Ch. 2-2 Neighbors in Disguise

Sherman City

It was decided that they would take the bus so that Ilana could see how it works and learn a way to get to places without the need of a car since they apparently didn't own one just yet. Then again small towns tend to have most places within walking distance, so it wasn't too surprising. Still, one would think that choosing to move to a larger town with a big city convenience would also include getting a proper car. When asked, her delightful young charge explained that she and her father normally were driven around by some sort of public transportation system. Probably one of those charming little trolleys she's seen on TV. Not that much different from a bus really, so the dear thing should be quite comfortable using it on her own in the near future.

"Oh you are just going to love the mall, dearie." Barb chatted cheerfully as Ilana observed her new surroundings.

All around her the people of this world were talking about the attack the city had recently suffered. The main topic being the enormous robot that had defeated the Mutraadi mega-beast. Those whom were sharing an article of printed paper seemed to be questioning about its origins and where it could have possibly disappeared to. Rumors of their military forces searching for them were mixed among the chatter as well as some form of contact information for any potential witnesses. There was even a small monitor fastened to the corner of the vehicle that was reporting on the past event.

Cleanup has been started on the massive destruction left from the last week's battle, which caused an estimated 14 billion dollars in damage." The reported stated as images from both the attack and of the aftermath played in the corner of the screen. It was the first time Ilana had seen what their combined form looked like from the outside and all in all it was "And left local citizens shaking. Meanwhile the authorities are looking for any information leading to the identity of the titan."

"Titan." Ilana repeated, inspired. It was a very fitting name for their mechanical colossus.

"Oh my…" Barb's soft exclamation caught Ilana's attention and found the woman looking straight ahead in shock.

Before them was an impossibly wide crater where the newly built bridge was taking all incoming traffic in and out of the main city. The sheer size of the crater was a frightening reminder of how close she was to dying that day. Her efforts had done nothing to deter the Mega Beast. If it hadn't been for that Magnus… The princess couldn't help but wonder whom it was that dawned the armor of her kingdom's royal guard? How did they even get their hands on Galalunian technology? Who did he work for? The Mutraddi? Certainly not since he had help to destroy the Mega-Beast. He mentioned being a guardian of this planet, indicating that he was a native of the Earth. However that still didn't explain how he managed to dawn the Magnus armor. Or was it even a Magnus armor at all, and just happened to have a similar design? It certainly was more probable than the idea of one of her people turning them all.

Galaluna

Meanwhile, back on a war torn Galaluna, a resistance pocket had been confronting the invading Mutraddi forces in the market square. As the factions were locked in mortal combat, a smaller squad managed to sneak away. Stealthily and with as much caution as they could manage within the near open terrain, they've made their way to the castle and enter the royal courtyard. According to their latest Intel, the target was overseeing the conflict from a balcony facing the village. Lo and behold the Intel was right.

"Is it really him?" One of the soldiers questioned as they kept low. They have all heard the rumors, but the very idea that one of their own had actually betrayed their king and planet was almost too hard to believe.

Unfortunately, the squad leader dashed whatever remaining hope of the rumors being false by confirming their worst fears. "It's him alright." Disgust, disappointment, and above all anger filled the squad and fueled their determination all the more. "This is our best chance to get back Galaluna. For the king. For the princess." Their forces have done what they could to attract as much attention away from Madula as possible, leaving him open to a more direct attack from a smaller team. It was all up to them now. "NOW!"

At the command the soldiers unleashed a barrage of laser fire and charged forward. The Mutraddi forces was caught completely off guard and were blown back from the force the the attacks. The resistance group took advantage of the space that was made, firing upon the balcony on which the traitor stood. One soldier charged forward with a live grenade and lobbed it with all his might towards the high balcony, the explosive going off just below the target. The force of it was enough to disturb Madula's cape, but Madula himself merely stood impassively; neither surprised nor afraid by the attempt on his life. In fact he hadn't move at all.

"Destroy the betrayer!" The commander ordered as he rallied his troops to concentrate all their efforts on Madula.

By the time he looked back to aim his gun, Madula had leaped from the height of the balcony and had landed right in front of him. Before the soldier could react, he was grabbed by his throat, chocked, and flung clear across the courtyard and against the upper part of a ruined building. His squad barely had time to realize what had happened and opened fired, but it was too late. Madula was at ground level and engaging them in hand to hand. He had already rushed forward and began taking out their troops one by one at such a speed that they might as well have been standing still. The final soldier seeing his comrades tossed around like rag dolls, grabbed the multi barreled laser cannon he had used to clear the way earlier and charged to fire…

The General was right in his face moments after he heard the sound. He grabbed and pushed the weapon away from his person, but the soldier's grip held true. So in one fell strike, he punched at the barrels with enough force to break the weapon, rendering it useless. Before the action could fully register, the soldier was caught by his throat, picked up, and held in the air. It was in this moment he knew this would be his end. Yet even so he glared at the formal general in defiance.

Even with his throat being crushed, the squad leader refused to give the fallen general the satisfaction. "Traitor. You think you've won?" He may fall today, but there were more of his comrades in arms that were equally loyal and determine to liberate their home. "You'll never crush our spirit. We will fight to the last man, and crush you." He will trust them to finish what was started here.

"Madula looked into the eyes of the man he held captive. Into his soul and found that he truly believed in his words and will not submit no matter was the cost would be. Wither it was the notion these fools would throw away their lives for a fallen king, or the fact that their fierce loyalty to their kingdom reminded him of his own youthful naivety; it brought a smile to his face. "Hmm. Someday. Maybe." Seeing as there was no point in even trying to talk to such a dedicated soldier, the general simply added pressure until he completely crushed the guard's windpipe. "But not today." With that done he let the body drop unceremoniously to the ground and thought nothing more of it.

"Sire! There is urgent news." A smaller, toad-like, Mutraddi, suddenly came running towards him urgently before dropping to its knees at his feet. "The creature you sent to Earth has been defeated." It reported from its submissive position, looking up only when it was appropriate. "The princess still lives, and her Galalunian signal has been lost."

"So that's the reason for this abrasion attack. "Hmm. It is this kind of news that can inspire rebellion. The very reason she must be destroyed." As much as he found these bouts of uprising pitiful, he could not deny that his people were highly resilient when aligned with a cause they believed in. "This mindless Mutraddi creatures are worthless. Perhaps we need to send something with a little more… intelligence." Something that relied more than just instincts. Something that could not only track, identify, and attack the target, but could also adapt and think in the moment when fighting. "Yes." There was a Mega Beast in his possession that ought to handle the job quite well, and so he called out with his mind. "Come forth my pet. I summon thee." At his mental command a huge monstrosity came forward, looming over him, easily blotting out the sun. "Find the princess and destroy her. Once and for all." With that final command, the Mega Beast roared in understanding and accepting of its orders.

Earth: Sherman City: Mall Omega

The ride into the main city was uneventful in it of itself, but the sights of the local structures were eye catching. The princess never saw anything like these buildings of glass and stone. It was very different than the style her beloved home, but no less impressive. There were trees and raised beds for shrubs and other plants that beautified the otherwise concrete city. Balconies that supported eateries with tables and chairs. Businesses and shops side by side along the road in a clean and efficient layout. They even passed a lovely fountain where she noticed locals enjoying the afternoon.

"Here's our stop." Barb suddenly stated as the bus began to pull off to the side before making a complete stop.

Once it was safe to move about, Ilana followed her escort off the vehicle and out in front of a huge building that sported a sign that read Mall Omega at the entrance. "Wow."

It really was impressive. A multi-leveled building that was said to house any number of shops for just about any occasion. The outside had a well maintained courtyard with potted shrubs and flowers. People were walking, chatting, eating, and just overall enjoying the sunny day. However, upon closer inspection, it was also littered with several uniformed people that were clearly not there to take part in any shopping. These must be the Earth's military forces Octus had warned her about. From what she could tell they must be providing extra security in the city while looking for any clues of their involvement in the attack. Now that she was aware of their presence, the princess found herself wondering if they should reconsidered their plans.

"Well, c'mon now." Barb encouraged while ignoring the not so subtle tank driving down the street. She wasn't about to let the military ruin her charge's first mall trotting experience while she was around.

Smiling, Ilana followed the woman's lead and walked along side her. em'Relax. No one knows it's you. You're just like everyone else.' If Barb wasn't worried about her planet's forces walking around so brazenly then she wouldn't either. After all, she was there to make a purchase just like all the other would be patrons that were out and about today.

The interior was just as impressive as the exterior. A tall pillar of light illuminated the center of the building. There were at least eight floors with countless stores, salons, spas, and who knew what else. A variety of people were going about their day without a care and were immerse in many different activities from eating, shopping, gossiping, and what have you. There were stairways that lead to the upper floors with rest stops in between as well as contraptions that allow a whole group of people to be carried up and down the levels in segments. There was even a moving staircase that transported lines of people up and down from level to level!

"You were right, Ms. Barb. This place is amazing!" It was just like the market place back home, only much larger and even more extravagant. And so well advertised since she quickly found what they were looking for on the third level from her position. "There's the furniture store."

"Please, sweetie, call me Barb." Her new neighbor insisted as the two made their way towards the escalators, passing by the many kiosks that were set up at ground level. "Gotta say, I'm a little surprised you've never been to a mall before."

"We don't have anything like this back home." The princess in disguise admitted as she tried to see everything that was going on around her. "It kinda reminds me of the marketplace in the city square."

"Oh, I've heard all about those open flea markets on television! Charming little places." That certainly explained things. After all, why go all the way out of town to shop, when you can find everything you need in your own neighborhood. "You know, I do believe we have some form of town swap meet that comes up every year in the Fall." In fact she was pretty sure they were suppose to have a meeting about it next week to discuss whom would be taking part in it. "I'll bet that'll be right up your alley."

As the two began to walk among the many kiosks at the main lobby, they were approached by one of the merchants. "Hey, ladies, you like lotion?" He asked with a very heavy accent as he offered a sample of his product to the pair. "Very best quality. What kind do you wear?"

What followed was a short detour inspecting the larger an average charts and what they had to offer. They received samples of scented creams, looked over delightfully crafted playthings, and even admired some local jewelry. Through it all, Barb was a watchful and attentive escort as she either politely declined an attempt at a sell from more persistent merchants, or for some interaction to be allowed if Ilana showed any interest. Eventually the two made their way to the upper level where the furniture store was and went in.

"Look at all the choices!" The girl exclaimed in wonder as she tried to take in everything around her. Barb also seemed pleased that the place seemed to stocked full of merchandise; and some were even on sale! "Which couch do you think would look good in our living area?"

The elder brunette took a look around at some of the available living room sets, before finally settling on a white couch. "Hm, ooo, how about this one?" She went as far as to actually sit down on the display and motioned to be joined.

The young blonde sat and immediately felt herself sink into the deep and soft fabric. "Ooo, smooshy."

"Isn't it though? I just love how you simply sink right into it." Barb leaned back to sink in all the more. "I wonder if they have this in yellow." She asked off-handedly as she looked around. It had been a while since she updated her own furnishing.

What followed was a marathon of furniture shopping. Chairs, sofa sets, tables, lamps, beds, drawers, shelving units, and just about everything one could think of. The store had an incredible selection and several displays on how to combine everything for different preference, styles, and personal taste. Barb suggested that they try looking at some of the more completed displays, if only to determine what style they wanted to get for Ilana's bedroom. It would be easier to decided if she saw an example on display, so off they went towards the back of the store where the displays were set up.

The first was a western style bedroom set. This design came with very realistic cactus bedpost, a rustic chandelier made of antlers hung overhead, large barrels that were fashioned into side tables, a humble wooden sitting chair, and even an actual cow skin hide stretched out on the wall. Very rustic and down to earth. However, it was somewhat sparse for just a single occupant. Also, the mattress was surprisingly pointy, for some reason, as they discovered after sitting on it. Barb was quick to usher her charge away from it the moment they jumped from the painful pokes. Both agreed it wasn't a right fit and decided to move onto the next one.

The next display was a more modern style living room set. Much like the kind one would find in the city, or at the very least one that those more financially well off would like. The overhanging lights gave off an appearance of a dandelion with three teardrop fixtures hanging around it in a triangle. There were two pedestal that held what Ilana could only assume were some kind of art pieces that looked to resemble flames to her. A long and skinny vase holding what looked like a thin dried up tree branch stood next to the white couch. The couch, itself, was nice, but not as smooshy as the first one they've tried. The cabinet that went with it had proved to be the kind to harbor drinks for company, which may prove redundant since there was little chance of actually having people over unless absolutely necessary. Overall it was nice to look at, but didn't really give the welcoming atmosphere Ilana was looking for. Barb agreed that it felt somewhat stiff and suggested something with more of a personality.

The next set turned out more like a children's bedroom set. Easily recognizable by the large, goofy animals painted on the walls and ceiling. There were at least two mobiles, one consisting of a hot-air balloon with clouds and another with a lion with basic shapes hanging from it. The bed, itself, was in the shape of a racecar, thus indicating that it was meant for little boys more than anything. The only thing that really stood out to either of them was the decent size chest that could easily be converted into something other than a toy chest. Overall a cute idea but not at all what they were looking for.

Another display held a far more modern bedroom set. Like something one would find in a high-end apartment in the upper side of the city. There was a huge mirror that dominated the part of the ceiling over the bed and most of the surrounding space. Modern art in the form of a large painting of a woman looking back at whomever was in the room. Rather daunting, really. There was a single lamp with a strong bright light in the corner that was reflected by the mirror, which helped to lit the space up. Fancier drawers that seemed to be made of something called marble, while lovely to look at, also seemed cold and impersonal. What really disturbed the princess was something called a waterbed. It was unstable and really hard to get out of once one sat or laid down on it. Poor Barb found herself stuck for a moment trying shift her weight on the constantly shifting surface. A definite hard pass.

Finally, they came across a more casual bedroom set. It was sort of small town style with a simple chandelier and two lamps on either side of the bed. There was a mock fireplace that also served as a shelf for potted plants and pictures. The bed was a full bed with wooden headboards and footboards, earth tone sheets and pillows, with a cute owl pillow front and center of the pillow pile. The display had a window with simple curtains just behind the bed that added to the look. Charming little and a larger drawer set that added to the aesthetic of the display. It was warm, friendly, inviting, and peaceful. It felt right.

Barb could practically feel the 'simple small town' vibe the display set was giving. "I think this might be the one." Not too overwhelming, warm and welcoming, and with just enough personality that suited a young lady.

"This is perfect." Ilana declared as she smiled at the overall feeling she was receiving from the combination. Then her eyes caught sight of a snow globe sitting innocently on the small drawer next to the bed. It held a miniature castle within the glass sphere, sitting on a false green hill as the fake snow swirled around it. As she lifted the bauble to inspect it better, Ilana found herself lost in her memories.

Flashback: Galaluna

She was seven again, traveling with her father in a new carriage. It was late in the afternoon and the three moons of Galaluna could already be seen on the horizon. . A small fleet had flown overhead in welcome of their approach. She and her father were flying down a long stretch of road, lined with trees and flowers, leading up to a shining new building. They were moving to a brand new castle in the main capital and she had a front row seat to take in the sights. It was beautiful.

"What do you think of our new home?" Her father asked as she smiled happily, scurrying from one window to another too see the sights of the new Magnus units that would serve as their protection from now on. All around the people were cheering, smiling, and waving, as the royals were escorted into the new courtyard. Escorted home to be closer to their people.

Present: Earth

It had been such a happy time. A peaceful time. One that marked a new age of unity for them all. An age everyone had believed would never end. Ilana found herself sitting on the bed forlorn and dishearten as she thought of her beloved home. Wondering how it had all come to this.

"Are you alright, dearie?" Barb asked when she noticed of the distress teenager.

"I miss home." Ilana admitted sadly.

However, the confession had only serve to confuse the woman further. "Already? We just got here." Surely this poor doll wasn't so sheltered that she would miss being away from her father so soon.

"No, not that." The girl clarified somewhat curtly. She wasn't used to keeping secrets like this, but she really didn't like the misunderstanding either. "My old home."

"Oh sweetie…" Her maternal instincts now triggered, Barb took a seat next to the poor girl and placed a comforting hand on her back. "I know change is hard, but it also opens up new opportunities. Once you make some new friends and get used to everything, I'm sure you'll be just as happy as you were back where you used to live." Appreciating the small comfort, Ilana was able to give the kind woman a small smile while Barb carefully took the ornament from her hands. "Who knows, maybe you'll even find a cute boy who'll be the prince to your princess." She then shook the little snow-globe to emphasized the light teasing. The light-hearted attempt had the young lady giggling.

Although Ilana knew there was no way for Barb to know of her royal status, she highly doubted she would ever find a compatible suitor here on this planet. Sure there have been many political arrangements scheduled in the past, but few were ever as well managed as that one with Prince Simon of Syran. Still, if this Earth really was to be her new home, perhaps she should at least consider the idea if nothing else.

"C'mon, let find the sale associate and place your order." Barb encouraged and helped her back up. If this delightful little style was what helped the poor girl feel most at home, then she was going to make sure to get the order locked down ASAP. "After that, we'll have a bite to eat and see what else is there to see." Noting cures the blues more than an afternoon of shopping, and she'll see to it that the girl's first experience is a positive one.

Lunis Residence

Meanwhile, back in the suburbs, Octus took full advantage of the alone time. Seeing as they needed to set up their security grid as soon a possible, he calculated that the central control should be set away from the commons area. The highest room in the house ought to be ideal. It was a simple matter of locating the second flight of stairs at the farthest end of the hallway on the upper floor. Once he found the room, and deemed it face to let go of his holographic disguise, he went to work assembling the computer system grid.

He positioned himself in the center of the room and proceeded to reach into himself and pull out a small sphere, made of the same hard light energy as him and housing a miniature Galalunian computer. He allowed it to float just in front of him while he connected to it wirelessly. Once the link was established, a simple wave of his hand was enough to have multiple copies branch out and spread out like a strange web. Each copy sprouted more copies, which sprouted more, until the room was filled with them. Some grew larger, to the size of exercise balls and beach balls becoming a form of main branch, while others remind small and were tethered to the larger spheres.

Since the system was going to take a little time to properly synchronize with the electrical grid of the house and his own sensors, the advanced robot decided to set up the outer security system next. However, as he left to prepare the necessary equipment, he missed one of the orbs beeping. This particular sphere was programmed to monitor any and all signals from space. Its range reached as far as the rift gate opening that brought its creator to Earth in the first place.

Something was coming.

Egypt

High above Earth's orbit and shimmer of space and light blurred into existence. From its center a wide beam of green energy shot out of it and down towards the unsuspecting planet below. Crash landing in the middle of the night, out in the great desert lands of Egypt, just beyond the city limits where stood the Great Pyramid. The only witness to the great crash was a lone figure riding their camel, which grunted in alarm at the sudden noise and light.

Just on the other side of the First Wonder of the World, a pillar of smoke was blooming up and into the night sky. The fire that gave birth to the smoke soon died out shortly after starting since there was nothing around to sustain it. However, the real threat was what came out of the plume of smoke. It began with a colossus mechanical foot. Animalistic in design. Predatory by motif. Then one by one, five sets of eyes could be seen activating. It wasn't long before the terrifying creature lumbered its way into the city itself and the people were sent screaming and running for their lives as what could only be described as a robot hydra roared in fury. As the metal beast stood, its internal systems were scanning for and trying to home in on a weak Galalunian energy signal.

G3: Undisclosed Location

Within the walls of G3, Solomon had been looking over the proceedings of studying over the alien rock pieces they were able to recover from the ocean. By some unfathomable twist, the pieces were still alive. Or at least the much larger ones to some minor degree. Not enough to reanimate, but enough to get some workable and invaluable data. So far there didn't seem to be any traces of radiation as one would find in Earth molten lava after cooling; however the samples were giving off some kind of energy not recognized on any known spectrum. Their Science Division is hoping to isolate the exact frequency with intent of using it to scan for others of its kind. With any luck it may even be the key to locating the two aliens that had already landed.

The soft, but rapid footsteps caught Solomon's ear as one of his agent ran to his side. "Sir we have an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere." The agent reported instantly, knowing that formalities weren't required in situations like this. "Its set to crash land in Egypt."

Egypt. He wasn't sure is it was ironic, coincidental, or deliberate that aliens would wind up landing there. Especially after their first initial report and description of the aliens themselves. Regardless perhaps it would benefit G3 to have a team research that ancient land of sand and mystery if nothing that than to see if there is a connection. Until then...

"Assemble team Delta and put Agent Magnus on stand-by."

Sherman City: Mall

The food court was certainly an interesting place. It was certainly the size of a decent courtyard, with a massive placement of tables and chairs at the very center, surrounded by a variety of eateries to choose from. The smell of exotic foods filled her sense of smell and made her mouth water, and she simply couldn't decide what to try first. Barb, noticing her bewilderment, took charge by asking if there was anything in particular she could or could not eat. Once it was clear that her charge didn't have any allergies she needed to keep track of, the brunette suggested an establishment that served tasty sub sandwiches with fries and a drink. Recommending the grill chicken with salad fixings, the two ordered two meals and sat to enjoy and chat.

"Oh, I am telling you the place was nothing but wires and remotes." Barb reminisced about her old married life as she took a sip of her iced tea. "You have done a gorgeous job there with the furniture. I'm sure your daddy will be happy with your choices." With the store reputation for prompt delivery, the dear little family shouldn't be without a bed for much longer. A little odd though, moving to a whole new town with nothing from your old home. Guess those cross-country moving companies have finally gotten too expensive for most folks.

"Thanks." The meal really was tasteful and filling, and she was really enjoying herself with her new neighbor. "We should probably start heading back. I'm sure Dad will have all his equipment up by now." Considering the time, she wouldn't be surprised that if her guardian had the house fully armed.

"My ex-husband was an electronics hound too." Barb mentioned with a laugh. No matter the background or upbringing, men will always share the same hobbies.

"Alright everybody!" A loud voice echoed around and caught the attention of the crowd. A gentleman standing of a small stage was speaking into an odd device that projected his voice for all to hear. "Its almost time for the mystery prize raffle!" The announcement declared as several people began to gather around. "There is still time for you to buy a raffle ticket!"

"Oooo! That sounds like fun!" Barb stated with some excitement before looking at her wristwatch. "Hm, we still have some time before the next bus. Come on, dearie, let's give it a whirl!"

"What's a raffle?"

"Oh, it's a way to raise money." The woman explained as she gently steered her charge towards the small booth on the side of the stage. Pointing out the jobs of each of the workers as they waited in line. "See, they're selling tickets to as many people as they can. Each ticket has an exact copy placed into that rotating box there, where they're mixed around so that everyone has a fair chance at winning." Now that she was looking at it, having a raffle in the next neighborhood blockbuster party ought to make for some fun. They did still need to fix that old fence at the playground after all. "Then they pick a ticket at random and call out the numbers printed on it. Whoever has the matching numbers is the winner."

"Fascinating." It certainly seemed like simple and straightforward way to raise funds. Perhaps someday something like this could be implemented back on Galaluna for special events. "What are you raising the money for?" Ilana asked a volunteer once they've reached the booth.

"All proceeds will go to the new pediatric wing at Sherman General Hospital as part of the reconstruction project." The volunteer informed with a smile while indicating towards a flyer that advertised the hospital.

The flyer itself sported pictures of children in various settings smiling and laughing and overall enjoying their stay at a hospital setting. "Now there's a worthy cause." The girl stated in approval.

"I agree! We'll take two." Barb declared as she took out her coin purse. "Anything for a worthy cause."

Charity Event: Backstage

Behind the curtain stood a large burly man peeking from just beyond the heavy cloth barrier. He stood at an impressive 6ft 6in, dark hair was cut in a military buzz cut and sported a clean trimmed bread and mustache, a thin scar cut at an angle at the right eye, and was dressed in a black shirt, long brown pants, fingerless black gloves and steel toe boots. Alphonse Rudish has served in the military for many years as both soldier and MP and took his current job as a bodyguard very seriously. His cool dark grey eyes were sharp and scanning not only the gathering crowd, but the area around said crowd for anything out of place. As far as public appearance go, this one was rather tamed, yet even with the additional security brought up by current events didn't guarantee true safety.

"I can't believe we're actually going through with this…" He griped in both exasperation and genuine disbelief. "Especially after what's happened with that… Fire thing."

He was approached by a formally dressed woman, standing at about 5ft 5in, long curly auburn hair tied in a neat bun, sporting elegant glasses, and simple earrings. "I know, I know, but the foundation's worked hard for months to raise the money for the hospital." Dr. Natali Glenn shared the bodyguard's sense of professionalism, she also held a soft spot for children. Especially those whom wind up hospitalized due to injury or illness. "This is the last push we need to not only reach our goal, but surpass it by a few extra digits. Enough to buy some new games and toys for the children during their stay in the new pediatric wing."

"That's great news!" Jason Andres called when he overheard the good news. "I was worried we'd fallen behind after that attack." It was one of the first bit of good news they've heard since aiding to get the highway from the suburbs into the city back up and running again. "How're you doing back there, kiddo?" He called over towards the dressing area.

"Not so good." Lance answered from behind the privacy screen. He sounded like he was having some difficulty. "I can't really move in this."

"Let have a look."

At the beck and call of his agent, the teen stepped out from behind the screen. His hair had been sleeked back and he was decked up in a prim and proper business style suite, white dress shirt, vest, jacket, the whole nine yards right down to the fancy shoes that always wind up scuffed no matter what you do.

The kid looked good, but Andrews didn't need his critical eye for detail to know that he clearly wasn't comfortable in it. "Hmm… This isn't exactly a formal event, we can get away with leaving your collar open." He personally removed the tie and tackled the button himself. He never understood why people insist on buttoning up shirts like these all the way. It always looked like they were chocking themselves to him. "And let's lose the jacket for now."

"Unbutton his cuffs and roll his sleeves back so he can actually bend his elbows." Rudish stated once he saw how trussed up like a goose his charge actually was. "It'll give him more freedom."

Dr. Glenn took this moment to look out into the crowd herself and take note of just how many people had gathered. "Just look at all of them out there." There was an unusual amount of women out there; she wondered if maybe someone had leaked some information. "Once they realize exactly what the "mystery prize" is we might have a riot on our hands."

Although it was clearly meant as a joke, Rudish took another look and decided the risk was too high. "You're right." Next thing anyone knew he quickly and efficiently took off his gloves, used water from a bottle to slick back his hair, and put on a random jacket from the selection that matched his pants. "I'm going out there with him." The simple changes made him looked like he belonged in the show and would allow him to stand on stage without standing out much. All knew better than to argue.

"There." Andrew stated once he managed a more casual office look to the overall outfit. Now the boy should be able to move around unimpeded. "Better?"

After a few shoulder rolls, Lance gave a smile. "Yeah. Much better." He didn't feel restrained like before and was far more comfortable. "Thanks."

"On in 5, Mr. Cerebral." A volunteer called out from that side of the stage.

"Okay." The young man called back in acknowledgement.

However, before he could get into position, Dr. Glenn stopped him, beckoned him to bend down, and began tying his hair back into a man bun. "There. Now you won't get overheated." She stated after straightening his open collar. He smiled greatefully before making his way towards the curtains.

"Here." Rudish stated as he passed him some propped glasses.

Lance could only blink at them. "Seriously?"

"You're representing both the clothing store emand/em glasses shop sponsoring this event, remember?" The bodyguard stated simply with a smirk

"Fine." Lance griped under his breath as he took and put on the prop. He didn't really mind all too much when he had to do these public appearance, but he wished he didn't have to dress up so much for them. At least the stores involved gave a decent donation to the hospital in exchange.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it time to unveil the mystery grand prize…"

"There's our cue." Rudish stated as he reached for the curtain. "I'll be right behind you." He added in a tone that was more supportive and comforting. At this, the teen gave a grateful smile. Even after all these years, he still wasn't very big on crowds.