He looks around and head east, hoping he doesn't get lost. Twenty minutes later he sticks his head through a portal, only to blink as guns are aimed at him from all directions. The man sitting at the table straight ahead lets out a surprised curse.
"Who the hell are you?"
Marigold shoves in past Rocco. "Hello, Colonel Maveri," she says. "We've come for a little Christmas gift project I got clearance for last week. We've got a group of Cape High students here to deliver some presents to our troops," she informs him brassily. Colonel Maveri calms down, breaking into a smile.
"Marigold!" he says, holding out a hand. "Good to see you. We've been waiting for this. The boy's with you, then?" The guns are lowered, no longer aiming at Rocco, and the guards holding them start to grin.
"And the rest of them," she says. "Bring them in, Rocco," she says. Rocco reaches into the shadow and his hand is grabbed, so he pulls the entire group out, including the metal surfboard loaded with boxes. Whoops.
"Is that Cold Steel's board?" Colonel Mevari asks.
"Um, well--" Rocco says, hesitating. "This is PURELY a Christmas thing. Even Jack--"
"I'm a Cape High student," Jack says, reaching up and tapping on his watch. The illusion drops. "I might be a super villain when I'm working, but I don't got anything against the military, sir." Colonel Maveri raises an eyebrow slightly at the "sir" comment. "I AM a Liberty boy, you know," Jack adds.
"That's right, sir," Trent says, walking over to Jack's side. "For today, he's just my brother--a metal coated Liberty boy," he adds, flicking a finger against Jack's head to make a "ting!" noise. Jack doesn't even blink.
"Well, since you're with Marigold..." Colonel Mevari says slowly.
"If I mess up here do you REALLY think my family would let me live? You don't get more supportive of our troops than America's Son and Star Spangled," Jack asks. "Hey, if you want, I can call up Dad and have him come and watch me--"
"Can you?" Colonel Mevari asks. "The troops would LOVE to meet America's Son!"
Marigold just looks at the Liberty boys, crossing her arms over her chest. Rocco steps forward, though. "We can't--I can't have another adult helper, remember? If you want, sir, I can just stick him in the Shadowlands for this. It stinks and there are strange monsters in there, but I think he'll survive," Rocco says, making most of the group laugh and Jack give him a dirty look, "probably," he has to add.
"Okay, but we WILL be watching you," Colonel Mevari says, looking Jack in the eye. "Leave the watch off, some of the troops are fans," he adds reluctantly. "Besides, I trust Marigold with my life and my base, she wouldn't bring a threat."
"And yet you still make a big deal about it," Marigold drawls as they head the way out of the HQ tent and out to meet the troops. The entire base is made up of tents, which the Cape High students marvel at--until they start getting introduced to people. Soon they're drawn into handing out gifts and posing for pictures. The troops seem especially excited to see the Liberty boys.
Rocco steps back, leaning against a wall as Jack and Trent start talking to a large group of soldiers. To his surprise, Marigold moves next to him.
"I'm not going to apologize," Rocco says, not even looking at her. "The second time was ABSOLUTELY accidental."
"And the first?"
"I didn't steal anything!" he says, looking at her.
"Regardless, what you've done today almost redeems you in my eyes," she says. Rocco rolls his eyes. "Keep going that way, and I might just let you join my Hall," she tells him.
"Even if I'm a villain?" he asks.
"Same difference."
"How did you get so close to the military?" he asks, looking at her curiously.
"I was married to one," she says, looking over the group with a slightly sad smile. "I even enlisted to stay with him, back in the days. You'd be surprised at what sort of strings they used to pull to have a super out on the field--on their side, of course. When
"Who the hell are you?"
Marigold shoves in past Rocco. "Hello, Colonel Maveri," she says. "We've come for a little Christmas gift project I got clearance for last week. We've got a group of Cape High students here to deliver some presents to our troops," she informs him brassily. Colonel Maveri calms down, breaking into a smile.
"Marigold!" he says, holding out a hand. "Good to see you. We've been waiting for this. The boy's with you, then?" The guns are lowered, no longer aiming at Rocco, and the guards holding them start to grin.
"And the rest of them," she says. "Bring them in, Rocco," she says. Rocco reaches into the shadow and his hand is grabbed, so he pulls the entire group out, including the metal surfboard loaded with boxes. Whoops.
"Is that Cold Steel's board?" Colonel Mevari asks.
"Um, well--" Rocco says, hesitating. "This is PURELY a Christmas thing. Even Jack--"
"I'm a Cape High student," Jack says, reaching up and tapping on his watch. The illusion drops. "I might be a super villain when I'm working, but I don't got anything against the military, sir." Colonel Maveri raises an eyebrow slightly at the "sir" comment. "I AM a Liberty boy, you know," Jack adds.
"That's right, sir," Trent says, walking over to Jack's side. "For today, he's just my brother--a metal coated Liberty boy," he adds, flicking a finger against Jack's head to make a "ting!" noise. Jack doesn't even blink.
"Well, since you're with Marigold..." Colonel Mevari says slowly.
"If I mess up here do you REALLY think my family would let me live? You don't get more supportive of our troops than America's Son and Star Spangled," Jack asks. "Hey, if you want, I can call up Dad and have him come and watch me--"
"Can you?" Colonel Mevari asks. "The troops would LOVE to meet America's Son!"
Marigold just looks at the Liberty boys, crossing her arms over her chest. Rocco steps forward, though. "We can't--I can't have another adult helper, remember? If you want, sir, I can just stick him in the Shadowlands for this. It stinks and there are strange monsters in there, but I think he'll survive," Rocco says, making most of the group laugh and Jack give him a dirty look, "probably," he has to add.
"Okay, but we WILL be watching you," Colonel Mevari says, looking Jack in the eye. "Leave the watch off, some of the troops are fans," he adds reluctantly. "Besides, I trust Marigold with my life and my base, she wouldn't bring a threat."
"And yet you still make a big deal about it," Marigold drawls as they head the way out of the HQ tent and out to meet the troops. The entire base is made up of tents, which the Cape High students marvel at--until they start getting introduced to people. Soon they're drawn into handing out gifts and posing for pictures. The troops seem especially excited to see the Liberty boys.
Rocco steps back, leaning against a wall as Jack and Trent start talking to a large group of soldiers. To his surprise, Marigold moves next to him.
"I'm not going to apologize," Rocco says, not even looking at her. "The second time was ABSOLUTELY accidental."
"And the first?"
"I didn't steal anything!" he says, looking at her.
"Regardless, what you've done today almost redeems you in my eyes," she says. Rocco rolls his eyes. "Keep going that way, and I might just let you join my Hall," she tells him.
"Even if I'm a villain?" he asks.
"Same difference."
"How did you get so close to the military?" he asks, looking at her curiously.
"I was married to one," she says, looking over the group with a slightly sad smile. "I even enlisted to stay with him, back in the days. You'd be surprised at what sort of strings they used to pull to have a super out on the field--on their side, of course. When
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