Tempered Steel

May 26, 2000, 1 pm. Outside Tiffany's

Shopping! What a complete waste of time. Rebecca Weiser sighed. Her mother had become more insistent that the two do "mother-daughter" stuff ever since that strange illness a few weeks ago. Rebecca sighed again. Mom sure doesn't do things half way.

Still, it was an annoyance. Rebecca had gained her great uncle's memories from that little bout with death, but she was still trying to sort and understand the knowledge. Sometimes, Rebecca thought as she moved mechanically, I almost do things without knowing how or even why. It's frustrating and dangerous. Of course this could all be solved by getting access to Great-uncle's retreat. Two problems, one the old guy hid it and two, that memory didn't seem to be one of the ones that got downloaded. It is in my memory, just like everything else, I just have to find it. And to do that I need time and space to deep trance. However, it looks like "Clinging Mom From Hell" isn't about to give me that space.

Hmm, Rebecca thought. With a little preparation, I could deep trance and still give Mom the impression of being there. After all, all I've done so far is nod every now and then. By making my body an automation with key "programs" to act in certain ways, there is no reason I can't find what I need. Yes! Begin…

Rebecca found herself surrounded by blackness. She was floating in a sea of nothing. The slow steady beat of her heart was her only companion. Time did not exist, nor did pain. Beat… Beat… Beat… It is here, she could almost see it…

Suddenly the darkness was sundered by a rolling mass of light and darkness! MAGIC! Someone had used magic, with evil intent. All her instincts went to full alert. She stretched and exerted her will. He had been fighting evil for so long that his reaction was pure instinct. To join battle against those who strive to use magic for evil. There was a vast disorientation as Rebecca wrenched her full identity back from her great-uncle.

Opening her eyes Rebecca found herself looking directly into an oncoming car. A car that was going SIDEWAYS!!!!

Just moments before on the sidewalk outside Tiffany's…

Nathaniel Hawkins walked down one of the miles of sidewalk the metropolis boasted. His mind was busy trying to figure out a good way to put all of his training into action. His eyes and a part of his brain registered the passersby as he had painstakingly trained himself to do.

He noticed a middle aged woman on the other side of the glass door of Tiffany's. One hand was holding tightly to the hand of a small thin girl-child with red hair. The child stood staring into space, twisting her body back and forth at the hip. The woman's other hand was trying to juggle 3 parcels, and open the door at the same time. This was not going to happen.

Nathaniel noticed that the other passersby were ignoring the woman's plight, some even looked right at her but kept going. So Nathaniel, long years of English breeding behind him, paused and opened the door. I may not have found any supervillains to fight, he thought to himself, but there is more to being a hero than fighting.

The woman instinctively steeped aside to let the tall man pass and then smiled her thanks as he bowed and waved her outside. As Nathaniel opened his mouth to offer his services in carrying her parcels, the Eye of Horus grew extremely hot against his skin. It was something he had never felt in the two years of wearing the amulet! There also came a great rushing sound as if from a great distance, and vague chanting that the young anthropology professor almost understood…

An explosion ripped the afternoon air, rising above the sound of traffic. Nathaniel felt the Eye cast its protections around him as he spun toward the noise. Even as his body and will brought themselves to full alert, one part of his brain was disturbed by the fact that of all the people on the street, himself included, the tiny red haired girl showed no reaction to the explosion. She didn't even blink.

As he completed his turn his eyes fell on the unbelievable event of thousands of pounds of steel and fibreglass in the shape of a 1984 Buick hurtling toward him at incredible speed. The vehicle was moving SIDEWAYS!!!