Mr. Epitome was a man of great physical power and indomitable will who had spent countless months utilizing the latter to restrain the former. It was a necessity, as one slip of self-control could have catastrophic results for those around him who were weaker and slower. Which was pretty much everyone.
It took a great deal of Dominic’s concentration to manage his enhanced senses as well. Googols of stimuli assailed his visual/audio/olfactory neurons from sources near and very, very far. Sometimes, when he was distracted, like say, after an (admittedly) childish argument with a loved one over the meager talents of a certain national public radio variety show host- sometimes his focus slipped, and the Exemplary Man saw things he wasn’t supposed to, or heard things that weren’t meant for his ears. It wasn’t eavesdropping. Really.
“War’s like that,” Mumphrey mused. “I should have remembered that from all the other times.” He turned abruptly to face Visionary. “What are your intentions towards young Hallie?”
Vizh stopped short and nearly took a step backwards off the cliff. “Er, what? Where did that come from?”
“Hallie. What are your intentions towards her? She’s a fine young woman and she doesn’t deserve to be mistreated.”
“Weren’t we talking about not telling Lisa and Yo…?”
“Hallie,” insisted Mumph.
“Well that’s kind of personal,” Visionary objected. “I mean, everyone seems to think we’re some kind of couple but we’ve never… I kissed her once, on a practise date thing ages ago, but we traded the memories of that in Faerie to find Mags.”
“She’s a wonderful, bright young woman, Visionary,” Mumphrey declared. “I’d hate to see her get hurt.”
“I’d never hurt her,” Vizh argued, getting cross. “I’d never do anything…”
“Well that might be the point, mightn’t it?” the old man interrupted. “We hurt people by what we don’t do as well as by what we do. If everyone in the Mansion think you and Hallie are a couple you might want to consider why. And remember that Hallie’s a good deal smarter than you and I combined so if we’re aware of this then she’s already thought it all through.”
“That’s… not a comforting thought,” worried Visionary.
“Anyway, all I’m sayin’ is treat her properly, because she’s a real lady and she deserves it. And if you’re at all smarter than Citizen Z thinks you are then you’ll consider seizing the moment and speaking up before it’s too late again.”
Visionary had a brief vision of Sir Mumphrey and a shotgun. He hurriedly suppressed it. “There’s things I need to consider,” Vizh answered. “Things I have to work out, things I have to do. But I’ll… Hallie and I will have a talk. Soon.”
*****
“The Legion already has its quota of annoying archers,” Yuki Shiro quipped as she walked into the Mansion’s firing range. Mr. Epitome stood at the near end, not even bothering to look over his shoulder to acknowledge the presence of the purple-haired cyborg. Instead he reached back to take another arrow from its quiver and took aim at the target set up 50 yards away.
“Just examining how difficult a skill this really is,” he grunted before letting the bolt take wing and split his previous two bullseyes.
“Nice, but I’ve seen Bastion make the same shot from twice the distance upside down and blindfolded,” Yuki adjudged. She pulled a Blackberry from the pocket of her leather jacket, “Got a job for you, big guy. Its time for Visionary’s weekly inspection.”
“You do it.”
“Nuh-uh. I gave him his check up last time, and as Lair Legion Tactical Officer I’m making the tactical decision to have you do it,” she waggled the PDA expectantly.
Dominic set down his bow and reluctantly took the device that had the results of the previous examinations. The possibly fake man was now occupying a cloned body created by the geneticist/supervillain Daio Waltz. It was highly unlikely Dr. Moo had designed it with any hidden… contingencies, but it was necessary to check. Hence the physicals.
“Vizh gets the whole Platnium Care Package,” Yuki grinned, “Vitals, blood work, X-rays, etcetera.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think he’s at the mansion right now, last I saw he and Mumph were heading out for a stroll of the grounds.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Epitome put the Blackberry in one of his belt pouches.
“Well… good,” she turned to go to her meeting with the Secret Service liaison, “Just email the results to the server and I’ll take a look at them later. And, Dominic, if you need to talk-“
“About what?” he seemed incredulous.
The Silicon Shamus stopped briefly to glance back at her tightly-wound teammate, “Riiight.”
Once he was alone Epitome took up the bow again and began firing rapidly at the target, forming a faultless quadrilateral. Then he filled in the polygon, each try aimed so that the fletchings of the pervious arrow just barely touched. Once the rhombus was complete the Man of Might shot the bullseye’s legs out from under it, sending it crashing to the floor.
Then he went looking for Visionary.
To Be Continued, maybe this afternoon if traffic warrants it!!!
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