Spectrum could not help but feel smug. He had accomplished two goals in spite of some pretty heavy risks. Having already been involved with one breakout and an assassination attempt, it was sure that the government would have assumed his presence. But either the surprise had worked or they had not yet worked out a way to counter his abilities. In any case he had what he wanted. That psychotic Flagstaff and his two pea-brained and dangerous cronies of his were safely locked up. And Vivian was his. What a team they would make!!! He had prepared a place to keep her and attempt to make her see reason. She seemed like a nice girl lured into a bad cause by a man of charisma. Perhaps he could lure her into a better cause? Anyway, that was the goal. And if it did not work, without the bad influences of Flagstaff Spectrum was hoping she would end up O.K.

Vivian was cooperating nicely, almost as if she had been expecting this all along. As they settled in to the nicely furnished apartment Spectrum launched into his pitch.

"Vivian, why did you join up with the Mockery Brigade in the first place? You seem like a nice girl, why are you trying to overthrow the government and put that maniac on an iron throne?"

"Well, it’s a long story. But to make it short I needed somewhere to go when Chariot threw me out and Flagstaff has always been a gentleman towards me." As she spoke she twirled a ringlet of her hair in one of her fingers and met his gaze with such a look of beauty and innocence Spectrum could not help but be moved.

Catching his breath he plunged into his proposal. "I am a gentleman too, and I offer you a far more noble way of living. Join me Vivian and see Truth and Justice championed!!! With your help there is no secret that we can not unearth! I suspect that your magical abilities include the reading of minds, no? Well then, I can get you "interviews" with some pretty important people and we can force our way through the lies the politicians are hiding behind. By the time were through..."

But at that moment his rapidly accelerating speech was interrupted by a popping sound and the sudden presence of an older man with close-cropped gray hair and a short gray beard wearing an old-fashioned suit and carrying a polished cane. Though not apparent at first there was also the slight stench of sulfur. Vivian gasped. Spectrum was deciding whether to blast him or grab Vivian and make a quick escape when she said, "Daddy! I thought you were dead."

"I was," he said. "Come, we have important work."

Vivian pouted slightly. "Oh, Daddy, not now!"

He simply looked at her, and she walked over to him and took his hand. She waved slightly to Spectrum and said, "Maybe later Lyle."

While Spectrum looked on stunned Sebastian made a gesture and the two disappeared.

She had called him Lyle. He was both relieved and apprehensive. Relieved that there was one less person he had to pretend to but apprehensive that it might be used against him. He was not yet convinced that she was really all that innocent. And he was quite sure that her father was not. Had he noticed or even cared that she had called him Lyle? He suspected not. But he had once read (more precisely he had listed to a tape of someone reading) a science fiction fantasy about mages that could use someone’s true name to completely control that being. The very fact that she knew his real name led to some alarming realizations. She had probably read his mind. Who knew how much she had learned. But to do it without his knowledge? Could she be that powerful? Probably she was only scanning his surface thoughts at an inopportune time. In any case it meant that would have to pursue her and find out. But where? Hopefully not hell. That was one location he was never going to visit if he could help it. There was only one person that could help him.

There was little difficulty in gaining access to Chariot. Somehow, because of his fame and the enemies he must have, Spectrum assumed that there would be some high tech security or at least a number of guards. But unless the guards were well disguised, there were none. Perhaps they figured Chariot could take care of himself. But from what he heard Chariot was pretty vulnerable. Though Vivian left Chariot on bad terms, perhaps there was some kind of relationship there he could tap into. He needed information pretty bad if he were going to rescue her from Sebastion or even locate her. Maybe he could identify some weakness or personality quirks. Spectrum teleported onto Chariots patio off his room in Miami while he was reclining out in the sun. When Spectrum appeared, he looked somewhat surprised.

"Spectrum, isn't it?" Chariot flexed an arm, as if to work out stiffness. "Miami's a long way from D.C."

"I get around. I am here because we have a mutual acquaintance. As you may have known it seems that my fate is intertwined with that of the Mockery Brigade, if you believe in such things as fate. Or perhaps it is just a bit of luck, good or bad. In any case I find most of that group to be a bunch of violent meatheads. Vivian, however, does not seem to fit. I recently managed to separate her from the other three goons and was hoping to rehabilitate her into pursuing a more pure cause. Unfortunately, just as things were going rather well, her father showed up. Now, I am hoping that Vivian has a lot of potential for good, but that father of hers is a bit off the deep end if rumor holds true. The fact that he appeared smelling of brimstone does not reassure me one bit. To make a long story short he 'persuaded' her to go with him. Actually it was more of an order which she seemed oddly resigned to follow. Not the normal reaction for a typical teen. Where they went, I do not know. What I was hoping to get from you is some way to rescue Vivian from the influence of her father, or at the very least, some way of tracking her down so I can try. Also any info on Sebastion would also be appreciated, enemies, weaknesses, patterns, etc. Will you help?"

Chariot laughed, long and hard. "I'm sorry, but I haven't had a reason to laugh for quite a while now." Once he managed to stop, he looked hard at Spectrum.

"Vivian is like a cat that loves to play with its food. She's as cruel and vicious as her father." Chariot shook his head. "If there's any good in her, I haven't seen it."

"And if Sebastian has somehow returned from the dead, we're all in a lot of trouble. He was one of the foremost magical talents in the world, and solidly dedicated to evil."

"If I were you, I'd go back to annoying the politicians in D.C., and forget about trying to rehabilitate Vivian."

"Perhaps you are right. You certainly know her better than I do. But I happen to believe in redemption, part of my Christian background, I suppose. My goals as a meta are based on this premise, with my main hope being the redemption of our political system. I believe that Vivian has a chance at redemption. I could be wrong but why would you deny me the chance to try? I demand no sacrifice from you, nothing risked. I merely desire information. Are you so unforgiving of past hurts that you would never see her redeemed?"

"Don't take me wrong, what you said has definitely made an impact on me. Perhaps all that I know about her is a facade and she is just playing with me. But if that is the case the truth will eventually come out. That is my specialty, after all." And if it is the truth he had other reasons for tracking her down.

Chariot shook his head once again.

"You just might be sincere, but I don't know where Sebastian would go. His last headquarters was in the Everglades, but that's been turned into a tourist attraction called Sebastian's Folly."

"Well, just in case Vivian does turn out to be the snake you've described, what so you know about her that I might use against her if need be? I'd hate to turn into a little puppet toy those two take out and play with once and a while." Spectrum was starting to get a bad feeling about all this.

"If I knew something to use against Vivian, I'd have used it myself long ago." Chariot shakes his head. "Her magic is all too real, and I haven't found any way of coping with it yet, other than to hit her hard and fast. And that doesn't usually work."

"Well, thanks for your time. I may have to reconsider attempting to convert Vivian, knowing what I now know. "