. Over," came the reply.
Tonya could already hear the medical teams coming and struggled to her feet.
She nodded to the group
and pointed to the downed men. Poopsie ran up, looking anxiously at Sally. Another man, with a badge defining
him as site control, came up to the girls.
"What happened here?" he asked.
"We were rescuing someone and the part of the ground collapsed into the
basement. The beam shifted
and those men got caught. My commander and I
managed to move the beam just enough to free them, but she passed out
from the effort," Tonya replied as calmly as possible, watching as the men were being loaded onto stretchers and carried away.
After Sally was loaded and headed for the Med. Tents, Poopsie ran to join the
other technicians.
She scanned the remaining firefighters, looking for the most
injured. She knelt beside one man close by and pretended
to check his pulse,
trying to heal some of his injuries without someone else noticing. Poopsie
started to stand,
ready to move to the next patient, when the man grabbed her
arm.
"Fred..." he gasped.
"Umm, sorry," she said, "I'm not Fred. Calm down. Save your strength."
"No.... Fred..." the man gasped again, trying to point to the gaping hole. "Fell.... George too ....some
other guy." The man passed out from his efforts.
She stood quickly and gestured for Tonya to come over. Tonya had been watching the rescue effort with
a detached mind, trying to conserve her energy, and she raised an eyebrow before meandering over.
"This man told me at least three people fell down into the basement,' Poopsie
said, worriedly.
Tonya blinked and frowned at the hole. "Well damn", she sighed, "Little chance they're alive after all that
debris fell down with them." Suddenly she realized she hadnt seen Zarbon since the hole had opened. She looked
around desperately, searching for her missing beau. "Shit!" she said under her breath, and ran to the site controller.
"Sir! We have just discovered thr ee men have fallen into the basement. Do I
have permission
to head a rescue team to find them?" she asked.
"We can't risk more personnel that can be put to better use up here," he
replied. "This area's
incredibly unstable. I'm sorry."
"Then can I go it alone, Sir?" she asked, quickly. If he refused she would have
to come up with
a disguise, because permission or not she was going down there. "I'm light enough to slide down a rope and explore the area.
If they are still alive, we could bring them up, and I could check for other survivors. Please, sir."
"It's against my better judgment, but alright," he said finally, "Just be
careful."
- - - - - - -
- - -
Fifteen minutes later, Tonya was laying her heavy rubber coat aside and tying
the study rope around her
waist. The rope was hooked to the wench on the back of a fire truck and an extra coil was draped across her chest.
Tonya tugged on the knot, checking to make sure it was secure, and then adjusted her gloves.
She walked to the edge of the pit and let the crew wind up part of the slack.
Tonya flashed the group
a thumbs up sign before carefully dropping herself over the edge of the gaping hole. She let herself fall, taking up
the slack on the
rope before using her flying ability to lessen her weight. Flicking on her
earpiece she directed
the crew to slowly lower her down. Finally her feet touched the floor.
"Give me some slack," she ordered, "Whoa! That's enough." She scanned the darkness, not willing to
turn on her flashlight quiet yet. Tonya thought it odd that the pile of debris next to her was almostglowing.
Then she realized Zarbon must be trapped underneath. Rock, concert, and steel flew as she cleared away most of the rubble.
"Get back!" came a muffled command, and she dodged as Zarbon pushed the
remaining pile away using his
ki. He swayed and she jumped forward to catch
him. "I'm okay," he said, "Help the others."
She flicked on her light and noticed the other two men Zarbon had been
shielding. The dark haired
mans leg was broken, judging from the angle of his
lower leg, and had several cuts. The other manno womanTonya realized
as she leaned closer and opened the thick coat, had a piece of rebar sticking out of her lower right chest.
Standing up, she scanned the area as she reported. "All three are alive," she
said. "Two are badly
injured, and Im not sure about the third. Prepare to
receive the wounded. Over."
"Copy that. Over."
Tonya untied the rope around her waist and walked over to the pick of sheet rock she had spotted.
She broke it free and carried it back to the group. Next she carefully reached under the woman to determine if the rebar
was attached to the ground below. It was, but a flick of her claws solved that problem.
She quickly transferred the
woman to her make shift stretcher and tied her
securely with the extra rope. Hooking the main rope to the stretcher,
she
signaled the crew to begin to pull her up.
Tonya waited and prayed as the delicate package rose out of sight. After an
eternity, she finally
heard, "Got her. Rope's coming back down. Over."
The man, George, was conscious now so Tonya tied the rope around his waist and fashioned a seat for him
to ride on. Soon, he too was rising quickly out of
sight.
Zarbon managed to stand up, though he still swayed a little. "We should check
for more survivors,"
he said.
Tonya looked at him for a second, then stepped closer. Holding his head, she
shined the light in
his eyes. He blinked, shut his eyes, and turned his head,
but not before Tonya saw a clear sign of what she had already
suspected.
"Sorry, love, but youre going topside as soon as the ropes come back down," she said. "And don't protest.
You've got a concussion and need medical attention."
He nodded and she kissed his cheek. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."
The ropes dropped down and Tonya quickly tied Zarbon into the rope harness. She kissed him again before
giving the order to haul him up. Watching until he was out of sight, Tonya felt a pang of loneliness. She sighed
and began to search the area.
Half an hour passed and Tonya was about to give up when she heard something. Straining her ears, she recognized
it as a dog barking. She stalked the noise, moving rubble and debris that blocked her path. Finally, she moved
a slab of concert and the barking increased in volume.
Straining her muscles, Tonya managed to push the second slab to the side just
enough to enter the little
cave in the rubble. The long wet tongue of a golden
retriever greeted her. The dog grabbed her wrist and led
her into the cave to
where its master lay.
Tonya knelt beside the man and checked his pulse, before shaking his shoulder.
"Sir, Sir can you hear me?" she asked, unsure if the man was deaf or blind as
the dog's harness was missing.
He opened his eyes and looked at her, but Tonya could tell he didnt she her.
"Hello? Is someone there?" he asked, frightened.
"Yes, sir. I'm with the fire department. I'm here to get you out of here. Do
you think
you can stand?"
"Thank God, I thought I was hearing things. I think I can stand. Is Sam all
right?
Where is she?"
Tonya helped the man stand. "She's right here," Tonya replied as the dog brushed his leg, "Now let's
get you both out of here."
She led the man back to the pick up area, the dog following quietly behind.
Reporting she'd found only
one person and his dog, she told them that she was
giving up the search. Tonya roped the man into the harness and
sent him
topside. She eyed the dog worriedly, wondering how she would react to the
dangling in the air thing.
"Here Sam, come here girl. Good dog," she said petting the soft fur. Pulling
out her handkerchief,
Tonya tied the dogs mouth shut, and then made a harness from the extra rope. "Sorry, but I really don't want to get
bit today," she apologized.
The main rope dropped for the last time and Tonya tied it around herself again.
She also tied the rope
from the dog around her waist, before picking her up.
"Okay! Haul us up!" she said, before she floated up into the freedom of the
open air.
- - -
- - - - - -
Tonya helped out for about another hour before someone came to give her a break.
"Get some food and a drink," he said, "Maybe grab a nap. You look beat."
She just nodded and headed to the Red Cross tent where food was being passed out. She got in line
with the rest of the groups shed been with and got a couple of sandwiches. Spotting a free spot by the wall, she quickly
sat down and unwrapped a sandwich. A nice, thick slab of ham peeked at her from between the slices of bread, but for
once, she was too hungry and tired to care. Half of the sandwich was gone before you could say 'Yuck.'
"Need a drink?" came a friendly female voice. Tonya paused and looked up slowly. Just
as she feared; Sonja, a Red Cross worker she had know for years through Girl Scouts was standing right in front of her.
Thankfully, she didn't recognize Tonya with the uniform on and all the dirt on the girl's face. "Sorry," Sonja said,
"Didn't mean to startle you. Just want to know if you want some water." She offered Tonya a large cup.
Tonya nodded and took the glass. "Thanks," she said altering the pitch of her
voice, "Appreciate
it." Sonja smiled and walked off to pass out more water.
Tonya finished her food, and yawned. When Sonja walked by again about five
minutes later, Tonya
was sound asleep.
* * * * * * *
After being checked out by the doctors, Zarbon was paired
up with Poopsie. She was to make sure he didn't fall asleep and she was glad for his aid in tending the wounded.
Poopsie was almost completely exhausted and he could lend her his energy to continue healing the injured.
The passed through the rows of injured still waiting to be
seen by a paramedic. Zarbon kept his hand on Poopsie's shoulder and she felt the renewing surge of his energy every
time she reached out to administer a healing touch. Many called her a miracle worker, and others just thanked her wordlessly
by the tears falling from their exhausted eyes.
* * * * * * * *
Jessica still stood in the midst of the rubble, giving directions
to the rescue teams on where the beetles, arachnids, and rodents had found human life.
Dee too was mercilessly searching amid the rubble, squeezing
into small holes and between debris to reassure the stranded and administer minor aide while the rescue workers cleared a
path for them to exit.
- - - - - - - - - - -
As the morning sun peeked over the scarred New York skyline,
Sally finally awoke to a splitting headache. She sat up, grabbing her head as it throbbed mercilessly. Looking
around, the blonde saw Jessica lying on a pile of tarps next to her snoring loudly. Tonya walked over and smirked.
"Hello, sleeping beauty," she said. "I was beginning to think we'd
have to call the Prince to get you out of bed."
Sally rolled her eyes and tried to stand up, caressing her head
the whole way. "Got any Tylenol?"
"Maybe you'd better sit back down," Poopsie advised as Sally began
to sway. She did as she was commanded and Poopsie laid a hand upon the girl's brow, a warm sensation issuing forth.
"Much better than Tylenol," Sally almost purred.
Zarbon walked over and collapsed on the uncovered part of
the mat Sally was sitting on. "Can I go to sleep now?" he begged.
"No," Tonya commanded as she started poking him. "Get up,
right now."
Zarbon sat up, sighing in frustration, and leaned against
Sally. Dee joined the group, munching on a muffin.
"Hey guys," she said. "They have muffins in the Red-Cross tent."
"Well," Poopsie said surveying the ragged group before her.
"I think we're about to go home anyway."
"What?"
Dee asked.
"Look at us," Sally said, "Half of us are conked out or injured
in some way." She eyed the half grown back finger on Dee's hand. "I don't think we're going to be any more help
today."
"You up to it Poopsie?" Tonya asked.
"Yeah, I think so."
Just like before they all grabbed hands.
"Ya'll ready?" Poopsie asked.
Dee set her foot upon the sleeping Jessica. "Yup," she replied.
Poopsie took a big breath and began to concentrate on the Mansion.
Just then, from outside the tent, they overheard a voice: "We're
from Liberty 5, where do you need us to help?"
Tonya and Sally both looked toward the voice, but before they could
see anything, the inside of the cave replaced the canvas wall of the tent. They glanced around and found Techno sitting
by the super computer. Alec, who was coming down the steps, jumped the last few and hurried to Poopsie side. Bowie
was hot on his heels.
"Welcome back," Techno said turning around. "You dropped the
estimated death count by about hundred or so. Not bad." Then he turned back to his computer and went back to work.
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