The End of the Rainbow! (Pop Quiz: Rain Lynn Bow)

"It's completely reasonable for you to be confused." Blink admitted quickly. "But, you have to understand that, I'm...rather limited to what I'm allowed to say..."

He took a deep breath and thought for a moment. He'd have to choose his words very carefully. "Let's see...yes, I suppose I did do this, but, not alone. Or...it wasn't my plan, rather...it was Maze's. You see, he's the sort of mastermind of this organization. The leader. Founder. Whatever..."

As the girl continue to rattle on many questions, she stumbled as a pain in her head seemed to knock her over. Blink jumped to her side and tried to help her up. "Oh dear...really did take a beating didn't you...Do, drink up that cocoa, it will do nothing but help you," he tried to reassure her.

"I know it's hard to understand right now...but...Maze was certainly not trying to kill you. In America...well...there are plenty of heroes, villains and neutrals that all have their own agendas and their own fantastic abilities. But, there are many many more that are a bit less than they care to admit..."

"That, in every instance was a Pop Quiz! There have been whispers about you, Bow. About what you can do. But, well...Maze just had to be absolutely sure," he said motioning with his hands to apparently nothing in particular. "Maze has an interesting ability to know some people more than they know themselves and...I'll bet you surprised yourself in there. Didn't you?"

He calmed himself and looked Bow intently in the eye. "Look. What we do...What you'd do with us. Is take people that think they are invincible out of their element, and show them their own mortality. Those that are all their cracked up to be will be better from the experience and those that aren't...well...maybe they'll know not to get themselves into things they can't handle..."

"I can't tell you much about Maze himself...but...I can say that he'd love for you to be part of our family. He could help you be the greatest you could possibly be. Achieve that which you couldn't dream to achieve on your own."

He took a breath and thought for a moment before continuing. "There's so much more to the world than that constant battle of good vs. evil, Bow...I'd hate to see you caught up in all that..."

Bow shook her head and took a few sips of her cocoa. Her head was spinning but she tried to listen to each word closely. She was mostly interested in what Blink had to say because it seemed he actually cared if she was okay.

She leaned in with curiosity as he talked about Maze and his reason for being in America. "Of course I was surprised! First off, I woke up in the middle of a giant metal bowl. Then, I walked into a room with heat lazers pointed at me. And finally, I had to fight this freakin' giant robot thing!... But yes, thinking back on it, I truly didn't know I had that sort of power within me just waiting to burst out... literally!... I guess he does know a lot about me..." Bow gazed off into space thinking about her battle when Blink's voice jerked her back into reality.

She heard each word clearly and also surprisingly understood what he was saying. If what he said this whole time was true, they never actually killed anyone ust simpy tested the integrity of their powers. It seemed quite interesting... Then he said family. The one word that sent her spiralling into a whirl of emtotions ranging from depression to desperation to rage and beyond. She longed to belong to a family once again and just then she straightened her back and opened her eyes wide. She whispered the word, " Family..." The rest of that line of thought was almost a blurr but luckily, she caught the jist of it.

She just sat there for a few moments soaking all the information in. But then something caught her attention, "Why does this super awesome guy want ME on his team? I'm just a teenage girl with powers that I can barely control that sometimes burst into a spectacular display of force. I've had hardly any power training whatsoever and absolutely no hand-to-hand combat training. I'm practically useless in the big scheme of things... I'd be better off fighting mediocre criminals in the street than being a part of something bigger..."

Blink nodded, hands folded and eyes looking down. "To be honest...I really have no clue why he chooses who he chooses...but...somehow...he just knows..." He thought for a moment before continuing. "You might think you're a mess and maybe you are but...you're in a lot better shape than most of us were..."

"Before Maze found me...I was..." He took a deep breath. Obviously it was hard for him to share this. "Before I became part of the team, I was blind. I had no abilities. I could barely take care of myself, let alone overpower an enemy." He spoke as frankly as possible. "Maze found me...saw some potential that no one else could see. He saw even what I couldn't see and made me into something great. He can take care of you. Make you more than you could believe...all you need to do is let him..."

He came to his feet and took a few steps away from the fire. "Look...I can't stay here for long...Now it's your choice. You either come with me now, meet Mr. Maze, and let him take control of your life, or...I leave you here...and you stay just like you were before we found you...alone..."

A hand was extended towards Bow. Blink couldn't tell if she was scared for her life...or scared of the unknown... "It's your choice..."

Bow listened. It was hard to imagine anyone more messed up than she was at the moment, bruised from head to toe, blood streaming from cuts all over, and a pounding head ache. But as she listened to Blink's story she was touched. At some level this Maze person must really care...

Blink seemed to know exactly what to say. She didn't want to be alone anymore. She couldn't remember what it was like to have a family, but she knew she was happy. She also knew that she was the cause for her unhappiness. She started to cry. There were to many emotions clouding her mind. She reached to grab her head. It wasn't just sadness, but so much more, she was scared, confused, depressed, angry, etc.

When she finally calmed down Blink extended his hand. Bow looked at it, looked at him, looked at the door she had only moment ago walked out of, then back to him. She reached out, then pulled her hand back, then with a sigh letting all her emotions go, for now at least, she looked him in the eyes and took hold of his hand with a calm assurance and confidence. "I'm coming." She said, and then realizing what she said, she smiled. She was actually almost excited... mixed in of course with everything else, fear, anxiety, etc.

She tried to get up but then stumbled. "Whoops...Heehee" she said as she scratched her head.

A smile grew across Blink's face. To be truthful, he was getting pretty down as most of the quizzes hadn't been very successful in the American campaign so far. Bow was the first to rise from the experience and show that there was more to accomplish in life then just creating chaos or saving lives to boost your own ego. Blink dove down to catch Bow as she stumbled. "Don't worry Bow...we'll take care of you now..."

He guided her to the center of the icy rig carefully. The wind was howling, struggling to push them down, but Blink's strong, dictated stomps through the gathered snow kept them up. Eventually they found a sign of foreign metal in the snow. Blink let go of Bow for a moment and dug through the snow with his mittens until he recovered a large black helicopter, primed and ready for take off and a quick get away.

The boy blinked, his eyes changing from brown to red. He took a deep breath before two red hot rays blasted from his eyes and onto the rock-hard ice that had sealed the doors. He blinked again, stopping the process as the last of the slush fell of. He pulled the door open and began to help Bow in.

He traded his ear muffs in for a head set and found his spot in the cockpit. "Hang on...it's going to be pretty bumpy..." He said calmly as the chopper spun to life. They flew into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. Next stop...Maze's mansion...

"Th-thanks." Bow said as Blink helped her from falling. She was still a little shaky from the fight. She had to hold on a little tighter than preferable to keep from falling again, not to mention she was freezing.

As they walked through the snow, Bow kept thinking about the choice she just made. She was both excited and anxious about joining the group. She knew Blink accepted her, but what about the others? Would they welcome her with open arms as well? How many were there? And what about Maze himself? She's never even met the leader before joining; she thought that was a little odd. She decided to stop thinking, everything would be fine. She sighed and tried to release these worries. She looked at Blink wondering how much longer, as they came upon the helicopter.

She stood hugging herself as Blink let go to heat up the door. She was a little amazed at his power. He just sad earlier that he had been blind before maze found him! She thought that Maze had just given him sight, "Wow..." she said slightly under her breath, she was impressed. Blink helped her into the helicopter. As he traded ear muffs for headset, Bow looked in a "may I have those?" way hoping to get the ear muffs. The helicopter then roared to life and she help on tight.

When they were up in the air she finally asked, "So, where are we going?"

Snug and warmly, Blink's earmuffs fit on Bow's ears perfectly. He smiled softly as they rose into the shivering skies. The wind was howling wildly and rocking the helicopter around slightly but, with a blink, the pilot's eyes turned yellow and he could see through the fog and wind with the right conviction.

"...Somewhere safe..." Blink responded to her question.

He was slightly worried for their new recruit to be honest. Rail wasn't the kindest guy to get to know and Solstice was known to be...cold to say the least...but Maze knew what he was doing when he told Blink that he thought this girl could do great things with them.

---

The duo soared through the air for a few hours and the stormy seas made it safe for Blink to fly directly to their destination. True, Bow had committed to their cause, but he had learned to always be careful of spies or defectors. They flew in silence across the skies for hours. It would have been extremely hard to navigate. Everywhere Blink looked was just a mixture of gray and black torrents, but, he'd traveled this route many times in the past few months and knew the turns by heart.

Suddenly, the winds calmed and rain subsided. As the clouds parted, an island came into view. It was paradise...it was...home. At the center of the island was a mountain, and atop the mountain was a shining glass sanctuary.

"We're here...we're home..." He said with a small smile. He landed the helicopter and guided Bow out. "This is our base, Bow...I think you'll like it..."

Walking into the first room, they'd see a tropical scene, palm trees and low thick bushes in a central island of the room surrounded by bamboo walls and floors created a calming mood and a sort of vacation feel. Into the next room, they'd find a more laboratory-like scene, with two scientists experimenting with chemicals and mechanics on the edges of the room with a large table in the center and a screen with a map of North America on it. The Jump City-Steel City area highlighted with a few blips, blinking.

Viewing the screen was a tall slender man in a maroon suit, leaning on a cane. He turned to the visitors, his top hat covering the top half of his face with an almost unnatural smile. "Rain Lynn Bow!" He exclaimed happily, spreading his arms from side to side in a welcoming fashion. "Welcome to our humble home! I see you've met Blink already. He will be watching over while you are training. Your room has been prepared, to your left." He motioned towards a bamboo door with a pink sign that read, 'Bow'.

"I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Mr. Maze and I am very much in charge around here. I'm very excited to have you here, but, you are tired now. Please make yourself at home. Rest for the day. You've certainly earned it. But, I'd be rude not to answer any questions you might have...Is there anything you would like to know about myself? Your teammates? Your job here? I'll do my best to leave nothing unanswered..."

Bow had a lot on her mind as they sailed through the skies. They were a lot of the same questions she had from earlier going to the helicopter. After about the first hour she began to finally calm down and started dinging songs in her head to keep her mind off things and her body off the temperature.

When the clouds suddenly parted and this beautiful island came into view, Bow's jaw dropped. She'd never seen anything like it. When Blink said this is home, Bow looked at him and said, "THIS is HOME?...wow..." Her eyes never left the huge mansion until they had landed and Blink had helped her through the doors.

She looked like a kid in a chocolate factory, gazing from wall to wall. When they entered the Lab setting, she shied away a bit, she didn't much care for labs. When Maze spoke she jumped, startled at his loud and proud attitude. She then couldn't help but smile as he talked because he just seemed so cheerful.

When he motioned to her room she lingered on the name for what seemed like an hour. She finally snapped back to reality when he asked if she had any questions. "I still have so many... What are my teammates like?" Bow blushed, it seemed silly to even her that this was the first question she asked but, it was the first one that entered her mind.

The tall mastermind, leaned toward the girl, his smile widening. "Well, you've already met Blink and have had your chance to pass judgement on his character," he began grinning, "The others are Rail and Solstice. Rail is very strong, especially for his size and age, while Solstice is a flier. They are both very different from you and very similar in some ways. I'm sorry, but, they are off running errands, being busy as always. Hopefully now that you're here, you might be able to lighten their load."

Suddenly, the screen to their backs began blinking red and yellow and the map zones in on a flashing blip. Maze spun around, craning over the keyboard as he clacked rapidly over the keys. As he spun back around to Bow and Blink, he bowed graciously. Oddly enough, it seemed as if the colors in his suit began to fade as he turned for a moment, and his colors seemed flushed as he spoke. "Many apologies but I must be off. Blink, I trust you help Bow with anything else she may need. Soon, Bow, I promise..." He apologized euphorically.

Blink turned to speak to Bow. "You'll love this place Bow! There's so much to the island and it seems like there's a new room in the base every other day!" he smiled widely.

He turned quickly back to Maze. "Don't worry, Ma---"

But he was gone. He probably walked out while his back was turned, but, he was used to it by now. Once Maze thought he had what he needed, he wasted no time. With a sigh, Blink turned back to Bow. "Well, there's a brief look into the life of Maze. Sorry about that."

Bringing his arm up, he motioned towards Bow's room. "Why don't we check out where you'll be living?"

(OOC: Feel free to design Bow's room however you like!)

Bow didn't know whether Maze's smile was welcoming or just creepy. She liked the name's of the other two teammates of hers. She was a bit confused by his vague description of them though and was fixing to ask another question when the map started flashing different colors. Before she knew what was happening he was gone. She was beginning to feel a little nervous again. He talked so quick.

When Blink started to talk though, she felt relaxed again. Blink apologized for Maze's quick getaway. "Oh, it's all good. He must be very busy." She smiled.

Bow nodded with a big grin and almost shouted, "Sure!" She couldn't wait to see her room.

As soon as they walked in, Bow's jaw dropped to the floor. The room was perfect for her. It had a sunset on one wall and the dark purple stretched across the rest of the room. On the opposite wall was a rainbow reaching from the bottom left corner to the top right. The fixtures in the room were all a silky black color. The bed had about twenty stuffed animals on it and folded up into the wall. She had a vanity with a large mirror, which she would use more for making faces at herself than actually beauty time. The vanity had shelves on each side with clothes on one side and makeup, hair products/tools, jewelry, and a massive stereo system with the best CDs on the other. In the corner was a library of her favorite genres and a comfy pink chair and a black lamp to help with lighting. The roof was a crystal blue sky with fluffy white/pink clouds on it. The bedspread was a montage of colors and shapes.

She sighed, exasperated just by the sheer magnitude of everything, "Wow... It's wonderful!" She started to tear up, moved by the thought that went into her room.

Opening the door to Bow's room unleashed an explosion of girl that smacked Blink in the face. It was strange, because, Solstice was, in actuality, probably more of a tomboy, so Blink supposed that's how all girls were but apparently, that wasn't true. Bow would definitely add a new color to the team. Whether everyone would welcome it or not...well...they'd just have to wait and see.

"Glad you like it!" Blink responded happily. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bow's clock reading 4:00 AM. "Whoa is that really the time?!"

"Well, it's been nice meeting you Bow! I'm sorry to say that we probably won't meet again for a while since I'm shipping out tomorrow, back to recruiting and you..." he smirked for a moment. "You're going to get to start training! Refining your powers...it's a lot of hard work, but...I think you'll be able to handle it..."

"Anyways, I'll leave you to make yourself at home." He added with a smile as he backed up and started to close the door behind him. "And, Bow?"

"Welcome to the team."

A new chapter begins as Rain has made possibly the biggest choice in her life. Did she just become part of a family...or did she just swear her life to a maniac? ...Only time will tell...

(END)

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