Sunnyville, California

[planetaryguide]

  It's a gorgeous Southern California day in Sunnyville: the sun is shining, music's blaring from cars and open windows, young people are dressed for the beach, seemingly if they're just going to school.

Whitney Winters has come to hate the sun. She sees it as just a big lie glitzing over the horror that lies beneath the world's surface. And she's seen horror.  Horror that's cost her friends, family, her very innocence, 

"Yeah, yeah," she says to herself. "Pity party, table for one." She shakes it off and shuffles to class. That annoying Valentina Cazador is playing in the hallways. "That girl is the devil," she thinks, now realizing that she's late, and doesn't even have her chemistry textbook. She sighs, and doubles back to her locker. 

No sooner has she pulled the book from the locker, though, then she realizes that the hallways has been blocked by a wall of ice. 

"Miss Winters," says a pale white man with a sort of Jack Frost motif costume, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid I need you to come with us."

Comments

[jakita_wagner]

Jakita moves to Whitney's side, keeping an eye on Icicle and Tigress for their inevitable move to go for the girl again.

"Hi there, Whitney, I'm Jakita Wagner with the Planetary organization. There's some things we're gonna need to chat about, but I think we might want to go to a starbucks or something. Something with a high probability of coffee and low probability of kidnap and mayhem."

[planetaryguide]

"Planetary ..." she says, absently. "There was an old guy a few years ago. He interviewed my parents. Something about 'my aptitudes.' He was surrounded by ghosts.

Whitney looks at Jakita in the eyes, as if evaluating her.

"You've got a few ghosts surrounding you, too, don't you?"

Jakita was right to be wary of Icicle and Tigress, though ... the zombies gone, they've resumed their mission ... Tigress fires a crossbow bolt at Jakita, which Icicle follows up with a freeze ray ...

Meanwhile, Sabbac launches himself into Adam with abandon, looking to pummel him into submission quickly.

[first_shazam]

Submission is not an option - Adam endures blow after blow, teeth gritted, choosing his moments to strike for greatest effectiveness.

Such as shutting Sabbac's infernal mouth with an upward knee to his jaw.

[planetaryguide]

Sabbac laughs hysterically as Adam's blows pound into him, and he returns the favor. There is a sound like bones cracking underneath his impervious skin, but he seems to be relishing the pain.

Whitney looks toward Jakita, and there's something in her eyes that says she wants to stay and fight, but she knows that's a bad idea.

"OK," she says. "We need to motor. What about your friend?"

Then, the pair are hit by a nauseating wave of disorientation, and suddenly it seems as though the world were turned inside out.

At the end of the hallway stands an older man with a goatee, leaning on a cane.

"Wizard," shouts Icicle! "Glad you're here, this was way crazier than advertised.

"Indeed," says the Wizard. "But worry not, dear boy, re-enforcements are here. Artemis, if you'd be so kind ..."

At the Wizard's commands, she shoots darts at Jakita and Whitney. One hits Whitney, and she collapses again.

"Our employer wants the girl," says the Wizard, "and he has uses for Adam. Subdue him and bring him along."