West Main Street

	Tall structures of glass and steel continue to stretch up into 
the sky, casting the street below in a perpetual shadow and appearing 
from street level like some great manmade canyon. Main Street works 
northward toward the harbor that gives the city its name, leaving the 
center of the city to the southeast as it turns east. Some of the 
finest shopping can be found along this one stretch of Beacon Harbor 
street, world famous designers maintain boutiques here and a semi-
annual fashion extravaganza draws the attention of the fashion world to 
this city twice a year. Jewelers, dealers in antiques and other 
products targeted at the wealthy and class consciousness are sold from 
these many fine stores. Sidewalk cafes and other trendy places that 
cater to the shopping crowd are also located strategically among the 
huge structures that line both sides of the street.

Spleen walks down the street, carrying a plain brown grocery bag. 
Something clinks inside. He stops by one of the trendy outdoor cafes 
and hails a waiter.

"Hey, you got any bottlesch?" Spleen asks.

The waiter looks Spleen up and down. "I beg your pardon," he says 
snootily.

Spleen gives the waiter a superior look. "I need glassch," he says. 
"Colored glassch. Ya got any colored bottlesch?"

The waiter rolls his eyes. "Wait here...'sir'," he says at last, and 
walks inside. Spleen grunts something. "You'd think he'd never heard of 
reschycling."

Damien happens to be sitting at a table at the cafe, eating a light 
lunch and chatting business on a cell-phone with someone. He barely 
takes note as the oddly dressed stranger converses with the waiter. 
Riff-raff, no doubt.

From a nearby table, Parker looks over the top of his menu, ignoring 
the waitress for the moment before saying, "Just some water with lemon, 
thank you. I need a couple seconds to decide on my order"

Abdiel comes ambling down the street, watching with vague puzzlement as 
some pedestrians go to great lengths to get out of his way.

Spleen waits patiently enough for the waiter to return, finally setting 
the bag down with a glassy 'clink' on the sidewalk. He glances around 
at the cafe's patrons and fervently wishes he had a cappucchino about 
now...

The waiter remateriallizes at last holding two cobalt-blue designer 
water bottles. "I hope this is sufficient, sir," he says shortly. 

Spleen makes a bit of a face but accepts them anyways. "Thank you," he 
says politely, putting them in the bag. "Feel schecure knowing you've 
done your part to heal the Earth," he adds sarcastically, and picks up 
the bag again, muttering something about noone ever having orange 
glass...

Damien continues his phone call, which, from his manner, might be 
approaching an argument. "No, next week is -not- good enough, I told 
you I wanted that information yesterday, and if I don't have it by the 
time I finish my lunch, I will be -very- displeased. Am I being 
perfectly clear?" As he speaks, he attacks his salad with deviled eggs.

Across the dining area, Parker places a napkin in his lap. Unable to 
hear the conversation, but sensing still that the words are leading to 
great stress, he pushes back the need to release his slowly building 
energy reserves. "Yes, I believe I am ready now. I think I will settle 
for the pasta primavera.."

Abdiel's head comes up as Damien's voice is raised and he frowns, 
picking up his walking pace and heading for the cafe.

Spleen wanders off in Abdiel's direction, his attention on the contents 
of his bag. He sorts through the bottles, frowning at the small range 
in colors and not paying a whit of attention to where he is going.

Damien listens to the person on the other end of the airwaves for a 
moment, and nods, "Very well. I'll see you at one o'clock sharp." He 
closes the phone and slips it into his pocket, then takes a sip of his 
wine before continuing on his meal.

Parker dabs at his brow with his napkin, wiping away the gathering 
beads of sweat. Perhaps it wasn't a good day to come out into the 
world, after all. Too many people, emotions running rampant, and no way 
to stop them from filtering into his system.

Abdiel isn't paying attention either, the demons a more than adequate 
distraction. He walks right into the guy with the bag of bottleglass.

Spleen yelps a bit as he stumbles into Abdiel, the bag tipping to one 
side. In a feat of acrobatics he manges to rescue every bottle from 
smashing to the ground, but sacrifices verticality in the process. He 
ends up sprawled on his back on the sidewalk, bottles rolling in every 
direction. He blinks at the sky in confusion.

Damien turns to glance at the yelp and the clatter of bottles, and of 
course the first thing he notices is the man with the wings. Great. 
Just as he settles down and is ready to really enjoy his lunch, the 
angel shows up. He sighs, and turns to his food, hoping against hope 
that Abdiel doesn't decide to strike up a conversation.

'Someone is worrying, suspicious of something.' Parker catches in the 
back of his mind, and he secretly hopes that the waitress can bring his 
meal soon. The quicker the meal comes, the quicker he can eat, and the 
quicker he can leave.

Abdiel is dismayed and crouches beside Spleen, the demons temporarily 
forgotten. "I'm sorry! Are you hurt? I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying 
attention."

Spleen blinks a bit more, then looks around to see...um...an angel 
hovering over him. After a brief moment of nearly having a cardiac 
arrest he sits up. 

"Um, no, I'm fine." He rubs the back of his head. "I waschn't paying 
attention either." He glances around as his bottles continue to travel 
down the sidewalk. 

A fashionable-looking lady puts a high-heeled foot down right onto a 
pink bottle and takes a spectacular trip onto her fashionable-looking 
rear end. She starts howling, and people start to gather around her to 
help her up.

Damien calmly and carefully holds in his annoyance... Something he's 
decently good at, from well over a century with the Zodiac. With a sip 
of his wine and a final bite of the salad, he hails the waiter and asks 
for the check. Perhaps the angel will be too busy to actually start a 
conversation. Maybe.

Parker starts up from his seat, deciding that this was a bad idea. He 
drops a twenty on the table, hoping it will make it up to the waitress 
for running out on his order, but somethings can't be helped. 
Struggling towards the front, he feels the fire burning within him.

Abdiel snags a blue bottle before it can cause another accident and 
stands again, glancing around. He starts towards the woman who fell, 
blinks in puzzlement as she reacts with alarm, and looks back at 
Spleen. "I'm afraid you lost a bottle there."

Spleen finally scrambles to his feet. He snatches up the bag and starts 
gathering up the wayward bottles as fast as he can, ending up with 
plucking the blue one from Abdiel's hand. "Yeah I guessch I did, 
thanksch," he says rapidly, and glances nervously around as a nearby 
cop starts frowning in his direction. "Terriffic...I need thisch..."

The waiter arrives with Damien's check, and Damien pulls out the 
plastic. As his credit card is being scanned, he glances over to the 
fellow who appears to be leaving in such a rush. He wonders out of mild 
curiosity whether the man has a stomach virus or something similar... 
And rather than being sympathetic, hopes that it's particularly nasty, 
whatever it is.

He can feel the warmth behind his eyes, wanting, waiting to escape. And 
as fate would have it, just as he nears the gateway to the street, the 
waitress calls out to him, "Sir you forgot your jacket!" and he curses 
below his breath.

Abdiel looks up at Spleen, honestly confused. "What's wrong?" He spares 
Damien a glance.

The cop storms over. "So it's *you* again," he grunts. 
"The...what...The Appendix." 

Spleen starts to look offened, but then just turns to go. "Yeah, 
that'sch right," he mutters. 

"Hey I'm not done with you," the cop goes on. "I know you did this--" 
points to the whimpering woman-- "and I want to have a word with you." 

Spleen chews his lower lip a moment. "But I don't have *time*, 
Maguire!" he whines. 

The cop grins. "*Make* some time, freak."

Damien gets his credit card back, and slips it into his wallet. Rising 
to go, he takes a moment to smile in slightly in sadistic pleasure at 
the man who's being detained by his jacket, and the other man being 
detained by the cop. Always nice to see other people having a rough 
time of it. Quickly he slips past Parker and out the gate.

Feeling a rush as the man brushes past him, Parker can no longer 
restrain the forces brewing with in him, and power blast bevels forth 
into the concrete at his feet. He eyes the crowd in panic (no pun 
intended), and turns to the exit, forgetting his jacket in a frenzy to 
leave.

Abdiel begins to say something to the cop, but is distracted by 
Parker's little light show. He heads in that direction, calling out to 
Damien. "What was that?"

Maguire pauses in hauling Spleen away by his jacket to gape at Parker. 
"What the hell--?" He releases Spleen--who stumbles backwards a bit, 
and finally drops his bag of bottles with a crash. The cop advances on 
Parker, drawing his nightstick. "Looks like we've got more than just 
one of freak around here," he snorts, giving not only Parker but Abdiel 
a sideways glance. "Destroying public property is a pretty serious 
crime in this 'berg, buddy," he informs Parker. "So whaddya gonna do 
about it?" Slaps his palm threateningly with the nightstick a few 
times.

Damien mutters under his breath, and thinks, . o O (He expects us to 
know. Why does he expect us to know?) (As if everything in this city 
could be blamed on us.) (I hate angels.) (For once, I agree with you.) 
He ignores Abdiel for the moment, and takes a few steps away. As he 
does so, he takes a moment to memorize Parker's face, just in case the 
fellow might be of use in some way. Perhaps he might visit the fellow 
in jail as Gemini, and offer to post bail....

"Nothing was meant by it, officer. It was just a natural occurence of 
my super abilities. I will see to it that the city is fully reimbursed 
for any damages." He tries to brush past the police officer, hoping 
that this will be the end of it.

Abdiel glances at the cop and says gently, "Nobody was hurt, officer. 
It was an accident." He gives Spleen a concerned look and heads back 
over towards him.

Maguire frowns deeply, then eyes the broken pavement. He looks back up 
at Parker as the latter starts to exit. "See that you do, punk," he 
says, perhaps a bit lamely, then turns his attention back to Spleen, 
who was attempting to make his own exit. "Hey freakshow!" Maguire yells 
after him. "I ain't done with you!" Spleen erks as the cop starts after 
him again.

Damien watches Parker depart, and decides to trace the fellow later. 
Maybe he can persuade Cass to take a peek in the city's computers and 
find out who pays for that small bit of damage. And even if he doesn't, 
well, he's bound to run into the fellow again at some point.

Abdiel reaches Spleen (probably) before the cop does and stands 
protectively between them. He gives the cop a dazzling smile. "What's 
the trouble, officer?"

Speak (think) of the devil -- or something somewhat less evil.  Or 
something.  More simply put, Cassiopeia approaches, wandering idly down 
Main, then smiling as she spots her angel friend, albeit from a 
distance that makes seeing *her* much more difficult than her seeing 
the others.

Spleen blinks at Abdiel's back, and for the time being, stays put. 
"Forget it," he hisses in Abdiel's ear. "That cop'sch got it in for 
me..." 

Maguire looks indecisive as he eyes Abdiel. "That weirdo behind you is 
a troublemaker," he says. "Seems like I'm always cleaning up after him. 
And he calls himself a superhero. Or, should I say, a 'schuperhero'." 
He grins nastily. "So beat it, fly-boy," he tells Abdiel. "I've got 
business with our pizza-faced friend."

Damien simply walks away from Abdiel and Spleen, not even glancing in 
their direction. If the angel wants to get in trouble with the cops, 
the demons have no objections. His wandering is in the direction of his 
office... and also in the direction of Cassiopeia.

Abdiel spreads his wings a little and shows no signs of moving. "He 
doesn't want to talk to you," he tells the cop pleasantly. "And he 
hasn't done anything. Why are you so anxious to cause trouble here?" If 
he's aware of Damien's retreat, he doesn't react.

Cassiopeia raises an eyebrow a bit, noticing her favourite angel seems 
to be under a little bit of pressure, judging from the defensive stance 
between a cop and persons unknown.  And thusly, her pace increases, her 
expression darkening somewhat into one of confusion.

Maguire hesitates, his anger giving way to a sort of confusion. 
"He...Uh...well, he's always askin' for it!" he blurts finally, waving 
his nightstick over Abdiel's shoulder at Spleen. "Hey I don't 'cause' 
trouble, buddy, I'm a cop y'know." But he has lost his steam. "Okay, if 
ya want him so bad, fine, you handle the freak." And with that he turns 
and stalks off. 

Spleen coughs a bit. "What were you doing?" he asks Abdiel. "That 
guy'sch nutsch. He could have hauled you in."

Damien sees Cassiopea hurrying up, and slows down in his walk. As she 
passes, he nods to her, and says, "Good afternoon, Cassiopeia. Are you 
in a hurry?"

Abdiel turns to look up at Spleen. "I don't think he would have done," 
he says. "He was harrassing you. Are you all right?"

Cassiopeia raises an eyebrow at Damien as they meet up, and her pace 
slows just a bit.  "Well, not as much anymore," she replies.  "Looks 
like things have cooled off just a bit.  Still.. I read their lips a 
bit at the end.. that really wasn't a very nice cop.  He really should 
apologise."  Then, raising an eyebrow, she smirks, then points a finger 
at him and makes a little cluckling noise.  <Angus!> his walkie-talkie 
suddenly blares, in the voice of his dead grandmother.  <What *do* you 
think you're doing?!  That was the rudest I've *ever* seen you be!  
Almost as bad as when you tried to lie to your grandfather about the 
truffles!  I want you to go *right* *back* *there* and *apologise* to 
the nice angel and that young man!>  A message from above, so to speak.

Maguire stumbles and reels right into a man strolling the other way. 
"Watch it," growls the man, continuing on. Maguire doesn't even notice 
him. 

He snatches the walkie-talkie from his belt and *stares* at it. "Gran-
Gran?" he says breathlessly. "It--it's really you!" He swallows hard. 
"I--I didn't mean to lie about the truffles! But my potbellied pig 
smelled them and I couldn't stop her..." 
	
People start to stare at the cop, who gives them no notice. He glances 
back at Abdiel and Spleen. He stands there, torn.

Spleen shrugs. "Yeah...I'm okay..." Glances down at the bag, which is 
leaking shards of broken glass. He bends down and carefully starts 
nudging them back in.

Abdiel watches the cop's reaction and raises an eyebrow, caught between 
amusement and concern. "Don't cut yourself," he says absently to 
Spleen, and begins looking around for the source of whatever unnerved 
the cop so much.

Damien glances back to the cop, and down to Cass. He smiles slyly, 
"Come, now, Cassiopeia... I'm surprised at you. Surely you can be more 
mischevious than that." He glances back to the cop, and to the other 
two, and begins to smile a little bit more. "As a matter of fact, a 
little bit of harmless amusement would be rather pleasant about now, 
wouldn't you say?"

Cassiopeia looks to Damien, raising an eyebrow once again.  "Wellll, 
sure it's mischevious, and fun, but I'm also just trying to be nice," 
she replies with real innocence, then turns back, the walkie-talkie 
continuing, <Of course it's me!  Who else would it be?! ... And I know, 
I know, we're over that, I'll let it rest.  Once.  But no more of this!  
You're being downright *rude*.  Back you go -- back, back!  You'd 
better apologise, or I'll call your grandfather back and remind him 
about the *truf*-fles, and then you'll get it..>

Maguire nearly whimpers, but he finally starts trudging back towards 
the pair. 

Spleen sees him coming. He gathers up the bag of broken glass. "I schay 
we make a break for it," he whispers to Abdiel.

Abdiel shakes his head and faces the cop. "Stay there. It's okay. I 
won't let him hurt you." His wings spread a little, once again, in that 
protective gesture.

Damien tilts his chin up slightly. "I wasn't suggestiong that you do 
anything -wrong-... I was simply wondering. If you can pose as his 
grandmother over the radio... What might prevent you, with your 
wonderful holographic talents, from, say... altering your appearance 
slightly?"

Cassiopeia laughs quietly to herself at the suggestion, then smirks 
widely.  "You're on."  She's pretty close now, so she indeed becomes 
the grandmother in question, managing pretty well on her long wooden 
cane, a walkie-talkie in the other hand.  <Go on!> she speaks into it, 
still far enough away that the sounds of her actually speaking aren't 
audible over the sound of her voice on the radio.  <Don't be shy!  
They'll understand!>

Spleen seems to be attempting to hide behind his bag of glass as 
Maguire approaches. The cop clears his throat noisily. 

"Uh," he begins intelligently. "It uh...it occurred to me just now that 
I may have uh...been a little er...catty with you two back there. And 
um..." *glances at walkie-talkie* "I um...I'm...sorry." His face, by 
this point, has changed colors three times. 

Spleen looks at him. "Hello?" he says at last. "We scheem to have a bad 
connectschion. Pleasche check the number and dial again."

Damien smiles very widely, with a sinister look in his eye. Quietly, he 
steps aside to let the old lady do her worst.

Cassiopeia approaches Angus from behind, her voice becoming clearer as 
she becomes audible.  <You never were great with apologies.  But> 
"that's okay, I'll bail you out.  *Again*."  She steps up beside him, 
then, peering at Abdiel.  "Well, my my, you're an interesting one, 
then.  I really must apologise for my grandson; he's not the most 
polite at times.  *AREN'T* you, Angus?" she prompts, prodding him in 
the ribs with her cane.  "And he's really sorry, *RIGHT*?"  Another 
prod.

Maguire jumps about...oh, fifteen feet in the air. He lands in a 
garbage can. "Gran-Gran!" he bleats, struggling feebly. 
"You're...You're...You're HERE!!" 

Spleen frowns at him. "I think it'sch padded-room time," he remarks to 
Abdiel. He gives "Gran-Gran" a pleasant smile.

Abdiel looks in bafflement from Granny to Maguire. He gives the old 
lady an intense stare, as if trying to figure something out. "I don't 
think quite yet," he answes Spleen.

Damien watches from a good distance, and quietly revels in the scene. 
Now, if he could cause 
this sort of discomfort to Abdiel, -that- would be a beautiful sight! 
Doubtful that Cassiopeia would be willing to go that far, though, at 
the moment... Have to make do with what you can.

Cassiopeia watches her 'grandson' take off as he does, nodding with 
satisfaction.  "Right.  Well, that takes care of that.  And don't let 
me ever catch you trying that again!"  And with that, without warning, 
she starts to fade out, leaving poor Maguire without his grandmother 
once again.

Maguire goes limp, his arms and legs hanging over the sides of the 
trash can, as the 'vision' fades. "I'm really, really sorry," he almost 
chants, repeatedly, staring up at the sky. 

Spleen regards him for a moment, then finally shrugs. "Now I *really* 
need schome caffeine," he announces. "You want a cappucschino?" he asks 
Abdiel. "I'm buying."

Cassiopeia rolls her eyes as she continues to fade.  "Oh, don't snivel, 
you just need to learn some manners, but I just never got a chance.  
You'll figure it out!  Eventually."

Abdiel tilts his head. "Cassiopeia?"

Damien chuckles wickedly, and steps even farther away, into the crowd. 
The angel may prove to be slightly useful after all.... Nothing like a 
bit of undesired restriction to aid in temptation. He starts quietly 
whistling a rather odd tune for his tastes... 'Only the Good Die 
Young.'

Cassiopeia fades out almost entirely, then disappears with an audible 
*pop*.  Behind the both of you, though, she silently appears and 
approaches in her normal form.  "Yes?" she replies, smiling innocently.

Spleen is more than a little confused...but rather than acknowledge it 
he turns to go. "Well, coffee waitsch for no man," he remarks to Abdiel 
over his shoulder. "Schupposche I'll schee you around..." He heads in 
the direction of a slightly more colorful cafe, on the corner.

Abdiel raises a hand to Spleen. "Bye." He turns to Cass and gestures 
behind him. "Was that your doing?" he asks, and it's not clear whether 
he thinks it's funny ordisgraceful.